Beginner's Bicycle Ride to Jamestown

While I missed riding with my clients today, I got to cycle on one of my most iconic Boulder rides today, Jamestown. 

  

Roundtrip was more than 45 miles. And I did not get there overnight. While the ride up Lefthand Canyon is relatively easy, there is always something that makes the ride that much more difficult. 

  

I treated myself and stopped for espresso at Amante North Broadway. While I am always pushing myself and on the clock, I stopped to frame a few photos for Instagram. The ride out US Rt 36 is a gentle one. A few swells, but nothing of note before the climb. 

My legs felt fresh, my saddle felt good. Nothing to stop me. Until I felt that headwind. And that is when it turned into a battle between me and the mountain.

Suffice it to say, that I started my fitness transformation back in 2011. It was not until that summer when I was able to tackle that climb again. I lost more than 30 pounds and gained back a whole lot of confidence.

Now that it is late 2015, the weight is still gone and I am on track to getting back down to my high school weight. Yes, it is difficult. Yes, I am hungry, thank you very much. Yes, I miss drinking every night (and is that how I want to be spending every night?) And what I have found is you.

I know I am here to help you and others like you. Whether you are getting back into cycling, or you are jumping in for the first time, I want to assist you on your journey.

For so may years, I thought of myself as a cyclist, and I never even got out and rode my bikes. Now I am in action. I've been on my bike for the past 56 days in a row. Managed to keep off those 30 pounds of gluttony. And trending down to my high school weight. 

Does it take effort, Yes! Do I still enjoy food, hell yes! Do I still have a bourbon every now and again, yes please. Am I still hungry, hell yes! What I have done is not without it's sacrifices. It is difficult  It takes commitment and personal responsibility. You will feel hungry, you will feel excited. You will be overwhelmed. You will feel high on exercise. You will get exhausted waking up at 5:00AM to ride. No joke, if I can do it, anybody can do it.

Let me ask you this. Do you want to lead a healthy active cycling lifestyle? Do you want to have more energy for your spouse and your family? Do you want to take care of yourself so you can take care of others? Do you want to attain a goal? Let me lead you on this journey and I will help you achiever your (not my) goals for fitness and health through cycling.

My next post I'll be posting about the three easy steps to get started with cycling. This way, you will begin to see similar results as me. Join me on your journey. Let's go ride bikes.

How To Go For That First Bike Ride, Again

As we start to  move into Fall, the days can be a bit cooler, and the mornings can be downright cold. It takes a little more motivation not only to get out of bed, but to put on an extra layer, cap and gloves before you even turn over the pedals and get out on your ride. 

But for some of you, there is missing step before you even make the decision to get out and ride. The question you have been posing to me is, "I don't know where to ride safely." That can be a huge barrier to riding. And there are a couple of ways to tackle this problem. 

The first is to ride with a more experienced rider. He/she will be able to lead you on a ride of the appropriate length and find the right course where you can feel confident and be able to concentrate on your fitness, rather than worry about getting lost or riding with too much traffic. 

The second is to use a cycling app. Strava and MapMyRide both have "Routes Near Me." This way, you can see the most popular rides in your area. I will not get into all of the data you can drill down into, but you can quickly become competitive with yourself and others as you follow these same routes. 

The third is visiting your local bike shop. The experts there know the area very well and can share rides that fit your fitness and skill level. At the same time, many bike shops have an organized group rides. You will see everyone from the weekend racer, to the complete novice. Ask about a no-drop ride. This means that no matter how new you are to cycling, no matter your fitness level, no matter how you are feeling that day, there will be someone  who will stay with you and get you through the ride. 

I have done the majority of my riding by myself on the road. I set my own fitness goals and attained them with the help of apps and family support. I squeezed in rides where ever I could so my fitness goals would fit in with my busy family and work life. 

And group rides are a great way of being part of a larger cycling community. You may not be a CAT2 racer or a thrill seeing downhiller. There is a group out there that shares your cycling style and values. 

Or hit me up at gerald@geraldrhodes.com and I will come ride with you.

The Start of Helping Cyclists

Today is the 25th day in a row that I have been on my bike. 31 will be my all time record. While I am excited about that, it is not the point.

What I am really excited about is that I am helping people. Today I took two of my clients out on a bike ride. It was a beautiful day out in East Boulder County. Could not asked for better weather. As we rose with every crest of a hill, we were met with a gentle breeze that remind us of our morality. The difference between yourself and Taylor Phinney can be ever so slight on your best day. Noticed a few things with my clients as we tackled the hills of the East. 

