Jeff rides a bike

One of my biggest passions is cycling. I am infatuated with the culture, whether it's Saturday morning rides, cruising casually through European towns with my wife, or watching a bike race; I love all things cycling. This blog started with just cycling-inspired posts (hence the name). As time has passed, my passion for cycling remains, but my enthusiasm for other things has grown as well. I love to ride, run, eat, travel, and enjoy exceptional coffee from local craft roasters. You'll still see posts about cycling, but plenty of other topics as well. Thanks for visiting.

[jeffridesabike]

95 miles in the Brooks PureCadence3's

I've now logged some decent miles in these shoes. I cut the NavBand on both shoes and it made a huge difference. I still feel it at times, but it is not largely unnoticeable. The longest run I've done in them is 8 miles, but last weekend I ran two 8-milers on Saturday and Sunday and they were fine. I'm running 6 days a week and haven't had much to complain about with these shoes. 

In terms of their cushioning, they are great. I feel they provide a great level of comfort and cushion while still giving great feedback from the road. Overall comfort is pretty great, to be honest. With all the miles I've been logging, my feet have been feeling pretty great. 

Verdict: I'm keeping these guys. The overall comfort, cushioning, weight, and quality far outweigh the issue with the NavBand. I've almost completely eliminated the rubbing issue from the band by cutting it out, but would love to see Brooks re-design that feature (or get rid of it - laces work just fine) and maybe have the band attach elsewhere so that there isn't a chance you'll feel it inside the shoe. 

[jeffridesabike]

Update on my new Brooks PureCadence3's (25 miles in)

I had the PureCadence2's but eventually sent them back because the NavBand was rubbing on the inside of my arch. I've been having the same issue with these, but have heard of people cutting out the band to resolve the issue. I checked with Brooks to make sure this wouldn't nullify their 30 day return policy, and they assured me it wouldn't (they actually mentioned that's a common solution for that particular problem). 

I cut the band last night and ran 4 miles this morning and was surprised at how much it helped. I plan on doing even more surgery on both shoes to try and remove any rub spots. If it does the trick, I'll likely keep the shoes - they are super comfortable. 

I normally run in Newtons, and love them. My local running store recommended a more conventional shoe to add (not replace) to my rotation, since Newtons have less cushion for their minimalist feel. Since I'm training for my first 26.2, their reasoning was simply to provide more comfort and reduce the risk of injury with so much training. I can feel the difference. My Newton Motions are awesome shoes, and the new 5-lug design will make the ride even better, but I have noticed much less soreness in my feet after several days of consistent running.

This past weekend I ran a really, really hot 5 miles (direct sunlight, no breeze, in the south Florida summer heat - not my best idea). My heart rate was higher than it should have been for that run, so I stopped under a palm tree to try and cool off and calm down a little. When I took back off to keep running, I was amazed at how good my feet felt. The Brooks really did a great job of cushioning, but without the shoe feeling squishy. It was a nice touch, since I was expecting just a few steps of soreness after stopping for a minute or so. 

I really like the shoes, but don't like the NavBand. If the minor surgeries do the trick, these shoes will move from the send-them-back column into the daily trainer column. 

[thismachinekillscobbles]

[jeffridesabike]

4 weeks in

Yesterday marked the end of my first 4 weeks of marathon training. So far, I think it's going pretty well. The first 5 weeks of the program call for easy runs. It's interesting how you go from your normal running pace (for when you just head out for a run for exercise) to up to 2 minutes slower per mile, and your body eventually adapts to the pace. This has been an area of concern for me. What if I'm so used to running at this easy, slow speed that I can't get back to my "faster" speed? I'm sure this will be defused once speed workouts begin next week. 

The mileage has been manageable and I enjoy this "loading" period, allowing my body to adjust to the normal routine of training. I've been sore here and there, but in general, I'm feeling pretty good. 

I'm not happy with my weight. I thought by now I would have lost several pounds, but have not. I wanted to lose 15-18 pounds by the time the marathon arrived so I still have a lot of work cut out for me. I am sure it's due to increased appetite with all the running, though with a combination of not re-fueling the healthiest way possible and my runs not being really tough efforts yet. This is likely to be one of the toughest part of training: losing weight while still taking in enough food to recover and re-fuel for the next days run. 

It's hard to say I'm very happy with my progress. I'm happy that I've completed the runs and have been adding base miles, but hopefully I'll start seeing much more gained fitness with the varying speed, tempo, and long runs that are approaching. A variety in workouts will be a welcomed change. 

[jeffridesabike]

Switching gears

I don't post here as much anymore. I go through these manic waves of posting - sometimes I feel the urge to always be writing, and then I'll go months with never logging in. 

