A good birthday

Today is my 45th birthday. Thanks to cycling I am healthier than I have been in at least 20 years. That does not mean I am where I want to be.

In the past year I have lost ten pounds and incorporated swimming and gym workouts into my exercise routine along with cycling. This is the main reason why I have lost, not gained ten pounds. I have also reduced my A1C by almost a full point. I have cut back on my long-acting insulin by eight units a day.

I have started running, but my running program has been slow going. I don't do it often enough to progress. Of course my goal is to get stronger for cycling, do sprint triathlons and 5Ks, not run marathons.

Another year like this would be good. But, in order for it to be great, I need to focus on nutrition. It's been the hardest thing for me to overcome. It's not that I eat a lot. I just eat the typical American diet. Sure, I try to watch my carb intake, but I eat way too much fat and way too many calories to lose the weight that I want.

I need to be better at maintaining a good blood sugar throughout my exercising rather than starting high, ending low and taking on carbs after the ride, swim, run or workout.

My goal for the next year is simple. I want to lose a pound a week. It sounds daunting: Lose 52 pounds, but with the amount of exercise I do, my job and my motivation it should be simple math. There is no way I will be able to do it without adding in this last component.

Today is a great birthday, because I'm sitting here having lost ten pounds and not gained ten, improved my overall health and improved the management of my diabetes. My last birthday I was still recovering from my illness, so believe me, I feel pretty proud about what I've been able to do.

Now is the time to work harder!

Following le Tour

Watching the Tour de France on television has got me thinking about all those specters along the route. Here is the best thing I've seen written on following le Tour. Looks fun. Hope I get to do it some day

Click here for an experienced tour follower's notes about spectating

A good way to ride

I overtrained a bit for the Tour de Cure, so I took a little time off the bike. Between the overtraining and my current work schedule, I was only getting out once a week.

Another thing I've done is spend more time on my Specialized Sirrus. I love this bike. It's perfect for bike path and rail trail adventures where stability and comfort are more important than speed.

This bike just eats up the bike path. I'm only about a mile an hour slower on it than I am on my Allez, which one can't really open up on the path.

I am a firm believer in buying a bike with a specific purpose in mind. The Allez is for road riding, the Sirrus is for path and rail trail use. The Allez was fine on the bike path when it was the only bike I had, but I've retired it to road use. The Sirrus is great for what I do, and it will work as a commuter. It remains to be seen whether it will make sense at some point to buy a commuter-specific bike.

A few words about the Sirrus. If you are in the market for one, go with the base model or maybe one step up to the sport. It's an excellent bike, and quite frankly it shifts a heck of a lot better than my Allez with Shimano STI shifters. The frame is the thing, and it's plenty sturdy with tires that are just fine for bike path use. I have a rack on the back of it and it will work just fine as a grocery getter too. And, perhaps most significantly, while I would be upset if it got stollen while I'm in Price Chopper, I would get over it. I'd be pretty upset if my Allez got ripped off considering the upgrades I've done and plan to do.

Anyway, the bike path is a good way to ride. If you are a roadie, don't forget the joys of an early morning bike path ride dodging runners and dog walkers.

Cool Team USA Team Kits!

Team USA is going to be wearing retro kits at the Olympics. I've got to get one of these!

I am still here

I just bought a new Macbook Pro, so I'll be posting a lot more. I have a lot of good stuff from the past month that's in my journal that I need to translate to the blog, so look for lots of new stuff coming soon.

Tour de Cure

Well, Sunday was the big day - the 2012 Tour de Cure.

A little background first.

I served as Team Red captain for this year's Tour de Cure Kansas City. It was quite an honor, and I plan to do it again next year. Team Red was started by Mari Rudy, a Colorado rider with Type 1 who sought a way to recognize diabetic riders and the people who support them. I am proud to say we were the No. 1 fundraising team for our event, raising over $6,000 for the American Diabetes Association.

Being team captain opened up a few opportunities for me that I would have otherwise not had. Most recently, I was able to appear on a local radio station to discuss the Tour and my personal story of controlling diabetes with cycling.

Anyway, Sunday could not have been a better day, except maybe for a stiff south wind that came up about half way through the ride. I did the 25 mile route so I could ride with Amy and my brother-in-law, Phil.

My first fall

The first thing people tell you when you are buying clipless pedals is that you are going to fall. The second thing they tell you is that it's going to be okay.

They are right on both accounts.

I have had clipless pedals for months now, and I've managed to avoid the embarrassment of falling over at a stop sign after forgetting to clip out. Almost, but it's never happened. I call this "pulling an Artie Johnson." Check out a re-run of Laugh-In if you don't know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, here's my story. Amy and I were riding the Indian Creek bike path. We were (of course) almost done with our ride, and I came to a muddy spot under an overpass (at Wornall Road). I was helping her navigate through the mud, reminding her to be careful, when it happened. After the overpass there is a short, steep incline. I down shifted a couple of gears and stood up for the climb. Halfway up the hill my bike suddenly downshifted again, twice, by itself. I came to a complete stop, and went over on my left side before I could clip out. I got my left foot out about one-half second before hitting the ground, but my right foot was still clipped in for the whole thing.

In the end, my first fall was almost a non-event. I did not hurt at all. When you are stopped, you are less than three feet from the ground when you finally pass the point of no return. It was more of a hard sit than a fall. The bike also helps to cushion the fall by directing you down and away from the point of impact rather than directly down.

I have a bit of road rash on my left shin. I'm certainly glad I was wearing gloves, or I would have road rash on my left palm. I knew enough not to try and absorb all the impact with my hand, instead using my forearm. I'm sure I'll be a bit sore tomorrow, but all-in-all it went pretty well.

Amy said it looked impressive on any account.

I feel like I should make up a merit badge for myself.