Mark Triebwasser

2010 Season Recap

2010-11-17T17:39:00.000-08:00

this years race season was successful in some ways, and it was disappointing in a couple ways. lets start with the disappointing ways first.

disappointing ways:

i did not get to race as many XTERRA races & triathlons as i wanted to
i did not keep up on my blog & send out updates like i'm known to do

successful ways:

i learned alot bout my body & my training schedule in regards to how i became very fast by spring/summertime. what i did new this year worked
i did finish 12 races this year: 1-1st place, 1-2nd place, 2-3rd place, 1-4th place, 4-4th place, 1-6th place, & 2-8th place finishes - ALL TOP 10 finishes!
i picked up 2 new sponsors SUPERFEET & RECOFIT COMPRESSION
although i wasnt racing as much i still was training 6-7 days a week & serving as an ambassador to all my sponsors & their products to MANY athletic and non athletic consumers
i stayed very active on my twitter account & acquired over 1200 followers

so as i reflect on this years season, all i can really do is get my game plan set for 2011 and look at what was successful this year and what disappointed me this year. as some of you may know, or not know, i work in the entertainment industry. i'm the owner of my own corperation. its a theatrical contractor company. we specialize in lighting, staging and rigging. when you go to concerts, you know all the lighting and sound equipment that hangs above the stage, a rigger is who hangs all that stuff so it doesnt fall. thats what i do is rigg and design/execute lighting shows of all types. i also moonlight as a club dj. so the thing that sucks bout working in the enterainment industry is, we mainly work weekends. shows are almost always on weekends or towards the end of the week. which is ALSO when races are. so when i'm working till 3am its hard to muster up the modivation to go race at 7am somewhere. so i hope many of you can understand that. since the ecomony took a crap, i've had to let go employees that worked for me to keep the business alive. which forced me this year to not only bid jobs in the field, but also to do the work itself as apposed to saying, good luck this weekend guys, i'll be in maui racing this weekend, see ya monday.

anyway, so now i hope you can understand where i'm coming from on why i didnt race as much this year as planned. so for 2011 what my plan is, is to block out 3 race weekends and take no work and make sure that weekend is completely free so i can make it to the race. and also so i'm not still deciding if i should race 3 days before the race. so thats my plan for 2011. i should have that schedule together with in the next month or so. until then, stay turned as i hope to get back into the habbit of blogging like i used too.

i started 3 weeks ago on my 3 months of base work i plan to do in preperation for the 2011 season. things seem to be going very well right now, minus the head cold i just caught. bummer. i am human though. i hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving and talk to you all soon.

stay warm!

MIA

2010-10-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

hi everybody -
yes i have been MIA all summer long....lots to talk about for sure. i'm VERY active on my twitter account, so if you follow it at all, then you will know i'm still around and very much still training etc.... i will be posting an update on everything that has been going on with me sometime this month. also my plans for next years race season. so stay turned........ :-)

Tour of California 2010

2010-05-17T16:32:00.001-07:00

so each year me and my riding buddies from the folsom breakouts mountain bike club (all the guys wearing black & white strip jerseys) that i've been riding with since i was 13, all get together for a day of shanagagians as we watch the tour of california roll through our home town/backyard. this year we all decided to go to the steepest part of the longest climb of stage 1. the climb that climbs out of auburn ravine and into the town of cool. i ride this hill a lot during my training so i was looking forward to see how fast the pros ride up the same hill i gut it out on.

since we are all mountain bikers and train regularly in auburn ravine, we know the el primo spot to park that really only locals know about. russel road. so we decided to park there, ride down the downhill called stage coach, then ride up highway 49 to our breakout camp spot. then after the riders come through, we'll ride back down and then climb stage coach and load up and head downtown to see the finish with the all time vip hook up.

after this post is video footage i recorded from the day...to see them, just keep scrolling down...the 1st one is funny..& make sure your sound is turned on!

below is the guy who travels all throughout the tour, i saw him and had to get my pic with him. he runs up along side all the racers in like every stage....pretty sweet hat if you ask me:

below are pics of the team cars after the 4 lead riders came through. they had bout a 5 min gap on the pelaton (rest of the field)

so when we arrive downtown i'm expecting us to be in some small tent way down the finish line and turns out our vip tent was the full on fully catored liquor/drinks/food and we were right on the finish line. with lots of room, no crowds pushing us for spots... out of the 100,000 people that were in downtown sac, we had the #1 spot to be in. thanks melissa for the sweet hook up! you def got the "THE GIRL" award for yesterdays event. no the guy, or that guy, or that girl...no you were THE GIRL. we got to watch the race in pure style thanks to you. got goodie bags from united health care with socks, hats, tee shirts, cycling caps and these cool passes to wear around our necks that everybody drooled over. also was told that these passes costed united health care $500 bucks a piece...wow!....thanks again melissa, it was a TON of fun!

the view of the finish line from our vip tent....it was right there....oh yeah!

the view from our vip tent down the finish line strait away:

breakout buddies, big rick, melissa (our vip hook up), steve roth rider and me...oh what a fun day it was....

me in total cycling pro-hoe sherpa mode:

the view behind the united healthcare VIP tent right next to the finish line:

below is the united healthcare team motorhome...got to check it out and chat with the president of united health care:

inside the united health care team motorhome.....we were chit chatten with the president of the company for a bit...super cool guy. found out that his investment to sponsor a pro team is well in the million dollar range for just 1 season....WOW! he also told us that the riders are just a small fraction of the work on sponsoring a pro team. its the media and marketing that is what takes up all the time and money....

pic of me and dave zabriskie.....lol!

