Bike Fitting - What A Difference

Well, since I have this new bike I figured it would be appropriate to get it fitted. I sent a note out to my club, Forward Motion Racing asking for a recommendation and the feedback was almost unanimous to call PK Cycling in Fairfax and talk to Christopher. So, I packed up my bike and made the 1+ hour drive across the bay.

All I can say is that I found a guy who is the biggest bike geek in the world and who actually knows his stuff. I personally don't get all caught up in the hype over wheels, etc. because after reviewing the hard quantitative data (not hype) the upgrades most people make to their bike get almost no return on investment. I quizzed Chris and we agreed on every point. Very cool.

Anyhoo, Chris sat down and we chatted about my goals, previous experiences, etc. He then set-up my bike on the trainer and started taking serious measurements. Then he put me on the bike and took more measurements. As I expected, my assumptions about how I should be on my bike were totally wrong. I was too far back from the handlebars, legs were extending too far, etc. I guess trying to fit yourself on a bike is like try to self-diagnose an injury. It is always best to go see an expert as I am usually wrong. :-)

Chris explained the mechanics of body position and made how it all fit together make sense and that the seat was the center of my world. I actually thought it was too low, but it was actually too high. Once we got that all dialed in we tinkered with the handle/aerobar set-up and really fine tuned things. I was amazed at how much further I was forward on the bike. A 2" move forward made all the difference in the world.

I then went for a test ride and it was amazing. I was comfortable everywhere.

All I can say is that people should spend their money on this type of service before they spend money trying to shave grams off the bike. All the Forward Motion folks told me it would be a change in my biking and I have seen the light! I have drank the Kool-Aid.

Just for fun, here is a pic of an $8,000+ dollar prototype bike by Guru being tweaked by Chris. It is so light I could lift it with my pinkie. Literally. Amazing.

Thursday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 3816
Calories Consumed: 2930
Calorie Balance: 886 Deficit


Break down of calories consumed:


Protein: 18% (135 grams)
Carbs: 63% (460 grams)
Total Fat: 19% (60 grams)

Gotta stay away from the McDonald's french fries. :-)

Thursday AM - 6.5 Mile Run

Had a nice 6.5 mile run this morning with Catherine and her friend. Pace was moderate to fast. We ran the Club Sport loop and I felt strong the whole way. Only area where I had issue was the last .4 miles up "Mount Bollinger" from Alcosta up to the club. It is pretty steep and I walked for a few moments a couple of times.

I did legs on Tuesday so my hamstrings were trashed before we started but were fine once we started running. However, a couple of hours after I was pretty comatose (tired) and my legs were sore. I am doing much better now.

Not sure, but I think I hadn't fully recovered from the bike and long run this past weekend. Definitely went too long last weekend.

Need to re-familiarize myself on methods to recover faster.

Wednesday PM Calorie Count

Calories Burned: 2835
Calories Consumed: 2716
Calorie Balance: 119 Deficit

Break down of calories consumed:

Protein: 24% (171 grams)
Carbs: 62% (433 grams)
Total Fat: 14% (42 grams)

Meeting With My Nutritionist! WOOHOO!

Met with my nutritionist, Anne Moselle of LifeStyleRX in Livermore this morning. I started working with her on June 2nd, 2008 with the sole purpose of shaving my body fat %. I had to inventory my eating for several days prior to our first meeting so she could see what I ate. At the first meeting she set-up a program for me that included the Body Bugg. Ever since that first day I have been laser focused on my diet (not being too strict) and it is paying off. Inputting all my foods everyday really helps me focus on what I am eating. I upload the info. from the Body Bugg to the BB web site and it tells me how many calories I have burned. I then input the foods I have eaten and then it spits out my Protein, Carb and Fat % for the day. That is how I get the numbers I post on this blog.

Anyhoo, after the Bod Pod test this morning here are the results of all my effort to date:

- A loss of 10.5 pounds of pure body fat (that's 2.5 lbs per month of fat loss)
- A gain of 1+ pounds of lean muscle (all the weight training)
- A body fat % drop of 3.7 %

I am stoked. I am down to 208 pounds and I am in the best physical shape I have ever been in. And this is BEFORE I start marathon and Ironman training.

My goal is to lose 15 more pounds of pure fat by my Ironman race in June 2009.

However, I have to say that this program is the hardest thing I have ever done. I am not restricted from anything I want to eat. The key is moderation. And the Type A guy that I am, moderation is not easy. :-)

More later.