I could just sit on Bob's porch all day with that view. That's the Olympic range just peeking through the clouds. on the left side is a freighter headed to the port of Seattle.
Sunday, December 30
Blue sky
I could just sit on Bob's porch all day with that view. That's the Olympic range just peeking through the clouds. on the left side is a freighter headed to the port of Seattle.
Foothills
I gotta get that new camera soon, the phone doesn't do justice to the mountain behind the Amtrak train...
I really like the Pacific Northwest. It's kind of like early spring in Wisconsin here. 40's and rain with trails itching to be slogged through. Here they don't close their trails because of snow or rain. Let's face it, if they closed trails because of rain, the nearest open trails would be down in Monterey.
It's nice to be writing about a ride. I met Clayton, a former Kona product manager about an hour north of here in Bellingham, a nice little town right at the foothills of some nice mountains with plenty of trails. He had a couple hardtail 26" wheel bikes to choose from and they were the right size, but when Scott showed up with a Intense Spider 29 set up as a single speed with a Paul's singleator I couldn't resist. I'd never ridden a full squish anything on a trail, much less one with 29er wheels. Since I was willing to buy anything I broke I thought I'd better go with a bike which would feel most like the Fe2+ sitting back at the ranch. A quick drive to the trailhead by some tennis courts and we were off up the trail. Then we kept going up. There were plenty of switch backs similar to the muddy ones at the Mt Morris race. Clayton and Scott were able to drop down to a gear that worked for them, but I was running a 32x18 which would have been fine if the trails were firmer. Still, it was business as usual for a single speeder and by the first plateau we were all together. Clayton was in fine form on his new Specialized Enduro all day, but he was a great guide waiting for Scott and me at intersections. Scott suffered by letting me take the lighter bike. His other ride is a full squish beast more suited for railing the downhills. At 39 pounds he might as well have been riding a tandem for weight. But when the trail leveled out a bit he was right there.
For the most part the trails were ridable. The tall pines shielded the trails to a degree but when we crossed the open areas it was like you see above. 6" to 18" of heavy, wet snow. But since SS's have a "running gear" I was able to keep up with Clayton and Scott. There were a few, maybe 10 other riders on the trails too, and oddly enough, 6 or so of them were singlespeed 29ers. I think I counted 3 Konas and the rest were GF Rigs. Kevin and Steve from Kona were two of them. Kevin was running a 34x22 if I remember. The bike I was on was limited by the Paul's. Any cog bigger than the 18 would start chewing the upper jockey pulley. I wonder if the Surly has a similar limitation?
So how was the ride? I give it a B+ because of my fitness. The trail would have been totally rideable if I'd been riding since the end of the season, but soccer, cross country skiing and running are no substitute for handlebar time. Not that a 20t on the back wouldn't have helped but it's not the bike's fault, or Scott's. The Intense took some getting used to but i couldn't have been happier if I was on the Fe2+. The rougher trails here dictate suspension at least on the front and blasting down the trail was velvety smooth with the Fox F29 on the front. I might have to "midnight auto" Russell's from his bike. I think it was a Cane Creek managing the bumps on the back. If I had that bike in Wisco I'd set it up a bit firmer, but then everyone would be pointing and laughing at me... for different reasons than they have now. Thanks again Scott for trusting me with such a sweet bike.
After the ride Scott ditched us to deal with his "honey do" list. I'll have to ship him a case of Ale Asylum when I get home. Clayton and I headed over to Boundary Bay Brewery for beer and food. Bellingham is a lot like the near east side of Madison so I felt right at home. BBB's beer was tasty and the BLAT (BLT with Avocado) on white bread hit the spot. Afterwards Clayton and I shook hands and parted company. I'll be back with the Fe2+ and the right gears. I'll be the one to show Clayton the way up hill. I hope. I'd like to visit the week before SSWC's for an extra fitness bump. Not that I would realistically be within sight of Jesse or Marco's rear wheels but it'd be nice to represent the BKB with my head held high.
With that I'd best get off my ass and go for a run. The clock is ticking.
