Launching support for Operation Rebound - CAF!

I've done Ironman California multiple times and frankly, its been satisfying but simply all about me. This time I'm focused on a purpose and that is to raise money in support of Operation Rebound with the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).

I've supported CAF now for 6+ years across multiple endeavors and the people, passion, and overall impact the organization has continues to be inspirational. Beyond that, meeting the people who are benefiting from the grants provided by CAF has been tremendous. Seeing the sheer joy of simply being able to be active and thrive physically is incredibly motivational. Operation Rebound has particular meaning to me with many friends and colleagues affected by wounds received while supporting our freedoms.

I hope you will consider a donation by clicking HERE or on the link at the top right of the blog page.

I'll provide training pics and notes as my preparation continues including other events along the way.

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Alex

2012 CAF MDC Training Ride Week 4 - Holly Vista Twist

We were blessed for today's 55.5mi ride with incredible weather right from the start at Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach. It was cool but not cold and the sun was just starting to break out of the marine layer as we rolled out at about 7:30am. It cleared early but as we rode up the coast to Oceanside it remained very comfortable even as we headed east on the San Luis Rey river trail.  The bike trail was not as crowded as normal which made for a safe and solid group effort for all the Groups.  I was co-leading Group 3 again with Lynne Lyons and chair - Dean Roper and we had  a great group for the ride on several fronts. 


First we had Andy Granda with pilot Dave White on our Blind Stoker Tandem; Andy is an incredibly strong rider in addition to being fearless and full of smiles despite having Usher Syndrome Type 1 which severely limits not his sight and also his hearing. Second, we did a solid job of staying together as a group today with less splintering and a more cohesive effort which helped many have the benefit of riding 'in the draft' and fostered more fellowship and conversation among the riders.

After the SAG in Oceanside, we rolled through Holly and the Vista Twist which includes many turns through great roads in North County. In talking with the riders this was a first time for many on these roads so we made sure to keep the group together while enjoying what was turning into a warmer and warmer day in the saddle. The best news for Group 3 is we really kept the majority of folks together and picked up a few that had fallen back from Group 2 to have a solid 'peloton' at mile 40-ish rolling on Poinsettia here in the picture heading back to the coast.  We did have a flat and a odd mechanical issue (loose cassette) but all were able to make it through with only minor delays.  Hung around a bit while some of the handcyclists came in even before the core of Group 4 - these folks are truly amazing and inspiring.

In the end, another gorgeous CAF training ride with great people serving a great purpose!  Keep riding and keep smiling!

2012 CAF MDC Training Week 3 - Pulgas Out n Back

Today's ride was a bit different as we rolled out on Saturday to make sure the families got their "Dad's" for Father's Day this Sunday.  As such we had lots of additional road cycling traffic for the ride. It made for a bit of a challenge at times, but also some great and exhilarating moments like rolling through Oceanside on the way back just a short while before the start of the 2012 RAAM team event. Our group was able to see a few of the teams warming up and rolling around town and a ton of spectating folks simply hanging around during what turned out to be a beautiful day at the beach. In addition, we were also very privileged to be joined for the ride by Andre Szucs, an amazing Challenged Athlete and division winner of the 2011 Ironman World Championships in Kona.

Rode out in Group 3 with fellow ride leaders Lynne Lyons and Hooter and a group of great folks including Andre, Brian, Andrea, Matt, Jeff, Bruce, Dan, Virginia, Bill and several others. The route was pretty straight-forward 55mi heading out from our 'normal' start at Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach out through Camp Pendleton to Las Pulgas and back. The great thing is we are starting to get a good feel for the groups and people are beginning to settle in to their 'zone'. The other things is we have a great mix of MDC and Back 2 Back Century riders, first timers and multi-year veterans, so its making for great conversations and fast friendships. The fellowship out there is awesome.

We had a few of the normal glitches on the road in the group with 1 flat on Brian's brand new wheelset and a broken spoke for Chin at about the 40 mile mark coming back through Oceanside right near the RAAM rollout (conspiracy???). All was worked out included good stories at the SAG and great support from the CAF crew - THANKS!!! In the end, all groups made it back safely and many hung around telling stories about the day and plans for "Dad's Day" tomorrow. Keep Riding and Keep Smiling!!!

2012 CAF MDC Training Week 2 - A day off



Shout Out to Mike Hill, Captain US Navy!!!

