Flogging oneself, a 'cat of 9' tale

My friend Jen has been an athlete for years, running many half marathons, she was a ski bum, has a fine arts degree in dance and the list goes on. So when she said to me that she can't run like she used too, even 5 years ago, I started to draw a correlation between her current understanding of the sport she loves and my re-found passion for cycling.
  Definition of beginning: to start at the beginning or to do the first part.
That's how I feel.Oh I still have a handle on the flow of the ride and I am aware of the stroke and my cockpit position but I have to start over,  I'm at the beginning...again.. Stating this to Jen she has given me a copy of an article  by Jeff Matlow about being a 'Type A' personality and you can find it at, http://www.latriclub.com/resources/article_detail.php?id=1603 . It's a good read and anyone who has this personality disorder, or doesn't think it's a disorder, should take a second to ingest it. The point is I think I'm a "b" type because I'm laid back but really I'm an "a" type because of my drive to excel. You get the picture or you will once you read the article.
Last week was the first full week with my Trek, my first week. I logged 64 miles which included a 20 miler and a 30 miler my first week, my first week. I have not been on a bike...well you've read how long  it's been previously so I'll skip the digression and return to the regularly scheduled program.
Every day I go to work on the same street, back and forth back and forth,  lately with one thing in mind, a good time trial road of course...what were you thinking?  So I spotted this 8.3 mile round trip stretch of  Livingston Road between Immokalee Rd and Bonita Beach Rd that is flat, which  there is lots of  in SW Florida, has good straits, a few bends to make it interesting  and all without stop lights. Perfect! I arrived last Wednesday after work, suited up, got the bike out of the back of the Suburban and away I went.
Within the first two miles I noticed I was breathing very heavy, my cadence had dropped , I had downshifted a gear and started to pull the whip out to start the flogging. I was on my  first  time trail workout in 22 years and I was already going to beat myself  for not matching up to the old ideals of how I remembered 'my glory days' or should I say daze?!
Then I realized I needed to stop looking at how I used to perform in an idealized way and get with the business at hand of being the best I can make myself NOW! Don't get me wrong, I did not wuss out, I set a goal and have a game plan to attain it plain and simple. There is plenty of time for flogging myself later and there's nothing like a good self flogging after killing yourself in a hard work out (never mind that bit).
This is a great sport, one which I have the ridicules good fortune to return to,  so I'll put the time and effort in at the beginning  in order to have fun, go on a long ride every year with my family and maybe compete again, maybe.
I'll see you out there and remember if I pass you stop at Peets, because your buying.

When Local is Better

"Think globally but buy locally," isn't that how the saying goes? Recently my son sent me this article about a local surf shop that has gone out of business after 30 years.  http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/sep/12/after-30-years-its-last-wave-star-surfing-co/?uniontrib
The owner was not only selling boards and clothes but, as an experienced surfer himself, was able to teach others to share the Ocean.  To those who surf the Ocean is the source and to be in it's rhythm is the way surfers have peace in their lives.
 I'm really disturbed that this man and his shop have gone by the wayside. He and his shop have been embedded in the local psyche for thirty years, he and his shop are synonymous with the local  surf scene and yet they are now gone never to return.
WHY? Because those who are not surfers or have no desire to be more than 'weekend warriors' are in love with the shallow 'glass and stucco cathedrals' of consumerism therefore over look the importance of a mom and pop store. A mistake that comes from people who value this weeks trend instead of the lasting quality of good equipment and gurus who live the sport.
Of all the things I've witnessed in my years it's that 'progress' really isn't when it comes to replacing people who are knowledgeable in their field with people who have an 'I just work here' ability. I'm all for profit and creating jobs and we definitely need that now. But what is really needed  is a labor force that has pride in their jobs and are themselves artists, cyclists, surfers, runners, snow-boarders and are craftsman and 'junkies' of what ever gig they do.
My concern is for my local bike shop which is current as far as a boutique style but is also staffed with craftsman who themselves are bike 'junkies'. The wisdom that these guys and gals share can only come from experience and I hope that they are not replaced with ultra cheap gear and even cheaper bikes all in the name of consumer affordability. Support YOUR local bike shop and they will always be there for you!
 As usual if I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.

