Morning Ride Pictures

Some days, I just fail to understand why people drive so much around here.

Sandy's Shakes

This post is to answer a request for a shake receipe. The items above are the ingredients I use for the "Pink Protein Smoothie" - recipe below.

This picture is for convincing Isaac that ground flaxseed can come in many different packages, not just the yellow bag. We can even grind our own seeds if we want to.

The Pink Protein Smoothie:

3/4 - 1 cup of soy (or cow) milk

3/4 - 1 cup non-fat plain yogurt (I use fruit flavored if I haven't enough real fruit, but prefer plain)

1 scoop (abt 1/4 c)EAS whey protein powder (Vanilla)

(Sam's Club and probably Wal-Mart carries it - per serving its a very economical way of getting lean whey protein in lots of every day dishes)

1 - 1 1/2 cup frozen sliced strawberries (sliced are easier to blend than whole)

1 banana (frozen or room temp)

1-2 T ground flax seed (for the omega 3's and fiber)

4-6 ice cubes

I usually add 1 Tbls Carlson's lemon flavored fish oil for the Omega 3 oils - it adds to smoothness and doesn't taste fishy at all.

It seems easier to blend if I put the soy milk in first, then layer the fruit, protein and flax with the yogurt and ice. This will make 3-5 cups of DELICIOUS protein & calcium packed smoothie, with good amounts of Omega 3, potassium and vitamin C.

If you leave some of this in the fridge for a few hours, it will turn brownish because of the banana, but it still tastes great -- good to throw in a couple drops of red food color before blending leftovers for the kids.

Mocha Protein Shake

1 cup cold leftover coffee (the stronger, the better)

1/2 -1 cup soy (or cow) milk

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

2-4 ice cubes

opttional: 1/2-1 tsp cocoa powder (NOT hot chocolate mix)

My first experiment with a peanut butter flavored protein shake was not worth repeating (I used coffee in the liquid), but I imagine 1 cup of milk or yogurt with 1 scoop of protein powder (either vanilla or chocolate) and 2 Tbls peanut butter along with some ice cubes would taste good. Anybody got a good peanut butter combo?

Note to those looking to swim better: Swim outside

Why? Let's break it down, shall we? First, you have the sun which does wonders for your desire to swim that extra 500m when increasing yardage versus the mind numbingly dull fluorescent lights of the globo-gym pool. Second, you can swim 50m lengths, instead of laps, which adds to the interest factor, and is more long-course/open-water specific training. (Did I already mention the sunshine?) Third, you can bring people with you even if they don't share your love for a long swim (read: they can swim and then chill out and read by the pool). Fourth, you can see cool stuff by the pool like the Luna moth pictured above.

Finally, it's summer and winter looms with fierce dread. Brrr. Get outside!

Anybody else think about this?

When I get done with a ride, especially if the ride is TO work, I take a quick look in the mirror to make sure I am presentable. First I do this...

And then I think, "That's odd. Why does my head look like that? There's no way I can go into work looking like this."

"I look like, like, like, ummmm.....This!"

Oh well, what to do?

Show of hands

How many here think that most people out there have one of the following run through their head when they see you riding your bike to work:
1. That person must have been a drunk driver who got their license taken away or
2. That person must be poor and not able to afford car/insurance/gas

?????

i think i get this vibe a lot...maybe its because i look like a wanker and not a cool biker

Below are pics of new fixed gear.

Come with Us...

So, here at The Torch, we're always seeking to promote healthy, physically active lifestyles. With that spirit in mind, Steve and myself adopted the idea of having team posting on Buckeye Outdoors. Some of you already use this site to log workouts, walks, hikes, gym visits, etc. It's very easy to use, and if you'd like (just let me know), I can add your workout in a widget to the side (see Steve's to the right). So if you'd like, sign up on buckeyeoutdoors, and then go find the Team "Torch de Fitness." You will need to request permission to join the team, but don't worry. I will give it.

So get off the fence.....

And come join us....

A Bit of a Breakthrough

So a typical ride for me over the past two months has been one of two types: 1) Group ride with a couple guys who ride competitively (Sam hangs for as long as possible until getting wrecked, usually during difficult efforts) or 2) Solo ride of some sort.

