Xterra Lory Race Report

Xterra Lory was my first planned Xterra Triathlon for the season.  So, what is an Xterra triathlon?  Xterra triathlons are swim-bike-run events where the bike and run take place on mountain trails instead of the road.  They are some of my favorite races because it brings variety in biking and running instead of just putting my head down and biking and running on the road.  Xterra Lory was my first ever Xterra triathlon a few years ago.  It was my introduction into a "new" sport where I found I was not very competitive.  My first race was a disaster but every year I have been improving.

Xterra Lory takes place at Lory State Park outside of Ft. Collins, Colorado.  The swim is .5 miles and takes place in Horsetooth Reservoir and the bike and run takes place in the park.  The bike portion is a 12.5 mile, two loop course which is not very technical.  The run is 5 miles and includes a run straight up the mountain.  My first year, I walked most of the uphill, it was rough.  This year my goal was to run the entire time.

Beautiful race venue.

The race started and I had a great swim.  I found a good pace and someone to swim next to so I had to sight (the process of looking ahead to ensure you are swimming straight) less.  I exited the water feeling good and ready for the bike.  Since the course is not very technical I can compete slightly better then in more technical courses.  I was able to overtake a few racers but had a few overtake me.
The transition from the bike to the run was blazing fast and I immediately took over two runners (both younger than me) which felt pretty good.  After you hit the first mile marker the 1.5 mile climb starts.  My goal was to not stop running, even in the steep parts.  And I achieved my goal, all while overtaking runner after runner.

After making to the highest point I began my quick descent.  At one point I got going a little too quick, my foot caught a rock and I went flying off the trail rolling into the bushes.  I quickly stood up and kept running.  It took me out of my groove for a bit but I soon found it again and finished strong.  With an improved time over my previous race, mostly from the run, and finished in the top third in my age group.  It was a great day!

My battle scars from my fall.  And a coke of course.

A Great Tradition

Every year we pack up all of the family and head up to the Great Sand Dunes just outside of Alamosa, Colorado.  The drive isn't too far from our home and the boys love playing in a huge sandbox.  We time it right every year that Medano Creek is running so we can spend the morning hiking and playing in the sand then the afternoon playing in the water.

We arrived at a very crowded camp on Thursday evening.  After some dinner (hot dogs, not Hanni's favorite) we made a fire and enjoyed the first evening with S'Mores.

Say Cheese!

Beautiful sunset from camp.

Our home for three days.

When we camp it's not always sunshine and roses.  The roughest parts of this trip was the arguing between the boys when setting up and taking down their tent and the first night of non stop crying from one of the three boys in the large tent.  The first night was rough!  But it's still the experience that we want the boys to have.

After a not so restful first night we awoke to a beautifully sunny morning.  We drove the few minutes into the Great Sand Dunes park and started our day of fun.  Hanni and Finn decided to hike to the highest, closest peak while the rest of us stayed on a lower ridge to play in the sand.

Summit!  The sand dunes go for miles

Summit selfie.

Luuk posing for the camera.

Sweet Sandboarding!

Last year we took a picture of the 5 boys at the very same spot.  Had to reenact it.

Final night sunset.  We slept much better the second night.

On our way home from the Sand Dunes we always stop at Zapata Falls to hike up.  It's the perfect distance hike for all ages and an awesome waterfall at the end.

The trail is very well marked and easy to hike.

This year we saw the most hikers we had every seen on the trail but it was still an awesome experience.  The water was frigid, painfully cold but we forged through to get inside the cavern to see the waterfall.

Perfect spot for a family picture.

Overall it was a fun trip, despite the fighting in the campground or the lack of sleep, we created memories which we will always remember.  Camping with the family is a lot of work, packing, setting up camp, cooking, hiking, hiking, driving, taking down camp, unpacking everything and the list goes on and on.  But we are certain that the boys memories will of these trips will be happy ones.

Backpacking With My Boy

While my oldest was visiting family in Germany I wanted to spend some one-on-one time with my next oldest boy.  We decided to head up to Newlin Creek just outside of Wetmore, Colorado.  It was a perfect overnight hike because of the short distance (just over 3 miles each way) and the close proximity to our house.

