The Poor Strava Cyclist : Stava Challenges - Do 'em

To start I must say that I love using Strava on my rides and seeing my progress.  I don’t pay for the premium because well I don't really think it's worth it for me at my level.  So, I did my first Strava challenge this month.  I saw a friend was doing the challenge and thought to myself that I could do that challenge easily.  The challenge was to climb 20,000 ft. (6100 some meters) in the month of January.  I finished the challenge in about 7 days and am still participating in the challenge and have challenged myself to get in the top 1000 by the end of the month.  I figure if I stay consistent at climbing for the rest of the month I'll meet that goal.  Right now with 17 days left I'm sitting around 2,500th out of 60,000+. Because I have finished the challenge I now have a "trophy” that says I've done this challenge in my profile. Cool. AND, because I've finished this challenge I have unlocked the right to purchase a limited edition January 2015 Strava climbing challenge jersey for cough - cough $149 choke - faint - thud on the floor.   Don't get me wrong.  The jersey is really cool.  I'd sport it for sure on some rides.  I'd love to buy one.   But, since for the price of the jersey I can feed my family of four for a week I will have to pass.  I understand that cycling is a fairly expensive sport but really some things come under the category of ridiculous. YOU'VE WON THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND MORE MONEY! - falls under that category.  I know I'm hating here but I guess it's just because I'm poor.  If I had the extra cash I'd probably lay it down.  Either way I still think it's funny to win the option of spending money.  For now I'll add the jersey to my new collection of... uhm... pictures of jerseys I won the opportunity to buy -          

                                                  Really I like the Strava challenge and after completing it I joined two more challenges. If you've never done one I recommend them.  They give you little goals to go after.  I personally like goals and set them all the time for myself but these everyone can see so you have that little extra incentive.  I'd recommend starting with one you're pretty sure you can finish to build some confidence and then go crazy and try them all (maybe not all of them but ones that might push you a little bit more than you're used to). If you want you can follow me on Strava. Just look up Andrew Gates and there's a good chance you’ll find me.  Just keep pedaling.

Why marijuana is not my cycling friend : The Skunk

I've never smoked the stuff and don't plan on it. So, really marijuana wasn't my friend to begin with, but now it's made it onto my unfriendly to cyclists list (I don't really have a list but now I might make one).  Here's why:

Marijuana - Stinks!

Marijuana - Makes people poor drivers!

Marijuana - Stinks!

Marijuana - Is often grown illegally in areas that would be great for cycling!

I've come across some not so pleasant smells while mountain biking in my area. http://newamericamedia.org/2014/03/unregulated-cannabis-wreaks-foothills-destruction-in-california.php

Marijuana - Stinks!

Marijuana - Causes confusion!

Marijuana - Stinks!

Marijuana - Makes my rides unpleasant!

Marijuana - Stinks!

Jeff Mitchell, Getty Images C     Cute little stinker.  http://banana1015.com/skunk-smell-is-now-probable-cause-in-michigan/

If you didn't notice marijuana stinks and this is what causes confusion because a certain variety of weed is nicknamed skunk for its foul and extremely skunk like stench. So, I, in my little world, didn't know that weed had such a skunk stink until we moved up to northern California.  I was on a bike ride and thought there was a skunk nearby but was informed it was most likely just marijuana somewhere nearby.  Lovely. Or not.  Still when I'm out riding I must be cautious because there might be a skunk nearby. Dead or alive I don't want to be too close to source of stink.  Skunks luckily are fairly skittish ad like most animals have the flight trait hardwired into them.  If I see a skunk I usually shine my light at it and whistle so it sees a large moving mass coming towards it in the distance and it will scurry off.  Of course they don't always go away in the right direction or far enough off the road for my liking upon which point I decide it's a good time for a sprint interval and hope that the bugger has bad aim as I jet past. Anyway I don't usually have to sprint away from marijuana but it can make for some moments where I get less oxygen to avoid the smell.  If weed is growing nearby I most likely don't need to worry because it's not going to run across the road or spray me unless I'm in the mountains on a dirt road (then it's a rare and wild running spraying breed of marijuana plant-jk). Then there are the growers who might be nearby to shew you away which is uncomfortable.  I haven't run into any growers myself but I've heard some stories of other local cyclists having this experience.

