Team McAlister

About half of Arkansas is hilly, if not downright mountainous. Now we’re not talking the Alps, Pyrenees, or Rockies, but if you have a 10 mile climb of 2400 ft and gradients of 8-11% or 1300 ft climbs with 15-18% in places, then the climbs are pretty real. Maybe two of the best known around here are Mt. Magazine (2753 ft) and Mt. Nebo (1370 ft.). The general elevation at the beginning of each climb is about 400 ft.

I had never attempted either of these before today, but wanted to see if I could do both of them back-to-back. The beginnings of the climbs are about 25 miles apart. So I drove to Havana (that’s pronounced “Hey! Vanna”) to begin the Mt. Magazine climb. The first 4 miles took 25 minutes. Not bad considering that the next 6 miles took 59 minutes.

The most fun part was seeing the little old ladies at the visitor center who Would remark about the heat of the day and then ask where I had been riding. When I told them that I had ridden up, they pretty much always exclaimed “Up!?!?” Yes ma’am….up. It only took 24 minutes to descend.

So then I hopped over to Dardenelle to get a roll on the other climb – Mt. Nebo. This little guy is shorter and lower. It’s about a 7 mile ride and only about a 1000 ft. climb. But, the differences are pretty severe. Mt. Magazine is mostly in the 7-8% grade range with some nice stretches of less and not many of much more. It also let’s you work gradually into the serious fun. Mt. Nebo has about 3 miles of rollers on a narrow, rough road with fast busy traffic. This forces you onto an even more narrow and rougher shoulder that is studded with huge mail boxes. Today’s treat was a pack of 6 fast, aggressive, persistent, large dogs that forced a 100 yard sprint that had me on the red line right up to the climb’s first pitch. That first pitch hits you at 6% and is at 9% before you know it.

Well, I was cooked! I had wanted to sort of meander into Mt. Nebo – not sprint my butt off into it. I was really glad that I was using the incline indication on the computer. I was really struggling when all of a sudden it jumped to 10% and proceeded to increase steadily to numbers I’m not used to seeing. Long story, short the whole thing got ridiculous fast hitting 15.5% and topping out at 17.8%.

The reward? On the way down, the pack of dogs was leashed….until just at the top of one momentum-sucking roller, another fast, aggressive hound bolted into the road. WTF?

All-in-all the Magazine ride was a joy and deserves a repeat. But Nebo is No-mo for me. And before you ask, no Cyclemeter on this ride. I removed the app because I’ve been really unhappy with the inconsistency of my results. I know, bummer. But I found that interrupting rides to stand in the road and curse at my iPhone made me look a bit eccentric, even by cycling standards.

Tags: bicycle, cyclemeter

I’ve been trying to work out how to post this from my new iPad – Macs – since last week when it actually occurred.  No luck yet, but maybe next time.

http://j.mp/cGDXiH This was my birthday ride.  I was going to jump on here and post it from Macs, but I’ve given up on that for the moment just to get it on here.  It was a beautiful day, although a little breezier than ideal.  It was such a beautiful day that I didn’t even put on a playlist to push me along.  And, I got a tweet from Colin via Cyclemeter during the ride.  Very cool!  I got tired at the end and shortened up, skipping the last climb in the interest of getting home and having some birthday dinner.  All-in-all this went pretty well and the best thing is that the 2 “big” climbs were easier than usual.  Payoff for extra training?

I feel like I’m falling behind.  Jett’s ahead on the running of course—and maybe the swimming.  Colin’s ahead on the running and probably the cycling… and he’ll always be ahead on the swimming.  Schuyler is ahead on the running and, now that he swims IN THE BAY—YIKES!—he’s ahead on that too.

So, today I went for a 500 yd swim and will cycle for about 2 hours this afternoon.  I’m looking forward to being in SF in 3 weeks.  Schuyler is taking me to swim in the Bay!  We’ll see how that goes—at least I’ll be in some sort of swimming shape by then.  And, we’re going in trunks only – no wet suits.  There’ll also be a good bike ride in there somewhere.  I can’t wait.

