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TODD'S BLOG
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Get RaceDay Ready
GGGGGGGGGOALLLLLLLLLLLLLS
GOALS CAN BE GREAT. I say "can" because, let's be honest they usually aren't. I have a theory about that and it starts with...
.... easy.
It is so easy to set a goal.
Crud...
... set 100 goals.
And, that's the problem.
We set 'em like there's...
- the no other goals
- no current commitments
- we have limitless bandwidth
... no impact on our lives.
Having a million goals...
... is like having no goals.
I try and keep it to...
- physical
- business
- social
- spiritual
... one big goal per year.
It's a heckuvalot easier to accomplish one thing than twenty.
And guess what...
... if it's a big enough goal, it might take 5,10, 20 years.
===
159.2 lbs (yes, this bug I have has evaporated my appetite)
9ish hrs sleep (9:30pm-6:15am)
1 round of PullUps PushUps DeadLifts
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
STYLE CUES
I THINK WE ALL HAVE A SENSE of cycling style. You know, what we think looks cool, and what we don't. At least, you should by now...
... unless you are brandspankingnew.
New kids are typically nervous and anxious...
- am I wearing the proper gear, 'cause I feel nearly naked
- do I look like Darth Vader with this helmet and glasses
- how tall should my socks be
... form and function questions.
Once acquainted with the options...
- looking cool
- being comfortable
- optimizing for speed
... start to take precedent.
Here's my general rules...
- gloves match shoes
- socks match jersey
- dark bibs
... all things being equal.
Which leaves the helmet, or helmets.
And this insane offer...
... buy a KASK helmet, get a FREE RaceDay Bag.
https://pedalindustries.com/a/bundles/kask-helmets-c5et
===
160.2 lbs
9ish hrs sleep (9:45pm-6:55am)
2 round of PullUps PushUps DeadLifts
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE KILLER SNACK
HOW ABOUT THIS - a snack that needs no refrigeration, is a snap to prepare, gives an energy boost, and produces negative calories. How many
... would you consume per day?
Yes, there really is such a snack.
Proven by science...
- pull ups
- pushups
- deadlifts
- box jumps
are my go to's.
Personally, I like to enjoy one every 45-60 minutes...
- energy boost
- calorie burning
- improved cognitive function
... are legit benefits in less than 2 minutes.
I was reminded of this on Andrew Huberman's podcast...
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/huberman-lab/id1545953110?i=1000682843685
... he's an actual scientist,
I'm just a dude who figures stuff out.
Note: not all scientists know what the heck they are talking about...
- study
- test it
- reject or incorporate
... it's called science for a reason - being 100% certain for all time ain't it.
===
160.5 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45pm-555am)
1 round of PullUps PushUps DeadLifts
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
>
PARTICIPATION AWARDS
THE LEGENDARY ATHLETE was returning to competition. It was to be a momentous year, documented professionally, all the world would know...
... he was back to bring them to heel.
What a dream.
After hiring a new..
- coach
- nutritionist
- top secret strength doctor
... there was one beautiful medal to show for all the effort.
Not bronze,
silver, or
gold.
A beautiful finisher's medal.
Not what he, his family or sponsors had hoped for.
Here's the dill...
... every time we battle, we have a chance to learn and improve.
Finishing,
is where
it starts.
===
161.4 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45pm-555am)
3 rounds of PullUps PushUps DeadLifts
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
TOO EARLY?
WELL, TODAY WAS DEFINITELY the best ride of the year. Chilly start, dust down, trails open for blasting...
... the bar has been set.
It wasn't just the conditions.
The route entailed...
- fast gravel
- twisty single track
- plus, pack dynamics
... all the things I love.
And, of course, my pals.
- Love Watts and I rolled at 7am.
- Hooked up with CV, local group road ride, at 8:50 am.
- Back to dirt, with Chuckles, Zone 2, and Mrs. Smith, around 9:30ish.
The rig of choice...
... the Crux, with RaceKing 2.0s.
What could make this ride even better?
Oh, I have an answer.
A forgotten trail was bulldozed during fire season...
- it'll add another 1000' of climbing
- sneak through penal a colony
- miles of single track
... and will pour us out at my favorite country store, for a Coke and chips.
We have 360 days to find the perfect ride...
... 2025 is off to a heckuva start.
===
159.8 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (10pm-555am)
1 rounds of PullUps PushUps DeadLifts BoxJumps
10 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
NOOOOOO, NOT ZONE 1!
IF YOU'RE DRIVEN, and you probably are if you're a regular reader, seeing zone 1 on the training plan...
... is laughable.
We don't even know what that is.
We try to do it,
see the numbers.
Think, That's not going to help...
... awwwww, skrewit!
I have a solution.
It came to me on today's ride.
First, there was the absurdly long skid in the dirt...
- speed up
- back brake locked
- back wheel as unweighted as possible.
... just to see how long I could get it.
Then, the idea to jump onto and back off of every curb possible.
There was more.
My favorite was weaving the extensive traffic cones as long as possible without touching brakes or pedals.
90 minutes later, I coulda cared less about zone 1...
... I was in zone fun.
===
160.3 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:30pm-5:55am)
3 rounds of PullUps PushUps DeadLifts
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
>
MY BIKE TOTALLY GOT AWAY FROM ME
CLEARING THE TOP OF THE CLIMB, I was leaning to initiate a turn back towards home. Not sure if I hit a rock, or what, but next thing I know...
... I'm on a different trajectory.
Was it meant to be?
I mean...
- not a cloud in the sky
- nobody on the trails
- crazy warm day
... geez.
Why such a hurry to get back?
Why not go straight up the the trail to the country store...
... for an ice cream bar?
Some turns really are for the better.
===
160.5 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9pm-530am)
3 rounds of PullUps PushUps DeadLifts BoxJumps
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
DO THE UNTHINKABLE
HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO THE UNTHINKABLE, when it's unthinkable? Talk about a paradox. What it really means is...
... go way beyond the comfortable.
The great Wende Cragg captured the unthinkable...
- riding to a mountain top under a full-moon to watch the sunrise
- coaster brakes so hot they smoke after a downhill
- helmetlessly racing klunkers in jeans
... the birth of mountain biking.
50 years ago, her Pentax camera, snapped and preserved everything those...
... crazy pioneers were living.
The lifestyle.
Her documentary - click here - is as inspirational as it is mesmerizing.
Watch it.
It's got me thinking it might be a wholotta fun to get the hard training done M-F, and...
... use that fitness for adventure on the weekend.
===
162.7 lbs
7ish hrs sleep (1030pm-530am)
1 round of PullUps PushUps DeadLifts
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHY I DID 100 PULLUPS, 190 PUSH UPS, 53 BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS TO CLOSE OUT THE YEAR
IF WE'RE GONNA BEGIN THE YEAR pretending we are committed to some outlandish new start, I figured I might as well end 2024 with...
... a ridiculous challenge.
I can look back and say If I could do that thing...
... I sure as heck can do this, too.
That's called stacking confidence.
At 6:45 this morning, I decided to do 100 pull ups today.
A first,
by a lot.
Since my normal m.o. 3x on the pushups, that'd 300.
And, I figured I might as well add 3-loaded Bulgarian split squats for every pull up, for 300 per leg.
Sounded doable at 6:45.
I'd just take a break every 30 minutes and bang out a round of the three moves.
It got hard,
the 30 minute goal drifted.
I learned...
- breaking up the day = hustle, productivity
- found my split squat limit to be 60 lb dumbell in each hand
- muscles felt awesome through 8 rotations
- posture is great
- these are better than smoke breaks
- got hungry, ate more than normal
- 30 min goes fast, aware of time waste
- required 12.5 hours to complete
... I can still do hard things.
PullUp 16,200 pounds
PushUp 30,780 pounds
Split Squat 2,029 pounds
Now, what to get done in 2025?
Happy New Year Y'all
===
162 lbs
7ish hrs sleep (1030pm-530am)
100 PullUps 190 PushUps 53 DeadLifts
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE SECRET SAUCE NOBODY TRIES
DID YOU PICK UP A TRAINING SECRET this year? From a book or podcast or YouTube? Accidentally overhear the local coach...
... whispering truth to an athlete?
I bet you did.
But, that's not the real question.
The real question is did you, yes you, or I, yes me...
... do anything about it?
Because what is the point to...
- look
- listen
- and learn
... if we're not going to at the very least give it a whirl?
After trying and testing...
- the Classified 2-speed hub
- even more calories when racing
- mountain bike tires on the gravel bike
... these are my top 3 secrets of the year.
What are yours?
===
164 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (11pm-7am)
PullUps PushUps DeadLifts
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
>
IF WE'RE GONNA GO BIG WE OUGHTA GO BIG
--- one of my favorites of the year ---
TODAY, I THINK I MIGHT HAVE TURNED THE CORNER. I'm mid-way through my experiment to train like Remco...
... 3 weeks of (for me) massive volume.
Last Saturday, end of week #1, I was pretty tired during the final miles of a 5 hour ride.
Exhaustion lasted through Sunday.
Monday the legs were oooof.
But, Tuesday, I felt pretty darn good...
... at the end of a hilly and peppy 60 miles.
With a cramped day, the only way I could stay on schedule Wednesday was to do two-a-days.
- Sunrise, 90 minutes of steepish climbs at moderate pace.
- PullUps, PushUps and Squats through the day.
- Evening, 2 hours of high Zone 2 rolling terrain.
... it was that second session on the bike where things were clicking.
I felt stong.
Even fresh.
3 days down,
9 hours saddle time.
Should be able to hit 18-20 hours by end of day Saturday.
It's a lot to juggle...
- solid days of work
- helping the kids with their kids
- and being present for Surfergirl
... wouldn't do this forever.
Fun to experiment.
Feeling might dawgawn fortunate.
===
162.4 lbs
15 hrs sleep (i really do have the flu)
No Strength
00 minutes recovery
180 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
RULES FOR FEELING SICK
HAVING COLD OR FLU SYMPTOMS is always a tough one for me and begs the question should I exercise today? If I do, I might get worse or...
... I might speed up the process of getting better.
My general rules...
- above the neck, ride like heck.
- in the chest, better rest
... but, they didn't help me today.
Because I was just so determined that the fact I work up sweating was due to the heater was too high, and I wanted oh so badly to ride with the fellas...
... I headed out.
Instead of feeling a lot better post ride,
I cut the ride short.
The collapsed on the couch,
after paying my dues kneeling in the bathroom.
I guess I'll add to the rules above...
... running a fever, don't be an overachiever.
===
164.5 lbs
7Ish hrs sleep (10:30 pm-5:45am)
No Strength
00 minutes recovery
20 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
YOU ARE NOT A BODY BUILDER
FUN FACTOID, weight machines at the gym were developed by body builders for body building. Each machine can dial in a certain muscle to make it bigger...
... we are not body builders.
We do not want muscles that don't serve a purpose...
... might was well be a stack of tires around our gut.
You know what else we don't want..
... injuries.
I know what you're thinking.
What the heck does the Ol' Diesel know about strength?
Well, quite a bit...
- testing
- reading
- experience
... has proven to me what works.
Here's the dill...
- low reps (1-3)
- max weight (90-100% of max)
- almost every day of the week (4-5 days)
- lots of rest between sets (complete recovery)
- multiple joint movements (squats are 3 joints)
... on getting strong with minimal to no weight gain.
Take it easy.
Get a pro to help you with form, because you can do this...
... with minimal equipment from home.
===
Disclaimer - any and all advice is just stuff I've tried and worked for me and is not professional or medical.
===
162.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45 pm-6am)
PullUps PushUps
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
ARE YOU FAILING ENOUGH?
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE ACT LIKE there is a gigantic barrier between courage and discretion. There's not. It's a fine line. If we are to improve by any measurable amount...
... we must balance precariously and charge forth.
This is truth.
Failure is going to happen when...
- going for an impossible PR
- experimenting with new training
- carving the curves so hard we start to slide
... if we are going to improve.
Why?
Because failure gives us that needed feedback to...
... learn what we need to learn to improve.
Now don't go doing some idiotic Evilknevil stunt.
But, push.
Push a lot.
Every failure teaches us,
we adjust,
improve.
So push.
Push through...
- fear
- pain
- limits
... and reach our next impossible.
As the great Tom Watson, founder of IBM at the time the premier computing company on the planet, preached to his engineers...
... Fail faster.
===
We have 5 days to ride the New Year's Resolution madness, and all year to make it happen.
===
162.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45 pm-6am)
PullUps PushUps only
5 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHOSE WATTS ARE THOSE?
ON MY WAY HOME from the local ride of destruction, I was thinking about the amount of watts the fellows were putting out and how destroyed I felt...
... how could I quantify that?
I know my numbers,
I don't know theirs.
I know how I felt,
I don't know how they felt.
Back in the day...
... I'd visualize my head on my favorite pro's body.
Crushing all comers...
- What would be be like to put out Pojacar power and escape tens of miles from the finish?
- How about a Cav-like explosion sprinting for the line?
- Or, the surge and surf stomping of the bunch by the great Sagan?
