Back to Bozeman: The Long Ride

When I lived in the mountains of Bozeman Montana I can remember spending all day on my bike and coming home totally incapacitated.  In the two years I lived in Bozeman I spent an insane amount of my time just pedalin' away on my bike.  The landscape, the mountains, the open vastness are never overstated.  When you are in places like this, it is like you are riding your bike in the one of the most beautiful pictures you have ever seen.  It is an incredible feeling.

*Bridger Mountains in Bozeman, Montana

Back when I lived in Bozeman I was just getting my start in triathlon and didn't really know how to train, as a result I just trained the way I felt like training.  The majority of that training was long, over-distance training.  To this day, I have no doubt that those huge base miles on my bike in the mountains made me the cyclists I am (however accomplished or lack of that may be).  I would ride for hours and get so tired that I couldn't pedal anymore.  Some of these rides would be a hundred miles, as much as it totally anihalated me, I loved it.  I still love that type of training.  

*I never leave home for a ride without a sweet kit :)

One of my favorite workouts is what I call my "Bozeman Training."  This type of training is so....surreal and satisfying.  The pace is fairly moderate so you get to take in the views and the surroundings, but it is also grueling because the hours get long and the body gets tired.  I love it.  Even though I don't ride my bike at the   

"hard" red-line race pace for these workouts, the mental and physical toll that 75+ miles on bike takes on you cannot be understated.  Personally, I love that fine line of "this is making me so tough" and "I can't go another mile."  I live for those moments of internal struggle and the opportunity to see what I'm made of. 

*It's always liquid diet for the long training sessions

*The Murder Machine stacked up with about 4 hours of fuel.

On my most recent ride I felt great, again, I love long rides on the bike.  I had the bonus of the heat which I knew was building my heat tolerance and toughness.  I regularly call upon the toughness I built in Bozeman to get me through the tough portions of workouts and races.  There is nothing that brings the mental toughness of knowing you can ride a 100 miles on your bike. Regardless of speed, that is a feat.

Sometimes on these rides I may do some odd things, for one I talk to myself...a lot.  Four, five, even six hours on a bike is a long, lonely time.  I like to talk to anyone I can, sometimes I have to talk to myself.  I can work out the things on my mind, relive memories, but sometimes I just ride for hours in silence.  I like that too.  

One thing that really bugs me about cyclists is their egos, not saying I don't have one, but I find it so ridiculous that cyclists will not take the time to say "Hi" or wave when you pass.  It's also ridiculous when they speed up so that they can catch you or prevent you from catching them.  I don't get it...  When I come up on someone I talk to them, ride a couple minutes with them if they want, and usually get a smile out of them with a well placed one-liner or joke.  I like to say hello and tell people they have a cool bike etc.  It makes them feel good at no expense to me.  If someone passes me I don't speed up and try to repass them, I usually shout, with a smirk, something like "What the heck do you think you're doing, there's a speed limit on this road!"  Sometimes the stuff I say doesn't make complete sense because I get really fatigued and can't quite think straight :) It usually makes people laugh...then I go full throttle to pass them, only kidding.  I got a lot of smiles and laughs on my last ride, so I thought that to be a victory in itself.  I like making people laugh.

*It was so hot after the run that I soaked down my Hammer run kit in the hose.

Above when I said, "there is nothing that brings the mental toughness of knowing you can ride a 100 miles on your bike," I lied.  Going for a run after doing that ride makes you tougher.  The run is actually my favorite part of the workout because it is a really tough fight internally.  My mind is telling me that my body is so tired and it's just crazy to go keep running.  I fight to keep running, I love those moments of wanting so badly to stop and being so tired that I just about do, but I don't stop, I keep running.  That is quite possibly the most testing and satisfying moment of any training.  It takes me back to Bozeman because that is what I did for nearly two years.  I can't tell you enough how much I like having that feeling of being right on the edge of total shut down but not quitting.  That toughness is so applicable to life in general.

*Lasers!  Zzzaaaaapppp!

This session happened to be in the heat, sometimes it's rain, and sometimes it's snow.  People get really uncomfortable when I tell them I train in the heat, purposefully at the hottest parts of the day.  It's actually smart, people get heat stroke and heat exhaustion when they try and race in the heat after not training and acclimating to it.  Your heat tolerance is like a muscle that needs to be conditioned slowly.  By training in the heat you can control your exposure and effort.  In a race it's all or nothing.  So many people get into trouble in hot weather because they don't train for heat.  Former UFC Champ, Tito Ortiz, use to say, "Train for the worst and the best will always happen."  That's always stuck with me during those moments of wanting to quit.  I love preparing for the worst, they are my favorite workouts. Riding a long ride and then running on the scorching hot road under the sun is a solid step towards training for the worst.

*"Train for the worst and the best will always happen."

*After the workout it's Hammer Recovery items and food.  This is a turkey and salsa whip. Yes, I eat weird things.

*I still watch Nascar after my longest days.

