AT DINNER WITH THE FAM TONIGHT, I asked What was your most memorable Christmas gift?  The kids are adults now, I was curious what they'd answer.  I knew exactly what mine was...

... the moment the words left my mouth.

What surprised me however, 
was Surfergirl's answer.

My bike, it definitely wasn't new, and I didn't care.  It was freedom, we'd roam the streets of Kailua, and all to go the donut shop on Saturday mornings.

That surprised me.

Not the donuts,
that tradition lives on.

Not the pre-ownedness,
it was humble times for the inlaws.

I've asked myself a million times...

What did she see in me then,
What does she see in me now,

... maybe she saw a kindred roamer?

Because, I was doing the exact same thing on my Stingray I'd painted dozens of times...

... roaming the streets and dirt lots with my pals on Saturday mornings.

Still am.

Oh, my favorite Christmas gift?

The red Schwinn Le Tour I drooled over when my mom's boyfriend took me to Fullerton bikes.  I imagined myself flying up the hills and traveling great distances...

... shocked me to see it with a bow.

Wish I'd kept it.

... 

Our first grandchild has mastered the pre-owned Stryder bike his parents found on FB and is getting a pedal bike this year...

... who's more excited?

---

164.8
6 hours (not enough)
no strength exercises today
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling 

THE PLAN WAS TO LEAVE AT 7AM.  Pesky clouds and rain wouldn't clear as predicted.  The group text kept pushing a later start.  At 9:20...

... I finally got on the road.

Can I just point something out for you who like to gather....

... please RSVP.

Multiple people I enjoy riding with missed the ride because I had no idea they were coming and I didn't add them to the text chain.

I could do better,
and RSVPing would help a brother out.

Anyway....... I really like the rides we do this time of year.

A lot more chill.
A lot more conversational.
Just base miles,
good times.

Which reminded me of one of my training break throughs from 2021...

... back to back hard days during the week,
long tempo on the weekend
the rest zone 2.

Which... has nothing to do with the title of the post.

But, this does.

When the bike comes back filthy, it's a good indication we had the guts to brave the elements. 

We kind of did today.
Wet roads can be slippery,
and lead to a lot of flats.

Since we missed the rain and the roads were drying and perfect by the end we also missed the soaked socks, soggy shoes...

... my least favorite consequence of riding in the rain.

Thanks to the great Steve B for sharing his secret...

... why his bike looked amazing and mine didn't.

He uses SC-1 from Maxima.

Tell us what you use, click here.

---

164.5
7.5 hours
pushups, pullups & squats
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

Y'ALL ARE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, ride all kinds of bikes at all kinds of different races and events and festivals, with wildly varying experience, talent and skill level.  We can only...

... imagine your #1 goal for next year.

I'm crystal clear on mine,
are you?

Mine...

is a whole new challenge,
is yours?

will have me in 3 different states,
will you travel?

involves racing,
does yours?

I'll do with some of my pals,
how about you?

seems outrageous,
does yours?

will require some new bike parts, not a bike,
how about you?

is spread over 8 weeks,
yours?

includes a side race or two which could throw it all out of whack, 
will you risk ruining recovery?

might include the support of Surfergirl,
will you have your own support?

deserves a special edition kit to fire me up,
have you ever done that?

could include heinous weather,
would you race if it gets ugly, cold, miserable?

I am so stoked about I decided to sponsor the prizes,
have you done that?

I really really really want to know, 
and so does everybody else reading...

... do tell us here: https://pedalindustries.com/rip 

---

163.4
7.4 hours
pushups, pullups & squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

WHEN YOU'RE NEW TO ROAD RIDING, or riding in a new area with a new group, it's superduper easy to feel dissed.  Trust me, it's real and they know their doing it...

... because they don't know us.

We are an unknown,
a potential danger...

... a newb.

How to fix that:

• Be nice
• Be confident

That's it,
that's all you can do.

The dissing can come in many forms:  cold shoulders, yelling at us, not letting us pull through, chopping our wheels, mocking us, etc...

... none of it is cool as far as I'm concerned.

As long as it's not dangerous, I mostly find it entertaining...

... even hilarious.

For example, at BWR UT this year, I was in the second group and we were closing on the leaders.

It was a hard effort, and I wanted to be as efficient as possible while still making it up to the front...

... I was spinning like a hamster wheel.

This tan, chiseled dude for a well-known team rides up and says...

... You're spinning too much.

Talk about a diss!

I just smiled, and said...

... Thank you.

We connected with the leaders,
flew out of town to the rollers.

I knew, having done the race before, that the rollers were deceiving and that there was a stout little hill at the end...

... then it was very fast double track for miles.

I let them go,
cleared the top on my own and did my thing...

... passing blown or unskilled rider after rider.

By the time we hit the pavement,
just in time to get in a paceline...

... I was back with the tan, chiseled disser and his merry group of graveleros.

We were rotating nicely,
his demeanor changed...

... Where are you from?

Yeah, we struck up a pleasant, friendly conversation.

Nothing changed.
I was the same rider.

• Nice
• Confident

After about 30 minutes of riding in a well-working paceline...

... we hit another challenging section.

I moved to the front...

... never saw them again.

It's always better, whenever possible, if we really feel it's necessary...

... to let the legs do the talking.

---

163.1
8 hours
1 Rip On RaceDay circuit + more pushups, pullups & squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

THE FIRST LINE OF MY BOOK, The Way of The RACER, has been quoted back to me more than any other. Every time I hear that line, I'm reminded of the day I shared it with Surfergirl...

... she didn't like it.

So,I knew it was good.
She doesn't know us (me and you) like I do.

Here it is:

Until you Register for an event, or the event, you are nothing.

Because that's just how it is.

And that, my fine young ripper, is the cost not registering.

Being a hopydreamy cat vs. a driven and...

... highly committed son of a shift.

No wonder Evan just picked up ten to give to his teammates for Christmas. 

$8.95, include shipping: https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-way-of-the-r-a-c-e-r

---

163.8
8 hours
1 Rip On RaceDay circuit + more pushups, pullups & squats
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, and I fret for those who go this route.  Cat retires (in this case) or gets laid off or starts working remote, and decides there is no need to

... meet at 630am when it's cold.

I get it.
But, most don't fully comprehend the danger.

'Cause here's what happens almost every time...

cat skips those cold mornings,
shows up in the Spring when it's warm,
gets shot out the back...

... decides the ride has somehow gotten too fast.

No, sucker...

You
have
gotten
slower.

Because...

You
have
skipped
the hard rides.

Oddly, this does not seem to happen to those who are laid up due to illness, injury, work, family or other more pressing matters because those cats...

... would be there if they could.

There's a difference,
in mindset.

When those cats come back, 
they know what they're in for...

... but, I think it's more than that.

They never left,
in their heads their I'd be there if I could mindset...

... gives them the wherewithal to withstand
those initial kicks in the lycra when back
to the regularly scheduled drubbing.

Set your alarm clock,
set your mind,
dress warm,
stay fit.

Ain't nothing gonna replace meeting the gang at the corner at 630am.

... and before you tell me Zwift is the replacement... yeah, I know and I'm not worried about you.  You get it.

The key is the weekly checkin, 
heartrate revving ride,
chasing friends...

... weekly, all year long.

Still reading?

This is exactly why I have no intention of retiring,
that kinda thinking scares the shift outta me.

---

164.9
7 hours
pullups and pushups
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

THE FIRST THING I DO EVERY DAY: strip and weigh.  Before anything else.  Then I record it to look for trends. It's the only way to get a consistent reading of my weight...

... and instant feedback on yesterday's nutrition choices.

Today was not pretty.

It happens.

But, that's not important.  I know where I got offtrack with my system, and I just need to get back on it.

Which dovetails nicely into this question from reader Michael S.

How do you determine what your ideal weight is ? I am 6  1 and a half and 177lbs . I could drop another 5 to 10 , but at my age (66) I am afraid I would drop muscle. I still race gravel and am competitive in my age group. I road 10K miles last year and will this year also .

Here's my answer, which is also part of Rip On RaceDay my system:

I’m 61, so I get it and think about it often.

First, to combat losing muscle I 

• Lift weight every single day.  Minimum of push ups and pull ups, almost always squats and Nordic curls, too… and do my Rip On RaceDay Circuit training 3-5 days a week.
• I have really upped my protein intake, shooting for 1 gram/lb of body weight – via meat, bars and shakes

Second, how much to weigh…

• I know I fly at 162 or less
• Currently shooting for 160, not there.
• We’re all built differently, but having a gut or paunch ain’t a picture of health so I figure if my tummy is flat or close to it, if I can see the abs more than the flab, that’s a good weight.

