Thing I Have Learned This Week

Pristine Canyon Lake, Arizona

In no particular order:

--  Running and cycling with friends will help you go faster and farther than you thought you could on any given day. 

-- Compact cranksets are sweet and make hill climbing easier for these reasons: 

• Higher RPMs can be maintained on steep climbs because of a lower low gear.
• Closer spacing of the gears makes it easer to maintain the optimal cadence as wind gusts and or small changes in elevation cause small speed changes.
• Some maximal speed potential on down hills is lost, but unless you are sustaining speeds of over 33mph on the flats this shouldn't be an issue.


-- Salt Sticks work when you feel your legs cramping.


-- The new Honey Stinger Vanilla Waffles may be better than the original.


-- Support your local bike shop because they support you.


--Open water swimming is much different than pool swimming, and you should go jump in the lake often.


-- Do your long run on the day before your long bike/brick, not visa versa. **Mark Allen was right about this one.


--A good training week will give you confidence.  A bad one just sucks.


--Having a big race on your schedule gives you the motivation to get up before dawn to train.


--Naps are heaven sent.


--If tracking elevation gain on your Garmin is what keeps your pedaling, so be it.


--Exercise gives you endorphins.  And that, Martha Stewart, is a good thing.