"It is not the critic who counts..."

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

-Theordore Roosevelt

The quote above is one of my top 3 quotes ever.  I first discovered it about 20 years ago when I was having a particularly difficult time in my life.  I often refer to it and lately, with all that has happened in my life over the last 18 months, the quote has been on my mind a lot.

You see, I've always feared failure. I've tasted success in my life, so I know what's that's like.  But I've also failed miserably.  For every goal I've accomplished there's an equal or greater amount that were never realized.  I can honestly say though that I have never given up.  Sure, some plans changed and some goals I've had have fallen off the wayside simply because they weren't important to me.  I truly believe when we focus on meaningful endeavors, whatever they may be, the un-important stuff will simply fall by the wayside.

In order to deal with some of my recent failures, I've had to regroup, re-focus and simplify my life greatly.  That's extended into my training as well.  While I've been more focused I've also been a bit more relaxed in what I'm doing.  I'm not weighing myself every morning like I used to.  Yet lately I've had many people comment that I'm looking slimmer.  

I've cut simple things out of my life like my addiction to energy drinks.  I was drinking 2 sometimes 3 cans of Rockstar or Monster every day.  In the past few weeks I weened myself to just one a day and for the last week or so, I've had maybe 2 total.  

My diet has become simpler.  Making meals more meaningful, whether by who I eat those meals with or where I eat those meals. keeping in mind that every calorie counts.  Its not an obsessive but a thoughtful thing.  I still eat bacon.  I still drink milk (In fact I'm drinking whole milk!).  And I still enjoy a burrito.  But I'm staying away from fast food, preparing more of my meals at home and I still have my Mavrick addiction, but I opt for salads and fruit instead of Bahama Mamas and Tornados.  Who knew you could eat healthy at the gas station?

But all of it has greatly benefited my physical and emotional health.  I'm forming new relationships and re-connecting with old ones.  I sleep better.  I wake up refreshed for the most part and I'm extremely motivated to keep going.

In a few weeks, I will race my first real triathlon.  I've actually wanted to be a triathlete for most of my life, but I really hate running.  My body just isn't built for it.  But I'm overcoming it.  With the help of special friends who care about me and my well being I'm able to accomplish more and more each day.  Sunsets are prettier.  Runs, rides and swims are easier to get up early for.  Even my commute to work has become therapeutic.

So what am I doing to train currently?  I had my first brick workout yesterday.  While it was eye opening how difficult it is to go from a fast bike rider to a fast run, it was just more motivation for what's to come.

I've dropped the spin classes and the gym work.  Its all riding, running and swimming now.  

Tue, Wed, Thurs and Fridays are my most structured days with ride/run/swim/run workouts.  Fri, Sat and Sunday are unstructured but I'm getting in at least one ride in and trying to make time for more.

But this more relaxed but deliberate angle to training has done wonders.  

I still feel battered and bruised sometimes.  Its still tough to take some of the real failures that I've experienced.  But none of it has knocked me out.  I may have been knocked down but life ain't over.  If I don't get at it, life will keep moving on.  I prefer to have life keep moving on with me an active part in it.

This is only a test

Its been a while since I tested my legs in a race, so last weekend I decided it was time.  I know I'm in no shape to be racing, but I missed it and really needed to see where I was at.  Turns out I have a long way to go!

For the past few years, my winter training has been solid.  In 2011/2012 it was probably too solid and I was cooked, overcooked by June.  I had been riding up to 16 hours a week during that winter and my body didn't respond well to the volume.  I was a sprinter when I swam in high school and I think I'm just going to be sticking to sprinting now.  I just think my body is built better for it.  Not to mention I simply dn't have the time to train with that kind of volume.

So, its back to some basics for me.  My best season of racing was in 2011.  I won a good amount of races and that's where I achieved all my upgrade points to become a Cat 3.  But what was it about that season?

Well' to start, it was my winter.  I swam, ran cross trained.  I was on a spin bike 2 days a week and got out on Saturdays for 2-3 hours or even parked my butt on a trainer for that amount of time in cold days.  The other days I was lifting weights, swimming and even running a bit.

So this season, I'm going back to that.  But its already May!  Well, I'm just doing now what I should have been doing in December.  My weeks look like this:

Monday - Slow a.m. spin indoors
Tuesday - 50 min spin class and 50 minute weight circuit
Wed- 30 min run
Thurs - hour swim
Fri - 50 min boot camp style class
Sat - race or 2-3 hour ride
Sun - off or slow evening ride.

I've been doing this for about 5 weeks.  What I found out at the crit I raced at on Saturday was I had no top end, no power coming out of turns and I got dropped pretty quickly.  But for where I'm at in training, and where everyone else is at, I'm ok with it.  More important than anything was getting out there, testing my legs and lungs and seeing all my cycling peeps.  Just being in that atmosphere again motivated me and gave me some strength to keep on track with my comeback.  I'll start moving into some more power building in a few weeks but I'm satisfied with my progress so far.

I made my bed today

For the first time in who knows how long, I made my bed today.  I've just never been a bed maker.  I usually roll out of bed in the morning, poop, brush my teeth and head out the door.  I've always been that way.  I figured why make a bed that I will shortly just mess up again.

But recently, a good friend, who also keeps a pretty awesome training blog, told me making my bed would give me pep, so I figured, why not.  Who doesn't need more pep in their lives?  So, today I made my bed.

Its been over a year since I posted on this blog. What started out as a training blog for my attempt at a 10 hour LOTOJA morphed into more of a "blab about my own interests" blog.  But while I was at it, I reviewed some awesome equipment and posted some pretty cool videos.  It was a good exercise and I actually influenced the bike purchases of more than a few people.  I'm grateful that what I posted made a difference to at least some.  I was getting 1000 hits a week at times but about this time last year, life just became too busy and too complicated to spend much time blogging.

