- destination nowhere -

oliver

2012-02-14T08:21:00.004-06:00

oliver is quite an animal. this morning, he decided we wanted to just sit in the middle of the yard and give me the stink eye when it was time for me to go to work. he sat in that spot for like 10 minutes before i lured him in with a biscuit.

trainer time last night. actually, yesterday was the first time in a while where i just didn't feel like doing any workout. i know i don't need to train right now but feel like if i take one night off for no good reason than it becomes a slippery slope.

happy tuesday.

a lot to be thankful for

2012-02-13T09:23:00.002-06:00

on this day two years ago calvin was admitted to the american family childrens hospital pediatric icu. when he is doing is typical two year old stuff sometimes i forget just how fortunate we are to have him (and that he is a perfectly healthy little boy).

also, on friday one year ago our friend kirk was severely injured in a car accident on a foggy, unseasonably warm day. at the time there was real concern that he would never recover. he overcame those fears and is doing really well.

we are very thankful for both outcomes and decided to celebrate with a full thanksgiving dinner last night. turkey and fixings with peggy/kirk and family and my mom also. robin knocked the food out of the park and the boys had fun playing. what a great way to remember just how fortunate we are.

for some reason i was pretty tired throughout the weekend. i logged an hour of trainer time on saturday and did some trail running yesterday. i also rode the single speed around the neighborhood and am very excited to ride it more! the 36x16 will be a little tough on hills but hopefully will make me strong like bull.

happy monday.

the more things change...

2012-02-10T10:04:00.004-06:00

...the more they stay the same. the more things stay the same they more they drive me crazy. a paraphrased lyric from the band moe that seems applicable to my work place. the opposite of last years change initiatives is this year's change initiatives. so, we are never moving forward, just in circles (going back to the way we were told was not optimal).

60 minutes of trainer time last night following an evening off. i've been chipping away at converting my cross bike to single speed and put the finishing touches on it last night. it's heavy but pretty sweet. i rode it on the trainer a little but hope to at least ride it around the block sometime this weekend. i'll post a picture one of these days. now that this project is done i'm ready to build up the hot buns!

I plotted my training since July and it looks like this:

i really felt the best racing in dec/jan so trying to replicate this might be a start. of course, dec/jan also is a good time of the year relative to allergies so it probably isn't all related to training. my goal for the year would be to match what i did in july, and then try to increase slightly my minutes/day for the following months. i also need to add more interval work (quality sessions per week is something i might add to this chart for reference).

happy friday.

get it together

2012-02-08T08:11:00.002-06:00

ground out an hour on the trainer last night. in years past this would have been a night in february that i did no workout because i really didn't feel like it. i hope this helps me maintain fitness into the spring.

date night tonight. not sure what we are doing but none the less, i'm looking forward to it.

happy wednesday.

thinking about last night

2012-02-07T08:33:00.003-06:00

a good night. on my way home i say r and c finishing up a run so we decided to meet at the park. played outside comfortably (relatively) for a bit before coming back home to get dinner started. what a weird winter.

after cal went to bed i got out for a 45 minute run and then spent some time working on bikes. i really enjoy bike work when there is no pressure (ie. something is not working right and there is a race in a few days/hours/minutes). i'm hoping to receive the last bits for the single speed in the mail tonight and could be riding it by the end of the week, weather permitting.

a little recap of training for the month of january. i managed to log 24 hours of various modalities which equates to about 41 minutes per day. this is a metric i'm going to monitor and look back at to see if i can make any correlations. nerd alert.

happy tuesday.

a nice weekend

2012-02-06T08:20:00.002-06:00

it was a good weekend - we managed to get quite a bit done around the house, do some fun things and have some down time so i would say it was successful.

friday night was cal's fun night. like i recently mentioned, good things with a toddler usually end badly and this was no exception. he wanted to continue to play and explaining that they were closing did not help. we met up with his friend at culvers afterward for a reward for the parents (and i guess little ones). a great night.

saturday we were up and at 'em bright and early since cal doesn't believe in sleeping in. while extra sleep is nice getting up early on weekends isn't bad because it extends the time you have. we had a nice leisurely breakfast and then headed to our local coffee roaster for a little added coffee. i was able to get out for 1.5 hours on the bike at dusk, finishing in the dark. i made bread saturday night which was used sunday morning for french toast. errands, more riding and 'the big game' rounded out the day.

i was also able to work some on the motobecane single speed conversion. it is mostly ready - i need to get the chain (minor detail) and put the finishing touches on (bar tape, swap out tires, etc.) but it should be complete by the end of the week. i'm excited to try it out - hopefully my gearing calculations are correct. for now i'm going with a 36x16 or 36x14 set up since i will mostly be using it mostly for roads/rail trails. later in the fall i'm envisioning switching to 36x18 or 36x20 when it becomes a back up cross racing machine.

training summary:
m: 1:00 (trainer)
t: 0:45 (run)
w: 1:00 (trainer, w/ 1 let pedal drills)
r: 1:00 (trainer)
f: 0
s: 1:30 (road ride outdoors)
n: 1:30 (road ride outdoors)
total: 6:45

that is a pretty solid week for early feb for this guy.

happy monday.

it's time

2012-02-03T10:57:00.002-06:00

friday! tonight cal's daycare is having a fun night at a local indoor play facility. should be a good way to start the weekend. we don't have any specific plans for the weekend but i wouldn't mind carving out some time to get a ride (or two) outdoors and also some time to begin my motobecane single speed conversion. we'll see how it goes i guess.

another hour on the trainer last night. no big whoop.

happy friday.

animal

2012-02-02T08:23:00.002-06:00

60 minutes on the trainer last night. threw in some individual leg pedaling drills for good measure and dreamed about one day finding a set of bontrager race x lite tubulars for my new cross bike.

happy thursday.

this thing

2012-02-01T08:16:00.002-06:00

i've alluded to my issues many times before. the older i get, the more sensitive i get to food. i've been trying to modify my diet (removing fructose/fructanes specifically) and while it seemed to help a little it still hasn't eliminating feeling un-well. for instance, i woke up monday feeling tired and that progressed throughout the day (gi unrest, mental fog, feeling crappy) and through yesterday. by the end of the two day crud, i'm exhausted and irritable despite my best efforts to stay positive. i really want to figure this thing out because it puts a major damper on my quality of life. not only does it suck feeling bad but i'm getting more and more afraid/neurotic about food.

sorry for that.

i did get out for 45 minutes of running last night. the water from the melt was starting to freeze up but as long as i stayed on the roads i was ok.

happy wednesday.

oh, that reminds me. every first wednesday of the month here is doughnut day. you can always tell when they get delivered because a heard of people head towards the breakroom. you'd think they were handing out 100 dollar bills or something but no, it's just a 25 cent doughnut. i haven't had one in months and do not miss it.

balmy

2012-01-31T08:14:00.002-06:00

50 degrees today. i should be home getting ready to ride bikes. but alas, work is unavoidable. really, i should have ridden in today but i was woefully unprepared. i guess i didn't beleive that it was going to be this nice. oh well, it is supposed to be pretty nice all week so maybe tomorrow or thursday.

rode the trainer for an hour last night. it had been a few days and i actually found myself getting excited to pedal on the trainer. what the hell is wrong with me?

happy tuesday.

2012-01-30T08:30:00.003-06:00

i've experienced numerous mondays in my 34 years. and yet, somehow each new monday feels like a new kick in the junk. i do not want to be at work today. but since i'm here i'm going to kick it right back.

it was a good weekend. my mom was here for a visit which was nice. saturday we got up and had some breakfast at marigold kitchen and then took cal to overture center for concerts in the rotunda and then off to the 'bookless' festival at the old madison central library. they have cleared it out in prep for a much needed renovation and on saturday turned it into an art exhibit. it was pretty cool but, as with a lot of things with a two year old, it ended in a melt down.

no training friday or saturday. i did get out for a short ski yesterday. the conditions were not ideal (icey and grassy in spots) but i was able to get the full loop (including the classic only trail around the prairie 9) for 45 minutes or so.

m: 1:00 (trainer)
t: 1:00 (p90x: yoga and ab ripper)
w: 1:00 (trainer)
r: 0:45 (run)
f: 0
s: 0
n: 0:45 (ski @ pleasant view)
total: 4.5 hrs

45 degrees tomorrow - the un-winter continues.

happy monday.

a case of the fridays

2012-01-27T08:19:00.003-06:00

man i'm feeling tired today. i hope it isn't related to some impending virus (cal has a cold and there are a lot of bugs going around daycare). i'm still sore from ab ripper/yoga and whenever i'm sore i'm usually extra tired too. i got out for a 45 minute run last night and only almost fell once. i figured if i ran my loop through the affluent neighborhood (hawks) the sidewalks/roads would be clear - not so much. but i made ankles in tact.

happy friday.

p90o

2012-01-26T09:05:00.002-06:00

and the o stands for ouch. i wasn't feeling too bad yesterday after our yoga/ab session the other night. that made me feel pretty good about my state of core fitness. then i woke up this morning and had difficulty sitting up in bed. never mind all that stuff about having good core fitness...

60 minutes on the trainer last night. just staying active. i also spent some time cleaning some of the last bits of cross nationals dirt off the motobecane. i'm eager to convert it to a single speed - just not sure if i want to lose my geared capabilities just yet. the new bike will arrive some time in april. hmmm.

happy thursday.

convergence

2012-01-25T08:20:00.003-06:00

we each had the same question for each other last night: 'what are you doing for a workout tonight?' we were both feeling like bagging it - but instead we opted for 45 minutes of yoga x and then ab ripper. zoiks! i forgot just how *good* those workouts feel. i will say, i felt stronger in my poses last night than i ever did last year when we were doing p90x so i guess that means i'm stronger (it has been months and months). ab ripper sucked but it is supposed to and again i surpassed my expectations. i'd like to incorporate this into our workout scheme at least once a week for the next few months. a little variety isn't a bad thing.

lost out on another auction last night for some bontrager x lite tubular wheels. oh well, i don't need them for a bit. if any of my readers come across a set of x lites from before 2008 for sale, please let me know (clinchers or tubulars - i ultimately want both for my cross bike).

i'm starting to get an itch to take a personal day. just a day to myself to do not much of anything. if there was better snow i'd consider taking friday but right now i'm not sure what i'd be able to do.

happy wednesday.

not going anywhere

2012-01-24T08:14:00.003-06:00

spent an hour on the trainer last night. it wasn't much fun but i got it done anyway. my stomach had a bit of a reaction to dinner which made it even a little more uncomfortable so that was fun.

i received a package in the mail from tree fort bikes. arguably the best online retailer - they match prices and always have free shipping above 125 so i ended up saving a lot of money on my new cantis/crankset from shimano.

happy tuesday.

slip sliding

2012-01-23T09:51:00.002-06:00

i finally was able to get out on the skis over the weekend. saturday morning it was clear, calm and sunny (if not cold). i knew it would be good when i pulled in a little after 9 to see the groomer packing up his gear. i skied every kilometer available including the classic only loop around the prairie 9. it was great and i would have kept going except i was limited a little on time. after the ski session, we took cal to see a musician (mr dave) that performs weekly at calvin's daycare. it was great except those events remind me that one of the challenges of child rearing are other childrens' parents. the rest of the day was spent relaxing, grocery shopping and watching midnight in paris (i heart woody allen movies).

sunday, i skied some more while robin/calvin were at church. the conditions were not very good (heavy use and warm temps) but it was still good to get out.

