A Blustery Ride.......

It seems that the only chance I get to go out and ride these days are on Saturday's. It seems that everything just gets in the way. Sometimes you just have to make the time and do it. A friend of mine that I have not gotten to ride with lately, we'll call him Crash. Though he hasn't had a wreck that I have witnessed in a few years, he has yet to live down that name. I have witnessed, or been victem in two of them, and have heard of at least another. Anyway, he lives on the route I rode last weekend to Las Colinas, and so I thought I would get him out for a ride. I was glad to have somebody to meet at a specific time, because on mornings like this I have a hard time getting up and out. So, after two snoozes and spending a few minutes waking up with my wife, I forced myself to get out of bed an start the morning coffee. Let the dog out and a quick frying of to eggs, bacon, and coffee and I'm dressed and out the door. With cloud cover, the threat of rain, and the temps in the low 50's, I opted to wear the cold weather jacket instead of the arm warmers, since I had been a little chilly on the ride last weekend. A pair of leg warmers completed the ensemble. I was glad to have made that decision as the whole ride stayed in the 50's and a south wind around 15 mph with a few slight gusts. Anyway, I was about 8 min. late to meet Crash, and found him in the parking lot airing up his tires. He had overslept and hadn't had anything to eat, so we headed to Mickey D's to get him some sustenance for the ride. After a quick break, we were on the road again. We followed the same basic course from last week. A quick trip down to Luna road and turned south. Right before the turn south we met up with a bunch of GDBer's coming out from Preston Forest Shopping Center. Fighting the wind to the south, we wound our way through the lowlands and park areas to Las Colinas. As we reached Hwy 114, we crossed over to explore the Hill Option listed on the ride map. However, after reaching Tom Braniff Blvd, we turned west through the area around the University of Dallas. After turning around once we finally found ourselves at Tom Landry Stadium (aka Texas Stadium for the part-timers) and dodging a turning eighteen wheeler, headed back north on Hwy 114. We took a quick rest at Beltline and Valley Ranch Parkway because Crash also forgot his waterbottles and I needed a pain killer for my aging and constantly aching back. Luna Road brought the fight into the wind back and the uphill climb back to REI took whatever was left in us, out of us. Another 3.2 miles and I was home. I like heading down Midway home, because those idiots that just have to pass me rushing up to the light usually have me looking in their rearview mirror again whle waiting at the light. I generally leave whatever strength I have left on the road on that short ride home and cruise at about 22+ mph, even into the wind. It's nice to see them look with wonder that I caught them at the light. The numbers were not quite as good as I would have liked, but against a stiff wind, I guess I'll take them. Time: 3:15:31 Distance: 51:00 miles (even, kinda strange when that happens) Max: 32.5 mph Average: 15.6 mph

Well, I guess the YMCA workouts are making a difference......

