Welcome back from the break. Memorial day is an excellent holiday in so many ways- remembering the fallen, teaching children the value and cost of freedom, and taking a Monday back from the work week.

This morning, I did something odd: I chose not to go to the gym. My normal schedule, which I've followed almost perfectly for the past four and a half months, is:

• 4:30AM: Wake up
• 5:00AM: Shower, dress, and head out the door
• 5:45AM: Gym (plus a swim on alternate days)
• 7:00AM: Commute (yay!)
• 7:30AM: Work
• 4:30PM: Commute (homeward!!)
• 7:30PM: Run, bike

...and it goes on. There have been a couple of occasions when I've even been out of town and stopped at the gym at 11:00PM before flying home at 6:00AM the next day... and headed to the gym at lunch, just to ensure I've gone every single day.

So why didn't I go this morning? Post-Memorial Day laziness? Nah, I still got up at 4:30AM (it's hard not to these days). The real point is a restructuring of exercise. I've got a few big events coming up over the next two months and, as much as I hate to say it, it's time for a change.

First things first, I've nearly doubled my lifting capacity over the past 4 months in practically every way. Take this with a grain of salt: I wasn't that strong to begin with. Still, 4 months is a short window for this kind of personal improvement. The point was to build the base of strength I've been missing over the past few years. And, of course, to attempt to gain the strength needed for me (170 pounds, 6 foot nothin') to successfully wrestle (collegiate style) my brother-in-law, Jesse (235 pounds, 6'7").

There's been an informal rivalry ever since I married into the family- I've wrestled (freestyle, folk, greco-roman, and collegiate) since I was 6 years old. My wife's family is equally entrenched in the wrestling world. I helped coach her younger brother, Theo, when he attended the high school I graduated from. When in high school, I had always looked up to her older brother, Jesse. Both of her brothers are amazing wrestlers. Jesse, in particular, is an amazing wrestler with an equally amazing physique. Let's just say that one look is enough to convince most rational people to not start something.

Earlier this year, I issued a challenge to Jesse: a 6-minute (3 2-minute periods), collegiate-judged, officially refereed, wrestling match, to be held in June or July at a local high school. I was going to try and beat him.

This challenge kicked off the heavy lifting campaign- I had to get strong enough to at least compete with Jesse on the mat. That doesn't mean I have to be as strong; I just have to be strong enough, enough to let technique, strategy and endurance make the difference. I set some goals- squat 400+, deep lunge 180+, bench 250+, etc.- all of which I've now accomplished. At the same time, I've tried desperately to maintain swimming, biking, and (more recently, due to injury) running, though these were de-prioritized in favor of building strength.

But now, 4 months later, the goals are satisfied and while I'm not strong enough, it's time to shift focus once again. The Wasatch Ragnar race is in three weeks, which forces me to re-prioritize running. I have several half-distance triathlons in July, August, September and October, along with several century rides I'd like to complete. We have a Mt. Rainier expedition in July. Above all, June is right around the corner and this epic face-off with Jesse is looming.

Thus the gym now becomes a 4 times per week event and I'll be reconsidering the muscle groupings I work per day. I'll be lifting to maintain and not gain. Running mileage will go up a fair bit, as will swimming and biking. I'll be adjusting these events as well- intervals will make a comeback for all three and I'll be alternating general speed work with stretching distance.

No sleeping in, for certain. I need to start running in the mornings, exchanging the time spent in the gym for time spent pounding pavement. What a marvelous zero-sum game we play with our time!

I'll be setting a date and time for the wrestling match. I'll even stream it, for anyone interested. It will be epic, however it turns out. Too bad this David can't throw stones...

Look for an announcement with a date. I'll post results for all events (wrestling, ragnar, triathlons, etc.) as soon as they're available. Enjoy the shortened work week!

Hi again everyone. If you missed it, there's a recent (!!) welcome post below, written only minutes before this article. One reason I dusted off this old blog was to welcome all the new visitors the site is getting; another reason was to keep you up-to-date on my training, goals, and all that other, far more interesting stuff.

In case you missed it, I'm a triathlon fanboy. It's not because of any natural talent; I'm not fast, nor have I ever won even my division in a race. The reason is pretty simple: no other sport is as practical as the triathlon. Especially if you train the way I love to. Let me explain.