All rides have been in road configuration sans aero bars. Well, yesterday things began to look up. We were planning to do a brick (for those that don't know, that's a bike followed by a run). The plan was to ride easy beginning and end, but in the middle include 5x(4-min effort w/2-min rest interval). Thus, the tri configuration was set up prior to the ride. I honestly forgot how much I like being in the aerobars with some skeletal support as opposed to musculature support of the road configuration. So effort number 1, we stay pretty even most of the way, with the training partner getting ahead at the end of the interval. Breakthrough came in interval 2, we had done about 2 minutes, and I was about 20 feet behind when we slowed, turned right and started going uphill. From somewhere (perhaps the suffering of all the previous rides) I found some power to go past the training partner (who is light and usually trounces me on hills) and continue accelerating on the hill. Closed out the interval feeling like a champ and held on in front. The next two we stayed pretty even, and he trounced me on the fifth with his endurance. But all the same. It was good to remember (by feeling) that I can throw down a little on the bike when I want to.

I think there's just something about being aero from which I get more power (ahh, the joys of fitness).

(is this a sweet looking bike or what?)

The run off the bike was a bit tough as the legs were feeling gelatinous near the end of the ride, but a planned upon fast first mile was cut by 15 seconds (probably due to group workout nature) and the following 2.8 miles were hard but good.

Lesson for today: keep going, keep mixing it up and don't overdo it. The breakthroughs will come.

Photos courtesy of velonews.com

KY in the Summer (gotta love it)

This will be your encouraging post for the week/month/quarter. It's hard not to appreciate being outside this time of year, even if one lives in a highly urban area. Regardless, it's better than laying on a couch, and it's exceedingly more interesting. So even if it's a walk, go enjoy your life and slow it down with getting out of the building.


These are some pics from the ride home yesterday afternoon. I did beat the storm home.


Kid you not, there were some 7-8' tall corn stalks just a little further down the road...

On tap for today is a brick with the fellas and maybe a few minutes of Tour de France coverage after.

Ride your A$$

These are some pictures from our ride yesterday. We needed to get out and move after the Fourth's Feast and a hard run at the 10-k.

A quick 10-k recap: I haven't been doing too much speed work, and was not as well-trained as last year. Hence, there were no PR expectations. That's Rodes city next March. Get ready. Mike and I had a little too much fun the night before hanging out and staying up late playing Madden. It was a good time. The next morning we all got out the door a little late (Katy, Mike, Amber, and myself) due to some bowel testing. There was a nice line at the port-o-lets and we all tested their hospitality prior to the race.

Mike and Amber both PR'd and had good races. Katy finished strong, but I'll let her tell you about it. I went out at about 7+min/mi pace and the HR was skyrocketing. I figured it wasn't a PR kind of day as earlier determined, so I went for a good tempo run and finished in 43:02. It was a good time. The weather was overcast and rainy, and pretty cool for July.

The 1st annual SAMBER Independence day cookout was a success with a lot of people coming over for inside out burgers and cornhole. Fun was had by all. Hopefully we'll get some pictures up on the other blog soon.

My riding buddy Jeff and I went out for a nice 45 mile ride saturday morning. Paris is lovely in the summer!

After that, came home and got some lunch and then Amber and I went for a 15-miler. She's getting stronger. About 1+ mph faster than the last ride. We stopped for a quick visit with a local farm inhabitant.

Take Care of your Ride

This is one of those articles where the author (preacher) needs to hear the message he's sending out. It is for such a reason that the author writes. It is very important (relative to bike world, not in respect to the numerous other actually important things in life) to take care of one's bike. Considering the amount of time and energy expended on it by those training, 15 minutes of care once a week is pretty well spent. It is in this vein that the author endeavors to inspire the readers to at least wipe down their bikes, clean and re-lube the chains and inspect their bikes from time to time. The author is by no means a bike mechanic, or even good at upkeep, but here are some resources (Thanks Bikesport Michigan and Google) for enjoying riding and your bike a bit more:

Maintenance Schedule
Preventative Maintenance
Pre-Race Tune-up
Keeping your bike out of the shop
Daily/Per ride inspection
Fixing a Flat

Before you get too worried and start running out to the store, remember that the people writing these articles run bike shops; hence they want your business (which is not a bad thing). Resist the urge to part with loads of cash. If you have something you don't understand on your bike, break out the internets. Google and youTube have countless resources for bike repair, maintenance, tune-up, weird little clicky noises, etc.

