SCC Training

So my training for the Sierra Cycle Challenge continues. Yesterday was a BRUTAL ride from my house up to Rock Creek Lake which called for a nine mile climb to the peak. I almost quit so many times! I persevered though and it was totally worth it. I did a very short recovery ride today and even though I got a flat tire, I felt really good...like I could conquer anything. Bring on the SCC!

I haven't been mountain biking at all because I broke my bike. I had a pretty bad crash actually and am lucky to not be hurt. My bike is pretty messed up though and its going to take machining some new parts to fix it. It is sitting in a local machine shop right now while we wait for the original designer to send the CNC drawings. Summer is very short here and I just hope we can get it fixed with a decent amount of time before the snow flies and riding season is over. Without my mountain bike I am definitely more focused on training for the SCC though.

Another fun thing we've been doing is hanging out at Red's Lake. Its a very small lake that is amazingly clear and pristine. I've been free diving and cruising along the bottom...about twenty feet down. The visibility is unreal! Freedom loves it too! Above is a pic of him swimming there.

Monsoonal thunderstorms have rolled into the area again this week. We're getting thunder, lightning, and rain every afternoon again! Lovin it! Chillin in my living room looking out my huge windows, listening to and watching the storm. So nice!

June Lake Tri

Saturday was the June Lake Tri...and I was humbled. I finished last, but it was because I got WAY off course. I could have done way better if I did a heads-up stroke once in a while to stay on course. Needless to say, I will be practicing that A LOT! All-in-all, the day was a blast. It was a good bonding experience for the team (Lindsay, Jennifer, and me) and we had fun doing it. I'm looking forward to doing it next year. Not sure if I'm going to do it on a relay team again or do the whole thing solo. We'll see...

Now that the tri is over, I can focus on the Sierra Cycle Challenge (a three-day ride through the Eastern Sierras). Starting on July 25th we will ride from Mammoth to Benton, then from Benton to Grant Lake, and on the last day from Grant Lake back to Mammoth...camping each night of course. Click HERE for the website. Click HERE to support me. I'll be riding almost every day up to the ride. Day Two has a 10-mile climb! Nasty! Yesterday, I road for the first time in a year. Oh man! After three miles I thought I was going to die, but pushed through it and ended up doing ok. I have a lot of work to do in the next couple weeks! Wish me luck!

Yesterday, I hung out with a couple friends at Red's Lake. We BBQ'd, played with the dogs, and laid out. The water was super cold, but refreshing. We swam out to the middle and dove down to the bottom. So nice! The water is so clear and pristine. I love it there! I am going to make it a regular thing...

Off to ride!

June Lake Acclimation

Today I did an easy swim in June Lake just to check out the conditions so I know what to expect tmrw. The wind was creating a lot of waves and I was breathing in a lot of water so I compensated by turning my head more...and therefore rotating my body more. This caused me to pull to the right and I ended up pretty far out. The water is pretty damn cold. They say 62-65, but I think more like 59. Took me a while to recover afterwards. I felt strong though and think I'll do well tmrw. I'm loaded up the calories right now!