We left Friday afternoon and made the short drive up to the trailhead, just 45 minutes from our house.  The Newlin Creek trail follows the creek upstream until it ends at an old saw mill from the late 1800's.

The area is very popular for climbing and bouldering.  Tiig and I found a cool boulder where we could crawl under.

One of the river crossings.  Tiig fell in the water just after this picture.  He was ok, just got a little wet.

The trail crosses the creek 16 times until it reaches the end of the trail.  After some time hiking we made it to the saw mill and found a perfect campsite.  First thing was to filter some water for dinner and breakfast.

Our perfect campsite. 

Tiig's first choice for dinner was hot dogs.  We couldn't finish them all so we had them again for breakfast.  Tasty!

We had a good nights rest and woke up the next morning to the sound of day hikers making it to the end of the trail.  After some exploring around the saw mill and resting in camp we had some lunch (Cup O Noodles, also Tiig's choice) we packed up camp and started heading down the trail.

The old saw mill.

The hike out was eventful as it started to rain.  Not a hard rain but enough to make it even more fun.

We found this perfect cavern.  We didn't venture too far into it though.

So many cool waterfalls.

What a fantastic backpacking trip we had together.  Tiig had such a great time spending time with his dad.  He's a lot like me in that he loves the out of doors and he finds the joy in the simple things of life.

Ordinary Mortals Triathlon Race Report

Every year I start off my triathlon season with a phenomenal small race here in beautiful Pueblo.  It takes place up at the Colorado State University Pueblo and is a reverse triathlon, run-bike-swim.  It's a great way to start the season because I am able to sleep in my own bed and compete with my parents and boys.

It was a beautiful morning and a great day for a race.  My parents and I got to the venue early enough to setup our transition area and warmup.  We lined up on the starting line and we were off!  It was a fantastic race as I was able to finish the run with a similar time to last year, I improved my bike and by swim was similar to last year.  I also saved time with quick transitions.  After I was done, I was able to cheer on my parents as they crossed the finish line.  I am so proud of my triathlete parents.

My awesome parents and I after the race.

After our race we were able to get the boys ready for their kids triathlon.  Finn was in Germany so just Tiig and Kell competed and they both did awesome!  They are great runners and both finished the race strong with a solid swim.

Check out this triathlete family!  Kell is not always the most photogenic...

Already looking forward to next year's race!

Lesson In Parenting

A few weeks ago I saw a window of opportunity to try to climb a winter 14er with the boys.  The plan was to take both boys but my oldest Finn wasn't feeling well the days leading up to it so it ended up just being Tiig.  Tiig and I had tried Quandary Peak last year in January but strong winds turned us around before the summit.  The weather looked to be perfect and instead of sleeping out overnight before the hike, we decided to sleep in our own beds and wake up early to head up to the trail head by sunrise.  The alarm went off at 3am and Tiig and I were on the road by 330am.  We made it to the trail head just as the sun was rising.  Tiig's pack contained just water and safety gear for winter hiking.  My pack carried everything else so it was a bit heavy.  Learning our lesson from a few weeks prior on Mt. Shavano we brought snowshoes and microspikes so snow conditions wouldn't turn us around.

The east slope of Quandary Peak.

The initial hike went very well.  There were few on the trail since it was a week day so we enjoyed hiking and talking to each other.  The trail head starts at 10,850ft and the peak is 14,265ft.  I could tell that the weather was going to be perfect.  Just a slight breeze and no clouds.  As we started I was brimming with excitement at the thought of getting one of my boys to the top of a 14er in the winter.  As the hike continued Tiig was getting tired.  I began to take more and more gear from him as we gained elevation.  We had plenty of time so we took it nice and slow.  As we neared 11,500ft Tiig was really starting to slow down.  My hope was that once we reached treeline around 12,000ft he would receive a burst of energy like he did on Shavano so if I could just get him to that point we would be set.  Right at treeline Tiig was really struggling.  I suggested that we place all of his gear in my pack and then leave his pack in the trees so that he would be as light as possible.  This was perfect!  He was really moving at this point.

We passed treeline and kept on moving.  We reached the flat part and took a break and talked about our excitement of reaching the summit in the winter.  As we looked up the ridge we could see the summit.  It was early in the day and we were moving along pretty good.  As we continued to gain elevation Tiig was growing increasingly tired and his feet were cold.  We stopped again, this time to put foot warmers inside his boots.  Continued hiking.  There was a light breeze and my mind was only on one thing...I was going to get my first son up a winter 14er.

