ONE DOWN- ONE TO GO...............

Yes, for not really being a runner (I sort of feel like a cyclist incognito), I am pleased with running the San Francisco 1/2 marathon today in 2:12...I know, it's not very fast, but hell I'm no runner, I ride bikes, and just decided to take up this running thing cause I had to be off bicyling for 5 months while my stooooopid scaphoid needed a rest. To train, I never ran more than 2x a week and since I've been back on my bikes for about 6 weeks, I've been cycling more than running...But I got a fairly decent aerobic base and pain threshold, so I knew I wasn't going to be fast but then again I knew I could do it at that pace.

My friend, Dana she's a REAL CHAMPION. She's never done any kind of crazy event like this before and really hasn't been training for it all that long. Apparently at about mile 6 she had a hip flexor tweek but she hobbled all the way to the finish line. Afterwards, she could barely walk...But she did it. Congrats to her. she's much better off than the woman who came in behind me. As she passed the finish, it looked like she tripped and as she fell on to the man ahead, it was clear she had a convulsion of some sort. I immediately stopped and another man was tending to her as the Medic came running over. I hope she's ok.

Well, I got one more 1/2 marathon I commited to (next sunday in Juneau, Alaska) . Then it's all biking once again!!!

Don't get me wrong, I'm amazed and very respectful of those who are runners in body and heart. I have a hard time grasping that someone can run sub 6 minute mile for 26 or even 13, but they exist and more power to them. But then again, I have a hard time grasping someone can cycle in Hors Catogorie climbs in the Alpes at 18 MPH too...

Nonetheless, I am apreciative of being able to bike, run, walk, dance and use my body to it's fullest and plan to as long as it allows me to.......

IT'S BAAACK........

I know the rest of this state has been blazing with record high temperatures and people have been literally melting, but San Francisco has stayed relatively cool throughout the past couple weeks.

But today , summer really hit. It rained. Ok, a meteorologist might call it dense thick fog with a heavy mist, but come on, that's just a nice way to say rain.

I got out the door on the bike about 7:45 and by the time I got to Sausalito, me and my bike were wet. I expected to see the sun breaking through once I crossed the bridge (like it usually does) but to no avail. I now wondered why I was wearing a sleevless jersey and no arm/legwarmers and obvioulsy so were all the other cyclists who looked at me like I was crazy. Oh well, what's a bit of wetness, at least it wasn't cold. I did however see people in rainjackets, a few pedestrians with umbrellas and started to feel underdressed. Oh well, I should have known better. It's summer in San Francisco!

HaHaHaHa, I couldn't resist this one.....

WHAT IS THE POINT? DOPING SUCKS 101.........

Although I want to give the accused the benefit of the doubt and want to believe there has been some snafu in the testing procedures combined with effects of the OK'd medication allowed for his other conditions (nacrotic hip, thyroid imbalance mixed with a bit of Jack Daniels and beer), it's hard not being skeptical. I want to believe he's clean but then again it's hard to believe that any of those guys at the top level of the pro peleton are clean. Or just about any Elite level Sport. I've spoken to Olympic level track and field athletes who confided they had to make a choice if they wanted to compete at the top level.

Even when I was competing at the amateur level bodybuilding contests and championships, the doping was rampant and it was certainly obvious who was on the juice. I was fortunate that I had no interest in going pro so drugs were not an option. However it was certainly frustrating going to competions after dilligently dieting for 6 months, working so hard practicing flexing and keeping my muscles looking taut when a juiced up girl would walk in and not even have to isometrically contract to show each cut. It seemed so unfair, but hey that's the name of the game and I knew that no matter what, I could go home knowing I achieved mine with hard work and discipline.

Nonetheless, I have read the many speculative articles regarding the testing procedures blah blah blah, and no doubt there can be mistakes and errors in the testing procedures.. BUT if there is a mistake and I hope so, will it truely erase the scarlet letters placed on Floyd's TDF win? D-O-P-E-R

But, if he is proven doping, will it stop the Peleton from abusing performance enhancing drugs or will they just get smarter about masking them?

