Random stuff...

Good Read #1

Good Read #2

with images and set up like this?

Tektro Pads (yeah those will last more than one wet cross race NOT)
note the brilliant alignment...

Riding in i had a slight realization...

Kind of a "well Duh" sort of feeling.

I don't like reading about the pro-races because they are written by someone watching the race.

I like reading the point of view of the racer.

Bottom line, it doesn't matter who is racing. Reading about the race is great, it could be a Cat 5 who almost finished with the field, writing about the course, their efforts and how the race was for them, is far more compelling (in general) than reading a polished piece about a Pro Race. Sure, the amateur writer doesn't have the polish of a pro, but many do. So, bloggers who race? WRITE ABOUT your races.

I don't wanna pick up a print rag or spend time reading cyclingnews about the results of some pro race and how it unfolded. I'll look at the results and take it for that.

It is especially compelling to read about races that i have done, or hope to do. Take the BKR for example. Solobreak's bit fueled the fire last year. Hearing Kipp Bradford talk about it on a Tuesday evening BLVD cruise added to the burning desire.

is it a bit voyeuristic? maybe. And don't think it is that i don't want to read the pro's stuff. Hell those that write kick serious ass and reading about their races is how I want to follow pro racing. Publishers? Are you listening? While i respect the journalist crowd. I don't want to hear about the race from a dude riding in a motorcycle/team car or sitting in the cafe watching the race on tv/listening to race radio... I want to hear the report from the trenches.

The real story. Solobreak alluded to it at one point. Not directly but in a way.

So bike racing bloggers! Bust out that keyboard. When you are sitting on the couch with your legs elevated... grab your laptop/keyboard... hammer those keys and let "us" read it. The fans. The true tifosi of the sport of cycling.

I dunno maybe you shouldn't be allowed to race without talking about it. Keeping your race to yourself is selfish, in a way, no? Race reports can be a pain. But look at the training advantage.

will you remember the nuances of the race a year later as you go to start it? Yeah maybe. Probably. But you will remember it better if you write it down then. You can build as a cyclist if you clearly identify what went well and what went wrong. Build on the positive aspects of your race and repair the flaws the short comings you noted. Chances are you will forget one or the other when you head back to the course. the reports help a coach or for the fiscally poor/resource challenged: they help you self coach. read your report a week or two later...

Cycling is really a unique sport in that building takes years... Sure many sports also take years to develop, well actually most do. But, sometimes unlike others people expect that "hey i can hop on a bike and win my first time out." Sure some can, but that's the exception not the rule. Put your time in on the bike for a few years... build slowly... learn, learn, learn... and write... write because there are folks like me who read... Thank you.

respect!
G

Summer's here

Yup... gonna almost hit 80°F today (27°C for you canuks and euros and scientists living in the usa with your HUA (head up *your* ass))

Crazy!

When ya wake up and find out that the Wings beat the Flames, in overtime. You suddenly get a big wave of relief. Yes i wanted to watch that game. But... starting at 9pm eastern time and going into overtime on a sunday night... sleep is FAR more important than who wins. Yes, it would have been cool to watch them. I got to watch a bit of the game on Saturday before heading up to the Peace Abby for a Magical Strings concert. At least the Wings are going to the next round. Whooo! Sorry flames...

Riding the Q-pro again with the trailer. I just can't get the fit quite the same on the croll... and didn't have time to resurect the P-mount and after the killer sunburn ride on Saturday i wanna keep the body geometry the same for the upcoming race...

One point on the ride i was just motoring... and riding with team-mate (Mr H as he hates to be called - cat 3 not that it matters) and we hit some rollers and he started motoring and i started motoring and i started feeling good and then up one stretch of a hill i held cadence and speed and forgot to look at power and I popped... I had dropped him for a second or two and i popped, he came around and i worked my ass off to catch up eventually i think... anyway - freaking a blast... Couple of long intense efforts working to get back. This morning legs felt good.

Maybe i'm making progress. Just hoping to stick with the field and not get gapped too much on the turns. Only showing up and racing will tell. I wonder if Zoo raced this weekend... seemed to be a no show at BKR even tho he sounded geeked about it... TP was on his radar in the fall... seems a shame when people fold up and hide for unknown reasons...

Time to go play on some microscopes - ya know - looking at really tiny shit is pretty damn freaking cool!!!

respect!
G

death... by the numbers

bored - tired - pimping free net...

thinkin lets see how many people die a year due to firearms...

CDC has a cool little ap...

And the latest is for '04 and yeah its what '07 these stats are dated... higher or lower... time will tell... firearms:

Number of Deaths	Population	Crude Rate	Age-Adjusted Rate**
29,569	293,656,842	10.07	9.95

One of the options is pedal cyclists:

Number of Deaths	Population	Crude Rate	Age-Adjusted Rate**
843	293,656,842	0.29	0.29

pretty crazy.... I dunno how the graphs will post... somewhat morbid stats to fiddle with tho...

looking at the numbers we've got or had in '04 78 homocidal firearm deaths A DAY...

One day... in the USA 78 killed violently with a firearm...

something to weigh in perspective i guess...

waterbottle cages part ???

Yeah, gewilli, shut up about the waterbottle cages!

Okay... in a second...

pulled out the cooking scale - stuck the Stainless Chicane cages on: 49 grams...

Then i put the Metal Matrix Switchback cages... 55 grams

Sumbitch...

Stupid POC heavy ass twiggy stainless springs... costing me a bottle and a better placing.

Official results are in from BKR and it looks like i'm 56th instead of 55th... oh well... same time.

