And I thank you, I'll always thank you

So, it's that time of year again. For some reason it took a card company to come up with this holiday... Does someone know if that's even true? Anyway, I have been thinking about parenting a lot for the last 3-1/2 years. No coincidence that Rylie is going to be four in October. I have been meaning to ramble on about this for a while, but I feel especially motivated today :)

Here's the scoop. Pretty much all of us are blessed with two parents. Of course, that's not always the case, but I was a lucky kid. Parents are under an ENORMOUS amount of pressure. This is just a fact. You probably appreciate your parents, and perhaps you even think you appreciate your parents enough. If you're in the latter group, I would guess that you don't have kids of your own. You will never realize how much your parents actually did FOR YOU until you become a parent. Seriously, raising kids is absolute madness! There is constant work to do. If you're sitting still, you're getting behind on cleaning up after your kids, reading to them, packing lunches, changing diapers, applying boo boo bags, etc.

Did I mention packing lunches? My mom was one of those that packed lunches until I was done with high school. I don't know why she did it, exactly. We will do it to save a few bucks, and at least try to get our kids to eat healthy. But I digress... So, my mom seriously packed lunches for me for like 15 years. Think about that! This is a chore Shannon and I already despise, and we've been doing it for 8 months.

Figure something like 36 weeks per school year. Sometimes I had food provided by sports, bought lunch once/week or something I think. A conservative estimate of 36 weeks X 4 days/week = 144 lunches per year. Over 15 years, that's 2,160 lunches. Figure something like 12 minutes per lunch packing, and you're at 360 HOURS of lunch packing. So that is 15 days of life allocated just for lunch packing. Think about driving to/from school, doing laundry, etc., ... and you get the idea. Not even to mention the financial stress...

I feel very fortunate to have been raised by two very involved parents. I've always been a momma's boy (shocking, right?). My mom taught me how to cook. Enough said. But of course there is more. She taught me how to eat! ;) She taught me about getting down to business, speaking your mind, and going for your dreams. My dad taught me about hard work and committing to get things done. He taught me about how much cursing at things helps along the process of construction. He taught me about getting dirty and appreciating the outdoors. If you know me, you know about my environmental interest. You can blame my dad.

















Over the course of my life, my parents have contributed enormously to making me what I am today. I consider myself relatively successful at this point, and I would never have had the drive or opportunity to get it done without my parents. When I committed to baseball, my parents would drive me to and from Phoenix all winter to play winter ball. They sacrificed work time to make it to almost all of my high school baseball games. Thinking about this now makes me reconsider my career path. Everything changes when you have kids. Although I've only been a dad for a few years, the sacrifice is worth it for the moments of laughter, love, and hugs.

A final thank you for the parents (sorry, not just the moms) out there--especially my mom and dad, and my wife. I know I don't say it enough, but I thank you more than you know. Mom and Dad, you have made me who I am today. So, you'll have to say both "sorry" and "you're welcome" to Shannon when you get the chance! :D

Happy mom's day, everyone!

we were drinking, drinking, drinking, drinking coca coca cola...

MTB lessons from a newbie, for newbies:

1. Never expect an easy ride when you head out to new trails. Today, I went to Robles Pass Trails Park. I've ridden there before, but went further today. When "Pass" is in the name, you can expect technical ascents and descents. I found them today.
2. If you are not mentally prepared for technical stuff, do not go to a technical area. You have to be focused for a technical MTB ride. If you are not, you will either get hurt or get frustrated and not enjoy your ride.
3. Trust in your equipment. If you have a decent steed, your bike can handle more than you think it can. You are limited by your abilities, and even more so by your mind (experience).
4. Go tubeless if you can. Either with tubeless-ready wheels, or with a Stans No-Tubes Conversion kit. I was averaging 1 flat/ride for my first five rides. Switched to no-tubes, and haven't had a flat since (over 20 rides).

More to come. Happy Friday!!

it's hard to remember to live before you die

So, it's been a while, so it's about time for an update!! I have been spending the last few months getting back into racing shape, working, and enjoying the family. A big new development is the filling of our garage with a quartet of bikes. That's right, finally added a MTB to the arsenal. So, now for my first MTB-related post.

