Wednesday 2/8 - I got up HOW Early?!?

Last night I made the decision to get up and go to a spin class today.  The kicker is that the class was actually at 5:30am!  So I set the alarm early, and got to bed .. well.. kinda early.  It took a few false starts to get going, in which time I forgot my bike computer (so I could watch my heart rate) as well as my water bottle at least once, as well as my breakfast.  I had only intended to have a few waffle biscuits (similar to the Honey Stinger waffles that Fat Cyclist loves so much, but smaller) to make it through the class before I had a real breakfast.

I made it to the class a little bit early, and I got myself fitted for the the spin cycle.  The thing to realize about spin cycles is that you cannot just rest, the bugger keeps your legs moving even if you want to stop!  That is, unless you are crazy enough to attempt to FORCE your legs to stop, at which point I think the spin cycle decides that you really don't need those kneecaps anymore.  After a little bit of time on it, I got the hang of it.  I dialed in my "home gear" and the instructor got us going.

Problem #2 is that my legs are strong, but only for about 2 minutes.  So I followed the instructors directions and got my home gear, but it was way higher of a gear than I should have been in.  Like 4 or 5 gears too high!  So I got about 15 minutes or so into the course, and my legs are just completely spent.  I had visions of overcooked spaghetti legs when I got off the bike.  I adjusted my "home gear" down a bit over a few attempts, and finally got to a gear where I felt like I could follow the class without having to take breaks.

I did have to go get more water about 3/4 of the way through the class, but overall I was really happy I went. 6:30 came around, and I asked for a hose to clean the cycle up, as I felt like I had sweat about 18 gallons of water onto the unit.  Instead I wiped it down, and we went through the cooldown stretches.  When all was said and done I was very spent, extremely ready for breakfast, and very happy I managed to get up early. So happy in fact, that I decided I should go back to the gym after work and get a little more of a workout in.

I met my wife and kids there, and while the kids were in Zumbatonic we decided to head over the cardio theater.  After about 10 minutes on the recumbent bike and I was definitely feeling the effects of the spin class in the morning.  It was about then that I was glad I didn't attempt to go out on the roads for a bike ride this evening.  The good thing is that I could just dial down the difficulty and watch "Mr Poppers Penguins" for a bit.  We finished up about a 30 minute ride on the bikes, and it was time to go pick up the kiddos.  From there it was home and dinner.

It's been a really long day, but I'm still very glad that I made the decision to get up this morning for the spin class.  I hope I can continue to make Wednesdays my early day and keep going to the class.

Tuesday 2/7 - More Cycling in the Hills!

Today was another great day in the Upstate, so that means I took the opportunity to get out on the bike.  I realize that the Stars and Stripes challenge is in May, and I have a LOT of training to get done.  John took me a different route up to Paris Mountain this time, and it has a LOT of elevation.  I struggled a lot through it, don't believe the crazy Strava report.  I seem to be doing better and better on each downhill, but the uphills are still killing me.

The one thing I realized while suffering up one of the climbs (about 8-10%, that's a breeze!) is that I'm feeling the same level of struggle on a lot harder hills now.  Back in the fall, I would have been totally gassed on any of these inclines.  Now they feel like I felt on the climb through Furman back then.  It's going to be a long road to May, but if I just stay diligent with it I'm sure I'll do fine.

Now to just manage to get out of bed at 5am tomorrow for spin class...

The Stars and Stripes Challenge

This is definitely a year for me to push myself outside of many of my comfort zones, not just physically with getting active, but spiritually and emotionally.  I knew that moving to Greenville would mean a lot of changes, but I feel like I'm being led more to move beyond who I was into who a person that God can use as a vessel for His glory.  In some ways it's not a comfortable experience, but I am striving to take each challenge with a "Dive In" mentality.  I've taken that to my cycling, and to the Rob's Big Losers contest, as well as getting back to regularly attending church and even joining a Sunday School group that both Christy and I deeply enjoy.

