January 22, 2015: “Let Me OUT!”

I walked into my happy place today, by happy place I mean Barnes and Noble.  I proceeded to purchase one book and one magazine.  The magazine was Cycling Fitness, featuring winter workouts, winter gear etc.  There was one problem it was geared toward getting outside for the workouts.  In the winter here that is not a reasonable nor a safe option.  I looked at the pictures, the workouts and realized I have pretty bad cabin fever.  I have not been out on my bike since last year.

My bike work has been in the box I call my gym.  There is nothing more boring and demotivating than plugging away on a machine going nowhere.  I usually find a reason to cut my session short and move onto something else.  I know building the base for a couple months down the road is important especially if I wish to compete.  I just hate how stuck it makes me feel. 

I would make a good looking pro or atleast pic in a magazine

Todays photo was meant to reinvigorate me or atleast make me see what I am able to become.  I have slowly started to make changes in my diet.  Getting a healthy gym routine which I had before sickness and injury is paramount.  My neck feels about 75% and I think I should be able to start putting up lighter weights. My setbacks seem to last a week or so longer than they should. 

I had a vision to create a dark setup with a strobe to get the idea of motion.  In pedaling on the bike I was moving far too much and as opposed to motion it looked like I had multiple heads.  I could have really added the motion with a backlit strobe but wanted it to remain darker so I used a single flash with an orange filter and a 5 second exposure.  The flash was on the ground aimed upward to create the shadows and look letting myself blend into the black background.  I hope you enjoy and draw a little sliver out of this image.  Be yourself, be great, be dreamy

January 6, 2015: “What I Love”

Todays photo was very quick.  I worked today and developed a bad headache.  I returned home after slept for about 3 hours.  At that time I woke up and went to volleyball.  Luckily I have a 45 minute ride to volleyball that allowed me enough time to figure out what my project for today would be.  It is called “what I love”.  What I love is simple, I am sure you all could have guessed. 

I love cycling, this time of year though it is 10 degrees snowy and windy causing me to be off of my bike longing for the summer.  Find what you love and commit 100% to it.  Give it all you have and watch your passion and skill grow.

Reflections: Progression

Today is a bittersweet day, as I sit here I think about how I broke through some physical barriers this morning, then I come to the realization that in a few hours I’ll be a at a remembrance for my 21 year old cousin Thom who passed away last week.

Two extremes in one day and the melancholy is filling my heart right now.  My breakthrough this morning was wholly physical.  Just over a month ago I joined a “box” which is the term for a crossfit gym here in Lockport.  It is called Crossfit HOD.  My reasons for joining were mainly offseason cycling training and to work on my core and shoulder strength.  I walked in day one knowing I was going to be able to do any exercise put before me, maybe not that first time but eventually I would grow and develop the movements, the strength and mind to push myself where I needed to be.  Today was the breakthrough day where I took the jump.

Before the workout I asked Zach the trainer if he thought I could “RX” it.  RX is a term to complete the full workout without scaling any movements.  Today’s workout was a crossfit benchmark workout called “Helen”.  Complete 3 rounds for time;  run 400 meters, 21 kettlebell swings 53lbs, and 12 pullups.  I could have taken the easy way out and have completed 35lb swings and strap pullups, believe me that was my first thought.  Until today I had never completed a pullup or a 53lb swing in a workout.  Naturally I had worked on them and knew I would not have too much trouble with the swing, just had to do 2 to 3 sets each time.

Where I encountered the issue was whether not I could complete the 36 total required pullups.  I broke them up into sets of 2 and 3.  By my last round it was a few sets of 1.  I never gave in and finished Helen my first benchmark workout in 16:43.  Is it a good time, is it a bad time, did I finish first, did I finish last? I don’t know and don’t really care.  What these workouts are for me is a place to grow and build myself to be successful in life. 

Post RX and ride selfie

Relaxed enough at 30mph to take a picture

I was on cloud nine after the workout and had to bike another 15 miles home to get a total of 30 miles.  The clouds were turning the wind was picking up and I hated life.  I hate wind, wind is my biggest enemy in life.  I started out very apprehensive as I had to cross transit rd.  Riding in heavy traffic scares me but I got to the light and on route 93.  I looked down, I was going a respectable 17mph for the first 4 or so miles.  Then something clicked I don’t know what but I pushed a little harder, then harder next thing I know I was gliding along at 30mph on a straight away  for about a mile which is absolutely unheard of for me and in fact I barely get up to that speed when sprinting.  For a few miles I kept my pace between 24 -28mph.  I hit the downhill shortly after at about 41mph which could have been faster if I wasn’t being safe because of the wind.  Then for the remaining miles I kept the pace between 20 – 23mph.  This is a huge breakthrough because I didn’t feel like I was hitting a wall my mind didn’t tell me to quit, it said focus on each stroke its only 7,6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 more mile to go.  I do sprints and time trials on my own and struggle to keep any pace like this for 10 to 20 miles.  Today I carried it for 15 miles and I wasn’t racing anyone, I was able to think and enjoy the ride and blow my normal pacing out of the water. 

 Physically I am in an amazing place, mentally I am good but need more motivation outside of the gym to make the career change.  I made a few amazing breakthroughs that I can directly attribute to crossfit, but my next breakthrough needs to be so I can have the life I want to live.  The mindset I have been developing is making me a stronger and more motivated individual, despite this I have so much more to learn to develop and grow throughout my journey on this earth.

Ride stats from strava a pretty awesome app