Rudy Project.

I have ordered Rudy Project sunglasses and helmet.  I'm excited.  Does anyone currently use Rudy Project?  What do you think of them?

The New Me. Septoplasty.

I have had a deviated septum for as long as I could remember.  Although I think for daily activities I could breathe just fine, I was for sure a mouth breather while working out, slightest sign of a cold or if I had just really big boogers.  What's a mouth breather?

I don't know when it happened.  Maybe I was born with it that way or maybe it was when I was a kid playing baseball and took a ball to the face.

 

 

It could have been worse.

Well I had surgery, septoplasty, on Tuesday 1/5/10.  I got the splints taken out yesterday.  The recovery was pretty easy.  I have heard a lot of horror stories on recover from this surgery but mine was pretty easy.  I felt like I had a cold for a week.  I feel right now like I am getting over a cold.  My nose is still sore and the area around it is a little tender.  I am no longer restricted on doing anything although I am going to have to take another shift off because the doctor doesn't want me to have to wear a mask for another few days.

I am really looking forward to be able to have a conversation while on the bike, or eat a powerbar while riding.  These are tasks that have always been hard because I couldn't breathe through my nose.  My wife is hoping that after the swelling is completely gone (another 3 weeks) that my nose will be smaller...i doubt it.

 

Another Cycling Supporting Company

Need cake.  Check them out.  Once again this is a company that supports cycling, so if you are in need of a cake for any occasion, call them first.  Plus you have probably raced against the bakers Tim and Jennifer Shockley.

Click the logo to be directed to their site.

Thank you.

Looking to next spring.

This is not a cycling post.  Now might be the time for you to think of yard work for next spring.  I just wanted to through this option out.  These guys are supporters of cycling and actually run by racers.  So if you need landscaping done in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake areas, call them first.

Click the logo to be directed to their site.

Thank you.

The Year in Review. The Best and Worst.

2009 is over and 2010 arrived last night and kept me awake at the firehouse since about 3am.  Many people think we are into the next decade, but in truth we are just finishing up a decade (in our method of counting years, 1 AD followed 1 BC.  There was not a year 0 AD or 0 BC.  Therefore the decade ends at the end of 2010).  2009 brought about a lot of changes (I actually hate using the word change though, because 2009 changed the denotation of that word).  Here is my year in review:

I sold my mountain bike and fixed gear bike and was able to buy a new road frame (then sold the Giant road frame) and upgrade most of my components on the road bike and CX bike.  Limited the number of rides I had but the quality improved.

Always check your child's homework was one of the funniest pictures I found on the internet and reposted it here.  My dad even thought it came from one of my kids, but of course my wife doesn't work at Home Depot.

Check your child's homework

My brother was kind enough to find old pictures at my parent's house, scan them and post them on Facebook.  Some were of us racing, some of us hanging with friends in the current fad styles, and one was of me dressed as a girl.  These pictures ended up framed and hanging in my fire station.

 

 

Click here for other pictures and the full story

We promoted the first Smithfield HAMmer Fest 2-man TTT in June.  This was a big deal for me.  I stepped out of my comfort zone on this one by holding a race on large open roads not closed to traffic.  The only problem was that I wasn't able to race (or any of my team for that matter).  It was a success though (people had fun, the team made $8 so it wasn't a money maker success).  It will be back in 2010.  Jeff Lawson was probably the only one who did not enjoy himself.

http://firebike.blogspot.com/2009/06/smithfield-hammer-fest-2-man-ttt.html

I had a strange day at the beach on one July afternoon.  I got involved in a rescue of a drowning man and saw the Hilton catch fire....or at least I thought.

strange beach day

I went hunting for the first time.  The result:

 

 

Here's how it happened 

 

 

In addition to all that stuff, I got promoted to Captain, I graduated from ODU with a degree in Exercise Science, I received my NSCA Strength and Conditioning Specialist Certification, I started working part-time as a trainer/coach.  (taking a breath)  My youngest daughter started Kindergarten which is all day so both of my girls are going to school all day long.  My wife started working part-time as a pre-school teacher.  I really enjoyed myself in cross season this year even though I sucked at it.  My team promoted a CX race which meant we promoted 3 races in 2009 (not bad for a team of 6, but it is more for 2010; up to 9 now).  I lost weight early in my base building season and have trained hard through the fall and winter.

 

2010.....bring it on!

 

 

Ready for 2010?

2009 was a big year for me.  What happened? 

• I received a promotion at work to Fire Captain in the middle of January.
• I graduated from ODU with a degree in Exercise Science in May.  This was a 14 year endeavor so it meant a lot.

• After graduating I also begin working part-time again as an athlete development coach/trainer.  Here's my plug:  anyone need any coaching, especially conditioning, movement and strength; then I'm available.
• In cycling I broke every PR for all the TTs I did this year
• I also gained confidence in "last lap" tactics and sprinting.

So what does 2010 have in store for me?

• In the beginning of January I am having surgery to fix my deviated septum.  So I am hoping to be able to breath in 2010.
• I have been training really hard this pre-season.  We have developed a conditioning/strength program for cyclists.  The Virginia Beach Wheelmen were the test subjects for it last year and it was focused in more this year.  Along with base miles (aerobic base and muscular endurance base) on the bike we have also focused on balance and coordination, strength/force production, power using plyometric training and anaerobic base using cross training and cycling intervals.  This type of training is not exclusive to us:

 

Lance Armstrong used a very similar strength and conditioning program last year during his comeback.  I'm not saying to do what Lance does, but it does add a bit of validity to the program.

• This last week was the most amount of time I spent training and the most miles I have put in since I started racing again in 2006.  I know a lot of people put in a lot of time training but I have not always had the time or the motivation.  This last week I put in 14 hours and 193 miles.  Like I said earlier, some of my training is off the bike, so time and miles don't always match up.
• I also lost weight this off-season.  Last year I raced at 195 lbs.  I am currently 183 lbs.  That will make a difference.
  

So I think I am ready for 2010.

Are you?

New Look

I've been working on a new look.  I call it Blue Steel:

Okay, I've already used this look:

So maybe I will call it Argyle Steel:

 

 

Well maybe instead of being ridiculously good looking it looks ridiculously gay.  But how about our new team clothing.  These are a few shots from Mike's new BikeCam on our team clothing's maiden ride.  This clothing is our winter kit that consists of long sleeve jerseys and jackets.  Our summer kits will be just like this but with sponsor logos on them as well.  They are pretty sweet.  What do you think?