Lack of Motivation in 2012 - Part Deux

For the first part, refer here...

Overall, the program was a resounding success. No participants missed weight and maintained their goal weight for the length of the program. It helped that everyone in the group is a hard ass, so there was major smack talking and peer pressure: "Hey Mark, can't wait until Monday so you can pay me that 5.00". "Hmm Jon, you're looking over weight today, might want to log some more laps". There were a couple of really rough weeks. One week I came down with the flu over the weekend and was running a fever of 102+. It made logging miles over the weekend extremely difficult. I was so ill, that I came to practice, weighed in, and immediately left. Another week in particular was brutal just because a lot of critical family obligations came up that drastically limited training time - which meant adjusting calories and doing intermittent fasting to boost the metabolic rate more.

I maintained my goal weight until Thanksgiving, which was several months after the program had ended. I kept doing 200ks until December which helped a lot. All of the other participants immediately started to regain weight after the program ended. I'm back up to my race weight from last year, but heavier than my lowest point last year after the weight loss challenge.

Other than the people on the swim team, my doctor, and my wife, no-one has a clue about my actual weight. Why? Various members of my family traumatized me about it during my childhood. When doing a mile in 4:27 and a 5k in 16:20, I still didn't look 'skinny enough' to them; IE: my height wasn’t greater than 6'2" and weigh less than 180. At that time, I was instead 5’10” and 155 with 30” thighs. I have carried a lot of mental baggage for my entire life regarding my weight. I saw that Fat Cyclist was doing a weight loss challenge because he got a spot on a TV show and wanted to drop some lbs. Unfortunately, by the time I found out, they were already a week in and it was too late to join in.

So to get myself re- motivated for the year, I going to follow a program similar to that the swim team came up with last year with a new penalty: if I miss weight, I post it on the internet. I know what you are thinking, big whoop Jonny Rando! For the people that really know me, this is a major deal. Wifey about crapped her pants when I told her my idea and that I was dead serious with committing to it, because she knows firsthand how mental I am with my weight.

Revised Rules:

·         Monday weigh-ins.

·         Weight loss has to be in whole lb increments until goal weight was achieved (unless a caveat occurs).

·         Penalty: if I miss weight, my weight will be posted. Don't worry, wifey will be doing monitored weigh-ins and is cold hearted. If I miss weight and don't post it, she will with zero regrets. She will keep the program honest. If weight is missed, I will continue to post each week's weight goal and actual weight - in which case I'm sure all my family (sigh!) and friends will take the time to call and 'encourage' me for more motivation.

 

Caveats:

1.       I want to reach a new *healthy* low. Therefore, I'm not going to specify an actual goal weight and will go off how I feel. When I announce my goal has been reached, the final # will be posted. To keep the weight off, I will continue to post it each week after.

2.       If there is a week where I get ill, that week will be null and void. I'm not talking about some sinus drainage or a sore throat that I can just skip the week. I'm talking about cases like the flu, food poisoning, etc. Something so severe that training is or almost impossible and dropping weight would have adversely impact my health. In 2010 and 2011, I neglected to dial back training while being sick and ended up with shingles three times. So that's the reason for this improvised rule. Shingles is absolutely horrific! A 2% allowance will be allowed from the previous ending weight (no repeated weeks of compounding 2% in the unlikely event that an illness last weeks).

3.       As an athlete that tends to go hardcore, I have sustained some injuries over the past several years that will require surgery this year (currently in the process of getting surgery dates). So during those week(s) in which I have surgery and post-op recovery, obviously I won't be able to lose weight or train. A 2% allowance will be allowed from the ending weight (again, not compounding allowances).

4.       Any weekend where there is an ultra distance race or brevet ride, no weigh-in on the following Monday. Why? Because to survive ultra distance you must eat and drink a lot. Nuff said. If you don’t understand, you probably haven’t done ultra distance events.

So starting next Monday, I will post my first goal for # of lbs to lose that week.

As I am writing this, I am having second thoughts about committing to this and why the hell am I doing this to myself? It is time for me to confront my weight fears and deal with something that has haunted me pretty much my entire life.

As Tallahassee once said, "Time to nut up or shut up!”

Lack of Motivation in 2012

This year compared to previous ones at the same time, I find myself lacking motivation in general. Since I'm not competing in any spring races this year, my desire to go out and do anaerobic efforts, threshold tests, hard efforts, etc has been waning. The weather has been all over the place. Its 68 one day and 37 the next - so my desire to ride in rainy 40 degree weather has been limited as of late. I'm not saying that I'll be out of shape to do my brevet rides or that I'll be unable to pull lead as expected at Calvin's for my teammates. I'm still on par with my New Year's resolutions - it's just that I'm just missing that spark to go the extra bit while training. It feels like I've been training without a focused purpose to improve upon.

