So Far, So Good **Knock on Wood**

My winter training is going well. **knock on wood** Following Cycle Oregon in September, I maintained a good base of around 200 miles per month in October and November. I kicked it up to 300 per month in December and January (all but 22 miles of which were on my indoor trainer) and am on a pace to hit 250 in February.

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My body seems to be holding up well. I have kept the winter weight off. So far, so good. **knock on wood**

Beef provides 38% of your daily value of zinc, a nutrient that helps build a healthy immune system.

Somehow I have avoided getting sick when everyone around me has been sick -- even after spending a week with more than 9,000 of my closest friends from around the country in the biodome that is Opryland. **knock on wood**

One of my closest friends in the beef community -- the one and only Suzy Sirloin!

For some reason I have been using that phrase a lot these days. That's a good sign. It means things are going well. As I have learned in writing this post, the reason you "knock on wood" is to summon positive spirits from the trees. Works for me!

Right now I need the positive spirits to be with me and Jonny Rocker -- that we get picked in the Ride the Rockies lottery! Our plan is to register with my good friends from Team Bar2Bar -- Hankster, Peanut, Woody, and Flip Flop Jenny -- meet up in Salida (the end city) and ride to the start in Alamosa (an 80-mile day). 

Of course, we have to register first, but we have until Sunday, February 26, at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time. Until then...

Ride On!

Daren

Winter Training

Colorado winters drive me indoors to
our library/workout room.

My number one fitness goal this winter is to avoid the winter weight gain that hit me hard last year. I stuck with my maintenance miles goal after Cycle Oregon and ramped up my miles on my CycleOps Fluid2 indoor trainer in December to account for the extra calorie consumption I knew would come with the holiday celebrations.

So far, so good. I gained a few pounds between Christmas and New Years but have already dropped back below 220, which is about 15 pounds lighter than I was at this time last year. I didn't get below 220 until July! I'm looking forward to NOT hauling that extra 15 pounds around when I get back out on the road.

My CycleOps Fluid2 indoor trainer.

In the meantime, I am working on building my aerobic and endurance base with my indoor training. My biggest battle with winter training is boredom so I have several routines I follow on the trainer to vary my workouts and keep it interesting. Some days I will do intervals for 30 minutes while others I will keep it at a pace I can maintain for 60, adjusting the resistance up and down gradually.

One of my "go to" routines is a take on a workout I remember from high school track called ladders. My version looks like this:

• 1 minute at my "flat road" gear (~90 RPM)
• 1 minute at a moderate climbing gear (~80 RPM)
• 1 minute at a steep climb (~70 RPM)
• 1 minute at a moderate climbing gear (~80 RPM)
• 1 minute at my "flat road" gear (~90 RPM)

For a 30 minute workout I will warm up for five minutes spinning at 10 RPM then do 4 sets of ladders (20 minutes) then cool down for five minutes.

Another simple interval workout is to spin at >100 RPM for one minute, then drop back to ~80 RPM for one minute, adjusting resistance up and down every two minutes.

Check out these five Quick Cycling Workouts for Power and Endurance from Bicyling.com.

My goal for January is to ride a minimum of 50 miles a week (30 mins a day for five days) to maintain my current fitness level. I will bump that up to 75/week in February and March. By April I hope to be getting back out on the road for longer rides on weekends and in May I will start riding to work (25 miles each way) when possible (depending on work and weather). 

What is your winter workout routine? Please share your secrets!

Ride on,

Daren

2015 vs. 2016: What a Difference a Year (without injury) Makes

2015 was the year I learned that the IT Band is not a nerdy rock group.

I've seen a lot of posts this week about how many miles people ran in 2016 and people setting a goal to "run the year" (2,017 miles in 2017). I don't run much these days (if at all, for fear of inflaming my IT band, as I did in 2015) but this made me wonder how many miles I had ridden in 2016 and what my goal should be for 2017. I jokingly told one Facebook friend I would match her 2017 goal to run 2,017 miles -- on my bike -- but knew that would be far less than I had ridden this year so I need a better goal than that (like resolving to BEEFit)! 


So how many miles did I ride this year? Of course I tracked all my rides on my Garmin Edge 810 so was able to quickly look up my total miles for 2016 on Garmin Connect. I was actually surprised to see that I rode 3,737 miles this past year.

This screenshot of my 2016 rides from May to December shows the lead up to Cycle Oregon (Sept. 11-17) and maintenance rides through the end of November.

Without even going back and looking up past records I know that is the most I have ridden in one year. Given that I was close to 4,000, my daughter suggested I could set a goal to ride 4,034 miles (doubling up on 2017). I kind of like that idea but I spent a LOT of time on the bike this year (219 hours, 15 minutes and 52 seconds, to be exact) and am not sure how much more time I want to spend in the saddle!

