JohnMassie.com

Well, it has almost been one month since Pelotonia 2011 and a lot has happened in the days since. Completely non-bicycling related I went to my first OSU game with my friend Karen – as you can see, we had some pretty awesome seats. I feel like I need to include pictures now with my posts and this is the only thing I could think of to throw in… lol.

Here are some questions I’ve been getting so I thought I’d answer them for my readers as maybe you are or aren’t wondering…

What happened to you after the ride – physically? Why were you in pain?
In the days following Pelotonia the pain didn’t go away and I was having problems sitting, standing and walking. I found a Chiropractor, Dr. Booher of Westerville, and her and her team has helped me out a great deal.

Long story short – I have two conditions that are completely separate problems that effect my neck and lower back (which causes my knee pain and issues walking). I’ve been going to physical therapy and wearing a lift in my right shoe. I’m doing much better – the pain is still there but has been reduced and I’m able to carry on with my life.

Sadly I’m restricted with my riding but I’m taking this time to recover and heal so next year I can attack this ride with even more determination!

Are you riding your bike?
Yes. One short hour on the days that I can.

Pelotonia 2012?
Yes. I plan to ride in Pelotonia until we find a cure for Cancer.

Was Pelotonia as hard as you thought it would be?
I’m not  sure what it’s like for a person to run their first marathon but I would assume it’s like what I did in Pelotonia. No amount of training can truly prepare you for the event itself. You can’t fully understand how challenging the event is until you actually do the event. I think I’ll be more prepared next year and I plan on starting my intense hill training early in the season and worry less about distance. I know that I wasn’t mentally prepared for day 2 but then again I don’t know what I could have done differently to prepare myself for day 2.

 

I’m sure there are more questions but those seem to be the most common that I get on a day to day basis. Feel free to leave me questions in the comments and I’ll be happy to answer them!

As for what’s next in Rider’s Log I think I’m going to turn it into a section about my experiences on the bike. I’ve noticed a few searches for biking advice/tips for beginners and as someone who is (still) overweight and went from essentially not riding to riding 180 miles in two days with only 4 solid months of training… I think I have a thing or two to offer.

Thanks to everyone who came along with me for this journey. Please help me in spreading the word about this ride and I’d even love to ride with some of you next year in Pelotonia! I’m still $1770 from my goal which you can donate to here at http://bit.ly/jm-pelotonia.

Thanks!
John

*Note: I apologize for the severe delay between posts. I got caught up in life as usual… Sorry.*

I woke up before the alarm went off… it was 4:30 am. I was laying there and I have to admit I had a moment of weakness – I thought about quitting. My right knee still hurt, my back hurt, my neck hurt… everything hurt. I was starting to tell myself, “You did 102 miles and that is a big accomplishment.”

I decided to check my email as these thoughts continued to run through my head. I saw that overnight I had received a donation to my Pelotonia ride! I was super excited to see who it was from and if they left me a message. I stared at the screen for a minute or two as I took in what they said,

“Words can’t express how proud we are of you. You are an inspiration…just like Katy ”

Well… I couldn’t give up now. So I got up and began to get ready for day 2. I checked the weather and saw that there was a 40% chance of rain. Now, I had trained for rain but I have to say it wasn’t my most favorite thing to do and I didn’t practice riding in thunderstorms because… well… they told me not to.

It was a dark and brisk ride from my hotel down to the Holiday Inn where most of they team was staying. I’m really glad I got that bicycle headlight from Cyclist Connection – Athens, OH does not have street lights on all their major roads. We got to the hotel, grouped together and rode the bike path back to the finish line at the college – where day 2 was going to begin.

So by the beginning of the morning I had already put in about 4 miles and I was hurting. I was panicked more than anything because I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it to the finish. I’m extremely stubborn and I told myself I would cross the finish one of two ways – either on my bike or in an ambulance.

Before I knew it we were lining up and day 2 had officially started. The ride out of athens was fairly quick. We did our best to average from 15-18 mph. We blew through the bike path out of Athens and hit the first rest stop to use the bathroom and assess the weather ahead of us.

