Success?

I have no agenda here. On several occasions I have told of my respect for the positive elements of his career. I speak of Mr. Armstrong. He was an inspiration to many, the single most influential cyclist in history of compelling people to ride. He had charisma. He beat cancer. He raised millions for research. He won seven tours and married a rock star. That is all the good. Most of it anyway. 

You know the bad. He cheated, he lied, he bullied, he doped. All to be successful. And to be successful in the sports world means to win. Begging the age old question what would YOU do if in his Sidi's? 

If a magic but dangerous concoction was offered to get my rapidly deteriorating ass to a high-profile and profitable finish line and subsequently erode my health (or community standing) would I?

I don't know. That is as honest an answer as I can give. I just don't know. I might. How dangerous? I would hedge. What is the cost? Will it kill or just injure? Is it illegal because of political, medical, moral or sportsmanship reasons? Are there any alternatives? Can I take just a little and try it first? Is there a guarantee that it will work? What are the odds of getting caught? Are their nasty side-effects? Is everybody else doing it? How much does it cost? 

The list goes on. You might be a hard liner. Perhaps the UCI should have a zero tolerance policy. Maybe, just maybe we (the collective we) could get over ourselves and cut some of the hypocrisy that pervades almost all facets of professional sports. That is a maybe the size of Moby Dick. Lotsa blubber. 

Performance enhancing drugs have been used in sports and specifically pro cycling almost since inception. That famous grand tour in France every year has had volumes written about the riders and their favorite PED cocktails. It is told of many riders in the 'golden age' using a 50/50 combination of heroin and cocaine washed down with whatever local pinot noir happened to be available. Making today's scandals pale in comparison. Here is one story from my current read, Lance Armstrong's War by Daniel Coyle:

Tour champion Fausto Coppi said all riders took drugs, and anyone who claimed differently knew nothing of the sport. The interviewer asked if Coppi had used them. "Yes, when it is necessary," he replied. And when was it necessary? "Almost always." 

Badda bing. Like I said I have no agenda. Lance is going to get hammered because that is the world we live in. It is all about success. And when you succeed by breaking the rules, the litigation floodgates officially open with a new definition of it based upon how many zeros appear before the decimal point.

Let's please move on. Take the lesson, learn from the mistakes, improve. 

I will do it organically thank you. I want to be a lover and a storyteller. 

That is success in my book. 

RAGE

I was feeling old last week. The unidentified energy zapping ailment that caused my visit to the ER had told us what is wasn't (a heart related incident) but was sadly negligent as to diagnosing what it was. The good news is that the two cuts on my finger that coincidentally 'occurred' the same day, have healed so quickly and completely that I am without a bandage. I don't know, but to me three weeks from a deep bone revealing gash to complete cellular rejuvenation seems pretty miraculous. I am deeply grateful to all parties responsible, even the folks at Harrison who submitted the initial bill for emergency services yesterday. I suppose an EKG, blood test, X-Ray and hands-on evaluation to prescribe rest is worth $3,200. 

Maybe those feelings of age were misinterpreted. Maybe what I was feeling was actually the woe of indigence. Maybe the pain was emulating more from my pocket than from my pancreas. Thirty-two hun. Ouch. Let's see, that works out to be eighty spin classes. Leading my average of three per week, I will have this bill paid by about October. Maybe by then we can find out what the real culprit is. 

We do know a few things. One, staying fit helps. Two, staying consistent helps. Three, finding something you are, or can become, passionate about helps. Four, managing stress helps. Five, eating right helps. Six, getting enough rest and recovery time helps. Seven: Laughing helps. Eight: Being grateful helps. Nine: Giving helps. Ten: Loving helps. 

Here are a few examples. First is a clever way to, ahem, balance training and eating (embedded video above) Then a microscopic look at some muscle differences between aging triathletes and aging sedentaries. I was particularly pleased with the authors term "chronic disuse." I do NOT want any of THAT shit, that you very much. Then, we see that intensity is not the cause of injury. Here is a look at some key elements for successful training for the aging athlete containing this question answering gem: Fast Twitch muscle fibers don't turn into slow twitch muscle fibers. Without adequate training, fast twitch muscle fibers simply atrophy. It is vital for an older athlete to maintain proper training to keep from losing fast twitch muscle. Here is a great, detailed article on training master athletes. And lastly, to let you know how I intend to tackle the next block of periodization, a poem by Dylan Thomas. I think you know the one.

I might be feeling slow. I might be feeling unfairly pressured by inflation. But I will NOT go gentle into that good night. 

Pic: The chairs of retirement will have to wait. Please notice Trixie in the stand awaiting tune-up. 