By comparison I decided to look up 2015 miles. This time I was surprised how low they were. I only rode 1,779 miles in a year? How could that be? I didn't think I'd ridden fewer than 2,000 miles in a year since my first Ride the Rockies in 2005. 

This screensot of my rides from May to December 2016 paints a very different picture. My IT band injury put me out of commission for nearly five whole months!

So I looked at the calendar more closely and the answer was clear. I only rode NINE times between July 1 and December 1. Remember that IT band injury? Probably not, since I never wrote about it. So here goes...

All along the Water Tower in Chicago

One week after Ride the Rockies 2015 I was running in downtown Chicago. I love to run along the Miracle Mile and the trail along Lake Michigan. I was cruising along and stepped off a curb and felt something pull in my right hip. I limped along the remaining miles and could barely walk the next day. 

The run along Lake Michigan can be a little uneven in spots, which is one cause of IT band injuries (running on an uneven surface)

I tried riding a few times after but had knee pain that was unbearable. The IT band can wreak a lot of havoc when it is not happy! After reading up on it I decided rest was the best road to recovery and literally sat out most of July, August and September. The good news it worked! The bad news is I gained about 20 lbs. during all that sitting, and holiday eating. As a result it took me a lot longer than normal to lose my winter weight this past year. 

I wrote about why old guys get fat in winter several years ago, focusing on the hibernation theory. This year I think the answer is pretty obvious. I burned 170,310 fewer calories in 2015 (153,160) than 2016 (323,470). 

Getting out of bed to ride in winter is hard!

Fortunately I had more time to get into fighting weight before Cycle Oregon in September than I normally do for Ride the Rockies in June. I would have had a hard time hauling my ass over the mountains weighing 235 than I would at my normal 215!

Training for a ride in September meant that I stayed motivated throughout the summer and early fall. Typically I have a hard time getting back on the bike after my big event. This year I was determined not to let that happen and set a goal to ride at least 50 miles per week in October and November, which I did. I stepped that up to 75/week in December.

I like to set up my CycleOps trainer in front of the TV and watch the AFC West Champion Kansas City Chiefs! 

A lot of these miles were ridden on my CycleOps Fluid 2 indoor trainer, which involves constant peddling (riding outdoors it's normal to coast 10, 20, even 30 percent of the time and provides a great workout.

 

So here I sit on January 2, 107, weighing in at 223 lbs., ten pounds less than last year at this time and around my normal for this time of year. I want to get that back under 220 ASAP and hold it there until warmer weather returns and we emerge from hibernation!

The question is: which big ride am I going to do this year: Ride the Rockies or Cycle Oregon? Another possibility Jonny Rocker and I have discussed is doing our own ride, either self-supported or supported by our wives. Let me know if you have any suggestions for other week-long rides or planning your own route.

Ride on!

Daren

A Tale of Two Rides: Cycle Oregon and Ride the Rockies

After completing nine of the past 12 Ride the Rockies cycling events I decided to explore new terrain this year and headed west to Go for Gold on Cycle Oregon. As my brother and I researched various rides around the country I often wondered how each ride would compare to Ride the Rockies. If you are looking for a life-changing adventure, both Ride the Rockies and Cycle Oregon are great events, well supported by amazing staff and volunteers who pull off the logistics of moving 2,000 riders  from stop to stop, providing aid stations along the route, Support and Gear (SAG) vehicles, bike maintenance, medical support, and accommodations, but if you are trying to decide between the two there are some key differences to consider.

Looking for epic climbs? Ride the Rockies has them! Hint: so does Cycle Oregon.

One thing both Ride the Rockies and Cycle Oregon offer is beautiful scenery. Over the course of nine RTRs I have witnessed the depth and breadth of the Colorado Rockies from Rocky Mountain National Park up north to the San Juan National Forest in the south. I've ridden over most of Colorado's iconic mountain passes including Wolf Creek, Cottonwood, Monarch, Independence, Loveland, Vail, Trail Ridge Road (in both directions) and Grand Mesa from the north (ranked the 3rd toughest climb in Colorado and 24th in the U.S.!). To say the scenery is stunning is an understatement.

Ride the Rockies features stops in popular Colorado mountain towns like Telluride (Leslie and I at the start of RTR 2013).

The Rocky Mountains make a nice backdrop for the music stage at the overnight stops on RTR.

I have only done Cycle Oregon once but the 2016 ride ride did not disappoint in the scenery department. From the rugged Pacific coast up the Rogue Rover Valley into the remote Klamath Mountains, the views were jaw-dropping at every turn. This video from Cycle Oregon 2016 offers a bird's eye view of the amazing diversity of the landscape along the coast and coastal range of southwestern Oregon.

