DURANGO...here we come!

Will Kelsay and I will be heading down to D-town this afternoon for a few days of rockin' mountain biking and good times with Shonny, Mary, Blake and Lisa in their hometown. This is a great opportunity for me to really get my skills dialed in and start putting in some serious speed on the downhills and technical sections. If I can stay rubber side down, I'm hoping to come home with a big boost of confidence and a lot of things to practice back in Boulder! Oh, and we're bringing the video camera so there could be some ridiculous video footage coming...especially with two 6+hr drives!!!

On another note, good luck to those racing mtb in Winter Park today (Tom, Sasha, etc) and the boys racing in the USPRO Time Trial and Road Race in Greenville, SC today and tomorrow :)

'Yeeeaaahhh, Booooyyyyeeeee'

If you're gonna stay out until 2:30 in the morning, there better be a good reason for it! Last night was an exceptionally valid reason...Public Enemy was playing at the Boulder Theater in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention. After several mediocre performances, PE finally came on around midnight and played an absolutely amazing show. Since Tom had purchased our tickets before they announced it was being supported by the DNC and would be free, we got to be one of the first people through the door putting us front and center for the entire night!!! It was freakin' AWESOME! Check out the link below for more fun pics...I mean, seriously, how cool is it that I got to touch Flava Flav's and Chuck D's hands :)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=27839&id=766329333&ref=mf

The foot and road biking

I'm pretty sure there isn't anything broken in the foot and as a matter of fact, it actually felt great until I tried running on it this morning...grrrr. I think it just needs some more TLC and a few more days off the pounding so it can fully heal. Maybe even some aqua jogging and ellipticaling!!!!

Since we haven't received our new road bikes this year, I have neglected to actually touch my old one since this winter as it needs some serious work done to it so it rides smoothly. However, Matt and I decided to take a little ride in the rain the other day which was actually quite enjoyable.

Flat within first 5min of ride

We were those idiots on the road taking pictures

A sad attempt at 'Blue Steel' and 'Magnum' :)

Birthdays, BBQs, Chipmunks & Foot Issues

This Friday was the big 24 for me and it was the perfect birthday weekend (minus the small foot debacle, but I'll get to that later). Changed the oil in the motorcycles with Shep, went for a little MTB ride, then hit up the Rio for a delicious mango margarita and some good company. After a lazy day and a ride with Andrew that ended in a torrential rain storm, Jon had a BBQ at our place that produced some good laughs, mostly from the fact that Mark caught a chipmunk in his garage that he named Chippy and brought him over in a cat cage to release him here.

There was also the eating of a giant DQ ice cream cake that was ohhhhh so good :)

Did a nice road ride early Sunday morning followed by the dreaded 10am masters that was actually quite pleasant! I also went to the mall for the first time in ummmm...a year, and got some tanks and jeans. Oh good times. Now I'm trying to organize my day around this silly bone scan I need to get on my foot - long story short - went running on Friday, 45min into run I have a giant shooting pain go through the bottom of my foot making it nearly impossible to walk. I go to the doc and he wants me to get an MRI that day, but my stubborn self is convinced that it will be fine by Monday so I just tell him I'll wait and see. Still hurts like hell so I guess I'm going to have to see what's wrong...grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

XTERRA Mountain Championship Race Report

August 16th, 2008

Ogden, Utah
1st AG, 2nd Amateur

After the numerous issues leading up to the race (being sick for over a week, hospital visits to get stitched up from having sticks jammed through my leg, etc), I was ready to have a relaxed and stress free race that would be solely for training and FUN!!! When we woke up race morning, the weather was absolutely perfect, I felt as good as I could considering the situation and the fact that I was on antibiotics, but definitely ready to enjoy the day. The race was a set up as a 'point to point' so we headed to the top of the mountain to set up T2 first then back down to the reservoir to set up T1, warm up and get the show on the road.

The Swim - it was an usual situation as the water temp was just on the border for age groupers to wear wetsuits but not for the pros. Since the water was pretty warm, I wasn't really sure what to do. I didn't want to overheat, but at the same time, why not wear the wetsuit and just swim easier but go the same speed I would if I wasn't wearing it...so that's what I ended up doing. Not the best swim of my life, but I felt really good when I got out and although I had issues getting out my suit in transition, I'm happy with my decision to take it easier as it was going to be a long haul to the finish.

