OK, this may seem like a strange way to write about a new riding experience, but bear with me. Sometimes I’m amazed at how many dead people surround us. I am referring to cemeteries and burial grounds. Not the large, obvious ones in cities and towns, the ones with chapels and mausoleums and landscaping and caretakers sheds and fancy iron gates and smoothly paved access roads. I’m referring to the small, sometimes private family ones, out in rural areas, just an over grown gravel or dirt drive to a few dozen headstones. Often partially, sometimes completely hidden by overgrown vegetation. Seemingly neglected for ages, yet maybe not. They are there, and yet not there. They barely register on the consciousness. I found one today on a bike ride. And the funny thing is.. there’s a sign pointing right to it.
The access lane is less than a quarter mile from me and I’ve been past it a dozen times on my runs up Fork Rd. Until today I never saw the sign.
There’s nothing quite like a week in snowy Cleveland in January to kill the workout buzz. In the wake of a solid month of winter maintenance and a build up to the Hardcore 100, I haven’t really done anything since. I flew instead of driving, so there was no chance to ride, although with snow in the air and on the ground nearly the full five days I was there, I wouldn’t have been riding anyway. I stayed with a co-worker instead of a hotel, and had access to a treadmill, but didn’t use that either. Despite being ‘cleared’ to run, I have not yet picked up my new shoes, and am hesitant to start back up without having solid soles (heh.. that’s like a mix of Solid Gold and Sole Train – but not) underneath me. Since I’ve been back I’ve managed one swim and one trainer ride. So I guess there isn’t much sense in posting this. Except that despite the lack of activity and a general willingness to pig out while on the biz travel, I’m still on track with the weight loss. I was making up the calorie debt from the previous weekends riding, so most of the excessive eating was really just bringing myself back into balance. I didn’t lose anything but I didn’t gain either.
Finally getting around to having enough time to blog about the Hancock Horizontal Hundred. I am very very glad that I made the trip back to Ohio to get this ride in. Got quite a dose of reality about where I am in regards to Ironman bike training. Most of the reality is good, but there are definitely some concerns, one in particular I have not been considering much at all this year.
For the first time in a long time, I finished a century ride with significant breathing difficulties.
I guess now I can say “I.. am Specialized”. Maybe I’ll say it in a Belgian accent like Tom Boonen (but without the white powdery recreational substances). Or maybe more like Fabian Cancellara. Or… maybe just like myself. “I.. Am Specialized.”
I’m also quite possibly digging myself into a credit hole I can’t get out of.
After Wednesday’s creaky ride up to the top of Elijay climb, I figured I’d spend some time on Sunday pulling the Flyte apart, reinstalling the BB and making sure there weren’t any other loose bits. I got it all reassembled and decided to ride into Sylva for an outdoor concert series downtown at Bridge Park. It was a bluegrass group, not really my cup ‘o tea, but what the heck. The ride started out quiet, and I thought maybe, just maybe, I had it all sorted out.
A quarter mile later I found out I was wrong. Very wrong.
So much has happened in the past few weeks that I can’t even begin to figure out how to tell the story. Whatever follows is the best I can do. Of course it’s long, but this is a pretty big deal. Huge in fact. The hugest thing I’m ever going to write about on this blog. For some time now I’ve been dropping hints that something was up in my life. But other than a Twitter update or three, and a few briefer-than-normal posts, I haven’t said much in my journal at all. With good reason.
What’s the best way to erase the benefits of a day of physical and massage therapy? Do a duathlon first thing the next morning. The plan for Saturday was to dial back the distance of the long run, but put a good, hard ride in front of it.
Essentially – the classic triathlon bike/run training brick.
Some time ago, my fellow (and much more talented) blogger The Fat Cyclist, wrote a column for bikeradar.com. The column, entitled “Tips for Becoming a Roadie” was written from the perspective of a mountain biker who is interested in joining the road cyclist ranks. As usual, it was quite humourous and extremely perceptive.
Well what do ya know… there was actually daylight on my ride home from work Tuesday. First time in quite a while. (not counting Xmas Eve, when I went home early). I managed to leave right at about 5 pm and got most of the way home before turning on the lights. More to be seen than to see. And to mark the occasion… I got my helmet light back today.
Thanks for the feedback I got regarding aero bars. Here’s my latest thoughts:
Replacing my existing bars with aluminum bars: Exactly what I don’t want to do. If I have to replace the bars, and thus end up swapping shifters, cables, tape, etc. then I’d be more likely to go the full monty: buy an integrated base/aero bar unit, and turn my bike into a Tri bike for the year.
Setting the bars up for shifting: see aluminum bars above. The events I’ve chosen for which aero bars would be a benefit are mostly flat. Calvin’s is flat, with only a few rolling grades. Ironman Florida is about as flat as flat gets. Shifting is not a concern.
In short, I’m willing to spend money on the clip-ons themselves, even more pricey carbon bars. I’m willing to spend the time installing them properly, getting fitted, and learning to ride them. But that’s as far as it goes. The only mods to the bike I’ll make, other than installing the bars, is figuring out where to put cyclometers and HRMs. If it’s more complicated or more costly than that, given the temporary nature of what I’m doing, it’s more likely that I’ll not bother at all.
So I’ve been thinking about this whole aero-bar concept. Seems the best time to buy them is… now. Or at least soon. I’d like to start working with them on the trainer. I figure if I’m going to be training to use them on the Ironman and other triathlons, I’ll also use them on Calvin’s and the OR Brevet series.
