McFuzz's Group - FULL (Page 2)

OK team,

Please add Maureen (Mashley) to your blogs and welcome her to the group.  I've encouraged her to join a mentor group (of her choice) and I offered to mentor her before Ron started this program, so...

Glad you're part of the group, Maureen! 

Zach (and everyone else too),

Your old Huffy may be OK for starting out.  Have you done any maintenance on it?  I haven't done any cyclocross (yet ) but they use a road-type frame (heavier than a typical road frame) and 700C (usually knobby) tires where the race is off-road and the rider has to dismount and carry the bike over and around obstacles.  If you can only afford one bike, then pick a versitile (SP?) bike. 

The old sore butt thing will mostly be addressed by Time-In-The-Saddle ().  I know starting the season, 30-40 minutes is plenty long, but after 2-3 rides per week, I'll be OK with an hour.  Later in the season, 2.5 hours wasn't bad, but I just got off a 35 minute trainer ride (legs were OK, butt was complaining). 

Susan,

Good to hear from you.  I'm not an expert on bike fit or back pain, but the two could be related.  When you go in for a fit, you may want to ask about converting to a "flat-bar" handlebar.  Puts you in a more upright riding position (less aerodynamic, of course) but if it helps your back, it's better than long-term damage. 

Morning everyone!

Sounds like everyone had a great Christmas. 

This is the time of year lots of people make "resolutions", some of which they keep, some of which they have no intention of keeping but feel compelled to make anyways. I'd like each of you to think about your goals for January.  These could be weight related (I'll weigh less than ??? by 1/31/07), exercise related (I'll run/bike/swim x miles/minutes/yards in January), equipment (I'll buy some important piece of gear), mental or organizational.  Post these in your logs (go to your control panel and click "edit training settings" so the rest of us can help you achieve your goals. 

Please make these realistic!  I want everyone to start of 2007 with success meeting some short-term goals, not feeling guilty because they muffed it within 2 weeks.  Sometimes, the hardest part is to start making some of the necessary changes, and the key to success is to make a series of small, sustainable changes.  As you make these goals, think about your recent activities.  Is it realistic to go from no exercise to 5 hours per week?  Probably not for two reasons.  First, you may not find 5 hours to convert to exercise time.  Second, sudden increases in activity will leave you sore and susceptible to injury.  Maybe your ultimate goal is 5 hours per week, but January goals may be 1 hour per week. 

Mike

Congrats on the swim!  Yes, you are starting to figure it out.  Kicking wears me out, so it wouldn't be a surprise that it wears you out also.  And I think Susan has some good advice (maybe I ought to try it too...) that a proper warmup gets EVERYTHING working properly, heart, lungs, mind, and muscles. 

My usual advice to people who get winded swimming is to slow down.  That is part of the plan in Total Immersion too (as I'm reading it). 

Steph883 - 2006-12-29 11:07 AM

susanp - 2006-12-28 6:29 PM Does anyone have some advie/preferences on saddles? Being female, I need a saddle that is "female friendly". I know a lot of riding is just doing it and getting used to the feel, but I know that there are a lot of saddles out there that are anatomically friendlier than others. Any thoughts?

Someone with LOTS of knowledge PLEASE answer this one.... I'd like to know too. Mine hates me...

Hey Mike:  Can another mentor chime in on one of your mentee's questions? 
(I just popped in to see how your team is doing and thought I might be able to help with the above question)

oipolloi - 2006-12-30 8:46 AM

Steph883 - 2006-12-29 11:07 AM

susanp - 2006-12-28 6:29 PM Does anyone have some advie/preferences on saddles? Being female, I need a saddle that is "female friendly". I know a lot of riding is just doing it and getting used to the feel, but I know that there are a lot of saddles out there that are anatomically friendlier than others. Any thoughts?

Someone with LOTS of knowledge PLEASE answer this one.... I'd like to know too. Mine hates me...

Hey Mike:  Can another mentor chime in on one of your mentee's questions? 
(I just popped in to see how your team is doing and thought I might be able to help with the above question)

Other mentors, chime in!!  I figure someone like Oipolloi above is far more qualified to answer bike questions than I am.  (I've already suggested Autumn might have some recommendations too). 

I'm impressed with everyone!!  You've all done a great job getting around to each other and keeping tabs on everyone.  I've seen goals on your blogs (I should add a few to my own blog) and I know that EVERY GOAL IS ATTAINABLE!  Every day, you'll be able to make some small decisions that either move you closer to these goals, or further away, so which decision will you make?  (To be honest, you'll make some decisions that won't get you closer, but as long as most of your decisions support your goals, you'll do great!)  It may be something simple, like eating toast and a piece of fruit for breakfast instead of a doughnut.  It may be walking for 15-20 minutes instead of watching TV. 

