Well today is the 28th of October three days before the little ghouls and goblins, one day after the premier of the Michael Jackson, over hyped (son and I went to the 10:00 pm showing last night) “This is It” movie, two days after not having a fever over 100 degrees in a week and finally, Twenty Eight days after the H1N1 hit our house. Now there is an opening sentence for you. Yes the H1N1 is hitting everyone in a little bit different of a way and I was not even suppose to be in the age group that was susceptible to it.
I have found that the occasional break from my recreational enjoyment (training) has worked out to be of a great benefit, but a month break between being sick and the weather, scares me. While this month has seen temperatures in the eighties, November is scheduled to start in the sixties yet, the high today was thirty degrees and we will be looking at fourteen inches of snow by the time it stops tomorrow. This means a long, unexpected layoff at a time were the weather will be the dictator of my ride schedules for the next five months. My only hope is there will be plenty of good weather in between the occasional annoyances we call white gold. The worst of this is the effects from flu. I am very proud of what my fitness level has become over the past eighteen months or so. As I sit here hunt and pecking out this nonsense on my keyboard, I can hear the gurgling in my chest with every breath that breaks into a seemingly endless deep cough every two minutes, with nothing coming out. From being able to return from a forty mile ride and have my resting heart rate of seventy two back within a minute and a half to walking up the stairs gasping for breath in less than a month is hard to take. I have lost ten more pounds but not the good pounds. The definition in my legs has dwindled as well as my arms. Most disheartening though, ladies you can appreciate this, I have gained some lose skin over my normally tight gluts, go figure. It will all get better, I know this for a fact. The problem is, as the body ages it is harder to get back what you lose. This is going to be a very interesting winter. I have faith that since I am not an elite athlete, I will not have that much to regain. I worry that since I am not an elite athlete that I will not be able to regain what I lost. It’s all a vicious circle that lets me know I need to get a life.
Till Next Post, Ride Safe and Stay Warm
“G”
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Annoyances Continue
Annoyance 1 – The H1N1 hit our household last weekend which has made for a long week. Missed school, throbbing heads, if the temperature has been above 50 degrees the wind was over 30 mph. Results I feel miserable and not a single ride nor mile added to my summer totals.
Annoyance 2 – While sitting/laying around moaning and wanting to curl up in a hole (yes its a man thing) I get my new issue of Bicycling. That wonderful information filled magazine that still believes that all of their readers are 150 lbs, have a unrestricted flow of money with no visible means of support and are elite cyclists. Now don't get me wrong, I love that magazine, and have gained some priceless tips and information from actually reading between the pictures of the shiny bobbles dangled in front of our egos and empty wallets. But, when you read a monthly article like “Chow Time” ( the November issue page 37) then read the, “* Based on a 150-pound cyclist”, I wonder how about the real life cyclist that aren't so bulimic. Then on page 70, (same issue) “A Flat is...”, a great article on tire air pressure. This is a subject that you can't get a straight answer let alone the same answer from anyone you may ask. The information is reasonable, except maybe the thought of figuring in of barometric pressure, but again the chart covers riders weighting between 110 and 180. Now if I didn't feel so miserable this probable would not have phased me but come on, my 15 year old is 165 lbs 6' 1” and skinny as a rail. Sometimes the bicycling media can be very far removed from the real bicycling population. Same issue, 3, 4, and $7000.00 plus bikes with separate full page reviews and a few pages later, 3 under $1000.00 women bikes crammed into 1 page. When was the last time you went into your favorite bike shop and perused the racks of 4 thousand dollar plus bikes. Yes they may have one or two but they know that the elite don't shop. The money in the bicycling industry comes from the recreational rider, the ones that ride the neighborhood with their kids to those that ride 1, 2 or more centuries a month from spring to fall and all of us in between. They take the money we worked hard for and give, yes give the shiny bobbles to the elite. The industry should though, the elite riders work harder for what they do more than anyone can possibly imagine. If, say 9% of the cyclists are in the elite category maybe 25%, of them, can actually make a good life by doing it. If we could all be Lance Armstrong we would be. How does this all come together, bottom line the bicycle media needs to realize it's audience. I love the articles of the big events and the behind the scene peeks of the elites but throw in a little more realistic and obtainable articles and reviews for the average rec rider with 2 kids and a mortgage. I am bicycling !
