Race 8 - XTERRA Key Biscayne: Happy Mother's Day

As Wednesdays are sometimes referred to as “hump day”, so Key Biscayne had emerged as the “hump race” prior to the Memorial Day weekend break.  At week 8, it was the first time since week 2 that I was traveling alone, with no plan of friends to meet.  Week 9 has all kinds of excitement associated with it – so I just needed to get over the hump.

  I arrived late Friday night and had to wait 45 minutes at Hertz for a car.  (So far both times I've rented from Hertz I've had long waits…just sayin’).  That made for a pretty late arrival to the hotel, but since I didn’t have much scheduled for Saturday beyond buiding the bike and a pre-race workout, it wasn’t a huge deal.

  Saturday morning, I met up with the race director, James, at the race venue. Previewing the course, I realized that this would be the first ocean swim I would do in an XTERRA event. That was pretty neat.  Afterwards, I followed James over to his bike shop where I was able to build the bike. (an environment much more suitable to the task than a hotel room floor or parking lot).  At the shop I had the opportunity to meet a bunch of the local guys and tried to get as much intel as possible.  I knew I might be in for a little trouble when James asked me how good I am at Spanish (um…not good…at all.)   Thankfully it turned out to be not much of a problem, and they gave me some great tips.

  When the chores were done, I headed over to the hotel to check in and relax for the rest of the day.  While there, I was able to coninue working on another project associated with my journey.  After the great experience with Don Young and his family at XTERRA Renegade (Week 3 in southern California), Don had mentioned how cool it would be if he could win the lottery and travel to Hawaii for the World Championship race in October.  Well, with the help of my mom and a lot of other great people, Don may not have to spend his dollars on lottery tickets.

  My mom, Molly, is one of those people who knows everyone and whom everyone loves. She is very involved in both her church and the community and is always willing to go the extra mile to help someone out.  So the timing of this story is very appropriate, since XTERRA Key Biscayne was on Mother's Day.

Mom & Dad (Molly & Ken)
with 4 of their amazing  grandkids in '09

  My mom has become good friends on Facebook with Don and knew of his desire to go to Hawaii.  Since my parents have been going to Maui every winter for the last 15 years, they know a lot of people who own condos over there.  Knowing that lodging is one of the biggest expenses of any trip, she set about figuring out how to take care of that little hurdle for the Youngs.   In no time at all, she had talked to her friends, the Douglass, and they generously agreed to let the Young's use their condo for a week in October.  So – just like that – we had accommodations (I love you Mom!).   The next step is to work on airfare and a handicap accessible van for the week.

  A few days prior, I had called Don to ask him if he would be willing and able to go, if we were able to put together all the pieces.  He said, "I'd love to go but I don't want to get Deanna's hopes up until we know for sure we can make this happen.”  Perfectly understandable.  I then called Mike Copelan (he was also with the us at XTERRA Renegade) and asked him if he would be willing to contact a bunch of our old high school classmates to see if others would be willing to pitch in and make the trip happen. He agreed that it was a good idea and promised to work on it.

  The next day, I got a text from Don saying that the cat was out of the bag and that Deanna had caught wind of the whole idea.  He mentioned that three classmates were working on it.   As I thought about it, I started to think that things just don't move that fast.  Could it be possible that there were two fronts working on the same thing?  The cat may be out of the bag, but I was beginning to realize that it might be a different cat.  Sure enough, that is exactly what was happening.  So Saturday afternoon I called Jeff Yamada, one of the three people that Don had mentioned.  Jeff confirmed that a plan to get the Youngs to Hawaii had been in the works for about a month.  How great is that?  All we needed to do was unify the fronts.  So as of Mother’s Day weekend, there is an official movement with the Villa Park HS Class of 1982 working together to help out one of our family.

  Back to the race - Sunday morning, I arrived at the beach before sunrise and began to set up. While I was waiting for the start of the race I met Benjamin Dillion, who is serving in the Navy, stationed at Pensacola.  (He told me what he did, but I forgot.  It has something to do with flying. I should know this, since my son is in the military.)  Key Biscayne was Ben’s third week in a row of racing at the same events I’ve done - and did both the epic and Gator Terra last week (so actually 4 races in 3 weeks).  To top it off he will be doing the Southeast Championships next week in Alabama. He is trying to secure a slot for worlds (see, everyone wants to make it to Hawaii!).  Last year, he qualified for Worlds while stationed in Guam, so he wants to go back. We talked for quite awhile and I gave him the standard invitation to come to Colorado and do a race with me.  I think there might be a good chance he will take me up on my offer.