So that's a little insight into my world, favorite workout, and what motivates me.  I love this lifestyle and love to "go back to Bozeman" to ride my big miles, run on totally fatigued legs, find my inner strength, and more importantly, see what I am made of.  Finding your inner strength is a very special thing, not many people ever have an opportunity to see what they have inside them deep down.  

As additional factoids, Tejay Van Garderen of Team BMC, who is leading the Best Young Rider category at the Tour De France, spent time living in Bozeman.  When I lived in Bozeman I saw Tejay racing the same roads that I was riding.  That's a cool thing.

*Tejay Van Garderen at the 2012 TDF 

Also in the tour this year is Levi Leipheimer, he is from the next town over, Butte Montana.  The fact that two of the top Tour de France riders are from Montana adds legitimacy to the power of these places.

*Levi Leipheimer grew up in Butte

Thirdly, my friend Evan has told me that Montana rider, Sam Schultz, has made the 2012 Olympic Team in mountain biking.

*Sam Schultz  is a Montana kid, represent.

When everything is telling me to stop, that this is too hard...

...I go back to Bozeman,

...and I keep running.  

Thanks for reading, keep pedaling.

Epic Adventures: Part 2 of 2

First, I need to thank Tiffany, and the Goods for providing the pictures for this post. I was a little short handed on photos as I wasn’t the one taking the pictures…I was the one in the pictures with the sweet dance moves. :)

*...and the sweet shades!

Part two of my recent adventure was one of the greatest times in my life.  Much as my sister’s wedding was, Kevin and Anne’s wedding was filled with very special moments that I only hope to experience again.  Some things are simply too special to describe in words, they can only be experienced and held in memory with a fondness and longing to go back and experience them again.

*First we rolled in looking stylish.

*Took some pics...

*...and some more pics

*It quickly went downhill. 

*Great venue for a wedding

*The wedding party (less best man and maid of honor) two hours before.

*It's official!

With most of my race buds over at Five Mile for a triathlon, I had made the decision a long time ago (it wasn’t a hard one to make) to forgo racing and be a groomsmen in one of my best bud’s wedding.  Let me tell you, I would do it all again in a heartbeat.  The fun and lasting memories I had at the wedding were so powerful and in a word, awesome. 

*Kevin's ring was breath taking.

*Ohhh myyyy!

*Close your eyes :)

*The Garden Center, a great place for a reception.

*First dance!

*Kevin and Trina

*Cake cutting ceremony!

I have never been one to be great at saying goodbye, I like to think I am a triathlon-machine, but at heart I am a big teddy bear J  To have everyone together and spend so much time with Kevin, his family, and Anne, was perfect.  When it came time to say goodbye, it was tough for me, I wish that I could go back and re-live that weekend with all of them. To think, that weekend was so special to me and I wasn’t even the one getting married!

Kevin’s family is great. They have always been like family to me since the day I met them.  Rob and Trina treat me like the third child and I always feel welcome at their house.  Kevin’s brother, Dylan, is a character and a very funny guy.  When Kevin, Dylan, and I were together we were hilarious.  I can quote movies and do impressions with the best of them, but Kevin and Dylan are even better at it.  Imagine what happens when you get three similar over-the-top senses of humor feeding off one another.  It was total mayhem; everyone in our presence was in stitches. Kevin is like a brother to me, I love him very much, those were special moments for sure.

Kevin’s mom, Trina, made a special pasta salad just for me because she knows how much I like her recipe.  She is a great lady and she has always taken great care of me.  Kevin’s dad, Rob, is also a great guy who I enjoy spending time with.  The guy is a jokester and always has me laughing.  It must run in the family because Rob’s speech and Dylan’s speech were spot on for some side-splitting laughter. Kevin also had a few opportunities for some classy moments of humor during the wedding.

*Rob giving his speech, it was a good one.

*Dylan working a laugh out of the crowd, but still being genuine.

I know that I can count of Kevin and his family for jokes, and help if I need it.  I guess sometimes the jokes are the help. When I left my navigation on in my car and my battery died, I knew I could call Rob.  At 11:30 at night, my man Rob came to my rescue.  To have friends like Kevin and his family, and my family, mean more to me than a room full of trophies from races. 

It was also great to spend time with Anne, who by the way was a GORGEOUS Bride.  She is a fantastic lady who looked the part on her day.  Her dress was AMAZING, she wore it beautifully and looked great.  Kev and Anne did a great job with the wedding party attire as well.  We all looked classically sharp on the groom's side.  The bride's side looked very pretty and matched us perfectly.  A big thank you for the cuff-links Kevin gave to us.  Every detail that Anne and Kevin had planned for the wedding and reception turned out perfectly, Anne is quite a girl and a very special friend to me.  Kevin is a lucky guy, and I am clearly a huge sap.

*Mr. and Mrs.!  

*Anne's sister, and Maid of Honor, Elizabeth, with her date Kyle.

*Bridesmaids Tiffany, and Lilly.  Both are really nice girls.