My true love is cycling, but I'm having to dial back on that and focus on my running right now. I set a goal last year that I wanted to run a half marathon in 2013 and full marathon in 2014. November 8, 2014, I will run the Rock n Roll Savannah Marathon. 

Marathon training is no joke! Running a few days here and there and increasing your mileage on the weekend simply won't cut it. I'm invested in Hanson's marathon training, laid out in their awesome book, Hansons Marathon Method (if you're thinking of claiming your own 26.2, this book is certainly amazing and worth a read). 

A big point that is stressed throughout the book is making sacrifices. Marathon training is not easy and not quick. This is an 18 week program that starts with 5 runs each week for the first 5 weeks, then increasing to 6 days a week for the remainder of training. There is a mixture of speed workouts, strength workouts, easy / active recovery runs, long runs, and tempo runs. Running is a brutal sport and the body really takes a beating, which is why cycling is taking a back seat for the next few months. Focusing on running and recovering from runs, as outlined in the book, is the best way to prepare for the marathon. Anything that takes away from the training could have a negative impact on the rest of training and, ultimately, how I perform on November 8.

Now, I'm not saying I'll cut it out entirely, but this is a goal I've set and I must stay dedicated and committed to doing everything I can to achieve it. This will mean not only sacrificing time on the bike, but lots of other things as well. I'm a groomsman in two weddings and have to run the day of and day after each wedding (that's going to be interesting)! 

It's going to be an interesting few months, but I'm hoping the rewards are many. I'll miss cycling, but won't be gone for long. 

[coffeentrees]

Photo by @argonautphoto (Aaron Huey) of the Aurora Borealis over the Snaefellsnes peninsula in Western #Iceland. (Repost from an accidentally deleted post earlier this week.). I had never seen the Northern Lights before. I chased them all night long as the changed in shape from a thin band to a twisting circle and ended in a wide flowing river of green that passed over this abandoned building by the sea. Truly one of the most beautiful things I’ve witnessed in my life. by natgeo

[jeffridesabike]

Happy tumblr birthday to me.

So apparently I started this blog three years ago today - yahoo! I have been sorely neglecting it for quite some time, with sparse posting. I am sure anyone reading this is saddened by my lack of attention to JeffRidesABike. 

I will say that the last year has surely been an interesting one. The bee sting at MS150 last year, starting running again, conquering my first 13.1, moving to south Florida and having to start my cycling life and network from scratch - it's all been part of the big ride. 

What's up next? Not exactly sure. Right now, I'm loving my Saturday rides with Galiz in Weston. I also love that I don't have to get out and kill myself with training right now. It's purely for fun. A marathon is on the list for 2014 so that's on the horizon. I'm logging base miles and will start increasing my distance running pretty soon. 

I think the theme of this year is fun. Hopefully there will be more adventures and more pictures! 

[jeffridesabike]

Bike MS: Break Away to Key Largo

I participated in a new MS ride this year that went from FIU's stadium to Key Largo, and then back the second day. What an awesome ride! 

Day 1

The route on the first day was amazing. We went through some very pretty areas of Miami and Homestead (yes, they do exist). Road conditions were pretty good; a significant portion of the roads were actually brand new, which is a cyclist's dream! 

It quickly became clear that riding with a team is the way to go with this ride. In Orlando, there were hundreds of individual riders each year, so I had to quickly adjust. 

I went with a small, fast group of about 6 riders. Everything was great, except for the idiot on the tri bike who had never ridden in a group before. You can always tell this by the number of times they look back over their shoulder. This guy looked back at me once every 10-15 seconds. Then, in the typical never-ridden-with-a-group triathlete fashion, he gets to the front for his turn to pull and surges like crazy, upping the pace 2-3 mph. This was happening at roughly mile 10 out of 75. It happened once and I stayed on his wheel, then it happened again and I just let him ride away, receiving praise from the other riders. Riding like that just isn't smart during a long day in the saddle, not to mention it was a charity ride. 

I joined a bigger group with Team Bacardi and rode with them to the finish. We averaged about 20 mph over 75 miles. It was an awesome day in the saddle, perfect weather, and a nice, easy pace. 

Day 2

I started with a group of riders and told myself I'd sit back and enjoy the ride the second day. When I realized we had been passed by just about every rider in sight, I had to make a move. Luckily there was a faster group within striking distance so I dug deep, crossed no-mans-land and hooked up with them. Unfortunately, it was a horribly organized group that would get up to 22-23 mph then instantly we were back down to 16-17 mph. The roads were very narrow and there was enough on-coming traffic to stay put and deal with it. As much as I am talking about speeds, I realize that's not what riding is about, but this is the best way to give context to how inconsistent the group was. 