Spice

In this timely article the author (carrying the load of leading the Training Peaks Education Department no less) makes the case for a mojo reset. She calls it the Holiday Hangover.  I am very familiar with its symptoms. I might even run for another couple of Tums before I finish this post. 

One of the ways she suggests we can keep our motivation trending to the positive is to SPICE IT UP. Do some things different. Cross train. Get outside the box of your cushy comfort zone. Watch a motivational movie or create your personal set list of rousing high performance tunes. I also particularly appreciate her isolation of the 'post it' element, one's goal zone, where the GOAL, "A" race or event is posted for all of civilization to see (and judge). It is one thing to say you are going to do something, and another altogether to commit to the training necessary and then actually DO THAT THING. 

Another is the routine of the ritual. We have talked about this in the past yet I think coupled with the TP article it warrants another visit. 

I  have made the claim that we are what we repeatedly do. If you get up every morning and head to the gym to stimulate your physical side, after a time, it becomes habit. You don't question the reasons, you simply perform. You do. The doing becomes your routine and your routine shapes your persona, your character and your spirit. With your good health, vital energy and joyous fitness, everything else nicely settles into place. Most of the time anyway. 

There is another POV that states, rather interestingly, that you are NOT the things you do but the way you are being. As in right now. You are either being loving or being fearful. The quality and the essence of the energy you are sharing this very instant. Is it love or is it fear? You know from empirical experience that when you find that elusive groove-zone-sweet-spot one of its most compelling characteristics is the absolute love level attained. Quite simply there is nothing else like it. Another way to see it is as NO FEAR.

How miraculous is that? That we can be what we decide to be. We talked about this yesterday, about loving what you do and doing what you love. Same energy. Same flow. I wish I could keep that flow all the time. I try very hard to accomplish this, day in, day out. 

But, again as the author suggests, occasionally we slip. We wake up with a headache, cotton-mouthed with a fuzzy recollection of what happened after the second bottle of pinot noir (or mid-Feb, whichever comes first). And we need some help. BUT, we are not in this alone. That is the value of the team. That is the strength of a training partner. You are accountable to the group and your weakness becomes the focal point of the collective energy flow. We will pull you until you are ready to take a pull again. We will support you when the imbalance tilts the meridians towards the shadows. When you are down the pack picks you up. WE GOT YOUR BACK JACK.

So when the author cites joining a CompuTrainer class as one way to spice it up I say: PASS THE CRUSHED PEPPER PLEASE!

Bon appetitio. 

Through My Tears

Start with the backstory. 

They say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. Exactly WHO says that I am not sure, but, imagine for one minute what I might have been thinking upon the initial viewing of this commercial from Verizon. Nice guess!

I will admit that the initial spark of inspiration was a brilliant one. Love will inspire greatness, no doubt. And, for the record, I have no problem with the creative folks doing a high-tech remake. To sell phones. Whatever. You publish it without copyright and it is in the public domain. If somebody thinks so highly of your idea that they toss, I am guessing here, $500,000 to create a sixty second spot using your Valentine Card as shooting script, then drag out the heavy artillery and spend thousands renting downtown city streets for the shoot, there isn't much you can do but close the gate, because the cows are gone! You can cry, but the milk is spoiled. 

I suppose you could hire a lawyer and scream plagiarism, but you have too much class to grovel. 

I am still laughing. Take a look at that camera rig. OMG. Take a look at the footage they captured with it (above). Then look at the sixty second Seattle Urban Time Trial video below. I wrote that script, shot it, STARRED IN IT, and produced if for fifty bucks. 

I am still laughing.

Through my tears.

Happy Valentine's Day!

What you do

"Any decline in muscle performance with muscle activity at the original intensity."

This juicy little quote is the intro to a fascinating article on the effects of physical activity (and inactivity) on fatigue. The entire article here. 

I bring this up today because in another article someone actually did a study on the benefits of enhanced physical fitness for lovemaking. Seems the better shape the test subjects were in the better (sometimes) the activity that we (coincidental) celebrate today. There are a LOT of variables here, so let's isolate the ones we can control.

One of the main goals of our training, especially indoor cycle training, is to delay the onset of fatigue. We want to maintain power longer. We want to sustain the output, to endure. How we do that is the centuries old question, and in today's break-neck - mach 3 - double caffeinated - merry-go-round the hamster wheel world, we want the results NOW. Maybe even yesterday. 

