Rae Lakes Loop - In one day

Kings Canyon National Park, California, Roads End Hwy 180
9.24.2011 Saturday

We’ll never know our full potential unless we push ourselves to find it – Travis Rice Professional Snowboarder “The Art of Flight”

We went big. Bigger than we have ever gone before! And it was amazing.

This was a dream of mine for the past couple of years and last weekend we made it happen. My wife Kasia and my friend Christian Eggert made the choice to head up to King Canyon National Park with me and hike/run the Rae Lakes Loop. We backpacked this 43 mile loop a couple years ago in 5 days/4 nights and it was amazing. It truly is one of the classic Sierra Nevada Loops. If you have never heard of it or done it I highly recommend it.

We left Thursday night after work on my birthday. I know…….what a way to spend my bday. We got up to Tulare and crashed out in a motel. We woke up the next day and headed up into Kings Canyon. Giant Sequoias greeted us into the park. We stayed at Sentinel Campground. It was a ghost town. We got to pick from too many sites but eventually settled into spot 26. Had a chill day and car camped. Crashed around 8:30PM. It’s getting darker earlier and lighter later. I love fall.

We woke up at 2AM….early! The few campers around us were all crashed. Kasia had to remind me to use my inside voice, I don’t know how many times. I was excited. Had some breakfast that we prepped the day before, made some coffee, and hopped in Christian’s car. At the trailhead my Garmin took a while to sync up with satellites since we were so deep. We started at 3:15AM. It was pitch black and each of us had headlamps and poles. This was earlier than I have ever gotten up for any kind of endurance event ever. It was cool to be walking out in the woods so early. It had begun.



















An hour or so in, we were walking and we all saw a set of eyes glaring back at us from the reflection of our headlamps. We paused and our hearts started to race. Was this a bear? We could not make out what it was. We yelled, made sounds, even blew a whistle but it would not budge. It just stared at us. It wasn’t charging us so I inched forward ever so close. Christian had an awesome head lamp and I could barely make out a pair of deer ears so I crept closer and could eventually see that it was a male deer just staring us down about 20 feet off the trail. We had to continue so we just made our way ever so smoothly by it and started to hike uphill again. The entire morning was climbing and before we knew it we were starting to see the sun crack the darkness out east. It was starting to be morning around 6AM and we had already traveled over 10 miles. As the sun started to rise we could start to see the marvelous glaciated valley that we were in. It was amazing to already be this deep this early. I was loving it. I also noticed that there were clouds out very early. Usually I don’t see clouds like this on days when it will turn out to be perfect. I had a hunch we were in for some weather. Little did I know at this point the extent……

The forecast called for a 10% chance of thunderstorms today, Saturday September 24th. We continued to climb as the sun came up and the morning moved on. We all felt really good and loved the changing terrain. As we were getting higher the views were getting better. The plants started to change. The forests gave way to little meadows filled with deer and some bugs. We got bit a couple times by mosquitoes. Crazy that they made it this late in the season due to snow pack.

Kasia and Christian both noticed the sprinkles before me but you could feel something in the air. It was only 8AM. An hour later I could feel that it was right around the corner so we stopped and filtered water for the first time. Just as I was putting away the filter the rain started.





















We continued on the trail. Rain turned into hail accompanied by lightning and thunder. Since we were still below the tree line we continued to climb towards Glenn Pass.












As we reached the 4 way junction for Kearsage Pass the weather broke and the hail stopped. We had our window so we started to push the pace. We passed a group of backpackers that asked us what we were doing and we told them. Their response “You’re crazy”. I loved it. As we approached a ¼ mile from the pass it started to snow. No thunder and lighning but snow. I felt like I was up in the mountains snowboarding except there wasn’t a lot of it. It was barely sticking to the ground but it was snowing. Our hands were cold but the rest of our bodies were warm. We reached the summit at 12 noon, 8 hours and 45 minutes after we started. We had traveled 18 miles and were 7000 feet above where we started.



After a brief stop at the pass we continued on towards the Rae Lakes.



As we descended from the pass the lightning and thunder started back up again and it was close. We would see a flash and immediately hear some loud thunder. Loud as air show thunder. It was a bit nerving to say. Our pace was as fast as we could handle but was slowed down due to the wet rocks. It was slippery and we had to be careful. As we descended we ran into two other guys doing the loop in one day except they were headed clockwise. We said hi and wished each other luck and headed on. Shortly later we were at upper Rae Lake and decided to stop for some lunch and a break.



















Our turkey sandwiches and potato chips tasted so good. I have always stayed at the middle Rae Lake so it was nice to spend some time at the upper lake with its two cool little islands and Painted Lady Peak right behind it. After almost an hour we were back on the trail. This time, Christian and I collapsed our poles. Kasia’s style of trail running includes the use of poles. So after we passed the middle lake we started to jog and it felt so good. We were so far out in the backcountry and we were running. It was everything I had dreamed. 20 or so miles into a hike and we started to move twice as fast.