... like a boss.
Playing that game of imaging what would Pogi or Cav or Peto do is...
... a great way to take on the unconquerable challenge,
and kinda sorta maybe put out some inspired watts of our own.
---
162.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45 pm-6am)
PullUps PushUps Squats
0 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
>
I HEARD THE BELLS
RIDING ALONE IN THE FOREST can be dangerous. The low hanging branches, hidden roots and rocks, and...
... the occasional wild animal.
Not the bunnies,
squirrels
or deer.
No danger there.
I'm talkin'...
- bear
- moose
- cougars
... the big, mean and hungry ones.
So, we blissfully mount bells on are bikes.
Which reminds me of the great Ray Bradbury's book, Something Wicked Comes This Way.
One of the characters, Mr. Dark, is confronted with the carol I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.
My favorite verse:
God is not dead nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.
Ain't nothing like a peaceful ride through the forest.
---
162.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45 pm-5:45am)
PullUps PushUps
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE ELVES ARE DONE
WELL, I'M TUCKERED. The machines are tuckered. The many hands that make the magic happen are worn and achy. We're shuttin' 'er down for a couple of days...
... even elves gotta have an off season.
But, here's the dill.
The things we really want...
- speed
- power
- time
... we can't purchase.
The things we can purchase...
- equipment
- apparel
- trips
... we'd be embarrassed to task to a loved one.
We gotta be our own elves.
So, pretend your tapped on the cash...
... how are you going to get more speed, power, time?
Imagine it's spring time,
you're toeing the line...
- fit
- taught
- relaxed
... what's it gonna take?
Write it down,
wrap it up.
Give yourself a real gift.
Better yet,
give it to a friend or family member.
---
162.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45 pm-5:45am)
PullUps PushUps
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
HE'S MAKING HIS LIST
THE POWER OF A CHECK LIST is awesome. Not ticking the boxes, for that quick hit of dopamine, there is something even better than...
... getting it done.
Which is the point.
For me, the real power is in the creation of a list.
Exploring and considering...
- each and every angle
- what is needed
- what is fluff
... and building an empowering list.
It's harder than it looks.
But, done correctly...
... discipline is replaced with love and urgency.
Checking the box is dessert...
... one we can enjoy each and every day.
---
That pic is literally a page from the RaceDay Ready Journal.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/books-n-such/products/raceday-ready-100-day-journal
---
163.1 lbs
9ish hrs sleep (9:45 pm-7:20am)
PullUps PushUps Squats
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE WATTS WILL COME
ROLLED OUT WITH A DEVILISH PLAN for myself. After 3 months of goofin' around, it was time to warm up the glow plugs on the Ol' Diesel. Nothing like...
... tickling zone 5 with the ticker.
Here's how weak I am.
Never in a millionkazillion years could I will myself push over 175 bpm...
- not for fun
- not for a coach
- not doing intervals
... I need to set up something stupid.
Like mashing the mammoth 50mm MTB tires,
with 20 lbs of pressure,
on the gravel bike...
... out to the local throwdown.
It was 25 minutes of pure, paved ecstasy.
Sandwiched in between 90 minutes of dirt, before and after.
Not much.
But, a start.
Time to begin upping the saddle time,
and sprinkling in a dash of intensity.
No need to hurry,
just stay consistent.
Keep doing the strength stuff.
If you build it...
... the watts will come.
---
163.9 lbs
7ish hrs sleep (10:30pm-5:30am)
PullUps PushUps
10 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
OUR BEAST OF BURDEN
A FRIEND WAS GOING ON AN ON about how his brother had totally failed. The brother had committed to take his lifestyle to the next level. It wasn't going to be enough to get by...
... he wanted to live at the highest levels possible.
Did he make it?
You be the judge.
From where I was sitting, the brother truly had committed.
The results were easy to see...
- health firing
- family thriving
- business providing
- relationship with God and man aligned
... what more is there?
The friend could only see the missteps and shortcomings of his brother.
I think the point of putting ourselves out there, is to...
- be an example
- be held accountable
- show how we deal with failure
... and hopefully inspire others along the way.
Haters think it is an I'm better than you thing instead of the more simple...
... I'm doing my best, and appreciate your encouragement.
Truth is, commitment...
... is our beast of burden.
---
Every day builds on the next...
... this hat is a good reminder.
Ships FREE, order by 12.24
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/hats-1/products/every-day-is-raceday-trucker-curved-bill-adjustable-hat
---
163.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (10:30pm-6:30am)
PullUps PushUps Squats n Such
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
DESCEND LIKE A PRO
MY FRIEND MIKE has gotten the bug. Not wanting to deal with cars the went the dirt route, in the form of an MTB. He loves it, but...
... is legitimately concerned with crashing.
Legitimate in the form of...
... what we think about we bring about.
Fancying myself as somewhat of an expert,
I gave him this advice...
- Firm grip on the bars
- Arms looseygoosey
- Eyes/head up
... plus, have fun, confidence will follow.
The thing is,
we can apply that advice to literally anything.
Raising kids...
- Firm grip on getting them pointed in the right direction
- Arms ready to guide if needed or asked for
- Eyes/head monitoring their surroundings
Business/work...
- Firm grip on goals/objectives
- Loose on the how it gets done
- Eyes/head focused on where we're headed
Our next race...
- Get registered
- Plan the training
- Visualize the finish line
Come to think about it,
I wrote a book about that.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-way-of-the-r-a-c-e-r
---
166 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (10:30pm-6:30am)
PullUps PushUps
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME OF DAY TO RIDE?
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME OF DAY TO RIDE? There are a million factors. At least we aren't too weather dependent, and we have the great outdoors as our playground. Compared to other activities...
... we got options.
My favorite is late morning...
- warmer
- sunshine
- break up the work day
... it's almost always alone.
Which is fine, but it can be risky...
... out in the wild.
Take today.
I didn't line up the turn up quite right,
took a stick to the face,
nearly in the eye!
Coulda been way worse.
Way.
Dusted myself off and rode on
decided to chill on the lovely
middle of nowhere
lawn chairs.
And count my lucky stars.
Which reminds me of the wonderful Christmas movie, The Shining...
... all workout and no reflection makes Jack a dull boy.
A good break in the action,
keeps us sharp.
---
164.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (10:30pm-6:30am)
PullUps PushUps Squats & stuff
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHEN YOU CAN'T DO WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE
WE THINK WE'LL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE LOVE. I remember specifically thinking after one particularly surprising race result...
... I could do this forever.
How does the saying go?
If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.
He must have been dying on Monday.
There I was...
- in a beautiful part of the country
- hero dirt from the recent rain
- expansive, gorgeous views
... and I was battling double-vision.
For whatever reason, I took a huge step backwards in my recovery from my brain injury.
I couldn't dive bomb the downhills.
I couldn't do what I've always done.
Did it suck?
Yeah, totally.
Did I quit?
Not even.
I slowed down, and did what I could do.
Which turned out to be an echo from an elderly spiritual leader who was assessing his final year or two of life, who said those exact words.
Doing what he could do.
Am I freaked out?
Not yet.
First off, I called my friend Rick the behavioral ophthalmologist (think PT for you eyes).
We talked about how I'd laid off doing the exercises he'd given me when I was first injured.
In fact, I did the most basic one right away, because I only have the most basic tool on me, and almost immediately noticed an improvement.
Next, I called my surgeon's office. The NP called me back and suggested I go on a steroid for 5 days to ease any post-surgery swelling that can occur, even months later.
Tomorrow, I'll get back to the more vigorous eye exercises.
Doing what I can do, and hopefully...
... back to what I've always done.
---
166.8 lbs (not really sure, on a trip)
8ish hrs sleep (10pm-6am)
Push Ups (doing all I could do while vanning it)
0 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
>
re: IS IT WORTH THE SACRIFICE?
Dear Ol' Diesel,
I'm still trying to figure it out Todd. I check in on one thing for a few years and then I'll switch gears, etc.
2025 I've got no endurance plans...biggest focus is strength training 5/6 days per week.
Is this lack of dedication?
Is this why i never quite seem to get my goals?
Is it enough that I attempt which is more than 99.9999% of folks can say?
I dunno man, still in search of answers. But I will tell you my want for endurance is absent.
I don't want to get up early for a ride
I don't want to get up early for a run
Heck I don't really want to do any of those things right now.
I do want to spend a little extra time with the better half
I do want to slow down a moment and enjoy or take in this new reality of empty nesters...
Does this make me lazy? I worry I'm losing my edge.
Thank you for always sharing your thoughts,
I Just Wanna Be Strong In LA.
---
Dear I Just Wanna Be Strong In LA,
Haha… no, you are doing great. Take a break. Spend time with your wife. We love our kids, and we love being emptynesters. Super fun, lots of flexibility.
I’d say this, don’t train unless it sounds fun.
We are on a quick trip up the coast. Just the two of us. Rode with Susie until she was ready to rest, then rode a bit on my own. No hurry, no rush, no care to do X work out.
Now, I’m in the hotel room catching up and she is in the Jacuzzi.
Life is short, wives are more important than miles… and besides, they like us with a little muscle.
IMHO, you're on the right track.
Love ya!
The Ol' Diesel
---
166.8 lbs (not really sure, on a trip)
9ish hrs sleep 830pm-5:30am)
Push Ups
0 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
IS IT WORTH 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.
---
Thrill a Runner or Triathlete in your life with a RaceDay Bag just for their sport.
Use this promo code: TRIRUN
To save 20% on ISD Running and Triathlon sport specific bags - code expires Monday, 12.26.24
---
166.8 lbs (too much recovery fuel?)
8ish hrs sleep 10pm-6:04am)
Push Ups
0 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
>
GETTING HIGH
NEARLY 6000' IN 32 MILES represents a good amount of climbing. Mostly straight up or straight down, on dirt. At about the 2 hour mark...
... I hit the highest point.
A few miles prior, a thought occurred to me.
If something bad happens,
I'm a long, long, long way from help.
The tires are new,
sealant fresh,
new chain,
cassette.
And, I was feeling pretty good...
... check, check, check and more checks.
Carry on,
enjoy the views,
and lack of humanity.
A bobcat appeared on the trail about 20 yards ahead of me,
it made a quick u-turn and loped along as I closed in,
before lunging over the side into the brush.
The red-tailed hawk surfed the gusty ridge,
searching for pray.
Chipmunks sprinted up and down the ancient pines.
Nature really does rock my world.
This mountain range is about a 35 minute drive from home.
I used to live closer,
and spent almost every Saturday up there, alone.
Looks like I've started the new year's resolution to adventure something new or different at least once a quarter...
... resolutions are kinda dumb.
Why wait?
As the great Yoda said...
... Do, or do not.
---
Thrill a Runner or Triathlete in your life with a RaceDay Bag just for their sport.
Use this promo code: TRIRUN
To save 20% on ISD Running and Triathlon sport specific bags - code expires Monday, 12.26.24
---
164.7 lbs
7ish hrs sleep 10pm-5am)
PullUps Push Ups
0 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
>
I CHOSE THIS?!
THE BROCHURE PROMISED A CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE, everything would be tested. Yeah, all the mind, body, spirt stuff. Plus...
... every ounce of perseverence.
I salivated.
Months of prep were stacked,
when the date came,
I was ready...
... I thought.
But, then shift got real.
Way harder than I expected.
The sections with the group were hard,
we encouraged each other.
When it got really difficult,
nature split us up.
The loneliness was brutal.
I knew, hoped, we'd regroup when the elements eased.
Work together.
Get 'er done.
Crazy as it sounds,
getting towards the end,
I thought I'd gladly do it again.
Winning didn't matter,
completing the mission did...
... and, yeah, those hands were gonna be raised regardless of place.
Crossing the finish line,
to my surprise and delight...
... was my dad,
my creator.
---
Thrill a Runner or Triathlete in your life with a RaceDay Bag just for their sport.
Use this promo code: TRIRUN
To save 20% on ISD Running and Triathlon sport specific bags.
---
163.6 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45pm-6:27am)
PullUps Push Ups
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE BEST ON BIKE WORKOUT EVER?
THERE ARE A LOT WAYS to get stronger and off the bike. Routines, fads, and trends come and go. For my money...
... nothing beats a singlespeed mountain bike.
I built one up because it was fashionable.
Little did I know how addicting the workout would be,
how much I would love riding it.
It was like battling a bipolar bull...
- docile spinning along the flats
- UFC cage fighting any time it got steep
... and it worked perfectly.
At the time, cycling had been quarantined to a few days during the week because weekends were family time in the desert riding motorcycles.
My spin stayed smooth due to the fixed gear range - it wasn't a fixed gear, I could coast.
In order to get up the constantly changing elevations...
- legs
- arms
- lats
- back
... were all recruited and magnificently engaged.
No need for weights or any kind of resistance training.
It was basically going from one interval to the next, with luxurious spinning in between.
As I'm writing this, I'm thinking of the ol' Trek hardtail.
Dusty.
In the garage.
Maybe it's time to spend the least dollars possible and...
... make strength training fun and sexy again.
