Don't Panic

Lets start you off with a common athletic paradox:

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Consistency, the word we keep in our back pocket, it's a safety blanket to explain our current status. Progress is something we strive to achieve, believing that we are better today more then yesterday. Improvements, goals, and personal records provide encouragement, like a carrot in front of the horse, we reach forward. But not realizing where it is taking us or what it takes to capture whats right in front of our face.

Common practice is to find the path of least resistance (hell, physics supports this theory) We find comfort in our routines and often times struggle when things don't fall into place. The journey always finds bumps and detours in the road. We plan for the best and sometimes experience the worst. We work to keep our heads above water, not taking an extra second to recognize that we can actually swim, and continue through the turbulent waters.

The struggle is finding the initiative of making changes that are necessary. It requires fortitude to maintain your path and strength to make an improvement. It's a test of will to find the strength, self confidence, and understanding. In order to over come the challenge and find success we have to deal with doubt and regret that come with uncertainty. Believing that what we are doing matters and will result in a positive outcome.

I find the gratification from the challenge. Ability is working at what I can do, and pushing myself beyond the scope of what I could do.

Motivated by both the fear failure and glory success it takes a lot to look into a yourself and believe. To know that you have worked for what you earned and that no one can take that away.

A simple rule to follow: Don't Panic
No matter how stressed you feel in the moment, panic will render your abilities useless. This uncertainty is normal. Pushing beyond your comfort will leave you felling uncomfortable. If you panic you increase your chances for failure.


I can undoubtably say since my last update a lot has happened. Some moments that I would be delighted experiencing over and over, while others have prepared me with the exercises of growing older. I look forward to the horizon in front of me.

The pleasure of victory comes from a combination of many elements: Achieving the goal, appreciating the moment, and sharing the experience with the people who matter.

I would be foolish not to thank everyone that has offered their support and friendship to me. Thank You for keeping my head up and my path forward.

Sidelined

Happy Saturday!

Don't call it a comeback

Where have I been? Let me explain. June 28th I ended up the hospital with a class 3 sprain to my ankle. The result of taking a misplaced step while carrying a tent on my shoulders. X-rays indicated no break or fractures. Instead I awake the next morning, in a great deal of pain, with an ankle that resembled a snake that swallowed a softball. 

Mobility at 0 degrees the prescribed 6-8weeks of recovery left me on crutches for 3 weeks and a goofy hobble for another 2 weeks. Anxiously awaiting the go ahead for PT, I had no choice but to opt out all remaining races for the season. So long 2014 race campaign.

One of these is not like the other

With the help of PT at 6 weeks I marked a return to light activity. Morning on the bike trainer, short walks, swims and drills. PT started to regain range of motion. We got excited the first day of 3 degrees (15 is normal), Rome wasn't built in a day.

Without a doubt I was afraid of hearing the worst with the weekly visits to therapy, surgery. But instead, the results were positive on a weekly bases. Mobility and strength found its way back.

Begin slow and steady recovery... Kinda Nice. 

During my down time of July and August I found the time to for real grown up stuff. I collaborated with local artist Bradilio, Lucas Aoiki, and Mike Johnston to produce an art project in my store. Watched a good friend get married, started filming a web-show on Flotrack called Gear Geek, and took an amazing vacation with my girlfriend to South Carolina.

To return to the question at hand, where have a been, I've been right where I belong. Putting in the work, enjoying the good times and pushing on for the next opportunity. Looking back that day in the hospital bed I planned for the worst.

My assessment only accounted for the physical damage. The support of my family and friends was a fair greater influence. So what if you should fall, up again, you should never be afraid of the tumble. So I missed some chances to race, didn't improve upon what I have planned for this season. Instead something great came out of something unfortunate, an opportunity was made where I typically would not consider looking.  

