Tuesday, I rode about 12.5 miles on my new bike, my second ride. Feeling more comfortable with the shifters. No longer reaching my thumb out when I need to shift to a smaller sprocket. Getting used to using my fingers to push the brake lever and the shift lever sideways to do my up and down shifting. But, I decided I didn't like the feel of the saddle. I've gotten used to saddles which have a center cut-out to relieve the pressure on the peroneal nerve. Keeps me from getting numb in a place where most men really don't like being numb - if you know what I mean. Anyway, I took the bike back to the place where I bought it and they swapped the saddle that came with the bike for one that I picked out of a "grab box". This new one almost matches the saddle I have on my trusty "Specialized" road bike. I know that one works since I have ridden up to 80 miles in one day on that saddle. Now I should be set.
The weather has gotten really cold here in the last couple of days. My back is feeling better but I should probably give it another day or two before I get back into the training seriously. The hourly exercises really seem to be helping.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Shakedown cruise
It's a balmy 40 degrees outside, not much wind, full sun, and a (mostly) dry road. Perfect weather to take my new blue cannondale bike out for a spin. My back, while not yet back to full strength is healing nicely and I think I am ready. I'll just do the 10km circuit from my house and back. Seems like a nice distance and I don't want to push it too hard yet. I'll give my back a little more time. The bike rides like a dream! The fit is great. At 20 pounds, it's about 3 pounds lighter than my "Specialized" road bike. I try the aero bars briefly - only briefly because for now I want to keep my back as straight as I can. I'm having a great time! Did I mention the bike rides like a dream? :-)
I will have to get used to the shifters. My road bike has thumb levers to shift to a smaller sprocket in the front and rear. The new bike has smaller finger levers to shift to the smaller sprocket. Not really a problem. It's a great bike!
I will have to get used to the shifters. My road bike has thumb levers to shift to a smaller sprocket in the front and rear. The new bike has smaller finger levers to shift to the smaller sprocket. Not really a problem. It's a great bike!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
97 days and $603 to go!
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius
It seems if it's not one thing, it's another! Put another way, the story of this week for me is: Two steps forward, one step back.
I was looking forward to some good training runs in Florida this week. The weather was great! I laced up my new pair of running shoes at 5:45AM on tuesday morning. Having left home the previous morning with the temperature at about 15 degrees F, I was anticipating my 65 degree morning run. It started out well, I was cruising along and feeling good for about the first 25 minutes of the run when, at the half-way point, I felt a very strange and unsettling sensation in my lower back. It felt like someone was pulling a wire out of my lower back, a rather shivery sensation. I had been doing back exercises to heal what felt like a mildly bulging disc; just a periodic dull pain in my lower right back. I don't know what happened at that halfway point but I slowed down a little and straightened my back a little and managed to finish the second half of the workout without further pain or wierd sensations. I thought to myself, "Now I've really done it!".
That day I started the regular hourly back exercises (press-ups) that I have done in the past to heal a herniated disc. Expecting to wake up the next morning unable to get out of bed, I left my cell phone within reach on the night table. I was a little worried to say the least. I was able to get out of bed the following morning (wednesday), thank goodness! Although my lower back was noticeably more sore. The good news is that so far I haven't felt the characteristic pain in my legs signaling that a disc is pressing on the nerves. Not wanting to completely miss my morning activity, I substituted a 30-40 minute walk for the anticipated run. The rest of the week was morning walks followed by regular hourly exercise. Later in the week, I added an exercise to strengthen the para-spinal muscles. These are the back muscles which help to support the spine.
I hope to get in a ride or two this coming week, weather permitting. But, I'll stay off the running until the pains in my lower back completely subside. This will tell me that things are completely healed. My longer term plan is to pay more attention to my lower back with regular exercises to strengthen the muscles accompanied by regular press-ups (wimpy push-ups as I like to call them) to keep my spine flexible and the discs between the vertebrae where they belong.
Confucius
It seems if it's not one thing, it's another! Put another way, the story of this week for me is: Two steps forward, one step back.
I was looking forward to some good training runs in Florida this week. The weather was great! I laced up my new pair of running shoes at 5:45AM on tuesday morning. Having left home the previous morning with the temperature at about 15 degrees F, I was anticipating my 65 degree morning run. It started out well, I was cruising along and feeling good for about the first 25 minutes of the run when, at the half-way point, I felt a very strange and unsettling sensation in my lower back. It felt like someone was pulling a wire out of my lower back, a rather shivery sensation. I had been doing back exercises to heal what felt like a mildly bulging disc; just a periodic dull pain in my lower right back. I don't know what happened at that halfway point but I slowed down a little and straightened my back a little and managed to finish the second half of the workout without further pain or wierd sensations. I thought to myself, "Now I've really done it!".
