The Price of Admission

You gotta pay to play.

When I first got into cycling, I had no idea how much it was going to cost.  Then again, I never imagined I would be gearing up to ride 100 miles in a single day.  It started off fairly cheap, with my starter bike.  I never intended to go long distances, so what was the point of making a huge investment, and that remained true for years.  Safety first, so I needed a helmet and that was about it.  Over time, I added a water bottle cage and a small saddle bag.  I bought a lock when I started commuting to work.  All this served me well until I decided to get serious.

I won’t get into the dollar and cents of what happened next.  Hell, I haven’t even told my wife how much I spent.  But its my money and I’ll spend it however I see fit, But my wife is a wise woman and understands the benefits of having a healthy husband and her children having a fit father, not to mention the whole lotta sexy starting to rise to the surface of this once large and puffy shape that used to lounge around on the couch all weekend.  She also understands the cost of precision and safety required to successfully fulfill this undertaking of completing a century ride.  My wife's so smart.

The next waive of spending started with my bike.  You can get your hands on a decent new road bike for under a grand.  The better brands typically have a really nice first tier for a reasonable price.  What shocked me was how quick prices go up.  For example, my local bike shop sells a Trek Madone 7.9 for $10,999.  That’s more than I paid for my car.

I’m still riding my old bike, so I needed all new accessories.  And since my rides were getting longer, I need a few more bells and whistles.  To start,  I got two cages and an extra water bottle.  I put on an extra large saddle bag, why an extra long saddle bag you ask?  Well I need somewhere to carry my extra tire tube and my tire patch kit. It’s one thing to get a flat tire right around the corner.  It’s another thing to blow one 20 miles from nowhere.  In addition to my floor pump with pressure gauge, I also got a smaller one that attaches to the bike.  The guy at the store asked if I had a tool.  A tool?  Yeah, everybody needs a tool.  So I got this bad boy.

No clue what half this stuff does

I never really embraced the riding culture.  I even turned my nose up at it from time to time.  I would see these guys riding around in their jerseys like they were training for the Tour de France.  I said, that’ll never be me.  Nope, gym shorts and a T-shirt is all I needed.  But guess what, I eventually geeked out.

I won’t subject you to anymore padded shorts talk, but I will mention cycling jerseys.  First, they are awesome.  Not only do they look and feel great, they serve a practical purpose as well.  Most come with a few pockets located on the lower back.  When I completed my first half century this past week, I took full advantage of the extra carrying capacity.  It was hot and I knew I wasn’t going find a rest stop for the first 25 miles, so I threw a Gatorade on my back along with a banana and a few other snacks to get me through my ride.

And then there is my Garmin Edge 200 Bike Computer.  Other than the bike itself, this is probably my favorite little toy.  

If you are in the market for a cycling GPS , you can’t go wrong with this one.  I was using the phone app Map My Ride to track all my rides.  I still do, which is another great feature of the Garmin.  I can download all my rides right to the app.  Again, distance is the true reason for my switch.  The last thing I need is a dead phone while I’m out and about.  It’s small, hooks easily to your bike.  Tracks distance, time, speed.  Here’s the link to the detailed review that sold me on this unit.

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/08/garmin-edge-200-in-depth-review.html

  

My Garmin is by no means top of the line.  There are bigger and better GPS systems made for cycling.  So like almost everything I own, this could certainly be upgraded. There are dozens of accessories I’ve either chosen not to purchase or at least have put on hold for the time being, like cycling shoes and the clipless pedals. Next on my wish list is a bike rack.  No these things are not necessary and I always advice:  Only spend what you can afford.  So for now, I’m just keep throwing my bike in the back of the jeep and let the wheel hang out the back window.

The price is not just monetary.  There is a physical price to be paid as well, in blood, sweat, possibly tears. 

I’ll save the emotional toll for another time and focus on the physical aspect.  And I don’t just mean freak accidents, but yes they happen.  I earned this small battle wound slipping a gear while pressing through a busy intersection.  Only my cat like reflexes saved you from an entirely different version of this blog. 

There is of course the temporary pain, like the burn from going up one too many hills.  There is the general soreness from pushing through an endurance run.  And at my age, the basic aches and pains associated with just from rolling out of bed the next morning.

