Becoming more adventurous - one ride at a time.

 

Karel loves adventure. He's always curious about the unknown. 

Karel loves discovering new bike routes. Sometimes this means getting lost, sometimes this means finding a road that goes nowhere. I can't tell you how many times Karel has ventured out on a bike ride (road, gravel, tri, mountain bike) without any idea as to where the road goes. He has no fear riding somewhere new. 

Over the past 16 years, Karel's adventurous soul has rubbed off on me. But I was not always this way. For almost 14 years of our relationship, I would question Karel and would feel so uncomfortable, scared and fearful riding somewhere for the first time - especially when I knew that Karel had no idea where he was going. But over the past two years, I've learned to be a bit more adventurous when it comes to bike riding. Although I often have the immediate thought of "I can't do this" I try to quickly dismiss that thought and open my mind to new experiences. 

Although it hasn't been easy to relinquish my need for control and having a plan when training, having a more adventurous mentality has helped me in life. I also believe that my recent and consistent results in long distance have come from viewing racing as if it was an adventure. So many times, athletes struggle due to fear of uncertainty. This causes underperforming for the need to stay in the comfort zone. 

If you are wanting to be more adventurous with your life, especially with training, here are a few tips:

• Go into the unknown with curiosity. Curiosity is the root of being adventurous. 
• Go into a situation feeling mentally free, open and willing to experience something new.
• Let go of what is holding you back. 
• Start small. Don't step out of your comfort zone, stretch is gradually. 
• Don't set expectations. Go with the flow and see what happens. 
• Be ok to fail. 
• Push yourself to be uncomfortable. 
• Get excited to try something for the first time. 
• Rationalize your fears. 
• Build trust in yourself, your thoughts and your actions.
• Be a warrior, not a worrier. 
• Do things safely. Set your limits and your boundaries. 
  
  

Must Watch YouTube: The Impossible Route series

 

Several weeks ago I came across a YouTube documentary series called "Impossible Route." I started watching the first few minutes while on the bike trainer but stopped myself from continuing as I wanted to share the viewing experience with Karel. We both love watching endurance events, especially when it involves cycling. 

I would highly recommend giving it a watch. If you are like us and you love endurance events, I have a word of caution.....you will quickly find yourself planning your next impossible route as you watch each episode. I don't think it's possible to watch this documentary series and not feel motivated about doing something incredible with your body. 

The mission of this series is finding adventure, pushing your limits and going beyond what is thought to be possible. What I love about each episode is that it's not about racing. 

After 16 consecutive years of endurance triathlon racing, I still love the race day experience. When I train, I rarely think about race day.  I love feeling mentally, physically and emotionally challenged by the process of preparation. With every season of preparing for endurance events, I crave experiences, opportunities and teachable moments. 

Sport teaches us so much if we are willing to step beyond outcome goals, metrics and the desire to achieve an idealized body image. All too often, athletes focus only on the destination and never learn to appreciate the process. If your reason for training is to only reach a finish line, you may find yourself "one and done" before you even reach the finish line. 

Training for an endurance event is a challenge but to get the most out of the journey, you need to have a real love for it. This love shouldn't be confused with obsession. 

You are not your sport. Sport should be an extension of self, not the definition of self. 
Sport should add to the fullness of life. 

If you are getting your training done every day - no matter what, finding yourself chronically exhausting, lacking social connections, losing sleep in order to train, unable to meet your energy needs or repeatedly going to your doctor for sickness or injuries, you've selected the wrong list of ingredients to help you prepare for your upcoming endurance event. 

My biggest takeaway from watching the Impossible Routes is to live life fully by enjoying the process of working toward a goal that rests on the edge of what you believe is possible. No matter what type of athletic event you are training for, find joy in the journey. 

Check out the Impossible Route HERE.

The adventure continues - hello from Ogden, Utah!

I was in rough shape the day after the IM 70.3 World Championship. I was empty and oh-so-sore. It felt like I had just done an Ironman! Karel was sore but not as exhausted as I was. 

After a somewhat ok night of sleep, we took our time in the morning and did a little work on the computer. By late morning, we made our way to Snow Canyon for a scenic hike. Karel brought his mountain bike to spin his legs while Ashley, Zach and I walked around for ~2 hours. We met up with our athlete Gin and her mom so it was a fun time exploring the trails. Although there wasn't much for Karel to mountain bike on (only one trail which wasn't too technical), he said it was the perfect way to loosen out after the race. In the evening, Alvi, Karel and I went to our community pool to splash around. Karel swam ~1500 yards, I did a few laps (no swim cap, truly a splash) and then spent a little time relaxing my sore muscles in the hot tub. 

