07/22/2024
๐๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ โ๐.๐,๐๐๐๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ซ๐ฌ. ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ฬ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐
๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐.
Of all the years Iโve watched the Tour โ this year was my favorite.
Hereโs whyโฆ
1. Last yearโs winner 5 โ9 128lb, 27yrs. Danish Jonas Vingegaard crashed in a Tour of the Basque Country April 4th, spending 12 days in the ICU to recover from surgery for a broken rib, collar bone and punctured lung. Then he showed on June 29-July 21 to compete in this yearโs tour after all that.
Knowing what that feels like - Iโm extra happy to see him back in the game!
2. 20 yrs. ago when I started bike racing, I asked my Cat 1 former TDF Support roommate Bruce Stucki why arenโt there any black riders in any of the bike races? He said itโs really competitive, and they donโt get sponsored.
While I know cycling is a rich manโs sport and the lower class of society wonโt get the same opportunities โ I was thrilled to see 6ft,154lb, 24yrs. Eritrean Biniam Girmay win 3 stages and take home the Best Sprinters Green Jersey.
3. It was also awesome to see 5 โ9 154lb, 31yrs. Isle of Man Mark Cavendish claim 35 record breaking stage victories.
For me watching this level of excellence is incredibly inspiring, yet frustrating at the same time.
Because Iโm barely holding 18mph over Solomonโs bump (300ft) on my Sat bike rides. Before the C - I was riding 19-20mph for 100-200m over the CA, ID, UT, WY mts on my own.
Before C I had 100% oxygen saturation and a resting HR Heart Rate of 40bpm.
Yesterday my O2 was 92-95, HR 76bpm.
After taking Atrovent this morning, O2 was 99, HR 72bpm.
๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎโฆ
๐๐จ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ!
I could solidly hold 400+watts for 1-2hrs.
My PR best was holding 1325 watts for 7 min on the Lifecycle bike.
Funny that I was sad about the effort thinking if only I could have held level 12 for 21 minutes I could probably get fully sponsored. LOL ๐
Had no idea that those numbers were already impressiveโฆ
But I did know Iโd break off pedals regularly, and could squat W/10-20 plates, and leg press 27 plates (1300+lbs). When I got injured on my right leg I asked Dave Ord a bodybuilding friend to spot me anyway. I still pressed the 27 plates 12x with my left leg and didnโt need much of a spot. So thereโs that!
So much unknown talent goes unfulfilled, and undeveloped without the right nutrition, coaching and opportunity.
๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง.
Iโm finally writing the book I started years ago.
Iโll keep you postedโฆ