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JUST BECAUSE IT'S FREE MEANS...

SO MUCH INFORMATION, and so much of it free.  Free is a weird price, because we know it's gonna cost time and there's probably...

... an ask down the road.

Don't be fooled.

Sometimes the really expensive stuff is great,
sometimes it's terrible.

Same for free.

Price is a signal.

Should we be swayed?

I recently got an offer to save 30% on a $6000 frame.

6K!!!...

... must be awesome.

Maybe.

But, how do we know?

Really?

The glossy magazine ad?

The pro riding it to a win?

It can be frustrating.

When it comes right down to it, most of us...

... are swayed by our friends' reviews.

Like these -> https://pedalindustries.com/pages/reviews...

... which I'm extremely grateful for.

---

168.3
8.5 hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
69

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?

 


>

DOES YOUR DOG BITE?

THE GREAT INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU encounter with a dog is classic.  The dog is off leash, he asks Does your dog bite? The answer is, No.  He bends to pet the dog...

... only to have the dog viciously latch on to his hand!

I thought you said your dog does not bite?

That is not my dog.

I thought about that since Surfergirl has...

  • demanded
  • pleaded
  • asked

... that I let her track me on my rides.

I feel like a dog on a leash.

The Jason Bourne in me wants none of that.

There's nothing to hide,
when I ride.

But, really?

She does have a point.

I often venture into the wild.

Signs with warnings of mountain lions and snakes about.

Trails are often treacherous to the bike, 
and potentially me.

Humans few and far between.

If, if, if I should need a rescue,
which I never have...

... I'll just need two things.

A cell signal...

... and a friend who cares.

It's kinda romantic when ya think about it,
guess we're doing all right. 

---

168.2
8ish hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
69

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?


>

HOW MY LITTLE PRACTICE LOOP TOOK ME DOWN

I SET OFF TO POUND MY PRACTICE LOOP.  The profile is jagged, lots of single track, and...

... I'm trying to crack 90 minutes.

Today's failure is why it's so important to practice racing.

Here's the dill.

This course is very hard to stay fueled on...

... almost impossible to drink, forget about eating.

Which meant I was tuckered out, with 4 miles to go.  The last 30ish minutes are pretty dern steep.

With about 20 minute warm up,
winging it on 1/2 bottle and 100 calories was a weak effort.

Just not enough.

Strava called a Massive Relative Effort, 
giving the workout a score of 192.

I'll try it again in a couple of weeks.

This time with 400 calories, 
and 30 ounces of water,
in a Camelbak.

There just isn't time to suck on a bottle,
the bladder hose is easy to grab,
and once in my mouth,
handsfree.

Ya can't figure that out without simulating what ya might be racing...

... in real world conditions.

---

169.1 lbs (dropping some of these will speed things up, too)
8ish hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
67

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?

 


>

SPEED AND BRAKES, NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS

THERE'S A TECHNICAL, ROCKY SECTION on part of a local trail.  First-timers walk it, new riders use a slow approach, locals...

... let it rip.

They know something.

Speed makes it much easier to glide over the the treachery.

It's counterintuitive.

Disc brakes are the same way.

They rub.

We pry 'em apart and reinsert the wheel.

Soon into the ride they are rubbing again.

Why?

The pads are worn out.

You'd think they would stop touch the disc or barely work when running thin.

That's the way rim brakes work when the pads are worn down.

Not discs.

Counterintuitive.

Which why we alwaysalwaysalways check our brake pads before a race...

... so we hit the tricky stuff with speed.

---

167.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
66

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?


>

DO YOU D.H.T.?

 WE MAY NOT BE PRO.  Our equipment may be lacking, our preparation woeful, our  focus far from singular...

... which makes it all the more impressive.

When we, you and me...

... Do Hard Things.

Just like the pros,
but on a whole other level.

They level up,
get a pay check.

Our objective has nothing to do with money, and...

... everything to do with commitment.

Here's the cool part.

People see it.

Our family, friends, work associates, neighbors, etc.

They get inspired.

Maybe not to ride 100 miles or run a marathon or do an Ironman.

Doesn't matter.

The ability to D.H.T. can be applied to anything...

  • changing diapers in the middle of the night
  • studying instead of clubbing
  • making 100 cold calls/day
  • working 80 hrs a week for a season
  • pushing a car off to the side of the road
  • leading volunteers to repair after a disaster strikes

... once we learn we have it within us.

---

169.1 lbs
8.5 hrs sleep
No strength work today
10 minutes recovery 
180 minutes reading + Journaling 
66

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?

 


>

WE NEED A METRIC FOR THIS

THE FIRST TIME I SAW SHIMANO'S INTEGRATED SHIFTING, dubbed SIS, I knew there was no chance in a sprint without it.  Sure we'd perfected the lost of art of...

... sprinting, letting go of the handlebars with one hand to shift.

But, what was the point?

It was useless.

Shimano changed the game, all because...

... Gripshift had changed the game.

Gripshift morphed into SRAM.

Shimano gave us electric shifting.

SRAM did it better with wireless.

How is that my new Kindle got me thinking of this?

Simple.

Kindle changes the reading game.

Which got me thinking about another game changer, Training Peaks.

It's pretty cool.

All kinds of data.

But, one metric is missing and would...

... be so funny to have.

A measurement for how bad a ride sucks...

  • Freezing rain
  • Frying pan heat
  • Mile long hike-a-bike
  • Gail force headwinds
  • Countless mechanicals

... indicating our badassness for getting it done,
not quitting.

For example, we rolled the dice this morning on a 38% chance of rain.

No big deal, right?

3 hours in, we face another hour of driving headwind and relentless rain...

... the suckometer was needling past halfway.

  • Hands were edging towards inoperable.
  • Too wet and involved to eat carbs
  • Feet sloshing

Not terrible.

But, somewhere on the ride data it woulda been nice to see...

... the badassometer read out.

Just fer fun.

See where the day's suckiness ranked against other such rides over time.

Time to go back the Kindle...

... under the blankies.

Me still cold.

---

167.9 lbs
7.5 hrs sleep
Just pull ups and push ups
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
67 

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?

 


>

LEARNING TO RIP FROM MARCH MADNESS

BALL AND STICK SPORTS are typically concerned with, and built around, offense and defense.  How do we...

... apply that thinking to our endurance addictitions?

Do we have offense?

Defense?

Yep.

Offense

  • Riding, running swimming time
  • Weight lifting
  • Racing and competitive group rides
  • Upgrading equipment - new, shiny stuff
  • Hiring a coach
  • Fine tuning the bike fit
  • Developing our handling skills

Defense

  • Recovery work
  • Sleep
  • Proper nutrition
  • Accountability partner(s)
  • Equipment maintenance
  • Stretching
  • Allies to work with when falling behind

And before you say I've misplaced one of those, we all know...

... the best defense is offense and visa versa.

That's not the point.

The point is to figure out...

... how to incorporate a great offense and defense in our limited time.

---

167.8 lbs
8.25 hrs sleep
Just pull ups and push ups
20 minutes recovery 
180 minutes reading + Journaling 
62

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?


>

TWO OF LIFE'S MYSTERIES

THERE TWO MYSTERIES THAT SCIENCE can't explain.  AI doesn't have the answer, either. But's they are facts just the same.  For example...

... why do beginners get all the flats?

Riddle me that one LycraMan.

You know it's true.

You know if you invite a new, excitedtobethere, rider along, there's gonna be a flat.

Waywaywayway more often than the experienced riders will experience.

Makes no sense.

Just like why more bike shops don't have a comfy couch to wait for that...

.... just a few more minutes...

repair.

Maybe a coffee table showcasing

  • A colorful catalog of their favorite products
  • Samples of their go to sports drinks or things to chomp
  • Gotta have tools to check out

I was thinking of another mystery as I swapped out my worn disc brake pads...

... why more of us don't learn the basics of maintenance. 

---

168.7 lbs (the struggle is real)
8.25 hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit + extra pull ups and push ups
20 minutes recovery 
180 minutes reading + Journaling 
63

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?


>

THE PRIDE CYCLE QUEST

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE THAT YOU'RE PROUD OF?  Could be anything, but let's stay on point with athletic endeavors because it's important...

... to harness this concept.

The Pride Cycle Quest.

It's also dangerous,
if we let it get the best of us.

For me, at least, it's all about the quest.

Can I do it?

And, it's a cycle...

  • Pick the outrageous result to chase
  • Train for it.
  • Do it.

... and pick another quest.

I don't really care if anybody else thinks it's cool,
so few understand us anyway.

It's internal.

Am I proud of that result?

It's only dangerous if we are chasing likes and kudos and cheers...

... from the world.

It's not about that.

It's about the quest.

It's personal.

I'm happiest when I have at least one per year.

That's my cycle of pride.

---

167.9 lbs 
7.25 hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit + extra pull ups and push ups
10 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 
62

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?


>

CHASING GHOSTS

PATHS BECOME TRAILS, trails become roads, roads become highways.  It's evolution, and underneath it all are the ghosts...

... who got it started.

We think we're blazing a trail,
when we are really just going along with the crowd.

I was thinking about the day my longgone granpappy came to watch me race a criterium.

It was all new to me.

We wizzed past him every lap.

But, the laps were long...

... and he could barely see at that stage.

Afterwards, he told me how it was years before, when he was young.

I thought it would be in a velodrome and I'd be able to see you entire race.

Clueless me had no idea velodrome racing was the only bicycle racing 100 years ago.

Prior to that, it was racing bicycles long distance, on dusty...

... gravel roads.

In other words, we gone from...

  • gravel
  • to velodrome
  • to road
  • to bmx
  • to mtb
  • to gravel

... so why is gravel "new"?

It's not.

We're all just chasing ghosts who've gone before.

---

168 lbs 
8.25 hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit + extra pull ups and push ups
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
62

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?


>

THIS AIN'T NO TIME FOR FOOLING AROUND

WHAT IS THE BASELINE?  The minimum effort to do and consider the week a win?  It's important to have the least acceptable effort in mind...

... and make it happen.

Riding in the rain will make you think things like that.

Like, why the heck am I doing this?

Which is exactly what I was thinking as the skies opened an hour away from home.

Because I made a plan.

A public commitment.

Accountability.

Yesterday, in the sunshine and 72 degrees I committed to do the following this week:

  • 15 pull ups, 50 push ups, 10 squats daily
  • Ride 14 hours this week
  • Drop 3 lbs 

Easy to do when the weather is good, 
and the day lazy.

The public commit was to the RaceDay Rippers,
who also hold me accountable each week when we check in.

I'm two months out from my next quest, the SurfNSummit.

The plan is on my RaceDay Calendar. 

Some say Show me your calendar and I'll know what important to you...

... and yes, Date Night better be on there each week.

We have a few of the Giant RaceDay Calendars left, and you can save 25% since a quarter of the year is nearly past by using promo code:

CAL25OFF

https://pedalindustries.com/products/pedal-black-2024-giant-raceday-calendar

Here is the code:

CAL25OFF

Nod to the great Talking Heads for the inspiration

This is ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no time for foolin' around

---

168.9 lbs 
9 hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit + extra pull ups and push ups
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
59

Do you want to Rip On Raceday?


