tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74158394557524191532024-02-20T17:46:11.291-06:00South Texas Cycling AdventuresAdnagreklhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12986456839459653768noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-3316205418041364772013-05-04T08:37:00.001-05:002013-08-24T08:02:39.281-05:00What I've learned from the 30 Days of BikingDuring the month of April I made the pledge to go out for a bike ride everyday. I did on fact bike almost everyday, but I did fail miserably at blogging about it or checking in on social media.<br />
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Here is a list of what I learned from this endeavor:<br />
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<ol>
<li>I love to go riding in a bicycle.</li>
<li>I love all my bicycles.</li>
<li>Riding puts a smile on my face, no matter how tired I am before I start the ride.</li>
<li>I love riding clipless, and I regret not doing it sooner.</li>
<li>Spandex is annoyingly and disturbingly comfortable.</li>
<li>Spandex makes me more aerodynamic, and therefore, Faster.</li>
<li>Muscles being sore is not the end of the world.</li>
<li>I learned to love climbing hills.</li>
<li>There is more time to ride than I previously thought.</li>
<li>Sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I just wont have time to ride.</li>
<ol>
<li>It's ok. I can always ride tomorrow.</li>
</ol>
</ol>
Be safe and Be Green. Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-68225877563056428872013-04-16T12:29:00.001-05:002013-04-16T12:29:34.193-05:00I'm not out yet...I signed up for 30 Days of Biking and 30 days of reporting it. I'm still biking everyday. I may not be talking about it everyday, but I'm still out there...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFU-Vu7g0eD0-n6Uro5knDFqxcKs1eR7b36JnSrjkPheG8ljAAs_hwCtd_B083I88rqERbdljNPnDueFBU_3h1ZZScqD72oVch_a-HYGW76YMJIEhJ6B49bPVUL9lzQSvEi3R6jpBKYTZ/s1600/April+calendar+4-15-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFU-Vu7g0eD0-n6Uro5knDFqxcKs1eR7b36JnSrjkPheG8ljAAs_hwCtd_B083I88rqERbdljNPnDueFBU_3h1ZZScqD72oVch_a-HYGW76YMJIEhJ6B49bPVUL9lzQSvEi3R6jpBKYTZ/s640/April+calendar+4-15-13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Some days it suck to get on the bike, and some times I look forward to it. Every single day after my ride, I feel happy...<br />
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Be Safe and Be GreenZeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-58195408749640995732013-04-03T09:48:00.001-05:002013-04-03T09:51:02.030-05:00Day 2Somewhere between the four mile walk on Saturday, the fifteen mile ride on Sunday, the 8 mile errand bike ride, and the night swimming lesson, both of which where on Monday. My will seems to have gone with the sun. Completely gone for the day. Normally, I'm quite cheery on gloomy days. It's the sunny days that get me down. <i>Don't ask, I'm just as confused as you are.</i><br />
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After dinner, we watched the latest episode of Game of Thrones while our stomachs settled down. As we were watching our show, I could hear the rumble in the distance. Rain was coming. Begrudgingly, I put my wind vest on. I put all the lights on my trusty steed, and out there door I went. I didn't have a destination or a determined number of miles I had to ride. I just had to ride to get day two out of the way.<br />
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Ten minutes later and 1.58 miles later, I was home again. Gasping for air, and my head cap drenched in sweat. No more than 30 seconds after I walked in the door with my trusty steed by my side, the heavens spoke and unleashed a torrent of rain over my neighborhood. I chose a good time to go out and come back home.<br />
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Even though I was tired and I didn't want to ride, I found myself going as fast as I could. The words from our swim coach seem to echo in my ear. "<b>Pace yourself Zeus!</b>"<br />
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Be Safe and Be Green.Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-25656385456375806242013-04-01T13:44:00.000-05:002013-04-01T13:49:01.362-05:00Day 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2nYwq4FmltmPAtQUTLfnh5Z_D__nG5ftd2vl0JlPnz4vuhPmLUIt5agKB0t9-uFbx2WQ6kvl9xY2SibFMqLTT66GSbe4Htu-mLdQvM-JvVgfGK_i5Q5E4n5Br8rn-OmMmlzrtxZno_Wa/s1600/IMAG0602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf2nYwq4FmltmPAtQUTLfnh5Z_D__nG5ftd2vl0JlPnz4vuhPmLUIt5agKB0t9-uFbx2WQ6kvl9xY2SibFMqLTT66GSbe4Htu-mLdQvM-JvVgfGK_i5Q5E4n5Br8rn-OmMmlzrtxZno_Wa/s400/IMAG0602.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right before leaving the House on my trusty steed.</td></tr>
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The whole weekend, I meant to pass by my local office supply store to print out and laminate the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoke_card" target="_blank">spoke cards</a> from 30 days of biking. I really wanted to roll the whole month with a little bit of bling on my bike, yet somehow the weekend ended and I never got a chance to go.<br />
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As fate would have it, the very first ride for my very first 30 days of biking was to run an errand, on behalf of 30 days of biking (<i>say that three times fast</i>). The trip to the shopping center was nothing new. Last week I found myself going to the same shopping center to buy dog food. To get there and come back, it's a hair under 8 miles (<i>7.93 mi if you want to be exact</i>). I do have to cross a major highway to go there, but I pretty much have to cross that highway to run just about 75% of the errands I could run on my bike.<br />
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At the moment, I find myself thinking that I should perhaps take a picture of said highway intersection since I will probably be going past it more than usual in a bike this month. Past the highway I cut through a neighborhood to get the shopping center. Nothing too bad, I'm slowly learning to negotiate suburban streets. The few pedestrians that I encountered gave me a warm smile, and I even got a couple of thumbs up from a couple of motorists.<br />
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Considering April just started, and that there are 29 more days to ride, I feel great. I'm looking forward to what the rest of the month will bring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMiKsyOd14knjRZW6LSok34BZtKX3kGXKppleookX3JE3HcMR_eIRiEEOv3qUGg_EGA6x3a-yboxK-ucgdLndKzO9GErdtC-vKFdWStBgoOXPCmg0Rjf9EJmfvAY4n64Oc25e9cEtcQk5/s1600/IMAG0604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMiKsyOd14knjRZW6LSok34BZtKX3kGXKppleookX3JE3HcMR_eIRiEEOv3qUGg_EGA6x3a-yboxK-ucgdLndKzO9GErdtC-vKFdWStBgoOXPCmg0Rjf9EJmfvAY4n64Oc25e9cEtcQk5/s400/IMAG0604.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purdy</td></tr>
