Todd's Blog

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Todd’s Journal

Strava Widgets Styling

Get RaceDay Ready

RACELAX

SOMETIMES PRE-RIDING the course can get a little too real. I'm just gonna say right now, the following is not...

... for those in denial.

Of the way things are.

On raceday.

'Cause this morning, YoungScott and I met up to pre-ride the biggest climb on our upcoming 'A' race.

We jump in the PEDALvan and head through town to the mountains.

It's his first time to Leadville and he's excited.

I've been here a bunch and I'm excited for him,
and to show him the secrets.

Then it hits me,
just like on raceday.

Kid, we gotta make a pit stop.

I pull in to CircleK to take care of business...

... the ragged creatures of the night are lined up to use the can.

Now, it's like waiting outside the portapotties on raceday.

We bounce to the next gas station...

... just in time.

Now, I'm not saying we need to practice station hopping on raceday, but I am saying...

... it pays to practice on those early morning rides where the group isn't gonna wait.

Get up early...

to do what we gotta do
before we reallyreally gotta do
and there ain't time or place go git 'er done

... on raceday.

===

164.6ish lbs
7.5ish hours sleep
5500 anti-oxidant level
Upper Body: 50 push ups, 0 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
Lower Body: 0 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
176/207/-31 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

TAPERING

WHEN AND HOW TO TAPER can be a mystery for the new and experienced. Over time we can get better at knowing out bodies. But...

... doing it right isn't just a physical thing.

IMHO

I like to look at...

mind
body
soul

... three areas.

What I'm aiming to do when I taper is to bring each of these areas back up to full strength.

Because let's face it...

... two weeks out from the 'A' race we're feeling pretty taxed.

Of course, I'm going to cut back on the volume.

The week before the week before, my volume is usually around two thirds of my biggest week.

And the week of the event, I drop it down another third.

If 18 hours is the biggest week,
then 12ish hours,
and 6ish.

While the volume drops,
it's much more polarized.

Super easy,
or very short spikey efforts.

For the mind,
the goal is to have all of work squared away by Wednesday the week of the event, and major projects off the table the week before the week before.

For the soul,
it's really about resting, getting enough sleep, unplugging from all the nonesense of the world at large.

That's the intention...

... to feel really fast and fresh and confident.

Usually, I'm able to arrange things so most of that happens.

And, if it doesn't, well...

... it's just a bike race.

===

164.6ishlbs
8ish hours sleep
610 anti-oxidant level
Upper Body: 0 push ups, 0 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
Lower Body: 0 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
171/185/-13 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

POSITIONING

WE PAY THOUSANDS for just the right equipment, yet often skimp on getting the position perfected. Because...

... it's an extra cost and takes time.

We aren't sure it's worth it.

The thingaboutitis...

... get it right and the results make everything mo' bettah.

Lemme share two stories with ya.

One bike.

One biz.

My recently eversoslightly adjust cleat position quest was worth all the effort and extra travel...

... I haven't seen my legs register 50/50 balance on output.

Ever.

Always slight off.

And, I could tell...

more efficient
more comfort
more confidence

... at the end of a ride.

Businesses spend a lot of time, effort and money to position themselves in the market place.

So, today, when I realized I was basically out of my favorite chain wax from Ceramic Speed...

... I got online to order more.

Out of stock everywhere.

But, I'm in Park City UT and I know...

a legit pro shop
always high end, drool worthy bikes
and super excellent service department

... a Contender Bikes shop here.

Knowing it was a long shot, but not, because of who they are, I called up.

You got Ceramic Speed UFO All Conditions?

Yep, 3 bottles.

See you soon.

That's called brand positioning.

===

164.6 lbs
8ish hours sleep
490ish anti-oxidant level
Upper Body: 50 push ups, 0 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
Lower Body: 0 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
173/191/-19 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

IF I HAD TO GUESS

FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS, all our very specific preparation for the demands of the racecourse might be for naught. The race will go on…

… just not as we’d planned.

Adjusted.

Usually because of…

· Weather

· Social strife

· Permitting issues

… safety concerns.

I’m looking at just that for my ‘A’ race in Leadville.

Part of the course burned down.

They tried an alternate route, more…

· singletrack

· climbing

· rocks

… during the stage race.

Logistically those stages probably won’t piece together cleanly.

They’ll have to come up with something unique for the hundred.

If I had to guess…

…the mileage will be a little less,
and the time a little longer.

No matter how they put the course together…

… we’re all gonna PR.

Which is perfect because PRs are better than podiums.

===

163 lbs 12.5%
6ish hours sleep
490ish anti-oxidant level
not today Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
not today Lower Body: 10 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
178/182/-16 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

DOWN 6 LBS + A HACK

RACING AT ALTITUDE has challenges all on it's own. Besides the obvious, the weather can be extremely unpredictable. There really is...

... no substitute for just being up there.

I've tried 'em all.

Altitude tent,
√.

Sauna or smokin' hot baths,
√.

Riding when it's a million degrees,
√.

That last one, I did today.

Laid out a pretty challenging route to simulate the 'A' race...

80 miles
8000' of vert
90º w/high humidity

... and boy, was I suffering in that heat.

Context please.

Okay...

I rolled out weighing 163.6
Drank 6 bottles + a popsicle
Got home, ate a ton of frozen acai + 20 ounces Liquid IV + 16 ounces chocolate milk

... then, got on the scale en route to shower.

157.8!

Was it good altitude training?

Well, it was hot.

More importantly, I was forced to push through when I just wanted to quit.

HR high,
Watts low.

Was it a good readiness test?

Yes, I think so...

100'/mile elevation gain
Blistering heat
13 mph ave.

... exactly the speed I need to turn in two weeks.

Time to recover and taper.

Oh, about that hack.

The pic above is a 3-gallon container...

frozen Sambazon acai
100 servings
$161

... Walmart.com ships it with dry ice.

Couldn't wait to get home and start scooping to my hearts content today and cool my core while getting in carbs.

===

163.6 lbs 12.5%
7ish hours sleep
490 anti-oxidant level
not today Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
not today Lower Body: 10 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
181/251/-70 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

SCREEN MANAGEMENT

STARING AT GLASS all can be a fools errand. We think we're productive only to find out we're just busy. And...

... it can leak over to our training.

We think we're fast,
only to find out we're just fit.

Some context for ya.

While I was killing time waiting two hours to see my bike fitter (look, LA traffic on a Friday is a bear - better to drive up early for a 4pm appt)...

... I popped into a local coffer shop,
busted out my laptop.

The keyboard cowboy quickly slipped into flow and got a whole bunch of endo the week clean up done.

It occurred to me...

... I think I'm more focused with a single, small screen vs the 3 display set up in the office.

And if that's the case...

... how does that transfer to the growing screens on our machines?

Back in the day...

Avocet - time, miles speed
Cateye - same but cooler
Polar - same with HR

... ittybitty screens, which weighed nothing.

Here's the dill.

While increased computer size and weight ain't nothing...

... the cognitive load might weigh us down.

Or, worse...

... keep us focused on all the wrong things.

Thinking we're making headway...

... vs just gettin' after it.

Maybe that's why, as I've shared before, races under an hour...

XC
CX
Crit

... I prefer to just put the little beggar in my jersey pocket.

And rip.

===

164 lbs 12.5%
7.5ish hours sleep
710ish anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 10 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
1681/135/25 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

THE OVERNIGHT SUCCESS

WE'VE ALL HEARD OF THE OVERNIGHT SUCCESS. In fact, we've probably seen more than a few and wondered...

... how they did that?

Might have even been us people are wondering about.

Well, here's the dill...

... nobody understands the overnight success like the athlete who navigated the dark hours.

The...

predawn workouts
post kids-to-bed gym
back at the desktop because we hit the blacktop during the day

... efforts nobody sees.

I was thinking about that today because we've had some remarkable breakthroughs this month.

From cracking accounts that took years to get to setting up collaborations with brands who previously turned us down.

It's exciting stuff, and a reminder the overnight success...

.. is just an athlete or human or business who persisted.

Even when they didn't want to,
when it looked hopeless,
exhaustion a constant.

Or, as the great Dylan Thomas wrote....

Do not go gentle into that good night...
... Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

===

164 lbs 12.5%
8ish hours sleep
650ish anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 10 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
168/155/9 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

BREAKING UP THE VISUAL FIELD

AT SOME 'A' RACES the field is comprised of 1000s of competitors, and if we want to make things super easy for our support team it's helpful to have a kit that...

... breaks up the visual field.

Like caution tape.

I learned this design cue way back when I was doing some work with Intense Cycles.

Their found Jeff Steber had a background in graphic design, and shared why he liked to include a caution tape-like look on some of the bikes and jerseys.

It stands out.

Getting ready for Leadville this year, I thought I'd do a twist on the jail break kit from '22 and go with stripes on the sleeves and socks.

It should stand out, and help the crew see me.

To see them, I've designed some fancy flags...

black background
yellow text
12' tall

... which should stand out among the chaos at the feedzones.

I learned the yellow on black trick back when I was running check cashing stores.

What a life!

===

164.6 lbs 12.5%
8ish hours sleep
650ish anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 30 push ups, 6 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 30 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
168/174/-7 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

DRIVING ME CRAZY

ONE OF THE TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES of an A race is not getting there. We've mastered all forms of travel...

... or have we?

I bring this up because even though the Stravathenian's app said my form was 26, a super high value indicating...

... big rested, look out world I'm gonna uncork one.

My legs were trash this Tuesday morning.

It actually started last Wednesday, on the drive to Show Low.

10 hours behind the wheel, while Surfergirl rode shot gun or slept in the back.

They felt like trash most of the long weekend.

Driving home Sunday,
same result.

Or worse.

But Diesel, just get out and walk around.

I hear you.

And that kinda helps...

... except it was well north of 105º.

Blazing.

All I wanted to do was be hauling gas across the desert.

Which brings up a very salient point...

air
sea
land

... travel can suck the life outtuv us.

Whenever possible, we need to buffer the big day with some big recuvry.

As I look forward to my trek to Colorado, and anticipate the same rotten sensations...

... I'm askin' How soon should I leave?

===

I should also point out...

hitting the bano
food intake
sleep

... travel can mess with all kinds of our "regular" inputs and outputs.

Plan accordingly.

===

165.2 lbs 12.7%
7ish hours sleep
650ish anti-oxidant level
not today Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
not today Lower Body: 15 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
169/181/-13 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

SHIFTING UP UP OR COPING DOWN?

GET CLOSE ENOUGH THE 'A' RACE and sooner or later we've got to make a choice. Whether we've publicly declared our intentions or not doesn't matter as much...

... as what we tell ourselves.

And, others.

Before ...

on the start line
after the finish line
and all points in between

... and after.

I was thinking about this because...

things are not going perfect for my prep
life is extra superduper busy
the race course changes

... and it would be easy to start lining up the excuses.

Cope.

Maybe cancel going altogether.

This pretty much happens to all racers.

But not us.

We stay focused on what we committed to...

... we shift up.

===

165ish lbs 12.7%
7ish hours sleep
700ish anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 15 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
161/135/26 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

GRATITUDE

AFTER THE 'A' EVENT, regardless of the outcome, the most important thing we can do is...

... deconstruct what could have gone better.

Or, so we're told.

Heck, I've shared those exact words in the context of selling...

... every great sales professional reviews the process to better prepare for the next sale.

So, yeah, that would be the obvious thing with racing.

As well as reinforcing what did actually work.

After pulling off the family reunion for the last 4 days...

... I def had a list of things I wish we'd done better.

Then I tucked it away.

Because just like at the end of the race,
when we cross the finish...

our health and abilities
the competitors who challenged us
the promoters who risk blood and treasure

... aren't we just darn grateful we were in on the action?

===

165ish lbs 12.7%
7ish hours sleep
700ish anti-oxidant level
not today Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
no today Lower Body: 15 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
164/148/16 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

PREAPARING TOGETHER

ONE OF THE MORE FUN THINGS we can participate in is preparing for the A race together. From the cold morning meetups, to the long chats about…

… how it’s all going to go down.

This time.

I was thinking about that today because I’d massively discounted Surfgirl’s insistence that we not only cook all the meals at the big family reunion…

… but, we’d bring all the food for 40ish people for 3 days.

The van groaned whole way.

Our son pointed out…

… Dad you don’t care about food, you eat sardines and beans from a can.

He had a point.

Which is not the point.

The point is what I witnessed the last 3 days…

· slicing
· cutting
· cooking

… preparing anything together is a socially beautiful and bonding thing.

Which is why we love getting into the nitty-gritty of race prep…

· training
· geeking out on equipment
· hashing out all the logistics and travel

… almost as much as racing.

Sometimes, all times?, even more than pinning on the number and towing the line.

===

165ish lbs 12.7%
7ish hours sleep
700ish anti-oxidant level
not today Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
no today Lower Body: 15 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
168/171/-3 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

THE CAVE

THE ANALOGIES we come up as endurance athletes can be so disconnected from reality because, if we're being totally honest...

... it's hard to explain to the uninitiated.

Let alone those closest to us.

They're things only we understand, and as soon as we hear it, we're like...

... Yeah, totally!

I thought about this today as we dropped into one our weirder family traditions...

from 5 on up to 78
wiggling into the openilng
crouch crawling the first 30' in pitch black

... slithering down into Harris Cave.

Once we're far enough in, the lava tube opens up into a cavern, then...

... pinches down again for another cramped effort.

Before opening up to yet another cavern where we can stand and feel slightly less threatened by claustrophobia and...

... whatever might be lurking down there to get us, should our lights fail.

Which is analogous to ...

forcing ourselves in
adjusting and relaxing in the darkness
before doing it all again to find out how far we can go

... the pain cave we all love and loathe.

===

165ish lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
700ish anti-oxidant level
not today Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
no today Lower Body: 15 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
169/171/-11 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

LIFE IS PRECIOUS

TAKING RISKS these days ain’t what it used to be. Most of us live close to civilization. If we were to take a tumble, emergency medical services…

… would be helping us, whisking us a away.

Within minutes.

I thought about that, plummeting down a lonely dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

Life and death.

About 90 years ago, my relatives were working a sawmill they’d built (see pic).

A young cousin was manning a large log,
the timber bucked,
catching him.

His leg was gashed.

The others gathered to try and help…

· 50 miles to town
· horrendous dirt roads
· no communications, no helicopters

… but there was nothing they could do.

He was dead in minutes.

Prior to stopping at the sawmill site,
I gotta ping on my cell phone.

Service is spotty at best out here.

Our daughter had gone into labor,
they’d easily made it to the nearby hospital,
doctors and nurses and all the supplies were ready.

===

Update: mother and baby are happy and healthy!

===

165ish lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
700ish anti-oxidant level
not today Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
no today Lower Body: 15 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
167/168/-2 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

THE DIFFERENCE

KNOWING THE ORIGIN of things can be empowering if we can tie it into who we are and how we operate. But, in today's connected world...

... it's easy to operate unconsciously.

Asleep.

Which is why I've sold my rather large extended family on the virtues of trekking...

no cell service
rustic cabins
tents

... out to the homestead.

Land my great great grandpappy lived on for 3 years to secure the title...

where my grampa rode out the Spanish flu epidemic
where my dad spend his summers cowboying
where I spent a few days every other year

... over 100 years ago.

Some of the distant cousins still ranch,
most of us are city slickers.

Soft.

Unacquainted with the land.

How it...

feels
smells
sounds

... when we're living unplugged.

You know what I'm getting at right?

The feeling we have when rolling with a group,
talking and sharing...

... because plugging in would distract from the experience.

Living.

===

164.4 lbs 12.7%
7ish hours sleep
700 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 50 push ups, 0 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 0 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
171/193/-23 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

LOOKING BACK AT TRANSFORMATIONAL

[as I prep for my A race, I thought I'd look back how I felt the last time I did it, in 2022]

IT'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY, but it might be for you. I came across this concept a bunch of times over the years. It never really sunk in until I heard it stated like this...

... I increased my volume a lot.

Yeah, we've all heard that. However, what followed hit deeply into my thought process and ultimately my training...

... It has been transformational.

Who doesn't want to transform their training?

Let me pause right here.

It might not work for you. The main reason is the timing of life just isn't right. For me, it's working...

... because I now have the time.

When I had less time, and less focus, a big week for me was about 12 hours...

... an average week, about 8.

These days, in fact this year, my biggest week ever has been 20 hours...

... the last four build weeks have averaged nearly 15, and 12 the rest of the year.

That's nowhere the 20-30 hours most pros put in. In fact, it's a challenge during this build session before Leadville. Frankly, I'm happy in the 12 range. Plenty fit...

... by making my average week equal my formally biggest week.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/the-way-of-the-r-a-c-e-r

In the end, it's about doing all you can do...

... a topic I cover in the 2nd chapter of my book.

Which is free, just cover the shipping and handling.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/the-way-of-the-r-a-c-e-r

===

164.4 lbs 12.7%
7ish hours sleep
700 anti-oxidant level
not today Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
no today Lower Body: 15 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
175/223/-49 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

BAKING CAKES

HOW DO WE KNOW it's time to bring the high volume phase to an end, when preparing for the A race of the year? It's a lot like baking a cake...

... at some point we gotta put it the oven.

And, wait.

If we stretch out the build phase too long,
we run the very real possibility of over cookin' it...

... winding up burnt.

Crispy.

If we stop too far out from the A race,
well, then our training ingredients...

... might never rise.

Leaving us flat.

I'm sure there's some real science we could tap into,
or the wise voice of a trusted coach.

Barring those options, I lean toward...

feeling exhausted
not wanting to get outside
residual, never-receding muskul pain

... as my top indicators.

I'm officially there.

Couldn't come at a better time.

I'll be spending an extended weekend...

mainly talking
hanging out
relaxing

... at the family reunion.

Oh, that cake analogy...

... now is the time to give the training into deliciousness.

===

166.4 lbs 12.7%
7.5ish hours sleep
750 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 15 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
170/201/-32 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO BE STRONG

THE TOUR DE FRANCE took a big tumble today. Jonas, running in 2nd place, a previous winner and excellent bike handler failed to navigate a very tricky turn...