>

HOW TO STAY SLOW...

IT'S SUPER EASY TO STAY SLOW, and just as easy to stay fast.  To stay slow, do what your slow friends do and...

... expect to get fast.

The problem with actually getting fast,
nobody gives you credit.

For the most part, they can't see or appreciate, and will never know...

... how hard we work.

And, we've got to be okay with that.

To commence,
recognition be damned.

To be fast, do what you fast friends do...

... and expect to get fast.

Do.
Expect.

---

168.4 lbs 
7.5 hrs sleep
Push Ups and Pull Ups
10 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 
58

Rip On Raceday

 


>

WWDGD?! - 25 WEEKS TO GO

I FELT GOOD ENOUGH THIS WEEK TO DREAM of getting my fitness back and setting unrealistic goals.  Is there anything better than that?  Getting to a place to...

... dare to go for it.

After pushing hard for nearly 3 hours, we had a choice.

Take it easy or do the hurtful climb?

500' in a mile doesn't sound like much...

... unless it's the last climb of a fast day.

We were gonna skip it, and then Love Watts yelled...

... WWDGD!

Huh?

What Would David Goggins Do?!

There was no choice at that point, because all of us have streeeeeeeeetch goals this summer.

It was fine.

Slower than I'd like...

... but, compared to last week waywayway better.

And so the journey begins.

The countdown to Gravel Nationals.

Here's where I'm at.

You can see my fitness score at the very bottom.
Down from over 50%, 18 months ago.

Weight, 168ish.
Up 10 lbs, 18 months ago.

Vision is still messed up.
Way off from what I considered one of my few advantages racing off road.

Can I be ready September 8th, 2024?

It's gonna be fun, 
and frustrating.

WWDGD?

Go for it.

Every
single
freakin'
opportunity.

---

168.2 lbs 
8 hrs sleep
Push Ups and Pull Ups
20 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 
60

Rip On Raceday


>

WHEN THE RACE PLAN GOES TO HECK IN A HANDLEBAR

IT WAS A ROUGH START, things weren't going smoothly at all.  It was causing a lot of stress and internal turmoil.  Energy I'd hoped to reserve for...

... more important sections of the event.

Ayyyy, what to do?

What I always do... 

... but, forget to do.

Think of of the things going right...

  • I felt good
  • I'd started on time
  • My prep was perfect

... other words be grateful for the good.

My energy shifted.

I calmed down.

Focused on getting down to business.

Wound up having a spectacular day...

... at the office.

Tomorrow's race should go a lot better, and if it doesn't...

... I know what to do.

---

168.2 lbs 
8.5 hrs sleep
Push Ups and Pull Ups
20 minutes recovery 
600 minutes reading + Journaling 
56

Rip On Raceday


>

YOU INSURED FOR THAT?

WELL, THE BILLS ARE COMING and I'm thinking about you and me.  For years I've looked at health insurance as lame. Struggled mentally, sometimes economically...

... to pay that everlarger bill.

Why?

I never get sick.

Rarely, and I mean rarely, do I see a doctor.

I'm already doing all they would recommend to get better...

  • eat good
  • skip sugar
  • get plenty of rest
  • and workout regularly

... why would I spend the $ on insurance?

It feels like I'm being duped.

Well, there are these events called...

... accidents.

They happen,
and are almost completely unplanned.

So, yeah, my bills are coming in and I'm happy as being at the to of the podium at my A race...

... 'cause it looks like almost all of it covered.

Sucks to be out 1000s...

... but, way better than being out 100s of thousands.

Just putting this out there 'cause I love you...

... get covered, if ya ain't.

====

Side Note:  has anybody tried insurance for bike like BikeInsure?  Asking for myself, just found out about 'em

---

167.2 lbs 
7.8 hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
56

 


>

DO YOU LET POWER OR HR DETERMINE YOUR HARD VS EASY DAYS?

I HADN'T WORN MY HR MONITOR FOR DAYS.  It wasn't working consistently, so I left it parked in the drawer. Until today, I gave it a shot and it actually worked...

... it got me thinking about the levels of easy.

There's so easy...

  • I can barely feel the pedals
  • I can sing a song
  • I can easily talk
  • I am not sure

... and maybe a few more levels.

My goal today was to ride as close to the top of my Zone 2 as possible, without going over...

... the I'm not sure range.

I wasn't sure, because my heart rate was bouncing at the top of the range.  Meanwhile...

... my power was definitely over into a higher range quite often.

This is how I trained for decades, when I just had a HR monitor.

What's more important then...

... HR in Zone 2 or Power in Zone 2?

I'm gonna say, for me at least, HR is more important.  It is more reflective of how all systems are working given the effort and absorbs the little efforts when the terrain or other elements require a few more watts.

Here's a real world application.

When I'm racing something epic, like Leadville, I'm going off heart rate for my pacing, and using the power meter to keep things in check when I have to dig a little deeper to close a gap or clean a technical uphill section.

The reality is, for peak performance on the long efforts...

... it's good to have both.

If it's a short race, under an hour, well, you know...

... put the dadgum gadget in the back pocket and race on feel.

Same for a long day of adventuring, who cares about the data when we're out there.

Enjoy the ride.

We can analyze later.

---

168. lbs 
7.8 hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
57

Rip On Raceday


>

SHOULD WE DO A HUNDRED RACES IN A YEAR?

YA WANNA GET GOOD, be a boss, strike fear in your frenemies, be the maker of things that happen...

... instead of wondering what happened?

Race.

A lot more.

100 times/year.

Think I'm crazy?

Think it's immmm po siiiiii ble?

Then don't do it.

Don't even try.

Keep wonderin',
misreading the moves.

Or, commit.

Do:

  • 2 zwifties 
  • 2 local races
  • 2 group rides 
  • 2 of your own personal courses for PR

We all have 52 chances a year,
to race twice a week.

No excuses.
Nothing but upside.

Heck, even a brain-damaged guy like me can do it.  

This week...

  • hammering my xc race loop Tuesday
  • group ride on weekend

... slaying myself today, getting crushed by the fellas Saturday.

Gotta start somewhere.
Gonna do what hurts and what I'm comfortable with.

Twice a week.

Oh... I know you're askin'...

... Why 100 times a year?

Because, every race is different.  

We'll see a lot of different situations.  

We're trying to see 'em all, or have a reallyreallyreally good feel for what is going to happen.

Simple as that.

Experience counts.

Get some.

It's free.

---

168.6 lbs 
8.5 hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
55

Are you ready to Rip On Raceday?


>

NOT GONNA LIE

WHEN I FINALLY CAME TO, I had one thing on my mind.  Not after first being knocked out, not after the morphine and other meds wore off, days after being home...

... I wanted to say one thing.

Not gonna lie.

I was hurting.

Stunned.

How could my crazy good health take such a drastic turn in seconds...

... this wasn't what I had planned for 2024.

8 weeks later, I'm improving.

I'd leave it there, but...

... not gonna lie.

I'm nowhere near where I was just prior, nor 12 months ago, nor 2 years ago.

I'm off.

I can work 4-5 hours,
then my brain needs a break.

I can ride my bike,
but I have no power,
off-road vision is shift.

I can talk to friends,
until I can't.

Something even more weird happened though.

Something few will admit or acknowledge or maybe even notice...

... when I took that blow to the noggin' it felt like my spirit left my body.

There's a disconnectedness.

I know things aren't quite right.

Will they return or is life just going to be different?

Not gonna lie...

... this is new territory.

Now, I'm being as honest and transparent as possible in all I do.

My friend battling cancer taught me that,
the freedom of being honest.

Yes, I hid it from Surfergirl that on one of my first bike rides alone I was going down the road and thought I saw 4 ducks crossing the road in front of me...

... it was just two,
that's troubling.

Not gonna lie.

I kept riding.

Lying to myself it was all good,
hiding the truth if asked.

What is easier, being honest with ourselves and those around us or pulling the lycra over our eyes and theirs?

To remind myself of my new commitment...

... I made a special kit, see above.

That's the kind of thing I was looking forward to in 2024.

New designs, 
new patterns,
new fabrics.

The good newsy stuff.

If you're into the rawness of honesty, maybe you'll like this too.

It's patterned after one of my all-time favorite Porsche's.

Check the full kit here:  https://pedalindustries.com/collections/ngl-collection

Use this promo code on this kit to save 30%: NGL30

Code expires on 3.15.24.

---

168.6 lbs 
8.5 hrs sleep
1 Rip On RaceDay Circuit
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
54

Rip On Raceday

 


>

HE SWITCHED TEAM, AND IT...

TODAY AN AMERICAN WON PARIS-NICE, an 8-Day stage race in France.  A youngun, 25 years old.  He'd never done it before, and wasn't picked as a favorite...

... except he picked himself.

A long time ago.

When riding for a less professional, less scientific team he was spending his own cash on equipment and training to up his game.

Something the top teams covered and pursued relentlessly.

He jumped at the chance to upgrade to the current dominant force in European road racing this season.

Would it matter?

I'd say it is clear.

What's interesting is how many of are trapped like a monkey...

... failing to let go, when we know we should.

Not only did he upgrade his team and training, but placed a huge bet on himself in a daring and startling breakaway with fellow US racer Brandon McNulty.

When you are a pro...

... winning actually is everything.

Way to go Mateo Jorgenson.

---

168.4 lbs 
9 hrs sleep
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery 
20 minutes reading + Journaling 
53

Rip On Raceday



 


>

HOW TO GET FASTER FOR DUMMIES

APPARENTLY, LOVE WATTS FORGOT our commitment to go easy on the way up the coast.  Which meant we had time to do the biggest climb I've done this year...

... 2 hours and 2000' of climbing for our "warm up".

At the usual time, riders flocked in and we were off.

It felt good to do my first group ride of the year...

  • to see the guys
  • get whooshed along
  • and see some higher power numbers

... until the first overpass.

Where I was off the back.

Caught on at a light.

Off again.

On again.

My breathing and wheezing needed a muffler.

On the next power climb, normally 2ish minutes...

... I needed an extra minute or three.

They were gone.

Yeah, they are nowhere near as fast as I am...

... they're a heckuvalot faster.

Am I good with that?

Yeah, they've always been faster than lit'l ol' me.

Now I just need patience to close the gap to where...

... they are less faster.

So, here's the plan that I've used many a year...

... pick a spot beyond where I got popped today.

Make it just a little further each week.

Corner by corner,
Hill by hill.

Progress > Perfection

--- 

167.6 lbs 
8 hrs sleep
No strength work today
20 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 
54

 


>

IT WAS ABOUT THE TRUTH, NOT ARMS RACE

I HATE TIMETRIALS.  I mean, I like 'em, but, yeah, I hate 'em.  It's not because I'm not great at 'em, and trust me I'm not.  It's because...

... they hurt so dang bad.

Not only that, it's...

  • lonely
  • painful
  • humbling

... is there anything more truthful than getting passed by your minute man?

No drafting.
No wily cunning.

Nothing matters except...

... who is the strongest,
and who can suffer the most.

Oh, wait, one more thing matters...

... who's got the most money to afford the most advanced gear.

When everything tiny thing adds time and seconds matter...

... it can turn into an arms race.

