tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90842780097339052632024-03-01T10:57:48.277-08:00Bill Runs a MarathonIn which Bill H-D trains for and completes his first 26.2 mile race, then goes on to contemplate other challenges.Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-77151558199301446582019-07-15T18:02:00.001-07:002019-07-15T18:10:49.469-07:00Crewing Canal Corridor 100!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2KmuGhygyv4z8Gmj8PcFO0oe2JG5KGMi6luoNEcJQp4XBg6-hp16UoQSfdwbksM5VOgcX_PFs5YqjZhN7vnvwKcSaxfaf_c-LxNfV84wrDjZVb3nMri2qYgR_8SPzmZcvZ0nM577AH2D/s1600/crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2KmuGhygyv4z8Gmj8PcFO0oe2JG5KGMi6luoNEcJQp4XBg6-hp16UoQSfdwbksM5VOgcX_PFs5YqjZhN7vnvwKcSaxfaf_c-LxNfV84wrDjZVb3nMri2qYgR_8SPzmZcvZ0nM577AH2D/s320/crew.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jim & our friend Mike made a crew shirt!</b></td></tr>
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On Saturday and Sunday, July 13th and 14th, I was support crew for my friend <a href="http://ultrasignup.com/results_participant.aspx?fname=Jim&lname=Ridolfo" target="_blank">Jim Ridolfo </a>who ran the <a href="https://runningforwardandgivingback.com/canal-corridor-100" target="_blank">Canal Corridor 100 </a>ultramarathon. Yep. 100 miles. On foot. It was a pretty amazing and humbling event to watch and be a part of. Jim managed to finish the race, his first attempt at the 100 mile distance, and as I wrote in a comment on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ridolfo/posts/10114949692523164?comment_id=10114950755388174&notif_id=1563232844895171&notif_t=feedback_reaction_generic_tagged" target="_blank">his post-race report</a>, he was "<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">the gracious and
brave and strong human we all know him to be who, despite the hardship,
never once visited his stresses on anyone there to help (that was *not*
true of all the competitors, let me tell you). He had a smile for
everyone, words of encouragement for his fellow runners, and nothing but
gratitude for all the volunteers. I'm super proud of him for this
amazing achievement!!"</span></span><br />
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<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">Indeed. It was an inspiring day. Or day plus a few hours, if we are being precise. :) And I learned a lot along the way! So in this post, I'll try to reflect on what went well, what I'd do differently, and offer any advice for folks who might be crewing someone for a 100miler.</span></span><br />
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<b><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">100 miles. Wait. What?</span></span></b><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"> So let's start with what this thing is and how to wrap one's brain around it. 100 miles is just short of four marathons run back-to-back-to-back-to-back. For the <a href="http://ultrasignup.com/results_participant.aspx?fname=Jim&lname=Walmsley" target="_blank">fastest, elite, world-class type folks</a>, it's a <a href="http://ultrasignup.com/results_participant.aspx?fname=Arlen&lname=Glick&age=26" target="_blank">14-and-change hours </a>effort to get the job done. For normal humans, it's usually a challenge just to finish under 24. The time limit for the Canal Corridor 100, which is run on the <a href="https://www.ohioanderiecanalway.com/explore/the-towpath-trail/" target="_blank">Ohio & Erie Canalway towpath </a>is 30 hours. If you are in ahead of the limit, you get a belt buckle and lots of admiration from the ultra community. If you don't finish (DNF), well, you're like 21 of the 70 or so that started this year's CC100. Saturday got hot, the course was challenging with some sections affected by recent flooding, and 100 miles is a 100 miles. A lot can go wrong on a day or more worth of solid running. And it only takes one or two things going wrong to end your race. </span></span><br />
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<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">Runners do stop during the race at aid stations that were, for this race, very well staffed and stocked with food, water, electrolyte drinks, chairs, first-aid supplies, and knowledgeable, veteran runners from the local ultra community who could offer advice and encouragement. It was quite impressive. Jim noted in his race report that for a race that had 88 registered entrants (some of whom did not start), they had more than 200 volunteers who helped mark the course, staff aid stations, sweep the trail on bikes to be sure nobody was left behind, deliver ice and supplies to aid stations, and clean everything up afterwards. It was quite a showing by the Northeast Ohio running community, to say the least. Bravo and thanks, too, for being so hospitable and welcoming to newcomers (crew and athletes)! </span></span><br />
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<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><b>So What Does Crew Do?</b></span></span><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">Even with all of the great support by the race organizers & volunteers, on a race like this, runners stand a better chance of finishing well if they have a team helping them. There are two roles that folks play to lend support: 1) crew, & 2) pacing. Pacers run with the athlete for some of the course, as permitted by the race rules. Crew take care of the runner when and where the race rules allow by hauling gear, getting food and fluids, helping them change shoes, look after sore feet, apply various balms, salves, ointments, unguents, or creams, refill bottles and refresh packs/vests with nutrition. Crew also helps keep the runner on track with their race plan, assist in making any decisions or solving problems that might come up during the race, and most importantly keep their spirits high and keep them motivated. Taxing events like a 100 mile run challenge every part of a person, including your emotions. It's quite incredible until you experience it. </span></span><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">For a 100 miler, being crew also means you need a car with gas in it and a way to navigate on country roads in the middle of nowhere, sometimes at 4:00 a.m. with no GPS or cell signal...because you are leap frogging ahead of your runner to meet them at the next aid station all the way. For this version of the CC100, the course was out and back. I first met Jim at mile 25 and from there saw him at all the crew-eligible stations (some were in remote areas where there was no easy way for crew to reach runners, so those were water-fill stations only) - roughly every 5-10 miles along the way.</span></span><br />
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<b><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g">Things That Went Well or I Would Do Again</span></span></b><br />
<ol>
<li><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><b>Nutrition:</b> I think we had a very solid nutrition plan for Jim that he followed extremely well. He had tested this at other long events and knew pretty well what he needed and could tolerate for a long day. At aid stations we tried to give him real food to supplement his SWORD (like gatorade) and gels that he took in each hour. We kept him stocked with two fresh bottles at each aid station with SWORD packets he could use to mix in. This made sure he had electrolytes, liquid, and calories at a steady rate all day. </span></span></li>
<li><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><b>Navigation:</b> I didn't get lost! I pre-loaded all the aid station addresses into my phone to use when I needed them. When I had cell signal, which was most of the time, I had no trouble finding where I needed to be and was always in place and ready when Jim came in to an aid station. When I lost signal, I had prepared a bit because I'd been warned so I took screenshots and saved static images of the map and turn-by-turn text directions to use. This was great because I needed them literally at 4:00 a.m. to go from one crazy, middle-of-nowhere place to another 9 miles away.</span></span></li>
<li><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><b>Extra...everything!:</b> I brought extra socks, extra shirts, extra food, extra water...and in one way or another, we wounded up using almost all of the categories of things (though not all of the inventory). Some of the stuff I gave to other runners in need, and some were useful to Jim. One example was extra socks. This course, with muddy and wet sections early and then lots of crushed limestone gravel was really hard on the feet because the tiny grains of stone would get into the shoes and even the socks and act like sandpaper. Brutal.</span></span></li>
<li><span dir="ltr"><span class="_3l3x _1n4g"><b>Unscented baby wipes:</b> I mean, when *don't* these come in handy? I'll spare you all the details, but trust me on this one.</span></span>
<b> </b></li>
</ol>
<b>Things I Would Do Differently</b><br />
<ol>
</ol>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcMWGMAY76ww8JXRIaNKjFu_guRScnubaqZ2HfLT52XZgQGIEC3PYwlKbHi75aWet16SuUT0nKIjd_t5uO29pkeOXsptwYHG4HO1mcMYuLI7H1_xv3Nf_a8hB_m0ZEZnEFKNH9nVxUZ0c/s1600/coldbrew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFcMWGMAY76ww8JXRIaNKjFu_guRScnubaqZ2HfLT52XZgQGIEC3PYwlKbHi75aWet16SuUT0nKIjd_t5uO29pkeOXsptwYHG4HO1mcMYuLI7H1_xv3Nf_a8hB_m0ZEZnEFKNH9nVxUZ0c/s320/coldbrew.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jim & me, cold-brew caffeinated at mile 80</b></td></tr>
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<ol>
<li><b>Bring two (or more) folding camp chairs</b>. The aid stations usually had some for the athletes, but as crew you don't want to eat the food at the aid stations or take up space in a chair that a runner may need. So it's best to bring one for yourself. And then to bring a couple more for others.</li>
<li><b>Bring a legit cooler & stock with ice a few times</b>. For a hot day, ice comes in handy in a bunch of ways. I had a soft-sided cooler that I used to haul food and drink around, but since I had the car, I should have just brought my igloo too and then used that to keep other stuff cold. I could stock/restock with ice a few times en route.</li>
<li><b>Make a big ol' thing of cold brew. </b>I honestly didn't struggle too badly to stay awake because I stayed focused on doing my job. But I did need a little chemical assistance in the form of late-in-the day caffeine. Last year, when Jim & I rode the <a href="https://www.michiganmountainmayhem.com/" target="_blank">Michigan Mountain Mayhem </a>(do you see a pattern here?) we got some cold brew in bottles to have before the race. So when Jim was ready, I got some of that for this race too and it was just the ticket. It occurred to me that I could have made a gallon of cold brew and had that in the car... </li>
<li><b>Check batteries at every aid station</b>, including a portable charger for the runner's phone/gps/watch. Jim ran low on light at one point in the race and was luckily able to find another runner to pair with and share light. I take some blame for this one because we packed extra lights and had a plan to switch, but I should've checked earlier, logged the burn time and swapped them out *before* we got too close to the limit. Rookie crew mistake, but I got bailed out on that one by fate.</li>
<li><b>Bring *good* chamois cream. </b>Ultra runners know about lube, but a surprising number of them use substandard stuff. We cyclists know how to prevent unrest in the Netherlands. It is time for a bit of endurance diplomacy, I think.</li>
</ol>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaa7dzY0vMKVug-RIrkS7esXLmOjcmWQcigakLTZMStrWZohh2Yr_Mb6kUcAsUdLi5J6h4C8a7E-hAq-ACjHFLG3-r2m3yPO-CaworxXM5CLBsAAI6kob0eUs1xhgehuksYkNF5R2pcC9E/s1600/finishcc100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaa7dzY0vMKVug-RIrkS7esXLmOjcmWQcigakLTZMStrWZohh2Yr_Mb6kUcAsUdLi5J6h4C8a7E-hAq-ACjHFLG3-r2m3yPO-CaworxXM5CLBsAAI6kob0eUs1xhgehuksYkNF5R2pcC9E/s320/finishcc100.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Jim gets congrats from the race director at the finish!</b></td></tr>
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I really, really liked crewing. I've done some similar volunteering before, so I knew I'd be down for it. And, aside from goodwill and the pleasure I take in helping folks out, my knowledge of what it feels like to do all-day sufferfests is an asset. I don't feel any personal tug to test this particular limit of endurance, so I don't see myself running a 100 miler. But I would crew again or serve as a pacer for sure. That was our original plan, in fact, that I would pace Jim for the last 50k. But course changes and the realization that I could do more good if I was his dedicated crew (allowing his family to not have to worry about the many logistics and decisions and stress of that) made us switch things up. I am glad we did. I was still able to run down from the finish and meet him about 1.5 miles from the finish and go with him up the final, steep mile to the line. If we had another person to crew, I'd gladly serve as a pacer. But I have no regrets with the choice we made and found it very fun. I also got to help a lot of other runners this way too, which was a nice bonus.<br />
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If you have an endurance background, I highly recommend serving as a crew member or aid station volunteer for an ultra. You'll see amazing and inspiring humans at their best, full of gratitude and goodwill. It's an incredibly diverse group too, with folks from many countries, backgrounds, and ages. All of them cheering for one another. Being part of that was good for my soul.<br />
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I want to thank Jim and his family, Jan & Lior, for letting me take part in this adventure. It was Jim's bravery to attempt this thing in the first place that made it all possible. His perseverance and preparation were inspiring to me and I admire his ability to move forward when, as always happens in this kind of event, things looked bleak and he was hurting. He rallied and now has a truly extraordinary accomplishment to show for it. I am so glad I got to be a small part of it! <br />
<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-85876419056856483102019-05-18T08:32:00.001-07:002019-05-27T11:39:09.575-07:00Announcing the #Ride2CW 8-bit Grand Fondo!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jA4jJbBYQxjam5fCFqTTLZorsicgGlVylNKeaMNu0VZHch5hA8wUaBVE8GYFrt7LQKS-0Qi1XYaXQJ9WuUDRRWs0KIzFMDzOgRclWasW0QkKJQLw-94I24ozoGB0B6o9Qr9SpRTObHXZ/s1600/8bitFondoLogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="749" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jA4jJbBYQxjam5fCFqTTLZorsicgGlVylNKeaMNu0VZHch5hA8wUaBVE8GYFrt7LQKS-0Qi1XYaXQJ9WuUDRRWs0KIzFMDzOgRclWasW0QkKJQLw-94I24ozoGB0B6o9Qr9SpRTObHXZ/s400/8bitFondoLogo.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What is the 8bit Fondo?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">A one day event for folks attending or supporting the <a href="http://www.ride2cw.org/" target="_blank">Ride2CW</a> fundraiser to ride together, see some of the beautiful roads of Ingham County Michigan, all with some support by Bill & Leslie H-D!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The ride will take place on <b>Wednesday, June 19th! </b>And riders will have three options:</span></span></span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">64* miles - we'll leave from the H-D Compound at 9:00 a.m. for the first loop!</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">32* miles - we'll leave from the H-D Compound at 12:00 for the second loop! </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">8* miles - we'll leave from the H-D Compound at 2:00 for the final loop! </span></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">We'll have snacks, drinks and bottle filling, and a little SAG/support station at the Compound. If you are riding or supporting a rider, you can come and hang out and choose the ride you'd like to do. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ok, So What Does it Cost?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">No charge...but we ask that you either donate or get others to <a href="http://www.ride2cw.org/" target="_blank">contribute to the #Ride2CW</a>! All you need to do apart from that is contact Bill H-D and let us know which route you'd like to ride (so we don't leave anybody behind and so we have enough snacks on hand). </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">What are the Routes?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bill will link to the three loop routes via Strava. [1 is below, others coming soon]</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The first 32 mile loop heads South to Mason, the county seat and includes a convenient stop at the Vault Deli halfway where coffee, sandwiches, etc. can be had.</span></span></span><br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/2397133080/embed/547ed03dcfe7a8cd4d61cdc5838c12b57865c56e" width="590"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The second loop is about 26 miles and heads Northeast. It includes an optional ice cream stop. </span></span></span><br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/2401696990/embed/1d2bf53dfb2b6e9268886380c9e949c44c3a47dd" width="590"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">The final loop is just six miles to the Township Hall in the rural "neighborhood" of the compound, but never fear because afterwards we are just 1.1 miles away from Old Nation Brewing Co., where we can eat, drink, and tell stories.</span></span></span><br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="https://www.strava.com/activities/2401952554/embed/68b7861e284ebb16b479cfc274e45471be521df4" width="590"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Which Route Should I Pick? What Kind of Bike do I Need?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">We recommend that folks choosing the 64 mile route (full day, all thee loops for roughly a metric century) should be on road bikes, but a flat-bar road bike or mountain bike would work if you are up for the challenge. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the 25 mile route, we'd say just about anything other than a beach cruiser is going to work. We aren't looking to set any speed records and Mid-Michigan is not terribly climby...there are a few rollers, but I don't think we'll have more than a few hundred feet of total elevation change for the two longer loops.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the 6 mile loop, we welcome all comers!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ok, But When I Add Up All the Miles, It's Actually 70 Miles...</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, now you've learned something about cyclists. We are bad about estimating distance and it's always a little longer than we said it would be... :)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">Interested?</span> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Email Bill H-D or ping me on twitter @billhd </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*ish</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </span></span>Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-35349146270565700512017-07-16T10:09:00.003-07:002017-07-16T10:16:53.335-07:00"You Don't Belong Here"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ16KiHShwwvqarUvI_J3Ov9Ye9kYSHUbb5sJRLfMRdSztMyU2uTpbLr5ZcFhlyz8XHd56OqZyTW8zvZ0nOShMtBfSiTvqElycD4XLO-WG4ayUchI4MXjBoE-vBWkBhZv-p3udT_Bed9eq/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="652" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ16KiHShwwvqarUvI_J3Ov9Ye9kYSHUbb5sJRLfMRdSztMyU2uTpbLr5ZcFhlyz8XHd56OqZyTW8zvZ0nOShMtBfSiTvqElycD4XLO-WG4ayUchI4MXjBoE-vBWkBhZv-p3udT_Bed9eq/s320/-1.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"You don't belong here."<br />
<br />
That's a paraphrase - edited for expletives - of something yelled at me recently on a ride by a guy driving a pickup truck. I was on a fairly lightly-traveled country road. Mid-day on a Sunday afternoon. I was riding with my wife. We were moving well - about 17mph - but not screaming fast. It was a pleasant weekend ride on a beautiful day.<br />
<br />
The driver pulled up beside us, we were single file and had communicated with one another ("car back!") to move as far to the right as we could go to let him pass. This, despite the fact that we were in a zone marked with a double yellow line and with "Do Not Pass" signs on the side of the road. There were a few little rolling hills, so passing at that spot was hazardous because a driver can't see if a car may be in the oncoming lane over the rise.<br />
<br />
The truck driver didn't pass us immediately. Instead, he stopped beside us in the opposite lane. Driving on the wrong side of the road, he lingered to yell at us that we had no business riding there at all. He had two passengers in the truck, we saw. One a child, another in the area behind the cab may have been an adult but we couldn't quite tell. The bed of the truck held a loosely tied down load of furniture.<br />
<br />
I yelled back that we had the right to be in the road and that he was making an unsafe pass. I'm not sure he could hear me, as he was gunning his engine. He continued to shout at us a bit longer. And then sped off. For the rest of the ride, we rode with some worry that he might be up the road, waiting to accost us again or worse. He clearly believed we didn't belong on that road.<br />
<br />
He also imagined that we were somehow in the wrong. This, despite his actions that endangered the lives of his passengers, himself, and of course us. He could have gotten a lot of people hurt. To be clear, we were acting within the law. He was not. <br />
<br />
I wish this was an unusual event. But it isn't. Yesterday, on a very short ride of just 10 miles - once again, on a Saturday, on relatively lightly-traveled country roads - we were passed no fewer than six times illegally, the drivers crossing double yellow lines. <br />
<br />
In many of these situations, we cyclists become the object of palpable anger. We are told, sometimes explicitly, we don't belong. The law, of course, says otherwise. But that doesn't seem to matter. These folks aren't rushing to work or trying to get someone to the emergency room - it's a weekend - and in any case, the time it actually takes to make a safe pass in a zone where the road conditions allow it is usually a matter of *seconds* not minutes. I know this because I drive cars too. And I make safe passing decisions when I encounter cyclists on the road. <br />
<br />
But from my perspective in the saddle, there is so much anger from those behind the wheel. When I tell stories like the one I relay here to others who do not ride, the response is usually sympathy...for the drivers! Immediately, we get told a counter story about a cyclist one time who didn't stop at a stop sign. The indignation about cyclists who break the law "all the time" is not a rational response, though. If it were, it would be matched by a concern for drivers of cars who do so far more often and with far more dire consequences.<br />
<br />
Let me bottom line this issue. People are momentariliy inconvenienced by me and other cyclists when they encounter me, on a bike, on the road. <b><i>For this inconvenience, they often threaten my life</i>.</b> When we tell stories about these encounters, others feel the inconvenience and seek to blame cyclists. It is chilling. These folks are telling me and others that we don't belong, that we may not deserve to live even, if it means we are an inconvenience to them.<br />
<br />
For the record, I think it's very important for cyclists to abide by traffic laws. But the main reason they should isn't because they impose much of a risk to people who drive cars and trucks. They should do it for their own safety. It's also convenient to drivers when cyclists obey the rules. But as my example shows, it is no guarantee that they won't put our lives at risk anyway. I can do everything right and still be an inconvenience. And this is enough, quite often, for someone who doesn't know me to threaten my life.<br />
<br />
Sometimes the inconvenience is a few seconds of slowing down and a momentary shift of their attention to pass. Sometimes the inconvenience is not even about a delay...sometimes it is resentment that they may need to exercise a bit more caution so that they don't cause an accident, an injury, or a death. Either way, there is anger. And it nearly always results in the <i>driver</i> breaking the law and/or endangering lives by making an unsafe pass, speeding, or worse. <br />
<br />
I truly am at a loss for where the anger comes from. Is thirty seconds on a Sunday afternoon worth risking your life and the lives of your loved ones in the car with you? Is it worth my life? I hesitate to even ask the latter question.<br />
<br />
The answer seems clear: "yes. My time is worth more than your life. Get the hell out of my way. YOU DON'T BELONG HERE."<br />
---<br />
<b>Program note:</b> this entry is a break in tone, I know, from others in this blog. It is grim. I usually keep things pretty positive here. I also try to pose solutions where I write about a problem or challenge. But here, I don't see a way to provide a solution. There may not be one. So I can only raise the question: what does driving a car do to a human being that makes the lives of others immaterial? <br />
<br />
