Big Cats Adventures

"Having Faith"

2010-04-15T11:24:00.006-05:00

How often has someone looked at you and told you to "Have Faith" in the past several months I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this. Faith to me involves more than just a feeling I get, it also involves time, trust and a spiritual understanding between you and God.

The discussion of faith came up several weeks ago with my neighbor when we asked me how do you explain Faith to someone, he used this example when he explained Faith to his young son. Faith is like the wind, you cannot see the wind but you see how it effects things around us, the trees move we hear it's sound. I thought that is was great way to explain Faith, it makes us think about how the concept of a feeling being real shows itself to us. Having Faith in one's self is sometimes the most difficult challenge we face in life, let alone having Faith in God but questioning who gives us this feeling should be easy to answer depending on who you are or how you have been raised.

So have Faith in whatever challenges may face you, never forget that contract between you a God, he has lived up to his end of the bargain it's time we live up to our end, don't let what may seem like a never ending challenge slow you down, at some point you will get to the top and going down is not nearly as much fun as the climb.

Just thought that I would share some great new with you all, after almost three months of hard work, patience and healing yesterday was the first day that I could walk out of my Physical Therapy and carry my leg brace. I will still need to use the brace when I am on grass or other unstable surfaces for a few months but otherwise " I am Free".

I wish you could all have experienced the joy I did walking out & feeling that a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. There is still much work to do as I see my surgeon next week and should be returning to work. So I hope everyone's weekend with happiness and joy as mine has, remember that the challenges we face may seem impossible but with hard work and patience & diligence you can overcome whatever obstacles that may face you. Be honest with yourself and have faith in yourself you can do this!

If you ever doubt your faith check this out it may inspire you or put an end to your complaining!! It shows us not only about Faith but Love and Commitment and how it can inspire us to reach our goals. Happy biking be safe and "Get Bent"

Depression vs Frustration

2010-04-12T09:53:00.001-05:00

Ever notice when something life changing happens some of us may get asked the question? " Is this depressing you". When I had my accident happen to me my sister asked if I was depressed I told her No but I am frustrated with the situation.
In my world depression is a state of mind, I am by no means an expert on this but have through different positions in my jobs throughout life had some first had experience with this, so take my comments as opinion not expert comment. Depression is a very serious issue that should only be handled by a professional, with that said let get to frustration.
Frustration is to me a me a state of mind where we can either succeed at a goal that we have set for ourselves or have exhausted our every means of trying to succeed at a goal that we are trying to accomplish or a situation that has presented itself to us either as a self imposed goal or a life changing incident. How one handles this state of mind to me is based on a long history of how they as individuals have handled these types of incidences in the past. We as individuals first need to take a look at what is important to us when a situation arises and what type of situation this will put us in.
The past several months and my current situation have given me the opportunity to examine myself, first and foremost after my accident when reality slowly started to set in was the fact that my mental state was a top priority with my physical state being a very close second. After I had a chance to process the fact that this was no longer going to be a training year and would most likely end up being a recovery year I started to process where I was at not only mentally but physically.
Knowing that my physical injuries would heal in time allowed me to relax, but being told to take a day at a time and let my body dictate my recovery has been to me the hardest part of this whole situation. Not rushing the healing process and following the instructions given to me have been possibly the hardest mental things to follow.
When you are a goal setter and have been this way most of your life, hitting what seems like a brick wall and putting on the brakes to what you are accustom too kind of makes your head spin as you see the smoke coming out from under your shoes! Spending your days over thinking how and what you can do to return to what you may consider normal daily functions starts to liquefy the old gray matter between the ears.
For me, as I recover and as more time passes this has started to smooth out the wrinkles in things, it has given me a clearer perspective on the "Big Picture" and what is really important to me. I no longer see an unattainable end to my recovery but a recovery that opened my eyes to a clearer future a happier and more relaxed future. A future without the burden of beating my mental state into unconsciousness or depression over what I cannot control. A lesson learned that will allow me to strengthen my mental state like never before and allow me a well deserved balance between mind and body like I have never experienced before. May you all find this balance between mind and body before it's too late. “Happy Trails, Safe biking and get Bent”

