#9) Make A Note to Oneself

ToDo: Reset you trip odometer back to zero before your next ride…

As you have probably figure out by now, I DIDN’T… 

You’ll have to trust me on this, but I can report to you that this afternoon I rode further, faster and longer than on my prior outting. A little after 3pm I headed eastbound on the trail (Same direction as before). The traffic wasn’t as light as I had expected though. The fewer numbers of youngsters was offset by an uptick in high schoolers. (Tracksters plus some wrestlers??). 

The crushed rock trail was in remarkably good condition considering all of the recent rains we’ve had. There weren’t any muddy areas but I did notice some eroded spots that I needed to avoid.

I have become more proficient in my shifting, realizing that it is better to downshift too early than too late. The gradient of the hills is fairly mild, although there is one that is rather longish and my muscles were burning by the time I reached the crest. As I said, I forgot to reset the mileage counter, but I passed 4 or 5 additional cross streets before heading for home.

All in all, I was pleased with the ride. The temperature was 65f and the sun was shining.

While loading the cycle into the car I heard on the radio that Richie Havens had passed away… I loved listening to him on the live Woodstock album and I was lucky enough to see him perform live on the campus of the University of Kansas in the early 1970’s. My sisters invited me, their little high school aged brother, to come up to see Richie Havens and Taj Mahal perform. The memory that sticks with me after all these years is the look of disapproval my sister gave me when I couldn’t stop starring at a certain coed. Here I was, 16 years old, completely “twitterpated” with this girl…I mean, I was mesmerized  I couldn’t stop looking at her.  I can’t describe the “look” my sister shot me exactly, but if you have an older sibling, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about…

Music

 Richie Havens: Freedom (Live Woodstock)

Taj Hahal: Ain’t Nobody’s Business but My Own

Entry #8) Hello Nudduh, Hello Faddah

I apologize for my last entry. The lack of sunlight or something must be getting to me because I’m usually not that whiney.  I’m sure Entry #7) sounded like the first 7/8’s of Alan Sherman’s 1963 smash hit Hello Mudduh, Hello Faddah 

Anyway, I'm sorry...

Weather-wise, this past Sunday began like the previous six mornings: skies were overcast and the ground dampened by overnight rains. Temperatures were expected to warm-up to near 60, but scattered showers were also in the mix so I was prepared for more of the same. Around noon I drove downtown to pick up some bagels (3 Everything, 3 Cinnamon-Raisin) and all the fixings (salmon, plain cream cheese, cream cheese with chives.) As I was leaving the house I sensed that the sun was trying to burn its way through the cloud cover. By the time I exited the car in front of Einstein’s Bagels the sun had indeed made its appearance. The warmth I felt started me to thinking that maybe this would be a good day for an outdoor ride. While waiting in line for my bagels I realized the some of the other patrons were using Einstein’s as a rest-stop as they made their way along the Illinois Prairie Path. The shining sun was having the same affect on us  as it did to the campers in the closing refrain of the song.

Upon returning home I donned a pair of shorts and a sweat-shirt, loaded my cycle into my Rav 4 and drove to the train-station parking lot. And soon enough I was On the Road Again (Not By Willie Nelson)

On Sunday, IPP users were split 60/40 between foot traffic and cyclists. And practically everyone was using proper trail etiquette, staying on the right hand side of the trail and calling out “on yer left” as they passed. Leashed dogs and speeding youngsters on bikes were my only concerns.

I am still getting familiar with starting and stopping so I headed east because there are fewer roadway crossing to deal with. As expected, actual handcycling is much more difficult than the stationary riding that I have been doing over the last few months. I realize that I need to put a greater emphasis on my strenght training and that a better sense of gear selection will be helpful.

My maiden voyage of 5.9 miles lasted 35 minutes, averaging almost 10mph and my maximum speed was 22.5 mph.

IPP Trail Image

 I made the mistake of pulling off to the side of the trail to take this picture while I was going up hill. You can't downshift while you are forcibly peddling .  UGH

#7) My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

OK, so I’m being terribly overly dramatic about it, but damn…the weather has not been cooperating in the least. It has been rainy, windy and cool for the last week, so no outdoor activities, except for last Sunday. On Sunday it was sunny and the temperature reached the mid 60sF. I went to church in the morning and then I did spring cleaning yard work in the afternoon. I worked until 4pm, but by then I was too tired to go for a ride.

