It's Saturday. That means one thing, Dire Wolf training ride. Dire Wolf Racing is an upstart team in Lynchburg, 12 members so far. Should be pretty strong team, we have some good riders on board. Every Saturday, we have a scheduled training ride, usually 25-50 miles. Today promised to be nice and cold, about 34 degrees. Breakfast was French toast I made with cinnamon raisin bread from Panera, cut very thick. Actually I had a big bowl of Special K when I first woke up around 9. I knew I had to eat something before Jess and Tyler got up. We had the French toast around Noon, so I had to get moving to meet to ride at 1.
The route for today would take us just over 28 miles. 6 came out to brave the cold. Luckily there was not too much wind. We worked on some climbing and a lot of pace lining. Once we got a few miles in, it didn't seem as cold, especially during the climbing. Everyone had a great ride and a lot of fun.
Now I'm home, had my shower, and started on a glass of wine. All in all a very good day!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Good Stuff
We had a nice evening tonight. Jess, Tyler, and I went to Panera for dinner. Well Tyler had dinner. Jess had coffee and a small pineapple upside-down cake. I had a latte and a muffin top. We started at a table, but were able to move to the sofa and cushy chairs beside the fireplace. Tyler had the laptop and we had our phones to surf. I started a crossword puzzle on my Pre. Now we are home and I am having my daily glass of red wine. I've decided that a small glass every night will healthy and tasty. :) Here is a repost article about it.
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(http://health.ninemsn.com.au/whatsgoodforyou/theshow/694576/is-a-glass-of-red-wine-a-day-good-for-you)
Does red wine deserve its reputation as a healthy choice?
It has been linked with all sorts of health benefits over the years: the heart, the lungs, prevention of breast cancer, prostate cancer, tooth decay, longevity and just general wellbeing. But can this be true and how can one drink affect so many parts of the body?
Our reporter Dr Andrew Rochford uncorks a few reds to investigate the truth.
The whole idea that red wine keeps us healthy comes from something called the French Paradox. Scientists noticed that despite a diet loaded with saturated fat, very few French people actually croak it from heart attacks.
Just 83 out of 100,000 Frenchmen die from heart disease compared with 230 in the US. The difference? The amount of red wine they drink.
Family doctor Philip Norrie is such a red wine advocate and fan that he bought his own vineyard in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. He's also written several books and a thesis on red wine and its health benefits.
"We're all going to die from something and what I'm trying to do is delay your death," says Dr Norrie. He says the wine has been used medicinally for over 5000 years for antiseptic (treating wounds, water and preoperative), as a tranquiliser or sedative, and as a hypnotic.
This 'wine doctor' is a devoted disciple of red wine — he recommends it to many of his patients.
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in Australia. They're triggered by a build-up of plaque in your arteries. So how does red wine help? It contains anti-oxidants, and the most important of these is resveratrol. It keeps your arteries clear of plaque therefore reducing the risk of heart disease.
"An anti-oxidant is a thing that stops oxidation. Oxidation is basically rusting, so when we're ageing we're oxidising or degenerating or rusting, so if you can block that process then you get all these health benefits because vascular disease, dementia, diabetes, all these cancers are forms of degeneration or oxidation," says Dr Norrie.
So drinking red wine is good for your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and more.
But it's important you only drink two standard glasses of wine a day. Anymore and you risk the downsides of excessive alcohol intake: raised blood pressure, potential damage to the heart, liver, kidneys and brain. Over consumption of alcohol can also cause impotence and infertility, while during pregnancy it can damage the foetus.
"You've got to get the Goldilocks dose: too much is bad for you and abstinence is bad for you, whereas moderation's good for you," says Dr Norrie.
Also, people with high blood pressure, enlarged hearts, liver disease or anyone with a family history of alcohol abuse shouldn't be downing this daily dose.
So we've established that red wine is good for us in moderation, but is there any difference in the kind of wine we knock back? Most of us have champagne tastes on a beer budget so is a cask wine as good for you as an expensive bottle of red?
Professor Geoff Skurray has the answer. He researches the molecular content of red wine and the ways to increase the medically beneficial compounds in wine for the University of Western Sydney at its Yarramundi winery in Richmond.
Using some fancy machinery, the Professor can measure the levels of resveratrol — the good compound — in different bottles of wine and tell us which one is best.
So is there any difference between cheaper wine and the more expensive wine? Actually, yes.
According to Professor Skurray "there's much less anti-oxidants in the cheaper wine but you probably drink more of that than the other one so you make up for it."
It comes down to the way the wine is made. Cheaper wine doesn't have the rich fruit. You have to have really good fruit that has a lot of colour and anti-oxidants — this is what goes into the more expensive wines.