Tags: cyclemeter, cycling, swimming

…with the idea of riding hill repeats by shifting UP a gear on each successive trip up the climb.  If I ever meet him, I may have some comments for him.  If this is a good idea, I certainly hope it reveals itself to me soon.  Today’s ride was only 1 hour and only about 12 miles.  But, it was 4 climbs in gears from 34 x 23 to 34 x 21 to 34 x 19, and finally 34 x 17.  The first climb is always pretty easy.  I even passed a much younger and much smaller rider on it.  I was skeptical about hitting a larger gear for the second ride, but it worked out pretty well.  In fact, it was actually fairly easy also.

The third climb though in the next higher gear was another story.  That guy was hard!  About half way up, I decided that if I hadn’t already gone to the trouble of being half way, I’d just call the day a success and head home.  By the time I made it to the top I was pretty pleased with myself.  And, I wasn’t even that tired.

That made me think that making my pre-ride goal of 4 trips in successively higher gears might be possible.  I enjoyed that third descent, made the turnaround, and went in for the fourth attack – this time in 34 x 17, a first attempt.  That halfway thing got me again.  You know, by the time you’ve invested in 50% of a climb, the thing to do is just go ahead and finish it.

The good news is that around here, the climbs are almost all short, power-type climbs.  Maybe this will make me a better climber.

http://j.mp/dmnS84

Tags: cyclemeter, cycling, power training

I had some extra time today.  The longest ride this year so far, has been a bit over 2 hours – not the stuff of epic rides.  Oh, I’ve had climbing days and interval days; group rides and solo rides at brisk paces.  But, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and start getting that saddle time in.  I was feeling pretty stout and studly after Sunday’s performance, so a steady 3 hours didn’t sound all that difficult.

Armed with a brand-new playlist crafted especially for this ride (see below), the iSport ready to go, Cyclemeter all warmed up and awaiting its instructions, I hit the road about 12:15.  The set up for the ride was perfect.  Great breakfast; plenty of hydration in advance of riding; snacks for the ride; beautiful weather; a route that is safe for a solo rider and has some teeth.

Predictably, I started getting hungry at the 1.5 hour mark, in spite of Jelly Belly Sport Beans (Lemon Lime, of course) every 20 minutes.  A small break for part of a nutrition bar and some water and back in the saddle.  Happily, at the 2 hour mark I was still feeling pretty strong.  That was just about the time, though, that the last climb hits.  No problem.  Climb. Ride around.  Descend.  Simplicity itself.

But the deal is that at the bottom of that climb, I had to turn back into what had been a strong and nasty headwind.  Granted it was only for 4 miles, but suddenly everything hurt – feet, neck, shoulders, butt.  Another short break at the turn point allowed for some adjustments in equipment as well as some stretching.

Then it was just a matter of letting that nice friendly tailwind shoot me back those last 10 miles to the finish.  Ah, yes….

Suffice to say, that back at the office it took a while to recover and now my office stinks, but I liked getting this one under my belt.

http://j.mp/b9Ptx0

Big Chief – Professor Longhair

Curly Haired Baby – Professor Longhair

She Ain’t Got No Hair – Professor Longhair

I Gotta Have It – Jace Everett

Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand – Professor Longhair

Looka, No Hair – Professor Longhair

From Four Until Late – Eric Clapton

Mardi Gras In New Orleans – Professor Longhair

Marie – Randy Newman

Longhair’s Blues Rhumba – Professor Longhair

East St. Louis Baby – Professor Longhair

Bad Things (Club Mix) – Jace Everett

Her Mind Is Gone – Professor Longhair

Rednecks – Randy Newman

Bye Bye Baby – Professor Longhair

Cadillac Style – Sammy Kershaw

Hadacol Bounce – Professor Longhair

Longhair Stomp – Professor Longhair

Louisiana Hot Sauce – Sammy Kershaw

Been Foolin’ Around – Professor Longhair

Back on My Feet Again – Randy Newman

Misery – Professor Longhair

Birmingham – Randy Newman

Little Queen Of Spades – Eric Clapton

If You’re Gonna Walk, I’m Gonna Crawl – Sammy Kershaw

She Walks Right In – Professor Longhair

Boogie Woogie – Professor Longhair

Accentuate the Positive – Dr. John

Willie Mae – Professor Longhair

Oh Well – Professor Longhair

Between The Night And Day – Professor Longhair

Right Place, Wrong Time – Dr. John

Tipitina – Professor Longhair

Hey Little Girl – Professor Longhair

Kind Hearted Woman Blues – Eric Clapton

Rockin’ With Fess – Professor Longhair

Let the Good Times Roll – Dr. John

Professor Longhair Blues – Professor Longhair

No Buts – No Maybes – Professor Longhair

Take Me Out to the Ballgame – Dr. John

In The Night – Professor Longhair

Walk Your Blues Away – Professor Longhair

I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down – Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Ball The Wall – Professor Longhair