As I got back to my bike and walked it over to the group it began to rain. We decided that based on the radar we should be able to ride into the rain and it should pass over us. I didn’t come as prepared as others – no rain jacket so I put my phone in a plastic bag and told myself that I could do this and I would be ok.

We rolled out of town and started into the hills in the pouring rain. I didn’t realize how much downhill we had coming to Athens but let me tell you… it was a lot more than the uphills we did. Day 2 I feel like is nothing but climbing. At one point while we were riding it was pouring rain, I was climbing a hill and I could feel the water in my shoes moving around. I was soaked to the skin and yet I kept going. There were times where I couldn’t see with my glasses on and I couldn’t see with them off. It seemed like an eternity of riding in the rain.

The way I motivated myself besides clinging to the button I had on my jersey and remembering everyone who was behind me and supporting me was by telling myself I just had to make it to the next rest stop.

I could tell that as the day progressed that something wasn’t right with me physically. I started to have severe back pain and neck pain. I was having to get off my bike and stretch or walk up a hill because the pain was just too much to take. I still kept pushing and I made it back down Starner hill and knew that we were now into “rolling hills” instead of “oh-my-gosh-I-may-die-going-up-this-hill” type hills.

I was on a lot of pain medication (over the counter) and did everything I could to keep going. Thankfully Stephanie stuck with me from the very beginning and offered me a lot of support through the ride – I don’t think I would have made it without that help. Then when I would need a little extra encouragement Dustin would always seem to find me and talk me up hills or tell me how great I was doing.

I remember getting to the Amanda waterstop – aka the last stop of the ride before the finish. I took more medication and laid on the ground in pain. I know someone took my picture thinking I was stretching when in fact I was balled up in pain.

I told myself at that point – you only have 20 miles. You could do 20 miles any day of the week without trying. Remember why you’re doing this – you’re ending a horrible disease that took your friend far too early. Katy would be proud of you and you need to do this for you.

So I got up off the ground, found my bike, found Stephanie and we headed out for the final leg of the ride to get a head start in front of the faster group so we could all roll across the finish line together.

I started out in front with my “slow” group. Once we hit Rockmill road and we got over the first climb I went from first to far last. My back had finally given out and I was struggling to pedal and even stay on my bike.

As I hit the second hill I stopped – I couldn’t make it up. Then I saw Dustin turn around to come back for me. He knew from earlier in the day I was having some problems and didn’t want to leave me. Shortly after Dustin turned around  I saw Carl stop his bike and turn around as well to ride with me.

Thanks to Dustin and Carl I made it through Rockmill Road and I made it to Marcy – the last road before we’d turn and go down to the park. I had been on this road multiple times through the year for training. I knew there were some rollers but I also knew that I could do this.

My back was so bad at this point that I’d have to ride a mile or two and get off, stretch and

continue to ride. I was struggling to carry anything beyond a 12 mph pace. I was almost in tears because I felt like I was holding up the team and I hate to inconvenience anyone. Carl was a huge help to me – talking me through the last part of the ride and really offering me a lot of encouragement. He really showed what it meant to be a team player.

Dustin joined us and assured me that one way or another we would cross the finish line together, as one team and they would not let me be left behind.

I’ll never forget that last climb and stretch of road as I approached the last turn of the ride before entering the park. There at the side of the road in a parking lot stood the day 2 group of Team Speranza waiting for me. They cheered me on as I approached them – it was a very moving moment for me.

Now back with the team we entered the park and grouped together so we could cross the finish line. The park entrance was about a mile long stretch of winding road… but thankfully all flat. As I rode I could see the tents in the distance and I realized

I did it. I finished. I just rode 180 miles in two days. 

I have never felt more proud of myself as I did that moment as I crossed the final finish line. It was one of the most monumental moments in my life and will be something I never forget.

Day 2 was the hardest for me – it made day 1 seem like a cakewalk. I realized that all the pain and what I put myself through was nothing compared to what a cancer patient goes through. As symbolic as the whole ride was for me and how much work I put in and how badly I hurt and my body was in pain I realized that it can’t even compare to what this disease puts people through for days, months and even years of their life.

