January 2011 Archives

Wed: Rest. Yeah, rest!

1/24/11: Rest

1/25/11: I thought it'd be fun to see how fast I could go from REI, around Cherry Creek and back, time trial mode. My road bike is out of commission with a broken shifter and my touring bike is too slow to really make this any fun, so I just used my brakeless fixed gear.

I wasn't expecting much, especially with the long ride on Sunday, but maybe I could get a baseline to work with and see if I'm progressing at speed, or whatever. It's a relatively flat route, but there are some tiny hills, that will sap my time.

Managed to do it in 1hr 42min - cripes! From where I started, it's around 33.4 miles (so says Google Maps), which gives me a average speed of 19.6 mph. Heh, that included a small pee break, someone attempting to race me  on the trail and me throwing up, just slightly

Did a nice 100+ mile bike ride, down the cherry creek bike path, West on E-470 trail to Deer Creek Canyon, up High Grade Road and to HW 73 through Evergreen and then took the turn to Morrison and back home via Jewel until it hits up the Platte River bike path and then home. Basically, my ride from last Sunday, with Highgrade added in there. Perhaps next week, I'll get up 1 1/2 earlier and add yet another spoke to it, until I'm all the way around in Brighton, before heading back.

With copious stops for food, it took 8 1/2 hours, probably because of the hard climb (well, I think it's hard) up and because my touring bike is slow.

12/20/10

Weigh in @ 183 lbs

Bike Ride @ moderate pace around Cherry Creek Res and back ~ 35 miles? (I forgot to check the computer)

Should have been less moderate, but turned more moderate as it was slightly windy and I just *had* to catch up to some actual Cat 3-ish bike racers, who seemed to be on a recovery ride from this weekend's cyclocross stuff. My pace seemed slower than usual, not sure why.

Gym, right afterward for:

* ~10 mins of static stretching
* 3 x 1 minute of a sitting position on a wall - sort of like the ending of a squat, but you don't move. (physical therapy told me to do these)
* 3 x 15 per leg of inner thigh raises (another pt thing)

Both of these are to strengthen hip flexors, so I don't re-injure myself

Onward! To the weight room, for:

* ~3 x 8 @ 65lbs (yes, 65) Overhead squats.
* 5 x 10 @ 90lbs deadlifts
* 5 x 10 planch-style pushups (hands are more near your chest, than in front of your shoulders) - to work towards *doing* a planch (very very far off)
* 5 x 5 @bodyweight pullups, w/kipping pullups at the end (not many)

And, that's it. All these exercises are to complement the riding and I was tuckered enough *from* riding that doing super-intense weight lifting is ridiculous. Most of these exercises are to work my core, for proper form, injury-prevention and to help stop my fatigue affecting other things, like breathing. The idea is, if you have a strong core, you have an easier time breathing, since you're in the right position. If your core gets tired, larger muscles are used to help. They'll get tired and still larger muscles will come in and compensate, until your quads are keeping your chest up. You'll see this in cycling, when someone is wiggling their entire upper body, when riding. This is usually when an opponent makes an attack.

I doubt I'll do any exercises soon that will isolate any muscle specifically, the idea is to have everything support my core (since, if my core goes, my legs go), or are sport-specific stuff for my legs. This will be moderate strength, power and explosive work - people say that endurance athlete's (I use that term losely on myself) benefit from moderate... uh, those.

Other than mixing it up, I'm going to attempt to limit strength training to 20-30 minutes/day on gym days (this means, I'm lifting for that amount - strength training is a lot of standing around, that isn't to be counted). Bike riding will be of paramount importance, but will be supplemented with other things, so I don't bore myself to death - and, uh, it will? snow? sometime? Things like running, hiking, snowshoeing - and perhaps even mountaineering, cross country skiing and snowboarding will enter the picture. Anything that burns a lot of calories and keeps me aerobic.
ization, based on when the goal needs to be met.

12/21/11 - Rest!
 
12/22/11

I got up at the reasonable time of 8:00am and caught the BX bus to Boulder w/a few Spidermen to go to the Spot Bouldering Gym. I have not sport climbed - or even bouldered in over 11 years. I thought it would be a nice diversion - and perhaps help me with developing a nice, lean upper body with a good grip. I hope the grip helps with keeping a grip on a handlebar for untold hours, while my hands go through the hell that is a gravel path. I've heard stories of people feeling numbness for months after this race. Do not want. And, I get some friend time in, which is good.

A humble experience in itself. Who I used to be 11 years ago, I am not now. My brain attempted to tell my body what to do, when it did remember what it is it was now supposed to do and performed exactly how I thought: not so well, but willing to put in some effort to try again. When I was 17, I was climbing 5.11c/d. I don't think I'll ever get up that high, unless I specifically train for some crazy alpine adventure, but if in a year I can eek out a 5.10, I'd be pretty crazy stoked. But in priorities, it's not really anywhere.