That day I started the regular hourly back exercises (press-ups) that I have done in the past to heal a herniated disc. Expecting to wake up the next morning unable to get out of bed, I left my cell phone within reach on the night table. I was a little worried to say the least. I was able to get out of bed the following morning (wednesday), thank goodness! Although my lower back was noticeably more sore. The good news is that so far I haven't felt the characteristic pain in my legs signaling that a disc is pressing on the nerves. Not wanting to completely miss my morning activity, I substituted a 30-40 minute walk for the anticipated run. The rest of the week was morning walks followed by regular hourly exercise. Later in the week, I added an exercise to strengthen the para-spinal muscles. These are the back muscles which help to support the spine.
I hope to get in a ride or two this coming week, weather permitting. But, I'll stay off the running until the pains in my lower back completely subside. This will tell me that things are completely healed. My longer term plan is to pay more attention to my lower back with regular exercises to strengthen the muscles accompanied by regular press-ups (wimpy push-ups as I like to call them) to keep my spine flexible and the discs between the vertebrae where they belong.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
104 days and $753 to go!
Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live.
-Mark Twain, "Taming the Bicycle"
Well, I did it. Yesterday, I took the plunge and bought a new triathlon bike. I saved 25% by buying a 2007 closeout - a "Cannondale". The really neat part about it is that for the price of the bike I also got a professional fitting of not only the new bike but also of my old faithful "Specialized" road bike. It took about 2 hours of measuring and fiddling and measuring again; also adding, changing, and trying out different components. When it was done I had two carefully fitted bikes. Unfortunately, the temperature is in single digits yesterday and today and we have about 3-4 inches of new "lake effect" snow on the ground. So I will have to wait until the week after next to try out my new bike. I'm really looking forward to it! Riding with the aerobars will take some getting used to.
It's been pretty cold this week. Starting in the mid 30's and going down to the high 20's by friday. But I was able to ride on 4 of the 5 weekdays. It's always good to get out if the roads are clear.
I also picked up a new pair of running shoes. I have really wierd feet! Short and wide. The right foot is a half size longer and a half size narrower than the left. My left big toe is also shorter than the second toe. I think that's a throwback to our simian ancestors. My feet seem to "average" about an 8-4E. Not something you can find in the usual running shoe store. The only brands I know of that come in that size are Nike and New Balance. I have the best luck with New Balance and I can usually find what I want at J.C. Penny. Go figure!
Yesterday was an eventful day. In addition to buying the new bike I also attended my first "spinning" workout. Pretty brutal. It is done on a stationary bicycle, holding a "cadence" of about 100 to 110 revolutions per minute for an hour. To simulate different types of terrain you increase or decrease the friction on the flywheel making it harder or easier to pedal. To prepare us for the hills at Wildflower we simulated a 9 minute hill climb. Great workout.
Finally, this morning I attended my third swim clinic and practice. Rob, the coach explained his philosophy of training for the swim. Since swimming is all "technique" and "even tempo", he emphasizes drills and intervals of 25, 50, and 100 yards. I really hate the kicking drills! But, I noticed and interesting change. Last year when I started training for my first triathon, I couldn't finish even one 25 yard kick. The instructor at that time actually commented that I seemed to be moving backward when I was doing the kicking drill. Well, I don't think I was actually going backward, but I certainly wasn't moving forward much at all. Now, I can actually do the kicking drills and cover the distance in a reasonable amount of time. But, I still hate the kicking drills.
-Mark Twain, "Taming the Bicycle"
Well, I did it. Yesterday, I took the plunge and bought a new triathlon bike. I saved 25% by buying a 2007 closeout - a "Cannondale". The really neat part about it is that for the price of the bike I also got a professional fitting of not only the new bike but also of my old faithful "Specialized" road bike. It took about 2 hours of measuring and fiddling and measuring again; also adding, changing, and trying out different components. When it was done I had two carefully fitted bikes. Unfortunately, the temperature is in single digits yesterday and today and we have about 3-4 inches of new "lake effect" snow on the ground. So I will have to wait until the week after next to try out my new bike. I'm really looking forward to it! Riding with the aerobars will take some getting used to.
It's been pretty cold this week. Starting in the mid 30's and going down to the high 20's by friday. But I was able to ride on 4 of the 5 weekdays. It's always good to get out if the roads are clear.
