In an effort to do more blogging and less chumming around on Facebook, I've decided to get my journal here back on track.

Today is Oct 1st. It is pretty much the winding down for most cyclists for the season. For me, I've only just begun!

This year proved to be quite a busy year, making for a very challenging year for cycling.

I started out the year with a major change of shift at work. Having had stress problems with a delivery route in Boston, I decided to jump onto a night shift. Stress was indeed lowered, but changing back to daytime operating hours for cycling purposes for the weekends still proves to be a big stumbling block. So I'm looking to get back onto days again, provided that I'm not dumped back into Boston again.

MJ and I finally got married, after 16 years together. We were wed on May 21st at The Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA. Under a colonial backdrop, we took our vows and partied with around 90 guests. A fun time was had by all.

We had our honeymoon in Paris, France in August. For two weeks, we saw the sights, ate fine French cuisine and sipped fine French wine, enjoying all that the city has to offer. We did not want to return!

In the meantime, while all this was underway, I tried to eke out a cycling season. It was more of a ride-when-I-felt-like-it training! I didn't qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris because of the time constraints and frankly my mind wasn't concentrating on the cycling, but rather, the wedding, the honeymoon, trying to stay awake on weekends when my body was usually sleeping, etc.. I decided not to pursue the PBP this time. I will, however be back in Paris for PBP 2015, no distractions allowed! ;-)

Lately I have been consumed with the news of a friend of mine, Rica Mendes, from South Salem, NY, who has recently started chemo for a dual-breast cancer diagnosis.

Rica is a Team Leader for the Livestrong Challenges. I met her through another cycling friend that I was riding brevets with. While we have never rode together, I long to do so, and will be riding 2012 Livestrong Austin with her. She still plans to ride Austin this year, despite her diagnosis and treatment (as of this entry, Livestrong Austin is two weeks away). She is a strong lady, and I know that she'll wont stop until cancer is pounded into the ground! She is my inspiration to kick my training back into a road-ripping asphalt-kicking condition!

I have been riding to work several days per week, and trying to ride at least one distance ride on the weekends, usually on Sundays when my body is most acclimated to daytime operation. I hope to get back to two distance rides shortly so I can get a distance base again. I'll get there.

So next year, it is the Pan Mass Challenge AND Livestrong for the charity rides, plus a full brevet series to start building the base for PBP 2015. Maybe, just maybe I will get to experience a 1000k for the very first time as well. We'll see.