Tag Archives: biking

Malt

Amateur Cyclist, ,

I learned a rather important cycling lesson today: if you simply must treat yourself to a medium chocolate malt at DQ®, do not ride with it if comes with one of those open dome lids. You know, the kind that go on an ICEE® or Slurpee®. Either ask for a standard flat soft drink lid, or stay put and enjoy your treat.

The consequences of ignoring this bit of advice will be quite apparent as soon as you hit a bump as you pedal away.

Today I ignored that bit of advice out of ignorance. My frosty treat sprayed my arm from cup to elbow. It even went under my HRM watch. Oh yeah, that was pleasant. Minor miracles of minor miracles, my bike only managed to be tainted by a couple three drops of the sticky goo. (Found the third drop on the pedal crank, same side as the tainted handle bar, after I had myself a nice, long, hot shower.)

Fortunately, I had snagged a few napkins before leaving the store. After cleaning my arm of most of the mess, I wedged the napkins in the lid’s gaping hole. Just enough to prevent a repeat spraying at the next bump in the road.

Next time I think I will skip the malt altogether. Sure it was good and tasty, but not nearly good and tasty enough to risk a repeat fountaining of chocolaty dairy product all over my stretchy synthetics-clad self. It’s bad enough the clothes need to be soiled with sunscreen.

Upshifting

Amateur Cyclist,

For as long as I can remember, I have used the terms “biking” and “cycling” interchangeably. Likewise with “biker” and “cyclist.” Until mere days ago, I failed to recognize the subtle but distinct difference between the “b” words and their respective “c” words.

So what is the difference between biking and cycling, and a biker and a cyclist?

Biking is generally a relaxed, laid back, casual activity. The equipment tends to cost less, and the biker tends to wear clothing of a more general purpose nature. Bike rides are usually utilitarian trips to a nearby destination or leisurely rides around the neighborhood. The more enthusiastic participate in family-oriented ride events. Many bicycle riders, perhaps the vast majority of them, are happy to stay in this camp.

But, there are some who, perhaps without realizing it, change gears and begin to engage in the activity with considerably less casual vigor and intent.

Riding becomes a more frequent activity. Goals form: can I ride farther, can I ride faster? That old low-end bike bought at a garage sale or discount department store doesn’t cut it anymore. A bike shop’s version of lower-end takes its place. Bike shorts begin to go from being a “no-way” to preferred attire.

The biker begins learning simple maintenance. Minor components are upgraded. A T-shirt gives way to a sweat-wicking sport shirt, which later gives way to a bike jersey. Footwear is upgraded to bike shoes, and pedals for them to snap into take their place on the bike. That upgrade alone allows for noticeably longer distances and faster speeds. Goals are reached, and new ones come into focus. The limits of the trusty old bike shop budget model are reached. Realization dawns that further component upgrades will not help achieve the latest goals. The rider knows what must be done to continue forward.

Gears shift again. A bike is purchased for a price that just a few short years ago seemed outrageous. It is lighter, faster, quieter. It is adjusted to fit its rider, and its rider alone. Trying to keep up with faster riders changes to easily keeping up with them, and even taking the lead. Time and distance goals that seemed impossible to attain before are now on the radar.

At last realization hits: the biker has become a cyclist.

I am this cyclist.

Overridden

Amateur Cyclist, ,

The other day I registered for the Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride.

The next evening my sister-in-law called. Guess which day was selected for my nephew’s confirmation. I’ll give you a hint. May 6.

Of course. When else would it be planned?

Confirmations are the sort of thing to be scheduled well enough in advance so relatives can make arrangements to attend. At least that’s how it was done back in my day. I maybe didn’t know many of my relatives by more than name only, but they came to witness the big day anyway. They had time to plan.

Overtime

Amateur Cyclist, ,

The Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride is in two weeks. Until a month ago, I had been looking forward to riding the century (100-mile) route. Extra hours at work the last few months had taken their toll, leading to almost non-existent training for the ride. I’m not sure you could even consider a couple 20-mile rides back in March as training. I have been so worn down that last week I decided the ride just wasn’t in the cards for me this year.

Lucky for me, I had to work this weekend to do what I could to help get our project completed for release this week.

Lucky to have to work the weekend?

Yes, lucky.

My boss stopped by Saturday afternoon to chat about the project. Two minutes later, my rundown of my progress was done. Then we got talking about the 5K run event he finished that morning. He had a picture of himself decked out in his cold-weather running gear on his phone. His daughter said he looked like a dork. He looked pretty normal to me. From personal experience, fashion isn’t quite a top priority when participating in a cold-weather event. He ran his 5K in near freezing temperatures without having to walk any of it. His goal had been to run the whole distance without walking, and he did it.

I decided that if he can run 5K without slowing to a walk, I can at least try my best to pedal 100 miles. Even if a five-minute fast walk now leaves me panting.

My boss had a quadruple-bypass almost a year ago. If he can run, I can ride. Today I registered for the ride.

Thanks for asking me to work the weekend, boss.

Encouragement

Amateur Cyclist, Amateur Writer, ,

Sometimes you find encouragement when and where you least expect it.

Around noon, the sun finally peeked out and brightened the plaza outside my office building. It didn’t last long, but it was nice to see nonetheless.

An encouraging lift in the day.

NaNoWriMo coffee cupThis afternoon I decided a smiling face would be nice to see. So for my afternoon break, I headed to the nearby B&N Café. The friendly barista confirmed my usual, peppermint tea, and proceeded to fetch the refill. Then she noticed the writing on my cup.

I gave a quick description of NaNoWriMo, and she wrote down the URL.

“Cool! I love to write. I used to write all the time. I think I might give NaNoWriMo a try. Thanks!”

(By then a line had formed, or I would have mentioned she might like to try blogging. I’ll save that for the next time I see her.)

An encouraging lift in the day.

This evening I took a quick glance at Facebook, to see if friends and family had anything of interest. (Farmville and other game updates are not interesting, BTW.)

One of my biking friends mentioned he signed up for the Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride.

This afternoon, I was leaning toward skipping the ride, just three weeks away. Thanks to his post, I am leaning back toward going for it again.

An encouraging lift in the day.

Doubt

Amateur Cyclist, General, ,

Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s too much unreasonable-deadline-driven work and not enough play. And not enough exercise. Maybe it’s blowing the new eating plan for a few days. Maybe it’s seeing the number on the Evil Scale creep back up.

Maybe it’s all of the above. Today I am filled with doubt on riding the century in three weeks. Oh, I’m sure I’ll be able to do it. Mostly sure. I want to do it reasonably well. And enjoy it.

For months my goal has been to get ‘r done in no more than seven hours, including rest stops. Seven hours isn’t looking so attainable right now. Reasonably well isn’t looking so attainable right now. For perspective, last fall I rode a century in eight and a half hours. On a heavy hybrid bike. This year I will be riding an actual, significantly lighter, road bike. Still, seven hours isn’t looking too attainable. Never mind enjoying the ride.

I am tired of the rainy weather. I know we need it, but I wish it would just pour and be done with it already. Alternative: stationary bike at the health club.

I am tired of work. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. But the entire team is burned out due to deadlines we had no say in creating. I crashed and burned a couple weeks ago. Since then three others. Maybe there’s a bug going around, but I’m seeing exhaustion all around. At least most of the pressure will be off by the end of the month. I hope. Alternative: there really isn’t any, other than try to keep balance between work and life.

I have not done much exercising at all. I had to work over the weekend, but I did manage to eek out a six-mile ride in 25 minutes yesterday, when weather allowed. (It was later afternoon, so work I gave the finger to.) I used to head to the on-site health club at work over lunch for a swim or cycle class. Office politics suggest to me it is better I don’t for the time being. Alternative: go to the home club. Love to, but my long commute and bus schedule mean I get home late. OK, I am using that as an excuse, but time is a real barrier to navigate around.

Last piece of cake eatenAfter two or three days I already went off my new meal plan. We had a birthday in the house, so I had to have cake. The birthday meal was great. But working out the nutritional information was too difficult, so I skipped tracking the entire day. I tried getting back on track, but failed there. I even finished off the final piece of birthday cake, just to get rid of it. Alternative: tomorrow is another day to try again.

Much as I feel beat down right now, the final alternative is perhaps the best: tomorrow is another day to try again.

Twenty-three days

Amateur Cyclist, ,

Twenty-three days until my eighth Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride.

Seven, if you toss out last year’s ride, because I didn’t ride. It was cold and snowing last year, so I only checked-in, picked up my jersey and other goodies, and checked-out.

Two years ago my MIBR century ride came to an abrupt halt at about 55 miles. I had just crested a hill when eight bikes started passing me. Just then a rather large pickup with trailer in tow roared by. The driver was annoyed that the bikes prevented a speedy ascent up the hill. In retaliation, he stomped the accelerator and merged back into the right lane dangerously close to the group.

