Xmas Week

Hard to believe another Christmas is right around the corner. This school year has flown by! We're excited to spend Xmas with my familly and see all the little ones open up gifts. My sister's son, Brody, is especially going to be a riot watching him as he is 1 and a half.

It's always nice to have a break this time of year from school. I am really looking forward to getting in some good training and spending more time with Rachel and Kennedy.

This week I've had some good training sessions. A couple I'll share are I did a trainer session with the main set being 3 x 5 min. at 330+ watts with minimal recovery. I was able to hit some very solid numbers for this one. Next time I do this set I'll add another 5 min. interval or two.

Most of my running has been on the easier side. When I feel good I'll let myself run low to mid 6s, but other than that I just am logging miles on the run front. I'll start in with a more specific run workout each week next week. This time of year those sessions mostly come in the way of a tempo, progression, fartlek, or hill session. I'll start to increase my long run too.

Swim wise I have been just mixing it up doing a variety of sessions. This morning I did a main set with Ryan of 200 swim, 200 kick, 2 x (100s, 100k), and 2 x (50s, 50k). The kicks were done just under 1:00 per 50 and the swims were about 2:35 for the 200, 1:15 for the 100s, and :35 for the 50s. Nothing crazy fast, but just a nice tempo. Rest was pretty much the kicking. We then did 10 x 25 ON 30 sec. hitting each of them about 13-14 sec. I am a big believer on throwing a short set like this after a main set to really work on swimming fast, but not hard...almost stride outs after a run. I think it helps my economy in the water and allows those tempo paces to seem a bit easier. It is also good practice for getting out at the start of races.

That's about all for now.

Merry Christmas!

Back At It

Thanksgiving w/ Rachel's family

Kennedy's 1st Halloween

Sorry I've been away for so long. I've had a few requests to write again because I'm so interesting...haha, yeah right! I do enjoy writing, though, so I'll try to be more diligent with this. A lot has gone on in the last few months...most of it all being positive. Rachel and Kennedy are doing well. Kennedy is growing every day. She is such a good girl. We have been very fortunate with how easy going she is. She sleeps and eats well, smiles a ton, and brings a ton of joy to us. I can't wait to come home every day after school to see her bright smile.

Teaching and coaching are going well. I did a couple of low key fall events, a half marathon on Mackinac Island where I came 2nd place and the Iceman Mtn. bike race which got me hooked on mtn. biking so I'll continue that once a week or so throughout the year now (when snow isn't here! or maybe even then too:))

I am slowly getting back into training, but still doing a decent amount of work. Swimming pretty much normal volume, cycling is about 3 - 4 hours on trainer work, but all highly structured. Without being able to ride outside and log miles during the winter here, the only way to improve one's cycling is through really getting after it. A power meter is such a valuable tool for me during the winter. I am confident in my winter training plan as I've figured out a system that works and sees me entering Spring each year a little further ahead than the previous year. I'm back doing some resistance training and plan to keep that in the mix all year next year as I really think it helps me out.

I've been out twice on the xc skis. We have had a very mild winter so far so just recently we have had enough snow to get out. I look forward to skiing once or twice a week as it's great cross training and helps build the engine while being pretty easy on the body being a non impact activity. I plan to do 4-5 ski races this winter too. Hopefully I can fair well in a few of them and finish near the pointy end. Last year was a learning experience, but I feel like I have gotten better over last year and then roller skiing some this fall. My technique has a ways to go still, but engine wise I'm right there.

I'm really looking forward to the upcoming holidays. It's always a blast seeing family and friends, not to mention some time off from school for some extra training and extra time with Rachel and Kennedy.

I hope you all are starting to prep your bodies for the real work to come after the New Year. It is the off season, but if you plan on improving from last season the time is NOW to train hard and work on your weaknesses.

Happy Holidays!

Racing, racing, and more racing

Hard to believe school will be starting back up here in about a week and a half. Teachers go back a few days next week to get things situated...although I've been in a bit this summer already just getting things planned for the year. A friend of mine from Gaylord is going to be joining our team...Ben Tarbutton. He's a really nice guy and will be good for our students. With Ben's running experience I'm hoping he's willing to get back rolling with his training as I know he was kind of taking it easy the last year or so after college. He's run low 15s for 5k so is definitely legit.

