THE ANNOUNCER RAN DOWN THE LIST OF CATEGORY LEADERS, while I unloaded the van.. A few of my friend's names, and of course my frenemy's name...

... stuck out the most.

This is the 4th week of our 8-week series.
Only 6 count.
It's on.

At this point, everybody who has a chance at the series championship has raced at least once.  The leaders have all raced 3 races...

... but not everybody has.

And those who have can still toss out 2 races.

In other words, now the fun begins.

My frenemy, Bob, got a coach this year.  My coach!  Damnit!!... 

... maybe I should get back on a formal training plan.

I probably should.
I might.

My A race is still months off...

... I got time.

For now, it's time to see how the weekly MTB race season unfolds.  We've had 2 different race winners and a lot of jumbling in the placings.

Each week is gonna have some drama.

The closer we get to race 8, the more the bars will be banging.

---

By the way, how rad was today's final climb of the Giro?!.  They only have a few more days of hard climbing...

... it's gonna be epic.

Nobody wants to leave it for the last hilly time trial.

Too risky.

But, sometimes fate has it's say and we just might get down the last day or two with seconds still remaining between the leaders.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability 

Can't wait to check in with the club.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability 

 ---

164.5
7ish hrs
0 round of cross training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

THE FIRST CRIT SERIES I EVER DID made all the difference in the world.  Not because it was well run, or fancy, or challenging, or had any fans at all...

... it was the opposite.

The amount of blood I shed on the second race still stains my memory.

Who would go back to that week after week?

Me.

Here's why.

The race was put on by the college ski coach, to help his athletes stay in shape. They raced the B race.  The actually racers did the A...

... newbs like me the C.

Like all asphalt-roots crits, this one was staged in an out of the way place...

... the giant, aging football stadium parking lot.

It was more packed gravel than pavement in spots, particularly the the turn I slid out in.

I didn't care.

Only 10 guys lined up.
None of us knew what we were doing.
Most of us placed, and occasionally won on a hot summer night.

I was hooked.

I hadn't won anything sporty to speak of since grade school...

... I was a very, very, very late bloomer.

Finally, I'd bloomed and found something I was good at.

But, what if first race was a legit California crit as a Cat IV?  
150+ racers on the line was common back then.
The speeds seemed insane.

It's hard to imagine surviving a few laps.

Nope, I needed Bobby Bills and his girlfriend telling us to Go!,
Holding their silly posters with laps remaining,
The ensuing squabble over who won.

No photos or video,
No race numbers on our back,
No friends or family or spectators of any sort.

A handful of athletes...

... tasting victory for the very first time.

That's often all it takes to find a whole new world of adventure and the pursuit of personal excellence.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability 

https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability 

 ---

165.9
7.5 hrs
1 round of cross training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO WANTS YOU TO RIP ON RACEDAY, there are a whole lotta people pulling for you.  But, sometimes it feels like we're...

... grinding up hill with a headwind.

Why?

Because we aren't using our calendars properly.

We have 'em.
Sometimes fill 'em out.
Completely neglect the most important parts.

Here's how I do it, and it's improved every relationship I have and given me superior support on my A race...

• Pencil in the A race, the sooner the better.
• Show it to your important relationships - family and work for sure.
• Add the the family and work dates in pen to your calendar.

... then go back and fill in your A race in pen - I like a fat, red Sharpie.

Share your calendar with all that matter, often.

Here's how to screw it up...

• don't share the A race until it's a few weeks or months away
• don't consider other events your supporters deem important
• only have your A race on the calendar

Can I share a little story?

Here's how I set up my A race in 2022.

• I put it on the calendar 3 years out.
• I blocked out time to take Surfergirl on a surf trip to Mexico months prior to my A race.
• I made sure to get to every family and work event I could.

You know how you want your loved ones and friends to crush it at their thing?

They want the same for you...

... the calendar and caption above are a perfect example.

Pro tip:  check out their calendar, figure out a way to be there for them.

Bonus:  if your calendar and goals aren't freaking you out, raise your standards.  A lot.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability 

I'm in the process of dramatically upgrading the accountability club.  

The price is also going to increase.  

Those who join prior to the upgrade will be grandfathered in.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability 

 

---

164.8
8+ hrs terrible tossing and turning, too excited?
No cross training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

MY PLAN WAS TO MAKE THE RIDE HARD.  When I found the Gambler and the Hulk loading up on caffeine at the corner bakery ...

... my little heart skipped a beat.

Then 1 X Beard, Captain Smith, along with the regulars and some cat named Nico pulled up.

Hellyeah!

This was gonna give me a real read on my new favorite segment.

... how fast can we do it?

Like the young buck I'm not, I started firing.  At Jeffery and Alton, The Hulk hit it so hard, only 1 X Beard and I latched on, trying to get through the next light about a half mile away...

... so began the synchronized sprinting.

We barely missed it.

Red light!
Regroup.
Green light!

Over the freeway, 
through the first round about,
1 X Beard, Hulk and I were swinging.

Red light!
Regroup.
Green light!

Up a little hill,
through the second, faster roundabout.

The three of us are gone again.

Charging to make every light we can,
pulling through hard...

... I gotta skip a pull.

Okay.

These guys are a little bigger, and I hung on over the freeway which felt like an alp.

Rotating,
Pulling.

Red light!
The Gambler and Nico catch.
Green light!

The next climb up Tesla...

... my batteries are shot.

Hulk, 1 x Beard
gone.

Nico
in between.

Gambler,
on my wheel.

It hurts so flipping bad.
What should be a 2.3 minute power climb,
ends up being a too dang close to 3 minutes.

We catch Nico.

Quick rotations.

Somehow, the idiot who wanted to make the ride hard,
the fool who thought he was a young buck,
pulled to the next short climb.

We're closing.

All 3 of us out of the saddle.
One of us off the back.

Dadgummit!

There's a shortcut.
I scoff and chase onward.

On Church Hill
i can see 'em.

Then I see the shortcutters.

All together over the top for the long, long drop to the coast.

Captain Smith waits,
friends!

We pedal like hell.

There are lights coming up.

Synchronized sprinting?

No luck.

But, we are making the lights too...

... at the last light before the 4ish miles to Laguna, we catch.

Red light!
Regroup.
Green light!

We're in the mid-30s, rotating strong.

This is just what I had hoped for.

Captain Smith and I head South,
they head North.

Only 3 miles and 1000' to go...

... For The Burrito!

It took us 1:07.
Can we break an hour?
First person who does, the burrito is on me.

---

163.6
6.8 hrs terrible tossing and turning, too excited?
Just PushUps and PullUps and a few Squats today.
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

LAST NIGHT'S PODCAST WAS A GOOD ONE.  My scheduled guest had to bail due to emergency surgery.  Luckily I had a PRO MTB racer...

... and he had a very clear lesson.

The thing about the podcast interviews is they always bring something neither of us were thinking of to the surface.

This dude is a total stud.

• Outstanding husband and father of 3
• 2-Time winner of Leadville
• National MTB Champion
• Founder of Rouleur Development

2 things stuck in my mind, which you might relate to.

• His 20-year quest to qualify for MTB Worlds
• Obliterating a difficult PR

I knew he'd represented the US at MTB Worlds in Switzerland.  What I didn't know was that as a Junior, age 17, he was half a point away from going to Worlds...

... how heartbreaking would that be?

Someone would quit.
Many do.

At 40, he was in the best shape of his life.  One a bunch of races, got the points and fulfilled his dream to carry our flag on the world stage.

His son is now beating him, and his next quest is to hang on to his pro status so...

... they can race pro together.

In the meantime, he's taken up Hard Enduro motorcycle racing.  If you don't know what that is, it is by far the most difficult and challenging offroad racing on the planet: https://youtu.be/pD5qc9aAB4w

2 years ago, when he got into the sport, he found a terrible 1 mile climb.  It took him and a buddy 2 hours to get to the top...

... this week he did it in under 7 minutes!

Bryson, how did you do that?

Well... the same way I won Leadville and went to World's, I kept at it.

Anything else?

I entered and trained for 5 Hard Enduros.

That's it?

I also found a new group of people to ride with that taught me so much I could never learn on my own.

Sound familiar?

• Practice
• Enter hard races
• Ride with better riders

That's Bryson Perry's raceday ripping, pr crushing formula.

Here's the link to the actual podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/raceday-ready-with-todd-b

---

164.6
8.2 hrs
Just PushUps and PullUps today.
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

BECAUSE MY 10-WEEK CHALLENGE has been incredibly successful in terms of downloads and attempts and an...

... utter failure at people finishing...

... I'm going to do a 5-Day Challenge.

To get the name right, I texted 60 or so of my friends a question:

Which is more compelling: Crush Your PRs or Rip On RaceDay?

The answers were almost a 50/50 split, with a slight lean towards Rip On RaceDay.

Of those, 50% were a quick answer and 50% quite thoughtful.

Some people had a lot to say, but I think the winner was Cameron Hoffman...

