I Are Baboon

My training is still stalled. My ribs are still too sore to lift weights and I cannot MTB with this pain. I managed a road ride Saturday, but that is all. I feel a little bit better today, so there is hope.

I Are Baboon

OK, back at the gym this morning!

I worked shoulders. I went light just to test the ribs. There was a little pain, but I felt good nonetheless. It felt great to workout again after a two week layoff.

I am planning a 25 mile road ride after work today. Training ride, balls to the wall, as hard as I can go.

X Ring

What time where you at the gym this morning I was hoping maybe to see you but I hardly know what you look like anyway. I had to do a AM PM split for today. God 7 AM sucks, I hate lifting that early. I reminded myself why I have only done that twice before

I Are Baboon

I was there from 5:15 to 6:15. Bummer that I missed you! I would have been the thin guy with the Red Sox hat using all the shoulder machines (I wasn't quite ready to test the ribs with free weights yet).

X Ring

cool I definitely wasnt there that early. I thought you stopped by later. I cant do any earlier than 7 AM, it killed my weights

I Are Baboon

I had a great road ride last night. I did the 23 miles I had planned and was hoping to go further, but I was once again getting some nasty cramping in my side. Not sure what that's all about. I was going to blow off the ride entirely because I was feeling lazy, but the wife had plans so it was a rare chance for me to hammer at my own pace. I did the loop in 1:25, averaging 15.9 MPH. That's excellent for me. I need to build on that.

I had the wind on my back for a flat six mile stretch on a busy road. It's very cool to be moving at 30 MPH and keeping up with traffic.

bandaidwoman

This past weekend we did a 50 mile ride averaging 17 mph ( but it was a group ride so we took turns pulling and drafting.) My knee was tight at the end of the ride but doing ok. Still can't get back to mountain biking till this weekend I think. My husband plans on getting a baby sitter on mother's day so we can do a ride in the mountains.

Official Race Member of the Crank Crushing Rednecks

Eat more mud, mountain bike until you die!

XX Feminine power

I Are Baboon

Cool. I need to get involved in some group rides. All of my road rides so far have been solo or just with the wife. My LBS has group rides every week. I hear you can really cruise when riding in a pack.

I was thinking of trying another MTB ride tomorrow, but I think I'll stick to the road for now. I am heading to Maryland for a week for work on Sunday and I am planning on doing some MTB with some friends while I'm down there.

bandaidwoman

Some of my fastest rides, have been with small group rides (I think my best was averaging 20mph) when my husband and I were nearing the end of the racing season. Group rides definately make you work harder and push yourself beyond what you would normally do solo. We even do group mountain bike rides and I find myself averaging 1 - 4 minutes faster on the trails with them as well.

Official Race Member of the Crank Crushing Rednecks

Eat more mud, mountain bike until you die!

XX Feminine power

I Are Baboon

I went on an MTB group ride a few weeks ago with a group of riders who are expert class XC racers. I got thoroughly pounded. But you are correct in that they push you to go harder than you normally would.

I Are Baboon

Worked back and biceps this morning. My ribs still hurt. I could not get out a single chinup because it hurt too much. A far cry from the 17 chinups I could do in one set before the injury. Oddly, my ribs are feeling better though. Back exercises that involved horizontal movement did not hurt. Vertical movement did. That said, I did the following:

Seated cable rows: 12, 12, 10, 8
Hammer Strength high rows: 8, 8, 8
T-bar rows: 8, 8, 8, 8
DB concentration curls: 9, 7, 7, 7
Standing BB curls: 7, 7, 6, 6

Road ride planned for tonight.

I Are Baboon

I did the 23 mile road ride yesterday with the wife. Since I had company, it was not an all out hammerfest. We did the loop in 1:37, averaging 13.9 MPH. Still better than the last time we did it together.

Today was a much needed sleep-in. I'm going MTB'ing after work. Tomorrow will be a break from the bike, but I plan to hit the weights in the morning.