Tour of California 2010 - Video Footage

2010-05-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

below are some video footage i recorded from the tour, stage 1 yesterday. the video below was recorded on the steepest part of the longest and steepest climb on stage 1. it was the climb out of auburn ravine up to the town of cool. the mountain bike club i've been riding with since i was 13 years old all had a camp out spot right on the inside of the turn you'll see. all the guys wearing black and white strip jerseys, the folsom breakouts. as you can see we are a crazy group of people when we are all at these race events....lots of laughs....this year i bought an air horn and had some fun with it, watch & make sure your sound is turned on:

below is video footage of the 1st time the riders are coming through the finish line. 3 more laps to go at this point:

below is the sprint finish on last lap, cavendish won....that guy is a stud:

DJ FOX's Top 20 Monthly Fav Club Trax - May

2010-05-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

as many of you know or dont know, my "other" job is i moon light as a club video dj and theatrical lighting contractor. DJ FOX is my dj name. feel free to check out my dj web site sometime. these days i'm doing more DJ gigs then anything. and when i dj, i perform the video djing. its were i play the remix music videos to all the songs you hear in the clubs. the venues i perform at have a large number of plasma screens, say 20 in 1 venue for 1 example, and you see all the vidoes to every song i play. its quite a site to see. its the newest and hottest thing out in the clubs that more djs are starting to get into... i average bout 10 or so club gigs a month. by doing this it keeps me in tune with with whats currently hot at the clubs. i have been asked lately for recommendations on music to work out to by other athletes. so i thought, i'm gonna start a monthly top 20 list of songs that are my fav ones to play and are also whats hot in the clubs currently.

being a club dj i also have access to songs before they are available to the public and i get them in hand and play them sometimes before the radio plays them. so you might see some tracks listed that maybe you havent heard of yet, but you will eventually if you see it on my list. and most of these songs will be good for you to work out to during your workouts. so i hope many of you enjoy this monthly list and you can get these tracks and put em in your ipod when you work out and just rock out!!! so i will list these in order of my fav pick starting with #1 & if you dont see it on here....then for some reason i just dont dig it or its moved its way down on my hot list...

1. cooler than me - mike posner (this song is HOT, find it & get it. the upbeat version)
2. rude boy - rihanna (i'm in love with rihanna & this song is just sexy)
3. fantasy girl - baby bash (this tune is grooven)
4. break your heart – taio cruz/ludacris (its what i've been told i do to girls)
5. OMG - usher (usher is the shiiiiiiiiitz and so is this song)
6. in my head - jason derulo
7. we came to party - smoke jumpers/space cowboy ft paradise girls (1 of my favs!!!!!)
8. winner - justin timberlake (great bass thumpin beats by JT. song is sick)
9. hard - rihanna
10. bla blah bla - ke$ha
11. sexy chick - akon
12. my chick bad - ludacris
13. poker face - lady gaga (oldie now, but still one of my favs - hell anything gaga rawks!)
15. patron/tequilia - paradise girls (these girls are trouuuuble!)
16. shake my azz -3 six mafia
17. outta control - smoke jumpers (serato sucks by the way & i'll never use it)
18. telephone - lady gaga/beyonce
19. la, la, la - LMAFAO
20. your love is my drug - ke$ha

Folsom Lake Trail Running Series - 4.29 - Race Report

2010-05-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

last thursday was my 1st trail running race of the year. folsom lake trail running series. i was looking pretty forward to it despite having only have ran really bout 4x in the last 2 weeks or so. i've been taken a bit of a break since i decided to axe the xterra vegas race that was last weekend.

race start was at 615pm and my plan was to leave from my house at 545 and head over to the race site at negro bar, natomas lake which is bout a 10 min run away. of course i'm running late. whats new...... i ended up leaving at 600 and got to the race site 3 min before it started. i still had to register and get my number so i was in aaaaaa hurry. after getting everything signed and got my number on my race belt, i headed to the start line just in time to do the 10k trail run race.

normally my plan on these running races is to just gun it from the start and dont look back. but i figured today i'll hold back at the start and just kinda see what happens, who the fast guys are and just stay behind them and then make my move. well after the start i was behind a old bike riding buddy of mine and we were chatten for a few and there was this other guy who was sum kid who i thought was prolly the fast guy to watch. well as the 1st left hand turn came up non of us were paying attention and we kept going straight instead of turning right. one of us noticed right away said something then we all halted and turned around and kinda started laughing...

then bout 2 minutes into the race i kind of had enough of the slow pace i wanted to turn it up and start going and see who follows. the kid who i thought was gonna be fast stays with me...ok here we go, the race is finally starting. i knew this kid was young.....but didnt know how young. turns out he was 18. anyway, my plan was to try to shake and break him. i'd speed up then slow down and kinda soft run (kinda like soft pedaling on a bike, but your running) let him catch up. i kept doing this and i could hear this kid really breathing hard. it was obvious that he was working hard to stay with me....

then we came to the feed zone. when i do running races, i NEVER stop in the feed/water zones. for the last 3 years i've trained my body to run over 12 miles with only taking a few sips of water and thats it. i feel you dont want to have to rely on carrying water or stopping for water during a race. all my races are not longer then a 10k run, so i want to be able to run them in an XTERRA race as fast as possible without having to stop and fuel......so back to the race, the feed zone was coming up and i knew i was not gonna stop. what i was wondering was if the kid would stop. and if he did, i was gonna just gun it and go as hard as i can. and i looked back after i passed through, then he passed the feed zone and then hesitated and then stopped to grab sum water. i saw that while looking over my head and i just darted.....see yaaaaa! hey its not like bike racing where its an unwritten rule that you dont attack in the feed zone. this is running...its different. plus i was racing against a kid, so i kinda wanted to teach him a few things about racing and if he's gonna race up against an athlete like me. hey when i was his age and racing, the older experience guys did the same thing...tough love man....

