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+# J'ai gagné le Tour de Crosstown 2016!
+
+Everyone knows that today the finish line for [Le Tour de France][letour]
+was crossed on *Les Champs-Élysées* in Paris... And if you haven't
+seen some of the [videos][letourdefrance] I highly recommend checking
+out the onboard camera views and the landscapes! *Quel beau pays*
+
+I'm happy to let you know that today I won the **Tour de Crosstown 2016**
+which is the cycling competition at [Lifetime Crosstown][crosstown] inspired
+by and concurrent to *Le Tour de France*. There were about twenty cyclists
+competing to see who could earn the most points -- by attending cycling class
+*bien sûr*. I earned the *maillot jaune* with 23 points and my next closest
+competitor had 16 points (with the *peloton* far behind). But that's just
+part of the story.
+
+<br/>
+<br/>
+<a href="https://www.lifetimefitness.com/en/programs-and-events/sports/cycle/minnesota/Eden-Prairie-Crosstown-Cycle-Club.html">
+<img src="http://info9.net/images/tour-de-crosstown-2016.jpg" alt="Tour de Crosstown 2016"/>
+</a>
+<br/>
+
+For some time I've been coming to Life Time Fitness at Crosstown
+for yoga (in Josefina's class) and playing racquetball with my friend David.
+The cycling studio is right next to the racquetball courts and
+there's been a class on Saturday's at the same time we usually play.
+I told David that it looked like fun and he said, having tried it,
+that it is fun (and a big workout). In early June David got busy
+and then had an injury that has kept him off the court ever since.
+So one Saturday morning I decided to try cycling.
+
+I borrowed a heart rate monitor (but had no idea what it was for) and
+tried to bike along in my regular gym shorts, shoes and a t-shirt.
+Despite being a cycling newbie I was immediately captured by
+[Allison's][allison] [music and enthusiasm][spincycle].
+She's dancing on her bike and you can't
+help but lock in the beat. Of course that's *just after* she tells
+you to dial up the resistance... and the sweat just pours out!
+
+I admit that workout hit me pretty hard, but I had to come
+back and try the 5:45 am Wednesday EDGE cycle class (gulp). Despite what
+sounds like a crazy impossible time to get out and on a bike
+it actually works out super well. This plan requires one to up-level one's
+organization and after the workout I can assure
+you that you're fully awake and charged for the day!
+
+Soon I invested in my own heart rate monitor. Then I realized
+it would work *so much better* if I had a metabolic assessment to
+tune my aerobic and anaerobic training zones. While I signed
+up for the assessment I decided to work with [May][may] as my
+personal trainer. In addition to helping me with my upper body
+(complementing the cycling) May is a nutritionist and
+has helped me dial in this critical facet of training.
+Even though I'm still working to tune my diet around my
+workouts, I've already learned a lot by using [My Fitness Pal][mfp]
+and, most importantly, I have a whole new attitude about food.
+
+*Pour les curieux, la nutritioniste maison s'est absentée en France pendant le mois de juillet.*
+
+Soon I would invest in bike shoes, jerseys and shorts and begin
+to push myself into the proper zones during workouts and
+fuel my body properly afterwords. All these changes have led
+to dramatic weight loss \o/
+
+A few of you know that the past two years have involved
+a lot of personal hardship. Upon reflection I have come to appreciate
+that things in my life that I can actually control are a massive opportunity.
+I decided that fixing my exercise and nutrition were
+the opportunities I want to focus on. A note for for my Debian friends...
+I'm sorry to have missed you in Cape Town, but I hope to join you in Montréal
+next year.
+
+So when the Tour de Crosstown started in July I decided this
+was the time for me to get serious. I want to thank all the instructors for the
+great workouts (and for all the calories I've left on the bike):
+Alison, Kristine, Olivia, Tasha, and Caroline!
+
+The result of my lifestyle changes are hard to describe.. I feel an
+amazing amount of energy every day. The impact of prior back injury is
+now almost non-existent. And what range of motion I hadn't recovered
+from the previous summer's being "washing machined" by a 3 meter wave
+while body surfing at the beach in [Hossegor][hossegor] is now fully working.
+
+Now I'm thinking it's time to treat myself to a new bike :)
+I'm looking at large touring frames and am currently thinking
+of the [Surly Disc Trucker][sdt]. In terms of bike shops I've had
+a good experience with [One on One][one] and [Grand Performance][gp] has
+come highly recommended. If anyone has suggestions for bikes,
+bike features, or good shops please let me know!
+
+I would encourage everyone here in Minneapolis to join me as guest
+for a Wed morning 5:45am EDGE cycle class. I'm betting you'll have as
+much fun as a I do.. and I guarantee you will sweat! The challenge in waking up
+will pay off handsomely in making you energized for the whole day.
+
+Let's bike *allons-y*!
+
+[[!tag biking debian]]
+
+[letour]: http://www.letour.fr/
+[letourdefrance]: https://www.youtube.com/user/letourdefrance
+[crosstown]: https://www.lifetimefitness.com/en/programs-and-events/sports/cycle/minnesota/Eden-Prairie-Crosstown-Cycle-Club.html
+[alison]: https://twitter.com/abcdutton
+[spincycle]: http://spincyclebike.com/about-indoor-cycling-music/
+[may]: https://www.facebook.com/may.bend.1
+[mfp]: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/
+[hossegor]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soorts-Hossegor
+[sdt]: http://surlybikes.com/bikes/disc_trucker
+[one]: http://www.oneononebike.com/
+[gp]: http://www.gpbicycles.com/
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