Perspective: Blogs, Bike Racing and Business

The best-laid blogging plans so often go awry - blogging is so easy, but now it's like carving hieroglyphics in stone compared to facebook and twitter one-liners. Communication seams to be more and more refined sugar and less roasted meat (or protein substitute, as the case may be). Sugar is just so quick and easy. Tastes great, instantly accessible and you never feel full. It takes time and planning for a roast. And you aren't jumping off the couch afterwards - you've got to let it sit a while. No, I'm not saying that my blog is some deep, complex thought-roast. But believe it or not, I take time to write. I re-read and proofread. Rarely do you see the first thing I actually wrote. I'm not trying to hide anything - just the more interesting and honest thoughts seem to come after the initial sentences have marinated a bit. Now we can leave this rationalization for sporadic blogging and the strained metaphor...

So, how's my season going? If we look at the scorecard, not so good.

Top 5 results? Zero. Top 10 results? Zero. Is there anything good to take away from the prior period of racing and training? Well, I do think there are a few good things:

(1) I've been doing 20-minute TT-level intervals pretty consistently now. I get bored or cave in easily during extended efforts - I'd rather sprint for 30 seconds. But, I committed to these long intervals as part of my plan and I've been able to stay focused for more and more of the efforts. (2) Those long intervals should help keep me fresher at the end of a race, but they don't help me with the hard, repeated surging the 3k leading up to the final sprint. I've got a decent sprint, but often I'm wasted from the pre-finale surging. So, I've been doing workouts winding up in a big gear, then staying in it seated and then winding up again out of the saddle, repeating for a number of rotations. I'm pretty wiped at the end, but they are getting easier. Well see if it helps. (3) I feel really good about the help I've been giving my teammates. It's been awesome to race with team tactics and cooperation instead of a bunch of guys with the same jersey riding "not against" each other. I mean full-on lead-out trains and setting up attacks for counterattacks, and blocking. The lead-outs have been great workouts - often harder than sprinting for the line. And my teammates have been delivered into the points. Such an awesome feeling. Almost makes up for my own lack of upgrade success. Almost.

Current thoughts going into the next phase of my racing schedule? Well, I hurt my lower back and hip and have pretty much been off the bike for over a week. I'm pretty much ok now, but it was definitely a bit of a mental and physical setback. I hope that I'll get back up to speed quickly and all the other stuff I've been doing translates into some good results in the upcoming criterium races. Yep, positive thinking continues!

And now some perspective on CycloSportif. I love this stuff. Bikes, bike racing culture, fashion, clothing, and Belgian waffles with Nutella. I keep putting off the next steps to get this little business really anchored, even though I've received such positive feedback and great support. Time to burn some midnight oil and see how viable this is. And, if you're still reading, I have a request: let me know, goad me, heckle me to continue. I'm an extrovert by nature, which means the presence of others gives me energy. I think you'll like the return on your small investment.

Cheers,

Joshua/CycloSportif