I spent most of the year supporting 2 teams, travelling to races all over the west and pouring my heart, soul and wallet into the bike races I promote.  But things started to crumble about September.  My marriage ended, sponsor money dried up, I gained 30 lbs and I pretty much hit an emotional and physical wall.  I had to take a step back, look deep inside and try to figure out what and who I really wanted to be.

In that discovery, I found that there's a lot about myself I like, but also so much I needed to change.  My priorities had gone all out of whack.  I was spreading myself too thin and in the process figured out I was putting too much quantity and not enough quality into my endeavors.  I had experiences I wouldn't trade for the world but I also needed to simplify my life.  And now its time for a comeback!!

So here I am, ready to write again.  I think this blog will morph back into my training journal...my accountability to perform at my best and a way to share what it takes to achieve my goals.  This is therapeutic for me and maybe it will be for those who read it too.  When I was prepping for LOTOJA in 2011, it seemed one or two people found my insights and training helpful for them.  I hope that happens again.

I've turned a corner.  I've changed little things in my life to improve myself as an athlete, a father and as a human.  I even started to make my bed.

OPB - Other People's Blogs

During my stint as a sailor, I often sailed OPB, or other people's boats.  What better than owning a sailboat? Having a friend who owns a sailboat!  As with boats, there are quite a few entertaining blogs out there as well.  Here's a few of my favs...

For my automotively minded friends, check out http://www.frs-tuner.com/.  A friend of mine runs this FRS/BRZ/FT-86 focused blog.  He also runs the website http://body-kitz.com/index.html.  Great guy and great products.

For those who want some good tri blogging, point your browser to http://www.utahtrigirl.com/.  Rachel Butterfield is an avid triathlete and always has something fun to say.  I'm also a fan of http://blonderunner.com/.  As the tri and cycling season get underway, these blogs have great tips for training, race reports and info on upcoming events.

So there you have it.  A few more blogs to keep you entertained and updated.  We all blog for fun, but its worthwhile to point out we all run ads on our blogs as well.  Don't be shy about supporting our advertisers and if you'd like to see your business' name up in lights on my blog, please shoot me a message and we can chat.

Mr2 Team mouse pad (Google Affiliate Ad)

Diadora Jet Racer shoes - Cadel's Kicks!

I used to have a thing for shoes.  I know, very metro, but it was a fetish that landed some very nice shoes in my closet.  I had some Prada, Allen Edmonds, Ferragamo and Cole Haan.  There is nothing like slipping on a high end pair of hand made dress shoes.  Not only did those shoes last, they were luxurious in their comfort, made you feel like you were walking on air and made a statement when walking into a room.  Dress for success was my mantra.  They were worth every penny, or 40,000 pennies as it were.  I don't dress up everyday anymore like I did 10 years ago, but my affinity for nice shoes still lingers.  However, I care much more about my kicks for cycling than what I wear to church on Sunday.

CamelBak Classic 70 oz Hydration Pack - Racing Red (Google Affiliate Ad)

I've ridden a few pairs of cycling shoes over the years.  I had some nylon soled Specialized shoes in high school and rode Shimanos, then Axo's, during my MTB days in the late 90's.  All very low tech.  When I started road riding again in 2006 I went cheap again with some entry level Shimanos.  I ended up winning a slick pair of Scott shoes in a prime but they didn't fit.  I sold them and went for my first pair of carbon road shoes, again from Shimano.  They worked well enough.  Stiff, stylish, but a bit thick in the sole.  I wore those things out and went for a set of Bontrager RL's.  A super thin carbon sole got me closer to the pedals but they never really fit me quite right.  I never got my cleats in a good position and the screws from the cleats kept poking through to my feet.  The toe box collapsed and I ended up having to warranty the shoes.  They just didn't fit my feet.  I actually think my season suffered a bit last year because of the shoes.

Over the past few months, I've expanded my rep portfolio to include Diadora shoes.  Diadora has an incredibly complete line of road and MTB shoes.  3 different lasts, various color options and sole choices that range from basic nylon to the exquisite Net Breathing System carbon sole found the the highest end Jet Racer.

The Jet Racer is now what I'm on.  Just like my Pradas, the Jet Racers are worth every bit their $459 MSRP.  I finally had the chance to put some good miles on the kicks last weekend in St. George.

Out of the box, these shoes are sexy.  There's 4 color options for the Jet Racer and they come with a very cool lizard skin pattern that blends nicely with the standard Diadora graphic.  I'm wearing a size 43, a half size smaller than the Bontragers, but a half size bigger than my last Shimanos.  It seems to be a sweet spot for the Diadora sizing for my foot.

The Build

Handbuilt in Italy, the fit and finish of the Jet Racers in second to none.  The excellent craftsmanship translates nicely over to the less expensive options in the line.  The Jet Racers have a micro adjust buckle and 2 velcro straps, one with a novel plastic locking mechanism.  There's also a velcro "security strap" under the buckle, so these shoes aren't going anywhere.  The leather upper is supple and the heel is cupped by a nice thick piece of plastic.

The sole is truly a work of art.  The woven carbon lower shell is thin and stiff and heavily vented.  This venting is part of the Net Breathing System, which is much more than just simple holes for air to pass through.  Its actually a multi layer, breathable structure which includes vented insole, a waterproof breathable membrane, a wire mesh and then the carbon sole.  Again, a work of art.  The photos I have hear don't begin to do it justice.  There's also a replaceable heal and toe pad.

