Thru Endurance We Conquer!

I love my job most days - I get to see my patients make real progress towards their goals, hear some really cool stories about history and usually have some very motivated people to work with. I also get to set my own schedule - and when I'm done with work, I'm done. Usually, that's a good thing - I can set my schedule and try to have easier days when I've got workouts schedule. But I'm also the only PT in the building, so when it get busy, I'm working late, regardless. The last few weeks have been late and long weeks, which was fine during goof off time. But now the real workouts have started and working late isn't quite as appealing, especially when it's been so nice out. Running in the morning before work has never been an issue for me, but riding? Still not sold on that one, despite the great lights we have. It's more the worry about animals and such when riding early in the morning, although since I'm out running at that time, it shouldn...

That first workout of the training block seems to be the make or break workout. If the numbers look good, then then next few weeks will fly by and I'll be looking forward then next set. If I'm struggling on the first workout out, all bets are off. I always hope for a good start, but know that sometimes it takes a few workouts to shake off the dust. Especially if I've been in goof-off mode for a few weeks. It can be mentally stressful though, seeing numbers much lower then I wanted - or was doing a few months ago. The questioning and second guessing always kicks in - have I lost fitness while playing on rocks instead of doing intervals? Will I be able to get back to where I want to be before too long or am I going to struggle this entire block? It's even worse when I've seen some good times in other things, indicating that my efforts on the bike should also be improving. Or when other indicators like RPE and HR are in the range I want, but the power, the primary meas...

I've been regularly night riding in the winter for the last two years. Each year it gets a little easier, a little more fun and the lights better. I've always used two lights - head and bars. With the exception of a few light malfunctions during races, it's always been two. I'll dim or turn off for climbs to save battery life, but for rocky sections and descents I'm rocking both. Those few times in our 24 hour races where I've had issues (well before we started using Exposure lights) only having one light really affected me. I was much slower and hesitant on any technical stretch. Well, all the night rides - in addition to working on skill - has helped a lot and I'm able to ride well with just one light.  As usual, I grabbed a Diablo and my Reflex for this ride. I didn't bother checking the charge on the Diablo since I always plug them in right away. I was using one I hadn't used in a while but still didn't think about it. Nick and I are at Palme...

Something different last weekend. Instead of battling the snow and near sub zero temperatures on our bikes, Nick and I joined Shad and Steph for some fun in powder. We rented skies and headed to Monarch Mountain west of Salida. Both Shad and Steph have been skiing for years, so it was to have them along. They knew the mountain by heart and made excellent and patient guides for two newbies. While I'd spent plenty of time skiing in high school, it had been years for me. The first two run were petty funny as I tried to remember how to turn, keeping my knees together and my balance points. I'm sure I looked pretty silly. But eventually, I got my act together and started making possible turns. I also attempted a few runs through the trees in the deep powder. Umm, yeah. No powder tree turns for me! I took a few tumbles, but the powder was soft and cushioned my landings. And then there was Nick. He's been downhill skiing maybe three times. His method of getting down? Either straig...

It happens every year about this time. I start looking at my plans for next year and immediately panic about training. Despite the need for some solid weeks of unstructured goof off and recovery, I start counting down weeks and work myself into a tizzy. I should be doing intervals! I should be out suffering in the cold, putting out the watts and getting in the work! Everyone else is on the trainer, banking the miles for next season, I should be too. Without fail, I start pestering Coach Adam for something to reassure me, intervals, workouts - anything. And without fail, he's always reassuring me, convincing me that I need the physical and mental break, that I won't be behind when the real work starts.  I think it's the weather. I feel guilty about not doing anything, but the motivation to ride anything but hard in the sub zero temps of the last week just isn't there. Even running was more then I wanted to do! I have the clothes for these conditions - but the desire to s...

I did something new this November - it's called National Novel Writing Month and the challenge is to write a novel of 50,000+ words over the month. That's about 1677 words per day - a lot of words! Well, I have a book I've been working on since PT school - it's been sitting there, neglected because I just haven't made the time to write. This was a good incentive - support and other people all working towards the same goals. Because I was working on something already started, I was a "rebel." It's supposed to be a completely new work, with nothing written prior to Nov 1. Oh well. I didn't think I'd actually make it anyway, between work and travel  and training, I didn't have a lot of time! So it was quite surprising when my word count topped 50k before Thanksgiving. I'd had a few marathons days, but mostly just made a point of sitting down daily and putting words to paper (or to keyboard to computer.) Some days it was harder then others ...

I've been making more of my own food for racing and riding this year with good success . I've have fewer stomach issues and been able to stay on top of hydration better without over loading my system. A lot of the recipes I've been using - my rice bars, the peach/cottage cheese pies and my granola - have come from The Feed Zone Cookbook    and Feed Zone Portables . I got the first book on a whim last year because a lot of my friend were talking about it. Well, after making many of the recipes (and some have become staples) I got the second book right away when it came out. And that's where the pies are... There are four different crust options and both savory and sweet fillings. I've made all of the crusts, but usually stuck with a cottage cheese, peach, coconut filling, similar to the strawberry filling in the book. But then on our Thanksgiving day ride, I was daydreaming about pumpkin and pumpkin pie. Time to get creative! I made the original crust from Feed Zon...

Instead of stuffing ourselves with turkey this Thanksgiving weekend, Nick and I had two fun days in Palmer Park with a side of the Incline. Oh, we had a "turkey" dinner all right, but not a traditional style Thanksgiving at all. Enough for the two of us - and the fun days in Palmer Park only highlighted how lucky we really are. Good health, fun trails and people who enjoy the same lifestyle as Nick and I. Focus on the trail - look where you're going... Thursday was the first helping of Palmer Park - just the two of us, playing on rocks. The trails were almost deserted, allowing us to ride as fast as we wanted without worrying about being rude. We rode from home, then started exploring trails I don't ride by myself. A few laps through Little Moab to warm up, then it was time for some big rocks and more technical riding. I was just happy I'd ridden the crack in Little Moab each lap - this is the first year I've been able to ride that and this was the firs...