Monday, June 09, 2008
Friday, June 06, 2008
Off to Camp
I am off to the dirt retreat tonight if I can just get all my stuff ready....it's taking longer than it should. Got my bike tweaked today, minor shifting issue, went to the grocery store for some food to take along, and now the phone keeps ringing. One call was a friend in Boulder who wished I was there cuz she knew I would go with her to see Gary Fisher and Bob Roll at the opening of the new bike store there. I've been trying to dig out some warm weather stuff for off the bike. Shorts? T-shirts? what are those? I am really looking forward to meeting Alison Dunlap tomorrow. The whole retreat should be lots of fun.
Busy week! A highlight was going to see Death Cab for Cutie at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park. I really liked the venue. I have never been there before for a show but I loved the view, when you could see it! The fog was really rolling in and at times you couldn't even see the lights in the high rise buildings right across the street. The band played my favorite songs. I enjoyed the show. Ben, Emily and Kenny were all good company. Julie was supposed to go but she had to go to P.R. for work - wish she could have been there. It's been a while since I have been to a concert and it was nice having it be in a convenient place.
Wednesday night I really really wanted to ride but I forced myself to go to the Tile Outlet on Fullerton. I had a bunch of samples that needed to be returned before the return deadline. Last night I got over two hours of road riding in, so that was good. I am so happy that warm weather is here. Hopefully there will be many many nights of warm weather riding to come!
Here is a fun pic that I just got from Soupy from XXX. Thank you, Soupy! It's from 12 Hours of Gears.
Busy week! A highlight was going to see Death Cab for Cutie at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park. I really liked the venue. I have never been there before for a show but I loved the view, when you could see it! The fog was really rolling in and at times you couldn't even see the lights in the high rise buildings right across the street. The band played my favorite songs. I enjoyed the show. Ben, Emily and Kenny were all good company. Julie was supposed to go but she had to go to P.R. for work - wish she could have been there. It's been a while since I have been to a concert and it was nice having it be in a convenient place.
Wednesday night I really really wanted to ride but I forced myself to go to the Tile Outlet on Fullerton. I had a bunch of samples that needed to be returned before the return deadline. Last night I got over two hours of road riding in, so that was good. I am so happy that warm weather is here. Hopefully there will be many many nights of warm weather riding to come!
Here is a fun pic that I just got from Soupy from XXX. Thank you, Soupy! It's from 12 Hours of Gears.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Awfulness.
This is a truly disturbing picture and story about a car crashing into a bike race. If you have a vivid imagination or are planning on riding road today, you might want to skip this one.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Nine Mile is a Ten
(this photo from Edge Photo's Flickr Photostream)I could barely lift my head off the pillow this morning (Monday) after Wausau. Then I stopped to think about it. In the course of around 26 hours, I drove 5+ hours, slept for about 5 hours, got up and raced, stood around for about 5 hours to watch the other races and catch up with people, and then drove a little over 5 hours to get back home. No wonder I'm tired!! It wasn't just the racing, it was the whole package.
What a great event! A big turnout, both in racers and spectators. I heard so many people yelling when I came through the pit area, it was very motivating.
It was a perfect day.
It was a perfect day.
The juniors had a good time.
Congrats to all of you who had great rides (as well as those that escaped the flat-fest caused by the evil pointy rocks)! It is good to see so many friends and teammates doing so well.
There was a lot of this going on.
I ran across a race report on endurance racer Danielle Musto's blog for Monday June 2, called Big Ring Classic. I loved her post. It reminded me of how lucky we are to have a race series like WORS and a great race like Wausau. With a new person's fresh perspective, she captured some of the things that make WORS special. She was there to prepare for 24 hour nationals at 9 Mile in July.
My race report later.
There was a lot of this going on.I ran across a race report on endurance racer Danielle Musto's blog for Monday June 2, called Big Ring Classic. I loved her post. It reminded me of how lucky we are to have a race series like WORS and a great race like Wausau. With a new person's fresh perspective, she captured some of the things that make WORS special. She was there to prepare for 24 hour nationals at 9 Mile in July.
My race report later.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
12 Hours of Gears
My camera didn't come out until the end of the day....
12 Hour men's solo podium (above) - Congrats to Brad (3rd), Ron (1st), Chris (2nd)! Chris and Ron both did 31 laps!
Team World Bicycle Relief - Chris, Kim (support crew extraordinaire) and Brad, with Chris' brand spankin' new custom Siren! Check out that translucent paint job (beneath the trail dust), the WBR color scheme, the sweet fork, etc etc....
As for my race story - there are many peeps who deserve thanks for making it a great day at 12 Hours of Gears. Brittany, Bill, Jeff and the rest of the Pedal Moraine crew for putting on a such a fun event. Rich Ramsey for starting the event 10 years ago (he was the lean fellow in the Seven jersey on a Seven softail doing the 6 hour). Kim (see above pic) for giving me a handup and for cheering. Julie, Ben and Amanda for their enthusiastic cheering and post-race tent hospitality, Christine for taking great pics of everyone who placed. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone?
Christine the "podium" photographer.
All week I struggled to recover from the effects of Lake Geneva. My back just wasn't bouncing back from the difficult, bumpy course. I had serious doubts about whether I should be doing this race so soon after, but I didn't want to miss one of my very faves....
I had gone to the Phil Liggett event at Turin Friday night. After that I had to get groceries for the race weekend and eat. By the time I started packing my gear and food for the race it was 11 or later. I had hoped for 8 hours of sleep the night before the race but ended up getting like 5 or 6. Traffic was slow at one point but it wasn't as bad as it could have been, considering all the construction. Pulling into the lot was such a familiar feeling, in a good way. Often at WEMS races, especially the far away ones, I have no idea who's going to be there. And I still often don't know until I see them out on the trail because the other events start before mine. For this one I knew ahead of time that lots of people I knew would be there that day doing one of the events. Good people and some of my favorite trails - I was really looking forward to it! And weather-wise, it was a perfect day.
I saw Kim as I pulled into the lot, and she said that Chris was in 2nd place and Ron in first in the 12 hour. Then I saw Jan, who was telling me she met someone on my team at a YMCA women's retreat near Amherst who knows me. I spent the next 10 minutes trying to figure out who she was talking about. I did figure it out, the person isn't on my team but her husband used to be on our old team. At registration I noticed the nice brand new shelter built from funds from previous events. It looked great. All at once I did the series entry, race entry, WORBA membership and got an out of state DNR car sticker, it all sure adds up. They had lots of items out for the raffle. I like the way they have a container for each prize, so you can put all your tickets towards the prize(s) you really want.
I took my little cooler over to the World Bicycle Relief support tent to give to Kim, who had said she would be there the whole time during my race. Julie and Molly (woof!) came over during the rider's meeting. Julie showed me the results of her endo - a very swollen painful-looking finger. Ouch. I could see purple in it's future. She was a trooper and kept riding after she jammed it. Congrats to Julie and Amanda on their second place in the women's 12 hour team category.
Bill gave us a very understated "go", on the opposite end of the scale from Don's big Goooooooo! Thank you, thank you, to Bill for not making us run very far to our bikes - this was one of the most reasonable Le Mans starts I have ever done. Unlike Stump Farm's somewhat sadistic start where it seems like we are running forever, down the hill, around the trees and back uphill again! Looking around at the start, I knew for sure that a couple of the women were faster than I.
And off we went, up the grassy hill and funneling into that rutted chute thing. Into the woods and then we hit that longish uphill.. and that was where I knew it wasn't going to be a good day for me, much as I love the trails. As I got further into the lap, I realized that not only was my back going to rebel against what I was asking it to do, but for some reason it was one of those days where I felt like I had never ridden this bike on a trail before! (this is where some of you might say, isn't that every day?) But this was in sections that I shouldn't have any trouble with, not the new twisty bumpy stuff. My bike at one point on one of the early downhills seemed like it wanted to drift off into the woods. Things did get better in that respect later on, but not as much as I would like. I felt off the whole race. But the part that really scared me was that my back was doing stuff it hasn't done before. I felt really weak, among other things. During the first lap I really considered stopping at the end of the lap. But then I decided that I would keep going as long as I could, but at a slower pace.
I try to never quit a race. Wendy B. and I used to say we'd cross the finish line unless our arms were hanging by a thread... I tried to stand and coast over the bumpiest areas instead of sitting and pedaling, which has been my 2008 "strategy" so far. If I needed to run/walk over a hill so I could give my back some relief, then that was what I would do. That made it possible for me to continue. My lap times were slow, but I kept going. It was disappointing because this is one of the few courses where I can comfortably go fast and push myself without getting in over my head.
In the first lap Ben kept me company for a little bit on that long, deceptively tough, grassy climb. One of those that looks easy but is anything but. Thanks, Ben. The newly cut singletrack sections were really hard for me, which was evident to others. They were super twisty and super bumpy. Russell, more than once, told me I was "riding like a girl". He had a point! I saw lots of familiar faces on the trail who all seemed to be riding really well - Gina, Regina, Chris, Rich, Carlos, Ron, and lots of other people that said hi. Some of whom I know and some of whom I didn't recognize. I think I spotted Anne behind me at one point in the singletrack section - congrats on doing the 6 hour! It was really inspiring to come through the finish/pit area so many times and hear people cheering! Thanks, Julie, Ben, Kim and everyone else! When I wanted to quit, it really helped.
I found myself coughing alot during the race, I'm not sure if it was from the dusty trail conditions or allergies. At dinner people were coughing, and I found out they were during the race, too.
On one of the really fast, FUN long rocky downhills (the big bouncy two track one) I found myself in a testosterone sandwich of sorts. Someone came up superfast behind me and I didn't hear them until just before they started to pass me on the right. He might have said like a word or two once he started to pass, I'm not sure. At the very moment that he was passing me, another guy bombed past me on the left without saying a word. That was bad enough, but he whacked me on the shoulder/arm as he went by. Luckily I was able to hold my line, but it really hurt and could have caused a three-person wipe out in a bad place, with one of us going over the side. If he apologized, I didn't hear it. I realize that I wasn't descending fast enough for the guys, but wouldn't one at a time have been better? Anyone know a lean, possibly tallish guy wearing a white with yellow and black jersey without words on it? I later saw him coming out of a camper in the middle of the field. On Sunday I was telling the girls at Kettle about it and Sonni said that used to happen to her all the time in the six hour right after the three hour would start. The three hour guys would pass her on both sides at once. So I guess it's not that unusual.
So, on my second to last lap I was wondering if it should be my last. My first lap time was faster than all the later ones, and I wasn't sure if I could squeeze in another lap before the cutoff time. I knew I was slowing down and running out of steam. I decided to try and see if I could do it. This was where I wish I had better course memory. Some people always know what's next but I am not one of those people on a course I ride once a year. It was hard during the lap to gauge whether I was going to make it or not. Mike from Skinny's passed me and I told him I wasn't sure exactly how much time I had. I wasn't sure if my watch was the same, ahead, or behind the timing system. It would be a shame if I thought I had more time than I did due to not paying close attention to any difference at the start. First he said I had 10 minutes then he looked at his watch and said 7. 7 was what my watch said. As we turned the corner by the last Trek banner and got into the grassy open field I realized I might not be able to make it in the 4 minutes I had left so I pulled out everything I had. I passed Mike in the field and flew as fast as I could to the finish. I could see on the timing clock that I had less than a minute of wiggle room left when I crossed the line!! Whew! I think official timing had me at less than 30 seconds before the cut off time.
A much happier ending than one year at the Metro race at Crystal Ridge where I was dragging myself up that long ski hill watching the clock hit 8:00, then 8:01 before I crossed the line. That was painful, physically and mentally! (all the races used to end at 8 a few years back) One year at 12 Hours of John Muir, my teammates were doing a 12 hour team and we were all yelling into the woods for singlespeed Bob to hurry up, it was almost 8! We were all screaming for him to go faster, although we had no idea if he was getting close or not. He just missed it.
I got a chance to visit with people after the race - and I rested and chatted for a bit at the Half Acre tent after the race. Then I got a medal at the awards ceremony. I stuck around and saw the 12 hour racers finishing, and saw their ceremony and got the above podium shot. Afterwards I went to dinner at a yummy Mexican place with Chris, Kim, Brad, Ronsta, his friend, and the Peters family and friends, including Nate. I hadn't met the Peters family before. It was a fun meal. After that I debated on whether to drive all the way home, or to stay overnight and stop at Kettle on Sunday on the way home to meet up with the girl's ride. I knew that if I went home I probably wouldn't feel like driving back to Kettle that early.
