Sunday, June 3, 2007

Random Weekend Thoughts

"Aerobars suck, or maybe they don't, jury's still out"
Yesterday I took my bike out for a 25mile spin. The goal was to figure out how to ride in aero position. After 20mins, I hated my aerobars and wanted to take them off my bike. I could get one arm in, but was afraid to take the other arm off the safe position on the handle (by the brakes and shifters) and get it onto the aerobar. After 40mins, I had managed a few times to get both arms in for maybe 2 minutes. Then I'd get scared and go back to a safe position. After about 1.5 hrs, I was finally comfortable riding in that position for maybe 10mins at a time. Okay, so I guess I don't totally hate them, but it is definately going to take some practice.

"I'd just go farther"
After getting sunburned on my face because I was out longer than expected on my bike on Saturday, I grumbled something about "if only I could ride faster, then I wouldn't have been out so long, and I wouldn't have needed more sunscreen, and wouldn't have gotten sunburned." But my husband retorted "it woudn't make any difference, you'd just go farther, I know you". I think he's right...

"Walking doesn't have to equal stopping"
Until today, I have always run the whole way of whatever distance I set out to do. In the case that something caused me to stop running, I pretty much quit right then and walked the rest of the way, I just could not get running again. Having signed up for a half-mary, I figured it was time to learn how to get past this. So today, I set out with a goal of completing 8.5 miles with intentional stop/starts built in to teach myself how to get going again. The basic goal was run to a mile, walk one minute, then run to the next mile, run one minute, etc. And guess what? It basically worked. That was a good lesson. Sometimes the mental aspect of the sport is the toughest, glad to put that mental hang up to rest!

"Hey people, slow down and smell the roses"
As I was doing my run/walk think this morning, I smiled and said "Good Morning" to everyone that I passed or passed by me. I noticed something. Cyclists wizzing by and runners flying by, were generally not smiling nor did they return the greeting. In contrast, joggers, dog walkers, picture takers, etc. generally returned the smile and a greeting. I likened it to the difference between grouchy motorists on the freeway vs. drivers taking the scenic byway. I may be slower than molasses, but it was an absolutely beautiful morning, I have the good health to be out there, and I couldn't think of any reason not to smile and soak it all in.

17 comments:

  1. First, aerobars. Yes, they take some time getting used to. It always takes me about 5 or 6 rides where I can feel comfortable, meaning not wobbly. I'm not there yet this year either. Different bike, different aerobars. Run/walk. Much easier to train for longer distances and more enjoyable, as you found out. You might get faster by just gutting it out, but I'll bet you won't be as eager to get out there as often. Just remember, you're doing something productive--better than sitting and wishing you could do something. Oh, and yeah, if we were faster, we definitely would go farther! That's the whole idea.

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  2. Hi Lisa! I walked this morning and then did a ride, said hello to every single person I passed. Most were cheerful, only a couple grumpies were out!

    Have you practiced with the aerobars on your trainer?

    Have a great week!

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  3. I have Jeff Galloways' book, and he talks about taking scheduled walk breaks. That's how I did my first half marathons and my first full marathon.

    Regarding the aerobars, maybe it's that particular setup. I tried that type of aerobar too, but it wasn't for me. I prefer the two seperate ones.

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  4. Those are some great random thoughts!! I have on occasion (Very rare though. I don't ever exert myself too, too much hehe) been the non smiling type, not because I don't want to smile but because I was running too hard to want to smile LOL

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  5. Aerobars does getting used to, just keep practicing and you will get the hang of it. Honestly I still have a hard time staying on mine for a long peroid of time..

    Yeah, walking breaks do help, your actual overall time wise not hurt at all.. If you do Ultras you can do alot of walk breaks.. You get to walk all the hills :)

    I think we should always take time to "smell the flowers"... That is what it is all about sometimes..

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  6. Great observations. 10 at a time in your aerobars sounds like a good accomplishment for a first ride!

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  7. Hey Lisa - The run/walk thing should not be sniffed at. Coming back from broken handy it really worked for me and I still build the concept in when I'm wanting to go further then ever before - I find it a real confidence booster and anyhow isn't some kinda fartlek training ;o)

    Am contemplating a half mara later in the year and I'll probably look at building to the distance in this way :O)

    As for aero's - yes gotta fit mine yet (I think I'm just delaying cos deep down really I'm scared!!!)

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  8. I'm not really all that comfortable with my aerobars yet, either. I don't have any problem getting into them. I can even keep one hand in and shift with the other, but you have to have a good sense of balance and comfortableness with being in that position to stay there for a long time. Every little movement is exaggerated, and even more so the faster you go. Don't worry. We'll get the hang of it, and we do not have to rush. The aerobars aren't going anywhere.

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  9. I might need to stretch my legs after that marathon on Labor Day week-end. So - quien sabe? - we might do chips'n'salsa after all.

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  10. A few suggestions on the aerobars. First, if you can beg/borrow/steal a trainer for your bike, try doing some rides on it in the aerobars. It will allow your body to get used to being in the bars without worrying about all that silly steering stuff. Second, the farther you can spread the aerobars apart, the more stable you will be when you are in them. You won't be quite as aerodynamic, but what good is it if you can't stay in that position anyway? You might also want to take the drinking system and Bento box off for a while. The more weight you have on the nose of the bike, them more unstable the steering gets. Get used to it first, then when you are comfortable with them you can put them back on.

    All the other bloggers are right, they do take some real getting used to. But once you do, they are a big help. I've been doing this a while, so I'm to the point that I don't like getting out of the aerobars, which is why I have the shifters out on the bar ends. But I sure didn't start out that way. Stay with it, you'll get it. It's no different than when you first tried to learn how to ride as a kid...and once you had it figured out, you never looked back.

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  11. I feel the same way about my aerobars. I don't stay in them that long at all. If anything, they give me another position to give my self a break in on the bike. I can't be in them going up (or down, if it is too steep) a hill.

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  12. I am afraid to try aero bars. But then I am pretty much a chicken. I was advised to try run/walk, it doesn't seem to affect my time, of course, I am slow.
    I always try to smile and say hello... what is the point otherwise?

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  13. Great thoughts and you've learned alot. I use the run walk because I am afraid of injury.

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  14. Hey ... I would love to come and help you with your house! As long as there is no lattice board involved... that stuff is a bugger!

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  15. Hang in there. Great points from Chad. I did a run walk basically on the last 10k of my race on Saturday!

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  16. I totally know what you mean about the starting and stopping. I usually walk at least once in a mile but the few times I get past that and stop my legs really grumble upon restarting.

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  17. great comments here - I am alwasy getting down on myself for walking ...now I'll try to look at it as a stragegy for recovery and building distance. I really want to work up to a 10K (longest so far is 5 miles, usually only do 3) so doing it with planned walks is probably the way to go! I haven't tried aerobars - since I'm using my old mountain bike it just seems a bit silly!

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