Wine do yer stuff

Well, this certainly puts a new light on it. Quite possibly explains a LOT of things. I'll leave it up to you to decide which came first the, chicken or the egg, the workout or the treat, the cause or the effect......

I do know, however, that I will get in my now ritualistic 40 min hike/60 min spin/40 min hike back this morning and then, in all likelihood, sip a few glasses of cabernet/shiraz this evening. In celebration of course.

Because, as you know, the volume on the reward has been limited to two for a while.

Drinkers exercise more than teetotalers — and the more people drink, the more they exercise. A recent study that used data from a government health survey of more than 200,000 Americans found that moderate and heavy drinkers were 10 percent more likely to engage in vigorous exercise than abstainers. Heavy drinkers were almost 14 percent more likely to exercise. On average, moderate drinkers worked out 10 minutes a week more than the teetotalers in the survey. The researchers defined moderate drinking as 15 to 45 drinks per month in women, and 30 to 75 drinks per month in men. Heavy drinking was anything more than that. Heavy drinkers exercised 20 minutes more per week than abstainers. For every extra drink per month, time working out increased by 2 minutes per week. The researchers aren’t sure why drinkers exercise more, but it may simply be an attempt to use workouts to burn up the extra calories.

Complete Article here

Pic is from a wine shop in Nice, France. I was humored by one label in particular. Happy New Year.

Semper Fi

OK folks, we're right down to it. Less than 48 hours remain in this decade. Remember where you were on the eve of Y2K?????

We're now ten years down the road. We (the collective we notwithstanding) have accomplished many things. We have also done a lot of damage. I have been thinking of late about how Jesus, Buddha or Gandhi would respond to the latest round of global jihad. Turn the other cheek, see it as a part of yourself, or drop it like a bad habit? I am truly concerned about the state of our spiritual being at this juncture in civilization. And I say spiritual because I think that to be the essence of the issue. It's not political. It's not about power. And it's not about the material. It is a fundamental misunderstanding of our collective spirit. About who we are, and conversely who we aren't. If your God says to kill everyone who believes in another God (as interpreted by a human representative), then there is a something wrong. So please help me here: Jihad because western culture allows a greater degree of personal freedom, expresses art in myriad forms, has managed to find entertainment in recreation and sensual stimulation, gives equal opportunity to women and minorities, likes football, fast cars, good food and rock and roll? For that you tie explosives to the underwear of confused teenagers and put them on airplanes? You call that enlightened? Sirs, in my most humble opinion, you are missing the boat. By about a century.

The good part of this is that I am comfortable with who I am. I will not retaliate. I will not black your eye for the shiner you left me to nurse. Nor will I knock a tooth from your jaw the way that you caused me my deductible in dental repair. While once indignant about getting frisked at the airport, it's now just another minor delay. No big. My appreciation for our freedoms has been enhanced tenfold since 9.11. I am happy and truly excited about living in this global classroom, playing whatever small part I can in the resolution, and subsequent growth that will emerge from the stench and smoke of the embarrassment you call jihad. A truly pathetic response to the challenges of living in a complex global society.

I have some good news for you, and some not-so-good. While I am a pacifist, non-violent and forgiving, my countrymen counterparts in uniform don't quite see it through those same rose colored binoculars. While I pray for you, they are hunting you down where you live. I voted to stop this, but there are many who feel that it is the only action left to us. There are those that would cheer the total leveling of your precious sand box, after all we ended a prior large scale world conflict over sixty years ago with a quick fly over.

So this puzzles me. I am not intimidated by terror. Why would I? I go about doing what I do as always, trying to find value, meaning, and happiness in the synergy of mind, body and spirit. You make it fun. You make it challenging. It's good entertainment, comedy if you will, to see all this "drama" unfold. Who needs TV? I just wish I could understand your motives a little more. Maybe then we could have a discussion, a debate on how to, maybe, find a touch of compassion, or a half hectare of common ground. Wear the others sandals for a day.

Until then, I'll walk in the park and ride my bike. Maybe go for a swim.

And say a prayer for a Marine somewhere in Afghanistan who doesn't share my point of view.

OK, so the link (back to the New Year) is to the 6changes site, I like it. The part I REALLY like is about publicizing it, and keeping it public, as in transparent, till it's time to move to number two. Wanna give it a VBA try? Want some help and support from, well, me and whomever else cares to participate? I'll start.

RCVman habit change number ONE for 2010: Make sure that two glasses of red wine per night is just that. No mas. Ouch. That is gonna hurt.

And seriously folks, if you have an interpretation on the radical Islam thing, you have all the bandwidth necessary to convey.

Peace out. Pic is of my kitchen table with obligatory bottle of vino rosso. Always faithful doesn't always mean all.

I was reminded this morning about the fleeting nature of time. It has been reported that the days go slow, but the years past fast. We like to say in training that time is nonlinear. Proof: Do a ten minute warm up then a set of 4x30sec max sprints and I GUARANTEE that when you get to number four that thirty seconds will feel like an hour. Ya know when your having fun, in the flow and truly enjoying whatever is in front of you? Time seems to sprint as if racing itself. Gotta go, gotta go. NEXT?

Somebody asked me this morning about training for a two day ride in August. Ye ol' RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver and Party for you non Northwesteners). I said we have been training for that since March of '92. My flippant remark caught her a touch off guard, but the ensuing expatiation, connected some dots. It's about base. Base fitness and base cycling fitness. The last couple of (monstrous) sessions I talked about the prospect of building a massive aerobic platform. That is your MAP to cycling success. A place from which to build from. Once your aerobic platform has been established (this takes time) you can add the speed, power and endurance componentry. So where and when does one find this MAP?

