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Tag Archives: exercise
Hard Work = Positive Results
Let’s see, where to begin….
Back story
For those of you following along in your hymnals, skip down to the next major topic, you’ve already read my previous posts and know a thing or two about my life. For those of you who haven’t been tracking my plight, I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version and you can consider yourself up-to-date. Here goes:
I had cancer. It should be all gone now, but that always seems to be a hopeful statement not based on data. The doctors have very specific tests they can run for very specific illnesses, but really, you never know until the wheels begin to fall off your cart. My cancer was apparently contained within the prostate gland. Dr. Chan removed it, so my body should be cancer free. Certainly Prostate Cancer free, right? Oh sure, they suck blood out of my arm every 3 months, test it and tell me the PSA numbers indicate I don’t have Prostate Cancer anymore, but really who knows what surprises await inside our bodies? I could (heck, we all could) have skin cancer or some unknown tumor growing somewhere, all we can do is work toward good health and live our lives as best we can.
My story goes like this
I ride a road bike. When I ride my bike, I go to the extreme limits of my capability, no matter the distance. I ride to work hard, I go up hills until my legs are burning, I ride fast when the road is flat or tilts favorably down. And this is not by design. I don’t get on my bike and think about going hard or going fast. I just love to go fast! Must be remnants of the Adrenaline Junkie I was back in my 20’s. Have you ever heard the comment “rode hard, put away wet”? That’s me after a ride. I ride hard, sweat like a race horse, and revel in the after-glow of a job well done. Perhaps it is sheer exhaustion, but it feels the same as great!
Back in 2010 I was happily riding all over the place. In October I did a 103 mile ride beginning in Santa Rosa known as Levi’s Gran Fondo. The ride challenged its many thousands of cyclists with lots of hills, some very steep, a several mile jaunt down the coastline (on Hiway 1), more hills, all very steep, and a return to Santa Rosa. 103 miles, and I was loving life when I was done…..perhaps because I was done! Two days later I was peeing blood. Long story short, I had a too-big-for-the-tube kidney stone. Surgery was required to remove it and it was finally removed in December. In March of 2011, because my doc had found my prostate a bit “lumpy”, performed a biopsy. That test showed the gland was full of cancer. Ugh! After much deliberation about existing treatments and procedures, we scheduled a prostatectomy (removal of the prostate). There are lots of options and this was a big decision but my final thought was “why babysit this problem? Lets solve it now”. And we did.
So I was off my bike from mid-March of 2011 to sometime in July of that year. When I began trying to ride again it was always a short distance, never difficult, and I understandably had lost my drive to go hard. Winter settled in sometime in December and I gladly put my bike away and went about life doing that thing I do. January came and it was seriously cold. February, just like January, was cold too, and I did not miss riding at all. Sure, I thought about it, but really truly I had no plans to get on that carbon horse I named CashFlow until the weather turned more pleasant in Spring. Sometime in March (unbeknownst to me) I began working on excuses to NOT ride.
That’s probably enough info to get you caught up, let’s get this story started.
I Fail at Failing
May is Bike Month around here and has been going on in Sacramento since 2007. Every year I make a pledge at work that I will ride XXX miles. In the year 2007 I rode 801 miles, 2008 was 751, and 2009 was 733 miles. I think in 2010 I rode somewhere in the high 600’s and 2011 saw 86 miles recorded in the two and a half weeks because of the little problem I was dealing with. This year, my pledge is to ride 600 miles and I secretly expect at least 700. Goals have been set and positive results will occur!
After today’s ride to work, when I was out of my cycling kit and getting ready for work, I realized I had somehow been NOT INTERESTED in riding. Not the way I used to be anyway. Oh sure, on the outside I’m all hard core about riding, but in some way, way back inside my brain, I was not buying it. All that “rode hard, put away wet” and “riding like I stole something” had worked its’ way OUT OF MY mind and had slowly been replaced with thoughts like “you can’t” and “you shouldn’t” and “what if you’re not healthy” and all sorts of other negativity. But I went hard anyway because I really don’t know how to fail.
