Metro WEMS cancelled

The Metro WEMS race is cancelled for today, according to the hotline. At least I hadn't left for the race yet, unlike many of you who were probably already up there for the 12 hour. Tentative reschedule date is August 23rd. If that's the case, I'll only be able to do part of my event that day. I have to do that race, but I'll need to quit early to be somewhere else that evening. This weather stuff is very frustrating!! And it must be even more so for the WEMS guys this year.

WEMS Update

As of 12:30 pm, the Metro hotline is saying that the race at Crystal Ridge is still 50-50, although trail conditions at the moment are good.

3 pm update: race is still on, no rain on the course yet. The chance of the race being on is still less than 50 percent, but they are keeping their fingers crossed....

This is kinda frustrating - if I don't have to pack tonight, there is an interesting movie I could go to downtown with some friends.... I also want to ride later today, but it's looking like we're about to get some rain here.... bleeech. A friend who works in Highland Park said they had a 45 minute torrential downpour there. It's got to be much more frustrating for the race organizers, though! Thanks guys, for putting on, or attempting to put on, the race!!

Good Luck to those racing at Mt. Bike Nationals at Mt. Snow!

Wish I was there, though that course would have been waaay over my head....

Article about bikes vs. cars as the number of cyclists increase on the road.

Blue Mounds WEMS race is CANCELLED/Postponed

From Garett, the race director:

The 12 Hours of Blue Mounds will be Postponed to the rain date October 18th. We got a very large amount of rain Thursday night at the park, and it rained again Friday morning. The trails are very wet and there will be no chance for them to dry out before the race. The race would not be safe, and the trails would be destroyed if we attempted to run a race on them.

All pre-registrations will be valid on October 18.

Killer Blackbirds

A while back I wrote about an article I read that blackbirds were attacking cyclists and pedestrians. I talked to one of my friends tonight who told me that a cyclist in the north suburbs died over the weekend after being pecked by a blackbird . I don't know the exact details, but it sounds like he wasn't wearing a helmet and the bird pecked at him so relentlessly that he fell to the pavement and hit his head. He died a couple days later from the head injury. Again, this is third or fourth hand. It's very sad to hear, and makes me take the blackbird thing more seriously. My friend also said that there are two areas where "killer blackbirds" is (or was) written on the pavement to warn people. The dangerous period is June-July, when they are protecting their young.

Update on the killer blackbirds: apparently the cyclist was attacked near the Highland Park Lexus dealership, on the "bunny trail". Apparently someone else, on an earlier date, was pecked and fell off his bike and broke his leg. None of this has been verified - but my friend heard about it via an email warning other riders. It doesn't seem to be mentioned in the press anywhere. I don't know what the bunny trail is, but if you do and you ride it, be careful!

On another note, I tried to ride twice today but was thwarted by the rain. The first time I headed out, even though it was gray, and my cell rang a few minutes into the ride. I was a call I needed to answer, so I stood there for a few minutes talking. In that time it started to rain, so I turned back. I took care of a bunch of emails on the computer got ready to go, then the phone rang. I answered that one too, and it took a while to get off. The sun had come out before the phone call, but by the time I finished it was gray and menacing, and my bike was getting all wet sitting outside on the porch waiting for me to ride it. I really needed the workout, I guess it's going to be the gym for me, after I got get groceries. Arrrgh. The phone calls were probably a good thing because they kept me from getting far from home and getting really soaked each time.

Yes, I do still have race reports to catch up on from Levis Trow and from Chippewa Valley Firecracker in Eau Claire!

I'm volunteering instead of racing at Blue Mounds Saturday. Julie and her teammates will be volunteering too, we'll have fun. I might head over to Half Acre's time trial Sunday morning. I also noticed in the Reader that an old teammate's band is playing Sunday early evening at a festival at Belmont and Lincoln. I doubt I'll have the oomph to go, but I haven't seen her not-so-new-anymore band yet!

Evanston Criterium, Sunday July 20

I hope some of you are going to come hang out at the Evanston Criterium on Sunday July 20th! It was fun to watch last year.

It's a block or two away from both the EL and the Metra trains (Davis St. stop) and is very bike accessible. There is also a big parking garage right next to the course for racers, volunteers and spectators, complete with a bike valet for the event. Restaurants all along the course will have outdoor seating so you can watch the race!

