Thursday, April 28, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Be safe out there
Everyone be safe on this holiday weekend. I hope you all have good weather to train or race if that is the case. If you are racing good luck, but don't be safe, throw it out on the ragged edge.
I haven't posted here in a bit, and since there was something other than riding going on I thought I would.
Running 4-5 miles after work, then headed to my wife's salon for some handyman work. I'm looking forward to the run miles, as it's been almost 10 day's. Then it's home to make a big fat spinach salad for dinner.
Saturday calls for a group ride of 62 or so miles, so with the ride to and from it should be closer to 80 miles with mild temps and high anxiety.
Sunday is Easter, but we are solo this year. I am banking on another 5 mile run.
In between all this I for see some movies being watched and a couple of jacuzzi sessions.
My continued motivating picture: from here.
to here 8 months and hammering away :
Train hard,train smart and be healthy
I haven't posted here in a bit, and since there was something other than riding going on I thought I would.
Running 4-5 miles after work, then headed to my wife's salon for some handyman work. I'm looking forward to the run miles, as it's been almost 10 day's. Then it's home to make a big fat spinach salad for dinner.
Saturday calls for a group ride of 62 or so miles, so with the ride to and from it should be closer to 80 miles with mild temps and high anxiety.
Sunday is Easter, but we are solo this year. I am banking on another 5 mile run.
In between all this I for see some movies being watched and a couple of jacuzzi sessions.
My continued motivating picture: from here.
Train hard,train smart and be healthy
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Yes I was an instigator !
I'm trying to keep this blog reserved for Multi sport. However if I don't prompt followers to my other blog then they just wont know. Maybe I should have took the ass kissing and pushed it towards here http://cyclingbehindtheorangecurtain.blogspot.com/ *** sigh *** feel free to click link.
Friday, April 8, 2011
this is a great read and story of enduring
Hello cycling world. I am writing this diary for VeloNews in hopes that I can shed light on a side of cycling that is not often covered: what life is like for a cyclist forced away from the sport to deal with illness or injury and how long the road back to the start line can truly seem. Here is my story.
I started racing bikes for the University of Maryland in 2005 as a form of cross-training for triathlons. I went as far as finishing on the podium in a local marathon and even winning a half ironman. My first races as a category 5 saw me win three races in eight days. But as I progressed as a triathlete, a running-related knee injury snuck up on me. Instead, I turned my efforts to cycling. I was 22 years old.
In 2008 I signed my first professional contract after finishing on the podium at the elite national criterium championships and winning Downers Avenue at Superweek. In 2009, I finally learned how to race my bike with Team Mountain Khakis. I rode away from my breakaway at the Historic Roswell Criterium and won again two nights later with a three-to-go attack at the Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic. A few podiums after that I had the sprinters jersey from the Nature Valley Grand Prix hanging in my closet along with the USACrits leader’s jersey.
All of the sacrifices I had made, the pressure I put on myself and the support from my friends and family brought me to a place where all of my dreams had finally come true. I had become one of the biggest breakout riders in 2009 and the number of contract offers showed it. I signed with Team Type 1 with the hopes of getting some European experience.
My training, however, was inconsistent as I was preparing for the 2010 season. I tried to shake it off by driving from my hometown of Bethesda, Maryland, (yeah Mid-Atlantic!) to Tucson, Arizona, for a warmer climate. But instead, it felt like the floor fell out from under my feet when I got there. I could barely pull through on the group rides, I had to cut every workout short and even my days off were a struggle.
When rest was not enough, my coach BJ Basham and I looked at my diet and sleeping habits, then eventually ordered a series of blood tests. We found that a previous exposure to Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) — which causes Mono and stays with you for life — had been reactivated and that I was dealing with a current infection.
Commonly referred to as chronic fatigue, EBV cannot be treated with antibiotics. You must start on a diet filled with immunity-building foods and supplements. In order for the body to fight the infection, you must keep all physical activity to a minimum. All that a traditional physician can tell you is to treat the symptoms — meaning that when you feel tired, don’t do anything.
