Daily Miles: 45
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 765
2008 Total: 8521.08
Leter on, i will continue my post about weightlifting to include my thoughts on nutrition...
In the meantime, let it be known that I am that guy...with an iPod. I finally broke down and bought a shuffle. The rides at 5AM are just too damn boring and my motivation has been waning considerably.
Insert iPod and I'm back to hammering out my miles faster then ever. Nothing like a little Speed Metal to motivate.
Anyway, it's not that bad i suppose. Earbud in one ear only...
Later...
NPR News Headlines
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Weightlifting for Cycling
Daily Miles: 45
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 720
2008 Total: 8476.08
Andrew asked yesterday what good weightlifting exercises for cyclists would be to maximize power but not get too big that going up hills would suck. There's two points here. First, avoid weightlifters at the gym like the plague. They are trying to get huge, not strong. There's a big difference. Take a look at the 150lb Olympic weightlifters. Sure, they're definitely pretty ripped (but that's mostly from cutting weight). Just by looking at them though you wouldn't think they could lift 3x their body weight. Transition to professional bodybuilders. Looking at these guys, you'd think they were some of the strongest men in the world. This is often not true at all. On a per pound basis, they're actually pretty weak. And that's what we're after as cyclist, Watts per kg not just Watts.
Second, there's more to going up hills then just weight. In addition to weightlifting for your legs, you need to strengthen your lungs (well actually your diaphram). There are several breathing apparatus on the market that do this, such as the power lung.
Ok, so back to weightlifting. For a road cyclist that will be racing distances of over 40K, the key is developing sustained power. This means 3 sets of 12-15 reps. Find a weight that makes the 12th rep hard and the 15th rep all you have left in the tank. Lift twice a week at first, and throw a third day in during Jan and Feb. For road cyclists, the best exercises are squats and leg presses. I love cleans, but it will add upper body mass. Make sure you don't cheat, and do the squats correctly, bringing your thigh parrallel with the floor. Consult with the trainer to make sure you're doing it right as not doing so will do more harm then good.
Lastly, when you lift, you need to throw long rides in on weekends. Here in Philly we have the Pretzel Ride, a 5+ hour endurance ride that keeps your conditioning for long distances while you build power in the gym.
Again, this is advice for roadies. MTB'ers will need more upper body work. Trackies (like what I'm trying to become) need to avoid long rides and try to get a strong as possible with more sets and less reps. Hope this helps...maybe SansAuto could offer his thoughts as well...he is getting the PhD after all.
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 720
2008 Total: 8476.08
Andrew asked yesterday what good weightlifting exercises for cyclists would be to maximize power but not get too big that going up hills would suck. There's two points here. First, avoid weightlifters at the gym like the plague. They are trying to get huge, not strong. There's a big difference. Take a look at the 150lb Olympic weightlifters. Sure, they're definitely pretty ripped (but that's mostly from cutting weight). Just by looking at them though you wouldn't think they could lift 3x their body weight. Transition to professional bodybuilders. Looking at these guys, you'd think they were some of the strongest men in the world. This is often not true at all. On a per pound basis, they're actually pretty weak. And that's what we're after as cyclist, Watts per kg not just Watts.
Second, there's more to going up hills then just weight. In addition to weightlifting for your legs, you need to strengthen your lungs (well actually your diaphram). There are several breathing apparatus on the market that do this, such as the power lung.
Ok, so back to weightlifting. For a road cyclist that will be racing distances of over 40K, the key is developing sustained power. This means 3 sets of 12-15 reps. Find a weight that makes the 12th rep hard and the 15th rep all you have left in the tank. Lift twice a week at first, and throw a third day in during Jan and Feb. For road cyclists, the best exercises are squats and leg presses. I love cleans, but it will add upper body mass. Make sure you don't cheat, and do the squats correctly, bringing your thigh parrallel with the floor. Consult with the trainer to make sure you're doing it right as not doing so will do more harm then good.
Lastly, when you lift, you need to throw long rides in on weekends. Here in Philly we have the Pretzel Ride, a 5+ hour endurance ride that keeps your conditioning for long distances while you build power in the gym.
Again, this is advice for roadies. MTB'ers will need more upper body work. Trackies (like what I'm trying to become) need to avoid long rides and try to get a strong as possible with more sets and less reps. Hope this helps...maybe SansAuto could offer his thoughts as well...he is getting the PhD after all.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
More Intervals and Motorpacing
Daily Miles: 45
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 675
2008 Total: 8431.08
Damn hard set of rides yesterday. Decided to do some motorpacing on the way home from the shop so i had some fun drafting cars at 30+ and spinning my ass off on the fixie. Very solid workout.
The good news is that the gym is finally open so I can get back to weightlifting finally...
Had a couple of funny repairs in the shop yesterday. It bugs the shit out me when people bring in a bunch of garbage components courtesy of Nashbar and have us put them on the bike. Usually the tolerances on these parts are really horrible. Case in point: Guy with a fixie conversion. Old crappy steel bike with a bent to shit 1 inch threaded fork. Has his own "new" one inch fork that he wants us to cut, thread, and install. No problem right? Wrong...
