I think I was successful in getting back into the routine of those habits. I got some good training miles in and cleaned up how I was eating. I still ate out more than I wanted to but the last couple of weeks I’ve been very good.

One of the things I’m most proud of this month is not having any soft drinks. I gave up regular soft drinks a long time ago but diet drinks aren’t any better. Especially when trying to lose weight and eat healthy. I had cut way back on the diet drinks last year but had never totally given them up. I did that on January 1 so I’ve been soft drink free for 31 days. Thanks to Tyler at 344pounds.com for the inspiration.

Tale of the Scale

To start the month I tipped the scales at 277.5 pounds and yesterday I weighed in at 275. That means I’m down 2.5 pounds for the month of January which is great. The first couple weeks were up and down as I got back into a routine. Eventually my weight settled out and has started to drop. How did I accomplish it? Just trying to eat right, drinking more water, no soft drinks, no late night snacks, and reducing how much I ate out. And exercising.

In the Gym

One of the new things I’ve added to my training plan this year is time in the gym lifting weights. I haven’t lifted in years but knew it was something missing in my training. Not only for the weight loss benefits but also to become a stronger beast on the bike (especially on the Saturday group rides). The winter training plan I’m following (more below) calls for lifting twice a week. It’s geared specifically for cyclists so it’s a lot of lower body exercises like squats, leg presses and leg curls. Before lifting I hop on the elliptical for 10 minutes to warm up.

My focus in January was to just get in the gym and not hurt myself. I follwed the sets and reps as called out in the winter training program but kept the weight light. A sample workout in January was:

• Squats – 3×12. That’s 3 sets of 12 reps. I started really light at 115 pounds. My weight workout on Monday saw me squating 145/155 for each set.
• Leg Press – 2×12. Again, stayed light in the 130-150 pound range.
• Leg Curls – 2×12. 90-120 pounds.
• Bench Press – 2×12. 155 pounds.
• Chin Ups – 2×8. Weight assisted because I’m too fat, and too weak, to do them otherwise. I’ve never been good at chin ups.

Next week the reps start coming down so I’ll be adding more weight. The current plan gets me through March and then I have another weight training program I intend to follow but we’ll talk about that later when the time comes.

On the Bike

I didn’t ride as much as I had planned to for January. In fact, not by half. My total mileage for January was 145 miles which pales in comparison to Bike Noobs 400+ miles this month. I guess it took me longer to get back into the swing of things on the bike than I thought. Plus there were a couple of days where I said it was just too cold or I didn’t feel like it. I really didn’t start riding until January 11th so I guess I should take that into consideration.

The riding I have gotten in though has been quality miles while following the 12-Week Winter Training Program written by Dr. Jesper Medhus.

(Full Disclosure: Jesper sent me the training program for free. I fully intended to purchase it but he was kind enough to send it to me after I asked a pre-purchase question and he learned about my attempt to lose weight. If you decide to purchase it, or any of his other training programs, I see no financial benefit.)

Jesper’s winter training program is interval based and includes the weight program that I talked about above. It’s 12-weeks in duration and will get me through the end of March when Spring arrives and daylight savings time begins. I’ll do a more detailed review later but if you’re looking for a program to get you through the winter you should check it out.

January also saw me return to the Saturday group rides at my favorite local bike shop. I really missed these rides and didn’t realize how much until a couple of weeks ago when I showed back up. I’m just hanging with the B group right now and doing what we call the short route (about 25 miles) until I get more miles under my butt. One of the cool things the group has started doing is stopping at a local Starbucks after about 20 miles. It’s a great break to just sit and talk with the other riders. I am riding with them better this year when compared to last year.

February 2012 Goals

In addition to my yearly goals for 2012, I’ll be setting goals for the upcoming month in these posts as well. Here are my goals for February 2012:

There you have it – my lookback at January and my goals for February.

How are you dong with your goals so far this year?

I don’t know how many shotgun wielding cyclist-haters you’ll see while out riding but that’s cool as heck. It says something for the durability.

Can they be ridden in?

The thing you probably want to know more than anything though is if they’re any good for riding. In a word, yes.

BTB 910 Sunglasses Lens Clarity

Like I said above, I’ve ridden in these sunglasses about 15 times now and have experienced zero problems with them. The frames are well made (out of a material called Grilamid TR90 – the link goes to a tech document for all the geeks out there) and have a good form fit. The temple pieces are attached to the frame using screws – not some cheap plastic connection. The lenses are vented so you don’t get any fogging while riding which is always nice.