I'm okay with that to a point.

Butttttttttt, don't ya think participation would rise...

... if we raced Merckx-style?

At least at the amateur level?

On our road bikes vs tt bikes?
With road helmets?
And "normal" road wheels?
And... you get the point right?

As much as I hate/love a tt, I truly appreciated Tucson Bicycle Classic for making their tt be done on road bikes the last to years.

It's just a lot more fair/approachable/inviting...

... and equally miserable for all.

That's the truth.

Side note:  I think I love XC MTB racing because it's basically a mass start time trial.  The terrain naturally and quickly separates us.  

--- 

168.4 lbs 
8.5 hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 
51

 

 


>

WERE YOU AS DORKY AS THIS?

WHEN I WAS JUST GETTING INTO THE SPORT, I was such a dork.  A small percentage of you will disagree, maybe even swear at me, but nothing says...

... stay clear, like a mirror.

I know, I know, some of us are damaged and can't look over our shoulders.

Too stiff,
crap balance.

I was neither of those.

I was a spry young newb.

Excited to ride and race.

And my girlfriend of the time wanted to get me something cool.

I quickly mounted the mirror to the end of my handlebar - see pic above.

I thought it was rad.

Perfect for the high speeds and shoulder banging of crit racing,
which I loved.

Rather than turn my head and telegraph my plans,
I could take a peek at my mirror.

Nobody else thought it was cool...

... and they made an obnoxious and clear point of it.

If my hairy legs,
questionable bike handling,
roadrashed arms and legs weren't a give away...

... the mirror, made it clear.

I was not to be trusted in the bunch.

Here's the dill.

They were right.

Because let's face it, anybody focused on the past...

... doesn't have a shot at a winning future.

--- 

167.8 lbs 
8ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
50


>

I DON'T ALWAYS RIDE IN THE RAIN...

I COULD SEE THE STORM BREWING.  Like a crazy fool, I rolled out anyway even though I was certain to...

... get caught in the rain.

Trust me, I am a fair weather rider.

Gimme 70 degrees,
and a lite breeze.

So why ride?

Two reasons.

One embarrassing.
One legit...

  • Poorly executed work day
  • It rains on raceday
  • Commitment

Yeah, I had all this work scheduled and a timeline to follow....

... and, well, ya know, things didn't go as planned.

That's 1.

Since it does rain on raceday, and I've never let that stop me from lining up...

... it's good to practice from time to time.

That's 2.

And I committed to myself to get my slothful self back in shape.

That's 3, a bonus.

So which one's embarrassing?

  • crap planning
  • useless prep
  • silly commitment

Well, I dunno about you...

... but, I'm cool with

  • keeping my commitments,
  • being prepared for all conditions,
  • even when things don't go as planned.

--- 

167.4 lbs 
7ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
50

 


>

IT FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME!

I WOULD CLIMB ANY MOUNTAIN, ride across the stormy sky.  It seemed like I'd waited a lifetime, spent so much time in recovery...

... it felt like the first time!

The MTB.

Like it never did before,
like I'd opened up the door.

Finally!

What is it?

I guess it's just the rawness of nature,
bringing out the rider in me.

Dawgawn I'd missed it.

Carving turns,
wiggling up technical sections,
brushing the thistles,
hanging my lycra off the back in the steeps.

Why today?

Well, to be honest, today was a breakthrough on my vision.

The double-vision I've been dealing with was greatly diminished.

Partly time.
Partly exercises for my eyes.

One of you loyal readers,
one of us,
took the time to share with me a gift for everyone.

Tools for increasing our eyesight,
the kind we need to quickly assess the best way to rip it up off road (on road, too).

You can check the tool out here: https://www.readbetweenthelions.org.  Go to the K-12 program.

It's free.

Thanks Rick!

Makes me wonder what else we can learn from each other?

Speak up y'all!

Let's get betterfasterstronger...

... together.

Have you checked out https://pedalindustries.com/pages/rip-on-raceday-network?

(yeah, this post is a nod to Foreigner)

--- 

168.2 lbs 
9 hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
48


>

WHADAYA THINK OF UNDULATING TERRAIN?

WE HAVE SOME WEIRD LINGO.  Have you ever heard any body, ever, use the phrase undulating terrain?  Why would they?  When you're motor-powered...

... who cares about the terrain!

Human-powered,
totally different story.

Every bump in the road and trail counts.

The longer we're out there,
the more it counts.

Sooooooooo...

... whadaya think of undulating terrain?

Do you love it?

Or, do you prefer...

  • flat
  • downhill
  • tailwinds
  • straight up
  • headwinds

... lots choices when we roll out.

Me?

Well.

There are times when I'd give my chamois pad for a flat road with a tailwind.

Days when I feel so amazing I just wanna climb and climb and climb.

But, faced with a choice...

... give me undulating.

Ups.
Downs.
Lots a turns.

That's the ride I choose.

--- 

169.2 lbs 
9 hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUps, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
48


>

ACTION WINS EVERY TIME

WHY WAS IT SO MIND BLOWING?  Yesterday's Strade Bianchi race was so shocking to me.  Because, to me, all the pundits...

... missed the point.

Sure, the favorite won.

This was the inspiring part...

  • he told everybody where he'd attack in advance of the race
  • made a decisive attack 81 km from the finish
  • never looked back
  • and won

... who wouldn't want to be able to do that?

What blew my mind 
was what the talking heads missed.

This athlete,
is a racer of action.

He had a plan,
and went for it.

Could it have failed?
Most definitely.

Could he have looked foolish?
For sure.

Could he have lost the race outright?
Absolutely.

Did he?
No.

Because he took action.

You miss 100% of shots you don't take.
- Wayne Gretzky

--- 

167.2 lbs 
9 hrs sleep
No strength work today.
10 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 
48


>

QUESTION: IS THIS A HIGH DEMAND SPORT?

I WAS LISTENING TO SOME GUYS ARGUE about whether or not was their religion was high demand, and it got me thinking is ours?  Are endurance sports...

... high demand?

Yes.
No.

For me, and maybe for you, too...

... its high demand.

Just consider...

  • Training
  • Fueling
  • Resting

... these are the biggies.

They are priceless,
in a sense.

Which is why the are so easy to screw up,
and so misunderstood by lookers on.

We can't put...

  • Training time
  • Good fueling choices
  • Proper sleep and recovery

... on a credit card.

We've got to demand it from ourselves...

... but, is it really demanding when we love the results?

--- 

166.2 lbs 
7 hrs sleep
No strength work today.
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 
48


>

THE UNCORKED ZONE

 

IF YOU'RE INTO HOT RODS, then you know what uncorked means.  In simple terms, all that junk that keeps the exhaust quiet and lawful is chucked...

... giving us that ultra loud and mean sound.

We have that racing and training, too.

And, if we're smart, we only hit it every so often.

You know what I'm talking about, right?

Zone 2 is corked.

  • easy to breathe
  • talk while riding
  • and go forever.

Today was not Zone 2.
I was uncorked, a bit.

Allowing myself for the first time in 2 months to stretch the legs was amazing.

The accompanying wheezing and gasping for air…

… I don’t know if it was hot rod mean, but it was loud.

Hadn’t heard that in too long…

… ain’t gonna hear for 5 or so days.

Time to add some intensity the smart way.

Polarized.

If ya wanna solid refresher on this approach,
take a listen to this: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-fast-podcast-triathlon-ironman-cycling-coaching/id1400770015?i=1000596124366

Simply, 80-90% of our training should sound like a Tesla...

... cruising through the neighborhood.

That way we are fresh and ready to get after it like the pic above.

Let the rubber...

...  burn, baby burn.

--- 

166.9 lbs 
8 hrs sleep
No strength work today.
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 
56

 


>

RESULTS DON'T MEAN SHIFT

I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE ON THE JOURNEY, but I can tell ya this: whether you're just starting out, coming back from injury, at the top of your game, you're gonna fail...

... if results count.

Trust me on this.

I'm rebuilding.

My fitness is shift.
the skills, off.

I've been at the top and the bottom and there is one reason I was able to climb to max fitness and performance...

... I don't care about results.

I mean I do,
but they aren't the motivator.

Optimizing my ability,
having a blast.

Way more important.

Results are nice.

If they are everything... 

... quitting, giving up, and failure is on the horizon.

Don't let that happen.

How?

Relax.

We can't see...

... the great results in the making.

They're coming.

Guaranfreakingteed.

--- 

166.9 lbs 
8 hrs sleep
Pullups, pushups, squats, presses
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 
57 


>

ARE WE REALLY DOING THIS?

FOSTER GRANTS ASKED ME Are we really doing this? What kinda question is that...

... Dern straight we're doing it!

Was he hoping we weren't?

Was he doubtful we could do it?

By we, I mainly mean me.

Could you?

I mean, we're gonna have a brain damaged grampa who's been off the bike for months do it...

... can you keep up?

Finish?

What's he referring to?

Oh, just the most life changing ride in Southern California...

  • 100+ miles
  • 15,000+' of vertical gain

... some might consider it hard.

Others a challenge.

Most an adventure of a lifetime.

So, if you wanna support the old sack a lycra,
if outrageous calls to your soul...

... sign up.

It's free.
and fun.

Click here for deets and pics.

--- 

167.4 lbs (safe to say, it's time to get seriouser)
9 hrs sleep
Pullups, pushups, squats, presses
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 
57 

Rip On Raceday

 


>

HOW NOT WHAT

LEARNING TO RIDE A BIKE is filled with excitement, fear, and lots of scrapes and bruises.  We press through because everyone we see on a bike...

... has a great big smile.

We want that,
the teacher wants it for us.

Finally we get it.

And, at least in my case, it stopped there.

Hall-ah-freakin-lu-yah!

What
and when
and who with

... were left up to me.

I'll be forever grateful for learning how...

... and the freedom to do it my way.

--- 

168.2 lbs (safe to say, it's time to get seriouser)
8ish hrs sleep
Pullups, pushups, squats, presses
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 
56 

Rip On Raceday


>

YOU DON'T NEED AN ALARM CLOCK TO WAKE UP, YOU NEED...

ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES I HAVE with our local morning group ride is that it starts at 6:30am.  If it was out my front door...

... not that hard.

It's not.

Takes me 50ish minutes to ride to the start,
which means I'm up at 5am.

Also...

... not that hard.

However, getting to bed at 9...

... is not my standard.

I'm more of a 930-10pm guy.

Therefore, if I don't hit the hay early...

... I'm foggy, at best, the rest of day.

Plus, slower on the bike.

Oh, there's a long list of shift that results from lack of sleep.

What's an athlete to do?

Before I tell, 
you are forewarned...

... this won't make you popular.

You might lose touch with friends, 
or lose them altogether.

We all have a choice...

... live our best lives or live a lower version.

This allows to tap into our superpower...

... set you alarm clock for bedtime.

Every.
Single.
Night.

Or suffer the consequences:

  • Inhibited ability to perform
  • Decreased handling skills
  • Quicker exhaustion
  • Decreased reaction time
  • Difficulty learning and decision making
  • Increased risk of injury
  • Increased risk for illness
  • Poor recovery
  • Memory issues
  • Weight gain
  • Poor balance
  • ... Low sex drive

Like I said,
it might be socially unpopular but...

... wouldn't you rather operate at your optimum?

I would.

---

166.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pullups, pushups, squats, presses
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

MILEMARKERS FOR DUMMIES

ONE OF THE KEYS TO RIPPING LONG RACES is remembering where you are.  Yeah, you're racing.  Yeah, you're clicking off the miles.  But...

... where the heck are you?

And, there's more than that.

  • Are you on track?
  • When is the next stop?
  • Does your support know when to expect you?

So, I always write down on a piece of tape with a sharpie my goals to be at certain locations at certain times...

... and stick it on my top tube.

This keeps all of us coordinate.

More importantly,
it keeps me focused.

The long races, 6+ hours, can be grueling.
They can wear us down to the point...

... of forgetting why we even signed up in the first place.

Looking down at the humble piece of tape,
seeing my goals...

  • engages my mind
  • re-centers my effort
  • keeps me on the pace

... snaps me back to the present moment.

I don't just use this practice for racing...

... I write down everything I plan to do,
and when I plan to have it done.

---

166.2 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
No strength work
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

IS IT HABIT OR RITUAL?

THE SATURDAY MORNING RIDE.  We work all week, and with a little planning and luck we carve out some time to ride.  In the beginning...

... it takes some discipline.

Not the riding.

The commitment.

We are working to establish a habit.
For the most part, a good one.

But, that changes over time.

It becomes a ritual.

  • A set time to leave
  • An expected amount of time to be gone
  • The proper dress code observed
  • A dedicated place to meet
  • A consistent slaying of trails, gravel, pavement
  • A flogging of the sinners who are not as fit as they shouldcould be.

Yep, this is our ritual.
Our practice.
Our faith.

We made the jump.

We are far beyond
discipline and habit.

---

166.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery 
12-0 minutes reading + Journaling 

 


>

WHAT DOES AI SAY ABOUT TRAINING METHODS USED 100 YEARS AGO?

I PINGED CHAT GTP AND SEVERAL OTHER AI regarding training methods of Belgians 100 years ago.  Why not?  A lot of knowledge is refined, regurgitated or plain ol' forgotten...

... maybe there's something to be rediscovered?

Oddly?
or, maybe not.

The answers across the AI were eerily similar.

I say eerily because who wants to live in a silo?

Anyway, 
here's the bottom line:

It’s important to note that these training methods were not as scientific or structured as they are today. Cyclists often relied on their own experience and intuition to guide their training. However, despite the lack of modern technology and scientific understanding, many Belgian cyclists were able to achieve impressive results using these methods.

Shocking!
I mean, shocking?

When it comes right down to it, is there anything better than...

... relying on our own experience and intuition to guide our training?

I don't think so.

Not when were really into it,
when we really know our bodies.

Me, for instance, I'm rebuilding my fitness.

I realized what a distraction it is to look at the data pouring across my little Wahoo screen.

  • Maybe I should put out more power?
  • Gosh, my heart rate is ____!
  • I've only gone X miles?

So, I fire up the Wahoo,
put it in my jersey pocket.

Time to ride on just experience and intuition...

... same thing I do when racing.

---

166.9 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 

 


>

THE MOST HUMBLING RACE OF MY LFE

MY PAL PETE AND I DECIDED WE WERE REALLY FIT and that we could do anything with just a hint of training.  Racing bikes was kina ho-hum...

... so we signed up for a 10k running race.

We were so arrogant,
we rode our bikes 15 miles to the start.

We lined up in the back, 
because, you know, we were going to
squash these runners.

Gun goes off.

We quickly move forward.

Up to the top 50-100.

Really running.
Hard.

Suddenly, I notice I'm breathing way too loud.

Uh-oh.

My legs hurt,
my hips hurt,
everything hurts.

And, I'm moving backwards quickly.

Chubby guy cruises by.

Oldish lady...

... did she elbow me out of the way?

Kids are skipping and laughing and disappearing up the road.

But, it was the guy in flip flops who said...

... Hang in there, only 3 more miles...

... that really did me in.

Here's the dill.

On the outside, at the start,
looking at these racers,
I would have bet $10,000 on me and Pete.

Looking at competitors is a poor way to pass judgement...

... it's the inside, the heart, that counts.

 ---

166.2 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

I KNOW YOU'RE NOT A LOSER LIKE THIS CAT

I was going to post this and then I went for a ride and decided it was too mean, whadaya think?... 

THERE ARE THREE MAIN THINGS LOSERS DO.  I say losers, in this case, meaning they are literally losing out.  If they persist, then, yeah...

... the other kind.

It always surprises me when people make these very basic mistakes.

Even if they are new, 
I find it,
perplexing.

I think you do, too.

Because, for us,
it's just second nature.

Probably because we have learned the hard way.

Not only that, we try and pass this basic knowledge along to every new rider we can.

Still, they...

  • Forget gear when going to a ride or race
  • Completely foul up their nutrition and bonk
  • Neglect the bike prep only to have mechanical difficulty

... and, we shake our heads.

They are losing out on a more excellent ride.

We deal with it,
they are our friends.

However, if it persists one of two things is gonna happen...

  • We don't invite them any more
  • We leave them behind

... because, well, you know they are....

How's that for setting up a shameless plug on why we do what we do?

  • The RaceDay Bag™ has a built in checklist to make sure we bring everything
  • It comes with a RaceDay Bike Check List, too, so bike is properly prepped
  • And an insane Never Forget Anything guarantee.

... that way my friends are always invited,
and never left behind.

 ---

166.9 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

 


>

I USED TO LOVE RAINY DAYS

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN RAINY DAYS were awesome.  Mostly, around here, it meant nobody was riding.  Not me, not anybody else.  Which was perfect...

... if I couldn't ride anyway.

You see the selfishness right?

If I can't ride,
I'm stoked you can't either.

It means nobody is getting in the secret miles.

But, that's hardly true these days.

It's not the trainers,
those have been around forever.

It's the virtual racing,
that is a game changer.

In fact, I know plenty of people who do a fair amount of their riding virtually.

  • It's available 24-7
  • Not hampered by weather
  • All the social connections of a group ride (with right equipment).

Can you blame them?

I can't.

But, I still blame the weather for my own lack of getting it done.

 ---

166.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

CODDLED VS THROTTLED?

YEAH, THE RECOVER IS GOING PRETTY GOOD.  Spoke to my neuroscientist pal, who confirmed my suspicions.  It's good news for me...

... is it good news for you?

Well, yeah, if you taking the Rip On RaceDay 30-Day Challenge.

If you're not, then sit up and pay attention.

Here's what he said.

You're probably doing so well because...

  • you're exercising every day
  • not eating bread
  • staying away from grains
  • not drinking diet drinks or artificial sweeteners
  • eating plenty of veggies and protein
  • getting outside in the sunshine
  • lifting weights
  • getting plenty of sleep, 9-10 or more hours

... right?

I sheepishly said Yes.

Which was mostly true.

But, I gotta cut out all grains and all bread, even my beloved chips and salsa and special sour dough bread.  I've backslid on the diet drinks, those gotta go.  Other than that, I'm mostly on track.

Main thing I need to add is a lot more fish oil.  
Not a problem, I love sardines.

in other words, it's time to practice ALL that I preach.

So, how're you doing?  Yes, you my loyal reader.  How. Are. You. Doing?

Could you tighten things up a bit?

Or, do you need a serious crack in the head like I got to up your game?

Which brings me back to the title of this post, Coddled vs. Throttled?

Here's the dill, for me...

... I prefer to be throttled.

Put me on a ridiculously difficult course, in with the heavy hitters, tell me the honesttogosh truth...

... make me suffer!

Then, and only then, I might merit some coddling.

Maybe it's time for a serious challenge...

... and little coddling 30 days later?

Rip On RaceDay 30-Day Challenge

 ---

165.9 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
PullUps, PushUPs, Split Squats, Shoulder Presses
20 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

I WONDER IF GIRLS DO THIS?

FOR THE MOST PART, we are a healthy lot.  We skip cigars, pass up the bars.  Well, then, where's a cyclist to go to share our struggles, solve our problems...

... shoot the shift?

Dudes,
we ride together...

... and we share, solve and shoot.

That's where we get it done.

What about the lady riders?

Where are they bonding and supporting?

There are so few of them, 
mostly they ride with guys...

... don't think I've ever see an all, or mostly, female group ride.

Is that why so few ladies ride, compared to men?

Are they missing what the guys are getting?

Is that the main reason guys ride?

 ---

164.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

Are You Ready For A Hero's Journey?

I DID A POLE OF THE RACEDAY RIPPERS.  I asked them If they had to pick just one bike what would it be?  They had 4 options to pick from.  What would you answer be...

... you need the options first.

Here they are:

  • Road
  • MTB
  • Gravel
  • One of Each (acceptable though hard to explain to family and friends)

It came down to a tie between two options, evenly split.

33% for each.

Gravel and One of Each.

Why?

Well, what would your choice be?

Back to Why?

I think it comes down the basic human nature...

... we want to go on a journey.

Not just any journey.

One where we are heroic,
in our own minds at least.

That, I think, is the true appeal of "gravel" (such a dumb name)...

... the appeal of a bike that can handle mixed surfaces.

On that type of bike we have incredible freedom combined with the high likelihood of finding ourselves...

... in place far, far away from our predictable existence.

With luck we'll...

  • Shed some blood without breaking bones.
  • Find out we can do much more than we thought.
  • Gain new confidence, skill, and special experience.

... acquire our own superpowers.

Is it any wonder these bikes and events with mixed surfaces are exploding?

 ---

164.8 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery 
90 minutes reading + Journaling 

 


>

WHAT TO ASK A PROSPECTIVE COACH

THINKING OF GETTING A COACH?  Good.  You can get better faster by learning from an expert.  Be it a book, a video, a podcast.  Only a human can...

... answer this question.

The answer will instantly tell you if this relationship is gonna work out.

After small talk, after the coach's spiel, when the conversation stalls...

... ask this:

If we were meeting 3 years from now, looking back, what has to happen for you to be happy with my progress?

Trust me, conversation is gonna stay stalled.

Don't say a thing.

Wait for the answer.

Listen to what is said.

Ask yourself...

... Is this the kind of person I want to have a relationship with?

That's it.

I've used the question many times over the years, usually when hiring somebody.  There are lots of variations.

It works.

Learned it from the great Dan Sullivan.

---

162.6 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery 
150 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

How To Build Volume 101

IMAGINE YOU'RE STARTING FROM ZERO.  How do you build volume? Are there rules of thumb?  When do you introduce intensity?  Does it matter?...

... can you wing it?

Good questions.

Short answers:

  • Build volume as fast as you can, which isn't going to be very fast if you are starting from zero.
  • There are no rules of thumb, it's ruled by legs and lungs.  Do what you can.
  • Introduce intensity as soon as you want, it ain't going to be much.
  • Yes, it matters.

Long answer.

There are a number of good books on the subject.  Anything by Joe Friel will give you a good plan.  

You don't need a power meter, mainly because you're will not be putting out much power early on.  

But, you do need a heart rate monitor.