Well, I wouldn't normally recommend racing 5 weeks in a row, but it was a lot of fun and there's no way to push yourself in training as you do in a race. After Mackinaw, I jumped in the Black Bear 100 mile ride. It follows the historic Ausable canoe race. The ride isn't truly a race, but it's chipped timed and the majority of people race it trying for their best time. I cam 4th, but was only 2 minutes behind a pro mtn. biker from Michigan. I would have beaten him if I hadn't stopped a couple of times for a friend, but hey he would have done it for me and was cramping so it was all good. We rode the 100 miles in 4:04 or so. The heat and humidity were rediciulous that day with temps being in the 90s. That wouldn't me anything special when we were in VA Beach, but here we don't see those temps very often. My friend, Ben McMurray, who I was riding with raced in Kona last year and he said it was at least as hot as Kona if not hotter. Good to know!

The next weekend I went down to Lansing for their Olympic distance race. It was a non wetsuit swim...not my specialty, so I had a little time to make up on the bike. I came into t2 about 4 minutes up and then extended that lead on the run. I knew with racing this many weeks in a row I needed to shut it down on the run to save some for the enxt 2 weekends.

Two weekends ago we had a whirlwind of a weekend. We had a memorial service for Rachel's uncle, and then her family was all up so we were hanging out with them most of the weekend. Saturday night my cousin was getting married so we went to her reception for a couple of hours. Made it home by about 11 for a 5AM wake up call the next morning to head up to Petoskey for their tri. I was very happy with this race...likely my best of the summer so far. I led from the gun and crushed all 3 disciplines, closing with a 36:20 10k off the bike...a PR by 40 sec. or so. This was based on my Garmin too so the course was legit (actually long by .2 so I was 37:20 for 6.4 miles, which equates to the 36:20). Afterwards we had a birthday party for my nephew Brody and Rachel had a baby shower with her sister who is due in September. Let's just say we were exahusted come Sunday night and we slept in Monday (7AM...what we call sleeping in these days with Kennedy).

I wasn't 100% on whether or not I'd race last weekend in Ludington. The racing was starting to catch up with me and I felt flat all week. It's a challenge to stay motivated for all these races sometimes. I committed to winning the series that 3 disciplines puts on...our state's biggest tri company. If you win, you get to do their races in the series every year from then on for free. Well worth it with the cost of races these days! All the racing was worth it as I am first in the series and may not even have to do the last race of the series to win it. I got 2nd at the ludington race. Richard Swor, a pro who used to live in MI, but now live in N. Carolina was there and he waxed me pretty good. To my defense I was racing at more of my 70.3 pace than Olympic as the power was just there. Anyone who has ever raced this much knows what the feeling is like. I gave my best effort on the day, but I really would like to race that guy when I'm fresh as I think I could at least have gotten off the bike with him or even in front of him. He's a very good runner so likely still would have beaten me, but it would have been a lot closer. Oh well...he also only does short course racing so that's his specialty. What can I say...I hate to lose.

So I finally have a few weeks to get back into some solid training before my last big tri of the year...Muskoka 70.3. I think the course is really going to suit me...cool weather and HILLY with a freshwater wetsuit swim.

On a side note, big props to Ryan hamilton who has had a breakout season finishing near the top in all the local tris and a great day at Racine 70.3. Big things to come for this guy if he sticks to it. Also...good luck to Rob Swartz in Chicago this weekend for the Olympic.

I'm excited to get back into the school routine, but sad to see summer about done. I'll enjoy these next couple of weeks the best I can!

Thanks for reading!

Mackinaw City Triathlon turned Duathlon

Rachel, Kennedy, and I went up to Cheboygan Saturday afternoon to stay with Rachel's grandma. She only lives about 15 minutes from the Mackinaw race start so it was perfect. Plus, it's always nice spending time with "Mema." She had only seen Kennedy briefly at the hospital after she was born so she was excited to spend time with her too.

I was looking forward to this race as it's one of the nicest ones on the Michigan circuit. It usually brings some decent competition as there are a lot of fun things to do in Mackinaw, besides it just being a beautiful area. Mackinaw is right where the two big Michigan peninsulas meet.

Training had been going well, but I crushed myself all the way until Friday so not much rest at all heading into this event. I figured my legs would come right, but even on Saturday I could tell I was underpowered during my shake out ride and run.

