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.

Hello Summer!

7:26 am. It's official, let Summer Fun Begin. Later.

Am I A Cyclists?

I think the official determination is yet to be made, but check out my BikeJournal Log for June. My average speed is climbing. I have one ride with a 18 mph avg and another with 17.9 mph avg. I can turn out 30 miles like its nothing. My legs are lean and mean, but still very hairy. I might be on my way. Where's the love people? Later.

The Low Down.....

My week of vaca in Florida was awesome. I ate and drank like I was the King Of Niceville!

Check out my run:

• Subway = Twice
• Burger King
• Waffle House = 4 Times
• Red Bar
• Bonefish
• Crab Trap
• Fudpuckers
• Sonic
• McDonalds
• Outback
• AND Numerous Frozen Drinks, Beers, & Martinis

After six months of mainly healthy low fat eating this was a serious blow out. I look at it like this; It was my summer vacation and I have worked hard and deserved it.

However, it is time to buckle down and get back to it. I am back with Fitday and calorie counting. I still have weight to drop!

To my surprise I weighed in this morning at 188.6 lbs. So, I am still under 190 lbs. and gained only about a pound from the vacation blow out (to date at least). The cycling is the key to this. I put in 60 miles while in Florida and another 40 miles over this weekend. As long as I keep my butt on the bike then I can have some fun with the diet this summer.

Later.

Hello?

Hello?
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Can you see me. NO, not the old fat dude with the old fat lady, but look in the background....that's my head.

Bicycling Lane

Bicycling Lane
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Hwy 20 between Niceville and Freeport, FL. That aint a shoulder, but a designated bike lane. Florida loves its cyclist. Ride Stats will follow after I get some vaca rest.

Has anyone seen my healthy diet? Later.

The Bay

The Bay
Originally uploaded by aham23.

How sweet would it be to ride this route weekly!! Who cares if it was 90 degrees before noon.

The Ride Views

Scenic Ride Route
Originally uploaded by aham23.

The Ride View

In Action
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Vacation Time

I am soon to be headed to the Gulf Coast of Florida for some much needed vacation time. Plan is for 5 to 7 days, but this will be our first time away from Baby J, so who knows.

The wife is insisting I bring my road bike..........uh, OK, you don't have to tell me twice. I gmapped out a nice out and back totaling 36 miles. According to bike site I found this route has bike lanes on both sides, is a tree lined road, and has awesome views of the bay it runs along!!!! Should be kick arse. Later.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=227441

Bell Sweep R Helmet

Bell Sweep R Helmet
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Just showing off some near gear!

I can not stop buying gear. But hey, If I want to be a roading I got to dress the part. So I picked up a new 2005 Bell Sweep R helmet off eBay. Got a great deal on a great looking roadie helmet.

The Slip Stream

The Slip Stream
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Just showing off some near gear.

This is a small 50oz road specific Camelbak pack. It is suppose to sit high on the back to allow access to your jersey pockets. It should be good for those long solo rides in the middle of the boonies.

Mission Complete!!!!!

Since January 4th, 2006 I have been on a mission to loose weight. It started at 236 lbs. and I am currently at 189 lbs!! Yep, I have once again met another weight loss goal. Do you remember the goals? They kept getting readjusted, first 220, then 215, 210, 205, 195, and finally 190 lbs was put on the board. The train just kept on rolling.

At 6'3'' and 189 lbs. I have people telling me I look skinny! Some even seem worried that I may have lost too much. Nothing could feel better. I have done it in a healthy way. I have realized my diet was extremely poor and needed a change. I actually eat and like Spinach, Fish, and Apples now. I run on a treadmill. I can ride my bike 100 miles in one day, heck six hours! Who knew

It is crazy, 47 pounds, and it wasn't easy. I had to put the time in for exercising to jump start my loss. I had to go to bed hungry in the beginning when I downsized my portions. However, it's a science. Manage a 500 calorie deficiency a day and you will loose at least one pound a week. I tracked it all and I met the goals and I lost the weight.

I still want to drop 3 more pounds just to round off the loss at 50 pounds. However, I am where I need to be weight and health wise. I likely will continue to track calories on FitDay, but it's summer and time for fun. Time for Centuries and the weekend DQ Blizzard.

In fact next week it is time for a Florida vacation and a visit to The Waffle House and my favorite Hooters in Destin on the beach. I think I will bring the bike and ride along the coast!! Later.

