Rob Mitera's Page

In Chicago it is illegal to drive anything and talk on a mobile phone. I think this law should be enacted nationwide.

This morning I saw four - count 'em - one, two, three, four accidents (read: crashes) caused by people driving while not paying attention. All four were using a mobile with one hand on the wheel and all were apparently not smart enough to do two things at once.

Through the magic of bluetooth technology - you can have a headset in one ear and talk to someone on the phone, voice dial, make notes in your smart phone...everything while keeping both hands and eyes on the wheel and road. Now having a conversation while driving also could be challenging for these Darwin Award candidates but it improves the odds.

Yesterday, the best was a jackhole on the phone while in a group ride, in the dark at 9:30 pm when I left my office. I understand that there are street lights here in Deerfield but if you really need to be on the phone leave the peleton and stop riding - for all of us. How do you ride and talk on the phone? Dumb.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who would say this, get a bluetooth or don't answer your phone, you're not that important.

Today was my blood test and stress test for GSSI (Gatorade Sports Science Institute). GSSI is in Barrington just about 7 miles from my house. I am one of the guys who tests Gatorade. You know the commercials with the person in the lab coat next to the athlete on the treadmill sweating buckets...yeah...dat me. The scientist in the lab coat you see on the commercial is actually a real GSSI exercise physiologist too. His name is John.

Today was my physical day. Standard stuff - a stick in the arm and get some blood (I am scared to see how how my hemocrit level is - I am sooo out of shape) , blood pressure - a tad high but honestly I was a bit freaked out by today's stress test from being so out of shape. On the stress test treadmill I did just fine, perhaps hitting VT (ventilary threshold a bit sooner than most racing 39 year olds) but nothing too serious. Then the test got tough. I did exactly ONE minute more than my "age predicted" mainly because it hurt a lot. I probably still had 10-15% left but I was late for work already and I needed to get the hell out of there. I probably could have held on for one or two minutes more which would have kept me in the same ranking as an athlete so why keep going except to get my "true" running VO2 max which would suck right now.

To get the right contact points for all the cardiac leads, the nurse shaves different parts of your chest and then uses a sandpaper like tape to rough up the skin for a better contact. This is a dry shave of your chest. The paper? It feels like someone is scraping you with small grains of glass. It leaves you with an interesting pattern on your chest.

I go home to shower and head to work. If you are a guy with hair on your chest you know what is coming. Lorrie who is working from home and sees me shaving my face before jumping in the shower and says this, "You look like a man o lantern." Now...I'm not that hairy but that is pretty damn funny and we both started cracking up. "Nice sweater. Does that come in a V-neck?" I respond. We were laughing so hard we could barely breathe. Lorrie was crying she was laughing so hard. Guess you had to be there to really appreciate this...

Next big test is my bike VO2 max in a few days...I need a certain number to participate in the test. It's gonna be close as this is a "big" number.

This summer has been rough.

Happy with who I am and my family and coaching (and coaching clients) but the furthest thing from in my athletic endeavors and career. Last week was bottoming out as an athlete for perhaps the second time since college; and if you know me at all - that is pretty low.

I haven't seen a pool since July. I just found the YMCA which is 3.3 miles from work - no excuses anymore.

My bike has been getting steady work, but as Normann Stadler once said, "I have no power!" It is hard to have any power tugging 198 lbs. along. I forgot to "weigh in" this Monday so I'll have to do it tomorrow.

Running is new again for me. I feel like I'm starting over and I sort of am. I'll be doing a stress test and full physical tomorrow with blood work and everything. Then in a week or so - bod pod (for body composition) and a VO2 max test for the Gatorade Sports Science Institute to see if I qualify to be in a particular study. Let's just say this is going to be a very tough day.

Weights - I hear they have them and I am looking forward to using them.

Vision Quest - I have a call into Robbie Ventura and am trying to work with them. Who knows what the upside is there for me as I have used my Computrainer for mostly long rides and not to train power - something that I have but it is just raw ability versus any training.

A New Rack (bed) - Lorrie and I broke down and went to get a new bed. One of those "sleep number" jobs where you dial in your number and sleep like a baby. Right now...I feel like I sleep more comfortably on cement with a towel under me.

A New Paint Job - All this started with a new paint job to a few rooms. As we make our way around the house, I am finding that my attitude is changing to be more aggressive in changing things I don't like around me. It started with painting the first room...then a second. Now a third. Our downstairs bathroom is more of a Earth tone. The upstairs "Sun and Sand" with pictures of Hawaii, sand and shells from the Caribbean and a Surf Shop sign.

More than just the house is starting to get put into order.