tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30649293547454351452024-03-19T00:30:08.614-07:00Liberation CyclingRandom thoughts on the intersection of cycling, Buddhism and libertarian politics.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-41750169331261630232011-09-20T09:30:00.000-07:002011-09-20T09:30:30.703-07:00Still in shock...I've written a few posts about <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/">Fatty</a>. I'm too lazy to do a search through my archive (which isn't that extensive, which should tell you how lazy I'm feeling) to see just how many, but it's a lot. Most of them are about one or another of the give-aways that he runs for good causes, most of which I've donated to because they're, well, good causes. I don't expect to EVER win but then there's this...<br />
<br />
<i><b><a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/09/14/fatty-goes-to-france-part-i-the-treachery-of-lake-bourget/">A Note About the Grand Slam for Zambia</a>:</b> <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/07/20/grand-slam-for-zambia-lets-change-1000-peoples-lives/" target="_blank">The Grand Slam for Zambia</a> was a monstrous success — we wound up <a href="http://grassroots.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=311991&supid=330962520" target="_blank">raising $153,936</a>, enough to buy 1,125 bikes. That’s astounding.</i><br />
<i>And a huge congratulations to the winners, the top ten of which are listed here!</i><br />
<ul>
<li><i>Paul B of Vancouver: Africa Trip</i></li>
<li><i>Jan H of Belgium: RadioShack Trek Madone</i></li>
<li><i>Karen L of Vancouver: Tour de France Trip</i></li>
<li><i>Michael D of California: SRAM Red Group</i></li>
<li><i>Christoph S of Germany: HED Ardennes SL Wheels</i></li>
<li><i>Tim O of Austria: Lance Armstrong’s podium-worn yellow jersey</i></li>
<li style="background-color: yellow;"><i>Joel P of California: Bike and an afternoon with Gary Fisher</i></li>
<li><i>Jeanette D of North Carolina: Specialized BG S-Works Road Shoes with Boa Systems Closures</i></li>
<li><i>Jeremy S of Florida: Ben King-signed jersey</i></li>
<li><i>Johan M of Florida: 16Gb White iPhone</i></li>
</ul>
<br />
So, yeah, I get to spend part of the day tooling around San Francisco with GARY FISHER! And that was a prize I got to choose...When I finish geeking out enough to make the arrangements and take the ride I'll post something, at least some pics.<span style="background-color: yellow;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-45012676291852532162011-05-02T19:59:00.000-07:002011-05-02T20:01:11.974-07:00Like a kid the night before Christmas...I just got done tuning the Trucker for biking to work in the morning. This will be my first time on my bike in...I have NO IDEA.<br /><br />I honestly don't know if I'll be able to sleep - I'm that keyed up and excited by it. I don't know how or why I let this much time pass without riding but I can't wait to snap the fast and get miles under my wheels again.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-89898525742393942011-02-19T20:55:00.001-08:002011-02-19T21:10:06.045-08:00First ride in a very long timeIt has been a long time since I've been on my bike. Today I decided to get on the Raleigh, which is strapped to my trainer, and rip out some time. I have it rigged up with an older computer on the back wheel so that I can record mileage, but I couldn't find the actual computer so I decided to just go by time. It was a little refreshing to just ride, no HRM, no cadence. I had a stopwatch running but left it in a different room. All I wanted was a total time at the end of the ride and didn't want to get hung up on watching the clock.<br /><br />I learned that it has been far too long since I've been on my bike. I rode for less than an hour and was barely able to walk for the twitchy legs after. Now I just need to make sure I stick to training regularly enough to get past this. Since I've signed up for the <a href="http://davis2011.livestrong.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=447594&lis=1&kntae447594=7AB0FF791C1E46B4A2314A65EA54E55C&supId=243016935">LiveStrong ride</a> again and want to make the metric, if not the full century this time around I need to get the miles in.