Wow it seems like forever since i have posted anything. Its been a heck of a ride and I am looking forward to getting back in some sort of routine with life and training,

Show Notes

• 27 year old drunk American slams into pack of cyclist in Mexico
  Photo courtousy of Jose Fidelino Vera Hernandez / AP
• Long Beach, Music http://www.thepier.org/
• Brother wedding
• Bike Fitting at Big Bang Bike Big Bang Bike sponsored time trials: http://www.acaracing.com/home.html
• YMCA, spinning class, expresso fitness, master swi class
• Work is ridiculous
• Diet soda…. I have fallen off the wagon
• Ireland –biking, hiking, driving, surfing.Gaelic football (pictures to come)
• Missed the Pittsburgh Triathlon
• Pittsburgh has the Most bridges in the world behind Venice Italy
• Randy Pausch – Last lecture If you ever need motivation. I have embed the video below but also included a link to the video on YouTube as well as his site:
  • YouTube Video: View Now
  • Randy Pausch: Website
• Pittsburgh Marathon

Music used in this week show:

New Invisible Joy – Come
visit them at http://www.newinvisiblejoy.com

Rebelution - Safe and Sound
visit them at http://www.rebelutionmusic.com/

Jack Johnson - Constellations
visit him at http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.com

I head out on a group ride with a local bike club called Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen . They are great organization and offer several different rides from spring through fall. They are very up front about if a ride is easy or hard or if its a ‘drop’ or ‘no drop’ group. They are very accommodating to newbies and are extremely knowledgeable. Everyone in the group seems to come from all walk off life as well. If your in the Western PA, Eastern Ohio, or West Virginia area check them out. Or if your visiting on business or pleasure, they are a easy group to pick up a ride with.

I go out with my wife for a run and talk about several different topics:

• Working from a Island
• Power Cube Energy All you need to work from a remote Island in the middle of nowhere and on a sandy beach drinking mojitos or some rum drink, listening to a little Jimmy.
• Our lack of fitness b/c a lack of routine and crazy busy schedule
• Why my wife won’t ever do a bike ride or a triathlon
• My sister the power triathlete
• And what constitutes visiting a state and how many we have been too

Our thoughts and prayer go out to the San Diego triathlete who was tragically killed by a shark while on a training swim

I head out on a group ride with a local bike club called Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen . They are great organization and offer several different rides from spring through fall. They are very up front about if a ride is easy or hard or if its a ‘drop’ or ‘no drop’ group. They are very accommodating to newbies and are extremely knowledgeable. Everyone in the group seems to come from all walk off life as well. If your in the Western PA, Eastern Ohio, or West Virginia area check them out. Or if your visiting on business or pleasure, they are a easy group to pick up a ride with.

I go out with my wife for a run and talk about several different topics:

• Working from Island
• Power Cube Energy All you need to work from a remote Island in the middle of nowhere and on a sandy beach drinking mojitos or some rum drink, listening to a little Jimmy.
• Our lack of fitness b/c a lack of routine and crazy busy schedule
• Why my wife won’t ever do a bike ride or a triathlon
• My sister the power triathlete
• And what constitutes visiting a state and how many we have been too

Our thoughts and prayer go out to the San Diego triathlete who was tragically killed by a shark while on a training swim

Yesterday I finally got officially fitted at Big Bang Bikes in West Mifflin, PA just south of the city. Glen is a rock star. Not only did he tell me that i was riding improperly he also made suggestion on ways to improve my riding. He also said that my bike is to small for me and when I purchase a new one I should move up a size. (I currently ride a 54 and should be riding a 55/56).

This show is amazing but I am bias. Glen and his staff schooled me on so many thing I didn’t know about cycling and gave reasonable explanations for why riding has been such a challenge for me.

Check them out, buy your bike from them, and get fit properly.

Big Bang Bikes

I am traveling to Tennessee for work this week. I will only be out there for a few days but still it takes a lot out of you.

I did some research on the hotel we are staying at and they seem to have a great gym and swimming lanes, a rarity in most hotel. However, this isn’t most hotels it the Gaylord Opery Land. This hotel is massive taking up 56 acreas for the building alone. Its Nashville attempt at a Vegas Hotel and let me tell you that they are there. It’s also attached to the Grand Olde Opery, the birth place of popular country music.

