15 KM

15 Kilometers on the skis today.  Wonder how the legs are gonna feel.  I cannot believe I am enjoying this as much I do a good bike ride!

Time of Year

Its getting to that time of year when I start thinking about what I am going to be doing for training in light of the upcoming season and what I will be riding for each of my events.  I am an all around kind of guy and tend to want  the ability to grab and go with a solid ride that I know will be dependable and fast in just about any race conditions.  It drives me absolutely crazy thinking about having to switch tires, bikes, wheels or w/e pre-race  because of wet or dry conditions, so I do all I can to find a setup that can handle any condition I would face, at least in Wisconsin.  Even at the Pro XCT scene I see top finishers rocking very similar setups to what I am running, so I think it could work beyond our own borders.

With all that being said, I am going to have a running review of different products and training techniques I used this year and looks at products and training I am or will be using in the coming year. 

First up will be tires, as they are the things I got the most comments  and weird looks about throughout the year.

Stay tuned for a review of Bontrager Jones XR 29’s along with other tires I have found success with and why.

Getting Pumped Already?

Two ways I am getting pumped up for next season already!

This and today was my first day of weights…wondering how the body will feel tomorrow as I downed a very strong cup of coffee and a power bar beforehand to keep it moving hard through all the reps.

How I do R and R

That is about all that has been happening around here.  I am playing the occasional hockey game.  I got worked this past weekend as only 7 people showed up for the game.  IT WAS AWESOME!  I got so much ice time.  With only 2 on the bench I think I sat once a period.  We tied 2-2, I scored 1 of them and DUG REALLY HARD in the corner to assist for the other one to my man Steve in front of the net.  

Usually I play 3 times a week during this time but with the amazing addition to our family, I am on the night shift and all pick-up hockey happens late night around here.  So just the “real deal” games.  Might not have known this about me, but I played varsity hockey for Arrowhead back in the day, and  hockey was the first place I dreamed about being a pro athlete.  Now I play in a  local C league on the weekends for cross training with my Dad and his buddies on the weekends.  I would play with the B league but its for the the workout and to hang out with my Dad.  The speed and  inability to make plays gets a little frustrating at times, but it teaches me to couch the competitive beast within and see what really matters, time with family and friends, I’ll save winning for the bike anyways.

Absent

My apologies for not showing at the awards banquet tonight. 

First of all I would be flying solo and a 5 hour two-way drive by myself tonight is not exactly what I would call fun. 

Then I would be at a awards banquet where I am recognized for my accomplishments, and although I highly value the racing community, all my friends in it and their recognition/encouragement/camaraderie, the people who I matter the most to and who matter the most to me would be missing me at home and not be able to share that moment with me, which would feel awkward. 

I love the banquets and try not to miss them.  I really wanted to be a part of it to enjoy and support the community.  I actually feel kinda bad for not going, but I just would have a hard time enjoying myself knowing I left the family at home and riding solo.  I really do feel like I am should be there, just torn with life commitments and time.

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH Darrin for picking up the prizes for me!  You are by far one of the best friends I have found in this sport and I appreciate you so much!

The Plan and lack there of!

Friel sums it up well as to why your not getting much blog action. I guess I am assuming you could care less about all the other stuff I do since this is a racing blog, but if you want more from other areas of life let it be known, otherwise deal with silence. :)

Then again Hockey will come soon enough, and I consider that racing, kinda….

Better watch out, new guy is only a few weeks old and Lindsay is setting 1 hour blue laps as an easy pace!

Here are a few more from earlier this month.

Kyle Mykul Guerra

He is amazingly well tempered, feeds well , sleeps well so far….

Born at 3:07 AM October 4th 2009

7 lbs 15 ounces

20 inches

 

Spent the weekend hanging out in a hospital room.  After Lindsay and Kyle were settled in, I went home with the girls on Sunday night, put them to bed and got my race on, since I missed WORS #11!  Hit the trainer for 1.5 hours. Built a pyramid with 1,2,3,4,5,5,4,3,2,1 minute intervals over threshold with half the intervals time in rest.  I thought that would be enough, but felt good and decided to add a 30 min. threshold ride with over threshold for 45 seconds into 30 seconds of threshold and back to 45 seconds until the last 5 minutes where I went over and above till I saw 190 BPM’s for the last couple minutes.  I have never had cramps from an interval ride until Sunday night a little while after the ride I had a crazy one that had me straight legged trying to hold onto my laptop while all sideways on the couch, trainer was as good as racing or maybe better?

Went to 2 classes out of 4 on Monday and took the day off the bike to hang with kids around the house and hang out at the hospital with family. 

Lindsay and Kyle were finally allowed to leave the hospital this morning and I took the whole day off school to help get them home and settled, but got a ride in during a little nap Kyle took.

Made my way toward Delafield and decided to do some warm-up recon for tomorrow with DB and the WETC Gangsters!

 

Thanks for reading,

Nathan