Diet and The Ride

Here is a two word sentence/saying that as a cyclist I never want to hear again: Carb Loading. As in, "hey with that big ride coming up you should be carb loading." Nor do I want to hear its similarly used, "make sure you load up on carbs before that ride." Ugh.

After my personal experiment on the 2011 Cycle Oregon and nearly six months I can and will say it: carbs (especially loading on them) is a joke and having gone (mostly) paleo, I feel better than ever, weigh less than ever, am stronger than ever, and just do not drink the "whole grains are good" kool aid any longer.

In fact, my last major episode of "carb loading" (in helping with a science experiment) made me feel so shitty the next day it was absolutely telling: Is THAT how I want to feel? NO!

If you need the proof, do it for a month or two, watch the documentary Fat Head, read the book Wheat Belly, and get informed. Pretty amazing stuff out there to be learned that will likely have the folks at CONagra crapping their grain-y pants.

30 days remain...

Sigh... why oh why does the time need to go by SO rapidly?? Maybe it is an aging thing, but whatever it is I don't like it. Either way, we are again just over 30 days away from the Cycle Oregon 2012 route announcement party. I am still trying to determine if I will be eligible to go - there may be... complications for me to pull it off this year schedule wise. I guess the announcement will be the real thing to determine how hard I push for it. I am hopeful...

http://www.cycleoregon.com/

Time to dust it off...

Well, after a long break of holiday madness, it is time for a new year. New resolutions. New goals. Time to dust off the rides and start getting ready to hit the road again...

Given that two months have passed since I last sat on a bike of any kind, I am feeling a bit out of touch. Through CrossFit though, my fitness has remained higher than ever so I do not fear to sit in the recumbent pilot seat... its just the same old "I need to find the time" excuse. Over the next few weeks I have some work to do on the rides, a the last season and epic Cycle Oregon week ride were not too kind to the trike. Loose spokes abound, chain just about at the wear limit, seat pad worn badly... the rehab for the trike itself needs to be done.

Is this a year to sell off the QNT and try for a new upgraded trike? Perhaps. Parting would be hard but there are some enticing trikes out there now for 2012. Sigh... we will have to see how that pans out. I know that I dare not test ride a new trike and risk getting bitten by "the bug" of the new.

For 2012 though some goals needed to be set. I decided to sit down and outline a simple riding goal that will keep me on the road more consistently.

1. At least one decent ride per week. This does not have to be century status or a specific mileage. Just get out and RIDE.

... and...

Well thats it, for now. K.I.S.S. is my thinking on this. Riding should be fun, just more consistent. Since I am not training for anything specific (other than to have fun more) then this should do it!

Ride on!