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Be Safe and Be GreenZeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-90937777037471608162013-03-25T13:20:00.000-05:002013-03-25T13:24:14.247-05:00I just had to ride...Lately, I've been a little impatient. I just want to start the <a href="http://30daysofbiking.com/" target="_blank">30 days of biking</a>. I'm very curious to see if I can bike everyday for 30 days. Even when I plan to go out on the weekends, the plan falls through the cracks and I find myself wondering where the weekend went.<br />
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Today, after writing out some bills that have to be mailed in. I was about to start looking for my shoes to go to the post office box in the corner when the thought hit me. I don't have to be at work for another 2hrs. Surely I can get my new road bike and head out to the actual Post Office. It's only 3.2 miles away, and there are two brutal 50ft climbs in the way. One on the way there, and one on the way back (<i>Reminds me of grandpa's story. "It was uphill! Both Ways!"</i>). It's 50°F outside, with the wind blowing 10+ mph. Sure, I got this.<br />
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35 minutes later, I was home. I was cold, my nose was red, my feet felt like they were frozen, but I felt great. I biked 6.3 miles to drop off one letter. It beats driving any day, and I even got my daily exercise done.<br />
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Next Monday, day 1 starts... I can't wait...<br />
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Before you go off to see your regularly scheduled program, watch this short video. Maybe you can join me for the 30 days in April.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/62314578" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe> <br />
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As of 3/25 1:20 P.M. I'm still the only one from San Antonio to do the 30 days of Biking pledge...<br />
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Be Safe and Be Green.Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-16110299350440732942013-03-21T21:25:00.001-05:002013-03-23T09:37:44.537-05:00A Weekend of FirstsThe ending weekend for this year's spring break contained all the excitement that should be carefully dosed out throughout the whole week. The two weekend days were simply filled with fun first time experiences for me.<br />
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Everything started, bright and early on Saturday morning. Miss
Adventure's friend was signed up to do the <a href="http://www.runthejailbreak.com/san-antonio2013.php" target="_blank">2013 San Antonio Jailbreak</a>
along with her husband. Unfortunately (<i>or Fortunately, I can't figure
this one out yet</i>), her husband could not participate due to personal
reasons. Instead of forfeiting his event fee, she asked Miss Adventure
if she wanted to go. I got to attend as a result, as driver and
photographer. After Miss Adventure and her friend were off on their
wave, I backtracked about a quarter of the course back from the end. It
was a ton of fun to see the participants from earlier waves go through
the obstacles. I particularly liked the awesome gigantic slide.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GF2ZZquHEC8GHhES5ztfqO076ab6MxDluUBv6j_qJjsl4h-tv_xsAPniirxnljXpvikDbx0MsLQ0Kuv1XbKQmxfBZ3bfdMIAqxjtVklaqGpd9k_1qaljdnkZ1ZjRKQUwhGfjMfQb8mZ9/s1600/2013-3-16+079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GF2ZZquHEC8GHhES5ztfqO076ab6MxDluUBv6j_qJjsl4h-tv_xsAPniirxnljXpvikDbx0MsLQ0Kuv1XbKQmxfBZ3bfdMIAqxjtVklaqGpd9k_1qaljdnkZ1ZjRKQUwhGfjMfQb8mZ9/s320/2013-3-16+079.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Jail... Getting ready to Break Out!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2Nn9trEgraqTjzaZumZOnUAc86dtR-WUJAy0jh2OBzfz7bqFkFff3ocoafeWZdR7zuanDqcO_UCw-YdRvZNsqH4m5c2mStOqqssd3HiB8pcIqMRxpV2OokDI6S6UgETD2b_oRAXLgyLU/s1600/2013-3-16+086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2Nn9trEgraqTjzaZumZOnUAc86dtR-WUJAy0jh2OBzfz7bqFkFff3ocoafeWZdR7zuanDqcO_UCw-YdRvZNsqH4m5c2mStOqqssd3HiB8pcIqMRxpV2OokDI6S6UgETD2b_oRAXLgyLU/s320/2013-3-16+086.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I liked this guy's shirt.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMHPpwmd9M8bHQYm0YbKti6xT3oQnhf9mofB1CZzI_P7sh7zxKE5NK-Y5xfGI1zKJo6vPV98luObfW8yxm_P2e5c13T4bT6vdDfNXoaY3NdJ8ve94pjsznAr1fZNRWTveKngkQgAbth8s/s1600/2013-3-16+091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMHPpwmd9M8bHQYm0YbKti6xT3oQnhf9mofB1CZzI_P7sh7zxKE5NK-Y5xfGI1zKJo6vPV98luObfW8yxm_P2e5c13T4bT6vdDfNXoaY3NdJ8ve94pjsznAr1fZNRWTveKngkQgAbth8s/s320/2013-3-16+091.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDbLD26yQwFVX8f9K1knvKqFOJvaqRtzCFneKWujxuWLluH3R05vJeFpvnk9Xul0gaFR6aSIsOiaD0okW5AAzTaRj_v-BTr0rX7b_ktDJjj6snMFnHef-9XwARve0bn7AKOVXdeOKXxt8/s1600/2013-3-16+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCDbLD26yQwFVX8f9K1knvKqFOJvaqRtzCFneKWujxuWLluH3R05vJeFpvnk9Xul0gaFR6aSIsOiaD0okW5AAzTaRj_v-BTr0rX7b_ktDJjj6snMFnHef-9XwARve0bn7AKOVXdeOKXxt8/s320/2013-3-16+092.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Set!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP3JUok9ANYdKH16avwU3-ALAmeenEmmJqk9fvLiZuP7UD3FX3y7iUmHYiH11zO-GGnUC6D9p5XQ2tNHD_0PsPHvg-F-tpHtmcoYCVhCadtKVaideKG7m3_MkZ05zy-u6oiXeSiwuOBV5/s1600/2013-3-16+093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoP3JUok9ANYdKH16avwU3-ALAmeenEmmJqk9fvLiZuP7UD3FX3y7iUmHYiH11zO-GGnUC6D9p5XQ2tNHD_0PsPHvg-F-tpHtmcoYCVhCadtKVaideKG7m3_MkZ05zy-u6oiXeSiwuOBV5/s320/2013-3-16+093.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GO!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyuN4KjYKYNoTtW1B3x-U-Yw53cYTVr4UAvaiEq0BJcKv7DxSIHYDPx4iP4wQVPKj-uGSiN9hM-qJUi-4t0KGKW4fVLbmqOsTHD2ZKtuJTUqa15IpQdXDWEi5jcIfLoO6ukrdZg363o5z/s1600/2013-3-16+112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyuN4KjYKYNoTtW1B3x-U-Yw53cYTVr4UAvaiEq0BJcKv7DxSIHYDPx4iP4wQVPKj-uGSiN9hM-qJUi-4t0KGKW4fVLbmqOsTHD2ZKtuJTUqa15IpQdXDWEi5jcIfLoO6ukrdZg363o5z/s320/2013-3-16+112.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look! Ninja Turtles!