  The race was a new experience in a couple of ways.  First, swimming in the ocean is much different than swimming in a lake, but it was fun.   Second, about halfway into the run portion of the triathlon we came to a lagoon.  The only way to get to the other side was to swim.   I’m familiar with water crossings where you have wade through, but have never had to actually get down and swim with running shoes, visor and glasses on. It was a pretty cool feature, but the combination of sand and wet shoes did a number on my feet. Oh well.  I made it over the hump - 8 down and 16 to go.   I have about three days to heal up before we’re off to Alabama.  The Southeast Championship race promises to be memorable weekend as we will meet up with a bunch of new friends and all of the great people who run XTERRA.

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Race 7 - XTERRA Gator Terra: Welcome to the Swamp, People

After two weekends of dropping Brent at the airport curb, we were both looking forward to me making the trip with him to Louisiana.  And, after four straight weeks of mid-week snowstorms in Colorado, we were looking forward to warmer weather in the south....it's always warmer in the south, right?
  We flew into Little Rock, 170 miles north of our ultimate destination of Rustin, Louisiana.  The drive could have been completed on Friday night - but Bieshaar family rules dictate that "in order to get credit for being in a state, you must spend the night in that state".   Rules are rules, and neither one of us had ever been to Arkansas - so we stayed the night in Smackover. ('cause given the choice between El Dorado and Smackover, who wouldn't choose Smackover?)
  Saturday morning, we finished the drive and arrived at Lincoln Parish Park at a little after 9:00.  In addition to the Sunday race, XTERRA Gator Terra, that was our purpose for being at the park, there is a Saturday event, XTERRA Epic Rustman.  An "epic" XTERRA race is one that is typically about three times the distance as a regular XTERRA event.  The time cutoff for this epic was 8.5 hours - so that's a pretty good indication of the difficulty.  (And yes, there were several hardy souls who competed in both the epic and the 'regular' event.)  The Epic looks like a ton of fun and will probably show up on Brent's calendar in future years, but with 24 races on this year's calendar, he just wasn't seeing a real need to squeeze three races into one. (you know, like what he's doing is hard or something.)
  Aside from the fact that hanging out in a park is a really great way to spend a day, we had the added bonus of all the event activity.  Turbo Goat was the sponsor bike shop for the event.  Blake and the guys were a huge help to Brent in getting the bike assembled and ready for action. (ahhh - such a relief when the bike is ready).

  We also were pleased to finally meet (in person) Kevin Adams, an XTERRA athlete from the Washington D.C. area.  For the last two years, Kevin has held the record for completing the most XTERRA triathlons in each of those seasons (about 14 races each year).  While he will probably match that total again this year, he is happily relinquishing the record to this nut-job who's doing 24.  In fact - with regard to Brent's XTERRA Across America adventure - Kevin is fixin' to issue a challenge to all members of the XTERRA tribe and all readers of this blog.  Stay tuned for the announcement in a future issue of Tribe News - we'll be sure to link it to the blog and to the Facebook page!
 (Author's note: with all of the races that are taking place in America's 'South',  I hereby adopt the right to use such terms as fixin' and y'all.  Which brings up another point:  it's possible that we have watched too many episodes of Swamp People, but surprisingly, we did not come across a single person for whom subtitles would be necessary to understand what they were saying.  Apparently, one must travel farther south, closer to N'awlins, to come across such language challenges.)

