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Todd’s Journal
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Get RaceDay Ready
IS IT THE SACRIFICE?
WHY DO SOME OF US stick with the endurance thing year after year after year and others check in for a season or two then check out...
... never to return?
There is something unseen happening.
I think I know what it is.
Sacrifice.
For better or worse...
- could be skipping a new car for a better bike
- an hour later out at night for an early run
- a quick swim instead of a tv binge
... we've sacrificed something.
That sacrifice produces the faith necessary to really go for it,
go for that insane physical goal we've set.
It gives us hope.
And, we love that...
... in everything we do.
===
165.2 lbs/12.5%
7ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
88/93/-6 (fitness/fatigue/form)
450 Anti-Oxidant Score
>
YOU'RE GONNA SAY THIS IS IT
THINGS AREN'T GOING to go according to plan. Everything is going to go south. Everything. And you're going to say this is it..
... This is how I end.
You can accept that,
or you can get to work.
That's all it is.
You just begin.
Solve one problem.
And then the next.
If you solve enough problems...
... you get to cross the finish line.
Adapted from the closing scene of The Martian.
It's a long movie,
about solving problems,
which is what we do the moment...
... we register for a race or commit snagging that elusive PR.
(highly recommend the movie)
===
165.2 lbs/12.6%
8sh hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
88/95/-7 (fitness/fatigue/form)
450 Anti-Oxidant Score
>
THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
IF WE'RE REALLY LUCKY, and we (you n me) are, we'll stumble into something that keeps us endlessly fascinated. No matter how much we do it, or how long we put it on pause...
... it is always, ALWAYS, a ton a fun.
How can we do it forever?
At a high level?
Before I tell ya the answer...
- age
- friends
- failure to progress
... we gotta accept the challenges.
1. If we aren't on point with our health choices, age may ravish us...
... and not the sexy kind.
2. As the playground circles the sun...
... many of our friends will hang it up (see #1.)
3. Failure to progress...
... leads to boredom.
Today, I hooked my sassy grin...
- rode with younger cats
- picked up a new trick
- pushed my limits
... up to the firehose of youth.
1. Lucked into shredding a lot of single track with Steve and Brian...
... the schedules aligned, the conversations vibrant.
2. Coming in hot to a corner, Steve locked up the rear wheel...
... Why did you do that? To vector the turn and change trajectory.
3. Brian, did you launch off that rock?...
... Yeah, came around the turn so fast I had to.
The real secret to the fountain of youth...
... making and keeping young friends.
===
166 lbs/12.7%
7ish hours sleep
no PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
no Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/92/-5 (fitness/fatigue/form)
440 Anti-Oxidant Score
>
THE HIDDEN ADVANTAGE
WE'RE BUSY. We work. Raise families. Participate in communities. Do our duties...
... what's our hidden advantage?
Just that.
We know how to...
- schedule
- pacify
- lead
... and we have perspective.
Which is what sets us apart,
keeps us in the hunt...
... 'till we cross the finish line.
===
164 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
no PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
no Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/92/-5 (fitness/fatigue/form)
440 Anti-Oxidant Score
>
DARE OR DARE NOT
SOMEWHERE AROUND 8 YEARS OLD, we learn of daring. Someone gets dared. We don't even know what the word means and, yet...
... we do.
Because there is tone.
An unsaid judgment.
I dare you.
Our response...
- bold
- calm
- weak
... means everything.
Later in life, that cat in the mirror still dares us...
... if we are lucky.
What are you daring yourself to do in 2026?
===
164.2 lbs/12.5%
7.75 hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/92/-5 (fitness/fatigue/form)
440 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SHOW A FRIEND AROUND TOWN?
GETTING A LONG-DISTANCE FRIEND TO VISIT is mostly rare, for most of us. We post to Starva, talk up our locale...
... to the point of bragging.
Then, the friend shows up.
Suddenly, we're wondering...
- will they be impressed
- can they keep up
- will they crash
... how this is gonna go down>
There was a time when Surfergirl would take such visiting friends aside and whisper...
... Be careful, he's kinda crazy.
Couldn't blame her as more than a few returned bleeding,
one with a broken bone.
It wasn't on purpose.
- I'd just forget
- be in the zone
- having a blast
... thinking they were doing the same.
The local, me...
... could rip the trails blindfolded.
Everyone else was riding blind.
Anyway...
... Tim did great today.
(I knew he would, and didn't really back it down at all.)
===
164.2 lbs/12.5%
7.75 hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
no Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/91/-5 (fitness/fatigue/form)
470 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
GOOD NEWS: THERE'S HOPE!
THIS TIME OF YEAR, the schedule gets crowded. The company parties, family get togethers, community events...
... we want to attend 'em all.
It eats into the training time.
And, that's good.
Just yesterdee, Surfergirl reminded me of our date to see Gentry.
Her favorite trio was in town for a Christmas concert.
Driving down, we wondered if we'd run into any friends,
walking in we saw my brother and sisterinlaw...
... seating, we were astonished.
We were exactly right behind them.
Couldn't have planned it better,
total surprise.
But, that's not the point.
We were carried away in the spirit of the night...
... all the world's nonsense, forgotten.
When we returned home, there was a package on the doorstep.
Incredible...
... a customer had hand made classic ornaments for each of our family members.
As a gift.
The real point is if we'll shut off the news, the pointless socials and get out to events and people we love we find...
... there's hope!
Hoping you'll find plenty of time to share your love for others in the coming weeks.
===
162.2 lbs/12.2%
7.5 hours sleep
no PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
no Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
86/86/-1 (fitness/fatigue/form)
430 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE BEST FREE ADVICE YOU NEVER PAID FOR
WE ALL GET ACHES AND PAINS. Mostly, we just blow 'em off knowing in a few days things will right themselves. At least that's the idea. But, we are organic...
... our equipment is not.
It won't self heal,
like our miraculous bodies.
No matter how much positive energy we send it...
... those creaks won't go away on their own.
We gotta respect and inspect 'em.
I mean really figure it out.
Lemme splain it.
I've had an annoying creak for a couple of weeks.
Finally, last Friday...
- removed cranks
- checked, cleaned bottom bracket
- found a broken bolt on the chain ring spider
... thought that'd solve everything.
Mostly, kinda.
However, last steep climbs at end of Saturday's ride indicated problem not resolved.
Took into the shop for professional treatment.
Ace mechanic gives me a call.
It's not good.
How bad.
Axle in hub is cracked.
Yikes.
Yeah, it coulda been bad.
How bad?
Well, if it broke while riding it would have destroyed the hub innards, and...
And, what?
... and possibly locked up the wheel.
Now, I dunno how things are where you live, but on that ride I'd just finisihed...
... I hit 35 mph over a rocky, gravel fire road.
Had that wheel locked up...
... I'd be dead, at best.
Consider this the best free advice you Never paid for...
- bike
- bones
- muscles
... Fix thy creaks!
===
162.6 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
86/89/-3 (fitness/fatigue/form)
470 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
HAVE YOU HAD A CLASSY SMOKE, LATELY?
CELEBRATING AN EPIC EFFORT is, can be, a powerful factor in repeatability. You know, whether or not we ever do it again and...
... gain the associated benefits.
Old time movies we so classy.
In black and white.
Couple meets,
goes to dinner and dancing,
the very next scene we see...
... they are covered up, smoking in bed!!!
Here's how we do it most Saturdays.
Meet up at the corner,
hit it hard for 3-4 hours,
the next thing we know...
... we're at the country store.
Cokes, RedBulls, chips, even had Zingers yesterday...
... our version of smoking in bed.
===
Now, here's the diabolical brainwashing science...
- guaranteeing many repeat performances
... celebrating with lots of sugar and caffeine burns those good feelings in.
===
165.6 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/92/-6 (fitness/fatigue/form)
430 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
APPRECIATING A ROUGH START
FOR SOME GETTING STARTED is easy, for other it's hard. Even messy. So, what's better...
... an easy start or a tricky start?
Take today.
We'd climbed 4141', 13.4 miles.
The start, though steep, was pretty smooth.
The final 4.5 miles, were quite a bit rougher.
Lots of rocks.
I really suffered that last 2ish miles.
After a bit of a break,
it was time to plummet back down.
We pushed the pace pretty good those first 4 1/2 miles...
... over terrain I've flatted on many times.
I knew the next 9 miles were smoother, but...
... after the previous beating they seemed like a freeway.
We screamed down.
Surprisingly, I posted my 3rd fastest time ever.
(In case you're wondering if that was my 3rd time down, it was my 44th since 2012, per Starva)
This served as a good reminder...
... if we push through a rough start, we gain the skills to go much faster.
===
Further update on the Conti Dubitals...
- they roll reallyreallyreally fast
- corner dependably at high speed
- seem to be pretty darn puncture resistant
... I'm loving 'em.
Looking forward to playing with pressures,
I think I can run lower than the 16 and 17 I ran today.
(that was in the cold garage, before the heated up on the actual ride which would increase the pressure by a few pounds)
===
164.8 lbs/12.5%
7.5ish hours sleep
0 PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
0 Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
89/107/-18 (fitness/fatigue/form)
430 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHAT ARE WE RIDING SATURDAY?
WE ALL HAVE A RHYTHM TO OUR TRAINING. We have a favorite rotation of workouts, training partners, intensity...
... just like the goto dinner schedule.
When all else fails, I know spaghetti and meat balls is a winner.
No matter what I have planned.
When it comes to Saturdays, the...
- crew
- pace
- route
... I have a few defaults.
If I've had two hard sessions during the week,
I'm leaning towards a longish sweetspot/tempo ride.
If the week only had one high intensity completed,
I'm gonna wring it out on Saturday.
This week's Wednesday Worlds was kinda hard, therefore...
... tomorrow I have a nasty 1ish hour uphill TT planned.
The younsters are gonna make me hurt.
Can't wait!
How do you do it?
===
165.6 lbs/12.7%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
0 Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
85/88/-3 (fitness/fatigue/form)
440 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
TACKY, TORQUEY TESTING... CONTI DUBNITALS
GETTING NEW EQUIPMENT is always fun. Usually, it is preceded by all kinds of Kool-Aid drinking. You know, the marketing team laying it on thick...
... and our friends laughing at our antiquated ways.
This week, I bit.
Finally jumped to wider tires.
From 2.2 RaceKing in back and 2.2 CrossKing in front to...
... 2.4 Dubnitals, front and rear.
My testing took place on our local single tracks...
... while doing low-cadence, torque climbing in Zone 2.
I'd rip down,
ponder performance on way back up.
Going from 2.2 to 2.4 doesn't appear to be much,
the tires are a bit lighter than the 2.2s
My initial...
- they go from edge to edge much quicker
- seem to roll very fast
- traction is great
... reactions.
I think they're gonna be a great upgrade,
will test on the smoking fast downhills, Saturday.
===
166 lbs/12.7%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
0 Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
86/93/-8 (fitness/fatigue/form)
450 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION
IF IT TAKES A VILLAGE to raise a child, then, for us, it obviously takes a group to train us up proper. The right gaggle...
... has countless benefits.
Number 1 being speed.
Which is why I did the Wednesday Worlds today, and rolled right into...
... Pain Cave.
When we're on form,
this is an hour segment of riding just below detonation.
Today was much easier...
- the group was slowish
- BBB and I cruised Pain Cave
- catching up and discussing next year's goals
... we were 5 minutes off the PRs.
That will come down because we committed to some rather outlandish goals.
Which means, we'll be pressing the pace on the WW ride,
then duking it out on Pain Cave.
Leading to our mutually assured destruction the rest of the work day...
... and, what we hope will be a massively successful 2026 campaign.
===
If we do it correctly, we'll sprout wings.
Deal below.
Use promo code: VELOBONES
To save 20% on any t-shirt in the collection.
Expires on 12.5.25
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/t-shirts-all
===
165.4 lbs/12.7%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
0 Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
86/95/-9 (fitness/fatigue/form)
420 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
OTB OR OTB?
WE HAVE ALL THESE CODE WORDS and acronyms in our culture. The deeper we get into it...
... the cryptic they become.
Here's the mechanic's favorite...
... I was just riding along.
His eye's roll and he scribbles on the notes...
