A month in the books...

There has been so much happening so far this year that the blog has been the last thing on my cluttered mind. I always manage to get so organized in the new year but somehow I am always left with an unorganized mess in my head. I can be so scattered and flaky at times that I think I may have a real issue with adult ADD. Recent studies suggest that over exposure to computers and smart phones may be the root cause of all these issues because of the instant access we all have to whatever we want to know. This idea of an exobrain with us at all times surely is playing wild chemical games with the massive CPU that is our brains.

There are certain directions that the blog is going to tackle this year in an attempt to keep my brain uncluttered. Those that know me know that my brain is in constant motion. This hyper constant chattiness works a lot like an overflow channel at a damn. Without this I would assuredly drive myself bonkers. What I am trying to say is that there is going to be a lot more randomness and musing to Evolution of an Athlete this year. I am going to work away from the training log model that took up such a huge portion of last year and focus on the seemingly meaningless minutia of my life and how it shapes a crazy little corner of the world. The race recaps are going to stay in place but cold lists of numbers are gone.

Another article that I read recently suggested that social networking sites and blogging are creating a super narcissistic society. Lately I have found myself wondering why I even post my training data. Am I posting the numbers because someone will actually gain a benefit from their meaning? Or am I simply posting training data to elevate my own ego? I have really been struggling with this idea over the past month. Every time I was completing an epic workout or completing a great race I could not wait to post it on Facebook or recap it here. I was getting obsessed with the comments of other and finding myself needing validation not only from my peers but from complete strangers. What happened to the days of finishing a long hard set of Drummer Hill repeats and being content with the horrible satisfaction that it was over. Life would continue right away and nobody would have a clue what had happened unless they were there. To a certain degree I want to get back to a simpler time. An electronic isolationist of sorts. Even as I sit here right now I question whether or not I should even continue a blog of any sorts?

In terms of my personal evolution this year within athletics I have been making a few exciting changes that I believe will really pay off later in the year. I have been a huge fan of Frank Schleck since to 2006 cycling season. Frank became a huge presence on the front of the early season classics. Frank tried to pull a major coup on the biggest sprinter in the sport by making an all out assault on the Poggio. The move did not succeed but a few weeks later Schleck had his breakthrough by taking victory at the Amstel Gold Race. Schleck's power is derived from his knock kneed riding style that draws a tremendous amount of power from the core. The knees of the rider stay very close to the top-tube with the thighs angled out to the hips. I have been spending countless hours on the trainer trying to perfect this technique. I think this switch will pay huge dividends when the triathlon season starts not to mention at the few hill climbs I am planning. We'll see how everything works out but I am beyond excited to get back out on the road on the bike.

Mark