Preparations for Buckeye Bridge Ride

I'm scheduled to ride a 68 mile bike ride called the Buckeye Bridge Ride in Southwest Ohio next weekend.  This was my first organized ride on my new bike last year and I couldn't wait to register for it this year.  I've been working up to larger distances so far this year so that I'd be prepared to ride 68 miles on this ride.  Already this year, I have logged over 230 miles.  That is more than half what I rode all year last year and I haven't even started my organized rides.

Last weekend, I was able to get out and ride 57 miles.  It was a perfect day to ride because it was warm, dry, and there was practically no wind.  The only thing I felt went wrong was that I ran out of water around 3/4 of the way through the ride.  That's why I like organized rides with food/beverage stops!   My local bike shop gave me a sample of Sportlegs to help with my leg cramps, so I'm looking forward to trying that.  Cramps are my biggest challenge on my longer distance rides.

I need to clean up my bike for next weekend.  My chain has picked up a lot of dirt, so I really need to clean it and oil it. I also need to change my front tube because the stem broke.  It's holding air, but I don't want to risk a long ride with a broken stem.  The only other thing I have debated is getting a hotel the night before the ride.  It's almost a two and a half hour drive and I'd have to leave by 5am to get a good early start so that I can finish early in the afternoon.  I'm also hoping for good weather because right now, the forecast is for showers.  

Hair Loss

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Dad Central Consulting for Viviscal. I received product samples and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

I think everyone knows a man in their life who is experiencing either hair thinning or hair loss.  For me, I knew at a young age I'd probably lose my hair earlier in life than I wanted to.  My dad has a little hair above his ears and on the lower part of the back of his head.  I began losing my hair very early in high school.  I was a little bit embarrassed by that and had hair cuts that left the bangs long enough to cover my ever-growing forehead.  My 7 year old son has pointed out in looking at our wedding pictures that I had hair.  My brother also is starting to see a receding hairline, but not as much as myself and my dad.

I currently have about the same amount of hair as my dad.  My hair has pretty much evacuated the top of my head, although I do have what I refer to as fuzz on the top of my head.  It just never gets long enough to actually be called hair.  I keep my hair trimmed as short as I can with a trimmer because it looks really funny if I let it grow out.  I've even considered shaving to the skin just so it doesn't look so weird.  My wife doesn't seem to mind my hair loss, though, and I've pretty much accepted it.  When I see older men with full heads of hair, I do get jealous of that.

There's something about a man with a full head of hair that makes him appear more knowledgeable or maybe just younger.  And in the movies, you always see the women running their fingers through a man's hair.  My wife will run her hands over my head, but there's really no hair to run her fingers through.  I wouldn't say I feel less attractive, but have aspired for a full head of hair.  I've never really considered putting money into getting my hair back though.

Viviscal is now producing two new products: Viviscal Man and Viviscal Hair Filler Fibers.  Viviscal Man is formulated to nourish thinning hair and promote existing hair grown from within.  This is a tablet that men can take twice a day for a minimum of 3-6 months.  I've been trying these and they are very easy to swallow and don't have a funky taste.  You can buy Viviscal Man at Walgreen's, Duane Reade, and Rite Aid, along with Viviscal's website for $49.99.

Viviscal Hair Filler Fibers are a solution for last minute touch ups.  The Hair Filler Fibers contain microscopic, electrostatically charged fibers, which stick to the hair and create a volumizing appearance while instantly making thinning hair look thicker and fuller.  I have my hair cut really short right now, so I haven't tried the filler fibers yet.  Now through July, you can get a 10% discount at Walgreens.com using promo code "VIVISCALMAN".

Cycling for Ice Cream

I've kind of started a new habit when cycling.  The past two rides I've done, I have stopped half way for ice cream.  Last weekend, I had the whole weekend to myself, so I looked on www.ridewithgps.com for a route of around 40 miles starting near my home.  I had just found this site and was surprised by the number of routes logged on there.  I found a route that was about 39 miles, starting a couple miles from home, so I knew it'd be about a 43 mile ride.  The best part was that an ice cream stop was noted on the map.

I printed off a cue sheet and headed out.  One thing I hadn't paid attention to on the map was that it zig zagged back and forth across the interstate, meaning I climbed multiple overpasses.  Hey, it was good practice for the hills of the Buckeye Bridge Ride that I'm registered to ride on June 22.  I actually felt really good on this ride, although I did experience some cramping in the final 15 miles.  The nice part was that with the clipless pedals, I was able to pull up on the pedals instead of pushing, which used muscles I wasn't experiencing cramping in.