The fork was actually about .98 inches so the races weren't tight and about a full 1/16 inch too thick so it wouldn't accept the stem. Awesome.
The next winner was a Performance (or Ebay) special, a Motobecane "Immortal Spirit" otherwise known as "The same generic carbon frame that is produced for a dozen labels." Wow, seems like a great deal right? Affordable full carbon frame and fork (including a carbon steerer)!
Negative. That fork isn't round, it's oval shaped so the headset feels like shit. The frame (and the carbon bars for that matter) are one good pothole away from becoming a giant pile of splintered carbon fibers. I mean there is a reason that a Cannondale Six13 (Lifetime Warranty!!) costs two grand. Anyway, you couldn't pay me to ride this bike. That frame can barely support itself without flexing, never mind me. I think the Chinese manufacturer was confused and made the bike both vertically and laterally compliant. Seriously, it felt like riding an innertube.
Anyway, still debating cross practice tonight...i could use a day off the bike so we'll see
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 675
2008 Total: 8431.08
Damn hard set of rides yesterday. Decided to do some motorpacing on the way home from the shop so i had some fun drafting cars at 30+ and spinning my ass off on the fixie. Very solid workout.
The good news is that the gym is finally open so I can get back to weightlifting finally...
Had a couple of funny repairs in the shop yesterday. It bugs the shit out me when people bring in a bunch of garbage components courtesy of Nashbar and have us put them on the bike. Usually the tolerances on these parts are really horrible. Case in point: Guy with a fixie conversion. Old crappy steel bike with a bent to shit 1 inch threaded fork. Has his own "new" one inch fork that he wants us to cut, thread, and install. No problem right? Wrong...
The fork was actually about .98 inches so the races weren't tight and about a full 1/16 inch too thick so it wouldn't accept the stem. Awesome.
The next winner was a Performance (or Ebay) special, a Motobecane "Immortal Spirit" otherwise known as "The same generic carbon frame that is produced for a dozen labels." Wow, seems like a great deal right? Affordable full carbon frame and fork (including a carbon steerer)!
Negative. That fork isn't round, it's oval shaped so the headset feels like shit. The frame (and the carbon bars for that matter) are one good pothole away from becoming a giant pile of splintered carbon fibers. I mean there is a reason that a Cannondale Six13 (Lifetime Warranty!!) costs two grand. Anyway, you couldn't pay me to ride this bike. That frame can barely support itself without flexing, never mind me. I think the Chinese manufacturer was confused and made the bike both vertically and laterally compliant. Seriously, it felt like riding an innertube.
Anyway, still debating cross practice tonight...i could use a day off the bike so we'll see
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Cyclocross Fun
Daily Miles: 40 this weekend, 45 yesterday
Avg. Speed: Redlined...ughhhh
September Total: 630
2008 Total: 8386.08
Cross…Redlining for 45 minutes hurts like no other. With about 15 minutes to go, I fight the urge to hurl all over my handlebars. It’s ok though because everyone is hurting. Maybe I CAN manage to catch the guy in front of me…
So this past weekend was the Nittany Lion Cross Race and Charm City Cross, the first and second MAC races of the year. The courses were friggin amazing and well suited to my strengths (actually I only have one: mashing the pedals).
Saturday was a little twisty and using my intrepid (ha!) bike handling skills, only managed to crash once. Finished 17th…not bad.
Sunday was even better. The course was super fast and I was able to keep it in the big ring most of the time. Unfortunately, I had a horrible starting position that required me to pass 50 people on my way to finishing 14th. Had I started where I belonged I think I could have cracked top 10 as this course really couldn’t have been better suited to my strengths.
After both races, I was totally cooked. Less so after Charm City though as I have developed a new strategy: pocketing a water bottle. Since I probably have at least 30 lbs on my next lightest competitor, and probably sweat twice as much I need something, and a bottle of CarboRocket (seriously, this stuff works) really hit the spot at the half way point.
Anyway, next race isn’t until Mid October, so lots of time to train, hit the Plateau for practice, and (unfortunately) work…
Avg. Speed: Redlined...ughhhh
September Total: 630
2008 Total: 8386.08
Cross…Redlining for 45 minutes hurts like no other. With about 15 minutes to go, I fight the urge to hurl all over my handlebars. It’s ok though because everyone is hurting. Maybe I CAN manage to catch the guy in front of me…
So this past weekend was the Nittany Lion Cross Race and Charm City Cross, the first and second MAC races of the year. The courses were friggin amazing and well suited to my strengths (actually I only have one: mashing the pedals).
Saturday was a little twisty and using my intrepid (ha!) bike handling skills, only managed to crash once. Finished 17th…not bad.