Once we got out to bigger roads, the group stretched out a little bit. We finally maintained a solid pace only to be interrupted by a serious crash. At least two people went to the hospital and probably 5 were injured. The smell of burning rubber is one you never want to experience during a bike ride. 

I ended up riding the last 20 miles or so with a very strong group of 10-15 riders. I was very grateful to have found them. We worked well together, took turns on the front, and stayed relatively consistent with a strong head wind. 

Overall, this was a great ride. It was smaller and not as well-run as the ride in Orlando, but it's still an amazing cause and they put on a great event. 

[jeffridesabike]

First ride with my new helmet: Bontrager Specter. I rode about 2 hours 20 minutes with this helmet and loved it. It is super comfortable and fits extremely well, though that will change for each person with their head shape. It was a cooler ride so I'm not sure how it will do in hot temps, but it is well vented so my guess is it will do just fine.

[jeffridesabike]

At least it's not snowing?

I shouldn't complain about the weather, because we are above 0 degrees (well above, in fact) and there is no snow on the ground, but I will anyway. It's been raining for the last two days. I try and run during the week as cross training, but it seems as though that's not happening this week. I'll be setting up the hamster wheel tonight and riding the trainer. 

[thechainline]

[cranktastic]

It’s funny. When I wave to a cyclist going the other way and they don’t wave back, I always say out loud…

"Or not"

[jeffridesabike]

This is an awesome video.

[jeffridesabike]

My wife rocks! Amazing Christmas present: ParkTool PCS-10 work stand. This thing will get some serious use.

[yetanotherrunner]

[yetanotherrunner]

[jeffridesabike]

Newest toy added to my collection. Picked this Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 up from a seller on Craigslist. It is awesome. Been wanting one for a while but a brand new one is about $1000 with tax. I plan to so some fishing from it and use it as a great upper body workout. So far it has been a blast cruising around the inter-coastal.

[jeffridesabike]

I hate aero bars

There's a guy on our Saturday group ride that has clip-on aero bars. Whenever I see someone show up to a group ride with them, they're already a risk in my mind until they prove to me that they simply leave them on to avoid the tedious task of taking them off and putting them back on all the time. 

This guys is a very strong rider. He's a bit bigger than most, but has incredible power during sprints. As any decent cyclist knows, though, power means absolutely nothing if you don't know how to use it. Last weekend, I spoke to him twice about using aero bars during our ride. The first time, I was right behind him when he got down into his tuck position, in the middle of our paceline. "Oh man, that is SO dangerous!" I yelled, after which he simply sat back up and rode on his hoods. 

It happened again, later in the ride. I rotated off the front after my pull and as I made my way to the back, I noticed him in the tuck position. I rode along side of him and said, "You know, that's extremely dangerous when you're in a group." He sat up and I kept making my way to the back, but heard him mention something about how it helps his back.

I have to ask, if he crashes and I end up dead or in the hospital, is he really going to tell my wife that he chose to put me and the group in danger because his back hurt? There are already so many hazards facing cyclists, especially in south Florida. I can't understand why any cyclist would do something to increase the risk of an accident. 

To those new to cycling, learn from this. You don't want to be "that guy" or "that girl" that shows up and puts everyone else at risk. It's stupid and dangerous. Don't be an idiot. 

[jeffridesabike]

Last Sunday was my first half marathon. I had been training since August and felt pretty well prepared for the race. I had an ankle injury about 4 weeks before the race that set my training a little off schedule, though I was luckily ahead of schedule anyway. I think I planted wrong on one of my long runs, which caused some major irritation in my Achilles and ankle. I babied it with rest and ice and although I could feel it on runs, it wasn't too painful. The day of the race was threatened by lots of wind and rain. People that drove up from Miami said the rain was brutal. The wind came, but I stayed dry throughout the race. Very thankful for that! I was hoping for a cooler, dryer morning, but it ended up hot and humid. At least it was dry. I felt great until around mile 8 or 9. No injury I had experienced during training flared up, rather a new one surfaces: my IT band, and man was it painful. It caused me to walk several times and stop and stretch. I was able to finish, but this injury cost me some serious time. My public goal was simply to finish, and under 2:30 for my first half. My "secret" goal was under 2:10. My Garmin moving time clocked in at 2:08 and change. Despite the injury, I was very happy with my performance! Earlier this year, I set a goal: run a half marathon in 2013 and full marathon in 2014. Part one: check!