Spring time is definitely here ! In my neck of the woods, that means oppressive winds, dodging tornadoes and other maladies, - but it also means a lot of days outside -- both on the job and in sport
It goes without saying, i am fond of cycling for a lot of reasons ---- I have spent more than a few days over the winter and early spring out in the woods on my mountain bike -- it is a slower pace and is out of the wind --
Was starting to feel moderately good about the program until last Friday ----- i decided it was time to start in on some standing start 500 meter drills on one of my track bikes ,
so , thinking all i would have to do is knock the dust off a bike, take it to the lake and start doing 500 meter intervals until lactic acid made me pass out , i climbed into my attic to retrieve my forgotten steed .......................
Check out the grime and oily mess around the bottom bracket area --- this needed more work than i had time that particular afternoon, so the mountain bike got loaded up yet again
I hauled it downstairs anyway ---- this is not an especially high end track bike, but it deserves more respect than to be robbed of its parts -- and it was currently wearing a hodgepodge mis-matched set of older racing specific wheels, -- the chain wouldnt even fit the sprockets , which is why the chain is hanging --- its also wearing some odd commuter type pedals and the handlebars and stem are long forgotten castaways .
As well -- although track bikes dont have brakes when they are raced, - i was going to use this for interval drills on a public (but secluded) stretch of road, so at minimum, a front brake is in order
----- bottom line --- the thing needs a serious SPRING TUNE UP (see where i was going with the title? )
You can see the little grumpy face on Buttercup, my Poquito Jefe and tell she does not approve of this situation at all either
But the sad , forlorn condition of my dusty little bike reminded of the millions of others out there who could also benefit from a spring tune up
We are rounding April's 3rd base and are beginning the stretch for to the end of the month ---- spring has been here for a while --- in some regions the weather has been better than others, - some of my friends in the east and northeast have told me about freak snowstorms as late as a week ago , so its been hard for some to get out as much as they'd like, but thats changing now everywhere it seems
Just like that bike, which needs some TLC , elbow grease, and time thrown at it, -- a lot of our bodies require the same
-- whether you are New Years Resolution guy or gal who failed mid February, or just somebody who never started, or somebody whose goals are so high, it can be alittle daunting trying to get there
The summer solstice starts June 21st -- so we technically have 2 more months of spring to get something done
Whats your long distance goal? Lose 50 pounds?- 75 even? Or do you want to run a 10k in under 40 minutes?
It sounds simple , but to drop 50 , you first have to lose 15 --- and to run a sub 40 10k, - well , first you have to go sub 50 , (or sub 45 , etc)
You see where i'm going with this ---- some people may have wellness issues they need to deal with , like quitting smoking, or cutting down their alcohol consumption --- Rome wasn't built in a day and nobody is perfect
Pick a tough, but attainable 2 month goal to close out spring with --- lets face it, if its all you can do to ride a bicycle 10 miles right now, i don't think you'll be entering the Tour de France as a free agent in July , but you can stretch that 10 miles to 25 or 30 -- or bring your 10 mile time down a bit if you'd rather concentrate on speed than distance. Or walk 2 miles 5 minutes quicker than you do now -- you dont need specialized equipment to set goals
Watch the nutrition -- this is the time of year where we all start enjoying ourselves outdoors a bit --- i've preached about meal consistency and frequency , but it can be easy to forget the timing of that when we have a lot going on .
Heck, it takes me 4 hours to mow my own yard --- if you factor in the time it takes to check oil and tires etc before, then to hose the beast off after mowing, - thats 5 hours -- if i dont eat a banana or an apple in there sometime, i'm failing at my own guidelines (but this is where a protein or meal replacement powder or bar comes in handy too )
And if your stuck at work and need a midday snack -- it'd be a lot better to grab some water, an apple and some peanut butter from the cooler in your car instead of Ruffles chips and a Dr Pepper from the vending machines at work
One of my last points i'll make is a word or two about failure ----
Its ok to fail occasionally --- personally i've experienced failure many times, in many different arenas --- if you crush every goal you ever set for yourself, then your probably not setting your goals high enough --
but lets work on an attainable 2 month goal just to get something back in the "Win column" this year !
As for my crusty and dusty spider web magnet from the attic? Its ready to go, with a lot of polish, grease , and more appropriate hardware for its mission at hand -- a track bike is not any fun to ride on its best day, but at least its ready for an afternoon soon when my legs are feeling it again
If only my personal 2 month goal were as easy --- but it served to give me inspiration for my "spring tune up" metaphor
Thanks again for reading and have fun hitting your stride again this spring !
-- Doug
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---- Doug
_______________________________________________________________________________disclaimer: The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice. This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted .
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