2013 Goals

A little late, I know.

Last year's goals were obvious - Xterra Nationals and USDAA Nationals.  This year?  Xterra Nationals seems the likely choice.  I loved the course last year and it's the same again this year.  But in my experience with races and national events it's rarely as special the second time around.  But as I run and ride my bike I imagine myself grinding my way up Wheeler Canyon (the start of the bike course at Nationals) and feeling so much stronger.  These images come to me without thinking about them or summoning them, I'm riding along and suddenly they're there.  Deep down I suppose I'm fooling myself if I'm thinking I'm not going to nationals again.  But the prospect of the 7 1/2 hour drive and hassle and expense does not thrill me.  I've had this experience, maybe it's time to move onto something else.  But nothing else springs to mind, just Wheeler Canyon over and over again.  So for now I'm shooting for Xterra Nationals again.

I'm hoping to qualify in 3 races rather than 4 but that depends on how many people in my age group rack up points this year.  Last year I could have qualified with only 2 races but I had no way to know that ahead of time and it would have been a nail biter.  If things start looking iffy, I'll add in a 4th race.  Or maybe say to heck with it, if I can't do it with 3 races then I stay home and go to DOCNA Champs.  Because in order to fit in 4 races I either have to do Curt Gowdy, a hard, technically challenging race just 3 weeks after another race or I have to do Mountain Champs, another hard race, just a week before another race.  And the big lesson of last year is that I need time for recovery between races if I want to be able to train hard over the summer.  So for now, the race schedule looks like this:

June 1 (Saturday) – Xterra Lory, Fort Collins, CO, 1/2 mile swim, 12.2 mile bike, 4.8 mile run

June 29 (Saturday) – Lookout Mountain Triathlon, Golden, CO, 525 yard swim, 10 mile bike, 5k run

July 20 (Saturday):  Xterra Mountain Championships, Beaver Creek, 1 mile open water swim,
                                 15.5 mile off road bike, 5.75 mile trail run (tentative, not likely)

July 27 (Saturday):  Indian Peaks Xterra, 1000 m/1093 yards open water swim, 21 k/13 miles off                                  road bike, 7 k/4.35 miles trail run

August 24 (Saturday) – Xterra Buffalo Creek, CO, 1500 m/1640.4 yard swim (68-72 degrees),
                                      22 mile mountain bike (1 loop), 5 mile run

September 21:  XTERRA Nationals, Snow Basin Resort, near Ogden, UT, 7 hrs., 27
                         mins./510.66 miles, 1500 m/1640.4 yard swim (2 laps), 17.7 mile bike (3400’
                         climbing, 7300’ high point), 6.1 miles run (700’ climbing)

The Lookout Mountain Triathlon is on road except for the run.  It's a short race, a hard training day.  I mostly signed up for it because I like it, doesn't count for Xterra points.  I won't taper for it but I will go hard at race pace.

Xterra Buffalo Creek is sort of a new race.  I did the short course version of it many years ago then the race was no longer and now it's back under new management.  I'm excited, it's a great course but a long hard climb at the end of the bike, excellent practice for nationals.  I've never done the long course and it is long, a longer bike than nationals at 22 miles.  But I'm excited to try a new race and I love the trails at Buffalo Creek.  Can't wait to get up there and check out the course.

I may do a new off road triathlon in Fruita in October but we'll see.  I might not be up for a 4 1/2 hour drive just a few weeks after nationals and it's only a sprint distance which is fun but maybe not worth all that driving, expense, etc.

Agility goals?  I gots none.  No big events anyway.  I'm not going to Tennessee for USDAA Nationals, out of the question, and if I go to Xterra Nat's. then I'll miss DOCNA Champs again.  So far the goal for agility this year is to run and have fun, try new handling moves, run faster (me), sharpen up my skills.  I'll enter USDAA's Masters Challenge events (ie the international style courses) since that's the stuff I like to practice.  Strum turns 8 in March and I'm not a big fan of old dogs doing agility so I'm not sure how long we have left.  I think we're at that point where I'm in a 'savor every run' type mode rather than having any big sort of goal.  Would be nice to pick up the advanced jumpers, snooker and pairs legs that we need to get into masters in USDAA but those are our easiest classes so I'm sure those legs will come soon enough.