I'll admit I had a little extra motivation for this race with Kennedy being there. I want her to always give everything her best effort and even though she doesn't know quite what's going on yet, she'll be able to look back at pictures when she gets older of her at races and see what kind of athlete/person her Dad was and is. Winning in life is sometimes up to uncontrollable things, but effort is something you can always determine and I want that instilled in my children just as my parents instilled that in all my brothers and sisters. It's no mistake the way we've all turned out.

The other thing that has motivated me some as of late is how most people I talk to about triathlon tell me I won't be able to compete at the same level with having children. Sure there will be sacrifices on my end for my family, but that does not mean I can't stay or even elevate the level I'm at right now in triathlon. I won't ever neglect my family to do so, but if I choose to do the sport I will be giving it my best. I think people say those things because that's how it was for them. I don't feel I'm the norm, especially when it comes to pushing my body to the limit in training and racing. I am blessed to have a little talent, but the reason I haven't lost a multisport race since being back in Michigan is because of how hard and smart I train.

Finally, to the race. They cancelled the swim because Lake Huron was quite rough. I guess it depends on where you're from, but it would have been challenging conditions especially for those new to the sport. In VA Beach, most if not all of our ocean front triathlons were in similar conditions if not worse. Most people there grow up living in those waters though so it does make a difference. They decided to replace the swim with a 2 mile run. I would have rather swam, but as soon as they made the announcement I started to come up with a slightly new game plan. When the gun went off, I wanted to test out to see what I was dealing with. From the gun I was off the front, but a couple guys weren't too far behind. First mile was 5:15 and then I toned it back a bit the 2nd mile so I wouldn't be spent and trying to recover the early part of the bike. 2nd mile was 5:25 pace or just under. As soon as I got on the bike the legs felt strong. Getting out of town the first couple of miles was a mess with the race organizers having bikers going out on the same side of the road as runners were coming back from the 2 mile run. There were also a couple of cars to go around. Oh well, there seem to be obstacles at every race so you just deal with them and keep racing. I wanted to have a solid ride, so I kept the pedal down to the halfway point to see where I was at. I was up a minute at that point and b/c of how the first run went I figured that would be enough, but why settle for that? I kept on pushing before letting up the last mile or so to get the legs ready to run. Hopped off and got right into a good pace of about 5:35 for mile one. From there I let the pace slip a bit, but held it under 5:55 pace for the 2nd 2 miles. I was up 2 min. at the turn around and being only a 5k that would have been impossible for anyone to make that up unless they ran a sub 4 min. mile pace the last 1.5 miles and no one in the world can do that off the bike. It was nice being able to cruise it in a bit and say hi to my family who was watching. It has been awesome sharing these races with my parents and siblings, Daniel and Christina. Daniel once again was one of the youngest of not the youngest participant in the 5k run. He loves it and it's a lot of fun seeing him out there.

I was happy with my overall effort yesterday. There was some very solid competitors yesterday as a few guys who normally finish in the top 3 at races around the state were pushed back a few slots with a couple out of state people and then some athletes from the Detroit area...besides a couple of guys from northern Michigan who typically find themselves at the pointy end of the field.

Big shout out to Ryan Hamilton and Matt Stafford, two athletes I coach, for coming up to cheer everyone on. They both rocked Racine 70.3 last weekend so weren't quite ready to jump in another race, but they came up to support friends and that was really nice of them.

That's about it for me as I'm off for an easy run to shake out the gunk in the legs from yesterday. I'll throw up some pictures once Rachel puts them on the computer. Not sure what race is next, but I'll likely do a few more of the Michigan races and then at least one more bigger race this fall. Leaning towards Muskoka 70.3 right now.

Thanks for reading. Train Hard!

Kennedy Elisabeth Smith

Here she is...the little one we've been anxiously waiting for these past 9 months. Kennedy Elisabeth was born Tuesday night at 10:58PM and was a little 5 lbs. and 18 inches. Words cannot express the experience and it's such a miracle. I don't know how in the world someone could have a baby and not believe in God. She has stolen both of our hearts and we are loving every minute. Thanks so much to all our family and friends who have supported us through this and will continue to do so. If you only knew little Kennedy how much you are already loved...

East Jordan Tri and Mark Mellon

It's been far too long since I've posted a blog, but I'd been busy with all kinds of stuff since school got out (training, basketball camp, master's class, etc.). I will sit down and write a longer blog soon, but will probably wait until our baby arrives which should be any day now with Rachel's due date being the 9th of July.