My Udder Century

You can remove me from the list of people you know who have completed A century. Yesterday I completed my Second Century. Here is the ride report.

Great weather, great ride, and great people. The IL Chapter of the Bikeforums.net Cycling Culb is officially going strong. My ride went like this......I made sure to have all my gear ready the night before as my 5am wake up call would leave me with only 30 minutes to get out the door. 5:30 am depart and I arrived in Union around 6:45am. Registered and met up with the Club and awaited the rest of the gang.

Not sure what time we departed, but it was 7:15 to 7:30ish. Miles 0 to 25 were easy for me. Lots of group chatter and I felt good on the bike. First rest stop was around mile 25 and was packed with riders. Miles 25 to 45 were good for me too, but things were starting to stiffen up. I should have stretched better at this stop.

Miles 45 to 65 is were my pain kicked in. The neck and upper back were not happy with me. This was a tough stretch for me, but in the end not the toughest. The 65 mile rest stop was much needed.

I hit something around 70 to 80 miles and I am pretty sure it was a wall. I dropped off our four man group and struggled into the wind. Singal11 and the "Lurker" were nice enough to slow up and wait for Psimet2001 and I. The 80 mile rest stop was my favorite!!!

Miles 80 to 90 I felt great, but at the 90 mile mark I began to stuggle up the final hills, ok, rollers, that lead to the finish. There was a sweet long decent at the end were we hit 30 mph! I finished with Singal11, but only becuase he waited for me, twice, on this last part. We rolled into the finish at 2:30pm.

My Stats: 100.8 miles, 5:53 ride time, 17.1 avg speed with 30.4 max, 84 avg cadence with 105 max, 136 avg heart rate with 166 max, and 4567 calories burnt.

It was great meeting those who showed and I look forward to the next one.

Later

Done!!

Done!!
Originally uploaded by aham23.

The Udder is Complete.

The Udder Que Sheets

The Udder Que Sheets
Originally uploaded by aham23.

100 miles at the Udder requires two pages for the directions.

They didn't scare me soo much this time.

The Udder Century Map

The Udder Century Map
Originally uploaded by aham23.

The 100 mile Udder route took us to the lovely state of Wisconsin!!

Century Prep

Got a nice little pre-work ride in yesterday morning. It was overcast, but in the 70s with light winds. I am trying to get myself ready for the Udder Century, which is this Sunday. I am not sure if I am ready for 100 miles, but will give it a go. My legs felt heavy and tired during this ride and I have not topped 40 miles since my first century, The Sudden Century back on May 7th. Wow, I am full of excuses!!

The Ride Stats: 32.1 miles, 1 hour 50 minutes, 17.3 mph avg with 24.7 mph max, 87 rpm avg candence with 106 max, 137 avg heart rate with 160 max, and 1459 calories toasted.

Now, off to Performacne Bike for final preperations, which means purchasing more roadie gear. Later.

What's the freaking number?

Man, I have been on one serious weight loss roll. The little magic number was 191 lbs this morning. I guess two miles is the magic number for running off a weekend binge?? Really, it is simple, less in, more out, you drop weight.

Crap, I have my second century coming up this weekend. It is four days away and I see no time in my future for training. I have put almost 300 miles of saddle time on the board this month, but can I ride once a week and still tear off a 100 miles in one day? We shall see. Later.

Almost Forgot....

I did get a nice little ride on Sunday. I got out early to avoid the heat. I departed around 7:30 am and it was already in the 80s. Plus, I was in Southern, IL, which actually has some real Hills!! Besides the damn sweet burning my eyes it was a great ride. I need to pick myself up some type of sweat band to wear under my helmet.

The Stats: 37.8 miles, 2 hours 14 minutes ride time, 16.9 mph avg speed with 33 mph max, 85 avg cadence with 113 max, 143 avg heartrate with 166 max, and 1883 calories burnt.

My second century is coming up this weekend, The Udder Century, in Union, IL. My schedule looks busy this week with limited time for training, but I am still pumped for it. Later.

Tuesday Already, Part Deux??

After a long hot holiday weekend filled with the in-laws, beers, and crappy camp ground food I cant believe it is weigh-in day. Well, call it officially postponed until tomorrow. My fat arse has to get on the treadmill tonight to limit the damage. Later.

Tuesday Already?

