So, I am now 13 weeks into my personal challenge and also we've made it through the 10 weeks of the Biggest Winner competition which is part of the Las Vegas Corporate Challenge. I certainly had hoped that I could report more progress, but some was made. OK, I did lose 25 lbs. for the Biggest Winner competition. According to their scale, I weighed in at 438 lbs. and weighed out at 413 lbs. I am happy with that, but one of my teammates left me in the dust losing an impressive 41 lbs. over the competition - Well Done Glen!!!!
I would like to believe the scale as accurate, but my weight loss is measured against my personal scale at the house. When I got home, I weighed myself and it showed 416 lbs. I'll take it. that means at the halfway point of my personal 6 month challenge I have lost 42 lbs. Now I just need to follow through and keep losing more weight. In the past, once the competition has ended I've reverted to bad eating habits. I won't allow myself to do that any more.
On the cycling front, 9 days into the National Bike Challenge I have gotten in 9 rides. Last night's was a late ride. I realized at 9:00 pm that I had yet to ride, so I changed and headed out for a short ride. Now, I will be honest here and admit that all of my rides have been short so far, but the important thing is that I am riding.
Showing posts with label National Bike Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label National Bike Challenge. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Week 12
So, another week has come and gone and I was hoping to report that I have lost all of the pounds gained last week and while that is not true, I have lost 1 lb. I'm a bit perplexed as to the reason for this as my eating hasn't changed significantly from my successful routine of the initial 10 weeks of this journey. All I can figure is that I've reached a plateau and I need to work through things and stay the course. I know that changes will come. The only disappointing thing is that Monday is the final weigh in for the Biggest Winner challenge and I feel bad that I am not performing better for my teammates.
On a positive note, I have gotten in a couple of short rides over the last 2 days for the National Bike Challenge. I am very happy that I am out and riding. Now I need to get into a steady routine and increase my daily mileage. there is a bit of frustration associated with the challenge as they are having big issues reporting the data they are collecting for the challenge. The post on the site yesterday says it may take up to 3 weeks for them to fix all of the issues. Seems like a long time to me. The good news is, though, it has given me the small boost I needed to get my butt on the bike.
My goal is to stay hyper-focused this week and see if I can't make a decent number on the scale for the weigh in on Monday. I know putting some time in on the bike will certainly help in that regard.
On a positive note, I have gotten in a couple of short rides over the last 2 days for the National Bike Challenge. I am very happy that I am out and riding. Now I need to get into a steady routine and increase my daily mileage. there is a bit of frustration associated with the challenge as they are having big issues reporting the data they are collecting for the challenge. The post on the site yesterday says it may take up to 3 weeks for them to fix all of the issues. Seems like a long time to me. The good news is, though, it has given me the small boost I needed to get my butt on the bike.
My goal is to stay hyper-focused this week and see if I can't make a decent number on the scale for the weigh in on Monday. I know putting some time in on the bike will certainly help in that regard.
Monday, May 2, 2016
And so it begins - National Bike Challenge 2016
Yesterday was the start of the National Bike challenge for 2016. It runs from May 1 through September 30 and the goal is to ride as much as you can, either recreationally or to commute, during that time period. You earn points which can earn you prizes from national and local sponsors of the event. I got my first ride for this year's challenge in yesterday morning. It wasn't very long but I enjoyed it and to be honest, it didn't wipe me out as I had feared it would with my lack of riding.
I chose to ride a bit challenging of a route as it was uphill all the way to the turn around. I spent most of the ride out in one of my lowest gears and just grinding away, but I made it and I enjoyed the downhill on the way back, if I was a bit timid. I did max out at 24.4 mph but with a stop sign at the bottom of the hill, I wanted to make sure the brakes were going to work well so I used them a few times on the way down. :)
My plan is to get in a ride every day that I can and to do that some days I will be riding before work and some days after. Today will be an after day as I will be helping my grandson get his tube fixed so he can accompany me on my ride this evening.
I chose to ride a bit challenging of a route as it was uphill all the way to the turn around. I spent most of the ride out in one of my lowest gears and just grinding away, but I made it and I enjoyed the downhill on the way back, if I was a bit timid. I did max out at 24.4 mph but with a stop sign at the bottom of the hill, I wanted to make sure the brakes were going to work well so I used them a few times on the way down. :)
My plan is to get in a ride every day that I can and to do that some days I will be riding before work and some days after. Today will be an after day as I will be helping my grandson get his tube fixed so he can accompany me on my ride this evening.
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Week 11 Report
Ok, I'm late with this week's report. I apologize. You see I'm just not motivated to write it this week since it seems my consumption of salty foods has led to a small and temporary reversal on the scales. This is also why I didn't put the word 'progress' in the title of this post. The fact of the matter is that according to the scale there is no progress to report this week. Rather it shows I gained 3 lbs. I know it is temporary and that I can recover from this little bump, but it still makes me loathe to post about it.
On a different note, the national Bike Challenge starts on Sunday. It runs from May 1 through September 30. I made it my goal in 2014 to ride every single day during the challenge and I did. Last year I didn't ride but a handful of times. This year I hope to equal the frequency of ride that I accomplished in 2014, but I already know there will be some missed days as there is some travel planned in June and August which will preclude riding. Those days aside, I will endeavor to surpass at least my mileage total for the 2014 challenge.
On a different note, the national Bike Challenge starts on Sunday. It runs from May 1 through September 30. I made it my goal in 2014 to ride every single day during the challenge and I did. Last year I didn't ride but a handful of times. This year I hope to equal the frequency of ride that I accomplished in 2014, but I already know there will be some missed days as there is some travel planned in June and August which will preclude riding. Those days aside, I will endeavor to surpass at least my mileage total for the 2014 challenge.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Week 8 Progress
It has been a good week. I've been fairly good with my eating and have gotten in more steeps on a few of the days and I guess it all adds up. I got on the scale yesterday and it read 426 lbs. I am very happy with that. That gives me a 32 lb. loss over the 8 weeks since I made my personal goal. That is an average of 4 lbs. per week and that pace is right where I want to be.
While I am happy with my progress towards my weight goal, my activity level is still below where I think it should be. I really need to get into a routine where I can increase my activity, both walking and on the bike, in order to start reaping even more benefits from the weight loss. I am noticing a difference in my body and how my clothes are fitting but I need to start building the muscles as well as stamina. I need to get my mind into an active lifestyle mindset where I am focusing more on doing things and less on just watching my diet. The diet is still a priority but while it it is a major part of the equation, it is still just a part of it.
Looking ahead to May and the National Bike challenge, my goal for this year is to beat my 2014 total of 3,136 points and 336.5 miles. I know that the only way to do this is through consistency and effort. During the challenge in 2014, I rode every single day. If I am going to beat my point total, I will need to do the same this year and increase the distance per ride. Who will join me for the challenge?
While I am happy with my progress towards my weight goal, my activity level is still below where I think it should be. I really need to get into a routine where I can increase my activity, both walking and on the bike, in order to start reaping even more benefits from the weight loss. I am noticing a difference in my body and how my clothes are fitting but I need to start building the muscles as well as stamina. I need to get my mind into an active lifestyle mindset where I am focusing more on doing things and less on just watching my diet. The diet is still a priority but while it it is a major part of the equation, it is still just a part of it.
Looking ahead to May and the National Bike challenge, my goal for this year is to beat my 2014 total of 3,136 points and 336.5 miles. I know that the only way to do this is through consistency and effort. During the challenge in 2014, I rode every single day. If I am going to beat my point total, I will need to do the same this year and increase the distance per ride. Who will join me for the challenge?
Thursday, June 4, 2015
The wonders of technology
Technology is a wonderful thing. We have so many devices around us that work, essentially, flawlessly that we take them for granted. Case in point. I have a Garmin Forerunner 305 that I purchased when I was training for my first ever triathlon back in 2010. It is almost 5 years old at this point. Except for the one or two times I've screwed up hitting buttons incorrectly, it has performed essentially flawlessly for me.
It dutifully records my time, distance and actual track that I take when I do my rides. I can then, through the wonders of that same technology we take for granted, upload and share that information with the world through sites like Daily Mile, Map My Ride and Strava. I can also participate in a monumental group ride of sorts like the National Bike Challenge.
Now, like I said, this is something that we take for granted. I put my Garmin in the cradle, plug it into my computer and magically it uploads the data for me.
This morning it has let me down. I uploaded the data from my ride and while it does show the time and distance of my ride, that real wonder, the actual track of the ride is blank. No matter what I do it appears that the track file on the device has been corrupted and therefore is unusable for any of the applications that I link it with.
Now, I never believe that something isn't going to work the first time it doesn't. I've tried deleting and re-importing the data from the device but to no avail. I've tried loading it directly to various sites, including Garmin Connect, but again no luck.
This leaves me with what feels like an emptiness, a hole in my training. Up to this point I had this nice, what I felt was essentially complete record of my rides and now it feels like its ruined.
OK, its not that bad. When put in perspective it means nothing that I don't have the actual track I rode for a training ride around essentially the same course that I've ridden hundreds of time previously.
I do hope that this is but a singular glitch and will reset and clear out the Garmin in preparation for my next ride.
Get on your bike and ride!!!!
It dutifully records my time, distance and actual track that I take when I do my rides. I can then, through the wonders of that same technology we take for granted, upload and share that information with the world through sites like Daily Mile, Map My Ride and Strava. I can also participate in a monumental group ride of sorts like the National Bike Challenge.
Now, like I said, this is something that we take for granted. I put my Garmin in the cradle, plug it into my computer and magically it uploads the data for me.
This morning it has let me down. I uploaded the data from my ride and while it does show the time and distance of my ride, that real wonder, the actual track of the ride is blank. No matter what I do it appears that the track file on the device has been corrupted and therefore is unusable for any of the applications that I link it with.
