My Training With S.W.A.G.

For those of you that did not read my last post, the definition of S.W.A.G. is Scientific Wild A_ _ Guess. That is my training bible that allows me to listen, read and glean from this and that to make my body work better. The key to this plan is, My Body. Again, if you have been reading my mixed bag of thought wondering you have noticed that I am big on listening to your own body. Thought wondering, I like that much better than what is known around our house as senior moments. Wow, I’m having one now. Bottom line, can S.W.A.G. work?

April (ish) 2008 I was finishing physical therapy for my right wrist being fused together. My Therapist and workman comp. Dr. talked me into bicycling again. I was over weight turned into a couch potato, since I had been in a cast or brace for the better part of a year. I got back on my Trek mountain bike remembering the joy I had had about 13 years earlier. I got in 5 miles and was sucking some serious air wondering what the hell happened. 30 years of being a cop with crappy eating habits couldn’t have anything to do with it. The fact that I was getting ready to, per my son, enter my 6th decade absolutely did not have anything to do with it, I feel like when I was 30, 3 decades ago?

As for today and SWAG, it’s slow but it has worked. I have lost, as of this morning, right at 65 lbs. When I started my training log last August I was averaging 12.1 mph on 12 mile rides. Not very impressive! At the end of this July, I was averaging 13.1 mph averaging 25.6 mile rides. The biggest accomplishment, I believe, is that I have been open to ideas and learned from many different Medias. There are other things in my log that show this. My cadence, last August I averaged 52 rpm, a year later 70. Still not impressive but for someone that was that out of shape I’m still going and having fun, I’ll take it, I’m not planning to qualify for Le Tour De France.

Have I hit plateaus? Yes just like the professional plans but I experimented and broke through in a way that was far from being conventional. I had dropped right at 55 lbs up to May of this year, a pound a week very slow and almost discouraging but an excellent way to lose. From May through the end of July I rode 881.75 miles, remember 17 months ago I was breathing hard at 5 miles. Have I improved? My weight loss, +2, talk about frustration. Yes I have heard all of the stories and pep talks about muscle
weighs more than fat. I hate to break the news but as an x-body builder that only goes so far. Especially with a smart-alecky son that lets me know that a tattoo once was in the middle of my bicep and never wrapped around my arm. So what did I do that was unconventional? Timing is everything, we took a family road trip. A week long road trip then a week in Vegas, with the guys, to recuperate from the family road trip. Bad food way too much alcohol and no riding. I lost 5 lbs and broke the plateau, go figure. Since getting back from Vegas I have ridden 125.8 miles in 6 days, lost another 5, every body is different.

Do I have bad days, Oh Yea I do! Some days I wonder if I will get home or over that next incline but I always make it, kind of like life and that song. “Sometimes you’re the bug and sometimes you’re the windshield”. Do I have bad habits? Yes we all do but I’m trying to work on them. I really need to find someone to ride with that is a speck faster. I need to try to keep up with people rather than just let them go by and watch them get smaller. But most of all I need to start riding some 8 to 10,000 foot climbs. I can not climb for anything, but that fear of what your body will really do for you is always lingering in the back of my mind, sound familiar?

Ok enough of my senior moments, if you have stuck to the end of this, my condolences, but thank you. Now go outside and breathe real air!




Next Post; Changes I See on the Road

Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)

“G”

And it all Starts

As I was riding down a 6% incline today attempting to get to a cadence (the speed you are pedaling) of over 100, an article in a book came to mind. The article was in a book to assist people getting into bicycling and the chapter was entitled getting a base. I was interested, just to see if my routine this past year was on the right track. It started by saying I was to start out on a 30 mile ride at a relaxed pace with a cadence of 85-88. Now as a novice who has put on a little over 1600 miles on my new bike( in the picture ain't it pretty), I am still not maintaining that cadence on my 20 mile rides. So, can you see where this is coming from? Hopefully I can give some real world advice to some one who would care to start this fabulous activity and have realistic goals.

I have bicycled on and off, mainly off, over the last 25 years. In 2007 while getting things ready to retire I received a severe right wrist injury. Yes I am right handed and did I mention I had been a police officer for the past 30 years. Not a good combination. After various surgeries my wrist was fused together and my retirement had been put on hold till I was medically fit. Medically fit, now that is a blog in its own. While I was going through rehab the workman comp. Doctor and the therapist were avid bicyclist and talked me into getting back into the sport.

Now the saga begins. I squeezed my then, overweight ass into a pair of old bike shorts and took off to a favorite bike trail. I mean after all I used to, in the early 90’s, ride about a 100 miles a week. About 5 miles into this adventure I was sucking some desperately needed mile high air, and then reality set in. I had to get back home. To make matters worse I turned the bike around and felt the strong breeze in my face. Dam I had been riding with a tail wind, and I thought it was because I was going down hill all the way. Colorado has no flat areas above 5000 feet. When I finally made it home, after walking up the last bit of the hill, I had to reorganize my thinking about this undertaking. Now pay attention this is important. I remembered that every body is different and exercise is far from being a one size fits all project. Back in the 80’s I started slow and did short rides extending the distance and doing it faster. So here we go back to ground zero. Short rides with my 14 year old gave us quality time together, after I caught up to him. He is a good kid and would wait for me every 10 -15 minutes to make sure I was OK. I had a heart attack about 10 years ago.

A year ago I was sucking air on a 10 mile ride/walk, was over weight, and had a 44 inch waist not in good shape. Today I did 20 miles averaging 12.8 mph, 29 mph top speed, going down that 6% grade that started this story, with an average cadence of 65. I have lost 50 pounds, now have a 36 inch waist and my last tread mill test was like I was twenty years younger. The 14 year old? He is now 15 plays basketball all year and calls me when we ride to see how far ahead of him I am.

I have, what I feel is, good information that is realistic so hopefully you will stay tuned and get some help and encouragement. I will attempt to write on this blog 2 – 3 times a week.

Next post, equipment.