<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-38481826327584101382016-08-28T13:51:00.003-07:002016-08-28T13:55:59.585-07:00Return to SpaceThis week I've started a new exercise adventure. I'm attempting to do 30 days worth of the <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2015/10/space-lab-update-after-week-six.html" target="_blank">SPACE lab workout routine</a> that I did last year and earlier this year. I'm keeping the basic six day pattern the same, but this time, rather than do them on a stationary bike, I've modified them to do as running workouts.<br />
<br />
Here's what that looks like:<br />
<br />
3.4 mile loop day 1, 3 and 5. (this is close enough distance-wise to a 30 minute continuous workout) at 165 BPM, which is just shy of my lactate threshold heart rate.<br />
<br />
Intervals the other days, with the following pattern:<br />
<br />
Day 2: 10 minute warmup, then 8 x 30 seconds at V02 max, :20 Recovery Interval. 10 min cooldown<br />
Day 4: 5min warmup, 6 x 1/4 mile interval ladder: 140, 150, 160, 170, 160, 150 BPM. 2:00 RI, 5 CD <br />
Day 6: 5min warmup, 4 x 1/2 mile intervals at 170 BPM, walk 1/4, jog 1/4 in between, 5 min CD<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrYaF5BUZzZD6sjfs6ZBOzP-qs0e-GJJDkkaxz070-tUlg0qSVpGbYs0uwBYnes8lriWl-5W_HghU_2P0vPj_WhSMJJRmdcovaqLr6j9mjirR0Jq1g0Vkf5h6A_7TE3ZJy55Rrg8diBKg/s1600/14102030_10108756323833664_634198520_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrYaF5BUZzZD6sjfs6ZBOzP-qs0e-GJJDkkaxz070-tUlg0qSVpGbYs0uwBYnes8lriWl-5W_HghU_2P0vPj_WhSMJJRmdcovaqLr6j9mjirR0Jq1g0Vkf5h6A_7TE3ZJy55Rrg8diBKg/s400/14102030_10108756323833664_634198520_n.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two minute interval pacing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And on the seventh day, we rest. Here's a graph from yesterday's (Day 4) two-minute intervals. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>"Why?" you ask... </b><br />
<br />
I'm doing this for several reasons, I guess.<br />
<ol>
<li>To try and learn about run pacing the way I was able to learn about pacing on the bike doing these workouts. I thought I knew a fair amount already, but I really got to pay close attention to the way it pays to pace carefully. Going too fast, too soon is never good. I was able to put that into stark and repeated empirical terms during the SPACE study. I've never paid that close attention to running workouts, so it seems like it could be useful. </li>
<li>I'd like to see if I can improve my ability to recover in the same way I can/did on the bike. I notice that it is a lot harder for me to recover from a hard effort while running than it is for me to scale back a bit and recover on the bike. I've mentioned that this is one of the only arrows in my quiver when it comes to riding: when I'm fit, I can put in a hard effort and recover and do another one without slipping too much during the recovery period. My top end is not great, but I can persist. I am not nearly as able to do this on the run unless I slow wayyyyy down. I'm hoping I can change that. </li>
<li>I want to see if I can stay healthy and unhurt while running 6 days a week for 5 weeks straight. We'll see. </li>
</ol>
<b>So, how's it going so far? </b><br />
Well, today is day five of thirty. I've done three continuous workouts and two interval workouts so far. I have a little bit of predictable muscle soreness after 2.5 hours worth of running this week. That's more than I've done in a single week in years. But it doesn't appear that this "dose" is too extreme. At least, not yet.<br />
<br />
Qualitatively, it's already hard. Today as I kitted up I was already thinking "it's only day 5?!" It has been hot and very humid for Michigan here lately. So that is making these perhaps more suffery than they would otherwise be. I felt a bit tired at first today, but otherwise good. I seem to be getting a bit better at keeping each mile the same pace throughout. The first day was uneven with a faster first mile split and a slower second mile. I'm keeping the data on my Strava profile. Today, though, Strava measured the course .3 miles shorter than it usually does (it was the same route) so the numbers for today are likely a bit off. But comparing total time is not my main goal day-to-day. I will be interested to see, however, if I can improve my time while staying close to my target 30 min HR of 165bpm.<br />
<br />
What is keeping me going though is a major takeaway from the SPACE study: intensity matters. A lot. More than volume. So I'm summoning that every time I'm out there. It's supposed to be hard. That's what makes it work. Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-58820494206733410002016-07-31T10:23:00.006-07:002016-07-31T10:53:32.095-07:00Find Your Limits<b>On Competition </b><br />
I am a competitive person. In my line of work - academia - my competitive drive serves me well. But it also tends to make many people uncomfortable. In fact, I've heard a lot of colleagues say they chose their profession for the opposite reason. Many will even say they are against competition and don't like it at all.<br />
<br />
At the heart of my drive to compete, though, is not a will to dominate others. It's much more personal than that. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe3m8NPU4evHbAz55ldQFDCp6iEUiW-32Qbo9X6N2EPEBtD4dP-P_nh54zPl0MpEML88fPu6r6K4_mpi4-te4hyphenhyphen7HNad_CY5ESpeF1dq7lbYSMhg_WFSLcGPKubDM-HezPP2PjezH9n7U/s1600/13245399_10108280475103334_3808217074903897607_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe3m8NPU4evHbAz55ldQFDCp6iEUiW-32Qbo9X6N2EPEBtD4dP-P_nh54zPl0MpEML88fPu6r6K4_mpi4-te4hyphenhyphen7HNad_CY5ESpeF1dq7lbYSMhg_WFSLcGPKubDM-HezPP2PjezH9n7U/s320/13245399_10108280475103334_3808217074903897607_n.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race for Ralya 2016, second in my age group</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The roots of my personal motivation for running, cycling, and just about everything else I do that looks to the outside world like a competitive activity is this: finding my limits. What am I capable of? Where does my ability to endure, to execute, to concentrate come to its ragged edge? Every time I lace up my running shoes or ramp up the cadence on my road bike, this is what I want to know. What can I do today?<br />
<br />
There is always an answer. And it changes with every opportunity I get to answer. It is one of the best lessons from a lifetime of searching for my limits, in fact. These change. Day to day, and over long periods of time. <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2016/03/space-lab-mission-accomplished.html" target="_blank">In those moments when I've paid extraordinary attention to monitoring my limits</a>, I've learned I can push them back...enough to surprise myself, even.<br />
<br />
Over the years, I've learned that everyone else's limits
are subject to the same dynamics. When I compete as an athlete these
days, I race. Racing teaches a lot of valuable things about limits -
mine and those of others - about failure, and about how the fleeting
value of the answer to "what am I capable of" that results from an event
like a race can be understood as something other than a summative
judgement. These are things I carry with me into my work life too. <br />
<br />
<b>Two Lessons On Limits and Failure I Learned from Racing</b><br />
<br />
<i>1. Limits Vary with Time </i><br />
Most of the squabbling that happens over how to measure competitions is about how the measure should be done: the how. Too little attention is paid to what I understand to be the biggest challenge with measuring limits: the when.<br />
<br />
My performance today may usefully predict my performance tomorrow, but it doesn't determine it. <br />
<br />
It is true that for some types of competitive activity, knowing your
own limits becomes clear only with a comparative measure. How do I
perform in comparison to someone else? In that situation, it need not
matter if those giving the performances being compared are equally
invested in the competition. This, too, makes a lot of folks
uncomfortable. But it happens just the same.<br />
<br />
Where others are engaged, my best performance today may still fall short
of where another person's limits are on that same day. This could be
true even if I did nothing wrong and performed at the limit of my
capability. When you see a competitor genuinely happy for another who has beaten him or her after a race, you see someone who has learned this lesson about limits.<br />
<br />
But if you really want to experience this camaraderie among racers, hang out at the starting line before the race begins. There will be, among the veteran racers in particular, enormous respect for those who lace 'em up and wait for the starting gun. That respect comes from having been at one's limit and bested, and from the anticipation of same. It truly is the foundation for joy when one wins. But it isn't only the rarity of a win amidst the confrontation of limits that makes victory sweet. It is also the acknowledgement that it takes the best effort of everyone seeking those limits to make a win possible. <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>2. Failure is Feedback, not an Outcome</i><br />
Following from lesson 1, I would ask you to consider that to lose is to find your limit on the day. And to find your limit is to belong. <br />
<br />
Those are pretty heady words to write about failure, no? Now, there are plenty of narratives out there about failing these days. We are admonished to "fail fast" and "fail forward." The lessons in these stories are usually meant to emphasize the learning that comes from the reflection that follows a less-than-successful attempt at something. Occasionally, there is also the notion that failure, rather than winning, is the norm in almost every kind of competitive situation (and thus, winning is sweet).<br />
<br />
Both of these lessons fit into a broader truth about failure for me: it is a process, not an outcome. Failing rarely happens all at once, in other words. There are confrontations with limits all along the route to failure. Each of these tends to push those limits back the next time. And each confrontation sorts us into the group of people with whom we can share the experience of coming up short. These are the faces on the starting line. <br />
<br />
Racing is a good teacher of this lesson because, more than anything else, it reduces the range of limits on performance to a very few possibilities. In most things we do, the situation is much more complicated. Opportunities to confront limits are everywhere. Any one of these confrontations may put us in the group of the many - those who tried and failed - vs. the few who have won. But with racing we reduce the variables and control the environment to make a little more possible what everyday life confounds: a simple test of limits. A race is so pure a measure in fact, everyone save a lone individual fails. This simplicity is achieved by capturing a measure of limits in a single moment in time. Of course, this also defines the weakness of a race as a measure. Why the result can not hope to hold up. After all, the winner is the only one who walks away from a race unacquainted with her limits. <br />
<br />
<b>Your Only Obligation: Find Your Limit</b><br />
Lesson number two teaches us that, in racing, only a winner stands alone. Failure means belonging. And it means a clear answer, on the day, to the shared question: what can I do? <br />
<br />
There is a curious kind of failure involved in winning a race - the failure to find one's limits - that shrouds the athlete on the top step of the podium. In most cases, the overwhelming uproar of accomplishment drowns out the much more faint signal about what might have been possible.<br />
<br />
This is why a "good winner" is quiet. It is not just a show of humilty, but an attempt to capture the thing that racing teaches racers not just to endure, but to crave: knowing where the limit is.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thepelotonbrief.libsyn.com/real-talent-with-phil-gaimon-episode-1" target="_blank">I heard a very successful racer - a woman who wins a lot and in a dominant fashion - recently talk about her goals in a race</a>. Hers were all about process, she said. Something common enough to sound like a cliché. But then she went on to explain that by this she meant that when running she paid close attention to her stride length, so that she could feel with each step she was extending her leg using the muscles in her upper leg and carrying the motion through down to her foot. Tuning in like this for every step in a ten thousand meter race. Every swing of each leg was an opportunity to get it right or to fail. A good race would mean every step, or almost every step, executed in the same way.<br />
<br />
I think of this woman and the way she transformed the race into a near-constant stream of feedback on her limits quite often. All alone, out front, she finds a way to belong. She says having a good race is more important to her than winning. Again, we might hear it and dismiss it as hackneyed humility. But I hear it differently. I understand it.<br />
<br />
Your only obligation is to find your limit. A good day is when you know the answer. <br />
<br />
Do you know where yours is today? Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-76100621092199857482016-07-31T10:23:00.003-07:002016-07-31T10:26:38.065-07:00Find Your Limits<b>On Competition </b><br />
I am a competitive person. In my line of work - academia - my competitive drive serves me well. But it also tends to make many people uncomfortable. In fact, I've heard a lot of colleagues say they chose their profession for the opposite reason. Many will even say they are against competition and don't like it at all.<br />
<br />
At the heart of my drive to compete, though, is not a will to dominate others. It's much more personal than that. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe3m8NPU4evHbAz55ldQFDCp6iEUiW-32Qbo9X6N2EPEBtD4dP-P_nh54zPl0MpEML88fPu6r6K4_mpi4-te4hyphenhyphen7HNad_CY5ESpeF1dq7lbYSMhg_WFSLcGPKubDM-HezPP2PjezH9n7U/s1600/13245399_10108280475103334_3808217074903897607_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTe3m8NPU4evHbAz55ldQFDCp6iEUiW-32Qbo9X6N2EPEBtD4dP-P_nh54zPl0MpEML88fPu6r6K4_mpi4-te4hyphenhyphen7HNad_CY5ESpeF1dq7lbYSMhg_WFSLcGPKubDM-HezPP2PjezH9n7U/s320/13245399_10108280475103334_3808217074903897607_n.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race for Ralya 2016, second in my age group</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The roots of my personal motivation for running, cycling, and just about everything else I do that looks to the outside world like a competitive activity is this: finding my limits. What am I capable of? Where does my ability to endure, to execute, to concentrate come to its ragged edge? Every time I lace up my running shoes or ramp up the cadence on my road bike, this is what I want to know. What can I do today?<br />
<br />
There is always an answer. And it changes with every opportunity I get to answer. It is one of the best lessons from a lifetime of searching for my limits, in fact. These change. Day to day, and over long periods of time. In those moments when I've paid extraordinary attention to monitoring my limits, I've learned I can push them back...enough to surprise myself, even.<br />
<br />
Over the years, I've learned that everyone else's limits
are subject to the same dynamics. When I compete as an athlete these
days, I race. Racing teaches a lot of valuable things about limits -
mine and those of others - about failure, and about how the fleeting
value of the answer to "what am I capable of" that results from an event
like a race can be understood as something other than a summative
judgement. These are things I carry with me into my work life too. <br />
<br />
<b>Two Lessons On Limits and Failure I Learned from Racing</b><br />
<br />
<i>1. Limits Vary with Time </i><br />
Most of the squabbling that happens over how to measure competitions is about how the measure should be done: the how. Too little attention is paid to what I understand to be the biggest challenge with measuring limits: the when.<br />
<br />
My performance today may usefully predict my performance tomorrow, but it doesn't determine it. <br />
<br />
It is true that for some types of competitive activity, knowing your
own limits becomes clear only with a comparative measure. How do I
perform in comparison to someone else? In that situation, it need not
matter if those giving the performances being compared are equally
invested in the competition. This, too, makes a lot of folks
uncomfortable. But it happens just the same.<br />
<br />
Where others are engaged, my best performance today may still fall short
of where another person's limits are on that same day. This could be
true even if I did nothing wrong and performed at the limit of my
capability. When you see a competitor genuinely happy for another who has beaten him or her after a race, you see someone who has learned this lesson about limits.<br />
<br />
But if you really want to experience this camaraderie among racers, hang out at the starting line before the race begins. There will be, among the veteran racers in particular, enormous respect for those who lace 'em up and wait for the starting gun. That respect comes from having been at one's limit and bested, and from the anticipation of same. It truly is the foundation for joy when one wins. But it is isn't only the rarity of a win amidst the confrontation of limits that makes victory sweet. It is also the acknowledgement that it takes the best effort everyone seeking those limits to make a win possible. <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>2. Failure is Feedback, not an Outcome</i><br />
Following from lesson 1, I would ask you to consider that to lose is to find your limit on the day. And to find your limit is to belong. <br />
<br />
Those are pretty heady words to write about failure, no? Now, there are plenty of narratives out there about failing these days. We are admonished to "fail fast" and "fail forward." The lessons in these stories are usually meant to emphasize the learning that comes from either the reflection that follows a less-than-successful attempt at something. Occasionally, there is also the notion that failure, rather than winning, is the norm in almost every kind of competitive situation (and thus, winning is sweet).<br />
<br />
Both of these lessons fit into a broader truth about failure for me: it is a process, not an outcome. Failing rarely happens all at once, in other words. There are confrontations with limits all along the route to failure. Each of these tends to push those limits back the next time. And each confrontation sorts us into the group of people with whom we can share the experience of coming up short. These are the faces on the starting line. <br />
<br />
Racing is a good teacher of this lesson because, more than anything else, it reduces the range of limits on performance to a very few possibilities. In most things we do, the situation is much more complicated. Opportunities to confront limits are everywhere. Any one of these confrontations may put us in the group of the many - those who tried and failed - vs. the few who won. But with racing we reduce the variables and control the environment to make a little more possible what everyday life confounds: a simple test of limits. A race is so pure a measure in fact, everyone save a lone individual fails. This simplicity is achieved by capturing a measure of limits in a single moment in time. Of course, this also defines the weakness of a race as a measure. Why the result can not hope to hold up. After all, the winner is the only one who walks away from a race unacquainted with her limits. <br />
<br />
<b>Your Only Obligation: Find Your Limit</b><br />
Lesson number two teaches us that, in racing, only a winner stands alone. Failure means belonging. And it means a clear answer, on the day, to the shared question: what can I do? <br />
<br />
There is a curious kind of failure involved in winning a race - the failure to find one's limits - that shrouds the athlete on the top step of the podium. In most cases, the overwhelming uproar of accomplishment drowns out the much more faint signal about what might have been possible.<br />
<br />
This is why a "good winner" is quiet. It is not just a show of humilty, but an attempt to capture the thing that racing teaches racers not just to endure, but to crave: knowing where the limit is.<br />
<br />
I heard a very successful racer - a woman who wins a lot and in a dominant fashion - recently talk about her goals in a race. Hers were all about process, she said. Something common enough to sound like a cliché. But then she went on to explain that by this she meant that when running she paid close attention to her stride length, so that she could feel with each step she was extending her leg using the muscles in her upper leg and carrying the motion through down to her foot. Tuning in like this for every step in a ten thousand meter race. Every swing of each leg was an opportunity to get it right or to fail. A good race would mean every step, or almost every step, executed in the same way.<br />
<br />
I think of this woman and the way she transformed the race into a near-constant stream of feedback on her limits quite often. All alone, out front, she finds a way to belong. She says having a good race is more important to her than winning. Again, we might hear it and dismiss it as hackneyed humility. But I hear it differently. I understand it.<br />
<br />
Your only obligation is to find your limit. A good day is when you know the answer. <br />
Do you know where yours is t<br />
oday? Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-86477121030911348232016-07-24T08:13:00.000-07:002016-07-24T08:17:49.428-07:00Maslow Don't RideI write a lot about human motivation on this particular blog. Usually it's <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2014/12/this-new-year-dont-make-resolution-set.html" target="_blank">in a circumspect way</a>. Sometimes <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2014/07/running-at-44-why.html" target="_blank">I get more direct</a>. Here lately, I've had a run of days off the bike. I can give no particular reason, except that it sometimes happens to all of us: a little dip in motivation. <br />
<br />
One of the most well-known theories of human motivation comes from a guy whose last name you might know. Maslow. First name: Abraham. He came up with this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZKe2Tp2AF-wcdXqabtE2e9iJm0wBRWoDrV4rIEbTqAAjiecHgTg0rJn-Zk7fZSefwAil2HaiPvuOEtR0l9zlUT4Zb0RMWuNUSH9D18yMD_KiK4mrVJnE_OFOH5heVPfee2-zrD30NrLf/s1600/450px-MaslowsHierarchyOfNeeds.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Diagram of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. " border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgZKe2Tp2AF-wcdXqabtE2e9iJm0wBRWoDrV4rIEbTqAAjiecHgTg0rJn-Zk7fZSefwAil2HaiPvuOEtR0l9zlUT4Zb0RMWuNUSH9D18yMD_KiK4mrVJnE_OFOH5heVPfee2-zrD30NrLf/s320/450px-MaslowsHierarchyOfNeeds.svg.png" title="Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Is it all coming back to you now? From your psych 101 class maybe? Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The pyramid shaped diagram represents what Maslow proposed to be the most basic needs at the bottom. Things like air, water, and food live there.<br />
<br />
Just up from that is "safety" where shelter, etc. live. At higher levels, the needs are more abstract. The idea is that to "level up" on the pyramid, you have to first fulfill needs at the lower level(s).<br />
<br />
Luckily, it's dead wrong. I ended my motivation drought today with 35 glorious miles on the hottest day of the year so far. It was, in a (compound) word, self-actualizing. <br />
<br />
It is clear to me that Abe never rode a bike. I mean, the basic needs are solid. We need air for tires. Water for bottles. And food to make the bike go.<br />
<br />
But after that, let's face it, the bike is an express ticket to the top of the chart. With a few gestures toward safety, most of us cyclists plot daring exploits that incur wrath from our fellow humans (mostly the ones in pickup trucks). Those bits of shiny styrofoam strapped to our heads invite as much scorn as they afford protection. <br />
<br />
And should we talk "esteem?" How about a triple shot of humilty? Endurance sports: where self care and self abuse meet! <br />
<br />
But let me tell you...a few pedal strokes in, wind in your face, zipping along in a group or out alone on a lonely country road? Actualized. Oh yeah.<br />
<br />
Just like that, I'm a cyclist again. Confident. Back on track. No need to build from the bottom of Abe's Hierarchy. Just needed to mount up and ride to the top.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-11627919267713152842016-03-27T07:05:00.001-07:002016-04-07T05:21:26.777-07:00SPACE Lab: Mission Accomplished!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxohVx8ZEDvXRRV0g0UbZYTXJpJj6213tSDuOCeFK60hD5pkniNg3g_kLscNWWw6N1VJVWr9MWYXEOl4vdDiWh6j73jEXq8Agk48BRUI0wg2y5kpEdNY33bBTMlHpbBIkG64idUfaIxG2j/s1600/year-in-space-crew-scott-kelly-hd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxohVx8ZEDvXRRV0g0UbZYTXJpJj6213tSDuOCeFK60hD5pkniNg3g_kLscNWWw6N1VJVWr9MWYXEOl4vdDiWh6j73jEXq8Agk48BRUI0wg2y5kpEdNY33bBTMlHpbBIkG64idUfaIxG2j/s320/year-in-space-crew-scott-kelly-hd.jpg" /></a></div>
After 138 days, my mission is complete and like American astronaut and International Space Station Commander Scott Kelly, I'm back on Earth. Ok, he's back. I technically never got up the gravity well like Kelly did. I'm more like his twin brother Mark who stayed on Earth but performed a similar exercise regimen in order <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/twins-study/about">to learn how human bodies adapt to zero gravity conditions during extended space flights</a>.
<br />
<br />
So in at least one way, Mark and Scott and I all have something in common: we're all contributing to the research that will help humans travel to Mars someday. And that's so cool I can hardly stand it.<br />
<br />
<b>Training Like an Astronaut</b><br />
What is even better, the benefits of the study to me personally were substantial as well. In previous posts, I've written about <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2015/10/space-lab-update-after-week-six.html" target="_blank">the exercise routines</a> and the <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2016/01/space-mission-update-signs-of.html" target="_blank">test regimen that evaluates the physiological results</a>. And now we can see the outcomes for the full protocol. Here are a set of tables that summarize where I began, where I was at the midpoint of the study, and where I finished last week:<br />
<br />
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center; width: 85%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #ffcccc;">
<td><b>Leg Strength</b></td>
<td><b>Baseline</b></td>
<td><b>Midpoint</b></td>
<td><b>Final</b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>% of bodyweight</b></td>
<td>85</td>
<td>147</td>
<td>??</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center; width: 85%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #ffcccc;">
<td><b>Body Composition</b></td>
<td><b>Baseline</b></td>
<td><b>Midpoint</b></td>
<td><b>Final</b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>weight (kg)</b></td>
<td>75.6</td>
<td>76.4</td>
<td>74.3</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>% of fat body mass</b></td>
<td>23.1</td>
<td>22.3</td>
<td>21.3</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center; width: 85%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #ffcccc;">
<td><b>V02Max</b></td>
<td><b>Baseline</b></td>
<td><b>Midpoint</b></td>
<td><b>Final</b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>ml/kg/min V02</b></td>
<td>43.5</td>
<td>48.3</td>
<td>51.7</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~christophermorin/id33.html" target="_blank"><b>METS</b></a></td>
<td>12.4</td>
<td>13.8</td>
<td>14.7</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>Peak Watts</b></td>
<td>275</td>
<td>325</td>
<td>325</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>MAX Heart Rate (BPM)</b></td>
<td>187</td>
<td>188</td>
<td>182</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
As you can see, I've continued to improve throughout the study. On Monday 3/28, I'll take my final leg strength test so those results are still pending. But the V02Max results are really encouraging. Frankly, I'm surprised at how much I was able to improve. I'm very happy to see it, mostly because while I've certainly had a sense that when I train hard I improve, I've never had the empirical evidence in this way.<br />
<br />
Heck, very, very few people ever get anything like these results including professional bike racers. They have data, but this is a very controlled study with every outcome measure done with all of the scientific precautions one takes to control for confounding variables. So what you see is as close to what can be measured as was possible over an extended study.<br />
<br />
<b>So What Does It All Mean?</b><br />
Well, it depends on what kind of perspective you are looking for, of course. One very important takeaway for me that I think is something for lots of people to think about is this: you can see big, measurable gains in your overall fitness with 30 minutes or less of exercise a day...IF it is at the right intensity.<br />
<br />
What is interesting to me is that this is likely to surprise both normal folks who are just trying to get healthy by adding some exercise to their daily routines and hard core endurance athletes who were trained to believe that massive volume (lots of hours in the saddle, for example) is the only way to big improvements. I was in that latter camp. But no longer. I mean, take a look: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.whyiexercise.com/images/546xNxVO2.Max.chart.men.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zffoVD5r6M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.whyiexercise.com/images/546xNxVO2.Max.chart.men.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zffoVD5r6M.jpg" height="155" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm 45 years old. Over the course of this study I moved up from Good to Excellent to Superior. I'll get a full debriefing from the scientists running this study soon (and I'll write about that!), but the lab techs who do the physiological testing - different from the lab where I completed the intervention - were already able to tell me that my performance was the best they had seen. And I didn't get there by being genetically gifted. It just took working very hard six days a week. How hard? Consistently at my limit. Pushing it every day. Needing a full shower after 4 x 4:00 intervals at an average W of 288. That kind of thing. Hard.<br />
<br />
It makes a difference in what I can do on the bike too. Here's my 30 minuted sustained effort comparison:<br />
<br />
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center; width: 85%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #ffcccc;">
<td><b>3 x 30 Min Continuous</b></td>
<td><b>Week 6</b></td>
<td><b>Week 12</b></td>
<td><b>Week 21</b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>Avg. Watts</b></td>
<td>235.38</td>
<td>240.2</td>
<td>253.71</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>Avg HR (BPM)</b></td>
<td>171</td>
<td>162</td>
<td>168</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was very happy to put down 250W for 30 minutes. That's a big effort on a stationary bike where there is no coasting, there are no downhills, just you and the machine. And through it all, I stayed very close to my limit for the "damn this feels terrible" heart rate which is 166. Not all day pace by any means, but sustainable for just about as long as I would ever need on the road in a hard group ride or even in a road race unless I was in some crazy, ill-fated solo break.
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ground Control to Major Tom...</b><br />
I feel really grateful for the opportunity this study has given me to explore my limits with a level of precision, intensity, and regularity that I've never had before. It will stay with me. I now know, beyond a doubt, that I can be better if I work hard. I know that I can keep getting better too. What I don't know is where the ceiling is! If I could sign up for another round to find out, you better believe I would do it. <br />
<br />
<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-43819680311627283052016-01-23T09:46:00.001-08:002016-01-23T12:57:26.609-08:00SPACE Mission Update: Signs of ImprovementI'm really encouraged by the improvement I've seen in my performance after I hit the halfway mark of <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2015/09/go-for-launch-my-new-mission.html" target="_blank">the SPACE study</a>. As of today, I've completed 15 of 26 weeks. And as <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2016/01/space-odyssey-halfway-mark.html" target="_blank">I noted in my earlier post</a>, I've really learned a lot. My mid-protocol test results are back too, so I thought I'd share some of that information for the data-curious among you.<br />
<br />
<b>The Tests</b><br />
The second set of performance tests is a chance to compare my results with my baseline numbers.<a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2015/10/space-lab-update-after-week-six.html" target="_blank"> I wrote a bit more about those here</a>, in case you'd like to catch up. But I'll repeat the numbers below side by side with the new results for comparison.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU36X-29FiLGRfesq7q1EPWQIPV6-Zd9AEhhLyyyYjWzHkN4AmU0RHo27fA0MBBumAqvLyEkdbcxE20EbzUvQtciLcDR4nw99OzM5Fo-ncdbN0_9AMaLAr0xdaTQzZEX1bav0o-G6utSUP/s1600/IMG_5056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU36X-29FiLGRfesq7q1EPWQIPV6-Zd9AEhhLyyyYjWzHkN4AmU0RHo27fA0MBBumAqvLyEkdbcxE20EbzUvQtciLcDR4nw99OzM5Fo-ncdbN0_9AMaLAr0xdaTQzZEX1bav0o-G6utSUP/s320/IMG_5056.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill during V02Max test</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are three measures to compare: 1) a static leg strength test, a V02Max test, and a body fat composition test. Of the three, the most dramatic and difficult - by far - is the V02Max test. This is where the goal is to pedal on a stationary bike with the resistance increasing every 2:00 minutes. The directive from the physiologist conducting the test: "Pedal to exhaustion." All of this happens while strapped to a breathing tube, nose pinched shut, so as to measure the consumption of oxygen and the composition of the gases you are inhaling and exhaling. <br />
<br />
Well...see above for yourself! In the picture, I'd only just started, so I look rather composed. By the end, I was not in such pristine form.<br />
<br />
The other two tests are much less demanding. The static leg strength test involves having your dominant leg strapped to a dynamometer that measures the force you exert when moving your leg. There are a series of measures, from pushing against a solid force to kicking the leg out against variable resistance. The heaviest repetitions are heavy enough that you can't move the leg fast at all. The longest test involves kicking out and pulling back as rapidly as possible twenty times against less resistance. This allows for measurement of endurance as well as peak force.<br />
<br />
The third test is body fat percentage. This is the easiest physically. You strip down to a pair of bike shorts and sit in a big egg-shaped machine. What this test lacks in physical demands, it more than makes up for in emotional ones. Humbling. To say the least.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Results: Getting Better!</b><br />
I went into the testing period thinking I might have improved some, but with modest expectations. So it was really heartening to see that I improved quite a bit on all of the measures! Results compared with baseline numbers are in the tables below, followed by some discussion.<br />
<br />
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center; width: 85%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #ffcccc;">
<td><b>Leg Strength</b></td>
<td><b>Baseline</b></td>
<td><b>Midpoint</b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>% of bodyweight</b></td>
<td>85</td>
<td>147</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</br>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center; width: 85%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #ffcccc;">
<td><b>Body Composition</b></td>
<td><b>Baseline</b></td>
<td><b>Midpoint</b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>weight (kg)</b></td>
<td>75.6</td>
<td>76.4</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>% of lean body mass</b></td>
<td>23.1</td>
<td>22.3</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</br>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center; width: 85%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #ffcccc;">
<td><b>V02Max</b></td>
<td><b>Baseline</b></td>
<td><b>Midpoint</b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>ml/kg/min V02</b></td>
<td>43.5</td>
<td>48.3</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><a href="http://home.earthlink.net/~christophermorin/id33.html" target="_blank"><b>METS</b></a></td>
<td>12.4</td>
<td>13.8</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>Peak Watts</b></td>
<td>275</td>
<td>325</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>MAX Heart Rate (BPM)</b></td>
<td>187</td>
<td>188 </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<b>Discussion</b><br />
First things first, that weight includes my clothes and shoes! As you can see, I gained about a pound between September and January. Not bad, given my usual spiral into winter. But this is one time I can say, without it being pure fabrication, that the weight gained was muscle rather than fat! Why? Because my lean body mass percentage improved over the same period. So far so good.<br />
<br />
It makes sense that I gained some muscle when you look at the results of my leg strength test. In September, I was able to move 85 percent of my bodyweight with my right quadriceps (the machine isolates these). In January, I improved to 147% of my bodyweight. Big gain!<br />
<br />
My V02Max numbers also improved more than I expected. I knew that I could push more Watts than before, based on what I was able to do on a day-by-day basis in the lab during my 30 minute continuous workouts. But it was nice to see this translated into a nearly 5% increase in V02, from 43.5 to 48.3. Here's what that translates to using the chart I linked to in an earlier post:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.whyiexercise.com/images/546xNxVO2.Max.chart.men.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zffoVD5r6M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.whyiexercise.com/images/546xNxVO2.Max.chart.men.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zffoVD5r6M.jpg" height="155" width="320" /></a></div>
I go from the upper end of the "Good" category to the upper end of the "Excellent" category. Not bad. Knocking on the door of Superior. Maybe they'll let me in come April.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What Does It All Mean?</b><br />
It's pretty clear to me that the kind of short (30 minutes or less per day), but intense and very, very consistent workouts I've been doing can translate to good results. And not just in my baseline fitness and potential, as the mid-point numbers show. I am seeing real improvement in my performances as well. Based on what I've done in my 30 minute workouts, for instance, here is a comparison with week 6 and last week:
<br/></br>
<table style="border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid black; text-align: center; width: 85%;">
<tbody>
<tr style="background-color: #ffcccc;">
<td><b>3 x 30 Min Continuous</b></td>
<td><b>Week 6</b></td>
<td><b>Week 14</b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>Avg. Watts</b></td>
<td>235.38</td>
<td>240.2</td>
</tr>
<tr style="border: 1px solid black;">
<td><b>Avg HR (BPM)</b></td>
<td>171</td>
<td>162</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br/>
What that translates to is three 30 min. workouts last week, all of which topped 240W and all done at a HR that felt less like imminent death. Based on my most recent performance data, I think my functional threshold power is now somewhere between 228-232W, with peak 1 minute Watts of 325 at the end of a 30 minute effort. 30s peak power is about 375-400W. And, based on my daily experiments in pacing, I think I could do a few attacks at 300+ W in a race situation, if I rode smart and had recovery options. There will be no long breakaways above 240W, but I now see I have some tools in the toolkit to play with.
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-24370196026416289042016-01-01T12:09:00.001-08:002016-01-01T12:29:11.076-08:00SPACE odyssey: the halfway mark <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZC2_pDMHLx71_IIhmUqGMp6kbrlQLuyiOAv6DEAy9uuGUdujasKG8W_D-4Ce_Ig9F2gssGqPGIAMLItB4ZlTeQHc7ktr_i5HSq51HXpQ_OjQcg0lcqsGgVp2C3oLuIc7IN2elQJ-f3ZPY/s1600/IMG_2111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZC2_pDMHLx71_IIhmUqGMp6kbrlQLuyiOAv6DEAy9uuGUdujasKG8W_D-4Ce_Ig9F2gssGqPGIAMLItB4ZlTeQHc7ktr_i5HSq51HXpQ_OjQcg0lcqsGgVp2C3oLuIc7IN2elQJ-f3ZPY/s320/IMG_2111.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
I just finished week 13 of my Mars mission (<a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2015/09/go-for-launch-my-new-mission.html" target="_blank">background here</a>), so it is time for an update about how things are proceeding. I will be doing my mid-protocol tests next week, so I'll have numbers to report like I have done previously shortly. But for now, I'll stick to the things that stand out to me - either as realizations or observations - about the overall experience of being a participant in this fascinating study. And for each, I've set a little goal (it is New Year's Day, after all!) for the coming year.<br />
<br />
<b>1. It remains on the whole, fun for me to participate in this study</b>.<br />
This is not a revelation, though I am happy to report it now with more certainty than I would have had at the beginning. Working out 6 days a week and following a very structured workout each time is something I've never done with this degree of precision. Because the point of this, from a scientific point of view, is to make a dataset for the team to analyze, I am doing exactly what is called for each day with no deviations. This is true for each individual day, but also for each week with just a few exceptions when I've had to reschedule a session due to travel.<br />
<br />
But I like the regularity of the workouts very much. I'm going to try to keep up the pattern of 6 workouts/week throughout the year even when the study is done.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>2. Intensity is much much more important than I thought for producing physiological adaptations</b>.<br />
This is saying something, because I've understood for a long time what <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2013/05/hack-your-metabolism-part-ii-what-is.html" target="_blank">the point of exercise is - to create stress that causes the body to adapt</a>. The interesting thing I've started to see now, though, due to the large amount of data I am producing from a very consistent workout regimen is just how much adaptation can come from relatively short, but hard workouts. I'll have more to say about this once I get my next set of testing data back, but here are a few bits that you might find interesting.<br />
<br />
At the <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2015/10/space-lab-update-after-week-six.html" target="_blank">six week mark</a>, I reported that my best 30 minute sustained efforts came when I was producing between 235-240W. Those are continuous, no coasting, no rest numbers. So they function like an FTP test. I do this workout every other day. So I've done it about 28 times now.<br />
<br />
As I start week 14, I am consistently able to produce W in that range. One key difference though is that at Week 6 I was doing that with an average HR of 170-172. At 13 weeks, it's more like 162-164 for the same power. I haven't seen a lot of improvement in my PR for the 30 min workout. I think this is due to the fact that my regimen is not really designed to produce huge gains in performance, but is rather designed to help astronauts maintain fitness levels in zero gravity conditions. Still, I'm getting better: more efficient and better able to use more of the total power I can produce.<br />
<br />
An area where I have seen consistent improvement is the 4x4:00 interval workouts, with 3:00 active recovery in between. These long intervals are done at a Wattage level of my choosing (unlike the other two intervals, which are set by the computer), so I can dial them up to 11. I think about these days as the days I get better. Early on, I was doing these at 240 or 250W. In week 3, I started at 268 W for interval one and had to drop way back in subsequent intervals to try and recover from that first one.<br />
<br />
But these days, I'm doing 4x4:00 at 283W. That's a big difference. Considering that in my baseline max test, I was only able to get to 275W (for 2:00), it's a noticeable change (though not necessarily a big change in my V02Max). I think by the end of the study, I'll be able to do 300W for all 16:00 worth of work interval. That's my goal, at least. <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. Making the Science is Weird<span id="goog_289581684"></span><span id="goog_289581685"></span>.</b><br />
First, I want to say that everyone I see as part of the study - all of the research assistants, post-docs, and others who run the project on a day-to-day basis - has been extremely nice, courteous, generous, grateful, and professional. They have clearly been very well prepared by the folks in the lab. But they are also, in general, super nice folks. They go out of their way to treat us like people (not like gerbils running on a wheel) and to express their gratitude for our effort and commitment to the project.<br />
<br />
I can see why the PI's on the project spend time training the research staff to be like this. Because it is just a little bit weird to be a research subject. Some of the measurements - like blood pressure, etc. - feel like a visit to the Dr.'s office. But for the workouts, there are specific cues for the researchers to collect key data points such as our heart rate, cycling cadence (revolutions per minute), watts, and/or perceived exertion level (how hard we feel we are working). And so it's a little strange going full bore in front of other people who are literally measuring your effort. I think about folks being nervous to work out in a gym in front of others they don't know. Try doing it while someone is literally standing right beside you, taking your HR after every 30 second interval!<br />
<br />
The takeaway here is simply that I've got nothing to hide any more. Now that I've been a 45 year old rat in a lab, slathered in electrode gel, huffing like a freight train in front of undergrads less than half my age (good god) writing down everything I can do or can't do on a given day...I know I can go to the pain cave now in front of anybody.<br />
<br />
Bring it on, 2016!Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-83547475151763186662015-12-12T08:33:00.001-08:002015-12-12T08:36:42.345-08:009 years of Doing Diabetes<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFT2jlNgl-ZlKmH0qqgftwvRbAbTkWl6Q0pNdSB1aKMqyEGcA6XUSsb-MsSzM410uLmcJs5zwOOBwEeJwTYzSKHFrPBlf41bxWPa9K0xsAarjztmh8G02_fh1UjiFvTyZg9fadL5ocj6Y/s1600/542650054_339efba4e0_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFT2jlNgl-ZlKmH0qqgftwvRbAbTkWl6Q0pNdSB1aKMqyEGcA6XUSsb-MsSzM410uLmcJs5zwOOBwEeJwTYzSKHFrPBlf41bxWPa9K0xsAarjztmh8G02_fh1UjiFvTyZg9fadL5ocj6Y/s400/542650054_339efba4e0_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Lily, & Les at my first TdC in 2007</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="showme">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">Nine
years ago, I made a change. My doctor, also a colleague of mine, showed
me the results of my checkup. I had met the criteria for a diagnosis of
Type II diabetes. It was not a big surprise. I'd been creeping up on
those numbers for several years. First, came elevated blood pressure and
an anti-hypertensive. Then elevetated cardiac risk factors creeped in.
