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Random Question

So Steve and I were at the Science Museum of Minnesota about 1 1/2 weeks ago, and they had this bike thing there. The whole purpose of it was that you could generate enough power on this old crappy exercise bike to light up some lights. If you generated a whole lot of power, you could make the bell ding at the top of it. Easy, right? Especially for me, an Ironman in training (or so I thought). I even had a 100 mile ride scheduled for the next day. Steve hopped on. A couple of pedal strokes, and the bell dinged. I hopped on. I pedaled and pedaled. Some of the lights lit up. Lots of the lights lit up, but I could not get that damn bell to ding. I got off the bike. Steve hopped on again. Ding! I hopped on. Lights, but no dinging. I must have tried it at least 6 times. I never got the bell to ding, and, humiliated, I gave up. I decided that it was not worth wasting more energy on. I am not the type of person to give up and walk away, though, so it took a little extra effort. I have several theories why this happened:

1. I ran 16 miles the day before, and my legs were still tired.
2. I have not biked without clipping in for 3 years. My feet kept slipping off, so I never really got a good position on the pedals.
3. I have converted every fast twitch muscle I've ever had in my body into slow twitch muscles prepared for the 112 miles of Wisconsin hills.

Anybody else got any ideas? I am ashamed to even have written this!

9 comments:

Steve Stenzel

I'm proud that you could own up to this. My vote is for #3. I don't think you can blame you legs for being tired, and not being clipped in just seems like a lame excuse. I just think you've slowed everything down because every part of you is preparing to go the distance.

qcmier

Hmm, perhaps this was set up like the carnival "test-of-strength" game. It's all in the technique, no?

E-Speed

I think QC may be right, it just may be in the method, not the actual power in your legs.

Trust me theres power in those legs! I watched you hustle up plenty of those Wisconsin hills and keep pushing over the crest, that takes power!

Pharmie

I guess option #4 would be that IM training has made me wimpy. God I hope that's not the case!

Lance Notstrong

Don't be ashamed!!! I have another theory......watts. You were creating watts of energy. Your husband probably generates more watts than you. This is ok because we aren't racing to light up light bulbs, we are racing up a hill or to the finish. Real bike riding "power" comes down to stength to weight ratio, not just watts. I ride with a guy that out weighs me by about 20 pounds and can produce alot more power than me (he can push a huge gear), but I drop him on every climb.....strength to weigh.....light bulbs don't mean anything.

Pharmie

Thanks for the vote of confidence Lance!

Pharmie

(and everyone else!)

xt4

Yeah, no worries - it's the watts thing. That and that it was an inventive ploy, where behind a great curtain someone was just turning on lights and flashing a bell for their own amusement, laughing at the idiots on the stationary bike. Steve, alerted to the ruse, paid said Wizard to ding only when he rode. Something about revenge for the nasty chafing on that century he joined you on...

Steve Stenzel

Hey, hey...don't blame this on me. I'm innocent. I swear. Good theroy though. Stupid chafing.