2015 Training starts

I am going to take a different approach this winter. I usually do alright....I drop some weight....I ride outside when I can....and ride the trainer when I can't. I eat better. Yada yada.

I start the spring strong...and by middle of summer I am starting to lose fitness....and by fall I have gained all my weight back and I start back at square one......winter training. So.....it started again....last night.

I am 264 pounds again. Literally...starting where I was at this time last year. But instead of training to RACE next year....I am training to lose weight. Putting all race training aside....and focusing on riding the fat off of my body.

I am not racing Clyde next year so I have a lot of work to do. I have seen a glimmer of how fast I can be when I am 240.....and this year I fully intend to find out how fast I will be at sub 200.

I will either get crushed in Sport Men 35-39 or I will compete. All I know is that I am going to do my best to get this weight off. It started last night. And will continue until I am done.


I started some new supplements that will help me with this trip. I know they will work because after 3 weeks my brain is functioning better. Even though I haven't lost any weight yet I am feeling way better than I have all summer.

Just over 22 weeks until Yankee. 15 week training program. Go.


And....if I can figure it out....I will own a fatbike before too long...and then my adventures OUTSIDE will continue.

You are the weakest link.....goodbye

I haven't been riding much. These were my last few rides:

Kal-Haven 74 miles
Barry Roubaix 33 miles
Yankee Springs 11 miles

Not terrible...but that was stretched out over 5 weeks. I have been eating like garbage and have gained some weight back. I slowed down. Back in June I was getting faster....feeling awesome. But with that confidence I got the feeling that I could eat more and it wouldn't hurt me. I was wrong.

I loaded up my Trance this past Saturday and headed to Fort Custer. Dave W., Chris C., Jay B. and Jimmy K. were all at the trailhead and we headed out. I figured I had a fighting chance because Dave and Chris were on fatbikes......but it was short lived. We took a route that I had never ridden before. We broke out onto a road and I got dumped on the first climb. The second climb was worse. Good bye friends. They were waiting for me at the intersection mad we started back to the park. The downhill was awesome....fast. Gravity loves me....and downhills are fun.

We hit the blue and worked our way back to the trailhead. Once we regrouped we headed out for another red loop. It wasn't long before they were gone again. Once again we regrouped and boom....they were gone. Goodbye. This is when I started thinking about that damn game show "the weakest link" and that awful host that tell the contestants goodbye when it was this time to go.

My issue is this.....I wasn't the weakest link for a time. I could keep the faster riders in sight and while I was getting gapped....I wasn't getting dropped. I felt more like a part of the chain...a stronger link. But here I am again....the weak link....struggling on every climb and feeling awful in the process. The good news is....I can do something about it. I can drop the weight. I can ride more. I can close that gap down. I can be a stronger link.

I was in a bad place mentally for quite a while. It sucks. Those commercials that claim depression hurts are right. You just don't want to do anything. You are sore and don't have any energy...which makes it worse yet. Thankfully I have people in my life that help me get out of those ruts. Help dust me off when I pull myself out of the rut. For the record.....I am feeling really good right now.

Rode a slow lap with Dan s. at Yankee last weekend. Got pounded at Custer this past Saturday...but still went and rode another tough lap at Yankee Sunday afternoon. Today.....I hurt. But the hurt I feel was my choice.....my doing. One pedal stroke closer to where I want to be....