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The Bike Shop Team Archives
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Confidence through humilityTuesday, July 1, 2008
by Ryan Probert
Hey everybody, sorry it's been so long. Life at The Bike Shop has been pretty hectic since we've finally had some decent weather.
So since I last updated you I've had two close calls with lightning (did you know lightning gives off the smell of burning ozone?....me neither), several short uneventful rides, an over-the-seat-tube creek crossing, one helmet write off, and we've just completed a three day suffer fest training camp.
Here's a few things I've learned:
1) just because you're riding slow doesn't mean you're not about to eat dirt 2) chamois butt'r is the real deal and I'm sorry I ever made fun of it
3) a bowl of cereal/cup of coffee breakfast isn't worth spit on a ride day
4) no matter how bad you feel, wait ten minutes, maybe you'll feel worse
5) every big climb ends "just around the next bend"
6) John and I could get lost in a Hoola-Hoop
7) from close up lightning is much bigger than you probably think
8) if you're shouldering your bike and the front tire disappears from view, heads up, you're about to get hit in the face with the handle bar
9) no matter ho gassed I am, I can sit up straighter and pedal faster when there are girls around
10) ready is a relative term
By this last one I mean that, if you don't know what you are about to be involved in, how can you know if you're ready or not? It sounds cliche but "as ready as I'll ever be" is appropriate to me now. After this three day beat down, and John and I asking each other "you ready?", I realize that the question is just a polite formality. It would be rude, I guess, to follow it up with " I don't actually care. We're about to climb that whether we like it or not". So we don't. We just take the other's response of "ya let's go" as some sort of reassurance that we have no choice in the matter so what's the difference.
It may sound like I'm feeling negative, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Somewhere in the three 70km, 6 hour riding days we just pulled together, is a level of confidence we didn't have before. By bashing our heads against our limits we've discovered confidence through humility.
Holy Hell... What Just Happened?Thursday, May 22, 2008
By John Bayko Where have I been for the past month? Seriously.
On second thought, if anyone knows the answer to that question, just keep it to yourself and let's move on.
Had a great ride up at Lake Minnewanka last Sunday! What a beautiful place to spend the afternoon, and man is that trail a lot of fun. The trek was essentially my first on that type of terrain and I really enjoyed it; especially the transitions along the relatively straight parts as you approach L9? Not too sure of the proper terminology, but whatever. The climbs were tough, but they're nowhere near as bad as Marlin fishing in 20 foot swells and 35 degree heat. I was tired during the ascents, but I didn't spend the entire time dry-heaving over the side and inhaling diesel fumes... wait... how do you know if you've just had a flashback?
Put in some work last night as well. Several climbs and some muddy downhill stuff to add to my repertoire and I seem to be feeling better with each ride (although something tells me my ass may not share that opinion, and that something is my ass - to which I say: "Suck it up ass! It ain't getting any easier!"). During the ride at Minnewanka however, something that both Ryan and I noticed was the fact that nutrition is going to play a key role in getting this race done. If anyone has any advice on said topic, I'd be grateful to hear it. Are there any rules of thumb for consumption to distance ratios or how do people typically figure out what they need to take with them food-wise? Any light shed would be much appreciated. And in advance, as a token of my gratitude, I'll offer these sage words in kind: "Sunscreen has many benefits as you near the equator, not the least of which is protecting your skin from sunburn."
Dr. says I need a backeotomy!Monday, May 5, 2008
By Ryan Probert
I got a little excited on my second ride after the weather got nice again, and I think I pulled something in my back. I've never had back problems before so I didn't really know what I was feeling. When I explained it to a friend as "it feels like someone has their thumb stuck knuckle deep right here" he was quick to tell me that it is a pull and to take it easy for a bit. That wasn't quite what I had planned. I am really starting to feel the urgency of the situation. D-day for registration has come and gone, and now that the weather has turned it's time to get serious about some long rides and back to back days. I guess I can still get in the pool and on the spin bike, but I am pretty over it with that stuff. Riding a few times has me pretty fired up but I know that I can't do something stupid now that will cost me later.
Pretty discouraged by the bad timing but just gotta take care of it.