So if you have read all this would you consider donating to my ride? I’m still fundraising and hoping to have $4000.00 raised (I’m $1,770 from my goal) before my deadline of October 21. You can help out at my Pelotonia Rider page at http://bit.ly/jm-pelotonia. Remember 100% of your charitable donation goes to cancer research and help end this horrible disease.

Be on the look out for my next installment – Days Since Pelotonia. I’ll update you on my medical condition, my thoughts about the ride and what I’m doing now.

Thanks and Goodnight!
John

On August 21, 2011 around 1:30 pm – I crossed an item off my bucket list – to ride 180 miles in Pelotonia to help further cancer research. I have to say that this accomplishment may be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I know many people have wanted to hear about my experience and I’ve been slacking on getting a post out there and I apologize. I’ve been trying to catch up with people and get some much needed rest after the crazy amount of physical stress that I put on my body this past weekend.

I will split this post into two – Day 1 and Day 2. There is so much to cover that I feel this would be best and even then I’m sure these two posts will be ridiculously long. So – let’s start at the beginning…

This past week I released a video on several social media sites and forgot to post it here. I produced a video called, “Why I Ride” to let everyone see and hear me tell why I decided to ride in Pelotonia:

I hurried around on Friday afternoon to get ready for the big event – buying last minute items, packing my bag, charging camera batteries, and getting the bike ready to roll. I went down to Chemical Abstract Services where Opening Ceremonies was taking place to get registered, drop my bike and bag and then meet up with Team Speranza for the actual event.

After dealing with some weather issues we were able to get our team picture.

Then they played the Pelotonia 2011 Opening Ceremonies Video (which my team makes a few appearances in). This video made me laugh and then at the end… almost brought me to tears and inspired me even more to ride the next two days:

After this video played, John (who opened and closed the video) spoke to the crowd. It was amazing and something I’ll never forget. Quickly we went through a few more guest speakers before it was time to say goodbye and go home to get ready for the big day.

I didn’t sleep well that night – I was too excited for the ride and a little scared I’d oversleep. 4:00 am on Saturday came very quickly and the day had began! I began to get ready, looked down at my desk and saw the Hello Kitty button that I wore to Katy’s memorial. That button had sat on my desk since January and hadn’t really moved. I picked it up and pinned it to my bike jersey – I decided I would wear this button to Athens and back in honor of Katy.

I followed my pre-bike routine that I had followed all year and picked up a bagel and some orange juice at Tim Hortons (a little piece of Canada open 24 hours a day) and then headed back down to C.A.S. After I arrived and got parked I set out to locate everyone. I was the first from Speranza there and one of the first for Pelotonia. I collected my bike, found my mom and headed down to the gathering spot in the chute to wait to begin the ride.

The next few minutes is a blur – we grouped and got on our bikes ready for the start of Pelotonia 2011. I had finally transitioned from super excited to nervous. I had never rode with this many people and I knew I was about to challenge myself far beyond anything I had ever done. Right before the start we did get a surprise visit from Dr. Gordon Gee and I was able to shake his hand before heading out (which was pretty cool in my book).

Then it was finally here – the start.

We rolled out of the chute with people taking pictures and cheering us on as we began our 102 mile journey to Athens. It was amazing to be riding along and people are not just cheering you on but thanking you for what you were doing.

The first 20 miles of the ride seemed like I blinked and they were over and we were away from downtown and heading out of the city. We stopped to get water at the 23 mile mark and grab some quick nutrition. I also thought this would be a great time to snap some pictures.

Back on our bikes – ready to tackle the first “hill” (yes – after the 180 miles… that first thing we climbed was barely a “hill”) and get to the Amanda lunch stop. We were keeping a great pace and ran into a few mechanicals along this next section. It was during this section that I realized I was having an issue with my knee. From what I could self-diagnose it appeared my “IT” band on my right leg had tightened up pretty bad and was causing my knee to hurt. I honestly just pushed through the pain and wasn’t overly concerned and knew I could take some meds at the next stop that should help relieve the pain.

Once we reached the stop in Amanda we all seemed to have some mechanicals that Ric Noland of Cyclist Connection (read: best bike shop ever) was able to take care for us as we ate lunch and fueled for the next (and hardest) part of the ride. I was presently surprised to see on the way out of the lunch stop, my mom, sitting on the side of the road with a sign cheering my team on and my friend Kyle and her sign there to cheer me and others on.

If you notice some tiny text on that picture – that’s because it was taken from the Dispatch.com website because my mom was interviewed and had a this picture taken while she was waiting for me to pass by. Pretty awesome that her, my friend Kyle’s sign, me, Katy and Team Speranza made it on the Dispatch website.

After this we were riding through the glorious (read: sarcastic) hills of Hocking county and down a road leading to “Starner” hill. You see, Starner, as many refer to it, is one of the hardest hills of Pelotonia. It is well known among anyone who has rode the 102 leg to Athens. I thankfully tackled the hill a few weeks earlier so I knew what I was up against but even still I knew it was going to be a challenge with 60+ miles on my legs.

So as I’m strolling along I hear this loud BOOM and of course it comes from under my bike and I notice I began to fishtail. So, as I’ve been trained, I yelled out “slowing! stopping!” and was able to get my bike to the side of the road without falling. Upon further inspection… I blew a hole in my tire. Yes – TIRE not just puncture the tube… a giant hole in the tire. So I jumped on SAG and headed up about a mile and half to the rest stop at the bottom of Starner hill and had my tire and tube replaced.

Thankfully everyone in my group waited for me at the rest stop while my bike was beingfixed. I must say that riding with a group of people was amazing and I was very appreciative that they always waited for each other and put no pressure on me because my bike was broke.

Well, after they got it all put back together and everything was good as new it was time for the moment we had all been waiting for – time to climb Starner.

I set out with the goal that I would not walk any hills (or at least not Starner). I knew from previous attempts that I couldn’t make it up in one try but I knew I could stair step it and climb a bit, rest and then climb some more. That was exactly what I did. I will say that it was a great feeling as I approached the top and I had my team there cheering me on as I turned over the crank those last few times as I crested the hill. Once I hit the top I stopped to catch my breath (and avoid passing out) and we shot the most awesome picture of me next to a great sign someone made.

After Starner I was pretty beat but I knew I was beyond the halfway point so less than 50 miles to go at this point. As were riding and I was beat I noticed another rest stop (about a mile and half from the top of Starner). This was one I read about in the Pelotonia blog – it was put on my the two families that lived on this property and they make home made food and provide water, fruit, bathrooms and shade for riders. This year they had a special treat – a snow cone truck! I thought I had died and gone to Heaven at this point (then realized it was far too hot for Heaven and I saw another hill… also something I didn’t expect to see in Heaven).

After another break here we set out to finish our journey. The next 20 miles were pretty hard. It was filled with climbing hill after hill after hill. When you thought there were no more hills… there were more hills. At one point the pain was getting really bad in my knee and I was dying. All I could think of was Katy. Every time I hurt and every time I just wanted to throw my bike along the side of the road and give up… I’d reach down and hold the button I was wearing and remembered why I was doing what I was doing, dig deeper and I’d press on.

After a few rest stops and taking pain medication like it was candy I made it to Nelsonville at the final rest stop before the finish. I stretched and then jumped on my bike to finish this leg of my journey with Marie, Lee, Mike, and Josh. The next 12.63 miles on the bike path seemed like an eternity (I’m assuming it was because I knew we were almost to the end). Then suddenly the bike path ended and I knew we were almost there. So we pushed on and entered into Athens and turned the corner to head towards the finish.

I could hear the crowd and I saw the start of the chute.

I made it… We made it.

At the very beginning of the chute sat my Mom and Kyle cheering us on as we began the final few feet our our ride. As we entered the chute we had a huge group of people yelling and cheering for us as we finished for the day. I will say that was one of the most amazing feelings I’ve ever experienced. I also will say I had never been more thankful to get off my bike as I was at that point.

So there you have it. Day 1 of Pelotonia. Stay tuned and later this week I’ll publish Day 2 and then finally… Thoughts on Pelotonia and what’s next for Rider’s Log?

