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.