Sunday was even better. The course was super fast and I was able to keep it in the big ring most of the time. Unfortunately, I had a horrible starting position that required me to pass 50 people on my way to finishing 14th. Had I started where I belonged I think I could have cracked top 10 as this course really couldn’t have been better suited to my strengths.
After both races, I was totally cooked. Less so after Charm City though as I have developed a new strategy: pocketing a water bottle. Since I probably have at least 30 lbs on my next lightest competitor, and probably sweat twice as much I need something, and a bottle of CarboRocket (seriously, this stuff works) really hit the spot at the half way point.
Anyway, next race isn’t until Mid October, so lots of time to train, hit the Plateau for practice, and (unfortunately) work…
Friday, September 19, 2008
Sweetness
Daily Miles: 25
Avg. Speed: Hard intervals
September Total: 545
2008 Total: 8301.08
Yesterday on the way home, I got really lucky. I was about a mile from the shop when "Pop" I broke a spoke. No biggie, just opened the brakes, rode nice and slow to the Zoom, cut a new one, screwed it in, and got on my way. In and out in 5 minutes. Probably the easiest spoke change I've ever done.
Should be a fun weekend. Parents are coming up to the PA race (which the course for is supposedly ridiculous) and Charm City Cross should be awesome. I've heard good things about the Baltimore course and am really looking forward to it. Supposedly it suits my 200 lb frame quite well. I'll reserve judgment for the PSU course, but if it's as advertised, it could be a long day.
I have my two cross bikes all set up and ready to go. It will be nice having a spare bike. I can't stop starring at the Cannondale. Beautiful rig and fast as hell too.
Not much else is going on. Work is finally starting to settle down which is refreshing. Anyway, that's all for now. Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!
Avg. Speed: Hard intervals
September Total: 545
2008 Total: 8301.08
Yesterday on the way home, I got really lucky. I was about a mile from the shop when "Pop" I broke a spoke. No biggie, just opened the brakes, rode nice and slow to the Zoom, cut a new one, screwed it in, and got on my way. In and out in 5 minutes. Probably the easiest spoke change I've ever done.
Should be a fun weekend. Parents are coming up to the PA race (which the course for is supposedly ridiculous) and Charm City Cross should be awesome. I've heard good things about the Baltimore course and am really looking forward to it. Supposedly it suits my 200 lb frame quite well. I'll reserve judgment for the PSU course, but if it's as advertised, it could be a long day.
I have my two cross bikes all set up and ready to go. It will be nice having a spare bike. I can't stop starring at the Cannondale. Beautiful rig and fast as hell too.
Not much else is going on. Work is finally starting to settle down which is refreshing. Anyway, that's all for now. Good luck to everyone racing this weekend!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Cross Practice
Daily Miles: 35
Avg. Speed: Hard intervals
September Total: 520
2008 Total: 8276.08
I finally made it out to cyclocross practice on the Belmont Plateau. Joe and the rest of the Wissahickon guys really do a great job with this. They set up a course that is pretty similar to the Charm City course and we hammered out some hot laps. It was a great chance to work on my cornering skills and test out the new Cannondale.
What's that you say? New Cannondale? Yes...and it's awesome. I got a old team frame from the shop, built it up last night with a buunch of second hand parts, and it's probably better then anything you could buy new. Awesome...
Anyway, really looking forward to the MAC series races this weekend. Should be a fun time.
Avg. Speed: Hard intervals
September Total: 520
2008 Total: 8276.08
I finally made it out to cyclocross practice on the Belmont Plateau. Joe and the rest of the Wissahickon guys really do a great job with this. They set up a course that is pretty similar to the Charm City course and we hammered out some hot laps. It was a great chance to work on my cornering skills and test out the new Cannondale.
What's that you say? New Cannondale? Yes...and it's awesome. I got a old team frame from the shop, built it up last night with a buunch of second hand parts, and it's probably better then anything you could buy new. Awesome...
Anyway, really looking forward to the MAC series races this weekend. Should be a fun time.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Idignity of Commuting by Bicycle
Daily Miles: 45
Avg. Speed: Nice and Easy
September Total: 485
2008 Total: 8241.08
One of the stranger side effects of my working at night lately is that my return trip home, leaving Vallley Forge around 730 AM, makes my ride back into the city a very normal bike commute. In fact, I have been amazed by how many bike commuters there are out in the mornings. I'm really not used to this since I normally leave my house by 515 and ride out of the city. There aren't many people that do this so i am used to riding alone.
However, quite to my enjoyment, there are a lot of commuters that come into the city around 8 AM. That said, I can see why. Usually, when I make the turn off of Main Street (or Ridge Ave ave?) onto Kelly drive, it's usually a suicide run for a mile until the Falls Bridge stop light. People routinely travel 60 mph on this short, narrow stretch of road. In the mornins during rush hour however, it slows to a crawl. I flew past probably 100 cars, and by the time I got further down Kelly to Boathouse row, probably less then a quarter had caught back up with me. Rush hour getting into the city sure is slow going.
