Woman escapes Japan’s tsunami by bike

My heart goes out to all the people in Japan since the horrible events on March 11. As if the earthquake itself wasn’t enough, they have to deal with the tsunami, a nuclear disaster and now are likely facing typhoid and cholera and who knows what else. I know there are many stories of survival that we may never learn about, but I couldn’t help but share this story of 83-year-old rice farmer Tsuna Kimura escaping the tsunami by bicycle.

My apologies for the delay in blog posts. We’re in the process of selling our house, packing, etc., and it’s consumed much more time than I expected. I’m hopeful all the details will be worked out soon and regular weekly posts will resume once things get settled.

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Lees-McRae College now offers degree in cycling

Students attending Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC can now minor in Bicycling Studies. The college is the first in the U.S. to offer a degree in cycling. According to an article in cyclingnews.com:

“Courses that make up the program include History and Principles of Bicycling, Business and Economics of Sports, Nutrition and Athletic Performance and Creativity and Innovation. Students will also complete a field study in cycling and an internship in cycling before graduation. This program will position graduates to obtain positions in fields such as team management, bicycle design, coaching, education, urban design, training, retail, planning, event promotion, marketing and more.”

Lees-McRae College’s cycling team won its first national title in 2003 while competing at the Division II level. The team has won over 10 national titles and continues to win individual and team championships each year. The team suffered a recent tragedy with the death of Carla Swart in a training accident in her native South Africa on January 19.  Swart had recently signed with HTC-Highroad for the 2011 season.  She was the most decorated collegiate cyclist in history with 19 national titles, and in 2008, she won a “Grand Slam”, with national titles in each of the four collegiate cycling disciplines in a calendar year, a feat no other collegiate cyclist has accomplished.

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

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Bike riders = dopers?

As most everyone knows, Lance Armstrong is still in the news fighting the drug allegations. And while it sounds like that investigation may not wrap up for quite a while, Alberto Contador‘s “tainted meat” defense seems to be falling apart as he received a one-year provisional suspension and may be stripped of last year’s Tour de France title (depending on the outcome of his appeal). Obviously, I have no idea who does or doesn’t dope during their career in the Tour (and in a way, I don’t really care). This guy, though seems to have it all figured out (warning: language is probably NSFW). Still, it cracked me up. Enjoy:

It’s a shame that performance-enhancing drugs seem to tarnish just about every sport to some degree. But as long as athletes have to compete against other athletes who do use drugs, there’s no good way to level the playing field. New guidelines and testing will continue to be done, but each new drug test just opens the door for someone to figure out how to cheat and circumvent the drug tests. It’s a never-ending circle. Still – drugs or no drugs – I always enjoy watching the Tour each year. I can’t wait to see what happens this year!

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
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The universe conspires against us – or does it?

Now that I’m 23 days into a new year, I realized that I’m failing miserably at my New Year’s Resolution of getting into a regular exercise routine. After finding a house we really like near Iroquois Park, we decided to put our house on the market. The past couple weeks have been consumed with “de-shitifying” as I call it — getting rid of clutter, old clothes that no longer fit and whatever other crap that we don’t need anymore. But now the house is in good shape and we’ve had two different showings in the 10 days it’s been on the market. (Now if we can just get an offer!)

This weekend, I decided it was time I get out the bike rollers or the stationary trainer and get my butt in gear. Yesterday, I wasn’t really in the mood, but today, Carrick and I assembled the stationary trainer I got her for her birthday last month. Simple enough to assemble, except we can’t seem to get the magnetic resistance cable installed correctly. Despite the fact that the trainer is usable for now without the cable, we rationalized that maybe we just weren’t meant to work out together today. So what did we do instead, you ask? Carrick took a nap on the couch and I stayed in my PJs until 4 p.m.  

I have a really difficult time staying motivated to work out during the winter. I want to be outside, yet I’m not really a fan of riding in cold temperatures. I have no excuse to not use the indoor trainers. Today though, I think the universe may have been conspiring against us. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. 🙂

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
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My Dailymile.com year-end review

I recently received an e-mail summarizing my year’s worth of workouts I logged on dailymile.com. Before I share the pathetic-ness (is that a word?) of the data, let me just say that while I did not work out nearly as often as I intended last year, there were also many workouts which I forgot to log each day on dailymile. Entering my information on the Web site was not something I got in a regular habit of doing. This year I plan to make a point to log each and every workout so I’ll have better information to compare by the end of this year.