training from last week:
m: 0:45 (run)
t: 1:00 (trainer)
w: 0
r: 1:00 (trainer)
f: 0
s: 1:15 (ski @ pleasant view)
n: 0:45 (ski @ pleasant view)
total: 4:45

am very sore (hip flexors/groin) from my skiing adventures. it always amazes me how sore i can make muscles that i actually use in day to day movements. the snow is crap now after a night of rain so back to the trainer if i want to stay active (and not break an ankle running).

happy monday.

snow day

2012-01-20T08:48:00.003-06:00

ok, i'll admit i like winter a little bit. like, in january when racing season is done and i don't feel some weird internal drive to be training i do enjoy the winter. snow and even sometimes really cold can be nice. i'm hoping that i'll be able to get on the skis a little over the weekend with this next 4 or 5 inches.

i rode the trainer last night for an hour. just steady riding to keep the legs moving. i indulged in a video game which makes it go by quickly.

i'm really glad it is friday. i'm making dinner tonight and i am actually looking forward to it - a modern take on chili using pork and green chili peppers. i've never been too keen on cooking but i'm really trying because 1) it is not fair to make robin cook everything, 2) it is something i should be able to do, 3) i want to be a good role model for my son and 4) with my ever increasing dietary restrictions i want to play an active role in my well being.

happy friday.

winter

2012-01-19T08:34:00.002-06:00

after prolonged fall like weather it certainly feels like january now.

our date night didn't materialize last night due to our babysitter falling because of illness. we went out to dinner as a family instead and calvin was about as good as a two year old can be at a restaurant. it was nice but i was looking forward to some time alone with my lovely bride.

happy thursday.

bike build

2012-01-18T08:31:00.002-06:00

as soon as i set the wheels in motion (so to speak) on my bike build, i began obsessing about it. i don't like buying things for the sake of having the high end stuff but i also don't want to compromise. brakes, cranksets, wheels - i can't stop looking for deals. i've got months and months so i need to chill.

i rode the trainer for an hour last night. just trying to maintain fitness without overly stressing my body. i do believe a rest is necessary after a long racing season but completely shutting down and losing all my gains seems wasteful so i'm going to try and stay active. also, when i don't do some sort of exercise i feel like something is missing. tonight is date night and i think robin and i will dust off the skis and search from decently groomed trail for a little night skiing! i am very happy that the snow held off until cx nationals but now i'd like more please - 3-5" on friday should make the skiing preemo (for my purposes anyway).

happy wednesday.

and he was running

2012-01-17T08:10:00.002-06:00

got out for 45 minutes last night. the weather continues to amaze and i caught myself thinking it was a late march run instead of mid january. as i ran through neighborhoods i could hear the dripping of roof snow melting at 9:00 at night. it was a good run except for getting chased by a dog at one point. i ain't afraid of no golden-doodle!

happy tuesday.

the weekend that wasn't

2012-01-16T08:08:00.003-06:00

this weekend overall kind of blew. the week knocked me out and by friday night i was extremely tired. we chose to have pizza at glass nickle in middleton but my mistake was sitting in the basement. loud people made it hard to have any conversations. i did get out for a 45 minute run so that is something.

saturday i decided to go with ron and josh to the bike swap. i made only one small purchase which was fine but i was hoping to find some wheels for the cross bike i'm building. i want a set of aluminum bontrager tubulars (x-lite) from a few years back with the dt swiss hubs. i've still got time to find them so no biggie (i also blew an ebay auction where i could have gotten a set for a steal).

spent the rest of the day running errands and we also watched moneyball which i thought was pretty good.

yesterday was more of the same, sleep in a little, eat breakfast, run errands, nap time, trainer time, packer game and then *poof* the weekend is over. damn.

training for last week:
m: off
t: off
w: off
r: 1:15 (trainer)
f: 0:45 (run)
s: off
n: 1:00 (trainer)
total: 3 hours

here it is monday morning and i've got a dentist appointment at 9 to look forward to (a filling - oh joy!).

happy monday.

i have issues

2012-01-13T08:47:00.003-06:00

last night i rode the trainer. not because i have a race coming or even because i wanted to - it was because i had to. yikes. furthermore, i enjoyed it. although i will admit the concurrent video game on my old ps2 didn't hurt.

i got robin's road bike set up with the duotrap sensor. that is pretty slick having it integrated into the frame tubing. and, i must admit i'm a little jealous of her being able to measure speed/distance on the trainer (since it measures on the rear wheel). ant+ is pretty cool - assuming that the new bluetooth low energy doesn't usurp ant+.

oh, and i placed an order for this:

stoked! i'm building it with a mix of parts from my current race bike (shifters and derailleurs) with upgrades to the crankset and brakes (shimano cx-70). the motobecane will become a single speed for training/commuting and also as my low maintenance pit bike.

happy friday.

clean(er)

2012-01-11T08:12:00.002-06:00

i took the cross bike to the car wash last night for a good cleaning - that bike had so much dirt caked on that it was in dire need of warm water coming out at high pressure. i could have used one more minute but it is now (mostly) clean.

other than that, i had another night of rest. i still feel very tired following the weekend - it is weird the role psychology plays in how i feel. if this had been a hard race weekend in the middle of the season, i'd have ridden monday and tuesday of this week already and by now would probably be feeling ok. but knowing the season is done, i just feel tired and sore which is weird following a less than an hour race that was 4 days ago now.

happy wednesday.

beat down

2012-01-10T08:11:00.002-06:00

boy, i really love racing cross but i'm pretty happy the season is done and i've got some time to rest. i'm so tired still and i think i'm coming down with a cold. if there is ever a good time to be sick, it is now when i'm already planning to take a little time away from training.

after work last night i took advantage of the warm temps and took down all the outdoor christmas decorations. it went a lot faster than putting them up and now all things christmas are down in the spots in the basement. good job done.

i also spent some time getting bike stuff put away (it was all still in the car). tonight i'm going to take the cross bike to the car wash to get all the badger prairie mud off. then, i think i'm going to order a new bike (more on that later).

i was useless at work yesterday - time to make up for it!

happy tuesday.

meat grinder

2012-01-09T08:12:00.003-06:00

what a weekend. friday night the curtes boys arrived and we headed to the 'meet the pros' event at machinery row. cal came with which limited my time there which was ok. we stopped on our way home for some mac and cheese at noodles and then home to get some rest. saturday morning came fast and racing started at 9:00 am. i headed over and did a lap knowing the course would be completely different by my race time of 2:45. mike finished in the top 25 in the 45+ on a very dangerous course - props to him. jeff and joe both didn't finish for different reasons in the 40+ race. i went home to rest (and bake bread) and boy the time went slow. finally, i headed over and got the trainer set up. i spun for a good 40 minutes ahead of the race and i think i need to incorporate that into my pre-race routine because i felt really good. line up always comes quick and all of a sudden it was time to race. my call up was mid 40's and i was amongst 7 or 8 other guys from wca masters racing. the start was fast and sketchy but i managed to avoid any major mishaps. the first time up the big hill was a runner due to traffic (i ended up running it 3 of 5 laps). then, it was just focus on staying upright and riding as hard as i could at all times. i'm not sure of the criteria they applied but i somehow i was the last one on the lead lap. i'm very happy with my effort - 41st is where i should be because there was nothing more i could do to ride any faster.

we had a great night at our place on saturday, eating good food with a few nice beers exchanging race stories. sunday morning we grabbed the mac and set it up in the living room and watched the whole belgian national championships and then switched and watched most of the czech championships. nys and stybar really make it looks easy. cal, robin and i headed over to the course in time to watch the women's race - there were great crowds and watching katie compton crush it was amazing. but that was just a time trial. the men's race was a race with no less than 5 guys duking it out together until 2 laps to go. my guy j-pow pulled away and it was so exciting seeming him win it on the same course i raced on the day before. those guys are so good - lap times in the low 6 minute range (we were closer to 10).

after a great weekend of bike racing we took down the christmas decorations which sucked. we had the worst tree ever and literally just about every needle came off taking it out. it was a dud for sure and makes me wonder if an artificial tree makes more sense... i like the process of getting the tree but this was bad.

i can tell it was a great weekend because i am very tired this morning. it was hard to leave with everyone else in the house still sleeping (oliver included).

i'm going to take a few days to recover and then i'll start doing some unstructured things. the past few months have showed me that if i'm a little more formalized with my training i can see improved results and now i'm excited to make a plan for 2012.

happy monday.

butterflies

2012-01-06T08:39:00.002-06:00

man, i sure do feel nervous for tomorrow. i'm not sure why exactly but if i don't find a way to calm down i'm going to make myself sick. i can't imagine what i'd be feeling if i had any chance at all to win - then again, if you are good enough to win you probably don't get all that nervous. deep cleansing breaths.

we got the house cleaned up for our racing guests due to arrive this evening. after cal went to bed, i hopped on the trainer for 50 minutes or so just to get the legs moving. i added a few 1 minute hard efforts just for fun. i feel good as of the moment so hopefully i am able to carry that into tomorrow.

one thing i haven't been good at this year is establishing a warm up routine. i like the idea of getting up and riding some the morning of race day to get the blood flowing. since i don't have a routine i feel some freedom to try something slightly different for this race so i think i might head over early, do a lap while the course is open (around 8:30), watch mike race, watch some of joe and jeff's race and then head back home to rest. then, head back around 1:30 and warm up on the trainer. we'll see if i am organized enough to do that.

anyway, wish me luck at nationals.

happy friday.

burning holes through me

2012-01-05T08:15:00.002-06:00

i cut out early (again) to watch the men's single speed championship race yesterday. the course was completely different than it was on tuesday which was completely different than it was by monday etc. i feel like by the time we race the course is going to be destroyed but maybe it'll just be tacky and sweet.

i'm quite certain that i'm going to get smoked in my race. that is more reality than anything, this is a cat 1/2/3 race (and i am a lowly 3) and there are a lot of cat 1's that could be pro if the support was there. this realization was really driven home watching yesterday. i just hope i can stay on the course until the end which is no given if they are applying the 80% rule (the weren't yesterday with lapped riders being allowed to continue). we'll see i guess.

single speeding looked fun. my plan is to move most of my componentry to a new frame for 2012 and convert the motobecane to a single speed/commuter bike so maybe next year.

being there watching actual racing also drove home the fact that i really do love cross. it feels very attainable (short races requiring a little less training time) and we have so many great races close to home. i have had a very good/enjoyable season and i'm already thinking about how i might be able to build on what i've learned about training this year. i'll reserve details for a later post, but i really have learned so much about myself this year and just what i'm capable of. i feel like i did back in 2002 when i really started racing seriously in that i can see what i can attain if i just continue to work hard (and have some good luck). i'm rambling somewhat incoherently i know.

oh, i renewed my usac license a few days ago and checked the road license box instead of mountain for the first time ever. there are a fair number of road races close by and i just might have to throw my hat in the ring in a cat 4/5 masters race or two. it is good to have options!

happy thursday.

deceiving glory

2012-01-04T08:17:00.002-06:00

after work last night ron and i checked out the nats course and it is looking far less icey than it did on monday. now, that is not to say it is ice free - just a lot more ride able. warmer temps tomorrow and friday should make it a pretty sweet ride for us saturday racers. after checking the course, we headed over to the race hotel to get our registration stuff. they hadn't received the numbers yet for later races but i was able to sign the waiver and get my swag. it's all actually happening - hopefully my legs respond.