Cafe Racing

 Back in '73-'74, when I was a young buck, my freinds family had several motorcycles. I would hang out at their house in Sunnyvale on some weekends and we would go for a ride. Back then a motorcycle was a motorcycle; there were street bikes, dirt bikes and Harley's and no one rode a Harley unless they were outlaws. Things have changed.
 My friend, Tom, took me on my foray rocketing along hwy 35 in the coastal Madras of California and my first trip into adrenaline land. I got to pilot the Honda CB 350-4, the little brother of the 750. The cb 750 inline 4 cylinder was a revolution in motors for the cycle industry then and it is still the gold standard today.But again I digress.
As we zipped along at speeds faster than my skill level, which was easy enough because I had never ridden a motorcycle before, I became addicted to the bending and twisting then quickly accelerating in the straits and diving deep into the corners. As the road rushed to meet me I feel in love with this black top symphony!

At the end of my journey was the intersection of Hwy 35 and La Honda Blvd above Woodside, Alice's cafe stood inviting us in. The parking lot was littered with sport bikes of every description  from the modestly improved to full fairing euro-racers. I had only seen such bikes in racing magazines or on the track at Sears Point motor sports raceway. This was the adrenaline junkies mecca and I was at home.
The point of this story is that when you raced your buddies to the cafe the last one in the parking lot buys everyones meal. Thats why it's called 'Cafe Racing'! So from now on you'll know what I'm talking about when I say, "if  I  pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying".

My Ride

You know when somethings meant to be that it just works out.  That was the story of my Grandis and now of my Trek 2200.
The Gradis superlegerra was all that I ever wanted in a bike in 1982. It's had aluminum tubing and was fitted into lugs which made for a stiff yet nimble frame. The power transfer system was handled by a complete Campy super record drive-train from pedal to cassette. This made for solid shifts, weather a solid 'clunk' from a quick downshift in an uphill dogfight or the soft and positive click for upshift in the a breakaway.  The package was complete with Mavic rims that fit sew up tubeless tires. This 19 pound racer was  state of the art, I loved that bike.
The first time I clipped into the Trek I felt so comfortable in the cockpit that it was like I had ridden it for years.  The Trek's frame is welded aluminum tubing with carbon seat-stays and forks making for a firm ride yet light to the touch. The carbon soaks up the rough of cobble stones yet maintains road feel. Both the power train and stopping are handled by Shimano Ultegra component package with 105 brakes,which has a perfect fit and finish added to it's performance. The rear derailleur happily goes about doing tough jobs with ease weather in a downshift under heavy loads or a solid upshift on an high tempo strait. It's light and solid giving you confidence in putting your stroke to the pavement. The braking is handled so well that I will have no fear diving into downhill corner, if I could find some in SW Florida. 
Although it has only been 27 years from the creation of the Grandis to the production of the Trek the technology is worlds apart. While the Grandis is comparable to an 80's Ferrari super coupe the Trek is more like a Corvette c-6, you just can't compete with the current level of tech. All things being equal both are great bikes. I am glad to have had the Grandis then and now most happy to put miles in on the Trek. It was just meant to work out.
Many thanks to Karen at 'My Trek Shop' for finding this beauty for me!
Remember, if I pass you on the road stop at Peets, your buying.