The focus for me right now in my triathlon training is strength.  I've been going to boot camp regularly and it's making a world of difference in my strength.  It feels so good to have upper body strength and especially core strength.  The plyometrics are doing worlds of wonder for my bad knee and sprinting at agility is so much easier.  This month I'm going to start going to the 'hills and drills' workout which is sometimes track work/intervals/stair climbing and sometimes hill repeats.  It's a bit early in the season for track workouts but it's only once a week and I want to be able to ease into it this month then put some real effort into it in the coming months.  Running is starting to feel a lot more like running and less like shuffling.

Most of my more challenging goals for the year are related to my business so I'm o.k. with easing off the goals for hobbies this year, at least in agility.  My trial schedule so far looks like this:


January 11-13:  USDAA, FRAC, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont (18 minutes)

February 9-10:  DOCNA, FRAC, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont (18 mins.)
March 8-10:  USDAA, FRAT, Douglas County Fairgrounds, Castle Rock, Team (1 hour, 4
                      mins., 61.38 miles)

April 27-28:  DOCNA, FRAT, Denver Dog Sports, Denver (43 mins.)

May 11-12:  USDAA, FRAC, Adams County Fairgrounds, Brighton (42 minutes)

May 18-19:  USDAA, ACAT, Pueblo (2 hours, 10 mins.) (probably not)

June 23-24:  USDAA, DAPPR, Black Forest (1 hour, 45 mins) (probably 1 day only)

August  9-11:  USDAA, FRAC, Hansen Arena, Laramie, WY (2 hours, 5 mins.) (tentative)

August  17-18:  DOCNA, FRAT, DeKovend Park, Littleton (1 hour, 42.17 miles)

Aug. 31 - Sept. 2:  USDAA, FRAT, location? (tentative, depends on location and # of rings)

Sept. 19-22 – DOCNA Champs. (probably not)

October 5-7:  USDAA, ACAT, Fountain (1 hour, 50 mins.) (tentative)

November 8-9:  DOCNA, FRAT, Jefferson County Fairgrounds (43 mins.)

November 15-17:  USDAA, FRAC, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont (18 mins.)

December 7-8:  DOCNA, FRAC, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont (18 mins.)

I think it's funny that I have only 1 or 2 trials that are 2 hours or so away, 1 that's a little over an hour away and the rest are 43 mins. or less with 4 of them being only 18 minutes away.  So lucky I have so many trials so close, I hate driving and staying in hotels never mind the expense.  Very spoiled, I know.

Crazy Dog Lady Goes to the Bike Park

Technically it's the Valmont Bike and Dog Park because dogs and mountain bikes go so well together, like road rash and rubbing alcohol.  But before you get too excited, the dog park is fenced off from the bike park.

We are truly spoiled to have such a place, it just opened a year ago.  And it's free.  It's a great place to practice technical skills.  There are challenges for all levels.  I had a lesson here with Ann Trombley last fall that I never did do a post about.  Anyway, I had an idea of good stuff I could practice that I remembered from our lesson. 

Ha, no, that was not something I practiced in my lesson.

I started off in the Skilz Area, which is a short loop that has many different challenges along the way.  There's always a smooth dirt path option to the side.

This part was easy peasy.  I even saw a little 5 year old kid do it.

 This part's a little more challenging but not too bad.

Then there's the first drop off challenge.  I only tried the rock to the right, the farther ones looked a bit much for now.

Looking backwards at the same rock to see the drop-off.  It's hardly anything if you stay to the left but I kept going to the right.  Still not that bad at all.

Next we have another little rock garden, this one is easy too but the 5 year old opted out.