Bald Head – Professor Longhair

Getting Mighty Crowded – Elvis Costello & The Attractions

Boyd’s Bounce – Professor Longhair

Cry Pretty Baby – Professor Longhair

(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace,

Love and Understanding? – Elvis Costello & the Attractions

Who’s Been Foolin’ You? – Professor Longhair

K.C. Blues – Professor Longhair

Guilty – Randy Newman

Traveling Riverside Blues – Eric Clapton

Byrd’s Blues – Professor Longhair

Hey Now Baby – Professor Longhair

Gone So Long – Professor Longhair

Me And The Devil Blues – Eric Clapton

Look What You’re Doing To Me – Professor Longhair

Mr. President

(Have Pity on the Working Man) – Randy Newman

Louisiana 1927 – Randy Newman

Hallelujah – Ray Charles

Nothing But The Blood – Randy Travis

Tags: cyclemeter, cycling, iSport, Jelly Belly, playlists, Training

You may remember I started using Cyclemeter (Abvio, $4.99) about a month ago. I’d used a few other tracking apps in the past, and when I decided that Fitnio had failed me for the last time, I plunked down the $4.99 for what looked like the best cycling app out there. Continue Reading »

Tags: cyclemeter, cycling, equipment, iphone

I wish I’d had my camera with me today. I rode SF2G’s Skyline route and it’s my new favorite ride. It was pretty brutal for a first-timer though, by the end of mile nine all I could think was “What have I gotten myself into?” Oh, and before I go on, I’d like to note that the link I posted is 100% accurate as far as I know. Cyclemeter performed admirably today.

Usually when I plan to ride I bring a change of clothes to work the day before, and leave my laptop there overnight. But I just decided yesterday afternoon to do this ride, so I had to bring everything with me on the bike today. It was a bad day to travel with an extra ten pounds. Very little of the route is flat, and I am not in climbing shape. At all.

The good thing about climbs is, they always pay off. I absolutely love a good descent. Nothing like grabbing the drops and getting some face time with the handlebars. Sawyer Camp Trail (approx. miles 15.6-21.8) is the perfect combination of twisty descents, awesomely fun sharp turns, and gorgeous scenery. It is COLD though. The kind of cold that numbs your face until you can’t make consonants. The kind of cold that forces you to ball up your fists to save your fingers. The kind of cold that turns your nose into a total snotfaucet. Worth it though. Imagine if the forest portion of the Arkansas River Trail were five miles long, mostly downhill, and next to much prettier water.

And now on to the griping portion of this post. I am having a knee problem. It feels like my right patella is seriously bruised. It’s not, obviously, or I would know why it hurts. It was fine for almost the whole ride, but about three miles from Google it started bothering me, and it’s gotten worse throughout the day to the point that when I got up for water a minute ago it was hard to straighten my leg. I can walk just fine, in fact I don’t even limp… but it feels like I kneed The Thing in the crotch.

I also need a new saddle. I thought I just needed to get used to the one I have, but it seems like it’s taking fewer and fewer miles each ride to develop some serious ABS (that’s Angry Balls Syndrome). I picked up a used Fizik Alliante for my CX bike (just completed, pics forthcoming!) so we’ll see how that works out. If it’s good I’ll have to find a white and black one to match my Orbea.

Tags: abs, cyclemeter, cycling, equipment, iphone, knee pain, sf2g, skyline

Colin told me once that I have to work at being fat.  Well, I don’t have to work at it as hard as I used to.  Maybe sitting around at night chomping the Ghirardelli Double Chocolate chips is a contributing factor?

