I thought people were staring at all the snot on my shoulder but when I got home I realized that was likely not the case.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Post-Ride
I'm getting there. I think I need some snow for the full monty.
I thought people were staring at all the snot on my shoulder but when I got home I realized that was likely not the case.
I thought people were staring at all the snot on my shoulder but when I got home I realized that was likely not the case.
A blog makes you HTFU
Brian's well on his way to becoming a first class blogger. More importantly I believe the blog will help him overcome the mental aspect of his physical challenges. This morning he went out for a run in the super cooled air that is the inaugural weekend weather. He used the opportunity to flout his own manliness though failed to properly fluff his image. His stated temperature is well above the weather channel observations. Greenbelt was closer to 10 degrees when he left for his run.
I'll hopefully be living the American dream to HTFU a little later today by getting my butt out on the road bike for a chilly ride. For now I'm quite content sipping my coffee, listening to some tunes and reading about other people braving the cold weather.
I'll hopefully be living the American dream to HTFU a little later today by getting my butt out on the road bike for a chilly ride. For now I'm quite content sipping my coffee, listening to some tunes and reading about other people braving the cold weather.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Frozen balls
What do you mean crude? I'm talking eye balls of course!
This morning I officially began my occupation of Aimee's apartment for the inaugural weekend so naturally I rode to work. Yesterday I'd ridden from my truck at Haines Point to work not quite prepared for just how cold it was. The generally warm enough, especially for a 10 minute spin Hincapie gloves left my hands numb by the time I got to work.
Today I was more prepared. The lobster gloves made another appearance and once again did a great job in the 10 degree chill at 6:30 this morning. The eye balls on the other hand were painfully cold. I'm not sure I can remember a time when my actual eye balls felt cold like that. The tears were nearly freezing along with the condensation in my beard. Surprisingly no brain freeze (make your jokes about lacking the necessary equipment) but the eye balls. Damn the eye balls.
The ride home was nothing in comparison.
This morning I officially began my occupation of Aimee's apartment for the inaugural weekend so naturally I rode to work. Yesterday I'd ridden from my truck at Haines Point to work not quite prepared for just how cold it was. The generally warm enough, especially for a 10 minute spin Hincapie gloves left my hands numb by the time I got to work.
Today I was more prepared. The lobster gloves made another appearance and once again did a great job in the 10 degree chill at 6:30 this morning. The eye balls on the other hand were painfully cold. I'm not sure I can remember a time when my actual eye balls felt cold like that. The tears were nearly freezing along with the condensation in my beard. Surprisingly no brain freeze (make your jokes about lacking the necessary equipment) but the eye balls. Damn the eye balls.
The ride home was nothing in comparison.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The deed is done
The blog has been created, the ball is rolling. I think this is rock bottom. I've dragged him as low as I possibly could. I am a proud accomplice. I am a proud brother in law. I am a proud enabler.
Read the result:
http://mentalphysicalchallenge.blogspot.com
Read the result:
http://mentalphysicalchallenge.blogspot.com
Under construction
Please excuse the mess. Over the coming days/weeks I'm going to be doing some template work. I apologize for all the changes and crap that may come with this. Hopefully I'll come out of this with a somewhat decent (and less generic) looking blog.
GamJams Reviews: Hydration - Accelerade and Cytomax
I started drinking Accelerade about a year ago after receiving a deal through a group affiliation (prior to the GamJams sponsorship). I bought the fruit punch accelerade mix and a box of (strawberry?) gels and started using them heavily beginning in the spring season training for multisport events for the 08 season.
Previously I'd used Cytomax given to me by a teammate after he grew sick of the flavor and had occasionally used Gu during longer runs in my marathon training but my experience with sport nutrition products was (and still remains) fairly limited. That said, I did notice a few differences in using and also in researching sports nutrition that I've built my current nutrition strategy around.