In talking with other riders who have done Cycle Oregon in the past, I'm certain it delivers in the scenery department whether riding around Mt. Hood, the Willamette Valley or pretty much anywhere along the coast! So, if you are looking for a scenic ride, you can't go wrong with either Ride the Rockies or Cycle Oregon. But there are several key differences between the two rides. In general, Cycle Oregon provides more of an "all-inclusive" model while Ride the Rockies is more of an a la carte experience. As Cycle Oregon Ride Director Steve Schulz said, "All you have to do is show up and ride. We take care of everything else."

For the most part, that is accurate. You also pay for it. The fee for Cycle Oregon 2016 was $985. The fee for Ride the Rockies 2016 was $495, almost half the price. What makes Cycle Oregon so much more expensive?

Food

Food is one of the biggest differences between the two rides and likely accounts for the majority of the difference in the registration fee. Cycle Oregon provides all the meals -- breakfast, lunch and dinner -- as well as snacks and water stops along the route. RTR also provides snacks (fruit, chips/pretzels, etc. along the route but food at the designated lunch stop is provided by vendors who travel along with the ride selling everything from burritos to burgers. While this provides more options there can also be long lines for food during peak times. RTR also works with local charitable organizations to provide a community dinner but there is a charge for that as well (with proceeds going to the charity). I typically go out to eat on RTR, preferring a good steak or burger to the typical pasta and poultry offered at the community dinners.

I was concerned that the meals provided on Cycle Oregon might not measure up to my expectations. After all, the options on the registration form said "Vegetarian" and "Non-vegetarian." :) But the food was actually pretty good and included plenty of animal protein (there was one line for vegetarians that was never full and several lines for "non-vegetarians" that were always full but not long). Let's just say that it provided sufficient sustenance and was convenient. The bottom-line is that eating out is not an option on Cycle Oregon, at least not this year, given the remote location of most of the overnight stops, but I'd prefer more food options if given the choice.

Accommodations
Both RTR and Cycle Oregon provide a designated overnight location with spots for camping, shower trucks, and port-a-potties. On RTR this is usually a school, which is also open for "indoor camping" (in hallways, doorways or packed in the gym like sardines). I tried this one night on my first RTR and hated it. It's noisy, cramped and there is zero privacy. I much prefer to sleep in a tent. The other option is to pay for hotels, which many people do on RTR, where most of the overnight locations are resort towns with lots of hotel options. Hotel options were very limited on Cycle Oregon this year -- two of the nights there were no hotel options anywhere near the overnight location.



Several of the overnight stops on Cycle Oregon were nowhere near hotels or restaurants, like this overnight in Camas Valley.



Our campsite at Bandon-by-the-Sea on Cycle Oregon 2016

My brother and I booked a room overlooking the ocean in Gold Beach (where we spent two nights in the middle of the week) but camped out the other five nights in our own tents. I used to camp every night on these rides but putting up and taking down your own tent every day takes a lot of extra energy so it's nice to take a break from the routine and sleep in a bed with your own bathroom, shower, etc. Another option is the tent and porter service (aka "valet camping") offered on both rides if you want to shell out several hundred dollars ($450 this year on Cycle Oregon) to have a tent ready and waiting with your luggage (both rides carry one bag per rider from stop to stop).



Camping within site of the beer, food and music tents is a bonus. No busses!

One thing I loved about the accommodations on Cycle Oregon is that the beer tent and entertainment were always located at the campsite (and were open from 12 noon to 10 p.m.). On RTR they are often at a separate location requiring riders to either ride on a shuttle bus or walk -- neither of which are ideal, especially late a night after numerous adult beverages! It was really nice to be able to stumble back to our tents when the music stopped and the beer tent shut down.

 

Shower trucks and Port-a-potties

Cycle Oregon scores a win in this category with superior port-a-potty and shower truck logistics. Whether it was simply having more shower and potty space per rider or the way they were spaced out around the camp, we rarely encountered a line for either.



Port-a-potty logistics on these rides are amazing. I like the way Cycle Oregon spread them around the campsites rather than lining them all up in one or two locations like Ride the Rockies.

Mileage and Elevation Gain
 
We rode 431 total miles in seven days on Cycle Oregon, an average of 61.5 miles per day. This is pretty similar to the RTRs I have done, which usually average around 65/day. I was on the longest RTR in history in 2013, which totaled 545 miles in seven days (~78 miles per day). Frankly, that's too much time in the saddle for me to be able to fully enjoy the ride. I've also done an RTR that featured more than 30,000 feet of elevation gain, which is too much climbing for me. By contrast, Cycle Oregon 2016 was around 26,000, which is closer to the average for the RTRs I have done and is much more doable.
 
The thing that caught me off guard on Cycle Oregon was the steepness of the climbs. These two videos offer a glimpse of the steep Forest Service roads we traversed on Day 2 and Day 5.

 

The climb up Weaver Creek Road featured grades of more than 15% for two miles. It is the toughest stretch of road I have ever ridden (yes, even in the Colorado Rockies).

 

The descent from Bear Camp on Forest Road 23 made the 15-mile climb to the top worthwhile! Sorry for the shaky video. Blame the Forest Service.

Suffice it to say Cycle Oregon provided every bit as much of a climbing challenge as most of the RTRs I have been on. But the one thing Cycle Oregon can't compete with RTR on is ALTITUDE!
 
Check out this climb up Loveland Pass (elev. 11,990) on RTR 2014...

And just for fun, here is the descent on Lookout Mountain into Golden, Colorado, later the same day...

Scenery
 
As you can see, both Cycle Oregon and Ride the Rockies offer amazing views of some of the most beautiful areas of our country. I definitely enjoyed the views along the coast during Cycle Oregon, which is something the Colorado Rockies don't have to offer.

On the other hand, the Rocky Mountains offer simply stunning views...

The bottom-line is that if you are considering a weeklong cycling adventure this summer, you can't go wrong with either Ride the Rockies or Cycle Oregon. My plan is to check out the RTR 2017 route when it is announced on February 4 and decide whether to register, but I'd love to come back to my home state this year and complete my 10th Ride the Rockies.

Ride on!

Daren
 

Training for Cycle Oregon Begins (with losing that winter weight)!

I was talking with my brother the other day about training for Cycle Oregon. It will be his first multi-day ride and he wanted to know what king of training schedule he should put together. I hadn't given it much thought, yet, since the ride is still over six months away. I've been putting in some decent miles on the indoor trainer -- 180 in January, 140 in February and 30 to date in March -- 350 total. Turns out that's 350 more than he has logged so I suppose it is time he starts thinking about what he needs to do!

I'm used to training for Ride the Rockies in June so typically hit the indoor trainer pretty hard during winter in Colorado, building aerobic and endurance base. Once I can get outside I start logging some long slow distance rides on real hills (there's nothing like the real thing to prepare for climbing a Rocky Mountain pass!). My goal in 2013 and 2014 was to ride 2,000 miles from January 1 to the start of the ride in June but the most I recorded was 1,863 in 2013.

Last year I didn't set a goal, deciding to devote some time to building core strength and I think it paid off. I actually felt like my body (back, shoulder, hips) held up better during the ride, which is one of the keys to surviving a week-long ride, racking up back-to-back-to-back long mileage days. So I plan to stick with that approach, not set a mileage goal and just enjoy riding this summer, mixing in core workouts and getting my body ready for seven straight days of riding.

That begins with losing the weight I gained over the winter (why do old guys get fat in winter?). I put on a few more than in past years this winter so have about 15 pounds to lose to get to my ideal weight. So I'm setting a goal to lose 15 pounds by my birthday on May 15. That may be a little ambitious but I like setting stretch goals!

Today I opened the MyFitnessPal app on my phone for the first time since last summer and started tracking my calories in/calories out. I like using MyFitnessPal when I am in training mode to make sure I am getting enough protein and other nutrients to fuel my body. I enjoy banking calories when I work out in the morning then paying attention to how I spend them throughout the day.

I started off this morning with 20 miles on the indoor trainer, earning 1,766 calories to add to my daily 2,720 leaving me with a whopping 4,486 in the bank! At 5:00 p.m. I still have 2,638 left. Speaking of which, it's time to go to the store and pick up some food for dinner :)

Ride on!

Daren

Are You Getting Enough (Protein, that is!)?

UPDATED 4/1/15 -- Join me in taking the 30 Day Protein Challenge during the month of April!

The 30 Day Protein Challenge is an exciting, easy-to-follow plan to add protein-rich foods to your daily life. It focuses on feeling satisfied and energized after meals, which could lead to less snacking and eating out of boredom. It also helps you understand how the foods you eat affect your mood.

Start the Protein Challenge today and you'll receive a quick email every day for 30 days - each containing a goal for the day plus great tips, advice and inspiration to help keep you dialed in for the entire challenge.

What are you waiting for?! Take control of your appetite and kick start the benefits you'll get from balancing your protein consumption.

I recently downloaded the MyFitnessPal app and started tracking my calorie consumption. As usual, I gained about 10 pounds this winter. The only problem is winter isn't over and I can't afford to gain 10 more! But mostly I wanted to start tracking my consumption of carbohydrates, fat and (especially) protein. After two weeks of recording everything that goes in my mouth I am embarrassed to admit that I, BEEFMAN, have been under consuming protein!