As an example of that, here’s a question for you. You know when you’re not good at something? You try, fail, and move on? I mean, it’s not fun being rotten at something! That’s me and basketball. I can’t make a shot to save my life! Maybe I can make a shot since a “miss” is still a shot, but you know what I mean, I can’t make a basket, especially during a game. Yes, I can play the game of HORSE and yes I can sink a shot (made one from 150′ once. Threw it like a football. Resulted in a swish, which was more than awesome! Ask Brother Don, he’ll tell you the same thing.), but playing a game of basketball with teams and such, all looking to score the ball, well, I am NOT THAT GUY. To celebrate my inability to play basketball, I joined a team. And when I was a part of that team I found out I am one heckuva defensive freak! If you pass me the ball, I get rid of it like it is radioactive hot. I’m smart like that. But when YOU get the ball, I cover you like sunshine…I am on you like white on rice….and you will either do something magical or rid yourself of that ball because I will take it away, block it, or make your life miserable until you relieve yourself of this terrible responsibility called “ball control”. That’s my Method of Operation. My MO. And it worked. I think it proves that hard work can find you a way to be effective. Being stubborn helps too.
So, you ask “what in the heck does that have to do with riding a bicycle?” It has EVERYTHING to do with the way I ride a bicycle because it is an example of how hard work can bring success even if you aren’t born with the talent to lead out your team. My riding style may be likened to brute force tactics. Keep on my wheel if you can! I can’t really sprint that well, and I’m just an okay climber, but I stick to the job at hand like a rider possessed. The word “can’t” does not exist. I don’t quit. It is an example of how if and when something isn’t going my way, I pursue it like a rabid dog. A rabid, salivating, snarling dog. One that is stalking you and following you and harboring thoughts of domination…until I get it right. Or learn how to get it done another way. My way.
SHUT UP LEGS!
And as it turns out, to attain my recent success on the bike, I had to somehow give myself permission to ride hard. I had to kick the tires and give myself a thorough going over before I could FINALLY accept that I could really push my limits again. Would my heart be strong enough to beat 160 times a minute? Would my lungs be good enough to support that effort? What about my legs? Sitting around for 9 hours a day at my job has done NOTHING to keep them toned and ready for any action at all. I also had to accept that as I get older things don’t work the same. Recovery takes longer, muscle-building takes like FOREVER, and stamina (which was the first to go) only comes after A LOT of hard work. I had to test how deep I could reach within to do something that was hard, that was hurting me, and was nowhere CLOSE to easy. And I had to come out of that with a clear idea of how to keep doing this thing that was causing great discomfort. I had to get used to the fact that the little tiny seat my big fat ass was sitting on would never be comfortable. How my shoulders would need to once again become accustomed to bending forward and holding up my big helmet-protected head for hours on end. So I have been working hard and telling all the complaining parts of my body to just SHUT THE HELL UP! And you know what? It’s seems to be working.
Permission to succeed
Remember that Bike Month thing I mentioned? To date I have recorded 564 miles and should be on my way to at least 700 miles before the month of May is finished. During that time I will also have lost at least 10 pounds and should find my elevated blood pressure (for which I take daily medication) to be closer to normal readings. I sleep better and more soundly these days, and also have a certain “calm”. I could call it “complete and total exhaustion at night”, but I choose to name it: calm.
As a Fitness Check, there is a ride I do that is a round trip of 50 miles taking me from home to Folsom Lake. Before I found out about the cancer I could get this ride complete in right around two and a half hours. Maybe 2:15 on a good day. My best effort (just prior to Levi’s Gran Fondo) finished this in two hours, eight minutes. It is neither flat nor free of traffic. Leaving the house I navigate through familiar neighborhoods for four miles, then hit the bike trail for the rest of the ride. To get to the Lake there is a little uphill ramp to crest, and when at the top I take a mandatory break of 5 minutes for water and a little nourishment. Home is next, and the day begins anew.