... and broke his clavicle.

Sucks.

Before the news hit, enlightening us all to one potential factor in causing him to go down...

... I was already thinking about why some crashes happen.

More importantly, why some hit the deck and shatter, while others...

... pop back up and keep racing.

My thoughts were self-centered of course.

The effort to do hundreds of...

pushups
pullups
squats

... building up my body's ability to handle what is thrown at me, late into a ride or race?

It feels like it is,
as I feel in complete control 5 hours into a stout offroad ride.

At the same time,
am I putting body in a state where it is more likely to bend vs break?

These thoughts were going through my head as the skin and bones Jonas was clearly in massive pain.

Then, I heard the unthinkable.

After traveling hundreds of kilometers from yesterday's race to today's,
arriving very late in the evening...

... he was awakened for a drug test at 2am.

No matter what we are doing to keep our bodies in top shape to handle the demands of racing...

... missing sleep when we are already exhausted is a formula for disaster.

===

164.4 lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
730 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 100 push ups, 20 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 100 ATG air squats and 24 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
174/228/-55 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

WHY, IT'S ROUTINE

IN THE QUEST TO SQUEEZE IT ALL IN, we learn to develop and rely on routines. Do something consistently, and it becomes rote. Boring in the sense that...

... we don't have to think about it.

Saving us all kinds of mental energy, as well.

Here are a few examples that made today's ride, much better.

20 minutes into my 2 hour sprint to meet Smiley, I felt my rear tire losing a ton of air...

added air with CO2
noticed a leak
plugged it

... took less than 60 seconds to diagnose and repair.

Thought I'd better text him to confirm my ETA, and noticed I'd left my phone at home.

Doh!

But, I have a reputation for being on time and it's routine for me not to wait, so...

I pressed on
arrived at Cook's at 9
didn't see him there, waited 2 minutes at the trailhead

... and we blasted the climb together.

Mostly together,
he always starts out hotter than me,
becoming my top rabbit to chase and pace.

When I rolled up to the general store for my Saturday fix, 4.5 hours into the ride, parched and empty, without my phone to pay...

popcicle
Mexican Coke

... I didn't have to beg, because they know my m.o. and that I'm good for it.

And, that's just a smidge of routine evidence for operational mastery.

Carry on.

Oh, and in case your wondering...

a mini tool
2 CO2s + 1 nozzle
Dynaplug RacerPro (4 plugs)

... what's in my mini raceday bag.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedal-industries-mini-raceday-bag-2-0-isd

===

166 lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
none today Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none todayLower Body: 10 ATG air squats and 24 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
178/263/-86 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

PRUNE, FOCUS, EXECUTE

HOW WE ARRIVED AT OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF COMPETENCY is a matter of choice. And, that's the challenge. In a world where we can do anything...

... it's easy to reach the end of the day having done nothing.

We know better.

Starting with pruning the options...

uplifting
challenging
beneficial to others

... leaving only the good stuff.

Then, we focus...

attracting
believing
feeling

... with the blinders on, seeing only our end goal.

Executing daily...

... continuously improving.

Very nice you say,
but make it practical.

Ok.

Here's an example.

I really enjoy racing and riding my XC mountain bike.

Knowing that, I've built up a race-ready rig...

... and taken it to the next level.

Most recently, that meant rebuilding the suspension...

removing the Brain
replacing a bunch of parts
and all new lubes and fluids

... which now is supremely supple and plush, fork and shock.

When we are unwilling to prune, focus and execute...

... we are in our comfort zone.

The case there would be comfort with absolute crap vs...

... demanding the best performance we can aquire.

Got it?

===

165lbs 12.7%
7ish hours sleep
610 anti-oxidant level
none today Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none todayLower Body: 10 ATG air squats and 24 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
161/169/-9 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

IT'S NOT BRAIN SURGERY?

AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, the set up of our equipment is highly personal. The reason is simple, we are putting in a massive amount of time. And, the minutest adjustment...

... can muck it all up.

A lot.

Leading to anything from a niggle to a...

... Screw it, I'm done with this sport.

So it was with great care that a swapped out my cleats today.

They weren't completely warn out, but they were a little sloppy and replacing them now vs a week before my A race seemed prudent.

I scrubbed up...

pictures had been taken of the current position
the area around the cleats taped off
tools and lube lay at the ready

... put on my operating apron.

The procedure went as expected,
no complication.

The patient was warned to take it easy the next few days,
and expect to feel some initial discomfort.

Physical therapy, in the form of bringing a torque wrench on the next few rides, was presribed.

Like the idiot I am, I promptly headed out for 90 minutes and a fair amount of climbing...

... stopping for many adjustments.

Got close to the old position,
gonna take a few more rides to reach nirvana.

PS... if this seems dramatic, or overkill, blame my dad burning this lesson into my young impressionable mind. his first lawyering job was as a malpractice attorney and the first case was defending a doctor who cut off the wrong leg.

===

163.6 lbs 12.7%
7ish hours sleep
6800 anti-oxidant level
√ today Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 10 ATG air squats and 24 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
164/192/-28 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

I SCREAM

DURING THE LARGEST BUILD PHASE, the miles and hours are waywayway bigger than our norm. It can be daunting, overwhelming...

... we need a reward.

Beyond kudos.

Something to see us through.

Which is exactly what I was thinking today,
halfway through what will like be my biggest week of the year.

Building for Leadville.

The route would be much longer than my usual Dirty Wednesday...

... and it hit my like a icy bolt from the Silver Surfer.

If I stayed on the pedals,
I'd have time to stop by the General Store.

A hundred year old building I usually only visit on Saturdays.

The point being...

... the always have the best selection of Mexican popsicles.

I was flooded with a memory of my dad, and his favorite saying...

... I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream.

And that was all I needed to get me through the summer heat.

Today.

What will it be tomorrow?

165.4 lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
730 anti-oxidant level
√ today Upper Body: 110 push ups, 22 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 110 ATG air squats and 24 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
167/217/-50 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

THIS IS 'A' SUPER COOL CAT

MOST OF US DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY of the famous group rides. I'm not talking about the one 5 locals started a couple of months back...

... I'm talkin' the legendary loops.

And, their morphing iterations over the years.

I was reminded of how our heralded TMWC...

... took it to the next level by adding some extra credit.

Called the A loop.

About 10 years ago, Super Dave Koesel made a great suggestion.

We should add on to the ride.

Why?

So we have something to do vs waiting for the guys at the regroup.

It took us a few iterations,
carving our way through a neighborhood,
adding on two punchysprinty climbs.

Finally, we had it perfected,
arriving just in time to meet the crew...

... and keep rolling full gas.

Plus, since we had just started cracking the hour on the original TMWC, back then...

... now we had an updated hour goal.

We've hit it on the A loop multiple times,
even got closer than we've been lately today, 1:02:54 (for me)...

... could it be because Super Dave was back in town, after years of being gone?

===

ICYMI... Super Dave is an aero genius... Remember when 3T came out with their aero gravel bike, years before that was a thing?... yeah, that was Dave's project.

Here's a link to his current company... look to see top secret versions of these bikes at the Olympics.

https://strommcycles.com/

===

167 lbs 12.7% (I keep telling myself I'm 10lbs over goal because of all the strength work, but we all know it's because
7ish hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
none today Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 10 ATG air squats and 10 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
166/216/-50 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

THAT SONG!

WE AIN'T SERIOUS if we don't have a our own battle song. The one we can count on when...

... well, all the time.

Could be a playlist.

Mine, current fave for firing up...

... Born To Run, Frankie Goes To Hollywood version

On repeat.

Now Chuck shared a forgotten gem with me for raceday...

... Kickstart My Heart, by Motley Crew.

Surfergirl on vacation...

... Don't Disturb This Grove, by The System

To get pumped for motos in the desert the kids loved...

... Animals, by Nickleback

When I head off to the pearly gates, my beatbox will be humming...

... Low Rider, by War.

What's yours?

===

166.4 lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
5900 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 100 push ups, 20 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 20 ATG air squats and 10 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
159/181/-22 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

IS IT THE EFFORT THAT COUNTS?

WHEN TRAINING FOR THE 'A' RACE, if we're really all in, it's imperative that we prepare by doing the work demanded by the course. That means we have to nail the pace...

... we can sustain.

Or do we?

Lemme splainit.

Say, I'm training for a punchy event with lots of power climbs...

... short 1-5 minutes, repeating.

I could do intervals at a specified power output...

... or I could go for the burn I know I can barely handle for 1-5 minutes.

Or, take my upcoming Leadville MTB race, I know the pace I need to sustain to meet my goal finishing time.

Training the effort required...

... is part art and part science.

The science might say we need to put out an average of X watts...

getting over a steep, short pitch
hustling to catch a group
tucking a long downhill

... the art is knowing when to go above or below the power needed.

Being intimately aware of the effort > callous commitment to pace.

===

165 lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
640 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 100 push ups, 20 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 100 ATG air squats and 10 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
163/209/-46 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

THIS IS POLARZING

THE DEBATE RAGES ON, whether or not polarized training is valuable for the unwashed or is it just for the uber elites putting in bigbig hours. To really get a grasp on the argument...

... let's look at from other perspectives.

Take marketing.

In marketing, we tout what makes us special, unique, desirable...

... while pointing out the enemies of our awesomeness.

For example, when it comes to bags I might communicate dome bags with everything piled inside are just complete trash and chaos...

... where as our RaceDay bags make raceday smooth, easy and successful.

In politics, the party we align with makes the others out to be stupid, incompetent and evil...

... where our party is full of benevolent geniuses.

It's the same with...

religion
sports teams
abortion, climate change, guns, borders, etc

... topics never to be brought up at Thanksgiving dinner.

What does this have to do with training and us?

I'm just trying to set the stage....

too much time in tempo
not enough aggregate training
inadequate or non-existent recovery

... polarized training has enemies, too.

I was thinking about that today,
because I had a great day with the fellas.

Here's how I set it up...

Monday Z1
Tuesday romping group ride, all zones all out
Wednesday high Z2
Thursday low Z2
Friday Z1, barely tapping the pedals
Saturday, 6 hours at Leadville pace with nearly 2 hours at threshold or above

... finishing the final ride, feeling pretty darn good despite 9000' in 80 miles.

If you disagree...

... then, I have succeeded in providing you some polarizing thoughts on polarization.

===

165.4 lbs 12.7% <- this blubber has got to go!
7.5ish hours sleep
600 anti-oxidant level
none today Upper Body: 10 push ups, 20 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 20 ATG air squats and 10 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
167/241/-74 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

IT'S GOING TO BE HIDDI

TRAINING FOR AN EPIC ride or race is always tricky. It's so easy to over do it on the preparation when we want to be confident that we are ready...

... to go the distance.

Battle hardened.

So, when I put together tomorrow's route and added...

... It's going to be hideous.

I had to ask myself...

... What the heck are you thinking?!

This goes against my plan to prepare for Leadville this year by staying under

5 hrs
8000'
80 miles

... fresh and not torched.

Aiming for more power,
and efficiency.

We're going to over every one of those metrics tomorrow,
plus it's a group of hitters and we'll be hitting it.

Yes, I could pull the plug,
or just not show.

But, who are we kidding when we say stuff like that?
(Hideous rides call to my soul. How 'bout you?)

===

164.4 lbs 12.5%
7ish hours sleep
680 anti-oxidant level
none today Upper Body: 10 push ups, 20 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 20 ATG air squats and 10 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
152/152/-1 per Strava Relative Effort (whatever that means)

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

WHAT WE ARE

LOOKING WHERE WE WANT TO GO takes great discipline. Not to be distracted by the lady in the red dress is...

... a skill that deserves mastery.

It's not easy.

Time and time again, ripping the course, we have to ignore the obvious perils and...

... stay focused on our goal.

Going as fast as possible,
error free.

Oddly,
limiting our vision to the best path forward is relaxing.

Calming.

Requiring less energy.

Ultimately, a heckuvalot faster.

So, we practice the skill all the time and when we have those Oh shift! moments...

... we forgive ourselves, and reset.

Perhaps the great Emerson said it best...

... What we are, that only can we see.

===

164.4 lbs 12.5%
7.5ish hours sleep
530 anti-oxidant level
√ today Upper Body: 10 push ups, 20 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 20 ATG air squats and 10 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
90/98/-8 per Strava

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

THE SLIGHT EDGE

BECAUSE WE USE OUR GEAR every day, we don't always notice the performance is degrading. It's gradual, and we are...

... more concerned with our own numbers.

But, the gear matters.

If we remember anything from the dominance of Team Sky it's...

... marginal gains.

They matter.

Not necessarily individually,
collectively they stack and become game changers.

So are the marginal losses.

I share this as a cautionary tale.

While in Park City a few weeks back,
bombing miles and miles of sweet single track...

... my fork went from finicky to very funked up

My pal Chad helped me get it working enough to enjoy the trip.

As soon as I returned, I rang up the local suspension whiz Mike and gave him the situation.

He ordered parts from Sram to rebuild and improve the fork by replacing the Brain.

Simple enough,
and 7 weeks before Leadville.

Dropped off the bike Monday, planning to have it back for the weekend and continue to perfect my oneness with my steed.

Hey Todd.

Hi Mike.

We gotta small problem.

Uh-oh.

Sram sent the wrong parts.

Dang.

Yeah, it's gonna be another 10 days.

Is the suspension torn to pieces?

Yes.

Ok, I understand.

Now, here's the part we all need to understand...

we need to stay on top of the maintenance
allow plenty of time for parts to arrive
and for the mechanic's schedule

... in order to have the slight edge we need on raceday.

===

165.8 lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
530 anti-oxidant level
√ today Upper Body: 125 push ups, 25 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 125 ATG air squats and 20 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
91/103/-10 per Strava

What I'm reading: State of The Union, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

2026 TUESDAY MORNING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS WERE LIT

ABOUT THE MOST FUN we can have is upping our game for the weekly group ride. The good ones all have memorable names. Just saying them sparks...

... anything from fear to fun.

Like The TMWC.

A ride we started 24 years ago...

30+ riders every Tuesday at 630
most wearing the ride's kit
with an annual throwdown

... and is still ripping today.

Today wasn't any ol Tuuzdee...

the regulars
the outta towners
the first timers hoping to hang on

... it was the unOFFICIAL 2026 Championships.

4 categories...

Women
U35
U50
U100

... racing for glory.

Bragging rights for a year.

The course has never changed, but...

fullgas from the start
even paced 'till The Wall
saving it all for the Corkscrew finish

... the raceday never plays out the same.

Today unfolded with bouts of massive power,
dropping to conversational,
and back at it.

The only thing that was the same was Alessandro...

... pulling off the first Threepeat.

He was so far off the front the camera crew mistook him as some cat who happened upon the course...

... except he raced up The Wall with god-like speed.

Put over a minute on lil' ol' me,
and nearly everyone else.

Insane.

Priscilla crushed the women's field,
snatching longstanding, legit QOMs.

It's not all about the wins, though.

Juan was voted most-improved,
and Eric picked up rookie of the year.

These aren't participation trophies ...

... they represent outstanding effort, week after week.

Congrats to these cats....

Overall

Alessandro
Kody
Andrew

Women

Priscilla
Maria
Vi

U35

Andrew
Eric
Scott

U50

Kody
Drew
Alfredo

U100

Alessandro
Rob
Mani

Still reading?
Wondering how we pull it off?

Our 4 rules are key...

Leave on time
Obey the law
Make a friend
Have fun

... plus, always be inviting.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/2024-tmwc

Use Promo Code TMWC2026 To Save 20% On The Gear

===

166 lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
640 anti-oxidant level
none today Upper Body: 90 push ups, 18 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 112 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
90/100/-10 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of the Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

WHO HAS THE BEST TdF ANALYSIS?

THERE ARE A LOT of professional pundits pontificating the particulars of each stage of the Tour de Frants. Then, there's the amachurs. Us handlebar hams...

... handing out our homemade takes.

Who's best?

Certainly it's not Velo's...

Jonas Vingegaard was left choking in Pogi's exhaust and came to the line two seconds back after the 1.7km hilltop kick to Les Angles.

... latest retarded hyperbole.

Cycling News' take...

A devastatingly-long and sustained acceleration by Tadej... with a two-second advantage.

... wasn't much of an improvement.

Jonas said it better...

It's a shame, of course. But when we started the Tour, we expected to lose time... so it's a good starting point that I'm tied on time with Tadej.

... and more accurately.

But, he's not selling ads for eyeballs.

My eyeballs and ears like to take in...

Chris Horner for pointing out the knucklehead moves of the day
Lance's podcast for the entertainment
GCN's breathy and breasty euroness

... if I have the time.

And then there's NBC's crew...

I do feel for Brent and TJ having to educate the unwashed with silly cartoons and goofy bets
No way I could ride the sissybar like Christian or do the man on the course stuff like Steve
Amid correcting, Bobke does a good job as the straight man
Phil may miss a few deets, but that voice is still gold to me

... collecting a solid paycheck.

Nothing wrong with that.

For actual, pure analysis...

concise
relatable
insightful

... I think Tom Danielson does it best.

He delivers it via blog, vlog and podcast.

You're probably thinking Nice job taking potshots at people just trying to do their jobs...

... to which I'll counter, I'm grateful we have so many real human points of view vs the AI slop sure to come our way.

Links to Tom's work:

https://cinchcycling.cc/blogs/news/tour-de-france-stage-3-tadejs-boxing-match

===

166 lbs 12.7%
8ish hours sleep
610 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 90 push ups, 18 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 112 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
87/81/5 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of the Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

WHAT ABOUT WHEN IT'S NOT WORKING

MOST OF US have a test course, a segment that is our fitness barometer, where we lay down a valiant effort, then upload it...

... to see where we're at.

Sometimes years of data points.

When we're prepping for the A race we'll hit it hard.

The results are instructive...

PR'd it
on track
woefully wanting

... from elation to devastation.

Gratefully, it's usually good and confirming info.

But, what about when it isn't?

Like my Leadville prep test up a similar climb to Columbine...

1:10 in May
1:14 in June
1:15 in July

... which is honestly, quite discouraging?

