First official day of winter in balmy Colorado and my riding buddy (tall son) and I went on a ride. We got in 18 miles and he started to poop out. This occurred, mainly because this was his first ride since October (basketball, school etc.) and he just had to take off and leave me in the dust. Yes, he smoked me and smoked me good, oh to be a kid again. He hadn’t had to wait for me that long in over a year. But he paid for it, he was wiped. We were hoping to get in a couple of more rides in but, we are in Colorado and the snow has come. We haven’t been much over 45 degrees since the first week of December or over 35 degrees since the 21st. We have had pretty blue skies though. Speaking of my riding buddy, I am sitting in the waiting room of a cardiology unit waiting for them to complete a heart procedure on him. It’s taking a little longer than expected but that is not necessarily a bad thing. Anyway this is keeping my elderly mind as focused as an elderly mind can get.
I gained a couple of pounds this past week but it was mainly alcohol related so I will need to work a little harder to get it back off. Maybe I will try a snow shovel instead of the blower. Better yet, maybe I will pop open a Mike’s and re-think that one.
I hope you all had a great Christmas and will have a Safe, but Fun, New years Eve.
Ride Hard, Ride Safe, Stay Warm
“G”
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The Rides Continue
A month without a post, some blog artiest I am.
The health has improved and as we are into the full blown silly season there is good news. Before the deep freeze (Colorado version) and the annoying snow made it’s photo opportunity visit, I was able to get in two rides.
For those of you, for what ever reason, needed to stop your riding for an extended period there is great hope. I had been off the bike almost two months and extremely fearful that my first ride would bring back bad memories of fighting to crank out five miles. I took it easy and shot for a slow twenty miles. Didn’t make the mileage I wanted but again I had just overcame pneumonia. I did manage to get in fourteen miles with an average of 12.1 mph. A full 1 mph average slower than two months ago but about 5 mph faster than I thought I would. If it wasn’t for enormous needs to stop four times to hack out the rest of the pneumonia I’m sure I would have hit that twenty mile mark. I was enthused enough about my highly unexpected ride results that I went out the next day as soon as the temperature came up to fifty degrees, remember I’m a fair weather rider. I got out on my favorite route and before I knew it I was home. Nice ride everything was bright, pretty and fresh looking and of course I ended up way over dressed. The best mental boost though was I did a little over twenty miles at an average of 13.1 mph. Back to where I was two months ago, yea me!! My enthusiasm was raised to a level I hadn’t experience in a few months. As I was eating my typical after ride snack, a can of tuna out of the can, (really high in protein for eating after exercise) I was thinking of extending the ride for the next morning. As all good things may have a slight down side, the next morning after shoveling snow for three hours I went straight for the tuna. So is life in Colorado.
Looking back on this whole situation I have came to some very good conclusions. The effort I have put in over the last twenty months or so has changed my metabolism. It has changed so much in fact that over the 2 month hiatus, not only did I not gain any weight but I lost another ten pounds. Now this isn’t “Biggest Looser” weight loss but I believe that it is a slow loss that has not just dropped the pounds but changed my metabolism to a life changing event. While I am on this high I get an email from Kaiser Permanente that states due to my weight and health over the years of service with them they have declined to insure me further. That was from attempting to change a group policy over to an individual family policy. They did take two of the four of us though so I guess I should be half way thank full.
For you guys that are still riding and especially the one commuter that goes in front of my house every week day, even during a snow storm, Your insane, but I admire the heck out of you.
Till Next Time Stay Warm and Ride When You Can
“G”
P.S. Since I am a politically incorrect type of guy, Merry Christmas to all of you, enjoy your family, life is short.
The health has improved and as we are into the full blown silly season there is good news. Before the deep freeze (Colorado version) and the annoying snow made it’s photo opportunity visit, I was able to get in two rides.
For those of you, for what ever reason, needed to stop your riding for an extended period there is great hope. I had been off the bike almost two months and extremely fearful that my first ride would bring back bad memories of fighting to crank out five miles. I took it easy and shot for a slow twenty miles. Didn’t make the mileage I wanted but again I had just overcame pneumonia. I did manage to get in fourteen miles with an average of 12.1 mph. A full 1 mph average slower than two months ago but about 5 mph faster than I thought I would. If it wasn’t for enormous needs to stop four times to hack out the rest of the pneumonia I’m sure I would have hit that twenty mile mark. I was enthused enough about my highly unexpected ride results that I went out the next day as soon as the temperature came up to fifty degrees, remember I’m a fair weather rider. I got out on my favorite route and before I knew it I was home. Nice ride everything was bright, pretty and fresh looking and of course I ended up way over dressed. The best mental boost though was I did a little over twenty miles at an average of 13.1 mph. Back to where I was two months ago, yea me!! My enthusiasm was raised to a level I hadn’t experience in a few months. As I was eating my typical after ride snack, a can of tuna out of the can, (really high in protein for eating after exercise) I was thinking of extending the ride for the next morning. As all good things may have a slight down side, the next morning after shoveling snow for three hours I went straight for the tuna. So is life in Colorado.
Looking back on this whole situation I have came to some very good conclusions. The effort I have put in over the last twenty months or so has changed my metabolism. It has changed so much in fact that over the 2 month hiatus, not only did I not gain any weight but I lost another ten pounds. Now this isn’t “Biggest Looser” weight loss but I believe that it is a slow loss that has not just dropped the pounds but changed my metabolism to a life changing event. While I am on this high I get an email from Kaiser Permanente that states due to my weight and health over the years of service with them they have declined to insure me further. That was from attempting to change a group policy over to an individual family policy. They did take two of the four of us though so I guess I should be half way thank full.
For you guys that are still riding and especially the one commuter that goes in front of my house every week day, even during a snow storm, Your insane, but I admire the heck out of you.
Till Next Time Stay Warm and Ride When You Can
“G”
P.S. Since I am a politically incorrect type of guy, Merry Christmas to all of you, enjoy your family, life is short.
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