Training, Racing, and a decision to make...

Before I get to the decision I have to make let's get to some racing and training.

I am really looking forward to heading to AZ tomorrow morning for the Arizona Xtreme Desert Triathlon (Xterra Points series race). A lot of people are coming out to this race. I am heading out there with Trevor Glavin who is the reigning Xterra world champ in my AG (25-29) and Cody Waite will be there too. Cody was the 2006 Xterra national champ, but is now racing pro. I am really looking forward to watching him race against the pros after having racing against him last year. There are also quite a few guys coming out from Colorado and Norther Cal. It should be a tough early season race. I trained through this race last year and was able to pull off a 2nd in AG. I only lost by 30 seconds and I crashed on the bike that cost me a couple of minutes. They also extended the run this year from 4.5 miles to 6, which will definitely help me out. It's also my first repeat triathlon. It definitely helps mentally to have raced the course before and have an idea of what to expect.

This week has started off pretty solid. So far I have gotten 3 swims, a solid ride, and a strength session. I had to rearrange some things with my travel plans and with how much the tough weekend workouts took out of me. Those hills on my Sunday run really shelled me legs. I had a run on tap yesterday afternoon but after talking with Jim switched it to a ride and will go on an easier run today at lunch. Here's the info from my ride. A solid one.

2:01/18 miles/3000+ ft of climbing:

Now for the decision.

I am getting ready to order my new mountain bike. I have decided on the Specialized Epic Marathon, the aluminum version. The carbon just doesn't seem like it's worth the extra loot.

This is an "epic" XC racing rig. This bike will make me faster. No doubt. I just need to decided on the color. I can get it in the above color, anodized black or hot pink. I am not sure which one to go with. My hardtail is a black Specialized Stumpjumper and I don't know if I want another black bike. Pink may be a little over the top but it would be pretty easy to find my bike in transition.

Any suggestions/opinions?

One last thing. I finally bought a foam roller and marathon stick. I have read a lot about self massage and the benefits. My massage therapist and chiropractor have been suggesting them to me for months because of how tight my legs always are even with all the stretching I do. I got these both on Monday and have used the the last 2 nights. First of all, it's just as miserable as any deep tissue massage I have ever had, but I have felt great afterward and especially the next morning. I am defintely going to keep this up and try to get to use it for 20-30 minutes a day after my tough workouts.