Tuesday

OKAY - I AM doing something but two things I will not do; 1. ride sick, 2. ride sub 45 maybe 40 degrees.

Rode the trainer the last two days - after having a cold for two weeks, it hurt but I did something. Tomorrow is a rest day but I will do some upper body work and reverse crunches, I promise!

Saturday called for a 30 mile ride @ pace.
Temps at 32 with windchill of 25, I chose to lift instead.
I have had my sport drink freeze before!
but I did SOMETHING!
Still cold, will probably do the Sunday ride on the trainer, work on climbing technique.

New Year 2010

It is time for my annual posting so here goes!

I have read a lot of stuff and tried a lot of things over the past year.

October being my best riding month since I bought the K2.



Inspiration/motivation - what is it, where does it come from? We are all inspired, lifted up, by successes like Lance Armstrong. Who can't be? But who can be Lance Armstrong? MY hatis off to him for what he has accomplished and what he has overcome.



I have tried to follow the cutting edge philosophies and therories presented in every recent publication I could find and read. Then, this past year, I stumbled across to interesting stories.



First was the story of Mike Magnuson as chronicled in his own book, "Heft on Wheels". Highly recommended reading. Mike's story of an overweight (255 lbs) college professor that smoked, dranked and pretty much partied with his grad students. But he did one little thing different. He rode a bike two hours a day. Not only did he lose weight, he began to compete...and win! (after he changed other things such as quitting smoking and a radical diet he recommends for no one! His book tells his story a lot better than I can! Please, if you are reading this, read his book.



Second is the story of Scott Cutshall. Scott is somewhat recluse. I think he shut down his blog. His story can be seen on Bicycling Magazines website. I will attempt to link his story at the end of this post. Long story short, Scott lost 331 lbs in just over two years. He weighed 501 lbs and left the doctors office to go home and die. The doctor told him that without biriatric surgery and he had only a 50% chance of making it out of the operating room. Scott sat by his living room window and saw a man go by on a bicycle. That was his inspiration.

So what will I do differently in 2010? Nike says, 'Just Do it'! I would say, 'Just Do SOMETHING!" I am taking a less agressive approach, I will do something daily! I am taking the easiest course I have found in any cycling training program and I will build from there. I PROMISE monthly updates minimum!

Other readings I have found inspirational/motivational are:

The New Cyclist Handbook by Bicycling Magazine
Training Techniques for Cyclist by Bicycling Magazine
Bike for Life byt Roy M. Wallack and Bill Katovsky

Happy New Year Cycling!
TB

www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-1-323-21443-1,00.html

This is NOT a New Years' Resolution!

Okay, I am making an improvement. Not in my routine but this is my second post in less than 30 days!

I am not making any New Years Resolutions other than to do less and eat more. My reasoning is, if I never kept a resolution in the past, this is the best one I can make!

I am declaring 2009 the Year of Me! It will be unselfishly all about me. I will do whatever it takes to make this biking thing the foremost thing in my life and let everything else take the backseat. I am eating protein rich (eggs & peanut butter) getting ready for my workout and ride. I am also waiting for the fog to lift and see if it is just a heavy fog and mist or a very light rain. Automobiles are challenging enough on a clear day. Why risk it. Stay tuned! I may even post my results! After all, it is all about me!!!

Butt Lift

I got a butt lift last night. I have read many times (post-bike purchase) how important fitting you to your bike and fitting your bike to you is. I never really had a good feeling about the 'fit' I received from the nationa retail co-op chain. I always felt I was too low on the seat but had no idea how to adjust. Had the know how just not the expertise of where it should actually be. My calves seem to press against my thighs on the high end of the stroke. I knew to get full range and power, I had to be up higher than where my seat was now.

Then this months Bicycling magaine came and it gave a pretty simple guide for seat height anyway. Basically it goes something like this:

1. Have friend hold bike steady
2. Sit on bike, then stand with the heel of your right foot barely touching pedal.
3. This location is where your seat should be. You know where I am talking about.

My first inclination was, does OSHA know about this? My second was, this sounds more like a three person ordeal than two. One bike holder, one cyclist, one to measure or adjust the bike.

Then a light bulb goes out ( those that know me understand)
I think I can figure this out with the bike locked in the trainer. Sure did, I now sit 2.5 inches higher in the saddle and best yet, I took a road trip today. It was my best average mph since August!

Somewhere on here I will post my new bicycle, a tribute to the lady that 'fitted' me on my new bike. Seems this was her only concern.

The Big Ride

Sunday's schedule called for a 30 mile ride, my first biggie in prep for a century ride and longer than I have ever ridden. (rode?) you say pore, I say pour!

Actually it was Saturday but Saturday was too blustery. I held off a day hoping for milder weather. I caught a break. Wind gust were only 20-30!

I made the distance. 28.6 miles in 2 hrs 41 minutes plus breaks put it just over 3 hours ttl and avg 11+ mph. No great accomplishment but I do feel motivated to continue now that I know I can do it. This Saturday is a 34 mile ride. I will not cut this one short. Week day workouts are confined to the trainer as it is chilly, windy and a few days rainy.