Team Lake Effect

So we had our '09 season kick off meeting last night hosted by Bike Authority. It was great to see everyone without a helmet and shades on and see their faces rather than their spandex'd up ass. We have a broader team this season. With my plans of doing more Westlake races and well, more races in general, this should be a great season. I've been kicking around the idea of doing the Mohican 100k. Just kickin right now...but I may just do it.
I'm also teaming up with Janet Edwards, a fellow TLE rider and CTC member, for her indoor training rides on the east side on Tuesday nights. (if you need more info, just ask). This will be great exposure for the team and for BA.
On a training note...things are going well. I have another power test this week and I'm looking forward to see if and how much I've improved. until then...the Ghost is out!

its been a while...

So it's been a while since I've posted anything important. I've been riding...despite moving and being sick all since the start of the year. I'm just now beginning to feel close to normal energy levels. I feel I've been riding strong and the weight I gained in the down time is starting to drop off...slowly. It just doesn't fall off like it use to.

It's nice to be in house again. I know with the added responsibilities...shoveling snow, yard work and the such, I'll have a little more stress on my body and time. But its all worth it. I can't wait to see how the new location effects my ride destinations this summer. I've already been riding more to the east of Rt. 8...away from the valley. maybe i can head more north into the Chagrin Valley for some rides. It should be fun. Al I know, is that I have to ride harder than ever.

Big Target

I’m standing in line…next in line, so I had just put my DD coffee and powerbar protein bars down on the belt…the lady in front of my was fishing around in her wallet for correct change…the cute cashier girl was just standing there looking out side and noted out loud that it had just started to snow. This took the attention of everyone in the two open checkout lines to the doors…enter the Target employee that was bringing in the carts from the parking lot. Just as someone in the line at the register next to mine commented on “how its better to have snow than the ice we had last night”, the cart lady walks out from behind all of the carts and begins to walk in front of us all towards the employee door next to the Starbucks…as she does this, she unzips her coat.

Now this fine specimen of a woman…weighing in at about 350 pounds and roughly 5’-6” in height changed my life forever. As most horizontally challenged women are she was well endowed. And as a good Target employee she had on her company issue red T-shirt…a t-shirt that was, well…about 8” too short. This put in full site the glow of her stomach roll from the top of her pants up past her black hole of a naval to the shadows cast by her large sagging breasts. But this woman paid no mind to the free show she was giving everyone. Not too mention the cold rush of winter air that had rushed in behind her and the carts she no doubt had to feel on her open acreage of skin.

So out of respect for the, well…the fat, everyone in the two checkout lines quickly looked away and continued on with what they were doing. The mood had changed; the room was ready to burst. You can now taste the uneasiness. It’s a train wreck and you can’t stop what is unfolding in front you…Though I try, I can’t take my eyes of the glowing whiteness of what appears to be one of several abdominal areas…I’m a deer in caught in head lights and the silence is deafening…As the handful of customers and Target employees that surround me recover from the horror we just witnessed the woman makes her way closer to the employees only area.

So without thinking I said….”They make bigger shirts, right?” and evidently, this wasn’t to myself…I’ve never heard the tension snap in a room so fast and so loud….The cashiers were on the floor laughing, the lady in front of me was bright red with her face buried in her purse, and the store manager was running at full sprint after the spectacle to get her off the floor as fast as possible…


That’s my story….i will laugh about that for years…

08- the rebuilding year!

I've spent sometime here looking backwards at this past year, well and the the year before. In '07 I barely rode 2000 miles. I didn't do any races. I ran more than I ever have. I really needed to get off the bike to enjoy it again. In 08 I will be close to 8000 miles on the bike. Not a record by any means, but descent. In 09 I hope to get over 12K miles.
The first couple of races I did this season I got dropped. The first was within the first 7 miles of the race. I regained my fitness pretty well, actually getting a win up in New York at the raccoon rally. All my other races I was active for the team, so I never really had great results. Next year I want to be in better shape than this year, so even if I get spent working for the team during a race, I'll still have enough left in the tank to be a lot closer at the finish. Their are a lot of really strong riders on Lake Effect. I love racing with them and being apart of the team. I'll be able to race at westlake in 09, so I'll have more ride time with them. I'm looking forward to next year. it should be fun.

