Time Management

 I was talking to a buddy at the velodrome last Tuesday. I asked him how his riding was going this summer and he mentioned he has not rode or raced in a long time due to a new job he has started. I can relate. 


Its a tough situation to be in. Sometimes we forget that all this emphasis we put on bikes and riding always takes a backseat to real life stuff. 


And its hard to give up the riding when needed. For me its to the point where I resent the reasons that cuts into my ride time. New job, family issue or whatever. If it cut into my saddle time its gatta be bad. The week of my Secret Training Camp I put in 15 hours in 5 riding days. The 14 days following I put in less than 5. That, my friend, is not acceptable and has a ripple effect. I ride less, lose my fitness, then have to cut, then completely eliminate my racing schedule. Now I'm not riding and racing. That's about 70% of my summer down the tubes.


I've said in the not so distant past that I really need to reorganize my life's schedule. Easier said than done. My life has changed so much in the last two or so years that I really cant keep up. I really need to look ahead and see what direction Im going. Instead I'm waiting until things happen and then try to react as fast as I can. But I'm always a few steps behind in that regard and that means I'm living my life very unorganized right now.


I need to be better at this. And I mean need to. Its not a option. I'm to the point that I will do whatever it takes to get me where I want to be. And I mean anything.
I have the store, day job and family life plus other issues to tend to and its a bit much. I need to reorganize my priority's pertaining those issues and make a life style change.


 One of those issues will need to go or at minimum cut extremely back.  In the past, I would have said that all issues had potential for jettison, but things change and the family situation I now have I wont change, things are going well there. Looks like its the day job and the store that might need the most attention. 


Hence lies the decision. I'm leaning one way but its not the slam dunk you may think.


DLD

Weekend Update (Sunday)

Some days my ride to my Happy Place is almost routine. I'll do it without thinking. Some days is very much needed. Like today.

A bunch of stuff has me stressed out. Hope it passes soon. Life's too short to lose sleep over crap like this.

With Saturdays riding a bust I grabbed the MTB for a small ride called out in the Northern Kettles of Greenbush on Sunday. My first thought is that it was too wet but it was not as bad as one would think. However the small block tires I run were useless on the greasy trails and I couldn't ride fast enough to keep up without putting my life in jeopardy so I pulled back for a solo ride. I love those small block treads, Ive been rocking them two years now and they sure are fast on the dry, but even a small amount of moisture will cause one to Tokyo drift the corners. I must have came close to washing out my front end 15 times before I slowed.

Thats the first time I rode the MTB hard. And I was hurting on the hard efforts. I just have not been riding hard enough I guess. Hours in the saddle does nothing for my top end and that is nonexistent right now. I feel like scraping most of my racing this summer. With the exception of Iceman.

I'll just set another training and weight goal for fall. I'm good at failing at all my goals and just setting another in its place. Frustrating.

I'll let the trails dry a few days and grab the Madone today.

DLD

Down time

Very rarely do I want to post on Saturday. That means things are not going as planned. My early morning ride was a rain out today. The minute the store opens the sun comes out. So I was cheated out of a ride. So then I overstaffed the store to plan an early exit for a ride and then down to Beertown for the stupidweek race and I get a call in so Im stuck here at the store.

I took the early downtime to dig pinkie out of the basement. 

This bike has been with me for a long time and I will never part with it. Its been in many configurations and I am going to put it back to SS as it was in the big pic above. Little pic is Crossrace Pinkie. Currently, its in road bike mode. This is also the bike I used for my tour of Wisco in 08. 

Exept now instead of cobbling it together with parts I had laying around I can order cool new stuff.

Its starts Monday. Its gonna be fun.

DLD

Its Friday and....

...... I have nothing much to say. Gatta work in the store Saturday. Wanna race Sunday.
Minimal riding due to work and rain of late.

Saturday after work will be a trip to Downer Ave.

Sunday will be a trip down to Franklin,WI.


Now that I think about it, I have a lot to do this weekend.

Bring it on.

DLD

Slow Day

Today I spent a good amount of time at my HP. Rain drops falling.

I have a few real life decisions to make that I have been putting off. And I need to make them before the end of the month. I hate that stuff. Visiting my Happy Place helps and cool sand castles rule.

Spent the morning watching the tour live for the first time. Otherwise its always been to try and not hear what happened and watch later in the evening.

As far as today's stage.... how boring a finish. It had all the right ingredients for a fist fight and... nothing.

I have said this before.... give me the one day classics.

Other than that nothing to speak of.

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.

DLD