Here and now of course. Ride indoors as often as you can. Start tomorrow. If you live in a climate appropriate for outdoor riding, saddle up and be safe out there. If not, get a trainer (I think you know my preference) join a club that offers studio cycling (I think you know my choice) and get started on your base. Go easy at first (30 days) then start to add weekly volume and intensity. Before you know it you'll be hammering the highway come spring.

Time. Chilly Hilly is 60 days from TODAY. Start now.

A couple of upcoming rides:

Chilly Hilly (and RSVP info)
The San Diego Gran Fondos
Tour de Palm Springs

Pix: Top left: Santa Barbara, RAMROD (Mt. Rainier)
IM Wisconsin
Mt. Baker Ride 542

Ford

Raise your hand if you want to see pictures of the undercarriage of my 1991 Ford (Ironman sponsor) Exploder as I lay on the frozen tundra replacing the starter motor?

Didn't think so.

As a result of this unfortunate maddening mechanical malfunction, RCVman found himself without wheels to transport his sorry sack of bones to spin class this morning.

His options:

A) Call the local guy (RCV assistant RG) for a ride.
B) Take a cab.
C) Ride a mountain bike.
D) Walk.

Remembering the good ol' days when workouts during Ironman (sponsored by Ford) training included riding to work at the gym, an hour on the elliptical, a five hour shift, riding home in the dark, five hours sleep, ride back to the gym for a 0530 spin class, ride home (5 miles) and then start the editing day, I decided to choose option D. For a couple of reasons. A wasn't valid as I didn't want to bother RG at 4 in the morning, B is too expensive, C, although tempting and challenging, wasn't perfect due to the 35 degree temps and icy roads, so, D it was.

Nothin' like a nice little two mile hike at 0420 to start your day, I always say. With the head-torch illuminating both the road and each breath, the roads were mine. 37:26 and we were ready for the two thirty minute hill-climbs that constituted our spin session this last Monday of 2009. Then the return hike home as sun was just starting to turn the sky a somewhat lighter shade of sooty smoke. I will admit that I liked it. Walking across the golf course, through the park, adding some cross to the high intensity of the spin, and most importantly, not getting beat by a bad Ford (IM sponsor) starter.

So today I am a mechanic. The Exploder had 225,000 miles when I bought it six years ago. I told RG (assistant mechanic) that when the new tires we had installed when I was in Europe last year hit their guarantee delta of 80K, that we would retire her to local light-haul duty. Then I am going to have to make a HUGE decision.

Did I say that I like walking?

Pix: The start of the run in Kona, sponsored by Ford. Me & Junior warm feet by fire after a chilly ride in the park yesterday. The Exploder (with cam) is an official sponsor of the Ironman Triathlon World Championships (mechanic not included).

MR 2010

As mentioned yesterday, I spent the better part of a chilly afternoon re-working the Multi-Rider piece for our two newest CompuTrainer Multi-Rider locations in Thornton, CO and Westlake Village, CA. Here is the result. I like this one a little better. The idea was to promote the difference between the perceived exertion values in a spin class versus the very precise and exacting data produced by the combination of man (you) and machine (CT). I then used the timeliness of our societal propensity to set yearly goals and suggested that a few of the VBA might be interested in fitness, fastness or funness. This grandiose concept has been painstakingly condensed to three minutes of binary pixelation and presented for your digital approval as follows.

Mankind as we know it in the year 2010: Now Real Course Video compatible.

Post Christmas

Just about finished with another short Multi-Rider vid. Took the bolt of inspirational lightening square between the eyes last night as I lay reading in warm bed after a fine Christmas meal at Michael & Kims.

We enjoyed an excellent post Christmas spin this morning and the park was filled with kids and dogs (and ej on his mtn bike) for the afternoon recovery run.

Posted are a few pix from the last few days. These area few of my favorite peeps.

Junior with my Santa cap.
Frankie in the warmth of Summerie.
RG doing his best Nick Holt.
And RCVman wondering if you can touch a shadow.

Relax, Go, Do

On this day, for many years I would grab a camera and take off. I would drive and look and think. If I saw something of interest I would stop and set up a tripod and take some artsy shots of whatever was happening in front of me as I moved though space and time on December 25th. It was mostly a cathartic way for me to turn the page from one year and open another to another.

Looking back, one of the most vivid memories was of a trip around the Olympic Peninsula, up through Port Angeles, past the now famous vampire town of Forks and all the way down the wild Washington coast. And I do mean wild. This stretch is nothing like its southern counterparts in Oregon or California. There are few tourist traps, no In & Out Burgers and maybe a handful of places actually passable. It is raw. It is wild. Nature is the boss with nary a lifeguard stand or yacht at anchor. Waves pound the rocky shore relentlessly with a salty hiss. Winds blow cold thermals in which gulls hang midair. Shells, driftwood and beach glass look to have been there since the first coastal tribes hunted whales from cedar canoes. It smells like earth, home. I want to build a fire and sit behind it and watch the horizon for signs of hope. I wonder if there is a message in the cloud formations, something important that the Great Spirit of the Sky and Sea is trying to share with me. I want to be shamanistic and interrupt these messages in order to get closer to one. The shrill laughter of a seal, black with neoprene, says that he is there for this too. Just be yourself. I am struck with a blast of freezing air, a slap on the face, unmistakably delivered as a wake up call. A gull screams in accord. Orange and saffron clouds outline the sinking sun whose shimmering rays dance on the frigid blue-gray water like a million frantic smelt. My mouth is dry. From behind, atop a great gnarled coastal pine, a peregrine falcon is watching this scene unfold. I am in her field of vision, along with the gulls, the seal, the sun and the surf. She sees me as a part of all. I hear her counsel, 'you cannot be anything other than a part of the whole'. 'Relax, go, do'.

