A Little Climbing Music, Please ...

As much as I love riding a bike, I've never been great at climbing hills. Okay ... I've never even been GOOD at it. But I've come to appreciate them for what they do ... which is to make me stronger and a better all-around rider. In my current abode, it is impossible for me to go for a ride of any substantial distance without encountering at least one substantial hill ... and by "substantial", I mean LONG and STEEP ...and so I've been getting better at it, having accepted that it's a fact of life if I want to ride.

I've been working to rid my head of the thoughts which always enter just prior to the hill. They go something like this: 

"Oh, crap ... here comes the hill ... I hate hills ... I hope I can make it all the way this time without having to go back for my lungs."

Those kinds of thoughts only serve to make the hill experience much worse than it actually is, so I've been re-training my brain to think differently ... like this:

"Okay ... this set of hills is getting easier, because I'm getting better at climbing ... last time was much easier than the time before, and this time will be even better."

I've also been offering myself some positive reinforcement ... like this:

"You are strong like bull ... you have legs like ox ... if you were a bowler, you would do it overhand ... hills will flatten at the threat of your approach ... you are the most interesting cycler in the world ... you don't always drink beer, but when you do, you prefer Guinness Black Lager ... stay thirsty, my friend."

It works ... sometimes ... sort of. 

I'm also now learning that I really need to be relaxed in order to control my breathing and get into a good groove on a long steep hill. Sitting back and making sure every limb isn't tense makes a huge difference in the level of perceived effort.

I noticed a funny thing the other day while climbing one of my usual hills toward home. My brain was working hard to make my body relax, and the way it was doing that was to start singing. Not actually out loud, since heavy breathing and singing don't generally combine well .. no, this was mental singing. And not just singing any old song ... but adapting the current thought into revised lyrics for popular tunes ... you know, Weird Al style.

As I approached the first part of the climb, I remembered that it's the steepest portion ... and my brain began to sing to the tune of a song you may remember from Sheryl Crow ...

Cartoon Sheryl Crow

However ... the song was originally written and performed by this guy: 

This Cat can sing ... and write songs and stuff

Yes, that's Cat Stevens ... who was born with the name Steven Demetre Georgiou ... but is now known as Yusuf Islam, although performances may advertise a combination: 

Steven Cat Demetre Yusuf Georgiou Stevens Islam, circa 2011

Anyway ... in case you haven't already guessed, the tune to which my mental singing was adhering itself is "The First Cut Is The Deepest".  Cat Stevens wrote and first recorded the song in the mid 1960's and put it on his first album in 1967. That first album that was a complete failure, after which he sold the song for 30 British pounds to another artist who made it a huge hit ... and it was later recorded by four other artists, for whom it was also a hit, including the aforementioned Sheryl Crow. Forty years after he recorded the first demo of the song, Cat received back to back ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Awards for it in 2005 and 2006. Just a little trivia for you ... 

Back to the ride ... my revised lyrics went something like this:

"The first hill is the steepest ... baby, I know ... the first hill is the steepest ...
If you're breathing really heavy, just curse ... 'cuz gettin' off and walkin' is worse ...."

Oddly enough ... by the time the new lyrics had solidified, the steepest portion of the hill was over ... and I was pleasantly surprised at the seemingly smaller effort expended. Hmmm ... could that be the answer? Don't think about the hill ... just make up corny lyrics to pop songs while climbing ... and the hills will pass like a flat road?  

So ... the next day, I tried it again. This time, I enlisted the help of a more aggressive musical force .... yes, I mean Metallica:

If these guys can't get you up the hill, you should turn around and ride the other way ...

I chose the most perfect Metallica song for my climb ... "Enter Sandman". Of course, the words were changed just a little ... into this:

"Climb .. like a goat ................. not .. like a boat ............
Heeeeeeyyyy, Old Man ....... Climb that freakin' hill again!"

And with a good dose of metal head bobbing thrown in for good measure, the hill was thus conquered.

What can I say ... as an aging music dude, I'm shocked I never thought of this sooner! Hills will never be the same again ...

The Everyday Epic Ride

It's been a few days since my last post ... mainly because the weather's been great, and accompanying the great weather has been a week of great rides. Nothing spectacular or "epic" for any particular reason ... just great rides. However, spending a little more time riding has taken a little more time away from non-work-related writing ... hence the lack of blogular postage. My apologies for anyone who waits with great anticipation for each of my posts (last I checked there is actually one person who reads them).