BTB 910 Sunglasses Nosepiece

I didn’t have any problems with the BTB 910s staying in place either. The hypo-allergenic temple inserts and nose piece seemed to help a lot in this department. Not having to continually adjust my sunglasses while riding is a huge plus for me. The pic above gives you a good closeup of the nose piece. The little ‘fingers’ are flexible which help with the form fit even more.

Final Thoughts

In my opinion, the BTB 910s are great sunglasses for cycling. They perform their function very well and you can’t beat the price at $34.95. Similar sunglasses from some of the big brands could end up costing you two to three times more. As always, here are some pros and cons:

Pros

• Great fit. The BTB 910s fit me really well and I’m a hard fit with anything.
• Durability. You can’t argue with how well these sunglasses are constructed.
• Vented. The lenses are vented to prevent fogging up while riding.

Cons

• Limited colors. Call me a cycling fashonista but I like my cycling sunglasses to be white. The 910s are only available in black.
• Only one lens. As a cyclist you’ll want different lenses for differing conditions (polarized, clear, amber) and the 910 only comes with the polarized option. Still, the single lens option is still a great deal for the price.

If you’re in the hunt for a good pair of cycling sunglasses at a fair price you should check out BTB Sunglasses.

After our customary 3-4 mile warm-up I came to the quick realization that I had waited too long to get back out here. I was hurting already and it wasn’t going to get easier. As we crossed over a bridge I pulled off my trademark move – the stealth slide back to the B group. Except I was already leading the B group. So I just stayed where I was. Three of us made up the group including the shop owner who drove a relentless pace when in the lead.

Two other guys joined us that broke off from the A group so five of us ended up settling into a paceline for the next six or seven miles. This was when the shop owner asked if I was interested in stopping for coffee. All I heard was rest stop. So I said yes. There’s a Starbucks conveniently located on the return route so we stopped in at mile 20 for a rest. I mean coffee.

We sat outside (did I mention that the temp was climbing?) and had our coffee and talked. There was a new guy with us who was wearing some of the brightest shoes I’ve ever seen. The joke was what size batteries they used and whether or not he actually needed lights at night. They were the Diadora AeroSpeed 2 in fluorescent yellow. Believe me when I tell you that the pic below does the actual thing no justice.

Diadora AeroSpeed 2 Flourescent Yellow

I seem to have given myself a nickname as well. The new guy was pointing to each person sitting at the table asking what they did – one guy was the shop mechanic, another was the shop manager, another was the shop owner and then he points to me and asks what I do at the shop. I instantly reply that I’m the shop wheel sucker. That got a good laugh.

Alas, it was time to get back on the bike and finish the last five miles. We rolled back into the shop right at 25 miles at a 17.5 mph pace. All joking aside, while I was hurting pretty bad, this first group ride of the year was better than my first last year so I can’t argue. Just gotta stay committed and put the miles in.

Thumbnail courtesy of Wheel Sucker on Twitter. Why don’t you click through and follow.

There will be no long explanations here trying to describe my reasoning behind these goals other than the fact that in order for me to lose this freaking weight I need to ride. In no particular order, here are my 2012 cycling and weight loss goals:

1. Ride 5000 miles.
2. Lose 30 pounds.
3. Ride a century.
4. Ride 500 miles in a month.

As I said earlier, I have a more detailed post coming that will explain my 2012 training plan so look for it soon.

How many of you have set your goals for the year? If you have what are they? If not, what are you waiting for?

Photoc: angietorres

Riding

My first ride of last year was a short 8 miles that I didn’t even manage a 13 mph pace on. I had to start somewhere right? Over the next 10 months the mileage increased and the pace followed. One of my best rides of the year was the Patriots Ride where I managed 57 miles at a 19.2 mph pace (in a group). I’d say that’s a huge improvement.

2011 also saw me start group riding on a regular basis. I started riding with one of the local bike shops on Saturday mornings and it was one of the best things I did all year. Riding with a group introduces you to new skills, a little comraderie, and it helps you make huge gains from a fitness standpoint. While I was never able to finish with the fast group, I was able to hang with them longer throughout the summer. One of the last group rides of the summer was one of the more memorable where I rode 47 miles at a 18.8 mph pace. Great stuff.

Everything wasn’t rosey with my riding though. I achieved my 2000 mileage goal in Oct-11 and raised the bar to 3335 miles. I failed to reach that ending the year with 2715 miles total. I think that was a great number but it could have been so much more. Why? Because I only rode 46 total miles in November and December. Ouch.