We continued this for about 6 or so miles and then it turned to hike/running since the terrain got rockier and steeper and Kasia’s ankles were hurting her. We were at Dollar Lake before we knew it and shortly after almost at the Woods Creek Crossing. Before we reached the crossing we met the Rae Lake Ranger. He asked us what we were doing. We replied the loop in one day. He too thought we were crazy but he said we all looked good and we have about 16 miles to go. He wished us luck and we parted ways. The backcountry rangers in the Sierras are a special breed. The next book I want to read “The Last Season” is about a ranger from Bench Creek R.S. just a short day hike north of where we were. Don’t want to spoil it if anyone else is interested but it looks good.

16 miles left. That’s not so bad. That is what I thought. We continued to pass such beautiful scenery that I forgot it was almost 4PM and the sun would be setting in a couple hours. I told Christian that the valleys in the sierras seem to go on forever. Later that night he agreed with me. We spent the next couple hours heading west towards Paradise Valley. When we reached the bridge over to Upper Paradise valley the sun was setting and we had our last Almond Butter and Jelly sandwich. We were tired and saw some campers at their campsite. It looked so nice but reality sunk back in and we sucked it up and started to move again. It got dark quick and we had to use our headlamps again.

We had spent the entire day, every second of daylight out in some of the most beautiful terrain I have ever been in and it was now dark. We started in the dark and we would end in the dark. We had used our headlamps so much that our lights started to dim and it was hard to make out all the nooks and crannies of the trail. The last 6 miles felt like they took forever. I kept thinking of how fast I could run that distance at track on Thursday nights. We reached the car at 10PM totally shelled. We had to dig deep. We had moments when we didn’t speak and I am sure each of us had to rally inside to get ‘er done. We were headed back to camp and the car felt so good. I couldn’t imagine having to hike it back to camp. Modern society has it so easy but that is another story. We got back to camp and had some celebratory beers along with chili dogs, corn chips and veggie burgers. They tasted so good next to the campfire at 11:15PM or so. Christian and I sat by the fire until midnight discussing the amazing experience we had just undertaken. It was amazing and it has changed me forever. What’s next you say??? PCT 50 miler next May. Who’s in????

Overall Stats:
• 43 miles total.
• 19,500 feet total elevation gain and loss.
• Total time of almost 19 hours
• On our feet either running or walking 16 hours.
• Rae Lakes Loop in one day DONE!!!!!!

Going Big Part II

Going Big Part II in Idyllwild
August 13th, 2011



















This past weekend I did something that I always dreamt of. I have always dreamt of running through the big mountains, not just little mountains around San Diego but mountains that have 5 digits (10,000Ft +) There is something that draws me to the big mountains. No camera shot can do it justice. Just large amounts of earth!

Kasia and I plan on running the Rae Lake Loop this September 24th. This loop is no joke and this past hike/run showed me that. So we planned to kick it up a notch from our last hike in the Idyllwild area and loop a couple of trails to make something 20 miles + in order to prep for Rae Lake.

http://joshuadinen.blogspot.com/2011/07/getting-ready-to-go-big.html

I busted out my Tom Harrison map of the Idyllwild area and decided on parking in Idyllwild early style
6:30AM



















We walked over to the Deer Springs Trail and headed up towards the summit of San Jacinto. We figured we had around 5800 vertical feet of climbing and almost 11 miles. We hiked along the road and found the trailhead easily because of the signs on the side of the road.

I love early mornings on the trail. It is amazing since most people don’t plan and decide to do it. So it was a couple hours before we saw a person. But we were bugged the whole time by annoying flies that would not leave us alone. We passed a bunch of places that we could filter water but I had planned on filtering at Deer Springs so I waited. Info to anyone hiking the west side of San Jacinto from Idyllwild – there is a lot of water and plenty of places to filter.

We got in a groove and busted out a bunch of miles and vertical feet. I love climbing higher and higher. The views get better and better and knowing I was headed to the 2nd highest peak in all of Southern California made me push.

We then hit a trail junction and were on the PCT. I love hiking parts of it and hope to do the entire through hike with Kasia someday. Next we came up on a backcountry camp at Deer Springs. We saw a bunch of campsites with people and a fire. We used the SteriPen to filter a couple liters but we had only drunk about a liter and a half so were done quickly and back on the trail.

Next was little Round Valley. We had hiked and camped there a couple years ago prepping for an assault of Mt. Whitney. It was good to be back in the valley. It is a sweet place with water and a porta potty. That’s right a port potty out in the middle of nowhere. I bet they flew it in with a helicopter.

We started to feel hungry but pushed up to the summit to eat lunch. We figured it would be better to hike down after a full stomach than hike up a hill. There is a cool rock hut built up near the summit so we sat right next to it and enjoyed the views of Palm Springs and ate a couple turkey sandies and potato chips.



















