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Battle for Fitness: Prioritizing Cycling in your Life

Sep 26
Posted by Atypical Cyclist in Cyclist Training, September 2010

This past summer I decided it was time to reshape my life to get back to the lean person I used to be.  What was I thinking?  Five years ago before I got back into cycling, I found myself on an exercise binge that consumed my life.  I was spending hours running every night to maintain a weight that I felt was ideal.  For some odd reason I enjoyed getting out and running and to my surprise I worked hard to eat the right foods and eliminated the savory treats that so many of us yearn for.  I would tell myself that if I kept to my schedule for the week and if I did not have any pitfalls such as succumbing to a succulent chocolate morsel, that I would reward myself with a sugary treat.  I soon found that when the time came to have my treat I would persevere and deny myself the sugar.  This was a great time in my life, I was that fittest that I had ever been.  Then drastically in the middle of so much success, I destroyed my right knee for the 3rd time.  I was devastated and completely gave up on my lofty goals.  My weight ballooned from 200 lbs. to 250 lbs. in the matter of just a year.  Again I was self conscious of my weight.  It was during this time that I watched the Giro de Italia and took great delight in seeing the fast and fit cyclists cruise up monumental mountains as though they were on motorized bikes moving at incredible rates of speed.  I watched and thought “that should be me”.  I purchased my first true road bike.  The cherry red Trek 1500 SLR that I have talked about in other blogs.  This was my baby.  I set up a cycling routine and tried to keep to it.  I found that with all my other obligations that I could ride about 3 days per week.  I slowly built up my stamina and ventured out on longer rides.  Then reality hit, my wife gave birth to our first child and the free time that I enjoyed while riding were now being spent changing diapers and cleaning spit-up from my shoulder.   Where was my time going?  Why was I not being able to participate in the one life changing exercise that I wanted to do?  The answer was simple; my life had just been consumed with the cutest little girl that I had ever seen.  I found myself now on a regular path of inconsistency trying to ride when I could, but feeling as though I was always starting from scratch and that I was making zero progress in my battle for fitness.  I was still struggling with my weight as my rides were not pushing me towards my cycling goals.  Over the next 2 years my weight yo-yoed from 240lbs. to 255lbs.  It didn’t matter how much effort I put into cycling I could not control my weight.  I would start eating the right foods, but I would give up a little while later.  This past summer in June, I decided to commit to riding and changing my diet.  I pumped up my tires and committed to riding four days per week.  Not just any ride, but rides that would make my thighs burn and my heart to pump.  My new life started.  I started riding anywhere from 20 – 30 miles per day to build up my stamina.  I started recording my times on my cycle-computer and through Map My Ride.  I set goals to beat my previous record for each ride.  I set the end goal of being able to ride with the fast paced group on our weekly Saturday morning rides by the end of September.  I now had ambition and something to work for.  I told a few of my cycling friends about my desires and they agreed to help me get there.  The training rides that I endured throughout the summer took me from rolling hills in Northern Wisconsin, to the flats of Houston and Southern Texas, to the Mountainous Desert of Southern Arizona, and the beautiful scenery of Spokane, WA.  I can’t wait to share the experiences that I had in each of these pristine locations, and the way that these places have began to shape my life.  I can happily say that I am now at 230lbs. down from the 255lbs. of early June.  Now that September is here, I am actively trying to keep up with the fast paced group.  I try every Saturday.  I keep the pace and even pull for close to 50 miles before I have to slow down my pace and bring myself back to our starting point.  I still have the goals to finish with the group and I will do all I can to reach that goal.  As far as my weight and personal fitness, I will push myself until I reach 200lbs again.  I hope that you feel as motivated and driven as I do.  Now go out and make the change.

Atypical Cyclist

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Cycling with Dehydration, There are Better Ways to Die

Sep 20
Posted by Atypical Cyclist in Cyclist Training, September 2010

Every Saturday morning I meet up with about 25 other cyclists to push ourselves to our limits. There is nothing like leading a peloton and working to pull the group while maintaining a blistering pace. Our group starts out strong and by mile 12 there are usually only about 9 guys left leading the way. I still haven’t figured out when or where we lose the rest as I am so fixed on the wheel in front of me (partially due to the fact that I am already in please hold on mode) that I don’t realize we have lost anyone until I pull. I give it my all for about 3 minutes and then pass to the back where I have to do all I can to try to get back on the train as I have just exerted more energy than I should have. It always amazes me when the last person says “you are at the back”, as I expect there to be another 15 people to go through. I am now exhausted and trying to keep up with the fastest 8 or 9 riders. Although the ride is fun and I get a great workout, I feel the need to divulge my worst experience on a bike. Two weeks ago during my Saturday morning ride I experienced the energy zapping feeling of dehydration. Not just the “I wish I had a little more water, but the full blown I barely know who I am dehydration”. I obviously neglected my hydrating ritual to pursue better things like sleep. Usually the night before a big ride I use the same system that I have used since High School to maintain my buoyancy. Whether the workout is lifting, running, or a long ride, I simply consume lots of fluids. The best way to overcome dehydration is to become as hydrated as you can. In preparing my body for the temperatures in the mid 90’s and high humidity found here in Houston, TX, I have found that my 230 lbs. frame needs to drink up to 4 quarts of water during the 2 hours that lead up to sleep.