Hope that helps, tb

 Now, about that system I'm bragging about...

... see that pic up there.

It's time stamped October, 2017.

Way before I created the system, back then I was happy to weigh 175...

... I'm appalled at today's weight.

Which brings up not my sweet tooth.  That is in check.  It's the...

... dawgawn chip tooth.

Not chipped tooth, but my kryptonite...

... tortilla chips and salsa.

It got fully activated over the weekend.

Time to get back on the system.

---

166
8 hours
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit + extra pullups and pushups
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

A GOOD GRAVEL RIDE AROUND HERE is going to include some road, some dirt road, some doubletrack...

... and a tiny bit of treachery.

Kevin came close to a major mishap.

It was my fault.

Not guiding us down the narrow
singletrack on side of a small cliff,
or the sharp rocks at the bottom...

... that's normal.

I should have told the guys to give me some space.

Instead, I slammed on the brakes to walk over the unridable.
Charlie slammed harder.
Kevin rolled off the side...

... it could have been so much worse.

Luckily, he landed on the thick green bushes,
not on the backbreaking,
helmet shattering,
rocks.

But, there's a second lesson...

... one you need to know about.

He told us he'd purchased some Shimano "compatible" cleats, and turns out...

... they are compatible,
not identical.

Meaning, they don't release anywhere near as well as the o.e.m. cleats.

A lot of us buy from companies promising...

• compatible
• just like
• just as good
• we make the big brands products, too

... it usually works out okay.

Personally, I'll pay a few extra bucks to

... save the emotional energy of wondering if my gear will deliver,
when the stakes are high. 

---

164
8 hours
push ups pull ups 
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

THERE ARE A TON OF WAYS TO GET FASTER.  I've done most of them, and they all cost time and money.  Mainly money, often lots of it.  But, every upgrade, every gizmo, every coach we hire pales in comparison...

... to this free upgrade.

For most of us.

Some, a few, are already there.

Here's the thing... and try not to kill the messenger on this, okay?

We don't do it.
Don't do it full out.
Don't own it like we should.

It's FREE.

Maybe that's why?

No.

It requires a reframing for a few things in our brain.

When we do that, it's easy to access all the amazing free speed.

Replace this...

I could never forego eating sugar and bread, drinking soda and alcohol.  It's too big of a sacrifice to give up.

With this...

I'm an athlete and would never sacrifice my health for poisons like sugar, bread, soda and alcohol.

The result?

Free speed by

• Being much leaner
• Sleeping much better
• Functioning at a much higher level.
• and, more.

I didn't say it would be easy...

... oh, wait I did.

We just need to reframe how we see ourselves...

... we are athletes.

If you don't hate me enough already for treading on our sacred poisons...

... do this:

• Find a mirror
• Take off your clothes - all of them

Take a look and if the answer is...

... Pretty good, a blind man would like to see that...

... then, take another look at that reframe. 

I'm an athlete and would never sacrifice my health for poisons like sugar, bread, soda and alcohol.

---

I far from perfect...

... just an athlete doin' his best.

---

If you're just dying to tell me what an idiot I am for such sacrilege Click Here.

---

163.8
7ish hours
push ups pull ups 
20 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling 

ALTHOUGH I'VE BEEN AN AVID CYCLIST for many years, I haven't always been this focused or committed.  Part of that was busy times raising family, getting career going...

... part of it was something else.

There's a pattern,
do you see it?

Boredom from road racing,
led to crits.

Boredom for business park crits,
led to MTB.

Boredom from MTB racing,
led to SuperD.

Boredom from SuperD,
let to motorcycles.

Boredom from not racing bicycles,
got me back into road.

Boredom from road,
back into XC.

Boredom from XC,
into gravel.

When we get bored the passion dies.

Here are some ideas:

• Try a new discipline
• Go to races in faraway places
• Make a public declaration of our goal
• Take chances on new tactics
• Test new positions

And so on.

Here's the dealio on that...

... most of us would rather let the passion die
vs. risk embarrassment of failure.

Now you do:

• Marriage
• Family
• Career
• Books
• Diet
• God

Enjoy the weekend...

... be spontaneous.

(I'm going to Taylor Swift movie with Surfergirl.)

---

162.8
7 hours
push ups pull ups squats nordics
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

OKAY, IT'S GETTING COLD and we have a few choices we'll want to make, but for most of us it's really two decisions.  We can ride early, we can ride late, we can ride indoors or outdoors...

... we just have to decide.

Wanting isn't enough.

Last night, I left as the sun was setting and rode into the night.  Now the problem with that is...

... it just keeps getting colder.

Tuesday, I left at sunrise and rode into the morning, which is nice...

... because it keeps getting warmer.

If it's really cold,
most of us go inside.

Those are a few of the choices we might want to do, but like I said...

... wanting isn't enough.

Wanting doesn't...

• get us out from under the covers
• get us out the door when it's dark
• get us on our bikes or in the gym

... deciding does.

Wanters,
want.

Deciders,
do.

Oh, the two choices I mentioned...

• pull on the bibs
• zip up the jersey

... it's easy to get out on the bike from there.

---

162.7
7 hours
push ups pull ups squats nordics
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

ONCE YOU FIGURE THIS OUT, things become a lot easier.  The problem is most of us don't, and those who do...

... don't like the reality.

We, me, crowned the great Ken L. as the most improved rider on our local legrippinglungsearing group ride.

It wasn't hard.
He's been killing it all year.

But, it wasn't always that way. 

For years, he was like most of us...

... pack fodder.

Then something clicked, 
and he became a slayer.

Which brings up my point.

It doesn't take that long to change the way things are...

... once we decide to make a change.

---

163.8
8 hours
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

TODAY WAS THE DAY so many of us targeted to crush our local ride, the annual unOFFICIAL Tuesday Morning World Championships.  We fondly refer to it as Just a social ride...

... but, not today.

We rolled on time, 630am.

Normally, it's a gaggle of geese the first few miles...

... but, not today.

Previous winner, Nick Bishop, lit it up asap.

Normally, it's 25-30 stalwarts...

... but, not today.

Doubled out numbers.

Normally, the pace is consistent...

... but, not today.

Jumpysurgy.

Nothing was normal today, which makes it extra

• fun
• fast
• frenemyish

We hit a few timely lights, keeping us mostly in tact until the transition to the El Toro Bike Trail.

• 7 miles,
• no lights,
• no stop signs,
• lots of power climbing.

Normally, we are pretty burnt at this point...

... but, not today.

Which could only mean one thing...

... something abnormal was on the menu.

In the entire history of all the unOFFICIAL showdowns only 2 people have managed to...

... breakaway and stay away.

The great

• Robert Freeman broke away on the bike trail
• Bret Bylund went in the first mile

We'd already seen Nick take a swing at Bret's move...

... would someone be gutsy enough to try Robert's move?

Yes!

Young Rayan.

He goes when we first hit the trail.

I'm thinking, dang, wish he hadn't done that now I have to suffer.

We pull him back,
I suffer.

Within 60 seconds he goes again,
and is gone.

The gap keeps growing and growing.

Now I'm thinking, go Rayun go!!!!

I love this.

Few try it during the year,
nobody makes it,
hardly ever.

The pace lifts, and I know the 4ish minute power climb is gunna hurt.

It does.

Not enough for me to get a PR,
because I was dropped...

... still, faster than I'd gone all year.

Would young Rayun make it?

The leaders were over the top,
our second group not far back.

I thought we might catch.

Got close.

Then, the final corkscrew and finishing straight aptly named...

... Robert's Rage (and Robot's wheelsucking revenge)

Where the great, 2019 Champ, John Janneck flew outta the pack...

... caught young Rayun at the line.

So, epic.
So, valiant.

Congrats to the winners...

• Lori Hoechlin - Ladies
• Issac Gould - U20
• John Janneck - U35
• Matthew Rhodes - U50
• Ken Lynch - U65 (most improved rider of the year)
• Mark Christopherson - U100

... much thanks to all who participated in the 2023 unOFFICIAL TMWC.

If you're digging the kit, you can save 20%...

... with this promo code: TMWC2023

---

165.1 <- that didn't help
6.5 hours <- nor that
Push Ups Pull Ups Squats Nordic Curls
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

IF IT'S WORTH DOING, it's worth putting on the calendar. Things will come up, adjustments will have to be made.  It’s a lot easier to manage the unknown...

