Hi and thanks for coming by! Sometimes I forget to listen to my own advice - do you ever do that? I was recently climbing on my trainer bike, to do a pre-run PowerCrank workout, when it occurred to me that I was just going through the motions. I would have ridden for 30 minutes at 140 watts, climbed off all sweaty and ready for my run, but would that have been the best training routine? So I ... Read more
In The Winter Or At Altitude On The Bike Dress For The Descent
Hi folks, I was in the pool today, when a fit-looking guy, who kindly reminded me that his name is Steve (I seem to have trouble remembering names, with apologies to Steve), mentioned that he enjoyed reading my blog. This is music to the ears of a blogger, as providing interesting and useful content is what blogging is all about. Then Steve mentioned that he had recently biked up Mount Mitchell, ... Read more
New Technologies Can Be A Pain In The Butt If You Rely On Them Too Heavily
Put it on the seat, turn around, and whoosh it's gone. Technology gone crazy, not to mention those bloody automatic taps that only work half the time. Too complicated for their own good. Hi folks, You can be seduced by new technologies, especially on the bike. Take my word for it (a word that I received from my son, Nigel), don't rely too heavily on heart rate monitors, power meters, and the like, ... Read more
A Kafkaesk Business Day But PowerCranks And A Run Put Everything Right
Hi folks, I feel more and more like Joseph K, as I'm forced to deal with the Carrboro Town Hall staff in our attempts to rescue our little grocery store, Johnny's, from external forces that attack us using a potentially fatal mixture of malign attention and benign neglect. Think of this. During a two-hour meeting at the Carrboro Town Hall, most of the local business developers protested to the town staff ... Read more
There Is Beauty All Around You So Open Your Eyes And Enjoy It But Watch Out For Cyclists Please
Hi folks, I recently finished the first book of 'The Game of Thrones,' where the most interesting part for me was the process whereby a Sword Master was selected by one of the kings in the story - Syrio Forel was tested with all the other candidates, but only he, the successful candidate, was found to actually see what was in front of him. This might sound like a simple thing, but it is not, as we ... Read more
Try Speedplay Pedals To Eliminate Knee Pain On The Bike
Hi folks, I was out riding with Sue the other day, when she mentioned that she continues to have knee pain whilst riding the bike. This reminded me of the time, several years ago, when I moved over to SpeedPlay pedals in the hope of fixing my cycling knee pain, which was pretty severe in my left knee. I had surgery on both knees; the left one is the most 'wonky.' SpeedPlay pedals have lots of ... Read more
The Sock Is Back So It’s Time For FitOldDog To Break In His New Bike Shoes
"Just because it feels right, doesn't mean it is right, and just because it feels wrong, doesn't mean it is wrong." FitOldDog learned this from Feldenkrais. Hi folks, This is a short post to remind you to take the slightest of symptoms seriously until you work out what is going on and can fix whatever it is. Sometimes the signs of potentially serious trouble will come in the form of fate knocking ... Read more
Mucus, Keratin, And Other Biological Barriers That Are Essential For Cycling, And FitOldDog’s Shopping Cart Metaphor For Life
"If it is love that makes the world go round, it is surely mucus that permits it's translational motion." I read this 'Love Poem' in a book on mucus years ago. Written by an engineer. Go figure! Hi folks, My friend Stacey asked me the other day, "What do you think about while you ride your bike?" I was riding an easy 60-mile spin this beautiful morning, between breakfast and a short swim ... Read more
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