It’s ya burfday…
Posted by Steve | Filed under Amore & Vita, Cycling, Work
It’s been a while. I can’t get motivated to do long posts anymore. I wish I had dictation software. I come up with long blog rants while I’m at my desk or in the car but i don’t have the time nor energy to type them all out. I’ll spit out a few brief thoughts now and commit to more frequent but shorter entries in the future.
First off, my birthday presents to myself. I have no idea what anyone else got me because I’m still at work and somebody was late putting stuff in the mail. Better to be late with that than something else.
Reynolds Assault full carbon clinchers wheelset. :insert Tim “The Toolman” Taylor arrgh sounds:
Second, I now have enough money set aside to get Lasik surgery. I just need to find a place to have it done that won’t leave me blind. I’d have to return my new wheels and trust me, you don’t want that.
Also, last week was the annual Angry Sex Bowl. My Georgia Bulldogs vs Belle’s Tennessee Vols. We call it the angry sex bowl because no matter who wins one of us is really pissed off…unless it’s a tie, then we’re both pissed off. Thankfully they don’t do ties in college football. My team won for the first time in three tries. We never mention the game once it’s over so that’s all you’ll hear from me about it.
What was the number one song the day you were born?
Back In Black
Posted by Steve | Filed under Cycling
Today is my first day back at work after a week’s vacation. I just needed some time to myself. We will be moving offices in a month or so and I know I won’t get any time off soon after that. I spent the the week just concentrating on working out, eating healthy and catching up on DVD’s. Mission accomplished.
I’ve had a long standing goal of working out 20 times per month. I rarely reach it. I usually get off to a good start then peter out toward the end. So far this month I have 11 workouts in. I’m shooting for 25 for April. The hard work paid off in spades. I lost 4 lbs just in the last week. The scale actually said 6 but I figured I’m a little dehydrated from cycling late last night. Hopefully by Friday I’ll be a firm 249 lbs. Yes, I’m a big boy. Not really fat but at my age weight is weight to a certain extent. My first target is to get down to 226 lbs. That’s what I weighed when I first moved to L.A. ten years ago.
I attribute most of my renewed enthusiasm to my new Kurt Kinetic Pro fluid trainer. It makes riding indoors so much more fun. I’m doing lots of intervals and other stuff too boring to mention. Hopefully in a month or so I’ll break out the track bike at ADT Velodrome.
I also watched Season One of The Boondocks.
Back on track
Posted by Steve | Filed under Cycling
Well, I’ve decided to get back into track cycling. L.A. has the country’s only indoor velodrome and although I’ve been there to watch racing many times, I’ve never ridden on the track ever. I can’t let this opportunity go to waste while I’m here. I still want to to a triathlon in the future. I enjoy doing long distance rides on ocasion but training for them doesn’t interest me at all nor does it suit my natural abilities. I’m a white muscle fiber/sprinter type. Shorter higher intensity workouts that take advantage of my gym strength are more relevant and all I have time for anyway.
I’ve started buying parts for a track bike this week. I already have a bar, stem, seatpost and saddle to use from previous bikes. I’m shopping for a cheap new or used frame on Ebay now. I was sure I had a winner last night. I bid on a new closeout frame that started at $150. Four others all went for $320 or less so I put in a max of $350, sure that I’d get it. Within the last hour some fucker kept out bidding me and ran it up to $420, on top of the $55 for shipping. I hate when people do that. Don’t they know there’s another item just like it soon to follow? Just be patient and stick to your maximum bid. Oh well. At least I made him pay thru the nose. Initially I was bummed because I asked the seller if he had more frames in that size and he said no. Sure enough the very next day another frame just like it showed up. I bet he’s got ten more sitting in his garage right now.
I’ve already rearranged my bedroom to make room for another bike. I don’t want to pay a lot because I will likely trade up to another frame after a year. I want to see if I’m still as interested a year from now before I drop a lot of money into the project. Not to mention I’m working hard to lose weight and increase my flexibility so I can handle a larger handlebar drop. We’ll see how this works out.