So I guess it makes sense to commute into the city by bike. It taes less time, there's no parking fees, etc, etc. But, it still suprises me to see so many people doing it. Anyway, it's a refreshing sight. Good for business too. It's mid September and we're still as busy now at Human Zoom as we were in June.
Speaking of the Zoom, my arms are smoked. Soon, with as many tubulars as I have glued lately, I'm going to end up with Popeye arms. Also, the tire of choice this year seems to to be Challengers. They might be nice tires, but they suck to glue. The tread isn't centered over the base tape so when you mount the tire you con't just make sure the tape is aligned, because then the knobbies end up offset making your cornering abilitly very Nascar-esque (good in one direction). Instead, to get the tread straight, the tire looks like it's mounted poorly with a ton of basetape sticking out one side and almost none on the other. Not really a big deal, but when you drop $100 on a tire, you kind of expect it to be built properly...
Avg. Speed: Nice and Easy
September Total: 485
2008 Total: 8241.08
One of the stranger side effects of my working at night lately is that my return trip home, leaving Vallley Forge around 730 AM, makes my ride back into the city a very normal bike commute. In fact, I have been amazed by how many bike commuters there are out in the mornings. I'm really not used to this since I normally leave my house by 515 and ride out of the city. There aren't many people that do this so i am used to riding alone.
However, quite to my enjoyment, there are a lot of commuters that come into the city around 8 AM. That said, I can see why. Usually, when I make the turn off of Main Street (or Ridge Ave ave?) onto Kelly drive, it's usually a suicide run for a mile until the Falls Bridge stop light. People routinely travel 60 mph on this short, narrow stretch of road. In the mornins during rush hour however, it slows to a crawl. I flew past probably 100 cars, and by the time I got further down Kelly to Boathouse row, probably less then a quarter had caught back up with me. Rush hour getting into the city sure is slow going.
So I guess it makes sense to commute into the city by bike. It taes less time, there's no parking fees, etc, etc. But, it still suprises me to see so many people doing it. Anyway, it's a refreshing sight. Good for business too. It's mid September and we're still as busy now at Human Zoom as we were in June.
Speaking of the Zoom, my arms are smoked. Soon, with as many tubulars as I have glued lately, I'm going to end up with Popeye arms. Also, the tire of choice this year seems to to be Challengers. They might be nice tires, but they suck to glue. The tread isn't centered over the base tape so when you mount the tire you con't just make sure the tape is aligned, because then the knobbies end up offset making your cornering abilitly very Nascar-esque (good in one direction). Instead, to get the tread straight, the tire looks like it's mounted poorly with a ton of basetape sticking out one side and almost none on the other. Not really a big deal, but when you drop $100 on a tire, you kind of expect it to be built properly...
Monday, September 15, 2008
Daily Miles: 25
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 440
2008 Total: 8196.08
Well I finally got some sleep this morning and am feeling pretty much normal. Still tired, but not hallucinating, so I'll call that normal.
I'm kind of working the reverse work schedule now. I work in the shop in the afternoon, then go to my other job, then go to sleep in the morning.
Today at the shop was pretty interesting. I stretched and glued many (6 I think) cyclocross tubulars and then serviced a pair of repair bikes that were true monsters. These bikes were absolute disasters, and I'm really not sure how they were ridden as long as they were. Nevertheless, they now run nice and smooth. Sure, they're still K-Mart bikes, but they're the best damn K-mart bikes you'll ever ride. I worked a bunch of other bikes too, but fixing Cannondales is never the epic adventure that repairing Murrays and Huffys is.
Tomorrow looks like more of the same, then it should be back to normal Wed except I have the day off from the shop so i can finally make cross practice at the Plateau.
Anyway, the load is picking up here, so It's back to the grindstone...
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 440
2008 Total: 8196.08
Well I finally got some sleep this morning and am feeling pretty much normal. Still tired, but not hallucinating, so I'll call that normal.
I'm kind of working the reverse work schedule now. I work in the shop in the afternoon, then go to my other job, then go to sleep in the morning.
Today at the shop was pretty interesting. I stretched and glued many (6 I think) cyclocross tubulars and then serviced a pair of repair bikes that were true monsters. These bikes were absolute disasters, and I'm really not sure how they were ridden as long as they were. Nevertheless, they now run nice and smooth. Sure, they're still K-Mart bikes, but they're the best damn K-mart bikes you'll ever ride. I worked a bunch of other bikes too, but fixing Cannondales is never the epic adventure that repairing Murrays and Huffys is.
Tomorrow looks like more of the same, then it should be back to normal Wed except I have the day off from the shop so i can finally make cross practice at the Plateau.
Anyway, the load is picking up here, so It's back to the grindstone...
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Daily Miles: 45
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 415
2008 Total: 8171.08
Must Sleep...I have been 40 hrs and counting without sleep. It wasn't bad until about 20 min ago and now I've pretty much hit a huge wall...
I'm quite delerious and only posting to give myself something to do in order to stay awake...
