The Last Month...

Ooops - I haven't updated in awhile have I?  Well, since the last time I posted I became the happy owner of a Surly Long Haul Trucker - Miss Surly, if you please.  I love me some Miss Surly.

Here she is:

That was the day Miss Surly and I went for about a 10-15 mile ride and stopped and hung out with Jane for awhile.

Also in the last month, my meeting went on a retreat in Highland County.  Let me just say:  I knew I was headed for a relapse when I went.  I knew it was a mistake to not only physically separate myself from my support (OA), but to also put myself in a position where I wouldn't be able to reach out for help because there is no cell phone reception in Highland County.  There was a landline where we were staying, but it was in the kitchen , and there was no privacy.  There was something sugary served at every single meal.  My meeting knows I'm a sugar addict, but they don't take that seriously.  One even makes fun of it.  I shouldn't have gone.  I found myself in complete relapse.  I gained six pounds that weekend.  I have struggled to regain my sugar abstinence since then, and so far, I'm losing.

Then, this past weekend, we had visitors at the meeting, so we all had to have lunch.  For the most part the lunch was good and healthy.  Well, first one woman was again mocking the very idea of sugar addiction saying that our cells need a certain amount of sugar to be healthy.  I told her our cells do not need refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup since our ancestors got along fine without those things for millenia.  Any sugar we "need" can be found in fruit and vegetables.   Anyway, desert was chocolate cake.  But, there was also strawberries and whipped cream.  Only after I after I ate a serving of strawberries did they tell me that sugar had been added - and laughed.  Nice.

Anyway, I wrote a letter to my meeting saying I didn't feel I had their support or even their respect when it came to my recovery and that I will not eat with them anymore.  Period.  I'm sorry.  I've tried.  It just doesn't work.  I see the incident with the strawberries as a serious breach of trust and deliberate sabotage.  It wasn't just thoughtlessness.  They wouldn't slip me some Jack Daniels if I were an alcoholic, but to slip a sugar addict sugar - that's funny. 

I want to do this:  2011 Tour de Canal  I sent an e-mail asking for more details.  When they say it is off road, are they saying that my mountain bike would be the appropriate bike to bring?  Would my brandy-new Surly with just a good set of tires on them be the bike to bring?  How hilly is the course?  If it's relatively flat then I'm really not all that worried about it.  I did 35 miles in Florida and then turned around and did 20 more the next day.  I'm in better shape now then I was then.  I meant to ask if I could do one of the 50 mile training rides before deciding if my crazy butt is really going to sign up for the 100 mile ride.

I really hate the thought of having to drive all the way up to DC just to do the qualifying test run, but I suppose I could probably spend the night at the William Penn House since being a Quaker and all - I know the people who run it.  No, I'm not kidding.  I should probably get a bike rack for my car.  Usually I just stuff my bike in the trunk. 

And, if you hadn't guessed from the first paragraph - I am the proud owner of a Surly Long Haul Trucker.  Alas, I can't actually have my Surly until Saturday because I'm having some modifications done to it - mustache handle bars most notably.  They had to order the mustache bars in, so no new bike until Saturday.  I got the 58cm frame because they said that with the mustache bars that I'd be seriously cramped riding a 56cm frame - which they would have otherwise recommended since I tend to like my seat a little low.  So, with the 58cm, if I'm standing over the top tube, there's maybe an inch between my crotch and the top tube.  I find that a little unnerving because I have hit the top tube before.  Not fun!

Wow, it's been awhile since I updated this.  Last time I weighed myself I had lost 32 lbs which is amazing considering how much I've slacked at the gym.  I have been riding my bike pretty much every day - at least to and from work, and usually more.  I let the bike shop raise the seat on my bike.  I have balance issues, so I've never been able to get the full leg extension that they say you should have because I need my toes to at least drag the ground if I drop the feet.  I can't do the stand up on the pedals and then get off the bike thing.  But, now my seat is high enough that I have to at least stand up and move to the front of my seat if I know I'm going to stop because otherwise I'm on my very tippy toes when I drop me feet which is not sufficient to get my balance right.  Let's just say it's been an adventure, and I've come close to falling a few times, but I haven't.

