Back in 2004 when I was training for the Triple Bypass in Colorado, I employed the services of Carmichael Training Systems. I asked my coach about various activities and how they might benefit my cycling. He said, point blank, the best way to improve your road cycling skills is to do lots of road riding. In many ways, I agree with what he said. On the surface it makes sense. But if you dig deeper, or spend much time on the bike, it becomes apparent that other factors must be developed OFF the bike in order to make you better ON the bike. Strength training, tricep, ab, & back exercises especially, are very beneficial. The point here is that other activities can strengthen your road cycling abilities. Mtb increases power output, for example.
The key is to examine your weaknesses as a cyclist or athlete. In my case, there is one clear factor that hinders my performance: weight. And the best way to lose weight is NOT on the bicycle, or even in the gym. Many studies are emerging and a consensus is growing that exercise does not help you lose weight, it only helps you to maintain weight. Yes, there are examples to this rule, and there was a time when I was one of them. In 2009-2010 I exercised 20-30hrs/wk AND followed the Weight Watchers diet. I worked my way from 303# to the lower 220's. But again, this is the exception to the rule. Most people don't have the time or the willpower to exercise so many hours. Even I didn't have the will power to exercise so much and NOT indulge in Dairy Queen or whatever. And did I keep the weight off? After meeting Anne & breaking my wrist, I ballooned up to 279...so no, I didn't keep it off. Regardless of the temporary success I had then, my life is different now. While I do have plenty of time to exercise if I chose to prioritize that over spending time with Anne or working, it's still not the best way to lose weight.
So now, today, is the beginning of my diet. Technically the prior two days have been loading days, but today begins the Very Low Calorie Diet. The gist of it is this: you take HCG, a natural hormone that the body produces on it's own, but you take a higher dose of it. The HCG, once absorbed into your fat cells, releases those fat cells into the bloodstream making them available for metabolism. Fat is coursing through the body just waiting to be burned, so your diet, the food you actually eat, can be very low in calories. You avoid fat at all costs and eat only minimal sugars. Yes, the diet is very restrictive. You eat a fruit, 8oz protein, a veggie, another fruit, another 8oz protein, and another veggie. That's it. That's your daily intake. 500-800 calories, and the rest of what the body needs it takes from fat.
I was very skeptical at first. I first did HCG last year and it worked extremely well. I dropped 30-40# in two months. But I started to go crazy from boredom! I didn't exercise as much as I should have--you're allowed 1hr a day. But I guess I figured it wasn't even worth it to only do 1hr/day. Another source of boredom was the food. You can only eat so many salads, so many filets of tilapia, before you go kinda bonkers. So in a sense, I got in my own way of losing weight by not exercising regularly enough &, when I did exercise, I did way too much, and also by cheating with the foods I ate later on in the diet.
So how can I improve this time? Well, I've got a little extra motivation to help me. I get married on March 19, which is only just over 2 months from now. Hopefully that will help me to keep on track. From there, I need to plan for success. My goal is to break 200 by time I get married. With HCG that IS a realistic goal. So how am I going to achieve it?
1. Don't cheat with the foods. Plan a VARIETY of acceptable foods in order avoid boredom.
2. Exercise more! Lift weights, hike, swim, play tennis (if the knee allows). Just stay moving, stay busy!
3. TRACK everything. That's what I did during my first cycle, which was my most successful cycle.
4. Remember your goals and why you're doing this. Yes, I want to look good for my wedding and for Anne. I also want to become a rocket on the bicycle. I want to be proud of how I look, feel, and perform. Say that again...
I WANT TO BE PROUD OF HOW I LOOK, FEEL, AND PERFORM.
I'd say that sums it up. Now get to work!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Casa Grande Ruins 200k Brevet Report
My official time was a mere 1 minute longer than I wanted. I finished in 9:12, but I'm going to blame getting stopped by a train for that minute! It certainly cost me that much, but there were many other factors that stole away my time.
The race, er, brevet began with a small hiccup. Because of John's debacle before (and extending well after) the start, I'd forgotten to eat/drink my EFS flask. So I reached into my jersey pocket & grabbed the EFS, peeled the plastic open with my teeth (duh, always prepare/pre-open thing like this), and was holding the flask in my hand along with the handlebar. I had on some thick, slippery glove liners over my cycling gloves, which caused the flask to go flying when I hit a bump! I would've let it go, but I was still riding in a group & people behind me politely reminded me that I'd dropped something. So I let the group pass, turned around, rode back, & picked up the flask. Tick, tock, tick, tock. This maybe only cost me a minute, but it also cost me riding with the front pack. On the other hand, I'm glad I got to taste the EFS because that stuff is awesome.
After such early excitement I settled in & got back into race mode. I was passing everyone with authority. After a while I sat in with a couple from El Paso because I realized that not only had my flask gone flying, my cue sheet was gone with the wind, as well. So I needed a guide! But this was also a good chance to let my HR recover. After a while they gave me one of their cue sheets (very nice of them) and I took off on my own. By this time a group had formed behind them and my "breakaway" was caught just before the second checkpoint. I made sure my stop at the Ruins was very short, and I jumped back on the bike & sped down the exit road to catch a group that was leaving. I sat in with the BullShifters from checkpoint 2 all the way just shy of checkpoint 3. After sitting in & enjoying the draft, I realized their paceline was working backwards. Instead of the leader pulling off & dropping back, the next person in line attacked to the front & then pulled. I pulled a bit early, but I was feeling good--great--and wanted to keep the pace up. So I pulled for about 4 miles, until we got into town, so that someone else who knew the route could lead us in, as I was constantly having to ask for directions. But that wasn't the only reason I fell back. During my pull my left knee developed the very pain I was afraid of. It went from totally fine to totally fucked almost immediately. It was so bad, even just 50 miles in, that I couldn't keep up with the group I had just pulled at 18-20mph. I couldn't even stand on it in the pedals. I got to the third checkpoint a minute or two behind the BullShifters, which is a lot of time to lose in just a mile or two.
Even though I made it a good stop, using the bathroom, eating, and drinking a Java Monster, I still kept this stop to a minimum. Good choice. I caught up to the BullShifters on the outskirts of town and then passed them. Quickly they disappeared, which had me wondering if I'd made a wrong turn. Checked the cue sheet; nope, still on route. I think they'd stopped for one of their members to catch up, because 20 minutes later they came flying by. Damn if I could only sit with them, but my knee would have none of that. I was only able to ride at the speed my right leg, gravity, and the wind allowed. I couldn't stand up to stretch, change saddle position, or put a little power into a climb. I was limp and helpless. And the route to checkpoint 4 was a bad place for this. It was slightly uphill with some 3% grades (nothing if your knees are working!), and it was against a strengthening wind. This leg of the brevet was 37m, and it seemed to take forever. I had to stop twice just to get my ass off the bike seat and to stretch. The first time I stopped for 5m, the second time I stopped for 4m. So I gave up 9 minutes right there, but I do have to admit that I rode stronger for the 10-15 minutes after stretching. I used every psychological trick in the book to push through the pain. It was excruciating. I finally reached checkpoint 4, 89 miles in, dying from the pain. But I did notice something, because my knee was limiting my power output, my leg muscles and heart were hardly working. This brevet was shaping up to be the hardest, easiest ride ever.