Life seems to move so fast once you hit your 30s. Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah. OK, it is Tuesday so I weigh-in then report the results here like I have since January 4th. Let us not waste anymore time......192.6 lbs. Despite my best efforts to sabotage my diet last week I still lost a freaking pound. I think I got this thing figured out. I have put myself in a position where I can now eat a bit more then before and still lose weight. Crazy, I know. Today, I had a real chocolate candy bar and it was goooood. Don't worry, I know this stuff can creep up on you. One today, one tomorrow, and bam, 238 lbs.

As a result of the candy bar issue I had to get out on the bike. Besides the day of my century back on May 7th this was the nicest weather I have seen while out riding. Pure sun with 72 degrees and light winds. I ran the same route as Saturday to see if I could top that time. Despite running a higher heart rate average and feeling like I was kicking arse, I came in just over Saturday's time.

The Stats: 31.4 miles, 1 hr 49 mins, 17.2 mph avg with 23.2 mph max, 141 avg heart rate with 168 max, 85 avg cadence with 99 max, and 1496 calories burnt.

I love riding. Later.

My Bike Says Hello!

Got my butt, literally, out on the road bike yesterday for the first time in over a week. Excuses? Crappy cold rainy weather and stupid work and stupid bills which make me have to stupid work.

I had my first roadie encounter while on this ride. I very fit dude with aero bars came flying up on me while I was chugging at 16 mph into a crappy 15 mph headwind. We chatted a bit and I could see he wouldn't mind having a ride partner. However, this guy was serious and he dropped me before I could even try to grab his wheel. Maybe next time?

The stats: 31.6 miles, time 1 hr 46 minutes, 17.7 mph avg with 23.8 mph max, 138 avg heart rate with 159 max, 83 avg cadence with 103 max, and 1417 calories burnt.

It was a short quick ride, but I really felt it. It was a workout. I think that is my fastest average speed to date! Cool and the gang.

Ok today, no ride in sight, but we got yard work galore and car washing duties lined up. Later.

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam
Originally uploaded by aham23.

I took a ton of pics, but being under the influence (BEERS) and low light very few turned out. This one did and it is pretty cool. The band really rocked it out for two plus hours.

The set list was awesome. They played some classics from Ten and tore up the new stuff. The new album is Rock-N-Roll all the way and they seemed to play these tunes with energy and passion. Check out the set list.

Set 1: Release, World Wide Suicide, Life Wasted, Severed Hand, Comatose, Given To Fly, Low Light, Corduroy, I'm Open, I Got Id, Even Flow, Unemployable, Daughter/(W.M.A.), Present Tense, Do The Evolution, Jeremy, Save You, Porch

Encore 1: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Better Man, Come Back, State Of Love And Trust, Black, Alive

Encore 2: Go, Blood/(Atomic Dog), Indifference, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

The Beetles tune was played accoustically by Eddie Vedder, not the dog, himself. It was pure magic. In fact, Encore 1 was my favorite part of the show. A Beetles classic, State of Love and Trust, Better Man, and my all time favorite, Black. Wow, that was awesome.

Today is bike to work day! Did you remember? I spotted 4 roadies who did on my in to work this morning. I give them props as Traffic is Crazy Heavy during the Burbs Morning Rush. I mean my trip to work is 20 miles and it takes me one hour.

I didn't bike to work, but hope to bike after work. Later.

Late Reporting...

You can put it on the board..............YES!!

193.6 lbs. is the magic number for the week of May 15th, 2006. I am closing in on 190 lbs. With that being said I am poised for a let down in the coming weeks.

Maybe even next week. See, it is Wednesday and I have NOT worked out since Sunday! I have not been on the bike since last Thursday, but that mainly is do to really crappy cold and rainy Midwest Weather pattern. AND, my diet has gone to crap. Check my Fitday and you will see.

Last night I attended the Pearl Jam concert at the United Center in Chicago. It was totally rocking and kicked all forms of arse. They played for well over two hours and played some of my favorite less played Pearl Jam tunes. Black had to be my favorite of the night.

What goes with being at a rock concert? Yes, BEERS. Lots of BEERS. I got home and in bed at 1am and was up at 530am getting ready for work. Ouch, I am hurting today. Had to have McDonald's this morning to help fight the feeling and just polished off some Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch. Calories, Calories, we love Calories! It's crazy, but I feel like crap for binging or indulging or whatever you want to call it. It is like I feel if I cheat just once I will instantly gain back all the weight????

