BANFF ADVENTURES Spring 2016

I recently spent some quality time in the Canadian Rockies, Banff, Canmore, Lake Loiuse.  Making this place my personal playground for a few days.  Here are just a few of the photos from these adventures.  

Making friends in downtown Banff.. foreshadowing moment here #curiousblackbears

Yamnuska Mountain, just outside of Banff National Park. Ran up and down this twice in a bit under 5 hours. Hike takes you straight up then straight down. You can see the down path just slightly in this picture.. its literally Straight Down.

Nearly to the top of Yamnuska. One must shimmy along a thin ledge gripping a chain rope in order to reach the peak. 

View from the peak. Mountains for DAYS.

When running up the mountain, one must become the mountain.. True Story.

Another Pano of the Northern Rockies from the peak.

Remember that first picture, this is that path straight down.  Running down skreet is fun.  Funny moment here - Someone base jumped with a wing suit from the peak just above me as I was running down.  Happy to say he landed safely.

Camped here at Lake Minnewanka for a night.  The water could not be more still. This picture does not do the beauty of this place justice.

Prepping for a freezing night on the mountain.

I mean really?!?

Camped here the next night. Tunnel Mountain. It was cool to watch the sun come up while lounging in the red chair. 

It is also nice to wake up and see the mountain tent side.  I think this picture is required these days. #staywild

There are Hoodoos just below me here and bald eagles out near the island. Those pictures are with hundreds others in my dropbox.

Mr Elk you should really take better care of your fur.
Elk were in abundance, so were bears, but never saw a Moose, I really wanted to see a Moose.

Rented a cf road bike at Lake Loiuse.  Cycled down the 1A/Bow Valley Parkway 80 km to Canmore, then cycled back 80 k to Lake Loiuse. Stopped a bit for photo ops. 160 km a riding in running shoes then ran 5k up a snow covered mountain... Yup, slowly becoming the mountain.

Got the hook up on a fantastic bike.  Cycling down the 1A is crucial. Never a dull moment.

Glassy crystal clear waters reflect the snow capped mountain range.

Weather was perfect this day.

Spent some time hanging out in downtown Banff too.  Gorgeous little mountain community. Lots of tourists though.. had to make quick escapes back up to the mountains.

Driving my new Porsche around Calgary and Banff.. haha yeah right. it doesn't even have off road 4 wheel drive.

Johnson Creek.  Another essential stop in Banff.  Waterfalls galore!

So tempting to run in for a dip but that water is as cold as ice.  Opted for a bit of the natural 110 degree sulfur springs instead.

Lake Louise. Snowy and ice covered this early in the year.  I ran to the top of that peak on the right.

Lake Loiuse water is just about as clean as it gets. Phosphorus, nitrogen, metals and TSS levels are so low its drinkable. Me = Water Quality Nerd.

A view from the top of Big Beehive mountain.  Just took 3k of running straight up and 2k of tiptoeing over 4 foot snow packs and deep ice pits.  Appeared I may have been the first one up here this year.  I almost died getting down and avoiding a bear and sliding down glaciers, but it was worth it I think.  I had my avalanche gear at least. I did forget gloves, my one finger is finally getting feeling back after a lil bout of frost bite. 

Mirror Lake above Lake Loiuse.  About halfway up to the tippy top of my hike.  

One last quiet evening in Banff recovering from an extreme day. 

Longest falls in the park.  Again, this picture doesn't do it justice.

Till we meet again...

More of my Banff photos can be found in my dropbox,com Benjamin Farrell

2015 Year in Racing Recap

I thought for my own sake it would be good to recap my 2015 races and discuss what my goals were and if I hit them or not.  The overall goal of this year was to compete in races out of my comfort zone and push my limits so that I can become a stronger athlete (mind and body).  These races that don't exactly suit my strengths would include very tough, hot, hilly, and mountainous events.  Again, my goals were not oriented around winning, but more about pushing my mind and body to new places.

The season started with the Columbia Triathlon.  It's claimed to be one of the toughest olympic distance tris in the country due to the hills,  I had a good race here, though my result did not show it.  I flatted halfway through the bike and lost about 3 minutes fixing that. Ran well off the bike for an early season race and still finding my fitness. Considering the tire flat, I was happy with this race. Swim fitness was still building, so my time was relatively slow as expected.

