Fall is my favorite time of year. September, October, and November are my favorite months.

I love the change of seasons. I love the inconsistent weather of the Rocky Mountains. One week it's beautiful, the next it's snowing. It is this frenetic weather that clears out the migratory triathletes in Boulder and opens up space in the pools, trails, and roads for the true locals.

It's cross season. Not just cyclo-cross, but cross-country running (at least if you're in high school or college). It's the tough guy season as far as racing goes. And in triathlon it's when most of the World Championships are.

Fall is both the climax of the season and the beginning of the new year (of training). It is this second point that has resonated with me lately.

For the past several years I've had some crap luck and made some stupid decisions that had me pulled in too many directions and unable to effectively focus on any of them. Also, I've spent way too much time not focusing on what I need as it pertains to my pro triathlon career. I had lost my consistency in training and I had strayed from my philosophy in that training. Consistency and steady progression promotes optimal adaptation (to keep it simple).

Well, I've got "me" back over the past few months. I pulled the plug on '09 early (beginning of September) and decided I'd go back to the drawing board. MY drawing board. And...I started with the basic basics. A couple of weeks to get my head together and plan 2010. Several long hikes to both develop some base aerobic conditioning but also to leave the cell phone at home and disappear into the mountains for 5-6 hours and really be honest with what I want out of racing, where I'm at now, and how I get to where I want to be.

I then started by doing a steady progression of running 30 min a day, swimming 4 days, and riding 3-5 days. I have built on this little by little, week by week. I'm now running an hour a day, swimming 6 days and 30k per week, riding and racing cross 4-5 days, and doing plyos and strength twice a week.

There is no uber-secret I'm not laying down here. It's just getting it done, having fun, and being consistent. And I'm loving it. I have not done this for several years. I can feel the "promise" of fall that I love so much. And I can feel the old "me" coming back.

Today I ran through the mud and snow on one of Boulder's best trails. It was sloppy, hilly, and high (one of those up hill both ways type of things). And for the first time in at least 3 years. I was just rolling. The pace kept getting faster and it was just damn fun. I finally reigned it in, and ran the second half just kind of laughing. I even saw a huge 16 point buck Mule Deer. He was standing right in the middle of the trail. It kind of felt like he was saying, "good to see ya back here. You're not fit yet, but keep coming back and maybe in a few months you can hang with me".

It's the same thing in the pool. I'm not a swimmer per se. But I've been having these days where I just want to get in and roll. We always warm up with a 400 and I've been having these days where I just want to keep going for 20-30 minutes. Repeats over 200 used to stress me out. Now I look forward to the longer swims, they're actually fun even when they are at LT pace.

It's awesome to have that "promise" of what could be back this fall.

Hindsight is always 20/20 but, how I'm feeling and how things are going gives me the ultimate confirmation that I have made the right choices this time, and things are back on track.

I'm just happy and eager for next year and it's been a while since I could honestly say that.

Now, if I could just land that six figure sponsorship I'd be set...

Jimmy

If you don't know WTC is the company that puts on Ironman and 70.3 events.

RE: Why do you race WTC events?

As a pro I do them basically because you have to.

- Worlds Qualification (nobody really cares about ITU long course worlds. and by nobody I mean sponsors)
- Publicity: The live streaming coverage, the TV, and the fact all the mags give heavy attention to the WTC stuff.
- Money: even though the prize money isn't what it should be it's still better than most races so...
- Sponsor bonuses: Because it is the IM/70.3 brand, they have the publicity, and they have the reputation most sponsors offer the biggest performance bonuses for WTC events.
- Sponsorships: one good performance (i.e. top 3) in an IM or 70.3 (IM more so) will usually be just about all you need to get on board. IF you have a win in a WTC event you're in a good place. That will usually be better than 5 wins anywhere else.

- Until recently WTC offered a pretty good incentive package.

• You could get your entry comped or at least reduced based on athlete reputation or past performance in WTC events.
  
• You would get travel help based on past performance in WTC events.
• You would get lodging or homestays at most every race
• In some cases some athletes would get paid/appearance fee (whatever you like to call it) based of past performance in WTC events.
  