Now, I never believe that something isn't going to work the first time it doesn't. I've tried deleting and re-importing the data from the device but to no avail. I've tried loading it directly to various sites, including Garmin Connect, but again no luck.
This leaves me with what feels like an emptiness, a hole in my training. Up to this point I had this nice, what I felt was essentially complete record of my rides and now it feels like its ruined.
OK, its not that bad. When put in perspective it means nothing that I don't have the actual track I rode for a training ride around essentially the same course that I've ridden hundreds of time previously.
I do hope that this is but a singular glitch and will reset and clear out the Garmin in preparation for my next ride.
Get on your bike and ride!!!!
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Rolling right along
Got up at 4:00 am again this morning to get in another ride before work. It was ride number 11 for the National Bike challenge. I've not gotten in as many rides as I had hoped so far this year, but I have increased the average distance of the rides. So far this year my average is right at 5 miles per ride. Not bad and not good.
Well, this morning's ride was challenging as the winds were out of the southwest at 17 gusting to 28 mph. The direction meant that as I was going up the slight uphill I was not only fighting gravity but the wind too. I'm guessing based on my perceived effort that it cost me about 1 mph on the uphill. Of course you would hope that would mean an increase on the downhill, but it was more of a cross wind and blocked by houses and a wall. Here's the map from strava:
This morning's ride was also challenging due to an idiot in his little white car. On my first lap, at the end of the block, on the short street (Mercer see the little bump in the lower left on the map above), I noticed a car in the driveway of a house with a woman leaning in through the open passenger door. The car was running with the lights on. No big deal.
After I made the 2 turns and headed up Quarterhorse towards Pebble, I heard an engine racing and the whit car came flying by doing about 60 in the 35 mph zone. He passed me with a good bit of room so it was no big deal. he got to the stop sign and merely slow as he took the corner. When I finally made the corner and looked he was already approaching Durango (about 3/4 of a mile away) with his right signal on. He must have been flying down Pebble which has a 45 mph speed limit. I thought little more about it as I made my way around the rest of my loop.
As I got to the end of the block again, I saw the woman standing in the street looking away from me in the direction the car had traveled. As I didn't want to startle her, I moved towards the center of the street. As I was passing her, I heard an engine and saw headlights turning onto Westchester and come flying around the corner. I moved to the left side of the street, next to the parked cars and the car passed about a foot to my right. He probably wasn't even paying attention to what was in front of him. I'm glad I was defensive and had moved to the right or he would have run me down.
I shouted that people shouldn't drive if they were idiots, or something to that effect and kept going on my way. I had thought about stopping and letting the driver know just what an idiot he was, but figured he was likely drunk, it seeming like they were coming home from a late night since it was 4:20 in the morning. My common sense and discretion prevailed and I just kept riding, thinking to myself lots of nasty things I would like to say to the driver.
It figures that there were only 2 cars that passed me this morning on my ride and one of the two was a total idiot. Anyway, when I next passed the house the car was gone and there was no one outside. My guess was that they were dropping the woman off and needed to run to the store to get her something. Th irony is that I ride in the early morning to try and avoid the idiots on the road but it seems they still find a way to find me. :)
Other than that it was a good ride and I enjoyed myself.
So, get on your bike and ride!!!!!!!!
Well, this morning's ride was challenging as the winds were out of the southwest at 17 gusting to 28 mph. The direction meant that as I was going up the slight uphill I was not only fighting gravity but the wind too. I'm guessing based on my perceived effort that it cost me about 1 mph on the uphill. Of course you would hope that would mean an increase on the downhill, but it was more of a cross wind and blocked by houses and a wall. Here's the map from strava:
This morning's ride was also challenging due to an idiot in his little white car. On my first lap, at the end of the block, on the short street (Mercer see the little bump in the lower left on the map above), I noticed a car in the driveway of a house with a woman leaning in through the open passenger door. The car was running with the lights on. No big deal.
After I made the 2 turns and headed up Quarterhorse towards Pebble, I heard an engine racing and the whit car came flying by doing about 60 in the 35 mph zone. He passed me with a good bit of room so it was no big deal. he got to the stop sign and merely slow as he took the corner. When I finally made the corner and looked he was already approaching Durango (about 3/4 of a mile away) with his right signal on. He must have been flying down Pebble which has a 45 mph speed limit. I thought little more about it as I made my way around the rest of my loop.
As I got to the end of the block again, I saw the woman standing in the street looking away from me in the direction the car had traveled. As I didn't want to startle her, I moved towards the center of the street. As I was passing her, I heard an engine and saw headlights turning onto Westchester and come flying around the corner. I moved to the left side of the street, next to the parked cars and the car passed about a foot to my right. He probably wasn't even paying attention to what was in front of him. I'm glad I was defensive and had moved to the right or he would have run me down.
I shouted that people shouldn't drive if they were idiots, or something to that effect and kept going on my way. I had thought about stopping and letting the driver know just what an idiot he was, but figured he was likely drunk, it seeming like they were coming home from a late night since it was 4:20 in the morning. My common sense and discretion prevailed and I just kept riding, thinking to myself lots of nasty things I would like to say to the driver.