Life/Sports/Living & the Risks Involved

2010-02-24T08:55:00.001-06:00

Spending time on healing the leg has given me some time to be able to watch the Winter Olympics taking place in Canada and one my favorite events in the luge. Watching woman & men in body suits getting on sleds and flying down a frozen track at speeds that reach almost 100 miles per hour with their only protection being a helmet and faith not only in themselves but in God may make some people why they would do this?
The decisions that we who are involved in sports no matter what type to participate for some may not come easy. Risks that we take and the choices we make while doing so effects our outcome and results, thinking about what may happen if we choose wrong must be part of our mental conditioning every time we get ready to participate in the activity that we choose.
The death of Georgian Olympic Luge slider Nodar Kumaritashvili while practicing at the Whistler Sliding Center north of Vancouver, Canada, highlights the risks involved in not only the sport of the Luge but the outcome that may face each and every one of us who not only gets up in the morning but participates in any type of sporting activity. While the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili is the most tragic consequence we may face we all know that there are risk involved.
When the end result is death those of us who survive sometimes have a hard time dealing with the outcome. Some of us are speechless some angry, some disrespectful while some look at what has happened and consider it a learning or teaching tool which we can use to correct how we would react to a certain decision that has been made so that we ourselves do not suffer that same outcome, it is too bad that one needs to die or get injured for others to learn, but this is how it happens in life.
Should they have made the track slower? Should they have started everyone at a different spot? Should the wall by the post been made higher in the first place? Too little too late, we cannot control life’s outcome; the only thing we can do is plan and prepare for how we think something may happen. When we love our sport we enjoy what we do more than the outcome that may face us when we participate, that is why we not only train so hard but work at taking the calculated risk so that our safety is not an issue, it’s the factors around us that always seem to be the determining factor in our outcome!!
I was having this discussion with my father the other day, you see ever since I started to bike the concern not only by him but the majority of my family and friends has been “safety” so how ironic I was injured while walking and not by what I seemed to be the bigger risk. Getting up everyday involves risk but do not let this determine your choices let it drive how you make these choices.
Those who survive such a tragic outcome which involves death may wish to place blame on others but they should learn to look carefully first at who the person was, where they a person who enjoyed what they did? Would they have placed blame on others? Would they let the activity that we loved be effected in a negative manner because of what happened or would they take solace in knowing that others would use this information and learn from what happened so that it wouldn’t happen again.

So please join me in raising a glass of juice to not only Georgian Olympic Luger Nodar Kumaritashvili but to all who died so that we can learn, thank you for your dedication and love for your sport we will forever know that you left us doing what you loved to do. “Happy Trails, Safe biking and get Bent”

2010 Pushing Pause!

2010-02-15T10:26:00.003-06:00

Well the New Year has started, the holidays over and its time to look hard at the 2010 biking season. After a hectic end to 2009, 2010 couldn’t have started with more excitement than it did.

Its hard to believe that almost one year ago I was thinking about Trail Dog and the misfortunes that he faced after falling near the beginning of December wiping out and needing to realize that his biking season would have to be put on hold for awhile due to a severally messed up ankle injury. Coming face to face with decisions about how to totally change the momentum that he had going forward into a new biking season with the realization that it would become a recovery year, at least part of it.

Big Cat is now also in the same boat, starting 2010 seemed so perfect, training hard during the winter months was going to pay big dividends, hours of hard work everything coming together the stars so perfectly aligned nothing at all could go wrong.

Going to work on Tuesday January 19^th seemed like any other day, up at 4am having a bowl of granola and a glass of juice with my wife, spending a few moments with the cats before my normal 45 minutes of step aerobics & cardio boxing before leaving for work. Arriving with a smile on my face, thinking about the 2010 biking season and how all the winter training was changing my body, feeling good about the progress I had made with weight training twice a week, looking forward to the schedule changing at the March towards riding those 100 mile weekends, Oh Yeah!!!!!!

Little did I know how my whole biking year was about to change and boy did it. Using the bathroom after 9am break and returning to where I was working I slipped and fell, my right leg took the brunt of the fall, ever so quickly shifting out from under my body not being able to steady the rest of my small frame I landed on my back looking straight up, only remembering hearing a canvas type of tearing sound in my right ear and the feeling that someone was poring boiling hot water on the area above my right knee.

Looking down at my feet I only saw the left foot, wondering where my right foot had disappeared to, when I realized that it was under my right butt cheek! Not being able to move my right foot made me wonder, oh crap this is not good, feeling that my right knee was the size of mars and seeing my right ankle ghost white I knew that I needed to do something and quick or this situation was going to be much worse. So with the pain growing to the point of making me sick, I used my right hand and took a hold of my right pant leg and proceeded to move my foot out from underneath my backside, getting it to a 90 degree angle to my knee and thinking about how much I never want to do this again. I than used both my right and left hands and assisted it to the spot where it should have been in the first place, straight out from the rest of my body. I knew that it was in its proper place when I heard a grinding snap and my pain level went from 10,000 to 10.