In the beginning of the first rides, the heart rate monitor will be exciting.  Then after a few miles, it will dim.  Reality will set in as that heart rate gets lower and lower because you have no stamina built up.  After a few weeks or months, the HR monitor will serve as a governor...

... holding you back.

This is good.

Because if you're tired, you can't do intensity properly.

Introduce the intensity one day per week.  

Don't look at the HR monitor too much, instead get after it.  Could be a group ride you want to desperately hang on to, a Zwift session with same obsession, or simply chasing that mystical PR you want to breatk.

Check the HR data when the ride is over.

Important answer:

  • Pick an event far in the future - you need time.
  • Set an insane goal.
  • Get registered.

Nothing exceptional will come with your training without a date with destiny...

... that's paid for!

---

164.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

Do I Really Love It This Much?

SO, IT'S GONNA WIND UP BEING 8 WEEKS OFF THE BIKE since the noggin took a hit.  If I do the ol' traditional math, that's 8 X 3 (weeks to get back the fitness for every 1 week off the bike)...

... 24 weeks, errrr 6 months?

That's hella long time.

The big question is...

... do I love it that much?

And by it, I do not mean the obvious...

... riding my bike.

I mean being in shape and the...

... feeling of being fast.

If I'm being honest, and I always am with you...

... I've forgotten what that feels like.

Surfgirl said Let's go on a ride today...

... and I jumped at the chance to ride with her support.

How'd it go?

Well, even though I was on my MTB...

... I still easily dropped her.

Nothing new there.

What was new was how hard I had to work to catch her,
huffing and puffing and legs burning...

... at a pace I recall doing for hours, endlessly.

This time it was for about 2 minutes.

Was I surprised?
Disappointed?

Let's just say I laughed out loud when I saw what Training Peaks was showing for my fitness.

37.

Yep, nearly 100 points lower than my all time max fitness just 18 months ago.

Lesson:  fitness disappears, fast.

Lesson:  I'm gonna bring it back, patiently (not my superpower, but a lesson to learn).

Who's in?

---

164.8lbs
9ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery 
60 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

TOP REASONS NOT TO LIFT WEIGHTS

THERE IS A LOT OF BANTER about weight training.  We should do it in the off-season, shy away from in the race season.  Frankly...

... I couldn't disagree more.

Weight training is for those who want:

  • stronger bones
  • to build muscle
  • put out more power
  • improved core strength
  • better grip strength

Who want's that?

Year round?

Oh,
well,
me.

You?

Top 3 exercises we should all be doing?

Takes just a few minutes to do a set.

Very little equipment needed: pull up bar, some dumbbells...

... or skip the minor investment.

  • have weak bones
  • look like a T-Rex
  • less power
  • weaker core
  • pathetic grip

It's your body...

... and I'm just a dude, not a doctor!

 ---

164.8lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull Ups Pushups Squats Presses
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

CONFIDENCE, WHO'S RESPONSIBILITY IS IT ANYWAY?

IN GETTING CAUGHT UP WITH THE LATEST BREAKING CYCLNG NEWS, I saw an article title and it's bugged me ever since.  Maybe I'm heartless, from a different generation...

... or maybe this guy is just weak.

The title of the article is, They Lost Faith In Me.

Honestly, I can't believe I even bothered to read it.

But, after a week of it percolating as a top article...

... it got me like a slow moving train wreck.

As expected, featured racer blamed his lack of success on the team losing faith in him.

Bro, it's not the team's job to have faith in you.
They are paying you.
Faith is there.

That's my first reaction.

Bro, them's fighting words.
Now go prove 'em wrong.
Create the failth.

Earn it.

That's my second reaction.

What happened to good ol'...

... if it's to be, it's up to me!?

Or... 

... fake it, 'till ya make it!?

In the end, I couldn't decide if I should feel sorry for a grown man having such a pathetic excuse...

... or be ticked off that such lameness made the front page.

Bottom line,
like it or not...

... it's our responsibility to be confident,
and to infect all those around us with such assuredness.

Life,
racing,
everything...

... is more fun, and, oh, ah, successful!

 ---

162.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

WHAT HAPPENS IN SIN CITY...

THERE ARE SINS, and then there are things we personally consider sins.  Either way, 'Vegas promise that what happens in 'Vegas stays in 'Vegas...

... is a big fat lie.

Not a big deal.

We are only letting ourselves,
and those we committed to...

... down.

For example, the second Friday in January is known as Quitter's Day because by then...

... most people have thrown in the towel on their resolutions.

Like I said, 
not a big deal...

... unless you want to
improve,
make changes,
stay true to what matters.

If that's on the line,
we can't afford to sin,
and if we do we've got to...

... repent right away, 
and keep moving forward.

So,
how are those resolutions doing?

I had two:

  • Get to bed around 9,
    start day before 6.
  • Get back to race weight,
    under 163.

The only reason I'm mostly on track is due to putting myself in the hospital on Jan 8th...

  • appetite disappeared
  • needed a lot more sleep

... otherwise, I'd be struggling.

Which is better than quitting.
A lot better.

Struggling,
good.
Repenting,
good.
Never quitting,
Best.

Keep up the good fight.

 ---

162.7 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
No Strength Work
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 

 


>

THE RACERS CREED

WHETHER WE KNOW IT OR NOT, we stand for a few things.  And, it matters.  Because this is...

... how we roll.

The Racer's Creed

  • Access to bicycles - and anything that makes you stronger and better - should be unlimited.
  • Always yield to the In Real Life Imperative.
  • All racing should be free.
  • Mistrust tradition, government recommendations - promote bro-science.
  • Racers should be judged by their racing, not by bogus criteria like KOMs, USAC Category, age, color or gender.
  • You can be free and forever young on a bicycle.
  • Bicycles change your life for the better.

Agree or Disagree?
Lemmeknow.

 ---

165.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull ups, push ups, presses, squats
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

IT AIN'T EVERY DAY YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO THIS

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED RIDING?  For most of us, it was a magical time.  Each ride a little further, a little faster.  Each effort...

... a little easier.

No wonder we got hooked.

Still, 
some wonder off.

Is it because the day comes when going further, faster, with less effort is no longer predictable?

Shoot, forget predictable...

... sometimes those days have months between them.

Even years.

I can tell you this, as I impatiently wait for clearance to get back on my bike and start riding again...

... knowing I'll get better every ride keeps me hanging on.

Can you relate?

 ---

164.9 lbs
8ish hrs sleep
Pull ups, push ups, presses, squats
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 

 


>

IT'S SO MIXED UP

ROAD BIKES use road tires.  Most of us find a favorite, and that's what we run day, night, rain, shine.  For MTB, it's basically the same formula.  Find a tire we like, run it regardless.  For gravel...

... ugh.

First off, gravel ain't just gravel.

It's gravel and asphalt and single track and rocky terrain.

So, a gravel tire needs to be fast on asphalt, tacky on gravel turns, nimble on techy stuff and rugged on the rockies.

What's the ol' saying?

There's fast, cheap and quality...

... you can only pick two.

But, we're racing.

We want fast, light and rugged...

... and we want all three.

Not gonna happen.

Me?

I'll take fast and light, banking on my handling skills to get me safely through the rugged stuff.

Is that enough?

Probably not.

If it really matters, 
gotta pre-run the course,
then pick the very best option...

... not easy,
but, that's what make it fun. 

 ---

164.9 lbs
9ish hrs sleep
Pull ups, push ups & squats
10 minutes recovery 
120 minutes reading + Journaling 


>

It Takes Guts To Be A Giver

Jan 30, 2013 Todd Brown

The gumption required to break away from the pack. The will to be on the tip of the group. The passion to get the gang together and train hard. The fire to build a following. … For the truly successful it’s a gift to the rest of us, one always I’m grateful for. Remember that..

The gumption required to break away from the pack.

The will to be on the tip of the group.

The passion to get the gang together and train hard.

The fire to build a following.

… For the truly successful it’s a gift to the rest of us, one always I’m grateful for.

Remember that when the gift isn’t exactly what you wanted, the lead out wanes early, the price is a shade higher than Amazilla, the ride route changes, etc.

Bonus:  First person to tell me their favorite giver gets a gift from me.

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Who do you love?

Jan 28, 2013 Todd Brown

I haven’t walked “47 miles of barbed wire”, but I can wail that question with some of the tension George Thorogood explodes in his classic song, Who do you love?. The people we ride with are often a reflection of how we see the world. Are all your rides hard core, all business? Do you..

I haven’t walked “47 miles of barbed wire”, but I can wail that question with some of the tension George Thorogood explodes in his classic song, Who do you love?.

The people we ride with are often a reflection of how we see the world.

Are all your rides hard core, all business?

Do you ride with some folks because you share more than a need to ride with someone?

Some rides leave the flatted rider behind, others stop.  It largely depends on the agenda of the group and our own personal agendas.

There are rides we all love because the terrain is great and the company is better.  There are others where the personalities clash and we avoid them.  Fortunately, most of us live in places where it’s easy to find a ride and group we connect with on many levels.

Who do you love?

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A good lesson

Jan 18, 2013 Todd Brown

One of awesome customers called me up and said… “The gear looks great.  Thank for the good service.” I’m sure lots of customers think of doing that, I know I do.  He actually did it. So, I got on the horn and thanked my vendors that helped me deliver on the order. Short.  Sweet. 30..

One of awesome customers called me up and said…

“The gear looks great.  Thank for the good service.”

I’m sure lots of customers think of doing that, I know I do.  He actually did it.

So, I got on the horn and thanked my vendors that helped me deliver on the order.

Short.  Sweet. 30 second phone call.

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Please don’t hate me for loving

Jan 15, 2013 Todd Brown

Entertainment… that’s all professional sports are. Lance was/still is? the greatest entertainer ever in cycling. The only upset people should be those who weren’t entertained. ALL his sponsors got/still get huge bang for the buck. Now for all the amateurs that dope – Hang ’em high! Oh, and all those that really care and are..

Entertainment… that’s all professional sports are.

Lance was/still is? the greatest entertainer ever in cycling. The only upset people should be those who weren’t entertained. ALL his sponsors got/still get huge bang for the buck.

Now for all the amateurs that dope – Hang ’em high!

Oh, and all those that really care and are really, really, really torn up about the “cheating” among pros… go help someone in need to day, it eases the pain and puts it in check.

 

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Not So Sure

Jan 12, 2013 Todd Brown

When I go for a ride and the average temperature is 37 degrees… in Califorina… well, I am forced to remember how sure my high school teachers were that we’d all freeze in an Ice Age by now and that the food supplies would be exhausted. It doesn’t mean they were wrong, it could still..

When I go for a ride and the average temperature is 37 degrees… in Califorina… well, I am forced to remember how sure my high school teachers were that we’d all freeze in an Ice Age by now and that the food supplies would be exhausted.

It doesn’t mean they were wrong, it could still happen.  But, there is tremendous value in reviewing the passionate pleas of our leaders from time to time.

They clearly aren’t always right.  What if we could identify who’s got it right and who’s rarely right?

http://app.strava.com/activities/37293343

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Join Our Cult

Jan 10, 2013 Todd Brown

I love cycling, it’s not secret. And, I’m constantly inviting and encouraging people to ride.  Some get it right away, some take years. But, when my friends do start to ride this is a common response.