so i attacked and bout 2 min later i look back and i can see this kid just sprinting sooo hard to catch me i couldnt believe it....he ran down bout prolly 20 seconds on me while i was going my fastest....i couldnt believe it...it actually made me laugh like are you serious....hhehehehe.... so hear we were neck and neck again. we had 3 climbs on the way back and by the time we had gotten to the 3rd one he ended up slowly passing me. i admit, i was a lil fatigued. we were running bout 6 min miles off road, so we were booking. but also keep in mind, i have only ran bout 4 times in last few weeks. so by time we got to the 3rd hill i was like ok, the kid can have it. he deserves it. i've been beating him up last 4.5 miles so go for it man. i keep him with in eye site. think he finished bout 10 seconds ahead of me. but it was a fun race. the kid really made it a fun race. after i crossed the finish line i found him, introduced myself and said great job man.

then i said my good byes to sum people and then did my cool down run back home. great race. 2nd overall, time was 38 minutes for 10k off road race. not my fastest which was 35 min, but hey i'll take it. i also was super excited to wear my new BROOKS singlet & shorts which are super bright. they are just way cool and they match my RUDY PROJECT NOYZ glasses. my BROOKS GHOST 2 shoes were my kicks of choice along with SUPERFEET GREEN INSOLES. and my hat was the BROOKS HVAC CAP. below are some pictures courtesy of brian joder from www.breakoutracing.com

Superfeet lists its sponsored athletes in magazine

2010-04-27T16:52:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - The newest volume of the digital print magazine, Running Insight, did a column on SUPERFEET "ANNOUNCES ITS SPONSORED ATHLETES ON FACEBOOK." superfeet is getting some major recognition for using facebook to apply and announce for sponsorships. i have had 2 other companys comment on what a great idea that is that they did that. i'm sure in the future more manufactures will follow suit as todays generation is really all communicated via social networks such as facebook, twitter, and myspace. i've got all 3. look me up or you can find the links here on my blog site. i'm more of a twitter fan myself. but i do have them all..

anyway, the magazine is actually a pretty good magazine. i wish it was a print magazine. here is the link to the dig print version of the magazine: CLICK HERE - or to see the article click on the pics below:

Newly added sponsor - Superfeet

2010-04-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

i am proud to announce my new partnership with Ferndale, Washington based company, SUPERFEET. I applied for sponsorship and was accepted along with 19 other athletes/outdoor enthusiasts. SUPERFEET which i'm sure many of you know, are the makers of the worlds leading insoles for all types of footwear for all types of people. from cycling shoes, to running shoes, to dress shoes, everyday shoes, ski/snowboard boots. you name it, they have an insole for it. they also do custom as well..

as you know i represent a good number of great companys/manufactures. bottom line, i wont apply or accept sponsorship to/from a company who i dont believe in their product and what that companys core values is all about. cuz if i represent a company, i'm stamping my approval along with it. cuz believe it or not, i get asked by people on a weekly sometimes daily basis about products from the manufactures i represent. advice on their products, why i use them as apposed to other products. i get asked just bout every question you can think of...for some reason people like to know why i use and what i use and then 2 weeks later i see them using the same product!

and as far as SUPERFEET goes, well in previous years i have been dealing with knee pains and i couldnt figure out what it was coming from. i tried everything known possible....except changing out my stock insole that came with my shoes. so finally when my coach at the time had me come down to see a running expert down in san jose, the running expert immediately identified this: 1st, i was running in a stability shoe....whats wrong with that i thought?? i race XTERRA which is off road so i figured i need the shoe with support. WRONG! turns out i have a neutral foot and he said i need to be wearing only neutral shoes. problem 1 fixed. cant believe i've been running in stability shoes since high school when i ran track.... next he asked do you use the stock insoles that come with the shoes? i said sure do. always have. i was a varsity 4 year letterman in track and have never used or even heard of using different insoles. so he took my new neutral shoe and put a SUPERFEET GREEN INSOLE in it and sent me running. it felt a little weird at first but i could feel the support it gave in the arch section of my foot.

turns out, the foots natural alignment needs support underneath the arch area. stock insoles do not come with any type of support feature in the arch area. they are mainly made out of foam and/or gel. which in a nutshell will cause the foot to turn inward just a hair which makes all your bones not in their proper straight alignment. this process is what was happening with me and why i was having knee pains. cuz my foot had zero support in the area that it needed it to maintain its natural alignment. with SUPERFEET INSOLES my foot is rotated outward just a hair and now my bones from my ankle to my waist are in a straight line. which also has caused my back and shoulders to be straight now as well.

since i saw that running expert i have been using SUPERFEET INSOLES and have had ZERO knee pains. PROBLEM FIXED! amazing isnt it? i sure thought it was. just that little difference made a huge difference after i got done with my run workouts. and surprisingly MANY people still run in the stock insoles in their running shoes. if they dont have knee pains, then at some point they will. trust me and take it from me, you will at some point start having pains if you already dont and cant figure out what its coming from. your prolly either running in the wrong type of shoe and/or running in stock insoles. CLICK HERE to see the science behind all this on SUPERFEETS web site.

once again i only will team up with companys/manufactures in which i believe in their products. and SUPERFEET INSOLES work. if you are using stock insoles in your running shoes then the 1st step would be to get the GREEN INSOLES and put them in your running shoes. i recently put the ORANGE INSOLES in my everyday shoes and my feet feel better on an everyday basis. i also put the YELLOW INSOLES in my road cycling shoes and the BLACK INSOLES in my mountain bike shoes and let me tell ya, i can tell a difference in my power transfer from shoe to pedal to the cranks. ESPECIALLY when i stand up i can noticeably feel the difference. more stiffness and not as much flex. and i use s-works road & mountain shoes & mavic fury road/mountain cycling shoes which are some of the best out there. with SUPERFEET insoles they are really stiff now. putting these in my cycling shoes was a huge benefit. so i also recommend them for those as well. i dont have an experience using them in any other shoe but i have heard of a couple people who use them in their snowboarding boots and love em.