It's the day after the Crystal Ridge WEMS race so you can do an easy recovery ride in the morning and then come out to watch the pro races in the late afternoon. Cat 4, Cat 3, Masters, etc. races from 9-3, music and kid's race at 3, pro women at 4, and pro 1/2 men at 5:30. The pro guys go so fast on the start/finish stretch of this course you can almost feel the air rattle!! The police department sets up one of those speed machines on the course that says how fast they are going, to keep the crowd entertained.

Last year was the first year - it's part of Super Week - and they did a great job with it. It was really fun to hear people who had never seen a big bike race before - ANY bike race before - say they really enjoyed watching it.

I'd say come and bring your family to the beach if you have kids - but I have to warn you that the beaches here charge admission. On the positive side, there is a beach just a few blocks from the course!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th, everyone!

Looks like it's going to be a gorgeous weekend. It's 70 by the lake - I do wish it were 85, then it would be perfect (to me), but I really can't complain....

My Tribune horoscope today is giving me a pretty strong message:

"Today is a 7. Gather your paycheck early, and get a head start on your weekend travels. Sporting events, including races, are especially favored."

This weekend I am going to a race (as usual) and indeed, I am going earlier than I would normally. The plan right now is to pick up Holly K. by Kettle on my way to the Eau Claire race. So I am leaving in the morning instead of the late afternoon like I normally would.

I will have to skip some of the outdoor 4th parties in town today in order to get all ready to leave, but I am hoping to make it at least to a big block party at a friend's parents'. All three of the parties are close to the lakefront and are geared around eating and hanging out then walking over to the lake for the fireworks at 8 or 9. One is right on the lakefront - they stake out a good spot in the afternoon with a pop-up then have a good fireworks viewing spot for later....

My friend called me a bit ago about the block party at his parents'. He usually flies over the local 4th parade with his military squadron, but the squadron isn't doing it this year. So they called him last night and asked if he wanted to ride at the front of the parade in a Model T wearing his pilot's uniform. He was scrambling to get ready. Sounds kinda fun, to have a totally different perspective than flying over. I almost never go to this parade, I am usually out doing my ride, but it is so popular that people put out their lawn chairs on the street days ahead to save their viewing spots!!

American teams keeping it clean at the Tour

I just got an email from my friend Anne asking me to read her Tour de France story on the NBC Sports website. It's called American Teams vow to keep it clean at the Tour". Check it out (they keep track of how many people read the story), and if you enjoyed it, vote on the article so they will hire her to write more stories! I am going to go read it now.

I'm It

I'm it....
I've been blog-tagged by Rachael!

My six random things:

1. I took banjo lessons in high school and at the beginning of college. A favorite history/anthro teacher in high school was in a bluegrass band. Because of him, there were some students who played bluegrass. We went to see his band at a bar a few times - that was a big deal to us in high school! I still have the banjo, though I don't remember how to play it.

2. My first mountain bikes were all some variation of a Stumpjumper (Sport, Comp, etc.) When I got the second Stumpjumper, I didn't want an orange (or black) bike at the time so I got the next higher model in order to have the choice of a red or blue bike. (I was a part-timer at a shop so the price difference wasn't huge) So I guess it's sort of funny that much later, when I decided to get a Blur, I searched all over to find an anodized orange frame!! It's funny how much your tastes can change over time, now I love the color orange. (as well as some other colors that I didn't use to like!) (note: those were not my first bikes, just my first mountain bikes.)

3. Raggedy Ann and Andy, in various sizes, were my favorite toys as a kid, as well as Matchbox cars. I used to draw Raggedy Ann and Andy comic strips when I had to go somewhere boring with my parents and needed something to do, and I would also make my poor parents sit through boring "plays" with all the Anns and Andys as the characters. I also once wrapped up Andy's "broken" leg up in toilet paper to make a cast and then (probably) embarrassed my mother by taking him out in public with his leg wrapped in t.p.!

4. I love information. I like finding out why things are the way they are or how they work by asking questions or by reading. I also like passing along useful info to people.

5. Having to do math without a calculator makes me feel like I am in second grade again and class is about to end, but I haven't finished all of the questions on my math test yet.

6. Until not so long ago, I used to put peanut m&m's in the microwave for a bit, maybe 15 or 20 seconds, to partially melt the chocolate inside. They are really good that way!

I am going to tag Holly, Ben, Chris, Brittany, Renee, and Mike. 

(If any of you hate these things, or don't have time, and don't want to do it, I understand. Even if you don't want to tag other people, tell us the six things.)

here are the rules:

link to the person who tagged you.
post the rules on your blog.
write six random things about yourself.
tag six people at the end of your post.
let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog
let the tagger know when your entry is up.