Messages

61

General Discussion / Overtraining - Real, or Myth?

« on: May 03, 2007, 02:19:22 pm »

Wow Russ said it all really, and as Big Ring said just get a cadance meter. Theere is ONE mre thing I wanted to tell you that everyone else has mentioned. SPIN..I was getting my butt kicked every club ride...until Will Tidmore one of my best freinds of all time took me out to the hills and made me spin spin spin for hours..eventually on my 'spin' days I got a fixed gear and worked on spin cadance. What spinning does ios obvious but there is alos something else spinning does that needs further explination. The term 'resting in motion' is one I used to describe the phenomenae behind spinning. When you spin and do it all the time as the base of your training, what is does is force your leg muscles to 'get used' to riding all the time at a certain cadance...the body treats spinning as if you were walking eventually and second nature..what you'll find is when your in the peloton or a large pack, you will be able to keep whatever pace they do or even SET the pace, and actually RECOVER while others are gasping for air...I became a break-away artist due to all my spinning...people I rode with in the group hatyed me because I could drop everyone and anyone I wanted, and leave the group completely and hammer up climbs and wait for them in the next town...then Instarted going to little races and winning them...then I rode in college and won races and all the time I was just riding for FUN!! That is how I eventually got a paid spot on a team and it is how I came to love cycling even more after leaving racing because I could ride forever without tiring and enjoy the beauty of simply riding. If I were you, I'd not make riding my job, just spin a lot do intervals from time to time and just enjoy the darn bike.Everyone here has given really good advice, but the main thing is SPIN...reach a meditive state on your bike and spin..

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

62

General Discussion / Overtraining - Real, or Myth?

« on: May 03, 2007, 03:44:21 am »

Dude I was never a touring cyclist until NOW..I raced all over the world..I can ASSURE you that overtraining IS not a myth. Most of the affects of it are focused on mental fatiuge and mental burn-out. Your body also has a threshold where it has had enough and no further training will help you, infact it will harm you.


John Sheehan was the former Irish National champion years ago...we raced together at Tour of Texas years ago..he taught me to "listen to your body". Your body will tell you when you need to rest a day or three.  Touring training should never IMHO be so intense you harm yourself. I raced for a team so I HAD to train so much that I had to listen to my body and not over-train. I am not sure what you have been told here and I am a newbie to ths forum, but I can assure you that over-training is not a myth. 55 miles a day.... Uhm well if you are not used to 55 a day then YEAH it may be something that can cause burn-out..I averaged around 80-100 miles a day in splits five days a week.....with spinning before bedtime...so I am unsure how valid my points are to somone that rides 55 miles a day..maybe it is all mental? in any case..CYCLING is about enjoyment on a bike UNLESS you are being payed to race..then it IS a job as well.Don't make your riding a job...touring is not a sport where you have to log ungodly miles and hours a day on your horse...just spin a lot get your muscles used to the cadance and repetition and everything else will fall into line..do NOT grind big gears.

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

This message was edited by boonebikeguy on 5-2-07 @ 11:51 PM

63

General Discussion / I Need a ride!

« on: May 02, 2007, 02:40:44 pm »

I am totally new here, but I suggest you tride UP there and then back. It would be better imho.

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

64

General Discussion / Incects to Bears

« on: June 06, 2007, 10:01:21 am »

Man I cannot stress enough that 'stealth camping' is a really bad and a last choice kind of thing. Just too many things that people ignore, like INVADING another persons property. I may sound like a prude but I was raised to respect others in all things. I suggest that if you are going to take this much time to plan which is a great and good thing. You should forget about 'stealth' camping and do things like map out your rides to end near or at a camp ground. At the very least a motel once in a while, but to me 'stealth' anything implies a lack of caring about what and how you affect others. Don't get me wrong, if you want to go that route, then just be very careful. I'll yield an example. SOME people would be the types to stealth camp and if for some reason they got hurt on somone elses land or property, may also be the type to sue some poor farmer becaue he has barbed wire on his property or something like this.
OR simply getting hurt and no one KNOWS where you are because you chose to 'stealth camp'.

Just a bad idea all the way around in my opinion. But you will see many here will point out how wrong I am and imply that the word ADVENTURE includes things like stealth camping.

Just my two bits.

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

65

General Discussion / Seeing in the rain

« on: June 01, 2007, 04:49:11 pm »

I wear a cycling cap they actually block water and I also carry clear shades with me if it even hints of raining.

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

66

General Discussion / Eating and spending on a two month biking spree

« on: May 04, 2007, 12:25:19 am »

? My apologies as well Doug. I really just came here for advice. I raced my whole life outside of working, the ONLY tours I ever did poutside of racing was a ride from Texas to Missourri. But you see we had a support van money...etc.. not an adventure by the standards of some of the veteran riders here. I joined as a paid member to gain insight advice and resources. I never came to heat people up or make anyone angry..and I can be harsh in criticisms so again I apologize. Look if you have something to tell me then feel free to visit the threads I make . I really could use any advice from people that have done this more than once or once and know what's up. Ok?

I didn't come here to be offensive or make enemies.