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXwIyzNkBZShGQC78V6LzPjNBAxiL10suGmVWsuDCacfgQnb79tS96QKaEpNtzXrtTamlNwRyV41ndJIgllc0c7kIweO9lq4fXOzfcmH6gdC-WxaszeMMIlLayT26IN-Ba77aR7l3gHut/s1600/2013-3-16+126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsXwIyzNkBZShGQC78V6LzPjNBAxiL10suGmVWsuDCacfgQnb79tS96QKaEpNtzXrtTamlNwRyV41ndJIgllc0c7kIweO9lq4fXOzfcmH6gdC-WxaszeMMIlLayT26IN-Ba77aR7l3gHut/s320/2013-3-16+126.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Chief was there!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-j3TkM3LaOVAi6Wi18ZyFVm-9c2nLQvUbDlmQkHxOrhFjVbFSksvEkqYbkQ1oMohbNbKbQ-EQ4zSkL3m5gRfHV0wKX2itr9HkRJzwuz-Xw6f7Gah1-jT9tvIfhVi6rGhTiiM8yVA7MqBV/s1600/2013-3-16+136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-j3TkM3LaOVAi6Wi18ZyFVm-9c2nLQvUbDlmQkHxOrhFjVbFSksvEkqYbkQ1oMohbNbKbQ-EQ4zSkL3m5gRfHV0wKX2itr9HkRJzwuz-Xw6f7Gah1-jT9tvIfhVi6rGhTiiM8yVA7MqBV/s320/2013-3-16+136.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cargo Net</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWjifjdHQwaBkZEfJPQ0CcxhLjAJxu36vx-NIUZgzIEM3eSeWyuG9RLo-CiQiMW2Nh-g6MygdhF9Mjgl_yFwCW3nHY-spTW0u6_pkYJaGa4ceblSr-wy2APS5Ol7Ck2pL0Mtk-gLRRWg6/s1600/2013-3-16+143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWjifjdHQwaBkZEfJPQ0CcxhLjAJxu36vx-NIUZgzIEM3eSeWyuG9RLo-CiQiMW2Nh-g6MygdhF9Mjgl_yFwCW3nHY-spTW0u6_pkYJaGa4ceblSr-wy2APS5Ol7Ck2pL0Mtk-gLRRWg6/s320/2013-3-16+143.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want to do this...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoZA9qXdFnq05REHTHbi8pND1zPK9FalMI9KwvmpThsyPhqax1qXesmMg3ELnDAbAhTnUDtokf3EnpJzp0QWuUnOTCEoMd6Km7qCTDZfPw-yMHFWDqWCBBn7-kQG-OzO47UTBJgEG-1g6/s1600/2013-3-16+156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoZA9qXdFnq05REHTHbi8pND1zPK9FalMI9KwvmpThsyPhqax1qXesmMg3ELnDAbAhTnUDtokf3EnpJzp0QWuUnOTCEoMd6Km7qCTDZfPw-yMHFWDqWCBBn7-kQG-OzO47UTBJgEG-1g6/s320/2013-3-16+156.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hay Bale Pyramid Climb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdLEqO7bWUWviutWR7U8glXTbc3ZGfb4PK4MnXMVQP_GVf6DfIDFELC0x9m2agcihOKXBu8RCXHUAcH3yPfIN6AKUyckBshAJA0NUn8Emmt80S2oohiE6-f8trWxZRdrPuzNYkcUn_8W5/s1600/2013-3-16+150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdLEqO7bWUWviutWR7U8glXTbc3ZGfb4PK4MnXMVQP_GVf6DfIDFELC0x9m2agcihOKXBu8RCXHUAcH3yPfIN6AKUyckBshAJA0NUn8Emmt80S2oohiE6-f8trWxZRdrPuzNYkcUn_8W5/s320/2013-3-16+150.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tire Wall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEYmYLV2mpcdjZ2dP-XIUs4YfZz7mCTk2nv2PbQKF13U0nO8vYJi5K277PiS4du3UYSYXkSiiaRMISOHq70AhS34m6FwLNnp5Pb0L8FjIMxnO0Wr2r2-L1N7RW9mlYGhfQ9x03Y9TlTVD/s1600/2013-3-16+160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCEYmYLV2mpcdjZ2dP-XIUs4YfZz7mCTk2nv2PbQKF13U0nO8vYJi5K277PiS4du3UYSYXkSiiaRMISOHq70AhS34m6FwLNnp5Pb0L8FjIMxnO0Wr2r2-L1N7RW9mlYGhfQ9x03Y9TlTVD/s320/2013-3-16+160.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys ran the whole thing in suits... Suits in a Mudrun!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
A big part of me can't wait to do a Mudrun of my own...<br />
<br />
After the Jailbreak, I really wanted to go this month's <a href="http://sanantonio.frankenbike.net/" target="_blank">Frankenbike</a>. The local bicycle swap meet. It tends to be the best way to get gently used parts for your old rides. This was the first time that I had gone to one of these. I'd always wanted to check one out, but never really put the time aside to attend one. I thoroughly enjoyed looking around. Talking to the vendors. Seeing old bikes that were looking for a fresh pair of legs to ride more miles.<br />
<br />
I also took advantage that Frankenbike was hosted at my (<i>not-so</i>) <a href="http://bikeworld.com/" target="_blank">local bike shop</a> (<i>but the one all of our bikes have been purchased from, more on that later</i>) to take a look at their selection of road bikes. I have been lusting for a road bike ever since Miss Adventure got her second one (<i>That is a story for another blog post</i>). I was looking at the huge variety, not to mention prices. I knew more or less what I wanted in a road bike without making it too expensive. I was looking around when Miss Adventure taps me on the shoulder and said "if getting your own road bike will keep you from drooling in public. Go ahead and get it already." Have I mentioned I love that woman? Her words even took a saleslady that was passing by surprise. Most wives are out to keep their husbands from buying, yet another bike. Miss A. encouraged it. I almost want to take the memory of that moment and frame it, in order to save it for prosperity.<br />
<br />
After a short time looking, I decided on a <a href="http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/sport/madone_2_series/madone_2_1/#" target="_blank">Trek Madone 2.1</a>. Choosing a bike was the easy part. The sizing was a whole other thing. I must have tried every single Madone 2.1 they had in the building. After the fit was dialed just right, I had to wait for the mechanics to give it the once-over to make sure everything is in tip-top shape. After twenty minutes, I got to take it for one last test ride to make sure this bike was the one (<i>was it ever</i>). Fifteen more minutes of waiting so a couple minor add-ons were put on the bike (<i>pedals, seat bag, bottle cages, etc.</i>). I signed over my left kidney and the tip of my right pinky finger, and just like that, I was the very proud owner of my very first road bike.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VVbbMgsCWIEFPkinkZ3xN-H6To7eHqWuEJ82bDj-UMtW6sbEAZXe9I9BLES1e39RM9ywy8y6_qtcbHmP8zFo6e8Ppbl5wlkmc0jZON1qbiZVe7aV8714vhBmx_XqDFrCf-gp_ihNkQjl/s1600/IMAG0589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4VVbbMgsCWIEFPkinkZ3xN-H6To7eHqWuEJ82bDj-UMtW6sbEAZXe9I9BLES1e39RM9ywy8y6_qtcbHmP8zFo6e8Ppbl5wlkmc0jZON1qbiZVe7aV8714vhBmx_XqDFrCf-gp_ihNkQjl/s400/IMAG0589.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My very own 2013 Trek Madone 2.1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That was enough excitement for Saturday.<br />
<br />
On Sunday, Miss Adventure woke up sore and bruised. After having a delicious breakfast and vegging in front of the TV for about an hour. She went to the bedroom, when she came back she was dressed in her cycling best and threw me my cycling shorts. "Alright, let's see what you are made of? Let's get this pony on the road." The second sentence she said as she stroked the seat on the new addition the family. Not long after we were headed to our quickly accessible country road for what was to be a 14 mile ride. Miss Adventure didn't want to go too far, specially since she had just done the Jailbreak 24hrs earlier. My very first ride on my very first road bike.<br />
<br />
The Madone performed beautifully. The ride was a tad bumpier than I am costumed to, but what it lacked in general comfort, it more than made up in overall performance. My average speed on a stretch of road we are both very familiar with on our bikes was at least 3mph faster. And, we were taking it easy because Miss A. just didn't want to push it. On our way back home, we took a Hill in the back of our neighborhood and I gave it my all. My average uphill speed improved by 5.7 mph. <b>5.7 mph!</b> I was excited about the things I could accomplish with this bike. Hell, I'm still excited.<br />
<br />
With all the excitement, when we got home, I pledged to do the <a href="http://30daysofbiking.com/" target="_blank">30 days of biking</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC57nOaQ0Qg_CBWh39hAXvuOgwVuzpa0tuEH8pPTyTmRuJhnYxezs73mkslijkcmr_5Ph8erR_fF1NPuqWn09WjmrUgCZo-exSZ0-kf1fSqb4AcAeqppgvk3n-Myp07Tf8svHsLnIkgSBO/s1600/30daysofbiking2013.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC57nOaQ0Qg_CBWh39hAXvuOgwVuzpa0tuEH8pPTyTmRuJhnYxezs73mkslijkcmr_5Ph8erR_fF1NPuqWn09WjmrUgCZo-exSZ0-kf1fSqb4AcAeqppgvk3n-Myp07Tf8svHsLnIkgSBO/s320/30daysofbiking2013.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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The pledge is simple in theory:<br />
<ol>
<li>Ride your bike everyday in April. The kind of bike, the destination, and the length of the ride are not important. Walmart BSO around the block, cool. Surly Long Haul Trucker out for a 145 mile ride, cool. You are not home watching TV, or sitting in front of the computer looking at videos about cats in YouTube again.</li>
<li>Share every single ride in Social Media. Facebook and twitter are preferred. Me? I got this blog. I will blogging every single ride on this blog. Everyday. 1 ride = 1 post in this blog.</li>
</ol>
I was made aware of this by Lindsay from <a href="http://youaintgotjack.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">You ain't got Jack</a>. She did it <a href="http://youaintgotjack.blogspot.com/2012/03/30-days-of-biking.html" target="_blank">last year</a>, and the way she talked about her accomplishment was infectious. I thought I would give it a try myself. It would be a first.<br />
<br />
<br />
I also have to admit that I like the main spirit behind this pledge.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"30 Days of Biking is not elitist. It is not a political statement. We
don’t want you to worry about whether you have the right bike, or
whether your butt looks good in spandex. We just want you out there,
pedaling alongside our community, whether virtually or for real."</blockquote>
Last but not least, on Monday (<i>Yes I know Monday is not part of the weekend, but it's another first. Keep reading!</i>) we began taking adult swimming lessons. A first for me. Miss Adventure is a natural swimmer. Me, not so much. I grew up in the mountains, we used to climb the hills for fun. Going to a pool was more of a special treat, than a regular thing for my family when I was growing up. I know how to stay afloat and move around the pool with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doggy_paddle" target="_blank">doggy paddle</a>. It worked for me for 32 years, but Miss A. decided that I should be taken out of my comfort zone by throwing my own words back at me. "If we never challenge ourselves, we will never know what we are truly capable of." To be fair, that is not a quote of my creation, I read it in some inspirational poster. The message, however, stayed with me.<br />
<br />
Be Safe and Be GreenZeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-15366511967739971672013-03-02T18:09:00.000-06:002013-03-02T18:09:16.962-06:00March 2ndWith the first 60 days of the year done, I feel myself lagging a little bit behind. I haven't put as many miles under my wheels as I would have liked, but I feel much better this far into the year than I did last year. I'll be honest. I didn't get any bike rides done in January, but I did get 5 bike rides done in February for a grand total of 31.71 Miles. That leaves me 468.29 short of my 500+ goal for the year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFkA8zafMdxTLOMcaUGYx4XngoivFc2TOV998Gm802wjbZN82hy7QzaTW4-B-yqDtbshAceJMs-7yJkDieoPY0vsVt1CJ1JcgXjmoMdaX1qMsUAEm0r0BEz8ISvGMdd-da9sDk0wXcmIW/s1600/IMAG0583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFkA8zafMdxTLOMcaUGYx4XngoivFc2TOV998Gm802wjbZN82hy7QzaTW4-B-yqDtbshAceJMs-7yJkDieoPY0vsVt1CJ1JcgXjmoMdaX1qMsUAEm0r0BEz8ISvGMdd-da9sDk0wXcmIW/s400/IMAG0583.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
A little part of me is a little disappointed that I only did a little under 32 miles in February, yet I feel good about the possibilities for this year. Two of the trips in February was me going to work and coming back from work. The first commute is done. The hurdle has been jumped. The cat is out of the proverbial bag. I know it's do-able. I biked to work and I didn't feel particularly fatigued ,tired, or lacking concentration. For the remainder of the week, I had a sense of accomplishment. Sadly, the weather has taken a cold turn around this parts, and I am not yet acclimated to riding in anything bellow 50 degrees. It's warming up though... and warmer weather brings me and other cyclists to the roads.<br />
<br />
2013 Mile total: 31.71 Miles <br />
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Be Safe and Be Green. Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-67518092096124430232013-02-07T21:51:00.003-06:002013-02-07T21:51:42.605-06:00What's your excuse?If you need inspiration, I hope you find it here...<br />
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<br />Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-9666230381546218982013-01-09T21:29:00.000-06:002013-01-11T10:05:26.998-06:00Being Healthy, Part 1 (17% Body Fat) "Be more healthy." I don't think I could have have been more vague if I tried. Shortly after my new year's resolutions <a href="http://stx-cyclingadventures.blogspot.com/2013/01/new-years-resolutions.html" target="_blank">post</a> was up on this blog, my lovely wife asked me to explain myself.<br />
<br />
Well. Here it goes, and I hope it makes sense. My health has slowly deteriorated since I moved to San Antonio. The two main culprits were my allergies and my sedentary lifestyle. The allergies kept me from going outside a great deal, and I've never really liked going to the gym. Being on a treadmill gives me images of a hamster running in a wheel, and stationary bikes make me sad because they remind me that I could be outside on a real bike. To satisfy my wife's and my need for some relative privacy, specially when it comes to medical stuff, I'm only going to say that I'm getting my allergies taken care of.<br />
<br />
With my allergies under control. I felt I finally had the opportunity to go on walks around my neighborhood. I was free to explore the <a href="http://www.sanantonio.gov/parksandrec/greenway_trails_leon.aspx" target="_blank">trail system</a> in the closest <a href="http://www.sanantonio.gov/parksandrec/directory_schnaebel.aspx" target="_blank">city park</a> on my <a href="http://yehudamoon.com/20110515/" target="_blank">BSO</a>. In the past 21 months since we got our first set of bikes from a <a href="http://bikeworld.com/" target="_blank">LBS</a>, I feel I've been more physically active than the previous 10 years in San Antonio.<br />
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While trying to find some direction on how to be healthier, I stumbled upon several indicators and tons of different points of view. The one that has been stuck with me the longest is the inaccuracy of weight as a general measure for health. I've known from my own research that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage" target="_blank">Body Fat Percentage</a> (BF%) is a much better indicator. In addition, in my own humble opinion, it is a less daunting number. I find it a lot scarier to hear that I have to loose 50 pounds of weight than having to loose 10% Body Fat. Also, I believe that BF% accounts for the fact that muscle is more dense than fat. I have seen several people in my life get really discouraged when they loose a little bit of weight through exercise and then gain some of it back due to muscle gain. Something tells me that if they had been looking at their BF% instead of their weight, they would still be exercising on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
With that said, my ultimate goal is to have 17% Body Fat. It is the maximum allowed for men to be in the "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_fat_percentage#Typical_body_fat_amounts" target="_blank">fitness</a>" category, and I plan to achieve it through both exercise and eating better. Notice I didn't say diet. Diets are evil (and yes, I'll explain later)! Also, I don't plan to achieve the magical 17% goal anytime soon. It took me 12 years to get where I am now, It's only fair that I take my time getting there. For my new year's resolution, as long as I finish 2013 with less BF% than when I started, that will make me happy...<br />
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Be Safe and Be Green.Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-62026201435832471202013-01-01T00:30:00.000-06:002013-05-23T18:56:45.209-05:00New Year's Resolutions Talking about biking alone, 2012 was a far better year than 2011. I got to take part on a couple of critical mass rides, and I got a chance to participate on three massively organized rides. Also, I doubled my milage in 2012, in comparison to 2011. Thinking about all the great things I accomplished in 2012, led me to thinking about the things I want to get done in 2013...<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Be more healthy</li>
<li>Do more miles than in 2012 (500+)</li>
<li>Do Conquer the Coast again</li>
<li>Do Trek Breast Cancer Awareness ride again</li>
<li>Do 2013 SA Marathon Bike Tour again (if offered)</li>
<li>Do Tour de Cure</li>
<li>Learn how to adjust derailleurs (front & back)</li>
<li>Learn how to replace and adjust shifter & brake cables</li>
<li>Begin a bike restoration project</li>
<li>Commute twice a week to work for at least a month</li>
</ol>
<br />
As an unofficial #11, I would like to continue updating this blog and hopefully meet more people in the cycling community. I hope everyone had a great 2012, and like me... looking forward to a great 2013.<br />
<br />
Be Safe and Be Green.Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-74134563418256053412012-12-07T13:33:00.000-06:002013-01-02T13:31:04.358-06:00A Small Rack for Bikes...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhUukK2vT_wSh3fvQEccyf3rVsqwTKMIMCX7lL5uzI5VlVMO6GJnb7oOznOL3_45JbZTb2DHQCbE7K3xRIcA3MQg_iNXyfx3ItuSUDyJM98Iphq3694E_WWdxroIqwGNKhChGZYO0Y9R2/s1600/IMAG0531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhUukK2vT_wSh3fvQEccyf3rVsqwTKMIMCX7lL5uzI5VlVMO6GJnb7oOznOL3_45JbZTb2DHQCbE7K3xRIcA3MQg_iNXyfx3ItuSUDyJM98Iphq3694E_WWdxroIqwGNKhChGZYO0Y9R2/s640/IMAG0531.jpg" width="640" /></a>One Giant Leap for the Cycling Kind. Otherwise know as "<i>ask, and you shall receive.</i>" That is the lesson I learned yesterday.<br />
<br />
Ever since the school year started, back in late August, I noticed that our new building was missing something. Something that should be in every new building, specially if said new building is designed to be a "green" building. A bike rack. Bicycles simply promote a healthier lifestyle, but if you are reading this blog, then you don't need to be schooled on the benefits of commuting by bicycle.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNafk4aakxHa9KiCB89EbzJCigDJQi9LJ6HCzLGbIcTqSS74tbCJLm3odMrJDT29IZEdDJPeZ3H3DX8iws1dC6Tk4j7InKKqDE78i43f5boE6XYWgNwg9pPtPvPkf-kWUj_vwjqPNdcxpa/s1600/IMAG0532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNafk4aakxHa9KiCB89EbzJCigDJQi9LJ6HCzLGbIcTqSS74tbCJLm3odMrJDT29IZEdDJPeZ3H3DX8iws1dC6Tk4j7InKKqDE78i43f5boE6XYWgNwg9pPtPvPkf-kWUj_vwjqPNdcxpa/s400/IMAG0532.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I know it's not the biggest bike rack. It's technically designed to hold six bikes, but it's installed in the wrong direction, thereby cutting the amount of bikes it can hold by half. The biggest point; however, It's that is there and it is still functional.<br />
<br />
The roads around my place of work are bike friendly. Bike through here in the mornings on the weekends and you are liable to see at least a dozen cyclists zooming up and down this humble country roads. The roads are well kept. They are straight <i>-ish</i>. The hills are tough, but not unforgiving. And as far as my experience goes, the motorists around these parts are respectful and aware of cyclists. These are a lot of the reasons why I asked to be moved to this new location, so I could commute by bicycle from time to time. You never know, It could become a habit.<br />
<br />
Early in the school year, I asked my manager what would it take to get a bike rack installed at our location. His answer "I don't know. I'll ask." From then on, every time I bumped into him in the hallway he would give me a quick one or two sentence progress report on the bike rack. Progress felt slow, but he had an awesome way of letting me know that the idea and the project had not stalled to a standstill.<br />
