Friday fun

I know it's Sunday, but Friday was a great day. Taking the day off and spending some time getting back to normal and spending time with my daughter was exactly what I needed.

I got up and got dressed at a leisurely pace and slurped my coffee in calm as I got my daughter ready for school. Once I drove her to school, I came home and took a shower and shaved the legs for the first time in 2 weeks (they were getting gross). After that, I hopped into my spandex and headed out for my first ride in 2 weeks. I got out on my fixed gear and cruised around the bay area for a little more than hour- after being off the bike for 2 weeks, spinning the fixed sure felt like a helluva work out! Still, it was a beautiful morning and it was great to spin and ride in the sun. I felt like I had done nothing but eat for the 2 weeks I was away... and my riding reflected that... ugh. But I loved every painful pedal stroke.

I got back home and showered a second time so I could head to the school to see my daughter's "play"- the PE Circus. It was essentially a series of short "skits" by the kids of things they have been doing in their PE class. Needless to say, it was pretty darned cute and had me in stitches from giggling with the other parents. Masidaughter was paired with her very best friend and they were too cute.


After the PE Circus, we hopped in the car and headed out to see Monsters vs Aliens in 3D... WOW! It was so well done- tons of good adult gags to laugh at, plenty of great 3D tricks, lots of good kid jokes... it was a very well done movie I highly recommend it. Masidaughter called it 'the best movie ever", though I wouldn't go quite that- it was still very good.

All in all, Friday was precisely the kind of day I wanted and needed. The rest of the weekend has been pretty good too- we went to the beach yesterday and today she had a playdate with another one of her classmates and I went for a 2hr ride. Not a bad weekend at all.


I hope your weekend was great too. Here's to a smooth week ahead!

Tim

On a roll...

So tonight, as I said I wanted to do, I got out on the rollers with my Speciale Fixed. After a long day, grocery shopping, cooking dinner and then getting the Masidaughter to bed (and reading a bedtime book) it is hard to get motivated to hop on the trainer. However, in light of the extra motivation I have these days to improve my health and a desire to just be fit again, I drug myself out into the cool night to ride in the dark in my driveway.

I picked up my daughter from school and then we went to the store to get a few grocery items we needed. We got home and I fired up the grill and made salads while she worked on her homework. I grilled a lean London Broil steak to eat with the salad. After dinner, Masidaughter had a shower and I answered a few emails. Once she was done and I got her hair dried and the book read, I slowly got myself into my riding gear and drug the rollers and my bike down the stairs and set up behind my car.

It was 9:04PM when I clicked in and began pedalling with my iPod Shuffle providing the soundtrack to keep me at least marginally motivated to pedal. It's amazing how a relatively small gear like a 46x16 feels so big when your legs are tired and you'd rather be sipping a cold beer inside in the warmth. But I kept pedaling and one song moved to the next and the next and then 15 minutes was gone and I thought, "I might try and do another 2- 3 songs". I still wasn't feeling "in the groove" like I had on my rides over the weekend. But after a couple more good songs another 15 minutes had gone by and I was beginning to feel a little less dead in the legs.

Somewhere, somehow, something happens with my body during a 1hr roller workout- almost like clockwork. No matter how good or bad I feel in the first 50min, the last 10min my legs feel absolutely amazing! It's about that same time that my arse decides that it hates my saddle, hates my cycling shorts and even hates me. It seems like I can not find a comfortable spot anywhere on the saddle and I shift my weight again and again. All the while, my legs feel totally invincible- it's during this time that I get those "I could beat (Sir) Chris Hoy if he was here" thoughts. Frankly, it's just not fair or right.

I kept a close eye on my watch so I could be sure to get my hour in- there is just something about that number, that span of time... an hour. I feel like I've done something if I've ridden for an hour. Less than that by even a few minutes and it seems pointless. At 10:04 and as a song wound down on the Shuffle, I began to slow my pedaling so I could hop off the bike... but then one more really good song started and with a big grin, I wound the pedals back up to their highest cadence of the night and I blurred my legs to the ever-increasing beats in the music. By the time the song was done, I was further drenched in sweat and my hour had been extended. My legs felt awesome and my butt went quietly along for the ride.

The Zen had set in. The smoothness of the pedal stroke had been found. I was able to unclip from the pedals at 10:10... ready for my beer and the drier warmth inside.

It was a good night to ride after all.

Tim

And another one...

So, my legs did not fall off in my sleep after my nearly 69 mile ride yesterday. I woke up with legs that felt about as alive as balsa wood and as heavy as oak... but they were less sore than I thought they would be.

Today was much like yesterday, as far the weather was concerned, but with a good bit more wind and a bit cooler. I waited until a little after noon to get out to ride again, hoping the weather would warm up a bit... because I could... but it didn't, so I got all spandex-ed up and hopped out for another 1hr 53min ride for about 29 miles of recovery ride around town today.

Visited my grandparents at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery; I never miss a chance to see them when I am near the cemetery.

The view of the city is pretty amazing from the top of the Point.

