Sunday

Good morning people. It is Sunday Jan, 30th and that means one thing and one thing only. World Cyclocross champs were today, and the winner is not Sven Nys. DAMNIT!! Though kudos go to Znendek Stybar for his great ride today.

Well we have our own little cx race today, and I know at the end or halfway through I am going to be in severe pain. This pain could easily be taken care of by training, but who wants to do that. Ohh I do!

However, because That other bike shop incorporated will not hire people, I have been pressured into being at work when I shouldn't be. I keep telling them no more, but still with no one there to help out I feel obligated to do so. Stupid emotional connections....which has led me to the conclusion I must leave the bike shop world and reintegrate with the rest of society. However this won't be until July at the earliest.

Well today starts the 3 week race period. I need to start getting some form.

Why Primal? Why Off-road push bike?

When I first started this little website/blog/soapbox to world I knew one of the first questions asked would be about the name.

So WTF is The Primal Cyclist.

Simple, it is about a system of beliefs and lifestyle choices that enable one to obtain the greatest possible level of fitness for themselves. Being primal does not mean rolling in the dirt and eating small game, however that can be fun at times. Especially rolling the dirt. Being primal is about regaining a sense of how your body reacts to movement, nutrition, sleep, and other variables that can affect motor performance.

I'll list you some of my favorite resources if you want any more info.

www.marksdailyapple.com

www.caldwellpe.com

www.chekinstitute.com

www.dunamisfitness.com

These resources help to provide me with the best available knowledge to achieve optimal efficiency.

The second question question people would ask is why cycling; more specifically, why mountain biking?

Truth is I owe my life to the bike. When I first re-started riding bikes about four years ago, I was not the best state of mind. Mostly minor bouts of depression, but it was still enough to cause me to feel negative about myself. Well to simply put it, I bought a mountain bike to ride some trails for fun. I rode and I crashed. Many times (12 over the handlebars). After awhile I started to race the mountain bike, and I became addicted to that as well. I also started to see my depression start to get better. So that's one of the many reasons I love the off-road push bike.

Lazy (busy ass) Sunday

Sitting here at my local market with my notebook, I came with the intention of cranking out a bit of work. Well that happened. Score is Cheese 1 and Laziness 0!

Todays work was just more grad school nonsense, and includes finding references that support the reason for decline of physical fitness teachings post WWII and through the 1990's. Also cranking out explicit description on the procedures for my project, which literally is a step-by-step direction as to how to do something. Sometimes I wish researchers could just go with the flow, but that won't happen anytime soon.

Oh well it's just another "thank you sir, may I have another!"

The original plan was to make the drive to my mountain biking mecca (Palo Duro Canyon), but plans changed at 1 am when I decided to start reading my 44 page research article! Thanks Doctor Dave for that shit. Well I could only read about 10 pages and called it a night. So instead of PD, I get to head out for a rumble in the MLK jungle.

The saddest reality, after all the hard work Grizzle and I put into that trail system, nobody will help take responsibility for it. It will just be the same routine during the summer when the "fair weather" rider comes into the shop and asks, "Can you believe the city doesn't take care of the trail?"

If I could bitch slap every person who said that, people would confuse me for PIMP.

Just might as well get some training in for the 2011 season while the trail is still some what ride able. At least I have some good training starting for the next three weeks with two cross races and a mountain bike race.

Wonder what Mushu is doing now?

Friday

Well the life of grad student is about to begin taking over. Met with my professor today, and we talked about my research project/thesis. The talk went like this...

Prof. "Well I finally was able to start making corrections."

Me: "Cool! (In my head: "Well you said you'd start doing that in December!!!! Fuck!!)

Prof: "You do have a lot we need to correct, and you need to make sure your references are spot on."

Me: Sure thing. (Damn it)

Prof: "Luckily, time is on our side."

Me: "Yeah it is for now." (Would have more time had you done this shit in December!!!)

After that little meeting I realized that my effort in writing is definitely not associated with my ability.

School shit aside, I guess the 2011 season is in its infancy. Last weeks cross race showed me that my body is not in tip top shape (No shit!!). After leading four laps the back decided to shut down, rendering me the ability to pedal a push bike. Looks like I will need to put some training in for the next cross race which is Jan. 30th in the LBK. May also partake in another one the next weekend in Amarillo, which will signal the end of cross season for me.

