This Just In....

Pizza Hut & All You Can EAT = BAD!

Wait, or is that gooooood?!?

Well, anyway, it sure WAS good!

Therefore, I must run and run fast.

I really have nothing. I just can not seem to get into this work thing. Can you? Do you enjoy what you do? The people you work with? The money you are paid?

Too many questions. I all really want to do is go home and run or ride or run then ride. I mean it is like 42 degrees outside! Later.

The Take.............

So I am like 33 some years old, but still love me some Christmas Gifts. This years take was pretty darn good. Don't you think so?

On a different front, I ran almost 22 miles last week. Along with the 30,000 holiday calories I likely ate up and I had a week of two Milestones!!

Merry Christmas to All!!!!

Later.

Holidays = GOOOOOD Times

Our Festivus Party was a great success. The Festivus Feats of Strength 5K was not. Too much drinky equals no runny!

I really do not have much to say. We don't have our Christmas shopping done! We will spend more time in our car then with the family were are traveling to see (two families to visit and not near each other). I ran 20 fabulous miles last week before my weekend binging. Holiday Chocolates and Treats are every where I turn. The just ended season of Survivor was the best in years. Scrubs has been awesome. I have discovered red wine. I miss my bike. Finally, I think I will have some more chocolate!

For not much, that was too much. Later.

Goals Are Good.....

"I hope to log a long, for me, run today or tomorrow. I would like to top the 10k mark."

See my training log to the right and you can see that it was OVER 7 miles for me today. My longest run to date at a pretty darn good pace if I must say so myself! Now if I could just get to sleep! Later.

Goals Are Good.....

But first let me tell you this week has been ridiculous. I had a Gourmet Steak Dinner at Sullivan's Steak House on Monday. Then a Gourmet Steak Lunch at the Wildfire Grill on Tuesday. Yeah, I said lunch, it was our office Christmas Lunch Spectacular. I ate like there was no tomorrow and it was fabulous. Tomorrow, it will be Turkey and Wine as we celebrate our annual Festivus for the Rest Of Us Holiday Party. I love the Holidays!!

It has also been a great running week for me. I have had some really solid runs both distance wise and time wise. The legs are feeling really great. I hope to log a long, for me, run today or tomorrow. I would like to top the 10k mark. It could be tough with all that is going on.

Goals, oh yeah, I like goals. I believe that stating your goals is very important as it makes them REAL. I am a big fan of this. Normally I just blog something or mention something to my wife without making a big deal about it. I am still formulating my goals for 2007, but have decided I will post them here and make a big deal about them! Good times.

2007 will involve some major running goals. However, do NOT worry cycling world you are still my first love!! All this goal talk has got me jazed. Or is that my No Fat Triple Shot Grande Latte???

Anyway, how about a goal? I will run a Half Marathon March 18th, 2007.

The Festivus Party is Saturday. How about a Feats of Strenght 5K on Sunday. Who's with me. Please note, I am well aware that I am not the originator of above used Festivus and Feats phases.

Later.

"Dude, the numbers don't lie. Look I am older, but still cooler, better looking, richer, and faster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

for those who don't know, this is lance training with the 07 discovery cycling team. he is having a conversation of sorts with levi after just dropping him on a climb.

Too Much.....

Footlocker was running its 30% off total order Friends and Family Deal this past weekend and I rarely pass up an opportunity to spend money. The coupon just makes me feel that much better about the purchase!

Before I knew anything at all about running I purchased some Nike Air Max Solas last April from Footlocker (see comment about coupon). Nike shoes fit me, work for me, and I have always wore them. Mainly to play hoops though.

The Air Max is a neutral shoe with pretty decent cushioning. I have had no issues logging over 150 miles in them. Wait, then why the heck did I buy new sneeks? Anyway, I picked up these 06 Nike Air Pegasus, the number one rated shoe for 2006 according to Runner's World.

I ran two treadmill miles last night and they felt great. Very light and fast feeling. My issue is I think they are too flashy. Not reflective flashy, but style flashy. I am big fan of the Nike yellow and black look, but the sliver seems a bit much. They come in your basic white and blue too? Is it too much? Later.

Still Snowed In?

Well, I am not, but a major part of the Midwest is. Family in Southern Illinois is and has been since Friday without power. It is like freezing outside! I hope they are bundled up real good.

I have been running, mostly on my shitty treadmill in the basement. I bought this piece of crap about 5 years ago for the wife when she just had to have one. I knew she would NOT really use it, so we went on the cheap. It was something like $300 bucks at Sports Authority. It is a Pro Form whatever. She did not use it.

Now, it is I paying for being such a cheap arse. I have logged over 100 miles on that thing this past year. I used it to get my weight loss started and then cross train in the summer when time would not allow me to ride. It has always been hard to run on, but lately it has been making odd noises and I stain to log miles that I can run outside with no issues.

Yes, I am telling you I need to shop for a new treadmill. I am talking fitness club level treadmill. My initial research has lead me to believe that I will be spending at least $2000 for one. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Speaking of the gym, I made it to the YMCA yesterday for a run and some weights. Oh boy, running on that Nautilus treadmill sure was nice. I could have ran all day. I even managed some incline for 300 feet of climbing. It was a nice 3 plus miles. Hence, my new treadmill jones.

On the camera front the FujiFinePix F20 did NOT cut it and I returned it to Best Buy. Looks like it will be more cash for a Canon SD700. Does it ever end? Later.

Snow Day

After a day of Media Hype it finally Snowed. It wasn't 12 inches for Chicagoland, but it was around 5 inches of wet, messy, and hard to shovel snow. Basically, every thing was shut down yesterday. No Work or School for my household.

Does the snow mean an end to my running career?

Anyone know anything about point and shoot cameras? I had a nice one that was left out in a rain storm. As a result the Canon Powershot S500 now works when it wants to, which is very rare these days.

So, I picked up a FujiFlim FinePix F20se. The above picture was taken with it. Out of the box I am unimpressed with the pics it produces. I need a point and shot camera that takes good pictures in low light. Basically, one the wife can use to take millions and millions of pictures of the kid. The Fuji pictures are no where as clear as the ones the Canon took. Wait a minute..........why not just get another Canon! Brilliant!

Later.

This just in....

Booze is bad for you. It leads to eating. I manage food well when boozing it up, but it is the hangover day that kills me every time. Like today, I am just eating and eating because I had some beers at a Work Function thing last night. Not that it matters as I weighed in this week, yes I still weigh in on Tuesdays, at 170 pounds. Well, 169.4 to be exact. A quick flashback to January 2006 will show my weight was approaching 240 big ones at that time. Crazy. What was I complaining about again?

SCRUBS is back tonight. Finally something to watch on TV. Great freakin show that I suggest everyone check out. Of course, I will TIVO it and watch it this weekend, so keep your Scrub thoughts to yourself.

Weird, but I am really looking forward to running tomorrow. That is if the evil doer of a snow storm doesn't take out the entire Midwest. Could the Media blow this thing up any more? I mean how many times do we need to see that lot of snow plow trucks and giant pile of salt?

Later.

Turkey Wrap Up

Doesn't a Turkey Pita Wrap just sound delicious right now?!?

My Thanksgiving Holiday has come and gone way to quick. The past five were something else. I consumed Thanksgiving Dinner like it was my first and last ever. Man, it was soooo good. At the time I knew this was too be my first of two feast, but I still had 3 full plates of turkey goodness.

Thursday night the wife and I caught some type of nasty flu bug that laid us up for two days. Due to the sickness we had to skip the trip to her family's feast and headed home Friday afternoon. Friday,Saturday, & Sunday were spent chasing the little one around house and napping.

The weather has been off the charts for late November in the Midwest. Temperatures have been above 50 for days now, but yet my road bike sits idle in the garage. I do miss my bike. I wish I could ride my bike.

I did manage to log 12 miles running in the last 5 days and over 15 for the past week. Check out my training log over to the right. I am a big fan of stats, well my stats for my workouts and training. The log at BuckeyeOutdoors.com is a do it all and track it all and as far as I am concerned a must for the serious fitness freaks. Check it out. Later.

At Least......

I have logged 13 miles so far this week. Why is that a good thing? Well, it is 2pm and I have taken in over 4000 holiday calories today!! My one serving of everything turned into a three serving of everything. Yummy. It was all sooooo good. :)

Last Sunday I set a PR for a 5k then I ran 4 miles Monday, 5 miles Wednesday, and 4 miles this morning. You can call it my Thanksgiving Holiday Eating Training Plan!! Where is that pumpkin pie!