I took way too long at checkpoint 4. I took a stroll to some trees for relief. I choked down 2 Cokes and 2 Cookies. I learned that my brother started 30 minutes late. I dallied. I shouldn't have!!! When I finally got on the bike, the tailwind was amazing. I was flying at 20mph with virtually no effort. Was this ride going to end on an up note? Would the wind be my savior? It was only 2pm, and the weather report called for a wind shift from S to N at 4pm. At the rate I was going, I'd be well finished by then. But when has the weather report ever been reliable? After 10 miles of zipping with the wind, it did a 180 in what seemed to be a split second. And the uphills I'd fought on the way out were leveled by a wicked wind. There was no downhill or coasting on the way back (oh yeah, the weather also reported that the strongest winds would be 5-6mph...it was easily a steady 15 with gusts of 20-25). So I faced another 27 or so miles against a strong headwind with no downhill/coasting relief. Pretty soon all the people I'd passed earlier were passing me. It was ugly and painful. The pain was excruciating and fighting through it for so long was something I'd never faced before. At mile 103 my split was still at 17.6mph. That deteriorated quickly to the lower teens and by mile 118 I was in the 12's. Soon it was 11 & my two lowest splits were 10.4 and I finally bottomed out at mile 124 with a 10.3 avs. My heart was fine, my legs were tired but fine, I just had not ability to transfer the power.
In terms of diet & hydration, I could have done better. I slipped when I joined the BullShifters for the second leg. Riding in such a tight paceline I wasn't about to eat and I know I drank less than I should have. I anticipated this but figured that it was only for 20ish miles, 1 hour, and that I could make up for it at the next check point. I probably did. But then on the 3rd & especially on the 4th leg of the trip, the pain just took over and I couldn't, or at least didn't, eat or drink nearly enough. How much of an effect did this have? Perhaps my time would have been a few minutes better with proper nutrition. More importantly, perhaps my psychological state wouldn't been a bit more positive, and this may have resulted in a better time.
In sum, it was the knee that ruled this brevet. That was on Saturday. It's now Thursday and there's been very little recovery. Is this "just" tendonitis or is something actually wrong? Did I manage to tear something? Thankfully I have a physical with the doc next Friday. By then I'll know if it's improving or not, and I'll have him take a look. Hopefully it just needs rest, but if I need surgery, I'd rather get that done & out of the way sooner rather than later. But let's not put the cart before the horse.
Everything else that was sore from the ride has healed up by now. My crotch was pretty torn up because I couldn't ever stand or reposition myself. My right hand showed some numbness from Guyan's Canal Syndrome, but that lasted only a day or two. And my left lower back was sore, again from not being able to change positions on the bike, but like everything else, it's fine now. My left knee is the one holdout that doesn't seem to be improving at all. Hmm.
I'm not pleased with the way this brevet went, but only because of my knee. I know that if that had stayed strong I would've killed 9 hours by a lot! Had I sat with BullShifters the whole way, I may have broken 8 hours. But let's not dwell on what might have been. I fought against pain that would sideline almost anyone, and I won. I finished in 9:12 officially, but 9:10 by my gps (which doesn't include the time running into the shop at the final checkpoint). Overall I am pleased with my performance, given the extreme circumstances.
Now it's time to focus on recovery and ensuring that my next event is not plagued by this particular problem.
The race, er, brevet began with a small hiccup. Because of John's debacle before (and extending well after) the start, I'd forgotten to eat/drink my EFS flask. So I reached into my jersey pocket & grabbed the EFS, peeled the plastic open with my teeth (duh, always prepare/pre-open thing like this), and was holding the flask in my hand along with the handlebar. I had on some thick, slippery glove liners over my cycling gloves, which caused the flask to go flying when I hit a bump! I would've let it go, but I was still riding in a group & people behind me politely reminded me that I'd dropped something. So I let the group pass, turned around, rode back, & picked up the flask. Tick, tock, tick, tock. This maybe only cost me a minute, but it also cost me riding with the front pack. On the other hand, I'm glad I got to taste the EFS because that stuff is awesome.
After such early excitement I settled in & got back into race mode. I was passing everyone with authority. After a while I sat in with a couple from El Paso because I realized that not only had my flask gone flying, my cue sheet was gone with the wind, as well. So I needed a guide! But this was also a good chance to let my HR recover. After a while they gave me one of their cue sheets (very nice of them) and I took off on my own. By this time a group had formed behind them and my "breakaway" was caught just before the second checkpoint. I made sure my stop at the Ruins was very short, and I jumped back on the bike & sped down the exit road to catch a group that was leaving. I sat in with the BullShifters from checkpoint 2 all the way just shy of checkpoint 3. After sitting in & enjoying the draft, I realized their paceline was working backwards. Instead of the leader pulling off & dropping back, the next person in line attacked to the front & then pulled. I pulled a bit early, but I was feeling good--great--and wanted to keep the pace up. So I pulled for about 4 miles, until we got into town, so that someone else who knew the route could lead us in, as I was constantly having to ask for directions. But that wasn't the only reason I fell back. During my pull my left knee developed the very pain I was afraid of. It went from totally fine to totally fucked almost immediately. It was so bad, even just 50 miles in, that I couldn't keep up with the group I had just pulled at 18-20mph. I couldn't even stand on it in the pedals. I got to the third checkpoint a minute or two behind the BullShifters, which is a lot of time to lose in just a mile or two.
Even though I made it a good stop, using the bathroom, eating, and drinking a Java Monster, I still kept this stop to a minimum. Good choice. I caught up to the BullShifters on the outskirts of town and then passed them. Quickly they disappeared, which had me wondering if I'd made a wrong turn. Checked the cue sheet; nope, still on route. I think they'd stopped for one of their members to catch up, because 20 minutes later they came flying by. Damn if I could only sit with them, but my knee would have none of that. I was only able to ride at the speed my right leg, gravity, and the wind allowed. I couldn't stand up to stretch, change saddle position, or put a little power into a climb. I was limp and helpless. And the route to checkpoint 4 was a bad place for this. It was slightly uphill with some 3% grades (nothing if your knees are working!), and it was against a strengthening wind. This leg of the brevet was 37m, and it seemed to take forever. I had to stop twice just to get my ass off the bike seat and to stretch. The first time I stopped for 5m, the second time I stopped for 4m. So I gave up 9 minutes right there, but I do have to admit that I rode stronger for the 10-15 minutes after stretching. I used every psychological trick in the book to push through the pain. It was excruciating. I finally reached checkpoint 4, 89 miles in, dying from the pain. But I did notice something, because my knee was limiting my power output, my leg muscles and heart were hardly working. This brevet was shaping up to be the hardest, easiest ride ever.
