Wow what a summer!!! So bummed that it is coming to an end and my sweet summer is gone! I am so pumped for the future that I can't even stand it. Little Bodh man is growing like a weed, a chunky cute weed!! He is about 5 months and weighs in just shy of 18 lbs!!! He is in the 85+ percentile and the happiest little dude you will ever meet. His smile and laugh are intoxicating, I can't express how lucky Crystal and I are he is the best happiest baby you will ever meet super chill and just 100% badass!
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| D-bag and I bf Start |
We have had a stream of visitors throughout the summer and it has been really good to see family and share Bodhi with them. Crystal has been picking up some weekend shifts PRN either nights or days to get back to work while I am on dad duty. I was nervous at first but got to say I really enjoy and cherish the times when it is just Bodhi, Reed, and me. Bodhi and I have been calling them Bro weekends and anything goes and usually pants are not required!!!
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| B-Fed=Ironman |
Boulder Ironman came and went this year and some incredible performances from my buddies was awesome! Two of which are heading to the big Island!
Craig Depperschmidt and
Michael Kloosterman are going the holy grail of all races!!! I'm so happy and proud of you bro's!! I'm also jealous!!!! A few other buddies and training partners had great days whether it was their first time
Ish Johnson and
Brett Fedor to line up and cranking off 10 plus
Bryan Vanmeveren you guys all crushed it and hope you found what you are looking for racing that ridiculous distance!
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| Craig going to KONA!!! |
Since my last post I have taken on a different strategy to training and not putting any pressure on myself about hitting certain sessions or how much mileage I do in all three disciplines. I have had a go with the flow attitude and put my family first. I was going to race the Boulder Peak Oly Tri but the day before the race the race director sent out an email cancelling the race due to a forest fire and poor air quality. Sucked, but what are you going to do? Everything happens for a reason and it was all good. I have made it a priority to commute to work two days a week and am so fortunate that my routes to work can be pretty
gnarly!
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| New Running partner |
On Tuesday's and Thursdays I wake up around 4 a.m. get a pot of coffee going, meditate for 15 minutes, throw one of my sick
Wattie Ink kits on, check on Bodh man, give Crystal a kiss, and am out the door by 5. When I take the H-tooth way to work it takes me a bit over 2 hours so I have to hammer the whole time to make it to work on time. It has been so peaceful riding that early and getting to see the sunrise while on two wheels I can't believe I get to experience living in this serene place. I counted over 30+ deer one morning, unbelievable. The ride homes are usually only 20 miles and I try to do intervals and am usually eating a strong north wind. Over the weekends while watching Bodhi I will bring the bike inside on the trainer and do intervals in between naps or before he wakes up. That is all the cycling I have been doing and I feel pretty strong for my longest rides being at 2 hours.
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| PAIN CAVE!!! |
Depending on the how I feel Monday I might take it off or if I have time do a run over my lunch break. Wednesday and Fridays I try to hit
FAST Masters with Coach
Eric Neilsen there are some incredible swimmers that get after it and I love Coach Eric's practices and really feel my swim is coming along nicely. For the first time since I started swimming for this obnoxious sport I have been enjoying swimming and not dreading it...too much. Some Friday's I would meet up with local legend
Bryan Vanmeveren and we have been doing a little OWS at his house it is the absolutely perfect way to start your day! On my swim days I try and make it a run day as well. If I can I will take a long lunch and do an hour tempo or interval run around 7-8 miles twice a week.
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| Bodhi's 1st Running Race |
Sundays have been my long runs and have been taking little dude with me and pushing him in the BOB stroller. He seems to enjoy any time he is outside and usually falls asleep within 20-30 minutes. Bodhi and I entered our first 10K on Labor day at the
37th Annual Colorado Run I can't believe we ran as fast as we did and somehow won the 30-39 age division, it was hilarious and he fell asleep at the starting line and woke up about 3.5 miles in and was like "what the hell are we doing and why do you look like your going to die." It was wonderful and we got a sweet basket of goodies from all local Colorado places!
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| Bodhi's 1st Camping Trip |
With one of my races cancelled I decide to try something different and sign up for Buffalo Creek Xterra, in Bailey Colorado and that we were going to go on a family camping trip! I have only mountain biked twice since moving to Colorado so I figured why not go race the longest Xterra in Northern America. I got out there on Friday mid day and set up our camping site it is literally in the middle of nowhere with no running, water, no cell phone service and just over 8,000 feet. It was beautiful and just what I needed to get off the grid and unplug from everything. The only thing that sucked was it was the first night away from Bodhi and I missed him like crazy. I kinda pre-rode some of the course and just told myself to race on instinct and try to to cartwheel down the mountain and stay in one piece. My buddy
Antony Lee is a crazy human and decided that since he hasn't done a triathlon in 2 years let alone rode a mountain bike in 6 years decided to meet me Saturday morning and see what he could muster up. The race was so laid back I didn't have any of my pre-race nerves.
