Alligatorob's Diary
- Thread starter alligatorob
- Start date
overlandflyer
Well-known member
they do help in comfort when you start riding longer, but i thought you might have gotten a hint when i quoted your riding on "gravel". the last time i rode before investing in gloves, while passing a diagonally parked car i was distracted for a second, clipped the rear bumper just enough to throw me off balance and i landed, palm first on the pavement. i was generally ok, but it took nearly a month to grow back the skin i lost. some years later i had my worst accident (over 40 stitches around my eye), and when i got my things together after leaving the hospital, i noticed the condition of my gloves... with the leather severely scrapped up, i could only imagine they saved things from being worse and a lot more painful. i'm pretty old school and actually never owned a helmet, but i'm glad i've had on gloves on more than one occasion.
btw... i rarely got to ride in the countryside like you seem to have. most of my incidents have involved cars. i've still have some run-ins with inanimate objects, but at least they aren't as unpredictable as some drivers.
Sunflower_
Well-known member
Hi Rob! Have read a few pages of your diary (the first few and last few) and Wow, what a change for you! Congratulations on your success so far. Hana x
alligatorob
Respected Member
20 laps today! 5 more than my previous high.
It was hard work, but I did it, and think I can probably do it again. Its a combination of building confidence riding on my steepish lose gravel and building strength. Didn't time it, but I think I am getting close to that 20 min workout time.
Flyer, you convinced me, I think I will get some gloves. I tried sitting back a little and easing off of my handlebar today, it seems to have mostly solved the finger tingle problem. Or it did today anyway.
Thanks Rob, Amy, LaMa, and Petal I could not have gotten here without your support. Having people give me positive reinforcement is probably the biggest thing I have gotten from the forum, it really helps.
It was hard work, but I did it, and think I can probably do it again. Its a combination of building confidence riding on my steepish lose gravel and building strength. Didn't time it, but I think I am getting close to that 20 min workout time.
Flyer, you convinced me, I think I will get some gloves. I tried sitting back a little and easing off of my handlebar today, it seems to have mostly solved the finger tingle problem. Or it did today anyway.
Thanks Rob, Amy, LaMa, and Petal I could not have gotten here without your support. Having people give me positive reinforcement is probably the biggest thing I have gotten from the forum, it really helps.
alligatorob
Respected Member
It was a good day, I ate well and feel good. Good about the ride too.
I ate a few more calories than yesterday, getting back above 1,000. That seems to be working for me now, I don't get hungry a lot, feel good, and not weak or anything.
Wednesday
breakfast
yogurt 80
cereal - grapenuts 110
snack
24 frozen cherries 104
lunch
cottage cheese 120
lettuce 20
crackers 60
dinner
squash soup 113
bacon on the soup 84
lettuce 25
bread 110
cheese 57
apple juice 113
snack
apple 95
total calories 1,091
In 1091 a tornado struck London and destroyed the London Bridge and a lot of other structures. Tornadoes are apparently rare in the UK, the only other record I could find of a tornado hitting London was the 2006 tornado, almost 1,000 years later. In 1981 there was an outbreak of 104 tornadoes in the the UK, across Wales and much of England, but not London. That was the largest tornado outbreak in European history. We have more tornadoes and more powerful here in North America, but only a couple of outbreaks of more than 100 at the same time. I have seen a number of tornadoes, but not any of the huge ones that the US Midwest is famous for. In an average year the US has over 1,200 tornadoes while Europe has about 300 and Australia 16.
I ate a few more calories than yesterday, getting back above 1,000. That seems to be working for me now, I don't get hungry a lot, feel good, and not weak or anything.
Wednesday
breakfast
yogurt 80
cereal - grapenuts 110
snack
24 frozen cherries 104
lunch
cottage cheese 120
lettuce 20
crackers 60
dinner
squash soup 113
bacon on the soup 84
lettuce 25
bread 110
cheese 57
apple juice 113
snack
apple 95
total calories 1,091
In 1091 a tornado struck London and destroyed the London Bridge and a lot of other structures. Tornadoes are apparently rare in the UK, the only other record I could find of a tornado hitting London was the 2006 tornado, almost 1,000 years later. In 1981 there was an outbreak of 104 tornadoes in the the UK, across Wales and much of England, but not London. That was the largest tornado outbreak in European history. We have more tornadoes and more powerful here in North America, but only a couple of outbreaks of more than 100 at the same time. I have seen a number of tornadoes, but not any of the huge ones that the US Midwest is famous for. In an average year the US has over 1,200 tornadoes while Europe has about 300 and Australia 16.