Annoyance 3 – I didn't make my 300 mile goal for September (only 243), or the 1000 mile summer (only 964.5), but did make my mortgage, make a family road trip, made it to 5 of my older son's Sunday basketball games so far, dealt with real life and still managed to give the bicycle industries a couple thousand dollars. After all , I understand the economy is down and I must do my part to support the recovery and it didn't have a thing to do with supporting highway sign makers.
Till Next Post, Ride Safe and Stay Warm
“G”
Annoyance 2 – While sitting/laying around moaning and wanting to curl up in a hole (yes its a man thing) I get my new issue of Bicycling. That wonderful information filled magazine that still believes that all of their readers are 150 lbs, have a unrestricted flow of money with no visible means of support and are elite cyclists. Now don't get me wrong, I love that magazine, and have gained some priceless tips and information from actually reading between the pictures of the shiny bobbles dangled in front of our egos and empty wallets. But, when you read a monthly article like “Chow Time” ( the November issue page 37) then read the, “* Based on a 150-pound cyclist”, I wonder how about the real life cyclist that aren't so bulimic. Then on page 70, (same issue) “A Flat is...”, a great article on tire air pressure. This is a subject that you can't get a straight answer let alone the same answer from anyone you may ask. The information is reasonable, except maybe the thought of figuring in of barometric pressure, but again the chart covers riders weighting between 110 and 180. Now if I didn't feel so miserable this probable would not have phased me but come on, my 15 year old is 165 lbs 6' 1” and skinny as a rail. Sometimes the bicycling media can be very far removed from the real bicycling population. Same issue, 3, 4, and $7000.00 plus bikes with separate full page reviews and a few pages later, 3 under $1000.00 women bikes crammed into 1 page. When was the last time you went into your favorite bike shop and perused the racks of 4 thousand dollar plus bikes. Yes they may have one or two but they know that the elite don't shop. The money in the bicycling industry comes from the recreational rider, the ones that ride the neighborhood with their kids to those that ride 1, 2 or more centuries a month from spring to fall and all of us in between. They take the money we worked hard for and give, yes give the shiny bobbles to the elite. The industry should though, the elite riders work harder for what they do more than anyone can possibly imagine. If, say 9% of the cyclists are in the elite category maybe 25%, of them, can actually make a good life by doing it. If we could all be Lance Armstrong we would be. How does this all come together, bottom line the bicycle media needs to realize it's audience. I love the articles of the big events and the behind the scene peeks of the elites but throw in a little more realistic and obtainable articles and reviews for the average rec rider with 2 kids and a mortgage. I am bicycling !
Annoyance 3 – I didn't make my 300 mile goal for September (only 243), or the 1000 mile summer (only 964.5), but did make my mortgage, make a family road trip, made it to 5 of my older son's Sunday basketball games so far, dealt with real life and still managed to give the bicycle industries a couple thousand dollars. After all , I understand the economy is down and I must do my part to support the recovery and it didn't have a thing to do with supporting highway sign makers.
Till Next Post, Ride Safe and Stay Warm
“G”
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Changes I See on the Road
As I have been getting back into my riding routine this month, I’m sitting at 180 miles, I have made some pleasant observations. Riders are talking to each other, that is good for all of us. The matching spandex wrapped, go fast guys, (I do envy you) are saying, on your left as they blow by, with room to spare. As they come towards me they acknowledge me with a nod or a simple raise of the fingers, not just one but all of the fingers. As I stop here and there on my route other riders, of all different levels, stop next me, not 30 feet away, and talk riding. Riders, again of different skill levels, will slow as they pass and exchange a few pleasant words. The biking population seems to be getting warm and fuzzy, we all win.
