Tuesday May 11th

Back on the bike!
After being off the bike for a week due to illness, it was tough to get started again. Met some friends at the St. Marks Trail and off we went. It’s so much easier for me to ride with other folks than on my own b/c it makes me accountable. I’ve told someone I’ll be there, then I need to be there! We did 20 miles just down the trail and back. It was good to be back in the swing of things. June 5th is getting closer and closer! We’ve decided we’re just going to enjoy ourselves and ride as long as we can ride – with the goal of 100 miles of course!

If you’ve had an illness or injury and been out of your routine, the first time back is the hardest. You’ve got a mental struggle to start again and a physical struggle for your muscles to remember what to do. Just do it! I felt so much better after the ride and got some of the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.

Saturday May 1st

Tough day

Our goal for the ride today was 60-65 miles (slowly working our way up to 100 by increasing our long rides by 5-10 miles each weekend). It was a tough day. I didn’t have “good legs” and was really struggling on the hills. A lot of it’s mental, but I’m a recreational cyclist, so training for this century is one of the hardest physical things I’ve ever done.

We made it through the first 55 miles and then another rider took a bad fall. She hit a wet spot in the rode and skidded out. Some very nice people stopped while we were tending to her, and they helped get one of our riders back to their car so we could get my injured friend to urgent care. She needed internal and external stitches over her eye, had a sprained wrist, and bruises/road rash all down the left side of her body. Another good samaritan that lived near the accident brought us some ice packs while we were waiting. Thankfully there were no cars involved.

If you ride, then you are going to fall. It’s just inevitable and gravity is not your friend. The odds are against you. But learn how to fall correctly. I know that sounds weird, but tuck in a try to roll with the fall. Never extend your arms to break your fall or you will surely break your collar bone.

My friend is determined to not let this get her down and plans to get back on the bike as soon as possible to keep riding toward that century. Rebecca – you’re my hero!

Thursday April 29th

Got in a short late-night one-hour ride at Southwood. I hadn’t ridden in a week due to weather, obligations and plain old laziness! But I had fresh legs and had a good ride. There are some good hills in Southwood. Again, the only way to get better at hills is to do them – remember full, round circles! (and don’t focus on the pain ?).

We are doing a 60-65 mile ride this weekend. 62 miles is my longest ride, so we may pass that! I’m excited. Nervous, but excited. I’m going to be stocked up on water and snacks and ready to go! I just might be able to finish this 100-mile ride and live to tell about it…

Thursday April 20th

Rain, rain go away. Come again another day.

It’s been raining here in Tally. So haven’t been doing much training. Did get in a beautiful evening ride tonight. Just a short 50 minutes (which in our minds rounds up to an hour !?). Got in a few hills and a little bit of speed.

We’re working on pace lines and drafting so we increase our speed, but decrease the amount of energy needed. My turtle pace is actually speeding up a little bit! The 100-mile ride is going to be a long day for us, but we’re making progress!

Saturday April 15th

58 miles!!

So from now until the Ride for Hope, it’s all about time on the bike. Gotta get the mileage in and endurance up. We rode 58 miles today in some of the prettiest areas of Tallahassee. Lots of farms, horses, and cows to look at as distractions to any discomfort on the bike. We even had some horses run along a fence-line with us!

Hydration and nutrition are key in long rides. Every few minutes, do a check of your position form, drink a sip or two, and remember to stand and get out of the saddle.

It was a hard ride, but very rewarding – next we’re cranking it up to 60-65 miles heading to our goal of 100!

Wednesday April 14th

Had a nice hour-long ride in Southwood tonight. My friend and I solved all the world’s problems in that hour. We were talking away when we realized “hey – we gotta get home!”. I love cycling in that in can be social or solitary. My mood usually depends on which way I go.

There are some good hills in Southwood – was working on complete circles with the pedal strokes. Man it makes a difference!

I have decided to do a 75 mile ride on May 15th – will be good preparation for the Ride for Hope. The 5/15 ride is the Ride to Remember in Gainesville that benefits ElderCare and Alzheimer’s Day Care. A cause near and dear to my heart as my father has dementia/Alzheimer’s. This one’s for you – dad!

