Florida is Awesome, but I miss my bike

Easy to motivate yourself to run 4 miles when this is the end...

Being a college soccer coach requires you to travel a significant amount in order to work camps, attend showcases, etc.  However, you do get to go to awesome places, like Daytona Beach Florida.

That being said, if you want to continue improving as an athlete, you need to be very proactive in organizing your time, finding the desire to train,  finding places to train as well.

The first two of these are the easier of the two for me.  I have always been very good with time management for the most part.  In school, I would always complete assignments as soon as they were assigned because I am weird and paranoid, and they would basically eat away at me until I forced myself to do them.  Finding motivation has never been an issue either.  I want to be the best at everything I do(I never am, sadly), and I hate losing at everything from races to video games to beer pong.  Thus, training to get better is motivation enough.

However, the third, finding places to train, can be difficult.  Especially, because for some odd reason, they don't rent out carbon fiber TT and Road Bikes anywhere.  WEIRD...

My Bike

So, the travel definitely takes away from the ability to bike while on the road.  Fortunately, I have met some awesome people on this journey to becoming a triathlete who have even lent me their road bikes when I have been on the road.  Awesome people down in Ft. Myers: Sue Kelly, Joe Kelly, Jacob Jansen(watch out for this kid, he'll be a force in triathlon).

Bike Improvement has been a long and arduous process for me.  This fitness definitely did not come easy and it took many painful, early morning Computrainer sessions.  I am still far from a CAT 1 cyclist, but I love my bike and miss the days when I cannot get out on it.

Things that I love about cycling:

1. Great Fitness that transfers to all other disciplines
2. See improvement quickly if you work hard at it
3. Lots of time to think and reflect on 3+ hour rides
4. Good people to hang out with
5. Funny clothes to wear

Things about cycling that aren't as cool:

How it feels some days...

1. Riding in the wind by yourself is one of the most depressing things in the world
2. Flat Tires
3. Saddle Soreness
4. Chaffing
5. D-Bag Drivers that honk and try to run you over

Overall, this is the discipline of triathlon that I love the most.

The best advice that I ever received about cycling is that this discipline is the most important and to be patient.  Find your cycling legs.

I get excited every time I see cycling on the schedule.  It saddens me that I will have to tone it down this next week in order to taper for Racine 70.3, but I am hoping to cut about 20 minutes from my time back in March in San Juan 70.3!

We will have to see.  Wish me luck!