First of all, what makes Accelerade what it is is their 4:1 carb to protein ratio. According to researchers and all that jazz this is beneficial since the one part protein helps accelerate the carb usage, or movement of carbs to the muscles for use. I personally like it because a 4:1 carb to protein ratio is the recommended post workout fuel in most sports nutrition literature I've read. Since I generally forget to or simply don't get to eating right after training a nutrition drink that provides these benefits during and directly after my workouts is a big plus.
As for Cytomax I really believe (based on my very unscientific personal experience "tests") the lactic acid buffer is the real deal. Not saying it does away with it but I feel like I can go noticeably harder for longer when using the stuff. That said I tend to stick with it more for my serious racing while I drink Accelerade for the protien benefits during most training workouts. The experts say to train with the nutrition you'll race with but I've tested out Cytomax and my stomach tends to be pretty strong in those regards so it works out for me.
In the taste category I'd say I'm fairly easy going. So long as it doesn't make me puke I'll probably drink it without any worries. Accelerade's Fruit Punch and Lemon Lime flavors and Cytomax's Cool Citrus and Tropical Fruit flavors all passed that test.
The fine powder of Accelerade.
Usage factors - this isn't something I'd normally feel the need to write about when it comes to something like sports drinks. In this case there are things to point about about both of these products. First, Accelerade comes in a very fine powder which is easy to get all over the place if you're not careful while pouring. Second, if added to a bottle before water is poured in it'll bubble up and half your bottle will be bubbles. Neither are bad per say, just somewhat annoying. I certainly wouldn't base any decision on these things.
With Cytomax the issue is a bit more serious but still minor. I tend to take it easy on my mixed drink consumption in training and so generally my drink powder last for a bit. With Cytomax this can be a bad thing. The powder will begin to crystalize in the jug relatively quickly making it a bit of pain to deal with. I'd guess it could causes structural changes to the product itself though that is strictly my unscientific guess and is not based on anything. So far I haven't had any major issues using the crystalized chunks of powder but scooping in the amount you want is certainly a hassle.
The crystalized dregs of Cytomax.
Previously I'd used Cytomax given to me by a teammate after he grew sick of the flavor and had occasionally used Gu during longer runs in my marathon training but my experience with sport nutrition products was (and still remains) fairly limited. That said, I did notice a few differences in using and also in researching sports nutrition that I've built my current nutrition strategy around.
First of all, what makes Accelerade what it is is their 4:1 carb to protein ratio. According to researchers and all that jazz this is beneficial since the one part protein helps accelerate the carb usage, or movement of carbs to the muscles for use. I personally like it because a 4:1 carb to protein ratio is the recommended post workout fuel in most sports nutrition literature I've read. Since I generally forget to or simply don't get to eating right after training a nutrition drink that provides these benefits during and directly after my workouts is a big plus.
As for Cytomax I really believe (based on my very unscientific personal experience "tests") the lactic acid buffer is the real deal. Not saying it does away with it but I feel like I can go noticeably harder for longer when using the stuff. That said I tend to stick with it more for my serious racing while I drink Accelerade for the protien benefits during most training workouts. The experts say to train with the nutrition you'll race with but I've tested out Cytomax and my stomach tends to be pretty strong in those regards so it works out for me.
In the taste category I'd say I'm fairly easy going. So long as it doesn't make me puke I'll probably drink it without any worries. Accelerade's Fruit Punch and Lemon Lime flavors and Cytomax's Cool Citrus and Tropical Fruit flavors all passed that test.
The fine powder of Accelerade.Usage factors - this isn't something I'd normally feel the need to write about when it comes to something like sports drinks. In this case there are things to point about about both of these products. First, Accelerade comes in a very fine powder which is easy to get all over the place if you're not careful while pouring. Second, if added to a bottle before water is poured in it'll bubble up and half your bottle will be bubbles. Neither are bad per say, just somewhat annoying. I certainly wouldn't base any decision on these things.