I took way too long at checkpoint 4. I took a stroll to some trees for relief. I choked down 2 Cokes and 2 Cookies. I learned that my brother started 30 minutes late. I dallied. I shouldn't have!!! When I finally got on the bike, the tailwind was amazing. I was flying at 20mph with virtually no effort. Was this ride going to end on an up note? Would the wind be my savior? It was only 2pm, and the weather report called for a wind shift from S to N at 4pm. At the rate I was going, I'd be well finished by then. But when has the weather report ever been reliable? After 10 miles of zipping with the wind, it did a 180 in what seemed to be a split second. And the uphills I'd fought on the way out were leveled by a wicked wind. There was no downhill or coasting on the way back (oh yeah, the weather also reported that the strongest winds would be 5-6mph...it was easily a steady 15 with gusts of 20-25). So I faced another 27 or so miles against a strong headwind with no downhill/coasting relief. Pretty soon all the people I'd passed earlier were passing me. It was ugly and painful. The pain was excruciating and fighting through it for so long was something I'd never faced before. At mile 103 my split was still at 17.6mph. That deteriorated quickly to the lower teens and by mile 118 I was in the 12's. Soon it was 11 & my two lowest splits were 10.4 and I finally bottomed out at mile 124 with a 10.3 avs. My heart was fine, my legs were tired but fine, I just had not ability to transfer the power.
In terms of diet & hydration, I could have done better. I slipped when I joined the BullShifters for the second leg. Riding in such a tight paceline I wasn't about to eat and I know I drank less than I should have. I anticipated this but figured that it was only for 20ish miles, 1 hour, and that I could make up for it at the next check point. I probably did. But then on the 3rd & especially on the 4th leg of the trip, the pain just took over and I couldn't, or at least didn't, eat or drink nearly enough. How much of an effect did this have? Perhaps my time would have been a few minutes better with proper nutrition. More importantly, perhaps my psychological state wouldn't been a bit more positive, and this may have resulted in a better time.
In sum, it was the knee that ruled this brevet. That was on Saturday. It's now Thursday and there's been very little recovery. Is this "just" tendonitis or is something actually wrong? Did I manage to tear something? Thankfully I have a physical with the doc next Friday. By then I'll know if it's improving or not, and I'll have him take a look. Hopefully it just needs rest, but if I need surgery, I'd rather get that done & out of the way sooner rather than later. But let's not put the cart before the horse.
Everything else that was sore from the ride has healed up by now. My crotch was pretty torn up because I couldn't ever stand or reposition myself. My right hand showed some numbness from Guyan's Canal Syndrome, but that lasted only a day or two. And my left lower back was sore, again from not being able to change positions on the bike, but like everything else, it's fine now. My left knee is the one holdout that doesn't seem to be improving at all. Hmm.
I'm not pleased with the way this brevet went, but only because of my knee. I know that if that had stayed strong I would've killed 9 hours by a lot! Had I sat with BullShifters the whole way, I may have broken 8 hours. But let's not dwell on what might have been. I fought against pain that would sideline almost anyone, and I won. I finished in 9:12 officially, but 9:10 by my gps (which doesn't include the time running into the shop at the final checkpoint). Overall I am pleased with my performance, given the extreme circumstances.
Now it's time to focus on recovery and ensuring that my next event is not plagued by this particular problem.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Casa Grande Ruins Prep
I've ridden 2 centuries since my last post, one of them yesterday. My first ride of 2012 was 100.82 miles. That's a good start, except for the pain I forced myself to suffer through. On the 1st we hiked in Sabino. Nothing crazy, but it was a bit of a workout for my legs. Then on the 2nd we hiked in Madera Canyon, climbing 1132ft in only 1.4m, & then the even harder descent of 1132ft. Wisely enough, I decided that I HAD to ride a century on the 3rd. My logic was sound, but lesson learned. Do NOT ride the day after hiking. Give the legs some time to recover.
I HAD to hike on the 2nd because A wanted to do something nice together. She'd been on break for 2 weeks and between hosting company & life in general, we hadn't gotten around to spending quality time together. So a nice hike seemed like just the thing, and it was! We had a great time & Madera Canyon will quickly cure you of nature deficit disorder.
But then I also HAD to ride on the 3rd because I have a 200k brevet on the 7th. I knew that I was going to need 3 days to recover and be ready for the brevet, so I couldn't have ridden any later than the 3rd. My only option was to just not ride, but that wasn't an option, either. With my brother being here, my recent rides had been fairly short, 53m & 80m. So I definitely needed a longer ride to keep my fitness up. And I'll stand by that decision despite what it did to my knees.
The inside upper part of my knees where the knee meets the quad/tendon area began hurting fairly early on, maybe 30m in. I did abandon my goal of also climbing 5280ft, but I wasn't going to ditch the century, especially not being the first ride of the year. So I trudged onward and by mile 80 I would call the pain in my left knee excruciating, with twinges of something worse from time to time. It was a good experience in fighting through pain, but I think it was a bad experience for my knees! Today, 24h later, they are still pretty messed up. They've got Thursday & Friday to recover, so I'm trying to think of what foods will promote recovery. Protein & antioxidants I suppose, plus vitamins & perhaps some creatine mix. And lots of Advil to keep the swelling down.
Assuming my knees straighten out & that the weather behaves, I'm hoping to finish the 125m Casa Grande Ruins brevet in under 9:11. Why? Because that was John's time last year. I believe that's keeping an overall total average speed (including stops) of 13.7mph. I managed 13.9 through the pain yesterday, but the course was not very similar to the brevet (which generally should work to my advantage). I did over 3k ft of climbing yesterday, so there were periods of climbing--hard work, and descending--no or easy work, and then the last 20 miles were mostly flat. The brevet is just mostly flat, with only just over 1000ft of climbing over 125m. In general, my flat ride average speeds are higher than my climb/descend average speeds, so I'm hoping for at least 13.7. However, I could break the 9hr mark by holding a 14mph avs. If my knees are strong & the wind cooperates, I definitely could do this. The trick is nutrition & planning. Carry as little as possible on the 2 sections.
1. Minimize Weight.
Starting at 7:30, I'll only need 2 water bottle for the first loop, especially since I can get water @ the Ruins. Dress warmly enough but don't overdo it. Carry only 1 tiny head & tail light to be legal. Carry only the food I'll need & have it ready to go, cut open & such. Make everything easy & accessible. Have nutrition ready to go at the car for both a short break & for the second section, the out & back. Being longer & having no services, carry 3 water bottles & a little more food. Also, in case of being out after dark (which let's hope doesn't happen!), carry one larger headlight (but ditch the smaller one).
