Perfect weather

No wind. No humidity. And "low" temps in the upper 60's. Almost chilly!
And I had fresh legs this morning. There was spring in them.
SO I managed about 140 miles last week on the bike. So this month it should be around 100,100, 140, 140. Not too bad for a first month.
And I was at 163 this morning, so my body has finally given up fighting me and decided that I am serious, and the weight is coming off. But it's taken 3 weeks. Wow.

Plague of Locusts

Would you believe flying ants!!
They were awful.
For the last 15 miles I biked through an imense swarm of flying ants, and unfortunately I didn't have sun glasses with me because it was so cloudy.
I was pelted with bugs and two flew in my eyes. Eventually I just tilted my head and helmet down and looked only at the road in front of me.
20 years of riding and never encounted this.
It was biblical!
I did get 30 miles in. Humid at 90% but not hot.

Rain

Most serious cyclists who work during the week know to always go long on Saturday in case of rain on Sunday, and this weekend is proof of that.
It's cloudy with thunderstorms all around the metroplex -- so I will have to wait this out. At least I did 50 yesterday, and truth be told I am still dehydrated as I weigh 163 and my water % is 56.5.
If the weather doesn't change I'll swim.

Saturday Dehydration

Weighed 164.8 before the ride and 162.8 after -- lost 2 pounds of water weight today as I didn't drink enough. The evidence was in my camelback; not enough water gone. I need to be more careful out there.
But it was our fastest 50 miles yet, at 16 mph. We averaged 17 mph for the first half as the wind was behind us.
Came home fast and strong but had no strength the rest of the day today. Just sat on the couch and read the latest Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child -- a PERFECT airplane book. Fast. Absorbing. And fun. Every man secretly wishes he had Jack Reacher's skills. And that's why he sells. Of course it took a front cover NYTIMES book review of One Shot to light the fuse after 8 books or so. But then he took off like a meteor.
Will attempt another 50 tomorrow, sans John and see how it goes.

testing mobile blogger

It has taken me umpteen tries to enable me to blog from my phone, but I thought maybe it had to do with the fact that I didn't have javascript enabled on my blackberry. How to do that? A quick google search led me the bb forum and the answer.
Don't you just love the internet!

Casual Friday

The famed Texas wind returned this morning, after a week's absence. Typically the summer wind comes due south. Did I mention I hate riding into the wind? Lance said in one of his books that Texas was the second windiest state in the country. He didn't say what the first was (Alaska?).

Since no good exercise deed goes unpunished I woke up at 5AM with my right forearm throbbing a bit from my dual swim workout yesterday. When I woke back up at 6 to bike it felt fine. Go figure. Swam to mostly Beethoven last night. Swimming goes much quicker when you are listening to music as it's pretty boring under water otherwise.

Thursday swims

Swam with the swim team this morning. Well I started at the same time, 6:30 AM and was in the same pool, but that's where the simularity ends. And they swam for 90 minutes and I did 30. But I was swimming.
Then I got invited out to a mexican lunch where I indulged far too much and decided to swim another 30 minutes when I got home. I can't remember the last time I have done that, but it felt good and wasn't too taxing. I think it may continue it. And yes, another day without chocolate. No big deal. Scale this morning said I lost a half a pound. No wonder people on a diet give up! I have exercising reasonably for almost 2.5 pounds and lost 1/2 pound, and haven't been increasing my caloric intake. Strange but true. I should end this week at about 140 miles on the bike for a total of 10.5 hours of exercise. That should have burned off 5000 calories or about a pound and a half. But it doesn't seem to work like that. My body seems to have adapted and is holding on to what it hs. It may take the ragbrai to really shock it.

fresh Legs

Fresh legs today as it was one of those rare days where I felt fast:
relatively speaking, which is to say fast for me. 16mph for the hour and
I didn't draft John, who joined me today at 6:15 am. I have fresh legs
about once a month, and today was the first time in a while. Had them
the third day of the ragbrai last year and the first day of riding in
italy last summer. It's so infrequent I remember them year to year. And I can never
explain it.
And yes, day 2 w/o chocolate yesterday passed w/o incident. Can I do 30?

