Date: 12/04/09
Weight: 155!
Breakfast: Latte
Lunch: Half of a freezer pizza, Orange juice
Dinner: PBJ,
Snacks:
Workout:
Notes:
Since my post on my dietary challenges, I’ve gotten lots of offers of help. This is awesome. Obviously, I’m not the only one who has a hard time with diet (America, I’m looking at you and your 32% childhood obesity rate). But for this discussion let’s consider the athletes I know and with whom I pop wheelies.
My coach is currently trying to drop a few in order to fine tune his performance. He’s already a successful cat. 1 roadie in Boulder, but losing weight safely will help him out as he’s naturally built with a bit more muscle mass than most cyclists. The Gehling is hoping to cut some weight so that (he’s not such a fatty) he can move up the cat. 1 ranks. As for me, I’ve never really considered my diet very carefully as part of my training, and usually carry 5-10 lbs more than necessary. But now I need to look at all the variables in my racing, because next year I play on the big kids’ playground. And I want to rock out.
The diet plan is still on the way, but in the mean time I learned one of the worst ways to lose weight: I got a nasty cold this week and it took almost 5 lbs out of me. Naturally, some of that was water weight, but I also completely lost my appetite. Super duper.
So I haven’t ridden or done sit-ups. I have, however, had a ton of water and vitamins and naps. I’m getting fairly pro at napping.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
trainer rides, and being a fatty-fatty-fat-fat.
I've been riding the trainer about four hours a week, lately. It will ramp up once the coach and I can meet to discuss specific plans, but for now I'm playing video games and cleaning the bike fleet.
As the off-season has hit, I've tried to make it more of a transition season, but this has proven difficult. I've never raced a year as seriously as this past one, though I'm used to taking an entire month completely off of the bike. Also, in winter, my diet usually goes to hell, and I lose quite a bit of the fitness I'd gained as I pack on a few kilos. While I still eat way too much for the small training volume I'm doing, I've found a few keys to keeping semi-fit; They mostly involve trying new things.
This year I've managed to keep riding occasionally by getting a cyclocross bike and mixing up the training. In terms of motivation to ride, this new type of riding has been the biggest key to my success. Rail trails might not be the most exciting riding, but I've only ever ridden them a few times in the past, so it's something new. Cross bikes are a great way to explore south-central Wisco, and we've gotten some awesome group rides going as a result.
Now I'm transitioning to the trainer due to the mercury drop in the last few weeks. I've some frostbite damage in my fingertips from riding all winter in Mpls, so I can't ride outside much past freezing. G&C have a nice trainer studio setup, complete with projection movies and obese felines. I've also managed to improve my trainer setup by using my CX bike and buying a new television.
The greatest challenge I have in training (not just in the transition seaosn, but always) is my diet. My upbringing didn't include much nutritional education, so I've had to teach myself how to eat healthily. The three areas I've been working on are content, volume, and timing.
I know not to eat fast food, and have gotten better this eyar about packing lunches when I go to work to avoid grabbing Taco Bell (my dietary Achilles' heel). A healthy lunch is easy to make, in part because one can plan and choose ahead of time. Going out and making dinner at home when one is tired from a day at work are where it gets tricky. I've been known to eat a large bowl of salsa with chips and have a tall glass of chococlate soymilk for dinner because I didn't feel motivated to make a healthy meal.
Packing a lunch for work also lets once control the volume of the meal. The bigger challenge comes when going out with friends or making dinner myself. Most portions for hommade meals are made to be split into two or three meals, but it's easy to eat an entire container of Macaroni and cheese in one sitting. Listening to how hungry my body is before I start eating, as well as planning meals ahead of time (even if it just involves thinking about dinner o the way home) help greatly.
Lastly, I'm a nighttime snacker. The calories I eat just before bed are the most wasteful, and avoiding that last snack is a strictly disciplinary measure. I also need to make sure I eat filling food for dinner. Not a high-volume dinner, but one that will make me feel full enough for a few more hours. And if I need a snack, I shouldn't drive to Taco Bell for a Crunchwrap Supreme.
