Rolling...

...that's more like it, not super but I'll take it. I worked out 14 days in Sept, nothing to write home about but it was actually 14 of the last 24 days in the month. The big thing is the walking pneumonia that had me off for a month is gone and I'm back to regular training and feeling good! Another good stat from September is 6 of the 14 workouts were double poling on rollerskis. With the limited time until the first ski races I need to be as specific as possible for the next couple months.


Are you ready for the snow?



My goal for October is to drop 10lbs and try to workout everyday. Kinda shooting for the moon here but this will get me back on track. The weight is the main thing. The summer from hell has left me a few extra pounds to carry around. Also this month I will start skiing alittle longer. I eased back into it in September, now I need to keep up the frequency and begin to build up to some 2hr skis. By the end of November I need to be doing a couple 2hr skis a week. Sounds simple doesn't it!? It is...the top end comes pretty quick for me as long as i keep the frequency up and get in a couple long skis per week.

I'll shoot for weekly updates in Oct, but no promises...

Get out and enjoy the fall!!

WTF!?....

....the summer from hell continues. Went to the doctor on Monday and I have walking pneumonia. This just goes with the theme for the summer of 2010. Beat me when I'm down....but guess what bitch....I ain't going no where! I'll be back....but first I gotta get this stuff outta my lungs.

A fresh look for the start of a fresh week. Maybe I'll build a rollerboard tomorrow? Look out I'm assembling a torture chamber and I'm not messing around!

Get out cuz I'm too lame to get too serious for a week or so.

PSSsssss.....

....that's kinda the sound that has been emitting from my training over the last couple months. Where to start?! Since my last post a lot has happened and most of it not too good. Life is good but the training gods have not shined on me this summer. Actually this spring started off awesome. I came off the snow season with a great base and felt the most fit in years. In March I did a rollerski TT and set a PR by over a minute for a 5km course. I came within 1min of my PR on the Island Lk Yellow loop with only 3 runs in my legs. I also bested my time on the Island Lk Mtb trail by about 4mins over the previous summer. I was definitely fit. XC Skiing does that. I was pretty amazed with my spring TT's and felt very motivated for a summer of bike racing. I did a few of the NSR Tue night rides and felt pretty good. It was fun to mix it up with the group and not feel like I was hurting all the time. Things were looking good....the best in over a decade. I even was making sure to get in a weekly double pole session to keep my upper bod from forgetting what it learned all winter.

Ouch! It was somewhere in May that I lifted a bunch of 4 x 8' sheets of plywood by myself. The next day my lower back didn't feel right, but I still went for a ride. A couple days latter it was still nagging me but I still got in my rollerski. After a couple weeks of this nagging pain I was beginning to think I may have pulled something?! This was a new thing for me....I have been doing endurance sports for 25 years and have only once been "injured" and I was still able to ride and rollerblade. This back thing was not getting better or going away. I decided to take it really easy for a couple weeks. I did a few rides during that time just to keep alittle fitness. It was early June and I woke up one morning and my back felt good! I was healed!

Ouch #2!! I was flying around the Island Lk mtb trail making good time on my new carbon Scott bike and while I was shifting my right hand slipped off the handlebars. The bars turned 90 deg. and sent me flying. I was going 20mph at the time....hammering on a flat section....and the next second I was sliding on my hands/arms and knees down the trail. Major rash, I have never gotten rash like this on the Mtn Bike. Plenty on the road but never on the trail. I collected myself and limped home. As I cleaned the dirt out of my wounds back at the car, my good old back had a familiar feeling and it was not good. This seriously bummed me out. I mean a Lance Armstrong, 3 crashes in a day, this has ruined my chance to win the Tour de France...bummed out. I went from having the best fitness in years to not being able to put my socks on in the morning.

Ouch#3!!! Pretty much most of June and July has been a few bike rides but mostly just laying low trying to avoid the heatwave. We had a nice family vacation up north for some camping and waterpark fun. The kids got sick during vacation, mild fever, but it still was a pretty good time. When we got home I got their sickness and was down for a week. Now here we are in early Aug and I have a cough!? How do you get sick twice in the summer!!?? So... I was bummed before, now I'm sick and bummed and haven't trained in 10 days! I feel like jabba the hut and really need to get back into the routine. My back is still nagging me too.....but with the time off its feeling better.

I hope as my cough goes away my back will be in a state where I can start the slow road back to fitness. I had really high hopes for the coming 2011 Mich Cup Season....but now I will be happy to enjoy regular exercise again. The next couple weeks should be interesting and hopefully the bad training luck is gone for a while!

Think Snow!

The Data...

