Yes, at the most inopportune time’s life is still jumping up and popping me in the face. I have always been a big believer that timing is everything and with every passing day it is proven more true.
I am involved in a group that is planning a state wide school safety conference. I had expected more assistance from the group that placed me there. I’m sure you know how those things work out. It goes along with the multitude of state agencies and organizations that have taken this undertaking. I was hoping for a cooperative, sharing of ideas, from all of the separate agencies that put their individual conferences on every year. Yea, that was really going to happen. What does this have to do with Bicycling you ask? The amazing amount of stress relief, which can be credited to bicycling. But then with what I am enduring right now the cycling is not even beginning to scratch the surface.
This brings me back to the timing and life getting in the way. I was expecting to be back into a good riding routine and popping out close to a hundred miles a week by the middle of last month. Spring has been a beautiful time to ride in Colorado. This spring, we received our winter. It has snowed, multiple times, stayed cold, windy, all those stupid Mother Nature things that I can not seem to deal with, especially when I’m not into a solid routine yet. Then add the pre mentioned stress. We have had some great riding days, don’t get me wrong, but that is where the timing thing comes into play. My son’s and I have enjoyed beautiful, calm, sunny weather as we have driven to basketball practices. Why just yesterday we commented on the 70 degree temperature and the amount of cyclist out as we were shuffling between three different games. It was Mothers day which is why there were only three. By the time we came home, the wind woke up and the overcast skies with the threat of a storm rolled in. It is predicted to dump a foot of snow sometimes tomorrow. This morning hit 50 before nine am. I was going for a ride.
I grabbed the bag of new tubes I had just bought at Performance Cycle last week to fix my flat front tire. As a side note I discovered that if you ride very fast and make very gentle turns you can get at least 12 miles on a front tire going flat. Back to Performance Cycle. I know from experience, doing small parts and clothing business with them for years, that what you buy from them is not necessary what’s in the box when you go to use it. I was sitting in the front room pulling small pieces of glass out of my flat front tire then opened one of the new “True Goo” self sealing tube (side note #2, “True Goo” tubes don’t plug up the stems as easy as “Slime” tubes do.) and discovered that it had a shrader valve and not the presta the salesman got for me, yes my fault. A quick check of the other “True Goo” tubes and they were the same. I jumped in the car, drove the seven miles to Performance, twenty minutes one way with the morning traffic. But alas, the timing thing again comes to play, and I arrived fifty minutes before they opened. I figured I would just go home and throw in one of the other non-Goo tubes I bought and change to Goo the next time. It is sticker season you know. I went home, less traffic going east, put in the new tube, threw on my shorts and a jersey while I attempted to ignore the whistling wind threw the screens on my windows. I grabbed the wheel all ready to go went into the garage and watched my garage door bow in and out with the force of the wind and hoped the door did not get jerked off. Results, I’m back in front of this dam computer banging out this smattering of nonsense.
I did get some rides in, in April not many and not far but did bring up my average speed to the mid thirteen mph. Even a thirteen point three on a twenty two mile loop. So all has not been lost, speeds to look forward to and as the lovely Ms. Neff pointed out in her comment, which I agree with completely, I can not give up the fun and the exhilarating workout bicycling gives me.
I also managed to sign up my older son and I for the Greenwood Goose Chase. If you are local take a look at their web site, goosechase.org. This is fun and just a daily ride with a few hundred of your closest strangers.
More on the Goose Chase and the positive things I have seen on my rides so far this year, later this week.
Ride Safe, But Ride, More important Be Careful Out There.
“G”
Monday, May 10, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Life Sometimes Gets In The Way
A problem with maintaining a good exercise program is sometimes not motivation but life it’s self. Now those of you that are single and whose responsibility is only to ones self you are not affected by life quite as often. For the rest of us, we have the untimely wait for the cable guy. Then there is, like this week was, spring break. When I have the alone time with my boys the time is theirs to do what they would like and my time is dedicated to solely insuring I can facilitate their wishes. Some day they will realize and be thankful for that. Oh yeah, that sometimes curse of the retired which causes people to think you have absolutely nothing to do, they’ll make a request that needed to be completed yesterday and ties you up for an unexpected three hours.
Speaking of the curse of the retired, some of it we bring on ourselves. In my case, which I believe is relateabel, I know I now have the time, I am in better shape then when I was working and just came off of a year where I biked 1,718 miles, I pick my time. Meaning, if there is a 10 to 20 mph breeze and 52 degrees without the breeze, I’ll wait till another time. Not consistently but at times. I can only do it on occasion because I now feel miserable and want to sleep if I don’t ride. This past week of spring break, I rode twice. One great ride with my 16 year old, his first of the year but more important the first since his heart surgery. He didn’t kick my butt but he did beat me home but he was sucking air.
These “lazy breaks” aren’t all bad, remember the body needs to recoup and for me, I am old, and though this may be ridicules idea to a 30, 40 year old or younger guys, just wait. With the breaks I still managed to get in 150 miles for March, which isn’t much for some of you, 18 years ago I was doing 100 a week. Since my ride on New Years Day I have logged 262 miles. I am ahead of where I was last year, I will, break 2,000 this year.