This is all I will say about how it happened. Sitting in the ER at one of the two local hospitals and having more time than I wanted to think, I began to realize that the 2010 biking season was about to change, going from a heavy training year to a recovery year. It did not make me happy but I was by no means going to let it down. After many x-rays and a cat scan I was sent home, not feeling any pain because of the meds that they had pumped into me to prevent me from screaming.

My sister and brother-in-law helping to get me home where I started to realize that this was the place that would be my recovery zone, but for how long?

January 22^nd my loving and supportive wife loading me into the Nissan Xterra for my first of many visits to the orthopedic surgeon to find out if I soon start back on my intense training schedule, this was not to be. The following Thursday I finally got the news, the tearing I had heard in my right ear was my quadriceps tendon tearing, this happened above the knee, this meant no dancing this weekend I ask the doctor?

We need to repair it, what does this mean for my biking season? No biking most likely until the end of July or August if the surgery and rehab go well. Talk about taking a mans jewelry and tearing it off!! Thanks for the honesty doc, at least its not worse, you are in great physical shape and have a good outlook for recovery, when do we start I asked? He stated surgery tomorrow 8am, anything else I asked? When we start therapy it will be intense so ready yourself.

As I walked out of the doctors office, facing my wife who somehow already knew what I had been told, she hugged me saying don’t worry you will get through this. Arriving at home my wife suggested that we have pork chops for supper but I couldn’t have disagreed more, asking her if she would mind pizza hut, she so gently agreed. While awaiting her arrival home, my phone rang my wife on the other end, thinking she wanted to know what kind of pizza I preferred not expecting her to tell me she had just been rear-ended after stopping for another accident, thank God she is ok!! But $3500 - $4500 damage to our black baby!

Surgery went fine, the week following seeming to be forever lost due to the pain killers but much needed. Coming off the drugs seemed almost as bad as falling, learning to rest and take it easy so that not only my leg can heal but the rest of my body has been probably the hardest to deal with, sitting without overdoing so the healing process can occur without complications. Depending on others to due what I have taken for granted, in my daily life. Realizing why I married my wife who has been an angel sent from God, dealing with not only my physical needs but emotional needs and changes throughout this experience, and telling my family and friends who have helped both my wife and I thank you for everything that you have done to make this bump in the road bearable.

I will not let this shadow my year, I will consider it like temporally hitting the pause button, already researching and planning my schedule once the Doc & PT people give me the green light, keeping a conservative attitude and controlled motivation towards what will be a real learning experience and only a bump in the road. Stay tuned I will keep you updated as the healing process continues and remember “Happy Trails, Safe biking and get Bent”

Earth Ride 2009 in the Book

2009-09-20T08:42:00.007-05:00

Well Saturday ended up being a perfect day for the 10th annual Maywood Earth Ride, the weather was slightly overcast in the morning but Mr. Sun decided to show his head as the day progressed. First off let me say thank you to each and everyone of the people who volunteered to help with this and past years rides without you we would not enjoy such a beautiful event.

Team Lasky Members

This year the Big Cat along with members of Team Lasky again participated, Team Lasky along with the Trail Dog & Jonny K rode the 50 mile challenge, Big Cat averaged a speed of 14.4 mph starting the first several legs at 16.2 & 15.9. Of the 10 lap sections there where only 2 in which I feel below 14 mph which pleased me. Total time for the 50 which was really only 47.66 was 3 hours 19 minutes which for a second year biker is not to dam bad.

Big Cat, Mrs. Cat, Trail Dog & Jonny K

The course this year was a challenging route filled with many long steep hills and flowing country roads, sag support was visible and the riders where friendly as usual, the only negative was that some of the riders did not obey the single file riding rule which at times made passing a challenge. It was nice being able to share some biking time with friends and those who care about our environment and the education of others about Mother Earth. Next year Big Cat will participate in the metric century which is a 70 mile challenge in preparation for 2011 when the full 100 mile ride will be completed.

Trail Dog & Jonny K sporting there Fat Cyclist Shirts

I would also like to thank my employer Sadoff Industries aka Team Lasky for again sponsoring not only myself but the other three members of the team, in a time when most employers are cutting funding I and the others appreciate there support so thank you. Until next time enjoy good health, and remember "Happy Trails, safe biking and Get Bent”

How an Addiction becomes an Obsession

2009-09-13T19:10:00.000-05:00

First off I hope everyone is well, Big Cat has been on a biking high the past two and one-half months coming closer to 1000 of the 1500 mile goal that he set for himself at the beginning of the year. I would hope that if you get a chance you all would check out Trail Dogs post “Why we do what we do” it is excellent and I cannot agree more. I myself have notice some big changes with the Big Cat one of which is how my addiction with food has turned into an obsession, my love of biking can also be included in this category. As my wife tell me my attitude towards food and what food is about is steadily becoming a research goal, my intense biking need grows faster and greater with every moment that passes.