Anyhow, I went out today to get in a little ride in the beautiful weather.  I was side-tracked by a short trip to Chainwheel for a tire review by Master Mechanic Bill and a small repair.  Launched from LRAC and headed straight to the office because of time – which gave me 8 miles in about 36 minutes, including stop lights, stop signs, railroad tracks, etc. (but it is mostly downhill).  Then, put in a couple of hours at the office and headed back up hill to the club, the car, and the shower.

Today was one of those days with no legs, no lungs, no nothing except a head wind and some crazy traffic – no one dangerous, just lots of it. But I have to say that Cyclemeter was flawless today.  I mean, really.  I’m convinced that iPhone has location issues…but if the iPhone’s GPS is hitting, then Cyclemeter delivers the goods pretty well.  Does this mean that I have to move to Nexus?

Wait!  I can blame it on AT&T!  Why not?  I wish I could blame my dead, aching legs today on them.  Okay, I woke up at 4 AM and didn’t go back to sleep, and now I’m passing out.  Ciao.

Tags: Chainwheel, chocolate chips, cyclemeter, Ghirardelli

In spite of yesterday’s small Cyclemeter meltdown, the ride itself was fine and fun.  The icing on the cake though was hitting the Vibraflex, post-ride.  You have to find a club or gym that has one of these things!  The benefits are exactly (at least for me) as touted on their web site.  The Physical Therapist at our club oversees its use and gives tips about how to maximize its use.  As good as it is, apparently, you can get too much of a good thing with it.  Like any other piece of equipment, it can be misused to your detriment.

Here it is Wednesday and, as bummed out as I was on Monday about MCL pain, today I feel like I can run forever.  Not gonna actually try that, understand.  Just sayin’…

I have a late meeting today, so a ride is out.  I’m gonna try jumping rope today and see how the MCL holds up.  No running today, but look out for the weekend!  :-)

And, lest anyone, including the fine folks at Cyclemeter, think I’m just ranting about the app, my guess is that the app works as well as it can, but the iPhone’s GPS is the limiting factor.  Of course, I’m no engineer – software, hardware, or civil – but based on the way some other location-based apps seem to work, my guess is that iPhone’s GPS model is less robust than is needed.

Tags: cyclemeter, MCL, running, Training, Vibraflex 550

I want to believe.  I really do.  Today, I was pressed for time, so I went for a little 1 hour ride, a bit over 16 miles, with 2 nice mile-long climbs.  Cyclemeter has handled this route, or a reasonable facsimile, before.  Supposedly good GPS signal.  But the result we got was a stinker.  No reason to post it.

So Cyclemeter remains at best a B student.  You really need a good bike computer if you never want a disappointment.   http://j.mp/cVz1Fk This is not real.  :-(

Tags: cyclemeter, cycling, Training

it’s a start of sorts.  Today, I jumped rope 6×100 on 30 seconds splits, then went out for a run/walk.  http://j.mp/cNzcCR So, that’s the run-only portion.  The walking added about another .75 miles for a total of about 1.6 miles.  Here’s the thing though: it was all PAIN FREE!  That’s right! For the FIRST time since early September, I’ve had a non-cycling workout without any knee pain.

After the run, the medial collateral ligament began to tighten and ache – as expected.  However, I’ve been sitting here with the massage ball working mainly on the vastus medialis muscle in the quadriceps and Mr. MCL is loosening up which makes the pain go away.  Further massage of the vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and the sartorius will complete the recovery.

This is really fine!  :-)

And, I used Cyclemeter on iPhone for the stats today.  Seems to have worked fine.

Tags: cyclemeter, cycling, knee pain, massage, Training

Today’s plan was for a long-ish ride at a pace that would be on the edge for me.  The route is very similar to the last 2 rides – only a little longer.  As always I was testing out myself and my gear.  Cyclemeter was almost dead on with iSport today….go figure.

Here’s the skinny: iSport shows 35.9 miles, avg speed 16.3 mph, top speed 46.7 mph, 2629 calories. Cyclemeter shows 35.78 miles, avg speed 16.16 mph, top speed 47.45 mph, calories 3727.  Close enough for Cyclemeter to get a passing grade today.  Even better, Cyclemeter appears to have mapped the route correctly.

Check out the ride:  http://j.mp/9eF0uO

By the time, I hit the last climb on River Mountain Rd, my legs were toast.  I was hungry.  In short, that was perfect for the next part of the day – shaking on the Vibraflex.  I went straight to LRAC to jump on it for 2x 2 minutes at 26Hz.  Man, that feels good!  Vibraflex seems to be a recovery miracle!  No knee pain!  Better flexibility!  No sore muscles! YAY!

Tags: bicycle, cyclemeter, cycling, injuries, iphone, Vibraflex 550

I wanted to test some stuff today – me, Cyclemeter, and the Vibraflex 550.  I planned a ride that was pretty much the same route as yesterday, only instead of being flat it has 3 major climbs that are right on the path.  The idea being of course that it would test Cyclemeter to see it performed on a similar, but slightly different route while giving me more pop than yesterday’s route.  The climbs come in Mile 2, Mile 11 and Mile 21.

Now, I gave Cyclemeter some pretty good props yesterday and Colin is a fanboy.  I even hit ‘em on Twitter and they gave me a nice response.  I thought today’s route would be simple, but not so.  Not sure why, but it had me climb straight up the side of a hill and then sort of scramble around up top.  And I really just don’t trust the stats yet.  My iSport had me at 1:28 and change.  So did Cyclemeter.  But that’s just a stopwatch function.  Big whoop!  Cyclemeter had the ride at 22.77 miles and iSport at 21.8 miles.  Cyclemeter shows a top speed of 66mph and iSport has it at 45mph (much more likely).  The mph intervals posted on the server map just don’t look right.  Some of them look ok, but others don’t and I can’t explain why.  That 34.5 mph in Mile 2 isn’t possible for me at that point in that ride.

Map accuracy is maybe 80% (very unscientific estimate) on today’s route.  I don’t know enough about any of this to know why it’s inaccurate.  Probably something to do with GPS sensitivity and hillsides, and sunspots, and climate change.

But the ride was fun and felt great, even if it did have 3 relatively nasty climbs in a short time.  That was good though because I then stopped at the LRAC to jump on the Vibraflex 550.  It’s hyped as a sort of super-dee-dooper exercise machine that’s supposed to boost testosterone and HGH while chewing up Cortisol and flushing lactic acid out of your muscles.  I’ve used it a few times in the last couple of weeks and it does help loosen up your muscles.

I wanted to see what it would do for achy, dead, stiff legs after a brisk ride.  I’m told that marathoners and triathletes love it.  So, I did 2x 2-minute sets at 26 Hz, which is what was recommended for me.  I must say that my legs felt super afterwards and I think that thing may become a regular part of my stretching and flexibility routine.  Pretty impressive.

Tomorrow is a day off the bike and back to jumping rope, running, and weight stuff.

Tags: cyclemeter, cycling, iphone, triathlon, Vibraflex 550

Just finished my first run with Cyclemeter. It seems to have been pretty accurate, or at least it’s as accurate as Fitnio ever was. That’s all I really have to go on. Looking at the map of my run, it looks like the GPS doesn’t “check in” as often as maybe it should—I promise I wasn’t zig-zagging down the middle of Polk Street. But all in all, I’d say it compares favorably to any other tracking app I’ve used.

The tweeting feature might be what seals the deal for me. Knowing that it’s sending a link to Facebook makes me feel like I’m really accountable for turning in a good run. It might even make me run more often, if I feel like people might start wondering why I haven’t run lately. Is that a little narcissistic and/or self-obsessed of me to say? Probably. I don’t care though (because I’m awesome).

My running has improved a little, in spite of me not really staying on top of my training. My outdoor runs are a mile longer now but averaging the same speed. That’s pretty encouraging, and in combination with the beautiful weather, Daylight Savings Time, and Cyclemeter, I might even start running more than once a week. Of course, we’ll see about that when the time comes to run on a weekday after work.

Tags: cyclemeter, equipment, iphone, running

I bit on the fan-boy hook that Colin dropped in the water as far as the Cyclemeter app for iPhone is concerned.  It all started when I saw his Facebook post on Wednesday and followed his ride mile-by-mile while he was on it.  Very impressive stuff.  Later in the day, we started talking about the app and I dutifully visited the App Store, read the hype, and plunked down my $4.99.  I read all about how it works and even touted some of the features to Colin.