After a few hours of that, I hopped next door just to check out the velodrome in town. Terrifying. The angles in the corners are something like 33 degrees, on a 133 meter track. Yikes. BUT, for 30 bucks, they'll give you a, "how to ride this thing" tour, complete with bike rental.

Sunday's at 2:00pm.

Sounds like a fun diversion.

After that, there's clinics, slowly, they'll teach you not to die. If a track bike somehow falls into my hands - which, oddly, isn't so strange of an idea, considering their popularity, I may try some of the clinics, for fun.

At around 1:00 pm, I rocketed back to Denver on my road bike, keeping a fairly quick pace. Made it from 33rd and Walnut in Boulder to 6th and Washington in Denver in around 2hr, 30 min for 35 miles - if you count all the stops I took for lights and my route of, "wonder where this takes me...", that ain't bad.

My route was basically South Boulder Road West to McCalsin, Left on the Big Hill and Right, into Simms. DON'T take McCalsin/Indiana any more South, as it's sort of a busy road for bikes. Simms is much quieter.

Take that to the Simms Res. and ride the dirt road for a while, which is a fun diversion. Take off on a random finger trail out and take a random bike path to 88th. Take 88th until it doesn't go any further and go across I-36 on a weird pedestrian bridge. Wave to the 'bent guy and keep West abouts going that way till Broadway. Take that to Globeville and make it to 6th/Wash via Downing.

Or something like that.

12/27/11

Road to Red Rocks at a Pretty Good Pace, and locked up my bike at the South Entrance. Took the bike path all the way there. Because, the bike path is on a green way and dotting the green way are playscapes for kiddos and random pullup bars. I stopped at each one and did a set of pullups and pushups. The distance between these stations was between a few minutes and few hours.

The idea is that your haulin' on your bicycle, with your blood pumping in your legs and then you stop really quick and attempt to do something with your arms - and then, as fast as possible, you go back to riding a bike. Just messin' with your body ;)

Locked my bike up and took off my bike shoes and put on my trail shoes and summited Mt. Morrison, elevation 7881 ft (starting elevation around 5764? ft) at a good clip. I went off trail a bit to scramble up some of the south face. It's pretty loose rock, not recommended.

Beautiful view of the front range from the top, random rubble from the old cog railroad and a helipad. Lots of snow in the west - but it all starts at 10,000 ft.

Road back home via Lakewood and did one more pullup/pushup set near REI.

Total mileage was around 50 miles, hike was around 2.5 miles, 5 sets of 5 pullups, 5 sets of 15 pushups.

1/29/11

Weigh in @ 183lbs

Yesterday I didn't do anything, uh, "official", except errands on the bike, as I had a leaky sink Thing, that needed to be repaired. Rarely do I take a day off the bike, as I have no other way to move around.

Today, I went to the gym and then road a little while.

Gym consisted of:

20 minute warmup on the rowing machine,

5 sets of, "Wall Balls", w/ a 12 lb. ball

20 seconds of this, 10 seconds of rest ala, "tabata" style.

That made me feel as if I wanted to die, so I did a similar workout for dips (assisted) 5 sets, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off

As well as some weird mutation I made up, using 30 seconds of jump rope followed by a set of 10 planche-style pushups. (around 5 sets - fairly dead by the 5th)

Also did 5 sets of 5-8 overhead squats

and attempted to do 5 sets of 5 pullups, but my pullups just weren't around today

Ended it with 20 more minutes of rowing

And then got on the bike for a little more than an hour North, to ~75th, to my storage facility to grab my old climbing shoes.

They're 15 years old, but look usable, still. Amazingly, even at night, after working out and after riding my bike, I can still slip my feet into them. Somewhat awesome.


I am now extremely tired and sore (back especially)

1/1/11

2 hours on the trainer.

Mileage, just on my road bike was 5,225km since around June, when I got a computer and my knee was OK. This does not count trips on my touring bike (a few small trips, notably to/from Rocky Mountain National Part, Denver-CO Springs-Denver and Denver to Summit County via the Argentine Pass) or my around-town bike (errands, etc). Probably the least I've ridden my bike in three years.

My goal by the start of next June is ~8,000 km.

And I'm not kidding.

1/4/11

Tomorrow, the streets should be clear enough to not be suicidal. If I use the right routes...

Today, Gym!
20 minutes bike Thing
20 minutes rowing Thing

Then, plyometrics:
Wall Ball - 15lbs 5 sets, 20 seconds, 10 second rest
Froggies 5 sets of around 10+-ish

Some pullups - 5 x 5, w/a few half-hearted kipping-style ones thrown in.

Back to plyos -
burpees w/an added pushup and jump roping, 5 sets:
30 seconds of jump rope and then right into 5 burpees + pushup, no break to the next set.

20 minutes rowing Thing
20 minutes bike Thing

Other than the (ahem) 1hr 20 of aerobic stuff, it was only 40 minutes doing everything else, but it packed a wallup. Passed out for 3 hours after I got home (and ate).

