This photo is pretty fresh as was taken just this past October while in Kona for Jodi’s 5th qualified appearance there. Cool factor is stepping out of your room and bumping into Hawaiian Sunny Garcia: Multiple world champion surfer and nice guy. Pretty safe to say Hawaiian Ironman on his bucket list as he was seriously checking it all out. A few weeks later again we bump into him on Maui as he was entered and raced Xterra. 

Now just yesterday Jodi bumps into him again in Oceanside. He is training with the Xterra Wetsuit crew for upcoming 70.3 O’side. Good vibes. Jodi has begun the start of her prep for Ironman Boulder this summer. I ran about 3 miles with her. Flipped it back. Paddled out @ Harbor and was stoked with fun head high Santa Ana condition lefts and rights : )

First triathlon of 2015 came early. It was great to see everyone yesterday and the race/vibes/competition were all stellar. I was surprised with the questions of why our blog has not been active. That was nice. Truthfully just busy with other parts of life. Along with ending the year racing two World Championships in Hawaii, returning with a taco’d ankle, taking time off was in store.

Resumed hard training the 1st of the year with all cycling getting beat up by this beast of a single speed paid off yesterday. I raced on standard road bike set up. No aero bike. No aero bar. No aero helmet. And stoked to see on results I had the 2nd fastest bike split. Allowing me 4th overall in yesterdays Tri Express . 55 years on my leg and I was pretty giddy(and in major oxygen debt) seeing 16, 18, and I think a 24 year old punishing me on the run. Jodi placed 2nd in her division in what was a very competitive field. She has Ironman Boulder on her mind. She is an animal. You never know and there may be another Ironman World Championship visit for her in Kona come October.

Thanks Tri Events. Thanks Coates Bicycles. Thanks to all volunteers. And thank you to those that inquired about my little ramblings I post. A huge shout to Felt for providing this 21 lb. little race rocket for upcoming Xterra’s (as seen here with Scott Palmer). Excited to break her out. That beast of single speed about broke me these past few months. But no regrets. The love/hate training I have spent on her paid off yesterday : )

Great memories this photo here. First we find this used and hard to find size 650c bike for Jodi 2 weeks before Ironman CDA. Which she raced, won and qualified for Kona last June. That is her Ironman World Championship number which would be the 2nd time she raced on this bike. That green pass is mine as I signed up and volunteered a shift in the “bike catch” in T2. It was obvious help was still needed when my time was up so I worked (volunteer or not, that is work)! so I stayed and kept going until 3 p.m. Someone noticed and @ the volunteer party Monday Go Pro presented me with this Hero 3. Wow. I was good with the “Kokua” shirt and volunteer dinner. Thank you Go pro. Thank you Ironman. All the other volunteers rocked as well as far I could see. I am honored.

 Neither Go Pro nor Ironman had any idea I had a spouse racing that day. Neither did they know I mean “we” would be racing again on another island of Maui two weeks later for the other World Championship of Xterra. Go pro rocks. Ironman rocks. Xterra rocks and I think we did too : ) Thank you all so much. have not even broke the seal on my new Hero 3. But trust me: It will see lots of action. Be sure and watch the show this Saturday on NBC. It wins an Emmy every year. And keep your eyes out for Jodi. And the guy running his ass off in T2!! : ) And the 2nd photo: Yes i am as cuckoo as that beautiful baby African Gray parrot. Lucky me. She was in the lobby and I loved chatting with her every day while in Lahaina for Xterra. LOVED it. And check out the shirt. Yes wearing it for my wife. They gave her a large. At 99 lbs she is large. In heart, spirit, compassion, guts and generosity. Oh and she absolutely ROCKED “The Double”. 2 World Championships in 2 weeks. Had to qualify for both. Only 10 athletes in the world can say they did THAT this year.

Okay I am cooked. Two trips to Hawaii in two weeks along with EVERYTHING that entails preparing to race there. My swimming every single time while down in Oceanside paid off. I knew it would. New bi-lateral breathing and I just gain so much more from my single arm stall!! Bike was rough and muddy breaks did not work so well with new pads and old rotors. Run was typical. Hard!!! Rolled an ankle and damn good. Fortunately with about 1 mile to go but all pounding down hill! Jodi killed it. Two weeks after her stellar perfromance in Kona for Ironman. These trips demand alot these days. Just the packing and travel will bust you down. Great trips though. 4th place for myself. Jodi rocked it witha 5th!!