... when we have a plan.

Here's how I work my plan.

In this order:

1. Get a giant calendar.
2. Hang it somewhere to see it daily.
3. Fill in date nights, and getaway weekends.
4. Add important family and friends’ dates.
5. Block out birthdays and anniversaries.
6. Gather all known, immovable work dates.
7. Add all races of interest.

Do this in ball point pen, write lightly.

Then, I think about what I want to accomplish as an athlete…

… what 1 or 2, possibly 3, ‘A’ event(s) would be really fun to prepare for.

When I’m ready, after conferring with family, partners, etc… I’ll commit to the ‘A’ events.

In Sharpie, I’ll highlight

• Key events I plan to do
• Outlining the days or weekends
• The event name on the day it occurs.

The secret is to put in the stuff that really matters first...

... then everybody is on board with my one or two 'A' races.

Yeah, I still race a lot.

But, who cares of I miss a 'B' race,
if I'm not in tiptop shape?

Not me.
Not those that matter in my life.

Be true, 
and rip!

---

165.1 (uh oh)
9 hours 
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

WELL, IT' HAPPENED AGAIN.  Even though we've voted it down, we are back on standard time which means...

... we have a whole lot more morning light.

If you wake up early enough,
which you will do automatically,
for the next day or 2.

For me, that presents a challenge.

The last few years, I've found I'm significantly more productive if I work first, then go out for an afternoon/evening ride.

The problem occurs, when the day is jam packed and I can't get out to ride until 5 or 6.

It's dark,
I need lights.

It's cold,
and will get colder.

Not ideal,
especially offroad...

... it can get a little creepy riding alone.

I don't know about you, 
but it's really easy to cut the ride short, or skip it,
under those conditions.

I'm going to give the 5 hour workday another go.  The idea, set forth in the book of the same name, is to get in and grind hard from 8-1.  

No interruptions.
No breaks.
No food.

For me, that's probably not enough time to get it all done, but...

... it is enough to do the deep work.

Take a break.

Go back and do the meeting, managing stuff.

I'll need to get up no later than 530am to be locked and loaded to go to work.  That is enough time to do the spiritual, mental, journaling stuff. Plus, the Rip On RaceDay workout. And, breakfast.

The key, of course, is to push all meetings out to 3-7pm.

I've tried this before, 
and eventually I adjust to the time change and 530 becomes really early.

Not tomorrow.

Let's see how long it lasts.

---

164.2
8 hours 
No weights
20 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling 

FIGHTERS HAVE THEIR ENTRANCE SONGS, stadiums blare fight songs, civil war regiments went to battle with field bands...

... they all have a purpose.

To send a signal.

The signal,
is to our brains
that it's time to rumble.

One of my favorite pre-race jams has no lyrics,
and sounds so menacing and raw,
it was banned from radio in '58.

Don't ya just wanna feel that way some times...

... that your training and focus is so obviously excellent,
without you saying a word...

... your competitors want you banned?

Crank up the volume -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFCpUZVyXgg 

---

163.8
8 hours 
No weights
10 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling 

TODAY WAS THE FINAL NOSCO RIDE.  It was my 3rd time doing this brutally hard charity commemorating Mike Nosco, who lost his life riding his bike.  Jack, his brother has...

... brought us one of the toughest and most beautiful "rides" for 15 years.

Like all great "rides", it's very friendly at the start,
somewhat friendly along the way,
horrendous and competitive,
and friendly at the finish.

There is never a winner, 
because it's a "ride".

Then why all the battling,
deep digging,
suffering?

Because it's a "ride" with 500 other fit athletes,
most of whom are friends...

... and we all know how that will break down civilized society,
any and all determination to take it easy.

That pic up there is proof, after .5 miles... 

... I"m off the back of the "ride" with my friends.

It got worse from there, as I fumbled with my phone, and tried to wolf down a waffle.

The few miles I spent pinned,
taking all kinds of risks...

... to catch my friends.

We'd all committed to "ride" together.

How bad was it?

Well, this bad...

Which led to this...

... which is pretty good, 
since we were just out for a "ride".

Of course, since we weren't racing,
and it was a charity "ride",
there was only...

... one metric that mattered.

You know the one, right?

I mean, who the heck cares if you get some lame trinket,
a whole slew of PRs on Starva,
or even a big boy cup?

All anybody cares about on any "ride" is...

... did I beat my friends?

To my left, my cousin Todd,
in front of me, my pal Todd,
to my right, my pal Tod (the cooler spelling).

---

163ish - no scale today
6.5 hours - not enough
No weights
0 minutes recovery
0 minutes reading + Journaling 

THE FIRE TO CRUSH IT TOMORROW is out.  Just a pile of ashes with some lingering smoke.  It was a hot one for sure, starting small and burning a searing blaze for months...

... it was fun while it lasted.

No doubt, when I wake up and see 800 maniacs toe the line for the Nosco Ride...

... the embers will flare up for a bit.

That's not important.

What's important is to realize now is the time to merely think about how good that fire was, relive the memories.

In the coming weeks, I'll start to gather kindling...

... by laying base miles while riding aimlessly.

Once kindling is collected, I'll gather smaller logs to stack on top, creating a wide base on which to build...

... by doing fast group rides and a few 'C' races.

As I get closer to the 'A' races next Spring, the big logs will be added...

... by rocking the hardest group rides, and a few 'B' races.

With that powerful pyramid stacked solidly high, I'll add newspaper and gasoline...

... by tapering.

The day before the 'A' race, I'll grab the torch and aim it towards my massive bonfire in waiting...

... by doing some righteous openers.

Come morning...

... I'll blaze that first 'A' race course.

For now though, it's time to enjoy the memories...

... and let the remaining embers flare up from time to time.

---

163.8
7.5 hours
Push Ups Pull Ups Squats Nordic Curls
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

WE'RE ENTERING THE SILLY SEASON when so many bets are off.  Not all, but most riders and racers completely lose their minds in the next 60ish days...

... and it starts with Halloween.

Of all the things I have in common with Surfergirl, this is one of my favorites...

... our love for the 100 Grand bar.

Before I get into the trick of beating sugar down and...

... laying waste to the cravings that derailleured my fitness year after year...

... I'll show you some proof that we are being conspired against.

In my inbox this morning was a seemingly innocuous email from an internationally famous event, putting forth their sponsor's message...

... one of my all time favorite examples of garbage thinking.

Off-Season Weight Training

This is just the kind of thinking that has, is, and will continue to ruin many an athlete.

Utternonesense!

And, it is evily timed with the aforementioned silly season.

The very idea of momentarily suspending our efforts as athletes with Off-Season...

... is a signal to our helmetprotected gray matter that we can ease off our athletic life.

We can,
and we can't.

We can back down the miles,
ease off the intensity...

... but, I say Every Day Is RaceDay for a reason.

Because the days stack.

We, you and me, don't lift weights seasonally...

... who wants to limit strength to the times we aren't racing?

We lift year round.

Which brings me back to the 100 Grand mistake.

I had one mini 100 Grand bar last night,
begged it from the neighbor kid,
and loved it.

Because I have been off sugary poisons for so long the pleasure was soon gone and forgotten.

However...

... if I'd followed my tastybuds initial dance with joy,
I would have had at least 5 or 10 more.

I would have gone to our kids today, to raid the grandbabies supply...

... which is exactly what I did when our own children were little and left for school the following day.

Can't let 'em eat all that candy,
can't throw it away either,
better eat it.

Sugar addiction fully reactivated and in control,
I'd steamroll with gusto into Thanksgiving,
hamnering hard at all Holiday parties.

I'd pack on 5,10, 15 pounds by January 1st...

... soothing myself with the the stupidity of it's off-season.

Don't do it.
Be strong.

Let the mothersinlaw, cousins, spouses, neighbors, children, parents, friends...

... mock us all they want.

As the great Eric Liddell said...

... God made me fast.  And when I run, I feel his pleasure.

---

164
8 hours
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

WE'RE A QUARTER OF THE WAY into our 10th year in business.  It's hard to believe.  Not that we've made it this long...

... how fast time is passing.

Why are we still here?

• The initial drive to make kits?
• The invention of the RaceDay Bag™?
• My passion for helping people Rip On RaceDay?

Maybe.

It hasn't all been roses.

• The effort to develop HUNKR, hundred kilometer bike races was a massive fail.
• Covid, while the bike industry exploded, nearly killed us.
• I opened a retail outlet, and closed it 30 months.
• I've built and rebuilt the design team three different times.

