Cycling / Running - Logs, Stories, & Pictures (any fellow cyclists or runners here?)

[george7378]

Well, it's not as impressive as the hundreds of miles Tex does, but I always enjoy cycling around the country roads local to me when the weather's good. Sometimes I just cruise around to see where I end up (today I did a nice 12km ride past the local airfield and through some small villages, and I ended up going in a nice big circle and returned to the place I started from by chance), and I ride into the town a few miles away to see relatives or get stuff from the shops. It's a lot more fun that running, and a much nicer way to exercise. I am definitely going to need a new bike soon though, because my current one only has one brake and the rear gears don't work!

 

[FADEC]

Is there no mask you could wear to avoid inhaling the pollen? Just a thought.

Never heard of it, so far. Might be an idea for the night...

I hope the new inhaler proves to be a better success for you!

It does. But I did use it alerady a few years ago.

On a brighter side, it's time to bust out Orbiter!!

Yes

I am also playing old games. Yesterday I installed DOSBox which brings back some memories of the 1990s...

In all seriousness, it's not fun, but you can cycle indoors to maintain fitness during these times if you like or during winter too. Just need an indoor bike trainer that you can attach your bike to. I use it on bad weather days and for hyper specific training sessions.

There is, sadly, also trouble indoors. I can't even do athletic sports indoors for longer than about 10 minutes without asthma. Today I returned home from shopping, and only after climbing stairs I had to use my aerosol one time. Even the rainy weather does not help. The longer the exercise takes, the more severe asthma becomes afterwards. I think it's due to increased breathing rate, i.e. inhaling more pollen. They are just everywhere. Even in the flat. And you have to let some air in sooner or later...

But from now it's only 4-6 weeks until this crap is over.

---------- Post added at 09:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:15 PM ----------

Well, it's not as impressive as the hundreds of miles Tex does, but I always enjoy cycling around the country roads local to me when the weather's good. Sometimes I just cruise around to see where I end up (today I did a nice 12km ride past the local airfield and through some small villages, and I ended up going in a nice big circle and returned to the place I started from by chance), and I ride into the town a few miles away to see relatives or get stuff from the shops. It's a lot more fun that running, and a much nicer way to exercise. I am definitely going to need a new bike soon though, because my current one only has one brake and the rear gears don't work!

The journey is the destination. Even if it's only 12 Km. You can see much more during a 12 Km ride than you see while sitting in front of the TV at home :thumbup:

 

[Tex]

The journey is the destination. Even if it's only 12 Km. You can see much more during a 12 Km ride than you see while sitting in front of the TV at home :thumbup:

Eloquently put. :thumbup:

:hesaid:, keep it up and enjoy yourself George.

 

[Tex]

New wheels! Though I don't have the tools to change out the cassette from my old wheel to new. Should get it done tomorrow.

A bit of a sad note; I messed up my left knee and am looking at 1-2 weeks off the bike, minimum.

 

[FADEC]

Eloquently put. :thumbup:

And my English isn't even the beat

A bit of a sad note; I messed up my left knee and am looking at 1-2 weeks off the bike, minimum.

Sorry to hear that.

On a brighter side, it's time to bust out Orbiter!! :lol:

---------- Post added at 09:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:41 PM ----------

I meant that my English is not the "best"

 

[FADEC]

Tomorrow I will drive 115 Km... by train though

It's the route I was planning to drive with my new bike. But my asthma still does not allow it. At least I got another good medicine which makes the symptoms disappear as long as I don't do sports.

The only good thing is that I'll meet friends tomorrow which I haven't seen for 7 years. We will grill and drink beer. So it's still going to be a nice weekend although I can't visit them by bike.

 

[Tex]

I'll be joining you off the bike. I can't even work for 10 days now. Just got out of the emergency room having a laceration stitched up on my leg and pumped full of antibiotics. This happened at work today.

 

[FordPrefect]

Ouch! Tex, what happened, doesn't look like an injury caused by "handling" computer stuff? Get well soon Tex! I always enjoy reading and watching your cycling reports.

Same to you FADEC (ex Moonwalker?), I hope your asthma doesn't spoil your whole summer experience.

Best wishes for you both.

 

[Tex]

Ouch! Tex, what happened, doesn't look like an injury caused by "handling" computer stuff? Get well soon Tex! I always enjoy reading and watching your cycling reports.

