Here We Go!

March 18th has arrived, and while for most people it is the day to nurse your St. Patrick's Day hangover, for me it denotes the start of my official training for L'Etape du Tour. The group that I will be traveling with, Velo Echappe has been kind enough to provide a comprehensive training plan to follow over the next 4 months.

Physically everything is going well, in fact I will actually have to dial back my weekly mileage these first few weeks while I train, because I have been building a great base over the past 6 weeks. While ramping up my mileage, I will also want to drop some more weight. At this point I have lost 25 pounds since October, but I would ideally like to lose another 15 to 20 prior to the ride. The bulk of my mileage will take place on Saturday and Sunday, but there are also some shorter rides scheduled for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Proper fuel and sleep will be a key element throughout my training, a balance of good calories and quality sleep will certainly help sustain my endurance throughout my training. Unlike most professional athletes, I still have a day job to perform while I try to reach peak performance.

What seemed like a dream last Fall is slowly becoming reality, and I hope that all of these elements come together for a successful ride. Special thanks to the guys at Cycle Film for putting together such a great recon DVD, it certainly helps knowing the exact terrain we will be riding.

Hopefully this mild weather we have been having the past few days will be a new trend, but in New England you can never tell when Old Man Winter will decide to piss you off once again!