Stinging in 2009

I've just gotten the word that Honey Stinger will continue to give me support for the 2009 season. Very happy about this as the nutrition is the best and helps get me through the races. It's nice to get the support from cool growing company's that make an awesome product and do it the right way.

Outside Riding & Thinking

Today was good. Worked at the shop in the morning and then in the afternoon headed out to Branched Oak to spend some time playing in the dirt.

Met up with Ryan, Justin and Jason and we hit the trail around 2:15. We took the first lap at a reasonable pace and got used to the trail conditions. The trail was a mix of dry dirt, soft mud and slick greasy mud. Of course the slick greasy mud was on the turns. For the most par though the trail was in perfect shape and it felt great to be back outside. After our first lap we headed right out for another. After that we chatted for a bit and then headed out in the opposite direction for our third lap. It always surprises me how different a course is when you ride it in a different direction than your used to. It's like a whole new course.

After the third lap Millhouse and Jason had to take off and Ryan and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather while it's here and went out for another lap. The last lap went well but I was starting to get hungary. I had taken in a gel but it wasn't enough. I also drained both my bottles and was getting pretty thirsty by the end. I'm really glad we decided to get that last lap in.

While we were out riding today we started talking a bit about next season. One of the guys asked me if I was going to move up to Expert (or now Cat 1) or stay in Sport (Cat 2) for another season. My original plan was to race in Cat 2 but now I'm thinking that maybe I should move up and really push myself. I don't know how I would do up in the next Cat but I've always been the kind of guy that would rather finish in the mid pack with the best than to win in the lower categories. On the other hand another season in the a lower category would really let me get my skills honed before I move up. I don't know. Let me know what you guys think. I need some help with this one.

Know I need to get some work done. Last week of classes and I had a big project due late last week that I need to get graded.

Harp

It's hard to focus on the trainer......

.......when this comes on the screen:I need to stop watching the stupid movies when I'm training. I was in the middle of an interval and this shot popped up and I laughed so hard I almost fell off the bike. I got a thing for dumb movies. I think this one is hilarious.

Still in the basement. Looking forward to getting outside tomorrow. Temps in the high 40's maybe 50. Gonna throw down out at Branched Oak with Ryan, Millhouse and maybe some others. Can't wait.

Harp

Is it spring yet?

I didn't think that I would start whining this early but it's already getting to me. I haven't been outside on a bike for over a week and half and the last time out I froze my ass off. The weather is supposed to be a bit better for the weekend so I'm holding out hope for some time outside and not on the trainer.

Not a lot else happening with me. I've actually got a bit of a schedule going that I can stick to as far as my training is concerned. Core workouts a few mornings a week and on the bike in some form or another at night. It's nice and I'm feeling pretty good. I felt the best on the trainer tonight than I have for a while. I felt like I did towards the end of the season before I took the hiatus to get my certification test out of the way. Know that I'm back in form I can really start to push it a bit and start to work on improving.

I've also know what my first race of the season is going to be. It's the Panama MTB enduro. I did it last year and it's really a 26 mile gravel grinder through rural NE. The biggest challenge of this race is the guys who show up on cross bikes. It's a good first of the season warm up race.

Later. Harp

A Week

It's been over a week know since I last had a post. This past week has been busy with no time to train or post on the blog.

Other than working a bunch not much has been going on with me. On Friday I finally put my notice in at ArborLinks. This has been past due for a while. The club was moving in a different direction than I wanted to go and it just wasn't a good fit for me anymore. I haven't enjoyed working there for a long time and have been a pretty miserable person to deal with cause of it. I will be getting them through anything they have going on from now until April 1 which isn't much since it's a golf club in the winter but there may be a few things going on.


With quiting this job it leaves me with more time to focus on my training. I really want the 2009 season to be a good one for me. I will be putting more time in at the bike pedalers though.


This will be the first time I haven't had a job cooking in a long time. I teach students the craft of cooking everyday but I really actually cook very little at the college and don't get to really cook any of "my" food. Which is kind of the problem with cooking for me anyways. No matter where I go I can never do things my way I always have to lower my standards to meet what the employers think is the business needs. So I've pretty much decided I'm done cooking in restaurants outside the school until the day comes when I open my own place and can do things my way and only my way.