I also picked up a new pair of running shoes. I have really wierd feet! Short and wide. The right foot is a half size longer and a half size narrower than the left. My left big toe is also shorter than the second toe. I think that's a throwback to our simian ancestors. My feet seem to "average" about an 8-4E. Not something you can find in the usual running shoe store. The only brands I know of that come in that size are Nike and New Balance. I have the best luck with New Balance and I can usually find what I want at J.C. Penny. Go figure!
Yesterday was an eventful day. In addition to buying the new bike I also attended my first "spinning" workout. Pretty brutal. It is done on a stationary bicycle, holding a "cadence" of about 100 to 110 revolutions per minute for an hour. To simulate different types of terrain you increase or decrease the friction on the flywheel making it harder or easier to pedal. To prepare us for the hills at Wildflower we simulated a 9 minute hill climb. Great workout.
Finally, this morning I attended my third swim clinic and practice. Rob, the coach explained his philosophy of training for the swim. Since swimming is all "technique" and "even tempo", he emphasizes drills and intervals of 25, 50, and 100 yards. I really hate the kicking drills! But, I noticed and interesting change. Last year when I started training for my first triathon, I couldn't finish even one 25 yard kick. The instructor at that time actually commented that I seemed to be moving backward when I was doing the kicking drill. Well, I don't think I was actually going backward, but I certainly wasn't moving forward much at all. Now, I can actually do the kicking drills and cover the distance in a reasonable amount of time. But, I still hate the kicking drills.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Cold Weather Riding
Living in the far north, hating to use a stationary bicycle, and being hooked on bicycling year round, I have had to adapt to riding in the cold. It's actually not bad - if you dress appropriately. As long as the roads are clear (free of ice and snow) and reasonably dry and the temperature is not below freezing, I'm up for a ride especially if the sun is out.
Appropriate dress being a requirement for a reasonably comfortable ride, I always start with about 3 or 4 pairs of underpants. I know, too much information, but it's also a practical necessity on a cold weather bicycle ride. I'm am nothing if not practical. A pair of long sweat pants go on next along with a warm pair of cotton socks. I have a long sleeve cotton turtle neck pullover and an old t-shirt I wear tucked into my sweat pants. If the sun is not out, I will add a thin fleece vest. Warm gloves, a helmet liner, and a pair of gym shoes complete my sartorial ensemble. That's it, I'm good for at least an hour ride, as long as it's followed by a long warm shower. :-)
Appropriate dress being a requirement for a reasonably comfortable ride, I always start with about 3 or 4 pairs of underpants. I know, too much information, but it's also a practical necessity on a cold weather bicycle ride. I'm am nothing if not practical. A pair of long sweat pants go on next along with a warm pair of cotton socks. I have a long sleeve cotton turtle neck pullover and an old t-shirt I wear tucked into my sweat pants. If the sun is not out, I will add a thin fleece vest. Warm gloves, a helmet liner, and a pair of gym shoes complete my sartorial ensemble. That's it, I'm good for at least an hour ride, as long as it's followed by a long warm shower. :-)
Monday, January 14, 2008
Happy Calves - How I overcame my leg cramps!
I want to summarize my experience in fighting and, I think, finally overcoming leg cramps as I have increased my running mileage. I'm not yet where I want to be in preparing for the 13 mile run in my half-ironman. I am running a comfortable hour at a time. I need to increase that to about 2 hours. I am definitely on my way to that goal. The short bullet list, ordered according to my sense of importance is:
1) Massage
2) Massage
3) Massage
4) Hydration
5) Minerals
6) Stretching
7) Warmup
Did you get the point about the massage? I really think that is the key. It is important that the muscles be completely relaxed when you do the massage. So, I sit on the floor with my knee flexed and my foot flat on the floor. Also, I repeat each stroke 30 times for each calf. I have found 3 ways to do the leg massage. 1) By hand. Using lot's of lotion if you have hairy legs like mine you press in with both thumbs at the back of each leg starting at the heel and sliding up to the knee. This is the way I massage my legs when I am in Florida since I'm sure I wouldn't be allowed to carry something like a massage stick onto the plane. 2) Using theStick. No lotion is necessary. You simply grasp the stick with both hands and slide it up the back of each leg. 3) Using a foam roller. The technique is known as Myofascial release. This concentrates specifically on those painful "Trigger Points" that can develop when you run.
So, there you have it. For now I am running practically pain free and looking forward to the increase in my mileage.
