Obstacle 1

The 2010 Tri season has officially begun here on the left coast. Oceanside 70.3 typically draws a stellar pro and amateur field with hopes of grabbing an early season Kona slot, this year was no exception. Unfortunately my ambitions were set a little lower, ultimately this race served as the early season test of fitness and to remind the body what sort of an effort is required to be competitive. Personal results aside, this event is always a major highlight of the race season (most likely a tie with Wildflower), the course, friends and colleagues, and more spectathletes than you can shake a Saltstick at all equate to one of the most anticipated weekends of the year.

By early Monday morning (5 days prior to the race) our office was buzzing was activity, final preparations being made for the race expo and demo, athlete gear and race kits being pulled together, industry personnel were given the tour of our most recent dwellings. Outside of Kona, Oceanside always seems to generate the most hype in our office (beside the Spring sales meeting) but that's more like apples to oranges anyway. We also hosted a celebrity guest for a week long home stay while the traveling circus was in town. Of special note were 2 amazing athletes that would both be making their debut in the Pro ranks - Charisa and Ian, kind of a big deal in our world, words can't really measure how excited I was for these 2 speedsters!!!

Saturday morning rolled around in the blink of an eye as the previous day was an absolute blur in my memory. Here are a few of the highlights and lowlights of my race :

- first time ever that a racer in my AG suggested I should rack my bike further down the line where more space was available (trust me, there's plenty of space available when you do the math and realize that X number of bikes need to fit onto Y number of racks). "Inconveivable"

- Dead last wave start, I need to consider purchasing a hand held number counter click device. Never passed on the bike but I suspect that's simply an indication of my swimming ability (or current lack thereof).

- Bike felt solid for being the first race of the year, in hindsight I should have pushed harder but lesson learned for next time.

- Very happy not to see any blatant drafting, still a bit irked by the folks who refuse to make a pass and then fail to move right. Riding two abreast and conversing is also not highly regarded. Maybe I'm being picky, just calling 'em like I see it.

- Nutrition plan worked well, no excuses not to have it dialed by this point.

- Sockless racing will require new cycling shoes - ankle has been shredded for the last time.

- A tad windy on the backside of the bike, felt like a tumbleweed while descending the hill shown above. Nice tailwind for the return back into T2.

- Legs felt about average on the run, tons of support from all the local superfans (hats off to all who made it out that morning).

- Grabbed an entry for IMUSA, will be my first visit back to the motherland in about 16 years!

- Post race bash at the Wernick Resort with all of the usual suspects, perfect way to cap off the season opener.

Time splits for the day were 32:18 / 2:31:05 / 1:26:23 => 4:34:51

Next up - Wildflower Long Course

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Vanishing Point

Part 2 of our factory visits had us departing Taipei early Thursday morning and into Macau for an 11am meeting. I won't comment in depth on any specific work issues except to say it was a productive visit and (just like every year at this time) we're cranking to fix any issues with the Spring '11 samples. Just another day at the office really.

I'll admit that I wasn't too thrilled about this latest trip to Asia (for no particular reason). On the day that our flight was scheduled to leave I decided there was no point in being a stick in the mud about it, I'd do my best to embrace this opportunity and be thankful that I have a job which affords this privilege. Macau actually offers some decent running routes, honestly it's one of the more interesting places in Asia that I've been able to explore on foot. Do a quick Wikipedia search for the history of Macau. I was baffled on my first visit to see as much colonial Portuguese architecture as I did. Today Macau is more or less the Las Vegas of Asia (in just about every way you could imagine) minus the fact that there are still a few remaining apparel factories and businesses not related to the Gaming and Casino industry. It's an odd juxtaposition traveling here for business while most everyone else is visiting for pleasure and debauchery (although I have yet to see a billboard or television ad which touts "what happens in Macau stays in Macau") - but I suspect it will crop up sooner or later.

Onto the photo tour, first morning in town running at dawn. Unfortunately it was too foggy on day #2 (too bad because my running route would have provided some impressive sights).




Forgot the name of this structure so I'm simply dubbing it the "Space Needle of Macau"



From the top of the bridge I crossed to take the photo above, you're able to view a colonial church built on a hillside. I believe that structure dates back to the 1500's and it made me pause to think about what those first Portuguese explorers must have seen when they stepped on that island. Their architectural and cultural footprints remain today. It was quite a sobering image to look back at the buildings which now dominate the landscape.


This was the only photo I took on my 2nd day of running.

I nearly ran right past this house but stopped dead in my tracks when I came to my senses. There was a matching relief sculpture on the opposite side of the front door to this house. There they were, two houses built one across from the other, straight out of the late 20's / early 30's. I'm a total sucker for Machine Age design and Art Deco architecture. Very much looking forward to future running excursions in Macau, always amazed at what you can find in some of the most unassuming places.

Later that day I was on a plane and headed back to not-so-sunny San Diego. So glad to be back home, always return with a new appreciation for even the most mundane details of daily life that we seem to take for granted.

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I'm Happy Anyway

Sunday February 21 - appox . 10:30pm local time - cueing up to board my 13 hour flight to Taipei (I've lost count of how many times I've made this journey, must be over 20 by now). Reading materials, check. iPod, check. Food and beverage to last the duration of the flight, check. Extra hoodie to combat the inevitable Arctic Chill setting of the airline A/C, check. Exit row seating - Score! Infant baby 5 seats away - only potential red flag in sight (patience is a virtue and I can outlast any crying infants until they zonk out from sheer exhaustion.



