Back In The Saddle Again

Well, its been a week and my achilles is much better. Not 100% but good enough to go for the Wed. night ride. Today was beautiful in Madison Va. This past weekend was crappy and I didn't miss out on any "primo" ride time. The group was faster today. I did a lot of riding alone or riding beside the group to catch more wind. Not quite 20 miles, got a good workout... nice first day back. Pizza out after the ride was fun too. Here is a highlight. Ride on.

Down and out

Yesterday I didnt get any exercise. This was as much from work as from my achilles. But i am going to take a few days off to see if i can get it better - my leg, not work.

Group rides are fun

Today I realized that the Wednesday night rides (tonight was Mountain Run Lake) do help me ride at a higher mph/effort than I normally do myself (so do "easy" rides with Brian the Sticky bike Guru). Today we rode 25 miles and while I conserved some energy by drafting in the beginning the group broke up and I rode by myself a good bit in the middle and worked hard at catching up the the lead group. It was great weather, bit windy but a good time. The hills were good too, more of them than I remember. Good times.
On the down side my right leg has two problems. My hip is bothering me from over-yogafying and my achilles just started giving me a sharp pain out of nowhere while I was walking around a work today (maybe from the run on Tues). I will try an easy ride Thurs night and see if it can handle it.

OK finish to a Bad start

It was hard to take the first step, Again. It rained most of the day (although now it is sunny and nice outside). I decided to go for a trail run. I started to run the standard loop but half way through I changed it up. I ended up running for almost 39 minutes. I re-realized that I am able to run at 75% (aerobically) very comfortably but if I go over 80% I get a very uncomfortable. I need to increase my ability to output higher levels, for longer, with less strain. Ha. I want to try running hill sprints at least once a week.

Or maybe my feeling of sluggishness was from the two bowls of Breyer's Mint Choclate Chip ice cream I ate before I went for the run.

What its all about

For me motocross is about the jumps. Road race (sport bikes) is about the turns. Downhill is about hammering speed. XC is about finding flow. I am still working on what Road cycling is about. Tonight, however, it was about sunsets, cool spring breezes and enjoying the evening. I saw a deer run across the road right in front of me and for the first time I could see how low to the ground it can sometimes run and hear the sound of its hooves on the asphalt. I went out on my Caliente - 33/16 fixie with no brakes. it was so much better than the trainer. got to spin for almost 45 mins. (about 11 miles) and had a great time- but i almost didnt gooooo. luckily i forced that first step.






I still don't have the slight clue what running is about.

Stretching it out

Today I was looking to do a longer road ride with bobby (bit easier pace). I couldn't get in touch with him so i went with Alex (fastest girl i have met on a bicycle and running) and Brian (afore-mentioned super guru) to do a climbing day. We went to Sperryville and rode UP to Skyline and over into Luray. Ate a pretty good lunch and then rode south of town. After getting blasted by the wind on the way out of town we turned around at the 25 mile mark. The wind and hills pushed us back into town so fast, I felt like a super hero. I Passed a local walking along the road and threw the Hi-5 and the sting of the 30 mph impact was so great. The climb out of town was tough but the downhill was fast and fun. 50 miles. It was cool and my 2nd longest ride so far. my legs hurt

Back To My Roots

So far today I have done a Mtn bike ride on Blakely's Ridge. It remined me of the first year of mtn biking for me in Frostburg. Gravel roads up steeep mountains. Today, instead of a cliff jump into a quarry at the top we had Johnsonville Brats cooked over a campfire. When i heard this was what was happening, i thought that it didnt sound that great but those brats tasted SO good. It was a miracle that we ever got that fire lit. If it wasn't for a sales receipt we would have been out of luck.

The climbs were granny gears and pushing through the rocks and erosion ruts. I felt pretty good but Scott was really strong.

The decents were also a lot of fun. Small technical obstacles but fast and loose. Good time- it reminded me of why I got into downhill in the first place... Good Motivation.