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| Perfect!!! |
The swim was stated to be 1500m but after exiting the water I looked at my Garmin and we were shy of 1000 yards! I knew it was short but that is crazy to me, oh well on the my tank of a mtn bike. I started peddling up out of transition and tried to tell my self this is 22 miles at a super slow pace don't be an idiot just hammer when you can and make it through the technical sections. I felt I was going pretty well then my chain fell off going up a small rocky section and I thought "so it begins." The remainder of the bike race was relatively smooth I never once wrecked bad enough to make me slow down I had some close calls but I made it back to T2 unscathed. The run was through some trails and some dirt roads, it was supposed to be 5 miles but was barely 4. I came across in 17th Overall and 4th in my division. I really wanted to podium in my first Xterra but no worries. My strength in triathlon is the bike and now it was my weakness out in the woods. Anthony made it to the finish line in a world of pain but my god he finished and was destroyed! Good on ya mate for finishing most people would never of even drove out to attempt you are a bad dude!
Crystal then met us out there and we had a nice quiet evening with some of the most breathtaking views around. Bodhi slept in his little sleeping bag and never even made a peep throughout the night. He is so awesome! We were up early packed and on the road by 9am and home before 11. I really enjoyed my camping trip and xterra experience I can't decide if I want to go full off-road next year with hopes of making in to Maui for the World Champs one day or stick to 70.3's I will have to figure it out over the winter.
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| D and I Dillon Res |
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| Cheer Squad |
Two weeks after the Xterra Camping experience it was time to get high and go up to Dillon for the Highest Triathlon in the World.
106 West Tri 70.3 was the inaugural historical race and not only was it the Highest Triathlon in the world topping out at 10,291 feet of elevation but the first time anyone could swim in the crisp waters of Lake Dillon. This race has been on my radar since 2014 when Crystal and I went to Silverthorne and did an Olympic race there and the promoters were talking about it. I got some of my crazy friends to sign up and show up and they all kicked ass. My best mate
Derek Tidd and his girlfriend flew in from KC to race. It was so good to see him and race with him I miss the crap out that dude. Crystal, Bodhi, Reed, and I arrived to Dillon on Wednesday and got settled in out condo which was 1/2 mile from the swim start. Thursday I did a lap of the bike course, I was told that it was similar to Rist Canyon, however not even close. I got to the top of Montezuma Road and was like "that's it?" I was expecting a tougher climb, but I got to remember my morning commute twice a week is no joke and felt as if it might be harder. I was pumped to tackle it at race conditions and hammer up it two times. Friday was a super chill day Derek and I hung out and dicked around on the BMC's I had a calmness that I usually don't get, maybe it was that it was the first time anybody was racing here and this high, with no expectations of time or anything like that it was all about going with the flow and being smart not explode.
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| Team Britton |
Race morning was a little different my start wasn't until 9:36 so I woke up about 6:30 meditated, fed little Bodhi, ate some oatmeal, and drank some coffee. Derek came over and we walked to the Transition and swim start. It was cold, like under 40 degrees, but the sun was up and that was promising. The water temp ranged from 56-61 degrees depending on who you asked, it didn't matter it was going to be frigid and I expected my hands, face, and feet to go numb. Derek was more nervous then I have ever seen him in all the years we have raced together from Motocross to triathlon he was a wreck!!!! I tried to calm him down and told him to "chill out man just stay relaxed and don't blow your load." Media mogul of
5280 ELITE Kenny Withrow popped up to say good luck and wish me on our way. The announcer for our wave (Male and Female 3 under-39) to get into the water. At first I didn't think it felt that cold but once we were out to the start buoy and I dunked my face it it was apparent that this was going to be pretty brutal. Luckily my
Blue Seventy Helix wet suit is so money and kept my torso arms and legs warm and fast.
The gun went off and we started I started in the front and went with a smooth stroke and focused on breathing for the first 1000 meters, knowing that last time I raced close to this elevation I had to backstroke most of the swim because of not being able to catch my breath, a day that Crystal will never let me live down. After the first lap I started picking up the pace and sited a group of 4-5 dudes and with several quick strokes was on their feet enjoying the draft. I was able to stay with them the remainder of the swim. Exiting the water was business as usual, I quickly made my way through T1 and got to my bike. I have a routine and try to stick with it so I don't forget anything and stay focused. The one thing I noticed was how my hands where non working and it was super hard to put my cycling shoes on with numb hands. I looked up and saw Derek coming into T1...this is the first time I have ever beat him out of the water, I will take it even though I had an unfair advantage of training and swimming at at least 5,000ft. My feet and face where cold but manageable.