Let's see what the B sample shows before we all condemn FL........

WHY IS IT THAT

there is nothing worse than getting the "evil eye"?

We all have heard that saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"...Yeah, but What about the evil eye? where does that one come in the picture?

Apparently the concept of the Evil Eye and the curses it brings is prevolent in many ancient cultures especially the Mediteranean and spread throughout Europe. No worries, there are plenty of talismans that can conteract the effects...

Hey, today it's just a way to express disgust. Nothing needs to be said when you get or give that eye.....So next time some car cuts you off or somebody does some stupid move while you're on your bike, refrain from cursing and just give "the eye"..who knows, if they don't have the right talisman, they may be up s**t creek.

NOT TO BE MISSED ........

Chicano Visions - American Painters on the Verge is Cheech Marin's personal collection of chicano art and is currently on display at the DeYoung Museum and is certainly worth the trip to see it. This show has been touring the country for the past year and is quite monumental as it is the first time all these artists works have been highlighted in museums.

This artist- George Yepes born in Tijuana and raised in east LA beat all the odds. He grew up by a hard street life of poverty and gang violence and managed to rise above. He is self taught and was one of the most prolific painters/muralists of the 70's. His 28 murals are now landmarks in Los Angeles and he started a free mural painting academy for low income students who's 21 murals have also become landmarks in LA.

He is just one artist showcased in Chicano Visions. In addition to the art, their are two other exhibits, Chicano Now and Chicano Encounters both equally interesting.. I liked it so much I am definitely going back :)

OOH-LA-LA

So today I'm out on my bike doing my build back training program climbing hills in the heat, remembering how much easier it used to be when I fitter but I'm determined to get back there.

So I'm done with the efforts and now just have to cruise back to the City and for once the cool Pacific breeze is welcomed.

Since it's a fantastic day there are hordes of cyclists: lots of scary tourists riding bikes that don't fit them, mixed with the racing regulars, as well as all the local yahoos who own any and every sort of bicycle and only emerge when the weather is amiable.

At one point a guy rides up to me and introduces himself as one of the local team founders and asks me if I like being a Velo Bella and wanted to know if I'd join his team. In my head I was thinking "Are you a nut case" but with my tongue I explained the wonderful camradery of belonging to an All Women's bike team that is so diversified and supportive of all women bicyclists no matter how experienced/fit/focused one is. That I joined because I was previously on a local co-ed team and felt the womens team was very haphazard, had no one I could really learn from, and I desired the opportunity to be exposed to a greater number of experienced and accomplished racers/riders. There is no pressure to win, just do your best and keep learning.
He then agreed and said his team is just like that. I asked him how many women were there and he replied 8 but 7 of them are triathletes. I smiled and said "that's great" but still thought he was a nut case to even ask.... :)

Velo Bella Rules! I look forward to racing again.

It took one hell of a focused, determined athlete with a deteriorated hip to take this years TDF!

This grueling 3 week epic race is the ultimate challenge and chews and spits out even the healthiest atheletes, so Floyd's success is even more so.

Now he has to get a hip replacement. Let's hope his surgery and rehab go smoothly and that he can return to cycling at an elite level. But no matter what, he will still be a TDF Champion! Congrats Floyd! Or as Phonak director sportif John Lelangue was saying in Floyd's earpiece "good boy Floyd, good boy Floyd, good boy Floyd " :)

FROM ONE DAY TO THE NEXT:




Once again sheer determination, mental and physical fortitude overcame the odds. Everyone wrote him off after his "bad day" on Wednesday. Even he doubted his chance (for at least an hour). Some how he had a turn-aound. I'm sure knowing you are going to have a hip replacement and really not knowing the overall implications toward a professional cycling career afterward may have been a factor. I'm sure there were many. Giving thanks to his team, Floyd said " I was very disappointed yesterday, for a little while. Then I thought about it and my team has worked very hard for me to get here. For me to have a bad day was something I couldn't control. But today I thought, I could at least show them that I could keep fighting. No matter what, whether I win or not, I'm going to prove to my team that I deserved to be a leader. I didn't expect that I could do it quite that well. I thought they might be a bit disorganised if I attacked that early. You saw what happened."