This is the hardest of the challenges in this section that I attempted.  You can't tell from the photo but there's a rock blocking the path so you have to try to make a sharpish turn at a good enough speed to carry yourself over the rock and make it up the step.

This is looking backwards at the end of the section to show the drop-off.

If you're a real mountain biker you're laughing your ass off right about now at the thought that I think this is challenging.

This is the final tricky bit.  It's hard to tell from the photo but your line takes you right off into the dirt.  The challenge is to be able to make a sharpish turn to stay on the rock but maintain enough speed so you can make it over the bumps.

I rode this short little loop over and over and over.  First until I could do all the challenges, then until I could do them easily and then until I was bored with them and could do them without thinking about it.  It took me 2 miles of loops, don't even know how many reps, but I finally got bored and moved on to more challenging areas.

This was the biggest drop-off of the day after riding down the steep rocky side of the hill.

While I was stopped for the photo a girl about 9-10 years old came down the hill (my bike wasn't in the way at the time) and she opted for the dirt path, a nervous look on her face and a good grip on the brake.  When she got to the bottom I told her, 'Good job', and she rode off with an enormous grin on her face.

There were some other drop-offs that looked like maybe I could do them but I didn't feel good about trying them today so I left them for another day.  I was pleased enough with my progress for one day.

After having my fill of the obstacle challenges I went over to another part of the park that's smooth single track that goes up and down hill.  The Corkscrew trail has a series of tight, banked turns, good for practicing going through turns at speed.  One of the nice thing about the bike park is that the trails are all one way.  This is kind of a problem though if you get stuck in a series of loops and can't find your way out.  I kept having to go back up the hill until I found the one downhill trail that led you out of the maze.

After about an hour I'd had enough and stopped at the terrain park to watch the crazy kids.

The same log jump shown at the top but from head on.

E.T. phone home.

If I had photoshop and a boatload of time on my hands I'd superimpose this over the E.T. moon but chyeah, right, have you seen my upcoming trial/race schedule?

June 23:  USDAA trial

June 24:  Xterra Curt Gowdy

July 4:  USDAA trial, tournament only

July 14:  Xterra Mountain Championships, Beaver Creek

August 4:  Xterra Indian Peaks

August  11-12:  DOCNA trial Tentative

August  17-19:  USDAA trial

August 26:  Xterra Lory

September 1-3:  USDAA trial, tentative

September 23:  Xterra Nationals, Snowbasin, Utah

September 26-30:  USDAA Nationals, Commerce City, CO

I know, how the hell did that happen?  I probably shouldn't have written out the 2 schedules separately.  I also probably shouldn't have decided to go to Nationals in the same week in both sports.  Somehow it sounded like a good idea at the time.

The race director for Curt Gowdy sent out an email saying that he'd had questions from people about a cut-off time for the race.  Apparently I'm not the only one who's expecting a 2 1/2 hour bike finish.  Anyway, there is no cut-off time, they'll support anybody who's fool enough to attempt to finish (my wording, not his).  So I'm going to go into the race with the intention of finishing.  I think maybe I won't necessarily be DFL.  Maybe just 3rd to last.  That's o.k., it's better than a DNF.

The race is having an organized pre-ride of the course on Sunday and I'm tempted to go even though I don't fancy the nearly 2 hour drive.  Next weekend I have a 1 hour, 50 minute drive down to Black Forest for the USDAA trial then back the same day then another 1 hour 50 minute drive the next day to Curt Gowdy.  And a very tired drive back the same day that will likely involve a stop for caffeine in Cheyenne, WY.  So I'm not thrilled about the idea of a long drive this weekend.  But I think it might be a good idea to give the trail another shot.  Or maybe why torture myself?  Maybe race day is already more than enough on that trail.  We'll see how I feel Sunday morning and how the smoke/fire is doing.  Curt Gowdy is only 34 miles directly north of the fire, smoke could be bad there if the winds are blowing north.  We've been lucky so far in Boulder, just periods of smoke now and then and some days not at all.  Sadly part of Lory State Park did burn, including the trail for the run portion of Xterra Lory, but it hasn't burnt any more in several days now and I think they've established a line there or something.  Hopefully the line will hold and no more will burn.  And as long as I'm hoping maybe the whole damn thing will extinguish.  Pretty please.

