ZZ Top, Blogging About Cheap Sunglasses, And Training For The Ironman

Hi folks,

Sometimes I have to ride my trainer for a long time. When I say a long time, I mean four to five hours at a stretch. I have a long ride scheduled, but the weather is just not going to let me go, so I set up my iPod, put on my ear phones (but not my sunglasses), power up ZZ Top, and I’m off. One of my favorites, which I only listen to on my trainer, is ‘Cheap Sunglasses.’ It makes me laugh every time and the rhythm is perfect for pulling the cadence and energy back up when turning the pedals is starting to become a bit of a challenge – this is a purely mental issue, by the way. I have only heard these guys on my iPod until this very day, but off to YouTube and there they are. I had no idea that they looked like this!

Listening to that music takes me back to many a trainer ride in days gone by. I must have listened to that one album hundreds if not thousands of times. Slow tunes for simulating hill climbs, moving over to slow twitch muscle groups to give the fast twitch ones a break, then back to a great rhythm to pick that cadence right back up to 90-105 where I like to keep it on the trainer (and on the road if I can).

My prescription sunglasses on the table in Torrevieja. I don't wear them for training because bifocal are not suited to watching where you put your feet!

A piece of advice from an old age grouper – don’t buy gear because it looks ‘cool,’ if it doesn’t fit or function well. You’re out there on your own most of the time, and it’s not a fashion show, it’s about not stopping until you’re done, and gear that doesn’t work for you will slow you down. Yes! Even the wrong sunglasses. For instance, I have real trouble finding sunglasses that don’t bounce up and down on my nose, because the sunglasses of today all seem to be wrap-around, with the ends of the arms ending up somewhere adjacent to the posterior margins of my zygomatic arches (I put that in for my brother!), which acts as a fulcrum so that the glasses then bounce up and down on my nose. I hate that!!

Here I am rambling on about sunglasses, and quite enjoying myself, which brings me to blogging. This is a typical post for me, derived largely from things I notice during the day like those sunglasses in the picture, and the train of thoughts and memories such images evoke.

People regularly ask me, “Where do you come up with ideas for a blog post every day?” My secret is to keep my eyes AND mind open, and just let it flow, then turn it into a story – we really are a story telling species, us human primates.

A final note on sunglasses: they provide great protection for your eyes from physical objects in the air (especially on the bike) and the ravages of ultraviolet light (UV), which can lead to cataracts. So don’t buy cheap sunglasses that fail to provide adequate UV protection, and if you are following “something sweet as molasses,” maybe cool is OK too – different function.

-k @FitOldDog

Today’s workouts: rollers and an easy trail run, now that I’m back in the North Carolina spring time. As ZZ Top would say, much better than I, ‘Yes!‘