WTC has always been pretty good to pros. On a scale of 1-10 I would say at least an 8, usually more like a 9. However, now with the Pro fee I see that changing. From what they're saying much of the above will be changing (or not improving in relation to prize purse). It would seem they don't really give a damn any more. Hopefully that will mean similar reciprocation from the pro athletes and the media. But, I doubt it. The Tri universe (manufacturers, media, fans, participants, etc.) are completely blinded by the WTC branded events.

So I've been trying to sort out some type of race schedule for 2010. Just when I thought things might be coming together the WTC (Iroman and 70.3s owner) came out with this new $750 pro fee to race their events. So, that makes me wonder if I can or will do any 70.3 events in '10.

WTC tries to pawn the $750 off as a fee for drug testing and that all WTC events will be "comped". Of course as far as I'm concerned a "comp" or complimentary entry does not consist of a pre paid fee worth at least the value of three 70.3 events. Rather, considering there is no information about what exactly the drug testing will consist of, the $750 fee is just that, a fee. And actually just a guarantee that any pro will be stupid to do any fewer than three 70.3 events, which is quite a few if you don't specialize in those events.

Oh, and Worlds isn't included in that $750. More to come on this later.

Anyway, I'm not sure what I'm going to be doing. There are many options but little money to travel etc. As of now what I do know is I will be racing the Bundesliga series in Germany probably one per month from May-September. And I will be doing some races before and after that time period.

It all comes down to what I can drum up on the sponsorship front.

So, hopefully I'll have some info coming soon. But for now, I'm just trying to figure out what is available, what is possible, and what kind of budget I will have.

More to come...

Well, everyone is all a buzz about the new Abu Dhabi Triathlon.

The money is pretty good: $230k in the pro's and $20k in the Age groups. $50k to the pro winners.

But the big story is the race format: 3k swim, 200K Bike!!!, 20k run (and there is a 1.5k, 100k,10k but no one really cares since there is no money in it and all the focus is on the long race)

200k Really!?! Are you freaking kidding? That's 20k or 12 miles farther than IM distance. While the 20k run is less than half of IM distance. The only reference whatsoever to the "why" of the distance was Faris Al Sultan (a well known swim, biker and member of the Abu Dhabi pro tri team) who said "the shorter run of the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon will allow the participating athletes to recover faster for whatever event might be next on their calendar". Like anyone is going to be doing another event in close succession of a 7 hour + event with big money, even if the run is shorter. It's a lame ass cover up of a blatant concession to the cyclists.

Nobody has said it, but I will. This is ridiculous.

This race format is an obvious pander toward the so called uber-bikers of our sport, and it's pathetic. The fact is, if you have to alter the distance dramatically and all but eliminate the run, why don't you just do a damn bike race? While the grand tours do change their course every year do we ever see them eliminate all the mountains so a sprinter can bring home the maillot jaune? Or, does the Boston Marathon stop at the Newton hills so the 10k specialists can have a shot at winning? NO! Of course not, that would just be stupid and a bastardization of the events.

Seriously, the swim is 25% shorter than and IM. The run is more than 50% shorter than IM. While the bike is a bit more than 10% LONGER. So, basically you have 70.3 (aka Half IronMan) with a full IM+ bike. Could you imagine a 4k, 40k, 10k format or a 2k, 80k, Marathon?

Look, triathlon has no set rule for distance, and I suppose that is fine. However, we do have some inkling of "balance". The whole reason triathlon was created was to find the best OVER ALL endurance athlete. The Abu Dhabi distance blatantly disregards any concept of tradition and history and creates a format which will allow the host country's pro team's start athlete his best chance to win.

But, that's BS as well. While Faris is very good, everyone knows Chris Lieto is better at the swim/bike game. However, in the Lieto vs. Faris analogy Faris is the stronger runner. So...why create a format with a shorter run when Lieto is your obvious competition? OOPS.

My point is, the Abu Dhabi race is awesome for Triathlon. There is a ton of money. It's a new event in a new area. It's great!.