Blame it on Lance

If it wasn't for Lance's return to cycling there would not have been such a media blitzkrieg to get everyone stirred up;  if it wasn't for Lance in the Tour de France it wouldn't have been broadcast, all 21 days of it, on cable sports;  if it wasn't for Lance I wouldn't have watched everyday of the Tour and gotten the bike bug. Yes I blame it on you Lance!
Lance is an elite athlete unlike me; Lance has top trainers to learn how to be more efficient, I don't. Lance has an army of techs, mechanics, massage therapists and dietitians, I don't. Lance has overcome many obstacles in life, so have I. Other things we have in common is taking care of people, fighting for what we believe in and cycling.
When I started riding the guy that got me going and kept me rolling was Greg Lamond. Yes, Greg was the up-and-coming  man of the pros and every time he clawed his way to the top I used it to fuel my own passion.  That was then, thanks Greg.
There's a new sheriff in town, again, by the name of Lance Armstrong. This year as I get ready to ride from Santa Barbara to Monterey in California, I will use Lance as the fuel every time I go on a long training ride, every time I do time sprints, every time I challenge a mountain  road. Every time I have a break through I will blame it on Lance.
For all you out there training for your own ride, if I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.

Providence

For all my braggadocios about cycling the truth is I'm a very a competitive person, mostly with myself. This competition has reached into all aspects of my life driving me, sometimes, to the point of obsession, just ask 'the wife'. At my cycling peak there was only a handful of guys I would ride with and we were just animals, or so I thought.
In the early 80's I was cooking at a restaurant in the Oakland  Rockridge area and my GM, who's name was Peter, told me he used to cycle and asked if he could join me sometime soon. My answer was a half-harted  'ya sure' and my 30 something GM was off to the dining room to take care of the customers. He held me to my promise the following Saturday.
Arriving at our meeting place Saturday morning  Peter was there and three of my usual cycling buddies I had asked to join us. I figured we would drop Peter in short time and since I was out on the road I didn't want the day to be a total loss. The route we planned was a 40 miles round trip with Berkeley as our starting point.
As our pace line was leaving the parking lot Peter picked up my wheel and we headed out at a warm up pace of 18-20 mph. We talked , joked around and got into the groove under-way.Peter looked confident and loose on his very nice bike, should have been a clue.
After each of us pulled 20 or 30 strokes a couple of times we got serious and stepped up to 26-27 mph to strut our stuff. Peter, my 30 something boss, was right there no problems.As I dropped back Peter told me he was going pick up the speed a little and the next thing I knew we were cruising at 32-33 mph. Peter never relinquished the front of the pace line the rest of the ride. I kept asking myself: who is this guy as I sat on his wheel the rest of the way home.

The lesson learned? Someone is always better then I am at something and maybe, just maybe, I need a good butt whippin now and then to improve my attitude!

That night at work Peter told me of his semi-pro status in his youth. He had a good laugh on me but became  a friend . I, on the other hand, nursed my bruised ego and set a new goal of technical excellence in the things I do. I also learned to be open to butt wippin's in the future when needed. Providence.
Remember, if I pass you, stop at Peets because your buying.

Back in the saddle again

Yep, just like riding a bike. Isn't that the saying when you haven't done something since you were a kid? Well what's the saying if it is actually a bike that your getting back on is it 'just like falling out of a boat'? As you can see my new partner on the road is a new/used Trek 2200. More about that later I want to tell you about the inaugural 20 mile ride this weekend.
From my house to Ave Maria University is a long stretch of strait road but then again everywhere you go in SW Florida is on a long stretch of strait road to get where you are going. I digress yet again...sorry. It's a 20 mile round trip from my house to the Beautiful Basilica and Piazza in downtown Ave Maria. Looking back upon the decision to ride this distance for the first time on a bike in 22 yrs may seem crazed but I wanted to find out if  I still had it in me, even a little. It was just like falling out of a boat! From the time my foot connected to the pedal until I reached the Piazza was 30 min, against a head wind. Not bad but what happened on the way there and back was very cool.
As I got ready to leave I choose not to wear the ipod as I had thought to do. Good decision, really, because I would have missed the ride and focused on the workout. The first thing I noticed was how responsive my new Trek was. She was light to handle, quick responding to power input and rode as smooth as a babies...well you know. Every stroke I laid down was quickly answered by a satisfying hum of the drive-train as we pushed forward.
Then I noticed some of the little things I hadn't experienced in years, the smell of the earth and trees as the heat of the day was coming upon it; the colors seemed more vibrant being out in the open; I relearned to use my hearing to 'see' on-coming cars and also heard the sounds of farming going on around me, which I must say made me feel very connected.
As I pedaled I could hear the distinct silky smooth sound of the rear derailed as it changed from one gear to another. My breathing was slightly heavy yet still rhythmic and relaxed because of the training those many years ago. Although my position in the saddle is still not dialed-in I was capable of  a round, smooth pedal stroke most of the time. I was STOKED! To celebrate and hydrate I took three 'victory laps' around the piazza and the Basilica of Ave Maria. Although none of the people walking around the shops knew about my personal victory it was enough that I did.
On the way back I knew that my sitz bones were not happy as the saddle yelled up to me 'how do you like me now' !?  I was really hard pressed, or at least my back side was, to stay in the saddle so I would stand on the pedals to stretch out the offended area every so often.  But the strangest thing was about 4 miles to go the fatigue left me and I dropped the hammer and flew to the house. I'll be a son of a gun! I still have life left in my legs after all these years!
 I expect to see you out there, and if I pass you, stop at Peets your buying.

