New Year, New Training Plan, Same Goals

New year, new training plan ideas, same goals:


Last Year

Last year was the first year with a bike coach and a very singletrack, all bike training focus, which enabled me to ride more miles in a 6 month period than ever before. Although also caused a mid year severe knee tendonitis issue, which really made me realize how much I missed my daily riding fix.


This Year
The focus this year has been and will continue to be overall fitness, health, and nutrition, including lots of focused weight lifting training, core strength, and plyometrics. And of course time on the bike. So far so good...

I am still using a daily training plan, thanks to Cycling Form and Fitness, to ensure my training stays on track and is measurable. The plan is very detailed and having last year's information has been very interesting to compare against. I have also made an effort to not hibernate and sit on the trainer all winter long. I have been riding or snowshoeing outside every opportunity I can.


Thanks to Evan, 53x11 Coffee, and my family support I am sure this will be a great year of fitness, health, and good times!

Some new amazing coffees

From the beginning we've been working on bringing you the best coffees in the world. Our latest additions are the new House Espresso, The Easy Rider Espresso, and a great tasting Ethiopian Amaro Gayo. Both espressos are guaranteed to blow you out of the water.

Click here to check them out.

SKINS Recovery Tights

Hello Team,

I'm always on the search to bring in more info and new products that will help us train better, train harder, and train smarter.

I believe recovery is such an important part of training and is often so overlooked. Recovery is in the form of nutrition, stretching, and resting. How many of you train hard and then spend the rest of the day on your feet? I do more than I'd like, but it's just because I have so many other things going on that there's nothing I can do about it. I've come across a product that some of you may or may not be familiar with. The Skins recovery tights are a very helpful tool that I've been using and testing for the past couple months. Slip these on after your done training and feel the difference. They help keep you legs from swelling and getting that heavy feeling. I'll wear mine for a few hours after training or on long flights. I've only brought in a limited supply so first come first serve.

Check them out here.

Carbon race bike w/campy record $7000.00 Trip to Tucson $3000.00 Remembering you're 47 years old, priceless!

Yes its the off season and we're riding easy getting in some base miles just as the script says. Except those of us that haven't finished the year properly, perhaps put on a few little winter pounds. Maybe spent too much time at work, maybe too much time doing everything but what we should have been doing, again! If I ever let myself get a little lax on riding time I swear I'm not coming back. I wasn't feeling all that great before madera, but still I should have done better. If you're letting some time lapse between rides or whatever, don't do it man. My heart didn't explode yet so I'm giving myself another chance. At this stage of the game its more about quality of life. When I sit on the start line of a race I'm just happy to be there, things I never used to think about. I don't care how old you are, where you're at in life, anytime is a good time to start getting into better shape. We pass this way once, Let us find peace and balance, ride man, ride.

On The Road Again

Happy New Year to Evan, Owen and all my 53x11 Coffee teammates. It is the start of another season and I am giddy with anticipation (to parahrase Dr. Frankenfurter).
I have been riding my trainer almost every day since October but finally had my first real road ride of 2010 today. I did do one yesterday but that was what I consider "getting my feet" kind of ride. I did a 2 hr jaunt today around Mercer Island and had a great ride, seeing many other riders and teams out and about. It was nice to recoginize and to be recognized. I feel like part of a very large family and it was just a good feeling today. I did have one rider ask if I wanted to pace with him but I declined as I could feel my legs and I wanted just a nice training day. It was good to discover though that my 75% effort equaled his 100% as he did not get too far ahead and I often caught him. My legs are a bit heavy right now but I know I am on the road back.
Hope everyone had a great New Years.
Ty (aka Saddledancer).

Owen sighting...

Yes here He is, live from Tucson. Originally heralding from Missoula Montana. Owen Gue!! Woo Hoo! And accompanying Owen on His own quest to pound the rest is Brendan Halpin. What's fun about this picture is they're standing so similar, like Hammer picture posing 101. What's fun about Owen and Brendan is that I got to spend time with them . Owen is the cycling house President so I could understand His reciprocity in dealing with my goofiness but that kind of indulgence usually drops off as you get further away from the pinnacle in a corporate mix, however I found that not to be true in my visit to the cycling house.

Besides my own aspirations I'll be taking away much more, like a new found respect for tri-athletes. Wow. These folks don't stop, swimming, running, riding, and more I can't really equivocate but I do know they start before most people get up and work later than most people end their day. Its a good time in Tucson and as I had hoped I don't want to go back to the north east part of our country, but don't worry Hunny, I miss you.

Sometime in your life, you have to ride Mount Lemmon!

Cycling Camp 2010

I don't know where to start. So I'll just start at the beginning, I was getting a little depressed with northeast winterly things. Wanting to start the year off as best I could and also get my body temp. up to at least 97 or so, I headed off to the cycling house in Tucson. Dude (and Dudetts) this place is off the hook! Owen and the staff are incredibly good at what they do, providing anything you need from the best food I've ever had to discussions about riding and racing. And the riding in Tucson is nothing short of Epic.

53x11 coffee is the order of the day, not only starts our day off but anytime. And for a coffee nooner this feels like home. Its only my second day here and I can say I'll be back, next time with with my wife. I'm going to surprise her with a new 53x11 kit. This isn't what you would expect a bike camp to be, this is truly the miraval of cycling camps. I would hope more of 53x11 coffee team make the trip next year, Owen and the guys and girls can provide riding/training time for all of us, from mt. bikers to roadies to triathelets. I'll have some more pics soon, Tomorrow is Mount Lemmon! Woo Hoo!