I hope to go for a road ride in a little while. Legs are feeling less weak.

[Edit]: Went for a nice and easy road ride. Maybe the first time i have done two real rides in one day. Good training for Italy. another 24 miles on such a beautiful day.

Feelin' It

Today was another great ride with cycling guru "Stix". His ride was an easy to medium pace with one or two interval sprints. My ride was a pretty hard push through the whole ride with semi frequent breaks in his slipstream. We both rode 25 miles with a 19+ mph avg. There were times on the smooth tar of a "tar and chip" road and another when stomping 30mph on a downgrade that were really enjoyable. It also made me forget all about work and houses that need finishing and jerky supers. I am really enjoying the sunsets and taking photos while we ride (it does slow me up).

Pondering

To further yesterdays post: I noticed that everyone else got really mad when the truck cut in front of us. I think there were three reasons for this. First, everyone got scared from the physical proximity of the turning truck. If you get really scared, especially for "no good reason" your follow up responce is to get mad - 'cause, how dare they??
Secondly, they didn't expect it. My Dad has been on a motorcycle more than 2 of any other motorcycle riders out there and he told me a very wise thing (maybe more than one, but for now I am only going to give you one Nugget of Wisdom). He said (paraphrasing) Look at everyone around you. Now think of the dumbest thing that each one could do and expect them to do it.
Life is all about meeting expectations. When things go the way you think they will you have some sort of satisfaction. When things don't, you get upset. When riding a bicycle it is the same. If you expect nobody in a car to see you, or to always react inappropriately to you on your bike, then you will not be surprised or upset when that actually happens. No surprise, no anger.

Finally, I don't think that most of the people in my group have accepted, Truely Accepted, the inherent dangers in cycling (and in life). If you are completely mentally prepared to get hurt doing what you love, then you don't have the negative gut reaction when you do get hurt. You may be bummed out that you are missing all the fun while you are recouping (or permanently bound to a wheelchair), but not mad.

[Edit]: I decided to give you one small additional nug; in the world of riders, "There are those who have gone down, and there are those who are going to go down." -C.B.



Keep Rollin'

Rollin' Into Burger

Today was the first official Wednesday night ride. Beautiful weather and a Huge turnout. Out of all those people I am the only one that doesn't wear a helmet. I am invincible and other people can't understand that. They still give me a lot of 'tude, but I have never been influenced by others' opinions- even if I am wrong.

The ride was pretty fast, especially since I am out of shape. It was a great ride until...

We were descending a long hill at the upper 20 mph's. A pickup coming the opposite way made a left hand turn in front of us at about 40+ miles an hour. He was about 60 feet in front of the lead guy (best guess). The very strong, and tough Julianna (who I like a lot) was next to me, near the rear of the pack and she grabbed a fist full of brake and locked up the rear. Her "rear" then swung out and I lost sight of what was happening in an effort to stay upright; but I think she might of high sided. The Infamous JOE WHITE then hit her bike and also went down. He proceeded to skid on his head for a short distance.

In my opinion, she panicked. Understandable. If it wasn't for lots of motorcycle racing I might have. I don't know if she closed in on the guy in front her, but she over-reacted. Good thing no one reads this. Almost as bad as the crash is that I am now going to be subjected to even more criticism for being bare headed. I hate haters.

Anyway it was fun.

New Kicks

Today was my first ride in my barely used, fresh from ebay, sidi dominator 5's. I love sidi's. Before today my collection consisted of a pair of mx boots and a pair of dominator 2's. Both pairs I love, so when I was tired of my too-small Road shoes I bought a pair of new mtn. shoes for the road. They are more versatile easier and to walk around on. Only down side is that they are no longer leather... leather is the Best Jerry, THE BEST. Brian Marsh (local speed-on-a-bike freak) and I went for a ride today. I rode to the shop did the loop and then rode home. About 20 miles. It was a bit chilly but a beautiful ride.

