Care and Prevention of Heat Related Issues

Beware when you exercise in the heat!

• Watch the temperature. Know your limits! I, for instance do not train in temperatures higher than 90 at the start of the ride. I know to avoid that because I have had issues in that temperature range in the past. I also use time of day which we will talk about more a little later, but for me starting a ride at 11:00 am just doesn't make any sense. Why risk the higher temperatures?!
• Get acclimated. Your body requires time to adjust. If you are starting a program at the same time that you are also trying to get acclimatized that will also take longer. Plan on twenty-three days to get your body used to something. If you had already been training through April and May getting going won't be such an issue, but getting going in June will take you a little longer.
• Know your fitness level. I use this to my advantage in later stages of training because then I can go and strain with people that are at a higher level of ability and training and gain from the effort required to workout with them. When working out at a higher level your body requires more of you, your muscles require better circulation, your body needs better cooling. So employ the best strategies and use the best equipment to facilitate the higher output.
• Drink plenty of fluids. Hydrate before the event. No you can't store up nuts for the winter like a squirrel, but you can be less dehydrated. If you were exuberant in the festivities the night before an event chances are you will be less hydrated. If you're not peeing clear before the event you'll be in trouble during the event.
  
• Dress appropriately. Nowadays, with high-tech fabrics and UV rated fabrics there's no excuse for wearing cotton and end up looking like a puddle at the end or during the event. Use sports specific clothing. You're better off if you wear what the athletes in your sport wear. Lighter colored fabrics do a lot to reflect the heat. UV rated fabrics although they seem hotter at first when the sun is blazing do their job very effectively. Dousing oneself with water also works to create a cooling effect.
• Avoid midday sun. Also avoid the hottest part of the day. Midday sometimes is not the hottest. You have to be aware of when the hottest is in your area. Don't be fooled by a cloudy day, that midday sun going through a soaked cloud is magnified and will do even more damage to you and your skin and your inner-core temperature. 
• Wear sunscreen. Some of the real potent sunscreens have a bit of menthol in it and actually produce a cooling effect when you wear it in the blazing sun. The only concern I have not yet solved is they tend to stain our fancy modern fabrics.
• Have a backup plan. Make sure somebody knows where you are. With social media - leaving an app open with a route is really no big deal. They also have to know where to find you and how to get there. Also have a back-up on your back-up! I have a buddy with which I have made a deal, he can call me anytime for a rescue and I can call him anytime for a rescue :-) Sometimes, that's all you have!
• Understand your medical risks. If you're taking medication that will dehydrate you, you need to beware. Talk to your doctor, inform him or her that you are an athlete and somethings will wreck havoc on your system when you are out training. Make sure when you get a new prescription for something serious that you test out your training. Recently, I was prescribed something that caused me to dehydrate. I could not do even thirty minutes of my regular routine. My doc asked me to try it for two weeks. I did for two weeks, and two weeks only. My doc is a runner, so he knew exactly what I was going through. He shrugged it off, "No big deal, let's try something else!" Love it!
• When is it an emergency?! If you get clammy, and tingly you are playing with fire and it is time to stop to rehydrate. The fire here is heat-stress. If you are cramping, with a stomach-ache, a head-ache, blurred vision or tunnel vision, then stop immediately! This is full-blown heat-exhaustion and you will be in deep kimchee if you continue. Get out of the heat, hydrate if possible, and rest while whomever you called can come to get you hopefully bringing something to drink, clothes and recovery foods etc. If you were silly enough to continue which is in-advisable, then you are within minutes of suffering heat-stroke! Heat stroke can kill you! Heat-stroke can stop your heart. If you are in heat-stroke conditions then you need to go to emergency! I've seen someone in heat-stroke, and they were taken away on a stretcher. He survived, but was out of work for a week. He was heat stress prone from then on. Just like Northerners make preparations for blizzards, Southerners make preparations for the heat!

Trying Something Different - Estoy Tratando de Hacer Algo Diferente

Aquí Estamos De Un Modo Diferente-Español

Pos como tengo amigos en varios países, yo quería compartir mis experiencias en sus idiomas. De vez de cuando voy usar Portugues o Español para escribir mi blog.  Hoy día estoy sentiendo mal  con problemas relacionados al calor y las altas temperaturas. 

Espero que realicen que cuando tenemos problemas con el calor esto causa problemas en el futuro también. La tendencia de tener problemas con calor va continuar. Acuerda también la regla de que para acostumbrarse con algo necesitas veintitres días para realizarlo. Entonces como yo estoy empezando un programa de ejercicio si ya estuviera acostumbrado a este tiempo no sería tan mal ahora. Pero porque yo tuve tantos problemas con la gripe y problemas relacionados no podría entrenar a lo normal. 

Todo esto empieza con las temperaturas porque ya a las once de la mañana las temperaturas ya están allá de los noventa grados. Mi esposa y yo cuando salimos infortunadamente, en un coche/troca que no tiene aire condicionado. Ya hemos tenído varios días en que nosotros sufrimos con calentura. Queremos estar listos para toda la caminada que vamos tener que hacer en julio. Las distancias chicas que estamos haciendo ahorita podemos acrescentar más para tener el entrenamiento suficiente cuando es necessario. 

Yo esperaba ya tener más millas hechas para estar más preparado por las millas que quiero hacer en la bici, pero con los problemas de calor es bien difícil hacer algo. El entrenador estacionario fue una bendición pero no he tenido suficiente oportunidad sin problemas de calentura para usarlo bien.

Estoy veyendo las opciones que voy tener cuando tengo tiempo y salud apropiada para hacer el trabajo en el entrenador estacionario. Me alegra mucho que mi amigo em empresto el cyclops. 

Back On the (Stationary) Horse

So today I did my first trainer ride. 0 miles 0 mph, but an hour plus of riding! I was still able to post it to Strava. Learn something new "ever day!" Felt great to get an hour in even though it was inside! Luckily for me, spinervals made cycling videos common-place. I found a bunch of stuff on YouTube! I ended up using Cycle Scenery and was riding Virtually in the Virgin Islands. Oh so cool! I did a warm-up in town. Then a trip through traffic to get out of town then a couple of other workouts one out in the flat-country and another out in the hills of the VI :-)

So many possibilities are open now, two a days, long trainers when my family is sleepin' - an exciting turn of events. Thank you God! Stay tuned for more stationary bike rides! Although, tomorrow I really want to ride outside with my Brasil jersey! Viva Spurs - Viva Brasil

Long Time No Blog - New Routine

So here it is high-time I get going with my training! The excuse for little to show for the time is an upper respiratory thing that turned in to a chest thing - rain the last few weekends before the end of the school year didn't help although there's a new advent coming up on that front. 

Strava (strava.com) tells me I have less than a thousand miles to show for the year. With two rides per week - I can't do much more. So it is time to build. Planning on building on the MTB mountain bike rather than doing a bunch of junk flat miles on the TT rig or the Goat. If I can add any commuter type miles I'm game on the Muddy Fox, thinking of putting the baskets on so I can take it to the store also for more base miles since I'm about 700 miles shy to start serious training with intervals and such. It did kill me to dns (did not show) on rides like the wildflower - but I couldn't see showing up shelling out sans training. It was the right thing to do. 

So just now we arrived home, it is the beginning of June and it is time to be out in nature like I love to be, but I can't because of the temps (temperatures). In order to be safe from the heat in the Summer I have limited myself to no rides after eleven or after it's reached 90° degrees. So here I am blogging instead :-)

So why is the heat on my mind, no not because I want my Spurs to kick their butts tonight in Miami, but because yesterday we had a packed and stressful day with issues with Pop (father-in-law) and issues with my check-out at school. Did I expect to have heat issues? Nope! But I did! I do have to remember once you have issues with heat you will have issues again. I couldn't pin down exactly what happened, but there was a lot of sweating going-on! 

So the new advent with the rain, is that Mike from church has a trainer sitting in a closet, and he's perfectly willing to let me get some use out of it. I look forward to getting some indoor miles done when rain does not allow or I'm prudent and satying out of the heat. A ride folloeing one of those beautiful scapes on computer would be cool to do.

Look forward to writing some more this Summer!

Getting Back on the Horse

"Look: I’m not one of those people who names my bikes, or believes they have souls. I know a bicycle isn’t going to miss me. I don’t cotton to totems. What memories I cherish tend toward experience rather than possession. I know we’re not talking here about life or death or war or crime or love or family or truth or faith or any such thing fundamental to who and what we as a species are. I know all we’re talking about is bicycles."

by Bill Strickland, Editor-at-large Bicycling Magazine quote from FB post.

Actually it is apparent that I do name my bikes, Litespeed: Goat because of the tripple on it, the Black Caloi Strada Pro: Black Knight, MTB: MuddyFox but then it is named the MuddyFox Limited Edition. But I love what this quote says after about souls. I agree bikes don't have souls, but they do have personality characteristics :-) Litespeed nimble and quick, the Caloi built for the long run, and the MuddyFox indistructible. The experience is more important than the posession. Experience attained on a certain machine to a certain level perhaps not to be attained again in the near future. No it's not life and death or war or crime or love or family or truth or faith or these important priorities in our lives, but to me it is about what we can attain in order to maintain health and living

Rider!

Eliane and I met at college when we were both working towards arts degrees, we love our pets, but no children except for the ones my parents let me borrow for a year at a time as an English teacher, I grew-up in Brazil with my parents working as missionaries, and that is where I fell in love with the sense of adventure that I recapture every-time I ride a bicycle out in God's green Earth! I hope to inspire my students to appreciate nature.

Every school I've worked at, I have started a running group or a cycling group. At my church we started a Hike and Bike Group that produced many a good athlete as well. Most recently, I've been working with the soccer club coach. I've run websites and FB sites to promote these groups since I started. I've attempted newsletters and such to help instruct others since I've been riding for thirty some-odd years.

As a kid I rode an old beater that must have weighed a hundred pounds with big balloon tires with white walls while all my friends rode Monarks or Calois. When I first came to the states, I bought a no-name Italian bike (I guess it could have been a name-brand, but I simply don't remember). When I first got some money I bought a $500 Takara with a tange frame. I built up a classic Peugeot for my wife as a birthday gift, but it went to a friend instead. The process was really cool and have since been in love with vintage bikes. I had the tange frame way into the eighties. I wish I had known more at the time because it had Ultegra parts on it, but as soon as I had a chromolly frame I gave up on the old tange frame. The Centurion DLX seemed to be so powerful. Eventually, I had to upgrade to another Centurion, a Dave Scott - Ironman autographed frame. Both Centurions broke due to my size, when I'm at my fighting weight I'm at two-hundred pounds. My wife kindly purchased me a Caloi road frame - it was beautiful, but in two years the welds gave out at the bottom bracket. It was an enlightening experience having a brand new bike, but I needed something more permanent. At about that time a friend joined my church and became part of the Hike and Bike at church that had a ten year old Litespeed Titanium frame with Mavic wheels. Again we were building up frames the Litespeed and a new Caloi frame imported from Brazil that I got as an upgrade on the waranty on the new Caloi frame I broke. My wife and I decided to make the Caloi frame a TT rig with the parts from the other Caloi plus some new time-trial stuff added on for good measure. The Litespeed frame got all the old centurion parts again with some upgrades. On one of the wheelmen rides, the one up around Lackey, I bottom out on the lowest gear and still couldn't make it up the 17% grade without zig-zagging my way up. Since then I have had a tripple on my Litespeed and although it's a Classic, I call it the Goat. I can climb anything now without having to stand-up. All these bikes give an appreciation for something new.

I would love to ride a Cervelo TT rig and a Litespeed carbon frame so I could be the lightest little feather going up the big hills around Comfort.

My favorite ride is the Old Number Nine out of Comfort towards Fredericksburgh. At first the easy rollers are a great warm-up to get one prepped for the massive hill that comes right before you get to  Fredericksburgh where you get to pass this old rail-road tunnel (where bats come out nightly) with spectacular views of the Hill Country. The beauty out in creation was utterly appealing and one of the reasons I wanted to get a bike out on the trails.

When I first got back into riding after college I got a Trek 900 Mountain Bike. The plan was to get into triathlon so I spent ten years mostly running with a little swimming and cycling thrown in to keep my skills not sharp, but existent. Since then it has been mostly road riding. I did finish a tri a few years ago. The swim was awful and the run was more of a walk.

Besides being a bike rider, marathoner, swimmer, mountain-climber, I'm also a professional singer, as well as an elder in my church.

End of Year Recap

When thinking about your accomplishments in fitness this season: What one word describes your 2012 fitness? I would say the word that best describes 2012 is: setbacks. As I get older, time limitations, and ganas play a part in these setbacks. I'm older and need to reassess how I train. Time limitations in relation to being older also impact training. Finally I don't have the ganas to train 24/7 - I don't want to wash my clothes that often! Ha!

Does it match what you said last December in anticipation of this year? Actually the last time I did this was in 2008, but I'm a very positive person - I'm sure I had big ideas of regaining lost training effect and rejoining the fast-guys in Chainreaction, and setting a PR in the 100 miler.

What one word comes to mind when you think about your 2012 season? I would say the word that best describes 2012 is challenging. Challenges in weigh loss, in training, and in health with heart issues.

Did you race any new distance this year or try any new type of racing or sport? I was boring; I did not try any new races or distances this year.

What was your greatest thrill or joy this year from training or racing? The greatest thrill and joy is still riding in a paceline at great speeds in training. I enjoy riding in groups. I can't leave this question without mentioning my PR at the 40K distance in training of 2:00 which I am still mystified as to how. I lolly-gagged for 3/4 of the distance and then burned rubber the last part and still set a PR. Go figure! It would seem that the new set-up on the Caloi Strada Pro TT Rig is what's doing the trick.

What was your biggest disappointment this year from training or racing? Not being able to ride with Chainreaction from being overweight and slow. Still am slow, but am working on the overweight bit by being 16.5 pounds less from 260! Ouch, it's difficult to see that number! Atkins is making a difference.

What was your favorite race in 2012? Pancakes in Paradise is still an awesome event and being there with Matt Little was epic. The Fiesta Wildflower is still such a large production and I guess I will keep attempting the long routes despite the DNF this year - although I still ended up with 92. The Tour de Gruene is still great fun despite all the trouble I had with the chain and flats.

How important was the social aspect of your sport in 2012? The social aspect is crucial to my enjoyment. Maintaining my weight through proper nutrition so that the training and speed can return is imperative or I will have to relegate myself to riding in a different manner.

If you had to name three people that made a difference in your training this year who would they be? The three people I would name are: Joe Montagna as I describe as a constant companion although of late we only ride together once in a while; Chris Groff for motivation I guess because I know I train to stay in shape for soccer with the kids and we always talk about training; and Jason Pronovost a new rider with CycleLogic with similar goals of achieving long-distances. I guess honorable mentions go out to Scott and Louie with Chainreaction - no matter what they're always supportive. I just wish I could keep up with them.

Season Goals for 2013:

Short-Term Goal: Concentrate on losing weight while building base miles. Thank you economy for the impetus.

Intermediate Goal: 200 Lbs - lean, massive, cycling machine! Top five on Thursday Night Bike Mojo Ride, Finish with the Chainreaction Racers, try establishing a Randonneurs group in South Texas.

Season: Race 100K beat 4:03 plan and complete a Brevet 200K distance event, and Support Cycle Logic Sponsors through referrals, participation and some racing (MTB Time-Trial) :-)

Training Objectives:

+Screw periodization ride when you can and lots in the Summer (Still got 4378 in 2012 so there)
+Hold/Concentrate on Long Ride (with weight loss speed will come)
+Less-structured speed play
+Maintain Nutrition with Atkins - lose it or lose the fun
+Explore on Rides combine Routes 

Fighting a Loosing Battle

4343 miles on the 29th and 355:36 hours and 36 minutes or rather about 14+ days It's like I rode to Billings Montana by way of Jacksonville Florida and Montreal Canada Ha! I'll probably add another 50-60 miles, but I'm thinking about it now.

As you know I've given up using my computers on my bikes because I was getting pretty obsessed with all the numbers. Part of the obsession is with the desire to regain lost training effect as I age. Sucks! I keep comparing myself to others who put in a tremendous amount of mileage. Everything I read talks about high intensity and low mileage yet people who are fast put in all kinds of miles. The work required to plan tempos, intervals, and hill work-outs with LT intervals with the proper ratio is work! I don't mind putting in the work, but if it takes away from the fun, then it is not good enough. So after a couple of years of trying desperately to regain lost training effect; I have given up on that in that manner!

Now at the same time I had given up on diets and found that subcutaneous fat gain was detrimental because my overall weight was affected.At the same time my heart doctor and gastric-entorologist said I needed to change my ways. So the decision above actually facilitates the solution in this realm because if I take up a diet such as Atkins or even Southbeach for that matter it allows me to give up carbs so that the diet is more effective. So far since Thanksgiving, I have lost 14 pounds. I did it for my doctors visit in December that never happened because my doctor had an "emergency." A week before Christmas, nah! Nevertheless, Atkins is working. Yes it's hard, yes it's no carbs from stuff I love like fries and bread.

The losing battle is frustrating because for two years I worked without anything to show for all the sacrifice. So I have decided to ride my bike and enjoy myself. I want to be fast, but I'm going to do it by losing weight then I'll work again to build speed with non-structured intervals so the fun remains. I'm looking forward to this experiment and hope for the best.

These are the numbers for 2012: 410.7-34:04
329-29:43
427.02-36:05
331.48-26:54
304-25:28
752.5-57:25
633-49:47
225-18=3413
426-35:21
253-21:26
251-21:23
=4343 TM355:36 14+ days It's like I rode to Billings Montana by way of Jacksonville, Florida and Montreal, Canada. Ha!

I didn't track Yoga, running, walking etc. I know walking will help me lose more, but I figured the Soccer addition once a week would help, but it really didn't make a huge difference.

So who in the heck do I ride with on long rides?! I can't hang with those with whom I used to be able to hang. I can't visualize riding by myself like the classic lonesome rider for the rest of my days. Perhaps concentrating on rides with Jason doing our own thing like we wish we could find from other groups in town.

Consistency

Consistency
Wednesday, August 10, 2011, 1:06 PM [General]

Second week in a row that I've managed my tempo ride (40K TT Distance-26 Miles) with consistency finishing the distance 13 minutes better than my best time three years ago.

I've been working a lot with my gearing so that I'm makin' circles or spinning. I picked a gear that keeps my rpm (revolutions per minute) up, but it is not too hard or too easy. My best time from three years ago was achieved mashing the biggest I could handle for the given distance.

I've been reading a lot about maintaining a consistent tempo. Starting easy enough so that at the end you have something left, plus if you really want to race it in you have that option. Both these past two weeks I've bumped it up at the end, in essence, racing it in. I've been listening to the Everyday Cyclist with Graeme Street and getting some tips as well as reading my Active.com posts that come across facebook.

I've gotten these results on my road bike and I wonder how improved I would be on the TT bike. (Unfortunately I flatted recently and was going too fast to recover - haven't had the guts to take it in to the LBS Local Bike Shop in my case Cycle Logic Bike Shop for fear of the cost of a new carbon fork).

It has been exciting to work on this over the 1400 miles that I put in this Summer. It puts me at 3400 for the year and should be able to reach my goals by the end of the season. I just don't know if I will be able to try out the new strategy and technique with my current training on my time trial bike.

Almost Two Weeks Since the Crash

Everytime I've crashed and hurt my soft-tissue or broken a bone I've used Glucosamine with Chondroitin to aid in repair. As soon as I crashed I started using the pills. Here two weeks later my chest/ribs hurt only every-once in a while. My hand only hurts when I try to stretch it further than where it normally rests. Yesterday I was able to type a lengthy translation without much problem.

The cycle training has not stopped and that is good! Yesterday I did one of the harder rides in the area Toutant-Beauregard with many hills with good results. At about a quarter of the way through the ride after overcoming the hills on Scenic Loop I was in no man's land between the front pack and the chase group. All was well and good until I hit the highest hills on T-B! I was even able to do some work with the more challenging gears on the false flats after the first hill and overcoming some of the challenges and almost reaching the cast-offs from the fast group. Again it was the mental aspect that bore the greater challenge.

Various fifty milers last week have me thinking of taking friends on the adventure to conquer the 100 again! Winds are out of the SSE so we go out towards La Vernia to get the 100! We shall see...

Cycling Prayer

Ride by my side;
Live in my heartbeat;
Give strength to my lungs.
As the cold surrounds,
As the wind punishes me,
I know you surround me.
As the sun warms me,
I know you are touching me,
Challenging me, loving me.
And so I give you this ride.
Thank you for being by my side.
Amen

Rewritten from Debbie Garcia's Run Prayer

Crash - Time Trial Season in the Toilet

Crashed the TT Caloi Rig today on the Salado Greenway after a blow-out going 24+ mph, front wheel taco/potato chip, carbon fork steerer tube bent, all the aero stuff on the profile design front end all banged up, derailleur hanger bent/bolt stressed, pride bruised, ribs bruised, legs bruised, right-hand bruised and hurting! Riding buddy Jens (the guy with all the tatoos-used to be a wrench) comes by on his mtb offers to get his car to drive me home. Then proceeded to do a 22 miler recovery/fart around ride on the Litespeed Goat! So no Time Trial Season because fixing all that stuff is going to cost! But this year I was on track to beat my accomplishments in TT from two years ago! Thanks be to God that I'm fine just bruised up a bit and for getting me to where I am this year! God bless you!

Season what Season and the Wildflower 100!

So last week I did very well in a short distance time trial being that I was the first one back and averaged 19.6 on the way out then dropped to 18.9 on the way back. Thinking that I would have an awesome result like last week this week was a mistake because I totally blew out, blew up then dissolved with a brief come back at the end. So I resolve to reassess this whole cycling mess!

I blew out my back somewhere around thirty working too hard on the hills between Retama and Bulverde/46 then was hanging on the hills at 1863, but with some cramping issues then hung on after the 50 then from 70 to 90 I totally blew up - the wind was just more than I could handle! In fact I was the lanterne rouge from 70 to 90. Yes I admit it I blew off the hills on Schertz pkwy in liu of the flats on the back road to Selma. Then rejoined the route at 99 and finished with 101+

I always said that family, faith and friends come first! So why in the hell am I busting my butt for 7+ hours! This has gotta stop! I will go back to Family Faith and Friends and ride with the Hill Country Touring group until something amazing happens with my training. So if nothing happens not much will be reported here, unfortunately not like it has been a whole lot of posting anyway! Thanks for listening/reading! Have a great week!

End Of Year Stats

These stats are maintained on Active Trainer for free. At times you luck in to free coaching. I've been coached through a walking program and recently downloaded a running program. It will track everything including blood pressure and shoe wear for free. Please click the title above if you'd like to track your own activity!

Jan Bike 298.7 tm 20:10.24
Feb Bike 102 tm 07:35.42
Mar Bike 220.52 tm 14:45.13
Apr Bike 163.26 tm 11:22.46
May Bike 271.43 tm 20:45.17
Jun Bike 234.68 tm 17:56.57
Jul Bike 586.4 tm 44:32.57
Aug Bike 535.6 tm 38:31.36
Sep Bike 260.25 tm 16:53.40
Oct Bike 241.02 tm 16:29.06
Nov Bike 184.55 tm 16:37.05
Dec Bike 170.55 tm 12:13.52
Total 3268.95 tm223:40.26

I also tracked my Bike/Run Combinations (Bricks), my walking and my running. No swimming this year, but that will change. No Triathlons this year. Figuring out my swimming routine in my area is imperative. Favorite events of the year continue to be the Fiesta Wildflower Ride and the Tour de Gruene. Favorite Time Trial route is still the Road from Castroville to Helotes despite the fact the Bruehler couple was killed out there. Their sacrifice has changed the law in our area where vehicles must give at least a three foot clearance to any vulnerable road-user and of course the bike is included.

From what you can see in July I really do enjoy cycling and the heat of the Summer does not limit me. Although all those miles in Jul/Aug makes for a tired bike rider in Sep/Oct when the final races of the season are run. I don't know if that can be helped. Most months I got over 200 miles and then less once the season was over. That's ok I'm supposed to be doing some cross-training at that point anyway. I don't know what happened in February. I'd be interested to know if Feb. was an exceptional wet month. That would affect me since I no longer ride on wet pavement.

I hope your active year went well and I thank you for going on the journey with me. Peace be with you in the new year!

Kind Souls

(Note this is a repost of a post in 2006 due to mindless commenters on this blog)

Are cyclists not the kindest folks on God's green Earth?

Here's why I say this, today on a moderate length ride at an easy speed to nurse my knee through lots of spinning I broke two spokes. I was pitchin' and moanin' about how my wrench wants me to buy a tandem rear wheel from Velocity (http://www.velocityusa.inc) at darn near $200 Dawlurs!!! This of course would rid me of all my spoke problems. Even though I hear through the grapevine that this set of Alex wheels were built with a batch of bad spokes that break at the drop of a hat. First spoke break was on a flat, spinning like a big dog. Why? Je ne sais pas!

So this buddy o mine Charlie was like, "hey I've got a couple of old wheels at the house you can have. Yeah, they're seven years old, but you can have 'em."

So by the end of the ride the wind has picked up and Charlie wants a ride in to the house since he still had 10 miles to go. We just finished 46. Hum, possibilities!

So I take Charlie in and no he doesn't give me the shirt off his back, but he does give me his Mavic Cosmic off his bike and friends, Romans, countrymen that is why cyclists are the nicest lot! Problem solved!!!

End of Year Briefs

Month Totals:
Dec: Bike 180.7 Hours 12:30.32
Nov: Bike 349.3 Hours 22:55.18 Cross Training=Yoga 45min Walking 5.5 miles 5:05 Hours
Oct: Bike 362.3 Hours 23:00.56
Sep: Bike 125.47Hours 8:05.29
Aug: Bike 508.8 Hours 36:30.55
July:Bike 541.6 Hours 35:24.11 Cross Training=Yoga Zip Running=2 miles 40 min Walking 9 miles 3 Hrs Swim 200 meters 30 min
June:Bike 583.33Hours 44:59 Cross Training=Yoga 1:00 Walking=.25 miles
May: Bike 495.1 Hours 90:24 Cross Training=Move 4:00 Running=3 miles 36min
Walking 1.25 miles 25min
April:Bike345.2 Hours 78:08 Cross Training=Yoga Zip
March:Bike315.46 Hours18:22 Cross Training=Yoga 2:00
Feb: Bike 82.5 Hours 6:11 Cross Training=Yoga Zip
Jan: Bike 411.63 Time 28:39.58 Cross Training=Yoga 2:50
Year:Bike 4299.23 Time410:34.12Cross Training=Yoga 10:35 running=5 miles 1:16min Walking 16 miles 8:55min

Summer Briefs

* Since I didn't do very well posting, here are some Summer briefs:
- I raced for Cycle Logic in the Ironhouse Time Trial put on by Britton's Bikes. Finished in 1:22 and I was not last!
- I completed over 1500 miles of hard riding in the intense Hellacious Heat and Humiditiy.
- I had heart issues that were resolved favorably. I was not limited by my doctor in any way after the chemical stress test although after my first visit with him I limited my efforts based on what my Dead Runner and Clydesdale Virtual Racing Team member friend did when he had some heart issues a long time ago.

Stress Powered Riding

UIL stress powered riding has benefits and the downside also. Two weeks ago I rode an amazing ride where all kinds of PRs were broken a nice benefit to the stress I was dealing with for UIL competition.

Time to the railroad tracks by division south of town PR by 3 minutes in 31. Then PR by 5 minutes to San Jose in 42. Then I got to Espada or 17 miles by 58 PR by two minutes I think. Made it to the 21 spot by 1:15 or 1:16. Took some salt at 30 then turned around at the Valero on 181. Back at the Missions I hit 50 in 2:55 and then hit 52 in 3:00. Finished 64.5 in 3:48 Nice! Final average including cooldown 16.9. Maximum average out to San Jose 18.6 Dainnngguh. Average to 17 or Espada 18.3. All this with a bit of a strained calf from Thursday nights speed fest. All benefits to the stress I was feeling!

I get home feeling good, but trouble starts at the restaurant, couldn't get my HR down. 95 and 98 while eating a sandwich. I was shaking and couldn't figure out what was going on. Gayle drives us home. I rest and take an extra blood pressure pill. By 5 or 6 my heart rate is still up at 95 or so. My blood pressure is way up 20 to 30 points higher than normal. It wasn't till the next day after taking an extra sleep session before church by blowing off the ride!

This weekend again PRs are broken and feeling good and strong - just not strong enough to ride with the racers of Chainreaction. I redlined a couple of times too many early on in the ride and faded off the back big time. All of off the back regrouped and reorganized about the time we were getting to Somerset. We knew exactly who needed to stay together on the way back but also get some miles in. Beautiful smooth route that I didn't know existed so close to my Pleasanton route. I PRd again to the RR tracks south of town at Divison this time by 6 minutes to 26 and then today I repeated that.

Yesterday was 78 miles at 4:54 maximum average of 18.3 and ending average of 16.6. Today I had an awesome pull to Espada. The average at turnaround was 19.3 which is faster than ever. I got to Espada in 48 minutes a full 12 minutes than what I could do last year and 10 minutes faster than what I did last week. So I turn around thinking cool I'm going to get back home so quickly, but no! The wind was a bear! I was struggling like I was when we were going 23 miles an hour yesterday. By the time I got home I was at 15 so much less than the 19.3 that I had going to the halfway point.

This weekend, no problems with heart rate or blood pressure, but then UIL finished Wednesday and now we are working on what we need to finish the year.

Broken PRs - "Can Youuu Dig It?"

Multiple PRs broken today! Woo hoo, let's see if I can remember 'em all. First to the railroad tracks by division south of town PR by 3 minutes in 31. Then PR by 5 minutes to San Jose in 42. Then I got to Espada or 17 miles by 58 PR by two minutes I think. Made it to the 21 spot by 1:15 or 1:16. Took some salt at 30 then turned around at the Valero on 181. Back at the Missions I hit 50 in 2:55 and then hit 52 in 3:00. Finished 64.5 in 3:48 Nice! Final average including cooldown 16.9. Maximum average out to San Jose 18.6 Dainnngguh. Average to 17 or Espada 18.3. All this with a bit of a strained calf from Thursday nights speed fest.

So Where the Heck Am I

Well, I'm further than I was during February! I knew I hadn't ridden a whole lot during February because of church, family and school obligations, but dainguh! Ok here I am in the second week of March and I've already ridden twice as much as I did in Feb! Hilarious how life just has its own way of reorganizing what we've planned. For March right now I'm at 176+ and my total for Feb. was 82.5.

Jan/Feb Totals: Bike 493.13 Miles in 34:50.58 Cross-Training Yoga 2:50

You're probably asking what's up with the Yoga. Well Yoga is good for the core and I needed help with that aspect of my training. My back had been giving me problems since before Christmas when I tweaked it moving decorations. Immediately after starting this Yoga program, in other words, three days my back was better. Oddly enough I had no trouble putting miles in on the bike. The stress on my back from the bike was different and not a problem.

I finally went with a computerized/online log! I'm using Active Trainer from the Active Network where one can sign up for races and events it's also endorsed by Cool Running http://www.coolrunning.com. Sorry, but I'm cheap! Hey I teach for a living so I try to give myself a break whenever I can. With the help of Active Trainer, see the link in the title of this article, I have been able to plan and track my workouts including cross training.

Very nice, but then I'm not coming from any other program except about twenty years ago I knew the guy who invented The Athlete's Diary, it was called, from http://www.stevenscreek.com (a guy that was one of the first members of the DRS see the link below and a friend - Steve Patt), but back then my computing capability was crap so I've been using hard copies. {Ok, I just have to give Steve some props - He has made it big and congratulations he has taken a little spreadsheet program from the 80s to the best computing tool for handhelds in the industry here in the 21st Century. His program is used by the likes of George Hincapie and Frankie Andreu since the late 90s and this is it "I knew Steve Patt when!" he was just running the trails around Stephen's Creek!}. One of these days I'm going to buy everything he sells for my iPhone or Palm. I just need to upgrade my phone first! Amazing athletic calculators and race timing software. No longer a program that fits on a computer in your Volkswagen Combi, but an app on your iPhone or palm and for less than a hundred bucks! Please!

This past year I spent quite a bit of time tracking my workouts on a few sites: FitDay http://www.fitday.com/ (great diet help with the food log to help you become aware of all the crap we ingest); The President's Challenge http://thepresidentschallenge.org/ (great source of motivation - I got the Gold by the time October came around and the president's sig on a certificate); and besides my blogs I used an application in Facebook called Fit-Ify http://www.facebook.com/ (Can you say top-ten world-wide from all the users on FB amazing motivation). Some records were still kept in some other form of storage because of limitations of the programs used.

So I had been reading up on tri-drs (Dead Runners Society - Triathlon) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Runners_Society since it is Spring Break and there is TIME! Well, it got me thinking about my totals, plus if my friend Kathy Morgan comes to my site to read I wanted to have something for her to read.

Venuto's 8 reasons you fall off the wagon and my thoughts on them :-)

I post this not to just rationalize, but to try to figure out why I gained 13 pounds and blew weight and shape goals. Cycling goals were all achieved and then some! (Italics indicate what I typed to come to the conclusions that I did).


--- On Tue, 1/27/09, Burn The Fat Newsletter tomvenuto@burnthefat.net; wrote:

From: Burn The Fat Newsletter tomvenuto@burnthefat.net;
Subject: 8 reasons you fall off the wagon

==============================================
BURN THE FAT - Fat Burning Tips Newsletter
Brought to you by Tom Venuto & www.burnthefat.com
=============================================
THE 8 REASONS:

1. NO FOCUS: you didn't set goals, you didn't put
your goals in writing, and or you didn't stay focused on your goals
daily (by reading them, affirming them, looking at a vision board, etc.)

I did all of the above - the way my log book was organized the goals are in your face every week and everyday. Log by Joe Friel.

2. NO PRIORITIES: you may have set a goal, but you didn't put
it on or near the top of your priorities list. For example,
your goal is six pack abs, but drinking beer and eating
fast food on the weekend is higher on your priorities list than
having a flat stomach.

This is probably it my goal stated eat appropriately to recover, but then I kept on eating like that. Turbulence Training says don't worry how you eat during the workout or immediately after and even the first meal after the workout, but then after that you go back to eating nutritiously. I have incorporated more fish and seafood for more Omega 3s and such - but there were still times when I ate to endulge! Crap!

3. NO SUPPORT SYSTEM: you tried to go at it alone; no buddy
system, training partners, family, spouse, friends, mentors
or coaches to turn to for information and emotional support
when the going got tough.

Plenty of Buddies, plenty of clubs I regularly workout with, family, friends, mentors and coaches.

4. NO ACCOUNTABILITY - you didn't keep score for your
own accountability - with a progress chart, weight record,
measurements, food journal, training journal, and you
didn't set up external accountability (ie, report to someone else
or show your results to someone else).

Ehnnn! FitDay.com did the food log and weight record, had my training journal, my blog, shared my results with others although not specifically about weight except for Joe - though.

5. NO PATIENCE: you were only thinking short term and had
unrealistic expectations. You expected 10 pounds a week or
5 pounds a week or 3 pounds a week, so the first week you
lost "only" 1 or 2 pounds or hit a plateau, you gave up.

Nah, I was trying to eat to recover and to stay out of starvation mode though. Getting used to eating enough without going overboard is a fine art that I'm yet to succeed in doing.

6. NO PLANNING: you winged it. You walked into the gym
without having a workout in hand, on paper, you didn't
plan your workouts into your weekly schedule; you
didn't have a menu on paper, you didn't make time (so instead
you made excuses, like "I'm too busy").

Ehnn! I had the whole year planned, just didn't race as much as I wanted because that costs money and I already spend a bunch on the bikes.

7. NO BALANCE: your diet or training program was too
extreme. You went the all or nothing, "I want it now"
route instead of the moderate, slow-and-steady wins the race route.

This could be part of it in the Summer because I did some intense training at the time. But I sure enjoyed all those high numbers and getting to second place on the top ten on FaceBook world wide is something I'll remember forever!

8. NO PERSONALIZATION: your nutrition or training program
was the wrong one for you. It might have worked for someone
else, but it didn't suit your schedule, personality,
lifestyle, disposition or body type.

I did eat for my Body Type, it did suit my schedule, it did suit my type "a"ness, it did suit my lifestyle and I'm a little confused on my disposition. My training program has worked for me for a long time since it's a combo of Triathlon and cycling training with components from Joe Friel, Rod Cedaro, Tom Venuto, Graeme at Cyclo-Club, Coach Levi and Dr. Gabe Mirkin with stuff from RoadbikeRider.com thrown in.

I ate enough to recover well, but kept on eating like that as if I had a license to eat to my heart's (belly's) content! I fell short on weight-accountability although I may be living a self-fulfilling prophecy for my General Practitioner Dr. Franks since he says people my age don't lose weight and aren't able to succeed again on a previous weight-loss. Balance was also a shortcoming balance in nutrition and training load during the Summer and then again the same in the fall when training is reduced. Turbulence Training says be more active and then look at some more ways to be more active. I do need to do more weight-bearing exercise to counter-act the effect of the low-impact of cycling on my bones and soft-tissue. Bring back the nightly walk with my Bride and Brinks the Dog and do a run here and there for good measure. "And that's all I'm gonna say about that!" Forrest Gump

So there you have it - 8 reasons why most people to fall
off the wagon! Have you been making these mistakes? If so, the
solutions are clear and simple:
focus, prioritize, get support, be accountable, be patient,
plan, balance and personalize.

PS Feedback or comments about this weeks newsletter? Post
on the blog at: http://www.BurnTheFatBlog.com

Cut It's a Wrap

Well, by the Monday the Kiddos were back I had amassed 2000 miles for the Summer since the day after they were gone. I attempted seven 100 milers this Summer and was successful in about five. I was extremely succesful in my last two in which I burned up the asphalt on the way down to Pleasanton. Both were all time PRs and Season's Best for 100 miles. The first was a PR by 40 minutes or so finishing the 100 in 6:20. I was encouraged and attempted it again the day before I went back to work and knocked off another 34 minutes finishing the 100 in 5:46 Ouch I broke 6 hours! Felt really good about those accomplishments and intend to try a randonee next Summer. Anyone want to sponsor me?

So I finished my mileage by the end of October plus the bikes are in dire need of a mechanic so the log book says to work out at something else and I am and will till the bikes are out of the shop and see if I can continue those run workouts during the regular cycling season. I hope so, cuz I need something to get the fat off! I'm running big - so I started another blog called Trifathlete del Sur. Check it out! http://trifathletedelsur.blogspot.com


For the Record I earned a National Presidential Champions award in Bronze, Silver and Gold. Currently working on the Platinum, but that's not going to happen since it takes about ten times the point totals needed for gold. Crazy, yes, but not that crazy! I love my wife and want to keep it that way! Peace out!

"In the Year Two Thousand" Falsetto from C. O'Brien

So before I get back to work full-time I'm checking out the log to see where I'm at for the Summer and come to find out that I'm less than 200 miles away from 2000 miles since May a little over two months.

By the time Sunday is done I'm down to 120 something left to hit Dos Mil Millas! So like a big dog I'm telling everyone that I know that I'm really close to 2000 miles for the Summer.

Right then the skies drop out. Major downpour for our area with no let-down in sight! First ride of the week, actually first rides are Thursday. I hit it hard in the AM, but end up with less than 20 at 16.6. So then that evening after working all day I go easy and just chill for 22 something at a sleazy-easy pace. (Ha! but I still managed to pass a couple of the slow groups on the group ride that I was thirty minutes late for but did not go faster than 13.3).

So now on Friday I realize I have 80 something to log to reach the goal when during the afternoon meeting again the bottom falls out of the sky. One of my buddies after the meeting says, "How you gonna do 80 something in this? and I'm like, "Very carefully!" Knowing fully that I'll probably be late for the 2000 miles. So the ground is saturated and I still have to log fifty plus on Saturday, but that is doubtfull and also 30 on Sunday which is totally doable, but I have no idea what the weather is going to do. Pahn Pahn Pahn! Tune in next to see if he accomplishes his 2000 mile Goal before the Chillin' come back to school.

Speaking of school I don't know when I can do the bike club with the kids because M,T,W,TH are all taken with other stuff and I don't want to do Friday because it is sacred between my wife and I and the date must go on!