Last year, was a stellar one in various ways. My best goal last year was reaching my lowest race weight since H.S. Realistically I probably am the worst example of a long\ultra distance athlete. I am built like a football player and am completely opposite of your stereo typical ultra-thin, no upper body mass bike racer. After my races were done last year, I got to an even lower weight with a bit of motivation.

A group of us have been swimming together for years on a fitness swim team. The team is made up of various adults aging from the low 20's to the upper 40's. Last Spring, one of the swimmers was complaining that they just could not lose the last 10 lbs that they wanted to drop. Several of us commented that we "had a couple" we'd like to lose also. As a group, we decided to brainstorm over the weekend on ideas for a weight loss challenge and for punishment(s) incase a participant didn't make weight.

The following Monday, teammates mentioned things like "if you don't make weight, you can't swim that night", "sit out for some of the practice", "wear a goofy swim suit", or "you have to swim an extra 500 meters". I openly stated that I thought not allowing a person to swim at all or for a portion of the practice was awful because that would directly contribute to the person probably gaining more weight. I was also against the additional 500 meter idea we had a couple teammates who have rotator cuff surgery due to swimming stress\intensity already.

My suggestion was simple: "If you miss weight, you pay a set financial penalty to everyone else in the challenge". After the gasping, pretty much everyone stated my idea was absolutely horrible. I replied "maybe, but would you miss weight? Let's talk about it again on Wednesday to have a couple days to think about it and agree on which idea we like the most then".

On Wednesday, shockingly, everyone went with the financial penalty. As a group, we also instituted the following rules:

• Each participant had to pick a final goal weight to be at after 4 months.
• Monday weigh-ins. Why? Because the majority of people stated that they overate on the weekends with family, parties or at social events.
• Weigh-ins at the pool before practice with the entire team present. Why? Pressure cooker and to keep everyone honest.
• Each participant picked their own goal for that week. The reason for this was that we weren't on the biggest loser and each of us was already fit. How many biggest losers could swim 3-5k meters on day one?
• Weight loss had to be in whole lb increments until goal weight was achieved. Participants could not pick 2.5 lbs, but either 2 or 3lbs.
• Financial loss: if a participant did not make weight and was not at goal weight: a $5.00 penalty was to be paid to each participant in the group. If the participant had already reached goal weight and missed weight (meaning the participant has to maintain their goal weight), the penalty was 10.00 per person. This was done to curb rebounding when participants made goal weight.
  

So Jonny Rando, how did you guys end up and what the hell is this all about? That's a story for another day….

Mid Ohio Lakes and Rivers Tour 200k

Forecast: 42-57, overcast, with clouds clearing in the early afternoon. 0% chance of rain. Winds N\NW 5-7 MPH.

The first brevet ride for the Ohio Randonneurs of the year had over 55 registered riders. Rumor has it that the route was based off an old Dave Buzzee permanent. The brevet overall was relatively flat and very scenic. The route started and ended at Alum Dam and included: crossing the Hoover Dam, seeing the Hoover reservoir, traveling through some of Alum Creek State Park, Delaware State Park and Big Island Wilderness areas. Before we proceed any further, I should address something. Yes, I rode across Hoover Dam. No, not "THE Hoover Dam". There are multiple Hoover Dams in the U.S., just like every city probably has a Main St.

The morning started out a tad chilly at 40 degrees, very overcast with a good breeze coming from the Hoover reservoir. While waiting for the ride to begin, I sat in my car because I really don't care for the cold; as in I hate riding in weather below 50. Several riders were standing in close ranks while talking to retain heat. One couple were standing and covered up with a large blanket, while another couple stayed in a hugging formation to stay warm. Once we were about 10 minutes from the start, I ventured out to join the other randos who were lined up around our fearless leader Bob's car. I had the opportunity to meet a nice fellow from Fort Wayne and Paul with whom I got to do part of a 600k in NY last summer.

With about 2-3 minutes from the launch, Bob gave us encouraging words of wisdom like to stay warm, ride carefully, turn your lights on if returning late and to ride fast so he wouldn't have to sit in the parking lot until 9:30 PM. Bob also told us that if we returned prior to him, to have a bystander in the park initial and time stamp our control card; in which case a rider asked: "If I'm on a tandem, can my co-rider accomplish this for me, or do I need to find something else. Snicker, snicker.” Despite the cold temps, no one lost their sense of humor. With a smile and a quick reply, Bob states "smart ass! Let's go!" and we were off.

This would be my first attempt at a 200k with my new Catrike 700, so I wanted to start off a tad slow to help guarantee a finish. If for some reason a rider has a bike problem or doesn't have the ability to finish physically, it can be incredibly difficult to talk someone into driving out 50-100 miles to pick you up and return you to the start. Given I was riding a tadpole, this would probably be 10x more difficult (because who has a car large enough for a tadpole bike) and I wanted to make sure I left ample energy in reserves.