Kevin & Brent

  Saturday passed in a whirlwind of riding and running the trails (really, really awesome trails!), getting to know some of the other competitors, and hanging out with Kevin, who was helping at one of the Epic aid stations.  Sunday morning arrived, and though a beautifully sunny day, the 42 degree temperature made the sunscreen unnecessary.  That being said, what is 'too cold' for the spectators is usually 'just right' for the competitors.  Seven events into this journey and Brent is racing as well as ever.  I had charged up the GoPro, thinking it was a good venue to get some video, but he was doing so well that I didn't want to slow him down.  Unfortunately for Brent, everyone in his age group seems to be racing well this year, so he isn't placing as high as he would like - but he really can't complain about his times.  Oh well.  It is what it is.
  Post-race also went well - 'the race after the race' was more of a Sunday stroll.  We even had time to hang around for the awards, spending a little extra time with new friends, before we made the drive back to Little Rock.
  The first nine weeks of XTERRA Across America are all out of town - air travel - destinations.  After Memorial Day, there will be four races here in Colorado and two others within driving distance.  As we've met new friends these last 7 weeks, Brent always offers to host someone at our house, should they want to tackle a mountain race.  So far, Kevin is the only one to take us up on our offer (for Buffalo Creek in August).  We mean it when we say that y'all are welcome anytime!  It will be interesting to see if we are ever able to fill the house.....that would be great!

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Race 6 - XTERRA Ft. Yargo: Georgia...The Road Leads Back To You

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Back in January, shortly after putting my schedule together, I had been contacted by an old friend from elementary school - Bob Jacobus.  He wanted to let me know that he now lives in Alabama, does XTERRA triathlons and would be at a couple of the events on my calendar.  Talk about your blast from the past!  This is a guy that I have not seen or talked to in over 30 years!  Race 6 in Ft. Yargo was the first race that we would be doing together - so I have really been looking forward to it.

Bob & Brent - still crazy after all these years

  I arrived in Atlanta around 2:30 and went straight to the hotel to put my bike together.  The learning curve is definitely working in my favor, as I'm now able to get the task completed pretty quickly.  I did discover that TSA confiscated my CO2 cartridges - apparently those 2" canisters are a threat to airline safety.  No big deal since I also ride with a pump (just in case).  Ever since the BIKE CRISIS, I travel with a lot of extra supplies (just in case).

Bob had planned to pre-ride the course on Friday evening, but the Atlanta traffic derailed that idea.  Instead, he was able to join me for sushi and catch up on old times.  We had a great time reminiscing about growing up in Evergreen, Colorado.   After dinner, I went back to the hotel and got ready for the race.

  Gun time was 8:00 Saturday morning.  The forecasted rain that had me worried about a possible cancellation (you never know when a concerned Park Service may step in and pull a permit to save their trails) didn't amount to much.  I arrived at the race early enough to meet the race director, David Berger, and talk to a few of the locals, including Todd Horsley and Virginia Ball.  Todd caught my attention because he was wearing a Colorado hat.  He lives in Georgia but has lots of family in Colorado.  They asked what I was doing down there and were surprised to hear about my adventure.  They hadn't heard of it before, but I think I may now have a couple more blog followers. 

  In the last few weeks, I have also struck up a new friendship with Charlie Parrish, from the Birmingham area.  He and I had never met in person, but have had a few phone conversations. Charlie found me prior to the race and introduced himself.  We hit it off as we shared our 'war stories' about the weather at Hickory Knob (Race 1) and hoped we would not have the same conditions here since it was beginning to rain. 

Charlie & Brent

  The gun went off and Charlie, Bob and I were all together trying to avoid the combat swimming.  We were fairly successful.  Charlie exited the water first, I was second and Bob was a little bit behind due to goggle failure.  As I took off out of T1, Bob said he would catch me on the bike - and he did just that.  About half way through the bike I heard from behind me, "You sure made me work hard to catch you."  That's when the fun begun.  We rode the rest of the bike together, occasionally sharing a few words.  Bob has a great sense of humor and is master of the one-liner. We didn't pass one person or have one person pass us that Bob didn't have something encouraging and funny to say to them.
  When we pulled into T2, I told Bob that he should go ahead and not wait for me.  His response was, "No Way!  I'm hanging with you all day."  He had to wait a couple of seconds in transition for me and then we were off.  We spent the entire run together talking about all kinds of things, but mostly about old times and all the people we grew up with.  One would think that this would not be a recipe for a good run time.  Au contraire!  I had the best run pace that I have ever had in 21 XTERRA races.  I think my mind was distracted and my legs just took over.  It was awesome!