after cal went to bed i did a workout on the trainer. some intervals to keep the legs firing. i may either take tonight off or spin for 30 minutes or so, one more small workout tomorrow and then it is game on!

happy wednesday.

i'm gasoline

2012-01-03T08:33:00.002-06:00

man, a long break was just what the doctor ordered. the first half was nice if not stressful and the second half - well that was just plain nice with no stress.

there was about as much drama as anticipated over the holidays. i wish there was a way to make it less stressful on everyone - mostly mothers. there is something that happens that makes (ours at least) go a little crazy and no matter how much time we spend in their eyes it could always be a little more. oh well, we made it out alive! plus, we were able to get a night away with my sister/brother in-law for a some great food and (too many) very nice beers. i paid for it but it was so worth it. madison to gresham to eau claire to wausau and back to madison in 5 days!

wednesday we had a dinner party with robin's cousins and then it was family time. i managed to get on the bike every day while in madison and we also got a ton of home re-organizing done (with much more to do). it isn't very often that you get a nice block of time with nothing planned and i thing we all needed it. that being said, calvin is very ready for the structure that daycare provides. and i think oliver was getting sick of us around all the time.

it's nationals week. after thinking about it so much this year i cannot believe it is here. i've tried to really keep it together training wise and i did alright:

m: 0 (beth and morten visiting)
t: 0:45 (run)
w: 1:15 (trainer w/ 2 sets 3 hard/3 easy)
r: 1:00 (trainer)
f: 0 (travel day, christmas @ in-laws)
s: 1:00 (running in fresh snow in gresham)
n: 0:50 (running in eau claire)
total: 4:50

m: 0:45 (run in eau claire)
t: 0 (hung over/traveling)
w: 1:30 (cross bike @ badger prairie/military ridge)
r: 1:15 (trainer w/ 2 sets of 3 hard/3 easy)
f: 1:00 (trainer)
s: 1:00 (trainer)
n: 1:00 (trainer w/ 2 sets of 3 hard/3 easy)
total: 6:30

not bad i must say. i know i need to incorporate some variety in my interval sessions but just doing intervals is pretty amazing for me. hopefully it helps a little. got an hour yesterday while watching football (that badger game was really something).

with that, i better get to work.

happy tuesday.

you should stay right there

2011-12-22T08:27:00.002-06:00

so, it's here. i'm wrapping up my work week today. all my clients are on shutdown next week so it usually works out well to take the time between christmas and new years. and, i take 4 PTO days and get 11 consecutive days off which isn't too shabby. i pay the price the week leading up though - my pharma clients are all trying to spend the last of their 2011 budgets before the end of the year, reviews need to be done by december 31st (which means by today), and i need to make sure everyone is scheduled appropriately for the next week. oh, and we are in a growth phase which means i have another interview this morning . the joys of a fancy corporate job i guess. everything is getting wrapped up today so i should be able to relax...after our travels that is.

felt like crap all day yesterday. was exhausted once we got cal to bed and were able to start thing about workouts. i almost opted out but decided i would set up the trainer at least try to get 45 minutes. i ended up with 1:15 including 2 sets of 3 hard, 3 easy with 8 minutes between sets. more trainer time this afternoon and then run run run.

to all of you who endure this blog and the (mostly) mind numbing entries that i provide, i hope you have a merry christmas. i doubt i will be posting anything until sometime next week so you all get a much needed break. thanks for reading and sorry for the content!

happy thursday.

aesthetics of sport

2011-12-21T08:18:00.002-06:00

i like sports uniforms. everyone geeks out about something and this is one of mine. so when i read this, i got a little excited. i mean, the badger uniforms are ok - but not unique. the flying w on the helmets is too big and the shading has more of a mid-90's feel to it than 2012. everything else is easy on the eye if not unoriginal (see nebraska). i've been saying for a bit now that they should revamp the look. modernize while pulling some elements from the past. maybe this will serve as a spring board for some permanent changes. i have some ideas in case barry alvarez is reading this (and barry, i fully understand that the flying w won't go anywhere as you own the rights to it - maybe a few tweaks though?).

i ran last night and felt really good. woke up this morning feeling pretty crappy. typical stuff. calvin contributed by disrupting our sleep at 2:30 although these days when he wakes up he is pretty easy - just a little cuddling and tuck him back in and we are golden. trainer tonight. we have been instructed by corporate to leave at 3 tomorrow which might give me an opportunity to ride outside. i might try to get up early and ride the trainer on friday before we begin our semi-annual tour d' wisconsin. then, it'll be running s, n, m and t if i am able to do anything.

two more days to get all my end of year stuff done at work.

happy wednesday.

here we go again

2011-12-20T08:46:00.002-06:00

you know, i felt like i had been doing ok with the the 'holiday blues' that usually kick in this time of year. we have stayed ahead of all the stupid things we do this time of year (gifts, cards, decorating, etc.). we haven't been watching a whole lot of tv so we're not burnt out on christmas from being immersed in ads. and, we made travel plans that were relatively comfortable for us and made everyone happy. well, check that. as we rapidly approach we are getting push back from both sides regarding the things we are doing. not getting here early enough, not staying long enough, not seeing enough people. why does it have to be this way? i love my family and i love robin's family but when this stuff starts happening i'd rather stay home.

i understand that it isn't for bad reasons that everyone wants us to do everything. what i don't understand is why the people who care about us the most seem so intent on grinding us down to the smallest nub possible.

sorry, i guess i just needed to vent a little.

no workout last night as we were able to spend a nice evening with my sis/brother in law. it makes me very happy when they are able to visit and we can get some of their time to ourselves. plus, morten takes some pressure off of me to play calvin's favorite game (it is called tumble tackle time)!

happy tuesday.

reality comes crashing down

2011-12-19T08:53:00.003-06:00

had a great weekend (and productive too). we are christmas ready with some big efforts put in by my lovely bride (cookies, cards). i pitched in by putting the final touches on the gifts and assembling calvin's 'big' santa gift. calvin even got to see santa and while i wouldn't say he was happy about sitting with a strange man with a straggly beard, he didn't freak out either.

training wise i am also very happy with what i was able to do. woke up to a dusting of snow saturday that persisted and kept the roads slick. i opted for a trainer session and managed 1:15 with some higher intensity stuff during the commercials of whatever bowl game i was watching (beef o'bracy famous potato albuqurque bowl???). yesterday i did 3 laps at badger prairie and then rode home via military ridge trail. with a little freezing/snow/thawing that course is going to fool some people who think it is easy. any north facing surfaces were ice covered and anything in the sun was mud on top of ice. really a great cross course.

m: 0:30 (trainer)
t: 0
w: 0:45 (run)
r: 1:00 (trainer, 2 sets of 3x3:00 intervals)
f: 0:45 (run)
s: 1:15 (trainer w/some bursts)
n: 1:30 (to, at and from badger prairie)
total: 5:45

not bad i guess. this time of the year is tough.

i am already having a pretty sweet day. analytical issues over the weekend. interview in 1/2 hour. and i still have to write a review and give two of them. tis the season for the end of the year crunch. the good news is my sis/bro in law will be at my house this morning!

happy monday.

broken spoke charging smoke wheels

2011-12-16T08:17:00.002-06:00

trainer intervals last night: 2 sets of 3 min hard, 3 minutes easy with 8 min between sets. my legs are feeling it this morning which is a good thing. the new fluid module is great and produces a ton of resistance. great workout!

in addition to end of year revenue stuff at work, it is also our deadline for completing annual reviews. i left work a little early to put some work into my reviews and i made some good progress. i went to get calvin from dc (leaving oliver to roam the house as i always do) and when we got back cali exclaimed 'oh nooooo, oh nooooo - chop tree down!' our christmas tree had fallen scattering needles and ornaments across the living room. i have no definitive proof but based on how oliver was acting he played a major role. his ears were back, he was sitting and trembling.

anyway, nothing broken and the tree is back up and re-decorated so i guess no harm no foul.

happy friday.

aquarium drinker

2011-12-15T08:16:00.002-06:00

i ran in the rain last night. it was 50 degrees and damp and it felt so good to be out. this weather continues to amaze. after we did our workouts, we spent more time wrapping gifts and it seems to me that we are almost done with everything a week plus in advance. nice!

tonight i'm going to do intervals of some sort on the trainer. i've done a lot of things well this year in terms of training. i've really been disciplined with my diet. i've ridden 6-8 hours (or more) per week without impacting family life too much. i've developed more realistic athletic goals that makes it all more enjoyable. but a big one i am missing are formal workouts targeting different systems - i tend to just ride (sometimes hard) but never anything formalized to increase my speed and strength. even though i have only one race to go, i have time to mix in some intervals. i'll try to do at least one interval workout per week leading up to nationals - and then i'll make that a goal for 2012.

oh, and i had another very good customer service experience yesterday that i am not currently at liberty to discuss (because it has something to do with a gift for a certain reader). i will describe post christmas but, as with my experience with saris, i left the experience surprised, very happy and very willing to buy from them again even if it is marginally more expensive.

happy thursday.

in review

2011-12-13T08:20:00.002-06:00

i was looking at my results from the cross season and to my surprise i'll have done 9 races this year when said and done. the furthest i've traveled for a race is for the state championships in hales corners. it's pretty cool that i can do 8 races without traveling more than 45 minutes. from a racing perspective, i'm lucky!

30 minutes of easy spinning last night on the trainer. then, since it is that time of the year again, spent an hour and a half wrapping gifts. we got a great start. i really wanted to get up this morning and run but i was so tired. it's date night tonight so i'll settle for a zero in the log - not a bad thing coming off a couple of big efforts.

last weeks training:
m: 0:30 minutes (trainer)
t: 1:15 (commute)
w: 0:45 (run)
r: 1:00 (commute)
f: off
s: 1:30 (badger cross!)
n: 1:15 (badger cross!)
total: 6:15

a photo from wizard cross:

happy tuesday.

badger cross!

2011-12-12T15:14:00.003-06:00

well, my first (and last) 2 day racing weekend of the season.

day 1: it was cold! i rode over to the course from home and tried to get a good lather going. got a preview lap in and then spent some time talking with friends and sitting in the warming house to keep the blood flowing. did some final anaerobic bursts and then headed to the start line. i was call up #3 (order of registration) which was cool but i lost it all in the first 1/4 mile. no worries, i got a very good (read: controlled) start and then got to work on lap 2. was able to reel people in as the race progressed, felt strong on the run up and punchy climbs and all in all had a very good race. good enough for 11th and my best usa cycling point tally of the year.

after the race i rode home, changed and then it was time to head out for our annual christmas tree adventure. the k-team then hosted us and mike, joe and heidi for dinner and tall tales. a great day!

day 2: woke up feeling a little sore and heavy but not bad. similar warm up routine and then it was time to go. felt good the first couple of laps but laid the bike down 3 separate times - it was too much to overcome. i'm glad i had a good day saturday, because i felt like my mental errors cost me a promising physical day on sunday. that's racing i guess.

the nationals course is pretty awesome in my opinion. i'm excited to race it (and hope to not get lapped by the ringers that are already signed up for my race). i'm even more excited to see the pros rip it up for the stars and bars!

happy monday.

spreadsheets in the morning, spreadsheets in the evening

2011-12-09T08:10:00.002-06:00

kind of like that fleet foxes song. been crunching numbers a lot lately and last night i had dreams about spreadsheets. it's funny, i am a procrastinator but once i get some impetus to do something i am all in. it still regularly amazes me that numbers can be very definitive and at the same time raise more questions than when you started. this is cryptic i know...

i had to shorten the ride home slightly last night due to leaving later than i had wanted. it was for the best as it felt really cold. off today and then racing tomorrow and sunday - i've been looking forward to this one for awhile. the last 3 races of the season are on my home course - hopefully i can take full advantage!

happy friday.

almost done.

