Wow, so how much worse can it get?
My father always got on my case about attention to detail. I never had it. Turns out I still don't.
Sunday, May 15th is a lot different then Saturday, February 28th...
At least I still have a shot at making it to the ride on time...
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Hurry up and wait... a day? Or not...
I was supposed to meet a group for a pretty great sounding ride heading from Old Ellicott City through Patapsco, into Baltimore, through Federal Hill and around the Inner Harbor area and apparently along some new and little known Gwynn Falls trail. All that and back and finally capped off by beers at the Old Ellicott Brew Pub. Yum. Sounding like a really awesome ride and a great opportunity for me to see a bunch of new areas I've never seen despite living just a few miles from OEC for 7 years of my young life.
I decided late I definitely wanted to make it (well actually I completely forgot about it until around 11) so I threw my stuff together and ran out the door to try and make the noon departure time. 95, 100 and 29 are all a lot longer when when you are running late by the way. Got there with about 8 minutes to spare and started looking for cyclists gathering in the lot I expected was the correct one. Nothing. Not even bike racks to suggest I missed it... The blackberry then confirmed that I WAS on time just on the wrong day... Oops.
I saddled up anyway for a brief hill ride on some of the biggest hills I've ridden in a long time heading out of the river valley that is OEC. Started up Oella then popped around before coming back down and heading back up the steeper Westchester Ave looping back down before heading up Main Street onto Church Road and down Park before turning around and climbing back out Park up Court House Rd, down Ellicott Mills back down Main St, and finally up College Ave for a ways before turning back and calling it a day.
On College Ave I was looking for the good old Hell House; the storied, burned and abandoned insane asylum we used to sneak out to in the middle of the night in order to scare the bejesus out of ourselves. Unfortunately I wasn't sure I remembered exactly how to get there and when I turned around I was just a bend or two from the turn that would take me there. Ah well, it'll still be there next time I suppose. There will be a next time too.
In the end I turned in only about 18 miles and 900 feet of climbing or so; nothing too big for the guys that head out to Shenandoah every weekend but for me a pretty solid ride. It was good to know especially, that my legs wouldn't completely blow up on me on these longish steepish climbs offered by the area.
Now, maybe if that ride tomorrow really happens I will try and get my butt out there on time and do the ride. The forecast however isn't looking too great for that one though. Like I said, Ma Nature could go one of two ways...
I decided late I definitely wanted to make it (well actually I completely forgot about it until around 11) so I threw my stuff together and ran out the door to try and make the noon departure time. 95, 100 and 29 are all a lot longer when when you are running late by the way. Got there with about 8 minutes to spare and started looking for cyclists gathering in the lot I expected was the correct one. Nothing. Not even bike racks to suggest I missed it... The blackberry then confirmed that I WAS on time just on the wrong day... Oops.
I saddled up anyway for a brief hill ride on some of the biggest hills I've ridden in a long time heading out of the river valley that is OEC. Started up Oella then popped around before coming back down and heading back up the steeper Westchester Ave looping back down before heading up Main Street onto Church Road and down Park before turning around and climbing back out Park up Court House Rd, down Ellicott Mills back down Main St, and finally up College Ave for a ways before turning back and calling it a day.
On College Ave I was looking for the good old Hell House; the storied, burned and abandoned insane asylum we used to sneak out to in the middle of the night in order to scare the bejesus out of ourselves. Unfortunately I wasn't sure I remembered exactly how to get there and when I turned around I was just a bend or two from the turn that would take me there. Ah well, it'll still be there next time I suppose. There will be a next time too.
In the end I turned in only about 18 miles and 900 feet of climbing or so; nothing too big for the guys that head out to Shenandoah every weekend but for me a pretty solid ride. It was good to know especially, that my legs wouldn't completely blow up on me on these longish steepish climbs offered by the area.
Now, maybe if that ride tomorrow really happens I will try and get my butt out there on time and do the ride. The forecast however isn't looking too great for that one though. Like I said, Ma Nature could go one of two ways...
Friday, February 27, 2009
Listen up Ma-Nature
Now don't get me all riled up here...
I sent Ma-Nature a hint tonight. I've been refusing to cut my beard or my hair since early December since it's been so cold out. Things got a bit hairy if you will be hey, my noggin and chin stayed nice and toasty.
Tonight I'm giving mother nature the green light for warm weather. I shaved it all back down to my summer cut, so MN let's get on that one.
The way I see it, one of two things will happen. The umbrella effect or spring. Spring of course is self explanatory. The umbrella effect is how when you remember your umbrella the rain holds off but of course when you forget it... tough shnookie. I sense a tough shnookie comin up coutesy of my haircut.
I sent Ma-Nature a hint tonight. I've been refusing to cut my beard or my hair since early December since it's been so cold out. Things got a bit hairy if you will be hey, my noggin and chin stayed nice and toasty.
Tonight I'm giving mother nature the green light for warm weather. I shaved it all back down to my summer cut, so MN let's get on that one.
The way I see it, one of two things will happen. The umbrella effect or spring. Spring of course is self explanatory. The umbrella effect is how when you remember your umbrella the rain holds off but of course when you forget it... tough shnookie. I sense a tough shnookie comin up coutesy of my haircut.
Lets build on that...
It's 9pm in late February and it's currently 62 degrees outside. In twenty four hours it will be heading South of the freezing mark bringing along a wintry mix of precipitation. I'm flabbergasted. Need I say more.
Thankfully today I managed to convince myself in my half asleep morning stupor to suit up and ride into to work despite seeing the calls for rain all afternoon. Turned out that was a great idea. The head winds and heavy legs in the morning made for a little bit of a slow ride in but the evening ride home was sublime. Knickers, a short sleeved jersey and a vest just for kicks and I had myself a nice comfortable spin home. Really shorts and vest would've been perfect.