I really like the Pacific Northwest. It's kind of like early spring in Wisconsin here. 40's and rain with trails itching to be slogged through. Here they don't close their trails because of snow or rain. Let's face it, if they closed trails because of rain, the nearest open trails would be down in Monterey.
It's nice to be writing about a ride. I met Clayton, a former Kona product manager about an hour north of here in Bellingham, a nice little town right at the foothills of some nice mountains with plenty of trails. He had a couple hardtail 26" wheel bikes to choose from and they were the right size, but when Scott showed up with a Intense Spider 29 set up as a single speed with a Paul's singleator I couldn't resist. I'd never ridden a full squish anything on a trail, much less one with 29er wheels. Since I was willing to buy anything I broke I thought I'd better go with a bike which would feel most like the Fe2+ sitting back at the ranch. A quick drive to the trailhead by some tennis courts and we were off up the trail. Then we kept going up. There were plenty of switch backs similar to the muddy ones at the Mt Morris race. Clayton and Scott were able to drop down to a gear that worked for them, but I was running a 32x18 which would have been fine if the trails were firmer. Still, it was business as usual for a single speeder and by the first plateau we were all together. Clayton was in fine form on his new Specialized Enduro all day, but he was a great guide waiting for Scott and me at intersections. Scott suffered by letting me take the lighter bike. His other ride is a full squish beast more suited for railing the downhills. At 39 pounds he might as well have been riding a tandem for weight. But when the trail leveled out a bit he was right there.
For the most part the trails were ridable. The tall pines shielded the trails to a degree but when we crossed the open areas it was like you see above. 6" to 18" of heavy, wet snow. But since SS's have a "running gear" I was able to keep up with Clayton and Scott. There were a few, maybe 10 other riders on the trails too, and oddly enough, 6 or so of them were singlespeed 29ers. I think I counted 3 Konas and the rest were GF Rigs. Kevin and Steve from Kona were two of them. Kevin was running a 34x22 if I remember. The bike I was on was limited by the Paul's. Any cog bigger than the 18 would start chewing the upper jockey pulley. I wonder if the Surly has a similar limitation?
So how was the ride? I give it a B+ because of my fitness. The trail would have been totally rideable if I'd been riding since the end of the season, but soccer, cross country skiing and running are no substitute for handlebar time. Not that a 20t on the back wouldn't have helped but it's not the bike's fault, or Scott's. The Intense took some getting used to but i couldn't have been happier if I was on the Fe2+. The rougher trails here dictate suspension at least on the front and blasting down the trail was velvety smooth with the Fox F29 on the front. I might have to "midnight auto" Russell's from his bike. I think it was a Cane Creek managing the bumps on the back. If I had that bike in Wisco I'd set it up a bit firmer, but then everyone would be pointing and laughing at me... for different reasons than they have now. Thanks again Scott for trusting me with such a sweet bike.
After the ride Scott ditched us to deal with his "honey do" list. I'll have to ship him a case of Ale Asylum when I get home. Clayton and I headed over to Boundary Bay Brewery for beer and food. Bellingham is a lot like the near east side of Madison so I felt right at home. BBB's beer was tasty and the BLAT (BLT with Avocado) on white bread hit the spot. Afterwards Clayton and I shook hands and parted company. I'll be back with the Fe2+ and the right gears. I'll be the one to show Clayton the way up hill. I hope. I'd like to visit the week before SSWC's for an extra fitness bump. Not that I would realistically be within sight of Jesse or Marco's rear wheels but it'd be nice to represent the BKB with my head held high.
With that I'd best get off my ass and go for a run. The clock is ticking.
Friday, December 28
The view from my Father-in-law's living room
The same view with the sother tip of Whidby Island showing.
Yesterday wasn't too bad. A minor 45 minute delay in Detroit from the semi-freezing rain had us passing through the de-icing station. Having the lift forces work cleanly on the wings is important so I didn't mind. I travelled with the laptop so I was able to veg out and watch a movie on the 4 hour flight. NWA has gone bare bones, which is fine by me since they rarely did the job right when they provided meals or movies. My bro-in-law Tony picked me up at Sea-Tac airport without a hitch and we had 7 hours to kill before Karen and Sephie were due to land. So we went bowling. We bowled and played pool... and had a few pitchers of Fat Tire until 7. The Dude would be proud. Karen and Sephie were able to cruise though baggage claim too and we were off to my father-in-law's in Mukilteo.
Looking at the post I made at MTBR Forums I may have a ride set up for tomorrow. That will be soooooo cool.
It'll be nice if I can get a couple of rides in as well as running while I'm here. It seems every trip out here is spent sitting at in-law's houses doing nothing, which is fine for a time, but it wears thin doing it every day. As long as I at least run every day it'll be a good trip.
The same view with the sother tip of Whidby Island showing.
Yesterday wasn't too bad. A minor 45 minute delay in Detroit from the semi-freezing rain had us passing through the de-icing station. Having the lift forces work cleanly on the wings is important so I didn't mind. I travelled with the laptop so I was able to veg out and watch a movie on the 4 hour flight. NWA has gone bare bones, which is fine by me since they rarely did the job right when they provided meals or movies. My bro-in-law Tony picked me up at Sea-Tac airport without a hitch and we had 7 hours to kill before Karen and Sephie were due to land. So we went bowling. We bowled and played pool... and had a few pitchers of Fat Tire until 7. The Dude would be proud. Karen and Sephie were able to cruise though baggage claim too and we were off to my father-in-law's in Mukilteo.
Looking at the post I made at MTBR Forums I may have a ride set up for tomorrow. That will be soooooo cool.
It'll be nice if I can get a couple of rides in as well as running while I'm here. It seems every trip out here is spent sitting at in-law's houses doing nothing, which is fine for a time, but it wears thin doing it every day. As long as I at least run every day it'll be a good trip.
Wednesday, December 26
2008 results
What a year. completely different from the previous years. I'll leave it at that.
• 4/12 H8TER 100
• 5/4 Wisconsin Off Road Series Comp Clyde#3,Comp SS #5,#6,#8,#9
• 4/12WCA 'Cross SeriesMasters 40+ #1,#2,#3,#5,#6,#7
• 4/12 H8TER 100
• 5/4 Wisconsin Off Road Series Comp Clyde#3,Comp SS #5,#6,#8,#9
• 4/12WCA 'Cross SeriesMasters 40+ #1,#2,#3,#5,#6,#7
Had a good holiday here
As Eric so eloquently stated "it's time for gifts and pie" here in the CP household. Solstice was observed on Friday with a fitting ritual in the dining room. Pine boughs were tied together and candles were lit. Sunday was spent relaxing by the warm glow of a plasma TV in a bar watching the Packers help my Cowboys stay at home during the playoffs. Celebration was subdued as self-preservation is a strong instinct this far north.
Monday followed the ritual of the first family Christmas. 9 years ago it was realized that we'd only been married two weeks and neither had done any shopping for each other. So with an hour before closing we shopped at the equivalent of a Walgreens. As it should be, it wasn't about the gift it was about the fun. This year ago we hit Farm & Fleet and Walgreens. I love F&F, if they don't have it, you don't need it. From waffle irons to snow tires and everything in between, F&F has it all.
That night was spent with my Dad and Judy. Cold cuts, chili and home made eggnog were the menu. Seph was the only one getting gifts... a strobe light and theater lessons/classes. The strobe stays at Dads. Seph will fit right into the theater classes.
Yesterday was a day spent relaxing after opening gifts. Sephie made out pretty well. A keyboard (piano lessons start in January), lots of books and clothes. Oh, and an iDog. The iDog works quite well with the iPod Shuffle I got. A more useful book to me was a great gift, Bike & Brew America. I'll have to research a sequel for the author.
The Christmas tree is coming down today. Even with my Dad house sitting, mostly for the cats, we'll feel better knowing the cats won't knock the tree over and burn the house down. 'Cuz I'm sure we'll leave the iron on...
