Getting back at it

I’ve been riding a lot in the last few weeks. With last year’s huge amount of racing stretching all the way into January, I decided to take more time off than I did the year prior. I have yet to really understand what the extra time off the bike will do to help or hurt me, but I know a few things for sure. First of all, Motivation is way up there right now. The last few weeks have flown by. I’ve been building up the hours trying to get fit. But unlike last year, I’m taking recovery and general health a lot more seriously. I’m trying to eat better and making sure that I’m flexible. I’ve lost a few pounds already just by eating healthy, and the weight seems to be dropping off now that I’m actively keeping the calorie intake in check, eating quality nutrient rich foods and just enough to keep me going.

A pretty big change this year will be my schooling. I’ve ended up getting a co-op with Saris Cycling, a company which I have done part time work with for the last year and a half. The job will let me make some cash to help pay for school, while giving me a little break from school to train and get ready to finish school. And the day in day out 9-5 schedule works really well for me. Being the creature of habit that I am, It’s easy to plan my days around work and riding to get in a lot of hours while still doing all the other things around the house that need doing.

Finally, the coming racing season is shaping up to be something special. With KS Energy/Team Wisconsin moving to Emery’s and Trek, I’ve been able to get my hands on some pretty sick whips and the folks at Emery’s have been really quick to help out; check them out, and if you buy anything mention my name. I just got my new road bike all up and running and it is on another level from my old bike. I was lucky enough to get a Madone 6.9 SSL with a full Ultegra Grey Component setup. Man, putting miles on that thing has been a joy. So far the thing that has impressed me the most is the handling. It goes downhill with such precision that you have the confidence to push the tires right to edge of grip. It’s also pretty comfortable, considering I have yet to get the fit fully dialed in. The flex in the seat mass keeps the bike stable and comfortable. Overall so far, very happy, hopefully I’ll have some pictures soon. The paint scheme is really sexy!

And the good news kept coming this spring so far. I’ve got some other cool things in the works, and I’ll have more on them when they actually happen. But long story short, this whole bike riding thing is turning out pretty well. But like anything else there are tradeoffs.

This brings me to the one thing I really wanted to express in this post. I’m getting anxious. With each passing year I have put more and more in to racing and working towards making a living racing bikes. I still don’t know if it’s a realistic goal, but let’s be honest; if you could get paid to ride you would. I think it’s worth it to know you tried. But it makes me a bit nervous to know that it might actually happen. I talked to my dad about it the other night. He had few words, but they were powerful. So I’m not too worried now, but now I’m more excited to really see what I can do.