1) Massage
2) Massage
3) Massage
4) Hydration
5) Minerals
6) Stretching
7) Warmup
Did you get the point about the massage? I really think that is the key. It is important that the muscles be completely relaxed when you do the massage. So, I sit on the floor with my knee flexed and my foot flat on the floor. Also, I repeat each stroke 30 times for each calf. I have found 3 ways to do the leg massage. 1) By hand. Using lot's of lotion if you have hairy legs like mine you press in with both thumbs at the back of each leg starting at the heel and sliding up to the knee. This is the way I massage my legs when I am in Florida since I'm sure I wouldn't be allowed to carry something like a massage stick onto the plane. 2) Using theStick. No lotion is necessary. You simply grasp the stick with both hands and slide it up the back of each leg. 3) Using a foam roller. The technique is known as Myofascial release. This concentrates specifically on those painful "Trigger Points" that can develop when you run.
So, there you have it. For now I am running practically pain free and looking forward to the increase in my mileage.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
111 days and $871 to go!
"I ran and ran every day, and I acquired a sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never, give up, no matter what else happened."
Wilma Rudolph, US track star
The weather in Florida is great this time of the year. And I took full advantage this week. At 6AM it's just about ideal. The temperature is in the middle 70s and the road is dry. Five days of Yoga and running.
Happy Calves:
Based on this week's running, I think I have figured out the secret to keeping my calf muscles happy and free of cramps on these long runs. Here is my list, prioritized according to my experience:
1) 3-4 times daily massage using either my hands (with a lot of lotion), theStick (which I find to be very useful), or a foam roller (which I haven't yet tried). This seems to be a really critical thing for me and it really only takes about a minute for each massage. 3-4 minutes out of my day is a very small price to pay for "cramp free" running.
2) Hydration - drink lots of water.
3) Minerals - bananas or oranges.
4) Stretching - for me, yoga.
5) Adequate warm-up - a 3-5 minute fast walk before I start to run.
As I said, I'm pretty confident I've got this thing figured out based on my experience running this week. I ran all five days when I was in Florida and my calves felt great. The first two runs were just under an hour (probably 6-7 miles), the next two were just over an hour, and the final run (I admit that by then I was beginning to tire from the week's workouts) was about 45 minutes. Except for a single mild "twinge" on 2 or 3 of the runs, my calf muscles felt great throughout. In the coming weeks I will begin to step up my mileage so I will be ready for the 13 mile finish to the triathlon in May.
This week, I am back home and plan to spend my training time on the bicycle.
Wilma Rudolph, US track star
The weather in Florida is great this time of the year. And I took full advantage this week. At 6AM it's just about ideal. The temperature is in the middle 70s and the road is dry. Five days of Yoga and running.
Happy Calves:
Based on this week's running, I think I have figured out the secret to keeping my calf muscles happy and free of cramps on these long runs. Here is my list, prioritized according to my experience:
1) 3-4 times daily massage using either my hands (with a lot of lotion), theStick (which I find to be very useful), or a foam roller (which I haven't yet tried). This seems to be a really critical thing for me and it really only takes about a minute for each massage. 3-4 minutes out of my day is a very small price to pay for "cramp free" running.
2) Hydration - drink lots of water.
3) Minerals - bananas or oranges.
4) Stretching - for me, yoga.
5) Adequate warm-up - a 3-5 minute fast walk before I start to run.
As I said, I'm pretty confident I've got this thing figured out based on my experience running this week. I ran all five days when I was in Florida and my calves felt great. The first two runs were just under an hour (probably 6-7 miles), the next two were just over an hour, and the final run (I admit that by then I was beginning to tire from the week's workouts) was about 45 minutes. Except for a single mild "twinge" on 2 or 3 of the runs, my calf muscles felt great throughout. In the coming weeks I will begin to step up my mileage so I will be ready for the 13 mile finish to the triathlon in May.
This week, I am back home and plan to spend my training time on the bicycle.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
118 days and $921 to go!
All Bicycles weigh 50 pounds; A 30 pound bicycle needs a 20 pound lock. A 40 pound bicycle needs a 10 pound lock. A 50 pound bicycle doesn't need a lock.
-Bicycle Law
A little Yoga, a little bicycling, a little recouperation. That was my week.
I have fully revcovered from my bout with the virus that seemed to be roaming around my body for the last week. It started in my head, then settled in my muscles for awhile, finally it spent a little time in my stomach before finally leaving for good sometime this week. I think that while the Holidays are a great time to get together with family and friends, they are also a perfect opportunity to swap germs. But hey, I won't let that stop me from enjoying the festivities!