Burps, Farts, and Sore Nipples

Today was nice. Despite getting home at 6pm I was able to still go for a run at the "Farm" and have enough daylight for the whole thing. I stuck with my standard route (surprise) and felt really strong for most of the run. I was hoping for a 36.30 minute time but really came in at 37.15. Legs still felt heavy but cardio felt better. I usually like to eat something when I get home and a bowl of cereal is my go-to choice. Unfortunately, milk isn't good pre-exercise. But habits are hard to break and I was burping milk the whole run... Farts are just a part of my life for better or for worse. I remember dudes back in high school (David Dilling) could blast away in the middle in class and just laugh it off and be cool, but it still embarrasses me. Luckily the squrriels cant complain. Finally underarmor isn't great for my running (most synthetic fabrics are not). It does good for temperature regulation but chaps my nips- no fun.

Maybe we can relate... I think that kid gives mom all of those same things.

Maintaining the String

In addition to training for a downhill race season, there is the intrinsic enjoyment of the activites. I also love burning calories. I love eating and I hate fat so walks like today help keep the fat away after eating a bunch of choclate and ginger cookies.

Today was another day of rain. After I slept the afternoon away, I went for another walk in the woods this evening. Not the strenuous one from yesterday but it still got my heart rate up a little. The rain had blown past and it was actually pretty nice. The benefit of not having to maintain a target heart rate is that is leaves time to play around a little if you see something interesting.

Getting out and doing something, anything is a way to get through a slump or just spending a great sunday afternoon.

Falling Sky + Wet Mountains

The rain is here and if it is raining, there is nothing I like more (in my world of exercise) than hiking or trail running. Today was a hike. Most people think of hiking as a less strenuous exercise. Most that do hike don't hike fast, but if you do hike up a mountain at a fast walk it is great exercise.

What makes hiking even better is hiking with a friend. It's funny how if you put two guys walking up a mountain, in the rain, what can be said. Poop seemed to be one of the main topics of the day. It seems funny how it is ok to talk about the size of your stool while in the woods, but not so much if you are in the office.

The rain didn't keep the smiles off of our faces and it seems so much more manly (unless you're a girl), to go out in the rain to workout.

The other thing i like about hiking in the rain is putting gear to the test. Nice boots and rain jacket make being out in inclement weather so much more enjoyable. Ginger cookies make the drive home so much more enjoyable

Today was another late one at work, which combined with the rain made a third night on the rollers mandatory. This was inspiration for me to prove myself wrong and find out that you can stand up on rollers. While inspired by boredom it was also due to an early arrival at my Capital Tainting Rule.

In addition to working on standing up on the rollers which is pointless I am also working on increasing my maximum cadence and my duration at M.C. Both are really bad right now. But I do like my Mochi. The real deal is once the daylight savings changes (THIS SUNDAY!) and the first Wednesday night group ride. Hopefully I will be able to keep up... JOE WHITE IS A TRUCK

Confessions

While I maintain that my rollers help dissolve my daily grind by fusing focus with exercise I now have to admit that yesterday, while I was rollercizing, I am guilty of also watching America's Next Top Model.

Not for this:





















but for this:

How can liking 12 of "those" be wrong for any red blooded, American man? Besides they do look better with the mute on. Anywho tonight was spinning +Kung Fu Hustle - which happens to be great for on or off the cycle, I highly recommend it.

What she lacks in outer beauty, she makes up for in character. Besides- she reminds me of my mom.

Every time I get on the rollers i make note that I enjoy the blur of spokes as I am Sweatin' to the Models... But I do tend to stare at the spokes more when the commercials are running.

Still I would rather be out there dodging dogs and feeling the breeze through my receding hairline.

