(Another) Day of Rest

It seems to be a theme these days, this notion of rest... Taking time out of our schedule to recuperate and rejuvenate.

So today I put up my feet when I got home from work, and will treat you all to a blog post instead of going outside to ride.


It started last Wednesday when I had a bike-fit appointment with Spencer at Speed Matrix.  One of the first steps of the fit was to test my flexibility.  And if that had been a test, I would have barely passed.  Lying on my back, locking my knees, I can't bring either of my legs individually to be 90-degrees up from the horizontal, indicating super-tight hamstrings.  I also have incredibly tight IT bands (which I was aware of from physio sessions two years ago).  Before I even got on the bike, I was told I would be better off spending the next month preparing for the trip by stretching rather than logging extra miles.

While this recommendation to ride less was somewhat relieving to hear, it was also troublesome.  I mean this in the way that an athlete can be told they have the freedom to eat whatever and as much as they want because they train so hard.  While it's great to be given carte-blanche when it comes to food intake, it's a little concerning because the unspoken message is actually serious:  you don't just get to eat lots, you need to eat lots.

So, last Wednesday I was told I was in good enough shape to ride, but the unspoken message was spoken: I need to improve my flexibility and knee stabilizing muscles or I will have trouble after spending any serious time in the saddle.  As such, I'll be dialing back my saddle-time slightly, and adding 30-60 minutes of stretching into my daily routine for the next month.

And through this call to stretching, I recognize a call to rest.  My body needs time to recover after rides.  But the time of rest is not simply a day of not riding - different activities to improve my riding need to be added to the time of rest for my well-being.

The theme of rest was also addressed at church on Sunday night, as Kim introduced a new sermon series focusing on the Sabbath.  She discussed the importance of taking time from our busy lives to recuperate and rejuvenate ourselves.  Six days we labor, and the seventh day we rest.  But more than just not working, our rest days need to include intentional time and activities to help restore our souls and minds to make us ready to tackle the weight of the week.  Sounds like a similar concept to what I was told about stretching, no?

Looking forward to my time with the Sea to Sea this summer, my big fear (for now) is not getting enough sleep.  We received a "day in the life" email from the organizers, warning riders that 5am will be the regular wake-up time most days of the tour.  I've been reading the blogs of some riders from the 2008 tour, in particular that of Dave Teitsma.  He took time to write a post for each day of the tour, and posted at least one, but often many more pictures as well.  Reading his stories, I gathered that sleep and energy conservation was a constant balancing act with wanting to explore towns and be social.  I could certainly sense the relief with which rest days (Sundays) came, allowing time to collect thoughts, get caught up on chores, but also to rest weary muscles and pereniums.  I'm very much aware how tired I was after back-to-back 85km rides this weekend, and it's making me realize how tough this trip will actually be.  Compound these feelings with the heat we've barely started experiencing here in Calgary (29C on Sunday), and I'll be struggling for a few days, guaranteed.

I suppose my fitness is at a good stage, but the guys I've been riding with on Saturday still make me feel slow, so I want to get faster.  After bragging(?) last week about being too fast for the group I was riding with, I was humbled by being dropped from a pack of four strong riders this past Saturday after a mere 65km, leaving me to ride solo into the wind for 20km back home.

On the plus side, according to Strava, I've clocked over 1,100 outdoor-kilometers in 2013.  With another 100km ride planned for this weekend with fellow Sea to Sea-er, Ava Baker, and Ride for a Reason coming up at the end of May, there should be no issue meeting the recommended 1,000mile (1,600km) training goal before June 21st.

As for fundraising, we sent out a flyer to my work-mates this week, and the company has graciously offered to make a donation in support of our cause to end poverty.  Donation totals are at $11,900 today, and my target of $15,000 is not far off!  To donate online, simply follow this link and click "Give Now" on the right side of the page.  Every little bit helps!

