random updates from the past week

It's been awhile so I wanted to post a quick update...

I spent a few days last week in the California-Danish hamlet of Solvang with my colleague Todd Carver bike fitting Vision Quest camp members. We spent the majority of those days in a hotel room while the campers biked 4-6 hours/day, but I did sneak away for two runs along portions of the Tour of California time trial course (very hilly). The concept of this camp was brilliant as it focused on teaching cyclists, but mostly triathletes, how to effectively ride and communicate in group road riding settings. A class or camp like this should be a pre-req for all triathletes to learn how to properly handle a bike out on the road and with a group.

After we left the camp in Solvang I spent Thursday night in Santa Barbara, had a great run on the beach and got a free pass to the local Y for a few swims in a disgustingly warm pool (unfortunately the 50m outdoor pool along the beach, Los Banos, didn't work with my flight itinerary). This place is like Boulder but on the Pacific Ocean and I realized I could easily see living out there someday.

Back in Boulder, I hopped on my first group ride of the year out to Carter Lake, a Saturday group ride of about 70 strong. The group usually breaks apart at the top of a one-mile climb to Carter Lake and at the top of the climb this past Saturday we had the local country Sheriff waiting for us with lights flashing. The officer has been known to crack down on cyclists riding in groups so I was just happy to have brought my ID along so I would only get a ticket and not a free ride to the jailhouse. I didn't quite know how the officer would ticket all of us, but luckily the officer just gave us a group warning.

Since it looked like the rest of the ride would be spent in one long, strung out paceline, I flipped a left turn and rode out to Masonville. On the way back towards Boulder, I realized the combination of a stiff headwind, very few long rides on the bike, and low fueling would make for a long ride back! When I finally made it to Hygiene (15 miles outside of Boulder) I peeled into the gas station and ordered buffet of sweets (donuts, Snickers, Mountain Dew, Coke, Lil' Debby cookie and an egg salad sandwich). It took all of that to reverse my bonk and get back home. I learned that Emily had a bit of trouble with the headwind too (maybe she'll chime in for more on that story).

Magnolia has become a weekly staple of my run training this winter and every time I head up there I wonder why we don't live up there yet. It is my favorite workout and is always very tough but is a great fitness booster. This afternoon, I had the 15.5-mile out and back on the dirt and gravel roads to myself again.

Our old roommate, Fred, came over for dinner tonight. He's leaving Tuesday for New Zealand to race the Ironman down there. He is going very good right now (like he always does November - May) and I think he's ready to uncork a Kona qualifying performance if his race goes according to how well he is training! In one particular instance on Saturday, he easily pulled off the front of the group ride while putting in ten minute sustained effort. We had to organize and work quite hard to pull him back into the group.

Em and I are waiting for our passports to come back with our visas for our Saudi Arabia trip this upcoming Friday! I am excited to have Em meet the Benchich Brothers and to see my parents and the country where I grew up. Worst case scenario, if the passports don't show up, we will spend the week in neighboring Bahrain and everyone will just have to drive across the Causeway (which separates the two countries) to visit us.

All for now,
lars