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.

CONCEPT CYCLERY. SPECIALIZED TRANSITION & MY NEW RIG!

I recently decided that this was going to be the year that I purchased a new bike. I have been riding my Calfee now for 5 years and have had a great experience with it, but I have found an increasing need for a more aggressive time trial position and a fit that will help me create more power.

I have had lower back issues before and wanted to make sure I would be okay getting onto a time trial/tri bike geometry--which moves the rider forward on the bike and tries to create a lower profile cockpit.

My coach, Muddy, suggested I talk with Elliot at Concept Cyclery to see if I could protect my back and still get onto a TT bike. I can't say enough about Elliot's attention to detail and also Concept's awesome fit room and overall philosophy. Elliot spent two full afternoons with me: the first to determine whether or not I could accomplish my fit and comfort goals and the second to fine tune and fit me perfectly to the bike.


Concept has a separate fit room with frontal and side video capture with a plasma screen to analyze pedal stroke and position, as well as a lounge area to wait while Elliot fine tunes your fit. The shop is also connected to a great coffee house where you can enjoy a latte or chai tea and snack.

The staff and customer service at Concept is outstanding. It has been by far the best experience I have had with a bike shop. And through it all, I was able to find the right TT bike for what I needed: Specialized Transition Expert (size medium) with Shimano Ultegra.

I am excited to have my new rig and look forward to taking it out soon. I will need to monitor my lower back and make sure that I pay attention to my body. I will have to really focus on my flexibility and core strength.

I am hoping my new ride will improve my overall bike time and generate more power where I need it.

I am grateful to Elliot (pictured above) and Concept Cyclery. They were outstanding.

WEEK 3 UPDATE

Week three's theme seemed to be rain, rain, and more rain.

I would like to think I have the patience and thickness of skin to train in inclement weather, but this past week was a big challenge for me.

It was cold, wet and had some scattered thunderstorms. All very unusual things for California. We get rain, but it is often only for a few days and never really that hard. Throughout the week, we had very hard rain, high winds, fallen trees, hail, and low temperatures (for California).

As much as I would like to say I trained through it all, I didn't.

I was, however, able to get two good days of running and two solid days of cycling in. I did not swim at all given the weather and my lack of a stronger constitution.

The highlight of the week was riding 42 tough miles on Saturday, which included hill repeats out at Silver Creek in San Jose. It is a 6 mile loop that has a lengthy initial climb, a fast decent and turn around then a short intense climb and a longish descent back to the start.

My coach, Muddy Waters, organizes and oversees his group of athletes almost every Saturday. The ride consists of a 13 mile warm up on mostly flat roads then as many hill repeats as you can do before returning on the same road back (or lengthening it if your training schedule requires).

It was the first "real" ride of the year and I was cooked after only two loops. Muddy shut me down (thank you, Muddy) and told me to head home. The tough part is that the rest of the group completed either 3 or 4 repeats, but the reality is that I didn't have much left after two. I will be riding Silver Creek most weekends moving forward and plan to increase my count as the season unfolds.

Sunday's long run was a challenge, but I managed to run for 90 good minutes. Weather was cooperative and the Los Gatos Creek Trail was busy with runners and walkers. It's a great path to run on and offers good climbing one way and a flatter run the other.

My legs were cooked from Saturday's hill repeats, but it was good to have two challenging days back to back.

There really is nothing like finishing my Sunday long run and having the rest of the day to relax and recover (most Sundays). Although my week's training was not as full as I would have liked, I did have quality workouts when I trained.

I try to keep weeks like this past one in perspective, but it is a fine line between being overly compulsive and guilt ridden and too disconnected to be focused enough. I teeter on both sides but try to keep a healthy perspective.

The old me would have chastised myself relentlessly for missing a workout, for not having the commitment to push through the bad weather, but I know that I have to forgive myself sometimes and to honor the other areas of my life that have great importance as well: family, work, my mental and emotional health among them.

I also know that, at times, I can be too easy on myself, that I can talk myself out of training with the idea that I can train the next day. It's something that I have to continually manage and also to remember that, really, there is no tomorrow. Nothing is really guaranteed.