  Once we finished, it was the race after the race.  I didn't do myself any favors by scheduling a 3:30 p.m. flight.  Not to worry - Bob helped me wash my bike, disassemble it and pack it up.  Charlie took a few pictures and we all visited as the packing up took place.  While we were working on the bike, Mark Rudder came up and introduced himself.  Mark is one of the best XTERRA athletes in the country at my age group - and yes, he won my age group on Saturday.  Thank you Mark, for introducing yourself - I'll look forward to seeing you in Alabama.  

  Everything went well and I was off to the hotel to get a shower, finish packing and jet to the airport.  I even made it there with enough time to get something to eat before the flight.

  Thank you so much Bob, for being my wingman at this race.  It meant so much to me to rekindle our friendship.  It's amazing how there are some people that you don't see for a long time,  but you can pickup again without missing a beat.  It reminded me of a Michael W. Smith song, "Friends".  One line really struck me about Bob:  "Friends are friends forever if the Lord's the lord of them.  And a friend will not say never 'cause the welcome will not end."

  The three of us talked about the upcoming Southeast Championships.  Charlie and his wife have invited Paula and me to have dinner at his house the night before.  Bob is going to let us stay at his home - which is great except for one major thing.  He is taking his kids to the Gulf Coast for the weekend, so we won't see him - we'll just be using his house.   Bob will be missed that weekend, but we are trying to figure out another race that we can do together this year.

    I'm six weeks into this adventure and it has already been such an incredible journey.  New friendships, old friendships rekindled, and so many good people with well-wishes along the way.  I can only imagine what's ahead - but this I know for sure: the best is yet to come!

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Race 5 - XTERRA Bluebonnet: A Stress-free Weekend

So 5 races into this adventure, some may be wondering how this all actually works.  Traveling every weekend - far enough to involve airports and rental cars - racing, and then reversing the process.  And then - what about the time inbetween the races?  You know, those 4, maybe even 5 whole days when Brent is at home.  Well, contrary to what many may think - and to what a certain someone in his life continually recommends - he does not rest.
  First of all, there is work.  While that should be a normal 8 - 5 situation, the reality is that the commitment tends to stretch well beyond those hours.  Next, there is working out.  Some would think that with a triathlon every weekend, working out during the week would not be necessary.  Unfortunately, it doesn't really work that way.  He will work out at least once a day, sometimes twice - before work and after.  He has gotten to where he will not work out one day a week (slacker!).  We're big believers in active recovery, so that involves healthy eating, ice-baths/epsom salt baths, and massage.  Anyone who's been down that road understands that those things aren't fun.  In fact, the ice bath and the massage are downright miserable! (oh, but it feels so good when it's over!)  After all of that, his free time is spent sleeping and packing for the next trip - which may involve a trip to the bike shop for maintenance on his ever-present travel companion.
  Taking all of the midweek activity into consideration, one might be able to see that the sum-total of everything could lead to....how shall we say it?.....STRESS!!!   The level of STRESS will usually reach its peak just before it's time to leave for the airport.  That's when Mr. 3C comes out.
  An Aside:  It was race 3, Renegade weekend in Southern California, when we had the BIKE CRISIS.  As we were waiting for our flight home from LAX, rehashing the weekend's events, Brent's comment about said CRISIS was, "I wasn't really that stressed out." I thought about dragging him to a mirror and introducing him to himself.  Instead, I agreed that he was "Mr. Calm, Cool and Collected" throughout the whole ordeal.  I even managed to keep a straight face.  The part he will regret about that conversation is that he then asked me if I was going to start calling him "3C".  Yes.  Yes, I am.  End of Aside.
  The Austin trip is one that was not on my travel calendar, so it was the second week of flying solo for Brent.  (This post will take over from his perspective in a little bit.)  The week leading up to Race 4 was especially busy at work.  For the most part, the pre-race details were going fairly smoothly - but on Friday afternoon, in the hours leading up to departure, 3C made his grand appearance.  And then to help the situation, traffic was unusually heavy going to DIA.  It was a happy time.  We got to the airport (...in plenty of time), unloaded his luggage, and then it was a quick kiss goodbye, "have fun" and "See ya' Monday!"  (Not gonna lie: sometimes a little separation is a good thing)  In all fairness, 3C can disappear as quickly as he arrives.  And, once the bags are checked, all STRESS vanishes.

