Just a quick update. I have been riding the latest 200k's by myself so in the heat here in Florida I have been spending about 8.5 hours on the bike, usually with an hour off the bike. I have been training my body to ride long but slow. To meet some of my longer term goals, I need to get faster. Last weekend I went out for a group ride with a faster group on the hills (we do have some small ones west of Orlando :-). It was foggy in the morning and the good news was that it seemed to really help climbing when I could not see the hills. I hung in until a couple of miles from the store stop and then dropped off again a couple of miles away from the place where they met.
It was tough but exactly what I need to do right now. The older advice to ride faster was to ride with a faster group. I do like the way that Graeme Street goes about it, I just did his Spin class #8 off the bike upper body work and on bike over-under intervals. Whew. I chose this specifically because I have to travel the next couple of days for work, so plenty of recovery!
I will do another 200k this month, maybe start really early or maybe start in the evening and do a night ride. I am on the downhill side of the R-12 and we will get to the nice part of the year after the heat breaks. Earlier this year, when I re-evaluated my goals and decided to do the R-12, I thought it was going to be fairly easy. I mean in comparison to a 400 or 600k this was an easy day. Well, it has been a little more difficult than I thought, mainly from the motivation side. Now, after halfway I am finding more positive thoughts and look forward to ticking them off. Of course, it is TDF time, so everyone wants to ride anyway. Vive le Tour!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
halfway to R-12
Saturday I left at 6am for another 200k solo. Heat, humidity, wind, rain. Had it all and kept about my same 200k times and I am now halfway to the R-12. Too much invested, I can't stop now!!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Getting Yours
OK, long time no posting. There has been just a little going on- I have moved into a new place and am going through major financial stuff. But I still have a job and there are lots of new beginnings and I am grateful.
I had targeted doing the Bike Across Florida ride on May 3- 170 miles. I felt that my training was spot on. The ride was to be on the Sunday before moving on Tuesday. The previous weekend I felt a cold coming on and finally by Friday before the ride I gave in that I was not going to make the ride as I stayed home from work with a fever.
I have been watching American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. (No judgements please and I am glad to have a DVR so I can just watch the performances and skip everything else). Anyway, on both shows I thought the unexpected person won. Adam Lambert- the guy I expected to win on Idol did not win. I thought everyone else was competing for second place. The same thing on Dancing with the Stars- of the two finalists, Gilles and Shawn- I thought Gilles would get it hands down. Instead it brought to mind one of the things that James Arthur Ray teaches- everyone gets what they need. I really think Adam did not need to win Idol, he is going to be a superstar. Kris Allen, the winner is not as charismatic as Adam, but now he is forever going to have the title of winner of American Idol which may turn out to be a bigger boost to him than it would have been for Adam. On Dancing with the Stars, Gilles has found a passion for dancing and says it will be a part of his life from now on. Shawn Johnson is only just graduating from high school and although she has an Olympic gold medal she is still very young and has been somewhat isolated in gymnastics. She says that she grew on the show and learned how to work as a team, not just compete for herself. I believe that winning that show will do wonders for her self confidence and this accomplishment may even be life changing for her.
So, did I get what I needed by getting sick and not doing the ride? I had more time to focus on packing and moving. I learned that the training plan I put together for myself worked. I have spent time with my two dogs to adjust to a new place and develop a solid and rewarding relationship. I will knock out another 200k next weekend to keep my R-12 going. I also have the beginnings of a really cool bike room. I took what would have been the master bedroom (the larger one of the two bedrooms) and have my weight machine, treadmill, trainer, workbench, and other fitness stuff almost set up. Tools and organization is making progress too. So, like my mother always said- when you don’t get that thing you really wanted, something else even better is going to come along.
I had targeted doing the Bike Across Florida ride on May 3- 170 miles. I felt that my training was spot on. The ride was to be on the Sunday before moving on Tuesday. The previous weekend I felt a cold coming on and finally by Friday before the ride I gave in that I was not going to make the ride as I stayed home from work with a fever.