So, between being "under the weather" inside and having less than ideal weather outside - it's not the cold so much as the ice and snow that will keep me from riding - I wasn't able to do too much training. I managed two days outside on the bike and 3 days indoors doing some yoga. The most interesting thing that happened this week was the squirrel in our basement. But that has nothing whatsoever to do with training. :-)
My running shoes are almost totally worn out. So, I ordered a pair of New Balance size 8 4Es at J.C. Penny. I'll pick them up next weekend. Until then, I hope to get in a full week of running in florida - as long as my current shoes hold out. :-)
-Bicycle Law
A little Yoga, a little bicycling, a little recouperation. That was my week.
I have fully revcovered from my bout with the virus that seemed to be roaming around my body for the last week. It started in my head, then settled in my muscles for awhile, finally it spent a little time in my stomach before finally leaving for good sometime this week. I think that while the Holidays are a great time to get together with family and friends, they are also a perfect opportunity to swap germs. But hey, I won't let that stop me from enjoying the festivities!
So, between being "under the weather" inside and having less than ideal weather outside - it's not the cold so much as the ice and snow that will keep me from riding - I wasn't able to do too much training. I managed two days outside on the bike and 3 days indoors doing some yoga. The most interesting thing that happened this week was the squirrel in our basement. But that has nothing whatsoever to do with training. :-)
My running shoes are almost totally worn out. So, I ordered a pair of New Balance size 8 4Es at J.C. Penny. I'll pick them up next weekend. Until then, I hope to get in a full week of running in florida - as long as my current shoes hold out. :-)
Friday, January 4, 2008
Unwanted guest
Last sunday morning I heard something scraping against a pipe in the downstairs bathroom. Sound travels a long way when it is generated on or near a metal pipe so I wasn't sure where it was coming from. I went down into the basement and, looking up into the rafters, I caught a glimpse of a light brown fluffy tail. Squirrel! I had a squirrel in my basement!
I think the squirrel and I had the same end in mind - him out of my basement - but I'm sure we differed on the means to accomplish that end. I'm thinking traps, poison (no, poison will never do, especially not with my animal loving daughter at home); he's thinking "knock a hole in the wall and just let me out". I called a couple of "Pest Control" numbers and got no answer. No real surprise. Then I went to Home Depot with my daughter and bought a $23 cage trap. No harming the animal, just catch and release outside.
For a couple of days, the trap sat on the basement floor with a gob of peanut butter for bait. Then, after a couple of days I went downstairs and saw that the trap had sprung but the squirrel was not in it. Drat! About now, I'm thinking that maybe the trap is too small. I've had a couple of good looks at the squirrel and he is big! So, I went back to Home Depot and bought the larger $44 cage trap. I'll keep the smaller one to trap the chimpunk that is making a home under my front porch.
It's a little more trouble to set up the larger trap, much more complicated. Finally, I figure it out, set it up in the basement, and wait... Next day, I sneak down the stairs and see the squirrel, just sitting on the workbench looking at the large cage trap as if to say "Do you really think you can fool me with that again?". Well, yes! Yesterday morning, there he was, sitting in the closed trap, eating the peanut butter. I took the trap out to the nearby park, opened the door, and he just kind of sauntered off.
This spring, I'll go after the chipmunk!
I think the squirrel and I had the same end in mind - him out of my basement - but I'm sure we differed on the means to accomplish that end. I'm thinking traps, poison (no, poison will never do, especially not with my animal loving daughter at home); he's thinking "knock a hole in the wall and just let me out". I called a couple of "Pest Control" numbers and got no answer. No real surprise. Then I went to Home Depot with my daughter and bought a $23 cage trap. No harming the animal, just catch and release outside.
For a couple of days, the trap sat on the basement floor with a gob of peanut butter for bait. Then, after a couple of days I went downstairs and saw that the trap had sprung but the squirrel was not in it. Drat! About now, I'm thinking that maybe the trap is too small. I've had a couple of good looks at the squirrel and he is big! So, I went back to Home Depot and bought the larger $44 cage trap. I'll keep the smaller one to trap the chimpunk that is making a home under my front porch.
It's a little more trouble to set up the larger trap, much more complicated. Finally, I figure it out, set it up in the basement, and wait... Next day, I sneak down the stairs and see the squirrel, just sitting on the workbench looking at the large cage trap as if to say "Do you really think you can fool me with that again?". Well, yes! Yesterday morning, there he was, sitting in the closed trap, eating the peanut butter. I took the trap out to the nearby park, opened the door, and he just kind of sauntered off.
This spring, I'll go after the chipmunk!
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