That which does not kill you makes your stronger.
Blue Mound. There is so much you could say about it.
Hardest course in Wisconsin for me. Course most likely to draw blood and break your bike. Evil mind control rocks. Course most likely to be the set of a horror movie.
I have been thinking about the horror movie aspect all week. This idea hadn't occurred to me in previous years, but the heat, humidity, huge rock piles, vegetation, jungle-like atmosphere and pig farm smell this year all added up to a surreal experience!! (note: I haven't seen a lot of horror movies, so I really have no basis for comparison!!)
The first time I did this race, maybe in 2004, the start was down in the lower parking lot, by the pool. It gave it a different feel. Instead of the long gravelly climb, we climbed the hill on the road. Our cars were at pretty much the same level as the trail. This time around, it was like we were descending into a steamy jungle.
Now, can't you just see it? Innocuous gigantic green field, parking lots, picnic tables, a shelter, some bathrooms, lots of happy people's tents set up along the course, amiable Toyota Fj Trail dudes taking photos, giving out schwag, and giving test drives, all in all a nice day in the state park! It's a whole different story however, when you descend into the steamy jungle underworld. This takes place soon after the rocky downhill. The evil mind control rocks are lying in wait to puncture!! You are "initiated" into the underworld by the rock gauntlet within the first few minutes of your first lap!! Whether your realize it or not, you are being forwarned about what lies ahead. They are just waiting oh so patiently for you to fly by, full of enthusiasm and adrenaline!! And what happens then? Boom, the mind control rocks immediately show their dominance by causing flats before people even get to the next stretch of singletrack. The rocks let you think you made it safely by letting you ride past the pool and then next thing you know your air sneaks out in the first stretch of open doubletrack... I'm sure almost everyone saw someone changing a flat after that rocky section at some point.... So I decided ahead of time to walk the worst parts of that first downhill section - partly to avoid that fate but mainly because I knew the downhill was above my skill level. The two women right behind me decided to do the same thing once they saw what was to come.
You momentarily pop back into happy State Park mode (just a teaser!) as you barrel down a grassy hill past the pool, which was hopping. We turned left, the longer races turned right after the pool. Then we hit the doubletrack for a bit.
Then, in the first stretch of singletrack, there are green finger-like fronds reaching out at you from the sides of the trail at waist level and below. The lush vegetation makes the trail feel very intimate, but could be spooky too, if you were all alone out there. There are small rocks, big rocks, and rock piles everywhere. Navigating the rocks requires such intense concentration, you end up blocking everything else out. A lap ends up taking so long that you just feel immersed in the jungle, like you might never emerge. I never had a clear sense of where I was. It was close call after close call. I had a "no crash rule" for this race after getting really banged up in previous years. I did get saved many times from friendly trees on the side of the trail that I fell into or grabbed onto. If you took this setting and added some eerie bird noises in the background and took away most of the competitors except for the Thing behind you in black that you can never quite see but you know he's there chasing you, ready to pounce if you don't make it over the next rock pile.... well, there's the start of your movie!
Silly, huh? I don't know what made me think of this, I didn't think of it so much while I was riding as I did later, when I was thinking about what a drastic change it was to go from the parking area into the woods.
And really, you could say the LaCrosse course is kind of like that too - after all, my bike did get attacked by a Rooty Thing there, causing it to bleed brake fluid!!
Anyway, the first person I saw when I got there was Ray, aka "Rayana". He had just done his first lap of the 6 hour, and his story did not inspire confidence in my ability to handle this year's course. He was covered with scrapes and said he endoed twice. Then one of the registration guys told me that they used the hardest part of the course for the three hour. Upon further questioning, he assured me he was not kidding! Gulp!
I had been looking forward to seeing the FJ Cruiser Trail Team. I really like the look of the FJ's, they caught my eye the minute they came onto the market. Ray told me that the Trail team was taking pictures and giving away multi-tools and other stuff. He suggested going over there before the tools were gone, so that is what I did after registration. Then I got ready for the race.
I noticed Marty and his kids arriving in a van with kayaks on top as I was getting ready. I couldn't resist telling him he forgot and brought the wrong toys. They had a big kite too, in addition to the kayaks and bikes. I'm sure they had a fun weekend trying to do everything.
I found Chris and Kim's tent over near another parking lot that I didn't even realize was there. Rachael, John and Mountaingoat were also stationed there. I left my little cooler with them before the start. I kind of loped at the LeMans start for the 3 hour race, instead of running. The running starts are not great for me. The cast of characters was pretty much the same as usual, it's nice to see the familiar faces.
Made it through the downhill gauntlet, the cautious way. Chris flew by in the gauntlet, he had the rocks under control. Once in the singletrack, I did alot of walking. Ride a bit, almost fall over when hitting some obstacle, get off, walk a bit through the rock piles, get on again, almost fall into a rock pile, grab a tree, get off again, on again, off again. On, off, on, off. I was drenched with sweat. The heat didn't bother me, I like heat, but I was also soaking wet from being away from a breeze. And not going fast enough to create my own. I was again on the unfamiliar bike that I am not used to, and was just trying to survive. Stabbing knife pains in my feet too, that added to the survival factor, knowing this was really hard on my back.
The funny thing about walking your bike there is that you could really just as easily crash Walking as you could Riding!! Or at least I could. As I got tired, I would find my toe catching on a rock or root, which would almost send me flying. I can't count the times I turned my ankles on embedded rocks and rock piles. Also, my shoes would slip on the rocks. Last year one of my worst "crashes" was when I was trying to drag the bike over a rock pile. I noticed one or two people at the start were wearing running shoes, and I wondered if that was a strategy for dealing with all the dismounts and the walking that some of us had to do. I was not the only one walking out there, that was for sure.
The course required so much attention that any "conversations" were bound to be weird. A few times when I asked someone a question as they were passing, it was like they had to snap out of their haze for a moment, think about what I was asking, and then realize they had no idea if they had just passed any women right behind us, or how far into the lap we were, or whatever I was asking them. Hardly anyone was giving a warning before passing - I told one guy I could move out of the way faster if he warned me ahead of time, and he said he didn't have the energy to talk.
At one point in my last lap John G. passed me, then I saw him standing in the vegetation by the side of the trail, looking for something. His sunglasses had flown off. I think Chris passed shortly after that, then John passed me. Must have found the glasses, I wasn't sure he would. It would be really hard to find anything there! Don't lose your car keys! I didn't dare stop, I was under the gun on time at that point.
The last lap I was very worried I would not make it back before the cut off time, based on my previous lap time. I pushed myself harder and tried to stay on the bike more. I rode alot of stuff that I walked the first time around, so I felt a sense of accomplishment about that. Not that I had mastered the course or anything, but it was a little more manageable. Except for how much harder everything gets when you are getting tired and sloppy. I didn't think I'd be able to lift my right leg over the seat to get back on one more time... but I always did somehow, even when I felt like I couldn't. (see...? the riders with poor technical skills get an entirely different workout in this race than the more skilled riders!)
Was anyone else besides me creeped out by the creaking noise that fallen tree made as it rubbed against another tree trunk? I just about jumped out of my skin until I realized what that was. I guess there must have been some moving air down there, for that thing to move like that. I think we had to ride right under it. Maybe that's what subconsciously got me thinking about scary movies....
Someone else in their blog, I think Peter from Killjoy, mentioned the stinky trail. I definitely noticed a pig farm type of smell floating around in spots. It didn't make any sense that it would be there, it seemed out of place. I remember going, huh, what's that doing there? Another thing making it surreal....
Thanks to Kim for the bottle handup! I was soooo tired after slogging up that hill - it was wonderful to have her there to hand me a bottle so I didn't have to get off and find my cooler.
I finished with time to spare - my watch was off from the race clock, and I failed to check the difference at the start.
After changing, I checked my raffle tix against the raffle board and found that I had won a Planet Bike pump and Hat, and a bottle of Hammer Gel. Thanks to both of those companies and all the others that donated to the raffle! I was excited to get such useful stuff. I also got a third place medal at the awards.
I then went for an FJ Cruiser test ride. I enjoyed that. We went driving in the countryside, got a little lost but not for long, thanks to the Garmin stuck to the windshield. I liked the truck. If I weren't so happy with the one I have, I might consider it. That was fun having those guys out there, it added something to the event. The special modified Millenworks off-road cruiser on display had a refrigerator inside, and the guy said he puts his bike upright on the other side in back next to the fridge. That was the one they took our pics with. I notice on the website that it did the Baja 1000.
After the race Chris, Kim, and their friends/hosts John and Michelle and I went to dinner at Pasqual's, the one close to the race. I was excited when I saw that was where were going, because I had heard about it but had never been! I didn't get to try their famous margaritas because I still was driving back to Chicago that night. But I did get a delicious chocolate cupcake for dessert, something I haven't had in ages, mmmm.
Enough of Blue Mound for now, if you made it this far. Other people gave wonderful detailed descriptions of their race, so I thought I'd also try to capture the mood of the place a little. Not sure if it worked, but if not, you can always wait for Blue Mound, the movie!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Tour de Life
It's time for the annual July increase in the electric bill - it's Tour time! I noticed last year that my bill goes up in July with the combination of air conditioning and having the TV on whenever I am home! Mountaingoat and others mention in their blogs that their training suffers in July - and that is surely also the case for me. But everything else suffers too. During race season, with going somewhere every weekend, there is already little free time to do the stuff that keeps your life in order. With the Tour on, even less of the "life stuff" ends up getting done!! July = chaos at home!
I guess no one's going to want to do blog updates for the next few weeks....
And speaking of things that take up time.....The clock is ticking on making a decision about 24-9. Last year I signed up for the 12 hour but crashed so many times in the rock gardens and got so beat up over and over that I am not sure I should try again, given the condition I am in this year. On the other hand I had a great time being there!!! The best time I had post-race all last year. Lots of friends to hang with after I was finished, watching them film 24 Solo, the excitement of it being Nationals, warm weather, crazy weather. So it's between: sign up for the 12 hour and ride for maybe half of it, go, don't race, just ride and hang out and enjoy being there and help people who are racing, or stay home and have a rare weekend off from racing. what to do, what to do..... who is going?
I guess no one's going to want to do blog updates for the next few weeks....
And speaking of things that take up time.....The clock is ticking on making a decision about 24-9. Last year I signed up for the 12 hour but crashed so many times in the rock gardens and got so beat up over and over that I am not sure I should try again, given the condition I am in this year. On the other hand I had a great time being there!!! The best time I had post-race all last year. Lots of friends to hang with after I was finished, watching them film 24 Solo, the excitement of it being Nationals, warm weather, crazy weather. So it's between: sign up for the 12 hour and ride for maybe half of it, go, don't race, just ride and hang out and enjoy being there and help people who are racing, or stay home and have a rare weekend off from racing. what to do, what to do..... who is going?
The dog ate my Blue Mound report
Sunday night I sat down at the computer to read Blue Mound race reports and write my own report, when the phone rang. A friend was calling spur of the moment to see if I wanted to see the movie "Once". It sounded kinda cool, so even though it was late, and in spite of a million other things I should have been doing, I went to the movie. It was pretty good. It revolves around amateur musicians - specifically a street musician who is trying to break into the music biz and at the same time get the courage to win his old girlfriend back. The music was the best thing about it, to me. I liked it. It ended kind of abruptly - I wished it had kept on going long enough to let us know more about what happens to the main characters. If you like folky, acoustic-y indie music, you might like this movie.
I've been busy since then, but I am going to get to my race report, eventually. There are plenty of more interesting ones out there, anyway!
Friday night before I hit the grocery store I stopped by the Tour de France party at Turin. It was fun. I should have been at home preparing for Blue Mound, but it was great to see some peeps I hadn't seen in a long time. Then I went to the store to get food for the weekend. I didn't make it to bed until almost two, due to packing, bottle filling, tire filling, chain lubing, etc., and then I couldn't fall asleep. One of these days I'll get a good night's sleep before a race! Luckily I didn't have to get up until 8 to make it for the afternoon race.
I've been busy since then, but I am going to get to my race report, eventually. There are plenty of more interesting ones out there, anyway!
Friday night before I hit the grocery store I stopped by the Tour de France party at Turin. It was fun. I should have been at home preparing for Blue Mound, but it was great to see some peeps I hadn't seen in a long time. Then I went to the store to get food for the weekend. I didn't make it to bed until almost two, due to packing, bottle filling, tire filling, chain lubing, etc., and then I couldn't fall asleep. One of these days I'll get a good night's sleep before a race! Luckily I didn't have to get up until 8 to make it for the afternoon race.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Eau Claire
This was my one of my worst WORS race ever, in terms of overall placing, not counting races where I had a mechanical. So far this year I have gotten some of my worst placings. I hope I can reverse the trend.
After over 6 hours of driving I got to Eau Claire a little after midnight. One of these days I have to try getting a good night's sleep before a race, it might help my results!! I don't think I ever get eight hours before a race - although I always intend to. Sometimes I can't fall asleep at all before a race, even if I get to bed early enough.
I didn't really want to come to this race, yet I sorta did. I talked myself into it. When I think of this course the main thing I remember is Liz falling off the ledge in the roller coaster part in the first year. Her bike fell on top of her, and she was tangled in the brush which kept her from falling further down the side of the hill. We stopped to help her get back on the trail. She won't go back to this race after that happened. On the other hand, they do a great job with putting on the race and getting there is pretty easy for how far it is, super fast interstate all the way. Facilities are pretty good. Last year some of us had a great time on the kart track after the races.
My bike brake wasn't back yet from the mishap last weekend, so I had to use a bike I haven't ridden since September 2006, with wider bars, stiffer suspension, a bigger frame, a different shifter on one side that I can't shift with the sore thumb (used the whole hand instead), and so on. I kept fiddling with the seat height up until minutes before the start - higher for the leadout, or lower for the hard stuff where I'll have to get off? I had a hard time adjusting to the bike in the race.
I forgot the backpack part of my camelback so I spent what would have been warmup time trying to borrow one, unsuccessfully. My race bike has two cages but this bike only has one!! So I carried an extra bottle in my jersey. I seldom forget stuff at races, so I don't know what's up this year!
I was counting on the leadout to get me a good position and pass lots of people, but that didn't happen. Not having preridden, I should have scoped out the turn after the start. My gut said to line up on the right but if I wanted to be in the second row I had to go left, which put me in the middle. I wish I had gone right. I got stuck in the middle of the pack behind slow starters and then I got bogged down in the sand that I had no idea was there. The pack took a different line than I expected, again, I should have been better prepared. I watched people pulling away up front. I was pretty much stuck for most of the leadout, until I got around people at the end and passed just a few people. And that was pretty much how the race went! There was alot of stuff I had to get off for, which lost time, people passed me, and there was stuff that had me braking more than I should have, which lost more time! I found my rear wheel skidding alot on the downhills, and I wasn't sure if it was me grabbing the brakes too much on the unfamiliar bike, or if it was the super dusty, loose conditions. That usually doesn't happen as much with my brakes on my race bike. The tires have the same tread pattern on both bikes, though the other ones are regular tires and these are tubeless.
Unlike most of you other WORS bloggers, I do best on a course with open spaces where I can catch people after they pass me in the singletrack. Or at least I used to when I was in better shape! This year I am just getting passed, period. There wasn't quite enough open stuff for me to make up for the stuff I couldn't ride. Not that I would have gained that many places. But, I am glad to hear that lots of people loved the course. Makes it worth the drive for most people.
That's all for now, it's late. Tomorrow I have a million things to do, including getting ready for Blue Mound. I hope my brake comes in tomorrow - although they are not sure they'll have time to put it on before closing time if it does. Anybody have any spare body armor for bouncing off rocks?
After over 6 hours of driving I got to Eau Claire a little after midnight. One of these days I have to try getting a good night's sleep before a race, it might help my results!! I don't think I ever get eight hours before a race - although I always intend to. Sometimes I can't fall asleep at all before a race, even if I get to bed early enough.
I didn't really want to come to this race, yet I sorta did. I talked myself into it. When I think of this course the main thing I remember is Liz falling off the ledge in the roller coaster part in the first year. Her bike fell on top of her, and she was tangled in the brush which kept her from falling further down the side of the hill. We stopped to help her get back on the trail. She won't go back to this race after that happened. On the other hand, they do a great job with putting on the race and getting there is pretty easy for how far it is, super fast interstate all the way. Facilities are pretty good. Last year some of us had a great time on the kart track after the races.
My bike brake wasn't back yet from the mishap last weekend, so I had to use a bike I haven't ridden since September 2006, with wider bars, stiffer suspension, a bigger frame, a different shifter on one side that I can't shift with the sore thumb (used the whole hand instead), and so on. I kept fiddling with the seat height up until minutes before the start - higher for the leadout, or lower for the hard stuff where I'll have to get off? I had a hard time adjusting to the bike in the race.
I forgot the backpack part of my camelback so I spent what would have been warmup time trying to borrow one, unsuccessfully. My race bike has two cages but this bike only has one!! So I carried an extra bottle in my jersey. I seldom forget stuff at races, so I don't know what's up this year!
