struggling
Monday, December 17th, 2007I am too exhausted at night to train and I can’t get up in the morning to train.
Where is the spring fitness going to come from?
Archive for the ‘Training, Health, Fitness’ Category
Shoulder rehab
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007I went in for my first physical therapy session on the shoulder this morning. Linsey from the track was my PT. We both looked at each other like we knew each other, then we realized that we did.
She thinks that I’ll be good as new, or at least as good as I was before the carnage, in 8 weeks or so. Kick ass!
Linsey told me she is racing for Grumpy’s next year. I thought that team folded up?
Next season starts now
Tuesday, November 20th, 2007I not only reached, but exceeded all my cycling goals for 2007.
Now I’m going to start training for 2008.
The rest of you might want to consider changing your training regimen.
Just a thought.
Red Alert
Monday, September 3rd, 2007I’ve been slacking off for the past couple of months. I could use new little Baby Smithers as an excuse, but I always have an hour in the day that I could use for working out.
I got on the scale last week and it read 200 pounds.
ooooooohhhhhh nooooooooooo!
I can’t afford to buy a bunch of fat clothes for INTERBIKE at the end of this month so I am on the crash training/diet weight loss program.
Today I rode to Coon Rapids.
A real Smithers blog post
Thursday, July 26th, 2007Smithers is always blogging about his day. This is what his day’s really like:
7:45 a.m. - Wake up. Can’t think of anything to blog about. Should I mention Mrs. Smithers’ snoring again?
8:15 a.m. - Second bowl of cereal, still nothing to blog about. Read a couple of cycling news sites, then blogs like Skimpy or Snookie looking for ideas. Change a diaper, inspect for bloggable content.
9:00 a.m. - Is it too early for pumpkin loaf? Still no blog idea. Read work email, maybe something I can lift from there. Read a couple more blogs, post a one-liner. Whew, monkey off my back for awhile.
9:30 a.m. - On my way to Starbucks, should I mobile-post about that jerk who cut me off on my 1/2 mile drive to get pumpkin loaf? Remember to weigh-in at home.
10 a.m. - No pumpkin loaf, had to eat a muffin instead. Mobile-posted the tabletop carnage. Can I get a ride in today? Wonder what people at the office are doing right now…should I blog about that?
11 a.m. - Email from ScottERob. Why does he always ask me these questions? Try to be nice in reply…Whoa, look at the inbox, I’ve got a lot of work to do, I need to get on it.
12 noon - Billy D wants to ride at 2pm. Does he work? No way, I’m too busy. Let’s see, 2 or 3 hot dogs for lunch?
1 p.m. - This guy at Nashbar won’t mind if I blog while we talk on the phone. How many? For how much? Got a sweet post half-written but now I have to document this order. Should I feel guilty reading wonkette? Reminder to self: read Ped forwarded article about life-hacking.
3 p.m. - Post entry about music I listened to in high school while skiing with snoring Mrs Smithers before Toddler Smithers made me so happy about getting out of Iraq and winning Masters Track.
5 p.m. - What’s for dinner, Toddler Smithers? How can I make people behave on the Urthel ride?
7 p.m. - Big trouble brewing on the MCF board, I better weigh in…
7:30 p.m. - Nice night for a walk - what part of this can I mobile-post about?
9 p.m. - Dessert! and bed.
Allergies
Friday, May 18th, 2007I was talking to Pete on the Urthel ride last Tuesday night about this.
Let’s say that you are an individual who, for what ever reason, has a metabolism that prevents you from developing enough muscle mass to be competitive at elite level bicycle racing. Is this a natural phenomenon or is this an illness that you should be allowed to treat medically with drugs that are normally banned in competition?
Now let’s say you are an individual who has a low VO2 Max level that prevents you from being competitive at elite level bicycle racing. Is this an illness that you should be allowed to treat medically with drugs that are normally banned in competition?
Finally, let’s say you have allergies that, due to asthma or other reactions, prevent you from being able to work efficiently during exercise. Is this an illness that you should be allowed to treat medically with drugs that are normally banned in competition?
Are allergies a natural human reaction or are they an illness that an athlete should receive special dispensation to treat?
What about tendonitis?
If the human body breaks down under load, for whatever reason, is it an illness or is it what separates the truly gifted from the rest of us schloobheimers?
Massage
Wednesday, May 16th, 2007I need one.
If you need one I recommend Tom Hagerty’s Therapeutic Non-suggestive No-wanky-wanky Better-than-sex Massage.
I’ll be talking to Tom at the track tomorrow to set something up.
PowerTap
Thursday, April 5th, 2007Wah:
Last year I didn’t see that many during races, now they are everywhere. I use mine for training, but don’t see the need to haul the extra weight around during a race. If you got the $$$ for a PowerTap SL 2.4 wireless or the extra $$$$ spanky SRM then maybe. It might be cool to look at the data after the race, but again I don’t see the point.
I don’t see the point either. As a matter of fact, I don’t even see the point to training with one outside.
As I have mentioned previously, I use a Tacx iMagic trainer. One of the features of this trainer allows me to custom design a training program that will provide resistance at a particular watt level for a particular amount of time. It’s a great training tool because I can create the program and run it in a controlled environment over multiple workouts to gauge my fitness. It’s prefect. If I am feeling good from week to week I can up the watts. If I feel like I am working too hard I back off the watts a bit.
I would find it difficult to attempt to use wattage as a training tool outside due to the variations in terrain and weather conditions. Every time you step outside to ride you could be working out in different conditions. How is it possible to gauge your fitness level without a control?
I know that there are ways for elite level athletes to use a PowerTap (or other cycle computer that picks up wattage output, i.e. SRM or Polar) effectively in a training program. But at what cost? These things are not cheap and I can’t help but think that they are only going to provide you with training data that the average athlete is not going to be able to use effectively. The money spent on one of these devices may be better spent on a week long spring training trip to the mountains.
2007 Fitness Challenge
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007Sunday weigh in put me at 187.4 pounds. My maximum weight during the off season was 194.3 pounds.
That means that Der Kruiser wins the challenge! Your fabulous prize awaits!
UPDATE 1:27pm: A late protest from