2011-12-08T08:47:00.002-06:00

man, i've spent a lot of mental energy on cyclocross this year. with fat tire and cyclocross as duel motivation, i was able to treat july as a 'training camp' month building base and putting a foundation in place. i had a very enjoyable and good race at fat tire but it took me awhile to feel like i was performing at my max in cross. the past few races i've been feeling better and better so hopefully i'm peaking at the correct time. after all the build up and energy it is weird to think that racing season is almost done.

over the past few days we've also come to the realization that we need to scale our lives back a bit. i had been intent on upgrading my cross frame for next year with a november frame/fork. but i'm pulling the plug on that (i have a bike that works just fine thank you very much). we've become very inept lately at balancing our wants with our needs and that all changes now. that is not so say i won't make some upgrades that will make me just as (well almost) as happy. i can upgrade my crankset, brakes and wheels for the same price as the frame/fork. seems like a no brainer now that have written it out!

i got out for a very nice run last night. with the cold air and the lack of allergens i am feeling pretty good lately. maybe i need to find a winter marathon some year? anyway, rode in this morning and felt good (but cold). one of my favorite lifestyle changes of the year is the bike commute. incorporating two daily workouts into something i need to do anyway (ie. go to work) is good. being able to clear my mind before and after work is even better.

happy thursday.

turn my mood on a dime

2011-12-07T08:52:00.002-06:00

woke up feeling crappy but trying to stay positive. i need to, in a half an hour i have a conference call with a new italian client and it doesn't seem from written correspondence thus far that they will be speaking very clear english.

my ride home last night was ok. i spent the night doing some stuff that i didn't enjoy but needs to be done. i didn't ride in today due to the necessity to complete some errands but i'm hoping to get out for a run tonight.

bike commute tomorrow, off friday and then two days of badger cross!

happy wednesday.

new trainer

2011-12-06T11:23:00.002-06:00

lets be clear - 'riding' a trainer sucks it. but it is a lot better on a trainer that is working properly. although, after feeling how my legs felt after a mere 30 minutes of active recovery time last night it is making me wonder how much good any of the other trainer time i've logged the past year or two is worth. some is better than none i guess.

last weeks training:
m: 1:15 (commute)
t: 0:45 (run)
w: 1:15 (commute)
r: 1:00 (ride at badger prairie)
f: 1:15 (commute)
s: 0
n: 1:30 (wizard cross)
total: 7 hours

i'll take it. for what it is worth, i feel like i am peaking at the right time. 2 days of badger cross this weekend will test that. then, it's just trying to maintain as much as possible until nationals. i rode in this morning and i must admit i'm getting used to riding in 20-30 degree temps. that is a good thing!

happy tuesday.

another busy weekend

2011-12-05T08:17:00.002-06:00

it was a good weekend although it wasn't as much fun for me as it could have been as i was dealing with the worst part of my cold (coughing, very tired, achy and cold). but i'm not complaining - got up saturday morning and hit the road to mchenry illinois to visit robin's aunt and uncle. put cali down for a nap and headed to ikea for some gifts/stuff for the house. it wasn't as busy as i thought it might be which is always good. i'm always amazed at how many different languages i hear while at the shaumburg ikea though. anyway, after cal went to bed we had some nice visiting time. then it was up and at 'em sunday to get back home in time for my final 60 minute cross race of the year.

i had never been to hiestad park before and when i turned in i knew instantly this would be a tough day in the saddle. hills, hills and more hills! the climbing started right away after the start and i got out hard but under control because i knew if i wasn't careful i'd be gassed 10 minutes in. i probably should have gone a little bit harder but all in all i was happy. after the first ten minutes, i made a few passes but mostly just focused on holding my position. i did get lapped by several pro/1/2s but on this course (short and very hard) it should happened. a respectable 7th place finish on a tough course.

and now i'm already sick of hearing the office banter.

happy monday.

cycleop-tor (buck-a-buck-a-buck-a)

2011-12-02T08:49:00.002-06:00

we got a very spiffy brand new fluid2 resistance module yesterday for my very old fluid+ trainer and boy is it a lot nicer than what i've had. no request for the original purchase receipt (which i do not have), no inspection of the resistance unit, just a replacement. saris rules and for this reason alone it would be a sound investment to buy from them if in the market for a trainer. i rode it a very little just to feel the difference - night and day. the old resistance unit has been slowly leaking for several years - i wish i had inquired with them sooner!

my allergy appointment didn't go as planned yesterday (read: no ibruprophen challenge) so i had some time on my hands. i should have gone back to work but i didn't. i was feeling pretty lousy from this cold so i also should have gone home and rested. i didn't do that either. i kitted up and headed to badger prairie for some impromptu cross practicing in daylight. it felt good to get out and ride (even though i didn't feel well).

i rode in this morning and it was pretty cold (19 degrees when i left the house). i stayed pretty warm except for my feet but even that wasn't too bad.

happy friday.

still under the weather

2011-12-01T08:44:00.002-06:00

my ride home last night was enjoyable but after the endorphins faded i was left feeling pretty crappy. just a cold with aches and some congestion but by the end of a work day and some riding i was beat. i drove in this morning because i have an allergy appointment this afternoon - and i'm hoping to finally determine if i actually do have an adverse reaction to ibruprophen or not. i had an asthma attack as a kid shortly after taking ibruprophen and my doc then said i should just assume i'm allergic and avoid it. but my allergist is dubious and thinks i should do a challenge. as an athlete, i have been at a bit of a disadvantage not being able to take anti-inflammatory medication so i'm very excited to learn the result.

happy thursday.

saris

2011-11-30T15:58:00.002-06:00

my cycleops fluid trainer is old. i bought it used in 2004 (or thereabouts) and i am unsure of the actual model year. over the holiday while 'riding' in my in-laws' basement, the resistance decreased abruptly and i could see some fluid leaking out. i thought i had no chance of any type of warranty replacement so i emailed to see if i could trade it in for a replacement. the response i received today almost made me fall out of my chair: they are going to replace the resistance unit no questions asked. i just need to bring it over to saris (5 min from my house) and they are going to give me a new one.

now that is customer service. from a business perspective, i'm not sure how it is sustainable to guarantee anything for life (doesn't that essentially prevent repeat customers?) but i will not look a gift horse in the mouth.

happier wednesday.

the reality of it

2011-11-30T08:36:00.003-06:00

man, after feeling sick/achy all day yesterday i decided to head out for an easy run just to get some fresh air. i strapped on my headlamp and did some running on the ice age trail and felt ok. i woke up this morning congested, tired and achy but no rest for a parent of a 2 year old. i decided i would ride in and boy was it cold! good practice for the final events of the race season i guess. even though i didn't feel the best i knew that if i wanted to get a workout in this was it (because once i'm home i'm not sure i'll be able to muster the ambition to workout after cal goes to bed). it sure would have been a lot easier/more comfortable driving in this morning...

yesterday i told ron that i was getting sick of biking. that isn't entirely true, what i'm getting sick of is biking in the cold and/or dark. but i don't have an alternative so i'll keep plugging away and hope that i'm able to get a few good (whatever that means) results over the last month of the season.

happy wednesday.

that didn't last long

2011-11-29T08:22:00.002-06:00

i woke up tired, and a little bit achy and sore this morning. that in combination with the term 'wind chill' being bandied about by the local weather guy made my brain eliminate the possibility of riding in. i regret it already but what can i do now? i still feel a little under the weather but that shouldn't have stopped me. oh well, you win some and you lose some. last night's ride home was really enjoyable if not cold.

we are heading to illinois this weekend to visit robin's aunt and uncle and do some shopping at ikea (gifts and a few things for the house). i had hoped we could come home saturday night to allow me to race in both the cat 3 and masters races but it just didn't work out logistically. so we'll head home sunday morning in time for me to race the masters tilt only in the afternoon.

happy tuesday.

thanksgiving - where did you go?

2011-11-28T08:53:00.002-06:00

as with all holidays, there is build up but then the holiday seemingly disappears. this was no different. thursday was a blur, friday we spent visiting my grandparents in wausau and then we headed home on saturday. i managed an hour on the trainer thursday, a run on saturday and more trainer time last night. i wanted to ride outdoors but i spent some time putting up christmas lights and by the end i was so cold i couldn't fathom riding. by the time i was ready it was getting dark...winter really blows. anyway, we got our basement reconfigured so that cal has a nice play space and is where we will try to keep a lot of his toys (to keep the upper level a little more de-cluttered).

last weeks training:
m: 1 hour (trainer)
t: 1:15 (commute)
w: 1:15 (commute)
r: 1 hour (trainer)
f: 0
s: 45 min (run)
n: 1 hour (trainer)
total: 6:15

about as good as can be expected with traveling/visiting family. i rode in this morning so i guess i'm starting the week off right.

happy monday.

thanksgiving

2011-11-23T08:36:00.003-06:00

i woke up this morning feeling kind of crappy, not looking forward to a day of work and then travel, blah blah blah. i almost didn't ride in this morning (too cold, too much i need to do, feeling lazy) but the best part of my ride in is the cathartic nature of the endeavor so i'm glad i sucked it up and rode. in the frosty cold conditions, breathing in fresh air and thinking. thinking about my day, my week, my month, my life. while i have annoyances throughout the day, my life is great. i have a wife that i love and a son that i adore. all the rest is icing. so, i'm going to focus on turning my orbit around (to paraphrase a band i am also thankful for) and really concentrate on the things in my life that i am thankful for.

quite often, i take all these good things for granted.

speaking of riding, my ride home last night was fast for some reason. maybe i was riding with the wind? i'm packing up the trainer for our trip up north. i'm also going to bring running gear (and orange vest) just in case i feel daring.

i cannot wait for turkey and cranberries.

happy wednesday.

management

2011-11-22T09:20:00.002-06:00

i wasn't going to but ended up riding the trainer last night for around an hour. i think that is a funny expression ('riding' something stationary) but i can't thing of a better way to say it. i watched a dvd i have of the us postal prep for the 2001 tour de france. it is funny, it's ten years old but a lot of the current technology was being developed then. calvin has been having some digestive issues lately and has been feeling a little under the weather so he hasn't been sleeping well. i had to go up with him for a bit in the middle of my workout but he eventually went back to sleep. robin and i were each up with him overnight too - not many of the guys beating me in the masters 35+ have experiences anything like this so i should try to keep it in mind when i'm getting beat (they SHOULD beat me i guess).

anyway, i rode in this morning. i will try to do the same tomorrow. then i'm packing the trainer and bike and heading north with the family for a few days in gresham, wi. thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday but for some reason i'm not feeling too excited this year. i guess it just doesn't feel like thanksgiving to me. maybe it's the weather?

happy tuesday.

at the races

2011-11-21T09:55:00.003-06:00

sometimes, tenth place feels crappy. other times, it feels pretty good. the paradox of racing i guess. i had a bad start (slipped a pedal, didn't feel great) but rallied and felt stronger as the race progressed. i was even catching people late in the race (and was faster than the guys i was racing on barriers). matt shriver caught me again and i got pulled a lap early which bummed me out because i felt like i could catch one or two more people in my race. all in all though it was good. the course was great - a lot like our courses at garner park.