Night,
John

Also, I’m still $1800.00 from my fundraising goal – it’s not too late to give and no amount is too small! Every dollar helps end cancer and you can donate to my ride here – http://bit.ly/jm-pelotonia

Well folks, this time next week I’ll (hopefully) be fast asleep as I get ready to begin Pelotonia 2011. It is hard to believe that roughly four months ago I set out on my bicycle with the goal of riding the 180 in Pelotonia. The things that I’ve accomplished as a rider in this short time has amazed me – I’ve gone distances further than I ever thought I could, I’ve climbed hills that I could barely walk up and I have taught myself how to fuel while riding.

As the event gets closer I have a mix of emotions – mostly excitement with a hint of fear but overall I feel like I’m ready to tackle this event. I feel that I made a huge dedication and did everything I could do to prepare for this ride. Still the return trip puts some fear in me but I’m hoping that my body holds out and I can get past my mental barriers to see me through to the end.

The other thing that comes to my mind as the event approaches is why I ride. If you haven’t read my Pelotonia page – you should at least check out the story. I lost a dear friend of mine, Katy – she was 31. At my age you never really expect one of your friends to be ripped from you life like that. I’ve experienced loss over the years but nothing like this. In times past they have been sudden death – not to say that it was any easier.

Sometimes when I’m struggling with my training I think back to that last night in the hospital and the fight that Katy fought as she held onto her life as the cancer did everything it could to take it from her. Sadly, she lost that battle and I was there to witness the whole thing. I think of the pain that she experienced and remind myself that the pain I’m feeling is only temporary and cannot even begin to compare with what she experienced – and I push on.

I ride so no one has to experience the type of pain I’ve experienced in losing her. I’d like to think that someday my children can live in a word that is free of cancer and I believe that even my small contribution will help make that dream a reality.

This is more of a “lets get what is on my chest – off – and onto a page” type of post. So I’ll close it out like I used to do many years ago…

Katy and I shared many things and we also were very individual. One of the things that we enjoyed together was musicals. I haven’t seen the musical Wicked but there is a song that I feel says everything I’d want to say to her if I could see her one last time…

For Good
I’ve heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true
But I know I’m who I am today
Because I knew you

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You’ll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend…

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
Because I knew you
I have been changed for good

And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the thing I’ve done you blame me for

But then, I guess we know
There’s blame to share

And none of it seems to matter anymore

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood

Who can say if I’ve been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

And because I knew you…
Because I knew you…
Because I knew you…
I have been changed for good.

Though a duet – that’s what I’d like to say about Katy. I have been changed for the good because I knew her.

Sadly her story has ended but even after she has managed to re-write mine…

Night,
John

We are in the home stretch now – less than 30 days from Pelotonia. Please excuse my lack of posting – I’ve been riding my bike instead . I’ll catch you up on what is going on with my training and fundraising.

Training

I’ve been riding my bike every day that I can. If there isn’t a work conflict or rain then I’m riding. Most weeks that means I’m on my bike 4-5 times during the weekdays and both Saturday and Sunday. So typically I’m putting 100-200 miles on my bike every week. Tomorrow after my ride I will have over a 1000 miles on my bike (since May!). I’ve been working on riding hills and I’m slowly progressing. I’ve noticed that the more hill training I do the better I become at flat ground. Today was a testament to that – I rode the first 50 miles of my ride averaging above 18mph and most times hanging steady at 20-25 mph. I’ve never been able to do that. I felt great until I stopped for lunch and the heat got worse. I bailed on my ride at 73 miles. Not too bad considering the heat and the crazy pace I kept up for the first portion of the ride. I also woke up sick this morning so I didn’t sleep well – which I found translates directly to how I ride.

From now until Pelotonia my training will be getting even more serious (yep – that’s possible). I will be following the advice of my team captain – Dustin – but I’m sure that will mean being on my bike as much as possible. I have noticed that I’m building up quite the tolerance for the heat. If you told me earlier this year I would do 73 miles in this type of heat – I would have never believed you. Tomorrow I’m going to ride a short 35 miles in the Canal Winchester area as a “recovery” ride.

Weight Loss

I’m back to holding steady around 222. I’m going to work harder on my nutrition leading up to Pelotonia. I’m learning what works and what doesn’t on the bike (read: cliff bars make me sick). I have been watching what I eat to some point but I need to get even more strict than I have been. With only 28 days to drop excess weight – every meal counts.

