HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2012 is here...my how time flies by!

Blogging to return soon.

Test Ride

I know what you're thinking with this blog post title, but it's not what you think. We're talking eyeglasses, not a new bike. Yes...cycling specific, partial wrap-around prescription sunglasses! I've worn eyeglasses since high school and although I've had various forms of prescription sunglasses, I never did pull the trigger on cycling-specific shades. When you're young and poor with an ever changing Rx, you can always find better ways to spend your $$. Now that I'm older with a more stable Rx and a little discretionary money to spend, I decided to stop lusting at the catalog pages and take some action. This led me to SportRx.com and Rob their cycling optician. Rob presented me with some options that would or might work with my very strong prescription...needless to say, the options were not many. He encouraged me to partake in their "test ride" program wherein they send me the frames I'm interested in trying on without any obligations. I selected for my first choice the Rudy Project Horus despite knowing that they were very borderline for my Rx.

However, Rob suggested I try them under their excellent exchange policy knowing that my 2nd choice frames would not be an Rx issue. He assured me that a few folks with a stronger Rx were happy with the Horus, while being honest and also informing me that others with a similar Rx could not live with the distortions introduced by the partial wrap-around lenses. So last night was my test ride with my, for now anyway, new Rudy Project Horus single vision, polarized, Gray No. 3, silver flash mirror super cool cycling sunglasses. :)

I planned a 23 mile early evening ride on a loop where I knew the setting sun would be in my eyes. Here are the test ride results:

• I rode the entire 23 miles without having to return home for the regular glasses


• The Horus lenses did introduce some minor distortions to my vision but the longer I had them on the more I got use to it.


• Did not get a headache


• Did not get dizzy


• Near field vision makes objects seem a bit closer


• Intermediate field vision was nearly perfect


• Distant vision makes objects seem a bit elongated


• The ability to see fine detail on the road surface was enhanced.


• Peripheral vision was blurry, but that happens to me now with my regular progressive glasses.

I think they'll be keepers...but I won't make the final decision until I try them on a couple of mid-day rides.

A quick update on last week's blog post. I never did get into that training groove thanks to a few days of relentless rain and pent up yard work from the last few weekends of yard neglect! Of course, there's always this week!!

Monday Night Ride!

I'm hoping this week to have a breakthough with my riding and to hit a training groove I can sustain. If tonight's ride is any indication, I might be there.
Monday would normally be a recovery day (non-riding), but I didn't ride this weekend (spent 3 days down the Cape for my sister's wedding). So with fresh legs and a beautiful early evening, I figured I'd get in at least 20 miles. My mindset when I set out was just to spin and not to push it. But as seems to be the case at some point in each riding season, my easy ride turned into a ride with an easy to maintain pace faster than my rides the past few weeks...and on the loop I've primarily been riding over the same period. My breakthrough ride? We'll see.
Ride stats: 22.1 miles at 17.1 mph (1 hr - 17 min - 45 sec ride time)

To Blog or Not to Blog?

Tis the question I need to answer if my blog posts are going to be more than a month apart!

Some of my favorite cycling bloggers have apparently walked away from a presence on the web...others clearly struggle like I do with issues of time, interest, topics and audience. This was mainly meant to be a training journal...open to the public for comment...an attempt to add some accountability. It's not like I lack for topics as it's my journal and I continue to ride...and I have dozens of post ideas jotted down on multiple pieces of paper floating around my office, home and backpack. I guess it's time and interest.

Speaking of riding, my miles as shown in the side-bar are meager so far this year but I keep plugging away. In fact, last week I hit a milestone of sorts...I surpassed my meager total from all of last year. Not a huge accomplishment but one I truly hope to build on.