An easy way to encourage the right decision is to think of yourself in the context of already meeting the goal you are working for.   Is your goal to swim 500 yards nonstop?  What does someone who swims 500 yards do?  They go to the pool, and they swim regularly.  (Maybe even take some lessons...)  Reinforce the positive images of the person you want to be with the actions that that person would do!  Need some motivation?  Sign up for your race, and tell your friends and family that you'll be finishing it with a smile on your face.  (Now, what would someone smiling at the end of the race be doing now?  You got it!  They're training!) 

When you complete these small goals this month, feel good about it!  Then make a few more for February, and maybe a BHAG (Big-Hairy-A**-Goal) that seems completely outrageous right now, and ride the wave of success to places you're only dreaming of right now!  If you think this doesn't work, here is my story from last year.  After signing up for my HIM, I decided that my "goal" was a 20 mph bike split.  I talked to several cyclists who all thought that was very aggressive for someone without much cycling base (no good outdoor cycling gear or a trainer last year).  I considered lowering my goal to 19 mph (3 hours) and finally realized that I wouldn't be satisfied with a 19 mph split, so I needed to work towards achieving 20 mph.  I rode 20.3 mph for the HIM!  Now, I also had a goal to finish in less than 6 hours, and I didn't hit that goal, so I've still got something to work for (probably 2008). 

Hi Susan.  With your mentor's permission I thought I might  be able to offer some advice on saddles.  I'm not female, but I work with a lot of new female athletes every year as a cycle coach for TNT and I've dealt with the saddle comfort issue many times over.

First of all, sitting on a hard surface an inch and a half thick is not supposed to be comfortable.  So expect some discomfort, everyone experiences SOME.  This is not saying that you should suffer with saddle "issues" on short or medium distance rides.  On rides 4 hours or more most everyone has some sort of saddle soreness.

People make the mistake of thinking that the fatter and thicker the saddle the more comfortable it will be.  This may be true if you only ride around the block in your neighborhood.  Serious cyclists use saddles made for distance cycling, and most of those "real" saddles are thin, narrow and hard.  Why is this?  Because when you sit on a bike saddle you are supposed to sit on your Sit Bones, not the fleshy area between your legs.  The problem is that not everyone has the same skeleton or "sit bone" location/diameter.  So a saddle that works for me doesn't necessarily mean it will work for you.  Women in particular have a wider pelvice, therefor a wider gap in their sit bones. 

When looking at saddles look for those with wider "aft" portions of the saddle.  The nose of the saddle has little to do with comfort, unless its too wide and interferes with thigh movement.  This may sound strange, but reach down and feel your sit bones as you're sitting.  Feel how they protrude?  This is what you want the majority your weight sitting on.  If you sat on a fat cushioned Gel seat you may be sitting on your sit bones, but you're also sitting on the soft tissue between.  The think gel padding has a tendency to squish up towards the center of your "private" are causing chafing, blood flow issues, nerve problems etc.  That's why its best to have a firm saddle that fits your bones, not your a$$ cheeks.

Female specific saddles work for SOME women, but not all.  The saddles with the cut-out are intended to take pressure away from sensitive areas.  Problem is, when you cut out a portion of the saddle, the ledges that surround the cut-out sometimes fold together forming a "point" which points right into your sensitive area.  Again, these saddles work for some people.  I've had a few female athletes have success with the Terry saddles with the cut out.  Others didn't like them at all.  I'd say its been 60-40% of don't like vs. like.

So, basically I'm suggesting that you look for a saddle that is firm, moderately wide towards the middle/rear portion of the saddle and covered in a slippery surface such as leather or fake leather.  Stitching and fancy design embroidery only cause your cycle shorts to catch and scrape.  If you have a good LBS (local bike shop) maybe they'll let you try a couple of different saddles for a short ride.  Just make sure they adjust the fit right.  And be prepared to buy more than one saddle.  Personally I own 8 bike saddles.  Some for different bikes and riding positions, but most have been purchased because they were uncomfortable after a long ride.

Bottom line:  Don't fall into the trap of buying a 2 inch thick, 6 inch wide super-gel saddle because it looks comfy.  Remember that you sit on your SIT bones, not your cheeks or "tender parts".

For more info on sit bones just google it. 
PM me if you need more info or just stop by my mentor group (oipolloi) for a visit.

Good luck!