First Crash of the Season!!

So after not being on the bike for over a week due to being sick, I headed out this morning for a nice long ride in the beautiful California Sun. The weather this weekend is absolutely perfect! Cloudless sky and temps in the 78-82 range with low humidity. This is the type of weather that everyone dreams of when they think of living here.

So I set out to do about 40 miles nice and easy. I did not want to jump right back into where I had been because I was afraid if I push too hard I would relapse into my cold. I went about 8 miles down the San Luis Rey river trail to the beach and met a couple of friends; then we headed over to Camp Pendleton and met up with another guy before we set off on a ride north through the coastal roads of the base and along the beach to San Onofre. You can check out the entire workout at Map My Ride.

I was feeling great! I was even getting a little frustrated that I had to keep slowing up and waiting for one of the other guys whose fitness level was not quite up to the group's pace. Anyway we turned around after about 27 miles and started back south. About that point is when it happened.

As we were coming through San Onofre state beach there were some landscapers planting young trees along the roadway. Seems they did not think that the trees would blow over in the wind, so they just lined them up along the sidewalk. Well here we come, barreling down the road and finally starting to really make some good time; probably 22-24 mph. All of a sudden one of the trees falls over right into our group. I was third wheel and all I remember is the guy in front of me swerving really fast to the left. Then I hit something full speed without even time to try and get out of the way. I of course went down, hard, and slid maybe 10 feet down the pavement. Luckily I think the tree absorbed a lot of my speed other wise my road rash would have been even worse. I got a good skinning on my knee and both elbows, as well as some good road rash on my hip and my back.

Worst of all I scuffed my favorite jersey! At least my bike was okay. I would really have been bummed if that had broken. Especially since I still had 25 miles to go on the ride!

So after I dusted myself off, I got back on the bike and hammered it home. I think my friends were amazed that I still wanted to ride but sometimes it the best thing. If the bike still works and you aren't really hurt badly, continuing can actually lessen the extent of the injury by keeping the blood flowing.

All these miles trying not to get taken out by a car door and I get clobbered by a tree! Who would've thought!

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by and if you have a chance, click the link on the left and donate to my Ride For Semper Fi campaign, no amount is too small. And thank you!

Summing up this week

Well, not the best week of training this week. I hate it when I really get into a groove of training and working out, and then I get sick. Trying to maintain a strict regimen of exercise when fighting a tough cold is very hard. I did manage to get a couple of quick, short rides in to spin the legs a little bit so that was good. But then yesterday I felt like I got run over by a Mack truck! I plan to take a weekend off and not do a long training ride to try and recover a little bit. Besides, it's Easter and that should be spent with the kids!

I think I am going to have to make a couple of adjustments on the bike. I have noticed that my hamstrings get incredibly tight after a ride so I bet my seat height needs to be tweaked. I'll let you know. I am probably not stretching enough either which doesn't help.

I also need to move my little tool kit. Right now it is under the saddle and has velcro straps that attach it to the seat post. Problem is the strap on one side sticks out a little bit and rubs my leg when I am pedaling. At first I thought this was not a big deal, but I have since developed a red spot on my leg from the rubbing. Not good. Hopefully not a hard fix, we'll see.

It's Official

No backing out now. I have just completed my official registration for the 2011 Ride for Semper Fi! Suddenly, I feel a sense of impending doom.......just kidding. I can't wait to get started on the whole fundraising and training. That reminds me, check out the link on the left to visit my donation page and support my ride; and thank you!

So I am officially on my way. Now if I can just kick this cold I will feel a whole lot better. I have been sick all weekend. I went for a quick 20 miles yesterday just to make sure I still know how to ride a bike. I felt very sluggish, but I think it did me some good to get out there and shake the legs a little bit.

Typical Week's Work

So last time I mentioned that I was following the Crossfit Endurance training regimen. I guess I should explain what that is exactly. Some of you have probably heard of Crossfit. This is a very intense and varied strength and conditioning program that is quite popular with military members, as well as law enforcement and first responders. You can find more about their program at www.crossfit.com. Basically, Crossfit is a wide variety of functional movements performed at high-intensity. If that sounds like an ad that's because it is. That is the official description of the program as explained by its founder.

Functional movements are movements that you normally do everyday in your life; i.e. squats - you squat every time you sit down on the couch; or deadlifts - you deadlift every time you pick up something off the floor. The key to Crossfit is variety, no two days are the same. The other key factor that I love is the intensity. Very often the WOD (Workout of the Day) is something like this:

-Complete three rounds for time as fast as you can. Each round consists of 20 pull ups, 20 push ups, and 20 squats. Doesn't sound too hard right? Well something about being "on the clock" amps up the intensity a lot and makes it that much tougher. Now through in some pretty hefty weight on those exercises and you are starting to get the idea of Crossfit. Thank goodness the program only calls for 3-4 WODs per week. I don't think I could handle much more.

Now, Crossfit Endurance takes the Crossfit philosophy and applies it to endurance sport training. The strength and conditioning of Crossfit combined with quick, high intensity intervals and tempo rides on the bike make for a really potent combination. I have been doing this for a few weeks now and I have already started to notice an improvement in how I feel on the bike.

The workouts are tough though! Today I only did a strength and conditioning leg routine:

"The Crippler"

For time:

30 reps of back squat with 225#

1000m row

I could hardly walk!

Spring Training

Well, now that I have committed to riding the 2011 Ride for Semper Fi, I guess I better make sure I am physically and mentally ready to do it. That means training, lots of it. Miles and miles and miles and miles.

Up to now I have not done a whole lot of road cycling. I did a couple of short triathlons when I was younger, but nothing beyond the occasional road ride if the trails were too muddy for the mountain bike. While I was living in Northern Virginia I started commuting to work a little bit, but that was really just to keep my legs in shape for the mountain bike racing season.

So now I have to prepare for a long and arduous road ride. I started riding a couple times with some friends at work who are much bigger roadies than I am and that has been very enlightening. I even did a short, 26 mile, road race and finished 7th out of 27 in my age group! The whole concept of drafting is awesome, you can just sit on the wheel of someone and let him do all the hard work fighting the wind while you rest. Then you take a pull while he catches his breath. Working together the two of you can go quite a bit faster than if you were solo.

So far I have only done a few long rides, ~40 miles being the longest. One off my favorite routes is along the beach. It doesn't get much better than a beautiful day at the beach in SoCal! But this route is mainly flat, so today I did a new route with some hills. Still only 40 miles, but quite a different feeling on the legs.

I am also trying to hit the gym a few times a week to keep my strength training up. I use a modified Crossfit Endurance training regimen and it seems to be working pretty well so far. Although having to do two workouts a day can be draining sometimes. Keeps me young though, right!

Keep checking back as I will be providing updates and new routes as the training continues.

Taking on the Challenges

Greetings Friends and Family! Welcome to my blog about training, raising money, and supporting the 2011 Ride For Semper Fi.

If you have made it to this page, you are probably wondering what on Earth possessed me to take on this challenge. I mean, not everyone just wakes up one day and says, "Hmmmm, I think I will ride 430 miles this weekend!" So why would I do it?

I have been a avid cyclist for most of my adult life. I got my first mountain bike as a Sophomore in college and I entered my first race that same year. I have loved it ever since! I love being out in the woods, and being on the bike seemed like the perfect way to do it. I get to hang out outside and it keeps me in shape too. As a U.S. Marine, staying in shape is pretty much a way of life. So cycling has stayed a major part of my training regimen.

Then in September of 2001, the world changed. Out great nation went to war and I went along with it. As a helicopter pilot I deployed to Iraq twice, serving as a Casualty Evacuation Pilot. Everyday I would fly wounded servicemen and women from the battlefield to various aid stations. When I returned home, I began noticing how difficult it is for these brave young people to heal, rehabilitate and transition back to their new "normal" lives.

Often times these folks require extended stays at treatment centers or new equipment for their homes. Military medicine is the finest in the world, but it cannot cover all of these things. This often creates a financial burden on the wounded warrior and their family.

This is where The Semper Fi fund comes in. The Semper Fi Fund is a non-profit, tax exempt charity organization that raises money for wounded warriors from all branches of the military. More information about them can be found at their website. The Fund also helps these warriors with specialized equipment so they can compete in all types of athletic events, even the Para-Olympics! A few years ago, the Fund started Team Semper Fi. Wounded warriors and active duty Marines can join the team and compete as amateurs in whatever events they chose; along the way they raise money for the Fund by asking supporters to donate.

The Ride for Semper Fi is one of these events that is organized to raise money and support the Fund. I heard about it from a fellow pilot who was combat wounded in Afghanistan and the fund helped him out. He will be riding with us this year as well. The Ride is ~430 miles from Scottsdale, AZ to San Diego, CA. I know it will be long and hard, and the training will be a challenge as well. But for me, the ride is a chance to do something that I love while at the same time giving back to those brave warriors who sacrificed so much.

Stay tuned to this blog for regular updates on my training and the Ride itself!

John
For information on how to make donations, please click here. And thank you!