That's right, as much as I talk about the benefits of eat beef, I have not been eating enough beef, dairy, beans, nuts and other sources of protein. Part of the reason is because I underestimated the amount of protein my body needs every day. I had always heard that the recommended daily value (RDV) for protein was 50 grams, based on the average 2,000 calorie-a-day diet.

The first problem with that is I am not average. I am 6'4" tall, 225 lbs. (in winter) and physically active (I work out at least five times a week for 30 minutes, significantly more when I am training for an event like Ride the Rockies). When I punched this info into MyFitnessPal, with a goal to lose one pound per week, it came back with a daily calorie goal of 2,280! And that's to lose weight (the BEEFWIFE doesn't appreciate the fact that men do burn calories faster, especially big guys)!

The other problem is that is the RDV for protein is a minimum number. After doing a little research I learned about Accepted Macronutrient Distribution Ranges, or AMDRs. As it turns out the AMDR for protein is 10-35% of calories. According to this protein calculator my daily protein needs would be 77 grams at the low end (10%) and 269 grams at the high end (35%) when I set it to "moderately active." 

Recent research on protein has found that "Protein at around 25-30% of calories has been shown to boost metabolism by up to 80 to 100 calories per day, compared to lower protein diets." In addition, consuming higher amount of protein helps you feel full longer, reducing overall calorie consumption. So I decided to set my goal for protein at 20% of calories, or about 150-170 grams per day depending on physical activity level. That's a lot of beef! Of course, I also get protein from other sources like nuts, legumes and dairy products (love Greek yogurt and cottage cheese in the morning).

One of the reasons I am focusing on protein is that it is important to me to make sure I don't lose muscle mass as I age. Maintaining muscle mass gets harder as you age. There's actually a name for the condition: sarcopenia (like osteoporosis is to bone loss). As I age I want to maintain muscle mass so I can be physically active for a long time (I want to be one of those guys doing Ride the Rockies in my 70s!).

So the bottom line is I need to increase my protein intake and I'm trying to do it without turning to protein shakes, but it's hard. Seriously. It's hard to get enough protein while staying within calorie and fat goals, especially with plant-based sources of protein, which often come with more calories per gram of protein than beef.

With beef, especially lean cuts, I can get 8 grams of protein for just about 50 calories. Beef jerky makes a great high protein, low fat, low carb snack (I've been known to eat a whole bag for lunch!). I've also added Greek yogurt and TrueMoo Protein Plus protein fortified chocolate milk after workouts (real milk with 14 grams of protein per serving and the right amount of carbs for post workout recovery).

Have you used MyFitnessPal? Do you have a hard time getting the protein you need every day? Please share any tips you have (other than shakes and bars, I prefer real food!).

Ride on!

Daren

Forget Fad Diets; Be Well in 2015

I've sat down several times this past week to write a typical New Year's blog post. I tried to think of something inspirational but I wasn't feeling inspired. Then I saw several bloggers talking about their "Top 10 Posts of 2014" and thought that might work but couldn't figure out how to figure that out (Blogger only keeps track of the past day, week, month or "all time") so abandoned that idea. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day came and went and I wrote nothing. But I did have several thoughts along the way. So, without further ado, here are my rambling thoughts on New Year's Resolutions, health and wellness, popular topics this time of year.

Weight lose and exercise always top the list of New Year's Resolutions but rarely lead to lasting change. 

I've written several times about New Year's Resolutions. On January 1, 2011, I challenged you to Resolve to BEEFit and get at least 30 minutes of exercise and eat 3 oz. of beef per day. On the first day of 2013, I wrote about avoiding grandiose resolutions and instead setting concrete goals like registering and training for an event such as Ride the Rockies. This year, I encourage you to join me and sign up for the FREE 30-day Self-Care and Wellness Challenge from sport nutritionist Leslie Schilling, a daily e-mail for 30 days designed to challenge your thinking about health and wellness.

Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, LDN,
Nutrition Expert, Mom, Wife, Cook,
& Creator of YourSupperSolution.com

In full disclosure I have no vested interest in this other than the fact that Leslie is my friend and I loved her "pitch" for the 30-day challenge: "Health and wellness isn't about a number, or feeling guilty, or demonizing food. We don’t get ourselves anywhere positive when we are made to feel guilty or don’t believe we can trust our bodies or food choices. So, if you’re ready for the next big diet, this isn't it. If you’re ready for a journey that increases your awareness, changes your perspective and moves your towards lasting change, THIS is for you!"

To give you an idea what this entails, here is the Day 1 Challenge:

Hi Daren. I'm so glad you're on this journey with me.

