3leggeddog

Bought some Ultima Wild Raspberry and used it for the first time Saturday. Actually I had some at work Friday, but that was really to see how I’d react to it. So far, I like it. Not too sweet, taste isn’t too bad (it has a little malt-like taste), and it went down easily. I mixed it a bit stronger than recommended (1 1/2 scoops to 24oz water) because the single scoop has a very bland taste. Not sure it’s better/worse mixing it like this, but I like the flavor better.

I did notice that it didn’t leave my mouth dried out or sticky after drinking it and I didn’t need to drink as much to kill any thirst I had. At least that’s the way it seemed. And it tastes much better warm than the Heed ever did. I’m riding again tomorrow so it’ll be interesting to see how I do with it a second time.

Filed under: Nutrition For Endurance | Digg! this story. | No Comments »

Summer is officially here in MS. Rode early morning yesterday and it was like riding through a steam bath for the first half of the ride. It did, interestingly enough, get cooler (or less humid) about an hour or so into it.

Yesterday was a great ride. We went a route I’ve never done before and about half way into it, I realized why I like riding. The people I rode with were fun, there was a little bit of competition going on, and the scenery in rural MS was awesome. Riding again Monday morning.

Also realized I need a new battery for my heartrate monitor strap. Stupid thing’s only a year old.

Logbook Activity

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 05/24/2008
• Time: 06:50:00
• Total Time: 2:38:00.00
• Average Speed: 13.86 mph
• Max Speed: 27.1 mph
• Average Cadence: 84
• Max Cadence: 109

Filed under: Cycle | Digg! this story. | No Comments »

For the past year or year and a half I’ve been riding with a combination of water, Heed, and grape Powerade.   On a ride earlier this week, I finally decided that Heed is just not right for me.  It’s way too sweet and I don’t like to drink it anymore.  I thought I was mixing it too strong, but even after toning it down, it’s still hard to drink for the whole ride.  To be honest, I’ve never been thrilled with the taste (Lemon Lime), but hated throwing it out and wasting the money. 

I’ve thought about switching to Ultima, which has zero sugar, but wanted to see if anyone had any opinions on it or other options. I sweat a lot when I ride so I want something to help get the electrolytes back in me while on the road.

Any help would be appreciated.

Filed under: Nutrition For Endurance | Digg! this story. | 3 Comments »

Logbook Activity

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 05/19/2008
• Time: 17:52:00
• Total Time: 1:14:58.00
• Average Heart rate: 165
• Max Heart rate: 180
• Calories: 1384
• Distance: 17.3 miles
• Average Speed: 13.85 mph
• Max Speed: 23.4 mph
• Average Cadence: 86
• Max Cadence: 109

Filed under: Cycle | Digg! this story. | No Comments »

Rode in 22 mph gusts yesterday and that, friends, was a first. There were several times when I had to lean into the wind to keep from getting blown into the other lane. It was interesting to say the least. Also noticed that I was able to get my HR back above 172 and not die. Not sure if that was due to the GU I had or just getting used to cardio again. Either way, I ain’t complaining.

Also need to work on getting my cadence up. I spin better in the low 90’s and tried to change gears to stay there, but the wind threw a kink in some of my plans. Oh well, just something else to work on.

Recovery ride tomorrow…yes, I know it should have been today but plans changed at the last minute.

Logbook Activity

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 05/11/2008
• Time: 14:05:00
• Total Time: 1:48:37.00
• Average Heart rate: 157
• Max Heart rate: 180
• Calories: 2122
• Distance: 26.4 miles
• Average Speed: 14.58 mph
• Max Speed: 23 mph
• Average Cadence: 85
• Max Cadence: 107

Filed under: Cycle | Digg! this story. | No Comments »

I’ve discovered recently that the first 10 or so miles of a ride really sucks. It’s the time when I think, “Go home, you can’t do this” or “This sucks, go home” or several other things. I’ve had to learn to ride through it and to keep going, but I’m curious if others out there have the same problem. I know of only one other person that does and it’s someone I ride with. We’ve talked about it and I was grateful to know she felt the same way. Once I/we get past the 8 to 10 mile mark, I/we start to enjoy the ride.