The May effort I was waiting for my friends,
in June I was chasing all the way,
in July I went alone.

July's effort was the shortest
June's was much longer,
May's the longest.

Big takeaway...

... my fitness is going backwards.

So, find the positives...

I'm descending better than I have since the TBI
the nutrition plan seems to be on point
the bike is nearly complete

... and make adjust ments.

I still have 7 weeks to turn it around...

stop shredding my legs with weight training
get back to throttling Saturdays
stack the Zone 2 miles

... and I have some definite ideas on how to do that.

Will it work?

I dunno.

What won't work is quitting.

Thoughtful, calculated perseverance is always the right answer.

===

165.6 lbs 12.6%
7.5ish hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 150 push ups, 30 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 112 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
88/87/1 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of the Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

HALF THE FREEDOM

WE KNOW where the 50% mark is on the course. The distance. The estimated time it takes to get there. The food we'll need to arrive and...

... finish with good energy.

But, is that enough?

Knowing vs doing,
totally different things.

The first half of 2026 is gone.

For some, it flew right by.

Others...

bored
unengaged
beset by challenges

... had a different experience.

We are free to stay the course, or...

10x goals
Committed mindset work
Severing whatever is holding us back

... recalibrate and blow everyone's minds (ours included).

God, bless America.

===

Nowza good time to crack that journal open and document the amazing things we've accomplished to date.

What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard

Let's rip!

===

164 lbs 12.6%
8ish hours sleep
530 anti-oxidant level
none today Upper Body: 60 push ups, 12 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 112 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
88/88/0 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of the Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

GUITY AS CHARGED

THE EVIDENCE IS OVERWHELMING, there is no defense for the flagrant violations of society's norm...

... we've got a problem.

And, we don't care.

It's who we are...

city limit sign? let's race
KOM within reach? let's race
event 700 miles away? let's race

... we're constantly on the lookout for our tribe.

We rarely watch sportsball,
we'll watch a TdF stage start to finish.

We do find comfort in the couch,
after an absurdly long day outside ripping.

We do devour ice cream and cookies,
but only when the calorie deficit is irredeamable.

We aren't normal...

... we're race junkies.

===

If that resonates,
you might want this shirt,
which I'm pretty sure we priced wrong at $20.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/race-junky-classic-t-shirt-fe

I'll fix the price after the holiday.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/race-junky-classic-t-shirt-fe

===

165 lbs 12.6%
7ish hours sleep
680 anti-oxidant level
√ today Upper Body: 60 push ups, 12 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 112 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
89/96/-7 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of the Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

BROKE OR BROKEN?

IT'S AMAZING what we're willing to put up with. I suspect it's just in our nature and probably why...

... we thrive at the endurance game.

We tune it out.

And, here's the dill.

Pretending things aren't the way they are...

... can be demoralizing.

Yesterday, I had my cracked front windshield replaced on the van.

It wasn't huge,
but it was slowly growing,
ever since our trip to Sea Otter.

Neighbor Rick came out to chat and asked me why I replaced it.

Honestly?

Yeah.

It was making me feel poor.

The thingaboutitis, if I'd had the rock chip fixed immediately...

... the cost would have been minimal.

Which begs the question...

... what are we allowing to languish and bring us (our performance) down?

===

166.4 lbs 12.4%
8ish hours sleep
610 anti-oxidant level
√ today Upper Body: 150 push ups, 30 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 150 ATG air squats and 36 split squats with 50lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
90/104/-14 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of the Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

MY EXCUSE FOR NOT BEING ON PEPTIDES

THE TEMPTATION to tap the pharmacy is getting realer every day. Call it the effects of the human genome project or clever marketing...

... lotsa people on the train.

I've been surprised.

Just in the last month or so, some of my much younger (30s and 40s) and generally healthy friends...

trimmer
slimmer
sexier?

... have let me know their results from peptides.

They aren't athletes who compete,
just dudes wanting a better bod.

My response is always the same.

Dang...

... I can't do that because I'm a racer.

I know...

the likelihood of getting tested is practically nil
the evidence of peptides disappears quickly
the help they deliver is real

... but, I'll know.

So I push on in the land of...

working hard
eating clean
getting rest

... and I'm quite okay with that.

===

165.8 lbs
7 hours sleep
540 anti-oxidant level
not today Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
not today Lower Body: 150 ATG air squats and 36 split squats with 70lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
90/104/-14 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of the Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

RIDE WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU WOULD RIDE WITH YOURSELF

EVERY NOW AND AGAIN we get an insight that touches our hearts and when we try and explain it to others they just don't get it. Not their fault. We just need an analogy...

... we can all relate to.

Try this one.

I'll do my best to share the change of heart I had recently...

a homeless woman sitting on the corner of a busy sidewalk in front of a food court
people, me included, waiting for the light to change
ignoring her sad, red eyes like they didn't exist.

... it wasn't my finest moment.

We're all rich.

I'm on a stupidly expensive bike,
but no cash on me,
gazing ahead.

Ignoring the obvious hurt and loneliness.

I was ashamed...

... of my inability to see the once beautiful baby at my feet.

What would it have cost to acknowledge her?

And it hit my heart so hard...

... Love they neighbor as thyself.

Finally I got it,
and I'll do my best to share it with you.

If we really loved our neighbors as ourselves we might...

be a little nicer, kinder more patient
genuinely ask how they are, if they need a hand
we might hold the bar a little lower or a little higher, out of love

... not the awkward, stumbling empathy that paralyzes us.

Genuine desire to help others as ourselves out knowing that...

if we were raised differently
made regrettable choices
had terrible experiences

... but for the grace of God go I.

It reminds me of my good friend Todd Darley, a better Todd than I, who always rolls out with food.

One day we're ripping up Mulholland with a spicy group, gonna PR it...

... and Todd disappears.

Where'd you go?

Stopped to talk to the homeless hiker?

What?

Yeah, wanted to make sure he was okay. Gave him a bagel I had.

Last Saturday, a dude in a pick up with a trailer full of tools pulled up to me and Chad and flipped us the bird...

... I laughed and asked myself Now why would I do that? Having a bad day? PTSD from cyclists?

I'll never know that dude's literal problem...

... just hoping this change of heart stays with me forever.

===

165.4 lbs
8 hours sleep
630 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 50 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
not today Lower Body: 150 ATG air squats and 36 split squats with 70lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
88/91/-3 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of the Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

IS THIS CODDLING?

WE'VE ALL HAD to face the unbearable hot situations. Sometimes in training, others in a race. But, that's the thing...

... we've all had to face them.

That's life.

So, when the geniuses at Velo led with Extreme Heat Could Force Radical Rethink of the Tour de France...

... I sighed.

Stop the coddling.

They're professionals.

Then Surfergirl chimed in...

2013 Tour of California
4pm finish
114º

... But, remember Palms Springs.

We started early and rode the stage ahead of the pros.

Dropping down into the desert floor was like riding into a giant hair dryer.

Oppressive and awful.

My son and I staggered into a 7-11 and chugged giant Slurpees...

... finally lowering our body temps to be able to ride to the finish.

The pros came in and literally collapsed on the sizzling black and gooey tarmac.

She had a point.

It was horrific.

After wading through the Velo clickbait I discovered the "radical rethink" just meant considering starting the races at 9:30 vs the typical much later starts that finish in the hottest time of the afternoon.

You know the real tragedy isn't the coddling, it's that...

... I won't be able to go for an early spin and watch the race finish live.

I'm sure I'll find a "radical rethink" of my entertainment consumption.

===

163.4 lbs
9 hours sleep
690 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 150 push ups, 30 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 150 ATG air squats and 36 split squats with 70lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
89/99/-10 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of the Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

MOVING THE COMFORT ZONE

IT CAN BE PERPLEXING to know a truth from personal experience, to share it because we care, and see it not be received...

... because it's scary.

Like ripping downhill.

I have a few friends who are training for a big event with me.

There will be a fair amount of climbing,
followed by a fair amount of descending.

None of it...

steep double-track
wide open hardpack
a bit of chunky rocky stuff

... will give most mountain bikers any trouble.

Unless we're racing,
really going for it.

Even then, most will be fine...

... but, they could be so much better.

And here's the headscratcher...

... I can't get them to ride much harder trails in preparation.

They protest,
avoid,
skip.

Because I'm absolutely failing to ride home the point that learning to rip more challenging trails now...

steeper
chunkier
twistier and slicker

... will move the comfort zone.

Moving the comfort zone means we are...

more efficient
relaxed
calm

... saving all kinds of physical and emotional energy.

While others bog down with Oh shift! moments, we can turn those sections into...

recovery
relaxation
moments of bliss

... something to look forward to, and potentially gain/make up time.

If we're into that.

I am.

You?

(Where else are we too fraidy catty to move the comfort zone?)

===

163.6 lbs
7.5 hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
none Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 100 ATG air squats and 20 split squats with 70lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
91/114/-23 per Strava

What I'm reading: Lions of Lucerne, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all kinds of marketing

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

BUT, DOES HE REALLY CARE (NOW)?

ON RACEDAY it's fair to say nothing else matters but the race. The training, the fine-tuning, the sacrifices...

... they're all coming together.

We need to rip.

But, when it's all said and done...

... should anybody, ourselves included, really care?

Take a dude I heard about...

inspired and helped millions of cancer patients to believe they had a chance
single-handedly lifted a dying sport getting legions to pedal
operator of a massively popular podcast
successful investor and businessman
father of five children

... does he really care that he's not recognized as winning 7 TdFs?

For all you haters that are now triggered, the unsubscribe button is above and below.

For the open minded, contemplating our own mortality and personal achievements...

family
race wins
inspiring and helping others

... what would you prefer?

===

164 lbs
7.5 hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
none Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 100 ATG air squats and 20 split squats with 70lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
87/93/-6 per Strava

What I'm reading: Path of The Assassin, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard, all things marketing

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

INNOVATION THROUGH IGNORANCE

IGNORANCE AND IGNORANT are such ugly words. And don't even speak ignoramus. Referring to anybody with those words...

... is just plain mean spirited.

Ain't gonna make ya friends.

Yet, the truth is, many of personal innovations come from ideas...

never heard of
never thought of
never been exposed to

... we were completely ignorant to.

Here are a few of mine...

swimming to control breathing
lift heavy, low reps
sprints for power

... that have helped improve over the years.

The swimming one I came up with on my own when training for Leadville in the early days. I wanted to control my breathing and keep my breaths deep.

The lift heavy, low reps I learned from one of the great Phil Mafetone books. He only pioneered Zone 2 training coaching Mark Allen to become the most complete and dominating triathlete of his era.

Lift heavy, low reps was also heavily preached in the fascinating book Underground Secrets To Faster Running, by Barry Ross.

Sprints for power came from the awesome Fred Duncan, a premiere track coach.

The idea that we are born to be athletic and should treat our bodies as such came through loud and clear in Christopher McDougall's book Natural Born Heroes.

I could go on...

crusty old curmudgeons calling me out
lessons learned through experience
defeats whose sting was wicked

... but that's not the point.

The point is we've got to continually expose ourselves to new ideas and concepts and experiences in order to...

... keep innovating and growing.

Spiritually. Mentally. Physically. Socially.

===

1664 lbs
8 hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 75 push ups, 15 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
none today Lower Body: 100 ATG air squats and 20 split squats with 70lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
88/102/-14 per Strava

What I'm reading: Lions of Lucerne, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard

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

THE VISION BORED

VISION WHILE RACING isn't everything, but it's right up there with oxygen. We gotta breathe, we gotta see...

... to move forward.

I was thinking about that today while zipping down a twisty trail.

If I let my eyes start to focus on what's up close...

... my speed drops and I become much more reactive.

When I'm focused far ahead...

... I go much faster, slipping into a state of flow and things are magically easier.

The thing I was thinking about was my vision board.

Mulling over the things already accomplished, as well as what is in the works.

The vision board seems to work the same way...

... focusing on the outcome, not how I'm going to get there.

Some of you may be thinking Dude is nuts,
others nodding your heads That's right.

Either way, I'll leave you with this thought from King Salomon...

... Where there is no vision, the people perish.

===

166.2 lbs
8 hours sleep
620 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 100 push ups, 20 pull ups, hand gripper, shoulder press, curls
√ Lower Body: 100 ATG air squats and 20 split squats with 70lbs, nordic curls, box jumps, heel and toe raises
89/108/-19 per Strava

What I'm reading: Lions of Lucerne, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: The works of Neville Goddard

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

TUCK AND ROLL!

AERO. The term is like a science fiction blob that oozes it's way into everything, eventually killing everything in sight and taking over the world...

... with no end of it's pervasiveness in site.

Can we escape the creepiness?

The thingaboutitis, once we go slip down the aero tube...

positioning
equipment
apparel

... it's almost impossible to stop.

That list falls short of the whackiness...

hands on the mtb fork crowns at Leadville
hydration bladders stuffed in front of jersey
dropper seat post for bombing road descents

... which actually works.

I was thinking about that this morning as I crested The Wall, about 15 seconds behind the leaders.

Pedaling till I was spun out...

butt hooked on end of saddle
hands next to the stem
chin on the Wahoo
elbows in
knees in

... I assumed the position (I'm not a butt on seat tube believer).

Would I, could I catch before the bottom?

Being on my lessthanaero gravel bike...

spun out with gravel gears
rolling shallow depth road wheels
rockin' a well ventilated KASK helmet

... I needed every aero advantage I could get.

After rolling up on the 3 in between the two leaders...

... we rotated, taking short and speedy pulls.

It took forever to catch,
all the way to the final curve.

I'm already thinking about next week...

actual aero helmet
clean shave on the legs, face, arms(?)
and, yeah, gonna bust out the Speedsuit

... what else I can do to improve my aeroness.

On my previous road bike, I clocked 51 mph...

... today's set up shows 47.4 mph.

Tuesday can't some soon enough.

===

168 lbs
7 hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
no Upper Body: 150 push ups, 30 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: 100 ATG air squats and 20 split squats with 70lbs
89/113/-24 per Strava

What I'm reading: Lions of Lucerne, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: Imagination, Neville Goddard

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

CUI BONO?

THERE ARE A LOT OF DEALS that get cut on the race course. Some are obvious, some hidden. Many between competitors...

... for money, glory and pride.

The worst deal of all?

Well, that depends on Cui bono?...

... Who benefits?

Deals between competitors kindasuck, but...

hang on for camera glory
work to stay in break
straight cash

... we can usually tell who benefits,
and who pays.

No, the most insidious deals...

staying up late
backing off the finishing sprint
starting the new diet "tomorrow"

... are the ones we cut with ourselves.

Because nobody benefits,
'cepting our competitors.

===

167.4 (Happy Fatter's Day - sheesh!)
8 hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 150 push ups, 30 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
no Lower Body: 100 ATG air squats and 20 split squats with 60lbs
85/90/-6 per Strava

What I'm reading: Lions of Lucerne, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: Imagination, Neville Goddard

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

MY INSANE CULT

FEW OF US HAVE BEEN TO AN AA MEETING, but we've seen TV/movie version many times. Hi, I'm Todd and...

... I'm an endurance junkie.

Hi Todd.

When we come clean with the general population, Today I...

swam 10,000 yards
rode for 5 hours
ran 20 miles

... they think we're crazy.

We're not.

The adrenaline rush of ...

60 miles an hour in nothing but lycra
the swimmers blue mind
the runner's high

... we need that hit.

Regularly.

This risks we take...

sending it down the mountain
running along into the cold, dark night
impossibly holding our breath one more length

... would freakout any life insurance company.

These sensations of pushing well beyond normal, reasonable, safe...

... are often all that's keeping us stable.

In all sincerity, because the allure of the lottery and dulling our senses with substances is so very tempting and tragically treacherous...

... stay dangerous my friends.

The sane kind.

===

164.6
7.5 hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 60 push ups, 20 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: `100 ATG air squats and 20 split squats with 60lbs
86/98/-12 per Strava

What I'm reading: Lions of Lucerne, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: Imagination, Neville Goddard

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

TODAY WAS A ROUGHIE

SOME BIG TRAINING DAYS are better than others. The reasons are myriad. Which means when it goes sideways...

... it's up to us to figure it out.

Like today.

I knew it was going to be a big day...

7 hrs
87 miles
10,500' of vert

... on Monday.

There are only 8 weeks to get our Leadville legs, and me and Let's Go need(ed) to do some simulation.

For me,
today,
I just never got comfortable.

Never felt that feeling of being on top of the pedals and...

... smoothly moving like a Singer sewing machine.

It was much more like a broke down pumpjack one might see in the hot and dusty oil fields of Bakersfield...

... in desperate need of lube and love.

Clunk.
Clunk.
Clunk.

I've narrowed it down to a few things...

going too deep on Thursday after solid Tuesday and Wednesday
rolling the gravel wheels vs road wheels on Friday's BRO ride
hitting the legs with resistance Sunday-Thursday

... and I should know better.

I'm gonna add to that...

probs too much tire pressure
def hotter today than our last attempt
carrying a third bottle to be safe on hydration

... some I can control, some I can't.

In the end, I think it really comes down to not being sufficiently recovered.

On a positive note, given the fatigue level...

... we averaged 12.7 mph with zero drafting over a similar profile to Leadville.

Not bad.
Not great.
But, we can work with that.

Oh, and I'm feeling quite extra speedy on the downhills.

Time for...

In-N-Out burger, fries and shake
some good sleep
and a day off

... to set the pins up to be knocked down next week.

===

164.6
7.5 hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 0 push ups, 0 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: `0 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs
89/113/-25 per Strava (someone's tired!)

What I'm reading: Lions of Lucerne, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: Imagination, Neville Goddard

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

THAT TOPSECRET SECRET

THE IDEA OF A PUBLIC DECLARATION is not new. Lots of people have proclaimed they will accomplish X goal and gone on to do just that...

... because it works.

There is a hitch.

The haters,
the perceived haters,
hating the idea of haters.

There are plenty of famous athletes who have made the call and fallen flat on their face...

... sometimes by knockout.

Which is why most of keep our plans secret,
denying ourselves the power therein.

I'm onboard with that.

There is also power in keeping our intentions unknown.

Wherein lies another hitch.

If we're posting our stats with the Strava lords,
that might be considered a passive-aggressive statement.

Which begs the question...

... if we're keeping our mouths shut, do we keep our training private?

Personally, I'm open book on that, except for my top secret racing agenda which scrawled in code...

... on my vision board.

===

164.6
7iah hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 30 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: `0 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs
83/84/1 per Strava
What I'm reading: Lions of Lucerne, Brad Thor
What I'm studying: Imagination, Neville Goddard

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

IMAGINE THAT!

WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN, can ya even remember that?, we had tremendous imaginative powers. From games to friends to travel to faraway places...

... our lives were boundless.

What happened?

Did reality set in?

Did we set conditions on our dreams?

Did some kind old bag of wind tell us not to have our heads in the clouds?

The thingaboutitis...

... when we register for an event or race, all bets are off.

We've already imagined...

the trainging
the equipement
the travel and accomodations

... to start.

More importantly, if we're really on our A game, and you and I are!...

... we can see the finish line, and exactly how we'll be at that moment.

Which isn't child's play.

It's actually...

life
business
relationships

... how doers get it done!

As I'm writing this I'm reminded of the gloves I wore today...

and the shirt I'm wearing right now

This is gonna be a total marketing faux pas because we're neverever supposed to make too many offers, but...

... I imagine more than a few of you will want this reminder to Rip!

Order the Gloves, get the Shirt for FREE.

Use this code: LET'SRIP

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/lets-rip-buy-t-get-gloves-for-free

===

162.6
8 hours sleep
670 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 30 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: 30 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs
85/91/-7 per Strava
What I'm reading: 7 Powers, The Foundations of Business Strategy, Hamilton Helmer
What I'm studying: Imagination, Neville Goddard

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

EMBRACING THE BURN, DAILY/OFTEN

WE'VE ALL FELT THE BURN. Some of us love it, some of us hate it. No matter where we are on the spectrum...

... the burn is coming for us.

Is it minimizable?

Maybe.

If yesterday is any indicator, I may have stumbled upon something.

For the last few weeks, I've been steadily increasing my ATG air squats.

From reps of 10 to reps of 30.

If you haven't done them lately, or ever...

standing
to full "ass to grass"
to standing

... it's quite a shock to learn our trusty bottom half may not be as durable as we think.

When I started 10 burned,
then 20 really burned...

... the last 5 of 30 were a massive struggle.

Back to yesterday's hammerfest, when the burn came on it was like my body saying...

... Oh, we're gonna burn now. Buckle up buttercup, I've got this.

Rather than pulling the plug at the onset of burn, I embraced it and powered on.

Best I've felt in weeks/months.

Now, I'll be the first to admit it could just be that I was supertapered going into last weekend's BWR UT and I might just be having a good response to the taper followed by the 3.5 hours of racing across the high desert.

But, even if that's the case...

... the burn of 30 ATGs feels so good.

Gonna keep upping it,
apparently 100 is a thing.

(yes, on top of split squats and probably bringing back box jumps)

===

165.2
8 hours sleep
480 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 90 push ups, 30 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: 90 ATG air squats and 18 split squats with 50lbs
85/96/-12 per Strava
What I'm reading: 7 Powers, The Foundations of Business Strategy, Hamilton Helmer
What I'm studying: Prayer, Neville Goddard

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

I CAN'T BELIEVE SHE TOOK ME BACK

IT'S REALLY HARD TO LET GO of something we love. The fear we won't get it back is legit. Yet, the opportunity of enjoying something new...

... is real, and tantalizing.

The known vs the unknown.

Once we move on, that thing we left behind might...

forget about us
reject our return
change and move on

... it's risky.

No, Surfergirl didn't leave me or vice versa.

But!...

... I did leave my beloved TMWC (Tuesday Morning World Championships) for another ride: Wednesday Worlds.

The main reason, and it's very valid, waking up at 5am and rolling out in the cold, dark, pre-dawn was leaving me almost worthless for work the rest of the day.

The lesser reason, I was thinking the blazing intensity of WW would be a better work out.

Well, a funny thing happened when a downloaded the Tuesday vs WW data...

significantly more time above threshold and VO2 max
much higher average and normalized power
and, the best, all my pals were there

... to smack me in the face!

For sure, it helped that the sun was up when I rolled out.

And, I was putting down power on the road vs battling dust, rocks and terrain.

The fellas were all welcoming...

... probably because they knew they'd dump me up The Wall and send me home with a good lycra whipping.

Gawd, I've missed this ride and these awesome cats.

===

165.2
7 hours sleep
480 anti-oxidant level
√ Upper Body: 30 push ups, 10 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: 30 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs
84/83/-9 per Strava
What I'm reading: 7 Powers, The Foundations of Business Strategy, Hamilton Helmer
What I'm studying: Prayer, Neville Goddard

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

THE BEST TIME TO COMMIT TO YOUR NEXT BIG RACE

Apr 10, 2022

TODD BROWN

THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, no matter how good or awful our results, the best time to plan the next big goal...

... is right after the most recent race.

There's just something about.

If we got whacked,
we are motivated by redemption and revenge.

If we dominate,
we're looking for the challenge to conquer is easy.

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

I keep meaning to take pics of all our gloves I see at the races, but I'm not carrying my phone much these days.

You'll just have to trust me, these are rad.

There are lots of color options.

And it's Buy1Get1 this month.

No code needed.

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

170? I dunno, no scale,
7.5 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
00 minutes recovery
15 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

View Details

OTTER POPS

Apr 09, 2022

TODD BROWN

MY BUTT WAS SPASMING,. It was a bit embarrassing. But, there was no stopping it. At 8am on the start line, sub0-50, I was in my stretchy underwear, no warmers, no jacket…

… shivering, dressed to race!

It turned out to be my worst result of the year.

And, I was thrilled.

On the second of two 25-mile loops all I could hear was the opening to Eminems Without Me…

… Guess who’s back, back again
Diesel’s back, tell a friend.

Why?

Because for the first time in too long, I put together a good race.

Good start
Good nutition
Good power
Good finish.

It started last evening when the great Cody helped me dial in my shifting. Turns out it’s quite simple, ya just gotta know what to do.

Now I do.

I lined up early. It was mass start, and I slotted early cutting my warmup short.

Totally worth it.

We sprinted right from the start, uphill, gunning for the chicane that led to the singletrack…

… it was a clownshow.

But not for us.

The crew said just a few spots after Eric, Steven, Chris and I got through it stacked up so bad people we walking.

At the last moment, I went with two bottles per lap. About 300 calories per bottle, and one waffle.

There was one small hiccup.

When I grabbed my salt stick tablets, I popped open an empty bottle.

Ruh-roh!

Fortunately, I was relying on the Apple Watch to track my ride…

… quick texts to the crew and they had mustard and tablets when I came through for second lap.

I was 6ish minutes slower the second time around. I’d prefer to snug that up, normally I’m faster the second lap or second half of something this long. However, I haven’t done any sweet spot training this year…

… saving it for Leadville build this summer.

I finished 7^th in the 50+, first finisher in the 60s. The days of racing my age group on winding down…

… I’ll be self-identifying as a yute going forward.

My biggest takeaway is big distance mountain bike racing is really fun and demanding. I’m looking forward to the very specific training this summer.

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

I keep meaning to take pics of all our gloves I see at the races, but I'm not carrying my phone much these days.

You'll just have to trust me, these are rad.

There are lots of color options.

And it's Buy1Get1 this month.

No code needed.

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

170? I dunno, no scale, but I've been eating all day... ending at Chris' parents for a massive barbeque.
7.5 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
00 minutes recovery
15 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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DR. JEKYLL AND MR. RYDE

Apr 08, 2022

TODD BROWN

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE RACEDAY and all through the van,
one creature was stirring, an anxious fit man
the race plate was hung on the bars with care
in the hopes that the start line would soon be there...

... that's how it feels the night before.

We shine things up, pick out our favorite clothes.

Then, for me at least, it is time to go to my laboratory where the mild mannered Dr. Jekyll in me will prepare the final recipe for ripping.

Being on point with the nutrition is critical to being able to start strong...

... and finish strong.

I pre-rode the course today in 2 1/2 hours. I was really softpedaling. I expect tomorrow to be significantly faster.

But, how much faster?

Will I need 1 bottle per lap or 2?

It will be 50 degrees at the start, warming up to mid-60s by the finish.

What is the best way to consume 300 calories per hour?

The start is gonna be nuts. Full sprint for 5 minutes to try and get to the single track in front. The first 3 miles of singletrack are pretty much impossible to pass on. 10 miles in it opens up quite a bit and it should be easy to eat and drink from there on.

Don't tell anybody, ok?

I'm going to start with 1 bottle of 400 calories of Skratch Superfuel, plus 4 Honey Stinger waffles.

On lap two, I'll have 2 more bottles with 300 calories each. One with caffeine.

Also on board will be my Salt Stick tabs.

The catalyst for all that will be my TFNB playlist

If that don't turn me into Mr Ryde, nothing will.

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

It's never too late to make your year great.

Ain't nothing like have a GIANT CALENDAR to confront you with the reality that life goes fast and you are wasting it if you're not planning it.

No excuses to not have something challenging planned, and well-executed.

Any Dr. can tell you the benefits of an Evil plan to kickarse.

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

---

162.9 (? traveling, no scale)
7.5 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
15 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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SOMETHING NEW AT SEA OTTER

Apr 07, 2022

TODD BROWN

SEA OTTER IS THE LARGEST BIKE FESTIVAL IN US, A few years back, this beast killed Interbike, the industry's largest tradeshow. Oh, there were other things in play...

... but, Sea Otter remains king.

There's the giant expo, where the latest product is revealed.
Downtown biz meetings where the real deals are made.
And racing
MTB
DH
Dual Slalom
Crits
Circuits
Road
... and Gravel
Plus a host of product demos

My first visit, in the 90's, was to race the circuit race on the racecar course. There is nothing like it. A punchy climb, a 50-60mph plummet down the corkscrew...

... what's not to love?

Some how I'm never raced MTB here.

That changes Saturday.

I pre-rode some of the course. It's beautiful. Ribbons of singletrack lace through green spring grass. I'm doing the 80K, long version.

But, I might do more.

For some reason they have the gravel race on the same exact course the following day. I love ripping singletrack on my gravel bike...

... it's so very tempting.

A bunch of us are here, some racing road and some mtb and some circuit and some gravel.

There really isn't anything like Sea Otter... there are fondos and tours, too?

What I am curious to see is how many racers show up now that USACycling is not part of the event. When LifeTime purchased the event they decided to exclude USACycling.

It seems to me that effect the roadies more, because roadies are more into the category upgrades. The dirt side of the sport has always been more laissez-faire.

Oh, and I'm kinda curious to race on the famous trails of Fort Ord...

... actually, super curious...

... I love racing unknown trails.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/canopies-banners-and-flags/products/bike-rack-banners

Another thing I love is seeing the bike rack full of bikes.

If have one of these racks, let's make you some banners.

$99, for a set of two.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/canopies-banners-and-flags/products/bike-rack-banners

---

162.9 (? traveling, no scale)
7.5 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 10 PushUps + Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
25 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE A COACH?

Apr 06, 2022

TODD BROWN

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A GREAT COACH? The best have 1 thing in common, whether it be sports or business or relationships. Of course, they are masters of advanced techniques and the basics...

... but, this is the most basic.

On our journey towards personal greatness, there is one thing a great coach provides that makes everything better...

... and I screwed that up this week.

A young tadpole signed up for some specific coaching for a specific event. He was, and thankfully still is, very energetic in his quest...

... this ain't no I wanna be better journey.

He's after something big, and I failed to recognize where he was starting from. I threw him into the fire. Most people would have quit, and never come back. But...

... this youngin isn't most people.

This is my kind, our kind, of athlete. A fearless, freakin' charger who's only goal on the bike is to achieve his PR.

What do all great coaches impart?
Why to their athletes love them?

Confidence.

We love the feeling of confidence on RaceDay.
This, above all else, is what you want from your coach.

You know what a lot of good coaches order from PEDALindustries?

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/all-raceday-bags

RaceDay Bags™, because these bags give you confidence.

Do you have a friend who struggles on raceday?

Or, one who is always showing up unprepared for the big ride?

Well, I'd sure love to help you help them out.

So, check this out:

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/share-our-mission-earn-a-commission

---

162.9
7 hrs
10 Pull Ups + 10 Power PushUps + 5 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
45 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

View Details

DO NEW SHOES REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Apr 05, 2022

TODD BROWN

I PUT SOME NEW SHOES ON MY MOUNTAINBIKE. Had to. After shattering my rear wheel racing last month, I'd kinda been resigned to racing on a loaner this weekend...

... but, all that changed today.

Before I tell ya how it happened, let me tell ya my first impression.

Because I wasn't shopping for new wheels, I wasn't scouring all the reviews and scheming of just the right set. I had no preconceived notions...

... ie: marketing bs clouding my judgement.

When I picked up a new set of Crank Brothers wheels I was just excited to have something this weekend...

... that's as far as my stoke went.

I threw on some new rubber as well, the Conti RaceKings. I've had a lot of luck with them as a rear tire and chose to put one on the front as well since it's time to start experimenting with fast treads for Leadville.

New wheels
New rubber, less tread up front.

I snagged this without really trying. At the time, I knew I was ripping along so I was kinda curious to see the results when I uploaded...

... and not surprised.

I wasn't surprised with the result, but I was.

How could these wheels be so fast?

Could the front really track better than any wheel I've ever had...

... even with a less aggressive tread?

Well, yeah, obviously.

Was it really possible that the rear tire put down the power better?

These were the thoughts I was having because the sensations were so palpable.

Part of me wanted to hustle back and read the reviews, especially what the lying sunsaguns in the marketing department were saying. I wanted to read what their biased wordsmithing had produced...

... exactly what I was experiencing.

A helluva wheelset.

Now, you might be wondering how I was able to get these when they have a four month backlog.

To be clear, I warmed up the Amex and paid... this ain't no fluff piece from some sellout.

My inside track was through one of my pals who was kind enough to pull a string...

... making me even more indebted to him.

And, it didn't hurt that Crankbrothers R&D just moved to San Clemente...

... I really do live in the ActionSports version of Silicon Valley.

Everybody here is vibing off each other.

Pretty cool to be part of it.

You're part of it, too.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/water-bottles

Do you know why I love clear bottles?

Because you can see all the grime on the outside, and all the mold and crap that collects on the inside...

... oh, and you can see how much liquid is left.

This offer will end either Thursday or when we sell out... whichever comes first.

Promo code is NOBS

And it saves you 50% on these awesome bottles.

But, only while supplies last or Thursday.

Act Now!...

... you know you want at least 2 new bottles.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/water-bottles

---

163.8
7.2 hrs
15 Pull Ups + 30 Power PushUps + 15 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
45 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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BUT, THEY WERE ON SALE

Apr 04, 2022

TODD BROWN

THE LONGER WE'RE INTO THIS SPORT, the more we are able to assess value. Sure, we still drink the kool-aid our favorite brand is pouring...

... and that's cool.

What's not cool is how much this ability to assess value costs us, but I really don't have a good answer...

... I mean I do, but it might hurt.

Take this convo with my newest padawan.

How's your bike fit?

Oh, it's great!

Then, why did you get that rando cramp last night?

Uhhhh

Who did your bike fit?

Steve.

Oh, he's awesome.

How long ago?

3 years.

And there it was.

3 years.
3 years?
3 years!

No wonder he was miserable first night out with us. Poor little feller didn't have a clue...

... I set him off to a pro.

Fastforward to today.

How was the fit sesh?

Oh, man amazing.

Really?

Yeah, he changed everything.

Everything?

Well not my shoes, but I have new ones ordered.

What's wrong with your shoes?

Too tight.

You didn't know they were too tight?

No, I got 'em on sale. 40% off of $400 shoes.

We've got a ways to go, as you can see.

Want to save some money?

Hire a coach.
Take the veterans to lunch.

You could do some research on your own...

... just be careful with the koolaid.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/books-n-such/products/the-leadville-letters

If you were racing Leadville, or any of their races, you could save yourself a ton of money reading this.

Use promo code: BUYSMART

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/books-n-such/products/the-leadville-letters

---

165.6 (yikes)
8 hrs
10 Pull Ups + 40 Power PushUps + 15 Heavy Squats
10 minutes recovery
50 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

View Details

5 WAYS TO MAINTAIN MOMENTUM

Apr 03, 2022

TODD BROWN

THERE ARE A FEW THINGS I'M PRETTY GOOD AT ON A BIKE. One of them is momentum. I have to be...

... because I'm not very good at a lot of other things.

Momentum is free and can make the difference between victory and defeat...

... after we put in the work.

Momentum through a turn,
tucking a long descent,
the final sprint.

Those are the obvious areas, but what about the unseen momentum?

Registering well in advance for a big race.
Always doing all I can do everyday.
Committing to a successful system and plan.
Expecting good things to happen.
Reviewing each milestone along the way.

Those are the keys to lifelong momentum.

Just yesterday the Stravaverse confirmed I have some momentum.

Up one particularly punchy hill, I knew I was going good.

We started from a dead stop at a light. I tucked in behind the younger, spicer rippers. It hurt. It hurt so good. The kinda hurt where you're dawgawn sure it's a special effort. As the gradient backed off, we could see the light ahead was turning red. They eased up, I pedaled on...

... the momentum too good to waste.

Where's the unseen momentum?

Nobody could see the squats I've been doing, the pound or two I've shed...

... I'm the only one who knows if I'm doing all I can do.

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

On the ride yesterday, I was smiling...

... so many of the posse were donning my Superlight Race Gloves

Maybe it's because the fit is so amazing,
or because there are so many color options,
or is it the heat sensitive thread to operate devices,
or could it be the insane buy one get one offer that's going on?

Whatever it is,
it makes me happy.

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

---

165.5 (not good)
8 hrs
5 Pull Ups + 20 Power PushUps + 5 Heavy Squats
30 minutes recovery
150 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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60 YRS OLD AND STILL MAKING POOP JOKES

Apr 02, 2022

TODD BROWN

AHHH, THE BIRTHDAY RIDE. Happens once a year for all of us, sometimes even on a Saturday. We have this old guy...

... and today was his day.

The Gentleman (not the old guy) politely stated, I'd like to find a bathroom before we meet up with the group.

Censoring laws prohibit a direct quote, but the old guy went on about some Play-doh reference...

... some people never group up!

We're all guilty of that by my reckoning.

Long beyond using bikes for transportation, we meet up at the corner for the weekly rip around town. And, it's a dern fine thing...

... ain't it?

We rode 90ish miles today, 6000' of vert, over 19mph.

Who does that?

Do you want to go for a 90 mile drive around town?

Heckno!

Do you want to ride for 5 hours, max your heartrate, come home and collapse on the couch?

Hellyeah!

We do that.

Every year for as long as we can...

... which is why I probably still crack poop jokes.

---

After a few frustrating finishes in March, I was feeling burned out and unsure of Sea Otter next weekend. But, Hot Laps Wednesday felt great...

... and today felt even better.

I took it very easy M, T, Th, F and got after it W and S. That is polarized training, and just what I needed this week.

Stephen Seiler posted this link on Twitter, and I highly recommend it...

... it's long, but worth it.

https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-022-00438-7

I also highly recommend DZ Nutz for long rides like today.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/lotions-that-make-you-go

If I was 60 I'd crack a joke on where to apply this wonder ointment...

... but, the name is pretty good as it it.

If you're part of RaceDay Ready, use your 25% off code.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/lotions-that-make-you-go

---

165.1 (oops)
7 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
30 minutes recovery
0 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN ON THE WAY TO A RACE

Apr 01, 2022

TODD BROWN

I'D SPENT THE SUMMER PREPARING TO REDEAM MYSELF. A year earlier, I'd raced the Leadville 100. I'd finished, got the big belt buckle...

... but it was a miserable day on the bike.

This year would be different.

I knew what lay ahead. I trained specifically on the biggest climbs around. Watched my weight. Got a new bike...

... there was only one problem.

As we bombed across the vast Utah desert, I grabbed my bag to find my sunglasses. It was a big dome bag and it carried everything in its giant blackhole.

I found the glasses...

... my shoes were nowhere in site.

Diving further back in the car, while the guys chatted, I started to sweat. I clawed through my other bag...

... maybe they were there?

Then, I saw them. Clean. Shiny. In my mind I could see them, in reality they were hundreds of miles behind on the back porch...

... where's I'd left them.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

This was when you paid dollars per minute to roam on your cell phone...

and boy did I pay!

A shop in Grand Junction had shoes, no cleats.
A shop in Rifle had cleats, but would be closed when we passed through. I begged and pleaded to pay over the phone and have them left outside.
Meanwhile, Surfergirl was hustling to FEDEX to Next Day Air shoes to Leadville... a city, so remote at the time, Next Day Air wasn't guaranteed.

Now you know where I got the inspiration for the RaceDay Bag™ˆ.

Every one of the products we make and sell has an origin story like that.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/collections/changing-ponchos

For example, The Changing Poncho.

My hometown is a big surfing community, world-class breaks abound. I grew up surfing, and still surf often with my lady. Most of us towel change, but it's not as easy or convenient as a giant poncho.

Not only is the poncho awesome for changing, but while I'm changing, I use it to wipe off any grime from the ride...

... not only on my body, but my bike as well.

The microfibre is durable enough for all your gear,
but soft and comfy our bodies.

Use promo code: changeINstyle

To save 20%

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/collections/changing-ponchos

---

164.9 (oops)
7 hrs
10 Pull Ups + 10 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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THE LONG, EPIC RACE

Mar 31, 2022

TODD BROWN

LOCALLY, WE HAVE CREATED SOME REALLY FUN RACE FORMATS. From the Belgian Waffle Ride's unRoadRace to CritCross's go cart track with added dirt berms and jumps to the unOFFICIAL Tuesday Morning World Championships...

... I love the creativity and freshness.

But, the true test, for me, is an epic.

A long, long challenging route.
Unforgiving elements.
A time cut.

There are myriad long, challenging routes.
Countless courses to curse.
But, without a time cut...

... it's just a race.

And, I don't mean a Hey, if you're slow we're gonna pull ya kind of cut...

... I mean, you miss the cut you miss
the badge of honor,
the coveted prize.

With these types of races, the challenge is not to crush the competition it is to finish. What happens is unlike all other races.

Everyone starts spunky, bouncy, full of cocky confidence and transitions into business mode. The paces are set, the nutrition consumed at precisely timed intervals. The miles roll by...

... and the racers roll on.

Friendships, no...

... alliances are struck.

The battle of wills is real, and some start to falter...

a wobble
missed turn
cramping thigh

... and then quit, retire early.

The time cut, once ticking far off, barely toc, starts to pound for those who persist...

... before becoming blaring bells of hell.

I live for that...

... to rage against the final miles.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-wallets/products/custom-name-raceday-wallet

Building the resolve to press on starts months, even years prior to the big day. For there is a lot of training, but there is also a hardening of the mind that is necessary.

This was so powerful for me 3 years ago in my quest to break my PR.

Got a Big Insane Goal?

Make yourself a reminder wallet, all you have to do is type in your goal... we'll take care of getting you a badass reminder tool...

... oh, and you'll have to train, too... can't do that for you.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-wallets/products/custom-name-raceday-wallet

---

162.9
7 hrs
5 Pull Ups + 20 Power PushUps + 10 Heavy Squats
30 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE

Mar 30, 2022

TODD BROWN

THEY SAY YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG, I'm a strong maybe on that premise. A few of us are aging up this year and there is one thing for sure...

... racers love getting older.

There is this sense of things getting easier, racing oldsters, etc.

So, why don't you sit down for a moment and let The Old Diesel settle this once and for all.

First, there is a grain of truth of it getting easier. It's true for about one race, maybe a few, definitely not an entire season.

Why?

Well, you've aged up. You're no longer the oldish racer being pushed by kids, you're now the kid. Being challenged by the kids keeps you on your A game. When you age up, you're the kid and the challenge will still be there...

... but, it's somehow less.

Second, the older we get the more we run into the professional amateurs. These are the blessed who have figure out their finances. These are the emptynesters who have sent their birdies off into the world to live their own lives.

They have money and time, possible more money and time than they ever dreamed of...

... this is their new outlet.

Third, and this might be the most evil of all the hope dashing spears coming your way, these are the survivors.

Their bodies are still in great shape and they are well acquainted with what is physically possible. Plus, their wiley coyotes...

... with more ways than you can imagine to do you in.

That's the bad news.

Here's the good news...

... you can be the crafty master of your domain, too!

Lots of people do it...

... getting better each year, performing at the highest levels.

How do they do it?

Two have 2 things:

Friends who are younger than they are
A mission to accomplish

I'm much more inspired by people who are great at what they do and continue to contribute to society well beyond the norm...

... their legacy eclipses those who pull the plug early.

That's why I'm so passionate about RaceDay Ready™...

... my legacy.

The details are here: https://pedalindustries.com/pages/get-raceday-ready-now

---

163.6
7.5 hrs
15 Pull Ups + 30 Power PushUps + 15 Heavy Squats
30 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyyoaWjVXYM

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SPRINTING BY EVERYBODY ELSE

Mar 29, 2022

TODD BROWN

I KNEW I WOULD HAVE TO GIVE UP CRIT RACING. I loved it, was good at it, but there was something about leaning shouldertoshoulder into a tight turn at 30 mph...

... that brought out the worst in me.

I'm not proud of that.

Fortunately, I found mountain biking and was able to keep some fitness as well as get out into nature...

... a perfect marriage of my BMXy youth with the road's power and endurance.

This marriage would eventually give birth to 2 National Championships on the MTB, which was a lot of fun and very gratifying at the time.

But, there is another combination I'm even more stoke about.

After I designed the RaceDay Bag™, I began production in China. It was cheaper. Duh!...

... but, cheaper isn't always better.

And rarely, best.

So, I figured out how to make the bags ourselves in the proverbial backyard. They were better. Better materials and better workmanship...

... then we had the really cool breakthrough, which is powering us right by all our competition.

I figured out how to make everything on demand, which meant we could make custom bags one at a time.

Teams as small as 1 (one), could order customdesigned product.

From bags it was easy to go to ponchos to socks to gloves...

... right on up to amazing jerseys and bibs and jackets etc.

Now, we import all these incredible fabrics from Italy to make super high quality apparel...

... one at a time, just for you.

So, I'm going to make you this insane offer. I'll design for you a custom ________ (your choice) for Free. We normally charge $50 just for the designs.

All you have to do is email me personally, and we'll get started. My address is todd@pedalindustries.com.

Can be for anything we make: bags, jerseys, bibs, gloves, socks, 10x10 pop up canopies, etc.

Remember, email me within 48 hours.

XOXO,

todd (@pedalindustries.com)

---

163.6
7.5 hrs
15 Pull Ups + 30 Power PushUps + 15 Heavy Squats
30 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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SHE'S GOT A BAD REPUTATION

Mar 28, 2022

TODD BROWN

I GOT A HOT DATE WEDNESDAY WITH AN OLD LOVER. Some of my friends are happy about it, most don't think I'm ready to face her again. I think they might be right...

... but, you know how love is.

We all loved her at one point last summer, she's that hot!

Those warm summer nights...

heartrate jumpy with anticipation
favorite kit looking just so
then the hardbreathing
gasps of pleasure
and pain

... our lover's nickname?

HOT LAPS.

Oh Boy! does she have a bad reputation...

... for ruining riders and racers,
boys and girls,
confidence,
swagger.

Join us if you're local: https://www.strava.com/clubs/pedalindustries

If not, start your own.

Begin on time
Do a parade lap so everybody knows the course
Race laps should be 20ish minutes X 3 laps.
Bonus, if you can make a loop where others can be seen
Double bonus, for different loops each week.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/changing-ponchos

Since the summer race/ride season is fast approaching, I'm going to keep this promotion going a few more days.

Use promo code: iSEEu

Saves you 20% on changing ponchos.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/changing-ponchos

---

164.5 (oops)
8 hrs (terrible night)
10 Pull Ups + 40 Power PushUps + 25 Heavy Squats
30 minutes recovery
45 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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10 AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT

Mar 27, 2022

TODD BROWN

WHAT IS THE PERFECT RACE? Is it winning? Returning unscathed? An insane adventure? A performance breakthrough?...

... could be all of the above.

Or none.

For me, it's perfect execution of my plan.

Result recognition is a sideshow.

The plan has 3 parts.

Preparation

Nutrition
Recovery
Time in the saddle
Strength training
Race Weight
Bike Set Up

The Race

Travel
Accommodations
Warm Up
Racing

Review and Repeat

Sure we want the race to go well, but when it comes to reviewing our performance, it's critical to analyze all 10 aspects of what went into hitting the finish line as fast as possible.

We can always do better,
10 times better.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/pages/get-raceday-ready-now

---

164
8 hrs (terrible night)
6 Pull Ups + 20 Power PushUps + 10 Heavy Squats
30 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

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I IDENTIFY AS...

Mar 26, 2022

TODD BROWN

IT WAS A ROUGH ONE TODAY. While I led my class up the long opening climb and down the riproaring singletrack. It didn't last forever...

... and I was left questioning my identity.

Not because my legs felt dead, not because I was beaten by better men. But, because I just didn't have it.

I didn't have what it takes to ride all out at a legit mountain bike race.

Halfway through I started to day dream, and tire out.

It can happen out here.

The terrain is gorgeous and the views expansive. Due to the very twisty course you never really see anybody unless you're right on their wheel. I found myself digging the vibe of nature...

... rather than blasting every berm.

And, just like that the fellas passed me and disappeared.

Which left me time to consider what kind of a racer I am at this point:

Roadie
MTBr
Graveler

I'm not even sure because I'm spending 1-2 days each week on each bike.

Am I a triathlete then?

Say it ain't so!

After a pleasant rest of the day, talking to friends. Rehashing it all. Hatching plans for the next one I had an interesting conversation with Nic Beeschan.

Nic beat everybody today, by a lot.

He's a pro.
Lives in a small mountain community.
He only rides MTB.

And there it was.

To perform at my very best, to get those last percentages of performance, I'm going to have to specialize, go back to my roots...

... it's pretty clear.

If you don't have "it",
you've got to get "it".

Or, maybe I should stop identifying as a 20y/o punk...

... and go visit my grandson?

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/changing-ponchos

No, I don't have pics of what I'm about to share, you'll have to take my word.

There we were, chatting and eating some lunch and the ladies across the way roll in after their race.

Next thing we all know, much to our disbelief said ladies strip and change.

To each their own, but maybe they need to own a changing poncho?

Use promo code: iSEEu

Saves you 20% on changing ponchos, this weekend only.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/changing-ponchos

---

162.9
5.5 hrs (terrible night)
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
0 minutes recovery
20 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

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WHAT IF YOU WERE CHRIS FROOME?

Mar 25, 2022

TODD BROWN

CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING CHRIS FROOME RIGHT NOW? Going years without a result. Continuing to train your lycraclad buns off...

... and getting dropped again and again and again.

Of course you can.

We've all been there, some of us are there right now, and some of us, like Froome, may never get beyond that point of racing.

Racing is hard.

Everybody is at their best,
Everybody wants to win...

... everybody thinks they're a racer until they go months or years without a recognizable result.

And that's the difference between racers and riders.

Racers race.
Riders ride.

At this point, I'm more impressed with Froome than ever. That's a low bar. I was never a Froome fanboy. He was too humblebraggie, too awkward in his style, too robotic, and he fell off his bike too damn much...

... but, I love racers.

Especially those that keep lining up, regardless the odds.

When the world doesn't notice our struggles,
and battles and trials,
when the shyte hits the fan
and nothing is going right..

... racers keep racing.

No recognition needed.

Race on.

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

Got this from one of the racers using the RaceDay Ready™ training protocol.

Have you checked it out?

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

---

162.9
7.5 hrs
2 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
80 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

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ARE YOU RIDING OR DRIVEN?

Mar 24, 2022

TODD BROWN

SOME OF US ARE HAPPY TO BE RIDING, others are driven. Today, I ran into two of my pals. Each has huge, demanding events coming up this spring and summer. One is supremely confident...

... the other has a long way to go.

The one who is confident is doing BWR San Diego, a hellacious test of endurance and bike handling skill.

He's been training all winter.

When I saw him today he was on his race bike, a gravel rig. High up on the single tracks above our little town...

... ripping.

You ready?

Oh, yeah. All the dudes are scared. They know I'm coming for them.

We should all feel this sure of our selves before such a race.

But, it takes a lot work.

Hard work.

Prepration.

The less confident of my pals called me up.

I got into Leadville.

Are you training?

No, I just got over Covid - again.

Dang.

Yeah, but I'm ready to go.

Ok.

You've done it a bunch, I want you to train me and get me ready.

You're sure you're healed and ready for this.

For sure, I'm in.

Is he really ready for this?

I dunno, but we're gonna find out real quick if he's just riding it.

To be honest, I'm not sure there's a right way to do it. Both have their merits.

I only know my way, set an impossible goal and do everything possible...

... to make it happen.

If you're driven like us, check this out:

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

---

162.4
7 hrs
12 Pull Ups + 20 Power PushUps + 12 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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RIDE LIKE THE WIND

Mar 23, 2022

TODD BROWN

UNLESS YOU HAVE DONE A LOT OF SAILING, you really have a limited understanding of the wind. Sailors learn to see it, feel it, hear it, taste it...

... and have a distinct advantage when road racing.

At one time, I was consumed with sailing.

The family catamaran turned into an obsession with Hobie Cats, which morphed into windsurfing...

... to eventually teaching windsurfing to pay for school.

Knowing the wind is everything in sailing.

Here's what you need to know when it comes to riding bikes:

The wind direction changes based on how fast you are moving.
A breakaway with a tailwind is more likely to succeed than one with a headwind because the draft is effectively neutralized with a strong enough wind.
With speed, a side wind becomes a headwind.
When drafting, move around behind the rider in front and find the sweet spot, where the wind is marginalized.
A proper pace line will have the fast side leeward (protected by the wind) and the pulling off side windward (taking the wind).
The larger the group, the shorter the time spent on the front.
It's usually easier to be in the rotation than trying to hang onto the back of the group.

The biggest of those is the first.

In a group, or alone, the faster you are moving the more the wind will hit you in the face.
It's not so much that the wind is changing directions as much as the pace of the riding has changed significantly.

Second, be aware of attacks with a tailwind.
They are hardashell to bring back.

Crafty racers will look at the predicted wind on a weather app the day before a race.
What part of the course will the group provide shelter?
Where might an attack happen?
And check it again pre-race.

Devilish racers looking to win, will "put the race in the gutter".
This means if the wind is coming from the left they will race as far right as possible so there is little to no draft to be had behind them.

Racers who know what their doing...

... ride like the wind.

https://music.apple.com/us/album/ride-like-the-wind/527320131?i=527320136

Some months are windier than others.

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

Sea Otter is coming up for me.

I've had some hellawindy days on the circuit race there. Gonna do it again, and then hit the endurance MTB the next day.

All prepping for the ridiculous sub-8 Leadville quest.

You do have your RaceDay Calendar™, right?

Ships free.

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

---

161.9
8 hrs
6 Pull Ups + 10 Power PushUps + 6 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

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I LIKE IT LIVE

Mar 22, 2022

TODD BROWN

LIVE PERFORMANCES ARE THE BEST. They are risky. There's no faking, either you've got the talent of you don't...

... just like racing.

Sure you can crush the Zwiftoton,
destroy the groupie ride,
steal KOMmies...

... but, do you have it on RaceDay?

It's risky.

Cash
Time
Travel
Equipment
Training
Nutrition
Fitness

So many things to coordinate.

And when all goes right, when you know you're ready, when you give every last bit of your body, mind and soul to delivering the performance of your lifetime...

... that's just dawgawn beautiful.

I'll watch that all day long.

Like this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voH11xV4AKI

skip to 1:30

If you're looking for an edge or just to get started.

Here's where'd I'd start: https://pedalindustries.com/pages/get-raceday-ready-now

---

163.4
7.4 hrs
12 Pull Ups + 40 Power PushUps + 24 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

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HOW OFTEN DO YOU GO TO THE BEAUTY PARLOR?

Mar 21, 2022

TODD BROWN

I DON'T HIT THE BEAUTY PARLOR TOO OFTEN. It's definitely, without a doubt, my very favorite indulgence in this wonderful quest to be faster. Sitting and talking with my stylist...

... the time just flies by.

Today's beauty appoint was a bit of an emergency.

Like a total rookie, I swapped my cleats before the big AZ races. That wasn't the rookie part, not marking them perfectly before the swap...

... was so unpro.

I made do, but it wasn't great.

In fact it got to the point of knowing if I went much longer I'd be risking long-term damage. Not a good place to be when I have a big races two of the next three weekends.

The amazing Ashley may not have been...

trimming,
adding color,
waxing my ears,
plucking my brows,
or giving me a mani and pedi...

... but, I just love sitting there and talking to him while he works...

... swapping saddles,
adjusting heights,
aligning cleats.

He's a wealth of insight and knowledge. I always learn something, often a lot...

... he intently listens to all the drama in my life.

Before you ask what it costs, not you, but you the new racer just winging and eyeballing things...

... what is the cost of discomfort, untapped power and potential permanent sportending damage?

You don't know do you?

Exactly my point.

If you haven't, and most of you have, go find the best bike fitter in town. Ask for referrals. Eventually you'll find the hidden treasure you've been looking for...

... and you will feel just as fast and sexy as hell I do right now.

If you're local to me, I got just the guy.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/helmets

Part of feeling fast and sexy is having a great helmet.

Blowing out the remaining inventory, save 40%.

Protone

1 Red Medium

Valegro

1 Light Blue Medium

Rapido

1 Large Red
1 Large Black
1 Medium Black
1 Medium Anthricite

Use promo code: NOGGIN to save 40% (up to $120) before 3/23

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/helmets

---

163.4
7.7 hrs
12 Pull Ups + 30 Power PushUps + 32 Heavy Squats
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

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DON'T WAIT FOR YOUR TURN TO COME

Mar 20, 2022

TODD BROWN

YESTERDAY WE ALL WITNESSED A MASTERPIECE OF TURNING. It was brilliant. Carving perfect lines, tires gasping for grip...

... captured on video.

Matej Mohoric's triumphant plummet off the Poggio was brilliant.

Did you notice how early he set up each turn?

You couldn't see it on the video.

You could see a lot...

... including the crazy two wheel drift he miraculously corrected, twice.

But, not the set up.

Not until the post victory interview.

I heard it, but it didn't register at first. He simply said, We worked really hard on the set up.

I tried to figure out what he was trying to explain...

... then it all came to light.

Already known as a death defying descender, he and his team mounted a dropper post on his road bike...

... which lowered his center of gravity and made him even more aerodynamic.

They set the bike up months before and then dialed in how the changes would improve his outstanding ability to get down the mountain...

... faster than anybody else.

This incremental increase gave him just enough additional speed to open up a gap of 8ish seconds...

... all he needed.

Racing the final kilometers the road was smooth and safe, a place where normally a fast descender would be caught.

Not this time.

It was over.

Months ago Matej decided it was his turn to win Milan-San Remo.

As I quoted yesterday...

It is the will to prepare to win,
that is important.

Set your turns up early:

Inspect the course if you can
Choose you tires, and pressure
Set up your bike position
and suspension

Cross the apex, and exit in a better position than you ever have before...

... stun you competitors.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/helmets

And, for heaven's sake...

... wear a bitchin' helmet.

Blowing out the remaining inventory, save 40%.

Protone

1 Red Medium

Valegro

1 Light Blue Medium

Rapido

1 Large Red
1 Large Black
1 Medium Black
1 Medium Anthricite

Use promo code: NOGGIN to save 40% (up to $120) before 3/23

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/helmets

---

163.4
7.2 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
10 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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IF YOU AIN'T CHEATIN' YA AIN'T TRYIN'

Mar 19, 2022

TODD BROWN

I THOUGHT IT WAS THE GREAT BOBBY KNIGHT WHO SAID If ya ain't cheating you ain't trying, maybe because March Madness is on or maybe just because he said so many funny and profound things...

... and I did a little cheating recently.

I use to cheat a lot.

Every Sunday, and a lot of days in between.

Chips n salsa.

Sleeves of Thin Mints.

Dozens of doughnuts.

I think it was His Excellence, Tim Ferriss, who drove the concept home in The Four Hour Body.

While there is some good info in there...

... cheat days, as I've learned relearned and learned again, ain't one of 'em.

Even once a week.

Not if you're really committed to peak performance...

... and the reason is simple.

If you've laid back in your own personal dental chair
with a pair of greasy vice grips in hand
yanked hard on that sweet tooth
and tossed it down in trash
you know what I mean.

Once it's out...

... it's like casting out the devil.

The shackles are broken, the cords loosened...

... you are free to roam about the house with zero temptation.

But, if you're anything like me, give that devil an inch and it's over.

Just this week, Surfergirl brought home a giant, fresh, delicious sourdough bread.

Golden crust.

Thick.

Want a bite?

Nah.

Sure?

Well, okay, just a bite.

Next thing I know I'm up in the middle of the night like a feverish, drug addicted rat searching all corners for that bread I asked to be hid.

Morning came.

Uh, Handsome did you find the bread?

Mmmmmaybe.

Did you leave any?

Uhhhhhh, you know I love you and how I begged you to hide it.

I did hide it!

Not good enough.

Uh-oh

By the way, we're out of butter.

This quote of Bobby's is a little more apropos:

The key is not the will to win.
Everybody has that.
It is the will to prepare to win,
that is important.
- Bobby Knight.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/helmets

Quote's like the above are thoughtful,
thoughtful people are smart,
smart people wear helmets,
this is a helmet blowout.

Protone

1 Red Medium
1 Black Small

Valegro

1 Light Blue Medium

Rapido

1 Large Red
1 Large Black
1 Large White
1 Medium Black
1 Medium Anthricite

Use promo code: NOGGIN to save 40% (up to $120) before 3/23

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/helmets

---

163.7
6.7 hrs
6 Pull Ups + 10 Power PushUps + 8 Heavy Squats
10 minutes recovery
10 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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THE RIGHT WAY TO DO ZONE 2 TRAINING

Mar 18, 2022

TODD BROWN

ZONE 2 TRAINING HAS BECOME ESSENTIAL TO ME. There is nothing better to build a huge cardio engine...

... but that is only the half of it.

Nearly all of my zone 2 training is alone.

Like most, my schedule can get hectic, and it is a challenge to meet others for a session more than once or twice a week...

... so, it's just me.

Not only am I riding in solitude, but the majority of the rides are off-road, in nature. Or, off the highway on a bike path.

Here is where I tap into the superpower of zone 2...

... and maybe you do the same.

I noticed it long ago, when a certain infamous champion dominated cycling's collective consciousness. As I rode along, I imagined I was him. My posture changed, my cadence changed, my thoughts were elevated to those of a champion.

Years later, I realize zone 2 can be a meditative workout.

Far from the distractions of life, I am with my thoughts. Sometimes, for sure, I am envisioning a great outcome on the bike. Reviewing what I'll do in preparation, and how I will perform at a given time...

..., but, that's not all.

I take this time to imagine all areas of life having the outcomes I desire. My marriage, our kids and grandkids. Our long-term physical and spiritual health. The people I serve. And, most definitely, where PEDALindustries is headed.

That is how I do zone 2 training...

... how about you?

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/lotions-that-make-you-go/products/bikeshop-dz-nutz-pro-chamois-cream-4oz-tube

When I'm out for a really, really, really long zone 2 sesh, I like to have a little lotion for my bits and pieces...

... and this is my favorite.

Lasts longer and requires less than other brands.

Use promo code: ZTWO

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/lotions-that-make-you-go/products/bikeshop-dz-nutz-pro-chamois-cream-4oz-tube

---

163.5
7.6 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 24 Power PushUps + 24 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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FIGHTING EFFECTIVELY

Mar 17, 2022

TODD BROWN

RACING IS ENDLESS BATTLE AND CONFLICT, and you cannot race effectively unless you can identify your enemies. That's my twist on a great Robert Greene post...

... but who are your enemies?

It matters.

Because, choosing worthy adversaries and worthy races will bring about worthy training.

Which is exactly why I'm so excited to race the famous and awesome Sagebrush Safari next weekend.

Last year it kicked my butt.

This year it should have more tough competitors.

Do I have a chance at winning? To be honest, I don't think so.

And, I love that.

To race against the best guys around these parts on a classic, long loop course that is technically challenging...

... that is a worthy endeavor.

When you think about it, having enemies is kind of an immature way to look at it. Adversaries sounds a little better...

... I prefer bringoutmybesties.

And what about the enemy of my enemy is my friend?

That actually turns out to be very true in road racing. Figuring out who is likely to win and who is anxious to prove that wrong can work to the benefit of a calculating competitor.

It doesn't work so well in the dirt. The speeds aren't high enough, the terrain too challenging.

Let's not leave out this maxim: a common enemy brings us all together.

The place I have seen this be most true is in regards to a beastly course like Leadville. A bunch of us from around these parts are going this year and we'll definitely all be training together and sharing ideas about how best to go about slaying the monster.

A final note I feel compelled to share:

Nevertheless, when the wicked rule the people mourn.

Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.

Therefore, renounce war and proclaim peace.

On a lighter note, we made some really fun custom gloves for the promote of the Sagebrush Safari, Quick N Dirty. They wanted a mustache on the forefinger.

So, if you've to an idea for a custom glove for your team or event or shop or company, etc.

Click here and we'll get a design going for you, the minimum is only 50 pair:

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

---

163.5
7.6 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 24 Power PushUps + 24 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

Get RaceDay Ready™

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

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AS EASY AS 3-2-1

Mar 16, 2022

TODD BROWN

ON THE START LINE IT’S INEVITABLE TO ASK, What the heck am I doing here? We know the pain ahead, the unknown treachery of the elements and competitors. There is only one way to remain calm and feel serene…

… as the announcer counts down.

Close your eyes, say a little prayer if you like, and envision your RaceDay Calendar™.

You knew back then what it would take to get you to the line, ready to slay the day. Like a general at war, you marshalled your most valuable commodity, time, and made this happen.

You...

Registered and did

All you could do.

Committed to the process.

Expect good things happen.

Reviewed every training ride and low-level race to get here.

You’re a RACER.

Some of you, knowing things would get hairy, tapped into our training and accountability…

… the dynamic daily check in.

For 10 minutes, you jumped on a call with 9 other racers.
Reported your stats from the day before
Your plans for the day ahead.
As you listened to the 9 others, your motivation grew.
You made new friends and allies.
You became bulletproof.

You’re ready my fine, inspiring friend…

… RaceDay Ready!™

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/pages/get-raceday-ready-now

There are 3 tools I use to achieve maximum success.

The strategies in my book, The Way of The RACER.
The RaceDay Calendar™
The RaceDay Ready™ training and dynamic Accountability call.

Check it out here: https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/pages/get-raceday-ready-now

---

163.5
7.2 hrs
1 Pull Ups + 24 Power PushUps + 24 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

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2 VERY NASTY HABITS

Mar 15, 2022

TODD BROWN

I'M WELL ACQUAINTED WITH TWO NASTY HABITS. You might have your own demons, too. But, these aren't drinkin' er smoking' er foolin' around...

... there just plain nasty.

You might not have developed these habits, but you might want to.

I work on 'em all the dern time.

The first I was reminded of when one of my padwans checked in after the weekend's race. He hadn't raced in a few years, and certainly not a crit. Since I'm helping him get ready for Gran Fondo Nationals, I want him to race as much as possible...

... because there are some really nasty racers out there.

How'd it go Satterdee?

Oh, not too good.

Wha' happened.

They started real hard and I got dropped.

Nasty habit numero uno: start fast, make it hard, eject the unprepared.

The second nasty habit I was reminded of riding tonight. I'd run into the great Hoffy. I've never trained with or witnessed up close a racer more capable of this...

... lowdown, no-good, sunnuvagun maneuver.

If you ever managed to get in a break with him, heck if you just did training rides with him, he'd subject you to the worst experience of your life by blasting so hard over the top you'd swear he just might lift off and keep going to the moon.

Nasty habit numero dos: always, always, always crush it over the top.

There you have it, two nasty habits that if perfected can crush the spirits of any racer.

How do I practice them?

Sometimes I leave the house (not always on purpose) with no option but to go full gas from the very first pedal stroke because if I don't I know I won't make it to the meet up with the posse.

And, when training alone I love to really push hard over ever climb simply because

... it hurts a lot.

Remember...

... If they ain't gonna lead, make 'em bleed.

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

Do you have my to 3 tools for success on RaceDay?

You should.

Shouldn't ya?

Click here.

---

162.5
7 hrs
18 Pull Ups + 32 Power PushUps + 32 Heavy Squats
10 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

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WANT TO KNOW HOW I REALLY FEEL ABOUT THE ARIZONA RACES?

Mar 14, 2022

TODD BROWN

OK, I'VE BEEN A FUNK ALL DAY. Could just be getting back in the swing of work things after a week of racing, but I think it's more. To be perfectly honest...

... I'm ticked!

It started with the 2 second places at the road stage race.

I know what you're thinking.

You should be happy with second.

I'm not.

I have collected an otherworldly amount of 2nd place finishes. It's to the point Surfergirl hesitates to ask...

... yes, it's that freakin' bad.

Of course, I would be thrilled if I didn't think I had a chanceinhell of winning.

But, I won both of those stages 3 years ago. It was pretty much the same guys except for Dougie... and I know his M.O. is to attack and get away. I really screwed it up when I let him get away and gambled on the others chasing him down...

... I mean really screwed that up on the road race.

The subsequent circuit race had a $#!|show ending.

There was nothing I could do about the race official's terrible decision to stop us 2 miles before the sprint vs a lap earlier. I don't think I could have handled it any better than I did. Going from a near standstill, with a target on my back, was difficult...

... it just stung to get pipped at the line.

The icing on the cake, of course, was not listening to my spidersense and rolling with only 20lbs in my rear tire at The Cactus Cup MTB race Saturday. I'm just too much of a charger to pussyfoot it across the rocks.

Instead of a hardearned podium on a tough course against some real MTB ninjas...

... I did a 3 mile walk of shame.

Pushing my bike while my competitors mockingly (in my mind) rushed by, along with every other man, woman and child...

... really. really, really, really stunk.

To add to my pain, I have learned that Mavic, the makers of this fine rear wheel which I have absolutely loved...

... apparently isn't even operating in the US at the moment.

Am I screwed regarding their advertised lifetime warranty????

So, there you have it...
... I'm an angry old man today.

It has nothing to do with disrespecting my competitors and everything to do with...
... my high expectations for myself!

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

Good thing we received a new shipment of gloves today...

... retail therapy is real, even for me the maker.

Sometimes I wonder if you realize how much I put into every product we develop and sell.

Take these gloves

5 iterations until I was satisfied with the fit
Real leather palm, perforated for breathing
Heat sensitive thread on the fingertips for operating phone screens
Stretchy, breathable mesh on the top.
Fit so good, you'll forget you're wearing them.

And, yes, we can make them for your team... check out the bottom pic

The last pair we made for our friends at Quick N Dirty, promoters of some of my favorite MTB races.

So, yeah, I kept a pair for myself.

Remember, all gloves are buy one get one... just add them to your cart and the discount is automatic at check out.

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

---

164.7
8 hrs
18 Pull Ups + 16 Power PushUps + 30 Heavy Squats
30 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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6 RACES, 10 DAYS

Mar 13, 2022

TODD BROWN

I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE LAST 10 DAYS FOR ABOUT A YEAR. Racing two 3-day stages races on back to back weekends in AZ...

... what could be better?!

The rolling terrain means fast, fast racing.

Nothing slow.

No grinding.

That's the way I like it.

Home now, I'm feeling super blessed to have been able to pull it off.

To realize my latest training tweaks are real breakthroughs
To hang with friends I only see when traveling
To do some fun riding between the races
To camp out in the middle of nowhere
To get some pretty good results

I'll miss the quiet mornings and evenings, the expansive vistas and the clear, clean air...

... yep, feeling very fortunate.

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

Are you on track for the upcoming season?

If not, I highly recommend our Accountability program. You can demo it for free, starting Tuesday 3/15.

Use this promo code: ACCOUNTABILITYDEMO

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

---

163ish (no scale)
7.5 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats (minimumish day)
0 minutes recovery
150 minutes reading + Journaling

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PRIDE AND GREED, THEY'LL KILL YA EVER TIME

Mar 12, 2022

TODD BROWN

I WAS SO SMUGLY CONFIDENT IT WOULD BE A GOOD DAY. I'd held back in the TT, legs felt great, bike was perfect...

... but I ignored my spider sense.

And, it cost me.

Before I get there, here's a quick run down of the race.

As our group advanced towards the start line for our wave, an official stopped us.

We're gonna call up the top 10 first, the next 20 fastest can fill in behind, and the rest of ya's after that.

Gotta be honest, it's pretty cool getting called up to the start line.

1 minute!

30 seconds!

5-4-3-2-1...

... the local AZ stud pins on Go!

The first mile or so, it's one long charging centipede.

After the first, and only, stinging climb, it's pretty much over. Six of us are out of site...

... I feel great.

Historically, I'm shelled at this point. Not today.

Rider 5 blows.

Rider 4 blows.

I close gaps, but the pressure is just to much.

FluorescentGreenJerseyGuy rolls by and I jump on, and we're off. Nobody else is even close...

... the lead 3 are pulling away, the two of us are rocking.

In review, I see a lot of PRs.

I still feel really good, and I'm very happy to not have the Wahoo...

... racing on feel and an occasional glance at my Apple Watch.

Here's where the pride brings me down...

First,

The Mini RaceDay Bag™ 2.0 turned out really great. It's just super clean the way it mounts. I love the way it holds everything silently. I'm real proud of the way it looks on my bike. Racy.