I'm not sure I'll be able to get out and ride this weekend as they are predicting heavy storms all weekend.  I really want to work up to a 60 mile ride soon to make sure I won't have any problem completing the 60+ mile route at the Buckeye Bridge Ride.  I rode the 48 mile route last year as my first ever organized distance ride.  With a wrong turn, it turned into 55, so I figure I should be able to complete the 68 (?) mile route without too much problem now that I'm in better shape.

One thing I've realized is that I may need a new pair of padded shorts and some more cycling jerseys since I'm scheduled to ride a 3 day ride in the Shipshewana, Indiana area in August.  Mostly because it's difficult to wash the shorts and get them completely dry overnight.  Secondly, because I feel like the padding in my current shorts is starting to lose its comfort.  I have around 650 miles on this pair of shorts.  I don't know how long they are supposed to last, but it sure feels, to my butt, like the pad is worn out.  The hardest part is deciding on what to buy.  My local bike shop only carries one type of shorts, but online, sites like Nashbar and Performance Bike have what seems like hundreds of choices.  I'd really like to find a shop that has several different types I could try on to be sure they'll fit and be comfortable.

Clipless Pedal Fun

Well, I've had my clipless pedals and shoes for a couple weeks now, but wasn't able to get out and ride for several reasons.  I've been busy with out-of-town business meetings, it's been raining on the days I could ride, and I've been fighting a sinus issue for over a week.

Yesterday, Sunday, I decided I needed to ride.  It was eating away at me having such great weather and me being stuck inside.  We went to visit my parents and I decided to ride home from their house.  This was a 28.5 mile ride with the route I planned, so I knew I should be able to complete it without too much problem. A couple things made it harder than it should have been.  I had to get used to the clipless pedals and I was still struggling a little to breathe with the sinus issues.

I've read about and talked to quite a few people about clipless pedals and how to use them.  Most people let me know that I WOULD fall at some point using the clipless pedals.  I did pretty good.  My first complete stop for water, I had a tough time getting clipped back in and almost laid the bike over.  Then, I was good until I reached my last turn at a stop sign.  I unclipped my right foot, put it out to land on, stopped, lost my balance, and started to fall to the left.  My left foot came unclipped as I began to gain my balance back and I ended up just laying the bike down in the road.

So, I made it home injury free and the bike wasn't damaged when I laid it over.  Within a couple hours of getting home, I started fighting a headache though.  I think it was related to me not relaxing my shoulders enough when I ride.  This morning, I woke up feeling pretty blah.  I have sore muscles I've never noticed after a ride before.  My thought is that this is probably because being clipped in to the pedal allowed me to use different muscles to push through hills and wind gusts.

I think it's going to take me a while to get completely used to clipping and unclippling with the pedals, but hopefully, I'm done with the "falling" now.  I'm getting ready to send in my registration for a 4-H fundraiser that is a Covered Bridge Tour out of Eaton, Ohio.  This was my first long ride on my new bike last year.  I loved it, although it kicked my butt.  I'm looking to push through now that I have a little experience on the bike now and complete the 64 mile route.  At the very least, I want to complete the 49 mile route.

I'm still trying to decide if I prefer riding alone or with other riders.  The organized rides are kind of fun because there are planned SAG food/drink stops and it is fun to talk with other riders a little bit.  At the same time, I'm rather antisocial with people I don't know, so riding solo is often more enjoyable for me.  There's a group in town that does organized rides.  I asked to be added to their email list, but haven't gotten anything yet.  This would probably be the best opportunity to make some local contacts and get out and ride with a group more often.

Bicycle Repair and New Pedals and Shoes

A friend of mine, Kim, who blogs at ilaxSTUDIO, asked today if I found out what was wrong with my tire in my last post.  I actually did.  I took it to the local bike shop, Crankers Cycling, explaining that this was the first time I've had to deal with any bicycle problems.  The helpful employee explained that bike tires are a lot like a car tire in that they have belts in them.  I most likely broke several belts in my tire, causing it to bulge.  He also explained that this could have been much worse had it been a front tire and had it blown out.

They sold me a new tire and let me go back into the work area to show me how to change a tube and tire.  I went ahead and got a spare tube because I had recently broken the stem on my front tube and had to replace it too.  I also got my new cycling shoes and had the clips for my new clipless pedals installed.  I haven't had time to actually practice clipping and unclipping from the pedals.  I'm too nervous to ride on city streets until I'm comfortable with getting out of the pedals.  I'm hoping I can get out this weekend to practice.

In other news, it's May and that means lots of out of town business conferences and meetings.  I don't like it much, but at the same time, I do learn a lot at all of these.  Besides that, the new baby is keeping us all busy. Jonah is 6 weeks old now.  It's been challenging after 7 years to get used to having a baby again.