... JRA.
I heard another from a shop owner who was barely hanging on and his "loyal" patrons were constantly asking for discounts and free stuff...
... he called them Freetards.
I've been guilty of both of those and quickly cleaned up my evil ways once I got the hint.
But, this one...
... it's been hard to stay away from.
OTB.
This one is a two-fer,
I can't get it out of my mind lately.
Off the back...
... which is where I seem to be finding myself a little more than my liking.
Over the bars...
... luckily, my recent wipeouts have been on solo rides.
===
165.8 lbs/12.7%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
0 Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
85/88/-3 (fitness/fatigue/form)
390 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
ARE YOU CHOPPING WOOD?
WE ALL HAVE A FAVORITE MOVIE, book or story. One that inspires us to be more than we currently are, or return to a place we once dominated. These myths are important because...
... they can lead and guide us to a better future.
Truly powerful.
One of my all time favorites is Rocky IV.
Rocky, seeing his once enemy, the great Apollo Creed, who became his friend and mentor, get crushed by a Russian giant...
... decides he must do something completely different.
He must go...
- runs
- pulls a sled
- carries logs
- throws boulders
- chops down a tree
... to snowy and freezing Siberia.
Maybe it's winter,
maybe it's cold...
... maybe they only way to get nasty fit is chopping wood like Rocky.
===
166 lbs/12.7%
7.5ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
00 minutes Reading/Journaling
85/88/-4 (fitness/fatigue/form)
390 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
EARNING VS LEARNING
LIFE IS LIKE AN EPIC CARD GAME. We're dealt our genetic hand. As little children, we have no idea...
... we're just running around having fun.
Somewhere around the age of 8 or so we realize...
... we're not all created equal.
I can throw,
my aim is woeful.
I can run,
my friends are faster.
I can swim,
holding my breath is a struggle.
Most of us here, found we love to endure...
... persistence and suffering are out super powers.
We can't earn our way to a sub-4 minute mile, but...
... we can learn how to be faster and more efficient.
That's the journey we are on.
Learning how to be our best.
===
164.6 lbs/12.5%
8.5ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
85/93/-8 (fitness/fatigue/form)
290 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
TRAINING BLOCKHEAD
FOR MANY OF US, this is the time to back things down. Pick up a sporty side hustle. Hit the weights...
... do something different.
Makes sense.
The next season is a long way off.
Just one problem.
Physics.
You can't shoot a cannon from a canoe.
Meaning, when the season does come around, we're going to need a good base from which to start launching our hard efforts.
So, whatawee 'posed ta do?
Personally, I'm gonna...
- have fun
- be more socisl
- challenge my skills
... while logging some solid base mile.
===
166 lbs/12.7%
6.5ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
88/107/-20 (fitness/fatigue/form)
290 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
ARE YOU COMFY?
WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT comfort zones. How we want to avoid them because they hold us back, lead us to settling for...
... more than we can be.
Who wants that?
Things I think about after a less frightful drop down one of my all time favorite descents.
I held the KOM at one point,
still top 11.
Back than, I was really, really at ease on that screamer...
... in a state of flow, relaxed.
Comfy.
The good kind.
Yesterday, on the same segment, I was a hot mess.
Smiley on my rear wheel, showing his front wheel, asking...
... Are you riding cautious?
I wanted to say...
... Heck no, and Screw you!
Things were not flowing,
I was gripping.
Hard.
It was very uncomfortable because I haven't been on my MTB much the last year or so.
Practice leads to comfy,
comfy leads to flow,
flow leads to ripping.
Effortlessly.
===
164.6 lbs/12.5%
7.5ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
85/94/-9 (fitness/fatigue/form)
290 Anti-Oxidant Score
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THERE'S A LEGENDARY CLIMB
SOARING 5600' ABOVE SEA LEVEL, we have access to a legendary climb. A gravel fire road. It's the kind of challenge we can sink our teeth into, get a baseline for our fitness...
... set legit goals.
The mountain ain't movin'...
- 9 miles
- 3000'
- 6.3%
... but, we are.
The KOM is held by current world tour pro Kevin Vermaerke,
which he probably set in the NICA days.
53:10
The next 9 are local legends...
... the legit kind, not the goofy Starva thing.
There are two ways to view...
- I'm slow, and I suck
- I'm slow, and I can improve
- I'm slow, and I'm dawgawn grateful to be ripping with my pals
... today's traditional Thanksgiving effort.
One more takeaway.
When I set my PR, we lived much closer to the mountain and I'd ride it 3-4 times a month.
It was a goto.
And, it got me thinking...
... if I wanna slay like that again, I gotta do it more.
Maybe every week for the rest of 2025,
and chop 18 minutes off today's time?
===
164.6 lbs/12.5%
7.5ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
84/90/-6 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
I NEVER LIFTED WEIGHTS UNTIL I GOT INTO THE NFL...
MOST OF US ARE PROBABLY HEADING OUT for the local turkey trot or some sort of holiday ride. It's tradition, followed by the traditional...
... Did you ride or run today?
Which deserves...
... Yes, and the sun also rose this morning.
Earning an...
... I bet your hungry!
Usually followed by a...
... I didn't know you could eat so much pie!
At some point someone will turn on "the game".
As full as we are,
as much as that lycra gonna be stressed tomorrow...
... we realize endurance training doesn't favor or create massive muscles.
Which brings me to one of my all time favorite athletes...
... the Great Hershel Walker.
Dude was devastating in college and NFL.
This quote must have been so humiliating to those left flattened on the field....
- 2000-3000 pushups/day
- 3000-5000 crunches/day
- hundreds of pullups/day
- hundreds of dips/day
- air squats and lunges thousands
- 20-50 yard sprints
... I never lifted weights until I got into the NFL.
Damn.
We may not be - ok, never will be - built like Hershel, but...
... kinda makes ya wonder how much stronger we could be.
Dedicating little time,
from home.
===
164.6 lbs/12.5%
7.5ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
20 minutes Reading/Journaling
83/82/0 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
STRATEGY VS THE DREAM
LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR yet? Maybe it's too early, I mean jeez it's not even Thanksgiving yet. But, almost...
... so, it might not be too soon.
There's no rule on that.
I was thinking about this on my ride yesterday.
What comes first...
... strategy or the dream.
Especially with all the InfooIncers on the socials.
You know which ones kill me....
... literally saw this one today...
... Download My 47 Points To Master Advertising Now!
hahahahahah
But, you get the idea.
We can get so hyped up on a new (to us) strategy...
- Single-legged box jumps while hula-hooping for explosive sprinting
- One million grams of carbohydrate from bonking to crushing
- Sleep like a grizzly and maul the group ride
... we start looking for a race to unleash.
I've done it,
still do it.
We can all be suckers,
the cons are as appealing as the conmen.
Anyway, what I concluded after zonetwoing my way around town was...
... The Field of Dream if we build it, they will come...
... is kinda right.
The players, errr strategies, don't show up until the field is built.
In other words, once we identify the...
- A race
- impossible PR
- unconquerable route
... then, and only then, will the strategies we need be apparent.
Let me say it differently.
We can quickly toss aside...
- techniques
- strategies
- hacks
... the worthless dross.
Because the really good stuff that works is easy to see...
... once we have our dream/goal/desire firm and clear in our minds.
===
164.6 lbs/12.5%
8ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
82/74/7 (fitness/fatigue/form)
>
NOT AS GOOD?
JOURNALISTS ARE SO MUCH SMARTER than us fans, they have incredible insights we just can't fathom. Why it's a wonder we even...
... bother seeing with our own eyes.
This is gold.
A journo says...
... MVdP is nowhere near as good as Tadej.
On the heels of saying...
... MVdP beat Tadej on the races he wanted to win.
He being MVdP,
and he being Tadej.
Wait,
what?
He's not as good,
but he beats him?
Oh, journo.
Here's the dill, and...
... it's a good lesson for us lowly amachuros.
On certain courses...
... certain riders are unbeatable.
The challenge is to find our course.
===
164.2 lbs/12.5%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
81/58/12 (fitness/fatigue/form)
>
MY VICE IS TERRIBLE, MY CULT IS WORSE
FEW OF US HAVE BEEN TO AN AA MEETING, but we've seen TV/movie version many times. Hi, I'm Todd and...
... I'm an endurance junkie.
Hi Todd.
When we come clean with the general population, Today I...
- swam 10,000 yards
- rode for 5 hours
- ran 20 miles
... they think we're crazy.
We're not.
The adrenaline rush of ...
- 60 miles an hour in nothing but lycra
- the swimmers blue mind
- the runner's high
... we need that hit.
Regularly.
This risks we take...
- sending it down the mountain
- running along into the cold, dark night
- impossibly holding our breath one more length
... would freakout any life insurance company.
These sensations of pushing well beyond normal, reasonable, safe...
... are often all that's keeping us stable.
In all sincerity, because the allure of the lottery and dulling our senses with substances is so very tempting and tragically treacherous...
... stay dangerous my friends.
The sane kind.
===
165.4 lbs/12.6%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
20 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
81/70/11 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
HOW WE SOLVE PROBLEMS
SOME PROBLEMS ARE HARDER than others to solve. It can be frustrating when the answers just aren't coming. This is...
... how I solve my problems.
It's a question of time, right?
The truly unsolvable problems need marinating...
- clearly identify what needs to be solved
- set aside time
- get outside
... during a very lazy ride, run or swim.
The only goal is to solve the problem.
A stop for a pastry and drink is often required...
... I carry a journal and a pen to help me flush out ideas.
The best problems take require more...
- miles
- creativity
- "fuel" stops
... 3 or 4 or a lot more sessions.
Just today I was trying to figure out what to focus on...
- goals
- events
- milestones
... for next year.
Went for a ride,
had a brainstorm,
came home to the Giant calendar.
And they think we ride just for fun and fitness!
===
165 lbs/12.5%
8ish hours sleep
0 PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
0 Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
20 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
83/81/2 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
BECAUSE IT'S BEAUTIFUL
WE ALL HAVE A WAY to perform. Whether it's vanquishing, showing off, sufferfesting, truly enjoying every moment, our individual efforts...
... leave a lasting impression.
On others,
on ourselves.
Is there a best way?
Right way?
Only way?
Let us not gaze into our own navel but...
- racers
- promoters
- business leaders
- matriarchs and patriarchs
- community and governments
... appreciate for better or worse.
It is what it is.
I was recently struck by a singer...
- unknown by most
- unwilling to submit to label demands
- who died without much fame or fortune at 33
... sold more than 10,000,000 records posthumously.
What?!... how? who?
The great Eve Cassidy sang as if every song was a gift to the listener,
with uncommon love and passion.
Nothing more.
May we all do our thing with such beauty.
===
Pull down her tracks on your music app... good wrenching vibes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C1_oNzhU7U
===
164.6 lbs/12.5%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
81/65/16 (fitness/fatigue/form) time to raise these numbers
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
ON THE GAS
A LITTLE KNOWN SECRET to not falling over is going faster. It's counterintuitive. But, it's the first thing we taught the kids when they started riding motos in the desert...
... speed is our friend.
Then why did I suffer so badly last weekend in a desert-bound gravel race?
You didn't have a motor Dingdong!
No, it's more than that...
... and I've thought about it a lot this week.
The 92-mile race
- low gradient climbs and descents
- long, long straight roads
- mostly flat
... provided very little coasting.
We had to stay on the gas.
It's not like the terrain here,
most of my ride profiles look like a lumberjack's saw blade.
Anyway, I'm thinking about that this week because I'm starting to do sweetspot training...
... 90% of FTP, without coasting.
I've got to stay on the gas (the pedals).
It's hard to do when we have so many punchy climbs and lots of turns.
But, I'm a committed fool when it comes to this stuff.
===
By the way, you might be one of the horde who loved this jersey...
... which means you'll probably love the kit.
If you wanna rock this awesomeness click here: https://pedalindustries.com/collections/pedalindustries-r-riders-collection
There's an insane offer, so don't forget to click here: https://pedalindustries.com/collections/pedalindustries-r-riders-collection
===
164.8 lbs/12.5%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
82/67/14 (fitness/fatigue/form) time to raise these numbers
>
TAKE TWO, AND CALL ME IN THE MORNING
GETTING A COLD is annoying. Can't train like we want to, can't sleep well, hard to be productive. If we get near our lover fingers are raised in an X...