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-54577147976913549542011-01-02T10:44:00.000-08:002011-01-02T10:46:35.477-08:00Returning in 2011So I've been away for far longer than I expected. Between work and family issues I haven't been riding, exercising, or blogging anywhere near as often as I wanted to be. I hope to be getting back in the saddle - both metaphorically with the blog and literally with the bike - in the coming weeks.<br /><br />Thanks to anyone that has actually kept the blog in their feed through the silence. More to come.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-534944086097037942010-05-31T13:38:00.000-07:002010-05-31T13:41:59.219-07:00oopsI've been busy with this and that, which means little riding and no writing. Today I decided to take some time, put my new repair stand to work, and perform the much needed maintenance on my bikes. In doing so I discovered that the front tire on the Raleigh was dead, the loud and scary way.<br /><br />As in, I pumped it up to almost full pressure (90 of a max 100 psi) and about 20 minutes later it blew out. Thankfully I wasn't working on the bike anymore and it was back against the wall, otherwise I would have been changing my pants and cleaning the floor instead of blogging...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-1468693264573953062010-05-03T19:06:00.000-07:002010-05-03T19:12:48.733-07:00Crossfit?I've been swapping emails with my brother, he of the Panama City Beach Iron Man, and he's been recommending that I look into Crossfit as an alternative to the standard gym-based or private coaching. I know a little about it, and know that he (and my sis-in-law) have been working out with a guy who based his program on it, but that's about it. When I did some digging I discovered an affiliate about a half mile from my office and another about two miles from my house. Neither of those is far enough away to pose an obstacle and now I'm intrigued.<br /><br />Anyone have any experience with Crossfit that they want to share?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-6148418027446986082010-05-01T10:00:00.000-07:002010-05-01T10:00:01.095-07:00100 (or less) Miles of NowhereIn my <a href="http://liberationcycling.blogspot.com/2010/04/starting-over-from-scratch.html">last post</a> I mentioned that I hoped I would be in shape (primarily my back) for the upcoming <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2010/03/22/register-now-for-the-3rd-annual-100-miles-of-nowhere/">100 Miles of Nowhere</a> ride. For those who aren't aware of it, this "ride" started as a fundraising bet by the Fat Cyclist that he could do 100 miles in a single day on rollers (<a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2008/01/12/pay-up-suckas-report-on-fattys-100-miles-of-going-nowhere-epic/">he won</a>). The response was so massive that he opened it up to other participants, with the support of Twin Six and other companies. This year's official date is May 8.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSUXDi-Y8NBgKQDjaBnRIGt4BhsnbFICVwi7sCNk038PlgzH_H4K8psznU2HTrTn2Q9SABwCdn_dcGvORR9FcS8UVz1xJxVVgQEXzUCBuqJSYAKCFKr0nx9kmF-uANJslWhOm53azAHI/s1600/P1020857.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSUXDi-Y8NBgKQDjaBnRIGt4BhsnbFICVwi7sCNk038PlgzH_H4K8psznU2HTrTn2Q9SABwCdn_dcGvORR9FcS8UVz1xJxVVgQEXzUCBuqJSYAKCFKr0nx9kmF-uANJslWhOm53azAHI/s320/P1020857.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465691486534164258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The large and very stuffed goody-bag from Twin Six<br /></span></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I recently got my bag of stuff form Twin Six, which (morally) obligates me to ride. I won't be doing so on May 8 due to a barbeque (that I'm hosting). I may try for May 9 - it would be a good way to work off the barbeque and get me ready for my first vacation in something like two years, which starts on May 10.<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kTi_ABYYCWFBD-ADUsYA8bcyRTNm5a69IL1DdPOxsZiXVAir4NN2B7z_gyppqOLXmjsr5yIda24CQYysTwHrmSGrC6aDgGWMB1MLAzvZxtRVE2T54K1zWxRJmHGFD6Huw_wfCK1Ozks/s1600/P1020858.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kTi_ABYYCWFBD-ADUsYA8bcyRTNm5a69IL1DdPOxsZiXVAir4NN2B7z_gyppqOLXmjsr5yIda24CQYysTwHrmSGrC6aDgGWMB1MLAzvZxtRVE2T54K1zWxRJmHGFD6Huw_wfCK1Ozks/s320/P1020858.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465691493780828290" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">The inside of the goody-bag</span><br /></div><br />Either way, I doubt I'll be hitting the full 100 miles. My goal is to do 65, a metric century, to see how my training is going for the LiveStrong ride. Since I haven't been doing any training I already know the answer to that question but this might be a good way to jump start the new batch of training. One thing I do need to figure out is how I can determine my distance since I've shifted over to a GPS system, which won't measure anything on the trainer or rollers.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-40856276339903833102010-04-29T12:14:00.000-07:002010-04-29T12:20:03.117-07:00Starting over from scratchAs the long silence might have indicated, I've been lax. Not just in writing, but in riding and just about everything that had been contributing to my physical well-being. Well, it caught up with me on Monday. I was moving and unpacking some not-all-that-heavy boxes and managed to tweak my back, leading to the last couple of days being spent in varying degrees of pain/discomfort and working from home.<br /><br />This has been a wake up call for me, and come Monday (when I'm well enough to go back to work) one of my stops will be the gym to meet with the person in charge of their trainers. I need to find someone that I can see for both the minor rehab (mainly stretching) my back needs to get the last of the spasm under control, and then for moving forward. I need to focus on weight loss and flexibility, and hopefully there's someone there I can work with.<br /><br />I hope I can be ready to go for the 100 miles of nowhere ride (post coming to discuss) and more importantly for the LiveStrong ride in July, but right now, I just don't know.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-22775226784469105252010-03-21T19:59:00.000-07:002010-03-21T19:59:00.535-07:00An interesting experimentThe last two or so weeks I've been very strictly monitoring my diet including keeping a food journal. I <span style="font-weight: bold;">hate</span> keeping a food journal. However, keeping that close of an eve on my intake has allowed me to drop back almost to where I was a few months ago (~25 lbs down) before I got lazy. During that time I have been very lax about exercising, having gotten in only one true ride, no runs, and a heap of yard work/activity of daily living stuff.<br /><br />The next two weeks will be almost the polar opposite.<br /><br />I have two weeks of travel coming up, most of it for work, and the nature of the trips will limit my ability to control my food choices. The first week I'll be in a fairly small town for a training and doubt that there will be much available, in addition I'm in a standard hotel (as opposed to an "extended stay" style one with a kitchen) which limits cooking options. The following week I'll be traveling to Honolulu for meetings, but won't have a car, which reduces me to joining my colleagues in <span style="font-style: italic;">their</span> food choices or guiding them to mine. What I <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> be doing is bringing my running shoes (and for the first trip my bicycle) and planning to work out for ~60 min per day.<br /><br />All in all, it will provide an interesting comparison - which is better <span style="font-style: italic;">for me</span> when it comes to losing or at least maintaining weight: rigorous calorie counting/food choice limitation or exercising?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-31025097240128181972010-03-18T20:53:00.000-07:002010-03-18T20:53:00.627-07:00On hydration and being fat<span style="font-style: italic;">Warning - I will be writing about proper hydration, and as any fitness person knows that means discussing what happens <span style="font-weight: bold;">after</span> proper hydration.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span>I've finally gotten back on track with watching my diet, and as such have seen my weight start heading back down. After a couple of days though I noticed something odd - my body fat % (measured by bio-electrical impedance) was climbing. Climbing at a rate of 1.0 to 1.5% a day. Keeping in mind that my scale reports in 0.5% increments this still seemed like a lot (not to mention odd) so I looked up the impact of hydration (lack of) on this sort of measurement. Short version, the worse your hydration is the higher your <span style="font-style: italic;">apparent</span> body fat %, because it screws with the conductive properties of non-fat body mass.