so, this is it?

boy, i just continue to be put through the wringer. the month of march keeps getting worse - just when i think i've bottomed out at work and i can focus on rebuilding towards satisfaction, something else comes up that forces me back to square one. i've been sick for most of it which doesn't make things any better - i hadn't fully recovered from chest cold that started last week and then i woke up this morning with something new. in hindsite, i think i felt it yesterday but whatever. training is spotty at best - i have been able to do a little something in 5 of the last 6 days, but still not feeling very fit. on top of all this is the weather - oh, the weather. so, this is a lot closer to normal than what we experienced last year...so why is it that every news/weather news outlet likes to compare to last year every chance it gets? snow in april is looking like a lock....

i looked at my PTO balance today and i am sitting at 22 days. i will accrue another 4 weeks throughout the year and i can only carry over 4 weeks from year to year. in light of everything i've experienced over the past 6 weeks i've learned that my new priority should be to take days off. extend weekends, go on trips with my family, enjoy the good things in life.

i am on the november bikes email list and they send out a weekly deal - in this week's version something struck me as funny that i thought i'd share:

For those of us staring down our nth year in the game, it's easy to forget what the first few races are like. Well, there's no way of knowing what it's going to be like until you see for yourself, so go and see for yourself. Eyes open, hands on the bars. Try to relax and stay loose. Watch the A race and discover that no one there EVER yells "inside" or "hold your line." Enjoy it.

True that - especially the line about a racers never shouting "inside" or "hold your line." 

happy thursday.