... so, what do we do?
To speed it up.
There are my goto...
- Zicam at first hint
- Pollo Loco tortilla soup
- Insanely hot and long showers
... rider's tales.
Then there's what I did today...
... which could massively backfire, tomorrow.
I woke up,
it was cold.
I had a cold,
and hemmed and hawed.
I consulted my alter ego Dr. Goforit, who said...
- raise your body temperature
- the nose will start to flow
- blow that gunk out
... Put on a kit and get on two wheels.
Torture.
I've had mixed success over the years.
I'll either be on my way to pneumonia...
... or good as new tomorrow.
===
165 lbs/12.6%
8ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
81/58/23 (fitness/fatigue/form) time to raise these numbers
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE GODLY CONNECTION IS STRONG IN THIS ONE
BEING OUTSIDE and unplugged is more than just an escape from "the real world". Most people in "modern society" rarely experience what that is like. We do because...
... that's where we thrive.
And, we're moving fast.
Even if we're practicing our craft daily,
and the whether is good,
we could use more.
Not less.
I experienced a snippet of much more on our road trip.
We took time to visit the land my greatgreatgrandfather homesteaded 100 years ago.
No one else was there but us.
Access is via a gravel road,
10 miles from a 2-lane highway.
No cell service.
The only inputs,
each other and nature.
The peace and solitude remarkable.
Over night, the temps dipped low enough to freeze the rain puddles from the prior evening.
We were cozy,
the van has a heater.
Still, when we rose to stretch and visit this hallowed land filled with childhood and parenthood memories...
... we were shocked by the reality of nature.
Not in a negative way,
one that makes you feel alive,
connected to more than a paycheck and bills.
To God.
To acquire the land...
- the extreme temps at 7000'
- the distance by horse or wagon to town
- the loneliness during the months no one came to visit
... E. M. Whiting had to stay on it and not leave, for two years.
How else could he make such a sacrifice if not feeling a closeness to his creator?
I feel it when I'm...
- there
- in the surf
- on our local trails
... and love it.
Need it.
And so...
- walk
- hike
- ride
- run
- surf
- swim
- camp
... we keep inviting and encouraging our friends to join us.
Outside.
===
164.2 lbs/12.6%
9ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
81/58/23 (fitness/fatigue/form) time to raise these numbers
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
MIRROR, MIRROR, ON THE...
DISNEY CREATED AN EMPIRE animating fairytales. Because the appeal is so strong, with little to no cultural barriers we have to ask ourselves not just why, but...
... which is our favorite.
Then, why?
Personally, Cinderella is my top choice.
Not just the story arc,
the snappy dances,
or catchy songs.
There's an orphan in all of us.
Often we don't see who we really are,
out talents lying dormant.
Could be naysayers,
could be something else.
It's nice that Price Charming is a price,
it's charming that he sees Cinderella as she really is.
The point isn't...
- Where's my prince charming?
- Who will save the day for me?
- Why am I not picked?
... to wallow in our sorrows.
The point is for whom are we Prince Charming?
===
165.6 lbs/12.6% (not sure, traveling)
9ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
83/67/16 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
IT’S IN OUR DNA
TOO FEW OF US know our family history. Some barely know cousins. Great-grandparents? Forget about it. It’s just not a thing. And, yet…
… what could be more important?
To know their stories,
is to know ourselves.
Which is why we drove hours out of our way after the bike race.
Here in eastern Arizona, to soak of our roots.
Surfergirl’s great-grandfather helped settle Snowflake,
my great-great grandfather helped settle Saint Johns.
They are neighboring towns,
about 20 miles apart.
And the communities were quite friendly with each other.
You’d think we grew up out here,
and that’s how we met and married.
Not so.
I was born and raised in SoCal,
she was raised in Hawaii.
Maybe somethings are meant to be.
But, that’s not really the point.
This is hard country,
the high desert.
To carve a life and community out of nothing took strength, smarts, and massive cooperation…
… the same qualities it takes to complete very challenging endurance events.
Who is an ancestor that inspires you?
===
165.6 lbs/12.6% (not sure, traveling)
7ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
86/87/-0 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
I WANNA PUT A DENT IN THAT GIRL
IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE we can say and do the craziest things. You know things we might not normally say or do. And, at the time...
... they sound/seem totally normal.
Like today.
I had the awesome opportunity to flat 15 minutes into the 92 mile race...
... suddenly I'm swearing like a sailor.
It wasn't horrific,
still, glad no one was around.
Spent the next 50 miles basically riding by myself.
Doing my best.
Jumping from group to group.
I roll up on one of the female leaders,
bridge across to another badass Barbie.
And, I hear her say the funniest thing...
... I wanna put a dent in that girl.
Speaking of the other racer.
I visualize a halloween scene,
hatchet stuck in the helmet.
Hahaha.
Then the crass, neanderthal in me thinks...
... that sounds like something I'd like to do on date night.
Not the hatchet...
... if you know what I mean.
These crazy thoughts are birthed in our very depleted states, as we...
... do our best to stay upright and moving forward.
===
165.6 lbs/12.6% (not sure, traveling)
7ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/89/-2 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHY WOULD ANYBODY GO TO DOUGLASS, AZ?
RACING VENUES ARE HARD TO COME BY, especially in big cities. Almost impossible. The result is the bigger the race, the more likely we are to travel...
... someplace we've never been.
Would never go.
Here I am,
two hours south of Tucson,
on the Mexican border, in Douglass, AZ.
This gravel race has the same vibe as my first Leadville,
back in '99.
Small town,
somewhat forgotten.
Which makes it a perfect place to stage a gravel race...
... surrounded my endless gravel roads.
I decided to sponsor the race for three reasons...
- Mike, the promoter, is hella nice and persistent.
- He's a huge fan of our products
- I'm a huge fan of gravel races
... which are the only reasons to sponsor anything.
Passion and admiration for what each other are doing.
Funny story.
I have actually been here before.
Back in the 80's.
I was doing missionary work in Mexico and our visas needed to be renewed. Five us youngsters piled in a van and hit to Agua Prieto, MX. The plan was to walk across to Douglass, wait five minutes and walk back with new visas.
We were greeted with...
... No, no gringo. No se puede asi. (Not so fast whitey, you can't do it like that.)
So we...
- spent the night in Motel 6
- chomped Pizza Hut
- watched ESPN
... forgot all our Spanish.
And crossed back the next day.
I'm guessing Borderlands gravel will be slightly more challenging.
Good night now.
===
165.6 lbs/12.6% (not sure, traveling)
7.5 hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
83/64/18 (fitness/fatigue/form) ... somebody is tapered!
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
HURRY UP
IN OUR EFFORTS TO GET FASTER, we often think of the many benefits. Mainly health, youthfulness. And truth is...
... we are better than most, not as good as some.
Who's better?
By that, do you mean...
... how could anybody be better???
We are aerobic machines, and that is a key to longevity.
Mostly.
Here are...
- Sprints
- Weights
... the missing ingredients.
I know, I know...
- sprinting sucks
- weights can be dangerous
- and, for the weenies in the back, who wants to gain weight?
... what you're thinking.
According to research, when we lift weights not only do our bones get denser but there are intra-muscular gains to be made that we cannot get any other way.
You know what else is weird, most people in our culture never sprint again after their early twenties.
So, here's the main takeaway from all scientific facts do 'em and...
... move faster, age slower.
===
165.6 lbs/12.6%
7.5 hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
85/71/13 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
GIVERS
THERE ARE THOSE WHO VOLUNTEER selflessly and those who volunteer selfishly. Both are admirable. In fact, when I was a race promoter it blew my mind that...
... people just reach out and offer their assistance.
Just giving where there's an obvious need.
I ran into a selfish one tonight.
The sun had set,
my headlight was on.
I was making my way cautiously because the ruts on this particular trail are bad and...
... there's an enormous sinkhole that might kill ya.
As a get there...
... did I say it was pitch dark?...
... a man is standing with a shovel in one hand and a trowel in the other.
Creepy?
Scary?
Nope, I knew what he was up to.
Not burying bodies...
... prepping the trail so when it rains this weekend the ruts will fill in.
I stopped.
Introduced myself.
Thanked him profusely.
No need, I just moved here and can't believe how lucky we are to have these trails right here. Just wanna make 'em perfect for my kids and me to ride on.
To which I could only say...
... Bro, you gotta let me make you a custom RaceDay Bag.
Is there a better gift?
===
165.8 lbs/12.6%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/82/5 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
I THINK I VOIDED THE WARRANTY
LIVING IN THE ACTION SPORTS MECCA of the world, I'm surrounded and influenced by all manner of creative, ingenious athletes. We all feed off each other. My friend Kody...
... started making super aero computer mounts.
3D printed gloriousness.
My new MTB was in need.
I reached out.
Got a mount for Roval bars?
Yes.
Cool, I'll get one.
We haven't tested for lights yet.
He thought I was asking for my road bike.
So yeah...
- the road mount is super aero
- looks freakin' awesome
- supports a light
... survived and thrived on first MTB ride.
Did my evil test void the warranty?
I dunno.
But, this is...
- come up product ideas
- make it
- test it
... what we do around here.
Here's a ink to his site: https://nanoworx.shop
===
165.6 lbs/12.6%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/85/2 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
DO YOU KNOW YOUR GOLDILOCKS NUMBER?
WE ARE ALL SEARCHING for that magic number of hours to maximize our training. You know, the Goldilocks amount. Not too little. Not too much...
... the perfect amount of work.
I know where it is.
You do to.
Look back over the year.
Find the week that didn't wreck you, the...
- hours
- distance
- intensity
... I can do this every week.
Bonus/verification if you had any...
- Segments
- PWR
- HR
... PRs the following week(s)?
That's your Goldilocks number.
Mine's about...
- saddle time
- bit of strength work
- some sort of other fun
... 13 hours/week.
What's yours?
===
164.8 lbs/12.5%
8ish hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
0 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
88/86/1 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
YOU GET 1 WISH
2026 WILL BE HERE soon enough. Many of us are already planning work, vacations, family time...
... and, yes, races.
You get 1 wish.
Here it is...
- lay out your Giant RaceDay Calendar
- scour the interwebs for races
- pick one, and do it
... no limitations.
Imagine it...
- Anywhere on this giant blue marble.
- Any time of the year
- Dream equipment
- Fantastic lodging
- Clear schedule
... and ask yourself.
If not this year...
... when?
'Cause here's the deal, if we only did one race next year...
... we could probably make it happen.
It's just a mental game, play it out, and let me know...
... where, when and why.
Me personally, my top choices...
- Gravel Burn, South Africa
- Oregon Trail
- Rebecca's Private Idaho
... are gravel stage races.
Gravel Burn looks insane.
===
You do have a Giant RaceDay Calendar, right?
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars%E2%84%A2
===
164.4 lbs/12.5%
8ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
0 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
89/91/-3 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE REBEL ALLIANCE IS GROWING
EVERY NOW AND THEN a new format or race or course or piece of equipment comes along with promises to change everything. Except hardly anything changes...
... until something sparks.
How does that work?
Like this.
About 10 years ago, I purchased my first gravel bike.
My friends, like me, were roadies and mountain bikers.
A gravel bike seemed like the worst of both worlds.
I got it,
understood where they were coming from.
Except, I was having so dang much fun...
... I didn't care.
I just kept riding gravel,
inviting my friends,
enduring their
mockery.
It wasn't overnight,
more like overdecade.
The last two Saturdays, most telling.
Eight days ago, an absolute shredder on a mountain bike shows up on a spanking new gravel bike.
30 minutes in, he's grinning and shouting...
... This looks so wrong, but gadang it's fun!
Today, another pal shows up for his first group gravel ride.
He's gifted off road, we spent years riding motos in the desert...
... We're going 30+ miles an hour, I can't believe how much ground we can cover!
Does that mean you should be riding gravel, too?
Maybe.
But, really, it's just a lesson in how things that are worthwhile spread.
Then again...
... What did the gravel bike say to the road bike?
I am your father.
