Between a nice cold streak, me getting a job at a bike shop, and my friend having a baby (I'm going to be the Godfather, hence it taking up some of my time) I haven't been out for over a week. I'm also sleeping like shit, so I'm all types of irritable.
Today was nice though. 60* in the sun and not windy. Since it had been a while I figured I'd take it easy and proceeded to do 18-20mph for the first 10miles because I'm an asshole. Once I had burnt myself out, I stopped for some water and a bar, and allowed myself to recharge. I then did a couple of small hills and headed back. I thought I was out of energy when I reached Bridgeport but I had no problem keeping up with traffic and sprinting up hills. I'm loving that me muscles is recovering now.
I'm also thinking about riding to work. It's about 10miles to the shop, but there are a bunch of busy roads on the way there. I'm going to do a test run or two just to see how long it will take me to get there. It's also pretty hilly so we'll see how well I deal with that.
31 March, 2009
19 March, 2009
Hills Are Never Easy
Yesterday I rode up to Valley Forge. It was really windy, and I knew the park was tough enough as is, so I was doing nothing but second guessing the idea the whole time. I had to granny gear it on just about every hill. The largest hill is right in the middle of the park, and doesn't have a tree within five hundred yards of its left side, so the wind was just punching me in the face. I found it encouraging.
The backside of the park wasn't as windy and they finished the construction they were doing so it was nice and smooth. On the downhill heading towards my exit this girl on a BMX bike had her front tire go out on her. Luckily she fell in the grass, so blood shed was minimal. I stopped to make sure she was alright and offer what little help I could. She was fine and her car was close so I wished her luck and was on my way.
When I got back to the bike path I still felt like I had some riding to do, so I did the Audubon Loop (easy). I'm finding that the 28+ miles I've been doing the past two rides is a little more than I should be, but the 20 I was doing is too few. When I returned home my Achilles tendons were a little sore and my left knee felt a bit stiff. My knees are shit, so I was less concerned about that, but Achilles soreness is not cool. I stretched the shit out of my calf muscles, and today I feel fine. My back is a different story though. I've really got to figure something out because at the rate I'm going, I wont be able to ride more than every third day, and that is unacceptable.
On the plus side, my legs were recovering the entire ride. Last year when I went on hilly rides, I would make it up a hill and take it easy, but by the next hill my legs were dead. By the third or fourth hill I was spent. Yesterday, I would get to the next hill and my legs felt fine. I did six or seven small to medium sized hills and my legs never felt like they were done. That's fantastic news for me.
It's raining today, so I may just pop the bike on the trainer for twenty minutes and spin, but there wont be any riding otherwise. Just back and core exercise and some TV. It's going to be about 46* tomorrow so I'm going to make an attempt to ride. 45* is my limit temperature wise.
The backside of the park wasn't as windy and they finished the construction they were doing so it was nice and smooth. On the downhill heading towards my exit this girl on a BMX bike had her front tire go out on her. Luckily she fell in the grass, so blood shed was minimal. I stopped to make sure she was alright and offer what little help I could. She was fine and her car was close so I wished her luck and was on my way.
When I got back to the bike path I still felt like I had some riding to do, so I did the Audubon Loop (easy). I'm finding that the 28+ miles I've been doing the past two rides is a little more than I should be, but the 20 I was doing is too few. When I returned home my Achilles tendons were a little sore and my left knee felt a bit stiff. My knees are shit, so I was less concerned about that, but Achilles soreness is not cool. I stretched the shit out of my calf muscles, and today I feel fine. My back is a different story though. I've really got to figure something out because at the rate I'm going, I wont be able to ride more than every third day, and that is unacceptable.
On the plus side, my legs were recovering the entire ride. Last year when I went on hilly rides, I would make it up a hill and take it easy, but by the next hill my legs were dead. By the third or fourth hill I was spent. Yesterday, I would get to the next hill and my legs felt fine. I did six or seven small to medium sized hills and my legs never felt like they were done. That's fantastic news for me.
It's raining today, so I may just pop the bike on the trainer for twenty minutes and spin, but there wont be any riding otherwise. Just back and core exercise and some TV. It's going to be about 46* tomorrow so I'm going to make an attempt to ride. 45* is my limit temperature wise.
18 March, 2009
Sixers beat the Lakers
Sorry, it was an awesome game. Okay, back to the bike...
Lately I've been putting in about 20miles a ride because It's comfortable. Fuck comfort. Monday I wanted change, so instead of just going down to the end of the path and back, I figured I'd mix it up a little.