The Fit

The Jet Racer comes with Diadora's Regular Race Last, meaning its a purposeful, snug fit.  I think a cycling shoe should fit like a ski boot and make you feel connected to the bike.  However, a little room is nice so your feet can swell a bit as can happen on long rides.  My feet feel right at home in these shoes.  On the first ride they felt like my old Shimanos did after years of riding, meaning they were comfortable, so comfortable in fact I forgot I had shoes on at all.  I assuming they are narrower than other non-italian brands, but I can only say for sure they are more narrow than the Shimanos but not as narrow as the Bontragers.  My heel feels solidly locked into the shoe, the plastic heel cup doing its job.

The Ride

Again, these kicks are so comfortable I forgot I had them on.   I had to keep looking down at my feet to remind myself they were there, which wasn't a bad thing, since these are the nicest looking shoes I've had the pleasure of slipping on my feet since my last pair of Prada loafers.  Stiff when powering up a climb, super light and no less comfortable after 5 hours in the saddle.  I was shocked actually.  I believe good equipment is equipment you don't have to think about and I only think about these shoes when I want to admire how sessy they are.

I also seemed to have nailed my cleat placement.  Amazing since I never felt like I had it quite right on the Bontragers.  Two trips up and down the street is all it took.  Don't know if that had anything to do with the shoes, but it was a nice bonus!

Buy 'em!

The Jet Racers are the real deal.  I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for.  When I was spending crazy money on my dress shoes, it was well worth it when I was still wearing those shoes 5 years later.  Some of those shoes have passed on, but I keep re-soling a pair of Pradas because the uppers and insoles are holding up so well.  Diadora spreads the Jet Racer's features across the line and you can find the unique Net Breathing System soles on the less expensive Vortex and Mig Racers as well.  There's also a full carbon sole on the Aerospeed Carbon and Aeorspeed Women's shoes.  But dollar for dollar, there's no better shoe that money can buy than the Jet Racer.

Harristone/Sun Valley Mortgage Cycling Team - Mini Camp

The sun gods finally blessed the red rocks of Utah's Dixie with sunshine and 60 degree temps this past weekend.  My team took advantage of the nice weather and had an awesome 2 day mini training camp in St. George.

The camp began early Friday morning with a pleasant drive to the south.  The sunshine and warm temperatures greeted us mid afternoon and we headed out for a 2 hour loop.  My camp started on a major downer as I dropped my new to me GoPro camera while riding and I watched it shatter into 10 pieces.  It was one of those stupid moments you wish you could have back, like dropping your keys in the lake.  I was pulling the camera out of my back pocket and it literally just slipped out of my fingers.  The waterproof case held on the initial impact, but it was hit by multiple bikes and the case split open.  The battery flew out and the inside case cracked.  The lens has a nice ding on it as well.  I was sure it was done for.  But I managed to put it back together and it kept recording!  At least that's what the LED screen said.  I kept recording for the weekend and sure enough, these cameras rock!  Aside from the scratched lens, the unit functions and records like normal.  As soon as I figure out how to edit the vids, I'll post them here.  They're nothing spectacular, but its cool footage nonetheless.

Pro-Form 490 Spx Indoor Cycling Bike (Google Affiliate Ad) 

With the GoPro crisis over, the rest of the ride went very.  Mellow, sunny and the Toquerville loop is gorgeous.  The ride ends near Quail Hollow Reservoir and the setting sun made for beautiful scenery.

Friday's traditional feast at Brick Oven Pizza was delicious as always.  Brick Oven even has gluten free pizza for the special diet needs of some our cyclists!  With stomachs full we headed back to the house and stayed up way too late to watch Tyler Hamilton on Jay Leno.  Teammate and sponsor, Tim Speicher of PRTI, busted out his massage table and worked on some of us for the evening.

Saturday's ride turned into a rather large group ride as we met up with some other cyclists on our way out to Utah Hill.  We decided to ride the Ironman/Gunlock loop and take in the 7 mile Utah Hill climb as well.  My motivation was of course the savory banana cream pie waiting for us at Veyo Pies.  The pie is really why I ride in St. George!

The groups split up and I limped home very tired from the 84 miles, 84 tough, rolling and sometimes very steep miles.  The pie got me home for sure.

Tim performed some more of his magic for the team post ride and we packed up for the long trip home.

These annual pilgrimages to St. George accomplish so many things.  First, its a great chance to get in some major mid winter miles.  Second, its a nice break from the trainers and cold weather of the Wasatch front.  And finally, its a great chance for teammate to get to know each other or reconnect from the long winter break from racing.  (Its also a chance for PIE!!)  We hit all of those goals and set the tone for a great season to come.

I also had the chance to ride my first pair of Diadora cycling shoes.  I'm on the top of the line Jet Racer and I was very impressed.  I'll do a full review on Thursday.

A HUGE thanks goes to all of our sponsors: Harristone, Sun Valley Mortgage, Excelerator Sports, PRTI, The Bike Shoppe, Chick-fil-la, Intermountain Health Care and the Cache Valley Women's Center.  Without these awesome sponsors, our team and these trips wouldn't be possible.

Here's to an awesome 2013 racing season!!

TGIF!

I'm headed to warmer climes, but here's a few videos to kick off the weekend!

Windpaddle Scout Sail - Red (Google Affiliate Ad)

The line from Evydam'an on Vimeo.

DNA/Plan 7 Women's Cycling Team - Winter camp

This past weekend I had the privilege to spend a few days in St. George, UT with some of the best cyclists in the West.  The DNA/Plan 7 elite women's cycling team the weekend bonding and training in what has become a rite of passage for Utah cyclists.  While the weather could have been a bit better, it was leaps and bounds better than the blizzard experienced in the Salt Lake Valley while we were gone.  I had a few goals for the weekend, which included hosting an awesome trip for the team, buying a lotto ticket and eating some banana cream pie at Veyo Pies.  I got two out of three!