This also has to do with the fact that I was up until 5:00am watching The Mysterious Cities of Gold:

http://www.metafilter.com/99147/Searching-for-the-Mysterious-Cities-of-Gold

It's still... OK - but the intro is like 2 minutes and the preview of the next episode gives major plot changes away. For example: in Episode three, you learn in ep. 4 that the ship they're sailing on breaks up in a storm and they're attacked by sharks. What? Show the storm and let me find out about the sharks, later. I remember, as a kid, I saw maybe 10 episodes of this show, all out of order, but the preview would have you wanting the next episode SO BAD. Now, with the interwebs, I can see them all, and I don't want to know. Ugh.

Maybe I can find the French version, since this *is* a kid's show.

Edit: here it is:
http://www.veoh.com/collection/lesmysterieusesciteesdor/watch/v12486991h6FEyHBQ

1/9/11

Couple days of riding the trainer, while watching movies, around 2 hours each time. I can now ride it without hands and without hands + one footed. I *am* going to attempt to get the unicycle on that thing, soon enough.

As moronically as cycling around on a 3 rolling pins sounds, it does give you some time to try and get a good fluid pedal stroke. Lucky for me, I'm not really interested in sprinting exercises - just being on the Thing for a little while, instead of... not - is good. Being able to link up multiple days on the bike together is my goal, I guess. If I can do 6 days of biking at a good distance - and have one of those days be a Long day (weather permitting), I'd be a pretty happy camper. If that means some of those days are on the training (b/c of weather or b/c I'm horrible at scheduling) than so be it.

TODAY, I got up extra early, and at 4:00 set off into the snow w/a fixed gear bike, w/no brakes and worn down cyclocross tires to, "brave" the weather. I made it all the way to Cherry Creek Reservoir (and around) and back, falling only a dozen or so times - almost exclusively, because I would get off of the path and then attempt to get back on it. My wheel would hit the edge of the path (which is covered in snow) and a miraculous slide of Death would ensue. I'm OK. Sobering to pass the shelters on Lawrence, tonight.

Feel good though. Dare I say: strong. OK, a little achey. LOVE me some snow biking. If I get up early enough tomorrow, I'm going out, again.

I know it sounds a little wacky to be riding in this sort of weather, but I look at the 2 facts that I have in front of me: I have to ride 2700 miles and do it in less than 30 days. And as an extra fact(...s) - 85% of it's off road, with 200,000 feet of vertical gain. Longer than the Tour de France, people do it in less time. Without a support crew. OK - it's all a little wacky.

1/11/11

I rode to Red Rocks and back via the bike path. It's like... 50 miles roundtrip? A little slow going in the snow ~5 1/2 hours to do it.

 

"A venturesome minority will always be eager to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches - that is the right and privilege of any free American."

These few paragraphs comprise my personal Letter Of Intent in racing the Tour Divide:

I would like to be counted as one that will be lined up at the start of the Tour Divide in Banff, Alberta, Canada on June 10th, 2011. I will take little - but enough equipment, including a simple bicycle, with the goal of finishing in Antelope Wells, New Mexico a few weeks thereafter. I will travel swiftly, confidently, conscientiously and with self-examination.

My heart is strong. I have wandered around a few corners of this small world, collecting longer rides, more technical terrain, higher peaks and passes, in more desolate circumstances, with worse trail conditions in questionable - very questionable weather. All are more than I'm expecting from the Tour Divide.

But, these accolades are worth little toward racing the 2700+ miles, 200,000+ feet of elevation gain of the Tour Divide. My daydreams of racing this route is similar to any day sailor familiar with the tricky inlets and channels of Long Island Sound off of New England, but who dreams on a slow tack, or during a most particularly impressive sunset, of racing solo across the Atlantic in a 6.5 meter sailboat. I live a few dozen miles from the Great Divide itself, but a few dozen miles is a world away from my own safe mooring of concrete buildings and the Cartesian street grid of Denver.

I accept the dangers and unknowns. I would not take this challenge as a fool's romp. But, I also wouldn't accept Adventure if there was none to be had! The world is a dangerous place. Racing the route, instead of merely and merrily "touring" the route will only serve as another self-test to overcome towards... who knows? This will be a quest of the spirit, another small step toward my own enlightenment, a performance of art in the noblest of sense: to draw one, long, single, simple line through incredible terrain, with a simple bicycle.

Whatever I find at the end, in the desert, will most likely be something I have always embodied, but what must be so oblivious to myself, of such familiarity. My guess is that I will feel much smaller than I do, now: I will be racing solo, but it won't be possible, unless I earn the help, trust and selflessness of many people, most whom I probably will never meet and whom I won't be able to thank. Before I start the Tour Divide, my hope is to cast away some of the weight that makes my own self so heavy - so that gravity itself has little pull on my Machine and I, as I fly up barren mountain passes and dash down lush valleys.

Justin Simoni
The Artist
Denver, CO, USA
http://tourdivide.justinsimoni.com