It figures that there were only 2 cars that passed me this morning on my ride and one of the two was a total idiot. Anyway, when I next passed the house the car was gone and there was no one outside. My guess was that they were dropping the woman off and needed to run to the store to get her something. Th irony is that I ride in the early morning to try and avoid the idiots on the road but it seems they still find a way to find me. :)
Other than that it was a good ride and I enjoyed myself.
So, get on your bike and ride!!!!!!!!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
User Error
Got up at 4:00 am again this morning to go for my ride. I had checked out my rear tire again last night and it needs replacing. There is a pronounced wiggle to it. It appears to be "throwing a belt" in one spot where it is off center about 1/8". Not a huge amount but very noticeable and I believe indicative off an impending total failure if I put too much stress on it, like cornering at speed.
I didn't want to not ride this morning as I wait for a new tire to arrive, so I decided to do some easy laps around the block. I grabbed my Garmin, headed out and got ready to ride. Once the Garmin had acquired the satellite signal, I hit the start button and heard a peculiar beep. It was a combination of the high and the low beep the Garmin makes when it starts and stops recording the ride.
I headed out and started making some gentle laps around the block. About 6 laps in, I decided to check my time as I was curious what my pace was taking it easy. I was dismayed to see 00:00:00 on it. It seems the peculiar beep was because I had double tapped the button when I started it, thereby immediately turning it off. I hit the button to start it and verified it was, in fact, running.
I completed another 6 laps and called it a morning. Looking at my Strava, it shows that I started the ride at 4:10 but only had moving time of 14:28 and a distance of 2.84 miles. The elapsed time, however, was 29:35. It was obviously user error.
Oh well. I know I went the distance and my health will benefit from it, even if there is no record of the true distance. :)
As for the tire, while the tread is not overly worn, you have to figure I have stressed the tire much more than a normal rider would due to my weight. Looking at the rides I've done since I put those tires on the bike in 2013, I've got over 1200 miles on the tires and I figure that's worth about twice that for an average rider. The other thing I noticed on close inspection of the tire, is that the ride half is noticeable worn more than the left half. The reason for this is that the vast majority of the turns I make on the bike, especially at speed, are right turns so it makes sense.
I hope you can get on your bike and ride!
I didn't want to not ride this morning as I wait for a new tire to arrive, so I decided to do some easy laps around the block. I grabbed my Garmin, headed out and got ready to ride. Once the Garmin had acquired the satellite signal, I hit the start button and heard a peculiar beep. It was a combination of the high and the low beep the Garmin makes when it starts and stops recording the ride.
I headed out and started making some gentle laps around the block. About 6 laps in, I decided to check my time as I was curious what my pace was taking it easy. I was dismayed to see 00:00:00 on it. It seems the peculiar beep was because I had double tapped the button when I started it, thereby immediately turning it off. I hit the button to start it and verified it was, in fact, running.
I completed another 6 laps and called it a morning. Looking at my Strava, it shows that I started the ride at 4:10 but only had moving time of 14:28 and a distance of 2.84 miles. The elapsed time, however, was 29:35. It was obviously user error.
Oh well. I know I went the distance and my health will benefit from it, even if there is no record of the true distance. :)
As for the tire, while the tread is not overly worn, you have to figure I have stressed the tire much more than a normal rider would due to my weight. Looking at the rides I've done since I put those tires on the bike in 2013, I've got over 1200 miles on the tires and I figure that's worth about twice that for an average rider. The other thing I noticed on close inspection of the tire, is that the ride half is noticeable worn more than the left half. The reason for this is that the vast majority of the turns I make on the bike, especially at speed, are right turns so it makes sense.
I hope you can get on your bike and ride!
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Issue Not Solved
As I mentioned yesterday I had an issue developing with my bike which I attempted to rectify last night. I needed to do a bit of maintenance anyway, so I changed my clothes and headed to the garage after dinner.
My first order of business was to replace the front tube. Fortunately I have a couple of tubes here that I purchased as back-ups so I wouldn't have to run to the store if I was ever in need. Unfortunately the valve length on the one I choose was a bit shorter than what I had on the bike. My wheels are very deep V in order to provide more strength and shorter valves just don't work. I believe I had 75 mm valves on the bike and the one I was replacing it with was only 45 mm. It was barely long enough.
I installed the new tube and paid particular attention to how true the tire was within in the wheel. I've had issues before where I've not seated the tire properly and had the tube blow out on me. Once I was assured it was evenly mounted, I inflated it to the recommended max of 84 psi and put it back on my bike.
Next I wanted to make sure it was true so I gave it a few fast spins and the front tire looked great. I checked all of the spokes to make sure none were loose and it was good.
Then I turned my attention to my rear wheel. I gave the pedals a few spins and notice a slight imperfection in the tire as it went around. It wasn't much but I could see it. I slowly applied the brakes to see if I could isolate the spot. the wasn't any real high spot as the distance from the pads to the wheel never varied. I was able to find the spot and it appears to be a slight imperfection in the rear tire itself. It wasn't seated quite right in that spot.
