Big Thanks

Thanks to everyone who communicated good vibes to the Federal Passport Information people. I talked with them first thing this morning and my passport will be here in the next 2-3 days. Just in time!
Speaking of thank you's, I have a lot of people to thank for helping me along the way, and for this trip in particular. Of course I have to do the obligatory thank you to Mom and Dad. They have been supportive of all my athletic endeavors. From running, BMXing, soccer, baseball, tennis and triathlon, they have been there 100%. I have done 7 IM's, and they have been to every one of them. I love having them there, it helps take the stress out for me. My dad is always helping me by driving me to the swim or expo, dropping me off on race day or helping with my transition bags, but he won't touch the brakes on my bike (inside joke). My mom sews extra pockets into my race jersey, takes in headbands on visors that are too big and helps organize all the meals, trips, etc. Seeing them at IM Hawaii in the finish chute was a great highlight for me.
Another big thank you to my wife, Courtney. She puts up with me on a daily basis, which is pretty easy most of the time, but I certainly have my moments. It is a fact that I loathe laundry. Quite often I have multiple piles of laundry scattered upstairs. I can't help it, it piles up so fast! But Court keeps it to herself... most of the time. She does a lot of little things like the grocery shopping, picking up stuff I need from the store, waiting for me to finish a ride or run. For my East Coast trip she got me a MasterCard gift certificate so I can buy all the little things you need when you are on the road. Her support means the world to me. Often when I am training I think about the day when I will be able to support her and a family with my racing carreer. It would be a dream to train and race and have Court be able to do what she wants. She is a special ed teacher and loves it, but I want her to be able to do whatever she wants. Plus, if I want to do a training camp in New Zealand in the winter, or in Europe, I want her to be there! Big dreams require big committment.
A few more thank you's go to the buys at Bicycle Village. I work there once a week (it's a rough schedule) and they are always asking about my racing or training. Scott is the manager and multiple IM finisher as well. It's great because when I walk in the door with my butt dragging, he knows what it's like. There are a few other guys at the shop that have done IM, or are doing their 1st IM this year. It's great to be around other guys that get the sport. Plus, I get great deals on equipment, have made some unbelievable contacts, and enjoy talking to newbies about triathlon. I also have my bike well maintained by world class, world reknowned mechanic Aaron (pronounced Double A Ron) Docter. The man is gifted with the wrenches and is a true Dream Killer.
Thanks to all of my sponsors as well. Marco at Descente for all the training and racing gear, Steve, Paul and Patrice with Kuota, the Kalibur is unreal, Haley at FRS, I can't get enough, Erik at Oakley, the Radars and Flak Jackets are perfect, Jamie with Saucony, the Tangents, Triumphs and FastTwitches are a dream to run in ,Guy with BlueSeventy, the Helix is super fast, and Mike with D3 Multisport and the Blazeman Foundation for letting me stay with him in Boulder and the good training advice. All of these people have put their faith in me as a person and athlete and I hope to repay that faith with good results and good representation of their respective products.
Their are other people who may not be "official" sponsors, but deserve a thank you as well. Dave with Zipp, Neal at the Boulder Center for Sports Med for helping me build a training pland and keep my head from exploding, my in-laws for their support and unbelievable understanding of what I am trying to do, and to all my clients for their understanding with my schedule to come.
The training has been great as well. More hard days in the saddle, pounding out the yards and hitting the trails. On Memorial Day I did a great 5k swim that was mostly continuous, a group of 500's, 400's and 300's. I did some pace work, steady state and strength building work. Then on the bike I did some big gear work up hills and into the wind. The wind seems to be theme for me lately. I was being buffeted in all directions and I swear the wind direction was changing by the minute. After the ride I went to a barbeque that our friends Shane and Carie had. I ate my weight in pasta salad, fruit and the most delicious home made oat/brown sugar bar ever made, thanks Heidi!
Today was a hard run. 20 minutes of warm up, then 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes moderate, done ten times. This workout is harder than it looks. My hard was at a 5 40 pace, right where I want to be. In the afternoon I hit the pool for the mid day masters. A good mixed pace 3500 and it was time to go home and eat more. The trainer was in order as the weather turned rainy and I spun easy for 45.
I am 90% packed up now. The Super Shuttle will be picking me up at 8 AM and the first leg of the trip starts at 11:30.
I will do my best to keep the blog updated, but I make no promises. I hope everyone has some good training, racing and a good time in general. In the meantime, be safe, have fun and committ yourself to your goal.

All the Best,
AJ