I took my weekly Avonex injection Sunday night so Monday was my day of rest. You would think that after taking these shots for 15 years that my body would handle them better, but every so often I get flu-like aches the following day. On second thought, that reaction probably means that the medicine is still being effective, so I guess I will just deal with it.

Tuesday and Wednesday were rainy and cool but I did make it to the gym both days. I won’t bore you with the details of my routine. The weather was starting to wear on me but I realize that the warmer weather will be here soon. Thursday and Friday were the days that put me over the edge. Thursday was an indoor handcycle day. I decided to push myself since I had recovered from Monday’s achiness. I was on pace to set a personal best distance for my 45 minute ride when my water bottle slipped from its resting place and began rolling across the floor, leaving a trail of water. I couldn’t just leave the leaky bottle lie there so I hit the “pause” button and collected the bottle from the floor. Even though I began cranking again, the display continued to read “pause” so I had to decide which button to push to re-engage the counter. This was the 1^st time I had used the “pause” function and I had no idea which button to push, either the “pause’ button again or the “start” button. I chose “start”. The display reset itself  back to 45 minutes and my calories burned back to zero… I was so disheartened that I had lost my data…

Then Friday afternoon really got to me. I was about to get dressed for the gym when I decided to check my hand-me-down Macbook for Saturday’s weather. I had used the laptop a couple of times earlier in the day and every thing was fine. I pushed the on button and there was nothing…”Hmm that’s odd,” I thought. I assumed it was the battery so I plugged the charger up and still nothing… There had been issues with the cooling fan so I was assuming that it had finally burned itself out and the “mother-board” was probably fried. As I was unhooking the cords I noticed some teeth marks in the insulation. Our cat has some kind of vendetta against cords; I don’t know how many pairs of earphones have been ruined by this damn cat, but this was the most brazen attack yet. Instead of going to workout I had to find a store that carried Apple products. The stores closest to me, RadioShack, Staples and Target didn’t have any so I hade to drive to the next town over to BestBuy. No big deal, but on the drive over I began thinking about how the past week had turned out to be such  a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week.

Not to worry, the week wasn’t a total wash-out. I installed both a mirror and a speedometer on my handcycle. The above average rains that we have received so far this year have ended the drought conditions from last year. During my visit to the gym on Saturday I rode 9.30 miles and burned 372 calories in my 45 minute session. (A personal best)

Music

(Soul Saturday)

Marvin Gaye: Got to Give it Up

Rev. Al Green: Love and Happiness

Eddie Kendricks: Keep on Truckin

Entry #6) It Finally Happened

Temperatures have turned mild…no bitter wind…no snow…no rain.

So yesterday I took my cycle for a spin around my parking lot route. It is difficult for me to describe the emotions I felt as the air rushed past ears. I guess Freedom is the best way to describe what I was feeling. Now I will be able feel the wind on my face while seeing the world from my low-to-the-ground vantage point (or al least my little slice of DuPage County.)

I rode for a little more than 30 minutes, practicing starting, stopping, gear shifting and turning. The cycle is equipped with a Rapid-fire shifting mechanism, which I have never used before. I had to get familiar with which shift lever is for shifting to a higher gear, and which shift lever to downshift with. (Press larger lever with thumb to move to a higher gear: use your index finger to pull the smaller lever to down shift)

From an overhead view it looks like there are some long straight stretches of road, but unfortunately, there speed-bumps every 50 yards or so, which tends to break your momentum. The cycle handles pretty well once you get the hang of it but I did almost pull a Joey Chitwood (Click here for an example of a Joey Chitwood ) when I swerved to avoid one of the speed bumps. (Yes I had my helmet on.)The church parking lot (lower left-hand of map ) is the better bet, shorter stretches but no bumps.

There are a couple accessories I need to add before I venture beyond the parking lot:  

A mirror

A Hydration System

A Speedometer

Once I get these installed I think I will jump on to the Prairie Path for some back-to-nature views.

Music:

Richie Havens: Freedom (At Woodstock)

War: Lowrider  

#5) I can feel it coming

Ignore the Heart Rate 0
 I was not having a heart attack

As you can see I continue to post better times, but I still don’t know how this indoor SciFit program compares to actual handcycling. 