Man, I am tired. Later.

Some Funny Stuff

Very funny video I found over at YouTube.com.

Corn?

Corn?
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Nope, this farmer is growing grass. Who knew you could make a living selling grass. Lawn grass that is.

Safety First?

Cockpit in Motion
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Really, can this be safe?

On The Road Again

My Route
Originally uploaded by aham23.

With bad weather looming for the rest of the week, I sprinted out for a quickie yesterday.

The beautiful flatlands of the Midwest. From this pic would you guess I was 40 miles from the Windy City?

The Stats: 26.4 miles in 1 hour 30 minutes, 17.5 mph avg with 23.3 mph max, 81 avg cadence with 98 max, 137 avg heartrate with 159 max, and 1180 calories burnt!!

Later.

The Sudden Century Route

This is the route for my little ride this past Sunday. Also, despite most opinions there was some elevation changes. OK, not much, but still it's some. I can not take credit for the map or chart as I found them posted by GTDBiker (Mr) over at bikejournal.com. I just thought there were cool to see.

The Route, The Chart, The Post


Later.

What To Do Now?

So, I have radically changed my eating habits, began exercising regularly, lost close to 40 lbs in five months, and just completed my first century. What is a guy to do next?

Well it is Tuesday, so first I weigh-in, 195.8 lbs. Check below and see that is almost 3 lbs for the week. Then I get my arse on the treadmill after work for 3 miles of basement fun. Finally, I cook up some chicken and veggies for dinner.

In other words, I keep keeping on man. Life is good. Later.

The Story

I frequent bikeforums.net and read a lot of "My First Century" post. Well, my time has come and this is my story.

First, let me provide you a quick background. I purchased my road bike last June at a time when I topped the scales at 235 lbs. By the end of summer a long, hard ride was 20 miles and it would wipe me out. I managed around 300 total road miles by the end of 2005.

January 2006 I began what I call, "Cleansing 2006." I am eating less and healthier, running, biking and lost close to 40 total pounds, currently weighing in at 199 lbs. My longest ride prior to Sunday was 47 miles.

Background complete, now my story. I headed out at 6:30 am for Downtown Joliet, IL to sign in for the JBC Sudden Century. This would be my first group ride and first organized ride of any kind. When I say group, I mean I have never even had the pleasure of riding with one single other roadie.

I pulled into the downtown area and there were roadies, bikes, and lycra everywhere. I immediately began to get nervous or was that MORE nervous. I had preregistered so I only had to check in. At check in I was asked what route I would be doing?? The pressure! I requested the cue sheets for the 70 and 100 mile routes. Seeing my first ever cue sheet sent the nerves skyrocketing. I mean, check the pic below, it seems so confusing. I had to ride my bike 100 miles while reading the directions?

Luckily, I had planned to meet up with a fellow bikeforums.net member who was an experienced roadie. However, I was running a bit late and there were roadies everywhere. Everyone seemed to be waiting or looking around for someone. Then I spotted CyLowe97 dart off on his blue Felt in the Hampsten/Cinghiale jersey he said he would be sporting. I caught up with him and introduced myself and the century began.

I never would have finished the ride solo and riding with CyLowe97 was awesome. I learned some group riding etiquette and the fun of drafting. Just the general conversation eased my nerves and thoughts of six hours in the saddle and 100 miles!!

The weather was fabulous with sun and light winds. We stopped at all the rest stops 25, 45, 75, and 85 miles. Average stop was say 10-15 minutes with the 75 miler being the longest and the 85 miler being the shortest. I had a contact issue that required one other stop at a gas station.

Miles 45 to 75 were the toughest for me. This was a loop out in the middle of no where that lead us from the rest stop then back to it. My neck and shoulders really began to tighten up and ache. I have a chronic neck/shoulder issue and figured it would be the one thing to limit my riding. I managed not to panic and once we stopped at the 75 mile rest stop I stretched it out enough to make the finish.

I am really surprised how well my legs felt, reacted, and feel today. I never felt like I lost them, or was going to. I attribute that to the running and weight loss I have achieved over the past 4 months. I think I felt the best during the last 20 miles of the ride.