I get up to go.

Will do.

Joy

The old Ford Exploder isn't exactly a one horse open sleigh and RCVman shares only the belly full of jelly similarity with Kris Kringle, but we made the Christmas rounds yesterday none-the-less.

The first stop was at the Boys & Girls Club where we presented the eight new bikes (and yes there were a few Gary Fishers) to the kids. Even managed to enlist a five person choir at the last minute to add to the festivities. Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this wonderful cause and especially to the Bainbridge Athletic Club, Classic Cycles and to the staff at the B&G Club. I think we made this Holiday Season a little more fun for Hannah, Hadassah, Dimitry, Dylan, Nick, Bank, Hayden and Zach. Merry Christmas Kids!

The second stop was at CT HQ where Santa picked up the six CompuTrainers that the West Sound Tri Club ordered. Santa got a touch hungry at this point in the busy day and stopped over at Ivars for an order of Murphy's prior to the 4:40 sailing back to the sanctuary of the Island.

And then the final stop out at Poulsbo Running for delivery of the CTs to Brian, Kelly, David, Ben, Mike, Chris & Brooke. You will be hearing more from this group as we will document their training and racing in the coming months.

It was a fun day of sharing the biking joy. I think we got the kids off on the right foot and got the adults some new tools with which to achieve their racing goals. 'Twas a long day!

Immediately afterwards Santa went home and had a beer:)

Pix: New bikes for Kids and new CTs for the Older Kids. Ivar keeping clam at sunset with the largest gull ever sculpted. ALL THIS = JOY.

The Q:

The Q:

One the one hand (your left) you have quantity. Volume. Distance, long, steady and sometimes slow. You have the plural. More than one, perhaps many. You must take constant inventories to keep tabulation of the total. It satisfies our need to amass and horde. The more the merrier. Stuff. Sometimes necessary, most times simply useless possessions that take up valuable space.

On the other hand (your right) you have quality. The good stuff. Your prized possessions. Trophies. Intensity and passion. The rewards of focused effort. The singular. The ONE. The unique. No inventory necessary because it is always with you. Takes up no extra space because it is a part of you.

Weighing these handy scales we make value judgments as to the better of the two.

Would you rather have:

Two apples or one watermelon?
Two oreos or one fig Newton?
Two blue-plate specials or one gourmet dinner?
Two dime store novels or one classic hard-bound?
Two trips to Tacoma or one to Taos?
Two clunkers or one Prius?
Two cheap guitars or one Stratocaster?
The boxed set of the Bee-Gees Greatest Hits or the re-mastered Let it Bleed?
The entire collected works of Ed Wood or The Godfather?
Ten guppies or one koi?
Two pair of off the shelf Costco jeans or one pair of Levi's 501s?
Two tickets in the cheap seats or one on the rail?
Two seconds or one first?
Two so-so runs or one great one?
Two sloppy laps in the pool or one perfect one?
Fifty easy clicks or twenty-five killer miles?
Ten nondescript races or five excellent ones?
Two paragraphs hastily assembled or a single well crafted one?
Two 70.3 RCVs or one IM RCV?
Two in the bush or one in the hand?

Training Q, then. Does one need more quantity or more quality in the always limited and sometimes compromised allowable time to train? Should one do more, easier, or less, harder? What is the trade-off between the Qs? Which will give me the most return on time investment? A twenty mile easy ride or ten miles of hill repeats? Ten LSD miles or five all out? 2,000 meters in the pool or 1,000 for time.

Q: Which do I need when the choices are reduced to successful training?

A. YOU NEED BOTH*

* sorry

Pix: Two black pawns or one white Queen?

Derby gets the Brass Ring

The latest addition to the CompuTrainer Multi-Rider family is the Derby Bicycle Center in Thornton, Colorado. Not only do they have a spectacular selection of "all things bike" but they have now added the fitness, training and group racing component as well. Upstairs, the converted gas station (they get an RCVman award for that also) now houses an eight person MR set up. Owner Bill Riley and fitter/team liaison Tom Buckner have orchestrated a superb facility to gear, fit, support, promote and now train cyclists of all levels. Voted the Number One bike shop in Denver by a vote of mile-high cyclists, the Derby Bicycle Center is now scheduling indoor group rides to allow local athletes an opportunity to test, train, prepare, race and ready themselves for the upcoming outdoor season. If you have never sat in on a Multi-Rider group event, you need to call Bill or Tom at 303.288.4100 and book some saddle time today.

Here are a few testimonials from their current CompuTrainer users:

The CompuTrainer Program is more realistic than I expected. I have only been riding since July 07 and was doing an average of 12 mph at of 07 season. I rode the CompuTrainer for 2 months 2 to 3 days a week and my out door average is up to 14 mph. I love it! Tina E.

The CompuTrainer inspires me to ride indoors. I am steadily improving and looking forward to the outdoor season. Denis D.