Weight Loss

This was totally a mixed bag but, in my opinion, a failure for me. Did I lose weight? Yes as I finished the year down two pounds. 279.5 down to 277.5.

Give me a second. I feel like I just got punched in the gut. I seriously just looked up the total weight loss and am at a loss for words.

[Pregnant Pause]

I only lost two pounds total for the year? I knew I had gained some back over Nov-Dec but I didn’t know it was that much. Oh man. I’m totally embarrassed now. How pathetic. Not even close to my 30 pound goal for 2011.

As you can tell, I have a real problem with this and it highlights my biggest area of improvement needed for 2012. Lots of things here need to change to include not eating out, structured meal planning, no binge eating, etc., etc., etc.

Recap of 2011 Goals

Here’s a quick recap of my 2011 goals:

• Ride 2000 Miles – Achieved
• Ride a Charity Event – Achieved. I actually rode two.
• Ride a Century – Fail. I only managed 80 miles at the Tour de Cure.
• Lose 30 pounds – Epic Fail
• Only eat out once a week – Epic Fail
• Do more group rides – Achieved

So, I was 50% for the year with my goals. Overall, I still think I made a lot of improvement in my cycling in 2011 but looking back it’s obvious I need to really focus on a my eating in 2012. As if I didn’t know that already.

How did you do with your cycling or weight loss goals in 2011?

I knew yesterday that I would ride today. No matter what. It was going to be cold and windy. But I had to ride. No matter what.

There was no plan today besides just riding. Dress warm, throw the leg over my trusty steed and ride. Knee and arm warmers, thermal skull cap, full-fingered gloves, toe covers and a vest did the trick. It kept me warm but the wind stunk. I already knew it would so it wasn’t too surprising to feel it pushing against me. I would not be deterred today.

The streets were quiet and the sun was low on the horizon. A few runners here and there and a couple cycling were the only other folks out braving the cold and wind. There was the guy walking his little ankle-biter dog that had a cute little dog sweater on. I didn’t ask him but I’m sure it was his wife’s (or girlfriend’s) dog. That’s what I would have said.

About an hour later the ride came to a close. It meant the 2012 riding season had started.

I rode great from January through October and then things just kind of went south. I got sick, work picked up a lot, the holidays arrived, the youngest had Christmas play rehearsals, sucky weather, family was in town, etc., etc., etc. You get the picture. In fact, I bet many of you dealt with a lot of the same stuff but were more dedicated than I was.

Many of you reached out to me to ask how things were going and I sincerely appreciate that. It means a lot. Some of you asked why I wasn’t posting here. Some of the same excuses could be given but it all boils down to being lazy. I haven’t checked Twitter in I don’t know how long. I neglected several comments that were left here until just a few days ago.

I’ve literally sucked over the last few months and owe each of you an apology.

At some point I just had to look in the mirror, kick myself in the butt, and start doing something. Whether it was riding and/or posting. I guess this is step 1.

I hope each of you had a good Christmas and got lots of cool cycling gear. Mine was better than I deserved. I’m looking forward to the new year and setting some new cycling and weight loss goals.

Happy New Year!

PhotoC: marcn

About 3 miles from the finish I heard a loud ‘pop’ from behind me. I knew immediately that my buddy had just flatted so I pulled over. Upon further investigation he discovered that not only had he flatted but he had a hole in his tire as well. It looked like the tire had simply become worn in one spot. The result was a hole in the tire and a flat tube.

I asked him if he had a boot and he said, “A what?”

We took care of his tire but I thought booting a tire would be a great topic to discuss here on the blog.

What is a Boot?

If you’re thinking cockroach-killers then I need to educate you. A boot, in relation to cycling, is a piece of material placed between the tube and tire to keep the tube from bulging out of a hole in the tire. I think we can all agree that the tube is held in place by the tire. If the integrity of the tire is broken (i.e. a cut or large puncture) the tube will bulge out of that hole when you attempt to re-inflate it. With the tube sticking out you’ll be flat again faster than you can say Yippee Ki Yay. And possibly followed closely by the rest of the famous line from the movie Die Hard.

In order to keep the tube in the tire where it belongs, and get back home, we used a boot.

What Can Be Used as a Boot?

In order to use a boot you need to carry something with you (your seat bag is a good place) that can serve as a boot. Some examples include:

Whatever material you use just make sure it isn’t stretchy. Like a piece of tube. If the material can stretch then it won’t form a solid barrier between the tube and hole in the tire.