I was counting on the leadout to get me a good position and pass lots of people, but that didn't happen. Not having preridden, I should have scoped out the turn after the start. My gut said to line up on the right but if I wanted to be in the second row I had to go left, which put me in the middle. I wish I had gone right. I got stuck in the middle of the pack behind slow starters and then I got bogged down in the sand that I had no idea was there. The pack took a different line than I expected, again, I should have been better prepared. I watched people pulling away up front. I was pretty much stuck for most of the leadout, until I got around people at the end and passed just a few people. And that was pretty much how the race went! There was alot of stuff I had to get off for, which lost time, people passed me, and there was stuff that had me braking more than I should have, which lost more time! I found my rear wheel skidding alot on the downhills, and I wasn't sure if it was me grabbing the brakes too much on the unfamiliar bike, or if it was the super dusty, loose conditions. That usually doesn't happen as much with my brakes on my race bike. The tires have the same tread pattern on both bikes, though the other ones are regular tires and these are tubeless.
Unlike most of you other WORS bloggers, I do best on a course with open spaces where I can catch people after they pass me in the singletrack. Or at least I used to when I was in better shape! This year I am just getting passed, period. There wasn't quite enough open stuff for me to make up for the stuff I couldn't ride. Not that I would have gained that many places. But, I am glad to hear that lots of people loved the course. Makes it worth the drive for most people.
That's all for now, it's late. Tomorrow I have a million things to do, including getting ready for Blue Mound. I hope my brake comes in tomorrow - although they are not sure they'll have time to put it on before closing time if it does. Anybody have any spare body armor for bouncing off rocks?
Independence Day
So, here I am trying to write a race report when I should be getting ready for the next race! It always seems to turn out that way....
4th of July was a nice day, sunny and pleasant. I went for a ride in the afternoon, doing about 40 road miles. Before being injured, I used to try to do 50 miles on summer holidays, if there was time and I wasn't doing something else like going to Kettle for the day, I would ride up to Abbott labs and turn around. But this is the longest road ride I have done all year. The bad thing about racing every weekend is that I seldom get to do the longer rides I might be able to do if I were at home. And that will be the topic of a whole 'nother post. The ride definitely aggravated some things, but I am glad I did it.
On the way home from the ride, I stopped at a party on top of the lakefront parking garage at Northwestern. These friends stake out a spot there with pop up tents and food and throw a party which leads up to having an excellent spot to watch the fireworks. During the day you can watch the sailboats and then the fireworks at night. I meant to stop for just a bit but some people I hadn't seen in ages showed up - some of my old motorcycle friends - and persuaded me to stay for a while and have some food, etc. It was fun, and I really enjoyed seeing my friend's triplets (gulp)!! Yes, three little boys!!! They are 2 and a half, and actually are really cute and were no problem as long as we made sure they didn't fall over the side of the 2 story parking garage! I'm sure they have their difficult moments but at the party they were being great little fun guys. Their parents brought a bubble machine to keep them occupied - we all had fun with it. Kids all over the lot were enjoying chasing the bubbles that blew their way! The bubbles were gigantic and some of them had several small bubbles inside the big ones, which was pretty cool.
I eventually got really tired of sitting around in wet bike clothes and headed home to get a quick shower before I met some other friends to go to the fireworks. I was behind schedule on meeting them so instead of going to Kristin's I met them at the beach. Rode the old purple mtn bike, which is now a town bike with riser bars. If we had a "crappy bike ride" like Russell's here, I guess that's what I'd ride, even though it's not crappy. Some might say all that 90's purple is tacky, but it's not crappy!
We ended up lying on the cement of a parking lot., they said the beach was too crowded. It was pretty uncomfortable after the long ride earlier, I was wishing for a chair like all the old folks seemed to have! We got good spots, but there was a long delay in getting the fireworks going so of course lots of people squeezed in around us. People were constantly stepping over us until things got started. The lakefront fireworks were great and went for a long time. They always do an excellent job. Of course after the fireworks are over people swarm all over the park to get back to their cars, which are usually parked pretty far away. There are always lots of people setting off their own fireworks as we are walking away from the lake, so you are always at risk of walking too near to something that's about to explode! Stuff was exploding all around us.
Eau Claire next...
4th of July was a nice day, sunny and pleasant. I went for a ride in the afternoon, doing about 40 road miles. Before being injured, I used to try to do 50 miles on summer holidays, if there was time and I wasn't doing something else like going to Kettle for the day, I would ride up to Abbott labs and turn around. But this is the longest road ride I have done all year. The bad thing about racing every weekend is that I seldom get to do the longer rides I might be able to do if I were at home. And that will be the topic of a whole 'nother post. The ride definitely aggravated some things, but I am glad I did it.
On the way home from the ride, I stopped at a party on top of the lakefront parking garage at Northwestern. These friends stake out a spot there with pop up tents and food and throw a party which leads up to having an excellent spot to watch the fireworks. During the day you can watch the sailboats and then the fireworks at night. I meant to stop for just a bit but some people I hadn't seen in ages showed up - some of my old motorcycle friends - and persuaded me to stay for a while and have some food, etc. It was fun, and I really enjoyed seeing my friend's triplets (gulp)!! Yes, three little boys!!! They are 2 and a half, and actually are really cute and were no problem as long as we made sure they didn't fall over the side of the 2 story parking garage! I'm sure they have their difficult moments but at the party they were being great little fun guys. Their parents brought a bubble machine to keep them occupied - we all had fun with it. Kids all over the lot were enjoying chasing the bubbles that blew their way! The bubbles were gigantic and some of them had several small bubbles inside the big ones, which was pretty cool.
I eventually got really tired of sitting around in wet bike clothes and headed home to get a quick shower before I met some other friends to go to the fireworks. I was behind schedule on meeting them so instead of going to Kristin's I met them at the beach. Rode the old purple mtn bike, which is now a town bike with riser bars. If we had a "crappy bike ride" like Russell's here, I guess that's what I'd ride, even though it's not crappy. Some might say all that 90's purple is tacky, but it's not crappy!
We ended up lying on the cement of a parking lot., they said the beach was too crowded. It was pretty uncomfortable after the long ride earlier, I was wishing for a chair like all the old folks seemed to have! We got good spots, but there was a long delay in getting the fireworks going so of course lots of people squeezed in around us. People were constantly stepping over us until things got started. The lakefront fireworks were great and went for a long time. They always do an excellent job. Of course after the fireworks are over people swarm all over the park to get back to their cars, which are usually parked pretty far away. There are always lots of people setting off their own fireworks as we are walking away from the lake, so you are always at risk of walking too near to something that's about to explode! Stuff was exploding all around us.
Eau Claire next...
Monday, July 02, 2007
Update
Here is a link to the article about the Chicago XXX racing-AthletiCo racer who died in Peoria on Saturday.
Some friends were at the race, and one of them was in the race and was in front when the accident happened. She heard it but did not see it. Her husband heard there was an accident but didn't know who had been hit - he had to wait a while to find out it was not his wife. Sounds awful. He said that Beth was a wonderful person, and lots of fun. It sounds like she will be missed a great deal.
My thoughts are with everyone affected by this. I can't stop thinking about how everyone that was in the race must be feeling right now. In addition to all the family and friends, I have not forgotten about the driver and his family in the truck, who must be really struggling as well.
Some friends were at the race, and one of them was in the race and was in front when the accident happened. She heard it but did not see it. Her husband heard there was an accident but didn't know who had been hit - he had to wait a while to find out it was not his wife. Sounds awful. He said that Beth was a wonderful person, and lots of fun. It sounds like she will be missed a great deal.
My thoughts are with everyone affected by this. I can't stop thinking about how everyone that was in the race must be feeling right now. In addition to all the family and friends, I have not forgotten about the driver and his family in the truck, who must be really struggling as well.
Condolences
My condolences to the family, friends and teammates of Beth Kobeszka, of XXX racing-AthletiCo, who was killed in the Proctor Cycling Classic road race in Peoria on Saturday. I did not know her, but am very saddened to hear about this.
I just arrived home from the Eau Claire WORS (it's late Sunday night), and haven't actually talked to anyone that was in Peoria yet. I don't know the details other than that she likely got bumped across the yellow line in the 4's race, at which point she was hit by an oncoming truck. I think I know some people that were probably in the race with her, so I will have to get more information later.
Very sad.
I just arrived home from the Eau Claire WORS (it's late Sunday night), and haven't actually talked to anyone that was in Peoria yet. I don't know the details other than that she likely got bumped across the yellow line in the 4's race, at which point she was hit by an oncoming truck. I think I know some people that were probably in the race with her, so I will have to get more information later.
Very sad.
Friday, June 29, 2007
iPhone frenzy meets Critical Mass?
As you may have figured out, I am following the iPhone hoopla. I'm trying not to get sucked in by the frenzy. (I have a fondness for cool gadgets, but I think the price is too high for the features) As of 6:00 CST, which is when I started writing this, they should be going on sale here, right now! They are showing the long line in downtown Chicago on CNBC right now. In New York the first person got in line at 5 am on Monday, they say.
Apparently it's pretty common to pay people to stand in line. The first guy in line at the AT&T store was being paid $15 an hour - he said he would make about $400 for sitting in line. The funny part is that the guy who paid him was there almost the whole time except when he was at work. The man was in town for business from Puerto Rico and felt like he wanted to be there even though he was paying someone else to wait in line. They showed him buying Coke and pizza for everyone in line.
Now the guy has come out with his two phones. He opened one and showed it to the reporter. He said he was practically shaking. It's bigger than I thought it would be. Not a little pocket phone.
At the Apple Store in New York, all of the store employees were applauding each person who bought a phone.
Another purely American marketing thing is that other companies are outside the Apple stores giving out free stuff, hoping to get their product some exposure on national TV!! That is even funnier than paying people to wait in line. Now lots of people in line are wearing free t-shirts advertising other products.
The TV is saying iPhones are already on sale on ebay for over $1750. Must be the New Yorkers.
I was reading the article on CNET about the launch in New York, where they went on sale an hour before here. Looks like there were tons of press, spectators, and customers in the street. They also happened to mention that the San Francisco Critical Mass ride is likely to go right by the Apple Store right around the time they let people in. Could be interesting.
Now I am going to go for a road ride. I will be riding right by an AT&T store. I will try to control myself and not stop, even if there is no line!
Apparently it's pretty common to pay people to stand in line. The first guy in line at the AT&T store was being paid $15 an hour - he said he would make about $400 for sitting in line. The funny part is that the guy who paid him was there almost the whole time except when he was at work. The man was in town for business from Puerto Rico and felt like he wanted to be there even though he was paying someone else to wait in line. They showed him buying Coke and pizza for everyone in line.
Now the guy has come out with his two phones. He opened one and showed it to the reporter. He said he was practically shaking. It's bigger than I thought it would be. Not a little pocket phone.
At the Apple Store in New York, all of the store employees were applauding each person who bought a phone.
Another purely American marketing thing is that other companies are outside the Apple stores giving out free stuff, hoping to get their product some exposure on national TV!! That is even funnier than paying people to wait in line. Now lots of people in line are wearing free t-shirts advertising other products.
The TV is saying iPhones are already on sale on ebay for over $1750. Must be the New Yorkers.
I was reading the article on CNET about the launch in New York, where they went on sale an hour before here. Looks like there were tons of press, spectators, and customers in the street. They also happened to mention that the San Francisco Critical Mass ride is likely to go right by the Apple Store right around the time they let people in. Could be interesting.
Now I am going to go for a road ride. I will be riding right by an AT&T store. I will try to control myself and not stop, even if there is no line!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Hire a Diversion, and Working Dates??
Need someone to scare up a spot in the iPhone line for you this weekend? You can hire a mercenary to create a diversion to help you get a better spot in line. I'm not so sure this would actually work.....
I was looking for Walt Mossberg's iPhone review on the WSJ website and found this article before I got there. Apparently a new dating trend is "working dates" where both people bring their laptops, have dinner, then work side by side.
I was looking for Walt Mossberg's iPhone review on the WSJ website and found this article before I got there. Apparently a new dating trend is "working dates" where both people bring their laptops, have dinner, then work side by side.
More on the Evanston Crit
Here is the link to the web site for the Evanston Crit. I can't wait, that is gonna be a fun day! So glad there is not a WORS race that Sunday.
They have a sponsorship recruitment page extolling the virtues of Evanston. They also have a couple of paragraphs about bike racing and bike racers. Did you know that we are more self-confident, and interested in wellness, the outdoors, and environmental issues? Here is what they have to say about bike racing:
Bicycle Racing Fans and the Race Itself
The global bicycle industry is estimated to have total retail sales in excess of $20 billion (from a 2001 report) with the U.S. bicycle industry generating sales totaling $5.89 billion in 2000. In addition to riding for both pleasure and transportation, Americans are showing a growing interest in cycling events.
Bicycle racing events typically attract a higher income, younger, college-educated audience that dovetails neatly with Evanston’s demographic profile. Cyclists and bike racing fans tend to be self-confident and more interested in wellness, the outdoors and environmental issues.
Cycling events — somewhat like stock car races — are well suited to sponsors in part because cycling teams are identified by their sponsors’ names. Sponsors’ logos and messages appear throughout the course on banners and in the race announcer’s commentary over the public address system.
They have a sponsorship recruitment page extolling the virtues of Evanston. They also have a couple of paragraphs about bike racing and bike racers. Did you know that we are more self-confident, and interested in wellness, the outdoors, and environmental issues? Here is what they have to say about bike racing:
Bicycle Racing Fans and the Race Itself
The global bicycle industry is estimated to have total retail sales in excess of $20 billion (from a 2001 report) with the U.S. bicycle industry generating sales totaling $5.89 billion in 2000. In addition to riding for both pleasure and transportation, Americans are showing a growing interest in cycling events.
Bicycle racing events typically attract a higher income, younger, college-educated audience that dovetails neatly with Evanston’s demographic profile. Cyclists and bike racing fans tend to be self-confident and more interested in wellness, the outdoors and environmental issues.
Cycling events — somewhat like stock car races — are well suited to sponsors in part because cycling teams are identified by their sponsors’ names. Sponsors’ logos and messages appear throughout the course on banners and in the race announcer’s commentary over the public address system.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Stuff to check out
I was surprised to be reading the August issue of Mountain Bike Action and turn to page 104, the "Inside the Pro's Bikes" column. Hey, that's a WORS racer!! The featured pro this month is Chris Peariso, with his Titus Racer X. I don't know Chris but I think that's pretty cool that they are featuring a Midwesterner!
Also, on page 22 of the same issue is what might be the perfect race vehicle for WORS and WEMS. Everything but a shower and a bathroom! It's a converted Dodge Sprinter van, converted by Sportsmobile. They have a model designed by Brian Lopes called the Lopes 55, which is about $71,000!!! (hey, you can live in it!) Or you can design your own. The Lopes model is the most popular, says the article. Sleeps 4, has a kitchen with fridge, an area in the back for bikes, and it can get 22 mpg. It also is allowed in places that an RV isn't, and it can drive on dirt roads. The article says that it qualifies for a 15 year RV loan. (I didn't know RV loans could be that long!) While I don't think most of us will be able to run out and buy this, it's droolworthy. Check it out at their web site. Under "Gallery" check out the pics of the "bikes/toy haulers".
And now, after reading and writing about the Sprinter van this morning, I noticed Sprinter vans everywhere this afternoon! I must have seen like 10 of them today! Funny how that works. They are so plain looking I normally don't notice them, but they are everywhere.
Also, on page 22 of the same issue is what might be the perfect race vehicle for WORS and WEMS. Everything but a shower and a bathroom! It's a converted Dodge Sprinter van, converted by Sportsmobile. They have a model designed by Brian Lopes called the Lopes 55, which is about $71,000!!! (hey, you can live in it!) Or you can design your own. The Lopes model is the most popular, says the article. Sleeps 4, has a kitchen with fridge, an area in the back for bikes, and it can get 22 mpg. It also is allowed in places that an RV isn't, and it can drive on dirt roads. The article says that it qualifies for a 15 year RV loan. (I didn't know RV loans could be that long!) While I don't think most of us will be able to run out and buy this, it's droolworthy. Check it out at their web site. Under "Gallery" check out the pics of the "bikes/toy haulers".
And now, after reading and writing about the Sprinter van this morning, I noticed Sprinter vans everywhere this afternoon! I must have seen like 10 of them today! Funny how that works. They are so plain looking I normally don't notice them, but they are everywhere.
LaCrossin'
I had a feeling when I read up on the HPT that I was going to be in over my head in this race. Human Powered Trails is an appropriate name for this trail system. Bring every ounce of power you have to these trails!
The day started when I woke up early but did that thing where you hit the alarm to turn it off but then close your eyes "just for a minute". 25 minutes (and some more sleep) later, I actually did get up. So much for my extra time "cushion" that I was shooting for. I could barely stay awake on the drive there, I almost had to pull over. Once in LaCrosse, when I saw the "mountain" on the left, I felt I had really traveled somewhere. I had the feeling that I had left the Midwest and entered some other zone entirely. I had forgotten about the bluffs and scenic vistas around LaCrosse, all I remembered was that it was hilly. When I found that we had to drive up the "mountain" to get to the course, the task that lay ahead really sunk in. There were a bunch of the singlespeeders driving down the hill, leaving, as I was driving up. I think I passed Rachael and John.
No time for a warmup but that was fine, it's a long race. Right before the start I lowered my seat, thinking that would be better for what was shaping up to be a technical course. I didn't have enough time to do it right and test it out. Mistake.