All the while, my fasting glucose numbers were creeping up. So that
first high HbA1c was not a surprise, but it was a signal that it was
time to do something.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="showme">
</div>
<div class="showme">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
knew that my family history was one of the risk factors I couldn't do
much about. But everything else I could address: overweight, high blood
pressure, elevated blood glucose, and high blood lipids (fats). <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2010/06/rx-bike.html" target="_blank">And the most important tool - my magic weapon - was a bike.</a></span></span></span></div>
<div class="showme">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9qPoQp8NHYm8rvF60B7t4xmxqjN1BVHGvMsYG9NtDIyXxL0z1eUWTzTX-MpU9W0c-YZdkpEXCxDm3gWEiXZ_yLfdbw9t179bSvRo8WlD5VT4EEG0lWLZ211vAvGC2Rqdmdwj9W21CzFy/s1600/difference.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9qPoQp8NHYm8rvF60B7t4xmxqjN1BVHGvMsYG9NtDIyXxL0z1eUWTzTX-MpU9W0c-YZdkpEXCxDm3gWEiXZ_yLfdbw9t179bSvRo8WlD5VT4EEG0lWLZ211vAvGC2Rqdmdwj9W21CzFy/s400/difference.jpg" width="400" /></a><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
participated in my first TdC in June 2007 after losing 60lbs. Since
that time, I've maintained a normal A1c for the last 8 years, and have
done it without medication for the last 7!</span></span></span></div>
<div class="showme">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;"><b>Doing it for myself, and for others </b></span></span></span></h4>
<div class="showme">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">But I'm still doing the things that made me healthy. Riding, counting carbs... "doing diabetes" so I don't "have diabetes." And as you can guess, it has made a big difference in my life. But what has made me even more proud is just how many others I know - friends, family, colleagues - who have let me know that my efforts to do this and <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2014/05/chronic-illness-how-riding-and-giving.html" target="_blank">to do it "out loud" in public</a>, have been helpful to them as well. It is that, more than any other thing, that inspires me to ride in the Tour de Cure ride each in support of the ADA. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="showme">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">And I'm doing it again this year! <a href="http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TourAdmin?px=6398072&pg=personal&fr_id=11064" target="_blank">My campaign is underway, and you can track it here</a>. And of course, I appreciate any support you might give in monetary form to my fundraising efforts. But...what I'd really love is for you to come ride with me!</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><div class="showme">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">Want to ride in <a href="http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?fr_id=11064&pg=entry" target="_blank">Ann Arbor in June at the TdC </a>with me? If so, get in touch and we can form a team. We need five riders, but we need not all do the same distance or speed. We'll cheer for one another and do more good together than any one us might do alone</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
</span>
</li>
<li><div class="showme">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">Can't make it to Michigan? <a href="http://tour.diabetes.org/site/PageServer/?pagename=TC_homepage" target="_blank">Join a Tour de Cure near you! </a>There are events all over the country. Find one and let me know so I can cheer and lend you support </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h4>
</li>
</ul>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">Nine
years ago, I made a change. My doctor, also a colleague of mine, showed
me the results of my checkup. I had met the criteria for a diagnosis of
Type II diabetes. It was not a big surprise. I'd been creeping up on
those numbers for several years. First, came elevated blood pressure and
an anti-hypertensive. Then elevetated cardiac risk factors creeped in.
All the while, my fasting glucose numbers were creeping up. So that
first high HbA1c was not a surprise, but it was a signal that it was
time to do something.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
knew that my family history was one of the risk factors I couldn't do
much about. But everything else I could address: overweight, high blood
pressure, elevated blood glucose, and high blood lipids (fats). And the
most important tool - my magic weapon - was a bike.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
participated in my first TdC in June 2007 after losing 60lbs. Since
that time, I've maintained a normal A1c for the last 8 years, and have
done it without medication for the last 7! </span> </h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">But I'm still doing the things that made me healthy. Riding, counting carbs... "doing diabetes" so I don't "have diabetes" . </span></h4>
- See more at:
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TourAdmin?px=6398072&pg=personal&fr_id=11064#sthash.59KVRUim.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">Nine
years ago, I made a change. My doctor, also a colleague of mine, showed
me the results of my checkup. I had met the criteria for a diagnosis of
Type II diabetes. It was not a big surprise. I'd been creeping up on
those numbers for several years. First, came elevated blood pressure and
an anti-hypertensive. Then elevetated cardiac risk factors creeped in.
All the while, my fasting glucose numbers were creeping up. So that
first high HbA1c was not a surprise, but it was a signal that it was
time to do something.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
knew that my family history was one of the risk factors I couldn't do
much about. But everything else I could address: overweight, high blood
pressure, elevated blood glucose, and high blood lipids (fats). And the
most important tool - my magic weapon - was a bike.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
participated in my first TdC in June 2007 after losing 60lbs. Since
that time, I've maintained a normal A1c for the last 8 years, and have
done it without medication for the last 7! </span> </h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">But I'm still doing the things that made me healthy. Riding, counting carbs... "doing diabetes" so I don't "have diabetes" . </span></h4>
- See more at:
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TourAdmin?px=6398072&pg=personal&fr_id=11064#sthash.59KVRUim.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">Nine
years ago, I made a change. My doctor, also a colleague of mine, showed
me the results of my checkup. I had met the criteria for a diagnosis of
Type II diabetes. It was not a big surprise. I'd been creeping up on
those numbers for several years. First, came elevated blood pressure and
an anti-hypertensive. Then elevetated cardiac risk factors creeped in.
All the while, my fasting glucose numbers were creeping up. So that
first high HbA1c was not a surprise, but it was a signal that it was
time to do something.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
knew that my family history was one of the risk factors I couldn't do
much about. But everything else I could address: overweight, high blood
pressure, elevated blood glucose, and high blood lipids (fats). And the
most important tool - my magic weapon - was a bike.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
participated in my first TdC in June 2007 after losing 60lbs. Since
that time, I've maintained a normal A1c for the last 8 years, and have
done it without medication for the last 7! </span> </h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">But I'm still doing the things that made me healthy. Riding, counting carbs... "doing diabetes" so I don't "have diabetes" . </span></h4>
- See more at:
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TourAdmin?px=6398072&pg=personal&fr_id=11064#sthash.59KVRUim.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">Nine
years ago, I made a change. My doctor, also a colleague of mine, showed
me the results of my checkup. I had met the criteria for a diagnosis of
Type II diabetes. It was not a big surprise. I'd been creeping up on
those numbers for several years. First, came elevated blood pressure and
an anti-hypertensive. Then elevetated cardiac risk factors creeped in.
All the while, my fasting glucose numbers were creeping up. So that
first high HbA1c was not a surprise, but it was a signal that it was
time to do something.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
knew that my family history was one of the risk factors I couldn't do
much about. But everything else I could address: overweight, high blood
pressure, elevated blood glucose, and high blood lipids (fats). And the
most important tool - my magic weapon - was a bike.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
participated in my first TdC in June 2007 after losing 60lbs. Since
that time, I've maintained a normal A1c for the last 8 years, and have
done it without medication for the last 7! </span> </h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">But I'm still doing the things that made me healthy. Riding, counting carbs... "doing diabetes" so I don't "have diabetes" . </span></h4>
- See more at:
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TourAdmin?px=6398072&pg=personal&fr_id=11064#sthash.59KVRUim.dpuf</div>
<div id="stcpDiv" style="left: -1988px; position: absolute; top: -1999px;">
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">Nine
years ago, I made a change. My doctor, also a colleague of mine, showed
me the results of my checkup. I had met the criteria for a diagnosis of
Type II diabetes. It was not a big surprise. I'd been creeping up on
those numbers for several years. First, came elevated blood pressure and
an anti-hypertensive. Then elevetated cardiac risk factors creeped in.
All the while, my fasting glucose numbers were creeping up. So that
first high HbA1c was not a surprise, but it was a signal that it was
time to do something.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
knew that my family history was one of the risk factors I couldn't do
much about. But everything else I could address: overweight, high blood
pressure, elevated blood glucose, and high blood lipids (fats). And the
most important tool - my magic weapon - was a bike.</span></h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">I
participated in my first TdC in June 2007 after losing 60lbs. Since
that time, I've maintained a normal A1c for the last 8 years, and have
done it without medication for the last 7! </span> </h4>
<h4 class="showme">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; font-weight: normal;">But I'm still doing the things that made me healthy. Riding, counting carbs... "doing diabetes" so I don't "have diabetes" . </span></h4>
- See more at:
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/TourAdmin?px=6398072&pg=personal&fr_id=11064#sthash.59KVRUim.dpuf</div>
Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-86864223266183095812015-11-07T11:24:00.000-08:002015-11-07T12:08:03.989-08:00100 Miles of Nowhere, Camp Kesem Live from Michigan Edition!<b>"This Wasn't Really Supposed to Be a Thing..." </b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaLMqUGbRgj84WYtOwLx-9Es8B5uJwL_Y5R7Fs2vH0Jnchcu4ggPec-sny5yH5TzJSg2iot_zW9OPsjCOuEDa7rF9s3q_TJzv727uaWmSa1-qcKCwiiWYz9NZkZsBWCcUqw14jxEXrX4l/s1600/BillFatty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjaLMqUGbRgj84WYtOwLx-9Es8B5uJwL_Y5R7Fs2vH0Jnchcu4ggPec-sny5yH5TzJSg2iot_zW9OPsjCOuEDa7rF9s3q_TJzv727uaWmSa1-qcKCwiiWYz9NZkZsBWCcUqw14jxEXrX4l/s320/BillFatty.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elden & I before mounting up for the 2015 100 MoN</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today, November 7 2015, all over the world folks are doing the epic event known as the <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2015/06/09/announcing-the-2015-100-miles-of-nowhere-sort-of/" target="_blank">100 Miles of Nowhere</a>. The brainchild of the brilliant, kind, and slightly deranged Elden "Fatty " Nelson of <a href="http://fatcyclist.com/">fatcyclist.com</a>, the event challenges participants to find the shortest tolerable course imaginable to go 100 miles without going anywhere at all. It is as much a test of one's mental toughness as physical stamina, though friends and family of the dedicated riders will surely tell you that it's proof positive of a deep affliction to the bike.<br />
<br />
Fatty did the first one all by himself in his garage, and <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2008/01/08/going-nowhere-for-100-miles/" target="_blank">he wrote about it</a>. To his surprise, it caught on. And now this thing that, according to Elden "wasn't even supposed to be a thing" is very much a big thing. <br />
<br />
Readers of this humble blog will recall that I've done this thing before. More than once, in fact. There was the time when <a href="http://www.fatcyclist.com/2012/06/05/100-miles-of-nowhere-3000-laps-to-nowhere-division/" target="_blank">I rode 3000 laps in my circle driveway</a>, for instance. And the time I rode on a stationary trainer in front of my local bike shop. I like to make it a spectacle.<br />
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But perhaps you are asking...Why? Why do we do it? There are many reasons, truly, but the main one is that we get to engage in something truly wonderful that a certain group of people - I call them "People of the Bike" and my friend <a href="http://www.thirdcoastcycles.com/about-us/the-crew" target="_blank">Mike "MC" Clark</a> calls them "Bike-Minded Individuals" - have come to learn. That the bike is a tool to make good things happen. Not just for oneself, but if you work at it, for many, many other people as well.<br />
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<b>100 Miles of Nowhere for Camp Kesem </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8dtxr_9bk_0VfxFvMf5YRdkBu2Fn8mywcKTmyfrqoRipe_aB-3Zvz2BvmweslqxBVLmgvcM7lr7KaS_AFLkd-7lCxlai45maZ3nqX0JdjNLgXsg9YdwRitO2GKhnZCfFn_GNJdhBhgNb/s1600/TeamFatty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8dtxr_9bk_0VfxFvMf5YRdkBu2Fn8mywcKTmyfrqoRipe_aB-3Zvz2BvmweslqxBVLmgvcM7lr7KaS_AFLkd-7lCxlai45maZ3nqX0JdjNLgXsg9YdwRitO2GKhnZCfFn_GNJdhBhgNb/s400/TeamFatty.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Fatty at the Kesem Summit, 2015 100 Miles of Nowhere</td></tr>
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This year, I got to be part of Team Fatty once again for #100MoN, along with several of my dedicated, kind, and dauntless Michigan cycling community friends. We joined Fatty himself at the National Summit meeting for <a href="http://campkesem.org/" target="_blank">Camp Kesem </a>outside Fenton, MI and got to see and feel the amazing power the bike can generate when we turn our pedals for a great cause.<br />
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When Fatty said he'd be coming to Michigan and he could use a little logistical help, I sent him a message and said I'd be happy to do it. I knew my MI crew would be equally stoked. We are, as People of the Bike, all about being there to help, especially when we can work together to make much more of a difference than any one of us could do alone. Our team consisted of two of my colleagues from Michigan State - Bump Halbritter & Mike Ristich, and three friends from the West part of the state: Derek Dykstra, MC, and Kaat Tahy. I've shared epic days in the saddle with all of them in the past. But yesterday's ride in which we went zero miles while riding 100 miles worth may have topped them all. <br />
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<b>Healing the Harm Cancer Does to Families </b><br />
Camp Kesem has a powerful mission. They provide children who have lost parents to cancer with a place to go to help with recovery from the damage that the disease does to families, to relationships. I've been witness to this, up close, in my own life. And I have to say, it is a hard thing to talk about. We know cancer does devastating damage to those afflicted with the disease. And we rightfully focus most of our energy on the care and comfort of people who are directly affected.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_LN2J3ChhnPXB2NUv36jaFcxpBRfAi_Nucjs5BHVpBqcIDIOQXhzxt7vvUtfDZIrOPPDLdz-2DwwDojV8jYNQlAAKbX35qJsc_ckU8Q4mhk7njZSYSk6BPjEVJYl3-Cq36aBAlcHD8GN/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_LN2J3ChhnPXB2NUv36jaFcxpBRfAi_Nucjs5BHVpBqcIDIOQXhzxt7vvUtfDZIrOPPDLdz-2DwwDojV8jYNQlAAKbX35qJsc_ckU8Q4mhk7njZSYSk6BPjEVJYl3-Cq36aBAlcHD8GN/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="240" /></a>But cancer is something that families get too. They get it without asking for it. And it stays around. I've watched dear friends lose partners this way, and children lose parents. I've felt devastated for those family members. The nature of the disease and our limitations, clinically speaking, in understanding at any given moment how it may or may not be progressing, how an intervention may or may not be working...these weigh on loved ones in the circle of care in unimaginably difficult ways. At the time you feel most compelled to act, to care for and comfort those you love, you may find yourself without options to do much of anything. You turn your focus outward. Love overwhelms you. All while inside you are afraid, you are frustrated, you are mourning the loss of a life that has already irrevocably changed. You too have this thing called cancer. So may your children. It may not be in your body, your cells, but it has nonetheless invaded your life, your home, and your realtionships.<br />
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I wanted to write those things, because for those who have gone or are going through this ordeal, even thinking them can seem like the wrong thing to be doing. Add guilt to the pile of emotions that one feels in that situation. And there aren't many obvious outlets, not many treatments for the violence that cancer does to families. I lost my Dad last year to cancer. And one of the things he asked me to do was to take care of everybody around him, the people who loved him so much. "Help them," he said, "help the kids." <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoB1ZXCCqHdeywk2exPJObERY4Z0TJOsSYkY7PCwUBzCFID_vSOjN6nkNZs2i8UiHJZVN2dhksP54drGgur0PhWH_WGFZtPm8XlfcZBKDXhlvihF6WKnOeuRhCxgsjpRKw7FVBOJaYClp7/s1600/kesemcheers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoB1ZXCCqHdeywk2exPJObERY4Z0TJOsSYkY7PCwUBzCFID_vSOjN6nkNZs2i8UiHJZVN2dhksP54drGgur0PhWH_WGFZtPm8XlfcZBKDXhlvihF6WKnOeuRhCxgsjpRKw7FVBOJaYClp7/s320/kesemcheers.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Counselors at the Kesem Summit Cheering Us On!</td></tr>
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I know my Dad would have been proud to learn about the powerful response to this aspect of cancer that is embodied in the healing energy, spirit, and generosity of Camp Kesem. Our group felt it yesterday - we were cheered on during our ride by hundreds of college students from all over the U.S. who had come to the Kesem Summit to train to be counselors, to prepare to meet children this Summer who will spend some time healing, learning, singing and laughing with others who share their challenge: to overcome the pain cancer brought home to them.<br />
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So we rode. And we laughed and sang along with Kesem crew. We rocked. We rolled. Not necessarily in that order. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6_xbxvpqBjTz2XdG8uoY-SvzkdENSj0GlxbBNW5_x0KydigQsrDBScSCfq084kFNOP6gY13MfhVXNOJoVNkW-5JMMhHW_gjeJK2Y89KVGWS62BZNu9y6c9gtb4CI8BT0ArJgNoZNgItX/s1600/MC100MoN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt6_xbxvpqBjTz2XdG8uoY-SvzkdENSj0GlxbBNW5_x0KydigQsrDBScSCfq084kFNOP6gY13MfhVXNOJoVNkW-5JMMhHW_gjeJK2Y89KVGWS62BZNu9y6c9gtb4CI8BT0ArJgNoZNgItX/s200/MC100MoN.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MC brings #bikeface to 100MoN!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuirS5G2k6inGJFdWl6V2AhkS0wU_A3PstcsavAFb-Gf2eDk6P4EyMmJqViXNoD09ENa454Hy1QUFv1OeZ1SsQEcjPu6PMkjayZm_2a5Aderj6MLK-EniyeLFAwJTCu7VttlbcLJWheacf/s1600/EldenRock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuirS5G2k6inGJFdWl6V2AhkS0wU_A3PstcsavAFb-Gf2eDk6P4EyMmJqViXNoD09ENa454Hy1QUFv1OeZ1SsQEcjPu6PMkjayZm_2a5Aderj6MLK-EniyeLFAwJTCu7VttlbcLJWheacf/s200/EldenRock.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fatty rocks!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotnWpWaRoTONAo3XfaetLPkc9v1BHcKjhc_2DwdVqTYQbGnE7TKn31gnXkRcsE52aUMkPs6OQW4HesIT0LbiXp0nlLleZCw37cw9DZ0VW0RWvuCEGxnkysiSq7sniPMv9duumajKYpsFc/s1600/DidKaat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotnWpWaRoTONAo3XfaetLPkc9v1BHcKjhc_2DwdVqTYQbGnE7TKn31gnXkRcsE52aUMkPs6OQW4HesIT0LbiXp0nlLleZCw37cw9DZ0VW0RWvuCEGxnkysiSq7sniPMv9duumajKYpsFc/s200/DidKaat.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DiD and Kaat ride and inspire!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGIao-Ymna7OHlhSRxC9Ut0GVqdMOIMfPtdhzYkx2zYVDq6wMVrUprfooGiiGjjCzDzkawIRvFajOOVfPvAuVog9e48K8NcaR9GgH-hcH9dxjxIxV0pv0zPhmMeQz_GTxKvmbYpRWKY98/s1600/IMG_1789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNGIao-Ymna7OHlhSRxC9Ut0GVqdMOIMfPtdhzYkx2zYVDq6wMVrUprfooGiiGjjCzDzkawIRvFajOOVfPvAuVog9e48K8NcaR9GgH-hcH9dxjxIxV0pv0zPhmMeQz_GTxKvmbYpRWKY98/s200/IMG_1789.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike leads the way</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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And in the end, as we drained our reserve tanks to finish the ride, we left refilled, with more energy than we had coming in. Seeing people assemble to give their time, to suspend the rules of their day-to-day lives to do something improbable, to connect with one another...it's pretty great. And it reminds you that we can make amazing things happen when we combine the power of creativity and caring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjB12I1pqn3I7Ac3znYm7SbSKB-WaNqjl-kT7Qjp9SlMnHgW0R6HvZEGRdzREH_dW7JS_TCz6tPlkydvBBNRA3Hy_3wdbhkitw944FPB84mmXbd7NpjncmX4U973T4t5B77S_ObVuXvmW/s1600/WRACFatty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjB12I1pqn3I7Ac3znYm7SbSKB-WaNqjl-kT7Qjp9SlMnHgW0R6HvZEGRdzREH_dW7JS_TCz6tPlkydvBBNRA3Hy_3wdbhkitw944FPB84mmXbd7NpjncmX4U973T4t5B77S_ObVuXvmW/s320/WRACFatty.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My MSU colleages with Fatty after the 100 Miles of Nowhere 2015</td></tr>
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<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-89108409125597087102015-10-31T14:01:00.001-07:002015-10-31T14:13:08.347-07:00SPACE Lab Update - After Week SixI've now completed six weeks of training in the <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2015/09/go-for-launch-my-new-mission.html" target="_blank">SPACE lab study</a>. That means I have approximately twenty (!) more weeks to go. So I thought I'd make a few observations about how things are going. Overall, I am really enjoying it! I go and work out every day at Noon except Saturday, which is a rest day. It's a nice break in the middle of the day from work.<br />
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<b>Going to <a href="http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/fueling-fitness-on-the-final-frontier/" target="_blank">SPACE</a></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/B3AViHVdpbU/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/B3AViHVdpbU/0.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wrong Stuff? Ragtag asteroid miners</td></tr>