All I know is that it's inspirational to see someone dig way deep and come back on top. Give everything they got for their dreams, their commitments to their teammates, families and of course their own aspirations.

We need more Floyds out there........

BAD ASS:

WHAT DRAMA!

This TDF has certainly been unpredictable. From the last minute drug scandal main player disqualifications to today's climbing stage debacle, it is certainly not boring. I was disheartened to see Floyd drop today and lose his big chance of taking the Yellow Jersey. But that's bike racing. May the Best, Strongest, Smartest, and Mentally toughest man win!

I still hope Floyd can at least reduce his time and place a bit higher in the GC.

WILL HE DO IT????

Just a few more stages left!

CORE STRENGTH TRAINING AND CYCLING:

The Neuromuscular Research Laboratory (NMRL) located within the University of Pittsburg Center for Sports Medicine is currently doing research on a number of cycling related topics. One in particular is testing the effects of a core strengthening program on cycling mechanics and pedaling efficiency in competitive cylists.

Thirty competitive cyclists will be randomized to either an intervention (core training) or control group and undergo 8 weeks of training. Testing will consist of riding on a treadmill at a speed of 16 mph with the incline increasing 1% every three minutes until exhaustion as indicated by the subject. Outcome measures will include joint kinematics and pedaling efficiency and will be recorded during the last thirty seconds of each three minute phase as well as strength testing of the torso. The cycling mechanics and pedaling efficiency tests and strength tests will take place at time 0-weeks and 8-weeks.

The study's hypothesis is that cyclists who integrate the core strengthening program will improve their cycling mechanics, be more resistant to core fatigue, and improve pedaling efficiency as compared to the control group.

From what I've seen, I think the outcome will be positive. I am curious to see what "core exercises" will be performed. Riding my bike on a treadmill? I think I'll stick to the road :)

Ok, I'm a bit biased but......

Cycling is superior to running! Don't get me wrong I admire those athletes who excel at bipedal motion generating the power to accelerate their mass repetitively over a distance...

But I'd rather be on my bike :) However I tried to embrace the discipline while being on the bicycle "injured reserve" just for the challenge of seeing if I could reconsider my outlook and perhaps learn to enjoy it...ah nooooo. I can deal with it, especially 5-10k, but it is sooooooo boring. so here I am, now commited to running a couple of 1/2 marathons and all I can think of is I can't wait to be done and get back training on my bike fulltime! HaHa! Maybe I can run sideways, backwards, skip, hop or do jumping jacks through some of it..Come to think of it, I saw a guy the other day running downtown as he skipped rope..(Very odd)

Do you think they will allow me to bike the 1/2 marathons? :)

WHAT SOME DO TO BE "THE GREATEST"

One Recipie:
Mix Focus, Dedication, Tolerance for Suffering, Lots of Sweat, Exertion, Self Induced Pain, Mental Fortitude, Getting Humbled, Stepping Back, Going Forward, Not giving Up, with Accepting Incremental Changes, Patience, Positive Attitude, Perserverance with a cup of Reality Check...

Toss together, let gel until Ultimate Progress and Exhiliration Set in.....after cooling top with lack of pretention

Can take longer in some than others.....

FUN WITH A FIXED GEAR BIKE : The Joys of riding a Fixie.....

If you live in San Francisco, you see them everywhere, most of the time ridden by young trendy tattoed skinny hipsters with rolled up jeans and a U-lock in their back pocket. Somehow, along the way the fixed gear bike became vogue.

Whatever! These bikes have been riden for years by track racers, road racers working on their techninque (strength and spin) as well as bike messengers and old school cylists who just enjoy the purity of the fixed gear.