Tiig looking hardcore just above 12k

First view of the summit.

As we hike I have a simple system with the boys.  I allow them to talk about how tired they are but then I ask them how they are feeling 1 out of 10.  1 being we will make it to the top and back no problem.  10 being we need to turn around immediately because they are miserable.  As we reached treeline I asked Tiig and he said he was an 8.  That wasn't so bad.  As we continued up the ridge, he told me that he was absolutely exhausted.  I asked him where he was and he said 9.  I got frustrated.  I shouldn't have.  But I did.  I couldn't understand why he wasn't full of excitement for such a beautiful day.  I pushed him on.

We made it to 12,684ft and Tiig was struggling again.  I urged him on to just the next false summit then we could turn around.  He stopped and threw himself on the ground.  I asked him where he was and he said 11 out of 10.  Then he started to cry.  I asked him why he was crying and he said that it was all his fault that we weren't going to make it to the top and that he was horrible.  At that moment, I felt like the worst parent in the world.  I was "that parent" who screams at their kid from the sideline that they aren't good enough.  Here I was at 12,864ft with my 8 year old son in the dead of winter.  Most kids his age wouldn't even think of waking up at 3am to put on layers of gear, a heavy pack and safety gear to hike with snowshoes or microspikes in the snow.  This kid was awesome and I didn't even let him know!  I was so focused on what I wanted that I lost sight of the goal, which is always to make it back to the car safely and have a fun time.  It's not about the summit!

Our turnaround point.

I learned a lot that day.  I showered him with praises as we descended, rather quickly, back to the car.  We made it back down to the car just 6 hours after we started.  Sometimes as a parent you have to really think about why you are pushing your children.  Is it because you think it would be great for them?  Or so you can tell others about them?  Or do you push them so they can achieve goals on their own?  In any case, you have to be sure that your goals and their goals are in line.  We will try hiking in the winter again someday but only when they are ready.  I want it to be their goal, not mine.  Until that time, we will opt for the summer hikes when the gear is considerably less and there are less challenges for us to reach the top.

 Cruising down the mountain. 

Back at treeline.

Our Nemesis, Mt. Shavano

For three years the boys and I have attempted to summit Mt. Shavano (14,229ft) in the winter.  We picked this peak because it is the closest 14er to our home in Pueblo, CO.  The first year we had to turn back around 12,800ft because we carried our skis up that high and we ran out of time.  The ski down was lots of fun though.  Last year we turned around at 10,800ft because a big winter storm was rolling in and we didn't want to get caught on the mountain.  This year we were ready.  We scouted a great campsite at 10,300ft last year when we hiked.  I took Friday off so we would have plenty of time to hike to camp and get a good night's rest.

The crew before the hike. We look so excited!

The adventure started at 11am as we packed up and left Pueblo.  We arrived at the Angel of Shavano Campground trailhead at 130pm, packed up our large packs and headed up to camp.  The trail starts at 9,100ft as you meander through some forest and follow the Colorado Trail.  At a point, you take a sharp left and head straight up the mountain.  This portion slowed us considerably with our large packs but after a few hours of hiking, we made it to camp.

The initial hike to base camp.

My friend John.  He had a great time!

Finn was a strong hiker.  He carried most of his own gear.

Tiig carried just the winter hiking essentials, water, gloves, beacon, probe and shovel.

My friend John came with us and made an awesome fire for us to sit around in the evening.  Our campsite was amazing!  We built a kitchen area and a nice little trail to the campfire.

Our camp for the night.  It was perfect.

The boys and I retired to our tent around 7pm and watched a movie together.  Some of Tiig's gear became wet even after we let it dry by the fire so I placed these few things inside my sleeping bag so they wouldn't freeze.  Not a good idea, this caused me to have an uncomfortable night of rest as I tossed and turned all night with wet gear touching my legs from time to time.  The alarm went off at 5am but it wasn't til past 7am that we started moving and heating water for breakfast.  The fun part about winter camping is that you can save on weight by melting snow for drinking water and water for meals.  We ate a tasty oatmeal breakfast before gearing up for the day and heading for the summit.