...does not lie! Looking back in the training logs for 2009 vs. 2010 I find a trend that I'm liking very much! I did 20 workouts in the first 2 months of 2009. In the same period for 2010 I have done 41 workouts and that includes a bout of strep throat that had me doing 3 workouts in 2 weeks. This is good!! Finally, getting back into a consistent routine again which is a big goal for 2010. Two months down, the rest of my life to go! I word of caution for 2011, I'm "bringing it" next season, no excuses! The consistent training over the last couple months gives me a little confidence for the relays coming up. It will be nice to get out and push it for a few minutes. Maybe I'll do a few rounds of intervals to tune up?

The Frosty race at Huron Meadows was a big day for me in 2010. Eye opening. Turning point. I was mad after that race.....angry. Just plain tired of my own lack of focus on the sports I love to do. I don't need to win races but I at least want to put out "my best" effort. At that point I stopped using my "life" as an excuse to not exercise. Things became clear, I needed to spend my energy looking for ways to fit in a workout. The easy way out is to say I don't have time and do nothing. No more! 2010 is going to be different and the data proves that so far. The game is "ON" and time will tell.

Oh yeah!

Another winter storm may be on its way to SE Mich again! We are under a Winter Storm Watch! 5-8" of snow are possible Sunday night into Monday! That would be just what the trails here in SE Michigan need.

Awesome, that is about all I can say about the conditions at Huron Meadows this morning. Super fast yet still a great edge. I felt super duper as well. Skied harder than I should have but it was fun and I'm starting to feel fit again. I can actually V2 again. Not just for 100 yards then take a break either. I was Gunde skating the flats and using some V2 on the smaller hills. Its really a bummer I got sick because I think I could have had a nice sprint race and an improved performance at the Hanson Hills classic race. The good news is I'm focused on laying some base for next year. I've already skied 2x more hours than last year and with more snow on the way we can easily make that 4x! If the conditions allow I will plan to do the relays at the end of the season. It's a must do race mainly for the post race party and fun afterwards.

I was really planning on making a return to cycling this summer, but the ski bug has really bitten me this winter. I really fell back in love with the sport and hope to continue to build my fitness for the future. I may still do a couple bike races this summer but I may focus on a few duathlon's and building upper body strength. The pull up bar is ready and the dip bar is in the works. The rollerboard is next. Great tools when you are kid watching and can not get out for a rollerski. This summer should be great since my son should be able to keep up with me on his bike for short rollerski workouts. Excuses are starting to dry up! That's a good thing. You have to understand your situation and adapt to it. Its taken a while but I think I have finally figured some of this out?!

After today's ski I went home and pickup my son and headed out for his first XC ski. He did well. He fell often but did a great job getting back on his feet. He even had fun for a few minutes!? At 6 I'm alittle tardy on getting him out on the skis but hopefully being a little older and more coordinated that will help. I had to take him out for an ice cream after to reward his efforts. Hopefully this will be the start to something we can do on a regular basis.

Grab your family and friends and GET OUT AND SKI!

Olympic Fever...

It happens every 4 years so I guess that's why it's so huge if you come through and achieve your goals at an Olympic games. Equally, it can be a huge blow when things don't go your way. I saw it time after time tonight watching the women's downhill. Wow, those were some major crashes. Tough conditions but the best still seem to find their way to the top.

The US XC team has had a rough start to these games. Freeman finishing way back, Newell crashing, at least Kikkan ended up 8th in the women's sprint, which I would think is one of the top US finishes for a women ever? I'm sure the team will rebound in the next week and show off their hard work. Either way this generation of US skiers are raising the bar for the future. They are bringing up the level of competition in the US much like Greg LeMond and Lance Armstrong have done in cycling. As long as the coaching and staff continue to evolve the US program should improve until we win medals on a consistent basis.

Patience is required if you plan to develop into a top athlete. You must learn from the set backs and grow physically and mentally. Most athlete's don't make it to the top because of this. Impatient, wanting it now, these traits lead to a quick rise and a quicker fall. Listen to your coaches. It takes years not days.

Anyway...just babbling now.....GET OUT AND SKI!

I'm back!

Finally got out and skied today. Felt good and I think I'm finally over this sickness funk. Thank goodness cuz it was really starting to bum me out. To go from such a good month of training to taking a week off was not cool. My brain and body needed a good workout. Today was great classic skiing for SE Mich. I wish we had snow like this all the time. Being a part time skier is alot more fun when there is snow! I decided to not race the Mich Cup CL race next weekend. Kinda lame but good snow here and "honey do" list is growing. Still plan to do the relays. Goal for now is to stay healthy and ski as much as I can before we loose this snow. Once the paved trail at Island Lk clears off I want to do a roller ski double pole TT to see if I have gained some strength this winter. I know, crazy to be thinking about rollerskiing already, but I'm planning for big things next ski season. Gotta start laying the foundation ;)

Big news from Norway, Rebecca Dussault wins the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Winter Triathlon. Great Job and a first for a non-European. That's one sport I want to try. Maybe I should organize the first Michigan Winter Triathlon Championships next year?? Would anyone show up??

Get out and SKI!!