Fundraising

After my employer match I’m only to the $2000.00 mark (I’m a high roller) so I’m half way there! While that is great… I still have $2000 more to raise. Would you consider spreading the word or helping me out through direct donation? Every donation is appreciated and helps (even $5.00!).

Speaking of fundraising – my team has several fundraiser coming up! You should totally come out and support Team Speranza:
July 29 – House Wine & Silent Auction (House Wine – 644 North High Street)
July 30 – Ride for Home out of Cyclist Connection in Canal Winchester (Only $10.00 entry fee 7/35/73 mile routes)

Since we’re getting down to the wire with Pelotonia I will do my best to keep this blog updated so all of you guys supporting me can read about my progress. Thanks to everyone for the support – it means a great deal to me.

Night!
John

Well… I was hoping that my report would read something like this: this week I rode my bike a great deal and did massive amounts of hill training and had a great time!

Not. So. Much…

The beginning of the week was filled with late appointments and storms. Finally there was a break in the weather on Wednesday and I was able to catch a few miles with Marie (@marie_gibbons) with a few good hills. It was a fun ride and I”m glad I put in the miles. Sadly – this was my only ride this week.

Thursday morning a part of my life changed forever. I was sleeping in as I had a late start that day and my phone rang at 7:30 AM and it was my mom. I saw the time and assumed she needed to ask/tell me something on her way to work. I answered the phone and she told me that they had been robbed while they were asleep (one of the biggest fears I have). It was a short conversation as all I wanted to do was be with them. So, after finding out if they were ok physically I jumped up, got dressed and ran out the door. I had a wave of emotions come over me on that drive over – anger, sadness, fear, and stress. I showed up and assessed the situation. The police had left and now we were left with the question of, “What do you do now?”

My family realized that it was not safe for them to be there anymore and it was time to look for a place to live that was safe. I ended up finding them a very nice place in New Albany to lease while they sold the house and started looking for a new one. The next 72 hours are an absolute blur. I know I worked and finished my week with my clients and then after that I was packing and moving. I know that I didn’t get much sleep and the days all seem to run together.

So I tell you all this to say that I didn’t get any riding done this weekend – I did however do a lot of physical work so hopefully that contributed to my weight loss.

Speaking of weight loss – I totally forgot to check in last week. So I am happy to report this week that I weighed in at – 222! I was shocked as my eating was a little off this week and was WAY off this last weekend.

My goal this week is to ride as much as I can, help my family put their life back together in their new home, refine my eating some more and maybe take a day off work to just spend some time resting/recovering after this weekend.

To everyone who helped and prayed for my family – THANK YOU! I ask that you continue to pray for them as they adjust to this new place and life. I only lived in that house for 19 years – they lived in it for 43 years so this is a huge adjustment for them. Prayers for peace and confort are very much appreciated.

Night,
-J

I’m changing things up on you guys and posting this for Monday morning. I think I miss a lot of readers on Sunday night and it gets lost in the shuffle on Monday morning.

Well this week I did the best that I could. I only ate out a total of three times this week – which for me is a huge accomplishment. Before this week I’ll admit that I’d eat out almost 90% of the time because it was “easier” that way. The sad part is I know how to cook and enjoy eating the things that I make. I blamed my busy lifestyle and me being on-the-go so  I could justify my poor choices in eating out.

In addition I worked this week on maintaining around 1800 calories per day and slightly more when riding for several hours. I didn’t get as much riding in as I wanted to this week – the weather didn’t cooperate. I did a 23 mile ride on Tuesday and managed to do the first 7-8 miles averaging about 20-25 mph then I dropped off and rode in the 15-18 mph pace the rest of the way.

My next ride was Saturday with Team Speranza. It was an early morning ride and thankfully we were able to get the entire ride in without getting caught in any crazy weather. This day we did some hill training (I’m sure this was beginner level) but nonetheless it was very much hills to me since I ride on flat ground most of the time.

I pushed myself and I feel that I did a decent job that day. According to Endomodo and the bike I was averaging 14.7 mph on the ride (which includes my slow climbs up various hills). As I was riding along one stretch of the route, Dustin and Mike came by and started talking to me about my training offering great advice and encouragement – both of which meant a great deal to me.

