Bike Wise
Posted on: August 19, 2009
A broken helmet, a sound head.
It was a week of biking firsts: first time I changed a bike tire, first time I clipped another biker, and, consequently, first time I wiped out.
The tire changing was at a flat tire clinic, so no stress and lots of helpers. We took turns, trying out levers, removing back tires, even inflating a tire with a CO2 cartridge. Wear a glove, I learned — those cartridges get frigid fast!
Rayo, Ironman-to-be, is now daring the road to give her a flat; that would be one more training adventure in her repertoire. I added a different training adventure for her — one not exactly planned.
My moment of foolishness: resting in aerows on left arm, reaching for water with right. I drifted into Rayo’s back tire. I didn’t hear or feel the tires touch. Saw the road approach my face. Impact — and inventory: what hurts?
I got away lightly. I thank my martyred helmet. A skinned elbow, a bruised hip, but a sound head — perhaps a wiser head, too.
Threshold
Posted on: July 25, 2009
I caught some of the Tour de France last night. Yah, I couldn’t stay awake after 9 pm (what a baby) but I saw enough to be in awe of these slim, powerful riders. How do you climb a mountain after weeks of almost-daily century rides?
Been reading about how to climb and the consensus is: don’t exceed the anaerobic threshold. “The road climber combines powerful, rhythmic breathing with an unyielding focus on power output at every degree of the crank revolution, so that pedaling pressure never exceeds (or drops below) the anaerobic threshold. The regulation of power is more important than a specific cadence RPM for a road climber.”
Well, I’m dropping down to granny gear quick on the little rollers in my bluffy neighborhood and building the combination of aerobic ability and power. I haven’t attempted any real hills yet this season. Will keep building a base, getting some miles on.
But I’m looking forward to seeing the world from the top of the Baraboo bluffs later this summer. To paraphrase what the Tour de France announcers said last night, gonna get my legs under me.
A Fast Bike, A Light Heart
Posted on: June 23, 2009
Jim’s new Trek Madone 4.5 is here!
Weighing in at 18 pounds (before the reflectors were removed) it’s about half the weight of Jim’s hybrid bicycle. An hour’s ride last weekend confirmed: it’s the right bike.
Bike Fitting
Posted on: June 19, 2009
Yesterday Jackie and I met with the bike-fitting maestro: Craig Watson at Cronometro in Madison. Craig is a master of bicycle ergonomics and allen wrenches. With simple tools and years of experience, he builds harmony between rider and ride.
Jackie’s Bike
Jackie is legs. She’s over 5′ 10″ and not long-backed (as Craig might put it). When we arrived, her Motobecane’s seat was high enough to allow for a full pedal stroke, but the reach to the handlebars gave her a pain the the neck. She was also dealing with knee pain and numbness in pinky-fingers.
Craig started at the bottom: he worked on cleats to relieve her knee pain and then gave attention to the seat height. Finally, he attacked the handlebars.
Can you believe it took more than 1.5 inches of added height in the stem to find the right balance? C. replaced the handlebar stem with a taller, differently angled version, AND the handlebars with a narrower type. The new height took pressure off her neck and the new width relieved stress on her wrists (good-bye numbness). Add red gel tape for cush and eye-appeal, plus a few small tweaks elsewhere, and she was good to go. Oh, and they changed her flat tire. Total time: three hours.
Craig Watson carefully fitted my Trek 1500 to me.
Craig Watson carefully fitted my Trek 1500 to me.
My Bike
I wanted to be sure I am aligned well as I work at rebuilding my legs. Aside from some recent tendinitis in a knee, I don’t have substantial discomfort while riding. Well, everyone’s toes go numb eventually, don’t they? Major changes on my Trek were unexpected, but….
Craig did some small shifts on the cleats and then hit the big stuff: he dropped the handlebars down 2 centimeters, adding a twist on the handlebars to keep the hoods at the original height. He slid the aerowbars inward about 1 centimeter each, and shaped the handles on the aerow much closer, almost touching. All of these changes happened incrementally, testing, adjusting, testing, until he hit just the right placement.
