2 Months...and the Maiden Voyage Awaits...

2 months from today Brit and I get married.  It's a super exciting, though stressful time.  She's done a great job of preparing for this wedding and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with such an amazing girl! 

With that the kitchen is slowly coming along as well...hopefully it will be done relatively soon here as it will be nice to have a house put back together.

The weather (and my time to be able to ride outdoors) is finally going to align this afternoon and I'll be able to get my new Ceepo Viper out on the road.  I'm pretty pumped about it as the ride in to work with it was awesome.  I can't wait to see what it's like when I'm not wearing a huge backpack and I can open it up out on the roads.

Training has been slowly coming back together and there have been some confidence gaining sessions as of late.  Especially in the pool as swimming has been coming along nicely.   Let's hope that the times in the pool translate to solid times in open water.  If not at least I hope to be more fresh for the remainder of the race.

Race season is almost upon us and I couldn't be more excited to get after it

Rolling...

Things have been rolling along nicely, and it feels as if that "forever soreness" is starting to come back.  I have missed that feeling, and I absolutely love it.  It makes me feel alive, like I've actually accomplished something, like I'm working, like goals are attainable.  Each and every day I enjoy riding my Ceepo Viper more and more.  I'm getting more dialed in with it, and more comfortable.  The power transfer has really surprised me, and it's much easier to sustain certain levels of power which never were before.  Definitely an awesome bike!

Brit and I were able to build a pretty sweet fence around our garden (which will hopefully be planted soon).  This fence has a gate and all...oh yea and solar lights on top of the corner posts.  Did I go overboard?  Probably...but it looks pretty cool.  I'll work to get a picture of it up here, as I'm pretty proud of it.  I really hope we get a solid crop this year, as there is nothing quite like eating fresh food from your own garden.

If you're interested in joining the L3 Endurance crew for some group training this week let me know, or check out our website www.L3Endurance.com

Cold and rainy...but the work continues.

The weather last week was a total tease...as this week we've had rain, more rain, cold, rain, clouds, wind and all around CRAP weather.  However, there is still work to be done.  And I've been able to put in a few solid sessions this week...mainly in the pool and an awesome session on my CycleOps Fluid2 Trainer on Wednesday night.

I'll spare the details of the workouts, lets just say that luckily my arms are resting on a table right now because I'm not sure if I have enough strength to lift them up at the moment.  Thanks to Keating, swimming has been royally whooping me into shape.  It's nice that from a cardiovascular standpoint I can feel improvements...so the strength has to keep getting built up.

I'm pumped to be headed to the Cubs game tomorrow...and if we had some sun that would be a bonus!  Brit bought the tickets a while back for a rooftop, this will be her 2nd Cubs game...I think there is still hope for her.

So with that on tap it looks like another early morning of training...bring it!

Turning the Brain Off

Sometimes it's important to turn your brain off and to just let your body do it's thing. We are (at times) too smart for our own good...alright so maybe we're not all that smart, but we do know how to anticipate pain.  With that said, when I took a look at the swim set this morning I was already talking myself out of whether or not I'd be able to do it.  To make a not so long (and quite frankly probably pretty boring) story shorter, I hit every time.

Often times our brain and our knowledge of our own limitations can hold us back from progressing.  I'm glad that I was talked into just giving it a go...because now I'm pumped because that swim was "hella" good.  Sorry for the lame song reference there since according to Chad that song is so 2012. 

 

Some Days...

Some days you just have it! You can tell right from the start that things are rolling along well, and it's an extra bonus when it gets easier the farther you go.  We all have these days, and fortunately for me in about 2 months if I'm having one of these awesome days I can continue to roll with it.  Unfortunately, today I couldn't keep it rolling.  I'm guessing some of the work is starting to pay off, or maybe it was a fluke.  No matter what this session is definitely going to be a session that gets tallied up in the "Confidence Building" category.  Sometimes it's about putting in the work even when you feel crappy...other times it's about knocking off some solid sessions and not overcooking yourself.

I have been paying close attention to refueling after (and even during) sessions, and I know that this has been paying off.  Eating clean makes a huge difference for me (and I would have to think would make a huge difference for anyone).  I've been eating quite a bit of spinach, so maybe Popeye's secret "drug" has  been doing the trick.  I'll definitely take it!  If you're looking for a quick and easy way to refuel after a workout (especially in the morning), scramble up a couple of eggs...ok so maybe I put 4 eggs in, and throw in some spinach and some green/red/orange/yellow pepper (whatever you prefer...it's been orange for me lately), throw it together in a tortilla with some cheese and you're good to go.  Tastes delicious, takes literally 10 minutes to make (if that) and you're on your way to an awesome next workout!

Make Your Time Count

I think there are times when people head into workouts that they are just looking for it to be over.  There are obviously various reasons they want the workout to be over...for the sense of accomplishment, they have something fun planned...whatever the reason I think it's important to make the time you're putting in count.  Trust me there are some mornings (alright most mornings) when it feels much easier to stay in bed and not get the work done.  But after the workout starts and things roll along, you're glad you did it! 

So next time you're just hoping to get the workout over remember to make your time count!

Whoops...

So I just realized that it's been almost 2 months since I've posted last.  Needless to say things have been busy.  With a wedding this summer (of which Brittany is planning 99% of it, so I don't want to use that as an excuse or take credit for it either), remodeling the house, working the L3 Endurance athletes, and trying to train on my own there hasn't been much time to do much else.

Last week was spring break, and unfortunately I didn't head out to San Diego this year.  It just wasn't in the budget!  I was able to get out for a couple of outdoor rides (though it was cold), and made some more of a dent into the kitchen remodel.

Loving my new Ceepo Viper, I'm feeling much more comfortable on it and looking forward to getting some long rides in.

Other than that things are rolling along, I'll definitely make a better effort to keep things updated on here.