Had a kick ass ride yesterday... broke a new instant max power stat without trying... had a good solid intense effort. But... the almost 3 hours in the heat with two bottle (big ones) was again not enough freaking water... WTF so the dehydration and the first sunburn of the year fucked me up pretty good and then the sinus thing flared up after dinner last night for some reason... i'm a wreck... sunnburnt dehydrated with clogged sinuses... FUN stuff.

Had some good hard efforts tho... felt pretty good despite the slight dehydration. I noticed that Yogurt boy suffered from that yesterday. TP w/o water? Maybe i'm not the only one ill-prepared for this heat. Cruising Target this morning for essentials like TP PT and other stuff the majority of the folks in the store were various shades of sunburn.

Big Jonny, man if he doesn't make a killer case that i should be on a 29'er! Me and Him? yeah we big tall sumbitches...

Non-cycling stuff? CD player toast. The one i bought reconditioned from Cambridge Soundworks in 1991. Yeah. Old FUcking Skool. 1-bitDLC Pioneer PD-5700. I guess i got my money's worth out of it... Figured i'd browse Tar-jay's shelves... not a single one there. But i could just get a DVD player and pretend its a CD player... $40... crazy...

Sunny as hell- what happened to spring. Its fucking summer here - where are my 50-60 degree days? HUH?

Will i have to wait till cross season is over before we get messed up cold ass shit again?

how many days till cross season starts?
G

Waterbottle thoughtage

contiuning from the Cyclingnews questions and all that:
The ones i ejected the bottles from are these

The ones i should have put on are the metal-matrix (alloy - since discontiuned in favor of the heavier stainless versions depicted here) switchback cages.

Those button bottle cages are copies of those fancy euro ones that everyone HAD to have mid-late 90s... The Elite Ciussi cages.

The QBP knock offs are here.

They are right at the price point where it is a tough call. Those Ciussi (queezy) cages so totally kick serious mofo-in ass that the extra $15 bones is almost worth it.

Of course if you are one of those rolling around with a $4000 carbon frame you'd better not be caught dead without one of these sumbitches!

I've never ejected a bottle out of a Blackburn Mt Cage. And what is 40 grams relative to my freakish (for a cyclist) weight? Pretty much nadda... not a measurable % (okay it is but even at two of them that's 0.18 pounds and roughly 0.08% of my total riding weight (me + bike)... insigfricanificant...

Oh sure but 80 grams here, 80 grams there... 5-6 of those = one pound... and one pound is still less than 0.5% of my total rider weight...

Those KING cages everyone says i gotta have. They ain't look NUTTING any diff'nt than the Blackburn jobbers. And i have the blackburn jobbers.

Thing is. Till then i hadn't ejected bottles from the cages on there and there are quite a few miles on dem... I did notice since coming back that the down tube cage was slightly miss-aligned.

One good reason Steel cages are Fucking stupid. Alloy cages do bend but not as easily as stainless ones. Sure Ti is best but Ti is also springier than Al and that rigidity is needed on the big woops like the first dirt section at BKR.

Then again maybe when i warrantied the Metal Matrix cages that broke i put the stainless replacements on my wifes Zurich and i have a broken set of the Metal Matrix cages... one of these days (tomorrow hopefully) i will take the Bra (for the roof rack) off the Klein, clean the BKR mud off and check these cages out...

Well... enough musing about cages - i plan on learning and moving on and hopefully never drop a bottle in a critical race situation again...

That's why cross is so nice... no more than an hour or so and no one gets water bottles during the race!

how many days till cross season starts?
G

waterbottles... and cages

cyclingnews letters about cages...

Yeah... i need to take note... Loosing both bottles in the potholes of the BKR (caught one fortunately) was a reminder... the ones i've got would be fine for most stuff but i gotta switch them for the wicked awesome Mt cages... ain't ever lost a waterbottle mt biking on the hardtail with them... so i'll take the few gram penalty and be certain to have water! Dropping a bottle sucks.

Esp when you don't have race support neutral or not...

Spring Break week

Nothing like spring break to disrupt the whole flow of commuting.

I need one of those xtracycles with the extra seats... but then traffic isn't too bad being as it is spring break.

And sure - Mandy takes the link i sent her - pulls her photo out and not even a thank you... shucks... its okay i guess - and gravel? No, girl, that wasn't gravel - gravel was what lined the sides of the road... ya get in that and you find the gravel... she does look alot more comfortable than the rest of the field...

Yesterday there were two very distinctive sets of eyes that i encountered. The first set, right off the bat in the morning. Robins egg blue speckled kind of eyes. Striking. There is something about eyes, so unique so individual. Back in Michigan there were two specific instances where the students had colored contacts in all the time. It was spooky. You could tell even with a cursory glance that the eye color didn't fit and didn't seem natural. Why change what your eyes look like? They say a ton about you.

The second set. Pretty dramatic. I've seen this set around, not frequently but occasionally. And maybe it was the morning pair that had my eye-radar turned up to observation level. This set was like floating liquid amber. So striking. gorgeous. The thing is i hadn't noticed them at this level before. And maybe that's why i was so stunned. Like a flower you walk past every day in bloom and then you notice it. Beauty, raw natural beauty. Pretty amazing.

You never know what ya might find each day. Be on the look out for beautiful things. Find the beauty in your life around you. Use it to inspire or just to smile about.

--

With such a low mileage/time week I am going to try and get out this weekend. Yes rest is good. And honestly i think this rest this past week was needed. Gotta sort out the whole commuting bike thing. Resurrect the P-mount (which has a 58 TT maybe it is a 62... i dunno) in place of the Croll... find/buy an extra P'tap harness... lots of stuff...