Anyway, we rolled back into downtown Joliet around 2:30 pm, I think. Despite there being NO finish line or crowd of fans cheering me on (didn't anyone get the memo, this was my First Century?) I felt a great since of achievement. I had just done something I never dreamed I could do. I road my bike 100 miles in one day!!

The Stats: 101.7 miles in 6 hours 15 minutes, 16.3 mph average speed with 26.5 mph max, 136 bpm average heart rate (71% max) with 164 bpm max (85% max), 77 average cadence with 103 max, and 4835 calories toasted.

Later.

The End

Mission Complete
Originally uploaded by aham23.

I thought a Century was 100 miles? Looks like I am an overachiever.

Stay tunned for the standard "My First Century" ride report!

Left Or Right?

How Far?
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Wow, seeing my first cue sheet I was a bit intemidated.

The Century Fuel

The Fuel
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Pre-Ride prep for my first century. Will I really eat all this while riding a bike?

Cliff Bars, GU Energy Gels, and Fig Newtons. Plus, riding gloves and cool Tifosi Riding Shades.

Warm Up

Took a nice little spin this morning as a warm up to Sunday's Century. It was cold, very sunny, and light winds. I rolled out 9 miles and headed back in. Everything felt great and I think I am ready for tomorrow (maybe?). I plan to get all the gear ready tonight and head out around 6am and be on the road by 7am.

Todays Stats: 19 miles in 1 hr 10 mins, 16.2 mph avg with 22.7 max, 80 avg cadence with 95 max, 120 avg heart rate with 157 max, and 712 calories spent before 10 am.

On The Road Again...

Finally, after 6 days off the bike I managed a little me-and-the-bike time yesterday. I know you are wondering........Yes it is still very windy in the Midwest.

I planned to get at least 40 miles in and should have done 60. See, I have a Century coming up this Sunday. Yep, a planned and organized group ride of 100 miles in one day! I do not think I have enough training or saddle time to do the full 100 miles. They do offer other routes of 30, 50, or 70 miles. I think my goal will have to be 70. We shall just wait and see what comes.

Ok, the ride, it was nice and sunny, 55 degrees, and windy! Some Ride Stats for your pleasure:

47.5 miles, 2 hours 49 minutes, 16.8 mph average with 28.1 max, 80 average cadence with 113 max, 134 average heart rate with 156 max, and 2130 calories fried.

Not too bad for a rookie. Weather is crappy and cold today. I plan some low intensity treadmill time today for recovery and hopefully a short ride tomorrow morning in prep for the Century, err, 70 mile ride. Wish me luck. Later.

It's Official....

According to CaloriesPerHour.com I am healthy.

The result of your BMI calculation is: 24.8

BMI Category: Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5-24.9 Normal Weight
25-29.9 Overweight
30-39.9 Obese
Above 39.9 Morbidly Obese

Are YOU ??

I want to RIDE MY BICYCLE!

NOW. But first the number please, 198.4 lbs !!!!!! I have made it to the promised land of sub two hundred weight! I really have no idea how I am doing it. OK, I do. Controlling calorie intake and cardio 4 to 5 times a week. Some of the cardio comes in the form of 20 to 40 mile bike rides that just eat up those evil calories.

This past weekend was crappy weather wise. With the rain and the winds I got NO rides in. Not one single mile. This is going to make my up coming Century this Sunday a bit of a toughie! I hope to get at least one 40 mile ride in this week if I can jet out of work early.

Finally Check Out My Awesome Weight Loss Run:

1/3 236
1/10 232
1/17 233
1/24 229
1/31 225.5
2/6 226
2/14 223
2/20 218
2/28 217
3/7 216.5
3/13 214
3/20 213
3/28 210.5
4/4 207.5
4 /11 206
4/18 203.4
4/25 201.4
5/2 198.4


Later.

Are you kidding me?

When I grow up I want to do this, TI v.2!

Yeah, you got it right, 320 self supported miles across gravel and B roads of Iowa. I can't wait to read the post race write ups. Later.

Weekday Ride.....

I get great pleasure riding my bike on my employers time. Anyway, I managed a nice little ride this afternoon. Little ride use to mean maybe 10 to 15 miles, but this is a new year.

The ride was 29.5 miles in 1 hour 40 minutes, 17.5 mph avg speed with 24.5 max, 138 avg heart rate with 161 max, 80 avg cadence with 98 max, and 1346 calories exhausted.

