changing things up and an explanation...

*warning. this post got out of hand and long winded, but it's an explanation nonetheless.

First things first...

I changed my header photo. The new photo is from Xterra nationals last year and was taken right after I crossed the line. I totally blew up. It was just a bad race and I want use this photo as a constant reminder. I went from pretty much collapsing as I crossed the finish to laying down in the med tent. Good times.



Last year I went into the Nationals not taking it to seriously. I was focused on Worlds but also took the pressure off myself by convincing myself Nationals was not my race to win. The race is cold, at altitude, and the run is "easy" (in comparison to all the other Xterra championship races). My strengths are racing in the heat and being able to keep it together on the harder run courses. Looking back my attitude towards the race and the way I raced it was kind of a cop out. Things didn't go my way on raceday in many ways but mentally I went in weak and had already rationalized why I wasn't going to have a good race.

Not this year.

The Xterra World Championships on 10/26 is still my number one race of the year and the race I will be peaking for. From a physical standpoint there is no way to peak for Nationals on 10/5 and then carry that peak into Maui just 3 weeks later, but that doesn't mean I can't have a good race in Tahoe. I am not going to make any excuses for the cold or the altitude or that I am focusing on Worlds. I am going to Tahoe for one reason... To win. I hope that doesn't come across cocky or arrogant, but that's why I will be in Incline Village, NV on October 5th.

In order to peak for Maui and still have the best race possible in Tahoe I felt like I needed some help and to change things up a bit. With the exception of my bike training I have pretty much been coaching myself since last summer. Cody has played a huge roll in why my cycling has seen such an improvement in the last year. Through each phase he told me what kind of workouts I needed to be doing and why, but I was still making my own schedule and handling all my own running and swimming.

If you have been reading my blog it's pretty obvious that I like to train... a lot... probably too much at times. I'm not the best with scheduling enough recovery/rest. Part of that has to do with my work schedule and when I can get workouts in and then there is the side of me that is always second guessing if I am doing enough or the right kinds of workouts.

When I first started triathlon in 2006 I was coaching myself and then eventually started working with Jim Vance. Being a former Xterra Amateur World Champion, Jim was the perfect coach for me. When Jim started coaching me I would ask questions about everything... every work out, every weekly schedule he would send me. I was new to the sport and just wanted to know why he had me doing the workouts I was doing. He taught me a lot and I am sure I probably annoyed the hell out of him. No matter what he put in front of me I always wanted to do more... and often did. He used to get on me for adding workouts quite a bit. Again, it was all new to me and it seemed like my fitness was growing by the week. He always wanted me to rest more but I rarely would listen and probably go harder or longer than prescribed.

After Temecula last year I began coaching myself and loved it. I was going for it on the bike and from everything I had learned from Jim I think I was able to doing a pretty good job. There was definitely some trial and error but I learned a lot about what works for me and what doesn't. I ended my 2007 season by having the race of my life (up to that point) at Xterra Worlds and was very satisfied.

This season is going better than I have ever could have expected or hoped and I couldn't be more stoked. I definitely put in a lot of hard work to get the results I have, but in order to get to that next level and have a real shot to win a National and World title I really wanted to focus on just training. I wanted to take all the questions and second guessing out of the equation. No thinking, just training... and training hard. I talked a lot with Trevor and after going back and forth I asked him he wanted to take the reigns and take over my training plan. He was stoked and agreed to help me out.

So for the past couple of weeks I have just been training (and resting more than ever). We worked together to come up with a training plan that fits my schedule and maximizes my time and that also allows for proper recovery between the harder efforts. I have complete trust in Trevor and know he will have me ready to go on raceday. I am hitting my workouts now with a sense of accountability and renewed motivation. I think this is just what I needed to reach my goals. I'll know soon enough.

Training this week... It's a recovery week and I am embracing it. Some mellow swimming, biking, and running is all that has gone down this week... and plenty of stretching and foam roller action. I'm feeling good and ready for some tougher/test workouts this weekend.


Last thing. The NFL season kicks off tonight... so stoked. I can't wait until Sunday at 1:15 when the Chargers kick of their season. The plan as of right now is knock my ride out early and have my butt chillaxing on the couch with a cold beverage and watching the Bolts "do work".

My plans for sunday: