Repaying the Favor...What would my Dad do?

Growing up I was always impressed by my Dad. My Dad has always been the type of person to help people in need. I remember a time we were at Shopko and a man we didn't know had a heart attack and collapsed. My Dad was the first into action to help the man. My Dad has helped stranded, stuck, and crashed motorists. Everyone watches while my Dad acts. He has always been that way and whenever in a situation that requires quick action and decisions I always ask myself, "what would my Dad do?"

This summer I needed help when I had a bunch of flat tires on a bike ride. I posted in August about being picked up by a random person when I could not ride my bike home. The flats were unfortunate but the person that picked me up went above and beyond and showed me kindness in my time of need. Since that time I had been looking to repay the favor. Today I had the opportunity. I was just going over the top of McDonald pass and as I went over a saw a vehicle in the park entrance that was stuck. I saw the 2 right side wheels turning but no movement from the vehicle.

For the next few seconds I watched the vehicle in my mirror...WHAT WOULD MY DAD DO?...This was my chance!!! I flipped a U-turn across the four lanes of traffic and headed back to the park entrance. I plowed through a snow bank in my trusty Ford Ranger (love that truck). A man probably 5 years older than I seemed relieved to see me. I asked if he was stuck, he said he was. I asked him if he had a shovel or tow straps, he had neither. I thought, "well we will have to do this old fashioned way." I told him to put his jeep in 4-low and I would push, didn't work, the jeep was stuck for sure. I told him we had to dig a path to where the plowing started. I used my window scraper and he used a black leather object from his vehicle.

We dug, dug, and dug. Finally we had a clear path to where the plow started. I told him to "straighten up and I will push." We got the Jeep rocking back and forth and finally with all my effort the Jeep started moving and made it to the plowed section. The man thanked me and asked if I smoked. I told him I didn't and he said that smoking is what got him into this mess (good lesson: don't smoke or your car will get stuck in a snow bank).

I quickly shook his mittened hand and plowed back onto the highway. So many times we are faced with an opportunity to help people but for whatever reason we second guess ourselves. Maybe we are scared to be made a fool of, short on time or whatev I don't know. I faced the choice to drive on down the pass, forgetting about the man, or turn around and see if he was okay.

I did the right thing, he wouldn't have gotten back onto the road without help. More importantly, I acted. We all know what's the right thing to do, but we often over analyze and reason our way out of doing those "right" things. I came back to see if he needed help, I acted, I did the "right" thing, and finally repaid the favor that had been paid to me back in August by my mid-ride rescue. We'll call it even. :)

On the Way: New Years

Not Again...

At the World Championships in Hawaii, Normann Stadler (pictured below) lost his lead when he was toppled by leg cramps and a hurting lower leg...

In 2007 I missed 8 months of the season, no bike, no run, and lost all my fitness. I did the "normal" things like like staying up late and going out, let me say it was the most unfulfilling time in my life, e-ffing worthless waste of time, I almost went insane.

I actually wish I would have went insane so I could block out that time period. People don't understand, this is what I do, period. I knew I shouldn't have posted about how well my workouts were going, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. Today on my run my illiotibial band syndrome resurfaced, this time in the other leg.

I wasn't doing anything crazy or dangerous in terms of volume, 12-14 hours the past few weeks.  I had big mileage in the fall with no problems. This might still be a lingering injury from the Seattle disaster as my shins and legs hurt bad after that adventure. I have done my weight trainings, stretches, and have a whole year without ITB, but it's back today, in the other leg. Certainly all runners and cyclists have injuries but...I don't know what to say...it's...well it's just frustrating.

I Don't Know...It's Just Different

This year will be different. It is going to be structured differently, have different priorities, and more importantly end up differently.


*Living a dream 5 years in the making, Elite Heat - Griz Triathlon 2008*

In the past I had forced my fitness to prematurely sharpen for the Griz Tri, I now see what a negative effect that had on the rest of my season. It was such a task to have a high level of fitness in the spring when the majority of my racing would not take place until summer. I never felt comfortable on that schedule. I typically race until fall before taking time off in the winter. To do well at the Griz you have to be putting in the base through November and December and lactate threshold during March. That's always been too early to fit my schedule. Last year I lived my dream of being in the Elite Heat. The race was so-so but whatever, I was there. The years of hard work were worth it, but I don't really care about the Griz Triathlon anymore, been there done that, no offense.

This contributes to why this year is different. I am not racing at the Griz, instead I agreed to coach (term used loosely) a friend, so that she may too have her big day. Not doing the Griz will finally afford me to build a huge base over the winter and spring, something I have not done before. At this point, base training is necessary for what I plan to do.

I have already started building my volume and feel great. I have never felt this good while putting in big miles. My training is well planned and progressive. I absorb large amounts of "comfortably" paced training very well. I don't know, it's just different. I feel think, feel, and train differently than previous years. My base volume of previous years will not even be a "blip" on the radar screen compared to what I think I can do this season.

It sounds weird, but my body is going through aerobic change. I can tell my capacity for aerobic "work" is increasing. This year will be different, it will have to be in order to achieve what I am planning to do...

Winter Training

I train all winter for the first chance in the spring to strip off my winter clothes and ride like a wild man...

 
There is something special about base training. There is something about adverse weather and big miles that make me feel good. Base training provides opportunities to rest my mind and body from the rigorous racing weekends and intensity training. Base is the time to skate ski, a sport I am absolutely facinated by. After skiing last season I see why nordic skiers are considered the bests athletes in the world...period. Women's Olympic Biathlon Champ Below:

Base is the time to ride and run in crazy weather. If you live in Montana you know how crazy it can get, I love it, it makes me tough. I still remember every detail of the 100 mile ride I did in Bozeman in the winter of 2005-2006, it was epic.

I can't explain why I do the things I do...

...I do them because they are what a wild man would do.



Base allows time to change things in training and diet that are necessary for next year's success. Base is the time to enjoy the miles and being able to exercise. Base is the time to get back to the bike trainer and add the stability to joints and muscles. I always use skiers and the regime they go through all summer to ski well in the winter. I'm the opposite, I work hard all winter to have top fitness in the warm months. More importantly, I know that each winter is invaluable in terms of aerobic development. The miles put in this year may not payoff until a few years down the road, pay up now.

More importantly I train the miles and hours in cold weather, on the treadmill, and the hated bike trainer, doing things others do not do, because my winter "self" will determine my summer "self." My favorite part of the year is when I get strip off all my winter clothes and ride topless at 20+ mph thinking, "man this is fun." Let the countdown to the return of summer "self" begin.

My Element

Somewhere along the way I slipped out of my element...

I am always nervous about long layoffs and the subsequent returns to the pool. I am always wondering if my form will be lost, if my speed has vanished and if my swim skill has saturated. Maybe I have a little apprehension to return because I know there are a lot of early mornings going to the pool in subsequent months, and it starts now.

Within the first few strokes I am relieved to feel my familiar strength in the water, "I can still swim!" After not swimming since my last half Ironman in September I lost sight of the comfort of the pool. Many people view the pool as stressful, a place of discomfort, a place of awkwardness. I find it to be comforting and a barrier to the other things that I experience everyday. The pool is my element to train, to relax, and reduce myself to simple tasks...swim, flip, swim, flip, repeat. Those that can swim are the lucky ones, lucky to have the ability to take comfort in an element so foreign to most.

Plus swimming pools are awesome!

Retired Until Further Notice

Another disastrous long course adventure, the worst of my life. I need to re evaluate my training and racing direction.

I have issues to address with long distance racing if I ever hope to over come this...consider me retired from long course racing until further notice.

Status - Off Line