Bumps and bruises!

Well, that's 2 helmets down in less than a year!!

In training yesterday I took a pretty gnarly spill off my bike, landing on my right hip and smacking my head pretty solidly on the ground. Sometimes even having good handling skills can't get you out of a jam. I knew I was going down, so I did what I could to limit the damage. Unlike most people, my natural reaction is not to throw my arms out to catch me... it seems I like to catch myself with my head instead! I end up doing do a "tuck and roll" which keeps collarbones etc. safe from harm. The bruise around my hip is pretty spectacular. I had it bandaged up all day so I was pretty shocked last night when I took a look at it and saw the beginnings of serious green and blue artwork! I did an excellent job if I may say so myself! Helmet is cracked in 2 places... better than my head... and the reason, again, why no one should ever ride a bike without a helmet!!

After my easy afternoon, including a walk to try to keep things moving, I was back in the pool this morning. I could have done without the full body stinging when I first got in, but the swim did my joints well. It wasn't a great swim, but it got the blood moving and eased some of the stiffness. I'll head back to the pool later today to swim again and try a bit of water running. Hopefully, I'll be able to resume a more normal routine tomorrow and by Monday it will be nothing but a distant memory.

Dublin Dr. Pepper

I'd like to officially welcome Dublin Dr. Pepper to my team of amazing sponsors for 2010!!!

I was first introduced to Dublin Dr. Pepper when I was in Austin, Texas early in 2009. After totally bonking on a training session in the hot Austin summer weather, I was saved by a few bottles of Dublin Dr. Pepper. It got me thinking. I have always had trouble stomaching traditional sports drinks and have found, as many cyclists know, that racing on flattened soda is a good alternative for me. However, traditional soda has corn syrup in it, something I like to avoid whenever possible.

Dublin Dr. Pepper allows me to race on something that doesn't upset my stomach and also doesn't contain corn syrup! Dublin Dr. Pepper is the original recipe for Dr. Pepper, bottled in a family owned plant in Dublin, Texas. They use all natural cane sugar instead of corn syrup and the result is the best tasting soda out there!

So, when I need a carbonated "pick me up" after a long day of training, or if you want to know what I'm drinking on the bike, the secret is out, it will always be Dublin Dr. Pepper!

Just another week...

Nothing too exciting to report... just another great week "at the office" here in Australia. Lots of hard work, hard training and some beautiful days that only help to remind me of how fortunate I am. I visited my Australian "voodoo" doctor 6 times this week and I am pleased to say that my body now twitches and tingles on its own accord, a truly unique experience! Sometimes, as boring as it may be, it is nice to have a week when there is little to report on :) The photo above is after 1 of 3 very wet rides in a row last week - I was really happy when the sun decided to come back out this week!



We have a photo journalist following us around for a few weeks, doing a story on the group, and she captured this image after our hard Tuesday run session. Lots of smiles covering up the extreme fatigue we were all feeling only a few minutes earlier!

LA Talk Radio

I did a little spot on The Simon Gowen Triathlon Show this morning which you can find on www.latalkradio.com. It was a great show, talking about the season and what it will take to make triathlon a household sport. I really enjoyed chatting with Simon and my good friend David Wallach from the Pace of Chicago.

I'd like to make a big shout out to all the US winter Olympians who are totally crushing it in Vancouver right now!! Even though they do things on the snow and ice and in very cold weather, hard for me to relate to, I understand what they have all given up to be there and I am so inspired.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you a very Happy (and sweet) Valentine's Day from Australia!

My morning will be spent out on the bike! Happy to have a chance to go for a longer ride this weekend, but 4+ hours in the rain may prove to be a bit overwhelming as I don't own a rain jacket! Maybe I should just cycle in my swim gear :) Afterwards, I'm going to bake some of my famous, non-recipe, banana bread for my host family and probably take a long and much needed nap!!

Just another perfect day down under!

Garmin Blog!

New post up on the Garmin Blog with a link to one of my training rides from last week. I try to post at least once a week to the Garmin blog including some of my weekly training for everyone to follow.

The rain has set in here in Canberra. Despite flood warnings, which are practically unheard of around here, I am super excited for a great weekend of training. Long runs, long rides... once you're wet... who cares?!

As per recent inquiry...

My 2010 schedule is still tentative and, to be honest, it will always be a bit tentative as so much can happen during the course of the year.

However, the basic framework has been laid out...

I will open my year at either the Mooloolaba World Cup or the Sydney World Champs Series race. After that, I will return to the US and knock off a few races in North America including the 30th Anniversary of the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon (my favorite race!). My final US race will be the Hyvee Elite Cup and then I will head to Europe for the rest of the summer. Basing myself out of Switzerland again, I have a whole lineup of races planned including World Cups and the World Championship Series events across Europe. Hopefully, I will earn a start at the Budapest Final and then head back to North America for US Nationals and the Pan American Championships. If all goes well, I plan to end my season either in Dallas at the US Open or at the final World Cup in Mexico.

Phew!

But, before I'm ready to tackle all of that, I still have a whole lot of hard training and hard days "at the office" ahead to ensure that I'm ready to toe the line with the Worlds best! :)

Invictus

Great flick. Highly recommended.

How can you not love Morgan Freeman and who my training partner referred to as a "blonde looking Matt Damon" - Yes, it is indeed Matt Damon - both are excellent and the film certainly has some poignant moments that bring chills to your body.

I will say, however, that the subtitling of an already "english" film was rather humorous especially when the subtitles either made the dialogue more complex or simply did not match the dialogue at all.

It was a lovely afternoon with my training partners, not training, and then more joined for a little BBQ at my "home" in Canberra.

Now, another week of training in the bank, pain free, I'm off to bed and ready to tackle a new week and a whole new set of physical and mental challenges.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley