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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
>
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.
===
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
>
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
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Still reading?
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===
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
>
GIVE ME 10 WEEKS
HOW LONG DOES IT REALLY TAKE to get into top shape for an A race is a question we'd all like answered. For an Olympian, it might be years. For us...
... we might have a few months.
Or less.
Depending on when we sign up, and the vagaries of life.
But, let's just say we are fitter than most,
not as fit as some.
Then our focus will be...
- long climbs or power climbs
- slogs into the wind or a million turns
- finishing in ones and two or a ripping bunch sprint
... more on race specific training.
Given a good baseline of fitness, my general rule is...
- our bodies
- our equipment
- our travel and logistics
... it takes 10 weeks to really sharpen the saw.
For me, aiming for Leadville on 8.15.26, I've got time...
... but, no time to waste.
And, so it begins.
===
164.6
8 hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level,
√ Upper Body: 60 push ups, 30 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: 60 ATG air squats and 0 split squats with 50lbs
81/72/9 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
What I'm studying: The Search, Neville Goddard
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE PREPARATION/EXPECTATION EQUATION
DECONSTRUCTING OUR RECENT PERFORMANCE is critical for improvement. The longer we wait, the foggier our recollection. Details we were sure of...
... become memories full of bias.
It's natural.
Who wants to remember what went wrong, when we can glory in all that went right?
Other than screwing up yet another sprint for the line, nothing really went sideways for me at BWR UT.
And, if I'm being honest, Billy tested my legs on the overpass coming into to town. Whether or not he knew it, and I stayed glued through the the pain...
... I was hurting.
There are a few things that went really right...
- The chef's pasta the night before at Chef Alfredo's, with Danny and Lisa, was delish and just what I needed.
- The AirBNB I found at the last minute - a 3-bedroom house was perfect and the beds wonderful.
- The 8:30 start was a little too late to skip breakfast, so I went with my gut and mowed down a couple of chocolate Entenmann's donuts, half an apple, and a couple of cups of my trusty mushroom hot chocolate.
- I picked up Skratch Super High Carb and ran 6 scoops in my 2-liter pack and another 3 in one bottle.
- To stay ahead of cramps, I ate a Salt Stick chews.
- For the bike set up,
- Ceramic Speed chain held up really well to all the dust, even after getting doused with cold water by Smitty at the final aid station.
- The tire pressure was pretty low, 22lbs in back 20lbs up front. I rimmed out a few times over the random chunky stuff while in a paceline. That's always risky. But, I also felt like I was much more comfortable than other competitors who dropped off the group over time.
... the last was mindset.
Preparation vs Expectation.
I came in pretty rested having spend the previous 2 weeks on my MTB in Park City.
Because of the altitude, it was difficult to put in hard efforts of any meaningful time. Hours in the saddle were solid, but even a lot of that was spent ripping down hill.
I'd give me preparation a B, which was fine for a B race.
Knowing that, my expectations were quite low.
Here's the point...
... poor preparation with high expectations is a formula for frustration and a crummy day on course.
Whereas...
... awesome preparation with low expectations always makes for a fun race and often surprising outcomes.
===
163.6
7.5 hours sleep
580 anti-oxidant level,
√ Upper Body: 100 push ups, 20 pull ups, hand gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: 70 ATG air squats and 18 split squats with 50lbs
82/74/7 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
What I'm studying: Prayer, Neville Goddard
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
IF THINGS AREN'T ENDING UP as we'd like them to, the obvious thing to do would be dong something different. But, that can be a hard pill to swallow because...
... we're comfy and don't wanna change.
Hope isn't a strategy.
Or, a tactic.
So, even though I was hoping I'd be able to fend off the change with a few hundred meters to go at BWR UT, the mofo I'd been working with for the last 30 miles...
... stuck a shiv in my back.
There was nothing I could do.
Had no answer.
Surfergirl, bless her little beating heart, could see I was frustrated with myself and...
... accidentally twisted the buried blade.
What are you going to do about it?
I think it was an innocent, honest, loving, caring question due to the fact that she's seen me frustrated with something...
... then, draw up a solution and make it happen.
Truthfully, does it really matter if close out a racing effort by taking some cat on the line who I may never see again?
Not even.
What matters, to me, is that I execute the plan.
In this case...
... having something left at the end, to rip a fast finish.
The kool kids call that durability.
I call it having your shift together when it counts, which means I'll be needing to...
... wrap up long rides with sprints that sting.
===
164ish no scale
7.5 hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
no Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
no Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
83/86/-3 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
What I'm studying: Prayer, Neville Goddard
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THE RACE TOMORROW?
THE NIGHT BEFORE any race is not a normal night. No matter how practiced we are there's always something different to our routine. Sometimes...
... we just make it up.
Why not?
It might work,
or not.
Surfergirl keeps asking me are you excited?
I wanna say yes,
and I know I will be tomorrow...
... about a millisecond after we start.
Until then,
my energy tends to be low.
Not depressed low.
Hybernation low.
Lethargic.
Slothy.
Trying to amp me up, she asks...
... have you looked at reg to see who's going to be there?
That's the kind of thing that...
- if I glanced at it now
- the night before the race
- when I'm trying to chill and sleep early
... would def keep me up and tossing and turning.
No, that's not my agenda.
I prefer to...
- lose all hope
- ditch all desire
- punt all pretense
... and shut 'er down with my favorite pint.
===
164ish no scale
8.5 hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
no Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
no Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
81/70/11 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
What I'm studying: Prayer, Neville Goddard
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
NOSTALGIA
WE ALL STARTED this endurance journey somewhere, likely not where we are today. Introduced by a friend, sometimes on purpose, others inadvertently. While we may change locales, and the friends become distanced…
… we’re still here.
In the game.
We may have the opportunity to go back to where it all started.
For me, it was…
- my roommate’s bike
- a finagled purchase of my own
- secrets of sprinting revealed by Bret, who raced track nationally for San Jose Bicycle Club
… in Provo, UT.
I rearranged my classes…
- to start as early as possible
- so I could ride every afternoon
- before cruising the library to cruise the cubicles in search of a “study” partner.
… because I had priorities to attend to.
Today I hit a climb I’d always wanted to check out, Cascade Springs, but it was a battered gravel road back in the day.
Now, it’s pristine pavement all the way up over 8000’
Followed by a plummeting descent that is as magical now as it was 40 years ago.
I’ve moved,
but, I never really moved on…
… and, I’m quite okay with that.
===
164ish no scale
8.5 hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
no Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
no Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
81/68/12 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
What I'm studying: Prayer, Neville Goddard
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE TRUE PRICE OF FREE ADVICE
A WHILE BACK, I connected with the COO of a well-known bike brand. We were working on a collaboration at the time. I asked him for some...
... advice on what we're doing over here.
Today, we met for lunch.
Looked at from now to the end of the year,
the objectives I want to accomplish,
what I think is possible.
No different than...
- capabilities
- weaknesses
- peak seasonal events
... planning the race season with a coach.
After some yummy tacos,
and back of napkin calculations...
... we came up with a solid methodology to implement.
Like any great coach,
my friend made it so simple to understand...
... and gave me the confidence to go for it.
I was prepared to pay a minimum of $1,000.
In the end it could be way more expensive than that...
... if I don't take action.
It could cost me 100s of 1000s.
===
164ish no scale
8 hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
√ Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
82/77/5 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
ARE SUFFERING AND EPICCING TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN?
WE ALL KNOW that group workouts are torturous by nature. It's not a secret. Yet, we continue to show up beating after beating because...
... suffering loves company.
Alone, for most of us, is no good.
We won't see it through,
we'll ease up when we should be hardening up.
The bonds we end up forming are often unbreakable...
... we're in agony together.
Suddenly people who barely knew each other are fist bumping and ready for the next one.
What's the opposite bondforming experience?...
... when we're pushing geographic boundaries together.
Like today.
It wasn't the 90 minute climb topping out at 9160'.
Nope.
It was the 60 minutes of downhill...
- ripping through the trees
- sliding around gorgeous berms
- jumping rocks and roots and stumps
... feeling like we were cheating life.
Epiccing, like suffering, loves company.
We set off in search of adventures that will push beyond the comforts or riding around the block...
... the unknown and undiscovered beckoning to be shared.
===
164ish no scale
8 hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
√ Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
82/71/10 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
COOCOO FOR CLIMBING
IF WEIGHTED SQUATS are a lot better than air squats, is climbing a lot better than riding on the flats? And, if climbing is better...
... is climbing with a weighted vest mo' bettah?
Things one wonders.
And takes to extremes.
I remember backintheday, rolling out with 100oz hydration pack on my back and 2 large waterbottles filled with sand.
It seems so silly now,
almost as all the ruckers.
On a bike we can measure power.
So, we know.
We know we don't need to stress our backs with extra weight or stupid add ons...
... we can just pedal faster.
Velocity X Force - Power
Which taken a step further...
... climbing aint gonna train us any better than flats.
We gotta put out the power.
There is a caveat, if we like...
- climbing big mountains
- ripping punchy stuff
- pounding the flats
... our bodies will adapt and become more efficient at the one we love and gravitate towards.
Me personally?
I'm coocoo for climbing,
and bananas for bombing.
===
164ish no scale
8 hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
√ Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
80/63/17 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
HEAR ME OUT
SOMETIMES IT'S JUST PLAIN FUN to make fun of Velo, "powered by Outisde". Whether it's their clickbaity titles, AI drivel, or soulselling advertorials...
... there's at least one good laugh a day.
Here's my current favorite.
Stop Complaining About Sound, These Are The Best Headphones for Cycling
Roight!
Because decreasing our ability to engage with our surroundings when traveling 20+ miles per hour in our underwear on...
- trails
- gravel
- pavement
... is a great idea.
Genius.
Next up...
... Stop Complaining About Night Vision, These Are The Best Sunglasses After Sunset.
There is no best.
At best, assuming it's not clickbait or advertorial would be...
... These Headphones Least Worsen Your Ability To React To Danger When Riding.
Or, for the trailrunners...
... These Earbuds Reduce Getting The Shift Scared Out of You When A Bike Rider Has Been Saying 'Hey There' For 5 Minutes and Finally Gives Up and Passes You.
Now for you in the back jumping up and down ready to tell me to not be so closeminded...
... I hear you.
===
164ish no scale
8 hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
√ Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
82/72/10 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
>
POP TART POWERED, BEE STUNG... ATHLETE unINTELLIGENCE
SOMETIMES, we just gotta change it up. Do something different just fer fun. Go against...
... conventional wisdom.
I thought it had been a good week...
- 177 miles
- 17:26 hours
- 20951' of vert
... given I'd been knocked down by a 24 hour bug.
Mostly in the dirt,
mostly with friends.
Yet, every single ride Strava's Athlete Intelligence...
... scored it as recovery or recovery and endurance.
Apparently, the AI couldn't account for the fact this sea leveler was suffering at 7000-10,000 elevation.
Rolling out this morning...
- a few scoops of Envy
- 4 pop tarts
- 1 Carbs gel
... I grabbed what I had + 100 ounces of water.
While I hoped to put down some power, since all I'd done was "recovery and endurance" rides...
... I knew the truth.
Leaving with a simple plan,
ride until I ran out of food and water.
It was an epic day in the mountains...
... topped off with a bee sting in the gut a few miles from home base.
Memorable.
===
164
9 hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
no Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
no Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
84/80/0 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE ADVENTURE
SOMETIMES, the road really is better than the inn. We realize that whatever we are aiming for may not be all that great, but...
... putting in the work gives outsized returns.
Gratitude blooms.
Like today.
My pal Charles charts out this loop...
- 32 miles
- 4700' of vert
- topping out at 10,000'
... which seems really cool.
Until we hit our first massive fallen tree and bushwhack around it.
Then, patches of snow,
too long to ride.
Followed Puke Hill.
The view...
- The Great Salt Lake to the west
- Park City to the East
- Not a soul around
... stunning.
Somehow the goals seem weak, lacking...
... when beauty abounds.
If we'll just stop to look.
===
165ish, no scale
7ish hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
no Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
no Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
83/72/10 per Strava
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
WHEN TRAINING ISN'T ACCORDING TO PLAN
THE BEST LAID PLANS can go sideways for a variety of reasons. I'm not gonna list 'em since I don't want to poison your mind and have you...
... manifesting awfulness.
'Cause I'm questioning just that about myself.
Did I manifest...
- 3 days off at I Do Epic
- riding with friends short on time
- puking my guts out last night after a miserable 70 minute ride
... or, is it just life?
Doesn't matter too much,
except part of my GrandMasterRipOnRaceDay plan...
... was a massive training week this week to make up for last week
and leave me slightly buried for BWR next week.
I consulted AI all night...
- possibly caused by using pure table sugar on my rides
- hydration via room temp peppermint tea
- a few Tums
... while Surfergirl laughed at me and secured the remedy.
Arose after 10 hours, feeling a lot better.
Energy seems good enough to day...
... to meet up with the local slayers.
The prudent thing would be to skip the meet up,
spin at most, or sleep...
... a proper adjustment.
But, screw it...
... I've got plans, too.
===
165ish, no scale
7.5ish hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
√ Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
80/57/22 per Strava - very rested
What I'm reading: Cry Havoc, Jack Carr
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
HE'S A GENIUS
WE ALL HAVE, or should have, wish we had, that friend who can fix anything. Even though we've upped our skills over the years there's always that...
... next level repair.
We can't do it.
Like my SID fork, today...
- packing in on descents
- rebound slower than a sloth
- adjustment dials backing out and loose
... I was in a bind.
Turns out the great C Gonzer lives where I'm visiting,
racing pals from a decade ago.
Within about about 20 minutes,
he had it working nearly good as new.
How'd you learn how to do this?
I just really like working on my bikes.
That's it?
Well, I am a mechanical engineer by trade.
That's it...
- love what we do
- study the basics
- achieve mastery
... genius level work.
===
165ish, no scale
7.5ish hours sleep
690ish anti-oxidant level, no scanner
√ Upper Body: push ups, pull ups, gripper, heel and toe raises
√ Lower Body: ATG squats and split squats
80/57/23 per Strava - very rested
What I'm reading: Feeling Is The Secret, by Neville Goddard
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
>
THE 1 THING PROS DO AND AMATEURS DON'T, BUT COULD
Mar 16, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I LOVE PRO RACING. Seeing the teams, the attention to detail, the whole attitude and vibe pros radiate. The weird thing is...
... some pro's are so amateur and some amateurs are so pro.
The difference isn't...
- Money
- Sponsors
- Equipment
- Training time
... nope, it's something so obvious it's easy to miss.
A bit of background:
Amateur (noun)
1784, "one who has a taste for some art, study, or pursuit, but does not practice it," from French amateur "one who loves, lover" , from Latin amatorem "lover, friend," agent noun from amatus, past participle of amare "to love"
Pros love racing.
Amateurs don't love racing enough.
It shows in everything pros do.
Sponsored or not.
Amateurs wing it.
Pros leave nothing to chance.
Weekend warriors vs.
Every Day Is RaceDay.
Every single day the pro works on their craft. They rest like pros, eat like pros, sleep like pros, recover like pros, train like pros.
It's not a matter of time as much as it's a matter of dedication and consistency.
I've seen amateurs spend ride a lot, spend immense sums of cash...
... only to be smoked by a pro on a mid-level bike, holding a fulltime job.
Amateurs diet.
Pros fuel.
Amateurs race.
Pros race to win.
And before you get all itsnotaboutwinning on me, you know where I stand on that...
... the pro leaves nothing on the battlefield, win or lose.
Amateurs take two pedal strokes, and coast.
Pros keep pedaling.
Here's a little pro secret: it's easy to maintain pro once you...
Dedicate.
Commit.
Plan.
Do.
... we're all counting on you.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-wallets/products/custom-name-raceday-wallet
There are two tools that I find invaluable for staying on the Pro path.
The Giant RaceDay Calendar...
... and the reminder wallet.
I have printed a wallet with an outrageous goal going on 4 years.
Not only is at a constant reminder of what I'm after, but it's made of inner and has a true cycling vibe...
... plus, it slides perfectly into a jersey pocket.
Type into the Custom Name field what you want on your wallet.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-wallets/products/custom-name-raceday-wallet
161.7
7.5ish hrs Sleep
1 Strength training
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THE TRUTH ABOUT ROLLING RESISTANCE
Mar 15, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT WHICH TIRES to roll at the races last weekend. Faster treads vs more traction. Tire pressure matters, too...
... does any of it really matter?
Definitely.
But, that is not the rolling resistance I'm most concerned with.
The real rolling resistance to worry about is rolling through life avoiding the scary stuff. The great Ryan Holliday says The obstacle is the way. The great Steven Pressfield says Resistance points to what we are called to do.
In other words...
... do the scary stuff.
More directly for us...
... sign up for the scariest races.
The races and events we are most likely to fail at,
most likely to truly suffer,
most likely to lose...
... are most likely to bring out our very best.
Publicly stating our goals adds bonus power...
... there is massive resistance to that.
---
Speaking of which I have been experiencing a lot resistance to writing my next book: RACEDAY READY - a philosophy for ripping on and off the bike every day.
Here's an excerpt:
You want to know the answer to the other comments, particularly this one…
What are you doing?
It’s not a mystery, if you’re patient. I blog every single day about exactly what I am learning and applying. How it works. How to incorporate it. Plus, I post every single workout and how much I sleep, weigh, read, write.
So, when someone poses the question What are you doing? I quip, read the blog.
Who has time for that?
There are over 2000 posts at this point. Plus, the newly added video and podcast readings and riffs of each post.
For this reason, I have written this book. Yes, it’s for you to absorb. It is also for our kids, their spouses, their children…
… because this is would have been so valuable to me 30 years ago.
At that time, I called myself Fat Todd...
---
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
How can you resist this hoodie? $35, ships free.
Plus!, grants early access to this limited edition kit
$35
Order Now, quantities are limited and dwindling.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
163.7
7ish hrs Sleep
1 Strength training
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
WE DO THIS BECAUSE THEY DON'T
Mar 14, 2023
by TODD BROWN
IT'S HARD TO GET UP EARLY and get dressed in the dark and cold and roll out into pre-dawn in our underwear, but we do it...
... because they aren't.
They are sleeping, cozy and mostly soft.
We are up, uncomfortable and hardening ourselves.
It's easy to say no to a donut when we have the power to say yes to doing hard things.
I said yes today,
to the hard group ride.
I said yes today,
and I'm darn glad everybody else did, too!
Where would we be without riders who are equally committed to do the hard work?
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
Do you know who puts the Industries in PEDAL Industries?
The industrious,
on and off the bike
those get after it every day,
If that's you, check out this hoodie. $35, ships free.
Plus!, grants early access to this limited edition kit
$35
Order Now, quantities are limited and dwindling.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
163.7
7ish hrs Sleep
1 Strength training
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THE BURNOUT PROBLEM
Mar 13, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I INTENDED TO WRITE ABOUT THE VIRTUES OF TIME OFF. But, I wound up grinding for 9 hours straight, trying to catch up after the road trip. My output dwindled, the sun broke through...
... and a battle ensued.
The 14 days of riding in a row, 6 of them racing, vs sitting in my office grinding from sun up.
My body ached to rest, my soul longed to get outside.
I can definitely burn out on racing, same for training with an agenda...
... but there's nothing more rejuvenating than rolling on two wheels.
So I kitted up
kept my HR low
and lightly tapped the pedals.
It's good to be home.
Here's the burnout problem.
There are some really fun and good races to be had during the next 6 weeks...
- Team Big Bear's endurance race, 3/18
- Sagebrush Safari best XC race in SoCal, 3/25
- US Cup XC on Vail's new sweet single track course, 4/1
- State Road Race is back, and I love the course, 4/8
- BWR San Diego, I've never done it, 4/15
- Sea Otter, Fuego XC, 4/22
... I've already signed up for 5 of the races because each one that I learned about seemed better than what I'd already committed to do.
Last weekend was my A race for the first half of the year.
I didn't plan to ramp things back up until summer, for Marathon Nationals in September. I thought I'd do a few events in the spring for fun, not 6.
Then, the state road race was rejuvenated and ya know I gotta take a crack at that.
Then, I heard about US Cup and how can I pass that level of competition up?
Right now, looking at the calendar seems daunting. I will definitely burn out if I try and treat them all as A races.
That's impossible.
I can probably pick 1, and do the rest for fun and practice.
Even then, there is a fair amount of travel and the ensuing chaos that always goes around getting all the equipment dialed in perfectly. Which means, I will probably skip one or two and definitely roll in on a half ready bike.
The key to not burning out, is to keep it light and get myself in a headlock if I waver for one moment on committing to making more than one of these races and A race...
... which will it be?
We'll see.
(Why did I sign up so early you ask? Because I like to help the promoters sleep easier, it's so stressful wondering if anybody will show.)
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
This is such a powerful tool.
Stock is dwindling.
Ships free.
Can make in your team colors.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
----
164.8
7ish hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
RATIOS I LIKE
Mar 12, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THE CACTUS CUP enduro is the final stage of a super fun weekend of racing desert terrain. Rolling, fast and short, punchy climbs. Plus, my favorite component...
... a little bit of danger.
All racing has danger, but this racing is unique.
Nearly everybody sheds a little blood.
Cactus rips and tears at your arms and legs.
Rocks will leave scars to match the lifetime memories.
Slip and slide on the sand and it'll take a layer of skin off faster than a Makita.
For every mile raced, it's hard to match the fun and bloodletting.
I like it.
I'm forced to pay attention.
Under those conditions it's easy to slip into a state of flow, and critical to stay there. No mind wandering, no day dreaming, no bird watching...
... just flowing fast.
On today's enduro stage, we all raced our XC bikes because it's not that difficult. The promoter calls it the hangover stage...
... I call it fun.
We, all our crew, ride to each of 3 stages together, then race all out down some fast trails time trial style for 3-6 minutes.
It's relaxed a very relaxed atmosphere in between the intense effofrts. We chat and enjoy the beautiful wide open desert.
I had a few flesh tears,
others some skin sanding,
and one a very nice, deep slice.
Did we care?
Nope.
That's that we signed up for.
Racing.
Life.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
At the awards ceremony it got a little chilly in the shade, so I busted out this lightweight hoodie.
If that's you, check out this hoodie. $35, ships free.
Plus!, grants early access to this limited edition kit
$35
Order Now, quantities are limited and dwindling.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
162.8
7.5 hrs Sleep
0 Strength training
0 minutes recovery
20 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
ARE YOU A BELIEF STACKER?
Mar 11, 2023
by TODD BROWN
FOR YEARS NOW, my prerace meal before an epic distance has been a can of sardines. I'm partial to the King Oscar's, Mediterranean style. And, I like 'em...
... 2 hours before the race.
- Protein
- Salt
- Fat
What could be better?
I can think of about a million things that could taste better...
- pancakes
- bacon
- eggs
- waffles
- butter
- syrup
- crepes
... to name a few.
But, for me it's sardines.
They fill me up,
they go down easy.
Today, I chased them down with chocolate French crepes I get at Costco.
I'm sure you can get on board with the crepes.
How about the sardines?
Too low brow?
fishy smelly?
gross?
I hope so, because I give y'all way too much of my secret secrets as it is.
Now, you might be thinking there's no way he does that on purpose?
You'd be wrong.
Superstitions die hard for a reason...
... they work.
Belief is everything in competition.
Would things have gone as well as they did today without my sardines?
Probably.
But, that is not the point.
The point is belief stacking works.
It wasn't just the sardines.
It was also...
the white socks and gloves I saved for today,
the fresh jersey and new prototype bibs,
quietly lubing my chain last night,
listening to my play list,
warming up by myself,
a dusty, dirty frame,
glasses over strap,
... little things I like to do.
No, none of it really matters.
Training matters.
Fueling matters.
Sleep matters.
Belief stacking is the final polishing,
and it's often the difference between a great day and a good day.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Want to turbo charge your beliefs?
- Get this giant calendar
- Place it where you can see it daily
- Write in red Sharpie your top A race
Stock is dwindling.
Ships free.
Can make in your team colors.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
----
162.5 (better)
8ish hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
ANOTHER PR?!
Mar 10, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THERE ARE LOTS OF REASONS TO KEEP GETTING PRs. Since I just PR'd the TT course at Cactus Cup, after racing it for my 4th time...
... do ya wanna know what I did?
The most important thing, I didn't do.
We had great weather.
The first year, it was well over 100 degrees. Today was low 70's, slightly cloudy.
Good temps.
Good lighting.
Now, here's what I did personally that I think made a difference:
- I raced with a larger beefier tire up front, a Continental Cross King 2.35
- I've purposely spent most of my time training on my MTB. Training the position, training I raced in today. I cut out all gravel riding, and reduced my road riding... about 4 hours on the road, 8-10 on the MTB.
- Got another great night of sleep.
- I pre-rode the course 3 times Monday, and then road the XC course the rest of the week which is the same type of dirt. Very hard dirt, with small pebbles of decomposed granite on top. It's unique to the desert and requires a different feel than what we ride at home.
- Because I follow my Cowboy Strong philosophy that I teach in the RaceDay Ready 10-Week Challenge, I am always riding with a little fatigue due to the fact that I'm doing strength training every single day. I haven't been able to do that for a week now, as I've been on the road, and I think my body is just super fresh.
- I followed my warm up protocol of starting an hour before the short TT (the longer the race the shorter my warm up). I rode easy for 35 minutes, then brought my heart rate up with 2 minutes on 2 minutes off at threshold for 16ish minutes, and kept spinning until 2 minutes to go.
- Racing the same format last weekend, with a TT last Friday, was a good reminder of what it takes to do well in a TT... as someone who never does intervals, I need to do races that are similar to get the feel of the effort required.
Here is what I didn't do:
- I didn't freak out that I'm heavier by about 5 pounds than last year, that I had a nasty flu for 10 days early Feb, or that rain as hindered the training.
- I didn't waste any energy worrying about starting 2 hours after my competitors when it was warmer and windier - my fault for screwing up my registration.
- I didn't hit it hard from the get go and try and get my HR up asap to gain every second possible by starting fast. I brought my speed up gradually, paced myself so i could pound the one 3ish minute power climb and every climb from there to the finish.
There you go.
As for data, saw my HR get into the 180s for the first time in a year...
... on that power climb.
It probably happened at last week's TT as well, but I had no data for that ride due to Wahoo Tickr malfunction.
Wins are nice,
PRs are better!
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
I had multiple racers come up to me today and tell me this weekend has been on their Giant RaceDay Calendar.
Do you know why?
Because there is nothing more powerful than a giant calendar with you races written in Sharpie.
Stock is dwindling.
Ships free.
Can make in your team colors.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
----
164.2
8ish hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
40 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THIS IS NOT THE PILL YOU ARE LOOKING FOR
Mar 09, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I'M A SUCH A SUCKER. Some people fall for nice legs, others broad shoulders, a sweet smile. Me, I'm a total sucker...
... for a bad@$$.
And, I'm finding more and more of you since we expanded our bags to include triathletes and runners.
We may look different, move different, play different but in the end it's all the same...
... people pushing their limits.
I love it.
If you've taken the 10-Week challenge then you know about Cowboy Strong and my cousin Norman.
Check out Becky:
I'm the tiny female version of Norman:. a full-time horse trainer, with 22 horses, 1 miniature donkey, and various stray dogs to care for on my ranch in Texas. I have those cowboy callouses from hay bales, feed sacks, manure forks, and lead ropes. I feel that all of this has kept me relatively injury free as a competitive runner, and recently, functional fitness athlete.
Yep.
Cowgirl Strong.
She continues:
I appreciate your promotion of fitness as a lifestyle. It's so important in this "take a pill for everything" world we're living in.
Eating dinner at the bar tonight (I'm on a road trip), a commercial popped up for a weightloss pill. It seamed insane to me.
Dad bods playing soccer, good.
Dad bods working up a sweat, more good.
Dad bods loading up their plates at the barbecue, WTH?
When we commit to a life of bad@$$ery...
... there is no need for pills.
There is only one need - to be excellent.
- Physically
- Mentally
- Spiritually
- Socially
A proper focus eliminates all desire to deviate...
... and reveals that excellence is actually the easier path.
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
This is the pill you need.
Are you up for the challenge?
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
----
162ish
8ish hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
40 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries
https://twitter.com/pedalindustries
WHY RACE AT ALL?
Mar 08, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: Why do you race? And before you say, I don't race...
... you race.
We all do.
We might not pin on numbers or tie on plates, but we sure as heck know our PRs...
... and go for the City Limits signs.
So, why do you race? Because you like...
- the action?
- camaraderie?
- the ego boost?
- a fitness check in?
- inspiration by humiliation?
... whatever your reason, what would happen if you stopped racing?
The racer who simply loves riding,
will race harder and longer
than the racer who loves
the finish line.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
Do you know who puts the Industries in PEDAL Industries?
The industrious,
on and off the bike
those get after it every day,
If that's you, check out this hoodie. $35, ships free.
Plus!, grants early access to this limited edition kit
$35
Order Now, quantities are limited and dwindling.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
165
7.5 hrs Sleep
0 Strength training
20 minutes recovery
900 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
DO YOU HAVE FRENEMIES
Mar 07, 2023
by TODD BROWN
MAYBE IF WE WERE GETTING PAID IT'D BE DIFFERENT. But, we aren't. We are just racing for fun and sport and competition...
... the challenge.
Along the way friendships are formed.
Oh, I've managed to ruffle a few feathers along the way. Maybe it's just part of doing all you can to be your best that drudges up a few haters. Not a big deal...
... maybe a compliment?
Far more common is to meet so new people, who are also committed to excellence on and off the bike.
Friends before the race.
Enemies during.
Buds after.
I received a nice note from Adam, who one the overall last weekend. We only know each other by doing this one race, in Tucson AZ, since 2018. Over time, we have battled back and forth on each stage...
... and I look forward to seeing him each year and catching up.
Above is a picture of Dan and I after the last stage. We met this year, and we battled all three days. He held onto 3rd place overall by a whopping 3 seconds.
Below is David, from MO. We connected when he purchased a RaceDay Bag 4 years ago...
... and he happened to be in Tucson this past weekend and noticed the van.
The point is, if you're going to races and make friends...
... you're doing it right.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
And if you're wearing this hoodie, you're definitely part of a friendly tribe of dedicated athletes.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
165ish (Surfergirl diet got me)
7.5 hrs Sleep
0 Strength training
20 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THERE'S A BEE IN MY BIBS!
Mar 06, 2023
by TODD BROWN
RACING CAN BE SO WEIRD. You're shoulder to shoulder with someone. Everyone is working so hard. But, we get tired and get crabby and sometimes...
... behave poorly.
I prayed things would be different.
Yep.
I actually said a little prayer before heading out to race...
- Help us all to ride safe
- The officials to have an easy job
- And help me to be kind and understanding
That last part is pretty much why I don't race crits any more. The are so gnarly, so technically challenging. Everyone is on the edge because the danger is so high...
... and, frankly, I can be a bit of a jerk.
Not on purpose.
But, when tensions are amped and emotions raging, it's a challenge to give another racer the benefit of the doubt let alone...
... a freakin' inch of road.
So, on lap 5 of yesterday's race when I politely inquired of another racer...
Hey, any idea what lap we are on?
Yes.
What lap?
You should know.
No, what lap are we on?
You should know, that's racing.
So you're not gonna tell me?
He looks at me, smiles, looks away.
I think, Jerk!
Ok, well, you can close that gap I just opened...
Yes, not my finest moment.
I was so tempted to go for it right then and there...
... the bee was definitely in my bibs.
That little exchange served to pump up the adrenalin for the plan I'd hatched in the morning.
As he closed the gap, I slid back bottling all that silly emotion up. Time to disappear for lap and fein exhaustion.
The things we do for a win.
It's pretty darn fun.
If we stay cool.
Playful.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
Like this playful, midweight, hoodie.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
163ish
8 hrs Sleep
40 pushups and air squats
0 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RACING FOR THE WIN AND RACING FOR VICTORY
Mar 05, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I HAD ONE PLAN TODAY, victory. Friday, I winged it on the time trial. Yesterday, I raced to win. Today, I went for the victory...
... which is unlike winning.
In fact, for me, it's a completely different mentality.
Winning is about hedging and managing and strategy and doing what it takes and nothing more...
... to win.
That's nice, but nowhere near as satisfactory as the feeling of knowing there was nothing more to give, vanquishing my fears of losing, risking everything...
... this is victory, regardless of the outcome.
I woke up with this mental image: a greased pig, wreaking havoc and uncontainable.
Can't image a better vision.
Of course, it's easy to feel that way after a great night of sleep in an outstanding hotel...
... before the first hard stomp on the pedals.
(Surfergirl turned in my points to stay at the Lowes, and why not?)
My warm up was spot on this time.
1 hour.
45 minutes easy on the pedals.
15 bringing the heart rate up and stoking the fires.
For some reason, I lined up at the back of the pack even though I predicted it would start out hard. Heck, I even thought about the same thing before hatching my plan to go on the 7th lap.
So, I got to spend that first mile or so chasing and hustling my lycra up to the front.
For 5 laps I went with every attack, or let it go and bridged up, or pushed on when things slowed down. We needed to suffer, and make the teams work, and tire out the sprinters.
During that time, I was able to ferret out who could handle their bike in the turns, who's wheel was good to follow and who had something left to give on the day.
My plan, hatched the night before was to go for it on the last climb of the 6th lap, rail the turn at the bottom and keep on going.
It almost worked.
What happened was just as good, if not better.
The teams were sprinting for the bonus seconds on lap 6, completely stretched out the field, got their seconds, then shut down the pace...
... I sailed on by, and kept going.
Then Gerry, who smoked us in the tt, passed me like I was standing still.
I looked back.
I had a good gap.
Gerry was pulling away.
I buried myself to catch up...
... and he eased up a bit.
Thanks for waiting, give me a minute to recover.
He gave me 3 minutes, to the top of the climb.
As I'm pulling through, I look back and see a white jersey.
Dang.
They caught us.
Nope.
It's yesterday's hero Gary.
I can't believe he made it across the gap. We have a good 15 seconds and now we are rolling and rotating.
It's on.
We are smooth, and committed.
Greased pigs, on the loose.
Into the bell lap, we have nearly 30 seconds. That 7th lap was the fastest of the day for me.
Gary is gassed.
Hang on bro, recover.
Gerry, Gary is struggling.
We couldn't wait, but it was cool if he skipped a few pulls. It was too much. Gerry is such a powerhouse uphill, it's just a battle staying on his wheel.
With 2k to go, we still had 20 seconds.
We started the mile or so downhill to the last turn.
This is where we would lose a lot of time. The bunch was anxious to pull us back, some wanted to hang onto their GC positions, some wanted to win the stage...
... they'd have to wait another day.
300 meters to go.
It's a drag race for the line.
Today was that rare instance, where a victory comes with a win.
Insights:
This was the first race in quite a while where I have felt really good, didn't battle any cramps, and had excellent energy.
- Great sleep
- Arrived 2 hours early
- Proper 1 hour warm up
- Consumed 600 calories, 400/hour
Those little details probably made the difference. But, who knows? The older I get, the more difficult it is to predict good days on the bike.
Marco Colbert, with a lot of great people from the city and volunteers, has rescued the Tucson Bicycle Classic. USAC, had a really pro and friendly staff, which I found to be very refreshing. If you are looking for a helluva fun weekend of racing, in the beautiful winter desert...
... get your buns out here next year.
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
Victories start way before the gun goes off.
Are you up for the challenge?
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
----
163ish
8ish hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
40 minutes recovery
20 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
IT'S MARCH, IT'S MADNESS
Mar 04, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THE TUCSON BICYCLE CLASSIC delivered another wild race. On the start line, race jitters were dialed way up because the temp was...
... dialed way down.
35 degrees.
USAC officials really, really, really like to see race numbers so there was serious deliberations on what to wear. Because the speeds can be very high on the long, long, long decent I opted to go aero.
- Skull cap
- Base layer
- Neck gator
- Two jerseys
- Arm warmers
- Plastic trash bag pieces over socks
- Covered holes on aero helmet with tape
Nobody warmed up much.
Too darn cold.
I stayed in my light down jacket as long as possible. Still, I was shivering as we waited for our wave to roll off. Surfergirl took it from me with 2 minutes to go.
Like everyone else, I was anxious to get it on...
... get that blood pumping.
We hit the first few hills pretty hard.
It felt good.
Well, I felt nothing.
The one thing that was way better than I thought was pullng that neck gator up over my face as we raced along the lumpy terrain before bombing down hill for 4 miles...
... at 30+mph in our underpants.
The racing?
Chaotic as usual.
Lots of free agents, like me, rolling the dice on attacks. A handful of teams willing to pull it all back. This carried on for 2 and half of the 3 laps, 60 miles, we'd race...
... then, the madness.
We turned right to go down the hill, I was in second position and let a gap open. These breaks were going nowhere...
... but, this opened up a bit.
The teams weren't working at all.
Then a bigger dude I thought had no chance to hold us off on the hill went.
2 guys up the road.
I waited for the teams.
The Adam went, and I thought for sure the race leader, Gerry, and his team would pull him back.
Nothing.
So I took a flyer, got within 5 seconds, could see the group was coming hard and waited for them...
... nothing.
The gap kept getting bigger and bigger.
They were gone.
3 guys up the road.
No teams working.
No free agents rolling the dice.
The only hope was they'd blow.
They didn't.
At the bottom of the 4 mile climb to the finish, my friend Gary took the front and really put it down.
Nobody could come around him.
He pulled off, everybody was gassed.
He went back and kept the heat on.
Heroic stuff.
Honestly, I thought I'd have something for the finish. Even though the time bonuses and lots of time were gone...
... it's still good to sprint across.
I had nothing.
Something, but not enough.
Adam won by over a minute, and picked up 13 seconds in time bonuses.
Impressive.
He has 53 seconds on Gerry, and a minute twenty on little ol' me who...
... somehow is still 5th overall.
Madness.
Tomorrow, I predict, is going to be lit.
The teams will have plans and the free agents got nothing to lose.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/all-hats/products/black-skull-cap
This skull cap is so nice
Made from the same luxurious Italian fabric we use on the front of our #1 and PRO jerseys this is breathable and moisture wicking.
Use promo code: CmonTodd!
to save 20%, ships free
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/all-hats/products/black-skull-cap
----
163ish
7ish hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
40 minutes recovery
20 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
TIME TRIAL OF MY LIFE
Mar 03, 2023
by TODD BROWN
TIME IS A CONSTRUCT WE ALL AGREE ON, and can be very real for us humans. For all other creatures there is day and night. Measured or not, seconds can mean the difference in another construct...
... winning and losing.
Aren't you glad you have me making mistakes so you don't?
This is a great one.
I thought I was being so smart and clever. Earlier in the week, I pasted all my start times into my calendar on Outlook. For some reason, I thought to share them with Surfergirl.
Good thing.
This morning, after a solid night of sleep in the van, we popped down to the Waffle House.
I love Waffle House.
She'd never been.
It's one of the reasons I come to this race.
I really look forward to it.
It's a time machine.
Backwards.
Fueled up, I doublechecked my start time: 11:40:30 AM
It was 830ish.
Plenty of time to get to the start, 30 minutes away, and relax before a 60 minute warm up.
Everything was according to plan.
9:40 AM
Why aren't you getting ready?
Still have 2 hours.
Are you sure?
Yep.
It says 10:40 start.
What?
Right here.
O. M. G!!! Arizona is on MST, Outlook updated all the times!!!!!
That's a pretty big mistake.
Rookie!
I hustled.
She pinned numbers.
No time for proper warm up.
On the line, I had another genius idea.
My new TICKR HR monitor from Wahoo, had finally connected yesterday and was working great. During the warm up it was working great. On the start line, I decided to stop the ride, which it deleted I later learned, and start a new Ride so I could look at the miles and exact time.
It read 128 as the official counted down. This is normal for me, my HR gets pretty high right before...
... ready for battle.
As I rode away, it started to drop.
120
112
104
98
Yep.
98 bmp, as I'm getting after it in a 10 minute time trial.
I don't use a power meter.
I raced on feel.
This isn't totally new for me. Short MTB XC races, I often put my Wahoo in my back pocket so I can concentrate on the racing and terrain and ignore what my body is telling me.
Who knows what the difference would have been with the HR data?
I'm 5th.
27 seconds off 1st... 5 seconds off 3rd, 1 second off 4th.
Want to know what else I did wrong?
Why not...
... I didn't crank my shoes down and had to do that within the first 100 yds.
3 mistakes.
How much time did it cost?
Who knows?
Who cares?
It's just racing.
Good times.
Fun.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Inventory is dwindling on the GIANT RaceDay Calendar...
... with magical properties of
- Increased Focus
- Superior Planning
- Dreamlike Results
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
If you like the blog, you'll LOVE the podcast version:
----
163ish
7ish hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
20 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
IS THIS AIRBNB's LAST STAND?
Mar 02, 2023
by TODD BROWN
RACE TRAVEL IS IT'S OWN THING, and if you're like me and don't do it much it can really be a roll of the dice. While I have generally had good luck...
... not so this round..
I should have known it would be amateur night when I had to meet the owner for the key.
After a brief run through, and assurance the place will heat right up, he was gone.
A few minutes later we discovered there was a major roof leak, water soaking down the wall and dripping all over the only toilet and puddling on the floor.
While he circled back we went to dinner at Reilly for "craft" food and drink. We ordered a giant salad, meatballs and a small pizza...
... it was excellent.
Upon returning, the heater was making all kinds of heater sounds and pushing all kinds of arctic air.
We took hot showers while we waited for the owner.
It's not heating up.
Let me get my mechanic down here tomorrow.
Don't worry about it, we aren't staying.
Ok, I'll refund everything.
Great.
The thing is, I didn't want a refund. I wanted a little place, central to the races, where I could relax and stretch and generally enjoy a bit of racing and time away with Surfergirl.
Here's the good news:
- We have a van,
- A comfy bed
- A heater
And I'll have something to be pissed off about tomorrow, which is requisite for...
... putting down a blistering time in a short time trial.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Inventory is dwindling on the GIANT RaceDay Calendar...
... with magical properties of
- Increased Focus
- Superior Planning
- Dreamlike Results
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
If you like the blog, you'll LOVE the podcast version:
----
162.8
7,5 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
0 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THE ONLY GIMMICK GUARANTEED TO WORK
Mar 01, 2023
by TODD BROWN
DO YOU AHVE A FRIEND LIKE MINE? He's younger than me, was a standout athlete in high school, and...
... is in terrible shape.
I took him on a bike ride once.
Three miles of flat ending with a slight incline at the end of about 20 feet spread over about 100 feet.
Nothing.
At the top, poor fella, he had to get off the bike and lay down.
I literally thought he might be having a heart attack.
Over the years, among other attempts to regain some health he has...
- Hired a trainer at the gym
- Hired a chef
- Intermittent fasted
- Considered surgery
... and here's the latest: a diet suppression pill.
Speaking of hills to die on, I will die on this one...
- pick an event
- make a commitment
- be as ready as possible.
... this is the way.
The trainers, chefs, coaches, diets, surgery...
... are crutches.
Catalysts at best.
He will continue to fail and struggle and decline. It's rather sad. I would love nothing more than to see him return to being...
... an extremely capable, high-performing athlete.
Cut the crap.
Pick an event.
Get his butt in gear.
Yes, I've told him that with all the love and kindness and encouragement I can.
I know you're doing the same with your friends.
Keep inviting,
Keep showing the way,
Keep being the awesome person you are.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Inventory is dwindling on the GIANT RaceDay Calendar...
... with magical properties of
- Increased Focus
- Superior Planning
- Dreamlike Results
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
If you like the blog, you'll LOVE the podcast version:
----
163
8 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries
https://twitter.com/pedalindustries
BATTLING THE NPCs
Feb 28, 2023
by TODD BROWN
IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE SIMULATION, then you've got to consider the reality of NPCs. Christians know the verse In the beginning was the Word, coders use words and text...
... to create virtual worlds.
Today, I was an NPC.
For gamers, NPCs are non-player combatants. Their threat is real, they are easily killed, there isn't a human player controlling them...
... they are part of the simulation.
I had every intention of doing the local group ride today. It's been months, and I needed a final beat down before the racing starts on Friday.
Up early.
In the van.
Rain started pouring.
I was easily taken out of the game as the road soaked and the tires hydroplaned. While I generally enjoy the occasional ride in the rain...
...not this one,
not on my race bike,
not right before I'll need it working perfectly.
And why ride soaked for 3 hours?
Maybe I'm not an unconscious NPC?
Maybe we are in a simulation?
Either way, I'll be back out later today when the clouds clear. Gotta get that final hardy ride in...
... no NPCs are showing up at the races.
Are they?
https://pedalindustries.com/products/join-the-pedal-posse-monthly-subscription
If you're feeling like an NPC,
if you need a weekly kick in the lycra,
if you thrive hanging out with players IRL...
... today is the last day to join us who are playing the big game.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/join-the-pedal-posse-monthly-subscription
----
162.8
7 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THIS IS WHAT DRIVES ME
Feb 27, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I'M GONNA PUT MY HEART OUT HERE, because I think you ought to know. There is one thing driving PEDAL Industries...
... it's not you, and it's not me.
It's us.
Not just you and me, all of us. The planet.
I realized this the other day. I've been inviting people to ride bikes for as long as I can remember.
Why?
Because it's fun, and a great way to do the cardio side of in shape.
There are 3 things necessary for this nefarious plan of ours to truly work wonders:
- Pick an event, 1 a year will do
- Recruit or join a Posse.
- Get RaceDay Ready.
Let me explain.
Having 1 event a year to train for is invaluable for those looking to stay in reasonable shape annually because it's always out there...
... reminding us to stick to the plan, however loosely.
Knowing our posse is going to meet us at the proverbial corner each week is integral to staying on course. Training can be lonely, and for many of us...
... our deepest friendships often start and strengthen via the hours we ride side by side.
Being RaceDay Ready is all encompassing, it is much more than having a low resting heat rate and putting out big watts. Being truly ready means we are growing not just physically, but socially, mentally and spiritually.
The most fulfilled racers I know really are well-rounded squares.
They have an event or two on the horizon, a good group of riding pals, and both wheels on the ground...
... unless they're purposely shredding the gnar.
This what drives me to make the products we make, and to make them all customizable for each of our riding groups, teams, etc...
... there is something special about a uniform.
We showcase the colors and shapes and words that inspire and bond us into our unique tribes. For us, those tribes are made up of
- athletes
- adventure
- camaraderie
Want to make something amazing for your tribe?
https://pedalindustries.com/products/add-more-custom-products-to-my-store
Everything we make I've had a hand in creating and tested the heck out of...
... you can be sure it's quality.
Click here to set up a FREE design consultation.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/add-more-custom-products-to-my-store
https://pedalindustries.com/products/join-the-pedal-posse-monthly-subscription
----
163
8 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries
https://twitter.com/pedalindustries
RACING LIKE AN ELEPHANT
Feb 26, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT one of the insights from the book Into The Headwinds which I'm reading and how it applies to going fast on a bicycle by tapping into...
... our inner elephant.
Not a circus elephant on a bike.
We are primarily the products of thinking that is below the level of awareness.
That's the elephant.
Here's how it applies to bicycle racing.
New racers are like the rider, hyper aware and nervous and desperately trying to take it all in...
... think will power.
Experienced racers are like the elephant, much more relaxed...
... like daydreaming while driving home after work.
The rider has finite reserves.
The elephant has limitless energy.
Why is it so hard to establish a new habit? Because the elephant is in charge of the routine events in our lives.
Want to eat better?
Sleep better?
Train regularly?
The elephant is hard to overcome. Too much inertia.
However, the authors state...
If we do something with our rational/conscious self (the rider) long enough, we can train our intuitive/unconscious self (the elephant) to take over the task. The boundary between the elephant and rider is not static or impermeable.
I see it so clearly now.
In the beginning racing, particularly off road, required massive amounts of emotional energy. After years of riding and racing, instead of being nearly panicked during tense and technical racing...
... I slip into a state of flow.
Do you see it now?
Have you had that feeling or sensation on or off the bike?
The caveat, of course, is long enough.
What is long enough?
I've read it takes anywhere from 21 days to 60 days to establish a new habit. Personally, I think it's impossible to eradicate bad habits but infinitely possible to...
... instill good habits.
We're all riders and elephants.
The idea of sitting atop an elephant and trying to get it to do anything seems impossible in my mind...
... good thing I'm a persistent sunuvagun.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/join-the-pedal-posse-monthly-subscription
If you're looking for a way to get control of your elephant, join our Posse...
... you have until the end of the month, 2/28, then enrollment is closed.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/join-the-pedal-posse-monthly-subscription
----
163
8.4 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries
https://twitter.com/pedalindustries
SAVE MONEY, FEEL GREAT
Feb 25, 2023
by TODD BROWN
SINCE THE WEATHERTHINGY SAID RAIN ALL DAY, I slept in. The plan, a few days ago, was to make this Saturday my last very hard day before next weekend's races...
... I did the next best thing.
Out in the chilly garage, I got down to business.
Threw the race bike up in the stand,
pulled out the race wheels,
mounted new tires,
lubed the pulleys,
waxed the chain,
race readied,
the bike.
Once done, the rain ceased for a few minutes. I took it for a brief spin...
... the bike felt amazing.
There's something about being able to do my own wrenching that is both...
... satisfying and energizing.
The investment of time to learn what and how to do the basics, and a few dollars in equipment...
... is one of the best returns we'll ever get.
Confidence.
I felt so good, I bundled up and took a shot at dodging the storm clouds coming in off the ocean.
Ninety minutes later a soggy and cold mechanic rolled home on the Frankenbike...
... ready as I'm gonna be.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/join-the-pedal-posse-monthly-subscription
It's been good to have The Posse keep me on track...
... we start a new month next and there are a few spots available.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/join-the-pedal-posse-monthly-subscription
----
163.3
9 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
DO YOU HAVE A SYSTEM?
Feb 24, 2023
by TODD BROWN
IT'S REALLY HARD TO HAVE DISCIPLINE. For those who do, the results are amazing. For those who don't, like me...
... we have a secret.
We get all the benefits of discipline while having none.
What?
Yes.
It's called habits.
We don't think about habits, we do them. According to Duke University...
... 40% of our behaviors are habits.
We all have the habit to hop our bikes.
Meet the group at the corner.
Weekend morning ride.
We don't question Will I ride?, and our significant others think it's weird or something is wrong if we aren't on the bike at our normal time.
There's no decision,
no discipline.
We do it.
I was thinking about this because on the lightly attended due to heinous cold and blasting wind group ride someone said...
... I don't know what you're doing, but keep doing it.
You know exactly what I'm doing, I post it all every day.
I know.
Then do it.
It's hard.
It's not, it's just a few habits.
Personally, I wish I'd been practicing them my entire life.
They aren't complicated.
Easy to remember.
Effective.
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
----
163.1
8 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
HOW OLD ARE YOU?
Feb 23, 2023
by TODD BROWN
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I DO ALL WEEK is to check in with The Posse. We review how the previous week went, how this week's going, our progress for the next big race...
... it's magical.
To listen how these other athletes are juggling life and fitness goals, their approaches and secrets, is incredibly powerful.
I learn so much.
Something stood out to me tonight. Their energy and enthusiasm is unmistakably youthful.
I had to ask...
How old are you in your head?
22
17, maybe 23
32
27
... nothing remotely close to our actual ages.
It shouldn't be surprising.
All of us are in phenomenal shape, with real health and performance goals...
... that make us stretch.
Are we stretching out our lives?
Going to live longer?
Who cares?
It's not about how many days we have,
it's about how good the days are.
We're approaching a new month, which means we are opening up membership in The Posse again.
You have until 2/28 to join.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/join-the-pedal-posse-monthly-subscription
https://pedalindustries.com/products/join-the-pedal-posse-monthly-subscription
----
163.7
8.2 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
I'LL HUFF AND I'LL PUFF
Feb 22, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THE WIND CAME THROUGH AS PREDICTED. 25-30 mile an hour gusts, mostly tailwind on my way south to meet the group. I expected the turnout to be light...
... only the brave, crazy and stupid would show.
Which one was I?
You be the judge.
Normally, the group is 30-40 strong.
Josh and I rode down to meet...
... 4 guys?
4?
6 total.
Once we cleared the first hill and got up on the mesa the headwind was blasting us.
Everybody took a pull.
One guy bailed out.
5 of us.
On the mesa, the road snakes and the wind shifts from the right side to the left side and back to the right...
... we lost another.
4 of us.
The thing about the wind is it's just annoying.
- You really have to wrestle with the bike because it's weaving all over the place.
- It's so noisy you can't talk.
- Literally a drag.
The fact is, it's not really any harder than riding up a steep grade in terms of effort.
I'm used to that from all the mountain biking.
A lot of roadies aren't. They are used to taking a pull and relaxing, or just sucking wheel the whole ride. When the wind blows, suddenly they are super defensive.
The fact is, most of the ride was high tempo to low threshold. Comparing the effort to previous weeks on the same ride I actually spent less time in threshold.
It was easier.
But, the wind is so annoying it feels a lot harder.
Consequently, Josh and I did 90% of the pulling while the others sat in. I didn't care, I came for the workout.
At the turnaround, it was just me and Josh.
2 little piggies battling the big, bad wind.
What's the best way to ride in the wind?
If it's a huge group, and a headwind, it's pretty easy to just sit 15 riders back and hide. However, the moment that wind turns to the side it's a lot easier to be in the top 5-10 rotating.
In fact, I'd say it is almost always easier to be at the front doing short pulls because you're only in the wind for a brief moment then you are generally right back to being protected.
The farther back we get, the more squirrelly the riders get and the more difficult it is to conserve energy - physical and emotional.
It's just wind,
take a pull,
it's not a wolf,
get up front.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
Train up front,
finish up front,
see the checked flag first.
Quantities are getting low.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
163.3
7 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries
https://twitter.com/pedalindustries
YOU HAVE LESS THAN 6 MONTHS
Feb 21, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: You have less than 6 months until the Leadville Trail 100. That is for my friends...
... who think they have plenty of time to prepare.
They don't.
Neither do we, regardless of what we're planning to attempt this year.
We don't have plenty of time.
We have very limited time.
Every day we wait,
we have less time.
This isn't golf.
We don't have lucky days after not riding for months.
We have results of our preparation,
of our work.
I played tennis all through high school. Worked my way up to varsity. We were the worst team in the league, and I never made it out of round one at the championships. I played because my mom's boyfriend played and he kindly spent time with me. I didn't love it, I loved him. As soon as I left home, I quit playing. But...
... I'm always surprised how well I can hit the ball the first few swings.
Kinda like the first few pedal strokes after taking a lot of time off. It feels great...
... then it doesn't.
It hurts.
We wheeze.
Fire engulfs our legs.
The only way to avoid that on the day of reckoning is...
... training consistently.
Every day.
For the next 170ish if you're doing Leadville.
I'm not.
If was here is what I'd do:
- Every Saturday would be a long ride with big climbs at tempo. If I had children at home, I'd leave before sunrise and get home by 9ish.
- During the week I would begin with 1 intense group ride or hard interval session. Later in the season, I would up that to 2x per week... back to back, Tues/Wed.
- My volume would be 8-15 hrs/week. Maybe higher once or twice in July.
- I'd find 2-3 long races to do, or make my own, to simulate race pace and race day
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Inventory is dwindling...
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
If you like the blog, you'll LOVE the podcast version:
----
163.9
8 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries
https://twitter.com/pedalindustries
THIS IS GETTING ME ALL HOT AND BOTHERED
Feb 20, 2023
by TODD BROWN
SURFERGIRL POINTED OUT THE CRAZY WINDS slated to hit us in two days. We get them this time of year. They'll be blowing hard Wednesday morning...
... and I can't wait.
That's the difference between us.
She's looking for calm winds and glassy water. I like that, too. But I also...
... live for nasty weather.
Not always.
For example, today was just incredible.
Green everywhere.
65 degrees.
Perfect.
So perfect, in fact, I felt better on the bike than I have in months.
What's too look forward to then?
A legit battle with the bike and wind,
jockeying for position in the group,
vigilantly watching the players,
and working together while,
others are spit backwards.
Yeah, that's fun.
What makes it even more entertaining is knowing how so many riders loathe it. Skip the rides...
... and struggle when it happens in a race.
But, not us!
Am I right?
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
Races and rides that are nasty make the checkered flags and finishes something to truly relish.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
164.1
8 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
HE HATES IT, BUT HE LOVES IT. ME TOO.
Feb 19, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE: There is only one way to be great. Nowhere was that better captured than this week when the great Wout van Aert said...
... I hate it, but I love it.
Was it interval training?
Intermittent fasting?
Bike hygiene?
Nope.
It was his loss at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships, to his arch-rival Mathieu van der Poel.
Why would he love it?
A stinging loss at the line?
Because as the great TS Eliot penned, The journey, not the destination matters...
So, how do we achieve greatness?
We go on a quest.
If we're lucky, we find a worthy adversary who extracts not the very best of us, but...
... all of us.
That is why Wout hates it, but loves it.
When we go on a quest, it's a helluvalot more than
- Just finishing
- Standing on the podium
- Being the winner of a crapshoot sprint
The finish line is already known...
... what we are willing to do to get there is the journey.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
This design reminds me of the checkered flag and the victories that await those who put in the time.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
164.3
9 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
DO YOU HAVE THIS TALENT?
Feb 18, 2023
by TODD BROWN
BE HONEST. Look over today's ride, the previous week, month, quarter and year. Next, look over your results. PRs, KOMs, Podiums, Titles. Now, here's the question...
... do you have talent?
Before you answer that, let me tell you about today.
My goal was a shockingly fast group ride. Pain. Humiliation. Complete exhaustion. I wanted it all because my fitness is lagging...
... and the races are fast approaching.
I chose Swami's.
It's habitually nasty.
This edition was extra saucy with Jess and Sam in town. Sam, who rides for Legion, and his henchmen, got after it from the start. While they take over the front and start spitting people out the back, the beautiful Jess sits in. Barely breathing...
... like it's a day at the spa.
Me?
Gassed.
Gapped.
Gone.
While Sam and Jess certainly have talent...
... there was a less obvious talent on display today.
Think about this.
They live in Montana.
400' deep in freezing snow.
They've been here for less than a week.
My fitness is lagging because we've had a bit of rain and I had the sniffles...
... they are in great shape to lay down serious training in our perfect clime.
The takeaway for me is to further develop...
... the talent to work hard.
We can all do that.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
This design reminds me of the checkered flag and the victories that await those who put in the time.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
What's more fun than a blog post?... me riffing on it.
----
162
7.6 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
CHEAPER, BETTER, FASTER
Feb 17, 2023
by TODD BROWN
HARDTAILS ARE GREAT FOR MTB TRAINING. Not because of fewer moving parts to maintain, not because they can be picked up cheap. Those are good reasons...
... this is a great reason.
Hardtails feel fast.
Going all out on a hardtail is a lot rougher than a fullsuspension bike. We are bounced around significantly more, making the bike harder to handle at racepace. It feels like we're going really fast, but...
... we are really going slower.
That's okay.
We get the rush of riding on the ragged edge while being forced to pick cleaner lines. The result on raceday is we are picking cleaner lines and the fullsuspension MTB makes it feel slower and safer even though...
... we are really going a lot faster.
Oh, one other benefit to having an inexpensive hardtail to train on is a lot less wear and tear on the racebike.
One of the few cases where we can have cheaper, better, faster vs picking between two of the three.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
Whereas with this hoodie you only get to better and faster.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
I riff on all these posts here... Check it out:
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162.4
8.6 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries
https://twitter.com/pedalindustries
THE MOST UNDERRATED SKILL IN ROAD RACING
Feb 16, 2023
by TODD BROWN
IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, I've probably raced on the road about 10 times. With what has become a personal tradition, the Tucson Bicycle Classic, happening in three weeks...
... it's time to dust off the one skill needed to win a road race.
Assuming it comes down to a sprint, likelihood 90%, there is really only one thing to remember...
... be the last one to lead the race.
If you really want to win on the road, you have to be a villain.
Be patient.
Fastfriendships and alliances will be short lived.
Be patient.
This is no time for chivalry.
Be patient.
Wait.
Wait.
Wait.
It thou desirest to win...
.... thou shalt not put thy nose in the wind.
The problem of course is training like this leaves us unprepared, weak, ineffective.
We must train on the front.
Take the pulls.
Burn.
We get used to the feeling, the respect and leadership that accompanies shredding the group to pieces and to our detriment...
... when the gun fires we want to display our readiness.
Resist.
There is one big risk.
It's always possible there is a brave, heroic and welltrained sunuvagun who can deliver the goods...
... and ride away solo to victory.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
Superheroes where hoods...
... and this hoodie is one of my favorites for the athletic cut and perfect weight.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
I riff on all these posts here... Check it out:
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161.4
8.6 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
80 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
WHO'S IN YOUR POSSE?
Feb 15, 2023
by TODD BROWN
WHEN I SHOW UP TO THE RACES, a mess of guys pile out of the van with me. No sense in taking on the competition solo...
... I roll with a badass posse.
Each one of them took a special part in prepping me.
It matters.
There's...
- Get plenty of sleep Sam
- Eat whole foods Ed
- Stretch and recover Guru
- Read and Write Sensei
- Lift weights Wanda
- Checklist Charlie
- Custom kit design Ken
- Weigh daily Danika
- Sargent Strava
... when I prep with the POSSE, anything's possible.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
I made this hoodie just for the posse, so we look sharp...
... it is a Limited Edition hoodie inspired by The Specials.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
I riff on all these posts here... Check it out:
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161.7
7.3 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
75 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
HOW TO DETERMINE ZONE 2
Feb 14, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THE GODFATHER OF ZONE 2 IS THE GREAT PHIL MAFFETONE. I learned about Phil while studying the great Mark Allen, aka The Grip...
... who destroyed his competition, staying in Zone 2.
Mark Allen was a devastating competitor who's epic battles with the great Dave Scott at Ironman are legendary.
I wanted that for the type of racing I was doing at the time. long distance MTB events.
The idea of chasing my competitors down who always went out too fast continues to captivate me.
According to Phil, Zone 2 is 180 - your age. It's based on the idea most people have a max HR of 180 in their prime. At the time, my max was 198 and I was 40.
Was my zone 2 158bpm?
No, of course not.
Was it 140?
Probably.
There are many systems and ways to come up with our zone 2 range.
- 60%-70% of Max HR
- Resting HR x 3
- 180 - age
There is the Power world, where HR is somewhat disregarded and zone 2 is based on a percentage of max power.
Or, the Perceived Exertion method, where any pace that is conversational is zone 2.
While these methods are based on the traditional 5 zones, there is also the 3 zone camp where zone 1 is the hero zone.
What I'm currently using, and think is quite accurate are the ranges generated by Strava. For me, that is 107-142. That is based on my max hr I hit last year at the Tucson Bicycle Classic TT.
Last night's Zone 2 MTB ride
How do I know this is my Zone 2 pace?
- I can easily converse at that pace,
- ride all day long,
- and survive on fewer calories than I need when racing or training hard.
- Also, I never feel sore after riding in that zone.
The biggest hurtle those new to Zone 2 training will face is the feeling of riding slow, not doing enough and wasting time.
Which is great because it keeps our competition in our grip...
... just where we want 'em.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
It takes a special, committed athlete to achieve Zone 2 greatness...
... this is a Limited Edition hoodie inspired by The Specials.
Ships free.
Grants early access to this limited edition kit
Order Now.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/the-limited-edition-special-hoodie
Please check out the live versions and extra riffing on what inspired the post:
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163.5
7 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
NOBODY WILL EVER CONVINCE ME
Feb 13, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I'VE BEEN TOLD A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT MYSELF. Some selling on me on my potential, some telling me I plain suck. Sound familiar?...
... it's tempting to believe.
But, it never sticks.
Good,
or bad.
As the great Matteo Jorgenson said today after his first big win.
I didn’t even believe I deserved to be professional. It was a process of convincing myself and doing races and being up there enough to believe it. Today, finally my dream came through.
I get that.
I miss that part of my cycling journey.
Starting out at the local team training race: C to B to A
Going to my first USA Cycling event as a Cat IV and shaking on the startline...
... to battling my way for three years to Cat II.
The great Henry Ford exclaimed...
... Whether you thank you can or you think you can't, you're right.
However, too often I forget it's not a switch I just turn on,
it's a process.
Doing,
Being,
Believing.
The great Tom Watson repeatedly taught...
... The fastest way to succeed is to double your failure rate.
You can take it from here.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
This is where my doing starts.
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Please check out the live versions and extra riffing on what inspired the post:
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163.9
8 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries
https://twitter.com/pedalindustries
1 OF 2 THINGS WE MUST LEARN TO SUFFER
Feb 12, 2023
by TODD BROWN
PHYSICAL SUFFERING IS ADDICTING. Endurance athletes love it. We thrive on it, mile after mile. Onlookers are shocked...
... we are high, in our glory.
But, greatness depends on choosing to live with a different kind of suffering:
- The pain of discipline
- Or, the pain of regret
Choose wisely.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Seeing the entire year at once, with Saturdays and Sundays at the end of the week (like our racing)...
... is just the reminder we need to stick with the plan.
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Please check out the live versions and extra riffing on what inspired the post:
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162.3
7.5 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THE PROBLEM WITH TRYING SOMETHING NEW
Feb 11, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO is try something new on raceday. The outcome could be great. It's very risky though, because...
... we don't know how we'll react.
Right up there is discounting something new without a longterm trial.
Most rats, wild or captive, live about two years...
... lab rats a little longer.
I'm not saying we need to do our own madscientist experimentations for two years, but...
... it takes real time to know of particular training method is working.
After over a year, I'm 100% convinced my polarized training combined with the Cowboy Strong weight lifting method are extremely effective.
Props to Todd Udall for reminding me what the great Stephen Seiler said...
... training methods that work survive.
