Love and Suffering...

The Rapha NorthEast Gentlemen’s Race. 5.4.13.

There is the bigger story, the idea, of RGR. And how the Rapha Continental changed things, at least for me, in 2007. Days like RGR give us something that has largely been taken away. Adventure. Challenge. Strength. There is a certain sense of risk.  Nothing critical. Our lives are not at stake (though there is a sense these days, as more of us take to the roads on two wheels, that we are moving targets…but that’s another story for another day). But we risk failure. Failing to meet whatever expectations we have set, for ourselves and our team. And the consequences of failure. There is a bond between those of us who take part, an understanding. What it’s like to ride 8 hours. What it’s like to rely on someone else to get you through a moment of doubt, or to be charged with keeping a group together. We are responsible for ourselves. And each other.

There is the belief that a long ride is so much more than simply time in the saddle. There is the shared excitement, or dread (or both) of a “Pavement Ends” sign. There is respect and admiration in the knowledge that we do this because we love to do it. First or last across the line, we are proud to be a part of it all.

And then there is the ride itself.

130 miles. Nearly 10,000’ of climbing. Dirt. Gravel. Rocks. Water.

Quite a day, for sure. For many of us, it was our biggest day ever on a bike. Not just in terms of miles. Or climbing. It’s nearly impossible to put it all into words, and even more difficult to do it with the sense of eloquence and respect the day deserves.

How do you describe what it’s like to ride on roads like Cuttalossa? If I tell you to imagine riding your bike through the Shire, looking for Frodo Baggins, would you understand? Or what it’s like to find a giant windmill in Holland, New Jersey? (The “I can’t believe this is New Jersey” theme is one I would hear quite often throughout the day. It’s no surprise to me. I grew up out here. I know how good it is. And I have NO IDEA what exit you need to take to get here.) Or how good the Coca Cola and Munchkins tasted at the Strava van on the top of Adamic Hill Road? How about trying to figure out what a Chicken Dog is? Or the white pickup/weed whacker “incident” while we were trying to escape from Pennsylvania? Or what it’s like to be thirsty enough that you’re willing to pay a man to stop washing his car so you can use his garden hose to fill your bottles?

I keep thinking back to the essay I wrote to gain entry into the RGR. I think about the bike, and being alone, and how the company we keep can make all of the difference in our lives.

“I think we’re always alone, in some sense, when we’re on the bike”…

When you roll out as a group of 6, and there are 25 other groups rolling away with the same intent, it’s hard to imagine you’ll ever be alone. But you will be. At some point, it’s inevitable. Something will creep into your head. Or your heart.  Or your legs. And you’ll be forced to focus on it. And you will be alone.

Nearly 10,000’ of climbing…

Some moments are obvious. When you’re off the back on Uhlerstown. The switchback on Lodi Hill. The second wall on Adamic. When you hit something that steep. And loose. Legs talk on climbs like that. They stop turning circles. They grind. Each leg suffers through the pedal stroke for that brief respite at the bottom. They hurt so much they groan. They say “enough”…and they make some of us walk to the top.

130 miles…

Some moments are more subtle. The shake of the legs after 105 miles…or even worse, the dread when you feel the need to shake them out after you’re only 60 miles in. When the sun starts to take its toll after 6 hours. You feel your lips drying out. Your salt-laden helmet straps scratch against your sunburned face. Your head doesn’t feel quite the same inside your helmet as it did earlier this morning. Your pulls get shorter because you’re tired. It’s harder to dig in and grab the wheel when you let the others pull through.

“On the other hand, I don’t think we’re ever alone on the bike. There is always the bike. On most days, there is no better companion.”

156 rolled out with 156 stories to tell. There were Cat 1’s and Cat 5’s. Some might not know the difference. Writers, editors and photographers. Shop owners. PhD’s. Kids at home, on the way, or not even on the radar. Each of us as unique as our setup. But we all share one thing. There is ALWAYS THE BIKE. We all understand each other because of the bike. We understand the need to ride when we hurt inside. We know why we celebrate days like this. In a quiet moment, we might admit that we think we’re a little better for it. And we’re all likely to agree that on most days, there is no better companion than the bike.