The weekend began with a short ride out to Sand Hollow Resevoir and then on to the Zions National Park gate.  A bit of cold and some wind didn't deter the group and the riders broke in the weekend with a solid 3 hours.  I took in half the ride with the team then headed back to town to meet with some shops and sell some shoes, tires and wheels.

My favorite shop in St. George has to be Bicycles Unlimited.  The owner is one of the nicest guys I've met and his staff are awesome. I mean, they stock Mountain Dew in the shop!  How cool is that?

I also had to check the brakes on the van.  Turns out I just needed and adjustment and a fluid flush, so I was back on the road safe!

The riding continued on Saturday with a soaking wet tour of St. George.  The plan was to ride Utah Hill all the way to Mesquite and back, what would have been a 104 mile epic.  But the weather was the limiting factor with cold rain much of the day.  So we scrubbed the Mesquite ride (and my lotto ticket) and rode out to Sand Hollow again, but this time went up to Toquerville and came back along the east frontage road long I 15.

Polar CS100 Cycling Computer (with Transmitter Belt) (Google Affiliate Ad)

The ride was only 50 miles, but it took 5 hours.  The rain made for slow riding as did the 14 flats incurred by the group.  I was actually having a blast in the rain.  I felt like a kid getting all muddy and dirty and with the flats we ended up having an epic ride even without going to Mesquite.  It was awesome to have a sag vehicle the entire ride.  Thanks to the guys from Competitive Cyclist for driving the slow, wet and cold route!

Sunday came with much better weather and we took in the Gunlock/Veyo/Ironman/Tour del Sol loop.  We had a smaller group than the previous day and I was worried Veyo Pies may not have been open on Sunday.  I'm not the best climber, so "the wall" along this loop is tough, and it was even tougher not knowing if I was going to get pie at the top or not.  Huffing and puffing I made the climb and continued on to Veyo.  I actually shouted for joy when I saw the "open" sign at the pie shop.  Miracle!!  It was open and my St. George trip tradition of downing some banana cream along that ride continued.  Some in the group had never partaken of the creamy goodness that is Veyo Pies and others were doubtful it was a wise mid ride food choice.  But the doubters are now believers and the bike racks in from the the pie shop will continue to be filled throughout the year.

So, I managed to provide and awesome trip and eat some pie.  While I was sure it was my time to win the lottery, we'll have to put that one off a bit.  We got in some great mellow miles and the team had a chance to relax and gel and get ready for their new season.  Tomorrow, I take my team, Harristone/Sun Valley Mortgage, for our annual expedition to St. George.  The weather looks to be much better than last weekend with sunny skies and temps in the 60's!!  We'll get in some more miles and it will be my first time on the new Diadora Jet Racer shoes I'm now repping.

Get out and ride!

Late Training Tuesday

About this time of year, things get pretty routine here in northern Utah...cold, smog, indoor riding, but lots of good skiing.  Its also the time of year where many Utah cyclists make annual pilgrimages to St. George for some fair weather riding.  I'll be making 2 trips this year, one of which starts tomorrow.  I'll be hosting the DNA/Plan 7 Women's Cycling Team for their first official training camp and then my team, Harristone/Sun Valley Mortgage will be down there next weekend.

Showers Pass Elite 2.1 Waterproof Cycling Jacket - Men's - Gold In (Google Affiliate Ad)

These trips make for much needed outdoor miles.  The highlight really is the annual stop at Veyo Pies for a mid ride pitstop.  While 400 calories of banana cream deliciousness may not be the best fuel for the job, it does more good for the attitude than anything.

There will be some great riding taking in Utah Hill and the Ironman Loop.  We usually get out to the Zions National Park gate as well.  We always end up coming home feeling fresh and rejuvenated and ready for the first UCA race of the season back down in SG.

I'll be back on Monday with a trip report so enjoy your week and weekend!

Beautiful Sports

Tongue and horns ready to climb

 I spent my Sunday in the Church of the Great Outdoors with an old high school buddy, Dave.  We took in an awesome day at Powder Mountain resort, one the best (and last) real places to just ski.  Its a low key joint with a rustic couple of lodges, very few lifts, but access to about 7,000 acres of skiing.  Not to mention a lift ticket is only $65, a true bargain in today's reality if $100 lift tickets.

Among the unique amenities at Pow Mow is all natural snow and a $15 add on ticket for a ride on the snowcat.  The cat ride takes you to lighting ridge and its steep chutes and gets you access to the 25 minute hike up to James Peak.  From James Peak you can ski a good 3000 uninterrupted feet of quality, mostly untouched snow.  Its well worth the hike and the $15.

After a few warm up runs and waiting for the snow to soften in the sun a bit, we made our way to the cat and started our morning adventure.  My friend, who now lives near sea level, was a bit nervous about the hike.  It looks steep from afar, and in reality, it is.  Some people skin to the top but there's usually a well stepped boot pack as well.

Brand new Bontrager RL Road Cycling shoes, size 43, $140 (self sponsored ad)

We started the boot pack and Dave started to really feel the altitude.  Dave's in great shape, he's a cyclist and triathlete and an expert snowboarder, but 9,500 feet is a lot of elevation.  But he kept on, kept telling himself "the next tree".  We had caught up to one skier skinning up and he told us the summit wasn't worth climbing to because the snow off the top was in poor shape.  We were darn close to the summit though and with all the effort we had put in, especially Dave, we weren't going to stop our climb and bug out early.  we figured if the snow sucked from the top, we could always traverse over to the next face where the snow was better.

Dave on the summit

Once we got to the top, we quickly realized just how worthwhile the climb really was.  From James Peak you can see 3 Utah borders, the Uintah Mountains, the Cottonwoods, the Wellsvilles and the expanse of the Great Salt Lake.  On this day though, we could only see the top of Antelope island poking up out of the smog.  But we were high above it all, in the warmth of the inversion with bluebird skies above.  At that point, it didn't matter what the snow was like, it was the climb, the view and the company that made James Peak great.

