TIME THERE: 25 min.
TIME BACK: 27 min.
WEATHER: clear, 10C, 13 km/hr wind there; partly cloudy, 23C, 11 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt (sweatshirt in panniers on the way home)
NOTES:
Biking to school, it was another day of chiding myself for not investing in gloves yet. My breath made little frosty clouds in front of my face when I was standing still, even though it wasn't really freezing outside. It was very bright, too - maybe I should invest in sunglasses while I'm at it. Maybe funky goggles like snowboarders wear! Hmm, I don't know . . . I doubt I'm cool enough to pull that look off, unfortunately. This weekend must include a trip to Mountain Equipment Co-op to outfit myself with some more biking gear.
On the way home I stuck with my resolution to bike in one gear higher than I'm used to. The problem with that, though, is that this gear skips. That is, sometimes when I put my weight on the pedal it seems like the chain loses traction and the pedal jumps to the bottom of the rotation without having really moved the chain. This is a problem - partly because it's awkward and I feel very self-conscious about that - but mostly because more often than not it happens when I'm putting all my weight into the pedal in order to go from a stop to a decent speed (i.e., when crossing a road). This is a safety issue, just like a driver in the middle of making a left turn suddenly finding that the car won't respond to the gas pedal, even though they're already partway through the intersection. Being able to go when you want to is as much of a safety issue as being able to stop when you want to, and this gear is not really letting me do that.
It was fine for a little while after the tune-up, but it's been an ongoing problem with that gear. Maybe it's all those damn potholes I keep hitting, as much as I'd like to avoid them, jolting my chain out of joint. I'm not willing to spend another $100 on another tune-up though, not so soon anyway! Maybe I'll just have to avoid that gear for the time being. And maybe this experience will motivate me to drag my ass down to EBC so I can just get a bike mechanic to teach me how to fix my bike myself! That'll save some money!! So many great biking resources in this city, I really ought to take advantage of them more.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Week Three - Day Four
TIME THERE: 23 min.
TIME BACK: 26 min.
WEATHER: clear, 14C, 19 km/hr wind there; rain, 12C, 24 km/hr wind home.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell
NOTES:
Taking on my challenge to myself from yesterday, I biked to school as usual but in one gear higher so that the resistance was greater. I figured I would be slower getting to school, but that was apparently not the case at all - I beat my best time by two minutes! At first I couldn't believe my math, but it was right. Then again, I had 19 km/hr wind behind me most of the way, so perhaps that helped me out. Meh, I'll take the victory while I've got it!
On the way home I found the rain and wind (which I was biking against this time) a bit of a challenge, so just over half-way home I geared down and rode the rest of the way in my usual gear. It was still a decent workout, though, so I don't feel bad about it.
I can already tell that I'm losing weight. It's not melting off me as fast as I'd like it to (that is to say, I haven't lost 50 lbs in two weeks), but I can definitely tell the difference. It feels great! I don't know how much weight I've lost, as I decided that I would only weigh myself once a month - at the beginning of each month - so you'll have to wait til October 1st to get an update. In the meantime, I take comfort and pride in the fact that my clothes fit a little better and I just feel healthier. I daresay I'm off to a very good start indeed.
TIME BACK: 26 min.
WEATHER: clear, 14C, 19 km/hr wind there; rain, 12C, 24 km/hr wind home.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell
NOTES:
Taking on my challenge to myself from yesterday, I biked to school as usual but in one gear higher so that the resistance was greater. I figured I would be slower getting to school, but that was apparently not the case at all - I beat my best time by two minutes! At first I couldn't believe my math, but it was right. Then again, I had 19 km/hr wind behind me most of the way, so perhaps that helped me out. Meh, I'll take the victory while I've got it!
On the way home I found the rain and wind (which I was biking against this time) a bit of a challenge, so just over half-way home I geared down and rode the rest of the way in my usual gear. It was still a decent workout, though, so I don't feel bad about it.
I can already tell that I'm losing weight. It's not melting off me as fast as I'd like it to (that is to say, I haven't lost 50 lbs in two weeks), but I can definitely tell the difference. It feels great! I don't know how much weight I've lost, as I decided that I would only weigh myself once a month - at the beginning of each month - so you'll have to wait til October 1st to get an update. In the meantime, I take comfort and pride in the fact that my clothes fit a little better and I just feel healthier. I daresay I'm off to a very good start indeed.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Week Three - Day Three
TIME THERE: 25 min.
TIME BACK: 27 min.