Food for me used to be a pleasure ride kind of like a challenge, not to see what you could eat or how healthy of foods I could choose but how much I could stuff my gut and how fast I could put items through my lips!! As I reach a 200 pound weight loss my outlook has started to change faster and faster, I find myself spending more time reading and researching a food before I will commit to adding it to my temple, I have realized that the import ants of what I put in my body affects not only a physical outcome but a mental state of how I feel about myself. My need for exercise and biking has increased from some to I can’t get enough; I have set my goals high not only because I need to but because this is how I am. My wife is ever so tolerant about my outlook on things, not judging my determination or conviction to get a long needed physical and mental overhaul back on track where it should be.

I have set up a tight training schedule for the next several months, this should take me into next year with a good head start, I have decided that I need to lean and tone over the winter months as I look ahead and look forward to doing longer rides. As we enter fall and start to prep for the winter training period don’t forget we need to keep up with things, if we don’t quit over the winter we can enjoy an easier transition come spring. As you can see by my training schedule my obsession is growing, I have also included a few pictures from some rides, enjoy!!! Until next time "Happy Trails, safe biking and Get Bent”

Monday, Wednesday – 45 minutes Fitness Ball, 1 hour Resistance Bands, 30 minutes Yoga

Tuesday & Thursday – 1 hour Cardio, 10-15 mile bike ride, 45 minutes Free Weights

Friday – 45 minutes Fitness Ball, 30 minutes Yoga

Saturday – 1 hour Resistance Bands & Biking

Sunday – Biking

Starting October I will not bike during the week instead add 2 hours of weight training on Tuesday & Thursday

Saturday & Sunday in the winter will be bike training at least 2-3 hours each day

Feeling The Burn

2009-07-14T06:48:00.002-05:00

To start I will not apologize for being tardy with posting it's summer it's warm the weather is great so it biking season enough said. After dealing with a pulled muscle in my left leg for the past week I am back to pedal pushing, Monday July 13th proved to be a day to get excited about in Big Cat's world, after a little recovery time I decided that it was time to spend some quality time with the three wheeled kid, I had been talking about riding from Sheboygan Falls to Oostburg but never did this. After riding in the Unity ride and totally enjoying the Interurban Trail I told myself it was time, 10:34 am in the morning after doing a few house keeping things I slid into the spandex and ever so gently put myself back in the saddle. The Ride totaled 44.38 miles but this is not what I expected to do I had started to ride that morning with the goal of riding only to Oostburg and back but when I arrived in Oostburg felt the need to continue a little further ending at the half way mark of Belgium which was a good stopping point, here I rested and soon realized that what one rides one way must be done to get back from which one started.
After enjoying my energy bar and some liquid refreshment I started my trip back home and when I got off the trail in Oostburg realized that God wanted me to remember this trip, the wind switched and everything got much harder, but knowing that I had made it this far drove my will to finish what I had started even though the smile had turned to a grin and my body felt like crap. I arrived home feeling like someone had pounded my knees with a baseball bat muscles twitching so much that as I sat panting looking at them jumping with happiness before attempting to stand, fearing that I would fall down when attempting to dismount the bike. My MPH for this ride averaged only 13.2 which was a slight drop from the 13.8 I have been averaging on most of my rides but this was due to the last portion of the ride when the wind shifted. The first part of the ride average was any where from 13.4 to 14.2 mph with a 5 mile portion which I held a 16.7 mph, the last part of the ride was 14.2 to 9.3 mph this included some city riding which tends to slow me down. This was a big deal for me because it was the longest single ride of the year so far and has given me a few answers to what I am going to have to deal with when setting my training schedule for the Century in 2011 and any longer rides.
I have dealt with my cramping issues at the end of my rides by enjoying a protein drink, this also eliminated muscle soreness within about 5 minutes. Tuesday there was only a slight knee pain which is starting to subside and the muscles are doing fine but my butt still feels tight which is not a bad thing, my calorie burn for this ride also made me happy with 4104 burned if you take off the 560 from the energy bars and add the 90 calories from the energy drink you get a calories burned at 3,454 snap daddy!! I would say this was a great day. so until next time "Happy Trails, safe biking and Get Bent”

Taking Time To Recharge (The BATS Trail)

2009-06-10T08:55:00.009-05:00

Greeting from God’s country, Big Cat and Ms. Jen are sending hello’s from Northern Wisconsin as we take time to recharge our mental and physical batteries so that we can concentrate on the upcoming biking season. We have for the past two years spent about 1 or 2 weeks in the north woods biking and spending quality time together.