Happy Turkey Day to ALL!!

Later.

And the winner is......

Well, it was not me, but I did a have a nice result. This was the third race, second 5K, of my short running carreer. As some may know I started running more seriously this fall as the weather turned cold and windy. I am still a cyclist at heart, but this running thing has been fun.

My goal for the 2006 Chili Chase 5K was 23 minutes. That would be a minute faster then my first 5k. Based on my finish for the first back in September, the miles I have logged since, and the little speedwork I have done here and there, I thought this was doable.

This was a big race for a 5K with over 400 runners lined up at the start. It was cold, windy and I was slightly tight and sore. I started near the front, say 10 rows deep. I started with a good buddy and co-worker of mine, who had a goal of 29 minutes. We quickly departed ways as it was crowded and I needed to get me some space.

I went out fast. I needed a 7:25 pace to make my goal and figured if I didn't get the first mile in fast I would have no chance. Just short of mile one my freaking shoe lace started flapping in the wind. Crap, I even tied it in a double knot!! Do I keep running? Will I trip and break my face? CRAP!! And F&@K!!!

As I ran on I took my gloves off and put the Garmin Edge I carry in my pocket. Then I found a curb, stopped for what seemed like forever, and tied the shoe lace. Only one knot to minimize the time damage.

I was off, but with no gloves because they were tucked in my pocket and I couldn't afford any more delays. I managed not to panic and NOT to run at super human speed to make up what was surely a minute delay. I reached the mile 1 time split and heard "7:10" which made me happy.

Next up was a turn uphill into the wind and an evil doer of a side stitch. From the begining things were off for me "GI" wise. I had water rolling around in the stomach and loud animal like growling coming from the belly region. I think me had to much protien the night before?? I contined on, powering up the hill, passing other runners, and grunting all the way. At the two mile marker no one was calling out splits. I knew I was slowing, but just how much was unclear.

Miles two to three presented more running into the wind and the hope the next turn would be the last turn. This mile felt really slow for me. I had a little kick at the end, but it was nothing like last weekends 10k finishing kick. I approached the finish and heard 23 called out just prior to crossing the finish line.

0:23:07.9 is the official time. That is a 7:24 pace for 65th place out of 413 runners.

The Garmin Edge had me at 3.15 miles with the following Splits:

1. 7:10
2. 7:22
3. 7:30
4. 7:07

See all the stats HERE.

My buddy finised just under 27 minutes and put forth a very solid effort for his first ever race. It was a good day. Later.

Next Up....

This weekend it is a 5k. It will be my 3rd race and second 5k. The first was a 24 minute finish, but a finish were I felt like I had plenty of gas left in the tank. I am learning that a 5k is like a sprint. Well, sprint meaning I should be at or near max effort for the entire 3.1 miles. That is my plan this time around around and the goal is a lofty 23 minutes or 7:25 pace. Yep, a minute faster then the September 5k. We shall see.

Running this week has been good. I have logged 10 miles so far and plan 2 to 4 more today. I think I would like to do 1 mile of all out effort with 1 mile of warm/cool down combined. Or maybe I will get Eddie Vedder, the dog, out for fast paced Rat Terrier Style walking?

No matter what I do toady or how I finish Sunday, I am feeling good and enjoying this being in shape stuff. Later.

49:47

My goal was 50 minutes. As I approached the finish I did not think I would make that goal. However, this has been a year of exceeding goals for me and as I went full out crossing the finish the clock was just short of 50:00. I think it was 49:47, but I was moving so damn fast and breathing so damn hard I could be wrong. Official results will be posted online later.

Of course I got the Garmin Stats. Once again I carried my cycling computer in my hand as my one and only companion. See them HERE.

This race was tough. First the weather was cold and windy. Average temp was 36 degrees with winds at 19 mph average. Second this was my longest run ever by 2 miles. Third, this was only my second race and I have no idea what I am doing. Well, not totally true, but I am a running noobie.

The Garmin had me at 50 minutes for 6.33 miles and the splits break down like this:

1. = 7:49
2. =7:57
3. =8:13
4. =7:51
5. =8:11
6. =7:38
7. =2:18

I thought I woud struggle in the middle with the distance being new to me. Miles 3 to 5 I paced off a very fit and steady running female. Unknowing to her, but she was a huge help to me. I passed her for good around mile 5. I am very happy with the finish. I felt like I left it all out there and ran my fatest mile at the end.

Today I will reward myself with a Grande PepperMint Mocha Latte from Starbucks!!!!!!! Later.

Go Time ?

My second ever running race is today in two hours. It is 10k and will be the longest I have ever ran. The weather is against me. I am nervous about the weather and the distance. Time to suit up. Later.

Holiday Season Is Here

Starbucks has rolled out the Holiday Lattes and Red Cups. This can only me one thing..........Peppermint Mocha No Fat No Whip Grande is back in my life!!!!! Yeah for me. Later. (the pic is current, excuse the date, borrowed a co-workers camera.)

Retirement?

This pic has been around the net for a while, but damn I hope I look this good when I retire.

On a side note it hit 70 degrees today and my off day became a 30 mile cycling ride at 16.7 mph. I was really missing the bike and could not pass it up. Since I am training for a 10k this Saturday today is offical Cross Training Day! Later.

Running and Running and......

Running. I have been running and running a lot for me, an avid cyclist. I am sure others, the real runners of the world, will laugh at my running statements, but we all start somewhere.

The running has come about due to the cold & rainy miserable fall we are having in the Midwest. Is it too early to start bitching about the weather? To keep the training train going I decided to do a 10k, which is this Saturday. Then the following weekend it will be a 5k with some friends. This will be a fun run and nothing to serious.

The past four weeks I have logged only 95 total cycling miles and 29 running miles. The week of 10/23 I ran 8 miles, week of 10/30 it was 9.6 miles, and this week I will slow it down with only 5 easy miles before the race. I may throw in a road ride as there are a few 60 degree days projected for this week.

My goal for the 10k is 50 minutes. Not world record setting, but respectable for a guy who's longest run is 4.6 miles. I plan to start out slow and steady. If all is well at mile 4 I will pick up the pace. Unlike my one and only other running race (5k on 9/24 in 24:07) I plan to finish with NOTHING left in the tank. I do NOT want to finish the 10k and feel like I had more to give. The key is to determine when the right time is to GO. For a noobie this is the hard part.

While I am enjoying my running season it has brought back some old and painful memories. I use to play a lot of basketball and suffered from sever shin splints. As I have increased my running mileage I can kind of feel the twinge of shin splint pain in my left leg. Nothing to significant now, but it does bring back the memories of the burning! Time to bust out the ice and do some Shoe Research! Later.

I Double Dog Dare You........

No, I triple dog dare you to eat 12 mini KIT KAT bars then run 2.3 miles (8 min mile pace) on the treadmill. Wait, I don't dare you, I mean I DO NOT recommend you do this???? Cause I did last night and it was not pretty. KIT KATS GOOOOOOD!

Today after work I punished myself with a nice little run outside in the cold and wind. I managed 4.3 miles in 36 minutes. I battled through a toughie of a side pain at mile 1.5 that just wouldn't quit. The legs felt really good, but my pace was a bit slow. I hope to maintain a pace better then 8 minutes per for the 11/11 10k I am attempting.

I think there may be one, hopefully two, of those little minis around here some where. Later.

8 miles and counting....

I ran 8 miles last week in my three training runs. I am trying to build up to run a 10k on 11/11. I have never run more then 4 miles at one time, so this should be interesting. I figure I need to log 10 miles this week with maybe a big run of 5 miles or so. Looking at my schedule for the week it looks like Wed, Thur, Fri will be my best bets to run. Maybe today, as it is so darn nice out, but at last I am still at work and the clock is ticking.

My thought or guess is, if I can do 4 or 5 miles then 6.21 should be no problem. Uh, yeah, what he said. ??? Well, I bet I can do it, but can I do it in under 48 minutes? I better get to training. Later.

Glorious......

What a perfect birthday weekend. That is right I got an entire weekend. Hey, you only turn 25 once. Wait, Crap, I already mentioned I am 33. Poop.

So, I got the whole weekend. It went like this. Friday was work from home with my beautiful little baby girl as daycare options one and two called in sick. It was awesome. She is such an amazing little girl. We made me a Chocolate birthday cake in the morning. Then my Mom came up that afternoon and took us to dinner at the Outback Steakhouse. Steak, beers, and chocolate cake!

