Arm Coolers???
Uncategorized May 15th, 2008It was 1000 effing degrees today and my coach was wearing arm warmers (coolers he says). Then again this is a guy that wore full zip thermal leg warmers better suited for a nuclear winter than a sunny 65 degree northern California “winter” day. Ok maybe it was 60.
Anyway, he banned me from taking his picture for the blog but he’s getting a mention on here anyway because I appreciate all the hours he’s spent with me nursing my brain and morale back to healthy levels since my accident. It’s an odd thing how the body will do what it’s going to do; you can’t force it to heal any quicker than it chooses to but the mind… that’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax. Your mind will hold on to things like self-doubt and fear for a lifetime if you let it.
So, RZ, you rock man. In the immortal words of Steven Tyler- “I’m back in the saddle again!”
Oh, and by the way, about those “arm coolers”… I Googled them and this is the first link that came up- Arm Coolers by DeSoto Sport at Team Estrogen.com.
I’m jus’ sayin’.
May 15th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I saw your article, it made me want to add you to myspace… if I didn’t already have you added
May 15th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
I think wool claims to do the same thing with keeping you cool, I still have a hard time believing it though. Then again…they do say that you stay cooler having a moisture wicking material against your skin than having only bare skin.
May 16th, 2008 at 4:34 am
It’s great that you’re riding. I won’t contribute to any phantom psychosis so I’ll leave it at that.
as far as arm coolers… well maybe he just doesn’t want to put on sunscreen?
May 16th, 2008 at 6:26 am
I second the arm warmers/coolers on hot days. They wick and therefore cool all while keeping the sun off my arms.
Wool rocks the party too.
May 16th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Liz,
I guess it is like the old farmers wearing long sleeve shirts in the summer to keep cool. 60 degrees on a fast bike can seem cool at first. I have been talking to peanut over in Belguim. Evidently it has been really hot there, but last night is was like here in Arkansas, 57ish. I apprecaite the blog thing. If you are headed to philidelphia in June, my thoughts are with you. I have some sort of allergies or cold and I am wanting to ride or train if you like, but perhaps I should “chill” and save my strength.
Later,
Rickie
May 16th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Arm coolers pah check out these…
http://coolingvest.i4u.com.au/cooling-aids/ice-vests.htm
I prefer to get a sweat on… And feel the heat…
May 16th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Arm coolers rock! No need for sun lotion, they save your skin! Plus, they match all jersey colors/designs.
Liz, you rock! Keep up the good work and let them have it!
May 16th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Watch all the Euro pros – especially the Belgies and the French – out training in the middle of summer… Arm warmers, leg warmers, vest, etc… Must say something!
May 16th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Yeah but I recall a story my friend Eric told me about the time he was racing in Belgium with the US natty team and the Belgian house mother freaked out about him having house plant in his room. Apparently she thought it would “steal oxygen” from him.
Go figure…
We all have our idiosyncrasies, eh?
(Bunny, if you read this, I still love Belgium! Especially West-Vlaanderen.)
May 16th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
haha i’ve heard that one too! Maybe, just maybe it’s true! (Or not)
May 16th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Arm warmers to plants. I don’t know much about either so I looked up the plant thing. And this is the gist.
The night-time metabolism rate of plants,
in terms of oxygen intake per kilogram of body weight,
is the same or less than that of warm-blooded animals.
That means it would take hundreds of pounds of plant-life in the same room with you, to emit as much uncomfortable CO2 as one person sleeping next to you in bed.
Most rooms with a few plants don’t add up to 10 pounds.
I’ve never been to Belguim, but I have studied it from satelite photos. Looks like a nice place drink beer and ride bicyles.
May 18th, 2008 at 6:10 am
Hi Liz! Big fan here from across the globe! I live in the philippines (former 8 year bay area resident though but will be moving back there next year) where the temps hover around the high 90’s and humidity can punish you to submission. We regularly ride with arm coolers on and trust me, they do work. It takes some getting used to though so its probably not for everyone. It also helps us from getting severe tan lines. I never ride without it. I can send you pics of us wearing it but i can’t seem to paste it on the comments page. Btw your BICYCLING feature rocks! You got some fans here sistah!
May 19th, 2008 at 5:42 am
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May 19th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Not that you’d want to emmulate anything I’ve tried, but those arm coolers are the bomb in Texas in July and August.
But they do raise the geek factor off the charts.
May 19th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Liz, excellent taste in music, I’ve just been letting the playlist go all morning! I too am coming off an injury, and you can bet it all that you’ll come back, based on you’re attitude alone. I’d wish you luck but you don’t need it, cheers!
May 19th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Arm coolers! That would ruin my cycling glove tanline that all my coworkers look at but don’t ask about. Seriously though, riding in the Bay Area last weekend called for head, ass and leg coolers too.
