Sunday, February 26, 2006

...One long day.

Woke up at 9:30 am
Plow driveway at 10 am
Bike for 3.5 hr (from 11 am till 3:30 pm) [explain the difference at the bottom]
Change, eat lunch, do dishes, do laundry from 4 till 5 pm
Go to work at 5:30 pm
Network with a slight frustration till 6:45 pm
Drive to see Toronto Mass Choir (starts at 7:30 pm till 10 pm)
Dinner (beer!! 11 pm - 12:50 am)
Home (1:30 am)

I don't know about you but when I bike, my digiestive system just wants to clean itself. I had to go to washroom (#2) twice and well, I guess I have to figure out how to clear my system before I go on long rides when spring comes (any suggestions will be greatly appreciated).

I really didn't want to get on the bike. It was boring and mentally i wasn't focus. Not only after an hour and start watching Band of Brothers I really got into the groove. Once in a while I will increase my cadence to 100-110. I couldn't hold it for long.

I have to play with my nutrition plan.

Base on the HRM, I burned about 1800 calories for 3.5 hours.
I was taking 2 gels an hour (every 30 min).
Each gel has 100 calories.
Assume I burn 600 calories an hour and I take in two gels (= 200 calories).
This means 400 calories are from my fat and carbs.
One more useful fact, my HR hovers from 125 - 145. This means I am still in zone 1 and 2 (aerobic mode).

What does all this number means?
It looks like I am ingesting more calories than I need. Next time I will take 1.5 gel an hour and see how i feel afterwards. I don't want to consume too much gel. When it goes to the intestine, it will draw water from my body.

Today is a very long day. To say the least, it wasn't the best day. I tried putting salt into my recovery drink and it tasted nasty. There was a lot more house chores than expected. The networking, I got an wireless access point but the computer cannot see the network. Negative talks hover over me like a fog. The negativity tries its way to explain how come I have to go to work during off hours and not get appreciated and expected to work HARDER. It was a lot of things.

I was really glad I went to Toronto Mass Choir. Gospel music...is really uplifting. We sing, we dance, we clap hands, we raise our arms. I got a Chinese Church and we are generally the conservative crowd. I really ejoy the openess. It really lifted me up.

Usually at work, I don't ask Jesus for help. Yup..pride at work...but recently with the networking, I really pray about Him giving me the knowledge to get it in gear. And is true, He always provide.

Best of all, afterwards, I had dinner. This ain't a dinner. Oh no. This is a feast. I orderd calamari, nachos and chicken wings. I share that with a friend..and yes of course there is beer to wash it down.

Lo and behold, I asked my friend tonight....and he know his networking stuff. He gave me a simple solution to the network problem i was struggling..... :)

The day has its ups and downs...still train.and still keep my faith.

14 comments:

Kewl Nitrox said...

Dinner = beer? ;P

Glad to hear the Lord is active at your work as well. Praise God! Truly, the more we draw near to Him, the more He draws near to us in turn.

On clearing your system before rides, I find the only thing that helps me is to drink heaps of water 1st thing when I get out of bed. HEAPS. :)

Rachel said...

When you had to make your stops to the bathroom, I'm not clear if you mean b/c you had to pee or (my favorite) gastric distress (a lovely euphemism), which I suffer frequently on runs. If the latter, you have to be very careful about what, when, and how much you eat before a workout. Also, I have figured out that sometimes a pre-emptive Immodium can do wonders. If the former, I think it has to do with how much liquid you take in before you start. Avoid drinking anything 30 minutes before your ride. Once you start riding, you can start drinking again. Hope this helps!

William said...

Hope you get the Wireless stuff working Cliff.

I try not to eat much after 7:00pm and that seems to help it all worth through before morning.

Nancy Toby said...

I think you should get double credit for bike trainer time because it sucks so bad.

Papa Tweet said...

Just yesterday, I ran for 2:45. I ran all over town and back, but at the halfway point,I realized I needed to use the restroom. However, I was on the other side of town. Don't know about you, but public restrooms are a hostile environment and I refuse to use them if possible. SO, I turned around and made my way home and barely made it. Seems like I can't run without stopping for a restroom break. If you find the answer, let me know.

By the way, way to freakin' go on the trainer. You kick butt Cliff. 3.5 hours is nothing to laugh at. That is 3.5 hours of mind numbing boredom. Trust me, I know. Spriong is just around the corner, I can say goodbye to my stupid trainer for a while.
Benny

Trisaratops said...

Wow--3.5 hours on the trainer! Very impressive! I haven't attempted more than 2 yet...hoping things will warm up before I have to do that! :)

Anonymous said...

You rode for 3 hours on your trainer? Don't think I could ever do that, I'd kill myself first. Had a 2hr ride yesterday outside, I'd rather face the cold anyday over the trainer!

Hilda said...

As far as I understand if you are in zone 1 or 2 you realy on fat, increasing your bodie's ability to burn fat, then you don't need extra carbs. They are used for speedy sessions, intervals and those kind of training in higher zones, as explain greatly on www.mcmillanrunning.com

Rae said...

Great job with the biking! It sounds like you're burning a ton of calories! Personally when I run I take Clif Bloks about every 6 miles, which would roughly be every 50-55 minutes. In between I'm drinking some diluted Gatorade for additional energy and I've found that helps keep my stomach a little more settled.

Mike said...

Hey Cliff,
Ditto IMmike's suggestion regarding the coffee to clean you out. Also, for any long morning workouts, I try to keep my breakfast liquid as in a couple Ensure (the liquid meal replacement) or a yogurt / fruit smoothie. I try to stay away from the solids like bars, etc. Seems to work pretty well.

WildWill said...

Thats a very busy day Cliff

Its running that makes me need the bathroom i seem to be OK on the bike

Have a look at you pre-training diet - reduce fiber etc befor long sessions this may help

Papa Louie said...

Eat prunes the night before! I think the experts are saying 2 hours on the trainer is max. Anything more then that is overkill. But who knows? If you are having fun then good for you. Singing is a great way to relieve stress especially when it is unto the Lord! Peace!

Sixteen Chickens said...

Beer, I saw beer mentioned there, twice. :)

Dawn - Pink Chick Tris said...

Yeah for wings and beer!