Tuesday April 13th

Got in a nice 30-mile ride in tonight – went down to the beautiful St. Marks coastal area. Was reminded again of how lucky we are in Tallahassee to have such great areas to ride.

It was mostly a flat ride (which I like!) and was a great way to end the day. I had a tough day emotionally and riding with this wonderful group of people was exactly what I needed. Thank you, ladies!

It’s less than two months to the ride. I’m really excited. Actually wish it could be here sooner.

It’s all about mileage from now until the event. Gotta get those cumulative miles on the bike to have the endurance for 100-miles - we’re probably going to be on the bike for a good 7 hours or so for the Ride for Hope…

Saturday April 10th and Sunday April 11th

Beautiful weekend in Tallahassee

Had a great 45-mile ride on Saturday and a 24-mile ride on Sunday. It’s all about cumulative miles from now until the event. My goal is short rides Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with longer rides on Saturday and Sunday. Working on hydration and nutrition during the long rides. I always carry chocolate GU with me for some quick sugar.

Saturday was a good test in that I had two flat tires on the ride, so had to change the tubes. I need to get better at bike maintenance. My goal is to be able to fix minor things myself and always know how to change a flat and have the right tools with me. A huge Thank You to Russ and Robin for being “coaches”. Your knowledge and experience is invaluable.

Both rides had hills and flats, so was a good mix.

Monday will be a rest day – gotta give my muscles time to rebuild.

Wednesday April 7th

Back to Southwood

Had a great 17.5 mile ride in Southwood tonight. (Have you noticed I either put the time or the distance of the ride? I put the one that makes me feel the best!) Our fearless leader took us on a hilly route so we could get some hard work. She threatened hill repeats, but we talked her out of it! ? I really enjoy the short mid-week rides – it’s good for getting in a few more miles and great for decompressing from the day. This weekend we’re planning for a 50-mile ride. I’m excited!! It’s beautiful weather – get out and enjoy!!

Tuesday April 6th

Working on my weak areas

Upper body strength is one of my weak areas along with hill riding. I HATE hills. So note to self: when your trainer asks what’s the hardest part of riding and you say hills – there’s a good chance you’re going to be doing interval hills on a spin bike for an hour! Well, not really an hour, but it sure felt like it was. But the only way to get stronger is to keep doing those things that hurt the most. We then moved on to some lunges, dead lifts, leg extensions, ab pull-ups and back extensions. I can definitely tell that I’m toning my muscles, still not losing much in the way of inches off my waist, but that will come with the cardio from the longer rides that we are now starting. We’ve got to be up to at least an 80-mile ride before the event - and that’s less than two months away…

Monday April 5th

Rest Day

Today is a rest day for me. The 3 main components to cycling training are: eat, sleep and ride.

So I enjoyed my rest day, and my body feels stronger for it today.

Don’t forget to rest. Over-training won’t help you at all!

Sunday April 4th

Happy Easter! My dear friend, Rebecca, and I celebrated Easter with a 37-mile bike ride. We even saw a bunny on the ride – so we thought that had to be good luck on Easter. This was our longest ride yet, and while the 1st half for me was really tough, I was able to finish strong. I have always needed a long warm-up period to get my legs comfortable. We’re hoping this works for the century ride – first 50-miles is tough, but the last 50 is easier!!

Learned a lesson – don’t always trust Map Quest! Rebecca had plotted out the ride for us, but one of the roads was a dirt road, so we improvised with a little different route.

Lots of hills on the ride – unfortunately the only way to get better at hills is to suffer through riding them. So our new mantra is “we love hills!?!?!?!”

Less than 2 months from the event, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. Very excited, but nervous. I just can’t imagine what it’s going to feel like at the finish line!

Thursday April 1st

It was torture day at the gym! Squats w/ weights, hamstring machines, step-up w/ weights, ab crunches on an exercise ball , one-leg dead lifts (just try to keep you balance doing these!), ab planks on a bosu ball (again, just trying to keep your balance is this is an exercise!), ab knee-lifts and back extensions. My legs were shaking as I was walking out the door! But it was a good strong workout. My trainer says we’ve gotta start increasing the amount of weights next week, so hopefully I’ll survive!! Love that Premier has a Tropical Smoothie Café – I got my favorite Peanut Paradise to get some good protein right away. Looking forward to Easter weekend, great weather and some good bike rides!