Professor Skurray's tests showed a $300 bottle of wine had twice as much resveratrol as a bottle costing about $10, while the cask wine had a quarter of it.
But wine lovers shouldn't despair.
According to Professor Skurray while the cheaper wines may contain less anti-oxidants, it doesn't mean we have to go without anti-oxidants because there are still health benefits in drinking two glasses of cask wine.
So why just red wine? What about the white varieties? It's because red wine is made using the skin and seeds of the grape and that's where all the goodness is. If you're not a wine lover, you might decide to just eat grapes. But you'd have to eat half a kilo a day to get the same amount of resveratrol contained in one glass of wine. Anyway why not make the most of it?
It's not often something so nice turns out not to be naughty after all.
Great news for wine lovers!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lance Armstrong also drinks a glass a day, so it has to be good!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(http://health.ninemsn.com.au/whatsgoodforyou/theshow/694576/is-a-glass-of-red-wine-a-day-good-for-you)
Does red wine deserve its reputation as a healthy choice?
It has been linked with all sorts of health benefits over the years: the heart, the lungs, prevention of breast cancer, prostate cancer, tooth decay, longevity and just general wellbeing. But can this be true and how can one drink affect so many parts of the body?
Our reporter Dr Andrew Rochford uncorks a few reds to investigate the truth.
The whole idea that red wine keeps us healthy comes from something called the French Paradox. Scientists noticed that despite a diet loaded with saturated fat, very few French people actually croak it from heart attacks.
Just 83 out of 100,000 Frenchmen die from heart disease compared with 230 in the US. The difference? The amount of red wine they drink.
Family doctor Philip Norrie is such a red wine advocate and fan that he bought his own vineyard in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. He's also written several books and a thesis on red wine and its health benefits.
"We're all going to die from something and what I'm trying to do is delay your death," says Dr Norrie. He says the wine has been used medicinally for over 5000 years for antiseptic (treating wounds, water and preoperative), as a tranquiliser or sedative, and as a hypnotic.
This 'wine doctor' is a devoted disciple of red wine — he recommends it to many of his patients.
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in Australia. They're triggered by a build-up of plaque in your arteries. So how does red wine help? It contains anti-oxidants, and the most important of these is resveratrol. It keeps your arteries clear of plaque therefore reducing the risk of heart disease.
"An anti-oxidant is a thing that stops oxidation. Oxidation is basically rusting, so when we're ageing we're oxidising or degenerating or rusting, so if you can block that process then you get all these health benefits because vascular disease, dementia, diabetes, all these cancers are forms of degeneration or oxidation," says Dr Norrie.
So drinking red wine is good for your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and more.
But it's important you only drink two standard glasses of wine a day. Anymore and you risk the downsides of excessive alcohol intake: raised blood pressure, potential damage to the heart, liver, kidneys and brain. Over consumption of alcohol can also cause impotence and infertility, while during pregnancy it can damage the foetus.
"You've got to get the Goldilocks dose: too much is bad for you and abstinence is bad for you, whereas moderation's good for you," says Dr Norrie.
Also, people with high blood pressure, enlarged hearts, liver disease or anyone with a family history of alcohol abuse shouldn't be downing this daily dose.
So we've established that red wine is good for us in moderation, but is there any difference in the kind of wine we knock back? Most of us have champagne tastes on a beer budget so is a cask wine as good for you as an expensive bottle of red?
Professor Geoff Skurray has the answer. He researches the molecular content of red wine and the ways to increase the medically beneficial compounds in wine for the University of Western Sydney at its Yarramundi winery in Richmond.
Using some fancy machinery, the Professor can measure the levels of resveratrol — the good compound — in different bottles of wine and tell us which one is best.
So is there any difference between cheaper wine and the more expensive wine? Actually, yes.
According to Professor Skurray "there's much less anti-oxidants in the cheaper wine but you probably drink more of that than the other one so you make up for it."
It comes down to the way the wine is made. Cheaper wine doesn't have the rich fruit. You have to have really good fruit that has a lot of colour and anti-oxidants — this is what goes into the more expensive wines.
Professor Skurray's tests showed a $300 bottle of wine had twice as much resveratrol as a bottle costing about $10, while the cask wine had a quarter of it.
But wine lovers shouldn't despair.
According to Professor Skurray while the cheaper wines may contain less anti-oxidants, it doesn't mean we have to go without anti-oxidants because there are still health benefits in drinking two glasses of cask wine.
So why just red wine? What about the white varieties? It's because red wine is made using the skin and seeds of the grape and that's where all the goodness is. If you're not a wine lover, you might decide to just eat grapes. But you'd have to eat half a kilo a day to get the same amount of resveratrol contained in one glass of wine. Anyway why not make the most of it?
