Riding With MoC

There was no morning shiur this morning so at 5:30 a.m. I rode about 25 miles to Lido Beach. I was going at a decent clip but I could have gone faster. My heart rate monitor was at a steady 145 - 148 bpm which is about 75% of my maximum heart rate. Had I really wanted to work hard, I could have gone to 153 - 155 by pedaling faster (The road was flat and I was already in a very high gear) but I wasn't in the mood for the pain or extra effort.

I have been riding a lot, both on my bike and on the spin bike and I'm hoping to get on my spin bike later this afternoon for another 45 minutes. So, I told myself to pull it back and leave something for later.

Experienced riders and trainers always tell me to listen to my body and know when to take it easy or even take a day or two off. It's against my nature to do sports in any way other than all-out so that it very difficult advice to accept. When I did the New York City Marathon 10 years ago, I had to pull back at times because my body really started to break down. Now, however, the more I ride, the stronger I feel.

So, this morning's ride was unusual in that I allowed myself to take it easy. Was I dogging it or just being smart (for a change)?

When I was in Chicago a couple of weeks ago, Adam Davis gave me a CD, "The Way Jews Rock", from a group called "even sh'siyah". Because of the three weeks I really didn't have a chance to listen to it until yesterday. Besides being a great album, stam, it turns out that it is also a great album to listen to while doing an endurance spin bike session.

The CD is a bit over 56 minutes which is ideal for an intense endurance session. It has a number of songs with fast beats and a number of songs that are perfect for 'climbing'. Since what I mainly do is climb, it was almost perfect. The only drawback was that the third song, Yeminite Fever, should have gone first as it would have provided a perfect five minute warm up preceding the 'climbing' songs, Ana Avda and Ayleh Varechev. Somehow, I suspect they weren't thinking about my spinning when they put the CD together.

Despite the weather prediction to the contrary, yesterday was a beautiful riding day with not a drop of rain falling from the sky. I rode about 25 miles with my older son out to Point Lookout. The headwind on the way out was pretty strong but on the way home the wind was at our backs. I stayed in my highest gear the entire way and flew. It was a lot of fun. A lot more fun than riding my spin bike.

How does the Aibishte expect me to train for my Charity Bike Ride in Israel if it rains on Sunday mornings? He surely knows how boring it is to ride 3 hours on my spin bike - especially without music!!!

After riding hard for over 200 kilometers, Lance Armstrong reeled in his last competitor at the wire to win his fourth mountain stage in a row at the Tour De France. Aske afterward about his amazing sprint finish he said:

"No gifts this year. I want to win."

This has been one of the most amazing athletic performances and certainly the greatest performance in a Tour de France of all time.

My Sunday morning ride was cancelled on account of driving 9 hours back and forth to visiting day. I was far more tired at the end of the day yesterday than I am after a three hour bike ride.

I knocked off 42 miles in Central Park yesterday morning, 7 laps of the outer roadway. My average speed was 16.4 mph, almost half as fast as Lance.

One of my main concerns about my bike tour in Israel is the heat. The temperature during yesterday's ride ranged from about 74 degrees when I started to about 80 when I finished. I was fine while riding because the self generated wind kept me reasonably cool. However, when I stopped (which I did for ten minutes after completing 30 miles), I really felt overheated. I was drinking constantly (I use a Camelbak that holds 70 ounces of liquid) yet when I stopped I felt as though my body temperature had risen dramatically. This despite the fact that the ride around Central Park is almost totally in the shade.

I'm not sure what the temperatures are expected to be in late October in the Negev but I suspect that they will be pretty high. Also, I can't be expected to ride as fast (and generate wind) because we will mostly be climbing. Finally, we will be exposed to the dessert sun where there will be virtually no shade during the entire ride.

I don't do well in heat. I'm worried.

Lance is 33; MoC is significantly older.

Lance is tall and thin; MoC is short and thin.

Lance's average speed on a flat roadway is 33 mph (that's on his bike, not in his car!); MoC's is about 20 mph (10 years ago); Lance averages 20 mph when he climbs the steepest mountains.

Lance rides a $5,000 Trek; MoC rides a Trek.

Lance trains about 8 to 10 hours a day; MoC rides about 30 miles on Sundays and 45 minutes a day on a spin bike.

Lance wear a yellow jersey (usually); MoC will be wearing a yellow jersey for his bike tour in Israel.

Lance has won 5 Tours de France; MoC has been passed in Central Park by a chunky guy on a three speed Wizard of Oz bike.

Lance and MoC love to ride their bicycles.