Category Archives: Fitness and Triathlon

Hemet To Fallbrook

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Today’s ride, 59.6 miles with 4,847′ of climbing was surprisingly easy. I was barely pressing down on the pedal and going uphill faster than ever. Maybe because I switched out my whip.

There are 11 of us and so we take turns driving one half of one of the six days. Lucas was the person who got double duty, so me, being my incredibly selfless self, offered to drive both my assigned pre-lunch shift and his post-ride one. Because Lucas is a real athlete, and not an impostor, he gladly accepted.

Halfway today, I ate my second breakfast outside at a sun-drenched Temecula cafe.

Eventually, Chucky Chuck, Marky Mark, and Lindy Linda rolled in and I sat with them while they ate. Marky Mark, who didn’t like his heart rate and how he felt during the first half road shotgun with me into Fallbrook. He told a great story about nearly strangling a guy who hit him while he was cycling in China. Who knew MM is a cold blooded almost killer?!

Alternative title of this post. And On The Fifth Day He Rested. Not much of a cyclist and definitely not much of an Old Testament scholar.

For anyone needing Strava inspiration today, my friend, DanDantheTranspoMan, might mow his lawn. He’s a great guy and a hell of a follow.

Tomorrow, lots of Pacific Ocean bike path. The pro triathletes are in town for the biggest race of the early season. I will be so rested you might see me slowly pass Lionel Sanders. Or maybe the pass will be fast.

Postscript. Sanders is not racing. Chickenshit.

Borrego Springs to Palm Desert

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Hot damn kids, real internet today. Now, the only problem is your intrepid reporter is completely shelled. Not enough strength in my fingers to type much.

Ride report could be titled “Teamwork Makes the Dreamwork”. The first half of today’s ride felt like a ride through the set of Breaking Bad. I was half expecting to see Walter’s and Jesse’s RV around every bend. And I coulda used some cocaine!

Once we hit the highway, the Bay Area Boyz drilled it. All. The. Way. In. They make them tough in NorCal. When Griffin was repairing a flat, Blair told me he once did 300 miles in 20 hours. LOL. If it wasn’t for the BABs, I would’ve ended up as half-melted roadkill. Massive pull after pull that Griffin and I took full advantage of all morning.

It was in the mid-90s at the finish.

Dunno if I can recover in 18 hours. Probs need more like 18 days.

And so it goes.

The Michiganders check out a desert dragon.
Frickin’ Griffin. The King of Flats.
Drug of choice. Shoot that potassium straight into my veins.

Pine Valley To Borrego Springs

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Not sure how I bounced back, but yah boy rode well today. I couldn’t decide if today’s ride was a Top 10, Top 7, or Top 5 all timer.

The first nine miles rose 2,000′ topping out above 5,800′ above sea level. Moderate morning temps, lots of trees so hella shade, and buttery tarmac. What more could one ask for . . . oh, good company.

Half way up, Skip rode up on me. We talked. About real shit. For 700′. Instead of staring at my head unit, I was engrossed in the convo. All of sudden, the bulk of the climb was done. Thanks Skip.

Cycling is like life. It’s easier, or less difficult, or more enjoyable, take your pick, with others’ help. If we were seeding the 11 crazies, I’d be the 5 seed. That means it’s very easy to get stuck in no man’s land between the top 4 and bottom 6. Three of the top four are from Michigan, so I refer to them as either Team Michigan or the Michiganders. Since they stopped at the top of the opening 9 miler to take pics and chill, they were happy to have me join them for the run in to lunch at mile 31. I had to work, but not so hard that I’d blow up later.

Team Michigan, Aimee, Dean, and Lucas, are so strong. Lucas is a twenty-something fourth year Electrical Engineering PhD candidate at Berkeley who I have really enjoyed getting to know. Yes, you’re right, the ulterior motive is that his big brain might somehow have positive effects on my peabrain. Aimee is his mom and she’s a phenom. Dean is Aimee’s bf and he couldn’t be stronger, nicer, and fun to hang with.