Then there are the lingering aches.  My biggest physical issue to this point has been my hands.  It was really bad when I rode the hybrid.  The handlebars only allowed for one grip position.  I would start losing feeling in my hands after just a few miles.  On my road bike, I have drop bars which allows for several different grips.  I just need to remember to keep switching it up.  This has drastically reduced the numbness especially on my short rides.  The longer rides however, are still causing mild pain and stiffness that can linger for days.  I’ve chalked most of this up to hand positioning and my occasional death grip.  I found a few pointers relating to grips and contact points.  Like the ideal spot to rest your hands.

I’ve gotten most of my advice on this topic from Bike Forums.  So to give credit where credit is due:

http://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/543092-thumbs-going-dead-embarrassingly-short-rides-2.html

Scroll about half way down the page for a detail description of hand positions.  I can't say for sure it all works or if I'm just more focused at keeping my hands relaxed, but I have noticed some improvement to issue.

To go with this week’s theme, of course I got a new pair of padded bike gloves with strategically placed gel-padding and its engineered three-panel design.  Not only do they help soften up those contact points, but they also help absorb the vibrations from the road.  But the most important reason for the cycling gloves (and hopefully the least needed) is to protect your hands in a wipe out.  Plus mine are also fingerless, so they make me look way cool.

Padding My Stats and My Ass

When I originally started planning for my first Century Ride, I assumed that if anything threw me off my routine, it would probably be an injury.  As I give it more thought, the weather is running a close second.  When I plugged away at my weekly schedule, I was basically just throwing numbers into an empty spreadsheet.  I knew I had personal days to work around, but never really took into account bad weather.  Thankfully I padded my stats Week One.  Not intentionally, I was just so excited by that new car smell.  I got in an extra two days and was able to cruise longer than planned.  Before I knew it, I had broken a hundred miles in my first week of training.  Prior to that, my longest week was just over 80 miles.  So far, so good.

As week two rolled around, we had 5 straight days of storms.  Fortunately, I was able to find just enough blue sky to log some miles and stay on track.  But I'm guessing that's the last of the rain this summer.

And it’s not just the rain giving me heartburn.  I have a much bigger concern…The heat.  Just for fun, I decided to look at last year’s temps.  For example, July 20^th 2013, the high was only 92 degrees.  I just happened to have a 55 mile ride planned for that day this year.  Something tells me that when August roles around, rain is going to be a welcomed obstacle.  If I plan to hit 1,500 miles before the end of summer, I will definitely need to take advantage of any nice weather I can get and add a few extra miles just to be safe.

Stats are not the only thing I'm padding.  You will learn very quickly while riding a road bike that sitting on your saddle for any length of time sucks is not very high on your list of comfortable seating options.   

Saddle is fancy talk for bike seat

So why not go with a nice soft, padded seat like the one my Giant Sedona comfort hybrid?  

Giant Comfort Grove Plus

Well, over a long ride, a cushier seat will eventually give way to more pressure points as the foam or padding gets compressed.  They can even become deformed over time.  These seats also tend to be wider, which can lead to chaffing because more surface area means more contact points.  And more contact potentially leads to more rubbing.

They say the longer you train, the tougher your butt gets.  I can’t say for sure if that's the case with me or if I’m seeing results from other tricks I’m trying.  It’s probably a combination of both.  I'm up to about 20 miles before I notice any discomfort…usually.  There are some exceptions.  I spend a lot of time on the back country roads of Kutztown, PA.  It’s peaceful, beautiful, and completely unkempt.  Years and years of tractor and buggy traffic have left more than a handful of cracks in the road.

The longer your ride, the bigger those cracks seem to get.  It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to hit one after two hours in the saddle, but I'll give it a try:

If you have ever ridden in the back of a school bus, you probably remember hitting one of those bumps that would launch everyone right out of their seats.  Now imagine that bus is riding just on its rims when you hit that bump and you're sitting on a cinder block.  That’s what a small crack feels like after 40 miles.

But with every minor problem, some genius has come up with a solution.  I introduce to you... padded shorts.