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Each day I change into my cycling gear - most often in my office - and walk over to <a href="http://maps.msu.edu/interactive/index.php?location=ic" target="_blank">IM Circle on the MSU campus</a>. This, as you can imagine, elicited some odd looks from some of my co-workers, especially the front office staff in the academic affairs wing of the Arts & Letters Dean's office in Linton Hall. They saw me go into the office in street clothes, and emerge wearing lycra. They were pretty sure I had a secret identity for the first week or two. Now, everybody's in the know, though, so it's mostly <i>The Right Stuff</i> and/or <i>Armageddon</i> jokes.<br />
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<b>The Workouts </b><br />
After the first couple of sessions which were mostly about calibrating my fitness level, the pattern of workouts is very steady. I alternate between a 30 minute sustained effort and intervals of various lengths. Every other day, then, it's a 30 minute ride for as much power as I can sustain over that period of time. It is very much <a href="http://www.flammerouge.je/factsheets/functhresh.htm" target="_blank">like an FTP test</a>, in other words, for those familiar with cycling or other endurance sports. A bit more on that later. The interval workouts are 4 x 4:00, 6 x 2:00, and 8 x :30 respectively. Each day also has a warmup, the length of which varies according to what the activity is for the day, and a cooldown that is determined by the time it takes for my heart rate to return to 120BPM - usually just a couple of minutes or so.<br />
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Since there are six workouts and I come in six days a week, the pattern looks like this for me:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
MWF 30:00 sustained<br />
Sunday 4 x 4:00 intervals<br />
Tuesday 6 x 2:00 intervals<br />
Thursday 8 x :30 intervals</blockquote>
<b>Measuring Effort - All About the Watts</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fitnessscape.com/Exercise-Bikes/monark-lc-7.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.fitnessscape.com/Exercise-Bikes/monark-lc-7.gif" height="320" width="274" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monark LC-7 just like the one I ride. </td></tr>
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One of the reasons I was so excited to participate in this study is to learn more about training with precise power measurement to calibrate effort. For cyclists on the road, this means using a power meter that is integrated into some bike component: the hub, the pedal, or the crank. For me, it means cycling on an ergometer - a kind of stationary bike that interfaces with a computer to both dynamically control the resistance and measure the watts produced by the rider.<br />
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This gives a very precise measurement of watts produced because there is no other form of resistance - hills, wind, or friction - just what is applied by brake in the ergometer. And unlike real rides out on the roads, the watts required are continuous (no coasting or downhills) over a 30 minute ride. If a traditional time trial is know as "the race of truth" because it is just one person against the clock, then this is the race of extreme truth...because there is no fooling the ergometer.<br />
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When it comes to learning about measuring cycling effort with power, I have not been disappointed. It's pretty amazing to see, especially when combined with other measures like cadence (revolutions per minute of the crank) and heart rate, just what I am capable of in general and on any given day. One thing I can say is that a few things I've come to understand about myself as a rider are supported by the evidence I see when I look at the cycling data I've generated so far.<br />
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<b>So, What Have I Learned So Far? </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.whyiexercise.com/images/546xNxVO2.Max.chart.men.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zffoVD5r6M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.whyiexercise.com/images/546xNxVO2.Max.chart.men.jpg.pagespeed.ic.zffoVD5r6M.jpg" height="155" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ranges for V02Max, from <a href="http://whyiexercise.com/">whyiexercise.com</a></td></tr>
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I don't have a big engine, but I am efficient and I can use a lot of the power I am capable of making. My V02Max is not huge, which is what I mean when I say I don't have a big engine. By most folks' accounts, I am in the "good" and just short of "excellent" range, and nowhere close to "elite."<br />
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V02Max is something that varies for each individual and has a significant genetic component, which means you basically are stuck with what you have. But V02Max only defines the top end - the "max" - output you can produce in a very short, very hard effort. What is a more useful measure is how much of your maximum you can use over some longer period of time. This measure is known as your FTP - functional threshold power - and it corresponds to the level of energy you can sustain for 60 minutes. You can find this out by riding for 60 minutes, but usually a 20 minute test will do fine (for more about that, check out <a href="http://www.velopress.com/books/training-and-racing-with-a-power-meter-2nd-ed/" target="_blank">Allen & Coggin's book Training & Racing with a Power Meter</a>).<br />
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My FTP looks to be about 230W at this point, but unlike V02Max, FTP is much more responsive to training so it will likely get better. Today, though, I can produce that amount of power for 60 minutes without slowing down. Based on the results of my first Max test, that's about 84% of my V02Max. So while my top-end power and my power-to-weight aren't particularly impressive, when I'm fit I can use quite a lot of the power available to me. This is not news to me, really. I always knew, for instance, that I cannot outsprint many people. And I can't overcook a ride either...trying to hang on to a pace that is too hard is a sure way for me to get dropped. But...what I can do is find a sustainable pace - and while it's not huge, it's still good - and stay there for a long time. If I can then coax someone else to go just a bit into the red, I can eventually outlast 'em.<br />
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And, I can recover really fast and at a relatively high level of activity. I don't need to back down the pace too much to get back to a decent level of effort. This means that I can attack from a fairly high pace, back off just a little and recover, and attack again...and do it over and over.<br />
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All of this I've known from experience. But now I also have some numbers. Here, for example, are all of the 30 minute sustained efforts I've done since the beginning of the study so far in a histogram, graphed along with the MaxHR for that same session. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HHotMIN2pSJG1G1ZW7KEdyxvS9hChRZ9t7Dl8hGCyJ7YKKxz7Gh_pt1k9Zpsblu2GZ79xgsSl_OX8dvO9-Lp5HmwnX0kZ7asmRPepoaQpBdQ8ZucR_1Ij7sRUNLnJ2gUaEa3iK2s00bM/s1600/30MinWattsHR.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HHotMIN2pSJG1G1ZW7KEdyxvS9hChRZ9t7Dl8hGCyJ7YKKxz7Gh_pt1k9Zpsblu2GZ79xgsSl_OX8dvO9-Lp5HmwnX0kZ7asmRPepoaQpBdQ8ZucR_1Ij7sRUNLnJ2gUaEa3iK2s00bM/s400/30MinWattsHR.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 minuted sustained efforts with Watts & HR</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Already, an interesting trend has emerged here. I'm building fitness and improving my PR for sustained Watts over time, but I go through periods of improvement and then a moment of recovery. The ride on Monday 10/26 is a bit of an anomaly because the Saturday before I rode 55 miles, and so rather than try to go all out on that day I just set a pace for my FTP (230W). The week prior, I had set a new PR for 30 minutes each time. My best effort so far is 241.85W with a Max HR of 183BPM.<br />
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Some of the variation here is the result of me trying different pacing strategies as well. As I noted, there is no fooling the ergometer, and I dial up my own resistance (in Watts) for this workout. So if I want to ride, say, 230W for thirty minutes I can't start a whole lot lower than that or else I'll need to make that up later somewhere. That's quite hard to do in a short amount of time, obviously. It is average/normalized power we are talking about here, but there are no big spikes in effort on the ergometer.<br />
<br />
The pacing strategy I generally pursue is to hold a relatively high rate of power - 230 or 240 W for the first 20 minutes or so - and then see where I am in the last 10 minutes. If I'm feeling strong, I can add resistance and go for a PR. Having done 240 a few times, I can say that it is very close to what I am capable of producing on any given day. There will not be huge leaps beyond this number, though I may (and I hope to) continue to improve over the course of the study. We will see where I can get in twenty more weeks.<br />
<br />
For now, though, I am having a lot of fun. Geeking out over the numbers is part of that, so watch for more reports as we go along!<br />
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<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-79626825195641589082015-09-28T18:37:00.004-07:002015-09-28T18:50:48.943-07:00Go For Launch! My New Mission<b>Mars </b><br />
Today was a pretty exciting day for space exploration, especially as it concerns a future manned flight to the planet Mars. No, I'm not talking about <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-confirms-evidence-that-liquid-water-flows-on-today-s-mars/" target="_blank">the discovery of liquid water</a>, though that was pretty cool. I'm talking about the start of my own contribution to the Mars mission as a participant in a research project! The study will evaluate the use of feedback - including games - in the quest to keep astronauts healthy on long space missions.You can <a href="http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/fueling-fitness-on-the-final-frontier/" target="_blank">read more about the labs' work</a>; it's fascinating stuff!<br />
<br />
During long periods in zero gravity, <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast02aug_1/" target="_blank">humans can lose muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness</a>. To avoid these problems, astronauts do exercises in space. Keeping space explorers motivated to exercise over long periods of time and with sufficient intensity is part of that challenge. Different methods of doing that is part of what the study I am participating will evaluate.<br />
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<b>To Boldly Go...</b><br />
My mission is not five years long. It's not even as long as it would take to get to Mars, but almost. I'll be doing 26 weeks of workouts during this study, six each week, all on a stationary bike. Last week, I had my first round of physiological testing, which included <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VO2_max" target="_blank">V02Max </a>- a holistic measure of overall cardiovascular fitness - as well as body composition (fat %) and leg strength. I'll post a bit about my results in a separate entry, as they are well-worth geeking out about in their own right. Suffice to say that not many amateur athletes like myself get these tests due to their costs. But that's one of the cool benefits, IMHO, of participating in this study.<br />
<br />
So, every week day and every Sunday at Noon I'll go and do a workout. Three of the workouts each week will be done at a steady pace, a.k.a. "tempo" rides. The other three will include intervals of varying intensity. For some of these, I'll have feedback in the form of data, a game-like display, or both.<br />
<br />
<b>Day One </b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://haroldgibbons.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/vo220max.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://haroldgibbons.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/vo220max.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">V02 Max test setup - mine looked a lot like this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today was my first workout day. The goal was to calibrate my steady-state pace. There was a target in mind derived from my Max test last week for my easy or "all day" riding pace: 130 Watts. Assuming ideal conditions (no wind, flat ground), typical rolling resistance/tires, and at my current weight of 165lbs, that's just about 17mph. I rode that pace at 96 RPM for 15 min. after a five minute easy spin warmup. The goal was to make sure my heart rate agreed with that being my "all day" pace. <br />
<br />
<br />
After that, I was free to ramp up the resistance to find something harder for the last 15 minutes of this workout. I dialed it up a few times until I was at 200W. My goal was to keep my cadence about the same, at 96. At that pace, I'd be going just under 20MPH in perfect conditions. In the Mid-Michigan wind, probably more like 18.5-19. But it felt reasonable. Hard but not unsustainable. Three minutes of cool down followed until my HR came down. <br />
<br />
And that was it! Calibration done. Not much feedback on this one; I could only see my cadence. Tomorrow, I am guessing we'll do an interval workout. But I don't know.<br />
<br />
<b>Beyond...</b><br />
I won't update this blog after every workout, though I am keeping a log of all my activity during the study and I may publish some results from that as we go along. But for a while at least, I won't be doing as much posting on some other sites like Strava (though I don't have to quit riding on the road or running during the study; I only need to log this activity to the researchers know about it). But don't worry. I'm working! Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-25072277454536522792015-01-06T06:54:00.002-08:002015-01-06T09:27:53.606-08:00Buying a Stationary Trainer - FAQ <span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">I'm always happy to get asked about stationary cycling trainers by folks looking to start (or diversify) workouts at home. In this post, I'm mostly pitching to non-cyclists or beginners. I'll save the rollers vs. trainer debate for another time. I'm thrilled to see folks consider a trainer because I think it really is a device that just about everybody can use to get some quality exercise and at their own, preferred pace or level of intensity. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Without exaggeration, my trainer is the single best exercise equipment purchase I've ever made. I have used it for eight years now and am really happy with it. More about that in my post called <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2007/12/going-nowhere-technology.html" target="_blank">"Going Nowhere: The Technology" </a>from a few years back. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Here, I want to offer a few thoughts on buying a trainer for yourself in response to questions I get from friends and co-workers.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2251/2080601015_a08897d3bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2251/2080601015_a08897d3bc.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">1. What Kind of Trainer Should I Get?</span></span></span></b><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Like bikes, I recommend buying a trainer that you will actually use. For that reason, I recommend a fluid trainer for every one. And...this may seem counterintuitive, especially for those who are not hardcore cyclists. </span></span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><b>And now a word about types of resistance...and what "fluid" means: </b></span></span></span><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">A trainer is something you hook up to your bike's back wheel that provides enough resistance to allow you to pedal as if you were on the road. How the resistance is created is the primary way trainers vary. So when we talk about types of trainers, we are also talking about types of resistance.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">All
things considered, I find it is better to go with a fluid trainer which uses hydraulic
resistance over the other two common types of resistance: mechanical/wind or
magnetic. The other two types are much less pleasant (they are louder, and rather than a smooth resistance "curve" they offer sharper tiered or all-or-nothing resistance levels). These types also tend to be far less convenient to use. You may have to get off the bike to change resistance or you might
top out, limiting the kind of riding and workouts you want to do. Fluid trainers do cost a bit more than the other two types, but not so much more that it makes the less convenient ones more attractive. This is particularly true if those features cause you to use the trainer less. </span></span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Fluid trainers are quiet - I can watch TV at normal volume when I ride mine - and they give you "road feel" resistance that
works just by changing gears on your bike. Hence the fluid model is worth the extra
cost. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">2. How much is this gonna cost me? </span></span></span></b><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Fluid
models start around $300 for major brands like CycleOps or Kurt. But you can get a good fluid trainer for a little
over $200 bucks by discount brands like Blackburn or house branded by Nashbar or Performance bike. Wind and magnetic units will go for around $150-250. The major brands will be sold at your local bike shop, which offers a chance to go ride them and compare. I also needed a warranty repair on the resistance unit for mine after several years of heavy use, and my LBS took care of everything for free. So if you've decided to go with a fluid model, I recommend going to your LBS for it. But whatever you do, don't be the guy who goes and rides one at the LBS and then comes home and buys it on Nashbar. That's bush league, man. </span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span></b>
<b><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">3. Are they tough to set up?</span></span></span></b><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Not at all. Most (apart from pricier direct-drive units that replace your back wheel altogether) just require lining the back wheel skewer up with a collar on the trainer and using a locking lever to hold the bike in place. It's easy to take the bike on and off (or swap bikes if more than one person is riding). After you get the initial set up done, it takes literally a few seconds. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span>
<b><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">4. Besides the trainer, what else do I need to get?</span></span></span></b><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">You should definitely get a riser block - a plastic cradle that raises your front wheel to make it level with the back wheel as it is suspended in trainer. These are inexpensive ($20) and work better than phone books (the wheel is secure under load and won't slide). Without a riser or climbing block, your wrists will suffer from the pressure of pointing downhill. You won't want to do more than a short ride without one. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"></span></span></span><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">Optional, but recommended: </span></span></span><br />
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUnYJ9eJ-GgO9FLH2pc6Mo9d9GhAx3UsT0KWrYs3CGvcpgP8fGC6JMtkKaKINOp2sVVGF-tsSFxyUvueCMWT2n7HDBD-t1bHfro7gU6JUGAiYbUxuaM66f1iWa773lld1SnqluPMYT2Rb/s1600/photo-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUnYJ9eJ-GgO9FLH2pc6Mo9d9GhAx3UsT0KWrYs3CGvcpgP8fGC6JMtkKaKINOp2sVVGF-tsSFxyUvueCMWT2n7HDBD-t1bHfro7gU6JUGAiYbUxuaM66f1iWa773lld1SnqluPMYT2Rb/s1600/photo-3.JPG" height="300" title="" width="400" /></a>
</ul>
<ol>
<li><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">a trainer tire. Nice road bike tires are expensive (~$60 or more) and nothing wears them out faster than riding on the trainer. A trainer tire is inexpensive ($~25) and is made of thicker, harder rubber that won't wear out. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">a mat to put the bike and trainer on. Especially for hard floors, this will make the area less of a mess when you sweat and it will make your whole rig more quiet.</span></span></span></li>
</ol>
<ul>
</ul>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">And that's it!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">5. What about used models?</span></span></span></b><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0">If you can find a used one, go for it. You'll likely see the wind and magnetic models pop up like mushrooms on Craiglist shortly after the New Year each year...but that's because of the annoyances I mentioned above. Folks upgrade to fluid and never look back, selling their cheaper models. If cost is a big barrier, you might get started this way too. You will not see many fluid models for sale used. In fact, I'm not sure I recall ever seeing one on CL even though I check it routinely in the bikes category. This tells you something, no?</span></span></span><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0"><span data-reactid=".59.$mid=11420503485724=298ddf51c660ec63704.2:0.0.0.0.0.0.$end:0:$0:0"><br /></span></span></span>Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-88817300666877742612014-12-28T07:52:00.000-08:002014-12-28T07:59:22.864-08:00This new year, don't make a resolution, set a goalWe are approaching the two weeks of the year when fitness centers and gyms fill up. If you are someone who is planning to focus on your health and fitness this year, I'm here to suggest that you try thinking about a goal rather than a resolution to start your new year. It's a small change that can make some positive differences. Here's a few to consider, starting with the big one:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8441/7824173478_493c395cdf_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8441/7824173478_493c395cdf_z.jpg" width="238" /></a><b>1. Set a goal for yourself not a resolution</b><br />
A goal is something concrete that you'd like to achieve. Think about something today that would make you proud to say you accomplished a year from now. Make it something that, deep down, would even impress you...in your quiet moments alone you would say "Wow. I DID that!" That's a worthy goal. Maybe it's riding your first century - 100 miles - on a bike? Maybe it's running your first 5k without walking? Maybe it's doing a sub 3:30 marathon and qualifying for Boston? <br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>2. Connect your goal to the things that motivate you.</b><br />
