2010 Year-End Winter Survival Guide

It's the week between Christmas and New Years, and if you're not on vacation you're not getting much done at work, because everyone else is. So, what do you do? Well my friend. You've come to the right place. Here's my 2010 year end winter survival guide.

#1. TV - The stalwart of time wasting devices. Tried and true. New and improved. And now more accessible than ever. You can watch your favorite shows at home on your 50 inch-3D-HD-LED-TV at your convenience on your DVR or On-Demand. But what should you watch. If you're like me, you're sick and tired of the manufactured drama of "Reality TV", disgusted with the ever-lowering content standards of prime-time programming, and tired of sitting through hours of commercials only to be continually bombarded with product placements in the few positive programs that ARE out there... i.e. "The Biggest Looser" and "Extreme Home Makeover". Sometimes you just want to laugh without being shocked. If this is you then you need to check out Psych. A show about a couple gumshoes who masquerade as psychics while using their intellect to solve crimes on a contract basis for the Santa Barbara police department. Watch it and try not to laugh... and instead of product placements, see if you can find the randomly placed pineapple in each episode.

#2. Internet - you can use the Internet to watch TV, but I like to watch my TV on my TV... the old fashioned way. That way I can multitask and keep the TV running in the background while I use my bandwidth for some good old fashioned surfing. Every cyclist can appreciate the revolution that the Internet has brought to the cycling community. Internet based cycling shops are a dime a dozen and force your local bike shops to keep their prices reasonable in order to keep your business. I always recommend supporting your LBS. Where would we be without them? Can you remove and clean an Italian-threaded bottom bracket on that fancy bike of yours, and do you have the proper tools? Probably not, so visit your LBS today!!! That being said, if you just simply don't have the money to pay retail for your dream bike or bike parts, and you don't mind buying an item that's had a previous owner, you can save some serious coin online. Ebay is always a fun place to search. Check out this nice set of wheels. Good solid wheels... great for the person trying to save some cash and still have a nice quick ride with the flashy look of a carbon aero wheel. Here's a tip for buying on Ebay. look at the feedback score, you can see this guy only has one previous sale on Ebay. So, either he just isn't a big Ebay seller, or there's something fishy about the sale. You can see that he is located in NJ.. that's good... it's not a foreign country... and Ebay has certain rules and policies to protect buyers. So, if you've paid with Paypal and haven't obliged any "special" requests from the seller you can be relatively certain that he won't run off with your money without giving you the product he has advertised. Rule number one on high-priced items like this... ask a few questions so you know he's a regular guy selling his own wheels. If he doesn't know anything about them, they are probably stolen, and if he doesn't respond to your questions at all, don't pay him.... period. Craigslist is another fun way to look for cool bike stuff, but the quality and variety of things you find there are usually a little less... let's say... regulated. These are usually local sellers, and it resembles a neighborhood rummage sale more than it does an on-line store. And these transactions usually mean you will have to arrange to meet and pay the seller somehow in person. That is the safest way. If you send money to anonymous people you have just met on the Internet... then you deserve to be ripped off... because that's just not very smart. But you CAN find some great deals. Like the one-year-old Cycleops Fluid trainer I got for my birthday a few weeks ago for $200. I love it. And like your local rummage sale, it's the best place to go when you really don't have anything specific you need to buy. Because its times like that you will find items like this motorized bike. ( Disclaimer: these are real ads... so I'm not sure how long these links will stay active.)

#3. Creative Cross Training - use this time to do some creative working out that you wouldn't otherwise have the time or freedom to do. I am not a type A trainer. I do not find comfort in a schedule. I do not get satisfaction from establishing a routine and sticking to it. Whenever I get the chance to mix it up... I do. Last night I knew I needed to get in some cycling and running. Normally I would push to make it home early so I could squeeze in one or the other and then work the remainder of the workout in around dinner and kid's bedtime. But not yesterday. I pulled the bike and the trainer into the house so I could watch a movie with my wife while spinning for an hour or so, then as soon as the movie was dying down, the wife grabbed a book and started reading while I went running for an hour... at 11p.m. That was fun. It was pitch black, misting, cold, and not a car in sight. My buddy and I ran for over an hour... talking and praying as we ran. The novelty of running in the middle of the night made it fun. We have also been know to put on our old shoes and pull off a 6 mile run in the pouring rain. In the heat and humidity of Houston Texas, I have had some of my more memorable runs and best running splits when it's raining out. A few rainy runs a year are a must... in my opinion. If it's cold out, wear a good ventilated running rain jacket, you don't want to get sick.

So spend this week having fun and dreaming of what you want your life to look like this next year. And when you make your resolutions, do yourself a favor and consider resolving to make yourself available to God. If you consider yourself a good person who values truth above all else, then ask Him to reveal it to you... and then resolve to be honest with yourself. That's one prayer you can count on him answering... every time. The process of making things right in your life is hardly ever easy, but the finished product is worth it. So press on toward the mark of the high calling my friends!

Have a Wonderful New Year!!!!

Soulrider

It Hurts So Good!

Wow, after months of virtually zero activity, I am finally getting back after it, and boy is it painful. I am amazed at how much fitness one can loose in such a short period of time. Even more surprising is how much more time it seems to take to get it back than it does to lose it. I haven't completely rebuilt my bike after the accident (because wheels are quite expensive... in case you haven't heard) but it is functional, and even though it is getting cooler outside I've been able to jump right back into the saddle with my new trainer. I have a feeling this will end up being one of the best birthday gifts ever. When it's freezing outside and dark when I get off work I can still hop on my bike without giving it another thought. Better yet, no cars to worry about. The other night we were watching "The Biggest Loser" finale and I didn't want to miss it, or time with the family, because I needed to get in some time on the bike. So I wheeled the bike into the kitchen, laid down a towel, and sat on the bike instead of the couch. It was great. It's so quiet that it didn't even interfere with the show or any of our conversations. The biggest hurdle is going to be fitness. May 21st and the Ironman is just around the corner, and in exactly one month the marathon will be here. I don't doubt that I will be able to complete both of these events. Will it be tough? Yes. Will I walk a bunch... absolutely. But to keep things in perspective, whose asking me to do it? Nobody... that's right. So, the only thing I'm going to stress out about is how I can maximize my level of enjoyment while participating in these events.
There's that word again... perspective. I challenge you to think about that word for a while. Apply it to every situation of your life that you find stressful. In the grand scheme of things, how important are these things that we commit our selves to? The Bible tells us to cast all of our cares upon Christ because He cares for us. Do you believe that? Do you really believe that? If you do, then how does your life reflect that? The Bible also tells us to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto your own understand but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Instead of being discouraged, or stressed, or upset, have hope in a savior that really does love you and has a great plan for your future.