Lance

I picked up the October issue of Bicycling magazine yesterday and there was a 'big story' featuring the rivalry of Lance and Alberto. Berto had a great year to be sure and all the fans give him credit for being a fine cyclist.
Lance on the other hand has DOMINATED the sport of cycling for the first 6 yrs of this century the way Michael Jordan dominated basket ball for ten yrs; the same way Joe Montana dominated football for 10 yrs; the way Tiger woods has dominated golf for 10 yrs and so on.
These men are Icons, they are or were the reining kings of their sport. Its sad to me that every arm chair quarterback who has an axe to grind wants to knock the king off the throne.The strength of the Icon is that they make everyone around them, weather teammate or rival, reach for higher heights and dig deeper to achieve personal greatness.
Recently Michael Jordan was quoted as saying..."I've failed over& over & over in my life, that's why I succeed"...this is from one of the greatest basket ball players ever, a captain of his team, a coach and an all around good guy and we see Lance as cut from the same cloth. Some are born to greatness while others have it thrust upon them, for a time.
I have not followed Lance's career nor have I been what you would call a fan but I do recognise his place in history. I believe he has a few big seasons left in him, if he wills it to be so. G-Ds speed Lance, we'll be watching.

My Trek Store

Looking for a bike was an easy task or so it seemed to me. You walk in to a shop, ask questions, compare rides, go online for reviews and you choose a bike. Sound easy, not so. There are three bike shops in Naples all of which have good bikes that I wanted to test and here is the story with that.
The Trek shop was closest so that's were I started, it made sense to me. The minute I walked in I was greeted by a fellow named Arley. He came from behind the counter, welcomed me, shook my hand and patiently walked me through all the questions I had about bikes, gear and stuff. Now that was customer service and I felt confident about their product and their ability to service the bike when I left the shop.
Next I went to a shop I won't mention by name but lets just say I didn't feel very 'special' when I was there. When I walked into this shop I was greeted with less than enthusiasm buy a guy that should by any standards be a used car salesman. We all work hard for our money and this is an expensive sport, I don't want to buy a bike and not get taken care of before or after I purchase one.
Disappointed I went back to the Trek shop to see if it is as good as it had been before, you know attitude, knowledge and friendliness. Yep it was. I got greeted by Karen this time, who is a no nonsense kinda gal and is very fluent in bike. She competes in the senior games and kicks BIG BUTT! This time I got a look at the bikes from a competitive view point by someone who knows the bikes and components first hand. In my head I made a very logical choice, not the one I really wanted, but what I could afford and had the features I needed to grow into the bike.
I have, in the past, made judgments based solely on attachment. By this I mean that if I feel welcome, like the product, they get the sale...simple right? I believe that to return to a sport is complex in a time/space sort of way, you know, competing with old distorted memories of 'glory days'. And the biggest, meanest nasty looming in your head is that you don't want to be let down by the bike or by service after the purchase ruining your return to cycling and having a bike collect dust, ain't gonna happen!
I had to make one last cold call on the last shop in town just for my own piece of mind. As I walked in I was greeted with a head nod, kinda like 'I'll be with you in a sec' sort of thing. This should be a big deal for a store, greeting a new customer and to help in a purchase. But I felt less than 'Giant' size in that place.
Back I went to Trek. This time Greg, the store manager, greeted me and knew who I was. Arley looked up from the bike he was working on and said hey and all was well in the world. Did I mention that this shop is run by people who are 'bike junkies' and don't work part time to buy the latest x-box game? Sleek, Clean and professional all done because the enjoy being at work. That's who I want to do business with.
Bottom line is find a shop you want to do business with. The bike will be good and well cared for if the staff is good. That's why I'm buying a Trek. You won't find my name on the web page in the employee or owner bios but it's still My Trek Store.