But that is not the way our bodies work. These things take time. You must START and you must CONTINUE, happy with incremental increases and daily improvement, however seemingly insignificant. Because, over time, they add up. Consistency is crucial. You must turn the pedals A MILLION TIMES, take a million deep breaths, land successfully a thousand times on each forefront and learn the feel of the water over countless laps in the pool. Should you desire to tri, of course. 

You cannot do all of the above at once. 

You need faith. You need motivation and you need a goal. Something to keep you coming back for more of the same day after day. Eventually it must become ritual. Starting any day without a workout, for me, would be like doing same without a cup of coffee. After a while (YMMV) it is not only what we do, it is who we are. 

Making it an act of love. We do what we love. And we love what we do. 

So we work towards increasing our fitness, extending our power, building resistance to fatigue on a consistent basis, adding increased loads and intensities, supported by our group in a holistic environment. The latter meaning we also are attentive to the periphery elements of overall balance; rest and recovery, fuel, stress management and, my favorite today, the sharing of love. Let us share. 

After my TWO HOUR body work massage yesterday, I felt 100000% better. A few of the benefits of deep tissue sports massage:

Increased flexibility

Increase circulation

Pain reduction

Muscular release

Injury prevention

Better deep sleep

Deep relaxation

And those are just for starters, folks. I highly recommend a massage for all you who are cycling, running, swimming, lifting down the path of optimum fitness and good health. It is probably not too late to schedule one today.

You will both be glad you did. 

Happy Valentine's Day. 

Oh-Man

He is at it again. We watched first hand last year as 22 year old Peter Sagan dominated the Tour of California. Displays of power, speed, charisma, courage and skill are rare enough alone, combine them all in the same package and you are (as spectator or competitor) in for a show.

We got all that and some last year and today I was reminded that the Sagan show is on the road once again. If you have the four minutes it takes to view the highlight clip (above) from the Tour of Oman, please do. It is well done, using many aerials to show the stunning desert scenery, as contrasted dramatically by the 'kitted to the max' pro peloton. Some history of Oman here.

I was thinking through the view about how impressed I was on my first live assessment of him. The 'tells' indicating pro pecking order are hard earned. There is rite and ritual. Only brash, young fools charge in and expect immediate reward. That respect is earned. And mostly the old fashioned way. You have to pay your dues, be a soldier, carry both the flag and the torch. You have to be patient. Mostly.

Sagan is the exception. He is the honey badger of pro cycling. He does wheelies, recklessly attacks, charges when he feels like it and demands that both the lieutenants as well as the captains allow passage. Make a hole. Doesn't have to be big. But I am coming through. You can follow if you like (can).

So let us assume that he is where he is because of good genetics. For starters. After that what? Ritual. I'll bet my Felt that he likes to ride and has logged enough miles in the last ten years (since age 12) that would stretch to Saturn and back. Goals? I think he has one in mind yes. Tools? He has access to the best, in and out of the saddle. Motivation? Easy. Desire? Check. What is left?

Enjoy the ride, my friend. We are rooting for you. Keep your focus. Watch closely the trail of breadcrumbs left by those that have ridden before you. There are snakes in the grass. Fame and fortune will call. You will be tested.

Keep at it. We"ll check in with you in May. Allez, dude.

2013 Tour of California

It is never to early to plan. The 2013 Amgen Tour of California route was officially announced this morning. It looks like a million bucks. I have been covering this grand event since 2007. It is the American version of the TdF. A major blast in every respect. 

The planning has begun. Here are my initial notes and thoughts:

May 12-19, 2013.

Ship bikes from Seattle to San Diego.

Fly Seattle to San Diego.

Pick up rental van and bikes.

Escondido motel.

Stage One. 103 miles (ride Mt. Palomar) Motel.

Stage Two. Murietta, 124 miles, 6,734 ft gain. Motel.

Stage Three: Palmdale to Santa Clarita. 110 miles, 6.236 miles. Motel.

Stage Four: Santa Clarita to Santa Barbara: 83 miles, 3,875. Motel.

Stage Five: SB to Avila Beach, 115 miles, 6.146. Motel.

Drive back to San Diego. 

Pack and ship bikes.

Fly San Diego to Seattle. 

Please note that we cherry pick the primo parts of the stages, riding the classic climbs and/or ultra scenic sections, NOT the entire route. We get an early start and ride four or five hours ahead of the pro peloton, leaving time to watch the finish. I film as much as possible of the course and the pros.

If we can put together a three person crew, my initial estimate is that we can pull it in for about a grand apiece, including air, flying with the official airlines of the HoM, Alaska Airlines, of course. 

They call this America's Greatest Race. And for good reason, It is NOT TO BE MISSED.

Pic: Eight Track and Big Red on the trail of the 2012 ToC. Mucho fun!