After speaking with three different doctors, I was secretly hoping for a miracle but the news was always the same. My heart was broken. I had always heard stories of riders experiencing similar issues, but I’d had a plan and this wasn’t part of it.
At this point I had no idea that I was about to miss the entire season and be faced with a slow road back to the peloton. One berry protein/root vegetable cleanse and a few easy weeks of training later, it was apparent that I was not getting over my EBV anytime soon.
Twice, I took more than a month off from ALL forms of training during the season.
Each time, I struggled to remain positive when my first rides back had a heartrate ceiling of 130 bpm and power that never got above 120 watts.
It was an emotional rollercoaster. I would try to keep my head up, but that was difficult when faced with constant disappointment. My weight continued to fall as I lost a lot of the muscle mass in my legs. It was mid-July when my second attempt at a comeback fell flat. Season over.
I had taken college classes at the rate of one semester per year for a long time. Now that I was approaching my final semester of my undergraduate studies, I was worried. It wasn’t the three economics courses for which I had registered, but the fact that I had just spent another six weeks on the couch. I had literally been cutting my trips to the grocery store short and my walks around the block were a challenge.
All I wanted was to be healthy again. I no longer cared what jersey I had on my back. My love for this sport could not be ignored, it kept me up at night and I couldn’t sleep. I dreamt of lacing up my running shoes and pedaling my mountain bike to the grocery store without the fear of forced rest to follow.
For the next four months, I averaged four hours of training per week. That’s right, four hours per week for four months! I started with 10-20 minute rides at 80-100 watts. Ultimately, my condition left me with more questions than answers. “Am I tired from the EPV or severely weak legs?” was one question I asked myself each day.
Finally, the New Year arrived and with it came the promise of a clean slate. I knew that 2011 had to be better. I was fortunate enough to sign with Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth thanks to some understanding directors who each had struggled with Epstein Barr during their cycling careers. By January I gained back seven pounds that I had lost, completed a 20-hour week at training camp and joined my first group ride in more than a year.
Most of my riding hovered in my active recovery and endurance zones for January and February. But soon I found myself thinking, “Might as well race, right?” I drove up to Merced, California, and got dropped 8k into my first race in more than 18 months. I had to rotate in a group off the back for three-and-a-half hours to make the time cut, fighting cramps to come home in 87th place.
As though I had not learned my lesson from Merced, I returned to racing the next weekend only to finish 42nd out of 44 riders in a first stage time trial in Murrieta, California. You can’t fake it when there is no one to draft off and my 320 watts for 12 minutes didn’t fool anyone. Six months earlier I was afraid that I was going to have to retire when I couldn’t find a team that would sign me and now I couldn’t stop smiling while I was getting my head kicked in.
Every single one of us is faced with adversity. We all have our own unique story. When hitting life’s road blocks, how is it as athletes that we get through? Fortitude? Prudence? I can tell you that maintaining both is quite difficult. We know how to put our heads down and push through the tough times, but when dealing with illness/injury the best thing we can do for ourselves is to be realistic, humble and patient.
In the final stage of Murrieta, I bridged across to the winning break and subsequently hung on for dear life at the back. I still have a long way to go but remain optimistic. Next up for me is Sunny King in Alabama, Tro Bro Leon and Tour of Brettagne in France.
Stay tuned as I continue to send in updates of life in the slow lane.
Editor’s note: Tom Soladay is a professional cyclist with the Kelly Benefit Strategies- OptumHealth Pro Cycling Team. He won the sprinters jersey at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2009, along with back-to-back wins in USACrits Speedweek.
I started racing bikes for the University of Maryland in 2005 as a form of cross-training for triathlons. I went as far as finishing on the podium in a local marathon and even winning a half ironman. My first races as a category 5 saw me win three races in eight days. But as I progressed as a triathlete, a running-related knee injury snuck up on me. Instead, I turned my efforts to cycling. I was 22 years old.
