Well, this past week was a freaking cooker for sure. Hot, hot, hot - up to 33-34c and yes, I rode my bikes in that, to and from work and on the dikes. Squishy bike on the dikes and Bart on the roads. No long trips, so 24k total for the day or 20k for a ride on the dikes. I did my best to start early when riding on the dikes and early when going to go work. It was the afternoon commute home where the temps were high, really high and humidity was horrendous.
I've been taking the Brain Octane in my morning coffee, plus butter for just over a week now and it is making a big difference with energy and my brain. Thought processes are much improved. I did have one chai tea at work one day (hottest day) as I felt a bit foggy (the morning started at 21c, so it was muggy and warm), which perked me right up. Amazing how it does that. I will be picking up some XCT oil as well, while I wait for more Brain Octane to come into the vitamin store. I have lots of regular coconut oil, so I won't be running out, but I really feel the Bulletproof refined coconut oils to be much much better than regular coconut oil and even the MCT oil. Expensive, but well worth it.
I'm still working on getting used to riding clipless and really glad that I got the pedals that are flat on one side, as I'm still a bit paranoid about doing hills while clipped in. I just have to get better at hills and losing weight is helping for sure. Cooler weather will be a big improvement for my performance. As for the clipless pedals, I just have to keep at it until it becomes 2nd nature, that's why I changed the Squishy bike to the same pedals. I do find the clipless pedals are making cycling much easier and that's another reason I'm able to cycle in this hot weather. I'm not a speed monster for sure, but am much more efficient and less effort, it seems, to get where I'm going.
Bulletproof Brain Octane, XCT, coconut oil, low carb ketogenic diet and clipless pedals - a great combination for me.
Sunday, 21 August 2016
Sunday, 14 August 2016
Ribs Healing Nicely - On the Gravel Road Today for a Short, Slow & Sweet Ride
August 14, 2016
Two weeks post crash/rib breakage, bruising on a ride to/from White Rock.
Woke up this morning with a sore shoulder, like I slept the wrong way somehow? It was really bugging me, so I decided no preride shower as the first thing I wanted to do was take some Advil & Robaxacet and get some Voltaren on this shoulder. Shit, it's really sore.
Thank you shoulder, you are making my getting dressed very difficult this morning. I'm glad I got all my ride stuff ready, which isn't as much as when I go on a longer road ride. I ended up taking the pain killer, plus 4 Gu Roctane electrolytes, plus my Bulletproof coffee (I use my own coffee and grass fed butter, plus Brain Octane). I added Brain Octane to both waterbottles and left the Camelbak hydration pak at home, as I knew it was going to be fairly warm AND almost worse, muggy. I'm wearing a sweatband at 6 am, because it's muggy. I got the doors and windows open and fans bringing in the cooler air. Even though it's muggy, it's still cooler than inside.
It didn't take me long to load my bike and other gear and by 7:00 am, I was in the wonder wagon #2 headed to Jerry Sulina Park. The website said it was open 24 hours and hopefully there are other cars there. It's a place the thieves hit every now and again, so I parked where it was visible to people coming and going in the parking lot, as well as on the dike above the parking lot. I got my gear out and together and started out in a timely fashion and knew it was going to be a sweaty day and glad for my chamois butter. I was even more glad that I left the hydration pack at home too. I like sunshine, but heat and humidity suck bigtime. Heat without humidity okay, but that's not what we get here on the wet coast of BC.