With all said and done, I still am excited about whats to come with racing along with everything else. Yeah, I took a bad step. I've also had bad races, returned to the starting line and had a great race. You gotta take the bad with the good. It teaches you to appreciate the exactly what you have. More importantly you are able to look back and see what you have accomplished.

Up Again

First Race Back:

Tour De Gruene Solo Time Trial Nov 8th

When Reality Sets In

I always laughed in cartoons when one of the characters would get smashed in the head by an object. Typically a frying pan or a shovel, their head would momentarily take the shape and you can't forget the birds/stars that encircle. Dazed and stunned their head formed like the item of contact until they shook it off. No sooner do they resume to normal.

What I'm a talking about you ask... It's Simple. shake it off and keep going. (Look out for the shovel)

At the end of last season I set a goal session for myself. Put pen to paper; I committed myself to some goals that I found within my grasp. Racing, personal, financial. I knew that these would overlap down the road. Looking to the future I really had no concept of perspective. I don't think I comprehended the scope of what I could achieve or when it would come.

AFM 

A mix of knowledge and assumption the list is based from hope and motivation of what I've done till now and where I want to be down the road. Too be honest I didn't do a very good job sorting the commitments into short term and long term accomplishments.

Until the past couple of weeks, I operated under a lot of frustration. Struggling on a set recent changes in my life. New job, a relationship, training, racing. All good things, but requires some big boy pants when making the right decision. Returning from the winter of doom filled with crashes, sickness and injury. I looked for excuses.

With four races behind me, two bad (New Orleans 5150, Cap10k) and two good (Splash and Dash, The RookieTri) I was inconsistent at best. Glimmers of hope followed by plummets of shame.

But breaking down the results, all was not lost... Actually even the bad ones where better then previous attempts, just not to what I wanted, or should be. The good, put me on schedule for my goals.

So what... Well, nothing comes easy. I tend to forget that. With all the epic quotes I have around my apartment that allude to that concept; struggles, changes, destiny. It always refers to the difficulty that awaits. Expect it. That way the reward is appreciated much more, and not taken for granted.

Photo credit: Kevin McRee

Up Next is the Playtri Festival on sunday. Ready to race this.

2014 Season Opener In New Orleans

And I'm Off... Sorta

With +/- 1200 miles logged on the car I have kicked off my season with an early spring race. Designed to test the early season fitness I found myself befuddled from the results at hand this past weekend. All and all a great trip nothing short of an experience to learn from. But, the truth lies in the details.

VOODOO

Derailed this winter with issues of crashes, illness, and occupational stress I was ready to put Old Man Winter behind me and move onward to Spring. I don't know what it is about March. I always have something that seems to come along to mess up the good moments. I developed a simple, yet affective, saying for the first month of spring.  F-ing March.

I really should not complain, I'm just searching for some empathy on the situation. My goal is to keep my progress as transparent as possible. I write these blogs so that my thoughts are on the table for everyone to understand. The reality is I am new to this level of racing and constantly learning from my good and bad experiences.

It seemed that a constant question that I was asked over the past several weeks leading up to this race was, Are you Ready? always responding with YES. I seemed to convince myself that I was. But the truth was, I didn't know what I was ready for. 

Conditions race morning where not the kind to dream about. 15-20mph winds, cold air temp to start, and very rough water. One of those mornings that you have to shut your mind off to keep from complaining. 

Swim
A small elite field of 6 we where scheduled to start after pro men/women. Allowed to dive from the pontoon I was excited to dive into the washing machine to get the morning going. Apparently I need to work on my entry, water filled the goggles and was left behind draining the water of Lake Pontchatrain. Quickly left behind I found myself playing chase and taking a pounding. Exited the water with a very disappointed 27mins. 5 mins behind

Bike
Left to the chase, I was confident that I could make up time. Great transition on to the bike I start my pursuit on the course. Trying to find a hard grove, I was constantly breaking form. The high winds and rough roads kept me preoccupied. Riding flat and unable to produce power I spun my way through the course. Playing chase to a group that was miles ahead of me I focused on not causing any more damage then already done. Found enough motivation to negative split the 2 loop course, a slow, uninspired 67min ride averaging 22mph. C'MON Really!