Same to you FADEC (ex Moonwalker?), I hope your asthma doesn't spoil your whole summer experience.

Best wishes for you both.

Thanks for the well wishes.

I'm actually a scuba diver by profession, so I managed to do this slipping off the dock and scrapping my leg on the edge of it in the process.

 

[FADEC]

Thanks for the well wishes, and get well soon Tex

Maybe it wasn't too bad that I wasn't able to drive with my bike. I drank of lot of alcohol friday night. Would be a bad idea to drive back with the bike while I am hungover, even if it's two days later :lol:

Next time we meet (with my old friends) in September, when the (pollen)season is over. I will drive with the bike. But I will take the train on the way back...

 

[FADEC]

Last night I decided to drive 30 Km. I just couldn't sit at home anymore and literally do nothing. So I took my bike for a night tour under a beautiful, clear spangled sky. It worked relatively well. I still noticed prickle in my bronchia, but they did not narrow and I did not have to cough. But I took all my medicine immediately after the training, just in case...

I also did pushups, tummy crunches, knee bends and barbell exercises after the cycling. All this only is possible due to "Viani", which I got last week, and which I take every 12 hours since then:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluticasone/salmeterol

I'm not sure if it is healthy after or in combination with sports. But it can't be really more unhealthy than just sitting at home and doing nothing. At least driving 30 Km didn't feel too bad this time, and a few minutes after taking Viani it feels like I don't have any issues with my lungs at all.

I'm not sure if I am "back on the road" again. I'll give it another try tonight to see if it really works that way...

 

[FADEC]

I did another 30 Km tour Tuesday night. I didn't have problems so far.

My average speed was 29 km/h by the way. I am getting close to my goal (30 km/h)

 

[N_Molson]

I'm awfully slow.

I just ran 2810 meters in 21 minutes, which makes 8.03 km/h as an average.

I really have to practice more often.

 

[Dambuster]

Quick question: I have a goal of being able to run 2.4 km in less than 10.5 minutes (it works out at about 14 km/h) in about 2 months from now.

Currently, I can usually (provided I don't get a stitch!) run more than that distance, but at a speed of around 9 km/h. Does anyone have any tips on the best method to work up to the 14km/h mark?

 

[N_Molson]

Does anyone have any tips on the best way to get to the 14kph mark?

Train, train, train and train again. Heart and lungs need exercise, that's the main thing. If you want to work endurance, run slowly but the longer you can. If you want to increase speed (muscles power), make series of 100m / 200m sprints where you give all that you have, with only several seconds (10 max) to recover (don't make a cold start, or you'll hurt yourself with certainty). And I mean series of 10 or 20.

In my personal case, I would already be happy with 8->12 km/h in 2 months, though !

 

[george7378]

Well, I biked about 20km today, it gets easier every day I ride. Also, I've probably ridden the distance up to space (100km) during this summer break, so cool!

 

[N_Molson]

My bike record was 110 km in one day. Heavy rain all the day long, rather cold weather, violent wind gusts that easily halved my speed. I've never been so wet. Even worse, I got lost towards the end, so I made a useless 15 km loop. I remember trying to get cover into a forest, and after 20 minutes or so, I thought "well, I can wait all the day long in the middle of nowhere like that, the rain isn't going to stop", and so I continued under the rain.

 

[SiberianTiger]

My recent cycling achievement is going 11 km and back roughly along this way:
http://maps.yandex.ru/-/CVEP48iV

It's not very pleasant to travel pavements along a busy highway.

 

[FADEC]

I don't have any clue of jogging. I admire people who can do it for hours.

But biking is my strong point

So, since the weather is going to be great this Monday (only 18°C during the day, no rain and likely about 12°C during night), and since my new medicine literally seems to kill my asthma, I decided to drive 47 miles / 76 Km tonight. The longest route for many years. My estimated average speed is 25 Km/h (the route includes three relatively steep climbs). So let's see how this will work...

 

[N_Molson]

Just came back from a running session. 3100 meters in 24 minutes, which makes 7.75 km/h.

Even slower than the other time, but I held a little longer. Also, the thermometer was over 30°C at 8:30 PM, that's a little too much for me.

Let's try again in a couple of days. My goal is to hold 30 minutes easily, then try to increase speed.