===
165.6 lbs/12.6%
8ish hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
0 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
90/105/-15 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
FAMOUS COACHES ARE GETTING FIRED RIGHT AND LEFT
IN PRO SPORTS, or high level amateur, there is always a spot light on the coaches. At some point, blame or credit lands...
... squarely on their shoulders.
Should it?
I do love to follow college football...
- the emotional swings
- the athleticism
- the stadiums
... so much energy and unpredictablity.
Who would have thought so many megamilliondollar...
... coaches would be punted this year.
Mid-season.
The great Seth Godin wrote The Gap.
The idea behind the book is when we find ourselves unable to close the gap to our goal...
... the sooner we decide to quit and move on, the better.
It might be a pro gambling tactic as well...
... but, the only gambling I do is putting my heart, soul and cash into this business.
Anyway, would you have/have you had the guts...
... to change directions, and how quickly would you do it?
===
163.6 lbs/12.4%
7.5 hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/83/3 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
CHOOSE WORTHY ADVERSARIES
WHAT IS IT ABOUT LOVING UNDERDOGS? It's so uniquely American. Is it our origin story, the DNA of our culture...
... to cheer for the fighter with no chance?
Honestly.
Who can't feel a bit of their own soul being crushed with every blow the awesome Apollo Creed delivers to a...
... bloodied, bruised, crushed Rocky Balboa?
We've all been in that arena.
Had the bell ring.
Still standing.
Somehow.
We humans thrive against overwhelming adversaries...
- inspiration
- desperation
- exasperation
... oozing with confidence and power.
When our all is required,
we discover who we really are.
As the great Kierkegaard said...
... What doesn't kill me makes me stronger.
===
164.6 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/88/-1 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
MY TOP 5 SPEED HACKS
FOR MOST OF US, going faster, getting better, has less to do with a fancy new gizmo or the latest training fad. We know that...
... but, what are doing about it?
Like the Mastercard ad says...
... some things are priceless.
Here are five...
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Strength
- Maintenance
- Consistency
... anybody can do.
These are my hacks.
Sleep.
Figure out when we want to wake up. Get in bed 8 hours prior to that. Stay there until it's time. Eventually, our bodies get the hang of it, and boom... we're sleep doping.
Nutrition.
Eat clean. No packaged foods. If we can't identify the ingredients, we don't consume it.
Strength.
Do the basics, at home. We don't have time to drive to the gym. No need to do all the sets at once, break 'em up throughout the day. Hardly any equipment is needed: pull up bar, a few dumbbells (adjustables for the win).
Maintenance.
New equipment is so nice because it is all tight and precise. Flawless maintenance will keep that new equipment performance for years, and we'll always be race ready.
Consistency.
If we always train at the same time magic happens. Those around us learn and appreciate our commitment. We get it done. Always.
A final word.
I was never the best athlete. Not among my friends, and certainly not at school or among the general population.
I was never picked first, couldn't aim or hit anything regularity.
I wasn't the bravest or most daringist.
I did have one thing going for me...
... I freakin' loved being outside and being challenged by nature.
Today, I'm probably better than almost all my contemporaries.
That's not a flex, it's just happens.
They quit.
Which brings us to the top two hacks of all time...
... commitment and passion.
===
165.2 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
√ Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls, Split Squats
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/83/3(fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
YOU'VE LOST THAT AWESOME FEELING... GET IT BACK!
THERE'S A CERTAIN SOMETHING we feel during the early days of picking up our passion. It's tangible. We can taste it. We love it...
... that's how we got here.
I'd lost it.
Over the last couple of years, drunk with stupid stats from Training Peaks and Starva...
- more time
- more miles
- more climbing
... I found myself wallowing in fatigue.
Don't get me wrong.
I'd line up, or roll out with the pals, and, though I might be quick to drift back...
... the ability to endure for hours was ridiculous.
Something snapped.
Or, lightning struck.
I dunno.
But, a few weeks ago, I woke up and said...
Screw it!
I'm cutting down the long slogs...
... and bringing back sprint days.
2-3 hours became 90 minutes.
With 10-15 VO2 max efforts,
lasting 10 seconds to 5 minutes.
I'm super fortunate to live close to trails with a lot of straight up and straight down...
... I let the terrain dictate how long the sprint lasts.
Then, focus on my DH skills...
... coasting, staying off the brakes, carving and carrying speed.
The upshot, after 90 minutes and 10+ solid efforts?
I feel amazing,
not pooped.
Sprinting engages all our muscles and focus...
... a total mind, body soul work out.
Soul?
Yeah, trust me.
Do 'em right, and you'll see stars and feel God's presence could be imminent.
===
164.3 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
No PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises
No Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/83/3(fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
YOU CAN'T GROW A BEARD OVERNIGHT
WE WANNA BE FASTER. Right now. Not this season, not this month, not this week, not today. Right now...
... 300 meters from the finish line.
Houston, we have a problem.
Go ahead.
We forgot to add fuel to the return booster.
Sucks to be you.
Yeah.
We can't grow a beard overnight.
A good one, for some of us...
... can take months.
If we wanna be fast in the final sprint,
if we wanna negative split the course...
... we gotta put in the work before we need the result.
===
164.3 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises, Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/82/4 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
CULTURE WARS
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF TRAINING groups. Both extend invitations...
... the similarities stop there.
One culture assures...
- everyone is ready to start together
- there are plenty of stops
- nobody gets left behind
... fairness and concern.
The other demands...
- leaving on time
- no stopping
- no waiting
... rugged individuals.
The group we...
- join
- create
- help grow
... depends on the result we are looking for.
===
165.2 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises, Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls
10 minutes stretching
180 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/86/1 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
DIRT WORLD PROBLEMS
EVERY SURFACE HAS it's challenges. Add in the weather, how we approach things...
... changes quickly.
Super mist.
The normally grippy sidewalk we were slaying to meet the rest of the crew, was not only glazed with moisture...
... bright green moss screamed Slow down and do not lean over.
We ain't rookies,
not a problem.
It was so misty, the glasses were tucked away.
The late Fall moon dust covering most of our trails and roads...
- forks
- shins
- lenses
... quickly 3D prints on to everything.
Bombing the first downhill...
- nearly 40mph
- no brakes
- 1 minute
... the dust and pebbles flying up stinging our eyes.
Two choices:
Wear the glasses,
blurry, smudgy vision.
Wear no protection,
smoke your corneas or contacts.
When the sun finally burned through,
I grabbed my glasses from my jersey pocket...
... they were covered in sweat.
lol
Truly, dirt world challenges.
===
These Ugly Sweater jerseys woulda worked well today - which include matching gloves and socks
SPECIAL OFFER - 11.1-11.7 ONLY
When you Purchase an UGLY Pro Jersey, we'll include a gloves and socks. (we'll email you for your sock and glove size)
Order here: https://pedalindustries.com/collections/ugly-sweater-collection-2025
===
EXTRA SPECIAL CUSTOM UGLY SWEATER OFFER - 11.1-11.7 ONLY
Same offer as above, but custom ugly in your team colors and graphics
Go here to get started: https://bookdesign.pedalindustries.com/
===
164.4 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises, Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
90/99/-10 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THAT FREAKED ME OUT!
IN THE HURRY to get the miles in, sometimes we find ourselves willing to risk a potential short cut to get home early. Which is exactly what I did...
... just before halloween.
Hustling down a new trail.
The night's shadows suffocating the daylight.
A long ladder bridge spans steep canyon walls and the trail...
... whips around and under the bridge!
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I was going too fast to even think about it.
Leaned on the tires.
Ducked my head.
Stopped.
Went back up and mastered it at even more speed.
I'd discovered a great way to freak my friends out...
... like finding a killer haunted house.
Gonna be good scare on the next weekly MTB ride.
===
Not as scary as these Ugly Sweaters - which include matching gloves and socks
SPECIAL OFFER - 11.1-11.7 ONLY
When you Purchase an UGLY Pro Jersey, we'll include a gloves and socks. (we'll email you for your sock and glove size)
Order here: https://pedalindustries.com/collections/ugly-sweater-collection-2025
===
EXTRA SPECIAL CUSTOM UGLY SWEATER OFFER - 11.1-11.7 ONLY
Same offer as above, but custom ugly in your team colors and graphics
Go here to get started: https://bookdesign.pedalindustries.com/
===
164 lbs/12.3%
8 hours sleep
√ PullUps, PushUps, Rows, Shoulder Presses, Heel Raises, Calf Raises, Box Jumps, Dead Lifts, Nordic Curls
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/82/4 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
BRING YOUR BEST AND LET US ADD UNTO IT
MOST OF US have backgrounds in something other than endurance sports. During those pursuits we learned what our leaders believed to be...
... the best practices for excellence.
Do we leverage that?
Here's an idea.
When I surfed almost everyday...
- most days were small waves
- 2 days a week would be pretty good
- 1 week of the month would have 3+ days of epicness
... which got me thinking, what would happen if I trained more like a committed surfer.
That schedule up there, is a lot like polarized training...
... except for surfers, the good days are usually back to back.
Good days, means...
- charging through the surf
- scrapping to get max speed and catch one
- battling back through the big waves to get back out
... a lot of VO2 max efforts
Then,..
- back
- to back
- to back
- to back
... consecutive days one week a month, when a great swell hit.
After the big swells, there is usually a lull.
Good, because,
we're tired,
we rest.
That's how surfers train because that is nature's cycle...
- lots of endurance
- regular intervals
- a big week
- a lull
... maybe it should be ours, too.
===
165 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
0 PullUps, 0 PushUps + 0 Box Jumps, Nordic Curls, Heel and Calf Raises
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/82/4 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE MOMENT OF SILENCE
THE START LINE WAS PACKED on Saturday. Hundreds had paid to line up and race for 50 miles. Before the National Anthem...
... we had a moment of silence.
For Eric Williams.
Killed days prior, while riding with two buddies.
Leaving a wife, and 4 small children behind.
It was actually quiet and reverent.
I thought about Eric's always happy demeanor,
how much I enjoyed seeing him,
and banging bars.
Bros riding through life,
checking in at the races.
The moment was over,
the song was sung...
... and we raced on.
The thing is, we never really know when the race is going to end.
Each of us could be summoned home tomorrow...
- text
- call
- lunch
... so, let's be sure to reach out and let each know we're loved.
===
165 lbs/12.5%
7.5 hours sleep
0 PullUps, 0 PushUps + 0 Box Jumps, Nordic Curls, Heel and Calf Raises
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/85/2 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE ON RACEDAY?
WE'VE BEEN RACING SINCE we were kids. If it wasn't racing to play at recess, it was racing to eat lunch and then play. They go hand in hand...
... playing and racing.
Until it gets serious.
Somewhere along the line...
- Ribbons
- Trophies
- Podium steps
... awards and recognition become important.
What was fun and games becomes a lot more...
... when we put down our money.
A few months out,
no big deal.
A few weeks,
it gets real.
The night before,
tossing and turning.
The first morning of raceday, for most of us...
- the drive over
- the parking lot
- the starting line
... can be so overwhelming.
My biggest challenge has ranged from...
- needing to use the bathroom a million times
- massive swings in confidence
- to not wanting to start at all
... but, they all resolved over time.
It took me a while to consistently show up ready...
- left my shoes
- borrowed a helmet
- raced in my swimsuit and tshirt
... kept forgetting the essentials.
Sooooo... What is/was your biggest challenge on RaceDay?
===
These challenges spring invention...
... one example is the RaceDay bag™.
This isn't a shameless plug,
or some kooky countdown to savings.
Just a reminder that if you've got a friend who stresses and forgets...
- we will sell out of some colors prior to Christmas
- we need 3 weeks to add custom names
... the RaceDay bag solves all, well most, problems.
===
164.6 lbs/12.5%
8 hours sleep
15 PullUps, 45 PushUps + 0 Box Jumps, Nordic Curls, Heel and Calf Raises
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/82/5 (fitness/fatigue/form)
>
SOME TECH I DON'T MISS
NEW GEAR ALWAYS PROMISES improvements to make us faster, better, smarter, efficienter. Sometimes, though, ya gotta wonder was it just to pry a few more bones outta the wallet, or...
... because it really is better.
