Hiccups

After losing my job last month, finances at our home have been tight. Actually, that's putting it mildly. I won't be able to race this weekend, because we just don't have the "extra" cash for my license (Cat 1's have to buy an annual license) and race entry fee($47). I'm sort of OK with that since MTB races are not my focus for 2010, but I was really looking forward to posting up some solid results and getting some momentum rolling before Xterra REAL. Oh well.

I was also planning on doing the Black Mountain 15K (Xterra trail race) the weekend of 3/15, but I have lifeguard requalifying (1000 yard surf swim under 20 mins) and training the same weekend. I took requals lightly one year, misjudged the current and surf (see 2008) and didn't make the bouy. I couldn't work until I requalified somewhere else. I missed out on a lot of work and can't risk losing out on paychecks right now.

I filed for unemployment, but it looks like my coaching business (my teeny, tiny coaching business) disqualifies me from receiving anything. FAIL.

Meanwhile, I've been logging some serious training hours (20+ per week) and building my training plan library for my business. The business continues to grow, but not fast enough that it takes the place of a "real job". Though I would LOVE to coach full-time if i could. Shoulda-woulda-coulda...

So I gotta go back to work. Meh.

E-mails to State Lifeguards went unanswered so early this week I called and left a message where I KNEW someone would get it. Yesterday I got a call and they have shifts for me. I'm glad to be earning a paycheck agan, but pretending I was a pro athlete for a month was really, really cool. *sigh*

So here comes the cold shower that is reality, the cutback in training in favor of earning money. No more time for "living the life"; time to head back to work.

Phooey.

Ramblings

There's no central theme to this post whatsoever. Clearly. I've been lagging in the posting department, but there isn't much going on this time of year other than prepping for the racing and lifeguarding season. That means training...and lots of it.

Life stuff first! The Chemistry department granted my wish (petitions) and are begrudgingly allowing me to graduate. I'm still waiting for the University to process my stuff (yay bureuacrats!), but I have the paper that says I get to stop going to school. Woot!

Which means I no longer get to work for the campus bike shop and I'm now on unemployment until Lifeguarding starts up again. The drama that is my life never seems to stop.

The good news is that I get to train like ya'll wish you could (except Slater and James who never seem to go to work!) and I'm "doin' it" as it were. Can't wait to toe the line and see what I got in a few weeks!

Since I'm broke, I'm stuck training from home. Not a horrible thing since San Diego has some of the best training weather in the country. Saturday I headed out the door and pointed my wheels East. up HWY 67 towards Ramona. Headed for the ribbon in the background. Once in Ramona (so THAT'S where S.D. rednecks live), I turned North on HWY 78. No pics there because the shoulder is actually a guardrail and a steep drop. Not riding though there again!

I found the Wild Animal Park...grrrr...

Stopped at a church for some water. Notice the yellow computer on the bars? My tax return paid for the Power Tap I've been drooling over for the past two years. If not for the steep shop employee discount, there's no way I'd be able to afford it. I'm collecting data right now, but plan on moving to power-based workouts next month. Looking forwad to it!

I've got some stuff for sale since money's tight. My 1999 GT Zaskar that I rode to the 2006 Rim Nordic Beginner Series win. E-mail me for details.

Also on the auction block is my Raleigh 29'er Single Speed. I love riding this bike, but I've got too many and it needs to go. A blast to ride. Please e-mail me for details.

That's it from here. first race should be Sage Brush on Feb 28th. See you there?

E.

Lagging...

My laptop has some kind of virus so I'm taking it offline except for analyzing training data until I can get a new anti-virus and kill what's making it go haywire. For now, I'm up on gramp's old desktop (thanks grampa!) and I'll try and update the insanity that is my life right now. Stay tuned!