I had a rough one at Eagleman. Those conditions (90 and humid) are tough to race in when you live in N. Michigan and train in temps that rarely if ever are above 80. I hate having that as an excuse, but it's there and a big reason why I failed to meet my goals for that race. Life goes on though and I've won races the past two weekends by a good margin. I knew my fitness was high after a great spring of training, but when a race like Eagleman happens the best thing you can do is race again to get your mojo back. It worked and I'm looking forward to another nice training block before I hit some races later in the summer.

This past Saturday was the Mark Mellon triathlon and 5k that my family puts on. We did it last year for the first time and we knew we had some improvements to make and I think we did that for this year's event. We received a ton of compliments and people really enjoyed the event. A lot of work goes into these events, even with only a little over 200 participants. We had a ton of help from all kinds of locals and we are very thankful for that. Our timing and race site set up was done by Runner's Edge Race Timing and they did a fantastic job once again. We had no major hiccups to speak of and they played a big role in that. So many races today don't do enough to make the experience awesome for the athletes and spectators. We tried hard to do both and I think the people who were there on Saturday really enjoyed the atmosphere. It didn't hurt we had almost perfect weather! My brother Mike won the sprint tri and then I won the Olympic race so that was a lot of fun...for the 2nd straight year! My two sisters, Mom, and little brother raced too. Chrissy who is 16 did her first tri and did very well for her first race. She loved it too! Jenny, Daniel, and my Mom did the 5k. It's so cool having your whole family involved in an event like this. Literally my entire family helped in some fashion on Saturday. We're so blessed to say the least.

Priority number one is now Rachel and this baby (not that they won't always be #1) so we'll be doing everything we can to make this birth a good experience. I know Rachel will do great...as will our baby. Rachel is tougher and more positive than most any girl I've met and that baby has a stubborn Dad, especially when it comes to pain and endurance...from what everyone tells us that pretty much sums up the birthing process!

Next time I write I'll have lots of pictures of our new arrival:)

Thanks for stopping by.

Starkermann Duathlon

Little brother Daniel did the Jr. Starkermann. Quite the accomplishment for a 6 yr. old

Rachel, baby, and I

End of the bike

Coming into T1

This blog seems to be harder and harder to keep up, but I'm going try my best to get back on board. I should have more time this summer to get at least one out per week.

I raced the Starkermann Duathlon last weekend and was fortunate to come up with another win. I had some more competition than my first race of the year and even had to run a guy down on the 2nd 5k run. All signs pointed towards my training working very well. I am for sure as fit as I've ever been on the bike and run front. Swim wise things have been a bit different b/c I've done a lot of swimming solo, but the sets I've done in the last couple of months have been very specific to triathlon and the distances I focus on. I think this will pay off, especially as I start to freshen up these last couple of weeks before Eagleman. This past weekend I capped off this build with a 16 mile progressive run with the last 5 miles under 6:20 pace. Nothing special really, but after the week of training I laid down it was a solid workout. I also rode 4.5 hours with lots of time very close to half ironman effort and then a short run off the bike at close to HIM goal pace. There is still a bit of work to do, but it's time to start freshening up. This has been a different build than I've ever done for a 70.3, but it seems to be working great and I'm coming into better shape each week. I am really looking forward to June 12th and absolutely laying it all out there. It's been a while since I've gone completely to the well and I'm excited to have an opportunity to do so. I cannot wait to go toe to toe with some of the best triathletes in the country. Eagleman is always one of the most competitive 70.3s on the circuit b/c it's one of only a few races left where you can qualify for Kona without doing a full ironman.

Newspaper clip from race.

Steelcase Duathlon

Starting run #2
Coming into t1

Little brother and I before the start

Rachel, baby, and I

Well, Spring is finally here. I am coming off my best training week of the year so far, but still some work to be done before Eagleman. I am getting close, but still need a few more solid sessions/races. I had a solid weekend of an 8 mile tempo run yesterday and then today was a solid 5 hours on the bike followed by a short t run. It was tough, especially after the sessions I did during the week. I think I am going to be hitting peak form just in time for Eagleman.