Good luck to the bike racers heading out for competition this weekend. I hope Cturd can produce some better videos... people complaining about alcohol abuse when Levi is spraying them with champange... just ain't good footage, although it is probably indicative of the locale, he does have big full lips. No wonder Solobreak loves his mouth.

So far we are two for two with broken confocals today. So much fun. Here's to hoping nothing else breaks!

how many days till cross season starts?
G

Der Fliegende Hollander

This is among my most favorite musical works ever.

One of the recordings i have of it is from Bayreuth in 1961. An amazing cast. Killer leads and unbelievable chorus.

The best part i think is the full orchestration of the chorus at the start of act 3...

Big powerful sound from the orchestra leading in to the:
Steuermann, lass die Wacht!
Steuermann, her zu uns!
Ho! He! Je! Ha!
Hisst die Segel auf! Anker Fest!
Steuermann, her!
Furchten weder Wind noch Bosen Strand,
wollen heute mal recht lusting sein!
Jeder hat sein Madel auf dem Land,
herrlichen Tabak und guten Branntewein.
Hussassahe!
Klipp' und Sturm draus -
Jollohohe!
Lachen wir aus!

and so it goes... full chorus of deep bass voices stomping on the deck of the ship to each down beat.

If you don't know the story of the Opera here's a nice synopsis of it:

Synopsis

Act I
Setting:a Norwegian seashore with steep cliffs. A violent storm rages.

A sudden violent storm has driven Daland's ship seven miles off course. His port had evidently been in sight because Daland thought he had seen his home and Senta waiting to greet him. The storm abates as all settle down for a rest. Sleep even overcomes Daland's Steersman who is alone on deck. The Flying Dutchman's ship suddenly approaches the shore and drops anchor next to Daland's ship. The Dutchman goes ashore and laments his fate (Die Frist ist um). He has been condemned to sail the oceans of the earth until doomsday. His only chance for rest is to find a woman who will be faithful to him until death. Every seven years he is allowed to land and search out just such a woman. He calls for the end of time to come and take him to his final rest.

Daland comes up on the deck of his ship and notices the Dutchman's ship anchored next to his. The Steersman awakens and calls to the other ship. They do not answer and the call is repeated. This time the Dutchman appears on shore. Daland joins him on the beach and greets him. The Dutchman tells Daland his ship is full of treasures; if Daland will grant him shelter for the evening, he will be richly rewarded (Durch Sturm und bösen wind verschlagen). Two of the Dutchman's crew enter carrying a chest of jewels and the Dutchman says that this is just a small part of the collection he has on-board. He goes on to ask if Daland has a daughter, and Daland replies that he does. The Dutchman says that if Daland will give him his daughter in marriage, Daland can have all the treasure on the Dutchman's ship. Daland promises Senta's hand to the Dutchman. The Dutchman admits apprehension over the promise, but also excitement over the prospect of ending his torment (Wenn aus der Qualen Schreckgewalten). Daland expresses joy over his new found treasures and gladly gives Senta to the stranger. Daland departs for his home port. The Dutchman declares that his ship will rest for a while, but soon over-take Daland's in their trip home.

Act II
Setting: A large room in Daland's house.

Mary and the girls are seated around the stove spinning and singing (Summ' und brumm', du gutes Rädchen). Senta is chastised for not spinning and instead gazing at the picture of a man with a pale face and dark beard wearing a black cloak. Senta turns to Mary and asks why she told her the story behind the man in the picture. The girls chide Senta for being in love with the man in the picture when she could have the hot-blooded Erik. Senta calls for Mary to sing the ballad of the Flying Dutchman. She refuses, so Senta sings it instead (Johohohe!).


Have you met the ship at sea with blood-red sails and black mast?
On the high deck, the pale man, the master of the ship, keeps endless watch.
Hoo! How the wind howls - Yo ho hey!
Hoo! How it whistles in the rigging, Yo ho hey!
Hoo! Like an arrow he flies, without aim, without rest, without peace!
But redemption may one day come to the pale man,
if he but find a woman on earth true unto death.
Oh, when will you find her, wan mariner?
Pray to Heaven that soon a woman will stay true to him!


In bitter gale and raging storm, he once tried to round a cape;
he cursed in, mad fury, and swore: "Never will I give up!"
Hoo! And Satan heard it! Yo ho hey!
Hoo! Took him at his word! Yo ho hey!
Hoo! And, damned, he now roams the sea without rest or peace!
But the poor man may still find salvation on earth
for an angel of God showed him how one day he might be redeemed.
Ah, wan mariner, could you but find it!
Pray to Heaven that soon a woman will stay true to him!


At anchor every seven years, a wife to woo he goes ashore:
he wooed every seven years, but never a true wife he found.
Hoo! "Hoist sails!" Yo ho hey!
Hoo! "Weigh anchor!" Yo ho hey!
Hoo! "False love, false faith! Back to sea, without rest or peace!"

The girls ask who is the angel that will save the poor captain. Senta answers it is herself as the girls express horror. Erik has heard Senta's last words and asks if she wishes to destroy him Erik reports sighting Daland's ship approaching their cliff. The girls and Mary leave to prepare for his return when Erik halts Senta. Erik tells her that before Daland goes back out to sea, he will give Senta a groom. He adds that his heart will be true until death. He has not much to offer her, but asks for her hand anyway. Senta deflects his plea and tells him she should go and greet Daland. Erik asks who will comfort his heart-break if she leaves with the stranger. She tells him not to doubt her affection for him and asks what has made him so sad and suspicious. He tells her that her father thinks only of wealth. He asks her to forget her mad infatuation at which she tells him it is not her fault her face shows pity. She tells him his anguish is nothing compared with the Dutchman's fate. Erik remembers a dream in which her father brought home a stranger. Senta embraced him and then disappeared with him on the sea. He realizes that his dream is about to become reality and rushes from the room.