Tuesday Swim

Relatively easy 30 minutes. A few overtures by Rossini (The Barber of Seville, The Thieving Magpie and three Beatle songs and by the time US Blues came on by the Dead my 30 minutes were up. When I left for work the swim team was still at it, about 1 hour and thirty minutes in. I haven't swam that long since my aborted effort to join the swim team in highschool. The coach wouldn't let us swim with goggles and chlorine really affects my eyes. I get a red halo surrounding my vision for hours after. I quit the team just shortly after it was announced that I wouldn't be making the squad anyway. It was only connection to organised sports in school or college, but it did cement a feeling that I disliked the system. There was no room for someone who enjoyed the sport (and needed goggles). But hey, I wonder how many of those guys in HS have done 4 marathons, a half ironman and countless centuries on a bike.:)

30 Days no Chocalate - Day one

I am cutting out all candy -- cold turkey -- to see if it makes a difference. Day one. It wasn't hard, but it wasn't easy either.

Monday

Normally a rest day after a long weekend of riding but I'm sure I will pick up a rest day during the week. Spun a casual hour and felt a little sluggish at the start but decent at the end. Still only averaged 13.2, same as yesterday. Absolutely perfect day. NO WIND. Obviously I am one of the slowest people out there, but I was never fast. I was born slow. The only place I have ever had speed in on the tennis court. I had a good ability to chase down balls. But otherwise I am a slow swimmer (40 minute miles) a slow runner (10 minute miles) and obviously a slow cyclist. Yes, The World's Slowest Triathlete! I just marvel at people with speed.

My first bike

I have no idea if my first bike was a Schwinn, but I do remember my training wheels, and when my mother taught me how to ride. We lived in Westbury, Long Island at the time, in the late 50's and since my dad was out of town on business I convinced my mother to push me up and down the street in from on our house on Brompton drive until my balance took over and I was riding without being held upright. Like learning that you can float it was a seminal childhood experience.
Being 5 or 6 I suppose I never ventured too far with my bike, although I was allowed to go the candy/comic book store in the shopping center on Old Country Road at the entrance to our development. I loved the freedom and cruising through the neighborhood with my friends.

My life changed one night when my father came home and announced that we were moving to Rome, Italy. I was 7 years old. A small moving came just after my 8th birthday and loaded up all our belongings. We had sold our car and were going to fly overnight on a jet, a Boeing 707.

I'm not sure what happened to my bike, but when we moved into our new apartment in Rome a new bike appeared, and since our apartment didn't have our furniture in it yet, I could actually ride indoors as the living room dining room area was quite spacious. This began my love affair with bicycling in Italy.

Sunday 50

Decided to do a back to back 50 milers this weekend, my first since last Agugust I believe. Did back to back 50's pretty much every week last April through August and then started to train for the New York Marathon, and needed a weekend day for my long road work day.
Today was 20% slower than yesterday at 13.2 as I had no one to draft. So drafting John yesterday gave me a boost to 16.2. Not bad.
Finished feeling pretty strong today. Met one guy at a light near home who was finishing up 70. There's always someone faster -- or in my case, there's few people slower.
Weighed 165 before I rode and 163 after, but my % water stayed the same at 57% -- which is strange.

Perfect Ride

No post yesterday as I was in Canada, didn't feel like dragging exercise clothes just for an hour's walk, and got home at (:30 and didn't feel like swimming when I knew I had to get up at 5:30 and ride 50 miles on Saturday.

Met John at 6:15 and the day was spectacular as there was NO WIND! None. We averaged 16.2 mph which is pretty much my top end average, and it was all due to drafting John. On my own the ride for me would have been around 14. On one 6 mile stretch he pulled at 20-23 the whole way. It was fabulous.I hydrated this time with 28 oz of gaterade and then switched to water. That worked.