---
164 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (10pm-6:20am)
PullUps Push Ups Squats & Stuff
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
ARE YOU BORING YOURSELF?
IS NEXT YEAR GONNA BE BETTER THAN THIS YEAR? It'll be different, for sure. Better is subjective, only you can determine...
... if it will be a year to remember.
We need new...
- locations
- friends
- events
- skills
... experiences that will change us.
Memorable,
forever.
As I start to fill in my calendar for next year,
it's tempting to play small,
safe...
... instead I do this.
First, I have to have one giant, unreasonable physical goal each year. (spiritual, mental, and social, too).
2024 it was Gravel Nats.
Next year (2025) hasn't crystalized yet, but it will.
Second, I think it's imperative to try a new event once a quarter.
Right now, it's looking like...
- March BWR AZ
- April Highlands Gravel (UCI)
- June BWR MT
- 4th Qtr is TBD
... it doesn't have to be fancy, could just be a weekend adventure someplace new.
Third, master something new, and have a plan to track progress.
For 2025, that is going to be bicycle mechanicing.
By the end of the year, I want to be able to do everything at a level that I could bail myself out if I was nowhere near a competent mechanic.
I'll be adding milestones to the calendar for that, and purchasing the proper tools.
There lots of other stuff on the calendar...
- date nights
- family activities
- work objectives
- service projects
... gotta make it all work cohesively.
Back in 2020 I set about getting out to the Cactus Cup for the first time.
I met a bunch of cool people, and made new friends.
Rode some fantastic and unusual terrain.
Found an outstanding Italian joint.
Cactus Cup stays in the rotation...
... I never would have found it if I hadn't ventured out.
They're having the 12 Days of Giveaways starting 12.12...
... I hope you'll win this bag, and join me out there.
---
Side note:
- I'm planning to do BWR AZ and stay the week in the desert for Cactus Cup the following weekend. If ya get out there for either one, let's meet up for sure.
- I'm also planning BWR UT, in May, and heading to Fruita/Moab the days following for some epic MTB. Lemme know if you're interested in joining.
---
164.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:55pm-5:55am)
PullUps Push Ups Squats & Stuff
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE THUNDER
LOOKING FOR SOME BACKGROUND VIBES, I loaded up a Goettl Media raw file of BWR Arizona 2024. It was supposed to be my first A race of last year, but..
... life had other plans.
It's never too early to start doing recon.
I like Joe's videos because...
- the POV is always really good
- his comments teach a lot
- he's super respectful
.... in other words, he's a good dude.
Turning away from the big screen to get some work done it struck me how much...
... a race at speed sounds like thunder.
Especially the gravel sections.
I got so electrified,
I ditched the project,
and dug into examining the terrain.
Joe raced the long version, the Waffle.
I'll most likely do the shorter Wafer.
From the looks of it,
I think this terrain will call for the Race King 2.0s...
- lots of sand
- some rocks
- whoops
... means it's gonna be a hoot.
Can't wait for my next thunder storm.
---
164.7 lbs
7ish hrs sleep (9:55pm-5am)
PullUps Push Ups
0 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
EASY DAYS AND HARD DAYS ALWAYS
I WAS LISTENING TO A PODCAST with the superfamous coach of an ultrafamous racer, and the host, trying to dumb it down for us dummies, asked...
... What's the one piece of advice you'd give an amateur racer?
He had me on bearings and spokes.
Train easier.
What do you mean?
I mean most amateurs are doing too much.
Isn't that the way to get better?
No. I mean Yes, but no.
Explain.
If an athlete is training too hard all the time, and by too hard I don't mean to exhaustion, but, at a level that will not allow them recover, really recover, then they can't...
... go really hard, and get the big gains.
I thought about that today as...
- miles rolled by
- watts low
- h.r. lower
... my mind open and free.
That advice is easy to understand, hard to thoroughly absorb.
It feels wasteful.
Useless.
And so we ignore it,
to our detriment.
Being that it's a Monday, I tweaked the great Karen Carpenter's song...
... Easy days and hard days always get me fit.
This works for work, too.
There are days I'm resting, prepping, organizing...
... and days I'm slaying it with back to back to back appointments.
---
165.8 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:55pm-6:20am)
PullUps Push Ups & Stuff
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
COASTING IN
AS WE WIND DOWN THE YEAR, few of us are racing. Personally, having backed down the miles I'm feeling really fresh and spunky, which reminds me about...
... what I love about tapering.
Sure, there's the reduced miles and training and all the good feelings that come with that, but there's something else and if we're doing it right...
... is a huge benefit.
Because all the fatigue is leaving our bodies we not only start to feel really good, we have time to reflect on how we got here...
... all the work we've put in.
The result is where once we were tired, questioning out motivations and our capabilities....
... now we are confident.
Confidence is key to...
... ripping on raceday.
===
Now it's time to party!!
I wish I'd come up for this idea of this collection in time for New Year's...
... but, Hey! let's party like it's twenty twenty-five!
Here's the deal...
... order by 12.9, save 25%.
Use code PARTY25.
Most likely ships just after the New Year, if we can get it out early, we will.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/pedal-party-collection
---
164.5 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45pm-5:30am)
No Strength Work
0 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
DRIVIN' THAT TRAIN
THE PROBLEM WITH CORROSION isn't the corrosiveness itself. That's bad, for sure. But, I find the real problem is...
... it comes on so slowly.
Then, catastrophic failure.
Because I've been neglecting my trusty MTB all year, well, basically for two all years...
... I was caught out, bad.
"All of the sudden",
my shifting was shift.
It wasn't really sudden.
For months the shifting had been off, but...
... just good enough to put away and forget about.
It had reached the point of no return.
Irreparable damage had been done.
Rather than simply replacing the chain in a timely manner,
an easy home repair,
at little cost...
... I had to get a divorce,
and a hot, new, young,
complete drivetrain.
Costly.
It's just a drivetrain,
not something that really matters...
... those things deserve immediate, constant loving maintenance.
===
Now it's time to party!!
I wish I'd come up for this idea of this collection in time for New Year's...
... but, Hey! let's party like it's twenty twenty-five!
Here's the deal...
... order by 12.9, save 25%.
Use code PARTY25.
Most likely ships just after the New Year, if we can get it out early, we will.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/pedal-party-collection
---
164.5 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45pm-5:30am)
No Strength Work
0 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THERE IS LITERALLY NO SCHOOL FOR THIS
WE'RE ALL OUT THERE ENDURING, and it's like we have no compass, no gps, no no map, no field manual. There is no associates, four year, masters, or doctorate degree...
... and yet, somehow experts evolve.
Oh, there's the occasional book.
Usually so filled with jargon and graphs they are worthless, but boy...
... the authors sure look smart.
So, we rely on our...
- inner voice
- experience
- friends
... and get to work like mad scientists.
We can and do glean much from...
- watching races
- podcasts
- youtube
... then, we do our best to put it into practice on the next ride, run, swim.
Kinda makes ya wonder if...
- Jobs
- Ford
- Edison
... were just having fun, fascinated with figuring out what was possible?
---
Got a friend who's a Triathlete or Runner?
Blow their minds with a sport specific RaceDay Bag.
Use this code and save 20%: TRIRUN
Good ONLY on in stock Tri and Run bags.
---
165.6 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45pm-5:45am)
PullUps, PushUps, Squats
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE WORST GOAL EVER
ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, I set two lofty goals. One I accomplished, one I fell far short of. What was the difference between...
... success and failure?
Both seemed outrageous at the time.
They still do.
I each case, I knew everything would have to go perfectly in order to get anywhere near what I wanted to accomplish.
The one I attained, everything did go perfectly.
I went about my business,
mission accomplished.
The one I muffed, a massive unforeseeable mountain in the road popped up.
It was such a kick in the front of my bib shorts where my legs come together,
that it was mentally and physically debilitating.
Months later, unforeseeable mountain turned to gopher mound, I'm back on track.
There's all the fancy platitudes of goals...
- goal unwritten is a hope
- goals must be believable
- goals should be realistic
... we could go on and on.
But, I'm not sure that's the point.
Really.
Having the guts to...
- set an outlandish goal
- share it with real allies, not punks who puke on our dreams
- and take massive action
... is the lifeblood of everything I do.
Failure.
Success.
They matter, but not nearly as much what occurs...
... in the process of going after personal excellence.
===
We could wait until 1.1.25 to think, start, plan...
... or, we could grab a calendar and get down to business.
https://pedalindustries.com/calendar
---
166.4 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45pm-5:55am)
PullUps, PushUps, Squats
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
DECEMBER'S FOCUS AND AN EXPERIMENT
THIS MONTH'S FOCUS ISN'T FOR BABIES. Babies crawl, make a mess of their food, and are on a quest to get fat. I'm not. Are you? I'm looking to...
... start the year on fire.
For December...
- LSD, not tripping, long slow distance
- Strength work
- Weight loss
... this is my focus.
That should have me in prime shape to hit it hard in Jan and Feb.
Two months to prep for the first races,
BWR AZ and Cactus Cup.
For Jan and Feb, I'm planning an experiment...
- Tues/Wed back to back intensity days, with long tempo on Saturday
- Tues/Sat intensity, with zone 1/2 days in between
... for alternating weeks to build race specific fitness.
The intensity for BWR's start and dynamic surges,
the tempo for Cactus Cup's old school XC race.
Should be fun.
No,
really,
it should be fun.
Just gotta nail December to be hammering in March.
---
167.2 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45pm-5:55am)
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE RULE OF 3
NEW AND FIRED UP, I jumped full speed into the road scene. Since all I'd done was road race, I was one hundred million percent sure...
... I was born to race road.
While I shamelessly slobbered, the old wise man at the bike shop tried to duck.
When I stopped to breathe, he said...
... Sonny you don't know you lycra covered butt from a pothole!.
Huh?
Listen up, buttercup.
Gulp.
It takes three full years...
... to know what you're good at.
But...
But nothing, now get outta here and go to work.
He was right.
By the end of that first year, I realized I was a much better crit racer.
So, I focused on crits for the next two years.
When I found mountain biking,
I was sure I'd be a cross country racer.
Turned out,
I was a much better descender than climber.
When I finally got a gravel bike,
I was sure I'd just use it to mix up the training.
Turns out,
it's actually pretty darn fun to race gravel.
There's nothing magical about the three years...
... it's the three years of working at getting better that matters.
Oh, and before you quote the 10,000 hour rule, think on this.
There are 26,297.46 hours in 3 years, which is kinda like saying...
... if you live, eat and breathe anything for 3 years, magic happens.
Now get to work!
---
168.2 lbs
7ish hrs sleep (10pm-5am)
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
IT'S THE DATA DUMMY
I DO LOVE ME SOME DATA. In this vast digital world, there's plenty of it to access, crunch, and geek out on. The only question I have is...
... why? what? how? when?
It's more than what the Garwahoo is delivering.
That little screen can be divided so small the numbers become trivial, useless.
Then we can dissect it all on Starva, Training Peaks, etc.
Which brings up the question?
Do we.
And, if we do, what are we to make of it?
It is so tempting to wing it.
And, why wouldn't it be? That's how it was done from Adam till now.
Gut feel.
But, I had some sense knocked into me today.
Realizing inventory was running low on our gloves and socks, I was about to wing it on a replenishment production run.
Wait, why not pull a report?
Takes a few seconds.
Data don't lie.
And, whadaya know...
... winging it was not the way to go.
The thing about all the Garwahoo data is there's just a heckuva lot of it. We could...
- read a ton
- take some classes
- pester the nerd that rides
... or hire a coach, let a pro figure it out and tell us what to do.
I'm not for winging it,
and I'm not for outsourcing it...
... I'm more for figuring out what the data means.
Empowering myself.
---
167.2 lbs
7ish hrs sleep (10:30pm-6am)
PullUps PushUps & more
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
BECAUSE IT SUITS US
ARE RUNNERS BETTER WRITERS or are there just more runners and therefore more writers that run...
... leading to a larger talent pool?
Christopher McDougall's Born To Run is probably my favorite running book.
Inspiring.
It got me to run.
Trail running for miles.
His book, Natural Born Heroes, got me totally into strength work because...
... the heroes were so naturally strong and lethal.
Jesse Itzler is a runner.
His book Living With A Seal is hilarious, and wildly challenges our limited beliefs about what we can accomplish.
Here are a few gems from my latest find...
- The most important thing we ever learn in school is that the most important things can't be learned at school.
- With my mind elsewhere I'm able to run for a long while, keeping up a natural speed that doesn't tire me out.
- There are three reasons I failed. Not enough training. Not enough training. And not enough training.
... from What I Think About When I Talk About Running.
For me, it's not so much the running that is compelling, but the book's ability to help me understand...
... why I love riding, and enduring.
How about you...
... got any faves?
---
166.4 lbs
7ish hrs sleep (11pm-6:05am)
PullUps PushUps
0 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
I'LL RACE YOU TO THE CORNER
AT SOME POINT, and it doesn't have to be now, but it will happen soon enough, we wake from our hibernation. Something stirs, and in disgust with our gluttony and laziness...