In thinking about the great rides that are great for no particular reason, I was trying to come up with some wonderful bit of prose to share the experience with you ... but nothing came to mind, apart from the small group of gray squirrels who were intent on taunting me by waiting just at the edge of the road and then jumping up to make me think I'd hit them, then laughing as they ran away because they made me stop. Of course, there are no photos to document this ... but it really did happen ... twice.

At the same time, I was thinking about the bike-related blogs out there. One of my favorite daily reads, EcoVelo, has gone away. It's sad, because there was always something interesting to read there that had nothing to do with any sort of competitive, training, or epic riding ... just great photos and articles about everyday riding and gear. There is another (for which I won't mention the name) that had a similar focus ... but now seems to be more about getting into race bikes, group training rides, and entering epic long-distance events. Not interesting to me. Don't get me wrong ... I have nothing against sport/competitive cycling. I have an enormous amount of respect for the sport and for those who are involved in it. It's really hard work, and really rewarding to complete some of the events out there ... pushing yourself to the limit to achieve big goals is a wonderful way to spend some healthy effort. For me ... it's just not why I ride ... and, with all due respect to the many people who write about it, it's not something I want to read about every day.

Bombing down a steep hill on a race bike training ride ... great for many ... not for me

I suppose the reason there isn't more reading material available for "everyday" cycling is that it's pretty bland. I mean, in comparison to the ride report of climbing near-vertical mountain roads until you vomit and descending at 70mph, nearly sliding off a cliff and breaking your collarbone, a description of riding to the beach, eating some lunch, and picking up a few things at the grocery store on the way home sounds pretty tame. Nevertheless, there are probably more people who participate in the tame than in the epic ... and I am making it my mission to bring excitement to the world of the everyday cycler.

With this in mind, I propose a new naming protocol for our everyday rides. Here's the scoop:

Have you noticed that all of the "epic" rides have some kind of special moniker that describes its length? For example, a ride of 100 miles is called a "century", which makes it sound a lot more "epic" than simply saying it's a 100-mile ride. After all, when we hear the word "century", we think about a span of time greater than most of us will live ... so using it to describe a bike ride is like saying "this ride is so long and so difficult, you may not survive", which is somehow attractive to the thrill seekers. A "metric century" sounds even more "epic", even though it's technically much shorter, being only 100 kilometers. The REALLY epic rides are the "double century" rides ... 200 miles (or kilometers for the metric version). Well ... the everyday cycler's version of the epic ride could be called a "decade". Think about it. If a century is 100 miles, a "decade" would be 10 miles. That's enough for an everyday ride, right? If you need more, you could do a "double decade" for 20 miles ... or even a "triple decade" for 30 miles. It sure makes the normal bland everyday ride sound more exciting, doesn't it?

Of course, every big epic ride has some kind of additional verbiage attached to describe where the ride is, or who sponsors it, or to make it sound more torturous ... like the "Hell's Gate 100" ... or the "SoCal Double Century". Well that's easy to incorporate into the everyday epic ride title. How about The Doheny Double Decade?

Scene from the Epic "Doheny Double Decade"

We could have "The Heritage Park Hill Climb Half Decade" ... and "The Aliso Creek Trail Triple Decade".

How is this NOT an epic ride?

Trail-side scenery is not always appreciated during a competitive "event" ride.

And let's not forget "The Wind Tunnel From Hell". Of course, almost any everyday ride could be turned into an event ... like the "Starbucks Grab & Go Epic Double-Latte Half Decade With Whipped Cream".

First leg of the "Starbucks Grab & Go Epic Double-Latte Half Decade With Whipped Cream" ride.

The beauty of these EveryDay Epics is that they aren't competitive ... unless you want them to be. They don't cost anything to enter ... aside from your time. They don't require any special training. You don't have to wear any special clothing ... unless you want to. You're always the winner of the event, and the prize is whatever you reward yourself with after the ride. And you can participate at any time, since there's no schedule. You can even stop halfway for lunch and continue later ... with no time penalty. If you don't go as far as you planned, you can simply rename the ride ... a decade is then just a half-decade, but no less "epic" in nature. You can ride alone or with others ... and everyone wins, unless you decide to make it competitive, in which case I suggest the person who has the most fun (determined by best "woohoohoo" when crossing the finish line) is declared the winner. Take a camera and start building a photo album to remember your epic events. Put on a helmet video camera, speed up the video, and add a heavy metal soundtrack for posting on YouTube ... just remember to not giggle like a little girl on camera (or at least mute the audio track).