FTP test

When the Boogieman goes to sleep at night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris!

So I took a threshold power test this morning. I averaged 255 watts for the 20 TT minute effort. I'm not sure if thats good or bad for my weight. While I was doing the test I felt like I was at my limit, but once I was done, I had the feeling I could have gone a little harder. So I gave myself the precieved exertion rating of 18-19 out of 20. I get the next couple of days off officially, but I'm sure I'll end up riding. I feel better when I ride everyday, even if my "off" days are just light, easy rides. I re-arranged my riding room just recently. So that makes it a little better to get up in early a.m. to ride. Just because it's different, it makes it a mental difference, it's the little things in life that make you happy. Right? Watch out for Chuck!

...a dish best served cold.

Chuck Norris does not own a stove, oven, or microwave , because revenge is a dish best served cold.
I was surfing the web this morning and I came across all these crazy Chuck Norris sayings. They're freaking too funny. I just liked this one about revenge. I'm always looking for a a new form of motivation. I once had a year I called "year of the kill Dave". I was PO'd at this guy and I was devoted to crushing him in every race I could. It led to me having a great season. I won 3 straight road races and had a crazy amount of top 5 finishes including a a second place in a 6hr mountain bike race.
Since I have no one I wish to go Chuck Norris on next season, perhaps revenge on the Caesar's Ghost will have to be motivation enough. I may or not actually race there in '09, but I can pounce on every race like it was my last and take out my eggression on all the others. Perhaps I can make up for it in quantity rather than actually racing on that specific course.
I use to have unlimited confidence in my riding ability. But not so much any more. Its amazing what you can do on a bike when you're in a zone and peak condition. One of the things I need to "minus" this winter is about 15 pounds. It sucks to get old. Can I find motivation there? But there is my problem, ice cream, like revenge, is also a dish best served cold. That's a weakness! Shhh...don't tell anyone!
So here's to a year with out a true motivation. maybe I'll find one beyond just wanting to be faster over all.

I also had to share this video...

Let it snow!

I had some "longer" riders this weekend. I did 2 hours inside on Saturday (it was cold and raining) and then I did 3 hours of endurance on my mountain bike outside on Sunday. It was the first time this fall/winter I've gotten to ride in snow. It was about 35 degree's, so not too cold, but after a while your feet get wet and really cold and man can that start to hurt! Winter time riding presents all sorts of new challenges. Your fluid can freeze along with your eyelashes and nose hairs. The key is layers and good wicking base layers. Personally I can tollerate riding outside when the temps get down into the low twenties as long as it's dry. I wont ride in rain below 50 degrees. I'd rather sit inside on my computrainer than suffer through that.
I'll have to start carrying a camera for my long winter rides. I saw some really cool stuff. Without the leaves on the trees. there is definitly a lot more stuff you can see. I don't know how many times yesterday I said to myself "Wow, I didn't know that was there".
I had thought about racing cross this season, but I decided not too. I felt that I needed some down time in October so that thru cross out the window. My coach Sean has a FTP test planned for me next week so I'm excited to do that and get some results. I feel like I'm riding well and have a good idea of what I need and would like to work on. Hopefully my next season can have more mountain biking involved in it. For the variety and the fact its just fun.
I had a one of those "man...this sucks" moments this morning. As I got into my main set my rear tire blew out and I got a flat...ON MY TRAINER! So I had to hurry up and change wheels and finish up my ride. There's always something.
So let it snow! Lets get this winter started now so it'll be over in march like it should be, not in late April like it has been the past few years.