WEATHER: clear, 13C, 4 km/hr wind there; clear, 32C, 20 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt (sweatshirt in panniers on the way home)
NOTES:
When I arrived at work this morning, my supervisor asked me what my time was - how quickly I made the commute this morning. I told him I've been holding steady at 25 min. (at least on the way there) for a few days now. He had commended me earlier for challenging myself to improve my time, and he seemed impressed that I've been able to cut my time from 33 min. to 25 min. in only two weeks. He's a cyclist himself, so I really felt good about myself after his encouragement.
It seems, though, that I'm in a bit of a pickle now. When I got on the bike this morning, I started worrying: what if my time slips today? What if my time starts creeping back up? What if I can't beat 25 min. and I've already hit my speed peak? I felt the pressure weighing down on me - the pressure to beat 25 min. if I could, but especially the pressure not to let my ride time get longer again. What if I failed? I started making preemptive excuses - well, maybe today it's a bit windier than usual; I'm really tired because my daughter hasn't slept through the night since the weekend (which is true - damn teething); I'm eating less, so my thighs start burning and getting tired more quickly; this is my first full week because the past two weeks have each only been four days long, and that's bound to wear me out; etc.
Once I got on the bike the excuses started melting away, replaced instead with doubts about whether this competitiveness in me is such a good thing. Maybe it's not. After all, when the snow comes I'm going to have to slow down for safety reasons, and I won't be able to cruise up to intersections quite as quickly because I'll need more lead time before stopping. Worst of all, pedaling through snow is going to be a huge encumbrance - I've heard it described as equivalent to biking up a steep hill in terms of exertion required. This thought scares the hell out of me, since hills are Satan incarnate. So what will I do then? My ride time will stretch longer and longer, even while I'm working harder, and maybe I'll even start beating myself up about it. That doesn't sound so healthy.
The more I thought about it as I pedaled my way to work this morning, the more it dawned on me that it might be more helpful to think of this time before the bad weather comes as a training opportunity. Maybe this time spent cycling in good weather can be dedicated to increasing my fitness, working on my stamina, thigh strength, and balance, and getting me ready to face bad-weather cycling. Maybe if I concentrate on that instead of my ride time I'll be better off! Less pressure, anyway, and maybe I'll do better once the snow comes.
So what might that look like, this "training opportunity"? Should I start riding in a higher gear to increase my thigh strength and fitness? I have noticed that parts of my ride when I felt like dying before now don't get me working nearly as hard - to the point where I've wondered how I might find ways to increase the workout I get. Of course, it didn't occur to me then to upshift a gear and therefore add to the pedaling resistance - instead, I thought of attaching a Stone of Triumph to the back of my bike (sadly, it just wasn't feasible to pull off).
Maybe I should challenge myself to work harder again, to hell with the ride time! Hmm, something to think about, anyway. We'll see. Maybe tomorrow I'll throw all caution to the wind and try making the ride harder for myself. I'll keep you posted!
TIME BACK: 27 min.
WEATHER: clear, 13C, 4 km/hr wind there; clear, 32C, 20 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt (sweatshirt in panniers on the way home)
NOTES:
When I arrived at work this morning, my supervisor asked me what my time was - how quickly I made the commute this morning. I told him I've been holding steady at 25 min. (at least on the way there) for a few days now. He had commended me earlier for challenging myself to improve my time, and he seemed impressed that I've been able to cut my time from 33 min. to 25 min. in only two weeks. He's a cyclist himself, so I really felt good about myself after his encouragement.
It seems, though, that I'm in a bit of a pickle now. When I got on the bike this morning, I started worrying: what if my time slips today? What if my time starts creeping back up? What if I can't beat 25 min. and I've already hit my speed peak? I felt the pressure weighing down on me - the pressure to beat 25 min. if I could, but especially the pressure not to let my ride time get longer again. What if I failed? I started making preemptive excuses - well, maybe today it's a bit windier than usual; I'm really tired because my daughter hasn't slept through the night since the weekend (which is true - damn teething); I'm eating less, so my thighs start burning and getting tired more quickly; this is my first full week because the past two weeks have each only been four days long, and that's bound to wear me out; etc.
Once I got on the bike the excuses started melting away, replaced instead with doubts about whether this competitiveness in me is such a good thing. Maybe it's not. After all, when the snow comes I'm going to have to slow down for safety reasons, and I won't be able to cruise up to intersections quite as quickly because I'll need more lead time before stopping. Worst of all, pedaling through snow is going to be a huge encumbrance - I've heard it described as equivalent to biking up a steep hill in terms of exertion required. This thought scares the hell out of me, since hills are Satan incarnate. So what will I do then? My ride time will stretch longer and longer, even while I'm working harder, and maybe I'll even start beating myself up about it. That doesn't sound so healthy.