Placebos be real, bro.
But, are the improvements?
My last mountain bike, the BMC 4-Stroke...
- integrated dropper post
- remote suspension -3 options
... I lovvvvvvved those innovations.
Now, the new bike I built up, didn't come with a dropper or a bunch of remote suspension options.
So far, I'm not missing them.
The simplicity allows me to slip into a state of flow...
... and stay there for longer periods of time.
Less to think about.
Why?
Part of it could be I ride the gravel bike a ton,
sometimes on technical, steep stuff,
sans dropper.
As for the suspension, the World Cup layout is so good there just doesn't seem to be a need.
Am I anti-tech then?
Not even.
I'm eyeing the Flight Attendant electronic brain for the fork...
... it will adjust even faster, and automatically.
Also, looking to upgrade a few parts to Ceramic Speed.
The moral of the story is...
... tech that makes things simple is what I want.
Or as the great Arthur C. Clark said...
... Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
===
168.8 lbs/12.9% (this is getting outta hand)
8.5 hours sleep
20 PullUps, 60 PushUps + 0 Box Jumps, Nordic Curls, Heel and Calf Raises
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
87/80/6 (fitness/fatigue/form)
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
IS THIS REALLY PRO?
Jul 16, 2025
by TODD BROWN
SO, THE MAN MOST FAVORED to win the Tour de France, Tadej, took a tumble today. He wasn't paying attention, and some doof chopped his front wheel...
... sent him sliding on his shoulder into a curb.
What would you do?
Be honest.
In my entire history of racing,
hundreds of times.
I've crashed.
Shoot, last year at Gravel Nationals, I had two very similar instances.
Tightly packed together,
charging up a hill,
wheels cross.
Right in front of me.
I didn't go down,
had to stop,
unclip.
I was pissed,
full of adrenalin,
never caught the front.
5 minutes,
then, 20 minutes.
It was brutal.
Did I expect them to wait?
No.
Have I waited when the role is reversed?
Not for a second.
Staying on the bike is part of racing.
What did the pros do today?
They waited.
We're racing for fun,
they are racing for money.
Lots of it.
If the Tour comes down to 20 seconds,
and the loser waited...
... was it a pro move?
===
163.6
7ish hours
10 PushUps 30 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
111/-7 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
NOTHING SEXIER THAN...
Jul 15, 2025
by TODD BROWN
THEY SAY ABSENCE makes the heart grow fonder, and after being gone for 10 days, I'd have to agree. But, I didn't expect Surfergirl to give me...
... this kind of reaction.
Fried from a transatlantic flight,
being up for 24 hours straight...
... I was longing for a shower and my own bed.
We got home.
I stripped.
And there was the truth...
- golden legs and arms and face
- pale torso, feet and hands
- peeling nose
... in plain sight.
She stammered.
I already felt like I'd been cheating,
leaving her behind while I rode with the fellas.
All she could say was...
... There's nothing sexier than a man with a funny tan.
I guess she missed me after all.
===
164
8 hours
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
0 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
113/-24 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
DAY 6 - THE LUXURY OF EXHAUSTION
Jul 13, 2025
by TODD BROWN
DID IT HAVE TO BE THIS HARD? Our final day was a net elevation loss, and it felt right and impossible at the same time. How could this country deliver roads, and passes and summits...
... of such immense beauty?
We'd covered a lot of ground...
- 400+ miles
- 53,000' of vert
- 30+ hours in the saddle
... in six days.
I was quite exhausted.
With friends,
our bonds deepening,
through the shared experience.
No flats,
no mechanical difficulties,
no physical ailments slowing us.
Just my tumble.
What a luxury,
to wring out all a body can deliver, by choice.
===
167.8 lbs ? no idea, traveling sans scale
8 hours
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
0 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
119/-69 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
DAY 5 - THE RETURN OF THE SUMMIT SURFER
Jul 11, 2025
by TODD BROWN
WHAT'S TO BE DONE when we find ourselves straggling behind, day after day, pass after pass? It's not too far back, yet it's clearly apparent...
... I am the weakest link.
Nobody's saying anything.
But, ya know...
... it's real easy to slip into deathmarch mode.
Rather than...
- chase the fellas
- stare at my Wahoo
- push into the red zone
... today, I searched for the Zen of climbing.
The fine line,
below pain.
Elation.
Taking in the beauty...
... riding the endorphins all the way up.
Glorious!
And it didn't stop there.
Once the jackets were on,
we surfed down the asphalt ribbons.
Some were pedaling into and out of turns.
I opted for the feeling of chainless,
letting gravity work her beautiful magic.
Breaking late into turns,
cutting the apex,
off the brakes.
HR still in the 90s.
This is summit surfing.
Going up
We are what we eat and i needed some Zen
Cobblestone climb with a million switchbacks.
===
167.8 lbs ? no idea, traveling sans scale
8 hours
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
120/-53 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
DAY FOUR - A LITTLE BIT MORE FAR
Jul 10, 2025
by TODD BROWN
OUT FRONT OF OUR HOTEL, I was chatting with a dude from Sicily. He and his girlfriend were touring on a sweet KTM 1100 Adventure. I always dreamed of doing just that with Surfergirl sporting...
... shortshorts and a halter top.
Now I'm inspired.
When I told him what we had planned for the day,
he looked at my man powered rig.
That's a little bit more far.
I think what he was trying to say was...
... You fool, that's 50 miles, 2 major passes and nearly 8000' of vert.
Considering this is our "recovery day",
after yesterday's 12,000'
tomorrow's 10,000'.
He had a point.
So, how do we ride all these climbs,
day after day?
Eat a lot.
Love Watts promised there was no way to gain weight on this trip.
Apparently, I've taken on the challenge,
'cause I'm looking a little plump in the pics...
... even sucking in my ballast.
It's easy to do...
- meat
- fruits
- breads
- cheeses
... because the food is amazing here.
Gotta keep the little engine that could stoked, like this coal fired choochoo
Towards the top of the first pass
this is a famous one... easy to find on youtube
===
167.8 lbs ? no idea, traveling sans scale
8 hours
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
113/-26 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
DAY THREE - YOU SHOULD PEE IN FRANCE
Jul 09, 2025
by TODD BROWN
SWITZERLAND HAS FOUR OFFICIAL languages, not counting English or the million others we're all speaking and thinking in. Everyone is friendly, and...
... we're all doing our best.
A warm and kind soul exits the bakery.
Looks at me,
and says...
.... You should be in France.
Crud, did he see me watering that bush outside ot Grindelwald?
I should pee in France?
Yes,
It is a great time to pee in France.
Time for sign language,
I hold my hands in front of me...
... Pee in France?
No, no, no... pee in France, bike race.
We both have a giant laugh over that.
Which was real nice.
I needed that.
A few miles back I'd done the fall of shame,
managing to get to close to a 2" curb...
... tumbling on the concrete and startling the kind lady at the fruit stand.
I was worried for her.
Checked my bike,
rims scuffed,
that's all.
Oh, and my butt cheek hurts,
like a mule kicked me.
Knee is bleeding,
the cool kind.
Lots of red,
no damage.
Aint nothin gonna stop this amazing day.
We fueled at another outstanding bakery
The climb over Gross Scheidegg was stunning, and the descent a real screamer
Another fuel stop
Susten Pass was another monster climb,
lots of tunnels.
One with a waterfall going over the tunnel.
It was on this long climb that I realized while I'd dodged a bullet with the fall,
somehow I"d damaged my ankle.
It started to get real stiff,
and swollen.
Lots of...
- Advil
- Tylenol
- And prayers
... I should be good to go in the morning.
===
167.8 lbs ? no idea, traveling sans scale
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
113/-26 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
DAY TWO - AN UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE
Jul 08, 2025
by TODD BROWN
SOMETIMES WHEN ON AN ADVENTUROUS VACATION the most unexpected piece of gear can fail. Depending on what, where and when...
... it can change the outlook of the entire trip.
Rolling out in a light rain,
with 60 miles and
6400'.
Waking up to rain,
the clouds at eye level.
Gave me some concern.
We climbed through the the diminishing showers
the weather cleared.
I had the gear for the weather.
Arm warmers,
base layer,
jersey.
At the top,
I pulled a KOM jacket
out of my water proof Barrito bag.
Something more sinister had the potential to be a trip ruiner...
... had it failed while we carved the mountains.
Just as we pull up to the hotel,
AC's spoke breaks.
Had that happened on those speedy drops,
it coulda been ugly.
Still, how ya gonna fix a broken spoke in a town you don't know,
with a legit language barrier?
Oh, just google bike shop,
walk 239'...
... and find a pro mechanic with just the right length.
Aero, even.
How's that for lemons into lemonade.
===
167.8 lbs ? no idea, traveling sans scale
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
108/-6 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
DAY ONE - GETTING DOWN
Jul 07, 2025
by TODD BROWN
TODAY WAS ONE OF THOSE DAYS you just want to share with everyone. Weather perfect, roads desolate, the immensity of nature prying into your soul. The whole time I'm thinking...
... Surfergirl has got to do this.
It's too big.
This climb.
Not too...
- hard
- long
- steep
... too big for words.
At the top of the Col de la Croix, we put on windbreakers.
Dropping at 50+mph gets right chilly, right fast.
The pavement is pristine,
the corners gravel free,
turns banked.
A place to tuck and go.
Why do we want to share experiences like this when we know hardly anyone on the planet could do the ride, or enjoy it?
I think it's comes back to gratitude,
and wanting to share the goodness.
One a winding bike trail through forest and fields let us right past the UCI Velodrome.
Had to do a lap on the UCI pump track
The start of the Col de la Croix climb.
===
167.8 lbs ? no idea, traveling sans scale
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
103/11 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
DAY 0
Jul 06, 2025
by TODD BROWN
I GOT INVITED to go to Switzerland. Should I go, could I swing it, was the timing right? Legit questions. Surfergirl looked at me and said...
... don't be an idiot.
Go!
Yesterday was Day -1...
- 5800 miles
- 11 hour flight
- 9 hour time change
... on 2 hours of sleep.
We think we're athletes...
- on foot
- horseback
- by sail boat
... completely unable to imagine doing that trip as our ancestors did.
Maybe that is what draws into endurance sports...
... a yearning to tap into what our progenitors did on a daily basis.
Today is Day 0,
and I woke feeling great.
Hit the local church,
always fun to see how others do Sundays.
The flat 50 miles of tailwind along Lake Geneva to the hotel,
was a good way to loosen up the legs.
Tomorrow the climbing starts.
Rain is on the menu.
All day.
===
Yeah, I did have the design team create these rad jerseys to commemorate the trip
===
Yodelayheehoo!
===
167.8 lbs ? no idea, traveling sans scale
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
100/18 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
THE SLOW MOVING MASS
Jul 04, 2025
by TODD BROWN
THE LETHARGY was real. It had been a stressful week of work, plus the emotional rollercoaster of meeting with docs. I wasn't sleeping well...
... and I just wasn't feeling it.
My rides were short,
or skipped.
Yesterday, put a fork in that.
A rebellious f' this arose.
Kitted up with angst.
90 minutes...
- 238 NP
- 142 Ave HR
- 2500' climbed
... of pure glory.
It's more energizing to ride fast...
... I felt unstoppable.
===
check these new additions out https://pedalindustries.com/collections/gloves
check these new additions out https://pedalindustries.com/collections/gloves
===
167.8 lbs (the fatted calf is ready to be slaughtered next week)
7 hrs sleep
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
102/10 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
LOOK AT THIS DING DONG
Jul 03, 2025
by TODD BROWN
PACKING UP THE GEAR for a trip, is usually really fun. We know where we're going, when we're leaving, how we'll get there, what we'll need...
.. mostly we're good to go.
Until we're not.
Panic hits.
Happened to me yesterday.
Tool finally arrives so I can remove my center-lock brake rotors.
Wrong tool.
Put the word out and Chuckles has just what I need.
Do you need the ratchet, too?
No, I've got it.
Get home.
Don't have it.
So I go to Lowes and ask for help finding an adapter.
The ol' guy's eyes narrow,
he's sizing me up.
I can hear his thoughts...
Ding Dong on aisle 9 is so incompetent he can't find an adapter!