“The company we keep makes all the difference. Proper companions elevate us…when added together with the bests of the bunch, the whole becomes so much greater than the sum of its parts.”

It’s easy to look back now and feel very good about the decisions we made regarding our team for the day. The “bests of the bunch” came to the fore during the day:

Chris is the kid with a lung capacity only matched by his ability to wear a smile through ANTYHING.  He was tested early, on a missed turn, and an unfortunate miscalculation of the depth of a roadside ditch. Less than 10 miles into the day, watching him eject and launch over the bars, I was certain the day was over before it really even started. 2 hours later, hearing him carry on a casual conversation about frame colors and paint schemes while nearly everyone around us was getting shelled on Lodi, I knew I had no need to worry about him for the rest of the day.

Mike and Dennis are my guys, two of my most faithful clients and friends, who have trusted my advice regarding cycling, and to some extent, living. We’re in the same boat most of the time, the three of us. 40-something dads trying to carve out a path and find some balance. We’ve leaned on each other and the bike in the past few years as we’ve gone through some difficult changes and suffered some terrible losses. Dennis loves the work and is as steady as they come. He NEVER cracks. EVER. And Big Mike is our horse. He will bury himself on the flats and rollers, pull as hard as he can until he pops, and find the energy to keep doing it, over and over. He was sure going into the day that his hell would set in some time around mile 75, but he let us reign him in and we were all better for it.

Sam and Tom are the center of the bike universe here in our little corner of New Jersey. When they opened Hilltop Bicycles in Summit last year, it was apparent that it was not going to be a typical retail bike shop. They’ve given the rest of us a canvas, a venue to express ourselves and tell our stories on the bike. They were literally working 14 hour days, for 14 weeks leading up to RGR, getting things ready to open a second shop in nearby Cranford. They’ll admit their fitness wasn’t where they hoped it would be. But there were no excuses. And there was NEVER a thought of bailing on the day. That’s how they roll. When it comes to bikes, they find a way to get it done.

As for me, I feel like I played a familiar role, and one that I cherish. The guys trust me now. They might not always want to hear me, but they listen. They take it easy when I ask them to. They don’t chase wheels if it’s too early or too fast. They eat. They drink. They let me do my thing.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my wife, whom the fates smiled upon last weekend as she spent the day taking stills for Abigail Thomas Photography in the Rapha photo van. It’s hard to describe what it’s like to see her up the road throughout the day, in her element, during those moments when I am feeling alone. We should all feel so lucky to be filled with so much love while we are simultaneously suffering. Love and suffering are a powerful cocktail, indeed.

I’m certain now that we could have ridden faster. If I had known how to properly use the Garmin 800, we would have saved ourselves a few minutes (and some tense early moments). We had a flat. Chris rolled into the ditch. But every team has stories like that. I know we could have put together a faster team. A younger team. Climbers. Guys that can roll like monsters. An invitation to RGR is a bit like the golden ticket. In the weeks leading up to May 4^th, I heard the criticism, the rumblings of discontent. But I never wanted it to be about the race. I wanted it to be about the ride. I wanted to share and enjoy the day. I did. I am certain we all did.

“I am grateful to have found such company in my life. It is a blessing, and I am honored to be a part of it”

Catching Up

It's only been 12 days since Hell of Hunterdon. Lost in the blur of the post ride cheer and Easter candy crash and burn,  I realized I never posted the link to the photos my wife took of the day. I dropped the ball on this one, BIG TIME.

http://abigailthomasphotography.smugmug.com/Sports/Cycling/HOH2013

Thanks again, babe. You made a great day even better. We're looking forward to seeing you up the road in the weeks to come (we've got some BIG days planned, for sure)

Rapha NE Gentlemen's Race

There are 10 spots available for this year's Rapha North East Gentlemen's Race. I just threw the Hilltop Bicycles/Allez Endurance hat/helmet into the ring. I have no idea how many applicants there are. There are no rules or standards for entry. You need to put together a team, fill out the application and write a brief essay (it's been a while since I've had to write an essay...like almost 20 years, I think) based upon the following thought:



"This year's race will be in the area where George Washington famously crossed the Delaware River during the Battle of Trenton. He once said "it is better to be alone than in bad company." Agree? Disagree? Please explain."