... Crush your PRs is worn out.

Before you tell me what matters more to you, and I do hope you'll reply and let me know... 

... here are my thoughts.

PRs are such a good measure for our personal progress and readiness for racing.  In a world of tailwind assits, ebikes, and questionable supplement choices it can be hard to win a race or snag a KOM segment.  Only we know if it's a legit PR.

Winning is not the goal of racing for me.  Yes, I definitely like to win and place well and climb the podium.  But, if I didn't have to go all out because I registered in an unchallenging category or few if any participated it can be a truly hollow victory.

Ripping On RaceDay is the win for me.  Making a plan, working out the details and through the many challenges, arriving at the start line absolutely ready to rip and then racing hard start to finish...

... that is what compels me the most.

As I'm writing this, my former t-shirt biz partner, Damion Hickman, votes for PRs with this...

... #PRCRUSHER.

Now I'm swayed right back to Crushing PRs because that sounds so cool...

... we'll have to make that tshirt.

Maybe we gotta go Johnny Cash at this point...

... PR Crushing, RaceDay Ripping, Sunuvagun!

How about you?

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/start-a-project

One of the most fun things I do is create a custom kit for the biggest A races.  It's such a fun process.  That jersey up at the top is one I'm working on for Nationals. I added a fiery look, because I want to be on fire for that race.

Did you know we have No MInimums for custom orders, and the designs are free?

Crazy, I know...

... but, I'm crazy about helping you Rip and Crush!

Creating custom gear is the best gift you will ever give your...

... PR Crushing, RaceDay Ripping Self.

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/start-a-project

---

165.4
8 hrs
Just PushUps and PullUps today.
20 minutes recovery  
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

MY GLOVES TOLD THE ENTIRE STORY.  Once white and pristine, they were now covered with the stains of battle...

... will they ever be the same?

My shins and forearms weren't much better.  A thousand little tears received as...

... we tore through the wildly overgrown trails.

Thistles and nettles pricking and stinging.

This is real.
Physical.
Fun.

The blood and weed stains are the proof we are alive and well.  Screw the encroaching digital world...

... and its isolation and safety.

We want adventure,
and challenge,
and danger.

We need this,
it bonds us together,
strengthens our humanity.

The best part is we are fit enough to love it!

MY GLOVES TOLD THE ENTIRE STORY.  Once white and pristine, they were now covered with the stains of battle...

... will they ever be the same?

My shins and forearms weren't much better.  A thousand little tears received as...

... we tore through the wildly overgrown trails.

Thistles and nettles pricking and stinging.

This is real.
Physical.
Fun.

The blood and weed stains are the proof we are alive and well.  Screw the encroaching digital world...

... and its isolation and safety.

We want adventure,
and challenge,
and danger.

We need this,
it bonds us together,
strengthens our humanity.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/socks-and-gloves

Good thing we have a Buy One Pair Get One Pair glove offer going...

... those little stitches across the forefinger are heat sensitive so we can operate our devices with gloves on.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/socks-and-gloves

---

165.4
8 hrs
1 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

RACED THE BEATER TONIGHT.  It was rough.  According to Starva, I worked significantly harder than previous two races.  According to the race results...

... I got smoked, again.

This is going to be a fun nut to try to crack.

There are 5 more races.
5 more chances to figure out what the heck is going on.
5 more weeks to get my race bike back in racing condition.

But, I really don't think it's the bike.

The guys are all riding really well.

We had two new guys show up this week, and the Coxy, who's been beating us, skipped.

Emilio won. For those of you keeping score at home, Emilio is my pal who I desperately managed to hold off for 2nd at the state road race last month.

Look at his lap times.

That's crazy, right!...

... how did he dose his effort so perfectly?

Compare that to mine.

 Clearly, I cracked on the 2nd lap.

I passed 4th place on the first lap, then he passed me back and put a minute and half into me.  Had to cheer him on...

... he's also named Todd.

What am I gonna do between this week and next?

• Order the parts to fix the race bike, but doubt they'll get here in time.
• Try and drop some of the extra pounds I'm carrying.
• Get in one more hard ride Saturday.
• Recover, recover, recover.

Anything else?

• See what moving parts can be improved on the beater.
• Maybe throw on some new tires.

Is that it?

• I'm tempted to cut out the daily cross training for the remaining weeks.

---

165.4
8 hrs
1 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

TOMORROW IS GONNA BE INTERESTING.  I'll be doing the local race on the bike I spend the most time on...

... I consider it my beater.

Not only do I do most of my training on it,
but I loan it out when someone comes to visit,
and, I haven't done a lick of maintenance on it in months.

Why do I ride it the most?

Because it's oldish, 
identical fit to my race bike,
and ridiculously reliable day after day.

Why race it?

Well, the race bike's suspension is wonky and in need of love.

Here's the interesting thing though.

Is the ol' bike really a beater or have I just treated it like one?

In its day it was top of the top,
lots of carbon and tech,
super light.

It's lighter than my current race bike,
shifts as good as or better than the electric stuff,
and has a fork that is so plush I still giggle when it gets rough.

Ya know what I'm gonna have to do, right?

Convince myself this is fastest dern bike I own.

Which reminds me about the second chapter in my book, The Way of The Racer...

... All You Can Do.

All we can do is enough...

... not a haul pass to complain or make excuses.

---

165.4
8 hrs
1 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

WHETHER MY NEXT A RACE IS IN 6 MONTHS OR 6 YEARS, this is my maintenance mode.  It's tried and true...

... and might be good for you.

Because here's the deal.

We can't race all the time.
Can't be always on.
Gotta rest.

Here's my formula for successful maintenance:

• Know what the next A race, or could be.
• Ride hard twice a week.
• Do other stuff.

Knowing what the next A race, however far off, is a powerful motivator to maintain our good habits we practice when we really want to preform well.

We might drift off course from time to time,
but we always come back because that big challenge is out there.

Riding hard twice a week is simple enough in concept.  It can be difficult to do alone.  The best way I've found is to have a group to ride with on those big effort days.

For sure somebody in that group has an upcoming A race,
and their energy will get us to regularly push ourselves.

There are lots of other activities I enjoy that compliment riding and racing. Most of them involve family and friends, and it's great to connect more often and deeply than I might when living the A race life.

During maintenance mode the ride time often fluctuates wildly.  Long days when there's time, short days or skipping days when time is short.  Often, it's just a matter of taking a mental break that necessitates this...

... lack of a regimen.

I've gone years between A races, but I've always had something big out there...

... haunting me to stay fit and healthy.

When is your next A race/event/challenge?
Who is pushing you twice a week?
What can you add?

---

164.9
8.5 hrs
0 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

SHOULD WE BOW TO THE CLIMBING GODS on bended knee, or just admit they've broken our legs and will to ride, with ease?  Like we have a choice!...

... when it gets truly steep.

To honor the Giro, some of the pitches I battled on a stair-stepping climb today were 24%.

On a stunning 1.3 mile ascent, my pace was pathetic compared to our local pro young Kevin, who rides for DSM.

• He averaged 10.9 mph
• Me, 6.9 mph
• Him 7:34
• Me 11:54

I was well off my PR from 4 years ago, 8.9 mph and 9:14.

Which is great news.

Why?

Because today's route was beautiful and extremely satisfying in every way.

Here's the link: https://www.strava.com/activities/9065838378/segments/3092547893762368880

It had everything...

• Nice warm up
• Some spirited group riding
• 3 Epic climbs

... and the best breakfast burrito I've ever had.  Kudos to High Tide for upping their burrito game.

Now I have something to work on for the next few months.

• Dropping my times on the 3 big climbs

That's gonna be really fun to work on.

I'm not sure I'll PR any of them...

• The first one I PRd on a group ride 4 years ago.  It's fast enough to make drafting matter.
• The second one I hit after the spirited group ride portion, 2.5 hours in, and PRd 4 years ago.
• The third one... see previous 2, I did PR it today but I've only been up it 3 times as it's a recent discovery.

... I won't ever be a climbing god,
but, I'll definitely be idolizing their gifts to ascend.

---

Time to commit to the RaceDay Ready regimen.

---

165.6
7 hrs
0 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

YES, I WEIGH MYSELF DAILY.  I have for years, and I record it as well.  It's such a great way for immediate feedback on what was consumed the day before...

... however, there is a problem.

Weight isn't everything.

Yes, I need to shed all the ballast if I'm going to climb well. 

My body always changes, when I gain control of my mouth and truly live by RaceDay Ready.

But, lately my weight is up a bit.

Should I care?

Maybe.

If my body fat is up, then yes.

If it's not, or if it's lower, then probably not.

How to know the difference?

There's the simplistic Do these pants make me look fat? test.

It's simple.

I put on the skinny jeans and if there's a muffin top, we gotta problem.

If the waist is same or looser then it probably means I put on muscle.

Another home test is using a scale that measures body fat. 