2. Maximize Aerodynamics.
Remove space bar, lower computer, run only 1 small knog headlight on the lower fork, & remove the light mount from the rear rack to allow air to leave as smoothly as possible. Wear a tight fitting jersey to avoid being a sail!
3. Minimize stops.
Have all food, drink, & supplies ready to change-over at the car at the end of the first section. Perhaps wear shorts instead of bibs so I can use the restroom quicker (no need to remove shirt). Those bibs are fitting pretty loose anyway, but I haven't ridden in shorts for a while. The shorts may be super loose, too??? Better check this out before the brevet.
4. Don't get lost or off route!
Print out a small map/cue sheet, laminate it & mount to handlebars or something. And try staying with the pack. This also falls under maximizing aerodynamics.
The iPod is a ?. It adds minimal weight & can offer some motivation over a long day in the saddle. But if I manage to ride with others, I won't need it. And it IS a weight penalty, even if small, which also adds complexity...messing with the wires or changing playlists takes up time & energy & removes focus from the ride. But maybe it's worth it for the motivation??? A few ounces to keep me pumped up isn't a bad tradeoff.
Well, more to come on the ride. Err...maybe. Brother gets back tomorrow so I may just be IN race prep mode instead of writing about race prep.
#1 factor here is going to be the condition of my knees. Go to the gym & soak in the hot tub tonight! Stretch over the next few days. Advil. Ice the knees when sitting. Eat the right things for recovery & preparation. Well, get to it!
I HAD to hike on the 2nd because A wanted to do something nice together. She'd been on break for 2 weeks and between hosting company & life in general, we hadn't gotten around to spending quality time together. So a nice hike seemed like just the thing, and it was! We had a great time & Madera Canyon will quickly cure you of nature deficit disorder.
But then I also HAD to ride on the 3rd because I have a 200k brevet on the 7th. I knew that I was going to need 3 days to recover and be ready for the brevet, so I couldn't have ridden any later than the 3rd. My only option was to just not ride, but that wasn't an option, either. With my brother being here, my recent rides had been fairly short, 53m & 80m. So I definitely needed a longer ride to keep my fitness up. And I'll stand by that decision despite what it did to my knees.
The inside upper part of my knees where the knee meets the quad/tendon area began hurting fairly early on, maybe 30m in. I did abandon my goal of also climbing 5280ft, but I wasn't going to ditch the century, especially not being the first ride of the year. So I trudged onward and by mile 80 I would call the pain in my left knee excruciating, with twinges of something worse from time to time. It was a good experience in fighting through pain, but I think it was a bad experience for my knees! Today, 24h later, they are still pretty messed up. They've got Thursday & Friday to recover, so I'm trying to think of what foods will promote recovery. Protein & antioxidants I suppose, plus vitamins & perhaps some creatine mix. And lots of Advil to keep the swelling down.
Assuming my knees straighten out & that the weather behaves, I'm hoping to finish the 125m Casa Grande Ruins brevet in under 9:11. Why? Because that was John's time last year. I believe that's keeping an overall total average speed (including stops) of 13.7mph. I managed 13.9 through the pain yesterday, but the course was not very similar to the brevet (which generally should work to my advantage). I did over 3k ft of climbing yesterday, so there were periods of climbing--hard work, and descending--no or easy work, and then the last 20 miles were mostly flat. The brevet is just mostly flat, with only just over 1000ft of climbing over 125m. In general, my flat ride average speeds are higher than my climb/descend average speeds, so I'm hoping for at least 13.7. However, I could break the 9hr mark by holding a 14mph avs. If my knees are strong & the wind cooperates, I definitely could do this. The trick is nutrition & planning. Carry as little as possible on the 2 sections.
1. Minimize Weight.
Starting at 7:30, I'll only need 2 water bottle for the first loop, especially since I can get water @ the Ruins. Dress warmly enough but don't overdo it. Carry only 1 tiny head & tail light to be legal. Carry only the food I'll need & have it ready to go, cut open & such. Make everything easy & accessible. Have nutrition ready to go at the car for both a short break & for the second section, the out & back. Being longer & having no services, carry 3 water bottles & a little more food. Also, in case of being out after dark (which let's hope doesn't happen!), carry one larger headlight (but ditch the smaller one).
2. Maximize Aerodynamics.
Remove space bar, lower computer, run only 1 small knog headlight on the lower fork, & remove the light mount from the rear rack to allow air to leave as smoothly as possible. Wear a tight fitting jersey to avoid being a sail!
3. Minimize stops.
Have all food, drink, & supplies ready to change-over at the car at the end of the first section. Perhaps wear shorts instead of bibs so I can use the restroom quicker (no need to remove shirt). Those bibs are fitting pretty loose anyway, but I haven't ridden in shorts for a while. The shorts may be super loose, too??? Better check this out before the brevet.
4. Don't get lost or off route!
Print out a small map/cue sheet, laminate it & mount to handlebars or something. And try staying with the pack. This also falls under maximizing aerodynamics.
The iPod is a ?. It adds minimal weight & can offer some motivation over a long day in the saddle. But if I manage to ride with others, I won't need it. And it IS a weight penalty, even if small, which also adds complexity...messing with the wires or changing playlists takes up time & energy & removes focus from the ride. But maybe it's worth it for the motivation??? A few ounces to keep me pumped up isn't a bad tradeoff.
Well, more to come on the ride. Err...maybe. Brother gets back tomorrow so I may just be IN race prep mode instead of writing about race prep.
#1 factor here is going to be the condition of my knees. Go to the gym & soak in the hot tub tonight! Stretch over the next few days. Advil. Ice the knees when sitting. Eat the right things for recovery & preparation. Well, get to it!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Let the good times roll...
Last Sunday, the 11th, I rode up to and 5 miles past Mammoth. Just a bit over 125 miles in total. It was a pretty good ride, especially considering the amount of climbing, which was over 5000 feet. The thing about living in a valley is that if you're going to do a significantly long ride, you kind of have to climb. First I climbed up Oracle Rd until the top of what I now call Mammoth Mtn. I'm not sure anyone else calls it that, but it is a climb of about 2200ft in 12 miles. No, it's not a killer, but I'm pretty sure it would be categorized if it were on the Tour de France. Zipping down it was fun & I topped out just over 52mph, if that gives you any idea of how steep it is in places. Not super curvy like Mt. Lemmon, though, which was nice because by time I reached the top of the descent, I was ready to just plop my forearms on the tops & rest my hands & triceps on the way down. I cruised through the town of Mammoth and rode until I was 60 miles out; I wanted to be sure to break at least 120. So right at 60m I turned around & rode up a gentle slope back to Mammoth. Luckily for me there's a Circle K at the base of Mammoth Mtn--a wonderful place to refuel with a Twix & a Java Monster. After 20-30 minutes of climbing the calories were hitting home & I was climbing so well (for me) that it almost felt like cheating. My goal was to reach the summit by sundown, which meant I had to average 6mph on the climb. I held 9mph & made it all the way back to Catalina, and another Circle K!, before I had to stop to put on lights. Okay, so it was pretty dark by then, but the point is that I underestimated my climbing ability...hmm...just like I did on El Tour de Tucson.