The running starts are not my favorite. Ugh. I usually have to walk them so as not to aggravate old injuries, but this time they said if we couldn't run we could wait for the last people to finish running and then go. I gladly took that option, and I was not the only one. So there I was, starting last into the prologue lap. Immediately I realized the seat was way too low to go fast in the open stuff. I felt like one of those old guys you see riding on Sheridan Road with their seat way too low and their knees sticking out. I passed one of the women on the grassy hill at the end of the prologue, but had to stop to raise the seat. Arrrgh. It still felt way too low for the wide open stuff but I knew I'd be getting off the bike alot, or at least dabbing, and I didn't want to end up tumbling down the side of a bluff.... I was the last one into the singletrack. Early on I encountered the woman I had passed before, and I could see Jan ahead. They were both walking, and soon I was too. Already!! Oh, and a monkey too. He wasn't walking, just hanging out, laughing at us.
I immediately felt better, seeing the others walking ahead of me. The bad part of that is that is that it encouraged me to keep walking stuff that I should have been trying to ride. Jan was joking that she didn't know she'd be going for a hike that day. And quite a hike it was. Ride some, get off, get back on, get back off, and so on. Uh, oh, I think I hear someone coming up, wish they would say something when they need to pass, pull off the trail into the leafy itchy vegetation so they can pass.... over and over we would pull over to let the fast guys pass. That's the most frustrating part when you are already struggling with the trail and are trying to focus - having the constant stress that you might not hear someone coming up behind you in the singletrack and you might not get out of the way fast enough. Looking back on that lap, I think that we shouldn't have let the other girl with us get away, considering that we both were faster than she was in the open. We weren't paying close enough attention. Too much talking and walking and not enough riding. It was fun though, in a miserable sort of way.
Readers, I have to say these trails are the kind of well-planned trails most of you dream about! They are the kind that keep me awake the night before a race, but we already know I need more practice in the singletrack! These are the trails that people who think WORS trails are too easy would absolutely love! But they are very demanding and you have to have great balance and technical skills. And you can't ever let your attention lapse. All singletrack - roots, log piles, a big rock here and there, bench cut stuff on the side of the hill, tight trees, super tight switchbacks, some off camber stuff - no room for mistakes! It was very slippery that day in places. I think it would have been alot easier for me had it been less slippery.
In the middle of the next lap, I rolled over some roots and heard that pingy noise you hear when there is a stick in your spokes. Errrrrrrrrk - the bike stopped cold in the middle of the trail. Would not budge. Huh? I got off to figure out where this errant stick was, and instead found something totally unexpected. There was a big hunk of rooty thing wedged in my rear wheel, keeping it from moving. Picture a giant fat sweet potato with a curly end. The curly end was wrapped around a spoke, and the fat part was wedged between the seat stay, the wheel spokes, the rear brake assembly, and the rear brake cable. The way it was wedged caused the brake cable to be shoved up at almost a right angle from where it came out of the caliper assembly (I don't know the real name for this part). Yikes. I couldn't get it out, being wrapped around the spoke was the kiss of death. Neither could others who came along the trail and tried. Wheel would not move. So, I started "walking" the bike, which involved lifting up the (heavy) rear and trying to roll the front wheel along. A really ackward process. A nice local guy stopped to ask if he could help - he had already done the singlespeed race and was just out riding this race for fun. He showed me a shorter way back to the start. It was still plenty long!! I'm guessing I had to drag that thing for a mile total, though it could have been a lot less. It just seemed like a long way.
The race volunteers were great and super helpful. One of them took me over to some guys with tools, and one of those guys was was able to dislodge the rooty thing right away by wiggling it out. That's when you really feel stupid - a bunch of people try something, can't do it, then someone else comes along and makes it look ridiculously easy! But I was happy he was able to get it out. It probably loosened up on the way out of the woods. But, my rear brake was shot. The guy squeezed the lever to see if the root had caused a leak, and sure enough the fluid came out where the root bent the cable. Ah, just what I want dripping inside of my car (and definitely not dripping on the roof paint!)......he took off the brake and wrapped it up in a bag. I put a few more bags around it just in case the fluid started to eat through the first bag. I am not really sure what hydraulic DOT fluid can eat through and what it can't, and how fast, so I ended up taking some cardboard and some newspaper and putting those under the brake area when I later put the bike in the car.
As far as the inflatable monkey counting contest, which was fun, I had trouble keeping count. You wouldn't think so, given that I wasn't going all that fast, but I did. My mind was focused on other things, I guess. I got 18 in the woods plus three more at the finish, for 21. The winner, Al B., counted 29. I don't remember what he won, but it was something good.
I hung out for a while talking to people and stayed for the various awards and the raffle, and ate some brats , that was fun. (thanks Ray, Jen, for sharing your brats) Didn't win anything in the raffle. The race was well organized. Thanks to the promoters for putting it on.. Nice day, much nicer than it was at home. The long drive home took even longer cuz I stopped for a couple of naps. Got home at 4 ish am, to bed at 5ish.
The bike shop called tonight (Monday). They are having to send the brake to the manufacturer, and have no idea if it will make it back in time for the race this weekend. The brakes are pretty old, so I hope they are still supported. I've been lucky, those brakes have worked really well for me over the years, with minimal problems.
It's really late, now I have to get to bed.
The day started when I woke up early but did that thing where you hit the alarm to turn it off but then close your eyes "just for a minute". 25 minutes (and some more sleep) later, I actually did get up. So much for my extra time "cushion" that I was shooting for. I could barely stay awake on the drive there, I almost had to pull over. Once in LaCrosse, when I saw the "mountain" on the left, I felt I had really traveled somewhere. I had the feeling that I had left the Midwest and entered some other zone entirely. I had forgotten about the bluffs and scenic vistas around LaCrosse, all I remembered was that it was hilly. When I found that we had to drive up the "mountain" to get to the course, the task that lay ahead really sunk in. There were a bunch of the singlespeeders driving down the hill, leaving, as I was driving up. I think I passed Rachael and John.
No time for a warmup but that was fine, it's a long race. Right before the start I lowered my seat, thinking that would be better for what was shaping up to be a technical course. I didn't have enough time to do it right and test it out. Mistake.
The running starts are not my favorite. Ugh. I usually have to walk them so as not to aggravate old injuries, but this time they said if we couldn't run we could wait for the last people to finish running and then go. I gladly took that option, and I was not the only one. So there I was, starting last into the prologue lap. Immediately I realized the seat was way too low to go fast in the open stuff. I felt like one of those old guys you see riding on Sheridan Road with their seat way too low and their knees sticking out. I passed one of the women on the grassy hill at the end of the prologue, but had to stop to raise the seat. Arrrgh. It still felt way too low for the wide open stuff but I knew I'd be getting off the bike alot, or at least dabbing, and I didn't want to end up tumbling down the side of a bluff.... I was the last one into the singletrack. Early on I encountered the woman I had passed before, and I could see Jan ahead. They were both walking, and soon I was too. Already!! Oh, and a monkey too. He wasn't walking, just hanging out, laughing at us.
I immediately felt better, seeing the others walking ahead of me. The bad part of that is that is that it encouraged me to keep walking stuff that I should have been trying to ride. Jan was joking that she didn't know she'd be going for a hike that day. And quite a hike it was. Ride some, get off, get back on, get back off, and so on. Uh, oh, I think I hear someone coming up, wish they would say something when they need to pass, pull off the trail into the leafy itchy vegetation so they can pass.... over and over we would pull over to let the fast guys pass. That's the most frustrating part when you are already struggling with the trail and are trying to focus - having the constant stress that you might not hear someone coming up behind you in the singletrack and you might not get out of the way fast enough. Looking back on that lap, I think that we shouldn't have let the other girl with us get away, considering that we both were faster than she was in the open. We weren't paying close enough attention. Too much talking and walking and not enough riding. It was fun though, in a miserable sort of way.
Readers, I have to say these trails are the kind of well-planned trails most of you dream about! They are the kind that keep me awake the night before a race, but we already know I need more practice in the singletrack! These are the trails that people who think WORS trails are too easy would absolutely love! But they are very demanding and you have to have great balance and technical skills. And you can't ever let your attention lapse. All singletrack - roots, log piles, a big rock here and there, bench cut stuff on the side of the hill, tight trees, super tight switchbacks, some off camber stuff - no room for mistakes! It was very slippery that day in places. I think it would have been alot easier for me had it been less slippery.
In the middle of the next lap, I rolled over some roots and heard that pingy noise you hear when there is a stick in your spokes. Errrrrrrrrk - the bike stopped cold in the middle of the trail. Would not budge. Huh? I got off to figure out where this errant stick was, and instead found something totally unexpected. There was a big hunk of rooty thing wedged in my rear wheel, keeping it from moving. Picture a giant fat sweet potato with a curly end. The curly end was wrapped around a spoke, and the fat part was wedged between the seat stay, the wheel spokes, the rear brake assembly, and the rear brake cable. The way it was wedged caused the brake cable to be shoved up at almost a right angle from where it came out of the caliper assembly (I don't know the real name for this part). Yikes. I couldn't get it out, being wrapped around the spoke was the kiss of death. Neither could others who came along the trail and tried. Wheel would not move. So, I started "walking" the bike, which involved lifting up the (heavy) rear and trying to roll the front wheel along. A really ackward process. A nice local guy stopped to ask if he could help - he had already done the singlespeed race and was just out riding this race for fun. He showed me a shorter way back to the start. It was still plenty long!! I'm guessing I had to drag that thing for a mile total, though it could have been a lot less. It just seemed like a long way.
The race volunteers were great and super helpful. One of them took me over to some guys with tools, and one of those guys was was able to dislodge the rooty thing right away by wiggling it out. That's when you really feel stupid - a bunch of people try something, can't do it, then someone else comes along and makes it look ridiculously easy! But I was happy he was able to get it out. It probably loosened up on the way out of the woods. But, my rear brake was shot. The guy squeezed the lever to see if the root had caused a leak, and sure enough the fluid came out where the root bent the cable. Ah, just what I want dripping inside of my car (and definitely not dripping on the roof paint!)......he took off the brake and wrapped it up in a bag. I put a few more bags around it just in case the fluid started to eat through the first bag. I am not really sure what hydraulic DOT fluid can eat through and what it can't, and how fast, so I ended up taking some cardboard and some newspaper and putting those under the brake area when I later put the bike in the car.
As far as the inflatable monkey counting contest, which was fun, I had trouble keeping count. You wouldn't think so, given that I wasn't going all that fast, but I did. My mind was focused on other things, I guess. I got 18 in the woods plus three more at the finish, for 21. The winner, Al B., counted 29. I don't remember what he won, but it was something good.
I hung out for a while talking to people and stayed for the various awards and the raffle, and ate some brats , that was fun. (thanks Ray, Jen, for sharing your brats) Didn't win anything in the raffle. The race was well organized. Thanks to the promoters for putting it on.. Nice day, much nicer than it was at home. The long drive home took even longer cuz I stopped for a couple of naps. Got home at 4 ish am, to bed at 5ish.
The bike shop called tonight (Monday). They are having to send the brake to the manufacturer, and have no idea if it will make it back in time for the race this weekend. The brakes are pretty old, so I hope they are still supported. I've been lucky, those brakes have worked really well for me over the years, with minimal problems.
It's really late, now I have to get to bed.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Great Customer Service at Wild Oats
Tonight instead of going for a ride I went to dinner with NZ Wendy, Kristin, and Wendy's sister, bro in law and nephew who are still visiting from New Zealand. It was her family's last day before leaving Chicago. We went to the Heartland Cafe and ate outside. This was a good thing, cuz two year old Jasper was able to use the yard, sidewalk and the dirt as his personal playground. I don't think he sat down for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Little Matchbox trucks were constantly rolling off the table and squirrels got chased and so on. Did you know they don't have squirrels in New Zealand? It was great to see them one more time before they go. I can't believe three weeks has gone by so quickly.
They really enjoyed their visit to Chicago, they liked so many things about our city. Everyone was so friendly, and they often got special treatment, they found. They thought some of it had to do with having a cute 2 year old along. At the Field Museum, even though the museum staff was turning away people because it was closing soon, they let them in when they said, in their NZ accents, that they wanted to see the Maori exhibit before they leave town! They said that things are alot cheaper, in general, here than they are in New Zealand, and that we have a higher standard of living. On the other hand New Zealand has wonderful open space and some natural resources that aren't available to many people here. They don't have alot of malls or chain stores yet, although that has been changing in recent years. Marie said there are more cool boutique-y places there, but alot more available in basics at Gap and Old Navy type places for great prices here.
After dinner instead of going to the gym I decided I had better try to get to the grocery store before it closed, thinking tomorrow is going to be crazy trying to get everything done and I had better try to get some stuff now. After 9 this store starts putting stuff away and cleaning up at the deli, salad bar and meat counter. It was 9:30 and the woman at the meat counter was still willing to take my order instead of telling me that she was closed. Good thing number one! As I walked past the deli area I saw that all the food had been taken out and put away for the night. That was what I expected. The staff was standing around in the back and I smiled at the familiar faces as I walked by. When I was in the checkout line later, just before they were closing, one of the deli guys finds me in line and hands me a container flilled with my absolute favorite quinoa with black bean salad that I buy whenever they have it. He said, "I thought you'd like to have this." He must have gone in the back after I walked by and pulled out the put-away salad and filled up the container for me. I was so surprised, and happy to have the salad for after the race at LaCrosse! Now that is great customer service! That would be Good thing number two about my shopping experience at Wild Oats tonight. Thank you Wild Oats employees for being so cool!
They really enjoyed their visit to Chicago, they liked so many things about our city. Everyone was so friendly, and they often got special treatment, they found. They thought some of it had to do with having a cute 2 year old along. At the Field Museum, even though the museum staff was turning away people because it was closing soon, they let them in when they said, in their NZ accents, that they wanted to see the Maori exhibit before they leave town! They said that things are alot cheaper, in general, here than they are in New Zealand, and that we have a higher standard of living. On the other hand New Zealand has wonderful open space and some natural resources that aren't available to many people here. They don't have alot of malls or chain stores yet, although that has been changing in recent years. Marie said there are more cool boutique-y places there, but alot more available in basics at Gap and Old Navy type places for great prices here.
After dinner instead of going to the gym I decided I had better try to get to the grocery store before it closed, thinking tomorrow is going to be crazy trying to get everything done and I had better try to get some stuff now. After 9 this store starts putting stuff away and cleaning up at the deli, salad bar and meat counter. It was 9:30 and the woman at the meat counter was still willing to take my order instead of telling me that she was closed. Good thing number one! As I walked past the deli area I saw that all the food had been taken out and put away for the night. That was what I expected. The staff was standing around in the back and I smiled at the familiar faces as I walked by. When I was in the checkout line later, just before they were closing, one of the deli guys finds me in line and hands me a container flilled with my absolute favorite quinoa with black bean salad that I buy whenever they have it. He said, "I thought you'd like to have this." He must have gone in the back after I walked by and pulled out the put-away salad and filled up the container for me. I was so surprised, and happy to have the salad for after the race at LaCrosse! Now that is great customer service! That would be Good thing number two about my shopping experience at Wild Oats tonight. Thank you Wild Oats employees for being so cool!
At the Back in VeloNews
I read Maynard Hershon's At the Back column in the new June 25 VeloNews today. It is titled "Bygone Bootcamp". He notes how the new road riders today, with all the top-notch gear, have him fooled until he sees them riding. He points out the difference between riders in previous years who were taught the rules of riding, and these new riders who act clueless not because they are stupid, but because no one has taught them the rules.
I think everyone, road or otherwise, should read this article! The new riders could get a start on learning something about the rules of cycling and the basis for the rules. Many of us, myself included, could get a much-needed refresher course on the rules. Since I am now officially slow and seldom go on fast group rides like I once did, I have gotten rusty. And even those who know all this stuff backwards and forwards could get a reminder to help someone else they know learn how to ride better by passing along some of the things that are second nature to them but not obvious to someone new.
And lastly, next time someone teases me for wearing knee warmers when it's 69.5 degrees out, I will point them to this article!!
I think everyone, road or otherwise, should read this article! The new riders could get a start on learning something about the rules of cycling and the basis for the rules. Many of us, myself included, could get a much-needed refresher course on the rules. Since I am now officially slow and seldom go on fast group rides like I once did, I have gotten rusty. And even those who know all this stuff backwards and forwards could get a reminder to help someone else they know learn how to ride better by passing along some of the things that are second nature to them but not obvious to someone new.
And lastly, next time someone teases me for wearing knee warmers when it's 69.5 degrees out, I will point them to this article!!
Waiting
Last winter I had an opportunity to put the wheels in motion to make an addition to my bike family. A few of you know how much trouble I have had over the years modifying bikes in an attempt to make them fit. Zillions of spacers, Sears Tower-like seatposts, adjustable stems, ridiculously short stems, sore back from bending over too far, and so on. When I look at old pics from races like Cactus Cup or look at my old road racing bike I wonder how I ever was able to ride like that. Some people probably still look at my bikes and wonder about them. At cross nationals one year I lent a friend my bike as his extra bike, and he said it was almost unrideable for him, our proportions were so different. In one Cactus Cup picture I ran across the other day, my knee looks like it's going to bop me in the chin (ok, I'm exaggerating a little). Thank goodness for the advent of trailbikes with longer travel forks and higher riding positions!
Things hit some snags here and there, out of my control, but apparently my new frame has arrived at the end of last week. Due to racing over the weekend and various other things (like work) that have kept me busy during the weekdays when they are open, I haven't been able to visit it yet. I was able to go today or tomorrow but that didn't work on their end. Friday is going to be the day I take the parts there and get to meet it, at last!!! Can't wait.
I came up with a new idea for the color scheme after it was too late. So they are sending extra decals in case I want to change. I may be needing some advice soon from you bloggers soon on what looks best....