... we show our puffy faces.
It happened for me today.
I thought I could postpone it a few more weeks,
but there I was meeting at the start
of a ferocious ride.
The ride down was lovely.
Seeing the fellas, charming.
Even the first little climb
showed some promise.
It ended there.
My ballast keeping me grounded.
Basically, I made it to the first corner.
Now, I have a baseline.
And, it wasn't all bad.
I was only two seconds off my PR on that 6ish minute effort.
Things quickly went downhill after that.
Like, really fast...
... errrr, really sluggish.
On the next section I was 3 minutes off the pace.
20, TWENTY!, % slower.
I pulled the plug at that point,
proudly did the lonely ride of shame back to the van.
This Thanksgiving weekend, I am darn...
... thankful to have the desire to improve.
'Cause when desire goes,
when there's no more fire,
then what do we really have?
Gonna make to the second corner next time!
===
In between Black Friday and Cyber Monday are...
... Get your overstretched lycra in gear Saturday and Sunday.
Since some of ya pointed out the code wasn't working perfectly, I extended through Sunday.
TNX24 will save ya 20%.
That is if you're relating to my admission of bottoming out and still reading.
Which thrills the heck outta me.
---
166.4 lbs
7ish hrs sleep (10:15pm-5:55am)
No Strength Work
0 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
SATURDAY TRADITIONS
AT DINNER WITH THE FAM, I asked What was your most memorable Christmas gift? The kids are adults now, I was curious what they'd answer. I knew exactly what mine was...
... the moment the words left my mouth.
What surprised me however,
was Surfergirl's answer.
My bike, it definitely wasn't new, and I didn't care. It was freedom, we'd roam the streets of Kailua, and all to go the donut shop on Saturday mornings.
That surprised me.
Not the donuts.
Not the pre-ownedness.
I've asked myself a million times...
What did Surfergirl see in me way back when,
What does she see in me now,
... maybe she saw a kindred roamer?
Because, I was doing the exact same thing on my Stingray...
... roaming the streets and dirt lots with my pals on Saturday mornings.
Still am.
Oh, my favorite Christmas gift?
The red Schwinn Le Tour I drooled over when my mom's boyfriend took me to Fullerton bikes. I imagined myself flying up the hills and traveling great distances...
... shocked me to see it with a bow.
Wish I'd kept it.
---
166.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (10pm-6:10am)
No Strength Work
0 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE KNOWLEDGE CHEAT CODE
MOST PEOPLE don't know this. Some do, like the great Steve Jobs. Meanwhile, we have this amazing cheat code...
... for insider knowledge.
Take today's ride.
Love Watts brought his wife's best friend's husband, and let me know he's a triathlete.
Here's the beauty of riding with someone.
Because when his wife's best friend's husband told me he was brand new to the gravel scene, I thought...
... Oh boy! This cat is gonna get wrecked once we hit the dirt.
Nope.
Dude can shred.
Guess what else?
My friend's wife's best friend's husband, who had been to our town many times, had no idea how amazing the gravel riding could be here in "suburbia".
Quite canyons.
Canopied trees.
Miles of single track.
What Steve Job's knew is if he went on a long walk with someone he could really get to know them.
It's the same with us.
While humanity zips around in cars...
... we go for ride, run or swim and get to know humans
and the places they live.
===
Black Friday.
I see all the unbelievable sales and savings, and sometimes I wonder..
- is it something a company does when the import gear made with slave labor in China?
- are my competitors that desperate?
- if it's such a great strategy, why don't the greatest brands like Apple, Cervelo, Tesla, Belgian Waffle Ride, Luis Vuitton, Kask, Tiffany, do it?
... seems like a good way to cheapen, destroy a brand.
But, what if it's a way to reward the loyal, cult following we have developed..
... for example my friend's wife's best friend's husband has three of our RaceDay bags.
How cool is that?
So, here's the deal.
Since you passed the test,
since you know me.
Use this code, TNX24, to save 20%.
It is only good through the 29th of November 2024.
Yes, I know it's not a mind blowing discount, but you know...
... we make our bags and apparel right here in the USA.
Quality.
===
166.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (10pm-555am)
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THIS IS SO OVER THE TOP
DO SOMETHING ENOUGH TIMES and we start to pick up on the littlest things. Trust me, I've done this twisty country road decent at least 1000 times, when it comes to going fast...
... the littlest things matter.
On Tuesday, I hit 46.2 mph.
Not bad.
Not my best.
The PR is 50.2 mph.
A few of the little things...
√ Aero helmet
√ Tight tuck
√ Winter blubber
√ Fast wheels
... I had most of it right for top speed.
But, there was one massive ingredient.
It's not enough to make it to the top...
... gotta be sprinting past the goal to reach escape velocity.
===
166 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (930-530am)
PullUps PushUps
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
SLOWVEMBER, DEEPSLUMBER AND JAMUARY
IT'S MORE THAN OKAY TO CELEBRATE the holidays. In fact, it's mandatory. Will we sneak out for a turkey trot or social ride? Heckyes! Will we pile on the food?...
... it'd be a shame not to.
Nothing better than the 3 F's...
- Food
- Family
- Friends
... for our slow-thudding hearts.
Bring on Deepslumber...
- More parties
- more events
- less time
... soak it up.
Jamuary will soon be to the rescue.
It's so dang easy to get carried away and spend the entire first quarter trying to...
... undo what we done did.
Honest question,
asking for a friend...
... you planning to wake up on 1.1.25 ready to jam?
===
166.4 lbs
7ish hrs sleep (9:30-5am)
No strength work
10 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
A PAIR OF 45s MADE ME OPEN MY EYES!
LEAVE IT TO HOLLIES to set things right. I'm not sure when it heppened, but it's pretty dawgawn clear my sprint is dead and...
... we gotta do some resurrectin'.
A veil of dust and yuck has been yanked open.
I couldn't put my finger on it,
but on today's MTB ride I could sense it.
Something I love, is missing.
The shackles of endurance were weighing me down...
... the chains getting longer and heavier.
It's my sprint, my freakin' sprint.I used to love to sprint...
... not the fastest, but cagey and wiley.
That was it.
Somehow, the singular focus on long endurance races had killed the speeding spirit...
- That fire.
- The angst.
- Thunder and lightning
... slumbered like a middle-earth Tolkien forest.
Doing the dishes an old tune came into my mind...
... What's the name of that?
Next thing I know, Long Tall Woman...
... is cranked up to 11.
Dishes, instantly done..
I'm jamming, alternating between...
- Squats
- PullUps
- PushUps
- Bent Rows, BENT ROWS!!!
... reactivating those muskulls.
Can't freakin' wait to get on my bike, and sprint!
===
166.7 lbs (starting to wonder if my scale is stuck)
8ish hrs sleep (10:15-6:30am)
PullUps PushUps Squats Rows
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
PUTTING A RACING SUPERPOWER TO GOOD USE
RACE LONG ENOUGH, and you can eye a competitor and know, pretty quickly, if they are suffering. And, if we're feeling good...
... this is when we pounce to distance ourselves.
But, should we,
always?
Some of the tells are...
- heavy breathing
- sloppy form
- hanging on
... they are mostly easy to note.
Though there can be fakery...
... for the worse and the better.
But, what about out of competition?
Can we use this highly-honed superpower for good...
... when neighbors, friends and family are struggling?
Even faking All is well.
Rather than pounce...
... can we embrace and lift up?
===
166.7 lbs (starting to wonder if my scale is stuck)
8ish hrs sleep (10-6:30am)
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE SEXIEST HELMET HACK EVER?
IT'S NOT OFTEN someone eyes us over and says we look sexy all kitted up. Maybe that's why it worked this time, 'cause there I was with my helmet on, and she said...
... you look sexy!
It never would have happened if I wasn't...
... on my way to my new sexy helmet hack.
When I get home...
- I put away the bike
- stow the shoes and glasses
- strip and head to the shower
... head into the house.
So there I was...
... buck naked.
Helmet on my head.
Normally, this would merit a head shake.
Another silly idea.
Here me out.
Step into the shower post ride and pop out...
... helmet and body, fresh as can be.
===
Do you think it has anything to do with penning in Date Night on the RaceDay Calendar?
Right now, the miracle working deal includes...
- the Calendar
- the Annual Plan Masterclass
- plus, one month of the Be True & Rip Alliance
... a magical way to rule the year.
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/giant-raceday-calendar-2025-bundle
===
166.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (10-5:50am)
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
HOW TO 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!
===
Right now, the Giant calendar includes...
- the Calendar
- the Annual Plan Masterclass
- plus, one month of the Be True & Rip Alliance
... a magical way to bring on the year.
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/giant-raceday-calendar-2025-bundle
===
166.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:45-6:30am)
PullUps, PushUps
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHY I LOVE COACH PRIME
THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS to love Deion Sanders. Just imagine all that incredible speed and power sprinting for the win at Roubaix, at least that's what I used to do...
... when the euros would strut and think their chamois don't stink.
That was then.
Three things I love about Deion now.
- He's not living in the past, pining about how great he was. In fact, he has a noticeable limp because he's had toes and muscles amputated. Can you imagine being great, then hobbled like that?
- He's turned around 2 different college football programs, from absolute trash into winners. Can you imagine making something great out of nothing?
- He's mission is a calling, not to win games or score a big payday, but to impact young men and turn them into winners. Can you imagine being driven like that?
What epic race or insanely long event have we ever done where at some point we weren't...
- hobbled
- down and out
- driven to get it done
... like life itself.
Inspiration is everywhere,
even in lil' ol' us.
Be great.
===
166.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:30-5:30am)
PullUps, PushUps & Other Stuff
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
SOME PEOPLE ARE SO GOOD AT SHAMING
THERE IS A PLACE AND TIME for an honest conversation that might hurt. Done right, people can say something completely offensive, grab our attention, and we still take action because...
... shaming can be loving and effective.
Just yesterday, effing Michael F had the nuts to say...
... You stayed warm because you are fat.
Ouch.
True,
but ouch.
Early this morning, I was on a...
... "fat burning" ride.
See, shaming works.
I got to thinking a measly letter is...
... the only difference between F A T and F A S T.
Words came to mind...
- Speed
- Strength
- Stretch
- Sleep
- Sprints
- Salad
- Sculpt
- Strict
- Smart
- Start
- Sticktoitivenes
... things I could do.
Now, if someone could point out my impatience...
... and shame me!
===
166.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep (9:15-5:10am)
PullUps, PushUps & Other Stuff
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
HE SWITCHED TEAM, AND IT...
Mar 10, 2024 TODD BROWN
TODAY AN AMERICAN WON PARIS-NICE, an 8-Day stage race in France. A youngun, 25 years old. He'd never done it before, and wasn't picked as a favorite...
... except he picked himself.
A long time ago.
When riding for a less professional, less scientific team he was spending his own cash on equipment and training to up his game.
Something the top teams covered and pursued relentlessly.
He jumped at the chance to upgrade to the current dominant force in European road racing this season.
Would it matter?
I'd say it is clear.
What's interesting is how many of are trapped like a monkey...
... failing to let go, when we know we should.
Not only did he upgrade his team and training, but placed a huge bet on himself in a daring and startling breakaway with fellow US racer Brandon McNulty.
When you are a pro...
... winning actually is everything.
Way to go Mateo Jorgenson.
---
168.4 lbs
9 hrs sleep
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery
20 minutes reading + Journaling
53
HOW TO GET FASTER FOR DUMMIES
Mar 09, 2024 TODD BROWN
APPARENTLY, LOVE WATTS FORGOT our commitment to go easy on the way up the coast. Which meant we had time to do the biggest climb I've done this year...
... 2 hours and 2000' of climbing for our "warm up".
At the usual time, riders flocked in and we were off.
It felt good to do my first group ride of the year...
- to see the guys
- get whooshed along
- and see some higher power numbers
... until the first overpass.
Where I was off the back.
Caught on at a light.
Off again.
On again.
My breathing and wheezing needed a muffler.
On the next power climb, normally 2ish minutes...
... I needed an extra minute or three.
They were gone.
Yeah, they are nowhere near as fast as I am...
... they're a heckuvalot faster.
Am I good with that?
Yeah, they've always been faster than lit'l ol' me.
Now I just need patience to close the gap to where...
... they are less faster.
So, here's the plan that I've used many a year...
... pick a spot beyond where I got popped today.
Make it just a little further each week.
Corner by corner,
Hill by hill.
Progress > Perfection
---
167.6 lbs
8 hrs sleep
No strength work today
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
54
IT WAS ABOUT THE TRUTH, NOT ARMS RACE
Mar 08, 2024 TODD BROWN
I HATE TIMETRIALS. I mean, I like 'em, but, yeah, I hate 'em. It's not because I'm not great at 'em, and trust me I'm not. It's because...
... they hurt so dang bad.
Not only that, it's...
- lonely
- painful
- humbling
... is there anything more truthful than getting passed by your minute man?
No drafting.
No wily cunning.
Nothing matters except...