May 21st, 2008 at 2:47 pm
…miz hatch…non sequitur & hopefully you’ll hear this directly from rz hizownself, but yes, just the type of person i was speaking of to help you get back to yer awesomeness on the wheel…
May 21st, 2008 at 9:45 pm
the other type of person was just as good of a coach……just have to listen ……to each their own…..bikesgonewild……if this coach works for Liz great but you don’t know the last one…..so…….to each their own…….and to each the person they can hear…….maybe you don’t know the whole story mr. bikegonewild:)
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:26 am
…me girlie…yep, but i do know this coach & we talked long ago & both voiced similar concerns about the fantastic display of energy & the initial lack of discipline…& the potential that ‘could’ be lost…
…“& to each, the person they can hear”…you emphasis a point i made a while ago…
…& while i’ve only had the slightest glimpse at certain revealing aspects that you refer to, i think i understand emotions & reactions well enough to “have a clue”…
…so, while you seem to have enjoyed your stab at “ellipti”, i’d venture to say we both parried well, foils in hand, while discussing the subject over a number of posts w/ out exposing or trying to embarrass any individuals…
…ultimately, i hope you’ll see us as allies, not adversaries because neither of us is out to hurt anyone & we both show an appreciation for supporting a strong talent…
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Maybe it is a cultural thing…..our misunderstandings?
“back to yer awesomeness on the wheel…”
It’s just I never saw her off the path of success…it has always been up to her:)
“lack of discipline” has to do with the rider not the coach…..and any coach worth their wild would have voiced that to Liz…..again her choice.
I understand no names is polite.
I see you as neither an enemy or an ally – I just speak my mind. And thought it was presumptuous to blame the coach.
May 23rd, 2008 at 1:34 pm
…girlie…i’m gonna have to assume you’re misinterpreting certain things…the comment “back to yer awesomeness on the wheel” was a simple reference to liz’s coming back from her crash, the overall results of which were deeper than probably most of us originally imagined…
…now, if you refer back to my original postings, i’ve always intimated that the “lack of disipline” was liz’s concern to address…i’ve literally never once “blamed” her coaches or questioned their competency…not even…& i also haven’t blamed liz for anything…
…what i did state was that liz needed someone she could trust beyond the usual coach/rider interface…why ???…quite simply, people respond better to outside stimulus, input & influence when they are subconsciously comfortable with it…
…while the conscious mind can grasp & understand good intellectual input from any trustworthy proven source, when dealing w/ high-level athletic training, given any athlete’s personal background, it’s essential a psychological stability be achieved…
…& again, that has to do w/ the subconscious mind, so none of this has anything to do w/ “blame” or finger pointing…in other words, liz’s coaching was solid enough to achieve solid results…i was suggesting fine-tuning w/ a proper balance between the athlete (liz) & the program…
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Ok.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I wore those exact coolers to the Tour of Battenkill. The morning was very cool but eventually temps shot up, and with those 15% gradient climbs, I wasn’t getting any cooling.I had to remove them.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Btw, I’m glad to cut out the automatic mode music.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Oh no, its still there…
May 25th, 2008 at 12:08 am
“Girlie” obviously is not a girl. I wonder how many fake blogger sites he will set up.
May 25th, 2008 at 1:26 am
i think girlie is a girl. patience is the key to winning an d placing well in races. you only have some many matches to burn and bullets to fire, so make them count. no need to attack just for the sake of attacking, with no purpose. make it count!
been there, done it … for many years. keep living the dream and best of luck.
i am rooting for you. : )
May 25th, 2008 at 4:53 am
girlie is a girl
BUT cowgirl is a boy
I am not as invested as Mr.Bikesgolnewild….which is my point.
I trust in Liz’s ability to determine and choose for herself. Advice is not a bad thing though advice for the sake of advice without knowledge is not advice most should get;)
At the core Bikesgonewild has good points – I simply feel they are a tad thinking they know best or parental. Sometimes best is doing it the long hard way and sometimes it’s more about living life than winning races. Those distinctions are for Liz to determine for herself.
Best:),
girlie
May 26th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Don’t know about coolers but it’s summer in the U.K. -freezing and I’m wearing the same material for arm/leg warmers!
Mainly for wicking and keep body temp stable while riding in hot & cold.
Either way-they roll down…ahhh!
May 26th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Liz –
Are you a man-eater or something?
May 27th, 2008 at 3:35 am
Hey Liz!
I too wear armwarmers when it is warm. I especially wear a cycling cap on the hottest days for cooling off. And knee or leg warmers are always worn when it is below 22 deg C (about 70 deg F)
warmest regards,
Peanut of Belgium/California
June 9th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
HEY! – I was standing by your retard radio boy at Reading…listening to his infomertional emoticonflagratiouslessness….and I quote…..”that was the first selection…there will be another…you are beautiful, intelligent creatures who are alive in a robust environment…breathing, recovering…life is worth living” …”you are recovering and feeling good about recovery as you enter this new phase of living in a fast paced world where anything and everything can be yours as you…breathe” It was fun. BTW I have a new favorite book selection for you to try – “Chester the Worldly Pig”…it makes me cry.
June 12th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Whats been happening?
Hope all is well xxx
June 25th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Arm coolers? Its pretty warm in Bristol (U.K.)right now but gets chilly at night rides.
I guess if they’re made of the same stuff as base layers then they should regulate your body temp hot or cold weather.
Tried it in the heat and it works and is great for night rides that start out warm and gets chilly but make sure it is top end material and wicks sweat away fast!