Underground...

I've decided to go underground with my training for a while. It has been great building a following for Evolution of an Athlete but right now I need to free up some time and blogging is the most logical choice. Right now I am on the fence about DH Jones but have my sights firmly set on the Polar Bear Duathlon to start my multi-sport season. I will be very sporadic with my updates but will not disappear entirely.

Mark

Week III...

Monday: I got to sleep an extra hour today because of a teacher workshop day. I finished my ride in the daylight which is always a little weird. Last week I started doing some sets of one leg riding to try and improve the efficiency of my pedal stroke. I continued this morning with sets of 50, 40 30, 20, and 10 revolutions. When I got home from work I was feeling totally in the clouds. I think paying attention for eight hours straight has a deleterious effect on my athletic performance. I ended up running five miles on the treadmill in 6:30 pace followed directly by lifting, pull ups, chin ups, push ups, and crunches. I'm not going to list the lifting time in my total but I think it is important to note that it was over a half hour. (1 hr. 23 min)

Tuesday: Last night I installed a new Specialized ergonomic saddle on The Soloist. The first ride this morning was a failure on all accounts and the seat is already back in the box waiting to head back to California. I adjusted the saddle a few times in the first twenty minutes of the ride but I was still very uncomfortable. I decided to see how it felt under exertion so I started an aggressive acceleration. Instantly I felt a very high amount of pressure in some sensitive areas so I pulled the plug on the ride and reset my position with my trusty Fizik. Finding a saddle has been very frustrating!

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

Total:

Summary:

Blogging?

I have been super lazy about blogging the past couple of days for some odd reason. I have not run the past two days as I try to finally put my GI issues in the past. I have however had two great sessions on the bike to start the week including a hard twenty minute effort this morning. I am going in six different directions all week at work so my updates are going to be sporadic until things calm down this weekend.

Cheers,

Mark

Cycling News...

Apparently Cycling News blog trolls hate my Lance post.

So it goes,

Mark

Lance...

I have just finished reading Bill Gifford's Livestrong article in the latest copy of Outside Magazine and am feeling extremely angry. On the surface one would think that I would be mad at Lance but the reality is that I feel like punching Gifford in the face. Over the past decade plus my feeling about Lance have shifted like tectonic plates but once I understood him for what he really is I dug in my heels and will be unwavering in my support forever. Gifford's article comes off as contentious and bitter sounding more like a dear John letter at the end of a bad relationship. Obviously Gifford's motivation and intent are clear in this article but he seemingly clueless about the reality of the situation and the ethos of Lance

Who is Lance?

Somewhere in this mess there is the perception that Lance is some sort of saint. Personally, I don't remember Lance being sanctified at any point nor ever claiming such a title. Somewhere between 1999 and 2001 the media made Lance into a saint-like figure fresh in the wake of his cancer drama and initial Tour victories. The reality is simply that Lance Armstrong is a man's man. Society elevated Lance to what they wanted him to be but who he is actually is never wavered with fame. People have tended to put blinders on with Lance over the last decade but it is impossible to deny or be angered by the type of man he is. Let's keep in mind first and foremost Lance is a Texan. Think for a minute about every Texan that you have ever met. Big state, big attitude, nothing bad but unquestionably different from what the social norm is in other places. Secondly, Lance loves beer. I know Lance looses some serious style points by endorsing Michelob ULTRA but what other athlete has the stones to endorse beer? If your willing to read more in depth you will find that Lance is an unwavering fan of the Shiner family of beers which nobody can take exception with. Lest we also forget that Lance is also a notorious lover of beautiful women. Lance's conquests are legendary and he has never tried to church up the fact that he has been around the block a few time. Remember a few years ago when a drunk Lance got into it with a bouncer in Texas because he was walking away from the bar with his beer in hand? Haven't we all been there before? On top of all of that it is blatantly obvious that Lance is a control freak. Read Lance Armstrong's War if you doubt this claim for a second. I can honestly say that this is one of my favorite reads of all time because it highlights who Lance really is and the fact that it is on display for all to see. All great athletes are control freaks, it's the nature of the beast. I'm a control freak, does that make me a bad person too?

Gifford's attack on Lance really pissed me off but his attack on Livestrong infuriated me to the point of writing this entry. Gifford suggests that Livestrong is corrupt and that the entire purpose of the organization is to shield Lance from doping allegations. Even the title of the article shows Gifford's lack of understanding of Livestrong's expressed mission. Gifford attacks Livstrong for not donating more to cancer research despite the fact that they expressly do not set out to raise money for cancer research. The Livestrong home page even has a pie chart showing the distribution of funds through different programs that help heighten cancer awareness. Livestrong has always claimed that their top priority is the idea of survivorship which helps families fill the vacuum once treatment stops. Gifford's claims and reporting are irresponsible and it is clear that he has an axe to grind with Armstrong. Gifford's other major claim is that because Lance is a cheater that Livestrong was founded under a sort of false pretense that effectively renders the entire organization useless. I wonder how many patients Gifford consulted and how many of them cared whether or not Lance doped in any of his tours. The organization can be greater than the sum of its parts even if the most major part doped. Livestrong cannot help the public perception that they fund cancer research nor should they fight to do so. When has Outside Magazine ever taken on the perception that their magazine is noting but a glorified coupon book that showcases yuppie vacations? Hmmm?

My first mug of coffee is wearing off with my anger as I write so on this snowy morning I will leave you with this. Is cycling a dirty sport? Yup. Is Lance Gandhi? Nope. Is Lance still a badass? Yup.

Mark

Week II... In reality Week I...

Last weeks medical procedures really killed the second half of my week. Friday and Saturday I was under orders to let my stomach settle while starting treatment so my hours took a pretty substantial hit. I think my month long goal of 40 hours is still feasible so I will keep that as my top monthly goal.