The Bike - up, up, up we go. The course was designed to climb from the bottom of the reservoir to the top of Snowbasin Ski Resort, then descend about 10min to the main lodge where T2 was located. On that note, there was A LOT of climbing...over 3000ft to give you a better idea. As soon as I got on the bike, I tried to stay with some of the faster girls that I knew would eventually drop me like I was standing still, but it was good for me to see where I need to be if I want to start riding like a rockstar. After a few minutes, I decided that it was not a smart thing for me to do since I was already starting to feel fatigued and just needed to go MY pace. I finished the bike going at what I felt was a solid, yet conservative pace, but knew I hadn't consumed hardly any fluids or food. My tummy just wasn't right and I just didn't want to deal with forcing anything down...I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN...

The Run - Even though the final 10min of riding were downhill, my legs were still pretty smashed from all the climbing and the first 1.5miles of the run were STRAIGHT uphill and the absolute last thing my poor legs wanted to battle. At this point, I knew I was the first amateur and all I needed to do was get through the run as efficiently as possible. From the lack of nutrition on the bike, I was starting to feel delirious and somewhat nauseated. I had a bottle of water in my hand but was so focused on just getting to the finish that I didn't even take a sip. About 3/4 through, I was feeling so smashed that I even tripped on my own foot and fell flat on my face. That's when I heard someone behind me asking me if I was okay. It was the second place female and she was running hard. I immediately got up and started running as fast as my depleted body would allow and until about 50 meters from the finish line I was on my way to another Championship win, but I was pipped at the line and ended up in second.

Lessons learned - after ending up in the med tent with severe dehydration and quite the traumatic experience (see previous post for more details), it finally dawned on me that I was a complete moron for even thinking about racing, much less putting my body through what I did in the race. I NEVER want to feel like I did when I crossed that finish line ever again. After a long chat with the coach and lots of reflection, I have a much better outlook on my health and have promised to be more honest with myself and make smarter decisions about races that are not as important as say Nationals, or Worlds. Learning is all part of the game and it's been quite the adventure this year, but I'm going to use it throughout my career as a staple for making wise decisions.

For a cool video of the race check out this link - http://www.xterra.tv/?video_id=2113

A trauma filled weekend…

Getting really sick last week was definitely a big shock to the system, but this weekend was by far the icing on the cake! While pre-riding the bike course with Will and Ryan Thursday afternoon, I crashed and fell off the trail straight into a whole bunch of rocks and branches. Once my bike and I stopped rolling down, I got up and saw a fairly large branch stuck in the side of my leg. I immediately yanked it out and it started profusely bleeding. I screamed for the boys to come help me out and we all agreed that we should head to the hospital. The worst part about the whole crash was that the course had been mismarked and we weren’t even on the actual race course! Grrrr. Below are some pictures Will took while I was getting the works done at the ER. He was so very intrigued by the numbing, cleaning, stitching, etc. It was pretty funny!

Friday was a pretty uneventful day, thank goodness, with the usual pre-race swim/bike/run, packet pick up, group dinner, and last minute bike issue routine. Since the doctor put me on antibiotics and gave me this skin tight tape-like stuff to put over my leg, I got the okay to race. However, I wasn’t going to make that decision until I knew I could run and bike. I fell pretty hard and was super sore, not to mention covered with bruises, so I wasn’t sure how it would go. After a quick jog in the morning with CJ and a loop of the upper section on the bike later on, there was only minor gushing of the puncture from opening the stitch, but nothing too terrible…SO GAME ON!!!

You’ll get the detailed race report later, but here’s the general gist. Had a decent swim, tried to stay with some of the super fast women on the bike, but just couldn’t hang (remember, I didn’t do ANYTHING last week so I was flat as hell), then got out sprinted to the finish for the overall amateur win. UGH. After that was ALL downhill L I got really dizzy so Ryan took me to the medical tent were I began blacking in and out and eventually started convulsing and going numb everywhere. My heart rate was through the roof and my blood pressure and temp were dropping like crazy. Luckily, Kate was there to get me through the worst part along with every medical personnel at the tent. I literally thought I was going to die as I couldn’t breathe, everything was shaking like crazy and I couldn’t feel anything in my body. They immediately flipped me upside down, got an IV started and wrapped me in that crazy foil blanket to keep me warm. After an hour or so of sheer hell, I finally started to calm down with the help of Kate, Ryan and Will and ended up going through 2 bags of fluid. That was probably one of the scariest things I have ever experienced and will definitely be on my mind the next time I’m not consuming enough fluids while racing.