You may be wondering how one can possibly sleep with 4 quarts of water inside, and the answer is “in 2 hour increments”. With this amount of fluid in your system you will find yourself getting up 2-3 times during the night to relieve yourself. What a pleasant reminder that you are protecting your body. Why would anyone want to put themselves through this, the answer is simple: You don’t want to experience a long ride while dehydrated. Once you are dehydrated you cannot catch up on fluids until you stop your workout and focus on liquids. Once I wake up I fill another 32oz bottle and start sipping for an hour leading up to the ride. I also find that taking Hammer Gel nutrition about 15 minutes before I leave for my ride helps me to get some added nutrition (which is for another story). Now back to my dehydrated misery. I was feeling about as good as I could have for not riding with the group in 2 weeks and the pace started out fast. My cycle computer was showing an average of 24.3 mph at the 8 mile mark. We were moving faster than we had in quite some time. My legs were burning like I hadn’t felt since I climbed to the top of Madera Canyon near Green Valley, AZ. The only difference was there I could dream of the descent, here I was dying the death of a flat road. I was sweating profusely and my Oakley sunglasses were filling up with salt stains to the point that I could barely see. I was truly considering falling back so I could see where the other half of our group goes when the front pack leaves them, but I couldn’t let myself down. Oh I wish I had let myself down, next came pure shock of pedaling without knowing what was going on around me. I felt like I was in a new world. I stared at the blacktop below me and pictured the stars coming towards the cockpit glass like in Star Wars; I was now in a new dimension that I hoped to survive. My legs stopped pressing down and lifting up with power. My body stopped sweating and goose bumps covered my legs and arms. I knew I was in danger. I had finished up both my water bottles and was dying of thirst. Of course I was still 20 miles from my car and I knew nobody was coming to save me. I put my mind to work and kept telling myself keep pedaling, keep pedaling. My pace slowed like I was a slow turtle, I was now moving at a 14 mph pace.

The pain came and my legs felt tight but I had to keep pedaling. Upon arriving to my car I had to turn on the air conditioning and sip water to prevent myself from losing the little that was in my stomach. That afternoon was the worst I had ever felt after a ride. I sipped water throughout the day and by the next morning I was back to my old self again. It only took one time dehydrating myself to lead me to the conclusion that I don’t ever want to be in that position again. Learn from my lesson and do what you can to hydrate yourself properly.

Atypical Cyclist

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“Red Socks” now thats Atypical

Sep 16
Posted by Atypical Cyclist in September 2010

Yesterday I awoke and felt the itch. I yearned for the open road and the chance to show off my red DeFeet cycling socks. You may be asking why red? Let me take you on a long and complicated story. A few years back as I was confidently peddling along on my cherry red Trek 1500 SLR when I had an epiphany that will stay in my mind forever. I was climbing up towards Helmet Peak on Mission Road in Tucson AZ, which happened to be the first time I ventured into the mountains and I was clueless as to the expectations. Those expectations slowly became “stay alive” as I slowly pedaled towards my eternal demise. The buzzards began to swarm overhead and I swear that I saw a Native American laughing at me as I passed through the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation. I soon realized death was imminent as I looked back and the road looked as flat as Eastern Nebraska, I had only climbed about 500’ over the last 5 miles. The summer sun was blazing and I was drinking water as though the all the rivers in the area were running dry (oh wait, they are). I soon began my true climb wishing that I would have brought 2 more water bottles as I was starting to run low on water. I slowly made my way up the 3600’ peak all the while being passed by Gila Monsters and other slow moving reptiles. I could see the smirks on their faces as they swiftly disappeared into the desert. What was I doing? I had only been riding road bikes for about a week and this was no longer enjoyment. The buzzards overhead slowly circled lower and lower as if to say “just give up”. I kept pulling out my phone and looking up the map to see how much further I needed to peddle to win this obstacle. Of course, there was no signal. As I approached what I hoped would be the last turn before the descent I looked over my shoulder and saw a coyote leisurely trotting behind me. I knew that this was my time and all I could think about was how anyone would find my body; the animals were waiting to drag me off into the desert. Then the thought came “why not red socks”? This was the best idea I could muster as I continued one foot after the other peddling over the top of Helmet Peak. On the descent I proudly peddled as I knew that I had just achieved a milestone in my riding career. As the Atypical Cyclist I was pushing the scales at 255lbs during this tedious ride. In commemoration of the accomplishment and to always remind me of the death that I defeated, I decided to make a purchase. That night I purchased my first pair of cycling socks, red DeFeet Air-E-Ator socks. I will never ride again without them.