It's not often something so nice turns out not to be naughty after all.
Great news for wine lovers!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lance Armstrong also drinks a glass a day, so it has to be good!
Monday, January 4, 2010
1st Day
Today was a day of two firsts. First day back to work after a week and a half off and first day of my fitness plan.
The Good- I'm excited to get back on my fitness plan. To help me along, I have a couple good friends who are starting it at the same time. I really hope it works for them, it has worked great for me in the past. Even when I wasn't following it strictly, the habits it helped me form stayed with me. Eventually I would like to start an online consultation for fitness, but for now, if anyone wants to try it, just ask and I'll send my plan to you. Dinner tonight was a roasted pork tenderloin, mac and cheese, and creamy mashed potatoes. it will make a tasty breakfast.
The Bad- Going back to work after a long break, well, sucks! We have a lot of work to do in January, but still have to take a day off every two weeks without pay. :( Hopefully things will turn around and more work will come in. I would not complain at all about having to work some overtime.
The Good- I'm excited to get back on my fitness plan. To help me along, I have a couple good friends who are starting it at the same time. I really hope it works for them, it has worked great for me in the past. Even when I wasn't following it strictly, the habits it helped me form stayed with me. Eventually I would like to start an online consultation for fitness, but for now, if anyone wants to try it, just ask and I'll send my plan to you. Dinner tonight was a roasted pork tenderloin, mac and cheese, and creamy mashed potatoes. it will make a tasty breakfast.
The Bad- Going back to work after a long break, well, sucks! We have a lot of work to do in January, but still have to take a day off every two weeks without pay. :( Hopefully things will turn around and more work will come in. I would not complain at all about having to work some overtime.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Nutrition Plan
One thing that I did not mention in my resolution post was going back on my nutrition plan. I've been really slacking this winter so far. Now that I'm on a cycling race team, Dire Wolf Racing, I need to be in good shape by early Spring. My plan is nohing like Atkin's or other super strict diets. No one should be told not to eat bread! I focus more on watching fat grams and eating big in the morning and tapering off from there. Of course I need to get on the bike more too. That means bundling up for the cold. I refuse to sit on a trainer and spin in one spot for hours. The first race on the year will be the Bedford Mountain Cross in February. Time to buckle down.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Appalachian Trail hike
So I had a crazy idea. I wanted to hike on the AT while there is still a lot of snow on the ground. With the holidays over and going back to work on Monday, today was the day, 01-02-10. I wanted to get a nice lond hike, so I woke up at 6:30, had breakfast and coffee, and was out the door by 7:15. It was 25 degrees when I left the house. I arrived at the James River Foot Bridge at 8:00, grabbed my pack and hiking staff and was off, heading South. The Foot Bridge spans 665 feet across the James River. It's usually windy because of the gorge funneling air along the river. Today it was especially strong. Almost enough to knock you down and COLD!
After getting to the other side, I was fairly protected from the wind by trees. It's about a mile along the river before turning left and following Matt's Creek and slowly climbing. Another mile and I arrived at the Matt's Creek shelter. It's a wooden three sided shelter, about 15 feet wide, there for any hikers who want a dry, elevated place to sleep. There was a group of 6 people just waking up. I talked to one, who said they would be hiking up to the Marbleyard later. I crossed Matt's Creek and started a long, steady climb. About 2/3 of the way up, the trail and surrounding area became completely snow covered and would be for the rest of the hike. Most of the trail above this point had 6 to 12 inches of snow on it. It was frozen so I was able to walk right on top of it.
After following the spine of a ridge for a while, the trail cut along the side of a steep slope that went straight down to the river, about a thousand feet below. Kinda scary at points, when you don"t have much grip. The trail turned downward and over another creek before rising steeply again to cross Sulfer Springs Trail. In the next section I came across two hunters, possible father and son, who were using dogs for bear hunting. Great, just what I need, hungry bears in the area. Maybe they like granola, doubt it.
After I passed the connector for Belfast Trail, I went another quarter mile or so and found a nice big rock to have lunch on. Now most hikers would be content with a sandwich and water. Not me, I had to bring everthing I needed to make espresso! Sterno, collapsable Sterno wind breaker, Italian 1 cup Mocha (like a mini purcolator made for espresso), espresso cup and spoon, Illy espresso, and sugar. After hiking for 3 and a half hours in below freezing weather, there is nothing better than a hot espresso. Now I was recharged for the hike back.
The return hike was pretty uneventful. I saw the hunters again and passed the 6 hikers on their way to the Marbleyard. Then I found a vine hanging beside the trail, attached to a tree about 40 feet up. It was about 1.5 inches in diameter and would support my weight. So of course I spent the next 15 minutes swinging. By the time I got back to the Foot Bridge, I was getting pretty tired. I was glad to get in my warm car.
