Ignore the wind

The past couple of weeks have just been chaos with work, vacation schedules, family concerns (not mine, others) that i decided to take lightly my cycling and let my brain deal all that.  If i were a pro cyclist, my main concern would be my bike and how im doing on it, but for now, the best I can do, is maintain my weight, my sanity, and some exercise.

We're entering into the windiest part of the year..Spring in Texas. IT can be pretty brutal.

Yesterday, i went out, for the first time, riding w/ a couple of friends. I ditched the RBM ride, bec i just couldn't get up early enough to get my gear ready.  But i rather liked cycling w/ my friends.  We made it downtown to deep ellum and stumbled onto a outside market. Some rather cool stuff. A merchant even mentioned she saw me on my bike around the lake.  Funny.

Despite what ppl say, I really love Dallas.  There is so much here, but it's like the worlds best kept secret sometimes. You really have to look under rocks to find it.

Back to cycling.  After our ride, and a very grateful ride from a pal to get me home in time to shower and scream my way up to Plano, i went to BikeNMike's endurance ride seminar.

It was really informative, and filled in some gaps of my learnin'.  Now, i don't know how much of this is Mike or if this is shared amongst the cycling community, but he recommended staying away from Gel's.He said they're best used at the end of a ride, when you need a little kick to get you home, bec they're fuel that burns fast and bright.  I know my boss doesn't care for them (marathon runner and coach). But im not sure if that's a body chemistry dislike, or if he feels the same way.. I plan to consult him tomorrow for his thoughts.

I brought up the wind.  He grinned at me, and said "ignore it".  Then he went on to say, that hills can be conquered, with enough work. IT's a fact and it's tangible and not going to change.  The weather, more specifically, the wind, you simply can't.  "Give up the gears," he told me. I told him that i would drop into a low gear, pedal fast and curl up into a small ball around my bars.  "That's it, until you get stronger, it's all you can do. Just embrace it, and do your best. Give up the gears".

From a pro, there ya go.  It sucks no matter who you talked too. That should make us all feel better.

Another couple of good nuggets. What Johan Bruyneel made Lance do for hills...drop into a low gear, cadence high, and stay in the saddle..was a big yes.  He also refined the technique a little more about busting into a big gear on the way down..take the free speed and active recovery, then pop back into the granny when coming up to the next hill, trying to keep the back chain in the center. Give up the gears as you need them, stay in the saddle until you just can't any longer.   He also told me that the hills i'd been doing at the lake were good for my interval days.

More importantly, we talked HR...or heart rate.  My boss has been saying all along, to keep my base hr low and stay in about zone 3..(and those zones are smaller if you are working off the lactose tests).  I told him i had a hard time going that slow, keeping my hr that low with the wind. Another grin. "Just do it, and come back in three weeks and see how your speed is."

Last night, as i settled into bed, i began digging through my data of a bout a year. Now, without a proper test, I can only estimate this, but it looks like my max is around 190 or 195.  190 being the highest HR i've achieved in my data.  That means my zone three, on a 5 zone chart is under 152.  So i started looking through my data.  Last year's numbers above that, but surprisingly, i looked at the past few weeks.  My hr is not avg 165 like it used to..it's avg 148.  Zone 3.

Obviously, I am feeling much better, more fit and stronger.  I can tell by looking in the mirror that i feel better about how i wear those reveal all your sins shorts.  I even had some guy tell me he could see my muscles in them (it was kinda creepy the way he said it too, but hell, i'll take the compliment). Another guy said i "appeared" fit.  I'll take that too.  That's it, that's all i got, but it's encouraging.  Right now, i need that.  I don't need needless flattery, what i need is the objective "you are getting better, keep it up, coz it's working".

My first visit to Plano Cycling and I GOT MY BUTT MEASURED! yes, i put that in all caps, bec if you haven't made it this far, i would hope it might catch your eye.  You sit on this little gel pad, and they measure your butt bone impressions.   I'm not sure if I'm on the right saddle or not.. Bec my saddle didn't come w/ mm measurements.  I'll just "sit" on that data for a while...

I also stocked up on my electrolytes.  You might laugh at these, but i have seen their magic in person. I watched a guy, totally hungover, attempt 30 miles and the first few hours, suffered miserably. A man slipped him a few of them, and within minutes he perked up like he had just woken up from the best sleep ever.  I BELIEVE!  The nice salesman showed me the best way to use them.  I bought the koolaid, so to speak. Liquid electrolytes you put into your water. Tasteless and works better than the pills, bec it' forces you to take it, whether you remember or not. For long rides, this stuff is amazing.

With my cliff bars and my honey stingers in hand, I am ready to face a 50 miler today.

Oh also, my cool new stuff from Ebay showed up.  A really spanking cool kit that's black w/ checkerboard. ONly the seller failed to mention the complete message on the shorts. It says "RAce for the Cure - PROSTATE CANCER". Well, i can't think of a better cause, except it would have been awesome for that to be printed across my ass. :D

Clear, calm skies my friends.