I let out some air and tried to make sure the tire was seated properly on the rim. There is a reflective whitewall on my tires that I tried to make sure was evenly spaced around the rim. I seemed to have taken care of the issue, but checked the spokes, just to make sure and one seemed slightly loose to me in the same area of the wheel. I tightened it up a bit and gave it a spin. Things seemed to be better so I cleaned up and went in.
This morning I went for another 4:00 am ride and it seemed that the bike was indeed better, at least at first. As the ride progressed, however the thumping and slight wobble came back and seemed to get worse the farther I rode. It became very noticeable by the time I headed back in after 6 miles. So, tonight I need to look at the rear wheel again and I think I may need to change the rear tire.
Get on your bike and ride!
My first order of business was to replace the front tube. Fortunately I have a couple of tubes here that I purchased as back-ups so I wouldn't have to run to the store if I was ever in need. Unfortunately the valve length on the one I choose was a bit shorter than what I had on the bike. My wheels are very deep V in order to provide more strength and shorter valves just don't work. I believe I had 75 mm valves on the bike and the one I was replacing it with was only 45 mm. It was barely long enough.
I installed the new tube and paid particular attention to how true the tire was within in the wheel. I've had issues before where I've not seated the tire properly and had the tube blow out on me. Once I was assured it was evenly mounted, I inflated it to the recommended max of 84 psi and put it back on my bike.
Next I wanted to make sure it was true so I gave it a few fast spins and the front tire looked great. I checked all of the spokes to make sure none were loose and it was good.
Then I turned my attention to my rear wheel. I gave the pedals a few spins and notice a slight imperfection in the tire as it went around. It wasn't much but I could see it. I slowly applied the brakes to see if I could isolate the spot. the wasn't any real high spot as the distance from the pads to the wheel never varied. I was able to find the spot and it appears to be a slight imperfection in the rear tire itself. It wasn't seated quite right in that spot.
I let out some air and tried to make sure the tire was seated properly on the rim. There is a reflective whitewall on my tires that I tried to make sure was evenly spaced around the rim. I seemed to have taken care of the issue, but checked the spokes, just to make sure and one seemed slightly loose to me in the same area of the wheel. I tightened it up a bit and gave it a spin. Things seemed to be better so I cleaned up and went in.
This morning I went for another 4:00 am ride and it seemed that the bike was indeed better, at least at first. As the ride progressed, however the thumping and slight wobble came back and seemed to get worse the farther I rode. It became very noticeable by the time I headed back in after 6 miles. So, tonight I need to look at the rear wheel again and I think I may need to change the rear tire.
Get on your bike and ride!
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Biking is cool
And I don't mean just cool as in way cool, but cool as in temperature. This morning I got up again at 4:00 am to get out for my ride. I noticed it was a bit cool in the house so I opted for my long sleeve jersey instead of my t-shirt that I have been riding in. I got to the garage and checked my tire pressure to find my front tire down to less than 20 lbs. That is not a good thing when yesterday I had topped it off at 84 lbs.
I managed to pump it back up and close the valve with no audible hissing so it seemed good to go. The inner part of the valve appears to be bent but it looks like it holds the air in. I'll need to replace the tube, though, as I don't trust it.
I opened the garage and immediately felt the temperature difference. It rained here in Las Vegas yesterday and there was actually humidity in the air, which combined with the cool 51 degree temperature made it feel almost cold. OK, I don't want to hear about true cold from you northerners, I know how cold it can get, but for here, it was cold. Add to that riding at up to 21 mph this morning and my fingers were quite cold!
As I worked out the stiffness in my legs and got to the faster portion of my morning route, I noticed that the bike just didn't feel right. I didn't trust it going into the turn so I did something I almost never do and that is hit the brakes to slow for the corner. The second lap felt wrong as well.
I changed it up and went around the block instead of the longer loop and there was a distinct, almost thumping when I was going faster. It felt like a tire was out of round. I stopped after the second lap and tried to see what was up but I couldn't see anything obvious. I actually suspect a loose spoke or two. I'll need to get out there and take a look at it this evening.
Many people aren't as tuned into the performance of their bike as I am, but I need to be. At 425 lbs. I'm putting a great deal of stress on the components and if one starts to fail, it can quickly become catastrophic. So, when I feel the bike is off I normally stop riding until I have a chance to check it out.
The good news is that was ride number 5 for the National Bike Challenge and I am slowly accumulating points. It also feels good to be getting back out there on a much more consistent basis.
I hope you get on your bike and ride!!!!
I managed to pump it back up and close the valve with no audible hissing so it seemed good to go. The inner part of the valve appears to be bent but it looks like it holds the air in. I'll need to replace the tube, though, as I don't trust it.