In 2008 I signed my first professional contract after finishing on the podium at the elite national criterium championships and winning Downers Avenue at Superweek. In 2009, I finally learned how to race my bike with Team Mountain Khakis. I rode away from my breakaway at the Historic Roswell Criterium and won again two nights later with a three-to-go attack at the Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic. A few podiums after that I had the sprinters jersey from the Nature Valley Grand Prix hanging in my closet along with the USACrits leader’s jersey.
All of the sacrifices I had made, the pressure I put on myself and the support from my friends and family brought me to a place where all of my dreams had finally come true. I had become one of the biggest breakout riders in 2009 and the number of contract offers showed it. I signed with Team Type 1 with the hopes of getting some European experience.
My training, however, was inconsistent as I was preparing for the 2010 season. I tried to shake it off by driving from my hometown of Bethesda, Maryland, (yeah Mid-Atlantic!) to Tucson, Arizona, for a warmer climate. But instead, it felt like the floor fell out from under my feet when I got there. I could barely pull through on the group rides, I had to cut every workout short and even my days off were a struggle.
When rest was not enough, my coach BJ Basham and I looked at my diet and sleeping habits, then eventually ordered a series of blood tests. We found that a previous exposure to Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) — which causes Mono and stays with you for life — had been reactivated and that I was dealing with a current infection.
After speaking with three different doctors, I was secretly hoping for a miracle but the news was always the same. My heart was broken. I had always heard stories of riders experiencing similar issues, but I’d had a plan and this wasn’t part of it.
At this point I had no idea that I was about to miss the entire season and be faced with a slow road back to the peloton. One berry protein/root vegetable cleanse and a few easy weeks of training later, it was apparent that I was not getting over my EBV anytime soon.
Twice, I took more than a month off from ALL forms of training during the season.
Each time, I struggled to remain positive when my first rides back had a heartrate ceiling of 130 bpm and power that never got above 120 watts.
It was an emotional rollercoaster. I would try to keep my head up, but that was difficult when faced with constant disappointment. My weight continued to fall as I lost a lot of the muscle mass in my legs. It was mid-July when my second attempt at a comeback fell flat. Season over.
I had taken college classes at the rate of one semester per year for a long time. Now that I was approaching my final semester of my undergraduate studies, I was worried. It wasn’t the three economics courses for which I had registered, but the fact that I had just spent another six weeks on the couch. I had literally been cutting my trips to the grocery store short and my walks around the block were a challenge.
All I wanted was to be healthy again. I no longer cared what jersey I had on my back. My love for this sport could not be ignored, it kept me up at night and I couldn’t sleep. I dreamt of lacing up my running shoes and pedaling my mountain bike to the grocery store without the fear of forced rest to follow.
For the next four months, I averaged four hours of training per week. That’s right, four hours per week for four months! I started with 10-20 minute rides at 80-100 watts. Ultimately, my condition left me with more questions than answers. “Am I tired from the EPV or severely weak legs?” was one question I asked myself each day.
Finally, the New Year arrived and with it came the promise of a clean slate. I knew that 2011 had to be better. I was fortunate enough to sign with Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth thanks to some understanding directors who each had struggled with Epstein Barr during their cycling careers. By January I gained back seven pounds that I had lost, completed a 20-hour week at training camp and joined my first group ride in more than a year.
Most of my riding hovered in my active recovery and endurance zones for January and February. But soon I found myself thinking, “Might as well race, right?” I drove up to Merced, California, and got dropped 8k into my first race in more than 18 months. I had to rotate in a group off the back for three-and-a-half hours to make the time cut, fighting cramps to come home in 87th place.
Preparing for the time trial
As though I had not learned my lesson from Merced, I returned to racing the next weekend only to finish 42nd out of 44 riders in a first stage time trial in Murrieta, California. You can’t fake it when there is no one to draft off and my 320 watts for 12 minutes didn’t fool anyone. Six months earlier I was afraid that I was going to have to retire when I couldn’t find a team that would sign me and now I couldn’t stop smiling while I was getting my head kicked in.