I would like to think my incoherent ranting here the last few months may take some of the credit and people have taken a second look at what their actions were communicating. Maybe it has been all of the waves and pleasant greetings I have given out this past year have actually caught on. Wouldn’t it be nice if one person could make that much positive change in the world so everyone would just enjoy what they were doing and took the time for one another? But then I don’t have that size of an ego, well maybe on occasion.
In reality, it’s more like the end of the riding season will soon be close and us recreational riders are beginning to thin out (wow, that was a fitting play on words). Those of us that are still out there are die hard and still find the time with shorter and cooler days. That may be camaraderie that deserves the acknowledgement. If it deserves the acknowledgement now, what was wrong with May, July and the rest of the year? Come on now, if we can do it as the season winds down how about the rest of the time. We are all out there with our health and well being in mind, lets spread a little of that to our minds and our mental health, enjoy the ride and the riders around you, you will live longer, life is short.
More changes? The weather is great. We are coming into the best time of the year in Colorado. Pleasant temperature and the ability for those evening rides after work with out the fear of thunder storms and ninety degree heat. Not a big deal but still a minor observation. Which brings up the idea of how long will us die hard people be able to ride. There are a bunch of you that will ride in much colder weather than I will, but I’m looking forward to getting in quite a few days in the deep winter months, like last year.
As far as personal changes go, to show that persistence does work. I had two pair of brand new XL Performance Elite bike shorts (great padding) I bought the beginning of August. Before I took the tags off of one of them I needed to return them for a Large. That is real progress! Not to mention I have found that on occasion I have actually passed a rider or two. Yes, I give words of encouragement as I go by.
Till the next post, be friendly out there.
Next Post; Something That My Son Will Approve Of
Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)
“G”
I would like to think my incoherent ranting here the last few months may take some of the credit and people have taken a second look at what their actions were communicating. Maybe it has been all of the waves and pleasant greetings I have given out this past year have actually caught on. Wouldn’t it be nice if one person could make that much positive change in the world so everyone would just enjoy what they were doing and took the time for one another? But then I don’t have that size of an ego, well maybe on occasion.
In reality, it’s more like the end of the riding season will soon be close and us recreational riders are beginning to thin out (wow, that was a fitting play on words). Those of us that are still out there are die hard and still find the time with shorter and cooler days. That may be camaraderie that deserves the acknowledgement. If it deserves the acknowledgement now, what was wrong with May, July and the rest of the year? Come on now, if we can do it as the season winds down how about the rest of the time. We are all out there with our health and well being in mind, lets spread a little of that to our minds and our mental health, enjoy the ride and the riders around you, you will live longer, life is short.
More changes? The weather is great. We are coming into the best time of the year in Colorado. Pleasant temperature and the ability for those evening rides after work with out the fear of thunder storms and ninety degree heat. Not a big deal but still a minor observation. Which brings up the idea of how long will us die hard people be able to ride. There are a bunch of you that will ride in much colder weather than I will, but I’m looking forward to getting in quite a few days in the deep winter months, like last year.
As far as personal changes go, to show that persistence does work. I had two pair of brand new XL Performance Elite bike shorts (great padding) I bought the beginning of August. Before I took the tags off of one of them I needed to return them for a Large. That is real progress! Not to mention I have found that on occasion I have actually passed a rider or two. Yes, I give words of encouragement as I go by.
Till the next post, be friendly out there.
Next Post; Something That My Son Will Approve Of
Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)
“G”
Sunday, September 6, 2009
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”
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”
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Is It Time To Take The Next Step In Your Training
Well summer is turning to fall and you have been riding, hopefully, consistently 15 -20 miles a ride. You should be feeling good, you have lost some weight, or more importantly your clothes are now fitting better or too big. You have learned to adjust your riding to improve your skills but work with your body. Now it is time for more.
