The ‘Off’ Season

Towards the end of this past CX season I was “looking forward to the off season.”  I felt a little burned out.  But what does that mean?  I’ve reached a point were not exercising really isn’t an option.  After a day or two of resting I really don’t feel all that good, I literally start feeling like I’m getting sick.  Once you develop a level of consistently exercising, stopping is almost as difficult as getting started.

So the off season isn’t really time off, it’s just unstructured time where I can do whatever I want.  Honestly, one of the reasons I enjoy riding my bike so much isn’t the races.  It’s the training.  Since my last race, Jan 11^th, I’ve been in the ‘off season’.  I’ve kept my training time unstructured, aka not scheduled.  I’ve focusing on spending time with the family which has limited my workouts to an hour or less each day.  I’ve made the family the priority so I fit my workout in without interfering with their plans.  It’s easy to find the time but difficult to make plans or attend any classes.  There’ll be enough time in the future when I’m asking for a pass to go ride, it’s my payback time now.

This off season has been about refocusing.  I have to remember what a normal person should eat, and bringing the caloric intake back to normal.  I’ve been going to the gym and lifting weights to shift the body composition back to the muscular side.  I’ve continued running, brining my long runs up to miles I haven’t seen in years (which isn’t much, 6-7 miles in a single run).  I’ve also been hitting the trainer for some work on my pedal stroke; high spin efforts, isolated leg interval and stands.  None of these efforts have been overly intense; they serve to rejuvenate the body and mind.

With the upcoming 2014 season and my planned races and goals, the most difficult part of the off season is patience; the patience to wait, to not overdo it, to take it slowly and get back to the basics so that I’ll be ready when the time comes.  Fortunately the weather has been helping; the thought of base miles in the snow and ice have greatly enhanced my ability to be patient.

Quarantined

Everyone is SICK!

Basically everyone has fever, coughing, sneezing and buckets of green crap running out of their faces.

It is truly joyful.

Enter at your own risk

Priorities

I've been getting in a little rest before tomorrows race. The last two winter park races really haven't gone all that well. I'm finding rest is hard (feel like I'm missing something). I like to ride so staying off the bike is a little difficult. My expectations for the race aren't very high. I'm hoping I can just get through ... quickly... and enjoy the single track. Some of it I haven't been on in over 5 years! Then I will have a couple of weeks to refocus the training effort.

During this time of rest, I have been focusing on more important items; things that work well.

Swinging -

Eating -

And listening to Kailee tell me about her animal science book and how she wants to visit Uncle Tyler and see his frogs. (Sorry Karen, no mention of you)

Refreshing the Mind, Body and Spirit

Yesterdays workout consisted of hooking up the "trailer" bike and riding with Kailee and the family to the store, then the park. We all had a great time. Kailee is getting very comfortable on the trailer bike because "Dad won't let me fall". She can really swing that bike around now making me have to work to keep in going straight.

On a side note, it's hard to have a recovery ride when your attached to a four year old drill Sargent yelling "Dad, peddle like you race, Venga Venga Venga! Go faster!"

Kailee did learn one biking lesson last night. One I am sure everyone who has ever ridden a bike learned..... don't free wheel when one leg is on the ground. The peddle will nail you in the shin every time!

After the parade

Everyone running through the sprinklers. It was nice and cool.

Nate's Parade

He was ready!

4th of July

Kailee had some issues getting to the parade. Hard start to the all the fun she had.

In a Previous Life......

Have you ever been someplace were you said to yourself, I think I’ve been here before. Things are vaguely familiar. You know you’ve seen this place before but you can’t put your finger on it. It’s almost like you’ve been there in another life.

That has been my week.

I traveled to a conference for work. The conference location has made me break a promise I made to myself to never visit this place again. What kind of location would be so traumatic and bring back feelings making it somewhere I wouldn’t want to return?

The location, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Why is this place important? Eighteen (18) years ago, almost to the day, this was the site I began my short adventure in the Army. Basic Training! Eighteen years! A lifetime ago…I would argue three or four lifetimes.

As I got to the location of the conference things felt strange as I felt I had been here before but things were not exactly as I remembered. The area looked similar but there were new buildings, a swimming pool, structures were a different color and new “features” had been added. I soon discovered that I was directly across the street from the barracks I lived in during my previous 8-week visit back in the summer of 1991. What gave away the location was a towering structure that over looked the site. Sure, the water tower has been painted and it’s a different color but there was no mistaking the shape. I took a walk over by the chow hall, supply depot and barracks. Even the phones, were I spent time waiting to call home and inform my parents “I think I made a mistake,” were present. How many times have they heard that conversation during the past 18 years? To my surprise, it ended up being a little refreshing to visit the site remembering all the good and bad times. I felt a little closure; it was almost peaceful without a drill sergeant yelling at you.