the other thing i like about SUPERFEET and what attracted me to apply for sponsorship to them was they have been around for over 30 years. their core values and mission involves not only producing a superior insole but they have a great deal of passion and commitment into giving you a product that will keep your feet healthy and give you healthy lifestyle. whether your a competitive athlete, or weekend warrior, or a work a holic and your fitness is walking from your house to your car. SUPERFEET are for everyone! and last, what i like about SUPERFEET and why i endorse their products is simply this, their slogan at the bottom of their about superfeet page on their web site: We challenge any other product to meet this benchmark of credibility! their is no need to say more on how superior their product is to anyone else's out there. they guarantee it! and so do i......

thanks again superfeet & glad to be working and representing you this year. if any of you have any questions regarding any of their products, please dont hesitate to email me anytime and i'll be more then happy to advise you....

Caveman Spotting.....

2010-04-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

2day i had the most random spotting EVER!! i was at the folsom aquatic center and just got dun doing my swim workout and i was walking back to the locker room to shower. i saw this guy in a specialized thermal jersey stretching out his calves on the steps that lead into the pool and i thought oh wonder if thats the dood who was swimming next to me and i look lil closer and i was like, oh shit, thats 3x XTERRA World Champ CONRAD STOLTZ !! at my pool in folsom...soooo random...

he was just on his way home back to reno after racing at sea otter which he placed a steller 14th in a large pro field...that awesome! the we talked bout the upcoming XTERRA vegas race and talked bout the XTERRA richmond, Virginia race.......

anyway, just soooo random. guess you just never know who will be dropping in.....

Prarie City Wed Night MTB Series - 4/7 &4/14 Race Report

2010-04-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

Prarie City Wed Night MTB Race Series - April 7 -
ended up with a strong 5th place in the semi pro catagory. race started off slow for me due to my 15 min warm up. i was doing announcing for the event so i jes couldnt get a longer warm up in....took me till lap 2-3 really to get warmed up. but me and couple others yo yo-ed back and forth throughout the entire race and since it rained the day before, the back half of the course had some MAJOR puddles that turned into a huge mess once 500 racers came riding through them. people were wiping out everywhere infront of me. as you can see from the picture below, my poor bike got thrashed! anyway, this week i was just coming off of a recovery week of really doing nothing for the most part, so i felt my legs could have been faster...just need a longer warm up next time and probably bout another week till my fitness comes back....

April 14 -

this race i got a good 45 min of warming up. so i was more fired up this time. i stayed with the lead racers who always win for the entire 1st lap. so i thought sweet! but then end of lap 2 and into 3 just my legs felt empty.....so at that point the race was between me and 1 other dood. we kept yo yo-ing back and forth and i passed him in the last part of the course. ended up with 8th place in semi pro catagory. my legs def are not there yet from the last 2 months work. think after this week the training i have done last few months will finally show. i just gotta be patient. below are some great pics...over 400 racers! my number plate is #19.

Custom Painted Rudy Project Helmet

2010-04-18T20:36:00.001-07:00

just got my new RUDY PROJECT, STERLING HELMET (which by the way is the most comfy helmet i've ever worn by rudy project) back from custom painter Kurt Carloni i sent my helmet to bout 3 weeks ago and sent him color swatches from Pactimo to match the colors of my new race kits and he did a great job on painting the STERLING HELMET according to the color concept i drew out for him. and for the price i paid, you cant beat it. and custom made RUDY PROJECT stickers were done by Fast Signs, in roseville.

if you are in need and/or want your helmet custom painted and dont have $450 or so dollars to have some big pro company do it, then have Kurt Carloni do it. his price $150. i did a lot of searching around and the problem i kept running into was nobody wanted to paint it cuz it had vents on it. TT aero helmets, no problem. i found 4 or 5 people to do those types, but helmets with vents was another story, which was prolly why the prices were sooo high. then i found kurt and he said no problem and quoted me a great price. below are the pics:

XTERRA launches 1st magazine "XTERRA Planet"

2010-03-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

i just ordered mine....only $5. support XTERRA and order ur copy 2day!!

XTERRA is proud to announce the launch of "The XTERRA Planet" - a quarterly magazine dedicated to the people, places and races of XTERRA.

The name for the publication is a spoof on the fictitious "Daily Planet," the Metropolis newspaper that employed Clark Kent (aka Superman). And, just like that periodical, The XTERRA Planet will cover the exploits of superheroes in our community.

"We've been building this magnificent collection of story ideas and images since our first race back in 1996, and now with this magazine we'll be able to showcase the amazing people and incredible photography we've gathered along the way," said Trey Garman, the magazine's editor and vice president of XTERRA.

"The fact is we have created a very tight knit community who genuinely care about each other and I think our Tribe is really going to enjoy seeing the pictures and reading the stories about each other's adventures," said Dave Nicholas, the managing director of XTERRA who pens the "Kahuna's Korner" column.

The late Steve Larsen graces the cover of the inaugural issue, a tribute to a man who made great contributions to XTERRA through the years.

"It was just 10 months ago when many of us were gathered around Steve at the pool at Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort after the XTERRA West Cup and talking about the good times we've had together," said Janet Clark, the publisher and president of XTERRA.