 A day off for me as ride leader this week, but a good day to reflect and offer individual support helping coach up another rider who is participating in the CAF Southern CA Back to Back Centuries. It was a great day in the saddle riding in North County with Mike Hill covering 44 miles at a nice pace through Camp Pendleton and up to San Onofre and back.

We were able to spend a few minutes at the beach in Oceanside enjoying the view and simply appreciating this awesome creation we have been given to enjoy.

All in all it was a great way to spend time with a friend and then even better we were able to enjoy a BBQ, play some games, and have some more fun with our families afterward.  Keep riding and keep smiling!!!
Please Help Me in Supporting CAF!

2012 CAF Million Dollar Challenge - We're Off!!!

Well where to start ... suppose at the beginning.  I am privileged to note here that I was selected to be a ride leader for this year's Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) Dodge Million Dollar Challenge (MDC).  Many of you know that I completed the MDC in 2009 as a radio contestant and fundraising participant.  I followed that up in 2010 participating as an alumni rider and in 2011 was able to continue my support by donating to the great organization that is the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

We kicked off this year's first training ride the first weekend in June with a beautiful day starting off from the Deni + Jeff Jacobs Challenged Athletes Center in our usual waves of group 1-4 with able bodies, handcyclists, and a blind stoker tandem.     

I have been blessed with being a Group 2-3 floater depending on need and today was a great day with Group 3 as we rocked the 47mi route from Mira Mesa up to the SKILZ HQ (another GREAT sponsor) in Carlsbad where we had awesome SAG from the CAF pit crew and a brief rest before heading back down the coast.  Hooter was already in mid season form at the SAG making sure the group was up to snuff!

We continued back down the coast returning to CAF HQ in tact with only 1 flat in the group and most folks getting a great first ride in the saddle.  There were lots of questions from first timers and also great reunion conversations for those coming back for another go.  Overall it was a great week and can't wait for the next training ride.  I actually have a scheduled "day off" next week so I must wish the group well and prepare for the Week 3 training ride. Until next time keep the rubber side down !!!! Clyde

2011 Levi Leipheimer's Kings Ridge Gran Fondo

A phenomenal day in the saddle at the Levi's Kings Ridge Gran Fondo.  The best part of the ride was being able to spend the day with family having my sister and family all out on the road in Santa Rosa participating in the event for a second year in a row.

We had a great day including a mechanical for me with a broken spoke and extended repair time but all in all it was a great time with an incredible BBQ and fun-filled aftermath in downtown Santa Rosa with 6,000 of my closest friends.

Any day on the bike is a good one and this one didn't disappoint!  Keep Riding and Keep Smiling!!!

2011 Tour of the CA Alps - "Death Ride"

Completed the Tour of the CA Alps ...AKA "Death Ride" this weekend.  Was truly an Epic Day.  Covered 129mi, including 5 mountain passes all over 8300ft, and encompassing >15K ft of climbing ($15.3K per the Garmin when it quit 7 miles from the end).

It was a clear hot day in the saddle for a total ride time of 8:31 which was good enough to be the 10th registered finisher of all 5 mountain passes.

Some stats from the day:
Calories burned - 10,681 Kcal
Consumed - 4910 Kcal including:
14 water bottles

10 Infinit drink packs @ 250Kcal each
2 GU chomps
2 Sport Beans
12 fig newtons
30 pretzel twists
2 cans V8
4 lg chunks watermelon
3 bananas

Napa Valley Vintage 1/2 Ironman Triathlon

Competed at the Napa Valley Vintage 1/2 Ironman Triathlon for the second year in a row this past weekend to kick off a nice vacation with family.  It was quite a different race day than a year ago with very different conditions and quite a different experience.

Before getting into the race details I must say that sporting the MultiSport Ministries Race kit now for the 2nd straight event has been enlightening.  Just by wearing the kit I am engaged by people with many questions and connection opportunities that I would not be having otherwise.  It's been a true blessing to offer support for others as an outcome of being part of this sport.

So ... for the race day I first have to say that I feel very blessed to have ended up in 2nd place in Division after having what I can only describe as a pretty rough day.  It all started out about 20 minutes before the gun kicked off when the wind really began to kick up and the looking out over the lake all one could see was whitecaps and wind waves.  I should have known.  The buoys were moving in the water and the first turn kept moving further out as the less speedy (read me) swimmers were making their way toward it.  After the turn we headed straight into the wind and waves and let's just say that enough about the swim as the organizers began to rescue and pull people from the water.  Fortunately all were safely accounted for.  The average swim times were about 13-15 minutes slower than last year and mine was about 20 minutes slower.