Even with the trauma of returning to this location, I think of the things it has done for me. The opportunities and doors it has made available as well as the lifestyle it instilled. As the commercial used to go, a statement I believe is very true and accurate, “It’s a great place to start.”

On a funny side note, my anxiety was so high that even last night before returning to the base I had a dream. In it I was returning to basic training. Standing there tapping her toe with her hands on her hips was my four year old daughter saying “Daddy, how are you going to be back in two days if you go in there?” My dream was full of all the things I had done during basic and my fear of having to come back to her to say I might be a little longer. Thankfully I woke up and realized I only had to visit for a conference. Thankfully I won’t have to let her down.

I digress but would like to add; people in the Military make an incredible sacrifice to do their jobs far away from friends and family. The sacrifice was more than I could give. People that perform this duty are something special. They deserve our gratitude, no matter your politics.

Photos were from my phone camera so some of them aren't that good.

It's How I ride

This past weekend, in addition to being my Birthday, was our wedding anniversary. Twelve years......... 1..2.years! And I would have to add, going strong! This year we (I) bucked tradition, we (I) bought us both a gift. Road ID's

It's like a dog tag for when you do your outdoor activity. Since we do a lot of out door activities, sometimes (many times) alone we(I) thought it would be a good idea. Yeah, I know.. kind of morbid, but so is a will. Why for our anniversary? Well I had been thinking about it for a while and the date was enough to get me over the activation barrier. Hopefully we'll never have to use them... except if the cell phone dies and I can't remember my home number because it's in my cell phone, now it will be right there on my wrist :)

Due to my (our) purchase, if you order a Road ID you can get $1 off, use Coupon Number: ThanksChristopher496694. Or you can use coupon number: Levi and get $2 off. Bastards, isn't my testimony worth whatever he would say. I mean, he's always riding with Lance and they have a support car following them. I have a car following me too but it always has a texting teenage girl behind the wheel.

Yesterday I went for an early morning mountain bike ride, 21 miles and 3454 ft of climbing. My friend Josh and I hooked up at 6:15am and hit the trails. This way we miss the heat of the day (which hasn't been all that high) and we miss the potential afternoon rain. Even more importantly I got to go to the vacation bible school concert/recital last night. The ride included a lot of climbing, similar to my craptacular performance at the Winter Park HC. Guess what, I still can't climb. Damn it. Under trained or Over trained, that is the question. My legs were hurting but I still feel like riding so I am going with under trained, just out of shape..... even though I have ~2500miles in the legs so far this year, how is that possible? Oh.. incorrectly trained, I see.

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Food is Better in Bed!

I have been having a lot of fun with the kids this week.

On Tuesday our four year old, Kailee, stayed up and watched TV with us. She saw someone get breakfast in bed. Later that night she comes to me and says "Dad, I want you to bring me breakfast in bed, after I sleep,.... with the blue tray. I want waffles, blue yogurt and milk." At first I didn't know quite what to say, so I said " uuuuuuuuh.... OK."

So the next morning I set out to see if she would remember and stay in bed. Guess what (I think she was really tired and sleeping, but she was in bed). So, I got out the blue tray, got a fresh waffle from the morning stash (mom was making some), blue yogurt and milk. I went up stairs and let her have breakfast in bed. When I walked in the door she as a little dazed and confuzed at first. But when she relized what was happening, she smiled, turned her head slightly and said "Dad,..(smile).. I love you." So I sat with her while she ate. It was a truly heart warming experience for me.

This morning Kailee decided (on her own) to repay the favor. She came our room and woke up Mom. Ask me what I wanted for breakfast and told mom to go make it, while she snuggle with me. :) Mom was a party pooper and said she had to help. So off they went. Only to return with the blue tray and french toast! Nice.

Nate (2 yr old) even helped me eat my breakfast, thanks bud.

When I was done, we all went downstairs. Nate grabbed his pancakes off the table and headed up stairs. Initially I was quite concerned, where was he going with all that sticky syrup? So I followed. He jumped in our bed, fixed the pillows so he could sit up and ate the rest of his breakfast.. in bed.

These two never cease to amaze me!

Time machine..?

Wow! The stock market is down to what it was 12 years ago. Now that's progress! Twelve years of economic success, up in smoke. Tell me... where did all that money go? I know they've been printing it for the past twelve years. China? The middle East? Are people hording it under their beds?

Now that the government has a couple of bailout/stimulus packages, they're going to reduce the deficit. People across America have been discovering the limits to living on credit. I'm glad some of those folks work in the government. Now they know what most people already knew, bad things happen when you spend more than you make. Oh wait, that's what the bailout is for, if you haven't played by the rules you get a pass because the economy needs you to keep breaking the rules. Hmmm... is that fixing it or just pushing the reset button?

On a lighter note, I did get married 12 years ago. While life hasn't been perfect, that part has been pretty enjoyable. So, I think I'll go home and hug and kiss the family, because in the end its the only thing that really matters.