I have been watching American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. (No judgements please and I am glad to have a DVR so I can just watch the performances and skip everything else). Anyway, on both shows I thought the unexpected person won. Adam Lambert- the guy I expected to win on Idol did not win. I thought everyone else was competing for second place. The same thing on Dancing with the Stars- of the two finalists, Gilles and Shawn- I thought Gilles would get it hands down. Instead it brought to mind one of the things that James Arthur Ray teaches- everyone gets what they need. I really think Adam did not need to win Idol, he is going to be a superstar. Kris Allen, the winner is not as charismatic as Adam, but now he is forever going to have the title of winner of American Idol which may turn out to be a bigger boost to him than it would have been for Adam. On Dancing with the Stars, Gilles has found a passion for dancing and says it will be a part of his life from now on. Shawn Johnson is only just graduating from high school and although she has an Olympic gold medal she is still very young and has been somewhat isolated in gymnastics. She says that she grew on the show and learned how to work as a team, not just compete for herself. I believe that winning that show will do wonders for her self confidence and this accomplishment may even be life changing for her.
So, did I get what I needed by getting sick and not doing the ride? I had more time to focus on packing and moving. I learned that the training plan I put together for myself worked. I have spent time with my two dogs to adjust to a new place and develop a solid and rewarding relationship. I will knock out another 200k next weekend to keep my R-12 going. I also have the beginnings of a really cool bike room. I took what would have been the master bedroom (the larger one of the two bedrooms) and have my weight machine, treadmill, trainer, workbench, and other fitness stuff almost set up. Tools and organization is making progress too. So, like my mother always said- when you don’t get that thing you really wanted, something else even better is going to come along.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
124 miles and 24 mph winds!
OK, so we do not have hills to speak of in Florida, but we do have wind. My buddies and I left from Melbourne last Saturday morning on another 200k adventure. We criss-crossed the Intercoastal with 3 overpasses (that is another term for a Florida hill :-)) generally heading north east beyond Cape Canaveral. It is a pretty ride, we saw lots of gators, masses of different birds, etc. This route does have some of my least favorite roads- long and flat with no turns, but companionship always helps.
We battled headwinds almost the whole way up as it was a strong east northeast wind. I can speak for myself that I was tired at mile 66 when we stopped for a lunch break. The trip back was much faster, and even faster still when we all noticed the rain clouds chasing us from behind. It was a fun gallop down the beautiful road next to the water. We did much better on time off the bike, this one only had about an hour and 40 minutes of down time, comparable to many of my other 200k's. Another pseudo epic ride down, a few more to come before the May 3 Cross Florida 170 mile ride.
We battled headwinds almost the whole way up as it was a strong east northeast wind. I can speak for myself that I was tired at mile 66 when we stopped for a lunch break. The trip back was much faster, and even faster still when we all noticed the rain clouds chasing us from behind. It was a fun gallop down the beautiful road next to the water. We did much better on time off the bike, this one only had about an hour and 40 minutes of down time, comparable to many of my other 200k's. Another pseudo epic ride down, a few more to come before the May 3 Cross Florida 170 mile ride.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
fires and butts
Wow, time flies. I did not realize how long it had been since I posted but we are having financial difficulties etc so this had slipped off the hot list. Sorry. I did not just a 200k but a 223k ride on the very last day of February to keep my R-12 streak at 2 months. Our next one is coming up quickly, next weekend in fact!
The ride was good, though a little longer than I thought and was prepared for. We had our 3 ladies and a bonus of an experienced randonneur Matt. It was just a little cool at the start but good weather. We had a kicking tailwind all the way north and thought it was going to be a long slog home. Someone was smiling on us though and even with a bit of a cross wind for a little while, we had an almost tailwind for some of the ride back. The ride did go longer than I thought and had (not) prepared for, but it was a good ride and everyone finished in good shape. It was an epic ride as ever as we had to stop and phone in a fire to 911. We were going past someone's house and all their furniture in the pool was on fire.
I have high hopes that the Brooks has solved some of my butt issues as I finished feeling pretty darned good. The saddle squeaks when I hit bumps and I have developed a real love for that sound. Every squeak of the saddle means that my @$$ is NOT the one taking the bump!
We have been spending a lot of free time with our Ladies training program. We now have a new crop of road riders and hopefully new friends to play with. It is just the best time of year now that the time has changed and we are able to get our weekly evening rides going again. All of this is helping towards the goal of the Cross Florida ride May 3. I will endeavor to be a little more consistent with updates coming up. Till after the 200k!
The ride was good, though a little longer than I thought and was prepared for. We had our 3 ladies and a bonus of an experienced randonneur Matt. It was just a little cool at the start but good weather. We had a kicking tailwind all the way north and thought it was going to be a long slog home. Someone was smiling on us though and even with a bit of a cross wind for a little while, we had an almost tailwind for some of the ride back. The ride did go longer than I thought and had (not) prepared for, but it was a good ride and everyone finished in good shape. It was an epic ride as ever as we had to stop and phone in a fire to 911. We were going past someone's house and all their furniture in the pool was on fire.
I have high hopes that the Brooks has solved some of my butt issues as I finished feeling pretty darned good. The saddle squeaks when I hit bumps and I have developed a real love for that sound. Every squeak of the saddle means that my @$$ is NOT the one taking the bump!
We have been spending a lot of free time with our Ladies training program. We now have a new crop of road riders and hopefully new friends to play with. It is just the best time of year now that the time has changed and we are able to get our weekly evening rides going again. All of this is helping towards the goal of the Cross Florida ride May 3. I will endeavor to be a little more consistent with updates coming up. Till after the 200k!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Reevaluation
Best laid plans. My crash a couple of weeks ago has kind of taken the wind out of my sails. I was feeling pretty good about my fitness, but since then it has been cold and I have not ridden much. I can finally sleep on my left side, so as a side sleeper I am really grateful to have half of my sleeping territory back. Actually I think the crash was just a method to give me the time to sit back and reevaluate my year. I have financial and time pressure with other things in my life right now, so I have had to cut back on events etc.
I had a conflict with both 300k brevets offered in my area in February and also finally decided that I would have to skip the ride at Sebring because I really could not afford it right now. So, in looking around for another goal, one that would be inexpensive but still a challenge, I have decided to go for my R-12 award from RUSA. In English, that is an award for riding at least a qualified 200k ride for 12 consecutive months, from Randonneurs USA. Check out rusa.org if you are interested.
This will be a challenge in and of itself, if only because of the time involved. At least one weekend day a month, I will have to ride a total time of about 8 to 9 hours. Brevets count total time, not riding time. You have 13.5 hours to finish a 200k, which is very doable unless you have mechanicals etc. The key is not stopping! I was pleased that on my 200k in January the Brooks saddle I have been trying to break in was pretty comfortable. I will not yet know what it will be like on longer rides, but it seems like an improvement.
I have lots of my Dad’s old equipment, and because of the prepared fellow that he was, he also bought spares. I inherited two brand new, never used Brooks saddles. I think they are standard B-17’s and those seem to be saddle of choice for more than 50% of the long distance riders I saw in Paris. I have one on my brevet bike and one on my commuter bike. I have no idea if it is just time and distance that are different but the one on my brevet bike is feeling really good, while the commuter bike is still hard and I am grateful I only have a 45 minute commute each way. Maybe one day I will swap them, or maybe I will just leave well enough alone!
OK, so enough rambling. I am going to do my February 200k on the very last day of this month, and have invited some buddies along to share in the fun. I hope lots of them show up, always more fun with others. I will keep you posted about training and plans in case anyone wants to join me. Boy, for that one in August I think I am going to have to get one early start! Till then, keep the rubber side down!
I had a conflict with both 300k brevets offered in my area in February and also finally decided that I would have to skip the ride at Sebring because I really could not afford it right now. So, in looking around for another goal, one that would be inexpensive but still a challenge, I have decided to go for my R-12 award from RUSA. In English, that is an award for riding at least a qualified 200k ride for 12 consecutive months, from Randonneurs USA. Check out rusa.org if you are interested.
This will be a challenge in and of itself, if only because of the time involved. At least one weekend day a month, I will have to ride a total time of about 8 to 9 hours. Brevets count total time, not riding time. You have 13.5 hours to finish a 200k, which is very doable unless you have mechanicals etc. The key is not stopping! I was pleased that on my 200k in January the Brooks saddle I have been trying to break in was pretty comfortable. I will not yet know what it will be like on longer rides, but it seems like an improvement.
I have lots of my Dad’s old equipment, and because of the prepared fellow that he was, he also bought spares. I inherited two brand new, never used Brooks saddles. I think they are standard B-17’s and those seem to be saddle of choice for more than 50% of the long distance riders I saw in Paris. I have one on my brevet bike and one on my commuter bike. I have no idea if it is just time and distance that are different but the one on my brevet bike is feeling really good, while the commuter bike is still hard and I am grateful I only have a 45 minute commute each way. Maybe one day I will swap them, or maybe I will just leave well enough alone!
OK, so enough rambling. I am going to do my February 200k on the very last day of this month, and have invited some buddies along to share in the fun. I hope lots of them show up, always more fun with others. I will keep you posted about training and plans in case anyone wants to join me. Boy, for that one in August I think I am going to have to get one early start! Till then, keep the rubber side down!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Ups and Downs
Well, I had some ups and downs this week- literally. I did my last Computrainer class and improved my wattage from 184 the first week to 204 at week 6. It is nice to be getting back in shape. It was pretty cold here in Orlando last week, we had a couple of nights of hard frost. So, somehow I found that enough reason not to ride to work. I know- we are spoiled.
I went for a ride Sunday and it was a great day, warm, beautiful. Just one other riding companion and we took a nice route north of town. About 40 miles into the ride I was pulling and stood up to go up a slight rise. As my left foot came down the pedal came off my bike and I was on the ground in a hurry. My hip and shoulder took most of the impact and I was grateful I had on sleeves on my jersey after seeing what was left of the cloth. My helmet did a perfect job, and I would hate to see my head if I had not had one on. I have a good lump above my eye, but a new helmet is a small price to pay for having an intact noggin.
It was kind of a freak thing for the pedal to come off. I have not had the pedals off that bike for a very long time so I am not sure what happened, except that they loosened up over time. I am sure I am going to figure out the lessons to learn from this, I would hope that if I needed some time off I could have found a different way ;-) I am still grateful though that it was not worse, that the bike is fine, and I will be back on the saddle again soon. Everyone keep the rubber side down!
I went for a ride Sunday and it was a great day, warm, beautiful. Just one other riding companion and we took a nice route north of town. About 40 miles into the ride I was pulling and stood up to go up a slight rise. As my left foot came down the pedal came off my bike and I was on the ground in a hurry. My hip and shoulder took most of the impact and I was grateful I had on sleeves on my jersey after seeing what was left of the cloth. My helmet did a perfect job, and I would hate to see my head if I had not had one on. I have a good lump above my eye, but a new helmet is a small price to pay for having an intact noggin.
It was kind of a freak thing for the pedal to come off. I have not had the pedals off that bike for a very long time so I am not sure what happened, except that they loosened up over time. I am sure I am going to figure out the lessons to learn from this, I would hope that if I needed some time off I could have found a different way ;-) I am still grateful though that it was not worse, that the bike is fine, and I will be back on the saddle again soon. Everyone keep the rubber side down!
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