Beer Drinker Appreciation Society - Open For Business (Page 61)

A few things jump to mind:  

1. You might be running too hard for your long runs; kick it back a notch and enjoy it more.
2. Find someone to run with, even if he or she is slower than you and if he or she is only there for part of it.  10 miles of shared joy, suffering, and conversation is a lot quicker than 5 miles by yourself.
3. Find a new place to run.  The same old roads and venues get boring.  Find a forest preserve, running trail, or just drive 20 minutes from your house to start running.
4. A quick stop for a bottle of sports drink makes everything better.  Studies have shown that the sweetness hitting your tongue, even without the sugar, produces significant increases in power.  For example, my last trainer workout was 4x20min at 85-95% FTP, with 10min between.  I'll start sipping some very-diluted sports drink (leftover powder from my IM build last year) 5min into the 3rd interval, and the suffering diminishes.
5. Salt tabs can make a huge difference if you have any sort of cramping.  Also, magnesium and potassium salts can deplete over extended training blocks and they are trace elements in the first place, so supplementation can help there as well - and there's no real downside if your levels are fine.

What I like about BDAS:  Huge range of ability levels.  From Adam and I talking about the bike, to giving my hard-learned opinions to new folks, there's always something to talk about.

Theme for the week suggestion:  What is holding you back from your goals?  What is the name of that little devil on your shoulder that is whispering those negative thoughts?  And conversely, what's the angel on your other shoulder?

For me, feeling guilty and ashamed.  I've got a case of the "s’pose’das"  I'm supposed to be 165 pounds, my FTPs supposed to be 300, my running pace supposed to be 9:30/mile . . .and all the rest. My little devil is "Supposedda."  

The angel is Captain Jack Sparrow.  "The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. [...] And me, for example, I can let you drown, but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesies, savvy? So, can you sail under the command of a pirate, or can you not?"  For me, I can't run as fast or ride as hard as I want, but I can still ride and still run and still train, and so long as I do that well, the rest doesn't matter at all.

You need a doctor, my friend. 

I use to have this happen to me when I was a kid. I frequently woke up with a bloody pillow and had to sleep with a humidifier. It went away eventually. If it's dry and you've had it before, maybe give it some time. If you start to develop any other symptoms (especially a cough), doctor it up. I don't think any one here is a doctor which is why I suggest a doctor if your concerned about it. Would hate to give false reassurance...  

I'm so pumped right now. I got home from school and the weather was nice so I decided to put the road bike together for the first outdoor ride of the year. I put about 20km in but most importantly I went out to my TT spot and did an 8km TT. Out and back (tail cross wind on the way out, head cross on the way back). Even after a hard weekend of training, no food no special prep just a jump on the bike and go, I hammered out 39km/h (24.2mph) average speed over the 8km.. Unfortunately my power data kept dropping out so I don't have actual figures but I when I did get power I was pushing out between 270-340watts. I also did a little sprint down my road and hit 1200watts. 

If you see this bike coming down the road... get out of it's way...

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Haha! I call it 'The Ghost' because it's made by ghost. All my bikes have names like that. My Track bike is called 'The Fuji' because it's made by Fuji. My old road bike is called 'The Punisher' because the original seat that came with it punished my a$$ and my winter beater is called 'The Clunker' because, well its an MTB that's way too big for me and weighs almost much as I do. 

Let me know if you get on, we should start organizing Zwift BDAS group rides. 

(its a bit ridiculous that this site censors swear words... )

Originally posted by chayes

Originally posted by Moonrocket I'm grumpy and need some advice. I got a nose bleed yesterday and every time I try and do something it starts up again. How do I get it to stop? I decided just to walk rather than bike at lunch and it started up again! I felt like I was totally on the right track and now I'm falling back again. What do I love about BDAS? That I can ask weird questions like this and get support and understanding!

This happened to me ages ago. It was just that, combo of dryness and then when my blood was pumping harder it would start the nose bleed. I was young and didn't think to go to a doctor. But I think you wind up with a weak spot in your cappilaries and will be more prone to them until it heals. I haven't had one in ages and ages. Can you use a humidifier? That might help. Seeing a doctor isn't a bad idea, of course. I feel for you, though- it sucks to have stuff out of your control stop you from working out. Maybe you can do weights? You might not get your heart pumping enough to make your nose bleed.

Weights might be worse if its weakened capillaries. The strain of lifting and resultant increase in blood pressure might cause them to pop. Never know until you try though. There are some over the counter nasal sprays that hydrate the inside of the nose. They might work to alleviate the problem so it can heal up. 

I cut my teeth track racing. No brakes, 45km/h, 2 inches from the guys in front of you and 10 other guys bumping and rubbing their way past you while hurtling around an oval on a 55 degree embankment with g-forces sucking your chin down to your handlebars... It's wonderful but scary as h*ll. 

My favourite summation of bike racing is a quote from Thomas Krabbe's The Rider, "Road racing imitates life the way it would be without the corruptive influence of civilization. When you see an enemy lying on the ground what’s your first reaction? To help him to his feet. In road racing you kick him to death"

And here's another I like that I use to keep me humble and shame myself into doing what I have to do. This quote has a tendency to rub people the wrong way. If it does, discard it. But if it fires you up and makes you want to get on the bike/in the water/out for run then it's purpose is well served. 

“The greater the suffering, the greater the pleasure. That is nature’s payback to riders for the homage they pay her by suffering. Velvet pillows, safari parks, sunglasses; people have become woolly mice. They still have bodies that can walk for five days and four nights through a desert of snow, without food, but they accept praise for having taken a one-hour bicycle ride. ‘Good for you’. Instead of expressing their gratitude for the rain by getting wet, people walk around with umbrellas. Nature is an old lady with few friends these days, and those who wish to make use of her charms, she rewards passionately.”

You're an athlete. That's all there is to it.