Cold Day for Reflection & Motivation

Today dawned clear and cold. Temps were -15 F at sunrise with WC temps hovering around -26 F. I decided to wait a couple of hours before heading out, with the hopes that the sunshine would warm things up. When I finally left the house it -10 F. Toasty!!

I ended up riding for 2.5 hrs. The going was slow, holiday shoppers in cars were a genuine pain in the ass and I'm sure they viewed me on my bike in much the same. It was a good ride and it allowed me time to think and plan for the coming year and reflect on the past year. I rode as long as my toes could stand it. Even with toe warmers sandwiching them in warmth they got pretty cold by the time my ride concluded.

Three more inches of snow are forecast for tonight, so tomorrow I'm looking forward to either another ride or a long morning run.

I'm hoping my studded tires were ordered today. Also it was great chatting on line with Andy C.

Track of day..."Extreme Ways" by the Moby.

Looking for motivation, a reason to continue slogging through your workouts, wondering what your New Year's resolutions will be and if you'll be able to follow through with them. If you haven't read "Ghost Trails" by Jill Homer you need to. It's a wonderful story about one person's journey through life and what led her to attempt and complete one of the most difficult endurance races in the world. Jill's story is a wonderful testament to human endurance and what it takes to push oneself to the edge of their limits and beyond.

It's that time of year when I tend to look back and think about what I have accomplished, what I failed at, what was learned, and what can I can take away from these experiences to help me focus on the upcoming year.

This past year has been one of trials and frustrations. From heart difficulties, fractured ribs, lack of confidence, lack of focus, and other challenges. The highlight of my cycling year was once again finishing Chequamegon. On the downside...my time was slower, I was not as prepared as I should have been because I didn't take things seriously enough.

The amigos had great aspirations at the beginning of the year. Our list of races was impressive and our intentions were good. I was excited and had difficulty containing it. Then illness, apprehension, and a general feeling of malaise took over. Fair Weather Kenny also had his own medical issues to deal with, and Grasshopper was flying back and forth to China for work. Our race schedule which held so much promise and excitement early in March became somewhat non-existent.

I'm now looking ahead to the upcoming year with the same excitement and anticipation I had last year. New dreams, goals, and epic challenges loom on the horizon. I'm feeling a sense of renewal and I am motivated to do what needs to be done in order to improve my fitness level and take on challenges that last year I thought were unattainable.

Over the course of the next two weeks I will plot my course, figure out a training schedule, re-open my training log and begin to diligently keep track of my workouts.

My challenge this year will be to also dedicate more time to my running. Running was my beginning and I want to be able to provide myself with some challenges. Biking is now my love, but running will always be a part of my life and my training schedule on a regular basis.

My wish list for the future....

Chequamegon...will always be on top of the list.
Horrible Hilly Hundreds...not sure what I'm getting myself into here besides pain and misery.
24hr race???? Maybe Afton or Nine Miles
Ultra trail run (50 miler) Hey, I'm a dreamer!
Arrowhead 135...sometime in the near future. I would like one of those handmade trophies.
Maybe even another tri...I did a short course two years ago and had a blast. Well, sort of.
Just some other fun and challenging adventures.