Well, once reaching the top of Mammoth Mtn., there a nice, very long 2% downward grade & either no wind or a light tailwind, so I pretty much flew back to Tucson, aside from the stop in Catalina to become 'night-ready.' At Oracle & Ina I could've headed back but instead I decided to turn right & go down to Thornydale, then cirlce around on River. Was this to get a few more miles in? Yes. Was this to avoid the climbing I would've done if I'd taken Ina east instead of west? Mayyyyybe. In the end it took me 8:50 moving time, but I was also stopped for 1:35 total. That's a lot, but a big chunk of it was at REI as I was heading out of town. And, um, thank goodness for REI! Their public bathroom was a lifesaver, and that's all I'll say about that.
Immediately after the ride I was tired, of course, and the next day I just felt wiped out. But I felt like my legs recovered pretty quickly, and frankly, I think that if I'd kept riding & eating, I could've gone a bit further. Maybe not much further, but at least a few more miles. Training-wise, though, the ride was pretty much perfect. I overloaded myself...my legs, heart, metabolism, everything...to just the right point. I didn't injure myself and I recovered fairly quickly, so that tells me that I pushed to just the right limits to allow for improvement. Psychologically it was encouraging, too. I climbed strong, finished strong, and rode a few more miles than I originally planned to. So despite a crazy long ride, I still felt (and feel) like riding. Contrast this to the cold & wet 46m ride I took a few weeks ago. That feeling lingered & I didn't really 'want' to get on the bike anytime soon after that.
Anyway, I worry that I've gone too long now without riding. It's been a crazy week. The weather has been cold & stormy at times. It rained for 2 days! Which caused a leak in our roof. Which caused me to have to be at home (or near home) to let the roofer in to check it out. And which caused me, today, to have to be at home for the roof repair guys. And then there was the 24hr work marathon I did Weds night through Thurs night. So now I've been off the bike for 5 days. I'd ride tomorrow, but we have to go down to Randy's to get "The Machine." I'd ride Sunday but it's supposed to rain (again!). If the weather holds, I will def ride Sunday. And if for some reason Randy cancels, I'll ride tomorrow. But right now it's looking like Monday, which will mean a full 7 days off the bike. That's certainly enough time to lose fitness for shorter events. But how will that affect an endurance ride?
I'll have to work out the balance between resting just enough to allow full recover & rebuilding versus resting too long & losing fitness. I'm pretty sure that waiting over a week is waiting too long! I'd like to take a long ride, rest for 3 days, then take a short ride & rest for two days. Seems like that would give me enough time to recover & build up w/o overdoing it. Of course life comes with other obligations that have to be worked in. The balance is going to be hard to strike.
However, I do believe that the bike fit is pretty dialed in. Yeah, my ass was sore afterwards, but I didn't have any chaffing or saddle sores. That's the first win. The second is that my hands didn't get too bad. The outer two fingers on each hand did become more numb & tingly than before riding, but it wasn't really too bad. I think that 115m ride kinda fucked my hands up, because I still have a bit of Guyon's Syndrome, but within 24hrs of finishing the 125, the sensation was back to the pre-ride level, which is where it is now, 5 days later. So maybe I did a bit of semi-permanent damage??? Hopefully over time it will subside.
So the bike fit is pretty solid. The saddle's in the right spot, and the excessive padding on my handlebars seems to help a lot. But it get's better! The carbon Topeak seatpost rack & trunk fit everything I needed for my ride, which included some extra layers that take up prime real estate. And by attaching the rack as high as I could on the post, my thigh don't rub the rack mount. If I slide back on the saddle I can feel the trunk, but that's really no big deal. And anyway, this may be an issue for brevets but when it comes to racing the Cochise & other ultra's, I'll have sag to carry all the extra stuff.
What's next? Well, as soon as I'm able I want to try for 135. It's the next logical step. My mind is becoming just a bit boggled by the distances I'm attempting. Traveling in one direction, I could've ridden to Phoenix last week. These rides are getting long...and I'm rather enjoying that. I just wonder where to head to next? A few things really help my rides. First, I think it's important for me to plan a bathroom about an hour in. Second, starting with several miles of flat terrain seems to help my pulse stay lower for the entire ride. And of course, I obviously need refueling stops every 30 miles or so. I can probably train myself over the need to start out so easy. The real challenge here is my digestive system. It takes me a couple hours just to get out the door because I have to wait, and wait, until I've...vacated a few times. And even then, like last week, I sometimes find that I really, really need one more stop after I've started riding. This problem is more of a challenge. Perhaps my diet the day before could help somewhat, but I have to eat enough to maintain legs & a liver full of carbs. So what's the answer? Let's hope one presents itself in time. Right now I think it's just smart of me to plan on going by a trusted rest stop early in the ride.
Due to the extreme nature of my training, I have ordered Skin's compression recovery tights and Skin's compression active calf sleeves. My claves, mostly my left achilles, give me the most trouble so I'm trying to give them a bit of help in staying strong & not locking up during rides & then healing afterwards. We'll see how well these things work...hopefully really well. I was hoping that they'd be here before my next big ride, but due to a shipping delay I will HOPEFULLY be riding before they get here.
Well, once reaching the top of Mammoth Mtn., there a nice, very long 2% downward grade & either no wind or a light tailwind, so I pretty much flew back to Tucson, aside from the stop in Catalina to become 'night-ready.' At Oracle & Ina I could've headed back but instead I decided to turn right & go down to Thornydale, then cirlce around on River. Was this to get a few more miles in? Yes. Was this to avoid the climbing I would've done if I'd taken Ina east instead of west? Mayyyyybe. In the end it took me 8:50 moving time, but I was also stopped for 1:35 total. That's a lot, but a big chunk of it was at REI as I was heading out of town. And, um, thank goodness for REI! Their public bathroom was a lifesaver, and that's all I'll say about that.
Immediately after the ride I was tired, of course, and the next day I just felt wiped out. But I felt like my legs recovered pretty quickly, and frankly, I think that if I'd kept riding & eating, I could've gone a bit further. Maybe not much further, but at least a few more miles. Training-wise, though, the ride was pretty much perfect. I overloaded myself...my legs, heart, metabolism, everything...to just the right point. I didn't injure myself and I recovered fairly quickly, so that tells me that I pushed to just the right limits to allow for improvement. Psychologically it was encouraging, too. I climbed strong, finished strong, and rode a few more miles than I originally planned to. So despite a crazy long ride, I still felt (and feel) like riding. Contrast this to the cold & wet 46m ride I took a few weeks ago. That feeling lingered & I didn't really 'want' to get on the bike anytime soon after that.