When we finished I weighed 164.8 with 8.8 % body fat and 57.7 % water. The weight is up as traveling tends to bloat me, but it will come down this week.

Will probably do another ride of same distance tomorrow, albeit alone and slower.

Rain

Most of my biking buddies and I have a rule about rain: if it's raining when we start we don't ride, but if we get caught in the rin we finish, and if it's an unbelievable storm we take shelter for a while.
When I started out at 6:15 this morning it was dark from clouds, but didn't look bad -- but as I rode out of my development I saw some lightning, but it loked quite a bit south, so I rode on. As I pedaled along I saw more lightning, but no rain. Suddenly I began to feel a few drops, and see more lightning out west. And at 4 miles I decided to turn around. The rain and lightning started to pick up and as I rode back I saw that it had rained harder behind me.

And as is often the case, as soon as I arrived home it started to really pour buckets.

So 8 miles for the day and right at about 90 for the week.

I did notice that the swimmers weren't there this morning so they must have bailed out early due to lightning.

I have learned to swim in the rain but not a good idea during thunder. In fact all the indoor pools close during lightning for some odd reason.

Off to Canada.

Wednesday Bike

Difficult day yesterday as I had to work for 12 hours straight on a presentation with a few others and got home at 9:30 absolutley fried.
Got up at 6 AM and had a good bike ride on my usual hour route. Averaged 14 mph and completed 15. That gives me 48,15,15 so far this week and while I was supposed to swim tomorrow I will bike again as I am going to Canada on business and will miss out on exercising on Friday, most likely as I get home at almost 10 PM. If I do 15 again tomorrow I will have 93 for the week, and prety much what I had last week.

Tuesday Swim

Did a nice easy 30 minutes this morning, 6:30 AM to 7:00 AM. It's my third time in the water since my month's layoff and I felt pretty good. Had my waterprooof MP3 player working, filled with Rossini overtures and some Beatles' music from Help. They are the group of my junior high period. And when I hear their music that's what I think about. Having music makes "painting the black lines" all that much more fun -- as swimming by one's self is about as boring as it gets. There's no change in scenary at all, really, unlike running and biking.

I used to swim and bike on the same day but I am trying to take this recovery slowly, at least until my two big week long rides are over this August. But I may never heal to 100% given that I continue to work out. But the alternative of stopping for 2 to 3 months is anathema to me.

The swim team that practices early was there and I commented to their coach that the water in the pool (86) must be too warm for the "real" swimmers, and he said that yes, they were complaining. It really is a bit warm even for me, and it will get warmer, up to 90, in a month.

Back to the bike tomorrow, as long as it doesn't rain!

Cume for bike this week is 48, 15.

Monday Bike

John and I did another casual 15 miles this morning without issue. Spent most of the time talking about Tiger's heroics yesterday. Swim tomorrow.

Sunday Swim

Deciding, per my friend PJ's advice, not to push my recovery, and skipped cycling today. My leg does not feel sore, but it's not perfect either. But figured a swim was fine.
Did a nice relaxing 30 minutes of freestyle. Weighe 163.8 at the today's weighin, so I have actually lost 2 pounds in the past week, and feel a little better. The problem when I gain weight is that it all goes straight to my waistline, and no where else.
Actually saw a story on the local news about one of the girls that is swimming at the pool in the morning; seems she's going to try out for the olympic team in breast stroke. They did a long story about her. It was neat to see our pool on TV.
Will bike tomorrow and then swim on Tuesday and bike wednesday as the pool is closed that day for chemicals cleaning. Bike Thursday, and take off Friday as I'll be in Canada at RIM. Then long bike ride on Sat.
I must say that my day feels like a waste on the weekend if I don't get in my exercise and the more the better. Then I feel good all day vs. lousy.