Wellness is so much more than a number. And, I believe true health and wellness starts with a change in perspective. We live in a society where it seems "normal" to be at war with who we are and the bodies we live in. It's time for a change. It starts within... 

We'll start by increasing our overall awareness in a variety of areas that impact our health & happiness. AND, we'll build on your observations all month long. It's a process. 

Here's your first challenge. 

Today, I want to you observe obstacles in your day-to-day life that get in the way of doing things that make you feel happy or healthy. They could be external obstacles (like work) and/or internal obstacles (like beliefs).  

Grab a journal, old notebook or a random sheet of paper. Label it Day 1 (that'll make it easier to come back to later). At the end of the day write down your observations. Don't judge. Just write it down.  

Put your observation glasses on and get on it. I'll catch you tomorrow.  

Leslie

Today is Day 2 of the challenge, so you haven't missed anything yet if you sign up today to join Leslie and me in this challenge!

Which brings me to my thoughts on Health and Wellness. Scrolling through my friends' Facebook posts in the past week I have noticed a lot of wishes for "good health" in the coming year. Many of my peers are either dealing with their own health issues or those of their aging parents (or even their children). We all want to live healthy, happy lives and it seems most are willing to try anything except exercise! Unfortunately far too many people tune in to shows like Dr. Oz and The Doctors for health recommendations, half of which have been found to be baseless or wrong!

My advice is to avoid fad diets and marketing buzzwords like natural, gluten-free, non-GMO, etc., enjoy the food you eat and get some exercise every day. When it comes to food choices, pay attention to calories and eat nutrient rich foods, like beef, that provide the most nutrients per calorie. Nutrient-rich foods provide the fuel your body needs to by physically active. One thing most health experts actually agree on that being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight is the best way to avoid chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

Speaking of the Big C, I have a good friend who received a cancer diagnosis over the holidays. The news gave new meaning to those wishes for good health. Barb is in a fight for her life, one she is facing with courage, humor and the support of many family and friends. One immediate silver lining is that Barb has decided to share her experience in a blog and, as it turns out, she is every bit as irreverent in writing as she is in person.

Barb runs the Boston Marathon in 2010.

My introduction to Barb was in 2008 when she was training for her first marathon (actually, it was her first organized race!). Her friend wanted to outfit her with a Team BEEF jersey and contacted me. Debbie told me the story of how Barb was running a marathon after losing 130 lbs. on a personal journey to improve her health. A year later, in her second marathon, she qualified for Boston and in April 2010 she ran the Boston marathon. Who does that?!

Barb does. As I have grown to know Barb over the past 6 years her story makes more sense. She is a tough and determined business woman with a big heart and quick wit that will keep you on your toes! As she heads to Dallas this week to begin treatment I have to chuckle thinking about the doctors, nurses and other patients at MD Anderson who have no idea what is about to hit them! I know Barb will fight this battle with her unique combination of strength, faith and humor and will touch many lives in the process.

If you like to laugh, cry and think I encourage you to follow Barb's blog. As Jimmy Valvano said in his famous ESPY speech while facing his own cancer prognosis: "If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special."

And that, my friends, is my resolution for 2015: To laugh, cry and think and live every day to its fullest. Be well.

Ride on!

Daren

No Motivation to Workout? Me, Neither!

Where do you find motivation?

I need a goal. It's a beautiful summer morning in Colorado and I can't get motivated to walk, run, hike, or even bike this morning. I'm definitely going to get out and do something. It's just too nice a day to sit inside. But what happens when the weather starts to turn colder and the days are shorter and I'm still suffering from lack of motivation? It's too easy to fall out of a good exercise regimen (here are some good tips for staying motivated to workout from AskMen.com).

What are your goals?

What I need is to set a goal. What works for me is to sign up for an event and pay the registration fee. The question is, which event? Should I take on my first tri since 2011? That would force me into the pool when I'd rather take advantage of this weather. Tackle my first full marathon? I'm hesitant to sign up for one when I don't know if my "hot foot" issues on my left foot will flare up until I start running more. I've never done one of the Tough Mudder type adventure races. My 6'4", 220 lb. frame and lack of upper body strength make pulling myself over walls nearly impossible!

Photo credit: Joe Murphy, The Denver Post

What is your excuse?

Sounds like a lot of excuses, doesn't it? Yeah, that's what happens when you have no motivation. There'd be times riding up a nasty climb or into a headwind on Ride the Rockies when I'd want to quit and I'd come across one of the many riders living with missing limbs, paralyzed from the waist down, many from injuries suffered defending our freedom, and I'd feel stupid. I came across Tom Brown, a triple amputee, several times on the ride this year.

Help me out here. What motivates you? What events do you have coming up this fall?