Enjoy the Ride.

Getting Trashed (No, not like that)

You'll have to ask Amber if I looked like this when I got back from my ride last night, but I can assure you this is how I felt. I decided I'd ride with the fellas after commuting to and from work. Maybe not the best idea, but a good way to grind out some endurance nonetheless. I tried to take it easy on my work commutes, and still ended up averaging right around 18+ mph. In retrospect, I should be setting my MHR a little lower when I know I have a long day, just to stay fresher longer.

So everything was going great and we were cruising along (rather quickly, I might add) when I hear a shewwwww coming from my tires. Thankfully, I had realized I'd forgotten a spare tube on my commute and with my luck riding with the fellas (numerous mechanical/bike issues), I wanted to have it just in case.

Jeff and Casey were contending for county line and bridge sprints throughout the four counties we rode in yesterday. I usually attempt to do this when I'm fresh, but I just let them go today. I believe the score was Jeff 4, Casey 3, with Jeff pulling out a nice acceleration to take the last sprint.

Anyhow, around mile 55, Sam popped. The 20+ mph pace became too much and climbing became a thing of pain. We returned to Lexington (around mile 75), and I was a little scared I was going to pass out on my bike. For the first time since training for my half last year, I just wanted to lay down on the side of the road and take a nap. No questions asked. After I split off to head home, I decided I need to stop and infuse my body with some sugar. 44 oz. real sprite anyone? I got a couple of powerades as well, just to make sure I could ride the last mile home.

I was pretty much a zombie the rest of the evening, and thankfully my wife is pretty awesome, as she rubbed my legs for me (while reminding me that she didn't feel bad for me because I decided to ride "a billion miles" :D )

The main point is this: when you're riding off the back of the pack as much as I was yesterday, you have two choices. You can quit, pack it in, pull out the cell phone and get a ride (which is not always a bad decision), or you can fight the voice inside that's calling you stupid for trying to do more than you have before, for trying to keep up with people who are "better" than you, etc., etc., etc. I think everybody has it. You hear it often when people are worried about not feeling in control during a workout. I've learned from riding with these two ,who have much better fitness than myself, that simply accepting where you're at and not worrying about it is key to success. If you constantly beat yourself down about not being fast enough, bla bla bla, you'll never have the motivation to get out and do it the next day. Just know that in whatever area you might be working, playing, you're out there extending yourself, and it's a good deal better than sitting on the bench. I would also advise riding with some people who are weaker than you on a semi-regular basis to keep self-confidence high.

By the way, a link to an article about the pool in the last post can be found here.

In A Perfect World...

Every town would have one of these:

Even if it was only two lap lanes wide...

No more worries about flip-turns or open turns, and imagine how many people could share a lane...

Forced (by) Gas furnace

It seems like this happens regularly now, but the spring months are often tough for me to get consistent training in. Subsequently, it is the first day of Summer, and I just had the first good week in a long time. Saturday and Sunday are still available, and I've gotten in two runs, a swim, and 3 bikes. Riding the bike is becoming a bit more desirable now that fuel costs are growing. Both Amber and myself are embracing this a bit more. My goal is to grow into commuting an average of 2-3x/week and carpooling the other days. I have a nice 16-18 mi trip (depending on route) each way. It's good and hilly, so it forces fitness in pretty well.

I'm currently trying to set up a little race schedule and a training schedule that's realistic for every week. I also need to get off my arse and go to master's swimming. The wife seems to be warming up to the idea.

The author realizes this isn't much of a post, but starting to write again is kind of like recovery. Just a little bit at a time before you get back into full swing. I'm saving better stuff for later.

St. Leo Tri-umph

WOW- what a way to celebrate my 53rd birthday! I stayed calm and stuck with my game plan, passed at least one person in each portion of the race, AND finished each segment of the race faster than I had in training this past month!

I had hoped, if all went well, to come in under 2:30, with my "absolute best case scenario" sitting about 2:10. My official time was 1:38:11 - yaaay! I know that is slow to the young bucks, but I am thrilled with it!