So, take a guess at what happened the first time I tried this. My first “fitness check” saw me “bonk” on the way back! Completely devoid of food/nourishment AND water, I had to stop riding. I think I was about 8 miles from home when I called my wife to pick me up. She is a dream and supports my riding in any way she can, and that day she met the Defeated Me four miles from the end of the ride. I could go no further and I actually quit the ride early. Ugh. It is a horrible memory, and I think about it all the time. But you know what? It drives me forward. Never to happen again, it could also be a testament to how far I will go to get/earn what is rightfully mine….fitness! So I do the work, expect results, and try to keep a very short leash on these rotten memories.
Hard Work = positive results
I think “hard work garners positive results” is just one of those Life Lessons everyone should know. Set a goal, work hard to get it done, don’t quit, and good things will happen for you. Get busy, fail like crazy if you have to, but go out and do it until you get it right! Until you do it to your own satisfaction and get the job done. It’s a good thing. Try it, you’ll like it.
Today’s Ride
So, I told you all that so I could tell you this: today’s ride to work was the best I have felt on the bike since I got back to cycling. It was fantastic! The seat caused me no pain at all. My neck/shoulder area had nothing to say the entire way in. My legs were silent while I busted a move in my best ITT position for miles 5 thru 7. The lungs did their job without complaint and the heartbeat usually so loud I cannot ignore was nearly quiet. Oh, I was working up a lather all right, but the cool 62 degree morning air and the LACK OF WIND (for once…the month of May has been super windy) made for a really nice morning, and I got to say it today: rode hard,put away wet. Nice. Permission to succeed? Granted!
Success is just around the corner, I can FEEL it! You know what else is just around the corner? A Fitness Check. Update to follow.
Peace to all. Thanks for reading.
~david
Thanks Oakley!
I quietly thanked Oakley this morning (producers of my favorite cycling sunglasses). Check this out…
While riding my bicycle in to work today, it was FREEZING. The wind was whipping around at about 18 mph and I think the temperature was trending at 50 degrees. I’m fairly certain the wind chill was somewhere around 45, and since I was dressed in a vest/wind breaker, it felt really cold! But it wasn’t the wind or the cold I was thanking Oakley for. The sunglasses tint the shining sun nicely and shield my eyeballs from the wind really well, but it was the small pack of gnats I rode through that made me think what a great product Oakley made for me.
Thank you Oakley!
This knotted up, buzzing in tight formation, community of gnats doing that thing gnats do, on the calm side of a tree, was a strange and curious thing to see. I guess they grouped there because they could, and by sheer volume made themselves known because they created this odd-looking dark shadow where no shadow could be. The sun was shining from the East (as it often does) and the wind was blowing from the Southwest at 17 to 20 mph. Naturally I am heading South (bother) against the wind. My feet are putting some very strong pressure on the pedals to move me forward at 18 mph against this wind, and up ahead is something I had never seen. It looked like that smoke monster from the television show “Lost” and I could not figure out what it was. Going around it to the left would put me halfway into the right lane of traffic – not acceptable – and going around to the right would have me curb jumping onto lawn which would certainly cause my own personal wreck – been there, done that – so I went right through it. And realized immediately what it was. They were up my nose, sticking to the sweat on my brow, attaching themselves to the little hairs on my arm…..they were gnats. And a whole group of ’em to boot!
Little, tiny, flying bugs, rotating around in the relative calm beside that big ol’ tree. I had no idea this could happen. And I bet nobody driving a car knows about this either!
Anyway, I quietly thanked Oakley this morning for making this most excellent model of sunglasses available to me. They made ’em, I bought ’em, thank you very much.
The end.
Clean your bike! I did….
Spring is in the air. Finally. If you are a cyclist there is a very large gap between the start of Winter when you quit riding and the beginning of Spring when you begin riding again.
