The Neglected Trainer

Off Season Training

I got back on the bike trainer today. I was awake at 4:45 AM and I knew I wasn't going to go back to sleep just to wake up at 6:00 AM. What to do...

I ran out of excuses:

• My bike was set up in the trainer in the basement waiting for me and collecting dust.
• Sitting next to my bike were my bike shoes and a clean pair of socks.
• Also laid out were my indoor bike training clothes (an old pair of bike shorts and a very breathable athletic T-Shirt).
• Plus, I recently purchased a 16 ft. headphone extension cord so I could listen to the TV while I'm on the trainer (the TV is hard to hear while on the trainer and I don't want to wake up the family).

Also, I had broken down and printed out a spreadsheet of Chris Carmichael's Weight-Loss Workout that I read about in Bicycling Magazine.

Obviously, once a month on the trainer is not going to do me any good. Especially since I was only able to complete 34 minutes of this workout before I ran out of gas. However, I do feel real good this morning having done at least this much. Now I just have to keep it up. Spring is coming and I don't like feeling so slow at the beginning of the biking season.

Biking at my New Job

My boss at my new job here at Monster Worldwide is an avid biker. He actually used to race and occasionally commutes to work via bike from his home nearby. He mentioned that when the weather gets better there is sometimes a group of riders that head out for a ride at lunchtime. I am looking forward to bringing my bike to work and getting in a few lunchtime rides.

I'll need to spend some more time on the trainer so I don't embarass myself with my early season legs.

Sheldon Brown 1944 - 2008

A local bike legend passed away this weekend. I never met the man nor did I realize how well known he was in cycling circles. I stumbled upon his site [Harris Cyclery] when I was working in Downtown Boston and intrigued by all the single and fixed gear bikes all the messengers were riding. I was considering resurrecting my old Schwinn Varsity from my youth and making it a city bike that I could ride around during lunchtime. I never did do that.

I saw his picture and thought "There goes an odd bird..."

Anyway, the tributes are popping up across the blog sphere. A Google search will find many, however I just like to highlight a few:

• fixedgear
• Bike Snob NYC
• Bike Commute Tips Blog
• BikePortland.org

He was indeed well known and will be missed by even those who never met him...

A tribute blog has been set up where tributes and memorial rides and such can be posted.

• http://sheldonbrown.blogspot.com/

Short Winter Ride

Road Biking with the Mountain Bike

I dropped one daughter off at a birthday party, the other daughter was home napping. After a quick run to the bike store to get an inside the vehicle rack for my father, I had just enough time to sneak a ride in. With the road bike all clean and waxed and set up in the trainer, I wisely rode my mountain bike. I'm glad I did. I saw a lot of potholes, puddles, sand, and mud. I even saw a couple of other bikers out and about.

Speed was not a goal

Just getting out was the goal. My legs were ok, but the winter biking hiatus has definitely taken their toll. I only did 8 miles, but it was frigging *

NOTE:

"Frigging" is actually in Firefox's spell checking dictionary!

cold and windy and I had to get back in time to go pick up my daughter.

The goal is to get enough riding in before the spring so that I won't be so rusty when the weather gets nice...