Video of Tyler and I swimming.

I purchased a video camera for recording some of our adventures: Mountain biking, Skiing, underwater adventures, etc. The camera is called GoPro

http://www.goprocamera.com/

I used the camera initially to record footage of Tyler and I while swimming. Visually watching your form underwater has been very helpful to identify where to concentrate on form improvement.

I plan on recording some mountain biking soon!

Beaver Creek - Xterra

Today, Tyler and I entered an Xterra at Beaver Creek, near Vail. - It consisted of an open water swim, mountain bike, and trail run. Tyler completed the short course and due to his outstanding performance I see him doing the full Xterra's very soon. The full course was 1 mile swim a 15.5 mile mountain bike with 3600 ft of elevation gain (it was a ball buster) and then a 5 mile run with another 1200 ft elevation gain. I was exhausted starting the run: dehydrated, hurting from the mountain bike ride, and had horrible stomach cramps from either dehydration or from the Gu shots. I ended up fast walking at least 2 of the 5 miles. Otherwise, we finished the race and we both have a future of nothing but faster improvement. Tyler stated "It was a blast, I cannot wait for the next one"


Below, Tyler chilling out at the deck of our hotel.

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I did not get any action shots of Tyler, his event was before mine. Tyler taking a snap shot of me in Transition 2 from bike to run. I am "quickly" getting on my trail shoes.

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After the race, father-son shot.

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Self notes: Swim I completed fairly well, faster than the pack, the mountain bike, I could not catch my breath and need to work on my climbing (yes, it was 3600 ft, but I felt weak), and finally the run/jog/hike, can improve dramitcally.

Stand by for other pictures and actual data results.

Tyler's first open water swim

After work, I planned an open water swim in lake Haviland, a nice isolated lake at 8100ft to expose Tyler to the open water. It was a great experience for Tyler and we will be back at the lake in a few days for one more training session before the race this weekend near Vail, CO.

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Yes, I am wearing a swim cap while throwing up a gang sign. (Yes, I am totally k3wl) The water was relatively very clear, 20 foot visibility and the temperature felt approximately 62 degrees.

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After avoiding any fishing hooks and slimy rocks we made it to deeper water. Once there, I gave Tyler some basic open-water navigation instruction and some techniques for remaining calm. The wet suits make you positive buoyant allowing an improved swimming form and is less resistance. click for larger image

Rebecca, Brianna and the dogs accompanied us with a dinner picnic. Overall, a great lake, I will definately be putting miles in here and incorporating this into our training program.

Floating down the Animas

Today was a lazy day. We decided to brave the rapids and float down the Animas. Below, Tyler and Brianna are approaching near the shore. Some of these shots were from Rebecca on an overlooking bridge. You can see me taking pictures from the shore.

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Brianna missed the landing zone!

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I asked "Did you have a good time?" I got the typical respone "eh, it was ok". You can never please a teenager!

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Rebecca and Brianna coming in to their finish. Rebecca said she crashed into a bridge and was spilled into the river, she remained a trooper, got back on and smiled.

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Jones - Pinkerton - Dutch - Hermosa

Tyler and I mountain biked with Jim, Baird, and Walker today on a killer 20 mile trail(See subject title for the trail names). We peaked out at roughly 10300ft. I actually really enjoyed the climb up Jones; Pinkerton climb on the other hand was a gut check! Eventually, we were able to get some downhill and I apologize to the cows that we disturbed as we buzzed down the mountain.

The first 8 miles was approximately 3500 feet of climbing and it was not technical; instead, it was relentless and never ending! I loved every minute of it. The Garmin reported 3713 of total ascent for the entire 20 miles. I used an application known as SportTracks to gather the data.

Tyler and I we were a bit exhausted before even beginning today's ride due to the heavier week of training for next week's Xterra. But, it was character building. We eventually ended up with smiles upon completion!

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It's official - Rebecca is a Mountain Biker

Rebecca successfully climbed Horse Gulch Road and completed the inner meadow loop like a pro! This was her 2nd trip and a quote from her was "I want to do that again". Unfortunately, it was 8:30pm and the sun was setting.

Here are some pictures of her single track experience showing off her Kona 4 Dawg Deluxe. The 4 means 4 inches of front and rear travel regarding her suspension.



Look at the concentration on her face!


Before we began some of the fun downhill in the meadow loop, she hyper-hydrates and reflects on the new skills she learned.


She did absolutely great! With pony tails, smiles, and a great attitude. (What more can I ask for) She was a real trooper and I foresee her accomplishing more than she ever thought possible! What happened to the Ohio Rebecca I once knew who would never think of mountain biking! ;)

I told her in a recent email..."You're an official mountain biker, now prepare for white-knuckled hang-on-for-your-life rides where the laughter is fueled by lunacy"..

Training Snapshot - MTB Ride

A snapstop of our mountain biking. Tyler and I decided to ride this morning at 5:45 and hit a local trail that starts blocks from our house. It actually felt great to get out in the morning before work. Once again, missing the heat and noon rains.



The average pace seems relatively consistent regardless of the climbing.. hrmmm


Here is the topo.I ended up riding back on the road for a mile or two due to getting to the office at a reasonable time. The trail is in the Gulch system: