Sunday, January 30, 2011

This is one way to ruin a good ride.

So this morning I went out and bought a new pair of cleats. Put them on my shoes, got the bike ready. I was feeling ambitious. Went out to the main rode and headed north. first 22 miles was a constant rise, a total of 2000 feet, I just plugged away. At the turn around point I got some water and ate a cereal bar.

I figured the ride home would be easy. It was but I encountered a stiff head wind that would slow me down even going down hill.

Then with about 10 miles to go I must have come to stop light and when it was time to get going again I got out of the saddle to pedal and was hit by a sharp pain in my toes. Those ten miles were torture. By the end I was whimpering at every little bit of pressure on the pedals.

But I did break my personal distance record(modest as it is) by putting in 44 miles.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Pushing The Limits

I hit the rode today getting in a whopping 37.33 miles. I felt good for the first 30, but then it was tough going after that. I hope to have the energy tomorrow to go on a shorter recovery ride.

I definitely need to get a good pair of cycling gloves  to help take the stress of my hands and shoulders.

Happy Riding...

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Movie fiend

I wanted to catch up on some movie watching so I spent a few days at the theater. I saw The Green Hornet, The Fighter and True Grit.

The Green Hornet was cheesy movie that offers nothing more than some brainless entertainment. Seth Rogen just plays the same character he always plays, himself. Jay Chou was at least a fresh face in a Hollywood movie and I hope to see more of him in the future. Don't waste your money watching it in 3D.

The Fighter was a damned good movie. Christian Bale was amazing. The guy can really act, his physical transformation was impressive as is his willingness to make these transformations. Wahlberg did a fine job portraying Mickey Ward. 

True Grit was another amazing movie, the Coen brothers killed it once again. Jeff Bridges really shows true grit in this movie as does Hailee Steinfeld and Matt Damon. Like most Coen brother films, the dialogue is whip-smart and very memorable. Cinematography and pacing is top-notch. A must see movie.

Maybe next week I will get a chance to check out Black Swan.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

A great day for a ride.

Ok so the first week of the year was a little slow going. I put in less than 20 miles on the bike. In the two months since I came back from Italy I have been rather stressed about a number issues, including not having a job or any money, and that stress had a real impact on my desire to ride. Thats part of the reason I set the goal of 2500 miles.

Today was different. I was much more motivated! I got in a 18.5 mile ride this morning and its only Monday. It was a cool day, maybe 42 and sunny when I started, but not to bad. Its the first time I have been on the bike with such low temps. This bodes well for getting back on track this week and its a huge confidence booster. The plan now? keep riding.

On another note I finally found a job. Its just a part time gig but its a huge load off my shoulders. Also the Avionics program is a go in March.

Till next time...

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Years.

I hope every one had a great new years. I know I ate way to much. Every year you always hear about people making goal for the new year. This year I decided to make one the relates to my bicycle. My goal is to ride 2500 miles in 2011, that might seem like a lot but it's only 50 miles a week. I have my nifty bike computer to keep track of my miles on a per ride basis and I have set up a spreadsheet to keep track of my miles as I go. Also I set up a ticker that you can see at the top of the page so any one who reads this blog can see my progress.

I was hoping to get a ride in today but its only about 25 degrees outside, so I'll have to wait till it gets a little warmer. Until then I will be working out on my trainer to get to a higher fitness level.

Ok that's enough for now. Happy New Years!