Alright everybody! I have moved everything (not much lol) to my new host and managed to install the theme and such. Now I’m messing with html, css, and whatever else in order to make it the coolest frickin’ blog on the net. So, without further ado, move yourself on over to http://www.triphile.com!

It has come to my attention that folks have wondered at my absence. I apologize for that. Life has a habit of injecting it’s way into some tight spots… like my free time. A new schedule at work and the start of a new semester has almost eliminated my ability to train. I could conceivably fit in seven training sessions in each week, but after starting work at 6 a.m and hitting the sack at 11 p.m. after classes all week, I’m exhausted. Have faith, though, that I will bounce back. I mean, I did spend $500 on my entrance into Ironman CdA next June! I had better get a move on because I fear that all of my fitness has abandoned me, though the weight certainly hasn’t!

Our ride Sunday morning saw an earlier start then last week since I made sure to go over my bike the night before the ride. Regardless of our earlier start, though, it was still incredibly hot. A nice wind provided a bit of cooling, but that was quickly overshadowed once we turned into it to ride uphill. I had mentioned that we would be riding around Pinnacle Peak; instead we rode the Mayo area and then headed West into Paradise Valley. At just about our halfway point, we came to Sanctuary and ground out this hill that had me close to puking. It’s probably the steepest climb I’ve gone up since getting my bike last month.

We stopped at a Circle K and got ice and Slurpees, loitered for a bit too long and then started to head back home. I started to cramp after our pit stop and had a really hard time keeping pace with my buddies. Eventually, I dropped and kept chugging along with intermittent calf seizures. After about four more miles, I made it back to our start point where the guys were waiting. We ended up completing 34 miles and averaged 17 mph. That is now my longest ride, and I’ve got some things I need to work on. The cramps were probably the worst part about the ride and I had a really hard time driving my car for a while, as I couldn’t push in the clutch without seizing up. I’m sure I looked pretty funny as I stalled my car and dropped in my seat to try and straighten my legs. Eventually things settled down and I made it home safely.

Today, I had an appointment to get a follow up fitting on my bike to make any adjustments. I had been feeling like I was too far back to maintain a correct aero position, but it ended up being all in my head. My stem got dropped a bit and I’m in a lower position now but that’s about it. We talked about training aides and I’ve got some research to do before I shell out another couple hundred of dollars.

Last night I had just gotten into the pool and started my warm up when the wind kicked up. It started gusting so bad the flags were ripped from their posts. I finished a couple hundred more while waiting for the coach to show up; when he did, he canked practice. It was probably a good decision, as a huge dust storm rolled in just after, but I was selfishly disappointed.

Tonight I went for a run and promptly hit a headwind with the same gusts as last night. Oh, and I was doing hill repeats. I warmed up and then completed 5 x 5:00 with downhill (and tailwind) walking recovery. It was a nice workout and supposed thunderstorm rolling in made it a beautiful evening to be outside. Arizona is awesome like that, but can obviously present some frustrations.

Tomorrow morning, I am heading off to do the Pinnacle Peak ride I mentioned this past week. We will be starting from a different point and most likely including a lot more of the steeper hills in the area; we might even drop over the other side and ride through Fountain Hills, but we’ll see.  I really do enjoy the area, so maybe I’ll tuck away the camera and share a few pictures with you tomorrow. Happy training.

Athletes that compete in triathlons or any multisport event represent a small percentage of the World’s population. Many of us are probably considered by other non-athletes as curious: we get up in the wee hours of the morning, we come to work smelling like chlorine, we speak of foreign acronyms and abbreviations, and as Tracy Korn observed in her blog Through th3 Wall, we obsess over data in order to determine our success or failure. This behavior is weird to normal (lazy) people. I just became a part of this monster called triathlon, but already my coworkers and friends consider it a major part of my lifestyle. What can I say? I made a commitment.

Interestingly enough, I’ve found a curious little niche of triathletes. Maybe.

August 11, 2007 will see the inaugural Bare Hare Sprint Triathlon taking place within the luscious confines of the Bar-S Ranch. My very first reaction was a schoolboy giggle, as I pictured the sport’s most beautiful women competing. And then reality set in and my mind shot off out of control. I wondered, “Is this some kind of circus?” “How many triathletes are actually going to compete, or will it just be the residents doing their thing?” “Is it really that different from an underwear run or a naked mile?” “Would I?” I haven’t really come to a decision as of yet.

The swim would be no big deal, most of us have probably skinny dipped at some point. But the bike could be bad news in a lot of wrong ways and the run would just be a whole lotta floppin’ goin’ on. I know, I know, I read the part about ‘clothing optional’ too,  but would YOU sign up for something like this and NOT do it nude? I’m just not one for games like JTT, it’s all or nothing for me. It’s just too easy to sign up and run it Faris-style.

So, to those of you that go through with this race, let us know how it goes. But know this, I think you’re curious.