That having been said:  I am getting a new bike!  Weeee!!!!  I'm either getting the Surly LHT or Trek 520.  I don't know which yet.  The bike shop says Trek has a better warranty than Surly, but from all the comparisons I've read online absolutely nobody said:  Buy Trek!  It has the better warranty!  I have also read some complaints about Trek honoring their warranty.  I bounced (literally) into the bike shop this morning, told them I want a new bike (even though keeping my mtn. bike).  I told them that drop handle bars scare me.  I'm afraid I'd wreck, so I don't want drop handle bars.  I told them I want a steel frame, something meant for long distance riding, something that is nice and stable.

Yesterday, I was riding home from work and I couldn't understand why it seemed so hard.  I mean it was WORK to get up Wolfe Street, and I ride up Wolfe Street every day.  I was having cramps in one of my calves.  I was really worried.  This morning, I noticed my front derailler was in third gear.  D'oh!

I forgot to set my alarm last night, so I didn't wake up until 5:50 which is too late to go to the gym. I did, however, ride my bike to work today. I also took the bus down to the Community Services Board with a client, and then we walked the mile and a half back. Obviously, I will ride home when I get off tonight, so I will get some exercise. I did pack my shorts, so it is possible (but not likely) that I could go to the gym and do a short work out tonight. Tomorrow is the last weigh-in for Biggest Loser. I have accepted that I'm not going to win. But, at 26 lbs lost, I'm happy. Hopefully, the downward trend will continue.

I think I've mentioned that I want to get a new bike this summer, and I've been leaning heavily toward the Giant Roam. Well, I've been doing some reading. I haven't read anything bad about the Roam or anything. But, here's what I do want - something that I can conceivably ride for long distances. Really long distances. So, I've been wondering if what I want is a touring bike - inspite of the fact that they do not have front suspension, or straight handle bars. Someone finally explained to me that the reason road bike handle bars look like that is so that you can move your hands around on long rides. I'd already observed riding 35 miles on a Specialized Crosstrail that I lost the feeling in my hands. So, could I make friends with that style handle bar? I don't know. Also, from what I've read, touring bikes are very stable (as stable as my mountain bike?) because they're basically meant as beasts of burden. So, down at my favorite LBS they have not one, not two, but three Surly Long Haul Truckers which seems to be the ultimate touring bike. Alas, I am too damn tall to ride even one of them, and two of them are on reserve for a father and son who are riding across the country this summer. Since they are a Trek dealer, I am assuming there is a Trek 520 - also a touring bike - somewhere in the store. So, maybe I'll try one out and see how it feels. Also of concern, is the price. The Surly is $1100. I am assuming the Trek 520 is a similar cost. That's a lot of money - at least for me.

You Learned To Ride A Bike WHEN????

I just went over to drop my supper off in the fridge at Ye Ol' Evil Part-time Job. One of my co-workers said to me, "I heard you didn't learn to ride a bike until you were in your 30's??"

That is 100% true. I was 36 when I learned to ride a bike. I somehow failed to learn to ride a bike when I was six like a normal human being. Actually, it's no mystery: When I would try to ride my older brother would come along on his bike and knock me off. So, I never learned. It was actually one of my biggest regrets in life.

Then, the summer before I turned 37, I signed up for a spinning class at my gym. The seats on the spinning bikes are truly evil. The instructor recommended padded bike shorts. So, I went into the local bike shop to look at padded bike shorts and mentioned that I couldn't even ride a real bike. One of the people said, "We've taught lots of adults how to ride a bike. You'd be surprised at how many people there are who didn't learn to ride a bike when they were kids." So, I showed up the next Saturday and asked if they could really teach me how to ride a bike, and they did.

