TRAINING • FREAKY FAST FRIENDS

LAST SUMMER WAS THE YEAR OF RACING EVERY WEEKEND AND SOMETIMES BACK TO BACKS WITH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY RACES. THIS YEAR, I'VE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON TRAINING OVER RACING AND HAVE BEEN PRETTY SELECTIVE ON MY RACING. THE LAST TWO WEEKENDS WERE NO DIFFERENT. LAST SATURDAY I TOOK OFF ON STEALTH ON A HOT DAY AFTER FLOATING DOWN THE RIVER. THE GOAL WAS 75 MILES, BY THE END OF THE RIDE, THE GOAL WAS JUST TO GET HOME! NATURALLY THE RIVER RESULTED IN A LITTLE SUNBURN WHICH DIDN'T SHOW ITSELF UNTIL ABOUT MILE 35 ON THE BIKE. THE QUICK MIST OF SUNSCREEN I HAD PUT ON BEFORE LEAVING DIDN'T OFFER MUCH HELP FROM THE AFTERNOON SUN AND MY LEGS LOOKED LIKE A RARE STEAK. THERE CAME A POINT DURING MY RIDE THAT THE ONLY RELIEF I COULD GIVE MYSELF WAS TO TAKE A DRINK OF WATER AND THEN SPIT IT ON MY LEGS. THIS BROUGHT ME TO A NEW LOW ON THE BIKE. WHY HAVE I SELECTED A SPORT THAT REQUIRES ME TO SPIT ON MYSELF? END OF STORY, I FINISHED THE 75 MILE RIDE AND SPENT THE NEXT 3 DAYS WITH AFTER SUN LOTION.

TODAYS RIDE, ANOTHER HOT SUMMER DAY. 82 DEGREES, TROPICAL HUMIDITY AND A STRONG BREEZE. THAT STRONG BREEZE WAS A HEADWIND ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE RIDE. THE BEST PART OF THIS RIDE WAS THAT I PACKED SUNSCREEN IN MY JERSEY AND WAS READY FOR THE SUN. THE WORST PART OF THIS RIDE WAS THAT I FORGOT MY CLIFF BLOCKS AT HOME AND ONLY HAD A GRANOLA BAR WITH. JUST PUT ME BACK INTO ROOKIE STATUS!

THE MOST SHOCKING PART OF THAT PICTURE ABOVE, THE TRAINING WHEELS! NO, NOT THOSE ONES YOU USED WHEN YOU WERE 6, THE STOCK WHEELS FROM STEALTH. SOME FRIENDS ONCE TOLD ME TO TRAIN WITH THESE VERSUS MY ZIPPS, THOSE FRIENDS ARE OFF TO WORLDS, HUH. I REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A GOAL FOR MY RIDE TODAY, JUST PLANNED ON GETTING TO FERGUS FALLS AND SEEING HOW I FELT. THIS BROUGHT ME TO ABOUT 46 MILES IN AND A QUICK STOP AT CASEYS FOR A SNACK, AND POSSIBLY A SUGAR COOKIE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I STOCKED UP ON FLUIDS AS MINE WERE ALREADY DEPLETED. I TOOK OFF FROM FERGUS, SAID HELLO TO THE OTTER AND HEADED HOME. THE CENTRAL LAKES TRAIL WAS PACKED WITH FELLOW CYCLIST FROM THE MS RIDE TAKING PLACE SO IT WAS KIND OF NICE TO HAVE A CHANGE OF PACE, USUALLY I'M A LONE WOLF OUT THERE.

WITH THE WIND ON MY BACK I WAS ABLE TO UP THE PACE AND FELT GOOD. WHILE I COULDN'T SEEM TO DRINK ENOUGH FLUIDS, I DID REMEMBER TO KEEP APPLYING SUNSCREEN WHICH JUST ACTED AS A MAGNET FOR DIRT AND DEBRIS. I MADE ONE LAST STOP IN BRANDON FOR MORE FLUIDS AND PUSHED ON TOWARDS HOME. BY THE TIME I NEARED ALEX, MY LEGS WERE BASICALLY BLACK AND FELT LIKE SANDPAPER. STEALTH WASN'T MUCH CLEANER WHICH MEANS WE HAVE A HOT DATE WITH THE BIKE WASH TOMORROW. TO SUM THIS UP, TODAYS RIDE TURNED OUT THE BE THE FIRST CENTURY RIDE OF THE YEAR AND ACTUALLY MY FIRST CENTURY RIDE WITH STEALTH BESIDES IMAZ. WHILE THE RIDE WASN'T FAST, IT FELT GOOD TO GET THROUGH THE 100 MILES AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I COULD STILL WALK WHEN I GOT HOME!