With those three ideas in mind, I'm developing a diet plan that should help me maintain my goal weight for next year's racing season: 150 lbs. I raced this year at 155, and between September and now have put on four more. I need to safely cut almost 10 lbs before May, and I'm going to set my Spring training trip (in May) as a halfway goal.
More on eating like a bike racer coming soon.
As the off-season has hit, I've tried to make it more of a transition season, but this has proven difficult. I've never raced a year as seriously as this past one, though I'm used to taking an entire month completely off of the bike. Also, in winter, my diet usually goes to hell, and I lose quite a bit of the fitness I'd gained as I pack on a few kilos. While I still eat way too much for the small training volume I'm doing, I've found a few keys to keeping semi-fit; They mostly involve trying new things.
This year I've managed to keep riding occasionally by getting a cyclocross bike and mixing up the training. In terms of motivation to ride, this new type of riding has been the biggest key to my success. Rail trails might not be the most exciting riding, but I've only ever ridden them a few times in the past, so it's something new. Cross bikes are a great way to explore south-central Wisco, and we've gotten some awesome group rides going as a result.
Now I'm transitioning to the trainer due to the mercury drop in the last few weeks. I've some frostbite damage in my fingertips from riding all winter in Mpls, so I can't ride outside much past freezing. G&C have a nice trainer studio setup, complete with projection movies and obese felines. I've also managed to improve my trainer setup by using my CX bike and buying a new television.
The greatest challenge I have in training (not just in the transition seaosn, but always) is my diet. My upbringing didn't include much nutritional education, so I've had to teach myself how to eat healthily. The three areas I've been working on are content, volume, and timing.
I know not to eat fast food, and have gotten better this eyar about packing lunches when I go to work to avoid grabbing Taco Bell (my dietary Achilles' heel). A healthy lunch is easy to make, in part because one can plan and choose ahead of time. Going out and making dinner at home when one is tired from a day at work are where it gets tricky. I've been known to eat a large bowl of salsa with chips and have a tall glass of chococlate soymilk for dinner because I didn't feel motivated to make a healthy meal.
Packing a lunch for work also lets once control the volume of the meal. The bigger challenge comes when going out with friends or making dinner myself. Most portions for hommade meals are made to be split into two or three meals, but it's easy to eat an entire container of Macaroni and cheese in one sitting. Listening to how hungry my body is before I start eating, as well as planning meals ahead of time (even if it just involves thinking about dinner o the way home) help greatly.
Lastly, I'm a nighttime snacker. The calories I eat just before bed are the most wasteful, and avoiding that last snack is a strictly disciplinary measure. I also need to make sure I eat filling food for dinner. Not a high-volume dinner, but one that will make me feel full enough for a few more hours. And if I need a snack, I shouldn't drive to Taco Bell for a Crunchwrap Supreme.
With those three ideas in mind, I'm developing a diet plan that should help me maintain my goal weight for next year's racing season: 150 lbs. I raced this year at 155, and between September and now have put on four more. I need to safely cut almost 10 lbs before May, and I'm going to set my Spring training trip (in May) as a halfway goal.
More on eating like a bike racer coming soon.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
beautiful November weather
Date:11/21/09
Weather: Sunny and 40
Weight: 158.5
Breakfast: Bagel and cream cheese
Lunch: Snickers, honey roasted peanuts, MOJO bar
Dinner: Smoky John’s hamburger and potato salad
Snacks: a beer.
Workout: Rode to Belleville and back on the Hater with Abby, Gehling, and Claire.