It appears since I joined dailymile in May, I only logged 15 workouts. Sad. Anyway, here’s how the stats break down from May through December:

• My goal was to lose 25 pounds. So far I’ve lost 11. Still a ways to go, but I’m getting there.
• I logged 210 total miles.
• I burned off the equivalent of 84 donuts.
• Most miles logged in one month was 93 in August. Far less than most people do in a week.
• Farthest ride was 50 miles.

Wow, I’ve got some catching up to do. I’m ready.

On a side note, I suppose since day 365 of this blog has come and gone, there’s really no need to continue numbering each post.

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
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Day 365: Woo hoo! I survived 365 days!

This time last year I embarked on a project I wasn’t sure I could finish. I started this blog 365 days ago. The original intention of the daily project was to share my thoughts about cycling and my attempts at weight loss. I had success with some things … other things, not so much. I plan to continue the blog posts, although it will probably be on a weekly rather than daily basis.

Looking back over the past year, this blog project has been a learning experience which enabled me to meet quite a few fellow cyclists (both in person and in the online world). While I may not have accomplished everything I originally set out to do, here are some of the things I learned from the project:

• A 365-day commitment is much more time-consuming than I expected. Silly me. I figured each day’s post would only take a few minutes. Most of them took close to an hour, depending on the post’s topic. Some needed a bit of research, which took more time. Other posts just took a while to write because I’m not terribly comfortable writing. Getting past the initial stage of staring at the blank computer screen took me some getting used to.
• Carrick has the patience of a saint (see previous item above). I’m not sure which one of us is happier that the daily posts are ending and life will return to normal. She’s been very patient with me through the project and is always very encouraging, which was a huge help. Thank you, Carrick.
• I lack willpower for dieting. My original intention when I started this blog was to learn better eating habits and lose 20-30 pounds. I enrolled in Weight Watchers in July and have since lost 11 pounds. Not as close to my goal weight as I wanted to be by the end of the year, but I’m trying to not beat myself up about it. I’m learning to view my food choices as a lifestyle change rather than a diet. It’s been a slow and sometimes frustrating process, but I’m getting there. And I’m not giving up.
• Life sometimes gets in the way of plans. Work, after-work commitments and daily blog posts sucked up much more time than I anticipated, cutting into my cycling time (not to mention my neglect of my photoblog). I’ve now learned I need to allow for time in my schedule to enjoy regular bike outings, whether those are regular rides with Carrick, group rides or solo rides. By not planning in advance, I often let the opportunity slip by.
• I learned to fix a bike. Not a big deal to most people, but if you knew how mechanically uninclined I really am, you would understand how pleased I am that Carrick and I went a little out of our comfort zone and took the Park Tool School classes to learn maintenance and repairs.
• Louisville is a pretty awesome bike-friendly city. In fact, it’s #21 on Bicycling Magazine’s list of America’s Top 50 Bike Friendly Cities.
• My “rides wish list” keeps growing. Each time I hear about an interesting ride, I add it to the list. In 2011, I plan to make a more concerted effort to do some of the rides. I’m particularly interested in trying to do some long-distance overnight touring with panniers, tent, and other necessary equipment. The only thing I lack is a touring bike. Maybe that’s the next big thing to save money for.
• I had a lot of fun rides. I may not have racked up a few thousand miles on the bike this year, like several commuters I know, but I still had a blast. Some of my favorite rides this year included (in no particular order): The Indy N.I.T.E. Ride; Lexington’s Legacy Trail; Back Bay Nature Preserve in Virginia Beach; McAlpine Locks and Dam; the Louisville Loop; and the annual Hike & Bike event.
• I can do anything I put my mind to. Actually, I knew this before I started the blog. As I get older, I realize that really the only thing preventing me from achieving my goals is myself and I need to work on that. I intended to ride my first century ride this year, but I didn’t make it. I did, however, ride a half century during our Louisville Loop to Farnsley-Moreman ride this summer (and 50 miles of the 100 Miles of Nowhere ride back in May). Small victories, but ones I’m excited about. I learned how rewarding it can be to push myself past my comfort level at times. The sense of accomplishment inspires me to keep trying and keep pushing myself.

Thank you to everyone who has followed my blog this year and for leaving comments, tips, suggestions and encouragement. I greatly appreciate your support and I hope you’ll continue to follow the blog even though the posts will be weekly instead of daily. Probably a relief to everyone. 🙂

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
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Day 364: Bicycle t-shirts, iPhone decal and other cool stuff

Some of the cool bike swag Carrick got me for Christmas this year!