I had clipless pedals put on Squishy a couple of days ago, so it's a first ride on gravel with clipless pedals. I hope the brain octane keeps me paying attention. The dike is NOT a place you want to fall over at, hills on both sides, blackberries, big sharp rocks and lots of gravel, so it's time to keep my wits about me. I'll just unclip when I see dogs and/or people. Good thing I did that, because so many irresponsible dog owners having their dogs offleash when it's an onleash area and some who had no control over their dogs. I had one doberman want to eat me and barely listened to its owner. I just kept a steady pace ready to pepper spray it, if I had to. Yes, you may have to pepper spray a dog while riding on the dike. I'd rather spray the stupid owner though. I have a bear bell on my bike, so I am warning people and dogs. Zombies, however, get the air horn treatment. I filled it up full. :-)
I rode to Kennedy Road/Lougheed Hwy. and lots of winds (always in Pitt Meadows) and kind of liked that on the way back, except when it got really strong, then it becomes a sweatfest. All in all, only a few bad dog owners, no zombies (shit) and nice people. Pays to be on your bike and out for 20 km and back before 10 am. I really liked that time slot a lot.
I found one knee was bugging me a bit (adductor issues) and probably should've stretched a bit, but my brain was so happy to be riding, I forgot. LOL I cannot believe the difference between flat pedals and being clipped in. So much easier and much less effort, which I really felt when I flipped my right pedal to flat (in prep for a fast stop or bailing with dogs, people, etc.).
I started drinking from my large water bottle on the way back and was really surprised that the addition of brain octane really did give me a boost of energy. I feel it was better than the MCT oil, in that it acted faster. Mind you, I only rode 20 km today, nothing big. Having 2 weeks off makes a difference and I'll be doing early morning rides on my days off as much as possible until it starts getting too dark.
I didn't eat any of the Quest bars (low car and no sugar). That's good, I'll save them for another time. I can't get the bulletproof bars up here, so Quest is doing a nice job with their bars and about the same price ($3.99 ea). I'll get a couple bottles of XCT oil too (Bulletproof) from Cutting Edge Nutrition on Dewdney @ 203rd.
That's it for today's ride.
Two weeks post crash/rib breakage, bruising on a ride to/from White Rock.
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| Squishy at Pitt River Marina |
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| Just south of the Pitt River Marina on the Pitt River - looks like an old floating bridge of some sort. |
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| So pretty and serene in the early mornings. |
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| Pitt River Marina. |
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Woke up this morning with a sore shoulder, like I slept the wrong way somehow? It was really bugging me, so I decided no preride shower as the first thing I wanted to do was take some Advil & Robaxacet and get some Voltaren on this shoulder. Shit, it's really sore.
Thank you shoulder, you are making my getting dressed very difficult this morning. I'm glad I got all my ride stuff ready, which isn't as much as when I go on a longer road ride. I ended up taking the pain killer, plus 4 Gu Roctane electrolytes, plus my Bulletproof coffee (I use my own coffee and grass fed butter, plus Brain Octane). I added Brain Octane to both waterbottles and left the Camelbak hydration pak at home, as I knew it was going to be fairly warm AND almost worse, muggy. I'm wearing a sweatband at 6 am, because it's muggy. I got the doors and windows open and fans bringing in the cooler air. Even though it's muggy, it's still cooler than inside.
It didn't take me long to load my bike and other gear and by 7:00 am, I was in the wonder wagon #2 headed to Jerry Sulina Park. The website said it was open 24 hours and hopefully there are other cars there. It's a place the thieves hit every now and again, so I parked where it was visible to people coming and going in the parking lot, as well as on the dike above the parking lot. I got my gear out and together and started out in a timely fashion and knew it was going to be a sweaty day and glad for my chamois butter. I was even more glad that I left the hydration pack at home too. I like sunshine, but heat and humidity suck bigtime. Heat without humidity okay, but that's not what we get here on the wet coast of BC.
I had clipless pedals put on Squishy a couple of days ago, so it's a first ride on gravel with clipless pedals. I hope the brain octane keeps me paying attention. The dike is NOT a place you want to fall over at, hills on both sides, blackberries, big sharp rocks and lots of gravel, so it's time to keep my wits about me. I'll just unclip when I see dogs and/or people. Good thing I did that, because so many irresponsible dog owners having their dogs offleash when it's an onleash area and some who had no control over their dogs. I had one doberman want to eat me and barely listened to its owner. I just kept a steady pace ready to pepper spray it, if I had to. Yes, you may have to pepper spray a dog while riding on the dike. I'd rather spray the stupid owner though. I have a bear bell on my bike, so I am warning people and dogs. Zombies, however, get the air horn treatment. I filled it up full. :-)
I rode to Kennedy Road/Lougheed Hwy. and lots of winds (always in Pitt Meadows) and kind of liked that on the way back, except when it got really strong, then it becomes a sweatfest. All in all, only a few bad dog owners, no zombies (shit) and nice people. Pays to be on your bike and out for 20 km and back before 10 am. I really liked that time slot a lot.
