#1 it is π day. Yes Pie day. And unless you're under a rock you've probably seen all the pictures of pies with the π to many decimal places on an actual pie.
#2 Einstein's Birthday. Today. 1879. Pretty cool that the famous smart dude was born on π day.
#3 A bit more controversial but non-the-less anticipated. Steak and BJ day. Yup, created by dudes to have a day of their own, one month after Valentines day.
Oh hell i forgot.
#4 First Smackdown of the year. Mark Louis Francis Nicholson Memorial Smackdown. We're having a special March edition. 22 miles of pure pain. A different route until we get to April with the longer days that allow for the full 40 miles and the time to ride through the city to get out West.
Probably something else I'm missing too. Although I don't think I will be eating any π pie or a steak or a birthday cake for Albert, so that leaves #4.
I will be at the traffic Circle by Waterman Grill (eastern end of Waterman in PVD) just before 5pm for a 5pm sharp start to the Season of Smackdown. Here's the route if you're thinking of joining. Only 4 sprint points, but three are at the top of an incline. No real serious hills but Hillside feels like it after going up Pine and then Rocky Hill at full speed.
If the temp holds it will be shorts and short sleeves! STOKED.
Maybe next week I'll get around to either re-commissioning the Quantum Pro, OR washing the dirt from the rainy and wet 138 mile ride in Feb.
Weather's good, plenty of good reasons to have a good day - have one.
Heddwch™
G
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
skinny tires bad
I been saying dis for a long time now. And the tall old freak in Boulder who writes for Velonews is now jumping on the promotional bandwagon. Or at least is adding some information as to why fatter tires are better.
The tire pressure thing works too. This old one.
But then - as long as you're still riding, does it matter much? No not really.
That said I have yet to sell a fatter tire to a customer (the years in michigan, or locally) who was not very pleased with the result. A dear and departed friend (from pancreatic cancer) went to a set of 28s on his road bike and always marveled at how much more comfortable the ride was, just a small change from his 23s that everyone said was the best.
And yeah - chip - if you're waiting on the butt cream post, it is in the works. Maybe I'll have a chance tonight (yeah right).
Heddwch™
G
The tire pressure thing works too. This old one.
But then - as long as you're still riding, does it matter much? No not really.
That said I have yet to sell a fatter tire to a customer (the years in michigan, or locally) who was not very pleased with the result. A dear and departed friend (from pancreatic cancer) went to a set of 28s on his road bike and always marveled at how much more comfortable the ride was, just a small change from his 23s that everyone said was the best.
And yeah - chip - if you're waiting on the butt cream post, it is in the works. Maybe I'll have a chance tonight (yeah right).
Heddwch™
G
FRESH POTS
COFFEEEEEEEEEEE
FRESH POTS
I might just make it through the day with a 'normal' amount of coffee today. At 11am I thought for sure I'd be out of coffee before lunch and would have to do a second small pot, which usually means NO SLEEP TILL MIDNIGHT. And that's not a good thing. Esp right now. Here I was all certain i'd be fine with the time change and the loss of an hour. Nope. Still feeling it today.
ouch hitting that wall hurt a bit
heddwch™
G
FRESH POTS
I might just make it through the day with a 'normal' amount of coffee today. At 11am I thought for sure I'd be out of coffee before lunch and would have to do a second small pot, which usually means NO SLEEP TILL MIDNIGHT. And that's not a good thing. Esp right now. Here I was all certain i'd be fine with the time change and the loss of an hour. Nope. Still feeling it today.
ouch hitting that wall hurt a bit
heddwch™
G
Making the paper
So here they are - a couple quick shots of the paper. You've already seen the video that accompanies it [maybe].
Monday, March 12, 2012
if you aren't already
you should be checking in at Fatmarc's blog.
Latest post about single-speed addiction has two most awesome Henry Rollins videos Teeing Off. So awesome. Both vids kick ass.
Yesterday I made my legs hurt so much that I wanted to cry when I got home. I'm sure in part because I was slightly underfueled after riding 15 of 20 miles into a 20 mph headwind (avg speed was 15-18) on the Croll towing the trailer, then standing wrenching for 5 hours and hopping back on the bike for the return. 40 miles. 2:52 ride time, bonked with 5 miles to get home. Heart rate wouldn't go over climbing the hill up to the hospital/squantum access road. I was cracked.
But cracked so good. they way down I was pushing well into the limits and finding new power. Part of me is scared that what I'm finding isn't actually making me faster, i want to be faster. I would love to do well in a crit or a road race or something this year. But knowing ultimately that I hinge most of my success on the bike in CX season there is a loooooong way to go and what I'm doing now may not be as important if I can't keep building or can't maintain it.
Half way through march almost (the ides are almost upon us - hey does the #TJROW start on the ides of March?) and I haven't set aside a day for the next PVD-BOS-PVD marathon. Who's in this time?
I'm thinking of something sort of insane at this point, I won't share the details, but it should be good. There are three full weeks of March left. Looking at probably pushing it to the last week of March. Maybe be crazy and pick a Monday, but Tuesday or Wednesday might be better. Something other than Garbage day/Thursday.
Closing with, the local bird cage liner has a printed a photo of me in section D. Might walk through a coffee shop or two to look for cast offs. Funny hearing from different people that "you're in the paper" which, I suppose would be wicked cool if you didn't spend your childhood, being "in the paper." Ah hell it is still cool. Press is good. As long as it isn't bad.
Heddwch™
G
Oh and one person yelled at me out the window yesterday "Are you Fucking kidding me?" yeah it was someone I knew... old Murat in his old white truck. I guess he wasn't expecting to see me down at the 117/1 intersection with the trailer.
Latest post about single-speed addiction has two most awesome Henry Rollins videos Teeing Off. So awesome. Both vids kick ass.
Yesterday I made my legs hurt so much that I wanted to cry when I got home. I'm sure in part because I was slightly underfueled after riding 15 of 20 miles into a 20 mph headwind (avg speed was 15-18) on the Croll towing the trailer, then standing wrenching for 5 hours and hopping back on the bike for the return. 40 miles. 2:52 ride time, bonked with 5 miles to get home. Heart rate wouldn't go over climbing the hill up to the hospital/squantum access road. I was cracked.
But cracked so good. they way down I was pushing well into the limits and finding new power. Part of me is scared that what I'm finding isn't actually making me faster, i want to be faster. I would love to do well in a crit or a road race or something this year. But knowing ultimately that I hinge most of my success on the bike in CX season there is a loooooong way to go and what I'm doing now may not be as important if I can't keep building or can't maintain it.
Half way through march almost (the ides are almost upon us - hey does the #TJROW start on the ides of March?) and I haven't set aside a day for the next PVD-BOS-PVD marathon. Who's in this time?
I'm thinking of something sort of insane at this point, I won't share the details, but it should be good. There are three full weeks of March left. Looking at probably pushing it to the last week of March. Maybe be crazy and pick a Monday, but Tuesday or Wednesday might be better. Something other than Garbage day/Thursday.
Closing with, the local bird cage liner has a printed a photo of me in section D. Might walk through a coffee shop or two to look for cast offs. Funny hearing from different people that "you're in the paper" which, I suppose would be wicked cool if you didn't spend your childhood, being "in the paper." Ah hell it is still cool. Press is good. As long as it isn't bad.
Heddwch™
G
Oh and one person yelled at me out the window yesterday "Are you Fucking kidding me?" yeah it was someone I knew... old Murat in his old white truck. I guess he wasn't expecting to see me down at the 117/1 intersection with the trailer.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Friday, March 09, 2012
Velosprints in the ProJo
Terrible run for me, but hey it gives you a more professionally shot video of the action.
How not to wrap your bars
So there is always debate. Some wrap one way, some another, some crazy people think doing a cross-over under and around the hoods bunching things up and changing direction is the way to do. Others think it is a sign of weakness to use the short bit of extra that comes in the box for the hood area.
Yes. There is a good bit of tutorials out there on how to tape your bars on the bike.
But last night working on this bike, I just had to take a quick snapshot illustrating why I wrap bars the way I do.
Yes. There is a good bit of tutorials out there on how to tape your bars on the bike.
But last night working on this bike, I just had to take a quick snapshot illustrating why I wrap bars the way I do.
rss deux
No one has to worry. RSS ain't going away. Thanks for piping up and letting me know though. It is appreciated.
"Jens might as well have tied him to the road and chopped his legs off" D. Harmon
Nice.
Day off the bike yesterday a few hours on my feet playing with bikes, and this morning I hitched up the trailer to the Croll and left it unloaded and headed in. Popped on the path and saw Joe (Backpack guy) up 500 meters or so. We had a bitching headwind this morning. Maybe you were on the bike and noticed it. It was a 20 mph sustained wind during the commute gusting to 25 and only lulling down to only 15. Right in the teeth.
So I caught him there (+4 mph difference was needed to drag him back before Riverside Center) on the path, and then we hit the little rise, into the wind and it wasn't so bad until we got up by dunkin donuts the wind picked up and I had to work my ass off to stay on his wheel. Couldn't quite stay in his draft though and the wind was brutal with the trailer. Even the downhill into the wind wasn't much of a respite. Got gapped big time coming up past the golf course and construction zone but I pulled it back in once we jumped back over to the bike path.
So glad I didn't add the box of books and the rock back into the trailer.
Felt good but man it hurt so good. Sounds weird but I think I'm hitting on a decent combination of speed, strength, endurance without overdoing any of them. The ride with Derdowski on wed night felt really good. Despite the intervals on Sunday and Monday. He did some big ones on Tuesday but when you ride with a friend and can peak as his Strava data and see that he was near his max HR sitting in my draft going into the wind and I was 10-20 beats below max. There were some good solid sections of max effort and even heading home into the headwind with the trailer I felt wicked strong.
Was nice. Legs almost felt more drained Wed night than they did after the 138 miles. It just feels different pedaling, smoother, stronger a bit. But of course no real tests. I should be a bit better than last year at this point. Time will tell and racing is the only metric that counts.
Today food is going to be a challenge. Already ate most of my lunch, just a few pancakes, a tub of peanut butter and some sandwich bread left.
"glass cranking it" was my other favorite line from Harmon today.
Right now I could go for a huge stack of pancakes drowing in maple syrup, followed by a nap.
Better just have another cup of coffee.
Big Jonny said it best this morning: "How much coffee is enough coffee? It is C + 1."
great play on the how many bikes are enough bikes? N+1.
and yeah - gotta say, i like to ride my MOTHERFUCKING BIKE
When Firefly tweeted the link on the 7th it was at 611 views when I watched it. And for a NSFW language vid it isn't doing too bad with 117k views so far.
Leaving it with a link to RTK's post... and an observation that the warmer it is outside, the more likely the assholes are going to have a window down to yell stuff at you as they ride past.
And I will concur: "Bikes continue to be the raddest machines ever."
heddwch
G
"Jens might as well have tied him to the road and chopped his legs off" D. Harmon
Nice.
Day off the bike yesterday a few hours on my feet playing with bikes, and this morning I hitched up the trailer to the Croll and left it unloaded and headed in. Popped on the path and saw Joe (Backpack guy) up 500 meters or so. We had a bitching headwind this morning. Maybe you were on the bike and noticed it. It was a 20 mph sustained wind during the commute gusting to 25 and only lulling down to only 15. Right in the teeth.
So I caught him there (+4 mph difference was needed to drag him back before Riverside Center) on the path, and then we hit the little rise, into the wind and it wasn't so bad until we got up by dunkin donuts the wind picked up and I had to work my ass off to stay on his wheel. Couldn't quite stay in his draft though and the wind was brutal with the trailer. Even the downhill into the wind wasn't much of a respite. Got gapped big time coming up past the golf course and construction zone but I pulled it back in once we jumped back over to the bike path.
So glad I didn't add the box of books and the rock back into the trailer.
Felt good but man it hurt so good. Sounds weird but I think I'm hitting on a decent combination of speed, strength, endurance without overdoing any of them. The ride with Derdowski on wed night felt really good. Despite the intervals on Sunday and Monday. He did some big ones on Tuesday but when you ride with a friend and can peak as his Strava data and see that he was near his max HR sitting in my draft going into the wind and I was 10-20 beats below max. There were some good solid sections of max effort and even heading home into the headwind with the trailer I felt wicked strong.
Was nice. Legs almost felt more drained Wed night than they did after the 138 miles. It just feels different pedaling, smoother, stronger a bit. But of course no real tests. I should be a bit better than last year at this point. Time will tell and racing is the only metric that counts.
Today food is going to be a challenge. Already ate most of my lunch, just a few pancakes, a tub of peanut butter and some sandwich bread left.
"glass cranking it" was my other favorite line from Harmon today.