The rest fade away and become extinct.
Regarding Zone 2 training, where I spend 70-80% of saddle time, has other benefits besides simply training the heart.
- Pedal stroke efficiency
- Mental freshness
- Adventure
Today, was a big Zone 2 ride.
My only agenda was to do something different.
Along the way, I found a trail completely new to me.
It turned out to be a hoot.
The great Dan Sullivan said we should be engaged in something with which we are endlessly fascinating...
... for me, that's getting faster.
How about you?
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
I cover most of my breakthroughs here.
It's free.
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
Please check out the live versions and extra riffing on what inspired the post:
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162.8
8.5 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
0 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
https://www.instagram.com/pedalindustries
https://twitter.com/pedalindustries
MY COLD RULES
Feb 10, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I SPENT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN BED. Nasty cold/flu laid me out. I rode this morning because of Rule #1...
... of my 2 cold rules.
The rules rhyme.
- Above the neck, ride like heck.
- In the chest, zone 1 best.
- Feel dead, get in bed.
I thought there were two?
There are.
I see three.
There are two for riding with a cold and one when we feel awful.
Why did you list the third?
Because that's the one nobody wants to hear, myself included.
Ahhh.
Exactly.
The problem I have, and I'm sure you don't because you're smarter than me, is I don't want to listen to my body. Probably because I often ignore it when things get saucy in a race. In fact, it took everything I had not to ride at the end of the day yesterday.
I really wanted to.
Then, I sat down...
... and fell asleep.
Dead.
As you know, I'm not a doctor. This is just my rule of thumb.
Personally, I have found a zone 1 or 2 ride often speeds recovery. That and a hellahot shower.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Missing a few days of training isn't going to change much during an entire year, especially if you have your A race training blocked out months in advance.
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Please check out the live versions and extra riffing on what inspired the post:
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162.7
10 hrs Sleep
.5 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
180 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
THAT LOOKS NASTY, LET'S GIVE IT A FEW WEEKS
Feb 08, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I'M ALWAYS SURPRISED BY MYSELF AND NEARLY ALL MY FRIENDS, right after a terrible outing we all say the same thing. Never again. Once in a lifetime experience...
... with the idea of never repeating the same mistake.
But, time heals all wounds.
Inevitably, after a few weeks we start replaying how things went and realize we could do better...
- Training
- Recon
- Logistics
- Bike set up
- etc
... and those wretched memories of terrible cramping or bonking or strategy or hotel are no longer nearly as tender like cactus thorns in the knuckles.
Then, the promoter sends out their schedule for the following year.
Months have passed.
Like a prize fighter who was knocked out, we are ready to take another crack at the champ who beat us.
We put down our money and register.
At that point, we realize just what we've done.
We're mad.
Embarrassed.
Even, ashamed.
And, here is where we can really screw it up...
... we forget how we got knocked out in the first place.
So, for all of us contemplating returning to the event that laid us out...
... don't get mad, get even.
Here is what I do:
Write everything down immediately after an A race,
before, during and after...
- What went well
- What mistakes were made
- Training files
- Accommodations
- Food strategy
- Equipment set up
... be extremely detailed.
It's important to really dig, and really document, and to do this immediately after the race while the wound is fresh and still bleeding.
I don't think I've ever finished an A race where I couldn't think of something I could have done better...
... even if I think it went absolutely perfect.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
The moment you have the date(s) of the big event(s), take out a Sharpie and fill out your calendar.
This takes guts, and is extremely empowering.
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Please check out the live versions and extra riffing on what inspired the post:
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164.5
7 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
IS ATTITUDE REALLY EVERYTHING?
Feb 07, 2023
by TODD BROWN
ONE THING IS FOR SURE, on raceday there is a lot of attitude. Some good. Some bad. The question is...
... what is the best attitude to have?
In the case of turning, attitude is the angle of attack, the way we approach the corner, and it directly determines how well we exit.
Lean in too far,
or not enough,
Weight the outside foot too much,
or not enough,
Arms bent but too taught,
or not enough
Body too rigid,
or not enough..
... if our attitude isn't proper it's impossible to corner with max speed and safety.
It turns it's that way with everything...
... attitude is everything.
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
I have found the most successful people with RaceDay Ready start with an open attitude to try something new...
... and a commitment to finish.
If you've started, have you finished.
If you haven't started, have you checked out the testimonials?
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
Please check out the live versions and extra riffing:
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164.7
8.2 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
BREAKING THE PERSONAL SPEED BARRIER
Feb 06, 2023
by TODD BROWN
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GO FASTER ON OUR BIKES than we are currently going. We can try and force it all we want...
... it just doesn't work.
Pathways to failure include:
- Tensing up
- Brute force
- Holding breath
Then, what works?
- Relaxing
- Slowing down
- Enjoying the moment
How do we achieve maximum effort and stay loose?
This was on my mind as I drove home from Saturday's race.
I felt so much more confident and in a state of flow on the all of the fast downhills than I did 3 months prior on practically the same course.
The main difference between then and now is rather than ride my MTB once a week, I'm riding it 60-80% of the time.
Saddle time matters.
Most of that riding is on the dirt, and when it's not there is still a fair amount of throwing the bike around and jumping curbs, etc.
Where and how we ride matters.
Actually, I'm riding a rather oldish hardtail that I set up to exactly mimic my race bike's fit.
Set up matters.
The bottom line, the more we ride the same bike over similar terrain the more we relax and going for it in a relaxed state...
... always yields max speed.
Practice => Flow => Max Results
The above formula works in all areas of life.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Current Weekly Training on my calendar:
Monday MTB
Tuesday MTB
Wednesday Road
Thursday MTB or Off
Friday MTB
Saturday Road
Sunday Off
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Please check out the live versions and extra riffing:
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166ish
7.5 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
STRAVA STATS THAT MATTER
Feb 05, 2023
by TODD BROWN
I LOVE STRAVA. There I said it. It's true. Even though hardly any of the latest updates, for which they are raising the overall subscription price, are useful...
... I love the data.
Here's why. At the end of the year, they give us all the totals for miles, time, etc.
But, that's not the best part.
I know I'm going to ride about 600 hours a year.
12 hours a week.
I can plan on that.
I know tomorrow, for example, I'm slated to ride 2 hours and probably need lights for at least part of the ride...
... sometimes that doesn't happen.
That's okay, because one of the beauties of Strava is keeping me accountable...
... helping me track the weekly goal(s).
After tomorrow, I have 5 more days to get my weekly plan completed.
Now, if they'd enable effective communication with each other ala Facebook Groups and Messenger...
... that would be a truly useful upgrade.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Speaking of weekly training and annual planning, have you noticed that the Giant RaceDay Calendar starts on Monday and ends on Sunday?
That was one of the main reasons I created the calendars, so
- I could view my weeks how a train
- and see my weekends how I race
The calendars ship FREE.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Please check out the live versions and extra riffing:
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165ish
8 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
120 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
ARE YOU A CONSUMER OR COMMITTER?
Feb 04, 2023
by TODD BROWN
HOW DO I EXPLAIN THIS? I've discovered a massive secret to improved performance. It will work for anyone...
... if they'll just commit.
Here's the dill.
Once we commit to an A race, for example, everything changes.
We are no longer wandering from race to race, or thinking about maybepossibly doing a particular race like a typical consumer. We now have what the great Napoleon Hill called...
... a definite major purpose.
On such and such a date, I will do X.
I was thinking about this today, my first race of the year, because it was a chance to check if my own definite major purpose was working.
MTB Marathon Nationals.
Once I made that commitment, a number of ideas regarding training came cascading into mind.
- Ride MTB almost exclusively, even if on the road.
- Go harder on the strength training.
- Build a massive Zone 2 base.
In practice this meant, no more gravel riding. I really need to be training the MTB position almost exclusively. I'm only riding the road, when I want/need to do really competitive group rides or races.
I've also increased my RaceDay Ready Cross fit from 12 minutes to 24 minutes by adding a few other exercises along with adding more weight. My baseline is now, 10 pullups and 30 pushups in a row, and deadlifting my body weight 10 times. Daily, or a minimum of 5 days a week.
Mondays and Fridays used to be 60ish minutes in Zone 1. No more. Now, I'm shooting for 2 hours Zone 2.
What I've noticed so far, is my Zone 2 efficiency is increasing. I'm going faster and faster at a relatively low heart rate. I'm never sore from the daily lifting, because my body now thinks that's normal. (Do bodies think?). And... AND... my MTB skills are coming back which means I can go much quicker with the same physical exertion.
None of this would have happened without that commitment.
But, why?
Without the commitment I never would have seen all the areas I could make tiny little improvement...
... which were on display today.
That's a pretty steady effort and all my lap times were within a minute except the last, which I'm attributing to knowing I had the race won and it being my first real race in about 6 months.
There's more to discover, and it will be a lot easier...
... because I'm committed.
https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/the-way-of-the-r-a-c-e-r
I covered this similarly in the first chapter of my book.
The book is free, just cover the Shipping and Handling.
https://pedalindustries.myshopify.com/products/the-way-of-the-r-a-c-e-r
Please check out the live version of this post:
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164ish
7 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
UNLEASHING ON RACEDAY
Feb 03, 2023
by TODD BROWN
FIRST RACE OF THE YEAR FOR ME TOMORROW. Woohoo. It'll be fun to see friends, feel that start line energy...
... and unleash.
Part of that, of course, is unleashing the training I've done. Saddle time. Strength training. Good eatin'.
But, that's not all.
There is much more than just the setting our physical fitness free on the course.
What about our minds?
Not the made up angst about a certain competitor.
The other stuff.
- The pressures to perform
- Weather concerns
- Pre-race routines we didn't get to
- Who we can or can't follow
- Work responsibilities
- Relationships that are misfiring
All that stuff up there, takes all kinds of emotional energy to maintain and there is absolutely nothing we can to about on the course.
Unleash the mental distractions to truly...
... unleash all the physical potential.
You know I'll be lubing up with this this secret sauce. If purchased a RaceDay Bag™ recently you should have a small sample pack and a promo code.
This code saves you 25% of PR Lotion: PRsMadeEz
Please check out the live version of this post:
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164ish
8 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
60 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
WHO IS THE GREATEST CYCLIST EVER?
Feb 02, 2023
by TODD BROWN
OUR APP IS POWERED BY AI. We use machine learning. These claims by more and more companies in and out of cycling, while true, might be...
... completely useless.
For example, I asked ChatGPT, who is the greatest cyclist ever:
Determining the "greatest" bicycle racer ever is subjective and can be based on various criteria, such as number of wins, longevity, impact on the sport, and more. However, several cyclists are often mentioned as contenders for the title, including:
-
Eddy Merckx: A Belgian cyclist widely regarded as one of the greatest riders of all time. He won 11 Grand Tours and numerous other races, setting numerous records in the process.
-
Jacques Anquetil: A French cyclist who was the first rider to win the Tour de France five times. He was also known for his time-trial prowess.
-
Bernard Hinault: A French cyclist who won five Tour de France titles and was known for his aggressive riding style and overall versatility.
-
Miguel Indurain: A Spanish cyclist who won five consecutive Tours de France and was known for his ability to excel in time trials.