This is what I came up with...


I think we’re always alone, in some sense, when we’re on the bike. I don’t know that anyone ever sees the road the same way. Ask the six of us to describe the ride, the day, a stretch of gravel, and I’m fairly certain you’ll get 6 different answers.

On the other hand, I don’t think we’re ever alone on the bike. There is always the bike. On most days, there is no better companion. History tells us that General Washington had a favorite horse, Nelson, upon whom he received the British surrender at Yorktown. I can imagine that even during the darkest, coldest moments of the Revolution, as long as General Washington was with Nelson, he never felt truly alone.

The company we keep makes all the difference. I would indeed rather be alone than in bad company. The days are hard enough already. The struggles beyond the bike can be so overwhelming. We are working so hard to find something. To find a balance in our lives. Our families. Our careers. Our loves. A poor choice of companions can corrupt the purest intentions. Their presence alone is an illness, another struggle to overcome.

Proper companions elevate us. The group finds the best in each individual. That unique quality is brought to the fore, and when added together with the bests of the bunch, the whole becomes so much greater than the sum of its parts. I am grateful to have found such company in my life. It is a blessing, and I am honored to be a part of it.

The Classic Season

So much to celebrate...Easter, the arrival of Spring, the Ronde van Vlaanderen. And for those of us who ride bikes here in our little corner of the world, our first "classic" of the season, The Hell of Hunterdon. A great day with the gang from Hilltop Bicycles. Sharing a few pulls with the strong young men from Philadelphia Ciclismo. Beers with the MapSo team. Thanks to Jed Kornbluh and the Kermesse Sport crew. What a great day. More photos to come...

 

Some Pre-Race/Event Ideas

With Hell of Hunterdon less than 48 hours away, and Battenkill in less than 3 weeks, the season is starting for me and most of my crew (for some of you, you're already well underway!). With that in mind, I put a few thoughts together for the AE Collective to think about...maybe you'll find something in here to help out a bit. 

Since HOH is an hour away, and it looks like there are several ride options being offered, I think travel/transport is an easy thing to check off the list. Add the fact that Sam is getting up at O'Dark-Thirty to get an HB Tent set up and it looks like the morning is relatively easy. Having a place to gather and coordinate, leave bikes, talk a bit, have some coffee and take care of registration takes a lot of stress away from what can typically be a stressful few hours.

Bike Set-Up/Gear:
Clean your bike today. Clean the chain and drivetrain. Lube it. Tighten the bolts. And then don't think about it. Check the weather forecast. Looks like a chilly, but not too cold, start, and a sunny, relatively warm early spring day. You guys know what your knees/elbows and fingers can handle with certain temps, so plan to dress accordingly. For me, it'll be arm and knee warmers with a spring weight compression garment underneath my jersey. I'll wear my usual cap under my helmet, but nothing on my ears. And I'll wear a lightweight shoe cover/boot to keep my feet warm.

Figure out tomorrow today...try to take the stress of any decisions out of the equation. I like to know what my commute/work/family schedule is going to look like...if not specifically, then at least a solid framework. A nice, low stress dinner and an early bedtime is the look we're going for. I DO NOT recommend changing what you've been eating...and DO NOT CARBO LOAD. CARBO LOADING is nothing more than LOADING UP WITH CRAP. And CRAP IN will lead to CRAP OUT, in one way or another.

