Summers End

Wow what a summer. April, I rode every day and was looking forward to a solid season of high mileage; then May hit. I was so lacking in energy and was tired All the time. I even took a few afternoons and went home early from work. I ended up riding only a handful of km. June 5 and a ride around Pigeon Lake; Arrrggg! I had cramps so bad my legs literally seized 6 times. I knew then something was wrong. Went to the Doctors, got some blood tests. Verdict: Highblood pressure, Diabetes II and high cholesterol. I was a sick boy! Got meds, a diet and slowly stared to ride!
July – Ride from Jasper to Banff – an epic ride, for 17 lucky riders,

Jasper to Banff VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Was supposed to be 18, but 5 minutes after starting a fast downhill run from the last big hill from Miette Hot springs, (my first 5 min of riding on the trip) screech, slide, rumble… I hit a patch of gravel on the side of the road and went down! Ended up with a dinner plate sized patch of road rash on my left cheek (butt).

Could not ride ie.: pedal for the rest of the trip OUCH!! Still had a great time being the sag driver. What utterly fantastic panoramas'!  So I had to wait three weeks before I could ride comfortably again. So far this year was becoming one of my lowest mileage years in a long time.

But since then things have picked up nicely.
I rode from Calmar to Bentley.

 
This was one of my bucket list rides; it took abit long than what i had planned due to detours and a lot of big hills but It was a great day of riding! 

In August we also got a chance to go to Calgary for my nieces wedding and to drop in for a visit in Cochrane to see and ride with Cornell.
The highlight of that was I got to squeeze into his Strada velomobile !!

ME WANT A VELO!!

I have tried to commute home from work or at least partially every other day in Aug ust and hope to do the same as long as the weather holds up this Fall. I did ride in one morning which was nice but I don't like the stress of arriving when clients are waiting and chomping for us to open up. I like morning riding alot the day seems "perky", full of promise and refreshing on those days i can ride somewhere in the morning.

Today I rode from Calmar a St.Francis - Warburg - Calmar Loop; another ride I that has been on my to do list for a couple of years

I Burned over 5000 calories. Did good on water just under 4 liters, and ate good: 1 cinnamon raisin bagel, 3"garlic sausage, 1 eatmore, a bit of black licorise, 50gm of beef jerky, a nut and fruit bar and 2 tabs of Fizz endurlytes and 7 caps for endurolytes. I Felt goodall day  no cramps or bonking in the +25 heat! just tired calf and thigh muscles; Great ride!!

I “hope" to add more on this blog, like the Garmin reports above and to chronicle more for the rest of the season. I hope to ride Lake Louise to Canmore later this September and to Ride around Pigeon Lake again. Plus Alice is planning a trip to Kelowna to pic apples yet this fall too. so we will see.
TTFN

My Best Friend

Don Martz

Died today of a massive heart attack. He was one of the few that I could be totally honest and open. We would laugh so hard of the commonest things in our lives we thought was so private. but ended up to be so everyday. If our wives only knew what we talked about.

I will miss him terribly – but he will be with me always.

You made it home first….See ya Later buddy…..

30 Days of Cycling

There are times you wonder why you make goals and commitments – Snow Day-  5 km of wet, slush and obstacles. If I did not make this self imposed challenge I would have missed an awesome short ride!

I loved it!

Set your self a goal this week!

Larry

30 days of Cycling

I was reading Kent Peterson's blog the other day and he was commenting how even he a major cycling commuter and car free family guy had gotten out of the habit of riding consistently he walks to work etc.) and how he missed it but was "out of the habit" so to speak. When you have stopped or slowed down doing something that it is hard to resume it.

Boy I understand that. After the winter and spring around here I find it tough mentally so get riding, I want to but I find a lot of excuses not too or I postpone it until it's too late.

Kent found a challenge that started April 1. Called 30 days of Cycling. You were supposed to sign up by the 1st and no matter what you ride for 3o days straight. If its raining, snowing, sunny, windy ; don't mater even if it's just a quick ride around the block.

JUST DO IT!

I think I need this type of motivation to get my head back into my riding and weight loss thing. So I started Saturday April 1. I am going to ride every day for 30 days too. So stay Tuned I will try to update this 1 or 2 times a week. See you on the road!