Trial this weekend

We've got a USDAA trial this weekend.

Somebody's a little excited about it.

Weather is supposed to be fabulous.  Well maybe a little hot if it really goes up to the 80 degrees they're predicting but I'm optimistic it won't go above the mid-70's and no wind which is what I'm most excited about.  I'm so over all the windy days we've been having. 

I'm feeling good about everything except the dogwalk.  Of course.  I was feeling somewhat confident about it after today's practice until I got home and watched the video and realized I had rewarded a miss.  This pushed my success rate from 70% down to 60% but even worse is the rewarded miss.  For some reason Strum has a harder time when I'm on the side of the side of the dogwalk that is also the exit side of the tunnel.  Must be something about that push to the entrance but who knows.  We were able to get a hit though and end on a good note.  I have a few more practice sessions on YouTube and at least one I haven't gotten around to looking at yet but this is from today as sort of a progress report.



In other news, the DOCNA trial I was entered in in 2 weeks got canceled due to low turnout.  I'm blaming the Viszla/Cairn Terrier club for holding an AKC trial on the same weekend but there could be other reasons.  But like we really need ANOTHER AKC trial, especially on the weekend of a less represented venue's established trial.  Thanks guys. 

While I'm disappointed at missing the opportunity of a DOCNA trial I'm also a little relieved at the opportunity for a weekend off from my 6 weekends in a row of Stuff and the relief to my checkbook.  There are a lot of other things I could still sign up for on that weekend including a DOCNA trial in Utah or a triathlon I've been wanting to do for years now but I think I'll take a break and save my pennies for other things.  Like staying overnight in Laramie for the August USDAA trial and maybe going to one day of the USDAA trial in Black Forest.  Heck, maybe I'll go both days.  I'd rather spend the funds on DOCNA but I can't enter trials that don't exist.  Anyone local know if the July/August Prairie Dog DOCNA trial is a go?  Maybe I'll save my pennies for that if it doesn't conflict with my race schedule.

Yes!  Stay home and play with me.

I also signed up for my third triathlon, an off-road Xterra up in Eldora which is a ski resort about 40 minutes from Boulder.  I did the inaugural version of this race before it was all corporate and an Xterra but haven't done it since because I didn't/don't like the new race director.  The bike course has changed a bit but the trails up there are so nice I'm sure it'll be fun and pretty whatever it is.  I'll have a chance to pre-ride it a few days before so it won't be a complete surprise but otherwise the trails are normally closed to the public.  This will be my most difficult race of the season but I'm not sure if it should be my 'A' race or if I should save that for the Lory Xterra which is several weeks later.  I suppose it'll depend on what state my running is in by next month.  Right now I still can't run properly, stupid piriformis.  It's not overtly sore but it's not up for working properly either and I still can't push off much with my left leg.  But I'm plugging away and one of these days, hopefully soon, shuffling will magically become running again.

I'm contemplating a fourth race which is unusual for me, I usually stick to a max. of 3 per year, but there's a duathlon up at Snow Mountain Ranch just outside of Winter Park that I did eons ago and the trails are oh so fabulous.  Or I could save some gas money and driving aggravation and do the brand spanking new Bear It All off road triathlon in Bear Creek Lake Park but that's in October which means there could be snow and I don't even want to think about how cold that water is.  Speaking of which I took Strum to the Rez this morning and checked out the water temp.  Brrrrrr is all I have to say.  But I plan on being there bright eyed and bushy tailed on opening morning, May 24th, 6:15 a.m.  Yes you read that right.  Maybe I'll need 2 wetsuits but I'm doing it.  Oh yes I am.