There are many reasons why I do the sports I do, but one of the biggest ones, is just simply being out there.  The rewards of a long hike up a peak; the thrill of a big downhill line; the joy of sailing along under your own power in the middle of the ocean; the whine of your freshly home tuned turbo charged engine; and the sheer thrill of riding your bike in the open air.

With so much focus this last week on Lance Armstrong and his confession, I had to remind myself of why I do what I do.  I was a cycling fan long before who I knew who Lance was.  I had my first pair of spandex even before Lance's World Championship win.  Yes, I was a huge Lance fan once he started winning the Tour, but he was never my reason for riding.  Lance did great things to grow the popularity of cycling, but you know what the fastest growing sport in the world is?  MMA!  A world that has nothing to do with cycling.  Cycling was awesome before LA and it is awesome after.  I really think the non-cyclist fans of LA will look past his cheating and bullying and move on.  For the cyclist, I believe the love of the sport transcends one super star or multiple doping scandals.  While I love bike racing and putting on my kit filled with generous sponsors and col designs, what I love most, is simply being out there.  Its why I put on races, so others can experience that joy.  Just finishing the 157 mile Tour de Park City or the grueling Powder Mountain Hillclimb is a feat unto itself.  Add racing others in that journey and you have a beautiful thing.

I'm over Lance Armstrong.  He has his own bed to lay in now and his own problems to sort out.  I hope he does right by making amends to all the people he's hurt directly and indirectly, but I'm over it.  Its time to look forward to the next training ride, the new racing season, the next sail across the Pacific and the next epic powder day.  There is so much beauty in these great sports that to let the professional athletes dictate how we feel or participate would be wrong.  For those who love the stick and ball sports, are you going to give up your Thursday night pick up games because Kobe's an unfaithful husband, or give up your next golf outing because Tiger's a DB?  No.  And I will not give up riding my bike and helping others do the same because some of our heroes have falling.

So, here's to your next big thing, here's to your next epic and your next mountain to climb!

Fiber Friday

No, most of us do not have enough fiber in our diets, but thats a topic for Tuesdays.  Today's fiber is a set of videos giving us a look at how carbon fiber boats, bikes and an F1 car's monocoque chassis are made.

Stainless Steel Black Carbon Fiber Band Ring (Google Affiliate Ad)

Once upon a time, I was a Mechanical Engineering major.  I love all the technical aspects of my sports, but turns out I'm terrible at advance math and couldn't pass calc II.  As my GPA moved closer to zero, I became a business student.  But my love for the technical stuff hasn't waned.

Carbon is really a super fiber.  Light, stiff and very resistant to fatigue.  Its why we use it in so many applications where weight is an issue.

For next week I'm working on some thoughts about Lance Armstrong's interview.  So far, I've been impressed with Big O's line of questions and after tonight's final segment I'll be sure to have something to say.

In the meantime, enjoy video Friday!

TT Tuesday

Believe it or not, I only have one bicycle.  I have a road bike that occupies most of my time and budget but quite often people are surprised that I don't have a mountain bike, a cyclocross bike, a TT bike, a training bike, etc, etc.  Its not that I don't want to spend time with any of those other types of cycling activities, I just plain 'ol don't have it the budget.  I would love to have a quiver of bikes but bikes are expensive.  I actually sold my mountain bike a few years ago to buy more road bike stuff. Regardless, I've always been on the lookout for good deals.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned to Matt at The Bike Shoppe in Ogden to be on the lookout for a cheap time trial frame.  Turns out he had one sitting in the basement that was looking for a home.  I sent the owner of the frame a text and 2 days later I had a 2007 Fuji Aloha CF1.  One of the things I love most about cycling (and sailing, cars and skiing for that matter) is all the cool gear and equipment associated with the sport.  Even though the frame is a bit older, its is perfect condition and has a very sexy clear coat over the carbon weave.

My original goal was to see how much of this bike I could build with just parts from my garage.  While I have a ton of parts lying around I managed only to find a Dura Ace crankset, bottom bracket, aero bars and some brake and shifter cable that would be compatible with the build.  The derailleurs I had were 8 speed and the brake calipers were too ancient.  Brake levers and shifters for a TT build are pretty specialized, but I knew I would need those.  So, the search began for some cheap parts.

Matt manged to find some spare parts in the basement at the shoppe for a great price.  I've also scored some killer deals online finding a Shimano 105 front and rear derailleur for cheap.  Some brake calipers, shifters and a saddle are all I need now.  I've got my awesome 58mm Mercury Wheels but will get a 80mm or even a disk for the rear soon.

The real fun will be putting this thing together myself.  I have the tools but my wife may have an issue with me building the bike in the living room...its 30 degrees in the garage right now!

The Aloha CF1 is an interesting bike.  Its super stiff with aero tubing but Fuji made the bike with standard road bike geometry, namely a 73.5 degree seat tube versus a steeper 78 degree measurement found on most TT bikes.  The bike was stiff enough for pro sprinter Ivan Dominguez to spec the frame for his road set up a few years back.  This may make fitting the bike in the aero postition a bit more difficult, but luckily there's a forward-set seatpost available for the bike if I need it.

While there is no substitute for a good motor, having a TT bike will lob off a few ticks of the clock in time trials.  I'm stoked and I'll keep you posted on my progress on the build.

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Wild Wednesday

Its been a snowy couple of days here in Utah and for once, we got more up here near Ogden than the SLC area mountains got.  There's about 8 inches outside my house at 4500 feet and 20 inches reported in the mountains.  We had snow Christmas Eve which made for postcard snowy pictures on Christmas Day.  I would post some, but I have yet to figure out how to download photos from my new phone.  Evidently smart phones are smarter than me!

