Decisions.....decisions.....

Every year we are faced with many decisions. Next season I will be faced with a decision as to what category to race in. This year I raced Beginner Clydesdale. I did nine races this year. This is how I fared:

Yankee Springs 8th
Fort Custer XC 6th
Bloomer XC 6th
State Games of Michigan XC 6th
Boyne Marathon 6th
Maybury XC 9th
Fort Custer TT 4th
Iceman 46th

I did finish 5th overall in the MMBA Championship point series....but I never had a top 5 and the class was generally fairly small. I did what I had to do to get an overall award...but I am torn. I don't really want to move to Sport and get my ass handed to me week after week....but I don't really want to race Beginner Clyde again. So here are my choices

1. Race Beginner Clyde again and stomp some ass.
2. Get my weight down around 200 lbs and race Beginner Men.
3. Move to Sport Clyde if I don't get all the weight off.


My decision will be easier to make as the season approaches. I just don't feel like I am ready to make the jump to Sport......but I don't want to be in the same class again this year either....especially after taking an overall award......but....I never took a top 5 in the series....and the cycle continues.

What do you think?

Post Thanksgiving....

Since I have started to buckle down again (and actually be serious this time) with my calorie intake....I knew Thanksgiving day was going to be difficult. There is always so much food and lots of desserts to choose from. With my official weigh-in day being Friday, Thanksgiving will always fall on a bad day. This year I am more focused. I got up and ate a bagel for breakfast. I didn't eat anything for lunch because we were having Thanksgiving dinner around 2pm. I picked up my plate and started to worry about what I was getting. I got the following:

Mashed potatoes and gravy
Turkey
Cheesy Veggies
Plain veggies to mix with the cheesy veggies
Deviled eggs.....4 halves (not all at once)
3 tiny biscuits
Taco salad

Dessert....1 piece pumpkin pie with whip cream


Writing it out it looks like more than what I thought. I did do my best to add up the calories last night....and then I got on the bike for an hour. I am confident that I balanced out my calories for the day. I even guessed pushed the calories higher if I wasn't sure on how much I ate.

Overall, I had one plate of food. I did have a small scoop of taco salad later in the evening as my dinner...lol. Lots of water.

So....I weighed in today. How did I do? Well. I lost another 3 pounds this week. I am once again knocking on the door of 239. If I keep it up, next week will be the Affair Part 2. It has been a long time coming......

(for the affair part 1 CLICK HERE) Dang....this was way back in May. I didn't really have a great year for weight loss this year.....

My apologies.....

I figured out today that I have had many comments on my blog. To those of you who have posted regularly....I apologize. I must be dumb or something....because I didnt realize that I was even being posted......just thought everyone was reading and not leaving comments.

Again....I can be kinda dumb.....so....keep posting....and I will respond this time....I promise....it only took me a year to figure it out.

November.....new plan

Ok...this season of racing is over. How did I do? Well....not bad if I say so myself. I took 5th overall in the MMBA CPS and I hit the podium once with a 4th place finish in the Fort Custer Time Trial. I managed to race Iceman and did okay...considering the cramps. But....I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about next season. The 2011 season is quickly approaching with the first race being Barry Roubaix....followed quickly by Yankee Springs TT and Fort Custer XC in the following weeks.


So...I need to make a decision right now. This year I did lose nearly 30 pounds. Not bad, but as it is right now I am only 25 down from last January. Stress, work, yada yada. Excuses.

The plan....Intervals on the bike....core training and Tae-bo off the bike. The focus is building core strength and dropping weight. This means counting calories and working hard to keep focused. Mixing up workouts and eating better are my main goals. I know the weight will come off....just need to get to work.

The calorie counting thing went well today. I have 600 or so left....but I will not use them. I just need to keep plugging away. 30 more pounds this year and I will be like lightning on the bike.

Iceman 2010

Saying a quick prayer to the Iceman before leaving (note....no snow)

The weather report changed dramatically in the days leading up to the 2010 Iceman Cometh. 10 days out the weather was calling for mid 40's and sunny. By three days before the forecast called for snow. Two days before....it was snowing. Being who I am....I planned for the weather to be cold....and crappy. It was very cold....22 at the start....but it was sunny...so that made up for it being cold...sorta.

Its going to be how cold in the morning???




Yes....it was an Iceman this year....

As you can see from the picture above....there was some snow. I stayed warm though....my toes were the only things that got cold....but not too bad. The race started good. I really liked how Iceman created the waves so that all of the riders were riding basically the same speed. I was just cruising for the first few miles....and then the fun began. I was hanging with the larger part of the group. Just keeping them in sight. I would close the gap on the single track areas, and then they would pull away again. I stayed with the main part of the group for the first 10 miles or so and then everyone was in their rhythms and own paces. There was not nearly as much climbing as I had planned on (or remembered from previous races)....or maybe all of the training rides I did really helped.

Coming up to Williamsburg Road

When I passed Williamsburg Road I was feeling pretty good. I got two new bottles and headed back out for the rest of the race. I think I had about 10 miles to go at this point. Feeling good...right on the pace that I wanted. Problems set in shortly after. I started to cramp with about 8 miles to go. I stopped and stretched for a minute and started drinking a lot more. Feeling okay....I pressed on. The problem came with about 4 miles to go. There is a long climb and I had to get off and walk. Both of my legs (quads) started pulling and I was in trouble. I stopped at the top of the hill and stretched for what seemed like an eternity. It was probably 5 minutes or so....but a lot of people passed....and I was soooooo close to the end.

Glad to be done...

I did finish. The picture above pretty much shows how I was feeling. I missed my goal time, but I still had fun even with the cramping. This race has a way of being fun even while bringing the pain. I placed right in the middle of my class. I had an experience I have never had before....and never wish to have again (cramps). Below is a time card of my finish.

One more thing.....I met Gary Fisher. Interesting guy. He was here for his 60th birthday. I kicked his ass in time......Yes....I beat Gary Fisher in a mountain bike race. Just cool to say that I even raced with him.....hahahaha.

Mr. Gary Fisher

Where did the focus go?

I don't know....but I am starting to line up the sights again on the last race of the season. The weather report for November 6th looks cold. Highs in the low 40's. It will be cold....but I am still banking on it being fun. The Iceman is going to be closer to 29 miles this year. I start in the 21st wave....about 1600 people will have already started by the time I go. The path should be beaten in. Hopefully I will pass a few people....and I am sure I will be passed by a few people. I am going in with a goal time and a positive attitude. Just finish. I know I won't win....the class formation (or lack of beginner, sport, expert classes) will ensure that my goal of a top 10 will not happen. Oh well, just race against the clock and the few people that I can compete with.

GO BABY GO. My goal time was going to be between 2:15 and 2:30. My official goal is still 2:30...but I will accept anything less than 2:43.....my fastest time in any Iceman. It was a long time ago....and I need to raise the bar just a little bit more.

Nice and easy spinning this week just to keep the legs moving is the plan. Good luck to everyone that is racing. Drive safe. Have fun. Repeat.