So I am looking to make a trip to Moab this spring. It has been over a year since I made it down there, and I am really anxious to make a return trip. Actually, this trip will be the first one I will take to Moab with my wife and new little daughter. Hopefully, it will be a lot of fun for everyone.
In the mean time, I have got to get myself in shape after a winter. So I have been looking around for some workout programs, and I thought I would share the links here:
http://mtobikes.com/combo-lifts-squeezing-results-time/
http://fitnessdiet.info/exercisebike.php
http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/diet-fitness/mountain-biking-amp-road-biking.html
http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-training/mtb-training-with-bike-james/
Hope these links help getting both the beginner and expert ready for the upcoming season!
The "Fat Man Hike-a-Bike"
I enjoying mountain biking, however, over the last few years, I have found I enoy eating and watching TV as well. This has added to a little extra weight around the mid-section. This added weight leads me to my topic for the day; a little thing I call the "Fat Man Hike-a-Bike."
In my youth, we used to have a thing called a "Hike-a-Bike" which is where you ride up a trail as far as you can (often until snow makes it impossible to continue riding), and then you pick up your bike and carry with a hope that the snow covered trail will only last a couple hundred feet, and then you can ride again.
This was often the case for early spring riding and late fall riding here in Northern Utah, and often the Hike-a-Bike lead to some fun times. But now I am heavier, and I am more out of shape than ever, and so the Hike-a-Bike takes on a new meaning.
The "Fat Man Hike-a-Bike" is also typically an early spring event that requires an out of shape fatty like me to get off his bike and push it up hills on occasion. (For me, this has lasted sometimes through the summer and fall as well)
I am all for pedalling till you puke, but often the mind is willing, but the legs aren't able.
It seems my leg muscles disappear quickly, and added weight appears on my gut magically thus making it nearly impossible to ride up hills I once found insignificant.
Fortunately, I try to ride with friends who on occasion have to do the "Fat Man Hike-a-Bike." We all push our bikes to the top of a hill (often getting laughed at by passer-by's), but that is okay because where I come from it's okay to be a little uncool on a bike because I am not there to be popular or cool. I am there because I enjoy the time spent with friends and a bike.
So... I proudly do the "Fat Man's Hike-a-Bike".
In my youth, we used to have a thing called a "Hike-a-Bike" which is where you ride up a trail as far as you can (often until snow makes it impossible to continue riding), and then you pick up your bike and carry with a hope that the snow covered trail will only last a couple hundred feet, and then you can ride again.
This was often the case for early spring riding and late fall riding here in Northern Utah, and often the Hike-a-Bike lead to some fun times. But now I am heavier, and I am more out of shape than ever, and so the Hike-a-Bike takes on a new meaning.
The "Fat Man Hike-a-Bike" is also typically an early spring event that requires an out of shape fatty like me to get off his bike and push it up hills on occasion. (For me, this has lasted sometimes through the summer and fall as well)
I am all for pedalling till you puke, but often the mind is willing, but the legs aren't able.
It seems my leg muscles disappear quickly, and added weight appears on my gut magically thus making it nearly impossible to ride up hills I once found insignificant.
Fortunately, I try to ride with friends who on occasion have to do the "Fat Man Hike-a-Bike." We all push our bikes to the top of a hill (often getting laughed at by passer-by's), but that is okay because where I come from it's okay to be a little uncool on a bike because I am not there to be popular or cool. I am there because I enjoy the time spent with friends and a bike.
So... I proudly do the "Fat Man's Hike-a-Bike".
Lance is Back! LiveSTRONG
So today, I wanted to write a little about a living legend, Lance Armstrong. If your reading this, on this site, you already know who Lance Armstrong is, but if you just happened on the site, here are the basics:
1.) He is arguably the best cyclist in history.
2.) He won the Tour de France a record 7 times, all of which came after his victory over testicular cancer.
Now, Lance has joined Team Astana. The effort will be to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LiveSTRONG) and raise cancer awareness.
Armstrong and Team Astana just finished riding in their first race as a team in the Australian "Tour Down Under". As a team the finished the 6 stage race ranked number 7 of 19, finishing 00.02.36 back of Francaise des Jeux.
Armstrong finished 29th overall in his first professional race in nearly three years. He finished behind the Tour winner, Allan Davis, 00.00.49.
So, it will be an exciting year in cycling! I can hardly wait for summer to watch Lance and Team Astana show the world that he is still the best.
To keep up with Lance and Team Astana, here is a link to Lance's main website:
http://www.lancearmstrong.com/
I also wanted to share the link to the Ride for LiveSTRONG site. Here you can find out how to become involved with Lance's foundation and help raise cancer awareness:
http://www.rideforlivestrong.com/
ON A SIDE NOTE:
George Hincapie, another US cycling great, also competed in the Tour Down Under with Team Columbia - High Road. Over all Hincapie finished 00.00.44 behind Allan Davis (ranking 13 overall), and Team Columbia - High Road finished 5th overall back of the winner 00.00.35.