Once you have the boot in place the pressure in the tube will keep it in place. Be careful when re-inflating and watch the booted area to make sure a bulge doesn’t develope. I wouldn’t inflate my tire to full pressure either just to be on the safe side.

A boot is only a temporary fix so you need to replace that tire as soon as possible.

Closely related to this topic is my article 6 Tips to Repairing a Bicycle Flat Tire.

Anyone have suggestions or creative solutions for a boot?

PhotoC: TouringCyclist

The month of September was another hard (i.e. I struggled) month but it started out great with me completing an organized ride on September 10th called The Patriots Memorial Ride. You can read my ride report here. About three days after that ride I started to not feel so good. I’m hesitant to say I was ‘sick’ but my body didn’t feel right at all. There was no way I could ride but I did manage to keep my eating under control. Somewhat.

As the month of September moved along I began to feel better and was able to get more mileage on the bike the last couple of weeks. My eating on the other hand hasn’t been super. I have kept it under control but it could be improved so much. I’m sure you can relate. Without further rambling, here’s the breakdown for this month.

Tale of the Scale

My goal from last month was to get to 264.5 pounds on the scale in September. That number was never in jeapordy as I basically held steady in the 269-270 range. My final weight on September 30th was 270.5 so I actually gained 1.5 pounds this month. Dissappointing but it happens. Time to move on.

I can’t say that I’m surprised by that number when I look back on my eating for the month. If I could get back into a rhythm on my eating I’m confident I can get that number to start moving down again.

On the Bike

In September I got a total of 318 miles on the bike. That’s down 25 miles from August but still one of my better months of the year. Having that 57 mile charity ride certainly helped boost my total. I’ve done good at keeping my weekday morning rides in the 23-25 mile range and am consistently seeing an average pace of 15.5 to 16.5 mph.

September 2011 Mileage

Group rides on Saturday at the bike shop are still going good. The second Saturday of the month was a wash due to weather but I did make the last two (the first Saturday of the month was the Patriots Ride). This past Saturday’s ride saw about half the turnout due to the MS150 but that didn’t keep the regulars from dropping the hammer early. Me and another guy got dropped about 8 miles into the ride at 27 mph so we finished by ourselves. It was a good ride but was hard due to the wind.

October 2011 Cycling and Weight Loss Goals

Another goal, not associated with my riding or weight loss, is this blog. I’ve let it get stagnant of late and really need to start posting more and providing some value. This month I’m going to try to start writing more blog posts. I did change the theme this weekend as the all-grey theme I had before was starting to wear on me.

Thanks for all the support and good luck in meeting your goals this month. If you’d like to share your goals with me please post’em in the comments below. If I can help you meet them let me know how.

About BTB Sunglasses

BTB Sunglasses started in the basement of Steve and Jo Brown a few years ago. Every night Steve and his wife Jo would sit downstairs tagging and bagging sunglasses in preparation for shipment. Their sales steadily grew and they now offer sunglasses for several sports including cycling, golf, hiking, fishing and motor sports. BTB Sunglasses have become known for their incredible lens quality, durability, comfortable fit and low price.

BTB Sunglasses is a part of a bigger whole and is one of the divisions of Be the Ball, Inc. located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Be the Ball, Inc. support numerous causes and athletic events. A portion of every sale from our website goes to the Be the Ball Foundation.

After browsing through the selection on their website, I picked out their BTB 910 which is a 3/4 frame design with vented lenses.

BTB 910 Features

I selected the BTB 910 to review because I like a 3/4 frame design and wanted the vented lenses. The BTB 910 comes with a crystal black frame and smoked lenses. Here are some of the features listed on the BTB Sunglasses site:

I can list specs all day long but nothing tells a story like a video. Check out this promotional video. The 22 rifle and shotgun tests are amazing.

When my BTB 910 sunglasses arrived I was surprised to find an extra lens in the box. The extra lens appears to have been shot at and it’s still intact. Including that lens in the box was a nice touch and proof of the durability claims.

I’ll get a few rides in these sunglasses before I post a full review. In the meantime you should check out BTB Sunglasses.

BTB 910 Sunglasses Unboxing

BTB 910 Sunglasses Shot Up Lens

BTB 910 Sunglasses Lens Clarity

BTB 910 Sunglasses Nosepiece

Rogue the Cat Checking Out BTB 910 Sunglasses