Back on the trail pretty quickly knowing we have over 10+ miles to get back to the car. Our pace was quick after lunch feeling the fuel. We hit the Wellman Cienega and refilled our water reservoirs for the last time using our SteriPen. I then collapsed my poles and talked Kasia into running back to our car. It felt amazing to start running. My legs actually started to feel better when the blood really started to travel to my legs.



We then got stopped by some rangers and had to show them the permit we got earlier that morning. They kind of looked at us funny having to stop us from our running out in the middle of nowhere. After this we got into a groove and got off the trails before we knew it. We then had to run 3 or 4 miles back to our car on the roads but roads felt super easy after running down the trails. We ran for a total of about 8 or 9 miles and traveled 22 miles total. We had gone up and down almost 12,000 vertical feet and it took just shy of 8 hours on the go.

It felt good to be back at our car but I thought wow that was not even half of Rae Lake Loop. What have I gotten us into? We shall see…….

Next is a weeklong backpacking trip on the High Sierra Trail in Sequoia. We plan on doing 150 miles in 8 days.

After that we plan on attempting our first 50K race in Big Bear - http://endurebear.wordpress.com/

After that it is Rae Lake Loop on September 24th.

Xterra Snow Valley Race Report

Xterra Snow Valley Race Report
August 7th, 2011
http://www.xterrasnowvalley.com/








Kasia and I raced Xterra Snow Valley, which is located up at Snow Valley Ski Resort located near Big Bear Lake, east of Los Angeles. It is the closest Xterra race of the year to San Diego and the last of the three Xterra races we had planned for this summer. It was awesome and definitely one of the highlights of my summer so far. If you weren’t there you definitely missed out.

We raced this race back on August 5th, 2007. It was our first Xterra Triathlon. I remember that I had a hard time on the mountain bike and had to walk a lot of the hills in the run so I was really excited about coming back 4 years later and giving it another go.

We arrived at Snow Valley Saturday at 1PM and checked in. The staff was super cool and we were the first people to check in. We then took off on our Specialized Stumpjumper Mountain bikes from B&L Bike Shop of San Diego to pre-ride the course. Pre-riding the course at Xterra has become a ritual for me and Kasia. Normal triathlons we don’t pre-ride any courses since they are usually well marked but after making a wrong turn this year at Xterra West Championship I always pre-ride to make sure I know my way around the bike course. It’s also a way to get in some exercise and shed some pre race jitters prior to race day. During the pre-ride we noticed the course was different then 4 years ago. They took an out-and-back out of the course at the top of the ski resort and also added a new trail made by a bull dozer near mid mountain. The bike course was techincal. Not very much flat ground. You either are climbing or descending and the descents are steep on some loose dirt. Bike skills definitely help on this course.



















We then packed up our gear and headed into Big Bear for the evening. Got into our motel and got everything ready then headed out to enjoy the rest of our day. Big Bear was busy with people enjoying the lovely So-Cal summer weather. A lot of people were out on the lake boating. It reminds me of a little baby Lake Tahoe but close to home. We found a pretty good Mexican restaurant for dinner Azteca Mexican Grill and had a normal pre-race Mexican dinner. After dinner we headed back to the motel and I got a haircut right before bed, thanks Kasia!! We were asleep by 9 with the alarm set for 6. Race started at 9AM so we didn’t need to be up before dawn.

Got up and ate breakfast then packed the car and headed down to Snow Valley. Got to the resort a little after 7 and got our T2 area set up at the bottom of the resort. I was surprised to see Natalie from KOZ at the race. She made it up to the race to do the timing. Since we had been racing Xterra’s and Ironman this year we have not been to any local KOZ races. It was good to see a familiar face.

We then had to ride our bikes up to the lake mid mountain for the swim and T1. I really liked having to ride up to T1 and the swim. It gave me a chance to warm up and loosen the legs up. I got to use my new Xterra Vector Pro X3 wetsuit in the swim. It is an awesome wetsuit that feels super soft, super flexible, and super buyout. It made for an amazing swim. I am super happy to be swimming in my new Xterra wetsuit this year.















The race started a little late at 9:10AM. It is a mass start but was nothing compared to Ironman Texas earlier this year. Before I knew it I was in clean water with very little people around me. Xterra races always make you get out of the water and then get back in so at this race we had to make two loops of the swim course exiting once and having to reenter. I remember my first time racing here I had issues with the swim due to altitude. I had none of that this year and felt great the entire swim. As I was swimming towards the exit I was getting excited to ride my Specialized Stumpjumper 29er all over the ski resort as fast as I could.
























Got out of the swim and headed over to my bike. Turned my GoPro on and changed into my bike gear. After getting ready I was out on the bike course immediately climbing to the top. The top half of the mountain is not as hard to climb as the bottom so before I knew it I was at the top and excited to descend. I was sort of alone with a couple people behind me and some in front of me but I had the trail pretty much to myself. The course is mostly dirt roads with a make shift trail made by a bull dozer. There was a lot of loose sand and ruts on the course and some the descents were really steep. I saw a few other people walking their bikes down some of the more sketchy parts of the course.



