2011

This year has definitely been interesting for me as far as my cycling and fitness training is concerned. I had big intentions for the year as always with less than spectacular results. I had visions of Mt. Mitchell and doing lots of major climbs and to get thin and fast.
I did a moderate amount of climbing not to include Mitchell. I did however come to the conclusion that my cycling was not about being the fastest fittest one in my group but just to be true to myself by doing the best that I can with the time I have.
My motocross riding has gotten better and have begun riding at some local tracks with my young buddy Zach. It has been a great way to have fun and get the core stronger. I have since constructed another jump at my home track and continue to get stronger and faster. Not too bad for a 40 year old!
This year has brought with it many challenges not related to cycling. Our son has had to be placed into a residential care facility to get the help he needs to overcome emotional issues from early childhood prior to our adopting him. We have prayed and persevered with him and we are hoping for great things from his time there. It is beyond me that there are parents out there who will totally ignore a baby to the point that they cannot develop social and emotional skills that it takes to give or accept love. It's difficult to think of and I pray that God will put those things in him.
My great freind Stephen is now in China for six weeks and while he is gone I have to ride and push myself alone much of the time. My dad and buddy Mike have filled in and ridden with me some which has been nice.
I have enjoyed being a part of Dailymile.com with some of my good freinds. It is a social networking website much like facebook that is geared toward cycling and running. Check it out if you can and become friends with us and log your own personal training.
I have new motivation as of the past few weeks due to having reached a new weight loss goal of 180 lbs. When I began my cycling I was a large out of shape 250lbs. and got down to 205-215 and maintained that for almost two years. I then began a long struggle to lose more but fought within myself and just couldn't seem to do it.
This past september I finally had enough and began a nutrition program that I stuck with and now am 182lbs. The change has been crazy-good and my climbing skills have improved drastically. I still hope to lean down to close to 170 but for cycling purposes had to add calories for fuel and have maintained well. I will begin to manage intake and try to slowly lean down to my goal.
I plan on getting back to my blog and posting training news and fun stories again so be watching for more on that.
To those who don't like to train in the winter I challenge you to get some warm gear and get to it, you are missing out! More to come...

Motocross kids

While cycling has taken a break this saturday we were still busy doing something fun and interesting. My son Robbie and I went down to Orangeburg to get the new(used) honda CR250R that I had been looking at and talking about for the last couple of weeks. I wanted to get another motocross bike to ride with the kids on theirs and it finally worked out! I sat them up on it while on the stand and took their picture. Then they got side by side an it looked like Evie was the mini-me! Anyway they loved it and were in awe of the new Big bike.
I too was somewhat in awe of it when I rode it the first time and realized that I had not ridden a full blown motocross bike this fast in a very long time, the thing is a BEAST! Fast isn't the word, scary more sums it up; but by the end of yesterday after playing in the field with it I finally got used to the power and could relax a bit. After about 20 minutes though my arms pumped up so bad I had to get off of it for fear of hurting myself. More cycling stories to come next week, but for now the motocrossing will have to do.