Saturday it was a trip to the Pearl Izumi Outlet store where I ordered me a new red Optik wind jacket. All day the wife had been mentioning I should eat light and she was in charge of dinner. Was she making dinner, ordering out, what could it be that she was sure I would be most over joyed with??? Well, we arrived home and her Mother was at our house ready to babysit. We were going to see a Movie then Dinner at Sullivan's Steakhouse!

We use to be big time movie goers seeing one or two movies a weekend. We would see all the big flicks on opening weekend. The last movie we went to was The 40 Year Old Virgin, so this was most exciting. We decided on The Departed and it was very good. I think we could have seen the worst movie ever and thought it was very good, but really it was very good.

Dinner at Sullivan's was over the top outstanding! You gotta try the lettuce wedge salad if you ever get a chance. This place is fast becoming my new favorite Steak Place.

As I reflect on the weekend it appears it was a 13,000 calorie blowout and that may be low. Let us not worry to much. I ran 3.67 miles in 30 minutes on Saturday and finally got back on the road bike this morning. It was cold, but it felt good. I was sluggish, but it felt so good. It was 34 miles at a 18 mph pace. Man I had missed that road bike.

Later.

10/27 = 33 = 174 lbs

Today is my birthday. Yeah for me! I am playing stay at home daddy today as Daycare options 1 & 2 called OFF sick. Option two gave us notice with a 5 am phone call. I technically am working too. This should be fun. :)

I am 33 years old today and as cliche as it sounds, I am in the best shape of my life, both Physically and Mentally. Things are well and times are good. I must remember that it has not and will not always be like this. These are the times to enjoy and bank for those rainy days.

Yes, those are my big thoughts of the day.

I am still planning to run a 10k November 11th, but have not done much running lately. I have logged 4.4 miles on the treadmill this week. I ran this morning at 6am before the little one awoke and I found it very difficult. Not sure why, but I suffered and it was only 2 freaking miles. I hope to get a ride in this weekend if the wind and cold subside some.

Later.

Miles and More Miles...........

2,502 Miles to be precise.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it! (i have no idea what that means?)

The obvious question is; WTF am I talking about?

GOALS.

When I started in April the goal for this overweight and out-of-shape Trek 1000 riding Nooooob was 1000 total cycling miles for the Summer. Things happened and I adjusted the goal in the middle of Summer to 2000 miles. Well, things continued to happen and I just passed by 2500 on a 35 pound Mountain Bike. Nice!

Still got a ride or two left in this season. Maybe I need to get the team of monkeys together and think about another goal adjustment.........3000 miles I can see you. Later.

This was purchased new by me off eBay in Feburary of this year (2006). It has 123 hours of use for a total of 2009 miles. The computer has never been used in the rain or dropped or damaged in any way. I have never had any issues with it. The heart rate chest strap shows wear. The candence sensor has a couple scuffs on it as well, but functions fine. This is a great cyclocomputer, but I have upgraded to a Garmin Edge 305, because that is what I do.

You get: The cyclocomputer unit, HR chest strap, Speed and Cadence Sensors, Speed Sensor Wheel Magnet, All original supplied mounting brackets, User Manual, & Original Box. The only thing missing is the Cadence Sensor Magnet as I lost it. You can pick one up from you LBS for cheap though.

Price is $85 Shipped. PayPal Only. Later.

Coffee Geek

Work took me to downtown Chicago this morning. I was looking forward to this trip because I knew I would have some time for a downtown treat. I have kind of become a Coffee Geek, not a Coffee Snob though. I like Starbucks when served by someone who knows what they are doing. Right now I am brewing Peet's at home which is outstanding. And so on.......

I seem to be on a Latte kick. So, I paid a visit to a Chicago Must For Coffee Houses, Intelligentsia Coffee, for a Latte. It was a bit pricey and undersized, the medium was only 12 oz, but it was outstanding. Plus, I grabbed me a 1 lb bag of their signature dark roast, El Diablo, and look forward to brewing it once I finish off Peet's House Blend.

Coffee is sooooo gooooood. Later.

Intervals....

I think it was two winters past when I tried to lose some weight that I regularly did intervals on a spin bike at the Y. They were hard, but doable and a great workout. Well, last night I decided to put in some treadmill time, but go at it a bit different. You got it, SPRINT intervals on the treadmill.

I find running hard, but very rewarding physically. I feel like this running thing has really helped me advanced my bike fitness.

So, the SPRINTS about made me puke. Now, maybe it was the fact I ran after dinner, but whatever they kicked my butt. I only managed 4 intervals, 2 minutes running at 9 mph then 2 minutes recovery at 4.5 mph, for a total of only 8 minutes. I did combine some light running and heavy walking after the Sprints for a total of 3 miles and 30 minutes.

What is the point? Well, this is my blog and I am not required to have a point, if I am so inclined. Or it could be, get out and run!!

OR it could be DA BEARS!! Later.

What?

I can only watch crap so long. Crap is Crap and I know crap when I see it. Hey if it looks like crap and smells like crap then it's crap. Until last night. Fourth Quater and I could take no more. Another Sexy Rexy Interception and I could take no more. A big huge fat Arizona Defensive Lineman scoring a touchdown and I could take no more. It was 29 to 10, the Bears looked really really bad and over confident, and I was off to bed.

It is 630am and the BEARS won the game? How did this happen. It was crap. Staring me right in the face all night. Crap is Crap! I am so confused. They actually won the game. I had to google the game to get the story. Wow.

FROSTY

If this were golf we would have to wait for the thaw before starting our round. Well, and sun light. It aint and we didn't. I headed out nice and early this morning for a trip to Starved Rock. It was 26 degrees when I departed with bike and bike gear in hand. It was an hour trip to the starting point so the temps had a chance to warm all the way up to the 30s. It was cold.

Met up with a couple of fellow BFNIC'ers and we hit the road at 8am. It was 40 miles that involved a couple 10% plus grade climbs through the Starved Rock area. It was an awesome change from the flatlands I have been riding all summer. None of the climbs were significant in length but 3 or 4 really took off & straight up!! I still managed a 17.3 mph avg speed for the two hour ride. Plus, I hit 40 mph on a decent around mile 25ish. Good Stuff.

All the stats you need are.......HERE.

I tried out some new cold weather gear. Pearl Izumi Therma Fleece Tights kept my legs very warm. Under Armour Cold Gear baselayer and a Nike 10/2 Long Sleve Thermal Jersey kept my core well protected. Pearl Izumi Fleece gloves did a poor job handling the temps. My fingers were freezing. PI bootes kept the toes warm. Finally I had a PI Fleece cap that kept my head warm, but not my ears. It was advertised to cover the ears, but barely did. Yes, I am a Pearl Izumi FanBoy.

I mapped out the route for us and learned two things. Dead Ends Happen. AND do not have the meeting point, also known as the start/finish, located at the top of a climb with a 14% grade in it. Great for departing, but tough at mile 40! Later.

K.O.R.

Big ride tomorrow. A small group of the BFNIC is meeting over at Starved Rock for a chilly early morning ride. Being there last weekend hiking I had a chance to notice that some of the roads running along the river and through the park are hilly. Yes, I think what I spotted could be classified as hills and not just rollers. Now, there are not any 5 or 10 or 20 mile climbs, but compared to my normal riding it should be fun. I have an untested 37 mile route mapped out and will depart tomorrow morning around 7am to meet up with the other guys.

Who will be the King of Rollers?

On the food front. I am still eating a ton, but whatever. I need to stop crying and enjoy it. I mean I have dropped 60 lbs. and remain very active. I can eat some freakin ice cream if I want too. AND Cake. I love Cake. I think it is time to let the fitday.com thing go and stop tracking it too???

I plan to run a 10k in November to keep the training going so blah blah blah blah...........there are those dots again????.......Alright already. I am out. Need to hit the mall for some cold weather riding gear. Later.

Eating Machine...........

Good thing my kitchen is filled with lowfat goodies. This was not true a year ago. It may be the only thing that saves me this fall/winter.

I can NOT seem to stop eating. I have been packing away 3000 calories a day for the past two months. Way more then when I was dropping weight like it was hot. No problem when I am riding 300 to 500 miles a month and running 2 to 8 eight miles a week. HOWEVER, I aint been that active the past two weeks.

So why am I eating so much? With my cycling season coming to an end I am confused about how much I should be eating. Will I be less hungry because I am less active? Or am I inadvertently training my system to think that 3000 calories is the right number. I need some nutritional help. We got any experts out there?