<br />
Yesterday when I got to work after lunch I bumped into him as I was coming in the front door of the building (<i>almost as if he was waiting for me</i>), and with a smile in his face he told me: "That bike rack you asked for was installed a little while ago on the back entrance of the building." Astonished. All I could reply was "Cool. Thank you, I'll go check it out."<br />
<br />
When I saw it, I couldn't help but smile. An overwhelming sense of hope came over me and I thought "build it, and they will come." The presence of the bike rack should give people that have been thinking about commuting a little nudge towards the right direction. I for one... can't wait to lock my bike there while I work.<br />
<br />
Question is... which one first?<br />
<br />
Be Safe and Be GreenZeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-80836680950011080232012-11-30T23:30:00.000-06:002012-12-01T08:54:10.536-06:00Plenty to be Thankful for... This past three months have been nothing short of remarkable, and considering how we just finished the the week of Thanksgiving. It led me to thinking about all the things that I have to be thankful for. The first two are kind of a package deal. My family and my health. Without either of which, I could have had the last three wonderful months on my bicycle.<br />
<br />
Before the start of September, the only organized cycling event I had ever done was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ride_of_Silence" target="_blank">Ride of Silence</a>. In the past three months I've done <a href="http://www.conquerthecoast.org/" target="_blank">Conquer the Coast</a>, <a href="http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/community/rides/breast_cancer_awareness_ride" target="_blank">Trek Women's Breast Cancer Awareness Ride</a>, and the <a href="http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/2011/08/san-antonio/rock-n-roll-san-antonio-bike-tour_16474" target="_blank">2012 San Antonio Rock'n'Roll Marathon Bike Tour</a>. All of which, I wouldn't have thought I would have done just a year ago.<br />
<br />
There is something about massively organized rides that gets my motor running. The euphoria of knowing you just completed and accomplished something you thought was beyond your capabilities is difficult to describe and exhilarating to pursue. To feel the support and encouragement of family members is like butterscotch icing on the adrenaline cake. To have them by my side or waiting at the finish line puts a little extra wind behind your rear wheel and little more drive to push the pedals a little harder for just a bit longer. Again... difficult to describe... but thankful and grateful none the less.<br />
<br />
Be Safe and Be Green.Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-53604657744077052422012-09-14T11:15:00.000-05:002012-11-14T10:54:25.416-06:00What have I done?As you may not know yet, I failed my August challenge. I only biked 71.88 of my 100 mile challenge. I started strong at the beginning of the month, and I tried to have a strong finnish. The middle two weeks though, I didn't get a chance to bike a lot. Somewhere at the end of the month, I was influenced by the spirit of the challenge and I signed up for <a href="http://www.conquerthecoast.org/" target="_blank">Conquer the Coast</a> and I signed up to do the <a href="http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/2011/08/san-antonio/rock-n-roll-san-antonio-bike-tour_16474" target="_blank">Bike Tour </a>on the San Antonio Rock'n'Roll Marathon.<br />
<br />
Out of the two, I'm dreading the Bike Tour a little more. It's only 22 miles, but you have to keep a minimum speed of 10 mph, and as far as I understand it, you are not allowed to stop for a break. Sounds pretty daunting. I know I can do 22 miles. I just don't know if I can do the miles without stopping. I guess I have two months to find out.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, I'm really excited about riding in Conquer the Coast. Miss Adventure and I, both signed up to do this event, and we both signed up to do the 25 mile ride. One of the reasons I'm excited about this ride is that we get to ride all along Ocean Dr in Corpus Christi. From the northern tip of downtown to the entrance of the Naval Air Station. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would ever get a chance to ride the whole length of Ocean Dr. Not even when I first started cycling.<br />
<br />
Conquer the Coast also marks the very first organized cycling race that we've ever participated in. Last I read from their facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ConquerTheCoastCC" target="_blank">page</a>, last year they had nearly 1,500 participants. That's a lot of riders... but I'm still very excited for us to join them.<br />
<br />
Be Safe and Be Green.Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-29008547588640120542012-09-12T15:29:00.001-05:002012-09-12T17:44:51.680-05:00Fire!<div>
Yeah, this is not going to play nice with my allergies...<br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJZYX1IrWHGPoR5S21pO81URGphPkTE_ot422YgKwFvU1GJZ0EdgxdClfjlxxE4Zs7eXQZcmzxM6sniI1aI816mvmNbDNoSgiKSJWZRouOb_8p7FhPN-8hzCYef1rZYJpzkWNXY8qY1Uk/" /></div>
Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-28862581287475717712012-09-07T13:00:00.000-05:002012-09-07T13:00:03.482-05:00My grandfather...... once told me. "It's not only important that you learn from your own mistakes, but that you also learn from the mistakes of others." With that in mind, I started this blog strong, and then I went back to reading about cycling as much as I could. Always thinking, "This would be a great thing to share on my blog."<br />
<br />
So without much further ado. I present to you today's <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2012/aug/30/distance-longer-bike-rides" target="_blank">link</a> full of information. It's from the guardian, a newspaper from the UK that happens to have a section on cycling news. Today's link features some good, and healthy, tips on how to increase the distance you can ride your bike. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
Be Safe and be Green.Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-37387736810147181642012-08-03T11:05:00.001-05:002012-08-03T11:05:55.701-05:00Bicycle GearsLast night I was perusing through my favorite blogs and websites when I came across this <a href="http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/10594/help-me-understand-my-bicycles-gears" target="_blank">gem</a>.<br />