Soon...Sleep...
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 415
2008 Total: 8171.08
Must Sleep...I have been 40 hrs and counting without sleep. It wasn't bad until about 20 min ago and now I've pretty much hit a huge wall...
I'm quite delerious and only posting to give myself something to do in order to stay awake...
Soon...Sleep...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Fun times today
Daily Miles: 40
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 370
2008 Total: 8126.08
Very busy day today. Started off with the cross up at Bear Creek for the PCA opener and a somewhat dissapointing 5th place finish. It wasn't that bad, but not as good as it should have been. But, it felt good racing and definteley a good thing to do before the MAC series gears up next weekend. The course was awesome and exactly what i needed in order to get back in cross mode. This season isn't goign to yield the same results as last, especially since i am focusing on the weightroom and sprinting for track, but will still be fun. Maybe i need to realign my goals to happy with top 5 and not just winning. We'll see...
After getting cleaned up, things got really interesting. I ended up going into work ( where I still am) so I got a few extra miles in and ultimately zero sleep so i am really tired. Anyway, a few mre hours then Ifinally get a break...
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 370
2008 Total: 8126.08
Very busy day today. Started off with the cross up at Bear Creek for the PCA opener and a somewhat dissapointing 5th place finish. It wasn't that bad, but not as good as it should have been. But, it felt good racing and definteley a good thing to do before the MAC series gears up next weekend. The course was awesome and exactly what i needed in order to get back in cross mode. This season isn't goign to yield the same results as last, especially since i am focusing on the weightroom and sprinting for track, but will still be fun. Maybe i need to realign my goals to happy with top 5 and not just winning. We'll see...
After getting cleaned up, things got really interesting. I ended up going into work ( where I still am) so I got a few extra miles in and ultimately zero sleep so i am really tired. Anyway, a few mre hours then Ifinally get a break...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Cross!
Daily Miles: 45
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 330
2008 Total: 8086.08
I've said it many times but i am really looking forward to cross this weekend.
Anyway, yesterday I had the best ride back into the city. I ended up hoping on the wheel of a Indy Fab MTB rider who a quick Google search when i got home turned out to be Pro Mountain biker Harlan Price. Anyway, he pulled my ass the length of the path and we had a good talk on the towpath about riding, working in bike shops, etc.
Obvious to me now, but amazing at the time was how well he could handle his bike...something to strive for. I can finally do track stands but am definitely no where near where this guy was.
The long and short was, the ride was made much better having someone to ride and BS with.
If there's anyone out there who rides to Valley Forge from Philadelphia occasionally, let me know as having a training partner makes the ride go much faster.
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 330
2008 Total: 8086.08
I've said it many times but i am really looking forward to cross this weekend.
Anyway, yesterday I had the best ride back into the city. I ended up hoping on the wheel of a Indy Fab MTB rider who a quick Google search when i got home turned out to be Pro Mountain biker Harlan Price. Anyway, he pulled my ass the length of the path and we had a good talk on the towpath about riding, working in bike shops, etc.
Obvious to me now, but amazing at the time was how well he could handle his bike...something to strive for. I can finally do track stands but am definitely no where near where this guy was.
The long and short was, the ride was made much better having someone to ride and BS with.
If there's anyone out there who rides to Valley Forge from Philadelphia occasionally, let me know as having a training partner makes the ride go much faster.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Nothing Much New
Daily Miles: 25
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 285
2008 Total: 8041.08
More sprints yesterday and a lot of hard riding...then a little work at the shop...then a Pabst...then a hard sprint home.
So today I ordered a new helmet. What kind of helmet you say? Actually, it's designed for dirt jumping (not a full face model, more like a BMX helmet). I decided to get one these because I've been looking at the crash stats on the current helmet and decided that i needed something that offered a little better protection then my current super light, highly vented, race model. Basically, I was looking for something that could take a good hit and keep on kicking, not exploding like my current model. After watching a few BMX videos (actually the outtakes where the guys bite it hard) I decided this helmet would work much better.
Anyway, not much else going on other then work, and stupid, stupid, stupid, hurricanes that always seem to interrupt my weekends. Oh well, at least I'll be able to get up to Bear Creek to race since T has been nice enough to offer me a ride...thanks bud...
Avg. Speed: hard
September Total: 285
2008 Total: 8041.08
More sprints yesterday and a lot of hard riding...then a little work at the shop...then a Pabst...then a hard sprint home.
So today I ordered a new helmet. What kind of helmet you say? Actually, it's designed for dirt jumping (not a full face model, more like a BMX helmet). I decided to get one these because I've been looking at the crash stats on the current helmet and decided that i needed something that offered a little better protection then my current super light, highly vented, race model. Basically, I was looking for something that could take a good hit and keep on kicking, not exploding like my current model. After watching a few BMX videos (actually the outtakes where the guys bite it hard) I decided this helmet would work much better.