Right now I could go for a huge stack of pancakes drowing in maple syrup, followed by a nap.
Better just have another cup of coffee.
Big Jonny said it best this morning: "How much coffee is enough coffee? It is C + 1."
great play on the how many bikes are enough bikes? N+1.
and yeah - gotta say, i like to ride my MOTHERFUCKING BIKE
When Firefly tweeted the link on the 7th it was at 611 views when I watched it. And for a NSFW language vid it isn't doing too bad with 117k views so far.
Leaving it with a link to RTK's post... and an observation that the warmer it is outside, the more likely the assholes are going to have a window down to yell stuff at you as they ride past.
And I will concur: "Bikes continue to be the raddest machines ever."
heddwch
G
Thursday, March 08, 2012
hey RSS people
all like what, two of you? or one of you *cough* cait *cough*
There are plenty of reasons people write them.
A while ago people would RSS, get a notification and then go read. Now you RSS the whole shit up on your Google reader and never actually land on the page. Ads ain't got no place here (for now) those things on the left are because they are friends or/and I like handing out some free eye space.
Now granted, I haven't played with Google reader. Maybe I should. I'm still stuck with 'open tabs' i'll explore it some day and be more critical/supportive of it. For now I'll pretend I know everything.
So - one thing a long time ago - web logs use to generate comments, much like Faceplace does now, and maybe that's why they don't anymore. That or why many that used to no longer do. So lack of comments means no one reads, or no one cares, or you said it all, or you didn't sufficiently increase solobreak's blood pressure with some nonsense, or they don't actually read the content on your page, they read it in an aggregated feed.
I suppose it would be nice to say turn on my iPad with a cup of coffee and go to me aggregated feed and scroll through everything without ever having to click on a web page's unique space. But yeah - i don't have that stuff (sure i'd like to have it but i'm actually fine with it, right now I'm thinking about trying to find a decent price on some 24 or wider road tubulars to glue up on the 303s).
I'd say leave a comment as to why you like the RSS feed, and why I should keep it. Although I don't think you can see the whole thing on it anyway. Maybe Reader is different. I dunno
I should write about the ride yesterday, but it was awesome and good and i started off still cooked from monday's velosprints but surprisingly felt pretty f'n awesome on the bike. And Hillside has never been so easy (could be the 20-30 pounds I'm not carrying anymore).
nice day out there right now - if a bit windy.
Heddwch™
G
There are plenty of reasons people write them.
A while ago people would RSS, get a notification and then go read. Now you RSS the whole shit up on your Google reader and never actually land on the page. Ads ain't got no place here (for now) those things on the left are because they are friends or/and I like handing out some free eye space.
Now granted, I haven't played with Google reader. Maybe I should. I'm still stuck with 'open tabs' i'll explore it some day and be more critical/supportive of it. For now I'll pretend I know everything.
So - one thing a long time ago - web logs use to generate comments, much like Faceplace does now, and maybe that's why they don't anymore. That or why many that used to no longer do. So lack of comments means no one reads, or no one cares, or you said it all, or you didn't sufficiently increase solobreak's blood pressure with some nonsense, or they don't actually read the content on your page, they read it in an aggregated feed.
I suppose it would be nice to say turn on my iPad with a cup of coffee and go to me aggregated feed and scroll through everything without ever having to click on a web page's unique space. But yeah - i don't have that stuff (sure i'd like to have it but i'm actually fine with it, right now I'm thinking about trying to find a decent price on some 24 or wider road tubulars to glue up on the 303s).
I'd say leave a comment as to why you like the RSS feed, and why I should keep it. Although I don't think you can see the whole thing on it anyway. Maybe Reader is different. I dunno
I should write about the ride yesterday, but it was awesome and good and i started off still cooked from monday's velosprints but surprisingly felt pretty f'n awesome on the bike. And Hillside has never been so easy (could be the 20-30 pounds I'm not carrying anymore).
nice day out there right now - if a bit windy.
Heddwch™
G
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
side note
James Huang's photos are quickly overwelming the negativity from Moulton's perspective. I'm never going to ride them, so I'm just going to appreciate them for how beautiful they are.
Amazing stuff.
very good
Amazing stuff.
very good
distractions
Despite distractions the morning until coffee break right now has been kick ass productive. At one point (well more than that) I had the TA race in one screen and the Paris-Nice in the other, and cranking through emails and scheduling and phone.
A good day. Crazy finishes, and Fabian is f'n SMOOOTH on the TT bike.
Turn your webber kettle grill into a Pizza Oven? Say it ain't so! Brilliant. So cool. That would make summer pizza cooking much more pleasant inside the house. I suppose I could go with the ErikV pizza screen method but this Kettle Pizza thing looks spectacular. Watching the video but it looks a bit complicated, or the guy isn't as practiced as he could be. Pretty slick esp if you don't have space to build your own backyard pizza oven.
Normally I'm drooling over the NAHBS pictures and galleries. This year? I read Dave's blog about it. And man did he ruin the magic. Sure he might have a motive to promote his old brand, but his point, biased or not, still stands. Making a bike aesthetically pleasing or unique or cool isn't the challenge, it is making it both all that and still a perfectly riding bike.
So now I see a bike and I'm thinking, okay, that looks really cool, but how does it ride? The Firefly demystifying the ISP also kind of tweaked how I view those on non-carbon bikes. On a carbon bike, yeah, no big deal, sticking a round tube down a plastic bike doesn't make that much sense. On round tube bikes the Seatpost actually is pretty fucking functional. It is pretty obvious, but not something I had thought about. Adding more material where the seat post would have been on an ISP bike kind of seems to defeat the purpose of making it lighter/stronger/whatever. And then on a bike my size? no way it will fit in a box/crate/shipping. Maybe I mentioned this earlier.
I'm forgetting stuff.
no surprise.
some powerful potential in this film:
The opening deeply resonates with me. Except I don't surf. I ride a bike. And probably more than 300 days of the year I throw my leg over the saddle. Year in, year out.
It defines me in a very unique way. Call me a genetics appologist if you want, doesn't change the fact that I am unique, even in the world of the niche sport. Not alone, no certainly not the only one like me, and that's comforting to know others do get my point of view. Those who both compete in races and use the bicycle as a primary form of daily personal transportation.
I like that I'm not alone. Even when it feels like it some times.
This post is all over the map, just be lucky I didn't add the formula race car in the snow movie here (posted it over on G+ fwiw).
Rode in on the Blue with the impact attenuator hooked up. Certainly pedals more effortlessly than the Croll, the small ring is a nice change of pace for the few hills compared to the Croll's 46t only up front. over dressed meant I just took it slow, as planned. Have to head to the kids school to see a short play that my youngest really wants me to see (means a lot to her) so I'll head over, then head back and then plan out a modified early sunset Smack Down route. We're going to change it up a bit head east and hit Hillside and Rocky Hill. "Sprint" points at the top of the hills to keep it with Mark's theme. The ride will finish up with a flat out high speed sprint for the state line by the reservoir there on 152. No, we won't take West so as to make sure we have a decent lead out. A nice short 20-25 mile figure 8 loop. Planning on a 5pm departure from the old PVC meeting point at the Waterman Grill. Tempo ride for a mile or two to get through the heavier traffic'd areas, then boom, all hell breaks loose. Or that's the plan. We'll see what happens.
Okay now someone with a couple more races under their belt bitching about entry fees... Tilford is always entertaining.
do good, be well, and as always,
Heddwch™
G
A good day. Crazy finishes, and Fabian is f'n SMOOOTH on the TT bike.
Turn your webber kettle grill into a Pizza Oven? Say it ain't so! Brilliant. So cool. That would make summer pizza cooking much more pleasant inside the house. I suppose I could go with the ErikV pizza screen method but this Kettle Pizza thing looks spectacular. Watching the video but it looks a bit complicated, or the guy isn't as practiced as he could be. Pretty slick esp if you don't have space to build your own backyard pizza oven.
Normally I'm drooling over the NAHBS pictures and galleries. This year? I read Dave's blog about it. And man did he ruin the magic. Sure he might have a motive to promote his old brand, but his point, biased or not, still stands. Making a bike aesthetically pleasing or unique or cool isn't the challenge, it is making it both all that and still a perfectly riding bike.
So now I see a bike and I'm thinking, okay, that looks really cool, but how does it ride? The Firefly demystifying the ISP also kind of tweaked how I view those on non-carbon bikes. On a carbon bike, yeah, no big deal, sticking a round tube down a plastic bike doesn't make that much sense. On round tube bikes the Seatpost actually is pretty fucking functional. It is pretty obvious, but not something I had thought about. Adding more material where the seat post would have been on an ISP bike kind of seems to defeat the purpose of making it lighter/stronger/whatever. And then on a bike my size? no way it will fit in a box/crate/shipping. Maybe I mentioned this earlier.
I'm forgetting stuff.
no surprise.
some powerful potential in this film:
The opening deeply resonates with me. Except I don't surf. I ride a bike. And probably more than 300 days of the year I throw my leg over the saddle. Year in, year out.
It defines me in a very unique way. Call me a genetics appologist if you want, doesn't change the fact that I am unique, even in the world of the niche sport. Not alone, no certainly not the only one like me, and that's comforting to know others do get my point of view. Those who both compete in races and use the bicycle as a primary form of daily personal transportation.
I like that I'm not alone. Even when it feels like it some times.
This post is all over the map, just be lucky I didn't add the formula race car in the snow movie here (posted it over on G+ fwiw).
Rode in on the Blue with the impact attenuator hooked up. Certainly pedals more effortlessly than the Croll, the small ring is a nice change of pace for the few hills compared to the Croll's 46t only up front. over dressed meant I just took it slow, as planned. Have to head to the kids school to see a short play that my youngest really wants me to see (means a lot to her) so I'll head over, then head back and then plan out a modified early sunset Smack Down route. We're going to change it up a bit head east and hit Hillside and Rocky Hill. "Sprint" points at the top of the hills to keep it with Mark's theme. The ride will finish up with a flat out high speed sprint for the state line by the reservoir there on 152. No, we won't take West so as to make sure we have a decent lead out. A nice short 20-25 mile figure 8 loop. Planning on a 5pm departure from the old PVC meeting point at the Waterman Grill. Tempo ride for a mile or two to get through the heavier traffic'd areas, then boom, all hell breaks loose. Or that's the plan. We'll see what happens.
Okay now someone with a couple more races under their belt bitching about entry fees... Tilford is always entertaining.
do good, be well, and as always,
Heddwch™
G
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
calling Fatmarc and Chip out
Chipstick Inc and FatmarcVanderbacon
both of youz
can we move on from the type in these illegible letters to prove you aren't a robot after comments?
Really?
please?
I don't and haven't had em on for a while now... sure, i don't generate the bots that your sex and filth ridden excuses of blogs generate but, I get zero bots posting and when/if they do, well *zap* they ain't there no more.
I had to refresh 4 times before I could actually interpret what the stupid letters where saying with my Donnie Yen comment.
Oh and I like Tilford's POV on the whole Garmin/Strava thing. I have posted a few things to strava, but they were collected on a borrowed Garmin. Using something twice, a month apart, is no way to judge it. But it was kind of a pain in the butt to upload it. It brought flashbacks of me d/l'n every day off the power tap head unit way back when. And I didn't like it so much. I do have a computer that reads heart rates. A great and very helpful suggestion from Demarest to use the HR stuff to make the commute work more effectively for me. But it doesn't record (no i never got around to putting batteries in the Polar after Nate gave me the Sigma). Someday I suppose. Someday again maybe. For now? It works.
One more thing. No amount of practice is going to make you taller. No amount of practice is going to make you faster than your potential. Oh wait. don't tell the clients of all those coaches out there... And yes SOLOBREAK - so few people reach their potential that there is still plenty of work for the coaches to do.
both of youz
can we move on from the type in these illegible letters to prove you aren't a robot after comments?
Really?
please?
I don't and haven't had em on for a while now... sure, i don't generate the bots that your sex and filth ridden excuses of blogs generate but, I get zero bots posting and when/if they do, well *zap* they ain't there no more.
I had to refresh 4 times before I could actually interpret what the stupid letters where saying with my Donnie Yen comment.
Oh and I like Tilford's POV on the whole Garmin/Strava thing. I have posted a few things to strava, but they were collected on a borrowed Garmin. Using something twice, a month apart, is no way to judge it. But it was kind of a pain in the butt to upload it. It brought flashbacks of me d/l'n every day off the power tap head unit way back when. And I didn't like it so much. I do have a computer that reads heart rates. A great and very helpful suggestion from Demarest to use the HR stuff to make the commute work more effectively for me. But it doesn't record (no i never got around to putting batteries in the Polar after Nate gave me the Sigma). Someday I suppose. Someday again maybe. For now? It works.
