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Sometimes the Linux promoters do go a bit far. It is a great OS, but….

Thanks to Kevin Livingston (Pedal Hard Training Systems), the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and Mellow Johnnys for the following video.

Saturday H and I took a trip up to Muenster so that I could ride in the Germanfest Bicycle Rally. This was the 29th annual rally, and they had distances ranging from 30K up to 100K. I settled on the 65K distance (approxiamtely 53 miles). I knew that I would be able to do over the 35K, and figured that the 65K would be a good challenge.

Heading out of town, once the bottleneck of 3000+ cyclists cleared, there was a pretty good headwind. Not horrible, but blowing steadily. The course was nice and smooth, very well marked, hills were not too bad…yet. At about mile 9, the wind picked up, and the smoothly paved asphault gave way to older, rougher stuff. Not quite chipseal, but enough to make me glad my gloves are well padded, and my forks are CF…

At the first rest stop, the 35K riders turned around and headed back to town. I felt really good, so I ate a half a banana, refilled my water bottles and journeyed on. As of this turn, the wind was coming directly from the left. Blowing pretty hard, but gusting enough that if you did not have positive bike control, it would be pretty easy to eat pavement. The hills were rolling pretty good. Up and down 200 to 300 feet, but with very little break between one and the next. The next rest stop was directly at the bottom of a long hill. I coasted down with light brakes, and still hit 34 mph on the way down.

Another half banana and refill the bottles again. I also drank three little cups of cold water. Still feeling pretty good. My legs are getting a bit tired, but I still think that I can make it. However, my right elbow has been bothering me. Need to remember to throw some biofreeze or icy hot in my seat kit. My right big toe is also starting to bother me when I am off the bike. The course has wound around a bit, a little more into the wind, and some with the wind more to our backs.

The next rest stop is about 10Km ahead. I leave the rest stop, take one hill, then have trouble cresting the next one. I make it about 3/4 up, then have to stop, walk a bit, then ride the final bit to the top. I do this a few more times before I come into the next rest stop. I ask if they have any icy hot or biofreeze. No joy. So, refill the bottles, catch my breath, and head out again.

At this turn, the route seperates from the 100K route, and turns back towards town. This road is hilly from helly. I walk most of one hill. Down then partially back up. Walk the rest of that hill. These are rollers, not extremely steep, not extremely long, but steep enough and long enough that my legs cannot take much more. I am showing over 32 miles on the odo. Crest this hill, and down…nice wide creek bridge at the bottom, also at the bottom of the next hill…a double crested thing that looks (to my eyes) to be about 1500 feet tall. I know it is not, I know it is probably only about 200 feet, but my legs are fighting me, my elbow really hurts, my big toe is on fire, and I am done. I sit on the bridge railing, debating my options. If I rest a bit, maybe I can continue on and at least make it to the next rest stop.

Very quickly, Gene from Performance Cycling arrived and called me a SAG truck. The SAG driver told me that the hills on the 65K course were much more difficult thatn the hills on the 100K course. There is ONE big hill on the 100K, and the riders go down it…that is the 50MPH hill outside of St Jo.
The entire 12 mile distance from RS 3 to RS 4 is hill on top of hill on top of hill. Then when you turn back into town i is mostly downhill. I thought about getting them to drop me off and riding the last 10 miles, but discretion is the better part of valor, and I rode the truck the entrie way into town.

This was a nice ride. Great scenery, decent roads, and some good hills. This is my longest group ride so far, and since I have only been back on the bike a couple of months I have absolutely no complaints. I plan on being back next year to ride the 100K route.

20 miles on Tour Dallas,
35 miles on Muenster Germanfest
What’s next???

There is important legislation (to cyclists and road users) that is supposed to be voted on in the Texas Senate today, and hopefully in the House in the next couple of days.

http://bikesarevehicles.com/?p=71

It is time for a pradigm shift in the outside of the box thinking for the business crowd,

In otherwords: “Your business card is crap!”