Purposely starting out last and remaining there for a long while was quite humbling. For me, I enjoy riding a traditional road bike and powering through hills and extended efforts at higher speeds; so this was a big, big, big change for me. After a few miles, I caught up to and rode with a nice group of guys including Paul and Bill with whom I was talking to in the parking lot. Soon after joining the group, we reached our first control which was an informational control. The question was "What activities are prohibited at Hoover Dam?” Any guesses on the answer? Apparently, sledding, skiing and snowboarding are not prohibited. I generally don't want to see anyone break the rules or get hurt, but if there is a 2 planker out there crazy enough to ride down that, I will gladly watch. Any volunteers?

After writing our answers, we got to ride across Hoover Dam which was pretty cool. The dam has 4 gates about waist high. My riding partners had to very slowly ride around the outside of the gate posts with what little room was left on the sides. Seeing how I was on my sporty new Catrike, I simply rode under the gates - ftw!

Around noon we reached the second control @ mile 58. To our delight, the temperate really warmed up to a toasty 42. Good thing that we all underdressed for that projected high of 57. When getting off the bike, my feet felt odd. I assumed it was from having my feat elevated for several hours riding a recumbent. I didn't think much about it really. Some riders got their card signed and moved on, others stayed to warm up and eat. As the day wore on, the riders and groups spread further and further apart. One thing that did not change was the weather. Did I mention I hate the cold and dressed relatively light for the expected high?

I spent most if not all of the afternoon riding solo. Being on the Catrike really allowed me to ride in comfort and just enjoy the scenery, albeit, at a slower pace. Now if I only had that new camera which would auto take photos for me while riding, hmmm. I did debate several times taking my phone out and attempt to take some moving photos, but my hands were feeling cold. Around 3 PM, my left knee was starting to bother me. It felt like a tendon or ligament pain. I haven't been experiencing any pain during training rides, so I think at the previous controls when my feet weren't feeling all there, I may have twisted my leg and not realized it. It did make the rest of the day quite long since I had to slow the pace down even more.

Leaving the last control heading back to the start, I got twisted up leaving the wrong way. It happens. You're a little tired, have a sore knee and want to eat some real food. A couple minutes later, I was back on track and working on tackling the last 13 miles. I had maybe 4 miles left when I experienced my only idiot of the day. A car pulled up behind me and laying on the horn non-stop. He stayed back there for a solid minute before passing slowly (still holding the horn) while shouting sweet nothings to me. It bothers me some drivers act like this. I have found overall, since riding the tadpole vs. a road bike, drivers tend to be much more compassionate by not beeping horns, screaming and leaving ample room to pass. I don't know what to accredit this too exactly, but that has been my experience with the bike since last fall. With this particular driver, there is no way the driver couldn't have seen me (if this was the driver's issue?) because I had a red strobe light on all day and since it was getting close to 6, I had also turned on a solid red tail light as well. This particular section of road was also quite straight with long visibility, so I believe the person was just being a jerk.

I returned to the dam where some of the other guys had recently returned and were chatting. I finished in 9:43. Nothing to write home about, but with brevets, it's about adjusting to what you’re given and simply finishing within the time frame.

I offered my bike up to several people who had commented it looked fun to ride throughout the day, but didn't have any takers. I think everyone was tired of riding for the day and probably a tad cold :)

I talked to Tim for several minutes about our upcoming Fleche ride. We are on the Danville Express team and will be heading cross state from Danville, Ill back to Ohio. Part of the reason I decided to join this team is because I have done rides with Tim A (the capt.) and Tim C. Both are laid back and strong riders. I specifically remember last fall Tim C. talking about the Fleche team that he was on for 2011 and how the team was constantly arguing as the day wore on. Both of the 'T's are laid back and drama free which is how I like to ride, so I am quite confident it's going to be a fun first fleche for me.

After getting back I immediately started changing prior to getting my bike and gear packed up. After taking my shoes off, my feet (even with the socks on) felt completely frozen. After removing my socks……… "Holy bad weather forecasting Batman, those are purple feet!" A couple of my toes were bright white and the rest of my feet were purple. Here's a dandy photo with my crappy Droid phone.

Purple Foot

The purple looks more red in this photo, but believe me, it was dark purple. I knew I should have worn my Lake winter shoes! Better to have hot feet than freezing feet. I also checked the weather and the high for the day hit 44 with no sun. Yes, my index toe was shattered in the past. Pretty sexy right?

 

 

All day Sunday my left knee continued to hurt. I'll be milking it out for several days and will be transitioning back to a road bike for the 300k and Fleche rides later in the month. After that, back to the tadpole to hopefully finish off the brevet series.

