Painting My Kettlebell

I've been looking at painting my kettlebell for a while. I got 3 more kettlebells for xmas so now I have a set of 35 pounds and a set of 53 pounds. Now I want to paint each pair in a different color scheme. It will be easier to differentiate them and will make them more aesthetically pleasing to look at. My initial thought was because they kick my ass so much I wanted to go with a "punisher" theme. I'm not a comic book junkie, but I did like the movie. So I found a Punisher skull picture online and printed it out, laid vinyl tape over the front and back of the logo, and then cut it out with an exacto knife. So that gives me a stencil to paint the logo on. That is as far as I have gotten. I need to get supplies before I go any further. I'm planning on painting the 53s red with the white Punisher logo. As for the 35s I have not figured out what I want to do with them yet. I have a few ideas but nothing that is really standing out at the moment. I'm leaning towards a camo pattern, but not sure due to the complexity. I'm hoping to get the 53s done this weekend. I'll post pics once I have them all done.

Cold Workout

The ice storm the rolled through on Thursday made for a good workout this weekend. I was out shovelling and scraping ice Friday night and Sunday. Sunday was the best, it was 0 degrees with -30 degree windchill. I lasted about an hour, but that was because I broke my scrapper. After fixing it I decided I was too sweaty (and tired) to go back out. I'll have to get back out again to finish up since we have family coming over Wednesday night.

The Dude

A New Day

My back pain and cold are nearly gone. So today I got up and did a kettlebell workout. I about threw up since I hadn't worked out for a couple weeks. I normally workout after work but usually I'm not in the mood to work out when I get home so I end up skipping it.

The Dude

On the DL

I hurt my back a couple weeks ago and have been on the mend since. My back is feeling better so going to try it tonight to see if I can get back on track.


The Dude

A New Start?

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Going Forward

After a long hiatus and a busy summer, I'm back.

The RAGBRAI That (Almost) Was

Well after a long awaited RAGBRAI, we didn't go. My wife came down with the flew and we cancelled our trip on Thursday. To be honest I was glad it turned out that way. There was something about cycling, drinking, 95 degree heat, humidity, sun, crowds, and hangovers that didn't appeal to me. I guess when it comes to cycling I like a more cool, calm, and sober approach. I like to drink as much as the next guy but there is a time and a place for it. I realize some of you reading this are thinking (or saying) "pussy!", but to each their own. There is something about BRAN that appeals to me, primarilly the cooler temps and lesser crowds (if 600 is not a crowd). Don't get me wrong BRAN has it's faults, primarilly the attitudes of the people that organize it, but it is a good ride otherwise. So I don't think I'll be riding across Iowa anytime soon. Now what I did instead is another story for another time.

The Dude

Long Time No Blog

Wow it's been over a month since my last post. I've been lacking in my blogger responsibilities.

The weekend of July 4th Kelli and I rode 20 miles on the trails Friday morning. I got a flat 4 miles in so we probably would have gone further. Saturday a group of us met up at the Wabash trail head in CB and rode to Malvern to had breakfast. Good food, great ride, and great weather. 45 miles that day. We didn't get off the couch Sunday.

This past weekend I met my brother in Chicago for the NASCAR race. We had a great time and caught up on things.

This weekend is RAGBRAI! Wow, I'm under trained but will be alright I have this new ability to climb hills with ease so the seat time my only concern. I'm going to squeeze in a couple 20 mile rides this week after work to try to acclimate to the heat a little better. After tailgating all weekend I've got a good start I just need to adjust to riding in the heat.

The Dude

Bike Ride Across Nebraska

My wife and I got back last night from doing the first 4 days of BRAN. It was a great ride. Day 3 had a 20mph headwind, but otherwise it was very enjoyable. The scenery was great, I had no idea Nebraska had such beautiful scenery. There were a couple of times I thought I was in another state. States typically associated with beatuifull scenery like Wyoming and Montana. Hopefully my pictures turn out and show what I'm talking about.

BRAN Time!