As for eating on the morning of...I usually look to take in 500 calories in the 90-120 minutes before the start. For me, it's homemade oatmeal with a banana, almond milk, a little brown sugar and agave syrup, some peanut butter and few nuts, dried fruit and coconut. Coffee...of course! I drink coffee every day. Not going to change it up. Then I usually look to get 200 calories in the hour leading up to the start. In the case of HOH, since it's strictly a bike event, I usually take in solids. I'll likely bring a homemade rice bar (thinking almonds, cherries and dark chocolate) or a waffle with peanut butter and nutella. If you're stomach isn't so good with the solids that close to the start, a Hammer gel and diluted drink (I'm a big fan of skratch labs) is a good way to get the calories in.

Time to get started...
ALLEZ

And We're Back

The first Wednesday Night Group Ride was last night. Sam and Tom like to call it the HB Hammer Ride. I've taken a liking to the WNW's or WNWC (Wednesday Night World's or Championships) I'm kidding, of course. We're a bunch of 40 year old guys, we realize we're only Champions in our own minds. Then again, at some point, it's likely that someone on these rides is or will be a Champion...there are some strong guys in the crew.

Many of the familiar faces were there, though some of them look a bit different than 6 months ago, before their winter's hibernation. As cyclists, many of us accept the winter weight gain as part of the yearly training schedule. The short, cold days and long, dark nights lend themselves to a certain kind of misery that can only be lifted, apparently, by the consumption of dark, heavy beer and even darker, heavier calories.

But it seems that most of the crew didn't fall victim to winter's cold, hard grasp. It looks like quite a few of the guys took good care of themselves. They ate well. They rode the trainer. They put in tough miles during the last 6 weeks of persistent cold and snow (we're all getting a bit tired of it. It was flurrying earlier today. Enough is enough).

The ride was short, only an hour. It was punchy, for sure. Everyone wanted to get at least one good pull in. Some were stronger than others, of course. The kid stood out in particular in my mind. Oh, to be that strong at 17. What a gift it is for him to have discovered cycling at such an early age. I hope we all do a good job taking care of him this summer, he's got a bright future ahead of him.

I heard the aches and pains of effort, of reaching for mid-season form in early March. Of course Johnson Drive made everyone honest. Gravity has a way of doing that, particularly when it's 40 degrees outside and everyone's been in the red for 30 minutes. Fluid pedal strokes went square, some surely felt as though they were going backwards. But it's all part of the ride. No one complains about it. We all enjoy it. We might not admit it in the moment, but we do.

There's a thought in cycling that no one wants to be a February/March hero. It's a recipe for crash and burn. But these guys don't look like they're going to flame out. There's talk of early season goals. A big crew together at Hell of Hunterdon. A day of suffering with all of the other old guys at Battenkill. Triathlons. More Wednesday Night Rides. Ladies Nights. The summer ahead. No one's going to burn out...they're just getting warmed up.

Everywhere You Look

Or I look, it seems, there's another article on Nutrition. I can't seem to escape it. The New York Times Sunday Magazine featured an unfortunate article on the sorry state of food science and "nutrition" here in the United States. Outside Magazine recently ran their Nutrition Special, featuring articles such as this one detailing what US Olympians "eat to win". NPR is all over it. Our friends over at Bicycling Magazine just gave us their list of Big Fat Lies.

So what's it all mean? Is it the same old song and dance? The same fad diets that we see time and time again? Will everyone jump on the bandwagon, sing the praises but not understand the foundation, crash and burn?

And why does it matter, Mike?  Don't you want to train people? Don't you want to coach? Don't tell me what to eat. Tell me how to train. I want to get faster. I want to feel better. I want to get stronger.

OK, here you go. Here's the secret. Stop eating GARBAGE. Michael Pollan puts it a bit more eloquently (and I've taken the liberty of amending his rule just a bit, I don't think he'd mind):

"Eat (REAL) FOOD. Not too much. Mostly Plants"

There you go. That's it.  Those 8 words are the KEY to training, in my opinion. You can do all of the Sub Lactate Thresholds you want to. Over/Unders. Big Gear work. Squats. Tempo. Strides. Race Pace. Get your massage. Work on your core. All of those things are going to work when implemented into a periodized training schedule based on a solid foundation of strength and balance. But none of them will yield the optimal outcome if you are not eating properly. If you are not giving your body the necessary energy it needs to survive and thrive, and then to aid in performance and recovery while you pile on hundreds of hours per year of training...then the training is in some sense a waste of time (in some respects, if you're training hard and not eating properly, you're putting one foot into the grave a bit sooner than you would otherwise).