And no, I do not own a pair of these baboon inspired riding shorts.  But these are hilarious and I felt a great way to illustrate the padding.  I currently have your standard store brand and they have done the trick so far.  But since I keep tacking on to my Sunday rides, I figured it best to upgrade.  And yes, I do go commando.  Most people do.  I’ve heard some people will go with a pair of compression shorts.  I personally think there's enough compression as is.  Either way, you definitely don’t want to go with any underwear that could bunch up or you’re just asking for some chaffing. 

This is also leading to a contentious situation in my dining room.  Even though it’s been a few weeks since I got my new bike, I still keep my old bike in our incredibly, overly crowded dining room, which has unintentionally become some sort of cycling storage facility.  I’m sure this drives my wife and her OCD a tad bit crazy.

To be fair, I do still ride my comfort bike to work.  But I tell my wife it’s because I don’t want to lock my new bike up to a chain link fence and leave it unattended all day long.  The truth is, I love that cushy seat on my Monday morning commute; especially after putting in a long Sunday ride. 

There are other things that you can try.  I like to stand up at least once a mile.  This allows for a little extra blood flow to the offending areas, not to mention changes up the contact points ever so slightly.  And definitely be proactive.  Keep an eye on the road, and  try to get up out of the saddle before you hit any bumps.

Little by little, life is getting easier in the saddle and I still have a few tips and tricks that I haven’t tried yet. Chamois Butt’r Skin Lubricant anyone?   But no matter what I ride, what I wear, or even how long I train, I’m pretty sure that at the end of my Century Ride, I’m going to have one hell of a sore ass.

My First Century...The Journey Begins

When I decided to do my first century ride, I did a lot of research on the web.  Mostly it was instructional articles, training schedules, and nutritional guides.  Throughout my search, I kept coming across personal stories documenting first century rides.  With each one, I got more and more excited about my own ride.  So much so, that I specifically started searching out these first time testimonials.  Not only did I enjoy the ups and downs, the emotional journeys, and the subtle, sometimes humorous advice; I loved the pleasure and pride these individuals conveyed in their writings.  And even more meaningful than exclaiming their accomplishment to the world, they created a wonderful way to reflect back on what was no doubt a long and at times trying day.  So I hope when my first ride is finally accomplished, I might be able to provide some enjoyment and possibly a little advice to someone else who may be anxiously anticipating their first century.  Or at the least, I can have something to help me look back and remember what I anticipate to be one hell of an experience. 

But first, let me back it up and explain how I got here.

Before my son was born, I was in OK shape.  At one point, I was down in the neighborhood of 200.  But five years and two kids later, I plumped up to a hefty 260.  I looked at my wife and sadly declared that I was getting close to "the point of no return".  I was 38 and a pack a day smoker who got winded just going from the couch to the fridge.  I did not want to be that old guy who couldn’t keep up with his children as they grew older and started playing sports.  So I set a goal for myself:

By they time I turn 40, I want to be in the best physical shape of my adult life.

The only question was, how do I get there?

Not only was I big, but I was achy.  Flat feet, bad knees, sore back.  I ran cross country in high school, but running was out of the question.  My body couldn't handle the punishment.  I started out on a bike, not just any bike, but a comfort bike with shocks and springs and a big cushy seat.  The wheels are two inches wide and weighed about 5 pounds each.  I rode most of the summer and I really enjoyed it except for the fact that I could not go far and I could not go fast.  Compared with other cyclists, I was pedaling a tank.  But I put in some miles, not a lot but some.  I dropped a few pounds, not a lot, but a few. 

tank

Summer quickly turned to fall.  The days got shorter and colder and I put the bike away.  I joined a gym, lifted some weights and rode a stationary bike.  I was on a fairly organized schedule and I was seeing results until.... my plan came off the rails.

I was leaving the gym early one November morning when my vision got blurry, I got dizzy and nearly passed out.  For the rest of the weekend I was jittery and couldn’t control the shakes.  My wife ordered suggested I visit my doctor.  After an extensive round of blood work, I was placed on a heart monitor and eventually I was sent to a cardiologist for a stress test.  Before they even started the test, I was sent to the emergency room.  To this day I’m still not completely certain what was happening at the time or what they saw that sent me to the ER.  I wasn't completely focused on the details, just trying not to have a panic attack on top of whatever else was going on..  After spending most of the evening wired up to machines with nurses and doctors routinely checking in on me, I was eventually sent home.  Thankfully, I was not having a heart attack.