If performing in public is something that makes a difference to you - did you just feel your pulse quicken a little? - then you might consider setting a goal based on an upcoming event like a race or an organized ride. If you ride a bike and live in Michigan, for instance, maybe you decide this is the year that you do <a href="http://www.odram.com/" target="_blank">ODRAM, the One Day Ride Across Michigan</a>. Or maybe <a href="http://www.dalmac.org/" target="_blank">DALMAC</a>? Maybe you aren't the kind of person that needs a crowd to be motivated, though? Maybe it is all about testing your own limits? Maybe you ride the <a href="http://www.lmb.org/pmrt/map-II.htm" target="_blank">Pere Marquette Trail </a>from end to end this year? Whatever it is, make it about your own personal milestone.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. Write it down...then make it public</b><br />
This is an important one...you have to share your goal. I'm trying to keep this post short, so I'll save the literature review for another time, but there is good evidence to show that being accountable to yourself and others for your fitness goals actually helps keep you engaged over a longer period of time. To put that simply: if you say out loud and in front of people you care about that you'll run a 10k this year, you are more likely to follow through with it than if you keep that goal to yourself. Same goes for writing that goal down on a sticky note and sticking it to your bathroom mirror. <br />
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<b>4. Make decisions, day-to-day, that get you closer (not further away) from the goal</b><br />
Now you see why having a challenging goal is important...it can be the driver for smaller, more consistent changes in your behavior throughout the year. Will you get up for a workout on Sunday morning before the rest of the family? You might if you consider that it allows you to get one step closer to completing the Detroit Marathon next Fall. Will you have a burrito or a grilled chicken salad for lunch? Maybe the salad helps you get over the hills to Lake Charlevoix that you know are waiting for you on DALMAC day 4.<br />
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<b>5. Keep track of your progress toward the goal</b><br />
This means factoring your larger goal down into smaller things that you can keep track of and even measure. Feeling good about your progress is a key benefit. And soon, you may be one of those folks repeating what sounds like a cliché: it's not the destination, it's the journey. Truly, for me, it's both...I definitely do better when I'm on a challenging path to a new and exciting place. But not far into the journey, I realize that I like getting there as much as I like getting to the end. <br />
<br />
So...what's your goal for 2015? <br />
<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-25401782214038036972014-10-05T12:59:00.000-07:002014-10-05T13:12:54.929-07:00Century One: A Few Things You May Not Hear Elsewhere<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">100 miles! (and .7 bonus)</td></tr>
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There are lots of articles out there about<a href="http://www.active.com/cycling/articles/12-tips-for-riding-your-first-century"> preparing for your first century</a>. And there are some really <a href="http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/training-fitness/100-mile-goal">good training plans</a> out there too, that give good advice worth following. <br />
<br />
<b>Why Do It? Because It's There. Like a marathon.</b><br />
Riding a hundred miles in one day - also know as a "century" - has a few things in common with running a marathon. Folks <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Marathon+vs.+century&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb">can't seem to resist comparing</a> the two. And having done both, I'd say a marathon is a bit harder for a couple of reasons. First, it's a race and most people do it at race pace the whole way. Second, there are no scheduled rest stops, nor can you "coast" downhills. It's running (or walking) or not. That's it. But for these same reasons, most people who do a marathon prepare more systematically than many who attempt a century. And so more first-timers fail to complete a century, in my experience, than fail to complete a marathon.<br />
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But there is one very, very important way that a marathon and a century are very much alike. And it takes folks who are new to both distances by surprise (not in a good way). They are both long enough efforts to require a whole new level of energy management. Both are dramatic breaks from the next shortest distance that folks have usually done (i.e. the half-marathon or the metric century: 100,000M). For both of these shorter distances, it's possible to gut them out. <br />
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There is NO WAY to do that successfully for a century or a marathon. You will suffer badly without making and sticking to an "energy budget" for these distances, which is precisely what makes them special. Even for well-trained athletes, a marathon and a century requires some income (energy in) and it absolutely means the athlete has to spend wisely (energy out). <br />
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<b>A Century Is Your Goal, Some Basic Things to Know</b><br />
<ol>
<li>It is a long effort. Around 6ish hours or more for most first-timers.</li>
<li>There will be rest stops. You should rest at them. And eat and drink.</li>
<li>There will be other riders. They will have different levels of ability and experience, so be careful when you decide to ride with folks you don't know well. Stick to your own "energy budget" (more on this below) even if it means letting them go. </li>
<li>Carry food and water with you. Always have some. Take more so that you are fully stocked after each stop. Even if you don't need it, someone who you are with just might.</li>
</ol>
<b>The Good Stuff: Advice You (May Not) Hear Elsewhere</b><br />
<br />
<i>1. Your Ride Begins at Mile 60</i><br />
You'll be taking inventory throughout the day, and making choices about how hard to ride, when to eat and drink, etc. for hours before you get to the point where you know how good those decisions actually have been. At mile 60 or so, the bills will start to come in. If you are sticking to your energy budget, you'll feel some leg fatigue and a bit saddle sore, but otherwise ok. If you have overdrawn your account, you'll start to feel bad around this time. With 40 miles to go, you'll start doing some impaired math and your brain will begin sending alarms. Some will be explicit and conscious: "oh shit, we've still got 2 or 3 more hours to go!" and some will be unconscious and sneaky: brain: make him nauseous even though he really should be eating! muahahaha!<br />
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<b>What To Do:</b> Ride smart in the first 60 miles. Go about 2-3 miles per hour slower than you can sustain on a normal hour long effort. If you can average 20, go 18. There will be plenty of time to pick the pace up in the last 40 if you feel great. If you can average 18, go 16, etc. Enjoy the route. Talk to folks. And don't get drawn into a group going your 20 mile pace for the first 60 miles. You will suffer mightily if you do.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>2. Eat. More.</i><br />
Eating on ride day is part of preparing for the event. This is no time to eat as you usually do in terms of volume. Eating in the first hour of the ride is something you do to prepare for hour four. Eating in the second hour prepares you for the second half of hour four and first part of hour five. Eating in hour five helps you make it to the end.<br />
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As I alluded to above, your brain does funny things to make you stop when you've overdrawn your energy account. One of these things is make your stomach upset *precisely* when you need to put food into it. Early warnings may be gurgling, burping, etc. You must have nutrition, though. It will seem like a bad idea. But you'll soon feel better if you do eat (some people find liquid nutrition supplements to work better than food, but I find that real, actual food is best for me). It's really quite amazing. If you don't eat, or can't eat, you may as well get into the SAG car. Your day will be done. You are out of gas.<br />
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<b>What to Do:</b> Eat at every stop or at least once an hour. Practice eating on long rides before your event to know about how much you need. Once you know your limits and know what it feels like to bonk, you will get better at knowing when to do something about it. But until then, it is a good idea to ride with someone who has this experience and let them know what you are feeling. They can help you through it. <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>3. If you feel bad, you can feel better. Trust this. Rest, eat, and keep turning the pedals. </i><br />
There are two things that happen on a long ride or run that cause people to stop. One is a bonk - running out of fuel. This happens more often on a bike than on a long run because the bike's mechanical advantage lets people run out of energy before they hit their fatigue point. This is very hard to do with running alone, though you do see it often with triathletes due to the fact that the run comes as the last event. When you bonk, there is only one way to recover: eat. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a lot of these. 100 miles!</td></tr>
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The other limit folks reach is their lactate threshold. This is a point at which it feels like your muscles stop working. They are out of available fuel and they are loaded up with waste products. Cyclists sometimes call this "cracking" - reaching your limit, particularly on a climb - where you simply can't go any more/faster. When you crack, there is only way to recover: rest. <br />
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But here's the cool thing. If you rest, you will recover! Your mitochondria will catch up and produce the energy your muscles need to go again. Resting at the rest stops and going a sustainable pace in the first 60 miles will help to ensure that you don't get behind in the first place. Eating will help too because - you see - that energy is what your big muscles need to keep going.<br />
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<b>What To Do: </b>Tell your brain that just because you feel bad at mile 65 doesn't mean you are in for 35 miles of hell. You can and will feel better. Shut up brain.<br />
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<b>4. Ride Your Ride With Your Body</b><br />
Ok, here's the thing about cycling in particular. The longer you do it, the better your body adapts to make long rides easier. First, those <a href="http://www.biketechreview.com/performance/supply/48-mitochondria-the-aerobic-engines">mitochondria</a> I was telling you about. <a href="http://running.competitor.com/2014/09/training/why-are-workout-and-race-times-different_46793/2">It takes a while to build up volume & density</a>, but when you do, you keep them for a long, long time. That's why the 70 year old woman who has been riding centuries for 35 years can kick the 20 year old first-timer's ass when we get to mile 80.<br />
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The second adaptation is about using energy reserves. A cool thing happens when you train for endurance events that require more energy than you can get from, say, your daily meal. Your body has to shift to using energy it has stored up - in glycogen in the liver and in fat. This is sometimes called "system 2" where "system 1" is food energy, converted to blood glucose and then to ATP to drive skeletal muscles. But you have to train your body to shift smoothly into fat-burning from the ATP-CP system which uses available food energy in your bloodstream. This is a big topic for another post, but suffice to say that you can get better at it. And over time you can sustain harder efforts for longer times without as much risk of bonking or cracking because you train your body to use energy from fat more efficiently. It's a good thing. But it doesn't happen overnight. <br />
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<b>What To Do: </b>More long rides. The more long rides you do, the more adapting you will do. You needn't do them fast. But long is important, because you have to force the changeover into system II. I find, these days, that this happens for me around the two hour mark. So if I'm preparing for 100 mile efforts, I simply need to do 3 hour rides more often to get ready. And I can ramp up the distance pretty fast. If I do eighty this week, I'll likely be ready to do 100 next. Really. And once you've done 100 a bunch, you'll always be able to prepare and complete the distance again. <br />
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<b>A Final Thought</b><br />
100 miles is a big deal. For most people, it means you are using up almost twice as many calories riding your bike as you would normally eat during a single day. Be proud of yourself for setting this as a goal and be especially proud for achieving it! If you try, let me know how it goes for you!<br />
<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-32655450621802776842014-08-21T18:12:00.001-07:002014-08-21T18:21:15.422-07:00How to Maintain: FAQI'm fasting for my annual checkup blood tests, which includes HbA1C, cholesterol & triglycerides, all indicators of my cardiac risk and of how well, on the whole, I've been controlling my blood glucose levels. I had my physical exam last week and all was well. It's been 7 years now that this has been the case. <br />
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Seven years of controlling my Type II and CVD risk factors with nutrition and exercise. Seven years with numbers in the "normal" range or better. And yes, seven years at my target weight.<br />
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Sometimes folks ask if it is "as they say" harder to maintain this weight (and really, I guess, that means healthy habits too) than it is to lose the weight or make the needed changes in the first place. I have a clear answer: no. It's way easier. But that's just one of the questions I get asked about weight loss. I usually try to change the subject to the broader category of healthy behaviors. Because I really never set a goal of losing weight, it was just a means to the other end of getting healthy and getting to a place where I didn't need to take medication to control my risk factors.<br />
<br />
But I know folks want to know about losing weight and maintaining weight loss. So...here are some other questions folks sometimes ask, presented with short answers. If you have others, feel free to ask and I'll answer them too.<br />
<br />
<b>About Me & Losing Weight</b><br />
<br />
Q: So how much weight did you lose, anyway?<br />
A: About 70lbs. I was 230 at my heaviest. For the last 7 years I've been within a few lbs of 160 with zero exceptions.<br />
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Q: How long did that take?<br />
A: About 9 months. Apart from the first week with some water weight loss, I didn't drop more than about 1-2 lbs per week.<br />
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Q: Did you hit a "plateau?"<br />
A: I didn't graph it, but I do recall weeks with losses less than 1lb. But otherwise it was pretty steady.<br />
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Q: So, how did you do it? Diet? Exercise?<br />
A: Both. I did 45 minutes of vigorous exercise 6 days a week. I counted carbohydrates and calibrated my intake to achieve a normal steady-state blood glucose level between 100-140 mg/dl, with the high number being less than two hours after eating. <br />
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Q: Yeah, but what was your diet?<br />
A: No restrictive diet. Just counting everything, watching what the food did, then adjusting portions, timing, and choices to get the BG results I wanted. I still ate (and still eat) everything. <br />
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Q: So you still eat sweets and stuff.<br />
A: Oh yes.<br />
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Q: Wait, so did you count calories?<br />
A: Nope. Because all calories aren't the same. (try getting fat eating celery; pandas can do it, but you can't). <br />
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Q: So did how did you set a goal weight?<br />
A: I didn't really. I eventually got to a place where my other numbers - the ones I was really monitoring like BG, A1c, etc. were normal, and that determined it. Now, somewhere between 160 & 165 is what I try to stay at, but only as a shorthand for the other things.<br />
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Q: Ok, so then how do you figure out how many carbs equals the right amount?<br />
A: That took a while. <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2013/04/hack-your-metabolism-part-i-mindful.html">But you can only do it by monitoring your BG.</a> <br />
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Q: So about this *exercise*...what did you do to lose the weight?<br />
A: I've written <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2010/06/rx-bike.html">a lot about this</a>, so I'll keep it simple. I rode my $300 7-speed comfort bike on an $150 indoor trainer. <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2013/05/hack-your-metabolism-part-ii-what-is.html">I did structured workouts consisting of short, intense intervals and varied these each day</a>. I did it all while watching inane sports talk shows.<br />
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<b>About Me and Maintaining Weight</b><br />
Q: So what do you do now? is it the same?<br />
A: No. I eat a little more and exercise a little more, on average, than before.<br />
<br />
Q: How much more do you eat?<br />
A: Not much. Roughly 1 more carb unit per meal per day than when I was trying to lose weight. That amounts to 2-3 units for breakfast, 3-4 for lunch and 3-4 for dinner and usually one 2 unit snack somewhere during the day too, depending on how active I am that day.<br />
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Q: How much more exercise?<br />
A: About 6-12 hours per week. On the high end of that range in warmer weather. At least half and sometimes more than that is vigorous exercise (heart rate above 75% of max.) <br />
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Q: So why more exercise?<br />
A: Just for fun.<br />
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Q: Oh, so that's not all for keeping weight off?<br />
A: No...for that I'd need only about 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week, or 150 minutes of moderate (less than 60% of max hr).<br />
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Q: So this HR thing...is this important?<br />
A: Only as a measure of intensity. Your body will only adapt to exercise that is a challenge. If you do the same thing over and over and never challenge yourself, you won't cause change. Bodies are amazing at adapting to things. The cool thing, though, is that intensity is better than duration for causing adaptation. So a little hard exercise can be as good for you as lots and lots of moderate exercise. (so stop reading on the treadmill). <br />
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Q: But you are some kind of cycling freak now, right?<br />
A: Kind of, yeah, but that's not required. It's just fun for me. (although when you burn 9,000 calories in a day you *can* pretty much eat whatever you want)<br />
<br />
Q: So you are now, like, normal? I mean no diabetes or anything?<br />
A: Clinically yes. Normal numbers. I'll find out if that's true still next week when my latest tests come back. But I've had an A1c near 5 for the last 7 years. So far, so good. And much better. Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-2676963427089586122014-07-20T08:34:00.002-07:002021-03-20T13:10:34.700-07:00Buying a New Bike: Do, Don't Do, and FAQ<b>So you are thinking of getting a new bike... </b><br />
One of the things that my friends and colleagues often ask me about is buying a new bike. Usually, they haven't been on a bike since they were young. They might never have set foot in a bike shop. Given the way the bike market has diversified - with lots of different models and brands available - it can all be quite intimidating.<br />
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I can't tell you in words just how much I LOVE giving this kind of advice! See, I can only buy so many bikes for myself before a) my sanity is questioned, b) my marriage begins to crumble (though since Leslie rides too, we are delightfully co-dependent). So helping others select a new bike is a great way for me to get the vicarious thrill. Also, it fills me with joy to think about the feeling my friends have when rediscovering the bike.<br />
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If you are thinking of getting a new bike, here are some things to do, things to not do (or not worry too much about, and then answers to some common questions!<br />
<h3>
<b>Buying a Bike (for the first time in a long time): DO...</b></h3>
<b>...go to a local bike shop (LBS).</b> Bike shops sell bikes that are better quality than those offered in retail stores. The frames, the components, and perhaps most importantly the assembly/setup is worth the extra cost.<br />
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<b>...visit several shops in your area.</b> Bike shops have personalities, and they carry different brands and models to serve different kinds of riding. They do this to be competitive with one another, but also because the people that run these shops usually do so out of love (it's a VERY low-margin business and a tough way to make money) and out of dedication to a vision of one sort or another to provide something needed in the community (e.g. a woman-friendly shop, or a shop that caters to recumbent riders).<br />
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<b>...build a relationship with the LBS that fits you.</b> Your bike will need service and you'll need a reliable place to get supplies like tubes, tools, etc. As your riding changes, you may also need other gear like a bike rack or bib shorts. Buying these from your LBS will help them out (the margin on these items is often better than on bikes, which is super low).<br />
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<b> ...think ahead about the kind of riding you want to do</b>. This should be the first question you are asked when you are looking at bikes. How often do you plan to ride? How long will your typical ride be? Where will it be? On bike paths? on dirt trails? on the road, perhaps to work or to the farmer's market? maybe a little of all of these? Why are you interested in a bike? for exercise? for a source of green transportation? for long-distance bike tours? Answers to these questions will help narrow down what bike *categories* are best suited for you. <br />
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<b>...think about your budget</b>. Entry level bikes at bike shops will run from about $400 to $1000 depending on the category. You may also need a few accessories right away which can add some cost, namely a helmet, water bottles, bike shorts or other clothing, pedals and shoes (for road bikes, especially), etc.<br />
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<b>...ride several different models that fit your riding needs and your price point</b>. The good news about bike shop bikes is that they are very, very similar in overall quality and - because competition is very tight - all the major manufacturers (Specialized, Trek, and Giant are the big three) offer similar models at similar price points. You may need to go to more than one shop to try all of the ones that appeal to you. But riding them - outside - is essential.<br />