Notes from a first-time tri-er:

• David endured a couple weeks of listening to me ruminate on how I would handle the race challenges and spent a sleep-deprived night on a too-soft mattress, but still good naturedly rode the bike course with me on Memorial Day and chauffered me back and forth to the race site this weekend and cheered me on at transition and the finish. Thanks, David.



• Pre-race intake: water, gatorade, black tea, banana, kashi bar, allergy med, glucosamine chondroitin for the joints and ginseng (to help maintain energy for the duration and lessen muscle soreness after).



• Our "first-timers" bike rack was right next to the transition entrance, so finding my bike was cake - that and the fact that very few bikes were left by the time I arrived from the swim - a fact my beloved had pointed out to me one time I was obsessing about being able to find my bike without my glasses on.



• The comraderie of the "first-timers" group of men around me while we waited for our swim wave to start was great - talk of how much training we'd had in preparation, which race segment gave us the most concern (swim) and which the most pleasure (bike), along with encouragement, smiles, and well-wishing.



• My warm-up swim informed me that SEEING the red triangular balloon course markers would be a challenge with tinted goggles replacing my "coke-bottle glasses". Thankfully the sun had come up enough by the time my wave entered the water, that I was able to stay reasonably on course except for the last leg where I wasted some strokes getting back on course.



• Checked my watch coming up the long hill after exiting the swim - 19:30 hooray!



• Running barefoot over parking lot - not fun but not as bad as I'd anticipated.



• My transition to bike? slower than 3 people who came in after me :-)



• Having biked the bike course 2 weeks ago helped alot in knowing where I could take advantage of those downhills and where I couldn't, but I was surprised a bit how much I struggled to keep a steady pace. I passed 4 women on the bike portion, 2 early on, and two in the last mile or two.



• My watch said 1 hour 4 minutes when I dismounted, which put my bike about 40 minutes for 10 miles



• The run was mostly on grass or dirt paths, which was great for me, but it was also very hilly - not so great for me. I hadn't been able to work in any steep incline work on the treadmill in prep as I had hoped. I had to walk alot of intervals.



• Just a few runners finished behind me, but that didn't mar my elation one bit as I chugged up the final hill to the finish chute at the top and looked at my watch.



• Post-race photo op with a giant inflated cow, picnic of delicious chocolate milk, turkey wrap, and fruit, and a VERY satisfied ride back to the hotel to shower and head home.

Sweat and Swimming

SWEAT

While menopausal sweat that wakens me at 11:30 and 1:00 and 1:20 and 2:40 and 3:30 and 4:00 and 4:30 (yep, 6 times a night is about right) is NOT a thing to feel good about, watching my sweat drip onto my bicycle pedaling legs or onto the mat when I'm doing push-ups is an mmmm....mmmm.....GOOD feeling of achievement.

Living here in Florida we learn to develop a higher tolerance for and appreciation of sweat. Since we're going to be doing it anytime we're outside in the summer for more than about 10 minutes, we might as well get our money's worth and sweat a bucketful while we're running so we can feel good when we're peeling off and wringing out our running shorts & shirts. Its the price we pay for the sunshine instead of gloomy grey and year round warmth instead of biting cold winters.

SWIMMING
Today I swam 40 laps/1000 yards/909 meters without stopping at the pool - my 14th swim work-out in prep for my first triathlon this weekend. I had to know that I could swim for 600 meters (the lenght in the sprint tri) plus a good bit more to accomodate a zig zag or outer perimeter course on race day. I expect to do 25-50% of the swim on my back, trying to avoid collisions and swim along a relatively expedient course. Survival with enough energy to do the bike and run is my goal for this one. Even today, after this many swim sessions, I had to fight back moments of panic once or twice when I felt I couldn't ta.ke in enough air in the first 200 yards. But I did, I kept swimming and can now see myself completing a half mile swim in the future.

Breaking It Down Brings a Question

This first part is minutae probably no one but me finds interesting. The question is at the end.

As part of my mental preparation for this first triathlon, I have tried to break down into manageable bits all the parts of the challenge I know to be new to me, and experience or simulate them as much as possible before the race, so I can hopefully sleep better the night before the race and thoroughly enjoy the event. So here are some of my "little bits of NEW".