Run
Somewhere in no-man-land I really didn't know where I stood in the race. My only focus now was to redeem the poor work from the other 2 legs. Through T2 quickly I found quick turnover and light feet. 5:50@1mile and 11:03@ 2 mile, I began to pick up some momentum. Something was finally going right. Watching the Pros pass by in the opposite direction I used the gap as a carrot. 17:40 through 5k I wanted to maintain the effort and see what happened. Looping around for the second lap I opened my stride to maintain the tempo. 36:50. Not bad all things considered. 


2:14:37 Yikes! Thats not what I wanted. Results post and I come to find it was good enough for a spot on the podium. 2nd was only 50secs ahead, and 1st 7mins ahead(where I should have been). So, 3rd place on the day and earned my qualifying spot for Hy-Vee. 

The more I thought about it, on the very long +9hr drive back from New Orleans I was trying to convince myself otherwise. Training to this point was very basic with the goal of returning from my injury and building the foundation for the year. I had some notion that my fitness had magically returned to the level from last season. With very few structured key workouts I was really just doing aerobic work to get in conditioning and strength... I mean it's only March.

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler

Thanks to everyone who has supported me.

Performance Standards

Expectations:  A prospect of future good or profit: to have great expectations.

How do words like assumption and calculation fall under the same definition? We all know that in a calculation 1+1 will always equal 2. But, on the other hand its an assumption to believe today and tomorrow will  always equate itself to the next day.

No matter how much planning and scheduling we try to enforce as a routine, we always have to be willing to adapt. To rigid a structure might cause a break when it is changed, too flexible and it won't hold up under pressure. 

It's not always the best to go with the flow, sometimes you have to put your feet down against the current. Find your balance in order to stand on your own. 

 I dunno. Philosophize with him!

As I have mentioned before, I have had an offseason that I simply never expected. A crash, followed by the flu, then hit by a car. I just wanted to pick up where I left off from last season and start the process of improving. Those effects added an unwanted stress to my environment that had me fearing "what's Next". 

I'm now within a short couple weeks from my first race of the season to get things really going. Despite my setbacks there is great foundation underneath me. It feels good to know that I am picking up where I have left off from the previous season. Efforts that where challenging before are now the standard. We push to raise the bar and improve.

I am so excited to begin racing for the 2014 season. As always I will share my experience to the best of my ability on social media: Here on my blog or quick photos on Instagram (@nfskate) or caption on Twitter (@nfskate08) and socials media.

The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.

Christopher McCandless

Thanks for Your Support:
Mark Kendall Massage Therapy
David De Leon OTL Fitness

Crash Burn, When Will I learn

A favorite song of mine from The Blues Travelers titled Crash Burn the lyrics are simple but the wailing guitar and blazing harmonica gets me excited... it's incendiary.  Many times this song finds itself on my playlist before workouts and races. If you have not listened to the track you should give it a listen.

The winter is suppose to be the low risk time of the year, base. Hours on the bike, in the pool, and on the run "put hay in the barn" build fitness for the future. Most importantly build good habits that I can carry over to harder workouts. Low Risk

Okay, okay... I took a silly risk. Decided to go for a ride on a cold 28 degree morning.
Why? Because I wanted to. It was a good idea.

During warmup I was excited and anxious about the first frozen ride of the year. I hit my first right-turn. Not realizing that my tires where actually hockey pucks. No traction and my bike came out from underneath me. Caught off guard and still gripping the handlebars I came down onto my right hip.

Immediate assessment... not broken... keep going... get back on the saddle. The 40 minutes pass and the initial shock subsides. I'm hurting. Time to go home.