100 On a lark part Deux

So I go out Sunday with my original club riders, the cycle logic gang, am as confident as I can possibly be, but unfortunately get dropped like a hot potato. Mind you with these guys this had never happened so I was not accustomed to telling the guys y'all go ahead without me I'll do my own ride. Ha! When we got to the wall it was all I could do to get up the darn thing. But there were the guys and all of a sudden I'm in front because they took the longer scenic route. At the time I turned off from their ride I was third in the group, but that didn't mean much because I was the one that got dropped earlier. So I'm feeling totally dejected and go ahead and do the Sunday church thing and get charged up.

The next day, Monday the lark visits again and I decide to go to Pleasanton again and take a different route that is less traveled, but should still give me 100 miles with less time spent on the chip seal shoulder that 281 offers.

Weather conditions are different than last time when the wind was 25 MPH. This time the wind was at 5 to 12 MPH from the South. I take a different tack than last time also. Rather than busting my butt going South I decide to just keep a decent pace not too hard and not too easy. I actually was going by feel rather than by sprocket.

I still get down there in about three hours which is alright, but I'm not wasted like I was last time. The portion of chip seal shoulder was still a pain in the butt, but it seemed to go a lot faster. I still only stopped three times and drenched myself for the cooling effect every time.

I basically fly home even better than the time before. I ended up doing 17.3 MPH with a maximum average of 20 MPH. Like I said I was flying! Total time for my best 100 PR and season PR 5:46 minutes.

What this tells me is that yes I may get dropped in the short ride going really fast, but I can sustain in the long ride going a moderate pace in comparison. Yes it's still a hard core pace for me, but it got me there and back in the least amount of time.

This was three days before I had to be back at work and served as a dedication to school starting up and I did it my way and ended the Summer on a positive.

Speaking of positive another PR for the Summer is in the works.

100 Miler on a Lark

So I'm supposed to meet Chris South of town for a ride, I'm running late and when I get there no Chris so I decide let's see what it's like to go to Pleasanton since the wind is vigorously out of the South at 10 to 25 miles an hour this would be a good time to fight the wind on the way out and then fly home. I still hold out hope to run in to Chris somewhere on the route and averaged 17.4 on the way South.

Since I decided to head even further South I was taking a route I didn't really know. So I go out this route that gmaps says is there and come to find out it is not. I end up in a dead end by this farmers field with this farmer on a tractor giving me "such a look!" So I figured out another way to get there by spending a little bit of time on the access then hitting the road I was looking for in the first place.

As the morning goes on the rolling hills become harder and harder and fighting the wind all this way doesn't seem as fun. By the time I get to Pleasanton I think I was pushing 13.5 or something ridiculously slow. But then...we always have the way home to look forward to enjoying.

I must have looked a little ragged when I got down there, and because I mentioned something about making it back to SA before night-fall to the cashier of the Chevron I stopped at for refreshments and a bite. Then all of a sudden there's a paramedic that's into cycling talking to me to make sure I was OK. He was very smooth and non-chalant, but I wonder if that cashier called him to come by and see if I was OK :-) Found from this guy that there's no bike shop in
P-ton and that they drive 100 miles round-trip when they need to buy bike supplies tubes and cartridges and such! He finally said goodbye and I took off home.

I believe this is just like as Christians we are saved and even though we're suffering now we have the rest of time to look forward to enjoying in the presence of God. Yeah, fighting a 25 MPH wind is tough, but flying with that same wind on the way back will be a breeze. Pa duhm puhm!

Those rollers I experienced on the way South became undulations and nothing more. I told a friend, "flying up a hill at 24 MPH is an experience I will always remember!" And all the pain in my feet and other places became a distant memory.

By the time I got home I averaged 16.6 overall for the whole 100! I had no idea I would get the best time in a 100 miler ever. I started feeling like Super Man! Started to think the laws of physics didn't apply! Ha! Nevertheless, I ended up finishing in 6:20 minutes which is pretty good for me.

Previous attempts this Summer had me at that length of time at 74 miles, two weeks later 94 in an even loner time and then just two weeks later I was at 88 in that amount of time. Sometimes everything works out great and other times it's just a struggle and never gets better.

Oil spill ruling leaves Alaska victims stunned

I don't normally get into politics and economic issues here, but this is a travesty of justice and no Exxon has not paid for the damage. 3 Billion by their estimates spent on clean-up. Bologna!

That ecosystem is not back - life there has been altered for ever. I'm sure big business feels good about this, but heck what's a quarter's profit to big business. Nothing! With the latest oil prices these guys are making money hands over fists! The poor fisherman is left with peanuts!

Big business may think that the average consumer has forgotten about this, and this is how it relates to my cycling because I have not forgotten - since the Valdez fiasco I only pee and poo in an Exxon. I don't buy stuff there. I haven't been to an Exxon since this happened years ago to buy anything: no gas, no snacks, nothing! I have run the risk of running out of gas in order to avoid an Exxon and I can sleep at night!

I say let's boycott Exxon, renew our committment to our fellow citizens in Alaska! Justice Souter is wrong! You can't put a price on the environment and an ecosystem!

Exxon Gas Sucks - Ride a Bike!

Training Update

Just finished with May and I'm only a couple of weeks behind on where I'm supposed to be for the year. Mileage is somewhere over 1500. I'm having to do my well-known rides or just use gmaps pedometer to figure out my mileage because unfortunately a few weeks ago my computer was run-over by a few cars before I found it. Anyone have a cateye type II wireless computer sitting around collecting dust?

New Stuff

Well, I tried out the new to me mavic wheels and they have worked out great! Excepting the blow out yesterday, but that's what I get for running a tire past its prime.

I was gifted with Spurs Giftcard and the very next day Performance had a 20% off sale so I went right away and bought the airstrykes I was looking to get. Now all I have to do is get my body used to the low profile position again since it's been 2.5 years. They are working quite well and look forward to using them on one of these really windy days.

I actually had a couple of guys stop and compliment the new bike. A quality litespeed titanium steed is recognizable and I thank God. Found out the bike is from 97. I thought it was older than that, cool huh!? It turns out it was only ridden/raced for two years in 97/98. It should last a very long time and I'm blessed.

C'est Tout - The rest is gravy!

Well, 20 days later and I should hit four thousand miles on today's ride. I'm just a little gunshy since it's 28 degrees outside. I'll probably still get going here in a bit. The rest of the miles for the year are gravy and I look forward to putting in some long miles on the Litespeed these next two weeks. I was gifted with some mavic wheels yesterday and will need to test 'em out later this week. I want to do it today, but there are still things to do and that would take time. The litespeed titanium steed is officially mine thank you Santa. It's in crit setup right now and for a little added comfort I want to get it to a TT setup. Anyone have some airstrykes sitting around? Again I just can't see myself putting an old pos aerobar on a brandspanking bike so I will wait to get the right gear to make it right! No word on the Caloi frame, all warranties say no satisfaction because of events this year. But that's alright because I now own a better bike. Il est un bon Dieu! Saw National Treasure last night, very exciting! Happy Christmas to everyone!

My Longtime Running Partner of 18 Years is Dead

No I don't run that much anymore and neither did she, but after 18 years who can blame us! Gracie our Aussie Sheepherder went to run with her Bear Boy in doggie heaven. It is for the best because the quality of her life had deteriorated quite a bit of late.

Gracie was a running dog along with Bear they got me through marathon training. One of our long runs was 21 on a trail adjacent to a creek.

Life is good and we will share accordingly!

Yearly Goal Revisited

Looks like my quarterly goals will be reached despite goal changes and all kinds of setbacks with crashes and frame problems. I'm less than 200 miles away from reaching 4000 miles for the year. I feel good about being able to take it easy thru the end of the year to reach 4k.

Caloing No More

Two weekends ago my Caloi Racing Stead, which is less than two years old, cracked at the bottom bracket weld traveling to the large down tube. I found one week later when I went to double check that my bottom bracket was tight enough - I did remember from the time before that my crank felt loose. When I saw a shiny line at the crank I found out that my crank was not loose because of loose bolts by because it was torquing due to the crack. I had about one half inch left on one side of the down tube holding it together. There was another crack forming on the lower part of the down tube. These I found the next day when I saw that the crack went all the way around. It was a gift from God that I did not injure myself and end up in the hospital.

The good news is that a friend of mine had a older titanium frame which he was fixin' to put up on ebay, but let me borrow with intent to purchase using a payment plan. Today I rode 35 miles at 17.5 MPH and still felt like I could do more!

Not Bikin' to the Beach

Well, while everyone else has been bikin' to the beach I've been to a contest and two of my kids got in and I've ridden 75 miles in three days. My friends say I didn't even drive that far in three days!

Today I did 30 at 17.4 average, my maximum average was 17.7. I did this on a flat windless beatiful AM on the river.

With the addition of a seventh prep in my day I have found that I don't have the energy to get up at the crack of dawn most days. That has been difficult to get used to, but on the bright side of things I'm only about 325 miles off of my modified goal of 4k miles for the year.

If this change becomes permanent which it may I may just have to do 75 miles a week and know that the extra mileage will come from the Summer months and vacation weeks to still make the 4K for the year next year.

Recovery Happens

Well, I have recovered, but I just went back on induction on atkins and I have zero energy or it could be that I'm just stressed about work at school since we started late this year. We still have a competition in a month. When I'm stressed I sleep more when I sleep more I don't wake up at 4:15 AM to go train when I don't train I'm cranky and my work suffers and there we are back where we started!

Last weekend I did a long ride where I averaged 17.6 MPH which is pretty good. By the time I got home I was back down to 17 MPH which is still pretty good for me. That's a first this season. It's good but it could still be better.

Anyway K there's an update :-)

34 MPH Crash

Well you know how it's been raining, so on Saturday the 21st I went out and decided to make it short only an hour and a half and 22 miles. It actually had not rained on Saturday, but on Friday it had flooded.

I'm coming down this hill doing 34 mph (55KPH?!) and I'm fine I come out of the intersection at the bottom of the hill fine and trying to avoid some traffic. I get to the next light and I must have really been torquing the bike to keep up the speed because all of a sudden my front wheel starts to slip out from under me so I react, but overcorrect to the left in the direction of the slide, so then I react again the other direction and again overcorrect and boom boom I hit the pavement and end up sliding up on the sidewalk. The bike has a couple of scratches, my helmet cracked, but no sign of impact. My body on the other hand, four inch strawberry on left quad, 5-6 inch strawberry going from left shin to calf, I wrenched my thumb ( my hand was very swollen and some kind of muscle injury in my left ankle.

Went back there this passed Saturday the 28th (First day without rain since last Saturday the 21st) and looked at the area where all this happened. There's a puddle about 100 yards before all this happened and a wear pattern in the asphalt where it all happened. I'm guessing the asphalt was holding some water from the day before and the less than 1 inch tires just couldn't hold traction.

Lately on rainy days I run my tires about 5 lbs less than max for improved traction and it looks like I will need to do 10 in order to avoid this again. I'm still taking my glucosamine to help heal the soft tissue and such and taking aleve for the discomfort and daily activities' jarring. Well, K there's the whole story, this all happened about ten miles in to the ride and rode home with my @$$ hanging out like some of the racers on the tour, found a place that had a waterhose and hosed off the strawberrys and went on home. I've spent over four weeks injured this summer and this week is supposed to be Peak #2, but no dice, best I can do is toodle along at 12 MPH. I'm going to see if it improves today with the addition of my aero bars.

Resting Heart Rate

Training is going well, speed is increasing and my resting heart rate is going down! Both of these are signs of improved training effect.

Two weeks ago, the best I could do was 60 which in itself is not bad so I didn't lose that much training effect in the three weeks that I was off because of the accident.

Last week the best I could do was 53 which is a marked improvement. This is after a huge week of 160 plus miles. This past weekend the best I could do was 60 again. Obviously after a week of 160 miles then another of 100 plus I overtrained which is expected after a three week layoff.

Resting Heart Rate is your heart rate first thing in the morning before you even stretch while in bed. You count the beats for one minute. You can also count the beats in 10 seconds and multiply by 6 or count for seconds and multiply by 10. I feel you get better results with the minute count rather than either of the seconds.

Why is this important? If you look up at Heartzones by Sally Edwards, one of the pioneers of research and application of Heart Rate Monitor training you'll find that you resting heart rate number is very important in using the Karvonen Formula. The Karvonen Formula helps you find your percentages for training.

New New

Hey, I got a new top speed for the season yesterday as an average on a ride. I looked down after a spurt and we had done 16.8 yee haw. Feels good to be improving. Lots of miles last week 160 something.

Clearance

Well, folks, all the King's Men and Women have put humpty dumpty back together again.

My new porcelain crowns are so comfy and smooth! It's like I just finished brushing them all the time.

My hand doctor has given me the ok to get back on the bike, but to continue compression on each individual finger because swelling happens during excercise to a greater degree in extremeties. Why is swelling bad? Because if hinders healing and gives you more problems with arthritis later on in life. So boys and girls take your nsaids - the benefits are not always seen or felt. Example: The other day I didn't take my aleve before I did my second test ride and I could feel every little vibration. There is plenty of vibration on a bike, especially an aluminum one!

I will do my best to not do too much too soon. But I am back on track, I cheated and did 20 miles yesterday easy and am drinking my liquids more often and not on heavy drugs that I don't know about.

Que Pasó

Well, my nose we're not going to bother fixing. It will just be a little bumpy! My teeth, one of them a root canal because I killed it. The other a simple cap maybe eventual crown. My fingers are in a brace for three weeks with compression wrapping of each finger and taking nsaids with daily execise to regain full range of motion. Don't know when I'll be back on the bike?! Not being on the bike is killing me. I'll be 400 miles in the hole at the end of three weeks. Maybe Dr. Gayle will give me special dispensation.

It would seem that the various drugs did enough to change how I react to the heat and humidity. Oh well!

The Results of Dehydration - Heat Exhaustion

Well, my friends, after over 25 years of cycling and hardly any ill effects from Heat Exhaustion on my rides I succuumed yesterday!

I did an easy 51 miler averaging 14.5 to 15 MPH most of the time on mostly flat terrain and finished in 3:25 drank four Large Bike Bottles of Gatorade in 85 degree heat with some humidity. I also had a couple of Starbucks Iced Coffees, and one bag of salted peanuts at my first rest stop at 3009 and Old Nacogdoches. Before the ride I was hydrated evidenced by my clear pee before I left the house.

Indicators during the ride that something was awry: Did not need to go during the ride and normally on a three plus hour ride I do. My heart rate coming back into town was up around 164 and 170 BPM when pokin' along at 14 - 15 MPH (I thought it was due to traffic woes in the city).

I get home finish off my last bottle, probably 8 ounces of liquid, put the bike away, take the dogs out front for a tinkle and no problem.

I go inside and crouch down to put the diaper on the 17 year old dog, I get up quickly and start to pass out, attempt to steady myself without success, and face plant in the blue bathroom, knocking a chunk out of the terrazite floor, breaking my two front teeth (Now I can sing Thither Thuthie thiting on a thithle from "All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth" without having to fake it!), breaking my nose, dislocating two fingers in my left hand, a busted lip, a bump on my chin and a mild abrasion on my left knee. As I came to I realized my teeth were touching the floor and my hand was under me doubled back in the wrong direction. All I could think of was, dammit, it's Gayle's turn to go to the dentist. After a few expletives that I'll refrain from sharing due to the fact that my sister Kayzinha hates this word, I collected myself and called Gaylezinha for rescue. Lars, Gayle's brother brought me an ice compact and he and Gilbert were ready to take me when Gayle arrived.

I spent the next 7.5 hours in and out of the waiting room, triage, exam room, x-ray, cat-scan (meow) and the bathroom at the Awesome Northeast Methodist Hospital in Live Oak, North-East part of town.

Initial thoughts were that it happened because of low blood sugar in response to strennuous exercise on a low carbohydrate diet or because of a drug interaction between Claritin, Dextromethorphan & Guaifenesin (Cough supressant/expectorant) and my Lisinopril to lower my blood pressure. Ehhhhnnnn! Thanks for playin'!

I still felt hydrated in the waiting room because I was cold. When I went to pee (Tupi-Panambee, don't ask) the color was dark! Not good! Remember the pee clear speech?

When exercising vigorously one must be sweating and vacating your bladder (sorry, I got tired of seeing the word pee in this post). Heat exhaustion comes before heat stroke. Heat stroke can cause your heart to stop. I had a coworker suffer heat stroke ONCE. He learned his lesson!

Dehydration got me! Even a teacher can be taught!

Lessons learned: I normally time myself on when to drink on a ride, a good idea, but one must adjust the time to your sweat rate depending on conditions.

Rates can be derived through weight checks before during and after exercise. In-fact in ultra events one gets pulled off the course if you lose too much weight during the bout. My Winter sweat rate is anywhere from 12 - 15 minutes for 3 - 7 swallows. My Summer sweat rate is 10 minutes for 3-7 swallows. My race/redline sweat rate is 5 minutes for three swallows.

Plus, caffeine exacerbates the effects of heat exhaustion due to the fact that it is a diurretic just like alcohol. Even though the liquid is in you, it's on the fast track out and not accessible to your small intestines, remember your bioligy?!

Questions: If it's a diurretic then why didn't I have to pee? Does a diurretic affect sweat rates also?

Blessings: I was blessed to finish my ride before the appointed time Gayle and I had decided upon :-)! I am blessed that it did not happen going down a hill at 33 miles an hour! I am blessed that it didn't happen in traffic! I'm blessed that my fingers were not broken! (We'll see what the soft-tissue damage is on Monday). I am blessed that I had a clear cat-scan (meow)!


So, no riding for a while, bike camp is questionable. Doctor says stay away from the bike for a bit. Doctor Gayle says stay away from the bike for a long while. Time to walk the dogs or is it the other way around?!?

Personal Best, Season Best

Was my personal best related to stress or new goals posted by my counterpart? I believe a little of both. Charmichael training systems says do more in less time. Higher intensity makes up for time in the saddle when life gets in the way.

Today, stuff at home and at school kept me away from rehearsals at church, but at the same time forced me out the door on the machine. The work out was a reverse ladder in the big crank at 2-3 level and then to 3-4 level. I realized that I was actually doing this same workout longer than needed in the past. It pays to read your training manual more carefully.

Temps were in the upper 70s and lower 80s. I treat this route like a TT and today it payed off when I persevered up the hills in Bell Meade. Max average was 16.1 and final average was right there at 16.

The pay off was almost three minutes less on the route! Maybe it all had to do with the fact that the Spurs http://www.nba.com/spurs were playing their second game in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Spurs won Go Spurs Go!

More Change in the Works

Scheduling is always an issue and that's why Caloiknightrider came on the scene. It would appear that in order to do what's right more knightrides are in the works. This would mean that club rides are out. If club rides are out what's the point of belonging.

So, allow me to think aloud. Recently a change from 5 days of workouts to 4 days of workouts was made for skeleto-muscular reasons. If the max length of a ride changes to 2 hours then what is possible in training? Weekend rides would go to dawn till 10 which is thirty minutes more on Saturday than on Sunday with Cycle Logic. The maximum for the week would be 7 hours and what I could get done in that amount of time is a mystery. I need to see how that would change goals and such in the logbook.

I would go back to being the Lone Ranger like I was in college. Day rides would be few and far between. Once a week really. Long day rides would be on special occasions only. I could call myself the Lonerangercaloiknightrider and dreams of epic rides would be just that dreams. What dreams may come?

The other idea was that Caloiknightrider could become caloindoortrainer - for a hundred bucks I'd be on my way inside, but that's a problem because of lack of dedicated space. It would be hard not to have it set up all the time. I'll just have to figure it out and roll with the flow!!! C'est la vie en la grand cité!

Baited Breath

Well, I know you were waiting with baited breath to see what was happening with my riding! As it turns out all is good. After a poor and with some pain ride Thursday morning, I decided that I would do one last test and if it didn't work then I would take a full week off without riding or exercising.

So I rode Thursday night at the Bike Mojo ride and decided to work it so I would make sure and not train harder than I should. So I worked sweep and averaged 10 miles an hour and some change and brought in the last guy to the shop. The ride was miraculous, no pain and no tederness. So after taking the last guy in I was feeling strong when a bus passed me and I couldn't resist the chase. I was going so fast that my average bumped up two miles. And I caught that bus twice. Max speed was 31 yehaw!

Saturday I did my best fifty something with 54 in 3:23.xx averaging 16.3 which is a best for me for the season. Sunday did 38 with cycle logic at the verizon and felt good through 20 something.

Good News - Bad News

So I cut a tree down on Friday and then on Saturday we emptied out the garage of old crap that needed to go to goodwill not to mention the 30 miles I did that AM at an easy pace. Saturday PM I had the opportunity to do a few extra miles, but chose not to because I had tweaked it somewhere along the way.

So after some self-medication I was able to walk and sit, but before that I could barely do anything when I got out of the shower. Ohthemiraculousqualitiesofcodene!

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I wore my weight-belt all day, but not when I slept. Tuesday during the day the weight-belt seemed to be a little much so Tuesday AM I did a test ride to see where things were. I found out that the drops were out unless I changed somethings on the bike. I changed the seat height and distance from the stem and it felt better on a mini-short test ride.

We'll see what happens when I actually ride! Cross your fingers!

CaloiKnightrider Rides in South Texas

March 31st the first night CaloiKnightrider takes to the streets in South Texas! Church, family, and friends come first and must come first. So there you go the CaloiKnightrider is born. The miles still get to be logged and must be logged in order to ensure proper training.

The CaloiKnightrider is not willing to lose training effect! He wants to ride with the wolfpack without falling apart at mile 25 or 40!

The doctor has encouraged the CaloiKnightrider to lose poundage and drop some of those cholesterol numbers off the face of the earth. The doctor has doubts about what can be done and even gave him three months to get it done. So there the challenge is on, lose the pounds, lose the numbers and ride with the wolfpack. The unattainable is there to get grabbed!

CaloiKnightrider before training in the middle of the night on the weekend would do the Thursday Night BikeMojo ride whenever he could. If you've heard about the HHH Hash House Harriers a drinking club with a running problem, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_House_Harriers then you know what the Thursday Night is about a drinking club with a cycling problem. Never mind the fact that one can get a great interval workout on a stay-together ride! On, On!

Knight training started a long time ago during marathon training when he found that the dark helps one lose constraints placed upon oneself about going fast!

Warning: Knightriding is not for the faint of bike. The bike has to be tough because the lights don't illuminate everything out there. Ask him about his latest blow-out!

Quartely Goal & Being Behind

So here I am at least four weeks behind and yet I've reached one thousand miles with less than consistent effort on mileage. Scheduling is always a challenge, but motivation is hard when life gets in the way.

I've read alot about sleep/rest being part of training. In an effort to stay true to training concepts I have taken Wednesday off as well. Hour/Mileage goals are going to be difficult to reach with one less day during the week since I already take Monday and Friday off. Clydesdales require further rest because of size/body shape. I learned this the hard way with my running, that I have now set aside.

One other conclusion I've made is to set aside my mountain biking because of a propensity for injury. Perhaps this would not be as prevalent if I had the latest technology on my MTB.

Why Write, Porque Escrever, Pourquoi Ecrire, Porque Escribir, Because I Can, Por Causa Que Eu Posso, Parce Que Je Peu

Community

I write because of online communities, before web-based communities, I was involved in BBS communities before BBSs I wrote letters to folks as late as 1990. Some of the most fun communities that I have been a part of have been the Dead Runners Society (DRS) and the Dead Runners - Texas (DRT). One of the great ideas that made this group excellent was the no flame rule online. You can write a scathing letter backchannel or real email to the person you disagreed with, but you dare not write a flame (a forcefully worded emotional email) to the listserv (the listserv would broadcast said tirade to over 2K people) lest you anger the DRS gods (listowner, programmer, etc.). http://www.tri-drs.org is the location of the most recent incarnation of the DRS community that I frequent. One of the others that was the best was the CVRT the Clydesdale Virtual Racing Team - besides being a founding member the most fun activity we did regularly was the Frostbite 100. One year I actually came in fourth and had the most fun welcoming everyone else to our party with virtual lawnchairs and virtual keg.


Expanding Horizons

I want to improve myself and have contact with others with similar interests so that I can better myself as a humawn bean as well as an athlete. Through fostered discussion on certain topics we expand our horizons on it and are able to think beyond the task. I write to help others expand their horizons as well. I know I've learned a lot about various things just by reading what others have written.


I Write

I have maintained a tradition of writing for publications. My first was for the San Antonio Road Runners Newsletter and I believe the title was The Shoes do All the Work presenting a view of the life of a runner as seen through the eyes of a pair of shoes. I have also been published in Running Times an article about running in San Antonio and I think it was called Remember the Alamo. I have also written for Run the Planet http://www.runtheplanet.com about all kinds of places good for running in the states and in Brazil.


Bringing People Together

Sounds corny, but I know how miraculous it is to be transformed by something such as cycling. I believe this is part of paying it forward. Encouraging others to be transformed and start enjoying life more instead of living with medication.


My Friends

To share with my friends the joy that I've experienced doing what I do on the bike. That's why we started the Hike and Bike http://northwood-hikeandbike.blogspot.com at my church. We have a large group hikers and bikers. We have a dream of taking a group of seven to eleven cyclists on the MS 150 bike to the beach down to Corpus Christi, put on our own triathlon or multiple venue family event up in Vance with running and hiking.


Training

To train and be trained! To help others with their training, I get a kick out of training others or teaching. It is part of me and my makeup!

8 Weeks Behind, But Now Back On Track

The title says it all! I am still behind, but Hell Week according to Carmichael training put me four weeks closer because of the big mileage done.

I may reach my quarterly goal with 1000 miles.

I need more hills! I'm trying to do hills (molehills) close to my neighborhood everytime I go out.

I started doing speedwork again, very limited, fartlek only, but then time was an issue. A start is a start! According to my log I still need seven more weeks of training before getting serious.

The weight is not melting off, but it is rearranging shapewise. My clothes are already fitting better.

I have decided to take an extra day off during the week for the beneffit of rest in response to training. With all the long miles on the weekend I believe this is necessary!

If you're looking for an interesting read Mr. Langley in the link above he's a regular in RBR which is also a good read.

Hell Week SA Recap

Well my Saturday ride is logged! I was going for eighty, but the "best laid plans of mice and men." I awoke later than planned and piddled around too much. Actually, the piddling is hereditary, my Mom used to do that and I got the piddle gene. C'est la vie! I ended up with 51 which is Ok, but not great!

If I log almost 40 in the next day I'll end up with 300 for my SA Hell Week and I definitely can live with that!!!

Where am I - Hell Week in SA

Saddle sore and waterlogged! After a great weekend where over 100 miles were logged, Monday and Tuesday arrived with a whimper. 500 to 600 miles is way out of question at this point for the week. It is Wednesday and almost noon and I used the excuse that I would see what the weather was going to do. Your guess is as good as mine! The beater is not rideable so it's the good Caloi Pro Road out and sloshing around and I'm no longer crazy about doing that since I no longer ride a pos bike.

Monday I was fasting for some bloodletting and that made for a ride with an excruciating headache and dirty, muddy, wet wash everything under the sun when I get back kind of ride, but still managed at least thirty which was goal for everyday this week. That puts the totals at a slight 130 plus for the week. I was in search of my epic ride, but the last day for that to happen was today and here I am still on the computer see the article on the epic ride.

Weather temps are good in the area, but the flashflooding just puts a damper on all the routes that are doable. Plus people have died. Actually stupidity killed them for crossing in to deep waters in cars. We live down here long enough you know where the low water crossings are and you watch yourself lest you be accused of being stupid for going through the low water crossing. Soooo...what to do?! I think I'll go to the dollar movie just to get out!!!

Back In the Saddle Again

Sorry, longtime no post. I'm back in the saddle again! My wife and I were needing some time so rather than do a month off in Dec. I did it in october/november.

I've been keeping one ride going during the month off and picked up running and walking. Longest run was nine miles of trail on Salado Creek. Fastest mile was somewhere under ten. Lost my pedometer on the trail. Ha! They're doing some good work on it, expanding with a paved trail, clearing the natural trail, and I look forward to using it even more.

Although I can feel I'm not fatigued, I also don't have the get-up and go that I had in my legs. It is time to rebuild and for the next 34 weeks that's exactly what I'll do.

Did you read the article about Lance and the marathon? If you have completed a marathon before and are now cycling that would be a good one to read. Makes one feel good about our skills.

Long rough day ahead of me at school so I better start putting my armour on! We'll see you out on the byways of cycling.

Obligatory bike workout note (OBN): I'm slated for 3 to 5 hours of training this week and I already have 3.5 so the rest of the miles I get tomorrow and Sunday are all gravy.

OBMaintenanceN: Don't know what I'm going to do. I'm supposed to get a new chain and new bar tape and new front tire, but I'm shy about taking it in. The last time I took it in I was sidelined for over four weeks. Not my idea of fun or a decent way to stay in road cycling shape.

Check out: http://www.northwood-hikeandbike.blogspot.com to see what's going on there

Training Effect Loss

I have worked my butt off for the past three years to build speed. I have ridden pos bikes during that time and endured the fun being made about my old pink bike. That's fine!

No where in all that time was I unplanned off for more than a week! So I never really lost training effect. I did the periodization like I should and at this time I should be enjoying the effects of riding at 21 plus MPH average, but I am not because of a derail that was beyond my control.

I tried to maintain and plateau, but that was hampered by a week and a half vacation where I gorged myself and gained fourteen poundages. No problem, I thought, I can lose that! Ehhhn! Thanks for playing!

It is proving very difficult to lose that which I have gained. My periodization has taken me to a peak and I'm doing less mileage, but at faster speeds, but my speed is hampered by my weight so here I am unable to improve like I would like. I'm almost considering blowing off the rest of my peak and training and assume the work of losing those pounds. You know what else? My BP is up! That sucks! Maybe it's a stress thing and God really intended me to be a full time cyclist and not work?! Ha!

I'm supposed to race this weekend, but who wants to race when it is too hard to maintain even a decent speed. Best I could do on a sustained effort last week was 16.3 average. 16 through 75, but then I hit the wall at about 83 and everything hurt so I only bettered my time on a 100 miler by about a minute from when I did it back in May.