As a part of that, I have signed up for the Palmetto Peloton Project's "Stars and Stripes Challenge".  This is how they describe the challenge on their website (http://www.p3ride.org):

A ride like no other. Sandwiched between the USA Professional Cycling Time Trials and Road Race, the Stars and Stripes Challenge weekend puts you on the very roads where cyclists train year-round in Upstate South Carolina. Join us for a fun day benefiting cancer research, outreach, and advocacy.

To qualify participate in the Stars & Stripes Challenge, cyclists are required to donate and/or raise an entry fee, as well as meet a fundraising minimum. 

This creates two different challenges for me. First is the ride itself. The course is a pro-course. I'm going to be focusing on training for it between now and May as a part of my routines. It's going to be challenging still during the race day, and it won't just be "me against the mountain", there will be a bunch of other riders on the course. The physical aspect will bring a new level of accountability to my workouts, and a goal that I'm not going to back down from. It's a challenge I can rise to meet, as my internal fortitude is strong enough for that. The second half of the challenge is going to push me well beyond my comfort zone, into a realm where Dragons of my own fear reside.

"[C]yclists are required to donate and/or raise an entry fee, as well as meet a fundraising minimum." 

Fundraising is a challenge for me.  I dread dealing with fundraising, as I always do some research and find out that some suit is pocketing up to 49.5% of the money that I think is going to a good cause.  Many of you have heard me state that on some of my kid's fundraising exercises I feel like I should be buying them a fez and getting out an organ grinder with how they make them peddle goods to make us feel better.  So thus me asking others to support me is a stumbling block, and a stresser automatically.  I set myself a goal of $475 to raise by May, and with my typical fervor I intend to make or surpass it.  I just need to get off the blocks somehow.


One thing I have found while reading through P3's site is that a vast majority of the funds they raise go to 3 specific organizations (you can read the full information on their site (link):  

• Amgen's Breakaway from Cancer:  An cancer resource and advocacy group aimed at helping patients.
• Greenville Hospital System, University Medical Center's Cancer Research:   They are aimed at new cancer treatments as well as being a local system not a national organization.
• The Lance Armstrong Foundation:  "The Lance Armstrong Foundation serves to inspire and empower people affected by cancer".

What I would challenge you to do is do your own research, but I did find out while going through P3's site is that a vast majority of the funds raised went to Cancer Research in the Greenville area (not some national organization with a lot of overhead). In fact, of the $210,000 raised last year by P3, $140 ,000 of that went to GHS Cancer Research! The remaining $70,000 went to Amgen. You can read all of their history on their site (link)

If after spending time praying on it, and doing your own research, you felt led to support me in raising money for Cancer Research and Treatment, I would be humbled if you donate to my efforts. P3's site is set up to support the riders, you just have to select "Brian Lube" on the dropdown list on their donate site.

Palmetto Peloton Project's Donation Page

I deep appreciate all the support I've had so far, and look forward to having a follow-up to this post with pictures from the Stars and Stripes Challenge!

Monday 2/6 - Mystery Cardio Theater 3000 (plus Swimming!)

Today was a crosstraining day for me, and I fully intended to spend it doing my routine in the weight area.  That said, when I went down to the free weight section, it was rather full of people.  I couldn't tell if folks were actively waiting to use the weights or not, but there were definitely more folks there than I wanted to deal with.  So instead of doing weights, I opted for a trip up to the "Cardio  Theater".  This is probably one of the coolest things I've seen, as it's a room full of cardio equipment (elliptical machines, cycling machines, treadmills) in front of a large-ish screen that plays a movie all day.  The movie changes each day.  Today happened to be "Apollo 18", which was an interesting show for the 1/4 of it I saw during my workout.  I sat down and ran through a relatively quick 15 minute workout on the recumbent elliptical, where I was doing intervals.  So far, that seems like the best of the machines I've worked out on at the gym.  Without feeling like I overdid it, my legs felt like they got a really good workout throughout the program.  When I was finished with the elliptical, I figured it was time to try out the pool, as I've been meaning to give it a whirl.