School is coming to a quick close. Soon enough our baby will be here and I'll have more time to train...well really, more time to recover (if the baby sleeps well? hopefully?). I probably put in 20 hours this week and won't hit much more than that this summer. Not having to go to work in the summer allows me much more flexibility with my training and my ability to recover goes through the roof! Really hoping to make a nice jump in fitness as the summer goes on, but first Eagleman.

Rachel is feeling good and we're getting really close to having our baby's room all done. It's been a little more work than I think we anticipated, but it's all good.

Next up, another solid week of training and then Starkermann Duathlon this coming weekend. Looking forward to laying down another good effort to help me get to a new level.

Thanks for reading.

TGIS 5k

Not a bad start to the running/multi-sport season. I needed to see where I was at with my running and so I jumped in a local 5k. Not a ton of great competition, but a few guys in the low 17s or so. The race funds all went towards the Gaylord running program so you can't go wrong there. Anything to help keep kids running is worth it's while. Ran a 16:42. I think that's actually a PR, but I don't run too many 5ks. I ran about the same at a duathlon last year. I was pleased with my effort and was pretty close to doing what I thought I would. The weather was cruddy...40 and rain with some wind so not really your ideal running conditions. It'd be nice to really get that down closer to 16 flat by the time summer rolls around, but we'll see. It's more important to keep things improving in all 3 disciplines. Next stop...Starkermann Duathlon in a few weeks. My Dad and little brother Daniel (6) ran too. Both ran well and Daniel just loves it. He very well could be the best athlete out of all of us. That's about it for now...gotta go train. Rachel is feeling good. About 12 weeks until our baby arrives. We can't wait to meet him or her.

VA Duathlon

Just a quick shout out to Melissa Mckendry on a very nice performance to get the multi-sport season started. Melissa has been working hard all winter and that work is paying off. She was 2nd overall female today at the Virginia Duathlon, which is a very competitive race down in southeast Virgina. Way to go Melissa!

Anna Maria Island

Rachel and I just got back from Anna Maria Island yesterday, where we spent 6 days with our family there. I'll have some pictures to share soon, but those don't even come close to doing this place justice. My family has gone there for a few years now and it's just a great place to relax and enjoy one another's company. There isn't a whole lot of touristy things to do, but it's better that way in my opinion. Everyday minus the day we arrived was sunny and in the 80s. Most mornings we'd wake up, lounge around for a bit and then the majority of us were off for a run, walk, or swim or in my case usually all 3. Nothing too long or intense, but just getting out and enjoying moving in nice weather. Then it was back to our house a block off the ocean that we rented for the week. It was time for breakfast and then beach time! The beach there is nice, white sand...similar to Clearwater where they used to hold the 70.3 world championships. In all the years we've been going down there I can only think of one where the weather really stunk. This year it was great and the water was nice too...refreshing, but warm enough to stay in it for a while and play in the waves or toss the football around. Usually we'd last a couple of hours and then we'd go make some lunch and chill by the pool at our house most of the afternoon and who knows...maybe have a cocktail or two. Dinner was next after getting cleaned up and man we had some good meals. We grilled out a few nights having ribs, salmon, and burgers. Another night we had spaghetti. All favorites of mine. Most dinners followed with some sort of dessert and then we went to watch the sunset. I wish we could say we had lots of crazy nights, but to be honest we were all pretty tired by night's end and we hit the sack quite early. I hate to say it, but I prefer that these days...same thing goes for when we're home in Michigan. The early to bed, early to rise crew is almost always the more successful crew. If someone tells you otherwise they are fooling themselves. So that's that. I'll share some pictures once we get them downloaded. It's time to really buckle now and get serious for Eagleman and the rest of the races coming up this summer. I feel I've set myself up for a good couple of months. I've trained hard this winter, but my mind and body are still fresh and ready to do the big work that lies ahead. Started today with a solid swim session this morning and then a track workout tonight. Run and ride planned for tommorrow. And the weather is finally getting better. 60s this weekend they say! Let's goooo as my Hampton kids used to say.