This year we are going to explore the BATS (Boulder Junction Trail System) the trail head is located in you guessed it Boulder Junction this is also referred to as the Crystal Lake Trail which runs for about 12 miles out of Boulder Junction on highway M to highway N. This pristine trail takes you past the North Trout and Trout Lake weaving in and out of the woods leaving you to experience the tall pines and the fresh smell of the outdoors before you arrive at Big Muskellunge Lake and finally Crystal Lake.

We arrived on Friday night in the Natural Lakes Private Preserve which is located just north of Boulder Junction to the quiet calls of the Loons, and the curious looks from deer greeting us as if we were part of the family coming back for a long overdue visit. The weekend provided for some long overdue rest, as we spent time sharing memories and conversation with my Sister and brother-in-law who are the nice people who are willing to share this beautiful place with us.

The trail is a paved and well maintained outlet for both biking and walking providing easy access to the trail and comfortable surroundings for anyone interested in using it.

When we arrived on Friday the overcast and rain seemed to be prominent but as the morning broke on Tuesday it turned out to be worth the wait, we packed up the bents and headed towards the BATS trail, after setting up we made our way east on trail weaving through the pines listing to the sounds of the deer and birds saying good morning it’s good to see you, riding this trail has put into perspective all the minor problems we have in our day to day schedules.

The soft breeze on the trees was like the hand of God telling us to relax and enjoy not only ourselves but life, the trail is a public trail that requires no state sticker to use but they do accept donations for its maintenance and future care. The trail runs for about 24 miles if you do it both ways from Boulder Junction to Crystal Lake and back, our ride weather was a little cool with the temperature at a nice 54 degrees and overcast but seeing the mist of the warm water as it was coming off the lakes made our hearts slow and minds truly appreciate the miracle of the outdoors, I would highly suggest this trail to anyone who could take the time to spend a day or two up north. Wednesday we will be exploring the Land O’Lakes trail, Thank you God for creating such a pristine picture for us, so until next time "Happy Trails, safe biking and Get Bent”

Say Hello to My New Friends

2009-06-07T16:15:00.003-05:00

Biking is not only about biking in the Big Cats world it's about the big picture. For sometime I have been looking to tone my core along with certain parts of my backside and also strengthen my lower legs that would be friendly to my lower back but in the same manner help me with my goals in biking. So let me introduce you to my two newest friends the Fitness Ball along with the Nordic Walking Sticks.

I started doing a 30 minute routine with the ball almost a month ago my body is experiencing blood flow that has not been active for sometime. I have almost 2 weeks after starting the ball picked up a pair of walking sticks and have been rotating my daily workout, one day the ball the following day walking. The walking goes for about 5 miles in an hour and a half is not the same as a causal walk to the store, it involves longer and controlled strides which make me feel like I have fish hooks attached to my butt cheeks, but after almost 3 weeks the pain is starting to fade. The ball is wonderful it helps to support my back and provides enough resistance to help start strengthening my core muscles.
I have also picked up a book on Yoga and hope that incorporating some of there moves will aid in not only strength but flexibility. I hope in the future to increase my ball workout and add to my walking miles by the end of the year. The one thing I am learning from reading and doing this is to allow your body the much needed time in between your workouts so that it can build the muscle and heal that is why I am alternating the workouts on different days so that I am not working the same muscle groups on the same days. What ever you decide to do make sure that you take your time educate yourself so that you are doing it properly. "Happy Trails, safe biking and Get Bent"

"Unity Ride 2009 & Reaching Goals"