  

BRENT'S TURN:

This was a great weekend.  I arrived in Austin late Friday evening and was picked up by a co-worker Cody Schroeder.  Cody had invited me to stay at his home and take me to the race on Sunday (maybe I invited myself).  Cody and his wife Emily were great hosts, and I can't thank them enough for their hospitality and support.  The funny thing is that they are the same age as my oldest son.  It's crazy to think that I'm old enough now to have co-workers the same age as my son.  Their guest-room is awesome and I slept like a rock - which is pretty unusual for me. I had had a very busy week at work, so I think my body needed it.   

Brent and Joel 

Saturday was a really relaxing day.  It felt like I had all the time in the world as I did my pre-race workout.  My finicky travel partner (the bike) cooperated and went together real well.  I did take it to Austin Tri Cyclist to have them give it the once over, and everything checked out. They were very supportive of my adventure and said they would spread the word.  Afterwards, I took Cody and Emily to the customary pre-race meal of sushi.

  I was fortunate that Cody and Emily were interested in the race and willing to make the 65 mile trip to Burnet along with me.  It's always more fun to have people with me.  I found the race director, Joel Grimmett, right away.  He gave me a warm reception and also gave me the opportunity to speak about XTERRA Across America during the pre-race meeting.  As I explained about the Blazeman Foundation, one person yelled out, " Will we see the Blazeman roll?" I responded "Absolutely!"   

  Before the race started, Joel introduced me to Charlie Bridges, the land owner for the race at Magnolia Hill, a race that I will be doing in July.  Charlie told me that the land is private and he only opens it up for various adventure races, such as XTERRA, so it's in pristine condition.  I'm really looking forward to his race, but a little leary about the July weather in Navasota, Texas.
  The Bluebonnet race was fun with some challenging technical sections on the bike.  The snowy spring in Colorado has not really allowed for getting out on the trails, so I am enjoying these weekends in warmer (most of the time) climates.  During the bike I met Patrick Smock.  He is a local athlete from Liberty Hill, TX.  We were yo-yoing during the bike leg - not because we are equal talent, but because he kept dropping his chain.   Despite the terrain, we were able to talk for a bit.  He gave me a warm Texas welcome, thanked me for coming to this race and then sailed on by.  All in all,  I had a pretty good race.  I may be competing more than I ought to, but at five weeks in a row, I still feel good.   

Snowy spring day in Colorado (4/23)

  XTERRA Across America seems to be catching on - thanks in large part to Trey Garmin's support in the Tribe Newsletter, and all the people who have been "sharing" these posts.  I have met several exceptional athletes who have been following my journey.  They are all very encouraging, and many will end up doing several of the same races that are on my schedule.  It would be amazing if XTERRA Across America became a challenge that others would take on in coming years.

  Since my travel plans included working with Cody on Monday, I was able to avoid the 'race for the airport' on Sunday afternoon.  The day was spent cleaning my bike & wetsuit, washing clothes, and getting everything repacked and ready for next week.  To some people, that may sound like a horrible way to spend an afternoon.  But any time I'm not rushing around is a good time.  I think though, that the best news of the weekend is that Cody caught the XTERRA bug and is going to give it a try next season.

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Thanks Cody & Emily!

Race 4 - XTERRA West Championship: What Happens in Vegas...