Anyway, not much else going on other then work, and stupid, stupid, stupid, hurricanes that always seem to interrupt my weekends. Oh well, at least I'll be able to get up to Bear Creek to race since T has been nice enough to offer me a ride...thanks bud...
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Spinning...
Daily Miles: 25
Avg. Speed: pretty fast
September Total: 260
2008 Total: 8016.08
Lately there has been a lot of interest at the shop in buying bikes specifically for commuting. Usually, especially at the Ardmore shop, we sell a lot of kids bikes and a few road and mountain bikes to people who are looking for a bike to ride on the path on the weekends.
Lately however, while still selling an ishload of kids bikes, we've been selling a lot of touring bikes and single speeds for the sole purpose of commuting. I think this is awesome. Even if the bike is only used on nice cool days, that means one less car on the roads at least 10 days a month.
As the bike commuting "expert" in the shop, I am often left fielding questions from new riders who are where I was almost 2 years ago. Questions like:
What should I wear? Answer: Cycling clothes. So what if you look like a tool? Cycling clothes are specifically desinged for cycling, they breath, stretch and protect all the right areas. Yes, they're tight and spandex, but your ride will be much more comfortable then if you wear jeans and cotton t-shirts.
How should I get there? Answer: On the road or the path. It is illegal and annoying when bikes utilize the sidewalk. At this point I usually open up google maps or "Map My Ride" to help them find the best route. This question is usually followed up with:
What about cars? In my head i think: Fuck Cars! But I respond with..."Don't worry about cars" 99.9% of drivers will yield and respect you as long as you are following the laws as well. Sure, some people will play chicken and act like assholes, but in the end, you'll be fine. Just follow the laws and don't react. Be the bigger person. Every time you ride your bike it's one less car on the roads and one more bike that well help get drivers used to sharing the roads.
What if I get a flat? Hopefully, you won't, but you should carry a small pump and a tube or a patch kit. Practice changing a tire so you don't do it for the first time in the dark on the bike path in the rain.
Also, map out your route and determine where public transit stops are along it and carry those routes schedules so you can hop on it if needed.
Follow these simple guidelines and you're well on your way to car-free living.
Avg. Speed: pretty fast
September Total: 260
2008 Total: 8016.08
Lately there has been a lot of interest at the shop in buying bikes specifically for commuting. Usually, especially at the Ardmore shop, we sell a lot of kids bikes and a few road and mountain bikes to people who are looking for a bike to ride on the path on the weekends.
Lately however, while still selling an ishload of kids bikes, we've been selling a lot of touring bikes and single speeds for the sole purpose of commuting. I think this is awesome. Even if the bike is only used on nice cool days, that means one less car on the roads at least 10 days a month.
As the bike commuting "expert" in the shop, I am often left fielding questions from new riders who are where I was almost 2 years ago. Questions like:
What should I wear? Answer: Cycling clothes. So what if you look like a tool? Cycling clothes are specifically desinged for cycling, they breath, stretch and protect all the right areas. Yes, they're tight and spandex, but your ride will be much more comfortable then if you wear jeans and cotton t-shirts.
How should I get there? Answer: On the road or the path. It is illegal and annoying when bikes utilize the sidewalk. At this point I usually open up google maps or "Map My Ride" to help them find the best route. This question is usually followed up with:
What about cars? In my head i think: Fuck Cars! But I respond with..."Don't worry about cars" 99.9% of drivers will yield and respect you as long as you are following the laws as well. Sure, some people will play chicken and act like assholes, but in the end, you'll be fine. Just follow the laws and don't react. Be the bigger person. Every time you ride your bike it's one less car on the roads and one more bike that well help get drivers used to sharing the roads.
What if I get a flat? Hopefully, you won't, but you should carry a small pump and a tube or a patch kit. Practice changing a tire so you don't do it for the first time in the dark on the bike path in the rain.
Also, map out your route and determine where public transit stops are along it and carry those routes schedules so you can hop on it if needed.
Follow these simple guidelines and you're well on your way to car-free living.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Gym is Closed
Daily Miles: 25
Avg. Speed: pretty fast
September Total: 235
2008 Total: 7991.08
The Drexel weightroom is closed this week. Damn I miss weightlifting already and I haven't even been doing this that long.
So to make up for the lack of strength training this week, I'm doing a lot more short, hard interval workouts. Yesterday, was a tough ride up to the shop. I used the hills as my sprint intervals and really cranked it out. I was pretty freakin smoked by the time I got to work Part Deux.
I used the ride home (which is more downhill then not) to work on leg speed. Other then when I needed to occasionally stop at red lights, I didn't go slower then 35, and was able to keep up with or pass the traffic on Lancaster Ave. Again, i was really hammering, on the edge of what i could handle. But it was a lot of fun. I think this is what I'll plan on doing this workout again today as well.
I think my transition to the 48x15 was a great idea. It allows me to get a lot of speed work down the hills, and really kill myself on the steep sections. Hopefully, i can build my strength to the point that I can eventually put a 50x15 on the bike and keep it at 110rpm on the flats and suffer it up the hills. When this gets easy, I should be all set for a 52x13 and crushing speed next track season.