I am a master rider (65 to 69 age group) and during winter I ride the CompuTrainer 4 times a week focusing mainly on the Aerobic to Lactate Zone. By the beginning of the race season I cover about 800 miles and have developed a solid base. Tom B.

Lastly, if you find yourself stranded in Denver this winter due to weather conditions, simply take I-25 just North of downtown and get in a MR session while they de-ice your place. Happy training and good luck to the folks in Thornton. Reach for the brass ring folks!

The Box

The Box

The concept, in modern colloquial use, has ben around long enough now to be of cliche status. That happens. We are all in constant danger of jumping the shark. But creative, new, alternative, risky or progressive thought is always dangerous, because change is hard. Thinking outside the box takes us out of its comfort and security and into the scary unknown. If the box is the safe then everything outside it must be the unsafe. Naturally, then, keeping inside these comfortable and cozy confines must be the goal, no?

NO.

You are an adult. You are an athlete. You know many things. You are wise. You have accumulated much. You know right from wrong and good from evil. You are a good citizen and a good neighbor. You pay your taxes. You have a low carbon footprint, wear sensible shoes and toe the line. You eat well, rest & recover properly and exercise daily. You have it dialed in, finely tuned and firing on all cylinders, no?

NO.

Because without the component of progressive overload (the body's language of thought outside the box) you are not getting maximum value from your workouts. This is training. And it needs to have structure in order to give you a high return. You need to occasionally make it hurt a little. You need to push it, feel it, get outside your comfort zone and work outside the box. You need understand what INTENSE feels like. Then, you need to befriend that feeling. Embrace the power you are creating and appreciate the miracle of this reality. Get out of the box, four cardboard walls and a brown, flat ceiling. Outside, infinity, the limitless, boundless opportunity and continual improvement. That would be a noble goal, yes?

YES.

Pix. At the WestSound Tri Club Christmas Party with Chris, Brooke and friends. Chris and Brooke run Poulsbo Running, have done their share of Ironman events and are now stepping a little further outside the training box as new CompuTrainer users. RCVman will be following their progress thru IM CdA. YES! The Box.

Escape from Alcatraz

RCVman, on behalf of CompuTrainer and RacerMateinc.com is pleased to announce the release of Real Course Video number 13, the world famous (and astoundingly picturesque and challenging) Escape from Alcatraz triathlon.

2010 will be the 30th anniversary for the race, set in as historical and logistically demanding setting as you'll find this side of New York. Entries are only available via a lottery with the field already set for next years event.

This may be the most scenic, technical and demanding 18 miles in all of triathlon. Past the Golden Gate Bridge, to the Great Highway, into and out of Golden Gate Park and back thru the Presidio. Oh, and you start by jumping off a ferry into the choppy and chilly waters of San Francisco Bay and finish the run on the Marina Green. Even by standards established over a century ago by the city they call Baghdad by the Bay, this is one cool event.

I also happen to be a huge fan of SF, fist trying the famous hills on for size in 1972, and finding them a nice fit for my tastes. Been back many times since and always find something unique and interesting when in town.

The Escape from Alcatraz triathlon is now available at RacerMateinc.com at the special Holiday sale price of only $49.95.

Less than the price of a meal at Fisherman's Wharf!!

Pix: (Former) RD Terry Davis goes over the bike leg ONE MORE TIME. I can hear him now, "and PLEASE folks, slow down at the bottom of this hill." GG Bridge from the expo/finish area. Bike leg elevation profile. The escape begins with a jump from the SF Belle ferry into the Bay.

Hard Rock

Today's Two

I was heading North, driving in the rain as the day turned to night. From dark gray to deep slate. The headlights of oncoming vehicles reflected off the wet asphalt, splashing irritating prisms on the backs of both retinae. On the radio a jerk was telling me to hurry and buy some totally unnecessary crap. I allowed my mind to wander around the hard drive files looking for something interesting to ponder. It obliged, opening the one labeled, HARD ROCK. Hummmm, what's in here?

Hendrix.
Page.
AC/DC
Mick.
Chrissy Hynde.

Another sub-file.

Marble.
Carrara.
Michaelangelo.
The Pieta.
Granite Falls.

Another.

Going hard.
As in, all out.
Rockin'
Rockin' hard.
HARD ROCK.

That's the one. Open file please.

1) When, during the course of your day do you have the incredible opportunity to go all out, to freely and unabashedly let yourself hit the red line? To visit Max?

2) How many times, during the course of that same 24 hour period, do we get to rock out, really let it go and let it flow, scream with primal passion and announce to the cosmos that we are here, it is now, and IT ROCKS?

At work? Don't think so. During your commute? You would get locked up. Surely at home then. No? You don't wear your HR monitor when doing dishes or give a rebel yell when dinner is done?

When, then?

Answer to Today's Two: When we work out. As most of you know by now, I am a big endorphin fan. I also like to go hard, push the limits and direct daily doses of comfort zone departures. I like the way my body feels when I ask it to go from auto pilot to full manual. From zero to sixty. From easy to hard. From soft rock to hard rock.

And then, I want to finish the experience with a verbal blast of encouragement, a toast to the cosmic powers that be, an affirmation of synergy between body and soul. I wanna rock.

There is a time and a place for classical music and walking barefoot in the park.
There is as well one for jazz and reading by fireside.
Ravel (and Santana) are great for lovemaking.

Once a day however, WE WILL GO HARD AND WE WILL ROCK.

Park car. Turn off lights. Close file.

Pix of The Pretenders from their cool web site. Hard Rock.

