PROGRESS AND SUCH

So, things are progressing well. My 2015 Tri Kit has been finalized, thanks to Epix Custom Gear, and will arrive any day now. It looks fantastic, and I can't wait for the first triathlon (see the schedule tab).

Training is in full swing, and I'm happy with my progress so far, thanks to Josiah. He's pushing me hard, and having such amazing guidance and structure is really benefiting me. Last week was full of threshold training on the bike, but I decided to trade my Saturday threshold session for the first Intermountain Cup race of the season. The last time I raced this course was on a hard tail, and it was pretty rough on the body. Different story this time...the course was fantastic and the conditions were perfect. The Pivot Mach 429SL made the red rock creek beds feel like smooth buffed single track and I've never felt so confident descending. I chose to race the Expert 19-34 category since the distance/projected time was close to what my training required. My category only had 9 people in it, so Bryson chose to combine us with the Expert 35+ men and Junior Experts (I think that was it, but there could have been more). Luckily I was in the front row and took advantage. I got away with a couple guys and immediately felt the fatigue from my training. I did my best to keep their pace, but encountered another issue. A cracked seat post slid into the frame intermittently, which slightly modified my climbing position. So, I stopped a few times to readjust. By the time I started the 3rd lap I had no idea where I was in relationship to my competitors, but I did my best to pass as many people as I could. Talk about negative split...my last lap was faster by 2 minutes, and it felt awesome. So, I finished 4th place, but the consolation is that my Suunto Ambit (setup for autopause) indicated a ride time about 3 minutes faster than my finish time. This would have put me in 2nd place. So, I'm looking forward to a better result next time. I finished off the day with a quick run, and started the drive home. Go-Ride thankfully hooked me up with a temporary seat post while I sort out my other issue, and I'm looking forward to putting more time in on the mountain bike (forecast says good weather ahead).

Meanwhile, my daughter (who traveled with me), got to spend the day playing in mud with one of her best friends. Thanks to my friends Jenn and Christian for watching Scarlett while I had my own fun.