Generally, they are consistently inaccurate. Meaning I don't think the percentage shown would match up with a legit pro body composition measurement, but I do think it's consistent.  While it might say 18%, like today, which I think is high, I think it will be consistently high as long as I...

• weigh myself first thing each morning
• drink about the same amount of liquid each day

... then I can use it to track progress.

Capeesh?

So, do I care I'm up a bit.

Yes, on the surface it bugs me.

That said, I am on a very long-term goal 9 years out.  My goal is to be as strong then as I am now.  To do that, I'll probably put on more muscle than I'd normally carry because of all the additional strength work I've added to my regimen.

Also,
the skinny jeans are looking good
and the arm sleeves are fitting tight.

Nothing wrong with that.

---

165.1
8 hrs
1 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

FOR ALL OUR HUBRIS OF BEING THE BEST OF THIS OR THAT, it really just comes down to our peloton...

... who we ride with matters.

We can choose the peloton,
we not the effects.

We've all been on a blistering group ride, traveling the same route we have ridden either alone or with a different group...

... and blown away our PRs.

Keep riding with the those cats and we often go from hanging on,
to regularly pulling through,
to winning the sprint.

The peloton's speed and effects aren't accidental,
riding with them is a choice.

Choose wisely.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/dirt-dad-fund-store

The picture above is from the DIRT Dad Fund.

Dads
Indoors
Riding
Trainers

These dads Zwift together all year long...

... that's their peloton to stay in shape.

20% of every purchase goes directly to the fund to help the less fortunate members of the peloton.

Click the image to check out some of their gear.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/dirt-dad-fund-store

---

164.6
8 hrs
.5 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

GOT MY LYCRA HANDED TO ME LAST NIGHT.  The  course was nearly identical to the week before, Strava says my little ol' heart was ticking harder than last week's race...

... so, like any fool, I checked to see if my brakes were rubbing!

I mean jeeeeez... my splits were slower, and I was 3 min behind the winner and 2 min behind guys I'd battled the week before.

Whattheheck happened?

The weather was perfect for racing, overcast and cool.  Same as week before.

There's a ton of data to dig through on Strava and other places...

• Freshness/Fitness
• Training time
• Effort distribution
• Weight
• Sleep
• Food
• Stress

... here goes:

Stress, I've had to decline some opportunities to give service and time lately and it was stressful to say no.

Food, I definitely cut my calories to get back to race weight last week... and skipping breakfast on raceay was a bozo nono.

Sleep, has been way off.  Getting a decent amount, but staying up too late.

Weight, I'm down 2 lbs from last week, maybe too much too fast.

Effort, last week, I went out Thursday and drilled it again then went long on Saturday.

Training time, last week was about double the hours from the week before but less than I was doing a year ago.

Fitness/Freshness, this is the biggie... and a big change from this time last year.

Monday 5/8/23 Fitness 108, Form 19
Monday 5/1/23 Fitness 108, Form 27
Monday 5/9/22 Fitness 127, Form -8

I was definitely in a better place a week ago than this week, and it showed.  

What is interesting to me is that my Fitness was quite a bit higher last year and my Form lower, but I was racing better

Let's see what happens in the coming weeks as I get back to last year's training during this series...

... hard race Tuesday,
long Zone 2 and 3 Saturday,
all the other days are Zone 1 and 2.

---

163.2
8 hrs
1 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

I HAVE A HABIT OF SETTING STUPID GOALS.  There is a big difference between stupid and audacious, but sometimes I forget...

... how about you?

It's a problem for me.

And, I blame it on the bike.

Because I have set many audacious goals over the years and accomplished them it's easy to fall into a trap by simply neglecting two key differentiators.

• Believability
• Highly desirable

Without that, the goals are just stupid at best...

... defeating at worst.

Why do I blame the bike?

To be clear, the bike has helped in both stupid and audacious goal setting.

Specific audacious examples:

• Race Baja 500
• Get kids successfully into adulthood

Not only did I believe those goals were possible, I desperately wanted to see it through.

Now, for some stupid ones:

• Double sales in 12 months
• Purchase a remote vacation cabin

These weren't goals in my soul, they were more like goals I was supposed to go for...

... because of some book I read,
or magazine article,
or guru. 

Therefore, stupid...

... and doomed to failure.

Let me be clear, there is nothing wrong with most goals.  Nor, do I think it's bad to set goals.  But, if we don't believe they are attainable and we don't really have  a burning desire...

... they are worthless, and in many cases defeating.

The filter for my goals is:

• Believability
• Highly desirable

---

162.6
7.5 hrs
0 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH MY FRIEND KENT TONIGHT, and boy was it enlightening and confirming.  He's a multi-time national champ...

... from high school right on up to the Senior Games.

Gold medals to prove it. 

Funny thing is we'd never compared training notes.

Probably because he's a world-class Volleyball Player and we didn't considered ourselves to have much in common...

... he had a 40" vertical leap, I had an okay sprint.

Anyway, we have a lot in common now.  

Not with sports, with age and how to preserve our health and be competitive.  

For reference, his team is comprised of an average age of 65, and they still compete in the 50's.

Legit.

Turns out we're doing almost the identical regimen.

• Lift weights daily
• Stretch daily
• Eat whole foods
• Stay away from bread and sugar
• Hypervolt and Hyperice

He probably stretches more than I do, and for sure he warms up more than I do...

... he's doing very explosive moves.

• Box jumps, on and off
• Playing tennis
• Running hard

Funny thing.

He got all geeked up when I told him about the sled.

You got a sled?

Yeah.

They're so expensive.

I know, but worth it for all the activation in my ankles.

Where do you do it?

Right on my street, confirms to my neighbors how weird I am.

Ok, I'm getting it.

Get this one from Freak Athlete.

I guess the moral of the story is this... 

• keep challenging yourself
• keep signing up for the races

... stay strong.

---

164.6
7 hrs
1 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
70 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

ROLLING INTO THE SECOND WEEK IN MAY and most of the SoCal racing is done or nearing done.  Road races, mostly done.  MTB races, winding down.  Gravel, kinda done...

... but there is a phenomenon.

The race series.

Some of the series are wrapping up, and some are just getting started.

One thing I've noticed, the race series seem to be doing pretty well.

• Lots of racers
• Lots of spectators.

From a business perspective, the various series going on seem to be taking a page out the the ski industries marketing book.

• Give 'em a deal
• Let 'em race a lot
• Take all their money

When that happens, there isn't a lot of energy or time or resources left to do other races.

I can see the series thing continuing to grow and the lone races continuing to shrink.

Is this a good thing?

I dunno.

Among the many positives is those who commit to do the entire series end up belonging to a community vs just doing a rando race.  I actually think this is really good.  We need to connect more, not less...

... not just the racers,
but the families and
the sponsors.

As athlete's, it's challenging to have an A series vs an A event.  

I was thinking about this while listening to the Giro commentators discussing whether or not Evenepoel came in to the first stage too hot and he'll fade in the 3rd week.  Or, will he build such a big lead it won't matter.  

We kinda get to face that challenge if it's a weekly series, not so much if we race on a monthly basis.

Either way, it's a challenge to figure how to stay fresh and still stay fast.

I like it.

Do you?

---

162.8
8 hrs
1 Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

COMMITTING TO ZONE 2 TRAINING HAS SOME LIMITATIONS AND BENEFITS.  For example, it's hard to find a training partner who's zone 2 will match up, which means...

... we have plenty of alone time.

How to use that wisely?

Personally, I use to listen to podcasts or books while spinning along.  

Not any more.

I prefer unplugged riding...

• My brain needs a rest
• Outside has many wonderful sounds
• All the better to hear any encroaching danger.

... because it reminds of the great Rocky IV training montage.

Not the wood chopping
running in snow
rock throwing.

Those scenes are epic, but for me it's what is going on inside Rocky's head.

While he's laying all the epic base strength...

... he's thinking.

How is he going to demolish Drago?

And, as the great Tony Robbins points out....

... the quality of the questions determine the quality of the answers.

Somewhere in all that crazy non-traditional and very raw prep Rocky finds his answer...

... maybe it's the scene where he chops down the giant tree?

That doesn't really matter.

What matters is what are we thinking about on these long Zone 2 rides?

---

164
7.75 hrs
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
30 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

LAST NIGHT'S GROUP RIDE WAS NUTS.  I felt amazing.  Even though I'd had a tough MTB race 48 hours prior, even though I'd lifted weights every day this week...

... the legs were magic.

I was all geeked up about it on our Accountability call.

Gushing.

Finally, after 7 months of consistently working on 2 newish moves I was feeling the results.

•  The Sled 
• The Nordic

For sure I'm a lot stronger than when I started, but I think that's only part of the story.

Permit me to go bro-science on you...

... I think it's neuromuscular.

The entire pedal stroke is engaged and firing because, again bro-science, I've activated all the muscles and tendons.

• The Sled has done wonders for my ankles and really pushing through the bottom of the pedal stroke.
• The Nordic has done the same with the engagement of the hamstrings on the back of the stroke.