Training is a piece of your life. Food and nutrition are the FOUNDATIONS OF YOUR LIFE. Think about it. Take a week off of training. What would happen? Yeah, you'd get cranky, maybe (because your balance of nutrients is surely improper). You'd likely gain weight (because you're eating too much). But you would have more time with your family. That's not a bad thing. Or some time to enjoy a day. Rest. Start a new project around the house. Maybe take a vacation, see an old friend.

Now what would happen if you tried to take a week off of eating? You'd be cranky at first, again due to an imbalance (in this case a complete deficit) of nutrients. But then crankiness would be replaced with lethargy and an inability to perform many tasks. Free time wouldn't mean a thing because you wouldn't have the energy to do anything. The obvious conclusion to not eating is obvious...needless to say it's NOT the look we're going for.

The whole idea of proper and adequate nutrition should resonate with all of us on so many levels. It should seem so obvious. But it's apparent that many of us are not mindful of our eating, nor do we realize the implications of nutrition ignorance/imbalance on our lives. I'm not calling on all of us to become vegetarians (while I realize the positive lifestyle impacts of a vegetable diet, I did eat baby back ribs this weekend...and I enjoyed them thoroughly). You don't have to give up on food. I love food. I love good food. Food that is prepared in my kitchen. With love and thought. By my wife. With my family.

We don't need to simply eat. We need to EAT SIMPLY. Eat for living and THEN eat for training. There are some simple ways to get started, I think. I'm a BIG fan of Michael Pollan's Food Rules. It's a simple way to get started. After that, well, the water is deep, as far as "knowledge" is concerned (remind me to share some of the photos I took in the "Diet and Nutrition" section of the local Barnes and Noble). For the sake of the discussion here, let's get to the basics and start to build a foundation of healthy eating. Upon that, we can start to build a better man.

All It Takes...

Is an email. A few words. Some input. Some details. Catching up. From a client. A friend.

I was looking through some Power Files earlier today from a client of mine, an AE collective member. I noticed some of the numbers he hit earlier in the week from a workout I prescribed. I was psyched to see such strong numbers, so I dropped him a quick note to let him know I was happy with what I was seeing. What followed from him...it made my day. And it reminded me why I was making some changes in my life to see if I might be able to pull this off.

I'm not going to go into too many details, out of respect for him and the work we're doing. But the numbers speak for themselves. On Tuesday, he put out consecutive 30 minute efforts, with 5 minutes of rest in between, at the same power output that he maxed out at for 20 minutes only 6 weeks ago. These were controlled efforts, not all out, as evidenced by the fact that his heart rate was 5-7 beats per minute slower than during his 20 minute test 6 weeks ago. What's that mean? He's stronger. And more efficient. And in our sport, strength and efficiency are vital to performance. I know he's got more in the tank. A lot more. And so does he. And that's where it gets fun. He's excited. And happy. And proud. I can read it in his words, sense it in his tone. He's excited about eating better, about taking better care of himself.

He's not obsessed,  not at all. He took a family vacation to Florida a few weeks ago. It goes without saying that hard training on a Florida family vacation is NOT a recipe for a good time...so we didn't set any goals for the trip other than enjoy the time with his family and ride a bit if he could get a leg over the saddle. He rolled with the punches during February (and now into March), as the weather did more than dictate training, it dominated it. He rode the trainer like I told him to, hit the numbers I asked him to hit. No more, no less. He knows the weather is supposed to finally clear a bit this weekend, but he's got other priorities..."this weekend i will do as much as i can but i'm going into the city both days to watch my nephews run in the high school national indoor championships.  they are ranked in the top 3 in the 4x1600 and the older one is leading the country in the 2 mile so has a great chance of winning that.   i'll let you know how much work i get in and we'll see if we need to adjust anything for next week."