After 25+ years I am a member of the YMCA again. My YMCA is undergoing the construction of a rather large addition to it's facilities. Once finished it should be much nicer than it is now, which is pretty good. Hoever, it is not the YMCA I remembered from my youth. The exercise machine room is great because they have machines with individual monitors and headphone jack so that you can watch your choice of a few channels. My favorite happens to be TNT's Without a Trace, just happens to be on when I workout. I have been doing 30 min. on the Treadmill at a 6.4 pace, 30 min. on the bike, 10 min. on the rowing machine, and 20 min. on the elliptical trainer. It must be making a difference as I finally got out on the road again this weekend and had a higher ride average than I have had since getting back on the bike in July. Getting tired of the same old route around White Rock Lake, I decided to visit the Greater Dallas Bicyclists Website for a few Options to choose from and found a Route fairly close to my house. (If you want to join a group to meet other cyclists and have a lot of ride options, this is a good one along with Team Bikin', Plano Bicycling Association, and Ft. Worth Bicycling Association.) It starts from REI and heads toward Las Colinas. It's a good route as REI is the highest point ont he route making you climb back up at the end of the ride. A quick ride up Midway Road gets me to and from REI and allows a few rolling hills along the way. The route heads through Farmers Branch and turns South on Luna Road. South of LBJ Freeway the road actually resembles a country road and leads past a golf course and a park, California Crossing Park, neither of which I new were there. I then road through Las Colinas and headed north to Valley Ranch. A detour next to La Villita that was used during the construction of the President George Bush Turnpike, takes you under the freeway and up the hill to Valley Ranch Parkway. This road is unmarked. It is just under the PGBT. If you miss this turn, as I did, you have to climb a pretty good hill up to MacArthur Boulevard. If you want to ride this hill, you can turn right on MacArthur and head to the next stoplight, turn right and back down a steep hill and return to Valley Ranch Parkway. My ride, with the added mileage to and from REI, was 42.32 miles. My average pace was 16.9 which is up .4 mph from my highest average. Not quite where I want to be but I am working on that. And, I noticed that my pace heading uphill has increased. I am looking forward to doing this ride again as I was not able to take the "hill option" listed on the GDB cuesheet and I can add some hills through the University of Dallas Campus as well. Also, there are many places to add loops along the route to add distance to any ride. This ride follows mostly new roads that are in great condition, however, there are a lot of people out there that don't want you on there roads. So, be careful and keep a watchful eye. And, never forget you are an ambassador on the roads. You will recieve the same attitude that you produce, be considerate and please, obey the law.

An article I read in the Dallas Morning News......

I just had to post this. I read it in the Dallas Morning News and thought some other people might like it. Great story. I especially liked the quote "I guess you have to be a cyclist to understand the madness."Hell in uniform: Nothing was going to stop Don Lobmeyer from riding the HHH.Not the wind. Not the heat. Not the sand.And not the fact that he's currently stationed in Iraq.Spc. Lobmeyer, a 37-year-old Army mechanic with the Kansas National Guard, staged a Hotter 'N Hell Iraq to coincide with the anniversary. He rode the real ride in 2003.On Saturday, he rode 117 miles in six hours and 18 minutes around a secure area near Baghdad."I went through 12 liters of water, four liters of Gatorade, six bananas, two apples, four energy bars, 16 ounces of pickle juice and a couple of small packages of mixed nuts," he wrote in an e-mail.Training on a nearby route garnered some interesting stares as he cruised around on his borrowed Schwinn Sierra GS wearing a bright yellow Army jersey."People think Lance Armstrong is in Iraq," he wrote.Iraqi soldiers cheered him on and gave him a thumbs-up as he whizzed by, he wrote. He made friends with Iraqi children by fixing soldiers' discarded bikes and giving them to the kids.His fellow soldiers questioned why anyone would want to ride 100 miles, "let alone do it in these conditions," he said. "I guess you have to be a cyclist to understand the madness."Several obstacles stood in his way, starting with persuading Army officials to approve the ride. He had to eat balanced meals based on whatever the chow hall offered, and find time to train. And, of course, there was "limited riding space as we are in the middle of a war zone," he wrote.Sure, it was much different from riding in Wichita Falls with snacks galore and bike repair stands at the ready. But in some ways, it was quite authentic.In Baghdad on Saturday, it was nearly 120 degrees.

