Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Sometimes, inpiration was there all along.

Proud to say that the dude in this interview is a buddy of mine.

Colorado Man Changes His Life

Way to go man!!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Modified Strength Training Program

Here's what my TRX training program looks like now, after a few weeks of fiddling.
Day One (currently Mondays)
Swimmers Pull Superset with:
Back Row
Standing Back Extensions
Hip Press
Single Leg Squats
Suspended Lunge
Suspended Pendulum
Hip Abduction (Leg Spreaders)

Day Two (currently Thursdays)
Y Delt Raise Superset with:
Single Leg Chest Press
T Deltoid Raise
Delta Deltoid Raise
Triceps Press
Reverse Dips??? Looking for something that replaces standard Reverse Dips.
Biceps Curl
Press and Crunch

I've de-deemphasized the leg work, as I will be training quads/hamstrings for cycling specific motions. Primarily on the bike efforts like hill sprints. The above is an adaptation of my traditional Strength Training work out focusing on Free Weights. I had much success with that program, and have high hopes for how the TRX system will incorporate more of the interconnected muscles and require considerably more total muscular development.
I welcome any questions.

MtM
Current Meatspace
Lat = 21.31, Long = -157.85
Alititude 184ft

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Anger, Jalapeno Poppers and Baseball Hail.

Funny thing about a good dose of anger. If you're careful, you can channel that energy. Akido-style it right into something useful.
Rarely is anger useful, I've found.
Tonight I'd planned a nice TRX Upper body workout with a mellow hour on the vomitron after.
After exhausting all of my patience on .... er.. other matters yet to be resolved.. I set up the TRX and got to a-strappin. That thing is brutal.
I love it.
I'll hate it tomorrow, but today, that thing is awesome baby, awesome.
I ended up putting a little too much energy into my Strength Training, I had little left for the vomitron. What was supposed to be a 1hr ride.. .. I used my anger and frustration to turn it into a 2hr sweat fest. Day After Tomorrow, is a longer movie than I remembered. Just as a side note. Don't eat JalapeƱo Poppers and go for a vomitron ride. Just don't. Trust me. Don't make me post pictures. *shudder*
Zen, Tiff, if you're out there.. I think I have a better understanding of that four letter word you throw around. Snow. It's that white crap from the movie, yea? Damn. Looks cold.
How bigs the hail in you're neck of the swamp... 'cus when that dude got knocked out from the Baseball sized hail, I just kept thinking... I gotta check Zen and Tiff's head for lumps!

It's now 01:35 on v-day.
Time for a shower and a nap.
MtM

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Balance and the BHAG

I think that the answer to life is not 42, after all. Twelve, maybe. But let's not get off on a tangent for my fetish for numbers. Perhaps in a follow up post.

Balance. I think that's the key.
Now, if it was just two things to keep balanced.. I think I'd be okay. You just get a nice long pole and strap a thing to each side. Duct tape, paracord, superglue and paperclips, y'know- whatever works. Whadday do when you got three things? And four? Now that pole wont carry four things (two on each side), so you have to get another pole.
As life gets more complex, so does the system I seem to use to balance all of it. Here's the rub, I seem to only have so much energy. I can only do so much. I have to compromise. Something must give way to the other things. Choosing what to give up, in favor of something else, now there's an interesting problem.

Why is this on a cycling blog? Thanks for asking.
Triple Bypass 2008, the 20th annual painfest, is looming.. and becoming brighter and larger in my mind every day. This is the big one. This is my BHAG.
Everything I do for the next 149 days will be compared to my BHAG.
This is how I plan on obtaining balance.
Cycling/Strength Training/Nutrition/Rest/and those that actively support my BHAG will by my focus.
Everything else, consider yourself on notice.

MtM
Current Meatspace
Latitude = 21.3115, Longitude = -157.8592
Alititude 185ft

Monday, February 04, 2008

Ride Report - Saturday the 2nd

First real ride on Celeste.
This ride was supposed to be a nice mellow, time in the saddle, ride. Apparently I have issues with mellow.

The five morons in the white pickup truck, get my special unique one finger salute. Took me awhile to remember that I didn't even have a bike pump to back that up. Entire contents of pockets: Cell phone, Health Insurance Card, Debit Card, Driver's License, Heart Rate Monitor, House Key.
I guess I could always joint lock one of them.. and threaten the rest with the screams of their friends.
I keep an eye on them until they turned off the main road. Ever cautious that they will take my invitation to put up or shut up seriously.
I don't think I'll ever understand the need of you humans to taunt people that are obviously in a weaker position than you. 3000 lbs. vehicle with 5 teen agers vs. one 37 year old cyclist in spandex (and out of breath).
C'mon back if you want to find out how un-terrified I am of your punk-ass.
Rounding the corner at the end of North Road eased up the headwind a bit.
I let up on the pace a bit and try to get into a groove. I find the groove, but it's about 15 beats per minute higher than I should be at. Oh well. I'm on the bike, I'm outside. I'm smiling. A little hard work, sweat, and sunshine should do me good.
Turning on to Iroqouis Road and the wind is now at my back. I'm spinning out. Mean tailwind.
Back into civilization, a cyclist comes up beside me but turns right. I head out to the main road and take a right. A block up I see that cyclist again. He took a short cut? But I'm nearly on him, so it wasn't quite so short.
I try not to chase him. The dog in me wants to run.
I follow a few hundred feed behind. I could catch him. I hold back. I'm supposed to be riding mellow. When we get to the leetle hill exiting Ewa, I can see him running thru his gears as he climbs. He's half way up by the time I get there. The road turns up to about 6% and I'm forced to stand. No gears to run thru. Celeste is a simple girl. No frills, all thrills. I think about smooth clean circles as Celeste and I rapidly gain ground. Flying up this hill is the first time today that I've felt like a cyclist. When I get to the top, I'm ten feet behind him, but quite out of breath. It feels good. The burning quads, my lungs requesting more oxygen. (They should get used to that!)
I turn right and let the rabbit go. If this was not a mellow ride, I might have stuck with him.
Cruising around, I discover a park, and a paved path. It's not very well maintained. Rain and the footfalls of thousands have removed the soft tar and left a gravely grey strip. I follow along, only vaguely aware of where I'm headed. It wander between the loch and a golf course, which provides me with alternating aromas of cut grass and fertilizer and loch water.
When you're on a bike, everything smells better. Even things that normal don't. I wander, say hit to the LDS's going the other way.
The path ends at a T intersection with a cane road. Hawai'i's version of a fire road. I randomly choose right and ride until I get my bearings. Looks like a good place to go exploring. Noting that mentally, I turn around and find my way back to civilization. Time to head home. I wish I'd brought some water with me.
The wind is a partial tailwind, so Celeste and I make good time home.
Home and happy.



My average Heart rate for this one hour jaunt is 86% of max, or 160 BPM.
Way too high. I was supposed to be under 132 for the average.