I just need to maintain my weight over the winter. Of course, I will still run on the treadmill and hit the gym once or twice a week, like last winter. Yes, I am being a big worry wart sissy boy about this eating and weight issue. BUT you have seen the pictures and I am NOT going back. I like being 177 lbs and fit.

Anyway, let me try to make myself feel better. I did another 30 miler on Monday. Ran 2.3 miles on the treadmill tonight in 19 minutes. AND I think I am going to attempt a 10k run in November as that will keep me training and motivated. OK, now I can go to bed. Later.

The End Is Near, Part Two....

I know........I was bitching about the weather last week and last weekend ended up being Sunny and 70 both days. Well, this weekend was the same. Two most outstanding days. They are coming to an end, I just don't know when. Well, according to Weather.com the end is Thursday with a projected high of 40 degrees............burrrrrrrrrr!

Saturday it was family fun at Starved Rock. Grandma was in town to watch the little one so, the wife, me and Eddie Vedder (the dog) loaded up the camping gear for a trip to Starved Rock. Yep, a one night camping trip! Hey, we are yuppie wannabees from the burbs!! Really though, we keep all the gear in a big Rubber Maid carrier so we just threw it in the car and took off.

Hiking on Saturday was great. I forgot to bring the all knowing Mr. Edge, but we did around 4 to 5 miles in 3 hours. Then it was hot dogs, beers, and smores back at the camp site. I don't know what the temp was last night, but it was freaking cold in the tent. Eddie slept in my sleeping bag and helped keep me warm. This morning I started up another fire to warm us up and brewed up some coffee in the men's bathroom. The only electrical outlet I could find! We had Starbucks Espresso blend while we literally sat on top of the fire! Good Times.

We arrived home fairly early today and the wife said, "Have a nice ride." I love this woman. She knows I get grumpy if I don't get any quality time with my bike. Plus, she had something going on later in the afternoon that would put me on baby duty (ha, i said duty). I got my time and she got her time. That is how we roll.

I rolled out in a new direction for this ride.............NORTH. Not sure why I never tired a Northern route before?? I found me a good one. Two of the roads were slightly busy with no shoulder, but over all it was solid. I even found some nice new rollers to train on. Check it out........HERE.

After the ride sure enough the wife headed out the door. No problem because I had Tivo'd the Bears game, Oh Wait, one small cute problem. I used my brains and spent the next two hours in the baby jail playing AND watching DA BEARS. I have plenty of thoughts on these BEARS, but at last I am tired from a fabulous weekend. Later.

Free GEAR!!!!

When I purchased my most awesome full carbon fiber frame 2006 Giant TCR C2 I received a mail in form for a free Giant Jersey. Well it finally came and it is sweet. However, I must say that European Large is nothing like an American Large. It does fit like a glove on me and I can NOT wait to sport it. OK, yes I am wearing right now. Later.

BFNIC Century Complete

This was a great ride. The weather was for once, all it was forecasted to be..........Perfect!! Read all you need to know and more then you want to know over at BikeForums.net.....HERE!

My Stats are...................HERE!!

As you can see, if you so choose, my total exercise time is a bit off. No I was not out there for 70 hours. The last time I used the Edge 305 was for a quick run. After the run, I reset the Edge 305 to complete that work session. I accidentally started it back up for 2 seconds before shutting it off. When I started the timer for the ride it thought it was a continuance from that 2 seconds, which was last Thursday, thus 70 hours. You follow that? Me neither.

The rest of the stats are cool and the gang. 106 miles in 6 hours at 17.6 average mph. I didn't have the Super Human Legs that showed up with me for the North Shore Century, but it was a good ride.

No time. Gotta Go. Later.

BFNIC Century............

Yeah, it is tomorrow. We are a group of roadies who hang out over at BikeForums.net. We have kinda formed our own Cycling Club. Tomorrow is our first Self Planned Big Ride. El Presidente has mapped us out a route and we will roll out the BFNIC Paceline at 8am sharp!!

I got all my stuff ready. Plenty of food and water as we are self supporting. Got the Arm and Leg Warmers out for the morning part, at least. Weather is looking real good with a forecast of 70 and SUN. Freakin Awesome for October in Chicagoland.

This ride will likely NOT be a hammer fest, but more of a social event. There are several new riders slated to show. I am really looking forward to this. A fancy Map and Stats post will follow the ride. Later.

Cross Training........

Crappy weather and work = no time to ride. I did get in a little run before dinner though. Funny, I just called a 3 mile run little. Did not push it too hard, but finished the 3 miles in 24 minutes for a nice quick workout. Legs felt good. My stomach was not so good. DQ last night and a burrito the size of my head for lunch today are not recommended for pre running food. Whatever though, I mean a guy needs a burrito every now and then.

AND cake, I do love me some cake. Later.

The End Is Near.......

I am really dreading the end of my riding season. I live in the Midwest and Winter is a part of my life and has been for 33 years. That doesn't mean I have to like it. We just passed the first day of fall and I am already depressed about the "Off Season."

With that being said, yesterday was a beautiful day for late September. I had originally planned a late afternoon 20 mile mountain bike trail ride, but the sun and light winds were calling for the Giant TCR C2. It was 70 degrees with minimal fall winds of 7 mph.

I headed out to Silver Springs State Park and back. This route actually has some hills, ok, rollers that provide a nice change from my normal flat 30 mile training route. I put in 48 miles at 18 mph in under 3 hours. Not to shabby for this noob. This was a real nice ride and likely my only one before this weekends Big BFNIC Ride.

The Ride.

Later.

It Is Official.........

I am a Runner
Originally uploaded by aham23.

My official time was 24:07 for a 7:47 pace and 12th place finish out of 35 in the Male 30 to 35 year old bracket.

Today..............

I ran.

I awoke at 7am and was registered shortly after 8am. This was my first Running Event, so I took some time to walk around and check things out. There was a kids 2k run that went off around 830am. Some of those kids were moving it. It was cool to see some parents running next to their kids offering them encouragement.

I normally do not do much warm up when running or riding. For this event I briskly walked 4 or 5 blocks and lightly ran 1 block. I really just needed to warm up the left knee and see how it felt. It was fine.

I must say I was nervous. There were a lot of people there and a lot of serious looking runners too. I did not really know how I would react around miles 2.5 and 3.

Would it hurt? Where would it hurt? Would I have to walk? Would I go out to fast?

Time to line up was called out at 845am, so I lined up. I was near the front in approximately row ten. The super fast dudes were all up front and center at the start line. Just prior to the start I noticed one of my neighbors in front of me. He is a fit guy, a runner, who completed a Marathon earlier this year. He has not been doing much running lately due to a motorcycle accident though. He said he woke up this morning feeling good and decided to give this run a go.

This start was crazy. We went out fast to get out in front and stay out of trouble. I basically followed him the first mile. I fell behind him a bit during that first mile, but caught up near the start of mile two. From there we ran side by side until mile 2.8 or so. At that point I felt really good and decided to pick up my pace.

There were two clocks out on course, mile 1 and mile 2, for split times. Both were under eight minutes when I passed. That put me on target for my goal. When I hit the final turn I spotted the clock and the official time was approaching 24 minutes. I should have sprinted full out, but did not. I crossed the finish line at approximately 24:10 on the official clock. I do not have my official time yet as they will be posted online later. The did the timing of runners without any Timing Chips and just used our numbers. I thought that was odd.

Of course, I carried my Garmin Edge 305 with me. When the Gun went off for the start I started the Edge and didn't stop it until I crossed the finish line. So, I am pretty confident in its numbers. They break down like this:

Mile ONE = 7:17
Mile TWO = 7:53
Mile THREE = 7:49
Finish = :53

5K = 3.1 Miles = 24:13



I feel really good about this run. My neighbor was impressed with my running and mentioned that with a little training I could be finishing in 21 minutes or less. That was a nice compliment. He knows where I came from, Jan 4th at 236 lbs and walking on a treadmill to Sept 24th at 177 lbs running a 5K Race.

I think I may have to do more of this running stuff as the weather turns colder. Then this winter maybe a little swimming at the YMCA. Then we will just see where we are at next Spring!! Later.

Tomorrow,

I run. My buddy has dumped me. I shall run solo. Well, I am sure someone else will be there. I just will not know them. Anyway, I will run and I will run fast. I have no idea what I am saying. Did I mention my knee hurts from all this running?

Anyone know how or what I need to do to warm up prior to this run? I am in trouble. Gotta Go. Later.

On to the Next Thing.......

5K Training time. Yes, I am running this Sunday in a 5K race. Just something I wanted to give a try. I am not out to win, but I am not out to finish last. I just want to push myself and do something I thought impossible ten months ago and run 3.1 miles at ONE time.