Yes, it's very exciting to think about those big epic cycling events ... and if you're truly into doing it, then my helmet is off to you. But if you're new to cycling ... or feel somehow that you're not a "real" cyclist because that's all you see in the media ... don't worry. As Forrest Gump's mom used to say ... "Epic is as Epic does". In other words ... make your own epic ... every day. Go have fun. Give your 10-mile ride an epic name ... call it the Decade of Death, even if you're just riding to the grocery store and back (traffic can be dangerous, right?). Remember ... you're not a "cyclist" ... you're a "cycler" ... and "cyclers" make their own adventures in the everyday ride!

So let's start a new trend ... Everyday Epic Rides. Healthy, happy, fun. Where is your epic ride today?

Happy February!!

This year is already moving fast. It's difficult to believe we've already entered the second month of 2012 ... and even more difficult to think that it's the year 2012. Wow. Aren't we supposed to be driving cars that fly and perform self-navigation so we simply sit and await arrival at our destination like the Jetsons? Maybe that's still a bit down the road.

In any case, being that it's now the beginning of February, this is the time of year when the holidays are all over, but it's still not yet Spring. And, although this Winter has been awfully mild here in the good ol' USA, the sun still sets early, and we aren't getting quite enough of the natural vitamin D we need to feel good. In addition, the bills from our extravagant holiday expenditures have now arrived, we're looking at the decorations that still haven't been put away, and  that overgrown chipmunk in that famous town has apparently seen his own shadow and given us the royal groundhog middle finger of a longer winter ahead as he crawls back into his den, where he has a comfortable supply of pizza and beer. So, with all of that happening, unless you live for the Super Bowl (did I mention pizza and beer?), this week can be downright "blah". FYI, I do turn on the Super Bowl, but my watching may be a bit blasphemous. You see, I watch ONLY the commercials, which are the very best part of the whole thing, and go about my normal day in between. I do, however, have pizza and beer ... to celebrate those incredibly clever and extremely expensive commercials.

Back to the point ... February, especially the first week of it, can sometimes leave us (and by "us", I basically mean "me") feeling a little bit "gray" ... like this little fellow I saw a few days ago:

Don't be sad ... your chubby cousin said it would only be six more weeks of Winter!

I don't like feeling gray ... which is why I like to ride a bike. Heck, just looking at my Hunqapillar begins to bring a little color into my otherwise gray day:

Bring on the color ... Bring on the Funq(apillar)!!

Although it might be tempting to go sit at the bar ... what makes me feel better is the view from my "bars":

This winter thing isn't so bad after all ... in fact, it's pretty nice today!

It always works, and I always feel better after a good ride. I come home with the energy to do the things I didn't want to do earlier, like the major office and house cleaning at the top of my list ... and putting away the last of the holiday decorations. And it seems that while I'm riding, the plan comes together in my head for getting done what I thought impossible before I left the house.

Maybe riding a bike does the same for you? If not, just get outside for a bit. Since the weather has been so mild, there are plenty of things you could do:

You could go surfing!!!

If you don't want to get wet, you could just go and watch the waves!

You could even learn to fly ... (or maybe just watch the birds)

Okay ... maybe you don't live near a large body of water. The point is ... get some fresh air. It will do good things for your spirit!

Back with more soon, including some reviews of stuff. But first ... I have to finish the cleaning and organizing of the house and office. Good thing I went for a nice ride this morning ...

Stick Bugs and Doorways

Friday morning, I took the dogs out as usual, and came back home. Upon arriving at the door, I found a surprise guest:

Stick bug of some kind ... hung out at our front door for 3 days!

He's approximately 6 inches long ... and if he wasn't sitting on the porch step, I would never have seen him! It's amazing to me how many unique creatures are living all around me that I've never seen before. I watched him for a little while, but then had to get on with the day's task list, starting with breakfast preparation for the dogs, and coffee and breakfast for myself and my better and more attractive half (BAMAH?) ... followed by BAMAH lunch prep ... then getting myself organized for the day ahead.

Of course I wanted to get a good ride in before settling in to work, since the weekend often substitutes a long walk around the town with BAMAH, along with grocery and other shopping runs. It seemed to take forever to get to it, though. Before I knew it, half the day was gone, and I was still working on getting out for that ride.