My first bike was a Trek 7000 WSD. It had a 19 inch frame which is the tallest woman's frame Trek makes. My mountain bike has a 19.5 inch frame, and I could probably go for a 20 inch. I learned to ride on that bike, but it ultimately wasn't the right bike for me. I needed something with more stability, so I started getting interested in a mountain bike. I had a couple of minor accidents followed by a major one on the 7000. I am absolutely sure that the two minor accidents wouldn't have happened if I'd been on a mountain bike. The major accident involved some black ice, so there was probably nothing that could have saved me from that one.

When I decided I wanted a mountain bike, I also decided that I wanted to try out several. I was willing to pay more for it since I already had a bike. I tried a couple of Gary Fishers, but I don't like the way their frames fit me. The top tubes are too long. I tried a Trek 3700 and the Trek 4300 (which is what I got). I'm told that the 3700 and 4300 have the same frame. But, there was a significant difference in how the two bikes felt to me. I think part of the reason I ended up with the 4300 was that none of the higher end bikes they had in the store were tall enough for me. My only regret is that nobody said to me: For only $150 more we can order you the exact same bike with disc brakes and here are the benefits of disc brakes. It would have saved me some money now. I have never not once fallen off my mountain bike or even come close to it. Even when I accidently ran into the back of a car that cut me off, I didn't fall. I did land on the top tube which sucked. There have been a couple of times when I've come close to losing my balance when I had to drop me feet for some reason, but I never have. I have grown ever more confident of my balance on my 4300, and my seat height keeps creeping up giving me better leg extension and more power when I pedal.

However, I still cannot stand and pedal. I can do it on the spin bikes at the gym, but when I do it on my bike (or any other bike) my knees lock and I can't pedal. I can stand and coast. When I did the 35 miler in Florida, I'd get as much speed as I could, and then I'd stand up to get off that horrible seat for a minute.

My mountain bike has served me well. I am comfortable and confident on it. I will probably always have a mountain bike. But, now, I am ready for another bike besides my mountain bike - something capable of more speed.

Sunday

For those of you who didn't know this: Harrisonburg is hilly. Maybe not as hilly as Staunton, but it's still hilly. One of the things I tell people who are contemplating beginning to ride: You learn little ways of getting around town that avoid the worst traffic and the worst hills. I have dedicated the last two years of my life to that mantra - finding the ways around town that avoid the worst hills and the worst traffic. But, still - it's Harrisonburg. You're gonna go up some hills, and in time, your legs do get stronger.

Sunday there was a big organized bike event where a bunch of people met at Court Square then rode their bikes about 8 miles from town to a farm, and then rode around a gravel loop that was 14 miles or so. I've mentioned that I normally try to avoid the worst hills, right? Well, the route the leaders of this ride chose to get out of Harrisonburg took us right up some of the most monsterous hills in town - hills that it is part of my mission in life to avoid. Add into it that I ride a mountain bike, and there was no way I could keep up with the pack. Then, to add insult to injury, the ride went right past my house. If I would have known that was the route they were going to follow, I would have waited for them at the corner. LOL! I might actually try going that way again sometime to strengthen my legs. I was actually pretty proud of how well I took some of those hills - considering I usually make it my buisness to avoid them. Though, the last really massive hill I had to climb - I had to drop all the way down to my lowest gear. My legs were trembling. It just wasn't a beautiful thing. If there had been another hill, I don't think I could have made it.

I have a migrane coming. My muscles and joints are hurting, and once again, I just couldn't do it at the gym this morning.