<br />
For a while now, I've tried to come up with a common sense and simple way to explain bicycle gears to new riders (<i>not that I'm all that experienced myself</i>). Bicycle gears is something that I learned the hard way through trial and error long ago. It's something my leg muscles and my hands have learned to coordinate without much conscious effort in my part. For that reason when I'm asked on what the proper way to use bicycle gears, I have a tendency to utter the word "um" over and over without saying much in between. <a href="http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/2598/jm2" target="_blank">jm2</a>, at the <a href="http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/" target="_blank">Bicycles Stack Exchange</a>, put into words what I have failed to explain many many times. <br />
<div class="post-text">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Don't overthink it. Since you've got a triple, you're probably right to be in your middle ring most of the time That's normal.<br />
<ul>
<li>In the middle ring you should have access to the whole
cassette/freewheel in the back, though you might get a little extra
noise as you approach the extreme gears in either direction.</li>
<li>You'll use the big chainring when you're going downhill or your on
flat ground and in a hurry. Stay out of the biggest couple of cogs in
the back when you're in the big ring up front. This causes extra strain
and extra wear on the drivetrain which can result in premature failure.</li>
<li>Your little ring up front is your climbing ring. Use this for hills,
or as your bail-out ring when you're totally out of energy. Just like
big-big is a no-no, so is small-small, so stay out of the smallest cogs
in the back when you're in the smallest ring in the front.</li>
</ul>
Regarding your hunch that you've got a lot of overlap between gears,
you're absolutely right. Think of each ring as a gear range (climbing
for small, normal use for middle, ass-hauling for big). If there were no
overlap between the chainrings you would either A) have far fewer gears
in the back or B) have a range of gears in the big and small rings
which were far too small or far too big to be usable.Think about how big
the jumps between gears would be if there was no overlap at all! Trust
me, it's not what you want. Typically, you'll find yourself Shifting the
front in one direction and immediately afterwards shifting the back in
the opposite direction so that it feels like you've only skipped about a
single gear in either direction. In time, you'll come to appreciate the
overlap between gears in the different chainrings.<br /><br />
Finally, if you really want to see how much overlap you have, you can
divide the front rings by each of the back rings to get a ratio for
every gear combination. There are fancier ways of doing this, but for
your purposes this is the easiest and most straightforward.
<br />EDIT: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_gearing">Here's a pretty good article on Wikipedia about bicycle gearing</a> if you'd like to get more in depth.</blockquote>
I know it looks a little out of context this way, to get the full conversation please go the <a href="http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/10594/help-me-understand-my-bicycles-gears" target="_blank">original post</a>. And again, I couldn't have put it better into words myself.<br />
<br />
Be Safe and Be Green.<br />
</div>Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-39678155295507388782012-08-02T21:45:00.000-05:002012-08-03T10:43:01.003-05:00August ChallengeWhen we got serious about cycling, we began measuring our ridden distance with cycling computers. Then, we found we could map our rides with our smart phones using the "<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.maps.mytracks&hl=en" target="_blank">My Tracks</a>" app. Just recently I got turned to the "<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mapmyride.android2&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5tYXBteXJpZGUuYW5kcm9pZDIiXQ.." target="_blank">Map My Ride</a>" app. When I signed up for the <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/" target="_blank">website</a> and explored around a bit, I quickly found that you could give yourself challenges. This is also right around the same time that I was overwhelmed by the heat we are going through in South Texas. My first thought was to be conservative. 100 miles in the month of August sounds pretty good. Doesn't sound like a lot.<br />
<br />
The next day I decided to go through the spreadsheet that "My Tracks" keeps of all the rides I've done (<i>or at least the ones that I've remembered to take my phone on</i>). I don't think I've done 100 miles in one month. Ever. On the second hottest month of the year, I chose to give myself the farthest distance I've done in a month on a bicycle (<i>I will be conservative, my subconscious said. It will be easy, my subconscious said. It will be fun, my subconscious said</i>).<br />
<br />
Yesterday evening, Miss Adventure and I kicked off the challenge by riding in our neighborhood for 6.61 miles. That means I'm 6.61% through my challenge.<br />
<br />
Only 93.39% to go.<br />
<br />
Be Safe and Be Green.Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-41148423538425607112012-07-31T11:30:00.000-05:002012-07-31T11:30:02.466-05:00It's Hot OutsideThe past week or so have been an exercise in patience. The temperature down in the south Texas oven quickly climbs after 10am. It's already 92 degrees outside and it's not even 11:30 AM as I type this. The weather forecast calls for near 100s for the rest of the week, and my chances of going out early are slim... I guess I will have to brave out the summer heat in the early evening...<br />
<br />
I love biking but where do I draw the line between the health benefit of riding and getting cooked alive in the South Texas sun?Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-42918384218433127712012-07-19T08:00:00.000-05:002012-07-19T09:59:48.262-05:00Soap box<div>
<i>Goes to coat closet and begins to rummage. </i><br />
<i>Finally finds soap box.</i><br />
<i>Blows dust off of soap box, takes it outside to the middle of the street.</i><br />
<i>Stand on top of Box.</i><br />
Because of my work, I find myself driving early in the morning. I'm talking 5:30 AM early in the morning. Today I saw 4 casual cyclists, and at least 6 runners/walkers. Ordinarily I have a warm and fuzzy spot for anyone riding a bike or out running/walking. Today, every single cyclist and runner had no lights and no reflective clothing of any type. A couple of runners where even dressed in full black clothing (<i>O_o</i>).<br />