2009-05-19T18:30:00.008-05:00

First off things have been just busy so that aside lets go!!! The 2009 Unity Ride benefiting Oostburg Christian School took place on Saturday May 16th and it was cold, when arising at 4am to make sure that I had plenty of Carbs in the system the temperature was a cool 40 outside, otherwise inside it was plenty "HOT". I had packed the trike up the night before so that I didn't have to rush in the morning, only eat have coffee and get dressed. Breakfast consisted of 2 apple bran pancakes 1/2 of a Miesfeld's ham steak approximately 1 1/2 cup eggbeaters and 1/4 cup Carries sugar free syrup, I figured that this should provide me with enough energy for the start of the ride and it did fine. As I was leaving the house I made a phone call to Trail Dog to rub in the fact that I was on my way but there was no answer!! Missed you buddy, the ride was fairly well organized with registration allowed up to ride time, I picked up my packet Friday night so that I wouldn't have to fight any crowds, I arrived on Saturday morning around 7am allowing plenty of time to say prayers and set up the bike, I left just before 8am making my way south on 7th street in Oostburg connecting with the Ozaukee Interurban Trail, the Trail is based on the Interurban railway that connected Ozaukee County to the City of Milwaukee and Sheboygan. This 35 mile planned route was really around 32.07 miles of very scenic country side which took riders from Oostburg to the Port of Port Washington Wisconsin & back to Oostburg, heading south you go to Cedar Grove and Belgium with a rest stop in Belgium and another in Port Washington. I completed the route in 2 hours 26 minutes with an avarage speed of 13.2 miles per hour, and considering the slight breeze this is was not something to sneeze at. I enjoyed the ride and was very pleased with the support staff at the rest stops, the route was very well marked which made for a happy rider. There where several suggestions that I did make to support staff but they where only minor, 1. if you allow riders to start before the listed times you should make people aware of this in case they have other plans this way they can check in & out before the scheduled start times, 2. when you sag and rest stop personal see riders without helmets they should turn them back. I have no problem if someone chooses not to wear a helmet but if you are participating in a sponsored ride respect the rules and follow them. Speaking of sponsorship I would like to take a moment to thank Sadoff Industries & Team Lasky for sponsoring me for not only this ride but the up coming Maywood Earth Ride this is the second year that I am riding for Team Lasky, I have worked for them for the past 15 years and believe strongly in there environmental mission statement and concern for the communities in which they have divisions. Over all the Unity Ride provided for a much enjoyed Saturday morning even though the "Trail Dog" had prior commitments I look forward to his participation next year (hope you had fun at the wedding).
On a side note this month has been a month of goals that have been reached for the "Big Cat" I would like to share a posting from another one of my Journals along with a few pictures, I won't be long winded about the subject, for those of you who know me for most of my life I have battled the "Dunlap" disease, this is where my stomach Dunlap over my over my waist so read and enjoy.

"What Motivates You To Change The Way You Live"
Look and see why I needed to change!!!!!

I am just 1 month short of when I started my journey to a new beginning almost 2 and 1/2 years ago, I had set my goals high a will continue with the next 60 lbs. Being large will no longer control who I am, the person never changes just the outfit. I just thought that I would share, I am not looking for praise and adoration, for those of you who doubt yourselves have faith, look at what motivates you, think about the end result and the happiness that it will bring. When I started my journey on January 1st 2007 I was over 435 lbs, I smoked 2-3 packs of cigarettes a day, as of 2 weeks ago my weight was 278.5 lbs, when I started my waist was a 56-58 it is now a 44-46. I am a happier man than I was, congratulations to everyone who has met the goals they have set for themselves and to those who are working at reaching those goals "you can do it" the proof is in the pictures, "Happy Trails, safe biking and Get Bent"

"Lifestyle vs A Fad"

2009-04-26T16:32:00.006-05:00

Biking like anything in life boils down to to two things, are you riding because its the latest thing to do or are you making changes in you life that constitute your going down a path that puts you in the group of those who are making a lifestyle change. Mine was the latter, when a person decides to make certain changes to there path in life soon begins to realize that when this path is chosen it must mean a all or nothing commitment to what you are doing.
We need to take a serious look at where we want ourselves to be in the next 5 to 10 years and how committed we are willing to be, for some the choice will be easy, it will ultimately come down to the financial choice, whether or not we can afford to dive heavily into spending large amounts of money on something or making sacrifices to afford something that we after 40 some years of procrastinating finally decide shut up look at ourselves in the mirror and ask the question "now or never". Coming to grips with making those sacrifices are not easy, not everyone can afford to tackle the expense of a hard core biker, especially when you have almost completed building your dream ride and realize now the choice continues when planning your nutrition & health phase of biking.
I am by no means the expert when it comes to these things but have learned by reading and doing many hours of research, what we decide also boils down to personal choice, I several years ago after taking that long hard look in the mirror that changes needed to be made, not only because I couldn't see my own feet when I looked down but because of the fact that when I got up after stuffing myself at the dinner table the whistling sound that I heard was not the chair making contact with the linoleum it was my lungs and heart working overtime to lift my grossly enormous body from the chair.
I started a journey on January 1st 2007 that allowed me to loose over 135lbs of extra weight that I didn't need to carry, this choice was not easy, my love for food continues and always will but as I start to enter the next phase of my self prescribed health kick I am learning that my eating habits will have to change even more, if I am to reach my next goal.
The mix between eating for pleasure and eating for health is a fine line, education is the best way I have found to make my own personal decisions but buyer beware if you use the Internet for nutritional and health information don't be fooled by the quick fix or a pill that can work miracles in only 6 short weeks. You need to find a balance between your lifestyle and biking and stick with it, it will not be an easy road, there will be days when you feel as though nothing is worth it but in the end the results people see will make you happy to look at yourself in the mirror.
So as I start my next phase of health and wellness in the lifestyle where biking is concerned I am not exactly sure what choices will be made as far as complex carbohydrates and protein bars, I will surely educate myself as to what I feel I need to accomplish my next set of goals, always consult with a physician when doing this, its all part of a serious lifestyle choice. Remember what works for one may not necessarily work for you but be happy with the decisions that you make and remember "Happy Trails, safe biking and Get Bent"

