SNOWBOARDING AND FIGHTING A COLD

It's been quite a while since I have logged in for an update. My apologies, but after my epic Mt. Hamilton climb, my family packed our bags and headed to Truckee/Tahoe for my daughter Keats' winter break for a week of skiing at Northstar.

It was a fantastic week with my family. Keats tried snowboarding for the first time and had a blast and some challenges. After an all day lesson, she boarded the rest of the week with Meena and I.

We charged for three days and Keats had the opportunity to meet up with some friends. The weather was amazing and the previous month of snowstorms made for a great base of snow. Daily temperatures averaged 55 degrees and Sun. We ended up shedding our jackets every day and boarded in our base layers. Unbelievable.

After three full days of good quality boarding, we were all pretty wiped out. Meena and Keats wanted to sleep in on the fourth day and play the day by ear. They ended up sleeping for 11 hours! We decided to hang out and spend the day in Tahoe City and Truckee.

Some of the best memories I have are of my winter breaks with my family and friends. I am hoping it has the same impression on Keats. She's at the age where the social world is opening up for her and friends are becoming very, very important. I am grateful she had the opportunity to spend it with her friends.

After coming home, we all ended up getting sick. I have been fighting a cold for the past week and have not been able to train at all.

I did head out yesterday for a quick 30 minute run. Although it was short, it was good to finally get my aerobic engine working again. I am feeling good enough to get things started again tomorrow.

I am a little stressed about Wildflower. It is only two months away and getting sick after a week of non-specific activity has set me back, I am sure.

I have to move forward nonetheless and just concentrate on what I need to do to get ready for Wildflower.

At the core of it, this challenge is what triathlon is all about. Facing adversity and challenge, adapting and overcoming what obstacles or doubts exist. Pushing through and believing in yourself. All good things when put in that perspective.

It is a good challenge that I will try to manage as best as possible.

A GREAT DAY ON MT. HAMILTON

I was fortunate to have one of the best experiences I have had training in a long time. It was also one of the toughest I have faced ever.

Almost every Saturday, my coach, Muddy, organizes and oversees a group ride for his athletes. We often meet at a designated place and head out for a solid group ride. Muddy will always follow with his vespa to make sure we are all okay and also to coach us as we ride. It's really an incredible thing he does and is characteristic of how much he cares for all of us.

This past Saturday, we met at his house in downtown San Jose and rode together to Mount Hamilton Road. It's a legendary climb in the San Jose area and consists of a 20 mile climb that summits at the Lick Observatory.

Although we started as a group of 10, the group quickly splintered. I fell off the pace pretty quickly, but I felt good throughout the first 2/3 of the climb. I was riding closely with my friend, Reyna, but she pulled away during the last 7 mile segment.

I was super focused on finishing and, although my legs and back were KILLING me, I kept thinking I couldn't quit. I thought of Andrea Fisher each time I slowed or cracked a little and knew there was no way I was going to not summit the climb. Andrea doesn't have a choice and neither should I.

The pack waited at the observatory and were able to shout down to me during the last 1/2 mile of the climb. I was totally cooked by then, but it felt great to get the support and to take in the view after I finished!

Honestly, the ride down was even gnarlier! Wet asphalt, rocks, potholes and long drop-offs. I took my time and actually really enjoyed the cruise. Of course, the rest of the group blazed down with no problem and really hammered it back to Muddy's.

After our ride, Muddy and his wife, Barbara, opened their home and barbecued lunch for everyone. Unfortunately, I had to leave early and couldn't stay for lunch. It would have been great to hang out with everyone and talk story, but I was lucky enough to hang out with the Fishers, who took me to Avatar in 3D for my birthday.

All in all, it was a great day and a huge investment in my early season base training.

TRAINING UPDATE WEEK 4 & 5

I have been remiss in my training updates over the past 1.5 weeks but am glad to report that training has gone very well.

We have been dealing with some heavy rain and cold weather, which is something that has been a bit unusual for us over the past few years. We get rain and actual rain storms, but it seems that this year has been excessively heavy.

Training has been good nonetheless. I have been able to string together strong workout sessions in each discipline and am feeling stronger and more focused each day.

The highlights for each sport:

Swim: I have been averaging at least 3000 yards per swim. I'm feeling stronger and have focused on longer endurance sets. I have concentrated distance per stroke and form and have found myself feeling much more comfortable in the water.

Bike: My leg strength and overall base endurance has been improving. Although the weather has been a challenge, I have spent some lengthy time on the indoor turbo trainer. My coach, Muddy, holds two turbo training sessions a week at a local bike store and really works to build our aerobic engine. I have also been able to get some longer rides on the road when the weather is good.

Run: The past few weeks have been a steady build with my longest run at 2 hrs. I am focusing on very easy aerobic runs to build strength and aerobic fitness. This past Sunday, I ran the Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon in San Francisco. It's the first race of the year and a great start to the season. I have a ton of friends racing and it's great to see everyone during the race. Fast or slow, it's always nice to see your friends. I ran a 1:45:47 and was very happy with the time, though I can't seem to break 1:45 to save my life.

I am feeling and looking fitter by the day. My weight is still hovering around 195-197 lbs, but I am feeling much better than I was at the start of my training cycle.

I am still trying to make good eating choices and have really stayed away from fried foods and overeating. I did have Happy Hound for my birthday and also Burger Meister for my post Kaiser Permanente Half meal. It was worth it, but only for a treat.

That's all for now.