"With this first issue we wanted to seize the opportunity to remember Steve and help spread the word about a few initiatives that are taking place on his behalf. In particular, community leaders in Davis, California are building a bike plaza in Steve's honor and we hope those in our community that have the means to help will do so, as it's a deserving project that will perpetuate the legacy of a great friend."

Other features include dramatic photo spreads, a "Tracking the Tribe" piece on Jamie Whitmore's "Miracle Twins" and other new additions to the XTERRA family, a destination feature on Henderson, Nevada where the XTERRA West Championship will be held, fun Q and A's with the sports biggest stars, updates from races around the world dubbed "Podium Notes", a "whatever happened to" feature focused on 2001 XTERRA World Champ Anke Erlank, and a story on one of the most successful trail run bloggers of our time.

To see a free preview of the magazine and to purchase a hard copy, visit www.xterraplanet.com/magazine.

This first issue is on sale for just $5 through March 21, and $6 thereafter (plus shipping).

Chanoko MTB Duathlon - 3.6.10 - Race Report

2010-03-13T20:29:00.001-08:00

so this was my official 1st race of the season (2010). for me it was a training race. i was just coming off of a 3 week build in my training program, so i only had 1 reason 2 do this race: to get sharp. and thats it. nothing else. dont care bout results, i wanna make sure my transitions were lighting fast as they have been in the past and get my race sharpness together..... this mountain bike duathlon consists of 2 mile trail run, 12 mile, 2lap bike course, 2 mile run.

so after working at the club (i'm a club DJ at night in case you were wondering or didnt know) till 2am, and going to bed at 3am....when it came to wake up at 715am, i as i always feel, just did not want to get up. i mean who would right??!! so i finally get out of bed at 730, jump in the shower and heat up my breakfast and head out the door by 8am. race start is at 9am. i'm sure glad i packed up all my gear the night before, which gave me more time to sleep in.

so i'm eating while i'm driving and i get to the race site by 810. i park and grab my VENTANA EL PADRINO 29er hardtail bike, and my tri bag and head strait to transition for set up, hoping i get a good spot on the racks. lucky i got a spot located right where bike in/out and run out was. perfect. after setting up real quick i head over to registration, get that taken care of and head back to transition and get my number plate on my bike and on my race belt. then i throw on my bike gear and head out for a 30 min spin on my bike. i do this before every triathlon race, spin for 30 minutes with couple pick ups. (5-10 second short sprints) then by 855 i rack my bike, put on my BROOKS DEFYANCE 3 shoes & BROOKS RUNNING HAT and head to the start line. i'm ready to go....

9am the gun goes off and off i go. i immediately get behind a faster guy and basically draft off of him cuz we were running bout 200 yards into a headwind. i'll just let this guy pull while i settle in. which was smart cuz i ended up passing him once we got into the woods/single track. during the run i felt pretty good. i wasnt sprinting by any means but i was moving. bout 6 1/2 min mile min pace, which is not my fastest.

i came into transition in 10th place. all 9 guys in front of me were with in like 15-20 seconds, so we were all in transition together. now this is were the race starts for me. my transitions are lighting fast and i'm proud of that. i've really worked hard on getting them all under 60 seconds. by time i got on my bike and headed out on the course i was sitting in 4th place.

granite bay, folsom lake is were i grew up so these trails i know like back of my hand. i've prolly riden them all bout a 1000 or more times. well this time the course was ran in reverse direction that it normally is in. well there are 2 parts to the course. the 1st part i've riding in reverse bout a 100 times but the 2nd part.....never not once. and after this race i know why...it SUCKS!!

so back to the race..... sitting in 4th the 3rd place guy.... i was right on his wheel and the 5th place was on my wheel. the 5th place guy asked if i wanted him to pull for a while after the first 5-6 min on the bike, i said sure if you can get by. well he almost ate shit trying to pass me, but had the best save EVER. total 1 leg out, bike handle bar almost touching the ground, i have no idea how he popped back up and kept going. i was like, wow that was amazing.... we def had some laughs.... anyway, so the 3 of us were pretty much stayed together till we caught up with the 2nd place guy. he got in the middle of us and ended up right in front of me. i kept thinking, i gotta get this guy behind me. he's slowing me down and he's not technically advanced as i am. i can tell. plus i know this course. well the 2nd part in reverse i dont..... so this course in reverse has 2 sections that were muddy/wet rocks and step up type sections. so it was slippery and sketchy. the guy in front of me stops in these sections which causes me to stop. i was like SHIT!! i look up and off go the other 2 guys in front of him... by time i got back on my bike was prolly like 20 seconds. i mean it really slowed me down...and top it off i was still behind this dood. then we came to bad section #2 and same thing happened....at this point i have lost all my momentum to catch the other 2 guys which really chapped my hide. i eventually passed the guy who slowed me down and i just kept going. i knew i was going slower then i prolly could but i started to think its gonna take one hell of a long effort to maybe catch the other guys. so i just backed off and just keep a moderate pace. since it was a training race and i had to tell myself i'm not racing to get fit. i'm racing for sharpness right now.