After an early lunch with Team Michigan, I started the second half with Marky Mark and Chucky Chuck. Right after lunch, one of the most fun descents of all time. Again, buttery tarmac, no traffic, sweeping turns, six-seven miles of goodness. Had a great time with them all the way to mile 50 where I lost them on the ninth and final climb of the day. You won’t find better dudes, so I wanted to wait. I said to myself, “Self, stop at the next shade.” Desert plus midday sun meant ZERO shade, so I time-trialed in the last 45 minutes or so.

Unbelievably beautiful route. Great company. Fo sho ride of the week I presume. Blessed.

Tomorrow, flat, hot run in to Palm Springs. Pray I don’t ignite.

My greatest accomplishment today might be getting this to upload on really janky internet.

Baptism By Fire

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Yah boy went deep. Thought the 18 mile XL climb would never end. Just baked. No shade. That climb alone was 3,500′. Took a record number of salt tablets. Still cramped bigly.

Quote of the day, “I’d have to feel better to die.”

This could get ugly.

Apologies. My nonexistent photog game needs work.

Tomorrow, Pine Valley to Borrego Springs. Hellish 9 mile climb out of the gate, then maybe the longest descent of my life.

Speaking of which. Had another heartfelt kitchen convo with JJ Thursnight before leaving. She told me it’s different having one parent. Nutty trips like this make her even more nervous now. I told her I wouldn’t descend too fast. Then she said she was also afraid of my long drive, but I reminded her I’m an elite driver.

I sent her this text after the baptism.

JJ, thought about you a lot today. Descended fast when I told you I wouldn’t, but it was the only way to cool off. Hope you can forgive me. 🙏🏼

Topped out at 43.5 mph. Shit photog. Shit cyclist. Shit dad. At least I’m consistent.

Scheffler For The Win

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Not the fleeting kind that ends in hoisting a trophy. The real “meaningful life” kind.

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s #1 rated golfer, is winning more tournaments than anyone else and just asked at one of the most honest and provocative sports pressers in recent memory, “What’s the point?” You don’t have to be a golf junkie to watch/appreciate it.

Maybe his perspective is even more impressive than his game. He somehow knows fame is fleeting. And ultimately, unfulfilling. Especially compared to family.

I quit competing in triathlons after conducting a mental exercise. I thought to myself that if I truly committed to consistent training, age group wins at decent races were possible. And qualifying for the Kona World Championships. And these best case scenarios didn’t move the needle nearly enough for me to continue racing. I concluded, “What’s the point?”

There is one convincing reason for aging weekend warriors to keep entering races. Races provide many the needed motivation to train.

Back in my earliest triathlon racing days, I integrated swimming, cycling, and running into my life to the point that I regularly do some combo of all three each week*. Thus, that rationale doesn’t hold for me. I get “out the door” without signing up for anything. But, I suspect I’m an outlier in that respect.

*Haven’t swam in July yet. Father/Mother, forgive me, for I have sinned. My excuse is I’m allergic to something in the lake. And it seems like a crime to swim indoors in July.

A Great Idea

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Our newish house sits atop a hill on the edge of downtown Olympia. Which is really nice when starting a run because gravity helps get you in the groove. But not nearly as nice when ending a run or long, hard ride.

Don’t tell Travis, but sometimes, like Friday afternoon, I pull the plug early or mid-hill and walk it in. I was so spent at the end of my wee 5 miler, I leaned on the bridge to collect myself before starting the uphill walk home.

And that’s when it came to me. The great idea. To jump off the bridge into the southernmost part of the Puget Sound sometime this summer. Being hot and sweaty prob contributed to this genius.

I’m sure it’s illegal, but how bad could the consequences be? The height of the jump is flexible depending upon how far up one goes on the bridge, and to a lesser degree, the tide. I’m thinking mid-bridge at high tide to make sure there’s ample water underneath. I’ll plant a second pair of shoes onshore and prob leave my original shoes on the bridge before going airborne.

I see one problem besides the inevitable fame that will follow from the jump. The Puget Sound’s southernmost water is polluted, so much so, the shore is dotted with “No swimming” signage. But it’s not like I’m going to linger. In and out in a few minutes. Shower off. And hope to live another day.

The only thing more bad ass than this plan would be just doing it without telling anyone. So, please, if you will, strike this post from the record.