Conclusion -  Stay away from skunks and stay away from weed.  Have a happy ride.

Note: I don't mean for this to offend anyone who is for the use of marijuana for whatever reason.  I am simply not a fan of weed.  It just seems to drift into my life when I'd rather not have it around at all.

P.S. Not all marijuana stinks like skunk.

Cyclenews' : Top 10 inCycle videos of 2014 - Yelling in a cycling sprint train!

Here are some videos just in case you missed them.  They're all worth a watch but the first one is, in my humble opinion, bar far the most intense and telling of what goes on in the peloton (i.e. my favorite of the bunch and hence the reason I felt like sharing it here).  Check it out below or check it out on cyclingnews' cite.

 I think this shows how much effort goes into keeping a lead out together.  Here, it's for John Degenkolb who I believe is the one with the bandage on his elbow.  Cycling = contact sport. These guys make sure you know where they are.  The talking, that is shouting, going on lets you know how important it is to communicate while riding in a group and on a team.  This is good stuff. Ride on.

The Cycling Jury is OUT! Is shaving your legs more aerodynamic? YES!

Ok so when I shave my legs it's only for TT's and I haven't ever shaved all the way to the skin.  I just use an electric shaver which leaves an eighth of an inch and call it good.  Before I did my first official race this year I researched the topic of shaving my legs for cycling.  I didn't really delve too deep and I was left with a "well it doesn't really matter" thought, but I decided to shave anyway figuring it must be more aero to shave than to let my field of long grass make waves like the ocean in wind.  You see I had taken notice to the hair on my arms as I had ridden around and thought that it can't be that aero.  Shaved, raced, let my hair grow back, shaved again, raced again let the hair grow back and now before another race I stumbled upon this article on my twitter account put out by Bicycling magazine (click on article to read it). I'm convinced, shaving will save me time.  To reassure myself and you about this article we have to take notice that this is coming from a Specialized aerodynamicist.  To me Specialized = the most aero.  This may not be true, but they do have Tony Martin sporting their stuff and he's fast (and aero)! Check out the article and uhm... shave.  At least shave for your next TT or flat RR and save yourself time and energy! 

Handlebar Palsy : Don't hang on tight!

Fish and Shellfish

A few weekends ago I challenged myself to do the Sherman Pass Road Race.   To find out it is considered to be one of the most if not most difficult single day road races in California.  From everyone that I talked to who had done far more racing than myself this is the big one.  But this isn't about the race itself it's what happened to my body because of the race.  

Cereals

        I went slow, I was out just to finish this one and I did finish and I didn't get last place.  I was tired after about 9,000 ft of climbing in 53 miles and I needed a ride back down to my car.  Was there any room in the 'inn'(cars) for me?  Of course not.  Luckily a guy who finished around the same time as me was also looking for a ride down to his car which was parked at the 30 mile mark and he also didn't have a ride.  We agreed to ride down to his car and he would give me a ride the last 30 miles to my vehicle.  A couple more guys joined us though they road down ahead of us to the 30 mile parking area.  After an additional 15 miles and 1500 ft of climbing my body could handle no more, literally.  I about fell off my bike from passing out.  I was nourished enough and had water, but my body was aching namely my back arms and to find out my hands which would be the biggest problem.  I got off my bike and told him (Terry) I couldn't go any further.  I asked if he could come back up for me and thankfully, he agreed.  I laid on the ground 9000 ft up in the Sierras amongst the redwoods and stared into the sky as I had a gel and water, then later a banana that a van of riders going down the mountain threw my way.  I felt alright by the time Terry got back up to me with the other two riders in his van.  I piled in and down the mountain we went.  It was at this point going down the mountain that I really realized that something was wrong.  I couldn't feel my hands.  At least not completely.  They were in that numb half asleep way that you get sometimes when you ride, but then you just shake it out and it goes away.  This wasn't going away.  Forty-five minutes later when we got to where my car was my hands were still numb and tingly.   I promised Terry $20 bucks for gas, but he wouldn't take it so I threw it in his van.  He really saved the day.  I couldn't and can't thank him enough.  I got my car made some calls then drove home with numb hands.  