Stop signs and Politics

I love riding on back roads or country roads or what ever you want to call them...I LOVE'EM. I watched the Tour of Missouri last week and thought how cool it would be on those roads and sweating out a good, hard ride. One word comes to mind, BEAUTIFUL.The only thing that makes me a little crazy about those roads are the drivers.
When I started riding I would blow thru stop signs if I saw a car even a little way from the the intersection. Then one day there was a car that did the same thing to me. At that point I realized that even if some drivers see me they will not take into account that I'm there first or had the right away, they just want to gun it and go. I'm a bike, a child's toy for gods sake and the law does not pertain to them in that instance! So I learned to be very aware of who or what is coming and going on these roads.
Now a stop sign is a law set in stone, it's immovable. Once placed on sight it tells everyone who has the privilege to drive that in this place you must stop. Along with this law is a rule called the three second rule. It merely states that when you stop the wheels of your vehicle must not rotate for three seconds: one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three. If you don't follow this law and it's attached rule there is a precedence attached to it which is an officer of the law to inform you that you have broken the law and that there is the penalty for doing so.
Our Constitution is such a law with it's rules and presidence in place long before the turn of the 20th century. This law is not for special groups of people who have to follow the law but for ALL the people no matter who they are or what they do...end of story. That's why it was written so poor or rich, young or old, black or white and even those who are in elected office are equal in the 'eyes' of the law. To be truthful when I was going up this law gave every American and those visiting here comfort in that knowledge.
This last twenty years I've been witnessing those in politics are treating the Constitution more as a yield sign than a stop sign. These elected officials expect everyone, not in the same capacity as they are, to stop and count but they are allowing themselves to just 'blow through' this immutable law because it does not pertain to them. To top it off the precedence set by our previous generation on how to deal with such matters is being sweep aside by our legal police, judges, saying that they actually make the law in there court room and that previous laws and precedence doesn't matter...really?
So next time, if you blow thru a stop sign and an officer of the law decides to give you a penalty, you just point out some precedence set by our elected officials and say, no thanks it it doesn't pertain to me. However I will stop because I still believe everyone is equal, well maybe not the guy with the orange and purple hair, and some drivers just don't care about what is right in the eyes of the law and also out of self preservation.
See you on the road and if I get to Peets first you better stop because your buying!

Racing, Riding and sightseeing

Looking back on 'my glory days' is just that, my glory days. At my best I rode hard, raced a few times and went sight seeing alot. Reading Octobers issue of 'Roadbike Action' magazine in the very back I found a great article by Phil Booth in 'off the rivet' it reminded me of three venues I enjoyed which is racing, riding and sightseeing.
Everyone who rides alot dreams of wearing the gold. You train hard, log fast miles and get ready for your first race. My first race race was in San Rafael California on a course that was like the old 'Sears Point' motorsports race way only smaller. It was a combined cat 3 & 4 to make a good size race instead of two little ones. As I eyed the field I saw a couple of guys with big calves and thighs like climbers and seeing as the start of the race was uphill with a quick right I just knew it was allover before it started, way wrong. I made it through the pack from midway back and passed them on the third lap narrowly missing a crash of 5 or 6 riders just behind me. Thanks luck and adrenaline! I think I managed to Finnish the race in 23rd place out of 30, no more juice left in the legs, exhausted and happy. Next time I would know how to pace myself to place better...and look out for those squirly new cat 4 riders.
I loved riding hard and fast and also learned to go long periods at high rpm. On solo routes I would set up splits to improve vo2 uptake, faster recovery times and lactic acid burn thresholds. Then I would do long-slow mountainous routes to improve on my low density muscle mass. Of course I didn't know it at the time but I figured it out just by being observant of my own body, reading and watching other riders.
Sight seeing on the other hand were days for reflective thought, watching the seasons, visiting places I loved and finding new routes. At these times I took a pair of flip-flops because I learned that cleats are not made for traversing gravel roads when you find yourself lost in the country side seeking new routes.
Although I haven't been on a serious ride in over 22 yrs I have a feeling there is a few more 'glory days' ahead of me.