It’s amazing how fast one can descend the mountain and how long it takes to climb back up. I was at the bottom of the resort before I knew it hearing the crowds cheering us on. All I had to do was climb the mountain one more time and descend, then it was run time. I felt good.

I hit the climb up and rode my pace up the mountain. It is steep in some parts and you have to put effort in or you will stop and fall over to the side as Kasia seems to do. It is so different than road riding and so much tougher. I remember it was a lot harder 4 years ago. It is amazing to say that at age 35 I am in the best shape of my life and I continue to get into better shape every year. All of the riding and trail running I have done this year has really helped my fitness. Also being 30 or so pounds lighter than I was last time really helps.

As I descended the mountain for the last time I prepped and got excited for the run. My goal on the run was to hit it hard and never stop running….even on the steep sections of the run.

Got into T2 and got transitioned pretty quickly. Then I started the run. Immediately you climb to the top of one of the bunny slopes. People were already walking but I felt really good and just held my pace. The course was a little different and shorter than last time. I talked with the race director after about this and he indicated that the fire crews had re-seeded some of the slopes and they were unable to race on them this year so he cut one of the biggest climbs out of the past course. As I ran past the slope I remember walking before I was a little happy and sad to not get to run it. I wanted to see if I could do it this year but I was also happy I didn’t have to.

Then I was at “El Diablo” hill and there was a guy there dressed up as a devil with a pitchfork. It is a steep short hill with loose sand. He was saying “welcome to hell”. I smiled and loved it. I stuck to my guns and continued to run even though everyone else was walking. As I crested the top I was super happy to have run up the entire hill. I knew the hard part was behind me. I then descended a hill and turned right back around and climbed back up to the top of El Diablo but via a more gradual gentle slope. A couple of people I was running with prior were no longer near me. The hills I have been running at lunch really paid off during this race. After descending I could see the finish line and continued to push it. The run totaled 3 miles and was over before I knew it.

They had some amazing watermelon and licorice at the finish line. Grabbed a couple pieces and waited for Kasia to finish the bike. She was there before I knew it and cheered her on. I then grabbed my gear and waited for her to finish. She finished about a half hour later and was super stoked to be done. She was a bit scared the night before due to the bike but she did her best and walked any section she felt uncomfortable with. She ended up getting first place in her age group. I also got first place in my Clydesdale age group (200 lbs +). I put 45 minutes on the second place big guy. It was amazing for both of us to get first place. It made for the best awards ceremony ever.

























We packed up our gear and headed back to San Diego that afternoon. I cannot wait to race this again next summer and very bummed to be done racing Xterra races for the year. Next year they are moving the race to Saturday and the half marathon to Sunday; that way more triathletes can give it their all and still race the half marathon the next day.

Next summer who is down for some Xterra fun?

Xterra Snow Valley Anyone?

This upcoming Sunday August 7th, 2011 is Xterra Snow Valley.
http://www.xterrasnowvalley.com/

If you don’t already know, Xterra Triathlons are my favorite triathlons. They are very challenging and lots of fun. They are still small grass roots style and you can still sign up the morning of the race. People are super cool and are more laid back than the crowd at some of the road tri’s. They are more fun, trust me!! If you have ever thought about trying an Xterra, the Snow Valley race is a great one. The bike is hilly and challenging but nothing too technical, so great for all of you roadies.

Kasia and I have done two out of our three planned Xterra Races this summer.

We first did the Xterra West Championship in Las Vegas. It was so much fun to race in the desert in early spring. We had beautiful weather and super fun courses. Desert style!
http://joshuadinen.blogspot.com/2011/04/xterra-west-championship-race-2011.html

Next it was Xterra Tahoe City in Lake Tahoe. I love Tahoe and to race there is even better. I want to ride my road bike around that lake some day. Kasia is definitely getting better at Mountain Biking. The crew at B&L San Diego set her up with the Specialized “Command Post”. It totally changed mountain biking for her. Snow was still on the course and the water was 52 degrees. Fun times!
http://joshuadinen.blogspot.com/2011/07/xterra-tahoe-city.html

Last, we have Xterra Snow Valley in the San Bernardino Mountains. If you have ever thought of doing an Xterra this is the one. It is the closest Xterra Race to San Diego this year. The race is located on the ski resort of Snow Valley. Where else in So Cal can you race on a ski resort? Big Bear Resorts or Snow Valley will not allow you to ride on the ski runs anymore. Closest other place is Mammoth and that is sort of a downhill course. Not that you could not race on it but there is no Xterra in Mammoth.

The first Xterra that Kasia and I did was Xterra Snow Valley on August 5th, 2007. We spent the night in Big Bear and headed down to Snow Valley the morning of the race.



