Right before you reach Conshohocken, there's a small trail that leads off towards the Ikea Shopping Center, and I've never been down it. It's not much of a trail. It's about a mile long, and unless you're riding your bike to Ikea/Home Depot to lug shitty furniture/lumbar on your back, it's not worth it.
After reaching the end of the schuylkill path I headed home. About a mile away from Norristown I felt fine and decided that I shouldn't. So I went up to Betzwood (Bridgeport-Betzwood is 5miles). Even after I reached Betzwood, I felt fine. Thankfully, I was smart enough to remember I'd be riding against the wind on the way back, so I didn't ride any further. I was tired when I got home, but not completely expended. I've been holding back a little because I hadn't been riding for a while and I didn't want to hurt myself, but I'm physically starting to feel good on the bike, so now I want to push myself more. I'm not ready to break myself yet, but the whole reason I wanted to start riding this early was so I could be where I was when I stopped riding in October, around the time everyone else starts riding regularly again. I've got a lot of work to do, but I think I can get there in the next month.
Lately I've been putting in about 20miles a ride because It's comfortable. Fuck comfort. Monday I wanted change, so instead of just going down to the end of the path and back, I figured I'd mix it up a little.
Right before you reach Conshohocken, there's a small trail that leads off towards the Ikea Shopping Center, and I've never been down it. It's not much of a trail. It's about a mile long, and unless you're riding your bike to Ikea/Home Depot to lug shitty furniture/lumbar on your back, it's not worth it.
After reaching the end of the schuylkill path I headed home. About a mile away from Norristown I felt fine and decided that I shouldn't. So I went up to Betzwood (Bridgeport-Betzwood is 5miles). Even after I reached Betzwood, I felt fine. Thankfully, I was smart enough to remember I'd be riding against the wind on the way back, so I didn't ride any further. I was tired when I got home, but not completely expended. I've been holding back a little because I hadn't been riding for a while and I didn't want to hurt myself, but I'm physically starting to feel good on the bike, so now I want to push myself more. I'm not ready to break myself yet, but the whole reason I wanted to start riding this early was so I could be where I was when I stopped riding in October, around the time everyone else starts riding regularly again. I've got a lot of work to do, but I think I can get there in the next month.
12 March, 2009
Gloves Are Warm
I finally got a pair of gloves so that my hands don't freeze. They're Trek Mt. bike gloves, but they do the job.
Yesterday I went down to the end of the bike path and back (17miles). They finished the bridge going into Conshy. It's much wider than the old bridge which is great. Two years ago I got my handle bars stuck in the fence lining the bridge while trying to avoid a person coming the other way.
It was rainy and cold for the first half of the ride, and I only saw one other rider. It was kind of nice having an empty path after the mayhem of this past weekend. On the way back through Bridgeport, a kid on a mountain bike tried to race me. I thought it was kind of funny.
As side note, I may have another job soon. If that's the case, then I may end up getting the Garmin computer soon as well. We'll see.
Yesterday I went down to the end of the bike path and back (17miles). They finished the bridge going into Conshy. It's much wider than the old bridge which is great. Two years ago I got my handle bars stuck in the fence lining the bridge while trying to avoid a person coming the other way.
It was rainy and cold for the first half of the ride, and I only saw one other rider. It was kind of nice having an empty path after the mayhem of this past weekend. On the way back through Bridgeport, a kid on a mountain bike tried to race me. I thought it was kind of funny.
As side note, I may have another job soon. If that's the case, then I may end up getting the Garmin computer soon as well. We'll see.
07 March, 2009
Man, I suck
I did the Audubon loop again today. I hadn't done much since the last time I went out and it showed. I think I ate too much before I left because I felt weird the whole time. I had to stop a few times because I felt awful. My legs felt good though. I feel stronger now than I did in June of last year, so I'm hoping that by June of this year I'm That much stronger.
Back feels good. I had a little bit of lower back pain, but that was muscular strain from having a weak "core" (i hate that term), not the seizing nonsense that plagues my upper/mid back.
It was 70+*s today and it's looking to be the same tomorrow, so I should get a ride in tomorrow as well. I'm thinking of beating myself up at Valley Forge. We'll see.
Back feels good. I had a little bit of lower back pain, but that was muscular strain from having a weak "core" (i hate that term), not the seizing nonsense that plagues my upper/mid back.
It was 70+*s today and it's looking to be the same tomorrow, so I should get a ride in tomorrow as well. I'm thinking of beating myself up at Valley Forge. We'll see.
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