39 days Left

The Bethel spring training series kicks off Sunday March 1st! Which means, I've got to loose 8lbs, change the cables and housings on my bike, train, replace the center support bearing on the Volvo, drink some beer, fix the exhaust leak on the Volvo, buy a race license, change the oil on the Volvo, train, pay my club dues, all within the next 39 days!

Team Sam

Missing tools

Friday was a sad day for me, I realized that the bottom my tool bag was coming apart. I was at my last job of the day, I reached into my bag and discovered my Snap On flat blade screw driver was missing. I quickly emptied my bag and took inventory, among the missing: one large SK flat blade screwdriver turned pry bar, channel lock side cutters and a craftsman awl. I must have been dropping tools all over South Eastern New England, GRRRR. I know no big deal, so I'm out a few bucks, most of those tools were very worn anyway. I can't expect everyone to understand, but, if you have spent your entire life fixing, making or even breaking things, you know what it's like to loose a tool. Every tool has a story ,each mark, scratch and scar, are witness to years of work and play, for example my now errant SK screwdriver. I was working at a Goodyear shop in Newton Mass in my early twenties. I was servicing a Nissan Pathfinder with a stuck oil filter, so I foolishly speared the oil filter with my screwdriver in an attempt to crack it loose. Instead I touched the end of the tool against the B+ starter terminal grounding it, I nearly burnt that SUV to the ground. The tip of that tool still shows the burn mark from that stupid mistake twenty years later!

BTW: The Snap On adjustable in the pic. is made in Sweden!

1-5-09 Happy Birthday Lynn!

1-5-09 Happy Birthday Lynn!

"Do work"

Well it's time..time to train, time to loose weight, time to plan for the '09 season, time to walk the dog, time to dream about hot summer nights careening around Ninigret park.

Last season I started with a plan, a real plan, Sir ASG set up a killer training plan for me. I planed to peak at the GRM stage race, I never made it. Why? I lost my Job in early '08, a Job that I had spent nearly half my life at (17 years). With the loss of my Job, I was able to train during the day, Great right? Wrong, I rode my bike, sure, but I was stressed and depressed. I had NO excuses, I had the support of my wonderful wife, time to train, a awesome new team. So what happened? I sabotaged my self, I backed off in sprints, I got scared, I beat my self. The more I sucked out, the more I felt guilty, letting myself, my team and Adam down.

So what will be different in '09? Mental health is priority one, I will race as long as I have a positive attitude towards competing. I still have the 08' training plan. But, I will use it as a guide, If I feel good I'll ride longer, If I feel like crap, I'll bag the ride all together. My focus will be racing crits, (NO ROAD RACES!) Some Root 66 races, 1 or 2 endurance MTB races and a bunch of 'cross races. If it's flat and fast I'll be there in '09 !

What about your better half? What's up with Lynn? All I can say is that she has been training and is looking forward to a long and fun '09 season. Anybody have a small Santa Cruz v10 for sale?