I had some great ideas today for some posts, but now of course since I'm not at work I can't for the life of me remember what they were. Hopefully they return.
As for this weekend, while dirt appears to be out of the picture I will hopefully be getting in some miles on the road. The legs felt good leaving work today so hopefully that will continue through the weekend and I can really start building my miles up. A measly 100 miles for the entire month of February just doesn't seem like enough. Especially when other folks are logging 100+ on any given weekend. I guess I'm now the epitome of a weekend warrior.
Maybe this weekend would be a good time to get back to the pool too...
Thankfully today I managed to convince myself in my half asleep morning stupor to suit up and ride into to work despite seeing the calls for rain all afternoon. Turned out that was a great idea. The head winds and heavy legs in the morning made for a little bit of a slow ride in but the evening ride home was sublime. Knickers, a short sleeved jersey and a vest just for kicks and I had myself a nice comfortable spin home. Really shorts and vest would've been perfect.
I had some great ideas today for some posts, but now of course since I'm not at work I can't for the life of me remember what they were. Hopefully they return.
As for this weekend, while dirt appears to be out of the picture I will hopefully be getting in some miles on the road. The legs felt good leaving work today so hopefully that will continue through the weekend and I can really start building my miles up. A measly 100 miles for the entire month of February just doesn't seem like enough. Especially when other folks are logging 100+ on any given weekend. I guess I'm now the epitome of a weekend warrior.
Maybe this weekend would be a good time to get back to the pool too...
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Dumb groundhog
Looks like I'll be pulling out the road bike after all this weekend. Rain starting tomorrow and lasting through the entire weekend with wintry mix and snow coming out the other end. Then snow/wintry mix off and on all week next week! Good lord give us a break!
Generally I like my seasons; I enjoy spring and fall, love my winter laden with snow and summers, well you know, it's the humidity that gets ya. Generally, especially after a winter of snowfall as disappointing as this year's I'd still be itching for that one last heavy snowfall to bury us for a couple of days. This year, I just want it to be over!
Maybe that has something to do with the fact that there is no way we'll get enough snow to make this worth it. Eh, whatever, just let it be spring already!
Generally I like my seasons; I enjoy spring and fall, love my winter laden with snow and summers, well you know, it's the humidity that gets ya. Generally, especially after a winter of snowfall as disappointing as this year's I'd still be itching for that one last heavy snowfall to bury us for a couple of days. This year, I just want it to be over!
Maybe that has something to do with the fact that there is no way we'll get enough snow to make this worth it. Eh, whatever, just let it be spring already!
GamJams Reviews: Saddles/Seatpost - Specialized Saddles
I've been slacking on the GamJams reviews lately but aside from the gloves a few weeks ago I've had little to say. No clue on bars and stem (I use what I've got) and chamois creme has yet to grace my dairy-aire. Today's review of saddles at last I've got.
While my variance in saddle usage is limited I've found ones that work and I'm very happy with. First for the road bike I've got the Specialized Toupe Gel saddle. Swapped out the stock saddle on the Cannondale right away for the Toupe and haven't turned back since. The Toupe has been plenty cushy for all my riding over the last two years including my higher mileage 1/2 IM training last year and along with a neoprene seat cover saw me through the handful of tri's including the 1/2 IM on the limited padding in the tri shorts.
The Specialized Toupe Gel - I ride the 143 if you care.
It also is a very minimalist saddle; very light and sleek looking to match the light and sleek aluminum CAAD9 with carbon trimmings. A cushy yet firm, all around great saddle. The only issue I've really had with the Toupewas when attempting to mount the saddle to an old seat post. I was unable to get the post hardware to fit into the slim area between the saddle and the rails. Not an issue on the newer posts, though the older and bulkier hardware just wasn't quite compatible.
The Specialized Avatar Gel saddle provides just the cushion and support I need on the mountain bike and so far it's been sturdy enough to take the abuse I've doled out. From my Redline cross rig, to my Jamis Exile/Dragon and now on my Cannondale Scalpel this saddle just works. The good side, it's under $100 (in comparison to the $150 Toupe). On the other hand this saddle is perfect for all of those bikes so at some point I'll need to be picking up a few extras to throw back on the Jamis and the Redline.
Lastly, my fixed rolls in pure urban hipster, bike dork, I'm too cool for school style. Don't remember who makes it but it just plan fits!
Yes this saddle really is on my fixed gear...
While my variance in saddle usage is limited I've found ones that work and I'm very happy with. First for the road bike I've got the Specialized Toupe Gel saddle. Swapped out the stock saddle on the Cannondale right away for the Toupe and haven't turned back since. The Toupe has been plenty cushy for all my riding over the last two years including my higher mileage 1/2 IM training last year and along with a neoprene seat cover saw me through the handful of tri's including the 1/2 IM on the limited padding in the tri shorts.
The Specialized Toupe Gel - I ride the 143 if you care.
It also is a very minimalist saddle; very light and sleek looking to match the light and sleek aluminum CAAD9 with carbon trimmings. A cushy yet firm, all around great saddle. The only issue I've really had with the Toupewas when attempting to mount the saddle to an old seat post. I was unable to get the post hardware to fit into the slim area between the saddle and the rails. Not an issue on the newer posts, though the older and bulkier hardware just wasn't quite compatible.
For the mountain bike I tried to stay close to what worked for the road without going too minimalist. Specialized makes a full line of saddles and while I was test riding saddles for the road bike I'd tried one of the cushier road saddles. While it was super comfortable (at the time I believe I called it a Cadillac ride) I knew it was too much for my lightweight road bike. For the mountain rig however, it turned out to be just right.