Spartacus and training update

Going to start off this blog by sharing a video of the great Spartacus. Anyone who pays attention to cycling know who I'm talking about. This is an inspiring effort that makes you want to ride your bike hard. If it weren't for a tough 16 mile run this morning, I'd head out on the bike for a bit just because this video makes me want to. We have made it to spring break. All teachers know that once you get back from this break, the end of the year goes by quick. We are headed to Anna Marie Island on Wednesday for a few days with my family. We've been there a few times now and it's an awesome place. Beautiful beach and the water is perfect for swimming. I'll be taking it easy while we're there, but I'll still be getting out for some beach runs and open water swims. My new Zoot wetsuit is supposed to be arriving tommorrow so just in time! Training has been going well. My last blog I talked about being sick and it took me a few days to get back into things, but this week I felt completely back to myself and my numbers were back on track. This is always the way it goes, but every time I get sick (usually only once or twice a year...teacher syndrome) I worry about losing fitness. If you were to get sick a lot this could be the case, but when you have a great base of training laid down the extra rest often times ends up being a good thing. Case in point, this past week was my biggest week of the year yet and I crushed it. yesterday and today capped off a tough week and I did a 2:45 trainer session with lots of quality followed by a short t run. Today I ran 16 at an average of about 6:45 pace...started off a little slower than that and finished strong. Nothing too crazy, but at the end of the week I had plus a hilly course it's a good sign for this time of year. I will finally start racing here next month...only a 5k run race, but still. May will then be the official start to the multi-sport season. I can't wait! Here's to some warm weather in a few days! And hopefully when we get back here...i just want to ride outside, that's all I ask:)

Sickness, bball, and old friends

It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last wrote. The week after our jv season ended I was helping our varsity get ready for districts. I played with the kids a bit to help give them a better look. Not sure if it helped at all, but we seemed ready to play against Harbor Springs. We lost by about 10 and they went on the win the district. I really believe our kids can win this district the next few years, but it's going to take a bigger commitment outside of the basketball season...mainly during the summer.

I got quite sick the end of last week. It was likely strep throat, but the doctor wasn't 100% so he treated me as if I had it. I think he was probably right and the antibiotics helped. It still took me a few days to get over it, but I feel back to normal now. Better now than during the summer. It never fails...getting sick once or twice a year. A lot of it has to do with being at school and dealing with kids all the time. It doesn't help all the training suppresses the immune system a bit, but it's part of the process. I tried being smart about things training wise once I felt the sickness coming, but it wasn't soon enough. Some bugs you're just going to get regardless of how cautious you are.

Friday night I made my way down to Detroit to watch the Red Wings beat Edmonton with some friends from high school. It had been a while since we got together and it was a really fun weekend just catching up with everyone and reminiscing about old times. We saw a heckuva good hockey game too!

I think Spring has finally arrived with it being in the mid to high 40s all week and some rain later in the week. i plan on being outside on the bike for the first time this year. I hope it works out as i'm anxious to start putting in some more bike miles.

I wanted to share this article. It's about my good friend Janda Ricci Munn's dad, who passed away on Sunday. He was a very inspiring man.

Some hoops and training

We finished up our basketball season on Friday night with a win. Put us at 18-2 for the year. First time Mancelona has won the league in basketball (even though it was only j.v.) in a LONG time. The kids made some nice improvement as the year went on. I hope they stick with it because a few of them have potential to really be special. Apparently, in the past there has been very little opportunity for the kids to play any time besides during the season. I really hope to change that. The one thing all of these boys have and I was fortunate to have the same thing when I grew up...they know how to win games. We had plenty of close games, but down the stretch they always were able to pull it out. Even Friday we should have been up by a lot more towards the end of the game, but it was close and nothing was for sure. The boys stayed composed, made some key free throws, and took care of business. The varsity is really playing well now and is on that upswing that you want to be in heading into March Madness. I think they are going to surprise some teams and possibly steal a district title. Going to be fun!

With the season coming to end, this will free up some nice time to train. Perfect timing with Spring right around the corner. My body and mind are in a great spot for the end of February. I really have not forced anything this winter...I really just let the fitness come on and was patient. In the past being in an area (VA Beach) there was so much temptation to train above where I was at because you pretty much raced year round and there were always people to push you in training. My numbers are as good if not better right now than they have ever been this time of year so it just goes to show that you can get as fit as you want by yourself anywhere in the world as long as you have a good PLAN. Today had me spending 40 minutes at half ironman pace doing some big gear work and this is the easiest I think it's ever been for me to push around 270 -280 watts. Had some nice swims this week. It's been a big help having Chris push me once or twice a week in the pool. He is slightly faster than me in the water so it's just right. Run wise it was a pretty low key week being that it was a recovery week. Pretty much just logged 30 miles or so at an easy pace. Back to work next week though. It's time to up the ante just a bit more. It won't be long before I'm racing again.