I found one knee was bugging me a bit (adductor issues) and probably should've stretched a bit, but my brain was so happy to be riding, I forgot. LOL I cannot believe the difference between flat pedals and being clipped in. So much easier and much less effort, which I really felt when I flipped my right pedal to flat (in prep for a fast stop or bailing with dogs, people, etc.).
I started drinking from my large water bottle on the way back and was really surprised that the addition of brain octane really did give me a boost of energy. I feel it was better than the MCT oil, in that it acted faster. Mind you, I only rode 20 km today, nothing big. Having 2 weeks off makes a difference and I'll be doing early morning rides on my days off as much as possible until it starts getting too dark.
I didn't eat any of the Quest bars (low car and no sugar). That's good, I'll save them for another time. I can't get the bulletproof bars up here, so Quest is doing a nice job with their bars and about the same price ($3.99 ea). I'll get a couple bottles of XCT oil too (Bulletproof) from Cutting Edge Nutrition on Dewdney @ 203rd.
That's it for today's ride.
Tuesday, 9 August 2016
Hamster Wheeling It
My ribs still aren't healed enough to get out and ride on the road, yet. I don't want to take the chance of twisting my torso to aggravate the injuries from my crash. I don't want to delay my progress of healing which has been fast, but not fast enough (I'm impatient).
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| Bart on new Trainer. Garmin dialed in for cadence/speed. |
I brought Bart inside and have him set up on the trainer inside and got the Garmin GPS cadence/speed monitor connected and working indoors without satellites. I'm putting the block on it's highest level and will pick up a 6% grade one for the winter months. My clipping in and out is getting much faster, partially because I'm doing it so much with my right foot, that the clip has worn down a bit, which is good. I can tighten up the tension, but not yet. I've got to practice my track standing more in some fields. I've got to get a couple more pairs of these easy release cleats, so I have some spares. When I walk, I can still hear the clicking of the cleats, which will go away once they're worn down some more.
I'm going to take the time off and heal properly, but maintain my cardio fitness and keep my legs going and improve the muscles I'm now using when riding clipped in.
Sunday, 7 August 2016
One Week Post Crash and Rib Fractures
Well, it's been a week of limited mobility and pain. Nice. I've been to the Doctor on a follow up and things are going good. My lungs have no sign of infection and I'm making sure my breathing is deep. I've been taking quite a few pain killers and muscle relaxers so I can function and sleep. Each day is an improvement and today (Sunday), I'm feeling about 65% better than last Saturday of the crash. I'm still amazed at how I ended up riding all the way home. I did have Advil with me, so that helped a lot.
I'm getting a little more than antsy about riding my bike again. I wanted to take the squishy bike to the dikes, but the gravel surface may be too much to handle. I don't know if my sides will take it, as I'm having some pretty good muscle spasms which are pretty painful. I don't know if my back is out and I need to see my Chiropractor, but it wouldn't matter anyway as the ribs dictate no chiropractic treatments right now.
Oh well, life goes on. Glad I have time off and for Netflix.
I'm getting a little more than antsy about riding my bike again. I wanted to take the squishy bike to the dikes, but the gravel surface may be too much to handle. I don't know if my sides will take it, as I'm having some pretty good muscle spasms which are pretty painful. I don't know if my back is out and I need to see my Chiropractor, but it wouldn't matter anyway as the ribs dictate no chiropractic treatments right now.
Oh well, life goes on. Glad I have time off and for Netflix.
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