Rollin'

Today was beautiful outside. It was 70 degrees and sunny- perfect for everything that I love doing. Unfortunately, my exercise schedule and my work schedule do not always jive and i got home too late to do a road ride and didnt want to drive out to the farm for a Mtn Bike night ride. So onto the rollers I went. For those of you who may not know, rollers are like a trainer but nothing holds the bike in place. The gyroscopic power of the wheels hold you up and you have to keep the bike rolling straight. I got the rollers, instead of a trainer, for the same reason I like trial running; I like the added focus that is required to do the activity.

Number 69 is incredible...

Doing a workout that demands focus really helps me get lost in the workout. It lets all the days problems and worries disappear. The only thing slower than your forward speed when on rollers, is time. Necessary evils. The other advantage of rollers is that they are better for developing a smooth spin. You can only spin so fast with improper form until you get squirrely. Other downside is that, without a fan, I sweat a river by the time I approach my Capital Tainting Rule. In other words after 30 minutes I'm done sitting on a bike- you cannot stand on rollers. If you do, falling is most likely going to happen.

Cross Training

Today I went out for a loop on my fixie. Good 45 minutes of sunny spinning. It was easy going out today. The flip side to my quarter is that I am A.D.D. and if I don't change things up i get bored.

Back in my college days a professor taught me that kides spin around and get dizzy because it is their attempt at altering their state of consciousness. Spinning on the bike does the same thing for me. It takes my state of mind and transforms it, only it takes a lot longer to get a feeling of nausea.

She's got it right, it just makes you feel great.
Rain is coming...

eat your heart out Richard Simmons

Today was the first trial run in a long while. My legs were heavy and the trail was covered in a lot of debris. But it was great; the weather was beautiful and it was pretty scenery. Every time that I run I am reminded that I am a creature of habit. I run the same trail, in the same direction ever time that I run. I have done this so that i can measure myself compared to other runs. I have never used a heart rate monitor or any other devices to ensure a proper workout. I just try to run the same trail faster than I have before. Today's time was 39 and half minutes. My best is around a 34. Even though I tend to not change my habits, when change happens (or is forced) I feel like I adapt relatively quickly. The trail today is in a sorry state of affairs so I think I am going to change my route. Not earth shattering news but at least I am not stealing large amount of peoples shoes. http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2009/06/10/german-fox-steals-at-least-120-shoes.aspx

or here

http://www.rjkoehler.com/2010/02/22/the-heelish-sole-trader-and-his-stolen-booties/





Well it seems like I am not the only creature of habit. That is comforting. Hopefully this creature of habit will develop a renewed habit of exercising...

Going up

Today I took a step in the right direction.
While I am training for this seasons DH series, I am also training for a bicycle tour through central Italy. The more that I investigate what the terrain in Tuscay looks like the more I realize that I will be spending more time riding up than a pair of Chelsy Minx thongs http://www.chelseyminx.com/Ultra-Mini-Micro-Thongs-s/56.htm
Anyway today the ride was from Sperryville to skyline drive and back. I also wore a back pack to test how it would work on the cycle (panniers are not for me). At least the downhill was fun.

Training

Training is easy. Just turn your brain off, go get your gear on and walk outside. You dont have to be motivated. You have to force yourself to do the next step.

This time last year I was running about three or four times a week and when I started doing the group rides I was pretty strong. Yesterday I rode the fixie to the LBS (Local Bike Shop) and I was feeling it. I haven't been taking those next steps. I am officially blaming it on the amount of snow that we have had. Running is hard in 24" of snow.

The snow is about gone and I need to start Stepping. This is going to be a log of that.

This year I plan or racing Downhill Mtn bikes and I need my fitness to be good enough that I can ride all day sat and sunday morning and then put in a strong race run.

In other news yesterday's silver lining I found a case of Deer Park water bottles scattered all over the intersection next to Wal-Mart. I found 7 unbroken bottles and 1 that did leak all over the inside of my Man Bag - or as I like to call the The Bag of Opportunity. Picking up Road Treasure is another one of my passions but that is for another Blog.