It isn't the riding that I sometimes lack the motivation for. I always enjoy it, and I can always feel how nice it will be outside on the bike. Where my motivation gets lazy is just getting out the door. Some days it takes longer to actually get out the door than my entire ride. I have these stupid conversations with myself that go something like this:

"Okay ... I think it's time to get out for my ride. What's the weather like? It looks sunny, but the computer says it's only 50 degrees right now. Isn't it supposed to get warm today, though? Yep, the forecast says 70's. But should I dress warm now, since it's chilly or will I be too hot once I get riding? Maybe I can wear a second layer to take off if I get hot. What shoes should I wear today? I really want to wear sandals, but I have a feeling  my toes will get cold. Geez, what a baby ... I can just put thicker socks on. Should I take the camera or just go? Didn't you make a deal with yourself to ALWAYS take the camera so you don't miss great photos? Oh, yeah ... guess I should take it. Will I need the tripod, though, in case there's a video I can capture? Hmm ... nah, there will be a rock or something to set it on. Should I bring coffee or water?" 

See how it gets? I know ... worse than a teenage girl (no offense to teenage girls everywhere). In the end, I get just frustrated enough to throw my hands up, grab whatever is in front of me, and run out the door before I change my mind about something.

Granted, most days are not like that ... I've set up my bikes and clothing selection such that I can pretty much ride in whatever I'm wearing, so all I have to do is grab a helmet and sunglasses, put the camera bag on the bike, and go. And for the most part, that's what I do, leaving the chain cleaning and tire pumping for after the ride to be ready for the next one. Actually these days, the tires only seem to need air once every ten days or so. Big fat Schwalbe tires and tubes are great in that way. Their claim of better air retention in their tubes is really true. But that's another post ...

As for Friday, once I got out the door, it turned out to be a great day ... sunny and warm, but not hot yet ... and clear blue skies ... with nice blue ocean water and good waves to watch. For all the effort that went into leaving the house, I was rewarded with views like this:

The water and sky have been bluer than usual lately ... with nice fun waves

As the water hits the beach, the competing waves create some interesting swirls

I always love how the sun reflects on the water ... difficult to capture, though

Funqapillar loves the beach!

I guess in the end, there will always be those days when it's tough to get out the door. Fortunately, it always seems that when I push myself out on those days, there will be something to see that makes it all worthwhile ... like the reflection of the sun on the ocean that's beyond words, or thinking about how a creature like a stick bug came to be. That's the most rewarding part of riding a bike to me ... the time I spend riding clears my head of the day-to-day clutter, and fills it with new images and memories that serve to inspire me when I get back to the office and begin my work. It can be difficult to be creative all the time, even when my work demands it ... but an hour or so out in the sun and nature works wonders to restore my imagination!

More soon ... get out there and find something new to see!

  

  

Cross-Training

   
I love riding to the harbor, especially at this time of year.  It's beginning to fill with activity, since Summer is on its way ... but it's still not yet crowded, so one can enjoy the beauty and happenings without worry of obstacles like traffic and people ... not that there's anything wrong with either.

The only thing I DON'T like about riding to the harbor is that, as I mentioned in a previous post, the return ride is always ... ALWAYS an uphill ride.  Hills are okay, but there are two main roads back home, and both of them are fairly steep ... like THIS one:

The photo doesn't do justice, even with the tall ship views from the bottom and top for perspective, but suffice it to say this hill is about an 18% grade and runs for over a quarter mile.  It's almost as though every ride becomes a "training" ride because of hills like this one.  Now don't go assuming I think there's something wrong with training ... I have great admiration for those who do it.  For me, however, the word "training" conjures up images of something that isn't as much FUN and RELAXING as it is WORK ... and cycling isn't something I want to view as WORK.  I already do enough of that.  But since Summer is on its way ... and that often means getting in shape for beach outings and BBQ events ... I felt it was time today to begin a different kind of training regimen.

People often speak of "cross-training", using different forms of exercise to work (there's that word again) different muscle groups or to work the same groups in different ways.  You might think that means doing something WITHOUT your bike ... but that's not always true.  Today, I have developed a cross-training event that uses the bicycle throughout the entire process.  Truth be told, it happened by accident, when I really needed a different route home from the harbor.  Instead of taking one of the two road routes, I decided to enter the local park across from the harbor area.  I've never gone that way before because I've seen the posted signs asking for "no bicycling" on the park sidewalks ... however, I see many people doing it every day, so I thought I'd be bold and give it a whirl.  Geography dictates that going home WILL involve going uphill, so I knew there would be some kind of hill action ... but at least it was off the road and through some new territory.  What I found was a veritable plethora of cross-training possibilities.  Here's how it works:

Upon entering the park, one immediately encounters the first uphill path, followed by another, and another ... and then a series of "switchback" paths that lead ... you guessed it ... uphill through the park.  Here's a look:

And here's a graphic depiction of the switchbacks:

Once again, a photo cannot do this justice ... it's a very long, winding path up through that pretty green grass.