One problem.

I had it all set up for road, meaning all the dynaplugs were road ready. Sure I had the fat heads for MTB, but they weren't locked and loaded.

Second,

FluorescentGreenJerseyGuy sits on my wheel for a long, long time. To be fair, I'd done the same. But, when I gallantly pulled through I was sure to do it at a pace he could latch on.

When he passed me, after 40 minutes of following, he went hard. Gapped me. It happens, you rest and rest and rest and ya just can't resist making a strong move.

I know that.

So, I watched him ease ahead...

... then stop gaining...

... with the top of a 1 mile, rocky climb in sight, I closed the gap and jumped him for the equally rocky down hill.

Went as fast as I could.

He is a really good bike handler and stayed glued.

There was only one more really rocky descent and I was still in front. I purposely went as fast as I could hoping he would flat.

Oops.

Not a good idea.

I flatted.

Are you keep track of my pride? Didn't check my equipment set up and figured I could force him to flat because I have had such good luck with my tires.

That's just stupid.

I got busy fixing the flat. It took 6 or 7 minutes, 1.5 air cartridges, 4 dynaplugs.

After about 3 minutes 5th and 6th place went by.

3ish minutes later I finally got the tire to hold air.

And here comes the greed.

I was concerned the tire might not seal, so I didn't use that last 1/2 of the canister.

I should have.

While I was back up to speed, going as hard or harder than I did on the TT yesterday, I passed 6th place then I passed AZ stud who'd also flatted.

Back up to 4th.

If only I hadn't been so greedy and anxious to make up lost time. I would have heeded that rear wheel's screams for more air.

Instead, I nailed another rock with such excellent precision that a shattered the rim.

Lessons learned:

Check, doublecheck, triplecheck all equipment.
Slow the heck down and repair the bike properly before hauling off.
Always listen to the Spidersense which was yelling You need more than 20lbs for this course!!!

In the shouldacouldawoulda world, there was a podium spot waiting for me. 3rd for sure, but I'm pretty sure I'da won a sprint up the long straightaway.

Oh, one more lesson...

... I do better ignoring the data and just racing my dern bike.

The Wahoo (which I found in the wrong pocket of my RaceDay Bag™) is great for training rides, but I am confident I'm faster without it during really intense racing.

That's just me.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/mini-raceday-bag-2-0

You might be asking why I don't have a Mini RaceDay Bag™ 2.0 for each bike. The answer to that is, I'm running the prototype and the first batch is in sewing right now.

Doesn't that look sharp!

That black strap is printed, and yes, absolutely yes, we can print it in your team colors.

Order here:

https://pedalindustries.com/products/mini-raceday-bag-2-0

163ish (no scale)
7.75 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
0 minutes recovery
0 minutes reading + Journaling

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AREN'T WE A SUPERSTITIOUS LOT

Mar 11, 2022

TODD BROWN

WE ALL HAVE OUR SUPERSTITIOUS BELIEFS. Some are rituals we Have to do, others drinks or foods or warm ups. Even if we think we are rational...

... we aren't, as much as we think.

I'm okay with that.

Conceiving is believing is achieving.

It's a well worn trail to enlightment and confidence.

But, when one of our Gotta haves is missing it can throw us off our game...

... really mess with our heads.

Then we have a choice.

Believe all is lost or potentially breakthrough to a new way of doing things.

I have found breaking the superstitions to generally be a good way to develop what was once a potential skill into something I know and can depend on.

Case in point:

During my travels to these races I've managed to misplace my Wahoo. How you ask? By not putting it back in the proper pocket of my RaceDay Bag™. Oops.

If there was ever a time to use a computer to track our efforts, it's Saturday's 40 miles MTB race. From experience, I know there will be hours when I'm alone. That would be an ideal time to lean on the HR monitor for pacing.

I do have my Apple Watch. I can glance at it occasionally, but not as easily or safely at speed, off road..

TBH, I wish I had the Wahoo. It's useful. I trust it.

There are two choices:

cry, Wo is me, all is lost
or, F' that... it probably kept me from going fast enough anyway.

By now, you know me well enough to know how I'll play...

... and how I recommend you play it.

As I state in my book, Expect good things to happen.

---

I wrote the above earlier today, before the TT in the afternoon.

Riding purely on feel, I started out slower than last year but managed to PR the course. I'm pretty happy with that, and encouraged to ride on feel tomorrow.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/collections/the-way-of-the-racer

Dominic, from New Jersey, introduced himself to me at the Cactus Cup venue this morning. He had one of my book flyers in his hand, wrinkled.

Do you have any books?

Oh man, no I don't.

Shame on you.

I'm sorry, and thanks for the reminder. You can always order it and pay the shipping.

I know, just wanted a signed copy.

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163ish (no scale)
8 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
1- minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling

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PRE-RIDING LIKE A PRO

Mar 10, 2022

TODD BROWN

PROS ARE SO GOOD AND TRAVEL SO MUCH, they often don't pre-ride a course. They don't need to. We do, and here's how to do it...

... in a pro way.

Nearly all of us have had the exhilarating and nerve-racking opportunity to be in a school/community play.

We get the line(s) and memorize at home.

It's all great until the dress rehearsal.

That's where we find out just how nervous we are, how hard it is to remain focused...

... and deliver that dang part!

We go home, practice some more.

The next dress rehearsal goes better.

Repeat they cycle a few more times...

... and a star is born!

Think of your intervals, your bike prep, loading your RaceDay Bag™, etc as memorizing your lines...

... perfect all of it.

Get out to the course as early as possible and pre-ride it as close as possible to your raceday set up...

... this is your dress rehearsal.

Take note of everything:

Weather
Angle of sun
Terrain surface
Exit and entrance angles on turns
Final miles
Duration
etc

And, if possible, repeat the cycle a few more times.

Can't get out there early? Read up on it. Look for videos. Search out others who have raced the course. There is a lot that can be done remote.

Too many of us forget our lines on raceday...

... lose our minds and blow it.

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

I was happy to see a lot of PEDALindustries gloves and socks on the warm up today.

Lots of colors to choose from, in Men's and Women's sizes.

Perfect for your next dress rehearsal and on sale right now...

... buy the gloves and socks, and the socks will be $0 at check out.

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

163ish (no scale)
8 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
0 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling

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THE LIFE OF A BIKE WIDOW(ER)

Mar 09, 2022

TODD BROWN

THERE IS A THICK LINE BETWEEN TRAINING and Whattheheck are you doing to our relationship? If it was a fine line, we'd be fine. But, it's thick...

... and easy to ride on.

Which can be a problem because riding that line sends all the wrong signals to those we love.

If it were skinny, like a parking lot line, we'd fall one way or the other. It is a lot more like the road paved to hell...

... wide and welcoming.

I was reminded of that today when the above pic came in. Surfergirl and EasyE's lover shot us a picture of them suffering through another day without us...

... just look at those smiles.

They are beyond missing us and our goofy diets, obsessive resting, and wandering in and out during the day from bike to work to gym to work, and so on...

... a break is good from time to time.

I was careful to schedule a surf trip with her before I left, and have time set aside to surf with her in preparation for the adventure...

... she's never been more supportive.

Of course, it's planned right in between a giant racing block and the start of my insane Leadville quest...

... just don't tell her that.

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

The giant RaceDay Calendar™ isn't just for plotting out world domination...

... it's great making sure all the important stuff happens all year long.

Have you ordered yours yet...

... or are you the type that wings?

Plan your work, work your plan.

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

163ish (no scale)
8 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
0 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling

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SHOULD EX-PROS RACE IN THE AMATEUR AGE GROUPS.

Mar 08, 2022

TODD BROWN

SHOULD EX-PROS BE RACING AMATEUR AGE GROUPS? This came up twice over the weekend. And, I have a definite opinion which I'm guessing...

... 50% of you are going to hate.

In the 40+ men's race, an ex-pro crushed the time trial, soloed most of the road race, and did the same thing in the circuit race.

It wasn't close, at all.

That's an ex-pro road racer.

We also have many ex-pros from other sports who pick up bike racing and start ripping it up and blowing everyone away.

My opinion?

First, I think it's weird that anybody regularly signs up for any kind of competition and handily destroys all comers.

Where is the fun in that?

Battling is fun. Being pushed to your limits is fun. Winning is fun...

... but, not when it's a lock...

... unless it's your livelihood.

To me, that's just weird.

I think that's why you see many "older" lifelong bicycle racers, Ned and Tinker come to mind, who still race pro.

Second, I flipping love seeing these "seasoned" racers still killing it. Whether it's as an age-grouper or racing pro...

... it freakin' inspires the helloutta me, and gives me hope to maintain what the good lord gave me to work with.

Third, there aren't a million of these cats anyway.

Which means, we all have a very good chance of sharing the podium with a legend...

... and that is about as cool as it gets in my book.

I searched and searched for the podiums with me and Tinker, no luck, you'll have to trust me.

That's Jeff Ward above, Supercross World champ and Indy car racer sharing the podium with me last year at CritCross...

... and I'm dang happy to rub shoulders and become friends with this caliber of athlete.

Who knows, maybe I'll outlast them,
or they'll have a really bad day,
or a mechanical breakdown,
and I'll get the V.

Which brings it all back to this...

... stop comparing yourself.

Winning is nice, PRs are better...

... only you know if you gave your best.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

If you're having trouble staying the course,

if you're looking for massive improvement,

If you like hanging out with people really going for it

Click here: https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

163ish (no scale)
8.2 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
75 minutes reading + Journaling

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HATE THE WHEELSUCKING, NOT THE WHEELSUCKER

Mar 07, 2022

TODD BROWN

I COULD ONLY LAUGH. After chasing down multiple attacks, and doing my galdarn bestest to keep things together and fast...

... I was called a wheelsucker.

Oh, the horror!

A sprinter, with no teammates, and limited timetrialing ability accused of being a wheelsucker...

... no shyte Shylock.

But, really, what is a wheelsucker?

Sure, it's someone who is trying to spend the least amount of energy possible and get a good result...

... which everybody does to differing degrees.

If someone is sucking your wheel, it sucks. Totally.

You're working, they aren't (as much).

You're strong, they're cautious...

... or trying to wear you down
or get in your head
or intimidated by your reputation of dispatching mere mortals
or they're just hanging on as best they can.

How do you get rid of a wheelsucker?

Just like Dougie did on Saturday, attack attack attack until you get away.
Sit up, let them by and suck their wheel.
Send teammates on the attack to wear the suckers out.

Whatever you do, don't get mad.

They're racing their race, you race yours. Make you're own luck...

... and heavens sakes, realize it's a compliment to your obvious superior power.

Which reminds me, I have a brutal XC race on Saturday. 3ish hours. There's no wheelsuckery in mountain biking...

Strongest rider
With best handling skills
Who's bike stays together
And has a superior nutrition strategy

... always wins.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/racedayready-bronze-5-mo

Did you like this?

Then, check this, https://pedalindustries.com/products/racedayready-bronze-5-mo

---

163ish (no scale)
8 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats (minimumish day)
20 minutes recovery
75 minutes reading + Journaling

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3 THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WERE THE KING OF USA CYCLING

Mar 06, 2022

TODD BROWN

WELLLLLLL, AFTER A HOT SHOWER AND SOME TIME TO REFLECT, I've driven back to the circuit race to soak in the vibe. We had an interesting finale, leaving many heads shaking...

... and me asking, how could we fix it?

It's not just the issue we had, it's bigger.

But, here's a specific example.

On the final lap, after 90 minutes of racing, after covering moves and fighting for position the pro field came by us...

... with 2 miles to go.

I'm a sprinter, and as any sprinter can tell you, the final 2 miles have a lot of drama. Everybody with a shot wants to be in the perfect position, and we're all counting on the speeds to remain high...

... instead the race official reined us to a near stand still.

When all the pros and their caravan of cars were final through, we had about a mile to go. Frankly, I didn't care to much because we were still all in about the same position...

... but, that's not how a lot of guys felt.

There was much yelling for a protest finish. Their big idea was to slowly roll in together.

And, I'm thinking What the hell? Protest what? We invested a lot of money and time to be here: entry fees, travel, lodging, training, gear and bikes. All told, it's an embarrassing amount...

... to let go to waste.

Meanwhile, the 60 guys behind the boisterous, whiney lead 20 have no clue what's going on up front, and when we make the final turn and the road opens up they come galloping through like an unruly herd of buffalo.

Not ideal.

So, what would I do if I was king of USA Cycling?

I would expand my kingdom and take care of my people.

Here's how:

Bring in professional staff

In most cases, races are put on by a local promoter who knows the community and the ins and outs of getting things done. Bonus points for those promoters able to obtain significant sponsorship cash.

The execution of the event on race day can be overwhelming, this I know from personal promoting experience. Having professional staff come in and take care of logistics would be an incredible help. More importantly, it could standardize the product being offered.

Most promoters are part-time at best. They are awesome in every way. However, it's an awful lot to ask volunteers with little to no knowledge of racing to take care of hundreds of wound up competitors on raceday.

How to do this? Charge more.

As pointed out above, the entry fees are minuscule compared to everything else we put in to it as competitors.

What about promoters who have enough races to have staff? Listen to the input and ideas they have to bring everybody's offering to a new, higher level.

Most of us have been to an event like Leadville or BWR or QuickNDirty or OverTheHump or CBR and know what a quality experience it can be. Those events, and many others are thriving. They aren't cheap and it shows in the product delivered.

In addition to staff, I'd bestow the local promoters with sponsorship dollars from our national parters and let them keep any local sponsorship money for themselves. In other words, I'd do everything possible to make sure a reasonable profit was turned vs. a stinging loss of cash.

Own Community and The Data

Part of this equation would be to have ALL races in one database. Easy to find events, with a standard format for navigating everything from Registration to arrival at the Start line.

Further, all racers would listed there. We could easily see who our competitors are and this wouldn't be just for seeing what they are up to. It would be the place for racers to connect. So many times I've met a really cool cat at a far away race and never been able to easily stay in touch.

How to do this? Offer this for technology free to the promoters and racers.

Use an ad driven model to boost the hundred or so we already kick in. It doesn't have to be spammy, carefully curated ads from companies who love what we do and make things we would love to have could be wonderful.

Race Numbers

Can't we all have a permanent race number?

3 characters - numbers and letters.

Then, we can have a standardized race number size and print it right on our jerseys.

No more pins.

No more giant numbers covering our pockets.

No more ruined jerseys with a million pin holes and tears.

No more race officials yelling at the poor racer who failed to follow their particular race's peculiar number placement.

Racer check in would be much smoother, too.

A Final Word

We all love our sport. All our lives have been changed and generally improved. We are healthier than most of the population and have made terrific friends.

We all want it to grow.

Everybody.

Promoters.

Racers.

Fans.

You.

Me.

Oh, and for those of you still reading, with all the chaos of the final mile I managed another 2nd place...

... and I'm pretty happy about that.

Got a different opinion? Something to add? I'm down to collect all ideas and consolidate before sending to the real king.

---

Pulled off the dark desert highway. My head heavy, and my sight dim.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/changing-ponchos

This changing poncho always reminds me of my times racing in the desert.

Grab any poncho by Monday and save 15% with this promo code: KING4ADAY

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/changing-ponchos

---

163ish (no scale)
8 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats (minimumish day)
0 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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RACING ON THROUGH

Mar 05, 2022

TODD BROWN

THERE ARE TWO THINGS I LOVE ABOUT RACING IN TUCSON, things we don't have in my parts. There are also things we do have, and I was reminded of them as I pulled into Waffle House...

... at 5am.

A shadowy figure had crossed road and headed towards the same door I was pointing for.

He got there first.

Opened the door, but didn't go in.

As I squeezed past, I could see he was young. The dark circles under his eyes needed rest. Tattoos encircled his neck.

I ordered my usual, which is only my usual here because no Waffle House in CA.

He stood looking in, his dark skin and hair barely visible.

I opened the door.

Are you hungry.

A nod.

Come in.

Order whatever you want.

He was silent. Was it the fatigue, the cold? I don't know.

Miss, please double my order.

This early, they only prepare orders to go.

I sat back and listened to the sweet, soft spoken voice of this young man.

Do you have a phone?

In the car.

He turned to the server.

Do you know how to get to the halfway house? A church, for rehab.

Eventually, the cook pipped up with directions.

My food was ready. I hesitated, should I give him a ride? What kind of delay would that be for my race? Shamefully, I drove away...

... thinking of my own kids.

Would they have ended up on this troubled path if they'd had a different upbringing? I thought about him, would he have a degree and an enjoyable career? A stable, loving relationship?

I'll never know because I'm just racing through life right now, feeling like I've done my part...

... but, maybe there is more to do?

The race went well.

My pal Doug did his thing and eventually broke away, putting 2 1/2 minutes on us. I did my thing and snagged 2nd place and moved up to 6th on GC...

... which only served to remind me, everybody needs a second chance.

The desire to reach out to the less fortunate when I return is strong right now. The pressures of running a business are sequestered, and I'm an emotional guy. I know for a fact my own church has just the place for me to plug in and do what I can in my own town...

... just gotta commit.

Oh, and that other thing I love about Tucson...

Now this is chicken soup!

Do you know what is so powerful about an accountability call?

Being accountable.

Exactly the kind of thing I'm going to use when I get home...

... and the kind of thing you could use to dynamically improve your life.

Use this promo code: ACCOUNTABILITYDEMO

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

---

163ish (no scale)
6.5 hrs
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats (minimumish day)
40 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling

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WHAT I LEARNT IN THE PROLOGUE TODAY

Mar 04, 2022

TODD BROWN

THE LAST TIME I RACED TUCSON, the opening stage was a short time trial. Today it was even shorter. A real prologue...

... 8ish minutes, all out.

Who ever practices that?

Not me, but apparently some do...

... and they were really fast.

Unless you are a true specialist, or at least practice it a bit, doing any kind of prologue or time trial is a total mind screw.

You know you're not great, why try?
You know it's short, why not go for it?
You know stages races are usually one by ripping the timed event, why not save it for the other days?