T-shirts. (The green one is from Carrick's parents)

L-R: Spinervals Lean & Mean DVD; Backroad Bicycling in Kentucky's Bluegrass; bumper sticker; Bicycle pasta (tiny litte noodles shaped like bikes!)

Decal for my iPhone.

And some of the money I received for Christmas from my parents is going towards buying the ContourHD helmet cam, which I plan to order this week. Stay tuned for a review!

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
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Day 363: 10 Steps for Better Cycling Performance

As we start the new year, I’m making preparations for getting in better shape. This “10 Steps for Better Cycling Performance” article from training4cyclists.com seemed a perfect place to start.

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

_O
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Day 362: Time to get back in shape

Having moved here to Louisville from Texas almost 10 years ago, I’m still not a fan of winter. I remember many Christmases in Texas when my parents and I cooked steaks or burgers outside on the grill in 70 or 80+ degree weather. In fact, their temperatures were in the 80s last week, while we were dealing with temps in the 30s here.

Once winter arrived in Louisville a few weeks ago, I figured it’s time to make some new playlists on my iPod and get out the indoor bike trainer or the rollers. (Perfect for trying out the new Spinervals DVD Carrick bought me for Christmas.) Today though, it was 64 degrees! I’ve not been on my bike for about a month. As my friend Tom said recently, sometimes “life gets in the way of cycling.” I had some house cleaning to do this afternoon to get ready for friends coming over tonight, but I decided that could wait. A nice leisurely bike ride outside during a perfect sunny warm day was the first priority on my list.

I changed into my cycling clothes, did a quick bike check of the brakes, tires and chain, checked the air in the tires, grabbed the house key and off I went. It felt good to be back on the bike, but it was windy today and I think the past few weeks sitting around on my lazy butt made for a bit of a struggle today. I never felt like I got into the groove of the ride. My shoulder was bothering me after starting physical therapy again last week. (Yesterday’s MRI should tell whether or not it’s a rotator cuff tear, which is what the therapist is betting on.) The wind made my breathing a bit difficult since I’ve not been training in a few weeks. Maybe having something to do with being diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma a couple months ago. Crap, I’m falling apart! I expected to be a lot older than 41 before having to deal with arthritis, rotator cuff problems and asthma. But things could also be a lot worse, so I hesitate to complain.

So despite an abbreviated ride today, it was still a pretty great day. And the house cleaning is finished. I wish all of you a Happy New Year! Be safe out there.

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
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Day 361: My New Year’s Resolutions

I can’t believe another year has already come and gone. And again, it’s that time of year to make New Year’s Resolutions. Normally, I make a resolution (or several), stick to it for a few weeks, then not really make much effort after that. But this year I owe it to myself to change those bad habits. I don’t really have much right to bitch about things if I’m not willing to put forth the effort to change. One of my favorite sayings is, “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” I’m ready to make the change.

This is my plan:

• Recommit to Weight Watchers – I had hoped to be much closer to my goal weight by now since joining WW a few months ago. Really, it’s no one’s fault but mine that I’m not closer to my goal. The past several weeks I lost my focus and quit tracking my food. As of today’s weigh-in though, I’ve lost 11 pounds total. Not as much as I wanted by now, but at least it’s something. I’ve still got another 15 or so I’d like to lose.
• Stop dining out – Eating dinner out every night is getting old. And expensive. Neither one of us particularly enjoys cooking, so we prefer to just stop at one of the local restaurants on our way home from work instead. We avoid fast food chains, but we’re still eating larger-than-normal portions and not knowing the calorie and fat content of foods makes it difficult to stick to a diet (such as Weight Watchers). Starting Jan. 1 we cook dinner at home and eat out for special occasions.
• Cycle more – I need to set a weekly mileage goal and stick to it. Otherwise, I let other daily tasks take priority and before I realize it, another day has passed and I’ve not developed a regular exercise routine. My plan is to schedule time in my day to work out in the mornings before I go to work. Or ride my bike to work which would be much more fun than dealing with rush hour traffic on the interstate.
• Reduce use of car for short errands – I need to use my bike for short errands around town (particularly those that are close to home). I need the exercise and saving on gas money certainly can’t hurt either. 

I’m ready for a new year and new habits. It’s time for me to stop making excuses and start making changes.

Life’s a journey. Enjoy the ride!

           _O
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