... who is the strongest,
and who can suffer the most.
Oh, wait, one more thing matters...
... who's got the most money to afford the most advanced gear.
When everything tiny thing adds time and seconds matter...
... it can turn into an arms race.
I'm okay with that to a point.
Butttttttttt, don't ya think participation would rise...
... if we raced Merckx-style?
At least at the amateur level?
On our road bikes vs tt bikes?
With road helmets?
And "normal" road wheels?
And... you get the point right?
As much as I hate/love a tt, I truly appreciated Tucson Bicycle Classic for making their tt be done on road bikes the last to years.
It's just a lot more fair/approachable/inviting...
... and equally miserable for all.
That's the truth.
Side note: I think I love XC MTB racing because it's basically a mass start time trial. The terrain naturally and quickly separates us.
---
168.4 lbs
8.5 hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
51
WERE YOU AS DORKY AS THIS?
Mar 07, 2024 TODD BROWN
WHEN I WAS JUST GETTING INTO THE SPORT, I was such a dork. A small percentage of you will disagree, maybe even swear at me, but nothing says...
... stay clear, like a mirror.
I know, I know, some of us are damaged and can't look over our shoulders.
Too stiff,
crap balance.
I was neither of those.
I was a spry young newb.
Excited to ride and race.
And my girlfriend of the time wanted to get me something cool.
I quickly mounted the mirror to the end of my handlebar - see pic above.
I thought it was rad.
Perfect for the high speeds and shoulder banging of crit racing,
which I loved.
Rather than turn my head and telegraph my plans,
I could take a peek at my mirror.
Nobody else thought it was cool...
... and they made an obnoxious and clear point of it.
If my hairy legs,
questionable bike handling,
roadrashed arms and legs weren't a give away...
... the mirror, made it clear.
I was not to be trusted in the bunch.
Here's the dill.
They were right.
Because let's face it, anybody focused on the past...
... doesn't have a shot at a winning future.
---
167.8 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
50
I DON'T ALWAYS RIDE IN THE RAIN...
Mar 06, 2024 TODD BROWN
I COULD SEE THE STORM BREWING. Like a crazy fool, I rolled out anyway even though I was certain to...
... get caught in the rain.
Trust me, I am a fair weather rider.
Gimme 70 degrees,
and a lite breeze.
So why ride?
Two reasons.
One embarrassing.
One legit...
- Poorly executed work day
- It rains on raceday
- Commitment
Yeah, I had all this work scheduled and a timeline to follow....
... and, well, ya know, things didn't go as planned.
That's 1.
Since it does rain on raceday, and I've never let that stop me from lining up...
... it's good to practice from time to time.
That's 2.
And I committed to myself to get my slothful self back in shape.
That's 3, a bonus.
So which one's embarrassing?
- crap planning
- useless prep
- silly commitment
Well, I dunno about you...
... but, I'm cool with
- keeping my commitments,
- being prepared for all conditions,
- even when things don't go as planned.
---
167.4 lbs
7ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
50
IT FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME!
Mar 05, 2024 TODD BROWN
I WOULD CLIMB ANY MOUNTAIN, ride across the stormy sky. It seemed like I'd waited a lifetime, spent so much time in recovery...
... it felt like the first time!
The MTB.
Like it never did before,
like I'd opened up the door.
Finally!
What is it?
I guess it's just the rawness of nature,
bringing out the rider in me.
Dawgawn I'd missed it.
Carving turns,
wiggling up technical sections,
brushing the thistles,
hanging my lycra off the back in the steeps.
Why today?
Well, to be honest, today was a breakthrough on my vision.
The double-vision I've been dealing with was greatly diminished.
Partly time.
Partly exercises for my eyes.
One of you loyal readers,
one of us,
took the time to share with me a gift for everyone.
Tools for increasing our eyesight,
the kind we need to quickly assess the best way to rip it up off road (on road, too).
You can check the tool out here: https://www.readbetweenthelions.org. Go to the K-12 program.
It's free.
Thanks Rick!
Makes me wonder what else we can learn from each other?
Speak up y'all!
Let's get betterfasterstronger...
... together.
Have you checked out https://pedalindustries.com/pages/rip-on-raceday-network?
(yeah, this post is a nod to Foreigner)
---
168.2 lbs
9 hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
48
WHADAYA THINK OF UNDULATING TERRAIN?
Mar 04, 2024 TODD BROWN
WE HAVE SOME WEIRD LINGO. Have you ever heard any body, ever, use the phrase undulating terrain? Why would they? When you're motor-powered...
... who cares about the terrain!
Human-powered,
totally different story.
Every bump in the road and trail counts.
The longer we're out there,
the more it counts.
Sooooooooo...
... whadaya think of undulating terrain?
Do you love it?
Or, do you prefer...
- flat
- downhill
- tailwinds
- straight up
- headwinds
... lots choices when we roll out.
Me?
Well.
There are times when I'd give my chamois pad for a flat road with a tailwind.
Days when I feel so amazing I just wanna climb and climb and climb.
But, faced with a choice...
... give me undulating.
Ups.
Downs.
Lots a turns.
That's the ride I choose.
---
169.2 lbs
9 hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
48
ACTION WINS EVERY TIME
Mar 03, 2024 TODD BROWN
WHY WAS IT SO MIND BLOWING? Yesterday's Strade Bianchi race was so shocking to me. Because, to me, all the pundits...
... missed the point.
Sure, the favorite won.
This was the inspiring part...
- he told everybody where he'd attack in advance of the race
- made a decisive attack 81 km from the finish
- never looked back
- and won
... who wouldn't want to be able to do that?
What blew my mind
was what the talking heads missed.
This athlete,
is a racer of action.
He had a plan,
and went for it.
Could it have failed?
Most definitely.
Could he have looked foolish?
For sure.
Could he have lost the race outright?
Absolutely.
Did he?
No.
Because he took action.
You miss 100% of shots you don't take.
- Wayne Gretzky
---
167.2 lbs
9 hrs sleep
No strength work today.
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
48
QUESTION: IS THIS A HIGH DEMAND SPORT?
Mar 02, 2024 TODD BROWN
I WAS LISTENING TO SOME GUYS ARGUE about whether or not was their religion was high demand, and it got me thinking is ours? Are endurance sports...
... high demand?
Yes.
No.
For me, and maybe for you, too...
... its high demand.
Just consider...
- Training
- Fueling
- Resting
... these are the biggies.
They are priceless,
in a sense.
Which is why the are so easy to screw up,
and so misunderstood by lookers on.
We can't put...
- Training time
- Good fueling choices
- Proper sleep and recovery
... on a credit card.
We've got to demand it from ourselves...
... but, is it really demanding when we love the results?
---
166.2 lbs
7 hrs sleep
No strength work today.
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
48
THE UNCORKED ZONE
Mar 01, 2024 TODD BROWN
IF YOU'RE INTO HOT RODS, then you know what uncorked means. In simple terms, all that junk that keeps the exhaust quiet and lawful is chucked...
... giving us that ultra loud and mean sound.
We have that racing and training, too.
And, if we're smart, we only hit it every so often.
You know what I'm talking about, right?
Zone 2 is corked.
- easy to breathe
- talk while riding
- and go forever.
Today was not Zone 2.
I was uncorked, a bit.
Allowing myself for the first time in 2 months to stretch the legs was amazing.
The accompanying wheezing and gasping for air…
… I don’t know if it was hot rod mean, but it was loud.
Hadn’t heard that in too long…
… ain’t gonna hear for 5 or so days.
Time to add some intensity the smart way.
Polarized.
If ya wanna solid refresher on this approach,
take a listen to this: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-fast-podcast-triathlon-ironman-cycling-coaching/id1400770015?i=1000596124366
Simply, 80-90% of our training should sound like a Tesla...
... cruising through the neighborhood.
That way we are fresh and ready to get after it like the pic above.
Let the rubber...
... burn, baby burn.
---
166.9 lbs
8 hrs sleep
No strength work today.
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
56
RESULTS DON'T MEAN SHIFT
Feb 29, 2024 TODD BROWN
I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE ON THE JOURNEY, but I can tell ya this: whether you're just starting out, coming back from injury, at the top of your game, you're gonna fail...
... if results count.
Trust me on this.
I'm rebuilding.
My fitness is shift.
the skills, off.
I've been at the top and the bottom and there is one reason I was able to climb to max fitness and performance...
... I don't care about results.
I mean I do,
but they aren't the motivator.
Optimizing my ability,
having a blast.
Way more important.
Results are nice.
If they are everything...
... quitting, giving up, and failure is on the horizon.
Don't let that happen.
How?
Relax.
We can't see...
... the great results in the making.
They're coming.
Guaranfreakingteed.
---
166.9 lbs
8 hrs sleep
Pullups, pushups, squats, presses
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
57
ARE WE REALLY DOING THIS?
Feb 28, 2024 TODD BROWN
FOSTER GRANTS ASKED ME Are we really doing this? What kinda question is that...
... Dern straight we're doing it!
Was he hoping we weren't?
Was he doubtful we could do it?
By we, I mainly mean me.
Could you?
I mean, we're gonna have a brain damaged grampa who's been off the bike for months do it...
... can you keep up?
Finish?
What's he referring to?
Oh, just the most life changing ride in Southern California...
- 100+ miles
- 15,000+' of vertical gain
... some might consider it hard.
Others a challenge.
Most an adventure of a lifetime.
So, if you wanna support the old sack a lycra,
if outrageous calls to your soul...
... sign up.
It's free.
and fun.
Click here for deets and pics.
---
167.4 lbs (safe to say, it's time to get seriouser)
9 hrs sleep
Pullups, pushups, squats, presses
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
57
HOW NOT WHAT
Feb 27, 2024 TODD BROWN
LEARNING TO RIDE A BIKE is filled with excitement, fear, and lots of scrapes and bruises. We press through because everyone we see on a bike...
... has a great big smile.
We want that,
the teacher wants it for us.
Finally we get it.
And, at least in my case, it stopped there.
Hall-ah-freakin-lu-yah!
What
and when
and who with
... were left up to me.
I'll be forever grateful for learning how...
... and the freedom to do it my way.
---
168.2 lbs (safe to say, it's time to get seriouser)
8ish hrs sleep
Pullups, pushups, squats, presses
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
56
YOU DON'T NEED AN ALARM CLOCK TO WAKE UP, YOU NEED...
Feb 26, 2024 TODD BROWN
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES I HAVE with our local morning group ride is that it starts at 6:30am. If it was out my front door...
... not that hard.
It's not.
Takes me 50ish minutes to ride to the start,
which means I'm up at 5am.
Also...
... not that hard.
However, getting to bed at 9...
... is not my standard.
I'm more of a 930-10pm guy.
Therefore, if I don't hit the hay early...
... I'm foggy, at best, the rest of day.
Plus, slower on the bike.
Oh, there's a long list of shift that results from lack of sleep.
What's an athlete to do?
Before I tell,
you are forewarned...
... this won't make you popular.
You might lose touch with friends,
or lose them altogether.
We all have a choice...
... live our best lives or live a lower version.
This allows to tap into our superpower...
... set you alarm clock for bedtime.
Every.
Single.
Night.
Or suffer the consequences:
- Inhibited ability to perform
- Decreased handling skills
- Quicker exhaustion
- Decreased reaction time
- Difficulty learning and decision making
- Increased risk of injury
- Increased risk for illness
- Poor recovery
- Memory issues
- Weight gain
- Poor balance
- ... Low sex drive
Like I said,
it might be socially unpopular but...
... wouldn't you rather operate at your optimum?
I would.
---
166.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pullups, pushups, squats, presses
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
MILEMARKERS FOR DUMMIES
Feb 25, 2024 TODD BROWN
ONE OF THE KEYS TO RIPPING LONG RACES is remembering where you are. Yeah, you're racing. Yeah, you're clicking off the miles. But...
... where the heck are you?
And, there's more than that.
- Are you on track?
- When is the next stop?
- Does your support know when to expect you?
So, I always write down on a piece of tape with a sharpie my goals to be at certain locations at certain times...
... and stick it on my top tube.
This keeps all of us coordinate.
More importantly,
it keeps me focused.
The long races, 6+ hours, can be grueling.
They can wear us down to the point...
... of forgetting why we even signed up in the first place.
Looking down at the humble piece of tape,
seeing my goals...
- engages my mind
- re-centers my effort
- keeps me on the pace
... snaps me back to the present moment.
I don't just use this practice for racing...
... I write down everything I plan to do,
and when I plan to have it done.
---
166.2 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
No strength work
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
IS IT HABIT OR RITUAL?
Feb 24, 2024 TODD BROWN
THE SATURDAY MORNING RIDE. We work all week, and with a little planning and luck we carve out some time to ride. In the beginning...
... it takes some discipline.
Not the riding.
The commitment.
We are working to establish a habit.
For the most part, a good one.
But, that changes over time.
It becomes a ritual.
- A set time to leave
- An expected amount of time to be gone
- The proper dress code observed
- A dedicated place to meet
- A consistent slaying of trails, gravel, pavement
- A flogging of the sinners who are not as fit as they shouldcould be.