I must tell you that for the last 90 seconds my right leg was trembling like that of a teenager force to sit at the dinner table while hyped-up on too much coffee. That is how my system reacts to physical exertion and heat. I wear a towel soaked in cold water around my neck and take in some water two to three times during the 45 minutes to ride… I guess I should know by now that I shouldn’t be pushing myself, but sorry, that’s just how I am wired. The SciFit machine is equipped with a fan, but I don’t feel like it does much good. The wind that will be flowing through my hair once I am outdoors should help with that.

Speaking of outdoors, I might be able to hit my parking-lot circuit later in the week. 

The temperatures are suppose to be in the mid to high 40’s later in the week. I will have to investigate when the best time would be to ride to avoid the traffic.

Notable music:  

Robert Palmer: “Sailin’ Shoes / Hey Julia / Sneakin’ Sally Thru the Alley”  

John Lennon: The Ballad of John and Yoko / with lyrics 

Elton John: Pinball Wizard (from Tommy)

Asher Roth "His Dream

Peace out…

Entry #4 Still Nothing II (from 03.22.13)

The weather still an issue.  

A quick recap of last Friday’s ride:

Time: 45min Distance: 9.1 (PR) Calories: 350  Average WATT: 54

I pushed it for 40 minutes but a soccer-dad stopped 

Songs that motivated me:

Just like the young American Bandstand viewers, I like these songs because of their beat.

Alice Cooper “Halo of Flies”  

Yes really, I bought this album early in my high school days. I had ti hide it from my mother because Alice Cooper was frowned upon..

Taylor Swift “You belong to Me” 

Yes really, It’s because of the beat I tell ya.

Doug & the Slugs “Too Bad”

 I don’t know how to explain this one. Some Canadian band I heard somewhere along the line.  (Probably at Streetside Records in Westport)

Entry #3 Still Nothing

Although this winter season has been rather mild by Chicago standards, it is beginning to get rather old. Maybe it is because I keep monitoring the end-of-summer weather in Santiago, Chile. My eldest daughter recently relocated there as an ESL teacher at Santo Tomas Universidad, and what father doesn't keep a watchful eye on their daughter.

Or maybe it is because of the conversation I overheard a few weeks ago between a little girl and her mother as they dodged slushy puddles running through the parking-lot at Trader Joe’s.

“Mommy, is summer going to be here this weekend?”  

I couldn’t help but chuckle out-loud. The young mother looked my way and rolled her eyes as I replied with a shrug. “I like the way your daughter thinks,” I said. But the summer seed had been planted.

As far as my workouts go, I have changed thing up a little bit. Because upper-body strength is a key attribute, I realized that instead of going through the motions to maintain muscle tone, I do need to push myself to gain that extra strength. I’m still experimenting with the length and intensity of my sessions, so I don’t over do it. I now pyramid my lifts, doing 15 reps at ???, then 12 at ?? & 8 to 10 at ?.

On the exer-cycle, I have increased my time to 45 minutes total. Some days I will keep a constant resistance, other days, variable hills and then intervals the next. I attempt to monitor my mileage, calories burned and WATT statistics (total, peak and average) WATTS: Defined by WIKIpedia.

Like I said, I haven’t had a chance to go much real-world handcycling, so I really don’t know where I stand in the real world. All I can tell you is this: On January 1, I weighed 182 lbs., today, I weigh 174lbs. I have also begun to make a record of my workouts in a composition book.

3/16/13 174lbs. rode 8.65 mile in 45 minutes, avg WATTS 45 burning 300 cals.

MP3  Play list

1^st song*  Rank and File by Rank and File 

Best song Take me, I'm Yours by Squeeze 

Last: Take a Walk on the Wild Side Lou Reed   

3/17/13 Rest

3/18/13 174lbs. 8.8 miles in 45 mins , avg 48 WATTS, burning 330 cal

MP3  Play list

1^st song*  Rank and File by Rank and File  

Best song: Beat Crazy by Joe Jackson 

Last: Secret of Life by Faith Hill 

1^st Song*: Although I have my MP3 set on shuffle it always begins with “Rank & File” which is ok because it is very upbeat.