Beats me what I'll do! Probably just try to race this weekend then do the Hike and Bike ride on Labor Day and then go from there. I think my peridoization has me going easy till the end of the year. So perhaps I'll just do the old stay under 150 bpm on my HRM and work at losing the poundage and finish up my four thousand miles for the year.

Any one know of a good core workout book? I'm not so good with tapes and dvds for workouts.

Holy Guacamole, Batman Drawn and Quartered

What will Commissioner Gordon do? Can Robyn run the Wayne estate by himself? Is Gotham doomed to be a wasteland?

Batman found quartered on the side of the road. At the time he must have been shrunk a la Honey I Shrunk the Kids because what was left of him, his torso, was just three inches long.

This all may have been a fig-newton of my imagination since it happened in the last throes of a 100 miler I logged yesterday in and around San Antonio. Final time 6:50 temp 103, stops three, drinks nine with a lunch break taken. It was truly hot, but not as hot as Hotter N Hell. I hear it was 112 and the course was closed early by Medical staff to ensure the safety of the participants. Ouch!!!

Hike & Bike Adventure Camp

Last week I completed my first cycling camp where I was in charge. My attempt to give something back to the sport that gives me so much daily. It sounds trite, but I also wanted my church to gain some from the cycling knowledge I've accumulated. It will probably happen again in a different form because I know there are some adults that were not able to attend and learn what they needed to learn.

The camp was run for fun, not to instill training regimens or anything. We did rides of moderate challenge for Junior High Age kids. We ended up doing about 15 miles per day. We ended the week with over 75 miles all on hybrid mountain bikes or trick bikes. We had days that were road only, some that were road and trails and one that was road and trails and horse-back riding.

First couple of days there were mechanicals so we were able to practice some of the things that the kids had seen done on the first day when all we did was learn how to repair some basic things and to handle obstacles and how to keep a straight line. We did practice going from a group riding technique to a single file paceline type arrangement. We did practice good traffic skills within a group using city maps and being smart about what roads we traversed.

It was cheap for the kids and basically paid me back on what I spent on go-juice and goomies. They were also introduced to various things to try to eat while on the road so there was a nutrition component. And since it was done in August, they had plenty of practice dealing with the heat, but most days we were out of there before the hottest part of the day took effect.

We were also able to secure sponsors for the shirts and will use this opportunity to produce our Hike and Bike t-shirts which each participant will receive one for free and jerseys which participants will have to invest some to receive. But the point is that we have begun the process and that is the big challenge.

Teams of At Least 6

Ok, the scandal has done its damage! Vinokourov (sp?) lost five of his team mates, but one of the biggest consequences is Vino can't race because you can't show up with four team members, but you can with six. He was not implicated. Maybe the team withdrew in disgust like another team. Here's the question, what prevents a team from getting a couple of riders from wherever to jump in at the last minute so that your team leader can do his job? That has to be able to be done in one day. All the two riders have to do is finish the stages within the cutoff time they don't even have to compete per se.

I know there are plenty of people out there willing. There's bound to be people out there that are even in TdF shape and could finish the daily stages with respectable times. No, Vino would not have the benefit of the support of a full team, but heck at least he'd be out there doing his job (as LA would put it).

Just doesn't seem right that one of the premier riders in the world doesn't compete in the premier race in the world. Que est que vous pense?

Riding With a Faster Group & RBR.com

So I'm reading along on RoadBikeRider.com, the newsletter where they have an opinion short about riding with a faster group. This question came up ealier on uphillbattle.spaces.msn.com and I put the link above if you want to try and find the discussion on it. In that forum it was mainly about taking turns at the front of the group. Again, I'll take a turn, but if I'm not able to hold it that long then I peel off and fade back or try to stay with it. Sometimes I can and sometimes I can't which may be the case with lots of folks.

One of my greatest and most efficient strategies in the last two years has been to ride with groups that are faster than I in the hopes of getting as fast as they are and it has worked. I believe one of the groups I ride with has served this purpose and I have gone on to ride with another that challenges me even more. Now when I can't stay with a group eventually I just fade back and end up in the second group which then I'm leading. So success! Alas, according to the opinion on RBR I'm causing an unsafe situation.

Their point about needless crashes being caused by riders hanging with groups that deplete them to such an extent that they are no longer able to make wise moves and decisions. I say to them, if we take away that avenue for improvement then we are left with getting faster solely on our individual training. I don't know about you, but I'm able to push myself further when I'm with a group than when I'm by myself pushing myself to the limits. I just am not able to sustain an 18.3 average on an 32 miler when I'm by myself. When I'm chasing someone or trying to hang-on to a group I am able to average that 18.3.

Personally I've not been involved in those kinds of crashes. The crashes that I have witnessed or been close to has been caused by carelessness at the beginning of the ride. Maybe people are just a little groggy - I don't know.

I also know when I'm on the mountain bike I get in the groove after a few minutes of easy riding on less technical stuff. I fall when I attempt the technical stuff too soon after the start of the ride.

To Bike, or not to bike (Adapted from Hamlet 3/1 w/ apologies to the Bard)

To bike, or not to bike: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
the hills and byways of your favorite 100 miler,
Or to take off due to a sea of work,
And by resting lose training effect? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by sleep to say we end
The ease at which we climb and the thousands of hours in the saddle
That cyclists are heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wisked away. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death-like fatigue what dreams may come
When we have sprinted off this mortal road,
Must give us pause: there in retrospect
That makes calamity of so long a route;
for who would bear the heat and humidity of time on the bike,
The opressor's breakaway, the proud man's arrogant solo sprint,
The pangs of horrendous hills, the law's delay,
The broken promises of politicians and potholes
That unsolicited support of the caboose club member takes,
When the lame excuses for falling behind he makes
With a stone face? Who would challenges bear
To grunt and sweat under a weary ride,
But that the dread of hors categorie.
The undiscover'd country from where new mettle is formed
No cyclist makes it back, puzzles the will
And makes us challenge ourselves to levels otherwise never attempted,
Than sandbag and draft on others we know not of?
Thus the logbook makes slaves of us all;
And thus the obvious tan lines of resolve
Is paled o'er with the sickening thought,
And accomplishments of great achievement and courage
With this point of view their efforts get blown-off,
And lose the name of action. -Soft you now!
(The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd).

Salado Creek MTB Tour - Possibly

Theoretically speaking we now can do a tour on Salado Creek. Recently some members of the Thursday night Bike World ride sponsored by STORM (http://www.storm-web.org) stretched the envelope a bit on the access to trails from McAllister Park. A doable extension was found to the trails north of 1000 Oaks by going through a greenway access that puts you on North Jones Maltzberger which from there you can go all the way to 1604 of groomed trails and can even be extended past 1604 to reach 281. Wow! First of all very cool trails go around a damn for the Edwards recharge I'm assuming.

So that's North of McAllister, now I've personally gone in the creekbed South of McAllister all the way to Ft. Sam Houston (I think in and around McAllister it's actually Mud Creek, but who's counting). You make your way to Lady Bird Johnson via the creekbed and from Lady Bird you make your way South and eventually you will have to tip toe through Los Patios (Trespass warning - plus if you do get stopped just mention someone that you that lives there at the retirement/apartments - and no I'm not telling you to trespass - I know folks that have gone to court for lesser trespassing violations so noli consequi - don't know if it's appropriate, but it sure sounds more forceful with some Latin thrown in). After you pass under the bridge at 410 you then enter an old horse ranch (currently overgrown - darn near impassable) which connects with the new park area at Austin Hwy and Ira Lee (creek crossing here as well about a mile up from Austin Hwy and Ira Lee). BTW did I mention you do about 4 or 5 creek crossings so if you don't like getting your BB wet then wimp out and stay home - whatever! This is a gnarly trail so if you're faint of heart stay away. Anyway that new park area has a map of the proposed Salado Creek Greenway expansion project so you can get an idea of the big picture.

So now you're under the bridge at Austin Hwy and Ira Lee (if you're chicken or your MTB isn't as stout as you would like then you can take Ira Lee all the way to Ft. Sam) and you enter the trail by Nations Rent and it's pretty well groomed in this section and most of the next. So you'll have it easy from Austin Hwy to Under the bridge at Eisenhower and from Eisenhower you go about half way and you suddenly have to go right and cross the creek again (wear your sturdy MTB shoes). And you hook up with a trail that every time it rains/floods you get all this trash on the trail so be ready to get off and climb over piles of dead wood or whatever else gets washed down the Salado. Eventually you come to a section of the trail that seems impassable, but it's doable without a machete (although there's a section later that I wouldn't have minded having one for cutting down all the bramble bush that attacks your legs). Careful right before the Rittiman Bridge there's some sewer spillage there - do not immerse your feet or bike in that caca water. Right after that you enter what seems to be one of the nicest trail systems close by.

You are now at James park which has trails that connect with the equestrian trails off of Ira Lee somewhere in here you morph from the equestrian trails of the people off Ira Lee and the Ft. Sam equestrian trails. Now at a certain point yesterday when I was adventuring I came across an obvious camera out in the middle of nowhere - where Uncle Sam said this is where we draw the line. To enter Ft. Sam you must show your license so I dutifully held out my license so they could zoom in on it and clear me through. The MPs didn't come to get me when I kept going so I guess that was ok. Eventually you make it to the Binz Engleman gate to Ft. Sam by going on some of the paved roads - enjoy it whilst you can because it gets way worse here in the next section. Anyway cross the creek over the low water crossing bridge there and go immediately back into the brush eventually you reach access to the RR tracks and go under the bridge there now in this section there are a couple of creek crossings so beware. This is where I pretzelled my back wheel yesterday and had to ride the next hour on the worst looking wobbly wheel ever. I was embarrassed at how visible it was! Drivers were probably saying, look at that homeless guy, poor b@st@rd! Has to ride a pos bike like that. BTW that last section is where you need the machete or you can do it the hard way like I did. Look for a better place to cross the creek than what I found because the pretzel happens.

So then I'm out at I-35 and Splashtown where one can theoretically go all the way to the Southside Lions.

Since my wheel was trashed I decided to forego the next part of my adventure. Think about it someone in the group parks their truck at SS Lions and the rest meet up at 281 yeehaw and you have thirty plus miles of gnarly trail to enjoy. Make sure you bring lots of water. I drained 64 oz camelback plus a waterbottle of go juice in three plus hours.