In a race, when things don't go well... 

... it's easy to quit.

We see our plans and dreams disappear in a cloud of dust or runaway peloton.

It sucks...

... the life out of us.

Maybe it's early in the race, and the thought of all that prep going to waste is infuriating.

Or late, the final miles, and there's so little left in our reserves.

We have one choice.

Quit,
or persevere.

If you're like me, and I'm pretty dern sure you are...

... persevere is the only response we know.

We lick our wounds,
and pedal on.

But, why?

For me, it's just a question of confidence.

I believe, whatever has gone wrong can be remedied and I can get going again...

... worst case, I'll learn something very valuable for the next race.

And, I think that pretty much sums up PEDALindustries. 

Everything we make and do is designed with one thing in mind...

... will this give you, and me, more confidence for the next race.

What do good parents do...

... provide confidence.

What's the best thing we can offer a friend in need...

... provide confidence.

What is the overarching mission of most religions...

... provide confidence.

What do good books or other learning offer us...

... provide confidence.

What is the result of being in shape on and off the bike...

... provide confidence.

I believe in you,
and feel honored for your belief in us.

---

163.8
6ish hrs (rough night for some reason)
Push Ups and Pull Ups
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.  Someone's gone mad.  Could it really be true?  Nah, can't be. They said it could never happen, but it finally did...

... USA Cycling put out a calendar for the upcoming year.

In October!

Can't tell ya how many times I've had to juggle and replan and straight up cancel my A race plans because the local UCI concession has waited well into the calendar year to post dates.

You say you don't care,
you're never going to nationals.

I say,
it matters.

Going or not.

If these clowns (too harsh?) can start posting their calendar early, all promoters will soon follow suit.

In fact, many already have.

They want our dollars.
We want their experiences and challenges.

The only way to make that exchange work is to allow people to plan.

Which reminds me of my longlostfriend Pete W., an original founder of Quiksilver and member of the Coffee Crew, who said...

The most successful people I know are planning their calendars not 1, not 3, but 5 and 10 years out.

Now, why would do ya think they do that?

---

161.8
8ish hrs
No Strength training today - race tomorrow
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

THE TEAMS AND RACERS are up in arms about 1 (one) gravel stage at next summers Tour de France.  Why not?  It's not like we want to see the best bike racer in the world...

... well, I do.

I sent my top spy to determine what all the fuss is about by interviewing an unnamed source.

What do you think about the gravel stage?

It's terrible.

Why?

Well, anything could go wrong.

Didn't a Tour de France stage winner just dominate and win the Grave World Championships, having never raced on gravel?

Yeah.

So, what's the problem?

Well, it's not fair.

How so?

Well, it's so dangerous.

More than sprinting bar to bar, through turns, at 40+ miles per hour?

No, not that.

More than bombing down the side of a mountain on a narrow road with zero protection and the potential of plunging to your death?

No, not that either.

More than charging through downtown streets, turn after turn, after a fresh rain?

Uh, nope?

More than racing across sections of Parix-Roubaix cobble stone?

I don't think even close to that.

You know it's only 19 miles of a 120 mile single stage right?

Oh, no, I guess I didn't know that.

Think you can handle it then?

Uhhhhh....

See what I mean, it's hard not to think of these guys as pansies sometimes...

... even though they are clearly insanely talented, and take outrageous risks.

What they are really saying is they aren't sure how it will turn out because it's new and different and could cause some chaos for the GC riders.

Guess what,
Buttercup?

None of us are sure tomorrow will turn out...

... we get up,
put on our pants,
and go to work hoping for the best.

---

Personally, I think this stage will be a lot of fun to watch.  I hope a true slayer of all types of terrain like Pidcock or Van der Poel or Van Aert crushes it... 

... in fact, those 3 racers in a crushing break up the road would be epicality.

Let's all hope for that.

---

161.8
9 hrs
No Strength training today 
20 minutes recovery
180 minutes reading + Journaling 

HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WAS A HARD RACE? It could be that I'm still super dehydrated, and not really hungry.  That's common, this is novel: struggling to control the van's accelerator pedal on the way home...

... my shin was cramping so hard.

The promoter likes to start the gentlemanly riders after the Sport categories.

So, I pinned it from the gun and knocked nearly a minute off my previous PR, while...

... passing as many slower Sport riders before the single track.

I blew up our group and myself.

What can I say,
it felt good.

Me and my 2 frenemies, Bob and Todd, had a nice pace line.

I thought we were gone.

10 minutes later, the great Reggie Miller somehow latches on outta nowhere...

... what the?

I was so stoked for him.  He has worked so hard to get good at this sport and he was on point.  Really charging.

Super cool.

A fluke sidelined the tall guy when he sliced a side wall,
and lost 20 minutes.

Bummer.

At this point, Bob gapped us and Todd wouldn't pull through.

Teammates.
Can't blame 'em.

I was still feeling okay, but I could tell the legs were not battle hardened and I had to ride conservatively.

At which point, Todd floated up a hill and bridged up to Bob.

There is a real sense of luck when starting behind 300 sport riders.  Sometimes you get a clean line through single track and sometimes you don't.

I did.
They didn't.
We were all together again.

It was brief.

Things got steep, 
I got gapped.

It would have been easy for me to push too hard and stick with those guys.  I didn't.  Instead, I stayed right at the limit and banked on my descending skills to catch back up, which mostly worked.

I could see Todd, when I reconnected with Bob.

We rolled up on my pal Chris, who started with Experts.  Normally, he throttles me, but he has taken some time off this year.

Jump on my wheel, Todd is just ahead.

Ok.

We can see Todd.

About then, freakin' Eric comes outta nowhere and blows by all of us.

Dang!

I got nothing.
Bob has less.

The last 20 miles was largely suffering,
cramps coming on and off,
power output dropping.

What could I have done different for this race?

Not much.

It's been a long year, and I've been dialing back the training and intensity.

The bike worked perfect.

I slept ok, not great,
which is unusual when I'm in the van.

I consumed 315 grams of carbohydrates,
coulda used 40 more to stay on 100/hour. 

My strategy of going out hard at the start might not have been the best,
but, like I said...

... I felt good, and it was fun to control the pace.

When we got back to the Finish, I was able to connect with a bunch of my friends who I don't see often enough, as well as some Strava friends who I'd never met.

Our podium was filled with people I know and admire for the lives they lead.

Eric, won.
Todd, just behind.
Me, not just behind Todd.
Rob, rode super strong finished right behind me.
Bob, battled through some physical challenges that started a week ago.

Overall, I'd call today a 10.

PS... look at that pic, can ya believe we're all over 55, one dude is in his 60s... It's crazy if you compare us (and you're included) to our peers.

Keep riding my friends.
And do you pull ups and push ups.

---

162ish?
6.5 hrs
No Strength training today - race
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

IT'S COMMON KNOWLEDGE cyclists are super strong forwards and backwards, and weak as a salt cratered aluminum Fischer Hoo Koo Ekoo from the 90's when it comes to...

... side to side strength.

What can we do about that?

A lot.

Here are a few things I do in purpose, and one that seems to be reaping big benefits:

• Mix in side to side shuffles during light jogging
• Stand up paddle boarding
• Jumping jacks

Not the gnarliest of lateral strength building exercises but, not nothing.

Since I've done those things for a long time, I have to conclude that it was adding the...

... Bulgarian split squats which gave my knees all kinds of stability.

How do I know?

This is real sciency stuff.

While doing a towel change at the beach yesterday I noticed I wasn't wobbling and hopping all around like normal.  I was much more planted and steady.

Then, I noticed it again when putting my socks on while standing up.

Is this proof?

No.

Why did I switch to this style of squatting from what I was doing before?

For the simple fact...

... I have reduced the strain on my back by 50%.

Also, they can be done with simple dumbbells.

They are super awkward at first and you'll be wobbling all over the place...

... then you'll be stronger.

According to my bro-science.

---

161.8
8ish hrs
No Strength training today - race tomorrow
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

WE'RE THINKING OF GETTING OUR 13 YEAR OLD a coach.  So began a recent email asking for my thoughts.  The short answer is Yes.  But, Maybe is the...

... longer more thoughtful answer.

Coaches can be awesome when the timing is right.

Growing up, I had a tennis coach.  Trust me, I needed all the help I could get.  I was weak, undersized, and slow.  The only chance I had was...

... improving my skills.