This coming weekend is BRAN (Bicycle Ride Across Nebraska). My wife and I will be riding the first 4 days. The weather looks pretty decent, highs in the low 80s and lows around 60. As rainy as it has been I'm expecting rain and can deal with that. I actually like riding in the rain. It's camping in the rain that I don't like. The route this year will be real scenic and not very hilly, which is nice.

BRAN is a really good ride for the money. You get fully supported SAG vehicles every 10-12 miles, gear transportation from town to town, use of school shower facilities, a smaller less chaotic ride, and you really get to be personal with the people in each town. Unlike RAGRAI, BRAN is more of a family atmosphere so you don't see people getting drunk. People do drink (I'm one of them), but it's more controlled and responsible. The ride is very oganized and eventhough it is limited to 600 riders it rarely fills up.

www.bran-inc.org

The Dude

Clydesdale in Horse Country

This weekend we went to Lexington, KY to visit friends. I rented a Specialized Sequoia from a local bike shop and went for a couple rides. Lexington is in what is called Bluegrass Country. It is also what I would call horse country. There are a ton of multi-million dollar horse farms surrounding Lexington. So not only did I get a good hill workout but the scenery was phenomenal. Rolling green grassy hills, black painted fences, thoroughbred horses, stables that look like mansions, and well paved roads. Best of all Lexington is a cycling community and motorists are used to seeing cyclists on the roads and are patient when passing. I felt very comfortable out riding on the roads. Overall it was a good weekend with a couple good hilly rides. I got 44 miles in on a holiday weekend away from home. It's 44 miles I normally wouldn't have gotten so I'll take it.

The Dude

Slump Buster

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Enter The Kettelbell!

Last night got my Kettlebell (KB). I was very impressed with the speed of delivery and the quality of the KB itself. I ran through a couple of the warm up exercises so I knew what I was doing and then I started the timer and ran through a repeating sequence of 3 warm up moves for 10 minutes. After that I jumped into my workout. For 12 minutes I did what is called the swing, the most basic move in kettlebell workouts. It is the basis for which everything is built off of. I did 40 reps and then did what is called an active rest in between sets. My active rest consisted of running in place. So I repeated that non stop for 12 minutes. I managed to cycle through the swings and active rest 5 times. 40 swings per cycle = 200 reps in 12 minutes. I was literally soaking wet at the end of my workout. When I was training for the marathon it would take me far longer to get a shirt soaking sweat worked up. WOW it kicked my ass. In 25 minutes I got an awesome workout. I didn't go to a gym, or work out for 2 hours either. This was done in the comfort of my home and at a time of my choosing. It doesn't get much better than that.

Today I'm not too sore, although my soreness usually doesn't set in until two days after. So we'll see how I feel tomorrow.

The Dude

Kettlebells

My brother has recently taken up training with kettlebells. I had never heard about them before so after I got back from his house after Easter I did some research on the internet about them. I thought they looked like a good way for me to get back into lifting weights. I lifted weights religiously from the time I was 13 until I was about 25. Then I just got burnt out and also got married, so my priorities changed. So 50 pounds later I need to get back into shape. I've wanted to start lifting weights again, but just have not had the motivation to since the first thing I think about is how much I hated lifting that last time I did it regularly. Kettlebell training is completely different than anything I've ever done. It is a very old school way of training. There is a lot of technique involved and the movements are very explosive.

Last week I contacted a certified kettlebell instructor (the only one in the area) and arranged for him to come over Saturday to give me a demo and training session. I have to say I was kind of worried about what I was getting into. I haven't lifted consistently for 7 years. So I was worried about how sore I would be the next day and days after. Anyway Eric came over on Saturday and gave me an impressive demo. The types of things you can do with the kettlebells is amazing. Then he showed me the techniques and had me try some of the Olympic lifts. I did cleans, jerks, and snatch. I had issues getting the technique down for the cleans. Once he took me through the technique for some of the lifts he ran me through a short training session. OMG! It absolutely kicked my ass. I don't know the last time I felt that fatigued and out of breath. It felt good and bad at the same time. It is such a weird combination of exercise it's hard to explain. It's like sprinting and lifting to failure at the same time. Eric did a great job presenting kettlebells to me. I'm planning on getting back with him in a few weeks to go over my form.

