When I grow up... I want to be like Steve Larsen

I had the fortune of getting to meet and chat with him just once.  It was in 2007 in Kona.  Not sure what he was explicity doing out there but it was probably a cross between his love for the sport and his sense of duty to sponsors/supporters/friends. When I was looking at races this year and I put Pac Crest on the map in the back of my mind I hoped that he might toe the line at his hometown race and that I might get to have a go at it with him.  Something will feel like it's missing come late June when I get to Bend.

Jay Prasuhn has a nice write up on his blog < http://jayprasuhn.blogspot.com/2009/05/steve-larsen-study-in-balance.html > but the real touching part of the post is in it's second half with the individual accounts from those who Steve touched throughout his life. 

He raced hard, he worked hard, he succeeded.  He helped others and was true... in other words... he simply did the good/right things.  It is individuals like this that I aspire to be like.  Being forthright and genuine are traits that are hard to come by.

Garrison Keillor says it best... 

"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.".

Thanks for being a great example to us all Steve.  

Ready for the racing road ahead

Originally this upcoming block of racing was to have started last weekend with the Pan American Champs ITU race but given the week that I had to sit out after the ugly crash at St. Anthony's the time frame got altered a wee bit.  So _now_ it begins and it all kicks off on Saturday morning up in Windsor.  Two years ago this was my first race in Colorado.  Last year this race was cancelled as a tornado had destroyed the town just days before.  So just a little local sprint but I'll be using it as cobweb-kicker-outter and rust-shaker-offer as well as a little jolt to the system to prime the engine for some D-legal action back in the ATX with the Austin Continental Cup on Memorial Day.  A nice nooner start time ought to have us all sweltering in the heat (i am getting ready for this).  

And so it begins... 6 races over the span of 5 weeks.  Two weekends where I am doubling up and two singles (as well as one off and one wedding weekend).  Looking forward to the training, the recovery, and especially the racing and excited about how dynamic it is going to be and how it will unfold.  And of course... I want to have some SERIOUSLY good racing.  2 sprints, 2 olys, 2 halfs.  3 local and 3 trips to DIA (thank you Matt!).  

A quick run down...

Pelican Fest 5/23... local sprint... a bit of fun... then off to the airport.

Austin ITU 5/25... first real shot at a draft legal race.  Very excited about this one... 'rents will be there to watch, back in the ATX (oh yeah) and of course some seriously good competition toeing the line.

Olive Half Iron 6/7... wow... I mean wow.  If last year's race is any indication this one is going to have some Canuckian dudes with some serious palmares showing up to Lake Skaha the first sunday in June.  Really looking forward to getting back to the Okanagan

Billy and Lara's Wedding 6/13.... this will probably be a doozy and worthy of a "race" status... so I thought I'd throw it in.  ;-)

Loveland Lake2Lake 6/20... again... awesome small town race... but this being the front range of Colorado... is still going to make for some great racing... not to mention the burritos you get after the race.  yummy!!!

5430 Sprint 6/21... Racing at the boulder res in the summer... doesn't get much better than this... will be interesting to see how I bounce back from the previous day's event.  Mmmmmm pancake and fresh fruit breakfast from whole foods afterwards.  Yum yum!!!

Pacific Crest Half Ironman 6/27... when I left Austin 3 years ago the plan was to stop in boulder for two weeks and then continue on to Bend to see how it was there.  We know how that ended up.  I communicate with my backcountry hero in Bend, Chris Williams, quite frequently, sharing stories of the high country and what we did in the mtns.  His trump mine 99% of the time.  That said I've been saying that I'd make it out to Bend at some point.  With the Pac Crest Half falling right at the tail end of this block of speedy racing and training I threw it into the mix and am looking forward to some PNW high country racing.  10am start?  Wow!  That's awesome!  :)  Looking to stay for a few days afterwards to soak up some Cascades Hiking as well as recover from the block before getting ready for the long course assault of July and August. 

Strap on your racing shoes... it's game time!!!

*note the bronco-ish colors on my new racing flats*

Great Chill Ride in the High Country

...as posted over at the viewfrom2wheels

http://viewfrom2wheels.blogspot.com/ 

Tweeting

Back in the saddle again

Bike is rough and swim is ugly but just keep on doing... because.... --> it's what I do. 

Feeling light on the run.  

Settling into the summer routine.  Students are gone... town is a bit quieter. 

Colorado is awesome... need to get up into the high country soon.  Spring smells so good.

Austin ITU less than 2 weeks away.  

Getting fitter... getting faster. 

MVA

Outliers... Happy Mothers Day

At some point I will post a review of this now that I have completed the book (and really more of a thank you/life post), but wanted to get a brief thought out....

A couple quotes from the final pages of the book... 

"(we) are products of history and community, of opportunity and legacy. (Our) success is not exceptional or mysterious.  It is grounded in a web of advantages and inheritances, some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky - but all critical to making them (us) who (we) are."

"Nor is success simply the sum of the decisions and efforts we make on our own behalf.  It is, rather, a gift.  Outliers are those who have been given opportunities -- and who have had the strength and prescence of mind to seize them."

In other words, as Mothers Day approaches, we are not self made men/women nor products of our own sole works, but rather the result of our ability to capitalize upon the circumstances that have been given to us.  

So on the eve of Mom's Day (gift will be a little late in arriving Mom... it just got here)....

My Mom and Dad have given me so much both tangible and intangible... I am a largely a product of what they gave me to play with... and for that I can never thank them enough. 

LIFE.IS.GOOD.

Good Stuff

"The person who has lived the most is not the one with the most years, but the one with the richest experiences."

-Jean-Jaques Rousseau

Dreaming of the high country

if only ....  http://boulder.craigslist.org/reo/1147055708.html

Robert Murphy Photo gallery of pro race at St. A's

http://www.robertmurphy.com/Gallery/SA2009/index.html