Though it was cooler and windier than yesterday, it was still a beautiful day for a bike ride. Along the way back home, I got a glimpse of my old form. I wasn't going super fast or simply smashing the pedals, but I was having the same sensations in the legs that I did when I used to be in great shape and could smash the pedals. It didn't last long, but it was the first time I had those feelings since the crash last April. Given that I rode so hard the day before, it was a bit of a shock to me... and I was very happy about it.

I won't be riding at work this week, since this is my week with my daughter and I have to leave work early to get her from school... but I'll be doing my best to stay focused and motivated to hop on the rollers each night after she is asleep.

For now... I think I might just grab myself a little sleep too.

Tim
PS- Post ride weight check; 213lbs.

Tired in Montreal...

Montreal has been awesome! The response to the bikes has been incredible. Norco didn't bring in much of the line to Canada last year and is REALLY increasing the commitment this year. The retailers here seemed to be very excited about the brand- liking the models and the colors. It's a great way to get ready for Interbike in a few weeks. It is always great to see the familiar faces of the industry as well as the face of retailers that I remember meeting and speaking to before. Hearing from retailers here who brought in bikes and then had great luck selling them is a fantastic treat for me- it sure goes a long way towards validating the very hard work we do in creating the bikes and rebuilding the brand.

The weather has not been all that great, so I haven't been riding yet. Hopefully tomorrow morning I can get out for a ride along the river. Montreal is such a beautiful city and I always enjoy getting to see it from my saddle. I would post some pictures here, but the hotel wifi is unbelievably slow and unreliable- as it has been since my first stay here 3 years ago. It's a great hotel otherwise- but the wifi signal is always very unreliable.

The downside to the Montreal experience, aside from losing my cell phone in a taxi on the first night, is that my body is really beat to hell by all the walking and standing in the booth. My right leg is extremely sore, as is my back and my neck. I feel like I've been run over by a cement truck... which has me pretty worried about Vegas and Interbike. I may be crippled by the time the show is over in a few weeks. I love what I do for a living... but right now it's taking a heavy toll on me. That said, I do feel as inspired and invigorated as ever! The feedback and support for the bikes and the various things we've been doing has been amazing and I am super happy about where things look to be heading. Success is an intoxicating thing!

Ok, I'm falling apart sitting here in the lobby of the hotel using the better wifi signal, but I'm caling it quits and heading to bed. Pictures will be downloaded and shared... promise.

Tim

Getting back to it.

This past weekend was spent mostly cleaning and doing chores around the Masiguy Casita (that's Spanish for "little house"- I don't know the word for "tiny apartment"). Saturday was exciting because of the revelation of the SoulVille showing up in the Audi A4 commercial being aired during the primetime coverage of the Olympics. Sunday was spent doing more of the cleaning but also at a BBQ at my folks' place. As I was getting ready to go to thBBQ and to go pick up my daughter for the week, I removed the Band-Aid I had on the thumb to protect the nail and removed the nail as well! After regaining my senses and managing not to barf, I cleaned up the finger and got my shower.

****WARNING: GRAPHIC THUMB PICTURES- DO NOT LOOK IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH!****

The nail; free of the thumb itself.

The thumbs; minus a nail.

It's far from pretty, but it's still attached!

Tonight, after a long day, I got out on the stationary trainer for my first trainer ride since the crash on 4/29. It was very humbling. I rode for maybe 40- 45 minutes on my Speciale Fixed with a 46x16 gear, which is normally a pretty easy gear for me... but it felt like an actual workout. It also took my forever to get into "the mood" to ride. I don't like riding a trainer t begin with, but riding it at far below good fitness just sucked... but I sucked it up and enjoyed myself regardless. Towards the end, I began to enjoy myself more and feel less like I didn't know how to pedal anymore. It was a very humbling experience to feel like I was starting from such a low level- which I basically am. My right arm tires out almost as soon as I start riding; I am still unable to fully extend it and the strength is really gone from it. The triceps have lost almost all strength and with the arm unable to straighten, they are really getting a workout. Towards the end of the "workout", I switched back and forth to do ILT (Isolated Leg Training) work. My right leg has been dominant for as long as I can remember... until now. My right hip burned out very quickly and my left just kept chugging along, by comparison. After 3 sets with each leg, both hip flexor muscles were cooked and I was done. I also seem to have an undiagnosed wrist injury and a possible rotator cuff injury as well- both the wrist and shoulder were very sore and weak during the workout. Needless to say, the ride was far from perfect... but I did just grin and bare it. I'm just glad to be riding again; the night of the crash, I weighed a solid and fit 205lbs. After leaving the hospital for the second time, I was down to 184lbs. As of this morning, I am now back up to 211lbs! For the math averse- that's 27lbs! Oy... not good. So as of this morning, I am riding as much as I can force myself to do and I'm going on a diet.

Leaving Sunday for Vancouver. Will be in town to present at the Norco National Sales Meeting and then I'll be heading out to meet some Masi dealers in the area- best of all; we're doing the shop visits by bike! While there, I'll also be meeting with Mia and the lovely "Momentum Girls" from Momentum Magazine. All in all, it should be a great time and a great rehearsal for my trip to Montreal and then Interbike (both in September).

Needless to say... it's still a very busy time and the rest is far off in the distance. That said, it's still good to be back... and I'm enjoying the fatigue.

And now it is time for sleep.

Tim