The transformation begins

You know those nature documentaries. With the guy with a british accent narrating....

The sad ugly caterpillar has entered its chrysalis and is begining its transformation. In short order this being with emerge from its tomb and enter the world as a beautiful butterfly, stretching its wings and flying into the world.....

Well this caterpillar is on its way. This past week I was off the bike for a little bit, with only that puke o rama half assed sprint intervals and some power phase lifting.

But on Friday I got on the bike outside. Was supposed to get 2hrs in, but work, home, watching the kids, etc. curtailed that to 40mins. But it was just SOOO awesome that day. Not to cold, sunny, and my legs just felt alive again.

The first phases of strength training leave my legs feeling wooden and dead. And the riding is all really easy. Makes me wonder if I will ever be 'fast' (relative here folks) again.

But during this phase is when you take strength gains from the gym and start converting them to CYCLING SPECIFIC strengths.

If you didn't do this than power lifters would be really good cyclists.

So the sprint intervals help get the conversion going, as does the lifting of lighter weights but at high speeds.

For the first time this past Friday, my legs felt alive again. Sat, I rode for about 2hrs on the cross bike on the road and some fire roads. TOTALLY underdressed again. But again, legs felt nice, spinning away.

Now I am starting to pine for my mtb. I dropped it off at the shop to have them remove my BB cups and chase the threads. I'm surprised they haven't called yet.

One more week of the power phase of lifting than it is into a 3week block of endurance. Not sure how successful it is going to be with the weather starting to get colder. luckily according to plan I did some endurance work in conjunction with the strength training.

Cold front moved in for a day. 0 degrees this morning, high of 20 or less. with wind

I have to work outside sometime soon, but my equipment hasn't gotten here. Glad that it isn't here now!!!

It is supposed to warm up a little tomorrow.

XMas is coming. The kids are getting ultra excited. We are cutting back on some gifts just because they get so much stuff from grandparents/aunts/uncles, etc. They sort of lose sight and just get overwhelmed with stuff that they don't appreciate it anymore, just looking for the next gift.

Sort of like we adults can do. It's hard cause I just want to go buy them all this cool stuff that I know they'd love. But I don't want to contribute too much to their demise into the American Way.

But we will have some fun. I love sharing in their excitement. That is until it is 3am in the morning of Xmas eve and I am trying to put something together and we don't have any batteries!

My insomnia seems to have gotten better. I still am a restless sleeper but seem to be back to where I was several months ago. I have an appointment with a sleep specialist in January, and my Ambien prescription is over and gone.

I started wearing one of those masks to block out all light which actually seems to be helping.

Anyway, hope everyone has a great Xmas.