There are many places I go - where a cell signal and internet service don't exist. I like these places. But I don't get any work done.... This past week was kinda a whirlwind. I was on my way down to farmsit for my sister - she lives on 60 acres in Penhook. It is amazing. I can see ALL the stars sitting on the huge deck she has that wraps around the house. It is like Chris Kelley's awesome place - heaven. I am strongly thinking of living there on day. On my way down Rt 29S, wen my sis calls and lets me know my Dad is in the hospital, had a heart attack. May need open heart surgery the next day. Well, life changes real fast. I was planning to have peace and quiet and get ALOT of work done (having to trek the 20 miles into town to work in a cafe is small price to pay for peace and quiet and stars). That nite my sis and I got no sleep - my brother was with mt Dad in the hospital. Next day we got the call Dad was checking out (we all know who I take after) - his blood thinner and stents were 100% functional and he wanted out. So .. Amy (my sister) went on her trip a day late (Cozumel - which she said is a great cheap place to go but don't ride bikes). So I was on the farm - she has 4 horses and 4 dogs. I think to make a fantastic cyclocross race course there one day. She has all these horse trails and big logs in place already (she fox hunts). (Amy is in the pic with Poppy).
I was there for 4 days. Had to go into town 3 of the days to work - but David and Susie in the Daily Grind help the tea and coffee flowing while I worked away writing training plans. Big month for training plans - Feb and March last big build mos and very critical time. Seems like every month is critical any more - no real down time even as an amateur, except for October. I did get to ride a few days - the terrain in that area is Incredible - yes am planning a training camp there. Climbing EVERY where. If I coach you - you ARE going to climb. Regardless of your discipline. I also had my Computrainer with me so was able to stay on my training plan - which Nate Wilson is helping me with. Look out 40+.
Sis came home - I left to get Dad in Raleigh (my bro's house) - and off to Supply, NC - which is right above SC border. All those "miles" I wanted to get in, with the 70 degree temps down south - were done mainly in my car. Man - Marc Stern told me I would not get to play as much when I had my own biz and he was right. Damnit. My Dad lives off the coastline - in Supply/Holden Beach. Walks at the beach were very nice. I am not a beach person though - and realized, as I am thinking of where to buy some land, what I need. I will aways need mountains. Even when I no longer ride a bike - walking up mountains is a real challenge I always want in front of me. It makes me feel alive, when I feel my heart beating strongly in my chest. I like feeling my body working - what attracted me to sports in the first place. The human machine. It is and always will be fascinating to me.
Hung with my Dad, taught him as much as I could about exercise. I have no idea how I ended up running my first marathon when I was 15 - my Mom smoked and died of lung cancer and my Dad worked 80 hrs/week to feed 5 kids. I just knew exercise from the time I remember. Feeling alive and seeing what my body was capable of. This is still was I have great passion for, but now working with others. As a chemist I worked structure/function relationships - and worked in peptide chemistry making venoms....rattlesnack and bee venom. But I loved the body - human physiology. So now in my field - structure/function - but of athletes and the body. I love it. My Dad is in the pic with his dog - Beast. I know the name is insane. NO idea why he called her this.
Took off from Dad's Sunday AM - back to Raleigh - to get my own dog - Dallas - he is pictured above (I don't know how to space out the pics yet). Yes he is 103 lbs!!!!!! My gosh - have to show Lee Sigelman this one (I talked alot with Lee about about the "athletic" dog I was going to own one dog......to go mtn biking with/etc). Dallas walks uphill like Evan Fader. You have to see it to believe it. I mean look at the size of this dude. His bed is as big as mine. I LOVE him!
Got Dallas - and next on this road trip was off to the WolfPack races - to see the HPC boys and my juniors/Brad Kendall kick some NC ass. The reports from the RR the daybefore were amazing: in the cat 2 race - Nate was up the road and in the break, caught right at the line; cat 3 race Steven Kendall junior handled and won off the front; and the cat 4 race - HPC's Mike Fawell sprinted it out in a video finish with Brad Kendall. I coach both of these boys. Yes - Coach Hefler had a great first start to the season. And NO these boys will not be fried in June. Against some beliefs. All about pacing and most of all - about doing one thing - THE WORK. Man my boys sure gave me a Valentine's Day present(s). Thanks guys!!!!
So Pierre, me, and Dallas off to the race on Sunday - the crit. It turned out to be another stellar day. Nate's team (Kelley) rode a sensational team race and got podium (Ryan..sorry don't know Ryan's last name). But the 3 of them - Nate, Curtis W, and Ryan - way to control a race. Very nicely done. Nate brought the monster Ben King back with 3 laps to go - man it looked OUCH from where I was watching, and Ryan got the job done. In the cat 3 race - SKendall won the field sprint for 2nd overall (they had one guy off the front who stayed clear) - but the pace never slowed down - looked like about 2/3 the field were shelled). Brad K and my 2 HPC boys Chris McMillan/Mike Fawell were duking it in the cat 4 race - Chris came up with a podium 3rd place.
WOW! Well done athletes.
In the car for the last part of the trip - and I had about enough room for one butt cheek - in the back seat with Dallas who had ALL the back seat. Dropped Nate off - back in Reston, VA.
I am super behind in all my work. Shoulda never started this blog coz here I am working here. Okay now to real work.
It was a great week - thinking how much my soul needs the farm life again, and wanna spend lot more time with Dad. He is 82. My athletes inspire me above most anything. So I want to find a way to work in the soil/have a HUGE basil farm and sell my own pesto/maybe even start a winery and train my athletes for high performance.
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