Tuesday February 23 - approx 5:30am local time - luggage pickup and hotel shuttle, minimal sleep on the plane isn't a big concern. Our first meeting is at 10:00am and we'll finish by early afternoon. First order of business was a swim at the pool - rooftop setting, 15 meters if I was lucky. I'm a tad zoned out as I walk past the ever crucial water quality stats. My mind was oblivious to the temperature conversion that it had just failed to perform.


WTF ! ! ! I know that I'm a complete sissy when it comes to long swims in cold water, but who in their right mind sets this pool at nearly 90 degrees Fahrenheit ? Note, there are lane lines which would suggest the potential for lap swimming.

30 minutes later my lungs are on fire and every muscle in my body has turned to jelly (jelly that's been sitting on the kitchen counter top for 5 hours because you neglected to put it back in the fridge immediately after use). Oh well, enjoyed the view and scenery. Of particular interest was the fact that I could see a vast blue sky (a rare occurrence to be sure), especially this time of year.



We capped off the meeting with a late lunch at Din Tai Fung (absolute steamed dumpling heaven), no doubt an impossible act to follow for all future meals during this visit now. A solid nights sleep and the early bird grabs the first available tread mill in the hotel dungeon (yawn). Better than nothing I guess. An uneventful and long day only meant an early morning flight over to Macau the next day.

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The Race

First event of the season is in the books. For anyone that isn't in tune with the San Diego running or triathlon scene, the San Dieguito 1/2 Marathon is something of a local gem. I can't really classify it as a "low key" event (not with close to 3k participants) but somehow it has a very grass roots feel about it. Could be the location? Could be the modestly priced entry fee? Sure it's smack dab in the middle of February, although you wouldn't have guessed it this past Sunday. Mother Nature was smiling that day and gave us near perfect conditions to test our early season fitness.

What can I say about the race, I took off with a small group of fast guys (Jefferey, David, Nick and Ian were in the mix) and we stayed together until mile 3. Shortly after that the bunch began to string itself out and I felt good enough to test the legs on a few of the uphill sections (the course is predominantly rolling hills but nothing too crazy). Split times were yelled out at each mile and I knew it would be possible (although not probable) to set a PR for the open 1/2. When the body is in a state of steady exertion, the ability to truly be in the moment seems all the more difficult to capture, racing on such a picturesque course makes this challenge downright impossible. Future training runs along the local trails WILL be accompanied by photos ! Nearing the last few miles my legs still felt good, one final uphill kicker at the very end capped off a solid effort. No PR but still happy to cross the line just under 1:19.

Post race celebrations and war stories were shared by all (as is always the case). Nick and Carla were ever gracious for hosting the after breakfast at their home, a perfect way to complete the morning indeed. The take away from this race was (as will often be the case in San Diego) - I feel blessed to live and work here. In the 2 short years that I've called San Diego "home", I've met the most amazing group of friends that I've probably ever known - thank you all (even if you never read this).

Oh yes, I had planned to wear my "Zoonies" (photo above), as it seemed appropriate on several levels for race day. Sadly these were early samples and thus an odd fitting size 9 means they will become casual kicks for summer. See you at the races, eh.

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Deep Water

This past weekend capped off another 3 week training block. Most of the usual weekend riding crew rolled out bright and early Saturday morning, up and down the coast through Pendleton before doing a small loop back home. Food, shower, and off to a friends' birthday party - our boy Tim was celebrating the big 3-0 !! Yessir-e, we've got a new racer joining the 30-34AG and I'm happy to say he'll be making his 1/2 IM debut at Wildlower in just over 3 months. Ended up taking a rain check on the beer (save it for San Dieguito or WF), and snuck out of the party a bit early. Finished out the day with a decent run and thankfully my legs were still mobile at this point.

Sunday was my last long run for this block and all started out well. In hind sight I should have called it quits by 2 hours, but hey what's another 30 minutes? 30 minutes running turned into 20 minutes of slowly jogging, followed by 25 minutes of walking home in the cold and rainy dark evening. It seems like every year I'm plagued with sore (inflamed) Achilles or other random issues with my ankles during the early season training. Thankfully it's not too bad this time and luckily it comes at the start of a huge swimming volume week. Perfect timing if you ask me - the weather forecast for San Diego is showing a solid week of rain in store, and I'm welcoming it with open arms. Although, I fear that by the end of this week my arms may be singing a much different tune.

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Ghost Town

It's never a good sign when the co-tenants of your office building slowly begin to dwindle in numbers. Last May we were moved into a shared office structure and settled into the 2nd floor penthouse, with plenty of windows and natural light it was a welcome upgrade from our old building. A few weeks before Christmas we were informed that the other business would be licensed out and all but a few employees were handed their walking papers. Ouch - Happy Holidays, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Fortunately our company has been performing relatively well, despite the down economy of 2009. Regardless, we're now the sole occupants of a building much too large for a company which directly employees all of 11 people. Last week saw the last of our days in the penthouse, somehow it was decided that moving our company to the groud level and subletting the 2nd floor was the way to go for 2010. Hopefully there won't be any haunts from the previous brand that lurked these hallowed cubicles !

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The One Thing

Blank canvases make me anxious, but I needed to post on the first day of the new decade. I'm quite certain that the world doesn't exactly need yet another blog about one persons' incredibly self indulgent pursuit of triathlon and the amazing juggling act of career, training, and trying to maintain some form of a social life. I'm hopeful that this could amount to something more, but that's an awfully tough promise to make at this time. Follow along or not...

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