I guess I missed the tngling hands post before: it can just be a result of tensing up your shoulders but it could also be a sign you're leaning on your handlebar so hard you're bruising a nerve in your hand - especially if the gravel makes it rattle a bit. Sitting a bit more upright would sound sensible in most cases.
alligatorob
Respected Member
I suspect London Bridge has fallen many times. My favorite London Bridge story comes from when it was sold to a real estate developer in Arizona who took it apart and shipped it to Lake Havasu as promotion for his housing development. It is truly an odd site out in the desert. The modern London Bridge was built to replace it.
London Bridge, Arizona
London Bridge, Arizona
I had to google that story to believe it and was reassured to read that the bridge was sold because it was no longer adequate for the traffic load it had to support. The current bridge is a concrete structure dressed with the granite facing stones from the old bridge. It was built for no other reason than to attract buyers for the surrounding land.
alligatorob
Respected Member
Did my ride today, and after the first lap I made another run at the hill. I made it to within about 20 ft of the top and stopped. I just did not feel confident that I could make that last little part without losing balance. The last part is the steepest with lots of loose gravel. I need to get a bit stronger to build up more momentum before I can confidently do it, but I am getting closer, this is my high mark on the hill. Then I went back and completed 15 laps, not yesterday's 20, but after the run up the hill it was what I could comfortably do.
I walked the last 20 ft and took a picture looking down the hill. That red roof is my house, the bottom is hidden by the peach trees, it's 2 1/2 stories high, the peak is about 36 ft. I don't know how high the hill is, something more than that. I know it probably looks like a pretty small barrier to most people, but it's my great white whale for the moment. I will get up it!
I walked the last 20 ft and took a picture looking down the hill. That red roof is my house, the bottom is hidden by the peach trees, it's 2 1/2 stories high, the peak is about 36 ft. I don't know how high the hill is, something more than that. I know it probably looks like a pretty small barrier to most people, but it's my great white whale for the moment. I will get up it!
Go, Captain Ahab!
alligatorob
Respected Member
It was a good day, I ate well and feel good.
I have a new problem with the calories however. For a long time I tracked my calories very closely as I ate, but then once I was comfortable with the diet I just started adding them up at the end of the day. Problem is that seems to be leading me to eating too little. Today when I added things up I was at 709, then I had some crackers, no really because I wanted them, but to bring the calories up some. I got up to 842, still too little, and I did not want to eat more just to bring calories up. Guess I need to go back to more consistent counting during the day. This is a whole new experience for me, my hunger levels are certainly down. Not that I don't still have cravings, but I've gotten pretty good and knowing the difference and ignoring cravings.
Thanks Cate and Amy, my hearties. Rob it is a nice setting the view down the hill is looking west, that's where the sun sets and we get some great sunsets. You probably can't make it out, but the Great Salt Lake is barely visible as a kind of white line in front of the low mountains in the background.
Thursday
breakfast yogurt 80
cereal - grapenuts 110
snack
apple 95
lunch
crackers 30
cheese 20
snack
pretzels 95
dinner
the last of the squash soup 170
bacon on the soup 84
lettuce 25
snack
crackers 133
total calories 842
In 842 the Vikings attacked the monastery at Clonmacnoise on the River Shannon, Ireland. This was not apparently a rare occurrence, in the time the monastery was in business, probably from some time in the 6th century until the English looted it for the last time and left it in ruins in 1552 it was known to have been attacked at least 40 times, by Vikings, Normans, various Irish and English. Today the remaining ruins are preserved and open to the public. Pope John Paul II visited the monastery ruins in 1979. It sounds like an interesting place, in the US we have very few ruins that date back more than a couple of hundred years. The first European to build anything in Utah was in 1846, we do have some interesting older Native American ruins, mostly Anasazi, but not many.