In the world of XTERRA, there are four regional championship races that take place over the course of the season - West, Southeast, East and Mountain.  The lovers of the sport will tell you that all of the races are fun (duh!), but it has to be said that the championship races are really, really fun!  OK - to be honest - the merits of each championship course can be debated, depending on what type of course appeals to you (desert, mountain, etc) - but a championship race is such a big event!  All of the XTERRA national sponsors show up with their tents, promoting their wares.  And you know for sure that it's a Championship event when you see the Paul Mitchell Cut-a-Thon tent: free haircuts for donations to the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
  While the expo atmosphere is always a good time - it's the athletes that make the event.  A championship race will always draw more competitors.  Athletes from all over the country will descend on these regional events with the hope of qualifying for the World Championship race held each October in Maui.  As if that is not enough to ratchet up the excitement, a regional championship is where you can count on seeing a full contingency of the XTERRA professional athletes competing.  The XTERRA professional athletes are from all over the world - not just the U.S. - and they are so fun to watch!  The age-group athletes have the opportunity to race the same course at the same time as the professionals - and while most of the time the 'age groupers' see only the backs of the pros, often there's one or two non-professionals that manage to finish up there with the big guns.  How cool is that?!
  It was with all this in mind that Brent headed to Las Vegas a mere three days after returning home from California.  He has business in the area, so he was able to make the most out of the trip.  I had not originally planned to go on this trip - but it's a regional championship! - what was I thinking?  I scoured the internet for a deal on airfare.....and made a huge mistake by booking a "cheap" ticket on Spirit Airlines.   Let the buyer beware:  Spirit will charge you $45 to check a bag, or $50 for a carry on!  Seriously.  Oh well.  What's done is done.  The important thing is that I got to be there.
  Friday afternoon packet pick-up was our first opportunity to scope out the venue - the Westin at Lake Las Vegas...swanky!  It was a productive outing as I finally got to meet Trey Garman, the VP of XTERRA who has been super supportive of Brent's efforts with XTERRA Across America; and The Bike received a little TLC from the sponsor bike shop, McGhie's.  Afterward, we tracked down a place for sushi - not a terribly difficult task in Las Vegas - and it was back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.
  Race morning was a bit unusual in that the championship race did not start until 10:30.  After all the typical pre-race preparations were complete, the athletes almost had enough time to take nap.  There are times - especially in Colorado - when a later start is appreciated because the weather will improve. This was not one of those times.  When the first wave started at 10:30, the temperature was above 80 degrees and climbing, and the wind had picked up.  You know the type of wind that can strip paint off cars?  Yeah....blow a bicycle rider off the course and sandblast his face for good measure.  Well, if it were easy, everyone would do it.
  Despite the conditions, Brent raced well (and managed to stay upright...always a good thing).  Since the previous two weeks had been Western Region races, there were some familiar faces in the field of athletes: Joe, Sam and Debbie from Real; and Liz from Renegade.  Liz killed it out there and earned a coveted berth at Worlds by winning her age group...nicely done!
  The real story was with the pros, and - not to take anything away from the men, but - the women were 'uh-mazing'!  Christine Jeffrey started it off by being the first athlete - men and women - out of the water.  Yep - the whole field got chicked.  Then, while the guys were duking it out through the bike and run, Lesley Paterson turned it up - winning the women's division by 12 minutes (what?!) and coming in 4th place overall!   All but three guys got chicked.  Wow.  And just in case anyone would try to argue that it was a fluke, Lesley went out the next day and won the half-marathon trail race, coming in 3rd place overall.  She's a beast!  (I wanna be just like her when I grow up)
  The men's race - no surprise - was a battle between 4-time World Champion Conrad Stoltz (South Africa) and Josiah Middaugh, the #1 American XTERRA professional for six of the last seven years.  Conrad had the lead going into the run - but not enough of one.  There's no messing around with a guy who has also been a Snowshoe National Champion - Josiah ran him down and won the first big race of the season.  (Since Josiah lives in Vail, we like to claim him as a home-town boy.)  Rest assured - there will be many more battles between these guys as the season goes on.  And there are a number of other pros that should never be counted out.  That's what makes these races so much fun!

Click here for photos from XTERRA West Championship

Note:  I was still mulling over the content of this post when news of the horror in Boston came through.  It's tough to put forth a post that's light-hearted when dealing with such a heavy heart.  While all instances of terrorism are horrible and strip us of our innocence, the reality is that some are more personal and affect us more deeply than others.  An attack at the Boston Marathon is personal.  For anyone who has ever laced up and stood at a starting line...for anyone who has ever stood at a finish line, anxiously awaiting the triumphant finish of a loved one...this is personal.  Most of those who will read this post are either endurance athletes or friends of endurance athletes...and I'd be willing to bet that all of us know or know of at least one person who was at the race on Monday.  As a family of athletes - just as we celebrate each other's accomplishments - so will we grieve together.  We will wear our race shirts on Friday and continue to mourn those who were killed, those who were injured, and the layer of innocence that was ripped from us.  We will be forever grateful for our loved ones that are safely back at home.  We will be inspired by the average people who stepped up and became heroes that day.  We will remember that the good people of the world outnumber the evil by millions. And we will lace up our shoes and begin again.