<br /><br />Since I was already in "fun with Google" mode I decided to see what I could find about "proper" hydration. Sure, I've heard the old "8 x 8 oz glasses per day" thing, but it has always struck me as odd that my wee little friend Pest, who's <span style="font-style: italic;">maybe </span>5 feet tall in heels and weighs significantly less than I do, would need the same amount of liquid as me. The old stand-by is "clear and copious" urine and I knew I was failing that test, but the closest thing to a formula I found was to halve your body weight in pounds to get the number of oz of water you should drink. A little math gives us:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">275/2 = <span style="font-weight: bold;">137.5</span><br /><br />For comparison - 8 x 8 = <span style="font-weight: bold;">64</span><br /><br />So, I need to be drinking not <span style="font-style: italic;">8</span> 8 oz glasses, but <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">17</span>.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><br /></div>No wonder my body fat % has been climbing. I've made the effort for the last couple of days, managed to get close to 80 oz each day (and that was rough) and the body fat % has started reversing. Keeping up this level of drinking (water) is going to be tough.<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-77951536887522204182010-03-16T21:08:00.000-07:002010-03-16T21:11:03.764-07:00The awesomeness....On my ride home tonight I was passed by a, dare I say, <span style="font-style: italic;">dapper</span> gentleman (slacks, cardigan, neatly-trimmed grey beard) riding<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">a unicycle.<br /></div><br />It was one of those days where my desire to have had a camera in my bike bag was unimaginable. He was moving down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, an older Bell (all white, obvious red logo) on his head looking like he'd stepped out of a college-based coming of age movie.<br /><br />As I said, the awesomeness...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-60089785566180230972010-03-03T17:39:00.001-08:002010-03-03T17:49:04.163-08:00(Possible) Upcoming solo mini-tourI've got a class for work near the end of the month that will take me up into the Red Bluff (CA) area. After posting on Bike Forums for some good 2-3 day routes in the area I've come down on doing a loop around Lake Almanor. Sure, it's only a little over 30 miles, but this would be my first tour and it looks like I'll need to carry food with me (not fully loaded, but reserve).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis80ejQeIZcbz6PpoK9snLRxyKGYzA37MQ8Phlnoi54vtxGV8Wkq_wQPZ7IyRaOK1GRwItAsKcbqjpkYEAiXgnrn1NXgwgczKCbxi6C5EmF6vBE_fnRkWZjKmtcsLKPJpEL9PUnA1MTDA/s1600-h/Untitled.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis80ejQeIZcbz6PpoK9snLRxyKGYzA37MQ8Phlnoi54vtxGV8Wkq_wQPZ7IyRaOK1GRwItAsKcbqjpkYEAiXgnrn1NXgwgczKCbxi6C5EmF6vBE_fnRkWZjKmtcsLKPJpEL9PUnA1MTDA/s320/Untitled.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5444589427873273202" border="0" /></a>Image from <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com">MapMyRide</a><br /></div><br />The class is M-Th, so my plan would be to drive over from Red Bluff after the class ends, crash somewhere for the night and leave my truck at the hotel while I do the ride. I plan to finish in 2 days (one night on the road) and would probably stay at the same place after so I can rest before the drive home (3+ hours) which I wouldn't want to do right after the ride.<br /><br />This would give me plenty of time for the riding and to check out the area. I'm not sure about the terrain, but it looks pretty level. If that's the case and I do the whole 30+ in one day then it will turn into a couple of day trips from the hotel. I would still ride fully loaded and can use it as a chance to check out the bags and get used to the balance of a loaded bike.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-62519418756732650392010-02-24T10:36:00.000-08:002010-02-24T10:39:31.627-08:00Rainy birthdayShould be out riding today to celebrate, but work and weather have gotten in the way...So I'll just post a pic from riding in Carson City a few months back.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs6_9DLPT1XcyLvhD8IGvJnBesCSgrRYa2eI8i6Wc8g068QcntDNNc3xXLnqmeWaRFU3R84fPC8QnrYc8UV-VgZYCjtuwTYDTA-kcuuVOJgZf8tmOUeuRgCRqcK9UXL1IYSDZRaCFEd4/s1600-h/IMG_6034.