Porcupine Rim Trail Info
So, yesterday, I related a story about a ride on the Porcupine Rim trail in Moab, UT. Because of that, I wanted to give the details of the trail itself in case anyone else wanted to take a look at it. Hopefully, you all have had a chance to ride this trail. If not, it is a trail in Moab that is a classic "must-ride".
Porcupine Rim Trail Info
Low Resolution Topographical Map of Trail
The trail info is provided by UtahMountainBiking.com which is a great resource for trail location and info in case you are looking for something new in your area here in Utah.
Enjoy!
Porcupine Rim Trail Info
Low Resolution Topographical Map of Trail
The trail info is provided by UtahMountainBiking.com which is a great resource for trail location and info in case you are looking for something new in your area here in Utah.
Enjoy!
I Survived Riding with Dave Miller
Do you have a riding partner that pushes, sometimes even tricks, you into rides that you would otherwise think is crazy? Maybe you are that friend that gets your riding buddies to do some pretty crazy things.
I have a friend like this. His name is Dave Miller. I've known Dave for... well... decades. Over the years, he has not really changed. He always has the ability to get those he is riding with to do things they wouldn't normally do. I almost think that this is a hobby that he has, and believe me, he is good at it.
One of my favorite instances of this occurred a few years back. We made a fall trip to Moab, and a new kid came with us. I don't even remember his name. In fact, I never saw him after that trip. For the purpose of the story, we'll call him Bob "The Non-Biker".
On this particular trip we decided to ride a trail that we had heard a lot about, but we had never ridden it ourselves. It is the Porcupine Trail. From everything we heard, it had to be an awesome trail.
Dave of course picked it out, and began talking Bob "The Non-Biker" into going with us. At first Bob resisted saying, "I don't have a bike." Dave solved this by letting him borrow his extra bike. (By the way, only Dave brings an "extra" bike.) Next, he tried to get out of it by saying he hadn't been on a bike in years. Dave then pulled out a map of the trail and convinced Bob (and myself for that matter) that the trail only consisted of 1 to 2 miles of uphill, and the rest (13+ miles) was basically downhill.
This convinced Bob. How hard could a ride like that be? Unfortunately, the trail is not that easy.
Poor Bob started the ride in levi's. Within the first half mile, Bob ate it. Then, much to Bob's dismay, after five miles, we were still riding uphill. When we finally reached the highest point of the trail over looking the canyon below we took pictures. Bob "The Non-Biker" looked pissed. Come on Bob, there's only 13+ miles left!
By the end we were all tired, and Bob never returned to go for a ride with Dave. He was the smart one. He is no longer tricked into crazy rides with Dave Miller. I am the idiot who still gets tricked into doing crazy things with Dave, and please remember, I HAVE ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
In honor of that, we have a new shirt design. It's the "I Survived Mountain Biking With" Shirt.
I have a friend like this. His name is Dave Miller. I've known Dave for... well... decades. Over the years, he has not really changed. He always has the ability to get those he is riding with to do things they wouldn't normally do. I almost think that this is a hobby that he has, and believe me, he is good at it.
One of my favorite instances of this occurred a few years back. We made a fall trip to Moab, and a new kid came with us. I don't even remember his name. In fact, I never saw him after that trip. For the purpose of the story, we'll call him Bob "The Non-Biker".
On this particular trip we decided to ride a trail that we had heard a lot about, but we had never ridden it ourselves. It is the Porcupine Trail. From everything we heard, it had to be an awesome trail.
Dave of course picked it out, and began talking Bob "The Non-Biker" into going with us. At first Bob resisted saying, "I don't have a bike." Dave solved this by letting him borrow his extra bike. (By the way, only Dave brings an "extra" bike.) Next, he tried to get out of it by saying he hadn't been on a bike in years. Dave then pulled out a map of the trail and convinced Bob (and myself for that matter) that the trail only consisted of 1 to 2 miles of uphill, and the rest (13+ miles) was basically downhill.
This convinced Bob. How hard could a ride like that be? Unfortunately, the trail is not that easy.
Poor Bob started the ride in levi's. Within the first half mile, Bob ate it. Then, much to Bob's dismay, after five miles, we were still riding uphill. When we finally reached the highest point of the trail over looking the canyon below we took pictures. Bob "The Non-Biker" looked pissed. Come on Bob, there's only 13+ miles left!
By the end we were all tired, and Bob never returned to go for a ride with Dave. He was the smart one. He is no longer tricked into crazy rides with Dave Miller. I am the idiot who still gets tricked into doing crazy things with Dave, and please remember, I HAVE ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!
In honor of that, we have a new shirt design. It's the "I Survived Mountain Biking With" Shirt.
This design is customizable. Right now I have Dave's name in there, but you can put any person's name or group in the field when you order.
So, this is to all of those who push us into riding more memorable rides.
Thanks Dave!
So, this is to all of those who push us into riding more memorable rides.
Thanks Dave!
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