Tonight (Wed) I went to pick up a copy of Erin Mirabella's children's book. She was signing books at Turin. I hadn't seen her in years, since she was a junior (or shortly thereafter) racing in Kenosha. I think my nephew will really like her book. Although we didn't know each other well, It was nice to see her.
Then I went for a ride, coming home in the dark. I had plenty of lights a blinkin', but some dude leaving Bar Louie on his Big Dog or Harley almost flattened me anyway. I think that by wearing his sunglasses in the dark and sliding them down his nose so he could squint over them, he thought he was following the law that you have to wear eye protection on a motorcycle! Or maybe his girlfriend on the back was giving him directions since he couldn't see out of those sunglasses in the dark....
I am still getting dive-bombed by cicadas in the north suburbs when I ride. And I saw the first ones I have seen so far in my neighborhood today, on the sidewalk right in front.
And, today I read that cutting edge companies are doing job interviews in Second Life! Apparently newbies that just joined for the job interview don't know how to control their avatars yet, and they end up doing things they didn't intend to in the interview, like handing the interviewer a beer, or slumping and looking like they are falling asleep in a chair, or sitting on the table instead of in a chair, or whatever. Also, ,one guy said he couldn't figure out how to dress his avatar in a suit, so he had to wear a t shirt and jeans to his interview. I haven't tried Second Life yet, I wonder if it works on a Mac?
Things hit some snags here and there, out of my control, but apparently my new frame has arrived at the end of last week. Due to racing over the weekend and various other things (like work) that have kept me busy during the weekdays when they are open, I haven't been able to visit it yet. I was able to go today or tomorrow but that didn't work on their end. Friday is going to be the day I take the parts there and get to meet it, at last!!! Can't wait.
I came up with a new idea for the color scheme after it was too late. So they are sending extra decals in case I want to change. I may be needing some advice soon from you bloggers soon on what looks best....
Tonight (Wed) I went to pick up a copy of Erin Mirabella's children's book. She was signing books at Turin. I hadn't seen her in years, since she was a junior (or shortly thereafter) racing in Kenosha. I think my nephew will really like her book. Although we didn't know each other well, It was nice to see her.
Then I went for a ride, coming home in the dark. I had plenty of lights a blinkin', but some dude leaving Bar Louie on his Big Dog or Harley almost flattened me anyway. I think that by wearing his sunglasses in the dark and sliding them down his nose so he could squint over them, he thought he was following the law that you have to wear eye protection on a motorcycle! Or maybe his girlfriend on the back was giving him directions since he couldn't see out of those sunglasses in the dark....
I am still getting dive-bombed by cicadas in the north suburbs when I ride. And I saw the first ones I have seen so far in my neighborhood today, on the sidewalk right in front.
And, today I read that cutting edge companies are doing job interviews in Second Life! Apparently newbies that just joined for the job interview don't know how to control their avatars yet, and they end up doing things they didn't intend to in the interview, like handing the interviewer a beer, or slumping and looking like they are falling asleep in a chair, or sitting on the table instead of in a chair, or whatever. Also, ,one guy said he couldn't figure out how to dress his avatar in a suit, so he had to wear a t shirt and jeans to his interview. I haven't tried Second Life yet, I wonder if it works on a Mac?
Bumping along in Phillips
Here it is midnight on Wednesday and I still haven't written a race report on Phillips. This is what happens every week, I get busy at the beginning of the week, then by Thursday or so I don't want to sit down for an hour or two and write when I should be doing laundry and getting ready for the next race that weekend.....
Anyway, I wasn't sure about going to Phillips. The long drive was a deterrent, and the idea of a weekend at home was very tempting. I decided to go, though, and got there a little before 1 am Saturday night. More sleep would have been nice, but, oh well, I am used to not getting a good sleep before race day at this point. When I got to the venue Sunday morning, the lot didn't seem as full as last year. I can think of at least 10 or more people I know that went last year that didn't go this year. Multiply that and it adds up.
The course was v-v-v-v-verrrry b-b-b-b-b-b-bumpppppy. It's a good thing I don't have a good memory for courses. For some reason I couldn't remember this one at all (except for the road leadout), although I could picture the campgrounds and I did remember how nice the volunteers were. If I had known how much the course would aggravate my back I might have stayed home. I don't get to WORS early enough to preride, so the courses are always a bit of a surprise. This one was a bumpy, dusty, teeth-rattling surprise!! Even the open areas were too bumpy, for me at least, to go fast and pass people.
It got windy and overcast before the start. Cooler, uh-oh. I heard them calling up the women earlier than usual, I had thought I had another 4 or 5 minutes, so I made a beeline over to the start and slipped into the start area just after my name was called. The road leadout went well for me, until we hit the hill. Then a clump of better hill climbers passed me. In the singletrack we had some raindrops, which fortunately didn't last for long at all. Then we heard air raid sirens. They kept going, and going, and......going. We were asking each other what was up. Tornado? war? I asked some volunteers - one said if I could hear the sirens I wasn't racing hard enough. Turns out they were probably summoning firefighters in town to a big fire. Thanks to all the volunteers that were out there directing us. There were lots of people to ask about the sirens, even if they didn't know the answer.
The people I usually see around me in a race passed me, which was discouraging. Shoulda gotten here earlier, gotten more sleep last night...a longer warm up... ridden less last week....eaten better.....all the stuff that goes through your mind.... I did more walking/running up hills than I would have liked, but I couldn't afford to crash on top of the pounding my back was getting. At one point I took a really big hit to the spine on a downhill - usually I can get out of the saddle in time for those giant ones but this one caught me totally by surprise. Boom!!! I could visualize my poor L5-S1 disc squishing out in all directions like a marshmallow in a squashed s'more. I was hoping that was not the case, but I couldn't shake the visual.
Near the middle of the second lap some people passed me that I wasn't expecting to see - that woke me up out of my haze and at that point I had to pour it on in the open sections, bumpy or not. I managed to pass most of them back, whew. Some of it I had to do at the squishy marshy grassy area near the end . I was expecting a long open stretch where I could gain some time and instead I was going "oh, yeah, now I remember this" as my tires sunk into marshy ground and I felt like I was swimming to the finish. Glub, glub....
Ahhhhh, the nice cold, wet towel at the finish. That I did remember. Perfect for the dust all over our legs. We sat down at the picnic table for a few minutes and dug in to the all you can eat watermelon! Yum! Sticky watermelon fingers and a nice cool cloth to wash them. Thanks again to the volunteers who had the washclothes and watermelon waiting for us!
The Sports got rained on and had they not been in the woods they might have blown away. The guy in the building with the walkie talkie told all the lunch-eaters not to leave the building due to the dangerous high winds. It was sunny by the Expert and Comp race. What a schizophrenic day! During the expert race the fairgrounds felt deserted because so many people drove over to the feed zone to watch and feed. It felt like everyone had gone home.
There were some impressive results - I don't remember them all right now, but I will congratulate fellow blogger Brittany on her awesome second place overall in sport as well as teammate John for winning his age group and placing well overall!
All the way home in the car, among other things, my tailbone ached. I squirmed around alot, trying to find a more comfortable position. When I told the chiropractor yesterday about the big hit to the spine, she said, "yeah, I can tell. Your tailbone got slammed into your sacrum, the tailbone area is puffy, and it affected your neck, too." It amazes me that they can pick up on stuff like that before we even tell them. I don't know how people on hardtails survived this race. Maybe it will catch up with them years down the road like it is with me. Hope not, though. I have this unwelcome vision of the bike racers' old age home, all of us hobbling around, bent over our canes and such after all the crashes we've all had over all the years. As Holly K. put it earlier this year when I was worrying a bit about injuries, you want to be able to walk when you are 80!
Anyway, I wasn't sure about going to Phillips. The long drive was a deterrent, and the idea of a weekend at home was very tempting. I decided to go, though, and got there a little before 1 am Saturday night. More sleep would have been nice, but, oh well, I am used to not getting a good sleep before race day at this point. When I got to the venue Sunday morning, the lot didn't seem as full as last year. I can think of at least 10 or more people I know that went last year that didn't go this year. Multiply that and it adds up.
The course was v-v-v-v-verrrry b-b-b-b-b-b-bumpppppy. It's a good thing I don't have a good memory for courses. For some reason I couldn't remember this one at all (except for the road leadout), although I could picture the campgrounds and I did remember how nice the volunteers were. If I had known how much the course would aggravate my back I might have stayed home. I don't get to WORS early enough to preride, so the courses are always a bit of a surprise. This one was a bumpy, dusty, teeth-rattling surprise!! Even the open areas were too bumpy, for me at least, to go fast and pass people.
It got windy and overcast before the start. Cooler, uh-oh. I heard them calling up the women earlier than usual, I had thought I had another 4 or 5 minutes, so I made a beeline over to the start and slipped into the start area just after my name was called. The road leadout went well for me, until we hit the hill. Then a clump of better hill climbers passed me. In the singletrack we had some raindrops, which fortunately didn't last for long at all. Then we heard air raid sirens. They kept going, and going, and......going. We were asking each other what was up. Tornado? war? I asked some volunteers - one said if I could hear the sirens I wasn't racing hard enough. Turns out they were probably summoning firefighters in town to a big fire. Thanks to all the volunteers that were out there directing us. There were lots of people to ask about the sirens, even if they didn't know the answer.
The people I usually see around me in a race passed me, which was discouraging. Shoulda gotten here earlier, gotten more sleep last night...a longer warm up... ridden less last week....eaten better.....all the stuff that goes through your mind.... I did more walking/running up hills than I would have liked, but I couldn't afford to crash on top of the pounding my back was getting. At one point I took a really big hit to the spine on a downhill - usually I can get out of the saddle in time for those giant ones but this one caught me totally by surprise. Boom!!! I could visualize my poor L5-S1 disc squishing out in all directions like a marshmallow in a squashed s'more. I was hoping that was not the case, but I couldn't shake the visual.
Near the middle of the second lap some people passed me that I wasn't expecting to see - that woke me up out of my haze and at that point I had to pour it on in the open sections, bumpy or not. I managed to pass most of them back, whew. Some of it I had to do at the squishy marshy grassy area near the end . I was expecting a long open stretch where I could gain some time and instead I was going "oh, yeah, now I remember this" as my tires sunk into marshy ground and I felt like I was swimming to the finish. Glub, glub....
Ahhhhh, the nice cold, wet towel at the finish. That I did remember. Perfect for the dust all over our legs. We sat down at the picnic table for a few minutes and dug in to the all you can eat watermelon! Yum! Sticky watermelon fingers and a nice cool cloth to wash them. Thanks again to the volunteers who had the washclothes and watermelon waiting for us!
The Sports got rained on and had they not been in the woods they might have blown away. The guy in the building with the walkie talkie told all the lunch-eaters not to leave the building due to the dangerous high winds. It was sunny by the Expert and Comp race. What a schizophrenic day! During the expert race the fairgrounds felt deserted because so many people drove over to the feed zone to watch and feed. It felt like everyone had gone home.
There were some impressive results - I don't remember them all right now, but I will congratulate fellow blogger Brittany on her awesome second place overall in sport as well as teammate John for winning his age group and placing well overall!
All the way home in the car, among other things, my tailbone ached. I squirmed around alot, trying to find a more comfortable position. When I told the chiropractor yesterday about the big hit to the spine, she said, "yeah, I can tell. Your tailbone got slammed into your sacrum, the tailbone area is puffy, and it affected your neck, too." It amazes me that they can pick up on stuff like that before we even tell them. I don't know how people on hardtails survived this race. Maybe it will catch up with them years down the road like it is with me. Hope not, though. I have this unwelcome vision of the bike racers' old age home, all of us hobbling around, bent over our canes and such after all the crashes we've all had over all the years. As Holly K. put it earlier this year when I was worrying a bit about injuries, you want to be able to walk when you are 80!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Genetically Modified food
I got an email titled "Is your rice contaminated with human genes?". Now that is a new one to me. Human genes in our food? A new twist on Genetically Modified foods, I guess. I haven't watched this video to comment on whether it's worth watching, but here is the link to it and to some articles for anyone with an interest in the subject.
Video Link
Note: the first time I went to the link I could access the whole thing, but the second time they asked me to sign up for their newsletter before I could go any further.
Video Link
Note: the first time I went to the link I could access the whole thing, but the second time they asked me to sign up for their newsletter before I could go any further.
HPT?
Has anyone ever ridden at the Human Powered Trails in LaCrosse? If so, how would you describe them? I'm guessing they are pretty hilly, being LaCrosse. I am wondering how technical they are?
Friday, June 15, 2007
Chicago Criterium
(CORRECTION on the date of this event: Ooops, I was so excited when I read about this (or so tired) that it failed to register that the Chicago Crit is in 2008 NOT 2007!! Sorry for the misinformation.)
Well, I just read about the new Chicago Criterium, to be held in Grant Park on July 27, 2008. Two big local race announcements in one week. At first I thought they meant July 27, 2007, hence the correction. Whew, glad I don't have to choose where to go that weekend.
Well, I just read about the new Chicago Criterium, to be held in Grant Park on July 27, 2008. Two big local race announcements in one week. At first I thought they meant July 27, 2007, hence the correction. Whew, glad I don't have to choose where to go that weekend.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Cooler by the lake
I can't wait until the daytime lakefront temperatures catch up with everywhere else! The radio weather report says it's only 72 here by the lake, but 86 inland. 86 sounds perfect to me. I guess either the water has to get warmer or the wind has to be coming from inland. Hopefully this will happen any day now. Can't wait.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Evanston Crit!
I just found out that there is an Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Grand Prix of Cycling in the Superweek Schedule! How cool is that?
I haven't made it to watch a Stupidweek race in a couple of years, due to mountain bike race conflicts. I don't know as many people racing superweek as I used to, either. Regardless, I am really excited about having this so close to home! I did not know this was coming here, I have fallen really out of the loop on road stuff....
I'm just about jumping up and down about this! I think that may help make the decision about whether or not to go to Mtb Nats... which I am way too out of shape for anyway.....
I haven't made it to watch a Stupidweek race in a couple of years, due to mountain bike race conflicts. I don't know as many people racing superweek as I used to, either. Regardless, I am really excited about having this so close to home! I did not know this was coming here, I have fallen really out of the loop on road stuff....
I'm just about jumping up and down about this! I think that may help make the decision about whether or not to go to Mtb Nats... which I am way too out of shape for anyway.....
Monday, June 11, 2007
12 Hours of John Muir, part 1
Perfect weather, fluffy clouds overhead, all in all a great day at Kettle. Thanks to Kenny and the Cyclopath crew for putting on a great race!
My friend Scott got stuck in city traffic getting to my house so we got a late start on the road. We got there at 2:15 or so for a 3:00 race, but it all worked out. Neither of us got warmups. I did forget to put my Garmin on my wrist in the hurry to get ready, so I had a heart monitor strap on with no watch! The Forerunner would have really helped, but at least I had my regular watch on. We both missed the prerace meeting. I have done so many of these that I hoped I'd be ok.
When we got to registration Sheri said that for me, it would be $100. Good thing for me she was just kidding. I bought some raffle tix, too. Some sweet prizes on the picnic table.
The running starts are not my favorite thing. I had to give up running years ago, so I do a pretty lame fast walk to the bikes. This put me last, or close to last, onto the trail and into the woods. I hadn't been to Kettle since the Fall Color Fest last year, that would be like 7 months? Since I race pretty much every weekend, I seldom get to go ride there. I know the blue trail the best, although the 3 and 6 hour did do the orange last year at the 2006 12 hour race. So we went right at the junctions where the marshalls were standing, when my last ride there was left. Before long, after the next very sharp left into the woods, nothing seemed familiar! I had no idea where I was, I was pretty confused! There were still people around, so I kept plugging along. Later on in the lap, when we were more spread out, I was convinced that I had made a wrong turn somewhere, because it didn't look anything like what I remembered the orange trail to be. As faster riders passed me, I kept asking if I was on the right trail for the 3 and 6 hour.... I couldn't stop thinking about it. I'd see something that was familiar but then it would get weird again! I have to say it was fun, though! I loved the old trails - I prefer roller coaster old school fall-line trails - but they did a great job on these new ones! (built, I imagine, to the current standard of environmentally correct trailbuilding) Bench cut trails (Colorado race courses, and 12 Hours of Winter in Kewaunee come to mind) often make me squirm, but these were rideable even for me.
Do you like your bench cut trails to drop away on the right or the left or you don't care? I used to have a strong preference. Currently I think I would rather ride on trails that drop away to the left, where the uphill is on your right. I think it's cuz I am better with putting the right foot down and/or falling to the right. I also tell people to pass to the left. I am much more comfortable with that, probably, again, cuz I like to bail to the right. Anyone else besides me care about this stuff? Maybe you guys never get passed!
That's all for now, gotta get to bed! Hopefully more later.
My friend Scott got stuck in city traffic getting to my house so we got a late start on the road. We got there at 2:15 or so for a 3:00 race, but it all worked out. Neither of us got warmups. I did forget to put my Garmin on my wrist in the hurry to get ready, so I had a heart monitor strap on with no watch! The Forerunner would have really helped, but at least I had my regular watch on. We both missed the prerace meeting. I have done so many of these that I hoped I'd be ok.
When we got to registration Sheri said that for me, it would be $100. Good thing for me she was just kidding. I bought some raffle tix, too. Some sweet prizes on the picnic table.