Congrats to everyone on a great race. I saw a lot of really strong riders out there, very impressive.
I will add the rest of the weekend later. I'm finishing this up really late Monday night and I have run out of steam.
12 Hour men's solo podium (above) - Congrats to Brad (3rd), Ron (1st), Chris (2nd)! Chris and Ron both did 31 laps!
Team World Bicycle Relief - Chris, Kim (support crew extraordinaire) and Brad, with Chris' brand spankin' new custom Siren! Check out that translucent paint job (beneath the trail dust), the WBR color scheme, the sweet fork, etc etc.... As for my race story - there are many peeps who deserve thanks for making it a great day at 12 Hours of Gears. Brittany, Bill, Jeff and the rest of the Pedal Moraine crew for putting on a such a fun event. Rich Ramsey for starting the event 10 years ago (he was the lean fellow in the Seven jersey on a Seven softail doing the 6 hour). Kim (see above pic) for giving me a handup and for cheering. Julie, Ben and Amanda for their enthusiastic cheering and post-race tent hospitality, Christine for taking great pics of everyone who placed. I'm sure I'm forgetting someone?
Christine the "podium" photographer.All week I struggled to recover from the effects of Lake Geneva. My back just wasn't bouncing back from the difficult, bumpy course. I had serious doubts about whether I should be doing this race so soon after, but I didn't want to miss one of my very faves....
I had gone to the Phil Liggett event at Turin Friday night. After that I had to get groceries for the race weekend and eat. By the time I started packing my gear and food for the race it was 11 or later. I had hoped for 8 hours of sleep the night before the race but ended up getting like 5 or 6. Traffic was slow at one point but it wasn't as bad as it could have been, considering all the construction. Pulling into the lot was such a familiar feeling, in a good way. Often at WEMS races, especially the far away ones, I have no idea who's going to be there. And I still often don't know until I see them out on the trail because the other events start before mine. For this one I knew ahead of time that lots of people I knew would be there that day doing one of the events. Good people and some of my favorite trails - I was really looking forward to it! And weather-wise, it was a perfect day.
I saw Kim as I pulled into the lot, and she said that Chris was in 2nd place and Ron in first in the 12 hour. Then I saw Jan, who was telling me she met someone on my team at a YMCA women's retreat near Amherst who knows me. I spent the next 10 minutes trying to figure out who she was talking about. I did figure it out, the person isn't on my team but her husband used to be on our old team. At registration I noticed the nice brand new shelter built from funds from previous events. It looked great. All at once I did the series entry, race entry, WORBA membership and got an out of state DNR car sticker, it all sure adds up. They had lots of items out for the raffle. I like the way they have a container for each prize, so you can put all your tickets towards the prize(s) you really want.
I took my little cooler over to the World Bicycle Relief support tent to give to Kim, who had said she would be there the whole time during my race. Julie and Molly (woof!) came over during the rider's meeting. Julie showed me the results of her endo - a very swollen painful-looking finger. Ouch. I could see purple in it's future. She was a trooper and kept riding after she jammed it. Congrats to Julie and Amanda on their second place in the women's 12 hour team category.
Bill gave us a very understated "go", on the opposite end of the scale from Don's big Goooooooo! Thank you, thank you, to Bill for not making us run very far to our bikes - this was one of the most reasonable Le Mans starts I have ever done. Unlike Stump Farm's somewhat sadistic start where it seems like we are running forever, down the hill, around the trees and back uphill again! Looking around at the start, I knew for sure that a couple of the women were faster than I.
And off we went, up the grassy hill and funneling into that rutted chute thing. Into the woods and then we hit that longish uphill.. and that was where I knew it wasn't going to be a good day for me, much as I love the trails. As I got further into the lap, I realized that not only was my back going to rebel against what I was asking it to do, but for some reason it was one of those days where I felt like I had never ridden this bike on a trail before! (this is where some of you might say, isn't that every day?) But this was in sections that I shouldn't have any trouble with, not the new twisty bumpy stuff. My bike at one point on one of the early downhills seemed like it wanted to drift off into the woods. Things did get better in that respect later on, but not as much as I would like. I felt off the whole race. But the part that really scared me was that my back was doing stuff it hasn't done before. I felt really weak, among other things. During the first lap I really considered stopping at the end of the lap. But then I decided that I would keep going as long as I could, but at a slower pace.
I try to never quit a race. Wendy B. and I used to say we'd cross the finish line unless our arms were hanging by a thread... I tried to stand and coast over the bumpiest areas instead of sitting and pedaling, which has been my 2008 "strategy" so far. If I needed to run/walk over a hill so I could give my back some relief, then that was what I would do. That made it possible for me to continue. My lap times were slow, but I kept going. It was disappointing because this is one of the few courses where I can comfortably go fast and push myself without getting in over my head.
In the first lap Ben kept me company for a little bit on that long, deceptively tough, grassy climb. One of those that looks easy but is anything but. Thanks, Ben. The newly cut singletrack sections were really hard for me, which was evident to others. They were super twisty and super bumpy. Russell, more than once, told me I was "riding like a girl". He had a point! I saw lots of familiar faces on the trail who all seemed to be riding really well - Gina, Regina, Chris, Rich, Carlos, Ron, and lots of other people that said hi. Some of whom I know and some of whom I didn't recognize. I think I spotted Anne behind me at one point in the singletrack section - congrats on doing the 6 hour! It was really inspiring to come through the finish/pit area so many times and hear people cheering! Thanks, Julie, Ben, Kim and everyone else! When I wanted to quit, it really helped.
I found myself coughing alot during the race, I'm not sure if it was from the dusty trail conditions or allergies. At dinner people were coughing, and I found out they were during the race, too.
On one of the really fast, FUN long rocky downhills (the big bouncy two track one) I found myself in a testosterone sandwich of sorts. Someone came up superfast behind me and I didn't hear them until just before they started to pass me on the right. He might have said like a word or two once he started to pass, I'm not sure. At the very moment that he was passing me, another guy bombed past me on the left without saying a word. That was bad enough, but he whacked me on the shoulder/arm as he went by. Luckily I was able to hold my line, but it really hurt and could have caused a three-person wipe out in a bad place, with one of us going over the side. If he apologized, I didn't hear it. I realize that I wasn't descending fast enough for the guys, but wouldn't one at a time have been better? Anyone know a lean, possibly tallish guy wearing a white with yellow and black jersey without words on it? I later saw him coming out of a camper in the middle of the field. On Sunday I was telling the girls at Kettle about it and Sonni said that used to happen to her all the time in the six hour right after the three hour would start. The three hour guys would pass her on both sides at once. So I guess it's not that unusual.
So, on my second to last lap I was wondering if it should be my last. My first lap time was faster than all the later ones, and I wasn't sure if I could squeeze in another lap before the cutoff time. I knew I was slowing down and running out of steam. I decided to try and see if I could do it. This was where I wish I had better course memory. Some people always know what's next but I am not one of those people on a course I ride once a year. It was hard during the lap to gauge whether I was going to make it or not. Mike from Skinny's passed me and I told him I wasn't sure exactly how much time I had. I wasn't sure if my watch was the same, ahead, or behind the timing system. It would be a shame if I thought I had more time than I did due to not paying close attention to any difference at the start. First he said I had 10 minutes then he looked at his watch and said 7. 7 was what my watch said. As we turned the corner by the last Trek banner and got into the grassy open field I realized I might not be able to make it in the 4 minutes I had left so I pulled out everything I had. I passed Mike in the field and flew as fast as I could to the finish. I could see on the timing clock that I had less than a minute of wiggle room left when I crossed the line!! Whew! I think official timing had me at less than 30 seconds before the cut off time.
A much happier ending than one year at the Metro race at Crystal Ridge where I was dragging myself up that long ski hill watching the clock hit 8:00, then 8:01 before I crossed the line. That was painful, physically and mentally! (all the races used to end at 8 a few years back) One year at 12 Hours of John Muir, my teammates were doing a 12 hour team and we were all yelling into the woods for singlespeed Bob to hurry up, it was almost 8! We were all screaming for him to go faster, although we had no idea if he was getting close or not. He just missed it.
I got a chance to visit with people after the race - and I rested and chatted for a bit at the Half Acre tent after the race. Then I got a medal at the awards ceremony. I stuck around and saw the 12 hour racers finishing, and saw their ceremony and got the above podium shot. Afterwards I went to dinner at a yummy Mexican place with Chris, Kim, Brad, Ronsta, his friend, and the Peters family and friends, including Nate. I hadn't met the Peters family before. It was a fun meal. After that I debated on whether to drive all the way home, or to stay overnight and stop at Kettle on Sunday on the way home to meet up with the girl's ride. I knew that if I went home I probably wouldn't feel like driving back to Kettle that early.
Congrats to everyone on a great race. I saw a lot of really strong riders out there, very impressive.
I will add the rest of the weekend later. I'm finishing this up really late Monday night and I have run out of steam.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Gooooooo!
MOV03047
Originally uploaded by velocorapture
Friday, May 16, 2008
Urban Cycling and Bicycle Man
This urban cycling video is pretty cool. It reminds me a little of the trials events that they used to have at the big NORBA Nationals.
And speaking of videos, I found this video below while blogsurfing. A little rub-a-dub from the Bicycle Man. Gotta check this one out!
Answer Riddim sings: "Bicycle Man is what I am, and proud to be...."
And speaking of videos, I found this video below while blogsurfing. A little rub-a-dub from the Bicycle Man. Gotta check this one out!
Answer Riddim sings: "Bicycle Man is what I am, and proud to be...."
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Treadfest volunteers needed!
I am told that Club Tread could use more volunteers for Treadfest at Lake Geneva this weekend!
They would be really happy to have help for the entire day, but even if you only have a couple of hours it would help! Go to the WORS site to find the race director's contact info at the bottom of the page. Or leave a comment and I will forward the info. I think they might need some help on Saturday, too.
Last year I remember helping out with the kids' race - it and was fun. There are all sorts of things people can do.
They would be really happy to have help for the entire day, but even if you only have a couple of hours it would help! Go to the WORS site to find the race director's contact info at the bottom of the page. Or leave a comment and I will forward the info. I think they might need some help on Saturday, too.
Last year I remember helping out with the kids' race - it and was fun. There are all sorts of things people can do.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Collegiate Nationals
Congratulations to Devon Haskell on winning the 2008 Division II National Collegiate road race, riding for University of Chicago. Quite an accomplishment!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Get your Liggettisms...
Chris D. at Turin told me that the price of tickets for the Phil Ligget lecture May 23rd has been reduced from $100 to $25, with proceeds going to the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation. That made the decision easy for me, I'm now going. Should be a good time! He asked me to spread the word. He said they have been trying to get Phil there for a few years. He is flying from Europe, taking a nap, doing the lecture, going to Connecticut to tape a Versus broadcast, then heading back to Europe. Sounds like a great opportunity to me! Come on out, Phil fans and hear some Liggetisms. Link to tix here! Oh, and VIP tix are $100 if you want to be part of a small group that gets to hang with him before the lecture.
Congrats to my mtb teammate John S, whose business was listed in an article in Chicago Magazine about the 24 best plumbing companies in the Chicago area. I think everyone should call him and tell him they have a broken pipe! ;-)
I just read about clear/sheer Post-it Notes in the Cool Hunting email. I think I like that idea.
I was considering going to Kettle today and meeting up with the Killjoy folks to ride. I ended up not going, but after seeing pics of the various groups of WORS riders at Kettle today on Jay's blog, I wish I had. I had a good day here, but it still looked really fun.
Congrats to my mtb teammate John S, whose business was listed in an article in Chicago Magazine about the 24 best plumbing companies in the Chicago area. I think everyone should call him and tell him they have a broken pipe! ;-)
I just read about clear/sheer Post-it Notes in the Cool Hunting email. I think I like that idea.
I was considering going to Kettle today and meeting up with the Killjoy folks to ride. I ended up not going, but after seeing pics of the various groups of WORS riders at Kettle today on Jay's blog, I wish I had. I had a good day here, but it still looked really fun.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Crane Attack at Kettle!