It’s about two months early for Spring to show its colors out here….and in spite of the calendar, the grass is getting green, trees are budding, and folks are spending time outside. Pretty soon when it warms a bit more there will be clean cars, gardening services rushing from yard to yard, and outdoor fitness buffs will grudgingly show off their lumpy acquisitions of weight gain while they trudge along to some unknown song playing on their music player.
And if you’re me, your bicycle just got a bath. I haven’t been riding lately but noticed a layer of dust had settled on the paint, also saw I had not scrubbed the goo-cumulation from the last ride back in October, and could NOT tell by looking at the dark cluster of grease toward the back of the bike there were gears back there waiting to power the bike on down the road! So I gave CashFlow a bath.
Up she went onto the bike stand and my attention turned to the rear wheel. The cassette was detached and summarily reduced to the parts of its sum with spacers, gears, and the end cap were drowned inside a half coffee can full of Simple Green. The de-greasing had begun.
The bike then received a full wipe-down with a damp cloth. Chunks of road tar were addressed with a toothbrush dripping with more Simple Green and lot of TLC. Another wiping with the cloth and CashFlow was looking like her old self!
Now the wheels. I think you can clean just about anything if you take the time and apply yourself to the task at hand. Greasy spokes and road grime had given the bike an old beat-down look to it and the goal for today’s bath was to remove that layer of ugly and replace it with the look I am accustomed to….this was a Beast-to-Beauty transition, and it would make me a happy man to do the work. I used the toothbrush soaked in Simple Green to remove the layer of grease on each cog and spacer. Only when they looked all bright and shiny would I move on to the next one. And I made a promise this would not happen again! We’ll see how that goes.
After re-assembling the cassette with those shiny new looking cogs, the rear wheel looked great. Of course I cleaned up the front wheel and when they were both put back on the bike, CashFlow looked great. I am so proud of her!
CashFlow is clean now, and with Spring nearly here, I better figure out how to get my newly acquired weight into some cycling shorts and start working it off so CashFlow can be proud of me too.
I still need to clean the chain, but I’ll do that before my first ride….which will happen soon!
Exciting News….finally!
Well here is an unexpected pleasant bit of news (for me); I had a really good ride!
As you may know from my previous entries, I have been struggling BIG TIME with my cycling. My mind remembers my previous fitness level and how capable I was at all sorts of things. Climbing, sprints, long distance…all of it…I was good once. And for a cyclist to suffer during a contest or training ride is expected. And I was pretty good at that too! Ride to the pain, then ride through it….made me a better rider, it did. But that was then. My NOW? My body rebels at the mere <i>thought</i> of going faster, harder, or longer. I suffer, but that’s about it.
Yes, the suffering has been great, and I still know how to get there, but the results have been pretty much the same. Every ride begins with me hoping for a shred of evidence of my past strength, but ends with me wondering when something good is going to happen. Every. Single. Day.
I saddle up and struggle to get comfortable. Then it is SNAFU….and nothing to report. Oh sure, there is an occasional glimpse of power like when I tuck into the TT position and TRY to go fast. But that always ends with my heart POUNDING like a drum during the High School fight song, sweat pouring down my face like someone dumped a bucket of water on my head, and my legs SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER to stop or at least slow down. Dutifully I wind it down and plod the rest of the way to work or home. Every day. And you know wut? It’s getting old!
Yesterday’s Ride
Which is why yesterday’s ride was so much a pleasure that I am pounding out this note. First, I took the sunrise photo….wait a second, that was a little later in the ride. First, I had a nice little warm up…..no wait, that was before I realized it was going to be a good day! The first thing I did was…wow, I’m writing myself into a corner. Back in a sec…..
Much time has passed. Cup of coffee in hand, a Saturday morning happening all around, and a clear mind. OK, here is how the ride happened; I started the day off at 5:30 am with a shower, got some breakfast and pondered the day. The weather has been trending hotter and hotter until yesterday when we actually busted a hundred degrees. So it’s been hot. I’ve also been having trouble with my weight. After 9 months of being off the bike, I gained 16 pounds. This is understandable (not acceptable, but I’m past that). So after being ON the bike for almost three months, I thought I might have some success to share. Alas, that is not the case, as I am down only 6 pounds (might be the beer, or my darn sweet tooth…don’t know for certain). Anyway, clocking the scale at 186, I am still carrying 10 lbs. too many. So I’m working on that too.