The running starts are not my favorite thing. I had to give up running years ago, so I do a pretty lame fast walk to the bikes. This put me last, or close to last, onto the trail and into the woods. I hadn't been to Kettle since the Fall Color Fest last year, that would be like 7 months? Since I race pretty much every weekend, I seldom get to go ride there. I know the blue trail the best, although the 3 and 6 hour did do the orange last year at the 2006 12 hour race. So we went right at the junctions where the marshalls were standing, when my last ride there was left. Before long, after the next very sharp left into the woods, nothing seemed familiar! I had no idea where I was, I was pretty confused! There were still people around, so I kept plugging along. Later on in the lap, when we were more spread out, I was convinced that I had made a wrong turn somewhere, because it didn't look anything like what I remembered the orange trail to be. As faster riders passed me, I kept asking if I was on the right trail for the 3 and 6 hour.... I couldn't stop thinking about it. I'd see something that was familiar but then it would get weird again! I have to say it was fun, though! I loved the old trails - I prefer roller coaster old school fall-line trails - but they did a great job on these new ones! (built, I imagine, to the current standard of environmentally correct trailbuilding) Bench cut trails (Colorado race courses, and 12 Hours of Winter in Kewaunee come to mind) often make me squirm, but these were rideable even for me.
Do you like your bench cut trails to drop away on the right or the left or you don't care? I used to have a strong preference. Currently I think I would rather ride on trails that drop away to the left, where the uphill is on your right. I think it's cuz I am better with putting the right foot down and/or falling to the right. I also tell people to pass to the left. I am much more comfortable with that, probably, again, cuz I like to bail to the right. Anyone else besides me care about this stuff? Maybe you guys never get passed!
That's all for now, gotta get to bed! Hopefully more later.
Please vote for Raggedy Andy for the Toy Hall of Fame!
12 Hours of John Muir report will be coming soon, probably when my visiting friend leaves town!
in the meantime, please humor me as you read this.... you can just read the next two paragraphs if you'd rather not read the whole story.
Raggedy Ann sits alone in the Toy Hall of Fame, without Raggedy Andy! How sad! I got a mailing last week asking me to vote for Andy to enter the hall of fame. I was reminded of this yesterday when my visiting friend Tawnya and I went walking around E-town to see how it has changed since she moved away. We saw a window display at a toy store with lots of Anns and Andys, which charmed us both. Then today I read in the Chicago Tribune that at the Raggedy Festival over the weekend in Arcola, IL, they had a big push to have people sign petitions to put Raggedy Andy in the Toy Hall of Fame alongside Ann. This is Raggedy Andy's chance to join his sister!
So I am asking you (even if you think it's kind of silly) to go to the Raggedy Ann museum site and sign the petition to put Andy in the Hall of Fame! You can have your name appear as "anonymous" if you check the box. And uncheck the second box if you don't want junk mail from the petition site.
http://www.raggedyann-museum.org/
Why am I asking you to sign this petition?
When I was about one, my grandmother gave me a Raggedy Andy. It became my favorite toy, and it wasn't long before Raggedy Andy was joined by a Raggedy Ann. Andy stayed a favorite, even when his entire mop of red hair fell off in one piece one day! Even bald, with a dirty face, and a little the worse for wear, Raggedy Andy, along with Ann, was one of the best toy friends a little girl could have. Eventually I had a whole family of them in different sizes, like other girls collected Barbies. One of them would almost always go along on family trips and other outings. They were so much more lovable to me and such better companions, from my point of view, than alot of the other more "fashionable" dolls out there.
Eventually their arms would be hanging by a thread, then would fall off, from being carried around by the arm, and would get sewn back on. When Andy "broke" his leg from jumping off a ledge or fighting off the bad guys, I would wrap the leg with gauze or even toilet paper, to the embarrassment of my mother, I am sure, who had to be seen in public with me. I would spend hours drawing Raggedy Ann and Andy comics, and I would force my poor parents to sit through "performances" (really boring plays) that they would act in.
As I got older I got interested in things like bicycles (really? you're kidding? bet that was a surprise to you!!), collecting Matchbox cars, and other kid stuff. But I never lost interest in Raggedy Ann and Andy. I had the books and the bedsheets and a wastebasket and so on. When I grew up, I didn't think much about Ann and Andy, but I kept the old ones, most of them stored at my parent's house along with my old Matchbox and Hot Wheels collection.
When my friends started having kids, I had the dilemma of "what do I buy for a gift?" After some thought, the answer seemed obvious! Raggedy Ann and Andy, or at least one of them. The friends who had triplet boys (yikes!!) got three Raggedy Andys from me at their shower, and they said that was one of the best presents they got!!
I have somehow become the Raggedy Evangelist when it comes to shower gifts. I would like the kids of this new generation to at least be exposed to old-fashioned Ann and Andy, and they can make their own choice about whether or not they like them.
Then my little nephew came along, and it turns out he loves Ann and Andy, and usually sleeps with at least one of them. Then my mother got him a big Andy, whom he absolutely adores. That gave me the idea to do a photo book of "Raggedy Andy's Adventures in Chicago", so he would think that his Andy went on an exciting trip to see his aunt and grandmother. He has a duplicate Big Andy at my mother's house for when they come to town to visit. So I have borrowed Big Andy #2 and have been taking pictures of him in various places, intending to either assemble a photo book myself, or to use Apple's mac.com website to make a "real" bound book for him. Andy has even attempted to learn to ride a bike, with limited success, due to short legs! (thanks to Mike S. for patiently helping with those Andy on a bike photos) Someday you might even see Big Andy on the start line at a WORS or WEMS race.
(photos coming soon)
in the meantime, please humor me as you read this.... you can just read the next two paragraphs if you'd rather not read the whole story.
Raggedy Ann sits alone in the Toy Hall of Fame, without Raggedy Andy! How sad! I got a mailing last week asking me to vote for Andy to enter the hall of fame. I was reminded of this yesterday when my visiting friend Tawnya and I went walking around E-town to see how it has changed since she moved away. We saw a window display at a toy store with lots of Anns and Andys, which charmed us both. Then today I read in the Chicago Tribune that at the Raggedy Festival over the weekend in Arcola, IL, they had a big push to have people sign petitions to put Raggedy Andy in the Toy Hall of Fame alongside Ann. This is Raggedy Andy's chance to join his sister!
So I am asking you (even if you think it's kind of silly) to go to the Raggedy Ann museum site and sign the petition to put Andy in the Hall of Fame! You can have your name appear as "anonymous" if you check the box. And uncheck the second box if you don't want junk mail from the petition site.
http://www.raggedyann-museum.org/
Why am I asking you to sign this petition?
When I was about one, my grandmother gave me a Raggedy Andy. It became my favorite toy, and it wasn't long before Raggedy Andy was joined by a Raggedy Ann. Andy stayed a favorite, even when his entire mop of red hair fell off in one piece one day! Even bald, with a dirty face, and a little the worse for wear, Raggedy Andy, along with Ann, was one of the best toy friends a little girl could have. Eventually I had a whole family of them in different sizes, like other girls collected Barbies. One of them would almost always go along on family trips and other outings. They were so much more lovable to me and such better companions, from my point of view, than alot of the other more "fashionable" dolls out there.
Eventually their arms would be hanging by a thread, then would fall off, from being carried around by the arm, and would get sewn back on. When Andy "broke" his leg from jumping off a ledge or fighting off the bad guys, I would wrap the leg with gauze or even toilet paper, to the embarrassment of my mother, I am sure, who had to be seen in public with me. I would spend hours drawing Raggedy Ann and Andy comics, and I would force my poor parents to sit through "performances" (really boring plays) that they would act in.
As I got older I got interested in things like bicycles (really? you're kidding? bet that was a surprise to you!!), collecting Matchbox cars, and other kid stuff. But I never lost interest in Raggedy Ann and Andy. I had the books and the bedsheets and a wastebasket and so on. When I grew up, I didn't think much about Ann and Andy, but I kept the old ones, most of them stored at my parent's house along with my old Matchbox and Hot Wheels collection.
When my friends started having kids, I had the dilemma of "what do I buy for a gift?" After some thought, the answer seemed obvious! Raggedy Ann and Andy, or at least one of them. The friends who had triplet boys (yikes!!) got three Raggedy Andys from me at their shower, and they said that was one of the best presents they got!!
I have somehow become the Raggedy Evangelist when it comes to shower gifts. I would like the kids of this new generation to at least be exposed to old-fashioned Ann and Andy, and they can make their own choice about whether or not they like them.
Then my little nephew came along, and it turns out he loves Ann and Andy, and usually sleeps with at least one of them. Then my mother got him a big Andy, whom he absolutely adores. That gave me the idea to do a photo book of "Raggedy Andy's Adventures in Chicago", so he would think that his Andy went on an exciting trip to see his aunt and grandmother. He has a duplicate Big Andy at my mother's house for when they come to town to visit. So I have borrowed Big Andy #2 and have been taking pictures of him in various places, intending to either assemble a photo book myself, or to use Apple's mac.com website to make a "real" bound book for him. Andy has even attempted to learn to ride a bike, with limited success, due to short legs! (thanks to Mike S. for patiently helping with those Andy on a bike photos) Someday you might even see Big Andy on the start line at a WORS or WEMS race.
(photos coming soon)
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Chicago is not the only Windy City
Tawnya missed her plane - there wasn't room for a bike box on the one she was supposed to be on so she is taking the next one. But, with the high winds in Denver causing big delays, it's almost 11 pm and the plane still hasn't taken off yet. She asked if I could pick her up since it's so late, and the train won't be running anymore. She staying at another friend's house not far from me. When she called right before take off at 11:25, that would put her in at 1:30 am .... time for a nap?
I missed riding both Monday and Tuesday, because of rain one day, then staying late at work. Tonight the same thing was happening - it was really too late for a ride in daylight. But I just couldn't miss another day of riding, so out came the "real" lights, not just the blinkies I always have at dusk. There is something refreshing about night riding anyway. It was really windy already, and tomorrow the winds are supposed to get up to 45 mph!
Ok, time for the nap. I'm only going to get like 45 minutes before it's time to go! I usually don't have any trouble staying up, but I couldn't get comfortable last night and didn't sleep much. Sounds like the sciatica thing must be keeping other WORS people up, too - Russell mentioned his in his blog today.
I missed riding both Monday and Tuesday, because of rain one day, then staying late at work. Tonight the same thing was happening - it was really too late for a ride in daylight. But I just couldn't miss another day of riding, so out came the "real" lights, not just the blinkies I always have at dusk. There is something refreshing about night riding anyway. It was really windy already, and tomorrow the winds are supposed to get up to 45 mph!
Ok, time for the nap. I'm only going to get like 45 minutes before it's time to go! I usually don't have any trouble staying up, but I couldn't get comfortable last night and didn't sleep much. Sounds like the sciatica thing must be keeping other WORS people up, too - Russell mentioned his in his blog today.
Breach of Security
Ah, nothing like a few surprises in the mail along with the fresh new Velo-News! I got a letter from the state telling me that security was breached on a computer that had my name and ss number on it. They recommend putting a fraud alert on my file at each of the credit bureaus, and going over my credit reports carefully. And possibly taking stronger measures, such as doing a freeze. It's race season, don't they know know there isn't time for one more thing on the list??!!
Couldn't the hackers do this stuff in the wintertime? Seriously though, this is at least the fourth time over the past few years I have gotten a notice like this from a company or organization, not counting the time someone actually did steal my card number and start buying stuff!!
My to do list is out of control. The whirlwind of race season is in full tilt. It seems like I get back from one race, and before I have a chance to get the car cleaned out and my stuff washed, it's the weekend and time to pack for another one! And in between I am tracking down shoe buckles, or trying to locate new brake pads and rotors (which of course I should have "in stock" at home), or trying to get a wobbly wheel trued, or whatever. And that's just bike stuff. "Life" stuff is really getting neglected, I'm way behind and it's only the beginning of June!
I never got to post a story from the Lake Geneva race. I'm still hoping to get one written about Wausau weekend.
My friend Tawnya gets into town late tonight, to visit her old friends and to meet up with her Dad and sister. She is training for Leadville in August. She is bringing a road bike, but would love to borrow a mountain bike while she is here, until Tuesday. If anyone close by knows a place to rent from or someone about 5'5" (a small frame, I think) to borrow from?? My bikes are too big. She wants to ride either at Kettle or Palos.
Tomorrow morning she is going to road ride 4 hours, then 2 on Friday. I will likely start out on both rides, and turn around when my back says "enough of this", and go to work.
WEMS is going to be fun on Saturday! It sounds like the whole world is going to this race. Someone was asking me if the parking lot will fill up. I think that the grassy part will eventually fill, but that hopefully we won't end up having to go across the street to the Nordic lot.
Couldn't the hackers do this stuff in the wintertime? Seriously though, this is at least the fourth time over the past few years I have gotten a notice like this from a company or organization, not counting the time someone actually did steal my card number and start buying stuff!!
My to do list is out of control. The whirlwind of race season is in full tilt. It seems like I get back from one race, and before I have a chance to get the car cleaned out and my stuff washed, it's the weekend and time to pack for another one! And in between I am tracking down shoe buckles, or trying to locate new brake pads and rotors (which of course I should have "in stock" at home), or trying to get a wobbly wheel trued, or whatever. And that's just bike stuff. "Life" stuff is really getting neglected, I'm way behind and it's only the beginning of June!
I never got to post a story from the Lake Geneva race. I'm still hoping to get one written about Wausau weekend.
My friend Tawnya gets into town late tonight, to visit her old friends and to meet up with her Dad and sister. She is training for Leadville in August. She is bringing a road bike, but would love to borrow a mountain bike while she is here, until Tuesday. If anyone close by knows a place to rent from or someone about 5'5" (a small frame, I think) to borrow from?? My bikes are too big. She wants to ride either at Kettle or Palos.
Tomorrow morning she is going to road ride 4 hours, then 2 on Friday. I will likely start out on both rides, and turn around when my back says "enough of this", and go to work.
WEMS is going to be fun on Saturday! It sounds like the whole world is going to this race. Someone was asking me if the parking lot will fill up. I think that the grassy part will eventually fill, but that hopefully we won't end up having to go across the street to the Nordic lot.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Congratulations
Congratulations to young WORS racer Arin L. who is graduating this weekend. It's high school for her next year! She will miss the Wausau race. Have a fun weekend, Arin!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Broken Spoke
No, not the saloon in Sturgis and Daytona....
In the race Saturday I noticed a sound that made me wonder if my new brake pads were rubbing on my new rotor. Later at home, when checking to see if the pads were really rubbing (they were fine), I saw that the wheel was out of true. I took it into the shop near me to see if they could true it. Lou, the owner, noticed something that I wouldn't have - a broken spoke that hadn't popped out yet. (I realize most of you blog readers would have known to look for this, but I don't think I have ever broken one) He fixed it on the spot. A Big Thanks goes out to Lou, John and Chris at the Pony Shop! In the past few weeks, it seems like every week I have had something on my race bike that has needed fixing or replacing or changing. Each time, one of the guys has managed to get my bike done in time for my weekend race, even though they were crazy busy!! Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!
In the race Saturday I noticed a sound that made me wonder if my new brake pads were rubbing on my new rotor. Later at home, when checking to see if the pads were really rubbing (they were fine), I saw that the wheel was out of true. I took it into the shop near me to see if they could true it. Lou, the owner, noticed something that I wouldn't have - a broken spoke that hadn't popped out yet. (I realize most of you blog readers would have known to look for this, but I don't think I have ever broken one) He fixed it on the spot. A Big Thanks goes out to Lou, John and Chris at the Pony Shop! In the past few weeks, it seems like every week I have had something on my race bike that has needed fixing or replacing or changing. Each time, one of the guys has managed to get my bike done in time for my weekend race, even though they were crazy busy!! Thanks guys, I really appreciate it!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
12 Hours of Gears
Today (Saturday) I got to do one of my favorite races. For many, last weekend's race course was ideal. For me, today's course was my kind of course. Fun, fun, fun. Roller coaster downhills. Flowing. Old school trails. 12 Hours of New Fane, formerly known as 12 hours of Gears. The anticipated 6:00 showers held off, and the sun even made an appearance a few times.
Thanks to Brittany and her crew for putting on a great race! They did a great job.
Thanks to Kim for the bottle hand-up.
Congrats to Chris S. on getting first place in his first ever 6-hour race! And to Gabi for getting first place in the women's 6-hour!
Congrats to Anne and Coop on their wedding. Nothing like a little 6 hour race honeymoon the day after your wedding!
I feel like I have been run over by a truck. I haven't raced (or ridden!) for 3 hours at one time, much less on a mountain bike, since a long race last September! And having to take April off from working out didn't help my fitness either. I thought I was going to die on the hills on the last two laps. Also, I felt a constant sharp pain in my back for a while - I thought it was just back pain, but then was also kind of wondering if could be from an insect - it felt like there was an open safety pin in the waistband of my shorts sticking in my spine. When I got home, I saw a gigantic bug bite, absolutely huge. I wonder what got me, a giant spider? World's biggest mosquito? Hopefully not a tick. Itches like crazy. The "pin" felt like it was in there for a couple of laps.....
I can barely keep my eyes open, I'm going to have to finish this later after some sleep..... I hope some of you (Chris & Kim, DJ & Wendy, and more) enjoy Bike the Drive in the morning. I'm going to be asleep!
Thanks to Brittany and her crew for putting on a great race! They did a great job.
Thanks to Kim for the bottle hand-up.