Either I am not staying hydrated enough (though my Taylor Scale says I am at 60% hydration, post ride) or my clients need a lot more water than me. I'm thinking the later. We probably do not need an expresso break, but we definitely need a hydration break.

East Boulder County is relatively flat compared to the Foothills. That is not to say that it is as flat as Kansas.Especially towards the end of the ride, I need to pay attention to the final hills to ensure everyone's success on the day.

The last thing is conversation. I love cycling because you can think about everything or you can think about nothing. The rhythm of the road can be rather zen like. Group rides are therapy sessions. What is said out on the road, stays out on the road. And those easy climbs are perfect opportunities for talking out ideas and sharing dreams, or otherwise being crazy. There is no judgement out on the road. All you are left with is the satisfaction of a ride complete and the company you keep. That means a lot in our busy lives. I'm looking forward to reaching out to more of you and share my story of your success. Get out and ride...

My Practice

This  has been an incredible week. It started off really bad, a topic for another post. I came to two important realizations this week. I feel like I am finally contributing and helping others.
I reached a personal goal of getting down to my ideal weight. This was my first realization of the week. Men my age, particularly black men, have a difficult time controlling their weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I have been able to accomplish this through controlling my diet and being consistent with exercise and riding my bike.
you see, I have been beating myself up these past few weeks because all I felt I have accomplished is going out for a bike ride. And then I realized that this is the point. Through going out for a bike ride, I have created a practice around helping others get out and enjoy bike riding. This was my second realization of the week. I have three clients so far and I am actively seeking more people to help.
There are so many reasons why I love to bike. Being outside in the fresh air, the rhythm of pedaling, the sense of accomplishment, knowing I am doing something healthy for myself, are all just a few of the reasons I bike. This is what I want to give to others. How do you feel? Do you want to get into cycling, but have no idea where to begin? Do you want to buy a bike, but have no idea how much to spend. There are great deals on used bikes, but what are you looking at? Is it really what you need?
My clients all have different reasons for riding. My first client is simply trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Biking is his primary means of commuting and transportation, and cycling may be his conduit to connecting with himself. My second client is simply trying to get into road biking. He used to do a lot of mountain biking and now would like to do more road biking. It can be something that he and his father can do together. The third client is choosing to ride to give herself some quality alone time. A way to be active while enjoying the outdoors.
So my challenge to myself it to help more people. Create a place where I can help motivate more busy people to be active and get on their bikes. Find new ways to get my story and message out there and find new ways to help as many people as possible. How can I best serve you?

Let's Get Started and Ride

Boulder Bike & Brew Festival

I got to go for a ride today and decided to end it at the Boulder Bikes & Brews Festival. I dreamed of guiding a peloton of riders around my favorite route through North Boulder and Niwot. As the afternoon came upon me, I found I was once again riding alone. A blistering, hot, Colorado afternoon. Out on the open road with little to no shade nor cloud cover. Perfect conditions for heat exhaustion/heat stroke. So I packed up plenty of water, exercise hydration mix, portable rice cake, and a few Jelly Belly Sport Beans.

Haystack Mountain from US 36

On paper, this may look like a failure. No one left with me on my ride, my ride lasted less than 90 minutes, and I only got to spend 15 minutes at the Festival. But I had three big victories this afternoon.

The first success is that I went out on a ride and finished my ride with a cold, refreshing beer. I’m positive that is a job well done in anyone’s book. I traveled along one of my favorite routes, Neva Road, in North Boulder. Riding along Dakota Ridge, you turn on to Neva Road and see Haystack Mountain in the near distance. While the production facility has left many years ago, I still imagine stopping for delicious fresh goat cheese. I finished my ride at Valmont Park, and met up with one of my coworkers, Kristen. We talk of the impending success of the Brew Festival and she pours me a delicious and refreshing Howdy Beer. While my bicycle ride effort was short lasted, I deserve this 12 oz pour of an exceptional beer. Success number one.

Kristen enjoying a Howdy

In the tent adjacent to The Post Brewing Company is The Feed. I got the opportunity to meet and chat with Michael. I let him know that I am a manager at the Post and he invited me down to The Feed to pick up my order and chat about food. I am really excited about this connection. The Feed has a great company culture and understands that there are as many thoughts about nutrition and exercise as there are people. I would like for people to enjoy delicious food that just may happen to fuel their next ride. Many exercise bars and dietetic prescriptions look great on paper, but for us every day athletes who work 50 hours a week, take care of our families, and, oh yes, ride when we have a spare moment, there has got to be something that tastes better. The Feed get’s this. Success number two.