The legs felt great, but my neck and lower back were tight. I do have some chronic neck issues from years of bad posture and it was also bothering me. I did stretch it out prior to the ride and plan some more before bed. I am thinking a message may be in order to work some of the kinks out of the neck before my century on May 7th. If anything holds me down it will be this physical issue I think.

Next ride is the big one planned for the weekend. I need a solid 50 to 75 miles completed to feel good going in to the century. Ride on. Later.

That Time Of The Week.......Again

Man, as I have aged the weeks seem to fly by so fast. Heck, who am I kidding the years are zooming past me like seconds. It's Tuesday, which means me and the scale had a little face off this morning. The results were suprising to me, 201.4 was the number.

I did have a big ride and a couple of high intensity cardio sessions, but all week I felt a little chubby. Wow, I sound like a girl? This weight loss thing is weird?? However, it is true, I felt fat and sure I was going to gain a few pounds back, but I didn't .

I put in the work and got results. Sacrifice is the key. If you want to binge, eat out, drink, whatever it is, you got to follow it up with sacrifice. Get up early the next day and workout. Push your workouts past your perceived limits! Make it hurt. That is how you know you are putting in the time needed to meet your goals.

OK, enough of that. Work blows and will likely prevent me from riding this week. I may only get one ride in and that will be this weekend. How the heck am I going to ride a century May 7th? I may have previously answered this question for those paying attention.

Off to watch Chris sing classic love songs on AI5! Then my favorite show on TV, SCRUBS!! Later.

My Cycling Milestone

I had a goal and despite the struggles the wind presented me mentally and physically I achieved that goal. It is very satisfying setting goals, whether that be weight loss or riding, then meeting the goals despite the struggles that take place.

I am hoping to participate in a Century on May 7th. Yes, in two weeks I want to ride 100 miles in a local organized Century. Yes, 100 miles in one day. Not a race, just an organized ride with other crazy roadies.

So, I need some saddle time and headed out yesterday for a ride. The plan was to head to Silver Springs State Park then turn around and come back. It is 23 miles west of my starting point. It would be my longest ride, EVER.

It was a sunny and beautiful morning with seemingly little wind ( from my driveway that is). Temps were in the 50s and going up to the low 60s. I had on my cool new Nike 10/2 thermal long sleeve jersey and tights. I had two 24 oz bottles of Accelerade and three GU gels. I geared it up and headed out.

Once I cleared the city and hit the open farmland roads the wind said hello. Most of this ride is directly west on the way out and the wind was blowing crazy steady. It had to be steady at 15 mph with gust up to 20-25 mph. I was crawling at 12 mph into it. Does it ever get easier to ride into the wind? Maybe I need some wind riding lessons?

I had to stop at mile 15 to compose myself and motivate myself to keep going westward. I did and strolled into the park with great joy. I rode around the park a bit then took a 15 minute potty break. Then it hit me, no not the wind, but I had to go back. I wasn't home. I had 23 more miles to travel.

The ride back, mostly east, was pure speed. I was going 25 to 30 mph most of the way back. That is crazy fast for me! My legs were burning as I was totally hammering it with that tailwind. Good Times.

When I arrived home and dismounted my legs were screaming at me. Plus, my stomach was growling and I really didn't feel that well. It was weird, but I was kinda dizzy and sick feeling? My thought is I didn't take in enough carbs while on the bike. I gulped down the two bottles of Accelerade and had two GU gels. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

I showered up, had lunch, and took a nap, which all helped me feel better. Today, I feel great! Maybe even manage a short recovery ride once I am relieved of baby duty (ha, I said duty!).

The ride stats: 46.80 miles, ride time 2:48, avg speed 16.70 mph with max of 31.50, avg cadence 85 with max of 113, avg heart rate 144 with max of 164, and calories burnt 2,402

Picking Up the Pace....

Weather was outstanding yesterday here in Chicagoland. Temp in the 70s, sunny, and seemingly light winds. I couldn't wait to get home, gear up, and head out. So I did just that.

Strange thing is, that damn wind kicked up when I hit the farm land and was blowing right in my pie hole. It's all flat land out where I ride, but the wind makes it feel up hill at times. To counter the wind at 10 miles out I headed South, making the West blowing wind a minor cross wind nuisance. Ha, take that you evil wind doers.