Anyway….just wondering if you have the same issue when you start your workout.

Also noticed that I’ve lost quite a bit of cardio fitness since I’ve been sluglike the last few months. At one time, a heartrate of 172 was still relatively comfortable…I mean, it was still tiring, but I knew I could hit 180 to 182 for a short time without dying. Yesterday, though, I was sucking wind at 172 and it really made me mad. I read somewhere that an elite athlete who takes a 2 week break will require up to 4 weeks to regain the same fitness level they had when they took a break. Guess this means it’ll only take me 5 weeks.

Logbook Activity

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 05/06/2008
• Time: 17:47:00
• Total Time: 1:26:52.00
• Average Heart rate: 155
• Max Heart rate: 172
• Calories: 1373
• Distance: 20.8 miles
• Average Speed: 14.37 mph
• Max Speed: 25.8 mph
• Average Cadence: 83
• Max Cadence: 126

Filed under: Cycle | Digg! this story. | No Comments »

Took the bike out last night (a Guru Flite if you must know) and helped a friend mark up some brand new road! Wahoo! Ended up riding about 12 or so miles which was good considering how late I left work. We marked the road every 1/2 mile so now I can use it for intervals.

The nice thing about working out is that it’s really helping me sleep. I’ve had trouble going to sleep for a while, but these last two weeks have been great. One question though…do you know if they make Breathe Right strips for dogs?

Trey, 3leggeddog #1, snores like a freight train. He’ll rattle the windows and to get him to stop, I have to get out of bed and move him or roll him over. Happened twice last night so I thought I’d check on the Breathe Right strips. It’s either that or make him sleep in the other room…If I do that, though, he’ll sulk and there is nothing more pathetic than a sulky 3leggeddog.

Filed under: Cycle | Digg! this story. | No Comments »

Found an excellent place to do intervals…if I ever decide to do them.

Logbook Activity

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 04/29/2008
• Time: 18:30:00
• Total Time: 00:45:00.00
• Distance: 12 miles
• Average Speed: 16 mph

Filed under: Cycle | Digg! this story. | 1 Comment »

One of THE most confusing things for me is knowing what to eat/not eat while a) training and b) trying to lose weight. For some reason, eating to train and eating to lose weight seem mutually exclusive. I’ve been doing South Beach for a while, but I’m not losing weight. The friends I’m doing it with are firmly convinced it’s because I have sugar in my coffee. Please…if sugar in my coffee negates the whole diet, then something about it is seriously flawed. Please don’t tell me to try Splenda. I’ve tried it and I don’t like it. I honestly think I feel worse when I eat it plus I can taste it in coffee and ice cream and anything else you put it in.

I read an article in this months Bicycling Magazine about eating to train, and it was actually a pretty good article. It showed some sample menus for a week and they were pretty similar to what I’d eat on SB, but without Splenda. It also talked about eating low glycemic index foods, which I’ve heard is also good. Unfortunately, the article assumes a 165lb rider eating 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day and says to adjust based on your weight. OK, first, I haven’t been near 165 since I was in high school and second, how do you adjust? Do I take my weight, figure out percentage-wise how different I am from 165 then increase the calories by that percentage?

I guess I’m just frustrated with the whole thing because I can’t figure out the right way to approach eating. I’m afraid to cut carbs because I don’t want to get wiped out while exercising, but I don’t want to eat too many because I’ll gain. And then there’s the whole “count calories, don’t count calories” side of the argument. Anyway…if you’ve got any suggestions or comments, they’d be much appreciated. Bottom line is I need to drop about 40lbs.

Filed under: Uncategorized | Digg! this story. | 2 Comments »

Started lifting two weeks ago using a program developed by my trainer. I don’t user her anymore, but she was nice enough to leave me a pretty good program. Several of the lifts are supersets, which I really like, although they do wear you out. We cover all the major muscle groups and it’s really the first workout that I feel will have some benefit in the long run.

Logbook Activity

• Type: Strength Training
• Date: 04/28/2008
• Time: 11:30:00
• Total Time: 00:45:00.00

Filed under: Strength Training | Digg! this story. | No Comments »