Oh the Burning!!!

Tried some embrocation for the first time today. WOW. Great stuff! Keeps the legs warm and everything else HOT! http://www.madalchemy.com/ This stuff is just stupid hot. It got even hotter after I stopped riding and took a shower. Read ingredients: Oleoresin Capsicum. Yup, pepper spray. I knew there was a hint of familiarity in the air. Brings back memories to the academy.

The WCA opener is in jeopardy. Heidi may cancel due to the weather. Lets all pray. All I gotta do is throw some embro on and I can do anything in the cold!

Checking In Again

Well after a big week out on the bike (16 hour week) with beautiful temps, a few things happened.
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#1 - Patellar Tendinitis in my right knee. It sucks. Puts a damper on training with only less than a week and half left before the first race of the season in Madison. Ugh. Minor set back.
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#2 - March came in like a lamb and is going out like a lion. We just can't win. 50's one week and now it's turning on us. 1-3 inches of snow on Saturday. Double suck.
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Whats a fella gonna do

Gearing Up

With three weeks to go until the first race of the season in Madison, I'd thought I'd check in on update this thing. "The Brocket" is all ready to go with new SRAM Red Group, Powertap and XXX Carbon brakes. Looks pretty sweet. Training has been consistent with average of 12-14 hours per week of base training which includes weight training 2-3 days a week, endurance pace riding, some climbing intervals. Recently did a Functional Threshold Power test and my power increase by 17 watts since December 5. Watts/kg ratio puts me just below mid-level Cat 4. Will test again in a few months mid season, maybe just before the Midwest Cycling Series to check progress. For now, I'm out; will check back in after 1st race of season.

Blah

Every time I think we will be racing around huge piles of snow in June next year, it seems to rain a bit and alleviate the problem a bit. But then I drive around for eight hours in the squad and want to pound my head on the steering wheel. I'd take snow any day over rain..... unless it is April, May, June, July.... okay lets just say racin' season.
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I haven't blogged in a while, but I have nothing else. Nothing at all.....wait - two more weeks until SRAM RED!!!! I'll be darn near re-building the whole bike. New Bontrager XXX Carbon brakeset, SRAM Red 5pc kit, Speedplay Zero Titanium white pedals. Jeez I'm a weight weenie. It is sad......I am foreseeing some Easton EC90 Aero tubies next Chrizzmus.........

Slacking

I've been slacking in a couple areas lately. Number one, updating this blog. Several members of my team have been having a nice friendly competition using www.mapmyride.com . It provides motivation for training through the winter season (we have about 10 inches of snow, it's 15 degrees outside and I have no XC skiis!) and some team building. But it does hinder my want to log training on this site. I log it on mapmyride and WKO+. Each entry has to be entered seperately, well with a little copy and paste, but still - two is enough already. I'll continue to update this page though and appreciate motivating, ass kicking threats, etc., to help me keep my winter training up to snuff!

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This week I've also been slacking in training. While maintaing all my weight lifting goals for the week, I have not been able to ride much on the trainer. Working a messed up schedule this week, third shift, second shift, third shift - little to no sleep between with less than 8 hours between shifts. Ugh. Takes a toll on the body. Even got jipped yesterday, got done at 6AM, slept for 3 hours, got up, went to court for a while 20 minutes, stopped at the office to drop off paperwork and then back home. Couldn't go back to sleep though!!! Had to stay awake for two hours to ensure I didn't pass out before vacation picks at Grafton. With that said all my vacation and holidays are accounted for next year. Strung together a bunch of days again for Superweek and got screwed on my A race for the year. Have to let it play out and see if I get a discretionary day approved now.

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Another race series came to light today though. The organizers of the Grafton / Sheboygan races have put together an 11 day series. Oh yea baby, my race calendar is ever expanding!! 28 races so far and now if I can string together some more comp days, it'll easily be above 30 races next year. Go big or..... Just go BIG.

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Cheers to the 3's by Fall!

Schwag-a-holic

This site is sick. Absolutely sick. It's like selling a crack addict quality crack at half the price.

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http://www.chainlove.com/

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I hope the Reynolds DV46T Carbon Wheels come back on soon for 57% off.... ya know like right after Xmas when I have some dough.

The First Snow

I was trying to be optimistic that the weather was going to warm up just a tad so that I could ride outside, seeing that I still have yet to purchase cold weather gear.

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Within the last hour it has snowed covering the ground. It's very fitting actually since I emailed my coach about getting some cross country skis for cross training this winter at his recommendation early this year. I just might need teh skis sooner than I thought!

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Ralphie (my pooch) was really excited for the first snow fall. We just got back inside from playing in the yard and he loved it. He was doing laps around the back yard with his nose in the snow. Very funny!

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Seems that the snow has dwindled off, but it was really coming down for a bit while I was updating the mapmyride.com training log for today's weight training w/ running session. Maybe I'll actually have to watch the news to see what the weather is going to be like for the rest of the week. At least I got the snow blower out and working last week if it keeps snowing.