Beauty and the Beast Bike Tour

03/24/2012

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Heck of a good ride at the Beauty and the Beast Bike Tour just south of Tyler, Texas.  The play-by-play of the 67 mile route.

5:45am: Worst part of races. Waking up. This is Saturday!!!
2 min before start: Forgot. Nutrition. DUMB!
Start: Late to the party. Oops. 
Miles 1-13: Roller coaster ride starts with around 200 cyclists in a huge pack. 
Mile 14: Going downhill at 35mph. Start thinking about Cousin Eddie from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. "I don't know about this Clark. I don't think I should be flying down a hill with nothing between me and the ground but a piece of government plastic.  You see this right here, if this gets dented, then my hair just ain't gonna look
right."
Luckily the plastic separating my head and the ground was made by Specialized.
Miles 15-25: More roller coaster thrills of east Texas. 30 mph down. 13 mph up. 
Miles 26-31: Chatting with Mindy. A 47 year old from Austin who is also training for Ironman Texas. 
Mile 32: Alone and bored. So I call Brittany. A pleasant minute conversation. Hang up and hear the guy next to me  says with a huge smile, "Well, I feel out of shape. I'm huffing and puffing and you're riding up a hill talking on the phone!"
Me- "I'm nothing special. But, I am training for an Ironman."
Him while laughing- "Ok. I don't feel worthless anymore. But, get you butt in gear!"
I was going 25 mph by that time.
Mile 33: Halfway home baby!
Mile 34: Small child around the age of 6 holding out Powerade at a rest stop. Slow down and take the cup and then hear, "I did it! I did it!" Referring to the excellent cup to hand transfer. 
Miles 35-47: "I'm all alone. There's nobody here beside me..."
Mile 48: Almost met the "big pointy teeth" of a large, large dog. Never thought I'd be so thankful that the Chevy Malibu was created. Ran interference.
Mile 49: Almost met the "big pointy teeth" of a medium sized dog. Another Chevy to the rescue, a Silverado. 
Mile 50-54: Many false flats. (Read: why the HECK am I only going 17 mph!!!)
Mile 55: The flowers are blooming in the Rose Capital (Capitol?...eh) of the World.
Mile 56: The length of an Ironman 70.3 bike course in 2:56ish. 
Mile 57-59: Close to bonking because I'm the idiot who forgot nutrition. No PBJ. No GU gel. No energy.
Mile 60: Dropped my pride for the salvation of the rest stop. The 70+ plus woman at the rest stop next to the Baptist church can make a mean PBJ!  Four PBJ's, two bananas and a facility break later...READY TO RIDE!!!
Mile 61-62: Getting ready for the Beast. Mph not exactly stellar. 
Mile 62.5: The false Beast. Up. 
Mile 63-63.5: Tackling the Beast. Slowly. 6-8 mph. They call it the Beast for a reason. It hurts. Always great to see paramedics at the top. 
Miles 64-67: Returning to the finish line. Downhill. Fast.
Post race- Kiss from Britt and time to run. 

Mile 1-2 running: This is dumb. Let's stop. Legs felt
ok. 8:11 pace, but didn't want to hold up the group.

67 miles in
3:41:25
18.2 mph (rest stop took away 0.7 mph)
2 miles ran in 16:22 at an 8:11 pace
Average heart rate: 149  Max: 190
3,548 calories burn
Two SWEET farmers tans
Sleepy

Next race- Ironman Lonestar 70.3
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An Unpleasant Trend

03/11/2012

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Every once in a while you need a good swift kick in the rear to get going, here's one.  According to a report by the CDC, over 35 percent of adults in the United States are obese.  That's a problem.  Another issue, 17 percent of kids are currently obese.  If you are like me, you learned many of the ways that you are by watching, listening and learning from your parents.  In the last 10 years, the obesity rate for men has risen by eight percent while the rates for women has remained the same.  The results are the same for children.  So here is the rub...set an example that your children and youth that are a part of your life or this trend will continue and possibly spiral out of control. 
For a start, take a look at your diet.  Many families in Shreveport-Bossier have a very high amount of fried foods as part of their diet.  Don't get me wrong, sometimes Buffalo Wild Wings boneless wings are tasty, but when you are eating fried foods as the base for a diet, your waist line is going to grow.  A healthy diet filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins like chicken/pork/lean red meat.  Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water, instead of soda, energy drinks or alcohol.
Start being active by yourself and with a group.  Take your kids for a walk.  Go play in the park on a weekend.  Take the dog for a run.  If you have children, they will take your example and continue to grow and follow your lead.  Keep it being positive, not negative!

- Colin

Before starting any exercise, diet or health routine, first consult your physician to make sure that your body is
healthy enough for physical activity.
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