Fortunately I finally got to move on to the bike leg where there were many desperate souls out there requiring encouragement as the winds had kicked up to 30 mph gusts with the first 35 miles either block head wind or pretty vicious cross winds.  I felt very blessed to be in my personal comfort zone on the bike even if the average speeds were quite a bit slower than a year ago.  I felt pretty good on the bike overall considering the extra energy spent in the swim but realized it was a much different ride when with almost 4 miles left of the 56 mile bike I was already passing the time elapsed during last year's entire bike leg on the same course.

Got off the bike and began the rolling hilly run starting to feel the effects of being out there much longer than just a year earlier and really having to dig deep and remind myself that everyone, at least on this day, could use some encouragement so I set my mind on just that.  I focused on wishing people well and especially talking up those I passed who were walking.  When I finally reached the finish line and crossed underneath the banner I really felt a sense of accomplishment unlike many previous races.  This was hard but in many ways that just made it better because the conversations afterward continued about the race team and I connected two guys to the site and gave them my info.

Keep training for His service!!!!

Devil Dog Duathlon - Camp Pendleton Races

An amazing day at the 5K/30K/5K Devil Dog Duathlon on the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base in sunny north county San Diego.  It was a tough month leading into this race as a workout incident in the gym left me with a cracked tailbone a few weeks ago just after I had committed and signed up and paid for the event.

Once again I simply gave this one to God, asked for tons of prayer, and allowed him to work it out as to whether I would be able to complete or not.  Just Monday this past week while traveling on business I went out for a tough 8+ mile hilly run and it hurt quite a bit which gave me some doubt as to what would happen today when I lined up.  For the first time I actually think I wished there was a swim involved in this thing.

What it did was it made me stop, pray, and realize that no matter what my body would do I would be able to see a huge number of fit and interesting people of all ages coming together to test the limits of the abilities God has given them.  And of course represent the COLORS of MultiSport Ministries as a witness as to why I race and what really matters.  It was great to be sporting the new race kit and being so bold it had the effect; even before the race during the setup I had multiple people asking me questions about it and allowing me to point them to the website and offer my contact info - praise God as he always shows up.

So with the conversations and distractions I had forgotten completely about my sore backside and just got final preparations for the start completed.  The airhorns went off and we were on our way.  The race itself is inspiring for all the Marine Corp volunteers and also the work by MARSOC, the Marine Corp Special Operations Command, who support the race and make sure everything goes off without incident.  My body outperformed my small-minded human limitations and carried me through a great race.  I finished 1st in the Clydesdale division in 1hr 35min including a 23.4 mph average speed on the rolling bike course.  It was most certainly way above my expectations; shame on me for limiting God.

But even better than that was connecting with Scott, a MARSOC recruit screener, recently arrived from Michigan and looking to connect with local athletes and a Christian community - Praise God as I connected him with http://www.multisportministries.com.  Also connected back with Pat Thomas from the Challenged Athletes Million Dollar Challenge ride from 2009.

All is well when God has the reigns!  

Calico Ghost Town Trail 30K/50K

What a gorgeous Sunday for a trail race in the Southern CA desert.  As Psalm 118:24 says "This is the day the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it!".  After weeks of unusually wet and cold weather here in Southern CA, the past week has been utterly amazing.  We had temperatures of 75 at the beaches this week and even up to 80 inland.  It was welcomed as we needed the trails to dry up because they become mini-rivers when it rains. The historic Calico Ghost Town is just a bit outside of Barstow and near Fort Irwin, CA. It sits in the high desert at about 2500 ft elevation. It's a very interesting place, having been dedicated to be preserved by Walter Knott, creator of Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA. The race itself is put on by Discovery Trails and is done to support the ongoing efforts to maintain and preserve the town and the surrounding trails and natural landscapes in the area. In fact, 100% of the effort to put on the race is by volunteer to maximize the amount given back to the town.