Even if, like me, you went on vacation and you now feel like you are back at square one and you can’t seem to get back into the grove again it’s only a couple of rides away. Now you will need to dig deep, think of what you have accomplished, what you want to accomplish and start to hammer it out. You will be very surprised that in two or three rides you are back in the swing of things. Not only are you back into the swing of it, you are better than when you stopped for vacation. The human body is a wonderful mechanism that is flexible and can rebound with an improvement faster than you can imagine.
Now you have some choices to make. Should you stick with me, a non-expert, non-professional that is a firm believer in the S.W.A.G. method (For the young, or never been in the military, S.W.A.G. stands for Scientific Wild Ass Guess). Take advice and tips you have acquired from friends, neighbors, and the other cyclists I hope you have been talking to. Taking tips is a very good idea if you are open to and want to attempt change to improve. Remember what works for one does not work for another, but it does not need to be a permanent change to try a couple of times. Are you comfortable to step up and join an organized riding group? Find a compatible riding buddy. Or the big step, find an organized finely written training regiment and group or private coach. You know what you have been doing, you know the improvements you have made and where you need, or better, want to improve. How about a little of all of it? If you have really been working at being a good recreational cyclist, lose weight and just all around feel better, you should have been doing some of this on a smaller scale.
We all have our little things that we want to change or at least improve on. Sometime we become so obsessed by these little things that we forget to look at the big picture. Like I said when I started this blog idea, little steps, little goals, result in big rewards. Most of all you need to make yourself feel good
Next blog I will talk about how my training has been and my deficiencies, well at least those related to bicycling.
Next Post; My Training With S.W.A.G.
Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)
“G”
Even if, like me, you went on vacation and you now feel like you are back at square one and you can’t seem to get back into the grove again it’s only a couple of rides away. Now you will need to dig deep, think of what you have accomplished, what you want to accomplish and start to hammer it out. You will be very surprised that in two or three rides you are back in the swing of things. Not only are you back into the swing of it, you are better than when you stopped for vacation. The human body is a wonderful mechanism that is flexible and can rebound with an improvement faster than you can imagine.
Now you have some choices to make. Should you stick with me, a non-expert, non-professional that is a firm believer in the S.W.A.G. method (For the young, or never been in the military, S.W.A.G. stands for Scientific Wild Ass Guess). Take advice and tips you have acquired from friends, neighbors, and the other cyclists I hope you have been talking to. Taking tips is a very good idea if you are open to and want to attempt change to improve. Remember what works for one does not work for another, but it does not need to be a permanent change to try a couple of times. Are you comfortable to step up and join an organized riding group? Find a compatible riding buddy. Or the big step, find an organized finely written training regiment and group or private coach. You know what you have been doing, you know the improvements you have made and where you need, or better, want to improve. How about a little of all of it? If you have really been working at being a good recreational cyclist, lose weight and just all around feel better, you should have been doing some of this on a smaller scale.
We all have our little things that we want to change or at least improve on. Sometime we become so obsessed by these little things that we forget to look at the big picture. Like I said when I started this blog idea, little steps, little goals, result in big rewards. Most of all you need to make yourself feel good
Next blog I will talk about how my training has been and my deficiencies, well at least those related to bicycling.
Next Post; My Training With S.W.A.G.
Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)
“G”
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Things Brought to My Attention
I only made a single blog entry once in July, WOW.
I did ride 355 miles with an average of 24 miles a ride. My smart-alecky fifteen year old now needs to wait for me again so he had to rub it in with some extra rides to total 387 miles, oh to be fifteen again.
It is half way through August and I haven’t made an entry until now.