But I stopped after my morning cereal and thought, “today is going to be a good day”. And way back in the 80’s I learned from Jack and Gary Kinder, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” So what happens today is my fault. I can make it or break it. Today is my day. It’s up to me.
So I got in the closet and dressed for success. Instead of riding shorts, I put on my bibs. These provide excellent comfort and do not allow any chafing in the seat area. They also wick away moisture really well and just make for an all around better feeling outfit for a long ride. And today was going to be that 18 mile ride in to work and eighteen mile back home; with the return during the 100 degree sunny afternoon. Comfort would be important.
The day got going with some really good energy, a good vibe, and some hope for a good ride. I was a little late out the door so I decided to cut corners if I could. Having shed some demons by giving myself a little pep talk is a good thing to do anytime you can do it, and by golly I did it, so lets get this thing underway! I pushed off and here we go.
I ride back behind my old High School, note the darkness all around, and quietly thank the manufacturer for the light I bought a couple of years ago. I can see the street really well and I’m fairly certain drivers and anyone looking my way won’t miss the glowing orb coming toward them. I’m seriously lit up!
Then it is past the old bridge on Norris and I’m taking back roads all the way over to the bike trail at Watt Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard. In a zig zag pattern I’m crossing Marconi Avenue, then Arden Way, and then I’m across Fair Oaks Blvd. before dropping down onto the bike trail. And here is where I have a decision to make, do I continue on for the sake of getting the full 18 miles or do I take the shortcut through Sacramento State University and arrive to work on time. Since I started my ride ten minutes late, I take the shortcut. It cuts the ride by about 4 miles and will easily save a few minutes, so I’ll be okay on time.
Morning Rides are BEST!
This is why I ride a bike...Sunrise over the American River
The ride gets started up again and I am noticing I have some “legs” today. But the streets of downtown are waiting for me and I don’t really feel like going hard, so I continue on to work and arrive in the bike lock-up room at the designated time of 7:20. Here it is Friday and an 8 hour shift awaits.
The workday is over and here is the good part; time to ride! Like I’ve said before, “work is the thing I do between rides.”
Warm up with a ride through the streets of Old Sacramento. There’s Fannie Anne’s on the right, there’s the old candy shop, here comes the Train Depot. People are everywhere walking the planks out in front of the shops, I have only a few cars to contend with, and it’s on to the bike trail. Here comes Discovery Park, and just like that it is behind me. I decide to test my legs.
And here is where it gets REALLY good. I tuck in to the Time Trial position. Elbows are resting on the handlebars and my hands lightly hold the shifter cables out in front of the bike. My neck has been getting better and better at holding my head up to see the road streaming in front of me and the bike is in its highest gear selection. This is a hard test and you can get going around 28 to 32 mph…..and that is what I am going! Mile one comes and goes. My heart rate is hammering out a nice tempo, my mouth is agape and pulling in air for my lungs to process the coveted oxygen, and my legs are busy just doing their job of mashing the pedals toward the ground again and again; today with power!
Huh? What is happening?? My mind is REELING! Is this really going on? Like a finely tuned athlete, I am SCORCHING the bike path and seriously LOVING IT! This is very similar to some of the efforts I was able to do before Cancer came a calling on my prostate!!
Mile two is here and yes, I am spent. But I should be! Maybe I should not have gone so hard for so long, but I did….and here I am to talk about it. I survived the test! And my brain is now thinking (and worrying just a little) about how I’m going to get the rest of the way home. And instead of LISTENING TO THAT CRAP, I motored home, pushing it the entire way. My ride of 18 miles was completed in just less than the 70 minutes it has been taking me. Pre-surgery I was doing this regularly at 60 minutes, and I am very pleased with the results of this ride of 58 minutes!