My second event was the Baltimore 10 miler. A very competitive race. I did this to see get a better idea of where my fitness was at leading into the triathlon season and get a good training day in.  I was a couple minutes off my goal of 59 minutes,. I chalk it up to the hilly coarse and a difficult winter to train in.

The third race was Challenge Atlantic City 70.3.  This was my first high priority race of the year.  It was not intended to be anything else than a very fast race and I did have expectations of going fast.  The conditions of the event took a bad turn when rain storms completely turned the coarse inside out.  The swim location was moved and the bike coarse was ravaged by debris and sediment.  My swim time wasn't great, but good enough.  Unfortunately I flatted 2 times during the bike and as it happened I was in the lead at about 35 miles into the race when I flatted.  I could only fix the one flat and was shit outa luck with the second flat. There was no bike support provided.  I was stuck in the middle of know where and had a nightmare of a time getting back to my stuff.  It was so bad that I was refunded my money.  Over the day I think they said over 35 people had flats.  So this race was a bust!

The next race was Challenge Pocono Mountains 70.3.  This was a challenging coarse through the hills of the Poconos, plus it was extremely hot.  I had a pretty good swim, and a pretty good bike ( I finally did not flat!).  I held back a little bit on the bike due to the heat and also thinking I should save energy for the run.  I ended up cramping up pretty bad a couple miles into the run. I couldn't shake them off and ended up walking way too much.  The run was a fail.  But still finished well overall. And best of all I became a stronger athlete from it.

Last triathlon of the year was Savageman 70.3 "toughest triathlon in the world".  Not sure how true that is, but this was a hell of a coarse.  The amount of climbing on the bike and on the run was ridiculous. It was the hardest tri I've done yet, but I had a lot of fun.  The day was about celebrating a great summer of racing and training and being very fit. I had a good swim, great bike (for using a road bike), and a decent run.  I was happy with my race.  I cramped up immediately coming off the bike, but that went away and I slogged through hilly run.  Races like these are more about completing the coarse rather than getting a new personal record. Stoked to have my name carved into the stone road at the top of 'The Wall'.

Next race was the Baltimore Marathon.  I decided to race this about 3 days before the event. I thought it would be a good training day to prepare for a couple ultra marathons coming up.  I had not trained for a marathon all year, but the half marathon training and half ironman racing made me more than ready to run a relatively quick marathon.  My goal was to just break 3 hours.  The last bit of the course was pretty hilly which didn't plan for during the first half of the marathon.  I was thinking I could do two 90 minute half marathons. But I slowed the second half to where a sub 3 hours wasn't possible. At least qualified for Boston 2017.

Two weeks after the marathon was the Roseryville 50k ultra marathon trail race in support the veterans.  I did this last year and had a fun time.  This year was a somewhat different since I ran the majority of it solo, not in a group. Last year I stayed in a group of three until about 20 miles, which helps more mentally than anything else. This year I was gunning to run sub 4 hours for 32 miles.  About 8 miles in I rolled my ankle on some tree roots.  It was bad enough were I could not put pressure down on it and figured my race was over at that point, I mean another 23 miles on it sounded impossible at first. But I am stubborn and going home without finishing was the absolute last thing I wanted so I walked for about a half mile, then began to run slow on it, and eventually the pain went away and I was back to running normal.  I did a 4:07, just over my sub 4 hour goal, but I took it as a personal victory overcoming that setback.

Racing just like life is about overcoming setbacks and challenges, staying positive, and pushing forward.  This year was all about overcoming mental challenges of my mind telling me I need to stop or slow down.  No matter how bad it hurts there is no better feeling than crossing a finish line knowing you overcame the hard challenges of the day and that you've become a better person mentally and physically because of it.

Information about 2016 plans coming soon!

2015 Race Scheduling

Feeling stronger, faster, and healthier than ever.  Ready to start winning some races again.

In addition to joining the NUUN Elite Team in 2015

I joined Team NUUN because I believe in their hydration tablets and in the company.  The hydration tablets contain the electrolytes to keep the cramping away and the vitamins to keep me energized and none of the fluff sugar calories. I believe in the company because they are environmentally conscious and strive for sustainability. #GetElectroLit

Finally I have a race schedule in the works for 2015

Columbia Olympic Triathlon            - May 17th

Baltimore 10 miler                         - June 6th

Challenge Atlantic City 70.3            - June 28th

Challenge Pocono Mountains 70.3  - August 16th

SavageMan 70.0                           - September 20th 

Patapsco Valley 50k                      - Oct. 24th

Challenge Florida 70.3                   - Nov. 8th

Roseryville Veterans Day 50k          - Nov 14th

Summer Travels & Race Reviews

Just saw I haven't updated the blog since July. That's what happens when I don't race or travel too much. This update will quickly cover some travels, some racing (my first full Ironman experience), and what the future outlook for racing looks like.