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<b>...buy a bike that fits you. </b>You can only do this by riding them. So go do it. You'll feel the difference. How can they differ so much if the quality is all similar? The simple answer is that they have different frame geometry (the shapes/sizes of the main triangles that form the bike) and even small differences in geometry can make a surprising difference in how the bike feels depending on your own body. A good shop will help dial a bike in to your comfort zone, but even after all the adjustments are made to the seat, bars, etc., the fit will be better on some bikes than others. Just like a pair of pants.<br />
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<b>...buy a bike that you LOVE</b>. I mean it. Buy the one that is so gorgeous it quickens your pulse. The one you can't take your eyes off of. The one that makes you want to get on and go! I hereby grant you permission to care about the colors, the leather seat, the lug details where the seat tube joins the bottom bracket, the sparkly streamers that come out of the bar ends... A bike you love is a bike you will ride. And for all the expense, there is no bike more expensive than one that you do not ride. <br />
<h3>
<b>Buying a Bike (for the first time in a long time): DO NOT...</b></h3>
<b>...settle for shabby treatment by an LBS</b>. If you can't get your questions answered when you are actively interested in a bike, or if you get attitude because you are looking at one kind of bike that the salesperson doesn't happen to like, this is not OK. I recommend that you wrap up your visit and walk out. Go to another shop. The experience in the shop matters. <br />
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<b>...buy a bike without riding it. </b>It's like buying pants off the rack without trying them on. They might look good and they might be the right waist and inseam numbers. But they could be tight through the hips. Or they could pinch when you sit down. And they will just hang in the closet unworn, mocking you.<br />
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<b>...worry about the brand of bike</b>. If you are buying from a reputable shop, all the brands will be good. In fact, if you are buying one of the major brands, odds are they are made in the same handful of factories overseas anyway. If you are buying from a more boutique maker, you'll be paying a little more but you may or may not get a better fit (unless you are going full custom, bespoke, crafted just for you...but that's another post). Buy the bike that fits you, suits your riding needs, and that you <i>Love.</i> Brand be damned!<br />
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<b>...be afraid to ask for an extended test or demo</b>. Bike shops will usually let you take a bike you like for a weekend to see if it will work for you. Go for it.<br />
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<b>...spend more than you are comfortable spending</b>. Bike prices scale up mostly as a function of the components on the bike - the wheels, the drive train (e.g. crank, derailleurs, gears, shifters...collective known as "the group" or <i>gruppo</i>) and your all-important touch points: the saddle, the bars, and the pedals. Frame materials contribute to cost too, but not as much as you might think. So...don't feel bad about sticking to a lower price point at first if you need to. Why? you can always upgrade the components later as your riding changes.<br />
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<b>...leave the shop without everything you need to actually ride the bike</b>. Got a helmet? pedals? If you don't, you'll kick yourself.<br />
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<b>...discount the health impact a bike can have, and factor that into your thinking about costs</b>. I haven't spent a dime on health care costs apart from my health insurance contributions (out of my paycheck from work) in four years. A lot of that is due to my bike. Well worth it! <br />
<h3>
<b>Buying a Bike (for the first time in a long time): FAQ</b></h3>
<b>1. Should I wait for a sale? </b>Probably not. Because bikes are already sold by shops at a very low profit margin, sales are not frequent and when they happen, they are usually only offered on models that shops need to clear out of the shop. If the model doesn't happen to fit you (either in terms of style, size, or look) you'll be out of luck anyway. <br />
<br />
<b>2. What about used bikes? Like on CraigsList.</b><br />
I know this can be tempting. I've bought a bike on CL myself. But only after watching it for 2 YEARS until the bike I wanted came around... The main reason I don't recommend buying a used bike is the LOVE thing. It's hard to find a bike that you'll feel passionate about that way. And depending on the condition, etc., it may not even be a bargain. <br />
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<b>3. Can I buy a bike online?</b><br />
It is possible, though most brands sell only through authorized dealers/shops. There are business reasons for this, of course, but also a customer-service reason. See above all that stuff about riding a bike first and fitting, etc. Hard to do that online. So...I don't recommend online purchases for a first (or first in a long time) bike purchase. It's just too hard to get everything right. <br />
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...got another one? fire away! use the comments or tweet @billhd<br />
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<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-91069450440462431882014-07-17T15:09:00.002-07:002014-07-17T15:30:01.596-07:00Riding a Bike: Why It Doesn't Get OldUnlike <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2014/07/running-at-44-why.html">my "it's complicated" relationship with running</a>, I love cycling. And while I'm mostly a road cyclist, I enjoy all forms of riding a bike. Commuting to work, cruising on fat tires on a bike path, plowing along a gravel road or trail. I don't have much experience on singletrack or trails, generally, but I'm pretty sure I'd like that too.<br />
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Now, compared to running, there is really no contest. Riding is way better. And I don't want to make this all too complicated. So here's my simple test: is it enjoyable while I am actually doing it? Bike: yes! Run: not really.<br />
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But just in case you need a nudge, here's a list of things that, for me, never get old about riding a bike:<br />
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<li><b>Speed.</b> It is fun to go fast. Feeling the wind in your face. You can go fast on a bike. Even if you aren't some kind of hard core racer, you can still go fast downhill. It makes grownups smile just like kids every time.</li>
<li><b>Getting to know the land. </b>You really learn a lot about the roads and the terrain, the sights and the natural features, and yes the traffic and the people who live near you when you ride a lot. Every bump and pothole, every stretch of silky new tarmac, every wooded glade with a country lane winding through it become part of your consciousness, on a bike, in ways that they never do in a car. It's possible to get to know places this way on foot too, but you just can't cover anything like the same amount of area that way.</li>
<li><b>People who ride bikes are pretty great people.</b> The bike tends to create experiences that challenge riders, and for those that have shared the challenges, there is a bond. This bond makes us want to help each other - we've been there or, maybe, we'll one day be there - and, beyond the karma of paying one forward, we likely have a reason to pay one back. </li>
<li><b> Riding is an activity where you can actually talk</b> - we aren't hammering all the time - and get to know each other. </li>
<li><b>Riding with others builds trust.</b> When you are riding close together in a group, it benefits everyone to get to know the others nearby. Not just names (or sometimes not even names) but habits, strengths, experience. It helps keep everybody safer when we are all able to trust the wheel ahead, especially when we are zipping along at 25mph. </li>
<li><b>Recovery from a bike ride is easier.</b> Easier than running, easier than most other hard workouts. I can almost always ride again the following day even after a long or hard ride. This means I can ride more often too. And get more out of each ride if I have some kind of health or fitness goals that I am working on.</li>
<li><b>The bike will take whatever you give it</b>. Some days, you can give it all and the bike will happily oblige, letting you empty the tank only to wobble home cross-eyed in desperate need of rest and calories. But the bike is also happy to spin along at 10 miles an hour while you laugh with your kids. </li>
<li><b>Bikes fix what is wrong with you</b>. Emotionally and physically, there are few problems that a bike can't help with at least a little bit. Only if you ride them, though. I've seen them transform lives - mine included - and make a bad day into a good one countless times.</li>
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The other day, I was talking with a friend of mine bitten by the bike bug last year. He's in deep now. I was mentioning that I don't try to evangelize bikes, nor do I think of my own affinity as something like a religious conversion. But he convinced me that despite that, I did manage to spread the good word whether I meant to or not. By example, sometimes. And by recommendation (if not admonition) at others. I concede the point. But you needn't convert or do what I do or what he does. There are lots of ways to ride a bike and to experience all the things I listed here. Nobody even has to know. Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-22521938199174322902014-07-07T16:45:00.001-07:002014-07-07T16:48:03.212-07:00Running, at 44: Why?Last week I turned forty four. Today I ran five miles. And as one does when on a training run, I did some thinking about running. So here's my version of the listicle genre, all about why I'm still running thirty years after I first started.<br />
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<b>1. I like to be able to run. And I like to have run. </b><br />
Even though I don't like running much anymore, really. Two out of three are enough to keep me going. The first sentiment is about being in good health and feeling like I can still do something that I used to do when I was young. The second thing is about feeling accomplished and feeling tired in a good way - something that solves another problem lots of people have but which I am blissfully free of: sleep issues. Plus, you never know...<br />
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<b>2. I am an athlete. And running is a core ability for athletes.</b><br />
There is an identity thing going on with me and running, even though I'm not a straightforward "runner." I once was that. Today I ride bicycles more than I run, but I still like to think of and conduct myself as an athlete. I like to train and prepare for things, even if I don't compete all that often. And running is important to lots of other sports, of course, so it's useful on the rare occasions where I do one of those.<br />
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<b>3. When I do compete, I like to do well.</b><br />
I still enter a race every now and then. At least two a year for the last several years, and sometimes a few more. And while I haven't gotten faster as I've gotten older, I have gotten relatively faster compared to the others my age. Most of that is due to the fact that fewer people my age run at all, and those that do enter races likely don't train. I do not do much running-specific training, but I ride a lot and that has been enough to keep me competitive in my age group.<br />
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<b>4. I like to suffer.</b><br />
Yeah, I know, it sounds sick to say it. But the truth is you can get to a place where you enjoy going to a place that most people avoid when it comes to engaging in intense physical activity. A lot of that is the thrill of exploring your own limits, mentally and physically. And some of it is being out of your head and in your body in a truly physical way. The ability to push hard and then a little harder is something you strive for, and the discomfort (not really pain) is feedback. How hard can I go? Can I do a little more? It is hard to beat running for a pure physical test of your ability to go and keep going. It is so simple that it takes very little skill to get to your limit. And with no mechanical advantage, just you and the road, it's go or no go.<br />
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<b>5. A good workout doesn't take long, is portable, and is really effective. </b><br />
If I have the shoes and proper clothes, a run is something I can do just about anywhere I go. And unlike a bike ride, I can squeeze one into a half hour and feel like I've got a thorough workout in for the day. <br />
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So there are five reasons I'm still running after all these years. I go a little slower than I used to, but I don't really miss the speed relative to the clock like you might guess. I don't suffer any less for going slower, and as I said in #3 above, I actually do a little better in races these days so I don't care about the time so much. I do miss being able to recover from running fast - like the next day - as I used to when I was young. And I miss the ability to thermoregulate so effectively so that it isn't quite so tough on a hot day. But I imagine that despite these things, I'll still be running in another thirty years if I'm able to. The age groups are really thinned out in the 70+ category!Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-38469271753181843532014-05-29T10:47:00.001-07:002014-05-29T10:54:07.003-07:00Chronic Illness: How Riding (and Giving) in Public Might HelpIt is almost June, and that means that we are close to the 2014 Tour de Cure, a fundraising 100 mile bike ride that benefits the American Diabetes Association. As of today, I've raised $400. <a href="http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=3177101&fr_id=9383&pg=personal" target="_blank">You can help out by making a donation too</a>. If you do, it just might make you healthier.<br />
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That might sound like a stretch, I know. But stay with me on this one.<br />
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Diabetes - both types - is a chronic illness. There is no cure (yet), and so people with a diagnosis have to learn to live with and manage the effect of chronic illness. In the general sense, those of us who manage diabetes and its impact on our lives are far from alone. In fact, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2013/12_0203.htm" target="_blank">the CDC reports</a> that up to half of all U.S. adults deal with chronic illnesses at any given time.<br />
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Chronic illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, hypertension, asthma, COPD, arthritis, and diabetes, rather than infectious disease, constitute <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/09/04/218873813/chronic-illnesses-outpace-infections-as-big-killers-worldwide" target="_blank">the major health challenges of our generation in the United States and, increasingly, the world</a>. <br />
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Chronic illnesses present different, and very difficult, challenges for treatment and prevention too. Not just on a population scale, but on an individual one. First, the big ones on the list above - heart disease, cancer, diabetes - effect critical systems in our bodies and do so in a systemic way and on a molecular level. This means the problems are pervasive throughout the body, they get more severe over time, but they do so in very very tiny ways. Often we don't even know what is going on until a disease is fairly far along. And then, once we do know, we may or may not be able to do something about reversing or slowing the effects a disease has.<br />
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When I got my diagnosis of Type II Pre-Diabetes, I was lucky. I had time and I had options to respond. About that same time in my life, I'd recently lost loved ones - family members and friends my own age - to chronic illnesses where there were few, if any options, for treatment beyond palliative care. Knowing that, I wasn't about to sit by and ignore the chance I had to improve my health.<br />
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Sometimes we call it "fighting back." We want our loved ones with chronic illnesses like cancer to have strong resolve, to muster the will to "battle." But managing chronic illness isn't really about battling. Or, at least, it's not about going on the offensive. It's more about playing great defense and shifting your priorities to make your body function as well as it possibly can given the circumstances.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TdC 2007 at the Start</td></tr>
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And that's where, for me, riding a bike came in. <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2010/06/rx-bike.html" target="_blank">I rode a bike because I could do that to address nearly all of the risk factors I had been diagnosed as having.</a> Amazing, right? One change with lots of potential good outcomes. And for me, it worked.<br />
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But you know what also worked? Saying, out loud, in places like this blog and on Facebook and to my friends and family in person that I was riding my bike. That I was going to do an event like the Tour de Cure and ride 66 miles (the distance of the first couple I rode).<br />
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And I am not alone. I'll spare you the long version, but suffice to say that there is a lot of research in a lot of different exercise and health behavior areas done by a lot of different people for the last 30 years that show basically the same thing:<a href="http://people.oregonstate.edu/~flayb/MY%20COURSES/H671%20Advanced%20Theories%20of%20Health%20Behavior%20-%20Fall%202012/Readings/Bandura%2004%20HP%20by%20social%20cognitive%20means.pdf" target="_blank"> if you express your intent to change your behavior to be more healthy in social settings, including social media, you'll be likely to make those changes</a>.<br />
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So...why not try it? Announce it here (in the comments) or on Facebook. <a href="http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=3177101&fr_id=9383&pg=personal" target="_blank">Donate to my campaign as a way to keep both of us going (heh, no really, that works too!)</a>. And then let me know how it works for you.<br />
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One last point about chronic illnesses: nobody asks for them. In many cases, they are genetically linked and so we inherit all or some chance to have them affect us. But it is also true that what makes them tough to treat and prevent is the fact that how much they shorten or otherwise impact our lives is usually the product of not just one thing (like a bite from an infected mosquito) but maybe thousands of little decisions we make every single day. But that also means that if you start today making little decisions that go the OTHER way...towards a healthy, longer life...you are helping to solve one of the most challenging problems of our time. So, make some good choices today. And a few more tomorrow. And change your life, or some one else's, for the better. <br />
<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-91914764325667786832013-08-06T12:01:00.002-07:002013-08-06T12:33:41.985-07:00The Quantified Self, Qualified I've said on a few occasions here that the single biggest change I made when I began to get healthy was paying more attention. By that, I mean to my physical self as a whole. I started behaving as if I actually *am* a body made of flesh and bone and neurotransmitters. In my line of work, as an academic, it is surprisingly easy to go through days, weeks, months, and years doing otherwise. I call this "brain in a jar" syndrome. Over time, though, I found ways to pay attention to specific things about my physical self, specifically what I was eating, what activity I was doing, and how those things influenced my overall health and well-being in measurable ways.<br />
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I've talked about <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2013/04/hack-your-metabolism-part-i-mindful.html" target="_blank">mindful eating</a>, for instance, and how important the simple act of keeping track of what you eat each day can be. Tracking what you eat allows you to reconcile inputs with outcomes that you are trying to manage, like your blood glucose if you are controlling diabetes symptoms, or your blood pressure if you are managing cardiac risk. It can also, of course, help you adjust eating habits to meet goals related to body weight (losing, maintaining, or gaining).<br />
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Paying attention is, in itself, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21185970" target="_blank">something that seems to have positive effects on goals</a> many people share such as weight loss. My view is that paying attention is necessary, but not sufficient to be healthy. Others who posit a more direct relationship between paying attention and achieving healthy outcomes might say that the problem is one of a lack of knowledge due to insufficient information. My view is just a little different. My view is that it is a lack of *feedback* needed to determine if actions taken in the present are actually getting you somewhere. It's a subtle, but important difference.<br />
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Let's take weight gain/loss as one example. It doesn't happen quickly. That is a good thing and a bad thing when it comes to what you are eating on a given day. On the plus side, it means you can have birthday cake on your birthday. That piece of cake won't make you unhealthy, it likely won't contribute in a measurable way to your weight one way or another. If you have a piece of cake every day, well, that's another story. Unless you compensate for that in other ways, you might well see this new pattern start to produce new outcomes as time wears on.<br />
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Making changes that improve your health, especially lifestyle changes known to improve chronic disease symptoms such as high blood pressure, also may not have obvious effects very quickly. Even when you are on the straight & narrow, it is hard to know you are on the right path if there aren't any road signs. What paying attention lets you do, though, is keep track of the path. Even if you aren't seeing the destination (because it is yet over the horizon). The pattern of new behavior, itself, can begins to take shape on paper or, increasingly, on a computer screen.<br />
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<b>Flying By Instruments</b><br />