You park at the bottom of the resort race morning then ride your bike up to a small lake located about half way up the mountain. You set up T2 at the bottom of the resort before riding up to the start. You setup T1 mid-mountain at the lake.

The water was low in the lake this year so the water was not clear and it was tough to see anything in the water. The swim was two loops and we ran on the sand between the loops. Getting in and out of the water your feet sank in the mud so it was tough to walk….but it was true Xterra style! After the swim, you get on the bike and head up the mountain to the very top then go all the way back down. After you hit the bottom you go back up to the top and do it again. Then into T2 for some fun hills on the run. The run is up and down the mountain a few times which makes for a great challenging run. So much fun!




















It was a great race and we are back again for another year! This year the course is: Swim 1000 yards, Bike is 10 miles and Run is 4 miles. It’s shorter than the normal Xterra Championship course length and great for anyone wanting to try an Xterra. So if you want to have some serious fun, challenge yourself and try something new. Kasia and I will be up there next weekend representing. Hope to see some familiar faces in the mountains this upcoming weekend. It is going to be epic!!!!!

Getting ready to go Big!!

San Jacinto Peak
July 9th 2011



















This year at the beginning of Fall Kasia and I are going big. I have had this dream of doing the Rae Lake Loop in Kings Canyon National Park in one day for some years now. Kasia and I did this loop a couple years back but 5 days backpacking. This year we will attempt to cover 46 miles and 6943 vertical feet in one day on our feet. We plan on hiking parts and running parts of this amazing loop. It is such a small portion of the amazing beautiful Kings Canyon NP. We will hike 19 miles up and over Glenn Pass then a marathon back to our cars.

I had forgot how big mountains can be. Living in Southern California at the beach can do that. Just north of San Diego there are the mountains named the “Three Saints”. The three tallest mountains is Southern California make up this trio. The tallest is San Gorgonio and that is a beast of a climb up the Vivian Creek Trail. The next is San Jacinto Peak most famous for the Tram up from Palm Springs. The third is San Antonio or Mt. Baldy.

Kasia and I decided to get out in the mountains to prep for our upcoming adventures in the Sierras and because it is summer we feel this need to get into the mountains. We had wanted to hike out of Idyllwild CA for some time so we planned to head up there and hike to the summit of San Jacinto. We decided on the Devil’s Slide Trail out of Humber Park. We headed up early from San Diego and go to the wilderness office and got a permit and a parking pass. We then headed up to Humber Part and got ready for an elevation assault.




















Mountains are rarely flat and we knew we would be headed up in order to reach the peak. The trail length was 8.1 miles and it included 4324 feet of elevation. We decided on an out and back so total would be 16.2 miles for the day. We thought to ourselves no problem. Kasia was tired from lack of sleep the night before. I also felt pretty tired after getting up at 5AM on a Saturday after working all week. But once we felt the mountain air we got inspired and we were off starting at 10AM. We packed some lunches and knew there would be water on the trail for us to use our SteriPen with.



















The trail is all uphill with lots of switchbacks. We saw lots of people up till Saddle Junction where we hopped on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and headed towards the peak. We never saw any of the people we saw at Saddle Junction after that. I have another dream of doing the PCT so hiking any part of it gets me excited. It is a tough thing to plan because of our careers but one day we will do the entire PCT. I cannot wait for that 6 month adventure. After 1.9 miles of the PCT we veered off towards the summit and entered the San Jacinto Wilderness. The views were starting to get really amazing the higher we got.




















We stopped at the Wellman Cinega and ate lunch and filtered two liters of water. It is always nice to eat near water. The water tasted real good and was really cold. Everything around the water at the Cinega was green compared to the surroundings. There were no traces of snow left from this year’s snow fall but we knew all that water was from the snow somewhere trapped inside the mountains.

As we hit the Wellman Divide the trail became familiar. We have taken the tram up to San Jacinto numerous times. But we had never hiked up from Idyllwild. I now like hiking up from Idyllwild more because its free and it takes less time to drive there than Palm Springs. I also like the fact you get to hike way more vertical feet. I know I am a sicko but I love going up.




















Before we knew it we were at the summit of San Jacinto Peak. Naturalist John Muir wrote of San Jacinto Peak, "The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!" It is a pretty awesome place to chill and take in some views. You can see 360 degrees in all directions.




























After a while we decided to head down. We were the only ones on the trail at this time. It was a magical time late in the day to be up in the mountains. It was perfect weather and a perfect day.




As the trail continued to descend we started to feel our legs more and more. We just did Ironman Texas and Xterra Tahoe City and I trail run all the time and man was I sore after this hike. As we reached the car we could really feel our bodies. We were sore.


What this trip did was remind me that we have to prepare for Kings Canyon in September. 46 miles in the Sierra is no joke. I know it will be painful, I anticipate that. I know it will suck at times. But at other times it will be amazing and when I look back on it, it will be the start……The start of something big!!!

