And here is the proof that I am serious about riding a road bike from the top of the PCH to the bottom…

My butt is wet, my heart is racing, and I think I need to wash my hands before I keep typing so I don’t get mud and grease on the keyboard…

It is just past midnight on Saturday night, 12:27 to be exact, and I am officially addicted.  I couldn’t resist but take this new bike out for a spin and see how it really felt to ride for a good distance.  Even though it was dark and raining,  I clipped my (also new, fun little toy) iPod shuffle on and I was off… I didn;t go far, just up a good hill and back down, and far enought to go through a little play list and get a good feel for it.

I finallay decided that there was no more waiting, excuses, or finding the right time and exactly the right set of circumstances.  If I am going to do this, I had better well start doing it.  It is time to train and start the pain of getting fully in shape for what I want to embark on.  I had looked at several different bikes, tested quite a few and finally decided that I would go with the best starting optin and upgrade and/or buy a better bike as I go along.  Still I wanted an awesome bike that could do the job.

Since my ride will be a very long one (I think 1000 miles, but it may actually be longer or shorter) everyone told me that the Specialized Roubaix was the way to go.  A little more upright for endurance, and it has shock absorption inserts molded into the carbon fiber frame in the key places to cut down on vibrations and make riding for a long time a lot more pleasant.  I figured out after riding a few that I needed a size 54 frame, and I was good to go.  A good friend of mine told me some one was selling that exact kind of bike… Long story short the guy almost sold it to someone else, I was carried away in other things today and didn’t have time to go out and look at the bike shop, but he called me at 9:45 saying he still had it.  I told him I’d be right over with a check and the rest was just sweat and rain water and iTunes… Anyway, I learned a few critical things, and now I am really wondering what the best way to clean a bike after you ride it and if I need to do anything to it after getting all wet… (I am a newbie to the whole cycling thing).  SO here’s what I learned.

All I can say is, for some reason riding a bike with the right music is like drinking 10 redbulls and a rock star for my energy, creativity, and overall “stokedness” on doing stuff (including work)…

So, for me and my work, it is an important lesson.  One that I am continually trying to learn, relearn, and actually apply.  The people who best taught me this were the authors of “The Power of Full Engagement,” Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.

Manage your energy.

Figure out what gives you energy highs, clarity highs, and when they most routinely happen and plan your work around that.  You can fret and worry all day long about everything that you have to do, just make a list as thoughts come to your mind and then figure out what you have to do to get really really creative, and almost high and ready to work.  I’m learning this and finding that I am able to produce a million times more and better work in about 30-45 minutes of focused high energy time than 4-5 hours of a normal day.  SO…

My new plan is to try breaking up work with a lot more energy renewing activities (like bike rides) to see if it make me more productive.

Any Suggestions On The Trip Down The PCH?

Just looking for people who know more about cycling and these kinds of trips than I do. It wouldn’t take much, if so, let me know!

@andrewjamesinc