On a start

Since the 19th of April I have done 5 rides, short rides. Nothing much in way of mileage, 12 miles in all total, but it's a start. Today I went for my longest one - a solid 4 miles, LOL.

I laugh because every time I say that it just seems so puny 'in my mind' compared to 2007 and some of 2008 when I was riding 40 to 60 miles at a time.. But, by God it was a solid 4 miles today.

I also have started exercising as of yesterday, just a basic routine to start with. I figure if I keep it simple the likely hood of me following through with it is greater.

So it's a start, I also want to come up with some short time goals and maybe 1 or 2 long time goals. The other thing I have to remember to do is constantly remind myself of beside the goals, the purpose of it all also, which I do believe I aiming correctly and will write about it in do time...

Take care, Knobby

Just put on a rain jacket and ride...

Morning to all the few reading this, hope all is well in your world?

I drafted this big post the other day about stuff and plans and whys and whys nots and then yesterday decided not to post it - enough talk, enough writing, just do!

The title of this post came from a book Brad Kearns wrote about Lance Armstrong - when asked how he (Lance) dealt with the attacks from European media and drugs accusations he replied, "When it's raining, I just put on a rain jacket and go"

Simple ain't it? and there is the key I have been missing, Simplicity. As I saw somewhere else the author stated: "No one ever won the Tour de France by contemplating winning the Tour de France"

I still have my ride for charity I want to do, still have my plans, still the dream and maybe one day I will post that post, but for now action will be speaking louder for me than words...

Enjoy yourselves, Knobby

The Dream, where it's at now!

My cycling as an adult began on April 13th, 2003 - when cleaning out garage I found my oldest daughters huffy mountain bike. dragged it out, I put a little air in the tires and rode it down the street. Next day I took it to a MTBike trail close by and I went about a mile and a half and almost DIED, virtually. From them 2 little ride my cycling path grew longer & longer until in 2005 I entered a few local MTBike races and faired not to bad.

In 2006 I made a firm commitment to local state MTBike races and ended up in 4th place overall for my age division in Norba Michigan State Championship. Rode a slew of bike tours http://twitpic.com/1gxk9y/full

After that I wanted to move on to bigger and better things, but things happen, illness happens, family matters happen, and slowly from 2007 to 2009 I faded and cycling took a back seat. Then in April of last year - I got all excited about doing cycling again, I had just retired from my regular day to day job and thought at last I can do what I wanted to do. LOL

Little did I know, that the mind can be the key motivator in a persons life, the body may be able and willing but if the mind is not in sinc with the body, then all can be a wash-out. Couple that with outside circumstances and soon you find yourself making excuses for not doing more then making excuses for doing. Which is what happened all last year, ZIP, NATA, NOTHING - One excuse after another, another year wasted, another dream chance shot, another year older, etc., etc.

So you're probably asking , but what is this dream of mine? Well originally it was to race MTBikes and also do a little bit of road time trialing, across the state for a while and then move on to national events. Climb Mt. Mitchell, race in the Trans Rockie race, etc. Now, because of issues in family and I have let myself go so bad health wise, now the dream is changed a little.

The dream has now taken on a little more meaning than just chasing MTB trail after MTB trail. though there is nothing wrong in that, but for me, substance has been added now.

I want to ride, I enjoy riding my bike everywhere, I miss riding, that is one thing that will never go away. Whether I ever race again, who knows, but I know I need to ride somehow, somewhere.

So I am back and yes it's July already, LOL. First I need to get back into shape/form (like lose at least 30 lbs) and then the plan is at least for this year is to do local bike tours here in Michigan and other rides, but I want to ride also to bring awareness and funds to several organizations, that have helped either me, family members or friends.

I know times are tough for alot of people, but I am going to do what I can to help these places and I ask you to join me. If not through funding than positive support for me in doing so or helping spread the word about these great organizations. (please see my list in the side bar)

So that is where things stand at the moment - I am going to try to the best of my ability to accomplish this, this year.