and now it is thanksgiving - yikes fall is going fast.

training from last week:
m: 1:15 (bike commute)
t: 1:15 (bike commute)
w: 0:45 (run)
r: 0 (no training)
f: 1:15 (bike commute)
s: 1:00 (with cal in the bike trailer)
n: 1:30 (state championships)
total: 7 hours

happy monday.

holy-istic

2011-11-18T08:31:00.002-06:00

no workout yesterday. we had obligations and a visitor and by the end i was tired. it didn't help that i felt like crap again. i've got an appointment with the uw integrative medicine group to see if we can crack the code on these gut/digestive issues i've been having the past, oh, 13 years or so. cautiously optimistic.

the daycare potluck was just more evidence that we made the right move with calvin.

i rode in this morning. it is windy but luckily my route was with the wind today. i really enjoy bike commuting and hope to continue it as long as it is safe (relatively speaking).

over the past several months i've been contemplating cross bikes and what types of upgrades i would like to make for next season and beyond. what i've come up with is 1) a carbon frame and 2) tubular wheels. i've been saving my pennies and think i have found 'the frame' that i want. for a while i thought a full bike made the most sense but additional financial considerations (and the fact that i don't need two cross bikes) - i think upgrading the frame (and moving my ultegra drivetrain over to it) is the best move. ultimately i think i'd try to build the motobecane back up as a single speed (so then i'd have a low maintenance pit bike/sloppy weather commuter) or if single speeding isn't for me, i could build it back up with 105 later on. time to submit my capital acquisition proposal to robin before we make our 2012 budget!

lastly, congrats to josh and amy on their newest family addition!

happy friday (thank goodness).

the right month

2011-11-17T08:28:00.002-06:00

my run last night was enjoyable if not hard. the newest shoes i'm testing are the progrid ride 5's which used to be my shoe of choice. last night they felt really stiff and too harsh. i think it is mostly due to the fact that the shoe i tested prior to this one was the shadow genesis 2 which has a 4 mm heal drop and is has a similar last as the kinvara which uses new cushioning materials. that shoe was bomber and was the first time i didn't want to give them back. i'd really like to try the kinvara or the cortana to see how those feel. anyway, the reason i enrolled as a wear tester was to be able to try different shoe styles without actually having to buy them. after a couple of years it seems like it if finally paying off (plus i haven't had to buy a new pair of running shoes since 2009).

anyway, this is the best time of the year for running. cool to cold temps, allergens are down and no snow/ice (yet). next time though i need to remember my gloves.

tonight we are attending a pot luck put on by calvin's new daycare so this might be an off day training wise. my mom is in town tonight for a brief visit but i'm still hoping i can get organized enough to ride in tomorrow since the temps are looking to rebound. it's a calvin/daddy day on saturday - maybe we'll have to get the bike trailer out one more time this year!

happy thursday.

tuesdays: the peak of aggressivness?

2011-11-16T08:25:00.002-06:00

i do not have data to back this up (purely observational), but tuesdays are the peak for aggressive driving. it's like everyone got monday out of their system and they are eager to get to where they are going. and, there are more folks going places during commuting hours. i don't have much more to say about that except it wrings a little joy out of riding to work each time i get buzzed by someone rushing around.

the ride home in the dark is actually pretty fun. for some reason, there is a subset of people that, when they see a bike light they (seemingly) instinctively flick on their high beams. that like hurts my eyes or something. but most of the roads i ride in the darkness are low traffic so it really doesn't happen that often (if i see 10 cars 3 of them might turn their high beams on). i also saw another incident that further proves a theory that robin and i share. that is, people who are drawn to driving lexus made cars generally have complete disregard for their fellow citizens. i saw a lexus do a u-turn on mineral point in front of a car (with nothing but open road behind said car) because they missed a turn. i guess what maybe i'm saying is that there are a lot of dumb shits in the world and a lot of the dumb shits that have achieved a high socioeconomic status seem to drive a lexus. yea, that is about it.

anyway, after bike commutes monday and tuesday i opted for a drive in this morning. saucony sent me a new pair of shoes to test which is coincident with wanting to go for a run (it was fate i guess).

happy wednesday.

at least that feels better

2011-11-15T08:42:00.002-06:00

riding outside is so much better than the trainer. i commuted yesterday and today and i just feel better than i do with comparable time on the trainer. yesterday was cal's 2 year check up. no shots since robin took him in a few weeks earlier for vaccinations so it was smooth. he came in at 88th percentile for height and around 60 for weight so our 'little' boy is not so little (relative to his peers).

anyway, last weeks 'training':
m: 1:15 (bike commute)
t: 1:00 (trainer)
w: 1:00 (trainer)
r: 1:00 (trainer)
f: off
s: 1:30 (race @ camrock)
n: 1:00 (road ride - wanted more but mechanical stopped me)
total: 6:45

not bad for thinking i hadn't done much i guess.

happy tuesday.

the cosmos: 'your wish is my command'

2011-11-14T08:37:00.002-06:00

woke up at 6:15 saturday morning with calvin (after a 12:15 wake-up call). i woke up feeling shitty (besides tired) which i can only attribute to eating too much sugar the past few days. i knew the afternoon's tilt would be a very challenging one but i tried to stay positive, drink lots of water (in between my coffee doses) and eat like i have on race day in the past. the day went fast and before i knew it i was on the starting line with ron, mike and joe. from the word go i knew it was going to be a rough one. i missed a pedal, i lost the lead wheels after that (i think i was fifth or sixth going into the power climb) and that was that. i couldn't breathe and every few breaths i inhaled a large bolus of phlegm. oh well, i asked for it. towards the end of the race i just focused on enjoying the tacky course and race who i was with. i got pulled before the final lap (matt shriver won) which is always a pretty big disappointment. anyway, dinner with the knuotowskis afterward was really fun (and the burger with the egg on top made me feel better)!

i got out on the road bike for an hour yesterday (wanted to do more but about 40 minutes in i broke the shift cable to my rear derailleur). that is a new one for me... got the cable swapped out and just need to adjust it. 5 years ago replacing an internally routed shift cable would have tested my patience but this went like a snap. i guess there is something to be said for getting older (and having kids for that matter).

anyway, i'm bummed a little about my result but the rest of the weekend was great so i'm going to focus on that. i'm the fittest i've been in years and at some point that has to translate to a good result?

happy monday.

discipline

2011-11-11T08:24:00.003-06:00

last week's lull in training has carried over to my motivation/discipline levels this week. for sure, the weather and early darkness hasn't helped but i should be motivated now with races coming up tomorrow, next weekend and the first two weekends in december. however, on the trainer last night i feel like i only gave a half effort. i just couldn't make myself get going - with the past two weeks of training tomorrow should be interesting. if somehow i have a good race, this will serve to reinforce these behaviors. this might be the one time a bad race would be useful (like the old sports journalism favorite question 'is there ever a good loss?').

anyway, with the snow/ice/cold i haven't been able to ride into work since monday. the weather is looking improved for next week so hopefully i can get back into that routine for a few more weeks.

happy friday.

tantrums

2011-11-10T09:25:00.002-06:00

i think calvin had a pretty good birthday. he took cupcakes to share with his new little classmates and since it was music day was serenaded by guitar (the new daycare has a music guy come in on a weekly basis) during the happy birthday song. we were both able to pick him up together and then he had a surprise waiting for him (a little train set) that he seemed to really like. dinner and cake followed by more gifts that had arrived in the mail. what a lucky little boy!

i will say, in the past few weeks there has been a marked increase in tantrums - the terrible twos upon us? while it is frustrating to deal with, it is pretty cool to see him wanting a little more independence.

after bedtime it was more time on the trainer. got a late start getting robin's bike set up, cleats on new road shoes, etc. which was mostly my fault (our second trainer was still configured for 26" wheels). watched top chef and tried to increase the intensity during the commercial breaks.

throughout this week i've been working on my cross bike for the stretch run. new shift hoods (red), bar tape (silver), brake cable and front tire (rear tire is on its way). i wasn't going to replace the rear but after inspection the tires have seen there day (it has been a couple of years so by most standards i am overdue). i didn't want to spend any money as i am saving for something but this was unavoidable.

happy thursday.

distractions

2011-11-09T08:43:00.002-06:00

last night i rode the trainer while playing ncaa football on the playstation. it did make my 60 minute spin go by faster but i'm not entirely sure just how much benefit i had (ie. i was maybe too distracted). i was telling robin i do better on the trainer in the dead of winter when riding outside is not an option (right now i could ride outside if it wasn't pitch black). my down week last week has chipped a little of my motivation (driving rain/sleet/snow the past couple of days hasn't helped) but i need to push through - nationals is still 2 months away.

today is calvin's birthday. as with any duration milestone in life, this is causing some introspection. our first year with calvin was difficult and seemed very long - this second year went by in a flash. daily i remind myself to enjoy my time with calvin and even still i feel like this time has gone by so fast. he is an amazing little boy and i cannot believe how much i love him.

happy (birthday) wednesday.

holy dark

2011-11-08T08:10:00.002-06:00

every year it hits me like a load of bricks...that first day after the return to standard time and it is dark when you are leaving work. good thing i invested in some nice commuter lights this spring with an rei gift card i got for my birthday! ended up taking my now typical long route home from work for a 1:15 in the log.

cal went to his new daycare for a few hours yesterday and robin and i were able to have lunch and then go pick him up together. he didn't want to leave so that is a good sign! first full day today and after seeing him there yesterday i feel even better about the decision to make a change.

rain, rain and more rain in the forecast for today and tomorrow. at least it isn't 3-6 inches of snow like it is in northern wisconsin/minnesota. i'm not ready for that quite yet. i'm destined for some trainer time tonight i'm thinking.

happy tuesday.

i'm tapped

2011-11-07T08:43:00.002-06:00

i didn't ride/run on friday, saturday or sunday. we were busy with:

1) fri: calvin's last day at his old daycare (and grandma h coming later that night)
2) sat: prepping for cal's 2nd birthday party. errands, errands and more errands (in the morning)followed by one of my direct report's wedding saturday afternoon/evening
4) cal's party on sunday (with a bunch of relatives from both sides in the house)
followed by cal's best friend's birthday party.

by the end i was spent. i guess i didn't even realize it but the whole thing stressed me out so that by the end of it i kind of broke down and lashed out a bit towards my teammate in all of this (sorry robin).

the party went great and calvin loved seeing all the people, opening all his gifts and of course eating cake and ice cream. he is a lucky little boy (and we are VERY lucky to have him). it was good to see family - some of whom i haven't seen in months. but, it was also a reminder of what is in store for us over the next couple of months with holidays and all. i do love our families but boy they can be tough customers sometimes.

anyway, i'm all over the place this morning. last week's training summary will show that i kind of took an unplanned 'mid-season break.' that seems kind of pro until you realize a large contributor is laziness!

m: 1 hour (trainer)
t: .75 hour (run)
w: off (lazy)
r: 2.25 hours (commute and extra)
f: off (busy/lazy)
s: off (busy)
n: off (busy/lazy)
total: 4 hours

that is a lot of zeros.

happy monday.

speak into the rose

2011-11-04T08:46:00.002-05:00

managed 1:50 last night even though i felt like crap and was cold (especially after sunset) for a 2:15 day. it was much needed but i'm glad it is done. maintaining my fitness for another 2 months is really going to be a challenge. but, it will be a challenge for everybody i guess.

today is calvin's last day at his current daycare and robin and i want to go pick him up together (which is why i didn't ride in). it's weird, we obviously thought he needed a change but i do feel melancholy about today. i guess it is because he has been there all his life so far - but his new daycare is better and he will (ultimately) benefit from the switch. staff turn-over has been a major issue at this center - there is nobody left (site wide) that was there when he started 18 months ago (i'm not counting his first week before he got sick) which seems crazy even in a field known for some turn-over. it has made our little boy pretty resilient but it sure would be nice to have some consistency at some level.

happy friday.

beat down but why?