Our kids had coaches...

• Swim
• Track
• Dance

... as part of the teams they were on.

When they were small, I found it almost impossible to teach them how to ski and snowboard. I was proficient, yet clueless as to how to transfer the knowledge to a young child.

They did ski school, and I got in a few runs on my own.  Win, win.

When we picked up motorcycles, my pal Larry knew everything and was very patient with us.

Coaches can...

• speed up the learning process
• teach proper technique
• help avoid injury

But, with this caveat...

... the kids love it, and want to improve.

Things can go off the rails quickly if...

• our kids aren't totally into it
• are being pushed too hard
• are doing it to please us

... I did the tennis thing, to please my mom's boyfriend.  He loved me, I loved him.  I didn't love tennis and never played after high school.  It wasn't my passion, it was his and it gave us something to do and I loved him for it.

Did it matter that I never played again?

A little, because it was something we could bond over.

What we don't want, ever, is to get so wrapped up in our child's success that our passion overshadows our child's well-being.  We see this sometimes, parents living through their children.  It ain't right.

When our oldest got into road racing, we got him a coach.  

She was perfect.

• Fun, crazy, inspiring.  
• Set up his training program
• Helped him see what he was capable of

This time was, without a doubt, the most fun I've ever had training. We spent many awesome hours on the bike together talking about life and racing.

Final answer...

... if the kid loves it, do it.

Get a coach who is talented and knows how to have fun, with the goal to improve and be good at something

Remember, PRs > KOMs...

... and be prepared to get smoked, I loved that part the most.

---

162.5
8ish hrs
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

THE SUN WASN'T UP YET.  Soon the sky would begin to lighten, imperceptibly. For me, it was another reminder of...

... how long it's taken to figure much of this sport out.

It wasn't over night,
not a flash of inspiration...

... it has been pedal stroke after pedal stroke.

For example, in the early days of my fascination with really long distance racing, like Leadville 100, I battled mightily with debilitating cramps.

On raceday, I'd line up with fear knowing how much I'd soon be suffering.

I'd mark the hours, not so much the miles, counting them and pushing the dreaded pain as far into the race as possible.

From the anticipation of the day, to the passing hours, when they hit, and they always did, I'd be in the moment...

... just get me over this little hill, through the next mile, one more stamp on the pedal.

I learned to suffer, and that suffering could be dealt with and pushed through.

That's how it's been for me.

From leading all the way until 500 meters to go, and getting smoked in the sprint...

... to learning how to position myself for efficiency, 
and occasionally be the last one to lead the race.

From blowing up my weight with each pregnancy (sympathy weight?) and overall neglect of my health...

... to chiseling it off, one pound at a time, over several years.

From busting chains and getting countless flats...

... to learning proper bike prep for racing.

Just like the lightening sky...

... light and knowledge come one mile upon mile.

Or, as the great Ringo Starr sang...

... You gotta pay your dues if you want to sing the blues.

---

164.2
8 hrs
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling 

WE HAVE THIS WEIRD THING HAPPENING on one of our group rides.  It can be frustrating for some.  Not unique, just what happens...

... and I think we could do better.

It occurs over time, as riders figure out who's who,
and what they can each do.

Here's what happens, a few strong riders lift the pace of the group and it's game on.

• Cloggers float to the front, but never get there
• Hangerson stay at the back
• Savages just wheelsucking

The cloggers not pulling through, makes it difficult for capable riders to get into the action.

I'd refer to the Hangerson as Wheelsuckers, however, in this case they are often doing all they can do just to stay in the draft.

There is plenty of wheelsuckery going on as well...

... and some of these cats are savages.

Sucking
and sucking
and sucking some more...

... until, dropping all but the verymoststrongest of riders.

I say it's not unique, because it's just how life plays out.

Some are willing to risk taking the lead,
though failure is possible, even likely.

Some sit by and watch the leaders,
clogging the opporunities.

Some are hanging around,
just happy to be there.

Some let others do all the work,
then take the glory.

I say it's weird, because it's a training ride.  We are all there to get in a great workout and try new tactics that we might use in racing.

Racing is totally different,
that is when we all need to be savage.

Not judging,
just observing,
and doing my derndest to lead when I can.

---

165
6.8 hrs
Pull Ups, Push Ups, Squats, Nordic Curls
20 minutes recovery
45 minutes reading + Journaling 

AFTER TRAVELING TO UTAH AND BACK, it was time to get back on the routine; which meant it was time to do the strength work.  Four days had passed...

... and I felt it.

Oh, how I hate
lifting weight.

The inertia required to make that first move is astounding.  
I didn't feel fresh,
I felt weak.

No wonder so few endurance athletes spend time doing resistance exercise.

It sucks,
compared to the joy of moving fast.

So, why do I do it?

Before I share that, the how might just be more important for you.

I lift weights daily.

Rarely does a day pass that I don't do the bare minimum - squats, nordic curls, pull ups, push ups.

The routine makes it easy.
For me, the weights come right after
the hour I dedicate to warming up my brain and soul.

The routine makes it safe.
No more sore or pulled muscles,
it's just normal everyday movement.

The routine makes it fast.
I get 8 moves done at home,
in a fifteen to twenty minute workout.

But, why do it?

Because it has revolutionized my pedal stroke,
improved my posture and bone density...

... I'm faster and more competent.

So, I pull on my socks, 
put on my shoes...

... and get after it.

It's routine.

---

162.3
8ish hrs
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

HOW FAR OUT SHOULD WE START TRAINING for the next 'A' race?  It's a good question, with several things to consider.  Regardless of the variables...

... there are two answers.

Before we get to the correct answer, we have to consider:

• When is the next 'A' race?
• How important is it?

For example, my friend is an Olympian.  He was limited to competing once every 4 years...

... there was nothing else that mattered to him.

It took him 14 years to qualify,
and, when he got there,
win 2 gold medals.

We are no different.

If that 'A' race is next spring, or in a couple of years, to be our best we should have...

... started years ago.

The next best time...

... is now.

---

162.7
7ish hrs
No strength training
0 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling 

I WAS TRYING TO REMEMBER the first time I felt competitive.  Not the feeling of having a chance to win.  The one before that, of...

... wanting to win.

Not, the 
Oh, look I won a prize kinda win.
Or the,
I beat grampa at cards kind either.

The other one,
the one for killers.

It was about the time I started playing tennis,
but, if didn't originate during those slow paced matches on the court.

I think I gor my first taste in 4th grade,
when the O'Malley twins pinned me down after school and pummeled me...

... just for fun.

I didn't think it was fun,
it hurt, and I cried as I walked home alone,
but, I was sure I'd be on the giving end next time.

I had to wait 2 years, 
the 6th grade bmx shootout.

It was essentially an enduro race...

Starting at the top of a mile long city park,
launching on massive jumps we built,
over a huge, thickly cut grass field,
across a major thoroughfare (so dumb),
snaking through the junior high
sprinting onto the football field,
finishing on a giant double jump

... it was there that I learned to flip the switch.

I wanted that win so bad,

to beat my friends...

... to pay back the humiliations of being bullied,
the frustrations of my parents failed marriage,
of sucking all ball and stick sports.

I learned to put my elbows out,
to win.

It felt good.

So, when I saw the amazingly talented high schoolers battle it today, giving it all they had and not winning, but crying...

... I understood.

Sometimes, we just need a win.

It's okay to cry when the shift hits the fan.
It's okay to care about winning,
it's a life skill we need...

... to survive.

Those who learn it, will be fine,
those who master what it means to win...

... will master life.

---

163
7.5 hrs
No strength training
0 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

I'D HEARD ABOUT IT, and looked forward to seeing it in person.  The race director had kindly nudged and nudged and nudged me, until I drove

... 500 miles to see it for myself.

A miracle?

Close.

Why?

Because of this people.

How do you gather two thousand five hundred teenage racers, plus their coaches, family and friends in the foothills...

... for a mountain bike race?

Love.

Love for riding mountain bikes,
Love the kids who are racing
their hearts out,

Love for the volunteers...

... thousands of them.

Then, I pre-rode the 6 mile course.

It was tough.
Rocky.

Uh oh,
maybe they don't love these kids after all?

During practice racers were stacked up waiting to take a crack at the rocky climb.

Following that was some fast, flowy single track,
broken up with sections of razor sharp lava,
followed by low speed, large
granite boulder riding.

Tires would be shredded,
wheels ruined.

The evidence rolled by throughout the day,
plenty of banged up limbs
bikes being pushed...