The Avatar Profile Shot in action. A cushed up version of the Toupe in my eyes.
The Avatar Profile Shot in action. A cushed up version of the Toupe in my eyes.The Specialized Avatar Gel saddle provides just the cushion and support I need on the mountain bike and so far it's been sturdy enough to take the abuse I've doled out. From my Redline cross rig, to my Jamis Exile/Dragon and now on my Cannondale Scalpel this saddle just works. The good side, it's under $100 (in comparison to the $150 Toupe). On the other hand this saddle is perfect for all of those bikes so at some point I'll need to be picking up a few extras to throw back on the Jamis and the Redline.
Lastly, my fixed rolls in pure urban hipster, bike dork, I'm too cool for school style. Don't remember who makes it but it just plan fits!
Yes this saddle really is on my fixed gear...Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The sneak it in ride
This morning, well in about 45 minutes I've got my oral surgeon consultation appointment for my wisdom teeth removal that I've been putting off effectively since I was about 16. Gosh how time flies when you're having fun and NOT having your teeth ripped out! Ah well, it was good while it lasted.
Since it didn't make sense to go into work for an hour or two before leaving for my appointment I took the morning off and decided to get an early morning ride in. Did my go to Ag Center loop with no fluff in it for a round 17 and a half moderate miles. I was surprised when I realized that's my first road ride since MLK Jr./Innaug. weekend. Conditions were similar with temps in the low 20's feeling more like the mid to upper teens and the beaded ice in the beard proved that.
Luckily the sun was out and the majority of my route was surprisingly car-lite so all in all it was a pleasant ride. Like I've said before; I've really got my cold weather riding gear all dialed in down to my ankles. The toes, even on the short sub-twenty miler with smart wool socks and booties on top were still nice and frigid when I returned home. Some day I'll get that part figured out though this winter is too close to finished to bother with looking into any Lake boots... unless of course I can find them on super sale...
One thing today's ride showed me was I really need to get the base miles in starting now. It wasn't bad overall but I definitely could tell I haven't been riding enough, especially long rolling, or worse hilly rides. This weekend Aimee is out of town and I currently have absolutely nothing planned. Looks like the perfect opportunity to bump up my miles for the year substantially. Maybe I'll pass on that Shed ride and just focus on some long mileage instead.
Now off to be poked and prodded. Yum.
Since it didn't make sense to go into work for an hour or two before leaving for my appointment I took the morning off and decided to get an early morning ride in. Did my go to Ag Center loop with no fluff in it for a round 17 and a half moderate miles. I was surprised when I realized that's my first road ride since MLK Jr./Innaug. weekend. Conditions were similar with temps in the low 20's feeling more like the mid to upper teens and the beaded ice in the beard proved that.
Luckily the sun was out and the majority of my route was surprisingly car-lite so all in all it was a pleasant ride. Like I've said before; I've really got my cold weather riding gear all dialed in down to my ankles. The toes, even on the short sub-twenty miler with smart wool socks and booties on top were still nice and frigid when I returned home. Some day I'll get that part figured out though this winter is too close to finished to bother with looking into any Lake boots... unless of course I can find them on super sale...
One thing today's ride showed me was I really need to get the base miles in starting now. It wasn't bad overall but I definitely could tell I haven't been riding enough, especially long rolling, or worse hilly rides. This weekend Aimee is out of town and I currently have absolutely nothing planned. Looks like the perfect opportunity to bump up my miles for the year substantially. Maybe I'll pass on that Shed ride and just focus on some long mileage instead.
Now off to be poked and prodded. Yum.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Brand New Look
It may be temporary but feel free to let me know what you thing of the color scheme. Has nothing to do with anything, really just went to make the blog title visible and then started playing around. Hate it let me know; think its kicking send me a note.
Likely it will change again.
Likely it will change again.
Everything but riding
The blog has been silent for a while, in direct proportion to my lack of riding; or running or anything else for that matter. The Park Patrol training put a bit of a cramp in my style with the long weekend training mixed with every thing else life has to demand from me. Now that it's over hopefully I'll start getting out for some longer weekend rides. Talk of another mini-epic out at the Shed has me hopeful for this coming weekend.
The weekend was a mix of stuff including the Hirshorn Museum and a DC Roller girls Bout(?) for Aimee's bday on Saturday. All strange stuff but a good time with Aimee, her folks and her friend Katie none the less.
The Roller Girls air it out between hits.
Attempted an assault on the Hoyles Mill connector trail between Schaeffer Farms and Black Hills but a quick 2 minutes on the trails revealed that was not an option. Rolled around the facilities there working hard to not get blasted over by the wind and headed back to the truck. Bike patrol training after that was interesting if for no other reason then riding through some cone obstacles I'd never tried before. Otherwise pretty basic stuff.
Today my short lunch run was again blasted by the 20 - 30 mph sustained winds. I guess that's one way to get hill training in when I do my lunch runs on the perfectly flat National Mall.
The weekend was a mix of stuff including the Hirshorn Museum and a DC Roller girls Bout(?) for Aimee's bday on Saturday. All strange stuff but a good time with Aimee, her folks and her friend Katie none the less.
The Roller Girls air it out between hits.Attempted an assault on the Hoyles Mill connector trail between Schaeffer Farms and Black Hills but a quick 2 minutes on the trails revealed that was not an option. Rolled around the facilities there working hard to not get blasted over by the wind and headed back to the truck. Bike patrol training after that was interesting if for no other reason then riding through some cone obstacles I'd never tried before. Otherwise pretty basic stuff.