I've been able to take advantage of the new snow with some short morning tours in Little Cottonwood Canyon outside of SLC and get used to my new equipment.

My day out was Saturday.  It had been a few days since a storm so I didn't expect much, I just really wanted to get out.  I also had a 3 hr bike ride planned for later that morning, so Saturday's tour was really just to get into the snow.  The skin up Gizzly Gulch was tame.  There's a groomed catrack to the top of an area called Michigan City.  So there was no trail to break, just a nice, mellow skin.  Because of time, we had to start our descent but with the windblown conditions the snow was super hard and very tough to get a decent turn in.  It was more work going down than going up.  Hero snow it was not, but again, I was just glad to be out there.

We scrambled back to town and to the meeting point for the group ride with the Plan 7 group in Midvale.  With a 2 hour warm up in the mountains I was a little fried for a 3 hour ride, but it worked out well.  Especially for my weight loss goals!  I burned abour 2600 calories in that 5 hours of exercise.

With a big storm rolling in for Christmas Eve however, I was anxious to get out in better conditions.  So yesterday I set out in the falling snow for another a.m. tour in the same area.  I didn't have a partner however, but I thought I would just hook up with someone else in the parking lot.  Sure enough, a dude named Tom from Rhode Island was there solo as well.  So we headed out for a few turns.

The snow snow was falling quickly but visibility was still good.  We headed up to a peak called Patsy Marley, named for a mining era madame from the area.  Well, this madame was dishing up some nice turns yesterday where we landed fresh tracks on Patsy's north side.  The east face of Patsy's in where the rowdier terrain lies, but we didn't have time to head that direction and neither of us was very familiar with the area.  But we got in some great powder turns.

In total it was a 2.5 hour tour burning more than 1200 calories in the process.

I discovered that I love touring, even short mornings like the last two.  Being away from the resort is refreshing and much cheaper!  I love our local resorts, but I just can't afford $70+ lift tickets.  We'll save resort days for family days and super awesome conditions.  I also find the uphill just as enjoyable as the down, if not more sometimes.  Its a great workout for one, but it also makes the down that more more rewarding.  I love searching out new terrain and lines that I've never seen before.  I have my favorite shots at resorts, but the backcountry allows for so much more variety.  While avy danger is always present (even in resorts) , there are correct ways to be safe.  Simply taking an avy awareness course is beneficial and being properly equiped with a shovel, becon and probe, and knowing how to use the equipment, can make for a lifetime of awesome adventures in the backcountry.

In other adventurous news, the 2012 Rolex Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race is about to wrap up with line honours fav Wild Oats XI on track for a 6th line honors victory.  The race for handicap winners is also alive with the smaller boats making a run for glory.

Cross training

Way back in the day, I was quite the swimmer.  I was mostly a sprinter, competing in the 50 and 100 yard/meter freestyle events.  I would compete in other strokes and distances, but the short races were my focus.  It was those early swimming days that really set my athletic foundation for the rest of my life.  I learned so much from my coaches as a youth.  I still find myself drawing on the things I learned back then, showing just how important starting early in any endeavor really pays off.

One of the basics I learned early on was cross training.  Especially as a kid, it was important to play soccer, basketball, learn to sail and keep up with the swimming.  Those other activities created a broad physical base, exposed me to team sports and the lessons learned there, kept me from getting board and really cemented my love and talent for swimming in the process.

Fast forward 20 years to today and the basic principles of cross training still apply.  2012 was a pretty terrible season for me racing wise.  I burned my candle at both ends and overtrained to the point that my season was pretty much over by June.  I had some good crits at the beginning of July, but I had to rest quite a bit to eek out a 2nd and 3rd place at the Utah City Crits and managed a 9th place at the State Crit Champs.  Tour de Park City really took it out of me as well and I ended up not finishing LOTOJA, dropping out in Afton, and didn't finish the Harvest Moon Crit either.  Needless to say, I needed a break come September.  Starting in October, I took a 2 month break from the bike.  I rode off and on but nothing major.  I put on 10 lbs in the process but I took the opportunity to get some sleep, take care of some business and really push the reset button.

Now that I'm back in training mode, I'm taking a look back on 2010 and 2011, which really were my best years on the bike, especially 2011.  What was different about those years?  Well, my winters looked much different than 2012.  You guessed it, I went swimming!  It was the break from the bike and some enjoyable laps in the pool that I think really made for a great year.  I also ran some and did quite a bit of core work on my non-cycling days.  Just as when I was a youth, the cross training broke up the monotany of riding, switched up my muscles a bit, all the while giving me a great aarobic workout.  I put in 2 days a week at a spin class and spent Saturdays at a long spin class or riding outside.

I've decided this is the path I'm going to take again this season.  I'll be self coached but have a good knowledge of base building and periodization.  I may not be all that fast for the Feb and March races, but I would like to peak mid summer and towards the fall.  I'm not going to do LOTOJA and just focus on crits and being a good teammate at other races.

Here's what December has looked like:

M, W, Fr - 1 to 1.5 hrs on the bike, Zone 2 HR and power
T, TH - 30 min running with 30 min of core work
Sat - 2-3 bike ride.

I also spent one Saturday doing a mini indoor triathlon followed by a 1.5 hr ride.

January will see some changes but basically look the same:

M, W, Fri - Spin class
T, TH - swimming + core work
Sat - 2-3 ride.

This schedule will help my body and mind prepare for the new season and hopefully I'll be able to last beyond June.  We have an awesome team this year and I don't want to disappoint them.  So, here's to a great 2013!