We had a family road trip (getting to be a lost past time in this instant gratification world) to California. Saw the Grand Canyon, California Speedway (nothing to see there the track is closed to the public), did a walking tour of USC, went to the beach and a family reunion in Ventura. We stopped in Vegas saw a great Summer of ‘69 light show at the Fremont Street Experience and left after a tour around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is open to the public.
Helmets have been brought to my attention. On a ride yesterday a fire truck, ambulance (Good work South Metro), and two park ranger officers were caring for a cyclist on the path. Besides obvious (obvious due to the amount of the flowing blood and torn skin) head, shoulder, arm and hand wounds there was not a helmet in sight. Helmets are not uncomfortable, they are light and now designed to flow air to keep your noggin cool besides intact. Wear the damn things!! When I say ‘wear’ I mean on your head correctly. You should have two finger widths between the eyebrow and the helmet. That is two finger widths of the wearer not Dad’s big fingers sizing the six year old. The strap should be loose but as you open your mouth wide ( you know that panic of falling yell wide), the strap should tighten, not to choke but not come over the chin. The straps should come together just below and centered on the wearer’s ear lobes (the things holding the large bling pieces). I have seen a female rider on a regular basis that has a desire to have her helmet protect her right ear. How she has been able to adjust it to appear centered over her right ear is well beyond my expertise, I just hope she can aim her fall well. Then we have all seen the rider with the helmet fitted to cover the back bulge of the skull. You can see their full fore head as well as their full receding hair line. They are the ones that usually are wearing them so their children will wear one. Unfortunately the children have them fitted the same way. I have been arrogant enough to offer to adjust a helmet for a child and found that the parent really did not know there was a special way they should be adjusted. Join the movement and see how many kids’ helmets you can adjust in a week.
Next Post; Is It Time to Take The Next Step in Your Training
Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)
“G”
I did ride 355 miles with an average of 24 miles a ride. My smart-alecky fifteen year old now needs to wait for me again so he had to rub it in with some extra rides to total 387 miles, oh to be fifteen again.
It is half way through August and I haven’t made an entry until now.
We had a family road trip (getting to be a lost past time in this instant gratification world) to California. Saw the Grand Canyon, California Speedway (nothing to see there the track is closed to the public), did a walking tour of USC, went to the beach and a family reunion in Ventura. We stopped in Vegas saw a great Summer of ‘69 light show at the Fremont Street Experience and left after a tour around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which is open to the public.
Helmets have been brought to my attention. On a ride yesterday a fire truck, ambulance (Good work South Metro), and two park ranger officers were caring for a cyclist on the path. Besides obvious (obvious due to the amount of the flowing blood and torn skin) head, shoulder, arm and hand wounds there was not a helmet in sight. Helmets are not uncomfortable, they are light and now designed to flow air to keep your noggin cool besides intact. Wear the damn things!! When I say ‘wear’ I mean on your head correctly. You should have two finger widths between the eyebrow and the helmet. That is two finger widths of the wearer not Dad’s big fingers sizing the six year old. The strap should be loose but as you open your mouth wide ( you know that panic of falling yell wide), the strap should tighten, not to choke but not come over the chin. The straps should come together just below and centered on the wearer’s ear lobes (the things holding the large bling pieces). I have seen a female rider on a regular basis that has a desire to have her helmet protect her right ear. How she has been able to adjust it to appear centered over her right ear is well beyond my expertise, I just hope she can aim her fall well. Then we have all seen the rider with the helmet fitted to cover the back bulge of the skull. You can see their full fore head as well as their full receding hair line. They are the ones that usually are wearing them so their children will wear one. Unfortunately the children have them fitted the same way. I have been arrogant enough to offer to adjust a helmet for a child and found that the parent really did not know there was a special way they should be adjusted. Join the movement and see how many kids’ helmets you can adjust in a week.