I ordered a 35# kettlebell last Friday and it will be here on Wednesday. I'll start my workouts that night and continue to report on my progress here. I'm really excited to see how this training will effect my cycling. It really works your whole body but it really works your core muscles. I'm really lacking core muscles and often have a sore lower back after a hard ride. I'm also really bad at hills. I'm hoping the increased strength in my legs (and hopefully weight loss that comes with working out ) will assist me with BRAN and RAGBRAI. Ride On!

The Dude

Let The Training Begin!

April 5th was my first weekly Wabash Breakfast Ride (WBR). My wife Kelli couldn't make it but out friends Chris and Karol did. We met at the trail head in Council Bluffs at 8am and headed to Malvern, IA. Early on we decided to cut the ride short. I was sick the day before and felt dead, and it was Chris and Karol's first ride of the year and they didn't have their cycling legs/butt yet. There is a good little diner in Silver City we were going to stop at to eat and turn around and head back from there. By the time we got close to Silver City we were starving and ready to eat. One big problem, the place was closed. Not only was it closed, it for sale. So we decided to grit it out and ride an additional 9 miles to Malvern. It was brutal, but we made it and had a great brunch. It was a great small town Iowa experience. Everyone was really nice to us and made us feel like we were from there. We took several breaks on the way back, the best one was the stop we made at the Mineola Steak House. We did a "one and done" which is grabbing a beer and leaving. We took our time having that beer too. we struggled our way back to the trail head. 5 hours and 46 miles later we were done.

Sunday I got up and did some yard work. Then I cleaned by road bike and degreased/lubed my gears. There is something therapeutic about cleaning your bike. I set up my work stand in the driveway, set my bike up on it and set out on an hour clean job.

I got out tonight for a short 16 miler. It was really windy and a little brisk. My feet were pretty cold when I got done. I need to wear my shoe covers next time. My bike rode great, it's amazing how a clean chain and gears can make a big difference.

The Dude

Spring is in the air!

Well after travelling the last 3 weekends I am looking forward to April. I have verry little planned and can get back on track with cycling. BRAN is the second week of June so I've got 2 months to get back into shape for that type of riding. I am far better prepared to ride in cool spring weather than I was last year. So I plan to get a jump start in April while the weather is cool. Now that we are post day light savings time I can get out after work and have plenty of time to ride. I'm planning on logging about 300 miles in April and 500 miles in May. That will give me close to a thousand miles in the saddle before BRAN. Then I just need to maintain for RAGBRAI at the end of July.

This coming weekend will be the first weekly Wabash Breakfast Ride that I organized. I've made it a standing reservation for Saturday mornings. I sent a note out to all my cycling friends and let them know I'd be there every week unless they heard differently from me. It makes it so that I don't have to organize who is going to be there weekly. I'll be there to ride regardless so if someone joins me, all the better. We start at the trailhead in Council Bluffs, IA and ride to Malvern, IA 22.5 miles to the southeast. There is a great little family run diner there that we'll have breakfast at and then head back. It will give me a great excuse to get some use out of my new cyclocross bike and also to get up and get going on a Saturday.

The Dude

Sham Rock On!

What a weekend in Virginia Beach. We were there for the Yuengling Shamrock Sportsfest. We did some sightseeing, some eating, a lot of running, and a lot of drinking. The run went pretty good, as well as 13.1 miles can go anyway. My wife and I ran together the whole time. We ran the first 6 miles and ran/walked the last half. By the end my legs felt like tree trunks and would barely function. We finished in under 3 hours as planned at a time of 2:47. After we finished we put on some warmer clothes and waited for one of our friends to finish the marathon. It was her first marathon and she finished in 3:14, qualifying for the Boston Marathon in 2009. Not to shabby. One of the reasons I signed up for this run was because it was sponsored by Yuengling beer. There was a huge tent set up on the beach right next to the finish line that was full of kegs. I celebrated the run and the St Pats holiday with several beers (11). Did I mention they were all free!

The downside of running 13.1 miles is the aftermath. Oh yes the pain that ensues is brutal. Unfortunately I had a little extra pain beyond the norm. I have (warning, self diagnosis) a tendon in my foot that I think is strained. It only hurts when I walk and doesn't hurt to the touch. If it still hurts in another day I'm going to see a doctor. I hate going to the doctor so that means it's bad. I've been icing it a lot so we'll see how it goes.