I opened the garage and immediately felt the temperature difference. It rained here in Las Vegas yesterday and there was actually humidity in the air, which combined with the cool 51 degree temperature made it feel almost cold. OK, I don't want to hear about true cold from you northerners, I know how cold it can get, but for here, it was cold. Add to that riding at up to 21 mph this morning and my fingers were quite cold!
As I worked out the stiffness in my legs and got to the faster portion of my morning route, I noticed that the bike just didn't feel right. I didn't trust it going into the turn so I did something I almost never do and that is hit the brakes to slow for the corner. The second lap felt wrong as well.
I changed it up and went around the block instead of the longer loop and there was a distinct, almost thumping when I was going faster. It felt like a tire was out of round. I stopped after the second lap and tried to see what was up but I couldn't see anything obvious. I actually suspect a loose spoke or two. I'll need to get out there and take a look at it this evening.
Many people aren't as tuned into the performance of their bike as I am, but I need to be. At 425 lbs. I'm putting a great deal of stress on the components and if one starts to fail, it can quickly become catastrophic. So, when I feel the bike is off I normally stop riding until I have a chance to check it out.
The good news is that was ride number 5 for the National Bike Challenge and I am slowly accumulating points. It also feels good to be getting back out there on a much more consistent basis.
I hope you get on your bike and ride!!!!
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
We took the Bronze Medal
In Monday's post I mentioned that I was proud of my team and that I had lost 28 lbs. as part of the Corporate Challenge's Biggest Winner Competition. Well I'm happy to say that as a team we lost a total of 85 lbs. which equates to 6.16% of our initial body weight. This was good enough to earn us 3rd place and a bronze medal in the competition. YAY TEAM!
Subsequent to that I got on my bike and rode on Monday. I rode 2.7 miles. Not bad for my 5th ride of the year. Yesterday I got up at 4:00 am and rode another 4.1 miles. Increased the distance nicely. This morning I got up once again at 4:00 am and rode 5.4 miles. Again a healthy increase in distance.
I think I've started a trend here I hope to carry on through out the rest of the National Bike Challenge. So far I've gotten in 3 rides for a total of 72 points. I feel like I'm well on my way towards my goal of eclipsing last year's mark. I plan on keeping up daily riding and have a good average so far.
So, I hope you too can get on your bike and ride!
Subsequent to that I got on my bike and rode on Monday. I rode 2.7 miles. Not bad for my 5th ride of the year. Yesterday I got up at 4:00 am and rode another 4.1 miles. Increased the distance nicely. This morning I got up once again at 4:00 am and rode 5.4 miles. Again a healthy increase in distance.
I think I've started a trend here I hope to carry on through out the rest of the National Bike Challenge. So far I've gotten in 3 rides for a total of 72 points. I feel like I'm well on my way towards my goal of eclipsing last year's mark. I plan on keeping up daily riding and have a good average so far.
So, I hope you too can get on your bike and ride!
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
What to write
I have written very little on here of late because not a lot has been happening. At least not in the losing weight and getting fit department. My weight has been fluctuating a few pounds up and down over the last 3 weeks. Part of that is a change in medication from my doctor and my body deciding it needed to take a few days to adjust. It wasn't a major adjustment but he was a little concerned about some blood work results that were just outside of normal levels.
I have been getting in some steps with my Fitbit and I must say I have added steps that I wouldn't have taken just because it is in my pocket. Now my weekly totals look small compared to some people's daily totals, but the fact that I'm getting up and moving more is a good thing. Its just so hard sometimes when your job puts you at a desk, in front of a computer 8 to 10 hours a day.
Unfortunately I have not been riding my bike and so have no stories there. I have no good reason to not ride, right now. I guess its just laziness. Not to mention the fact that I'm busy, but not that busy. That will be changing as the National Bike Challenge NationalBikeChallenge.orgis coming up starting May 1. I hope to match last year's performance but might not make it every single day as there are a few travel days in there when I won't have access to a bike. I'm shooting to pass my point total for the entire challenge, though.
I have been getting in some steps with my Fitbit and I must say I have added steps that I wouldn't have taken just because it is in my pocket. Now my weekly totals look small compared to some people's daily totals, but the fact that I'm getting up and moving more is a good thing. Its just so hard sometimes when your job puts you at a desk, in front of a computer 8 to 10 hours a day.
Unfortunately I have not been riding my bike and so have no stories there. I have no good reason to not ride, right now. I guess its just laziness. Not to mention the fact that I'm busy, but not that busy. That will be changing as the National Bike Challenge NationalBikeChallenge.orgis coming up starting May 1. I hope to match last year's performance but might not make it every single day as there are a few travel days in there when I won't have access to a bike. I'm shooting to pass my point total for the entire challenge, though.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Another week gone already
I can't believe another week is already gone in the Biggest Winner challenge. Our team results still remain positive and I couldn't be happier! Personally, I am down another 5 lbs. this week to 437 which is awesome. As a team we are down an additional 13 lbs. this week which brings our total to 36 lbs or 2.6%. This is a great start and we have good momentum going for the challenge.