Senta is startled by the sudden appearance at the door of her father and the Dutchman. She recognizes the Dutchman and looks at him spellbound. Daland chides her for not embracing him, and she does so. Daland then introduces the Dutchman to her and asks if she will be kind to the stranger. Neither are paying him any attention so he leaves them alone. The Dutchman comments quietly, as if in a trance, that he has seen her before in his dreams (Wie aus der Ferne). He talks of the warmth he feels wondering if it is love or the yearning for redemption. Senta feels compassion for him and hopes his salvation will come true through her. The Dutchman asks if she agrees with her father's decision and if he can depend on her (Wirst du des Vaters). She responds that regardless of his past she will obey her father. He comments on her quick answer and asks if she has pity for his suffering To herself, Senta wonders if she can console him. The Dutchman overhears her and his ecstasy soars as he begins to believe his redemption is at hand. He warns her of the sacrifices she will have to make at which she tells him she knows about the sacred duty of a woman. This soothes the Dutchman. Daland returns to see how things are progressing and asks Senta if she consents to marriage with the Dutchman. Senta agrees as the three join in a joyful trio filled with hope and love.

Act III
Setting: A cove with a rocky beach overlooking the Norwegian and Dutch Ships. It is evening.

The Norwegian Sailors are celebrating Daland's return (Steuermann, laß die wacht!). The crowd has grown curious about the Dutch ships eery appearance and unearthly silence. They begin to call for the Dutch crew to join them in the celebration. Girls from the village offer wine and food to the Dutchman's crew. Several attempts are made to hail them. All their calls go unanswered and the crowd thinks them dead. The Norwegian sailors claim the wine and food as their own and they return to drinking and revelry. A blue flame suddenly flares up on the Dutch ship. The sea around the ship becomes violent and the wind whistles through its rigging. The crew is suddenly illuminated in the flickering flame. In an evil chorus they declare that Satan has blessed their ship (Johohoe!). They call upon their captain to return as he will never find a woman to redeem his soul. The chorus grows in volume until the Norwegian crew retreats below deck making the sign of the cross as they leave. The ghostly crew mocks them and silence once more returns to their ship and the surrounding area.

Senta rushes from the house pursued by Erik. He says that he cannot comprehend what he has seen or heard. He has been told of her promise to marry the Dutchman. He goes on to ask how she could marry someone she barely knows. She admits that a noble duty has decreed her destiny. He reminds her of the countless risks he took to get her flowers and of her protection he was sworn to provide. He reminds her of her declaration of love for him.

The Dutchman has been quietly observing the two and rushes forward declaring, "Lost! My redemption is lost forever!" He bids farewell to Senta and begins to leave. Senta holds him back as the Dutchman whistles and shouts for his crew to get underway. Senta tells him she will fulfill her promise to marry him. Erik, unbelieving her words, tries to drag her away. The Dutchman tells her that since she has not married him yet, her vow means nothing. Senta tells him she knows who he is and insists that through her he will find salvation. The villagers arrive, summoned by Erik's cries for help. The Dutchman turns on Senta and tells her that she has no idea who or what she is getting involved with. "I am the terror of all devout men: The Flying Dutchman I am called!" He rushes aboard his ship and instantly it puts out to sea. Senta tries to follow but is held back by Daland and Erik. She struggles and tears herself away from them and runs to a cliff overhanging the sea. She calls after the Dutchman, "Here I am, true to you even until death!" She leaps into the sea and the Dutchman's ship sinks with all of her crew still on the ship. The sun begins to ascend and in its glow, the Dutchman and Senta can be seen, embracing, ascending from the ocean to the heavens.

It is a powerful story of love and sacrifice. And while the message is simple, the story written and told many different ways. The music is what captivates and invigorates the soul.

Music really is impressive and this simple 3 act opera is incredible.

respect,
G

steel... steel...

Steel is Real...

Give it a read. Esp the comments. All good stuff.

I will take exception to the reply made about my weight.

I can't drop 4 pounds, much less 1 pound very easily. It ain't like i'm rolling around sporting 15% body fat. And quite honestly Steel is pretty damn cool. I have yet to ride a steel bike (in my size) that is as good of a ride as the Paramount is (with a proper fork on it). But then it is still a bit flexy for my monster size and technically it is too small.

Those that bitch about only having S M L and XL frame sizes just need to have a big cup of shut the eff up... why? Well lemme tell you there ain't many bikes off the shelf that fit freaks like me and Rich... not to mention the Super star Kerry Litka... so all yall folks in the middle? How does it feel?

It is too bad Trek has cut the balls off the Klein brand. Neutered a brilliant engineers achievements. The Quantum Pro frame might not have been ideal for the short folks but for the tall folks riding 63 frames - you'd be hard pressed to find a better ride anywhere even now.

But does the bike really matter in racing? Yes. A little.

But it is true. Ya gotta have the motor and the brains to win/compete. And with the right motor and a brain the bike really takes a major backseat...

And WICKED DAMN FREAKING COOL
The Chicago Manual of Style is ONLINE!

Sure many of you probably know it and read it regularly. I've got the paper edition. Old and all that but this is cool! So freaking COOOOOOOL

Okay...

Time to go have fun with the NOVA crew!
how many days till cross season starts?
G

Clean the Palate time!

This is what the path looked like this morning in one section. This stuff is deep, while ridable ya can't tell what's buried in there waiting to deflate tires...

can't be silent about it any more

I'm just wondering... the outcry for a handful of students continues to black out all other coverage, even when nearly 6 times as many are killed in one day somewhere else? All those masses certainly have a story as compelling as the students. Is it any less tragic?