Notes: We left at ten thirty with the intention of riding to New Glarus via the Hater. An incomplete multi-surface trail, the Hater is formally known as the Badger State trail. The first few miles leaving town and going south have yet to be completed and are ATV-style trail following an old train corridor. After an encounter with some dog poo, Abby turned back. The rest of us carried on and rode through the tunnel. It was totally metal. GEhling had a PROTOTYPE backpack along, so we made more clothing changes than Lady Gaga at the MTV awards.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
back on the bike, but mostly inside
Date: 11/17/09
Weather: Sunny and 45!
Weight: 157.5
Breakfast: Latte, Zucchini muffin (man it was good, but you could taste the butter!)
Lunch: ½ Chipotle Burrito
Dinner: Salmon pasta in a wine sauce at the Greenbush bar and restaurant.
Snacks:
Workout: commuter ride in and home, 100 sit-ups
Notes:
Date:11/18/09
Weather: 35 and rainy
Weight: 160.5
Breakfast: Cinnamon Scone and coffee. water
Lunch: other half of a chipotle burrito. Chips, guac
Dinner:
Snacks: GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!
Workout: 1 hour on the trainer, 100 sit-ups
Notes:
Date: 11/19/09
Weather: rainy and 45
Weight: 160
Breakfast: Quaker Oat Squares, milk, Latte, V8
Lunch: Turkey and Mashed potatoes. OJ
Dinner:
Snacks: chips and salsa. Banana.
Workout: 1 hour on the trainer and 100 sit-ups.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Parts for sale
My commuting bike from last winter (sans drivetrain) is probably the biggest thing listed here, and then there are some odds and ends. Here is the parts spec for it. If you want the entire thing, I’ll sell it for $250. Otherwise, the price listed next to each part is the asking price for just that part. All prices OBO, as the bike has some corrosion from a winter of riding. But hey, it's a winter cross commuter.
Frame: Nashbar aluminum cyclocross frame in a size 56. 130mm rear hub spacing. Comes with a disc-only fork, headset, non-QR seatpost collar and stem. 27.2 seat tube internal diameter. ($150)
Seatpost: Bontrager RXL carbon 27.2 x250($10)
Handlebar: Bontrager select flatbar. ($10)
Wheels: 700c/29” Bontrager Select disc (135mm rear hub spacing). ($80)
Brakes: Avid BB7 ATB disc brakes with Avid roundagon disc rotors. ($20)
Brake levers: Tektro ($10/pair)
Tires: Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase 700x35c ($10 each)
Saddle: Bontrager select Black ($10)
Another wheelset I have for sale is a pair of 26” Sun Ditch Witch rims on Shimano Deore 6-bolt disc hubs. Come with no-name rotors and cassette, as well as some slightly used Bontrager Earl tires. ($80)
catch-up
I store my training journal locally. This is an upload from the past few weeks.
Date: 11/01/09
Weather:
Weight:
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Dinner
Snacks:
Workout:
Notes: Ankle almost better, still stiff
Date: Monday 11/02/09
Weather:
Weight:
Breakfast: Cracker Barrel pancakes, eggs, bacon.
Lunch: Chicken kebob with peppers, mushrooms, pilaf, juice and water
Dinner:
Snacks:
Workout:
Notes: I was at Trek Business School in Waterloo all day
Date: Tuesday 11/03/09
Weather:
Weight:
Breakfast: Whole Wheat Bagel and a Latte
Lunch: Shrimp Jambalaya, pasta salad
Dinner: Nachos
Snacks:
Workout: None
Notes: 2nd day of Trek Business School and I was totally exhausted after getting home. I had some nachos and went to the first team meeting. When I got home at 9:30 I went straight to bed.
Date: Wednesday 11/04/09
Weather: Sunny, 45
Weight: 157 (I got a scale!)
Breakfast: Latte, Wheaties, OJ, grapes
Lunch: Banana, Carrots, grapes, water
Dinner: Chicken Pesto sandwich, salad, balsamic dressing
Snacks: Milk Duds (8)
Workout: Rode to work and back. Approximately 8 miles roundtrip.