Week II Goals:

Train over ten hours:

Ride six days:

Run Seven days:

Swim:

Monday: Up early for an easy ride on The Vulture. Not 100% sure of my fit right now so I will be breaking out the video equipment to make some checks before dropping The Vulture off at Norms to get my aero bars cut. Very ho-hum fifty minute ride. I do think that I need to remember that I am not going to feel great on the TT bike the first two days. I have a lot of hours on the road bike the past few months so my lower back muscles have obviously lost some strength. Brutal seven plus mile run on the treadmill. I felt good initially but I just could not get into a good groove. I struggled through the run and got the time and distance in that I wanted. (1 hr. 40 min.)

Tuesday: Second Tuesday of the month which is my long meeting day. I forgot this day in my pre-planning for the week. Up early but really tired and feeling crappy. I ended up riding thirty minutes on The Vulture but I did not feel good about it at all. My position is all messed up right now so I need to make a bunch of changes. Following my meeting and a walk with Eko I forced myself to run three miles on the treadmill. Not an exciting run and very short but I just could not stand the thought of another running zero this early in the year. My stomach is improving rapidly but there is still a long way to go and running seems to exacerbate the situation. (50 min)

Wednesday: Last night while preparing for work I was staring at The Vulture and noticed that my aero bars appeared to be pointing down. I got out my level and sure enough they were way off. I made the adjustment and this morning and I felt significantly less pressure in my forearms and shoulders. I Rode for an hour feeling pretty good. I still need to work out a seat height / fore aft position situation but overall I was feeling better. The last twenty minutes of the ride I did five all out accelerations bringing my HR up to 175-185. I would then spin and bring HR back to sub 140 and repeat. Good ride. I was in a rush when I left for work this morning and in my haste I left my morning and afternoon doses of medication on the counter. My afternoon really suffered and I am so glad that I ran on the treadmill. I had to stop twice for emergency bathroom breaks during an easy five mile run. I really can't afford to forget my medication until everything is ok. (1 hr. 35 min.)

Thursday: I woke up early for the closing listings on WMUR.com and could not get back to sleep. It's nice to have a very long day filled with nothing pressing except exercise and shoveling. I did some video work this morning with The Vulture and feel like I got my position much more dialed in. I dropped the TT rig of with JC at Norm's to do the final cut on my aero bars. Race wheels is the only thing holding The Vulture back from being 100% ready for race season. Around 1:30 I loaded onto The Soloist a moderate hour. I was a little off switching back to the road position after four and a half days riding TT. I listened to Badmotorfinger and the first half of Temple of the Dog. I immediately followed that up by shoveling the driveway for close to an hour. I had a quick snack and then excitedly put on my snowshoes for their Marlborough debut. I had an incredible snowshoe run and fulfilled one of my goals of navigating my way to the rail bed on the other side of the mountain. Once I turned around I was cold, very wet, and running out of daylight. I was fearing an epic bonk heading back over the mountain and was more than a little nervous. Fortunately I made it home with a few minutes of light left and immediately went in the hot tub. I was red all over my backside and now see the purpose of the gore-tex lined tights. I can't wait to get back out on the trails! (2 hr.)

Friday: Wow was I tired when I woke up this morning! My quads were so sore from snowshoe running over the mountain and back! I am so excited about how strong my legs are going to get with my new hobby. I talked with Boj last night and my theory was correct that we crossed paths on the tracks just before I turned around yesterday. I put in an easy hour on The Soloist this morning with exception of a ten minute pickup in the last fifteen minutes. I listed to The Crooked Vultures for the first half of the run and got lost in Pink Floyd Echos. What a freaking trippy song. Walked Eko and the roads were slick as hell and it turns out that I have a delay. I am going to fit in a run before heading to Maine for the weekend. Th e training gods were smiling on me this morning with this two hour delay. I need to drive to Maine after school today so it was doubtful that I was going to be able to get in a run. I ran an easy five miles on the treadmill at 6:59 pace. I was totally out of fuel by the end of the run having ridden early and walked Eko all on only two cups of coffee. What a nice surprise heading into the weekend! Psyched to get in a run! (1 hr. 35 min.)

Saturday:

Sunday:

Total: Seven hours and forty minutes.

Summary and Thoughts:

Official diagnosis...

My GI doctor called me Friday afternoon with my official diagnosis in the wake of this weeks testing. I have a rare but benign condition known as microscopic lymphocytic colitis that affects one and one hundred thousand individuals. Following the blood work that showed an elevated celiac antibody count Dr. Lowe was certain that he was going to find celiac spores in the biopsies of my small intestine. According to Dr. Lowe my small intestine looked fantastic which led to the inspection of my large intestine tissue. Microscopic colitis is only detectable by viewing the tissue under a microscope, hence the name and necessity for the colonoscopy. Very little is known about the cause of microscopic colitis. Some research thinks it is caused by bacteria, other research points to adverse reactions to medications. Treatment is fairly routine and the long term prognosis is very bright. For now I have to take a lot of Pepto Bismol tablets which will theoretically re-coat the lining of my large intestine and alleviate my symptoms. If after four weeks I have not seen enough progress I will be prescribed a round of steroids that will finish the job. I am very excited and relieved about this news! Over the past month I had worked myself through several dooms day scenarios and was terrified about the findings of my testing. I am also very excited to re-start my training with a new focus. Once I can curb the diarrhea I will be able to establish proper electrolyte levels and be properly hydrated, not to mention free up an extra hour of my day that will not be spent in the bathroom. This is the perfect way to start 2012 and now I am extremely excited about the prospects of training and racing full bore!

Cheers,

Mark