One more thing. No amount of practice is going to make you taller. No amount of practice is going to make you faster than your potential. Oh wait. don't tell the clients of all those coaches out there... And yes SOLOBREAK - so few people reach their potential that there is still plenty of work for the coaches to do.
Monday, March 05, 2012
twenty years of electron microscopy
i've been doing this sample prep and imaging for the electron microscope for 20 years.
twenty years
and yes, i am good at it. very good at it in fact. and, it is pretty cool. take pride in your skill set.
from the very first time trying it was both frustrating and complex but man did all that suck me in.
a technique that seemed intuitively easy simple, but in practice is anything but. I've taught hundreds of people how to do it, watched the range of people who were able to pick it up. The best take a few months to get passably proficient, and six to twelve months to get good enough to be repeatable and consistent. Some people never grasp it despite valiant efforts.
You think Cyclocross is a niche in a niche... that's my professional career, and there's a demand, a small one, but one that is a good fit for me.
I still kind of wish the scopes were used in somewhere other than dimly lit windowless rooms, but hey, after 20 years you kind of get used to it. Balancing the time inside with the commute on the bike is a good yin/yang solution.
I'm enjoying the extra moments of daylight, despite having the opposite of a perfect week last week. Looking forward to getting home in the light. Not looking forward to Sunday when the dog wakes me up in the dark.
The time change also sucks a bit because it moves the sunset after the normal commute. I do really enjoy and appreciate the sunset. Maybe you've noticed I take a few pictures of it.
anyway - twenty years - dats a long time. need to hang some of the confidence and self worth on the shoulders of what I've accomplished in that arena... This whole getting old and stuff changing is not easy to get used to and adapt to. Working on it.
Heddwch™
G
twenty years
and yes, i am good at it. very good at it in fact. and, it is pretty cool. take pride in your skill set.
from the very first time trying it was both frustrating and complex but man did all that suck me in.
a technique that seemed intuitively easy simple, but in practice is anything but. I've taught hundreds of people how to do it, watched the range of people who were able to pick it up. The best take a few months to get passably proficient, and six to twelve months to get good enough to be repeatable and consistent. Some people never grasp it despite valiant efforts.
You think Cyclocross is a niche in a niche... that's my professional career, and there's a demand, a small one, but one that is a good fit for me.
I still kind of wish the scopes were used in somewhere other than dimly lit windowless rooms, but hey, after 20 years you kind of get used to it. Balancing the time inside with the commute on the bike is a good yin/yang solution.
I'm enjoying the extra moments of daylight, despite having the opposite of a perfect week last week. Looking forward to getting home in the light. Not looking forward to Sunday when the dog wakes me up in the dark.
The time change also sucks a bit because it moves the sunset after the normal commute. I do really enjoy and appreciate the sunset. Maybe you've noticed I take a few pictures of it.
anyway - twenty years - dats a long time. need to hang some of the confidence and self worth on the shoulders of what I've accomplished in that arena... This whole getting old and stuff changing is not easy to get used to and adapt to. Working on it.
Heddwch™
G
Saturday, March 03, 2012
a comment that deserves a post
writing a response to solobreak's trolling and baiting i felt that i started to get a bit too deep for a comment...
so I'm moving it to a post alone... initial thread and stimulus for response is here.
I've seen fads in the mt bike. I have one failed step in the evolution (high pivot URT full suspension).
29" wheeled bikes are not a fad. This I decree.
It is a move to a consistent and ideal wheel size that the Roadies figured out many years before.
The fact that 20 years of 26" wheels chewing up the trails and making nice 26" wheel sized holes just makes riding around here that much less fun for me on a 26" bike.
If I had skills I could make excuses. I don't. I'm okay with not riding the mt bike at the moment. So precious little time to pedal that I'd rather not spend it in the car at the moment driving to ride. Driving to race is different it seems. Driving to race Cyclocross makes sense, strange as it may seem.
Do I miss mt biking? Yes. Honestly I do.
I miss seeing the seasons change along a familiar stretch of trail. I miss riding the same section and noting the progression of understory growth in the spring, and the transition through the sticky heat of summer into the night riding in Hunting season.
I identified first with mt biking. There is no denying it. I was never good in the rock gardens, but in the sand, on the climbs, when getting traction out of a marginal section was required I could do it. I could see the line in most things other than the rocks. I never felt comfortable with them. And that maybe explains my discovery and affinity for cyclocross.
It is what it is.
I will always remember the climb up the fireroad above Ashland OR in 1990. We did it a handful of times during my class down there at United Bicycle Institute. For the life of me I can't recall the single track downhill, other than, it was downhill and it went by way faster than the climb. But the climb. An hour on those 30 pound rigid mt bikes of ours. That's what sticks in my mind.
The bermy woops at Highland Rec area, the sand at Ft Custer and the rolling trails through the beaver fells.
Meeting Kentaro in Ithaca for some night riding on my way home from Central. We'd start in the light, work through the pine trails and turn the lights on for the rest of the ride.
I've tried connecting to the mt bike trails here in New England the way I have in other places of the country. But for naught. Sure part of it is the wheel size, but in reality, that is probably a smaller component than I allow it to be. And even with the perfect well fitting 29r dualie, I might not ride it much more than my Adroit or Mantra Carbon.
It is undeniable that I look like a freak on a bike with 700c wheels. Put me on something with smaller hoops is just insanely silly. Just looks wrong if nothing else.
I ride, and it is good. Where, on what? Does it matter?
maybe not
heddwch
G
so I'm moving it to a post alone... initial thread and stimulus for response is here.
I've seen fads in the mt bike. I have one failed step in the evolution (high pivot URT full suspension).
29" wheeled bikes are not a fad. This I decree.
It is a move to a consistent and ideal wheel size that the Roadies figured out many years before.
The fact that 20 years of 26" wheels chewing up the trails and making nice 26" wheel sized holes just makes riding around here that much less fun for me on a 26" bike.
If I had skills I could make excuses. I don't. I'm okay with not riding the mt bike at the moment. So precious little time to pedal that I'd rather not spend it in the car at the moment driving to ride. Driving to race is different it seems. Driving to race Cyclocross makes sense, strange as it may seem.
Do I miss mt biking? Yes. Honestly I do.
I miss seeing the seasons change along a familiar stretch of trail. I miss riding the same section and noting the progression of understory growth in the spring, and the transition through the sticky heat of summer into the night riding in Hunting season.
I identified first with mt biking. There is no denying it. I was never good in the rock gardens, but in the sand, on the climbs, when getting traction out of a marginal section was required I could do it. I could see the line in most things other than the rocks. I never felt comfortable with them. And that maybe explains my discovery and affinity for cyclocross.
It is what it is.
I will always remember the climb up the fireroad above Ashland OR in 1990. We did it a handful of times during my class down there at United Bicycle Institute. For the life of me I can't recall the single track downhill, other than, it was downhill and it went by way faster than the climb. But the climb. An hour on those 30 pound rigid mt bikes of ours. That's what sticks in my mind.
The bermy woops at Highland Rec area, the sand at Ft Custer and the rolling trails through the beaver fells.
Meeting Kentaro in Ithaca for some night riding on my way home from Central. We'd start in the light, work through the pine trails and turn the lights on for the rest of the ride.
I've tried connecting to the mt bike trails here in New England the way I have in other places of the country. But for naught. Sure part of it is the wheel size, but in reality, that is probably a smaller component than I allow it to be. And even with the perfect well fitting 29r dualie, I might not ride it much more than my Adroit or Mantra Carbon.
It is undeniable that I look like a freak on a bike with 700c wheels. Put me on something with smaller hoops is just insanely silly. Just looks wrong if nothing else.
I ride, and it is good. Where, on what? Does it matter?
maybe not
heddwch
G
anti-perfect week
I went from the perfect week (i'm still counting it with the mental health day to pedal for 9 hrs on thursday) to this week. Last week? no car. Drove to help John get his TDI sorted out, then parked the car and Pedaled every day.
Saturday rolled up and I worked at the bike shop. But not the PVD one, the one further away, and with the dog, and closing at 5pm, riding home... in the dark, wasn't what I felt like was best. But then I still hopped on the trainer to work out the legs. Sunday, same thing. 5pm closing, dog, yeah.
Monday the rest of the gang started filtering back from vacation. Airport pick up on Monday, drop off kid on Tuesday, second airport run on Wed, Thursday shuttle kid #2 home while my wife stayed in the city at the Y working out while kid #1 had 3 hrs of dance, Friday, pick up both kids from school, head back to the office, finish the last of the BioSketch then cart the oldest off for 2 hrs of dance and then head home with the little one with a side stop for some lettuce, kale, parsley, red onion and tri-color pasta to make dinner with.
And now it is sort of raining and crappy out, 20 miles each way? I could haul the trailer i suppose with extra clothes and shoes. I might not be the softest marshmallow in the bag but I'm still not wearing cleats all day to stand on concrete floor. and shoes + lunch + clothes means big bag (yeah, funny that, my shoes aren't small and easy to pack) Plus wet, plus no decent place to dry clothes out for ride home. I'm succumbing to the lure of the rattling race wagon and the couple gallons of diesel still left in the tank.
I'll pedal out the day on my feet on the trainer watching what ever is coming in on the bunny ears broadcasts tonight. It hasn't been a total off the bike week, I did pedal a bit at least on Tuesday, can't remember if I rode on Monday or not. Tuesday definitely because I watched Monday's Daily show with the science super star Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tossed in some intervals and called it good. But that's the last time I've pedaled.
Rest week? Sure, lets call it that. Not that I'm building to anything. Racing? Maybe a few of the Ninigret crits like last year. That's about it though. TJROW has been on my mind but the logistics are sort of a pain with the early start up there in BOS. Would need to ride up the day before, do a bit of couch surfing, meeting the group at the start and then decide how far to go. All the way would mean not riding back to PVD that day but spending another on the road, then riding home alone from Hartford to PVD while everyone heads the other way, not to mention blowing a Saturday. The event is looking very pro too, some tall grumpy commuter probably should stay out of the way of those damn fast dudes. Might have to plan a different day for the March PVD-BOS ride. Maybe March becomes the coffee shop ride. Do something crazy like head to RSC first, then crank it into the City and hit barrington coffee and then blast home. It would change it up and give me a chance to not get so lost leaving the city. Ideas. Thoughts. It is what drops out of my head. I guess one of these days I'll figure out how not to be so damn negative. But probably not. At least my age is getting closer to matching the grumpy old man persona.
This morning cranking through the very active twitter feed, between Reuter Halll's teethversary and the tweets from Fisher, Bontrager and Huang from NAHBS it was full, but those shots from NAHBS made me really want to go check that out. But then it is a bit like porn I suppose. So many beautiful things you would love to ride, but can't. Ah the joys of being a pessimistic realist. But seriously there are some beautiful bikes out there.
So cool.
Zanc's reaction to the way I have the Blue set up has triggered an occasional, "shit that really is too small isn't it" flash. So many spacers on that fork. Well it hasn't broken yet but does it fit? well yes, contact points are where they need to be or I'd not be able to ride for a whole day. Ah well. It is just a plastic bike. If/when it breaks I'll figure out what to do next.
But that is a plastic bike that has served me well, rides very well, and has been good to me so far.
No complaints.
wasting a bit too much time this morning i guess. Best get a move on it.
heddwch
G
Saturday rolled up and I worked at the bike shop. But not the PVD one, the one further away, and with the dog, and closing at 5pm, riding home... in the dark, wasn't what I felt like was best. But then I still hopped on the trainer to work out the legs. Sunday, same thing. 5pm closing, dog, yeah.
Monday the rest of the gang started filtering back from vacation. Airport pick up on Monday, drop off kid on Tuesday, second airport run on Wed, Thursday shuttle kid #2 home while my wife stayed in the city at the Y working out while kid #1 had 3 hrs of dance, Friday, pick up both kids from school, head back to the office, finish the last of the BioSketch then cart the oldest off for 2 hrs of dance and then head home with the little one with a side stop for some lettuce, kale, parsley, red onion and tri-color pasta to make dinner with.
And now it is sort of raining and crappy out, 20 miles each way? I could haul the trailer i suppose with extra clothes and shoes. I might not be the softest marshmallow in the bag but I'm still not wearing cleats all day to stand on concrete floor. and shoes + lunch + clothes means big bag (yeah, funny that, my shoes aren't small and easy to pack) Plus wet, plus no decent place to dry clothes out for ride home. I'm succumbing to the lure of the rattling race wagon and the couple gallons of diesel still left in the tank.