The Ride Stats for you; 30.8 miles, 1 hour 49 minutes, 17 mph avg with 25.4 max, 83 avg cadence with 97 max, 135 avg heart rate with 156 max, and the best number of all 1375 calories sent packing. Plus, I even got a little sunburn on my arms.

I ate like a horse at dinner time, but still came in with a huge calorie deficiency for the day. That is the joy of working out.

Tonight it is a special Wife Birthday Dinner at the fancy shmancy Sullivans SteakHouse. Get your calculators ready and let the calorie counting begin. Later.

800 Club?

I am juiced to hit the 190s so I skipped out of work early (perk of being in management) and went to the gym. Had an hour as I am on Baby Pick Up Duty (ha I said duty) tonight.

I burnt up 800 calories in 45 minutes. Oh yeah, I can see the fat melting away right now. It was 30 minutes on the elliptical machine for 3.22 miles and 522 cals toasted. Then I ran on the treadmill for 15 minutes, 1.83 miles and 296 cals fried.

One banana and 12 oz of Accelerade Fruit Punch Drink and I think I am ready for more? OK, maybe not more, but I feel good.

Hopefully I can get a road ride in before the weekend. I already have Saturday booked for riding, but if I plan to ride a century on May 7th I need a ton more saddle time. Later.

The In-Laws......

Why must you make me drink and eat so much? I mean, I am on the pathway to healthyness and you just keep shoving vodka at me. Yes, I spent the Easter Weekend at the In-Laws. Really, it could have been a lot worse. I was way up in calories for each day, but what is a guy to do?

With that being said I was primed for a weigh-in let down this morning. I have had two binging weekends in a row and thought something had to give. I am still running and riding, but no way I drop weight this week.

Well, the magic scale has me at 203.4 today. Some quick math (206 last week) and that is 2.6 lbs this week. WTF? So working out 5 days a week really makes a difference. I can treat myself every now and then and not gain like 20 lbs? Who Knew???

Wait, 203.4, holy crap dudes that is sooo close to NOT being in the 200s anymore. Time to strap it in and get it done! Here I come 190s. Later.

I fought the wind.........

and the wind won! Got a nice little pre-holiday ride in this afternoon. It was 4pm and 80 degrees here in Chicagoland and it was beautiful. Got geared up and while sitting in the driveway I thought, "Interesting, no wind. This ride is gonna kick arse!"

Did I say geared up? Yeah, I have gone full blown roadie. I had a nice new Pearl Izumi Jersey and Performance Ultra Lycra biking shorts on and I looked good. Plus, I got my new Tifosi Q3 Fototec Road Riding Shades. Check them out here. Plus, I had two Polar water bottles filled with Accelerade Fruit Punch Sport Drink. Plus, one time at band camp..........what? Never mind. So, I was geared up!

I hit the road and the wind hit me in the face. It seemed to be waiting for me, just hiding or lurking around until I made my move westward. It had to be blowing a sustained 20 mph with stronger gust. It would move me and my bike. It was the hardest 13 miles I have ever done. I could only muster 11 mph into that beast of a wind. I felt like I was climbing an Alp, or not, but it was not easy for me.

AND then, I made the turn for home. Sweet tailwind I miss you already. I was humping it at 25 mph for most of the ride back home. All in all, twenty-six miles later the gear was awesome, the workout was awesome, and I feel awesome.

How about a Survivor note? Terry is the cocky one? Heck no, those six are the most arrogant and cocky alliance I have ever seen. Go Terry!

Later.

Tuesday is Scale Day

Yes the work Biggest Loser Contest is over and I am the official winner, but life goes on. I got goals and the quest to be a lean, mean, cycling, running, and maybe swimming machine. So come with the number...... 206 lbs. !! It is still moving in the right direction.

Weather has been awesome, but work has not. I hope to skip out early one day this week and get a nice 40 mile road ride in. If not the bike will be traveling with me this holiday weekend. I did hit the treadmill here at home for 3 miles tonight. Ran two nine minute miles and walked one mile.

Later.

What Gut?

What Gut?
Originally uploaded by aham23.

Still like me some beers, but just got smart about it. What to you think? How is my progress? Pictures are worth a 1000 words or in this case about 30 lbs. Later.

Almost There!!

Almost There
Originally uploaded by aham23.

April 9th 2006 and I have shed 30 pounds. Weight is 205 and still dropping.

The Fat

The Fat
Originally uploaded by aham23.

BEFORE, the profile shot. Holy crap that is one serious gut.