Who knows what will be next? Maybe the PCT 50 mile trail run next year? All I know is it is going to be amazing. I never thought I would do an Ultra Marathon but we will see……

Xterra Tahoe City

Xterra Tahoe City - June 25, 2011









Lake Tahoe is a special place for me and Kasia. We got married there 7 years ago and I also spent a lot of time there when I was growing up. I snowboarded there in the winter and hung out with friends on the lake during the summer. The lake is so big, blue and beautiful. I had done the Xterra Nevada race a couple years ago in Incline Village and always wanted to do the other Xterra in Tahoe City. This was the year. It occurs the same weekend as the San Diego International Triathlon so we had to skip my favorite local race and head up to Tahoe for some off-road fun.

I have said this before, Xterra races are my favorite and Xterra Tahoe City now happens to be one of my two top races of all time. I like the off-road triathlons more than the road tri’s and there is no better place than Lake Tahoe.

The week before, we had to prep to make the drive up the 395 to Tahoe. I decided to rotate the tires on my bike the night before we left and I realized the brake pads on my Specialized Stumpjumper Expert 29er were gone and I had to race over to B&L to get them replaced. Leo, Hubert and Chris from the San Diego store saved me BIG TIME!!! I called over there at 6:15PM, 45 minutes before they closed and they said to come in. They replaced my pads and checked Kasia Stumpjumper brakes right before they closed for the day. Super big thanks to the crew at B&L!! They saved me last minute and I am so grateful. Thanks again B&L.

We took off after work Thursday and made it to Bishop up the 395 at 11PM. The next morning we woke up early and were in Tahoe that afternoon. It was so nice to be in Tahoe and there was still so much snow on the mountains. We checked into a hotel right across the street from Common’s Beach where the race starts and ends. We then got on our bikes and headed out to pre-ride the bike course. The bike course was not marked yet so we decided to go anyway and see if we could figure it out. As we were heading up the fire road, one of the guys with the Big Blue Adventure Team flew by us with a roll of yellow tape on his bars and we figured out they were out marking the course. I noticed the tape on some trees so we followed it not sure if we were on the course or not. Good news.....we were. Later during the ride we ran into the rest of the crew on motorcycles and started to notice the familiar blue bike course arrows. In Xterra blue is for bike and red is for run. This was the case in Tahoe as well.

There was snow still on the course and water flowing in some spots but for the most part the course was awesome. The bike course consisted of a mix of fire roads and single track in the wonderful forests of Tahoe. I was so stoked to be racing again in Tahoe in an Xterra. We met up with my parents who came up from Folsom for dinner and got to bed early after prepping for the morning.

When we woke up it was 34 degrees. BRRRRRRRRR. Frost was on the grass in the transition area. We racked our bikes and headed down to the swim. This is when the fun began. The day before we were told the water temp was 52. I woke up that morning dreading the swim. I knew it would be cold but I had no idea.

I stepped into the water 15 minutes before the start to warm up and got right back out after I felt the pain in my feet. Man was that water cold. I knew I had to do it so I dove in. Instant brain freeze. It was crazy. I made myself start swimming but it was not easy. After 15 minutes I was numb enough for the race and lined up on shore for the start.

There is something awesome about the minute right before a race starts. It is an electric feeling and love the moment before the pain starts as I settle into the madness of racing. My nerves normally start to race the night before and leading up to the race but settle down shortly after the race begins. Everyone that races knows what I am talking about. It will keep me coming back for more till the day I die.

Ready set go and we were off in the cold waters of Tahoe. Got through my first lap feeling the cold of the 52 degree water but by the second loop I was fine and ready to bike. At the deepest part of the swim I could still see the bottom clearly and everyone around me was easy to see as well. I drafted someone for a bit but quickly overcame them and was headed for the flags where we started.

I got out of the water and headed over to T1. It is a long run to the transition area. First along the bike path down near the water then onto a wooden bridge. Then we turn cross the highway and luckily the Highway Patrol was there to stop cars. Into T1 I went. I was still really cold from the swim and it made getting ready for the bike difficult. Kasia had to ask Jamie Whitmore to help her snap her helmet closed because she was so cold. She didn’t even know who was helping her. The winningest Xterra Athlete of all time. So good to see her doing well after her fight with cancer.

The bike heads north out of Tahoe City and immediately climbs for 2 miles or so. It gives everyone a chance to warm up. Nice. The climb was up a fire road but it was loose rocks which makes climbing tougher. It is so nice to be up in the mountains in the morning. I was having such a good time. As I crested the first climb I knew I would be riding through a lot of water and I wasn’t going to try and avoid it. As I started to pick up speed the puddles started to appear and I went straight through them. Water and mud went everywhere. The bike course in Tahoe City is rad. It is not as tough as the race in Incline (Xterra Nevada) but just as fun. There is a mix of single track and fireroads. They had to remove 4 miles of the course due to snow this year. Bummer because the single track was awesome. Check out the video below.