Today my short lunch run was again blasted by the 20 - 30 mph sustained winds. I guess that's one way to get hill training in when I do my lunch runs on the perfectly flat National Mall.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
A whole new ballgame
Sunday I joined Darren, Mike and Jonathon for my first taste of some real mountain biking out at the Frederick Water Shed. Pretty eye opening in a lot of ways. I was a bit nervous before the ride about whether I could keep up and if these guys would be willing to put up with me but in the end it was mostly ok. I lagged behind for most of the ride but everyone was understanding and willing enough to wait when necessary.
The Shed on the other hand is a whole other world from what I'm used to. For one, the real mountain biking. Actually going up climbs that last longer then a minute or so is completely foreign to me on the mountain bike. Really with my go to parks of late, Rosie and Fairland I can't even claim to climb at all so this was a welcome wake up call for me.
The other, even more foreign aspect of the ride was the rocks and boulders. We rode the iceberg and super sweet trails which had some serious rock sections; pretty much all of which seemed unrideable to me. The guys showed me otherwise. Jonathon on his rigid single speed cleared not only all the climbs but also I believe all the rock sections (I couldn't tell for sure since I was so far behind). Mike rode his heavy duty full suspension (I think the Specialized Enduro All Mountain rig) through everything with ease and Darren, rode another of Mikes' FS rigs somewhat uncomfortably through his less then preffered terrain. Darren and Mike meanwhile were a bit of a riot to listen to... the entire ride... even from a half a mile behind where I spent most of my time on the ride.
I struglled and walked through a lot of the rocky areas and watched in awe as the other guys cleared a number of nasty looking sections but I think the more we rode the more I was able to handle. Not getting the major sections but clearing some things that at the ride start would have been definite hike a bikes. Actually needing the front shock was a bit of a shock (ouch, that's weak) and I felt I was riding the rocks better with it nearly locked out.
Otherwise we hit some amazing downhill sections where we just let loose and enjoyed a great day of riding. The end of the ride was a welcome sight but Ill be gunning to get back out there as soon as possible. Not sure I'll attempt some of the tougher rock sections but I will probably try and go spend some serious time on some small sections to try and get it figured out. I'm eager to figure that out.
Unfortunately the camera died as soon as I tried to turn it on at the ride start. Next time...
The Shed on the other hand is a whole other world from what I'm used to. For one, the real mountain biking. Actually going up climbs that last longer then a minute or so is completely foreign to me on the mountain bike. Really with my go to parks of late, Rosie and Fairland I can't even claim to climb at all so this was a welcome wake up call for me.
The other, even more foreign aspect of the ride was the rocks and boulders. We rode the iceberg and super sweet trails which had some serious rock sections; pretty much all of which seemed unrideable to me. The guys showed me otherwise. Jonathon on his rigid single speed cleared not only all the climbs but also I believe all the rock sections (I couldn't tell for sure since I was so far behind). Mike rode his heavy duty full suspension (I think the Specialized Enduro All Mountain rig) through everything with ease and Darren, rode another of Mikes' FS rigs somewhat uncomfortably through his less then preffered terrain. Darren and Mike meanwhile were a bit of a riot to listen to... the entire ride... even from a half a mile behind where I spent most of my time on the ride.
I struglled and walked through a lot of the rocky areas and watched in awe as the other guys cleared a number of nasty looking sections but I think the more we rode the more I was able to handle. Not getting the major sections but clearing some things that at the ride start would have been definite hike a bikes. Actually needing the front shock was a bit of a shock (ouch, that's weak) and I felt I was riding the rocks better with it nearly locked out.
Otherwise we hit some amazing downhill sections where we just let loose and enjoyed a great day of riding. The end of the ride was a welcome sight but Ill be gunning to get back out there as soon as possible. Not sure I'll attempt some of the tougher rock sections but I will probably try and go spend some serious time on some small sections to try and get it figured out. I'm eager to figure that out.
Unfortunately the camera died as soon as I tried to turn it on at the ride start. Next time...
Friday, February 13, 2009
Squeezing one in
Got an unexpected trail ride in today at Fairland after hearing reports of Wakefield being good to go. After the dentist I stopped by and walked a section of trail which revealed a doughy trail head area but some solid trails beyond. Not too bad and with possible rain coming tomorrow not a bad idea to get in a short ride. Brian and I did the basic loop and enjoyed the day back on the mountain bikes. Managed to focus on some of the bigger ruts that'd been molded into the trail while they water logged and smush some of them back down even.
Brian, who is having some IT band issues and spent half the ride off his bike stretching ;-) kidding really enjoyed himself out there and felt good on the bike. I on the other hand just was not feeling great with my lines and on top of the bike. At times I felt like the bike was moving around strangely underneath me but I think the truth was I just wasn't riding the tight twisty areas very well.
There is talk of a trip out to the watershed over the weekend so I may try and ride there for the first time on Sunday. Tomorrow will be another day in the training room, though the last of the academy with test and all. Here's hoping I've gotten my study on enough.
Brian, who is having some IT band issues and spent half the ride off his bike stretching ;-) kidding really enjoyed himself out there and felt good on the bike. I on the other hand just was not feeling great with my lines and on top of the bike. At times I felt like the bike was moving around strangely underneath me but I think the truth was I just wasn't riding the tight twisty areas very well.
There is talk of a trip out to the watershed over the weekend so I may try and ride there for the first time on Sunday. Tomorrow will be another day in the training room, though the last of the academy with test and all. Here's hoping I've gotten my study on enough.
Necessary evils
I've never enjoyed the dentist and have been successfully avoiding it for the past few years now. Successful being a relative term. One thing in particular I've been avoiding is the removal of my wisdom teeth. I know most people did that back in high school but I always stayed away; they didn't bother me so I didn't bother them is my thought process.