... nearly all smiles.

A different kind of love,
that of being tested,
showing mastery.

Tough.
Love.

Credit Dallin Atack, the brains behind it all, for making it happen

What did I learn from this?

• Clear vision of what is going to happen
• Plenty of volunteers who care
• Excellent training
• Community

The secret is good feelings for each other.

Teams of 100 or more kids all lined up in neat rows,
lots of chairs and shade to hang out,
plenty of food being cooked.

This isn't just a race,
it's a lifestyle.

And, I love it.

---

163ish
7 hrs 
no strength training
0 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

THERE IS A FEELING that most people never experience.  I had it today.  Many times.  If only we felt this, not just once, but often...

... maybe there'd be a little more hope.

Weightlessness.

Not the kind during an Oh shift! moment.
Or, the butt puckering kind.
The kind that brings joy.

With the proper speed, 
just right amount of lift in the whoops,
we are airborne, flying without a concern in the world.

It's a physical experience,
with a spiritual counterpart.

No matter what kind of pressures
I'm feeling or dealing with...

... they are gone when I'm weightless.

I learned of a tragedy that struck a friends' familiy,
the weight had become too much to handle for a young soul...

... how do we become whoops to those who need to take a load off?

That's not the right question,
everybody needs a whoop from time to time...

... how can we be better whoops to those we love?

---

161.7
6 hrs (early start to UT)
no strength training
0 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

WHAT IF ALL THE TIME WE PUT IN, in the saddle, could be improved by spending a few minutes a day doing mental work?  Would it be worth it?  Would you do it, or...

... are you too headstrong?

Some people are saying...

... If there isn't a scientific study, can't be worthy of my time.

Ok.

But, for those who are open to new ideas...

... I think there are neuromuscular connections we often over look.

For example, pedaling with one leg clipped in using a very easy gear on flat or nearly flat ground will quickly identify any dead spots in our pedal stroke.  If we have one...

... doing that exercise several times a week reaps huge rewards.

There was a time, when I'd do that for the first minute or so of each ride.  30 seconds, each leg.

I've blogged ad nauseam about the amazing results I'm having with these 4 exercises:

• Sled
• Nordic Curls
• Toe Raise
• Calf Raise

And, I can't overemphasize developing the discipline of looking only where you want to go, which I screwed up tonight and followed the wrong line into the bushes - pic above.

Here's the dill, to be head strong...

... we must allow time to do its thing and cement in the good practices.

---

162.3
8 hrs
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME.  D-! athlete decides to get a bike.  Goes for a ride.  Likes it.  Quickly advances to the fast group...

... and burns out.

And, I think I know why.

Maybe.

Today, G, who I met out gravel riding joined our peppy morning ride.
On his gravel bike with big knobbies,
finished with the bunch.

It was his very first group ride,
and this ain't an easy one.

On the way back to the start, he let out that he'd played college sports.

Figures.

What should I do to get faster?

Log a lot of easy miles.

Really, sounds counterintuitive.  That's not how we did things in college, it was hard, hard, then harder.

Yep, my experience is most people ride too hard, so they can never ride truly hard on the hard days.

Was today hard?

Not really.

I'm gonna get a lot faster.

I have no doubt.

High level athletes are very competitive.  
It's in their nature.
Easy to see.

The key is, and I hope I can be helpful, is to make sure it's fun.  That's where the Zone 2, easy riding, comes in.  Sure, there's immense cardiovascular benefits, but I think the mental side is every bit as important.

The advice I gave him, is no different than any other fit athlete

• Ride hard twice a week
• Zone 2 the rest of the days

Those are the big rocks,
we can get a lot more granular.
There's no need now, he's a busy dad and entrepreneur.

All work and no play,
makes Jonny a dull boy.

I'm sure G is going to redrum me soon (see pic above)...

... just hope it goes on for years.

---

162
7 hrs
No strength training
60 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

NOW THAT I'M TRAINING WITH POWER, I find myself shifting gears all the time.  Off road, where the terrain is constantly undulating, is when it happens the most and the new SRAM rear derailleur that can be shifted under a load...

... looks like a great upgrade.

Being in the right gear makes all the difference in the world.

We really see this over time, longer races, where efficiency can put our competitors in our dust, or so far back the dust has settled.

Why shift?

Efficiency.

When to shift? 

When we are bogging down or spinning out.

Apply that everywhere...

The measure of intelligence is the ability to change (shift) - Albert Einstein

If that's true, and I believe it is, and you are feeling bogged down or spun out, then...

... I have 1 question for you.

When are you going to shift?

---

162
9 hrs
No strength training
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

I'VE SAID IT, and I've heard it.  We all have, at one time or another.  Mostly, the sentiments are genuine, logical, sensible.  We want to do something, but we put it off.  It is, after all, ...

... just a bike ride or race.

There will be next year.

That's what these guys said.

MG was hit by a car this week,
he'll be fine, the bike not so much.

AS, went to Xterra Worlds,
got food poising and couldn't start.

WH, made it into Kona,
2 months later diagnosed with cancer.

What if it wasn't a bike race, but...

• A phone call to a dormant friendship
• A conversation to say sorry
• A chance to do good

... someone who needed us?

Last week, I got an amazing meal at Chipotle.  I can be a kinda high maintenance when I order, so I like to go in person.  But, I was pressed for time and ordered online.

Someone made it with passion and care.

I thought I'd try it again the next day, see if the same lady was making magic for the to go orders...

... there she was.

Were you working to go orders yesterday?

Yes.

It was great!

She smiled, I grabbed my food and headed out the door.

Go back and do better.

Huh?

Go back... get your wallet out.

Really?

Really.

Who has cash these days?  Seems I have less and less in my raceday wallet, but the night before I'd been impressed to get some cash when checking out at the grocery store.

Just a $20.

Miss?

Yes.

Thank you.

I have no idea if she needed the cash, I only knew...

... sometimes there isn't another race or ride or opportunity.

---

161.2
6 hrs
No strength training
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

WE ALL KNOW OUR LONGEST RIDE.  Might have been last week, last year or decades ago.  Might have wrecked us, might have opened our eyes.  Bottom line...

... it was memorable.

Epically unforgettable, like it was yesterday.

Part of that, for me, is I couldn't and wouldn't have done any of my longest rides without a friend.

Some one to hatch the plan with,
no matter how stupid it sounds.

My first longest ride was with Tally, my roommate, 6 weeks after purchasing my first road bike.  A 125 mile loop, sunrise to sunset through the mountains of Utah.

30 years later, after much shaming from countless friends who'd done it, my next longest ride was LoToJa.  212 miles, just over 9 hours.

Yesterday was the latest. San Clemente to Big Bear.  After two failed attempts in 2022, we made it:

• 122 miles,
• 15000' of vert,
• over pavement, gravel and single track.  

It started in the dark, (photos below)
a balmy, coastal fall morning.

It ended in the dark.

I'm just gonna say right now, we could easily have died up there.

Sweaty
8000'
35°

But, we didn't.

Josh, Michael and I clocked 14 hours, just under 12 on the bike.
Richard and Terry amazingly finished 3 hours later,
Met at the summit by angels Kevin and Marrissa,
After Kevin's irreparable tire escapade.

Post a hot shower,
Trevor, my son, showed up with hot pizza.
Wrapped in blanket, still shivering I couldn't help but ask...

... Would you do it again?

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.

We could make a few changes...

• Go when the days a longer
• Streamline Doheny to O'Neill a touch
• Skip the extra miles and 1700' of Grafton (I love)
• Get more people for a stronger paceline across the I.E.

Logistically, we nailed it pretty good.

• Stop in Corona at Speedway minimart
• Stop in Redlands at 7-11
• Hamburger and fries at Angelus Oaks. 

Bike choices, it's def a gravel bike ride.

Emergency prep, could have been better:

• Space blanket
• Arm warmers
• Skull cap

 Major mistakes on my part:

• Left my bottles at home, turned around and got 'em
• Left them again at Angelus Oaks, pressed on
• Back up batteries for Wahoo and head light

... yeah, we could change a few things.

But, we can't change this.

We made it,
together...

... and it changed us,
for the better.

---

A few stats:

• 300+ calories/hour, mostly carbs
• Average power 179
• Average HR 129

Terry got a "lift" back to OC from Richard.

 ---

Targeting 6.14.24... put it on your calendar

---

161.3
6.5 hrs
No strength training
0 minutes recovery
0 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

SIX OF US GATHERED FOR DINNER.  Introductions were made, and I fully expect the niceties of the evening to deepen into bonds of friendship, doing...

