# priorities...



## jarrodski (May 19, 2009)

so i havent been able to ride since last thursday... 

that coupled with the fact i've been kicked back to the hard tail until recently, i feel like i havent gotten a good ride in a couple weeks.  

i know its only may, but i feel im losing prescious trail time due to my responsibilties in life.  boo.  

so... this morning i made a decision that im going to shoot for real hard.  I've set my alarm to 4:45am and im going to be doing some rides before work in pennwood until i finish up getting my stuff together.  

anyone who wants to is welcomed to join in.  

i'll be leaving from wintonbury at 5:10 and probbaly have to be done by 6:10 to make it to work on time.  

i'll have to hunt down my head lamp i think, but i feel that this will be intrigual in keeping my mind straight while i handle my life business.  

anyone else to busy to play lately?


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## Marc (May 19, 2009)

Road riding's tough because it can take so long sometimes.

I'm 16 miles from work, so I bike in 2 - 3 times a week, depending on the weather, then do my one or two long rides on the weekend.  Makes it easier for me... tough for the MTB crowd that doesn't conveniently have nice, twisty single track leading all the way to work.

Gotta do watcha gotta do I guess.  I'm up a 5 to ride in, although I pick and choose my battles.  This morning was just to farkin cold.  Afternoon ride today, I'll ride in tomorrow and Thursday.


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## RootDKJ (May 19, 2009)

it's bad enough that I have to wake up around 5am to get my skiing in.  I'm sleeping in the summer.  If that means less mountain biking, so be it.


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## Greg (May 19, 2009)

ishovelsnow said:


> anyone else to busy to play lately?



I'm always too bust to play, but I try to squeeze in what I can. I've also been trying to ride longer rides with less stopping since I usually only have 2 or 3 hour windows. That's my only chance of making my goal of riding 600 miles this summer which I'm thinking is a pretty lofty one...


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## gorgonzola (May 19, 2009)

yea i hear ya i'm giving up my midweek ride(s) for a few weeks til i get a few home and work projects squared away. i'm just getting a weekly mtb ride in early weekend mornings - cutting out that midweek ride is a killer in terms of conditioning...


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## Marc (May 19, 2009)

gorgonzola said:


> yea i hear ya i'm giving up my midweek ride(s) for a few weeks til i get a few home and work projects squared away. i'm just getting a weekly mtb ride in early weekend mornings - cutting out that midweek ride is a killer in terms of conditioning...



Yeah, generally if you want to see any appreciable improvement, the rule of thumb I've heard is you want to get out at least 4 days a week, 3 at the very minimum.


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## bvibert (May 19, 2009)

Let us know how that works out Jarrod.  Too damn early for me!


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## JD (May 19, 2009)

Yea!  I just changed Jobs for the secong time in a year.   Getting home late makes it hard to get up early enough to ride.  In years past I've ridden 4-7 times a week.  I'm down to 2-3 now.  I have lost the winter blubber and am back in my summer pants but I'm not feeling as strong as I should.  Cardio slips away fast.  Even skiing all winter. C'est la vie.


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## bvibert (May 19, 2009)

I'll be happy with getting out 2-3 times a week.  My fitness increased greatly last summer from doing that.  The only problem is that it dropped off quickly when I had to scale back to 1-2 times a week.


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## mlctvt (May 19, 2009)

18 years ago when my wife and I lived in a condo we rode 6 days a week. Those were 5000+ mile years. Now with the house and over an acre of lawn and gardens it's tough to find time. We still try to get our for long rides on the weekends but it's been tough this year due to the weather. Last weekend we did 53 on Saturday but didn't get out Sunday.
We both get home about 6:00pm so that limits after work rides. Plus something always comes up and we don't get out after work.
The big change for this year is I've been trying to ride at Lunch 2-3 times per week. I'll be on the bike in an hour for a 24 mile ride. I guess I "could" get up early and ride but I'm not a morning person.


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## TheBEast (May 19, 2009)

Having a 15 month old and studying for the Chartered Financial Analyst exam (test is June 6th) absolutely kills my spring time.  I've had to get really creative chosing my extra curricular activities and the times at which they can be done.  Recently I've started running on the weekends before everyone gets up.  I'd hope to do that during the week, but going to bed after studying around midnight, makes a 5 am wake up call realy tough.  Kudos to those that can get that fine balance working between family responsibilities, work and all the other stuff you want to do!


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## Grassi21 (May 19, 2009)

TheBEast said:


> Having a 15 month old and studying for the Chartered Financial Analyst exam (test is June 6th) absolutely kills my spring time.  I've had to get really creative chosing my extra curricular activities and the times at which they can be done.  Recently I've started running on the weekends before everyone gets up.  I'd hope to do that during the week, but going to bed after studying around midnight, makes a 5 am wake up call realy tough.  Kudos to those that can get that fine balance working between family responsibilities, work and all the other stuff you want to do!



The CFA is a beast!  Good luck man.


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## TheBEast (May 19, 2009)

Grassi21 said:


> The CFA is a beast!  Good luck man.



Thanks!  It sure is.  On level II (second try).  This time of year my wife has just about had it.  Doesn't help that she has a May birthday.  Made the mistake last year of not spending enough time with her on her birthday weekend.  I didn't make that same mistake this year.  The payoff is big, but getting through the 3 exams is just about the hardest educational endeavor I've ever undertaken.