Yep, this is our ritual.
Our practice.
Our faith.
We made the jump.
We are far beyond
discipline and habit.
---
166.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery
12-0 minutes reading + Journaling
WHAT DOES AI SAY ABOUT TRAINING METHODS USED 100 YEARS AGO?
Feb 23, 2024 TODD BROWN
I PINGED CHAT GTP AND SEVERAL OTHER AI regarding training methods of Belgians 100 years ago. Why not? A lot of knowledge is refined, regurgitated or plain ol' forgotten...
... maybe there's something to be rediscovered?
Oddly?
or, maybe not.
The answers across the AI were eerily similar.
I say eerily because who wants to live in a silo?
Anyway,
here's the bottom line:
It’s important to note that these training methods were not as scientific or structured as they are today. Cyclists often relied on their own experience and intuition to guide their training. However, despite the lack of modern technology and scientific understanding, many Belgian cyclists were able to achieve impressive results using these methods.
Shocking!
I mean, shocking?
When it comes right down to it, is there anything better than...
... relying on our own experience and intuition to guide our training?
I don't think so.
Not when were really into it,
when we really know our bodies.
Me, for instance, I'm rebuilding my fitness.
I realized what a distraction it is to look at the data pouring across my little Wahoo screen.
- Maybe I should put out more power?
- Gosh, my heart rate is ____!
- I've only gone X miles?
So, I fire up the Wahoo,
put it in my jersey pocket.
Time to ride on just experience and intuition...
... same thing I do when racing.
---
166.9 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
THE MOST HUMBLING RACE OF MY LFE
Feb 22, 2024 TODD BROWN
MY PAL PETE AND I DECIDED WE WERE REALLY FIT and that we could do anything with just a hint of training. Racing bikes was kina ho-hum...
... so we signed up for a 10k running race.
We were so arrogant,
we rode our bikes 15 miles to the start.
We lined up in the back,
because, you know, we were going to
squash these runners.
Gun goes off.
We quickly move forward.
Up to the top 50-100.
Really running.
Hard.
Suddenly, I notice I'm breathing way too loud.
Uh-oh.
My legs hurt,
my hips hurt,
everything hurts.
And, I'm moving backwards quickly.
Chubby guy cruises by.
Oldish lady...
... did she elbow me out of the way?
Kids are skipping and laughing and disappearing up the road.
But, it was the guy in flip flops who said...
... Hang in there, only 3 more miles...
... that really did me in.
Here's the dill.
On the outside, at the start,
looking at these racers,
I would have bet $10,000 on me and Pete.
Looking at competitors is a poor way to pass judgement...
... it's the inside, the heart, that counts.
---
166.2 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT A LOSER LIKE THIS CAT
Feb 21, 2024 TODD BROWN
I was going to post this and then I went for a ride and decided it was too mean, whadaya think?...
THERE ARE THREE MAIN THINGS LOSERS DO. I say losers, in this case, meaning they are literally losing out. If they persist, then, yeah...
... the other kind.
It always surprises me when people make these very basic mistakes.
Even if they are new,
I find it,
perplexing.
I think you do, too.
Because, for us,
it's just second nature.
Probably because we have learned the hard way.
Not only that, we try and pass this basic knowledge along to every new rider we can.
Still, they...
- Forget gear when going to a ride or race
- Completely foul up their nutrition and bonk
- Neglect the bike prep only to have mechanical difficulty
... and, we shake our heads.
They are losing out on a more excellent ride.
We deal with it,
they are our friends.
However, if it persists one of two things is gonna happen...
- We don't invite them any more
- We leave them behind
... because, well, you know they are....
How's that for setting up a shameless plug on why we do what we do?
- The RaceDay Bag™ has a built in checklist to make sure we bring everything
- It comes with a RaceDay Bike Check List, too, so bike is properly prepped
- And an insane Never Forget Anything guarantee.
... that way my friends are always invited,
and never left behind.
---
166.9 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
I USED TO LOVE RAINY DAYS
Feb 20, 2024 TODD BROWN
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN RAINY DAYS were awesome. Mostly, around here, it meant nobody was riding. Not me, not anybody else. Which was perfect...
... if I couldn't ride anyway.
You see the selfishness right?
If I can't ride,
I'm stoked you can't either.
It means nobody is getting in the secret miles.
But, that's hardly true these days.
It's not the trainers,
those have been around forever.
It's the virtual racing,
that is a game changer.
In fact, I know plenty of people who do a fair amount of their riding virtually.
- It's available 24-7
- Not hampered by weather
- All the social connections of a group ride (with right equipment).
Can you blame them?
I can't.
But, I still blame the weather for my own lack of getting it done.
---
166.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
CODDLED VS THROTTLED?
Feb 19, 2024 TODD BROWN
YEAH, THE RECOVER IS GOING PRETTY GOOD. Spoke to my neuroscientist pal, who confirmed my suspicions. It's good news for me...
... is it good news for you?
Well, yeah, if you taking the Rip On RaceDay 30-Day Challenge.
If you're not, then sit up and pay attention.
Here's what he said.
You're probably doing so well because...
- you're exercising every day
- not eating bread
- staying away from grains
- not drinking diet drinks or artificial sweeteners
- eating plenty of veggies and protein
- getting outside in the sunshine
- lifting weights
- getting plenty of sleep, 9-10 or more hours
... right?
I sheepishly said Yes.
Which was mostly true.
But, I gotta cut out all grains and all bread, even my beloved chips and salsa and special sour dough bread. I've backslid on the diet drinks, those gotta go. Other than that, I'm mostly on track.
Main thing I need to add is a lot more fish oil.
Not a problem, I love sardines.
in other words, it's time to practice ALL that I preach.
So, how're you doing? Yes, you my loyal reader. How. Are. You. Doing?
Could you tighten things up a bit?
Or, do you need a serious crack in the head like I got to up your game?
Which brings me back to the title of this post, Coddled vs. Throttled?
Here's the dill, for me...
... I prefer to be throttled.
Put me on a ridiculously difficult course, in with the heavy hitters, tell me the honesttogosh truth...
... make me suffer!
Then, and only then, I might merit some coddling.
Maybe it's time for a serious challenge...
... and little coddling 30 days later?
Rip On RaceDay 30-Day Challenge
---
165.9 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
I WONDER IF GIRLS DO THIS?
Feb 18, 2024 TODD BROWN
FOR THE MOST PART, we are a healthy lot. We skip cigars, pass up the bars. Well, then, where's a cyclist to go to share our struggles, solve our problems...
... shoot the shift?
Dudes,
we ride together...
... and we share, solve and shoot.
That's where we get it done.
What about the lady riders?
Where are they bonding and supporting?
There are so few of them,
mostly they ride with guys...
... don't think I've ever see an all, or mostly, female group ride.
Is that why so few ladies ride, compared to men?
Are they missing what the guys are getting?
Is that the main reason guys ride?
---
164.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
Are You Ready For A Hero's Journey?
Feb 17, 2024 TODD BROWN
I DID A POLE OF THE RACEDAY RIPPERS. I asked them If they had to pick just one bike what would it be? They had 4 options to pick from. What would you answer be...
... you need the options first.
Here they are:
- Road
- MTB
- Gravel
- One of Each (acceptable though hard to explain to family and friends)
It came down to a tie between two options, evenly split.
33% for each.
Gravel and One of Each.
Why?
Well, what would your choice be?
Back to Why?
I think it comes down the basic human nature...
... we want to go on a journey.
Not just any journey.
One where we are heroic,
in our own minds at least.
That, I think, is the true appeal of "gravel" (such a dumb name)...
... the appeal of a bike that can handle mixed surfaces.
On that type of bike we have incredible freedom combined with the high likelihood of finding ourselves...
... in place far, far away from our predictable existence.
With luck we'll...
- Shed some blood without breaking bones.
- Find out we can do much more than we thought.
- Gain new confidence, skill, and special experience.
... acquire our own superpowers.
Is it any wonder these bikes and events with mixed surfaces are exploding?
---
164.8 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
WHAT TO ASK A PROSPECTIVE COACH
Feb 16, 2024 TODD BROWN
THINKING OF GETTING A COACH? Good. You can get better faster by learning from an expert. Be it a book, a video, a podcast. Only a human can...
... answer this question.
The answer will instantly tell you if this relationship is gonna work out.
After small talk, after the coach's spiel, when the conversation stalls...
... ask this:
If we were meeting 3 years from now, looking back, what has to happen for you to be happy with my progress?
Trust me, conversation is gonna stay stalled.
Don't say a thing.
Wait for the answer.
Listen to what is said.
Ask yourself...
... Is this the kind of person I want to have a relationship with?
That's it.
I've used the question many times over the years, usually when hiring somebody. There are lots of variations.
It works.
Learned it from the great Dan Sullivan.
---
162.6 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery
150 minutes reading + Journaling
How To Build Volume 101
Feb 15, 2024 TODD BROWN
IMAGINE YOU'RE STARTING FROM ZERO. How do you build volume? Are there rules of thumb? When do you introduce intensity? Does it matter?...
... can you wing it?
Good questions.
Short answers:
- Build volume as fast as you can, which isn't going to be very fast if you are starting from zero.
- There are no rules of thumb, it's ruled by legs and lungs. Do what you can.
- Introduce intensity as soon as you want, it ain't going to be much.
- Yes, it matters.
Long answer.
There are a number of good books on the subject. Anything by Joe Friel will give you a good plan.
You don't need a power meter, mainly because you're will not be putting out much power early on.
But, you do need a heart rate monitor.
In the beginning of the first rides, the heart rate monitor will be exciting. Then after a few miles, it will dim. Reality will set in as that heart rate gets lower and lower because you have no stamina built up. After a few weeks or months, the HR monitor will serve as a governor...
... holding you back.
This is good.
Because if you're tired, you can't do intensity properly.
Introduce the intensity one day per week.
Don't look at the HR monitor too much, instead get after it. Could be a group ride you want to desperately hang on to, a Zwift session with same obsession, or simply chasing that mystical PR you want to breatk.
Check the HR data when the ride is over.
Important answer:
- Pick an event far in the future - you need time.
- Set an insane goal.
- Get registered.
Nothing exceptional will come with your training without a date with destiny...
... that's paid for!
---
164.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
Do I Really Love It This Much?
Feb 14, 2024 TODD BROWN
SO, IT'S GONNA WIND UP BEING 8 WEEKS OFF THE BIKE since the noggin took a hit. If I do the ol' traditional math, that's 8 X 3 (weeks to get back the fitness for every 1 week off the bike)...
... 24 weeks, errrr 6 months?
That's hella long time.
The big question is...
... do I love it that much?
And by it, I do not mean the obvious...
... riding my bike.
I mean being in shape and the...
... feeling of being fast.
If I'm being honest, and I always am with you...
... I've forgotten what that feels like.
Surfgirl said Let's go on a ride today...
... and I jumped at the chance to ride with her support.
How'd it go?
Well, even though I was on my MTB...
... I still easily dropped her.
Nothing new there.
What was new was how hard I had to work to catch her,
huffing and puffing and legs burning...
... at a pace I recall doing for hours, endlessly.
This time it was for about 2 minutes.
Was I surprised?
Disappointed?
Let's just say I laughed out loud when I saw what Training Peaks was showing for my fitness.
37.
Yep, nearly 100 points lower than my all time max fitness just 18 months ago.
Lesson: fitness disappears, fast.
Lesson: I'm gonna bring it back, patiently (not my superpower, but a lesson to learn).
Who's in?
---
164.8lbs
9ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
TOP REASONS NOT TO LIFT WEIGHTS
Feb 13, 2024 TODD BROWN
THERE IS A LOT OF BANTER about weight training. We should do it in the off-season, shy away from in the race season. Frankly...
... I couldn't disagree more.
Weight training is for those who want:
- stronger bones
- to build muscle
- put out more power
- improved core strength
- better grip strength
Who want's that?
Year round?
Oh,
well,
me.
You?
Top 3 exercises we should all be doing?
- Pull Ups or bent rows to build up strength for pull ups
- Push Ups
- Squats - I like Bulgarian Split Squats
Takes just a few minutes to do a set.
Very little equipment needed: pull up bar, some dumbbells...
... or skip the minor investment.
- have weak bones
- look like a T-Rex
- less power
- weaker core
- pathetic grip
It's your body...
... and I'm just a dude, not a doctor!
---
164.8lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
CONFIDENCE, WHO'S RESPONSIBILITY IS IT ANYWAY?
Feb 12, 2024 TODD BROWN
IN GETTING CAUGHT UP WITH THE LATEST BREAKING CYCLNG NEWS, I saw an article title and it's bugged me ever since. Maybe I'm heartless, from a different generation...
... or maybe this guy is just weak.
The title of the article is, They Lost Faith In Me.
Honestly, I can't believe I even bothered to read it.
But, after a week of it percolating as a top article...
... it got me like a slow moving train wreck.
As expected, featured racer blamed his lack of success on the team losing faith in him.