I'm heading to Maryland Sunday for a week (training class for work). I'm going to bring my mountain bike and hook up with some Ridemonkey guys while I'm down there for some riding. As of right now, I have rides planned for Sunday afternoon, Monday, and Wednesday. Seems like whenever I travel for work, there are always Ridemonkey members happy to show me some local trails. The internet is a wonderful thing.

naturaltan

Ridemonkeys? Where can I join up?

just kick'in it in the ole Charger

I Are Baboon

I'll give you two guesses but you'll only need one.

naturaltan

www.ridemonkeys.com?

just kick'in it in the ole Charger

I Are Baboon

Drop the 's' and you're golden.

I Are Baboon

Well, my first race was scheduled for this weekend and I am forced to bail on it. (This was an 8 mile XC race). My ribs are still not healed. I am fine when I do casual rides and hard road rides, but I don't know what hammering at an MTB race pace for an hour will do to them. I attempted flat bench presses this morning for the first time since the injury, and I could not lift the bar once (just that bar, no weight added). Only slight pain when I did incline presses. I am healing, but slowly. This sucks.

X Ring

you really should probably hit up a doctor and get yourself looked at

I Are Baboon

I am dumb and should have had it looked at the day after I got hurt. Anyway, I am feeling much better now. I can finally lift stuff over my head without feeling pain, and I can finally sleep on my stomach too.

I Are Baboon

No weight training the last few days, but I have been riding HARD.

Thursday night I did a two hour MTB ride. Worst case of mosquito infestation I have experienced on a ride. It was horrible. But, the mosquitos kept us pedaling hard without stopping, so it was a good ride.

Friday I ditched worked and did a 3.5 hour MTB ride. One of the best rides I've ever had. My legs felt stronger than ever (literally). I surprised myself with how well I rode. I rode with two other guys who usually leave me in their dust, but I kept up with them this time and even had to wait to allow them to catch up a few times. Very cool!

Saturday I did a 30 mile road ride with the wife. It was our usualy 30 mile loop, but for the first time ever I did not use the small ring once during the ride (my road bike has three front rings, with the small one being the lowest/easiest gears). My legs were hurting as a result, but it's a good hurt.

Yesterday I took a much needed day off. Back at it tonight on the road bike, weather permitting.

I Are Baboon

I'm psyched as hell. I did flat bench presses this morning for the first time in five weeks with NO RIB PAIN! Awesome. Man, having been five weeks since I last benched has made me one weak mofo. At least now I know I can get back to my normal schedule.

Chinups tomorrow will be the final test, since they really stretch the rib cage.

X Ring

Great to hear!! Hope all that pain has gone away. You are really poundin it out on the bikes man, keep it up

naturaltan

2 and 3.5 hour rides ... excellent. I don't think we have any place that would keep our interest for that long here. We usually go for 45 minutes to an hour.

just kick'in it in the ole Charger

I Are Baboon

The trails I rode last Friday for 3.5 hours were incredible. Twisty, tight singletrack. Lots of body english needed to avoid hitting trees. Those were 12+ very hard, slow miles. I am plannig another long MTB ride for this Friday, but it looks like the weather is going to screw that up.

I Are Baboon

Worked back and biceps this morning with no pain. Awesome. Looks like I am finally back on track. I am have lost some strength though. I'm going to have to use the chinup assist machine for a while before I can do normal chinups again. I also have not tried abs since the injury.

This morning:

Supine pullups: 16, 9, 7, 7
Assisted chinups: 9, 7, 6, 6
T-bar rows: 10, 10, 10, 10
DB concentration curls: 8, 7, 7, 7
Cable preacher curls: 8, 6, 6

naturaltan

although I'm now where near your riding capability, I need to find some cool places to ride here. The little tracks we have around town here are now where near that long. Most of the trails are walking trails where bikers have taken it upon themselves to make some trails off the beaten path ... but still, they are small.

just kick'in it in the ole Charger

I Are Baboon

NT, where abouts in Canada are you? I want to say Toronto, but I am not 100% sure.

naturaltan

other side ... Alberta.

We are about 3.5 hours away from the mountains ... so we plan on making the trip out there sometime this year.

just kick'in it in the ole Charger

I Are Baboon