I love cycling, it’s not secret.

And, I’m constantly inviting and encouraging people to ride.  Some get it right away, some take years.

But, when my friends do start to ride this is a common response.

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4,000,000 feet pounds

Dec 29, 2012 Todd Brown

Since I’ve been too sick to ride for a week… I thought I’d post this from 12 years ago. There are events designed for fun, events designed for competition, and then there are events designed for pain.  I’m not quite sure why I go for the pain.  Maybe it’s that I’m not that fast, or..

Since I’ve been too sick to ride for a week… I thought I’d post this from 12 years ago.

There are events designed for fun, events designed for competition, and then there are events designed for pain.  I’m not quite sure why I go for the pain.  Maybe it’s that I’m not that fast, or that I hate feeling like I have energy left at the end of a race.  Whatever, I do like the pain, I do like to see others suffering and wheezing and whining and crying and quitting and their bodies revolting.

I’m sick. I know it.  Pain.

This year has gone great for my racing.  I haven’t raced much , but I’ve had great success in the races I have chosen to do.  With the team not together for a third go at 24 Hours of Moab, I turned my focus to the 12 Hours At The Summit, in Big Bear.  This race featured a solo event called the Titanium class.  The format was simple:  whoever completed the most laps (8miles, 1300 ‘) in 12 hours was the winner.  No categories, just an Open Division.

Typically I don’t sleep to well the night before a race.  This night would be among my worst.  I was so concerned about hydration the day before, I spent most of the night like the Sparklett’s man (delivering water).  By 3:30am, I was exhausted, frustrated and finally got a few hours of sleep in.  The pre-crack-of-dawn breakfast at Denny’s was uneventful, I couldn’t eat – nerves – I could barely take my trusty vitamins.  Susie, on the other hand, wolfed down a huge skillet special, all the while talking cheerfully and going over all my anal instructions about food and supplies for each lap.  I sat paralyzed by the enormity of 12 hours on my mountain bike which played in concert to an uncertain rhythm of just how far would I have to ride to get on the podium.

Open class races always bring an eclectic group together.  Our field of 48 was impressive.  Lots of skinny dudes with matching jerseys and bikes and helmets, others less well equipped.  I was very covetous of the bike with fur glued to the forks.  The start was LeMans style, albeit a short run.  Do you run to your bike and sprint the first four miles up hill when you have 12 hours of racing and no idea of the required mileage??? I guess so.

We shot out like rockets, like a typical NORBA race.  We all wanted to among the first to hit the single-track and avoid the subsequent bottle-neck.  I was in great position for a NORBA race.  Should I be going this hard???  for 12 hours??? Onward, the adrenaline won’t last forever, might as well use it while I’ve got it.

My pre-race strategy was simple, and in the end, elegant.  Don’t get off the bike, have fun where possible.

After 4 miles of climbing I was about 5 back from the lead rocket.  How can they keep this up?  We crested the top, wait, one more little grunt… there we go.  Time to bomb downhill.  This was my “have fun where possible” section.  I sprinted up the grunt, passed all but the leader and kept my fingers off the brakes.  It does pay to have some girth.  Unfortunately, half way down I found myself in the middle of a rock strewn rut. Bam!  A flat tire.  Two minutes later I was flying down again, having lost about 10 places.

In these types of events you have to check-in each lap, have a ticket punched and place your sticker on the leader board.  That completed, I rode a few feet to my wonderful wife.  “What do you nee?”  ” Tube and a cartridge!”  As she runs off to get that, I’m thinking I needed other stuff too.  She’s gone.  I have nothing.  Forget it.  I jump back on course praying I don’t get another flat… the best laid plans.

The second time through she’s got it all.  I’m in about 8th place still.  Passing and being passed as the pitch changes up and down the course.

Everyone has a certain area they’re strong and another where they’re weak.  My weakness has always been cramping.  The projected high of 101 degrees put fear in my soul.  With four laps completed in less than 3 hours (by only a minute), we were on track to complete 16 laps.  Last years’ winner only needed 12 laps to win.  Something was wrong.  I’d gone out too fast.  And 30 minutes later my Achilles heal punctured through my overconfident ego.  Running up the final hike-a-bike section my quads started to cramp.  I leaped aboard my faithful steed and look down at my less faithful legs.  I could see the defined muscles cramping down even as my leg floated up the pedal stroke.  This is not good.

On the way down, I found a new jump to hit.  I also noticed how I could go brakeless through another section and bank hard off the side of the trail.  Dangerous?  Maybe.  Time-eating? Possible.  Fun? Definitely!  I arrived with a smile at the check-in.  Waited for my ticket to be punched.  My hamstring cramped hard.  I pounded it like my mom pounds meat loaf. “What do you need, babe?”  You gotta love that kind of support.  “Salt.  Lots of salt and bananas.”  Again, she didn’t have what I needed.  She was about to run off.  “Stop! Just gimme whatcha got.  Get salt next time.”  I spent the next mile choking down a bag of Pringle’s and a banana, with a carbo-drink chaser.  Yum.

In all my races, I don’t think I ever suffered like this fifth lap.  Cramping bad on the three hike-a-bike sections, the ominous distance ahead, and I wasn’t even close to the end of the race.  I was nearly done.  As fate would have it, one of the jokers I had passed before came by me.  He looked great.  Real smooth.  Tanned skin.  “Just go till you drop man, then try and survive.”  “Gee, thanks.”  I wanted to kill him, no I wanted to lasso him.  I wanted to quit.  Cresting the top, I came into the most technical section.  Huge, sharp rocks studded the middle of the trail.  A dust covered racer lay prone on the side, another wearily negotiated the section on foot.  I yelled “rider!” and rolled through as swift as a greyhound a the track.

Smiling again, I reached the check-in.  Susie is a genius.  She confiscated salt packets from the hamburger stand.  I poured three down my throat and lubed up my chain while she swapped out my Camelbak bladder.  More banana and a protein bar.  I cramped just as bad for the next few laps, but I felt like I was taking corrective measures.  Besides, I had mysteriously maneuvered into 5th place.  I wasn’t the only fast-starting fool after all.  Lots of pain to go, but a glimmer of hope.

Somewhere in here the race leader, Matt Ohran, lapped me.  It bummed me out quit a bit.  Then I found out he had take 4th in the Vail 100 the previous week, he was a pro.  Okay, I can deal with that.  Still lots of racing to go, lots of pain to suffer.

I didn’t think the next challenge would ever happen.  Really.  With all the heat, all the sweat, how could I possibly need to pee?  My bladder started to kill.  I figured I would have to dismount at the hike-a-bike section anyway, so might as well try.  Am I’m standing there, a few feet from the trail with stage fright no less, my quads and hammies in both legs lock.  This is bad.  One task done, I hobble over to my trusty steed, throw a stiff leg over and slowly begin to pedal.  At the bottom of this lap, while I’m inhaling salt, Susie is yelling, “you’re not drinking enough, drink more.”  Drink more?!  Peeing almost left me like the tin man in a rain storm.

Figuring this was the point where weird things could happen in my head, I chose to trust the advice of my wife. I almost cried, realizing I still had 5 hours to go, my wife lovingly supporting me, and hating the fact that I was racing instead of at the beach with the kids. Then creeping into my ears came the final words she had yelled, “you’re in fourth place, third is 5 minutes up the trail.” This was my break through lap. The carbo-drink was chilled to almost a slushy. She’d filled the bladder with enough juice to ge me across the Sahara, and I let her have it the next lap through – “I’m a racer, not a camel! I’ll be back in 50 minutes! Think!” She was thinking, I wasn’t. Just pain.

The heat of the day was diminishing and the cool breeze blew through tall pines. A lone coyote crossed the trail, like me, out for the final hunt of the day. I was feeling better, much better. My cramping was lessening. The decent was getting faster and more furious. Each rock, each rut, each jump and each bank became hard wired from my brain to my twitching fingers.

During the last laps Susie would run next to me as we swapped out wrappers for bars, bananas, liquid and lube. Our transitions were smooth. Each lap I knew she would be there, so dependable, so cheerful. My secret weapon. Each lap I felt better. I began to look forward to the final lap, when i wouldn’t have to “save it” for another, I wanted to put the hammer down for good one last time.

“Babe, your back in 4th. Some guy slipped in, blue shirt, number 244”. I was riding with abondon this last lap. I ran the hike-a-bike. Okay, not really, I hiked it fast. But, the gears I chose were much taller than the previous laps, I was flying – that too is relative, because the four-man team riders were ripping past me. Nevertheless, I soon saw the blue jersey way ahead. It takes a long time to overcome somebody on a steep hill after over 11 hours, one hundred miles and 19,000 feet of climbing. Slowly, I reeled him in just after the last hike-a-bike. As I came up on number 244, the repeated the phrase of the day… “what lap ya on?” Should I tell him 14 just like him? Nah, “uh, 10, you?” 12 dude, I’m hurting.” “Really?! That’s great, good luck!” Did Susie invent the phantom racer to spur me on?

I pushed harder on the pedals in search of second place. In retrospect, I did take the final switchbacks way too fast, I risked crashing, I risked flatting, I risked too much. As I crested the final slope in my big chain ring, defiantly stomping it into history as a previous middle-ring-climb, I could hear my wife and friends yelling. No crying this time, just yelling. I was mobbed. I felt great. But how did I wind up? ‘Todd! The guy in second quit, hi didn’t think you could get another lap in under the time limit. You’re in 2nd man, 2nd!”… with 13 minutes to spare!

There’s a lot to be said for winning and there’s a lot to be said for finishing, but not enough cab be said about suffering and sticking with it no matter what place you finish. As far as I’m concerned, we were all winners that night, especially my wife, she deserved the top of the podium.

Sunday, I got a million calls from friends and family wanting to know how I’d done. I tried to explain. Even I couldn’t believe it. I tried to put it in some perspective for them – open category, pro’s, eco-challenge racers, young studs, furry forks. They all acted impressed, though I think they mainly thought I’m a little off. My dad said it best. “Let’s see, about 20,0000 feet of climbing, about 200 pounds with the bike, that’s… 4,000,000 pounds lifted one foot or one pound lifted 4,000,000 times, or… hey, that’s a lot of pain son.”

Lap Times: 44, 43, 45, 47, 49, 52, 53, 55, 52, 53, 53, 55, 51, 49

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Why I Love Strava

Dec 19, 2012 Todd Brown

Need I say more? No, but I will. Matt Ford happens to annihilate me every Tuesday morning on The TMWC.  He’s a beast. But somehow, some way, there’s a Strava segment where, for the time being, I own him. Scoreboard. For sure, he’ll go out and smash my time.  So for now, I will bask..

Need I say more?

No, but I will.

Matt Ford happens to annihilate me every Tuesday morning on The TMWC.  He’s a beast.

But somehow, some way, there’s a Strava segment where, for the time being, I own him.

Scoreboard.

For sure, he’ll go out and smash my time.  So for now, I will bask in the warm glory of Strava.