220 Minus Age

220 minus your age. If I was to give this information to all the folks who have asked about it in the past as a method to determine one's maximum heart rate, I would be right about 92.788% of the time. And that is a percentage that will get you on the plus side in Vegas. Good odds. IF YOU ARE A NUMBER. Unfortunately,

YOU ARE NOT.

You are a name. You are a living, breathing, walking, dynamic and constantly changing intelligent life form. You are unique. You do not fit into the lump of those in your age standard who used the calculator on their mobile device to compute their max hr. The Grandfather of Ironman, John Collins, said it best, "We are all an experiment of ONE." Maybe you have heard me say in this regard that, "Our bodies are smarter than we are."

IT'S TRUE.

As an example. You all know by now of my little adventure last week with chest pains. Conventional wisdom says that when this happens you need to drop what your are doing and call 911. You can fool around and be flippant or cavalier with the flu or skin rashes, but if you get chest pain on the left side, with lightheadedness and tingling of the extremities, make the call. RCVman is stubborn however and once the pain hit the six hour mark, he made two calls and proceeded to drive himself to the ER. Where he was relieved to find the treatment more of the name variety than number (despite have both on his wrist band). All the EKG, ECG, chemistry, X-Ray, vitals and blood analysis was negative, and so much so that the MD on call recommended that I have some follow-up blood work done to get to the bottom of the issue and find out what was actually taking place.

Which was then done two days following with the new PCP. Yesterday his office called with the results. But first, some additional back story. Without question, the VBA will recall the post of Dec. 15 (RCV) where I intrepidly announced that my goals for 2010 included:

1) Adding two hours of workout time to my weekly schedule, and
2) Cutting 50% (of the remaining) fat from my diet.

Please remember that all this is an experiment of one and that my body is way smarter than I am.

Please also know that, to get your maximum HR you need to conduct a stress test on a treadmill or bike, to determine YOUR actual max, not the other billion people in your age group. You are not a number. Additionally, the whole point of knowing what your max is, is to train in zones that approach it, progressively overloading the system so you can stay in that zone longer. Which would you suppose will make you faster, five seconds at max, or twenty minutes at 95% of max? The key word here is YOU. Even more astounding is the recent studies that indicate that fit people who use RPE (the voice of the body) when training are usually very close to the proper percentage of max to determine rate of training or racing intensity. Imagine that! Your body already knows what your HR monitor is about to reveal. Incredible. But true!

Yesterday the doctors office called with the results of the second blood tests. The administrator was quite amazed at how good they were, using phrases such as, "well within established ranges", "an excellent score", "an exceptional ratio". That is until she got to the last one, LDL, "bad cholesterol". At which point she asked if she could put me on hold while she had a word with the doctor. You can imagine what I was thinking while listening to Jose Feliciano on hold.

"You still there?"
"Si, y Feliz Navidad."
"Yeah, well, the reason I wanted to check with the doctor is that your levels of LDL, while not bad, are not as good as the levels in all your other areas, and I though that might mean something."
"Does it?"
"The doctor said no, and matter of fact, he thought that as a whole your tests are some of the best he has ever seen and reflect a body in excellent condition, much like a person thirty years younger."
"Really? But I detect a note of concern in your voice, is there more?"
"Well yeah, usually when I give people these results I include some tips."
"Such as?"
"You might want to consider adding some exercise and cutting a little fat from your diet."
"OK, thanks for that."
"Your welcome, do you have any further questions?"
"Just one."
"Go ahead."
"How do I determine my maximum heart rate?"
"220 minus your age."

Sensing the Satorius

I am waiting for the sun to sufficiently rise in order to start my work day. It is my first recovery day after six consecutive days of spinning. Five hard sessions and one long one. It was a nice mix and I am very happy that it is in the books, but now I need to get out and run, use some other muscles in other ways.

Some of the fallout from Sundays 12 hours (230 miles) included slightly stretched satorius muscles (yes, mostly on the left side) and subsequent inability to stay asleep for longer than four hours. Guess we dialed up the metabolism a notch! Other than that, all is well with the two post event sessions providing a return to high intensity intervals for 60 minutes. If anything going long reinforces the control and confidence one has over "shorter, more intense" sessions. It's like doing a sprint after an Ironman. Once the endurance marathon is done, the explosive bursts of power and speed seem like walks in the proverbial park.

We are also closing in on $2,500 raised for our combined efforts, making the bike count eight or nine. Like my Granddaddy used to say, "That's better enna poke inna eye widda sharp stick."

More fallout:

With the benefit of the aforementioned (diffused) sunlight, I will crawl under the cabin to repair the hot water pipes that froze so mockingly a week ago. I don't really mind doing this. After all I installed them. The part that I like is the Joe Magee-ness about it. It will cost me 'bout five bucks to fix instead of calling a plumber and handing over $250 (at least). Then I get to tackle the carpet in the new studio space. Making the arched cut in the middle of the room will be tricky. LIke cutting a diamond in a '55 Ford pickemup. Then I cut the promo video for the guys at the Derby Bike Ship in Colorado, assimilate the CompuTrainer order info for the WestSound Tri Club, get the sizing for the Kids bikes orders, slip into town on a humanitarian sortie, do some errands, and then,

GO FOR A RUN IN THE PARK. And I don't care if is snows.

Then back to spin class tomorrow.

And so goes a day in the life of (the) RCVman.