I'll pedal out the day on my feet on the trainer watching what ever is coming in on the bunny ears broadcasts tonight. It hasn't been a total off the bike week, I did pedal a bit at least on Tuesday, can't remember if I rode on Monday or not. Tuesday definitely because I watched Monday's Daily show with the science super star Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tossed in some intervals and called it good. But that's the last time I've pedaled.
Rest week? Sure, lets call it that. Not that I'm building to anything. Racing? Maybe a few of the Ninigret crits like last year. That's about it though. TJROW has been on my mind but the logistics are sort of a pain with the early start up there in BOS. Would need to ride up the day before, do a bit of couch surfing, meeting the group at the start and then decide how far to go. All the way would mean not riding back to PVD that day but spending another on the road, then riding home alone from Hartford to PVD while everyone heads the other way, not to mention blowing a Saturday. The event is looking very pro too, some tall grumpy commuter probably should stay out of the way of those damn fast dudes. Might have to plan a different day for the March PVD-BOS ride. Maybe March becomes the coffee shop ride. Do something crazy like head to RSC first, then crank it into the City and hit barrington coffee and then blast home. It would change it up and give me a chance to not get so lost leaving the city. Ideas. Thoughts. It is what drops out of my head. I guess one of these days I'll figure out how not to be so damn negative. But probably not. At least my age is getting closer to matching the grumpy old man persona.
This morning cranking through the very active twitter feed, between Reuter Halll's teethversary and the tweets from Fisher, Bontrager and Huang from NAHBS it was full, but those shots from NAHBS made me really want to go check that out. But then it is a bit like porn I suppose. So many beautiful things you would love to ride, but can't. Ah the joys of being a pessimistic realist. But seriously there are some beautiful bikes out there.
So cool.
Zanc's reaction to the way I have the Blue set up has triggered an occasional, "shit that really is too small isn't it" flash. So many spacers on that fork. Well it hasn't broken yet but does it fit? well yes, contact points are where they need to be or I'd not be able to ride for a whole day. Ah well. It is just a plastic bike. If/when it breaks I'll figure out what to do next.
But that is a plastic bike that has served me well, rides very well, and has been good to me so far.
No complaints.
wasting a bit too much time this morning i guess. Best get a move on it.
heddwch
G
Friday, March 02, 2012
Instead of waiting
Yes it is essentially an add for one of his sponsors, but they make cool shit so I'm okay with that. Would be cooler if they gave me product and all but that hasn't happened yet so we'll just watch and keep recommending you pick up the Lezyne tools (their pumps are pretty sweet).
A Few Links...
A Pile of good sports science reading. I guess that's what happens when you don't check a folder of bookmarks for a week.
Starting with Alex:
http://sweatscience.runnersworld.com/2012/03/beyond-rest-ice-compression-elevation/
http://www.therunningclinic.ca/blog/2012/03/discours-de-simon-bartold-analyse-simon-bartolds-speech-analysed/
http://nextlevelnutrition.blogspot.com/2012/02/ironman-nutrition-could-your-race.html
good stuff here - a couple good blog entries
http://peakperformance.runnersworld.com/
absolutely loving this one:
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2012/03/10000-hours-vs-training-debate-no.html
and finally some nervous system talk:
http://www.zone5endurance.com/?p=1675
I can't vouch for motives, marketing, or bias of any of the authors, but despite all that they are good reads and something to think about. Yes some of them (all of them) are blogs and/or interpretations of papers from the author's point of view. If you feel one or more need to be disclosed (maybe one of them is getting paid by vibram or something) please feel free to leave a comment to make sure anyone reading them can identify hidden bias.
heddwch
G
Starting with Alex:
http://sweatscience.runnersworld.com/2012/03/beyond-rest-ice-compression-elevation/
http://www.therunningclinic.ca/blog/2012/03/discours-de-simon-bartold-analyse-simon-bartolds-speech-analysed/
http://nextlevelnutrition.blogspot.com/2012/02/ironman-nutrition-could-your-race.html
good stuff here - a couple good blog entries
http://peakperformance.runnersworld.com/
absolutely loving this one:
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2012/03/10000-hours-vs-training-debate-no.html
and finally some nervous system talk:
http://www.zone5endurance.com/?p=1675
I can't vouch for motives, marketing, or bias of any of the authors, but despite all that they are good reads and something to think about. Yes some of them (all of them) are blogs and/or interpretations of papers from the author's point of view. If you feel one or more need to be disclosed (maybe one of them is getting paid by vibram or something) please feel free to leave a comment to make sure anyone reading them can identify hidden bias.
heddwch
G
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Tiny Russian Photos
BioSketch procrastination/break.
Need to stop for a second and what better way than to check out some crazy sweet bike related photos.
PPP#3 is a bit of background into the photo shoots for Peleton Mag by Natalia Boltukhova aka Natasha aka the Tiny Russian aka TR.
No matter what you call her she's as much a part of the NECX scene (or most so) than the crazy nut job in the orange jumpsuit.
One thing she said resonated quite a bit with me. Too much introspection lately, all internal, or maybe not enough internal for a few people, sorry about that, but the words clicked with my past a bit:
For us the story is easy. The shooting and lighting always the problem. A stage post concert, even with the lights still on may seem bright looking out at the lights but to most cameras it is barely sufficient. So many frustrated photoshoots. So many "there isn't a single good use-able image."
The "pro-ness" of my family was pretty solidly documented at my sister's wedding. The photog (a solid good pro, impressive, and i'm hard to impress) gave very minimal instructions and we were there, the rest of the wedding party, friends, family who ever else? Yeah. Not so much. It got to a point with the grooms men that the photog said "okay, see those guys? [me and my brothers] do what they are doing." They still couldn't get it.
Anyway. Check out TR's images. Pretty cool. Kind of humorous that I read her post about Firefly a week after stopping in there.
Heddwch™
G
Need to stop for a second and what better way than to check out some crazy sweet bike related photos.
PPP#3 is a bit of background into the photo shoots for Peleton Mag by Natalia Boltukhova aka Natasha aka the Tiny Russian aka TR.
No matter what you call her she's as much a part of the NECX scene (or most so) than the crazy nut job in the orange jumpsuit.
One thing she said resonated quite a bit with me. Too much introspection lately, all internal, or maybe not enough internal for a few people, sorry about that, but the words clicked with my past a bit:
It is pretty curious that most people who don’t photograph professionally, may not even realize how much goes into a good non-studio photograph. Forget the composition, the light, background difficulties, etc. When a photographer comes to shoot an assignment, an environmental portrait in particular, it has to have a plot, a story.Growing up as a performing family is different. Photo shoots were critical aspects of promotion. TV spots, interviews, on stage, back stage, at the beach, in the field, in the house, in a studio... we grew up thinking about that, or maybe the rest didn't think about it but I certainly did. We are all pro's when it comes to being the subject of a professional photographer. We had photog friends do the shooting, we had real paid pros, we had pros shooting us for free. There are piles and piles of proof sheets through the years. The most striking documentation is the photo for the Annual Yuletide Poster. Often it would wind up as a Christmas card photo, and hey why not, it was all of us.
For us the story is easy. The shooting and lighting always the problem. A stage post concert, even with the lights still on may seem bright looking out at the lights but to most cameras it is barely sufficient. So many frustrated photoshoots. So many "there isn't a single good use-able image."
The "pro-ness" of my family was pretty solidly documented at my sister's wedding. The photog (a solid good pro, impressive, and i'm hard to impress) gave very minimal instructions and we were there, the rest of the wedding party, friends, family who ever else? Yeah. Not so much. It got to a point with the grooms men that the photog said "okay, see those guys? [me and my brothers] do what they are doing." They still couldn't get it.
Anyway. Check out TR's images. Pretty cool. Kind of humorous that I read her post about Firefly a week after stopping in there.
Heddwch™
G
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thanks USA Cycling
So this fresh off their "facebook exclusive" announcement. Interesting twist of having it in one location for one year.
I'm underwhelmed but, hey, slow pokes like me don't belong at nationals. Esp at altitude. F'that.
I'm underwhelmed but, hey, slow pokes like me don't belong at nationals. Esp at altitude. F'that.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Builders ride continued...
Going to try and distract myself from the crazy self-doubting hole I just managed to dig this morning. Fucking dark down in here. Totally of my own doing, but hey, what else is new, hitting the 'maybe it is time to unplug from the whole internet' for a time, no good seems to come from it lately... only thing that seems to fix it all is riding my bike.
And shit, i suck at that too, or so I'm constantly reminded by the world around me.
And shit, i suck at that too, or so I'm constantly reminded by the world around me.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Really? Really? I mean REALLY?
when Myerspace tweeted it i thought it was a joke...
then... the are you fucking kidding me?
seriously?
then the annoying twitch/tick took over...
now a few hours later, after cranking out some penance on the Paramount on the trainer watching the end of my final French film of the week (65 min total, good warm up, some high cadence work to get the HR up, then some big ring high torque max effort intervals, about 30-40 seconds each, motherfucking hurt so good)...
I gotta link it up here.
This is what Adam tweeted:
"After two years involved in the sport of competitive cycling, I have gotten enough of a feel that I can voice an educated opinion."
Seriously. Two years of Competitive Cycling and you write and article titled "Organizing Cyclocross."
TWO YEARS?
That's like saying, hey i just got this Associates degree, I know enough to be a PhD.
I tried to read it. I honestly tried. I skipped to the bullets, couldn't get past the first one:
"Allow riders to punch above their weight three times in a season."
And couldn't finish the rest.
I did get a laugh at what Cosmo and company pointed out: the copyright.
It is funny.
that copywrite thing...
i should actually read it... right now? no... i seriously can't but maybe you can.
heddwch
G
then... the are you fucking kidding me?
seriously?
then the annoying twitch/tick took over...
now a few hours later, after cranking out some penance on the Paramount on the trainer watching the end of my final French film of the week (65 min total, good warm up, some high cadence work to get the HR up, then some big ring high torque max effort intervals, about 30-40 seconds each, motherfucking hurt so good)...
I gotta link it up here.
This is what Adam tweeted:
"After two years involved in the sport of competitive cycling, I have gotten enough of a feel that I can voice an educated opinion."
Seriously. Two years of Competitive Cycling and you write and article titled "Organizing Cyclocross."
TWO YEARS?
That's like saying, hey i just got this Associates degree, I know enough to be a PhD.
I tried to read it. I honestly tried. I skipped to the bullets, couldn't get past the first one:
"Allow riders to punch above their weight three times in a season."
And couldn't finish the rest.
I did get a laugh at what Cosmo and company pointed out: the copyright.
It is funny.
that copywrite thing...
i should actually read it... right now? no... i seriously can't but maybe you can.
heddwch
G
Seems like ages ago
That I did the Builders ride.
But I was sitting there in the airport at the gate waiting to pick up my oldest (flying unaccompanied you have to be at the gate 45 min before the flight is scheduled to arrive or they have the obligation to stick them back on the next flight to their originating airport) and anyway I was sitting there, thinking, it has been a while, most people have seen the strava data from the ride, I put an album from the ride up on G+. The ride happened, I don't need to write about it. Then I got thinking, I would be writing about it for me, to capture and document the ride from my point of view and by not doing so I might forget some of it. Which is pretty crazy because it was an extremely remarkable ride. That said I ain't getting no younger and there's a rumor that CRS gets worse with age.
Oh and the old f'rs will probably know what CRS is... but in the odd case you're wicked sheltered from crass acronyms CRS means can't remember shit.
But I was sitting there in the airport at the gate waiting to pick up my oldest (flying unaccompanied you have to be at the gate 45 min before the flight is scheduled to arrive or they have the obligation to stick them back on the next flight to their originating airport) and anyway I was sitting there, thinking, it has been a while, most people have seen the strava data from the ride, I put an album from the ride up on G+. The ride happened, I don't need to write about it. Then I got thinking, I would be writing about it for me, to capture and document the ride from my point of view and by not doing so I might forget some of it. Which is pretty crazy because it was an extremely remarkable ride. That said I ain't getting no younger and there's a rumor that CRS gets worse with age.
Oh and the old f'rs will probably know what CRS is... but in the odd case you're wicked sheltered from crass acronyms CRS means can't remember shit.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
watching some Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne
Live right now, on the Sporza feed.
All the big guys crushing it.
I suppose I should be out riding outside this morning instead of watching pro's live. Besides everything thinks they are all doping anyway and the best doctor wins.
Fuck that. It is still a beautiful sport. Watching it is pretty cool.
I've certainly been eating too much these last few days, not enough to get over the 85kg mark but I might be close to that.