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Revenge

Dec 18, 2012 Todd Brown

What friends are forRobot:  JR says let’s go back to Barnburner and get revenge. Todd:  Barnburner was revenge.  It was horrid.  Awful. A dust bowl. JR:  I will return to the dust bowl to avenge my finish. Travis:  The RV is ready, and Todd is riding with us this time. Robot:  It might just be..

What friends are forRobot:  JR says let’s go back to Barnburner and get revenge.

Todd:  Barnburner was revenge.  It was horrid.  Awful. A dust bowl.

JR:  I will return to the dust bowl to avenge my finish.

Travis:  The RV is ready, and Todd is riding with us this time.

Robot:  It might just be worse if we’re lucky.

Todd: Crud… really?

Robot:  We can run an ad on Craig’s list for your Twinkies.

 

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TMWC Shout Out

Dec 15, 2012 Todd Brown

As we prepare for the final TMWC of 2012, I wanted to give a shout out to the pioneers. About 10 years ago I moved out to Coto and told my friends Peter Vidmar and Don Miller, who had moved out there earlier, we should try and get a quality ride going… like we used..

As we prepare for the final TMWC of 2012, I wanted to give a shout out to the pioneers.

About 10 years ago I moved out to Coto and told my friends Peter Vidmar and Don Miller, who had moved out there earlier, we should try and get a quality ride going… like we used to have with Coffee Crew.

I plotted the most stoplight free course, which turned out to be very hill heavy.

Every Tuesday at 630 sharp we left from Antonio and Meandering Trail.

Just the three of us.

Dan “Daniel Boone” McAneny (sp?) (Don’s biz partner) was the first to join us from RSM.

Soon Jim “from the gym” Bishop (that was Don’s intro) was riding over from Laguna Niguel… he’s our awesome video man with proof of the attacks, and who pushed Robot over at the light.

Somewhere, I ran into “Crooked” Steve Lind.  We’d ridden all those years ago in the early Coffee Crew days and he expertly started showing us what climbing was all about while using his world class running legs. Stevie also started pulling the Ladera boys over.

Matt “TT” Ford hopped in about the same time… he couldn’t climb to save his life and was just getting back to competitive riding – we’d hammer him at will (something the new guys can’t fathom).

With Matt came Bob Kmetz… who throttled us ramping up for cyclocross way, way, way before it was cool.

Bryson Perry, an actual pro, moved to town to work with me.  He’d pull a few guys up the road then drift back and tell us we could catch them, then he’d scoot back up to them and tell ’em to get a move on.  True talent.

Kevin Hall, Bryson’s father-in-law, laid down roots for a few years.  That brought in the era of big trash talking… oh, I miss the rudeness of it all.

I’m sure I’m out of order at this point…

Kevin “Backpack” McKenna was soon working in his morning commute and regularly forcing us to red line on the bike trail.

Phil was now riding over with Jim from the gym, and always pushing it hard over The Wall.

David Frank started coming over with Stevie and dragging a slew of guys over from Ladera – Robert and Robot and Mellow and Kent and Charlie… hammers all.

I tapped in to friends from church, and bam Scott Moncrief (our Physical Therapist) was on the ride and putting us back together when we crashed, Brad Perry and Mark Christopherson and a bunch of guys I can’t name were part of this group.

This year, we’ve seen a ton of growth… 24 guys on a cold and dark December morning is uncharted territory… Baghouse, WinTeam, and more.

Please forgive my old mind if I’ve missed you, we’ve had many wonderful riders share the roads with us.

Over the years we’ve seen our kids grow up and move away, survived cancer, struggled through a tough economy, sold houses, shared all of this from the rolling chatter box at the start of each ride.

Some folks hope there’s golf in heaven, I’ll take the Tuesday Morning World Champions.

 

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Tribes Are All Powerful

Dec 13, 2012 Todd Brown

Example:  Team Un-named just cut a deal to buy directly from Builder-X. Tribes have the power, more than ever. If you’re not building one, you’re part of one. Failing to connect with the tribes is becoming more and more costly. Winners:  Team members get smoking deal.  Builder-X gets high margin sale. Losers:  anybody not building..

Example:  Team Un-named just cut a deal to buy directly from Builder-X.

Tribes have the power, more than ever.

If you’re not building one, you’re part of one.

Failing to connect with the tribes is becoming more and more costly.

Winners:  Team members get smoking deal.  Builder-X gets high margin sale.

Losers:  anybody not building or connecting with the tribes is going to feel the pain, real fast.

Shops need to build their own tribes, need to connect with existing tribes.

It’s not enough to open your door any more.

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Death by Digital

Dec 10, 2012 Todd Brown

We’re so hip, spending most of our wake time in front of a small glass window peering into the moving I/O’s of our counterparts and customers. Death by digital creeps through our consciousness, slinking in the shadows, slowly stealing away our precious physical seconds. This is hardly living epic. Never dangerous. Rarely rewarding. What heart..

We’re so hip, spending most of our wake time in front of a small glass window peering into the moving I/O’s of our counterparts and customers.

Death by digital creeps through our consciousness, slinking in the shadows, slowly stealing away our precious physical seconds.

This is hardly living epic.

Never dangerous.

Rarely rewarding.

What heart pumping increases we do get to experience are mostly non-nonsensical and the result of digital frustration.

Ergo the explosion of the epic events – Leadville, Ragnar, Ironman etc.

The very idea of an epic event sucks at our cerebral center, begging for life, begging you and me to live.  It gives us hope that like Neo we can disconnect, however briefly, and soar like we were designed to.

A massive, ludicrous challenge for a mind desperate to find reality in a physical world that slips away a little more each day.

Like Melville and Shelley we go to work on our own beast, and exactly how we will slay it.

Characters we meet and invent become mentors, nemesis, road kill and occasionally the greatest of friends.

Mishaps pound us at the most inopportune times, turning our rough edges into polished and hardened steel ready slice through all future demons.

Triumph, though allusive, becomes not the end but the process of preparation.

Friendship abounds in the stories of those who have gone before, the landscapes we continually cover, and  experience and encouragement only those who do can share.

Sacrifice of time, pleasure, comfort, ease, diet, money and much more must be kept in balance lest we cross over into a world of self and never return.

Digital dreamers shutter and scoff… yet they are the sleepers, we are living epic.

Join us.

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Nice Attitude

Dec 08, 2012 Todd Brown

So much of smooth, effortless cycling is about you. Your attitude determines everything. It’s about your approach, your confidence, your ability to take a “love tap” from the rider next to you for what it is vs what it might be. Spotting a poor attitude is a piece of cake, especially off-road.  It’s shaky.  It’s..

So much of smooth, effortless cycling is about you.

Your attitude determines everything.

It’s about your approach, your confidence, your ability to take a “love tap” from the rider next to you for what it is vs what it might be.

Spotting a poor attitude is a piece of cake, especially off-road.  It’s shaky.  It’s unsure.  It’s a death grip, and petrified arms.  All of it is screaming, I’M GONNA CRASH

My limited education grandfather told me over and over Attitude Determines Altitude.  He rose to become VP of Kellogg’s.

Take it from from Grampa, your attitude will determine whether or not your next ride is awesome or ahhhh-crud.

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Let’s Get Lucky

Dec 06, 2012 Todd Brown

How is it that new guy gets a zillion flats while the group waits/helps to fix/or just rides on? It’s called Luck. How is it that new guy manages to consistently find himself at the worst possible place at the worst possible time in every race or group ride and whabam! broken this and torn..

How is it that new guy gets a zillion flats while the group waits/helps to fix/or just rides on?

It’s called Luck.

How is it that new guy manages to consistently find himself at the worst possible place at the worst possible time in every race or group ride and whabam! broken this and torn that?

It’s called Luck.

What’s with new guy coming home from the mountain bike ride with a thousand thorns in his leg, a busted shifter, and covered in dirt while going slower than the rest of the gang could possibly walk?

It’s called Luck.

**** Practice + Patience + Persistence + Passion = Luck. ****

Let’s get lucky!

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Are you insane?

Nov 29, 2012 Todd Brown

Boys, are you insane*… really, are you content having Ford drill you into submission each week? I’m not happy with that… so here’s what I’m doing: I’ve hired Joe Friel (author of the Cyclist’s Training Bible and TrainingPeaks.com) to come and speak to us.  And you my friends, committed studs that rip each other’s legs..

Boys, are you insane*… really, are you content having Ford drill you into submission each week?

I’m not happy with that… so here’s what I’m doing:

I’ve hired Joe Friel (author of the Cyclist’s Training Bible and TrainingPeaks.com) to come and speak to us.  And you my friends, committed studs that rip each other’s legs off each Tuesday, have a chance to hang out with Joe, too.

What could be cooler than kicking off the year with a genius?

So, here’s the nitty gritty… Not only do I want you to attend this event and learn a ton about haulin’ #$%, but I really need you to blast this out to all your fellow riders.  (Not just because I’m on the hook for a few grand)

Three reasons:

1.    You’ll get faster and have more fun.
2.    Your friends will be stoked for including them (trust me I had 3 sign up within 30 minutes of my email going out).
3.    We can do more fun stuff like this.

Shops are already kickin’ in gear for a solid raffle, and sponsors are kickin’ in a little product.  The more people we get, the better stuff we get.

If you choose not to join us, not a big deal.  We’ll still be friends… except you’ll be slower and poorer for missing out on a great learning opportunity.

Don’t be insane. Join us: www.gotoddbrown.com/events

Positively!, tb

*insane: doing the same thing and expecting different results.

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Receiving My Dues

Nov 28, 2012 Todd Brown

The funny thing about paying my dues with my time and talents in anything is that I always seem to receive much more than I ever paid. There are plenty of clubs and subscriptions I’ve paid into over time.  I keep paying if the return is equal or great to the value paid. But that..

The funny thing about paying my dues with my time and talents in anything is that I always seem to receive much more than I ever paid.

There are plenty of clubs and subscriptions I’ve paid into over time.  I keep paying if the return is equal or great to the value paid.

But that personal sacrifice, where I give of myself, always over pays.

Certain organizations, clubs and people merit our time.  Many people, have time to give.  Does my organization merit their contribution?  Is my vision grand enough?

 

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If We Don’t Change

Nov 26, 2012 Todd Brown

Chinese Proverb – If we don’t change our direction, we’re likely to end up where we are headed.  

Chinese Proverb –

If we don’t change our direction, we’re likely to end up where we are headed.

 

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Absurd Standard of Readiness

Nov 22, 2012 Todd Brown

Before 16 year old Jay can attempt surfing a true killer, Mavericks, he must pass his mentor’s tests. In Chasing Mavericks, the indie surf movie now playing, we are escorted into the world of surfing truly killer waves.  The old wizard gives the boy two simple, measurable, and absurd standards of readiness: –  Hold his..

Before 16 year old Jay can attempt surfing a true killer, Mavericks, he must pass his mentor’s tests.

In Chasing Mavericks, the indie surf movie now playing, we are escorted into the world of surfing truly killer waves.  The old wizard gives the boy two simple, measurable, and absurd standards of readiness:

–  Hold his breath for 4 minutes under water

–  Paddle 36 miles across the Monterrey Bay

Every athlete thinks he  or she knows what it takes to reach the highest heights. Every sport has it’s mentors, the experienced wizards who have lived to tell the tell, to truly understand what it takes.

