new ways

Creek Crossing at Curly lake ride, that's me making it and Stan almost!

Habits die hard, but I think I am finally there! for nearly 25 yrs I have been swimming, biking and running in preparation for racing triathlons. Now 5-6 weeks after my race in Lubbock Tx and my retirement from the sport, I am finally not getting up and feeling that I have a planned swim, bike or run workout in the day.

From the beginning swimming was always a sport I least liked to do and has been my weakest discipline for most of the past 25yrs. Ironically, In this past year swimming has been my most competitive sport( most likely due to lower heart rates). But I still don't enjoy it and now that I am not doing triathlon races--- its done---

Next is running, which I really enjoyed the most in my early years. I once was the very fastest 11 yr old in the suburbs of Chicago. Then in College, I began to run longer and really got a buzz out of it. Then I tore my knee up playing basketball as a weekend warrior back in the early 80s. My knee repair was successful but I still had pain and after I started doing triathlons I managed that pain in my left knee and more recently my right one. I did become a pretty efficient runner regardless, logging a 33:25 10k pr and a 2:42:06 marathon pr as well as a 1/2 marathon off the bike of 1:18 in Gulf coast and a 3:11 marathon split in the Hawaii Ironman, this all with running mileage of 30-40 miles at its peak. but today running still hurts and with Heart rate numbers that are higher on the run(which causes a weird feeling with my repaired heart)This sport is also done.

Then there is the bike. I love to bike, and I love to ride all kinds of bikes, especially off road bikes( cross, mtn, single speed) I still get excited for a bike ride and for the past 4 weeks I have gone out and done some epic rides. I have no schedule or method for my riding these days I just go out and ride how I feel and plan rides with friends. I still challenge myself on the bike and do hard rides even though I don't have the engine I used to have. see below. so going forward I see myself riding my bike for fitness and getting back to my bodywork and yoga routine to shore up my body's ability to keep up with my kids and wife in the hopefully many years to come.



My girls

Originally, we decided that Sarah and the Kids would go to the east coast(Cape Cod)for the month of July to spend time with her parents and get bit of east coast(ocean) culture for the kids, while I trained for the Ironman. Then of course my quest came to an end. And with that, I really only wanted to spend time with my family and catch up on the time I missed with them while I was training. But I was forced to figure out this transition alone and begin new ways in my life. So the past month has been very hard. combine that with a bunch of unforeseen house projects and July was pretty difficult for us.



My little fish

Now that the Fam is back. I have really enjoyed spending more time with the kids and Sarah. We have been going to the pool both in Briarwood and in Bozeman, checking out festivals like the Sweat Pea in Bozeman and going to many a play ground. I almost didn't recognize Cale with her sun bleached hair and her new lingo. She is amazing as well as Chloe who is now 6 and is growing up to be a wonderful little girl. They totally make me want to be a stay at home dad.



My love child

Last weekend I entered the Beartooth Burn, a timed ride up the beartooth hwy from red lodge to the summit( 10,000 ft). 22 miles and 6000ft of vertical. I did the event in 1hr 51 min. It is strange to do hard rides with multiple days of no exercise. I start these rides very fresh and have good legs for some of the ride, but of course that catches up with you after a while and you start to show your true fitness. I have gone up and done the Bangtail trail a couple of times with Pat Duey and have felt pretty good for a 4hr hard mtn bike ride. check out this clip of the final descent at the Bangtail trail 5 miles from our cabin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ETF2WoFMik


I still go out and try to compete and on Sunday I went pretty hard in the first 1hr and of course started to blow up after that as the altitude reached 9k ft. I did manage to tie the first women! and get 8th overall. I am pretty damn sore today although. And its still a bit hard to let go of being competitive

Coming up there is a lot on the Marschall/Keller agenda. This coming weekend I am holding a mountain bike weekend in Bozeman, doing some epic mountain biking, including the Curly lake Highline ride.

The ride Sunday was epic and definitely a cherry ride! Dr Pat Duey, Stan the man and Dr. Dan Gall came on the Curly lake ride with me. This ride has it all and will make you wanting that Rootbeer then real beer at the finish. total time from start to finish( with a couple of flat,rest, and food stops) 6.5hrs for a mere 25 miles, thats 7k of climbing my friends! boy those fish tacos at La parilla did taste good after!



the crew finally making it to the trail head



and near the top of the last climb at Curly, The Alpdhez of mtn biking, 10k high, 20% grade and many switch backs-- need to be super good and super fit, to not walk. those are not mountain goats walking that is Pat and Stan.


Then I am going to play in the Briarwood club championship the next weekend, did I say I went to the long putter? I hope this will help my scoring. Then I am taking the Girls to Chicago the next weekend to visit my parents and play some golf with the old man. Its on to Spearfish SD on Labor Day for the Dakota five-o mtn bike race and at the end of September we are heading to Red Rocks to see Furthur for the 3 night run there. Its getting me exhausted just thinking about it. But its the end of the summer and its time to pack it in before winter sets in.



the floatin fam



The 4- wheelin fam