When we got back, I really didn’t have much of an appetite and felt pretty crappy, but once we got to the awards ceremony and met up with all our friends, things were starting to get better. We ended up going bowling until 1am which was a blast but woke up 3hrs later to get to the airport to catch a flight back home with CJ. Definitely feeling the effects of putting my body through absolute hell, but plan on taking some down time this week and really start focusing on my mountain biking!

Big props to everyone else who kicked butt in Ogden as well. Branden finished a stellar 6^th and just seconds from the podium, Ignatz was top 10, Will sneaked in to get a paycheck for the day in 12^th while Christine was 11^th in the women’s race. Also having great results were DeCook, Matt, Kate and Spencer!

As always, check out the 'My Pics' link on the right for all the fun pictures from the weekend!

On the mend and to Ogden I go

No West Nile, no Giardia, no crazy parasites eating me alive and nothing outrageously abnormal with me other than the obvious :) Although I would love to have known why in the world I felt like I did last week, I guess it's a good thing it wasn't something too serious.

I'm still feeling very tired and fatigued, but every day seems to be better and better so I have made the choice to head out to Ogden, Utah tomorrow morning in hopes of racing the XTERRA Mountain Championships on Saturday. I will pre-ride and run the course then make the decision to race on Friday depending on how I feel. Regardless, I will be out there to enjoy being with great friends and support everyone who has always been there for me. If I do race, I will try my darndest not to have ANY expectations other than have a good time...much harder said than done, but I'm always up for a good challenge!

To the Mormon capital of the world I go....WHOOOOAAAA!!!

Pulling the plug is never easy

At times, having a life where everything always runs smoothly and perfectly seems quite appealing. No stress, no worries, no issues, no pain, ever...seriously, who wouldn't want to live that like? When things aren't going my way and times are tough, the thought of living without any of that crap sounds amazing. However, it's the small and sometimes large bumps in life that build character and make you a stronger individual. It's the broken bones, the asshole boyfriends, the family tragedies, and all the other difficult adventures life takes us on that continually build strength in each and every one of us. Yeah, it sucks while its happening, and it may even bring back a tear or two in reflection, but in most cases the reward for the suffering is well worth it.

Why am I bringing this up you ask. Well, this past week was both a big challenge and quite an experience for me. Waking up for 5 consecutive days without the ability to get out of bed much less think or eat because my body was is in a world of hate is no fun. Not physically being able to do the things that make me smile on a daily basis (i.e. training, working, hanging out with friends) is even more frustrating. Pulling the plug on a race I was really looking forward to is even tougher. I live for experiences, both positive and negative. I feel that every experience teaches some sort of lesson and learning is part of life. This week was full of lessons on patience, listening to my body and managing stress. GOOD STUFF!!!

Seeing the doc again tomorrow to get more results back so hopefully we'll figure out what has been causing the fatigue, loss in appetite, headaches, stiff neck, etc. I am feeling much better than I have all week, so maybe my body kicked whatever got me itself! YES, I will take it easy and get back to things slowly. With the input from JZ and the docs, the decision to race in Ogden this Saturday will be made right before I have to leave on Thursday. This give me time to recharge and be confident about my physical abilities. Stay tuned :)

Keith Meyer is a ROCKSTAR!!!

Some of you already know, but I haven't really been feeling all that great recently. After the race on Saturday things took a sharp turn in the wrong direction and I have not been right ever since. I woke up with a severe headache, stomach ache, stiff neck, zero appetite and pretty much felt like death. I have done ZERO training since the race (yes, 5 whole days) and eaten very little due to the lack of appetite and feel like I'm withering away by the minute. I had blood work done the other day and still waiting for the remainder of the results. No, I'm not over trained as most people would immediately assume as I took most of last week off as well because of not feeling right. When I'm not hungry and can't physically get out of bed because my head hurts so bad, it's definitely a sign of something other than over training. I'll keep you all updated on the health front but in the meantime, I have to say thanks and give kudos to one of the coolest dude's I know!

As I was coming home yesterday, I see a giant unexpected package sitting at my front door. Hmmm...I open it up and BABAM...