Today, I'm heading in for my referral to go have them taken out. The bottom right tooth is making it's way in, awkwardly and they are now officially bothering me. Mostly the gums and inner cheek are swollen so I keep biting them while I eat and the way I see it is when it messes with my enjoyment of eating it's over. So, today I bite the bullet, probably literally since my insurance sucks and I'm not going to want to pay for the serious sedatives, and get the ball rolling. Hopefully things go smoothly and this doesn't eat up my entire tax return.
Today, I'm heading in for my referral to go have them taken out. The bottom right tooth is making it's way in, awkwardly and they are now officially bothering me. Mostly the gums and inner cheek are swollen so I keep biting them while I eat and the way I see it is when it messes with my enjoyment of eating it's over. So, today I bite the bullet, probably literally since my insurance sucks and I'm not going to want to pay for the serious sedatives, and get the ball rolling. Hopefully things go smoothly and this doesn't eat up my entire tax return.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Where is the love???
C'mon now! I know at least 1 person read my blog today! Terry, you posted on my previous post! Help a brother out! We want to get my sister out of the house outside enjoying the fresh air and away from the stresses of work and life! (my previous use of words was deemed unacceptable due to the unintended possible implications of wording. Dr. J is a VERy busy person who is rarely simply spending time int he house. Since high school she has been very active in multpile groups and organizations many revolving around her life pursuit of French Horn playing and profession and soon to be completed PhD.)
Then we can work on translating that into more things like hiking and backpacking trips and all sorts of fun stuff!
I suppose I have WAY over estimated my weight in bloggerdom. I thought I'd have managed at least a comment or two beyond my own on the brosef's blog.
Then we can work on translating that into more things like hiking and backpacking trips and all sorts of fun stuff!
I suppose I have WAY over estimated my weight in bloggerdom. I thought I'd have managed at least a comment or two beyond my own on the brosef's blog.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A plea to any readers
Got a plea for all you folks who may stumble across this blog today. The bro-in-law Brian is making his own plea, which I fully support in the form an informal letter. The letter is to his wife, my sister the infamous (future) Dr. J.
The B master in action.
My plea to you? Go over to Brian's plea and lend a quick comment in support of Jenny's (soon to be) blossoming cycling career. It's always good to get more people out on bikes, and when it's another of my family members? Well it's just that much better!
The B master in action.See, Jenny has a bike although she apparently hates the saddle but doesn't really ride it ever. Brian wants to spend time with her and get out on his bike, all at the same time. So, his plea naturally is for her to join him for some easy and relaxed bike riding. Sounds ideal; probably like what Aimee and I will be doing later on this year when it gets warmer... Double date anyone?
Family Portrait with Kona
Family Portrait with KonaMy plea to you? Go over to Brian's plea and lend a quick comment in support of Jenny's (soon to be) blossoming cycling career. It's always good to get more people out on bikes, and when it's another of my family members? Well it's just that much better!
Another workout another lesson
Today was another easy run for the CB10M training plan which I completed over lunch. I focused pretty hard on taking it easy which is something I'm terrible at. Generally I settle in to a still easy and very comfortable 7:30 minute mile. Today the warm up was closer to 10 and I threw in a couple of fartleks each about 1/3 of a mile long. Not planning on that but I kept seeing a "goal" and having to "meet" them (read other runners and a pedicab and I had to beat them). I'm "that guy", a very close relative to the infamous BikeTrailGuy.
Since my last run on Friday my legs have stayed pretty sore; though that was likely assisted by the day of house work on Saturday. The delayed muscle soreness was expected after not running since December though it was lasting way too long and didn't seem like it should be so bad considering the amount of "cross" training I've been doing on the bike. Well today while running I think I figured it out.
Lately with my schedule being a bit hectic and eating in with Aimee I've been slacking on the protein intake. Lots of pasta and beans though as usual, late food intake after lunch runs and no protein to speak of leads to poor post workout muscle recover. After my run today I dropped over to the snack bar quickly and grabbed some yogurt and unshelled peanuts and scarffed down a few dozen grams of protein (surprisingly poor protein selection at the snack bar).
A few hours later and I was actually feeling like the muscles were recovering better after this one. As I often like to suddenly realize, again; it's amazing what good nutrition can do for a body.
Since my last run on Friday my legs have stayed pretty sore; though that was likely assisted by the day of house work on Saturday. The delayed muscle soreness was expected after not running since December though it was lasting way too long and didn't seem like it should be so bad considering the amount of "cross" training I've been doing on the bike. Well today while running I think I figured it out.
Lately with my schedule being a bit hectic and eating in with Aimee I've been slacking on the protein intake. Lots of pasta and beans though as usual, late food intake after lunch runs and no protein to speak of leads to poor post workout muscle recover. After my run today I dropped over to the snack bar quickly and grabbed some yogurt and unshelled peanuts and scarffed down a few dozen grams of protein (surprisingly poor protein selection at the snack bar).
A few hours later and I was actually feeling like the muscles were recovering better after this one. As I often like to suddenly realize, again; it's amazing what good nutrition can do for a body.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Oblivious case of the moondays
After my constant pestering and of course my gift with strings attached, Brian has got his review of the 53x11 The Early Break up on his site. Basically, B comes comes down to the same conclusion as I though he does a bit of a better job with the whole "knowing what he's talking about" thing.
Thanks B.