Once cross is over the JOURNEY OF AWESOMENESS will begin at Sanger, Texas for the Frozen Four at Isle de Bois.

I'll post up the revised schedule next time.

Until than, ride it like you stole it.

Things to do

Sitting in my office (giant ass PE gym) and instead of doing school work; I am busy pondering things to do.

1. Get over sickness (doesn't make life easier)

2. Clean apt...WTF mate!

3. Get ass in gear!!!

4. Get over sickness so I can start better training practices for 2011 season.

Well my Go-Pro camera showed up at DFC, but after 4 weeks that money set aside was burning a hole in my pocket. So i spent it. Sorry :(

Also want to learn how to post pictures, because that would be cool beans.

Sickness and Class

Today is the first day of motor leanring, and already have a 7 page article to read prior to 6pm. Maybe Sir Dave won't keep us the entire time (3hrs).

And not to mention the wretched sickness I have developed over the past week. I bet it would make a killer bike race if was one. I'd call it Congestion-Drainage-Congestion.

Deuces.

Thesis talk

Trying to kill some time before today's cross practice at 2pm; really should be doing something school related. I guess talking about it will have to do.

My thesis/research project revolves around the Health-Related physical fitness model, which basically provides a frame work for PE teachers to design lessons to educate students on physical fitness. However, the major problem is there are no specific curricula, and this causes teachers with little or no training to design their own.

Here in Texas, those teachers just choose to do nothing and have their students walk around and play team sport tournaments. And, my project centers on developing a specific curriculum that follows the HRPF model that teachers can use to help prime students for their fitness testing.

The focus of the curricula follows primal pattern movements (Chek, 2000), and laws of primal fitness (Sisson, 2009). From both of these sources, a theory was developed that students could significantly improve quality of life and fitness through these principles.

As of now, I am still in the design process. Come fall 2011, it will be time to implement and collect the data. I hope it works!

For more info on primal pattern movements and laws check www.chekinstitute.com and www.marksdailyapple.com

2011 Season

School is in session and before it gets to hectic I need to post up the so called "season".

Sadly, this is one of the things that force a facial cringe, because it sounds official.

2-27: Saskatchewan Enduro

3-26: San Ysidro Dirty Century (91 mile)

5-21: Cochitti 100

6-4/5: 24 hours in the Canyon

7-16: Breck 68

7-23: H.C. 100 (A race)

8-27: Dbl Boundary (Taos)

10-15: Zuni 100

11-26: PDC Marathon

Seems to be pretty XXC heavy with three hundies. Also pretty heavy in the number of races, previous high was 4 in one year.

Picking up

After setting this up, and taking a year off; I find my self back to picking up.

Earlier, I mentioned my desire to be a professional mountain biker. In reality that dream may never happen; I mean to the extent of being paid to ride my bike in cool places around the world. Here in the U.S. of A. that simply is not the desire for most people, or for businesses to spread the word of their product. It should be...because cycling offers people much more than football or baseball ever can.

For example, the opportunity to regain control from our dependence on oil, cars, and other consumptions. By reading this I am either passionate about cycling... or a fanatic against oil and cars.

I won't lie, I bought a Subaru less than a month ago and I LOVE it! Much better than my wretched Chevy Tahoe.

Any how, picking up where I last left off on being a pro cyclist. It is the ultimate dream job. So I am again planning my season to start this journey. However, it will be a test against my physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual strength. Mainly, because I have to deal with school and work.

My job entails being a college graduate student and TA. Being a TA is easy, it's being the grad student that bites at times, because on days I want to go ride; I find myself sitting and reading. However, once done the sacrifices will be worth it, and will help me to become a better man in the future.

My season revolves around the High Cascade 100. It is a 100 mile mountain bike race; yeah 100 miles. While that may seem far; to me it is just a number. I'll get more into detail about prep and the usual later. Earlier, I said that becoming pro would be wicked sick, but in all reality that means very little. What this journey is meant to do, is to help me figure out the balance between forces of nature and forces of nurture.

Through out the time, I will talk about the everyday ramblings that it takes to survive grad school, and attempt to live a dream.