I simply Cannot Focus when on the trainer???

Maybe itz an issue of growing older, but it is the strangest thing... to be honest, I just cannot focus when I ride that damned trainer. Sure it can be boring and one does sweat profusely...and I know I am suppose to drink alot and I try to stay hydrated by drinking and I try to read interesting books about charismatic people, so as to not dwell on the fact that I am going no where...but every time I get on that bloody contraption...I start to get dizzy, even down-right silly...well I did get 87 minutes banked tonight on that darn trainer, aka torture machine...yet even only about 30 minutes or so into this particular training session, I just could not think clearly, not that I routinely think clearly, but still...Oh well maybe I just need to drink more fluids next time...I know I am suppose to really focus on my fluid intake...Could it be that I am drinking the wrong brand? Perhaps I am focusing too much on the quality of the hops at the expense of the barley malts?...especially now that I am a Master-Veteran-Senior Racer, but I am not sure that I can drink much more...any suggestions???? Should I go with a Porter? Training now adays has become so techy...Next fall, when my wife goes to graduate school and I am left to raise the off-spring, I will be spending even more time on that damned trainer, so I will need to have this hydration dilemma figured out...HELP!

Sick Wife + Hyper Kid =No Sleep +Strong Coffee + Angry Parents + Crazy Kids + Surly Boss + Missed Deadlines + Long workouts =

Just kidding!!! I am having a great week...plus I have the whole next week off!!! I love my job...teaching is a great life style. Young people are amazingly funny, progressive, and resilient. I feel so lucky to be surrounded by youthful people that still are fired up, living the dream, living a life filled with wonderment and awe…My wife, the nurse, is off to work at least 12 hours tonight in a situation that in many ways is sadly the antithesis of my work world…

High Tempo ride on Wednesday...

Got a pretty good workout in today after work, at the expense of my wife's bout with the flu. She was suppose to work the dreaded 12 hour night shift this evening, and I was suppose to take off-spring to swimming lessons, feed off-spring, read to off-spring, feed off-spring's gecko, feed family cat and then get off-spring to bed and then feed myself, then and only then try and motivate myself to get an hour on the trainer...but with my wife calling in sick, I seized upon an opportunity...I got the rest of the "nuclear family" settled in and then I took off for a two hour and seventeen minute ride up to Knife River and back via the scenic old highway. I felt great, felt like I had cheated fate, so I warmed up and then pulled off three 12 minute intervals going pretty hard for this early in the build stage...I give myself two stars [or hammerhead sharks] out of a possible five. For future reference--One star is like; "I am starting to feel this dude." Two stars is like; "Dude, even fast dudes would like start to feel like uncomfortable at this pace." Three stars is like; "Wow Dude, that is a fast pace for like such an old dude." Four stars is like; "Dude that is like way fast!" Five stars is like; "Dude like Jeff Hall would be breathing hard at this pace!" Total "banked time" including a 30 minute jog at school comes to 167 minutes...

We got some serious snow:)

I am so like totally psyched for the racing season to start...I am totally pumped!!!!!!!!!Even the 10 plus inches of fresh snow cannot damper my enthusiasm...

Gettin' er done...despite those that would do us harm...click for a disturbing story of a hit & run in the Twin Cities

Even though it was snowing, I started out the door on my bike this morning for the commute to Esko, but I only went a block and turned aound as I was worried that some sleep deprived kid breaking up with his girlfriend on his cell phone in one hand, and drinking a cup of cheap gas station coffee in the other hand would take me out... as it was very slippery and plus the big angry dual exhaust dudes that support the troops were out in force let'em fly...and so on and so on...excuses excuses excuses....But I did get over two hours in after work...mostly hiking the bike up in Hartley...but it was fun and I was amazed at the fact that I could ride my 29er on the deep snow [but only on the fresh unbroken areas...tracks of anykind disallowed riding] !!! [total effort for the day 170 minutes in the bank!!!]

A good first day of the Build Phase

I took the long way home and was able to bank over 3 hours [196 minutes] for the total...I felt great on the way home...but snow is forecast for tomorrow!!!

The building begins...Monday, April 2nd

The Good News: I got up this morning at 5:15, which was hard for me because I had been getting up about an hour later for the last few months...I staggered downstairs and made a pot of some Alakef Coffee, roasted right here in Duluth...Packed up some clothes, etc., and was out the door on my trusty Kelly around 5:45. It was dark and damp, with a spiteful, yet manageable head-wind. I rode easy until the long hill leading up to Skyline. On the hill I purposefully stayed seated and grinded up using a relatively hard gear. After a bit, it felt good as I achieved a kind of low paced cadence. After the hill, I went back to an easy pace and rode her in at about 7:15 or a 90 minute morning commute.

The Bad News: After showering up in what has to be one of the best showers in the Northland, my toes were cold and it took a while for them to thaw out[which many of you know is not a pleasant sensation],I got dressed for school and then weighed myself on the SMDC scale in the fitness center. I am currently at 177 lbs—ouch! The goal is to be 172 by Oxbow and 167 by Maplelag, and under 165 by June…