As a little background, I grew up on the beaches in Florida.  I don't mean "oh yeah, we went to the beach a few times a season.  I mean, I lived about 500' from the dunes, and spent almost every day during Summer Vacation in the water.  I honestly cannot remember a time when I couldn't swim, or that I didn't spend time in a pool in some manner.  We've taken the kiddo's to the Springs in Florida on a regular basis for snorkeling, and I consider myself a relatively strong swimmer.  Not Olympic standards, but I've always felt like I can do "well enough".  So thus when I figured I'd do "some laps" in the pool, my intention was that I'd do at LEAST 10 laps.   I had backed it off to thinking I'd do 5 and see how I did, but honestly I had figured I'd take a break and finish the set.

After getting changed, I went into the "bubble" (the gym has a shell over the salt-water pool to keep it out of the elements during the winter.  That itself is noteworthy!)  and found a lane to swim in.  I'm not used to swimming in a lane per se, but I didn't have a big issue with it.  I wasn't trying to do anything fancy, just swim a few laps.  Well, I got to the turn on the first lap when I realized this wasn't just another swim.  While they say that your heart rate doesn't get all that high in a pool (insert medical reasons here if you must), I was definitely getting winded right off the bat.  I made it back from the completion of my first lap and thought "whoah".  

I was still determined that I could complete at least *5* laps, I mean, common! I grew up around water. So I started on my second lap, and got to the turn and was getting pretty gassed.  I took a few seconds to rest (it took me about 45s to get to the turn, btw), and went on my way back.  I made it back, but by now I've realized there is no way I'm making it to 5 laps.  Actually by this time I was thinking I may need a nap...

Even with that, I was determined to at _least_ finish 3 laps.  I gave myself time to catch my breath, and went out for the 3rd lap.  I made it to the turn but I was pretty winded, the water was definitely winning.  I took a minute or so to attempt to get myself together, and started back.  About halfway back I had wished I had taken 2 minutes instead of 1 to rest at the turn.  At this moment I made a mental note that I was NOT going to be 'that guy' that had to have the lifeguards get out after just 2.5 laps in the pool.  What I did I realize was that I should really just set the goal of finding out what I could do, and 3 laps was definitely all I could do (and then a little bit).  After the effort to get back, I decided it was best to be done for the night, and to do some cooldowns and head out.  I got out, and headed back to the locker room.  At this point I realized that my arms definitely got a serious workout, as they felt like I had replaced the muscle with some jelly-like substance.

That said,  I'm happy that I got in to the gym today and got the level of workout done that I did.  I hope to look back at posts like this in April and see a huge difference in the intensity and time I can spend doing activities like this.

Sunday 2/5 - Extreme Sufferfest

Sundays are the day of the week that I absolutely enjoy the most.  After church, we come home and I get ready to ride with the folks over at Brookwood Church.  This is the ride that I typically push myself outside of my comfort zone while I attempt to keep up.  Today was no exception.  We started an hour earlier than usual, but we had a great group of folks show up.  I knew that I when I chose to go with the "fast group" that it was going to be a day with plenty of "Quiet Time" with just me and the bike on the back of the ride.  Little did I know it was going to be an "Extreme Sufferfest" in the making!  Before I go on, let me say I had a great time, and really showed improvements even with pushing myself so hard so early in the ride.

27.3 Mile ride according to Strava

The ride started out about as normal, heading out on Holland Road, which is the first challenging climb for me, and one I try to hit as hard as I can, as a way to test how I feel.  I did pretty good most of the way up, but this hill is always deceiving because of just how long it goes after the main climb.  By the time we made it to Harts road I was off the back a little bit, and as luck had it I missed the light.  So while everyone else is pacing away at a nice clip, I'm looking at the light waiting for it to change.  I took this as a challenge, and did my best to sprint the whole distance of Harts road to make up time.  I got there before too long, but I was completely gassed.  It took me until almost the Scuffletown Sprint Zone to really get myself back together.