Think about those rare life-threatening situations. No, not with guns. If you've got one of those pointed at you, it's roulette and nothing more. I'm talking about the 4th grade type life-threatening situations, where there's a crowd of bullies and you're the nerd. You have two options: curl up in a ball and protect your vitals as best as possible or run fast and long. My recommendation? From 4th grade experience, I can tell you that it's better to run than to curl up. Believe it or not, kicks in non-vital areas can be both painful and life threatening.

Wait, so how does this 4th grade scenario play into triathlons OR adult life? I won't make the claim that 4th grade bullies are nearly as frightening and effective against me these days, but I can tell you that the ability to run long and hard has saved my hide many, many times. Running is a key part of the triathlon, of course (Swim, Bike, Run for the uninitiated), so you walk away far better prepared.

I know you're thinking, "So run a marathon. Why bother with the swimming and biking?" Fair point. Again, speaking from experience (not 4th grade in this case, though), swimming is a skill that can save both your life and another's. Strangely, if you hang out around the water, both opportunities will present themselves.

"Ah, but this biking thing", you say, "you certainly can't claim that this is a life-saving skill!" To you doubters, I ask: HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A JACKIE CHAN MOVIE?!!? Both the ability to ride and swing a bike you've "borrowed" from some hapless bystander can save your life.

I rest my case.

Triathlons are irrefutably the most practical individual sport on the planet. If all non-bully kids were triathletes, our nerd population would be far less emotionally scared and fit. Probably more socially adept too.

I apologize; I wax philosophic. My more legitimate personal reason for being a triathlete is because it's hard. In fact, at the distances I compete (well, ok, I'm not competitive *per se*), it's quite impossible without serious and consistent training. I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I'm pretty ADHD; if you know anything about the associated symptoms, you'll realize that "consistent" isn't a word used to describe my crowd. This is an effort to prove to myself that I can be consistent and in so doing find the tools that I can use to bring consistency to the rest of my life.

Surprisingly, to me at least, this has largely succeeded. I'm not as consistent as I should be in all things, but I've found means, previously unknown to me, to help me become more consistent. Surprising and nice, all in one package.

Before closing, I'll explain the "Broken Bones" bit in the title. I'm signed up for the St. George Ironman this year, but that's starting to look a bit doubtful. I have a fracture in my right foot that is going to make training (at least the running) very difficult. I'll give it a run (hehe), but I may have to drop out or at least drop the distance.

Enjoy the water, the ride, or the run (or all three)!

I bike. I love it. I run too (to be honest, I love running a hair more than biking, but my knees disagree). I love hiking, rock and ice climbing, mountaineering in general, a few select water sports, and a few select snow sports, among many, many other things. But I *love* biking. I love biking fast. Super fast, if I can manage it. The point? Well, I broke a couple of personal records over the past week and I thought I would brag share:

New Personal Bests (beat 'em if you can...)

Top Speed

Tuesday of last week, I decided to take a spin through Salt Lake, turn south, take Traverse Mountain to drop into Highland, and head home from there. I've done the loop before- 35 miles (perfect distance for a day ride)- it's a slow and brutal ascent up the north side of Traverse Mountain, but an exceptionally fast descent down the south side.

I started the ride at around 2:30PM in the afternoon and headed north down Redwood Road toward Salt Lake. There was a wonderful wind heading out of the south, giving me an appreciated boost in speed... at least until I turned around. I got into Salt Lake right around 3:00PM- at the peak of the day's heat. Due in large part to the tail wind, I was still feeling strong as I pulled up to a stoplight next to a van. I had my earphones on, listening to some music (Linkin Park is what I like to ride to, in case you were wondering). It took the driver of the van a few tries to get my attention :). When he finally did and I finally pulled my earphones out, he shouted:

"Do you know how hot it is?! It's 101 degrees out here! You're a nutcase!!"

We had a pleasant conversation while the light stayed red. As soon as it changed, I continued up the hill toward Traverse Mountain. The ascent was, as always, brutal. I managed to make it up the top, difficult though it was. The other side is the fun side. Prior to last Tuesday, my all-time top speed was 55 MPH, which i hit the year before descending Traverse Mountain. This time, with a new bike and a little more guts:

56.5 MPH

Oh yeah, that was awesome. One of those times you look down at the road and realize that your helmet won't help you much at those speeds.