I think I'll keep blogging. This year still holds a lot of potential for some great riding. I want to document that if it comes to fruition! :)

Lost Weekend

I knew something wasn't quite right on Friday afternoon when I started getting stomach cramps half-way through a 22 mile ride. I sometimes get mild stomach cramps after rides or on those hot summer rides immediately after replenishing electrolytes, but this was something different. The cramps eased up after the ride and I had my usual ravenous appetite, but something still did not feel right with my body. I went to bed figuring I'd feel much better in the morning. Wrong!
Morning brought the revelation that I had a stomach virus...a nasty one. I'll skip the gory details suffice it to say that by Sunday morning I had lost 8-9 pounds. I'm definitely trying to lose weight but not like that!
So much for my weekend plans. Missed my cousin's wedding...couldn't go out on Mother's Day...no yard work got done...and goose egg entries in the training log! Truly a lost weekend.
Weekly riding stats are updated in the right side-bar. The weight entry is not a typo...that was my weight on Sunday morning. As I write this, I have thankfully gained 2.5 lbs back.

April Stats

Finished off the month of April with three days of riding...well, the last of those was actually May 1st. Given my dismal early season track record, I never would have guessed that my first month of riding after 8 months off the bike would be so successful. Here are the stats:

Total distance - 213.7 miles
Number of riding days - 14 out of 17 planned.
Average # rides per week - 3.25
Average ride length - 15.26 miles
Average distance per week - 49.7 miles
Weight loss - 7 lb. (I'm currently at 215 down from 222 lb.)

To many of you these are very modest stats, but to me these numbers are huge. My early season track record is pretty spotty, so what I accomplished this April is indicative of some better cycling ahead. The 3 missed days were due to a combination of rain and Sunday family commitments, which crimped my already tight schedule. Beyond May, the holidays and family commitments ease up a bit.

Last year I devised a training schedule that was meant to increase the average distance of my rides, lower the number of riding days per week and overall to allow me more recovery time between rides. My reasons for this are chronicled in a couple of 2010 posts (here and here). Of course, I was never able to implement that plan last year.

This year, when I went out on my first few rides, the objective was just to get out and ride. Having not been on a bike for 8 months I was very aware of the potential for overuse injuries, so I wanted to keep the rides short and ease into the season. That plan so far has been successful, but while I'm slowly increasing the miles, I'm still fiddling with a training schedule and intensity level that works for me. Some people may chuckle when I refer to a training schedule, but that's simply my formula for motivation...and it has always worked in the past. Training of course suggests goals and I have two. The first and most important is to lose weight. I'd like to shed the 2 handle once and for all this year. The second is to be able to ride some fast and comfortable century rides later in the season.

If April is any indication, I'm well on my way to achieving those two goals this year. Wish me luck!

More Springtime in New England!

Yesterday it was only in the 50s...today we bumped up against 80...summertime conditions!!

I'm hoping to do regular Tuesday and Thursday weekday rides this year, so a longish ride was in order. First ride of the season in shorts (without knee warmers) and short sleeves.

26.4 miles @ 15.3 mph. I'm happy with my progress so far.

Springtime in New England

A dose of cold...a dash of Spring. That describes the contrasting conditions on my last two rides. Thursday's ride was frigid for April...the temperature was 50 but the wind was blowing a steady 25 mph from the northwest with gusts to 40 mph. It's tough to get out in these conditions but it always feels great at the end of the ride when you know the training benefits of riding in the stiff wind will pay off later. On Friday there was a quick turnaround in weather conditions as the temperature rose to near 60 and the wind retreated, making for a very nice 21 mile ride.

I'm pretty happy with my last four weeks of riding. The rides have been short but that's by design and it's still early in the season. More importantly, I'm happier with my weight loss of 5 pounds over the same time period because it's due more to eating better than piling up the cycling miles. If I can keep the diet on track, the pounds will melt away easily when the miles start piling up. But that's the rub, as my track record is one of using cycling as an excuse to eat more!

My weekly stats are updated on the side-bar to the right.

Another Week...

...another series of rides to build on. Four rides last week...four short, WINDY rides in tight fitting cycling clothes. Part of my motivation to keep riding is to get these clothes to fit normally again! So in that regard, the wind is my friend...because the wind is my training partner (with thanks to A Midnight Rider). Can I keep this going? That is the all important question.

Beginnings

Some folks write about epic training rides and personal bests...others wax poetic about all things velo. My post today is to report on a modest accomplishment; namely, back to back weekend bike rides. No mileage...no timing...no stats...just two short rides to build on. Felt good to be rolling on two wheels again.

Oops!...I Did It Again

No riding...no blogging since my last post in August 2010. Is that unbelievable? Well believe it. When I wrote my last post back in August it was looking like I was getting back into the swing of a routine riding schedule. Then I went on vacation for a week...to Maine...with my bike. Other than hitting the Acadia NP carriage roads on a rented MTB with family in tow, I never rode that week...nor did I ride a bike for the rest of the year. How I allow this to happen is frustrating to me but mainly after the fact. While it's happening it just seems like riding is not an option for me for one reason or another and I accept it. I obviously need to work on this a lot more. I intend on this first blog post of 2011 to be my new start, because immersing myself in thoughts on cycling puts me in the right frame of mind to take action. And action is what I need...much more than words! So expect more frequent blog posts from me as this new year unfolds and I flesh out ways to motivate myself to get an early jump on the 2011 riding season (DST starts in 62 days!!), improve my overall fitness, and lose weight. Unfortunately, I won't be hitting the road anytime soon with our 2nd major winter storm of the season bearing down on Southern New England. Lucky us...here's what we'll be dealing with on Wednesday morning.

One Step Back...Two Steps Forward

That is truly the way my summer is going with respect to cycling. Last week was good...74 miles over four days, but more importantly my cycling legs are coming back. Another good thing about last week was that our spell of hot and humid weather was finally broken and that can make a world of difference to someone like myself desperately trying to get into riding shape at mid-season. Unfortunately, my history of nagging injuries leaves me no choice but to gradually build up my miles...otherwise I risk ignoring painful lessons from the past!

My weekly stats are up-to date in the side-bar on the right, including my weight. :)

Thanks to all those who left words of encouragement on my last couple of posts...it helps, it really does.

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

My goal last week was 72 miles. I accomplished goose eggs.

You don't want to hear the excuses...trust me.

Weekly Stats...

...are updated in the right side-bar

A Pathetic Factoid

I worked yesterday...came home late (25 minute delay on train)...and still went out for a 21 mile ride. Woo hoo!! My first after work ride in over 10 months.

I am sure this is my shortest post ever. :-)

5 Out of 9

Over the last 9 days I managed to ride on 5 days, but the thing about the last 9 days is that I was on vacation. Can I maintain a routine riding schedule heading into this first week back from work? That's the question on my mind...the one that will be answered over the next couple of weeks. Obviously I failed to accomplish that during the Spring riding season...so what will I do differently this time? Riding in the early morning will be key I believe...yet that is my biggest hurdle to overcome as I'm simply not a morning person. Can anyone help me with tips for rising early (other than go to bed early...I know that one!)? I'm all ears.

BTW, on the right side bar with my weekly stats, ??? = afraid to step on scale! But I will one of these days.

He Rides Again...Slowly!

Yup, you read that correctly. I rode my bike this weekend...slowly, but twice!

Saturday I got in 16.5 miles @ 14.2 mph...Sunday I rode 20.9 @ 13.8 mph. Boy was it hot.

It's a fresh start. We'll see what I can do with it.

Status

If I have any followers left, this is just a note to let you know I'm still alive and kicking. I'm not even sure how I got off-track with my riding, but I did...work/family/stuff (life!) got in the way yet again. I know I'm not the only one who suffers from this affliction...if only a day was longer.

Hope to ride this weekend and get back to blogging.

RoadID Giveaway

Run on over to KC's blog (140 Point 6 Miles). She's running a contest to win a RoadID bracelet. I've been meaning to order one so figured I'd enter the contest. If I don't win one I'll surely order one...and when I get it I'll post about it here!

Road ID gathered its group of brand ambassadors (Levi Leipheimer, Bob Roll, Dean Karnazes, Craig Alexander, Liz Hatch and Scott Nydam) to talk about their individual sports, the inherent dangers of each, and the roll that Road ID plays in being safe.

Here's the video:

Speedplay Pedals

I may have only mentioned it a couple of times if at all here on the blog, but I'm a huge fan of Speedplay pedals. I credit them with saving my knees and allowing me to continue to ride big miles (relative I know, but at least for me).

Bike Noob recently posted a nice piece on Speedplays (Speedplay Pedals - Are They For You) in response to friendly recommendations he received when he was dealing with severe knee pain. Given my view on Speedplay pedals, I left a lengthy comment on his post as a result of reading through the comments and seeing what I thought were a few misconceptions floating around concerning these pedals. I am going to re-post my comments here.

I’ve weighed in before on Speedplay pedals but have no interest in converting others to switch…if you like the pedals you have I’d say stick with them. That being said, Speedplays work for me and I have what I like to call the perfect storm of bad knee conditions: ITB friction syndrome (proper stretching is the key to helping with this one), damage from previously misaligned cleats, a touch of arthritis, and mild chondromalacia (severe if I don’t get my base miles in on the small chainring). I was at my wits end about 10 years ago when the chronic pain became impossible to manage and the only solution outside of possible surgery was to stop riding. Enter Speedplays and result – my knee problems are mostly history. Sure I still deal with aches and pains, but the key is they are now very manageable. So yes, Speedplays work for me and I like to tell others all about them. :-)

With that in mind, there still seems to be a lot of misconceptions concerning Speedplays and I see them right here in the comments. A few need to be addressed:

1. Platform size and stability: the Speedplay platform is about the same size or larger than most other pedals…seriously! The key here is the unique design of the pedal system where the “platform” is designed into the cleat portion of the system. So if you’re looking at the lollipop-shaped pedals and asking how that can be stable, your logic is correct but you’re only considering one part of the pedal system…in this case, the wrong one. I find them to be quite stable and have never experienced the rocking sensation mentioned in Noob’s post (mine are old X/3s…now X/5s…so maybe that’s why). I’m in the market for a new pair…if those have the rocking sensation at least I know there is a solution.

2. Stack height: folks seem to be equating stack height with cornering clearance. It has nothing to do with cornering clearance. Stack height is the distance between the center of the spindle and the top of the cleat, and dictates the amount of distance between the bottom of your foot and the pedal’s spindle. Stack height affects pedaling efficiency, not cornering. Apparently, one can pedal more efficiently the closer their foot is to the spindle…meaning less stack height is better. Speedplays have relatively little stack height. The superior cornering clearance comes from the narrow profile of the pedal compared with others.

3. Additional maintenance: I’ve done nothing, and I mean nothing, to my Speedplays except one exchange of cleats over a 10 year period and they continue to work fine. I admit, I don’t walk around in them a lot. If I planned to, I would buy the cleat covers. Some of my riding buddies have also mentioned additional maintenance as a reason to shy away from Speedplays, but I just don’t find that to be a compelling reason given my experience with them.

4. Dual-sided entry: no misconceptions on this feature, just surprised that no one mentioned it as a benefit. No fumbling around with the pedal to get it on the right side to engage the cleat…just place your foot on the pedal, push and you’re locked in. Very simple in and out.

For those of you not familiar with the Bike Noob blog, I urge you to check it out. He always posts on interesting aspects of the cycling world with well written pieces and always soliciting the views of others. As a result, the comments are also well worth reading. Plus he utilizes a couple of guest bloggers who write about their cycling experiences to keep things even more topical and interesting. Keep up the good work Ray.