Congrats to Chris S. on getting first place in his first ever 6-hour race! And to Gabi for getting first place in the women's 6-hour!
Congrats to Anne and Coop on their wedding. Nothing like a little 6 hour race honeymoon the day after your wedding!
I feel like I have been run over by a truck. I haven't raced (or ridden!) for 3 hours at one time, much less on a mountain bike, since a long race last September! And having to take April off from working out didn't help my fitness either. I thought I was going to die on the hills on the last two laps. Also, I felt a constant sharp pain in my back for a while - I thought it was just back pain, but then was also kind of wondering if could be from an insect - it felt like there was an open safety pin in the waistband of my shorts sticking in my spine. When I got home, I saw a gigantic bug bite, absolutely huge. I wonder what got me, a giant spider? World's biggest mosquito? Hopefully not a tick. Itches like crazy. The "pin" felt like it was in there for a couple of laps.....
I can barely keep my eyes open, I'm going to have to finish this later after some sleep..... I hope some of you (Chris & Kim, DJ & Wendy, and more) enjoy Bike the Drive in the morning. I'm going to be asleep!
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Cicadas are here!
I saw some cicadas tonight on my road ride! They were clinging to the smaller trees on Sheridan Road near Tower, in Winnetka. The trees I saw had a few here and there, definitely not swarms yet. The early ones are risking not finding a mate - they might get eaten long before they find the One!
It's possible some of the ones I saw onn the trees from the road were really just shells, and that the actual cicada had left the shell. When I got up close, I noticed one guy with deep red beady eyes that was halfway out of his shell. I stared right at him but there was no sign that he noticed. Then again, I just looked like another bug with my riding glasses and my helmet on....
I went out tonight with a flashlight and didn't see any right outside my house, but I think they'll be there soon. I'm wondering if they will be out up at the 12 Hours of Gears race tomorrow? I hope not. Give me a Clif Blok over a cicada for race food anyday!
It's possible some of the ones I saw onn the trees from the road were really just shells, and that the actual cicada had left the shell. When I got up close, I noticed one guy with deep red beady eyes that was halfway out of his shell. I stared right at him but there was no sign that he noticed. Then again, I just looked like another bug with my riding glasses and my helmet on....
I went out tonight with a flashlight and didn't see any right outside my house, but I think they'll be there soon. I'm wondering if they will be out up at the 12 Hours of Gears race tomorrow? I hope not. Give me a Clif Blok over a cicada for race food anyday!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Goodbye Craig and Kristine
Early this morning Craig and Kristine headed out on the road to The People's Republic of Boulder. One of them drove this big yellow behemoth and the other drove their vehicle. It seems bigger in real life than it looks in this picture! I snapped this pic at dusk on my way to a goodbye gathering at Nevin's last night. Evanstonians, want to guess this intersection?
I got to Nevin's late, having something else to do first. They had a little gathering of our local gang. It was fun. I am really sad that they are leaving. Kristine just finished four years of medical school here and is heading back to Colorado for her podiatry residency. Congratulations Kristine!
They are avid climbers, runners and cyclists, and are pretty excited about going back to Colorado. And they just bought their first house, another milestone! Congrats on the new house, as well!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Race Guide for the technically challenged rider
The Singletrack Slowpoke's Guide to Sunday's Course, for the Technically Challenged Rider. If you are not technically challenged, don't bother to read this, it won't make sense....
After reading the reports and seeing some great pics from elite riders, I think that it is only fair to have a alternate course description for all the singletrack slowpokes out there. There have to be people besides me that would have bruises, scrapes and rookie chainring holes in their leg after riding this particular course! Just as I know that there are others who pause to muster up some courage at the drop-in to the singletrack, wondering if they will make it down in one piece! And who panic at the sight of the rock garden and the ravine. If this sounds familiar, then this is for you!
Big thanks to all the people who have been out there tirelessly working away to provide everyone with a challenging course! They have put many hours of work into this, and are constantly making changes to make it better. The elite and comp riders deserve a course that is challenging enough for them once in a while, even if the rest of us struggle a bit.
Course features are not necessarily in order. I don't remember the order that things came in. I don't have a good memory for race courses. I am really not the one who should be doing this!
You could think of the course as a test....
If you are a citizen, the start is not bad. It's climbing but not straight up the ski hill. From the back of the ski hill, there is a loose gravelly drop in to the singletrack. Do you
a) ride the sketchy drop and hope you make it in one piece?
b) try to walk down it with your bike, slip in the loose gravel, and end up sliding down on your rear end with your bike trying to escape down the hill
c) take the alternate easier route a little further down the road
I have already tried b) so you don't have to, and I would suggest that you try either a) or c) depending on which category you are racing! My teammate said it wasn't really that bad. Walking it could be worse than riding. Or take the other route. (I noticed one guy stopping to line himself up with the drop, then he paused to get up his nerve before he rode it.)
You are barrelling along, and you see two or three sandy round mound-like bumps with a bushy tree on the left. Kind of like little whoops real close to one another. Should you get off now, or see how it goes, it's just a couple after all, and they aren't that big?
a) there are several more around the tree that you can't see, get off while you can
b) no, try to ride them, get your front wheel stuck between two bumps, lose your balance, and fall over
c) ride them, thinking how much fun this course is!
d) hope that they flatten them out some and groom them before the race
I tried b, then a, and now I am hoping for d!!! if your answer was c, you shouldn't be reading this! Go upgrade!
Approaching the rock garden, you
a) panic and get off and attempt to walk through the rocks, slipping and sliding and losing your footing as you go, then freeze when you see the ravine that you are totally unprepared for
b) grit your teeth and try to ride left to right, keeping your speed and trying to be positioned to hit the ravine as you emerge
c) be really glad you are a citizen and don't have to ride it at all
d) be glad you are a sport and don't have to ride the whole thing
I can tell you that in this particular garden walking or running the bike doesn't really work. It's just too hard to keep your footing on those piles of round rocks without twisting an ankle, and then you won't be set up for the ravine/rut after it. Either b) ride it, or be glad you are a citizen and don't have to!
Up ahead are two little harmless looking skinny roots across the trail, a little off the ground, that look totally rideable. Are they?
a) they're not, they pop up and catch the knobs on your front wheel, careful!
b) awww, ride right over 'em, no problem
c) ride over 'em, but stay to the right where they are closer to the ground. or maybe lift your front wheel as you go over?
I experienced a) and I almost went flying. I don't understand the physics of it though. They look so innocent. Go for c?
People have been telling you how nasty the mud pit is. How do you get through it?
a) you never saw it, you have no idea what they were talking about. where is it?
b) you hear that it might get cut out, and you hope that's true.
either a or b works for me. I missed the turn for it, somehow.
All those Logs!!!
If you are trying to recover from a back injury,
a) pretend you are in a 'cross race and run them.
If not, b) ride those logs!
All the off camber stuff, especially the uphill off camber stuff
a) ride the uphill stuff for as long as you can last, then bail and hope for the best
b) recognize your limitations, get off, and take the opportunity to rest your aching back by walking
first lap, a. getting tired and your back needs a rest, b
Uh, those trees look really close together, thunk, aaaarrrrgggghhh!
a) cut your bars ahead of time
b) stand around in the parking lot talking about whether you should cut your bars
c) slow down to make sure your bars, cut or not, make it through without hitting the trees
d) keep your speed, look down the trail, thunk, arrrrrrrgggggghhhhh!
c worked pretty well for me. glad my bars got cut a couple of years ago! I think the Alterra intestinal course prompted me to do that. I still came awfully close though.
What should I use for the bruises?
a) arnica gel, if the skin isn't broken
b) ice
c) ibuprofen
d) ice cold beer
all of the above. you choose the order, I would do b, c, a then d.
Well, it's really late Thursday night, I must go to sleep. That's it for now. Stay safe, and enjoy the course! All that painful stuff will make us stronger. Someday. In the meantime keep lots of ice packs and bags of peas in the freezer!
After reading the reports and seeing some great pics from elite riders, I think that it is only fair to have a alternate course description for all the singletrack slowpokes out there. There have to be people besides me that would have bruises, scrapes and rookie chainring holes in their leg after riding this particular course! Just as I know that there are others who pause to muster up some courage at the drop-in to the singletrack, wondering if they will make it down in one piece! And who panic at the sight of the rock garden and the ravine. If this sounds familiar, then this is for you!
Big thanks to all the people who have been out there tirelessly working away to provide everyone with a challenging course! They have put many hours of work into this, and are constantly making changes to make it better. The elite and comp riders deserve a course that is challenging enough for them once in a while, even if the rest of us struggle a bit.
Course features are not necessarily in order. I don't remember the order that things came in. I don't have a good memory for race courses. I am really not the one who should be doing this!
You could think of the course as a test....
If you are a citizen, the start is not bad. It's climbing but not straight up the ski hill. From the back of the ski hill, there is a loose gravelly drop in to the singletrack. Do you
a) ride the sketchy drop and hope you make it in one piece?
b) try to walk down it with your bike, slip in the loose gravel, and end up sliding down on your rear end with your bike trying to escape down the hill
c) take the alternate easier route a little further down the road
I have already tried b) so you don't have to, and I would suggest that you try either a) or c) depending on which category you are racing! My teammate said it wasn't really that bad. Walking it could be worse than riding. Or take the other route. (I noticed one guy stopping to line himself up with the drop, then he paused to get up his nerve before he rode it.)
You are barrelling along, and you see two or three sandy round mound-like bumps with a bushy tree on the left. Kind of like little whoops real close to one another. Should you get off now, or see how it goes, it's just a couple after all, and they aren't that big?
a) there are several more around the tree that you can't see, get off while you can
b) no, try to ride them, get your front wheel stuck between two bumps, lose your balance, and fall over
c) ride them, thinking how much fun this course is!
d) hope that they flatten them out some and groom them before the race
I tried b, then a, and now I am hoping for d!!! if your answer was c, you shouldn't be reading this! Go upgrade!
Approaching the rock garden, you
a) panic and get off and attempt to walk through the rocks, slipping and sliding and losing your footing as you go, then freeze when you see the ravine that you are totally unprepared for
b) grit your teeth and try to ride left to right, keeping your speed and trying to be positioned to hit the ravine as you emerge
c) be really glad you are a citizen and don't have to ride it at all
d) be glad you are a sport and don't have to ride the whole thing
I can tell you that in this particular garden walking or running the bike doesn't really work. It's just too hard to keep your footing on those piles of round rocks without twisting an ankle, and then you won't be set up for the ravine/rut after it. Either b) ride it, or be glad you are a citizen and don't have to!
Up ahead are two little harmless looking skinny roots across the trail, a little off the ground, that look totally rideable. Are they?
a) they're not, they pop up and catch the knobs on your front wheel, careful!
b) awww, ride right over 'em, no problem
c) ride over 'em, but stay to the right where they are closer to the ground. or maybe lift your front wheel as you go over?
I experienced a) and I almost went flying. I don't understand the physics of it though. They look so innocent. Go for c?
People have been telling you how nasty the mud pit is. How do you get through it?
a) you never saw it, you have no idea what they were talking about. where is it?
b) you hear that it might get cut out, and you hope that's true.
either a or b works for me. I missed the turn for it, somehow.
All those Logs!!!
If you are trying to recover from a back injury,
a) pretend you are in a 'cross race and run them.
If not, b) ride those logs!
All the off camber stuff, especially the uphill off camber stuff
a) ride the uphill stuff for as long as you can last, then bail and hope for the best
b) recognize your limitations, get off, and take the opportunity to rest your aching back by walking
first lap, a. getting tired and your back needs a rest, b
Uh, those trees look really close together, thunk, aaaarrrrgggghhh!
a) cut your bars ahead of time
b) stand around in the parking lot talking about whether you should cut your bars
c) slow down to make sure your bars, cut or not, make it through without hitting the trees
d) keep your speed, look down the trail, thunk, arrrrrrrgggggghhhhh!
c worked pretty well for me. glad my bars got cut a couple of years ago! I think the Alterra intestinal course prompted me to do that. I still came awfully close though.
What should I use for the bruises?
a) arnica gel, if the skin isn't broken
b) ice
c) ibuprofen
d) ice cold beer
all of the above. you choose the order, I would do b, c, a then d.
Well, it's really late Thursday night, I must go to sleep. That's it for now. Stay safe, and enjoy the course! All that painful stuff will make us stronger. Someday. In the meantime keep lots of ice packs and bags of peas in the freezer!
Collegiate Nationals
Congrats to the NU Cycling Team for qualifying for Collegiate Nationals in Division 1, and to those on the team who went and made a strong showing there!
It sounds like there were some challenges involved, such as the 2 mile stretch of gravel which caused the number of flats to exceed the spare wheels available!
I read that Kellogg student Reed T. made the podium in 5th place in the Division 1 crit. Sounds like he is continuing in the tradition of past star Kellogg riders on the NU team, such as Jay Osborne, Chris DeKraay. and Paul Swinand.
I noticed alot of other familiar names in the results - WORS folks, 'Cross folks from both WI and IL (such as Devon H. and Megan M. from U of C, who did the ChiCross Cup series), Mike S. from the Pony Shop, and more. Great job, all!
It sounds like there were some challenges involved, such as the 2 mile stretch of gravel which caused the number of flats to exceed the spare wheels available!
I read that Kellogg student Reed T. made the podium in 5th place in the Division 1 crit. Sounds like he is continuing in the tradition of past star Kellogg riders on the NU team, such as Jay Osborne, Chris DeKraay. and Paul Swinand.
I noticed alot of other familiar names in the results - WORS folks, 'Cross folks from both WI and IL (such as Devon H. and Megan M. from U of C, who did the ChiCross Cup series), Mike S. from the Pony Shop, and more. Great job, all!
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Olympic Mountain Biking at Kettle?
A friend forwarded this to me today. His sister in law, a bike racer in Boulder, sent it to him. I'm not sure where it was originally published. (cyclingnews.com?) I know this was discussed long before Chicago got the US bid spot, and I guess it's still on the table.
I have to go to a team meeting/ride now, but you get the gist of it!
Subject: Olympic mountain biking at Kettle Moraine
Olympic mountain biking at Kettle Moraine?
Former Olympian Tom Schuler gave his support to nearby Walworth County's bid to host Olympic cycling events if Chicago is awarded the 2016 Summer Games. Chicago is up against other candidates including Rio de Janeiro, London, Tokyo, Madrid, and Prague. A selection will not be made until late 2008 or early 2009.
"Between Champaign, Illinois, the Fox Cities and Madison, there is no finer cycling than right here in Walworth County," said Schuler to the county board Tuesday according to the Gazette Extra. "That goes for mountain biking in the Kettle Moraine and road biking in Walworth County."
Schuler, who represented the US in the Olympics in 1980 for road events, was one of about 15 people supporting the county's effort to host cycling and possibly also rowing and equestrian events. The county board gave the effort unanimous support.
Fred Burkardt, development alliance executive director, predicted Olympic mountain biking at the Kettle Moraine's John Muir trails or at Alpine Valley Resort could bring in 40,000 to 50,000 people with a US$116 million economic impact.
"What Chicago lacks is our gain. We have rolling terrain in the county, whether it's the Kettle Moraine (for mountain biking), or the county roads and highways that are perfect (for road biking)," Kevin Brunner, Whitewater city manager and development alliance vice president. "If you go south of here, I don't know if you noticed, but it's kind of flat."
Kettle Moraine has hosted many mountain bike events including the US Collegiate Nationals.
I have to go to a team meeting/ride now, but you get the gist of it!
Subject: Olympic mountain biking at Kettle Moraine
Olympic mountain biking at Kettle Moraine?
Former Olympian Tom Schuler gave his support to nearby Walworth County's bid to host Olympic cycling events if Chicago is awarded the 2016 Summer Games. Chicago is up against other candidates including Rio de Janeiro, London, Tokyo, Madrid, and Prague. A selection will not be made until late 2008 or early 2009.
"Between Champaign, Illinois, the Fox Cities and Madison, there is no finer cycling than right here in Walworth County," said Schuler to the county board Tuesday according to the Gazette Extra. "That goes for mountain biking in the Kettle Moraine and road biking in Walworth County."
Schuler, who represented the US in the Olympics in 1980 for road events, was one of about 15 people supporting the county's effort to host cycling and possibly also rowing and equestrian events. The county board gave the effort unanimous support.
Fred Burkardt, development alliance executive director, predicted Olympic mountain biking at the Kettle Moraine's John Muir trails or at Alpine Valley Resort could bring in 40,000 to 50,000 people with a US$116 million economic impact.
"What Chicago lacks is our gain. We have rolling terrain in the county, whether it's the Kettle Moraine (for mountain biking), or the county roads and highways that are perfect (for road biking)," Kevin Brunner, Whitewater city manager and development alliance vice president. "If you go south of here, I don't know if you noticed, but it's kind of flat."
Kettle Moraine has hosted many mountain bike events including the US Collegiate Nationals.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Good Luck in Minnesota
I still haven't had time to write about Iola yet! In the meantime I want to wish Sara K-J of the Trek Midwest team good luck at the Maplelag race in MN this weekend! I hope she gets lots of UCI points at this race! Also, congrats on her Iola win.
Good luck to any other WORS racers who are going, as well!
Also, a *big* thanks to Sara for alot of helpful back rehab info she gave me after her race at Iola. This past month has been really rough for me, so it was good to learn about stuff no one else has told me. Her knowledge of the spine is truly impressive. I appreciate her taking the time to explain it to me when she was probably tired and hungry and wanting to change! Sara, I'll email you as soon as I can find your address - I think it's on my old computer.