The best goody box from Trader Joe's EVER!!! WOW...I was completely speechless. It had just about everything I would have hand picked myself. Probably one of my ultimate favorite stores, TJ is an amazing grocer that they refuse to build out here in Colorado. I am 100% in love with where I live and so fortunate for the giant playground in my backyard, but if there was one thing I could change, it would definitely be having a Trader Joe's within driving distance. Unfortunately I don't think it's going to happen so I'll just have to keep stocking up when I'm out of state and begging for care packages from friends and family :) Haha...just kidding! Anyway, THANK YOU so much Keith. That honestly turned my day completely around. Can't wait to see you in September when you're killin' it in Wisconsin!!!

XTERRA Indian Peaks Race Report

1K Swim, 18K Bike, 6.3K Run
Eldora Ski Resort, Colorado - 9500ft
1st Amateur, 2nd Overalll

Ahhh...sleeping in my own bed, eating my usual breakfast, driving only 40min up a beautiful canyon...it's kinda nice racing close to home :)

Everything started off smoothly with the packing of the moto and meeting Sasha at the court house at 6:30am. We drove up to the Eldora Ski Resort with no troubles and arrived in plenty of time to set up, warm up and watch the La Sportiva 10K run begin and end. I was already feeling a bit off and not having much of an appetite so I wasn't able to get much down before the race...it was going to be less than 2hrs so I really wasn't worried. Was it the altitude again?

Swim - BRRRRRRRRRRR...at 9500ft, no matter how big or small the body of water, it's gonna be cold...and it was. I guess the faster you go, the faster you can get out of it, right? After all limbs went numb, I was finding a good rhythm and sighting the best course I think I've ever swam. After getting pulled out of the slick exit, I found my shoes in the giant pile outside the lake, ripped off my wetsuit and began the 650m dash to transition. It's pretty hard running straight uphill on rocky terrain carrying your wetsuit but I loved it...true XTERRA style!

Bike - I geared up and headed out on the course as quickly as possible. After not training hardly at all the week leading up to the race I was unsure how I would feel out there. I planned on starting off easy and gradually building into race pace throughout. Unfortunately, the course was poorly marked and right off the bat I made a wrong turn with some other people and after realizing it, turned right around and tried to get back on course immediately...this wrong turn and one other early in the ride definitely spiked my heart rate and I ended up getting frustrated and going harder than I wanted for the first half. Luckily most of the final sections were all super fun downhill trails so I was able to relax a bit before heading on the run. With a better marked course, this is definitely going to be one of the best bike courses on the XTERRA circuit for sure :)

Run - Had a very quick transition and was out on the run course in no time. Because it was a time trial start, I wasn't quite sure my exact standing in the race, but I didn't know that of the few girls who got in the water before me, I had passed 3 of them on the bike and was certain that at least 1 or two were still behind me on the run. After hitting the short out and back section, I saw a few girls who I had passed on the bike in front of me on the run...hmmmm...I got a little frazzled and just pushed harder. Then, like last weekend in Crested Butte, I began to get another slosh in my belly. I had not taken but 3 sips from my bottle on the entire bike and hadn't consumed anything on the run that far. What in the world? Since it was only 6.3K, I really didn't think about it, just tried to ignore it as much as possible and get to the finish line. After making a sharp turn out of some tall grass, I could see the finish and the never-ending run was finally over.

The Madness - Turns out there was one section on the bike that a lot of people went straight instead of right at making the course about 15min faster. They issued penalties to those whose times were 'obviously' wrong, but for others, it was up to them to fess up or have others who know their ability say something. It was definitely not a pretty end to a race but things happen and not everything can always go perfectly.

The Outcome - After all the penalties were issued, I ended up being the first amateur and 2nd overall to Melanie McQuaid. I was also the 20-24 Triple X Champ for having the fastest combined time for Buffalo Creek, Crested Butte and Indian Peaks! WHHOOAAAAA :)

10.5 and 12

That is how many hours of sleep I got Saturday and Sunday night, respectively. Thinking I needed some sleep, what do think?

After feeling tired, crabby, unmotivated and somewhat burnt out last week, I regrouped myself and drove the motorcycle (and the bike) up to Eldora to partake in an Xterra event. I'll post a formal race report with pics and such later, but in summary, it went alright...1st amateur, 2nd overall, made a little moola.

As for right now, I'm really hoping that whatever nastiness that went through my body yesterday is gone and I am able to be fully functional today. I woke up with the most awful headache and stomach ache ever and didn't do anything all day except attempt a yoga class that only made things worse. Following the class, I neglected to eat dinner (not that I had eaten anything all day anyway) and went right to bed around 7pm...I didn't wake up til 7am this morning...

