2008 Year End

Before I left MN I became an AASI certified snowboard instructor after a season of coaching with Blizzard Ski and Snowboard School. Hurray for retro-pay. After the move I became a triathlete, finishing my first in the Mission Bay Spring Sprint. I joined the Triathlon Club of San Diego and my summer got busy with club races and more training. I was fed up with my year old bike (sad, I really liked Felty) so I dove in and waited seven weeks to become a custom Guru bike owner. It’s beautiful and every time I get off I can’t wait until the next time I can get back on. I would now consider myself a pseudo-runner (not quite all the way there yet). I never expected the day to come where I would enjoy a run (they still don’t come that often). It is a part of the sport, and my weak leg, thus the focus should turn, especially training for my next endeavor, The Superfrog half ironman at the end of March. Swim training has mainly come in the form of Ocean swimming after getting sick of masters swimming. I rave about the La Jolla Cove a lot, but it’s worth the text. I think I swam every Friday evening with TCSD besides the 4th of July (climbing trip) and my two MN trips. Sunday afternoons on non-race weekends as well as Buck’s August Moonlight Swim made for many cove swimming miles this summer. I won my age group in the Tour of the Buoys 5 mile swim race in August. I got the channel swimming itch and hope to swim the 26 miles from Catalina Island to California sometime in my life.

Alongside training I’ve managed to fit coaching into my schedule. Nikee volunteered me as a substitute for the TCSD JCC swims. After a week I became a permanent fixture in the Wednesday night technique lane. After seeing significant improvement with a couple of my regular “students” it really makes it worth it. Coaching adults has some challenges but the willingness to learn is there. Stephen, one of my students, picked me up, and now he’s a great boyfriend and training partner. It makes being lazy on the couch after seem okay. After helping him with my sport he introduced me to his, underwater hockey. I traveled to San Jose for my first tournament after playing only four games prior. Following the 10 losses in 11 games, I still had a smile on my face, and still enjoyed the sport.

I couldn’t completely let climbing slip away and I did get to take a couple trips this year. Red Rocks (twice), multiple Joshua Tree trips, the North Shore in MN, Idylwild and a couple local San Diego craigs filled random weekends throughout the year. I met Paul, a triathlete climber, and went on some pretty epic trips with him including a hiking trip up San Gorgonio. I think it was around 23 miles and almost 6,000 ft of elevation gain, hiking for 12 hours. We got rained out in the middle of a climb in j-tree and had to leave a Camelot, I dropped his camera off the side mission gorge, and made it through a lightening storm on Tahquitz. After all that, we finally had a “successful” day in Red Rock Canyon completing 7 pitches on Crimson Chrysalis a day after finishing my first olympic distance triathlon. He left the amazingness of San diego and moved back to New York (and he is missed). I became a traditional climbing leader earlier in the year, getting to play with some gear. My MN friend Amanda flew out for a Thanksgiving J-tree trip where she got on her first trad lead as well. I got to meet Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden at the Red Rock Rendezvous right after moving to San Diego. Even while drooling I managed to learn how to tie the bunny ears anchor figure 8 knot (I’m sure there’s a more precise name).

I headed back to Minnesota in May for my brother’s and sister’s graduation from High School and College respectively. Again, in September I went for Katie & Phil’s wedding, along with some climbing and family time. Yet another Pink Lady reunion/wedding; next up, Kayley and Nick. I had some visitors this summer. First, my brother and his girlfriend Paige came out and we saw Wiked in LA. Next, Mare, my college swimming buddy, came out for a quick summer weekend (and yes I brought her to the cove). My mom and sister came to visit in August and we took a trip to Catalina Island (on a ferry). I won’t be able to make it back for Christmas, so I’m spending it with my sister and grandparents in Arizona. The rest of my family will be missed. Other than that I’m officially a California driver’s license holder, and a resident of Point Loma in a house with three lovely ladies, one of which I met in the beginning of all this triathlon craziness. Bethany has been a great friend and now roommate. She’s recovering from spinal fusion surgery from scoliosis and I can’t believe her progression. She is also a great training buddy. I’ll post my 2009 goals after the new year.