Next Post; Is It Time to Take The Next Step in Your Training
Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)
“G”
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Use Your Body as Your Barometer
Sounds simple right? How many people have lost money on everything from diets to exercise plans to exercise gimmicks? Very few people are comfortable with their body and most would like to change something about themselves. What is sad is that, it is highly likely, it is unnecessary. You know your body more than anyone, hopefully, yet you will read, buy and seek others to tell you what is best for your body. Makes sense right? Yea right!
The body is an extremely complicated piece of delicate machinery. It will fix itself and warn you when it has had enough, even though the latest fitness article or that $100 a session trainer says you can push harder. Trainers do an outstanding job of motivating though.
The basic body works the same as the next basic body does. The parts are the same, with some strategically placed variances of course. Unfortunately there are very important unseen differences that totally blow the theory that one size fits all when it comes to working your body.
For example; to ride better, farther, faster you need to ride daily and push your limits with each ride. Yes, that is paraphrased from almost all bicycle how to books. I am 61, a one time body builder, stayed low to medium fit through my middle(ish) year, with one heart attack and I'm very hard headed. I did the everyday ride push as hard as you can then push more. It really struck me when I read my training log and there was not the quality improvement to effort ratio. Besides that I hurt and it was no longer fun. I switched to every other day rides, with an occasional two in a row off days and BAM! My average speed has crept up, my distance has improved, I look for inclines to hammer up and cruise up hills that at one time I wobbled over the crest. Today was my short day, 22 miles rolling terrain and a 13mph average. Two days ago we took a neighbor out on his new bike, 30 miles at 14.4mph average. I could not get here while attempting to use the written, one size fits all, advice from the “experts”. What is even better, my body now wants to go for those rides and aches when we don’t. Unfortunately it is now telling me to lift weights again.
You need to listen to Your Body and work with it. It is the best barometer you will find, it is free and it is always pretty handy. Go back a bit to my earlier blogs and look at my suggestions and make them fit the way your body is comfortable. Keep in mind you will still need to stretch the length of your rides. But doing my “large badonkadonk, overweight, and out of shape interval” (Scribblings of the Legitimate Kind) will give you the strength and stamina to make those rides longer.
Next Post; Items Brought to My Atention
Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)
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The body is an extremely complicated piece of delicate machinery. It will fix itself and warn you when it has had enough, even though the latest fitness article or that $100 a session trainer says you can push harder. Trainers do an outstanding job of motivating though.
The basic body works the same as the next basic body does. The parts are the same, with some strategically placed variances of course. Unfortunately there are very important unseen differences that totally blow the theory that one size fits all when it comes to working your body.
For example; to ride better, farther, faster you need to ride daily and push your limits with each ride. Yes, that is paraphrased from almost all bicycle how to books. I am 61, a one time body builder, stayed low to medium fit through my middle(ish) year, with one heart attack and I'm very hard headed. I did the everyday ride push as hard as you can then push more. It really struck me when I read my training log and there was not the quality improvement to effort ratio. Besides that I hurt and it was no longer fun. I switched to every other day rides, with an occasional two in a row off days and BAM! My average speed has crept up, my distance has improved, I look for inclines to hammer up and cruise up hills that at one time I wobbled over the crest. Today was my short day, 22 miles rolling terrain and a 13mph average. Two days ago we took a neighbor out on his new bike, 30 miles at 14.4mph average. I could not get here while attempting to use the written, one size fits all, advice from the “experts”. What is even better, my body now wants to go for those rides and aches when we don’t. Unfortunately it is now telling me to lift weights again.
You need to listen to Your Body and work with it. It is the best barometer you will find, it is free and it is always pretty handy. Go back a bit to my earlier blogs and look at my suggestions and make them fit the way your body is comfortable. Keep in mind you will still need to stretch the length of your rides. But doing my “large badonkadonk, overweight, and out of shape interval” (Scribblings of the Legitimate Kind) will give you the strength and stamina to make those rides longer.
Next Post; Items Brought to My Atention
Ride Safe Out There, and Don’t Run Me Over (please)
“G”
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