Bro, it's not the team's job to have faith in you.
They are paying you.
Faith is there.
That's my first reaction.
Bro, them's fighting words.
Now go prove 'em wrong.
Create the failth.
Earn it.
That's my second reaction.
What happened to good ol'...
... if it's to be, it's up to me!?
Or...
... fake it, 'till ya make it!?
In the end, I couldn't decide if I should feel sorry for a grown man having such a pathetic excuse...
... or be ticked off that such lameness made the front page.
Bottom line,
like it or not...
... it's our responsibility to be confident,
and to infect all those around us with such assuredness.
Life,
racing,
everything...
... is more fun, and, oh, ah, successful!
---
162.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
WHAT HAPPENS IN SIN CITY...
Feb 11, 2024 TODD BROWN
THERE ARE SINS, and then there are things we personally consider sins. Either way, 'Vegas promise that what happens in 'Vegas stays in 'Vegas...
... is a big fat lie.
Not a big deal.
We are only letting ourselves,
and those we committed to...
... down.
For example, the second Friday in January is known as Quitter's Day because by then...
... most people have thrown in the towel on their resolutions.
Like I said,
not a big deal...
... unless you want to
improve,
make changes,
stay true to what matters.
If that's on the line,
we can't afford to sin,
and if we do we've got to...
... repent right away,
and keep moving forward.
So,
how are those resolutions doing?
I had two:
- Get to bed around 9,
start day before 6. - Get back to race weight,
under 163.
The only reason I'm mostly on track is due to putting myself in the hospital on Jan 8th...
- appetite disappeared
- needed a lot more sleep
... otherwise, I'd be struggling.
Which is better than quitting.
A lot better.
Struggling,
good.
Repenting,
good.
Never quitting,
Best.
Keep up the good fight.
---
162.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
THE RACERS CREED
Feb 09, 2024 TODD BROWN
WHETHER WE KNOW IT OR NOT, we stand for a few things. And, it matters. Because this is...
... how we roll.
The Racer's Creed
- Access to bicycles - and anything that makes you stronger and better - should be unlimited.
- Always yield to the In Real Life Imperative.
- All racing should be free.
- Mistrust tradition, government recommendations - promote bro-science.
- Racers should be judged by their racing, not by bogus criteria like KOMs, USAC Category, age, color or gender.
- You can be free and forever young on a bicycle.
- Bicycles change your life for the better.
Agree or Disagree?
Lemmeknow.
---
165.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull ups, push ups, presses, squats
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
IT AIN'T EVERY DAY YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THIS
Feb 08, 2024 TODD BROWN
DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED RIDING? For most of us, it was a magical time. Each ride a little further, a little faster. Each effort...
... a little easier.
No wonder we got hooked.
Still,
some wonder off.
Is it because the day comes when going further, faster, with less effort is no longer predictable?
Shoot, forget predictable...
... sometimes those days have months between them.
Even years.
I can tell you this, as I impatiently wait for clearance to get back on my bike and start riding again...
... knowing I'll get better every ride keeps me hanging on.
Can you relate?
---
164.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull ups, push ups, presses, squats
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
IT'S SO MIXED UP
Feb 07, 2024 TODD BROWN
ROAD BIKES use road tires. Most of us find a favorite, and that's what we run day, night, rain, shine. For MTB, it's basically the same formula. Find a tire we like, run it regardless. For gravel...
... ugh.
First off, gravel ain't just gravel.
It's gravel and asphalt and single track and rocky terrain.
So, a gravel tire needs to be fast on asphalt, tacky on gravel turns, nimble on techy stuff and rugged on the rockies.
What's the ol' saying?
There's fast, cheap and quality...
... you can only pick two.
But, we're racing.
We want fast, light and rugged...
... and we want all three.
Not gonna happen.
Me?
I'll take fast and light, banking on my handling skills to get me safely through the rugged stuff.
Is that enough?
Probably not.
If it really matters,
gotta pre-run the course,
then pick the very best option...
... not easy,
but, that's what make it fun.
---
164.9 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
Pull ups, push ups & squats
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
I TRIPLE THAT EMOTION
Feb 06, 2024 TODD BROWN
ON THE START LINE there is always a lot of emotion. Some are scared, some are anxious, some are seething, some are just happy to be there. And...
... it's all good.
Well, kinda.
Facts are facts.
The more emotion we have the more productive we will be.
There's just one problem.
It might not be positive productivity.
Personally, I prefer to make up some story in my head regarding an innocent competitor...
... that ticks me off.
Take that manufactured angst,
turn it up all the way to 11...
... and let emotion do it's thing.
It is nearly a lock that I will race better,
be more and better calculating...
... and not give a hoot about what others think.
So, yeah...
... I triple that emotion.
---
163.9 lbs
8 hrs sleep
No strength work.
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
WEATHER OR NOT YOU LIKE IT
Feb 05, 2024 TODD BROWN
ROCK COBBLER 11 IS THIS WEEKEND. With all the rain we've had, and a little more forecast this week, it's all set up for an epic adventure...
... for at least 50% of the riders.
We are at deer in the headlinghts point.
Some are wondering if they should go at all.
Others are relishing the epicality.
Whether racers ride through someone's house,
see some knucklehead get skewed by a bull,
need ropes to make it up the hikeabike,
have mud so thick they grind to a halt...
... one thing is for sure.
The weather just makes it so much more of a quest.
Here's the mantra, whatever the weather...
... it's going to be perfect for me,
and rotten for everyone else.
It's selfish,
I know.
But,
it works.
Which is why I prefer riding outdoors to indoors...
... weather I like it or not.
---
162.9 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
No strength work.
10 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
ARE YOU SOMEBODY?
Feb 03, 2024 TODD BROWN
THERE ARE LEGENDS, and then there's the rest of us. The difference isn't obvious if we're walking down the street or eating an ice cream cone...
.. it's clear when nobody is looking.
As hard as we may be struggling to regain our health,
or to reach a new level of performance,
you'd never know...
... just by looking at us.
To really know if we are a
nobody,
anybody,
or somebody...
... we'd have to be followed 24/7.
This quote hit me hard today.
"No matter how hard you train,
Somebody will train harder.
No matter how hard you run,
Somebody will run harder.
No matter how much you want it,
Somebody will want it more.
I am Somebody."
—Steve Prefontaine
Are we going to be Somebody?
---
162.8 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
No strength work.
10 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
THE TALENT REVOLUTION
Feb 01, 2024 TODD BROWN
WHAT COMES AROUND, goes around. Some call it karma, others call it fate, maybe it's just...
... wages earned.
We can have all the talent in the world,
but, if we aren't spinning the pedals around who'll ever know?
Not us.
Not anybody else.
Talented racers are spinning more,
a lot more.
The spinning brings up the talent,
the talent doesn't make the racers spin.
The old timers knew it.
AEddy Merckx, Piles of miles.
The current crop knows it.
Dr Stephen Seiler, 80% of your training is to be easy, and only 20% hard.
We know it.
Want more talent, spin (ride) more...
... a lot more,
talent will increase.
---
162. lbs
9ish hrs sleep
Push Ups, Pull Ups, Squats, Nordics, Shoulder Presses - a little more every day.
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH
Jan 31, 2024 TODD BROWN
WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT, too few of us can handle the truth. Our flabby arms, soft as a baby'sbutt hands, round shoulders and bent necks...
... belie the truth.
We were born for more.
Proof...
- Do pullups, grow calluses
- Do pushups, grow muscle
- Do squats, improve stature
- Ride far and easy, drop resting heartrate
... is what we easily observe given just a short amount of time.
When nurses rushed in to my room during my lovely stay in the ICU...
... they scared the crud out of me.
Are you okay?
Yeah, why?
Your heartrate dropped into the 30's.
Oh, it's finally getting back to normal.
What?
Yep, that's normal for me.
And that's the freaky thing.
We, the fit, are a rare breed.
The pros aren't quite sure what to do with us.
It shouldn't be that way,
but, it is.
In A Few Good Men, Col. Jessup is badgered and cornered into exclaiming the famous line...
... You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!
The truth about our bodies' capabilities is all around us...
... yet, is it rarely explained or shamed.
With just a little effort, in a short amount of time,
we can easily see that not only can we dramatically improve things...
... we were born to do such,
the life force is stronger than we think.
This is the way.
---
162.6 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Push Ups Pull Ups Squats Shoulder Presses - a little more every day.
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
MY FAVORITE 4 LETTER WORD THAT STARTS WITH 'F'
Jan 30, 2024 TODD BROWN
THERE ARE LOTS OF FOUR LETTER WORDS. Just saying that connotes negativity and degeneracy. Clarifying the ones that start with 'f' and...
... you've got to cover your ears.
But, really...
... is F-E-A-R all that bad?
Yes,
and no.
Depends on how we use it.
One of the reasons a public declaration is so powerful is the fear that...
... we will F-A-I-L.
Which, is why most of us never make public declarations.
Too scary.
Too much commitment.
and way too much chance for ostracization.
Nobody wants that,
so we skip the declarations.
But, what if we didn't?
What if we tapped into that power?
Besides...
... who gives a shiFt what others think?
I ain't a FEAR to FAIL..
... I'm way more a FEAR to not FIND out what's possible.
---
161.6 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
Push Ups Pull Ups Squats Shoulder Presses - a little more every day.
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
IF THERE REALLY WAS JUST ONE THING HOLDING US BACK?
Jan 29, 2024 TODD BROWN
I JUST FINISHED, for the third or fourth time, The ONE Thing. The joke of the book (ie: the main point) is that there is1 thing above all others that we need to focus on...
... to get results quickly and easily.
If that's true,
there is just 1 question...
... what is the 1 thing when it comes to ripping on raceday?
I can think of 100 things,
or more...
- Ride
- Polarized training
- Diet
- Sleep
- Recovery
- Stretch
- Intervals
- Race simulation
- Bike maintenance
- Rest
- Race logistics
- Team game plan
- Travel plans
- Pick an A race/event
... there's a few.
Once the 1 thing is figured out...
... where is it time blocked?
- Early morning
- Lunch time
- Afternoon
- Evening
- Which days of week
If it ain't protected,
treated as sacred...
... it will likely be sacrificed.
This year, I planned on testing out a new work schedule. Which is why I picked this book up again.
The schedule, once I'm cleared medically, that I want to test is...
- 7-11 my ONE Thing for work
- 11-2 Go for a ride, get some lunch
- 2-5 return calls and emails
... just need to get back to 100%.
Today's trial was hit and miss. It was my first day trying to work. Not easy. The most challenging thing is to mentally hold and concentrate on fairly complex projects.
I'll get there.
In the meantime...
... what's your ONE Thing?
---
160.5 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Push Ups Pull Ups Squats Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery
180 minutes reading + Journaling
DID YOU PICK THE RIGHT PATH?
Jan 28, 2024 TODD BROWN
WE HAVE A CHOICE. A quick and easy win. A long-range, outrageous goal. Most of the time...
... we make the wrong choice.
The quick win feels good,
it's easy to snag.
And that's the problem.
The quick and easy wins usually lead us off the path to long-range and outrageous goals.
But, why?
Because the long-range goal is so far off in the distance, it looks small...
We forget,
get discouraged,
grow too impatient.
... it's actually massive, just a long ways off.
---
162.3 lbs
8.5 hrs sleep
0 strength work
20 minutes recovery
240 minutes reading + Journaling
NURSE RATCHET IS TICKED OFF!
Jan 27, 2024 TODD BROWN
WHEN PEOPLE STOP BY TO VISIT they inevitably want to check out the garage. Oddly, they aren't impressed by the stacks of surfboards, or the quiver of bicycles...
... there is one thing that sticks out.
Over in the corner is a somewhat rusty, cobwebby and neglected unicycle.
Can you ride it?
Maybe, it's been quite a while.
This is just me goofing on them. I know perfectly well, that even if it's been over a year, I can get on the uni and...
... make it look easy.
But, first I pretend to really struggle.
Several fake and shaky starts.
It's like riding a bike,
put in the time and you'll always be able to do it.
Which is probably why Nurse Ratchet is so pissed at me today.
Bored out of my mind,
easily skipping down the stairs in the house,
doing lunges and walking backwards with zero issue...
... I couldn't wait until she left.
The second the garage door shut, I hustled upstairs and threw on a kit for the first time in 3 weeks.
I'd secretly lubed and checked out the MTB the night before.
It was go time.
Kitted up,
aired up...
... there was only one thing left to do.
Throw my leg over the saddle, and pedal.
Gotta be honest,
I was a little scared to clip in and go.
But, I couldn't take another day of lethargy indoors.
The first few strokes were glorious.
I was free,
at last.
There was no need to hurry, she'd be gone at least 2 hours.
I chose the MTB because of the fat tires and full suspension, figuring it was the bike least likely to jostle my noggin.
My balance was fine.
My ability to process information was still slow, and dull.
After 20ish minutes, I reached the top of the local trail system.
I stopped.
Gave thanks.
Took in the view.
It felt so good to...