That's What Friends Are ForMonday, April 14, 2008
By Ryan Probert
After all my new-bike jubilation, the weather crapped out on us and we had a little winter relapse for a week or so. I don't know about you, but after riding a real bike outside a couple of times, I had a really hard time getting back on the trainer in front of the TV. Thankfully the warmer weather has come back to us, minus today, and I've been able to get out a few more times.
I work at The Bike Shop so Warmth = Busy. This past Saturday at The Shop had its busiest day of the year so far, and that means I run around like I'm on fire for 8 or 9 hours. I don't know what I was thinking when I told my buddy Clay "ya, swing by The Shop at closing and we'll spin it up and watch some hockey". Turns out his memory is better than mine.
He rolls in as we are cleaning up and having a cold one or two, thanks to a gracious customer. I am really not feeling it and am literally running away and hiding from him, but anybody that knows him knows how relentless he is. So needless to say after a couple of Pils and a lot of whining I'm on the trainer for an hour or so, and planning a road ride for Sunday. That turned into a 2 hour beauty with some covertly competitive climbs and sprints. Getting flipped off by some old guy on a service road was made up for by being honked and waved at by three cuties in a little yellow car. The two ol' guys still got it!
If it wasn't for Clay, I would have let myself off the hook, probably all weekend. Instead, I am a little stiffer in the legs and feeling a lot better about how I spent my weekend. Thanks buddy!
I hope you all have, or can find, support like this. Because I have a feeling we're all going to need some push when we feel like we don't have any push left.
New Bike DayTuesday, March 25, 2008
 By Ryan Probert
So I came up about 160 km short of my 2,000 km by Easter target but I feel like I have a good base and I got to get out on my new steed for the first time on Saturday. I went with the Rocky Mountain Element 50, she's a thing of beauty. My fitness felt pretty good but I've got a lot of work to do on my skills. I was down a couple of times but you gotta love rolling around in the dirt a bit! It was a rigorous little ride on Sidshow Bob and over the river into Edworthy Park. A couple of short steep climbs and one fairly long steepish climb... chased by a large, angry, barking dog. I think if TR can supply us with a handfull of those I can knock out the whole ride in about 3 or 4 days. I wish I had a wattage computer on my bike for that, I was climbing, picking up speed and gears. My heart was about to come out of my chest, I think I was holding my breath, but that pup wasn't catching me for nothing! The up side of the whole thing was the sweet descent that i got for my work, definately woth the price of admission. My buddy G that I was riding with, also chased by another dog in a separate direction, somehow ended up in somebody's yard with a couple of alpacas. Yep, I said alpacas. Very strange day.
Anyway....new bike, feeling strong, pumped to be riding out in the world, angry dogs and a couple of alpacas. It seems to all be coming together.
Spring has Sprung!Thursday, March 20, 2008
By John BaykoThe weather has been so nice lately one could almost contemplate riding outside! Now, i know there are hardcore riders who are laughing at that statement, and that's just fine. I had better get used to the laughter of hardcore riders being directed my way as i'm sure there's plenty more where that came from.
As of the Easter weekend, i'm happy to report my training is coming along quite nicely. Have i ridden an actual bike yet? no. Have i been riding a training bike? yes. Have i researched bikes to determine which one i'll be riding? yes. So in the words of the Loaf (or Meatloaf to those not in his inner circle) "two out of three ain't bad".
One thing i've noticed during the training of my old body is that it sure doesn't recover like it used to... The aches and pains of a workout are lingering longer and harder than an Indian buffet, and the potential for injury seems to have increased exponentially. Fortunately for me however, i'm one lazy som' bitch, so telling myself to back off and take it easy when i start to tweak something is not a problem (which is a good thing, because if it was a problem, and it took effort, i wouldn't do it, thereby ending up in some negative feedback paradox that only a physicist could decipher, and i don't know any physicists, so i'd have to look for one, which would require effort, which would further compound the problem and so on...).
Anywhoo, the next hurdle is an obvious one: the NHL playoffs. I was never great (or even good) at math, but how in the hell can anyone get any training done when there are three games per night seven days per week for three straight weeks, followed by two games per night every second night for four straight weeks, followed by the Stanley Cup finals (or something like that)???
My strategy is to play it fast and loose and shoot for mixed results... Hard at it! John (left) and Ryan working out their livers.Monday, March 17, 2008
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