The race kicked off bright and early at 7am for me and about 240 of my closest friends.  Its a split race in that there are two simultaneous races going on at the same time, both 30K and 50K distances.
Trying to recover from a nasty head cold I opted for the 30K and it was a blast.  For those who don't have a calculator that's roughly 19 miles; per my Garmin it came out at 19.2 miles.  I went in with no expectations and just planned to enjoy the day, meet some new people, and find out whether I could finish with a stuffed up head and occasional cough.  I met some great people along the way - shout out to Eric, John (Nice 2nd place division finish), Dave, and Moshe who I hung out with after the finish waiting for the results to be posted and talking about why we do these crazy things.

Turns out I had an OK day with a 15th place overall finish and 5th in the 40-49 age group division.  Amazing thing about Trail Ultras, the fastest guys are in the 40-49 age group and in this race that included the overall winner.  My time was 3 hrs 8 min per the Garmin or a 9:48 per mile pace, which wasn't too bad considering the trail included over 2900 ft of vertical climbing and a great deal of it soft sand which makes for tough going.


In the end it's always about the great people you meet and the common connections you find and if your fortunate, you get the opportunity to help someone out or offer a prayer in time of need.

Keep Training and God Bless!!!

Bulldog 25K Trail Race - Hills, Heat, and Humility

I participated in the RRCA State Championship  Bulldog 25/50K this morning held up in the Santa Monica Mountains at Malibu Creek State Park.  I didn't win ... but then again I didn't know before entering that is was a RRCA State Championship Event.  What I did do was have a blast, meet some great people, including a board member of FCA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes.... more on that later.

The day was gorgeous although it got very HOT early hitting the upper 80s by 10am and (I was told) 94 degrees at the finish.  It was also very HILLY with, per my Garmin, 3,587 of vertical climb.  Included in that climbing was the namesake ascent up Bull Dog Trail which climbs from sea level up to 2,487 feet in just under 4 miles.  Let's just say that was a tough section and not for the faint of heart.  In fact, I hit my exploding the chest HR max of 195 bpm at one point before I had to back off and moderate my pace a bit.

Now for the HUMILITY... Time in trail races is the ultimate measure of 'relativity'.  After all, in a 25K race (15.85mi per the Garmin for this one) you would expect a winning time like in the 1:20 range right?   Hardly.... in fact the winning time was just short of 2:00 which equates to slightly sub 8 min per mile pace.  It gives you a great idea of how tough the course was for sure.  For me, I had a really solid race maintaining a steady push through all the uphills and moderating some of the very technical descents to finish in 2:29:19, good enough for 32nd overall our of 336 finishers.  I am always amazed at the way some of these skinny folks simply fly downhill.

I mentioned I met a board member of FCA who called me out since I was wearing the "colors" with my FCA Endurance tech race tee.  We chatted while running together for a few miles and I found out she is on her way to the Ironman World Championships in 6 weeks with 4 other FCA Teammates.  If you happen to be participating this year look for the FCA Booth at the expo and say hello!  GO Sierra and stay safe in Kona.

Napa Valley 1/2 Ironman Triathlon

It was a great day in Napa for the 300 or so triathletes ready to brave the 60 degree waters of Lake Berryessa this past Saturday.  It was nice to be at a smaller race, very comfortable and just right for meeting new people and great conversations.... at least pre-race.  It reminded of me of the reason why I got into the sport now more than 23 years (am I THAT old!) ago.   It was always about the people and the conversations and relationships that are formed around this mutual love for pushing our bodies to see what God made us capable of doing.

The race itself went like a dream day for me as it set up perfectly for my skills (and lack-thereof).  The 1.2 mi swim was calm and with a staggered start had minimal body carnage involvement; the 56 mi bike was incredibly hard with virtually no flat road, continuous up and down with some steep pitches and about 2750 vertical feet; and finally the 13.1 mi run was also up and down with no flat roads and a double loop.  The hard bike really helps me and drove the results.

I came out of the water in 77th place, had the 3rd fastest bike split of the race to exit T2 in 8th place overall, and ended up finishing in 9th place overall managing 1st place in both the 40-44 age group and Clydesdale categories.  As said earlier, it was a great day full of blessings for me for sure.

Keep smiling and keep rolling!

Romans 12:1 "Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God." CEV

Mullholland KOM Challenge

A fantastic day participating in the Mullholland King of the Mountains Challenge event in Agoura Hills.  What is that you ask - According to my Garmin it was 7 hours 42 minutes in the saddle with 14,286 ft of ascent over a 116.2 mile course going back and forth across the Malibu Creek State Park, Mullholland Hwy, Stunt Rd, and many other crazy steep winding and somewhat maintained roads.