2011-11-03T08:38:00.002-05:00

i couldn't bring myself to ride the trainer last night so, after conferring with robin i decided to take the evening off and clean the main level of the house. we have house guests coming beginning tomorrow (for calvin's birthday party) so it is a nice chore to have off the list. i rode in this morning (lights a-blazing) and will take an extended route home tonight (thanks r). the problem is that i woke up feeling terrible. tired and achy - why does that always seem to happen when you take a day off from training? i had done workouts the previous 7 days and felt fine and one stinking day off and now i'm feeling like crapola. oh well, the beat goes on.

happy thursday.

darkness

2011-11-02T08:26:00.002-05:00

only managed a 6 mile run last night for training. not ideal but it'll do - and with a driving rain in the forecast for this afternoon i opted (again) out of my ride to work. this week is getting dire regarding riding. and, starting sunday sunset will be before 5pm. must...charge...my lights!

happy wednesday.

halloween

2011-11-01T08:17:00.003-05:00

cal's second halloween was a hit. i mean he loved it. once we got him kitted up he was totally into going to doors and shouting trick or treat (after a few tries he even waited to say it when there were people at the door). plus, i would say he is the cutest garden gnome i've ever seen (although i'm biased):

my favorite part of the night: as we walked past a house that was really done up for trick or treating (with music playing), 'the devil went down to georgia' was playing and i looked down to see calvin cutting a rug like no other. i mean, in beat the kid was laying it down. all the way to the door. it was absolutely hilarious (i'm still laughing about it this morning). he was pretty beat this morning but rallied to be able to ask for candy for breakfast. needless to say, his request was not granted.

after all the craziness i managed an hour on the trainer. yuck! more of the same tonight perhaps as i was unable to get organized to ride in.

happy tuesday.

my wife is a half marathon slayer

2011-10-31T08:20:00.003-05:00

robin killed it in the half marathon over the weekend. for someone who had major back issues not that long ago, it is amazing to see how well she has done over the past year (triathalon, fat tire and now this). i'm VERY proud of her!

my training has been ok (if not compulsive). i didn't race over the weekend and will not next weekend so i'm a little lost for what i should be doing. it is times like these where i wish i had a coach to give me some non-subjective guidance. friday night i ran 6 miles and felt pretty good doing so. saturday afternoon i got out on the cross bike riding on the military ridge/quarry ridge/badger prairie trails. i feel pretty luck to have all these non-road options close by (and more scheduled to be built next year). yesterday, we had errands to run plus there was a chilly mid-day rain that kept me indoors for longer than i had wanted. i did manage to do 8 miles of running on trails and again felt great. we finished the night carving pumpkins with calvin although he was a lot less interested than i thought he'd be.

training for the week:
m: 1:15 (commute)
t: 0 (much needed rest day)
w: 1:45 (bike)
r: 1:15 (commute)
f: 0:45 (road run)
s: 1:45 (bike)
n: 1:00 (trail run)
total: 7 hrs 45 min

a great mix of training modalities. i'm not sure if running will help my cross racing but with the impending time change it is going to become an even bigger part of my fitness/training routine. i'm still going to try and commute by bike 3 times per week but starting training rides in the dark is not always a strength of mine (but i have no problem running at night).

happy monday.

late night disappointment

2011-10-28T08:21:00.002-05:00

i stayed up watching game six last night (which obviously ended in disappointment) but it was a great game anyway. well, by great i mean interesting. nobody really played well. the last 4 or 5 innings were terribly managed (especially by texas) - man ron washington looked lost out there. hopefully the rangers can somehow persevere and wipe the smug smiles off the cardinals' faces.

i felt slow and tired on the ride home last night. i wasn't organized enough to ride in this morning - maybe i'll run tonight. i haven't run for a week or two so it might be time again.

and, robin is running her first half marathon tomorrow morning - i'm very excited for her!

happy friday.

wednesday night lights

2011-10-27T08:26:00.002-05:00

although i wasn't feeling the greatest, i followed through on my plans for a long-ish ride last night. i rode the military ridge trail to mt. horeb and then back down to badger prairie where i rode the furthercross course for a bit. after about 45 minutes or so i felt a little better and was even able to push a little here and there. my arrival home was coincident with robin/cal heading out to get the mail - cali was fascinated by my flashing lights ("bike lights, bike fast...ride ride RIDE!").

on the ride in this morning i felt a little better. it wasn't raining at the house when is started but i did end up getting a little wet on the way.

happy thursday.

generally ok but sort of sick

2011-10-26T08:25:00.002-05:00

woke up this morning with a sore throat and some congestion as did my wife. i guess we have a cold or something. oh well, it is that time of the year and for the next 6 months or so this will be the norm. calvin is starting at a new daycare a week from next tuesday so it'll be a whole new world of viruses!

happy wednesday.

losing weight

2011-10-25T08:12:00.002-05:00

over the weekend, sam told me i looked thin. this has been a theme lately (the other day robin commented on the same thing saying my pants were looking big). i don't really spend much time worrying about weight - i figure if i'm training and racing enough then race weight will take care of itself. in my quest to figure out my digestive issues i have from time to time, i have tried to reduce my candy consumption and sweets in general and it seems to have helped. the by product of this may be that i'm down to 154 pounds - close to what i weighed my senior year of high school. since last november when we started p90x, i'm down close to 10 pounds. i guess watching what you eat and exercising often really does work (although 10 pounds in one year is probably beyond a typical person's attention span).

anyway, a much needed day off for me. my ride home last night was fun (the weather was great) but i could definitely feel i needed a day off. i like it when it is rainy on a planned day off - it doesn't usually work out that way.

and, today is our anniversary. robin and i have been married 8 years - i was thinking about this milestone on the way home last night. we've been through a lot over these years - moving cities/jobs, my grad school, calvin's medical issues, etc.) that could have challenged some relationships. i'm lucky that in each case it just made ours stronger. i sure do love that lady and would be lost without her!

happy tuesday.

sun prairie cup

2011-10-24T08:48:00.003-05:00

first off, this course was awesome. one of the best around actually. i started second row and got gapped right away. i fought to hold wheels for half the race and then had another bad lap or two around the middle of the race that sealed my fate. joe, mike and ron finished 2-4 and i feel like i should have been right up there with those guys. i managed to start bringing people back late in the race and finished in 9th. and, i was pretty happy that i didn't get lapped by brian matter.

i was sore and achy - i did a bunch of yard stuff on saturday plus a 1:15 ride which in hindsight wasn't the greatest pre-race ritual. but what was more disappointing was that i didn't feel well - same old, same old - i'm not sure why but something i ate i guess.

i'm also a little frustrated with my equipment. my feeling has always been that equipment is second to fitness in maximizing the results you are capable of. however, with the shorter cross races i think equipment is probably a little more important. racing with pro/1/2 and masters 35+ fields where ultra lightweight bikes and tubular wheels are the norm is getting discouraging. equipment upgrades for this season are not in the cards (our bike budget has been spent for 2011) so i guess i just need to buck up and put it out of my mind that i am at a pretty major disadvantage. i guess it'll make me faster in the long run.

enough of that! i'm not racing for the next couple of weeks due to other commitments. hopefully i'll be able to use it as a training block leading up to the next camrock race november 12th.

last week's training:
m: 45 minutes (run)
t: 75 minutes (commute)
w: 60 minutes (cross practice)
r: off
f: 90 minutes (commute w/ a longer route home)
s: 75 minutes (military ridge through badger prairie)
n: 120 minutes (w/warm up and cool down)
total: 7.75 hours

happy monday.

feeling gravity's pull

2011-10-21T08:46:00.002-05:00

had an off day yesterday - i woke up with a sore throat that persisted through the day and i was pretty beat come night fall which was when i could have gone for a run. i feel a little residual in my throat this morning but i'm pretty sure it is allergy related. we finally got a good hard frost this morning so that should help a little.

rode in this morning and stayed surprisingly warm. it was a beautiful sunny morning so it was a good call.

wca sun prairie on sunday. besides that, no major plans. perhaps more yard work/winterizing tomorrow? we'll see i guess.

happy friday.

some days are better than other days

2011-10-20T08:49:00.002-05:00

cross practice last night - it was cold and blustery and fun! while i wasn't breaking land speed records on the very tough course we built, it was how i wasn't feeling that made me happy. when i pushed i felt good - a good sign. the irony with bike racing for me is that the more i race, the better i practice. i always think about it the other way around but now that i've had a couple of hour long suffer fests in the legs i feel better doing the interval type riding at practice. we're done with organized practices for the year (and i am opting out of set up for next year), so now the challenge will be to push myself that hard mid-week without a group of riders.

the skin suit is awesome. it was cold last night (upper 40's and very windy) and i wore just the suit and knee warmers and was perfect. after using it three times now it was an absolutely great investment. it will come in handy for cold races and even colder training rides!

happy thursday.

the heart of the matter

2011-10-19T08:25:00.002-05:00

last night's ride home was a useful one in that i was able to try out my new twin6 skinsuit (in order to start gauging the warmth it provides). upper 40's and the skinsuit only (with knee warmers) was perfect. 8-10 degrees cooler will require a base layer of some sort on top. mid-30's i'm thinking base layers for both top and bottom. beyond that, i'll just be cold i guess.

this weekend's cross race is not looking to require too much warmth (predicted temps around 60) but the skinsuit will come in handy during december/january races.

robin had an early meeting this morning so i dropped calvin off at daycare (which means i didn't get to ride in today). cross practice tonight (last one of the year) which with cloudy conditions and early sunset it'll be a 20 minute practice (well, not quite that short).

and, even though we are just entering the peak of cross racing i'm already contemplating equipment choices for next year. i have a little money allocated in the family budget and i'm hoping to upgrade my frame (to carbon) and wheels (tubular). i've got ideas for both but any suggestions/recommendations are welcomed.

happy wednesday.

productive

2011-10-18T08:35:00.002-05:00

had a good evening last night. i did some of the garage reorganizing i've been hoping to do the past few weeks - the snowblower is now in the perfect spot in the garage. just push it a few feet, start it and go (without having to move a car which would defeat the purpose a little). the shovels are out as well which seems a little odd in that i will certainly still have to cut the grass another time or two.

got out for a run after cal went to bed. perfect weather for running, around 50 degrees. i love when you can wear shorts and maybe something long sleeved and never get cold or warm. you really only get a few weeks throughout the year with this type of weather. rode the bike in this morning and my feet got a little cold but besides that i was golden. i brought the twin6 skinsuit to ride home in - i've only ridden with it once so i'm still trying to figure out how warm is too warm for the thermal material.