So now that the run is over I can turn my concentration on to cycling. I've got a long list of rides I want to do this year. I just need my foot to heal so I can go full out.

My Own March Madness

March has been so far and will be a busy month. Last weekend I made a run to my families farm in Missouri to prepare for our annual spring camping trip. Sunday I went with a couple of me friends to help them pick out new bikes. They are pretty green to cycling and don't know much of anything. So I was glad to help. You don't realize how much you know about bikes until you help someone pick one out.
This coming weekend (St Patty's Weekend) is the half marathon in VA Beach. We leave Thursday and Get back on Monday. I'm pretty under trained and so is my wife, so we are just going to have fun and run as much of it as we can and not try to kill ourselves. It will be a great weekend and I'm looking forward to it.
Next weekend we are flying out to Pittsburgh. We'll spend a day taking in the sights of downtown Pit and then drive up to spend some time with my brother and his family. We haven't seen our 2 nieces and nephew since early January.
Finally to finish off the month is the aforementioned camping trip in Northwest Missouri. We'll be joined by 6 of our friends, and every one's dogs. It's a good relaxing weekend given that the weather cooperates.
After that April will slow down and that is when I start my cycling season. It was 66 in Omaha today. I went out and got 20 miles in. I felt strong considering it was my second outside ride. I think all the running I did over the winter helped me more than I thought.

The Future of Pro Cycling?

Since the end of the Tour of CA I have thought about how much it seems like pro cycling has changed. You still have teams, you still have riders, you still have sponsors, and you still have tours. Those are the constant factors of cycling. However there are factors that change constantly. You have doping, you have new rules, you have new technology, you have new riders on new teams, you have new sponsors, and you have new tours. It seems that from last year the cycling world has been turned not necessarily upside down, but on it's side.

Astana:
As we all know Astana was banned from any ASO events. All new team under all new management. We all know this is BS and hopefully that decision will be overturned.

Rock Racing:
Say what you will about Michael Ball, but the man is bringing fresh new ideas to cycling. He's shaking up the cycling world with his candid approach and criticism of the norm. This is not golf and this is not a gentleman's sport. He wants to come in and change the sport for the better. Granted he's not being a gentleman about it, but I think it is the right approach. He got a lot of coverage last week and got his message out to the fans as well as the governing bodies. The old boy network of cycling doesn't like change. I think with the fans support of Ball's ideas it will put more pressure on the UCI and ASO to make changes. Ball's main ideas include an organization of team owners. His idea of governing the sport internally is the correct way to do it. He also thinks the cyclists themselves should unite. NFL, MLB, & NBA all have players unions. Cycling should have the same thing. The changes Ball is proposing are not unreasonable. Like he said he is a business man first and foremost. He could single handedly change the sport of cycling.

UCI vs ASO:
How confusing is this. The fact is pro cycling is a poorly run sport and that is why it is in a state of panic. Doping was allowed to get out of control. Sponsors and fans strayed away, and cycling got a bad name for itself. How are two competing organizations supposed to govern one sport? They can't, and haven't. The comparison to cycling and open wheel racing is uncanny. The IRL and Champ Car are two identical organizations that tore apart the open wheel world. They have now come full circle and are in the process of combining their organizations because the sport is dying. These two organizations need to find a common ground and work with each other to rebuild this sport or it will also die a slow death.

NASCAR:
What does NASCAR have to do with pro cycling? The UCI and ASO need to benchmark the marketing style of NASCAR. Talk about similarities, you have racers, their rides, their sponsors, and teams. The keys to NASCAR are their fans, first and foremost, followed by the sponsors. With out those two things you have no NASCAR. Cycling is exactly the same way. Cycling needs to take a look at how the fans are listened to and how NASCAR changes its rules to better accommodate the fans. Sponsors are taken care of and their needs are met too. NASCAR sponsors spend 15-20 million dollars a year to sponsor one car. So to reel in a sponsor takes a lot of guarantees. Drivers do year round appearances and are constantly saying their sponsors name and showing their logo on TV.