Back in Oregon
A few words to sum up my couple weeks back in Oregon.. wild, awesome, fresh, perfect, beautiful, amazing, necessary, motivating, adventurous, busy, and just overall brought me back to life! I took advantage of every minute I had.  CAMPING - I camped in the mountains, I camped at the beach, and camped at friends houses in Portland and Eugene.  HIKING - Hiked Mt. Hood a couple days, Hiked the Columbia Gorge a couple days, Hiked around the beach for a couple days, and hiked around Portland and the UO campus.  ACTIVE - Trail-running in Portland and in the Columbia River Gorge, Kayaking and SUP Columbia River, Jumping in waterfalls.  FOOD - Craft Beer & Coffee count as eats, right! Camp fire eats, Wild fruit eats, Restaurants eats around Portland and Eugene, good ole Home cooking at Friends' houses.

That's all I can remember right now.  Here are just a few pictures that capture just a bit of my adventures.

Hiking and beach time Oswald State Park

View at the top of the Oswald hike

Beach walks, good beer, and a perfect sunset with a special person 

Running through the halls of the Shinning's "Overlook Hotel" We found the scary room (actually it doesn't really exist)

The start of a very long day hike around Mount Hood

Great time hiking with this dude, WATERFALLS!!!

I visited during that magical time of the year.. sunny days, low tourist population, and wildflowers in action 

Can't get enough of this place!!!

Race Recaps
I am a Spartan!
I did three races in the span of 6 weeks.  First up was the Virginia Spartan Super 8 mile obstacle course race.  Not really a "race".  Did this with my cousin and his buddies as a team just for fun and to try something new, while getting in some cross-training.  I definitely enjoyed this event! Its a tough course that involved something like 6,000 feet of elevation of running/walking/crawling and about 30 strength obstacles.  I can't say I loved every minute, since I spent a good hour stuck waiting behind people (9,000 participants!) that preventing me from actually "racing". Other than that it was a fantastic challenge and allowed me to put all this strength and endurance training I do to good use. Also, tested a lot of my weak areas such as upper body strength (not something I need for cycling and running or even swimming.)  Despite the time delays during the event I placed well.  Next time I do one of these I will sign up with the elites who go off before everyone else and avoid the delays - and then maybe go back and run with a team of friends - because racing and helping a team is a lot of fun.

It was a muddy good time!

I am an Ironman!
I thought the timing was perfect for me to finally race one of the long course 140.6 triathlons aka Ironman triathlons.  I had a couple solid years of racing half ironmans and I was definitely ready to go longer.  So not only was the timing right but the location was right.  Ironman Maryland took place in Cambridge, MD, which is only an hour and a half away from where I live in Baltimore.  This provided me a rare opportunity to train on the course throughout the summer.  And I made it out there a few times for long Bike-Run sessions on the hot, humid, flat race course.  The training went great and I was expecting to race reasonably fast.  My bike practice had me projected to complete the flat race course in a comfortable 4:35 hours and longest brick practice gave me confidence I could run 3:15 hours after that bike effort.  I did not practice open water swims, but practice race simulations in the pool gave me confidence I get through 2.4 miles in 1:05.  All in all these training numbers gave me confidence I could be pretty competitive in the race overall. But, if you race triathlons then you know a race can be very unpredictable and anything can happen.  The biggest hurdle for racing these Ironman events is Mental.  For me, I needed to except and embrace the fact I would be swimming for an hour, cycling for some four hours and running for some 3 hours.  There is a lot to the mental game and I could write a book about it, but a large piece of the puzzle is to be positive and to simply spend very very long solitary hours training. Good thing for me is that I love training long hours, probably too much - but that's another topic altogether.

In regards to my inaugural Ironman race - it was actually a bit of a let down.  I love racing and pushing myself to my limits.  I feel like I didn't get the opportunity to really do that here.  Mentally it was very challenging for sure, no doubt. But the unfortunate events on the bike took me from "racing mode" to "participating, just cross the finish line mode".