Adding those to moves to the squats, box jumps, calf raises and shin raises has made a huge difference in my seated power...

... which is exactly when you'd feel it, all out and hammering on a flattish ride.

The good news, the really good news, is that nearly everyone I share this with thinks I'm an idiot.  They think it's dumb to stress those muscles.  Foolish to lift 3-5 days a week, year round, except when tapering.  A waste of an investment...

... which means I've got a long runway before anybody catches on.

Bro-science...

... gotta love it.

---

Our pals at OverTheHump floated my a coupon code to save $5 for the race plate, use promo code PEDAL23.

---

163.2
7.75 hrs
1  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

I HAD A DISTURBING CONVERSATION at the race this week.  It wasn't a troll, I get those.  It wasn't gossip, I hate those.  It was worse...

... it was resignation.

We've all been there, had our lycra handed to us one too many times and wanted to quit.

Said we'd quit.

Yet, here we are...

... still getting after it.

I did BWR and had a terrible race.

How bad?

Worst finish ever.

Hmmm...

And this is after hiring a coach and going all in.

Ok...

So, I fired the coach and I'm not going to do my other A race this year.

Yikes!

Can I buy you lunch and pick your brain?

Sure, if you drive to San Clemente and we go to Kawamata's.

So, what am I gonna tell him?

Because when I think about it, I already post all I'm doing here...

... and I've consolidated it all in the RaceDay Ready Challenge...

... and I have an accountability call that is a helluvalot more than a check in.

Should he have fired the coach?  

Maybe, maybe not.  

Hard to know.  

I think the right coach can be transformative.  At the same time, I think a lot of coaches are plugging numbers into an algorithm and regurgitating the output, and not much more. It's not necessarily their fault, it's what they are taught to do so they can make a living...

... a great coach makes a difference.

 

PS I'm not a coach. 

---

164
8 hrs
1  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

IF WE'RE LUCKY, our competitors will be just a little faster and just a little slower.  Bonus if that happens on different parts of the same course.  Because then...

... we can get on the ultimate fitness train.

Last night at OverTheHump Race #1 was just such a race.  The proof is in the following convo...

I was just trying to hang on to you and gap TR.

Ha!  I was just trying to hang on to Coxy and gap you.

We weren't the only ones.  I could see battle ensuing all over the course.  Racers very evenly matched, pushing hard and trying get away and hang on.

What happens next?

We have a week to get better, and we're all thinking where we lost a bit and where we can gain a bit.

Me, I'm thinking I can make up the 22 seconds to the guy who finished ahead of me...

• I can drop a few lbs
• Carrying the loaded saddle pack was dumb.
• So was the full, tall water bottle
• Not to mention, lifting weights in the morning
• Or, the 2 hour ride the night before
• I can probably get some better sleep
• I could flip my training schedule and be more rested
• Maybe a better warm up would help

... and everybody else is guaranteed to be having similar discussions with themselves, their partners, their coaches, etc.

We're all slicing up the results, 
looking for slivers of speed,
a little over here,
a little there.

We usually race the same course 2 weeks i a row.  I hope that happens and the weather is about the same...

... we be cool to slice enough time off for a better finish.

 

---

164.5
7 hrs
1  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

THERE A 3 EVILS WE ALL FACE.  Most of us would rather spend a few thousand on a better bicycle, hire a coach for a few hundy a month...

... than conquer the evils.

This is a fact.

In fact, it came up tonight at the races.

We were battling back and forth for quite a while.  The fun kind, bar to bar action.  My pal is extraordinarily powerful...

... he's also loaded down with too much ballast.

Dunlop's disease,
dunlopping over his bibs.

Bad for him,
good for me.

Post race went like this...

How much do you weigh?

165ish.

That's 20 lbs less than me.

That's a lot.

I've got to lose 10 lbs.

You'll be killing us all when you do.

Which brings up the 3 evils:

Sleep.  We need more.  When we get proper rest, the results are subtly better.  Enough to matter, not enough to remember to get to bed at a regular time.

Food.  We really are what we eat.  When we avoid spiking our insulin with sugary foods and drinks we feel great.  My simple rule is to eat whole foods as much as possible.

Strength.  We need to hit the weights, work the core, and stretch and massage.  The stretching and massaging is key to being able to hit the weights 3-5 days a week.

The struggle against these 3...

• Lack of sleep
• Cruddy food
• Skipping the weights

... is very real for me.

Fortunately, I've seen incredible results via RaceDay Ready.

The cost of discipline ain't money...

... but the results are pure gold.

---

165.5
7.5 hrs
1  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
70 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

WE DON'T RIDE IN A TRUCK TO THE TOP OF HALEAKALA and coast down in moon suits.  We are hard pressed to do a 2 mile ride along the board walk... 

... and you can forget the amusement parks.

After you've conquered a climb to the top of a volcano and had a seat of your lycra bibs thrill descending on the very limits of your own skill...

... everything else is boring.

BORRRRRRing,

Pay good money to be cattle prod in a long line,
have no control of velocity or trajectory?

Heck no!

We pay with sweat,
burning lungs,
blood.

Risks,
catastrophes,
hours of preparation.

Some say the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

We say the road to heaven is paved...

and steep
and rocky
and twisty
and flat
and fast
and slow
and windy
and oil
and abandoned
and rainy
and hot
and freezing
and broken
and friends
and enemies
and pot holes

... and full of adventure.

That's our jam.

It's hard
and challenging
and we wouldn't want it any other way.

---

166.5 (time to get serious)
8 hrs
2  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
80 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

I THINK WE'VE ALL HAD THE EXPERIENCE of being put in a box.  Maybe we put ourselves there, maybe it was a coach, or a friend...

... who observed we were good at X.

Usually it's backed up with our first win.

But, what if we won...

an XC race against terrible bike handlers?
a sprint against the plodding TTers?
a climb against track racers?

... was that worthy of confidence?

Maybe.

The only way to find out is so throw away the box,
try something new or different,
take a chance.

It's a no-lose proposition.

We might discover a hidden talent,
Confirm what we knew all along,
Or, pick up some new skills.

For example, a long time ago I built up a single-speed MTB.  Even though it was slower in almost every conceivable way, I actually became a better rider...

• smoother pedal stroke
• increased upper body strength

... totally worth it.

So much so, I'm thinking about building another one up.

---

165
9 hrs
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
10 minutes recovery  
20 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

AT 2PM, THE SUN'S HEAT WAS cooking the desert floor.  Not a soul to be seen.  I knew how to get back to where I'd started, had a pretty good idea of the long way to my destination...

... and hoped the short cut wouldn't kill me.

I wasn't short on time, but lately I'd been...

... short on adventure.

The fact that things could go horribly wrong was why it had to be done,
choosing the safe route felt like failure,
risk taking was irresistible.

The heat might overpower me,
my sense of direction be completely wrong,
a mechanical failure would make for a helluva hike.

I went for it.

Soon enough, whooshing through the dips and drops, my chain sounded terrible.

Why didn't I lube it?

Something had to be wrong, the sound was much worse than dry links.

I stopped.

Sweat filled the bottom of my lens as I inspected the drive train.

Of all the things!

The culprit, a loose chain catcher, was causing the grinding sound.

I grabbed my multi-tool, and went to work.

So did the horseflies!

Swiping at them only seemed to signal for their friends to join in harassing me.

The fix, in this case, was removal of the catcher as quickly as possible so I could get moving.

Rolling into the small town felt fantastic,
I'd tempted fate,
and won.

---

165ish
7.5 hrs
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
0 minutes recovery  
20 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

ANOTHER TRAIN INSANE SESSION with my littlest, and I'm smoked this time.  A bunch of bouncy girls and a few guys, jumping, boxing, lifting, squatting...

... doing all kinds of whacky moves.

61% of the workout was zone 2, a little tempo, and an average HR of 116.

But, that doesn't tell the story.

The story is I'm weak; way weaker than I thought I'd be, especially during some of the moves focused on just one area, like biceps.

Another curiosity was my imbalance on coordination.  On some of the complex moves I was clearly better at on one side vs the other.

Lastly, explosiveness.  While I struggled to get my fried legs to achieve lift off...

... they looked like Peter Pan, easily floating up and twisting down.

There's a lot to be said for serious crossfitters, which is true...

... of any athlete that specializes.

---

165ish
6 hrs
1  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
10 minutes recovery  
20 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

BECAUSE THINGS ARE CONSTANTLY GOING TO A STATE OF DISARRAY we have to train.  It's just the nature of this dimension as clarified in the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics.  As athletes,...

... we can be sharp and fit or far from it by regular training and racing. 

I was reminded of that when I looked at the heinous state of the van's once pristine vehicle wrap.

In just a few years, it went from sexy to shabby.

So I decided to do a refresh on the look and feel of things using the essence of PEDAL Industries.

This is our...