• David and I rode the St. Leo bicycle course on Memorial Day morning. No blazing speed, but now I know I don't need to fear the hills -riding the overpasses on the Pinellas trail have been decent prep. Making the 90 degree turns at a high speed at the bottom of at least one of those hills is a challenge that will have to wait until race day.


• I've learned to shift into and out of the largest/greatest resistance front sprocket - something I had no need/desire for until I wanted to maximize the "flying-down-the-hill" energy.


• I've practiced riding most of my 15 mile prep bike course using the low hand grips on this first road bike I've ever owned.


• I've practiced drinking while pedaling - another thing I hadn't done at all on this bike prior to tri training.


• I got and have been wearing a pair of swim goggles to swim laps.


• I did an open water swim with Kyle in the Gulf of Mexico, staying in a depth where I had to swim or tread water for about 50 minutes. While the salt water made for a great bouyancy I won't have on race day, the wave swells made breathing air instead of water a challenge - I shouldn't panic at the beginning of the swim now when flailing feet and arms make the water churn. Thanks, Kyle and Michelle!

I also want to wear a cap for at least one of my swims and run later in the morning than I've been going, so I can give a "you've already done this, you can do it today" response to any negative self talk complaining about the heat and sun when I'm running. I also want to do one or two days of swim/bike/run in the order I'll be facing them.

So here's my question for the experienced triathletes, posed as I pushed the pedals on the return portion of my ride this morning, bypassing the bathroom in favor of an accurate time assessment: Have you ever peed while pedaling (after checking aft traffic, of course)? Did you regret it?

photo c.1997 Whetstone Photography Paul Jarrio 864-647-6500 (my first whitewater rafting experience)

St. Leo, Here I Come

Publix sponsors a series of Family Fitness Weekends across Florida, I've signed up to make the St. Leo Sprint Triathlon the weekend of June 14-15 my first triathlon, and I can already feel the nerves....

On the morning of Sam and Amber's wedding day, brother-in-law, Michael, found me on the treadmill at the hotel and we started talking fitness and triathlons - he and Dudley did at least one together years ago. Mike tells me the Cypress Gardens Triathlon is a great course for beginners because the swim portion has a rope along the entire distance. Since I hadn't been in the pool yet this season I appreciated that kind of thinking. So I check it out online and find it's a fall event around Sam's birthday....hmm...perhaps a family get-together?....

But then I notice the St. Leo event - not too far from home and a great way to celebrate turning 53 on the 13th - learning to do new things is supposed to help keep your brain young, and signing up for an event will get me in the pool - one of my fitness goals for the year. The downside is that its so soon and after 32+ years of almost no swimming (playing with the kids in the gulf or a pool doesn't count) I haven't been in the pool yet or transitioned to using my bike shoes and clips yet.

So a week ago I ran a 5k, swam laps (with many rests) totalling over 600 meters at the Seminole pool and, since the bike course description reads "hills, hills, and more hills" did a 15 mile bike ride on the only hills I have close by - the overpasses of the "south" portion of the Pinellas trail. A repeat of the bike along with a shorter run and swim the next day, a real rest day on Sunday, complete with pajamas and lots of sitting, and I plunked down the cash for registration.

I'm hoping to ride some of those Pasco County hills this holiday weekend because I am worried about my ability to push through 10 miles of them - I am definitely a flatlander. On the swimming, I've found that if I do a lap on my back after a lap of freestyle, I can recover enough to do another freestyle lap without a rest in-between, but I'm fighting toe cramps during every swim and trying to figure out how to stay on course if I have to swim 400 meters on my back. Surviving the swim with enough left to bike and run is my goal, not speed - if I am able to finish the sprint in 2.5 hours or less (it was in the 90's while I biked yesterday) I will be happy.

I'm doing reasonably well these past couple weeks working in about 3-4 runs , 3 swims, 3 bike rides and a little more rest per week. I'm keeping my mid-week weight workout, but dropping my weekend session in favor of the increased cardio. I'm hoping to work in a high incline session on the treadmill, a couple more pilates sessions to help my abs for swimming, and a "thrashing" session in the pool these next 2 weeks. I'm eating more bananas and spinach and walking around on tip toe to help with the toe cramps, and trying to find solutions to questions like: Since I won't be wearing my contacts (the meds I take for allergies dry my eyes out too much) will I be able to find my way to my bike without my glasses (hmm, steal the bright orange flag from the kiddie cruiser?) or should I try to find some goggles that can be worn over my glasses.