I really have no idea how to prepare for this event. I have done some research and received some great advice, but this is all new to me. I ran two miles Monday on the Treadmill in 16 minutes. Yesterday, after work, I did some street running with the Edge 305. This is a cycling computer, but small enough that I can carry it in my hand to track my runs.

5K Training Run

I ran the first 2.5 miles and walked the last 1/2 mile. I was getting a serious side pain and didn't want to blow up in a training run. My pace for the first two miles was really decent for me, a cyclist.

My goal for the 5K is 24 minutes, but anything under 27 minutes will be a success. I know 3.1 miles doesn't seem like much, but if you are not a runner, try it and you will think differently. I am in shape, but running is just so darn hard.

I hope to take a nice little 30 mile cycling ride this morning as my bike looks so lonely out in the garage. Then it will be a light run Friday, a light spin on the bike Saturday morning, then the big run. Should be fun. Later.

Look, very closely as these are small crappy pics, but this is the BikeForms.net Illinois Chapter representing with a stellar single file paceline!! Next we have yours truely helping to pull the crew through the winds of Lake Michigan on our way back from Kenosha, WI to Evanston, IL. Good Times. Later.

The Zone?

First, how cool is it that I can plug my routes into the blog via MotionBased.com? It is totally cool!!

I rode the Evanston Bicycle Club North Shore Century yesterday. As the map shows the route took us down the shore of Lake Michigan from Evanston, IL to Kenosha, WI, and Back. The BFNIC had a strong showing with 8 riders geared up and ready to go by 7:15 am. Six of us were gunning for the 100 mile route with the other two opting for the 50 miler.

This is a BIG ride with years of history and lots of participants. I think this was the 22nd running of the North Shore and some 13oo plus riders were expected.

Just based on the dynamics of the route area we encoutered numerous stop lights, stop signs, and turns. When we did hit a rural open road the road was crap. These were some of the roughest roads I have traveled this year (my first year of roadie life).

There were six rest stops, which I thought was two to many. The food was below par from the other rides I have done this year. I prefer more of the fresh or natural foods. However, they did have plenty of Snicker Energy Bars, Cliff Shots, and Power Gels for the taking. Some of us loaded up on these freebies and ended the ride with more food then we started with.

Now for the ride. I felt great. Physically and Mentally this was my best ride of the year. My ride time doesn't really reflect this fact, but it is true. The time issue was a result of us starting a bit slower then usual as we were all giddy with converstation. I never once suffered on this ride and hammered out (for me) the last 30 miles. The legs felt good and I thouht; "Hey, I better take advantage of this!" I did some drafting, but most of my day was spent pulling. It felt really good. It was like my summer worth of healthy eating, weight loss, and training all came together yesterday.

I should point out I did have a little mishap around mile 103. I came up on a T intersection way too fast with traffic to my left and right. I stopped, but only got one foot unclipped and down I went. Yes, I fell over. No real damage to the bike or me, well except for my pride. I was lucky enough to have 4 or 5 witness to the event :) One nice fellow ride did mention that it happens to all of us roadies one time or the other.

The Stats


Later.

Edge, Meet Century

North Shore Century 9.17.06

The Edge......Part Two

It rocks. My Two Rides.............here...............Later.

The Edge...........

Has arrived. I finally got my Garmin Edge 305 and I love it. As much as one can love a $300 dollar bike computer after only one 30 mile ride. I posted my initial review over at Bike Forums.net (here!).

I am testing out MotionBased.com for logging my rides. The Garmin Training Center software is kind of generic. It will be a nice back up though. Check out my ride today and all the 305 can track.

My Digest at MB.

Later.

My Running Friends.........

I have a question for you. As you may know I am roadie. A cyclist who has logged over 2000 miles and dropped 60 lbs this year. When the weather is crappy and I need to exercise the stresses of life away I run. Either on the basement treadmill or the fancy ones at the YMCA.

For something different I am participating in a 5k run Sept 24th with a good friend of mine. What do I need to do these last two weeks to prepare. I do not want to overt rain or under train and really have no clue how to prepare for a running event.

I am in shape. I can run three miles. My goal is 24 minutes, which may be a bit much considering I have only run outside twice this year. Plus, I have some cycling stuff in the mix too.

I ran 2 miles outside Saturday in 16 minutes. Tonight it was 2.5 miles in 22 minutes on the treadmill. Wednesday and Thursday I would like to ride to prepare for a Century (100 miles) on Sunday. Friday would be an off day and Saturday would be a light ride or run.

My question is what should my plan be next week. Obviously, I need to get at least one hard race like effort in of 3.1 miles, but when? Help me prepare. Later.

Finally...........

Got some sleep. Of course, I slept away my chance to ride this morning. Crappy weather is already moving in. That Sucks. I suck. Sleep sucks.

On a side note, last nigt while I couldn't sleep I came across this; a carbon fiber frame pump. Seems like a must have to me? Later.

Can't Sleep

Is it the wine or the beer? Really, it was not that much.

Is it life or is it death?

Is it the love or the hate?

Is it the cold and the rain?

Why can't I sleep?

Who Knew?

Back in college, say 1995, I purchased a Mr Coffee Espresso maker for my girlfriend. It was here birthday and I thought she really liked coffee/expresso drinks. I think we used it once or twice.

Fast Forward to 2006, the girlfriend is my wife of 9 years and this Mr Coffee machine has been nothing more then a kitchen counter top decoration. It has always been out on the counter, but I can not tell you the last time we used it. I would say it was back in college if I had to guess.

One more thing, I now love me some coffee and coffee drinks. I mean really LOVE me some. So, I looked up the instructions online for making Cappuccino and went to work last night after dinner.

I used Starbucks freshly ground Sumatra bold beans for the espresso. It took me two tries to get the milk to "Froth" properly. Let me tell you it was outstanding!! We even have these big oversized cappacino cups that we never use, but this Saturday the wife and me will be having a nice Venti Non Fat Cappuccino!!!! Who knew? Later.

See You Later.........

..........August. It was a good month for me. I set a new Personal Record for cycling mileage in one month. It broke down like this:

12 Rides, 472.7 Miles, 77:24:54 Saddle Time, AND 19,672 Calories Toasted.

I am running down 2000 miles for the season (started in April), which will put me way past my initial goal of 1000 miles for the summer.

I have logged 100 miles in the last three days. Tough miles as the fall winds have settled in. All three rides had a nasty headwind on the way back in. I hate that. I'ld rather have the help when coming back home!

I just ordered me one of those fancy Garmin Edge 305 bike computers things. Can NOT wait to get it next week.

Everyone have a great and relaxing holiday weekend. Get out and do whatever it is that you do that makes you happy. Later.

Enough Already.......

No more cake eating or self back slapping as it is time to get back to work. I have at least two scheduled Centuries and a 5k Run coming up in September.

Last night it was 5k on the treadmill. My time was brutal at 27:40, but it felt good. Legs were good and there was lots of sweat. When it was all said and done I felt like I could have pushed it harder or went longer. Still, why is running so darn hard? I ride my little bicycle 100 miles in six hours, so geesh, I just want to run some 8 minute miles.

Totally different topic. I have a Polar CS200cad cyclocomputer that works perfectly fine. Never had any issues with it and it provides me with all the great numbers I report here on the blog. That being said, I want a Garmin Edge 305 GPS. It seems to be the ultimate in cycling computers. I am mainly turned on by the GPS stuff the unit can spit out. It cost near $300 though. Does it ever end??

Well, this post does. Later.

Present Tense

Biggest Loser = Me, originally uploaded by aham23.

This is me as of August 26th *prior to cake eating fiasco :) *

As of this pic I was 177 lbs. Crazy. I did not do anything radical. I just woke up and decided to eat healthier. I still endulge, see cake below, and eat out, but don't get stupid with it. Plus, I am active. As in 1800 plus cycling miles of active this summer. You too can do it. You just have to want too. So get to it!! Later.

A Flash Back....

The Fat, originally uploaded by aham23.

And hopefully motivation to STOP eating cake! No really, I had plan to post some weight loss pictures and they ironically follow a cake eating post????????? Anyway, this is me Jan 9th 2006 at 236 lbs. WOW, that is some beer gut.

Must Eat Cake........

Must Eat Cake........
Originally uploaded by aham23.

I can NOT Stop Eating Cake. Can you blame me? Even the small one is delicious!!! Oh, yeah and ice cream on the side makes it the perfect dish. Must go eat more cake now! Later.