Thank you for reading and maybe with a little encouragement and help we all can help make this a little better place to live in...

PS: I will be posting more information in next few days...

PSS: I have also on the side of blog a feed which keeps tracks of all the riding I do and which you may follow..

Start - Fail - Restart - Success?

Last post shows July 2009 - Where has all the time gone? especially when I feel like I have accomplished nothing, absolutely nothing pertaining to getting back to cycling...let alone my life. So many dreams, so many ideas, so many talks and yet nothing.

My first post for this blog was a little over a year ago and now here I am again trying one more time to re-start my dreams.

One thing that has made it hard is support, local close by riding support and companions. My friends do not ride (they do golf though), so it makes it hard when you're the only one chasing a dream, an idea. You get into a mode of 'the less you do the more you do nothing'

I don't know where this is going at the moment, I don't know even what tomorrow will bring. I do know that I'm not getting any younger, that life is short and in a blinking of an eye a persons life, a family's plans,etc. can change or shatter in pieces.

This past year has had some good & bad in it, some family members have had a bad year, with one battling Pancreatic & Lung Cancer and another with Prostrate Cancer and yet at the same time a new grandchild was born. Some money problems, some personal health issues again, etc. In all I guess that is what life is about for most people - Living through challenges the best you can and striving towards renewal. Just wonder sometimes if it's possible that one person can have so much illness and death in their life that eventually it affects their outlook on life?

So with a little help from all of you and others, maybe I can try to re-start this dream (which I will post about tomorrow morning) and accomplish it before the twinkle of life runs out for me...

Diversification & Simplification

Rode my bike early this morning - 12.5 miles easy steady ride, nothing to hard with a nice light breeze, sunshine, took some pictures and thoughts of me, to me...

One big goal that I've had for several years now has been to diversify my income and simplify my life in order to enjoy my diversified income. Simple! HA...

Anyways, I have been battling depression for some time now - Depression, what a ugly sounding word, in fact the word itself is downright depressing. But on with my tale.

I have my good moments and other times I sink real low. I have been racking my brain out trying to understand what I'm depressed about and why. It bothers me because each day gos by and I seem to do less and less while my depression grows more and more - like the catch 22 theory.

This morning during my bike ride, I think I came to the answer - since my time off from any cycling this last year or so - I realized I basically substituted it with added business ideas, ventures and schooling. In other words more Diversification.

Now I find myself trying to add more (cycling comeback,etc.) to an all ready full plate which had me thinking this morning that I have over-extended myself in diversity only to find that I've eliminated the simplistic part out of my life. In other words I am running around like a chicken with it's head chopped off, going here and there and not accomplishing much except running around...

Not accomplishing anything has now back loaded me which in turn has me depressed and when under depression I lose interest in doing things which causes more back-up in my life...

So I have decided I have to change that part, NOW! eliminate some business things, focus on the business parts I really enjoy and regroup and simplify...

You all have a wonderful day...

Knobby

Wizard of Oz & Porcupines

Allergy pills, what a knock out.

Some years I can handled these seasonal allergy setbacks by just overdosing on Vitamin C and 125mg B-complex pills but, this year it seems like it's going to be one of them that kicks at me like a wild bronc, because I've needed to resort to the 'pill' (antihistamine tablet). These are the type that within a hour of taking you're raw meat for the dogs and you don't care.

Now go ride a bicycle...

Mid-morning - 3 miles into my ride, fighting my way through the dull headache, the drowsiness, eyes on fire and itching with every spin of the wheel. I stop at a large party store to get a couple bottles of water because in my half awake state I forgot mine. I walk through wearing my black fully padded mountain biking shorts. Most times I don't think twice about these, but walking around in the store this day, I feel like I'm wearing a full diaper with two long rubbery, hairy legs attached.