Every single one of us is faced with adversity. We all have our own unique story. When hitting life’s road blocks, how is it as athletes that we get through? Fortitude? Prudence? I can tell you that maintaining both is quite difficult. We know how to put our heads down and push through the tough times, but when dealing with illness/injury the best thing we can do for ourselves is to be realistic, humble and patient.
In the final stage of Murrieta, I bridged across to the winning break and subsequently hung on for dear life at the back. I still have a long way to go but remain optimistic. Next up for me is Sunny King in Alabama, Tro Bro Leon and Tour of Brettagne in France.
Stay tuned as I continue to send in updates of life in the slow lane.
Editor’s note: Tom Soladay is a professional cyclist with the Kelly Benefit Strategies- OptumHealth Pro Cycling Team. He won the sprinters jersey at the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 2009, along with back-to-back wins in USACrits Speedweek.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Stop this ride. i WANT TO GET OFF
Boy oh boy, that 4 hour drive one way to Vegas never gets easier. But just like who we are, you put your head down and scream complaints in your head and get it done.
That being said, this weekend wasn't all travel. I had a full schedule but I needed to get some miles in on the road, before I had to put some miles in on the road in a vehicle.
Saturday a.m. started at 5:30 a.m. helping my wife set up this crazy neighborhood garage sale thing. By 6:40 a.m. I was geared up and fueled up for a modified group ride with bike club. I road off at 7:00 to meet Patrick from http://www.theroadmultisport.com/. I later found out that day he had some logistic issued from the day before while he made a long trek down to Oceanside 70.3 on his bike. I'll let him tell that story on his own if he chooses.
Speaking of which, big shout out to Jason at http://cooktraineatrace.com/ for his outstanding efforts in this race. Read his report if you haven't done so already.Also check out his blogs, very inspiring and super informative.
So I had a modified ride of 55 miles. Where the club was slotted for a 62 mile ride. I road the first 1/2 of the ride and then split off at a regrouping point and road the last 1/2 solo or linked with some random riders and vise verse. I got in a solid 55 miles with a return 15 mile interval session. Calling for a 28 mph holding pace for 1 mile, then backing off for 1/2 mile never dropping below 22 mph.
This is to build that long effort stamina.
I felt solid by the end of this ride. I just need to get out there several times a week. Lately it has been only 2x.
I also flatted for the first time in 8 months, and it happened less than 750 meters from my house ( HELL YAH !!) Luck of the Irish !
I bought this picture, but ripped it first. Sitting 4th wheel at last weeks Tuesday night crit races.
Seeing this picture makes me know it was taken moments before we blew that field behind us apart. In fact I see the lead out man glancing over his shoulder to contemplate an attack.
Un officially finished 7th out of 21. Officially I did not qualify. Apparently you can buy a one day CBR license but you can't contend points for the series. So this was a lesson learned.
When I returned home my wife had sold about $ 300.00 worth of stuff that was never making it back into my garage. So that was worth 4.5 hours worth of her time I think.
We wrapped that up, had lunch and a shower and headed to my sons. He just got the keys to his new house (yah !) pretty great effort for a 26 year old in California.
He was in full demo mode by the time we arrived. Pictures to follow later.
Bed early and up Sunday @ 4:00 a.m. for coffee and the VEGAS DRIVE !
It went fine with little to no traffic. Had breakfast on the way and got in town around 10:00 a.m.
By 2:00 the birthday boy was looking tuff in his new shades and everyone was having fun.
By 5:00 I just wanted to sleep. But it wasn't to be. The wife and I were off to check in to
http://www.planethollywoodresort.com/
I wasn't very impressed, but the room was pretty sweet. Top floor with only two rooms between us and the elevator = bonus !
We went to the floor show of Tony and Tina's wedding (no link) because I am not recommending it. It was pretty cheesy and it feels played out by the performers. NUF SAID-
Ended up leaving 3/4 of the way through the show, grabbed a couple of beers and donated to slot machines for a couple of hours. More talking back and forth to wife and cheering on each other to our next jackpot (HA HA).