David teased me about my "anxiety" level yesterday as he was printing a bike course map for me so I can ride it this weekend. All I can say is, now I understand how the pre-triathlon prep that seems somewhat obsessive to non-participating friends and family members seems to be simply common sense to the one trying to prepare for the challenge.

The photo above is from a 5k race the summer of 1983, if I'm reading the shirt correctly. It was my 3rd 5k race, and my last until the turkey trot in 2007. Notice how enthusiastic my shirtless sons are to pose with sweat-drenched mom.

Defensive Cycling

Since the above happened to me about 5 weeks ago, I figured I'd post a PSA for all those beginning to ride in traffic or who still fear it. You have good reason. Dan Empfield wrote a good article regarding safety on the bike. Don't forget to remember how it should be isn't how it is. And how it is has a lot to do with whether you're safe or not. Enjoy

Who likes Climbing?

I do. It hurts like crap, especially when you're a bigger guy, but the fitness gains are remarkable (at least they have been in the past). Yesterday was a good ride. Beautiful day in the bluegrass, and we took it down the the river for some climbs at Clay's Ferry, T-burg Hill, and the climb up from Hall's on the river. There were some other tough ones in there too. I'm looking forward to doing this ride more. Only next time, I'll be throwing on the 12-27 cassette instead of the 11-23. If you don't know what that means, just e-mail me before you have to do any serious climbing, because you should know.

Is this mating season?

Yesterday was a perfect morning for me to enjoy my first ever full 6 mile loop run (still with some walk intervals) in Walsingham Park. Lots of strong rain Sunday which should have pulled the pollen from the oak trees and piled it into soggy masses on the ground , allowing me to breath easier than I have in weeks, and I did not totally "thrash myself" in my weight workout and rollerblading over the weekend. The overcast sky and early morning fog hanging over the lake makes running the path a visual delight.

So I've gone around the lake once, done the "front loop", gone past the dog park, and have just entered the narrow stretch of park between the fence next to the Warhawk youth baseball complex and the lake when I hear the LOUDEST, deepest alligator bellow/moan I have EVER heard, in all my years in Florida. RIGHT next to the running path - like 6 feet or less from the sound of it.

Immediately I go on full alert, moving closer to the fence, doing a rapid IFR scan through my fogged over glasses of the bank, the lake, the water plants, the man walking, in front of me, the bank, the lake, the bank the lake, listening intently for any rustling that will signal a gator moving out of the water, picturing other Florida women who've had gator encounters of the "too close" variety. I pick up my pace, looking back towward the sound the entire time. I spot two bumpy roughly rectangular protrusions, about 26-30" long, very close to one another, and incredibly close to the bank. Is that the source? If it is two of them, they seem too small to make the incredibly deep sound that put me on instant alert.

I slow down when I pass the older man with earphones to ask if he heard it. He definitely did. He admits to fear and visually searching, without success, for what he is certain, from the sound, was a very large gator, much larger than the protrusions I describe. hmmm

So, anyway, I enjoy the rest of the return loop, happy with what I'm accomplishing when I catch up to a dog-walking acquaintance from the past and mention the incongruity of the huge gator sounds coupled with the comparatively small to medium heads I think I spotted. Too small? "Not if it's mating season," she shouts as I run ahead.

"Not if it's mating season?!" Who knew?


PS: I grabbed my camera when I got home and headed back to the park to take a picture for the blog. I intended to photograph the exact spot. 50-75 yards before I reached it, a pair of knobby eye sockets protruded from the surface, about 10-15 from the bank. I moved a bit - just a bit- closer and started zooming in so the non-Floridians could get a good look. The gator spooked and submerged, the wave action seemed to indicate movement towards the shore, and I stepped back, turned around and headed out. There will be other photo ops. Of that I'm sure. One day, last fall, I came within 3-4 feet of tripping over a baby gator OUTSIDE the park fence, right next to the sidewalk I take every time I take the "back route" to the park.

PPS/PSS: If you've never read Peter Jenkins' account of nightime gator hunting with some bayou natives in Louisiana, you've missed out on some good stuff. Find it in "Walk Across America".