My first impression was that it is a pretty ride. And freaking HUGE. I haven't spent much time around mountain bikes since junior high, so it was quite a surprise. Oh, did I mention I haven't ridden a mountain bike since junior high? Why? Because on my last MTB ride I decided it was cool to ride "no-hands" while cruising downhill and home from school. It took exactly no time to hit the pavement when your right grip hits a mailbox on the side of the street. Oops... Spent some time off-road with BMX during high school until I realized how bad I sucked. End of my cycling life, until triathlon 10 years later. However, I did spend a lot of time on ATVs during all of my life, and I hope that has left me with some off-roading skills.















Two days after my bike arrived, I finally got out on the trails. I was planning to head out on easy trails, but couldn't resist turning right instead and heading out to Yetman Trail in Tucson Mountain Park. I know the trail very well from running it once/week, so I figured I'd go for it. MANY thoughts came to mind during the first ride. Among them:

1. What was I doing for so many years without a mountain bike?
2. How am I going to force myself to ride my road bike again?
3. How am I going to force myself to get off this thing?
4. Oh crap, what time do I need to pick up the girls?!

As I literally laughed out loud on the final descent, I knew that I had a new addiction. It literally took one ride for me to get excited about riding again after a frustrating 2009. So, I have been going for it since in preparation for Xterra West. It has been quite a learning process. I came to realize the extent of hiking in mountain biking. And the extent of blood. I have not hurt myself much (just some bruises, strawberries, and what-not), but come back scraped every time, and leg shaving has become near-impossible. Anyway, ~4 off-road rides per week with a TON of riding, and 29 days after getting my bike, time for Xterra West Championship at Lake Las Vegas!!















The Friday before the race, I took one last ride at Sweetwater Trails in Tucson. It was a GREAT, confidence-building ride, and I felt ready to take on a tough course.















Friday night in Havasu, then on to Lake Las Vegas on Saturday. I got there just in time for "Xterra U", talks and question-answer stuff with Melanie McQuaid and Conrad Stoltz. We're talking world champs here, hanging out, answering questions, emptying their saddlebags to show what they carried on the course, etc.















It was VERY cool. And that was the theme for the weekend. A class event with very cool people. Oh yeah, the course, that was the other theme...















As a newbie, I hadn't seen a MTB "course" before. Not only that, but I had never ridden off-road with anybody before. The main goal of the weekend was to learn stuff. No biggie, just keep an open mind. So, I headed out for a pre-ride. Out of transition, climb, then, climb some more. Then bomb downhill (I ride the brakes), then crawl the gauntlet. Then, when you fall over, get off and hike to the top. Was it really a hike-a-bike? Yes, witness exhibit A, Stoltz and a fellow pro hiking up during pre-ride:














Get on at the top, go as fast as you are comfortable with. Crawl uphill, get off and walk. SCREAM downhill (or just scream, get off and hike down), repeat, etc. Then, about 4 miles of flat single-track around the lake. I called it a ride at that point, and wondered how I would possibly do a second lap and then run a 10k of craziness. Anyway, I tried not to think about it. Off to set up camp and get rested up. Home sweet home...















I laid down on my mattress at 8:15 to browse on my phone for a bit. I woke up a half-hour later. Oops! I guess I'll go to bed now. Up on race morning, and got down to business. It was a totally different atmosphere. Things I've never heard at transition before:

1. I forgot my chaw!? Does anyone have one?
2. Overheard on the race directors radio 5 minutes before the Sport/Duathlon start: "Does anyone know where the duathlon starts?" Not saying AT ALL that the event was un-professional. Quite the opposite. Just a totally different feel.

Quick race reports: Swim was actually kind of brutal. A very big wave of people headed through some small openings. Anyway, I survived. T1 was slow as planned. It was a different kind of transition than I have ever had, so I wanted to make sure I had everything. Headed out for what I knew would be a brutal journey. Basically, during the ride I pushed the limits more than I had before. I took more chances in the first three miles than I planned to take all day, and it kept going. It was good stuff, learning to push the limits of my equipment and my mind. It was all about being comfortable with taking risks. Run was crazy also. Lot of ridiculous uphills, cramping, crazy descending, repeat. I need to work on my salt balance for sure! Just like that, it was over. It was a long 3 hours that went by REALLY fast. I learned a ton and am taking the lessons to the trails. Also, building up the training hours on the road. It's suddenly racing season and I'm just about ready!

Xterra #2 in about a month at Deuces Wild Triathlon Festival. Sign up to get your on- or off-road tri on at Trisportsracing.com. Or, go nuts and sign up for more than one event to get a discount. Oly, Half, Xterra, and other options! Also, in May I'll be at Tempe International and Sahuarita. It's go-time!