If you had to pick two standards to focus on this year what would they be?

–  __________________?

–  __________________?

The movie is awesome, and it definitely made me want to Live Like Jay.

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Why Black?

Nov 20, 2012 Todd Brown

When everybody is doing the Black Friday promo, why aren’t we doing Gobble Wednesday? … some folks just want to gobble up a great deal and could be sporting sweet new gear on the Thursday Turkey ride.

When everybody is doing the Black Friday promo, why aren’t we doing Gobble Wednesday?

… some folks just want to gobble up a great deal and could be sporting sweet new gear on the Thursday Turkey ride.

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I got lucky today

Nov 20, 2012 Todd Brown

I laid in bed at 5:50am.  To ride or not to ride?  Roll over and sleep I told myself.  5:58, trying to sleep rarely works for me.  6:07, still up?  Might as well get your runny nose out there, just take it easy. Hammering on the bike when sick will generally give you one of..

I laid in bed at 5:50am.  To ride or not to ride?  Roll over and sleep I told myself.  5:58, trying to sleep rarely works for me.  6:07, still up?  Might as well get your runny nose out there, just take it easy.

Hammering on the bike when sick will generally give you one of two results:  make you sicker or heat your body enough to kill the cold.

I rolled out to the TMWC, tried to keep the pace down. That only works for so long with this crew.  Eventually the groupthink sucks us all in.

I got lucky today, I feel great!

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Single & Loving IT

Nov 17, 2012 Todd Brown

by Todd Brown   (Previously printed in Competitor Magazine) After a 35-year span of racing and riding all sorts of two wheelers, I can definitely say that I still can’t get enough of the thrill I get every time I throw my leg over a seat.  During the last 10 months , though, I have found..

by Todd Brown   (Previously printed in Competitor Magazine)

After a 35-year span of racing and riding all sorts of two wheelers, I can definitely say that I still can’t get enough of the thrill I get every time I throw my leg over a seat.  During the last 10 months , though, I have found a new passion on two wheels.  This passion is based on a bike that is simple, light, and easy to maintain.  It has one gear of choice, and that limited, narrowly-defined choice has remade the bike into a truly new passion for me.

What could be so engaging about a bicycle whose top claim is humility? And why would this old bike be the new favorite of a vast quiver?  The answer lies in the gear choice – or lack of choice.

Because the bike has only one gear, I as a rider have to develop a wide array of different riding styles and techniques to accommodate changing terrain.  These techniques are not limited to simply powering the bike because it also lacks rear suspension, so railing the trail has become much more than the point-and-plow used with today’s superior suspensions.

The single-speed bicycle has consumed my riding time because it has multiplied my riding styles.  Today we hear so much about the magical car/bike/boat/ski/board with “Jekyll and Hide” characteristics that can do it all, and well.  Refreshingly, my single-speed makes both Jekyll and Hyde out of me… now I’m the one who much do it all well.

Because the bike requires so much, my mind is completely free to explore the capabilities of my body and my body is free to explore the capabilities of the bike.  Gone is that little voice that so often accompanies other less distracting workouts; there’s no time to chitchat with myself about the dilemmas of the day.  I must focus, and the focus required is limitelessly liberating.  It’s the same liberation I find when bombing across the desert floor on  my 450, stepping off a cornice into free fall, or dropping in on a furious wave – and it can last for hours.

The nitty-gritty of riding a single-speed involves so much more of the human body than a traditional bike ride does.

On flat terrain, my leg speed is fast and the effort constantly refines my pedaling technique.  A smooth pedal stroke vastly increases efficiency, so my legs learn to pedal in circles rather than just stabbing down.

As the trail tilts up a little, I settle in to the seated burn so common to riding bicycles.  This seated power allows me to ride endlessly on my motor cycle and forever on my snowboard.  With the lightness of an un-geared, un-sprung ride, I move along much faster than I would on a geared bike.

When the incline increases, I stand to stay on top of the gear.  This next pitch, where I’m standing and my leg speed is still fairly fast, makes me feel like I might be actually be a Euro-Pro attacking the mountains for Europe.  My upper body is engaged, my triceps and shoulders push the bike side to side, my head is high and my vision stretches far up the trail, all conspiring to get me on up and over.  I feel fantastically fast.

The final climbing technique is the point when traction becomes an issue.  I can no longer just pump hard; I must control the output or the rear tire will break loose and I’ll probably jam my knee into the top of the fork – it hurts, and bleeds, so I am definitely motivated to ply my skill.  Still standing out of the saddle, I now pull on the bars rather than push.  My torso is much more involved, working the core muscles.  My biceps and lats combine to pull me on up.  My cadence slows to 40, 30, maybe 20 rpm.  I’m barely moving up very steep, dusty and loose trails.  The total body strength needed is kept in check by the balance required to stay upright.  My lungs fill and empty, sweat weeps from my brown and trickles down the lens of my glasses – it’s an all-out effort to keep from stopping, succumbing and waling.  Honor and pride must be recruited to keep it all together.

Up these extreme pitches, my position vacillates between a squatted power lifter hunched over so close to the bars I could lick the sweat off my Garmin, and an erect deadlifter, with my arms exteneded and locked.  I attribute these alternating techniques with keeping my back strong and trouble free.

At the apex, I relized the reward of a total-body workout that will transfer over to all the other activities I enjoy.  Oh and of course, what goes up gets to come down.

Heading downhill, my legs speed up, spinning at rates only reached by track racers so fast they must unhitch and blow right through my hips.  My butt remains glued to the saddle.  Each ride I seem to get a little faster, a little silkier.  Finally, I can no longer match the speed of my descent and my legs rest.

I’m heading down and I hear… nothing.  No chain slapping because there is no slack in the chain, no derailleur clanking off the stays, and no long cables to accommodate suspension bouncing on the frame.  Just silence, and the wind.

This is the bliss of a single-speed.

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Watching is NOT Doing

Nov 08, 2012 Todd Brown

Watching is NOT Doing. While watching a great cyclist on TV or Live is thrilling and even inspiring it will not actually make me faster or better. It’s simply the joy of watching someone else do great work. This does not entitle me to reap the rewards of greatness. For me to do great work,..

Watching is NOT Doing.

While watching a great cyclist on TV or Live is thrilling and even inspiring it will not actually make me faster or better.

It’s simply the joy of watching someone else do great work. This does not entitle me to reap the rewards of greatness.

For me to do great work, I must get out and train and put in the time.

Eddy Merckx was right: Piles of Miles lead to Greatness.

Question:

Is there a connection between a society where parents work so much they don’t have the energy to teach the kids to work, thus creating entertained kids who feel entitled to a lifetime of coddling because they were never taught to what to DO to achieve their own greatness?

“I’m not your friend, I’m your parent.”

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Training with the best…

Nov 04, 2012 Todd Brown

Train with the best, and lift the rest. It’s not a mantra, it’s a goal. To keep myself sharp, I constantly search out the best riders and rides. Training with people who are better, always lifts my game. I push harder to stay with them, and in the process I learn all I can. Many..

Train with the best, and lift the rest.

It’s not a mantra, it’s a goal.

To keep myself sharp, I constantly search out the best riders and rides. Training with people who are better, always lifts my game. I push harder to stay with them, and in the process I learn all I can.

Many of the best riders are quite approachable. They typically are very willing to share their wisdom. This typically takes place after they’ve handed my head to me and we are in the cool down portion of the ride.

Riding “on the rivet” can’t be done every day.

My easy days, I do my best to get my pals out to spin and chat and have some fun. At these times, it’s easy for me to download what I’ve learned and help my friends find a little more joy in this wonderful sport.

Corollary:

The only shame in getting annihilated on a ride is in not learning from it.

The only shame in riding with a “Barney” is in not sharing what we know.

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“The Force Behind Me”

Nov 02, 2012 Todd Brown

“Dad was always the force behind me.” While eulogizing his father, my cousin shared the story of his first two wheeler. At age 7, he was ready to go for it. Uncle Raymond took him out into the street and held that bike steady from behind. Mike mounted the new bike and took his first..

“Dad was always the force behind me.”

While eulogizing his father, my cousin shared the story of his first two wheeler.

At age 7, he was ready to go for it. Uncle Raymond took him out into the street and held that bike steady from behind. Mike mounted the new bike and took his first few pedals.

Coaching from behind, the father guided his son down the suburban pavement.

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Chasing the dream with Joe Friel

Nov 01, 2012 Todd Brown

For years, I’ve dreamt of having the best and brightest in cycling come to Orange County and share the treasures in their minds. I’m a reader by nature. But seeing and hearing is believing they say… and seeing and hearing a great speaker LIVE can allow their written message so much further into our minds..

For years, I’ve dreamt of having the best and brightest in cycling come to Orange County and share the treasures in their minds.

I’m a reader by nature.

But seeing and hearing is believing they say… and seeing and hearing a great speaker LIVE can allow their written message so much further into our minds and hearts.

So, what the heck. I picked up the phone and called Joe Friel, and he answered the line. (Side Note: Joe is the author of the wildly popular Training Bible series).

“Yes, I’d love to come to California in January.”

Mind you, it aint free to get a sought after author to travel out of state so there was a little more incentive than just my charming SoCal surf talk.

Well now, where to have it? Turns out, last 12-31 I put on a ride for my friends called the Endo. Just so happens on that ride I get to meet another childhood hero who happens to have some sort of clout at Oakley. OK, he’s major… and so majorly humble, I’ll keep his name on the downlow. Anyhow, he says

“Yes, we’d love to have Joe Friel speak at our super awesome and amazing building” (my hyperbole).

Well, how do you like that? No really, how DO you like that?

I hope a lot, because I’ve just committed myself big time.

In a perfect world, and this is seeming pretty darn perfect, you’ll all have a great time, learn a bunch, and we’ll have a solid enough turn out to bring in some other wonderful speakers.

Gotta love it –> http://tb-presents-joe-friel-live-eorg.eventbrite.com/#

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Just because it worked for Henry…

Sep 05, 2012 Todd Brown

Today, in our business, the shops and teams and events that are selling the most apparel are those with options – colors, designs, patterns, fabrics, etc.

“People can have the Model T in any color – so long as it’s black.” – Henry Ford.

What percentage of Fords on the road today are black?

Today, in our business, the shops and teams and events that are selling the most apparel are those with options – colors, designs, patterns, fabrics, etc.

To focus merely on the increased sales would be short sighted (bottom line addressed below).

Who buys your brand?

While we all love the hard core racer for the inspiration the rest of us receive, he or she rarely pays more than cost and usually less or not at all.

Why are they willing to pay to advertise you?

The rest, the people who pay, are your fans.  They like you, they like your shop/team/event, they like what you represent and they have said “Count me in”… In other words, they want to show that they belong to your tribe.

Giving them a choice, a variety to choose from, allows your fans to express the membership in their own unique fashion.

Back to the bottom line.  With the fragmentation of advertising today, growing the tribe is the best and cheapest way to increase the bottom line.

Apparel is just one piece part of the strategy and, if done correctly, can be quite profitable at the same time.

Here’s an example of doing it correctly – http://shop.mellowjohnnys.com/

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