I just talked to Holly who was driving up near Kettle with Tom. She rode early in the morning and saw a big egg in the middle of the trail! It wasn't there her first lap, but it was there on the third. At the time she wasn't sure what type of egg it was, but after hearing what happened to Tom, I am guessing it was a crane egg. She said it was big and really solid and heavy, not like a chicken egg.
Tom was there later, in the midday, and was attacked by a six foot crane!! He said it was in the first half mile (I think) of the blue trail. It also attacked another rider, a woman with an expert WORS plate. It sounds like it was a really unpleasant experience for both riders. The cell connection was fuzzy, so I didn't catch all the details.
So Kettle Riders, beware this weekend. After hearing Holly's egg story, my guess is that they are laying their eggs around there and when riders get too near to a nest, they attack. I guess it makes sense since they don't realize the riders are just passing through and are not a threat, provided they don't lay their eggs on the trail. I don't know if a crane has a way to move it's eggs somewhere else away from human traffic, I imagine they can't easily pick them up and move them.... Has anyone else seen cranes at Kettle?
Tom was there later, in the midday, and was attacked by a six foot crane!! He said it was in the first half mile (I think) of the blue trail. It also attacked another rider, a woman with an expert WORS plate. It sounds like it was a really unpleasant experience for both riders. The cell connection was fuzzy, so I didn't catch all the details.
So Kettle Riders, beware this weekend. After hearing Holly's egg story, my guess is that they are laying their eggs around there and when riders get too near to a nest, they attack. I guess it makes sense since they don't realize the riders are just passing through and are not a threat, provided they don't lay their eggs on the trail. I don't know if a crane has a way to move it's eggs somewhere else away from human traffic, I imagine they can't easily pick them up and move them.... Has anyone else seen cranes at Kettle?
Klunkerz and E-Town
There's a nice article about Evanston night life in today's Tribune. I wish I took more advantage of the things they describe in the article! Can't imagine why they didn't mention the excitement of going to the gym every night in the winter or the thrill of dodging gaping potholes to go north to get to the north suburban riding routes... or driving by all the fun places to get to the expressway to leave town to go race in Wisconsin....seriously though, I feel like I'm gone so much during the season I don't know my own town. That's kind of sad.
I got a little "present" in the mail. Or at least it felt like a present because I forgot I had ordered it!! My Klunkerz DVD came today! I don't really have time to watch it in the next couple of days but I bet I will stay up late one night because I can't resist! Along with it I ordered Fundamentals, the Mountain Bike Technique Video. I hadn't heard of that one before, I hope it's interesting.
This week I have ridden every day but the rides have been strange. The best ride was Wednesday night. I had intended to go to a women's riding event but didn't go because I would have been late. I went for a ride, realizing when I got out there there were menacing looking black clouds to the north. A lean fast looking racer type guy and I were at a stop sign at the same time, waiting for traffic to clear. I looked at him more closely and saw his bike and realized we had talked once before, but he was wearing a different kit. He made some comment about the clouds and to my surprise, instead of him zooming on ahead, we chatted for the next 20 or so minutes, about all sorts of interesting bike-related topics. The Olympics in China, a bike product he is designing, one his dad is designing, was it going to storm or not?, carbon fiber, and so on. It was really fun, I love geeking out on bike stuff. It started to rain and he decided to turn around. I was a little more prepared for rain, so I kept riding. He only told me his first name, but I know it was Greg LeMond's son. I wish it hadn't rained, the conversation was really interesting. I should have turned around too, I eventually got absolutely soaked to the bone and was freezing. The kind of storm where you can feel your shoes sloshing, you can hardly see, and you wish you could peel all your clothes off before you walk in the front door to avoid puddles inside.
At the beginning of the week it was hard to dress right - it was always alot cooler by the lake than what they said on the radio or the net. So I'd dress for what it felt like, but even then one evening the temp dropped what felt like 10 or 15 degrees during the ride. Luckily I always overdress. I was still cold though. And when I'd dress for the lake temp, when I'd do the detour away from the lake to avoid the Sheridan construction, it would feel 5 or 10 degrees warmer during the detour, then the contrast would make it feel really cold when I'd get back to the lake. Yesterday it was downright freezing. I wish I had put on what I wear in 45 degree riding - because I think it was down to 50 or below while I was riding. The wind made it feel so much colder, I never really felt warm, and I would much prefer to be too warm than too cold. I took the L&M headlamp which was good to have. At the beginning of the ride as I rode through the construction on Sherman, in broad daylight there was a raccoon walking around in the street where the front end loader was and the big sewer pipes were waiting to be installed. He looked drunk, he was kind of walking around in circles. Later that night when I was driving a black cat ran in front of my car. Two animals sightings within a couple of hours, weird... anyone know how to interpret that kind of stuff (beyond the "bad luck" thing?) Supposedly it means something when an animal appears or visits you. The meaning varies with the animal.
I got a little "present" in the mail. Or at least it felt like a present because I forgot I had ordered it!! My Klunkerz DVD came today! I don't really have time to watch it in the next couple of days but I bet I will stay up late one night because I can't resist! Along with it I ordered Fundamentals, the Mountain Bike Technique Video. I hadn't heard of that one before, I hope it's interesting.
This week I have ridden every day but the rides have been strange. The best ride was Wednesday night. I had intended to go to a women's riding event but didn't go because I would have been late. I went for a ride, realizing when I got out there there were menacing looking black clouds to the north. A lean fast looking racer type guy and I were at a stop sign at the same time, waiting for traffic to clear. I looked at him more closely and saw his bike and realized we had talked once before, but he was wearing a different kit. He made some comment about the clouds and to my surprise, instead of him zooming on ahead, we chatted for the next 20 or so minutes, about all sorts of interesting bike-related topics. The Olympics in China, a bike product he is designing, one his dad is designing, was it going to storm or not?, carbon fiber, and so on. It was really fun, I love geeking out on bike stuff. It started to rain and he decided to turn around. I was a little more prepared for rain, so I kept riding. He only told me his first name, but I know it was Greg LeMond's son. I wish it hadn't rained, the conversation was really interesting. I should have turned around too, I eventually got absolutely soaked to the bone and was freezing. The kind of storm where you can feel your shoes sloshing, you can hardly see, and you wish you could peel all your clothes off before you walk in the front door to avoid puddles inside.
At the beginning of the week it was hard to dress right - it was always alot cooler by the lake than what they said on the radio or the net. So I'd dress for what it felt like, but even then one evening the temp dropped what felt like 10 or 15 degrees during the ride. Luckily I always overdress. I was still cold though. And when I'd dress for the lake temp, when I'd do the detour away from the lake to avoid the Sheridan construction, it would feel 5 or 10 degrees warmer during the detour, then the contrast would make it feel really cold when I'd get back to the lake. Yesterday it was downright freezing. I wish I had put on what I wear in 45 degree riding - because I think it was down to 50 or below while I was riding. The wind made it feel so much colder, I never really felt warm, and I would much prefer to be too warm than too cold. I took the L&M headlamp which was good to have. At the beginning of the ride as I rode through the construction on Sherman, in broad daylight there was a raccoon walking around in the street where the front end loader was and the big sewer pipes were waiting to be installed. He looked drunk, he was kind of walking around in circles. Later that night when I was driving a black cat ran in front of my car. Two animals sightings within a couple of hours, weird... anyone know how to interpret that kind of stuff (beyond the "bad luck" thing?) Supposedly it means something when an animal appears or visits you. The meaning varies with the animal.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Iola
First off I have to say race day at Iola was just gorgeous. Sunny day, course in great condition, and the excitement of seeing everyone after a long winter. There is something so exciting about the first race of the WORS season. I could hardly wait for this one, especially since I love the course.
All I could have asked for is maybe four more hours of sleep. I'd like to see how I would do in a race with a full 8 hours of sleep the night before! The drive up was rough due to tiredness and major allergy issues. Lots of sneezing, itchy eyes, scratchy throat, stuffy nose, all that stuff. I also stopped for a little while at a rest area to take a nap, which was a good thing, I felt much more awake after that.
In the morning I saw Dana at breakfast. I haven't talked to her in a while so I didn't realize they were coming to the race. It was nice to see her for the first time since Chequamegon. They must have left the race early, because I didn't see her later in the day.
There was a long line at registration and at the tent they said I couldn't use my race number plate from last year even though it was the same, so I changed to the new plate. I got everything done before my race started but only managed to ride up and down the parking lot rows once or twice for a warm up. I had hoped to get more of a warm up to prepare for the first hill. I had decided to ride the Blur instead of the Tomac. (I realized at Rock Cut that I am liking the Blur much more since I had the bars cut.) The seat was set higher, and I couldn't get back up on the seat once I got to the front row, so my start was a tad wobbly and people passed me. I missed an opportunity there for a great start - I almost never get to start in the first row. More people passed me as I struggled up the hill after the turn. Things got better after that. A girl in front of me took the good line I wanted to take down the sandy hill that goes by the start area. I wanted to ride it faster but I didn't want to leave the line and venture over into the churned up sandier area to pass. That was the beginning of the theme that played for the rest of the race - I often felt stuck because I was not aggressive enough or comfortable enough passing in the singletrack. I don't have the fitness to get the acceleration that I needed. I did have it in some of the open areas when I was able to pass people, but not consistently. I had the same problem again on the screamin' downhill that shoots you up the big hill. The two girls in front of me were taking the downhill really really cautiously. I am a cautious rider too, but I wanted to go much faster on that downhill in hopes of getting partway up the hill. Yet I didn't feel comfortable trying to pass two nervous people on the downhill. So I poked along behind them, having not had the fitness to pass them before. (I realize that many of you in other categories have the constant challenge of passing others and don't see what the big deal is, but I don't have as much experience with being the passer. We seemed to be closer together this time, and there were more guys with us.)
Anyway, many parts of the race were really really fun, and some parts were really painful. I walked some hills, and I had lots of company. When my back/legs started to really hurt vs. just ache I would give it a rest by walking up a hill, which worked really well as pain management. I lost some places, but I was able to finish the race. In the first lap I was just surviving, but in the second I started to warm up and got a little spring in my legs. My back was getting worse but the rest of me was starting to wake up. I was passing back and forth with several people, at least one of whom was in my age group. I didn't know most of the people in my age group in this race, which was weird, so I wasn't really sure who was who. None of the people that I was riding around seemed familiar except for a few of the teenagers. It didn't feel like the races last year, it felt really new and different, with so many familiar faces not there. We passed quite a few guys. It was fun watching people's strengths and weaknesses as we rallied back and forth. One clydesdale guy who struggled mightily on the uphills was super confident and fast on the downhills. Some people would pass me on the hills but I'd catch them on the flats.
It was only my second trail ride of the year, but I didn't feel quite as clumsy as I usually do at this time of year. I think that's because often my first race is one of my first times out on a bike that year, but this year I did more road riding in the winter than I usually do. I think it helped, although I still had my share of bobbles on the turns and roots.
In the fun singletrack on the back part (second part) of the course a big group of us got stuck behind a little boy (I mean really little!). I think we were all hoping to get a chance to pass when things opened up, but he held his own in the open stretches and we'd end up piled up behind him again. It was frustrating, but what can you do? You just have to be patient. That seemed to last forever, though it probably really didn't.
When we got near the end of the race, I was in the final stretches of singletrack behind a teenage girl that I had seen on and off the whole race. She looked familiar from last year. I wasn't that concerned that she wasn't going that hard until I saw that we had caught the person that I thought was first place in my age group. At that point a guy behind me was yelling for this girl in front of me to pick up the pace, since she was just poking along. That was when I really needed to have some nerve to pass in the twisty singletrack but I didn't have it. I made a comment that the person ahead of us was in my age group, but I should have been more direct and asked if she could let me pass. I thought there would be a long enough open spot somewhere but it just didn't work out that way. If the finish had been a little further from the place we popped out of the woods I could have passed the age grouper in a final sprint, but even then the other girl was in the way. So, due to my lameness, I lost first in age group by TWO seconds. I definitely had enough ooomph left to catch and pass first place, but apparently not the guts to ask for what I needed to do. It was still a fun race though, and I still love the course.
We had a good team turnout of ten people, considering the long drive for all of us. Several people moved up to new categories and quite a few people made the podium. It felt like a really good start to the season.
And getting to hang out and catch up with so many people afterwards was, as always, great. There are still alot of people I didn't get to talk to, so I hope I see some of you at Lake Geneva!