Is there any less anguish from their families? From their friends that they are dead? Dead for a "random" reason? If we sunk the billions of dollars a day into the education system here in the USA would these students be dead? And more importantly would those 170 odd dead and scores wounded have died the same way?

Or the traffic accidents that kill 45,000 people a year... a couple billion in traffic flow and safety measures certainly could help. I over heard someone saying that with what we've spent on the "war" we could rebuild the complete Interstate system here.

Is that just mind boggling to consider?

I don't want to debate the past choices government or individuals like this student who went on the "Massacre" did. I am rediculously sickened by it tho. How many people died in hospitals or hospice or at home from smoking related diseases? How many people had heart attacks and were not revived? Not in a whole year. Just on that one day.

Violence is a shock to the system.

Gun control ain't gonna fix it. Too many guns out there right now. No way to collect enough of them to make it "safe" even if all guns were outlawed today.

I heard about it and my immediate reaction was "all the presidents of all the colleges and universities are working on letters to the campus community"

Sho-nuff... everywhere i have my ear to the ground i'm seeing the letters pop up. The reactions.

"It touches everyone."

Sure. So does cancer. So do vehicular fatalities. So do suicide bombings in Bagdad.

Trivializing their death is not what i want to do, nor hope i'm doing. Their being of course the students and faculty who were killed at VT. Does an airline crash get the same coverage for the dead?

I can be a bit cool/cold about somethings. Calculating i think maybe. Maybe too much.

I really didn't want to add to the noise of this event. But every freaking news outlet still has this VT thing as top billing. Barely mentioning other losses. Are the humans that get killed here more important than the ones that get killed elsewhere?

Of course it brings up the concept/debate: maybe if people were carrying handguns on campus someone could have prevented many deaths.

Did people still tune in to American Idol? Did they still watch what ever else was on TV last night? What can you say about it all.

What can anyone say about it. Maybe the system isn't broken. Maybe it is just me. Maybe i'm the only one who is baffled that we can't even share 1/100th of the emotion for dead elsewhere.

I am touched and saddened by the shooting spree that left so many dead. Don't think i'm not. But I'm also moved by the losses in Iraq. Where else are people being killed in numbers without coverage. Darfur? Are people still being killed there? Or is that all over now that there isn't any mainstream media coverage?

-G

I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.
- Thomas Jefferson

Good News Bad News

Good News:
I rode in today (even clicked off a few images of the flotsam and jetsam littering the path). Even with the wicked headwind it was a pleasant ride in. Took the Croll in. Nice old heavy ass steel. Big fat ass tires. No power, no speed, no feedback. I spun it and even the little rise didn't cause me any hesitation. Hmm maybe there was something gained last weekend. No trailer. Just me.

Bad News:
I've eaten 90% of my lunch already. I have a banana and some bread left, and the emergency rations of Fig Newtons. AND i'm still hungry. Oops. No more banana!

Anyway - Mandy Tipped me off to Anna's Blog. She's got a nice write up of the race. And i'd concur. Everyone (big ass pro teams) should be racing Battenkill, not those 'other' races. It SHOULD be a marquee race in the USA.

Just like france we got tractors (think of them like trains) and unexpected stuff.

What to do next...

I think i've dragged my feet long enough to make Palmer/sterling a no go...

Maybe a good mental and physical break would be good, although it would also be good to keep building and have a lull later on in the summer...

Oh well, we'll see what the pictures look like and get them up while i'm eating a 'non-existent' lunch...

how many days till cross season starts?
G

cool stuff

at the risk of sounding like i'm talking about desktop widgets...

i clicked the google customize home page to see what was new...

there is this countdown thingy...


That's a screen shot - it won't change... and yeah - i picked sucker brook... seems early to start racing cross and it is the same weekend as bob beal, and i will probably do bob beal again instead... BUT... heck 152 days until cross season starts!!!

WOOOT

Time and perspective

Today, or last night i finally am awakening to the accomplishment of the weekend. The pain, the mistakes, the bottle cages. All that, small things. I raced my fucking ass off and i did the best if could and i improved, i learned, i grew - even just a tiny bit - as a racer of bicycles... Thanks for the words of encouragement.

My team is now suggesting i ride with a camelback next year. I think i just need some of those plastic cages i ominously made fun of on Mark's bike the morning of the race.

It is frustrating to crack due to lack of water and not lack of fitness, yes more fitness could have made me crack further into the race but ya know... I ain't making that mistake again.

I took the day off the bike again. The drizzle and the 20-40 mph wind out of the north and the unknown conditions on the bike path were enough to have me hitching a ride in with my wife this morning. coupled with the our visitors (In-laws are hanging out with the oldest during spring break) and my poor sleep last night - tapping the depleted internal energy reserves just wasn't appealing...

its like my body is saying "REST I NEED REST" as in i've worked hard to hold some of the fitness from Cross for BKR. I'll be back on the bike no question, probably tomorrow. The Nor'East'r certainly didn't add to the motivation to get on the bike.

Once the winds settle down i'll be back out there.

Annotated link dump:
Calf problems and cycling? One "trick" i hadn't come across before

Cholesterol... Sans Auto with a cool bit of data

Molly with some love for Belgium Knee Warmers

Pez with some race tactics

KL with some bike cleaning tips - pink bar tape? maybe i'll get me some (j/k i'm a black tape man all the way... with one or two rolls of matching blue thrown in for measure).

