R&R!!!

Hi All! Yes, it's that time of year. Vacation! It always seems the wife and I take our vacations in June. It's not that we necessarily plan it that way, it just seems to work out that way. I'm sure, without even realizing it, it falls in June because of her teaching schedule. School's over, and we're both ready for a break immediately afterward.

Last year it was the bike trip down the Oregon coast, this year, the Tour De Heat I call it. It's funny because last weekend I was up in the heat of Bakersfield for the State RR Championships, now today, we're heading out to Las Vegas for one night, then Lake Havasu for two nights, and finally Palm Desert for our last night! I'll take an order of heat, heat, and more heat please!

I should be looking forward to this trip, dreaming of the rest from the grind of training I put in getting ready for the State race, but what's funny is now that I've pretty much reached peak fitness, both with my engine and weight, I'm a little anxious about taking six days off of training and eating a lot more food then normal. Here's the catch...because I've been working in the restaurant business for the last eight years, I've become some what of a "foodie". That is, someone who loves food, loves trying new dishes, has an open mind and palette to what ever is put in front of me. This isn't a good combination when combined with being a competitive athlete! I'm really good at being disciplined with my diet when I'm at home, but when I'm on the road, it's a different story! I want to eat everything I see! Maybe all us athletes are that way? It's feast or famine. Who knows??? More then anything it's the weight gain that I'm most concerned about, I know I'm not going to lose too much as far as my engine is concerned, and the rest will probably be just what the doctor order for my body overall, I'm really only worried about my weight because six days after we return from our trip, I'm competing in the Palomar Challenge. A 12-mile all uphill race, and as you know, being light is key for an event like that. So here's my plan...

I'm going to allow myself one good, calorie packed meal a day, the other meals will be light. Stay away from scales during the trip. When I return home, I figure I have a whole week to drop what ever weight I picked up on the trip, and given my metabolism, that shouldn't be difficult. And after all, it's not like the Palomar Challenge is an official sanctioned race, more like just bragging rights for the year.

On a side note, the results for the State RR Championships were posted this morning. A little better then I expected...27th on the day! Not too bad considering how the race played out for me, that is, the unexpected events that occurred that I had no control over. Hope all is well, and I probably won't be posting for a couple of weeks, so, until next time...