There are A LOT OF THINGS that are important in our lives. For some of us, cycling is important. But for all of us, I hope, the chance to see our families strive and achieve is even more important than riding bikes, or just about anything else for that matter.

This is where it gets fun. I'm excited. I'm happy. And I'm proud of him. And all of my clients. I've got stories already about how much progress they've made. They have put their faith in me. They have been honest, sometimes surprisingly so. They have asked questions and challenged me. I am grateful. I am doing my best to make them stronger. Not just on the bike or the trails or the local roads. I think they realize I am trying to set a foundation for the rest of their lives. 6-8 weeks in, we're just getting started.

ALLEZ

EVERYTHING IS IN YOUR HEAD

When you're going through the motions a bit, how do you get yourself back on it? And what happens if it's been going on for a while? Not just a few days, or a week or two. What if it's been a few years? What if you're not really sure where you're at, or how you got here? Or where the hell you're going?
Doubt is a KILLER. It can overcome you. Crush you. Instantly limit you. Not just in your training or during a race. It'll place restrictions on your life. Your family. Your future.
Doubt is in your head. EVERYTHING IS IN YOUR HEAD. Stress at your job? Sure, your boss sucks. Your commute is brutal. There's no more edge. There's too much risk. So do something about it. Quit. Move on. Or stay and get your edge back. Get better. But get it out of your head. Do something about it.
How about things at home? I get it, there aren't enough hours in the day. The kids are hard. Marriage is work. There's not enough money. There's too much to do. So do something about it. Do what matters and don't waste time worrying about the rest. Turn off the TV. Talk to your kids, be a parent. Spend time with your husband or wife. Listen to them. Tell them what's in your heart. Tell them what you want. Spend less, need less, want what matters and don't waste time reaching for the rest.
How about you? Second guessing things, eh? Woulda, coulda, shoulda...I know the feeling. Or maybe you're not as fast as you'd like to be, or as strong. Maybe you're a few pounds more than you'd like to be. Maybe you think things would be different if you'd chosen a different path. Or you've resigned yourself to your limits because of the path you're on.
It's all in your head. It doesn't have to be this way.
Get it out of your head. As long as it stays in there, you've got no shot to get where you want to be. Or it might be so deep...you've got no idea where you even want to be. So start digging. Dig deep. Until you hit something hard. Something SOLID. Something you can pull out and stand on. Make sure it's real. Make sure it can be tested and NOT FAIL. And then start building on it.

Some thoughts on my intensity

Apparently, I've gained a bit of a reputation as being a little "intense"...and maybe my intensity is too much to handle at times, that it might not translate in my approach to coaching and training. I think about it a lot, what it means, my particular "brand" of intensity.

Intense - strenuous or earnest, as activity, exertion, diligence, or thought

The following is a portion of an email conversation I recently had with one of my clients, an AE Collective member. I hope it sheds some light onto my intensity, as it relates to coaching and training...


"If you're going through a bit of what I am (and it sounds like you are), you're getting a bit tired.  A good thing...you're working hard, likely harder at this time of the year than you have in quite some time (maybe ever?). Other than the running difficulty, is there anything else going on that's different or difficult? How are you eating? Sleeping? Are you irritable? Moody? How are you recovering? Are your muscles sore for more than 2 days after a harder session?

How are you taking care of yourself in the 30-45 minutes IMMEDIATELY after the work? Are you getting protein? Quality carbohydrates? Hydration? I can't stress enough how all of these things factor into adequate and efficient recovery.  Particularly now that we're adding resistance work. The resistance is adding a new stimulus and forcing a new adaptation.

View it like a giant chain.  The treadmill is a link. So is the bike. The squats are a link. The pushups. Sleep. Food. Water. The job. Your family. Some links are bigger than others. Some must necessarily be stronger than others to move forward. If one link is a bit weaker and the stresses continue or increase, the chain can start to break down. The running is an apparent weak link. But it simply might be at the end of a section that's a bit weaker.  We will focus on this in 2 ways. We'll shorten that run a bit, make it a tad slower for now.  But our bigger focus will be on all of the links in the chain. And don't be too discouraged. Treadmills are machines, they're subject to their own inputs and calibrations. They're close, but not all together real.

