European Racing

I've been using the inconsistent internet here in Serinya as an excuse to not write a blog, but I really can't put things off anymore. The second half of my excuse is that since Joe and I arrived here in Spain, we've been either packing for, thinking about, or traveling to a race. We arrived in Palamos two days before racing the Palamos World Cup, and immediately after the race we traveled to Serinya to settle into "the farmhouse." We stayed there for four days before traveling through France to Geneva, Switzerland to race a Continental Cup two days later.

Palamos rundown:

Running through T1

I had a so-so swim, and for the first time I was able to unzip my race kit. Unfortunately I didn't actually do it, someone else did halfway through the swim. I had a very enjoyable flow of water through my suit for lap #2 as I worked through some slower swimmers who had had better starts than me. I got out of the water right at the back of the lead pack (with the exception of two athletes off the front) and after a long run up the beach I was chasing back to the lead group with Jason Wilson of Barbados. After a few miles on the bike, all the packs came together and the ride was fast but manageable until lap 6 of 7 when I got a flat and had to stop for a change. I found out later I had a large safety pin straight through my tire. I rode very hard for the remaining 4 miles and came into T2 pretty far down from the huge main pack. I ran a couple laps to see if I could catch some people, but after a working hard in 90deg heat, I stepped off the course to save myself for the next weekend's race in Geneva, with the hopes of capturing some points there.

Geneva rundown:

Run course the day before

Another less than ideal swim start put me in some serious traffic on the way to the first buoy. I fought through it and made my way to the chase group, which was in pursuit of Raoul Shaw (14:55 1500M pool swimmer) and my USA teammate, Luke Farkas, who had managed to get on his feet. The run to transition was long, included a trip up and down a flight of stairs, and a 90degree turn that I slipped and almost fell on. I made it into the lead group after about a minute all-out sprint and made it to the bottom of the steep, 1k long hill near the front. I slid slowly backwards up the climb, gassed from the effort to catch, and near the top, the rider in front of me let a gap open while I was just looking at his rear wheel, in the pain cave. I sprinted around him and chased after the group with everything I had, but the pack was going full out, and after over-cooking a hard right turn, I was just out of reach and loosing time. I rode steady and waited about 20 seconds for the chase group to come and finished out the ride there. This was one of the hardest bike courses I have ever raced, with the exception being Huatulco, which I did not finish. My legs were pretty fried by the time the run came, and the heat was getting to me, but I focused on running to the next water station and managed to fight through the fatigue and have a better second 5k. I finished 31st place, definitely not where I had hoped to be, but it was another very very hard bike ride and the sting of loosing a pack over a lapse in focus is enough to make sure it never happens again.



We have now moved to Vitoria, Spain, where we will finish out our training leading into the Tizsavuaros World Cup in Hungary in a couple weeks. The environment here is top notch, with great pool and track facilities, and endless miles of beautiful roads to ride. I'll get out another blog very soon with some specifics on the training and locale we've been experiencing.

Update From Flagstaff

I've been in Flagstaff training with my squadmates for the past month and on Wednesday morning Joe and I will fly from Phoenix to Barcelona. Before I continue, I want to make sure everyone is aware of my awesome sponsors, who give me the support I need to be able to train full time and travel to races around the world. Please give them your business and support if you ever get the chance!

This was my second experience with altitude training, the first being last year at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. This was a bit longer trip and actually gave me a chance to get some acclimation and go through the process of feeling ok, then terrible, and then back to normal. We took on a pretty high training load for our time in Flag, working out for 30 hours per week. This didn't leave time for much more than laying around in between sessions, and I've been struggling to get something on paper for quite a while.

I thought maybe I would just jot down some thoughts rather than go full-on paragraph style.


-The sky in Flagstaff is bigger than anywhere else. There is just more of it somehow.

-"Digging yourself in a hole" by overreaching at altitude works the same as at sea level, except you have a backhoe instead of a shovel. It takes longer to recover from dick measuring contests.

-When it rains in Flagstaff, it REALLY rains! Thunder and lighting are regular occurances as well.

-Flagstaff has endless running trails but only 3 roads to ride on and they were all under construction while we were in town.

-WIND

-Gasping for air in the pool is worse than on the run or bike.

-Be in the moment. Thinking one or two workouts ahead can be overwhelming at times.

-The Grand Canyon doesn't look real. It is so mind blowing it looks like a painting.

-Horseflies are my new least favorite living thing. There is no way their contribution to the food chain can be worth the incessant buzzing. The butterfly effect does not apply to horseflies.

-I am a fan of the "international dark city" status. I really missed seeing the stars in California.

-I really miss Portland and all of my friends and family there. I'll be coming home for a week after my Europe trip and I can't wait to see everyone and get a refill of Northwest love!