Atypical Cyclist

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Me in Biking Shorts!

Sep 11
Posted by Atypical Cyclist in September 2010

The most uneasy part of my cycling experience was and is convincing myself that I belong in biking shorts. In 2007 I purchased my first road bike. I was smitten with my cherry red Trek 1500 SLR.

I can remember going to a few different stores to test ride bikes, but ultimately I could not tell the difference between the bikes I rode. I told the bike representatives my price limit and they kept me to that price limit. ALL OF IT! As I was new to the cycling world as an active participant, I had no clue how much money I was about to start spending. Due to my passion to watching road races I was sure that if I pedaled a Trek bike that I would be able to keep up with whatever cyclist I came across on the road. I have since learned about actually having to pedal the bike. I also have learned that I need to increase my strength and stamina to pass those cyclists, or be completely left in the dust, which is usually what happens. I will never forget standing in Trek Bikes of Tucson after test riding my new bike. I was beaming with joy and could not wait to hit the open road. The store outfitted my bike with Look brand clip in pedals (which I had never used), a Trek cycle-computer, and 2 white metal water bottle cages.

Now, for the most uneasy moment of my life, the salesman looked at me and smiled the most uneasy smile and said “you know you are going to NEED a good pair of cycling shorts. My life stopped. “NEED” was all I heard. There was no option given to the subject, he indeed had said “need”. This salesman started in on the importance of selecting cycling shorts with a good chamois and the added benefits of the seamless padding that would make the long rides in the saddle more comfortable. All this was fine and sounded good to me, but at the time I was about 250 lbs. All I could envision was my huge thighs being the only thing people would see coming for miles as the black spandex would give the impression of two killer whales on a bike.

So to better illustrate here is one of the two:

I hadn’t put on anything that tight since high school and the night I forgot my football pants at home. The only pair they had at school for me to get into was a size medium, and by no means was I a medium. The pictures from that game still haunt me. Now I was about to willingly put myself into that same position again. My wife kindly gave me a wink as if to say “everything will be alright” and I headed into the dressing room to see if I could actually get into my new enemy of the cycling world. I had never envisioned that riding a road bike would mean spandex. I found that Nike made biking shorts that were labeled a size smaller than the competing brands. This happened to make me feel better about myself as I was now wearing a XL short which looked way better to me than the XXL or XXXL of the competing brands. I thought I looked all right in the new spandex and thought I might as well try on a jersey. This will make another entry at some time. Let’s just say they didn’t have one big enough in the entire store for me to feel comfortable in. I was already feeling my pride going, and I didn’t need to completely bury myself. That day still runs through my mind every time I reach for my biking shorts. Do I put them on and go? You better believe it, as the salesman told me that day I do feel more comfortable even on my longest days in the saddle.

Atypical Cyclist

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Not Your Typical Cyclist

Sep 11
Posted by Atypical Cyclist in September 2010

For years I have been enthralled with watching cycling on television.  I am amazed at the speeds and stamina that Pro-racers have in accelerating up category 1, 2, and 3 mountains.  I imagine feeling the bumping and pushing in the peloton as the top teams push towards the front and accelerate to speeds used on back country roads by cars.  The teams strive to lead out their sprinter for a heart pounding and adrenaline filled chaotic release to the finish line.  I can’t imagine a more intense, exciting finish to five hours in the saddle.

I have been addicted to this form of racing long before I had a road bike and learned the realities of cycling.  I am your Atypical Cyclist.  I am not 145 lbs. or 5’7”, I am a lot bigger than that and feel that I have my own challenges cycling as I am 230 lbs. and 6’3” tall, not many of us fit the mold of the Pro-Cyclist, but we still enjoy the sport.  I grew up in a small town in Southern Wisconsin riding around on my Huffy bicycle.  I can remember playing cops and robbers with my friends in the neighborhood on our bikes.  I would peddle as fast as I could to get away and yet I would always get caught.  I can remember the devastation that I endured as my bike was stolen and the overwhelming joy I had when the police found it.  That story is for another day.  I can remember loading up a backpack and taking my father’s Schwinn road bike when I was barely big enough to get on it and riding two miles and feeling the freedom that came with cruising back country roads.  But most importantly I remember the joy and camaraderie that I felt and still feel while riding a bike.  This blog is to bring back and reminisce the feelings that we each have encountered while riding, whether they are joy, adrenaline, pain, burning muscles, unquenchable thirst, the first time putting on biking shorts, or the thrill of making it back home when you didn’t think you could finish.  This is also going to be a blog on the hilarious oddities that we all encounter while riding.  I hope you enjoy the words that are written and will come back to keep tasting the thrill of cycling.  As this is a new blog I would appreciate feedback and comments.  I am hoping to establish a community of riders that are not the fastest but feel like they are, so we can urge each other to continue onward in becoming better cyclists.

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