Me: I just enjoy the simplicity of one gear, the constant need to focus on the terrain and environment. The need to stay sharp and NEVER forget to pedal. I have a front brake (and use it) but "purists" go no brakes and simply rely on slowing the pedals down with their legs (backpedaling) or skidding their back tire to break.

It's also a great tool for my "comeback" training as it can be a great combination of strength work and super high RPM's in one workout. My coach has incorporated quite a bit of fixed gear riding in my rebuild program and I'm enjoying spending time spinning and grinding :) I know it will bring both increased strength as well as help build the neurological pathways for my legs to be able to handle higher RPM's.....

So if you see me out there flying down a hill with my legs spinning away, refrain from yelling "SHIFT, SHIFT" cause I can't :)

FLOYD!!!!!!

Yellow suits him. :)

Scaphoid woes..............

I don't wish this break on anybody as it is one tough MoFo to heal....Apparently mine might be nacrotic as my latest Xray (that one is not mine) shows the proximal end may be dead. The bone graft is keeping the bone in tact and so far no problem but who knows???????

At this point, I just have to wait and see. Enjoy getting on my bikes, using my hand/arm as much as I can but be a bit cautious...Like everything else in this world, there are no guarantees, so I just have to be positive, make intelligent decisions, and enjoy each day. Then see what's dealt later... Hey maybe in the future, medicine will have perfected the titanium schapoid replacment. :)

WHAT DO THESE FOLKS HAVE IN COMMON??????

Ok, two out of three are/were professional athletes and the other, well she's my 83 year old Mom.. You may ask, what is she doing there??? Well, Bo Jackson and my Mom had hip replacemant surguries and now Floyd Landis discloses he will have one once the Tour de France is over!!! Mama Mia!!

From what I know from helping my Mom pre and post her hip replacement, the pain is excruciating. (and she is no weakling for pain) This old school hard working woman went as long as possible dealing with the pain and stiffness before she become incapacitated and finally consented to sugery. Both Bo Jackson and Floyd Landis had tramatic sport related accidents that led to avascular necrosis (a disease resulting from the temporary or permanent loss of the blood supply to the bones). Bo returned to professional sports after a year off and still had great power but apparently had lost his blazing speed. So, what about Landis???? Will this be his last year as a pro cyclist?

Besides my Mom, I've known quite a few others (most 50 years old and up) who've had successful hip replacements, but in no way are they capeable of hardcore athletic training. However they all say it was the best thing they could have done and their quality of life has returned.

Hmmmm, I hope Floyd wins the TDF so at least if he is forced to retire becuase of his hip, he will have the accolade of a Tour de France Champion.....Obviously he can endure pain. Hey, I guess we can look at it this way: a titanium hip saves weight and could give him a better "aero" position :)
Good Luck Floyd!

SOME CALL..
Dave Zabriskie and Floyd Landis the "Beavis and Butthead" of pro cycling...And from what I read, they are quite hilarious. I think it's time that as Bob Roll puts it, "The Tour Day France" has a couple of light hearted contenders.

Although they are serious about their cycling, they seem to have fun all the while... Lancy Pants was so serious, and serious he had to be as he created an army of a support team that dominated the TDF for 7 personal wins. Bravo! But, hey it's refreshing to see/read some comic relief by two heavy hitters.

I'm hoping they (Floyd & David) both podium.... As Bevis and Butthead would say "We're there dude"................

IN MY DREAMS..........

In the 1980's, Flo-jo was quite an inspiration to me. Even though I've never been a great runner, her speed, elegance, athletisim and femininity certainly had an impact on my own athletic endeavors. I knew I could push hard, and for me back then, it was with mountain biking, and at that point, I only knew of a handful or less of local serious mountain bike women. (Remember it was the 80's)

Flo-jo broke lots of records and looked cool doing it (ok maybe she was using performance enhancing drugs) but that's a whole other topic to blog :)

All I know is that she made having muscle and working hard still look feminine and for those of us women who happen to be more mesomorphic, it was a breath of fresh air.