How about some After shots you ask? SOON you shall see the payoff, to date that is because this diet tran is rolling towards 190s. Later.

It Happens.....

The BINGE happens. I have been hardcore dieting since Jan 4th. I have had miss steps and I have fallen of the wagon, but always manage to get back on track, ASAP. In fact, most of the poor diet choices I have made were planned out. I mean, you gotta have some Chicago Pie (pizza, get you mind out of the gutter) every now and then.

The points is, last night I attended a Jimmy Buffett Party at a resort in the Burbs. Yes, Jimmy Buffett means frozen drinks and Corona Beers. Not real sure of my final number, but I estimated close to 5000 calories for the day. Who freakin knew a Mai Tai had so many calories???

Prior to the party I did three miles on the treadmill. Today I put in a 26 mile road bike ride. See, we can endulge or binge every now and again, but we got to be smart. Plan your binge. Enjoy the binge. Then get right back to it.

Anyone catch the Paris Roubaix Race on OLN today. Just finished watching it (TiVo) and WOW it was exciting . Poor freaking George Hincapie. His bike broke? How does that happen. His handle bars just broke and were dangling in the wind at 30 mph. He could do nothing, but fly over the top of the bike. I can not find any info on his current condition. I hope it is not too bad. Alright, I am out. Later.

Tough Week So Far.......

Working out this week has been tough. My body is really sore and may be trying to tell me something? Let me retrace my recent steps; Saturday = 14 mile mountain bike ride, Sunday = 3 miles on the treadmill, Monday = 600 meter swim followed up with 1.5 mile run, Tuesday = 1.25 mile dog walk, Wednesday = 30 mile road bike ride, and Thursday = Nothing as I actually had to work a regular day.

On my 30 miler yesterday my neck and shoulders were super stiff and it was uncomfortable. I have not swam since last winter so It could be soreness from getting back in the pool. I say that like I am or was some accomplished swimmer?? I mean I swam some a year ago when I tried to get healthy for 2005 Summer.

Needless to say my neck, left shoulder / arm area are sore today. This is an old issue for me as the left side is a chronic pain giver. Years of bad posture got me all out of whack. I think doing nothing today is the man cause for my legs barking at me so loud. I needed some type of recover ride, run, or walk after doing my all time one day high 30 road bike miles. I aint no Jeff Kerkove, but we all need to recover.

The diet has been solid this week, so far. Jimmy John's for lunch racked up over 700 calories, but I still kept my daily total around 2000. It's weird how I kinda feel guilty when splurge and eat out. It was only 700 calories, but deep down I think I wished I had my normal low fat sandwich and yogurt.

I am out. Later.

And The Winner Is........

me you big silly goof! the work biggest loser competition is over. i am the proud winner of a totally new healthy lifestyle and $150 bucks of my co-workers hard earned money. it feels good.

my at home weigh-in for today is 207.5, which is a THREE POUND loss this week. the stuff is just melting away. ok, not really, i have been working my butt off, literally! yesterday it was a 600 meter swim followed up with a 15 minute treadmil run for 1.5 miles. yeah, i may be gearing up for some mini (sprint) triathalon action, but i got to see how the swimming action affects my bum left shoulder.

this train is going to keep on rolling down the tracks. i have a readjusted, for the third time, weight loss goal of 190 lbs.! that is soo crazy to type, but i did and i will and i can, cause i will.

i have lost 28.5 lbs since January 4th. it took a total health melt down and fast food binge and work contest to get me started. i track it all! every single calorie that goes into my mouth and i do it with my normal obsessive nature. i love it. fitday rocks. i work out at least 30 minutes 5 times a week. i burnt 6000 calories riding my bike over 100 miles in the month of March in Chicago.

my clothes don't fit anymore and i love it. hey, this past weekend i picked up a medium sized Nike Dry Fit running shirt! yes, a medium!! a size i have not seen since high school. running shirt? not sure which is more unbelievable, me wearing a medium or me running?!? who knew.

the biggest reason for my success is the support of my wife. she has been on weight watchers plan this entire time and lost 20 lbs. her workout time is much more limited then mine, but together we have stuck to our new eating habits and pushed each other beyond our known limits. good times man!

i am telling you that you just need to get started. get on the train and stay on the tracks. you can find that healthy lifestyle and weight loss success you search for. you can do it!!! later.