freybird.blogspot.com goes postal

With the advent of internet training programs, I 've seen a new breed of trainee who blindly follows the advice of internet coaches and generic online training programs. Without actually understanding the 'why' of a training program, these internet-learned athletes end up improperly training. This leads to poor results, injuries, burnout, etc.

My point here is that being a blind sheep is dangerous.

What follows is an amazing true story that illustrates this danger:

I log on to my gmail account today, and I see that USPS is having trouble delivering a new bike seat I've ordered online. Apparently, the only was I can get it is to go to the local USPS distribution center (why not the post office? I don't know...) to pick it up in person.


I get to the distribution center, and the attendant asks for my name so that she can go find my package. It is then that I realize I've ordered the package through my paypal account, and I have a business paypal account under freybird.blogspot.com.

So, I tell her that freybird.blogspot.com will be the name on the package, and I proceed to tell her the address that'll be on it, too. When she gets it, she says, "I can't release a package unless the name on your ID matches the name on the package."

"Uh...well.." I stammer. "Clearly, my name is not a URL. This is my website's address."

Strange, but true.

Eventually, after much arguing, she checks with her supervisor and OKs giving the package to me.

Following a set of beaurocratic post office rules essentially killed this lady's critical thinking ability. Similarly, following a training program laid down by some generic internet coach can mess you up, too.

Think, read, assess, evaluate. Meet actual athletes and actual coaches and see how they train and ask them why they train like that. Most importantly, don't ever ask me to produce ID that verifies my name is freybird.blogspot.com.

Tip of the Week:
What do you do if you've taken a flat, but you have no tire lever? Use the long, handle end of your wheel's quick release skewer. In a desperate situation, it can substitute nicely for your absent tire lever. You have to be extra careful, however, not to pinch the new tube when you are working the tire back on. This tip is a personal invention, as just yesterday I was in this situation - I had a flat but no tire lever. The skewer worked.