Lets just build into it guys...

The last couple days have been rough up here at altitude.  I have been getting some altitude headaches on and off and trying to drink as much as I can as it is very easy to get dehydrated up here.

Joel's idea when we got here was to go easy the first couple days, just to flush out the system from the race and get used to the altitude.  Then we will gradually increase the intensity from there so we do not overload the body.  Well the first day was flush, the second was rough, and the last two have been pretty damned hard.  I guess that is Coach Joel's idea of building into it.

Yesterday we started the day out with a set of 3x100 fast, then 3x300 sub threshold all on 1:30 per hundred pace.  We had to do that 3 times.  The first two rounds were pull paddle on the 300's and the last round was swim.  Thats where the altitude hits you like a ton of bricks.  I had to pull the 2nd 300 to rest my legs or my heart would have probably exploded.

From there we had a quick lunch and went for a 2.5 bike with the last 60min steady.  The group of us did that working pretty good together in a pace line, we were smoking!  Then we hopped off the bikes, did a quick change and ran 40min (10 steady, 10 easy X 2) on our Mooloolaba course.  Lets just say I hope I run quicker in the actual race.  Day done.

Today was a bit more manageable.  I started the day out with a 60min spin on the trainer (pic above) and then off to the pool for a recovery swim.  Later on in the afternoon we did a 70min run on a muddy, red dirt road.  Oh, and it was filled with potholes everywhere.  Perfect place for a 30min tempo run.  So we did 30min WU, 30min tempo, 10min cooldown.  Running tempo at altitude is tough but it went by quick and the day is finally done.

Now Joel is coming over to watch Lost.  It starts in 3 minutes so I am out of here.

Team BAMF Documentary

The most important athlete did not get an interview...what's with that!

Jasper is a DAD!!!

Congrats to Jasper Blake and his better half Jude for their new arrival into the world..."On Saturday February 23rd at 1:51pm, Finlayson Dundas Blake karate chopped his way out into the world and weighed in at 6lbs 5oz."

Welcome to 7000ft

Here we are for round 2 of our training camps. Back to Flagstaff, AZ. We were here for 3 months last year and it is good to be back...back to the suffering.

We are set up nicely in a hotel for the 4 weeks that we are here. We have a stove top, living room, and a bedroom so there is lots of space in each of the rooms. My roommate is Dano...best one to roommate with out of the group!

We raced the Desert Du again this year. Duathlon's are not my specialty...it takes out my best aspect and doubles my worst which usually makes for a painful race of trying to stay as close to the leaders as possible. This year a couple more good guys showed up and it was fast...well at least it felt fast. The times were slower than last year because the weather was not as good. After the race we drove the 2.5 hours up to Flagstaff and got in a 3km swim before we went to Picazzos for Joel's birthday.

Today was an easy recovery day. A 4km swim in the morning and a 90min spin. I also went to the Chiro and had a massage today...my hip has been bothering me ever since I got here, probably from the plane ride.

Here is a pic that Dano took before the Desert Du of Paul and I. Paul went on to win the race. He is the man.

What is an average week of food around the world?

Made it to Phoenix.

Check this out....a photo essay from TIME on what families eat around the world.  Pretty powerful.

The official unveiling of the new team BAMF logo for the year

Jet Plane Rides

Im off to Phoenix tomorrow to race in the Desert Duathlon on Sunday.  From there we are driving up to Flagstaff for a 4 week training camp leading up to the first race of the season in Mooloolaba, Australia.

Training has been going OK these last couple days.  The body is tired from the long hours but it will be recovered for this weekend.  I just got back from an awesome massage with Kim and getting adjusted with Rob before I go.  It helps to have a great support team here in Victoria to look after us.

The CCES were at the pool again this morning.  I do not like seeing them.  The least I have to see them the better.  The testing did not take too long though and I was able to get to breakfast shortly after.  When I got home I was surprised with a big package from New Balance, well I was expecting it but I did not think that it was going to get here before we left.  I tried on all the gear and it is cool stuff.  All of it is coming with me on this trip...it is all much needed gear!

I am off to bed now.  I fly out tomorrow afternoon.  Of course I have not started to pack yet...I will leave that for tomorrow...it's the only way I do it.

Ishigaki World Cup 11 Years Ago

so what's been going on....

I love it when people say "so it's been a while since my last post" or "I promise that I will update this more often" when writing a blog.  It never happens...so I will never say those things!

Training this past week was really tough...a different kind of tough that I am used to though.  I put in just over 30 hours (an no that does not include time to get to swimming...time in the shower...time on the massage table....time recovering by eating....etc etc etc....we know there are athletes that do that...."oh put in 40 hours of training this week".....BULL_H_T!  Although there are some who do put that many hours...many do not!) of solid training.  This included 31.3km in the water...425km on the bike...60km running.  Half of the time was on a saddle...oh yea, saddle sores here you come!  The rides outside were usually miserable because it is only a couple degrees and raining.  I curse Victoria for this.  The past Tuesdays ride a cold front must have come through with 40min to go and it started to pour.  Yea well, I was physically shivering on the way back home...took a couple minutes to get the keys out of my back pocket...my hands had no feeling in them and not working properly.  I get inside and just want to undress and get in the shower....well I could not get my helmet unbuckled to take off.  My fingers would just not work.  I was about to jump in the shower with all my gear on (including shoes) when the thawing started.  Wow, PLEASE GOD STOP, PLEASE!!!!  IF I COULD HOLD A KNIFE STRAIGHT I WOULD CHOP THESE F'ING FINGERS OFF TO STOP THIS PAIN!!!  I had to pace around the apartment, drenched in wet dirty clothes and pray that the thawing would end.  Five minutes latter the pain subsided (I was happy to have fingers and not resorted to chopping them off) and jumped in the shower!  Ahhhh, I just went from hell to heaven in just minutes.  Again, I curse Victoria.

This week is another big week.  Yesterday was a solid 5000m swim and a 100km HILLY ride...and you guessed it...IN THE RAIN (for most of it :D).  Last night was also the Pacific Sport Gala.  Three from our group were nominated for awards (Joel, Kirsten, and Simon) and Kirsten was the only one who brought home the hardware.  I went for the free food...it was good!

Tomorrow I have 6 climbs of the observatory...fun fun fun.  I cannot wait!....(maybe I can).

I am a Clean Air Champion

I recently joined the organization Clean Air Champions to help raise awareness to the many issues that are affecting the declining air quality all over the world. You can check out my profile by clicking here that is posted on their website.

I LOVE CLEAN AIR!!!