Larry

My Cheeks Are Sore!

Man ya just don’t realise how out of shape you are until you go for a long ride after 4 months of relative inactivity. I rode in from Calmar this afternoon- 20 km. Great weather and it sure beats riding a trainer like I did last year! It seems like the roads and paths are lot cleaner and it “warmer” too! 

So get your bike off the trainer and get some Vitamin D exposure.  Get a break from cabin fever syndrome and do something outdoors (like ride a bike) on Sunday! You never know how long the nice weather will last.

Some of us Rode in Feb ‘08

(gotta get those training kms in for the Jasper to Banff tour this summer, those mountain passes are gonna be a grunt)

Larry

Summers Gone - Where did all the Posts Go?

Arrg!!
Seems like I have all the best intentions about adding to this blog but, time seems to slip away…
So As the Fall progresses I will endeavour to catch up with what transpired in the last couple of months. Just a few highlights today.

June, July and August ended up being one of the coolest and wettest in recent years, We had the lowest attendance on average for our weekly Godspoke rides, we just got rained out to often or people just had things to do.

On a more personal note, my business really went through a tough time, it ended up being better than I thought but, the last 8 months have been extremely stressful to say the least. The current economic situation in N. A.  is effecting us and if things don’t improve … well I could be doing something else in the spring.  But that’s life. It keeps rolling along. As a good friend in high school used to say to me: ”let it ride, this too shall pass!” 

This is what helps me get through tough times (Besides relying and trusting My GOD) :


I made this poster with a modified quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that hits home with me :

“When you’re feelin’  low;
when the day didn’t go right;
when the stress becomes overwhelming; 
just grab your recumbent (bike) and
go for a spin down the road,
without a thought of anything but the ride you are taking.”

I did that so much this past summer, Just got on and wondered around Calmar for 17-10 km or so, just riding.

My recumbent is so much a part of my life. Cornell, the ‘Bent rider from Cochrane that I got the GRR from, said he was always amazed how quiet and smooth it was; I hear my self thinking those same thought often as I ride it. It’s such a great ride. It gives me such, simple pleasure, adventure, fitness and a great group of friends who share cycling too!

I passed my 10,000 km ride mark
both on total recumbent riding and for my C-KAP  tracking in August. Woo Hoo!  Some riders achieve this mark yearly, But I am quite satisfied that I have achieved it and I’m pressing for the 25,000 mark. (took me 5 great years) It may take me another 10 years or so, but it’s a goal – and if you don’t have a goal what do you achieve?  If I shoot for it, I will get closer-right. Its the journey that counts even more than the destination. ( Harry Kim- Star Trek Voyager :) ) 
I really like the Journey!!!

Well this is getting long, I will post more later about the rides we had this past summer and other cycling related thoughts.

TTFN & GB

1000 km

Tonight I rode past the 1000 km mark for the year! Yea! I know as I read the totals each year for CKAP that many people do that in a month - but I have a life and .... Well this past weekend  I also past 10,000 km (that I have been charting) of riding a recumbent. A milestone.

As I have posted before riding a recumbent has changed my life and I see riding one (or two or three) for alot of years to come. Some years I may get more in others less. Will I ever own a regular bicycle again - Maybe; but I know that I enjoy cycling, its part of my life now. I hope and pray I can still ride for another 25-30 years. But I made it to 10,000 - I only have another 991 to go to get a official CKAP reconigtion for riding 10,000 km since logging with them. I hope to reach 25,000, it might take me another 15 years of life getting in the way but I will enjoy every ride until I do.
 

At least riding has enabled me to get fit enough to try. I worry about the growth of obesity I see around me and a real lack of willingness to get off the couch, put down the cheezies, turn off the T.V. and get involved in some sort of ongoing healthy excercise! Just sit down in a mall andn watch the people going by. Too many people are getting heavier younger and as they get past thier 40's. I really believe that technology ie: the net and TV is ruining the health of the nation. The people I see in the gyms and engaged in fundraising athons are not the majority of the population. I just shake my head - cause even 5 years ago I there. It took a move and a little blue BikeE recumbent bike to get me on the the road to a healthier, broader life! 

