CDA1

Made it to CDA in record time, even with the nightmare drive around caused by the idiots who designed the Rock N Roll Marathon route. Or, to be fair, the idiots at Seattle.gov who allowed it. And you know how much it hurts me to say that. Regardless, skies are beginning the clear for tomorrow's Ironman Coeur d' Alene. I was here for the inaugural event WAY back in 2002, and here we are once more to film the third bike course change for Real Course Video. If anyone ever asks, after tomorrow's successful shoot I will have 112 (2007) +112 (2009) +112 (2012) available for your training and viewing enjoyment. Who knows maybe someone out there REALLY likes CDA and wants to ride all 336 miles, (soon to be boxed as the collectors set).

There is the backstory. Here are a few shots I grabbed while flying around getting credentialed and set for tomorrow.

Kurt and fiancee Katie at the CT booth (Wildflower RCV playing in the background)
My old buddy, IMC Champion Bryan Rhodes with Aussie Pro Christie Sym.
My old buddy Cid Carduso Sr, of Inside-Out Sports, helping a customer (as always).
My old buddy, IM Champion, Rini Carfrae solo,
and Rini with Kurt.
The PowerBar Rig. Nice.
The Ironman trailer. Real nice.
Mural of Gandhi, Peace (out)

Get up, get out

Subitize the heuristic. Go ahead. Try. Mix your understanding and analysis of a situation instantly at puree and drink. How does it taste? Is it refreshing? Does it satisfy? Is it nourishing? Or, is it harmful, bitter, limpidic? 

With the protein smoothie as metaphor, we know the menu contains endless combinations, possibilities and flavors. Such is the straw of life through which we suck. And sometimes it does.

All too often projected outcomes, dreams, plans, the goals we establish in good faith, realistically and energetically, fail to mature. They get crushed, snapped from our grasp at the very moment we initiate the celebration. Life seems to be saying, "You can't have this." And we start to wonder why.

Am I not deserving?

Did I do something wrong?

Am I unworthy?

Not rich enough?

Not bright enough?

Without proper documentation?

Wrong color?

Too old?

Disabled?

Indigent?

Different?

Disappointment cripples our motivation. It can wipe away years of honest effort  like a tsunami. Everything washed to sea beneath a single, powerful hissing wave. Making matters worse, since you have made the choice to surf in a treacherous, dangerous, shark infested no lifeguard on duty beach, you are now, unequivocally, on your own. Yet, disappointment is good.

You are the only person that can save you. It is more heart to heart than mouth to mouth. There is a lesson available to you, now - with saline and sand about to violently enter your lungs, here - caught between the silicone and amber, that you have to bust a move and choose one:

Live

Die

Metaphorically and literally, the former indicates growth. There will be challenge. There will be set-back, there will be disappointments and heartaches by the numbers. You will be swept under the waves with an immense undertow of awesome power. You will be tested on a daily basis. You will be asked to look at things differently in order to see them clearer. You may win or you may lose. THAT makes no difference. Winners understand that getting to the beach on time, creating the need for additional protein, accepting defeat, loss of down, the unexpected roadblock, a right-hook from some silly bureaucracy, financial ruin, a nightmare on Main Street is all part of the process of winning. IT IS THE VERY ROAD TO SUCCESS. It is imperative that you tread this trodden trail. You must endure. You must revisit your bias. You must study more, work smarter, learn the lessons that the cosmos spent so much time and energy choreographing JUST FOR YOU. 

It's all for you. Reap the benefit. Take the lesson and toss the gift-wrapping. Play the game with more élan. Wise up. It might feel like you are beat up, bruised and bloodied, but that is life. Like hits hard. It pulls no punches. It will break your nose as well as your heart. Be brave, have no fear. It is still 50/50. If you don't flip the coin it can never be ahead. 

If you are to win, if you sip of the smoothie, surf where others fear to go, have the courage to enter the ring, get knocked down, and deeply examine your motivational values and spirit, Life demands but one action from you here and now, today, with puffy eyes, runny nose and empty pockets:

Get up. Get out. Go. With this, you cannot fail. 

Pic: As Bob and I found out last year at Lake Stevens, some potholes are bigger than others. Go around them. 

Au revoir

About ten minutes from starting the next adventure. Shuttle to Ferry, walk three blocks for light rail to Sea-Tac. Meet up with old HS pall at Alaska baggage for coffee, and then off to Van-groovy for connection flight to Montreal. Get in at 0100, taxi to Econo Lodge, a few winks and then off to the Expo for the Mt. Treblant 70.3. I have been assured that there is free WiFi at the resort hotel where I will be for four days, meaning, of course, that YOU will get nightly updates on the Canadian goings-on until my return next Tuesday. SO then, without further adieu, I bid you a most humble and sincere au revoir.

Yo World!

So many roads…so little time. We knocked out a terrific 60 minute spin session this morning, working on breathing, balance and focus. All in the attempt to manage the sometimes seemingly unmanageable. To create some order out of complete chaos. To do what we can to add to the positive. To fill our receptacle with the values we deem appropriate to counter the obvious global negatives. To stand in the light and face the fight.

All this done by 0630. Now we can, as agreed, take this energy and apply it to making good choices the remainder of the day. A practice we will repeat tomorrow and again on Thursday. So many roads, so many choices. Let's' make 'em count. It can be said that every successful pedal rotation adds a positive dynamic to the room, that the room is a catalyst for the change we would like to offer to our community and that our community has the power to change the world. Those 360s with constant pressure to pedals at 130bpm in the groove zone sweet spot are far more important than you once thought!!!!

In keeping with this stream, here is the local latest. And please be advises that it is not intended for our group only. This is a world class event. That it happens to be in our backyard merely provides us with the opportunity to share the bounty, host an incredible experience and share the alpine biking love. Therefore: YO WORLD: Come ride Hurricane Ridge with us!!!!