Oh and i finally watched the Woman's World's last night. How freaking cool. I can see why Daphne was in tears. tough. Good clear shots of Peanut at the start. And then up the first stairs i think... It was the sporza broadcast so while not in english it was mostly a run of names... Very different camera angles compared to the eurosport(UK) coverage of the mens race. To the point my "support" from michigan thought they were racing on a completely different course.

it was so cool watching them race...

how many days till cross season starts?
G

PS
Flipping through JB's photos reminded me of what i was thinking about before falling asleep... no not a pack of old fat guys racing around a flat crit (when the old skinny ones were suffering at BKR)... disk wheels... specifically how to do a homemade one... And i thought about shaping foam as the "disk" section... mostly as if secured well enough it wouldn't add measureable weight to the wheel...

That and got thinking about aero and wind shadows with the rear wheel relative to the helmet and front wheel...

strange things happen in cyclists heads as they fall asleep...

(at least) One more BKR tidbit

KL's favorite subject. Watts (btw go read her final comment over on sailorboy's rant against teachers and how lazy and inept he thinks they are).

The race indeed was a race. I set some power records for me. Records that need to be much higher if i'm gonna be at the finish line with an opportunity to sprint with the little guys who don't need much power to go up the hill...

my 5, 30 and 60 second numbers didn't change, but that is probably because this race wasn't about sudden bursts it was about long drawn out power requirments...

my 5, 10, 30, 60 and 120 records did change. And this software decides that it includes all the coasting and stuff. Where the head unit discounts the zero watts for the average (252w ~2.9w/kg for the whole race 2 hours and 55 minutes)... the PowerAgent software does not. So these numbers are a bit lower.

5 min 349w (4w/kg)
10 min 316w (3.6w/kg)
30 min 262w (3w/kg)
60 min 256w (2.9w/kg)
120 min 236w (2.1w/kg)

Do i need to get those numbers up? Damn straight i do. But it is a good start for some big slow guy... Esp decent considering how little fluid I had to work with.

Anyway - i'm getting this down between reading these papers... i can read through three or four before my eyes start glazing and i realize i've flipped three or four pages of text without comprehending a thing i've read... That's when i need a break.

Image of the power dist by zone (random freaking zones btw) and minutes in each ...

Big up respect!
G

I've got pictures to prove it...

don't poke me Geo!

Looking through this i had forgotten one little detail pre-start. Riding back with my number i clipped the ziptie holding the cadence mag on with my street shoes... and so i stopped reached down grabbed the dangling bit and rode back. Went to look at it and "DOH" actually it was more like "fucking shit" the magnet was gone... just a plastic holder and a broken zip tie...

So - wagering odds on my visual training as a microscopist, and the trophies won at the bike shop finding the tiniest spring amidst the shit on the floor of the mechanic area - i went back to retrace my steps...

and Found it...

little tiny rectangle laying on the side of the road with all the sand and winter debris...

Went back and borrowed a twist tie from the guy parked next to us and then used a bit of electrical tape to 'seal' the deal...

Phew...

That and no HR data - put new battery in the strap but no pick up at all... bummer...

so now a few more shots...

at the start:
Me and Mark (geo fiddling with something in the background):
Here's The Cali Super star...
We were worried about him. At the start and before he was shaking more or less uncontrollably... and there i was with just baselayer on not even feeling uncomfortable, cool but not uncomfortable....

And the roll out:

Ahh to be able to afford to get in line

For this...

That is one wicked damn freaking cool cross bike...

but like all the cool stuff:
"available for purchase via application"

and i suppose even more of a challenge, it isn't just for those with coin in their pocket... ya gotta have cash AND apply...

I think i'd prefer the primer gray although punchy red would be in keeping with my red cross frame sequence... but then ya know... color doesn't matter... that bike is pretty amazing.

I've read somewhere (maybe bike portland) or cycling news that Vanilla has a 3 year wait list. And ya know. From seeing the bikes up close. I can understand. They are COOOL.

Heck i even flipped out five singles to Harlan Price, his pitch was seemingly genuine and with one of the GSW team buying two tickets i had to get at least one. The $5 spent dreaming about a custom IF cross bike that i can win should be worth it... 'course i have to wait an eternity...

Maybe i should polish up a resume, write a bitching cover letter and pound the pavement looking for someone to give this cyclocross racer a ride! Ride meaning complete bike specifically, with entry fee allowances. In return for me being a vocal supporter both at the races and online... But then i sometimes (often) feel i need to pay the dues and show the folks and myself that i can do this and steadily get better. Cause i can't even rub the coins together to pay for a discounted frame... oh well... c'est la vie... i do have a cross bike to ride and to race on. I do have a nice set of other bikes, old, but functional. I have a lot to be grateful for. Lamenting about not being able to go out and buy from ebay or the builder or the bike shop a killer new frame when i feel like it won't do any good and doing any of those won't make me a better bike racer... So i gotta ride.

Ride the bike. Ride the bike fast and hard. Race race race race... Get out and make the power...

respect!
G

Random thoughts to jot down

between grading papers...

After the race i thought i saw a Target training girl that looked like mandy riding away down towards the start... i was in process of drinking fluid and not in a position to jump on the bike and chase her down... i doubted she'd be up here but looking at the results...

sho enough... the Mandy was here... Sorry CTodd, i didn't get an autograph or a photo for you :(

Watched Cyclocross Worlds last night for the first time. Just got through the men's race with the Eurosport coverage. Fucking unbelievable... That was AWEsOME... I wanted to watch the woman's race but some reality show race came on the TV and i got bumped off...

oh well...

Meg dropped me a note on someone's perspective of the Fair Trade Coffee thing

It’s a hoax, fair trade. It’s like a co-op but there’s a majority owner and the fat man is still getting fat and the little man is still getting squished so just get over yourself already.