Avg. Speed: pretty fast
September Total: 235
2008 Total: 7991.08
The Drexel weightroom is closed this week. Damn I miss weightlifting already and I haven't even been doing this that long.
So to make up for the lack of strength training this week, I'm doing a lot more short, hard interval workouts. Yesterday, was a tough ride up to the shop. I used the hills as my sprint intervals and really cranked it out. I was pretty freakin smoked by the time I got to work Part Deux.
I used the ride home (which is more downhill then not) to work on leg speed. Other then when I needed to occasionally stop at red lights, I didn't go slower then 35, and was able to keep up with or pass the traffic on Lancaster Ave. Again, i was really hammering, on the edge of what i could handle. But it was a lot of fun. I think this is what I'll plan on doing this workout again today as well.
I think my transition to the 48x15 was a great idea. It allows me to get a lot of speed work down the hills, and really kill myself on the steep sections. Hopefully, i can build my strength to the point that I can eventually put a 50x15 on the bike and keep it at 110rpm on the flats and suffer it up the hills. When this gets easy, I should be all set for a 52x13 and crushing speed next track season.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Been a While
Daily Miles: 45 (Thurs) 45 (Fri) 45 (Sat) 25 (Sun)
Avg. Speed: pretty fast
September Total: 210
2008 Total: 7966.08
It's been a while and I have a lot to cover. What have I been up to? Friday, I was roped into staying late at my primary job until 9 PM...so that makes it a 15 hour day. Saturday I worked all day again (another 10 hours) so needless to say i am a bit bitter. However, I had a good dinner at the Bennihanna in Cherry Hill. I am a big fan of the Japanese Hibachi restaurants...It was a fun time.
Sunday I worked a few busy (actually ridiculously busy) hours at the bike shop. I was the only one there for a while since the rest of the shop was out racing. Speaking of racing, Shawn locked up the CAT4 Bar. He was pretty bummed to find out that this means absolutely nothing since winning the BAR only entitles you to race for free in the category you win. I've been telling him he should have upgraded after Fitchburg...but good for him anyway.
What else...? I am reading one of the best books right now: "You Don't Have to Be Wrong for Me to be Right" It's written by a Rabbi and former Jewish radical who dissects religion and faith in an attempt to get readers to realize that fundamentalism and extremism really have no place in religion. It really addresses my biggest beef with religion that it causes 90% of all our worlds problems. Anyway, it's a great read and I highly reccomend it.
AND...congrats to my sister!
Avg. Speed: pretty fast
September Total: 210
2008 Total: 7966.08
It's been a while and I have a lot to cover. What have I been up to? Friday, I was roped into staying late at my primary job until 9 PM...so that makes it a 15 hour day. Saturday I worked all day again (another 10 hours) so needless to say i am a bit bitter. However, I had a good dinner at the Bennihanna in Cherry Hill. I am a big fan of the Japanese Hibachi restaurants...It was a fun time.
Sunday I worked a few busy (actually ridiculously busy) hours at the bike shop. I was the only one there for a while since the rest of the shop was out racing. Speaking of racing, Shawn locked up the CAT4 Bar. He was pretty bummed to find out that this means absolutely nothing since winning the BAR only entitles you to race for free in the category you win. I've been telling him he should have upgraded after Fitchburg...but good for him anyway.
What else...? I am reading one of the best books right now: "You Don't Have to Be Wrong for Me to be Right" It's written by a Rabbi and former Jewish radical who dissects religion and faith in an attempt to get readers to realize that fundamentalism and extremism really have no place in religion. It really addresses my biggest beef with religion that it causes 90% of all our worlds problems. Anyway, it's a great read and I highly reccomend it.
AND...congrats to my sister!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Politics as Usual
Please leave a comment with one good reason to vote for a ticket with this biatch on it:
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/Sad.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check
If McSame gets more then 3% of our nations sheep to vote for him, it will be a sad day indeed.
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/Sad.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080904/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_fact_check
If McSame gets more then 3% of our nations sheep to vote for him, it will be a sad day indeed.
Same Old Shit
Daily Miles: 50
Avg. Speed: intervals
September Total: 50
2008 Total: 7806.08
Tues and Wed, I didn't ride to work, only home, mostly due to having to be in at 4 AM on Tuesday,and being exhausted yesterday and knowing it would only get worse since I would be working late at the shop. Whatever...
There's really no good way to get to the shop from Valley Forge. I can go the scenic way thru the park, and take "back" roads but it adds several miles to an already tight time table. The shortest way is on a pretty busy road. As the distance increases the traffic decreases, but decreased traffic is really only an illusion of safety. On the back roads, the few cars there are, roar down the narrow road, far exceeding the speed limit. The only difference between "major" and "back" roads that I bike on, is that on the back roads, no one would see the truck run me over.
