Back on the Bike

2014 is shaping up to be a wonderful year!  It had a bit of a rocky start, but man I am so excited about the opportunities that are presenting themselves!  Since the start of the new year I’ve been working hard and eating healthy (with a splurge here and there…I can’t turn down French fries).  I’m happy to say finding balance in my life has made a huge difference.  I still work overtime, but I am back to doing all the other things I love like traveling and spending time with my family and friends.  This new found balance has contributed to me losing 10 pounds and I feel great!

Even with the new consistency in my workouts, I was terrified for training camp.  Before we even started pedaling on Saturday morning my HR was 144!  I run high to begin with, but it was pretty clear I was very intimated to be riding with some of these guys because I know how good they are.  I don’t think my HR came down below 120 the entire weekend except when we were having post ride beers at Apothecary and Morgantown Brewing Company…A little liquid courage and good food always helps the nerves.

                Anyone that has ever ridden with me knows I’m a terrible climber!  Absolutely terrible, but I really like climbing.  I’ve always loved the activities that challenge me most.  It’s why I got started in triathlon and cycling.  Three years ago I couldn’t swim, hadn’t ridden a bike in over a decade, and I couldn’t even run a mile so it made perfect sense (to me only) to go out and sign up for one of these events!  I still can’t climb, but I still like trying… luckily there was no shortage of hills at camp.

                Training camp was filled with 90+ miles of beautiful riding in WV and PA.  First time I’ve done that many miles in one weekend in over a year.  I felt surprisingly good after the weekend.  Thankfully, my good friend Greg Flood let me borrow his Carmichael training videos in January to help me prepare for this year or it would have been a much rougher weekend.  The added structure over the past three months really made a difference for my first weekend outside on the bike. 

Friday Night at our team meeting at Dynamic Physical Therapy in Sabraton JR stated “anyone can get matching jerseys and ride together, but that’s not what being on a team is about”.  I have some awesome teammates who took that statement to heart.  Teammates like Devin Corboy and Jeff Gernert who rode with me on some of the hills while everyone else was out of sight.  Or like Stephanie Lamb, Billy Slutz and Shawn Geiger who helped me change my flat towards the end of Saturday’s ride.  Those are just a few examples of how awesome these guys are.  The encouragement and support these guys provided the entire weekend is unparalleled.   

I'm really looking forward to seeing what else this year has to offer!