It was a bit chilly in the morning as we ate our oatmeal.

After leaving camp around 8am it was slow going.  I decided to leave our snowshoes back in the car since it seemed the snow was solid enough to hold our weight.  The boys were no problem but I weigh a little bit more than them so every step caused me to sink in 4-6 inches then every so often (a little too often) I would break through the snow completely and sink in to my upper thigh.  Each time I would crawl on my knees then lift myself up.  This really slowed our pace to about 500ft elevation gain every half hour.  The boys were absolute troopers though.  I've found that the best way to keep their mind off of tired legs is to ask them about the books they have been reading.  This quickly turns their mind to something else and helps to pass the time quickly.  We had a great time hiking and talking.  I would occasionally yell out as a sank to my thigh in snow, then we would continue on.

You can see the steepness of the ridge we were climbing.

 A look back towards Salida, CO.

Almost to treeline!

The final push just above treeline.

It was hard to turn around with a great looking trail ahead of us but it was the right thing to do.

The summit of Mt. Shavano peaking through the clouds.

I soon realized that at our pace we would not make it to the summit in time to make it back home for obligations in the evening.  So we decided to keep moving until above treeline (around 12,000ft) and then decide what we had time to do.  We made it to above treeline at 12pm and received a burst of energy because the next portion was so windblown that we could have made really good time hiking through small rocks and dirt.  We decided to stick to our plan though and turn around to head back down to camp so we could be home in time.  I took some great shots of the summit from this point.  We cheered our accomplishment, then started to head back down.  Going down was a lot of fun for the boys.  It was so steep that they could slide or glissade down.  They would slide way ahead of me, then wait for me to catch up.  I was jealous since I could't slide with my large pack on.

In just one hour we made it back down to camp.  We quickly packed everything up then headed down to the car.  The hike out wasn't bad at all, still would've been nicer with snowshoes.  Next time.  We made it to the car at around 330pm and headed home.  As we buckled in and started to drive away Finn asked where his cell phone was.  I didn't think much of it, just figured it was in his pack somewhere.  I was wrong but didn't realize it until much, much later that evening.

My friend John and I at camp.

Fast forward to later that evening.  The boys were already in bed, Hanni was already asleep.  I was just finishing unpacking all of the gear around 1030pm and sat down to eat a bowl of cereal.  I realized that I had not yet come across Finn's phone.  Since it is an iPhone I decided to just double check that it was somewhere in the house by running the Find My iPhone app.  I was shocked as I realized that it was not in our home, it was 89 miles away, in the San Isabel National Forest.  Somewhere on the mountain.  I zoomed in on the map and with just 1% of battery life left, the phone was right at our camp at 10,200ft.  My heart sank.  This was one of those moments where I had to make a decision.  I knew exactly where the phone was.  I calculated that if I left right away I would make it to the trailhead at 1am.  If I found it right away I could be home by 5am.  Snow was in the forecast for the area the next afternoon so either I would get it tonight, or probably never at all.  So I decided to grab my gear and head to the mountain.  I made it to the trailhead at 1am, this time with snowshoes.  I hiked light and fast.  No backpack, only the essentials.  In 40 minutes I had made it to the campsite and saw the phone sitting on a tree log.  Victorious!

The phone.

I put the phone in my jacket pocked.  Double checked that it was in my jacked pocket, then started to hike down.  By 230am I was back to the car and on my way home.  Back in bed by 430am.  What a day!  I was glad of the experience though of the phone.  It kind of made the whole adventure that much more great.

I thought going into this hike that our third time would be the charm.  No such luck. Some of things that I learned.  1. An early start on summit day is a must.  If we would have been up and moving at 5am we would have had a better shot.  2. Keep kids clothes dry at all cost when hiking in the winter!  It's hard for kids to not want to play when hiking in the snow.  Teaching them that the goal of winter hiking is to stay completely dry is very difficult.  3. When it doubt, bring snowshoes in the winter.  Last year at this time we didn't need them.  I made the mistake of assuming conditions were the same but they were not.  All in all we met our goal though which is the same goal every time we hike, to make it back to the car safely.  The boys had a great time and I know they will cherish these types of memories for a lifetime.  We are already planning our next trip...