Then there was the Sprint Zone.  We started on the sprint zone, and I felt strong, so I caught up with the pack leading out, and just kept on the back tire.  John and Paul passed us about 1/2 way down the sprint zone, so I switched to following Paul, and just pushed as hard as I could until the end.  With a Heart Rate of over 185, you'd think I would be ready to leave my lunch on the side of the road at the end, but instead I really and honestly felt great.  We then had to climb up Garret Patton Road, and keep on driving on.  I got back to League Road, and stayed somewhat up with the pack the rest of the way back (although I did take the shorter route back to Harts near the end).  Overall I'd say it was an Extremely productive ride, and I felt really great for doing it.

I had originally intended to check out the pool at the YMCA after I was done, but I think that the level of effort on the ride was enough for one day.  We have some cloudier days later this week, so I'll just reschedule that workout for then.

Saturday 2/4 - 1 mile on the track + Bike Cleaning

Today is Saturday, so it's track time.  Today I didn't attempt to run, since my foot is feeling better but not 100% yet.  Instead I set to goal to mostly walk at a decent pace.  I got in about 15 laps again, taking about 22 minutes.  I'd like to get the time down, but first I want to work up to walking the whole 5k.  I need to set up a baseline time to actually walk further, as I'm not to a "wait wait, I need to stop.  Does someone have a jelly donut I can borrow?" after 15 laps on the indoor track, but I want to feel strong on the ride.

After getting home, I finally took the challenge of cleaning my bike chain.  I bought the bike back in Sept, and since then I have been remiss in taking care of cleaning off the old grease and gunk that the rear cassette and chain.  After borrowing a chain cleaner from a good friend of mine, we (that is, Christy, 2 of the girls, and myself) took on the challenge of cleaning the chain.  Amazing how much sticky, gooey grease can come off of such a small chain!  After getting it cleaned off of the chain, I managed to find it on the rear wheel, the cardboard I put on the driveway, and least of which was my hands!  I managed to get the cardboard, chain cleaner, and rear wheel cleaned up (I could have sworn that the shop towel was white when I brought it out to work on the project?!?) , but my hands are a different matter.  I have a feeling that I'm going to be spending a few days attempting to get the last of the grease off my hands, or spending some money at Target tonight on some of the Lava-style soap that cleans grease off of hands (not to mention a layer or two of skin) better.


Earlier this morning I took a gander at trying on some of the clothes I keep around to mock myself from time to time as well.  You know, the clothes that you get out of the drawer when you've been bad about doing laundry and go "oh.  yeah.  I can't wear these".  Over the years I've gotten rid of most of these clothes, but I still have a few pairs of jeans that  I've kept around.  What I found is that for the first time in close to a decade, I can actually button/zip my 38" jeans while I'm still inside them!  I have a long way to go before they'd be wearable OUT somewhere, mind you (unless you really like the "Muffin Top" look, which btw I do not), but just getting that far is amazing!  4 months ago I wouldn't have even been able to come close to getting them on.  That bring on the new challenge of having to figure out what I still own that I can wear without it spontaneously falling off of my at inopportune times.  Oh the hardships of weight loss!

Friday 2/3 - Crosstraining workout

Woke up this morning feeling definitely under the weather.  Sore throat, stuffed up nose, etc.  "This morning" also was several times before my alarm went off.  Got up and took some medicine, and vegged most of the morning trying to rest.

Christy had her Wellness Works appointment at 1, and I figured if I was going to get any workout done today I should go with her, and crash afterwards.  I went through 2 reps of my strength training, about 15 minutes on the recumbent bike (I really like the Cardio Theater!), and then took a walk/jog with Christy around the track outside (since it was nice out).  My foot was still a bit sore afterwards, but overall I felt well.  Hopefully I can shake the rest of this cold pretty quickly so I can get more workout time in.

The weather doesn't looks favorable for a ride on Sunday, have to see what happens.  Have my 1 mile run tomorrow, too.