Creation Story – a friend asked me to produce a custom bag for his race team.  When I saw his concept, I took it to the next level with all the compartments and labels.  It was easy because I had such a need in my own life.  It took about 6 months to figure out all the fabrics to use, printing, cutting and sewing.  We’ve never changed our core process or partners.

Creed – We are athletes.  We train and race in order to be fit and ready for all of life’s challenges.  Each day we work to get a little better.  For us, Every Day Is RaceDay.

Icons – Our icon is the flying wolf because we are hungry like wolves to improve, and we fly like eagles on raceday.  I had created the flying wolf logo for the PEDALposse, but since that has been tabled and people love the logo, we’re going to use it a lot more.

We’ve also settled on Black, White and Yellow 1235 as our corporate colors.  The yellow of all our pocket linings is one of our distinctive features.  Next up will be manufacturing our bib pads with yellow highlights. 

Rituals – Our rituals are laid out in the RaceDay Ready 10-Week Challenge.

Sacred Words – PRs > KOMs.  Winning is nice, a bonus.  PRs are the metric that shows improvement.  In the end, we have only ourselves to conquer.

Non-Believers – The anti-athletes who mistreat their bodies.

... now to apply that to the new van graphics featured above.

---

165ish
8 HRS
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
10 minutes recovery  
75 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

THE FIRST WORDS OUT OF MY BUDDY'S MOUTH, well, they kinda hurt.  When it comes from someone else...

... it stings a little more than it should.

I gotta ask...

Ok...

How did you get second place again?!

Ouch.

Somehow it's not as funny as when I'm mocking myself.

But, some times we need salt in the wound to dig a little deeper.

Is there a common denominator?

Over the last year, 5 of 7 A races, 

• MTB XC Nationals in CO
• Leadville
• US CUP XC
• CA State Road Champs
• Sea Otter Fuego XC

... I was beat by a local or a returning ex-pro.

Is that the difference?

The first two, was a CO local who lived in Leadville for 15 years.

US CUP ex-pro who has raced the courses many more times.

CA State, local.

Sea Otter, local.

It's weird.
I know.

You got a better idea?

Yeah, they were faster and better.

---

165ish
8 HRS
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
10 minutes recovery  
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

THERE IS NOTHING MORE EXCITING than knowing the training is paying off.  That is because it's so hard to know, right?  Sometimes we doubt.   It's not like you can see...

... the construction of more mitochondria.

How do we measure the little engines that can?

Power meters tell us how much power we put out,
and that's cool.

Heart rate monitors tell us how hard our heart is working,
and that's good to know, too.

Good metrics, for sure.

We can gain confidence and swagger tracking that data.  Of course, some bad data results can also be...

... a sucker punch.

Which brings me back to knowing,
now that's powerful.

For me, there isn't a metric I trust or bank on.  Sure, I'll do some checks on the local hill or get after it on a group ride that is essentially a practice race.  Those can give me a good indication.

But, there's something better.
More powerful.

It happens after a serious 8-10 weeks of training...

Building in the base,
logging hours in the saddle,
continuing all the resistance training,
being a freakin' monk at the dinner table. 

... then I taper, and go into major recovery mode.

Ideally, if all goes according to plan, 4 days out from the A race, I'll stomp hard on the pedals for 30-90 seconds.  A few times, during an endurace pace.

The day before, I'll go out for a shorter ride, and stomp on those pedals for 10-20 seconds.

My legs, will feel nothing but magical.

Then,
the doubts vanish,
and I know for sure I'm ready...

... now, that's exciting!

---

165ish
7.8
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
10 minutes recovery  
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

THE DIGITAL WORLD is leaking into everything we do.  It's not good.  In many cases, what should be liberating us is...

... watering down the bike ride experience.

We have our own version of TLDR (too long, didn't read)

Because we can be reached any time at any place, it can be very difficult to create boundaries for work and the rest of life.

Consequently, we miss the group ride or skip a nice afternoon on two wheels...

... instead we hit the trainers.

Too long, didn't ride...

... is not acceptable.

We need sunshine.
We need connection with our people.
We need disconnection from the pressures around us.

The tools to make the time are readily available,
it takes commitment and planning,
to meet up for a ride.

... and it's totally worth it.

---

165ish
6
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
10 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

I FIRST STARTED COMING TO THE SEA OTTER CLASSIC for the road races.  Specifically, to race on the famous Laguna Seca race course.  There's nothing like diving down the corkscrew...

... tucked, at 60 mph.

Except for maybe today's XC MTB race.

We start on the same asphalt and race to the top of the same hill... then, 50-100 racers squeeze into a very hardtopass single track.

Instead of tucking to hit 60, we are flying over rock and ruts and carving turns...

... to get out of sight out of mind.

I was second through the gate, the guy in front could climb but he wasn't going nearly fast enough on that hardtail...

... as I go around his left another rider goes around his right and shuts the door on us.

He's gone, and I'm battling to get through myself.

Let me just say righ there, some people are cool and know you are being held up... 

... some aren't.

He was.

As I'm closing back up to first, I completely overshoot a blind corner and go off course into the deep grass.

The gap increases to him, decreases to the hardtail.

10 minutes in and we are already catching the group that left 5 minutes ahead of us.

The trail is about 12" wide.

The only way around is through the tall grass, which requires a lot more power.

By the time I clear the first major climb of the day, 1st place is gone.

He was just a helluvalot faster.

We still have 90ish minutes of racing, which ends with one of the most heartbreaking climbs you'll ever do.

Time to settle in and go into diesel mode.  Climbing at high threshold and descending like a demon.

Every now and then I look back.

Nobody is coming.

At mile 19ish, I'm feeling good and continually passing rider after rider from the previous when all of the sudden...

... that freakin' dude blows right by me.

I pick up the pace and hang on for a minute or so, but it's just too much.

The nightmare of cramping and battling the final 3-pitch climb is amazingly fresh in my mind.  I opt to let him go and continue on at a pace I know I can hold for the entire day.

Yet another first rider up award to add to...

... the largest collection of 2nd places in the northern hemisphere.

That's the race story,
but not the story of my time at Sea Otter.

For me, this was a unique experience.  After years blogging, and nearly a year working on my social media, and months of launching my podcast...

... some really cool things happened.

People took time to stop me, and introduce themselves and tell their stories...

... why they were there, racing.

Max studied with our son Trevor and has spent some time at the house... 

... he was there doing his first race because his friends who make a really cool truck tent need someone to represent.

I hadn't seen Derek since he was 14 or so, when I was his counselor at church...

... he was there to get a better corral time for Leadville this summer.

Steve stopped by the van looking to purchase a changing poncho...

... he was there racing with his family.

Mark, who won, had been focused on the race since October...

... looking forward to aging up to the 60s.  Any time on the podium with Francisco it's a good time.

I think this is Steve.  He introduced me to his beautiful family as the guy who inspires him to get out and ride...

... it was the first race for his boys, and family trip back to Monterrey, where they were married.

This was by far my most satisfying trip to Sea Otter...

... maybe next year the race track will be complete and we'll hit the corkscrew again.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability

My friends, old and new, all had great races.

If you're struggling to get to the next level...

... check out the club.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability

---

164ish
8
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
0 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

 

TOMORROW'S RACE STARTS ON A WIDE RACE TRACK.   We'll go straight up hill for about a mile then the course funnels down to a u-turn onto a single track... 

... to get there will be a sprint royale.

But, we can't let up because we still face 28ish more miles with 4000ish feet of elevation gain.

Just that sprint start alone would have most people bent over puking.

Looking at the course profile we will deal with 15-20 similar, punchy climbs.

The single track is treacherous enough to take a good chunk of us down.

About the same amount will experience some sort of mechanical issue.  Flat tires, broken chains, etc.

A similar percentage will battle cramps and sour stomachs.

In other words, about 25% of tomorrow's competitors will have to deal with some sort of real physical challenge.

Add in the fact that everybody wants to win, and nobody is going to make passing easy and you've got...

... the reason most people don't race.

We do because

• We're in it for the long haul.
• We've already fought to finish many races.
• We are battle hardened able to take any challenge and press on.

That is what makes us special.
Different from most people.
Resilient. 

Without a doubt learning to be resilient has helped me push through all kinds of life's challenges.

How about you?

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability

Need some help sticking to the plan?

Join the club.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability

---

164ish
8
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
10 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

 

IT'S NOT ENOUGH to get in shape for a race this summer.  We've got to think much farther out because racing is the anchor to our fitness.  If we're fit, we are fit for all of life...

... so, what's your A race at age 90?

Work backwards.

Consider the effects of our decisions some times take decades to show up.

Good,
and bad.

Since the compounding effect of training is real...

... we think of Every Day Is RaceDay.

Tomorrow's ability is dependent on today's commitment.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability

Not getting it done?

Join the club.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/raceday-ready-accountability

---

165.6
8.1
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
0 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

SO MANY FADS COME AND GO.  It's not easy to distinguish between the good and the bad.  I have a few rules of thumb to help me...

... know what is legit.