So if you have been out of your routine, just had the winter blues or life just keeps getting in the way, no big deal you can do it. You need to walk before you can run, take that first step.
Till Next Month
Ride Safe, Ride for the Fun But Ride.
“G”
Speaking of the curse of the retired, some of it we bring on ourselves. In my case, which I believe is relateabel, I know I now have the time, I am in better shape then when I was working and just came off of a year where I biked 1,718 miles, I pick my time. Meaning, if there is a 10 to 20 mph breeze and 52 degrees without the breeze, I’ll wait till another time. Not consistently but at times. I can only do it on occasion because I now feel miserable and want to sleep if I don’t ride. This past week of spring break, I rode twice. One great ride with my 16 year old, his first of the year but more important the first since his heart surgery. He didn’t kick my butt but he did beat me home but he was sucking air.
These “lazy breaks” aren’t all bad, remember the body needs to recoup and for me, I am old, and though this may be ridicules idea to a 30, 40 year old or younger guys, just wait. With the breaks I still managed to get in 150 miles for March, which isn’t much for some of you, 18 years ago I was doing 100 a week. Since my ride on New Years Day I have logged 262 miles. I am ahead of where I was last year, I will, break 2,000 this year.
So if you have been out of your routine, just had the winter blues or life just keeps getting in the way, no big deal you can do it. You need to walk before you can run, take that first step.
Till Next Month
Ride Safe, Ride for the Fun But Ride.
“G”
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Fear of Restarting Exercise
When I became intimate with the H1N1 in October which turned into pneumonia in November, I was very nervous about restarting training again. Come to think of it training is not quite the word for the way I ride. Anyway I was very nervous about starting to ride again. I did start and it was surprising pleasant, like the old saying goes, just like riding a bicycle.
Well with the cold in February, it was really cold to me, I did not get a single ride in. The good thing was I didn’t gain weight and it was the shortest month. But I had a much greater fear of starting again then before. Not only did I have the fear of starting from square one but, I lost the momentum and energy to ride. I had not felt that way in October and November, so I was scarred to attempt my second restart in three months. Like everyone else who either hits bottom or a plateau a light will come on. That magnificent, mystical light that comes on and becomes a life changing wake up call.
My light, you ask, if you are still reading. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. Here is the state Governor, an avid bicyclist, out for an early morning ride with friends and he crashes. Early morning? 6:30ish, that for a retired old fart is really early. Now this is the beginning of March in Colorado 6:30ish is like 20 degrees. Kudos Governor Ritter Kudos to you and may your ribs heal quickly.
After the news and Regis and Kelly I wiped the bike down, checked the air pressure, made sure everything was tight and filled water bottles. I took off on a normal boring route with the mind set of little gears and a steady comfortable cadence. Not bad, more riders and joggers that I expected, beautiful clear skies and a unbelievable view of the snow capped Rockies. Other than over dressing a really good, stress relieving ride. Yes there was some soreness and I was not fast as a month ago but I did not lose that much. The best thing though, that was yesterday and I looked forward to today’s ride to the point of skipping Regis and Kelly.
Bottom Line, the mind is an amazing thing and will play vicious tricks on you. The sad thing is we all, at one time or another, let our minds win because sometimes it is just easier.
Time to rejoice, riding season for us non élites has arrived.
Ride Safe, Ride Courteous, Ride Hard.
“G”
Well with the cold in February, it was really cold to me, I did not get a single ride in. The good thing was I didn’t gain weight and it was the shortest month. But I had a much greater fear of starting again then before. Not only did I have the fear of starting from square one but, I lost the momentum and energy to ride. I had not felt that way in October and November, so I was scarred to attempt my second restart in three months. Like everyone else who either hits bottom or a plateau a light will come on. That magnificent, mystical light that comes on and becomes a life changing wake up call.
My light, you ask, if you are still reading. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. Here is the state Governor, an avid bicyclist, out for an early morning ride with friends and he crashes. Early morning? 6:30ish, that for a retired old fart is really early. Now this is the beginning of March in Colorado 6:30ish is like 20 degrees. Kudos Governor Ritter Kudos to you and may your ribs heal quickly.
After the news and Regis and Kelly I wiped the bike down, checked the air pressure, made sure everything was tight and filled water bottles. I took off on a normal boring route with the mind set of little gears and a steady comfortable cadence. Not bad, more riders and joggers that I expected, beautiful clear skies and a unbelievable view of the snow capped Rockies. Other than over dressing a really good, stress relieving ride. Yes there was some soreness and I was not fast as a month ago but I did not lose that much. The best thing though, that was yesterday and I looked forward to today’s ride to the point of skipping Regis and Kelly.
Bottom Line, the mind is an amazing thing and will play vicious tricks on you. The sad thing is we all, at one time or another, let our minds win because sometimes it is just easier.
Time to rejoice, riding season for us non élites has arrived.
Ride Safe, Ride Courteous, Ride Hard.
“G”
Friday, February 19, 2010
So Where Is The Global Warming
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”
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”
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.
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