Bike Psychos

Now, that is a cool bike club name. Today, thanks mostly to my Great Wife, I was able to take part in the Bike Psychos Century Ride.

Yesterday, was a big day at our house. We had family and friends over to Celebrate my Baby Girl's first BIRTHDAY. It was a great day. She got some really cool toys and even said "oooooh" a couple of times, which is a new word for her. I had Two too many Beef Sandwiches and Three too many pieces of cake. I still managed to get out of bed, ON TIME, and head off to Coal City by 6am.

This ride advertised a 30, 50, 70, 108, & 124 mile routes. I went for the basic everyday Century (108 Miles). Registration was quick and organized. I was headed out on the road at 7am. The first 30 miles your basic flat farmland country roads. I ended up skipping the first rest stop as I missed the turn, but it was too early for a stop anyway. Every thing felt good and was good when I rolled into a rest stop around 30 miles.

Miles 30 to 50 were fun. I managed to hook up with a decent paceline and we cruised these miles at 20+ MPH. I was in the middle of the pack the majority of the time. At one point the line was 20 deep. However, when we hit the bridge to cross the Illinois River, which was a nasty long and steep climb we had only 6 left. The paceline blew up and I was off. Passed them all and made it to the top on my own. Man I do like to climb!!

Miles 50 to 70 were tough. The route got much more difficult. There is nothing flat about the roads that run around Starved Rock State Park and the Illinois River in this area. There were some nasty steep short climbs mixed in with a few tricky & twisty descents. That paceline was no where to be seen and I rode this part with one other rider I just met today. A cool dude and a strong rider who also hangs out over at bikeforums.net. This was his first Century and the conversation really helped pass the time.

Next it was my time to blow up. Miles 70 to 100. The roads were rolling up and down or dead straight into a nasty headwind. I was riding solo at this point as my new buddy and I departed ways on a nasty climb into the wind. I am sure he completed his first century and look forward to hearing his story. Man this section killed me. I had back, neck, and knee pains. Ran out of water, Cliff Bars, and GU gels. It was a toughie. BUT, I did make it. AND, I think my numbers were pretty darn good.

The Stats: 102 miles, 5:53 ride time, 6:36 total time (3 SAG stops), 17.3 mph avg with 35.1 max, 136 avg HR with 170 max, 85 avg cad with 110 max, and 4533 calories toasted.

I must go to bed now. Later.

A Quickie....

First, what is the thing they do out in the country to country roads that seem perfectly fine? Then thing were they dump a layer of gravel on top of the existing asphalt in late August. What is the purpose??

So, I went out for a quickie today between morning yard work and afternoon real work. It was to be a simple 20 miles out and back. Kind of a TT effort for me. Weather was sun and fun or otherwise beautiful.

Coming back in, say mile 12ish, I had a fall. Not a crash, but a fall. I had 1700 clipped in miles on my Trek 1000 without incident. The Giant has 300 miles on it and now, one incident.

I was on a country road approaching a country intersection. I slowed to check for traffic. I was standing because the corn is getting tall around these parts. I could see no cars to my right, but too bad I needed to go left. When I could finally see the road to my left there was a car fast approaching. I planned to slow and attempt my version of a track stand. When I did this I also veered a bit left to give me more room AND bam I was taken down by a pile of loose gravel.

The wheel slid right out from under me and I went down on my left hip, kinda hard. Laying on the ground in the gavel still attached to my bike I thought, "What the hell just happened?" then "Shit, not my new carbon beauty!"

Well, I went down on the non drivetrain side so that is good. I did manage to scratch the left brifter up a bit and the bar tape. The grunt of the fall was taken by the pedal and I am glad to say the frame came out unharmed. Thank you Carbon Gods. My Gore shorts were on their maiden voyage and did scuff up a bit, but did not tear. And my hip hurts.

A nice passing bye roadie did ask if I was ok, to which I replied, "Yes, Damn Gravel!" At least I got the fall out of the way and can continue on with my roadie career. Later.

Went running.............

OUTSIDE for the first time in years. Well, I can not even tell you the last time I ran outside. I have been doing some running when I am short on time or in the need of a change up, but it has all been on a treadmill. I would say I have managed one to two sessions a week since I started getting healthy. On the treadmill I knock out 2 to 3 miles at a time.

Tonight, in prep for a 5k event in September, I headed over to the high school to run the track. I only did two miles of running, but ran 8 minute miles. I walked a mile as part of my warm up / cool down. I normally run 9 minute miles when on the treadmill. This run was a lot more straining then past ones, but not beyond what I could handle. I really enjoyed it, but did not want to over do it so stopped short at 2 miles.

I even carried my Polar CS200cad along for some heart rate and calorie info.

The Stats: 12 laps = 3 miles (2 running/1 walking), 31 minutes, 139 avg heart rate with 175 max and 390 calories toasted.

Snooze...................

You can remove the Oswego Century from the schedule below. Not because I successfully completed it today, but because I freakin over slept and missed the entire damn ride. Adults don't over sleep, do we??? I guess IT happens. I did get in 35 miles this afternoon, but I was really looking forward to riding in this BFNIC sanctioned event. Piss on me. Later.

End Of Summer....

I dont think so. I have plenty of summer activities left on my plate. Starting tomorrow with the Oswego Century (100 mile ride) then a doulbe Metric (124 miles) next Sunday. I have two more centuries planned for September and a 5k run. Yes, a running event has made my schedule.

What the heck am I doing sitting around this morning? I got some training to do. Wait, I am off to the PGA Championship with my complimentary Clubhouse Passes first. Later.

Self Supported Suffering.....

I spent the weekend down in Edwardsville, IL riding with my brother in-law. It is a great little town with an awesome paved trail system. He rides a Giant Hybrid so we slowed the pace just a bit, but he can really move on his Mach 5. We did a 30 some mile loop Saturday and then a 35 mile out and back to Missouri on Sunday. Two really great rides.

I had today off too and decided to hit the road. You think it would be easy to map out 100 miles, but it is not. I tried to plan a nice big loop with a couple stops in various little towns to refuel. I mapped out 85 miles and left the house at 7:35am.

The route took me first to Silver Springs State Park for a potty break and cliff bar. This was at mile 24. Next it was off to Millbrook, to Millington, to Newark, to Lisbon, and to Morris for stop two at 53 miles. I found a gas station, went potty, and picked up some water and an oats bar. I ate up the oats bar and a Hammer Chocolate Chip bar, which was outstanding, and headed out.

Miles 1 to 53 were good for me. The legs felt great. The neck and back felt great and the mind was positive. Miles 53 to 86 were not so great.

As I departed Morris around 11am the sun out in full force. Although, the temp was decent at around 80 degrees. I was headed North to Plattville and the wind was right in my face. Maybe 10 to 15 mph, but it was steady. Heading North was a long, straight, boring route, but it was the only low traffic option out of Morris in my direction. During this run the legs, neck and back started to stiffen up. I really had no choice, but to power through it. I mean this was self supported tough guy solo stuff!!

I rolled into Plattville and stopped at mile 70. At this point I was low on water, but could find no options for a fill up. Note to self, buy more water at the the Morris stop next time. A few quick stretches and I was off, headed for home.

Sweet mile number 86.4 was when I rolled into my driveway. Almost a century on a lovely Tuesday morning. Now, you just can't beat that! Only had two adjust the route once when one of the roads I marked for travel was full on gravel.

My Ride Stats: 86.4 miles, 5:08 ride time with 5:43 total time, 16.8 mph avg with 29.8 max, 95 avg cadence with 133 max, 133 avg heart rate with 161 max, and 3761 cals toasted.

Plainfield to Silver Springs to Millbrook to Millington to Newark to Lisbon to Morris to Plattville to Plainfield.

Another State

Another State
Originally uploaded by aham23.

My Summer of Cycling has taken me to Five States so far. Here my new Giant TCR C2 sits at the Illinois / Missouri Border. It is the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge slash Historic Rt 66. The ride was 35 miles and this bridge is 1 mile long and crosses the great Mississippi.

I Will Miss You

The Cash
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Oh, beloved 2005 Trek 1000 I will miss you. With you I shed 50 pounds, found carbon, developed feelings for lycra and bubble baths. Yes, you were very good to me. Bye Bye.

Carbon Friends

Carbon Friends
Originally uploaded by aham23.

I thought my new Carbon 06 Giant TCR C2 need some carbon friends. Plus I had some cash that was just burning a hole in my pocket.

