Well I ended up with 112 miles, in Colorado, in January, not bad for a novice rider. A tad slower average but my cadence came up. I would much rather have my speed come up, but for right now, I need that cardio workout when I can get it.
I did find something that I am not ready for though. My body is getting old but my mind isn’t. It was not that long ago that at 45 degrees I was still in shorts but a couple of rides at 50 and I froze my butt off. Long bibs, long sleeve under armour cold gear, long sleeve cool weather jersey, tall socks and I was still cold. I see riders go by my abode some dressed like I do, they must be young, and then the guys that are so wrapped up I can hardly tell if they are male or female let alone their generation. I think what the problem is, I am not ageing I have the wrong clothes. I believe I am going to hit the closeouts this spring for some good deals on warmer clothes.
We have had some really out of the normal weather this year, which may be a distant reason. The typical snow storm then a couple or three of the 50’s and 60’s for a few days before the next snow hasn’t really happened. It hasn’t become Minnesota cold Eh, but hanging around just above freezing is not what we Coloradoans have been spoiled with. So what happened to that global warming, oh that’s right it’s not snowing in Rio.
Stay Warm, Ride Safe, But Be Careful Out There.
“G”
Friday, February 19, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
You’ve Got To Love Colorado
What a New Year! It has been in the 50’s touching 60, the snow is melting, slowly on the grassy areas (good thing) and the rides are on. Folks it’s January in Colorado.
I have been able to ride a few times, 77 miles worth, just about enough to get the Holiday weight off of my posterior. Most of it anyway, 2 more pounds and I’m back to pre-Christmas goodies splurging.
The down side of this is my fitness level. Back in November I had talked about being sick and not riding, but had not lost my fitness. Well after the Holidays, the below 40 degrees for weeks on end, not to mention the snow piled up on all of my good ride routes, the fitness has slipped. October through December I only had 4 rides for 70 miles and I’m already ahead of that in three weeks. I have definitely felt it though.
On the up side, on my ride yesterday, I actually passed someone. Yes it was on a long down hill, yes the bike did not appear to fit him, and the over sized nylon jogging suit he was wearing was creating a lot of wind resistance not to mention a god awful flapping noise. But the point is I did pass him and he never caught up with me to pass me back. OK so maybe he did turn off and take another route but it was the first pass of the season. I will keep it, I have given more people a target to catch and pass than I have for six months, and I get this one.
Speaking of which, I have been passed by so many old guys (yes, even older than me) that it is bewildering. How do they go so fast? Even with my lost fitness level I have cruised down some flat’s at 18 -20 mph this month, feeling good, feeling confident, enjoying the breeze and the scenery. Then what sounds like a car behind me in the distance, goes some “old guy” by me with about a 60 rpm cadence. I look down at my 84 rpm cadence and thinking this can’t be real. Sad to say it is. It is also in gear selection; gear selection is the finesse of bicycling. Having the legs to turn the bigger gears is where it all starts. That is what I’m doing this year, building the legs. More intervals (even if they are old guy intervals), more standing and sprinting over summits as well as just using the gearing in a different way, ride in the high gears.
In the mean time and to continue the trek to powerful (not to mention good looking) legs I am shooting for a 100 mile month. Wow, I rode the first day of winter, New Years Day, and now looking at 100 miles in January, Colorado you got to love it!
Ride, Ride Hard, Ride Safe.
Be courteous out there.
“G”
I have been able to ride a few times, 77 miles worth, just about enough to get the Holiday weight off of my posterior. Most of it anyway, 2 more pounds and I’m back to pre-Christmas goodies splurging.
The down side of this is my fitness level. Back in November I had talked about being sick and not riding, but had not lost my fitness. Well after the Holidays, the below 40 degrees for weeks on end, not to mention the snow piled up on all of my good ride routes, the fitness has slipped. October through December I only had 4 rides for 70 miles and I’m already ahead of that in three weeks. I have definitely felt it though.
On the up side, on my ride yesterday, I actually passed someone. Yes it was on a long down hill, yes the bike did not appear to fit him, and the over sized nylon jogging suit he was wearing was creating a lot of wind resistance not to mention a god awful flapping noise. But the point is I did pass him and he never caught up with me to pass me back. OK so maybe he did turn off and take another route but it was the first pass of the season. I will keep it, I have given more people a target to catch and pass than I have for six months, and I get this one.