Slacker Century
Posted by Steve | Filed under Cycling
Sunday I met up with about 30 people from Bikeforums.net for our Slacker Century bike ride. It was 53 miles from Huntington Beach to Oceanside and back so 106 miles total. Here is the actual route online if you want to see it. It was supposed to be a sloooow fun ride but this is Southern California where everybody rides at least 150 miles a week.
I didn’t really hydrate properly or eat enough after the halfway point so I was really dragging toward the end. I finally got a Vitamin Water from a grocery story and wow, that stuff was like crack. I had tons of energy after that. I couldn’t keep up with the fast people but it was still a fun time…good to see the gang again and nice to ride with someone other than myself for a change. The roads n the OC (Orange County for those that don’t watch tv) are much better for cycling so I may head back there once a month for training.
My pics are posted in the gallery. You have to weed thru some earlier pics from a separate trip to Cali Science Center. I didn’t take many during the actual ride because my tongue was dragging most of the way.
Just Checkin In
Posted by Steve | Filed under Cycling, Phun
Not much to report lately. The saddle sore I got during ALC6 has finally gone away so I can ride again. Thank God! What will suck is that for the next six weeks they will be replacing the elevators in my apt building. That means lugging the bike up/down 8 flights of stairs every time I want to go for a spin. Oh well. The extra cardio will do me some good. I’ll be at the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix taking pics this weekend. I’ve got a social outing with the BF gang the week after that. The piece de resistance will be a weekend of cycling/water skiing/wake boarding/drinking on Lade Mead July 28th. I’m really looking forward to that. I’m already getting threats of video posting should I experience any spectacular flips or falls on the water. I’ll just have to make them look intentional. 
I did get another bike computer this week, a Polar CS400. It’s got heart rate monitor and altimeter, although I’m not too sure about the accuracy of altimeters that use barometric pressure. It apparently thinks there’s a 20 ft difference from my bed to the bathroom.
I got some nutritional supplements from Udo’s Choiceto help bring my cholesterol and blood pressure down. I need to order a cholesterol test kit so I can track the changes from home. Twice a day I make a shake with 12oz water, 1 cup of Quaker Oats uncooked, 2 scoops of protein, 1 tbsp Udo’s Choice Wholesome Fast Food Blend (fiber supplement), 1 tbsp flax oil and some flavoring. It’s not an ice cream smoothie by any stretch but two of those daily knocks out most of my daily nutritional requirements and it’s down in 3 minutes anyway. I’m also taking niacin, red yeast rice and a liver cleansing supplement. The protein powder has vitamins added.
Health Jihad
Posted by Steve | Filed under Cycling
Hot Damn! I lost 4 lbs during the AIDS/LifeCycle last week. I’m getting a physical soon for life insurance purposes so I’m going to spend the next month really cracking down on the diet and being more consistent with workouts. I needed some event to get me back to that point where I feel guilty for missing workouts and the ride was just what I needed to get me over the hump. I need to really watch my cholesterol, blood pressure, resting heart rate and body fat now.
I’ve already planned two more 100-mile rides this year. I’m doing a fun ride with some BF friends in mid-July. Friday I register for the Amtrak Century in Sept. It’s a 100-miler from Irvine to San Diego, lunch in Oceanside then you take the train back to Irvine. I just might exceed my annual mileage target yet. 
AIDS/LifeCycle Ride Report
Posted by Steve | Filed under Cycling
AIDS/LifeCycle Ride Report
I recently traveled to San Francisco for the AIDS/LifeCycle Ride. It was a 7-day 545 mile ride to increases awareness and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among participants, their donors and the general public. I was a bit worried about the daily distances since I had not ridden over 50 miles in a day in about 12 years.
For those that don’t want to read the whole thing let me just say that I had the time of my life. I challenged myself physically and mentally in a way that I haven’t since college. I met some great people and learned a lot. AIDS/LifeCycle is something everyone should do at least one. I will definitely be back in the future; possibly even next next year. I’m hoping to rope a friend or three into riding it with me next.