so the guy i passed eventually caught and passed me again right before coming into T2. then i started to see behind me that couple other guys were now in site and i thought, oh crap i'm not gonna just let everybody pass me now. so i picked up my pace. remember to ALWAYS check your 6 (behind you) during a race. people will try to sneek up on you and if you dont see them those are spots you give up. so remember to always keep looking back! now comes T2 and my T2's are even faster then T1's. so i was outta there in prolly 30 seconds or less. when i came out of T2 i was now in 4th place. and the guy whos been giving me trouble all race passes me on the 1st part of the run. i was like no way. but i kept him in site and just keep going. since i've been doing bricks as apart of my training, my legs transitioned very well. so while out on the run after looking back i could see other racers, but there were a ways behind. so i just said, keep this pace and i'll be fine. then after mile 1 after the turn around spot i noticed the guy in front of me was with in reach. i was like, ok i'll pick up my pace a bit and see what happens. well he got closer to me....so he was slowing down and i was speeding up. well thats the 4th place overall spot right there so why not go and get it dammit....riaaaaght??!!! so i did... by the time we hit the 300 or 400 yard stretch to the finish i was sprint at 100% so fast i passed him like he was standing still...it was almost kinda funny....he was like holy crap go man as i passed him. i cracked a smile and said to myself, see ya sucka!! and i just kept going. in fact i didnt even look back until i saw the finish line in site then i look back which you should ALWAYS do cuz i didnt know if he was right behind me. well he wasnt. he was way the hell back there so i started to slow down a bit, heard the announcer say my name and i cruised across the finish line. DONE!

at the finish line where the 1st 3 finishers...we all exchanged sum stories and handshakes then i went strait to my bike in transition, put on my bike shoes and head out on the bike for a 1/2 hour spin down. for training races i always do this. if its not a training race i never do it.

results: 4th overall, 3rd in AG.

Run 1 - 13.35 - 10th fastest
Bike - 56.47 - 4th fastest
Run 2 - 14.24 - 5th fastest

when i saw the times i was pretty stoked to see run2 was only a min slower then run 1 and that i got the 4th fastest bike. cuz if i had gotten that guy behind me and stayed with the other 2 i was with i prolly would have had the 2nd or 3rd fastest and prolly could have finished 2nd or 3rd overall.

so my overall thoughts for the race. good 1st race. i got sharp, and got woken up on some petty things that i need to really look for and take immediate action on next time. and for coming off of a 3 week build and 4 1/2 hours sleep night before......hey not bad. especially since the other guys prolly had rest days that same week and werent coming off of a 3 week build.

below are some pics from the race. sorry they are small. all pics were taken by James Pratt Photography. you can tell i wasnt happy to go through the mud bogs... hehehe

next race/training race is XTERRA Real, granite bay, folsom lake. click on that link to see the pic they used of me to promote the race...pretty cool.......cheers!!

2010 Race Kits

2010-03-13T20:28:00.001-08:00

below is a snap shot of what my new race kit will look like. PACTIMO is the maker. and since i'm on team EVOMO i'm using their race kit template, but changed the colors and added all my sponsor logos in place of the teams sponsors. if you click on the picture below you will see it zoomed in. i'm pretty excited as i think the EVOMO kit design is one of the best designs around, plus the colors on mine are just sick. the blue will actually be more of a bright electric blue as apposed to a sky blue. its just how it looks on computer. below is a pic of the tri suit i'll be racing in and very soon i'll have the bib shorts and jersey to match.

2010 Sponsors

2010-03-13T20:26:00.001-08:00

one of the things i really work hard at...other then training is what i call "the business side of racing" this year i'm proud and very grateful to announce i'll be working with and representing 23 commendable companies. i'm one of those racers who only likes to use what i believe is the best out there and what will give me the best results when i put it through all the abuse i put it through during training and racing. reliability is my #1 trait i look for. #2 is durability, #3 is customer/athlete service, and #4 is the company's mission/outlook on their business and what they do for the triathlon, cycling & running community and the world itself in general. there are other traits as well, but those are my top 4. and the companys listed below along with the products listed next to them i use, i fully endorse.

if any of you have any questions on any products/services i use from those companys, please dont hesitate to ask. just shoot me an email: mark@stage1sac.com we can even talk on the phone if it requires a more in depth conversation. i've done 5 of those in the last 2 weeks....i get questions all the time on products of my sponsors and i'm totally happy to help you out and offer you 1st hand experience & advice. i'm not hear to sell you on their products/services, i'm just gonna tell you my experience/feedback on their products/services and why i use them as apposed to other products/services. from there you make the choice......

i'm just gonna list them below with web links and what i endorse from them. if you scroll on the right side of this blog you will see their logos which also have web links/captions and their prospective endorsement order:

Ventana Mountain Bikes USA - bike frames, race funds
EVOMO - team/clothing line
Quintana Roo - TT bike/wet suit & accesories
Nutrishop Folsom - vitamin/nutrition supplements
Rudy Project - helmets & sunglasses
Parmis Properties - race funds
Clean Coat Painting, INC - race funds
WTB - Tires & saddles
Brooks - running shoes & running gear
Superfeet - insoles for running/cycling/everyday shoes
Pacific Health Labs - endorox recovery/forzegps bars
Spinergy - road & mountain bike wheel sets
Twin Six - alternative style clothing line
Bicycles Plus - Home bike shop
Crank Brothers - mountain bike pedals
Syncross - Ritchey - handle bars, bar ends, stems, headsets
GU - sports drink & gels
Fox Racing Shox - mountain bike forks & rear shocks
Race Face - cranks & chain rings
Nuttzo - healthiest peanut butter you'll ever have
Aqua Sphere - swim goggles & training gear
Polar - HR watches & bike computers
Sheila Leard - nutritionist

2010 Race Schedule

2010-03-13T20:25:00.001-08:00

below is my race schedule planned for this year. it is always tenative but so far this is the plan:

Mar 6 - Chanoko MTB duathlon - Granite Bay, Ca
Mar 28 - XTERRA - Granite Bay, Ca
Mar 31 - Prairie City wed night MTB race series - every wednesday

April 8 - Folsom Lake Trail Running Series - every thursday
April 18 - Ice Breaker Triathlon - tenative
April 25 - XTERRA Pro Series Cup, West Championship - Las Vegas, Nv

June 20 - XTERRA Pro Series Cup, East Championship - Richmond, Vi
June 26 - XTERRA - Tahoe City, Ca

July 19 - Downieville Classic - Downieville, Ca

Aug 1 - XTERRA - Snow Valley, Ca
Aug 22 - XTERRA - Austin, Tx
Aug 28 - XTERRA - Lake Tahoe, Nv

Sept 25 - XTERRA Pro Series Cup - USA Championship - Odgen, Ut

Oct 24 - XTERRA Pro Series Cup - World Championship - Maui, Hi

10 Reasons to Date a Swimmer

2010-02-23T01:05:00.000-08:00

saw this and jes had to throw it up on the blog site. the first part is funny and the rest is very true so hopefully you can relate:

Swimmer-(swim·mer) n.the last one out of the pool at practice and the first one out of the pool when it counts.