Wednesday March 31st

Today was one of those days where you run from one meeting to another and are rushing around. I was able to get to Southwood after work for a 50 minute ride. I figured that was better than nothing! Then ran to a Ride for Hope meeting – there is so much good energy and as we get closer to the event, things are really happening! 2 months until the event – my goal is to get longer rides in during April and May. Need at least an 80-mile run under my belt before the event. I’m excited and nervous, but we’ll make it!

Tuesday March 30th

Finishing what you start

I had the usual mental fight in my head today – “I don’t want to go to the gym but I need to go to the gym”, etc. etc. Thankfully good won over evil, and I met my trainer for an upper body session. We focused on biceps, triceps, back and abs with some jump rope in between for an interval workout.

Then it was upstairs to Nadine’s spin class. Nadine is really good at constantly reminding her class about good form: making complete circles with your pedal strokes (don’t be a masher!), keep your upper body soft and arms loose, your head should be in line with your spine, and drink lots of water. I make an effort on long bike rides to go through this check list every couple of minutes to check my form and keep my mind busy. She brought up that a lot of people start many things, but few ever get finished. This got me thinking of things that I have started, but haven’t completed. Nadine’s also really good to emphasize that her classes are riding as a team. I like that – we’re all in it together!

The staff at Premier are very nice and helpful – I just can’t say enough about them. They always greet you on your way in and out, look you in the eye when they talk to you and when you run into staff around the gym, they always go out of their way to see how you are doing and if you need anything. I so appreciate the attention to customer service.

I am going to finish my goal of this century ride. I am going to finish what I started.

Thursday March 25th

Back at Premier

I had another session with the trainer at Premier. We started with lower body exercises – 3 sets each of : leg press, step-ups, squats and hamstrings with some jump rope mixed in. Then moved on to upper body and abs – 3 sets each of: lateral raises, knee-pullups, and back extensions. When I left – I had a full workout – head to toe!

I’m no expert in exercise or cycling. But I do believe that you need to tailor your program to fit your needs and everyone is different. Always talk to your doctor before starting anything new. My focus is getting prepared for the century, so that’s my goal – what will help me be stronger to complete this crazy ride!

Saturday March 27th

Beautiful spring day in Tallahassee

I started my Saturday ride at 7:30 a.m. with a group of great friends. We did 26.5 miles on an absolutely gorgeous spring day (once it warmed up, it was a bit chilly at the beginning!). Two of the riders are very good and experienced riders. I mean REALLY good! I’ve always been nervous about riding with other people much stronger than I am. I’m very self-conscious about slowing a group down or not keeping up (especially on hills). My motto has always been “if you want to feel better about yourself while riding – come ride with me!”. I finally realized (as many folks have been telling me for years) – it’s really good at times to ride with folks that are stronger on the bike than you are b/c you push yourself a little more and get stronger because of it. I can do a 30-mile bike ride no problem, but I want to do a 100 mile bike-ride which I need to push myself to do.

So push yourself. It’s amazing what the body can do and what you can push through. I have a good feeling about this century ride – we’re gonna make it!

Wednesday March 24th

Rushing Rushing Rushing

I hate rushing. I like to be 5 minutes early to anything and can not stand rushing around. I was late leaving work and rushing to meet some friends for a bike ride. It was the best feeling once I finally fought traffic, made it to Southwood and got on the bike. I had called my girlfriend to say I’d be late – go ahead and start w/out me and come back around to pick me up about 15 minutes late. I rode around the parking lot slowly waiting for them, and it was the best feeling to get on the bicycle and slowly ride for a few minutes. I met up with my friends and had a great hour-long ride. This area has some good hills, so got in some hill work which is one of my weakest areas of riding. The only way to get better is to do them!

Most folks are always rushing, over-worked, over-stressed and over-obligated. It’s hard, but I’m trying to slow down just a little bit, say no a little more and enjoy each day. I think that I need to “be still” more. Enjoy your day – whatever you choose to do with it.

It’s back to the gym tomorrow, so I’m sure I’ll be good and sore for the weekend!