I was lucky, it could have been much worse. Slamming down at 20 mph can do some major damage. This crash put me out for the past 3 weeks with a bruised hip, quadricep, and some road rash.

"It's and old give and take and I took again." It comes with competing. Sometimes I make good decisions and other times I make bad ones. I love pushing myself and find out I can do more then what I thought I could. Sometimes the results are fatigue, injury, sickness... lifting weights in the gym, laps in the pool, miles on the bike, or seconds on the run. I know that it will benefit me when the time comes. It becomes more emotional then rational.

This song always is in my head during a race. It reminds me that I will succeed where others fail. Exploit someones weakness, then turn it into an advantage. "I'm going to watch you fold like a house of cards". There comes a time and place for risk to be taken. The winners succeed because they have a bit of confidence that is unmeasurable in comparison to the field. They succeeded because they knew they could.


"Gonna land, No matter how hard"
And get right back up to keep going. I may fall, but that hasn't stopped me before. Maybe it's not a good thing to associate with a song called Crash Burn, I'm sure my cycling friends are now scratching my name from the weekly ride invites upon reading this. Like the song says "Crash Burn, When will I Learn"










Congrats to my Friends Chad/Betzy,
and Jody/Julie

All this in the base

Sunday 8a.m. 

I roll into the the parking lot of Jack and Adams 39 degrees on the thermostat. Damp, windy, and more rain in the forecast. I'm on my way to meet some friends for a training run.

Six cars already parked and they are all empty. I'm not alone in believing that a running this morning is a good idea. Despite the less-then-fair conditions this morning, I hit the trail and find satisfaction that I'm not alone in my irrational behavior. Seeing friends pass by, some in progress of their workouts, others are simply acquiring their mileage tally for the week. The cold and gloominess seems to reduce as the distance increases from the car. I meet my friends and come to the aid in the completion of their long run workout.

I'm currently in the prescribed base phase of training. The weekly schedule focuses on getting my legs, arms, lungs, heart, and head ready for the 2014 campaign. During this we add volume over time.  And Then (Duh Duh Daaah. That's Right, Dino DNA) ...sorry, "Jurassic Park" quote

Seems simple right? Right, well there happens to be a bit more in the equation. A large portion of success come also from emotional and psychological preparations when the season roles around. Fatigue can rear its ugly little head in more ways then just physical. That 8 pound mass atop your shoulders has the ability to make or break the moment if and when we start thinking about how we feel.

It can crush you, or hold you down

Last season my hip injury was a large hurdle and exhaustive experience. Derailing my plans I found myself throwing everything I had to cope with it. (Have you ever used profane words to your injury?) By the end of the season, my frustration and the injury had consumed my efforts. This injury caused me to DNF my last race of the season.

At that point I had totally lost perspective on what I had accomplished during 2013. (Which goes to show the powers of negative thoughts)

Looking back at 2013 I can say that I had done what I set out to do. See how I handle reaching the next level as an athlete. This season was a great step forward in the direction of progress. But, I lost focus of balance. I struggled to manage work, training, recovery, and personal life. This imbalance was a doomed see-saw, that undoubtably lead to my recurring injury by September.

I have resumed training. I am working to balance the aspects of my life before they effect me. The immense sacrifices of time and money cannot be overlooked. Those two factors unfortunately add excessive stress, but I do my best to not let those beget negatively at my goals.

Fool me twice...

I would not wake up early, brave the weather, sacrifice time, take the risk if I didn't think it was worth it. No matter what, I need to be thankful for the support and belief that my family and friends provide me. Take those moments that evoke good times and use them to move forward. Let go of the negative experience so that it cannot poison my attitude.

The excitement is still there, like an ember, ready to be stoked into a brilliant blaze for 2014.








Congrats to my coach and his wife: on the second addition to your family, and future racing team
-All the Best

Experience has taught me how important it is to just keep going, focusing on running fast and relaxed. Eventually it passes and the flow returns. It's part of racing.
-Frank Shorter