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs6_9DLPT1XcyLvhD8IGvJnBesCSgrRYa2eI8i6Wc8g068QcntDNNc3xXLnqmeWaRFU3R84fPC8QnrYc8UV-VgZYCjtuwTYDTA-kcuuVOJgZf8tmOUeuRgCRqcK9UXL1IYSDZRaCFEd4/s320/IMG_6034.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441881414839383762" border="0" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-63892057508282903512010-02-22T16:38:00.000-08:002010-02-22T16:43:44.090-08:00GPS oddities and my commuteA little while back I switched from a wheel magnet based bike computer to a GPS one. This was mainly to make it easier to track my running and biking with a single device (read: toy). I had a couple of odd runs before I figured out that you have to wait until the signal is strong (correct number of blinks per minute) before starting off. Now though, I'm having a different issue.<br /><br />Simply put, the GPS doesn't like my place of business. I can sit outside my building for 10 min (and I have) waiting for the signal and it won't come through. On multiple occasions I've given up waiting and ride the short distance (0.6 mi) from the building to Jack London Square and re-tried, only to get a connection in about 30 sec. Annoying, if not actually significant.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-32069483100122776272010-02-19T18:11:00.000-08:002010-02-19T18:11:00.337-08:00Punch it...Last time I rode, home specifically, I encountered another rider heading my way. He passed me when a light changed and, mainly because I was in the @$$-end of my ride, the part where no matter how great I feel when I'm putting along my legs start to die on me, I decide to pace him. Keep in mind that I was in mountain shorts (nobody wants to see me in spandex these days) and had a pannier on the back end full of clothes, and my semi-companion was in nothing but bike clothing with a wee-little Camelback.<br /><br />For about 2 miles (out of my 10) I went harder than I've done for a while - held better than 17 mph and cranking at around 85 rpm. It felt great.<br /><br />The next morning - not so much...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-88042978209966454132010-02-18T08:38:00.000-08:002010-02-18T08:38:00.097-08:00Perfect temperature for ridingI rode in yesterday and my morning commute is done in work clothes. I discovered that 56F is the perfect temperature to bike in long pants and a button, long-sleeved shirt. Cool enough that I didn't overheat, warm enough that I didn't need any excess "stuff".<br /><br />Riding home it was 60F, which was just about perfect for riding in my kit.<br /><br />Keep in mind that I've ridden in everything from snow to 100F+, bone-dry and muggy-wet. I do love riding in extreme heat, if it's dry, but that's a special event kind of thing. For my daily, regular riding give me the mid-60s.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-16381020214527512502010-02-17T08:06:00.000-08:002010-02-17T08:38:48.229-08:00Did Bell make "British" versions of their city helmets?Riding in this morning I found myself wondering that, are there "British" versions of the Bell city helmets (the <a href="http://www.bellbikehelmets.com/productDetail.asp?prodID=8">Citi</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Metropolis-Bike-Helmet/dp/B000BOB2GQ">Metro</a>)? These helmets were great because they have little accessory kits that include a mirror, rain cover, and air vent plugs for cold weather. My morning commute it primarily through downtown Oakland on one way streets, most of the time on the left side of the road. That makes my (ordinarily very handy) mirror almost worthless, unless I want to check out the parked cars.<br /><br />When I got to work I noticed that the visor has a slot on the right side for a mirror, but that the one I have is left-sided only (which makes me wonder if there really <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> left-handed smoke shifters, no matter what the people at the Wolfeboro Trading Post said). Are there right-sided ones for people who use the other side of the street?<br /><br />On a less-whimsical note I could see this being handy for international touring, especially if there is just a second wee little mirror to pick up.