a post mostly about nothing. oh, i know. this morning apparently there was a note stating that one of the locations of our daycare is closing. the guy who runs these places is a real d-bag. cal is starting at a new place the week of his birthday - and none too soon (i am getting the feeling that the location where cal currently goes will eventually have the same fate).

happy tuesday.

further cross

2011-10-17T13:05:00.002-05:00

we decided to opt out of the blaster this year and hang around the house for the weekend to make sure everyone was recovered from being sick. i missed the blaster but i did feel nice to be able to have a leisurely saturday morning with the family. we did some odds and ends around the house in the morning. i hopped in the first of potentially 4 races i'll be doing at badger prairie park in the afternoon. the course was fun except:

the sand pit had a ride around option that was (arguably) faster than going through the sand. now, if you are going to offer a wuss out option it better be a lot longer. i still rode the sand every time for practice but come on! who designed this course, a bunch of roadies?

the race started slow - slow enough that i was able to secure second wheel through the lead out lap and until almost half way through the first full lap. i got passed by a couple of guys and dangled for awhile but began feeling like i was trying to breath under water. i finally slowed down and cleared my throat and after that i felt pretty good. the last 20 minutes i felt like i was again an active member of the race and was reeling in both 35+ riders and pro/1/2 riders. unfortunately, the leader of the pro/1/2 race caught me on his last lap which meant i got pulled. i was annoyed but i guess i should have been 10 seconds faster. i finished 7th (out of 20 or so starters) so i'll take it.

i took the scenic route home which got me 2.5 hours of riding for the day in the swirl.

sunday was spent at the pumpkin patch/hay ride and then some yard work later in the day. we were able to procure an old snow blower from robin's parents which is cool but now i need to reorganize the garage to fit everything. with the brewers loss now i guess i'll have more time to do that!

last week's training:
m: off
t: 1 hour (bike commute)
w: 1 hour (trainer)
r: 1 hour (after work)
f: off
s: 2.5 hours (further cross/military ridge)
n: off
total: 5.5 hours

now that is a typically cross season training load. i feel like i need to get my volume up a few more hours through november just to keep as much fitness as possible. easier said than done as the impending holidays/time change approach.

this is also the week of the last cross practice of the year - well - that we set up anyway.

happy monday.

still sick

2011-10-13T08:35:00.002-05:00

my poor wife is still sick and is going to get checked out at urgent care this morning. man, i really feel for her - she just looks miserable. i rode the training last night during the brewer game and that really tired me out. plus i don't think i've been sleeping well the past few nights either.

man, the brewers could use a win. come on guys!

happy thursday.

training

2011-10-12T09:59:00.002-05:00

my poor wife is sick so i will be opting out of cross practice tonight (it may rain anyway). she is dealing with what sounds a lot like what i caught in august (headache, fever, body aches) plus a sore throat. damn, summer is definitely over if robin is getting sick (she has been pretty robust lately in terms of catching bugs).

based on her condition right now, this may jeopardize our participation in the beechwood blaster this year. i don't think she will be sick still but 1) i could be sick, 2) calvin could catch it and 3) she will probably still be feeling after effects. we'll see, but i might just opt for the cross race that is 5 minutes from our house.

and, training load from last week:
m: 1:15 (bike commute)
t: 2:40 (mtb at kettle moraine w/ron)
w: off (wilco)
r: 1:15 (bike commute)
f: 1:00 (ride after work, military ridge/badger prairie)
s: off (golf)
n: 1:30 (camrock; 6th place masters 35+ 1,2,3 race)
total: 7:45

i'll take it!

happy wednesday.

fast

2011-10-10T08:15:00.002-05:00

the weekend (in reverse):

yesterday was the camrock cyclocross race (my first race of the season). hot, dry and dusty were the adjectives for this one. i got a great start leading to the 180 degree turn into the trails (third wheel behind ron and marc). held my position for a bit and as we were approaching the big hill before exiting the woods marc flatted and slowed (causing me to slow) while a couple other guys were accelerating to pass. i couldn't regain the wheels having lost some momentum. the lead group of three was formed and held for the remainder of the race. i dangled about 30 seconds behind for the full hour of racing (watching the leaders race up ahead of me) but couldn't close the gap. a couple of guys bridged up to me and we worked together for most of the race but they finally dropped me with 2 laps to go. i caught one of them towards the finish but was outsprinted for 6th place. ron took the big win (congrats) which is awesome. but, inevitably your riding buddies are also your measuring standards and i feel like i could have mixed it up if i had somehow made the lead group. i didn't though so that is that. i'll take for my first 60 minute cross effort of the year.

saturday was golf at the ridge. we started on hole 12 and hit some pretty good shots through #17 (including missing a hole in one but inches on the par 3 17th which was playing 200yds over water). our team struggled a little during the middle of the round but we ended up playing ok. we shot even par which was good for a mid pack finish - not bad for three guys that each haven't played since august. it was a great day to be out on a great course.

my experiences at fat tire and now this cross race have showed me my racing weakness (sustained power on flats/false flats). i'm already 'strategizing' how to improve this. there could be some road racing in my 2012 future!

happy monday.

work to do before i play

2011-10-07T08:33:00.003-05:00

admittedly, this weekend is mostly a play weekend for me. tomorrow i'm playing in a three man scramble at university ridge golf course. i haven't touched my clubs since the last week of august but that is ok - the weather is supposed to be perfect and i've got teammates i can rely on to pick me up. and regardless of how we play, golf at the ridge this time of the year is amazing.

sunday i'll be making my debut in the wca cyclocross series. at least for this first of the two camrock races, i'm going to give masters 35+ a shot. i'm nervous because i'm barely a cat 3 and will be racing cat 2's. but, racing with faster people should make me faster in the long run, right?

anyway, before i can start this fun weekend i have a ton of work to do...so i better get to it.

happy friday.

wilco

2011-10-06T08:25:00.002-05:00

man, wilco can put on a show. they came out with a dark edge for the first hour of the set. the set list lightened progressively as the show went on but they always kept the 'wilco distortion' at the end/between songs. it's the nicest sounding distortion i've ever heard. they ended with some classics and i think they played every song off the new album. great show (i didn't want it to end)!

during the show we heard of steve jobs passing. i was thinking about his influence on pop culture and when you think about it - it is pretty amazing. first, there is apple. then, the pixar franchise which produced some amazing films that yielded him a pretty large share of disney. then, you think about how itunes revolutionized the music/media industry. not to mention iphones, ipads, etc. amazing how he was able to guide his company from being a fringe computer company for fanatics to being (arguably) the major player in personal electronics. truly an icon. he was even able to out run his pancreatic cancer longer than most are able.

anyway, i rode in this morning and the traffic didn't seem quite as bad. and the weather - oh the weather! i'm trying to take it in while it lasts (the average high temp by the end of october is 52 here in madison).

i sure wish we were independently wealthy so i didn't have to work. i'd still do things for enlightenment. like, i think i'd go to law school just to do it (i don't really want to practice but would like to take the coursework). maybe we're in the steve jobs will? i'll take 0.1% of his accumulated wealth (around 8.6 million). yea, that would just about do it.

happy thursday.

jeff tweedy: the specter of doom?

2011-10-05T08:26:00.002-05:00

we are going to the wilco show tonight. the last time they were in town we had taken up residence at the pediatric icu when cal was sick. jeff tweedy came to town this past march which coincided with my crash/er visit/emergency dentist visit. now, the couple we were supposed to go with tonight have a close personal friend with a daughter in the icu. coincidence? most likely but damn. thoughts go out to the sick little one.

took the day off yesterday to ride at kettle moraine with ron. blue loop - connector - emma and it was pretty awesome. 2:40 minutes of riding on trails in perfect fall weather made me happy i decided to go. i only crashed a couple of times (well, three). i figure i'll be riding mountain bikes at least 1 more time a week from saturday. otherwise it will be cyclocross focused work leading up to nationals.

happy wednesday.

weekend over already?

2011-10-03T09:14:00.003-05:00

robin headed out of town with friends this weekend so it was a boys weekend! saturday we got out for a nice 2 hour ride on the military ridge trail. it was a great fall morning with crisp cool air, cloudless blue skies and color that is really starting to pop. cal ended up sleeping for most of it which was early relative to his normal nap time. this proved to be problematic towards bedtime when he got really crabby but we got through it.

sunday we got up and headed to a great local coffee shop. there is a play-area there and for awhile it was cool - cali was playing nicely with the little boy that was there and all was good. another kid came over and was a little jerk. i guess this is something i'll have to get better at, but i had to scold him/tell him to go apologize to the lady he hit with a ball many feet outside of the play area. that was after he took the cars cal was playing with away from him. anyway, we spent a lot of time outside yesterday including two trips to the park down the street. the second trip was during the brewers' and packers' games and was great because we had the park to ourselves. man, he is a daredevil now choosing to go head first down the tallest slides (he laughs diabolically the whole way down).

it was great weekend and i'm a little melancholy it is over. i rode in this morning and everyone seemed hurried/angry. i caught a guy riding that had a pannier on the left side of his bike. i think he had it overloaded because it appeared to be pulling him into traffic every 50 meters or so. people are weird.

oh, and it was the best. sports weekend. EVER! i kept telling cal he was witnessing a very monumental sports weekend but he didn't seem to get it.

happy monday.

sideways rain

2011-09-30T13:36:00.002-05:00

i thought it was raining quite a bit last night - turns out we ended up with close to an inch here on the west side of madison. due to the 40 mph wind gusts, it appeared to be falling horizontally to the ground and as a result i opted out of a workout (was planning to run). i did some work stuff (yuck) and then swapped the rigid fork for the suspension fork in anticipation of the blaster (i'm so much more productive without baseball). i have been totally neglecting my cross bike so i'm hoping to carve a little time to get that bike race worthy this weekend.

happy friday.

harsh

2011-09-29T08:32:00.002-05:00

man we cooked up a bad ass course last night. i felt really good going into the hot laps but had no power. i'm feeling pretty sore/tired this morning so maybe i wasn't properly fueled. i don't mind being slow at practice as long as i am improving my fitness/skills - and i think that will be the case.

i didn't ride in this morning. i'm hoping to get out and run again tonight. i'm wear testing a pair of saucony shadow genesis 2's and i feel a little obliged to run at least a couple times a week. plus, i really like the shoes. after reading born to run and talking to people much more knowledgeable than i, i think the true minimalist movement (no cushioning) is really dumb not to mention dangerous. but, i do like some of the shoes that are reducing heel drop in combination with newer cushioning strategies/flexible uppers that have resulted from 'the movement'. my regular trainers i've been using were purchased during our trip to boston over two years ago so i may take a look at some new trainers in the coming months - most likely a lightweight shoe with a 4 mm heal drop (since i'm a saucony guy maybe the kinvara).

happy thursday.

brewcrew

2011-09-28T11:23:00.002-05:00

rode the trainer for 60 minutes last night. i upped the intensity during commercial breaks during the brewer game. i wonder if mark attanasio will take a legitimate run at prince? it almost seems like you could surround prince and braun with cheap on base type guys and be alright offensively. who knows, but i'm trying to enjoy it while they are together. come on guys, world series!

i finally was able to ride in today. the sun is out - cross practice should be a goodie!

happy wednesday.