Do!

I've read allot of business management books, books on the inner game, self help books, customer service books and the like and it all boils down to what Yoda said to Luke Skywalker in the Jedi training..."either do or don't do"...I kept this in the back of my mind the first 100 mile solo ride I ever took.
Of course first stop was Peets coffee shop for some hot motivation, after that back on the bike to shake the cobwebs out of my legs for a couple of miles. Yep I'm ready to go so I hit the gas and go flying thru the hills of Berkeley down towards Damm Rd and out to Orinda/Moraga.
At this point it dawned on me, again, that today's route was a new one so I did two things: 1) Check for extra sew-ups, enough fuel to burn and an extra pedal strap (very important if you want to make the ride a good one or a painful one); 2)Mental check to ensure I had the testicular strength/mental toughness to accomplish the ride. Making the commitment to 'do' I rode off into history, that is in my mind!
The mental game I learned made a big difference in every aspect of my life. Weather it was the thousands of miles cycling that was logged or being a good husband, parent, friend and business manager.
I committed to the ride in life and had the strength to 'do' it because of the challenges I faced while in the saddle. Being far away from home base you feel like your out on a thread and only you can bring you home. That trust in my self got me and my family thru some tough times joyfully and in one piece.
So there I was those many years ago riding the last 10-15 miles in the Oakland hills just filled with the ride of that day and already planning the next one.

Closed

Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays or when a really serious mental vacation is needed. Other wise I'll be here...

Yeah baby, thats what I'm talking about!

I remember the excitement of picking up my new bike from the shop. There she was, cobalt blue with chrome head lugs and Grandis written in canary yellow on the down tube; Campy super record equipment, mavic 19 spoke sew-up rims and a brooks saddle. WOW what a beauty and she looked like she was going 40 just standing there!
The best part of of getting this 19lb hot rod was that I could ride for hours and eat every hill in sight. So I rode my favorite course, from Sausalito over Mt Tamalpais to hwy 1, then south to the Golden Gate and returning to Sausalito. I couldn't believe how I felt, I was invincible as I squeezed every once of energy out of my legs and was left breathless and beaming!
This love affair lasted 5 awesome years. I started with around 100 miles a week and as I grew into my bike at the height I was riding around 350 to 400 mpw! This work of art and technology was faithful and always rewarded me with responsive handling and crisp shifting.
When the wife informed me of our child to come it hit me that my Grandis and I would spend less and less time together. I had to look in earnest for a 'real' job with good pay and decent benifits for our new family.
Sadly I had to part with her in the early 90's when we were straped for cash. It was a sweet sarrow. I had waited so long to have such passion and depth of enjoyment in a sport but now parted with it willingly. My family was, is and will always be the centerpiece of my life.
Now with new chapter of children grown and out of the house I want to return to my early passion of riding. My only hope is that I find a partner in a bike that I once had.

weight 208  workout  450lb leg press, 130lb leg extentions, 190lb quad flex, 470lb calf raises, 110lb lateral lunges, 70lb kneeling twisting cable chop, 30 inverted situps and leg extentions        Cals 2200

