I'm Alive

About this time last year, I had already done a 50 miler on a treadmill, overnight.

I figured it was about time to step the game up, so I ventured out on my big gear single-speed road bike for a long ride to NH from Turner.

Froze my butt off, and my toes, too.

I was a little apprehensive about riding that bike for that distance-previous long ride on that bike was MAYBE 30 miles- but sometimes I get these very strong ideas in my head and can't shake them. I really love the idea of a single speed. Simplicity. Lightweight. And it makes you strong. When you are going uphill, there's no option but torque.

The reason for wanting to push so many watts for so long is that the Deca format this year is going to be less about long, easy saddle time and more about getting a fast time for each 112 mile bike ride...for 10 days straight. The faster I finish an Iron distance race each day, the more sleep and rest I can get to prepare for the next day.

There will also be lots of 5ks, 10ks, and marathons this year. More hard running, less zone-out 6+ hour runs this year.

Meanwhile, I've been trying to figure a way financially to Steve's new race, the Double Iron in Florida this year, in March. Yesterday's ride definitely tells me I can be ready in the next month. I would guess I need to raise about a grand. Thanks to a couple friends and family, I have a few contacts that I'll be pursuing. The goal is to create a relationship with the sponsors. I want to give them tons of publicity for however they choose to help.

The Double Iron would put me on track for the rest of the year. The fitness and mental strength gained from a race that hard, this early in the year would be HUGE in the prep for November.

Well, I guess I better get to work. Happy trails!

kp