As to running, well I certainly can't wait until August 5th when I will run my second (and hopefully last 1/2 marathon) this summer....My cycling legs are hungry and not quite to happy with this running thing. The bike is my true love, always was and always will be. So soon, it will gladfully be goodbye running shoes, and full time cycling cleats!!!

I LOVE MY BIKE :)

I am so happy to be back riding and getting my bike fitness back. Although I tried to keep myself as fit as possible during the 5 month layoff, it was still eye opening when I got back on the "real" bike. Wow, nothing simulates the hills or the motivation to keep the pace up with others as well as the overall handling like being out on the road.

It's been about 3 weeks now that I've been training and it feels like I'm slowing coming back. It's amazing what we take for granted when we do something regularly and apply some effort. At that point, it almost seems easy :)

It's apparent now that I have a lot of work to do to get back there but I know it's coming back and that feels good! Nonetheless, I appreciate being able to be back riding, breathing/gasping the summer air, getting a farmers tan, dodging bee stings, avoiding broken glass, skipping past pot holes and flailing past people opening parked car doors....Ah yes road cycling rules!

CORE STRENGTH AND POWER REVISITED!

I can't reiterate enough the importance of keeping the Core musculature strong. For most people, who work in a not so active vocation, it's easy for those muscles to get weak and lazy. If the muscles don't have to recruit, why should they? Hey, the brain is a smart and efficient organ. If you don't use it, you lose it.

Likewise for those people who are more active and perhaps participate in some sports or workout reguarly, don't neglect the core!

We generally think of the abdominals as "the core" but don't forget about strengthening the glutes! They are the "powerhouse" muscles that support the lower back and hamstrings and where lots of power is generated. Another core area to think about is the musculature surrounding the scapula (the trapesius; upper and lower, the serratus anterior and the rhomboids.)

Adding in some cable woodchops, lunges in various planes of motion, stability ball planks and pushups, one leg deadlifts with opposite arm pulls are all examples of effective core srtength exercises. If you'd like more information, send me an email :)
nfarzan@mindspring.com

WHAT ABOUT FA-LOYD!

Ok, after stage 3 in the TDF, Floyd is 7th in the GC. I think he has a chance of making this a good show. We shall see when we hit the mountains. Since Basso and Ulrich are gone, some say it's Georgy's turn, but I'm rooting for Floyd and if he wins, he better pop a wheelie's right and left :)

I wanna be like Al... Well maybe not, but he sure is a mean mo' fo' who gets the job done. What the heck does Deadwood have to do with fitness anyway??

Not a lot but it's a great show to watch AFTER you're done working out.....Yes, I do watch a wee bit of TV besides the TDF...Hey it's all about balance :)

COULD HAVE USED THIS TODAY :)

Ok, I've been back on the bike for nearly 3 weeks and slowly adding distance and intenisty. Even though I know I've been off the bike completely for 5 months and before that really didn't ride with the same kind of intensity that I was when racing after that dam crash at Pescadero. Since being on the Injured Reserve for 1 year, I know I have a lot of work ahead of me to get back to that kind of shape. I certainly am humbled on a daily basis. Today was no different.

I rode with my friend this morning who has been training and racing quite well this year since February...I guess people in shape forget what it's like to be out of shape cause he thought I was just doggin' it and at one point says "well at least you should get your HR to 140!" I sadly look down at my monitor and explain "ah, it's at 160 right now." I realized I was frustrating him but nonetheless, he lighted up and was kind enough to ride circles around me, try to give me slingshot pushes up the Bolinas Fairfax climb, and wait at the summits for this pathetic out of shape - once in shape bike gal. Yeh, yeh, yeh, I used to do that, I just to be this....No more used to be's. It's time to move forward but it's hard not to look back.

I got to remind myself, just like I do with my clients: Be patient, be consistent and don't give up. I will be back....