My fundraising-incentive of dedicating days of riding to donors is almost at a close as only four more days of riding are left un-sponsored, so act quick if you'd like a day of the tour dedicated to you.  Note that when all the days are met, it doesn't mean there is no more room to give, simply the first fifty-four donors were promised a day to call their own where they could suffer vicariously through my pedaling.


View Sea to Sea 2013 in a larger map

Finally - for any followers in Calgary, mark Friday, June 14th on your calendars as we will be throwing a going-away / last-ditch fundraising BBQ that night!  Should be good times!  Stay tuned here for details.

Alright, enough resting...  time to stretch!

Unorganized Chaos

I am, above almost all things, an orderly person. Call me "A-Type". Call me "anal". Call me a "neat-freak". They'd probably all be true, though I might protest on semantics. I like things to have a place, and for things to reside in their places when not in use. Knowing where things are puts me at ease.

This past week I've been moving. My stuff out of my house and into a new home. My two new roommates stuff out of their (massive) house and into our new home. Or, in "A-Type" speak, this past week I've been "taking things out of their place and putting them into a random pile of unorganized chaos." Friends who helped us move on Saturday may claim the random pile of unorganized chaos in my bedroom was about as chaotic as the numbers on a telephone, but in my head it was the furthest thing from it. The pile of furniture, kitchen goodies, plants, books, records and lamps in the living room, however, could truthfully be called 'random' by a seasoned physicist trained to find algorithms in everything.

Five days later, my room is almost orchestrated into a new normal. Many things still don't have a place, but I'm dealing with it. The living room is habitable, with profuse thanks to the gals who helped sort it out on Saturday afternoon. The kitchen is a work in progress, but thankfully work took me out of town and I haven't had to cook in it yet (save for mixing a bowl of cereal). It too, will eventually end up as an organized, well-equipped space, but Clement and I have a few more hours to spend on it before it makes sense.

The first week or two of the tour, I am expecting this same level of chaos as routines are established and I figure out how to pack gear, organize clean & dirty clothes, shower and eat - alongside a hundred other riders. It is probably this stretch that has me most concerned. However, like my house, I'm sure it will all be sorted in due time and after a little effort.

Because of the move (and also because of the snow!) I went nearly a week without riding. Intentions of riding after work in Banff this week were stymied by a blizzard. Tuesday night, after returning to Calgary, I bundled up and braved the +2C weather and rode for a solid hour. Oddly enough this was the first ride this year I didn't feel cold!

I joined another group of riders from the Speed Theory cycling club on Wednesday night for another ride. We did nearly 60km in 2.5 hours. These folks were really friendly, and being members of the same club they knew eachother well enough to know they ride at about the same speed. From the first hill out of the parking lot it became pretty clear I was used to a quicker pace, but I decided to stick with them anyway. Things went great until the next climb into the headwind at about kilometer 20. I ended up at the front of the pace line, and unintentionally created a gap to the girl behind. She gave a holler and I sat up, waiting for the group to catch again. It would have been fine had it only happened once... I blame new-to-me cycling partners and I was riding without a computer, so I had no idea what speed we were going at. Oops. They weren't too put-out about it because I would wait up, but they did suggest on the final leg of the ride that I might have more fun riding with a faster group. Maybe a fair comment. And kind of a back-handed compliment. They did encourage me to join their club and come out for a few races. Depending where God takes me in the next 12 months, I'd be stoked to join a group where the riders are as friendly as these folks last night were.

Tomorrow evening, the local do-it-yourself bike shop affiliated with my church, Lifecycle, is hosting their first night ride of the season. This is a pretty fun event - I joined them once last year. We ride from the shop in Bowness at 8:30pm down to 17th Ave (where the action is) to eat some burgers or poutine, then ride home. People deck out their bikes with all sorts of lights and we form a posse to take over the streets. The weather is looking good, so it should be another great evening. Definitely come out to join us if you're feeling hungry as the sun goes down!