Today’s beautiful clear skies, 70 degree temps, and mostly calm winds were a siren song for cyclists and I peeled out of the office about 3:30 to try out my new wonder app.  I like to test stuff out in controlled situations so that I have some basis for comparison purposes.  Like Colin, I’ve tried several iPhone cycling apps and have found them mostly unsatisfactory for one reason or another.  So far, I’ve ditched Fitnio, Bikenik, MotionX GPS, and iMapMyRide.  None of those impressed me as much as my basic Garmin Edge.  I know, a Garmin is really not a basic product and the apps are a fraction of the Garmin’s price.  The Garmin died on me after a couple of years though and I wasn’t ready to ante up another big batch of dollars for another one.

So the search for a good cycling app and a mounting bracket has been on for some time now.  In the meantime, I discovered the virtues of power training and after careful research purchased an iSport power meter.  As power meters go, it is value priced at $199 or so.  Other models top out somewhere around $800 or so, but even then they compare favorably to other power meters that can easily run between $1200 and $2000!  I’m not going to attempt to defend the accuracy of the iSport as that isn’t really the subject of this post.  The iSport is fine for me because it is CONSISTENT, which is the most important quality for me.

I took off on a base ride of 15 miles that is essentially 3x on a 5-mile loop.  I ride this loop so often that I can almost do it in my sleep.  I’ve literally ridden it dozens of times, often for the purpose of testing a piece of equipment.

Here’s the skinny on the Cyclemeter: Top Speed= 63 mph; Distance=7.5 miles; Average Speed=7.5 mph; Elapsed Time=47.52 minutes.  The iSport produced: Top Speed=36 mph; Distance=15 miles; Average Speed= 18 mph; Elapsed Time=49.12 minutes.

Guess which one I believe?  I rode this same exact ride 2 days ago in 52 minutes at an average speed of 17.3 mph (in a mad wind).  Both rides track with what I expect on this particular ride.

The Cyclemeter only picked up half the ride on the GPS.  Now, when I started I had poor GPS signal, but I hoped it would pick up and correct early in the ride.  I also had the “Remote Control” feature turned on and although it appears to work well, I’m not sure I used it properly at the outset.  The Cyclemeter kicked in some music that I really didn’t want, so I need to figure that out.  I also had turned off the Wi-Fi on the iPhone, so only 3G was working.  I did that in an attempt to conserve battery, but it may have had adversely affected Cyclemeter.

The result is that my initial ride was less than I had hoped for after seeing what Colin did.  However, it was only one experimental ride.  I’ll continue to use it and compare it to my iSport especially with different settings.  It’s too early to consider Cyclemeter a fail by a long shot, but it isn’t an automatic pass either.

Tags: cyclemeter, cycling, iphone, iSport, power training

In my last post I briefly touched upon a slight problem with Fitnio. Specifically, it wouldn’t upload my ride. Well, after that happened on three or four more rides, Fitnio decided it wouldn’t even open at all. It would just crash, every single time I tried to use it. I reinstalled it, restored my phone, and cursed it up and down, but nothing would fix it. Not even the most creative curses I could muster. So you know what, Fitnio? You’re out. You suck and I never liked you much anyway.

I hereby declare Cyclemeter to be The New Hotness. I used it for the first time today, and it… it just… you guys, it is a dream. I won’t devote space here to listing its features, suffice to say that it does everything they say, and it does it well. If you check my Twitter you’ll see that it can tweet when you start and finish your ride. HOW COOL IS THAT?! It even uses less battery power than Fitnio. You hear that, Fitnio? You suck so hard.

The one flaw I saw was that it clocked my first couple of miles at around 79 mph, which isn’t entirely accurate. 7.9 mph would be closer. I’ll give it a pass though, because when I started out it warned me that the GPS signal was weak. Fortunately it allows the user to change any stats it records, so I scrubbed my amazing but untrue top speed from the record.

Oh and by the way, riding’s going well… Missed a couple of weeks because of jury duty, equipment failure, and weather (I will NOT ride in the rain, I don’t care if that makes me a wuss). But today was great, the weather is steadily improving, and I won’t have jury duty again for at least a year. Expect to see some more frequent rides tweeted, thanks Cyclemeter!

Tags: cyclemeter, equipment, fitnio, iphone