What you're missing

Despite what it looks like, I'm not entirely ignoring my blog (aside from the occasional GJ review). I just haven't had a lot to say myself.

In a new feature on the blog, I've been sharing all kinds of interesting, inspiring and informative articles from a variety of sources. Some things are simply book marks to remind myself of an article I want to read while others are things I found found interesting and thought you might to.

If one of you 5 faithful readers (hi Mom) happen to be lazy like me and use an RSS reader like google reader you can add my shared items feed to your reader. Otherwise go to my blog site and check out "Kevin's Shared Items" on the left hand side near the top. Chances are you'll find something there that interests or inspires you too.

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.

A blog makes you HTFU

Brian's well on his way to becoming a first class blogger. More importantly I believe the blog will help him overcome the mental aspect of his physical challenges. This morning he went out for a run in the super cooled air that is the inaugural weekend weather. He used the opportunity to flout his own manliness though failed to properly fluff his image. His stated temperature is well above the weather channel observations. Greenbelt was closer to 10 degrees when he left for his run.

I'll hopefully be living the American dream to HTFU a little later today by getting my butt out on the road bike for a chilly ride. For now I'm quite content sipping my coffee, listening to some tunes and reading about other people braving the cold weather.

Under construction

Please excuse the mess. Over the coming days/weeks I'm going to be doing some template work. I apologize for all the changes and crap that may come with this. Hopefully I'll come out of this with a somewhat decent (and less generic) looking blog.

Ch-ch-ch-Changes

Changing things up a bit here. Not actually doing any work on things (google loaded templates only) but a change of pace is always nice.

Also working on updating the blogroll. I like the google provided action available now through the gadgets. Real-time blog roll for the win.

I'm swapping over from Bloglines to Google reader so it may take some time to move everyone in there. In the mean time, Google Reader has a neat feature for finding other blogs that match your interests. I found this one which may be my new favorite gear review/droll over blog. If you like 29'ers you'll probably like that site.

Terry made a terribly good point following a terribly jerktastic post the other day following a Tradezone race. (Sorry that sentence WAS too much, but I did it anyway). How to be a good bike blogger. Unfortunately it also points out my failures as a blogger (and maybe as a biker) as well.

As my cycling has dwindled in time lately my posting has as well; and the postings that I do provide simply state my day to day activities in a dull, monochromatic drone of words on screen. Sadly I even realize it as I am doing it though I've just simply got nothing. The blog has been cycling centric and my life lately has been anything but.

So, here is my test of this tried and true 4 step program to blogger fame. Terry I'm counting on your wisdom here!

Any readers out there who still feel some strange pull to drop by and see what's happening should be overjoyed (this means no one) that spring is around the corner and activities in all facets of my life are about to pick up. I've even signed up for my first road race for the season! I excpect this news alone to bring hundreds to my site meter just over the first couple of hours after this is posted. I know my return to cycling has been long awaited by many (myself and maybe a teammate or two just so they can hand out some good old fashioned ass-whoopin's on a kid nearly half their age) and this news will cause dancing in the streets and guns to be fired throughout the DC Metro area. I gracefully request however that you all practice self-restraint during your week long celebrations.

Kyle: you can plan to feel a stiff headwind blowing by beginning in the mornings as you commute out to Beltsville as I begin riding into work again, though don't expect to see me as I'll be simply moving too fast. I know you've been working hard for a while but I have every intention of shattering the commuters record between Greenbelt and DC. You will stand no chance.

Commrades: I hope you are all looking eagerly forward to our training camp. Bring a couple of pairs of extra legs, just in case I mistakenly break your normal ones. (I will be in the kiddie class training rides; we've something like the A ride, the B ride and the C ride... I, like I said will be in the k ride). Terry, this means you.



Greenbelt: I will rule Greenbelt this season. I mean think about it, home field advantage and everything. Plus all I have to do to win it every week is get out there on Tuesday, put in my laps and finish before everyone else (the next evening). Greenbelt will be my bread and butter this season so watch out! They may even have to start offering prizes for anyone who just might beat me out there since it will so incredibly rare. I might even break out the downtube shifters to make things even more fun.



Oh yeah... bike porn... This is straight up hot and sexy stuff right here. You will not want to miss it. I on the other hand will certainly be regretting it for the second time. I haven't shared this on my own blog but I figure it's about time. If you read Freewheel's entertaining blog then you may have seen a couple of these. I obviously took a very different interpretation of the contest.



So since my site meter doesn't work I'll just assume that the fame of this blog in it's peak combined with the growing online regional presence of cyclists will net me at least thousands of hits over the next couple of days. I look forward to the fan mail and hate mail; all of which may be sent directly to kmaxtrax@gmail.com

Should a target be placed on my bike after this, please, just remember that I look like this:

This just in!