Saturday

Went out for what I believe was my first long ride of the year, I believe - at 48 miles. Was never so glad as when I pulled into my driveway and hoped off my bike. John and I averaged a little over 15 miles an hour, which is good for me, although I did draft him pretty much the final 15 miles and dead tired when I pulled in. The ride was a good one and hopefully the hamstring will feel fine later on and tomorrow. Since John just moved here from NC a few months back this was his first ride around lake grapevine, and over the dam, which he liked. Finished the ride at 164, 9 % body fat and 57.5% percent hydrated. I'm normally at about 60% so I did lose some water out there. We started at 6:30 this morning and biked for 3 hours. Of all the guys I have met on the road cycling over the years he's among the nicest. No ego and no gamemanship out there. We're not racing.
My only surprise is that we met a month ago when I overtook him near here. He's clearly a stronger rider, so not sure how that happpenned. Maybe he let me, for company. Must ask.

Friday

Went out for a quick spin this morning for an hour. I am still at perhaps 75 - 80%, although my conditioning is coming back after being out 5x this week.

The cume was 5x...90 miles...25, 25, 15, 15, 15 -- and one day of swimming. 90 miles isn't bad.

Going for 45-50 tomorrow with my new biking buddy John. Looking forward to it. Gotta start losing this weight!

Swimming Day

I decided to try, try not to be a fool about coming back from 2 back-to-back injuries and overdoing it, so I didn't bike this morning and swam instead. I love swimming, but honestly after a few laps I can't wait until I'm done!
I had great ambitions in January to swim 2x a week for the year, and swam all Feb, March and April -- until I pulled the hamstring -- and took the month off there too. I am still aiming for 104 x in the pool and may make that because I did a lot of 3x and 4x a weeks in april before I pulled the leg muscle.

First time swimming outdoors this year, and there's a nice 25 meter short course pool 400 meters from my house. For years it's been my private training pool at 6 AM -- but this year a small swim team of 10 has gotten permission to swim there. It's nice to have the company. A brief 30 minutes and I was done. Tomorrow, Friday, back to cycling.

Birthday

Not that I "celebrate" birthdays anymore, but I was 56 on Friday. As I take physical inventory I have a dodgey right hamstring, a dodgey groin muscle an eye infection and I need eye surgery to drill holes in my eyes to relieve pressure that may cause glaucoma in the future. Wonderful. But hey, why complain.

I rode for an hour this morning, doing a slightly faster 16 mph ride with new friend I met out on the road a few weeks ago, by luck -- which is how I meet most fellow bikers.

And I even decided to weigh myself after biking 4 times this week. I weigh 166, which is the heaviest I have weighed in 38 years. I am usually at 160 in the winter and 155 in the summer, so I have a ways to go.

False Starts

It's been an awful start to the prime cycling season. Spent all April trying to ride through a pulled groin injury. That didn't work so I took a month off, but continued to swim; came back to the bike and still wasn't 100 %, but a week later felt a hamstring twinge while pushing off the wall in the pool -- and then a week later felt the hamstring "go" after a routine 40 mile ride.

The problem was this was a week before my annual bike trip to Italy -- which I ultimately had to cancel as I could not ride, let alone climb the mountains where I was set to bike.

It was a dreadful week as I had booked the trip 9 months ago using miles and had great seats on American -- with no one in front of me.

After a few days of moping around I decided to see if I could somehow rebook. I tried with an agent, but that was too slow. Finally I sat down in front of the computer and checked every week long to/from combo -- and found one. I then called AA and had them change my flight. I was one happy camper.

Oh yes, and took another month off to heal the hamstring, during which my back went out and caused severe leg pain. (Did I mention my eye infection I also picked up? A banner month!)

So here I am starting my season so "heavy" I refuse to get on the scale. I'm afraid to.

Saturday and Sunday did a casual 25 each day. Took Monday off (It rained) and did a casual 15 miles Tuesday night in 95 degree heat. So far so good! RAGBRAI in 40 days.

A domani