more running

2011-09-27T08:12:00.002-05:00

another 6 miles of running last night and i must say it felt pretty good. i think it speaks to my general state of fitness. although, i feel like that state is in jeopardy since again this morning i didn't ride into work. generally speaking, wet in the morning i opt out (i don't want to be wet all morning at work) but forecasted rain in the evening won't stop me. this giant low pressure mass needs to slide out east so the sun comes back! this may force me to (gasp) ride the trainer tonight. a little early for that but you have to do what you have to do.

happy tuesday.

good (if not short) weekend

2011-09-26T10:12:00.002-05:00

saturday was spent running errands, getting our workouts and making some delicious chilly. i was able to get out for a couple hours on the cross bike on the military ridge trail as well as at badger prairie for a couple of laps. i was feeling my run from the night before (45 minutes) since i have been focusing on riding the past several weeks. amazing how fall you can fall out of running shape in a matter of weeks. anyway, training from last week was low but that was expected in light of post fat tire and with calvin getting sick for a few days in there.

m: off
t: 60 minutes (bike commute)
w: 120 minutes (bike commute/cross practice)
r: off (cal sick/robin's night to ride)
f: 45 minutes running
s: 120 minutes (military ridge/badger prairie)
n: off (brewer game)
total: 5:45

speaking of the brewer game, it ruled. i had a great time with robin and calvin. he was totally into it - we sat below bernie's dugout and cal kept look up and waving. for a two year old, he did really well sitting still and at the end we got to run the bases together. awesome day!

i woke up late this morning and it was a bad day for that to happen. it is days like this where i wish i could find a new job (or at least re-define my current role). being a leader of people is way overrated.

happy monday.

crazy week

2011-09-23T08:58:00.002-05:00

considering i had monday off and i was home with my sick son yesterday, it is pretty remarkable that it feels like a 6 workday week already. because of this, my training for the week is taking a hit. nothing yesterday, i didn't get to ride in today because i need a car to be 'on call' in case daycare sends cal home (plus i want to check on oliver at lunch - he is having stomach issues). maybe a run tonight after cal goes to bed and some riding tomorrow. sunday will most likely be another off day but for a cool reason - we're taking cal to his first brewer game. like he said this morning, it is going to be 'awwwesome!'

i'm only sort of regretting not doing USGP. i was going to sign up a few days back but when i saw 98 riders confirmed i opted out. i'm considering wca #1 at the domes next weekend if i can make arrangements for calvin while i'm racing (robin is out of town). if not, no biggie...it is a long season this year.

happy friday.

drag

2011-09-21T08:55:00.003-05:00

i have a problem. i love riding my bike to work. but, i hate riding my bike to work. since school started everyone is aggressive and crabby. there are tons of cars on my previously sparsely populated route. i guess i need a new route.

cross practice tonight. robin is home with the boy (woke up very hot and sad). it's tough being a little guy, he is starting to feel his two year molars (maybe they are related).

oh yea, i forgot my training summary from last week:
m: 60 minutes (bike commute)
t: 60 minutes (bike commute)
w: 80 minutes @ cross practice
r: off (travel day)
f: 70 minutes (pre-ride at fat tire)
s: 150 minutes (fat tire!)
n: off
total: 7 hours

anyway, happy wednesday.

the big one

2011-09-20T08:37:00.002-05:00

man oh man, what a great weekend of racing, hanging with friends/family and being away from work. speaking of work, as usual the wheels fell off here again while i was away for 2 days because my clients suck. but before i face reality....

after driving to eau claire thursday night (and calvin not sleeping well), we were up and at 'em on friday after all sleeping in a little. went out and got some pancakes and set up the little man for the weekend. then it was off to chequamegon land. robin and i met up with our good friend chuck in hayward for a bit and then on to telemark for some pre-riding and bib pick up. visited the fuel gang and then back to hay town for dinner and rest before the big day.

the alarm came quick (4:50 am) but it was worth as i had sixth row position in the start staging area. back in bed by 5:10 am which makes staying in hayward so worth it. robin dropped me off at 8:15 and she went off to slay the short and fat. i spent my free time in the coffee shop topping of my caffeine levels. it seemed like forever until the start time arrived but the last 20 minutes were frantic as ever. as a waited for the cannon i felt pretty good and was excited to get going.

this was the best start i've ever had. i was aggressive right away shooting every gap i could see and by the time the quad pulled off i was in the lead group (i could see all the heavy hitters and i just tried to tuck in and find mike). entering rosie's field there were a few folks with mechanicals that slowed me down enough to lose the sharp end. i just tried to get into and bridge any time a gap formed between my group and the group ahead of us. it was working well except for two issues:

1) i lost my water bottle in the first 10 miles.
2) my saddle bag came loose so i had to stop and remove it, eventually jettisoning it. #2 on my list cost me a very good group and ultimately may have cost me several minutes (we were working well together).

through OO in sub 1 hour (nice). got into another group that worked well together and held together until firetower when i dropped them all. a few guys worked their way back up to me and we worked together until the birkie rollers when i dropped them again. by now, i was feeling my rigid fork and it was definitely slowing me down. i was also starting to feel dehydrated/depleted (i didn't take any gels because i didn't have anything to wash them down with) but i forged ahead. i lost a few spots in the last 5 miles but finished strong. sub 2:30 (second best time for me) and a top 125 finish gave me a giant grin (once the pain subsided).

this experience re-invigorated my infatuation with this race and now i think robin caught it too. we are already talking about next year! the rest of the weekend was spent with friends - that is what is so cool about fat tire. no matter what happens we all have a war story or two and everyone is happy (after a few beers). worth the price of admission for sure.

it was nice to have 4 days off. but now reality of being back stings even more. yuck.

the ride in this morning was brutal. the traffic was bad and some lady yelled at me for being on the road. i didn't give her the gesture back i wanted too (she had kids in the car) but i did catch up to her at a stop sign and stopped next to her and stared her down. interestingly, she had nothing more to say and i think she locked the doors. funny how these a-holes are happy to honk and yell and gesture when they think they are just going to drive away from you without any recourse.

happy tuesday.

excited

2011-09-15T10:22:00.002-05:00

fat tire preview at skinnyski.

garner cross

2011-09-15T08:16:00.002-05:00

another great evening at practice last night. we fashioned a course that allowed for a start (usually it is just a rolling start) so we utilized a slightly different configuration than normal. it was fun. i went with the top group each time and tried to go hard for a lap or two and then back it down...i don't want to burn too many matches before this weekend's tilt up north.

i'm tired today but have a lot to do. work, pack and drive makes for a long day. it'll be worth it though when we wake up tomorrow morning. my next ride will be in chequamegon land!

happy thursday.

fall like

2011-09-14T08:47:00.002-05:00

it certainly feels like it is time to race fat tire. a slight chill in the air, leaves starting to transition from different shades of greens to yellows and reds and oranges. the bikes are ready to go. provisions are being assembled tonight after i practice cyclocross racing. we hit the road thursday night and begin the weekend that i so look forward to every year.

i do not want to be at work today. i've got things on my list that i really don't want to deal with but need to.

happy wednesday.

enjoying the weather

2011-09-12T09:01:00.002-05:00

it was another nice weekend including a date with my wife, some bike time on saturday and sunday, hanging with my sis becca, picking raspberries, hiking the big dog park with cal in the backpack, and working on my race bike for fat tire.

summary of the training week:
m: 2 hours to the tunnel with calvin and robin
t: off
w: cross practice and bike commuting (2.5 hours)
r: off
f: 1 hour bike commuting
s: 1.5 hours, mountain bike on mix of road, trail and singletrack
n: 1 hour of easy riding (cal in the trailer)
total: 8 hours

all in all, a good pre-fat tire week.

i rode in this morning and plan to do the same tomorrow. cross practice on wednesday and then we start the trip north on thursday - i can't believe it is here again!

happy monday.

a gift from my son

2011-09-09T10:08:00.002-05:00

he gave me his cold - isn't that nice? i will say the timing is ok heading into a light stretch of training prior to fat tire. it's not terrible but i feel a little throat scratchiness and post nasal stuff. and i'm a little tired. but that didn't stop me from riding in this morning - the traffic was crazy again.

anyway, i'm glad it is friday.

happy friday.

rachet

2011-09-08T08:30:00.002-05:00

i wasn't feeling that great yesterday but rode pretty well at cross practice. i took 1 dirt nap in a slippery corner but i guess if i am going to fall i would rather it be at practice. the course was one of the best we've set up (in my opinion), very fast and very representative of the race course around these parts. not to mention the weather was perfect. a great night. between riding at practice and the commuting i think i was close to another 2.5 hours of ride time for the night...not bad for a workday wednesday.

i decided to drive in this morning which means i won't get a workout for the day (unless i run with cali - or before i pick him up - hmmmm....). that is ok because i'm already at 4.5 hours for the week on only 2 days of riding.

happy thursday.

school is in for the winter

2011-09-07T08:42:00.002-05:00

man, what a difference a week makes. the last time i rode to work, the traffic was light and lovely. that was one week ago today. i rode in again and this time there was tons and tons of aggressive traffic on the roads. i know school is now in full on mode but what is it about school that changes everyone's driving habits? it must be that everyone waits until their kids are safely on their way to school (which happens around the same time for everyone) and then they drive at top speed to get to work.

anyway, my legs were feeling the weekend efforts so i opted for a rest day prior to tonight's second cross practice of the year. i'm feeling pretty tired this morning - hopefully that subsides throughout the day.

happy wednesday.

i wish they were all 4 day weekends.

2011-09-06T10:17:00.002-05:00

a great weekend spent at home with family.

friday, cal's daycare was closed for the holiday so we got to spend some quality time together. we got out in between rain drops to log 2 hours of gravel riding. we spent the rest of the day playing and having a good old time together. we went out for beer and pizza for dinner which was delicious.

saturday, i was feeling the beer from the night before. it was ok though, since it rained quite a bit. we spent a fair amount of time at machinery row bicycles picking out robin's new road bike - a sweet looking madone. it is a pretty nice kit - i'm very excited for her!

sunday i was able to get out and do the long road ride i had originally planned for saturday. 3.5 hours in the hills at and around blue mounds. i tried to push the uphills and was feeling it at the end. later we had dinner with our neighbors across the street. it surprised me when they said that they had been in the house for 4 years - time sure does fly. it was good to (finally) meet them.

training for the week:
m: 45 min, run
t: 60 min, bike commute
w: 150 min, bike commute and cross practice
r: off, tired legs
f: 120 minutes, gravel with cal
s: off, rain and hung over
n: 210 minutes, road ride with hills
total: 9.75 hours

yesterday, we went for a family ride to the tunnel on the badger trail. cal loved the tunnel and wanted to go through again and again. around 2 hours for the day and i was feeling my ride from the day before.

last night we had 'breakfast burgers' - big old beef patties with bacon, cheese and a fried egg on top. terrible for us? yes! but so very delicious. i could eat another one right now.

happy tuesday.

that one hurt a little

2011-09-01T08:09:00.002-05:00

cross practice was great but it hurt as much as i thought it might. it was hot but i rode ok relative to some of the really fast guys. i did manage to wash out on a corner (causing a guy behind me to crash over top of me), but besides a couple of scrapes no major damage. i'm estimating around 2.5 hours of ride time for the day so that is pretty good too.

the intensity combined with the heat made me a little crampy in bed last night. i was going to ride in this morning but i'm feeling pretty beat so i drove instead. i'm thinking about taking cal for a bike ride in the trailer tomorrow but we'll see how it all works out around nap time.

then, i'm still planning a nice long road ride in the hills on saturday. should be fun!

happy thursday.