These are some of the sites that I use for finding health and fitness information

Harvard School of Public Health - Carbohydrates: Good Carbs Guide the Way
USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory Food Composition Data
Sports Nutrition/Active.com
Brain Mac Sports Coach

Big Cat Goes High Tech!!

2009-04-16T07:38:00.007-05:00

We live in an age when we need to be tied to computers, they are in everything that we own, from toasters to TV's, from pacemakers to GPS & bikes. Bikes yes you heard me right bikes, the Big Cat has gone global, with my commitment to biking and personal health I felt the need to expand my arsenal of fitness tools to include a new bike computer after purchasing a GPS for the car last fall and getting frustrated with trying to keep track of my workout I broke down and purchased a Garmin Edge 605 biking computer. Not only does this offer a pretty accurate account of what has been accomplished but is able to download all the information into the the "Training Center".

I was getting sick of spending more time writing down the information, spending more time doing this than biking. The Edge 605 is not the only GPS unit that is available for doing this but the unit that I felt would best serve my needs, Garmin offers several GPS computers that are specific for biking. The first is the Edge 205 which allows you to track speed, distance, calories burned along with min. and max. speeds, they also offer the Edge 305 which adds the barometric altitude vertical profile and wireless heart monitor, I didn't feel that I needed the heart monitor, also the 205 & 305 have a simple black and white LCD monitor. As you can see below the monitor is very clear and easy to see, when I attached it to the bike it is just as easy to view.

Next is the Edge 605 & 705 both of these units offer color LCD monitors along with turn by turn directions, another nice feature on both of these units is the ability to create your on mapping this is done within the training center with google earth, not only are you able to do this but using another free program called Bike Route Toaster you can plan and map your biking adventures and download them to the GPS unit besides its really cool after downloading the information to see your workout real time. You can also add way points and lapping information with these units. The other big advantage with the Edge 705 is the ability to exchange information with other units, this is done via a built in wireless data transfer, I didn't feel that this was needed either. Both the Edge 705 & 605 also offer the virtual trainer, this will take your saved rides and offer the ability to compete with yourself and see if you are improving on rides or doing worse. Their are only a few differences between the 705 & 605 and it comes down to personal preference. The buttons on all the units are easy to use even if you have large digits like I do, I have no problems using them during the ride.

One other thing I would like to cover was that was a pain this was keeping track of my fitness goals, food consumption and weight, I found a web site that is free to use its called NutriMirror it offers many tools for keeping track of everything from weight to food consumption to health goals, this is all offered on line, its like the My Phat Space for those of use who are weight challenged and are looking for an outlet to keep track of everything.
So if you feel that you need to add a High Tech. addition to your biking tool box may I suggest the Garmin Edge 605 it will be useful tool for helping you keep track of your biking, may I also suggest a trip to the Chicago Store, you can buy the unit online for about $45-$50 less than what is offered at the store but only was the service wonderful but they offer a free 1 hour lesson on how to use the unit and it made for a fun day trip for Big Cat & his better half. If you do decide to purchase a GPS not only will it make keeping track of you workouts and riding easier but it will give you a very detailed look at what you have done and how close you are to reaching the goals that you have set for yourself. So please remember "Happy Trails, safe biking and Get Bent"

Recumbent Biking & The Safety Challenges

2009-04-13T11:20:00.002-05:00

Biking as with any sport offers specific challenges, one of the biggest challenges that my wife and I noticed from the very beginning was the "Visibility" factor. Why a big deal you may ask, well hopefully I will be able to give you an insight into the challenges that not only face a recumbent bicyclist but anyone who bikes.
The type of recumbent that we have is also not you normal style of bike, we also face a greater challenge because we have what are referred to as "Tadpole" recumbent's, they have a short wheelbase not like the long wheelbase recumbents that are similar to what most consider a normal style bike. The tadpole also sits only 6-12 inches off the ground, so when riding on streets and in traffic you can see why this would not only create a bigger problem but a bigger challange.
So to help us solve this problem we added lots of high intensity strobe lights, gright colored flags & clothing and a small but powerful air horn not to mention the farings to protect us from road debris. Also you need remember that a good set of weather specific biking cloths and a good pair of gloves are essential to any safe adventure.

