The two types of riding:

Hey friends,

In my world, there are really two types of riding that occupy my time. I know there are countless other types, but these are really the only two that I've ever had a heart for.

The first type is what this blog has really been about the whole time, which is training for a race-type event. Sure, none of the events I'm participating in are actually races. No one will win them, and no one besides me will be keeping track of my time. But it requires athleticism and focus, and all of that comes with training. And I love it! I never thought I would, but I absolutely love it.

But today I'm realizing I'm falling in love with the second type of riding all over again.

It's what got me into this mess in the first place, and that's riding as a means of transportation. I'm at point A, I need to get to point B, and my bicycle is the only way I'm getting there. I love this! There's such a challenge in it. How do I get all my stuff there? How do I dress appropriately for the ride while also being socially acceptable when I arrive at the meeting/work/grocery store. I love getting groceries by bike. It's such a challenge! And it's so rewarding. I feel alive being out in nature, even if "nature" means the busy roadways of Route 19

This week, my bike has sat in the driveway the entire time. It hasn't left since Sunday for church. To get to work, I rode the bike. To get to a meeting at the mall, I rode the bike. To get to breakfast at Pamelas, I rode the bike. Now I'm staring Friday in the face, complete with predicted thunderstorms, and I'm thinking an unbroken 7 days of riding would be an accomplishment worth the discomfort.

Are there any fellow commuters out there? And if so, as I'm thinking about tomorrow, do you have any suggestions for rain gear? :)

Godspeed,

Jason

Training Ride Episode 5

Hello friends!

Today was another great training ride! What made this ride even more memorable was that my good friend Ian was home, and we did this ride together. He bikes significantly more than I do, and so he had a lot of great tips to offer me, particularly when it comes to climbing hills and not suffocating!

The best news was that mother nature has finally decided to play along. And even better than that, it looks like she plans on playing along all week! Although, as a form of payment for the beautiful day, I was under attack by the bees of South Park all day! Ian and I were engaged in a nerve racking few hundred feet as a bee was stuck to my jersey, and Ian was trying to swat him without pushing his stinger into my arm. I escaped un-stung, only to have a bee fly into one of the vents of my helmet, and get stuck in there. I hit the brakes hard enough to almost flip off the bike, threw my helmet to the ground and release the offender. Scary times people.

More to come!

In to the gym!

Hello again friends!

After about a month of just miserable weather here in the 'Burgh, and realizing that working out only one day a week was just not going to get it done, I decided that I needed to do a better job of spending rainy days in the gym.

At the start of the year, I joined Bally's specifically to start getting in shape for the MS 150. What's hilarious is that one of the things that attracted me the most to Bally's was the pool, and I don't think I've used it more than three times! Much more lately I have loved using the indoor track, which is a bit more fun for me than running on a treadmill.

So two days into this week, and I've been to the gym both days! On Monday I worked through a routine that Ed taught me from Men's Health. It's a crazy workout, but it's really good fun! Tonight I didn't feel like going to the gym at all, so I did a lighter workout just to make sure I went. I started with a few laps around the track, and then busted into Lance's workout. I finished up doing lunges around the track with 30 pound weights in each hand.

The moral of the story (at least for me) of gym training during these rainy days is to just try to keep everything where it is between rides. I was really bummed with my performance on the training ride on Saturday, so I want to try to avoid that happening again.

The fun part is that the best day in terms of weather this week is going to be Thursday. My busiest day a work? You guessed it!

Thanks for reading along and for the support! See you all soon!

Godspeed,

Jason

Fundraising Update

Hey friends!

Just wanted to keep you up to date on things with the MS 150. Last week I mentioned that it was Team Week, where various incentives were up for grabs for the team who raised the most money in that week. I'm happy to report that we found out today that my team the Roadkill Warriors are the winners of Team Week! This is super exciting! Thanks to the efforts of folks like you who have donated, we will have our own team tent and a big olde celebration! So thank you very much!

After some thought and consideration, I decided to raise my fundraising goal to $500. I know it's weird to keep raising the goal like this, but I had no idea how successful we would be together! So right now, I'm looking for $75. If you could pitch in and give even $5 or $10, that would be an amazing thing!

Also, the Warriors are a little less than half way to our team fundraising goal. If you give something to my personal efforts, it goes towards our team goals, so you're really helping two efforts at once!

A huge thank you to everybody who's pitched in so far! The 150 is only 39 days away! The end is near!

Godspeed,

Jason

Training Ride Episode 4

Hey everybody!

Well, the weather in Pittsburgh has been less than cooperative these last few weeks. I've had on average one sunny day per week, which is just not getting it done. The trainer would be a solid option, but it lacks the joy of being on the bike. So this week, I must confess I fell behind in my training.

Which made what I attempted to do very foolish!

I set out with the goal of getting 50 miles under my feet. I even feel like this would have been possible, but when I hit the 17 mile mark, my lungs were just on fire. I think the combination of a week or so off the bike and the cold-ish air wrecked havoc on my insides. Still, it was a pretty decent ride. What we've learned here is that on the rainy days, I need to do a better job of making my way to the gym to keep on top of things.

Thursday looks like it might be my day to be on the bike. See ya then!

Godspeed,

Jason

Shock and Awe Part Two

Hey Friends,

We've once again done it! Just a few short days after raising the fundraising goal from $250 to $400, we've hit the ceiling! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of you who have helped to support this amazing cause!

This week as it would turn out is a roadkill warrior fundraising week, and each dollar we raise is applied toward different incentives, including team tents and rest areas that are fully stocked. Simply put, your support this week not only supports the fight against MS, but it truly and deeply supports the ride for me and my teammates. If you have been considering giving to our team, but just haven't been able to yet, I strongly encourage you to click here and make a donation today.

Tomorrow I'll be back on the road and hitting up some training, so be sure to tune in for another exciting training day episode!

Thanks again for all your support and encouragement! It means the world to me!

Godspeed,

Jason

Share the Road Episode One

Hello friends!

I was thinking about the Crankset, and what all it could be and what all it is. I was thinking that it would probably be pretty lame if the blog only consisted of my training routine, exhilarating as it might be!

So one of the series I'd like to work through is "Share The Road", where I'll post stories I see of cyclists involved in accidents with motorists. The idea here is not to point fingers or to assign blame, as I think that both groups (motorists and cyclists) do some fairly unintelligent things on the roadways. So I think these articles A) have a lot to teach us about how to better share the road and B) offer us a chance to lift up folks who have been in these accidents in prayer, again, both the cyclist and the motorist.

For instance, this evening (as I was procrastinating from writing tomorrow's sermon) I came across this article. I hope sincerely that everybody is ok, but I think we can learn a bit from this story. Even when I'm riding at high noon, I have my rear light blinking and always make sure to have my reflectors on my bike. It's also a pretty good idea to try to be as predictable as possible on your bike. Signal when you're going to make turns, that sort of thing, but also be predictable in terms of where you enter the road, which lane you're going to be in.

I believe with all my heart that cyclists should have the full rights and privileges of motor vehicles on the roads. But I also believe that if we're going to expect or demand those privileges, we need to act responsibly on our bikes.

But also as I mentioned up front, this is a good opportunity to pray. Not just for the young lady on the bike for a quick recovery, but also for the gentlemen who was driving. That cannot be an easy thing to deal with!

Let's all be careful out there, and share the roads!

Godspeed,

Jason