-
Fausto Coppi: An Italian cyclist who won two Tour de France titles and numerous other races, and is considered one of the greatest climbers of all time.
It is important to note that these riders all dominated the sport during different eras and had unique skills and styles, making it difficult to definitively declare one as the greatest ever.
I'm no scientist, but even I can see that the AI is only as good as the data it has to work with. The data comes from the people who program the AI.
So.
If ChatGPT is only considering winners of the Tour De France as contenders in the greatest ever contest...
... what does that tell ya about AI?
I asked ChatGPT what is the best way to prepare for Mountain Bike Racing. There is some good general advice, a nice summary. I went narrower and asked the best way to prepare for Leadville 100 MTB race, and was provided more general advice particular to the race..
In neither case, was it suggested I to learn how to focus on the trail not the obstacles.
It might be one day,
if programmed.
No different from the Intelligence under our helmets.
It matters who's doing the programming, and the width and depth of the data considered.
For me, one of the greatest cyclists ever is John Tomac. ChatGPT couldn't get that right either, only scant highlights. Here is my version of his excellence on two wheels:
- BMX professional
- MTB National and World Champion in XC and DH
- National Crit Champion (best race I ever saw)
- National Team TT Champion
- Raced Pro on the road for Motorola in Europe
- ... AND Outstanding Father of the amazing Eli Tomac Supercross superstar.
Just like our own training of our bodies, AI outputs depend on the inputs.
That sticker photo above is from my tool box, we send those stickers out with every RaceDay Bag purchase...
... because I want you to rip on RaceDay!
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/bags-for-every-sport
Check out the live version of this post:
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164
7.5 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
https://www.strava.com/athletes/10248
WHAT IS THE GREAT SECRET TO LIFE?
Feb 01, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THERE IS NO GREATER TEACHER than a twisty, technical singletrack at speed. Or, the last corner of a sprint finish of a downtown crit course. We are forced...
... to sharpen our focus.
Anything less could be disaster.
Do not look back.
Don't glance to the side.
Focus only on where we want to be...
... and we magically get there.
I was reminded of that this morning on a charging group ride.
The final 5 miles, three of us were in a break. All out. It was looking good until the final 1/2 mile when one of the guys looked back and soft pedaled rather than pulling through...
... we were swallowed up with 150 meters to go.
So close.
You know who I always cut off midway through a sentence?
Isn't that dangerous dude.
Aren't you scared girl.
Shouldn't you
I've heard
There is no place for irrational fear.
I was reminded of that on page 148 of The Shack. Good book.
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
One of the things I like about the Giant RaceDay Calendar is blocking out time to spend with those I love.
Check that video out.
#worthit
https://pedalindustries.com/collections/raceday-calendars™
Check out the live version of this post:
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164
7.5 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
I WANT TO LOSE ALMOST EVERY RACE
Jan 31, 2023
by TODD BROWN
MY FAVORITE LOSES ARE WHEN SOMEONE BEATS ME A NEW WAY, a tactic or move I never thought of, or cannot follow...
... it's illuminating.
Especially when it's something I think will not work.
- The attacker, who just relentlessly attacks
- The early move, destined to fail
- The impossible to follow, downhill missile
- The never at the front, until the last meter
- The ride everyone off the wheel, until nobody remains
To name just a few who've recently thrashed me into submission.
Thinking these racers are stupid is risky. Understanding them isn't.
Oh how I would love to pop a drone into their training rides for a week, or month, or year.
How did they do what they did?
How often was practice?
Could I master it?
I never enjoy losing, but when I do, I hope it's by someone teaching me a new way to win...
... keep racing my friends.
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
Here's my favorite way to get ready to race.
https://pedalindustries.com/pages/raceday-ready-2023-ala-todd
Listen and watch the riffing version of this post
Search for the PEDAL Industries podcast on Apple or Spotify
Watch on our YouTube channel.
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163.3
8.25 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
GO YOUR OWN WAY
Jan 30, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS TO GET OUT AND RIDE, rain or shine. Today it was rain. I knew there was a chance...
... some would say I was risking it when I left.
Not me.
I committed to be outside for at least 2 hours every single day of 2023. The only risk would be...
... letting myself down.
The curious thing about commitments is they almost instantly separate us from everybody else.
Mudflap mounted, I rolled out.
Threatening clouds.
Wet streets.
No rain.
Neighbors shook their heads.
Drivers thought I was outta my mind.
I keep reading that being comfortable while being alone is a sign of mental health. For me, it's necessary.
You can call it another lonely day...
... welcome to my world.
https://pedalindustries.com/posse
Maybe that's why I love the PEDAL Posse so much.
https://pedalindustries.com/posse
Listen and watch the riffing version of this post
Search for the PEDAL Industries podcast on Apple or Spotify
Watch on our YouTube channel.
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163.6
8.25 hrs Sleep
2 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
90 minutes reading + Journaling
WHEN IN DOUBT GO BIG
Jan 29, 2023
by TODD BROWN
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR CALENDAR wondering what event or two will fit in well with family, work and life, consider this...
... When in doubt, go big!
Pick the bigger event,
choose the impossible goal.
Because if you're going on invest
in the time to train,
a diet worthy of a Spartan,
money to perfect your race bike...
... nothing will give you a better return than a big event and a big goal.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
I have 4 slots left for the accountability group.
Check it out.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
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164.5
7 hrs Sleep
0 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
150 minutes reading + Journaling
HOW FAR AHEAD SHOULD WE BE LOOKING?
Jan 28, 2023
by TODD BROWN
WHETHER IN A TIGHTLY BUNCHED ROAD GROUP or slicing and dicing the explosive start of an XC race, I never trust the riders ahead...
... I'm always looking as far ahead as possible.
It's a habit and it has kept me out of a lot of trouble because the riders ahead don't always call things out, even if they see them.
I've found the racers who are the most successful look the farthest ahead. Not just in the race...
... in everything, especially the calendar.
They aren't just looking at next week's race or next month's.
Six months out, for sure.
Often a year,
or more...
... because that is how long it takes to achieve greatness.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
I have 5 slots left for the accountability group.
Check it out.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
----
164
7.5 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
30 minutes reading + Journaling
WHY AREN'T MOST PEOPLE STRONGER THAN THEY COULD BE?
Jan 27, 2023
by TODD BROWN
A FRIEND OF MINE WAS COMPLAINING RECENTLY that he always finds the time to ride, but...
... never finds the time to do strength work.
I made him a promise, if would do one thing just one time he would easily find the time to be a lot stronger.
Not only find the time, but get all the benefits of being strong on and off the bike.
- Increased stability and power
- Better bike control
- Stronger bones
Who doesn't want that?
So, here's what I asked him to do...
... Next time you do your pushups, pullups and squats, time yourself.
Here's the honesttotodd's truth.
It takes about 10 minutes.
That's it.
In that amount of time, I can easily do
10 pullups
+ 30 pushups
+ 5-7 heavy squats
... and catch my breath in between.
If there is one thing I wish I'd done my entire life, it's that. Every day. Sometimes more than once.
In just 10 minutes, you can get amazing results. That you can see. And feel.
10 minutes.
He knows that, but he'd never timed it.
Timing it makes it real.
That's my minimum, pullups and pushups and squats. I have a few other things I do to stay strong, but even that only takes 22ish minutes.
So, like this morning, when Surfergirl has an early flight and I've got 30 minutes to get out the door, it would have been soooooo easy to blow that off. Instead, it's 10 minutes...
... make it happen.
Every day, but Sunday (my day off).
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
I have 5 slots left for the accountability group.
Check it out.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
Check out my riff on this post... search PEDAL Industries on Apple Podcast, or Spotify
Or the video version https://youtu.be/mcZfAB5povg
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165 (ugh!)
7.7 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
50 minutes reading + Journaling
DISCIPLINE FOR DUMMIES
Jan 26, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THE GREAT KATE COURTNEY was on a podcast with Ryan Holliday discussing the benefits of discipline. It's harder than it sounds if you love to ride. Her coach asked her..
... Do you want to be fast today or at the races?
It's Either/Or.
We can't have it both ways.
She went into the benefits of a legit offseason.
Cooling things down.
Reduced saddletime.
How do we know we're doing it right?
When can we ramp things up?
How hard should we go?
I was thinking about this yesterday, because I felt so darn good on the bike. For months, I've been having a pretty legit offseason myself. Reduced intensity and saddletime.
Now that the first races are approaching, with an A race in March, I'm aching to cut loose.
Oddly, and this could be weird for some of you, during this period of building base on the bike and strength in the gym, it feels a lot like dating.
Hear me out.
Proper dating doesn't start with a full makeout session on the first encounter. No. We dress up, we go out. Movies. Dancing. Dinner. A hike. A bike ride! Etc. Later, down the line...
... a kiss at the door is like hanging on to a group ride.
We keep putting in the time.
On the bike.
In the gym.
Eating well.
If we don't rush things,
if we are patient,
desire builds,
we wonder,
we know,
ready.
Ya can't race all the time, every weekend, all year long, without losing interest and burning out.
The C races, first dates.
The B races, meeting parents and friends.
The A races, absolutely magical if we've waited to unleash all our potential.
Too much?
For those of you into the data, you may not need the dating analogy. For the rest of us...
... that's pretty much how it is.
And, it's a lot of fun done right.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
If you're lacking some self-control, the accountability maybe just what need.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
----
164
8.5 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
80 minutes reading + Journaling
---
Listen to the podcast version (sometimes it's delayed) https://anchor.fm/raceday-ready-with-todd-b
Check out my YouTube riff on this post: https://youtu.be/6myCAC5E9fg
WHAT COMES LONG AFTER THE SUGAR HIT?
Jan 25, 2023
by TODD BROWN
THIS GEM REALLY HITS HOME. It came during a conversation with one of the RaceDay Ready Accountability crew. It is so good...
... because it is so true, for us.
Nothing tastes as good as being lean feels.
That is gold.
Nothing tastes as good as being lean feels.
Write it on your bathroom mirror,
on your scale,
on your hand.
We are athletes,
born predators.
I was thinking about that doing a local climb.
My scheduled group ride through Camp Pendleton was nixed because they are doing training exercises. So, I turned around short, hit it hard coming back...
... and attacked the climbs.
PRs.
Yes, PRs in January.
Granted, the main segment, I haven't climbed it a million times, there's room for improvement. It's a solid 20 minute effort...
... aptly named Bahia Pain Cave.
I'm not lighter than the last time I PR'd. But, I'm most definitely stronger with all the leg work I'm doing nearly every day:
- Sled
- Squat
- Nordic
- Box Jump
- Toe Raise
- Heel Raise
The original phrase was Nothing tastes as good as being skinny. Skinny can be good...
... it can also imply weak.
Athletes, predators aren't weak.
The are lean.
Strong.
One more time...
... Nothing tastes as good as being lean feels.
Especially, when getting after it on a climb.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
Need some accountability?
It's just a call away.
https://pedalindustries.com/products/raceday-ready-2023-for-life-subscription
----
164
8.5 hrs Sleep
1 RaceDay Ready Strength Circuit
20 minutes recovery
80 minutes reading + Journaling
Check out my YouTube riff on this post: https://youtu.be/ZB6SdvE83Gw
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