First, the weather you should always check the forecast before leaving, no matter how much we may dislike the weatherman looking outside and seeing the sun does'nt always indicate that things are going to be nice, things can change quickly so be prepared, also those of you who enjoy early morning rides don't forget your long fingered gloves and pants, if you do decide that you know best just remember that you can always take an extra set of cloths along in case things do change.
Lights, for headlights we have the Night Rider MiNewt X2, this product not only provides a ton of up front lighting but also offers a high intense flash pattern for day riding. One of the best products we found was from Planet Bike and is called the "Super Blinky" it's one of the brighest battery operated strobe/safety flashers on the market in fact we liked it so much we just ordered 4 more so that we can each add two to the back of each bike to increase our visibility even more.

Horns, don't forget these important tools, when making our purchase we came across the Air Zound from Delta Cycle it is a horn that allows you to refill a chamber by using your air pump, you fill it to between 80-100 lbs of air and it sounds like a Mac Truck coming at you, just don't come up behind walkers and blow it or they may have a cardiac episode.

The helmet, this essential part of your safety gear is worth every penny, make sure not to base the purchase solely on price, I would suggest if you need to make cuts to put something else off for the time being and get the better helmet. Try to get a helmet with a carbon fiber core because it will absorb the impact and shock much better than a cheap model.

The RoadID, this product is offered by Mike & Edward Wimmer and based out of Erlanger KY,
this product is able to assist First Responders and EMS personnal in unfortunate case that something happens to you while biking or participating in any sport. The RoadID allows access to personal medical information througha secure web based site. When you purchase the RoadID you are given a Serial & PIN number which is located on the back, if something happens all the medical personal have to do is enter these numbers after going to the RoadID web site and they are taken to your personal, secure web page and are able to see you complete medical profile and medical history. This can save valuable time when every minute counts, my wife and I would'nt ride without them.
And finally the best piece of safety equipment you, make yourself aware of everything around you and take time to make others aware of your presence, cause they may not see you, we want everyone to comeback to ride another day. So please remember "Happy Trails, safe biking and Get Bent"

Good Morning Spring

2009-03-22T10:30:00.003-05:00

Time: 8:30am, Date: Sunday March 22nd, Year: 2009, Temperature: 36 wonderful degrees, the place, overcast Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin. After many months of debating when the first ride of the season would happen it finally did, with several layers of spandex and the kids ready to go the Big Cat more pumped than collage fraternity who just received there shipment of enzyte has officially taken to the roadways of Wisconsin. With the Wisconsin snow barley off the ground the first 10 miles went well.

I had spent the day on Saturday prepping our rides for the big occasion, making sure that everything was ready for the big day. It seemed like it was just yesterday that we finished riding but it felt good to go for a ride outside with an old friend. As I look forward to the 2009 biking season, I also look forward to a new set of goals. 2008 was a good first year with a little over 1,000 miles logged by the Big Cat, my goal for 2009 is set at 1,500 miles, 2008 I spent about 2-3 days a week biking in 2009 I hope to increase that to 3-5 days. 2008 I renewed an old friendship with the Trail Dog, I hope to be able to spend several weekends sharing riding experiences with him and also doing several rides with him and others that I enjoy riding with. 2008 marked the beginning of a new chapter in the Big Cat's life with the addition of the kid, so far things have went well and I hope to continue sharing my journey with you, well those of you who will listen.

2009 also starts the second season that the Big Cat and his wife are looking forward to biking together. So as the 2009 recumbent season starts let us remember just a few things. 1. Be safe-as excited as we may get there are others who use the trails and roadways. 2. Be visible- if you need to use lights or bright colored clothing do it make yourself known to others. 3. Be courteous- if you need to slow down or stop do it dont try to rush if you are rude to others this will reflect on all of us. 4. Have fun- no matter what type of bike you ride enjoy yourself.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful 2009 whether your riding a bike or walking get out and enjoy the roadways and trails that we have it sure beats sitting inside watching TV or typing on the computer, make excuses to better yourself not excuses to sleep in the living room, its a wonderful world we live in enjoy it, so please remember “Happy Trails, Safe Biking and Get Bent”