Spent yesterday wrenching. Was good. Was fun. I enjoy the hell out of it. Even when it means trying to make the most frustratingly awful mtb group work. Suntour XCE. The problem with it is, #1 it is Suntour. #2 Seven speed index. #3 totally incompatible with anything else. No way to go to friction, freewheel spacing is unique, cable pull is too. And, oh yeah, stupid unobtainium shift cables (they look like mini-break cable ends instead of normal der stops. Bike was covered in dust, but, well now it looks transformed and actually works instead of not working. My only hope is that the owner actually uses them.
Fixing bikes is optimistic work. I hope that by making it all work better than it did, repairing problems of neglect miss-use or accidents, that the owner will be back soon with worn out parts. Worn out bikes are the best. Bikes don't wear out from lack of use. And so wear is the ultimate goal. Use it up.
They are cranking through on some cobbles now. So cool. I have to see if I can find some fattish road tubulars that I can afford to pop on the cx wheels for the few crits i might do and a couple TTs.
At some point I should up load the photos and write up the long ride from Thursday.
Maybe the second cup of coffee will give me some motivation.
back to watching, they've got 43km to go...
heddwch
G
All the big guys crushing it.
I suppose I should be out riding outside this morning instead of watching pro's live. Besides everything thinks they are all doping anyway and the best doctor wins.
Fuck that. It is still a beautiful sport. Watching it is pretty cool.
I've certainly been eating too much these last few days, not enough to get over the 85kg mark but I might be close to that.
Spent yesterday wrenching. Was good. Was fun. I enjoy the hell out of it. Even when it means trying to make the most frustratingly awful mtb group work. Suntour XCE. The problem with it is, #1 it is Suntour. #2 Seven speed index. #3 totally incompatible with anything else. No way to go to friction, freewheel spacing is unique, cable pull is too. And, oh yeah, stupid unobtainium shift cables (they look like mini-break cable ends instead of normal der stops. Bike was covered in dust, but, well now it looks transformed and actually works instead of not working. My only hope is that the owner actually uses them.
Fixing bikes is optimistic work. I hope that by making it all work better than it did, repairing problems of neglect miss-use or accidents, that the owner will be back soon with worn out parts. Worn out bikes are the best. Bikes don't wear out from lack of use. And so wear is the ultimate goal. Use it up.
They are cranking through on some cobbles now. So cool. I have to see if I can find some fattish road tubulars that I can afford to pop on the cx wheels for the few crits i might do and a couple TTs.
At some point I should up load the photos and write up the long ride from Thursday.
Maybe the second cup of coffee will give me some motivation.
back to watching, they've got 43km to go...
heddwch
G
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Czech CX from '76
Via HenryJ
http://cyklonovinky.cz/Reportaze/Mistrovstvi-CSSR-v-cyklokrosu-10-1-1976-Mlada-Bole.aspx
check it out (i'm not sure how to embed it so i'm not going to try - go watch)
http://cyklonovinky.cz/Reportaze/Mistrovstvi-CSSR-v-cyklokrosu-10-1-1976-Mlada-Bole.aspx
check it out (i'm not sure how to embed it so i'm not going to try - go watch)
couple more w/o much annotation
RW Daily with a great counter point to the NY Times article about snacking and eating. Turkey Leg and giant jelly bean and the "Hershey miniatures worn across chest, bandolier-style" funny.
Alex also weighs in on it in a more serious manner here (also at RW but formerly sweat science)
Now for some cringe worthy stuff you find on the internet. Sure, I've certainly f'd up and used a w/w (wrong word as my teachers used to write) now and again and I try to make sure I at least get the heading words right. And I'm not monetizing this shit or trying to make it look professional (can you tell) so for me it is just pride when I screw up, (notice i said when, not if - because god damn i do screw up plenty).
Check this out. The title got me because I've been watching a pile of Kung Fu on vacation. Bruce Lee's Fists of Fury was good. So good. Not a fan of the ending though, mostly because I was hoping the firing squad would take out the consulate standing behind Lee when they shot.
Here's just a small part (in case it gets edited, but it has been commented on already w/o change):
Really.
Waist? and then Wast?
Not to mention the encase without a link.
sort of funny in a "are you serious?" kind of way.
Now Cake. You can eat your cake and lose weight too? Some grumpy older dude than me likes to remind me that it is mostly bike racers reading this crap i'm trying to write and the point being y'all ain't the problem as far as being at a healthy weight. So it is silly but worth dumping into this post:
http://www.globalnews.ca/health/health/6442576407/story.html
I would like to highlight the fact that they added cake in addition to a normal low sugar/sensible breakfast. At the END of it. You satisfy the physiological cravings with the protein and the other signalling stuff with the cake.
But cake is different. Cake has eggs (or suitable vegan substitute) and fat. It isn't a big glass of orange juice, or a bowl of frosted flakes covered in skim milk.
You are also attenuating the absorption eating it after a "sensible guilt-free" breakfast.
Big day tomorrow.
Lots of pedaling. Lots of calories burned. I'm not going to follow the NYTimes advice and not eat because I'm doing something more than an hour of exercise. I'm going to eat. And pedal my ass off.
All.
Day.
(and it makes me happy thinking about it)
heddwch
G
Alex also weighs in on it in a more serious manner here (also at RW but formerly sweat science)
Now for some cringe worthy stuff you find on the internet. Sure, I've certainly f'd up and used a w/w (wrong word as my teachers used to write) now and again and I try to make sure I at least get the heading words right. And I'm not monetizing this shit or trying to make it look professional (can you tell) so for me it is just pride when I screw up, (notice i said when, not if - because god damn i do screw up plenty).
Check this out. The title got me because I've been watching a pile of Kung Fu on vacation. Bruce Lee's Fists of Fury was good. So good. Not a fan of the ending though, mostly because I was hoping the firing squad would take out the consulate standing behind Lee when they shot.
Here's just a small part (in case it gets edited, but it has been commented on already w/o change):
Really.
Training harder with poor position is a waist of time
You can work on training your body to become more efficient through drills and experience. If for example your saddle is too high you will not see the improvements you would see if you first had a professional bicycle fit and then worked on the drills. You will certainly see improvements but you are improving at a position that is bio-mechanically inefficient.
Don’t wast your effort with a poor position
A professional bicycle fit is the first step in becoming more efficient. Greater efficiency means that you use your power more effectively and in have a better overall cycling experience. Think of Kung Fu master Bruce Lee with his one inch punch. (encase you are wondering here is a link) the next time you go out for a ride and ask yourself if you are in an efficient position and using as little energy as possible to ride your bike.
Waist? and then Wast?
Not to mention the encase without a link.
sort of funny in a "are you serious?" kind of way.
Now Cake. You can eat your cake and lose weight too? Some grumpy older dude than me likes to remind me that it is mostly bike racers reading this crap i'm trying to write and the point being y'all ain't the problem as far as being at a healthy weight. So it is silly but worth dumping into this post:
http://www.globalnews.ca/health/health/6442576407/story.html
I would like to highlight the fact that they added cake in addition to a normal low sugar/sensible breakfast. At the END of it. You satisfy the physiological cravings with the protein and the other signalling stuff with the cake.
But cake is different. Cake has eggs (or suitable vegan substitute) and fat. It isn't a big glass of orange juice, or a bowl of frosted flakes covered in skim milk.
You are also attenuating the absorption eating it after a "sensible guilt-free" breakfast.
Big day tomorrow.
Lots of pedaling. Lots of calories burned. I'm not going to follow the NYTimes advice and not eat because I'm doing something more than an hour of exercise. I'm going to eat. And pedal my ass off.
All.
Day.
(and it makes me happy thinking about it)
heddwch
G
salty bread
Do you normally think about bread being salty? Probably not, most people don't. Heck I'm a big fan of putting putting some nice unsalted butter on toast and then sprinkling some salt on top.
But bread is f'n salty.
Cool article/report I saw this morning talks about how to cut the salt w/o cutting human satisfaction.
Now, as always, the jury is still out for the general public (trending on the basis that most people get too much) but most training athletes don't need to worry too much about salt if they sweat on a regular basis.
I'm reading the article as saying "we make salt bigger, can use less, consumer tastes it more." One issue I have is the use of 1000 and 2000 µm. Really? 1000 µm? Are you deliberately trying to mislead? Why not say 1-2 mm? Lost of people know that they are equal but it doesn't change the initial impression. Wasted characters.
So, skip the fine salt, use coarse salt and you will need less for taste. Esp when making bread. Bread and baked goods are one of the higher sources of sodium, even home baked bread recipes call for quite a bit of salt. Again, good for fighting cramps and replacing sodium from sweat loss and extra fluid consumption/evacuation.
Primary source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0733521011002256
Finally. This give a clue as to how people can have huge sodium consumption numbers without thinking anything of it. The finer the salt the more you can consume without realizing it.
Yes it does brighten the whole palate and enhance other flavors, without salt most foods do taste pretty bland. But is that because of the salt stimulating your taste bud neurons ala squid helping all the less sensitive taste buds react faster/better? Yes there are salt specific ones and the larger grain size might act in a nice gradient way and we will perceive a more salty response when only some of the salt receptors are activated instead of all of them evenly. Larger chunks of salt probably do that.
Soy Sauce is salty but also, has a bunch of amino acids and other stuff that give it the desired umami. Granted that's assuming that the soy sauce is dark from the process, not coloring and additives to make some salty water look like soy sauce.
I know and recognize that there are a limited number of my friends (people who read this at least) that need to worry about salt, or calories, or food. Education though.
Never stop. Can't stop Won't stop as myerspace says. Learning, reading, sharing information.
Truly: "The More You Know." The less you'll sound like a bloated wind bag like many politicians working on getting some exposure right now.
heddwch
G
But bread is f'n salty.
Cool article/report I saw this morning talks about how to cut the salt w/o cutting human satisfaction.
Now, as always, the jury is still out for the general public (trending on the basis that most people get too much) but most training athletes don't need to worry too much about salt if they sweat on a regular basis.
I'm reading the article as saying "we make salt bigger, can use less, consumer tastes it more." One issue I have is the use of 1000 and 2000 µm. Really? 1000 µm? Are you deliberately trying to mislead? Why not say 1-2 mm? Lost of people know that they are equal but it doesn't change the initial impression. Wasted characters.
So, skip the fine salt, use coarse salt and you will need less for taste. Esp when making bread. Bread and baked goods are one of the higher sources of sodium, even home baked bread recipes call for quite a bit of salt. Again, good for fighting cramps and replacing sodium from sweat loss and extra fluid consumption/evacuation.
Primary source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0733521011002256
Finally. This give a clue as to how people can have huge sodium consumption numbers without thinking anything of it. The finer the salt the more you can consume without realizing it.
Soy Sauce is salty but also, has a bunch of amino acids and other stuff that give it the desired umami. Granted that's assuming that the soy sauce is dark from the process, not coloring and additives to make some salty water look like soy sauce.
I know and recognize that there are a limited number of my friends (people who read this at least) that need to worry about salt, or calories, or food. Education though.
Never stop. Can't stop Won't stop as myerspace says. Learning, reading, sharing information.
Truly: "The More You Know." The less you'll sound like a bloated wind bag like many politicians working on getting some exposure right now.
heddwch
G
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Velosprints
Every other monday I've been heading down at lunch to get some spinning on. My times have dropped down to 21.82 for 500 meters. And that 21.82 was actually the most effortless of any of the runs.
Usually I can get a couple runs in over lunch between meetings and what not. Managed to get three in yesterday, negative split each one.
That last one was odd, felt strangely good. Often the last one leaves me cooked and unable to walk. It is surprising how just over 20 seconds of effort can leave you helpless. But that 21.82 was fine. I did a few things different and wow what a difference. But what did I do? I'm going to see if I can use the same technique again for similar results, and until i can repeat it, i'm not speaking about it.
So what are velosprints? Some people call them bold sprints or open sprints or roller races. Although these aren't roller races where you bring your own bike and run your own gear. These are fixed gear Masi track bikes bolted down to a Fork mount on some Kreitler rollers. The 2.75" ones. There's a pick up on each roller and the computer tracks and displays your progress.
The gearing, tires and everything is identical between the two bikes. They are set up with a 48t front ring and a 15t rear cog. Fixed.
Toeclips (short ones so i'm using my toes mostly to pedal).
You get on, check that the computer is seeing you turn the pedals.
You come to a complete stop. Poised ready to go.
There is a count down from 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO
And you go as fast as you can until the computer says you've gone 500 meters.
I've given you enough information to go over here and calculate cadence (assuming my friends who are reading this can figure out how to convert a given time it takes to go 500 meters into a speed value).
So yeah. #1 get the pedals up to max cadence as fast as possible. #2 hold that cadence until you hit the 500 meter mark.
Sort of like this:
Usually I can get a couple runs in over lunch between meetings and what not. Managed to get three in yesterday, negative split each one.