This is the great thing about sport and especially triathlons. When treated with respect and sensitivity, the challenge really has to do with balance, life management and constant inner dialogue about healthy choices and, I think most importantly, forgiveness and treating yourself with kindness. It's also about the hard work, the elevated heart rate, and the feeling of sore muscles.

Nothing is like it. Nothing.

PS Update on my weight and body composition: There really is not change as of yet. I am hovering at 197 lbs and 33% body fat. I have been eating very well and really focusing on portion sizes. I feel a great difference overall. My commitment to "push away" from the table has been very empowering. My long term weight goals will begin to show themselves as my training increases. The small changes I have made in my choices have been tremendous and has created a new awareness of control that I had forgotten about. I am feeling good about that.

ANDREA'S SURGERY

I am relieved to report that Andrea's surgery went as well as can be expected. The surgeon successfully removed her spleen.

During a previous surgery, they had removed a cancerous tumor that was attached to her diaphragm. At the time, they were hopeful but not sure if they had removed all of the cancer.

Today, they re-examined Andrea's diaphragm and discovered two new spots where cancer still existed. The surgeon removed more of her diaphragm and was able to get clean enough margins from the lab to feel he removed the remaining cancer.

The diaphragm is the muscle that runs along your trunk that assists your breathing. Because a portion of hers has been removed, Andrea will have to learn how to breathe without the full assistance of her diaphragm.

She will be recovering in the hospital until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. She will have a long recovery and eventually will begin chemo again.

The photo above was taken during her per-op today. After all they have been through, the life and spirit Andrea and Steve still have in their eyes is incredible. Awe inspiring.

Andrea still has a long road, but she has the love and support of so many people.

I am lucky to be one of them.

RACING FOR ANDREA

I received word today that my friend, Andrea Fisher, is going in for surgery tomorrow to remove her spleen. Andrea is the person who has motivated me to race in honor of the Livestrong Foundation at Ironman Wisconsin.

She has been fighting a rare form of cancer that started on her tongue and has metastasized in several places throughout her body. She has been undergoing chemotherapy for several months and the tumors have been shrinking with the treatment. The doctors, however, have decided to remove Andrea's spleen as the cancer has spread there.

Since being diagnosed, Andrea has endured several tongue and jaw surgeries, radiation, chemotherapy and living with a deep and constant pain. Through it all, she has shown a spirit and heart that both inspires and humbles me.

I have known Andrea for more than half my life. She is married to my best friend, Steve, who I have known since the first day of 7th grade in 1977. Through the years, Andrea has also become one of my best and closest friends. Steve and Andrea will raise my daughter, Keats, if anything were to happen to my x-wife, Anne, my wife, Meena, and me.

I have always loved the fact that the Fishers have treated Keats as their own, loving and caring for her with an open heart. My daughter's world is much larger because of their love. She understands the meaning and responsibility of friendship, kindness, and generosity because that is what has been given to her freely by not only the Fishers but all of my closest friends.

There is nothing more comforting, I think, than knowing your child is cared and loved for by others outside your immediate family. There is a sense of community and faith in the world that quiets the skeptic in me.

My coach, Muddy Waters, has told me that the Ironman is "just a long day of exercise." And, frankly, in light of what my friend Andrea is going through, nothing could be truer. There is a part of me that understands what is going on; that, in the starkest of realities, understands that Andrea is fighting for her life. It is a fact that on certain levels, I can manage, contain and keep at a distance because, I believe, that is what men do (at least what I do) to manage the emotionality of it all.

But there is the deeper and more difficult struggle of the "why" that, when I allow myself, overwhelms me. Andrea is one of the kindest, considerate, loving, gentlest people I know. She has always been mindful of her health, her body, spirit and family. And the idea of her being sick does not make sense to me.

There have been times in my life when I have lived in darkness. I have struggled. I have lived uneasily without gratitude or breath. Through those times, Andrea has been one of a few who stuck with me, who believed in me when I did not. Like my daughter, Andrea taught me the deeper meaning of friendship. She simplified the world for me, uncomplicated it with a gentle heart and compassion that renewed my trust in all things.

That trust is being tested now, but I know to lose faith is to sacrifice the gift Andrea has given to me. So as I begin to train for Ironman Wisconsin, my purpose is very clear. It is true and important that I am racing for the Livestrong Foundation, but, really, I am racing for her.