The more I thought about it as I pedaled my way to work this morning, the more it dawned on me that it might be more helpful to think of this time before the bad weather comes as a training opportunity. Maybe this time spent cycling in good weather can be dedicated to increasing my fitness, working on my stamina, thigh strength, and balance, and getting me ready to face bad-weather cycling. Maybe if I concentrate on that instead of my ride time I'll be better off! Less pressure, anyway, and maybe I'll do better once the snow comes.
So what might that look like, this "training opportunity"? Should I start riding in a higher gear to increase my thigh strength and fitness? I have noticed that parts of my ride when I felt like dying before now don't get me working nearly as hard - to the point where I've wondered how I might find ways to increase the workout I get. Of course, it didn't occur to me then to upshift a gear and therefore add to the pedaling resistance - instead, I thought of attaching a Stone of Triumph to the back of my bike (sadly, it just wasn't feasible to pull off).
Maybe I should challenge myself to work harder again, to hell with the ride time! Hmm, something to think about, anyway. We'll see. Maybe tomorrow I'll throw all caution to the wind and try making the ride harder for myself. I'll keep you posted!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Week Three - Day Two
TIME THERE: 25 min.
TIME BACK: 26 min.
WEATHER: clear, 12C, 7km/hr wind there; clear, 26C, 13 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt (sweatshirt in panniers on way home)
NOTES:
TIME BACK: 26 min.
WEATHER: clear, 12C, 7km/hr wind there; clear, 26C, 13 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: yoga pants, t-shirt, sweatshirt (sweatshirt in panniers on way home)
NOTES:
Zen and the Art of Wearing Makeup for Bike-Commuting
I have struggled with three very practical issues in regards to bike-commuting: what to wear, the makeup question (what to wear and when to put it on), and what the hell to do with my hair. Maybe these are things people with short hair who don't wear makeup don't have to worry about, but they have certainly been issues I've been working through the good ol' fashioned way - by trial and error. Whatever meager victories I've made in this area I'm happy to share with you.
First of all, what to wear: so far, dress pants are completely out of the question. I've tried, and failed, then tried again just to make sure, and failed some more. The pants are at constant risk of being torn and ruined by the bike chain, they get grease on the cuffs, and end up getting dirtied by road dust, among other things. Also, the material wasn't made for use during physical exertion, so the fabric doesn't breathe which inevitably causes clinging to hot legs, and the motion of my legs forces them to stretch out of shape. It's just not a good idea. There are probably ways around this - tucking said pants into socks (I refused to leave the house like that, but others may not care about that as much), or using tape/velcro to tie the cuff around the ankle, and other ingenious solutions. My solution - to wear yoga pants and a t-shirt and just bring a change of clothes to work - isn't ideal. It involves bringing a lot of stuff to work and remembering to pack my work outfit into the panniers the night before (I do this the night before because in the mornings I'm tired and liable to forget). But it's the best solution I could come up with, given my refusal to wear pants that taper to the ankle.
Secondly, there's the issue of makeup, and this one has been tricky. I do get sweaty during the commute, especially on warmer days, so I'm tempted to forego any makeup at all and just bring a cosmetics bag to work and apply my face there. There is a downside to this, though: I'd have to bring my makeup bag to work, which is just more added weight and bulk to my panniers, and I'd have to spend additional time in the morning locked up in my office getting ready. I feel like I already spend enough time in the morning getting changed into work clothes, stretching, and de-helmet-heading my hair, so I don't want to put on makeup too. I could put on all my makeup at home and then ride to work sans makeup bag, but the downside to this is that when I get to work I'm sweaty and a lot of the makeup has come off. So what to do? Compromise! What I've been doing is putting on foundation, eye shadow, and mascara (waterproof - MUST be waterproof, especially if your eyes - like mine - enjoy watering when the wind hits them) at home before leaving for work. I put on more eye shadow than I would typically do if I weren't biking, preferably enough to give the impression that I'm a prostitute bike-commuting home at the end of a long night in the morning. Then I bike to work, and I arrive looking flushed, sweaty, and with a large red pressure mark on my forehead from my helmet. Thankfully, the mark fades. I blot at my sweaty face with Kleenex (always on hand in a psychologist's office!), then I apply a bit of cover-up on problem areas and top it all off with some powder. Et voila! I only bring a compact powder and a small cover up stick with me, and I end up with all my makeup in order. Maybe you have a system that works better for you, but this one seems to be the best bet for me.