If you are going to go out in the street early in the morning to exercise, good for you, <b>BUT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PUT A BLINKY ON YOURSELF OR YOUR BIKE!!!!!</b> I for one don't want to be charged with involuntary manslaughter because I couldn't see you until you became a speed bump for my truck.<br />
Thank you. That'll be all.<br />
Be safe and be Green.<br />
<i>Get off soap box.</i><br />
<i>Walk into house and put Soap box back in closet.</i></div>Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-79764360492358111812012-07-18T09:02:00.000-05:002012-07-21T13:48:04.268-05:00Yesterday's Lesson<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_nrLdi8eEx-Z2W9fLZaMP5b6Q_BPxsdqFfNNii9XSCJHwqA_Ajcx_1scz3hQcTdNzTyLfqIZWfrNi-yLItgpuzCM0dyswpeinY_6BHXqY2xHnmIxEfP9m7zsuNCfaZNiu6qmbGfoFU3l/s1600/IMAG0436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin_nrLdi8eEx-Z2W9fLZaMP5b6Q_BPxsdqFfNNii9XSCJHwqA_Ajcx_1scz3hQcTdNzTyLfqIZWfrNi-yLItgpuzCM0dyswpeinY_6BHXqY2xHnmIxEfP9m7zsuNCfaZNiu6qmbGfoFU3l/s400/IMAG0436.jpg" width="400" /></a>For a long time now, I've wanted to turn bike riding into something practical. I don't like for it to just be exercise.<br />
<br />
Shortly before Father's Day, I had a chance to get a <a href="http://www.bobgear.com/yak" target="_blank">B.O.B. Yak Trailer</a>. The possibility of taking it out for a ride has been burning in the back of my mind ever since. The first place I thought of to take the new trailer for a spin was the local grocery store (<i>of course! Where else?</i>).<br />
<br />
My lovely better half, Ms. Adventure, looked at me as if this was a crazy idea (<i>She does that a lot... usually guided towards me... ^_^</i>). She began to very methodically disassemble my argument. I just got it. I don't know how it's going to react once it has weight on it. How is it going to affect the bike when going uphill/downhill in the many hills we ride around our neighborhood... Fine. I'll start with something small.<br />
<br />
I took the trailer by itself around the block a couple of times. If it wasn't for the semi-constant flapping of the flag, I wouldn't know the trailer was attached to my bike. OK. A fully loaded trip to the grocery store is completely out of the question... for now. Baby steps, I promised my better half that I would do incremental loads. What to load next bugged me for days. Then the idea came painfully obvious when I was changing the five gallon water bottle. I could just go get water! Water is really heavy for the amount of volume it takes. That stopped me, but just for a short time. We only have 5-gallon bottles. Fully loaded it's 40 pounds. 40 pounds! Not the incremental weight increase I was looking for. If I was to fill a 5-gallon bottle with less water, the water would just slush around and really throw me off balance. The solution: 3-gallon bottles.<br />
<br />
Last Friday, I took advantage that my better half was taking a nap (<i>she can't talk me out of it if she's asleep</i>). The two things that threw me over the edge were reading this <a href="http://youaintgotjack.blogspot.com/2012/07/day-12-dizzy-spell.html" target="_blank">blog post</a>, and watching this <a href="http://www.kgw.com/lifestyle/Mom-rides-with-5-kids-on-bike-one-more-behind-162272296.html" target="_blank">news piece</a>. I attached the trailer to my mountain bike and bungee corded the 3-gallon bottle as secure as I could with the cords.<br />
<br />
Off I went on a new adventure.<br />
<br />
I learned that once the 3-gallon bottle was full, there was little to no difference in the way it handled. The one wheel on the B.O.B. trailer tracked the rear wheel of my bike flawlessly. I didn't feel the additional weight on the uphills (<i>oddly enough!</i>). The one time I noticed the extra weight was on the downhills. It almost turned my mountain bike into a freight train. It went straight. Dead straight, and fast. The trailer is also a very unusual addition to a bike in this parts of
civilization, that every motorist gave me a W I D E berth around. I even got a couple of thumbs up from a couple of motorists. I made it home safe in one piece, excited, and soaked in sweat (<i>more because I chose to go out close to noon in the south Texas relentless sun, than from being tired</i>).<br />
<br />
<b>So what is yesterday's lesson?! You are rambling on about last Friday! </b><br />
<br />
<i>I know. I know. Bare with me here. I'm getting there.</i><br />
<br />
Yesterday I decided to get water once again. But I felt it was time to kick it up a notch. This time I carried a 5-gallon bottle. The thing I learned yesterday is that the difference in handling the trailer in tow is massively different between a full 3-gallon bottle and a 5-gallon bottle. As a first impression, the difference is almost exponential (<i>Who'd a thought a 16 pound difference in weight would be so pronounced in the handling of the bike</i>). The freight train effect was the most enhanced. You ever hit 27.5 MPH on a mountain bike? It gets a little scary at that speed. And just in case you are wondering, this time I did feel the additional weight going uphill.<br />
<br />
In conclusion, exercising by riding a bicycle while doing something practical is possible. Ms. Adventure was right (<i>credit needs to be given where it's due</i>), I would have probably broken my neck if I had gone out with a fully loaded trailer my first time out with it. I need to continue with the incremental weight increases on the trailer until I can ride comfortably with a fully loaded trailer. Last but not least, I feel that carrying the 5-gallon bottle on a bike with a trailer is far more practical and efficient than if I was to carry that same bottle and cover the same distance walking. The best part, my truck stayed tucked away on my driveway, not burning fuel.<br />
<br />
Be Safe and Be Green!Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7415839455752419153.post-14966252592571639212012-07-16T16:49:00.000-05:002012-07-16T16:50:14.394-05:00First Post!Welcome to my blog. My name is Zeus. I live in San Antonio, TX. and I love to ride my bicycles. I'm also a self proclaimed greenie, which could be one of the reasons why I'm drawn to cycling.<br />
<br />
My goal for this blog is to share some of the wisdom I've picked up while riding this past year and a half, my experiences, the people I've met along the way, and over all rants to get things off my chest.Zeus Adventurehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13123130414466348453noreply@blogger.com2