I don't think you get the picture. You think you do. But, you might not. Because those thoughts aren't just entertained during breakfast.

They start as whispers the moment you sign up. Very quiet. Easy to ignore, but they come back. And, if you're a not a specialist you dissuade yourself of believing you have a chance.

Unfortunately, with an hour to go the thoughts return. Not quiet. Yelling. Commanding you to make up your mind.

You warm up, trying to avoid engaging your thoughts.

Do it.
Don't do it.

Go for it.
Take it easy.

You have a chance!
Save it for tomorrow.

When you roll up to the line and the official clock is counting down, it's deafening. Which devil is going to take control...

... the charger or the lackey?

You hear the beep, stop on the pedals and say to yourself...

... F this, I'm going for it!

A few minutes in, it really starts to hurt. The lackey tries to come up for air, but the charge in you throttles him with every racing thud of your beautifully beating heart...

... gawd, I feel fantastic!

So, here's what I learnt:

I am ok at this
I should practice it a bit
I'm in pretty good shape considering the last few months
And... 15 seconds out of first with a very, very slim chance of still making the podium in the overall.

https://pedalindustries.com/pages/share-our-mission-earn-a-commission

I saw quite a few RaceDay Bags™ at the venue. One by one we are making raceday better for so many people.

It makes me happy.

If it makes you happy too, become an affiliate.

You'll get a code to share with your friends that saves them 10% and you'll also get 10% cash on every purchase.

#winning

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---

163ish (no scale)
8
0 Pull Ups + 0 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats (minimumish day)
40 minutes recovery
0 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

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View Details

THE LAST RACE

Mar 03, 2022

TODD BROWN

PULLING INTO TUCSON THIS EVENING, I WONDERED IF THIS WOULD BE MY LAST ROAD RACE? I mean, I just drove 7 hours to do a road race...

... there just aren't any options in SoCal.

Kinda makes ya wonder, what if tomorrow was your last race...

... and you knew it?

In fact, what if you'd known for a few months...

... tomorrow is the very last one, ever?

Would you be kinder to the volunteers or more dismissive?

How early would you get to the start?

How intensely would you train?

Would you embrace your long-time competitors or be aloof?

Would you attack from the gun or patiently wait for things to unfold?

Would you focus on the wheel in front of you or drown in the sounds of hubs, chains and rims?

If there was a mishap would you stop or hammer on?

Would you leave nothing to chance or be nonchalant in your prep?

Would you bike be pristine or worn out?

How important would it be to win?

What if you lost?

And that's the problem with the last race...

... it could always be tomorrow.

---

162.9
7
6 Pull Ups + 6 Power PushUps + 0 Heavy Squats
0 minutes recovery
40 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

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US AND THEM

Mar 02, 2022

TODD BROWN

THERE REALLY IS A CULTURAL DIVIDE. You notice when talking with others, particularly if they haven't see you for a while...

... and don't know what you've been up to.

Happened to me just the other day.

You're really skinny.

I'm lean.

I mean you've lost a lot of weight.

It was mostly fat.

I bet it was hard to do.

Not really.

I hate working out.

I can tell.

Did you have to give up a bunch of food?

Yeah, all the crap that was killing me.

(silence)

Any other questions?

Isn't it great to be weird...

... totally different from them!

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

Want to take your weirdness to a whole 'nother?

Try the Accountability Call for free.

Yep, a free 2 week demo.

You have to do the following:

Be willing to give something up if you fail to show up each day.
Have a big Why
Have a clearly defined result you want to achieve

If that's you, click the link below.

I'd love to have you join us.

We start on 3/15.

Do it!

Use this promo code: ACCOUNTABILITYDEMO

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

---

163
7.25
6 Pull Ups + 6 Power PushUps + 6 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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

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RACE PREDICTOR, HMMMM

Mar 01, 2022

TODD BROWN

WHO CAN PREDICT A RACE? Sure there are journos who get way deep into the lives of racers, but rarely do they pick a Tadej...

... before he slaughters everybody.

It's easy to pick him to win now.

When I signed up for the race this weekend and saw the Race Predictor tab I was curious...

... what predictions could it possibly make accurately.

Most of us haven't raced regularly for 2 year.
It's earlier season, few have raced this year.
How could it factor in my having the 'rona in January
What about work stress
Family

I scanned the list.

My friend Doug is on there, 6 predicted places below me. He's been whacking me every weekend this year. Leaving me for dead on the group rides. Plus, he's raced already this year, and 11 times last year...

... compared to my zero.

Wait..

... hold on.

Race Predictor somehow has me winning 2 fat bike time trials in 2021...

... in Iowa!

Never been there, never ridden a fat bike.

All I can say is...

... don't believe the hype.

Nobody really knows how ready you are but you.

Sure, I can and will, look at the Race Predictor but only for the purpose of looking up the most recent results. Like this year.

Even then.

It's a race.

The unknown is what makes it so dadgum fun!

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

Accountability is one of the keys to getting results.

That's why I've created this new Accountability Call. If you have a big race on the horizon.

... you ought to take me up on this offer.

Try the Accountability Call for free.

Yep, a free 2 week demo.

You have to do the following:

Be willing to give something up if you fail to show up each day.
Have a big Why
Have a clearly defined result you want to achieve

If that's you, click the link below.

I'd love to have you join us.

We start on 3/15.

Do it!

Use this promo code: ACCOUNTABILITYDEMO

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

---

162.5
7.25
6 Pull Ups + 6 Power PushUps + 6 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

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THINGS GONNA BREAK, ARE YOU?

Feb 28, 2022

TODD BROWN

UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, not only did the steel rod go through my tire and through my rim tape, but right on through the side of the sexy deep dish...

... perfect time.

Because nothing says Yipee like a trashed race wheel a few days before what will likely be the only road race I do this year.

Who doesn't wanna be scrambling for parts when they could calmly be sipping a cool drink on the coach?

I called Enve.

Ya think I could ride it? (the hope in my voice was pathetic).

No sir.

You're sure?

Yessir.

How long to get a replacement?

Oh, 2 days to process your claim and get you an RA number, then 2 days to ship it here, 4-5 days to lace up a new wheel for ya, couple a days to get it back to ya.

Hmmmm.

When do you need it?

In two days.

Sorry man.

Yeah, me too. I'll get it up to you as quick as possible. Thanks for taking care of it.

You bet.

I've put the feelers out for a loaner, and I'm actually hopeful my gravel wheel isn't too wide. The hubs are the same, so is the disc. I'll figure that out tomorrow.

Is there a lesson in there?

Yeah, I think so. Purchasing product from a serious company will always lead to a good warranty solution. It may not be as quick as we'd like, but to think Enve is going to get me a new rim at no cost is flipping unbelievable.

Will it matter at the race?

I hope not.

Can't imagine anything coming down a half a second...

... only one way to find out.

Now, some folks might use this as a reason not to race. Or, perhaps, dog it. Not me. I'm holding myself accountable.

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

Accountability is one of the keys to getting results.

That's why I've created this new Accountability Call. If you are looking for a way to stay on track, keep progressing, and not backslide...

... you ought to take me up on this offer.

Try the Accountability Call for free.

Yep, a free 2 week demo.

You have to do the following:

Be willing to give something up if you fail to show up each day.
Have a big Why
Have a clearly defined result you want to achieve

If that's you, click the link below.

I'd love to have you join us.

We start on 3/15.

Do it!

Use this promo code: ACCOUNTABILITYDEMO

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedalposse-silver-20-mo

---

164
7.25
6 Pull Ups + 6 Power PushUps + 6 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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ARE YOU GOING FOR THE MINIMUM TODAY?

Feb 27, 2022

TODD BROWN

YOU HAVE A CHOICE TODAY, and it's not do nothing. Do nothing is for donothings and that's not who we are...

... we are doers.

Which means we can pick one of three, but we gotta pick one:

The minimum
A good amount
World class.

There are times when we just can't put in the miles we want to put in.

Don't fret.

The minimum will suffice.

Things will change, open up...

... and we'll get to those good amount and world class days.

Figure out your minimum and make it happen, no matter what.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/kom-jackets

Speaking of minimum, the KOM jacket is very minimalist.

Perfect for those days when you just want to keep the wind off of ya...

... it's my goto this time of year.

Saturday, I had it tucked in my pocket going up the climb. It was chilly, and gusty, but I was working hard.

Didn't need it...

... until I headed back down.

Best part, it's very aero for a jacket.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/kom-jackets

Looking for a discount?

Become and affiliate: https://pedalindustries.com/pages/share-our-mission-earn-a-commission

---

162.4
8
12 Pull Ups + 12 Power PushUps + 12 Heavy Squats (minimumish day)
20 minutes recovery
150 minutes reading + Journaling

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

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REPEAT AFTER ME

Feb 26, 2022

TODD BROWN

I PULLED OVER TO LET A TRAIN OF RIDERS COMING DOWN PASS. The etiquette is to allow the uphill rider to continue, but the trail was skinny with a good drop to the side...

... the riders were struggling.

Pressing upward would be pressing my luck and theirs.

They were gripping for their lives.

Who hasn't been there?

Who hasn't enjoyed showing off their new MTB skills while their friends panic...

... cheap entertainment at it's best.

Some never return.

The rest repeat until perfected.

Which brings me to my adjusted workout plan. Original plan was a vicious road group ride, nixed by a small steel rod I discovered buried in my rim. Too late to fix that, I quickly altered a backup plan...

... repeats on said 1 hour 2500' climb.

Here's what happens when you do repeats:

You learn the trail better each time
Which allows you to clean the technical sections
Resulting in being able to look further up the trail
Looking further ahead always smooths out our riding

Repeats = Speed

One objective I had was to go as fast the second time up and back as I did the first time...

... no, I wasn't doggin' it.

1:35:28 the first time

1:36:59 the second time.

Not bad.

I considered a third attempt, at a more moderate pace, then elected to keep it to a 4 hour ride...

... mainly because I'm racing the next two weekends.

And, yes, I plan to get out there early and ride some or all of the courses because...

... repeats = speed.

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

If you need some help staying on track, or want to take it all up to the next level check out the new RaceDay Ready™

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

---

161.4
7.7
6 Pull Ups + 6 Power PushUps + 6 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

View Details

A GIANT MOVES INTO PEDALindustries

Feb 25, 2022

TODD BROWN

IF YOU'RE NOT TAKING ADVANTAGE OF CROSS-POLLINATION, you're missing out big time. Every sport has it's freak who is obsessed to push the boundaries far beyond what was thought possible...

... Bannister get's the most credit.

But, I love what Eliud Kipchoge is doing today with the sub-2hr marathon. He's a really cool cat and super inspirational...

... can you even imagine running that fast for 2 hours?!!!

Or Alex Honnold free climbing the most challenging routes in the world, dangling thousands of feet in the air by his finger tips...

... what if you were nothing but pure muscle, what could you do?!

A few I've incorporated:

God-like Herschel Walker got me to do pushups.
Christopher McDougall's Natural Born Heroes, pull ups.
Knees Over Toes Guy's 40" vertical leap, squats.
Phil Maffeton, doing all three every day.

Sometimes I get a product idea, like the Giant RaceDay Bag™ I'm working on. It started as a project for football players. Yeah, and they have even more gear than we do...

... it's gonna be big!

I know some of you are going to want this new Giant size. Stay tuned for the release.

In the meantime, remember to do those 3 exercises every day.

Every, day!

Your bones will be strong, you core stable, and your sprint devastating.

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

If you need some help staying on track, or want to take it all up to the next level check out the new RaceDay Ready™

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

---

161.7
7.5
12 Pull Ups + 6 Power PushUps + 6 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
45 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

View Details

RACING GAVE ME THE BEST PRESENT

Feb 24, 2022

TODD BROWN

WHEN RACING, REALLY RACING AND GOING FOR IT. Not trying hard, not along for the ride, but all in racing...

... time does not exit.

There is no past.

There is future.

Only racing.

That intensity is magic...

... a great present.

---

Looking to improve your results? Want to save a few bucks?

Check this out: https://pedalindustries.com/pages/join-raceday-ready

---

162.5
7
18 Pull Ups + 12 Power PushUps + 12 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
75 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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COMES A TIME

Feb 23, 2022

TODD BROWN

WE ALL HAVE OUR LIMITS TO JUST HOW MUCH TRAINING WE CAN REALLY DO. Focused, committed, nose to the bar grinding. Then, comes a time...

... and we're drifting.

Don't wanna do it no more.

We're done.

I'm there now.

10 weeks is 'bout all I can handle.

I'm 9 weeks in.

This is always the week when I'm most tiredest, when the joy of a quick rip around town...

... turns to work.

And, it's right where I want to be.

10 days out from back to back 3-day stage races.

After this week, there's nothing left to do but recover and prep the bikes and gear.

But, there is still this week.

It was freezing this morning. A chilling wind blowing in off the ocean. Scattered squalls punching, pummeling and pouring.

I wanted to stay inside, instead I met up with a few other crazies, and pushed it hard. With a mile to go, we were trading pulls and working out the sprint.

I needed this test of speed...

... not the flat tire on a lonely road.

Bonus points for not brining my phone.

That's when you know it's coming to an end, When you go out regardless of desire and deal with a shifty hand...

... and then go out at sunset to make up the lost riding time.

Can't wait to go racing.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/mini-raceday-bag-2-0

This is one of the bags I'll be prepping.

The Mini-RaceDay Bag™ 2.0

The first batch is in production and will be able to ship in about 3 weeks.

That strap can be customized with your team colors and logo.

Holds all I need for racing:

2 20 oz canisters
1 nozzle
1 multitool
1 Dynaplug system and some extra plugs
plus, I always have a $20 in there just in case.

Use this promo code to save 20%: RACERSDO

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/mini-raceday-bag-2-0

---

Got a question, ask it here where all the racers hang out: https://www.strava.com/clubs/RaceDayReady

---

162
7.4
30 Pull Ups + 42 Power PushUps + 42 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
50 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

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WHO ELECTED THIS CAT ANYHOW?!

Feb 22, 2022

TODD BROWN

ARE YOU A RIDER OR A RACER? A lot of people ride, many of them race. But, they aren't all racers. Racers are different...

... it's an internal thing.

Not their astonishing heart rates, but their heart. They are singleminded. Reading, studying, watching, practicing, training..

... a totally different level of commitment.

They elected to be their absolute best, racing is a byproduct and a place to find out how good they really are.

Some of the best racers I ever rode with have rarely, if ever, pinned on a number. But, ask them...

... their PR up to local hill and they'll give it to the second along with the backstory.

... their tire recommendation and they'll ask you the terrain, your weight, etc.

... their food strategy and it'll depend on weather, distance, time and intensity.

Being a racer is who they are, and it shows in everything they do.

Sometimes our past needs to step down, like the previous mayor,
and let the new us run the show.

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/mini-raceday-bag-2-0

That's the kind of thinking that keeps me constantly creating and improving our products.

Like the Mini-RaceDay Bag™ 2.0

The first batch is in production and will be able to ship in about 3 weeks.

That strap can be customized with your team colors and logo.

Holds all I need for racing:

2 20 oz canisters
1 nozzle
1 multitool
1 Dynaplug system and some extra plugs
plus, I always have a $20 in there just in case.

Use this promo code to save 20%: RACERSDO

https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/mini-raceday-bag-2-0

---

Got a question, ask it here where all the racers hang out: https://www.strava.com/clubs/RaceDayReady

---

162.9
7.7
36 Pull Ups + 36 Power PushUps + 36 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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IT HAPPENED TO ROGLIC, HAS IT HAPPENED TO YOU?

Feb 21, 2022

TODD BROWN

THEY'RE LEAN, POWERFUL AND FLY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. You can smell the confidence steaming from their kit. Watching them jump the large hill at the Olympics...

... is breathtaking.

That was Primoz Roglic's dream. To fly farther and more gracefully than any other jumper, but it didn't work out that way...

... he was injured.

Like so many of us, he found a passion for the bike via rehab...

... then, something switched and he became a cycling champion.

Which brings me to a conversation with MH today.

How was last week?

It went great.

I see you hit your hours target.

Yes.

How do you feel?

Really good.

Anything else?

Yes. Something shifted.

What do you mean?

Something shifted in my mind. I went from trying to qualify for World's to I'm definitely going to World's.

What changed?

Well, I realized I'm really committed.

Darn right you are, let's get there!

As the great Bruce Lee said, The possession of anything begins in the mind.

So...

... what are you going to own this year?

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/training

Here are a few products that might help you... stay tuned for a new product coming online soon.

Let me know if I can help.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/training

---

Got a question, ask it here where all the racers hang out: https://www.strava.com/clubs/RaceDayReady

---

164.5
7.7
42 Pull Ups + 42 Power PushUps + 42 Heavy Squats
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling

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

https://twitter.com/pedalindustries

https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries/

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READY OR NOT

Feb 20, 2022

TODD BROWN

WHY DOES EVERYBODY WANT A GUARANTEE? I received two messages today that I appreciate...

... but, can't relate to.

One cat is bailing out on the stage race in AZ next month. Says he's not ready and is holding off for a race later in the month.

The other messaged me about the awesome Surf N Summit in May, concerned he doesn't have the skills to clear the final climb.

For AZ, I get it it. Really, I do. Had the 'rona in January and am just now starting to feel good again. I'm at least a month behind in my prep.

Here's the even sillier part, one that really has me questioning how well I'll do. The first AZ road stage race mixes 3 age groups...

... I won't even know who I'm racing against.

Then, the second AZ MTB stage race, I really thought I had a chance since I'm aging up this year. One problem. The promoter, bless her heart, bases the ages on the age you are on raceday vs the more traditional age you are on 12/31. Instead of being the youngest guy in my class...

... I'll be the oldest.

As for the doubts about completing the Surf N Summit, I don't even know if I can finish it. This will be an amazing adventure, one never to be forgotten, quite likely the longest day I've ever had on a bike.

Of course we want to win,
and hit our goals,
and finish stuff

It's the unknown outcome that makes it so exciting...

... because it demands our best.

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

Our best doesn't happen by accident. It takes planning and commitment, which is why so many love this calendar.