I was a lucky guy because I spent time with people who cared enough to want me (and my killa’ dance moves) as part of their special day.  It was great to share those moments with my friend, Jess, and a whole bunch of new friends I met at the wedding.  The wedding party was a great group and I had a lot of fun with all of them.

*Bridesmaid, Tiffany, getting a spin :)

*We put on our best smiles for some pictures.

*Then I showcased more sweet dance moves!

It was quite a day, I could never do justice to the amount of fun, laughter, and adventure that we all shared on Kevin and Anne’s day.  Everything from the rehearsal dinner up through the Sunday brunch was a total success.  Anne and Kevin, and their respective parents and family did a great job with everything.  I am so happy to have been a part of it.  It was icing on the cake (figuratively) when Kevin gave me the okay to still get my workouts in. J

A week before the wedding Anne had asked me “half jokingly” to write a website report for the wedding.  I hope (fingers crossed) that my best effort attempt at capturing such a special thing with typed text encompasses a tenth of the actual experience that we all shared.  It was a special day that I am thankful to have been part of.  

Congratulations to Anne and Kevin.

Epic Adventures: Part 1 of 2

In my years of epic adventures I have had the feeling of accomplishment, dedication, and achievement.  One feeling I love to have is that of anticipation.  Anticipation keeps me motivated to train and prepare.  One feeling that I don’t commonly talk about is the feeling of sensory overload and coming down after a big adventure.

*Loving life on two wheels

If I could remove one part of the adventures it would be the coming down and getting back to neutral feeling.  I get these feelings regularly after big events; they give me a lot of anxiety and nervousness.  It is unfortunate that many times my adventures end with this feeling, but it’s part of the process to getting back to neutral and it is this neutral feeling that allows for the next big adventure.

After my most recent two adventures; my training block (Part 1) and Kevin’s wedding (Part 2) I found myself with a lot of anxiety and longing to relive the adventures we all shared.  Again, if I could change one thing I would change this aspect.  However, I think it necessary and in the end the re-adjustment is worth the amazing experiences.  I share this aspect of the adventures not to tarnish the adventures, but to put forth the point that coming down after a big adventure is normal, maybe someone will read this and can relate. J

*The road to adventure

*All smiles in the Hammer Kit

*JM working the draft

Okay, so what led to one of the longest re-adjustment periods?  Well, the answer is again in two parts.  This post (Part 1 of the adventures) will focus on my recent training.  I was lucky enough to get away last weekend and have some great training in new scenery.  Nothing will super charge the triathlon spirit like new training challenges and training partners. 

*My Hammer kitted twin-turbo engines :)

*A big thanks to Hammer Nutrition for keeping me fueled up.

I was very lucky to share a couple of my training sessions with my friend, JM.  We did a couple of great road rides under some fabulous sun. I showed him how to use the draft, work the pace-line, and attack the break.  It was great to ride with him, splitting the work while riding into the wind and having some good laughs.  

*JM looking sharp in his kit, yeah buddy.

*Pic of me posing with "The Orange Crush." 

*Love that hot sun! 

*Action shot from the paceline

*Working JM's wheel at 25 MPH.

JM’s wife, Leanne, made a delicious and nutrious “garbage salad” (her name, not mine) that was anything but.  The salad was a great treat and post training session meal.  Friends make everything better; the minute I left their house I missed our time together greatly.  A very big thanks to JM and Leanne for being part of memories I will hold very dear.

*Leanne's "Garbage Salad," delicious.

I was also very fortunate to have a great swim session with Kevin and JM.  We did our fair share of hard swimming, but we also did our fair share of joking and laughing.  We practiced our dolphin kicks and alternate strokes.  Triathletes practicing things like this usually leads to hilarity.  Although, I should say, the past couple of years I have become a much more pure swimmer while doing my swim training. We are very lucky to share those side-splitting laughter moments with the people who we love to compete and train with. Our time at the pool was great.

*Lime green shoes, lime accent shorts, lime sunglasses, sweet run kit!

*Long stretch on the run

 As if the cycling and swimming wasn’t enough, I had some fantastic run sessions.  One day was a pouring rain that I sloshed through. It makes me feel like a little kid to run through huge “gully-washer” rains.  It reminds me of when I was little and would ride my bike in puddles.  First I would tell myself I won't get wet.  Then I would reason that I would only get wet from the knees down.  Before I knew it I would be wet head to toe.  Hilarious.  Another run session was filled with sun and one of the sweetest lime green run kits ever, if I do say so myself.

*Sweet kicks!

*Home remedy blister relief

*Gully washer!

*Total down pour while containing my excitement, lol.

 With all these special moments you can probably see why I had so much anxiety over having to come back down.  You can’t ride the tip of the wave forever, I am so thankful to have had the moments with my friends, and have a healthy body that can do what I ask of it.  The adventures are well worth the re-adjustment and I look forward to the next great moments.  

Thanks for reading, and thanks for sharing in my adventures.