How Are You Feeling?

People ask me quite often about the condition of my Crohn's disease. I'm rather fortunate (as my doctor says), because I was diagnosed on an operating table after a perforation.

I apparently had symptoms for years, but no one could quite figure it out. I attributed it to the stress of college, inconsistent diet, and "it has been that way for years." Coincidentally, my college roommate was diagnosed with Crohn's after graduation as well.

Through the year, my condition is consistently well.

Currently, since I'm not training for any events, I'm very pleased with my condition in that respect.

I still have to watch out for raw vegetables like salad, fried foods, coffee and definitely cannot have my favorite - fajitas - due to the crappy oil used in the kitchen.

I'm on the following meds, too:

• 6mp- 50mg per day
• Glucosamine - http://tinyurl.com/6ol2gj
• Fish Oil - http://tinyurl.com/4t2zx3
• Multi-Vitamin
  
• ... at least four allergy medications
  

Cross Out Crohn's Cyclocross will be Sunday, October 5, 2008 in Newton. The event has been a great fundraiser for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Iowa Chapter for over five years. Our total donation over those years exceeds $6,000 and we look forward to another significant donation.

Also, the Cyclocross Mafia will be recognized at the CCFA Annual meeting in Ames, on Saturday, October 11. Look forward to more information about that great event.

WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION?

What drives you in cycle sport?

INTERESTING:
Compulsion to go hard or go home. i.e all or nothing.

HEALTHY:

How the commitment to racing ebbs & flows through the season or course of a lifetime.

COINCIDENCE:

How individuals move and flow from one area of the sport to the other.

PAINFUL:

Where the skin hits the road, or dirt.

FUNNY:
The nit-picking and whining.

HILARIOUS:
Chewing on handlebars, weighing parts and scarfing down carbs, sugars and crap.

PRICELESS:
The fun, fresh air, fitness, camaraderie and stories.

Big Decisions In May

I called the spring tri campaign off three weeks ago. Family, work and the summer MBA schedule was piling up. So I cut out my own racing goals and training, dropped a work commitment and am reshuffling the deck this year. That in in itself is stressful enough, but liberating as well.

I've been lucky to have the support and freedom to excel in the sprint, olympic, 70.3 and XTERRA circuit in 2006-07. Even luckier to fit in some killer 5k, 10k and 50k run performances as well.

This will pass and once my plate clears, I can enjoy training and racing again.

In other news - CyclingNews.com has a great prep article for the fall cross season. I'm considering hitting the weight circuit at the YMCA this summer to mix things up a bit. The downtown location has an interesting circuit set up that they purchased last year. I spent some time on it then and liked it... but not enough to continue.

Cyclocross training and promotion was the original intent of the blog - so far, I've digressed into training for tris, running and cooking. We'll see where the ride goes from here - maybe commuting ;)



More to come.

New 'Get The Fuck Outta The Road' Program Aims To Increase Pedestrian Safety

Gotta hand it to the Onion to tell Iowa bike riders what is important. Who has the real right to the road?