Race 3 - XTERRA Renegade: A Great Day

Of the 20-plus races on the XTERRA Across America schedule, this race - XTERRA Renegade, in San Dimas, California is the one we have been looking forward to the most.  From those last few days in December, when everything came together with the Blazeman Foundation, we knew that this would be the only race that Brent's high school friend and teammate, Don Young, would be able to attend.
  After the craziness of 'The Day Before', we woke up with a few butterflies  - anxious for everything to go well.  We were out the door well before sunrise, and arrived a few minutes before the park even opened at 6:00.  An early sign that things were going our way was when I backed the truck into the parking space - narrowly missing a randomly placed, impossible to see (stupid!) three foot pole.  (oh - thankyou thankyou thankyou).
  Those who have participated in any sort of endurance race know that the early morning time at the venue is well worth giving up a few extra minutes of sleep.  Jitters all but disappear and calm prevails as the athletes purposefully set about individual preparations.  Though the PA system may already be pumping out the tunes, it still feels quiet as people can be seen blowing into their fists, warding of that last bit of chill before the sun finally makes its appearance.  There's a camaraderie among participants, borne of a shared knowledge of the effort expended to get here.  It's race day...and it's awesome!

Brent, Jonathan & Taite

  Prior to setting up his transition area, Brent and I made the rounds introducing ourselves to all the Renegade Racing folks who have been so supportive in promoting XTERRA Across America's efforts to raise awareness for the War on ALS.  (Their press release summarizing Brent's and Don's stories got over 800 hits on our Facebook page alone)  Jonathan and Taite Pauley are the force behind Renegade Racing.  Andrea was the MC for the event.  This was obviously not their first rodeo - it was very organized, with several races taking place that morning, and everything went off without a hitch.  We had been pleased to find out that they had even arranged for Brent to wear #179 - the number that Jon Blais wore when he completed the Ironman World Championship in Kona back in 2005
  Don and his family - wife Deanna, daughter Jackie, son Alex - arrived well before the gun and were able to experience the pre-race excitement.  Another friend from high school, Mike Copeland, arrived - rounding out our small yet spirited group.
  An example of how XTERRA Across America and the Blazeman Foundation are really reaching people happened just as Brent was putting on his wetsuit.  One of the spectators asked him to wait because she wanted to take a picture of the back of his kit - where the 'War on ALS' logo is printed.  Brent just figured she had read about him in one of the XTERRA newsletters.  The truth is that she had never heard of him - but her father died of ALS, and she never knew there was an organization like that.  We've always thought that it was such a rare disease - but it seems as if everyone we talk to knows someone who has had it.

MC Andrea

  The gun went off, and Brent did his thing as the rest of us maneuvered for pictures, or just took a few moments to get to know each other better.  While the race was underway, MC Andrea (much better than MC Hammer...you can't touch this!) did an amazing job of telling the Brent & Don story and updating the crowd with Brent's position on the course.  She was going to make sure that no one within the sound of her voice would miss the triumphant Blazeman Roll across the finish line.
  As Brent was nearing the end of the race, Mike and I were straining to see through the crowd and the trees, wanting to know as soon as he rounded the corner so we could get into position to get it all on film.  Apparently, Brent's running gait has not changed since high school.  When he rounded the corner and was just a speck in the distance, we both immediately said, "Yep - that's him!"
  It might not have made ESPN's top 10 plays of the week, but those last 20 yards made the personal top 10 for many people who were fortunate enough to be there.  Brent took off his race number belt and put it around Don's waist, so he could wear #179 across the finish.  When they got to the mat, they both rolled across, to the cheers of the crowd - and not a dry eye to be found.  I am sure that Jon Blais was watching and loving every minute of it!

  Post-race was a blur of excitement and activity, with lots of congratulations for the day and good wishes for the journey ahead.  Brooke, the representative for race sponsor Longo Toyota, was so touched that her company pledged to make a donation to the foundation.  Once again, we have been so humbled by the kindness and generosity of others.  As I was reading through some of the posts to Don's blog, Hope is Denial,   I was reminded again of something that we know - but would do well to think about daily: no one ever promised that life was going to be easy, but life and the journey is such a blessing - we need to live it...every minute.  Or, in the words of Jon Blais, “Understand that this is not a dress rehearsal.  This is it…your life.”