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-30198393403764021662010-02-08T18:02:00.000-08:002010-02-08T18:06:59.553-08:00Travel and trainingThe next couple of months involve a lot of travel for me, most of it short trips of the "fly one day, sleep, meeting, then fly home" variety. This is killing my ability to train. In most cases I work a partial day and then head straight to the airport, getting to my destination in the late evening (8pm or later). Since I am an evening-trainer, this means no workout those days. The following day is meeting, followed by a late flight home, arriving in the same time window (8pm or later), which means a <span style="font-style: italic;">second</span> day without training. Again, in most cases I'm pretty thrashed and playing catch-up the third day, which means a late night at work and <span style="font-style: italic;">again</span> no training. Additionally, it means two or three days where I don't eat the way I should. All in all, it's bad news.<br /><br />Any ideas on ways to still get some training in with all this travel?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-79388993723252764102010-01-29T18:29:00.000-08:002010-01-29T19:01:02.749-08:00Running in the rainTonight was my running night and so, despite a pretty heavy rainfall, I put on my gear and headed out. The run wasn't so great in terms of time or distance, but it was just what I needed. I'm trying to build my rhythm for working out so that I get into the pattern of run one, bike one, lift one, repeat, and like I said, tonight was the run one.<br /><br />It wasn't a great run, but it was fun. If it had been just a tad warmer (it's about 50F here right now) I would have headed out without the hoodie, just shorts and t-shirt. There's something about heading out into the rain fully intending to get soaked that just makes it fun. The walk home form BART in my work clothes? not so great. Running in the rain, really great.<br /><br />I think it comes back to the whole "accepting reality as it is" thing which is so key to Zen (and which Texafornia from <a href="http://texafornia.squarespace.com/">ZenTri</a> spoke about in a <a href="http://texafornia.squarespace.com/home/2010/1/21/podcast-zen-lecture-from-zentri-base-camp.html">recent podcast</a> from ZenTri camp). My "knowledge" of Zen being pretty basic (by that I mean I haven't studied a lot of writings by masters, I've read accounts of the way they lived and developed my understanding from there) I won't try to pass on some teaching from this. For me it was more a perfect opportunity to experience the difference <span style="font-style: italic;">mind</span> (in a Zen sense) can make. There was no difference in the world between my walk home (~15 min) and my run (~20 min, maybe 10 minutes after I got home) but the way I <span style="font-style: italic;">reacted</span> to it was entirely different, and all because I headed out for the run <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>fully intending to get wet.<br /><br />The world is what it is, but they way we react to it is entirely up to us. I've now experienced that in a very profound way.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-17729880407792039922010-01-27T18:47:00.000-08:002010-01-27T18:51:23.199-08:00I am stronger than pizza (tonight)Tonight was my first bike commute in a long-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ish</span> time, probably a couple of months. It felt much longer than it was given that it took me the same time it always has (around an hour). There's one stretch where I always feel whooped and wish I had SAG support and for some reason when I hit that spot tonight (it was already full dark) I wanted pizza so bad I could almost taste it. Then, just a few blocks from home I passed a Little Caesar's and I <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> wanted pizza, even if it was <span style="font-style: italic;">pizza pizza</span>.<br /><br />But no, I'll be good and heat up my stew.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-66331659017320862282010-01-26T18:36:00.000-08:002010-01-26T18:43:11.455-08:00Running > aggravationWithout going into details, by the time I was heading out of work today I was miffed. or peeved. or salty. Take your pick. Personally, I'm going with so aggravated my eyes were bleeding. There are a number of reasons why I felt that way, and none of them matter now.<br /><br />I was also very keyed up, almost jittery. So I decided to go for a run, something I haven't done for the better part of a month. On that run I ran (ha ha) into my friend Slav and his wife who live somewhat close to me. They were loading their kids into the car to go get dinner and we chatted for a couple of minutes, something <span style="font-style: italic;">else</span> I haven't done for far too long.