Here are my top 2 rules:

1. When it comes to food, you know it's a fad when you see ridiculous claims on food that is complete trash.

For example, I've see Red Vines packaging printed with these gems over the years...

• Fat Free
• Gluten Free

... do those ring a bell?

Or these poisons proudly on the Keto train:

• Fried chicken wings
• Pork rinds
• Pizza

2. Good advice endures.

For example, long slow distance is key going fast.

• Eddie Merckx calls it piles of miles
• Phil Mafetone preaches Zone 2
• Joe Friel base training first

In other words, if it's been around a long time and the marketers don't have their fangs clamped down ready to suck your hard earned cash...

... you're probably in good shape.

Does that mean there's nothing new?

Not at all.  
Study the literature.
Absorb the podcasts.

Just take it with a grain of sea salt. 

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready

 

---

164.8
7.5
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

ONE PERSON'S WORK is another person's pleasure.  To us, it's nothing to ride up a hill for 20 minutes, or much more.  We love it, the climbing up, being in the power zone...

... almost as much as ripping and carving down.

Here's the weird thing.  

And it came up in a conversation with a committed, hard core surfer.

For reference, most of surfing is paddling as hard as you can to get through the breakers for up to 20 minutes, then floating between sets, then jockeying for position with other surfers, then paddling as hard as you can to catch a wave, at which point you battle back out through the breakers...

... all kinds of work for very brief payoffs.

2 hours in the water,
gives no more than 2-4 minutes actually riding the waves.

So why is it that nearly every surfer I know, these very talented athletes who are used to fighting nature and man, wants an e-bike?

Because...

... it looks like work.

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready

 

---

164.6
6.2 hrs (Surfgirl's flight landed at 5am, that's love right there)
1.5  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

TONIGHT WAS FUN.  I hit a bunch of hills on my way to the group ride.  It's kinda sneaky, and maybe I shouldn't do it, but when you're frothy like that and everybody else is cold...

... it's just too darn easy to pin right away.

Besides, it's a training ride and I'm training for some MTB racing and those always go hard from the start.

I rode the first 5ish miles off the front.  
Strava estimated 300+ watts.  
HR was nipping at anaerobic.

It was about a 10 minute effort,
the final for the day,
I felt great.

The point is this.  If you're going to do polarized training...

... the hard days have got to be chain smokers.

Not kinda hard,
Not up there...

... all out
is all that counts.

I love these custom socks we made for the Chain Smoker MTB Race in Vegas next month.

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/custom-gear

If you want to make some custom socks...

... click here:  https://pedalindustries.com/pages/custom-gear

164.6
6.2 hrs (Surfgirl's flight landed at 5am, that's love right there)
1.5  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery  
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

Podcast:

 

Training:

 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

THE PROBLEM WITH LONG-TERM THINKING is that it works.  The proof is everywhere.  The challenge, clearly, is not the thinking but...

... staying on course.

Thinking is easy, doing can be hard.

So, here's how to make it fun.

• Have a massive goal for an A race - I mean completely unreasonable
• Have check-ins with ourselves or others
• Measure our progress

If it's fun, it will be easy.
If it's easy, it will get done.

1 caveat...

... the A event must be a minimum of 6 months out, ideally years out.

Here's an example.

Unreasonable: I have a goal to crack 9 hours at the Leadville 100 when I'm 70.  To the best of my knowledge it as never been done.  How's that for unreasonable?

Check-in:  I plan to do the race, and a few similar races, between now and then.

Measure:  I know where I need to be in terms of fitness, and I track those metrics daily.

The best part is the benefits that come with a true A event...

• I'll maintain maximum fitness, with the accompanying ebbs and flows of seasons.  
• I'll arrive at 70 in far better shape than if I didn't have such an outlandish goal.

As the great Socrates said:

The beginning of wisdom is defining the terms.

In other words...

... let your A event guide your fitness journey.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd

164.8
8.2 hrs Sleep
1.5  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

PIANISTS PRACTICE SCALES to get familiar with the notes and chords.  We do the same every time we ride.  In both cases, the most important result is...

... opening the pathways to reach the desired actions.

The end product is confidence and ease, and magic.

My pal Merlin is a true magician on a keyboard.  He can play anything, in any style, on anything with keys.  Last week, before a workout, he made my grandmother's old, salt-air-destroyed piano sound amazing.

Like a pro on an old and rusty bike schooling all the hotshots.

It's not the piano,
not the bike.

It's the player who has played the scales,
the rider who was logged the miles.

There is no substitute for time in the saddle when it comes to handling.  

Leaning.
Sliding.
Sprinting.
Jumping.
Braking.
Dodging.

Just riding outside improves these skills.
Honing them requires specificity.
PRs and Podiums follow.

Yesterday, my son Trevor joined me on a ride.  First time for him in years.  He raced very successfully from 2013 to end of 2014.

Dad, would you consider this riding to be technical?

Yes, a lot of bones have been broken on this trail.

Are you surprised I'm keeping up?

Slightly, but I'm astonished at your ability to talk when we climb.

My heart rate is 189!

Ha ha ha!... mine's 152.

Give me a few months.

How, how, how could that punk be so fast downhill with zero riding and keep up climbing without wheezing?

He'd done his scales.  
He still has the smoothest pedal stroke I've ever seen.  

We can't purchase the pathways, but...

... we can earn them.

---

Podcast:

 

Training:

 

---

164
8 hrs Sleep
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery 
180 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

MY FRIEND CALLED UP after a rather severe concussion and asked if I'd teach him some bike skills.  He'd been riding his bike, crashed, somehow made it to a hospital, and then spent 2 days there...

... now he wants to get back on the bike that bit him.

He shows me the scars.

Yikes!

I don't remember anything.

Nothing?

The Garmin says I was going 23mph and immediately stopped.

If we were kids we'd laugh.  He's an adult, with a career and a family.  Getting back on his bike...

... is important to him.

Let's get started.

I'm somewhat shocked at the difficulty he has getting going, just clipping in and taking the first pedal stroke.  There are two reasons:

• He hadn't really ridden much for 20+ years, prior to the crash.
• He's been on Zwift a lot (I'll get back to this).

This was going to be a challenge.

As a lifelong rider and outdoor enthusiast, it hadn't occurred to me how far most adults' abilities to balance and control their bodies when in motion could degrade. Handling a bicycle with the inherent speed, myriad obstacles would be frightening.

Could you roll off that low curb there?

It would be terrifying.

What would you do?

Here's what I did.

First we simply rode, I'd chose a desolate road with zero cars.

Keep your elbows slightly bent, your hands firm and your fingers looped around the bar.

We practiced lazy, swooping turns.

You've got to keep your outside foot down.

Things that are so automatic for me, and probably you, we don't even call them second nature.  It's just the way we do it.  Naturally.  Every time.

Keep your chin up, you need to be looking far ahead because things happen fast out here.

Our speeds were very slow as we moved into figure 8s.  Large at first, then we kept shrinking the space.

Do you feel all those muscles firing to keep you upright?

I do.

It is tiring?

It is.

That's because you are nervous and weak.  We are going to fix that by mastering riding slow.  Then, we can go fast.

Ok.

I could tell one leg was clearly being favored and more coordinated so I introduce the one-legged pedaling drill.

• Let your right foot hang
• Pedal with your left leg
• There shouldn't be a dead spot
• You should have constant power all the way around.

His pedaling was more like stabbing straight down.

That's very common, to have a dead spot like that.

How do I fix it?

Do this drill, first thing at the start of each ride on a flat street in an easy gear.  Both legs, 1 minute each side, 3 sets.

What else?

When using both legs to pedal, imagining you are simply sliding your feet back and forth can be very helpful. 

Clearly, he was having a good time.  The turns were getting better, the posture better, the confidence increasing to the point...

... we rode off the terrifying curb many times.

The most impressive thing to me was his humility and openness to doing some unconventional Miyagi-like training.

We're a long way from sprinting and railing corners or joining a big group ride, but we'll get there.  I'm sure of that.

I was so happy for him, and left him with these words.

Keep it fun and playful.  Take your kids to the school tomorrow for some hide and seek on bikes.  All that starting and stopping and tight turns will do wonders for your bike handling and confidence.

---

As for Zwift, I'm not scientist and I have zero data but I sure as heck think...

... it's a big factor in the declining handling skills of riders.

Get outside whenever possible.

Podcast:

 

Training:

 

---

164.8
7 hrs Sleep
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

I NEEDED THIS RIDE.  It had been weeks, months perhaps, since I'd experienced this kind of ride.  Some might call it selfish...

... for me it's necessary.

Like breathing.

What happened?

Before the sun rose, I took care of the basics.  Customer service, a few production issues, some a/p and a/r.

Now, it was time to ride without purpose or agenda or goals.

The ideas gushed.
Things to be improved.
New initiatives to be launched.

I pulled into a hidden spot, and enjoyed a warm drink and a soft cookie...

... a new thought.

