Hi folks, Another great dance lesson today, in which no dancing was done or music heard. It was all about exploring and activating my core, whilst working to keep other muscle groups quiescent, and thus allowing my core to do what it does best. Rebecca, my dance and Continuum teacher, informed me that the psoas muscles are central to dance. In the past, I got to know my major hip flexors, the psoas ... Read more
Eleven Cycling Tips From FitOldDog
Hi folks, Just came off of a great ride with a friend, who pushes ALL the time, even though he says he doesn't! This turns out to be very good for me, as it is so easy to become lazy, which surely will not get me to Kona. Whilst we were riding, Rory mentioned that he had learned a useful trick from me (which I learned from Victor, my bike guy). This was a simple issue of rear wheel removal and ... Read more
Setting Up Your Trainer Bike For The Winter And An Aversion To Big Egos
"He who tries to shine dims his own light." by Lao-tzu (from a lovely translation by Steven Mitchell) Hi folks, I much prefer to ride the roads than a trainer, though for certain types of workout the trainer is better if it is set up appropriately. Number one rule with your trainer is to have the same bike fit as your racing bike (which is the same bike as your road bike, just ask Victor, my bike ... Read more
Colder Older Ironman Training
Hi folks, The other day I had arranged a ride with my biking partner, Rory, but the weather was really cold, not much above freezing. This kind of weather didn't bother me in the 'old days,' but as I age I find it harder and harder to deal with the cold, especially on the bike. In part, this is due to my having Raynaud's syndrome, which can induce intense pain in my fingers in cold weather, but this ... Read more
There Is No Such Thing As A Recovery Run
Hi folks, A few years ago I managed to finish Chez Ollie, which covered 128 miles of really hilly roads, with four category one (very steep) climbs. It was really tough, but well organized, especially those salted potatoes at about 80 miles in. I was pleased to finish in eleven hours and forty minutes, which is pretty good for my age group. The next day I was sore and tired, but not really wiped ... Read more
There Is More To Your Ears Than Meets The Eye
Hi folks, welcome! I had never heard of the Epley maneuver until my partner, Deb, fell off of her bike about a year ago. She sure slammed her head on the ground, and after being checked out at the emergency room and given the all clear, she seemed fine for a few days. Then the dizziness and vertigo began. This was no ordinary vertigo. She said the room jumped around, making it impossible for her to stand. Then ... Read more
Improving Hill Descents By Observing With Your Skin
Hi folks, There is an old expression, 'seeing is believing.' I would prefer to say, 'observing is understanding,' which comes from my life of learning to observe, as opposed to just looking. Because you have looked at something, which induced a pattern of activity in your retina, does not mean that you have observed anything of real meaning, which is a down-stream processing or brain activity that uses data ... Read more
Skin Is An Important Issue For The Endurance Athlete
Hi folks, Sue and I just returned from a great ride, when I noticed this 'still life' as part of Sue's car, and it got me thinking about skin. I sure wish that we could wrap all of our food in living and thus biodegradable skin like that of the banana. The skin of a car is hard and a real danger to us on the road when cycling, which is why we wear a reinforced head skin, or helmet. There are many ways ... Read more
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