All I could have asked for is maybe four more hours of sleep. I'd like to see how I would do in a race with a full 8 hours of sleep the night before! The drive up was rough due to tiredness and major allergy issues. Lots of sneezing, itchy eyes, scratchy throat, stuffy nose, all that stuff. I also stopped for a little while at a rest area to take a nap, which was a good thing, I felt much more awake after that.
In the morning I saw Dana at breakfast. I haven't talked to her in a while so I didn't realize they were coming to the race. It was nice to see her for the first time since Chequamegon. They must have left the race early, because I didn't see her later in the day.
There was a long line at registration and at the tent they said I couldn't use my race number plate from last year even though it was the same, so I changed to the new plate. I got everything done before my race started but only managed to ride up and down the parking lot rows once or twice for a warm up. I had hoped to get more of a warm up to prepare for the first hill. I had decided to ride the Blur instead of the Tomac. (I realized at Rock Cut that I am liking the Blur much more since I had the bars cut.) The seat was set higher, and I couldn't get back up on the seat once I got to the front row, so my start was a tad wobbly and people passed me. I missed an opportunity there for a great start - I almost never get to start in the first row. More people passed me as I struggled up the hill after the turn. Things got better after that. A girl in front of me took the good line I wanted to take down the sandy hill that goes by the start area. I wanted to ride it faster but I didn't want to leave the line and venture over into the churned up sandier area to pass. That was the beginning of the theme that played for the rest of the race - I often felt stuck because I was not aggressive enough or comfortable enough passing in the singletrack. I don't have the fitness to get the acceleration that I needed. I did have it in some of the open areas when I was able to pass people, but not consistently. I had the same problem again on the screamin' downhill that shoots you up the big hill. The two girls in front of me were taking the downhill really really cautiously. I am a cautious rider too, but I wanted to go much faster on that downhill in hopes of getting partway up the hill. Yet I didn't feel comfortable trying to pass two nervous people on the downhill. So I poked along behind them, having not had the fitness to pass them before. (I realize that many of you in other categories have the constant challenge of passing others and don't see what the big deal is, but I don't have as much experience with being the passer. We seemed to be closer together this time, and there were more guys with us.)
Anyway, many parts of the race were really really fun, and some parts were really painful. I walked some hills, and I had lots of company. When my back/legs started to really hurt vs. just ache I would give it a rest by walking up a hill, which worked really well as pain management. I lost some places, but I was able to finish the race. In the first lap I was just surviving, but in the second I started to warm up and got a little spring in my legs. My back was getting worse but the rest of me was starting to wake up. I was passing back and forth with several people, at least one of whom was in my age group. I didn't know most of the people in my age group in this race, which was weird, so I wasn't really sure who was who. None of the people that I was riding around seemed familiar except for a few of the teenagers. It didn't feel like the races last year, it felt really new and different, with so many familiar faces not there. We passed quite a few guys. It was fun watching people's strengths and weaknesses as we rallied back and forth. One clydesdale guy who struggled mightily on the uphills was super confident and fast on the downhills. Some people would pass me on the hills but I'd catch them on the flats.
It was only my second trail ride of the year, but I didn't feel quite as clumsy as I usually do at this time of year. I think that's because often my first race is one of my first times out on a bike that year, but this year I did more road riding in the winter than I usually do. I think it helped, although I still had my share of bobbles on the turns and roots.
In the fun singletrack on the back part (second part) of the course a big group of us got stuck behind a little boy (I mean really little!). I think we were all hoping to get a chance to pass when things opened up, but he held his own in the open stretches and we'd end up piled up behind him again. It was frustrating, but what can you do? You just have to be patient. That seemed to last forever, though it probably really didn't.
When we got near the end of the race, I was in the final stretches of singletrack behind a teenage girl that I had seen on and off the whole race. She looked familiar from last year. I wasn't that concerned that she wasn't going that hard until I saw that we had caught the person that I thought was first place in my age group. At that point a guy behind me was yelling for this girl in front of me to pick up the pace, since she was just poking along. That was when I really needed to have some nerve to pass in the twisty singletrack but I didn't have it. I made a comment that the person ahead of us was in my age group, but I should have been more direct and asked if she could let me pass. I thought there would be a long enough open spot somewhere but it just didn't work out that way. If the finish had been a little further from the place we popped out of the woods I could have passed the age grouper in a final sprint, but even then the other girl was in the way. So, due to my lameness, I lost first in age group by TWO seconds. I definitely had enough ooomph left to catch and pass first place, but apparently not the guts to ask for what I needed to do. It was still a fun race though, and I still love the course.
We had a good team turnout of ten people, considering the long drive for all of us. Several people moved up to new categories and quite a few people made the podium. It felt like a really good start to the season.
And getting to hang out and catch up with so many people afterwards was, as always, great. There are still alot of people I didn't get to talk to, so I hope I see some of you at Lake Geneva!
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Don't try this at home
I made the mistake of trying this game. Someone that commented on a blog I was reading had a link to it. I should know better. I spent too much time on it when I had other things to do. My top score was 1808. I'm sure someone else can top that. I got a lot of 982's in the process, from lining them all up the same way, the domino effect. Think exponential not domino, for a higher score. No more for me!
Monday, April 28, 2008
More on Bottles, and Snow?
I spent my Saturday afternoon on the phone trying to get everyone on the same page for an informal team dinner before WORS starts. I had started on it a while ago but it's next to impossible to find a night when everyone is free, not to mention the fact that we live all over the place. We got together last night, and had a decent turnout. Some teammates spent Sunday doing trail work up at the Lake Geneva course. Or so they thought! When they got there they ended up digging out giant snowdrifts. Unfortunately they did not get any pics. I can only use my imagination on shoveling huge piles of snow at the end of April.
Fran, Wendy and DJ after dinner. Fran is having her baby next week!
Even Velo-News is writing about the water bottles now. In the May 5 print edition there is an article on toxic water bottles on p. 30. In a nutshell, most cycling water bottles are No. 4 plastic. (look on the bottom of the bottle) which is apparently less toxic. The chemicals currently coming under fire as being toxic in new studies are found in bottles made of plastics No. 3, 6, and 7. My Nalgene and Camelback bottles say No 7 on the bottom. However, both of those companies are now making bottles that don't use the BPA chemicals.
I remember a few years ago being told not to use cycling water bottles (No 4) which were thought to leach chemicals. I think it might have been phtlates (sp?) that were in them but I really can't remember. Now they seem to be considered safer than the old ''safe" bottles. In the same issue, on page 99, they suggest the Camelback Podium bottle, the gel-Bot, and the plain old standard cycling water bottle, which are mostly made by Specialized. (You probably have like 30 of them.)
And here's an old school bmx pic of mountain bike legend Johnny T on the Tomac bikes blog. It was probably taken when he was a kid growing up in Michigan.
Fran, Wendy and DJ after dinner. Fran is having her baby next week!Even Velo-News is writing about the water bottles now. In the May 5 print edition there is an article on toxic water bottles on p. 30. In a nutshell, most cycling water bottles are No. 4 plastic. (look on the bottom of the bottle) which is apparently less toxic. The chemicals currently coming under fire as being toxic in new studies are found in bottles made of plastics No. 3, 6, and 7. My Nalgene and Camelback bottles say No 7 on the bottom. However, both of those companies are now making bottles that don't use the BPA chemicals.
I remember a few years ago being told not to use cycling water bottles (No 4) which were thought to leach chemicals. I think it might have been phtlates (sp?) that were in them but I really can't remember. Now they seem to be considered safer than the old ''safe" bottles. In the same issue, on page 99, they suggest the Camelback Podium bottle, the gel-Bot, and the plain old standard cycling water bottle, which are mostly made by Specialized. (You probably have like 30 of them.)
And here's an old school bmx pic of mountain bike legend Johnny T on the Tomac bikes blog. It was probably taken when he was a kid growing up in Michigan.
Rock Cut Pics
I downloaded the Rock Cut pics so the people who have been waiting all week (Ben and Julie) could see them ... and I'm having problems with them. When I upgraded to Leopard I got a surprise - my iPhoto no longer works. I can't even open it to see my previous photos. Sooo, I am going to have to get a new version of iPhoto. Here are two photos that worked not using iPhoto. Hopefully I'll figure out a workaround soon... (update: I learned how to post blog pics straight from Flickr - not the ideal way, but at least they are up)
Audrey and Julie pushed each other the entire race and got 1st and 2nd in their age group.
Casey still had her front teeth here. Congrats to Spicyride on the strong ride, hence the trophy.
Originally uploaded by Velogrrl
Audrey and Julie pushed each other the entire race and got 1st and 2nd in their age group. 
Casey still had her front teeth here. Congrats to Spicyride on the strong ride, hence the trophy.
Originally uploaded by Velogrrl
Friday, April 25, 2008
meeting
I am hoping to make it to the CAMBR meeting tonight. Hopefully some of you will be there. It's a long trip for me during Friday rush hour, so I'll have to see how things are at the end of the day. It's been a long, busy week. I am looking forward to seeing The Collective movie "Seasons" there if I go!
And yes, all week I have been carrying a post-race post around in my head, and there are photos on the memory card...but my days have ended so late this week I just can't stay up the extra hour or two to write the post. Hopefully before the next race!!
More later, but would you ride a mt. bike that had no place for a water bottle? Do some of you? I like to keep my energy drink in water bottles and my water in a camelback. I'm not sure I could get used to not having the water bottle(s), both in short events and WEMS. I have a week to decide if I could live with this.
And yes, all week I have been carrying a post-race post around in my head, and there are photos on the memory card...but my days have ended so late this week I just can't stay up the extra hour or two to write the post. Hopefully before the next race!!
More later, but would you ride a mt. bike that had no place for a water bottle? Do some of you? I like to keep my energy drink in water bottles and my water in a camelback. I'm not sure I could get used to not having the water bottle(s), both in short events and WEMS. I have a week to decide if I could live with this.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
RIP Nalgene Bottles?
Today in the print Tribune I read that Nalgene is going to take their popular water bottles off the market and replace them with bottles that don't use BPA's. I've been reading alot lately about water bottles that leach BPA's and how they are bad for us. I think Consumer Reports had an article too this past month? It seems like all of a sudden everyone discovered this, I'm seeing articles everywhere.
This was confusing when I first read about it because for the last few years I thought we were supposed to be avoiding squeezable soft plastic bike water bottles in favor of Nalgene for drinking. I had thought the Nalgene bottles were considered to be safe, vs. our bike bottles. So which is worse? Are we now supposed to avoid both? Time and heat make the chemicals most likely to leach into the water. I fill up all my bottles, a combination of nalgene and bike-specific ones, before I leave on a bike race trip and pack them in coolers so they are ready when I need them. I know this is not the best from a health standpoint, but it's easiest for me. I am wondering what the new alternative is going to be? And also if my Britta filtered water pitcher that I drink water from every day made of the same type of bad plastic?
Now I have an excuse for being slow. It's all the water I drink out of those bottles. (just kidding!)
it's always something....
This was confusing when I first read about it because for the last few years I thought we were supposed to be avoiding squeezable soft plastic bike water bottles in favor of Nalgene for drinking. I had thought the Nalgene bottles were considered to be safe, vs. our bike bottles. So which is worse? Are we now supposed to avoid both? Time and heat make the chemicals most likely to leach into the water. I fill up all my bottles, a combination of nalgene and bike-specific ones, before I leave on a bike race trip and pack them in coolers so they are ready when I need them. I know this is not the best from a health standpoint, but it's easiest for me. I am wondering what the new alternative is going to be? And also if my Britta filtered water pitcher that I drink water from every day made of the same type of bad plastic?
Now I have an excuse for being slow. It's all the water I drink out of those bottles. (just kidding!)
it's always something....
Friday, April 18, 2008
I feel the earth move....
I felt the earthquake... but I didn't realize what it was. I was wondering, what is that, the house is shaking even more (a lot more) than when a bus goes by, but it's too late (or early) for a bus...then I was wondering if maybe we were getting a thunderstorm.... it was kind of noisy and there was definitely rumbling and shaking going on. then I heard about the earthquake on tv. wierd. I actually thought maybe I heard something falling, though I don't know what it was yet. I also felt really queasy and sick for a while, which may have been somehow related?