On Monday, I was still sore and exhausted but I knew I needed to start moving my body to help expedite the recovery. Since Karel had dropped off his tri bike with Tri Bike Transport after the race, he only had his mountain bike left at the house. Karel went out for a ~90-minute mountain bike ride on the trails behind where we were staying and I went out on my tri bike for an almost 2 hour sightseeing journey on two wheels. I mostly stayed on the bike course and headed from Washington to the Red Hills Parkway but took a few detours to check out the big houses higher up off the course. I finished the ride feeling so much better than when I started and decided to shake out the legs with an easy ~22 min jog around our Airbnb complex. My quads were still super sore and tender but with each step I found myself loosening out a bit. On Tuesday, our check-out of the Airbnb day, we went for a morning swim at the pool (3300 yards) which felt good to be non weight bearing and move through the water. I actually started to feel a little better during the swim than when I started - always a good sign that recovery is going well. 

After we checked out of our rental place and exchanged our rental truck for an SUV, we made our way 4.5 hours north to Ogden, Utah. The next adventure of our Utah trip!

Soon after Karel participated in his first Xterra off-road triathlon event back in May (and before breaking his hand), he registered for the Xterra USA Championship in Ogden/Snow Basin, Utah. With the event happening a week after the IM 70.3 World Championship, it was the perfect excuse to extend our stay in Utah by another week. Of course, logistically, this required me to be super creative with our travel arrangements - two one-way flights, two rental cars, two Airbnbs and a lot of other research to ensure a smooth and stress-free race-cation. Luckily, so far, it's all working out. 

And here we are in Huntsville, Utah near Ogden and Snow Basin. Altitude just around 5,000 feet. We are staying by Pineview Reservoir in a cute ski-resort type villa community. We didn't find out until a few weeks ago that the Xterra swim portion of the triathlon was cancelled due to bacteria in the lake but I decided to keep our rental as the location is still central to Snow Basin Ski Resort - where the duathlon will take place (2.5-mile trail run/19-mile MTB/5.5-mile trail run). 

After unloading our car and catching up on a few emails, we each went for a short jog to stretch out the legs. We ended up jogging around the nearby campsite which had a beautiful view of the Reservoir. We then made a late-evening drive to the local grocery store for a few more grocery items. After dinner, we were ready to get a good night of sleep and sleep in. 

Well so much for sleeping in. I guess we were both excited to start the day just before 7am. And it was Karel's 45th birthday!! After working on the computer for a few hours, we drove up to Snow Basin (~8 mile drive, ~6300 feet altitude) to check out the trails. It was a cool morning in the upper 50's but it warmed up nicely throughout the day. There was no cost to access the trails at Snow Basin and the Xterra crew had already started marking the course with blue arrows for the bike course. Karel biked almost the entire course (just short by a mile) and it took him ~2 hours to cover the 19 miles. The course either goes up or down and there are many technical sections with rocks and tight switch backs.

While Karel was riding the course, I ran the first part of his bike course which is also the big loop (and 2nd part) of the 21K Xterra Trail Race that I will be participating in on Sunday. My legs are still sore and I can really feel them when I walk upstairs but oddly, when I run I feel ok - certainly I am not able to run hard or fast but I can quickly put one foot in front of the other and call it running ;) I really enjoy trail running as I feel it suits my style of running and I just love being in nature. Like the bike course, I went up and up to almost 7300 feet (starting at 6300) and then made my way back down the other side (although the highest peak is 9300 feet so there may be more to climb there!). A hiker told me there were moose ahead off the trail but sadly I didn't see any. Karel was also on the lookout as he heard the same thing. I walked a few sections that were super steep so that I wouldn't overstress my calves. I had a lot of fun and just took my time when there was a scenic view to enjoy. I ran for 80 minutes and covered 8-miles of the course. I waited for Karel to finish and then he went for a short run just to check out the mile that he didn't see on the bike. This course is going to be crazy difficult but also absolutely stunning. We are both excited for our adventures this weekend!

Today (Thursday) we started out our morning somewhat early by driving to Ogden High School for a morning swim. The high school pool was so nice and for only $3, it was the perfect way to start our day. Karel swam 3000 yards and I swam 4000 yards. We aren't feeling any effects at altitude and overall, I'd say we are feeling relatively healthy after Worlds. We then made a necessary stop at Kneaders bakery for a fresh baguette and a delish cinnamon-roll type bread. 