Good luck to any other WORS racers who are going, as well!
Also, a *big* thanks to Sara for alot of helpful back rehab info she gave me after her race at Iola. This past month has been really rough for me, so it was good to learn about stuff no one else has told me. Her knowledge of the spine is truly impressive. I appreciate her taking the time to explain it to me when she was probably tired and hungry and wanting to change! Sara, I'll email you as soon as I can find your address - I think it's on my old computer.
CicadaFest?
I read that the cicadas are supposed to come out on May 22nd. I guess people are already seeing the young'uns emerging from the ground in forest preserves. Let's hope they don't come early! I don't know if they are only going to emerge in the Chicago area or if they will be coming out in Wisconsin too?? There may be the most spectators ever at a WORS race.... thousands of loud buzzing bugs! My overactive imagination is wondering what it would be like to be doing the Treadfest race on May 20th and riding through piles of crunchy cicadas! Not to mention having them hopping and flying all over the place, like into the holes of our helmets. Ugh.
A tooth filling fell out today. No more Tootsie Rolls for me!
A tooth filling fell out today. No more Tootsie Rolls for me!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
iPhone
Mac fans: Looks like the iPhone will be out on June 15th. CNET had a link to the Boy Genius Report which said that all AT&T wireless retail employees could not take a vacation between June 15 and July 15 because they expect that time to be one of their biggest selling seasons ever. I'm not planning on getting one of these, but I know some people can't wait.
From the Boy Genius Report:
To: All Company Owned Retail Employees
From: [Name removed]
Subject: iPhone Launch Period
Date: May 4, 2007
As previously announced, Apple and AT&T will soon debut the iPhone,
which combines a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and
breakthrough internet communications into one small and lightweight
handheld device. The new AT&T has a multiyear, exclusive agreement to
provide U.S. service for the iPhone.
To ensure proper staffing during the product launch period, Sales personnel
planning to take approved time off are encouraged to schedule their
vacations before June 15 or after July 15 to participate in the iPhone
launch.
Previously approved vacation will be allowed where voluntary rescheduling
is not feasible
No additional vacation requests will be approved during the launch period
(6/15 – 7/15).
I want to thank you in advance for your understanding as this is likely to
be the biggest selling period we have seen in a few years.
Happy Selling,
[Name removed]
From the Boy Genius Report:
To: All Company Owned Retail Employees
From: [Name removed]
Subject: iPhone Launch Period
Date: May 4, 2007
As previously announced, Apple and AT&T will soon debut the iPhone,
which combines a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and
breakthrough internet communications into one small and lightweight
handheld device. The new AT&T has a multiyear, exclusive agreement to
provide U.S. service for the iPhone.
To ensure proper staffing during the product launch period, Sales personnel
planning to take approved time off are encouraged to schedule their
vacations before June 15 or after July 15 to participate in the iPhone
launch.
Previously approved vacation will be allowed where voluntary rescheduling
is not feasible
No additional vacation requests will be approved during the launch period
(6/15 – 7/15).
I want to thank you in advance for your understanding as this is likely to
be the biggest selling period we have seen in a few years.
Happy Selling,
[Name removed]
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
WORS Iola
Here are some of my Iola pics. I think I did more talking than picture taking. Maybe more to come.
Hayes guys Lenny, Jay and Danny after their race.
Holly, Jason, Kevin, Scott and Ken before the Elite and Comp race. Ken says he thinks Scott looks really slow in this picture.
Holly starting her first Elite WORS race!
Go, Gabi! Only one more lap!
Great job, Dana! 2nd overall and 2nd age group.
Teammate Dave on the sandy downhill.
Hayes guys Lenny, Jay and Danny after their race.
Holly, Jason, Kevin, Scott and Ken before the Elite and Comp race. Ken says he thinks Scott looks really slow in this picture.
Holly starting her first Elite WORS race!
Go, Gabi! Only one more lap!
Great job, Dana! 2nd overall and 2nd age group.
Teammate Dave on the sandy downhill.
Monday, May 07, 2007
They say love hurts...
If you love, or used to love, pro cycling, this hurts.
I just got this article in an email. It came from Cyclingnews.com. I'm sure others will be posting it as well, but if you haven't read this, here is the latest depressing news from the world of pro cycling. Ouch.
Basso confesses his involvement in Operación Puerto
According to the Gazzetta dello Sport's Valerio Piccioni, Ivan Basso has confessed his involvement in Operación Puerto to the antidoping prosecutor Ettore Torri of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI). Today in Rome, CONI issued communiqué saying "Ivan Basso has largely admitted his responsibility relative to Operación Puerto and has provided the maximum collaboration to clarify the facts relative to his involvement."
Basso and his lawyer Massimo Martelli met with Torri for two hours in a legal office in the centre of Rome, where the confession of the winner of the 2006 Giro d'Italia winner came of his own accord.
The head of the Italian cycling federation Renato Di Rocco applauded Basso's decision to collaborate, telling the Gazzetta dello Sport, "Ivan has done exactly what everyone asked of Pantani, and Marco didn't do; now, we ask in the name of cycling to not leave Ivan Basso alone."
Although no further information has been released by Torri or the Italian Olympic Committee, there is speculation that Basso may receive a retroactive two-year suspension that could allow him to come back in time to ride the 2008 Giro d'Italia.
On Sunday, prior to today's announcement, Cyclingnews spoke with UCI president Pat McQuaid concerning speculation that a deal might be done between Basso and CONI. "There is no provision for a reduced sentence," he said then. "The WADA rules apply and the minimum sentence is two years, whether it is for admittance or non-admittance of an offence. The only time when you get less than two years is if you can prove it was mistaken or it was taken in foodstuffs, that kind of thing. But if you have been willingly involved in a doping activity, it is two years.
"I don't want to speculate on it [prior to such a deal being agreed - ed.], but the option is there for either the UCI or WADA to appeal to CAS."
Ivan Basso has not yet issued a statement, but a press conference is expected on Tuesday.
I just got this article in an email. It came from Cyclingnews.com. I'm sure others will be posting it as well, but if you haven't read this, here is the latest depressing news from the world of pro cycling. Ouch.
Basso confesses his involvement in Operación Puerto
According to the Gazzetta dello Sport's Valerio Piccioni, Ivan Basso has confessed his involvement in Operación Puerto to the antidoping prosecutor Ettore Torri of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI). Today in Rome, CONI issued communiqué saying "Ivan Basso has largely admitted his responsibility relative to Operación Puerto and has provided the maximum collaboration to clarify the facts relative to his involvement."
Basso and his lawyer Massimo Martelli met with Torri for two hours in a legal office in the centre of Rome, where the confession of the winner of the 2006 Giro d'Italia winner came of his own accord.
The head of the Italian cycling federation Renato Di Rocco applauded Basso's decision to collaborate, telling the Gazzetta dello Sport, "Ivan has done exactly what everyone asked of Pantani, and Marco didn't do; now, we ask in the name of cycling to not leave Ivan Basso alone."
Although no further information has been released by Torri or the Italian Olympic Committee, there is speculation that Basso may receive a retroactive two-year suspension that could allow him to come back in time to ride the 2008 Giro d'Italia.
On Sunday, prior to today's announcement, Cyclingnews spoke with UCI president Pat McQuaid concerning speculation that a deal might be done between Basso and CONI. "There is no provision for a reduced sentence," he said then. "The WADA rules apply and the minimum sentence is two years, whether it is for admittance or non-admittance of an offence. The only time when you get less than two years is if you can prove it was mistaken or it was taken in foodstuffs, that kind of thing. But if you have been willingly involved in a doping activity, it is two years.
"I don't want to speculate on it [prior to such a deal being agreed - ed.], but the option is there for either the UCI or WADA to appeal to CAS."
Ivan Basso has not yet issued a statement, but a press conference is expected on Tuesday.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Rock Cut ....
was my first mountain bike race of the year...and also my first mountain bike RIDE of the year.
I didn't have time for a warm-up. I basically rode up to the line after registering and next thing I knew they said Go and we were off! I started at the very back so I had no idea who was in the race or how many women there were ahead of me. That was kind of wierd.
There was a big bottleneck early on, which I guess was a good thing since I wasn't warmed up! I was frustrated at first but then realized I wasn't ready to ride all out yet anyway. Even though I haven't been able to ride much or work out lately and am out of shape, I thought the course was really fun. I really enjoyed it. It was just right for where I am technically and fitness-wise. The open sections were great for me to gain some time and pass people. And the weather was more than you could ever ask for in April!! I did alright, considering lack of fitness, lack of sleep, etc.
My heart rate was a few beats higher than it should be in a race. That and the fact that my resting heart rate has risen to be about 10 beats above where it was at the beginning of the year makes me think I must really be out of shape.
A guy said, after the race, that it was hot out there for him today. I was stunned to hear that, I never would have called the day hot. It was nice out, but it didn't even seem that warm to me. It turns out that for this fellow, perfect race weather is 52 degrees! I really must be from another planet, because to me perfect race weather is 80-85. I know that's hotter than most people like, but anything below 75 and I'm breaking out the layers, armwarmers, etc. I'm always amazed at how few layers people wear for racing. I wish there was a way to reset my temperature tolerance, around here it would be much better to be a person who enjoys cool weather, since it's only really warm in July and August.
Congrats to Holly for her win, and to Chris S. for his age group win, and to Jason for his medal (not sure which place). Lucky Renee, she won the Garmin 305 that I had my eye on in the raffle. Lucky raffle number 653 takes the Garmin! Supposedly the new Garmins just started coming with Mac software. I have never been able to download stuff from my Forerunner 301. If I upgrade to a newer version of OS X. I will be able to.
It was great to see people I hadn't seen in quite a while. Quite a few WORS people, only a few of whom I got to talk to.
I haven't been able to get my printer to recognize the memory card or I would post a couple of photos from Sunday. maybe later.
I didn't have time for a warm-up. I basically rode up to the line after registering and next thing I knew they said Go and we were off! I started at the very back so I had no idea who was in the race or how many women there were ahead of me. That was kind of wierd.
There was a big bottleneck early on, which I guess was a good thing since I wasn't warmed up! I was frustrated at first but then realized I wasn't ready to ride all out yet anyway. Even though I haven't been able to ride much or work out lately and am out of shape, I thought the course was really fun. I really enjoyed it. It was just right for where I am technically and fitness-wise. The open sections were great for me to gain some time and pass people. And the weather was more than you could ever ask for in April!! I did alright, considering lack of fitness, lack of sleep, etc.
My heart rate was a few beats higher than it should be in a race. That and the fact that my resting heart rate has risen to be about 10 beats above where it was at the beginning of the year makes me think I must really be out of shape.
A guy said, after the race, that it was hot out there for him today. I was stunned to hear that, I never would have called the day hot. It was nice out, but it didn't even seem that warm to me. It turns out that for this fellow, perfect race weather is 52 degrees! I really must be from another planet, because to me perfect race weather is 80-85. I know that's hotter than most people like, but anything below 75 and I'm breaking out the layers, armwarmers, etc. I'm always amazed at how few layers people wear for racing. I wish there was a way to reset my temperature tolerance, around here it would be much better to be a person who enjoys cool weather, since it's only really warm in July and August.
Congrats to Holly for her win, and to Chris S. for his age group win, and to Jason for his medal (not sure which place). Lucky Renee, she won the Garmin 305 that I had my eye on in the raffle. Lucky raffle number 653 takes the Garmin! Supposedly the new Garmins just started coming with Mac software. I have never been able to download stuff from my Forerunner 301. If I upgrade to a newer version of OS X. I will be able to.
It was great to see people I hadn't seen in quite a while. Quite a few WORS people, only a few of whom I got to talk to.
I haven't been able to get my printer to recognize the memory card or I would post a couple of photos from Sunday. maybe later.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Kayaks and Karoake
Fun weekend. Rock Cut and New Zealand Wendy's birthday party. Birthday first, Rock later.
New Zealand Wendy pulled off quiite a birthday party! She wanted to pattern it after the Amazing Race. We met up at the boat launch at the Skokie Lagoons at 7 pm Friday. Some of us, including me, couldn't get there until later. We each were on a team of three people. Two members of the team had to kayak across the lagoons to find a birdhouse that had a message in it telling us what to do next. She had rounded up enough kayaks and gear to be able to do this! So, once our kayaker came back with the message, we were given the address of a nearby house that we had to find. Luckily one friend, Craig, on my team had grown up around there and knew exactly where the street was. I would have had no idea - and Wendy had told me I didn't need my GPS! Unfortunately we each were in our own car, and we couldn't leave our cars in that lot after dark.
Once there, we had to say a phrase at the front door, at which point the guy came out of the house and took a picture of one of us (me, in this case) with a hula hoop, using our own camera so we would have proof Then he gave us a needle, thread, and button, which we were supposed to sew on the handkerchief or bandanna that we had been told to bring along. I couldn't see well enough in the dim outside light to thread the needle. I dropped it the first time and had to ask for another needle. I wasn't expecting to know the guy who owned the house - it turned out to be a bike shop owner I hadn't seen in years! What a good sport he was to do this. Then he gave us our next clue. It was referred to as the lemon squeezer by the lake... which of course is the Bahai temple. So we went to the temple and had to search around for the hidden clue. The janitor was busy sweeping - I asked him if he had found any clues! He said he had just started. Lucky us, or the clue could have ended up in the trash. I kind of felt like I shouldn't be walking around this magnificent, hushed, house of worship looking for clues... luckily there were only a couple of people sitting in there.
The next clue was to go ask for the movie Great Outdoors at the Video Adventure store. Dan and Craig stopped off at Dan's to drop off his car while I tried to get to the Video Store before Brian and his team. We were all well ahead of him, but he caught up to us at Central Street. I took Chicago and he took Sheridan - I made good time but got tripped up by a light by the Firehouse. Had I been more aggressive about getting through the yellow light, I would have gotten there first. Brian, Kris and Kristen got to the movie first - inside the plastic box was the clue! I got to it as they were reading the clue. I later found out that Brian had called ahead and tried to reserve the movie! The staff said they wouldn't help him cheat....! They headed over to Northwestern ahead of us while I waited for Craig and Dan. Then we headed over to Norris Center at NU to look at the Roommates Wanted board to get the next clue! I was the only one in oour group who knew where that was, so it worked out fine.
The next clue was to go to the Heartland Restaurant and take a team picture in the photo booth. That was our opportunity to drop off my car at my house before going to the restaurant. Finally our team was all together. We saw Brian's car in the lot, so we knew they beat us there. We hadn't seen the third team in quite a while. When we got to the bar at Heartland, some other people met up with us and we had a few drinks before the next stop.
The next stop was a place we only had the address of. I knew what it was going to be, but I don't think most of the others did. It was a Korean Karoake Bar! I have never, ever been to a karoake bar before! I always used to think they were stupid, but for some reason it sounds alot more fun than it used to. Maybe it was being able to do it with a small group of friends instead of a bar full of people?? My only brush with karoake was at the 2005 WORS banquet when some people did karoake after the banquet. I was way too shy to do it at that point, in front of people I didn't know very well.
There were alot of us packed into a private karoake room. I think the whole place is private rooms, which seems like a great idea to me! I think it made even the shyest comfortable enough to belt out a few tunes. Wendy called me tonight and said they (not sure which "they" that would be) decided that I was the karoake queen - apparently I was the biggest surprise. I guess that's good - I never sing in public cuz I don't think I sing very well - I can never tell whether I am staying on pitch... but it was nice to hear that I wasn't terrible! I guess my friends have never seen the closet wanna-be musician/rock star side of me - they only know the bike racer wanna-be side! I have been obsessed with bikes and bike racing culture for so long, I forget that once upon a time I was also obsessed with music.....
Anyway, we stayed for hours and it was really fun. I realized my taste in music is a little different than the group's - some of the songs I picked no one had heard of, but everyone was fairly patient with other people's choices. We never really ended up eating dinner cuz the food options at the karoake place were expensive and fried, fried and more fried. I was so fired up about karoake when I got home, I stayed up way too late going through iTunes on my computer playing songs.... silly, huh?
New Zealand Wendy pulled off quiite a birthday party! She wanted to pattern it after the Amazing Race. We met up at the boat launch at the Skokie Lagoons at 7 pm Friday. Some of us, including me, couldn't get there until later. We each were on a team of three people. Two members of the team had to kayak across the lagoons to find a birdhouse that had a message in it telling us what to do next. She had rounded up enough kayaks and gear to be able to do this! So, once our kayaker came back with the message, we were given the address of a nearby house that we had to find. Luckily one friend, Craig, on my team had grown up around there and knew exactly where the street was. I would have had no idea - and Wendy had told me I didn't need my GPS! Unfortunately we each were in our own car, and we couldn't leave our cars in that lot after dark.
Once there, we had to say a phrase at the front door, at which point the guy came out of the house and took a picture of one of us (me, in this case) with a hula hoop, using our own camera so we would have proof Then he gave us a needle, thread, and button, which we were supposed to sew on the handkerchief or bandanna that we had been told to bring along. I couldn't see well enough in the dim outside light to thread the needle. I dropped it the first time and had to ask for another needle. I wasn't expecting to know the guy who owned the house - it turned out to be a bike shop owner I hadn't seen in years! What a good sport he was to do this. Then he gave us our next clue. It was referred to as the lemon squeezer by the lake... which of course is the Bahai temple. So we went to the temple and had to search around for the hidden clue. The janitor was busy sweeping - I asked him if he had found any clues! He said he had just started. Lucky us, or the clue could have ended up in the trash. I kind of felt like I shouldn't be walking around this magnificent, hushed, house of worship looking for clues... luckily there were only a couple of people sitting in there.