Anyway, I worry that I've gone too long now without riding. It's been a crazy week. The weather has been cold & stormy at times. It rained for 2 days! Which caused a leak in our roof. Which caused me to have to be at home (or near home) to let the roofer in to check it out. And which caused me, today, to have to be at home for the roof repair guys. And then there was the 24hr work marathon I did Weds night through Thurs night. So now I've been off the bike for 5 days. I'd ride tomorrow, but we have to go down to Randy's to get "The Machine." I'd ride Sunday but it's supposed to rain (again!). If the weather holds, I will def ride Sunday. And if for some reason Randy cancels, I'll ride tomorrow. But right now it's looking like Monday, which will mean a full 7 days off the bike. That's certainly enough time to lose fitness for shorter events. But how will that affect an endurance ride?
I'll have to work out the balance between resting just enough to allow full recover & rebuilding versus resting too long & losing fitness. I'm pretty sure that waiting over a week is waiting too long! I'd like to take a long ride, rest for 3 days, then take a short ride & rest for two days. Seems like that would give me enough time to recover & build up w/o overdoing it. Of course life comes with other obligations that have to be worked in. The balance is going to be hard to strike.
However, I do believe that the bike fit is pretty dialed in. Yeah, my ass was sore afterwards, but I didn't have any chaffing or saddle sores. That's the first win. The second is that my hands didn't get too bad. The outer two fingers on each hand did become more numb & tingly than before riding, but it wasn't really too bad. I think that 115m ride kinda fucked my hands up, because I still have a bit of Guyon's Syndrome, but within 24hrs of finishing the 125, the sensation was back to the pre-ride level, which is where it is now, 5 days later. So maybe I did a bit of semi-permanent damage??? Hopefully over time it will subside.
So the bike fit is pretty solid. The saddle's in the right spot, and the excessive padding on my handlebars seems to help a lot. But it get's better! The carbon Topeak seatpost rack & trunk fit everything I needed for my ride, which included some extra layers that take up prime real estate. And by attaching the rack as high as I could on the post, my thigh don't rub the rack mount. If I slide back on the saddle I can feel the trunk, but that's really no big deal. And anyway, this may be an issue for brevets but when it comes to racing the Cochise & other ultra's, I'll have sag to carry all the extra stuff.
What's next? Well, as soon as I'm able I want to try for 135. It's the next logical step. My mind is becoming just a bit boggled by the distances I'm attempting. Traveling in one direction, I could've ridden to Phoenix last week. These rides are getting long...and I'm rather enjoying that. I just wonder where to head to next? A few things really help my rides. First, I think it's important for me to plan a bathroom about an hour in. Second, starting with several miles of flat terrain seems to help my pulse stay lower for the entire ride. And of course, I obviously need refueling stops every 30 miles or so. I can probably train myself over the need to start out so easy. The real challenge here is my digestive system. It takes me a couple hours just to get out the door because I have to wait, and wait, until I've...vacated a few times. And even then, like last week, I sometimes find that I really, really need one more stop after I've started riding. This problem is more of a challenge. Perhaps my diet the day before could help somewhat, but I have to eat enough to maintain legs & a liver full of carbs. So what's the answer? Let's hope one presents itself in time. Right now I think it's just smart of me to plan on going by a trusted rest stop early in the ride.
Due to the extreme nature of my training, I have ordered Skin's compression recovery tights and Skin's compression active calf sleeves. My claves, mostly my left achilles, give me the most trouble so I'm trying to give them a bit of help in staying strong & not locking up during rides & then healing afterwards. We'll see how well these things work...hopefully really well. I was hoping that they'd be here before my next big ride, but due to a shipping delay I will HOPEFULLY be riding before they get here.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Problems > Solutions > Problems
It's Tuesday now. Last Saturday I attempted to ride for the first time after having my bike re-fitted by Miles Ahead. I took off well before sunrise hoping to get in 130m. It was in the 30's so I was wearing thick tights and 4 or 5 layers on top, and it was so cold I had to wear my lobster claw gloves.
The good news is that my neuropathy didn't get worse. It's still here just a little bit, but the ride didn't make it any worse. And yes, the refit did take pressure off of my hands, and the overkill tape job isolated my hands from all but the worst of the bumps.
The bad news: 1st, I only completed 46m. It was cold, cold, cold, & sometimes wet. I decided in Vail NOT to turn off into the desert and instead to take Mary Ann Cleveland back towards Tucson. Good choice, as it rained off & on all day & never broke 45 degrees. Cold! In just 45m, my new position in the saddle managed to give me chaffing on my ABC like I haven't had in years & years. 3 days later it's still painful to shower. I was wearing thick tights, but I could feel that my position on the saddle was digging in. Then on late Sunday I developed mild-moderate tendonitis in both wrists. Was it caused by the ride or something I did on Sunday? I did spend a lot more time on the tops, and the diameters of the bar & hoods are much greater with all the padding. Could that be it? Was I holding myself up with my wrists in some funky position? The gloves?
So...I've swapped the seatpost for the setback & put the saddle close to the previous fore-aft position. I also brought the nose way down from where it was. The Miles Ahead position, when measured with a level from the highest point of the rear to the highest point of the nose, the level's bubble was fully & completely nose up! So with the Thompson microset I adjusted it to perfectly level, which may appear to be nose down due to the funky shape of the saddle. Perhaps later today, if it ever warms up enough, I'll ride around the neighborhood & try to re-fit the bike to a better position...Miles Ahead gave me some ideas, but clearly they were not on target. So for now it's back to the old ways of riding, tweaking, & riding some more.
Endurance cycling is not just about physical endurance. There are many, many factors, and one of them is problem solving. Sometimes that's no small feat. Fitting a bicycle, especially for distances of >100m, is as much art as it is science.
The good news is that my neuropathy didn't get worse. It's still here just a little bit, but the ride didn't make it any worse. And yes, the refit did take pressure off of my hands, and the overkill tape job isolated my hands from all but the worst of the bumps.
The bad news: 1st, I only completed 46m. It was cold, cold, cold, & sometimes wet. I decided in Vail NOT to turn off into the desert and instead to take Mary Ann Cleveland back towards Tucson. Good choice, as it rained off & on all day & never broke 45 degrees. Cold! In just 45m, my new position in the saddle managed to give me chaffing on my ABC like I haven't had in years & years. 3 days later it's still painful to shower. I was wearing thick tights, but I could feel that my position on the saddle was digging in. Then on late Sunday I developed mild-moderate tendonitis in both wrists. Was it caused by the ride or something I did on Sunday? I did spend a lot more time on the tops, and the diameters of the bar & hoods are much greater with all the padding. Could that be it? Was I holding myself up with my wrists in some funky position? The gloves?