See ya along the next 10,000- Larry

I’m A Cycle Tour Wimp (wannabe)

I came to the sudden realization tonight that I am a cycling tourist wannbe. A what?  I wanna be a cycling tourist but several things hold me back:

1) No time; really I run my own business; it is really feeling the economic times, a lack of staff and work does hamper taking time off during the summer season
2) Lack of funds; see above
3) where do I go
4) I really am a social person so who do I go with
5) Fat and somewhat lazy; I don’t like to ride more than 50-100 km in a day, several days in a row
6) Time and money; see above
7) Motivation; its a lot easier to live through others ride reports, isn’t it

I research all over the net, read ride reports, about others that just plan and then do it. I feel so tied down and constrained some times. I know that its not right to envy others but it can  weigh a person down.  I am slowly getting fitter to do these things, but I am still 50-60 lbs too heavy still. Got to be disciplined to get the fat off over the next 12 months.

Okay, If I really could plan and do it what/ where would I want go…

hmm …
day trips and S240’s for now
Jasper to banff in 5+ days  (2011?)
Quebec
Olympic Penninsula, Wash State or any ride in the Oregon/Wash area
Florida

Our cycling Group Godspoke and Marvelous Marv’s SDG Tours do some fun, challenging, thrifty rides. I am lucky to be a part of them. They are in my range: I guess I like to be a tourist that cycles, SAG’ed, low km days, low budget -  and they are a fun group of misfits to do things with!

Someday another real Adventure awaits; I have real fond (though some what pained) memories of the Southern B.C. trip a few years ago ( I got hurt and could not ride) but what an adventure!

It really is about time and money. At least I can take a week and Do the SDG Tour this year to Penticton. If I get fitter and keep my health, I still have 15 years or so to do a couple of bonafide cycle tours!!

Thanks for letting me vent. I am lucky, I know… I was just was planning to go to an event this summer in Kellogg, Id. the TOT. But came to the realization I don’t really have the money or time to go this year – and that sucks! The Penticton ride is not second rate in any way – its just that I have to go alone again without Alice, I wanted to go with her somewhere but we have to keep the shop goin,’ so we’ll have somewhat separate holidays again.  I had to be real in my hopes and expectations this year like thousands of others …

Well stay tuned , If you hang around long enough you can read the ride report. LOL
TTFN-& GB
Larry

Cool Day for A Charity Ride!

Saturday we set up for the the Annual MS Tour Training ride: Devon to Wilton Park Hall and back. This is a small way for Godspoke to give back to the community and help promote our group. This is the fourth year we have set up a refreshment stop for them. its always great to know that it is appreciated.

 

Happy Mothers Day Ladies!
Larry

April showers bring May....

So April is done. I surpassed my riding goal for the month with over 320 km. Cool and that was with a week of crappy cool weather. Diet wise not a great month I sort of plateaued, fumbled along, and zoned out. Partly it was weather change, partly needing a break, work and family and volunteer commitments. Mostly it has been a "okay sluff today start monday attitude. Every week. I lost motivation. Why I don't know, I really like the results and the comments I get, so what gives? I truly believe this was a hiccup. I know I need that mental kick in the arse to get back on track. So May its no excuses, every day is a new day, JUST Do IT.

I have had my Gold Rush for a month now and it is supassing my expectations. Yet  I sit here and realize that I have said that about every new bike I have gotten. But the other day I was riding into the wind for a 10 km ramble around Calmar and started to laugh. I was riding into the wind and enjoying it. All I could think about was "sorry Lance, IT IS ABOUT THE BIKE! he he he he. I am truly Blessed to have the oppurtunity to ride such a fun and efficient machine. Thanks to Keith who bought my TE and to Cornell who sold me his and to Uhaul for my over ride commissions and to Alice who puts up with it and hopes to gain a healthier hubby. And to an Awesome God who listens and hears and does bless His childern.
 My goal for May is to lose over 8 lbs and ride over 400km. Pray for me I'm going to need it. Next month I will post some pics of my ride and some of the Bling I have and a review of a couple of really cool addons.
TTFN -GB
Larry