But will someone please stand up and say this is a blatant nod to the cyclists of our sport? And then tell me why. Why do we need such a silly format?

Hey, I like the bike, and the run is my strength. Maybe I can find an Emirate state willing to finance a $300k race that is a 5oom swim, 40k cyclo-cross, 15k run.

Jimmy

I started 5 am swims again this week.

I've been building up my volume for about a month now and was planning to start swimming with the Rally Sport swim club again beginning in November. That means M and W 5am swims, and a big Th set of up to about 8500m.

Yeah, yeah. I know it's only two days of 5 am. How hard can it be? And it's not all that bad. It's just that damn 30 min from the 4:30 alarm to the 5am get in. It's just so dark, so early (or late depending on how you look at 5am), cold, quiet, etc. Going to the pool I always notice how uber-dead the town is. I guess it's nice to think I'm up and getting it done.

However, I only really work well off a solid 8 hours sleep. So, to get up at 4:30 the means going to sleep at 8:30 which just isn't happening. For one thing I have plyos on Tuesday night and by the time I'm done there and eat it's already 8pm at least.

Everyone tells me I just need to keep doing it and it will get easier. But man, there is just such a huge difference from 4:30am to the 6am workouts I've been doing since High School.

Anyway, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. The point is I'm back to swimming pretty much full volume. Now it's down to 12 weeks of at least 30k per week (probably with a build cycle up to 40k). This will be interesting. I've never really fully committed to swimming. Something has either got in the way or I had all the little voices (both my conscience and outside influencers) telling me how I didn't need to do 30k, I didn't need to swim 6 days a week, I didn't need to swim that much since I was an XTERRA guy, etc, etc. But, considering I'm off to Germany next summer and focusing on ITU and Olympic distance racing I simply MUST get my swim up to par.

I don't hate swimming, I just don't like the process. I want to see improvement now. But, on the upside, it does make me really look forward to running.

More to come.

I forgot to mention in the previous post that yesterday was my first race fully kitted out and flying the flag for my new (as of 09) cross team, Hudz-Subaru.

It's a pretty hos team of many of the best riders in CO. I'm kind of the odd man out being a triathlete and all, but I think I will be holding my own in the next month and at US nationals at the end of December.

Check out the new kits, they're pretty sick. And if you're a CO racer looking for a club check out the site for info on the grass roots team.

Below is a pic of me with Geoff Kabusch. Unfortunately that is me getting lapped rather than me riding with him. Of course the laps were about 5 min so I wasn't totally sucking, but you still, getting lapped isn't good.

Actually my cross racing is getting better every week. This week I felt strong, my back never got tired and crampy, and I had good power most of the race. So the fitness is coming around. That's the good.

The bad? Well I had a crap start...again. It is really hard to get used to going out like a bat out of hell. I mean really fast, like all you can do fast. I still need to work on that. Then about 5 laps in I hit a corner of sidewalk and burped my tires, or something. I had tubes with clinchers so I couldn't really burp them. I don't know what happened but I lost a good 1/2 of my psi. I finished with less then 20 in both tires. Things were very splashy in the corners. I was pretty sure I would go down but I didn't. There was a neutral tire pit, but I didn't stop. I figured I was close to getting lapped so I would just hammer as long as I could for survival. Add to that the fact that crank bros. pedals are awesome at everything but sand, which Sunday was about 50%. I couldn't get in or out of my pedals and had two stupid crashes because of it.

So, there are the excuses. That is the thing that is galling about cyclocross, there is actual performance value in having the right equipment, ie. deep wheels in sand (they track better and are easier to ride since you're spokes aren't having to cut through the sand), tubular tires (have a lager footprint, roll quicker, and are harder to pinch flat), proper tire file.

But, hey, who cares. I know that I am about 1 1/2 laps down or about 7 min slower than some of the best guys in the world when not everything goes my way in a race. And, I'm a triathlete who is racing for fun and fitness.

It was a really fun race, although the sand running was rough. I can feel my fitness coming around so its exciting to see and I find I am already excited to race next week.

Here are some pics. I don't know what place I was. Not too good, I know that.