The Power of Rest

The unplanned rest period over the last 2 weeks seems to have have paid off.  While it wasn't the result I wanted, I had my best placed finish of the season on Saturday at the Utah State Critrium Championships.  I took 9th our of 26 riders and was once again able to at least compete with some fo the faster Cat 3's we have around here.  And for once I felt like it wasn't my fitness that was the limiting factor to my performance.

The forecast for the weekend was hot.  It was 102 degrees measured by some during my race along the difficult 4 corner course aboud the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City.  I've raced in this kind of heat before so I focused a lot on staying hydrated on Friday and leading up to the race on Saturday.  Because of the heat, I also shortened my warm up to 25 minutes and stayed in the shade as long as I could.  Just prior to the start I stuffed my jersey with ice and douced myself with ice water.  Its was so hot however, that the water quickly evaporated.  The rest of the race would be no different.

That starting gun sounded and we were off  The race was swift from the beginning but you could tell the heat was keeping everyone in check.  I worked to catch and early break and tried to sit in as much as I could, but the course was rough and I preferred to stay near the front to stay out of trouble and pick my own line.  About half way through the 45 minute race I learned that was a good move.  In the narrow turn 4 there was a big groove between the asphalt and a concrete border around a huge, slick manhole cover.  A rider in front of swerved mid-turn to miss the groove.  I had to break hard and went across the manhole cover, my rear wheel sliding until I got traction again on the pavement.  The riders behind me weren't so lucky as a few went down and into the barrier.

A bit shaken, we pushed on.  Another solo break tried to get away.  I tried to put in some efforts to bridge but I was maxed with the heat.  It looked like the break was going to go the distance but he too, also fell victim to the heat and the blast furnice wind that came down the finishing straight.

I was trying deperately to cool off but my water bottles were filled with hot water and hot Gatorade at that point.  Any drinking made me feel hotter and the water would quickly evaporate after pouring it on myself.

With 6 laps to go, the final break got away.  It was this break that I knew I needed to be with, but I was toast in the heat.  I was seeing spots and there were numerous times where I felt I couldn't go on.  Again, I felt i had the legs, but the heat was sapping all my power and really toyed with my mind as well.

The group made one last effort ot bridge, but it didn't happen.  I finished strong in the bunch sprint for 9th which I'm satisfied with.  My education as a Cat 3 has been swift and my strength is building.  It was this rest period however which has done so much good.  I finally feel refreshed.  A weekly massage has helped quite a bit as well.  The massages have flushed out the lactate acid and all the junk I was feeling in my legs.  I feel like I can start with some intensity and volume again to get some speed to carry me through mid season.

I'll race a crit tonight and put some intervals in the workouts this week.  We have a short and roller-y road race this weekend that may be suited to my strengths and then a 3 race crit series around Independence Day.  So there will be some fast racing to come.  It was around this time last year that I started to feel fast and made hige gains in my fitness and results.  Lets hope this year is no different.

Its Friday!

Coming up for me this weekend is the Utah State Criterium Championships.  This is my second "A" race of the season after Bear Lake.  Lets hope I make the finish much more competitive.  We'll see how my rest over the last weeks plays out.  The course is new to me, a bit longer than traditional four corner crits and a dip under the bridge at the Salt Palace should keep things interesting.  There are some fantastic Cat 3 crit racers around here so it should be fast and furious.

Today's video is dedicated to my best (almost worst) crit of last year.  Skip to about minute 13 to see me crash over a guy who clipped a pedal in the turn.  Bloodied and frustrated, I got back up, put my bike together, got back on and won the race.  The win sealed my series win with a week to go and reminded me that never giving up pays big. 

Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down!

Training Tuesday

I'll try to dedicate each Tuesday's post to training.  This gives some time to digest the weekend of racing and recovery and share some insight on my cycling endeavors.

I mentioned last week that I was feeling quite drained, more than I thought I should be.  It has taken me too much time to recover from big efforts, I'm tired all the time, haven't been able to lose weight, I'm moody, drepressed and the past few weeks have just been blah.  I was so worried about it I took a trip to the doctor scheduling my yearly physical a but early.

All the tests came out normal, not even on the low or high end of the ranges but straight down the middle normal.  Thyroid, testosterone, blood sugar...all normal.  So what was the cause of my fatigue?

My doctor is an athlete, so it was great to get his insight.  We took my heartrate for a few mornings and noticed it was more elevated than normal, a telltale sign of over training.  I worked my tail off this winter riding between 8 and 15 hours a week.  That was more than I ride in most summers and I probably transitioned into speed work and racing without enough rest.  Its why my last 500 meters of recent races have stunk as well and sure does explain all the symptons I was feeling above.

So with this info I took last week real easy save for a Tueday night crit, where I took 6th in the sprint.  I took in a moderate 65 miles on Saturday.  Yesterday was an easy spin and raced a crit again tonight shutting it down in the final meters on purpose to save some energy.  See, this reat period came at a bad time with the State Crit Champs this weekend.  I wish I could have been working on speed this whole time but my body was telling me to slow down.  I also had a great massage last week and will have another on Thursday.  The massgae was actually incredible and long over due.  Flushing out all the crap in my legs was refreshing and that was probabaly the best thing I've done during this forced rest period.

I'll take some easy spins this week but throw in some sprints with lots of rest, mimicking what I used to do in swimming towards the end of a taper.  According to the article referenced above, this rest should be beneficial and I should see some improvement.  We'll put it to the test and go for some good results on Saturday.

What experiences do you have with over training?  Please comment, I'd love to get some insight.

Sometimes you're the nail

A few years back, during one of Lance Armstrong's comeback Tours de France, he was having a particularly difficult stage along one of the cobbled roads of northern France.  When asked what happened that day he simply said "sometimes you're the nail and sometimes you're the hammer.  Today I was the nail."  After the Utah State Road Race Championships this past weekend, I can say I'm definitely feeling like the nail right now.