I pretty much rode with two girls the whole time. One was a 17 and the other was 35. I knew this because our ages are on our calves from body marking. They charged and chicked so many dudes. Girls at Xterra are bad ass and bring it. I am so stoked that my wife is one of them. There is just one hard climb you have to do twice since there are two laps up top. So there are three major climbs and a lot of fun rolling terrain. They mark your number after the first loop to make sure you do all the required loops. There was snow on the course and it was fun to ride over. Since it was still early it was hard and the bike tires would just roll right over it.

Before I knew it I was at the top where we began the first climb of the day and I was headed down to start my run. The 35 year old I was riding with all day killed the descent and I got it all on video. She would hit rocks the size of her helmet and they would just fly off the road. There were also drainage ditches you had to navigate at high speed which required me to get off the saddle and absorb the small bumps. So different than road racing and so much more fun.




























Into T2 I went and changed into my running shoes. Then straight into two miles of uphill running back up the hill I just descended.

All the weekly runs at Black Mountain, Mt. Soledad and Blacks Beach in San Diego really paid off and I ran the entire way up the hill. At this point I really didn't have anyone around me so it was awesome to be running through the woods all by myself. I took it all in. There was a lot of snow on the run course and I probably ran over 15 snow drifts. We had a lot of snow in the Sierras this year and there was still a lot in the mountains. My Brooks Cascadia shoes rocked and gripped everything. The green shoes looked really good on the snow as well. At the top of the mountain the trail flattened out and my pace increased. Then I started to head down the mountain and I started to fly. I knew it was all downhill from there. The six miles of the run flew by and I was down in Tahoe City crossing the same road I did after the swim. The cops were still there controlling traffic. Thanks CHP.

The finish is on the beach where we started the swim. I crossed the line a little over 3 hours after I started. I almost caught Kasia (she did the short course)which would have made for the best finish. My parents were there and so was Kasia. Thanks mom and dad for the pics.





















I was bummed it was over. I had wanted to do this race for years and every year we skip because of the San Diego International. We hung out and enjoyed the BBQ post race along with the Fat Tire Ales they were pouring. I got first place Clydesdale and a cool Big Blue Adventures Mug. What a place to enjoy post race. Lake Tahoe is absolutely amazing in summer. It was a cool place to wind down after the race. Much better than Xterra Nevada in Incline. Commons Beach in Tahoe City is a cool place to chill if you are ever in the area.

We hung out with the parents that evening and sat in the hotel spa before crashing. Woke up early and went for run down the bike path towards Squaw Valley. I was getting bummed I would have to leave for San Diego. I wished I could spend more time in Tahoe. After the run we hopped in the truck and made the 11 hour drive home to sweet San Diego. Every time I come back I realize how much I love it in San Diego.

If anyone out there wants to try an Xterra there is one coming up in August that Kasia and I will be racing. T he race is Snow Valley near Big Bear. It is happening on August 7. If you ever wanted to try an Xterra I highly recommend them. They are still small and grass roots. Let me know if you are interested.

http://www.xterrasnowvalley.com/

Xterra – Live More!!!!!!!

Ironman Texas 2011

Ironman Texas 2011 – The Woodlands, TX – May 21, 2011















The Inaugural Ironman Texas occurred on Saturday May 22nd 2011 and I was there. The excitement and energy was electric and intoxicating. I love Ironman Races. They are like no other triathlons. They are almost as good as Xterras ;-) The people who race these races are intense and inspiring. So many people signed up for this race last summer and put in the time and effort to prepare for it. You can expect a full day of racing with more spectators than the average triathlon. Normally triathlons end sometime early in the day. Not Ironman, it goes all day until midnight. And the later the day gets the more energy builds at the finish line.

This was the first full Ironman for the state of Texas and over half the athletes that signed up were from Texas. Two of those Texans were my sister-in-law Paulina and brother-in-law Buddy. This was their first Ironman after volunteering at my first Ironman, Ironman Arizona one and a half years ago. We were originally going to sign up for Ironman Coeur d'Alene but after hearing of the first Ironman opening in Texas, they talked me and Kasia into doing this race instead. I also talked my uncle Jim into trying his first triathlon so he signed up as well. He grew up riding bikes competitively and had an incredible journey leading up to this race.

Kasia and I trained harder than we have ever done in the past. We came to Texas prepared. What we could not prepare for in California was the heat and humidity of Texas, which was full in effect in the Woodlands. It was 94 degrees and high humidity, the air felt thick and wet.

We flew in on Wednesday and picked up our bikes from TriBike Transport next to the Ironman Village set up near our hotel. We had used them before for Ironman Hawaii 70.3 and they make life easy when having to travel for races. The Woodlands is about a half hour north of Houston and lies pretty close to the Gulf of Mexico. The wind blows predominately south to north. We would be facing a tailwind going out on the bike and a headwind coming back. The swim was in warm 79 degree water so no wetsuits were allowed. The hottest part of the day would occur late afternoon, either at the end of the bike or during the run. We did a practice swim and a short ride the day before the race. We then dropped off our bags and bikes Friday afternoon. Having done an Ironman before made getting ready this time much easier. After dropping the bikes off we relaxed and prepared for the next day. The night before an Ironman race is intense and not relaxing. All you want to do is get the race started. We set the alarm for 4:20AM.