Tuesday March 23rd

St. Marks Trail

Today was a personally draining day for me, so I was very happy to end the day with a good bike ride. Rode with several friends from the St. Marks Trail to the St. Marks Refuge. It was a beautiful day with some great people. Exercise is a big stress reliever for me, so this what just what I needed. We rode 26.5 miles.

This ride is mostly flat, so I really worked on making full complete circles with each pedal stroke. You get more momentum when you not only push down, but pull up on the pedals. It makes riding so much easier. You want to feel as if you are scraping your foot back at the bottom of the stroke and pushing your foot up and over at the top. Full, complete circles.

The other thing I try to work on when I’m riding on flats is remembering to stand and shift positions so my body can stretch and also drinking lots of water. I’m bad about getting focused and forgetting to drink. And if you are constantly remembering to stand and drink – it makes a long, tough ride a little easier to have your mind busy!

Sunday March 21st

RAINY IN TALLY

We had a nice longer, hilly ride planned for this morning, but mother nature had other plans for us. It was raining and cold, so we ditched the ride. I went to Premier instead for a spinning class. This was my first time with this particular instructor and there is only one word for his class – FUN! He had great music, great energy, and the class went by really fast. It was 90% out of the saddle and pedaling to the beat of the music.

Then it was on to see the trainer for more abs and upper body work. We did push-ups, lateral raises, front raises, bicep curls, back exercises, planks and other ab work. I left with a very flush, sweaty face - but feeling really good.

Saturday March 20th

Got in an hour bike ride today with a dear friend. We attempted to solve all the world’s problems on our ride. It’s one of the many perks of cycling, it can be very social or solo – depending on what mood you are in – just get out and ride!

Friday March 19th

I attack my arch nemesis!

Ok, so I’ve been out of my routine over the last several days. I took a rest day, then it turned into several days b/c life just happens – family, traveling, illness, etc. You gotta find your motivation to start again and only look forward not back.

Premier Fitness Center had this great little note about motivation:
Healthy Lifestyle Tip: Staying Motivated
Even the most dedicated exercisers occasionally have a tough time getting motivated. Here are some tips to help maintain your enthusiasm:
Remind yourself how healthy and good you feel after a workout.
Pat yourself on the back after each visit – 85% of the population is sedentary.
Set short-term, realistic goals. These goals can be as simple as getting in a workout three times a week or as personal as fitting into an old pair of jeans.
Recruit a partner. You are less likely to skip a workout if someone is waiting for you.
Don't be hard on yourself. It is ok to miss a workout when exercise is part of your lifestyle.
The important thing is to not let your goals go unfulfilled.

I don’t like to ride my bike from my house. It’s not because of bad roads or traffic/congestion. It’s b/c less than 10 minutes away there is this hill (those of you in Tallahassee know it – the one on Buck Lake Rd) that you have to go over to get anywhere. I have always called this hill my arch nemesis. I hate this hill. I mean I HATE this hill! But it was a gorgeous day, and I just wanted to get out and spin a bit and didn’t want to drive anywhere to ride.

So I left the house already thinking about that hill. I’ve never fallen on this hill (I’ve come close a time or two – I’m not ashamed to admit that once another rider literally put his hand on my back to help keep me moving forward), but I have to go soooo slow, we’re talking 4-5 miles/hr that I’m always amazed that I make it over. But I made it over and feel so much better for doing it.

So my challenge to you is to attack your arch nemesis. I got 21 miles in on a picture perfect day and enjoyed every minute (except for the hill) – and I almost let that hill stop me.

Wednesday March 10th

BACK ON THE BIKE!

Got back on the bike last night for a 19.5 mile ride after work. I have to admit, was hoping for rain, so we wouldn’t have to ride. Why is it always so hard to physically get to the place you are going to exercise at? Once you get there – it’s great, and I always feel better afterwards. Just always seem to always be that mental argument of reasons not to go…

For training for the century ride, it’s all about base miles for me. If you’re just beginning riding, then this would be an example of how NOT to begin training for a century – as in you should have started getting base miles in about 6 months before the event. But we’ve got some base miles under our belt, and our plan is to keep building up miles over the next few months. With the time change this weekend, we’ll be able to get in longer rides during the week.