The take-away here? Never, ever, stop trying. Strive to do something and then give yourself a chance to be the winner you are.
Today is your day….what are you going to do with it?
Believe it. Do it. Begin now.
HowzitGoin’ David?
First, I have a couple of anniversaries to note:
September 12, 2011 – Two Month Anniversary of my first bicycle ride (7/12) after a nine month medical leave
September 20, 2011 – Four Month Anniversary of the day my prostate was removed
And then, this is how things are going on the bike:
My comfort in the saddle is finally getting manageable and the amount of energy I have post-ride is a lot better than before. I can do longer rides without too much struggle and the 9 mile morning/evening commute is getting a little faster all the time. I can take the pain of a hard effort better this week than last, and the recovery time seems to be a little shorter too. All of that is really good news!
On the flip side; Man is it depressing how much fitness I still don’t have! If a glass of water is my level of fitness, and FULL is where I was nine months previous to July 12th; I was EMPTY. Up 16 pounds, soft jello-like muscles, and no cardio to speak of, I was just empty. Nothing to offer but a new reality to endure.
Currently, the fitness glass is either half-full or half-empty, depending how you see things, and filling slowly. I have lost 6 pounds and the cardio is on its way back. The soft jello-muscles are slowly transitioning their way into the hard-working pistons they were – way back in October, 2010. And, as an added plus, my resting heart rate is down around 58 bpm. Good news!
“Think of what you want most, then become it”. June is when I began thinking.
When Doc said I could begin walking, I walked. If you read this bLog while I was recovering you know I walked several times and each time was better than the time before. I remember the first time I couldn’t get down to the end of the street without having to turn around and practically RUNNING back home to get in to the bathroom! A week or two later, I was down the street and around the corner for a 3 mile walk. After that a 7 mile jaunt. When you dedicate your life to a thing, nothing is terribly difficult!
After the first post-surgery PSA blood test I was told I could ride, so I rode. And it hurted me….but I hung in there anyway. And I rode every day for as long as I could handle the pain. I think the first ride was about 12 miles. After my neck muscles allowed it, I was back on the bike for a little longer ride of 18 miles. After my butt stopped feeling like I had left the saddle inside it, I was out again for more. I don’t recall the progression now, but suffice it to say I rode EVERY chance I got. And while I was not working, it was so easy!
After one month of riding as often as I could, on August 15th, I was back to work. After three months off (two of which were all about healing, the final about getting strong), I was back on the job. Which is when the bike commute began anew.
To refresh your memory, the bicycle commute takes me along the top of a really flat and paved levee for 3 miles before dropping on to our local river-hugging bike trail. Fully paved, lined, and marked for runners/walkers/bicycles there are no cars or motorized vehicles of any kind on any part of this ride, and that goes for another 4 miles. Then, I pick up another levee on the other side of the river that winds over to the downtown area where I integrate on to an actual road for a half mile and find myself at work with 9 miles logged. It is a nice ride of 30 minutes and it doesn’t hurt all day like it did one month ago….which is really good news because I turn around and go back the same way after work, and do this every workday! I make the commute as difficult as I can handle by keeping constant pressure on the pedals, and about half-way thru going into Time Trial mode for a dose of true effort. The commute is anything but mundane and it helps make me strong again.
Work is the thing I do between rides.
Health Stuff
Just yesterday I went to Vampire House where they drew blood from my arm again. PSA test and hoping for zeroes. Results next week….wish me luck!
And OK boys and girls, this is the serious part. If you don’t want to know the details about what happens when a doctor removes a man’s prostate, read no further.
Seriously….if you don’t want to know, stop reading.
I’ll wait.
