Waiting for Charon

So Mike and I ventured out for another long training ride today. Unlike previous rides the wind wasn't bad but having not ridden since Monday and logging about 11hours in the car traveling while eating a truck driver's diet for the last 3 days, I was left feeling pretty flat, not to mention Maddy has a cold which means I'm fighting one off. I debated even going but got a solid night's sleep and felt pretty good when the alarm went off.

On tap was a 90mile loop out through Montgomery and western Howard counties. With the legs not feeling as good as hoped for, I managed to shoot my load only about an hour and a half in, and Mike ended up dragging me around for better part of the remainder of the ride. Mike's route had us go down some roads I've never been on before and at one point we were bombing down a hill when the road turns to gravel with some deep potholes at the entrance. After a quick map check we continued down the gravel road until we were met with a 30ft. wide creek about a foot deep. We checked around and finding no way to cross it without getting wet we decided to turn around. Apparently the road is still used as several trucks and SUVs came from both directions, Mike suggested we ask one of them to ferry us across.

By my count we only got a bit over 83 miles in about 4hr 30min, towards the end I was cramping so the 7mi shortage was not missed. After today and the forecast of rain tomorrow, looks like racing the MABRA 'Cross champs tomorrow is out.

Finding the Sweet Spot and Random Nonsense

It's been a while since I've put together a real update so here's a mix of random thoughts and events from the past several weeks. Maybe I've just been too preoccupied watching my 401K take a huge dump.

Time has been passing by pretty quickly, Maddy is growing so fast it's hard to believe it's been almost a year already. She's all about standing and cruising around exploring everything and anything she can get her hands on. Here she is checking out her uncle Paul and aunt Angie last weekend when we visited them in Lancaster.

As for me it's been a low key fall with no 'cross racing. On the upside I seem to have finally kicked the leg and back issues that have plagued me the past two years, keeping my fingers crossed that it holds up as the intensity picks up first of the year. For now it's just a lot of structured training during the week, Sub-TH and Sweet Spot Training and group rides on the weekends for the mental break.

This past Sunday Hef2 and I headed out into some nasty wind for a 4+ hour ride. First 3 hours were a steady diet of headwind or crosswind with 30+ mph gusts that could throw you from your bike if you weren't paying attention. After making it out to Mt. Airy we finally turned east heading home with the wind at our backs, nothing like cruising effortlessly along the flats and rollers at 30+ mph to make you feel PRO. Afterwards I was absolutely crushed, Maddy is wondering what's wrong with me as I fall asleep playing with her.
Tuesday I wasn't feeling fully recovered and should have rested a bit more since I was still tired from Sunday but went ahead and did my prescribed workout anyway. Later that night as I went to bed, I rolled over on my side and realized the room was spinning, like the spins you get after drinking a bit too much. I think it's been from spending a little too much time in the Pain Cave.
Basically I spent yesterday in bed as the spins turned into a steady pounding headache by the afternoon. Seems I'll be taking a bit of an unscheduled rest.

I did make the mistake of joining Facebook, what a life sucking distraction that site is. Other than that, life is pretty sedate, just resting up for the holidays. Having not really taken any time off this year and carrying over vacation from last year, I've banked so much time I have two weeks of use it or lose it so I put in for the 2nd and 3rd weeks of December off knowing everyone else will take the last week and half off pretty much guranteeing me a three plus week vacation. Hopefully the weather will be decent so I can log some long rides.

On a final note, big congrats to Joanna Zeiger for winning the 70.3 World Championships earlier this month in Florida.

Good Bye, Bye...Good Bye, Bye

Yeah, yeah, yeah, good bye.