... ugh!
I hate asking for...
- help
- guidance
- directions
... except for when I need it, and it's gotta be correct.
So much faster.
===
166.9 lbs
8 hrs sleep
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
102/17 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
WHY SPARTAN RACING IS HUGER THAN...
Jul 03, 2025
by TODD BROWN
AS A STUDENT OF MARKETING, it's hard not to see it everywhere I look, in a million different organizations. Some events flourish and get huge, like the Spartan race...
... 52 weekends/year x 8-10k racers.
500,000 tickets a year.
Those are big numbers.
2 principles I've seen lately are...
- sift quickly
- have an enemy
... super powerful.
Sifting...
- Do you run?
- Do you want to do something crazy?
- Are you cool if you're filthy, cut, and bruised?
... well, you gotta do a Spartan race.
Enemies...
- weak
- pudgy
- pathetic fitness
... if you hate that stuff, you love the Spartan crowd.
See how that works?
Now, find the...
- gear
- event
- challenge
... and sift quickly, while banishing anything that takes you off course.
===
166.4 lbs
8 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
103/-2 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
WHEN THINGS BREAK
Jul 01, 2025
by TODD BROWN
IT'S SO FRUSTRATING when our equipment breaks. Times it by a million if it's during a race. All that time and prep wasted. It happened today...
... I'm elated.
10' from home,
my seat post bolt snapped.
Before I tell you why that makes me so happy,
here's another one.
18 months ago, my pull up bar broke.
I suffered multiple brain bleeds,
after 5 days in ICU,
I was released.
Elated.
Because of the brain injury,
an MRI revealed I had a brain tumor.
We never would have found that,
certainly not in time,
to take action.
Today I got the news,
the action we took has killed the tumor.
Back to that broken bolt.
I'm often 10 miles down a dirt road,
or up high on a mountain,
far from help,
or Uber.
Things break...
- angry
- scared
- frustrated
... sometimes, for a good reason.
===
If you've been along for the journey, I want you to know how much I appreciate your love, support and prayers.
===
166.4 lbs
8 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
103/-2 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
NO ONE OF CONSEQUENCE
Jun 30, 2025
by TODD BROWN
IF THERE'S ONE THING I DO NOT WANT when I show up to race, it's respect. Or fear. Or friendship. I'd prefer to be overlooked, considered...
... no one of consequence.
Don't mind lil' ol' me.
The greatest hero of all time operated that way.
He never showed his skill unless it was absolutely necessary.
He was...
- nice
- respectful
- played by the rules
... swung his sword with his right hand to give others a chance.
He was left handed.
We can learn a lot from the Dread Pirate Roberts...
- preparation
- mastery of skills
- flexible and creative under pressure
... it all leads to supreme confidence.
Never show it.
Own it.
===
166.4 lbs
8 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps SplitSquats and more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
104/-4 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
SIX MONTHS LEFT
Jun 29, 2025
by TODD BROWN
HALF THE YEAR IS GONE, never to be clawed back. I'd planned to race through this weekend, but pulled the plug 6 weeks ago...
... was it a mistake?
I'm not sure.
Seeing my friends' happy and exhausted faces from BWR MT...
... the FOMO was real.
Not fear.
Feeling.
That satisfying feeling,
of exhaustion and elation.
When?
===
165.6 lbs
8 hrs sleep
0 PushUps 0 PullUps Some SplitSquats
10 minutes stretching
180 minutes Reading/Journaling
105/-19 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
THE THREE KINDS
Jun 28, 2025
by TODD BROWN
THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF CLIMBERS, and they each approach a long climb in their own way. I'm not sure there is a right or a wrong way to do it...
... I've seen 'em all.
Today, I was witness to a few.
Knowing I'm the slowest of my friends...
... I purposely let into the longish single track climb.
There I am,
doing my best,
to hold 'em back.
Just below my blowup speed...
... and they're talking like it's nothing.
Here are the three types...
- start out fast, fade towards the top
- start out slow, charge over the top
- start out however they feel, destroy everyone
,,, I know of.
Oh wait...
- start out reasonable and hope for the best
... there's me.
Of course...
- racing
- sprinting
- life in general
... it's not just climbing.
===
164.7 lbs
7 hrs sleep
0 PushUps 0 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
20 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
107/2 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
RIDING QUIET
Jun 27, 2025
by TODD BROWN
WHEN WE'RE REALLY IN THE ZONE, going fast, turning, bouncing, sliding, things are chill. Our bodies quite, and calm...
... it's all easy and stress free.
I put that into practice today.
The operator told me...
You got this bro.
... as he slid my prone body in the MRI tube.
60 minutes,
holding my head perfectly still,
while the machine booms and bangs...
... is a helluva long time to be quiet.
It's no different than...
- the start line
- 5 abreast into a crit turn
- haulingass down a rough trail
... the nerves we tame competing and charging.
We do it,
get better at,
until we look death in the eye...
... and give an imperceptible nod.
We got this.
===
164.2 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps 0 SplitSquats and more
20 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
103/-7 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
THIS WILL PROBABLY BACKFIRE
Jun 26, 2025
by TODD BROWN
I WAS JUST READING UP on all the latest strength training principles for endurance athletes. Nothing keeps me on track like a...
... good dose of confirmation bias.
I've been all in....
- 4 times a week
- 30 pullups, 90 pushups
- and various other small targets
... and it's starting to show.
Really.
If you look really close.
But, that's not the cool part.
The cool part is I'm able to do more and more in a row.
#gettingstronger
Now, this is where I'll probably screw it all up.
I've decided to go back to...
- split squats
- box jumps
- maybe even nordic curls
... being dedicated on the legs.
Potential negatives...
- sexier legs
- feel flat
- injury
... are outweighed by what I'm after.
More power.
World domination,
when I taper,
don't lift.
lol
Stay tuned,
I'll keep ya posted.
===
165.8 lbs
7.75 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps SplitSquats and more
20 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
105/-11 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
A TIMELY HABIT
Jun 25, 2025
by TODD BROWN
APPARENTLY, I'VE GOT A REPUTATION for having a thing about time. When it comes to leaving on time, there is no wiggle room. If you're late...
... you're chasing.
We give no quarter.
Why so...
- harsh
- militant
- uncompromising
... is not hard to understand.
Because we...
- respect each other's time
- know things come up
- rollover in bed
... want to get the ride in.
So, we leave.
This leaks over to everything I do.
We have an internal promise at the business, we deliver...
- what you designed
- on time
... and I really lose my shift when we miss.
I don't like chasing.
===
166.7 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
0 PushUps 0 PullUps just legs today
20 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
105/0 fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THIS IS CLASSIFIED INFO
Jun 24, 2025
by TODD BROWN
A YEAR AGO, I built a special purpose gravel bike. I wanted something light, and fast, that I could also use as my road bike. It had to have a 2x drivetrain...
... I went with an unknown.
It's CLASSIFIED.
A 2-speed rear hub,
faster and better than a front derailleur.
What was weird then,
is still weird now.
Except, now...
- TRP
- ENVE
- Shimano
... offer integrated systems and compatibility.
One of the best things about competition is...
... discovering and testing cutting-edge products.
You could say I'm obsessed with RaceDay.
===
165.9 lbs
8 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps n more
20 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
103/-8 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
THE MEETING AND THE CALENDAR
Jun 23, 2025
by TODD BROWN
HAVING MEETINGS can really cramp the training schedule, when they are short notice. But, business before pleasure is a winning formula, I was cutting it close...
... so I hustled.
The all Zone 2 drifted into tempo at the end.
With 5 minutes to spare,
I slid into home,
the garage.
Grabbed a recovery bar,
Haagen Dazs.
Ate half.
Thew on a shirt and hat,
still in bibs.
Nobody on Zoom.
Doh!
Meeting is next Monday,
long notice,
not short.
Shoulda checked the calendar app vs the calendar in my head.
Also, even though I had prepared prior to leaving...
... it's unpro to arrive at the last second,
in bibs.
Business > Pleasure.
===
166.4 lbs
8 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps n more
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
104/-2 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
RACING IS AN ADVENTURE
Jun 22, 2025
by TODD BROWN
THEY'LL SAY WE ARE INSANE for doing what we do when racing, and they're not wrong. Because most people spend their lives avoiding pain...
... while pursing victory.
Racing is an adventure...
- full of discomforts
- there's no real hope of winning
- the problems and challenges are what draw us in
... keeping the race interesting.
We prep for it,
push ourselves to our limits,
before even crossing the starting line.
Willingly.
It's not insane at all,
it's what we signed up for.
===
166.4 lbs
78 hrs sleep
0 PushUps 0 PullUps n more
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
105/-29 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
SHOULD WE TAPER FOR TRAINING RIDES?
Jun 21, 2025
by TODD BROWN
LOOKING OVER THE DATA from my most recent two hard rides and comparing to two recent races this year, I'm wondering if we...
... should taper more for training rides?
Would that be a better...
- workout?
- gauge of fitness?
- prep for an A race?
... to do from time to time.
I'm wondering because according to the apps...
... I have the highest fitness of the year right now.
But, the numbers don't really reflect that.
They are in line with the early season races,
which I tapered for.
While the fitness numbers are climbing, and looking good...
... I have the highest fatigue of the year right now.
Just fer fun,
I think I'll do a mini taper this week,
and see what kind of numbers I can produce next Saturday.
===
165.9 lbs
7 hrs sleep
0 PushUps 0 PullUps n more
20 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
107/-2 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
HOW TO CALCULATE THE VALUE OF YOUR BIKE
Jun 20, 2025
by TODD BROWN
NICE BIKES are expensive, and, if you're into maximizing your performance, totally worth the price we pay. They depreciate quickly, and rarely...
... hold their value.
Here's a rough calculation.
Day One,
20%.
Year One,
40%.
Year Four,
85%.
I have a friend who surfs the top of market,
gets a great deal because he buys a new bike ever year...
... and figures it runs him about $500/mo.
New, top of the line tech, always.
I was thinking about this today.
Year 5 for my trusty MTB,
essentially 0%.
Frame is toast.
Cost works out to be about $200/mo,
not counting parts replaced and maintenance,
and lost performance via wear and tear and old technology.
What's the better way to go?
Here's another calculus, the value...
- 1 minute before your planned ride
- super high
- 1 second after a victory or PR
- even higher
- Years after an epic event or quest
- priceless memories
... what we pay is important.
The value we receive,
is up to us.
===
166.2 lbs
8 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps n more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
102/-11 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
IT'S NOT ABOUT GETTING THEM STARTED
Jun 19, 2025
by TODD BROWN
WE HAD A SPECIAL GUEST spend the night. He's an early riser, like me. Not being one to alter my plans I went right about with my usual start to the day. Within a few minutes...
... I had him out in the garage.
The quiver of bikes grabbed his attention.
Then, he saw me reach up to the bar,
and rattle off some pullups.
HIs arms raised high,
and said...
... Pu-up
I had to lift him up to get him started.
Along with not being able to speak well,
he's on the short side,
not too heavy.
When it comes to getting people going on something,
it's not about getting them started...
... it's about sharing our passion.
===
165.1 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps n more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
103/-10 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
IMPATIENCE IS THE MOTHER OF...
Jun 18, 2025
by TODD BROWN
IMPATIENCE IS THE DEFAULT, once we get a big hit of endorphins. We look forward to the next day's training sesh, and...
... can't wait for our next race.
Then,
a loss,
a setback.
The return to form isn't as fast as we'd like.
If we rush it,
skip steps.
Fitness is like baking a cake...
- measured ingredients
- exact environment
- proper pan
It takes time.
Impatience, too often, is the mother of quitting.
I had to remind myself of that today as bigbadbob let me know...
I'm going to drop your a$$ today.
We'll see.
... I pulled away only to have him put 37 seconds on me during the final climb.
The reminding...
- I'm still 5lbs heavy
- I broke my PR
- 37 seconds!
... is motivational, helps me be patient.
===
165.9 lbs
7 hrs sleep
No PushUps or PullUps n more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
103/-1 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
TEST THE EXPERTS
Jun 17, 2025
by TODD BROWN
TRUSTING THE EXPERTS is a thing, especially because we want to believe them. Outsourcing our decisions is convenient, fast, and prudent...