Finally, we come to the hair. That I haven't had much success with. My hair is long with a natural wave in it that gives it a bit of texture on a good day, and gives it a fluffy, messy, 1970's-style feathered look on a bad day. I wear my hair in a low ponytail while biking and take out the ponytail at work. Once I arrive, my hair is usually pretty flat on top from the helmet while the rest is frizzy from the wind. At the office I keep a travel-sized bottle of hair gel, two bobby pins, and an elastic (strangely, no brush), so I have some accoutrements with which to style my hair, at least in a very minimal way. I usually finger-comb my hair out a bit and apply a bit of gel to the frizzy parts, and sometimes I tie back a couple pieces with the elastic or the bobby pins. This works well enough, though I wish I had a haircut that was more helmet-friendly. Maybe something really short? I don't know, I think longer hair looks best on me so I'm reluctant to cut it too much. Also, I'm not sure if a fully helmet-proof haircut even exists. I'm open to suggestions, though!
I suspect that anyone just starting to commute will have the same challenges that they will have to sort out through their own trials and inevitable errors. Nevertheless, I do hope that my errors may have helped you make one or two less of your own along the way.
First of all, what to wear: so far, dress pants are completely out of the question. I've tried, and failed, then tried again just to make sure, and failed some more. The pants are at constant risk of being torn and ruined by the bike chain, they get grease on the cuffs, and end up getting dirtied by road dust, among other things. Also, the material wasn't made for use during physical exertion, so the fabric doesn't breathe which inevitably causes clinging to hot legs, and the motion of my legs forces them to stretch out of shape. It's just not a good idea. There are probably ways around this - tucking said pants into socks (I refused to leave the house like that, but others may not care about that as much), or using tape/velcro to tie the cuff around the ankle, and other ingenious solutions. My solution - to wear yoga pants and a t-shirt and just bring a change of clothes to work - isn't ideal. It involves bringing a lot of stuff to work and remembering to pack my work outfit into the panniers the night before (I do this the night before because in the mornings I'm tired and liable to forget). But it's the best solution I could come up with, given my refusal to wear pants that taper to the ankle.
Secondly, there's the issue of makeup, and this one has been tricky. I do get sweaty during the commute, especially on warmer days, so I'm tempted to forego any makeup at all and just bring a cosmetics bag to work and apply my face there. There is a downside to this, though: I'd have to bring my makeup bag to work, which is just more added weight and bulk to my panniers, and I'd have to spend additional time in the morning locked up in my office getting ready. I feel like I already spend enough time in the morning getting changed into work clothes, stretching, and de-helmet-heading my hair, so I don't want to put on makeup too. I could put on all my makeup at home and then ride to work sans makeup bag, but the downside to this is that when I get to work I'm sweaty and a lot of the makeup has come off. So what to do? Compromise! What I've been doing is putting on foundation, eye shadow, and mascara (waterproof - MUST be waterproof, especially if your eyes - like mine - enjoy watering when the wind hits them) at home before leaving for work. I put on more eye shadow than I would typically do if I weren't biking, preferably enough to give the impression that I'm a prostitute bike-commuting home at the end of a long night in the morning. Then I bike to work, and I arrive looking flushed, sweaty, and with a large red pressure mark on my forehead from my helmet. Thankfully, the mark fades. I blot at my sweaty face with Kleenex (always on hand in a psychologist's office!), then I apply a bit of cover-up on problem areas and top it all off with some powder. Et voila! I only bring a compact powder and a small cover up stick with me, and I end up with all my makeup in order. Maybe you have a system that works better for you, but this one seems to be the best bet for me.
Finally, we come to the hair. That I haven't had much success with. My hair is long with a natural wave in it that gives it a bit of texture on a good day, and gives it a fluffy, messy, 1970's-style feathered look on a bad day. I wear my hair in a low ponytail while biking and take out the ponytail at work. Once I arrive, my hair is usually pretty flat on top from the helmet while the rest is frizzy from the wind. At the office I keep a travel-sized bottle of hair gel, two bobby pins, and an elastic (strangely, no brush), so I have some accoutrements with which to style my hair, at least in a very minimal way. I usually finger-comb my hair out a bit and apply a bit of gel to the frizzy parts, and sometimes I tie back a couple pieces with the elastic or the bobby pins. This works well enough, though I wish I had a haircut that was more helmet-friendly. Maybe something really short? I don't know, I think longer hair looks best on me so I'm reluctant to cut it too much. Also, I'm not sure if a fully helmet-proof haircut even exists. I'm open to suggestions, though!