Anyways this weekend I was finally able to get back to training and had a good couple of days on the trainer. I'm starting to put together the things I need so I can get back outside and ride but for now the basement will have to do.


I've also been really taking a look at my diet over the past couple of days. I have put on about 5 lbs and am feeling a bit pudgy in the midsection so I'm really watching it and realized that I've kind of been indulging a bit to much lately and have been comforting myself with food. Putting the notice in at ArborLinks really has lifted a weight off my shoulders. Not that I'm using that as an excuse but it does feel nice. Hopefully I can get my finances figured out without that income and that won't be my next excuse. I'm a bit worried about money since I need/want ( to me it's need to my wife it's a want) to buy a new road bike for next season and I've got everything else to pay for but I'm sure I'll figure it out and hopefully I can get enough hours at the shop to make up for it.



I also picked up a new shirt for the holidays from Twin Six. It was there t-shirt of the month which is a new promotion they are running where they will have a new design on the 6th of every month of a with a limited run of t's. Only a hundred total over both men's and women's sizes. Here's what I got:

I think it's sweet and now I got something to where on Christmas.

Anyways that's about I'll I got for now. Team meeting tomorrow night. Ordering our team gear. Hopefully we get some idea of what the kit is going to look like. I'm always pretty curious of what I'm going to be wearing almost everyday.

Harp

Cold and Rough

Cold and Rough is the best way for me to explain today's ride. I worked at the shop in the morning and when I got home I was feeling a bit tired but I decided I needed to get out and ride since I'm always living in fear of the work week and getting to busy and not having time to train. I was a little weary of going outside since it was a bit cold but I decided I would much rather tough it out than spend time in the basement.

We did get some rain in the morning so things were a bit to wet to ride in Wilderness so I took the road bike off the trainer and headed out. As I got going I was feeling a ok and for about the first 2 miles things were fine. Then things just started to go down hill. My legs went dead and just didn't have anything in them. I had thoughts of calling it in and have Amy come pick me up but I decided to trudge on and get through the ride.

About half way through Ryan drove by and I stopped and talked to him for about 15 minutes. When I was talking to him I really wasn't that cold but when I got going again it seemed like the temp had dropped about 10 degrees and then I turned into the wind and got really cold. Actually I really didn't get that cold except for my fingers. They got so cold that it hurt to shift my gears. When I was talking to Ryan he asked about the gloves I was wearing and I said they weren't bad for the temp but I was wrong. I definetly seeing some new winter gloves in my future.

So when I got home my hands were frozen but I was glad that I had made it through the ride and the warm shower never felt better. My legs are feeling a bit stiff and tired tonight as I've been hanging around the house so I'm not sure if I'm going to train tomorrow. I might just do some core work and take the rest of the day off. It's going to just be me and the kids tomorrow since Amy is going Christmas shopping with here mom and sister.

I did get a good 2+ hour ride on the mountain bike in Wilderness on Friday. I just hope that it wasn't my last ride in the woods this year. We'll have to see. Later.

Harp

It was good

It was good. That's the best way for me to sum up todays ride, nothing to special but just one of those much needed rides. I finally was able to get back out on my mtb again. I had been riding the cross bike the last couple of weeks and enjoyed it but I still love getting out on the trails on the mountain bike.

I was off work today and don't got to go back until Monday which translates into a lot of needed saddle time for me. I think I'm going to be able to get out everyday except for Tomorrow. I'm cooking Thanksgiving and my family is all coming over to eat. By the time everything is done I doubt there will be enough time to get out so I'll probably end up in the basement on the trainer but the rest of the time should be spent out in the woods on my mountain bike. Not sure where I'm going to ride but all I know is I'm going to and I'm going to put in some miles.

That's about all I have for tonight. I need to get to bed so I can get up early enough to get all of the food ready for tomorrow's feast. It's always rough for me to cook at home when I'm used to cooking in restaurants where I have a lot more space(sometimes), more stoves and ovens. But it should be good. Sometimes it's nice to cook for my family instead of just a bunch of strangers.

Hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving ( for those of you reading this in the US)

Harp