Michael from The Feed

While there was a lot of delicious food (Ohhh, pizza!) at the festival, one in particular caught my eye. The Zeal Food Truck was on hand serving delicious alternatives to quick service food. While Zeal caters to all that is Boulder (raw, vegan, paleo) they strike a balance with food that actually tastes good and a comprehensive cocktail menu. I know edamame is great for you, but sometimes all you need is a fish sandwich paired with a pilsner from Avery Brewing. Oh, or how about a Zeal Bloody Mary for “lunch”? It’s all about balance and what a wide variety of people will really eat. While I know I can punch my three day cleanse ticket at Zeal, and I know we can also get some striped bass and a beer. Delicious food for athletes done well.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

I’m excited about that this week will bring. Old relationships, new friendships, and work at a brewery that inspires a lot of people. Are you inspired to go out and ride? Are you inspired to make a delicious meal that fuels your ride and fuels your family? When in doubt, get out on your bike and figure it out.

The Drop

Woke up this morning a little tired as the alarm sounded off. I broke one of my rules and checked that alert from my bank. Got to get up and out of bed so I can enjoy my ride, or it will never happen. I’m not sure if you are a morning person or a night person, but I know my personal time has to happen first thing in the morning, before the day takes over.

Longs Peak in the distance

I have been on a bit of a streak lately and I have been riding six days a week for the past three weeks. I feel great. At 6AM, there are never too many people out on the road, even in Boulder. Today, I happened to latch on behind a guy who looked a few years older than me. I caught him on the incline as I took a swig of water. As we went up the hill, I found another gear and passed him.

Just as I was patting myself on the back and marveling at my new level of fitness, the same guy passes me, for good. As I crested the hill, I could see that he was widening the gap between us.

Our natural instinct is to rationalize all of it. He had a fancy carbon fiber bike with carbon wheels. I didn’t eat breakfast. He probably has more time to do hills than me. It’s got to be the bike. Wait, his bike or my bike?

Top of the col

There is always someone faster than you out there. There is always someone who is willing to work harder than you. You are not always at your best. And that is what this human experience is all about. I gave it all I had on that hill this morning. So what can you do about it? I’m going to eat a dinner that is delicious and nutritious for me so I can recover. Tomorrow, I will wake up, get back on my bike, and push myself further than the day before. Challenge accepted!

Ready for what is important. Ready to present for my family, ready to go out and earn a day’s pay. Looking for that next ride up the hill.

Ironman Boulder 2015

I love to ride most every chance I get. And rides can become habit forming. Every now and again, I will get the opportunity to go out on a completely new ride. Explore. Not sure how many miles it will be or how long it will take.  This pure sense of freedom is what draws all of us to ride. Road or no road, you are limited only by your imagination.

Most days there is a schedule. And if I am going to get in a ride, I have to make it fit in to the schedule. Depending on how early I get out of bed, I have one or two predetermined routes that I know will fit into the schedule.

This past Sunday, my morning was totally free. It was also Boulder Ironman Sunday. And there was a spot not far from the house where I could sit and watch the bike leg. Instead of using my imagination, I went into habit mode. I had two hours to get to the one spot on course where I wanted to watch the first few leaders come through. There were just a few routes I knew I could take to get to that one spot on the 112 mile course.

But I could not get out of my own way. I just had to travel along, what I knew in the back of my mind was, the race route. I rode along side the rest of the triathletes for my fitness ride, while there were in the race of their life. As an athlete, I should of understood that. And I was being a complete dick.

I ducked in and out of the race along my ride, trying to get to the one spot to watch. I finally tried to continue along my route when a police officer stopped me from entering the race route. While trying to figure out which route to take, (a simple left or right) he almost knocked me over because I could not imagine taking another well traveled road. I could not get out of my own way.

There are so many times in life where we get caught up in our usual routes, what we usually drink, what we usually eat, what we see to be fact. We just need to get out of our way and go for a ride. With that pure sense of freedom. So that we can discover something new for ourselves.

Where can you ride tomorrow? What can you eat tomorrow that will nourish you? I am going to make some bacon & cashew rice cakes that will nourish me on my ride, wherever it takes me.