Speaking of which, I have been passed by so many old guys (yes, even older than me) that it is bewildering. How do they go so fast? Even with my lost fitness level I have cruised down some flat’s at 18 -20 mph this month, feeling good, feeling confident, enjoying the breeze and the scenery. Then what sounds like a car behind me in the distance, goes some “old guy” by me with about a 60 rpm cadence. I look down at my 84 rpm cadence and thinking this can’t be real. Sad to say it is. It is also in gear selection; gear selection is the finesse of bicycling. Having the legs to turn the bigger gears is where it all starts. That is what I’m doing this year, building the legs. More intervals (even if they are old guy intervals), more standing and sprinting over summits as well as just using the gearing in a different way, ride in the high gears.
In the mean time and to continue the trek to powerful (not to mention good looking) legs I am shooting for a 100 mile month. Wow, I rode the first day of winter, New Years Day, and now looking at 100 miles in January, Colorado you got to love it!
Ride, Ride Hard, Ride Safe.
Be courteous out there.
“G”
Monday, December 28, 2009
First Winter Ride
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”
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”
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.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Things Go Further South
Wow, on my post last week things were looking up. This week I’m looking up to where I was at last week, but still looking up. Not wanting to go to the doctor, the typical man attitude, I figured things would improve, they always do. Wrong! The doctor told me that the pneumonia could be coming or going. Best bet, its going since I waited so long to go in. I mentioned my logic of finally making an appointment was that if I took up his and his staff time I would suddenly be better and there would be nothing to check me for. It didn’t quite work this time but he did understand the logic. He said next time I get sick, make the appointment sooner and I’ll get better sooner. Now that could go to either theory but I think he got me on that one, I was too miserable to tell at the time.
So I have been looking out the window at this lovely Colorado, November weather, mid 60’s to mid 70’s, watching the multiple groups of riders going by. Seeing the bike commuters during the week come out again in shorts. I take the couple of steps down to my garage floor and look at my lonely, reliable ride. As I think what could be I start gasping for breath that brings on the cough that reminds me of the sore ribs that all would have been gone if I would have called the doctor sooner so the symptoms would go away and there would have been nothing to diagnose. Oh, the web we sometimes weave for ourselves. There is always a bright side though, I’m half way through the 10 day medicine regiment and I’m not wheezing and coughing when I move, at least as often. I’m anxious to see just where my training has actually gone and how much I will have to make up which is actually exciting. In the mean time as I can move and breath for longer periods of time I see a good cleaning in the future, for the bike of course. Plus I figured I have 1387 miles on the chain so I may splurge and replace it now before I mess up the whole drive train.
In the meantime, I will attempt to improve my ability of understanding Windows and attempt to decide on updating to Windows 7 from XP. Yeah like that will ever make sense.
Till Next Post, Ride Safe and Stay Warm
“G”
So I have been looking out the window at this lovely Colorado, November weather, mid 60’s to mid 70’s, watching the multiple groups of riders going by. Seeing the bike commuters during the week come out again in shorts. I take the couple of steps down to my garage floor and look at my lonely, reliable ride. As I think what could be I start gasping for breath that brings on the cough that reminds me of the sore ribs that all would have been gone if I would have called the doctor sooner so the symptoms would go away and there would have been nothing to diagnose. Oh, the web we sometimes weave for ourselves. There is always a bright side though, I’m half way through the 10 day medicine regiment and I’m not wheezing and coughing when I move, at least as often. I’m anxious to see just where my training has actually gone and how much I will have to make up which is actually exciting. In the mean time as I can move and breath for longer periods of time I see a good cleaning in the future, for the bike of course. Plus I figured I have 1387 miles on the chain so I may splurge and replace it now before I mess up the whole drive train.
In the meantime, I will attempt to improve my ability of understanding Windows and attempt to decide on updating to Windows 7 from XP. Yeah like that will ever make sense.
Till Next Post, Ride Safe and Stay Warm
“G”
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Training and The H1N1
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”
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”
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”
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