I wonder what it was like for all the people in highrises...
now I am wide awake!!
and Wednesday night when I was out walking for exercise late in the evening, I heard growling across the street from where I was walking. I had forgotten all about the cougar(s) until that moment. then I heard the fierce growling-type noise again. I have no idea what it was, it could have been animals fighting, but all I could think about was the cougar!! it could have been a racoon, I guess, but the vision in my head was all cougar!! I walked as fast as I could to get away from that block. It was only a couple blocks away from my house!
strange week.
I wonder what it was like for all the people in highrises...
now I am wide awake!!
and Wednesday night when I was out walking for exercise late in the evening, I heard growling across the street from where I was walking. I had forgotten all about the cougar(s) until that moment. then I heard the fierce growling-type noise again. I have no idea what it was, it could have been animals fighting, but all I could think about was the cougar!! it could have been a racoon, I guess, but the vision in my head was all cougar!! I walked as fast as I could to get away from that block. It was only a couple blocks away from my house!
strange week.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Cougar not a Mirage
Turns out I was behind in my news - around the time I was posting about the cougar in Wilmette, police in Roscoe Village were shooting a cougar! Is it the same one people saw in Wilmette? Who knows, but it seems likely. I admit I didn't really think there was one in Wilmette.
I was surprised to read that Goose Island Brewery's pub on Clybourn is closing at the end of the year. Their rent is going way up at the end of their lease. I guess that part is not surprising, given how the neighborhood has changed in the 15 years that they have been there. I have mostly been there for Clif event staff meetings over the last 5 or so years.
I forgot to mention earlier that Saturday night I saw a really fun local bluegrass band called the Henhouse Prowlers at the Celtic Knot. If you like bluegrass, you might want to see these guys. A friend had been telling me about them for a while. I haven't been out to hear live bluegrass in ages.
One of the band guys told me that Charlie Louvin is playing at the Heartland Cafe Wednesday night. I used to love the Louvin Brothers - old school bluegrass with amazing harmonies! If you want to see a little piece of old time traditional music history, check this guy out. He's probably in his 80's or 90's by now, I would guess?
On his website:
I was surprised to read that Goose Island Brewery's pub on Clybourn is closing at the end of the year. Their rent is going way up at the end of their lease. I guess that part is not surprising, given how the neighborhood has changed in the 15 years that they have been there. I have mostly been there for Clif event staff meetings over the last 5 or so years.
I forgot to mention earlier that Saturday night I saw a really fun local bluegrass band called the Henhouse Prowlers at the Celtic Knot. If you like bluegrass, you might want to see these guys. A friend had been telling me about them for a while. I haven't been out to hear live bluegrass in ages.
One of the band guys told me that Charlie Louvin is playing at the Heartland Cafe Wednesday night. I used to love the Louvin Brothers - old school bluegrass with amazing harmonies! If you want to see a little piece of old time traditional music history, check this guy out. He's probably in his 80's or 90's by now, I would guess?
On his website:
Charlie Louvin has released his first new album in over ten years on the New York-based Tompkins Square label.
The self-titled disc, produced by Mark Nevers (Lambchop, Calexico, Candi Staton) and Charlie Louvin, was recorded in Spring/Summer 2006 in Nashville. It features guest performances by Elvis Costello, Jeff Tweedy, Will Oldham, Tom T. Hall, George Jones, Bobby Bare Sr., Tift Merritt, Marty Stuart, David Kilgour, and members of Bright Eyes, Lambchop, Superchunk, Blanche and Clem Snide, among others.
The album features several Louvin Brothers classics as well as country favorites first popularized by Jimmie Rodgers, the Delmore Brothers, the Carter Family, and the Monroe Brothers. Charlie also has included a moving tribute to his late brother Ira, with whom he formed the Louvin Brothers in 1940. (Ira Louvin died in a car accident in 1965, at age 41.)
Charlie Louvin's influence on country, alt-country, and their many sub-genres, is incalculable. The unique harmonies and lyrical folk poetry of the Louvin Brothers ("among the top duos in country music history" AllMusic.com) have inspired countless covers of their songs by such artists as Johnny Cash, Gram Parsons, the Byrds, Emmylou Harris, Uncle Tupelo and the Raconteurs (with Jack White).
Cougar Sightings?
Some people in Wilmette have been reporting cougar sightings! I read about this in the print version of the Tribune. One had been spotted up in North Chicago, 20 miles away, so they are hypothesizing that it might be the same one. Having spent a lot of time snowshoeing and skiing in a Wilmette lakefront park this winter, it's hard for me to imagine a cougar lurking there... but there are probably lots of other good lurking places. It does make riding through Wilmette a little more exciting. If the potholes weren't enough to keep you on your toes.... So, cyclists riding through Wilmette, consider yourself warned!!
Happiness is...
the little things.....
Like getting my Chequamegon card in the mail today. I wish I could wave a magic wand to get entries for the many teammates and friends who didn't make it in this year.
Like getting a TEN in my horoscope, and having a message that makes me want to jump up and do all the things I have been too tired (or lazy?) to get done this winter. I can't remember the last time mine had a ten!
My computer is in the shop and I am writing this on a newer computer, and am amazed at the extra options available for blogger in the newer browser! The menu before had like two options - spell check and upload pics. Now there are many more! It's like having a whole new Blogger.
Congrats to Gabi on getting 6th place in her first duathlon as a pro! She went to a race in Alabama this past weekend. She just got her pro triathlete license this winter.
I think it's pretty cool that CAMBR is showing a sneak preview of The Collective movie "Seasons" after the membership meeting. They hadn't announced a location when I heard about it, but I am hoping it's not too far away. I think they got this privilege due to the new mt bike park Cambr West is building in Plainfield. Support CAMBR! They put in countless hours of work on the trails and in dealing with the county to keep the trails open, etc.
Like getting my Chequamegon card in the mail today. I wish I could wave a magic wand to get entries for the many teammates and friends who didn't make it in this year.
Like getting a TEN in my horoscope, and having a message that makes me want to jump up and do all the things I have been too tired (or lazy?) to get done this winter. I can't remember the last time mine had a ten!
Sagittarius: Today is a 10. Take positive steps to make your every dream come true. If you can imagine it, you can make it happen, starting now.
My computer is in the shop and I am writing this on a newer computer, and am amazed at the extra options available for blogger in the newer browser! The menu before had like two options - spell check and upload pics. Now there are many more! It's like having a whole new Blogger.
Congrats to Gabi on getting 6th place in her first duathlon as a pro! She went to a race in Alabama this past weekend. She just got her pro triathlete license this winter.
I think it's pretty cool that CAMBR is showing a sneak preview of The Collective movie "Seasons" after the membership meeting. They hadn't announced a location when I heard about it, but I am hoping it's not too far away. I think they got this privilege due to the new mt bike park Cambr West is building in Plainfield. Support CAMBR! They put in countless hours of work on the trails and in dealing with the county to keep the trails open, etc.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Help!!
I just read about the Help line of products today. A simple way to address a headache or a cut. The band-aids sound high-tech, they are made of a "futuristic material" used in hospitals.
Unrelated to cuts and headaches, the iPhone might be getting 3G in the next 60 days. I just read about this today, but Walt Mossberg alluded to it in an interview a week ago, then later tried to backpedal. I'm not really sure if this is a big improvement unless you spend all your time in an urban area (ie. you aren't a mt. biker), but the potential of it is appealing. I'm still holding off on the iPhone anyway, at least for a little longer. I'm inching closer - they finally made it available to business accounts and I am finally going to upgrade my mac os to Leopard, so the barriers to ownership are slowly dropping away.
I read about this new dance Tecktonik (a mix of rave and breakdancing), that is big in France, so I went on YouTube to see what it's all about. it is apparently a modern version of disco. Mullets and muscle shirts are de rigeur. This video of a student named "Jey Jey" has been watched by more than 8 million people. I think it would be fun to be able to do that. There's something oddly appealing about it to me, I guess cuz I used to love to dance. Quite a work out. It would be a novel way to get in some off-season cross training, too. If that first video wasn't way too, um, disco, for you, here's another one.
Unrelated to cuts and headaches, the iPhone might be getting 3G in the next 60 days. I just read about this today, but Walt Mossberg alluded to it in an interview a week ago, then later tried to backpedal. I'm not really sure if this is a big improvement unless you spend all your time in an urban area (ie. you aren't a mt. biker), but the potential of it is appealing. I'm still holding off on the iPhone anyway, at least for a little longer. I'm inching closer - they finally made it available to business accounts and I am finally going to upgrade my mac os to Leopard, so the barriers to ownership are slowly dropping away.
I read about this new dance Tecktonik (a mix of rave and breakdancing), that is big in France, so I went on YouTube to see what it's all about. it is apparently a modern version of disco. Mullets and muscle shirts are de rigeur. This video of a student named "Jey Jey" has been watched by more than 8 million people. I think it would be fun to be able to do that. There's something oddly appealing about it to me, I guess cuz I used to love to dance. Quite a work out. It would be a novel way to get in some off-season cross training, too. If that first video wasn't way too, um, disco, for you, here's another one.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Cooler by the Lake
It is official. the start of what I call "cooler by the lake" season. That is when all the weather forecasters are crowing about how it's going to hit, gasp, 65 today!! And I get all excited and keep going outside wondering where the 65 is and why it still feels cold out... oh yeah, it's another cooler by the lake day. When I went out riding in the afternoon the radio said it was 54 by the lake. By the time I got home I am guessing it was 48-51ish. I was out about 2.5 hours. The ride north was great. The ride south felt like it was into a strong wind so it wasn't quite as much fun. Yesterday was more fun, when the wind felt like it was always in my favor. My knees hurt afer riding both days so I may have overdone it a little.
I'm looking forward to my first off-road ride of the season, which will probably be Rock Cut.
The funniest thing to me both days this weekend was the wide range of clothing I saw. I saw tween girls in shorts, flip flops, and tank tops, at the same time I was noticing that my toes were getting cold in spite of my booties! I saw shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops everywhere in various combinations, even though it was 54ish. And walking down the street near the younger people wearing minimal clothes, or half summer/half spring clothes, I saw other people wearing layers, even down jackets, including one with a fake fur collar. I did see one guy riding in shorts and short sleeves, too. It's transition season, for sure.
I'm looking forward to my first off-road ride of the season, which will probably be Rock Cut.
The funniest thing to me both days this weekend was the wide range of clothing I saw. I saw tween girls in shorts, flip flops, and tank tops, at the same time I was noticing that my toes were getting cold in spite of my booties! I saw shorts, t-shirts and flip-flops everywhere in various combinations, even though it was 54ish. And walking down the street near the younger people wearing minimal clothes, or half summer/half spring clothes, I saw other people wearing layers, even down jackets, including one with a fake fur collar. I did see one guy riding in shorts and short sleeves, too. It's transition season, for sure.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
I can see Spring at the end of the tunnel...
The weeks seem to just be flying by. I have missed so much updating - I guess I'll go backonly a week or so. Last week two good friends, Wendy (aka New Zealand Wendy) and Kristin left for India. They will be traveling for an entire month! They both have jobs where they are able to arrange that. Judging by Wendy's travelog emails, they are having a great time. In this age of cell phones, it's wierd not talking to them for so long.
I felt awful that weekend, after not enough sleep that Thursday night. No riding for me!! I dragged myself to an event at a local shop where the Moots rep gave a slide show and answered questions. I'm glad I went - it was interesting, I got to see some people I hadn't seen in a long time, and all in all had a good time. I had planned to go to the gym after but it ended too late. All weekend I felt mostly awful, but did feel better enough to decide last minute to go to a party that the skinny's team was having. I never did get the cold, though, all the weekend napping must have kept it at bay.
The week was kind of a blur. I had trouble getting in my hour on the eliptical every day at the gym - I just did the best I could. Last night I finally got in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Everything didn't hurt quite as much as usual so I made it for a little extra before closing time. It helped that I wanted to see the end of the movie I was watching. I took three bikes in for tune-ups to get ready for the season and got those back on Friday. The cross bike that I took to Nationals hadn't been ridden since then. Turned out it had a shifter issue - something must have happened to it in the terrible muddy, icy conditions that day.
I was super excited for the warmer weather we got today! And SUN! I didn't get out on the bike until late afternoon, but I had a great ride. I decided it was the perfect day to leave my "winter/rain bike" (an old 90's cross bike with touring tires) at home and break out the freshly tuned "new" (relatively) cross bike. I swapped the cross wheels for road wheels with skinny tires, put a light on the bars just in case, and it was ready to go. The shifter now worked flawlessly. I knew it would cool off and I knew it was probably colder than the radio was saying by the lake, so I still wore (as usual) alot more stuff than most of you would. I was really comfortable the whole ride and didn't get chilled as the temps got down in the low 50's/high 40's on the way home. Well, except for my toes!