Rachel and I were able to feel our baby for the first time this past week. It seems to be the same time each night and then early in the morning as well. It's amazing and we can't wait to meet that little bugger. Rachel is certainly showing now too. She's about as cute as it gets for a pregnant woman.

Things are picking up a bit on the coaching front. People are starting to prepare for the upcoming triathlon/running season. It's great seeing so many people starting to take a liking to endurance activities. It's such a fun thing to be involved with and the people you meet along the way are some really special people.

2011 Vasa Ski Race 27k/50k Start plus bonus coverage

XC Ski pics and some training

Here are a few pictures from a xc ski race I did a couple of weeks ago. This is one of the biggest races in the midwest and I plan to do this one for a lot of years to come.

We actually got a bit of a thaw this past week so the trails have held up in some places, but others are in rough shape. I may do one more race the first week of march, but it's all dependent on snow. I am ready for Spring and would rather it start warming up. It's bad when I say a thaw and I'm only talking about high 30s/low 40s but when it's been hovering around zero for the past month that really does seem warm. The roads have cleared up quite a bit too so that's been nice on the run front. My paces have gotten a good 15+ sec. per mile quicker because I actually have some traction

Things are starting to come around nicely on the training front. I feel like I have done everything I can this winter to set myself up for a great Spring and therefore a good racing season this summer. I have improved in some key areas and have done so without a tone of volume or intensity. I feel fresh and that's a huge benefit as the real training is about to begin. So many people train there but off during the winter to arrive at Spring fried and ready for a break. You have to be careful as this is a very bad place to be, especially if you plan to be racing at a World Championship long course event in the Fall be it Kona or Las Vegas.

A few key sessions for me included: a main set 2k pull set, with the 1st 500 at about a 1:20 - 1:25 pace, the next 1k alternating a 50 at about :35 - :40 with a 50 at about :40 - :45, and then the last 500 building to max by the last 100 and I think we came in just under 1:15. I was pretty tired at that point so was really just trying to hang on. My friend Chris swam with me. We've been doing a lot of our swim training together this winter and plan to ride a fair amount together this year as well. Chris is an accomplished triathlete who focuses mostly on the Ironman distance. His swimming and cycling and on par with any age grouper in the country. Once he starts nailing the run he's going to be a low to mid 9 hour guy for sure.

My bike sessions this week included one session focusing on threshold, one focusing on steady state or half ironman pace, and the 3rd on VO2 max where I did 2 sets of 6 x 1.5 minutes @ 360 - 370 watts. I am excited to get outside to start riding a bit longer, but I am getting a lot out of my trainer sessions. It's amazing how much work can be done on just 3 x 75-90 minute sessions a week.

Had two key runs this week. The first was a treadmill workout on Wednesday that had me spending a total of 24 minutes at high end tempo. It was a mixture of intervals. Today's run session included 20 minutes worth of hills repeats with a longer warm up and cool down. It's been such a nice addition to my running being able to hit hills on pretty much every single run. It's almost impossible for me not to with where we live. I'm not complaining though. When I get on the flats that same pace feels so much easier now.

So that's just a bit of insight into my week of training. I plan to share some of this every week or two. I know that's something I like to read about when I go to a couple different triathlon sites. The key is recognizing that just because someone does something doesn't mean that training is right for you. It's all about finding the right mix for you and I think I've found that mix. Little tweaks can always be made, but as a whole we have figured out what works best for me from a training perspective.

Lastly, Rachel had an ultrasound on Friday. Everything looks healthy and on par with the time frame they gave us before of early July. It was tough not finding out the sex of the baby. It's funny how some people will say for whatever reason they thing it's a boy or girl. Some people tell us they think we're having a boy for some reason and then others say they think it will be a girl. We truly don't care. We just want a healthy baby.

Some training and racing

Well, the last couple of weeks have really been a lot of fun training. I'm not sure what the difference is, but I think it's because I know we're on the downward slope of winter and I can sense Spring. I think another reason is because I returned to racing last weekend as I did a 20k xc ski race and then yesterday I did a 27k ski race. Even though they are not multi-sport events, it is still a blast getting out there and competing. You still get that same feeling after any sort or race where you put it out there. The thing I really like about the skiing and I've grown to have this outlook in multi-sport races, but I need to do it even more...that is, to just enjoy the event and let all the training I do take over on race day and just do my best. You have almost zero anxiety racing that way and it really is more fun. You don't sweat the small stuff nearly as much and you are just getting after it out there because you can and it feels good to use the fitness you've worked so hard for.

