Update 1/29/10

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but things have been rather hectic here at the casa. L and I are both hitting the books- and camera- hard at the start of the semester. The digital photography class I'm taking is very good. Lots of black and white pictures, Photoshop editing, projects, field trips etc. I took advantage of some of that stimulus money to upgrade the man cave a bit. A trip to Ikea netted a new desk and work table and cabinet, Sam's Club a new chair and computer. The Windows 7 sure is a lot nicer to work with than Vista, which will make school work much smoother. Not to mention a 25" high def monitor is much easier on the eyes than squinting at a 16" lap top screen. This makes Photoshop much nicer to work with.

As far as riding goes, I have not done much. Time and weather. Weird, I broke a spoke while riding the trainer. I've never done that before. Something tells me I need to loose some weight...

It's Trainer Time !

Now that I'm finally over the bug that slowed me down for a couple of months, it's time to get some sort of conditioning and weight loss program going again. This last summer/fall was great, losing 30+ lbs, getting a lot faster on the bike and so forth. After I got my new road bike, I set some personal bests for me lately. Not close to the old days, but I was much younger and stronger back then. But, I was still improving none the less.

When September came around, I felt a bit sluggish, even on the flats. Steeper hills were getting harder, my heart rate was running higher for the perceived effort, and I was getting slower. I started riding shorter routes than normal, and my motivation dropped. I wanted to ride, but I was just weak and lethargic. After a 30 mile gravel ride with Doug and Jeff, it took a full week to recover. My weight rose and my fitness hit the deck - hard.

I've started riding the trainer in the pain cave here at the BD hq. When I moved into L's house, the basement was more of a dungeon. At least the bathroom and shower were in decent shape, but the rest was a pit. The wind came right through the gaps and holes in the plate, cob webs and general grime was everywhere. We cleaned and evaluated the situation at hand. I foamed all the air leaks shut, added insulation to the plate, and installed 2 baseboard heaters. Had I mentioned it was cold? It was, but not anymore. My office area is cozy, L doesn't even mind venturing down to do the laundry. She used to hate it. I also added another electrical circuit so the vacuum didn't blow the breaker if anything else was on. The lighting sucked, so I put in several pot lights on a dimmer. A nice touch.

There was an older entertainment center that I cleaned up and set up the TV and DVD player in. My futon acts as a couch and my nice leather recliner has a spot again. Office, man cave, house of pain, all without much cost other than time.

I put in a nice 1 hour zone 2 effort yesterday and another today with some intervals, without much discomfort. My heart rate stayed in zone, good snap on the intervals, and my legs feel good, not like logs as they did last fall. I've got a library of cycling DVDs, several Spinerval and CTS videos to train by. I really need to get some studded tires for my MTB, but haven't taken the plunge yet. A cross bike is in the works if my secret plan comes together, and that would get studs. Logical, me thinks.....

I sure am glad we purchased a new snow blower this summer when they were on sale. You might not be able to find one after this latest dumping we've been cleaning up. This was at my parents's house. They got real snow, where as we got a slush/snow mix that laughed at snow blowers. I enjoyed blowing out my folks place, but that word can't describe the job at hand here at the BD hq.

Brooklyn, ready for a cold weather walk.

It's cold, even the dog needs some warm clothing. After a warm fall, this winter is in full deep freeze mode in these parts. You dance, you pay, as I see it. I haven't been in the bike for a while and I'm feeling with-drawls big time. I'm going to set up the trainer in the basement tomorrow and catch up on some on some of the videos I've burned lately. I wish we'd get enough snow to X/C ski on, but the bitter cold won't let that happen.

I'm all registered for school, which starts on Jan. 11th. One class that really has me excited is digital photography. I've always wanted to learn to shoot and edit pictures better, so why not get credits for it? Some of the student that have taken it said it was a very good class and they learned a lot. Can't hurt, that's for sure.

Friday Stuff

I'm still not feeling 100%. The energy levels are low, kind of off on everything I do, slight head ache that comes and goes, my blood glucose level is up for no good reason. Part of the latter is due to less riding and exercise in general, plus when you are sick, your cortisol level runs higher, which drives your blood sugar up. When I feel lousy, I don't eat as well as I should. I think it's natural that we head for the comfort foods when we're sick. I do, but not to the extreme. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

My placement tests are on tap for the 10th of this month. After the beat down I laid on the battery of tests I did for the funding part, I should be OK. I've been doing a keyboarding program at home to sharpen up my typing and 10 key abilities. Also, I'm doing a home course on Microsoft Office. I knew some of the basics, but I needed work on the advanced portions. Who sez ya can't teach an old dog new tricks?

What Ever Will I Wear ?

That's the question that starts every ride for most every cyclist. Every one has a few key pieces that work well for them. Yesterday, it was 35f and sunny when I went for a road ride. Here's the run down on the kit of the day:

• Specialized BG Pro bib shorts. I love the chamois and fit in general. Fat guys should always wear bibs.
• Sporthill XC pants. If they made these padded, they would be the best cold weather biking pants ever.
• Craft long sleeve base layer top. Fits very snug, yet doesn't restrict movement.
  
• Sporthill Symmetry jacket. Wind blocking and just the right weight. Breathes very well.
• SmartWool medium ski sock. Cover to the knee without much pressure.
• Specialized BG Radiant gloves. Good to about 20f, lower if you use a chemical hand warmer in the zippered pocket on the back.
• Sugoi skull cap. I also bring along a hat/face mask for an extra measure of protection, especially when flying down hill for long periods.

That's what keeps me comfortable in these types of temps. Add a layer if it's gets too much colder, and shoes covers for under 20f, since I don't have a pair of Lake or Louis Garneau winter shoes. That's going to happen when they go on sale after the season.

It sure has been great riding this late in the year on clean roads and trails with relative un-bulky comfort. I have a feeling we aren't going to be putting the road bikes away for a while. Enjoy!

The Week That Wasn't

Last Sunday, I had planned a 40 mile ride. The weather has been great and I wanted to take advantage of the fact. Sunday morning, I lubed the chain on the Immortal Force, pumped up the tires, and loaded it in the van. Then, i went upstairs to change into my riding gear. Things soon went pear shaped. My stomach, which is usually cast iron, started doing back flips, followed by pain. Some chills and fever set in. No ride for me today, at least not this morning, I thought. Soon, retching and other nasty bodily functions ensued. I crawled back to bed and slept till 6:00 pm. I still felt like crap. At least the next day, I wasn't as bad, but it still comes and goes up to now. I tried a ride this afternoon, but my heart rate stayed elevated and I felt light headed. At least yesterday was OK, but I would really like to get in some more mile tomorrow while this great weather holds out......