I've managed to start riding my bike to the metro here in Greenbelt lately; something I've struggled to find the motivation to do at times in the past year and a half. Basically my excuses are as follows:
1. I sweat pretty easily and it sucks to go to work all sweaty and nasty.
2. Which bike??? I'm not about to leave the nice road bike or one of my Mt rigs at the metro all day. The cross rig (finally dialed into the righ working gear works for that now).
3. Pedals. I don't own a single set of flats. WTF? So, I either ride my speedplays or spd's with regular shoes or bring an extra set of shoes to change when I get there.
4. It's cold.
5. I'm lazy.
So, lately I've been riding the speedplays while wearing my hiking shoes and just dealing with everything as I go. Finally this weekend I switched out the pedals for the spd's and just wore the old mtb cleats to work. They're black so I guess I don't look like that big of a dork. It works, I'm learning to use my clothing more dynamically to help keep me warm and cool myself off during the brief 2.5 mile ride (ie zipping and unzipping the zipper) and I generally reward myself with a mug of hot joe to sip during the long metro ride in. (Shhhh, don't tell nobody).
Where I was going with this story back from the beginning of this novel was that this morning I had a ridiculous encounter with a driver coming out of my neighborhood. I was riding down the road when a women pulled out from the left turning into my lane. She basically turned out right into me, not just ahead, not just behind but directly into the side of me while I rode. She didn't do in a fashion that really left me a comfortable space beside the curb as I've had cars do before and really it seemed like she didn't even see me.
I basically stopped and let her just go then caught up with her at the stop sign just ahead which she rolled through to make her right turn, effectively cutting me off as I made my right into the bike lane. After this one I accelerated and was going to bang on her window to yell at her, or at least make her aware I was there but she suddenly accelerated as if she knew I was trying to catch her. B*tch!
So we get down to the next light and she's stopped behind someone waiting for the light to change. I pull up beside her and stop next her her passenger side window. She's staring directly ahead not acknowldging me at all until I tap on the window and she looks startled and opens the window. At first I thought she was ignoring me on purpose; I was standing directly in her window staring at her yet she had no clue. I told her what she did and she apologized and said she had no idea and of course thanked me for letting her know...
Wow, just amazing how clueless a person can be. I'm glad I ride defensively and expect people to do stupid stuff most of the time. People are dumb.
Thanks B.
I've managed to start riding my bike to the metro here in Greenbelt lately; something I've struggled to find the motivation to do at times in the past year and a half. Basically my excuses are as follows:
1. I sweat pretty easily and it sucks to go to work all sweaty and nasty.
2. Which bike??? I'm not about to leave the nice road bike or one of my Mt rigs at the metro all day. The cross rig (finally dialed into the righ working gear works for that now).
3. Pedals. I don't own a single set of flats. WTF? So, I either ride my speedplays or spd's with regular shoes or bring an extra set of shoes to change when I get there.
4. It's cold.
5. I'm lazy.
So, lately I've been riding the speedplays while wearing my hiking shoes and just dealing with everything as I go. Finally this weekend I switched out the pedals for the spd's and just wore the old mtb cleats to work. They're black so I guess I don't look like that big of a dork. It works, I'm learning to use my clothing more dynamically to help keep me warm and cool myself off during the brief 2.5 mile ride (ie zipping and unzipping the zipper) and I generally reward myself with a mug of hot joe to sip during the long metro ride in. (Shhhh, don't tell nobody).
Where I was going with this story back from the beginning of this novel was that this morning I had a ridiculous encounter with a driver coming out of my neighborhood. I was riding down the road when a women pulled out from the left turning into my lane. She basically turned out right into me, not just ahead, not just behind but directly into the side of me while I rode. She didn't do in a fashion that really left me a comfortable space beside the curb as I've had cars do before and really it seemed like she didn't even see me.
I basically stopped and let her just go then caught up with her at the stop sign just ahead which she rolled through to make her right turn, effectively cutting me off as I made my right into the bike lane. After this one I accelerated and was going to bang on her window to yell at her, or at least make her aware I was there but she suddenly accelerated as if she knew I was trying to catch her. B*tch!
So we get down to the next light and she's stopped behind someone waiting for the light to change. I pull up beside her and stop next her her passenger side window. She's staring directly ahead not acknowldging me at all until I tap on the window and she looks startled and opens the window. At first I thought she was ignoring me on purpose; I was standing directly in her window staring at her yet she had no clue. I told her what she did and she apologized and said she had no idea and of course thanked me for letting her know...
Wow, just amazing how clueless a person can be. I'm glad I ride defensively and expect people to do stupid stuff most of the time. People are dumb.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Wasting an opportunity to take on another
Here it is a again, mid-winter-spring. Beautiful, warm, sunny day all smack dab in early February. Probably hit the mid-sixties; probably amazing. I wouldn't know.
I spent the day inside a (freezing) classroom learning about traffic directing and suspect identification. Bummer. Sadly part of becoming a certified (and fairly extensively trained) volunteer park patrol citizen involves spending two full Saturdays cooped up inside a classroom learning. Good training and interesting stuff and all but on a day like today it's about the last place I'd like to be.
In all reality the training is good stuff and will be pretty cool once it's over. Through the program it also looks like I'm going to be able to get CPR certified and take the defensive driving training required for the use of the patrol vehicles (no, not squad cars). I'm guessing it's probably similar to what police cadets go through, though maybe less rigorous. Good stuff. On top of all that the experience I'll gain from this could be a nice foot in the door for any kind of ranger program I may manage to get into. Not that I'm doing this for complete personal gain per say, though that does have something to do with it.
One more week of Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and the classroom training should be over for a bit. On bike, CPR and defensive driving comes a bit later.
Unfortunately, the real kicker comes for Aimee and those around me from today. Aimee knows I'm a happier person when I get to ride or get out and hike and do things of that nature on my weekend. Tomorrow is a day reserved for painting and various house work so that won't be working out for me either. Maybe next weekend.