For Sale

It will be sad to see her go. She was my first love, but I have found Carbon. Oh, I love Carbon.

2005 Trek 1000 with Shimano 105 Upgrades is on the market.

Later.

FIVE FOR FIVE

I have had my new ride for five days. I have been on five rides. I can not stop riding my new bike. I love it soooo much.

Five Days, Five Rides, 133 miles.

I am really enjoying it. The full carbon fiber frame just eats up the road. Very little road makes its way to me. Only issue is the seat. It is ok, but may produce a little to much pressure in that special area on any ride longer then 50 miles. I think I see a Specialized Toupe in my future.

The real question is, will day six bring ride six?? Later.

Oh Yeah........

My new Ride
Originally uploaded by aham23.

That is pure, full, Carbon baby. My new ride is a 2006 Giant TCR C2. The frame is full carbon with a carbon fork. Throw in Ultegra Parts and Mavic wheels for sweet rig. Time for a ride no matter how sick and sore I am. Later.

Ass Nirvana?

The Seat
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Only Time Will Tell.

Giant TCR C2

Giant TCR C2
Originally uploaded by aham23.

The OCP Shot.

The Giant Has Arrived

Giant TCR C2
Originally uploaded by aham23.

My Turn.........

Yesterday, just as the wife started to recovery and get out of bed, I get hit with this evil sickness. I went to bed Sunday around 3pm. I felt like I was going to vomit all night long. Today is a bit better, but I had to call OFF work and still feel very weak, tired, sore, and nauseous.

This whole past week with the In-Laws and the sickness is bumming me out. I needed 50 more miles to top 500 for the month of July. No rides for a week and the month is over.

Good news is Kozy's called and my new rig is in. I should be able to get down there Wednesday to pick it up!!!!!!! Yeah!!! Later.

Still Waiting.......

My new bike will not be ready for pickup until the middle of the upcoming week. They didn't have my color in stock and have to ship it from their warehouse. I am just giddy with anticipation.

No bike time for me since last Sunday. It breaks down like this; Six In-Laws arrived last Sunday for a week long stay. I do my best to entertain and be friendly which takes up all my time. Thursday rolls around and some type of sickness breaks out. It takes three people down, including my wife. They are pooping and puking like crazy. The In-Laws pack it in early and head out Friday morning. The wife is still in bed and has been since Thursday night. I am going on DAY 3 of baby duty (ha i said duty) and I may crack soon. How do you stay at home parents do it?

I have managed a couple of treadmill runs this week, but I miss my soon to be listed on eBay or Craigslist 2005 Trek 1000. Later.

Coming Soon.........

To a country road near me, GIANT TCR Comp 2!!

Too Cool.

Later.

Remember When?

Tuesday use to be Weigh In day. The day of the week I hoped to see results of all the hard work I had put in. Most of the time Tuesday was a good day.

For old time sakes I thought I would step on the scale today and report my findings. Don't get me wrong, I am still watching what I eat, riding, running, and stepping on the scale, but just not making a production of it anymore.

OK, 183 pounds. Quick math will show that to be a 53 lb weight loss for me since Jan 2006. Not too damn shabby. Later.

Recover, Race, Recover

Wow, a week has passed since RAIN and my last blog entry. Time can really fly bye when you have to be an adult for a while.

Anyway, I finally got back out on the bike this past Friday. Five days after the big 160 mile RAIN, so I guess I can't call it a recovery ride. Plus, I was recruited as a last minute replacement for a team triathlon event and went out to hammer it. My summer has been spent focused on endurance events and Friday was my only chance to train, even though it should have been recovery. Are you following this crap?? The ride sucked. It was windy, rainy, and my legs were hurting. I had very tired and heavy legs, but I got in 30 miles.

On to Saturday. The event was a team tri and the bike portion was 24 miles of mostly flat rural roads in Central Illinois. Since this was a team tri each member needed to produce a max effort. No holding back or pacing. My job was to ride hard and fast. I did, for me, that is. I was hoping to maintain a 18 mph avg for the course. With no time trial training I thought this would be achievealbe, but still difficult.

I must say this Roadie had a lot of fun doing the team triathlon. I really enjoyed racing and the rush of passing people. I did very well, for me. I managed a 20.1 mph pace for the 24 miles with a time of 1:14. I kept my heart rate up with an average of 162 bpm. With no drafting and a head wind for 12 miles I was pleased with my results. There were plenty of studs at this event though. My time was 112th out of 270 riders.

I was back out on the road Sunday as the weather begged for it. I had no plans for distance or time or the flat rear tire at mile 15. My first flat and it had to be on the rear!! I carry what I thought was the needed items for such an event, but I was wrong.

I had no real trouble removing the tire and punctured tube. I checked the tire for any debris and it was clear. I inserted the new tube and all was going well. I have a fancy CO2 inflater and carry 3 CO2 cartridges. It appears I was carrying three bad cartridges. As soon as I installed them they shot out cold air and were done. Empty with nothing to give. One, two, three.........Nothing, no air in my tire at all.

"Honey, are you busy???" Luckily the best wife in the world agreed to run my floor pump out to me. After a 45 minute delay I was pumped up and headed back home on the bike. Yep, I didn't let it get me down and finished out a nice little 30 mile ride.

Doing the math I got in 80 plus miles this weekend. I have a metric century on my schedule for this coming weekend. It is crazy how much a 32 year old man can enjoy riding his bike. Later.

RAIN

The Ride Across Indiana is done. After this year I think their slogan should be; One Way, One Day, 160 Miles, 100 degrees.

This weekend was the hottest weekend of the year to date for the Midwest. It was 85 degrees before we even got started and that was at 630am. The temperature hit 90 degrees very early and I am guessing it topped out around 95 or so. On the bike with pure sun beating off me and the asphalt it felt like 100+ degrees. Yes, I am trying to tell you it was freaking HOT.

Psimet2001, my buddy from BikeForums.net, invited me to do RAIN with him this year. He needed a suffering partner and for some reason I eagerly accepted. We departed town Friday afternoon from the Burbs. He had his car loaded with any and all cycling gear that we could possible need. Wait, did I mention it was hot? He did not get that memo and forgot to pack his water bottles, so we had to make a quick stop at Performance Bike. It is hard for some of us, me included, to just go in and out of a bike shop, but he managed this feat somehow.

July 15th, 2006, RAIN, Ride Across Indiana, 7am departure from the Illinois/Indiana border.

I think I have a riding hangover and am finding it difficult to recall all the details of this event. Anyway, we arrived at the start around 645 am, unloaded, then headed up the road to get in line. There were already hundreds of riders present and waiting for the police escort to roll out. The shear number was intimidating for this noobie.

The clock struck 7am and we rolled out slowly eastward directly into the still rising sun. I was nervous about my skills in such a big crowd, but all was good. I was surprised to see no mishaps of any kind as we rolled out.

The surprises kept coming as we started out very fast. The speeds were in the 20s and I could not help to think, "Hey we got like 150 miles to go, can we slow this train down??" We didn't and the first 60 miles flew bye. I think our average was around 20 mph at the 60 mile mark/rest stop. I felt good at this point, but knew the suffering was soon to come.

I just recently obtained my roadie card. This summer my longest rides have been two centuries, one metric, and a couple of just for fun 50 milers. I have been running this summer and did have over 1000 total miles coming into the event, but I was worried what miles 100 to 160 would bring.

Suffering. They brought suffering. Especially the last 30. I feel like I handled the heat well, until this last 30 miles. My legs were good, but my stomach was going crazy and my heart rate was low for the effort I was putting in. I had no dizziness or light headedness, but my heart rate was holding at 100 bpm during the last 15 miles and I felt like I might toss my cliff bars at any time. I drank, I drank some more, I paced myself, and I controlled my thoughts to positive ones AND I finished. No tossed cliff bars, no dizziness, no light headedness, just stomach issues and a low heart rate. Did I mention it was really hot?

The ride was very well ran and organized. The four rest stops were well stocked with the basics and all the volunteers were very nice. Speaking of volunteers Psimet2001 recruited The Sarge to drive our PSV. He treked across Indiana at 20 mph, took tons of pics (surely you will see these later on), found the best parking spots at the stops, gave encouragement and always had the car waiting for us with the A/C on MAX. We don't finish without The Sarge. He is one cool dude.

We finished in 12 hours and 25 minutes. I am proud of that too. We had seven total stops; 4 RAIN rest stops and three of our own. Did I mention it was hot?