... is that a good thing?
Could be.
As long as the experts are always...
- right
- consistent
- benevolent
... then, being a sheep is the way to go.
I desperately want to trust the YouTuberatti, when they claim...
- big tires
- more carbs
- shorter cranks
... are faster.
But, I don't.
Instead, I...
- study it out in my mind
- listen my intuition
- check credibility
... then, put it to the test.
As Ronnie Reagan advised...
... trust, but verify.
===
166 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps n more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
101/-10 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
HEAT TRAINING IS SO HOT RIGHT NOW
Jun 16, 2025
by TODD BROWN
DH CALLED ME THIS MORNING. We were chatting about some new branding coming online and he asks if I remember EC. How could I forget...
... the many thumpings he's delivered?
Remember that tall skinny dude, super fast?
For sure.
I always thought he was kind of cocky, and I really wanted to hate the guy, but, he was just so good I decided it wasn't being cocky.
Yep, that's him.
I was thinking about that as I rolled out during the hottest portion of the day...
... because the heat training fad is so hot right now.
Whether it's mother nature or our competition bringing the heat, we can acclimate and excel...
... if we'll search out and endure the swelteringness.
===
167.8 lbs
8 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps n more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
103/-10 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
INSANELY SIMPLE TRAINING PLAN
Jun 15, 2025
by TODD BROWN
STRUGGLING WITH BURNOUT is one of those things like a fish doesn't know it's in water. We fail to notice the most obvious...
... until we step outside.
Conscious effort required?
I guess.
But, I'm not a 100% on that.
In my case, I just needed to tone it all down..
- no travel
- no B or C races
- no training plan
... beyond clearing the calendar.
I needed a simple plan.
Here it is...
- ride twice a week with my faster friends
- fool around on the other days
- be one pound lighter/week
... can you dig it?
I realized I'd made the transition while reading Insanely Simple, The Obsession That Drives Apple's Success, by Ken Segall.
We humans have a propensity to complicate things.
This book is a good reminder regarding...
- relationships
- business
- life
... to knock that shift off.
===
165.3 lbs
7 hrs sleep
No PushUps PullUps n more
0 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
102/-26 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THE SURPRISE THAT DROPPED ME
Jun 14, 2025
by TODD BROWN
... our kids gave ChatGTP this prompt: write a Father's Day post in Todd's voice.
Absolutely. Here’s a blog post written in the voice and style of the Pedal Industries blog.
⸻
THE SURPRISE THAT DROPPED ME
I figured I’d get a card. Maybe a “happy Father’s Day” mumbled over pancakes.
Instead, I got dropped.
I was still stretching on the driveway when they rolled up—my crew. My kids. Helmets on, bikes dialed, grinning like they knew they were about to wreck me.
“We’re going for a ride,” they said. “You’re not leading.”
No race number, no segment PR, no fancy plan. Just miles. Together.
And somewhere between the first climb and the mid-ride donut stop, I realized something:
I wasn’t the one teaching today. I was the one being taught.
See, the best father figures—on and off the bike—don’t always charge out front. Sometimes they sit back and ride tempo. They wait at the top. They give you their last gel. They change your flat, even when it costs them the win.
And sometimes? They surprise you. With their patience. With their quiet strength. With how much of you they see.
That’s what my kids did. They saw me. They brought me into the ride. They led the pace. They reminded me what this whole thing is really about.
It’s not watts. It’s not KOMs. It’s love in motion.
Happy Father’s Day to the dads who taught us to ride—and to the riders who became our dads, even if they never signed the birth certificate.
And to my kids: thanks for the ride. You crushed me. I loved every second.
Sleep: 7 hrs
Weight: 164
Ride: 32 miles, mostly smiling
Donut: Old fashioned, shared
⸻
Happy Father's Day, Dad!
❤️ the kids
BANKING AND WITHDRAWING
Jun 13, 2025
by TODD BROWN
THE FITNESS BANK is always open for business, and always ready to close the doors if we don't show up. We constantly make deposits...
... longing for that epic withdrawal.
Fear does that.
Fear of the day we can't do the work,
or, we don't know how much we'll need.
We bank and bank and bank...
... forgetting why we are doing it.
===
164.7 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
60 PushUps 20 PullUps n more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
100/-13 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
RANDO THOUGHT ON THAT NEW FACTOR
Jun 12, 2025
by TODD BROWN
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, Factor is debuting a new aero road frame. The most obvious advancement in go-fast tech is...
... the outrageously wide forks.
Ripped off,
borrowed,
licensed...
... from British National Team track bikes.
There was a day when the forks were as close as possible to the tire.
Good-bye to that.
What this inquiring mind wants to know...
... does that mean an aero gravel bike with road wheels and tires is gonna rip?
That's my current set up...
- gravel frame
- road components
- two sets of wheels
... and it seems to be working quite well on the road.
The trusty Crux...
- two-piece stem/bar
- exposed cables
- round tubes
... is hardly aero.
N + 1 coming in hot.
===
164.9 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
90 PushUps 30 PullUps n more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
102/-12 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
THE SLOW AND FAST METHOD TO WINNING
Jun 11, 2025
by TODD BROWN
WHO HAD IT RIGHT, the tortoise or the hare? We know the hare had it in him, we also know the tortoise won the race...
... does that mean slow and steady always wins?
Nope.
The past few weeks I've been working on this segment, in search of a PR.
I almost blew it today.
Within seconds,
disappointment.
Quitting and whining,
on the menu.
The segment starts off with a swashbuckling group of marauders,
my booster rockets to escape velocity,
towards two spanking climbs.
The group had already broken apart,
within the first mile.
Leaders were flying when they rounded the corner.
From a dead stop,
- 637 watts
- 478 watts
- 396 watts
I launched what I thought would catch me on.
I was holding,
not gaining.
After about 5 minutes, I sat up...
... waiting for the first chase group.
We chased hard...
... recording my best 10 minute power of the year.
Caught.
Recovered.
Started pulling through.
Winding up, for the first time this year, with the final sprint group.
Next, I headed for the final climbs,
back to a fast tempo pace...
... allowing me to do the final 20 minutes at threshold.
Did I get the PR?
No, but dropped 3 minutes off my previous weeks' efforts.
It's not slow and steady...
... it's slow and fast.
===
165.8 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
No PushUps PullUps & more
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
101/-2 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
THE TRUE PRICE OF GREAT ADVICE
Jun 10, 2025
by TODD BROWN
A WHILE BACK, I connected with the COO of a well-known bike brand. We were working on a collaboration at the time. I asked him for some...
... advice on what we're doing over here.
Today, we met for lunch.
Looked at from now to the end of the year,
the objectives I want to accomplish,
what I think is possible.
No different than...
- capabilities
- weaknesses
- peak seasonal events
... planning the race season with a coach.
After some yummy tacos,
and back of napkin calculations...
... we came up with a solid methodology to implement.
Like an great coach,
my friend made it so simple to understand...
... and gave me the confidence to go for it.
I was prepared to pay a minimum of $1,000.
In the end it could be way more expensive than that...
... if I don't take action.
It could cost me 100s of 1000s.
===
166.7 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
60 PushUps 15 PullUps & more
20 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
99/-8 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
YEAR/YEAR...
Jun 09, 2025
by TODD BROWN
SMALL INCREMENTAL INCREASES or decreases are hard to notice. We have to squint to see if we've moved the needle at all. It can be discouraging...
... if we're striving to improve.
What gives?
Commitment.
Radical commitment to improve, forcing radical changes in behavior...
... to create radical results.
Just before I kitted up for the afternoon ride,
I received a video of...
... my 81 year-old aunt Vickie completing a 1/2 marathon over the weekend.
Running,
not walking.
That's radical commitment.
===
167.1 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
100 PushUps 30 PullUps & more
20 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
100/-27 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
THAT SQUEAK
Jun 08, 2025
by TODD BROWN
THE FINAL HOUR OF SO of yesterdays gravel jaunt, left me wondering. As we rolled along, I could here an ever so feint squeak...
... how many watts was that robbing me of?
I'm glad I didn't notice on the 52 minute climb...
- they're getting away
- I don't have a chance
- it's impossible for me to keep up
... that kind of thing can suck the life right of me.
I'll figure it out tomorrow.
But, here's the thing...
... if there is one thing squeaking, all moving parts need some love.
===
165.8 lbs
8 hrs sleep
No PushUps 12 PullUps & more
20 minutes stretching
40 minutes Reading/Journaling
100/-27 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
MORE ON DURABILITY
Jun 07, 2025
by TODD BROWN
DURABILITY KEEPS POPPING UP in the digital rags, podcasts and youtubes. Since it's the cool, trendy thing we all have to master...
... here's something to consider.
But, first a word from this genius Velo take:
I suffered through the article which explains we that don't know anything...
... so you don't have, too.
Here's what I do know about how many days the pros have raced this year ...
- Van der Poel 25
- Mads 23
- Tadej 22
- Primoz 15
- Jonas 13
- Remco 10
- ave pro 15
... the most exciting and successful, race more and harder.
Now, I'm no scientist, but.
How much have you learned...
- traits
- tactics
- teamwork
... about yourself and competitors during competition?
Vs. doing intervals by yourself?
How much more efficiently can you operate under pressure...
... when you're used to being under pressure?
is it just possible that racing a lot, experiencing...
- failure
- obstacles
- being pushed
... makes us more durable?
Having race winning instincts comes from showing up as often as we can...
... allowing us to make it look easy.
Amiwrong?
===
164.7 lbs (made it)
7.5 hrs sleep
No PushUps 12 PullUps & more
20 minutes stretching
20 minutes Reading/Journaling
103/-2 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
A LOST ART, GOOD THING I DO GROUP RIDES
Jun 06, 2025
by TODD BROWN
IF IT WEREN'T FOR MY INSISTENCE to get my hopes consistently dashed on a regular basis, I'd have lost this skill altogether. For, it's on the group ride where I get to practice this arcane skill...
... before and after the carnage.
Tonight, I displayed my mastery of the lost art.
The energy high,
the dj vibing,
seating,
sparse.
We snagged a quarter of a table,
shared with three other parties of two.
Here is where I busted out my group riding skills.
Rather than independently staring at our phones...
... 'cause can't to that in a snappy peloton...
... we introduced ourselves.
Talked.
Made friends.
As the great John Lennon said...
... Imagine all the people, livin' in real life.
===
If you're needing more aloha: https://pedalindustries.com/collections/aloha-pedal-collection
===
166.2 lbs (goal of 164 on Saturday is in jeopardy)
7.5 hrs sleep
36 PushUps 12 PullUps & more
20 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
96/-9 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
SENSOR ME THAT, APPMAN
Jun 05, 2025
by TODD BROWN
AI IS INVADING. It doesn't seem like it. More novel than useful, for most of us. But, it's coming and it's going to change...
... the way most of us train.
It's going to revolutionize sports science...
- 1.0 the foundational principles from the last 100 years
- 2.0 the proliferation of sensor technology of the last 20 years
- 3.0 the integration and leverage of all the tools and AI to make sense of it all
... and how we, and coaches, go about our maximizing our fitness.
OK.
That actually sounds pretty cool,
and would be fun to tinker and play with.
Here's where I think the invasion...
- data monitoring
- AI crunching the numbers
- coach or sports director telling racers what to do.
... can go completely off the rails with big time road racing.
I already loathe race radios.
The old phrase Out of site, out of mind...
... is non-existent in modern road racing.
This is why...
- The World Championships
- Gravel
- MTB
... are so much more exciting.
Give me...
- less tech
- human error
- more emotion
... that's real racing.
So, censor me that app, man.
Here's a link to the podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fast-talk/id1490521721?i=1000711579687
===
164.7 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
100 PushUps 30 PullUps & more
20 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
99/-13 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
SMOKIN' CIGS
Jun 04, 2025
by TODD BROWN
THE IDEA WAS TO LEAVE early enough to ride at a nice pace and not get to the start too taxed. We were good on the...
... nice pace part.
The early part,
not so much.
Too early.
Next thing I know,
one foot is on the curb,
we're enjoying a coupla cigs.