LMAO

no mincing words there....

Thanks for the encouraging words Solo. The wind on the course killed me when i was alone as can be expected. And looking at the sheet, on a longer course i finished only one minute slower than Solo last year. Yeah, no comparison. But looking i was kinda shocked. That and i noticed on the results that they are showing 105 starters.

55th out of 105 starters? Crazy... I think Murat's trying to get us all seasick with his bike cam vids - but they are cool...

More thoughts later...

Well...

What happened?

You tell me. Somewhere my brain checked out and i went autopilot at slightly sub max pain for a little less than 3 hours on Saturday.

We had a gang, actually pretty damn well matched. And together until just after the first Feedzone. GSW. Greve, Snelling and Williams... GSW... one of those three is an ER doc and finds it incredibly ironic.

I was definately the wound part of the pair. Greve had a kick ass race for the almost clydesdales there. I was desperately hoping that our support would show at the first feed zone for a few reasons.

#1 i didn't have my glasses. For some reason i didn't get them on and didn't realize it till about 1 minute before the start... #2 i loaded up 2 20oz bottles with cytomax... and 2 cliff shots... should be perfect for the race... but i was under the impression that our "support" would be at the feedzone with #1 my glasses and #2 potentially other bottles...

The turn off of smith road to bogtown road was the first element of my unraveling. Although i suppose it could go back to breakfast, in that i didn't eat enough. That or i ate too much the day before and wasn't hungry and couldn't force myself to eat enough in the morning. Anyway. The pack hit bogtown. We knew from driving the course the day before that there were some serious hole in the road. The pack was gutter to gutter. Maybe two or three good lines out of the 6-7 wide we were... It seemed like almost everyone lost a bottle or two.

I lost one right off the bat... gone... that wasn't good... a few seconds later the second bottle shot out of the cage and lucky me or my race would have been over much sooner i caught it between my calf and the seat tube.

Shit. One bottle... Well, i'm thinking, no problem. I'll get a bottle at the feedzone...

Side note. Our "support" went to check into finding where it was. Well the first one is about as far away as you can get from the start driving wise. And the marshall's he asked were not clear on where it was even. And when asked if there was neutral support at the feed he was assured there was. Didn't look like it to me... unless the early starters exhausted the feedzone supply. So he decided to go for a ride and hang out at the start finish area.

The temp at the start was 42°F. It had rained all night before the race but the sun was out breaking through the clouds in what i would call a mostly sunny day. Sunny enough that i got sunburned at the gap between my arm warmers and the jersey. It was 48°F when we finished.

The little rise up bogtown/scott lake road wasn't a big deal... we got neutralized on 22 before town as there was a giant dual wheel tractor hauling a seeder down the road at 15 mph... took a mile or two before our pace car went around and then it got a bit hairy as the tractor didn't slow and there were oncoming cars parked and the gap got narrow.

The pack was great - steady, calm, relaxed. No stress or bunch issues. Very reassuring.

Anyway, we picked up speed a bit after that - headed out 64 and up that first paved hill. Ouch. The little guys up front exploded and i looked around and was surrounded by the big fellows. I felt pretty good, but was absolutely redzoned chugging up, working past people all the way up not able to go with the leaders and the main group but not getting shelled. Then the down hill... I got no glasses on, the wind stingin my eyes i headed down.

Side not again: GeWilli is not sean yates. GeWilli is about as opposite to Yates as possible. GeWilli has the mass but not the guts to let it all out heading down hills, esp when he knows he's gotta make a left hand turn on to the dirt... And with tears blurring the vision and streaming out of the eyes (another unfortunate loss of precious water) i lost time measured in minutes, many minutes over the course of the race.

So we hit the dirt. And what i thought was the Cat 3 Pace car behind me... i'm trucking, heading up the hill, one guy in IBC kit was already walking up the hill, i was again passing folks and holding my own... and unfortunately didn't do enough to make grounds and got gapped a bit... Geo was behind me at this point, Mark (the other member of the GSW team) was up the road... bombing away down hill...

As we came around the detour for the covered bridge two guys caught me i jumped in and sat in the draft for a few seconds and was able to jump through and start pulling... Soon the trio was on 313 running for all we got... One of the guy's had a team-mate up the road. So did i. We soon were caught by a 5-6 man paceline that included Geo. 8-9 strong our pace picked up and we were all busting our ass equally at the front driving on. Pick up people as we went, our little gang was working valiantly to limit the losses to the real contenders.

at this point i knew i should try and get some extra energy in me and attempted to eat a gel. oh man was that tough. not enough water to wash it down. yeah i was pretty much out of water and most everyone around me was down to one bottle or had finished most of their first bottle and couldn't spare the second one yet.

i was starting to get that mental "oh shit i'm screwed and there is nothing i can do except hope for feed" which we know now wasn't going to happen.

We were trucking along. popping through cambridge, then hitting the feedzone, i rolled to the front to see if i could spot the outback and the support... nope... and i kept going, it was a little rise/hill but i was pissed and didn't notice and shattered our little group GSW stuck together... and then we hit meeting house road... The Cat 3 boys caught us just before the feed i think... i don't remember tho exactly...

So rolling around through meeting house i'm drillin it up and i guess not drilling it enough on the down, relying on gravity a little too much i guess but i was foaming at the mouth, bottle dry, residual mocha cliff shot sticking in my mouth. Each rise was worse and worse...

It was a mental low point. Not having any bottles left, knowing G and S were up the road. I lose the big bulk of my time in this section. I was crushed and getting crushed by the hills. The 39-27 was critical... never really got under 55 rpm which was nice, but little consolation. The grip on the dirt was fantastic. and then there was that last dirt climb. That sucked big ballsacks. Sucked even more fluid out of me. And i was in no mans land. Sitting there, suffering. Alone.