... a ride that's never been will do that.

We've got a solid plan, a good route, above average fitness.

But, as the great Mike Tyson said...

... Everybody has a plan until the get punched in the mouth.

I try to think of all the potential punches...

• Flats
• Broken chains
• Dead batteries
• Distracted drivers
• Inclement weather

Over this terrain, anything is possible.

130 miles.
15,000' of climbing.
Road, gravel, single track.

The most likely, of course, is bonking.

We're all fit enough to do it...

... are we wise enough to fuel it?

---

160.3
7.5 hrs
No strength training
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

PROS HAVE ALL THE KNOWLEDGE and rarely share it during their careers.  If they do, it often lacks relatable context. But, sometimes they drop gold...

... like the famous Eddy Merckx method.

Eddy, how do you dominate every race you enter?

Piles of miles.

The follow up question I would have asked...

... How does that work?

Here are some reasons why piles of miles create smiles.

Implicit in Eddy's quip is repetition.
Repetition makes hard look easy...

.. because our skills increase with more reps.

Where a novice struggles with...

• bonking
• a paceline
• a smooth pedal stroke
• cleaning a techy single track
• carve a swooping turn at max speed

... an experienced racer does it all with ease and grace.

It's not so much genetics,
or being lucky...

... as the reps.

Overtime, it's practically a lock we will become proficient.
Even, expert.

Then there's the endurance component.

If we are riding piles of miles, we can't be full out day after day.  That would lead to burnout, and massive fatigue...

... intensity just isn't sustainable in large quantities.

However, we can ride what we moderns call Zone 2.

According to Stephen Seiler, Inigo San Millan and other cutting edge thinkers, we can ride Zone 2 almost endlessly...

... and continue to see gains.

And there's a bonus,
when the opportunity arises,
we can easily ride almost any distance.

Because we've put in the time,
piles of miles,
the reps.

---

160.7
7.75 hrs
Push Ups, Pull Ups, Squats, Nordic Curls
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

IN THE QUEST FOR MAXIMUM FITNESS, it's easy to look for the quick fix.  The hack.  My pal recently sauntered down this path, and...

... he has transformed his body.

He no longer giggles when he walks,
he's skinny fat.

And, that's a problem.

Not because he has lost a few chins...

... because he is weaker than before,
lost so much muscle.

We don't want to get there,
we run from such evil...

... we want to increase our power to weight ratio.

Where did he go wrong?

It wasn't the magic pill that fooled my pal into eating less,
or the serious surgery others opt for,
those can be a good jump start,
it is the intoxicating effects....

... You weigh less. Yippee! Hoorah! You made it!

Lies.

What would have been significantly better, and be absolutely amazing, is if someone came up with a pill to reframe his thinking...

... I'm an athlete.  I fuel my body with sufficient good food and lift weights, to be hella strong!

Which is why you're reading this...

... your daily dose of reframing.

---

162.7
8.5 hrs
1 RaceDay Ready Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

IT'S NOT EVERYDAY I get an insane compliment like this.  We'd just finished the weekly showdown.  It was a rough one, and I finished 3rd.  Rare for me...

... and here came the insanity.

Dude rides up to me and pinches my skin,
just above my bent knee,
legs loaded with blood.

Your skin is tight.

Yeah...

You're on testosterone.

Really?

Oh, for sure.

Your background in software sales has come up with this analysis?

Funny.

Well, do explain.

That's the sign, tight skin.

Really, you actually believe that?

Yep.

Ok, let's take a test and find out.  I'll pay you $1000 if you're right and you pay me $1000 if you're wrong.

Uh....

End of conversation.

How insane is that experience/compliment?
Who does that????

I'm riding fast,
eating a ton of protein,
adding collagen to my diet,
and lifting weights almost daily...

... so good they think I'm doping.

LOL

I wish he would have taken me up on the bet, 
I could use some Christmas money.

Side Note:  A dear friend got into body building late in life and slid down the doctor enhanced slope...  

... He died two years ago from breast cancer.

... stay away from that $#!7!

Bonus Side Note:  I'm open book, if want to know exactly what I'm doing and ask me anything, click here: 

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/30-day-rip-on-raceday-transformation

Double Bonus: Yes, that is my "tight" skin up there, 8 hours after the most awesome compliment ever... click that link if you want to be so good they call you fake. 

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/30-day-rip-on-raceday-transformation

---

163
7ish hrs
1 RaceDay Ready Circuit
20 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

ON SATURDAY, 10.14, WE ARE RIDING THE SURF N SUMMIT.  It's not too late for you to join us.  In redoing the routes, I noticed some really good news...

... it's less than 100 miles.

I mean anybody can do that, right?

Just eat enough.

Well....

50% of it is off-road,
some it single track.

And... 

There is some climbing,
4600' on the first 38 miles,
and a mere 9000', after that.

Don't forget...

It's gonna be hottish,
in the 80s,
no shade.

Bottom line is, we've attempted this twice and been foiled each time due to insane weather.

How have I prepared?

Lots of Zone 2 miles.

What will I eat?

Honey Stinger Waffles and Costco Crepes.

What will I drink?

Carborocket 'till I run out, then Gatorade.

Any other nutrition?

I love Salt Tabs.
Whatever I can score at a minimart.

Gear?

Lights for the 530am start, hopefully not needed for the finish.
Bug netting for my helmet.
KOM jacket.

Who's going?

The few, the brave, the nutty.

Who's finishing?

All of us...

... it's only 98 miles.

Wanna go? Click Here.

---

164
8ish hrs
1 RaceDay Ready Circuit
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

WE HAVE THE ANSWER for rapid improvement.  It's guaranteed to work.  We can show you exactly what to do, but there's a hitch...

... we can't do it for you.

All you have to do is take 2 elements,
add them together,
and get results.

First, FAITH.

Have faith that your plan will work,
and that you can accomplish your dream.

Second, LOVE.

Do it,
because you love it.

Improve it,
because you love it.

Share it with others,
because you love seeing them enjoy it.

Act In Faith,
Do With Love.

Want to...

Set a PR?
Win a race?
Improve your fitness?
Fix things up on the home front?

Act In Faith,
Do With Love.

... make it a great week.

---

163
8ish hrs
No strength work today
10 minutes recovery
180 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

I'M STILL THIRSTY.  80 miles and 6000+ feet of climbing will do that, especially with the Wahoo-exaggerated 111* max temp.  We could have turned around early...

... before climbing 2000' up Blackstar.

Not our style.

We wanted to hit the gravel climb on gravel bikes and see what kind of times we could show vs our MTB times.

Before I get to that,
I think I've cracked the code to gravel's popularity.

At least part of it.

On this ride were a bunch of my friends.
Road friends who know each other,
mixing with MTB friends...

... and all of us making new friends.

Where roadies would rarely ride dirt
and MTBrs rarely get on the  road...

... gravel is a convergent.

A place to learn new skills,
and more importantly,
make new friends.

So, how'd that big climb go?

I PR'd all the steep stuff, and would have easily PR'd the entire climb if we weren't taking it so easy the first 2 miles.

Was it just the bike?

Youtellme.

We'd already ridden 2 hours when we got to the climb, not at a blistering pace just a good endurance clip.

I'd been up it before on a gravel bike, but under different conditions and with a little different set up.

I can't say enough about the 45s with 30ish pounds of pressure. 
They are just really fast, and shock absorbing.

But, my training is also a lot different.

The last 18 months I've really committed to Zone 2 almost all the time, with some explosive group riding twice a week.

Lots and lots of endurance miles.

Plus, all the leg workouts I do, almost daily, for strength.
I don't care about muscle size...

... strength, wirydude strength, comes from near daily resistance training.

Not blowing the legs out twice a week in the weight room, which is so typical and traditional for body builders and "lets get strong this offseason" bike racers.

Bro, Why don't you want to be strong year round?

Right?!

Check it out, I'm updating my 10-Week Challenge for 2024, and creating...

... The 30-Day Rip On RaceDay Transformational Sprint.

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/30-day-rip-on-raceday-transformation

---

163.6
7ish hrs
Pull Ups, Push Ups and Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured

SO MUCH DATA, so many screens.  We think it's not a big deal, because they have crept into our lives, like ivy growing up a wall, then covering the house...

... until we can't imagine a screenfree life.

Or, imagine at all.

That is one of the reasons I sometimes race with my computer in my jersey pocket...