10. We are totally comfortable saying "ill show you my fly/breast if you show me your Breast/fly
9. We have have excellent stamina and endurance
8. We have to bend down before we go in
7. The deeper we go the faster we get
6. We prefer latex on our head
5. Go in hard. Come out wet
4. We always put in a hard thrust at the very end
3. They are always ready on command
2. Breaststrokers do it underwater, backstroker do it on their back, fliers do it with their hips Imers do it 4 ways and freestylers do it anyway they want
1. They know how to push it and work under HARD conditions

"My element is water. My weapon is my body. My world is swimming."

H2O: two parts Heart and one part Obsession.

"The truth is...you can ALWAYS swim faster, but sometimes...the truth hurts!"

"0.01. it takes longer to blink. it takes longer to sneeze. it takes longer to grab your burning hand from a stove. but 0.01 is shorter than the time it takes to win or lose a race.i dont complain when we have to do 15x500 or 100x100 on those crazy intervals. i dont care if we have to do 20x300 five times in a row. it might take 6 hours and all im doing is training for a 100 yard/meter race. u might say its not worth it. but do u wanna go to Trials and lose by a 0.01? just because u wanted to slack off in practice? i dont whine. if u do, dont swim. swimmers dont get any time-outs, subsitutes, or half-times.

"WE the SWIMMING NATION, In order to live a MORE PERFECT LIFE, believe in THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER of a PRE-DAWN WORKOUT, We yearn for The DEEP INNER PEACE that the SOLITUDE OF WATER brings, We believe in GOGGLE MASKS, DRY SKIN, and WEBBED FEET, We possess SUPER-HUMAN POWERS, We consider THE BODY IN THE NEXT LANE to be OUR FIERCEST RIVAL and OUR CLOSEST FRIEND, We LIVE and DIE in each HUNDREDTH OF EACH SECOND, We trust that THE LONG BLACK LINE will BRING US HOME!""Your biggest challenge isn't someone else. It's the ache in your lungs and the burning in your legs, and the voice in your head that yells 'CAN'T', but you don't listen. You just push harder. And then you hear that voice whisper, "can" and you discover that the person you thought you were is no match for the one you really are." -Larry Rick Garcia

"Being on that block is the most amazing feeling, bent down, finger tips on the edge of the cement, eyes closed, breathing deeply, waiting for the deep voice telling you to take your mark. Once you hear his voice, you automatically go into that tight stance. Waiting. Waiting. It seems like hours even though its only seconds. Then once you hear the beginning of that electric beep, your arms fly forward you open your eyes and jump as high and as far as your legs can take you. You bend your body down and dive into the water. The feeling, for that split second, in midair is amazing and indescribable."

Navy Seals use triathlon as crosstraining

2010-02-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

i thought this was very interesting...... this really proves that triathlon is a tough sport. if navy seals do it, then you know its good......kinda like the colone sex panther....

http://usatriathlon.org/news/2010/01/27/navy-seals-stay-in-top-shape-with-multisport/31149

The Speed of Mark T.

2010-02-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

now i just need to get it printed out poster size huh?? LOL!!

My New Gear from Brooks for 2010

2010-01-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

its like christmas all over again right?? also just in is all my gear from brooks. shoes, hat and socks. for shoes i went with the defyance 3. i've been using this shoe for quit some time now and i decided to stick with it cuz i've had no problems/injuries with these shoes. for a new shoe i decided to try out is the ghost 2. i have not yet tried this shoe out yet, but i'm excited in doing so. i've heard a lot of great things bout this shoe so i cant wait to see how it holds up. i'll do a review on it once i put some time into them. some other shoes i wanted to order were the launch, cascadia, and glycerin 8. once these shoes become available to me, i'm going to order them as well. i have a neutral foot so i stay around the shoes that are geared towards that. i also replace the stock insoles with a superfeet insole. the green ones in fact if you currently run in the stock insoles, i'd recommend not running in those. replace them with a sole that is better suited for your foot. i've had many injuries in the past and 1 of the reasons for the injuries was using a sole that was not fitted to my foot very well. i was told by a running expert that your never supposed to use the soles that come with the shoes. since then i havent, and since then i've been injury free.

typically i like to train in bout 2-3 pairs of shoes at one time. so i'm glad to get back into this routine this year. some i've heard stretch their shoes all way out to over 800 miles which blew me away when i heard that, but i replace mine around 300-350 miles or so. i also keep the shoes in the boxes they came in and on the box after each use i mark a talley for the time it just got used and i write down how long i ran in them on the top of the box. for example 70 minutes and 1 tally on the side of the box. i'm not trained by mileage i'm trained by time and intensity. its what my coach does, which is why i dont record mileage. i just do the math and figure out my average mile time which is how i figure out bout where the mileage is around. see the picture below.