<br /><br />A few minutes later I realized that I felt great, at least emotionally. My body was making it very clear that being overweight and taking a month off of running were a bad combo, but the borderline rage I'd been feeling for the last few hours was just gone.<br /><br />Getting out to run, being able to let my brain switch as close to off as I can (I won't even get into how long it's been since I meditated), and pounding pavement let me subconsciously resolve the battles I'd been fighting in my head. Since there is <span style="font-style: italic;">nothing</span> I can do about any of the things that had me so irked, I let them go. All without actually thinking about it, by just getting into the rhythm of the run.<br /><br />Like I said in the title - running is greater than aggravation.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-63613638995617172312010-01-25T10:12:00.000-08:002010-01-25T10:25:00.391-08:00RededicationLast night I did something I've been meaning to do for a while now - I shaved my head again. I seem to have an anti-Samson complex or something, the more I let my hair grow the less focused I get. I need my focus back because I've signed on for another round of the LiveStrong Challenge and want to have a better showing than last year.<br /><br />As before, I'm riding for <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2009/12/01/2010-team-fatty-livestrong-challenge-registration-starts-today/">Team Fatty</a>, I plan on doing the metric century, and <a href="http://sanjose2010.livestrong.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=330111&lis=0&kntae330111=B0E3FC88942E4F17BFC84CBAFDB642E2">I'm asking for donations</a>.<br /><br />Unlike before I want to train with focus, hence the head shaving.<br /><br />In truth, I haven't done any real training since the Turkey Tri at Thanksgiving which some of you may remember <a href="http://liberationcycling.blogspot.com/2009/12/turkey-tri-san-dimas-ca-race-report.html">whooped me</a>, and not just because of the REALLY cold swim. I have a plan this time around (unlike last year) which involves some mild running and roller/trainer riding for a couple of weeks and then getting more serious. I've picked up a book (Friel's triathlete training bible) and will be keeping a paper log to complement my electronic on on ActiveBody. I will also be posting here regularly as I train, and because I want to shame myself into sticking to it I'll be posting those reports to Facebook.<br /><br />The ride is in July, which gives me a good six months to get into serious shape, and this time around I want to do just that.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-45000133037133274382009-12-11T18:34:00.000-08:002009-12-11T18:57:16.373-08:00Two good pieces of kitDespite the unpleasant weather (40s, drizzle) yesterday I set myself up to bike home. I had my new bags from <a href="http://swiftindustries.wordpress.com/">Swift</a> and loaded them onto the bike to test out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudSByFkwOmgZ0H-tzC1kvVEi1_Ipr4jxZQKRZdROShNlR1gmphSn-pJflUCsFq22yAfbVwc8OW1FA7LgV1GoFvfwAipXuD40en4QJSc4X2AG7g2C6fkmBorKLa_LboLx66AINbYYcYpM/s1600-h/P1010217.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudSByFkwOmgZ0H-tzC1kvVEi1_Ipr4jxZQKRZdROShNlR1gmphSn-pJflUCsFq22yAfbVwc8OW1FA7LgV1GoFvfwAipXuD40en4QJSc4X2AG7g2C6fkmBorKLa_LboLx66AINbYYcYpM/s320/P1010217.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414176585600104690" border="0" /></a>The first thing I noticed when I got the box a couple of weeks ago was that the bags were beautiful. Swift lets you customize the bags and I couldn't be happier with how they cam out. The attachment is simple - I tossed in a little extra to have a bungie attachment with an S-hook for the bottom so all I did was hook the bungie on the bottom and pull up until I could hook the top bar on the rack. The two bags worked great for what I wanted to carry - my work clothes, computer, and some notebooks. With a second set of bags (which I have) I can easily load enough gear for a short trip (couple of days) without trouble. When the weather turns enough for me to test the bags out with a full tour, I'll let you know.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QDfvaitH1QItnM3oNoMIqJR6XAcgX7uaYeZ4a3gHtrz-ZSW6_om2ina-2JZSbk71F7IroQHe_9uKbOKi0a1GLHVnhHKRbr2Lj1B9xUAzFv-Va5idIEC6DYYJh3CHrKb5eYusN1eW2oE/s1600-h/P1010218.