Mountain Paradise

Some people escape with alcohol, others with cigarettes, or chocolates...me, the mountains.

Good Song: Kings of Convenience - Love is No Big Truth

Great Falls N.P.

A nice little city get away for those time when you just need to get away for a bit... check it out, at Great Falls National Park. Cheers!



Good Song: The Thrills - Old Friends, New Lovers

Kinetic Half

I made it home in one piece - with some hardware. Finally, I reached a lifetime goal of breaking 5 hours with a personal best time of 4:59:49 for a half-iron distance race. This set me up for a 3rd place finish in my age-group...on a technicality I should add, since I was actually 4th but the top giu in my age group placed 3rd overall, thus taking him out of the age-group awards. Hey, I'll take it any way I can get it!

Race conditions were less than desirable, as expected. All was well at the start of the swim, but like clockwork, once I hopped out and onto the bike the deluge began! 56 miles, rain the whole time. Sometimes just a spit, most of the time downpours that stings when it hits you. Sweeeeet. Luckily, the temps held and it was quite comfortable to be out there. I lucked out on the run as it stopped raining for that portion with even a few seconds of sunshine here and there, but as soon as I finished the rain gods returned. I felt for the people still out on the course!

Even the friends I crashed with the night before managed to take home awards in their age-groups as well, so it was a great day for all!

With better race conditions, a flatter course, and a tweaked nutrition strategy I'm right on track for pulling off that 4:45:00 Eagleman finish! Man, I'm such a tri-geek.


Good Song: The Faint - Phone Call

Don't rain on my parade.

Well, this doesn't bode well for the Half-IM I'm supposed to be racing in this weekend. Its taking place down in Lake Anna, VA, and according to The Weather Channel I probably won't feel a difference between the swim and the bike/run...both are supposed to be WET. Lovely. Just have to take it all in stride. No pun intended? Wish me luck, I'll be sure to post how things turn out!

Peace out!

Good Song: Something For Rockets - Everybody Loves A Lot

Quote of the Week

Looks like its shaping up to be a busy week/weekend...probably not much time to make posts with crazy and wild happenings taking place throughout. Please forgive. Instead I leave you with a quote to tide myself over until the next posting.

Live BIG!

We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.

-Woodrow Wilson

Good Song: Iron & Wine - Cinders and Smoke

I got canned heat in my heals tonight, bay beh.

Get ready for Monday with a dance sequence. Classic.

Good Song: Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities Made of Ashes

Outdoor Fun

Whew, this morning was the discovery of another sweet place to mountain bike in the Greater D.C. area. Met up with a fellow tri clubber to check out the trails at Fountainhead Regional Park. It consists of 10 miles of some solid up and down rollers with a few rocky sections to boot, and beautiful view of the surrounding lake here and there. Not too shabby of a trail system, I must say. We got in 2 loops which rounded to about 2 hours of ride time, I was still feeling good afterwards to I decided to hit up the OTHER side of the park where the equestrian hiking trails were for an EASYYY trail run. Turned out to be anything but easy with tons of those steep-ass trail stairs, roots galore, and rutted up horsetracks that were just waiting to grab an ankle and take you down. No matter, the weather was perfect, the sun was shining, and it was a great morning to be outside. Now its time for a pizza...

Good Song: Cursive - Driftwood

LEGWARMERS!

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlight people

Good Song: Archer Prewitt - Judy, Judy

Sunny days.

Ahhh, what amazing day it is outside....and what do you know I'm stuck in my cube slaving away, and being pushed by "The Man" to finish up my tasks on time. Woo, no worries! I'm sure this won't be the last nice day of the year by a long shot. Besides come July I'll be taking some heavy amounts of vacation time, and will have more than enough time to enjoy all that the woods/mountains/waterways have to offer! If only I can make it that long...

Can you see me in the picture on the left, ohh I dunno around late August time? I hope you can.


Good Song: Matchbook Romance - Monsters

Here comes the sun.

Lovin' the sunrises on the bike.

Good Song: Fall Out Boy - A Little Less 16 Candles

Lance

She may not play the guitar but well done, Lance. Well done.