{insert music here. Use the theme from “Jeapordy”}
OK, if everyone is gone who should be/wants to be gone, and the rest of you are interested in the embarrassing details, here you go:
Peeing. This WAS a problem. And I did not think it would ever get back to normal. They did the surgery and left a catheter in to allow the urethra to heal. They cut and reattach this pipe during surgery. After ten days they removed the catheter and I was certain I would never control my pee again. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to…wow, there’s a thought. Or maybe I would be in that awkward 10% of folks who never get that control back. Wear diapers? Ugh, THERE’S a lifetime of embarrassment! What a bummer it is to even THINK like that! Fortunately I did not need to harbor those thoughts as it became less and less of a problem to control starting/stopping and when/where for the next session in front of the porcelin. Today I have about 99% of that control back and have little concern knowing it will completely heal the way it should. I’ll put a check in the box marked “Success” for that problem.
Erection. Nope. None to report. It is easy (and disappointing) to report this as the one malady I currently endure. This was/is a concern they prepare you for and they also seem to think it will work itself out over the first year or so. I guess the nerves – even though they were spared during surgery – take time to heal. I guess. Fantastically, my wife is very supportive and has no concern either way. And really truly, me too. I mean, I don’t NEED an erection, but it is still weird I don’t get them anymore. After a lifetime of success, failure is the new reality. So I’ll put a check in the box for “Hopeful”. Not a complete failure yet. They say it needs more time. And apparently, thanks to the surgery, I’ve got that. Thanks doc!
Update: New Wheels
This is the revision I promised to the 08/08/2011 post titled: NEW WHEELS
I bought some new wheels for my bicycle, CashFlow. The wheels came from a company named “Neuvation” located in San Luis Obisbo. The guy who runs it, John, has been doing so for quite some time and he is really good at what he does! And what he does is this, buy the parts and pieces overseas, assemble those parts/pieces into bicycle wheels, and make them available to any interested parties.
Recently, I was one of those “interested parties” because my previous, expensive, Bontrager XL rear wheel had been producing flats as frequently as I could finance the purchase of the next one. Some rides would see a single flat while other rides would see two or three. It got to be a real drag to pull over to the side of the trail and show off my repair skills while dripping sweat all over the pavement. So, with great trepidation, I dipped my toes into the pond where new wheels glisten in the horizon like so many oasis glimmering in the desert. The purchase of new wheels seemed so far away! Everywhere I looked the cost was right around $800 a set. For CHEAP wheels. Bottom-fishing stuff. The stuff you buy and wonder why. Discouraged, I wanted to give up, but wanted to stop fixing flats even more.
And right about then, I remembered my friend over in Utah who last summer was sporting some new wheels from Neuvation. I emailed him asking about ride quality, wheel stiffness/response, and his overall impression. His reply? “Love them!”
So, to save you from the headache(s) I suffered while shopping for a new set of wheels, do this: visit the Neuvation site and buy yourself a set. Mine? I love them!
You will too.
Visit the website: http://www.neuvationcycling.com
This is an excerpt from a review about John’s R28 Aero’s:
“The economics behind Neuvation’s business model are simple enough: Product is sourced overseas and then sold directly to consumers. Neuvation’s brain trust has a single Social Security number: John Neugent’s. Neugent was the head of Sachs here in the U.S. and his skill set is unusually broad; the guy has done everything from CAD drawings to sales and marketing, but relationships being what they are, Neugent’s most important asset is his 25 years of experience sourcing product in Taiwan. And if you’ve ever heard anyone haggle with a Taiwanese businessman then you know that garage sales are for the faint of heart.
It’s true that his web design isn’t too exciting and the graphics on the wheels aren’t exactly sexy, but that’s really the point: You purchase Neuvation wheels not because they have the allure of a Victoria’s Secret model, but because anyone gainfully employed has the coin for a set.”
Read the full article at: http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/05/neuvation-r28-aero4-wheels.html
Auburn, CA at Garmin Connect – Details
This is a map of today's ride to Auburn
And it was a great test of my new Neuvation wheels. NICE! They are stiff and quick to respond. Compared to the 5 year old Bontragers I have been riding these things are built to race!
The ride-specs are available for your review too. Check it at this link: Ride to Auburn – Ride Details.