Pix: The satorius muscle group. Assists in knee flexation and is the longest muscle in the body. My favorite fir tree reminds me to be happy and smile often. Cover your bike in the winter kids.

Resolutions Called Virtues

As we head into the last two weeks of this incredible, unpredictable, joyously horrific roller-coaster of a year, I think it might be prudent to begin to formulate our resolutions for the start of the next one. And as luck, karma and the simple passage of time has it, this one will be the start of a new decade as well. WOW, let's make it count, shall we?

So I am taking this unique opportunity to launch yet another all new and officially exciting blog element. It doesn't have a generic name yet, but you can be sure that it already has an acronym. The initial post will give it away much like the kitty scrambling from the burlap sack.

Has to do with 2010 New Years Resolutions and getting the jump on it from your humble guide (the) RCVman. Henceforth, we give you five in each category for your consideration:

Relevant Contemporary Value

1) Add two hours a week to workout schedule.
2) Cut 50% of fat from diet.
3) Add a core routine.
4) Cut 50% sugar from diet.
5) Add yoga, pilates, meditation or community volunteerism.

Remember Classic Vicissitudes

1) Read War and Peace.
2) Listen (closely) to Bela Bartok
3) Watch A Lion in Winter
4) Visit the Smithsonian (again).
5) Smell more roses.

Renew Correct Viewpoints

1) Make your core feelings known in less bombastic, aggressive, or defensive mode.
2) Synergize mind, body, spirit.
3) Seek out the positive, the joyous, the good.
4) Work smarter (a lot smarter).
5) Empathize and forgive.

Reset Career Values

1) Set up a health insurance strategy.
2) Launch new web site.
3) Push new video.
4) Set up new studio.
5) Restructure business model as tax shelter.

Random Cosmic Volitions

1) Spread some love.
2) Push the creative imperative.
3) Wear another's moccasins.
4) Laugh at our comical plight.
5) Fight the good fight.

Resist Catastrophic Venalities

1) Do not lie to yourself.
2) Quit beating yourself up.
3) Be nice.
4) Sleep more.
5) Sing in the shower.

Recycle Comical Victories

1) Stay longer outside comfort zones.
2) Do not fear failure (anymore).
3) Laugh at yourself.
4) Laugh with others.
5) See down as up. Spill the wine. Cut the cheese.

And lastly,

Real Course Video

1) Tour de France.
2) Tour of California.
3) Gran Fondos.
4) Ironman Brazil.
5) USAT Masters.

Sincerely,

RCVman


Pix: From the NYC Triathlon (Rusty Chain View)

Ten Days Left

Till the 2009 Christmas RCV sale is over. This nice piece just posted from our friends over at Ironmanlive. com

Smiles Loom

On the Horizon.

We made it through twelve hours of indoor cycling yesterday. No rain, no freezing temps, no bone-chilling headwinds. Just a lot of pedal rotations, almost my entire playlist on iTunes and thousands of calories expended. All this to raise a few bucks to buy a handful of local kids new bikes come December 25th.

We are still tabulating the totals but as of this morning, when a weary and winded cycling instructor again placed shorts to saddle (ouch) we were closing in on the $2,000 mark.

Nice effort gang! As you know I have a few sayings that often pop up on these pages. One of them is, "Never underestimate the human potential for stupidity." And another,
"Never underestimate the human potential for generosity."

Yesterday we bolded and underscored the latter. I need to thank a few folks who made it all happen and who made it all happen with a high degree of joy, purpose and elegance.

Thanks to the Bainbridge Athletic Club for hosting us, again.
Thanks to Yasuyo for her tireless dedication to our cause.
Thanks to Mike, Susan, Rin, Clo, Tom, Tony, EJ, Harry and Diane, Katie, Clay, Vince (and family). Vince gutted out the complete 12 next to RCVman. Hoo-ra!
Thanks to all of you who made contributions to the cause.
Thanks to the B.I. Boys & Girls Club for doing what they do for our kids and community and thanks to Jeff at Classic Cycles for getting us the bikes at his cost.

The BAC Christmas Spin III is in the books (on the blog). We done good. My butt hurts as testimony. Come Christmas day we will be delivering the goods, perhaps not in a sleigh pulled by reindeer, but I really don't think the kids will care much.

We have changed the whole. There are smiles looming on the frosty horizon. Can warm hearts be far behind?

Thank you.

Pix from yesterday. Yes, that is a CompuTrainer Tony is sitting upon, we needed a precise and accurate accounting of his miles for his group pledge.

The Whole

Kevin Lynch Today we spin for 12 hours to raise money to buy kids bikes for Christmas. As of yesterday we have raised $1,500. Goal is $4,000. You can still make a pledge by calling me LIVE at 360.674.8128 or the BAC front desk at 206.842.5661. "By changing a part of the whole, you change the whole." Please help us change the whole.... You can also call just to offer encouragement, humor or legal advice, btw. BIG THANKS.

43

We have now about 43 hours till we embark on Christmas Spin III, a 12 hour indoor ride to raise money to buy Kids bikes for Christmas.

We are woefully behind in reaching the target bogy. Which is all my fault. Got a late start, was busy selling RCVs, got frozen pipes, pick a (lame) excuse. None matter.

What does matter is that we make a wholehearted furious last minute push in the hopes of at least salvaging the purchase of a couple of bikes. With the thinking that a few adolescent smiles are better than none.

So here goes.