Call your friend, he needs you and has asked you to call him several times.  Call him now.

The next hour, we caught up.  He has a real battle on his hands, the kind you never want to lose.  Having crossed the chasm he faces, I shared with him what wisdom I had gleaned on my journey.

Will it help?

That's not the point.
It was the call that mattered.

Ideas are nothing,
without action.

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready

Podcast Version

Miracles are happening.

---

165.5
7 hrs Sleep
0  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

ONE OF MY EARLIEST COLLABORATIONS I dreamt about, was with the Leadville Trail 100.  In my mind it was so obvious...

... a bag to remind us about the A race we're training for.

Heck, the RaceDay Bag™ was inspired by my second Leadville 100 when...

... I forgot my shoes!

Yep, I'm that guy.

When I saw the Leadville version of our RaceDay Bag presented as their feature product today...

... another Leadville dream had come true.

People train months, years just to finish this incredible Race Across The Sky.

• 105 miles
• 12,000+ feet of vert
• Start line at nearly 11,000'

For most of us mortals, it is the hardest thing we will ever accomplish, which is why the mayor originally accused Ken...

... Are you trying to kill people?

It takes a powerful vision to stay on track and cross that finish line...

... I'm so stoked to be part of this giant challenge.

Check it out.

https://leadville-race-series.myshopify.com/products/leadville-race-series-xl-pedal-bag

 

https://leadville-race-series.myshopify.com/products/leadville-race-series-xl-pedal-bag

---

165.9
7.5 hrs Sleep
1  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

I'VE HAD A FRIEND BUGGING ME to join me on my daily workout.  He's a lifelong athlete, but has let things slide the last few years.  So, when I set up him up on the sled...

... let's just say it wasn't sliding.

It didn't occur to me that it would be hard for him.

I slide 180lbs easily.

Last week,
Bryson did it no problem,
14 year old Myles did it no problem.

But, I shoulda known when he was winded after 50 jumping jacks...

... this was all gonna be a problem.

That's the thing about resistance training.  Done right, it takes months not days to be able to easily move things around.

I removed 80 lbs from the sled.
Too easy.

Added 40 back.
Kinda doable.

Shoulder press, I had him use the 15 pounders.
Same for squats.

That's where I started.

I could tell he was bummed when I used the 40s and the 70s on the same exercises.

It takes a while.

Let me do a few more reps.

You're doing fine.

Nobody wants to hear this, especially a proud athlete.

But hear this!

According to Dr. Peter Atilla...

... regular physical exercise trumps everything for longevity.

He winced barely doing a nordic.

Skipped the box jump.

Will my pal be back?

For sure.

And next time his neck straining pull ups and his head only push ups...

... will be heavily mocked.

Friends don't let friends be weak.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd

165.3
8.7 hrs Sleep
1  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
0 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

'ROUND THESE PARTS there are a lot of friendly drivers and cyclists.  Often when we all hit a stop sign together, the cars wave us through.  We all think this is great...

... officer Friendly felt differently.

He was ticked.

Siren wailing, 
lights flashing,
badge and gun threatening.

What the heck do y'all think you're doing.

Uh, well, the cars were stopped and waved us through.

I don't care.

Ok.

Maybe one of the cars doesn't see you and pulls out, what about that?

You're right.

You have to obey the law just like the cars.  Licenses.  All of you.

It wasn't really all of us because the yahoos who started the stopsignrunning sprinted on home...

... just the suckers remained.

Officer Friendly kept firing questions and answers and scenarios.

Big O', our man from Turkey, took command.

You're right.  Yessir.  You're definitely right.

And then he landed the real reason he stopped us...

... I've seen tow trucks run that very sign at 35 miles an hour!

This man, this officer, has seen too many casualties and he was...

... extremely upset at our stupidity.

Like all good people doing good work...

... he loves and cares for the people he serves.

Big O' connected with him on a personal level, he empathized with the many tragedies this man has seen and will see.

Y'all were lucky today, not as lucky as the motorcyclist who was just hit. I have to go.  Don't let me see you do that again!

Yessir, thank you for the warning and for caring, sir.

It is a quandary.  

We do often get intersections at the same time and drivers often do wave us through...

... better to error on the side of caution.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd

 

165.8
7.2 hrs Sleep
1  Circuit of RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery 
20 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT ANDY'S HEROIC EFFORT on Saturday.  First blocking for me, then riding in a break until it died...

... and bridging across solo to join me.

But, wait there's more!

We kinda screwed this up, 
and I don't want you to do the same thing.

Half way through lap 2, on our way to the turnaround his tire sprung a leak. 

I have a flat.

Are you tubeless?

Yeah, but it's not sealing.

Front or rear?

Front.

Because the tubeless tech is so good now, we rarely flat.  If we spring a leak, it usually seals so quickly we don't even know there is an issue.

Rather than slow a bit to see if it would seal we shoulda stayed on the gas, and pedaled hard.

We didn't slow much, but maybe it was just enough to give those jokers chasing us hope?

We'll never know the answer to that...

... but, we do know it's likely gonna seal and we should press on.

Because it was a championship race and we were only there to see if we could win it...

... neither one of us carried any darts or repair tools.

Unusual, but not unprecedented.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/on-bike-raceday-bags™/products/pedal-industries-mini-raceday-bag-2-0-isd

If it had been an epic quest kind of race, like Leadville or LoToJoa or Ironman... 

... we definitely would have had our mini bags ready to go.

They ship free.

Work great.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/on-bike-raceday-bags™/products/pedal-industries-mini-raceday-bag-2-0-isd

166.1
7 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

I USED TO NOT LIKE EASTER, or Christmas.  The idea of some kooky lie, like a jolly fat guy in the chimney or an egg-laying bunny really bugged me...

... until today. 

I finally got the connection via the Urban Dictionary.

Easter Egg: A hidden item placed in a movie, television show, or otherwise visual media for close watchers.

Close watchers.

What are we, in terms of endurance sports, if not close watchers?

We are always on the lookout for the slight improvement.  

Maybe it's in a race, or a group ride?
A YouTube video or social media?
A mentor or friend?
A book.

When we watch closely we find the Easter Eggs, the knowledge few see or take the time to ponder... 

... we can make real improvements.

What we consume matters.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd

Part of the RaceDay Ready Challenge is reading 30 minutes a day.

Not phone scrolling.

Diving deep into the great wisdom literature...

... finding our own Easter Eggs.

166.8 (no peeps for me!)
8.2 hrs Sleep
No Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

LAST NIGHT SOMETHING WIERD HAPPENED.  Usually, the evening before a targeted race I'm a little wound up. Not this time, with the State RR Champs on the line...

... and I think it made all the difference.

We had takeout, lasagna and meat balls, and pulled up Ted Lasso.

It's a terrific feel good, comedy, one of the few shows we watch together.

After one episode we cleaned up and were about to wind down.

Want to watch the next episode?

Sure, why not.

The next thing I know, I'm spread out on the couch and pounding popcorn and laughing and just having a great evening.

You know what?

What?

I don't think I care about tomorrow's race at all.

Why?

I dunno, this is just so much fun and so relaxing... I guess, I've also accomplished my big goals for the first half of the year.

Hmmm.

And... you know all the hitters are going to be there tomorrow.

You'll feel different in the morning.

Maybe.

I did, kinda.

I slept wonderfully, didn't give a thought to the race.  I was more excited that Andy, who just finished a 70.3 Ironman the previous Saturday, was coming and wanted to run PEDAL Industries colors.

For context, we haven't been on the same team for 30ish years and even then we were different categories.   He moved south, we raised our families, I got into MTB.  LIfe. 

So, there we are.  A couple of yahoo's who haven't raced a road race in CA for 4 years.

• A tri guy
• An MTBr

Unlike the explosiveness of the road, with attacks and tactics, we've been honing our endurance.

I got no top end.

Me neither.

We gotta go early.

Yeah, I'm thinking 2nd time of up the climb (we climb it 3 times).

We gotta go earlier.

Ok.

We have nothing to lose.  He is crushing triathlon, on his way to Xterra Worlds.  I'm already tickled with the year's start.

The race begins at the top of the finishing climb and promptly drops 2 miles to a 120 left hand turn...

... a big enough deal for a neutral roll out.

At the left hand turn, there is a little rise and I just stand on the pedals to get my blood going.

I look back and no one is chasing.

Ok, let's go a little further.

I already wanted to make the race hard because a who's who of local roadies had shown up and our fields 55+ and 60+ were combined with 50 or so racers...

... we both needed to get away from the climbers.

The moto comes up.

You're at 30 seconds.

Really?

I press on.

50 seconds.

At the turn around, I start counting and the moto confirms.

A minute 30.

All I could do was laugh.

Emilio told me post race, 

When you went I knew it was going to be a problem.  Nobody knows you, but I knew you could stay out there all day.

At the bottom of the climb the moto comes up.

1:50.

I can't freakin' believe it.