I spent the day inside a (freezing) classroom learning about traffic directing and suspect identification. Bummer. Sadly part of becoming a certified (and fairly extensively trained) volunteer park patrol citizen involves spending two full Saturdays cooped up inside a classroom learning. Good training and interesting stuff and all but on a day like today it's about the last place I'd like to be.
In all reality the training is good stuff and will be pretty cool once it's over. Through the program it also looks like I'm going to be able to get CPR certified and take the defensive driving training required for the use of the patrol vehicles (no, not squad cars). I'm guessing it's probably similar to what police cadets go through, though maybe less rigorous. Good stuff. On top of all that the experience I'll gain from this could be a nice foot in the door for any kind of ranger program I may manage to get into. Not that I'm doing this for complete personal gain per say, though that does have something to do with it.
One more week of Monday, Wednesday and Saturday and the classroom training should be over for a bit. On bike, CPR and defensive driving comes a bit later.
Unfortunately, the real kicker comes for Aimee and those around me from today. Aimee knows I'm a happier person when I get to ride or get out and hike and do things of that nature on my weekend. Tomorrow is a day reserved for painting and various house work so that won't be working out for me either. Maybe next weekend.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Snotcycle meets Artcycle
Flickr user SEPants caught some really great images from Snotcycle on Saturday. Really, a bunch of them I think are just awesome (yeah, I said it... like totally). Then, there are a few of me. The photography is wonderful, don't get me wrong; and like anyone else I love seeing pictures of myself racing. Guilty pleasure.
Only, I look like a pansey in all my shots. Whats with that??? Everyone else looks tough or like they're really busting their balls and like they're really out there racing hard. I look like a cross between laughing and exhausted. I need to work on the race face a bit.
Oh, and whats the deal with this shot? While I'm fairly splattered with my fair share of mud, the guy next to me looks completely clean. If I remember correctly he'd just pulled over to let me by, hence why it looks like he's riding more parallel to me then behind. But even if he was just rolling along slowly he should still have at least SOME mud on him!
It appears I'm displaying the namesake in my beard in this one.
Jason Berry seems to have done a little photoshopping on some of the images as well. I like what he did with the first and the third. Oh, and the image of him racing; now that's what I should be looking like during a race!
Only, I look like a pansey in all my shots. Whats with that??? Everyone else looks tough or like they're really busting their balls and like they're really out there racing hard. I look like a cross between laughing and exhausted. I need to work on the race face a bit.
Oh, and whats the deal with this shot? While I'm fairly splattered with my fair share of mud, the guy next to me looks completely clean. If I remember correctly he'd just pulled over to let me by, hence why it looks like he's riding more parallel to me then behind. But even if he was just rolling along slowly he should still have at least SOME mud on him!
It appears I'm displaying the namesake in my beard in this one.
Jason Berry seems to have done a little photoshopping on some of the images as well. I like what he did with the first and the third. Oh, and the image of him racing; now that's what I should be looking like during a race!
The runs
I feel that I know way too much about my bosses family's pooping habits. Recently her 6 month old(ish) son was constipated for over a month and it was a big deal. So, I heard about a lot of what was going on. I mean, a lot. Now her husband and nanny both have the runs. I also remember hearing about another son of hers being chronically constipated a while back as well.
Weird.
Today I did my first run since the Christmas break in TN. I'd had some discomfort on the outer right heel/lower ankle that was constant and obviously aggravated by running so I wanted to give it some time to recover since I believe it first began sometime around the 1/2 IM. I could still feel it a little today but it wasn't too bad and I'm going to keep running on it and see how it feels.
The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler is coming up in April and training program I'm lightly following started about 2 weeks ago. For not having run since December I felt pretty good. Aside from the lower back tightening up mid-way through the four and a half miler there were no performance issues to report.
Clothing however was a different story. I rolled out with 2 layers of tights on; too much I knew but I didn't have any good coverage for the boys so I figured the two layers would at least help. They did, for a while. But, in 34 degree temperature in the breezy open conditions of the national mall that can only work so well. When I got back I had the very unusual feeling of being cold, only in the nether region. Not gonna do that again.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Coffee and Bicycles... yum
Mike over at GamJams.net has been working extremely hard in building this local cycling media hub over the past year or two. It is really beginning to show, both in the network’s visibility and (over a million page views so far, which doesn’t include people like me are using rss feeds to get there gams) and some solid partnerships being built throughout the community. One thing that has been falling into line lately is the idea of GamJams Network sponsorship. So far there are 5 sponsors backing the organization including such common companies such as Rudy Project and Accelerade along with some very high quality lesser known companies such as Velo Vie Bicycles and 53 x 11 Coffee. Velo Vie makes some fantastic carbon frames at some even better price points. 53 x 11 on the other hand, well they sell coffee of course. With a bicycling theme and a cycling advocacy approach. Two things I personally love.
Naturally I had to try the coffee so I ordered two bags of it back around Christmas time and I’ve been enjoying it since (well I enjoyed it for a while though sadly it is all gone now). I actually kept one bag, the Big Ring brew and gave the second, the Early Break to Brian as a Christmas present. Brian has a more particular attitude towards things like coffee so I figured he could be the real test of the product and I told him he has to write me a review of the coffee.
The Big Ring on the other hand was excellent. One thing I do notice is high acidity in coffee. When it gives me heart burn while drinking it, it’s a bit too much for me. Generally that only happens with the crap at work. This stuff was perfect; a really nice balance of flavor and acidity. Great way to warm up after a cold ride or get ready to head out on one. One strange thing I noticed that I’ve never seen before was that it frothed up a couple of inches in my coffee press when I added the water. Not a bad thing, I’ve just never seen it before.