Ride on!

Daren

Ride the Rockies 2014 Training: Putting in the Miles

I've been having trouble getting motivated to write about Ride the Rockies training. Maybe that's because I've had trouble getting motivated to train! It could also be that there's just nothing very exciting about peddling for hours and hours on an indoor trainer. I'll blame it on a combination of both.

Logging miles in the saddle is an important part of endurance training. My goal is to ride 2,000 miles between January 1 and the start of Ride the Rockies on June 8. That would be the most I have ridden prior to the start in my previous seven RTRs. To date I have ridden just over 1,000 miles (three-fourths of which have been on my Cyclops Fluid2 trainer). However, I'm trying to do more than just log miles.

I've been reading up on the importance of mixing up workouts and doing lots of interval training as well as some "long steady distance" rides, also called "long slow distance" or LSD rides (I prefer "steady" to slow after reading this post on five mistakes to avoid in endurance cycling and this one on the myths of long slow distance). If you search "long slow distance" on Google you'll find posts touting both the benefits and the drawbacks but most experts seem to agree that both long, steady rides and shorter interval training rides are both beneficial in building endurance.



My MapMyRun workout calendar from February shows my typical workout schedule this time of year (except I was traveling the entire week of the 3rd while normally my travel is more spread out.)

From January through April I typically ride on the indoor trainer 10-20 miles 4-5 times per week and try to get out outside on the weekends for longer (30-40 mile) rides, when weather allows (we're getting hit with yet another Spring snowstorm as I write this!). In the coming weeks as weather warms up and the days get a little longer I will start riding to and from work (25 miles each way). Eventually I'll be able to put the trainer in storage until Fall. I look forward to that day!

It's hard to believe that two months from today Ride the Rockies will be OVER! That means we only have 8 weeks left to train. That means I need to average 130 miles/week to reach my goal. I've been averaging about 75. Time to kick it up a notch :)

Ride on!

Daren

Why Do Motorists Hate Cyclists?

Charles, a non-cycling friend, tagged me in a Facebook post this past weekend. The question he posed sparked an interesting exchange that has bugged be ever since:

What is it about a bicycle marathon past my home that rubs me the wrong way? Maybe Daren Williams has an idea. Wife says I am jealous. So that one is already taken. Lol

It's a great question. Why do motorists hate cyclists? A comment from Lisa, one of Charles' friends, shed some light on the answer:

Either you like cycling or you hate it. Cycling is big out here, and we've got behind races- they cause big headaches. And the last race they had through Colorado Springs, people went as far as spreading tacks and glass on the route.

I assume she is talking about the USA Pro Challenge, which rolled through Colorado Springs this past summer. But you know what they say happens when you assume, so I shouldn't. But that didn't stop her from assuming something about me in her next comment:

I think it has to do with the perception that cyclists see themselves as superior, part of the environmentalist liberal elite. And just the fact they cause traffic problems.

Well, I must say that is the first time I have ever been accused of being "part of the environmentalist liberal elite." And I don't take that as a compliment! Fortunately, another friend of Charles, Matt, came to my rescue:

I get annoyed when people talk about the Liberal environmentalist elite. There is a religion out there that shuns science and embraces ignorance. Unfortunately for them, their raft is sinking from all the people jumping on it and soon it will capsize from a changing climate and rising seas. I could go on, But that's the crux of what I was getting at. BP has estimated that we only have about 17 decades of recoverable natural gas left. I've studied scarcity of resources and what happened to former civilizations that overused their gifts from the commons, they disintegrate, and collapse, after taking everyone else's resources. Riding bikes isn't a terrible idea from the standpoint of sustainability.

Oh great, my only ally in this conversation is part of the Liberal environmentalist elite! Just what I needed. Riding bikes isn't a terrible idea from the standpoint of sustainability?! I assume (there I go again), that Matt is talking about replacing cars and trucks with bikes. But I'm sorry, as a cyclist I can tell you that bicycles are a terrible form of transportation.

I ride 25 miles to/from work every May in honor of National Bike Month but I don't do it to be "sustainable." I'd much rather be driving my car. It's faster, more comfortable, and much more efficient. I ride to/from work to train for Ride the Rockies. Riding 25 miles 2x daily is great exercise but it is impractical for commuting on a regular basis (especially during winter in Colorado!).

So why do motorists hate cyclists? Is it jealousy, as Charles' wife suggested? I doubt it. Why would anyone riding comfortably in a climate-controlled, audio-infused, petroleum-powered vehicle be jealous of some sweaty middle-aged man in Lycra?