The Con Man And The Old Man

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Peggy Noonan:

“From the moment he shuffled out with a soft and faltering gait, you could see how much he has declined. He was pale and waxy, and there was something almost furtive in his gaze. His voice was hoarse and feathery, with no projection. His answers were scrambled, halting. At some points he made no sense. At some points he seemed out of it.”

Nicholas Kristof:

“One of the perils facing this country, I believe and Biden believes, is the risk of a victory by Donald Trump. And after the debate, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that Biden remaining in the race increases the likelihood that Trump will move into the White House in January.”

Biden has been an extremely successful president and is universally well liked and deeply respected by those who know him best. I believe, if the election were held today, he would lose. And were he to prove me wrong, I believe he’d be way too diminished in a year, two, three, or four to have anywhere as successful a second term. Because biology is undefeated.

You need an example? This morning I ran around Capitol Lake, a scenic 5-mile loop with views of water, birds, and the State Capitol dome. The last mile is a 2% decline and today I decided to flip the turbo booster switch and see what kind of mile I could do downhill. At my athletic peak I had very average speed at best, by which I mean I’ve always been slow. But my consistency over decades resulted in above average endurance. Leading to decent performances. For example:

Less than seven years ago, 7:46/mile 26 times. As Adam Sandler sings in the Chanukah song, not too shabby. So, back to this morning’s time trial. Felt good. Movin’. Watch vibrates signaling the mile split. “Seven what?” I thought to myself. Glance down. 8:09.

I was planning on running the 10k in the (d)US Olympic Trials until The Good Wife and my close friends staged an intervention. They said I was jeopardizing my legacy as the Seattle Marathon age group winner and beloved figure of running fans near and far. And that the selfless thing to do would be to acknowledge my time in the running limelight has passed and to kindly step off the track before I lose badly to Grant Fisher and company.

Thank goodness for their objective tough love.

Health Fads and Fictions

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Health Fads and Fictions: VO2 Max, Supplement Mania, Sunlight, and Immortality.

You know what “they” say, “Common sense is not common.” Well worth a listen. Two critiques. They don’t pay enough attention to how to help sedentary people begin moving and there’s no mention of the role genetics play in longevity.

How To Turn A Bike Ride Into A Bike Workout

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The title of an article in the morning’s New York Times. Anna Watts opines:

“You don’t need a flashy new bike or fancy gear to get a solid cycling workout. The most important thing is that your bike fits your body and you enjoy being on it.”

One wonders, does Watts regularly spout heretical things or is this a one-off?

Jenny Breuer For The Win

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Breuer teaches entrepreneurship at a Texas high school and coaches sophomore Elizabeth Leachman, the most talented female high school runner in the country. And it’s not particularly close.

The whole Leachman story is so countercultural, meaning tremendously upbeat. Leachman seems unusually grounded for her age in part because her parents know Breuer has their daughter’s long-term interest at heart.

Meaning Breuer is not overdoing Leachman’s training like too many other coaches would.

From Runner’s World:

“The coach and the runner sometimes challenge each other. Leachman wants to do more. Breuer wants her to stay healthy and develop over time. ‘I’m always pulling her back,’ Breuer said. ‘Err on the side of caution.'”

Also of note in this day and age, you won’t find Leachman on Instagram.

“’I think if it was fully up to me, I probably would have it,’ Leachman said. ‘But my parents don’t want me to, and I’m okay with it. I haven’t really fought it.'”

Breuer again:

“’We talk a lot about external expectations, and just because you’re good at running doesn’t mean that it’s everything that defines you,’ Breuer said. ‘That’s what’s really hard, I think, for a 16-year-old to remember sometimes when the spotlight is on. I try to remove that pressure as much as possible and remind her that this is supposed to be fun.'”

This story makes me think maybe the world is not going to hell in a handbasket after all. Just outside of view, there’s excellent parenting going on coupled with thoughtful/caring coaching; resulting in a happy, healthy, and scary quick young athlete.

As in a 9:44 two mile. . . 5:03, 4:41. And a 15:25 5k.

The Coach of the Year one more time:

“’She has a really good perspective. Her parents have done a super job.’ And also, I say, ‘I want you to be an amazing college runner, I want you to be an amazing professional runner, if that’s what you want to do. We don’t want you to peak in high school. That’s not the goal.’”

Postscript—hard not to root for this dude.