Waco Wild West Century

Days like this you begin to wonder just what you see in this sport! Yet, at he end of the day you look back at the hardships as well as the tests of strengtth, determination, and emotional fortitude and realize that you have done something that many others will either look at you with everything ranging from awe to bewilderment, though never with indifference. Today I rode my first century of the season! Not a small task in any measure but this century was compounded by the matter of only hving been back on the bike since July 22nd after a two year absence. A daunting task.We drove down Friday after work and arrived in Waco to register at the Hampton Inn about 7:20 and headed next to the Waco Wild West registration before meeting with friends (Mike, Bill, Nancy, Kathy, Donna, and a couple of others) for dinner at Ninfa's. Not what I would have preffered for a pre-ride evening meal, but hey, I ride so that I CAN eat, right? Anyway, after good conversation and good company paired with mediocre food, Eva and I went back to the hotel for the nights rest.The alarm came early at 5:15 as we fumbled around for our things and prepared for the day. It always helps to get in a great breakfast before a long ride as the dinner fuels the morning, but the breakfast fuels the afternoon, so we headed across the parking lot to the Cracker Barrel for a good home-style offering of eggs, bacon, pancakes, and of course coffee. I know a lot of riders will tell you that you have to carefully measure your vitamins, powders, pre-race drinks and the like for optimum performance, but I am a believer in the goodness of mother nature and all that she can provide. There is a running joke these days that man is living longer, but new studies are showing that the bodies of Americans decompose slower than those of the Europeans because of all the preservatives and synthetic materials that we ingest. I don't know if that is true, but I sure felt healthier after two months over there than I ever do here......even off of the bike.Anyway, we later lined up with our "grouppo" on the starting line with the rest of the hundred milers. However, as it turned out only Mike and I were doing the 100 mile route. I kinda talked him in to heading out with me for the company with the caveat that Eva would meet us along the route if he needed a ride in since he had not planned on riding that many miles and wanted to get back home for a dinner group. So after trading the front for the first 20 miles, I took the lions share on the front the rest of the way for draggin' him out there. So, I grit my teeth and settled into a rythym that would allow him to follow along and try not to burn myself up too early in the ride and against a 15-18 mph head and cross wind for the first 60 miles or so. Ever turn into the wind elicited a groan from all the riders within earshot of us. Knowing that I was not alone with this attitude only increased my determination and I began to remember that it was going to be a long, long day. However, with each passing mile and each rest stop to regain strength and raise the metal spirits, I began to feel stronger as the ride progressed. This ride I had convinced myself early that eating more than I normally do and drinking every chance I got was the key to my success and the longer the ride wore on the more I knew that the proof was in the Cliff Bar. When Mike climbed in to the car at the 68 mile rest stop, I was ready to get back on the bike for more punishment.A little before this though, while still riding into the wind, we headed down the long fast decent into Mother Neff State Park and I heard "this doesn't look good" from my shadow behind as he was thinking "physics tells us that what goes down must come back up" and he knew that we would be heading toward a long climb back out of the park. I also can't tell you the relief we felt upon cresting that hill and cranking the speed up to a comfortable 25 mph as we crused on toward that next stop where Eva and the car waited.Once Mike was in the car I thanked him for the company and got back on the bike and picked back up where we had left off and cruised on at 24-25 mph trying to catch a couple of friends that had passed us when I was checking a message from Eva saying that she was there waiting for us, after a brief moment where she didn't know how to get there, she found her way.Anyway, I finally caught up to Blazzing Saddles after cresting a hill a few miles before the Skittles rest stop. However, we lost each other after that and I headed for home. After another brief stint into the wind and two flat tires, I cruised in to the company of a rider named Tom from Ft. Worth (Ft. Worth Bicycling Assoc.)who picked up his pace to join me across the finish line hot, tired and thankful that the Coca-Cola truck was still at the finish line for an ice-cold refreshment and I did give it a smile.I am most proud of the effort that I put forth in finishing a difficult century with a large portion of it into the wind and having ridden almost entirely without drafting another. The time spent riding with Mike kept me from going all out early with legs that have had less than optimal training conditions and amounts (only 724 miles this season). I even got some surprised looks as I sped past thouse who had burned out early and had trouble keeping up the pace near the end. And, I was impressed and proud of my self for completing the ride. I had an overall average of 15.5 mph which only leaves me room for improvement for next years group of centuries that I plan to prepare for. Hopefully I will be in much better shape and 10-15 pounds lighter as well. We'll see. I hope others got to go and ride this ride, though the support was not as stellar as many of us would like (see White Rock Rabbit's Post), overall it was a good ride with good scenery and usually good roads. The people were very friendly and helpful at every stop, just not as well stocked as other rides. And the finish line was near non-existant. The should realize that the riders who come in late might need the assistance, cheering, and post rides sustinance just like those who finish early or only ride the shorter routes. I feel bad for all of those who finished after me as I know there were a few. However, I enjoyed the weekend and hope everybody else that got to ride around Waco did too.

A couple of off days.

Well, I haven't been very active this week. Which is not too good when I have a century ride looming this weekend, but life can get in the way. My wife and I are heading down to Waco for the Waco Wild West Century.The week has not been a total loss though. Sunday I got my wife out for a game of tennis....well, we really just got out there and laughed at each other chasing the balls around the court. I have never been a tennis player and in fact only played once or twice with an ex-girlfriend who was a State Champion and therefore I either got frustrated at not being able to return her volleys or she got frustrated at trying to teach me. Anyway, my wife took tennis in college, but it being so many years ago for both of us, we are starting on equal footing. It gives us a chance to get some light exercise while spending some time together. That's the important thing. Today I hope to head up to the "Y" to get in a spin class at least, but with today being my wife's birthday, Happy Birthday Eva, and I have a surprise party to clean and decorate for. I was pleased to get an email from somebody who read a previous post....glad to hear that there is somebody out there who actually reads this stuff, though it is really just for me to look back on. However, if you read something that peaks an interest, you have information to share, or just want to discuss...please drop me a line. This is a learning experience for me as well. See you on the road.

Windy Training Day

Well after a week of running and just one spin class, it was a little hard to get started on this Saturday morning. Cloudy, cool, and threatening to rain was the excuse that I needed to sit and enjoy that extra cup of morning coffee and work my way through the paper. It soon was apparent that it was a good decision as it started sprinkling about 8:45. After a 30 min. break where I again began to think it might hold off, down came the cats and dogs. My thinking? Get caught up on those little projects around the house that keep getting put off...rollout shelves in the kitchen cabinets, laundry, etc. After a coule of hours of this I looked outside and it was bright, sunny, and dry. Did it really just rain? I almost couldn't tell. So I donned my gear and headed out for the lake. Where I live, it is about a 9.5 mile ride to White Rock Lake. So I can pretty much tailor my rides at the 10 mile intervals. Not feeling up to a long ride I started off with the mindset that I would just do a short lap or two and head on home to get more done around the house. I'm not sure what it was that changed that game plan, maybe the slightly cooler weather or the difference in the wind direction, but the same old route seemed a little different. Usually when the weather turns I have a little better fitness than I do this year and therefor I would be out riding int he country or on other organized rallies or have put the bike up for the year. Anyway this change from the weather that I am so used to changed my outlook. I just kept coming around for another lap feeling good and convincing myself to do one more lap. By the end, I had completed a good 70 miles. The wind made it a very hard workout, but I felt proud of myself for pushing that far on a day that I didn't want to ride at all. Now, about the lake....I understand the desire to improve the hike and bike trail around the lake. It helps to beatify the lake. It helps get the casual person out to the lake to enjoy the weather and get good exercise. And the new bridge around the north side of the lake is a fantastic addition to the efforts that they are taking to improve the park. However, the trails are for those who want to walk, jog, skate, or lazily ride around. It is not for the normal athletic biker. The rest of ride the road. So why in their infinite (or lack of ) wisdom did the city of Dallas take te bike lane off of the Mockingbird Bridge? Has anyone ever been on the bridge where it was so highly trafficed that they really need three lanes? I now have to contend with motor vehicle operators that feel the need to express their dominance of weight class. A Lincoln tried to squeeze between me and another vehicle that was overtaking him on the right. I never used to have htat problem when we had the separate lane for cyclists on the bridge. Texas Department of Public Safety states "A bicycle is a vehicle and any person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties applicable to a driver operating a vehicle, unless it cannot, by its nature apply to a person operating a bicycle." And, "A person operating a bicycle on a roadway who is moving slower than the other traffic on the roadway shall ride as near as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway unless: ...The lane is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to safely travelside by side." And, yes I have been riding Texas roads for a number of years. Yes, I have come across the stupidity of both driver of motor vehicles and bicyclists alike. But, when are we going to realize that we can Share the Road? Well, enough for today.

Feel the burn......

I can hardly get off the couch to go pee! I shouldn't take two weeks off of the bike like I did this time. Though I have been supplementing my riding with running and have put in 13 1/2 miles this week, I still need to be on the bike. Last weekend though, the In-Laws got in the way. They need my help moving a few things. And, then there was the yard work that had to be done. Those monthly pick-ups..... Anyway, I rode to White Rock Lake, about a 9 mile trip and did a few laps. Today, however, I tried to keep my pedal speed down, as well as my heart rate, to try to burn more fat. You may or may not know that above a certain heart rate percentage, your body can only process simple carbohydrates and sugars so therefore won't burn fat. So, in order to burn the fat cells, you must be able to bring in enough oxyegen to feed the fire which turns fat into a usable energy source. If you are having trouble breathing, your probably out of your fat burning zone. To do that I ride at a slower pedal speed and try to ride long and steady. I normally ride at an average of 90-95 rpms, but to burn fat I drop it to 70-80. During aerobic activity, your body uses two kinds of stored energy for fuel: fat and carbohydrates or sugar. The intensity of your exercise session determines how much of which energy source is utilized. Long durations of low- to moderate-intensity exercise is the best way to lose fat. That's because working at 60% of maximum heart rate,or at a low-intensity, approximately 50% of the calories you burn come from fat. If you exercise at a higher intensity, say 80% of heart rate max., 60% come from sugars and only 40% of calories you are from fat. Lower intensity exercise burns more fat calories than higher intensity activities. The more intensely you exercise, the more carbohydrates (and the less fat calories) you'll expend. However, when your goal is fat loss, you have to look at the total number of calories you expend during an exercise session. Low-intensity activity burns less overall calories than high-intensity exercise. Let's say you walk at an easy pace for 45 minutes. You would burn far less calories than if you ran at a higher intensity for that same duration. Everybody has there own opinion, but I beleive that the best way to "get in shape" is to attain an overall fitness and that takes designing a workout regimen that uses many different exercises. This is the reason cross-training became the buz word a few years ago. Low-intensity burns a higher amount of fat. Higher intensity burns a high total calorie count and increases aneroebic ability, helping us to process oxygen more efficiently. Maximum intensity bursts: weight lifting, running, and sprinting or hill climbing on the bike, builds muscle which in turn makes us stronger overall. Therefore, I try to vary my exercise. Anyway today was a fat burner. I tied to climb as many hills as possible as well, until my legs gave out. If some of you don't know the hills around the lake...ask me. I know most of them. There are lots of places to veer off the normal to pick up a little added terrain. I've been on my soapbox too long, so bye for now.

Brand New Blog

This is my first effort at blogging, so here goes. I Live in Dallas, Texas and am an avid cyclist. I have been riding on and off since the early 80's, however, i took a long hiatus for about 8 years while I partied, smoked and drank a lot.When I decided to get back into it, I looked into doing a ride that I had heard about many uears before and never had the time to train or fund raise. It was the local North Texas Chapter of the MS150. I pulled my old bike out of the garage and started riding again. When my oldest friend heard that I was going to ride, with only two months to train, he said "are you nuts?" Having been a volunteer with the HAM radio support team, he had seen riders in pain on their bikes and knowing that I was a smoker, just KNEW that I couldn't do it. Well, NEVER tell me I can't do something, because I will prove you wrong, or die trying.Well, to make a long story even longer...I did it. It was the toughest year on record going south to Waco in a 25-30 mph head wind with gusts even higher. I suffered through every mile and upon finishing, pitched my tent and sat down and had a smoke.That was 1997. Nine years later and 15 pounds heavier, I am still riding. Not as much as I would have liked to over the past 2 years, but I am back at it and trying to loose those extra punds. Over the past nine years I have ridden close to 10,000 miles on two bikes. My original, rescued from the garage '86 Centurion Ironman and my '98 Lemond Zurich.