It's been a couple of weeks since I blogged last, but that is absolutely not a reflection of a lack of biking. I have still been faithfully biking to work everyday. I haven't been able to take my longer route home as much these days due to being slammed at work and busy at home. This time of the year is our busiest at the University which results in me working later hours and then rushing home to play with the kiddos and eat dinner as a family. Below is a comparison of my latest stats:
Cycling Totals as of 07.16.10
Total Calories Burned: 18,784
Total Miles: 224
Total Ride Time: 15:10
Max. Speed: 33.97 mph
Avg. Speed: 14.65 mph
Cycling Totals as of 08.03.10
Total Calories Burned: 29,525
Total Miles: 351
Total Ride Time: 23:25
Max. Speed: 33.97 mph
Avg. Speed: 15.01
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Lazy
I had a meeting downtown at the Little America Hotel and wasn't able to bike to work today. I feel lazy for not biking. It actually was probably a good thing seeing as my quads are pretty sore from battling the hill the last couple of days. Tomorrow I will be back on my bike again and should pass the 200 mile mark!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Increasing the Pain
This week I have decided to make my commute home from work longer. If I continue taking the short 5 mile commute home everyday there is no way I am going to be able to accomplish the goals I have set. My plan is to gradually increase my commute length. As of yesterday I have increased my ride home to 8 1/2 miles which also includes the hill on 39th. Since I first climbed the hill I haven't stopped thinking about how good it felt (after not during). Eventually, I want to be able to climb this hill with ease! So for the record, as of today Hill on 39th=0, Me=3.
(This picture does not do this hill justice!)
(This picture does not do this hill justice!)
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
1 Month
This last Monday was officially 1 month since I bought my new bike. I am proud to say that I haven't driven to work once since that day! I am thoroughly enjoying my daily commute. It really helps me to clear my head before and after work. For the last week and a half I haven't been wearing headphones while I bike. I stopped listening to them after reading the rules for the ULCER race, which states "1. Helmets are required and NO headphones. When you wear headphones you are not only endangering yourself, but others who are on the ride. By listening to the sounds of traffic you can often sense danger while you have time to react." I never listened to them very loud, but I thought it would be good to get used to riding without them.
Over the past month, I have noticed an increase in my endurance and also in my ability to take on bigger hills. I still have a long way to go until I am confident enough to take on a century race, but I'm excited about the progress I've made. One month down, 13 months until next year's ULCER race and eventually the LOTOJA Race.
Over the past month, I have noticed an increase in my endurance and also in my ability to take on bigger hills. I still have a long way to go until I am confident enough to take on a century race, but I'm excited about the progress I've made. One month down, 13 months until next year's ULCER race and eventually the LOTOJA Race.
Rushing to Work
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Longer Ride Today
Today I had the chance to take a longer bike ride. I took 9th East all the way down to South Temple. Along the way I stopped by my brother Spencer's house and visited for a few minutes. I haven't seen him in a few weeks so it was nice to catch up. Once I got down to South Temple, I flipped around and headed along 9th again until 2100 South. From there I went up to Highland drive and followed that all the way home. The only bad part of the ride was the road between 2700 South and 3300 South. I think I would have been better off riding on a dirt trail. There are a ton of pot holes and ruts in the pavement. I will be sure never to take that strip of road again. Overall it was a great ride and I was surprised that once I was nearing home I felt that I could keep going. Below are my stats.
Total Time: 2:14 (Including time I stopped at Sports Authority & at Spencer's House)
Total Ride Time: 1:26
Total Distance: 21.82 Miles
Total Average Speed: 14.4 Mph
Avg. Heart Rate: 135 (Includes time listed above)
Total KCAL: 2124
Total Time: 2:14 (Including time I stopped at Sports Authority & at Spencer's House)
Total Ride Time: 1:26
Total Distance: 21.82 Miles
Total Average Speed: 14.4 Mph
Avg. Heart Rate: 135 (Includes time listed above)
Total KCAL: 2124
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Me vs. The Hill
Today after a long day full of meetings, I decided to take a different route home from work. I wanted to try something a little, well a lot, more challenging than I have done in the last several weeks. I was determined to take on a bigger hill. I'll have to admit, I was inspired by a video of Lance Armstrong in the 2000 Tour De France. He comes out of no where to attack the stage leader, Marco Pantani, on Mont Ventoux which happens to be one of the toughest climbs in the Tour. Here's a video of it below.