Just wanted to say that I FINALLY got internet access with Verizon Wireless, through their broadband USB modem! Tight!

Goals: Wave One

A blog can sometimes be a pretty good self motivation tool; really, in a number of ways. First by reading other rider’s posts about all the hard training and suffering they’ve been enduring I can motivate myself to get out and do some work. On that same note, I am motivated to train and suffer so that I can write about it as well. More importantly though is the follow through pressure that goes along with posting goals and intentions. See Kyle at Pedal’n Around for example. That fool’s gonna have a lot of people to give him a hard time if he doesn’t bust his ass this season! Oh, and of course should he arrive to a group ride or race on a new bike or sporting some new fancy gear, there will be an audible tsk, tsk from the pack around him for the obvious disregard for goal number 2 ;) (This is also a personal goal of mine for the year and I will hopefully be welcoming at least one new ride to my stable this year…)

While things don’t always work out the way we intend despite this extra motivator it is at least one more little thing that just may help us to get off the couch on that cold rainy Saturday morning and complete the 4 hour base ride we’ve talked about all week. Some of the things I’ve done in the past using this blog have been my goals for races. A lot of the ones I mentioned (and often proclaimed loudly my intentions of completing) often fell through for one reason or another, but in the end the blog mixed with my desire and quite possibly stupidity tend to lead to a completion of my goals.

Without further ado, I set forth my first and second goals for the 2008 season:

Compete in the 24 Hours of Big Bear mountain bike race in West Virginia: I’m already signed up on a team of four, though we’ve currently only got three of us. (Anyone want to join) Nothing to serious here as we’re signed up as just for fun and none of us knows exactly what to expect, but it’s still a 24 hour race and if nothing else should be loads of fun.

The other is to complete the Leesburg Baker’s Dozen mountain bike race: Also, already signed up (I think) on a tem of three. Also should be a blast.

The rest of the season and year’s goals have yet to be established but I do have plans to race a good number of times. I don’t have any illusions of catting up this season as I’ve got too much other stuff I want to do this year, but experience and more importantly I plan to have fun and hopefully help propel some teammates to strong finishes where possible. Chris in particular is aiming straight at a very solid season with probably the best pure training mindset on the team at the moment.

I do plan to race as much of the Greenbelt series as possible since it is just down the road from my place, so maybe a B race win will enter into the fray at some point, but I won’t hold my breath at this point.

Personally, I need to finish paying off some unnecessary debt and then get started on house stuff. I’m itchin’ to get to work on the kitchen but I want to clear out the other debt before I put myself even deeper in debt with a home improvement loan. I’d also like to finally get away for a real vacation; even if it’s just a week hiking the Appalachian Trail, I need to get away for an extended period of time.

Anyway, I know I said I don’t resolute, and so I claim these are not resolutions; year goals yes but not resolutions. Resolutions are made to be broken and these goals are meant to be kept. Here’s to a solid year of fun and excitement, both on the bike and off it.

Updating history

Sorry to anyone who might be getting my blog RSS feed as I'm currently trying to update all of the older posts from before I got beta and had the labeling capabilities and compact the ones into fewer catagories that have been labeled. I should hopefully finish this up soon but until then there will likely be a number of "new posts" showing up in your thread.

Looking through my previouis posts just a little bit tonight I'm realizing just how random I've been with my topics. I guess that is mostly due to the fact that I don't really have a specific topic for this blog and I also feel like most of my posts are just recaps of what I'm doing (probably not terribly interesting to others). I guess this is mostly for me to be able to look back at what's been going on in my life and kind of see my thoughts and reactions to things that have happened.

So, I'll probably continue to be a bit random in my posts but I will also try to make a concerted effort to write about more things that I find interesting since those are the most rewarding for me to write. Actually sitting down and thinking out a post is not something I really do on most occassions (mostly due to a lack of time to post) but when I do I generally enjoy them a bit more and they are what really get my thoughts out there. Anyway, that was just a little bit of me thinking through the fingers on a cool Sunday evening. (I don't know maybe hitting my head affected me more then I thought.)

Hope everyone else enjoyed the nice day.

# 100

So this is my 100th post! I though that maybe I should do something to celebrate like maybe write an interesting post or something fun like that but due to a lack of interesting ideas I'll simply announce the 100th post and pass along this article picked up by C.I.C.L.E. that I thought was interesting.

Time for New York pedestrians to reclaim city - This article brings me back to my previously mentioned desire for car free downtowns. There is not reason for people to need to drive through downtown business districts and I think every neighborhood should have some sort of car-free "district" even if it is just a couple of blocks.

Now, I'm off the celebrate with pint of beer. Cheers!