... so I can visualize all the options as the race unfolds.

There is another time,
perhaps more important.

When I have a problem I want to solve,
need an answer from on high.

Then, I roll out with no agenda...

... slow and unhurried.

I find dirt delivers more consistently,
a quite slice of nature,
accessed by few.

No screen.
No music or
distractions.

Me.
Nature.
The possibility of lightening.

Lightening of burdens.
Ideas born in a flash of magic.

But, yeah, that computer is still in my pocket...

... because if it ain't on Starva it didn't happen. 

LET'S BE HONEST, we're the only ones who might possibly aspire to the starving waif look of a Euro pro.  Not our friends, neighbors or lovers.  Because most of those cats...

... look like they'd snap in two with a little nudge.

Not strong.
Not resilient.

Here's the thing.

We really can change the way we look and feel in just a few minutes a day.

I timed it during a break, 
and the answer is yes.

In a mere 3 minutes, I did 1 set of

• Pull Ups
• Push Ups
• Squats

The Core 3, which I easily do
without sweating,
at home.

Details.

• The first round is always palms out pull ups until I start to lose my form.
• 3 times as many push ups as pull ups, hands about mtb handle bar width.
• Bulgarian split squats are my current favorite, enough weight to max out at 5-6 reps.

That's it.

Trust me, 
takes no time...

... is a raceday game changer.

I LOVE RIDING MY GRAVEL BIKE.  Everywhere.  Over everything.  As far as I'm concerned, a course with some pavement and a healthy dose of gravel, doubletrack and singletrack...

... show's who is the best rider.

Ya gotta surf the group like a bee,
and glide the dirt and rocks like a butterfly.

If you're a roadie, you have a pretty good idea of how to surf the group.  

Going from wheel to wheel putting out the least amount of energy possible and always being in a good position is a musthave skill to successfully race on the road.

If you're not a roadie, and you're planning to gravel race, find a group to start training with.  You don't need a road bike, your gravel bike is close enough in speed...

... and will make you even more proficient at surfing the group.

If you're a competent mountain biker, you know how to glide over rocks...

... especially those who started off on a hardtail.

If you're not a dirt ninja, go find some dirt.  The gnarly the better.  If you don't have your gravel bike yet, your road bike is surprisingly competent in dirt and can do way more than you think is possible.

It'll be fine.

There is one place where both the roadies and the mtbrs are going to need to up their skills.

Cornering.
At speed.

On gravel, it is very common to have your tires drifting in turns.  Roadies never do this on purpose, and mtbrs will find it a new game on the skinnier tires.

Which brings up tires and tire pressure.

Personally, I prefer to find a tire I like in nearly all conditions and just ride it all the time.  There is so much speed to be gained in knowing what your tires can do.

For example, a couple of seasons ago my friend Eric put on a race at a gocart track and had us go off into the dirt for a short section. 

It was a lot of fun.

Tight, banked turns,
Smoothsmooth tarmac.

Most everybody opted for a road bike since 80% of the time we were on pavement.

I chose my gravel bike.

Here's what I learned.

1. I could cruise and relax on the dirt.
2. If I stayed in the draft I was just fine in the group.
3. I could take the corners muchmuch faster with my fatter, lower pressure tires.

How did it go down?

Once I figured this out, I would let a gap open between me and the rider ahead into all the tight turns...

... then go much faster due to superior grip.

I'd latch on again,
and draft.

Riders behind me had to work really hard to get back on.

It was a war of attrition.

On the last lap we were down to 3 racers.

I came in third.

Way better than I'd have guessed at the start of the race.

Lesson:

Master your tires, and tire pressure.

Which bring me back to the title...

... the best news in gravel, for me, is the BWR Triple Crown next year.

Can't wait to test my skills and bike set up across three very unique courses.

https://www.belgianwaffleride.bike

WHEN A PROBLEM COMES ALONG, you must whip it.  And, boy do we have a problem on our local group ride.  Today was hard, blowing all kinds of riders off the back...

... and not that fast.

Nowhere near what we were doing 5 years ago.

I detect a problem,
and we need to whip it good.

This ride used to be the bar by which all rides were measured...

... and sadly, still is.

What happened?
We got soft.
Friendly.
Social.

Now, I'm all for being friendly and social...

... I'm also for holding the bar high.

For me,
and, my friends.

Those are the friendships I cherish.

Who the heck really wants a friend that will let us slide,
let our standards drop, or even worse,
lead us away from our greatness?

Not me.

Lead me,
guide me,
ride beside me...

... teach me all I must do,
to rip on raceday!

That is what we are all about.

Not to win "the" race,
to win "our" race and
maximize our potential.

As the great Devo sang,

Now whip it into shape
Shape it up, get straight
Go forward, move ahead
Try to detect it, it's not too late
To whip it, into shape...

... to whip it, well, whip it good!

For you locals...

... get your buns out to TheTMWC.com for our unOFFICIAL World Championships on 11.7.23

The new jersey is an homage to Cafe de Columbia... since there isn't more than about 100' of pancake flat on this ride.

FROM THE ANALS OF HEART MEDICINE, I bring you a serious issue.  I've seen this in more than a few racers...

... myself included.

It's kinda scary,
and I don't like the feeling.

Maybe you've experienced it.

Last week, it really flared up...

... at first, the amount of hate mail was amusing.

From long, long, long unpuncuated and emotion laden communiques to my favorite from Joe, short and concise...

... You're an idiot!

I responded to everyone and shared several key points which had been overlooked.  Most of us had a good laugh and got on with the day.

Why did this happen at all?

They were triggered.
By the post title.

Why does this matter?

Because being unable to control our emotions is the fastest way to lose a race...

• a winner would laugh it off and get the gold
• a loser gets offended and blows it

For example, I was told in no uncertain terms all the products some had purchased and enjoyed were going in the trash.

Now, imagine you had a major heart problem.  You are of a certain political persuasion, the specialist who is uniquely qualified to save your life belongs to the opposite party...

... so you refuse the help you need.

You die,
over a difference of opinion.

Sad.

But, what if we are all dying of heart disease?

My favorite song in the wholewideworld was written by Longfellow, during the Civil War when his son was killed.

These chilling lyrics are still so true...

For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on Earth, good will to men

... fortunately, those lines are at the beginning not the end.

A few verses later, is hope...

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on Earth, good will to men

I DIDN'T HAVE A POWER METER FOR A LONG TIME. Then, I had one on my MTB for about 18 months. Followed by 3 years without, until this summer...

... now I have 3 giving me all kinds of intel.

But, do we need one?

No.

Long answer,
maybe.

Reasons not to use a power meter:

• Cost
• Focus on wrong data
• Potentially useless training

Reasons to use a power meter:

• Training alone
• Immediate feedback vs the lag of a HR monitor
• Ability to know if we are actually improving our output.

Endurance racing situations where a power meter would be almost pointless?

Cross Country MTB, Cyclocross, Crit racing.  These races almost always have such rapid changes of pace as to make the power meter useless.  

• There is little to no time to be looking at the data screen.
• The efforts are often so violent that setting a power ceiling would be counter productive.

Endurance racing situations where a power meter could be gold?

• Time trialing 
• Solo or small group break away...

... ideally, over very steady terrain.

Is a HR monitor helpful at all in racing?

Yes.

During the races with rapid changes in power needed, a HR monitor is great to give overall feedback on the amount of work being done by our bodies.

Do we really need the devices at all?

For training alone, I think they can be quite helpful for analyzing our efforts in terms of power and stress on the body.  

• Low power, high HR could indicate illness or overall fatigue.  
• High power, low HR could indicate superior fitness.

For racing, they are most useful for

• In race feedback
• Post race analysis
• Typically highest numbers are recorded and used for future training markers.

Are they absolutely necessary?

No.

Often, during the really intense XC and crit races, I'll put my computer in my back pocket to give 100% focus on the race dynamics.  This requires racing on feel, a skill honed over time...

... which means a lot of our training must be race simulation.

It's not all about how our bodies feel.

But, the feel of the race.  

• The energy of the mass of competitors
• Who the players are that day
• Which moves will work
• Who will get dropped
• Poor bike handlers
• Under fuelers

If we miss the key move, or get taken out...

... what point is of all that data?

---

Or, as the great Jim Morrison (kinda) sang Roadhouse Blues...

... Keep your hands on the bars and your eyes upon the race!

---

162.3
6.5 hrs
No Weights today
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling 

Todcast:

https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

https://www.youtube.com/@pedalindustries/featured