We were in bed by midnight. We had committed to the grand kids to pick them up in the a.m. and take them to breakfast before school. Which we did and it was awesome. From there we just got right back on the road and headed back home. BRUTAL HUH ! That's why this ride needs to stop.
We made it home without issues. Even made the stop at http://coatescyclery.com/ for my rear cassette
change. Which they did without charge or grief in less than 10 minutes. These guys are awesome.
From there it was all about getting home. We hit the bed at 2:30 for a nap and woke up at 7:00. Hung out and opened some mail and back to bed by 9:55.
I was then up at 5:45 a.m. this morning for a blurry eyed 4 mile run. It felt good because I haven't been on my run game lately. But I really felt a bit fuzzy for the first mile due to lack of sleep.
It's all good.
Bike Wednesday a.m., I don't think I can make the bike races tonight, unless I really pull it together. As of now though, I'm out.
Train hard,train smart, be healthy.
That being said, this weekend wasn't all travel. I had a full schedule but I needed to get some miles in on the road, before I had to put some miles in on the road in a vehicle.
Saturday a.m. started at 5:30 a.m. helping my wife set up this crazy neighborhood garage sale thing. By 6:40 a.m. I was geared up and fueled up for a modified group ride with bike club. I road off at 7:00 to meet Patrick from http://www.theroadmultisport.com/. I later found out that day he had some logistic issued from the day before while he made a long trek down to Oceanside 70.3 on his bike. I'll let him tell that story on his own if he chooses.
Speaking of which, big shout out to Jason at http://cooktraineatrace.com/ for his outstanding efforts in this race. Read his report if you haven't done so already.Also check out his blogs, very inspiring and super informative.
So I had a modified ride of 55 miles. Where the club was slotted for a 62 mile ride. I road the first 1/2 of the ride and then split off at a regrouping point and road the last 1/2 solo or linked with some random riders and vise verse. I got in a solid 55 miles with a return 15 mile interval session. Calling for a 28 mph holding pace for 1 mile, then backing off for 1/2 mile never dropping below 22 mph.
This is to build that long effort stamina.
I felt solid by the end of this ride. I just need to get out there several times a week. Lately it has been only 2x.
I also flatted for the first time in 8 months, and it happened less than 750 meters from my house ( HELL YAH !!) Luck of the Irish !
I bought this picture, but ripped it first. Sitting 4th wheel at last weeks Tuesday night crit races.
Un officially finished 7th out of 21. Officially I did not qualify. Apparently you can buy a one day CBR license but you can't contend points for the series. So this was a lesson learned.
When I returned home my wife had sold about $ 300.00 worth of stuff that was never making it back into my garage. So that was worth 4.5 hours worth of her time I think.
We wrapped that up, had lunch and a shower and headed to my sons. He just got the keys to his new house (yah !) pretty great effort for a 26 year old in California.
He was in full demo mode by the time we arrived. Pictures to follow later.
Bed early and up Sunday @ 4:00 a.m. for coffee and the VEGAS DRIVE !
It went fine with little to no traffic. Had breakfast on the way and got in town around 10:00 a.m.
By 2:00 the birthday boy was looking tuff in his new shades and everyone was having fun.
http://www.planethollywoodresort.com/
I wasn't very impressed, but the room was pretty sweet. Top floor with only two rooms between us and the elevator = bonus !
We went to the floor show of Tony and Tina's wedding (no link) because I am not recommending it. It was pretty cheesy and it feels played out by the performers. NUF SAID-
Ended up leaving 3/4 of the way through the show, grabbed a couple of beers and donated to slot machines for a couple of hours. More talking back and forth to wife and cheering on each other to our next jackpot (HA HA).
We were in bed by midnight. We had committed to the grand kids to pick them up in the a.m. and take them to breakfast before school. Which we did and it was awesome. From there we just got right back on the road and headed back home. BRUTAL HUH ! That's why this ride needs to stop.