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

67

General Discussion / Eating and spending on a two month biking spree

« on: May 03, 2007, 11:40:01 pm »

whatever, I did not see the date clearly and said what I said. Don't like it then too bad. All I suggested was to do it responsiblly not without planning. As for the assertion I 'need to post somewhere else'. I think you know what you can do with that comment. If not feel free to ask for directions as to where you can place it Doug. Claro?
I came here not to embroil myself in drama just to join a group intrested in cycling, and specifically across this nation. I guess some people feel this should be done diffrently, that is their right. Speaking on behalf of ACA is pretty big shoes to fill Doug. I am new here so I assume you speak on behalf of that organization. I am simply a member of that organization, and I would never speak on behalf of it unless I knew I was right, that would make me look foolish.

As for the extreme touring, I don't have any problems with that, but I have met individuals who are supposedly self-reliant etc.. that fit the mould of the type of people you find begging and dupmster diving basically. I just think being responsible and acting so is the best route, wether you Doug or Centrider believe it or not your actions affect others. Diving in dumpsters is pretty risky, if you were to be infected with some disease you then beome a carrier etc.. camping on peoples property without permission or so-called 'stealth' camping again is not cool or very nice. People have to use the bathroom and bathe if they use somones property without permission they can spoil any number of things by leaving 'no trace' in the form of excrement urine, and the chance of being shot by a farmer that does not know WHY some stranger has invaded his property is really an attractive notion isn't it? etc.. So again if that is what you want to do go for it, but it is highly uncool disrespectful and falls short of being a responsible rider, that's all. If commenting on peoples inability to plan something through is extreme? then what in the hell do you call dumpster diving and HOPING to make it? Normal? ANyway, you guys are not worth my time. I posted my threads, if people want to join me on a RAAM that is well planned and without dumpster diving and invading peoples property then they can contact me. I'll use whatever I like at the forums and post whatever I like. I don't care what you two think to be honest. I joined AC and this forum to do something positive, not to ride at others expenses or barely survive a ride because I did not plan it well.

 I won't post on this thread again, I apologize for it, I did not understand how old it was, now I am familiar with the dates etc.. I'll just bear this in mind next time.As for the article...who cares. I don't think the organization AC is coming out and advocating that, it was just an article in their publication, if that was true then a story about a car-bombing in Baghdad means newsweek suopports car-bombings, so maybe you better think about what you tell other members about posting somewhere else Doug, OR just keep your post to yourself and ignore me.  I can't believe I had to write three paragraphs  to explain myself to someone whos first post to me was to tell me to go  somewhere else, so Doug just plan on me ignoring anything else you have to say. Oh and hi.

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

68

General Discussion / Eating and spending on a two month biking spree

« on: May 03, 2007, 02:52:31 pm »

.

Peace.

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

This message was edited by boonebikeguy on 5-3-07 @ 11:27 AM

69

General Discussion / Eating and spending on a two month biking spree

« on: May 03, 2007, 02:46:40 pm »

"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb

This message was edited by boonebikeguy on 5-3-07 @ 11:17 AM

70

General Discussion / Eating and spending on a two month biking spree

« on: May 03, 2007, 02:39:56 pm »

Wow I see I division between people who are responsible and people who do not give a crap. I am SAVING my money now to ride in August. I have told my boss that I will be gone for two months at least. I would never eat out of a dumpster. I respect peoples land and property enough not to crap on their land and 'stealth camp'. But other people do nt care or respect other people and that is clear from s few responses here.
Stephanie,
I respect your desire to ride, but ask yourself some basic questions:

What happens if I get hurt real bad? Do I even have enough money to eat and recover once I get OUT of the hospital? Can I have a place to stay ? Buy  bus ticket if worse comes to worse? Will I have my hand out and expect others to foot the bill?

SOrry but I don't respect cyclists that just don't give a sh*t about others and think ONLY of themselves. With riding comes responsibility. You cannot view this as something everyone else needs to support and then lower your standards to eat out of trash cans etc.. If you respect yourself then you will prepare for this. And there is never a "LAST CHANCE TO DO THIS" scenario. Infact if you are committed you will find ways to do exactly what you want, it is called drive and work ethic. I would respect you much more if you worked a crap job all summer saved money up and then next summer or in the fall or whenever, did your ride for as long as you wanted and had money to support yourself. So whatever. I mean you and others here can judge me but you know something? I payed for a patron membership here for a reason and I am going to ride across this nation for a cause as well as for my enjoyment. I will also hjave money and resopurce to address almost any contingency. Others here obiovusly do not do this and simply don't care what their actions do to others nor respect others enough to be self-reliant and respectful to others property and land. This is why people hate cyclist much of the time, because a few bad apples. Now I am not sayin anyone here in specific does this and I apologize in advance for any insultes precieved from thiss, but riding responsibally is the best route. The people others talk about are the kind of people that trash camp-sites when they 'stealth' camp leave pollution like feces urine and garbage behind bath with chemicles in prisitne lakes, ruin eco-systems on a  small scale by intruding where they are not premitted and then tell people they LOOOVE mother earth. Nothing could be further from the truth. You should consider what you want and plan. Nothing good comes from a lack of planning.

I expect flames in response but do not care. What I have said is true.

Ride well and ride safe.

Nothing worthwile is cheap or easy.


"Love is a river where crazy people drown"--Kyrgyz proverb