The Work Run

I bike to work as frequently as I can. This week has been a bit frustrating on the biking side due to work constraints- today was the first day I managed to get out and ride. It's a 12.1 mile route (one way) and usually takes me 34 minutes (average speed is right around 21.5 MPH). Today, I happened to be very late for a morning meeting and, with that added incentive, I blew right by that to land a new personal best:

30 minutes and 53 seconds- 23.3 MPH average

I guess I should be late for meetings more often!

Last week we had a wonder opportunity to take a few days of vacation and visit family down in New Mexico. Of course I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bike out-of-state, so into the back of the van the bicycle went with clothes, shoes, and other vacationing items stacked around it.

After the (brutally) long, 14 hour drive down to Las Cruces, I could think of nothing better than to stretch the legs and head out exploring the new terrain. We had arrived Saturday morning, it was crystal clear outside and just starting to get warm. A perfect day!

I didn't ride far that day- about 25 miles, mostly trying to find some decent climbs (of which there were few...), but it was exceptionally pleasant. Toward the end of the ride, however...

Ha. You thought I was going to blow a tire now, didn't you. Well, I didn't. It was just getting a bit warm by the time I rolled back up to the home of my wife's brother's family. After driving all night, it felt good to get out. Even better after I got a bit of sleep later that day.

Sunday, my brother-in-law, Jesse, was kind enough to find a couple of guys in the neighborhood that were roadies. He asked them if they wouldn't mind me tagging along on a ride with them, to which they seemed enthusiastic, and we set a date to get out early Tuesday morning. Monday rolled by (we had a lot of fun with the family the entire day) and at 6:00AM Tuesday, I grabbed my bike, jumped into the saddle and Jesse drove ahead, showing me where we were supposed to meet. When we arrived, however, we saw neither hide nor hair of those I was to bike with. Jesse drove around a bit trying to find any sign of bikers while I waited in case we were early. After a few minutes, we decided to jump in the car and head up the route we had settled on to see if we could catch them. As Jesse drove off, I accelerated, intending on keeping up with the van. Unfortunately, it just wasn't in the cards.

POP

Can you guess what that was? :) Yes, indeed, my rear tire had blown out. Not just a simple blown tire though- the sidewall of the tire tore clean through, a full half-inch gash in an explosive release. 125PSI, for those who may not be aware, goes off like a pipe bomb. It was loud enough to make Jesse (in a van, about 100 yards ahead) stop and wonder what had happened. As for me, well, I dismounted (quickly) as soon as I felt my tire give out. Riding on rim is not exactly a good idea...

Anyway, here's a picture for you all of the damage done to the tire. I had put about 1000 miles on the set of tires, so it was definitely time to retire them. I guess I should have thought about that before... :)

Epilogue

As much as I hate to admit it, I didn't run down to the store and grab a new tube that same day. We headed home on Wednesday and it wasn't until Friday that I finally got around to trying to repair the tire. And, even more hesitantly, I'll admit that I didn't notice the gaping hole in my sidewall straight away... I patched the tube where I found the (massive) hole, ran my finger along the inside of the tire to find any undesirable objects, then threw it back on, pumped it up, and put it back on the bike. Needless to say, that didn't last long. As soon as my rear hit the saddle, I heard the pleasant sound of a cannon going off yet again.

I suppose it wouldn't be that bad if I hadn't gone through 3 tires... yes, a full 3... before I finally looked at the sidewall and found the gaping hole. Well... I've never been known for my smarts. For good reason!

So the tally stands thus: 4 destroyed tubes, 1 destroyed tire, 3 days of lost time, my old Lemond is now missing a tire, as well as 2 tubes (I didn't have enough spares to counter my idiocy). All in the name of the ride. Some day, I will learn. Some day.

This week it's the first race of the season (a little late for some of you, but I ended up being too sick to compete for my originally scheduled first race). Every Tuesday evening, RMR (Rocky Mountain Raceway) hosts a criterium for all category riders. They've even opened up their last flight to public. I'll be taking a ride with them this upcoming Tuesday. Being that I've never even ridden a criterium before, it could be a very interesting experience- I'll post pictures of the damage on Wednesday :) Seriously, I don't expect to take too much damage, but we'll see. They say that these criteriums can be pretty physical... See you on the other side!