The climb is not terrible, 2 miles and 400', it is a power climb.  I stayed right at threshold wanting to conserve my energy and get to the turnaroud before group...

... I figured they'd catch at the top of the first lap.

Nope.

Now I've been off the front for 15 miles.

I start counting seconds and who do I see?

Andy!

He's got about 20 seconds to make up and about 40 seconds on the group.  

I hold up.

It seems eternal before he latches on.

Unbelievable... 

... something we'd always wanted to do.

We started rotating.

40 seconds.

50 seconds.

1 minute.

At the turnaround, half way through the race, 4 riders make it across...

... one of the true hitters.

Dougie.

We press on.

Doug and Jon are strong, the other two start skipping pulls.

Doug is legit.  Current National Road Champ, last year's National Crit Champ.  

Jon and I have only raced once, and he bridged across a gap and easily beat me.

I'm worried.

Can I make it to the turnaround and out to lap 3.

Yep.

As we are heading back out the valley, we are moving smoothly. We lose one of the pull skippers and I try and take the other off the back.  He's determined not to do his share. 

So, Doug and I will battle for 60+ and Jon and Andy and skipper will fight it out for 55+.

At the turnaround, with 7.5 miles to go... 

... I see Emilio, alone.

Closing.

Uh-oh.

We are good friends and know each other well.  He's a National CX Champ, and more.  Generally, he smokes me on <2 hour races and I can sometimes get him on > 4 hour races.

Then, I see the charging group about a minute back of Emilio.

We gotta go.

Keep the pace high.

We hit the climb.

Andy sets a steady, fast pace.

I feel mostly good, with a few cramp twitches in my lower legs.

Doug hits us.

We all withstand.

With a mile to go, Doug is vicious this time...

... I'm holding, then I'm not.

He's gone.

Jon and skipper are coming back to me and Andy is really fighting but losing a bit of ground.

Where is Emilio?

When I'm sure Emilio isn't going to catch us, I slow down the pace hoping the other two won't come around and Andy can catch on so I can lead him out.

We're too exhausted.

I'm 2nd in 60+
Andy's 3rd in 55+

And, that is how two old friends rolled the dice to get away and had...

... the best day of racing together, ever.

There's a saying, 

You gotta risk it
to get the biscuit.

To do that is hard, I have to detach my ego from the outcome and be willing to lose.  

Had we been caught, I'm guessing I would have been dropped on the last climb and finished way down the pack.  It wouldn't have mattered, being off the front with Andy was the best.

On our podiums.

Honored to make this podium.

Andy and ...

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™

The power of a Giant calendar, with the races that matter marked in Sharpie is demonstrably powerful.

It's been a crazy past 2 months, and I've decided to skip BWR so I can recover for Sea Otter.

Get one.

They ship free.

Just a few left.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™

----

166.5 (gained 3 lbs relaxing last night)
8.2 hrs Sleep
No Resistance Training
20 minutes recovery 
20 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 

WHAT IS IT WITH ROADIES?  I'm sure I'm the one who's wrong here, actually no I'm not, this is craziness for the State Championships tomorrow where...

... 90% of racers signed up in the last week?

This is a roadie thing!

It's partly a hangover from the good ol' days of packed calendars and packed fields...

... but, I think it's also something else.

As dumb as this sounds, as silly as this is, I think people hold off on signing up because...

• they want to see who the competition is
• surprise everybody at the last possible moment.

There is a big problem with that, which is why I try never to do be a last minute signerupper...

... it creates all kinds of stress for the promoter.

Think of that poor person.

They are usually promoting out of pure passion.  There is no money in local bike racing, so for hecksakes...

... register as soon as possible.

Help a promoter out.

Nobody is surprised that the local national and state champs, the heavy hitters and their henchracers are gonna show up...

... and everybody wants to go to an event that is well attended.

In the heyday of road racing, late 80's and early 90's, fields were packed and events sold out.

No internet promotion,
No social media,
wordofmouth,
and flyers.

Gravel races and MTB races currently sell out all the time...

... because people sign up early.

Am I wrong?

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/lotions-for-speed-comfort-and-recovery

I'll tell what would be wrong... showing up without my PR Lotion tomorrow.

Save 25% and free shipping with promo code SIGNUPEARLY

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/lotions-for-speed-comfort-and-recovery

----

163ish
8ish hrs Sleep
No Resistance Trahing
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

 THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT CAN MAKE OR BREAK a race, the chief being the bike.  Bikes don't win races, but they sure can make things a lot harder...

... or a lot easier.

As I went through my checklist, I found a few issues:

• Rear brake pad smoked
• Sealant dried out
• Battery low

It's kinda nice to have brakes that work, especially with a ripping downhill like Saturday's.  

The course should be in pretty good shape, but that doesn't mean a small wire or piece of glass couldn't be a day-ender without sealant.

And c'mon...

... ya can't ride these modern bikes without good batteries.

And, I'm not just talking about the derailleur batteries.  Many of the shifters have their own small batteries.

I have made the mistake of not checking the shifter batteries.

Heck, I didn't even know about them until the start of the Filthy 50 a couple of years ago.  I didn't warm up, just saddled up and headed to the start.

Typically MTB XC start... everybody pinned to get to the single track first...

... I got there last.

Shifter was dead, I was spun out and then spit out.

15 minutes later, with some help from the mechanic on site, I was back at it.

Which is exactly why I came up with the RaceDay Bike Checklist, and made it into a sticker.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready™-checklist-stickers

For about a year now we've been shipping the stickers out with each RaceDay Bag purchase.  They're great for tool boxes and benches.

Here's a link to check 'em out: 

https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready™-checklist-stickers

----

163ish
7ish hrs Sleep
Just PushUps and PullUps today
20 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 4 YEARS OUR STATE ROAD RACE is back on the calendar.  This Saturday we'll get after it, so I thought I'd do...

... some light research.

To be honest, I was hoping the last time was in 2018.

5 years ago I was 10 pounds heavier, the low 170's is where I'd been for years...

... during 2018 is when I started cracking the code.

Turns out I'm right about where I was the last time I did this race, low 160's.

Is anything else different?
Is there any other reason to hope for a better outcome?

Yes,
and No.

I'm not as battle hardened for road racing as I was back then.  We would hit the road hard every Tuesday and Saturday in prep.  Plus, I'd competed in other road events.  

Road tactics and strategy don't worry me, too much.  Knowing who's who doesn't either.

Maybe those should be concerns?

While I'm tipping the scale about the same, I'm a lot stronger from doing the RaceDay Ready Challenge.  

While my top end and explosiveness (what little I have) is down some, MTB racing has increased my ability to ride at Threshold for a long time.

While I don't have Coach Brian McCulloch helping me hatch a plan... 

... last time it was to wait for the sprint...

... I have hatched a pretty good plan.

Saturday we'll be mixed in with the next age group down and the age group above, about 40-50 racers.  That will make it interesting because few will know exactly which category the others are in.  

There are a few racers I've marked, hopefully I have it right...

... and nobody cares about lil' ol' TB.

But, you don't care about that.

You want to know how I lost the 10 and kept it off for 5 years.  

I was thinking about that this morning as I made Kodiak Cakes.  
28 grams of protein in 3 pancakes.

Upping my protein and reducing my carbs was, is, will continue to be, a key piece of Ripping On RaceDay.

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready

----

162ish
8isk hrs Sleep
Just PushUps and PullUps today
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries 

I LOVE CARBS, YOU LOVE CARBS, WE ALL LOVE CARBS.  As athletes we pick and choose when to indulge and more importantly...

... when to use carbs for performance.

So, I had a chat with my bro Brad Keyes, founder of CarboRocket, who might just be...

... the best bro scientist I know!

• Legit racer
• Product that solved his problem

A few samples from the podcast:

What is the origin story of CarboRocket?

I used to throw up after all my races, so I make something that worked for me.  Gave it to a few friends.  Got an order from a bike shop. Mixed the first batch in my basement.

What is your background?

I have a degree in Native American Studies, I also have a lot of friends who are top notch nutritionists and scientists.

Have you always been an entrepreneur?

Not at all.  I was in the mortgage industry for 20 years.

How did you come up with your breakthrough product, Half Evil... you were way ahead of the establishment with 333 calories per bottle?

Do you own your own manufacturing?

What's the magic formula for calories per hour?

What are the advantages of beet juice for pre-race nutrition?

What about beet juice during a race?

What are you thoughts on post race or hard training nutrition?

Should we be drinking a gallon of water a day?

Why does Half Evil have glucose and fructose?

Why do we cramp and what can we do about it?

Does alcohol affect performance?

Are you faster on a singlespeed or a geared bike at Leadville?

Catch the full-interview here on the podcast,
or here on YouTube.

https://carborocket.com

If you want to try CarboRocket... Brad gave us a killer promo code to save 25%.  

The code is:  RDR

 

https://carborocket.com

----

164ish
7.5 hrs Sleep
1 Strength training
20 minutes recovery 
80 minutes reading + Journaling 

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

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries