I`m going home

Holy 10 weeks went quick when you look back at it. I had alot of ups with some small downs. My IT Band is well on its way I plan to start returning to full running when I am back in Canada. There is one thing in my life I dont want and that is to get the same injury. A good wake up call to keep the hips strong! I am looking into some races when I get back I know I have a 800m swim tt... Was going to do some run races but IT band wont let that happen. May do a mtb race for some fitness and maybe get the monkey off my back and win a 0-cup race! But have to talk to coach first.

Sean and I are leaving early in the AM to get a good jump on the driving its going to be a long ass 36 hour drive back. Hope I bring back the Arizona sun with me!!

almost!

The IT band is starting to really come around. I can walk with out pain I can go up and down stairs. In my estimation I am about a week away from starting to run. My goal of running today was a bit unrealistic. I just don't want to rush into running and be right back where I am. I have been getting stronger in the hips so I am not in this boat again! Other then that not too much other stuff has happened other then Andrew Yorke coming down to train with us. Yesterday was very hot and Sean Andrew and I went for a pretty hard ride.

Some ups and downs

Yesterday was a very interesting day. I got to swim 50m's in the morning yesterday so that was a up, Got in about an hour bike with no pain in my IT band. That's an up. Got to see Sean get his Specialized Shiv (if you looking to get one Click my Gears bike shop link to contact gear about ordering you one in). Now for the down sides. I had a crappy second swim yesterday. I am also getting tired of being injured. I hate that I missed doing Mt lemmon yesterday. Sean said it was a super fast day!! Would have loved to see what I could have done. My best so far is a sub 2h to the ski hill.

My IT band is not near as tight has it was after my race/ travel home from Vegas but i still feel small amounts of pain in my knee when i walk. It is killing me I cant run but I need to give this injury time. Goal is to try and run Monday fingers crossed!!!!!

Some cool Pics of my Race

frustration!!!

Well a few days removed from Vegas and I am getting back into the swing of things. My number one priority when I got back was making my IT band better. I had it so tight the pain in my knee was felt just walking. I started to roll the crap out of it and also got a massage. Since Monday I have made huge improvements and its really starting to turn around. I am being as smart with this as I can. I know its only April and this kinda of injury can be taken care of quick (if you catch it early). I have seen many different athletes threw may different sports not be able to race because of injury and I want to stay away from that. This is the order of what i am doing. Hot tube then rolling out my IT band then do some different stretches and exercises then I ice it. I am doing that about 2 times aday and also taking advantage in the pool I am swimming 2 times a day. I didn't have the swim I wanted to in Vegas so good time to up it. I hate missing workouts but its whats needed.

Xterra West champs

I went into this race not really knowing what to think I new I was fit and I also new I had a IT band injury that popped up. I had a solid swim not and awesome one but good. I swam with Conrad Stoltz. I got on to the bike and just rode. Didn't think about the other people. I only got out biked by the leader Conrad by 9misn not bad for 30km of mountain biking. I got off the run in 12th and felt really good but no matter how good i felt my IT band was killing me any up hill I had shooting pain up my leg so on a run that i could have been hunting people down I was getting past and not even going hard so it was a first for me I have never really had to race with a problem like this but ended up 16th in a very competitive race so I am happy with it. I know if i was 100% I could have been top 10 by even 5 or 6th but i will have to save that for next time! First thing on my list is fixing my IT band!

Thanks Gears bike shop My Specialized epic 29er help so much!

Thanks K-swiss you K-ona Racing shoe is awesome for xterra

thanks Xterra for the best wetsuit!

pictures will be posted soon

XTERRA Press and Media Center

Old School vs. New School in Vegas
April-08-11


Two worlds collide Sunday at the XTERRA U.S. Pro Series season opener at the West Championship in Lake Las Vegas, Nevada.

The wisdom of experience is on one side; and youthful exuberance on the other.

Representing the old school; Stoltz, Middaugh, Wealing, Lebrun, Evans, Waite, Rakita, Kelsay, Glavin, Thijs, Henestrosa, Zoller, and Smith – 13 pros with nearly 100 years of collective XTERRA off-road tri experience.

On the flip side; Ganter, Jackson, Madsen, Michalak, Mielke, Stehula, Valentine, and Wirth– eight young guns with a grand total of eight races under their belts as XTERRA professionals.

The infusion of young and new talent is not only a great sign for the sport, but a fist-pumping tribute to the master’s who have made getting dirty and suffering look so darn compelling.

“I want to win XTERRA Worlds in the next five years and go after my hero Conrad’s record for XTERRA Worlds wins,” wrote Karsten Madsen, a 19-year-old from Ontario, Canada, in his racer bio form.

Today, as KVVU Fox 5 News interviewed Conrad “the Caveman” Stoltz in the lobby of the Aston MonteLago Resort, Madsen stood nearby fresh off an eight-hour drive from his training grounds in Arizona with all the excitement of a kid entering the Magic Kingdom.

In stark contrast, Stoltz was calm, collected, the consummate professional, no doubt methodically preparing to win his record-breaking 38th career championship on Sunday.

The diversity creates excitement and the battle for the top seven spots, for who gets paid and who does not, will be hotly contested. The “old-timers” will have to earn it, especially with so many up-and-comers looking to prove their worth.

Three on the men’s start list are making their pro debuts – Michalak, Mielke, and Valentine – but aren’t new to XTERRA. Two-time XTERRA USA amateur champ Jason Michalak (pictured) would’ve won prize money in 2010 had he been a pro, Patrick Valentine will likely be the first racer out of the water, and Mielke – a trail running madman– had never even done a triathlon at this time last year. The future is bright for those three.

You’ve also got Chris Stehula, who won the Collegiate National Triathlon Championship last year, and his Cal Poly San Luis Obispo teammate Chris Jackson who is entering his first year as a pro.

The experienced newbie is Adam Wirth from Boise, Idaho, who accounts for half of the newcomers eight pro races mentioned above. Wirth has shadowed friend and former XTERRA World Champ Nico Lebrun across America competing in XTERRA's, and finished as high as 5th at XTERRA Canada last year.

Indeed, there’s a lot of new talent mixed in with the proven XTERRA pros here in the desert, but with all the hope and promise the fresh faces bring they’ll still have to run like Josiah Middaugh, bike like Brian Smith, and swim like Seth Wealing to have a shot.

It’ll be a fun Sunday on the XTERRA Planet to see just how it all shakes out.

VEGAS!!!!!

I just go into Vegas around 3pm Vegas time. I just went for a small easy spin today, I have been chilling out and resting up. I worked on my twitter page again and made my blog a little more media friendly so I hope you follow me on twitter!!

One week till Vegas

After my week of food poisoning I am starting to feel better again I feel strong and fast again. I went mountain biking yesterday and felt like i could ride again. I was 182 before I got sick now I am 171 and standing at 6'3 i am pretty skinny. Nice to feel strong. I am doing alot of quick short fast stuff. I have a very big base fitness, but now need to add some speed in the mix. I have been swimming with Sean about 7-6 times a week we swim yards alot so you always feel fast and wish you could swim that fast in meters but i do think I am getting faster I spend alot of time working on my stroke. Now that I train full time I am spending time on the small things like core water running and my swim stroke.

Las Vegas is the one race this year that I don't really have a goal it all depends on who shows up. I want to have a really strong swim and bike and see what my legs can do on the run. I guess the main goal is to be in the mix after the bike and not be way out the back.