With Cytomax the issue is a bit more serious but still minor. I tend to take it easy on my mixed drink consumption in training and so generally my drink powder last for a bit. With Cytomax this can be a bad thing. The powder will begin to crystalize in the jug relatively quickly making it a bit of pain to deal with. I'd guess it could causes structural changes to the product itself though that is strictly my unscientific guess and is not based on anything. So far I haven't had any major issues using the crystalized chunks of powder but scooping in the amount you want is certainly a hassle.
The crystalized dregs of Cytomax.Wednesday, January 14, 2009
There is no title for this post
Inauguration Station from the roof of DOL. 1/13/09
A LOT going on at work these days. With all the action of Cap Hill regarding another stimulus unemployment insurance actuaries get many requests. Top it off with Obama's new team with new numbers needing to be run and the head actuary leaving for Vietnam for 3 weeks beginning Saturday morning and we've found ourselves in a entirely new kerfluffel. I personally enjoy the new projects and tasks as a bit of freshness in the work week.
The other view from DOL's roof.
Cycling relations heed likely discussion for the time being. My riding this week has been limited to the 2.5 miles over to the metro with a massive chain lock around my neck. One good thing, I think through my lack of ability to shift the rear derailleur I've located the perfect single speed gear ratio for the cross bike. Now I just need to figure out what it is and then get it actually set up as a single speed.
Morning straightaway
This morning the rise was short so I certainly couldn't complain of discomfort, but the cold was evident. As I waited on the platform for the next train and registered at least a couple of strange looks my way I combed my beard with my ungloved fingers to smooth things out. To my surprise the warmth of my fingers melted away a few strands of ice. No wonder.
Some day maybe it'll snow and I can try for the Iceman beard.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thoughts on food
After seeing some glamour shots Kyle posted on his blog, thoughts on nutrition come to mind. (Kidding Kyle, I love your pod though!) In all seriousness my nutrition has gone down the tubes since probably September. My meals on my own have essentially been veggie fajita burritos at Chipotle (not that bad though I think at times agree with Fatty, it's just too much. I'm tempted, I could soooo get my monies worth outta that!), Mac and Cheese or spaghetti and meat balls. Aimee saves me from my own cooking some and we'll eat out somewhere other then Chipotle no and then but otherwise I've remained on a fairly strict bachelors' diet. Not the worlds worst but certainly not doing me too much good, especially since the most common is the mac and cheese.
Playing with my food... The reduced balsamic vinegar and tomato sauce.
Tonight I felt the need for something else so I thawed some chicken breast I had and used a method I picked up at the only cooking class I've ever taken. It's really easy to make and can turn out some pretty tasty results. Today was sauteed chicken in a balsamic and tomato based sauce along with some basic vaggies and couscous thrown in for good measaure. Not too bad if I say so myself.
The cooking continues.
Now if only I could eat like this all the time.
The finished product. It may not look great but it definitely tastes pretty good.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sunday driver
Finally, probably for the first time since September or so I got out for a base road ride. For the past couple of months I've hardly wanted to touch the road bike; my interests only with the trails. Today, between the likely miserable trail conditions and my growing lack of enthusiasm for the Dragon's geometry and setup I finally hopped on the CAAD9 for a moderate tour of my local roads.
End of ride scenery. One of the Ag Center Building in front of the cloud obscured sunset.
I stuck to the usual Ag Center to Bowie and back 20+ mile spin and kept the pace moderate for an easy but good feeling ride. I worked on keeping the pedal stroke consistent and tried to use the full stroke and otherwise just focused on a steady cadence and effort. I've felt that lately I've been simply mashing on the SS Jamis and not using all of my available resources for my riding so I want to try and brake myself of that quickly. That does not provide the optimal riding style for a single speed mountain bike much less anything else.
I believe I've dialed down the cold weather kit a bit better then I've had before. The only part that was uncomfortable was my toes but until I buy a new larger pair of shoes I don't think that'll be going anywhere. The PI Lobster Claw gloves are perfect for 35 degree (and likely even more so below) riding. Maybe a little sweaty but warm none the less. No small feat for my impossible fingers.