Sponsors:
Cycling needs to take a sponsor friendly approach. You don't see the riders thanking their sponsors when they are interviewed, they don't thank the bike manufactures for the technology they are riding, and they don't thank the teams which include the mechanics and support drivers. I don't want to turn this into a knock on the cyclists themselves but rather a knock on system as a whole. I look at some of the sponsors in cycling and wonder where they came from. Granted I'm an "arrogant American" and don't know these European companies. With the average cost of sponsoring a pro team at about $12 million it doesn't surprise me that we don't see more mainstream companies stepping up to sponsor a team. With all the bad press cycling has gotten who would want to have a their name plastered across the chest of potential or confirmed doper. Not exactly the kind of press people look for. Until the sport is clean sponsors are going to be few and far between. For now I solute the sponsors that have stuck it out through the rough times. Hopefully things will get better sooner rather than later.

The Dude

My First Outside Ride of 08 and Review of New Gear

This has got to be one of the worst winters I can remember. It is never ending. Don't get me wrong I love winter, I love sledding, I love wearing sweatshirts, I just love cold weather in general. However this winter here in Omaha has just been miserable. Weekly snow and constant cold have made it impossible to get out and ride, and run for that matter. As soon as the snow melts it snows again and gets cold again. So lots of ice on the ground, sidewalks, and bike paths.
This weekend we got a heat wave. It was in the mid 40s both Saturday and Sunday. My wife and I went out for a ride on Sunday. It was around 42 degrees when we started and luckily I guessed correctly on my clothes. It had been a long time since I had to dress for cold weather cycling. Dressing for cold running is completely different than cold weather cycling. I could make this about what to wear but there is enough info on that topic out there on the inter-web.
My wife got to ride her new Felt FW40 road bike and I decided to take my new Felt F1X cross bike. I got new slick (or commuter) tires for it just for pavement riding. I'll probably not use these tires much but I have them if I need them. Anyway my bike rode extremely well. The gearing was surprisingly good. I was worried about only having a double crank that I'd run out of gears. I took off on a sprint and got it up to 21mph. It wasn't a full out sprint but faster than we were riding. I was hanging back to stay with my wife since this is her first year riding she's not in cycling shape yet.
The stock seat on my bike was not very cushy. It is more of a race style seat. We went 15.5 miles and I thought that had we gone 22 as planned I would have been a little uncomfortable in the taint by the end of the ride. I am of course not close to being in full riding shape so this saddle may end up working for me yet. The other thing I was real happy about is the overall comfort of the my hands and feet. Normally my hands and feet go numb with in 5 miles of my ride. Then I'm fighting it my whole ride.
I am using a two sided Shimano pedal. On one side is a platform and the other side is the SPD clip. I was clipped in about half the time mainly because of the reduced speed and also because we were having to stop frequently to cross slabs of ice where the path crossed under roadways.
The handle bars feel good they are either wider or the bar tape is thicker than what is on my road bike. The thicker handle bars distribute the pressure on my hands more evenly hence making my hands more comfortable on the bars.
My new Shimano M075 shoes are great. Not only do they not have a big clip sticking off the ball of my foot (like my Time road clips) but they are an all around more comfortable shoe. These shoes have 3 velcro straps to adjust the fit. You can tighten or loosen the shoes as you are riding down the road too. The nice thing is these shoes are versatile enough to use for mountain bike shoes and road shoes.
I'm not sold on the SPD clips though but I may eventually switch out my Time cleats and pedals on my road bike so I can use these new shoes. The SPDs did not engage like they should and my wife actually got stuck in one of her cleats and I had to twist her foot out of it. My road shoes are nice high quality shoes but they fit too tight and cause my feet to go numb. I like how the Time cleats work, but I don't like walking on them off the bike. When you are doing multi day tours or century rides you are getting off the bike often and walking around. The Time pedals and clips are pricey too, so replacing them is not fun.
Overall it was a very enjoyable ride. My new bike was great. I look forward to riding it more. It felt really good to get outside and ride. The euphoria I get from riding outside is indescribable. That is why I love cycling. The forecast is looking good for an other weekend ride.

The Dude