So, if you really like good coffee and are willing to pay for it, I highly recommend 53x11 both for the excellent coffee and the excellent company behind it. Unfortunately finding my general go to brand of 8 O’Clock coffee on sale at the Safeway for $3.50 the other weekend I won’t be making the full time switch to 53x11 anytime soon, though for a treat, I’ll always keep them in mind.
Naturally I had to try the coffee so I ordered two bags of it back around Christmas time and I’ve been enjoying it since (well I enjoyed it for a while though sadly it is all gone now). I actually kept one bag, the Big Ring brew and gave the second, the Early Break to Brian as a Christmas present. Brian has a more particular attitude towards things like coffee so I figured he could be the real test of the product and I told him he has to write me a review of the coffee.
The Big Ring on the other hand was excellent. One thing I do notice is high acidity in coffee. When it gives me heart burn while drinking it, it’s a bit too much for me. Generally that only happens with the crap at work. This stuff was perfect; a really nice balance of flavor and acidity. Great way to warm up after a cold ride or get ready to head out on one. One strange thing I noticed that I’ve never seen before was that it frothed up a couple of inches in my coffee press when I added the water. Not a bad thing, I’ve just never seen it before.
So, if you really like good coffee and are willing to pay for it, I highly recommend 53x11 both for the excellent coffee and the excellent company behind it. Unfortunately finding my general go to brand of 8 O’Clock coffee on sale at the Safeway for $3.50 the other weekend I won’t be making the full time switch to 53x11 anytime soon, though for a treat, I’ll always keep them in mind.
My big pre-season news
Big for me, though you may or may not really care. A while back I mentioned that Racing Union had officially folded after the past season. All in all probably not a terrible thing since many of the active racers have since joined newer, larger and more active teams that will provide more opportunities for group rides as well as team racing. I always felt it was treat to have more then 2 guys from the team in any given race, though when there were only 3 or 4 guys on the team in my Cat. that was a tough thing to manage.
So, on to the "big" news. I've officially joined the DCMTB squad for the 2009 season. I'd been talking to Darren a bit about it and on Sunday I attended my first meeting and also the team's annual party. Everyone I met was very friendly and welcoming and I think I even managed to remember a handful of faces to put with the names on the listserv. That along with the fact that I've submitted my clothing order pretty much seal the deal, which is basically what I'd been waiting for to make the announcement.
Last year's DCMTB team photo at the team sponsor Looking Glass Lounge.
What this also means for this season is that my racing will be more focused on mountain biking, while road racing will be more of a side thought, if I do any at all. DCMTB is a very visible squad in the region and probably one of the more well known mountain bike teams. They regularly clean up at the races they attend including last year's Baker's Dozen and 24 hours of Big Bear races.
I'm looking forward to racing with the DCMTB folks and even more importantly I'm looking forward to everything I'll learn from racing and riding with them. Here's to a brand new season and the endless possibilities it can hold!
So, on to the "big" news. I've officially joined the DCMTB squad for the 2009 season. I'd been talking to Darren a bit about it and on Sunday I attended my first meeting and also the team's annual party. Everyone I met was very friendly and welcoming and I think I even managed to remember a handful of faces to put with the names on the listserv. That along with the fact that I've submitted my clothing order pretty much seal the deal, which is basically what I'd been waiting for to make the announcement.
Last year's DCMTB team photo at the team sponsor Looking Glass Lounge.What this also means for this season is that my racing will be more focused on mountain biking, while road racing will be more of a side thought, if I do any at all. DCMTB is a very visible squad in the region and probably one of the more well known mountain bike teams. They regularly clean up at the races they attend including last year's Baker's Dozen and 24 hours of Big Bear races.
I'm looking forward to racing with the DCMTB folks and even more importantly I'm looking forward to everything I'll learn from racing and riding with them. Here's to a brand new season and the endless possibilities it can hold!
Monday, February 02, 2009
The Jury is in
Results have been posted, and just as I suspected; a solid midpack finish. I was happy to see that managed a top half, and despite the fact that my finish is pretty far from competitive in the Sport catagory, it is a fine result considering my feelings on the bike during the race. I knew very early on my goal was not really aiming for a top 10 finish. The slickness of the trails and my limited technical abilities and confidence on the day assured me of that.
The really sick part is that most of that is actually cow dung.
My lap times display my confidence feelings on the day pretty well I'd say. My first lap I was staying upright and riding smoothly for the entirity. The second I started to feel the wet and slick ice in new areas including my clide off the trail and behind the tape. The slower lap time is partially due to that and partially due to my decreased confidence follwing that. The third lap of course, the crash in the same place destroyed my confidence for a bit and a number of other things took there jabs at my ego as well. The third and final lap was as expected my slowest of the day.
The Sport winner was faster each lap. If only I had the increasing confidence that he apparently managed. In the Pro/Expert race Aimee's neighbor and ex-coworker and current friend/s husband Colby pulled out a 4th place finish in the muck. Congrats to Colby; accompanied by complete and utter envy after seeing him roll by the line on his Gary Fisher Super Fly. Damn, I had no idea he had one of those!
The really sick part is that most of that is actually cow dung.The Sport winner was faster each lap. If only I had the increasing confidence that he apparently managed. In the Pro/Expert race Aimee's neighbor and ex-coworker and current friend/s husband Colby pulled out a 4th place finish in the muck. Congrats to Colby; accompanied by complete and utter envy after seeing him roll by the line on his Gary Fisher Super Fly. Damn, I had no idea he had one of those!
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