Good Song: The New Pornographers - Streets of Fire

A Photo Re-cap...

Shenandoah Valley...sooo green.

A view from the climb up...

overlooking H-burg and Massunutten mountain!
Feelin' that single track before the downpour.
Round 1: Good times!
Round 2: Great times!

Block partayyy.

Whats in the cups?

Training Du #2 Start

Pseudo transition area for the Du at H.P.

Good Song: The Delays - Long Time Coming

Alumni what?

A quick little sattelite post coming directly from the Carrier Library on the campus of JMU...one of the few times I have actually stepped foot inside, as well. Better late than never I guess! Anyways, the inaugural ride on the new mountain bike went well yesterday afternoon with a few minor dificulties...I met up with some old friends who lived in the 'burg to hit some trails out around Singer's Glen. A HUGE climb to start on a nice fire road provided some amazing views of the valley below and Mass. mountain in the distance. I should mention that I was unable to change out my left cleats to fit with my new pedals sooo I was basically riding one footed the entire time. Sweet! No matter, the mountains, woods, and good people more than made up for it. After the climb we continued on and began descending on some niiice long single track, and at the same time noticed some threatening clouds rolling in behind us. Uh oh, high elevation + thunderstorms + metal bikes between your legs does not equal a safe time. We cruised as fast as possible down to lower elevations, and were finally overtaken by this brute of a storm. I guess it was kind of cool getting rained on the very first time you ride a new bike...almost like a baptism. Boy, was it a beautiful thing. Everytime I'm out there in the woods, I'm always thinking to myself "If only I could stay forever." It is that amazing to me.

The night wrapped up seeing some more good friends and some ladies, and getting a sample of what is now the JMU male and female population. I must say, I am not impressed. Maybe my perspective has changed, but every dude seems the same to me...scraggly hair, lazy, un-adventurous, and seem to drink more than they go to class. As for the ladies, wow, I mean if you have a body then by all means show it...but, jeez that freshman 15-30 is now hanging out of that tube top and it is NOT attractive. Haha, ohh college. Well, tonights another night and we'll see what more trouble I can get myself into! Pictures are on their way...

Cheers!

Good Song: Sun Kil Moon - Ocean Breathes Salty

Ohh yeah.

A big round of applause for the ol' half-day Friday! Thats right, I'm sneaking out early today to get the weekend started right. Whats in store for And-to-the-D, you may ask? Well, I answer your question with...a question: Whats NOT in store?? Mmm, yeah. I'm thinking a little road trippin', some mountain bikin', some partyin', drinkin', couch crashin', and duathlon volunteerin'...lets hope, for your sake, I don't get arrested. Party on!


Good Song: Mellowdrone - Fashionably Uninvited

That's life. If nothing else, its life. It's real, and sometimes it fuckin' hurts, but it's sort of all we have.

Yup. Ain't that the truth. Gotta keep rockin' out to the best of my ability, and keep looking to the future! Lets do it. Big things are in the works!


Good Song: Badly Drawn Boy - Another Devil Dies

I'm not an ambi-turner.

Whew, I'm spent. One of those tireds where you can't exactly think straight...and you just kinda stare into nothingness. It feels great, too. So I apologize if the remainder of the post is neither intelligent nor understandable. Anyways, I was lucky enough to spend the weekend with a great group of old AND new friends from the JMU Triathlon Club. Had an amazing pre-race team pasta dinner, crashed on a couch in the 'burg, got little to no sleep with the time change and drunkards returning from wild nights of college debauchery, and returning home to NOVA with a little hardware and a HUGE smile. Today I raced my first triathlon of the season, Angels Sprint down in Lynchburg, VA. I faired well, about what I was expecting but always wishing to do just a tiny bit better. Somehow I managed to pull off the age-group win, and an 8th or 9th overall finish on the day...AND get in some tannage. Still looking for that breakthrough performance on the run I know I have in me. Once I can get that down I'll be golden! Oh, and if its wrong to enjoy wearing only tight spandex shorts, a visor, and sunglasses all day long...then I don't ever want to be right. Get pumped for an amazing season!!

JMU Tri rocks!

Peace out!

Good Song: Bright Eyes - Train Under Water