The best part about the ride was how light and fast I felt compared to previous rides. The newer bike is alot lighter than the old, and being custom, felt right as soon as I got on it. For most of the ride I was going from 1 - 3 mph faster than I had been before on the older, heavier bike that doesn't fit very well. I looked at my average speed for the few rides I did in March and noticed a definite trend - the average got higher as the month went on, with a big jump when I rode the lighter bike today. I was still a little sick and still coughing when March started. I must be improving a little, though I am by no means where I'd like to be. I had been really discouraged with my glacial avg. speeds in March, so today made me feel a little better. In addition to the usual aches, some new things were hurting (what's up with that?), but it didn't matter, the ride was a great mood-lifter!
Looking forward to another great day tomorrow!!
I felt awful that weekend, after not enough sleep that Thursday night. No riding for me!! I dragged myself to an event at a local shop where the Moots rep gave a slide show and answered questions. I'm glad I went - it was interesting, I got to see some people I hadn't seen in a long time, and all in all had a good time. I had planned to go to the gym after but it ended too late. All weekend I felt mostly awful, but did feel better enough to decide last minute to go to a party that the skinny's team was having. I never did get the cold, though, all the weekend napping must have kept it at bay.
The week was kind of a blur. I had trouble getting in my hour on the eliptical every day at the gym - I just did the best I could. Last night I finally got in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Everything didn't hurt quite as much as usual so I made it for a little extra before closing time. It helped that I wanted to see the end of the movie I was watching. I took three bikes in for tune-ups to get ready for the season and got those back on Friday. The cross bike that I took to Nationals hadn't been ridden since then. Turned out it had a shifter issue - something must have happened to it in the terrible muddy, icy conditions that day.
I was super excited for the warmer weather we got today! And SUN! I didn't get out on the bike until late afternoon, but I had a great ride. I decided it was the perfect day to leave my "winter/rain bike" (an old 90's cross bike with touring tires) at home and break out the freshly tuned "new" (relatively) cross bike. I swapped the cross wheels for road wheels with skinny tires, put a light on the bars just in case, and it was ready to go. The shifter now worked flawlessly. I knew it would cool off and I knew it was probably colder than the radio was saying by the lake, so I still wore (as usual) alot more stuff than most of you would. I was really comfortable the whole ride and didn't get chilled as the temps got down in the low 50's/high 40's on the way home. Well, except for my toes!
The best part about the ride was how light and fast I felt compared to previous rides. The newer bike is alot lighter than the old, and being custom, felt right as soon as I got on it. For most of the ride I was going from 1 - 3 mph faster than I had been before on the older, heavier bike that doesn't fit very well. I looked at my average speed for the few rides I did in March and noticed a definite trend - the average got higher as the month went on, with a big jump when I rode the lighter bike today. I was still a little sick and still coughing when March started. I must be improving a little, though I am by no means where I'd like to be. I had been really discouraged with my glacial avg. speeds in March, so today made me feel a little better. In addition to the usual aches, some new things were hurting (what's up with that?), but it didn't matter, the ride was a great mood-lifter!
Looking forward to another great day tomorrow!!
Droolworthy?
I think these lovely cobalt wheels would look really hot on my race bike. I have not seen them in the flesh, er, aluminum, but they look sweet in the picture! Pricey though, so probably just wishful thinking. The first I had heard of them was an ad in the new VeloNews this week. They caught my eye right away.
Anyone have an opinion on whether or not they are good wheels, and are likely to be bombproof and low maintenance, from an engineering standpoint?
Anyone have an opinion on whether or not they are good wheels, and are likely to be bombproof and low maintenance, from an engineering standpoint?
Friday, April 04, 2008
The Energizer Bunny Effect
Should athletes who take steroids be banned for life?
That question is posed in an interesting story titled "Cheaters Do Prosper" in the Wall Street Journal today. Researchers in Sweden have found evidence that "suggests that anyone who takes steroids, even once, may effectively be a cheater for life."
"When the researchers looked at the subjects' muscles through a microscope, they made a surprising discovery: Rather than returning to their original proportions, the muscles of the steroid users who'd stopped taking the drug looked remarkably similar to those of the subjects who were still using. They also had larger muscle fibers and more growth-inducing "myonuclei" in their muscle cells than the nonsteroid users."
"A scientific consensus on this issue may be a long way off. The Swedish study was too small to be definitive, and it's difficult (for obvious reasons) to do a large follow-up study on the effects of steroids on competitive athletes. Some studies done in the past decade have shown that while the muscles of mice grow when they are given steroids, they also shrink when the drugs are taken away. Gary Wadler, a New York University physician who consults with WADA on steroid issues, says he isn't convinced that the conclusions are accurate. "The effects of steroids are time-limited," he says."
It will be interesting to see how this develops in the future. Right now there's not enough evidence to know if it's even an issue, but if it were proven to be true, can you imagine how it would change the playing field?
That question is posed in an interesting story titled "Cheaters Do Prosper" in the Wall Street Journal today. Researchers in Sweden have found evidence that "suggests that anyone who takes steroids, even once, may effectively be a cheater for life."
"When the researchers looked at the subjects' muscles through a microscope, they made a surprising discovery: Rather than returning to their original proportions, the muscles of the steroid users who'd stopped taking the drug looked remarkably similar to those of the subjects who were still using. They also had larger muscle fibers and more growth-inducing "myonuclei" in their muscle cells than the nonsteroid users."
"A scientific consensus on this issue may be a long way off. The Swedish study was too small to be definitive, and it's difficult (for obvious reasons) to do a large follow-up study on the effects of steroids on competitive athletes. Some studies done in the past decade have shown that while the muscles of mice grow when they are given steroids, they also shrink when the drugs are taken away. Gary Wadler, a New York University physician who consults with WADA on steroid issues, says he isn't convinced that the conclusions are accurate. "The effects of steroids are time-limited," he says."
It will be interesting to see how this develops in the future. Right now there's not enough evidence to know if it's even an issue, but if it were proven to be true, can you imagine how it would change the playing field?
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Death Cab for Cutie in Millenium Park??!!
I heard on the radio today that Death Cab for Cutie is coming to Millenium Park the weekend of June 3rd!!!! (I think that was the date?). Does anyone have details on this? Is anyone going? I will have to check the race schedule to see if it conflicts with anything. It probably will, but this is one show I would love to see.
Cycling News
With racing season kicking into gear for many people, what better way to start the day today than to read Cycling News' Special Edition for the day. There are several interesting articles, including one about a new World Cup 'Cross event, to be dubbed the "Antarcticross Cup". I think 2007 Nationals were good practice for this.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
But can it ride a bike?
Someone sent me an email with a link to a video about a robot called BigDog. It's pretty amazing, actually.
At first the thing seemed so creepy I thought I was going to have nightmares about it. It's like a giant mutant insect. By the end of the video I almost felt like it was a real animal - and it didn't seem quite so buglike. Though I wouldn't want to get on its bad side. If it's going to be used as a military tool, I would not want to be on the other side. If it doesn't work out for the military, I think it has a great future in sci-fi horror flicks! Can't you just see hundreds of them swarming through a field?
I think one of those would have been right at home in last year's Blue Mound WEMS race!!
At first the thing seemed so creepy I thought I was going to have nightmares about it. It's like a giant mutant insect. By the end of the video I almost felt like it was a real animal - and it didn't seem quite so buglike. Though I wouldn't want to get on its bad side. If it's going to be used as a military tool, I would not want to be on the other side. If it doesn't work out for the military, I think it has a great future in sci-fi horror flicks! Can't you just see hundreds of them swarming through a field?
I think one of those would have been right at home in last year's Blue Mound WEMS race!!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Best Time Warp Wrapper Ever?
If an award existed for the best energy bar wrapper graphics, this one would get my vote. If a wrapper could take you back to a place in time, it would be this one! Fun, lighthearted, and full of puns. If nothing else, it gets Best Time Warp Wrapper. This is not for sale, it's just a fun thing they did.
Like, wow, man......
Friday, March 21, 2008
Cyclocross Magazine Cover
I got my second issue of Cyclocross Magazine today. Love the cover!! Congrats to Mr. MadCross, Dave B, for making the cover! And lots of other people we know were in the pack but didn't show up in the picture. (Tim B., JPE, etc.) Even though I have seen that pic (of the mega-crash in the ditch at the beginning of the Masters 40-44 men's race) many times, it seemed fresh all over again. It was refreshing reliving nationals again the old fashioned way, three months later in a magazine. Cross season seems so long ago, but this was like a getting a present in the mail. It came in a white envelope, which added to the excitement of opening it up and seeing what was inside. There's something more fun about reading about an event in a magazine, knowing that you were there.
I devoured most of the articles. Reading the profiles of all the age group winners was enlightening. Almost every single woman said that she doesn't work on her own bike. (whew. I wasn't expecting that, but it was kind of a relief, I don't feel so lame!) And I was surprised how long some of them warm up before a race. I do know that my warm up habits (or lack of them) need major improvement, and this backed that up. Not being a morning person, and of course, being a slowpoke getting ready, I am not one to get to a race hours beforehand. I do think my performance would improve if I spent more time warming up for the shorter races. (I don't think it really would make much difference for a WEMS race) I guess that is one reason (of many) why these people are winning national championship races and I am not!
I devoured most of the articles. Reading the profiles of all the age group winners was enlightening. Almost every single woman said that she doesn't work on her own bike. (whew. I wasn't expecting that, but it was kind of a relief, I don't feel so lame!) And I was surprised how long some of them warm up before a race. I do know that my warm up habits (or lack of them) need major improvement, and this backed that up. Not being a morning person, and of course, being a slowpoke getting ready, I am not one to get to a race hours beforehand. I do think my performance would improve if I spent more time warming up for the shorter races. (I don't think it really would make much difference for a WEMS race) I guess that is one reason (of many) why these people are winning national championship races and I am not!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Article about Bay Area Crash
Bob Mionske wrote an enlightening article about the recent Bay Area collision between a police cruiser and a group of cyclists. We learn about some discrepancies in the way the investigation is being handled as well as how little sleep police officers get between shifts. He has some interesting observations about the way the media portray cyclists. I wish I could have gone to his lecture at Turin at the end of February, but I had two other events to go to that night. I don't know why everyone picked that night to have their events!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Gadgets to find your Gadgets
Well, speaking of gadgets (previous post), there is an article in both the print and online Tribune today featuring some cool gadgets. Gadgets to help us find our other gadgets, such as lost USB drives, and to help us be found if we are lost. The print article is better because it shows photos of each item, but you can still get most of the info online.
One in particular, a GPS locator called the Spot satellite messenger, would help you be found if you were in the wilderness and got lost or injured. In the article he uses getting injured mt. biking in Palos as an example of a situation when you could use the Spot. (Actually, I would think at Palos you could be fine with a regular GPS and a cell phone?) This could be really handy for anyone mt biking anywhere that doesn't get a cell phone signal!
Another one is something I have many many times wished I had, especially for keys. It's the Loc8tor Lite, and at $80 it's not cheap, but might be worth it for people who waste alot of time looking for stuff! It's basically a radio receiver tag you can put on anything that you might lose track of.
One in particular, a GPS locator called the Spot satellite messenger, would help you be found if you were in the wilderness and got lost or injured. In the article he uses getting injured mt. biking in Palos as an example of a situation when you could use the Spot. (Actually, I would think at Palos you could be fine with a regular GPS and a cell phone?) This could be really handy for anyone mt biking anywhere that doesn't get a cell phone signal!
Another one is something I have many many times wished I had, especially for keys. It's the Loc8tor Lite, and at $80 it's not cheap, but might be worth it for people who waste alot of time looking for stuff! It's basically a radio receiver tag you can put on anything that you might lose track of.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Pre-installed viruses
I found this article alarming. I guess because I love gadgets and it had never occurred to me that they might come with extra "features", such as pre-installed viruses and password-stealing programs!!! Especially since I haven't tried loading pictures on the digital picture frame that I bought for my mom. I wasn't looking forward to the task before, and now I am really not!