Th black and white: Folks, friends, family, VBA, lurkers, trollers, hackers, world: This is real. There are kids here that need our help. We are big folks, we can take care of ourselves. And now I am asking you to help me take care of others. This is how you build community. And I am big on that.

Here is what we do and, in turn, what you can do. On Sunday (42 hours now) we will spin indoors from 8 am to 8 pm. If this seems impossible or crazy, I have proven twice prior that it is possible (if you are crazy enough). And I am certified. That is what we do. What you do is pledge $5 per hour, or any amount you feel comfortable in pledging, and then we get a list of recipients from Shelly, the Prez of the Bainbridge Island Boys & Girls Club, run that list down to Jeff at Classic Cycles and buy as many bikes (with helmets) as we can. Paul gets to assemble and I deliver.

Pretty straightforward. We spin, we sweat, we suffer. You pledge. They get new bikes for Christmas.

Please allow me to leave you with this image: Where you paying attention to the glow on your kids face the last time you gave them a new bike for Christmas????

Would you like to be part of that joy again??????

You can make a phone pledge today by calling (206) 842-5661. Just tell 'em Kevin sent ya.

Thank you and please have a great weekend.

42, and counting.

Pix: Last years effort. Caption of kid with helmet at Elma Kids Tri: "Can I climb?"

Cheap plug, but true!

Another roundup of what CompuTrainer users are saying. The results are in folks. If you want to get faster. If you want to get stronger. If you want to use your indoor training time to its absolute maximum value. If you want to train to a specific power profile as determined by your 2010 racing schedule. If you want the best ROI per hour spent in training. If you want your picture in my blog (cheap plug, but true!) Read on.

Last years winner of IM Lake Placid, Pro Cait Snow, shares with us her race report on St. Croix and her use of the STC RCV. Inspiring and entertaining reading. Thanks Cait. And congratulations.

"I left transition in 8th place, and headed out to a course that I had seen very little of. That is, aside from the Computrainer Real Course Video which I rode along with several times during the previous week - it paid off big time! (Cheap plug, but true!) Everyone hears about The Beast, but there’s a lot more to this course. It’s also got wind, rough roads, a billion turns, and speed bumps, AND you ride on the left side of the road. I conquered The Beast, literally laughing at times as the grade continued to increase, rocked the speed bumps without catching too much air, and wound my way back to town. As I bombed toward T2, I saw Tim looking good about a mile into his run. ”You’re 10th!” he shouted. Alrighty! Let’s see how many people you can run down."

http://www.ryanbickerstaff.com/2008/06/16/computrainer/

http://twitpic.com/pxlk5

http://www.test18.stratium.net/viewcategory/87

http://cosaro4rides.blogspot.com/2007/01/spin-vs-computrainer.html

http://www.tri247.com/article_4396_Day+7%3A+The+best+turbo+in+the+world%3F.html?region_id=&category=

http://blog.trainingpeaks.com/2009/11/computrainertm-users-82-new-exercise-libraries-with-erg-files-now-available.html

140 over 74

"Not surprisingly, they have found that beyond a certain minimum level of income, greater happiness comes from strong and plentiful human connections, a sense of control over one’s life and employment, meaningful work, good health, basic economic security, trust in others and in government, and other opportunities less directly connected with monetary remuneration."

A good start for today's' post. I am big on happiness. I found this article AROTM. Absolutely Right On The Money. (like we need another acronym, sorry).

There is not much I can add. Please visit the link and check it our for yourself. I can however add some serendipitous exposition in the form of comment, so here goes:

1) Certain minimum level of income. Roger, got that. Minimum.
2) Strong and plentiful human connections. OK. Could be stronger and more plentiful, but for the most part, most of the time, I pass here.
3) A sense of control.... Check, if it is to be-it's up to me.
4) Meaningful work. Hey I am RCVman, providing the planet with entertaining and didactic training videos so they may improve health and fitness.
5) Good health. That's where it gets interesting*.
6) Basic economic security. This is about as basic as it gets.
7) Trust in others and in government. Others yes, the .gov? Don't think so.
8) Other opps less direct than ROI. Opportunities or ideas, beliefs, disciplines, passions? I prefer the latter.

If graded as an 8 part quiz, I think I score at around 80% of max. The money thing and my propensity towards rebellion, my relentless questioning of authoritative propriety and alternative spiritual practices keeping me from 100% nirvana.

How do you score?

Photo: *My six hours last night at Harrison ER (chest pains) confirmed one thing: I have a VERY low resting HR (36). As the EKG, Xray and blood enzymes showed nothing but good stuff, the Dr. recommended a follow up treadmill stress test. I will melt that thing.

As a footnote, sincere thanks to Scott Davis in LA for reminding me of Jim & Brian, Dr. Greg Henderson for making the tough call for me, and the entire staff at Harrison in Silverdale ER, who were professional and talented and personable. That is a tough room but I got some yucks. Also to Chris Harvey for putting courage and character on display over the last two weeks.

Granola

We are currently running a promotion with the good folks up at Bakers Breakfast Cookies in Bellingham. The postcard offer (shown here) is being inserted into every RCV sold and currently on sale for the Christmas 1/2 price extravaganza.

Normally I am a little leery of the irrelevant use of the M-Dot logo to attract wanna-be triathletes (mattresses, deodorant, cars) but in this case (as with ours) there are commercial, consumer dots to be connected. You (Mr or Ms Triathlete) in oder to compete at your highest level, must do two things:

1) Train right. 2) Eat right.

Right?