I noticed this route was very similar to one that I had done at the beginning of the season – on my cheap bike and in non-biking gear (except a helmet). As we began to get into familiar territory I started remembering all the places that I stopped earlier this year to either rest or walk up a hill.

This time I was rolling through these areas and climbing them on my bike. I didn’t stop once (only for stop signs) – which made me feel a little better about my training progress. Now, I’m not saying that I flew up them at 20mph either but I managed to climb them and keep going.

All in all about 32 miles total that day. One of the most exciting things that day to happen to me was I was officially invited to join Team Speranza. I have to say that when I began this journey to ride in Pelotonia I never thought I’d join a team or even a peloton. I assumed this would be one lonely journey – just me and the bike and lots of miles and praying that I was doing the proper training. It’s funny how things don’t turn out the way you think they would… Guess it is all a part of God’s plan for me.

So what are my goals for this week? More sleep (I’ve read over and over this is very important for weight loss and recovery) and continuing to refine my eating. I purchased a book called “The Paleo Diet for Athletes” after Goose was talking about a protein shake recipe he’d stolen from the book. So, I just started reading that and hope to finish it this week so I can work on a grocery shopping trip for the upcoming weekend.

Fundraising is the next big thing on my list as well. With about two months away from the ride – I’m roughly at $1300.00. So I have $2700.00 to go to my “High Roller” goal of $4000.00. Would you consider helping me and/or passing along my link? 100% of the funds are tax deductible and go to support cancer research so someday we can end this horrible disease. Also, if anyone has fundraising ideas that they’d like to share or maybe even help me with then please leave a comment and a way to reach you – I’m all ears!

Thanks!
John

Why do I ride? Here’s my Pelotonia Link
How do I ride? Here’s my Endomodo Link
What do I eat? Here’s my MyFitnessPal Link

Wow, we’re already to week three! This week I didn’t get in as much riding as I wanted to. During the week – I had a slew of after work appointments and late days which translated into me not being able to ride or even make it to the gym. Now, granted, I should have made it to the gym but I was slacking with planning ahead. So I did my best to make up for it on the weekend.

Saturday I was invited to ride with Team Speranza at the London Strawberry Festival Bike Tour. Well… after waking up at 5:30am and getting ready to head out  the door I get a few e-mails/messages on Twitter that the ride had been cancelled due to severe weather in the area. I was pretty bummed out but I understand about wanting to be smart when riding in the elements. So I just went about my Saturday like normal. In the late morning I decided to take a quick ride and did about 11 miles in 48 minutes.

I got back home to shower and take my mom out to lunch. So I spent the rest of the afternoon taking my mom to lunch, installing a new router at her house and fixing the remote for the living room TV. So around 5:00 pm I decided to go home and ride some more on my bike.

I just got on my bike and rode… all over. One of the things I love the most about bike riding is just exploring areas and neighborhoods that I’ve never been to. By the time my ride was finished I ended up putting in 20 miles for a grand total of 30 on Saturday. Sadly, it was only half of what I was originally planned on doing but I still was proud.

Today I got up early again and met a small group from Team Speranza – Marie (@marie_gibbons), Mike (@michaelglacy), Mike (@msmanket), and Josh (@jrplatt200) for a ride around the Westerville/Genoa/Sunbury area with a few hills.

It was a great ride but Josh got a flat near the end of the ride – but he was able to get everything fixed and back on the road in no time. I felt like I got a great workout and really enjoyed exploring an area of Ohio that I’ve never been to. As we rolled into the parking lot – I saw that we did 40 miles.

I also hit another mile stone – I’ve owned my bike for about 30 days and in those 30 days I put 400 miles on my bike! I’m hoping to do much more these next 30 days so that’s my current goal.

So this week I’m going to ride as much as I can and I’m also going to work on my nutrition. I’d like to reduce my eating out and watch what I eat. I have the MyFitnessPal app on my phone and I need to use it to track my eating like I used to. I find that when I have to log what I eat and people can see it – I find myself making better choices.

Lastly, I want to update you on my weight… Are you ready for this? I lost 2.6lbs this week so I stand at 225.4. I’m very excited about my progress and look forward to what I can accomplish this week.