I have just finished read a book by Mike Magnuson called Heft on Wheels.  While reading, it struck me that his life and mine had quite a few similarities.  He was a hard-drinking, long-partying English professor (teaches creative writing) who has always ridden bikes.  He has published three books.  Also, he has had a weight-issue throughout his life.  And, he was hit by a truck.   Ok, so I have never been a heavy drinker or hard-partier, I am not an English professor (I had a hard enough time with college English), I do not have any published works, and I was not hit by a truck (it was a car).  But something in his writing really resonated with me.  I have always loved the feeling of being on a bike, the wind in my hair, the buzz of the freewheel, and the feel of the road through the grips…I definitely have had a weight problem for quite a while now, and I have, like him, decided to do something about it.  Of course, my readers will all know about my surgery.  My big tool is the Lap Band.  My next biggest tool is my bicycle. 

Commuting to work is helping me to build a great cardiovascular base.  Yesterday I added extra miles on to my ride home.  My total ride for the day was about 25 miles.  As I ride more, I am getting faster, stornger better.  We have the technology…we can rebuild him!

Still commuting by bike.  The ride is slowly getting faster.  Today it took me 41:23, yesterday took me 44:14.  My average speed inceased by about 1/2 mph.  Not a mind-blowing increase, but it is an increase none the less.

I expect that I will get it down to about 30 minutes.  Then I will be happy.

I also got a locker key today.  That means that I can bring clothes up over the weekend (or on Monday) and shower and change once I get here.  The shower part becomes important as the temperature increases.  This morning it was about 70 degrees, so I saw what that is going to be like…this summer will be brutal.  It is supposed to be almost 90 by the time I get off this evening.  And 65% humidity…seems like Houston on a good day.

I also need to learn how to do a trackstand.  I am getting much more confident with my pedals…hitting the mark the first time all but once.

Yesterday was the Tour Dallas.  I have not ridden in an organized group ride in over 20 years, so it was a definite experience to be out there with over 3500 of my closest friends.

I lined up on the 20 mile starts with the intention of going to at least the breakpoint, then evaluating how I felt.  Heather originally wanted to ride, but had mechanical issues, so was unable to do so.

The ride felt great, and at the breakpoint, my legs felt really good.  I was a little tired, but not at all what I expected after 13+ miles.  I decided to continue, and had Heather head to uptown to meet me.

At uptown, I had just gotten warmed back up, and wanted to go on.  I completed the entire 20 mile route.  Not bad, considering that the longest ride I have done until now (since gettting back on the bike) was about 10 miles.

Thanks to Heather A for reminding me that I have not posted since the Wed commuting post.

My two appointments were a bit of good news/bad news.  I did not lose as much as I hoped to have, but Dr Lyons was happy.  My official weight loss in two weeks was 8.5 pounds. He added .75cc to the band, and wants to see me back in three weeks.

The bad news is that the plastic surgeon does not think that there is much more that he can do for my leg ulcer.  He wants to wait until I lose some more weight, and then perhaps try some topical growth hormone.  He says that it may prompt the bed to grow skin, but it may not. If it does not, then we have not lost anything.

The main issues are the fact that it is a two vessel leg and that the scar tissue goes all the way through the fascia, thus not leaving much for the skin to take root in.

I am attempting to commute to work on my bike. I pulled the rack off of Heather’s comfort bike, and put it on my bike.  The rack and basket makes the nose of my bike very light, but when riding I cannot tell.  The balance is obviously different, though.

My bike actually looks really funny with the basket on it.

This rack is the Bontrager Back Rack II with the Interchange system.  The basket simply unclips and other bags, packs, panniers, etc can clip right into it.

I have a Planet Bike Blinkie that I zip-stripped to the basket for now.  I did not want to ride without lights, since it is not quite fully light when I leave the house.

So, further go I into my quest for health and weight loss.

I go to see both Dr Lyons and Dr Kelton tomorrow.  I hope to have lost another 15-20 pounds since my stitches were removed.