It was a really good ride with two really good friends. We got to rant about things in each other’s lives and completely decompress from the day. We all left with big smiles.

Keep riding!

Tuesday March 9th

BACK TO THE GYM!

So today was my first day back at the gym since being sick. The plan was to take it easy during a spin class and see my trainer, Jared, for some easier exercises to work my way back into a routine.

Well that lasted all of about 10 minutes. The spin instructor at Premier had great music and was very motivational, so I did a little more than just a light spin! We did 8-minute hills (which doesn’t sound bad unless your on a bike trying to get up that hill). She had Aretha Franklin’s “Deeper Love” blaring and was telling us to imagine all the people that we wanted to carry over each hill. Carry them for physical reasons, emotional, mental, etc. I’ve had a tough year with a lot of battles, and it was very moving (literally and figuratively) for me. I took all the people that I loved and cared about, worried for and wanted for over those hills. Great spin class!

So I took a quick break and grabbed my favorite smoothie at the Tropical Smoothie Café in Premier. I’m scared to look at the nutritional information of the Peanut Paradise smoothie b/c I’m addicted to them. I’m sure anything that I worked off in spinning came right back on, but hey – a girl’s gotta eat and nutrition is important darn it!

Then is was on to see Jared. I must have looked rough b/c he asked if I just needed to stop for the night and go on home, but I said no – I’m here and want to get in a little more work so it was on to shoulders and upper body.

As I’ve said before, my core and upper body are my weakest areas. But for cycling they are very important. You need a strong core to hold up the majority of your upper body so that you don’t put too much pressure down your arms and on to the bike handles. This can cause upper neck pain, upper back pain and numbness in your arms and hands.

So we did lateral raises, front raises, bicep curls, one-arm rows (I even used what I call the “big kids” weights – the ones that are heavier and have the huge round ends), upright rows (started with the “big kids” weights” and that lasted all of one row!), 2 tricep exercises and 2 machines for the upper back. We moved on to some crunches and ab work. I lasted through 2 more exercises before my body said enough for the night!

It’s easy to over-train, especially when you are first starting out or trying to get back into your routine. Slow and steady wins the race. This is a bike marathon, not a sprint. So be sure to listen to your body!

I want to thank Premier for sponsoring us. They have a great facility! The staff is very friendly, it is always clean and tidy. There are hours of classes to choose from and something for everyone. Check them out!

Monday, March 8th

Less than 3 months to the ride. My fitness goal for the day is to walk after work. I’m still battling the virus that’s had a hold of me for a week, but need to get moving again. Also working on better nutrition. Didn’t eat very well while I was sick, so back to a protein smoothie for breakfast, banana for a snack, grilled chicken and salad for lunch, and already thinking about what to have for dinner. Gotta get more protein! I’m going to slowly work my way back into an exercise routine this week so I don’t get sick again.

Hi everyone! I’m Jennifer and am training for my first 100-mile bike ride. This blog will follow my training, entertain you and hopefully inspire you to join along with me.

To catch you up on the last several months, I’ve been working with a personal trainer, Jared, at Premier Health & Fitness. Premier is wonderful! Seriously – if you haven’t been, go check it out. If you’d like to go to a class, let me know and come with me!

I’ve been cycling for several years and love it. I have completed a metric century, but have never accomplished my goal of a full century. The Ride for Hope is an event near and dear to my heart, so I opened my big mouth and said “this is the year – I’m doing the century, and I’m going to complete it at the Ride for Hope, AND my friend Terri Sue is gonna ride with me!” (gotta have a partner in crime).

So here we are a few months away from the ride and still have much training to do. We’ve been working with Jared on overall strength – but focusing on core and upper body for me (my weakest area). Planks are gonna be the death of me, but I am determined to master them. And don’t even get me started on pushups – I stink at them!

But overall, I am seeing a difference in muscle tone, and now need to keep that up along with focusing on endurance. It’s been tough to get in actual bike rides with the crazy cold/wet weather we’ve had and it still getting dark so early. So longer weekend rides are starting soon, and the time change is right around the corner so we’ll start getting in weekday rides too. I’ve had a few stumbling blocks over the past few weeks battling a virus, so am semi-starting over this week – so come along with me!