I’ll probable have something to say about the ride but for now, I must rest.
New stuff
New ride:
I had the pleasure of taking another “ride of distance” today. This one measured 45 miles and took 3 hours from start to finish. I had a couple of 5 minute water/recovery stops and then cooled down with a nice spin for the final 4 miles. To top off this nice ride, the Garmin cycle computer tells me I burned 2703 calories. On Saturday my ride took 5 hours to cover 67 miles (had 2,600′ of climb) and the calorie burn is listed at 4041.
New Focus:
Build muscle. What I need to do now is convince my body that is the “new normal” and it better get cookin’ up the muscle recipe to build the necessary fibers to maintain my habit! Or ELSE! Just cuz I was off the bike for NINE MONTHS, does NOT mean I’m going to allow my body to get soft(er). But I am here to tell you, right now it hurts. I have been back on the bike for a little less than a month and it hurts. My whole body is in pain from head to toe. All the support systems are seriously stressed, and it hurts like crazy. All day. Of course you know that means I’ll be ignoring the pain, putting down more miles, more often. All to help the systems understand this is serious and you best come on-line with some expediency. That’s just the way it is in the Land of Dave. Comply or be crushed!
New mantra:
Ouch. (Say it slowly and repeat often for best effect.)
New favorite saying:
Rode hard, put away wet.
New goal:
Auburn, CA.
65 Miles
what a ride!
Yesterday, I finally got a ride of significant distance.
More inna minnit….
OK, I’m back. Posted that little bit via Windows Phone 7. Nice feature!
The ride of “significant distance” was a 65 mile slow ride to hell and back. By that I mean – it hurt. And I am dead serious. I think the ride lasted about 15 miles too long and I knew it because I was plodding along at about 16 mph instead of my “new” usual speed of 18 mph.
Oh, and my Garmin 305 is sporadically functioning, and this is most likely due to its lack of use over the last 9 months. So there’s that.
Anyway, back to the ride. It got started nicely with some really nice weather. A little cool at 62 degrees and a bit breezy as well. But hey, I was going for ride, was dressed, the chain was lubed, and off I went. Mark the time at 9:00 am.
At 9:10 I was logging mile #5 and off the street working in his garage is a friend of mine. Detour #1. I pulled over and we talked for about 20 minutes.
9:30, I excused myself and took off down the road. The American River Bike Trail was the next destination ……………….
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Goals are made to be broken
Yes, goals are made to be broken and I am here to report the successful squashing of another goal. And this is something to crow about from the top of a tall building! Here it is:
Riding goal this week: 100 miles
Actual riding mileage: 130 miles
This is how it happened. For each of three rides, I used the American River Bike Trail. It is familiar and there are zero cars to worry about. The first ride was a round trip to Beal’s Point, 40 miles covered. The second ride was an out-and-back to downtown Sacramento for a coffee at my favorite shop, Chocolate Fish Coffee. That was 40 miles, and I was beat like a rented mule from the effort. The third ride was a 50 mile trip up to Beal’s Point again (the little hills “make me strong like ox”. Say this with a russian accent and clench your fist to get the full 3D movie effect), this time with an add-on over to Douglas Blvd, and it felt great! It felt great to be on the bike, felt great to battle the wind, and felt awesome to turn the crank with some strength.
As a disclaimer, I am a L O N G way from being strong enough to brag about my riding prowess. But the ability to actually generate some power while riding, if only for a short distance, is a thing of beauty indeed! And, to further keep you fully informed about my current riding strength and stamina (or lack thereof), I was passed on ride #2 by an old dude on a squeaky mountain bike, and today a gal blew by me on the way up a small rise like I was an old dude on a mountain bike. OUCH, I have to adjust my thinking!
In spite of getting trounced by these obviously fit and healthy individuals, I still loved being out on the trail and fully enjoyed the ride. It felt great to be back!
Now then, where is that building? I got me some crowing to do!
dbmcclellan.com 