Thanksgiving week

Just had kind of a lazy weekend as far as training goes. Got a lot accomplished work-wise and person-wise... if that's what you call it.

This is going to be a busy, cold week. Sorry Shoe, I'm not going to get one of those handlebar mits. I thought that's what they make gloves for.

Gotta finish strong this week in the pool and on the pavement. Will be spending some time on the trainer... not much, though. Slowly easing into it.

Mid November open water swim?

Why not? The water temp is ~39 degrees when I checked it this morning. I'll probably jump in tomorrow after work. Get some!

JShoe/Decisions, decisions

JShoe had a good blog post recently. Jesse and I have known each other for 4 years now. Wow... 4 years. We chased each other back and forth during the citizen year of WORS. He approached me at the Franklin race (mind you, it was 100+ degrees that day) and said "hey, you're the guy in 1st place" to which I replied "Yeah." Since then it really wasn't about competition to us. I mean, I can only speak for myself but I liked seeing him race well and place high. That season he finished 2nd overall and I was 3rd. He continued to race WORS and I transitioned more into triathlon. He's one of the best people I have met while being back in Wisconsin. Whether he knows it or not, I am constantly inspired by his endeavors and I always wish him well. I love you, my friend.

Having said that, I am considering something I never thought I would do or even attempt. Shoe's last post of failing to prepare is preparing to fail kind of pushes me toward the decision I was thinking of making. Until I make that decision I will say no more, but I will let you all know soon. But when that time comes, please know that I will be preparing in the meantime.

Interesting and Informative

I found this to be very informative and helpful:

http://www.trifitmultisport.com/pdf/time_trial_racing_equipment-best_bang.pdf

Here are some specific time savings over a 40 kilometer time trial course based on measured data:
1· 6 seconds saved for optimized aero position on the bike
2· 5 seconds saved for racing with a water bottle as opposed to not taking it along
3· 4 seconds saved for an aero helmet over a standard cycling helmet
4· 3 seconds saved for an aero bicycle frame
5· 2 seconds saved for using aero wheels
6· 1 second saved for cleanup details (cabling, brakes, etc)

There's a lot more in the article. Check it out.

So long, Facebook. It's been real.

My era with Facebook ended today. Too much drama. Too many people getting upset by what was or was not there. You know what? It's Facebook, people. Relax. Will it ever come back? Meh, perhaps. But if so, not for a loooong time. It's amazing that people are citing Facebook as the reason for divorce in 1 in 4 marriages. I can only imagine what it does to relationships. Either way, you can find me here. Email, call, or text. That's where I'll be.

2 posts in 2 days?!?! Inconceivable!

I forgot to mention, I got my new scale last week for my clinic. It reads weight, bone mass, muscle mass, body fat, metabolic age, and a few other things. My body fat percentage needs a little work at 11.3%. My metabolic age, however, is the lowest I've witnessed yet at 12. Yes, I have the metabolism of a 12 year old. I suppose I can be proud when my metabolic age is less than half of my real age.

Time for cake. Mmmm.

I will rise again in 2011

That headline would have sounded better if it were 2010.

As you all know, I took this year (2010) off from racing. I did need a break. 4 straight years of mountain bike racing transitioning to triathlons and more endurance type of stuff just got to be too much. I missed having my summers... days to just enjoy the sun and not have to worry about catching up on saddle time because of rain. Or turning every bike ride into a training session. Even though I still did a fair amount of biking, it was "leisurely biking" for the most part. I did do a local sprint triathlon with little to no training, and I did okay.

Now looking to now and beyond, I'm ready to race again. I'm gaining new focus and perspective. I know what works and what doesn't. Most importantly I know what it takes. I'm registered for IM Wisconsin in September. There's no doubt in my mind that I'll finish, it's just a matter of how much time. I'm aiming for sometime in the 12th hour. My goal, as of now, is finishing the bike course in less than 6 hours. I think my IM Canada time was 6:32, so I think it's very possible.

Will there be any other races on the horizon? Oh I'm sure. But relax. That's for me to worry about.