Eating properly

During the winter, I try to eat healthy, but the cold gives me the munchies. Once the weather warms up, I switch back to fruits for snacks and more veggies. This week I ate a banana every day before my ride. It makes a significant difference. Today it rained, so I had to go to the gym. Usually, I try to get in as many miles as I can in 30 minutes. Today I managed to average 25mph for 30 minutes and logged a little over 12miles. Over the winter I tried to do longer workouts on the stationary bikes, but I can't seem to do it. It is simply too boring.

Another thing I try to do during riding season is to drink water instead of juice. One thing I noticed the last 2 years is proper hydration before a workout makes a big difference. When I'm properly hydrated, I don't get cotton mouth and have a easier time recovering from a strenuous climb. When I don't drink enough water, I feel it in my legs, and breathing.

Leading a ride this Saturday

Last week, 7HW asked me to lead a ride. After I got the OK from the wife, I decided to lead a ride.



Find more Bike Ride in Holden, MA


I like to do this route on the weekends for a couple of reasons. The first 12 miles has a good amount of climbing, so it gets the legs and lungs warmed up. Once we get to route 62, it's mostly flat. It's a good stretch to recover and cruise. The big climb up mile hill road on Wachusett is one of my favorites. When I can, I try to do intervals there.
Last year I used it for my Greylock century training. In terms of difficulty, the climb to Wachusett summit is harder than the climb to Greylock summit. During the summer months, it is a popular climb for cyclist.

Spring glad to see you again

Today the weather was around 65 and my lunch ride was awesome. It is amazing how much easier in warm weather. The biggest difference between cold and warm weather for me is getting a good spin and maintaining it. When it's cold, I have a real hard time getting a good spin and keeping it.
On my usual Holden Reservoir route I was able to get a good spin and maintain it. Even though I gained about 8lbs over the winter, I still managed to average 18.2mph for 19 miles. If the weather keeps up, I hope to drop the 8lbs over the next 4 weeks.

So much for summer and winter bike

When I bought the Avail, I told myself "now I have a summer bike and winter bike." In reality, I rode my avail over the winter. The Avail is simply more comfortable. On a cold windy day, I generally want to get done quickly with as much comfort as possible. That meant riding the Avail. I still love my Dolce, but I use it more as a backup. My son has started using it, so it's basically become his road bike.

GPS versus Barometer

The Sigma sports Rox 8 comes with a barometric altimeter. After my ride today I compared the reported ascent. Rox says 1177 versus 1002 GPS. Given how inaccurate GPS altitude is, I'm inclined to take the Rox numbers. One nice benefit of Rox8 is that it shows the grade during the ride.
Overall, I'm happy with the Rox8 and how it performs. I especially like downloading the ride to my computer.

Cycling withdraws suck

The great thing about cycling is that I am in good shape and feel healthy. The downside is that New England winters suck ass. The bitter cold, snow, sand and salt make riding in winter difficult. After my ride on thursday, I felt good for about 30 minutes from the adrenalin rush. A few hours later though, I really started to hate New England weather. I really @#$@%^ hate new england winters.

My body needs the endorphin rush of riding for 1-4 hours on the bike. Going to the gym really sucks from an mental and emotional perspective. Physically I can get in a good workout in 30 minutes, but I'm left with an emotional void.

I long to get out on the road for the hum of the wheels and solitude of tackling a big hill. The joy of pushing and spinning the wheels up a steep slope for 2-5 miles is emotionally and spiritually satisfying. It is similar to the spiritual high I used to get surfing in southern california.

I really do hate new england winters. I just want to get on the bike and ride.

I must be crazy

Today I was itching to ride, so I looked out side. The streets looked clear and the sky was partly cloudy. Around lunch time I headed for a ride. I wore the Pearl Izumi AmFib tights and pro soft shell jacket.

Outside, there was still snow on the ground from the snow earlier in the week.

For the first 3 miles, my fingers were freezing. At first I was planning on a 14 mile loop, but after 3 miles I decided a short ride was wiser. Getting frost bite is not my idea of fun. Around 6 miles, my hands started to warm up, but they were still freezing.

A sane person would not ride 8.5 miles in 24 degree temperature. Including wind chill, it felt like 15 degrees. The Sigma Rox8 bike computer I bought worked well. One feature I really like is the heart rate zones. It tells me how long my heart rate was in each zone.

The worst part about riding in cold weather is the cold air on the lungs. I don't know about others, but lower than 32 degrees it really stings to take a deep breathe. Under 20 degrees it's just hard to get a full breathe.