Interesting Posts From Other Bloggers

Listed below are some interesting blog posts from fellow riders\randonneurs this week.

Chasing Mailboxes has a ride summary of a training ride near the Blue Ridge Highway. There are several awesome action photos of really pissed off dogs chasing the riders.

Rando Boy has a blog post series of a future apocalypse story where gasoline is no longer available. The story starts out a little slow, but give it time. Since the story is split across several blog posts, here are the links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6 and part 7.

Words of Wisdom From A Four Year Old

If you have kids, then you are more than familiar with those days where your kid(s) talk a million miles an hour and just don't stop. You know, those days where you would pay anything for some private time just to decompress in a silent chamber to make sure that you retain sanity. Monday was one of those days.

My head was completely split in two. I politely asked "Can you please, please, please be quiet for two minutes because I have a migraine?". Thirty seconds of complete silence pass at which time, she said "I have a  mouth, and it wants to talk!".

Couldn't help but bust down laughing hysterically, which of course, led to more talking.

How To Miss Training Days Tutorial

Just in-case you are wanting to miss some training days and need some ideas how, here's a couple for you:

• Check your sump pump before doing a night ride and hopefully find it broken which requires a several hour repair job before the basement floods.
• Take some form of martial arts and attempt to break your ankle while sparring against your fellow students.
• Get the most severe form of a stomach bug that causes to you to expel bodily fluids out of multiple orifices at the same time.

All combined, that's good for a solid five days!

New CycleOps Products

I'm a fan of Saris CycleOps and own several of their products. CycleOps product quality is superb and their customer service is second to none in my opinion. I have a couple Fluid2 trainers that have lasted a long time. The Fluid2 is also the only trainer that I can use on the Catrikes that will not cause the bike to rock forward and backwards while doing hard efforts. I also have a couple PowerTap wheels. Both hubs are on Mavic open rims and work very reliably.  When racing, the CPU+ computer is light, functional and stores a large amount of data.

Last year, I decided to get and try out the Joule 2. Overall, the Joule is a decent bike computer. It stores all the typical type of data watts, speed, distance, cadence, temp, etc but also allows the user to view up to 8 customizable stats at one time (the CPU+ only allows 3). The Joule also has built in reporting to view data from 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 6 months and a year. There are numerous reports that display an awesome amount of data. For me, I found this to be great because I have a hard time downloading my workout files in a consistent manner so this would give me a great idea of how I was doing without needing to check WKO+ or trainingpeaks.com daily.

The Joule  was also flawed in a couple ways. First, I mistakenly tried to use a 16 GB micro SD card on it's first use. The card completely geeked the Joule out to the point it wouldn't even boot. CycleOps immediately sent me another unit and let me know that it could only support a 2 gig or smaller card - did I mention their customer service kicks ass! It's actually kind of hard to find cards that are 2 gig and smaller. In theory, it wasn't supposed to be possible to fill the card in under 1 calendar year, but I found that not to be the case. Second, the battery life is horrific. At most, the battery would last 10-12 hours while riding. Again, for normal riders this is probably fine but for ultra distance or randonneurs, it's easy to ride longer than the battery life. I also found that charging the Joule and letting it sit for a couple days (using a Garmin instead), the Joule would be drained and require being recharged again prior to use. Another design flaw is that the USB mini-B connection is underneath the Joule. For comparison, the Garmin Edge 800 has it's mini-B port located on the side of the case. This allows the Garmin to be charged with a AA USB charger while riding - this basically allows the ride time to be indefinite (simply replace AA batteries as needed). The Edge's battery life is easily 3-4x greater than the Joule. The other thing that the Joule lacked was GPS, so I find myself using the Garmin Edge 90+% of the time anymore.  Turn by turn routing is awesome for randonneurs who are riding in an area that they are not familiar with; this assumes the route has been provided ahead of time and hasn't changed the day of the start.

I recently noticed that CycleOps made some improvements to the PowerTap hub. I've been considering replacing one of my older units for a while. Perhaps if the stars align correctly this year, AKA wifey approves such a purchase, I might be able to snag one this year. Lighter weight, a 1 piece hub (no more water leaks),  better signal strength and the internal 'guts' are now field replaceable so it will no longer be necessary to send the entire wheel back to CycleOps for service. I checked Performance Bike's website to check their pricing and I noticed that they have a new version of the Joule listed with GPS functionality. I couldn't find anything stating that the battery has been improved nor any photos of the USB mini-B port location. Unless the battery problem has been fixed, the mini-B port is on the edge of the case somewhere and the GPS has turn by turn functionality, I think the Garmin Edge has a lock for best cycling computer (for long\ultra distance riders at least).