Kicking off the off-season, road racing, and crashing

A road race, pile-up, and sore body later I found some time to write my latest blog. After competing in a local 45 mile road race this past weekend I was reassured that I was NOT invincible. The 8 man wreck left me with a sore lower back and very sore butt. Thankfully this happened when it did and not in the middle of my triathlon season. I usually will not compete in any road races during my triathlon season for this fear. This year I did a few crits that were not very smart and I luckily skimmed by no less than a dozen wrecks and pile-ups there. This goes to show, anyone at anytime can hit the pavement. In my case this weekend it just happened to be a rough road with loose gravel. I was able to get back on my bike and eventually cross the line first, but not without a painful body the next few days.

I basically began my off-season a few weeks ago and just recently started to get back in the groove of things. My first R&R week was nice. I was able to rest a little and take some nice runs and rides at an easy pace, but by the end of this week I was starting to get the itch and by the second week I was ready to get back to my regular training schedule. As most triathletes know rest and recovery are a very important part of training. Knowing this, several athletes continue to skip out on recovery. When you get the ball rolling and you start turning in fast times its hard to take a recovery week. You think to yourself, “I don’t need a week off sitting around; I need to get even faster!” I’ve been there myself and have made the mistake of not taking much needed R&R. 

I am excited to start a new program this off-season where every fourth week is a straight R&R week. This is one of the more popular training outlines that athletes choose. I will continue to have my regular recovery days throughout the week, but will add a full week of R&R as well. This seems like too much recovery, but in hindsight the body NEEDS THIS. Looking back at this past season I had very little R&R time. Having the right amount of recovery will definitely benefit in the long run. I have already begun this new regimen and will report back later this off-season to let you know my progress and how it is going. This off-season I will also include a new aspect into my blog titled: Product Review. Everyone knows the off-season is long and can easily become a drag without being able to compete, so I have created this new series where I will test products and post a review of my thoughts on the product. Hopefully this will keep me busy during the winter months.  I will include clothing, equipment, shoes, nutritional supplements, etc. Anything new that I can get my hands on this winter I will post a review! Until then

Safe Training

Season Wrap-up

As I take a few easy weeks of training before I begin my off-season the top professionals in the sport are gearing up for the biggest weekend of their year. I have had a week to relax and take an overview of my season. I was fortunate enough to have a great season, friends and family that supported me through the year, and great sponsors. The staff and my fellow teammates at Trisports.com were truly amazing. I talked pretty big last year about how I was going to win all the prestigious races of New Mexico in 2010, but there was really no certainty, just my outspoken thoughts of what I was shooting for. Trisports.com decided to take a chance and sponsor me. I’m truly grateful to have had the chance to be a part of this elite team. For the most part, I delivered what I promised for 2010. I started the season as an underdog and ended as a favorite to win the overalls. I have really grown as an athlete and ambassador of the sport this season with Trisports.com at my side. I want to thank them again for the opportunity and support that they have given me this season.

 I had six overall wins, two 2^nd place finishes, and a 5^th overall in my first Olympic distance to wrap up the season. My experience in the Elephant Man was a positive eye opener. My performance in this race made me realize I’m able to step up to the next level. My biggest issue during this race was “the unknown.” Since I haven’t competed in this distance before I wasn’t for sure exactly how hard I could push myself. The course was also a big issue. It was up and down the whole day and I was worried that going hard on one climb could seal my fate. The fear of pushing too hard on the bike or too early on the run and blowing up was consistently running through my mind. With this being a concern I played it safe.  Once I crossed the finish line I was surprised by how much I had left in the tank. It was a little disappointing that I didn’t go all out and leave everything on the course, but satisfying that I was only 4 minutes behind the winning time even after conserving so much. This performance left me excited for the 2011 season and anxious to start the off-season. I will be training specifically for Olympic distance races this off-season. For the 2011 season these races will be my main focus.  
A friend and fellow competitor, Steven Montoya, will be competing in Hawaii this Sunday. Good luck to Steven and all the athletes competing this weekend in the Ironman World Championship.

I reached many milestones this season. One I will never forget is my first overall victory. After several top 5 finishes in ’09 I was hungry to win an overall after a long off-season.

 One that will be fresh in my memory for years to come….

The mountains made for a beautiful backdrop, but brutal course