It's January - you know what that means...

...it's time for folks to sell you on anything and everything. I spied this cover at Book Shop Santa Cruz and had a nice laugh with Will W. from Aptos Fire. I didn't crack open the magazine because I figured we've all heard just about everything in the book on this one, right? It dawned on me that it's high-time that I share how to actually get stronger, leaner and happier with every ride. A couple of these secrets originated from my Polish cycling teammates and some of them I've been trying to perfect over the years via trial and error (more error than anything).

How to get stronger: 10 mins every morning of rubber band monster walk. This will engage your hip and butt allowing for larger muscle groups to carry you through crucial sections and the ability to push a bigger gear when necessary. This also helps prevent injury and allows you to play a little pickup tennis or basketball at Brommer Park.

How to get leaner:  this one is simple in concept yet hard to execute; when you're hungry drink water and brush your teeth. My teammates used to say they were the most hydrated and had the best oral hygiene in the peloton (they also had veins visible on their bellies). They claimed food tasted like crapola after using American toothpaste (never stopped me from hitting the granola after those late night wrecks on hwy 17). Right after Robert Zrzyzostaniak won a stage at Cascade Classic, he brushed his teeth...

How to get happier: this one is super easy to execute but hard to remember when life gets busy. Once a month always plan a date night with your significant other even if it's a simple coffee cruise or watching some bad NetFlicks together. You always ride better and happier when your crew is happy. When Mama Wuleur is happy, we're all happy.

 stronger, leaner, happier, and cheaper

frequent muncher cards are always good for the happier part (stick to the free salads...)