Decisions....

Over the next week, I need to make a choice as to whether to try racing in February or use that entry fee and gas money to grab a cheap but great-playing and sounding Epiphone Dot guitar that I don't need (note: guitar heads know that every guitar is the guitar you don't need, but that you must have, anyway).

Why the dilemma? My left ankle is a lot better, I've been cleared from therapy, but it's still stiff and sore. It handles zone 4 training just fine, but microbursts make it sore, and I'm not sure about trying any VO2 work on it. SST and FTP intervals are just not enough to race on, and if short hard hills and VO2 efforts make my ankle and foot flare up -- which may or may not change that much, considering the congenital nature of the problem with my pancake plat feet and posterior tibial tendon dysfunction -- then why bother? Better to ride zone 4 a lot and stay fit that go into zones 5 and 6 and flare up that tendon.

I did pick up new orthotics for my everyday shoes this week -- they seem a good bit better, but at the end of the school day I still have some burning in my posterior tibial tendons and tightness in both posterior tibialis muscles. The orthotics fit the sole of my foot perfectly, and are as stiff as Carolina Prosthetics and Orthotics can make them. The only other route would be a UCBL brace, which would probably be overkill at this point. Maybe my feet will adjust to the new inserts, maybe not. I'll see.

As far as training goes, my zone 4 base is coming along ok. Still staying with two-hour, 2000kj rides, and I'm getting better at carrying the zone 4 efforts into the last half hour. Today was 3 x 30, with the efforts at 92%, 94%, and 91%. Throw in the last 20 minutes at 87%, and I'm really happy with that.

Wait and see. Racing, or this (or sell a bunch of bike crap and go for both...).