The leader of the pack was rightly startled and quickly veered right. Unfortunately, he found himself headed directly for the ditch. He overcorrected in an attempt to stay on the road. His wheels went out from under him, and he landed on the pavement. Hard. He broke his pelvis, ruining his plans to fulfill his near-lifelong dream of participating in a month-long guided hike in South America.

By the time the ambulance had arrived, the cold, gusty headwind had chilled me too much to continue.

Three years ago I endured near-freezing temperatures, snow, sleet, rain, and even a little thunder. I had wisely chosen the 30-mile route. The rain soaked me at about seven miles. Not the most pleasant experience, but not bad as long as you keep moving.

I skipped the first stop, leaving a group of annoyingly unpredictable bikers behind.

Nearing the second stop, I saw the bus and knew I was done. By then my fingers were so cold they barely worked my brakes. My feet were on their way to nonfunctional as well.

The bus was filled to capacity before I made it to the stop. Full-body shivers started while I waited for the next bus. Two cups of hot coffee didn’t help. People joked that I had Parkinson’s. I spent over half an hour in the hot tub at the health club before I felt warm again.

Needless to say, I hope the weather cooperates this year. I am due for an Ironman ride with fabulous weather.

Twenty-four days

Amateur Cyclist, General,

Twenty-four days until I ride 100 miles. At least that is my goal distance. I am still unsure whether to do the regular ride or try the fondo version. The difference is that the fondo adds a time-keeping element. Not quite a race, but not quite not.

Yesterday I started tracking everything I eat again. I had planned to start tracking weight, but plans being plans, I forgot. I did go over my estimated calorie quota, but not too horribly so.

The worst part of yesterday was being hungry. All. Day. Long. Including immediately after eating a meal. I could tell my stomach was full, yet the hunger pangs did not subside. Strange but true. I had a fairly decent fat-carb-protein ratio at each meal, so I am not quite sure what the problem was. By evening I caved and ate too much peanut butter mud.

I don’t know the “standard” recipe peanut butter mud, so I guessed.
3/4 cup powdered milk (1 serving)
1/4 cup peanut butter (peanuts and salt only)
2 tbsp honey
Mix well. Enjoy.

Enjoy I did. Finally my hunger pangs were gone.

Today was much better. I remembered to weigh myself, I my calorie quota overage was much less, and I had no hunger pangs other than just before meal times. My fat-carb-protein ratio was off, however.

I still haven’t gotten back on a bike, but I did the treadmill at a fairly brisk pace for an hour tonight.

Tomorrow I hope to leave work early enough to ride when I get home. Hopefully the weather will cooperate, but rain is in the forecast. I may have to climb on a stationary bike.

That’s about it for today’s riveting report.

Do you have an event ride you are preparing for? If so, I’d love to read about it.

Twenty-six days

Amateur Cyclist, ,

Twenty-six days. That’s how many days I have left to be ready for a century bike ride. The weeks of training and eating right will pay off in spades.

Great!… If only it were true. The weeks of training part. Oh, and the eating right part.

My weeks of training has really been little more than a couple 20-mile rides spread out over the last four weeks. Uh, yeah. Not quite a recommended training plan.

And my diet? Rollercoastering between heights of good food and plummeting to the depths of tasty, but oh-so-not-good-for-you treats has been my diet. And the scale shows it. Down three (hurray!). Up four (ugh!). Down two (yes!). Up one (boo!). This is the typical fluctuation over four days.

OK, folks, time to get serious.

I need to get back on the saddle and spend some quality time with my bikes. My heavy hybrid should provide more intense training rides. (That reminds me, I still need a battery for its bike computer. No way to accurately gauge speed and distance without one.)

A few rides on my lighter road bike will serve as more of a treat. Riding the road bike instead of the hybrid is almost like the difference between impulse and warp drive.

Finally, I also need to mix things up with some cycle classes at the health club.

As for my diet, I need to go back to counting calories. I’d like to drop eight to ten pounds. Yes, that is a tall order in such a short amount of time, but it is possible.

To make sure I’m eating properly I will need to watch grams of the macro-nutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. I know my ratios between those three are all over the place from day to day. While I’m at it, I’ll watch sodium, too. You would not believe how many “healthy” foods, especially soups, are loaded with the stuff.

By the way, I’d like to thank A Fat Man’s Journey for additional inspiration. My BMI might say I’m at a good weight, but BMI doesn’t account for body type. The spare tire needs to go.

I hope I’m up for this challenge…

Slice of Life (from http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com)