We were up before we knew it and headed over to transition in the dark. We got our tires filled and bikes all set up. Walking out of transition I made sure to live in the moment and take in the whole experience. Thousands of people are getting ready. Some people are walking towards you and others away. Everyone is making sure their bike is ready for the 112 miles ahead. The swim start was about a mile away so all 2600 people had to walk over to the start line. This was a nice way to warm up and fun. Little did I know I would be running the same way later that afternoon.

Before I knew it I was in the water before the start, me and all the other age groupers. When the race started there were still people getting in the water. This was the busiest and craziest swim I have ever done. So many people running into other people; complete madness. I got kicked a couple times and one time it really hurt; I let a grunt out under water. I was like man this sucks. Towards the end of the swim you had to funnel into this small finger of the lake. I was about to finish the swim and I was getting excited to ride my bike. There was a current down the finger due to all the people swimming the same way in such a small area. Swim time was 1:18 with no wetsuit.

I was out of the water and running towards my bike bag. Got it and ran over to the hot steamy changing tent. I saw a couple people changing outside so I did the same. Got all ready except for my tri shorts, then ran into the tent and changed my shorts. So many people changing clothes, craziness! The tent is like 15 degrees warmer than outside due to the heat coming off everyone’s body after the swim.

Got out of there and grabbed my Specialized Transition. All ready to crush the bike I headed out.















It was humid and felt like it just rained. We had a tail wind and I was feeling good. This bike course was awesome. There were no major climbs but the entire course was rolling hills and kept you pedaling the whole time. There was not much coasting in this ride. I was in and out of small Texas towns separated by a variety of forests. I saw a hiking trailhead at one point which made me think of all the backpacking and hiking, trail running I am going to do this summer. I love life and absolutely live to see what I am capable of. I took it easy on the first part of the bike. When I hit the 56 mile marker I turned and started heading back south towards the Woodlands. The wind I was thinking was going to be an issue turned out to be not that bad. I held a pace above 20 miles an hour the whole ride. The only bad part of the bike occurred around mile 80 when my toes on my left foot started to hurt and I had to ride non aero the last 32 miles. I didn’t care, I still hammered. I came into T2 around 1:45PM, so stoked. My bike time was 5 hours and 24 minutes. The bike course was beautiful and fun to ride.

I was out of T2 at 1:55pm and thought to myself you can do this - sub 4 hour marathon and sub 11 hour Ironman. That was my goal. I hit the run and felt good initially. The run was pretty flat with great support from the spectators. The first loop felt ok but my pace slowed towards the end of the 1st lap as the temperature started to climb. I went by the finish line for the first time and headed out on my second lap. That’s when I started to unwind. My head started to pound, my body felt hot, I started to feel terrible. I had fueled properly for this race and hydrated the entire bike but it was hot and muggy. I made it by the swim start on my second lap and had to take a break and walk for about 15 min to cool down. After I got it back together I had to dig deep and start running again. I started to jog in between the aid stations. During the aid stations I would fill a bottle with ice and water, eat something and then squeeze ice cold sponges on my head and replace the sponges I had in my jersey. I had to do that another 10 or so times until I finished the run. This run hurt bad and was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I passed the finish line again and knew this would be my last lap. My final loop sucked, it hurt badly but I made it through. I remembered one thing I heard before this race from my friend Adam Schepps.; the last mile of an Ironman makes it worth the race and he was right.

The last mile of an Ironman is amazing. At some point I ditched my sponges, zipped up my jersey and tossed my bottle of ice water. I started to take in the last minutes of my second Ironman race. I was almost done. At some point I felt a tingle over my whole body and my pain disappeared. It is an indescribable feeling and it will bring me back for many more. Running down the finishing chute of an Ironman race is amazing. I loved every second of it. Then the day hit me and I started to feel super tired. Man was I ready to stop running. 4:50 marathon – slowest and hardest yet. Total 11:47 hours.















I headed over to the hotel for a shower. That is the best part of staying as close to the race as possible. I came back to watch Kasia, Paulina, and Buddy finish their races. Kasia shaved 1 hour and 4 min off her first Ironman time and Paulina and Buddy finished their first Ironman. My uncle finished the swim and bike but got pulled by medical after running into some stomach issues. He had not ridden 112 miles for over 20 years. Welcome back Jim. I can only hope this experience fuels his desire for redemption.















After this second Ironman I know that will never stop doing these races. There is something amazing about participating in one. The energy of the day, the 6 months of prepping, the hard times, the good times, the bad times all make them one of a kind. It’s just one day of my life.