also another reason i like to train in 2-3 pairs at a time, and maybe 1 pair is different then the other 2 pairs....well that 1 pair can use different muscles then the other.... i wasnt aware of this until it was brought to my attention recently, but different shoes sometimes make you use different muscles. so by using 2 types of shoes you get a more all around work out on the legs. also by using 2-3 pairs of shoes, it allows time for your shoes to rebound and decompress back into their natural form. which leads to allowing more use out of them and each time you use they'll feel as if they are brand new.

last is a pair of HAVOC racer socks & the HAVOC mesh hat. this will be my new racing hat for this year. its super light and comfy on the head and the color it came in labeled "classi" actually matches the blue of my new team kit. sweeet!! its funny how it showed that hat comes in like 12 or so colors and the only one that was in stock was the one that matches my race kit. guess nobody wanted that color. hey somebodies junk is someones treasure right??? hehehe

so thats all my brooks gear for this year. brooks gratfully moved me up a tier level in sponsorship for 2010 so i'm excited to be representing them on a much higher level now. they are really a great company to work with and to proudly represent.

shoes are tricky to nail down in most cases. and if you are uneducated on which shoe is for you, just call brooks customer service. my girlfriend called them the other day cuz she wants to make the switch from asics to brooks and was unsure bout which model to go with and the rep she talked to, spent over 40 minutes on the phone with her educating her on the recommended selections and discussed all details bout brooks shoes in general. she never told that person her boyfriend is one of the sponsored athletes with them. i just thought, how cool is that!!! many companys dont do that....... nailing the right shoe for yourself is like nailing down your nutrition for races. by talking to the right people, you can avoid all bad things that can happen for getting into a shoe that you shouldnt be in. i know this first hand when i was told i should be in a stability shoe when really i should have been in a neutral shoe to begin with. once i switched, i havent had any injuries. wish i would have talked to the right people to begin with!

THANKS BROOKS!!!!

below is the ghost 2

below is they defyance 3

My New Gear from Rudy Project for 2010

2010-01-20T16:52:00.000-08:00

just got all my gear in from rudy project for the 2010 season. couple new items that rudy is offering this year. 1 is the new sterling helmet. i gotta tell ya, this is one confy helmet. the design is sick and it feels like a pillow when its on my head. the helmet i ordered is grey, but its bout to get sent off to have it custom painted to match my new racing kit colors. so i'm super excited bout that. it will come back with bright yellow and bright blue colors on it. if you are in the market for a new helmet this year, you gotta try this helmet on. i guarentee you will like how it feels on your head!! i'm more then stoked to be back in a helmet that has a bug catcher in it. the helmet i used from rudy 2 seasons ago had a bug catcher in it, and during the summer it kept the sweat from pouring down the front of my face while training and racing.

for my glasses i went with the rudy team edition "noyz" in bright yellow flow color w/blue lenses. this is the first year rudy is offering its team edition racing glasses in another color other then the traditional white. they have bright flow yellow, pink, and green. i went with the yellow, pictured below. these are hot lemme tell ya!!

for the other pair of glasses i decided to go with "suncreek" i've been needing a pair of glasses that are non racing to wear around. so i went with these and words cant describe how good these fit to my face and how confy they are. they dont push on my face at all. and they look good on me. some glasses dont, but these def do. the lenses on these are just bitchen in the sunlight. no glare what so ever.

THANKS RUDY PROJECT!!!!!

Lance Armstrong - Ironman 2011 or 2012??

2010-01-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

so i just came across this article that reports lance armstong is considering racing the ironman world championships in kona for either 2011 or 2012?? holy crap that would help the sport out soooo much. i hope he follows through and does it. look at what his comeback to cycling did in 2009? i can only imagine how much press and tv/media press triathlon would get if he did that. especially if he placed top 5 which i'm sure he would.

what would be even better is if he did raced XTERRA world championships 2 weeks later after kona. i think XTERRA should be all over that trying to get him to do that as well. come on kahuna dave, go get him!!!

anyway, heres the article: http://www.universalsports.com/news/article/newsid=396841.html#armstrong+considering+kona+ironman

My new favorite modivational sign

2010-01-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

saw this the other day out by the construction entrance for all the workers working in and around folsom dam. looks like they run a tight job over there. i like.....

anyway, i actually printed out this picture and i have it where i can see it before i head out to the pool or out on the bike or out for a run now.......next time you head out remember, if you dont not want to do quality work, then GO HOME or stay home for that matter!!! nuff said.........

Drinking is just like yoga

2010-01-17T17:21:00.000-08:00

very funny for all you yogi's out there: http://keliban.posterous.com/drinking-is-like-yoga

Best BBQ Rub & Sauce EVER!!!

2010-01-09T23:50:00.000-08:00

if you are a bbq fan then RUDY'S bbq sauce and rub is a def must have. Rudys is located in austin, texas. i went there when i visited my family over this past thanksgiving. in austin, rudy's is known for the very BEST brisket in austin. it was so good i just had to get sum sauce and rub to bring home.

couple nights ago i got 4 chicken breast and covered both sides of the breast with rudy's rub. i hand rubbed it into the meat so much it gave it a bit of an orange color to it. then i brushed on some of the bbq sauce on both sides of the chicken and put some extra sauce in a tub and placed the chicken on top of the sauce. i foiled the top and thew it in the fridge for bout 2 days to marinate. then last night i fired up the bbq and cooked the chicken. 15 or so minutes later i was in pure heaven. i had just cooked THE best bbq chicken i have EVER made. the flavor was sooo unbelievable it left my mouth drooling for more.

so if your a bbq fan go to the rudys site HERE and you can order yourself the rub and sauce and they will send it to you. unfortunately you can not get any rudy's products in any supermarket. they are online order only. below is a picture of what i got.....they also have couple other types of sauces and rubs...... enjoy!!!