101 MILES • 5:57:17 • 17 MPH AVE

FREAKY FAST

A FEW THINGS HAVE CAME OUT OF THIS CRAZY SPORT. THE OBVIOUS IS A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE AND SOME COOL NECKLACES ALONG WITH AN IRONMAN TATOO. WHAT I DIDN'T EXPECT WAS TO FIND SOME SUPER NICE FELLOW ATHLETES AND SOME PRETTY COOL FRIENDS. ONES THAT STAND OUT ARE BRANDEN AND COREY. NOT 100% SURE WHAT RACE I CAME ACROSS THEM BUT I ENJOY COMPETING WITH THESE DUDES. THEY ARE BY FAR BETTER ATHLETES AND ARE RACING FOR THE WIN VERSUS ME JUST RACING TO BEAT MY PREVIOUS TIMES BUT WE ARE OUT THERE COMPETING TOGETHER. WATCHING AND RACING WITH THESE TWO MAKES ME PUSH MYSELF SO MUCH HARDER.

​LAST WEEK WAS BRANDEN'S FIRST 70.3 WHICH THANKS TO UNCONTROLLABLE EVENTS WASN'T A FULL 70.3 WITH NO SWIM. WHILE MOST WERE PROBABLY HAPPY ABOUT THIS, I KNOW LIKE MYSELF, PEOPLE LIKE US SHOW UP WANTING TO DO THE FULL RACE. AS HE WAS TRAINING AND POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA I KEPT SAYING, YOU'LL QUALIFY FOR WORLDS YOUR FIRST RACE. WHILE SOME MAY HAVE DOUBTED, I NEVER DID AND THIS LITTLE GUY BELOW TELLS MOST OF THE STORY. COULDN'T BE HAPPIER FOR THIS KID, I KNOW THE SACRIFICES IT TAKES. 

THE KONA KID, THAT WOULD BE COREY. THE FREAKISHLY SKINNY FAST KID WHO AT ONE TIME OWNED THE UGLIEST BIKE KNOWN TO MAN. WHILE THAT BRINGS ON ANOTHER STORY, HE'S BACK ON A FELT AND ALSO OFF TO WORLDS. LIKE 70.3 AND 140.6 WORLDS. THE HOLY GRAIL OF TRIATHLON, THE IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN KONA, HAWAII. JUST LIKE BRANDEN, IT'S A BLAST TO RACE WITH COREY AND WHILE OBVIOUSLY FASTER, HE STILL SUPPORTS ME AND PUSHES ME. SPEAKING OF BEING FASTER, HOW ABOUT BEING NUMBER ONE? LIKE NOT NUMBER ONE TO HIS MOTHER OR NUMBER ONE AT THE LOCAL OLYMPIC TRIATHLON. HE IS FREAKING NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD! CHECK OUT THE LEADERBOARD BELOW!!! MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT HIS POST HERE TOO!

I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A LITTLE INSPIRATION. WHILE I DON'T EXPECT ANY OF YOU TO SIGN UP FOR A TRIATHLON AND FALL IN LOVE WITH THE SPORT. I ESPECIALLY DON'T RECOMMEND IT IF YOU LIKE HAVING MONEY IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT! BUT WHAT I WILL DO IS TO MAKE SURE YOU CHASE YOUR DREAMS. DON'T MAKE EXCUSES LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE TIME OR MAKE IT ABOUT MONEY. IF IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO YOU, GO FORKING DO IT!

HOW ABOUT A TRIP TO KONA TO WATCH THE IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP? ONLY BEEN A DREAM OF MINE FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS. I REMEMBER WATCHING THE NBC SPECIAL AND THINKING TO MYSELF THERE IS NO WAY PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT. SWIM 2.4 MILES, BIKE 112 AND THEN RUN FLIPPING 26.2 MILES. WELL NOW THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY ACHIEVED THIS, THERE IS ONLY ONE THING LEFT TO DO!

#TRIBERULES #TRIBERACING #WATTIEINKHITSQUAD #TREKBIKES #JAKESBIKES