Is it the terrible inconvenience of having to share the road with an occasional cyclist or that once-a-year cycling event? Seriously? Are you in that big a hurry to get to work? Thankfully, I think Lisa finally came up with the answer:

Okay, then, maybe it's the shorts!:)

Granted. Spandex shorts don't look good on very many people. Especially middle-aged men. So allow me to explain. The shorts are not a fashion statement. They are functional. Without getting too personal, suffice it to say that padding and spandex help prevent cycling saddle sores.

I tried to explain this to Charles in my response to his question: "What is it about a bicycle marathon past my home that rubs me the wrong way?"

Not getting rubbed the wrong way is why we wear spandex. You could try that.

Ride on!

Daren

P.S. An oldie but a goodie. Why bike shorts should be black...

May is National BEEF BIKE RUNNER Month!

I love May. It's my birth month. May is alsoNational Beef Month, National Bike Month and National Runners Month! So what's not to love?!

Back in 2010 (the year Dick's Sporting Goods designated May as Beef Runners Month), I launched the National Beef Runners Month Challenge to "eat beef and get some exercise every day in the month of May." Only this year I am focused on cycling. So, I an renewing the challenge but changing the name to the National Beef Bike Month Challenge!

Frankly, I don't care if you run, ride, walk or Zumba. The goal is to move for 30 minutes (elevating your heart rate beyond normal activity) and eat at least 3 oz. of lean beef to fuel your physical activity, every day for 31 days. It's a simple, doable, tasty challenge!

My personal goal is to ride an average of 25 miles per day during National Beef Bike Month. That's approximately 90 minutes of exercise each day, so I get to eat a lot more beef :)



This was taken THIS MORNING, May 1, 2013!

My goal is part of a much bigger goal to ride 2000 mile between January 1 and June 8, in training for Ride the Rockies 2013. And I'm behind schedule. An unusually snowy spring in Colorado has made it difficult to log road miles. But I've spent a lot of time on my Cyclops Fluid2 indoor bike trainer, so I'm  not too far behind. 175 miles per week, 775 miles in 31 days. It's a stretch goal, but it's doable.

So what is your goal? Wherever you are in your persoanl fitness journey, I encourage you to challenge yourself this month. If you are doing nothing, start small. Walk for 30 minutes. If you already exercise every day, try something new. And every day after you reach your goal, reward yourself with lean beef, the nutritional powerhouse.

Ride on!

Daren

If it ain't BEEF, It's not a Burger!

Burger King entered the Turkey "Burger" Wars this week adding a turkey sandwich to their "spring menu." According to news reports, BK is the first of the "big three fast-food chains" to start selling turkey burgers following "fast food health trends and customers’ demand for healthier options." Available for a limited time, the BK version of the turkey burger has only "530 calories and 26 grams of fat." Healthier? Seriously?

With all due respect to the Burger King, if it ain't BEEF, it's not a burger!

This is just wrong on so many levels. First, if it ain't BEEF, it's not a burger. The origin of the term burger dates back to the 1880s in Hamburg, Germany, where the locals ground up beef steak and formed it into patties they called a "Hamburg Steak." German immigrants then brought Hamburg Steak to the U.S. where enterprising Americans placed it between two pieces of bread to form the first hamburger. The exact origin of the hamburger is a subject of much debate, but there is no question that the first "burgers" were beef. 

Second, the perception that ground turkey is "healthier" than beef is a common "missed steak." We think of a turkey breast as lean (and it is). But ground turkey isn't ground turkey breast (think chicken nuggets) and it isn't necessarily leaner than ground beef. I wrote about this two years ago when Carl's Jr./Hardee's first introduced their turkey burger.

The fact is that the ground turkey (and bison) at my grocery store contained at least 15% fat while there were many ground beef choices that were less than 10% fat (90/10, 96/4, etc.). Since all ground meat is a mixture of fat and lean, the only way to determine the leanness is to READ THE LABEL!

The label on this package of ground turkey at my grocery store clearly 85/15, meaning 85% lean, 15% fat

But nutritional value is a lot more complicated than fat content. One 3 oz. serving of 90/10 cooked ground beef (85 grams) is a good (more than 10% DV) or excellent (more than 20% DV) source of 10 essential nutrients and vitamins for about 180 calories. Meanwhile, one 4 oz. serving of raw ground turkey (82 grams) is a good or excellent source of only 6 essential nutrients and vitamins for more than 190 calories. And a turkey burger is higher in cholesterol and sodium than a hamburger. So ground beef is higher in nutrients and lower in calories and cholesterol than ground turkey. So which is healthier? You decide!

This is why I choose beef for my pre- and post-race meals. My body needs the nutrients beef provides to prepare for and repair from intense physical activity . I don't really have anything against turkey. I just want more bang for my calorie buck. Beef provides fuel for the finish.

Ride on!

Daren