We made it home without issues. Even made the stop at http://coatescyclery.com/ for my rear cassette
change. Which they did without charge or grief in less than 10 minutes. These guys are awesome.
From there it was all about getting home. We hit the bed at 2:30 for a nap and woke up at 7:00. Hung out and opened some mail and back to bed by 9:55.
I was then up at 5:45 a.m. this morning for a blurry eyed 4 mile run. It felt good because I haven't been on my run game lately. But I really felt a bit fuzzy for the first mile due to lack of sleep.
It's all good.
Bike Wednesday a.m., I don't think I can make the bike races tonight, unless I really pull it together. As of now though, I'm out.
Train hard,train smart, be healthy.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Road trip "again"
Making the Vegas drive again this weekend.
It's my grandsons birthday (yah). We got him a cool basketball hoop set up and a new ball. He's kind of a jock so anything sports related is cool.
Last year I made him this
I loved making it , and even loved more skating it with him. Its all good.
I dislike the 4 hour drive, but it is what it is.
We aren't leaving until Sunday Morning early (like 4:30 a.m. early). Theres a really cool church we like to go to when we are out there., (I know Vegas of all place right?) but it is pretty rad.
Will hit 1st service at 9:30 and then straight away back to there house for BBQ and B-day party. The evening will be spent with just my wife. We are heading to a show
Were staying through Monday to miss the debacle of traffic that happens Sunday night.
I plan on stopping at http://coatescyclery.com/ on the way back. This is where I was able to land my
Felt F-1 deal at. Not only are they just a cool old school store, the owner is just a flat out great guy.
Tomorrow we have this crazy neighborhood garage sale. I will sell as much unwanted home stuff that I have for whatever price and be overly excited about it. You know you have to have that stuff out at like 7:00 a.m. to satisfy the garage sale buying people. These people are crazy and yet awesome,it's like a sport to them.
It's my grandsons birthday (yah). We got him a cool basketball hoop set up and a new ball. He's kind of a jock so anything sports related is cool.
Last year I made him this
I dislike the 4 hour drive, but it is what it is.
We aren't leaving until Sunday Morning early (like 4:30 a.m. early). Theres a really cool church we like to go to when we are out there., (I know Vegas of all place right?) but it is pretty rad.
Will hit 1st service at 9:30 and then straight away back to there house for BBQ and B-day party. The evening will be spent with just my wife. We are heading to a show
Tony n' Tina's Wedding
It's supposed to be good, and seeing that my wife is of the Italian big family drama decent, it should play out well.Were staying through Monday to miss the debacle of traffic that happens Sunday night.
I plan on stopping at http://coatescyclery.com/ on the way back. This is where I was able to land my
Felt F-1 deal at. Not only are they just a cool old school store, the owner is just a flat out great guy.
I haven't been completely impressed with the gear ratio that was set up in the rear. He says bring it buy and I'll swap it out with whatever Dur ace gear set we decide you need, for free. That is some customer service right there. Not only that, he just sent me via the mail my Fizik seat back that wasn't perfect when I picked up my bike.
Tomorrow we have this crazy neighborhood garage sale. I will sell as much unwanted home stuff that I have for whatever price and be overly excited about it. You know you have to have that stuff out at like 7:00 a.m. to satisfy the garage sale buying people. These people are crazy and yet awesome,it's like a sport to them.That being said, I will help set all this up and then hit the road for a good 3 hour ride before heading home to see how much loot we did or didn't score. From there I'll post a Craigslist curb alert for all the unsold stuff (because I'm not restocking).
Triathlon training has been sparse due to a lack of interest in any particular race. No swimming this week at all, which I have missed. Very little running to speak of which I miss even more. And I will only total 100 miles on the bike. ( BLEH !!) I need to find a tri that peaks my interest. I have some Cycling only races slated but I need that multi sport fix too. Or at least a good 10k running race to focus on. Maybe I'll look at some trail running 10k's for some adventure. Alright that's it.
Train hard,train smart and be healthy.
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