Beautiful morning.
Blood is being reassigned duties,
heart rates are way down,
blood pressure dropping.
One problem.
We're at the bottom of an naughty hill,
and the group comes around the corner pushin' 30mph.
Which got me thinking...
... what is the ideal warm up?
A lot of the really big races there is no way to properly warm up.
We get thrown in a corral of some sort and wait and wait and wait for the starter's gun.
Unless you're a pro.
Then you have your fancy rollers or trainer next to the start, where you bike is primed and just waiting you to leap aboard all hot and bothered.
So, do we...
... warm up or go cold turkey?
Today would have been...
- 80 minutes of very easy zone two
- mostly flat with a few rises
- time for pee breaks
... a perfect warm up for me.
I have other friends who...
- park the car
- get their number
- go straight to the corral
... with little time to spare.
It's a fair question to ponder, because we all know...
... starting up front matters.
Cig or no cig.
(no, I don't really smoke cigs... we're athletes, amiright?)
===
165.5 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
No PushUps PullUps & more
20 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
99/-6 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
LETTING GO IS HARD
Jun 03, 2025
by TODD BROWN
WHEN IT COMES TO RACING, I prefer to be self-sufficient. I like to know how to do everything...
... and it's a lot of fun figuring it all out.
But, I found it could be slowing me down in the long run.
Just because I "know" how to do something...
- fuel
- train
- logistics
- mechanics
... doesn't mean I should be doing it.
I can adjust my derailler,
never as good as the pro at the shop.
I can plan my nutrition,
not as competently as a high level nutritionist.
I can coach myself,
never as good as a pro.
You get the idea.
Here's the problem.
It can be hard to let go.
Which can stunt or delay our growth...
... and who wants that?
I was thinking about this today as we go through a new growth phase at PEDALindustries.
In the beginning I did the artwork.
I look back at my work 10+ years ago and laugh.
We because so much better when I got out of the way, and we brought great talent.
For example the digital camo collection, we launched recently...
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/all-camo-collection-isd
... it looks so rad out in the wild.
We're moving on to a new phase...
- Northwest
- Southwest
- Southeast
... kick me out of sales in the above territories.
If know of anybody who is awesome, we invite them to reach to Michael@pedalindustries.com.
XOXO
===
165.8 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
PushUps PullUps & more
10 minutes stretching
90 minutes Reading/Journaling
98/-7 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
WHAT ARE WE OPTIMIZING FOR?
Jun 02, 2025
by TODD BROWN
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS about racing an epic event or route is figuring out what needs to be optimized. As we prep, for going the distance...
... we are forced to figure out what to optimize.
We want a specific outcome.
What might we consider...
- risk
- speed
- weight
- teammates
- replaceability
- proven methods
... necessary for our success?
All good.
Each consideration must answer the question...
... will this make us more or less durable?
I was reminded of this when a critical suspension bolt snapped mid-ride last week. It was an easy fix, only because I had the replacement parts on hand in my garage.
===
166.4 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
No PushUps PullUps
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
98/-11 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
THERE ARE NO SECOND CHANCES
Jun 01, 2025
by TODD BROWN
ISAAC DEL TORO LOST the Giro. If i'm being honest, it was kind of a crappy way to do it. From my Monday morning sports director's chair, it looked to me like...
... a bunch of amateurs.
Dude gets ahead.
In this case, the uber-talented Simon Yates who dramatically lost this very race on this very climb 7 years ago...
... gets a little, seemingly manageable, gap.
Rather than collaborating,
or just getting down to the business
of racing your bike like a pro who is paid...
... Del Toro and Carapaz have a stand off.
I'm not chasing
I'm not pulling
You should pull.
I'm not gonna if you're not
But, the silliness of that is not the take away here.
People are already saying...
- It's okay Del Toro you did great.
- Pink jersey for many days
- Second on podium
You're young and will have many more chances.
To that I say...
.... at best, it's a maybe.
I hope I'm wrong.
Let's be honest...
... there are no second chances.
There might be...
... more chances.
That is not guaranteed.
What is the likelihood anybody ever gets a shot at greatness...
- our team is flawless
- we're executing perfectly
- top competitors no show or crash out.
... that the stars align and we capitalize on our hard work?
Slim.
So, when it happens...
... lock in, and get it done!
===
165.8 lbs
8.5 hrs sleep
No PushUps PullUps
0 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
98/-27 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
YOU'RE FOOLIN' YOUSELF
May 31, 2025
by TODD BROWN
WELL, THAT WAS A WAKE UP CALL. I've been ducking the invites to the big group road ride for longer than I should. Months...
... I had a lot of excuses.
All good...
- too early
- too hard
- too fast
- too far
... if I'm wanting to be an anti-social sloth.
I get that way some times.
Especially when I know I'm outta shape, and pudgy.
Literally, not a good look.
A funny thing happened...
- it was early
- hard
- fast
- far
... on the way to getting shelled.
I had a glimpse of how I used to ride,
as I slipped off the back,
and vanished.
It wasn't a dream.
But, it was inspiriing.
Legit gonna give up a few things.
#worthit.
The great Woody Allen said showing up is 90% of success...
... I'll add, consistency is the other 10%.
Being discouraged sucks...
... quitting sucks more.
===
165.8 lbs (so far from my goal of 160)
7.5 hrs sleep
No PushUps PullUps
20 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
101/-4 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
HOW TO KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE
May 30, 2025
by TODD BROWN
I SAW SOMETHING TODAY that was completely ridiculous. Watching the Giro, the overall race leader just blew my mind...
... was he mocking the competition?
Or, is he just that good?
I know how insane it was,
because I've tried.
And, it's impossible.
Imagine this...
- you're racing up a massive mountain climb
- going for all out
- the air is thin
... and ...
... wait for it...
... you're nose breathing!
Mouth is closed,
like your meditating,
or on a hammock reading a book.
That is what Issac Del Toro was doing this morning on his way to gaining yet more time on his rivals in the Giro.
Insane!
I can do Zone 1...
- with massive effort
- concentrating
- relaxing
... practice all you want.
I did, because...
- helps maintain optimal oxygen/carbon dioxide balance and improve endurance
- engages diaphragm which is a more efficient way to breath
- reduces dehydration
... the benefits are many.
Lemme just say, if one of y'all were nose breathing, while I was mouth gasping...
... I'd know it was over.
For.
Sure.
===
As cool as this jersey is, I don't even think it's vibe could help me keep my breathing under control.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/aloha-pedal-collection
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/aloha-pedal-collection
===
166.4 lbs (so far from my goal of 160)
7.5 hrs sleep
PushUps PullUps
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
96/-12 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
SHOULD WE CARRY OUR PHONES?
May 29, 2025
by TODD BROWN
THE DARN THINGS ARE SO USEFUL, it's hard to leave them behind. The phones can track the workout, snap pics or videos when inspired or needed...
... and make the emergency call.
I left mine at home today.
It's been nearly four years since I had to make the call of shame,
or summon an uber.
That was for a broken chain,
30 miles from home.
Thinking my bike was solid I decided to leave the thing at home.
How weird to consider that risky.
Just what have we become?
Fraidycats!
Of course, far ...
- from home
- the roads
- help
... as fate would have it.
I realized my frame was either broken or had something broken down near the bottom bracket, hidden behind the spider.
No way to fix it.
No way to summon help.
Had to do it the old-fashioned way...
... ride home slowly, stressing the frame as little as possible.
===
167.1 lbs
8 hrs sleep
PushUps PullUps Deadlifts etc
20 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
97/-13 (fitness per Training Peaks)
2 min vision therapy
IS MISSION IMPOSSIBLE'S BETTER THAN BOND'S?
May 28, 2025
by TODD BROWN
WHY ARE GROUP RIDES so addicting? It can't be simply seeing the friends, or the ritual of getting up and doing something. There must be...
... something more.
There is.
And, I think I've figured it out by analyzing...
- not the actors
- not the story lines
- not the super attractive heroes and heroins
... the difference between Bond and Mission Impossible.
It's the theme music.
Bond is a moderate tempo...
- seductive
- confident
- charismatic
... like a long solo adventure.
Mission Impossible is built around 5/4 time
- unique
- urgent
- off-kilter rhythm
... fitting the high-stakes, team-based mission.
That is what keeps seducing us back to the the group ride...
... the action and suspense of how it's going to go down.
Which is better?
I dunno.
Some days I'm down for a Bond adventure...
... others, it's all about Hunt-ing with the team.
===
Oh, and yeah, Surfergirl and I just got out of seeing Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning... it's a fun one.
===
167.1 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
No PushUps PullUps Deadlifts
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
97/-4 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
ARE YOU TRAINING HARD?
May 27, 2025
by TODD BROWN
THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS to measure our efforts. Metrics for power, heart rate, weight, sleep, and the...
... dreaded completion of an interval work out.
Those are important.
Time is importanter.
What's really hard...
- abstaining from drink and dessert with friends
- never ever doom scrolling on your phone
- rising early to get the training in
... then, putting in a full day and an evening of kid homework.
If it were easy...
... everyone could get shift done.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/t-shirts-all/products/off-on-classic-t-shirt
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/t-shirts-all/products/off-on-classic-t-shirt
===
167.3 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
PushUps PullUps Deadlifts etc
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
95/-13 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
TAKING OUT-OF-TOWNER RISKS
May 26, 2025
by TODD BROWN
YA KNOW WHEN YOUR FRIEND calls up and says their friend is a real good athlete and you should take them out when they're in town, and you're like...
... uhhhhh, okay.
A bike ride in my case.
Gravel.
I mean, I like people,
I like meeting new people...
... but, do I wanna ruin my ride with a friend of a friend?
What are the odds it'll be good?
Dude texted nice,
was thoroughly vouched for...
... I still didn't bother with breakfast or mix in the bottles.
Then,
$#!7!!!
He's a cat from the very fastestest of fastestest teams in Arifreakinzona!
Worse,
I remember him from BWR AZ.
Lean,
young,
confident...
... pushing the pace, launching me from 8th to 28th, as we dove from the pavement to dirt single track.
That's the guy?!
Shoulda had breaky,
shoulda had a massage,
shoulda gone to bed early.
This little recovery ride just got R E A L.
I'm gonna get shelled.
This is not what I had planned,
this never, ever happens.
We head out,
at least I know the route
and can eliminate all the sections where I suck.
Now, I gotta talk to him.
Assuming I'm not gasping for air while trying to play like I'm in total control.
It gets worse.
Unless he's one heck of an actor,
and why would he be?
He's super nice.
And we have a ton in common.
Crap.
Can't even hate him like I did in AZ.
By the end of what had to be the first actual fun, conversational ride I've had in months...
... he's coming to Surf N Summit, and I'm riding with him when I'm in AZ.
Then, all the JetSet guys will be like Really, you're brining a dude from CA?...
... only, I'll actually live up to the friend of a friend reputation.
===
167.8 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
PushUps PullUps Deadlifts etc
10 minutes stretching
30 minutes Reading/Journaling
97/-1 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
RACE OR BUCKET LIST?
May 25, 2025
by TODD BROWN
BWR, aka The Belgian Waffle Ride, started off, and I think I have this mostly correct, as a San Diego version of The French Toast Ride. The FTR was based north of LA, invite only, viciously fast...
... with some dirt thrown in for good measure.
The idea was a preseason shock to the system.
That's how memories are made.
My pal Paul asked MMX, creator of the wildly popular BWR, how to grow his own series of races, and MMX graciously...
... gave him the secret.
Build it how you want it to be from the getgo.
And that got me thinking...
- a race series
- a collection of challenges
- a destination/bucket list adventure
... what could SurfNSummit become?
This year, we're taking MMX advice to heart and upping our game.
But, what about next year?
TBH, I wanna do...
- Maui
- 38 miles
- 10,000 of elevation
... Surf N Summit, HI.
Where else should we go?
Check this inspiration: https://pedalindustries.com/collections/aloha-pedal-collection
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/aloha-pedal-collection
===
165.8 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
No PushUps PullUps
10 minutes stretching
60 minutes Reading/Journaling
94/-15 (fitness per Training Peaks)
0 min vision therapy
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