The SWIM was interesting and I actually thought I was swimming quite well.  I had no idea I lost so much time with that rolling start and then getting caught behind people on the second loop, so I was surprised I was 10 minutes slower than projected.

Only a mile or two into the BIKE ride I got myself in big trouble - I tried to pass a group taking up the road by passing on the right side, then got bumped, accidentally, hit a pothole and went crashing off into a grassed ditch. It happened fast and I was back onto my bike fast after collecting my nutrition only one of the two bottles that fell out.  Unfortunately, I quickly realized my seat post had been pushed down a bit and my seat angle was way off (post-race I found my carbon frame took a bad hit and has a small hair-line fracture).  I didn't think too much of the seat issue at first, I just continued to hammer the rest of the way working my way to the front. Truth is - when the seat post and seat angle get messed up during a 112 miles cycling there is going to be consequences.  I felt it after about 60 miles of hammering 25-26 mph, it was like I hit a wall.  The "new" bike position forced me to bike using just quads.  Generally my cycling power comes from a balance of quads, hamstrings, and glutes.  Long story short - I struggled to finish the second half on the bike and came in nearly 20 minutes off projections.

I was excited to start the RUN. Besides the quads cramping up throughout the bike, I had good energy left for the run. I felt good through the first 8 mile lap, but then the wheels just started falling off.  Problem was that my quads were kinda toasted from the bike effort and I demand a lot from my quads on the run.  Physically I had the energy, but my legs were kinda done and I walked quite a bit through the final 16 miles.  I was a little over 30 minutes slower than projected on the run.  I finished in around 10 hours. It felt GOOD to cross that line though! Good is obviously an understatement. All the hours of training, all the time sacrificed from family and being social, its all such a huge commitment and sacrifice. It's worth it though! I love the TRILIFE!!  Its great to finally have an Ironman race under my belt.  But as soon as I crossed the finish line I was ready to sign up for another one.  I want to get this distance right, redeem myself, and race as good or a little better than the training sessions.  Thanks to all the family members that came out to support me. I appreciate it so much! Here are a few pictures that cover my race.

I don't know if is good or bad thing, but I wasn't too sore from the Ironman effort. OK the soreness lasted about two days, but by the next weekend I was ready to race again. I was probably more sore after the Spartan event.  Anyways, I was in good race shape and I wasn't very satisfied with the Ironman effort so I decided to race a local half ironman a week later.  Unfortunately, the cloak of bad luck was still with me on the bike. Shortly after taking the lead about 35 miles into the 56 mile bike ride I get a flat.  "That's okay, I have a spare tubular for this, I lose a few minutes, no worries, I will just hammer to the front again" I thought.  Not even a minute later my rear tire goes flat. My race was over right there.  This particular bike support crew do not carry spare tubulars or spare wheels. The bike roads were less than favorable.. gravel, potholes, speed bumps.  I shouldn't have been surprised when I found myself holding on for dear life going 28 mph over these raggedy roads on the race course. Maryland Roads are incredibly bad. (This is a hot topic for me!).. I'll leave it at that.

Frustrating is the key word for my two triathlons this year.  Things will change next year.  I finally have all the endurance+ that I lost from my year+ off from triathlon racing. It's difficult to predict where I will be racing next year, but plans are definitely in the works.  One thing I do know is that I will be shooting for a marathon PR early 2015 :) .

Who's Got the Sauce

Racing News:

USA Triathlon -Duathlon Long Course National Championships is on April 28th.  I raced this last year in Maryland, but dropped out due to injury.  Guess where it is taking place in 2013.. Enumclaw, Washington    (just west of Seattle).  I have a buddy racing it from UO, I am really considering racing too.  Though I am in no shape to win, I can easily qualify for World Championships which is located in Switzerland this year. The next two weeks of training will determine whether or not I race.  It'll be hard passing up on racing DU Nationals. I also have Wildflower a week after on May 5th. 

Also, cycling form has returned to me quite quickly, thankfully.  It took a couple days, but swim endurance has also returned to me somewhat quickly too, swim speed... that's another issue.  Since starting back, I swim 5 days a week.  Running speed and endurance are probably my biggest problems right now due to the weight gain... but I am improving each day and that's all I can ask for.

Exciting News:

Newly  re-Located in Portland, OR - Planet X upgraded me to their newest race machine with new SRAM components. Total racing weight is 18.6 lbs (roughly 1 lb lighter than the previous model). Nothing like a new bike to get me motivated!