The next clue was to go ask for the movie Great Outdoors at the Video Adventure store. Dan and Craig stopped off at Dan's to drop off his car while I tried to get to the Video Store before Brian and his team. We were all well ahead of him, but he caught up to us at Central Street. I took Chicago and he took Sheridan - I made good time but got tripped up by a light by the Firehouse. Had I been more aggressive about getting through the yellow light, I would have gotten there first. Brian, Kris and Kristen got to the movie first - inside the plastic box was the clue! I got to it as they were reading the clue. I later found out that Brian had called ahead and tried to reserve the movie! The staff said they wouldn't help him cheat....! They headed over to Northwestern ahead of us while I waited for Craig and Dan. Then we headed over to Norris Center at NU to look at the Roommates Wanted board to get the next clue! I was the only one in oour group who knew where that was, so it worked out fine.
The next clue was to go to the Heartland Restaurant and take a team picture in the photo booth. That was our opportunity to drop off my car at my house before going to the restaurant. Finally our team was all together. We saw Brian's car in the lot, so we knew they beat us there. We hadn't seen the third team in quite a while. When we got to the bar at Heartland, some other people met up with us and we had a few drinks before the next stop.
The next stop was a place we only had the address of. I knew what it was going to be, but I don't think most of the others did. It was a Korean Karoake Bar! I have never, ever been to a karoake bar before! I always used to think they were stupid, but for some reason it sounds alot more fun than it used to. Maybe it was being able to do it with a small group of friends instead of a bar full of people?? My only brush with karoake was at the 2005 WORS banquet when some people did karoake after the banquet. I was way too shy to do it at that point, in front of people I didn't know very well.
There were alot of us packed into a private karoake room. I think the whole place is private rooms, which seems like a great idea to me! I think it made even the shyest comfortable enough to belt out a few tunes. Wendy called me tonight and said they (not sure which "they" that would be) decided that I was the karoake queen - apparently I was the biggest surprise. I guess that's good - I never sing in public cuz I don't think I sing very well - I can never tell whether I am staying on pitch... but it was nice to hear that I wasn't terrible! I guess my friends have never seen the closet wanna-be musician/rock star side of me - they only know the bike racer wanna-be side! I have been obsessed with bikes and bike racing culture for so long, I forget that once upon a time I was also obsessed with music.....
Anyway, we stayed for hours and it was really fun. I realized my taste in music is a little different than the group's - some of the songs I picked no one had heard of, but everyone was fairly patient with other people's choices. We never really ended up eating dinner cuz the food options at the karoake place were expensive and fried, fried and more fried. I was so fired up about karoake when I got home, I stayed up way too late going through iTunes on my computer playing songs.... silly, huh?
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
It's here!
It's here, it's here! The 24 Solo DVD finally came in the mail. I can't wait to see it! I may not have time until Saturday, though more likely I'll probably end up staying up really late some night to watch it before then.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Pain and the Brain
Someone recently gave me some reading material about pain. Being injured, I have been reading it to learn more about how the nervous system works.
I have noticed several people, in their blogs, talk about riding so hard in a race or ride they end up puking.
(Not to mention a video of someone chugging a whole 32 oz bottle of a certain orange flavored antioxident energy drink all at once....that brings on it's own very special kind of pain, apparently!!)
Anyway, I thought I'd quote a few paragraphs from the stuff I have been reading.
"in persistent pain, when the alarm system and brain are sensitized, all of these fears can help maintain the pain by activating those pain ignition modes - and set the orchestra up to play the pain tune. Remember that the brain wants to protect you from anything that is dangerous."
"So, hurt does not always equal harm. Simply by reminding yourself of this each time you are in pain can help reset this system..."
"When the central nervous system gets really desperate to prevent you from damaging yourself, it can paralyze your muscles (called "spinal shock" - it does go away) or make you faint, vomit, pass out, whatever it has to do."
So I wonder if that protective response is what is going on in the body when people sprint so hard for the finish line they vomit?
I have noticed several people, in their blogs, talk about riding so hard in a race or ride they end up puking.
(Not to mention a video of someone chugging a whole 32 oz bottle of a certain orange flavored antioxident energy drink all at once....that brings on it's own very special kind of pain, apparently!!)
Anyway, I thought I'd quote a few paragraphs from the stuff I have been reading.
"in persistent pain, when the alarm system and brain are sensitized, all of these fears can help maintain the pain by activating those pain ignition modes - and set the orchestra up to play the pain tune. Remember that the brain wants to protect you from anything that is dangerous."
"So, hurt does not always equal harm. Simply by reminding yourself of this each time you are in pain can help reset this system..."
"When the central nervous system gets really desperate to prevent you from damaging yourself, it can paralyze your muscles (called "spinal shock" - it does go away) or make you faint, vomit, pass out, whatever it has to do."
So I wonder if that protective response is what is going on in the body when people sprint so hard for the finish line they vomit?
Messenger Video, and "World of WORS"?
Here is a link for a video about a NYC bike messenger race.
I wonder if anyone has ever come up with a video game where bike messengers dodge hazards to see who can get the delivery there first. I don't know much about video games - for all I know there could be several like that out there.
There could be a WORS video game too. How about "World of WORS"? "World of WORS-craft"? You could have a lot of fun making up things to find in the woods that could make you go faster, and various ways to beat your opponents.
Also, could you put the WORS courses on a Computrainer and preride from home? I don't have a Computrainer to know if it would work.
What if someone made a HelmetCam video of each course and put it on DVD? Or better yet, walked it and videotaped it? Do the courses change too much from year to year for that to work? Those of us that don't get to preride might like that. maybe this kind of stuff already exists and I don't know it?
I wonder if anyone has ever come up with a video game where bike messengers dodge hazards to see who can get the delivery there first. I don't know much about video games - for all I know there could be several like that out there.
There could be a WORS video game too. How about "World of WORS"? "World of WORS-craft"? You could have a lot of fun making up things to find in the woods that could make you go faster, and various ways to beat your opponents.
Also, could you put the WORS courses on a Computrainer and preride from home? I don't have a Computrainer to know if it would work.
What if someone made a HelmetCam video of each course and put it on DVD? Or better yet, walked it and videotaped it? Do the courses change too much from year to year for that to work? Those of us that don't get to preride might like that. maybe this kind of stuff already exists and I don't know it?
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Tour de Georgia Video
For live Tour de Georgia video coverage on the web, go here and click on the AT&T Tour Tracker Link.
Not everyone is training....
Here's a link to a silly music video that I received today.... I have never heard of her before.... apparently not everyone is training for racing season!!
(thanks to Gil for the video link.)
(thanks to Gil for the video link.)
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Ride your bike to the grocery store....
For Earth Week, my local Wild Oats grocery store is offering 10% off your groceries if you ride your bike to the store, starting today. Just show them your helmet when you check out. I don't know if every Wild Oats store has this, but if you live near one, check it out.
Paris Roubaix coverage is on tv right now..... looks like way too nice a day for this race! (Unlike the unfortunate folks at Sea Otter....) Ooops, there's a big pile-up! Ouch.
Paris Roubaix coverage is on tv right now..... looks like way too nice a day for this race! (Unlike the unfortunate folks at Sea Otter....) Ooops, there's a big pile-up! Ouch.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Olympics in Chicago?
Wow, Chicago just won the race over L.A. to be the U.S. bidder for the 2016 Olympics a few minutes ago. 2016 seems so far away. If it actually works out, just think of the racing we will get to see here in the Midwest!
Friday, April 06, 2007
Tax Deductible Eating and the Cargo Bike Movement
I read an article in the Chicago Tribune (paper version) Thursday about the cargo bike movement. I started hearing more about these when I stopped by an old friend's framebuilding shop in Seattle last year. A former messenger and bike mechanic in Chicago, he had been building cargo bikes in Seattle for quite a while. I've been wanting to convert one of my old mt bikes into some type of cargo bike for commuting and grocerying for a couple of years, but haven't gotten around to it.
At the end of the article was something I found amusing (see below). There has got to be a way for hungry racers to take the same idea and make it work for them!!
"Alan Wayne Scott, 57, a bike messenger in Toronto, is also an important figure in the cargo bike movement. After realizing that as a bike messenger he was eating three times as much as he was used to, he wanted to deduct food costs from his taxes the way an automobile driver deducts the cost of gas. Scott fought for many years in the Canadian courts until, in the late 1990's, the Canadian government agreed to allow the deductions."
At the end of the article was something I found amusing (see below). There has got to be a way for hungry racers to take the same idea and make it work for them!!
"Alan Wayne Scott, 57, a bike messenger in Toronto, is also an important figure in the cargo bike movement. After realizing that as a bike messenger he was eating three times as much as he was used to, he wanted to deduct food costs from his taxes the way an automobile driver deducts the cost of gas. Scott fought for many years in the Canadian courts until, in the late 1990's, the Canadian government agreed to allow the deductions."
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Don't leave food in your car in bear country.....
As I'm writing this, there is a Pimp My Ride episode on where a outdoorsy girl is showing where a bear attacked her car in the San Bernadino mountains. He opened the door and got inside in search of the food she had in the car, accidentally locked himself inside, tore up the inside trying to get out, and then pooped in it! They showed what looked like a ripped open bag of cheetos and a Clif bar wrapper on the seat. There are claw marks everywhere on the outside, and the inside is really trashed. He tore off door panels, etc. She said that when the sun heats up the car the poop smell reappears. ugh. I guess she is going to be ecstatic to have her ride Pimped and De-Pooped!!!
I'm glad there aren't bears at Kettle after seeing that car.... we'd all be in trouble!
Now they are fixing up the car and are showing a hammock that pops out of the trunk for when she goes camping. It looks like the paint job is going to include giant stylized bear claw scrape marks on the hood and sides of the car.
Anyway, last weekend I worked the Clif booth at the Shamrock Shuffle expo Friday night. There were alot of shufflers shuffling by at the expo, but not as many as I expected, given that 30,000 people had to pick up their registration packets Friday or Saturday. Maybe the rain kept people away. The people watching was ok. The Potbelly booth had a roulette wheel where you could win different thing, such as free sandwiches or Potbelly items. The enthusiasm of the women running the booth made it fun and made it not so bad to wait in line - they cheered everytime someone won something. I got a handy Nalgene-type water bottle the first time. I was trying to win the lettuce head-shaped stress ball (there was something strangely appealing about it, all green and squishy), so I had to go back and try again later. She made sure I hit the "stress ball" on the roulette wheel the second time around, with a little "help". I also filled out a survey to get Saturn cowbells which will be ideal for 'cross season next year. I don't think the woman doing the surveys had any idea what the cowbells were for, until I tried to explain it. It probably still sounded kinda strange.
Last Sunday I went to see the Parkside race. I got up in time to make it to the afternoon races. Another nice day! Almost perfect. Two out of three amazing days for the parkside series this year. Lucky racers. I heard the women's field was big, would have liked to have seen that one. I didn't see as many familiar faces at this one, but it was nice to catch up with the friends that were there. Congrats to Chris S. on getting second in the Masters 30+ race and then going back out there and doing well in the 1,2's as well. I was sorry to hear about Kim's grandmother. My condolences to both of them. I'm sure the last couple of weeks have been tough.
I shipped a box of goodies off to my little nephew and brother in law for their birthdays. It took a couple of hours to wrap everything and draw cool little pics on the labels of each present. The pictures I drew on the labels give a little hint at what's inside, without being too obvious.
Last night NZ Wendy had a game party at her house. The people that hadn't seen the slides of her Africa trip got there early. The rest of us got there later, and ended up playing a game called Rigamarole. It was fun, but no one was really that into playing games. Most of us hadn't seen each other in a while and wanted to talk. We were like an unruly class who wasn't paying attention to the teacher. She had to keep reminding us to focus. It was a pretty fun game, though. Examples of stuff we had to do by drawing cards in different categories: count the number of tatoos on everyone on your team and win the corresponding number of points, sing the first couple of verses of the star spangled banner (I can't do that but we found out who was a good singer!), compare the number of piercings one team has vs the other to see who has more, read the ingredients label of a food to the members of the other team while they have their eyes closed and make them guess what food it is. (I completely stumped the other team by reading the label of a bag of Clif Shot Blocks! Not even the rustling of the bag gave it away!) Wendy is taking guitar lessons, so at the end of the evening she ended up reading the words to the songs she was learning and we tried to guess what the songs were without hearing the music.
I have been trying to study for a continuing ed test but it's been really hard to put everything else aside and concentrate on it. The phone keeps ringing, for one. I am hoping tomorrow I can do that.... I've just had too much other stuff to get done lately. Gotta work on the taxes too.
Some people are going on a riding trip on the trails near St Louis next weekend - I really wanted to go, but being injured, it's probably a really bad idea. And I have so much to get done in the next two weeks. I don't think I'll be able to go. Which is too bad. With racing every weekend during the season I don't end up going on fun trips like that. Next year, I guess.
I really liked Gina G.'s performance of "I'll Stand by You" on AI this week. She's the rockingest female on the show - a good thing. I also thought her cover of "Call Me When You're Sober" was better than the Evanescence version. I hope she hangs in there, partly because I like her spirit, because she's from around here, and because she used to be in former teammate Lisa K's band Catfight.
Good luck to Holly K. in her first expert race in AZ at the NMBS race this weekend! I hope it went well.
Happy Birthday to Carlos!
I'm glad there aren't bears at Kettle after seeing that car.... we'd all be in trouble!
Now they are fixing up the car and are showing a hammock that pops out of the trunk for when she goes camping. It looks like the paint job is going to include giant stylized bear claw scrape marks on the hood and sides of the car.
Anyway, last weekend I worked the Clif booth at the Shamrock Shuffle expo Friday night. There were alot of shufflers shuffling by at the expo, but not as many as I expected, given that 30,000 people had to pick up their registration packets Friday or Saturday. Maybe the rain kept people away. The people watching was ok. The Potbelly booth had a roulette wheel where you could win different thing, such as free sandwiches or Potbelly items. The enthusiasm of the women running the booth made it fun and made it not so bad to wait in line - they cheered everytime someone won something. I got a handy Nalgene-type water bottle the first time. I was trying to win the lettuce head-shaped stress ball (there was something strangely appealing about it, all green and squishy), so I had to go back and try again later. She made sure I hit the "stress ball" on the roulette wheel the second time around, with a little "help". I also filled out a survey to get Saturn cowbells which will be ideal for 'cross season next year. I don't think the woman doing the surveys had any idea what the cowbells were for, until I tried to explain it. It probably still sounded kinda strange.
Last Sunday I went to see the Parkside race. I got up in time to make it to the afternoon races. Another nice day! Almost perfect. Two out of three amazing days for the parkside series this year. Lucky racers. I heard the women's field was big, would have liked to have seen that one. I didn't see as many familiar faces at this one, but it was nice to catch up with the friends that were there. Congrats to Chris S. on getting second in the Masters 30+ race and then going back out there and doing well in the 1,2's as well. I was sorry to hear about Kim's grandmother. My condolences to both of them. I'm sure the last couple of weeks have been tough.
I shipped a box of goodies off to my little nephew and brother in law for their birthdays. It took a couple of hours to wrap everything and draw cool little pics on the labels of each present. The pictures I drew on the labels give a little hint at what's inside, without being too obvious.
Last night NZ Wendy had a game party at her house. The people that hadn't seen the slides of her Africa trip got there early. The rest of us got there later, and ended up playing a game called Rigamarole. It was fun, but no one was really that into playing games. Most of us hadn't seen each other in a while and wanted to talk. We were like an unruly class who wasn't paying attention to the teacher. She had to keep reminding us to focus. It was a pretty fun game, though. Examples of stuff we had to do by drawing cards in different categories: count the number of tatoos on everyone on your team and win the corresponding number of points, sing the first couple of verses of the star spangled banner (I can't do that but we found out who was a good singer!), compare the number of piercings one team has vs the other to see who has more, read the ingredients label of a food to the members of the other team while they have their eyes closed and make them guess what food it is. (I completely stumped the other team by reading the label of a bag of Clif Shot Blocks! Not even the rustling of the bag gave it away!) Wendy is taking guitar lessons, so at the end of the evening she ended up reading the words to the songs she was learning and we tried to guess what the songs were without hearing the music.
I have been trying to study for a continuing ed test but it's been really hard to put everything else aside and concentrate on it. The phone keeps ringing, for one. I am hoping tomorrow I can do that.... I've just had too much other stuff to get done lately. Gotta work on the taxes too.
Some people are going on a riding trip on the trails near St Louis next weekend - I really wanted to go, but being injured, it's probably a really bad idea. And I have so much to get done in the next two weeks. I don't think I'll be able to go. Which is too bad. With racing every weekend during the season I don't end up going on fun trips like that. Next year, I guess.
I really liked Gina G.'s performance of "I'll Stand by You" on AI this week. She's the rockingest female on the show - a good thing. I also thought her cover of "Call Me When You're Sober" was better than the Evanescence version. I hope she hangs in there, partly because I like her spirit, because she's from around here, and because she used to be in former teammate Lisa K's band Catfight.
Good luck to Holly K. in her first expert race in AZ at the NMBS race this weekend! I hope it went well.
Happy Birthday to Carlos!
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