I have a new problem with the calories however. For a long time I tracked my calories very closely as I ate, but then once I was comfortable with the diet I just started adding them up at the end of the day. Problem is that seems to be leading me to eating too little. Today when I added things up I was at 709, then I had some crackers, no really because I wanted them, but to bring the calories up some. I got up to 842, still too little, and I did not want to eat more just to bring calories up. Guess I need to go back to more consistent counting during the day. This is a whole new experience for me, my hunger levels are certainly down. Not that I don't still have cravings, but I've gotten pretty good and knowing the difference and ignoring cravings.
Thanks Cate and Amy, my hearties. Rob it is a nice setting the view down the hill is looking west, that's where the sun sets and we get some great sunsets. You probably can't make it out, but the Great Salt Lake is barely visible as a kind of white line in front of the low mountains in the background.
Thursday
breakfast yogurt 80
cereal - grapenuts 110
snack
apple 95
lunch
crackers 30
cheese 20
snack
pretzels 95
dinner
the last of the squash soup 170
bacon on the soup 84
lettuce 25
snack
crackers 133
total calories 842
In 842 the Vikings attacked the monastery at Clonmacnoise on the River Shannon, Ireland. This was not apparently a rare occurrence, in the time the monastery was in business, probably from some time in the 6th century until the English looted it for the last time and left it in ruins in 1552 it was known to have been attacked at least 40 times, by Vikings, Normans, various Irish and English. Today the remaining ruins are preserved and open to the public. Pope John Paul II visited the monastery ruins in 1979. It sounds like an interesting place, in the US we have very few ruins that date back more than a couple of hundred years. The first European to build anything in Utah was in 1846, we do have some interesting older Native American ruins, mostly Anasazi, but not many.
Petal001
New member
There is a real pic of Clonmscnoise I took recently.
Beautiful location.
Rob I would be concerned in a way you are not getting enough nutrition and watch you are getting enough protein . . Maybe add in some fruit at breakfast. It's great though you don't feel hungry anymore. And the diet is working incredibly well.
Beautiful location.
Rob I would be concerned in a way you are not getting enough nutrition and watch you are getting enough protein . . Maybe add in some fruit at breakfast. It's great though you don't feel hungry anymore. And the diet is working incredibly well.
alligatorob
Respected Member
21 laps today, a new high. Did the 20 and was feeling tired but decided to do one more just to prove to myself I could. It felt good. My limitation is become less about strength and wind and more about feeling tired and worrying about losing my balance in the gravel, I know I have the strength to do more laps but I don't want to fall. I feel like I may be getting close to the place that I could just go on riding, we'll see. I figure it takes about 4 laps to equal the elevation gain in riding up the hill. So elevation wise I did about 5 hill climb equivalents today, I'm getting close.
LaMa, its hard for me to be sure but I don't think eating fewer calories increases my risk of a binge. Unfortunately I don't think it reduces it either. I have to stay vigilant in managing the cravings, I know I do. You said something about the finger tingling a bit ago, it came back a little today, not as bad. I have tried to shift my position, more upright and less pressure on the hands, and I did get some bike gloves, I was wearing them today. That all helps, but I still got a little tingling today. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Petal, thanks so much for the picture of Clonmscnoise it appears not only to be very interesting but very pretty as well. Greenery and scenery, that's the way I envision Ireland. Now you'll have to teach me how to pronounce it.
LaMa, its hard for me to be sure but I don't think eating fewer calories increases my risk of a binge. Unfortunately I don't think it reduces it either. I have to stay vigilant in managing the cravings, I know I do. You said something about the finger tingling a bit ago, it came back a little today, not as bad. I have tried to shift my position, more upright and less pressure on the hands, and I did get some bike gloves, I was wearing them today. That all helps, but I still got a little tingling today. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Petal, thanks so much for the picture of Clonmscnoise it appears not only to be very interesting but very pretty as well. Greenery and scenery, that's the way I envision Ireland. Now you'll have to teach me how to pronounce it.