XTERRA Crested Butte Race Report

July 27th, 2008
1st AG, 14th Overall

It's never fun to elaborate on crappy races so I'll just make it short, sweet (or not so sweet), but to the point!

After arriving in the most beautiful place in Colorado on Thursday night, I was super excited to finally get that 'perfect' race together. However, after running and pre-riding the course on Friday, a totally different mindset kicked in. I was feeling beyond lethargic, had nothing in my legs and almost nauseas-like. Was it the altitude?!? I mean, we were at 10,000ft for goodness sake. Other than a short swim and picking up my packet, I spent the better part of the day in the hotel trying to rest up and let my body do it's thing. Even though I was being super optimistic about everything making a 180 before the race, it didn't happen. I felt just as bad race morning and definitely did not perform at any level of my ability. I was breathing out of my mind on the swim, delirious on the bike and crashing all over then walked the better part of the run because of an upset tummy :( BUT I FINISHED!!! Not a happy camper about the whole situation but I am learning that every race can't always go as planned and things that are out of your control happen. This is the first of 4 races in 4 weekends so I have plenty more opportunities to go out and prove myself that I AM a kickass athlete and that CB was just a fluke!

After the race, Will and I headed to Gunnison to hang out at Brian and Jenny Smith's place and do a little BBQ. Although probably not the greatest of ideas, we did an amazing and long epic ride the next day on the never-ending trails in CB and it was awesome! Check out the video below for more excitement :)

Rhode Island Video

To the Butte I go!

Crested Butte that is...and boy am I excited. It's one of the most beautiful places in Colorado and the fact that they host an XTERRA race is just plain awesome!

I'll be traveling down with some friends from Denver then staying with Sasha and Val. Will Kelsay, Blake Voges and many other CO off-road folk will also be there making for a super fun weekend. I just need to get through this 6am masters, which I haven't done in years, and a half-year financial webcast conference at FRG. Then I'll be all set and hopefully on my way! I'll be attempting round 2 of the video madness so stay tuned :)

The first of many silly videos...

So these are both the very first attempts to create fun videos for people to see what it's like at races, sponsor's corporate headquarters, behind the scenes, etc. NO LAUGHING...I still haven't figured out how to put audio in the background, but I'm working on it. Also, I apologize for the shaky camera skills, I'm learning :) If you know anyone who is savvy in video production and wouldn't mind giving me a few pointers, hook a girl up! Alright, enough babbling. Enjoy.

Pat Griskis Sprint Triathlon



Timex Corporate Headquarters Tour

Oh the love of mechanicals...

After the back latch of my trunk got stuck and we had to dismantle my bike to get it out of the side doors, it's safe to say that my day was definitely not starting out as the best it could have yesterday! I just ignored it as there is a reason I hardly ever drive that piece and it's either getting sold or driven into the ground soon so might as well deal with the annoyances :)

At any rate, Melanie, James and I drove up to Nederland (8500ft) to escape the 100 degree heat in Boulder and get some quality mountain biking in. Right from the get-go, I knew something wasn't quite right with my shifting and chain but again, ignored it and kept riding so that I didn't have to make everyone else stop. After hearing the obnoxious noise, James told me to switch bikes so he could try to figure out the issue. He immediately told me that the pulley on the rear derailleur was totally worn out and that the chain was using the cage (which was also completely shot) to stay on the pulley instead of the teeth of the actually piece. Nothing we could do about it there so I told him it would be fine and to continue with the ride. About 15min later, the chain lost its path and I snapped the cage that was keeping the chain in line...crap. While Mel rode in circles, James switched the front and rear pulleys in hopes that it would stay on for the duration of the ride. It worked for a good 20min, then somehow my entire wheel popped off the bike and bent my rear rotor causing another 15min stop. Okay, back to the trail...After another 15min of riding, the rear pulley wasn't hanging on without the cage and kept popping off...no biggie, I'd just hop off and realign the sucker ever 2-3min and not cause a fuss! Well that worked about 10 times or so until we went up a steep section where a little torque on the bike snapped the pulley and what was left of the cage right off!!! SHIT!!!! James did a little surgery on the bike and made it into a fixed gear so I could at least make it out of the trail and get to the car...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! Could you imagine what would have happened had James not been there? Well Mel and I sure couldn't, we'd be an absolute mess.