I am pleased with our results overall, but this is a long competition and there are 7 more weeks to stay focused and on track. I know I can actually do better by increasing my activity and am planning on more bike riding as I get ready for the National Bike Challenge which will be running again this year from May through September. I plan on surpassing last year's totals by riding every single day from May 1 through September 30.
What are you doing to get stay fit and healthy?
I have a suggestion:
Get on your bike and ride!
I am pleased with our results overall, but this is a long competition and there are 7 more weeks to stay focused and on track. I know I can actually do better by increasing my activity and am planning on more bike riding as I get ready for the National Bike Challenge which will be running again this year from May through September. I plan on surpassing last year's totals by riding every single day from May 1 through September 30.
What are you doing to get stay fit and healthy?
I have a suggestion:
Get on your bike and ride!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
National Bike Challenge stats
Yesterday was the end of the National Bike Challenge. The challenge ran from May 1st through September 30 and it was designed to promote cycling across the country.
I was a little late to the party and joined on May 12. The challenge is the catalyst which spawned my personal challenge to ride 180 days in a row. To date I have ridden 139 days consecutively.
What is really great about the challenge is how cyclists support and encourage others along the way. I actually joined the challenge with 47 other riders from my work. We had a pair of awesome organizers (thanks Keely and Eric) and everyone was motivated to ride. What I like is that you could see how well you were doing not only on a national scale, but a state local and organizational scale as well.
Let's break down the statistics.
Above is my overall statistics. I rode 336.5 miles in 140 rides over the course of the challenge. That earned me 3,136 points which placed me #4,757 out of 47,087 riders nationally.
Locally I was number 23 out of 202 riders.
At my workplace I was #9 of 48 riders. Not too bad at all!
What I liked about the challenge is that they gave 20 points for getting on the bike and riding at least a mile on a day. They then awarded a point for each mile ridden. This rewards perseverance which I how I placed so high.
I am certainly glad I participated in the challenge and look forward to it again next year.
Get on your bikes and ride!
I was a little late to the party and joined on May 12. The challenge is the catalyst which spawned my personal challenge to ride 180 days in a row. To date I have ridden 139 days consecutively.
What is really great about the challenge is how cyclists support and encourage others along the way. I actually joined the challenge with 47 other riders from my work. We had a pair of awesome organizers (thanks Keely and Eric) and everyone was motivated to ride. What I like is that you could see how well you were doing not only on a national scale, but a state local and organizational scale as well.
Let's break down the statistics.
Above is my overall statistics. I rode 336.5 miles in 140 rides over the course of the challenge. That earned me 3,136 points which placed me #4,757 out of 47,087 riders nationally.
Locally I was number 23 out of 202 riders.
At my workplace I was #9 of 48 riders. Not too bad at all!
What I liked about the challenge is that they gave 20 points for getting on the bike and riding at least a mile on a day. They then awarded a point for each mile ridden. This rewards perseverance which I how I placed so high.
I am certainly glad I participated in the challenge and look forward to it again next year.
Get on your bikes and ride!
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Of Time Zones and Application Interfaces
From the title you might think this post has something to do with my day job where I am frequently testing applications in various scenarios to make sure they perform as intended. That is not the case, though. This has to do with how my data is being displayed for a ride I did Monday evening.
You see, there were some family matters to attend to and since I was running short on sleep I didn't get up and get my ride in before work on Monday. In fact I didn't get in in right after work, either. I eventually got my ride in at 10:34 pm on Monday. Now I didn't go far, being so late. Nor was I out long - the ride was only about 9 minutes. I did get my ride in for the day, though.
I uploaded the data to Daily Mile, Plus 3 and Strava with no issues. I also uploaded it to Map My Ride which interfaces with the National Bike Challenge to track my progress. Everything looked good until I went back into the site on Tuesday and it showed that while the ride was on 6/23, it posted to 6/24. Looking at the National Bike Challenge as well, it showed I had missed the ride on 6/23.
I went back into Map My Ride and attempted to make a change to show the ride on the 23rd. Unfortunately when I made the change it moved the ride to the 22nd. I changed it a second time and now it displays correctly in Map My Ride, but from what I understand is that once the data from a ride is uploaded and synced to the National Bike Challenge site, it cannot be changed "for the integrity of the contest."
So I am now left with an empty day where I did in fact ride. I wrote to the support people at the National Bike Challenge but I know they are going to tell me the fault lies with Map My Ride. I also wrote the support people at Map My Ride, but don't have high hopes of a resolution.
Is this a big deal in the overall scheme of things - no, not at all, its just that one day stands out like a sore thumb in the midst of all the other days in a row that I've ridden, which at this point stands at 40 days in a row with just under 100 miles in my personal challenge.
Get On Your Bikes and RIDE!!!!!!!
You see, there were some family matters to attend to and since I was running short on sleep I didn't get up and get my ride in before work on Monday. In fact I didn't get in in right after work, either. I eventually got my ride in at 10:34 pm on Monday. Now I didn't go far, being so late. Nor was I out long - the ride was only about 9 minutes. I did get my ride in for the day, though.
