Odds and Ends

Cycling Update - Hi friends, another cycling update! I'm learning the ins and outs slowly but surely. Shifting isn't as easy as it sounds! Well hitting the lever is easy, but riding so that shifting happens smoothly and effortlessly is another deal. I've been practicing this every time I'm on my bike and at a stop light. If I have advance notice I can slow down ahead of time and shift to an easier gear, so starting up again is quick and easy. If I am not paying attention - then I'm forced to start out in a tough gear which means I'll be standing up on the pedals and grunting it up. These are things that just take practice so I'm glad I'm out there doing it.
Other things I'm practicing and learning include merging with traffic to make turns (terrifying), stopping at stop lights (I hear that the rules of the road apply to cyclists as well),  and yielding to pedestrians. When I was a BMX hellraiser me and my buddies paid no heed to any of these rules and I'm looking back in alarm at how reckless we were. Flying down sidewalks, doing footplants off of cars, bunnyhopping in front of startled pedestrians, darting in and out of traffic, ahh youth. A small part of that "go for it" spirit is still inside of me, but it's tempered now with the fact that I am a father raising children and a husband not wanting to leave behind a widow.  Also, though I'm a snarky, sarcastic, joke making guy, I'm really a fan of polite and civilized behavior so I'm learning how to ride as I'd like others to ride. The golden rule of cycling? Is there a thing? I have no idea.

Somewhat related some friends on a forum I frequent posted these videos, they made me laugh because 1) they are SO New York and 2) the use of the word jerk just cracks me up no matter the context.








Kinesiology/Injury Update  - I met a kinesiologist the other night at a party, she gave me some great tips for knee/quad recovery so I thought I'd post em here:

• Walk/run backwards up hills. Apparently this helps the muscle development in those hard to reach areas. Who knew?
• The last 15 degrees of movement are the ones that matter when developing the quads to help pull the knee inline. So even doing small workouts benefit.
• Swimming helps, as does cycling. (Yes!)
• She recommended MSM and Glucosamine. I haven't been taking mine - ran out months ago, will try this again.

Right now my right quads are still smaller than my left, there are no shortcuts, this is boring, this is hell, but I must do this in order to return to running.
Hope your week is great folks! Get out there and enjoy spring wherever the heck you are .
Also - here's something going on right now:
http://mayisbikemonth.com - they are also on Facebook!