Now ... here's where the cross-training fun begins.  If trying to pedal up these paths becomes difficult, one can simply walk the bike ... and walking uphill with a bike works different leg and foot muscles, as well as working the riding muscles in different ways.  This can be especially effective if done near the end of what has already been a good long ride, when your legs are "pre-fatigued".  You can also skip the switchback paths altogether and push your bike uphill through the grass ... cyclocross style ... for a more invigorating workout.  If you want to add some strength training to your day, there are three sets of concrete stairs ... one VERY long (#1 in the photo), one medium long (#2), and one normal (#3).  You could carry your bike up them for added intensity and upper body work.  Here's a look:

I did not opt for the added stair workout today ... as holding the camera in one hand and the bike in the other presented a problem that could not be easily resolved at the moment.  Next time ...

I was a bit disappointed that I was obviously not the first cyclist to think of this cross-training plan.  I noticed several others performing the same workout:

Workout or not, I couldn't help but stop and enjoy the amazing scenery this particular park has to offer:

And the best view is the one at the top of all the switchbacks ... looking down over the climb just made with superhuman strength:

It really is a LONG way down to the bottom ... you'll just have to take my word for it!  Now get out of your computer chair and go explore some new territory of your own!!
   

You Don't Need A Reason ...But Sometimes It Helps

   
Yesterday was a long day ... an EXTRA long day.  So long, in fact, that the 9pm closing time at Trader Joe's was passed up before the shopping trip could even start.  What to do, what to do ... well, we ended up going out for dinner at 9:30, rather than start making dinner at such a late hour.  The fish tacos and two beers were a welcome addition to my then empty stomach, but as is generally the result, I awoke this morning feeling sluggish, as well as somewhat stiff from a combination of aging body and extra muscle use from yesterday's activity.

Being National Bike Month and all, I made it my goal to spend some time with a bike every day ... not necessarily a major long ride or anything ... not necessarily even a ride ... it could be cleaning and performing routine maintenance ... or installing the new kickstand I mentioned in yesterday's post.  So far, so good ... until this morning.  As I mentioned, I was already feeling sluggish from late dinner and beer, and a little old and stiff from a long day.  After getting up and making coffee, taking the dogs out for the morning walk, feeding them, making breakfast and lunch for my better half, and getting her off to her day at the office, I was just not feeling like getting out for a ride.  It was one of those mornings when a good reason was required to push me over the edge and get me out the door and on the bike.

Then I remembered that I needed to go and get a few things from the grocery store.  At first, it wasn't an attractive thought, but I realized my bags were already on the bike, tires full of air, chain freshly lubed, and all I had to do was put my shoes on and head out.  And still, it was one of those mornings that made even doing that seem like a chore ... but I thought "Hey ... it's Bike Month ... and you need groceries ... it's just a short ride ... you'll accomplish something ... and you'll feel better".  So I put on my shoes and I went out the door.

I was right in what I told myself.  As soon as the garage door opened and I felt the sun, I felt better.  When I got on the bike and started rolling down the street, I felt even better.  When I got to the first stoplight, I felt even better still.  When I arrived at the grocery store parking lot, locked up my bike, grabbed my bags and noticed how nice my Surly LHT looks in the sun, I felt way better.  When I found some really-good-and-not-over-ripe avocados, I felt way-way better.  When I got to teach the bagger how he should try to balance the two bags by putting one carton of Silk Milk in each, rather than loading everything into only one bag, I felt like I imparted some valuable wisdom to a person younger than myself (although he simply gave me a blank stare as I took over and packed my own panniers).  When I secured my panniers to my bike, packed with just-purchased groceries, I felt great, knowing that I can shop by bike and save the entire planet single-handedly by not driving a car.  And when I rolled home on a fully-loaded beautiful blue touring bike, I felt humble and very grateful for all the nice things I have.  As I wheeled into the garage and unpacked my haul, I remembered how I didn't feel like going for a ride earlier ... and made myself a promise that whenever I find it difficult to get out the door, I'll remember how good today's short ride was and how great it felt both during and after.

Riding a bike doesn't require a reason ... but sometimes having one will get you out the door ... where you'll discover (again and again) why you love riding in the first place.  Funny how that works, huh?  Find a reason ... or none at all ... and get out there today!