After getting to the car, we made a pit stop at the Co-op so I could get James a huge muffin for his efforts and patience. He has since taken 'the carcass', which he has named my bicycle, home with him to rejuvinate and make ridable for another adventure today!!! What a rockstar he is :)

SHEP, WHEN ARE YOU COMING HOME?????

Providence 70.3 Race Report

July 13th, 2008
2nd AG 20-24
7th Overall Female

I'm pretty sure that I asked myself the following questions about 5 or 6 times throughout this race...What in the world am I doing out here? Where are the rocks, dirt, trees, people crashing all over? Man, I've been running forever, am I done yet? It wasn't that wasn't having fun out there, because I definitely was, it was just the first half Ironman/road race of the year and I just couldn't seem to find my rhythm. Luckily, nothing disastrous happened and it ended up being an alright day :)

The Swim - Let's just say that starting a race at 6am that is about an hour away from the finish doesn't really make for a good night's sleep. I woke up at 3am to walk down to Keith's hotel and drive to the ocean with him, Devon and Brooke. We got there in plenty of time, set up, warmed up, then tackled the crazy waves and current of the sea. The running start into the crashing waves was something I don't really handle well and ended up being washed up several times before making it out to the first buoy. Not exactly the best way to start a race, but I tried to keep my head in it, stay focused, concentrate on not swallowing the entire ocean and sight as much as possible between the giant rolling waves coming over my head. Again, not the best of swims, but considering my history of panic attacks in the water, I was thrilled that nothing completely horrible went on.

The Bike - Aerobars, TT helmet, shoes already on the bike, what's this?!? Just kidding...it did take me a while to get into a groove though as I've honestly only been on my race bike a half dozen times before this race and it still felt a little foreign. I did manage to settle in a bit and start cranking through the masses of people (I started in the second to last wave). The roads were somewhat sketchy and the course was pretty crazy as well. It was beautiful riding along the coastline but the endless crossings through intersections was pretty scary and the people being held up for the race were not the happiest of people. In some ways, dodging the cars and riding over bumpy/uneven road surface was somewhat Xterra-like. Throw in some good hills like we had and it was definitely a good match :) Although I felt super flat (no pop whatsoever) and had some derailleur issues, I managed a decent bike (6th fastest) without feeling absolutely spent at the end.

The Run - My favorite part...usually. This time was a bit different. I started the run with super tight hips and figured everything would loosen up as it always does. WRONG. Within the first mile, we hit a super steep hill that required small shuffling steps in order to get up it and I'm pretty sure this locked up my hips even more. At this point, I was already off pace and just not feeling motivated. I made a point to stop at every aid station to give myself something to look forward to, but the unusually high volume of fluids I consumed/poured on me only lead to a sloshing belly and squishy shoes which is even more annoying! Focus chica, focus...yeah, not today. I went through the motions and completed the race knowing I hadn't won my age group which meant I wasn't getting my slot to Clearwater which was disappointing as that is what I came there for. Little did I know, there were actually 2 spots available for our age group! Clearwater it is...

The Aftermath - Seeing the entire Timex Crew at the finish line was the highlight of the day and definitely a huge attitude changer for me. Not every race can be perfect and go smoothly but knowing that you have a huge support group there no matter was happens is absolutely amazing. I only lucky girl to be part of such a spirited team with gratuitous amounts of energy and passion. This is honestly one of the most motivating factors for me in this sport and I couldn't be more appreciative :)

MORE PICS AND VIDEOS TO COME!

Erin on the news!!!!

So it's a darn good thing I'm not a news reporter or interviewee as a living...I'd be one broke little girl :) Check out these 2 videos from news interviews I did while in Providence this weekend...and NO laughing...I've already done enough of that on my own!

ABC 4pm News

FOX SPORTS 11pm News

Quick Recap

This past weekend in Providence was an absolute blast. I didn't have the best race of my life, but had a great time out there with the entire Timex crew. Having it be the first road race of the season, I guess I couldn't have too many expectations, right? I was, however, able to snag a slot to Clearwater after a second place finish in my age group, take 7th overall in front of several pros and turn in the 6th fastest bike split of the day which is huge considering how flat I felt out there. My teammates all had killer races as well! Richie Cunningham was second overall after being hit by a car, Chris Thomas grabbed the first overall amateur position, Keith Meyer broke his previous 70.3 time by 15min, Emily had an amazing finish after completing IMCDA and getting married 3 weeks ago, Ian Ray looked amazing out there and came flying by me on the bike after a killer swim, Oakes Ames (age 55) won his age group by over 38min and was 25th overall, and lastly, our East Coast regional sales rep for Timex, Devon, completed his first half ironman with the biggest smile ever on his face, it was AWESOME!