In the last several years, a range of new devices have been introduced designed to track activity, sleep, and other things. All of these can sync with computers and/or mobile phones, too, so that the data collected can be visualized and tracked with relative ease. Medical devices, too, can provide data streams. And because much of the logging work is passive, the act of paying attention to each little detail (such as how many steps one has taken) becomes easy enough to do routinely.<br />
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I've written about how I charted my eating & blood glucose levels like a mad scientist when I was first diagnosed with T2DM. That tells you how much I enjoy this sort of thing. So I've been looking forward to getting one of these tracking systems - I say system because we are really talking about one or more sensors + the log/visualization application - and seeing what it could do. I've been using one of these, <a href="http://www.fitbit.com/flex" target="_blank">a fitbit flex</a>, for a few weeks now. And last week, I undertook to save some reports so I could reflect and share them a bit here. I had some initial trouble with the first flex I received, which was frustrating. It simply wouldn't wake up and track anything. But after a couple of weeks, the company sent me a new one and it has worked fine ever since. I really like it, in fact. But this is not a product review. My aim is to show you how the information allows me to pay attention to things and, importantly, what I try *not* to obsess over amidst all the data available to me now.<br />
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Broadly speaking, my goal in using the fitbit is to monitor how well my day-to-day, often subconscious choices about what to eat, drink, and how to move through the world might influence my health-related goals. Do they bring me closer to them? Do they take me further away? Or, more subtle, do my choices take me on a garden path rather than a beeline for my most important goals? That is, are there adjustments or course corrections I can make that could add up to something better? Since the course I'm navigating is long (in this case, there is no true destination or end state other than "being healthy"), I can't see where I'm going. In some cases, the outcome itself is invisible anyway because the indicator is an internal bodily state (e.g. blood pressure in a healthy range). No visual flight rules, in other words. Before, I was flying mostly by feel. Now, I'm flying with instruments.<br />
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<b>My Week with Fitbit</b><br />
The graphs I'm sharing here are not the day-to-day visualizations from the fitbit dashboard. Those are cool, and they give you a sense of what you are doing on a given day. Those displays have altered my behavior already. I'm motivated to hit my step goal (don't ask me why...it's hard wired for some reason), so I'll work out ways to get an extra walk in. I'm also motivated to keep my calories in/out balance acceptable, even though I'm not terribly concerned about calories as a measure of what I eat. That balance is a pretty good indicator of my more general goal of "moderation." But when it comes to nutrition and its role in my overall health, I care more about the type of food those calories come from. In that regard, the chart below is very helpful for me.<br />
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<b>Food</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZo2MXWEKyL6l4S4WHfyylUDPnJIVpUBN86ijhakf8ShuiCdEWbHqxkafMwidhLRAdOt6bufsY9d9lZIhk-jD9eoM3WNJH6tAr09SYrnGYo2s2yci9z0OXMOehvruzrEKkSZnEZRr5iCH/s1600/FoodReport.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZo2MXWEKyL6l4S4WHfyylUDPnJIVpUBN86ijhakf8ShuiCdEWbHqxkafMwidhLRAdOt6bufsY9d9lZIhk-jD9eoM3WNJH6tAr09SYrnGYo2s2yci9z0OXMOehvruzrEKkSZnEZRr5iCH/s400/FoodReport.tiff" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Where did my calories come from?</span></b></td></tr>
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With a weeks' worth of meals as input, this chart shows me that I'm achieving the balance I hope to with regard to carbohydrates, fat, and protein as components of my diet. I also see that I generally use more calories than I take in on a given day, but that this difference is not so extreme that I would see changes in my weight beyond a pound or so. My numbers for carbs and fats are low and high, respectively, the report notes. That's ok for me, though, since I'm doing diabetes. My fats tend to be the healthier ones too (Omega 6 & 3, which this report doesn't show). <br />
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The data to build the chart above comes from self-reporting via the fitbit dashboard food log, not the sensor I wear on my wrist. Maybe one day soon, I'll have an implant that allows for passive collection of nutrition data, but not yet (hey, a geek can dream, no?). So let's have a look at how I used up calories last week using data the sensor does collect.<br />
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<b>Activity </b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvff8O-8-zpNIc38NfYdMffB_b70NBIHgFfAkdfA5Nnfi6pq4RJvq_I4XzgC4uZiBaFwOXA7_Ch2m-km5MX92YgDQPBtrGGAPdyr6EcQa1l8jkBAJi4C_d7Elo5xOPDpf6obVcKTVAfOJ/s1600/activity.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvff8O-8-zpNIc38NfYdMffB_b70NBIHgFfAkdfA5Nnfi6pq4RJvq_I4XzgC4uZiBaFwOXA7_Ch2m-km5MX92YgDQPBtrGGAPdyr6EcQa1l8jkBAJi4C_d7Elo5xOPDpf6obVcKTVAfOJ/s400/activity.tiff" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Overall Activity Compared to My Gender/Age Group (U.S.)</span></b></td></tr>
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I know that <i>some</i> of my friends and family think I'm some sort of crazed exercise freak. Probably due to <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2013/05/and-i-would-ride-100-miles-and-i-would.html" target="_blank">all those 100 mile bike rides</a>. But really, in an average, week, I'm not spending hours and hours exercising. Last week was pretty typical. And it puts me on the high side of the curve for my age and gender demographic...but not way, way out there in terms of overall activity (measured by calories burned). What is more interesting is how I achieve that. I don't have a job that has me moving very much. In fact, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html?_r=0" target="_blank">my line of work may well pose the single biggest threat to my health these days</a> given that I manage everything else pretty carefully. <br />
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My point is that I have to get to an "active" lifestyle by being very conscious about moving during a given day. I have to make time for it and make it a deliberate part of my routine. Sometimes this involves making small changes in my habits like parking farther away from a building rather than closer. It also means I need to plan for some "very active minutes" to offset my hours of butt-in-seat time at work. And fitbit helps me track those very active minutes too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bFvHl5_nTitAxTI0EfwSo62e03B9kpL4kIVWPHvdjF5o42F1PkaijfJ9kAUaNFcPLd3Z84f1rCwOUxP3vEVPG_NTsN3KyprqsqGVZw7DoeYiFKrqL_fbKGpTkgNXvJ8wzE3lvHvgq5g6/s1600/VAM.tiff" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bFvHl5_nTitAxTI0EfwSo62e03B9kpL4kIVWPHvdjF5o42F1PkaijfJ9kAUaNFcPLd3Z84f1rCwOUxP3vEVPG_NTsN3KyprqsqGVZw7DoeYiFKrqL_fbKGpTkgNXvJ8wzE3lvHvgq5g6/s400/VAM.tiff" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My Very Active Minutes Compared w. U.S. Population</span></b></td></tr>
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Ah...now we see a big difference. I averaged 78 very active minutes per day during my week, which puts me way out on the long tail (so far, you can't see my little green line very well in the graph on the right). A couple of things are also worth noting. This reflects not only my walking, but also my planned exercise, which included two runs and two bike rides. This is a pretty normal number of exercise sessions per week (four) but is a slightly higher amount of overall minutes because it is summertime. I am not training or preparing for any events, though, so this is about as baseline as we can get. A good overall picture of how I try to stay active in a job that doesn't involve much movement.<br />
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<b>Sleep</b><br />
Something new to pay attention to, for me, is sleep. The Flex tracks sleep patterns, including how long it takes me to fall asleep and how many times I am awake and/or restless overnight. It uses those to compute a sleep efficiency score, which I really had no reference for prior to seeing the results on my dashboard. I have always been - knock wood here - a good sleeper. I can fall asleep easily and wake up easily. I sleep soundly, rarely get up during the night, and can sleep in all kinds of different conditions (hot, cold, noisy, bright, etc.). No complaints. And I don't take this for granted. Sleep is awesome. Thank you, sleep.<br />
<b> </b><br />
With the data I can see, I am somewhat validated in my sleep identity. I'll spare you the charts, as they are kind of boring, but I'll say that I sleep about as much as others my age and gender (about 7hrs per night last week, on average) and that's in the recommended range. I sleep a little more soundly than most (with 96% efficiency, meaning that I don't wake up often once I nod off) and I go to sleep quickly compared to most (within 7 minutes, on average).<br />
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<b>Result: Steady as (s)He Goes</b><br />
So what's the point of all of this? It's a happy and relatively straightforward one for me, at this point: my actions are in line with my goals. I'm doing what I hope to be doing, for the most part. And I'm doing it consistently. I'm not trying to lose or gain weight in significant quantities, and I'm not likely to based on my activity last week. I'm looking to stay active through the day even when I'm spending lots of hours sitting. My active minutes are good, but my overall activity shows that I have to remain vigilant given that my workday makes it all too easy to be sedentary.<br />
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All of this gives me confidence, via the feedback loop established here, that my choices are good ones. If I keep making similar choices, I'll likely see the results I want to see. This, to me, is <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/magazine/02self-measurement-t.html?pagewanted=all" target="_blank">the real benefit of the "quantified self" technology craze</a>. It is not something to be found in the volume of information itself. It is the confidence that comes from seeing evidence that your actions are aligned with your goals. That's a qualitative thing from all this quantitative data. <br />
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<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-57930512405981697202013-06-22T07:27:00.002-07:002013-06-22T07:30:18.391-07:00Ride Report: 2013 Tour de Cure Michigan<a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/9108651782_fa32196a67_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5462/9108651782_fa32196a67_z.jpg" width="240" /></a>It only took me a week to find the upside of <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2013/06/ride-report-2013-ride2cw-on-great.html" target="_blank">riding for 12.5 hours, on a soggy trail, in the rain, uphill on the Great Allegheny Passage</a>. Doing so makes riding 100 miles on perfectly lovely paved roads, in perfectly dry and reasonably cool weather, seem downright easy. That was my day on Saturday 6/15 at the <a href="http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?fr_id=8642&pg=entry" target="_blank">Brighton, MI Tour de Cure Ride</a>. <br />
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I rolled out with a lead group of about 20 and we would mostly stay together through most of the first 50 miles, with a little leapfrogging due to folks choosing to stop, or not, at the various rest stops. The TdC folks do a great job supporting this ride, and there are stops every 15 miles or so. I hit stops 2, 4, 6, and 7, and cruised through the others on the route <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/us/brighton-mi/final-100-mile-route-michigan-tour-de-cu-route-80982439" target="_blank">which loops through parts of two MI state recreation areas: Pinckney & Waterloo</a>.<br />
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The stats: I finished the ride in 5 hours, 40 minutes including all the stops. Rolling time was about 5:20 or so. I rode with my HRM and generally tried to go no higher than my zone 3 threshold of about 167 BPM until the last 21 miles when I gave myself permission to go as hard as I wanted to on the climbs back up from Hell to Brighton. I've done this course enough to know that this is the time when all the weekend warriors not used to going long would be loaded up with lactate and struggling home. I had been there in years past, because it is so easy to overcook the first 40 since it is mostly downhill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZm8WGWBMaWSw1_Ada4ASjXd-vvUD-GTRnS5mTYgpaR2jyuCDTNb74NO_78CwDxGOm-9hmcFOSXoazKJkjk_p_6dQvurPAjLSzvYEOQMvkkTtHyv1XcRNWm6a1Mbqx6ME7WQGK5YnsW_l/s1600/hell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bill at Hell's Handbasket" border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKZm8WGWBMaWSw1_Ada4ASjXd-vvUD-GTRnS5mTYgpaR2jyuCDTNb74NO_78CwDxGOm-9hmcFOSXoazKJkjk_p_6dQvurPAjLSzvYEOQMvkkTtHyv1XcRNWm6a1Mbqx6ME7WQGK5YnsW_l/s200/hell.jpg" title="Bill in Hell" width="200" /></a></div>
All day, I rode well within myself in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Leipheimer" target="_blank">Leipheimer</a>-like effort. Then, after the last fuel & water stop at mile 79 in Hell's Handbasket where I got a fellow rider to snap a quick photo, I took off up the climb like a bat out of Hell.<br />
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I passed most of the folks I'd been riding with all day and soloed home for the most part. I offered my wheel a few times but everybody was waving me on. I felt like my energy-saving plan worked well. I had done a 5:20 century and enjoyed every turn of the pedals. Even what I like to call the "tough 20" between miles 60-80 that tends to be the most mentally taxing part of a 100 mile exploit seemed to fly by. I wasn't racing, and I could have likely gone a little faster (I'm sure I could do a sub-5 century alone now and, if I had a group to work with in an organized way, could likely do a lot better than that). But it was a great day on the bike all in all. And I was back in Brighton by lunchtime.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63WHd6B3_JTFKWS5jE6Dad7QfVB2UyF956nWqqoxdpBhiUZWApNRlRNr3g8g103cEti0On0xmFc_ZIQwNx_EtQMXL0aIq58d67C1llj8_Y00JxZonLla4LvoVpvX8X6TQABFAnoHB2PxM/s1600/fundraisingprogress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh63WHd6B3_JTFKWS5jE6Dad7QfVB2UyF956nWqqoxdpBhiUZWApNRlRNr3g8g103cEti0On0xmFc_ZIQwNx_EtQMXL0aIq58d67C1llj8_Y00JxZonLla4LvoVpvX8X6TQABFAnoHB2PxM/s400/fundraisingprogress.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Most importantly, though, this ride is all about raising funds for the American Diabetes Association. I beat the drum on social media, and my wonderful, generous, and dedicated friends, family, and colleagues respond every year! This year, we once again produced a top-ten effort in terms of individual fundraising campaigns for the Michigan TdC. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!<br />
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I continue to be inspired and energized by all of your support. Thanks to you all! We'll see you next year for this event, for sure.<br />
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And...stay tuned, because the <a href="http://billhdmarathon.blogspot.com/2013/05/and-i-would-ride-100-miles-and-i-would.html" target="_blank">June of Centuries</a> continues with one more amazing ride coming up: the <a href="http://allegrina100.com/" target="_blank">Allegrina 100! </a><br />
<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9084278009733905263.post-90122783831293423052013-06-12T18:08:00.001-07:002013-06-12T18:26:17.180-07:00Ride Report: 2013 Ride2CW on the Great Allegheny PassageOn Thursday, June 6, I spent twelve and a half hours in the saddle riding the <a href="http://www.atatrail.org/index.cfm" target="_blank">Great Allegheny Passage</a> from Pittsburgh, PA to Frostburg, MD. Twelve. And a half. Hours. It was 125 miles. It was hard. It was wet. It was rainy and windy. And it was, uh, uphill. <br />
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Here's what I'm talking about:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVLz_PKqCCadqaxMeyn7NqDEYMqG6l7AyGNB5lkWuUiVaeqjicF2XX3cxeYiyQJGsIubdqd7sl9ftdyAnDjN6gtnkvMFhyphenhyphenPMR2HTAqzkFN8yhCoVxi-_9aUxmN6YT4zv9LOc3pQPcdeuL/s1600/elevation.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVLz_PKqCCadqaxMeyn7NqDEYMqG6l7AyGNB5lkWuUiVaeqjicF2XX3cxeYiyQJGsIubdqd7sl9ftdyAnDjN6gtnkvMFhyphenhyphenPMR2HTAqzkFN8yhCoVxi-_9aUxmN6YT4zv9LOc3pQPcdeuL/s400/elevation.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.atatrail.org/tmi/elevation.cfm">http://www.atatrail.org/tmi/elevation.cfm</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctX7jX1BFDW1bxupsddtCQK90z-YI99PNPSxtfZCIaw8coffR-GK5nWmix_ZOzX1cVT2L2j-k6zSlWlgK2W8NgMgqHIbJy6NZppuEzCnBG_TFD88a1A5_JS41lc3WgeEEgwXUhBv-VHGc/s1600/ECD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctX7jX1BFDW1bxupsddtCQK90z-YI99PNPSxtfZCIaw8coffR-GK5nWmix_ZOzX1cVT2L2j-k6zSlWlgK2W8NgMgqHIbJy6NZppuEzCnBG_TFD88a1A5_JS41lc3WgeEEgwXUhBv-VHGc/s200/ECD.jpg" width="149" /></a>See Pittsburgh there on the left? and see Frostburg 119 miles from there, near the peak of that big pointy bit? The tippy top of that pointy bit is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Continental_Divide" target="_blank">Eastern Continental Divide</a>, marking the point where rivers West of the divide drain into the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River and various tributaries, while rivers East of the divide drain into the Atlantic Ocean.<br />
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That was a great moment, riding through that tunnel. After spending all day riding uphill, it meant I could go downhill for the first time. I nearly shed a tear. Shortly after that, I crossed the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason-Dixon_Line" target="_blank">Mason-Dixon</a> line into Maryland. <br />
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I did not imagine this ride would take me quite this long. But the wet conditions made this a much tougher ride in the second 2/3 or so of the trip. The trail itself is crushed stone and is quite well-maintained. Apart from a stretch in Homestead, PA and a few small sections here and there, there's not much pavement. And when stone dust gets saturated, well, its' slow going.<br />
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I made great time in the <a href="http://www.atatrail.org/tmi/maps.cfm" target="_blank">first 40 miles or so to Connelsville</a>, averaging a little over 18mph. But as the track got slower, I also got a bit more tired. The elevation was not epic - there are no steep sections at all except for a bridge or two - but combined with a mushy trail it means that there is no end to the pedaling. Ever. Must pedal.<br />
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As with all epic rides (you can't plan an epic ride, they just have to happen to you), I learned a lot. Here are a few things I'd pass along:<br />
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1. Everybody else I saw was riding the GAP trail the *other* way. See elevation chart for details. Getting the climb out of Cumberland, MD out of the way early in the ride, I can imagine it would be a pretty nice trip down to Pittsburgh. If you can arrange that, give it a thought.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.cometoohiopyle.com/" target="_blank">Ohiopyle State Park in PA</a> is amazing. Hands down, the most scenic part of the trip. If you want a picture for your mind's eye, this is the area where Frank Lloyd Wright's famous house <a href="http://www.cometoohiopyle.com/area/fallingwater.html" target="_blank">Fallingwater</a> is located. The bike trail goes through the cliffs all along the Yough river(s), Upper and Lower. Fantastic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMZXI_bZwZp_X26htLuzl6BqLNNatRNPm2nXLMbrY2jrlHE89199uTzCuXl6_RNUP-FHI_KfS6QC3YHmpd1u9iS5_e-ylQT2DlS1mELrp8D16RPEDpMOm8OVmbwd8YShKQm5bBwdhIz5H/s1600/947071_10103461685481364_1238384463_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMZXI_bZwZp_X26htLuzl6BqLNNatRNPm2nXLMbrY2jrlHE89199uTzCuXl6_RNUP-FHI_KfS6QC3YHmpd1u9iS5_e-ylQT2DlS1mELrp8D16RPEDpMOm8OVmbwd8YShKQm5bBwdhIz5H/s400/947071_10103461685481364_1238384463_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Mike Mcleod @mcleodm3</td></tr>
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3. Trail miles are not the same as road miles. I knew this in the abstract, of course, which is why I brought my 'cross bike. But this trip brought it home. In dry conditions, I think this ride is feasible in 8-9 hours counting stops to fill bottles, etc. It would help to have someone to ride with too. I did it alone. Though I had a friend up the road who I was hoping to meet up with (he did an out and back from Frostburg) we never quite made the connection. <br />
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4. The Homestead trailhead area is a fine place to overnight. It is suburban, near a big mall complex, with several hotels nearby. I got dropped off here and rode to the trailhead the next morning to start. After a long day in the saddle, I was very much looking forward to a shower and a bed. In Frostburg, mine were waiting for me in a dorm at <a href="http://www.frostburg.edu/" target="_blank">Frostburg State University</a>. Not quite the Holiday Inn Express. But the rooms there are available to riders who need a place to stay.<br />
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5. A few of the towns really cater nicely to riders on the trail. West Newton, Connellsville, Ohiopyle (the town), and Meyersdale all have nice stopping places where you can fill bottles, grab food, and rest near the trail. Because this is a converted rail trail, these town had stations that are now converted to trail visitors centers and most seemed to be staffed during working hours (9-4).<br />
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6. When you ride with an extra 20ish pounds of gear on your back in a backpack, a corresponding pressure is applied to the sit bones, altering ever so slightly but in a manner that is culumulatively consequential the otherwise well-seasoned touch points on one's saddle area. For the first time in years, my backside was sore during a ride. That started about halfway in. No lasting damage, but man was I glad to get out of that backpack. I don't have panniers, but I'd recommend them to anyone doing this trip.<br />
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All in all, it was a ride I'm happy to have done. It was for a great cause...<a href="http://www.ride2cw.org/" target="_blank">we raised over $3000 for the Ride2CW supporting graduate students and fixed-term faculty grants</a>. Apart from the weather, it was fantastic. The route was great. Kudos and thanks to the folks in Pennsylvania and Maryland (the GAP trail goes to Cumberland, but picks up another and continues all the way to D.C.) for this fantastic resource!<br />
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<br />Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11868810068966430711noreply@blogger.com0