Trial/Race Schedule for 2011

Finally put together my agility trial/triathlon/race schedule for the year.  Of course many things can change throughout the year but I wanted to have a schedule that I can refer to because this year is crazy with weekend stuff going on.  I've already sent in my entries for the triathlons so those are hopefully a done deal.  I'd like to have one more triathlon in May or June but I can't seem to find one yet that appeals to me.  Still on the fence about the Indian Peaks Xterra for several reasons, lots of time to decide on that one.  I'd also like to do a few running races this year but haven't settled on any for sure.

One of the reasons I don't post goals/resolutions/etc. on Jan. 1 is that it's not a time when I've got those things solidified.  In Sept. of last year I decided my 'A' race for 2011 would be the Xterra Lory again.  I was going to conquer that hill on the bike and run course this year, no walking, lots of time off my bike and run splits.  Then in January after I'd signed up for the race I got an email saying they were switching the course back to the flatter 2-loop format.  The run will still have the challenging hill but this course adjustment makes the race suddenly a huge bit easier and maybe not worthy of an 'A' race designation.  So I may shift the 'A' race to the Indian Peaks race or find something else entirely, maybe even Xterra Regionals in Beaver Creek.  I gave up the notion of qualifying for Xterra Nationals because I have other things going on that will force me to miss the fourth race and I don't think I can get enough points with only 3 local races.  Still lots up in the air as far as triathlons go but agility trials are pretty well set.  I may change my mind about one or two and a new trial or two may pop up in the meantime but for now I'm happy with my schedule.

I put the travel times to the various trial sites for laughs.  It's funny to see how far I'm willing to drive and the answer is 'not far'.

2011 Agility Trial Schedule

January 8-9:  USDAA, FRAC, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont (18 minutes)
February 12-13:  DOCNA, FRAC, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont (18 minutes)
April 2-3:  USDAA, FRAC, The Ranch, Loveland (48 minutes)
May 7-8:  USDAA, FRAC, Adams County Fairgrounds, Brighton (42 minutes)
May 28-30?:  DOCNA, Paws 2 Friendship, Peyton (only 2 days) (2 hours)
June 25-26:  USDAA, DAPPR, Black Forest? (Only 1 day, not sure which) TENTATIVE (1 hour, 

                   45 mins.)
August  13-14:  DOCNA, FRAT, DeKoevand Park, Littleton (56 mins.)
August  19-21:  USDAA, FRAC, Hansen Arena, Laramie, WY (only 2 days) TENTATIVE (2 hours, 

                       5 mins.)
September 22-25:  DOCNA CHAMPS, Mesa County Fairgrounds, Grand Junction (4 hours, 30 

                           mins.)
October 15-16:  DOCNA, FRAT, Jefferson County Fairgrounds, Golden (43 mins.)
December 3-4???:  DOCNA, FRAC, Boulder County Fairgrounds, Longmont (18 mins.)

Very Tentative 

September 3-5:  USDAA, FRAT, location?

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2011 Triathlon/Race Schedule

July 23:  Lookout Mountain Triathlon, Sprint (500m pool swim, 10 mile road bike, 5k road run), 

            Golden

August 27:  Lory Triathlon, Xterra (1/2 mile open water swim, 12.2 off road bike, 8k trail run), Lory 

                 State Park, Ft. Collins area

VERY Tentative

July 16:  Xterra Mountain Championship, Full Course (1 mile open water swim, 15.5mile off road 

             bike, 5.75 mile trail run) OR Sport Course (1/2 mile open water swim, 9 mile off road bike, 

             3 mile trail run), Beaver Creek

August 6:  Indian Peaks Triathlon, Xterra (1000m open water swim, 24k off road bike, 8k trail run)

September 11?:  Tri-Glenwood Triathlon, (825m hot springs pool swim, 15 mile road bike, 5 mile
                         road run)

September 18:  Sombrero Trail Run, Off road, 4.5 miles, Estes Park