I encourage you to try and stick to the work prescribed. I know you want to work harder. We all do. But it rarely has the desired consequences. Most of the time, LESS IS MORE. Hard work doesn't necessarily mean more work.

It all starts to add up...and break us down. You're not the only one. It might not seem like a lot of work or a big deal. But it's cumulative. Do NOT be discouraged. This "problem" is easily solved. You are getting faster and stronger. As long as you are RECOVERING. Try to reign it in a bit, just a little bit at a time.  You are crushing it, working hard. It's freakin' awesome. I'm trying to imagine what it must look like compared to everyone else you're working with.

I can set you off on a 5 mile run tomorrow...or I can tell you to take a rest day. Enjoy your day with your family and friends in the snow. Drink Hot Chocolate and water and have fun. And then we'll get Sunday straightened out. Let me know what you think"


Intensity isn't always in your face. It's not always pushing harder. It's not always bigger, better, faster, more. But for me, it is always honest, earnest and thoughtful. Allez

Let's talk...and be HONEST

It's time to talk. I'm a talker. I think communication is critical in a relationship, and this is a relationship, without a doubt. From the moment we get started, I expect you to talk to me. To tell me how you're feeling, where you're at, where you've been. To tell me your doubts, your strengths and weaknesses. It's time to be HONEST. And this is where it gets HARD. Because I'm learning that it's a lot easier to be dishonest than it is to accept and tell the truth. Here's my truth:

For the past 15 years, I've been participating in endurance "events". Not everything is a race. I've climbed throughout North America. I've climbed in Alaska, GUIDED by one of the best (honesty, you see), but it was still Alaska and it wasn't easy. I've soloed moderate (Grade 4) ice routes in New England. Nothing too bold by elite standards.  A walk up for many. But a mistake, a fall, likely would have had serious consequences and I understood the risks involved. I've been a participant in a few 100 Mile Mountain Bike races.  Never a threat to stand on the podium when I was "racing" in them 10 years ago, I wasn't embarrasing myself, either...or at least that's what I was telling myself. I look back now and I realize I was framing my truth, painting a bigger, bolder picture, when in fact it was barely a thumbnail. I cracked the door to those worlds 10 years ago, and then closed it, locked it up and nearly threw away the key when the "real world" beckoned.

My real world came first in the form of a "real" job. I won't bore you with the details.  It's been a good job.  Stressful, exciting, with it's fair share of success and recognition. I met my future wife a few years after I entered the real world.  It was one of those things where I just knew.  It was easy. She is wonderful. We have two children now. We are getting older. And for a myriad of reasons, I found the keys to the door and I've decided to open it wide.

Here's my truth now. I've learned a lot. I recognize I have a lot to learn. I'm in better shape now than I've ever been. I realize I can be a lot stronger. I know what it's like to have a "real job", a family that depends on you. I know what it's like to suffer heartbreaking loss and have it change you, to reshape your perspective on what's important. I know my limits and what I must do to expand them or overcome them. And I'm confident I can find a way to make you stronger and better. But you MUST BE HONEST with me, and more importantly, YOURSELF.

Set a Goal

Setting a goal is the easy part. What do you want to do? Run a 5K? Run it faster? Lose some weight? How much? Ride a century? In under 6 hours? Qualify for Kona? Boston? It's easy to find something to strive for. It's even easier to tell everyone about it. Spend more than 15 minutes on Facebook or Twitter (and you do, almost all of you do) and you're guaranteed to find someone's latest declaration of intent. I'm right there with 'em. Hell, I'm writing this blog to talk about Allez Endurance. So you've got a goal, and you've got some tools to get you there, or maybe you're starting from scratch.  And you think it might be a good idea to find a coach or trainer, someone who can lay it out for you and get you there. And maybe you find me. And so it begins...