Bike Noob

Because I'm Always Learning Something New

Mixing it up

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As I’ve mentioned before, I used to be a runner. Actually, I was never fast enough to be called a runner — I think 10-minute miles are more in the realm of jogging.

Anyway, I gave it up a couple of years ago because my knees just couldn’t take the pounding anymore. That’s when I started biking.

Biking’s been great for me, fitness-wise. I’ve got better endurance, a lower resting heart rate, and my waist size is down two inches.

But biking has some disadvantages, too. It’s not a weight-bearing exercise, so although my thighs and calves look like those on a 20-something, my upper body looks like it belongs on a 58-year-old. Which I am.

But I stick with biking as my only real exercise. Lots of folks I know mix it up — they run, or swim, or lift weights, or do something in addition to biking.

I don’t.

None of those other activities excite me much. Weight lifting is a turn-off, swimming bores me (not that I’m much good at it anyway), and although I enjoy golf, come on, there’s no way that qualifies as exercise. By the way, I walk the entire 18 holes and carry my bag, too.

Do you supplement your biking with other forms of exercise? What do you do? Do you do more than one other activity?  What’s the mix of biking vs. that other stuff?

Beating the heat

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We had a bunch of errands to run this morning, then the grass needed cutting. I can stay home some weekdays, so today was a day to attend to those chores. By the time I was done and starting to think about taking the bike out, it was 98F (37C). The forecast called for a high of 102F. And there’s no relief in sight — tomorrow’s high is expected to be a record-breaking 103F, and we have forecasted highs in the 100s for the rest of the week.

Last summer, I had a heck of a time dealing with the heat. My performance sagged when the temperatures got past the mid-90s, and I found myself passing up scheduled rides on a regular basis. That in turn lowered my performance level.

This year, I was determined to handle the heat better. I poked around on the Interwebs (“It’s a series of tubes.” — Former Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska) to see what the online sages say about it, and here’s what I’m doing this summer.

Step number one — drink more. And not just on rides. I’m drinking throughout the day. A big glass of water before going to bed, and I watch my cyclocomputer’s timer during rides so I remember to take some water every 10 minutes or so.

Two — I carry some kind of electrolyte drink. Currently, I’m using Nuun. One bottle is filled with plain water, one with water and a Nuun tablet. The Nuun isn’t as cloyingly sweet as a lot of sports drinks. In fact, the taste is light, and I can handle it better than other drinks when it warms up 10 minutes into the ride.

Three — Bananas. I eat one or two every day, partly because I’ve always liked them, partly because I know the potassium they contain is important during hot weather.

Four — Sunscreen. I forget to put on sunscreen before rides with some frequency, but now it’s become part of my pre-ride routine. I’ve heard that a generous coating of the stuff will lower skin temperature by as much as 20 percent, and help keep you cool. That hasn’t been my experience yet, but I know I’m better off with it than without it.

Five — Acclimate. Ride a little more in the hotter weather to get used to it. Not my favorite thing to do, but it’s probably necessary.

Six — Ride earlier. This is a no-brainer, and it’s something I’m working on. Instead of going out mid-morning, I’ll go out around 8 a.m. If this heatwave sticks around, that might change to 7 or earlier.

Seven — Take frequent breaks, in the shade. I typically stop every hour or  so, and I should do it more often in the kind of weather we’re having now. Even in extremely hot weather, sitting in the shade of a tree with a slight breeze blowing around you will rejuvenate you quickly.

I just checked the temperature again. It’s 99. I’m going for a ride.

Dodged a trainer again

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exercise-bike-1We’re going to have two mild weekend days, and I’m looking forward to getting in some bike rides. It’s a good thing, too, because I’m getting to the point where I would otherwise have to put in some time on a stationary bike.

I hate stationary bikes. The golf club I belong to has some recumbent stationaries in the fitness room. I rode them some last winter, but have been able to avoid them so far this year. Recumbents have no relation to the kind of riding I do, so they provide a workout, and make me sweat, but I don’t feel as though they provide as much benefit as I think they should.

At the fitness club my wife visits, the stationary bike situation offers more options. She lets me go there on the occasional guest pass, and I’ve been to spin classes there, although not this year, and I’ve ridden an upright stationary bike — the kind with the screen for picking the type of workout and the level of effort. They’ve got some spin bikes in the room with all the ellipticals and stairmasters and the other bikes, as well. Haven’t tried one yet.

Likewise, I’ve never even thought about getting an indoor trainer to use in the house — the kind you mount a real bike on. I think pedaling a real bike indoors would absolutely drive me bonkers. It’s a moot point anyway, since there is no room in our house for a trainer. We don’t have a basement, and both of our extra bedrooms are already being used for other purposes — both are full of furniture.

To me, biking is something you do outdoors, on a bike. I’m lucky to live in an area with a mild climate year round, and the chilly weather we’ve had lately is an anomaly. So if you can put up with a little time off the bike, the good biking weather will return soon enough, and you can do your pedaling outdoors again.

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