[txgoonie]

I’m hungry all the time, too, but that only happens when I’m being active enough, so I’ll take it!

Unfortunately, in order to figure out if your nutrition is on point you really have to start recording everything you’re eating. Then you can do an analysis of whether you’re getting enough calories and the right breakdown of carb/fat/protein. I started doing that on Training Peaks, and it was pretty illuminating.

Also, pay attention to glycemic index. If you’re constantly hungry, then make sure the carbs you’re eating don’t get burned up super fast. E.g. a lower GI option like oatmeal is preferable to sugary cereal or a bagel.

And drink lots of water. It’s good for you! And tricks your stomach into feeling full. Most people live their lives in a state of constant dehydration.

As far as the siren song of the Italian Store, ain’t no energy gel gonna cure that

[txgoonie]

I went by this for the first time in a few weeks. OMFG! The “detour” if you’re trying to go SB under the bridge doesn’t direct you as to which side of the chainlink fence you’re supposed to be on (it’s paved and accessible on both). I saw people get trapped on the wrong side and have to double back the entire way. It happens again if you take the trail ramp – the detour traps you there blocking access to the trail. If you want to go SB on the trail you either have to go all the way back down the ramp and up the apartment building’s driveway or you could jump off the curb and salmon up the GW Parkway – uh, no thank you. Wow, what a cluster-you-know-what!

[txgoonie]

It if makes any sense at all, riding at Hains Point is to a cyclist what going to the track to do intervals is to a runner. It’s not really a place to enjoy a leisurely ride (although I will go there when I just wanna spin for a while b/c it’s a rather safe place to pedal mindlessly and I find watching the fast folks entertaining). It’s a place to do a structured workout. If you ride and ride and ride and never push your limits, you may be able to ride longer, but you’ll never ride faster or be able to summon the power for shorter, harder efforts.

Sorry to go back to the running analogy, but for years I was running a 9 minute/mile pace. I would pretty much run that pace no matter the length of the run. From 5k to half marathon, I could never go any faster and I never understood why. I thought by just running a lot I would automatically improve. Doesn’t work that way. My body was trained to run that speed b/c that’s all I ever did. Ahhh but when I started doing interval training at the track, my times started dropping significantly even at the longer distances. You have to teach your body to go faster by, well, going faster, and over time you’re able to withstand harder efforts for longer periods of time.

I go to Hains b/c my running fitness is a-okay, but it doesn’t entirely translate over into cycling. It’s a whole other set of muscles. I can ride for relatively long periods of time for a beginner b/c my cardio system is primed for that, but my legs become a quivering, gelatinous mess if I try to ride fast. I need to get my legs to keep up with my heart and lungs.

And as other folks have mentioned, the mental aspects of it are many. For me, it has been a toughening experience b/c no matter how fast I think I’m going, I always get passed. I can be close to max heart rate and still get passed like I’m standing still (Thursday evenings can be ego-crushing experiences if you’re not prepared). Plus, you really have to find your zen b/c I’m not sure that the rules for all the different users out there are clearly defined, so people do some pretty funky things.

I won’t pretend that it’s fun, but it’s also not fun being the caboose of every ride and feeling like you’re the scrub holding everybody up. I wanna actually enjoy long rides – that’s why I go.

[txgoonie]

@Tim Kelley 22919 wrote:

Blonde? Talking with J.B. at in front of the shop before the ride started?

No to the first (more light brownish), yes to the second.

@Mark Blacknell 22930 wrote:

Lamenting the blackness of it, iirc?

Oh, that you, Blacknell!? Yes, OMG – was I ever!:mad:

[txgoonie]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1231[/ATTACH]

[txgoonie]

@Tim Kelley 22785 wrote:

I wish I had known you were there–I would have liked to meet some more forum people. What kit were you wearing?

We actually cross paths all the time, but I’ve never introduced myself as a forum member. I wear the Gripped kit .

Steph

[txgoonie]

I generally get the smallest pouch that I can find, which will fit my must haves:
– tube
– patch kit
– multi tool
– tire lever
– CO2 inflator and cartridge
– Couple dollars

I also generally carry a pump in my bag or jersey. My phone is fast becoming a must have. I feel weird if I don’t have it with me now. And while it’s not in my seat bag, I wear a Road I.D. and think you need to have some kind of identification on you at all times.

And at this time of year – a water bottle!

[txgoonie]

I see girls wearing thongs under their shorts quite routinely. Let’s forget that there’s no possible way to hide panty lines under lycra, so why bother? I can conceive of nothing more uncomfortable to wear while riding than thong underwear. Cuckoo!

Bike shorts with underwear is a much lesser infraction to me however, at least aesthetically, than wearing threadbare bike shorts. Don’t be that guy — do a butt check on items you’ve worn for more than a couple of years.

[txgoonie]

@Tim Kelley 22778 wrote:

Even the heat last night at the Freshbike’s Tuesday Night Hill Ride had a lot of people riding slower.

It was brutal. I ran out of water. Don’t ever do that :rolleyes:

[txgoonie]

This is coming from a woman who has very little exposure to the world of men’s cycling clothing, so take this a grain of salt. This is just stuff I’ve seen before that, if I were a dude, I think I would consider.

http://www.rapha.cc/touring-shorts

http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/men-shorts/Commute-Short?cc=7354&skuId=3452959&catId=men-shorts

[txgoonie]

– Lantern Rouge still goes out of Java Shack on Saturdays at 9. That’s a Whole Wheel Velo ride. (A friend on that team also told me that there’s a ride out of Belle Haven on Thursdays, but I don’t know if that’s WWVC or Potomac Pedalers. Incidentally PP has a lot of rides all over the place in DC/VA/MD every week http://www.potomacpedalers.org/)
– I’m not sure but the Espresso ride might also be the “Coppi Ride” (as known on the VA side of the river). Anybody know? They leave from Java Shack around 8:30 on Sundays. I’ve never done it, fully expecting to be shelled within about 2 minutes, but I’d like to flog myself on it someday.
– NCVC will let you check out the winter Cabruce clinic once or twice, but they expect you to become a club member if you want to participate.
– For the mountain bikers: there are tons of rides listed on the MORE site. http://www.more-mtb.org/forum/ There’s a weekly ladies ride at Wakefield starting up in July, which unfortunately conflicts with the Tuesday Conte’s/Freshbikes hill ride What to do?

[txgoonie]

The website is now say that there aren’t any official race photos: “We did not end up having a photo service on-site this year. We will post links to a variety of free-lance photographers who did shoot the race and ride.”

http://airforcecyclingclassic.com/index.php/photosvideo

I confess, I’m kinda bummed. I was looking forward to seeing them

[txgoonie]

Another example of why we should always have a phone and/or exit strategy.

Heal up soon, sir!

[txgoonie]

Oh, yeah. 700×23 Kalientes at 110 psi are freaking awesome to ride there

[txgoonie]

It was really bad yesterday. I inched along at maybe 4 mph thinking – no lie – what the term for a raspberry gotten on wood planks would be called instead of road rash. Wood rash? Path rash? (There weren’t any other people or distraction around so my mind was going weird places.) I went through around 9:00pm (with lights and blinkies of course) and think I actually ran into the troll herself. Jogging, wearing all black, with headphones in. That’s her, right?

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