At this point we reviewed. Back to the seat. Little by little Craig raised the seat until it was up about 2 centimeters and shifted back a few millimeters. I sure didn’t think my seat was low, but what a change. With these adjustments I feel more open–and dare I say, more powerful? The pedal stroke is fuller, more complete. And the position is relaxed on the narrower, lower aerows. Oddly–and happily–I hit the saddle more evenly, too, not riding so far in front. Total time: 2 hours 40 minutes.
Craig is an encyclopedia of bicycle knowledge. If he hadn’t found biking in his youth perhaps he’d have designed space rockets. We’re glad he found bikes first.
And the best news: Jim’s Trek Madone 4.5 is ready to pick up today. Gotta get on the road.
Bike Graduation
Posted on: June 14, 2009
Aleshia played at the Baptist church in Janesville.
My gracious niece, Aleshia, planned and performed a recital to celebrate her high school graduation yesterday. She played my mother’s girlhood violin and took us through 30 minutes of moving music.
My circumspect husband, Jim, has been biking on his dusty, small hybrid, trying his strength with more distance and hills.
Aleshia, 17 and happy to play Sardine* or converse with great-grandma, is preparing for college and a new life.
Jim, 52 and most content with MST3k and rowing, is rediscovering the thrill of bombing down a hill. He test-drove a Trek road bike last week and all doubt was expunged: he ‘s ready for a new ride.
Jim has ordered a 2009 Madone 4.5. Countdown to it's arrival has begun.
I think it’s time to plan his commencement.
*Sardine is a variation of Hide and Seek. One person hides, everyone else looks for them. When a seeker finds the hidden person, they quietly hide with the hidden person. The last person to find the group of “sardined” hiders is IT for the next game.
Go, Jackie!
Posted on: May 26, 2009
Jackie connected with a fellow runner, Fredna, and they did the entire marathon together. Along with bike support from Hans (Freddy's husband), and Duane (Jackie's friend), plus me, we made quite an entourage.
My amazing niece ran her first marathon on Sunday.
A traffic back-up kept Jackie from getting into the starting area until just 10 minutes before the race began. Some nervy stretching, water sipping, bobbing around in the cool, cloudy morning, and final hugs, and she then left her friend Duane and me. She questioned her sanity but was determined.
Jackie and Fredna may have been the most photographed runners at the Madison Marathon! Duane and I took hundreds of pictures.
Jackie found her pace group and seemed to immediately connect with a fellow runner, Fredna. They stuck together for the entire run. I’d like to know what all they chatted about for five-plus hours, but they seemed to give each other the pace and support that took them through the 26.2-mile course. From the outside, they looked like they were well-prepared and had a great event!
Duane and I had the much easier job of biking the route. We carried emergency stuff: ibuprofen, inhaler, lip balm, food. Most of the food went into ME as we biked along and enjoyed Madison from this new perspective.
We met Fredna’s husband, Hans, at about mile three when we finally figured out he was riding SAG, too. Hans is a veteran of biking alongside his running wife. Leg issues keep him from running, so he bikes beside Fredna on her training runs as well as her races. I learned that they rode 35 miles together, touring Madison, the day before the race!
The sun came out around 9 AM, in time to shine on the Governor's Mansion as Jackie, Fredna, and Hans passed by.
Doesn't Jackie look fresh? She completed the Madison Marathon in about 5:15.
I hesitate to let you know how much fun it is to bike the Madison Marathon route ’cause if everyone knew, the road would be very crowded. It was a true delight. Sometimes we leapfrogged the runners, sometimes took alternate routes, sometimes rode alongside like popparatzi. We used our cameras as an excuse to stop. We sought out the best backgrounds for our star runners and there were many, like the capitol towering over Lake Monona, the lush Arboretum, a quiet, stately campus, and the lavish Maple Grove neighborhood with the Governor’s Mansion.