At some point i got a bit lucky. one of the guys i'd seen all cross season and had chatted with at the start rode up to me, he had gotten two fresh bottles at the feed. He generously gave me about 3/4 of the smaller of his two bottles. I dunno what was in it, but it was fluid and some energy drink i guess. I drank that slowly and had it finished by the time we hit battenville. We'd been picked up by someone in the 40+ or Cat 3 i dunno which, and had hit been able to lift the pace... then a smooth paceline of 6 guys came rolling past, i jumped to get on that bus... and had enough to get there... it took about 4 line cycles with me dangling in the draft behind before i had recovered and started rolling through... And i started feeling better... something mentally about riding in a paceline that even as hosed as i was alone i could find that little bit left.

Well that little bit left vanished once the pack of 4s started rolling through us... this was the first group with some serious pissy righteous attitude... and climbing up that last dirt section out pace line group got shattered as some of the group hooked in to the 4s and we all just spread out and that sucked. Sucked hard.

And at that point again the lack of fluids just even to quench the fire in the back of my throat... was getting to me. The lack of support at the second stop also contributed to my mental shut down.

I know.

I should NOT have expected to get support.

I should have had better cages (although i've only lost one big bottle before, and i was riding with smaller bottles)...

I should have done lots of things differently.

I rolled through... one guy i gapped by 400-500 meters climbing before the final climb made it all back and more on the descent... 48.6 mph without glasses on sandy turns just ain't my cup of tea.

but i made it.

i made it in under 3 hours. 2 hours 55 minutes according to my measure and the recorded time in the results.

I was 55th. I was ready to physically harm our race support. I was ready to consume massive quantities of water. Which i did. I was pissin like crazy before the race... two visits to the portajohn to empty the bladder before the race...

There were 66 finishers. Geo cramped hard, he lost a bottle at the same spot i did but didn't get any extra, and he only had water on the ride (the bottle he lost had the energy stuff in it). He cramped so hard that he basically stopped in his tracks on one of the final dirt climbs and spent some time trying to fix it. I guess someone actually stopped and helped him for a second and the 40+ or cat 4 wheel truck stopped to give him some water/aid... I passed him just after the wheel truck got there and handed him some water, and i kept going. I dunno why i didn't stop... i was so mentally checked out i just dunno what was going on in my head and my thought process... He wound up 3 minutes behind me in 59th. Mark broke through the top 50 with a 49th place finish only 13 minutes off the winners time (2:34:47).

I've got a few photos from before the race. I will try and get them up sometime today...

Oh and power? Yeah it was good in a way to have the power - i was able to meter the wattage at the start of the climb and instead of hitting the base at 800-900 like some around me i was more conservative and it paid off big time... at least in time loss and fatigue. Although did it pay off? Who knows. I averaged 252 watts for the almost 3 hours on the bike. I've got the number somewhere else as well.

it was epic...

it was exhausting...

the scenery was gorgeous...

the friends there were great...

totally kick ass time...

next year? Hell yeah...

No question...

better, preparation? Damn straight...

but...

for the first road race since Bob Beal...

And having jumped into the 30+ (fucking deep deep deep end)...

I feel good about it. I didn't crash, i finished in under 3 hours averaged over 19 mph (over 20 in the 1/2 half). I pushed my limits. I realized i probably could have suffered more and hung in longer, finished higher, been more respectable.

But i'm building. I suck. And yes, Murat. I need speed work. Although mostly for my pursuiting and TT. In a pack with a draft... i had plenty of speed. alone, demoralized suffering? that's my achillies heal. That and being 15-20 kilos heavier than most guys there, and being a chicken shit on the downhills... well whadda i say...

It was Epic. So epic that i didn't ride in today. I've had enough epic that i didn't feel like riding on a flooded bike path (yeah, the tide/water level this morning was so high that the path looked to be under water as we drove past) with 35 sustained winds gusting over 50 mph.

That's my story. Thanks for ALL the advice from those who graciously offered it. It all helped. It would have been great to line up with the Shift boys but they were all absent it seemed. With ring leader "winner" Yogurt boy sidelined with growing pains it was somewhat sorrowful not seeing him there. I was looking forward to saying hey and congrats!

Geo headed back to Work this morning (maybe) flying in on the red eye thursday night friday morning and then leaving (supposedly) for Cali this morning getting in in time to get to work. He had a quick visit. But in less than a year will start to have a tiny bit of empathy for why Yogurt boy missed the race.

Mark was our superstar from the team. If you can call it that. He freaking rocked it hard core. But then his bike was 5 pounds lighter than mine ;) and he can fucking suffer.

We left and stopped at the concert on the way home. That was cool to see my folks playing music in a great venue. We took the littlest home with us and once she was tucked into bed we cracked a bottle of wine. Then another one. all that after i finished 1/2 a bottle that was in the fridge. My wife and her folks got home after the concert ended and we all sat around talking till about 12:30 so not only was i crazy tired but i was also not feeling any pain. And that was a good thing.

I've yet to get back on the bike (not a good thing) but we've had this storm and riding in the rain right now - ain't looking crazy appealing.

So...

Till later...

i have massive respect for the guys who showed up and schooled the shit out of me. Not one of the normal OTB masters folks showed. maybe 3 people had body fat over 10% in our group. it was a hardened fast bunch of mo fo's.

Will GeWilli be back? Effin Freakin hell. Will GeWilli be doing Jimmy peak or other stuff? Prolly not... We'll see. I could be talked into anything probably.

respect!
G