Between a Rock and a H'ard place » Road Biking

Last ride of the Year

Howard — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 23:36:20 +0000

Reconnected with my friend Bill today for a ride among the citrus and avocado groves of Camarillo, Santa Paula and Somis. Great views from the top of Balcom Canyon followed by a speedy and cold descent into the flat lands filled with orchards. The bike lanes were filled with dung-like piles of squashed mud from the farm equipment. Why don’t they clean these roads more frequently? Some sections forced me into the car lane but not before a quick glance behind to ensure I would not be a hood ornament. Overall a good ride as measured by my increased cadence and calming piece of mind.

Injured and can’t go out and play :(

Howard — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:06:21 +0000

Here a list of things I do when I can’t run:

Break into my stack of books I have been wanting to read…… Reading Longitude right now. This is the story of how one man solved the problem of accurately defining how to calculate longitude in the 1700s.

Organized my home office and filed my bills…. Lots of paper that defines what was bought and sold. I should just have my investment company send me electronic versions.

Update my website and blog…. This was long overdue and I finally converted to WordPress for my gravityh.com. Also restarted my Blog and worked out how to publish directly to my blog from my iPhone.

Read Wikileaks….so much to read. Eye opening that our government has such abysmal security controls. Train the dog… This is fun and will benefit Blaze in many ways. Got him to sit and stay but “speak” will require some more work.

Eat a big breakfast… Love this.. Usually on a Bluebird day like today I would be out on the cold trail trying to warm up. Instead this morning made an omlette and bagel while warming up to a cup of coffee.

Focus on my “take for granted” relationships… I should not wait for injuries to focus on this as relationships need constant attention and are the most important. I find these moments a wake up call and I learn more about myself on the important people in my life.

Go for a bike ride …if those parts are working ….this is a double edged sword. Yes it helps my cardio but could also delay the healing process if I push too hard or underestimate or miscalculate what is really injured. Getting out doing something physical has mental benefits and allows me to cope with my own issue of feeling left out from running with friends or exploring on my own.

Ok. Got To Go. Think I will go for a bike ride.

Getting back in the Saddle

Howard — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 03:07:37 +0000

Got a pulled calf muscle and trying to keep my fitness by getting back on the bike. Great riding in the balmy SoCal weather.. This was my second climb up the Rock Store in 2 days. Feeling better about my fitness and motivation but it will be a while before I get back to the shape I was in last year. Curious to see what tomorrow brings.

New Garmin 705

Howard — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:04:23 +0000

Just broke down and ordered one. I figured with all the riding it
will help me train better.

Back to Blogging….again

Howard — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 19:40:02 +0000

Now that I am back from China and the Hardrock 100 I will try to get back to blogging. I have been accepted to compete in the Furnace Creek 508. This is a 508 mile solo bike race across the Mojave Desert in early October. I have about 10 weeks to get my long distance cycling fitness in order. This will be a step up from other endurance activities and frankly it scares me. That a lot of time in the saddle. On a recent 200 mile ride I got to feel what this will be like. It was and epic ride where my saddle sores got the best of me. I will work out these kinks for the 508.

Here are some recent training:

7/25 – Bike Mulholland Loop – 42 miles
7/24 – REST – feeling a little left knee ITB pain… also not sleeping well the past 2 nights
7/23 – Run – Backbone trail, 10 miles west of Kanan Road
7/22 – Bike – Rock Store, Yerba Buean from Mulholland, Stunt Road, 40 miles

7/21 – Bike with Bill, PCH, Latigo Canyon, Mulholland, 70 miles
7/20 – REST,
7/19 – Bike with George, Mulholland Loop, 42 miles
7/18 – Run – Pt Mugu State Park, 10 miles