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4QDfvaitH1QItnM3oNoMIqJR6XAcgX7uaYeZ4a3gHtrz-ZSW6_om2ina-2JZSbk71F7IroQHe_9uKbOKi0a1GLHVnhHKRbr2Lj1B9xUAzFv-Va5idIEC6DYYJh3CHrKb5eYusN1eW2oE/s320/P1010218.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414176579130342034" border="0" /></a>The other piece of kit I wanted to crow about is my <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2008/11/03/fat-cyclist-jerseys-and-some-other-cool-surprise-stuff-now-available/">Fat Cyclist woolie</a> (sorry, it's a limited edition and there hasn't been any info on the next version). Like all FC gear it's made by <a href="http://www.twinsix.com/">Twin Six</a>, and it's fantastic. Yesterday was the first time I really tested it in poor weather, I'd worn it on cool days before but not in the cold. I was wearing the jersey with a day-glo vest over it and shorts, and within a few minutes I was plenty warm. I will soon be ordering a few more wool jerseys for winter riding.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-11613128322069637412009-12-10T11:02:00.001-08:002009-12-10T11:08:46.367-08:00Clothes make the ride?I managed to get off my @$$ and ride into work this morning (well, ride to BART and plan to ride home). Most of the time when I've ridden in I've kitted up since that's what I wear to ride home (12 miles - bike shorts are nice). Today I just put on my work clothes since the morning ride is so short. I noticed something odd though - there's one major intersection between my house and BART, and I normally crosswalk it. Today though I just pulled over and turned with the traffic in the left hand turn lane.<br /><br />I'm perfectly comfortable taking the lane, and traffic isn't so brutal that the crosswalk is safer, so I don't know why I took the lane today instead. My only thought is that most of the time when I kit up I'm doing back road or bike trail riding, and most of the time when I'm in street clothes I'm running errands and commuting. Either way, I was more vehicular in the my riding in my street clothes.<br /><br />Anyone else find their riding style changed based on what they wear?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3064929354745435145.post-34491489109043383682009-12-07T15:30:00.001-08:002009-12-07T15:36:17.410-08:00Quick note - great causesThe master of soliciting donations, Elden Nelson (The Fat Cyclist) is at it again. First he <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2009/12/03/an-open-cover-letter-to-johan-bruyneel/">sent an open letter</a> to Johan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bruyneel</span> explaining why he deserved to be on Team Radio Shack. Johan <a href="http://www.johanbruyneel.com/blog.html">upped the game</a> with this challenge:<br /><blockquote>By <span class="yellowhighlight">Friday December 11, 12:00 PM US Mountain Standard/Tucson, AZ Time</span> you must have met the following criteria<br /><ul><li>Raised a <span class="yellowhighlight">minimum of $10,000</span> for <strong>World Bicycle Relief</strong><strong></strong></li></ul><strong> AND</strong><ul><li>Raised a <span class="yellowhighlight">minimum of $10,000</span> for <strong><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">LIVESTRONG</span></strong><span class="yellowhighlight"></span></li></ul><span class="yellowhighlight">If those two criteria are met by the stated deadline, I will fly you out to Arizona and you will have the one opportunity to ride with Team <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">RadioShack</span> on Sunday, December 13</span>.<br /><br />But I have a bonus for you!If you raise a minimum of $25,000 for World Bicycle Relief AND $25,000 for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">LIVESTRONG</span>, you"ll get a brand new Trek <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Madone</span> 6 Series bike powered by <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">SRAM</span> Red.</blockquote>So, Fatty threw it open to everyone. Go to his blog, <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2009/12/06/fight-cancer-help-kids-in-africa-and-win-a-custom-fat-cyclist-edition-superfly-or-madone-signed-by-team-radioshack/">read the full post</a>, and toss in for a chance to win.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16497903322233190967noreply@blogger.com0