Prologue to the Northern Tier 1.0

3/24/18

Training … a work in progress…melting WINTER FLAB and building MUSCLE…

 

Time Frame: May 28 to August 4, 2018

Planned Venue:

Returning Cast of Characters, Part 1

More than any other aspect of nature The Winds affect the lone rider whether it be on the plains, over hilly landscape,  up to a mountain top or down to a valley below. Each of these four Deities can help or hinder depending on their whims and to what extent they are pleased with their most recent reverances from far below. Each day the weather comes to the forefront of concern but wind direction and speed far outweigh any other aspects of the evolving day.

 

Zephyrus, the West Wind God, for this ride a mighty hindrance. Libations best be stored in great quantity with no limit to daily reverances.

 

 

Notus , the South Wind God, a minor player this time of year, but beware of his hidden wrath if ignored.

Boreus, the North Wind God, bringer of Cold. Offerings to match those of Zephyrus are often called for especially on this ride.

 

 

 

Eurus, the  East Wind God, a savior at times, but often pushed to the back stage by Zephyrus and Boreus.

 

 

 

 

Energy Expenditure: 306,000 to 351,000 KCAL depending on how the above 4 Deities treat me.

Wow! How much is 351,000 Calories?  Kinda hard to grasp such a large number…sorta like the US National Debt  ……well, how about this to make it easier: 

Yep…33  3lb “tins” of Crisco…

How do I know? A cyclist averages 52 to 62 KCAL per mile depending on the wind, and my BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) is about 1200 KCAL per day.

Now for those familiar with BMR, you are balking at this…everybody knows a healthy male has a BMR of about 2000 KCAL…WRONG!!!  Maybe a 20 year old in great shape but as we age our BMR drops dramatically, and as we get in shape and diet,  it may drop even more, as much as 30%. That’s why it is more difficult  to loose weight as you age and as you get into the later stages of a diet, but more importantly, why it is so easy to gain the weight back; BMR will not reset to baseline for up to 6 months after weight loss…a ROYAL DRAG… but then many of you know this already…”Been there, done that”.

Where do you think the WINTER FLAB has come from after each of my million mile rides for the past three years…my BMR is so low that if I smell a donut I gain 10lbs…for real.

But then that’s just life…

I guess I’ll have to keep riding until I’m 96 when progressive dementia will allow me to forget that I have a waistline…

or until I get eaten by a bear while riding somehwere in Upstate New York, or Minnesota, or Montana, or even in North Carolina for that matter…

 

 

On that note I think I will go ride 30 miles so I can look at a donut…