bending the spoon

11th Annual PossAbilities triathlon Aside from the never-ending...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:00 -0700

11th Annual PossAbilities triathlon

Aside from the never-ending inspiration of those overcoming disabilities and giving it all on the course, it was also inspiring to race alongside professional triathletes and olympians such Lukas Verzbizas, Julie Ertel, Charisa Wernick, Karl Bordine, and Laurel Wassner.

Money was on the counter this year at the sold-out race, so they all showed up just as my hopes of placing quickly dwindled. Especially after seeing that Lukas was there. I’ve got to say though, I’ve never ran as hard as I did at this race. They all pushed me. After a disappointing half marathon last weekend, it felt good running beside a friend and telling him that we should maybe slow down since we are not supposed to be running at this pace haha. Bike leg was much better than last year and best one yet in a race, but a LOT of work left.

I didn’t place in the top 3 and missed out on some cash, but given the field, am very happy to finish 1st in AG and 7th O (2nd amateur I think). Humbling and inspiring race at the same time with some amazing support!

The sad thing though is that I jumped into the pool (reverse tri) 6th and lost to Ertel by a few seconds at the finish line. I am seriously very terrible in the water.

Oh and happy to meet Bob Babbit!

From our R2R2R adventure last November. Photo by Jen

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:24:00 -0700

From our R2R2R adventure last November.

Photo by Jen

theclearlydope: Every thought is with Boston right now. Photo...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:50:00 -0700

theclearlydope:

Every thought is with Boston right now.

Photo by John Tlumacki

prayers for Boston.

Did my first trail race this morning :) Couldn’t catch first...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 10:57:00 -0700

Did my first trail race this morning :) Couldn’t catch first place but took 2nd overall and 1st AG! Not a particularly difficult course but had some good climbs. 16k, 66:54 (at Xterra Black Mountain Trail Run)

want!

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 11:46:55 -0700

want!

the sad and sick reality

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 10:31:07 -0700

the sad and sick reality

Cresting the highest pass in SoCal on my first century ride. All...

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 17:52:00 -0700

Cresting the highest pass in SoCal on my first century ride. All fun and games except for the 11.6k ft elevation gain on TT gearing 😭. I need to get a lightweight road bike to trash around. (at Onyx Summit)

@j_gang cresting Wabash, which should really be called ...

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:07:39 -0700

@j_gang cresting Wabash, which should really be called #codeblue (at City of Redlands)

"Your body is like a piece of dynamite. You can tap it with a pencil all day, but you’ll never make..."

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:57:43 -0700

“Your body is like a piece of dynamite. You can tap it with a pencil all day, but you’ll never make it explode. You hit it once with a hammer: Bang! Get serious. Do 40 hard minutes, not an hour and half of nonsense. It’s so much more rewarding.”

- j. statham

Managed to mangle my foot a little over the weekend, but the day...

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 18:17:00 -0700

Managed to mangle my foot a little over the weekend, but the day was too nice to sit inside! (at City of Redlands)

Lack of sleep: tearing the body apart one day at a time.

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:21:00 -0700

Hello, my name is Andrejs and I don’t sleep enough.

Lately I’ve become more and more aware that I have serious sleep debt. I can’t function to my potential if I don’t get my 8 and I am not even talking athletics. We all know the effects of poor sleep on our training adaptation, mental function, metabolic function, cortisol status and tissue repair, and other negative effects such as altered glycogen stores. That stuff scares me.

Successful athletes recognize that sleep is the number one recovery tool at their disposal and place it directly into their training plan. So much work goes into training and nutrition only to have potential benefits thrown out the window due to poor day-to-day planning that results in lack of sleep.

Even for those of us who don’t swim, bike, or run as a full-time job, it’s still equally important to get our rest to perform best at work, school, and literally everything else. Everybody’s sleep needs are different but the common factor is that sleep deprivation is not okay, and it’s time to dial it in and get it right.

”..lab studies that show that if you’re an eight-hour sleeper and you get six hours of sleep, that two-hour difference can impact your performance so that it equates to how you would perform if you had a 0.05 blood-alcohol level.”

(http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/sleep-like-an-olympian)

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/aa062800a.htm

a SoCal afternoon! (at Oak Glen Rd)

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:34:00 -0800

a SoCal afternoon! (at Oak Glen Rd)

sel-ee-nee: A little STRFKR for today. Rawnald Gregory Erickson...

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 18:02:59 -0800

sel-ee-nee:

A little STRFKR for today.

Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second - STRFKR

1st W in the bag! Feels good to finally get one. I say that...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 09:21:00 -0800

1st W in the bag! Feels good to finally get one.

I say that only half-thrilled because I know that the big races are just around the corner and I know I have serious work to do. I don’t want to finish 5 minutes better than last year. I don’t want 10, 15, 20.. Last year I set a goal time for my 70.3’s, and I’ll be doing all I can to get there. And I will. I know my weak points and I’ve been working on those, and unsurprisingly, improvements are coming around. Put in an effort and out come results.

No more dilly-dallying in the pool. 20-30k+ swim weeks are called for and PurplePatch/T26 workouts are just what I’ve been needing. No eating junk or going to bed late. I am honestly very excited about this season. It won’t be busy, but well targeted.

Oh Rosebowl, I’ve missed you. (at Rose Bowl Aquatic...

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:10:54 -0800

Oh Rosebowl, I’ve missed you. (at Rose Bowl Aquatic Center)

If there’s a better way to unwind after a long day, let me know!...

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:21:00 -0800

If there’s a better way to unwind after a long day, let me know! (at Hulda Crooks Park)

Windiest, coldest, most sketchy ride and run ever! 30+mph winds...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 11:44:00 -0800

Windiest, coldest, most sketchy ride and run ever! 30+mph winds made it challenging and I just about ate it a few times. Definitely riding at a good slant most of the race. Tailwinds were nice though :) Cops clocked me at 60mph on the downhill! Anyway, tough race, but took 1st overall :) Great way to kickoff the season! (at Fontana, CA)

30mph winds. this should be interesting! (at Fontana Park)

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 07:00:00 -0800

30mph winds. this should be interesting! (at Fontana Park)

snowy gorgeous day! (at Oak Glen)

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:33:08 -0800

snowy gorgeous day! (at Oak Glen)

Um no. That would slow me down and that can’t happen....

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 18:32:58 -0800

Um no. That would slow me down and that can’t happen. Because #strava. (at Oak Glen)