Notes: My ankle is feeling good enough to ride on. No pain, just a bit stiff in the mornings and loosens up as the day goes on.
Date: 11/05/09
Weather: Sunny and 40s
Weight: 157
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Coffee, grapes
Lunch: hummus and carrots on whole wheat bread, grapes (I got some awesome grapes at the new Hy-Vee), craisins.
Dinner:
Snacks:
Workout: riding to work, sit-ups
Notes:
Date: 11/11/09
Weather: 45 and Sunny!
Weight: 152? Maybe I’m a little dehydrated.
Breakfast: Bagel and cream cheese, latte, OJ
Lunch: yogurt, carrots, plum
Dinner: Glass Nickel with banana peppers and pepperoni, red bull
Snacks:
Workout: 1.5 hours on the MTB trails on my CX bike.
Notes: It felt good to get back out riding with a normal ankle. While it was a bit stiff after the ride, my foot loosened up with a bit of walking and stretching. The season-end burnout I’d experienced has subsided and I’ve been riding to work more than driving, as well as riding the CX bike around town and taking whatever paths I encounter.
This exploration type of cycling has done a few things for me. First, it’s created a new kind of cycling that I haven’t done since I first moved to Minneapolis. Discovering a new place via bicycle allows you to cover greater distances than walking, and affords a greater level of interaction than driving. Meeting Madison via bicycle is a great experience.
Another fun aspect of riding the CX bike around town is that it’s a casual approach to base-building training. I’m not going to do any directed training until December or January, but keeping in shape is important.
Date: 11/14/09
Weather: Sunny, 40s
Weight: 159 (After lots of hydrating, I’m back to normal)
Breakfast: Just coffee and water.
Lunch: Tur-duck-en, mashed potatoes,
Dinner: Toast with jam
Snacks:
Workout: none
Notes: Today was the Lake Family Thanksgiving celebration. Since John is having hip surgery Monday and we won’t be having a normal Thanksgiving, John and Cindy (my parents) had all of their long-time vacation friends to Madison for a Tur-duck-en. Yes, that’s a chicken inside of a duck inside of a turkey, and it’s amazing. I restricted myself to one small portion of each item I tried, but was still full enough after the dinner that I had toast with jam around 7 and just drank water the rest of the day.
I will call today day 1 of eating healthy again.
Date:11/15/09
Weather: Sunny, high of 50
Weight:158.9
Breakfast: Oatmeal, brown sugar, banana, coffee.
Lunch: chicken stir-fry
Dinner: Coffee, water, small bean burrito with tomatoes and onions. Mango orange juice.
Snacks: a beer!
Workout: Rode to work and took the long way home. Maybe 15 miles total riding? No hard efforts, just cruising. 100 sit-ups.
Notes: Soon I’ll be printing up lists of my goals for next year. I’ll print three; one for my bathroom wall above the scale, one for on the refrigerator, and one for right by my bedroom door. I’m also going to be putting racing pictures up around my house. I find these keep me motivated when the first race of the year is 7 months away. Racing goals will be on there, as well as a few other life-type-goals I have. So far this year I’ve reached all of my goals except two. One of those goals was to win the Subaru Cup overall for my age group.
I’m working on a Google calendar of the WORS races. Hopefully I can get that published this week. Google Calendar is an awesome tool that I use daily and it keeps things nicely organized in a visual way that I love. My training, racing, and work calendars are all on it and I can access it from anywhere.
To digress: I overhauled my Procaliber and pulled a bunch of leaves out of the cassette before running it through the parts washer. After replacing some housing and the drivetrain cables, it should be ready for a few winter rides.
Date: 11/16/09
Weather: sunny, 50
Weight: 158.5
Breakfast: Wheaties, coffee, OJ
Lunch: Chicken bacon spinach wrap
Dinner: n/a
Snacks: Lots of water!
Workout: 2 hour spin on the cross bike, 100 sit-ups.
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