My ride stats: 159.1 miles, 9 hours 22 minutes 33 seconds of ride time, 16.9 mph avg with 33.7 max, 84 avg cadence with 116 max, 129 avg HR with 171 max, and 6548 calories burnt.

I guess it is time for a recovery ride? Later.

RAIN = Done

RAIN = Done
Originally uploaded by aham23.

One Day, One Way ,160 Miles, 100 degrees.

That is or was the ride slogan, Right?

More Coverage to come.

Later.

RAIN

RAIN Ride
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Rider # 433 has completed RAIN!!

ready, set, RAIN

ready, set, RAIN
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Gearing up for One Way, One Day, 160 miles................RAIN.


Weather is looking to be nasty. 86 degress with 30% chance of summer time thunderstorms.

Crap, I need to pack my RAIN coat. Later.

The Training.....

Well, it is not really training. I mean I don't think I have put enough time in to call it training and hope I do not insult those who do, are, and have actually put in training time for their goals.

All that being said, it is kinda fun to pretend like I am some super professional athlete training for the biggest event of his life. O.K., my too little too late training beaks down like this; 33 road miles Sunday, 3 miles on the treadmill Monday, and 55 road miles Wednesday.

Think about this, my longest training ride before I attempt RAIN equals ONLY 1/3rd of the RAIN distance. Wow, that just freaked me out. I am currently freaked!

Anyway, the ride last night after work was solid. My goal was to go steady and straight through without stopping. The legs were good and stamina wise I felt great. I did have to stop at mile 40 for a 5 minute potty break. Otherwise, it was a steady paced 17 mph avg ride with low, for me, heartrate average of 125 bpm and three hours of saddle time.

I experienced my normal neck and shoulder tightness/discomfort. I practiced some on the bike stretching and think the key to this is plenty of pre-ride and during ride stretching. I have been experiencing a new lower back into the butt pain too. I plan to manage this issues on the road the best I can. Heck, it is cycling, and suffering is part of the FUN!!

Today, is an off day. I know, an off day, but I have barely been on??? I still have to be smart about this and not over do it. Maybe a short ride Friday, then it is RAIN time. Later.

Almost Gone

Almost Gone
Originally uploaded by aham23.

So, I only managed one ride of 33 miles while I was there. I have only DAYS left before the big RAIN ride. One Way, One Day, 160 miles. I am not ready. I need to log a big ride and log it soon. It is raining this morning and not looking good weather wise. I am begining to worry I will not be ready. Time to run, I guess. Later.

The Sunset

The Sunset
Originally uploaded by aham23.

The wife captured these pics our first night.

The Bay View

The Bay View
Originally uploaded by aham23.

We stayed at Westwood Shores, just north of Sturgeon Bay. It was on the bay and very beautiful.

Cave Point

Cave Point
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Door Co, WI.

To Hill Or Not.

To Hill Or Not.
Originally uploaded by aham23.

At the 15 mile turn around I had choices to make. The Hill to the left looked nasty steep. I should have given it a try, but opted for downhill.
The roadie in me regrets it now.

Wisconsin Ride

Bay Shore Drive
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Door County was beautiful. I don't see too many open, no traffic, country roads in the Burbs.

Twenty Seven Minutes.......

Finally, I managed to run 3 straight miles on the treadmill. I have been crapping out around 2 miles with 2.5 being my max run. Twenty-Seven minutes for 3 Nine Minute miles makes me happy. My fitness level is so far beyond what it was in January when I could not run one single mile.

I am headed up to Door County, Wisc., this weekend for a little get away. I hope to squeeze in two road rides. I have one 40 miler planned out for sure!! If the weather is nice it should be very scenic as it runs along the Bay and the Lake. I plan to take plenty of pictures to blog.

The running and the riding this weekend will be my base for the RAIN ride. July 15th, One Way, One Day, 160 miles. I hope I am ready. Later.

4th Metric

I rose early this morning to head out and take part in the JBC Plainfield 4th Metric. I was registered and on the road by 6:40 am. There were only 4 or 5 other cars in the lot. When I finished around 10:40 am all the lots at the High School were full.

This was an organized ride, but because I departed so early and it being a holiday (all my Bikeforum.net Buddies were busy) I rode it solo. I passed some people and got passed by others, but I trudged this 63 miles alone.

The route was basically flat with a couple of rollers here and there. It was a rural route with light traffic and three rest stops. It was 70 degrees with 98% humidity when I hit the road.

My goal was to hammer it, as much as I can hammer it, and post a nice time and average speed. Something I could use in the future as a gage on where my fitness is. The 30 miles out to Morris were great and fast for me. Uh, when I made the turn back I found out it was due to a nice little tailwind that now was a head wind. Miles 35 to 50 solo into this wind were lonely and tough.

I recovered somewhat at the last rest stop and actually felt good at the end. I finished up just in time as it is nasty hot and humid out right now. The Stats: 63 miles, total time 4 hours 5 minutes, ride time 3 hours 38 minutes, 17.3 mph avg with 30.3 mph max, 140 avg heartrate with 161 max, 91 avg cadence with 113 max, and 2953 calories toasted.

Now off for some July 4th Barbecue. Later.

Goal

I like setting goals. I really like reaching the set goal. I really, really like exceeding my set goals. Before I dropped 50 lbs and exceeded every dreamed up weight loss goal I had, I set myself a cycling goal.

At 230 lbs I thought I should shoot for 1000 miles on the bike this summer. Well, I am at 32 rides for 1020.9 miles as of today. Goal achieved. Time for a new goal? No, I don't think so. I am just going to keep riding and let the miles rack up. Miles of fun and miles of calories burnt!! Then I will be able to set a goal for 2007.

I have the Plainfield Metric (62 miles) ride tomorrow morning. I plan to hit it early to finish early so I can spend the rest of the 4th with my family. Let me NOT forget that July 15th is the RAIN ride; One Day, One Way, 160 Miles. Throw in a trip to Door Co, Wisconsin, next weekend and my hopes for another century late this month and July should be my biggest mileage total yet.

Anyone watching Le Tour on OLN? Some of these beginning flat stages can be boring for me, until the end sprint. However, Three days into the event and I have seen every minute.

Later.

I Bid You Adieu

Mr. Ullrich, Mr. Basso, & Mr. Mancebo, despite you being Le Tour favorites for the General Classification, you must go. Bye Bye, as my 10 month old daughter likes to say. Read the full story here and here on how Le Tour gets tough on Dopers. The race is still on tomorrow, Right? Later.

I was just runnin.....

I have been short on time the last two nights with the wife at a conference, the Mother-In-Law in town for daycare, and me on night time baby duty (ha, I said duty). I must still exercise and it has been after baby bedtime treadmill running. My treadmill is some peace of crap $300 dollar cheapo, but it works. I did 2 miles running & 1 walking Monday and 2.5 miles running with .5 walking tonight. Not too shabby for a wannabe cyclist. Maybe I hit the 5k running mark tomorrow night?? Peace out. Later.

The Perfect Route...

Gmap is soo totally cool. Here is the route from my Saturday ride. Just for kicks. Later.

The Route

The Perfect Ride.......

I think I had the perfect ride Saturday morning. I left the house at 8am, the weather was perfect at 60 degrees, sunny, and CALM. It was so darn nice I wish I would have had my digi camera with me. A total flip flop from my "Busted" ride on Thursday.

To top off the perfect weather my body cooperated fully and I felt the best I have ever felt on the road bike. The Ride Stats: 47.8 miles, 2 hours 40 minutes, 17.9 mph avg with 29.3 mph max, 89 avg cadence with 111 max, 137 avg heart rate with 163 max, and 2094 calories toasted.

It looks like I will be signing up to participate in RAIN. Ride Across Indiana, 160 miles, one way, one day! I need some training and gear tips. Feel free to tip away. Later.

Busted....

This morning I put off work and geared up for an 8 am ride. It was overcast, but I didn't think twice about it. Three miles out it gets really dark. Four miles out the lightning starts and the skies darken more. Six miles out the rain starts. Why didn't I turn around? Seriously, I should have turned around.

Sure I was heading west directly into the storm front, but to the south it looked clear. I thought I could get past the front and all would be good for the planned 30 mile pre-work ride.

The rain came Hard, Heavy and COLD. I had to park it behind the biggest country tree I could find. The tree actually provided nice cover from the rain and winds.

With NO signs of clearing, and heavy thunder and lightning, I had to call for help. "Honey, can you come pick me up?????" Right at baby nap time she packed up and rescued me.

Now I am at work, it has cleared, the sun is out, and temps are going back up to the 80s. DAMN YOU evil rain doers. Later.