That last one was odd, felt strangely good. Often the last one leaves me cooked and unable to walk. It is surprising how just over 20 seconds of effort can leave you helpless. But that 21.82 was fine. I did a few things different and wow what a difference. But what did I do? I'm going to see if I can use the same technique again for similar results, and until i can repeat it, i'm not speaking about it.
So what are velosprints? Some people call them bold sprints or open sprints or roller races. Although these aren't roller races where you bring your own bike and run your own gear. These are fixed gear Masi track bikes bolted down to a Fork mount on some Kreitler rollers. The 2.75" ones. There's a pick up on each roller and the computer tracks and displays your progress.
The gearing, tires and everything is identical between the two bikes. They are set up with a 48t front ring and a 15t rear cog. Fixed.
Toeclips (short ones so i'm using my toes mostly to pedal).
You get on, check that the computer is seeing you turn the pedals.
You come to a complete stop. Poised ready to go.
There is a count down from 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO
And you go as fast as you can until the computer says you've gone 500 meters.
I've given you enough information to go over here and calculate cadence (assuming my friends who are reading this can figure out how to convert a given time it takes to go 500 meters into a speed value).
So yeah. #1 get the pedals up to max cadence as fast as possible. #2 hold that cadence until you hit the 500 meter mark.
Sort of like this:
like a button
Just started reading it - a few paragraphs in before being distracted by something shiny or important.
And I get to this line
"The Declaration of Independence affords us the right to "the pursuit of happiness," not pleasure. "
And like a button, switched to contemplative melancholic mode.
I don't like it.
The article is really good.
Turn off pleasure, and you turn off the will to live.
But long-term stimulation of the pleasure center drives the process of addiction. Rich people are addicted to money, power, gambling; middle-class people are addicted to cocaine, amphetamine, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, heroin. The poor, well, all they've got is sugar.
Pleasure is exciting. Happiness is transcendent. More importantly, pleasure is dopamine. And happiness is serotonin.
But it doesn't make me happy.
It gives me hope, something to think about, but also points out, I haven't been the happiest person around in a while. I have no reason not to be though.
Something to think about I guess.
Maybe I'll just watch some more Kung Fu movies on free Hulu tonight instead.
So good
Oatmeal (rolled this am) cooked in whole org milk (yes omg i had milk) with 3-4 tblsp of this wicked most awesome chocolate peanut butter.
WF has those peanut grinding machines right? Well they have one of them with peanuts and dark chocolate chips in it. OMG SO GOOD
NOMNOMNOMNOMNOM
^--- meme reference i suppose
Not sweet like nutella and has that nice peanuty crunch and texture that the hippie peanut grinders in the store give you.
Mixed into oatmeal and wow - post commute fuel with coffee? soooo good.
I've been doing the peanut butter anytime I eat the oatmeal mostly because it seems to keep me full longer, and attenuates the insulin spike pretty well. So good.
That is all
heddwch
G
WF has those peanut grinding machines right? Well they have one of them with peanuts and dark chocolate chips in it. OMG SO GOOD
NOMNOMNOMNOMNOM
^--- meme reference i suppose
Not sweet like nutella and has that nice peanuty crunch and texture that the hippie peanut grinders in the store give you.
Mixed into oatmeal and wow - post commute fuel with coffee? soooo good.
I've been doing the peanut butter anytime I eat the oatmeal mostly because it seems to keep me full longer, and attenuates the insulin spike pretty well. So good.
That is all
heddwch
G
Monday, February 20, 2012
another weekend in the books
A glorious one at that.
How much riding did I get in? Well pretty much zip. Nothing on Saturday. Sunday's plan to get up and ride early before helping John with his TDI fuel pump, sort of turned into getting up, feeding the dog and going back to bed.
Managed to wake up in time to catch the second half of the Oostmalle race, make some coffee, shower and head over to play with cars.
No riding.
How much riding did I get in? Well pretty much zip. Nothing on Saturday. Sunday's plan to get up and ride early before helping John with his TDI fuel pump, sort of turned into getting up, feeding the dog and going back to bed.
Managed to wake up in time to catch the second half of the Oostmalle race, make some coffee, shower and head over to play with cars.
No riding.
Friday, February 17, 2012
nice days
Are certainly harder to get through when I'm sitting in front of a big window looking at the sun and blue sky vs down in my dungeon with no windows and no clue what is happening outside.
Catching up on the reading though. Sadly few people are writing, people are resharing (stealing) content and bombing each other with tumblr and other image memes and my old laptop here at home stack dumps into a blue screen if I open more than 5 pages at once (open tabs). Oh well. Stack dumps don't change the fact that there is much less to read.
And Podcasts. Fucking podcasts. If I was driving everywhere maybe I'd get into them (but probably not). People talk to slowly on them. Write your shit down. Let me read it. I read faster than the average wookie and can chew through a page of text very quickly. Far far faster than someone talking at a theatrical pace in a podcast.
Here's some reading a post with some thought provoking ideas... more later? we'll see. Sick day, daddy nurse, may pull out the trainer and pedal a bit but it might be just be scour for new reading while watching PRseason5 for the umpteenth time.
Catching up on the reading though. Sadly few people are writing, people are resharing (stealing) content and bombing each other with tumblr and other image memes and my old laptop here at home stack dumps into a blue screen if I open more than 5 pages at once (open tabs). Oh well. Stack dumps don't change the fact that there is much less to read.
And Podcasts. Fucking podcasts. If I was driving everywhere maybe I'd get into them (but probably not). People talk to slowly on them. Write your shit down. Let me read it. I read faster than the average wookie and can chew through a page of text very quickly. Far far faster than someone talking at a theatrical pace in a podcast.
Here's some reading a post with some thought provoking ideas... more later? we'll see. Sick day, daddy nurse, may pull out the trainer and pedal a bit but it might be just be scour for new reading while watching PRseason5 for the umpteenth time.
so cool
Jacob Sutton’s L.E.D. Surfer on Nowness.com.
i'm in a 'not going to write if i don't have anything positive to say' mode at the moment
this is cool... so very cool though
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Not just 'my' bike path
Syl posted a blog entry about our bike path.
I don't do as many intervals as he does on it with dedicated purpose of just riding, but it is my highway, and you've probably noticed I take a few pictures from the path. The lighthouse, sunsets, ships, birds...
Good stuff in there, deeper meaning of life and all that...
i'm not going to compete with it
I don't do as many intervals as he does on it with dedicated purpose of just riding, but it is my highway, and you've probably noticed I take a few pictures from the path. The lighthouse, sunsets, ships, birds...
Good stuff in there, deeper meaning of life and all that...
i'm not going to compete with it
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
BtB II-17
I'm sure everyone has seen it already.
To be honest, as much as I am a JPOW fan, sam's stretching a bit to get a full 20 minutes. I think half the stuff is inside funny stuff that makes him laugh that most of us don't get.
Still, it is well shot and gives a [seemingly] honest glimpse into the life of a wicked popular Pro CX racer. Worth watching. But still hoping and looking for some new/old magic on the next one.
To be honest, as much as I am a JPOW fan, sam's stretching a bit to get a full 20 minutes. I think half the stuff is inside funny stuff that makes him laugh that most of us don't get.
Still, it is well shot and gives a [seemingly] honest glimpse into the life of a wicked popular Pro CX racer. Worth watching. But still hoping and looking for some new/old magic on the next one.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Monday, February 13, 2012
weekend has come and gone
The weekend flew by, and after not touching the bike since Wed night when I hauled the 30# bag of dog food home I had to ride on Saturday. Had to.
If it had been snowing I probably would have gone outside. But it was sort of raining/snowing, but importantly it was wet. Roads/path/wet. Not going to do it.
So I fired up the old Paramount and turned on some PBS and watched something before Secrets of the Dead came on and I learned a bit more about the German's invasion of Russia. A local connection on the interview was pretty cool to see. Learned a bit, got some varied intervals in just to screw around and have some fun. Nice long 15 minute standing 70 rpm cadence interval (what's the point, I know, just because m'kay?). It worked to get my heart rate way up. I did a 6 min 130 rpm interval a few minutes later, that hurt but in a different way.
If it had been snowing I probably would have gone outside. But it was sort of raining/snowing, but importantly it was wet. Roads/path/wet. Not going to do it.
So I fired up the old Paramount and turned on some PBS and watched something before Secrets of the Dead came on and I learned a bit more about the German's invasion of Russia. A local connection on the interview was pretty cool to see. Learned a bit, got some varied intervals in just to screw around and have some fun. Nice long 15 minute standing 70 rpm cadence interval (what's the point, I know, just because m'kay?). It worked to get my heart rate way up. I did a 6 min 130 rpm interval a few minutes later, that hurt but in a different way.
Friday, February 10, 2012
notes on paper
I should really take a picture instead of transcribing them...
but i'm going to type them out... replicating the lines no edit
but i'm going to type them out... replicating the lines no edit
pondering stuff about food
It isn't really a very well kept secret that I'm sort of focused on food and what the impact it has on the human body, focused on what really is needed, how things can be improved. Drawing exception to things like a major juice brand owned by the Soda company (minute made, tropicana, coke, pepsi whatever) using Givaudan flavors (naturally derived from oranges sourced somewhere completely different than the juice in most cases) because is it really juice if the primary component of what you're tasting is not from the juice squeezed but from an essence extracted by some means from the perfect orange and the organic chemicals that make up the very specific taste are always combined in exactly the same way, every single time.
No isomers.
If you've had organic chemistry, you may remember that reactions with carbon stuff don't create identical components. Esp if you let it all go and happen in nature. Isomers happen. But in the lab, when you are extracting components, you can't have those isomers in there, you need specifics.
Why choose an analog instrument when a computer and a synthesizer can make a pretty close approximation?
I didn't intend to start off about the infamous twitter juice wars, bringing back that blog post from the summer.
Juice, like sugar, has a place in the endurance (cycling/running for example) athlete's diet, because it offers a super concentrated does of sugar. The problem is, if you aren't consuming it in a sugar window (using Coach Kurt P's term) you're not doing yourself any good. Juice as alternative to soda isn't really doing the kids any help either. "But it has vitamins" yeah so does a carrot. Juice does basically the same in terms of insulin spike, making them fat, as Coke/Pepsi/soda stuff. If you strongly believe fruits are the secret, eat them.
Drink vegetable juice (that you made yourself - V-8 is just fruit juice, tomato fruit but same thing). That Lim guy's pre-race/training juice is a solid idea.
The sugar issue got me thinking...
No isomers.
If you've had organic chemistry, you may remember that reactions with carbon stuff don't create identical components. Esp if you let it all go and happen in nature. Isomers happen. But in the lab, when you are extracting components, you can't have those isomers in there, you need specifics.
Why choose an analog instrument when a computer and a synthesizer can make a pretty close approximation?
I didn't intend to start off about the infamous twitter juice wars, bringing back that blog post from the summer.
Juice, like sugar, has a place in the endurance (cycling/running for example) athlete's diet, because it offers a super concentrated does of sugar. The problem is, if you aren't consuming it in a sugar window (using Coach Kurt P's term) you're not doing yourself any good. Juice as alternative to soda isn't really doing the kids any help either. "But it has vitamins" yeah so does a carrot. Juice does basically the same in terms of insulin spike, making them fat, as Coke/Pepsi/soda stuff. If you strongly believe fruits are the secret, eat them.
Drink vegetable juice (that you made yourself - V-8 is just fruit juice, tomato fruit but same thing). That Lim guy's pre-race/training juice is a solid idea.
The sugar issue got me thinking...
Thursday, February 09, 2012
percolating
Like coffee, percolating ideas sometimes isn't the best. But sometimes that's all you can do.
I started writing last night, got interrupted, i forget what I did over lunch today while eating, but it wasn't going back to finish that writing.
Many ideas have been popping up, and on the fridge here at the house i've been writing on those magnetic pads. I have three pads going, front page on each has a totally separate idea that i want to write about. For me. To get it out of my head.
To flush or flesh it out. I had a few moments here and there on the tubes today, but there's gotta be a focus to write. Hard to believe I know. Fuckin hacktastic writing here.
Been doing better at keeping more positive lately. But i feel the need for a long hard ride. Riding and a few other things have been working to keep on the positive side of things. How effective? I dunno but riding is pretty low cost therapy.
So is writing, sort of. Sometimes.
heddwch
G
I started writing last night, got interrupted, i forget what I did over lunch today while eating, but it wasn't going back to finish that writing.
Many ideas have been popping up, and on the fridge here at the house i've been writing on those magnetic pads. I have three pads going, front page on each has a totally separate idea that i want to write about. For me. To get it out of my head.