Cheeses

         Once I was home and my kids were in bed I really had a little time to pay some conscious attention to my hands.  Where could I feel? Where couldn't I feel?  Turns out my pinky and ring fingers on both hands seemed to be the worst off.  I didn't think too much of it and decided to sleep.  Nothing heals the body better than some good solid ZZZZs.  

Milk and other dairy products.

        When I woke up it was more of the same.  I decided I'd like to find out what could be wrong.  A quick search online did the trick.  Apparently there are a couple important nerves in your hands  and one of those is the Ulnar nerve shown in the picture.  There's also the median nerve but I didn't seem to have any problems with the feeling in my middle finger, index finger, or thumb, which ruled out the problem being the median nerve.  If I remember correctly if you have a problem with the median nerve it is carpal tunnel syndrome, not handlebar palsy or cyclist's palsy.  As I said it was my pinky and ring finger giving me the most numb/half asleep sensations almost constantly and this is due to the ulnar nerve being damaged.  The nerve can either be stretched thin or smashed to where the outer sheath of the nerve is damaged.  This is what causes the problems.  I read up that it could be days to months until my fingers would be back to normal (not very conclusive - I'm guessing it's just due to however badly the nerve has been damaged).  So it would be a waiting game.  I didn't know how bad it was or how long it would be until I could feel again.  Next was to see how I could shorten the numbness period and help the healing process.

eggs

         To lessen the period of half-way pain all I had to do was not use my hands.  Not fun if you want to get out on your bike.  I tried several different positions on the bars but nothing was comfortable so I made the choice not to ride and would workout in other ways instead.   The other thing that I thought was important to know is that B12 is vital to nerve regeneration.  So I went about finding from which foods I could get some nerve regenerating B12.  I wasn't very happy with the results of my search, not that I was unhappy, I just wasn't happy.  The answer is not ice-cream (though B12 is in most dairy products, i.e. milk, cheese, and yogurts).  B12 is a bacteria so it's totally vegetarian or vegan but... it's found mostly in meat products (seafood and beef).  Some of the highest levels of B12 are found in foods that are fortified with it, like cereals and tofu.  Most multivitamins will contain B12 or you can just get a B-complex vitamin.  It's pretty easy to get your B12 fix.  I get my B12 through almond milk and a multivitamin.  I wasn't happy because I was hoping for something green be high in B12, but I guess many of the veggies in which B12 can be found is actually not a complete B12 (at least that's how I understood it).  "Eat some good healthy food and your body will get what it needs to grow the nerves back," is what I thought.  It worked.  I kept eating what I normally eat and in one weeks time to the dot (Saturday to Saturday) I could feel my hands and could go out and ride.  And ride I did.  Hope you can get out and ride too! Just don't hang on too tight.

yes. B12.

About Time I Post This : Links to Watch Cycling

The Tour de France has inspired me to finally post these links that I use when I really want to watch a cycling event.  More specifically the 5th stage of the Tour de France has inspired me.  I'm a fan of the day classics and well the 5th stage is taking it's route through several of the cobbles common to Paris-Roubaix.  GCN (global cycling network) put up a good video on Youtube discussing the cobbles.  There are some slow shots that are pretty telling of the torture the riders bodies will endure.  Anyway back to the links.  If I really want to watch a cycling event I have my go to site.  It's www.cyclingfans.com every now and again there won't be coverage of a race but usually there is.  I was watching Kittel take down Kristoff this morning ( I like Kittel but I would have liked to see Kristoff win) and I'll be watching tomorrow morning as they cross the cobbles!  There is another link that has some cycling for bigger events but is actually a good place to watch most other sporting events and it is www.livetv.ru .  or I guess for all of you non-Russian speakers http://livetv.sx/en/  .   Hope these help.  And I hope everyone can get out and ride!

Uphill Cog Classic : Start / Finish Locations

Starts will be in this order Honey Run, Coutalenc, and Cohasset in these locations :

                                                   here

here

and here

While finish locations will be 

here

here

and here

respectively.

Check out the "more info" section for just that, more info.