- hear my breathing
- feel the sweat
- be outside
... things we think we are grateful for, but have no clue until we can't access them on demand.
I stood and coasted ever so slowly down the trail.
An hour later I was home, after more stops and moments of appreciation.
Refreshed,
encouraged.
I knew my recovering brain needed oxygen flow,
my body need to be taxed,
balance tested.
A quick shower,
change of clothes,
Nurse Ratchet would never know.
One problem.
She has Strava,
she follows me,
I was busted.
She stormed in pissed,
didn't want to talk about it.
Said I'd been stupid and reckless.
As usual,
she's right.
But, you know what they say...
... it's like riding a bike,
you never forget.
How do I feel?
Well, I took a catnap. So it musta been challenging.
My head seems fine.
Will I ride again?
Def.
How soon?
Unsure.
How long?
Lesssure.
Am I all better?
Not even close.
Because my ability to process information is diminished, I'm riding very slow. Another reason to stay on MTB and off the roads.
It's gonna be a minute, I'm predicting 3-6 more weeks to restore confidence. I'm cool with that. Spring goals have been tabled. Time is on my side.
Am I getting better?
Fo sho.
Will she forgive me?
Yeah, in a few days or weeks.
Am I upset about that?
Not even.
She cares,
and that's all I care about.
---
162.3 lbs
8 hrs sleep
A few pullups, pushups and air squats
20 minutes recovery
180 minutes reading + Journaling
SLIVERS ARE GOOD
Jan 26, 2024 TODD BROWN
WE HAVE A HIGH SPEED TRAIL NEARBY. It's lined with cactus, lovingly waiting to give the uncontrolled a great big bear hug. Most escape...
... a few get a gentle reminder.
But, it often doesn't show up for weeks.
One day, you wake and think...
... dawgawnit, my knuckle really hurts.
We can't remember why until a few days later...
... a sliver of cactus prickly starts to surface.
Oh yeah, I musta brushed some cactus a while back.
Here's the real lesson in that...
- not to slow down and scrub some speed
- not to wear hard plastic knuckle savers
- not to change a thing
... to remember slivers count, too.
In fact, sometimes they're downright painful.
Most of the time, forgettable.
Unimpactful...
... or so we think,
until they resurface.
If we're smart,
and I know you are...
... we realize the real gains
more often than not...
... come in slivers.
Unnoticable,
unmemorable,
unremarkable, too...
... so we think they don't count,
that no progress is being made.
But, they do.
And, we stack 'em.
Gather 'em, store 'em...
... unleash 'em when it matters.
Competitors be thinking,
How the heck did he/she do that?!
We be thinking the same thing,
How the heck'd I do that?!
Then we be rememberin'...
... one sliver at a time.
---
162.4 lbs
8 hrs sleep
Got in a few more pullups, pushups and air squats
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
OUR BUCKET LISTS ARE KILLING US
Jan 25, 2024 TODD BROWN
UP UNTIL WE ARE ABOUT 18 YEARS OLD, we don't have bucket lists. We have something quite different and significantly more powerful and dangerous. Cover your ears kids...
... this is about the less famous, Phucket List.
You know the one.
You're, 13, at the top of a big hill and challenged to go brakeless and see if you can not only make the corner at the bottom, but carry enough speed to clear the 15' jump across the stream.
Or, you're 15, on the shore watching huge, mountainous waves wipe out every surfer in the water and challenged to not just paddle out, but get beyond the breakers and then somehow catch one of the monsters back to shore.
The young don't say, Oh, I can't make it today but it's definitely on my bucket list to do...
... there's too much shame in that.
Instead, the young say Phucket...
... and go for it.
Why?
Because the young know two things:
- They will live forever
- They can't get permanently hurt
Of course, neither is true.
The only thing that is true is that not going for it is despicable.
Around 20, we aren't verbalizing bucket list, but we are assembling it with thoughts like these:
- I'm gonna find my soulmate
- Have some kids
- Build a cool career
- Travel to exotic places
- Do back flips off bridges
Of course, making those things happen requires, again, two things:
- Living forever
- Not getting permanently hurt
Neither one of which is true, or likely.
Which is why bucket lists are for losers.
They allow us to dream, and put things off for Some Day I'll...
... slowly killing us in the process.
Then, one day, we do something really stupid, like I did...
- Cause my pull up bar to fail
- Knock myself out
- Spend days in ICU
... and just like that, life changes in seconds.
Which is why we need to kill the Bucket List and...
... live with a phucket list.
- Any question of what is possible
- Any criticism of how we are doing things
- Any doubts about our plans
- Any postponing of what we want to do
We need to have one, and only one, response...
... phucket..
I'm doing it,
now!!
---
161.4 lbs
10 hrs sleep
Snuck in a few pullups, pushups and air squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
FIRST, I WANTED TO CRY
Jan 24, 2024 TODD BROWN
WHEN I FINALLY WOKE UP, 3 days after the accident, I wanted to cry. Not because I was alone in a cold, dark hospital room. Not because my head was pounding. I ached...
... for the less fortunate.
Regardless of how I got there, I still had everything going for me.
Family,
friends,
children.
Visiting,
praying,
buoying me.
Incredible medical facilities,
wonderful, caring
staff.
I felt, and feel, overwhelmingly blessed and looked after.
How did I merit such goodness in my life?
How could I do better supporting those in need?
Even though my brain had been scrambled,
as difficult as it is to process information quickly...
... I never doubted I'd recover.
I'm so grateful to be alive...
... taking courage from the Grateful Dead's Touch Of Grey.
I will get by,
I will survive,
We will get by,
We will survive.
Because my brain is broken and there are little to no visual cues, it's hard to appreciate what thinking and doing and conversation feels like to me.
I look mostly fine.
This is the best I could come up with...
... asking me to engage is like asking me to run a 5k two to three weeks after breaking my leg.
Where I'm at now.
Starting last week, 8ish days post accident, my body started to hurt a lot. Way, way worse than my head ever did.
When the pull up bar broke loose and cracked me in the forehead it must have knocked me out. My buns and upper hamstrings and lower back were tremendously painful, indicating to me I had probably just had fallen straight backward on my tush then smacked my back of my head.
That body pain is mostly behind me.
My secret?
Taking a very hot shower 5-6-7 times a day, loosens everything up.
I'm off all meds during the day, and only taking Tylenol 2-3 times during the night.
This is great.
I had been really nervous to take the heavy stuff for a prolonged period of time. I'd done that 30 years ago, and subsequently suffered migraines for almost 10 years.
Fortunately, the PEDALindustries crew is awesome. Things are flowing as they should. Just wonderful.
Your messages, and kindness, and support have been a great lesson to me...
... it's okay to cry tears of gratitude.
---
159.4 lbs
10 hrs sleep
0 strength
40 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
DEFEND YOUR LIFE
Jan 15, 2024 TODD BROWN
THE LAST WORDS OUT OF MY PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN'S MOUTH were shocking and memorable. Once I had caught him up on my situation, he said...
... Defend your life.
- Todd
---
Hey everyone, this is Shane, Todd's son. On January 8th, Todd had an accident at home, resulting in a traumatic brain injury and multiple skull fractures. He spent 5 days in the ICU.
We happily welcomed him home on Saturday and he's in good care with Surfer Girl. He's on track for a great recovery! For an athlete like Todd, we know he'll be (RaceDay) ready to rip as soon as he can.
First, he'll spend 10 more days in a dark room being the most boring person on earth. Then he'll slowly, very slowly, return to his passion: writing the blog, developing cool new gear, and shredding the local trails.
Stay tuned!
Shane
P.S. Yes, it was his idea to share the photo :)
---
159
1,000 hrs
0 strength
1,000,000 minutes recovery
0 minutes reading + Journaling
NEW TERRITORY
Jan 07, 2024 TODD BROWN
I'M GOING DOWN THE INTERVALS RABBIT HOLE, and I'm not sure I like it. There are a number of reasons, not the least of which...
... the social angle.
Committing to a structured interval program is for losers...
... I mean loners.
And that's not all.
It hurts.
It's one thing to be on the group ride, going all out, and tell myself...
- Well, I'm just not feeling it today
- or, It's ok those guys are faster
- oh, if only I was lighter
... pull the plug, and drift off the back.
It's quite another to be hitting high power numbers easily on this first go...
... and watch those numbers sink as the efforts repeat.
Why?
Because the numbers don't lie.
I saw this last week.
4 efforts, 8 minutes long.
The first time, I ran out of road and had to take a turn to keep going...
... by the end, there was plenty of road left.
Just not enough Todd.
Do I like intervals?
No.
Do I like training hard efforts alone?
No.
Am I going to quit?
No.
I'm intrigued.
I want to see what I've got...
... and how fitness changes with new methods.
New Year,
New Methods.
---
164.5
7.5 hrs
No strength
0 minutes recovery
180 minutes reading + Journaling
THE POTENTIAL DANGER WITH HERO DIRT
Jan 06, 2024 TODD BROWN
SO FUN TODAY. I thought it would be a lot dryer, hadn't rained since Wednesday. No puddles. Definitely extra friction, that velcro feeling of...
... sticky lugs.
Hero dirt.
It's called hero dirt because we can carve the turns with confidence
just like our heroes.
Those tires aren't slippin',
they're grippin'.
The longer we ride it,
the more we lean and defy gravity.
The result?
Sometimes,
over confidence.
You know what comes with rain, right?
Ruts.
Towards the end of today's adventure, about 3 hours in, we were really feelin' it.
Laying down PRs.
Naturally, we'd need to hit the steepest,
and less well known trail...
... last.
What do they say about the last run?
Don't take it!
The segment is fittingly titled,
Dragon's Back Proper.
I'm not going to say it's the gnarliest trail ever,
still, there's a 0% chance I'm taking Surfergirl down it.
Anyway, with 30+ miles of hero dirt fresh in our minds we hit it.
Like any good friend, I neglected to tell Love Watts about what we'd face...
... knowing he'd be fine.
Butttt!, when we came around one of the turns which lead to a steep, straight shot of about 50 yards...
... there was a new and nifty rut straight down the middle of the trail.
Like a dragon,
waiting to gobble our tires...
... and pitch us down its throat.
Here's the beauty of hero dirt...
... normally this would be a controlled skid section at best,
instead we were on the binders hard,
easily avoiding the doom...
... and snagging yet another PR.
Heroes for a day.
---
163.8
8 hrs
No strength
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
WELL, THAT'S A STRETCH
Jan 05, 2024 TODD BROWN
ARE YOU AS FIRED UP ABOUT 2024 AS ME? Five days in and I'm still holding strong on all 520 of my New Year's Resolutions. I got more than a good feeling about this...
... I got one word.
This year's word for the RaceDay Rippers: S-T-R-E-T-C-H.
Yeah, it's good to stretch.
Be limber.
Flexible.
That's part of it,
but there's so much more...
... when we stretch regularly.
In everything.
And, here's what I'm talking about...
... forget the resolutions.
They seem static.
What can we stretch...
- athletically
- mentally
- spiritually
- socially
- financially
... because if we ain't stretching,
it's hellalikely things are gonna tighten up.
Take another look at your calendar.
What can you do by the end of this year...
... that is such a stretch,
it would blow your mind?
I know what I'm going for,
can't wait to share it here.
---
162.4
7 hrs
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuits
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
WHO IS THE GREATEST ATHLETE?
Jan 04, 2024 TODD BROWN
GREATNESS IS ONE OF THOSE HARD TO DEFINE characteristics. Like beauty or skill or talent we often have differing opinions and struggle to explain the why leaving us with the simple...
... I know it when I see it.
Here's my definition of a great athlete.
Someone who knows what the are capable of achieving...
... and then wringing every ounce of their being to achieve it.
Sometimes they win something, but for most the greatest athletes...
... the ones who inspire me...
... winning is rare.
It's the daring to dream,
the untold hours of solo training,
the battle to overcome the impossible...
... and finish with nothing left and no regrets.
That is greatness.
It takes planning,
and dedication,
and courage.
The highest VO2 max or most ridiculous powertoweight output in the world won't make us great...
... commitment,
persistence,
focus
will.
Nobody's watching you can skip the workout, eat the donut, stay up partying...
... be common.
Nobody's watching you can do an extra set, up the protein, hit the sack early...
... be great.
Nobody's watching,
but you.
---
162.5
8 hrs
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuits
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
LACTIC LYCRA
Jan 03, 2024 TODD BROWN
LACTIC LYCRA will be served at 815am on Saturday, per my pal Doug's text message. I can't wait. It's been too long since I've had a...
... really good beat down.
The first one always hurts the most.
There's the shock to the system when we hit the first climb.
I know it well.
About 30 seconds at 8%,
followed by 2 1/2 minutes of rolling up a false flat...
... all out.
If I make that,
it only gets more vicious.
Of course, the route can change from time to time, which means I might have no idea whatsoever of what's coming up.
Sometimes that's better,
often it's worse.
Why would I do this to myself?
Because, we are 8 weeks out from the first A race of the triple crown.
It's time,
to clear the cobwebs.
---
163.6
8.25 hrs
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuits
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
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