I am having a very hard time following the Alyn Ride website (www.alynride.org). In general, it's very user unfriendly and difficult to navigate but, in one particular area, I'm totally lost.
The Tuesday route has an option that looks like it adds about 20+ kilometers to the day but I am at a loss to understand what the option is. Is it going down and up Maale Akrabim? The elevation chart does not include the extra miles and the aggregate elevation numbers seem low for a day in which we climb out of the Machtesh Gadol (The Big Crater) and climb Maale Akrabim. I suspect that the elevation chart does not include the descent down, or climb up, Maale Akrabim (leading me to believe that that is the option).
Anyone have a clue what the cumulative accent is for Maale Akrabim and whether it is reflected on the chart?
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Neck Pain
I rode out to Point Lookout again on Friday morning, once again driven by time constraints to hammer the entire ride. And, so I did. Friday was one of those relatively rare mornings when I had the tailwind on my way back from Point Lookout (going east to west). So, after pushing all the way out, I flew home, in excess of 21 mph most of the way.
Unfortunately, my neck started to tighten up over the weekend. This has never happened to me before and I can't really explain why it suddenly happened. Thankfully, one of my iron-handed friends kneaded out the knots with a quick and painful massage.
On Sunday I did 45 more miles on the North Shore, concentrating on climbing as much as I could. I did one and a half repetitions of Feeks Lane, one and a half reps of Duck Pond Lane and two climbs up Mill Hill Road, a short but intense climb whose top gradient is about 15%.
Of course, my neck started to kill again and I did some Advil to relieve the pain. I think I need to take the bike for a fitting; this shouldn't be happening.
On the weight front, after stuffing myself with Oreos, Milanos, peanut butter and jelly bagels and all sorts of other goodies (as well as the more wholesome fare served by my better half), I managed to gain the princely sum of one pound. So I am now slightly more than 120. It's a start but I don't know how I am going to keep this eating pace up.
Unfortunately, my neck started to tighten up over the weekend. This has never happened to me before and I can't really explain why it suddenly happened. Thankfully, one of my iron-handed friends kneaded out the knots with a quick and painful massage.
On Sunday I did 45 more miles on the North Shore, concentrating on climbing as much as I could. I did one and a half repetitions of Feeks Lane, one and a half reps of Duck Pond Lane and two climbs up Mill Hill Road, a short but intense climb whose top gradient is about 15%.
Of course, my neck started to kill again and I did some Advil to relieve the pain. I think I need to take the bike for a fitting; this shouldn't be happening.
On the weight front, after stuffing myself with Oreos, Milanos, peanut butter and jelly bagels and all sorts of other goodies (as well as the more wholesome fare served by my better half), I managed to gain the princely sum of one pound. So I am now slightly more than 120. It's a start but I don't know how I am going to keep this eating pace up.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
A High Class Problem
As I've been describing, my weight has gone steadily down since April, when I started training hard. Even then, it was significantly down from my norm of about 132, which I maintained for at least ten years until I had surgery last year.
Prior to April, I seemed to stabilize at 125. At the doctor's office on Tuesday, it was 119.
My doctor, alarmed, examined me and asked me a bunch of questions. He took a bunch of blood and I will get the results tomorrow. It could be a hyper-active thyroid but my doctor doesn't think it's anything. He just thinks I'm not eating enough relative to the number of calories I'm burning.
He instructed me, in no uncertain terms, to gain weight. He said I would never be able to complete the Alyn Ride at my current weight (and I totally agree). He told me to eat a pint of ice cream every day. Have a couple of scoops of peanut butter. You get the picture.
Ever since, I have been eating or snacking virtually all day. The first thing I did was buy a box of Oreos. Then I had a hamburger and fries for lunch and ate both sides of the bun. Bag of potato chips for afternoon snack. Can of Coke.
It isn't easy but I'm just following doctor's orders.
Prior to April, I seemed to stabilize at 125. At the doctor's office on Tuesday, it was 119.
My doctor, alarmed, examined me and asked me a bunch of questions. He took a bunch of blood and I will get the results tomorrow. It could be a hyper-active thyroid but my doctor doesn't think it's anything. He just thinks I'm not eating enough relative to the number of calories I'm burning.
He instructed me, in no uncertain terms, to gain weight. He said I would never be able to complete the Alyn Ride at my current weight (and I totally agree). He told me to eat a pint of ice cream every day. Have a couple of scoops of peanut butter. You get the picture.