After reading it my too-active imagination took it one step farther.... this could be a whole new type of sneaky warfare that manufacturing countries could use on nations like the U.S. that do a lot of outsourcing. Are we going to all have to have a second computer dedicated to this kind of stuff?
After reading it my too-active imagination took it one step farther.... this could be a whole new type of sneaky warfare that manufacturing countries could use on nations like the U.S. that do a lot of outsourcing. Are we going to all have to have a second computer dedicated to this kind of stuff?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Awareness Ad
If you haven't already gotten an email about this or seen it on other blogs, make sure to do the test. Better yet, send the link to your non-cyclist family and friends! The first time I saw the link I didn't watch the whole thing cuz I was pressed for time. Then when I got an email about it telling me it was bike-related, I figured I'd be more patient.
In yesterday's print obituaries in the Tribune I noticed that Richard Burke, the founder of Trek Bicycles, passed away on Monday at age 73. The article said he founded Trek in a red barn in Waterloo, WI in 1976. What a journey it's been for him and his family, building a company that sells 1.5 million bicycles a year and does $700 million in sales (according to the newspaper)!
I made it out for a ride Tuesday evening with New Zealand Wendy, for about 1:45. The last half hour was in the dark. I had brought lights, but the potholes and bumps bounced my Vega front light off the bar mount at least 4 times. The roads are so rough here I have always had trouble with the Vega working it's way off the bracket and flying off - usually once or twice in a ride. This time it was really frustrating. I tried to adjust the screw that I thought was coming loose with my finger but it didn't solve the problem. I'd put it back on the mount and I'd see it wobbling over the bumps. Watching it wobble was unsettling. The last time it went flying I put it in my pocket, and we had to make do with my small blinkie in the front. It turns out that the light had totally broken away from the bracket that slides onto the handlebar mount. it doesn't seem fixable to me, but I'll have to look into it. I think having the entire unit on the bars makes it kind of top heavy, vs. units that have external batteries. But that's the beauty of it, that's it's all in one package that you can just put on your handlebar, no cords, etc.
Wednesday was an hour on the eliptical at the gym, but tonight I went out to ride for 1:35. It was so nice out! Supposedly 57 or 60 by the lake. I figured it would get cold as the sun went down, so I wore warm-ish stuff and really enjoyed not being cold at all on the ride. I discovered a new porta-potty that I didn't know about when I went a slightly different way than usual in Glencoe. It is a gross one with a big mud (I hope that's mud!) puddle outside, but sometimes you can't be picky!. At least there was T.P. Maybe I should make the Best Bathroom Map of the North Shore for female cyclists!
It has been a busy couple of weeks. Lots of fires to put out, one after another. Nothing too fun or social, for the most part, just stuff that has to be done. Lots to get done this weekend, too, but I hope things quiet down sometime next week. A party Friday night, and I think I should go to LunaFest in support of our sponsor. I still must have some flu bug left in me, cuz I still want to sleep all the time! I mean at the drop of a hat. I finally am getting rid of the cough. Finally!!
In yesterday's print obituaries in the Tribune I noticed that Richard Burke, the founder of Trek Bicycles, passed away on Monday at age 73. The article said he founded Trek in a red barn in Waterloo, WI in 1976. What a journey it's been for him and his family, building a company that sells 1.5 million bicycles a year and does $700 million in sales (according to the newspaper)!
I made it out for a ride Tuesday evening with New Zealand Wendy, for about 1:45. The last half hour was in the dark. I had brought lights, but the potholes and bumps bounced my Vega front light off the bar mount at least 4 times. The roads are so rough here I have always had trouble with the Vega working it's way off the bracket and flying off - usually once or twice in a ride. This time it was really frustrating. I tried to adjust the screw that I thought was coming loose with my finger but it didn't solve the problem. I'd put it back on the mount and I'd see it wobbling over the bumps. Watching it wobble was unsettling. The last time it went flying I put it in my pocket, and we had to make do with my small blinkie in the front. It turns out that the light had totally broken away from the bracket that slides onto the handlebar mount. it doesn't seem fixable to me, but I'll have to look into it. I think having the entire unit on the bars makes it kind of top heavy, vs. units that have external batteries. But that's the beauty of it, that's it's all in one package that you can just put on your handlebar, no cords, etc.
Wednesday was an hour on the eliptical at the gym, but tonight I went out to ride for 1:35. It was so nice out! Supposedly 57 or 60 by the lake. I figured it would get cold as the sun went down, so I wore warm-ish stuff and really enjoyed not being cold at all on the ride. I discovered a new porta-potty that I didn't know about when I went a slightly different way than usual in Glencoe. It is a gross one with a big mud (I hope that's mud!) puddle outside, but sometimes you can't be picky!. At least there was T.P. Maybe I should make the Best Bathroom Map of the North Shore for female cyclists!
It has been a busy couple of weeks. Lots of fires to put out, one after another. Nothing too fun or social, for the most part, just stuff that has to be done. Lots to get done this weekend, too, but I hope things quiet down sometime next week. A party Friday night, and I think I should go to LunaFest in support of our sponsor. I still must have some flu bug left in me, cuz I still want to sleep all the time! I mean at the drop of a hat. I finally am getting rid of the cough. Finally!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
MacBook Air stuck on the ground
I found this article, titled Steve Jobs Made Me Miss My Flight rather amusing. The author tries to take his MacBook Air on a flight and encounters some resistance from the TSA security folks.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
WORS handbook
Did anyone else notice some goofy dates in the WORS Handbook? They must be typos from using the same template over and over and plugging in different race names and dates, but I bet someone is going to get confused mid-summer. I remember one year the directions in the book to a race were wrong so I ended up driving back and forth trying to find an exit that didn't exist. The Firecracker in Eau Claire, always somewhere around July 4th, is listed on one page (46) as being Sunday, May 4th, on the next page (47) as being Sunday June 22nd, and on the back cover (the correct date) as being July 6. That would be an awful lot of driving. Oops!!
I am going to Argonne National Labs for a tour in the morning (Saturday), with an alumni group. I guess we are going to meet some of the scientists and then get a tour of the facility. I never go on alumni things but this one sounded interesting.
I am going to Argonne National Labs for a tour in the morning (Saturday), with an alumni group. I guess we are going to meet some of the scientists and then get a tour of the facility. I never go on alumni things but this one sounded interesting.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Yummy Chair
For all you cupcake lovers out there, here is the chair for you! (I can think of at least one cupcake fan...) It comes in different colors - pink, blue and green. Unfortunately it's pretty pricey.
Cool stuff that's useful: I saw in a catalog that Keen now makes an SPD compatible riding sandal! I saw it only in women's sizes, but I have to think they make it for men as well. Could be nice for summer around town rides, maybe even commuting, depending on how well they work. My current Keen sandal soles are so wide they get in the way, especially on my mtn. bike. From past experience I know these probaably won't fit me, so if someone tries them, let us know how they work!
Brian Lopes is going to be riding for Ibis this coming year? Seems like an odd match, I would not have put those two together. Hmmm.
Useless trivia I learned today in the Tribune, although I have only made it through the Q section so far.... a bartender at a bistro on Devon in Chicago is offering the "nicotini" to his customers who smoke, so they don't have to go outside. (Chicago's ban on smoking in bars started this year). The base of the drink has nicotine in it. Also, testing the makeup of the water molecules in your hair gives clues as to what region you live in. This is likely to be helpful in crime investigations.
What a weird weather weekend. Did a little shuffling, er, skiing on Saturday at the end of the day, then went for a ride on Sunday afternoon. Almost, but not really, like being in Colorado where you can ride and play in the snow all in the same day.... The snow was crusty on Saturday so I knew it probably wasn't worth trying to go again Sunday. I saw some mt bike tracks on the trail. Not a bad idea that day, the snow was packed enough. Driving home from the forest preserve I noticed police cars blocking the entrances to Old Orchard. It looked like a reaction to some type of threat situation. Sure enough, I later heard on the radio that the mall closed early due to rumors that were circulating about a suspicious person. Sunday I got sidetracked from going on a ride, and then next thing I knew it was raining. Later the sun came out, then after that it got really gray. Finally I made it out, taking along lights in case I wanted to stay out longer. I really enjoyed being dressed for cold weather, but not feeling cold because it was so warm out! I even forgot my toe heaters and I was still ok. It must have been somewhere between 45-55.
I also went riding last Sunday. I talked to Holly K. on the phone that Sunday afternoon and she had gone riding earlier. I had planned to go to the gym but got inspired to try a ride after talking to her. It was a busier-than-usual week but I did some x-c skiing mid-week under the lights at Gilson. It was the day after a few inches of new snow (Tuesday?), and it was lovely. Bushwhacking was much more fun than staying in people's tracks, I found. Feeling the squish of the new layer of snow on top of the old....nice. Remnants of the flu have been hanging around though, besides a little cough, all I really want to do is sleep. I feel tired all the time and would be happy to just sleep all day. I hope that goes away soon! I have so much to get done and no energy to do it.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Condolences
My condolences to the family and friends of cyclist Matt M-L. who died today after being hit by a car while riding his bike in the alleycat tour da chicago. I didn't know him but did know others who were probably there in the pack this morning. I also feel badly for the driver, who, according to the evening news, was trying to avoid other cyclists in the pack and was not at fault in the accident. More info here.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Infl-eewww-enza
I feel like the flu took over a week's chunk out of my life, from last Monday to today. I am hoping to get back to the gym for cardio any day now. My cough has gone from a death-rattle to just a strangle. It sounds terrible, but at least I am no longer grabbing my stomach with each cough, trying to keep the intensely sore chest and tummy muscles from moving. I had days of chills, fever, and my skin hurt so much I didn't want to take a shower. I knew the water droplets hitting my skin would hurt. They did. My clothes felt like they were scraping against my skin. I am sure glad much of that is behind me.
Last weekend (a week ago) was fun. Friday night I went snowshoeing with New Zealand Wendy and Kristin. Turns out it was drizzling, but we stuck it out and had fun. Saturday I wanted to go try skiing at PETS for the first time, but I woke up with a headache and was really tired, so I stayed close to home. I heard lots of loud pounding going on, but kept going back to sleep, since I had stayed up late. I knew that my neighbors were taking down a wall that day. Later I went over to check out their progress. I saw a teammate's car parked behind mine, and knew that he must be over there too. I hadn't seen him in ages, it was great to catch up. I later found out that all four of the people in that room that day besides me were either sick or about to get sick! That's probably where I got my big dose of flu germs.
My friend Brian was having an impromptu party later and I realized I was running out of time to work out. I decided that it would take less time to go x-c ski for an hour on the lakefront than it would take to go to the gym for an hour on the eliptical. The ski expedition was horrible. It was dark and incredibly windy. The snow was covered with a layer of ice, kind of a crust. You could barely even see the indentations that the skiis made - it was more like sliding around sideways than settling into a groove. There really wasn't anywhere to settle - it was just slip n' slide, instead of glide. I tried going over to the campus lakefill, thinking that would have real snow and be better but instead I just worried about whether I could grab onto the fence cable in time if I slipped sideways on the ice and started to slide into the lake...it was all bumpy ice where people had walked and left behind icy footprints.
The party was fun. Brian made veggie gumbo and I got to see some people I hadn't seen in a while. Dan and Susan brought their new puppy, a Puggle. Cute. Somebody pulled out a game called CatchPhrase late in the evening. I was not in the mood for a game at all, but it turned out to be really fun.
That Sunday was the 'Cross Banquet for our local series. The turnout was smaller than I expected, but I had a great time. We had a lively table - my old teammate Tim, his wife Kim, and some other folks. We were in the room next to where the awards were announced - it was hard to hear what they were saying. I missed talking to some of the people at the other tables before they left. Congrats to all of the series prizewinners!! Great job.
It ended early enough that I was able to hit the gym after and get 1:20 in on the eliptical. That exercise session has had to last me for over a week - I got sick the next day.
After that, the long feverish week.
This past weekend I got up earlier than usual for me on a Saturday and went to a meeting out in the burbs. Some decisions to be made. Then stopped by a local shop that was having an event and saw a bunch of people I knew. NZ Wendy and John wanted to go snowshoeing at the end of the day so we went to the woods. I probably shouldn't have - I felt much worse on Sunday. But the river was pretty and it was nice to get out.