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## Grassi21 (May 19, 2009)

TheBEast said:


> Thanks!  It sure is.  On level II (second try).  This time of year my wife has just about had it.  Doesn't help that she has a May birthday.  Made the mistake last year of not spending enough time with her on her birthday weekend.  I didn't make that same mistake this year.  The payoff is big, but getting through the 3 exams is just about the hardest educational endeavor I've ever undertaken.



I work for a financial software company.  I started out in our training dept.  I was encouraged to take the test but not required to obtain it for my job.  I took part 1 and threw in the towel.  Seeing colleagues that I knew to be bright fail parts of it was just as humbling.


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## TheBEast (May 19, 2009)

Grassi21 said:


> I work for a financial software company.  I started out in our training dept.  I was encouraged to take the test but not required to obtain it for my job.  I took part 1 and threw in the towel.  Seeing colleagues that I knew to be bright fail parts of it was just as humbling.



It took me 3 tries on Level 1.  You begin to question your desires.  The test truly is challenging and the amount of material is overwhelming.  But hopefully at this point I know how they ask certain things and can just get enough points to pass and move on.  You can truly tell the "test takers" vs all others, since those that do well on standardized testing tend to do better on this exam.  Oh well, just gotta crush it and be one year closer to never taking another standardized test in my LIFE!  After getting a 4.0 in my masters program and graduating undergrad Summa Cum Laude, you'd think you would be able to handle the test, but nothing really prepares you for what it'll be like until you actually take it.  And with an hour left in the afternoon session (2 x 3 hour sessions in one day) all you can think about is going home and drinking!!


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (May 19, 2009)

TheBEast said:


> It took me 3 tries on Level 1.  You begin to question your desires.  The test truly is challenging and the amount of material is overwhelming.  But hopefully at this point I know how they ask certain things and can just get enough points to pass and move on.  You can truly tell the "test takers" vs all others, since those that do well on standardized testing tend to do better on this exam.  Oh well, just gotta crush it and be one year closer to never taking another standardized test in my LIFE!  After getting a 4.0 in my masters program and graduating undergrad Summa Cum Laude, you'd think you would be able to handle the test, but nothing really prepares you for what it'll be like until you actually take it.  And with an hour left in the afternoon session (2 x 3 hour sessions in one day) all you can think about is going home and drinking!!



Well I don't envy you..are you a stockbroker???  I graduated from college 8 years ago and I hope to never take another test again..


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## TheBEast (May 19, 2009)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> Well I don't envy you..are you a stockbroker???  I graduated from college 8 years ago and I hope to never take another test again..



No I work for an asset management company, so if I can to secure my future (and my family's) getting the CFA creditials are an important part of the equation.


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## GrilledSteezeSandwich (May 19, 2009)

TheBEast said:


> No I work for an asset management company, so if I can to secure my future (and my family's) getting the CFA creditials are an important part of the equation.



right on..CFA is certified financial???  Anyway the next time I'm cursing my life when I'm pushing around a tombstone on a hot summer day..I'll think about that test..anyway good luck to you and hopefully you pass and then make a shit-ton of $$$$$$


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## TheBEast (May 19, 2009)

GrilledSteezeSandwich said:


> right on..CFA is certified financial???  Anyway the next time I'm cursing my life when I'm pushing around a tombstone on a hot summer day..I'll think about that test..anyway good luck to you and hopefully you pass and then make a shit-ton of $$$$$$



Charted Financial Analyst.  Most brokers would have a CFP, Certified Financial Planner, which is geared more towards individual planning.

Either way I give up a ton of time in the late winter and spring and can't wait to get it back and get these exams behind me!  My wife can't wait either!

Thanks for all the positive vides.  June 6th is the day!


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## Marc (May 19, 2009)

TheBEast said:


> Charted Financial Analyst.  Most brokers would have a CFP, Certified Financial Planner, which is geared more towards individual planning.
> 
> Either way I give up a ton of time in the late winter and spring and can't wait to get it back and get these exams behind me!  My wife can't wait either!
> 
> Thanks for all the positive vides.  June 6th is the day!



Good luck man.  All I can say is, I can sympathize with you.  Last year I took the 8 hr fundamentals of engineering exan and I'm about to start studying for the 8 hr principles and practices of engineering exam in October to get my PE license.


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## bvibert (May 24, 2009)

I know you got out for at least one early morning ride Jarrod, was that the end of that?


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## Greg (May 27, 2009)

Yo Jarrod. Been riding? You were on an MTB posting flurry a few weeks ago and all that stoke has dried up! What's up with that?


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## jarrodski (May 28, 2009)

moving into the new place.  i told you guys, im busy haha.   

this'll be the only day near a computer again till next week. 

i rode pennwood about 6 times since last week, trail ran a few times and put back more beers than i have in a while due to a poison sumac situation.  boo

no reports...  good shredding in pennwood with teh standard mechanical issues... such as...

drive train issues on the squishy, so i revert to hard tail... rip that around and dial in shifters, re-attach brakes... then ... i bend the crank and both sprockets... so that bike dies.. i scab parts from it to get the squishy back in action and am in desprite need of new brakes... not just pads... hayes 9... never purchase them...e v e r 

so... maybe this weekend i'll ride more..  

boo 

still getting up early though...


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## bvibert (May 28, 2009)

ishovelsnow said:


> moving into the new place.  i told you guys, im busy haha.
> 
> this'll be the only day near a computer again till next week.
> 
> ...



Glad I'm not the only one who has to transfer parts back and forth between bikes just to be able to ride. :beer:

I hope the moving thing goes, went, or is going well.


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