A friend, obviously concerned about my recent weight loss, sent me a link to the following article. This extract is probably relevant:

If an athlete or active individual continues to undereat for months or years, however, the consequences tend to be less desirable, regardless of the type of diet. Not only will they find it increasingly difficult to build and maintain all-important lean muscle, but recovery ability and performance will decline over time.

I am not on any diet right now. Haven’t been for a while. I have changed what I eat. I drink primarily water and green tea — I do hydrate with a sports drink when I am cycling but I have not consumed any other types of beverages for over six months now. For the most part I am only eating grains, fruits, vegetables and protein. Very rare for me to eat any junk food. I will sometimes snack on popcorn and I will load up on some energy bars. But really, my eating patterns are pretty basic and boring.

The reason why I continue to track calories and weight is to ensure that I am not under-eating or over-eating. Finding an appropriate balance did not work this outdoor riding season. Losing another twenty pounds or so happened very quickly and I wasn’t sure how to level out. Adding an extra meal a day seems to have stopped the decline for now. I have been roughly stable (plus or minus a couple of pounds).

I lost twenty pounds this cycling season. And it was not intentional. I am not on a diet. Yes, I am watching what I eat and opting for healthier food choices for the most part. I track my daily intake just to keep a record of food and exercise patterns.

Spouse, children, friends and co-workers are of the opinion that I am now too thin.

The combination of working with a trainer, increasing the cycling intensity and better eating habits created an interesting problem: I am not eating enough calories. Simple enough problem right? Just eat more.

I have a vacation day today and I started the morning with a high intensity 40-kilometre ride. I took in a large lunch and here is where things stand:

A deficit of 169 calories and a requirement to eat an additional 2,335 calories before the end of the day. I just cannot eat that much food. But I am actively working on a solution: the Krispy Kreme double cheeseburger. With bacon.

Two of these burgers would close the gap. And maybe one of these on standby:

It must mean that I am getting better. The ear infection that bit me a little over three weeks ago is finally starting to ease up. Hearing is still off because of the fluid in the ear but the sense of being plugged is almost gone. Enough that I was able to get out and do an outdoor ride without fear of losing my balance.

Awesome Canada Day. Awesome Canada Day ride.

Health Canada maintains a list of frequently asked questions about bottled water including the following little gem:

Health Canada does not recommend the reuse of single-use bottles because the reuse poses a potential microbiological risk if not cleaned properly. Studies on reusing single-use bottles have found that depending on the source of the water used and the general hygiene of the user, the growth of bacteria in the bottle can vary from negligible to potentially hazardous. Health Canada suggests that people use wide-necked bottles that can be thoroughly washed with hot soapy water between uses.

Frequently, the concerns regarding the re-use of single-use plastic bottles for drinking water have focussed on the safety of the plastic under these conditions. There have been claims that polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) plastic used in single use water bottles breaks down when used repeatedly releasing cancer-causing chemicals. However, Health Canada has seen no scientific evidence to suggest that reusing PET bottles will contribute harmful levels of chemicals and toxins to the water. Health Canada has also concluded that the levels of Bisphenol A detected in water bottled in polycarbonate do not pose a health concern.

A water bottle on a bike is reusable but Health Canada provides no insight on this type of water bottle. There have been a few times where I have wondered about what it takes to keep a water bottle clean. You know, just to avoid the growth of bacteria from reaching hazardous levels. I reuse two water bottles each time I ride my bike.

Here are some techniques for cleaning water bottles. I’ve used one of them since I started back riding several years ago but perhaps I should consider a different approach.

Bleach Method

Dilute 1 teaspoon of bleach and 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a 4 litres of water. Fill the water bottle with the solution and let it sit overnight. Next morning, thoroughly rinse the bottle. Allow it to dry inverted on a clean dish rack. When it’s dry, store it in a cupboard with the lid off until next use.

Freezer Method

Wash the bottle in warm soapy water. Rinse it well, then stick it in the freezer until it is ready to be used again. Most bacteria and mold won’t survive the cold. Not so. Bacteria will survive the cold. Perhaps another reason to continue on the Die Hard Method (see below).

White Vinegar Method

Wash the bottle in warm soapy water. Rinse well. Fill 1/5 to 1/4 of the bottle with white vinegar and the remainder with water. Let sit overnight. Next morning thoroughly rinse the bottle. Allow it to dry inverted on a clean dish rack. When it’s dry, store it in a cupboard with the lid off until next use.

Die Hard Method

Also known as Richard’s Method. Fill it up with water. Drink it. Possibly rinse after use. Repeat until dead from hazardous levels of bacteria.

When I was riding a couple of nights back, I happened to join a training race. Not intentional. The riders were on the same loop and, as I was in full kit, they assumed that I was one of the registered riders.