So...I've swapped the seatpost for the setback & put the saddle close to the previous fore-aft position. I also brought the nose way down from where it was. The Miles Ahead position, when measured with a level from the highest point of the rear to the highest point of the nose, the level's bubble was fully & completely nose up! So with the Thompson microset I adjusted it to perfectly level, which may appear to be nose down due to the funky shape of the saddle. Perhaps later today, if it ever warms up enough, I'll ride around the neighborhood & try to re-fit the bike to a better position...Miles Ahead gave me some ideas, but clearly they were not on target. So for now it's back to the old ways of riding, tweaking, & riding some more.
Endurance cycling is not just about physical endurance. There are many, many factors, and one of them is problem solving. Sometimes that's no small feat. Fitting a bicycle, especially for distances of >100m, is as much art as it is science.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Miles Ahead
Props to Miles Ahead Cyclery. I took my bike in for a quick look at my fit & they spent over an hour working with me. Now that's how you gain a customer.
First thing they noticed was my posture. Bend the elbows, chest out, butt back! Secondly they swapped in a 90mm stem instead of the 100mm I was riding (ITM). They adjusted the angle of my saddle, which was set up completely wrong because apparently the SMP saddles are leveled from nose to rear rather than in the middle. Changing where I ride in the saddle allowed the saddle to be moved forward while still keeping my knees in line with the pedals. The only thing they did that I disagree with is that they lowered my saddle. I see their logic, but I have it raised a bit so that I don't flex my achilles tendon on every stroke. I marked where they set it to, but I'll be raising it before riding it again. So all in all, they entirely changed the way the bike fits, and I think it'll be for the better.
I also got Specialized BG Gel gloves.
And I'm going crazy with padding my bar. In some places I'm using a double layer of bar phat covered by a 2.5mm DSP tape. I'm also using bar phat and padding on the hoods, which means they now look HUGE but I think will be amazingly comfortable. I've done the right, tomorrow I'll do the left. With all the cushioning & using two different wraps, it takes a good while to wrap those bars! I don't even want to think of how much weight all this is adding to my bike, but hey, feeling my fingers after (and on) long rides is worth it! And speaking of which, the funny sensation is still there but fading quite a bit. At this rate I'm guessing they'll be back to normal by tomorrow night. Let's hope...
And let's hope for NO rain on Friday so I can ride & try out my new setup.
First thing they noticed was my posture. Bend the elbows, chest out, butt back! Secondly they swapped in a 90mm stem instead of the 100mm I was riding (ITM). They adjusted the angle of my saddle, which was set up completely wrong because apparently the SMP saddles are leveled from nose to rear rather than in the middle. Changing where I ride in the saddle allowed the saddle to be moved forward while still keeping my knees in line with the pedals. The only thing they did that I disagree with is that they lowered my saddle. I see their logic, but I have it raised a bit so that I don't flex my achilles tendon on every stroke. I marked where they set it to, but I'll be raising it before riding it again. So all in all, they entirely changed the way the bike fits, and I think it'll be for the better.
I also got Specialized BG Gel gloves.
And I'm going crazy with padding my bar. In some places I'm using a double layer of bar phat covered by a 2.5mm DSP tape. I'm also using bar phat and padding on the hoods, which means they now look HUGE but I think will be amazingly comfortable. I've done the right, tomorrow I'll do the left. With all the cushioning & using two different wraps, it takes a good while to wrap those bars! I don't even want to think of how much weight all this is adding to my bike, but hey, feeling my fingers after (and on) long rides is worth it! And speaking of which, the funny sensation is still there but fading quite a bit. At this rate I'm guessing they'll be back to normal by tomorrow night. Let's hope...
And let's hope for NO rain on Friday so I can ride & try out my new setup.
Guyon's Canal Syndrome
Finding a name & the cause is a whole lot easier than finding a fix. The ulnar nerve branches and passes through the wrist through two tunnels. The medial passage is called Guyon's Canal or Tunnel. Once it passes through the canal, which is roofed by the medial ligament, it the branches into two once more, one nerve going to the pinkie & the other to the ring finger. Compression of this canal is what causes the tingly sensation I have in those fingers. The middle finger is also served by the ulnar nerve, but it branches before Guyon's Canal and appear to the be ulnar nerve that many gloves are made to protect. I need protection of both. Technically, I have mild Type 3 Guyon's Canal Syndrome; no motor impairment, just tingle fingers.
The treatment can be surgery for extreme cases, and mild cases can become extreme cases. But in mild cases the best course is to find the movement or activity that is causing the compression and eliminate it. So...
Even though I know at some point I will be going to an aerobar, there are two main reasons why I am not changing up my entire system. First, replacing the stem & handlebar so that I can use the aerobar is a helluva lot of work on the Talon. With internal cable routing for the rear brake, it's just something I don't want to mess with until I HAVE to. That might be when I'm up to 3 or 400k, I suppose. Secondly, right now I think that pedaling in the aerobars would be uncomfortable because I'd be kneeing myself in the belly with each pedal stroke. So I probably wouldn't use the aerobars at this point anyway. Other reasons...well, the carbon bar probably has 'some' dampening effect over an AL bar, and the ergo shape of the bar is more aero and again, has to be at least a little more comfy than a round AL bar.
What steps am I taking? Well, first I've lowered the angle of the handlebar itself, giving me easier access to and more room on the drops. Prior to this riding in the drops meant either holding onto the bar with the lateral half of my hand or bending my wrist and putting pressure on the medial side so that part of my wrist was on the flat & part was on the bend. This should help even out the pressure so that my entire hand is on the flat part of the drop, or my entire hand is on the bend: my choice, but either way there should be marginally less pressure. I will most likely move the shifters up a bit to compensate for rotating the bar downward, otherwise I might have more pressure or a weird wrist angle in the hoods. I'll have to play with that to see---I might even take it in to Miles Ahead for a quick fit without bar tape just to see what they say about moving the shifters up (or anything else).
Once I get the fit done & my shifters adjusted to the right height, then the real fun begins. I'm going to put at least 1 layer of bar phat across the entire bar, even the top, with an extra layer in the depression made for resting the medial palm (compression point). I may even add an entire layer over that, giving me 2 layers + that extra layer for the palm depression. And whereas it is ubiquitous to wrap the tape under the hoods, I am going to add some bar phat on top of the hoods where I rest my hands, connecting that bar phat with the rest that's on the bar, and then wrap over that to blend it all in to the rest of the bar. I've done a test run with old tape: I think this is going to be crazy thick but quite possibly incredibly comfortable. The hoods will especially be very wide, but I think that will make them much more comfy to rest my hands in, not to mention that it will dampen a lot of road noise. Of course, I'll be wrapping everything with LizSkins DSP tape, 1.5mm, to add just a bit more cushion as well as all-weather grip. I may look like a total Fred with this setup, but then I'm trying to ride for hundreds of miles, not short little races where problems like this never crop up. You've got to be creative and use your brain!