Here, we help with both. I have been associated with Bakers since 2002 when I first shot their wonderful race up in B'Ham. I have some clips in the media library that I will re-master and load when I get a chance. They even hosted an Olympic Trials ITU event in 2004 that, although run in the rain, was world class. They have a long history of catering to the precise nutritional demands of elite athletes. They bake good stuff. They care about us. They give back to the community. They sponsor a triathlon team. And now they are offering you (yes YOU) a 30% discount to try their wholesome and delicious granola. WAIT there's more. Omega 3s in granola? How about 670 grams? Protein? How about 8 grams? You lookin' for something that is good and good for you?

Look no further.

Go Here: and enter the special CompuTrainer RCV code: COMPU09 and get 30% off your order. You have to register to take advantage, but it only takes five minutes. So please take advantage of this tasty cool value added offer and try their goodies at a huge discount.

Tell 'em RCVman sent ya!

Any Given Saturday

By now, most of you know that I am a purple and gold bleeding fan of he University of Washington. Things have been a touch on the gloomy side since about the second game of the 2002 season. Reached all time lows last year as the Dawgs, at 0-12, painfully found that they had neither the pot nor the window. It was a sad time for Husky fans. But we, like others before us, have been here before. It is only hopeless when you abandon hope. It is never over until you quit. If you keep trying, keep pushing, keep at it, make the necessary changes and WORK HARD, the doom and gloom might just turn the corner into the light of success. And victory will follow.

We saw that happen in 2009. We won five games. 5! One more and there would be practice today at 4 pm in preparation for a bowl game. That is a huge swing, a tremendous turn of events. I am proud of these kids and happy that I had a chance to see them live and follow their saga. Certainly motivation was an important component of this surge. And motivation, dear VBA, is a precious commodity. In short supply, an endangered species. How we motivate is of particular interest to me. It has always amazed. What is it that makes something that someone has said create a positive emotion in them? What stirs in us the heroic? What makes us our best? And, perhaps most importantly, why can't we seem to make it last?

Here are two transcripts from two football coaches speaking about, and to, their respective teams. One is fictional, one as real as it gets.

I get motivation from both.

PS. I decided yesterday that when I grow up I wanna do triathlons the same way that Jake Locker plays football.




Sarkisian Opening statement: "I'm really proud of our football team. We've been challenging these guys for 365 days now. Our first team meeting was a year ago this coming Monday and thinking back on that time and where this program was and where those kids were mentally, to where they are tonight in that locker room, it's really something pretty special as a first year head football coach. I'm proud of our staff for continuing to battle and I'm proud of these kids. This was not an easy season by any means. There was a lot of adversity that came our way and a lot of excruciating losses that these kids had to deal with. They could have easily folded up the tents and reverted back to what they were before and they just battled every single day. They battled day in and day out and got better every single day.

Tony D'Amato: I don’t know what to say, really. Three minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives. All comes down to today, and either, we heal as a team, or we're gonna crumble. Inch by inch, play by play. Until we're finished. We're in hell right now, gentlemen. Believe me. And, we can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb outta hell... one inch at a time. Now I can't do it for ya, I'm too old. I look around, I see these young faces and I think, I mean, I've made every wrong choice a middle-aged man can make. I, uh, I've pissed away all my money, believe it or not. I chased off anyone who's ever loved me. And lately, I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror. You know, when you get old, in life, things get taken from you. I mean, that's... that's... that's a part of life. But, you only learn that when you start losin' stuff. You find out life's this game of inches, so is football. Because in either game - life or football - the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step too late or too early and you don't quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast and you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when add up all those inches, that's gonna make the fucking difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying! I'll tell you this, in any fight it's the guy whose willing to die whose gonna win that inch. And I know, if I'm gonna have any life anymore it's because I'm still willing to fight and die for that inch, because that's what living is, the six inches in front of your face. Now I can't make you do it. You've got to look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think ya going to see a guy who will go that inch with you. Your gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team, because he knows when it comes down to it your gonna do the same for him. That's a team, gentlemen, and either, we heal, now, as a team, or we will die as individuals. That's football guys, that's all it is. Now, what are you gonna do?

Christmas Spin III

So here we go again. That time of year. There are Kids out there who could use our help. Their parents (sometimes not in the plural) can use it too. Forced by a sour economy, runaway inflation, the cost of fuel, both for heating and transportation, the price of food, medicine and rent, how the heck is a kid in this circumstance gonna get a new bike for Christmas???

Answer: We are gonna help. Maybe only for a few, but help we will.

On Sunday, December 13 the hearty members of the Bainbridge Athletic Club will spin indoors from 8am to 8pm to raise money to give to the B.I. Boys & Girls Club so they in turn can provide new bikes for needy Island Kids for Christmas. Yes, twelve hours in the saddle. I will be there to ride shotgun down the avalanche for all twelve, and others may join providing that they round up pledges of their own. We raised almost 3K last year, in only five hours, so this year, despite the economic challenges, the delta is 4. That would make me real happy and a lot of kids as well.

To maximize the spreading of good cheer, Jeff at Classic Cycles has again agreed to get us the bikes at his cost, so this is indeed, a more the merrier situation. 12 hours: GIVE TILL IT HURTS!

I am kinda looking forward to it. The smiles on the kids faces is worth all the work, it's just that, well, twelve hours is a lotta discomfort and can get a touch monotonous. Hey, maybe I'll watch some RCVs!!! The poster, sign up sheet is shown below. You can click on it to enlarge.

Have a great weekend.