A New Beginning

I was chatting with my buddy AC, who like me chronicles things in his life, and much like me, gets almost no readers, unless he sends a link via his Facebook post to prompt us to look. So we discussed some of our favorite blogs and realized the spoke more they way we talk, but not often the way we write. Since there is limited readership anyway, I am going to write as I speak, more from the hip. I generally find my conversations with AC quite entertaining.

Training
I can report that training in the north east during this time of year is horrible. Its cold, and I hate being indoors all the time. Luckily I have no thoughts of racing until May.

Happenings
The short week before Christmas is tough. TV has provided very little outlet. While I know that Bowl games have started, and there were about 300 college hoops games on this weekend. I just have a tough time watch College Hoops until Football is over. And Despite my beloved Scarlet Knights, playing in a Pizza Bowl, I just have a tough time watching some of these minor Bowl games.
TV has generally been a drag. With most of the shows I watch in re-runs, I look back on my favorites of today and yesterday. Most of my youth was spent watching cartoons and sitcoms. There are very few good sitcoms anymore. I realized this may be why I am somewhat less intellectually than others, and why I often make or tell jokes, to get out of uncomfortable situations. But instead of trying to change anything, I'll just look at what I have learned. I'll start old school, with Happy Days. In deep thought I had a conversation about Chuck from Happy Days. Richie's older brother, the basketball player who disappeared after season 1. Chuck spoke very little and always had a basketball in his hand during an appearance. Chuck disappeared and was never heard from again.
AC and I spoke of his youth and his emulating Michael Jordan on the hoops court, to the point where it hindered his progress. I was Chuck. Each day I would go out back and shoot and make at least one basket. Though I didn't carry a ball to school or on dates, it was my personal and private statement, to get better.
Height eventually caught up with me much like season 2 did for Chuck, and while my character was never canceled in high school hoops, it likely should have been. While I did have more than 9 episodes, Chuck is who I identify with, because of passion, or possibly his minute intellectual character.

Big Chain - AOW(Athelete of the WeeK
Liz Hatch. Liz is a cyclist and all round athlete. Liz though needs to get her web site up to date, or atleast add some pics like on her myspace page. Email Liz and let her know

Final note. Going to visit my brother Kevin over Christmas in San Fran.

Computrainer and Power Cranks

So I have begun my experiment this off season. I have had tremendous success using the Power Cranks for the limited time at the end of last race season. Seeing a huge increase in power and speed. I had used the Computrainer last season, but really only scratched the surface on its use sticking to the 3D mode and software.

I had begun learning to use the ERG mode and am doing it mostly on my road bike with the Power Cranks. Some things I noticed. It is much harder to maintain my selected cadence, with the Power Cranks. I will re adjust the pointer to about 80 in cadence, where is was set at 90.
As when riding on the road, there are more spikes in power and cadence, based on the inefficiencies still in my pedaling stroke.

An hour on Power Cranks is a challenge in and or itself, adding an ERG workout, definitely left me feeling like I was riding for hours. The good news was this morning I ran for 5 with no soreness. This is going to be fun

Starting up again

This is always the most challenging time of year. I find with each passing season, the time off gets shorter and shorter. In the past I have started the next year in January, this season it was today. December 1st. In some ways I haven't been off.

My training right now will be swim and bike focused. The Bike will continue using the Power Cranks, this time in conjunction with the Computrainer. I had recently purchased an online book on getting the most out of the ERG function of the Computrainer, so looking forward to increasing the power this winter.

I have a number of athletes already started as well. The returns have been favorable thus far. As all have early season "A" races.

We are going to really work this season as a team to increase our volume, and spend a lot more time learning our race pace. Day one started well, the pool was cold though!