SWAG!

Check in time: How have I been doing thus far in preparing for racing?

Well, the winter was what it was, so I didn't get nearly the amount of bike time as I had hoped prior to my first foray into racing.  I did however manage to get back into the gym on a pretty regular basis... so that was good.

Since my first race I have not been to the gym.  Boo that.

Since my first race I have been riding weather permitting on the regular.  Yay to that!

This week, with the weather looking dreary, it's been tough... but I vowed at the beginning of the week to get my butt in the gym if the trails were not an option.  Well, work got in the way of that.  Not in the sense that I've had to put in mad overtime and thus not have time to get to the gym...  But in the I'm emotionally destroyed and the idea of lifting anything heavy makes my heart cave in sense.  So yeah.  I love my job.  I love working with kids.  But sometimes it's too much to take emotionally.

(I'm a high school counselor by the way)

The other day I was thinking I would LOVE it if my biggest concern was that the wrong derailleur came in, or the part a customer wanted by today wasn't going to get here in time...  Not that that would be ok in anyway because I'd go nuts not being able to get the customer what they wanted... but still.  The bling on your bike isn't life or death...

Ah, well that eludes to the dream that Annie and I have of moving to Charlotte and opening up a bike-type store.  I say "bike-type" because we were thinking of throwing a twist in there to find our own niche in The Web... plus I would absolutely love to jet out to Oregon or Colorado to learn to be a bike mechanic.  Of course I'd find a way to work with kids, but bikes are cool - and they generally don't have an attitude or indulge in high school drama...

Back to the check in!


So I was thinking maybe I need some motivation to really push myself and stay on track.  When school is out (July - snow days SUCK) I'll have all day to work out and ride - that is when I'm not tackling the jobs around the house that need to be completed...  So to stay on top of myself between my race this month and the next in August (possibly June, still up in the air about that one) I figured I'd set goals - with REWARDS!!!

HiFi

Goal #1 - Finish in the top 50% in Cat 3.  This is a totally manageable goal for this season (I think).  Willowdale will give me a good idea as to where I stand, and I will have some time to get to where I need to be to make it happen by the next race.  And the Reward - a new helmet.  The colors scheme would go wonderfully with the HiFi.

Dild's

I did think about going with this, but Dild's Grill hasn't come through as a full sponsor yet so I won't lean towards the black/white/green colors just yet.  Even though I am rocking a sweet new riding jacket that would be a nice addition to a Dild's Grill kit!

Loving this jacket!  Although it has yet to be ride tested, it has been "fashion tested" and passed with flying colors.

I'm currently sporting a Giro Xen which I do appreciate... but I feel a more race inspired lid would be appropriate.

Goal #2 - Finish in the top 25% in Cat 3.  I think this goal will be a true test and much harder to attain this season.  But, if I was able to finish in the top 25% then I think another reward would be in order.  And that reward would be new shoes.  As I've mentioned earlier I'm thinking red shoes of some sort.  I've done a little recon as to what is out there, but as I don't know when I'll actually be in the market for them I haven't done much in the way of research on those red beauties currently out there.

Fine Print: Goals are subject to change - as are rewards I suppose... but if I were to place in the top 25% prior to placing previously in the top 50% I would not double reward myself... instead Reward 1 would be earned and a new goal set to gain Reward 2.  Goals and Rewards are transferable from season to season as needed.


And to just be an ass....