Metric success

I, and a couple of buddies, completed a 100 km ride last Saturday, an event we planned to coincide with a fund-raiser our church supports annually.


One of my buddies, Scott, is new to cycling as an adult. He started riding last fall, and in the time since then, he has become a strong rider. He challenges me to match his speed on the flats, but struggles on the climbs because of his weight. The other rider in our trio, Kevin, is the fittest of us all. (There's always one in every crowd, right?) Me? I'm somewhere in between the two.

Because he tends to go all-out for relatively short distances (25-30 miles) I was concerned that Scott had not properly trained himself to ride at lower intensities, and that he would not have enough stamina for 60+ miles. I was not worried about Kevin.

(Honestly, I thought the same of myself after a hilly 55-miler in early April when I came close to bonking.)

Personally, I was plagued by questions of how much (or little) food, liquid, supplies etc. to bring on the metric ride. I decided on three water bottles, a bag of fig bars, a banana and a fruit/nut bar, and my usual tools, the only limitation being how much I could stuff in my jersey pockets!

Turns out the worries were for naught, but I wish I had packed a wet wipe for clean-up (I dropped my chain within the last 15 miles and had nothing but my shorts with which to clean my hands.)

Truth be told, we had come close to riding 100 km on several occasions, so in the back of my mind I knew we could do it. It was just a matter of going a little farther and conserving a little more energy. We planned a rest stop at the 40-mile mark and took about a 20-minute break. At that point I knew I had enough supplies left to finish the ride. The question was did I have enough juice left in the legs, since the last third of the course had the steepest climbs.

Aside from a little stiffness in my thighs because of the prolonged break, the last third of the ride was manageable, even with the hills. My confidence in Scott and myself to finish grew with every mile that rolled by.

My friend commented he was "out of gas" about mile 60, and he had another six miles to ride to get home, but at that point the hilly sections were behind us. He recovered quickly and we pushed on. I followed my friends partway home, then turned back and rode home myself, finishing with about 65 miles.

I was a little sore when I dismounted, but not wiped out. Even my butt felt ok.

As I walked the Ironman to the front door, I wondered how much farther we could have gone.

In the end, I completed the ride in 3 hours 49 minutes (moving time), with an average speed of 16.8 mph. My heart rate averaged 159 bpm.

Not bad at all. Another goal/challenge met. Now to plan for a full imperial century, and then a 200 km event before the fall.

Keep pedaling!

Horatio

Addictions

come in all types. Typically we think of addiction in terms of substances/drugs/alcohol. But what about... bikes?

Webster's defines addicted as : to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively <addicted to gambling.


Sounds like cycling would qualify as "habitual," at least when it is done regularly.

Addiction has a negative connotation, and typically refers to behaviors that are detrimental to ones physical well-being.

But saying I am addicted to bicycles and riding them obviates the positive cardiovascular and psychological benefits associated with our favorite form of exercise.

But what role do endorphins, the body's natural opiate-like secretions, play in our commitment to cycling? Learn more here. Endorphins bind to the body's opiate receptors in the brain to lessen perception of pain. They also produce euphoria.

But unlike chemical opiates (morphine, etc.) endorphins are NOT addictive. Since there is no evidence of physical dependence on these neurotransmitters, it must be a psychological craving. It's an addiction of the mind rather than the body.

On most of my rides I find myself in a state of mental neutrality. My usual thoughts and concerns are pushed into the background, and my thoughts are centered more in the "now," i.e. on what is happening (monitoring heart rate or respiration, reaching for a water bottle) or about to happen (like avoiding a pothole or piece of debris in the road, anticipating a shift because of the terrain.)

I also find I am addicted to perusing Craigslist and eBay bike ads, and this is probably more of the obsessive variety, as it is potentially harmful to my bank account! I've managed to satisfy my cravings by purchasing bike parts (wheelsets, shifters, etc.) when a good deal comes along. But I'm always checking out the full-bike ads, working out bids and offers in my head. Occasionally I lose my willpower and place a bid or offer on something.

Recently, I swapped my aluminum Trek 1500 for a vintage steel Bianchi Brava (in celeste, of course) in an even trade. The transaction was prompted by a desire I've always had for things Bianchi, especially when they come in celeste wrapping.

Was it a fair trade? From a capatalistic perspective, I probably got the proverbial "short end of the stick." From an aesthetic point of view, I got the sexier bike.

Which outcome is most "correct" depends on your perspective, I suppose.

After all, as long as it's legal and no one gets hurt, what's the harm?

Keep pedaling!

Catching up

Wow. It's been more than a month since my last post. Hard to believe that Spring is nearly over for us in the Southeast.

It's true... summer temps in the 90s are predicted this week, and before you know it, the afternoon heat indices will top 100 degrees. Riding in that kind of heat is just not possible, for me. I nearly had heat stroke on a day with temps in the high 80s last May, so I tend to be wary of riding in really hot weather.

I'm more careful now.

Starting (and finishing) early makes a difference.