Most obviously, I'll top it off with gloves. I've used the Pearl Izumi gloves that supposedly protect the ulnar nerve. Maybe the did, but the cause my hands to hurt where the padding was. But due to that fact in addition to the amount of science that Specialized claims to put into...everything...I'm going to go with a Specialized gloves. In their advertisement pic, they at least show the branching of the ulnar nerve so they, at least at some level, are aware of the fact that the ulnar nerve is actually 2 nerves that pass through the wrist in two different places. We'll see how these work out.
And finally (I think), I'll run my front tire pressure down 10#s to 100psi, and I'll also remove the Aquarack and replace it with the Xlab Carbon Wing. I should not feel anything behind me. I always feel my thighs contacting the Aquarack and this has to move me forward at least occasionally. And in the game of riding >100 miles, the smallest things can make a difference.
Now, I must not ignore once final thing, but it is not a quick fix. This nerve compression I'm experiencing is COMPRESSION, meaning that pressure is being placed on the canal(s) for an extended period of time. While I am doing everything I can to reduce the effect of that compression, the real, root fix of the compression is to reduce pressure from the source--which is me. This is to say that as I lose weight from my top half, there will be less pressure (& compression) delivered to the handlebars. So while it's good that I'm addressing all these other issues, I must never lose sight of the most significant root cause. I need to lose weight. I've been more or less stagnant for months at ~230. It's time to get rid of that.
Anne pointed something out, however, I've ridden 100 & 111 without this problem, and those rides occurred at either a greater weight or only slightly less than what I am now. While this is true, it just throws another wrench into the mix, so rather than racking my brain trying to figure out what was different then, at this point I'm going to stick with the plan I have. If it doesn't work, then I'll continue my research/guessing game.
Of some note, today is Wednesday and the tingly sensation in my pinkie's & ring finger's has shown some subtle improvement. Let's keep it moving that direction!!! If only I knew a way to intervene & speed along my improvement.
The treatment can be surgery for extreme cases, and mild cases can become extreme cases. But in mild cases the best course is to find the movement or activity that is causing the compression and eliminate it. So...
Even though I know at some point I will be going to an aerobar, there are two main reasons why I am not changing up my entire system. First, replacing the stem & handlebar so that I can use the aerobar is a helluva lot of work on the Talon. With internal cable routing for the rear brake, it's just something I don't want to mess with until I HAVE to. That might be when I'm up to 3 or 400k, I suppose. Secondly, right now I think that pedaling in the aerobars would be uncomfortable because I'd be kneeing myself in the belly with each pedal stroke. So I probably wouldn't use the aerobars at this point anyway. Other reasons...well, the carbon bar probably has 'some' dampening effect over an AL bar, and the ergo shape of the bar is more aero and again, has to be at least a little more comfy than a round AL bar.
What steps am I taking? Well, first I've lowered the angle of the handlebar itself, giving me easier access to and more room on the drops. Prior to this riding in the drops meant either holding onto the bar with the lateral half of my hand or bending my wrist and putting pressure on the medial side so that part of my wrist was on the flat & part was on the bend. This should help even out the pressure so that my entire hand is on the flat part of the drop, or my entire hand is on the bend: my choice, but either way there should be marginally less pressure. I will most likely move the shifters up a bit to compensate for rotating the bar downward, otherwise I might have more pressure or a weird wrist angle in the hoods. I'll have to play with that to see---I might even take it in to Miles Ahead for a quick fit without bar tape just to see what they say about moving the shifters up (or anything else).
Once I get the fit done & my shifters adjusted to the right height, then the real fun begins. I'm going to put at least 1 layer of bar phat across the entire bar, even the top, with an extra layer in the depression made for resting the medial palm (compression point). I may even add an entire layer over that, giving me 2 layers + that extra layer for the palm depression. And whereas it is ubiquitous to wrap the tape under the hoods, I am going to add some bar phat on top of the hoods where I rest my hands, connecting that bar phat with the rest that's on the bar, and then wrap over that to blend it all in to the rest of the bar. I've done a test run with old tape: I think this is going to be crazy thick but quite possibly incredibly comfortable. The hoods will especially be very wide, but I think that will make them much more comfy to rest my hands in, not to mention that it will dampen a lot of road noise. Of course, I'll be wrapping everything with LizSkins DSP tape, 1.5mm, to add just a bit more cushion as well as all-weather grip. I may look like a total Fred with this setup, but then I'm trying to ride for hundreds of miles, not short little races where problems like this never crop up. You've got to be creative and use your brain!
Most obviously, I'll top it off with gloves. I've used the Pearl Izumi gloves that supposedly protect the ulnar nerve. Maybe the did, but the cause my hands to hurt where the padding was. But due to that fact in addition to the amount of science that Specialized claims to put into...everything...I'm going to go with a Specialized gloves. In their advertisement pic, they at least show the branching of the ulnar nerve so they, at least at some level, are aware of the fact that the ulnar nerve is actually 2 nerves that pass through the wrist in two different places. We'll see how these work out.
And finally (I think), I'll run my front tire pressure down 10#s to 100psi, and I'll also remove the Aquarack and replace it with the Xlab Carbon Wing. I should not feel anything behind me. I always feel my thighs contacting the Aquarack and this has to move me forward at least occasionally. And in the game of riding >100 miles, the smallest things can make a difference.
Now, I must not ignore once final thing, but it is not a quick fix. This nerve compression I'm experiencing is COMPRESSION, meaning that pressure is being placed on the canal(s) for an extended period of time. While I am doing everything I can to reduce the effect of that compression, the real, root fix of the compression is to reduce pressure from the source--which is me. This is to say that as I lose weight from my top half, there will be less pressure (& compression) delivered to the handlebars. So while it's good that I'm addressing all these other issues, I must never lose sight of the most significant root cause. I need to lose weight. I've been more or less stagnant for months at ~230. It's time to get rid of that.
Anne pointed something out, however, I've ridden 100 & 111 without this problem, and those rides occurred at either a greater weight or only slightly less than what I am now. While this is true, it just throws another wrench into the mix, so rather than racking my brain trying to figure out what was different then, at this point I'm going to stick with the plan I have. If it doesn't work, then I'll continue my research/guessing game.
Of some note, today is Wednesday and the tingly sensation in my pinkie's & ring finger's has shown some subtle improvement. Let's keep it moving that direction!!! If only I knew a way to intervene & speed along my improvement.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)