Last weekend I was 11th place and 2nd in my age group. Yesterday I was 18th and 1st, but it was a bigger race with more people. There were competitors from all over the midwest and country for that matter at both races. It's amazing I never really knew how big of a sport this was here until I started looking into when I knew we were moving back up north. I guess when you're a kid and you're involved in all your other sports you just don't think about those other things...especially with xc skiing being predominantly a sport where most of the people racing are 25 years of age or older...similar to triathlon a bit. The guys winning most of the events are 35 - 50 years old. That's encouraging if I stay with it for a while. The thing is I really haven't skiied much...probably once a week most of the winter. The rest has been my typical winter training for triathlon and I'm just able to do decent off that fitness. I have a lot of work to do on my technique on the skiis, but that will come. Engine wise it seems I'm as fit as pretty much anybody I'm racing. I'm learning a lot about what it takes to race well and a BIG part of it is getting out fast as the trail thins down in probably a half of a km to where it's pretty much single file from there on out. You can pass people at times, but it takes a lot of effort. If you can get in that first group chances are you'll be able to hang for a while and end of with a high placing. Yesterday I got stuck in the middle and had to crush myself about half way to bridge back up to the group ahead. It worked, but by that time I was cooked and just content to hang on until the end. It's really a great way to get in some aerobic work with very little pounding. I am past the sorness of the first few times I went out skiing so like today I woke up not sore at all...i guess maybe I didn't go hard enough?! Oh well, good thing with a nice long run on the schedule for this afternoon.

Other than that life has been pretty low key. Teaching has been going well. Rachel has been feeling good. We went to the doctor last Thursday and heard the heart beat again. It was a bit slower than the first time around. He/she must be getting in shape;)

Thanks for reading...will write more soon. Off to church.

Already Feb.?

Well, it's tough to believe January is about over. I want to share to things that were sent along to me this weekend. The first here . I agree with this completely. You truly have to believe what you're doing has a purpose. The second is something I can't wait to experience come July.

Since my last blog there has been a lot going on. Mike and Alaina's wedding was a blast. Knowing your brother married someone he loves more than anything is quite the special thing. I watched him and my mother dance that night and I must say it was tough holding back a few tears. It's been a while since I've felt something like that and I think it just really hit home how blessed our family is.

Our jv basketball team here in Mancelona is having a good season. We have lost two close ones, but won some close ones too. We went into Bellaire on Friday and took care of business. I was really proud of the kids.

Training on my end is going well. I continue to lay down a solid base for 2011. I have really enjoyed the xc skiing and did my first skate ski race last weekend. It was quite the learning experience and I took it pretty easy, but I think there will definitely be a time when I look to compete at that same high level that I do in triathlon.

Rachel has been feeling good and has even started to grow a little belly. It's really an exciting time right now for us. We talk about what it will be like every day. Hard to fathom, but all we know is we already love that little boy or girl a lot.

Sorry for a blog on a bit of the emotional side...but it's better than just a boring blog about the training I did for the week.

Thanks for checking in...keep up the hard work...spring is right around the corner! I hope?! Okay so maybe a couple of months for us here, but it's all good.

Brody

Daniel, Gavin, and I

My family minus Alaina (Mike's wife to be next weekend)

Mommy Rachel

Rachel's family

A few pictures from the holiday season. This break was awesome. I trained a lot, rested a lot, and was able to spend a lot of time with family and friends. I can't wait until the summer so that I can train that way for a few months. It's amazing the training you can get done and then absorb when you don't have to work. I did my typical training, but then also added in a couple of short swims and then about 8 hours of xc skiing. I plan to hit a few xc ski races in the next 2 months so I attended a day clinic at Boyne Valley Lodge and it was well worth it. I learned from some very good coaches and I am now able to go a lot faster off less effort. The goal for all endurance sports right?!

Back to school tommorrow. We play Pellston and Central Lake this week for hoops. If we play like we're capable of we shouldn't lose a game the rest of the season.

Looking forward to next weekend as my brother Mike is getting married. Weddings in our family are always a blast.