To flush or flesh it out. I had a few moments here and there on the tubes today, but there's gotta be a focus to write. Hard to believe I know. Fuckin hacktastic writing here.
Been doing better at keeping more positive lately. But i feel the need for a long hard ride. Riding and a few other things have been working to keep on the positive side of things. How effective? I dunno but riding is pretty low cost therapy.
So is writing, sort of. Sometimes.
heddwch
G
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Clint... who's not a fan?
I missed this on Sunday I guess. Missed pretty much all of half-time being away from the TV. I'd heard mention of the "Clint" add but until I saw the recent political cartoons my interest hadn't been piqued enough to seek it out.
I think it is even better pulled away and separated from the game. With distance the message makes more impact. I find it apolitical, but no question the impact is political, I think more along the lines of we need to do something besides bitch and moan.
Enough editorializing. If you saw the commercial before, give it another look maybe. See if it rings any differently away from the big game. (It really works best in full screen high res and with the sound up).
I think it is even better pulled away and separated from the game. With distance the message makes more impact. I find it apolitical, but no question the impact is political, I think more along the lines of we need to do something besides bitch and moan.
Enough editorializing. If you saw the commercial before, give it another look maybe. See if it rings any differently away from the big game. (It really works best in full screen high res and with the sound up).
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
more sunsets
I hit the bike path as the sun was setting, bright orange ball setting. But there were trees and trunks and I didn't want to take a snapshot through them tonight. But by the time I got the camera out of the jersey pocket the sun had dipped below the horizon and I was left with this.
I really liked the layers and snapped an image with a vertical aspect...
It is my favorite time of year, riding home with the sunset. The timing is such that it is like Cyclocross season, never long enough, soon the sunset will be later than my trip home, and then there will be the time change... it is what it is, and man do I appreciate those sunsets over the bay.
I really liked the layers and snapped an image with a vertical aspect...
roller sprints
US Open Cycling Foundation has been putting on a few "VeloSprints" this winter. Every other Monday from 12-2 and 5-10 they set up at a bar/restaurant and people can stop by, make a donation to the foundation and race each other or the clock.
Durishin has been doing these for a couple years now, I had talked with him at the inception and until this year when he opened up over lunch, hadn't made it down to give it a go on his Masi's bolted up to the Kreitlers. Yeah. Fork mount. Kind of cheating when you're old and remember roller races being rollers and you brought your own bike. I'd be kind of screwed though. I don't own a track bike. I'll be blunt. I'm a track virgin. By the time I had heard about Marymoore Velodrome I'd moved from Seattle. Just as they got the track together in Michigan the commute sucked the cycling out of me. And there isn't anything reasonably close to PVD to give it a whirl even on a rented bike. Total pipe dream of mine to set up a high banked indoor track locally.
So anyway enough track dreaming. Fixed gears don't have much draw to me once you take them off the track. Maybe i'll have to head to NH to give it a try up there one day.
Yesterday I headed in. Took it easy but not as easily as I did today. At noon I hopped on the Croll and rolled down the hill. Handed over my cash and took my thompson post out and got the saddle high set up on the Masi. The bike is too small, the cranks are wicked short, and the seatpost is about 2" past the max where i need to be. First time I tried it I just pedaled with short legs. Second time after the first run I brought my bike in and took the seatpost/saddle and did a second run. Yesterday I just brought the bike in and did both runs with the seatpost at a decent height. Would be nice if there were clipless pedals on there, the toe clips are wicked tiny so i wind up pedaling with my toes essentially. And that kind of sucks but it is what it is. It is Durishin's show not mine. Saddle/post I can deal with easily.
Did the first run and Cameron was freaking neck and neck with me at the halfway point and i'd been a half second or more faster than him in the past and I found a bit of a kick to get a gap in the second 250 meters. Wound up with a 22.7 something for 500 meters (48x15 gearing - you do the math).
That one hurt all the way up to my throat. Saw this quote today: "Interval minutes are like microwave minutes. They take longer than normal minutes." These didn't feel like 23 second long sprints. They felt long. And take a bit to recover. At least if you dig and go 100%. Which for me? yeah whatever still MY 100%, i may not be a gifted athlete but it doesn't mean I'm not trying my hardest.
I just kept pedaling circles for a bit. Rubbery legs... Ahhh the burn. Not that I've been on the winning side of many crits but Yehuda Moon's strip here is about right.
Soon a few more people showed up and a woman who'd never done this before climbed on the bike next to me. Her group had just watched me and Cameron go head to head in a furious match. And in her words "racing you is great, there is no pressure." So run number two wasn't so much an attempt to beat someone as a chance to beat my first time.
And I did. 22.49. 500 meters. Ouch. It took me a few minutes of pedaling before I could even contemplate getting off the bike. And then it wasn't easy walking. But I had to get back to the office for an afternoon meeting. No lunch. And I still had to ride up the hill. 17% hurts. But it is short. The 9-10% grade later? THAT is what really hurts.
Got the meeting done and headed home. Of course as soon as I pull on the Waterman, two blocks ahead is a commuter with one pannier. And he turns on the street that means he's heading to the bridge. Well damn. I have a rabbit now.
Chase is on.
There is one little issue. I'm towing the trailer and we have a 20+mph wind. A slight cross headwind if you will. Sure enough I gain a bit of distance, just enough to mark that he's indeed heading on my route.
Oof the little rise up along side the parkway hurt. He slowed down a bit but I was near my limit matching his pace up it and still 50 yards behind. We hit the top part and he just cranked out 22mph or so. It didn't look like he was at his limit but he didn't look like he was going easily (based on pedaling motions from what I could see). I pulled him back but I was solid zone 5/5 on the HRM. No way could I pull past him. But then he stopped to turn his lights on just as we take the down hill past the construction and before the climb up to the hospital. Now there's no way I wanted him to catch me on the hill. And I unloaded there. Eyes popping by the time I got to the stop light. Then tried with everything to peg it into the wind at 20mph. Got onto the path, and started my recovery. No sign of him until I entered the Forest of Arnenberg section. Oh there he was. But. After all that. And the day. I was in 100% recovery mode. Rabbit caught, chewed up and spit out. I was smashed.
He came rolling past, pulled down his balaclava (it was 50°F when i left the office) and said "Ahh, nice to be on the bike path." And he pedaled on past.
And I let him go.
This morning was positively slow. 10mph maybe. HR even on the hills was kept under 110 today. nice spin, nice recovery. Let whatever stress I induced heal and build on what was there before.
I definitely need to get on the bike to BOS again. Maybe a trip to Firefly and then a second destination before returning to PVD. Better check the weather against the schedule. Really not sure I want to try it during minivan week with the likes of Chocolate Chip driving kids around during Winter break (just messing with ya Chip - I trust you - i think).
That's Lunch.
Catch y'all later
heddwch
G
Durishin has been doing these for a couple years now, I had talked with him at the inception and until this year when he opened up over lunch, hadn't made it down to give it a go on his Masi's bolted up to the Kreitlers. Yeah. Fork mount. Kind of cheating when you're old and remember roller races being rollers and you brought your own bike. I'd be kind of screwed though. I don't own a track bike. I'll be blunt. I'm a track virgin. By the time I had heard about Marymoore Velodrome I'd moved from Seattle. Just as they got the track together in Michigan the commute sucked the cycling out of me. And there isn't anything reasonably close to PVD to give it a whirl even on a rented bike. Total pipe dream of mine to set up a high banked indoor track locally.
So anyway enough track dreaming. Fixed gears don't have much draw to me once you take them off the track. Maybe i'll have to head to NH to give it a try up there one day.
Yesterday I headed in. Took it easy but not as easily as I did today. At noon I hopped on the Croll and rolled down the hill. Handed over my cash and took my thompson post out and got the saddle high set up on the Masi. The bike is too small, the cranks are wicked short, and the seatpost is about 2" past the max where i need to be. First time I tried it I just pedaled with short legs. Second time after the first run I brought my bike in and took the seatpost/saddle and did a second run. Yesterday I just brought the bike in and did both runs with the seatpost at a decent height. Would be nice if there were clipless pedals on there, the toe clips are wicked tiny so i wind up pedaling with my toes essentially. And that kind of sucks but it is what it is. It is Durishin's show not mine. Saddle/post I can deal with easily.
Did the first run and Cameron was freaking neck and neck with me at the halfway point and i'd been a half second or more faster than him in the past and I found a bit of a kick to get a gap in the second 250 meters. Wound up with a 22.7 something for 500 meters (48x15 gearing - you do the math).
That one hurt all the way up to my throat. Saw this quote today: "Interval minutes are like microwave minutes. They take longer than normal minutes." These didn't feel like 23 second long sprints. They felt long. And take a bit to recover. At least if you dig and go 100%. Which for me? yeah whatever still MY 100%, i may not be a gifted athlete but it doesn't mean I'm not trying my hardest.
I just kept pedaling circles for a bit. Rubbery legs... Ahhh the burn. Not that I've been on the winning side of many crits but Yehuda Moon's strip here is about right.
Soon a few more people showed up and a woman who'd never done this before climbed on the bike next to me. Her group had just watched me and Cameron go head to head in a furious match. And in her words "racing you is great, there is no pressure." So run number two wasn't so much an attempt to beat someone as a chance to beat my first time.
And I did. 22.49. 500 meters. Ouch. It took me a few minutes of pedaling before I could even contemplate getting off the bike. And then it wasn't easy walking. But I had to get back to the office for an afternoon meeting. No lunch. And I still had to ride up the hill. 17% hurts. But it is short. The 9-10% grade later? THAT is what really hurts.
Got the meeting done and headed home. Of course as soon as I pull on the Waterman, two blocks ahead is a commuter with one pannier. And he turns on the street that means he's heading to the bridge. Well damn. I have a rabbit now.
Chase is on.
There is one little issue. I'm towing the trailer and we have a 20+mph wind. A slight cross headwind if you will. Sure enough I gain a bit of distance, just enough to mark that he's indeed heading on my route.
Oof the little rise up along side the parkway hurt. He slowed down a bit but I was near my limit matching his pace up it and still 50 yards behind. We hit the top part and he just cranked out 22mph or so. It didn't look like he was at his limit but he didn't look like he was going easily (based on pedaling motions from what I could see). I pulled him back but I was solid zone 5/5 on the HRM. No way could I pull past him. But then he stopped to turn his lights on just as we take the down hill past the construction and before the climb up to the hospital. Now there's no way I wanted him to catch me on the hill. And I unloaded there. Eyes popping by the time I got to the stop light. Then tried with everything to peg it into the wind at 20mph. Got onto the path, and started my recovery. No sign of him until I entered the Forest of Arnenberg section. Oh there he was. But. After all that. And the day. I was in 100% recovery mode. Rabbit caught, chewed up and spit out. I was smashed.
He came rolling past, pulled down his balaclava (it was 50°F when i left the office) and said "Ahh, nice to be on the bike path." And he pedaled on past.
And I let him go.
This morning was positively slow. 10mph maybe. HR even on the hills was kept under 110 today. nice spin, nice recovery. Let whatever stress I induced heal and build on what was there before.
I definitely need to get on the bike to BOS again. Maybe a trip to Firefly and then a second destination before returning to PVD. Better check the weather against the schedule. Really not sure I want to try it during minivan week with the likes of Chocolate Chip driving kids around during Winter break (just messing with ya Chip - I trust you - i think).
That's Lunch.
Catch y'all later
heddwch
G
Monday, February 06, 2012
Support your local bike shop
I like Kent's blog entry that's up right now.
So True:
Stop in and ask them what they think about the Contador ruling (they will either care passionately or not give a shit and be happy to tell you why). Ask them about what new pre-season bikes they just built up.
In other words. Be social.
When you come back in the middle of the July rush your bike is likely to be recognized, your face elicit a touch more patience than the crowd you are in waiting for a flat fix, evaluation, sale.
So True:
I do my best on every bike that comes my way, but honestly the bikes in winter get more attention because I just plain have more time per bike. I have more time per customer. If you want me to show you how a barrel adjuster works or give you advice on toeing in brake pads or you want to debate the merits of various tires, I'll be happy to do it year 'round but I have much more time to chat on the dreary days. In July you get the Clif-Notes version, in February you get the Post-Grad thesis version.I'll push this advice a bit further. Stop into your local shop, or shops. All of them. Say hello. Give the mechanics and sales staff a break from the tedium of all the organizational crap they are doing. Or at least a break from the internet.
Stop in and ask them what they think about the Contador ruling (they will either care passionately or not give a shit and be happy to tell you why). Ask them about what new pre-season bikes they just built up.
In other words. Be social.