I suspect that anyone just starting to commute will have the same challenges that they will have to sort out through their own trials and inevitable errors. Nevertheless, I do hope that my errors may have helped you make one or two less of your own along the way.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Week Three - Day One
TIME THERE: 25 min. (woot!)
TIME BACK: 26 min.
WEATHER: clear, 13C, 4 km/hr wind; clear, 23C, 22 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: dress pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell (shell was in panniers on the way home)
NOTES:
My personal best time last week was on Friday when I managed to get to school in 26 minutes. So this morning when I swung my leg over Mike the Bike's frame and rested my bum on the saddle, I had it in my head that I would try to meet that time today. I pushed myself a little bit, and was definitely helped when I was passed by another cyclist and spent the next few blocks trying to chase him.
Today, I really felt like I was flying. It was awesome. I get such a rush out of it! I rode like the devil was chasing me, and it was truly exhilarating. I averaged 12 mph, which includes the time spent stopped at lights or waiting for an opportunity to cross a road, which felt pretty fast to me. On the way home there is a point where I was coasting along on a bumpy, poorly maintained road and I got to a busy intersection where I'm pretty well guaranteed to be held up at the light. This light is at the top end of a slight descent (it's a 3% grade). Here is my all time favourite part of the entire bike ride: waiting for that light to turn green, then pedalling my ass off trying to keep pace with the cars beside me as we all rush headlong down that decline. Sometimes I even overtake the cars and am riding down the street, shifting up two gears to keep the RPM's up, almost laughing to myself at the exhilaration. "Hahaha, fuckers!! I'm riding a bike and I'm faster than you, and you don't even get to feel how awesome this wind feels!" Usually I say this in my head, but today I said it out loud. I'm glad nobody heard me.
Thinking about it now, perhaps I end up going faster than the cars because the drivers are scared to drive directly beside this crazy obese woman pedalling down the street with a creepy grin on her face yelling, "fuckers!" over her shoulder at them. Huh. I'm a psychologist and I didn't even think about how crazy I must have looked until now. Oh well - I'm having a good time anyway, who cares what those drivers think!
I really do need to retire this idea of wearing my dress pants while cycling, though. I know I've said it before but then I tried it again, and it just doesn't work. My pants got caught on the chain several times today and now they're pretty dirty, which isn't so great because they require a delicate wash cycle and being hung to dry. Damn high-maintenance pants! Not worth it. Yoga pants it is.
TIME BACK: 26 min.
WEATHER: clear, 13C, 4 km/hr wind; clear, 23C, 22 km/hr wind back.
WHAT I WORE: dress pants, t-shirt, waterproof shell (shell was in panniers on the way home)
NOTES:
My personal best time last week was on Friday when I managed to get to school in 26 minutes. So this morning when I swung my leg over Mike the Bike's frame and rested my bum on the saddle, I had it in my head that I would try to meet that time today. I pushed myself a little bit, and was definitely helped when I was passed by another cyclist and spent the next few blocks trying to chase him.
Today, I really felt like I was flying. It was awesome. I get such a rush out of it! I rode like the devil was chasing me, and it was truly exhilarating. I averaged 12 mph, which includes the time spent stopped at lights or waiting for an opportunity to cross a road, which felt pretty fast to me. On the way home there is a point where I was coasting along on a bumpy, poorly maintained road and I got to a busy intersection where I'm pretty well guaranteed to be held up at the light. This light is at the top end of a slight descent (it's a 3% grade). Here is my all time favourite part of the entire bike ride: waiting for that light to turn green, then pedalling my ass off trying to keep pace with the cars beside me as we all rush headlong down that decline. Sometimes I even overtake the cars and am riding down the street, shifting up two gears to keep the RPM's up, almost laughing to myself at the exhilaration. "Hahaha, fuckers!! I'm riding a bike and I'm faster than you, and you don't even get to feel how awesome this wind feels!" Usually I say this in my head, but today I said it out loud. I'm glad nobody heard me.
Thinking about it now, perhaps I end up going faster than the cars because the drivers are scared to drive directly beside this crazy obese woman pedalling down the street with a creepy grin on her face yelling, "fuckers!" over her shoulder at them. Huh. I'm a psychologist and I didn't even think about how crazy I must have looked until now. Oh well - I'm having a good time anyway, who cares what those drivers think!
I really do need to retire this idea of wearing my dress pants while cycling, though. I know I've said it before but then I tried it again, and it just doesn't work. My pants got caught on the chain several times today and now they're pretty dirty, which isn't so great because they require a delicate wash cycle and being hung to dry. Damn high-maintenance pants! Not worth it. Yoga pants it is.
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