After getting to the other side, I was fairly protected from the wind by trees. It's about a mile along the river before turning left and following Matt's Creek and slowly climbing. Another mile and I arrived at the Matt's Creek shelter. It's a wooden three sided shelter, about 15 feet wide, there for any hikers who want a dry, elevated place to sleep. There was a group of 6 people just waking up. I talked to one, who said they would be hiking up to the Marbleyard later. I crossed Matt's Creek and started a long, steady climb. About 2/3 of the way up, the trail and surrounding area became completely snow covered and would be for the rest of the hike. Most of the trail above this point had 6 to 12 inches of snow on it. It was frozen so I was able to walk right on top of it.
After following the spine of a ridge for a while, the trail cut along the side of a steep slope that went straight down to the river, about a thousand feet below. Kinda scary at points, when you don"t have much grip. The trail turned downward and over another creek before rising steeply again to cross Sulfer Springs Trail. In the next section I came across two hunters, possible father and son, who were using dogs for bear hunting. Great, just what I need, hungry bears in the area. Maybe they like granola, doubt it.
After I passed the connector for Belfast Trail, I went another quarter mile or so and found a nice big rock to have lunch on. Now most hikers would be content with a sandwich and water. Not me, I had to bring everthing I needed to make espresso! Sterno, collapsable Sterno wind breaker, Italian 1 cup Mocha (like a mini purcolator made for espresso), espresso cup and spoon, Illy espresso, and sugar. After hiking for 3 and a half hours in below freezing weather, there is nothing better than a hot espresso. Now I was recharged for the hike back.
The return hike was pretty uneventful. I saw the hunters again and passed the 6 hikers on their way to the Marbleyard. Then I found a vine hanging beside the trail, attached to a tree about 40 feet up. It was about 1.5 inches in diameter and would support my weight. So of course I spent the next 15 minutes swinging. By the time I got back to the Foot Bridge, I was getting pretty tired. I was glad to get in my warm car.
It was a very fun day. Somewhere around 15 miles total. The only problem I had was that my water tube from my camelbac kept freezing. I think that I will do some more winter hikes. I want to find some parts of the trail that are a bit more knarly. This section had some great climbs and views, but not much in the way of boulders to climb over. Might even try and overnighter, we'll see.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Resolutions, to do's, goals, and projects
Ok, so here's my list. Not complete, I'm sure more needs to be added.
Clear a spot in the back yard for a small garden
Paint outside of house
Replace gutters
Paint rooms inside
Use the bar and rec room area downstairs more, maybe small informal get-togethers
Repair rust on the VW bug and put in on the road
Finish the MG and put it on the road
Fix the rust spots on the Jeep
Jeep camper project
Make off road style bumpers for Jeep
Buy a 29er single speed mountain bike
Ride as much as possible, mountain and road
More hiking and camping, sections of the AT
Finish my 3rd consecutive Shenandoah 100 mountain bike race
Try road racing on the Dire Wolf race team
Start hiking the high points of each state, maybe a few each year
Get out of the house more
Being true to myself and not what society tells me I should be
And keeping this blog going
I'm sure there's more, but that's the short list for now.
Clear a spot in the back yard for a small garden
Paint outside of house
Replace gutters
Paint rooms inside
Use the bar and rec room area downstairs more, maybe small informal get-togethers
Repair rust on the VW bug and put in on the road
Finish the MG and put it on the road
Fix the rust spots on the Jeep
Jeep camper project
Make off road style bumpers for Jeep
Buy a 29er single speed mountain bike
Ride as much as possible, mountain and road
More hiking and camping, sections of the AT
Finish my 3rd consecutive Shenandoah 100 mountain bike race
Try road racing on the Dire Wolf race team
Start hiking the high points of each state, maybe a few each year
Get out of the house more
Being true to myself and not what society tells me I should be
And keeping this blog going
I'm sure there's more, but that's the short list for now.
New Year's Day
I woke up this morning feeling surprisingly good. No headache, maybe just a little sluggish. The FROTY was definitely out for me. The New Year's, Ride the Temperature road ride was not looking very appealing either. So, after a few cups of coffee, I decided to go on a solo road ride. Nothing to strenuous, about 15 miles of steady riding. I decided to cut through Blackwater Creek bikeway, mistake. Most of it is still completely covered with snow and ice. I was able to summon up my mountainbike skills to ride through it until it turned to solid smooth ice, then I had to walk some. Finally I got back on the streets and finished out a nice ride. I am thinking about going on a long day hike on the AT tomorrow. I will probably start at the James River Foot bridge and head up Thunder Ridge, we'll see.
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