What made the day best is meeting new people as always, sharing stories and having a blast.   I met a number of great people and got lots of comments on my FCA Endurance cycling kit and struck up conversations about MDC 2010 and the Challenged Athletes Foundation - hopefully recruiting a couple potential riders.  Had great conversations with new friends Rob, Andy, and Scott about why we do these things!

Had to lend support briefly for one fallen cyclist but all in all it was a safe and wonderfully supported event.  Planet Ultra really does these things well.

Another good training day leading up to the Napa Valley Vintage 1/2 Ironman on May 1st.

God Bless! Keep riding and keep smiling!

Back from Time Off the Blog

It's been a while since MDC 2009 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation and while I haven't posted I've continued being active.
Just a couple weeks after completing the 620 mile ride from SF to SD I competed in the toughest trail Marathon in CA in the Saddleback mountains on November 7th. I enjoyed about 6500ft of vertical climbing over the course and came through without injury which was a blessing for sure.

After conquering that feat I proceeded to continue training doing a small trail half marathon in mid-December, recover and rehab my shoulder a bit more, and enjoy the holidays with family.

One of the nice things during training was seeing my fellow 2009 MDC compadres out cycing up and down the coast over the winter. Each time I saw someone out there it was like a warm greeting from friends and a good time to recall the ride down the coast. Since MDC 2009 my wife, sister, and her family have gotten into cycling a bit and we all had fun in the rain with so many others in the Gran Fondo San Diego in Little Italy. I managed to find a way to swim on the bike completing the century in the torrential rain in ... yes ... 'normally sunny' San Diego.

After receiving additional medical opinions for my shoulder I started swimming again in early 2010 and went ahead and 'dove in' for the Ironman CA 70.3 race in Oceanside on March 27th. I'm glad to report that it went off without a hitch and I managed an "over 40" PR for this course and distance at 5:00:15.

It was a great day with Candi, my wife, and friends volunteering at the event and cheering me on in transition as they were working. All in all a nice beginning to the racing season for me and a nice lead in to the CAF MDC 2010 coming soon.

Next up will be the Mullholland KOM Challenge cycling event on Saturday 4/11 with 12,600 ft of climbing over 116 miles. I look forward to making it through that and posting some great pics and follow-up here.

Thanks for checking out the post and many blessings to you and yours.

QMDC Final Day 7 Wrap

Wow, where to start. This was a day of many mixed emotions and a feeling of 'last' experiences. The last breakfast, last morning greeting from the mechanics at On-Support, last drop of the day bags and luggage to the "Luggage Angels", and last rollout of the hotel to the final stop of the ride and finish in La Jolla Shores. We were all excited to be reunited with family and friends awaiting us as well as seeing Luvo, who was hopefully going to be walking on his own new legs for the first time since they were violently sheered off by a train 17 years ago.

I lingered at the rollout until near the very end and Brian Brillo, Adam Beck, and I decided to ride out together on this last day and cruise down through Laguna Beach together and just enjoy this final day. We had a fun and laughter filled time as we talked about the various fun times during the week, like shuffleboard - "Do you know who I am?", and furniture stacking in rooms, clown noses, and various encounters with strangers talking about why we were doing this ride for Challenged Athletes. Candi and friends caught up with Brian, Adam, and I in Oceanside as we rolled through and were about to really get a first class escort.

It all really came together as we hooked up with Garmin including Christian, Matt, and Pete, and had a police escort rolling through Carlsbad all the way through to the University Park where we pulled up to gather for the formal roll-in to La Jolla Shores. We even got to have one last hard push up Torrey Pines, which was for me a view from behind as the Garmin boys just put a little power to the pedal and left the rest of us behind a bit. I had a personal best time up the climb @ 6:15 per my Garmin and regrouped with the big boys at the top which was pretty awesome for me. We got to have some fun in the park taking some fun photos and hanging with Cody, Rachel, and all the riders who we started this adventure with some 22 weeks ago while we waited for everyone to come together.

We rolled all together into the finish to an awesome crowd of family and friends. It was really special and a great finish to an amazing event. It is going to take some time for it all to sink in I'm sure and I will pray long and hard as to whether I will be coming back again next year. Either way, it has created, for me, a number of new friendships and a tremendous appreciation for the perseverance of those who are less fortunate than I.

As always, keep riding and keep smiling!!!!!