Being an older rider, near my mid-fifties, I have long since abandoned road racing. It is a brutally difficult sport and it demands a remarkable level of drive and discipline. But I pushed hard to keep up. And after 40 minutes or so, I left the pack to head home. I have no idea how long the rest of the group spent riding that evening.

What motivates people to work so hard, train so hard?

Is it money?

These cyclists were not professionals. They were not getting paid. They were folks from all different age groups, male and female. Serious and committed given the pace of the pack. If a cyclist makes it into the ProTour the minimum salary would be about $50,000. That is not much money for a pro athlete. Money was simply not a factor.

Is it fame?

Aside from Lance Armstrong, I am not sure that many people can name a high-profile cyclist. And most of them are not making headline news except for things like the Tour de France and some doping scandals. Riding in Kingston is not going to get anyone noticed except by motorized traffic — and not always in a positive light.

Is it passion?

I think passion must play a part. There needs to be a fundamental love of the sport to make the sacrifices necessary to ride well.

Is it an obsession?

There is certainly a fine line between passion and obsession. Obsessive behaviour may well drive many people in this sport.

Is it a challenge?

Yes. That could be it. Cycling is ultimately an individual challenge. Can you get stronger? Can you get faster? Can you keep up?

Cycling is a test. A test of  will to tackle something that is not always fun to do. A test to see if a difficult ride can be finished. A test to keep going at something. A test to keep the mind and body healthy.

Is it something else?

Whenever I have a stretch of time away from cycling, I actually find a different motivator whenever I get back on the bike: joy.

Cycling makes happiness happen.

Did a training ride this evening and there happened to be a race on the same loop. I guess I decided to give it a bit of a push with the young guys. The ride data that came off my bike computer:

Ride Time: 1:00:00
Stopped Time: 0:00
Distance: 29.81 km
Average: 29.80 km/h
Fastest Speed: 79.54 km/h
Ascent: 171 meters
Calories: 916

Fastest time of 79.54 km/h! That would be about 50 miles an hour on a bike. Yee-haw.

A severe flu left me stranded for the better part of a week. I was finally able to get back on the bike yesterday.

The weather was terrific and I went for a longer ride, roughly two hours. I kept an aggressive pace tracking well above 34 km/h on the flats. Even on the slopes I pushed hard. Anywhere from 3 to 6 km/h above my typical pace. When the downhill slopes came up I got down on the pedals and really cranked.

Why was I pushing so hard?

I had become competitive. There was a rider six to eight hundred metres out in front of me and I was trying to catch him. He was moving fast. But I wanted to pass him. After 40 kilometres of hard riding — and a heart rate that was consistently above 160 bpm — I backed off. I could not catch this rider.

As I made my way back home at a saner pace, I thought about the good and bad of competition.

Competition makes you work harder

My goal for this ride was to get back on the road after a week of illness. I’m still not 100 percent and I told myself to take it easy and keep the heart rate aerobic. When this rider pulled into view, I lost all sight of that goal. A new target had come into view. Time to attack.

Competition can surprise you

You never really know your competition. When this rider first pulled out of a sideroad in front of me, I just naturally assumed that he was a week-end warrior and not a serious cyclist. I was wrong. The guy could ride. Pushing high speeds on a bike is not easy. It takes years of training.

Competition separates performance

I could not catch this guy. I came close at times. Perhaps within four hundred metres or so. I’m not even sure that he knew I was behind him. He was setting his own pace. And he was setting my pace. If he was not in front, I would have been spinning 2 or 3 km/h below his pace. After 10 kilometers, I knew that he was a faster rider than me.

Competition has an emotional impact

I have to admit that I was disappointed in myself when I relaxed the pace. I had set out to pass this rider and I did not make it happen. In a strange way, it felt like a failed ride to me even though it was the best ride of the season to date. Fastest pace. Terrific tempo. Focused and in the zone. When I got home, I resolved to train harder in the weeks ahead to see if I can get the pace up a bit more. Which leads to my last observation about the ride.

Competition can motivate

Seeing what is possible helps to drive personal development. To improve. To get better. Just not as intense as Anthony Hopkins.

The weather is breaking in such a way that I am able to keep a consistent riding pattern outdoors. I did a 36km ride today. First longer ride of the season. I may try a 50km tomorrow if the weather cooperates. The indoor spinning in combination with a personal trainer made a huge difference this season. I feel great on the bike and I am pushing much longer gears — a fancy way of saying that I am moving much faster on the bike.

Below is a map of today’s ride. The Cyclemeter iPhone app gives a great split reading and it allows me to see how different legs of the ride worked out by every kilometre. Lorraine was also receiving email alerts on the ride today although for some reason they stopped providing location information at around 26 kilometres. I wonder if I lost cellphone coverage at that point. Total time on the bike was 1 hour and 27 minutes. I burned 1,438 calories. Although it is still cold enough that I did not notice much in the way of burning during the ride.