I decided to take on the hill at 3900 South and Highland Drive. It was grueling for me, but I made it up the hill without stopping. I then continued my ride up to 2300 East, took 23rd to the Cotton Bottom, and went down 6400 S. home. I'm definitely seeing time, speed, and endurance improvements already. Below are my stats from my ride home.
Total Time: 42:00 Minutes
Total Ride Time: 39:35 Minutes
Trip Distance: 8.65 Miles
Total Avg. Speed: 14.09 (The hills really brought down my avg. speed)
Avg Heart BPM: 163
Total KCAL: 980
I decided to take on the hill at 3900 South and Highland Drive. It was grueling for me, but I made it up the hill without stopping. I then continued my ride up to 2300 East, took 23rd to the Cotton Bottom, and went down 6400 S. home. I'm definitely seeing time, speed, and endurance improvements already. Below are my stats from my ride home.
Total Time: 42:00 Minutes
Total Ride Time: 39:35 Minutes
Trip Distance: 8.65 Miles
Total Avg. Speed: 14.09 (The hills really brought down my avg. speed)
Avg Heart BPM: 163
Total KCAL: 980
Monday, June 28, 2010
Back in the Saddle
I have never been a writer by any means and I'm not sure if anyone would really be interested in what I have to say. But anyway, I thought I could start writing a little bit about my adventures of training and cycling. Last year I was commuting by bike daily until I could no longer stand riding it due to the pedals always falling off, gears not shifting, and the fact that it was way too small for me. Three weeks ago, Renee and I broke down and bought a new bike for me. Since then, I haven't drove to work once. It feels so good to be back in the saddle again!
New Bike: 2009 Trek 1.5
I decided on the 2009 Trek 1.5 because of the great reviews this bike has received. The only thing that I wish this bike had was the Shimano Tiagra shifters instead of the Shimano Sora. This wasn't a deal breaker as this can be easily upgraded as I become a more experienced cyclist. (Especially since I bought this bike on 2009 clearance). Below is the review from Bicycling.com which chose the 2009 Trek 1.5 as their Editors Choice for New Riders (Road Bike Category).
"This year, in choosing our finalists in this category, we tried an experiment: We kept the drivetrain and parts spec similar (same model of derailleur on all bikes, for instance), but expanded the price range to see what a few more bucks would buy. We found that, in the case of Trek's 1.5, you get the most compliant ride of the group, with the kind of smoothness and ride tuning we'd expect from a bike that costs more than $1,100. Handling is novice-friendly yet not plodding. It delivers confidence from the start and yet, as your skills grow, the Trek 1.5 will feel more capable as well. The runners-up trailed close behind. The Cannondale CAAD 9 7's best attributes are its well-balanced handling and screaming value, while the Felt F95 sports a "let's go" attitude and race-bike fit that makes you want to head to the front of the pack. And they're both cheaper than the Trek. So why the 1.5? You pay only a little more, and that premium gives you a platform worth building on over the years. "
New Bike: 2009 Trek 1.5
I decided on the 2009 Trek 1.5 because of the great reviews this bike has received. The only thing that I wish this bike had was the Shimano Tiagra shifters instead of the Shimano Sora. This wasn't a deal breaker as this can be easily upgraded as I become a more experienced cyclist. (Especially since I bought this bike on 2009 clearance). Below is the review from Bicycling.com which chose the 2009 Trek 1.5 as their Editors Choice for New Riders (Road Bike Category).
"This year, in choosing our finalists in this category, we tried an experiment: We kept the drivetrain and parts spec similar (same model of derailleur on all bikes, for instance), but expanded the price range to see what a few more bucks would buy. We found that, in the case of Trek's 1.5, you get the most compliant ride of the group, with the kind of smoothness and ride tuning we'd expect from a bike that costs more than $1,100. Handling is novice-friendly yet not plodding. It delivers confidence from the start and yet, as your skills grow, the Trek 1.5 will feel more capable as well. The runners-up trailed close behind. The Cannondale CAAD 9 7's best attributes are its well-balanced handling and screaming value, while the Felt F95 sports a "let's go" attitude and race-bike fit that makes you want to head to the front of the pack. And they're both cheaper than the Trek. So why the 1.5? You pay only a little more, and that premium gives you a platform worth building on over the years. "
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