I uploaded the data to Daily Mile, Plus 3 and Strava with no issues. I also uploaded it to Map My Ride which interfaces with the National Bike Challenge to track my progress. Everything looked good until I went back into the site on Tuesday and it showed that while the ride was on 6/23, it posted to 6/24. Looking at the National Bike Challenge as well, it showed I had missed the ride on 6/23.
I went back into Map My Ride and attempted to make a change to show the ride on the 23rd. Unfortunately when I made the change it moved the ride to the 22nd. I changed it a second time and now it displays correctly in Map My Ride, but from what I understand is that once the data from a ride is uploaded and synced to the National Bike Challenge site, it cannot be changed "for the integrity of the contest."
So I am now left with an empty day where I did in fact ride. I wrote to the support people at the National Bike Challenge but I know they are going to tell me the fault lies with Map My Ride. I also wrote the support people at Map My Ride, but don't have high hopes of a resolution.
Is this a big deal in the overall scheme of things - no, not at all, its just that one day stands out like a sore thumb in the midst of all the other days in a row that I've ridden, which at this point stands at 40 days in a row with just under 100 miles in my personal challenge.
Get On Your Bikes and RIDE!!!!!!!
Friday, June 20, 2014
36 days in a row
OK, I have to be honest here, when I put together my personal challenge of riding 180 days in a row, I knew there would be easy days and there would be hard days. I knew some days just getting on the bike would be a struggle because of... you name it: heat, wind, rain (we can hope can't we???), schedule, etc. What I have found through the first 36 days is that even with these obstacles (except for the rain) it hasn't been hard at all. I actually look forward to riding and get a little anxious in the evenings if I haven't ridden yet.
Sure some people might argue that my 1 mile rides are cheating just a bit, but I say I made up the challenge and that a 1 mile ride is just fine. I didn't start the challenge for the purpose of riding any specific distance, I started the challenge to try and make riding more a part of my life.
I am actually looking forward to the days coming soon when I will ride multiple times in a day with my grandchildren. Sure those rides will be relatively short, but the fact that I am riding is what's important. That it's with my grandkids will be quite the added bonus.
Having this challenge coincide with the National Bike Challenge just makes it that much better. Because of the number of rides I have been doing, I am in the top 10 riders in my company and number 29 locally as of this morning. that is awesome! I never dreamed that I could do that well in a challenge against some serious riders. Sure most of them have much higher mileage totals than I do, but my daily riding is garnering me lots of points.
I hope everyone has a chance to get out and enjoy themselves. Remember to be safe out there but...
GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!
Sure some people might argue that my 1 mile rides are cheating just a bit, but I say I made up the challenge and that a 1 mile ride is just fine. I didn't start the challenge for the purpose of riding any specific distance, I started the challenge to try and make riding more a part of my life.
I am actually looking forward to the days coming soon when I will ride multiple times in a day with my grandchildren. Sure those rides will be relatively short, but the fact that I am riding is what's important. That it's with my grandkids will be quite the added bonus.
Having this challenge coincide with the National Bike Challenge just makes it that much better. Because of the number of rides I have been doing, I am in the top 10 riders in my company and number 29 locally as of this morning. that is awesome! I never dreamed that I could do that well in a challenge against some serious riders. Sure most of them have much higher mileage totals than I do, but my daily riding is garnering me lots of points.
I hope everyone has a chance to get out and enjoy themselves. Remember to be safe out there but...
GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE!!!!!!!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
The Challenge is going well
So, a couple of weeks ago I set a challenge for myself (here) to ride my bike every day for 180 days. I'm here to say that the challenge is going well and it is working. It is getting me on my bike, even for short short rides, on days when I would have passed because of this or that. I know those this or that's are just excuses, but they would have kept me off the bike.
What's nice about the challenge as well is that it encompasses another challenge: The National Bike Challenge. I am excited to be part of our work place team, which is part of the local team under the Las Vegas Bicycle Coalition. Personally I hadn't heard of them until I signed up for the challenge. Through my efforts I have so far earned the Silver Badge.
The National Bike Challenge runs until September 30. I hope to keep earning many more points and possible improve my ranking as my mileage goes up throughout the summer. Currently I am ranked 16th in my company, 41st locally and 9118th nationally. Not to shabby!
I hope everyone can find an activity they love and stick with long term. Cycling is my activity.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!
What's nice about the challenge as well is that it encompasses another challenge: The National Bike Challenge. I am excited to be part of our work place team, which is part of the local team under the Las Vegas Bicycle Coalition. Personally I hadn't heard of them until I signed up for the challenge. Through my efforts I have so far earned the Silver Badge.
The National Bike Challenge runs until September 30. I hope to keep earning many more points and possible improve my ranking as my mileage goes up throughout the summer. Currently I am ranked 16th in my company, 41st locally and 9118th nationally. Not to shabby!
I hope everyone can find an activity they love and stick with long term. Cycling is my activity.
Get on your bikes and ride!!!!!!!
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