Swim
I grabbed Walter White and away we went. I mounted and started pedaling smooth, heart rate check was good low 160's and dropping. I decided since the race was such a different race then others I would only look at my HR numbers and forget everything else. Once the bike got on to Highway 6 the hammer fest begun and I was blowing by tons of people in the Olympic Distance Race, I was licking my chops as we started the climb up Montezuma road and my HR numbers where in the 150's I only touched the 160's a hand full of times on the bike. After the first lap my nutrition was on point thanks to
Herbalife 24 and I felt really really good, I counted that I was about in 4th or 5th in the 70.3 race. I managed to pass a guy on the second climb on Montezuma rd. A female racer shouted that I was in 3rd! I yelled back "SWEET!!!!!" The decent was fun and actually passed a Lawrence Triathlete,
Sandy Brown, whom I used to train with in Kansas she was Rocking the
W and looked great. I kept the hammer down and got back to Dillon Reservoir and got to see Crystal and Bodhi standing on the corner cheering me on!
Bike
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| Finish with Crystal Cheering me in!!!! Photo Cred: 5280 ELITE |
T2 was fast and uneventful, as I started the run on the two lap course I felt pretty good not great but good. Once again I only looked at my HR and was not concerned with what pace I was running and was strictly going on feel and HR. First mile clicked off under 7 min...nice, I'll take that all day! The next couple miles where getting harder and as we entered the trail between Dillon and Frisco the old familiar feeling crept in to make itself known. This hurts and the pain is screaming at me, "DID YOU MISS ME" I def did not, however with all the meditation I have been practicing I stayed in the moment and didn't think about how much further I had to go but stay with each stride and breath. I started saying Bodhi's name on my exhales, took a gel and some salt tabs and weathered the storm. I snapped out of it and got back into a rhythm, by the time I came to the halfway turn around I was back in the game and noticed that I was gaining on second place overall. As I approached the turnaround, I saw Crystal and she shouted while holding Bodhi up, "You think you are having a Shitty time!!!!" Bodhi had a blow out and had shat up his onsie and looked like a disaster area. I felt bad for her but at the same time reinvigorated to keep pushing and catch that guy in second. I had a few more battles with the demons that kick in any type your in an endurance race but was able to push trough them and stay on track. With about 3 miles left I passed the guy for second and got what has become a very rare feeling I got what I call "blacking out in the pain cave." It is when I get goosebumps all over and literally can't feel anything and my pace picks up and it is awesome! I happened to pass Derek going the opposite way and completely belligerent yelling "I'M BLACKED OUT IN THE PAIN CAVE!!!!!!!!" I finished strong and the announcer said I was the second place overall male! Unbelievable I thought, I saw Crystal and Bodhi and my body realized what I just did and was in a bad place. My heart and lungs where on fire and I couldn't stop coughing. Crystal was shocked on how well I did and I think I made her proud, which is hard to do!!!
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| SMOKED! |
Run
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| 106 West 70.3 Overall Podium!!! |
Turns out that a stud that started behind me would beat me by about a minute and half and bumped me to 3rd overall. I still can't believe I got my first overall podium at this race! I am so grateful for my life and can't thank Crystal enough for all she does she is such a power chick!!! Awesome mom, amazing wife, great coach and motivator for me! I say this all the time but I seriously am the luckiest dude in the world. Racing season is all but over, I am signed up for Oktoberfest this weekend but not sure if I will get to race it, no worries either way. Since becoming a father I have realized that I want to set an example for him and promote a healthy lifestyle and hopefully motivate him to accomplish great things!!! After my performance it is clear to me that I still can be a great triathlete on less training and more concentrated efforts. Since Boulder 70.3 I have only two times not come straight home after work to spend time and hang out with Bodhi and Crystal, it is my favorite part of the day and I am truly blessed!!!!!
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Wow what a summer!!! So bummed that it is coming to an end and my sweet summer is gone! I am so pumped for the future that I can't even stand it. Little Bodh man is growing like a weed, a chunky cute weed!! He is about 5 months and weighs in just shy of 18 lbs!!! He is in the 85+ percentile and the happiest little dude you will ever meet. His smile and laugh are intoxicating, I can't express how lucky Crystal and I are he is the best happiest baby you will ever meet super chill and just 100% badass!