Let me take a selfie

My life was briefly turned upside down. The stress test was rescheduled for later that week.  After walking on a treadmill and being shot up full of heart racing chemicals, I was strapped into a machine that took pictures of my heart's circulation.  It appeared that parts of my heart were not getting enough oxygen.  The doctor scheduled me to have a heart catheter to look inside my arteries and to put in stints to remove any  blockages.  I had just turned 39 and I’m having a doctor tell me to take it easy, no shoveling snow and don’t pick up my kids.  Don’t pick up my kids?  Needless to say, I was now in panic mode.

I won't get into all the horrific details, like the multiple attempts it took the nurses to run an IV line or the various places on my body that had to be shaved.  After having a wire threaded in my wrist, up my arm and into my heart, they determined that they made a huge fucking mistake that the test produced a false positive.  Thousands of dollars in medical bills and hours upon hours of stress and fear just to find out that my heart was healthy and my arteries were fine.  Turns out, I had a minor vitamin D deficiency....Oops.

With a clean bill of health and a new lease on life, I put it all behind me.  I returned to the gym and spent more and more time on the stationary bike.  At this point, I was really looking forward to spring and hitting the open road and getting out from behind that TV monitor.

This seems like the opportune time to recognize someone who helped steer me towards my current love of cycling. Several years ago my friend Steve made the decision to slim down and ended up dropping nearly 170 pounds.  He was an absolute inspiration.  He got the cycling fever and never looked back.  This encouraged me to try and follow down his path.  And if cycling were anything like Alcoholics Anonymous, Steve would be my sponsor.  He has always been there to offer me support and advice no matter how dumb my questions were.  "Do you wear padded shorts?" "Does your bike have a kickstand?" He motivated me to upgrade from my comfort ride to a street worthy road bike.   And most importantly to me, Steve has always shown a genuine excitement and interest in my progress and achievements.  And for that, I thank him.

Strong like Bull

As spring rolled in,  I started researching road bikes.  I was checking out reviews and prices.  I was also seeing articles with basic tips, ways to train, and eventually came across the term Century.  I was intrigued and continued researching.  At the time, I was already up to about 20 miles on the tank and guessed that on a nice road bike, I should easily be able to increase my distance.  I started searching for Centuries in my area and found one at the end of the summer in the town I grew up in, Hershey, PA.  I was still a long ways away, but a plan started formulating in my head.

After searching multiple bike shops, I went with a sweet Trek 1.1.  I named her Salley.  Next I had the conversation with my wonderful wife.  She was a little hesitant at first.  We both work and have a 3 and a 5 year old at home.  I told her my planned schedule, which was identical to my normal routine with the exception of Sundays.  Sundays would be my long day.  She graciously agreed and supported my new challenge.  After a few rides on Salley, I was convinced I could do it. I signed up for the 4^th Annual Tour de Chocolate Town Bike Tour.

Meet Salley!

I gave myself 14 weeks to prepare for my Century ride.  The first thing I did was set up a detailed training schedule.  My typical week consists of four rides; two days commuting to work (7 miles each way), a moderate ride on Saturdays (18-22 miles), with Sundays being my long day starting at 35 miles and working my way up to 75 two weeks before the big event.  I've seen many different schedules.  Nothing longer than 12 weeks and most around the 8 week range.  My main concern with a 14 week schedule is that I may get a little burned out by the end.  My second concern is that I get injured and get off schedule. So the other 3 days of my schedule (and just as important) consist of weight training, taking a rest day and having a day to stretch.  I even found a few Yoga manly stretching routines on YouTube.  

The highlights represent vacation, holidays and various other events that I expect to take place between now and my Century.  WT = Weight Training and Thursday's are for Yoga stretches.

I also gave myself two secondary goals.  One is to log 1,500 miles in 15 weeks. The other, which I feel I may need to accomplish to finish my first century ride, and confident I will accomplish if I achieve the 1,500 miles, is to drop another 20 pounds.  I’m currently sitting at 235 (down 25 from last year) and I’d love to be at 215 come race day.  We shall see.