January has almost passed us by

So, strange as it seems, it’s almost the end of January. Bizarre how time flies!

What have we been doing?

Well, we joined a gym right before Christmas and we’ve been going very regularly. Congrats to us. In a way, it’s not so surprising as our main criteria was it’s location. The reason we quit going to the gym in the first place was that even with 8 locations in town, none of the Elixia’s were anywhere close to our part of town. Therefore, joining Sports and Health gave us a 10 minute walk to the gym (less out of the subway stop to/from work) and right in our path to almost everywhere. Thus far, I’ve been going 3 times a week and doing the MTB Strength workout. I had ideas of photographing myself before I started as I was in crap-shape. I really wish that I had as now I can, seemingly, see my body changing in only 4+ weeks. Feeling my core grow stronger along with the rest of my body is really cool and bizarre. Strange how you can feel the strength grow but don’t feel it waning.

I’ve been trying hard to figure out my race schedule for ‘09 too.

This is the current list of events that I’d like to do for 2009. The capper coming way out in October in the Naturaid race across Morroco.

April 24 – SOG City Bike Marathon; München, Deutschland

May 2/3 – Garda Marathon; Garda, Italy

May 21/24 – SOG Karwendel Days (marathon, 12 hour, etc.); Karwendel, Deutschland

June 6 – Garmischer Marathon; Garmisch, Deutschland
or
June 7 – Tegernsee Marathon; Rottach-Eggern, Deutschland

June 19 – Black Forest Ultra Marathon; Kirchzarten, Deutschland

July 18 – 12 Hours of Külsheim; Külsheim, Deutschland
or
July 18 – Salzkammergut Trophy Marathon, Bad Goisern, Austria

July 21-Aug. 2 – Schlaflos im Sattel; Weidenthal, Deutschland

Aug. 6-9 – Single Speed World Championships; Durango, Colorado U.S.A.

Oct. – Naturaid Race; Morocco

Along with the multitude of events above, there might be a singlespeed event or two somewhere in Germany, Italy and/or France. Who knows?

I’m taking the Singlespeed World’s off the plate for now for a couple of reasons. 1) I’ve got a lot of events that take time and money (i.e. long weekends for the 24 hour races and the Morocco race). Also we’d like to take at least one longer vacation this year which the U.S. trip would rule out. 2) We’d like to go to South America for our bi-yearly “big trip” in late 2009 or early 2010.

Sprinkle in a few other events like the European Singlespeed Championships in Dresden (really crappy timing on their part), a few Italian events (probably some of the most fun events ever), a possible trip to Turkey for sea kayaking, an Alpencross in late August and it makes for a really, really busy year. That just seems to be the way that we roll best though.

Hmmm, what else? Kera has a few potential work trips in the works various places on the planet, she’s been knitting like a lunatic (good for me though as she made me the coolest sweater ever!) and I got a new (quite old) bike to play with.

I usually avoid politics in my posts as it just aggravates me on the whole and it also brings in lots of tension for the most part which I’d rather avoid. However…..

In a few days Obama gets inagurated in to office. Wow! It still amazes and impresses me that he won. I really didn’t think that the U.S. was ready for their first black president. I actually believed that we’d have a white woman first. Mr. Obama has a long, hard road ahead of him and I hope he can overcome (in the words of previous black leaders) and get past a lot of really tough issues. Good luck Barack! Wish you didn’t need it but I’m afraid that you will.