Here's the New Bike.  Planet X Exocet 2.  Lighter. Stiffer. Cleaner. More Aero. More Sexy!

Feel free to contact me for more info about PX's new TT bike.

Hey, Earth Day is Coming! What Changes Will You Make This Year To Lower Your Impact on the Planet?

Catching Up On Life

Wow it has been a while! Things have been ultra busy with graduate school and living the college life. I am currently on Spring Break, and while all of my friends are visiting California for break I am tucking deep in to my 'triathlon training camp'.  But before I get into any triathlon talk I want to throw up some pictures and whatnot.

I finished another quarter with all A's and high Passes.  This quarter was extremely time consuming with: 

Bike Economy Studies, Reports, and Presentations

GHG Emission studies and calculations and reports and presentations on the future of Sustainable Electricity 

Writing my thesis paper on stormwater quality treatment at Hayward Field and the University

Programing software that simulates scenarios of what the future landscape will look like based on Climate Change Impacts and Planning Decisions.

Last but not least Leadership in Critical Conversations in the workplace (and life).

I had fun and really look forward to this coming quarter as it will be less intense, which will allow me time for other things (not partying ahaha).

THIS IS A PICTURE OF MY BACKYARD ON A CLEAR WINTER DAY. IT'S THE WILLAMETTE FOREST.  I DON'T GET TO GO INTO THE MOUNTAINS A LOT, BUT THAT WILL CHANGE AS SPRING AND SUMMER ARRIVE. SURROUNDING EUGENE ARE ROLLING MOUNTAINS AND OAK PRAIRIES.

I TRAVELED OUT TO MOUNT BACHELOR A COUPLE TIMES.  HERE I AM AT ONE OF THE PEAKS, OR AT LEAST THE HIGHEST PEAK AT BACHELOR.

SNOWBOARDING OUT IN OREGON IS INCREDIBLE.  I COULD LITERALLY STAY OUT HERE FOREVER. THE TWO PEAKS IN THE DISTANCE ARE APART OF THE 3 SISTERS MOUNTAINS.  I CAN'T WAIT TO HIKE THEM IN THE SUMMER!  BEND, OR IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND MY NUMBER ONE PICK TO MOVE TO IF I CAN FIND A JOB OUT THERE.  OUTDOOR REC IS CRAZY THERE, NOT TO MENTION THERE IS SOMETHING LIKE 16 LOCAL BREWERIES THERE.

THIS IS SAHALIE FALLS.  THE WATER THAT FEEDS THIS RUNS FROM THE 3 SISTERS MOUNTAINS.  WE GOT LUCKY AND GOT HERE ON A BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAY IN THE WINTER.  YOU CAN'T TELL BUT WE ARE STANDING ON 3-4 FEET OF SNOW.  LAVA ROCK SURROUNDS THE AREA.  THE WATER IS THE BLUEST YOU WILL EVER SEE. THE RAINBOWS ARE COOL TOO.

MORE OF SAHALIE FALLS.  IT IS IN THE WILLAMETTE FOREST. ITS ABOUT 90 MINUTES FROM ME IN EUEGENE.  ANOTHER GOOD SPOT RIGHT NEAR BY IS THE COUGAR HOT SPRINGS!

THIS IS TAMALITCH POOL, JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM SAHALIE FALLS.  ITS A GLACIAL POOL FED THROUGH WATER THAT TRAVELS IN LAVA TUBES AND FEEDS THE POOL FROM UNDER.  IN THE WINTER IT IS REALLY DEEP, THE WATER COLOR IS A BIT DARKER THAN USUAL.  THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL RIVER THAT IT DUMPS INTO. TO GET HERE YOU HIKE ALONGTHE RIVER FOR A COUPLE MILES.  I CAN'T WAIT TO VISIT IN THE SUMMER AND JUMP IN!

THERE ARE A LOT OF GREAT CONCERTS THAT COME TO EUGENE.  THIS IS BONE THUGS N HARMONY. FIRST TIME SEEING ALL FIVE OF THE GUYS LIVE AND PROBABLY MY FAVORITE CONCERT EVER.  BUT I'VE BEEN TO MANY OTHERS LIKE IRATION, SOUND TRIBE SECTOR 9, EXCISION, MATISYAHU, AND NOT TO MENTION TECH N9NE IN A WEEK FOR MY BIRTHDAY!

