Life of Structure and Planning

First week of training is almost done and dusted.  I have a 3hr ride scheduled tomorrow and that brings a close to the first week.  Its been a nice change getting back into the swing of things with diet, core, training, and maximizing every minute of the day.  I must admit sometimes I find myself thinking about going out with friends or staying out late but then I am quickly reminded that the season has started and October is over.  There is no room for that anymore.  However at the same time its nice to have that structure back in my life and following a schedule everyday.  Its not about whats fun anymore, its about what is best for school and the bike.  What works for me is making a schedule for the next day before I go to bed every night and every Sunday I make a rough schedule of the week.  By doing this I can hold myself accountable and make sure I am getting everything done that I need to from training to schoolwork.

Its starting to get pretty cold out here in Banner Elk, NC and I find myself taking 20 minutes just to get dressed to go ride, putting on up to 5 layers on for a ride in the 30′s and 40′s.  Now before y’all start making fun of me for that, I will just put it out there that I am a pansy when it comes to the cold, and yes I am from MT so I know it makes no sense but live with it!!!  ;)

On the school front, we are only two weeks away from Thanksgiving Break which is quickly followed by finals and that will bring a close to the first semester.  It continues to surprise me every year how fast the semesters go by.

Well I am off to study more after a 3hr ride with Jerika Hutchinson this morning and a feast of Mexican food after.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Thanks again for reading and make sure to follow along on twitter as well.

 

–NW

 

2012 Season Begins

” Common men go nowhere, you have to be uncommon.”  by Herb Brooks

This quote is more than a unique saying but a staple that I try live by everyday.  I keep this close to my heart as I enter the 2012 season which begins tomorrow with base training and core work.  I must say this October has been a long one, yet one that I have thoroughly enjoyed.  This past weekend was a highlight of my year as I traveled down for a mini team camp with my new cycling team (Team Earthfare).  However what made it so special was the fact that I got to spend time with my best friend Emily for the first time since last Christmas.  She is one of the closest people to me and someone I rely 100% on in every aspect of my life.  So needless to say it was a BIG deal getting to spend time with her this weekend as well.

As the final day of October comes to a close I reflect on the past season, its triumphs and its downfalls.  I look to improve on every aspect I feel was sub par, and increase my expectations more so than ever before.  This year will bring a lot of “firsts” for me in cycling and life such as writing out tangible goals and dictating my training to achieve those specific goals.  This seems so fundamental and basic, yet I look back and I have never sat down and written out my goals and constantly made an effort to attain them.  So this will be a major part of my upcoming season.  I also plan to open up my life to people on and off the bike through this blog, twitter, and facebook in hopes of educating people, providing an interesting story to follow, comedy, tragedy, or to help people in their own quest.  For me this is much more than just a journey to reach the top professional level of cycling, its a journey through life to love and experience what interests you and to chase your dreams knowing you can do anything you want.  This is the story I aim to tell and I hope you follow along for the next 11 months and through me, you can learn and achieve your own dreams.  Everyday is a memory, you just have to open your eyes.

I look forward to the journey ahead and I thank you for following along.  Lastly as you can see I have updated and changed the website with a new theme, new calendar (still very vague this early in season), updated bio, and new tabs of “social” and “support team” which will give you a closer look at the people who make this journey work.  Its a team effort which cant be done alone!

–NW