Outside again and on the bike, I pedal off down the road, heading towards what's call around here the 'Farley Ride'. A ride I INVENTED and MAPPED 4 years ago, that takes place on local dirt roads, go's for some 12 odd miles, contains numerous small hills and 2 - 200 to 300 foot high hills that are graded at 15 to 20 degrees and at one point on the 2nd one, you go about the last 100 feet that I swear has to be a 30 degree angle. Yeah , right! 2 - 2-1/2 years ago I would do the whole route between 50 - 55 minutes, fly up them hills and feel like Rocky beating Apollo, today it has taken me all of a hour just to pedal the 5 miles from my house.

As in the words of Phil Liggett in reference to Chiappuci! - "He's crazy. He's always been crazy, and what on EARTH is he doing?"

What am I doing? I'm going to break myself from my slump or break me. I hate myself for getting in this shape, I hate the world, I hate my bike, I hate my dog and I don't even have a dog so I hate myself for that too...

I pedal the roads, the first small hill I come too (we're talking small ^) I end up pushing my bike up half of it, Oh God, what am I doing??? I'm panting already and my legs burn.

I keep telling myself, get on the damn bike and ride. I try to remember what that John Wayne saying was "Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway." What does he know he rode a stupid horse...

I try to relax by focusing on my breathing, telling myself over and over slowly breathe in, slowly breathe out, relax. My bike computer tells me I have about 7 miles left. OH MY GOD! I thought I was done already... I breathe faster.

Ok another 2 miles and the first big hill looms just in the distance - so far 6 miles and my jersey and shorts are as wet as a pile of seaweed. I stop at the foot of the hill, first mistake! HA! What do I mean first mistake... I go about 30 feet and walk the rest of the way up. My legs are still rubber and I scream out at no one "I'm not dancing in my pedals" here Phil!

Zooming down the backside and onto the second one. I start to become dizzy and my head seems very heavy - I didn't bring any energy bars with me. I'm pedaling at 7 miles a hr!!!! on flat road!!!!!! a chipmunk out races me to hill #2.

I start calling everything into question, all my strength shrinks. Just call someone to come pick you up, stupid... I get off the bike and walk it.

Hill #2 - houses on left and right of it and it winds uphill in a S shape, finishing near the top with a lazy J shape




you can't see the end of it from the bottom of it. I stand at the bottom and drink some water...

My stomach throbs and aches, I'm exhausted, I'm insane! I start singing to myself the Wizard of Oz song.

I ponder and think of the 3 ways out of this, one is to turnaround and go back the 15 odd miles I just came, the second is to walk through peoples yards and state woods to the main road 3 mile East. The third way is to climb somehow, someway. I must have been crazy 4 years ago to think this route up and yet many a local cyclists have rode this roads since then and have told me they never knew these hills were here. Some people just don't get out much, I assume...

A truck comes by and stops to ask if I'm alright, I wave yeah and their on their way. I laugh, I must look really BAD!

Getting on my bike I head up the hill and pedal, I am completely burnt! A look at my computer tells me I'm climbing @ 3 miles a hr. Laughing and thinking to myself that there's no reason to rush into hell.

Hell will have to wait for me to ride to it, a third of the way I get off and walk, pushing the bike up the hill... I try once more getting on and I pedal for about 20 feet and get back off...

At the top I throw the bike down to the side and sit at the edge of the road, complete toast. My diaper feeling shorts weight 10 lbs. My jersey has turned from light blue to dark purple. Panting, short gasping breaths and my legs are killing me, I'm delirious, I remember reading somewhere about porcupines that steal shoes, I look down at mine to see if their still there - I still have to ride home 3 miles! But the good news is 200 feet of it is downhill. LOL "we're off to see the Wizard"

After 15 minutes I struggle up from the ground and get on my bike, zooming down the hill, the fast rushing breeze chills me through my wet clothes. I ride the rest of the way back to my house at a snails pace, looking down at my shoes...

♫ Lions and Tigers and Bears - Oh My! ♫