The scenery is just beautiful around this area and I couldn't wait to get on my bike in the afternoon. I ventured out alone and rode around the reservoir (~15 miles) which was incredibly scenic with the fall colors on the leaves of the trees and the rocks on the mountains. And so much farm life - something I was really missing in St. George. There was even a nice paved path to ride on on the far side of the lake. I then challenged myself by riding 7 miles up to Snow Basin. While the climb wasn't technical or overly difficult, it was more of the descend that kinda scared me as it was a fast, steep, straight descend for over 4 miles. And I was also worried about the wind. But I did it and I am proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone. Karel left to drive to Snow Basin for his mountain bike ride on the trail around the same time as me and ironically, we both arrived home at the very same time! I rode 30 miles in just under 2 hours (~15 mph) and covered ~2300 feet of elevation gain. 

We are really looking forward to the weekend! Here are some pics of the past few days in Ogden, Utah.....

Karel heading out to check out the Xterra bike course.

At the top! 

My view from the trail. That parking lot waaaay in the distance is where we started.

Technical section at the top. 

More rocks at the top.

Beautiful valley on the run course.

Karel finishing his short run after the bike.

Happy 45th Karel (Wednesday). Thank you Claire for the Birthday cupcakes. Never too much chocolate for Karel. 

Ogden High School swimming pool. Great aquatic complex!

Kneaders Bakery. YUM!

Views in Ogden (we are staying in Huntsville, about 20-min away). 

Exploring around the reservoir in Huntsville.

Biking up to Snow Basin. Up and Up for 7-miles. 

Thanks for following along! 
If you'd like to track Karel at the Xterra race on Saturday:

 💥  Photos and videos on the Xterra Facebook page.
 💥 Link to live results: HERE. 
 💥 Final Results from all races will be loaded HERE.

Adventures with Campy

It's no surprise how much I love Campy. For the past 10+ years, Campy has been living the best life ever as I've made sure that no day is ever wasted for my furry little pooch. Because a dog's life is so short compared to us humans, I always make the effort to make memories together.

Campy and I love being outside and exploring nature. The hotter the weather the better as we both love the heat. Campy loves being in the car and he's always up for a road trip. He loves smelling/exploring new places.

As part of our week-break from triathlon training (more on this in a future blog), Karel and I decided to do a different outdoor activity - Kayaking! Of course, I couldn't imagine being outside, making memories and enjoying the sun without Campy.

We all had our first experience Kayaking at Lake Jocassee and we had a great time. Not only is this lake absolutely beautiful but it's also pet friendly. Kayaking gave us a great workout and it was a nice change from our normal Saturday routine of triathlon training. The water was refreshingly cool and the views were incredible. I'm not sure exactly how Campy felt about his life jacket and being on (and in) the water but he was really chill throughout the adventure and he slept like a champ for the rest of the day. Most of all, Campy loved spending time with us as we enjoyed this adventure together.

I love adding memories to Campy's book of life. At 11.5 years of age, I'd say he's got a rather filled book so far but there's still plenty of years to keep the memories coming. What should we do next?

Here are a few pics from our recent adventure with campy:

On to the next adventure....

Do you feel like you are living your life to the fullest?

Watching the jaw-dropping eclipse yesterday (can we do this every month??) reminded me how important it is to take part in the many life experiences that bring meaning to your life. There is so much to enjoy in life and far too many people are stuck inside, staring at the computer, watching life pass by, because they are too exhausted or busy to enjoy it.

My dad always taught to me to never take a day for granted and to live each day to the fullest. 

When you take advantage of a new adventure, whether it's watching the eclipse, hiking up a mountain, training for a new sport, traveling, changing jobs or trying something new, you grow, you learn and you make life more meaningful.

If you feel that something in life needs to change, I encourage you to step away from what is comfortable and familiar to you (ex. the same life routine, the same job that doesn't make you happy or the same workout or eating routine) and start seizing the day by planning a new adventure in your life. Yes, it will be scary at first but it may be oh-so-worth-it.

If you have recently found yourself just rolling through the motions of life, feeling as if life is flying by, it's time to disrupt your same-old routine by planning a fun, exciting and special new adventure.

What's that one special thing in life that would make you excited to get up in the morning? 

How can you become the best version of yourself? 

What makes you feel so lucky that you are part of this amazing thing called life? 

Where will your next new adventure take you in your life?