Here is the rough outline: Those intrepid cycling adventurers amongst us will depart Bainbridge Island at 0800 Thursday, July 12th. We will ride the 80 or so miles to Port Angeles AND THEN summit the 5,800 ft of Hurricane Ridge. The descent back into PA is hyper fast and once down well make camp at a no-star Motel for the night. Next day, we'll reverse the route STARTING with the climb to the summit and then riding back to B.I. I have the one way at about 125 miles. You are invited to ride all of it or a part, opt for just one summit or both. However it best challenges you. 

Here is a sample video we shot three years ago to illustrate the HR up and down.

Put this epic two days on your calendar folks. The clock is running. 

Off to our 1000 Training by Power session at the club. Ride Happy.

Darren & Aileen

As many of you know, we recently ended our epic Tour of California in Santa Barbara at the wedding of my nephew. I wanted to get something out before the Montreal trip and thought I'd Kung Fu a little trailer, as the Canada gig starts in about 72 hours. This chore provided a legit excuse for not going to the pool today.  Maybe not legit, but certainly fun anyway. To view in full HD and 16:9 aspect ratio, simply click on the title (Darren & Aileen) and you will be magically whisked to the RCVman YouTube site. Hope you like the teaser as much as we all liked the wedding weekend. Congratulations to the newlyweds and thanks to everyone for joyously lighting up this spectacular local with dazzling smiles and dynamite karmic energy. That's amore.

Think Kona

"All that we are is a result of what we have thought."

This being the case (according to the Buddha), it seems to make senses that we should think in positive terms, eh? That we undertake endeavors that provide us with confidence, courage and compassion. Can you imagine spending even a day at something that fails at this? If we are what we think, let's think ourselves into (pick one) winners, champions, leaders, healers, teachers, artists, poets, craftsmen, designers, volunteers, story tellers. Or whatever it is that lifts your spirit and creates harmony and joy. At the very least, let's think ourselves into being happy. THAT is the starting point from which everything else falls into place. Then, with a pinch of gratitude, we think, "I am so grateful for being able to do this." Whatever the subject matter. Running, riding, swimming, singing, travel, touch. 

After an incredible weekend of wanderlust and adventure, I returned to the relative security (familiarity?) of my cabin Saturday night, turbo charged with a new octane mix. Our 100 mile ride on the same course on which we will race come IM Canada on August 26, produced an interesting mental response. It wasn't that we rode fast, and it wasn't that we rode hard. It was that we rode with great confidence. I have never felt stronger, more at ease with the demands, more in control. I was thinking as the day wound down, near the apex of Yellow Lake, that I might have finally reached the next level, the one I have been working towards for a long time now. And that singular thought was like a jolt of caffeine, suddenly my cadence increased, my heart pumped more blood, my legs felt light and tight, ready to rock. All as a result of one thought. I was playing out, riding up, standing down the results of my thought process. It was a marvelous and magical moment and, naturally, my NEXT thought was to wonder if the same results are available with this technique all the time, any time. 

And another round of testing in training begins. To what degree does this work? Can it, through practice, be enhanced, used as a race day tool, much like a solid nutrition plan? If indeed, I am what I think I am, can I think myself to the top? Over the top?

Confidence is an important factor to success. Confidence comes with proper preparation and consistent training. All of these create feelings of readiness, anticipation, balance. This has, of course, other, not so kind, aliases: Cockiness, bravado, swagger. You see them manifest in champions, before during and after the battle. There is confidence. It may be subtle and quiet or it may be brash and loud. But it all comes about as a result of thoughts about self. I can do this. I will do this. I do this. How we share this power is simply us on the world's stage, scope and style being the major difference between Shakespeare and Seinfield. 

Think you can and you're right, think you can't and your right too. 

Think yourself happy.

Think yourself grateful,

Think yourself capable,

Think yourself powerful. 

Pix: Bob uses the power of light to climb Yellow Lake. My goals are public, they are even worn on my jersey as a constant reminder: Think Kona. Jersey compliments of BI Cycles of Bainbridge Island, WA. 

HFD

This just in: The World Triathlon Corporation, our partners in the CompuTrainer Real Course Video line of training products, announced today the latest event in the Ironman series, Ironman Lake Tahoe. I wanterd to pass this along as quickly as possible for one solid reason: ON LINE REGISTRATION OPENS AT NOON TOMORROW. My guess is that it will close about ten minutes later, or 12:10 PDT. 2K x 675 entry fee + 25 Active.com fee = 1.4 for the WTC to invest in our partnership between tomorrow and Sept. 22, 2013 @ 0700 when the cannon well sound for the inaugural LT140.6. I hope to be there WELL BEFORE that day to provide you (the lucky you) with a RCV to train with all those long and lonely days leading up to the big (and maybe cold) day. Stay tuned for that. 

We are also plotting the same detail with the Las Vegas 70.3 Championship course. I might even do them both on the same whirlwind trip in the next few weeks. 

Lest you think we have a best coast bias, please remember that on Wednesday I depart for Montreal and the inaugural Mt. Tremblant 70.3, followed in August by Ironman USA Championship,New York. Heck we even do flyover states, as reminded last week as we were hammering out 2x20 sets @ 85% of FTP while watching Michael Lovato put on a bike clinic at the Branson (MO) 70.3. 

In closing today, I would like to ceremoniously thank my father, George H. pictured above in, I believe, 1954, with me trying to adjust his mug for the shot, at what I also believe is Lake Elsinore, CA., for almost 60 years of encouragement and support. The road has been rocky at times, but we're still here, still racin' and still smilin'. Happy Father's Day to RG and to all you Dads out there, we'll see ya at the races!