Sorry for the delay!

So I know the typical excuse is "I've just been so busy and haven't had the time." Well, that is exactly my case. January - May is the busiest time of year for me at work and 8:30 am - 5:00 pm means absolutely nothing so please excuse my blogging lapse!

Training has been going great. I have been working my ass off on the bike and in the gym. I've been using my physical therapy appointments almost as personal training sessions. It worked out well because my injury was in my hipflexer and the PT's way of fixing it was just to strengthen every muscle around it, which has actually made my legs much stronger than if I had only been cycling.

My rides have been getting longer each weekend. Anything under 30 miles is almost non-existent, with rides typically being between 40 and 60 miles. Originally, one of my biggest worries was the recovery between rides (being able to ride a lot one day, and jump back in the saddle the next). Thankfully, I've been doing great with back-to-back longer rides, so that worry is almost gone, though I don't think it will ever fully leave. When I asked my PT for advice of what to do for recovery the night between stages his response was "Just don't stop moving... at all." Pain is to be expected and I'll welcome it. It typically subsides after the first 5 miles or so.

The month of April is going to be a pain in my ass, and my training. I begin some pretty heavy travel. My biggest worry is that I'll be without a bike for a week in the middle of April. I'm confident I'll be able to make up for lost time in the saddle pretty quickly and will be working on strength training in hotel gyms when out of town. That break will also allow me to drop off my bike for a tune-up before the ride. Stay tuned for orange-wrapped handle bars (orange is the MS color). The last week of April I'll be in New England. My big brother kicks ass and was able to arrange for me to have a bike for the entire time I'm up there so I'll be able to suffer through some really intense training rides in the mountains / hills of Mass. and New Hampshire. I've already got a 70-mile trip planned for me and my best buddy back home, so that should be awesome. Thanks Mike - love you brother!

All-in-all, I am feeling AWESOME about the MS150. I'm gaining distance on my rides, riding faster, form is better, my weight : power ratio is getting better (dropped 10 lbs since training started), and my appetite for doing better grows by the minute. There are few things I've ever been so passionate about. I'm in love with the cycling culture and community here in Central Florida.

Thank you all very much for your support with this race. I'll try and be much better with training updates!

Jeff

PS - Some credit is due...

I owe a huge shout-out to David's World Cycle in College Park. They hold training rides every weekend and really push hard but are absolutely amazing people. It's a pretty good feeling when you walk into a bike shop that services hundreds (with 6 locations) and the owners know your first and last name, as does most of the staff there. I'll forever refer anyone and everyone to them for anything related to bikes (like my boss just yesterday)! Keep kicking ass DWC!