The past couple of weeks since my last post have been filled with training, Thanksgiving break with my girl friend and her family, and preparing for the end of semester. The weather has taken a wicked turn, with snow flying and low temperatures making training very much like in the Rocky Mountains in Montana yet I’m in North Carolina!!!
Here at Lees McRae College, the cycling team is a major focus for our president as he wants to continue to bring in major companies from the cycling industry to sponsor our team and work directly with us. A significant step was taken in that direction with the president/CEO of Sidi America, Al Budris, making a trip to North Carolina from Monterey, CA to fit the top riders on our team with new Sidi Genius 6.6 cycling shoes. I have never worn Sidi shoes, but after spending the morning going through what was the most scientific/precise shoe fit I have ever gone through and having the opportunity to see the end result, I am very excited to break in the new shoes over winter break. What impressed me most was not the shoe fit, but the simple fact that Al Budris himself took the time to come fit our team rather than sending a representative. This showed me the commitment he is willing to make to the team and the relationships he wishes to establish with Lees McRae College.
In regards to training, the hours are slowly building up as I begin to get into the heart of base season and continue with my core exercises. One training tool that I have the privilege of getting to use this year for the first time is the SRM. After having used Power Tap for the past two seasons, I am impressed with the differences the SRM has in regards to the Power Tap in relation to accuracy with power but more so with kilojoules (amount of work completed). Add in the convenience of not having to use the same rear wheel all the time, and you have the most dynamic training tool you can get.
That wraps up the past couple of weeks for me. I’m looking forward to a nice long winter break and some high volume training as we begin to enter the 2012 racing season. Thanks for following along!
–NW