When you come back in the middle of the July rush your bike is likely to be recognized, your face elicit a touch more patience than the crowd you are in waiting for a flat fix, evaluation, sale.
Random bug squashed
Ya know, Cantador is a dope/joke whatever. I have never been much of a fan. So him getting a slap on the wrist is less than meh whatever.
Retroactive ban is dumb. if you have good lawyers you might be able to keep racing and taking a salary and spending money on your fancy house/boat/doctors/lawyers and then if the ban is retroactive? well oops, that money? yeah I don't have any, but If you let me race I will win again (with better doctors this time).
Also 2 year is dumb. Make it lifetime. And not just from racing. Ban from the sport. No need to have convicted/admitted dopers running the show, who cares how guilty they were about doing it when they did it and how much they profess they believe in a clean sport.
Awe fuck it. Does it matter? The sport is just fucking beautiful. There will always be some one who will try and cheat to win, in any competition. Human nature. Some people are so empatheticly [sic] disconnected that they will do what ever it takes to win, to get noticed, to succeed, to get a contract, to get out of where they are. There is little difference from the mentality of a doper and the mentality of a criminal. They are in it for themselves. Sometimes they are in it for those immediately around them.
Just the way it is. Would all of us (amateur bike racers, club riders) physiologically benefit from a daily/weekly dose of HGH? Absolutely no question. We would immensely. healthier, stronger, whatever. Pretty tempting to be able to get the feeling of being 20 years old again, esp once you hit that 40 mark. But the benefits are there for those in their early 30s too.
Oh well.
There will always be riders we love, and riders we hate. That's what it is to be a fan. Dale Earnhardt (Sr) fans hated with a passion that kid who drove the Dupot #24, by having a favorite rider/driver you almost have to have someone you would hate to see win. For a lot of people it was Contador. Probably still is. Some times we root for the under dog.
Or a cross over like Lars Boom, killing it in the spring classics, or making a break away. The rider across the line first may not give us as much joy as a suicidal breakaway, doomed from the start but ridden with so much passion as to be beautiful.
Bike racing is pretty amazing. The Classics are coming up soon. Cyclocross is basically over. Soon it will be time to switch to pirate feeds of road bikes with skinny tires. Maybe the mild winter will translate into some epic cold nasty brutal racing this spring in Belgium. Riders crossing the line with so much dirt that it obscures their paycheck backer.
Life. It is what it is. People want to cheat, to exploit the system for personal gain. To mitigate it is a challenge, a noble cause with far too few champions.
heddwch
G
Retroactive ban is dumb. if you have good lawyers you might be able to keep racing and taking a salary and spending money on your fancy house/boat/doctors/lawyers and then if the ban is retroactive? well oops, that money? yeah I don't have any, but If you let me race I will win again (with better doctors this time).
Also 2 year is dumb. Make it lifetime. And not just from racing. Ban from the sport. No need to have convicted/admitted dopers running the show, who cares how guilty they were about doing it when they did it and how much they profess they believe in a clean sport.
Awe fuck it. Does it matter? The sport is just fucking beautiful. There will always be some one who will try and cheat to win, in any competition. Human nature. Some people are so empatheticly [sic] disconnected that they will do what ever it takes to win, to get noticed, to succeed, to get a contract, to get out of where they are. There is little difference from the mentality of a doper and the mentality of a criminal. They are in it for themselves. Sometimes they are in it for those immediately around them.
Just the way it is. Would all of us (amateur bike racers, club riders) physiologically benefit from a daily/weekly dose of HGH? Absolutely no question. We would immensely. healthier, stronger, whatever. Pretty tempting to be able to get the feeling of being 20 years old again, esp once you hit that 40 mark. But the benefits are there for those in their early 30s too.
Oh well.
There will always be riders we love, and riders we hate. That's what it is to be a fan. Dale Earnhardt (Sr) fans hated with a passion that kid who drove the Dupot #24, by having a favorite rider/driver you almost have to have someone you would hate to see win. For a lot of people it was Contador. Probably still is. Some times we root for the under dog.
Or a cross over like Lars Boom, killing it in the spring classics, or making a break away. The rider across the line first may not give us as much joy as a suicidal breakaway, doomed from the start but ridden with so much passion as to be beautiful.
Bike racing is pretty amazing. The Classics are coming up soon. Cyclocross is basically over. Soon it will be time to switch to pirate feeds of road bikes with skinny tires. Maybe the mild winter will translate into some epic cold nasty brutal racing this spring in Belgium. Riders crossing the line with so much dirt that it obscures their paycheck backer.
Life. It is what it is. People want to cheat, to exploit the system for personal gain. To mitigate it is a challenge, a noble cause with far too few champions.
heddwch
G
Saturday, February 04, 2012
i can feel it
the lack of riding today, the itch, the scratch, the anxiety, the stress...
slightly closer to the breaking point...
a good long hard ride seems to help.
doesn't fix any problems but lately i've been finding I'm riding well, my form is solid, hauling the trailer is having the desired impact...
but i do want to ride, double whammy today, no riding and having to say no to a friend who asked for some car help locally, too much family stuff going on. Couple hours hanging at the dealer waiting for the car, not long enough to show up, check the car in and then go for a ride come back and get home in time to get some lunch in the kids and let my wife get her run in and then drive everyone to soccer.
my wife actually rode in the Millennium Falcon aka Rusty Race Wagon this afternoon. contemplated driving it to OBX but the lack of AC is a deal breaker for the carolinas in August. We made it to soccer and back and the car didn't explode, flip, fall apart. Even found myself going with the flow at 85 mph w/o realizing it... yeah i slowed down a bit.
Tomorrow is a no go for riding either...
might have to start looking at the long range forecast for round two of the PVD-BOS-PVD. Thinking stopping at Firefly before heading to the city and back. One crazy idea would leave wicked early and hit Cambridge, pick up a posse and ride out to RSC and then head south back towards PVD from there. Would be a bit longer, but a little change up. weather... schedule... but man that last mental health day did me some good.
heddwch
G
slightly closer to the breaking point...
a good long hard ride seems to help.
doesn't fix any problems but lately i've been finding I'm riding well, my form is solid, hauling the trailer is having the desired impact...
but i do want to ride, double whammy today, no riding and having to say no to a friend who asked for some car help locally, too much family stuff going on. Couple hours hanging at the dealer waiting for the car, not long enough to show up, check the car in and then go for a ride come back and get home in time to get some lunch in the kids and let my wife get her run in and then drive everyone to soccer.
my wife actually rode in the Millennium Falcon aka Rusty Race Wagon this afternoon. contemplated driving it to OBX but the lack of AC is a deal breaker for the carolinas in August. We made it to soccer and back and the car didn't explode, flip, fall apart. Even found myself going with the flow at 85 mph w/o realizing it... yeah i slowed down a bit.
Tomorrow is a no go for riding either...
might have to start looking at the long range forecast for round two of the PVD-BOS-PVD. Thinking stopping at Firefly before heading to the city and back. One crazy idea would leave wicked early and hit Cambridge, pick up a posse and ride out to RSC and then head south back towards PVD from there. Would be a bit longer, but a little change up. weather... schedule... but man that last mental health day did me some good.
heddwch
G
Thursday, February 02, 2012
reusing content
So if you woke up this morning and this was on your radio alarm clock (wait, i wonder if anyone uses those anymore...)
Well then you know you're on the set of the best Groundhog day themed movie EVER.
Maybe the only ground hog day movie.
Stupid fat rodent.
At least that Phat Phil in Punxsutawney PA saw his shadow so I maybe I can justify keeping the studded carbide noise makers on the bike a bit longer.
Oh and this is Bullshit:
Well then you know you're on the set of the best Groundhog day themed movie EVER.
Maybe the only ground hog day movie.
Stupid fat rodent.
At least that Phat Phil in Punxsutawney PA saw his shadow so I maybe I can justify keeping the studded carbide noise makers on the bike a bit longer.
Oh and this is Bullshit:
And while the group has records of Phil’s predictions dating back to 1886, what it doesn’t have is a tally of whether Phil was right.Someone should (maybe they have and i'm too lazy to look for it) do the work to see how accurate this over grown fat fur hat has been over the years.
Johnston said the reason is simple: “He’s never been wrong.” Phil is “incapable of error,” he said, because the groundhog smartly avoids being site-specific in his prognostications.
If Phil predicts six more weeks of winter, said Johnston, “I guarantee you someone’s going to have six more weeks of winter.”
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
Quite the contrast
Feb 1 2011 vs Feb 2 2012
Who rode with bare legs on the way home in February? ME. Last year there was snow everywhere. Dumped on the first of the month. A plow truck caught year and it was a massive parking lot on the way in and I pedaled passed everyone in the icy slush and snow.
So yeah I took a picture to document it. It was positively balmy. Such a departure from last year's automobile parking lot in the snow on the way in and home. Still both last year and this year I'm off the bike path. Last year because it was impossible to pedal through it, this year with the sewer project.
And yeah if you think my legs are white, you should see my belly, BLINDING!
Who rode with bare legs on the way home in February? ME. Last year there was snow everywhere. Dumped on the first of the month. A plow truck caught year and it was a massive parking lot on the way in and I pedaled passed everyone in the icy slush and snow.
So yeah I took a picture to document it. It was positively balmy. Such a departure from last year's automobile parking lot in the snow on the way in and home. Still both last year and this year I'm off the bike path. Last year because it was impossible to pedal through it, this year with the sewer project.
And yeah if you think my legs are white, you should see my belly, BLINDING!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sunset on January, 2012
Sunset on the last day of a grade A-typical January.
The little bridge is 'my' bike path. Nice and quiet on there. No cars. But right now it is ripped up while they put a sewer line in. So I am on the road.
This was shot from the road. Where car after car goes zipping by. Maybe they notice the sunset. I hope so. Despite an ample shoulder to pull over and look, no one was.
The beauty of the bike. It is just so much easier to stop for a second and snap a picture when you aren't in a steel cage zipping past disconnected from the world around you.
The little bridge is 'my' bike path. Nice and quiet on there. No cars. But right now it is ripped up while they put a sewer line in. So I am on the road.
This was shot from the road. Where car after car goes zipping by. Maybe they notice the sunset. I hope so. Despite an ample shoulder to pull over and look, no one was.
The beauty of the bike. It is just so much easier to stop for a second and snap a picture when you aren't in a steel cage zipping past disconnected from the world around you.
Color...
BUT WHAT ABOUT RGB?????
Good video but sets people up for major confusion IMHO.
This is the clearest way to think about it. Sure it is by a designer for designers but crazy helpful, esp when as it includes all the most important color theory terms.
Good video but sets people up for major confusion IMHO.
This is the clearest way to think about it. Sure it is by a designer for designers but crazy helpful, esp when as it includes all the most important color theory terms.
Monday, January 30, 2012
cycling literally and metaphorically
Yeah, both the pedaling and the metaphor for life... my waveform right now seems to have a very short wavelength, and some pretty high amplitude... I just need to figure out how to tweak the offset so the bottom of the wave isn't so dark.
Yesterday was good. Got up and watched the women's elite race at 5am, then went back to bed and woke up in time to watch the men's race. missed the start of both of them though. Oh well. Albert's domination was insane. Big old treefarm managed to sort of represent for the USA. But as others have said the USA's performance is not what I gauge the US cyclocross scene by. It is just different here. Louisville may or may not show that, but I think the US contingent will see a bit different results next year, but then we say that every year. Cockslide is just a very unique place. You have to be perfect, or hope that everyone else is screwing up too (ala the U23 race). Vos and Albert had brilliant and perfect rides. Albert said it best in his english interview, alone up front you can pick your lines, and you can slow down before the sand sections to get some recovery to go through them faster. So get the gap like those to and you make the race domination so complete, and even if there are racers as strong behind you, you win from having the lead and the ability to relax and ride the course faster (by going slower in places you wouldn't if you were chasing).
Yesterday was good. Got up and watched the women's elite race at 5am, then went back to bed and woke up in time to watch the men's race. missed the start of both of them though. Oh well. Albert's domination was insane. Big old treefarm managed to sort of represent for the USA. But as others have said the USA's performance is not what I gauge the US cyclocross scene by. It is just different here. Louisville may or may not show that, but I think the US contingent will see a bit different results next year, but then we say that every year. Cockslide is just a very unique place. You have to be perfect, or hope that everyone else is screwing up too (ala the U23 race). Vos and Albert had brilliant and perfect rides. Albert said it best in his english interview, alone up front you can pick your lines, and you can slow down before the sand sections to get some recovery to go through them faster. So get the gap like those to and you make the race domination so complete, and even if there are racers as strong behind you, you win from having the lead and the ability to relax and ride the course faster (by going slower in places you wouldn't if you were chasing).
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