Ever since, I have been eating or snacking virtually all day. The first thing I did was buy a box of Oreos. Then I had a hamburger and fries for lunch and ate both sides of the bun. Bag of potato chips for afternoon snack. Can of Coke.
It isn't easy but I'm just following doctor's orders.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
On Being Small
I always tell my kids, when they complain about being diminutive, that, at certain times, like when they fly overseas in coach, they will realize how fortunate they are. Plenty of leg room for them.
Every once in a while, I also take advantage of being small, even when it comes to securing biking stuff.
I wear bib shorts when I ride. For many reasons, I find them much more comfortable than regular shorts. I prefer to purchase very good shorts but don't really feel like spending a fortune (I am intrigued by what Assos shorts must feel like but am not about to plunk down $330 for one pair of shorts).
Luckily, over the past several years, I've been able to pick up De Marchi shorts, which can retail between $179 and $225 per pair, for a small fraction of that cost. (Hat tip to Psycle Steve who first turned me on to them).
The only reason I've been able to do that is because I can fit into the smallest size which is usually the only size they put on sale.
And, just in time, when my old shorts are starting to frey, Nashbar put them on sale today for 72% off their regular retail price. Instead of paying $179, I only paid $50 per pair.
So, next time someone calls me "Tiny", I will ask them how much they had to pay for decent bib shorts!
Every once in a while, I also take advantage of being small, even when it comes to securing biking stuff.
I wear bib shorts when I ride. For many reasons, I find them much more comfortable than regular shorts. I prefer to purchase very good shorts but don't really feel like spending a fortune (I am intrigued by what Assos shorts must feel like but am not about to plunk down $330 for one pair of shorts).
Luckily, over the past several years, I've been able to pick up De Marchi shorts, which can retail between $179 and $225 per pair, for a small fraction of that cost. (Hat tip to Psycle Steve who first turned me on to them).
The only reason I've been able to do that is because I can fit into the smallest size which is usually the only size they put on sale.
And, just in time, when my old shorts are starting to frey, Nashbar put them on sale today for 72% off their regular retail price. Instead of paying $179, I only paid $50 per pair.
So, next time someone calls me "Tiny", I will ask them how much they had to pay for decent bib shorts!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Pounding Away
I have been putting some decent miles in lately and doing as much climbing as possible (within my current constraints). I also had a chance to ride with my son Zev who was in from Israel for a couple of weeks (though saying I rode "with" him is a bit of a stretch).
Nothing is really new. I am riding hills reasonably well and coping with the winds as well as I ever have. I have managed a couple of rides out to Point Lookout at very encouraging average speeds, even when faced with nasty winds on the way back. Yesterday I did 48 miles including 2700 feet of climbing in a bit over 3 hours.
The only quasi-significant event is that I replaced my chain and cassette last week since both were shot. I stayed with the Dura Ace but moved to an 11-28 rather than 12-27. This will give me a slightly easier gear when I get to Maale Akrabim and other nasty hills and a little bit more leverage on the flats. As my mom would say, "It couldn't hurt".
I have also focused my spinning sessions on very hard interval training, alternating between two and a half to five minutes of near threshhold level riding with 2 minute rest periods.
The weight is still an issue. I'm at about 118. Tomorrow I'm seeing my doctor and will ask about it.
With two and a half months until the ride, I'm feeling good about my ability to hang on.
Nothing is really new. I am riding hills reasonably well and coping with the winds as well as I ever have. I have managed a couple of rides out to Point Lookout at very encouraging average speeds, even when faced with nasty winds on the way back. Yesterday I did 48 miles including 2700 feet of climbing in a bit over 3 hours.
The only quasi-significant event is that I replaced my chain and cassette last week since both were shot. I stayed with the Dura Ace but moved to an 11-28 rather than 12-27. This will give me a slightly easier gear when I get to Maale Akrabim and other nasty hills and a little bit more leverage on the flats. As my mom would say, "It couldn't hurt".
I have also focused my spinning sessions on very hard interval training, alternating between two and a half to five minutes of near threshhold level riding with 2 minute rest periods.
The weight is still an issue. I'm at about 118. Tomorrow I'm seeing my doctor and will ask about it.
With two and a half months until the ride, I'm feeling good about my ability to hang on.
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