First night that I have had to myself to really get down to the metal about some things on my mind. Most specifically, this will entail the coming preparations for a 2 year project involving layered steps to major achievements in life. What I am inferring is not only the value of these words or the physical exertion neccessary to achieve the lifestyle that requires this kind of devotion to achieve a goal. I am 25 years old and soon will be 26 this coming April. As best as I can determine, I am at the pinnacle of youth, equipped with a good education (which has taught me a lot), and a vague but promising future. Where I go from here, the world only knows. However, amongst the spinning dice of uncertainty on this roulette table of chance, I have some immediate goals to address. I have typed my top 5 below.
1. Race and successfully finish the Leadman Series in 2011.
2. Race and successfully finish the Xterra World Championship in 2010.
3. Race and successfully finish the Xterra National Championship.
4. Complete every Winter Park race in the 2010 series.
5. Complete at least 4 Xterras in 2010.
These are formidable tasks which require extensive planning. They also represent the top of the class in terms of competition, challenge, and tenacity. I don't doubt that I may fail the Leadman Series in 2011. I don't doubt that a mechanical error could kill my shot in Hawaii. I don't doubt that my body could fail on me. I don't doubt that to some extent, certain people may consider these challenges lunacy. Perhaps they are.
Outside, it is 5 degrees in December. The heaters in my dilapidated trailer can barely keep up. Yet, as I lay in my sleeping bag and look out over the cold ground which lays outside my window, I know that it makes me hard. That's what these past 3 years have been. Hard years which age people all too quickly. There will be time for rest, just not now.
From here on, this blog will serve as a foundation for my commitment to achieving these goals effectively. It will take money, lonely nights at the gym, and countless laps in the pool. Still, with these challenges, time will reveal a life story worthy of reflection. So it begins now.
Week 1 and 2.
I made it to the gym consistently this week and the last. Ramping up my training and working to hammer down some approach to support the needed changes. Training through the winter is a first time thing for me. I have usually taken the past two years off to pursue snowboarding and drinking. Now, I am faced with the challenge of how many laps swam, how much protein consumed, and how many miles ran while the December air bites at my mind. I hate and love winter in Colorado. I used to love it a lot more. Now, it represents an added challenge that I must overcome. And so I do.
I also took order of the last and final bike frame which I intend to use over the course of the next four and a half years. It is a Van Dessel Jersey Devil HT and it will be leaving the east coast soon en route to Colorado. The HT is a rocket ship which will be geared for long climbs, lots of Xterras, and perhaps even the Leadville 100 someday. I loved my Cannondale 29er hardtail and would still be riding it had it not met an untimely fate at Leadville. I am sure it wasn't the only bike Leadville had claimed. It is also a 29er but what separates it from the Cannondale lineup is the weight and carbon seat stays which soften the ride ever so slightly. For me, that is just enough to make it worthwhile. It is what I believe a 29er made by Yeti would have embodied, if it had in fact been built. I believe a 29er is the ideal bike for my 190lb build. Originally I thought it was a Yeti ASR but time in the saddle proved otherwise. I believe that a FS 29er, a HT 29er, and a rigid 29er will be all that I need to play these cards. Combined with my Cannondale Six13 road bike, I am good.
Picture is attached below. I am off to rest. Tomorrow I am going to get into the gym early and hit upper body, finish legs, and spin for a bit. Should be fun. 
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