End of ride scenery. One of the Ag Center Building in front of the cloud obscured sunset.
I stuck to the usual Ag Center to Bowie and back 20+ mile spin and kept the pace moderate for an easy but good feeling ride. I worked on keeping the pedal stroke consistent and tried to use the full stroke and otherwise just focused on a steady cadence and effort. I've felt that lately I've been simply mashing on the SS Jamis and not using all of my available resources for my riding so I want to try and brake myself of that quickly. That does not provide the optimal riding style for a single speed mountain bike much less anything else.
I believe I've dialed down the cold weather kit a bit better then I've had before. The only part that was uncomfortable was my toes but until I buy a new larger pair of shoes I don't think that'll be going anywhere. The PI Lobster Claw gloves are perfect for 35 degree (and likely even more so below) riding. Maybe a little sweaty but warm none the less. No small feat for my impossible fingers.
The holiday stash
As I've said before, since Jenny and Brian went to Disney World and Aimee and I went to TN over Christmas, my folks came down this weekend to celebrate our family Christmas and my birthday on Friday. It was a pretty full weekend, between getting everyone organized and together on Friday, last minute gift shopping and some much needed ride time the weekend mostly flew by. Today is now being absorbed by my Christmas gift from the folks.
An oral adventure for the country bumpkin parents at Sticky Rice.
I could almost technically call this my best "cycling gift" for the GamJams Review. I mean it provides endless blogging capabilities for one thing, plus the ability to keep a closer eye on all the great deals on chainlove, the forums on MORE and all the other cycling specific shopping opportunities I can now get into. Alas, I'd probably be better off calling it the worst cycling related gift I recieved this year since it more then likely will keep me from actually getting outside and riding at least once over the coming months. I'm not complaining.
Jenny and Brian take the cake for providing the true best cycling gifts of the year. Yes I said gifts, there were two. I figure I had not only Christmas but also my birthday to build my experience on so it's allowed.
First, for my birthday they read my blog and went out and got me a cold gear mock neck Under Armour top. So nice! It may be even a little heavier then the one I had from years ago and it most certainly is a very welcome addition to the base layer collection. After one use the old one will hold a stench worse then most any I've ever smelled so I now will be less likel to wear a given top between washes.
Second, Brian went out to pick me up a new set of Michellin Pro Race 3's (once again from a blog post). The store was out of them but he managed to get some Vittoria's (the name of which escape me now) which are going to be stronger and better for all season riding then the michellins which currently are flat on the bike. I'll be mounting them today and giving them a test ride this afternoon if all goes as planned.
I believe I made out like a bandit this holiday. Thanks guys; you're all the best.
An oral adventure for the country bumpkin parents at Sticky Rice.
I could almost technically call this my best "cycling gift" for the GamJams Review. I mean it provides endless blogging capabilities for one thing, plus the ability to keep a closer eye on all the great deals on chainlove, the forums on MORE and all the other cycling specific shopping opportunities I can now get into. Alas, I'd probably be better off calling it the worst cycling related gift I recieved this year since it more then likely will keep me from actually getting outside and riding at least once over the coming months. I'm not complaining.
Jenny and Brian take the cake for providing the true best cycling gifts of the year. Yes I said gifts, there were two. I figure I had not only Christmas but also my birthday to build my experience on so it's allowed.
First, for my birthday they read my blog and went out and got me a cold gear mock neck Under Armour top. So nice! It may be even a little heavier then the one I had from years ago and it most certainly is a very welcome addition to the base layer collection. After one use the old one will hold a stench worse then most any I've ever smelled so I now will be less likel to wear a given top between washes.
Second, Brian went out to pick me up a new set of Michellin Pro Race 3's (once again from a blog post). The store was out of them but he managed to get some Vittoria's (the name of which escape me now) which are going to be stronger and better for all season riding then the michellins which currently are flat on the bike. I'll be mounting them today and giving them a test ride this afternoon if all goes as planned.
I believe I made out like a bandit this holiday. Thanks guys; you're all the best.
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