Jackie, Fredna, and other runners we met showed great determination, humor, and soul. We bikers were periferal–admiring, but not partaking of the great challenge of running 26.2 miles. I felt privileged to be able to see this race from the sidelines, from atop my bike.
Sensible Shoes
Posted on: May 21, 2009
My custom shoe orthotics, made by Cindy at Aljan in Madison, are meant to prevent over-pronation. I'm still getting used to them, their firmness, their arch support. But I love the extra 3/4 inch in height they give me. What a lift!
It’s the tenth day since I said good-bye to crutches and my legs are really going through it. Quads, hammies, calves, arches–legs haven’t been this solidly sore since I started yoga four years ago. (Well, maybe they were almost this sore when I was extending my distance runs last summer.) This is GOOD pain, the sensation that comes from rebuilding muscles.
New Things to Remember
More Calcium This stress fracture thing has given me a shake-up on the calcium front. I had been virtually dairy-free for eight years. Tried some yogurt this month but felt miserable. Tried some goat milk and it was ok, but I don’t love it. I’ve doubled my calcium supplementation and will continue to. And, of course, will continue to keep lots of dark green veggies in the diet.
I also added strontium and horsetail supplements to my dish. Happily, my bone density scan showed my bones are normal (for my 48 years). From things I’ve read–science or pseudo-science–these two supplements can help maintain that.
Less Sunscreen I’m a freckly person and had ladled on spf 56. Now it’s time to reduce the spf, and perhaps go without sunscreen early mornings. This, plus a Vitamin D supplement should help.
More Stretching Should have been doing this last year, but–you know–after a run you just want to kick off the shoes, step in the shower, then eat. I’m committed to adding 15 minutes of yoga as a post-workout norm. Five slow salutations, with warrior, pigeon, and other poses added for variety.
I’m enjoying yoga on the lawn and discovering the weakness and strength of my un-orthotic-ed bare feet.
Train Slowly After almost four months of exclusively water exercise I got on a spinner and found that, for the first time, my cardio fitness wasn’t the limiting factor; my leg strength was. The legs became uncontrollable with weakness before I hit the huffing-and-puffing state.
My mind is ready, but my legs aren’t there. I’m trying to let good sense rule. After a few walks my knees hurt from quad weakness. My arches aren’t sure what their duty is since my shoe orthotics have taken over. I want to go back to the long rides, the routine of running, but my body says: build slowly.
BTW, the thrill of just being on my feet has not worn off.
Finding Balance
Posted on: May 17, 2009
This little watercolor isn't finished. I'll continue to intensify the deeper colors and unify. Henry David Thoreau said, "We must all believe in something. I believe I'll go canoeing." I prefer to paraphrase that a bit and say "I believe I'll go walking."
I’m walking again.
After 16 weeks of crutches and wheelchair, it’s almost unfair how quickly euphoria tries to resolve into routine.
Each day this week has catapulted me from step to step. Monday was crutches, Tuesday was occasional hand-holds on furniture. Wednesday I spinned, Thursday I yoga-ed, Friday I walked a mile and a half.
The spring’s changes I see outside are like a manifestation of my transition; what seemed normal last year is now breathtaking.
The MRI results are in: I can put weight on my leg bones!
Today I used one crutch as I clomped about with my custom shoe orthotics. Being on my feet feels towering and gently chaotic. My muscles are weak, my hips unbalanced, and I walk like Frankenstein’s monster on his first day out. But I’m walking.
I’m carefully suppressing euphoria, trying to listen to what my body tells me (except about leg pain), and going for a swim. And, on my doctor’s advice, I’m tying my shoes tighter.
(The MRI showed an inflamed periosteum–the connective tissue that surrounds the bone–across the front of my tibiae. It is also probable that I have chronic exertional compartment syndrome in both legs. Neither of these is debilitating: I’ll research, stretch, ice.)
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