Yoga girl and Peets coffee

My wife of 27yrs, henceforth dubbed 'the wife', is my best friend and love. Recently she graduated from a year long program to teach yoga which has changed her life profoundly. That's why I call her yoga girl.
This fine day she is teaching a class that has several of the local 'stars of yoga' because of the respect and love they have for her. BUT preparing for this class with the knowledge of who's in attendance kept her up going over & over & over the routine until daybreak.Because of her nocturnal focus today's brew would have to be the Black hole of caffeine. It never went blond as my normal jolt is preferred.
I started drinking coffee at Peets in the late 70's the one located just down the street from the Clairemont Hotel in Berkeley. Back then most people drank coffee shop stuff, thin and brown like tea water. Peets on the other hand introduced me to what a human knew to be intrinsically true but never experienced until then ...REAL caffeine and flavor and did I mention caffeine? I digress.
The wife's normal brew is strong so I take it blond to get a fix but leave the 'motor mouth syndrome' for some one else. There was no escaping the 'MMS' today, no sir! I've seen gear grease that is more viscus. But being an intrepid husband and a faithful friend I drank half a cup and listened to 'the wife's' fears of teaching teachers.
I know she'll do great, shes just built that way. Four hours ago I had my cup of Peets and I think my feet just touched the ground.

The wheel

In the beginning G-D created mankind.. Mankind was happy but had to walk everywhere and it was a pretty big everywhere so he invented the wheel. Now the wheel served mankind and was happy to serve but was bored as heck just going to work, to the farm and every Saturday night to the big bonfire in town.
So wheel invented the Tour de France to have a little fun and get a few of those lightweight 'rims' under it's frame...hey you make good time that way. Wheel and man were once again happy together and now felt fulfilled that they could beat themselves up for three weeks and love it!
My first bike was a 27lb all steel monster with crappy derailleurs and heavy rims. I loved cruising down from our place in the hills to downtown Sausalito where we lived and worked our first year of marriage.After work I took the big beast of a bike and tried to conquer the hill that leads out from our village by the bay up to the Golden Gate bridge. Once that was accomplished it was to the other side of the Golden Gate and so on until I rode into 'the city' every day.    My first mod to the beast was to replace those crummy derailleurs with decent ones improving the sloppy gear shifts to nice tight positive ones. Next I popped for lighter rims which saved 2lbs per wheel, I was cooking now. At this point one of my bike buddies pointed out that you can dress up a pig but it's still a pig. Good advice since I had $150 invested into a used bike I paid $45 for.

Point being it was a good first bike and the weight of it actually made me work very hard to earn my spurs. In the end as I listened to the tails of near god like men and there accomplishments such as Eddy Merkx, Bernard Hinault and of course new comer Greg Lemond, I realized that a new bike would be in order... now where was that campy catalog?

Waking weight: 208lbs Training hrs : rest day Caloric intake: green shake for breakfast, rb sand and grapes @10:30am , 3 no sugar coconut bars @1pm, apple and grapes @2.30 pm and dinner @ 7pm 2200 cals today

Rambligs, musings and psychosis of an average guy

Why 'The Pedal Project' instead of 'An average guys blog' ? Because it is about everything I think about whilst working out. All broken down into three categories:
1st I'm a returning to cycling after 22 years having a goal of riding with my son from Santa Barbara to Monterey California in may of 2010. In this aspiration I will have a training diary.
2nd I've lost 50lbs to date and want to lose 2o more to be ready for life not just the ride. So I'll include food I've munched and why. I believe in "everything in moderation including moderation".
3rd and finally to discuss politics, religion, love, hate...you know average guy stuff.
So what qualifies me to be average guy? I had average parents who grew up penniless during the depression. My dad fought during WW2 and went on after the war to work for Santa Fe Railroad from the 50's and 60's. In the 70's and 80's he worked for BART in the San Francisco bay area. Very average.
My mom moved from Missouri after high school to seek excitement in S.F. only to fall in love and marry after shortly arriving in the bay area.She raised three kids and worked for the school dist into the 80's. They had a house, two cars two dogs, one cat and went on vacation every other year...again very average. That's my story and I'm stiken' to it.