Well, time for bed so I can get up and start my work week.

Night!
John

Why do I ride? Here’s my Pelotonia Link
How do I ride? Here’s my Endomondo Link
What do I eat? Here’s my MyFitnessPal Link

Well, I know it hasn’t quite been a week since the last post but I’d like to move the day that they appear to be Sunday. I do the majority of my riding over the weekend so I like things to be fresh in my mind so I can give you a post… plus a lot has happened since that post so I’d like to let you know my progress.

Thursday night I met up with Team Speranza and rode a 25 Mile Ride down in the Pickerington area. It was a great time and I always enjoy riding with them – they’re a great group of people. It was during this ride that I finally felt that I just might have a shot at doing Pelotonia this year. For most of the season I’ve struggled with consistent speeds above 16mph. That night I noticed myself sustaining 17+ and my heart rate wasn’t 185+. I even managed to climb a few hills and didn’t die in the process.

Friday I was bad and didn’t ride. Instead I purchased a few things for my ride coming up on Saturday, cleaned my bike/chain and then went to bed for my early rise the next morning at 5:30 AM. So, by a miracle of God, I was able to wake up at 5:30 AM and get myself together for my ride. Thankfully the night before I had made a checklist of everything I needed or I’m sure that I would have forgot something.

I arrived in Waldo, OH (which is almost as hard to find on a map as Waldo in his infamous books) around 7:15 AM and got myself registered for the Hot Tamale Bicycle Tour which I was also ironically riding with Team Speranza. After getting registered and getting my number attached to my back – I waited for others to arrive. Finally after one flat tire we set out on our 64 mile bike ride.

It was an eventful day – flat tire, crank arm coming off someone’s bike, and a tire out of true are just a few things I remember from the ride. The first 30 miles of the ride was fairly decent. I was feeling great riding anywhere from 15 to 20 miles per hour. Then we began to get into the heat of the day. It was getting hotter and hotter and before long it was in the mid 90s and most of the ride was in full sun. Well, I made it to mile 55 where we came upon a water stop. They offered to take us back but I, being the stubborn person I am, said that I would try my best to finish… and well… I didn’t quite make it. I was rounding mile 57 when I realized I was dehydrated and feeling sick so I asked, Goose – @gooseneck, one of the Team Speranza riders to get the SAG wagon for me because I wasn’t going to be able to finish. So I rested under a tree and drank the rest of my water and was quickly picked up and taken to the finish.

I learned a valuable lesson that day in hydration that drinking water with nothing in it after riding that many miles in the hot sun… wasn’t the smartest thing to do. I even had Gatorade powder but I completely had forgot about it. I still felt like I fought a good fight and 57 miles wasn’t bad for my first long ride in the heat. To date – all my 60+ mile rides have been in raining and/or low 70s weather. Afterwards we went to the world famous G&R Tavern for some fried bologna and copious amounts of water.

That night I got home I did nothing but drink, eat and sleep. Amazingly enough today, Sunday, I didn’t feel as bad as I thought I might. I woke up refreshed and decided to go to church and then treat myself to a lazy afternoon at Zoombezi Bay. Afterwards I felt guilty for treating myself to a lazy afternoon and rode my bike for 40 minutes to make up for it (and did 10 miles!).

One of the guys I rode with for a good amount of time on Saturday, Lee – @notsobiglee, has an app on his phone called “Endomondo” and he recommended it for tracking rides with GPS, etc… So tonight I decided to check it out: My Endomondo Profile. It’s a pretty neat app! So you can now stalk my every move on my bike (commence the security freakout from ‘those’ people who already think me using FourSquare is crazy… lol).

I’m not sure what’s on the agenda for this week with riding but I’m excited for what challenge lies ahead. In weight loss news – I lost 2.6 pounds! So now I’m 228.0… wasn’t too shocked considering my heart rate monitor said I burned about 3100 calories Saturday… so I assumed I’d have to lose something. Now lets see if I can keep it off this week and continue to lose!

As always thanks for reading and commenting and please check out my rider page and pass along the link! I’m also looking for fundraising ideas so if you have ideas or would even be willing to help me with a fundraiser – I’d greatly appreciate it!

Thanks!
John