New Personal Milestone

Just wanted to share with my sleeve buddies that this was an EPIC weekend.  As some of you know, I'm the crew chief for racer Bob McEnaney who will attempt to do the Race Across America in June (3,000 miles, 12 day time limit).

As part of our pre-race prep, we rode the first 20% of the course this weekend... On Friday we set out from Oceanside, CA and rode from 10am until about 3 am Saturday, arriving in Blythe California (affectionately known as Time Station 3 on the race route) - 250 miles.  After a 3 hour sleep break we took off again and rode to Congress AZ, then turned around and rode back to Blythe, arriving at 4am - 275 miles.  Then Sunday, after another 3 hour sleep break,  we did another 50 miles back to near Brawley, CA.  So Bob did 575 miles roughly.

Two of us drove a support vehicle and we switched off driving and riding along with Bob, so I set a personal record on Saturday when I did 140 miles.  I also did 90 on Friday and 50 on Sunday - so I logged a total of 280 miles in 19 hours of riding.  That's the longest mileage in a single day for me, and the longest in a weekend.... 

Best moment?  10 mile, 3200 foot descent called "The Glass Elevator" into Borrego Springs.  45-50 miles an hour all the way down.  Insane fun, huge grin all the way down.

Toughest? 56 mile, slow climb from Parker, AZ to Salome, AZ into the wind for about 5 hours averaging 12 mph.  Smiled anyway - because I could do it!

For all of you just getting into some fitness activity... Here's my story. I bought my first road bike 19 months ago, a few months after surgery, and 14 months ago I bought my second bike (a serious road bike) and signed on with a coach.  i started slow, and I kept at  it.  It takes time, and dedication, but by improving a little every week you can build your fitness to a pretty amazing level in a year. 

My hat is off to people who like to go to the gym specifically to work out.  Having an "activity" based fitness program was important to me.  Just going to the gym isn't motivating enough for me.  Going to the gym BECAUSE it will help me be a better cyclist makes me want to go to the gym, makes me excited to go to the gym (well, not always, but usually).  Knowing I can pedal for 5 hours into the wind and have a smile on my face the whole time means the gym paid off...  

I never ever ever thought I'd be writing that I was able to ride 280 miles over a couple days.  VSG + work made it not only possible, but very fun.

Sur la plaque!

Tom

You are a true inspiration, Tom!  My hat is off to you and all your hard work 

that is totally AWESOME. looking forward to biking this summer or this spring if it ever gets here. Will be happy with a few trails around the area.

Tom-

I cannot even imagine this.  Keep going to that great place and keep telling us of your success.  GREAT!

Nancy

Thanks!

Next stop - I'm putting together a four person team for a 400 mile race in August...

Tom, TOTALLY AWESOME!

I'm pretty thrilled for you and uber impressed by your accomplishments in such a short time.

I am one of those gym ratty people who likes to work out for the sake of working out. Odd, I know when you think about where we've come from, but yeah, I do get off on the whole sweating, pushing father, heavier weights, getting stronger thing. I like what working out does for my shape, too. Going to the gym also takes a whole lot less time per week than what you do. My workouts take between 60 - 90 minutes depending on the workout for the day.

Last Friday my best friend was utterly amazed that I went to my workout because of my insane schedule that day (Work, Ron blew a tire so he needed a rescue, and I had to take the 12 week old pup to the urgent care clinic that evening for a really messed up back leg - turned out to be nothing more than a broken toe, but boy was I worried). My thought was it was the workout that kept me calm and centered and balanced enough to handle the other stuff.

You are absolutely right - activity is good.

I get what you say...   What I've found for myself, long-term, is that the great benefits you mention tend to be a bit "abstract" for me.  I need some concrete things to tie that workout to other than the numbers (and I am a numbers kinda guy).  Cycling is awesome for me because it produces insane amounts of data - so I can really see the results of my gym efforts. Better yet I could feel them.  I was climbing 9% grade hills yesterday at full power after 3 days of riding hard.  That's the result of 100 lunge+squats+jump squats... and it feels great.  Don't get me wrong - I like the gym.  I like it more because I can tie the results to something outside the gym that makes me feel good.

Makes complete and total sense.

I am terribly visual. Seeing minute changes in muscle mass, definition, how shirts and pants fit, etc.... all those things give me a great deal of incentive to continue on even when I don't really feel like it.

Speaking of which... When I left Minneapolis I didn't wear a belt as my jeans fit snugly.  Going back I'm in danger of "dropping trou" if I don't pay attention...  I estimated that in the three days of riding I burned 10,000 calories riding, plus my normal BMR calories... and had trouble eating that much - I abandoned protein for carbs and still came up 3000-4000 calories short.  I've found that I can eat carbs while doing activities like this and it doesn't trigger the cravings - as long as I burn them instantly...  

By the end I could see every vein in my legs - felt like my body fat was going down fast...

Here I am setting up my computer before heading off...   BTW, I've spent more on cycling clothing in the past year than on regular clothing for the past 10...

What an amazing accomplishment!  Congratulations.