The real kick in the nuts though is the elevation gain to the shop. There's just no way to go that doesn't involve climbing very steep (but thankfully short) hills...as I said before, though it does suck, it will def pay me back with interest during cross.
Speaking of cross, I'm thinking of racing on the 13th up at Bear Creek, as a warmup before the real fun begins the following weekend with the MAC series. Yo Labrat, interested?
Avg. Speed: intervals
September Total: 50
2008 Total: 7806.08
Tues and Wed, I didn't ride to work, only home, mostly due to having to be in at 4 AM on Tuesday,and being exhausted yesterday and knowing it would only get worse since I would be working late at the shop. Whatever...
There's really no good way to get to the shop from Valley Forge. I can go the scenic way thru the park, and take "back" roads but it adds several miles to an already tight time table. The shortest way is on a pretty busy road. As the distance increases the traffic decreases, but decreased traffic is really only an illusion of safety. On the back roads, the few cars there are, roar down the narrow road, far exceeding the speed limit. The only difference between "major" and "back" roads that I bike on, is that on the back roads, no one would see the truck run me over.
The real kick in the nuts though is the elevation gain to the shop. There's just no way to go that doesn't involve climbing very steep (but thankfully short) hills...as I said before, though it does suck, it will def pay me back with interest during cross.
Speaking of cross, I'm thinking of racing on the 13th up at Bear Creek, as a warmup before the real fun begins the following weekend with the MAC series. Yo Labrat, interested?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Hipsters, Bluegrass and Beer
Daily Miles: 45
Avg. Speed: fast
August Total: 760
2008 Total: 7756.08
This past weekend, the family journeyed to Fryeburg, Maine for the wedding of one of cousins. The weekend was awesome. Here's the lowdown: They rented out Camp Forest Acres, a rustic summer camp for kids that's probably 80 years old. A three day party ensued. 40 cases of beer were consumed, and the food was great. The "Southern Maine Picking Society," a local Bluegrass group, provided music, and the people in attendance were awesome. Maybe "Hipster" isn't the right word to describe the crowd. I think these people are the kind of folks that hipsters resolve to be like. These folks were down to earth artists (my cousin designs shoes for Converse) not the arrogant fake sort usually associated with hipsters, so anyway...
The drive home sure was long though...Wheww...
Maybe I'll try to dig up some pictures and post them later and give a longer run down of the great weekend.
Avg. Speed: fast
August Total: 760
2008 Total: 7756.08
This past weekend, the family journeyed to Fryeburg, Maine for the wedding of one of cousins. The weekend was awesome. Here's the lowdown: They rented out Camp Forest Acres, a rustic summer camp for kids that's probably 80 years old. A three day party ensued. 40 cases of beer were consumed, and the food was great. The "Southern Maine Picking Society," a local Bluegrass group, provided music, and the people in attendance were awesome. Maybe "Hipster" isn't the right word to describe the crowd. I think these people are the kind of folks that hipsters resolve to be like. These folks were down to earth artists (my cousin designs shoes for Converse) not the arrogant fake sort usually associated with hipsters, so anyway...
The drive home sure was long though...Wheww...
Maybe I'll try to dig up some pictures and post them later and give a longer run down of the great weekend.
Hipsters, Bluegrass and Beer
Daily Miles: 45
Avg. Speed: fast
August Total: 760
2008 Total: 7756.08
This past weekend, the family journeyed to Fryeburg, Maine for the wedding of one of cousins. The weekend was awesome. Here's the lowdown: They rented out Camp Forest Acres, a rustic summer camp for kids that's probably 80 years old. A three day party ensued. 40 cases of beer were consumed, and the food was great. The "Southern Maine Picking Society," a local Bluegrass group, provided music, and the people in attendance were awesome. Maybe "Hipster" isn't the right word to describe the crowd. I think these people are the kind of folks that hipsters resolve to be like. These folks were down to earth artists (my cousin designs shoes for Converse) not the arrogant fake sort usually associated with hipsters, so anyway...
The drive home sure was long though...Wheww...
Maybe I'll try to dig up some pictures and post them later and give a longer run down of the great weekend.
Avg. Speed: fast
August Total: 760
2008 Total: 7756.08
This past weekend, the family journeyed to Fryeburg, Maine for the wedding of one of cousins. The weekend was awesome. Here's the lowdown: They rented out Camp Forest Acres, a rustic summer camp for kids that's probably 80 years old. A three day party ensued. 40 cases of beer were consumed, and the food was great. The "Southern Maine Picking Society," a local Bluegrass group, provided music, and the people in attendance were awesome. Maybe "Hipster" isn't the right word to describe the crowd. I think these people are the kind of folks that hipsters resolve to be like. These folks were down to earth artists (my cousin designs shoes for Converse) not the arrogant fake sort usually associated with hipsters, so anyway...
The drive home sure was long though...Wheww...
Maybe I'll try to dig up some pictures and post them later and give a longer run down of the great weekend.
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