More details to come but as you all know, I'll be running around like crazy for the next few days getting all my clients squared away with quarter end reviews and half year reviews, etc. Check back in a few for a full race report with some funny stories, good pics and interesting video :)

My new toy!!!

Get ready for video because this girl's got a new mini camcorder that is not only small enough to fit in my bike jersey pocket, but shockproof AND waterproof!!! OH YEAH...lots of footage to come :)

Don't have time to get into details now, but let's just say that between the craziness of air travels, evening sprint races, truck driving, expo setting up, evening news videos, working, and a bit of training here and there, I've been running like a race horse. I've been having an absolute blast with the Timex crew and can't wait to race on Sunday! Stay tuned for lots of fun updates.

3hrs of sleep and it's go time!

After getting all packed up and ready to go, I finally got into bed at 11:30pm last night. Just enough time to squeeze in a little 3hr nap before I had to get up again to drive to the bus stop to catch the 3:30am bus to the airport for a 6am flight to Connecticut. I always tell myself I won't take these early flights ever again while I'm doing it, but the arrival time on the east coast is just too appealing!!!

Anyway, I will be in the area visiting the Timex Corporate headquarters as well as helping out with a local sprint race this evening. I will then drive with our team manager Tristan to Rhode Island for the 70.3 Providence Half Ironman race on Sunday. Yes, first road race of the year...should be interesting! However, before the event, I will definitely have lots of fun media snipits to report on so stay tuned :)

Is it really July already?!?!

Guess time flies when you're having a good time!!! Between photo shoots with David Pahl (above pic) and working like a dog to get ahead of schedule before I leave next week, I really haven't had much free time at all so apologies on the lack of posting.

As my first road race of the season approaches, I've been switching gears a bit and getting back into the longer distance training as well as the TT bike riding. I'm not one to write about my workouts, power output and crap like that, but I do have to mention that riding and racing off road has made me a much stronger road rider and it's super fun to see the difference from the same time period last year! From my trainer session to the track, it's only been huge time and wattage improvements and today during a 3hr ride/90min run brick with several efforts, I couldn't believe how great I felt! JZ has got some serious props coming her way...especially if I can pull off a good race next weekend in Rhode Island :) Until then, enjoy the 4th and don't blow any limbs off playing with fireworks!!!

Yeah, Shep can put a bike on that!

This post is long overdue because of the other random things happening in my life, but here it is. This is how I commute on a daily basis and while the attempt is NOT to cause accidents, people just can't help but stare :)

Many of you have already seen or heard of the bike on bike ordeal going on in Boulder, but what you haven't heard is how absolutely sweet, perfect and pristine these masterpieces really are. Thanks to Shep's bicycle thinking brain and man skills (I'm talking about the ones with tools, metal and building shit), he has been able to design a fully custom bicycle rack that with a little tweaking can fit on any motorcycle! Yeah, he's THAT cool.

Check out his post below for more info and if you are interested in rack yourself, please give him a shout at ashep81@gmail.com

'Yeah, I can put a bike on that'

Yes, I have a fohawk!

Yesterday marked another Locks for Love round for this girl. After my giant rat's nest of a ponytail kept coming undone during a 45min run, there was no way I was going another day with long, heavy and obnoxious hair. It has only been 1 year and 8 months since my last extravaganza so I was going to have to take off quite a bit more than the previous time...see last year.

However, I was totally cool with it and actually quite excited. I just told the lady to go short, spiky and allow me the ability to put up a mohawk if I wanted!!! Snip, snip, snip...there goes 2 ponytails of over 11 inches of hair...snip, snip, there goes a little more...squirt, spray, there goes some product to make it stick up...AND VOILA!

The pictures really don't do justice as to what it really looks like, but it's cool and fun and light and easy. I'm definitely gonna have to throw some crazy colors in at some point (maybe a little orange for Timex...) but I didn't have time for that yesterday. Pretty extreme, but hey, that's kinda how I live my life, so why not have some sort of crazy hair style to match it, right?!?!