SOME OF THE CRAZY KIDS I HANG OUT WITH.  WE HAVE ABOUT 5 BARS THAT WE REGULAR HERE IN EUGENE. LOCAL BEERS ARE ABUNDANT AND REALLY TASTY!

So on to Triathlon...

The hard truth is I haven't legitimately trained in 10-12 weeks.  The toll of the triathlon life was heavy.  Triathlon is a very very lonely sport.  Training to be a professional triathlete made me miss out on a lot of things in life like friends, love, and hanging out and just having a beer or eating a burrito (veggie) at 3am and sleeping in!  I needed to breakup with triathlon to enjoy life in other ways.. sometimes unhealthy ways but fun ways! All I did for 2 or 3 years was work and train and race.  Having said all that, I loved being in elite triathlon shape and the way it made me feel and being outside all the time.

The break from training so hard was needed though. All I could think about was training and I wouldn't let myself give time to important people like I should have adn I regret that.

Also, overuse injuries were building up.  My shoulder was a bit injured from overuse as I was sore from time to time after swimming, and my right foot was still giving me problems even after the shots I received.  My injuries started last May 2012 after winning the Half Ironman in Charlottseville.  My foot was not healing and it was causing other problems in my run stride.  I would come home from every long run with foot pain.  I raced through 70.3 World Championships over-trained, tired from travelling and hiking, no rest, no recovery, and just unprepaired.  I was in the best shape of my life going into World Championships, but I didn't rest my body enough to utilize that fitness.  Lesson learned!

Currently I am all healed with no injuries.  Rested is an understatement, obviously...

I did not exactly plan to dive deep into the college life as much as I did.  I didn't think graduate school would be so demanding of my time outside of class either.  There is a reason why there aren't many elite triathletes that go to school and race at the same time.  Also I am broke as a joke, triathlon is crazy expensive!  I finally joined the Triathlon Club here at UO a month ago.  The majority of the kids on the team have never actually done a triathlon. The club unfortunately doesn't offer much in regards to training partners. The team is not very competitive and the direction is not great and I have no time to fix the team or help coach. I also have no time to go to training meets either (I am hoping that changes this coming quarter).  But, nontheless I get great deals on races, like I get to race Wildflower on May 5th for free and travel is free, well free minus the steep club fees that cover things like uniforms and whatnot.  

I guess I just revealed that I am racing Wildflower.  How can I do this when I have gained 10+ pounds over the winter and haven't swam in 12 weeks? I am not exactly sure, but it involves focus, eating extremely healthy (no beer) , training my brains out, and pain and pain and more pain.  I started up training again the first day of Spring Break.  I am so out of shape!! This is all relative to the way I was in August-September 2012 at the peak of my condition. But I feel like I am starting all over. Especially in the pool.  I could barely swim 200 meters without getting tired my first day back.  And my stroke feels like shit.   I have been biking on the indoor machine in the UO rec center as well as running here and there, but nothing specific for a long while.  I am not completely starting over. But for the races coming up..

Racing Wildflower will be more about putting my ego aside and enjoying the experience of the historical race event.  Wildflower is the mecca of triathlon also known as the Woodstock of triathlon. Me and the team will be camping out there for a couple nights.  Also, my triathlon buddy tells me Long Course Duathlon Nationals  are at the end of April in Washington.  If I can get my ass in decent shape I will also race that.  

I can only train so much (my body can only handle so much training) and I cannot expect to get back into shape like I was in September over a month.  Oregon is an amazing place to train for triathlon and I will use the environment as motivation this coming spring and summer.  The sunny days have finally arrived after 3-4 months of darkness and rain.  My bikes are getting all tuned up and I cannot wait to explore my new environment for everything its worth (as long as I have time).  I hope to surround myself with people that love training as much as me by getting more involved with the Team and the Cycling Shops.  It all just requires time.  After three or so years of dedicating my time to work and triathlon, I now know I need a more balanced life and if that means I cannot be a professional triathlete one day then I am okay with that.  I need to balance classes, studying,  my relationship, spending time with friends, and triathlon all together to be happiest.  This is certainly not a rare conundrum I need to deal with as many athletes struggle with this balance.  I just hope I can stay motivated to get through the rough training ahead of me.. I know what I need to do, it's just a matter a making a few sacrifices to make it happen.

So much to do, so little time. This spring quarter is going to go by fast and I want to enjoy every minute of it before I graduate in the end of June!