As we were driving to In-N-Out, Brent called Bob Blais and told him about the race so that he and Mary Ann, Blazeman Dad and Blazeman Mom, could share in the excitement.  It was a great day.

Race 3 - XTERRA Renegade: The Day Before

A few years back, there was a song that asked the question, "Where'd all the good people go?"  I'm not sure where that guy was looking, but XTERRA Across America has shown us that the 'good people' are everywhere.  We have been running into them week after week!

Before THE CRISIS

  Southern California was our destination - back home to where we both grew up and went to high school.  A late Thursday flight into the OC, a cooperative nephew to pick us up and help us get the borrowed truck, and we were all set.  We were looking forward to a relaxing day before the race:  time to workout, build the bike, meet Don Young and his wife for lunch....all the time in the world! (I'll give you three guesses as to where the plans went awry - but you'll only need one.  Go ahead, I'll wait)
  The bike! (I knew you'd guess it)  It wasn't just  'a problem with the bike'....it was a full blown BIKE CRISIS!  A part was missing.  A little part - but a very important part.  Without this part, the back wheel would not attach to the bike.  Now, I have little to no understanding of the mechanics of a bicycle, but this much I know: 2 wheels = Good; 1 wheel = Bad.  This was very bad indeed.

Scott and the Reynolds wheel

  THE CRISIS began about an hour before we were supposed to meet our friends for lunch in Tustin (about 30 minutes away).  We stopped at a bike shop near the restaurant and Brent was told that they did not have the part he needed, nor did they think any bike shop in all of Orange County would be likely to have that part.  But if he'd like to buy a new wheel - it would be about 300 bucks.  Swell.  Thank goodness for smart phones, as he was then able to call a few of those OC bike shops (no dice on the part), and then  - with a stroke of genius! - he looked up and called the Southern California Reynolds Cycling rep, Scott Fortner.  Scott did not have a spare part, but he did have a spare wheel that he said Brent could borrow for the race - we just had to meet him in Santa Margarita (about 20 minutes away) to pick it up.  Perfect.  At this point, there was a little stress about our lunch plans - but that was solved in a minute when the group said that we could just move the lunch from BJ's in Tustin to the BJ's in Santa Margarita.  Easy enough!  We met Scott - what a great guy! - got the wheel, and were able to enjoy a nice - though late - lunch with Don, his wife Deanna, Mike (quarterback from the old Villa Park HS days), and Mike's son, Ryan (soon-to-be football star at El Toro HS).

Mike, Brent, Deanna & Don

  As lunch was winding down, Brent's anxiety level was amping up again - just knowing that he still needed to find someone to build the wheel.  (Note to my fellow non-gear-heads:  a wheel is just the inside metal part and spokes.  It still needs the tire and tube - or tubeless gunk stuff; it needs the gear cassette thingy for the chain; and it needs the brakes connected.  In other words, the wheel has to be built.  It's a process that can take as long as an hour at a bike shop.  It is not something that Brent could do himself.)  Luckily, we found Rock 'N Road Cyclery near the restaurant.  Mission Viejo has their very own bike-whisperer in Brad Kennedy.  I'll give Brent credit for keeping the emotion of THE CRISIS in check, but when he walked up to the repair window and told Brad he was "in a pinch", Brad understood that Brent was "a little stressed out", and set everything else aside to help.

Brad, Rock 'N Road

  The time spent at Rock 'N Road was actually rather enjoyable.  As Brad was taking care of The Bike, we were able to chat a little bit and tell him about XTERRA Across America.  We also met a couple of other people who were going to be at the race the next day.  The best part was that this was the last step in the resolution of THE CRISIS.  Though it was well after 5:00 when we finally headed back to Huntington Beach, and the 405 resembled a slow-moving parking lot, Brent was amazingly calm.
  The rest of the evening was filled with the usual pre-race preparations, but we kept looking back on the day with a little bit of awe - and whole lot of appreciation - for all the good people we had been blessed to encounter.  From Scott with Reynolds, to Brad and all the good folks at Rock 'N Road - even our friends, who thought nothing of picking up and changing restaurants - THE CRISIS turned out to be just a little bump in the road.
  Next post:  Race 3 - XTERRA Renegade: A Great Day