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.
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. 
