Compression

A little over a week I took the plunge and bought a pair of the compression tights that are a bit of a rage these days among cyclists. The claim is that they help with blood flow and aid in flushing out toxins after training and racing. A few teammates have them and professed the benefits. Curiosity got the best of me and decided to give them a try.

My first impression is that I thought they would be tighter. They fit snugly, but not overly tight. I would say they are only slightly tighter than a typically cycling short. My other immediate thought was “Why do they even bother having a drawstring to tie the waistband?” They are not going to slide off your waist.

Each time I used the tights they have been worn for extended periods. If I rode in the evening, they stayed on the rest of the night and I took them off in the morning. If I rode in the morning, they were probably taken off before going to bed.

I have had the tights for a little over a week now. There have been eight rides during this time with the majority of the rides being relatively short (2+ hrs) but very intense. Since I have no way of knowing for sure whether the claimed physiological effects are really taking place, I can just go judge the way I feel after wearing them and try to compare to how I felt when not wearing them. After the hard rides that I have had the past week or so, my legs do seem to feel less fatigued the next day. Is it my imagination? Bad memory? Maybe, but I don’t think so. My thighs and calves will feel rather good. But my ankles and feet, the parts of the leg that the compression tight does not cover, still feel somewhat more fatigued. I’m actually tempted to get some socks now to help out in the foot area, too.

Tour of KC

This past weekend was the annual excursion to KC. Years of experience have taught me to go with the expectation of getting a butt kicking. The only bright side was the cancellation of this year’s Cliff Drive Classic. One less race soul-crushing race for me to mope around about in the following week. Instead, the organizers brought in Saharan Desert heat and 15mph winds. Officially, the temperature at race time was 93. That was the hottest 93 degrees I have ever felt.

The Cliff Drive replacement was the KC, KS crit that was started in 2007. I raced the inaugural race and was dropped from the pack in 15 minutes that year. I have made giant strides in the past two years and managed to last 23 minutes this year before my head began to feel like a radiator and I dropped out.

Then the fun began as the officials tried to score the race with a camera that apparently recorded at 10 frames per second. The result was much confusion about rider placings as the results were something similar to 1st place – guy in a bluish/whitish jersey, 2nd place – guy on a bike with two wheels.

Okay, they were not that bad but all reports from others were that the screen was just a blur and mostly worthless. After a brief two hour wait, payouts were finally made.

Sunday’s Overland Park Grand Prix actually went okay. More times than not, I don’t finish this race either. The race started in grand fashion as a couple guys touched wheels and crashed within the first 10 to 20 feet. I think if you crash that early in a race, an automatic downgrade should be applied.

I really didn’t need to start at the back of the pack but that’s essentially where I ended up. After the second turn, I looked up the road and the leaders were just about entering the third turn. It was obviously going to be a long slog through the field on a course that isn’t that easy to move upward.

Much to my surprise, I actually made a cameo appearance at the front of the pack for a lap. My “pull” likely gave everyone a nice breather at 18mph so that they could be fresh for the final 8 laps of the race. I, on the other hand, drifted back through the pack like a dandelion seed on a breezy day before finally getting squashed with a lap and a half to go. Still, I finished and, despite my reduded speed, actually passed a handful of guys who apparently blew up on the last lap. Not too bad a race for me. Not great but I can live with it.

As many times as I have been to KC, I have never been to any of the famous BBQ joints. That changed with this trip as we stopped at Arthur Bryant’s on the way home. Interesting place. It’s located in an unimpressive section of town. I would not say it is a bad neighborhood but it is not far from some less than stellar areas. When we exited the highway and drove down the street there was really nothing much else around. Some vacant lots and a couple other small businesses. Then, there was Bryant’s, with a large parking lot and doing a brisk business for 3pm on a Sunday.

The basic dining area is nothing fancy. Simple chairs and tables that serve their purpose. This day, almost all the tables were full and about 10 others were in line ahead of us, waiting to order. Along the wall are lots of photographs of the well known folks that have eaten at Bryants. The ordering counter is enclosed in glass with a smallish opening to talk to the food preparer. Almost like a movie theater ticket booth. Behind the glass are five or six constantly busy employees with the big, old barbeque pit with big pieces of meat cooking.

A BBQ sandwich is not cheap. A sandwich costs about $8.50 but the meat generously heaped on the bread and tastes good. Fries are about one-third of an inch thick, piled high and fill the rest of the plate. A medium size soda is 32oz.

Good tasting barbeque and you don’t go away hungry. Just what you want after a hard race and a four hour drive ahead of you.