I am having disk brakes put on my bike on Friday. Why? Says here that disk brakes perform equally well in all kinds of weather. I bet they also don't scream like a dying goose when they're wet like my current brakes do. One of my neighbors actually complained to the landlord about the noise my brakes sometimes makes. It's loud. People stare. I am sometimes out on my bike after 11:00 pm. Having brakes that can be as loud as a car horn is a problem. Plus, riding in the rain just makes me nervous. I'm not worried about skidding. I ride a mountain bike. I've got awesome traction. I worry about my brakes - especially going down hill. I think every bike commuter has had the lovely experience of having a car pass them like their existence depends on it, and then they realize there's not one full car length between you and that stop sign. So, they cut right in front of you inches from your front tire. I've actually run into the back of a car because of that. If I hit my brakes, I need the bike to stop. I don't always have the luxury of giving myself plenty of stopping distance. So, if I know there's going to be a lot of rain, I still tend to take my car because of all of this. I want to be able to tell Big Oil to kiss my ass this summer. So, I'm getting disc brakes put on my bike.

Disc brakes are expensive. Putting disc brakes on my bike is going to cost more than 1/2 of what it would cost me to just replace the bike. I seriously considered just replacing the bike. But, my next bike isn't going to be a mountain bike, and it is my mountain bike I'm most likely to ride if the weather is less than wonderful. My next bike will probably be a Giant Roam 1. I've test rode it a couple of times. When I went to Florida I wanted to rent one for the week, but the closest they had was a Specialized Crosstrail. I loved that bike (hated the saddle). It had all the features that I truly love about my mountain bike (flat handle bars, front suspension, etc), it had close to the stability of my mountain bike, but it is a lot lighter than my mountain bike and capable of a lot more speed. Sometimes I just really get pissed off at everyone passing me.

The Local Bike Shop I usually frequent - the bike shop that taught me how to ride a bike - doesn't carry Giant or Specialized. They carry Trek and Gary Fisher. The nearest Trek equivelent of the Giant Roam 1 is $200 more. They've tried to convince me that what I really want is a flat bar road bike. Road bikes don't have front suspension. I'm very devoted to the cause of front suspension. I have an old back. Hitting railroad or potholes tracks without front suspension sucks. I also ride in enough iffy areas that I don't think I'd feel safe on a road bike. They also tried to sell me on the idea of a 29 inch mountain bike which is heavier than the Roam or Crosstrail. Also, all of Trek's 29ers are built to Gary Fisher specs, and Gary Fisher is not a comfortable fit for me. So, sometime in the next few months, I'm considering doing something that feels incredibly disloyal - buying a bike from another shop.

It Occurs To Me That I Haven't Updated For Awhile

Anyone who reads my other blog knows that my father passed away, so I was gone for a bit. I managed to make it through the trip to Florida without any major binges. I rented a bike while I was down there and rode at least 20 miles each day I was there. The day after my father's funeral, I participated in an organized bike event in which I rode 35 miles. It was actually 39 if you consider that I rode to/from the park. Do I have a point? Yes, I do. I somehow managed to not lose any weight while I was gone. I didn't bugger up my calories once while I was there. I ate the equivalent of a candy bar. ONE candy bar. Not once did I actually go over my calorie budget. The day of the big bicycle event I was more than 2000 calores below budget. Yet, I somehow didn't lose any weight. That pisses me off. Though it does occur to me that I should take what the scale said with a big grain of salt - 1) I weighed in at the end of the day when I usually weigh in the morning. That can make a few pounds of difference. 2) It's THAT time of the month. I don't usually gain a lot of weight during this week, but I do gain some. So, hopefully, I end up being down at least a little bit. Though by this time I was hoping to be a lot further down. Oh well.

On the day that I did the 35 mile Tour de Parks - as always the people closest to me thought I couldn't do it. It took about 2 1/2 hours to do it. I felt well enough to ride 20 miles along the intercoastal waterway the next morning. When I got home I was still breathing hard (and dripping in sweat). My sister was all, "Are you okay?" Because she has no concept that when you exercise you're supposed to breath hard. Then, because it was the day that I needed to return the rental bike to the shop, I asked her if she would pick me up at the bike shop after I rode it back. She said, "But, mom said you weren't going to be able to move today..." Insulting much? Anyway, I ended up having to load the bike into the trunk of her car and drive it back myself because God forbid she actually get up and do something.