Last weekend (a week ago) was fun. Friday night I went snowshoeing with New Zealand Wendy and Kristin. Turns out it was drizzling, but we stuck it out and had fun. Saturday I wanted to go try skiing at PETS for the first time, but I woke up with a headache and was really tired, so I stayed close to home. I heard lots of loud pounding going on, but kept going back to sleep, since I had stayed up late. I knew that my neighbors were taking down a wall that day. Later I went over to check out their progress. I saw a teammate's car parked behind mine, and knew that he must be over there too. I hadn't seen him in ages, it was great to catch up. I later found out that all four of the people in that room that day besides me were either sick or about to get sick! That's probably where I got my big dose of flu germs.
My friend Brian was having an impromptu party later and I realized I was running out of time to work out. I decided that it would take less time to go x-c ski for an hour on the lakefront than it would take to go to the gym for an hour on the eliptical. The ski expedition was horrible. It was dark and incredibly windy. The snow was covered with a layer of ice, kind of a crust. You could barely even see the indentations that the skiis made - it was more like sliding around sideways than settling into a groove. There really wasn't anywhere to settle - it was just slip n' slide, instead of glide. I tried going over to the campus lakefill, thinking that would have real snow and be better but instead I just worried about whether I could grab onto the fence cable in time if I slipped sideways on the ice and started to slide into the lake...it was all bumpy ice where people had walked and left behind icy footprints.
The party was fun. Brian made veggie gumbo and I got to see some people I hadn't seen in a while. Dan and Susan brought their new puppy, a Puggle. Cute. Somebody pulled out a game called CatchPhrase late in the evening. I was not in the mood for a game at all, but it turned out to be really fun.
That Sunday was the 'Cross Banquet for our local series. The turnout was smaller than I expected, but I had a great time. We had a lively table - my old teammate Tim, his wife Kim, and some other folks. We were in the room next to where the awards were announced - it was hard to hear what they were saying. I missed talking to some of the people at the other tables before they left. Congrats to all of the series prizewinners!! Great job.
It ended early enough that I was able to hit the gym after and get 1:20 in on the eliptical. That exercise session has had to last me for over a week - I got sick the next day.
After that, the long feverish week.
This past weekend I got up earlier than usual for me on a Saturday and went to a meeting out in the burbs. Some decisions to be made. Then stopped by a local shop that was having an event and saw a bunch of people I knew. NZ Wendy and John wanted to go snowshoeing at the end of the day so we went to the woods. I probably shouldn't have - I felt much worse on Sunday. But the river was pretty and it was nice to get out.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Lunar Eclipse Wednesday the 20th
I got this email (below) today. Apparently the last two weeks have been very intense for a lot of people. Here is what the email suggested:
>> We are around midpoint between the 2 eclipses this month, the full moon/lunar eclipse being on Wednesday. This is a very intense time of deep healing, learning, changing, and stepping forward out of old patterns into new. It is crucial during this time to do whatever it takes to keep your vibrational level up. Use the sun, light, meditation, music, being around loved ones etc. Spiritual rewards come from the discipline of changing old habits and this is the best opportunity you will have. Put yourself first; above work or other responsibilities that have the illusion of being more important. <<
I have had the flu since last Monday. I am finally starting to feel human again, though I am still really tired. The death-rattle cough is slowly getting better. I hope to do a catch-up post later.
>> We are around midpoint between the 2 eclipses this month, the full moon/lunar eclipse being on Wednesday. This is a very intense time of deep healing, learning, changing, and stepping forward out of old patterns into new. It is crucial during this time to do whatever it takes to keep your vibrational level up. Use the sun, light, meditation, music, being around loved ones etc. Spiritual rewards come from the discipline of changing old habits and this is the best opportunity you will have. Put yourself first; above work or other responsibilities that have the illusion of being more important. <<
I have had the flu since last Monday. I am finally starting to feel human again, though I am still really tired. The death-rattle cough is slowly getting better. I hope to do a catch-up post later.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tour de Groundhog
Team Mack is having a cross race near Springfield, IL this Sunday the 17th, for those of you who have been training.
Go here to download the pdf for the race.
Go here to download the pdf for the race.
Free Book
You can get a free download of Suze Orman's financial planning book "Women and Money" if you do it before early evening Feb. 14th. I haven't read the book so I can't comment on it.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Happy Birthday
I hope Kim S. is having a great birthday today. Happy Birthday, Kim!
Reading Chris's blog just reminded me!
Reading Chris's blog just reminded me!
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Midwest press
Our IL/WI cyclists are getting some press...
A genius twist in Regina's tentative plans to (maybe) give up visiting the People.com site for lent - the site actully mentioned her plans! You said "maybe" on your blog, but now it looks like you are committed, Regina! Everyone knows and People.com is watching you! The credit for noticing that belongs to Amelia, who pointed it out in a comment on Regina's blog.
Ben was the first to notice that Jason M.'s picture (red Flatlandia jersey) from K.C. Cross Nationals in December is in the new issue of Dirt Rag, on page 13. Congrats to Jason! The article also mentions Marko LaLonde.
A genius twist in Regina's tentative plans to (maybe) give up visiting the People.com site for lent - the site actully mentioned her plans! You said "maybe" on your blog, but now it looks like you are committed, Regina! Everyone knows and People.com is watching you! The credit for noticing that belongs to Amelia, who pointed it out in a comment on Regina's blog.
Ben was the first to notice that Jason M.'s picture (red Flatlandia jersey) from K.C. Cross Nationals in December is in the new issue of Dirt Rag, on page 13. Congrats to Jason! The article also mentions Marko LaLonde.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Tips for Becoming a Roadie
I enjoyed this article by the Fat Cyclist for mtn. bikers on "Tips for Becoming a Roadie".
And in the "Related Articles" in the box to the right, is another one titled "How to get Rid of Unwanted Fitness." I was going to read that one too, but I realized I don't need to. I already have accomplished that over the last couple of months, without reading any articles ....
And in the "Related Articles" in the box to the right, is another one titled "How to get Rid of Unwanted Fitness." I was going to read that one too, but I realized I don't need to. I already have accomplished that over the last couple of months, without reading any articles ....
Monday, February 04, 2008
Skijoring?
The Chicago Tribune's Sunday Travel section (print edition) had an article about Skijoring, which I had never heard of. The online article can be found here. The print version has a picture of a dog pulling his owner on skiis! Who do I know who could try it? I thought of Julie and the miles that she and Molly have been putting in running, then I realized that that would be cheating herself out of the marathon workouts she needs. There's no way that, say, 10 miles of skijoring could possibly replace 10 miles of marathon training. But that shouldn't stop others of you with dogs over 35 lbs. from trying it! The dog pulls the skier, who also x-c skiis at the same time. The dog is trained to obey commands that allow the pair to start and stop (well, maybe slow down, not sure they can stop!) and turn, etc. The article claims that the dogs love it and that it gives them a workout.
Who is going to give it a try and then tell us about it?
I signed up for the cross banquet. I hope some of you other bloggers are going? Should be fun.
Friday night I went for a really short snowshoe before going out. I saw this sign, which for some reason seems more ominous at night in the wintertime, even though I have no intention of going swimming! I don't think I have ever really noticed it during the day or in the summer.
Saturday I went for my second x-c ski in years, for two hours. I thought I burned lots of calories but my garmin only says 600. In two hours? On the bike setting I feel like it tells me I burned more than I did (compared with what my old garmin, an older model, used to tell me), so why on the ski setting, would it be so low? I am wondering if the little skiier on the menu is a downhill skiier and maybe I should use the "running" setting for x-c skiing, like I use for snowshoeing?
Today (Sunday) I went to a new place and did an hour of snowshoeing. It said I only burned 190 calories! I got a late start, and I wanted to stay longer - I had brought a headlamp in case it got dark when I was on the trail. It was a gray day to start with. But this was a forest preserve, not a park, and they closed the parking lots at "sunset". Apparently it is very literal - the police car was in the lot with his lights flashing and his loudspeaker long before it was what I would consider "dark". So I guess they distinguish between 'sunset" and "dark", or else the guy wanted to put up the chain and the Closed sign and go home to watch the Super Bowl! I couldn't hear what the loudspeaker was saying but could guess. He came back twice more before I left, he was making the rounds of the lots. I hope the guy on skiis that asked me which direction is north found his way back to wherever he was parked! It makes me really appreciate the lakefront park I have been going to where you can park until 10:30, and which also has lights so you can go at night. There is a well lit outdoor skating rink, and enough other lights here and there that make it a pretty good nighttime experience. The new place was a welcome change though, tromping through the snow in the woods along a river. I turned off my ipod because I felt like it was more fun without it, I had a better sense of being in the woods. It was just nice to be out there. Tranquility.
Saturday night I went to see Debbie P.'s band in Highwood, and hung with the cyclists who were there. I have only ridden my bike through Highwood, I have never seen it at night. I imagine that is the case with most of you who know where I am talking about. It is quite the hopping place - a contrast driving up dark, suburban Sheridan Road, seeing hardly any cars, then cutting over to Green Bay Road and hitting this little lively pocket where you can't even find a place to park. I made it for the last set - it was fun. I like going out to see live music and I don't get to do it nearly as much as I would like.
Oh, I went to the Lane Bryant website briefly after hearing about the tragic shootings in one of their area stores on Saturday. I'm not sure why I went, I guess I saw an ad and clicked it because it had just been in the news. Since then my email inbox page has had various banner ads for that store chain, all day Sunday. I have to think there's a connection there, between visiting the site and having the ads on my email page. They are still there.
Who is going to give it a try and then tell us about it?
I signed up for the cross banquet. I hope some of you other bloggers are going? Should be fun.
Friday night I went for a really short snowshoe before going out. I saw this sign, which for some reason seems more ominous at night in the wintertime, even though I have no intention of going swimming! I don't think I have ever really noticed it during the day or in the summer.
Saturday I went for my second x-c ski in years, for two hours. I thought I burned lots of calories but my garmin only says 600. In two hours? On the bike setting I feel like it tells me I burned more than I did (compared with what my old garmin, an older model, used to tell me), so why on the ski setting, would it be so low? I am wondering if the little skiier on the menu is a downhill skiier and maybe I should use the "running" setting for x-c skiing, like I use for snowshoeing?
Today (Sunday) I went to a new place and did an hour of snowshoeing. It said I only burned 190 calories! I got a late start, and I wanted to stay longer - I had brought a headlamp in case it got dark when I was on the trail. It was a gray day to start with. But this was a forest preserve, not a park, and they closed the parking lots at "sunset". Apparently it is very literal - the police car was in the lot with his lights flashing and his loudspeaker long before it was what I would consider "dark". So I guess they distinguish between 'sunset" and "dark", or else the guy wanted to put up the chain and the Closed sign and go home to watch the Super Bowl! I couldn't hear what the loudspeaker was saying but could guess. He came back twice more before I left, he was making the rounds of the lots. I hope the guy on skiis that asked me which direction is north found his way back to wherever he was parked! It makes me really appreciate the lakefront park I have been going to where you can park until 10:30, and which also has lights so you can go at night. There is a well lit outdoor skating rink, and enough other lights here and there that make it a pretty good nighttime experience. The new place was a welcome change though, tromping through the snow in the woods along a river. I turned off my ipod because I felt like it was more fun without it, I had a better sense of being in the woods. It was just nice to be out there. Tranquility.
Saturday night I went to see Debbie P.'s band in Highwood, and hung with the cyclists who were there. I have only ridden my bike through Highwood, I have never seen it at night. I imagine that is the case with most of you who know where I am talking about. It is quite the hopping place - a contrast driving up dark, suburban Sheridan Road, seeing hardly any cars, then cutting over to Green Bay Road and hitting this little lively pocket where you can't even find a place to park. I made it for the last set - it was fun. I like going out to see live music and I don't get to do it nearly as much as I would like.
Oh, I went to the Lane Bryant website briefly after hearing about the tragic shootings in one of their area stores on Saturday. I'm not sure why I went, I guess I saw an ad and clicked it because it had just been in the news. Since then my email inbox page has had various banner ads for that store chain, all day Sunday. I have to think there's a connection there, between visiting the site and having the ads on my email page. They are still there.
Friday, February 01, 2008
Snowwwwww
You know there must be alot of snow when you stick your head out the door in the morning to get the papers and you can't see them! They were buried, in spite of there being a roof over the porch to deflect some of the snow. Then I saw a tiny piece of blue plastic Tribune sleeve peeking out, so I found them without too much digging.
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