In Tennessee:
So this hotel is massive but there is definitely something they are missing…sidewalks. I went for a brief run in the muggy Tennessee air and I found myself running on the road in traffic and doing loops in the large parking lots to get the distance in. It made it interesting. The gym here is huge and I was surprised at the size of the pool. I never got to either due to the time constraints and lack of appropriate equipment. I probably got in a 3 mile run and yesterday i did 30 mins of Yoga. When I got here they didn’t have a room for me so they put me in a room that had a pull-out sofa with no padding and I woke up with a metal bar in my back. I was in some serious pain so i spent a good amount of time practicing some yoga positions to stretch out my back.

In Pittsburgh:
So I got back from my trip and I am exhausted plus my back is still bothering me from a few days ago. I might take a few days off and really get the needed rest in. It’s definitely good to be home and I am off to see my brother and sister who came home for Shanes Fiancee’s wedding shower.

 

 I Want to Ride my Podcast [61:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s been a interesting week and I decided to chance it and see where my bike fitness is and report on a bunch of other stuff.

Nuun - This stuff rocks.

SPorts Beans - New favorite running companion

SO after a week of some down times, read into that either way. I was able to create some new energy and move myself out of the blue and into the move.

Friday night, our friend Jen, my wife and i had a very energetic and healthy meal. Healthy in food and humor. Jen has to be one of the funniest chics I know and she kept us laughing all nite. As for the food that was great too. We went to a Ethiopian restaurant call Abay, pronounced “uh- by”, and had some great veggie and non veggie food. Amharic is the official language of Ethiopia. “Abay” is the Amharic name for the Blue Nile. The Blue Nile contributes more than 70% of the flow of the Nile and is a main source of nourishment for the Nile River.
I can hear the jokes already saying “Ethiopians, isn’t the problem that they don’t have anything to eat?”. We’ll world hunger aside, when they do eat its extremely taste and healthy. It’s flavor are very earthy. They tend to use more root spices like cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg and curry.

After a wonderful evening, I decided to make the mental choice to make it to Yoga Saturday morning even though I feel like my practice has become a bit stagnet. I continue to push forward and hope for the best. I had a bit of monkey mind during my practice but was able to quiet it down a few times. After a extremely sweaty and challenging practice. (The ab worked sucked). I felt motivated and energized.

The next day I woke up and headed off to North Park for a 12 mile ride. This was the first time I had been on the bike, outside, in over a year. It was extremely windy and I thought i might get blown off my bike a few times but it felt great. There were tons of people walking their dogs, running and quite a few cyclist as well. I did realize that is very important to get a proper fit. I am not at all comfortable on my bike and my outside pinky toes even after 12 miles felt like they were rubbing and my knees started to bother me so I really need to take some time and get a proper fit. I also realized that I really need to spend many many more hours on the bike. I need to reboost my confidence on the bike moving forward.

Well i accomplished my first goal of the season and completed my first 5k, I also was able to finish under 45 mins and didn’t walk any portion of the race.

I was lucky to have my wonderful training partner, martinivixen, by my side for the whole race. We attempted to achieve negative splits for each mile and were very close and only missed a negative split on the 3rd mile by a few seconds. We kept a 10:30 pace and finish at approx 33 mins. The course started with a 1/2 mile incline then hit a good size hill and then flatten out and rolled back into the finish line.

‘Just a Short Run’ was a great race once again and there was huge turnout of runners this year. It was a bitter cold day with a temp of 22 degree and after the race it was only 25 degree but the sun was partially out and made for a great day. We were well prepared for the race and a bit over prepared. We dressed appropriately for the condition and kept for the most part warm.

My wife surprised me at the finish line and that was a good way to finish.

I did feel a bit slow and I did struggle but when I finished that all went away. i am hoping to get another running race in next month.

My First race since I had surgery. Listen as Martinvixn, my awesome training partner and I get ready for the first race and talk about swag and nutrition.

So its been a interesting week and weekend. I was busy preparing and cleaning for the suprise 30th Anniversary party for my inlaws on Sat. The party went off without a hitch and i was amazed we were able to fit 40 some people in our small little house. Sunday we got up early went to mass then cooked Easter dinner which was fun. It was just my wife and my parents and everyone chipped in. We then headed down to my wifes grandmother place to say good bye to her brother before he flew back to Boston. By this time I was dragging major ass and we crashed when we got back. Mon and Tues were training days for my master certificate which was a bit brutal. Everyday i came home slept for a hour and then finished off more work that I may have missed. I still haven’t been able to get fully back on my feet and its going to be interesting to see how this effects my race on Sat.