I showed up at Saturday's start line north of Logan still feeling quite fatigued from the Bikes4Kids stage race.  The state champs race course gives me fits every year and with the way I was feeling, I wasn't  confident with how I would do.  Needless to say, I only lasted 1 lap of the 5 lap, 80 mile race with the group.  Once the road turned uphill, I was dropped.  2 other riders and I tried desperately to bridge back but after 5 miles of chasing at full gas, the group kept extending.  Normally, I would sit back and just continue the race solo for the workout but I felt like garbage so called it quits after 2 laps.  What is most concerning however is that after 30 miles I felt like I had raced for 100 miles.  I just haven't been recovering very well this season.

A few more things are starting to concern me about my health.  Over the winter, I rode more than I ever had, ever.  I was riding between 8 and 16 hours a week and eating reasonably well.  But I didn't lose more than 3 pounds.  I figured it would come off this summer.  But as we enter mid season, I'm still 180-183 lbs, always tired and now my recovery is woefully slow.  Top it off with the poor numbers of my body composition test and it looks like I'm not an athlete at all!

I've been putting some of these things together and thinking about my past health history.  I've actually never been able to lose weight very quickly, but more importantly, I've always been tired.  I've required naps for as long as I can remember.  In high school I would take a snooze before swim practice.  In college, I would need a nap about 2 pm most afternoons and even now, I could nap at almost anytime if you gave me the chance. 

I'm not sure what this all adds up to, but this week I'm going in for a full physical.  Maybe the good doctor can find something that isn't quite right.  I shouldn't be this fatigued, this tired.  With the state crit champs coming up in 2 weeks, I'm taking it easy, but have to balance resting with keeping some speed and fitness.  State crits is big on this year's goal list so we'll see what we can do.

Happy Friday!

Whether your weekend will be filled with training, racing or riding your bike for charity, we wish you the best!  For inspiration, here are some great shots from some of pro cycling's great moments...

Bikes4Kids Stage Race

Hot, fast, fun.  What else could you ask for in a 2 day, 3 stage bike race?  The Alex Kim and his crew at B4K put on one of the best bike races I've been to in a while.  It was refreshing to have such great organization along with beautiful, if a little hot, weather and a super competitive group of Cat 3's to race against.

The weekend started in earnest with a fast and flat criterium.  The 1 mile course included 2 minor chicanes bookended by to sweeping round abouts.  I never knew how difficult a dead flat course could be however.  From the starting whistle, it was full gas.  The turns were blazing fast and big enough where you could pedal through the turn.  This just generated more and more speed with very few guys able to get away for very long.  But with about 6 laps to go, Tyler Matson attacked just as the prime lap was contested.  Caught off guard, I was surrounded by guys who were spent from the prime and only 2 more guys countered and bridged up to Tyler.  Without teammates, I could only do so much work to bridge but I took my pulls regardless.  It seemed however the group was content with racing for 4th place at that point and we failed to bring back the breakaway.  With nothing but pride on the line the sprint was chaotic and managed 16th place out of 30.  I gave it all I could however and sprinted with what I had.  Not the best result but I had a ton of fun and make it interesting.

Day 2 began with a 54 mile road race, 6 laps of a 9 mile circuit that included a gradual climb topping out with a steep but short final push about the half way point.  What goes up must come down however and the last half of the lap was downhill.  I was excited for this course because I can handle short, punchy climbs.  I think that's actually one of my strengths.  But circumstances made for a difficult race for me.

On lap 4 a small group attacked while most of the peloton was in the feedzone. Not a cool move at all.  What it meant for me was that in order to bridge, I had to burn some matches I was saving until the end.  It took a good 3 or 4 miles of hard effort to bridge but the group managed to compress.  The group that initiated the attack got an earful from the group but we made it to lap 5 together.

It was on the 5th lap that I got dropped on the climb.  It was frustrating so gritted my teeth and made a huge effort to get back to the group.  I soloed for most of the rest of the lap and finally got back on with the group just after the start/finish line.  I was shelled so I looked forward to recovering at the back of the group for a moment.  I kept thinking to myself it would be much easier to stay on with a few short hard as heck efforts rather than get dropped again.  But when the group turned it on for the final climb, I had nothing left.  The 4th lap bridge and then the 5th lap solo had sapped it all out of me.  I finished by myself, but I wasn't last!  I really wanted to do the TT and dropping out would have eliminated me from the race.  So I finished.  Shelled, but I finished.

That afternoon we contested the TT.  I sat and rested for most of the day trying to stay hydrated in the heat.  The fast crit and road races had taken their toll, however.  I made the 4 mile ride to the TT start line my warm up.  The TT included a decent climb and I felt like I was going backwards.  I gained time on my 30 second man but the guys who started 30 seconds and 1 minute behind me both passed me.  I did what I could on the downhill portion but losing at least a minute on the climb hurt.  I managed 20th place, about 2 minutes behind the leaders on the 9 mile course.

All is all it was a great weekend.  I finished and proved to be competitive at times.  I'm not recovering very well however and I feel a huge amount of fatigue.  My legs have felt like lead all week.  Yesterday I fell asleep an hour after drinking a Rockstar and come to think of it, I'm always ready for a nap, regardless of how much I did or didn't sleep the night before. I've always been like that but maybe its time for a physical to see if there's something amok. 

This weekend I 'll be at the State Road Race Championships.  Its on a course that gives me fits every year with its steep 1 mile climb every lap.  It will be a training ride for me I'm sure but I look forward to it anyway.

Again, great job to my competitors this past weekend and to the B4K group for putting on such a great event!