Starting the last two posts…

 …with basically the SAME text didn’t occur to me until I started this one. It has been one of those times when keeping track of the details of some things has been... stunted to say the least.  Writing a blog hasn't been on my mind as much as I tend to post quick blurbs about the rides on Insta-gratification-gram (then it goes to Facebook).  Sure, the in-depth details are lost... but even for myself, it all starts to sound the same.

What is LOST are the details of changes I have made.  Like the handlebars on the Mach Wu.  The new shoes I have switched to.  The progress (and slowing) of my weight loss & diet.  The effects of training primarily in Zone 1.

It would be easy to say I am going to get back into this blog, write more in-depth posts about how I get here from there... but I won't.  Sitting here typing away like I used to just isn't as fun anymore.  Maybe I am slipping into the same rut as the rest of America, looking for quicker, simpler ways to do things.  Admittedly I use Google's AI bot/app/humanoid almost every day.  I still look at it with a skeptical and discerning eye... but I let IT break down the articles before I even click to read the entire thing.  No, I have not found it to be 100% reliable but I have also known there is more bullshit on the internet than truth in some matters.

Will I tell the stories of the bikes, the training, the diet?  At some point, maybe.  If I find it interesting enough to recount to myself, I will.  Honestly each topic has it's own start/stop point:

  • the bars are simple - I switched to bars with more (16 degrees) sweep.  They feel better at my wrists and hands.  I get less forearm / tricep fatigue.  That's about it.
  • I switched to Shimano shoes from Lakes - bigger toe box... feel good.  Done.
  • The weight loss is still happening... when I stay on track.  I am down to a consistent 228 pounds from 238.  Drinking has been reintroduced... 'cause birthday/anniversary/deaths/etc.  Will I get back on THAT wagon?  Yea.  
  • My diet is still set at a goal of 1800 calories.  I feel better, more alert.  My blood sugar has dropped.  My blood pressure is doing good.  I still go over on big ride days.  I do not tend to go under on the easy days.  My body is adapting (more slowly than I expected) to the lower amount of calories available for energy.  It's an ongoing saga..
  • Training in Zone 1 has been fun... but the holes in the system are there.  Riding road is a bit monotonous at times but riding longer in the dirt has been amazing (more) fun.  I am incorporating intervals now, trying to bolster my body's reaction to longer efforts that require more work, calories and fuel.  Maybe I will write about THAT weak spot as I learn more information.
Otherwise, life has just been... life. 

Later

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Summerhaven, Part 2

 This morning I woke up groggy, kinda empty.  While I had a HUGE plate of spaghetti  last night, I slept like shit.  Restless until midnight, I was awake again at 5 or so, laying there trying to figure out what to do next.  My plan had been to suit up, ride down the road to wherever I felt the heat turn up… again maybe 80 degrees or so.  However, with little sleep and a harder-than-expected ride yesterday, part of me said, “don’t dig that hole THAT deep”. While eating some breakfast, I decided to go a different way with the day.  I suited up a bit warmer thinking I could go easier… but if I was struggling, the extra clothes would be more comfortable, more able to keep heat in my legs & core.  I told myself, “Self, you can make a bigger breakfast to enjoy after the ride.” Roll out in the chilled air, maybe low 60’s.  Arm warmers and a wool base layer make sense.  Come over the top of the climb outta Summerhaven and the air is already ...
Read more

Gettin’ Back In…

 …the Groove after my Summerhaven Trip has not been… easy.  That trip left me more drained than I thought it would.  The riding (at least the first day) was HARD…but the recovery was tough. That first night was not so bad but I slept poorly - crappy pillows that felt literally deflated (hearing the air whistle when I laid my head in was a new sensation), a mattress that was firm but okay… and ALL the light.  Since it was a tiny box cabin with everything but the bathroom in one room (my bed butted up to the kitchen), every light in the place radiated brightly.  I strategically placed things to cut down on the glare.   The second night was the worst - restless & unable to fade to sleep until midnight…then I was up by 4:30 as usual.  Post-ride Monday, there was a nap before lunch…and one after, so I did it to myself. The third night was in-the-middle - not great but not as bad as the night before.  Tossed, turned but when I got up Wednesday morni...
Read more

Getting back into the groove....

...after the Summerhaven trip took a bit.  The first morning back was spent fixing broken shit around the house: one, a chimney cap that had blown off and was sitting upright like a flipped lid and two, propane tanks drained after someone (the only ginger in the house) left the pool heater on.  (Before ya ask, "why ya heating the pool in Summer?"...it was actually for the hot tub BUT I only flipped the valves back to normal pool circulation & didn't turn off the heater.  Only cost $500 to refill the tanks... which LUCKILY had not dropped below the minimum before need re-inspection). Next day, it's hot.  Figure I will spin on the Zwift bike in the slightly less hot but still in the mid 80's garage.  Kick a pedal, there's no resistance.  Start troubleshooting the issue, try to download the update the internet says will fix the problem.  Download stalls, trainer is fucked.  Figure I will pout till the new one comes on. Or go to the gym. Next day ...
Read more