Thursday, December 20
Seattle
Unemployment is a strange existence. Other times I've not worked it's been because of termination or quitting. The remedy was always the same, applications and interviews. The union takes those steps out of the process. Now I just sit by the phone and wait to be told where to go to work. I still make my weekly call for unemployment compensation but that check is slightly more than half of what I was sweating to get paid.
Not that I'm not sweating. Yesterday was 2 hours of indoor soccer again. 40 young, fit and fast men (kids from my perspective) had occupied both fields at Breakaway. I started playing on the west field with all the 18-21 year olds and it was impressive as they were putting on a camp schooling each other. Besides the usual 56er's there was a pair of UW-Madison players so everyone had upped it a notch. I stuck to the basics and ran the routes I knew and kept the passes crisp and direct. This masked my lack of speed and inability to dribble. I even had two nearly perfect headers. So when the east field asked for more players later in the session I quickly trotted around the divider. This field had a base demographic more to my liking- old and slow. As I opened the gate I was met by Crash who is sporting a full face of red hair. He might be tired of being a lowland gorilla and gone back to a more genetically correct orangutan.
Since Karen and Sephie were booked on a flight to Seattle weeks ago and after a talk with the apprenticeship director I booked a trip to Seattle as well. Trading cold and snow for cold and rain may not make sense, but I need a Tully's fix. So from the 27th to the 7th I'll be near some real mountains.
I'd best get off the Mac and get started with some work. I've spent roughly $600 on tools and lumber at Home Depot in the last two days in the hope I would build a cedar lined closet in the laundry room. It won't build itself , will it?
Monday, December 17
busy, busy ,busy
Sunday was Karen's turn to cross the stage at the Kohl Center and receive recognition for her many years of work, research and patience needed to fulfill UW's requirements for a Ph.D. There was a few moments stress Saturday afternoon when she found out cap & gown pick-up was over and she'd need to do it before the ceremony. It was unwarranted stress as the folks at pick-up had things well in hand and she was able to enjoy the event as she should.
Meanwhile, Sephie and I were in sync as we parked, and found some seats in the area where we could also enjoy the experience. It was nice to participate in the commencement as I think it put the needed punctuation on this step of the academic career. No longer a student, Karen's next challenges will be at a more professional level. (it'd be nice if someone paid her too)
After commencement was a nice brunch at the Orpheum Theater with her adviser and a fellow Ph.D. graduate from the department, Eve. Eve had also taken "a few years" to finish but with her husband and 3 daughters present I think she's fine with that.
From there we made a pit stop home and then it was on to a baby shower for Vicki and her partner Lisa. They adopted Emily this year from a family in Guatemala and she's fitting right in as a 10 month old child should. All the families were in attendance and it was an honor to be included. Emily is simply adorable and it'll be fun to watch Emily, Vicki & Lisa grow together.
After that a stop at Cloud 9 for a nibble before going to see "Golden Compass." While we aren't regulars at Cloud 9, it kind of makes me wonder how they're doing. The coffee shop in the same strip went under a few weeks ago and the evidence of slow business was apparent. When Karen ordered a Bombay Sapphire Martini the waiter told here they were out of Bombay Sapphire. Their normally wide selection of tap and bottled beers was limited to 1/3 of what I'd previously had to choose from and the lack of quality beers was blaring. I don't think it's food issues or pricing, it's more likely their location. There was a fire one county road/street to north earlier in the week. It showed the gap in service area between the fire departments was a problem. I'm no expert but I think there's a relationship there.
Anyhow, off to the cinema we went. "Golden Compass" had good flow and the plot was as expected. Sephie was entertained but I was more pleased when her comment upon leaving was "I want to read all those books before the next movie comes."
I didn't think of training yesterday and I'm fine with that.
Meanwhile, Sephie and I were in sync as we parked, and found some seats in the area where we could also enjoy the experience. It was nice to participate in the commencement as I think it put the needed punctuation on this step of the academic career. No longer a student, Karen's next challenges will be at a more professional level. (it'd be nice if someone paid her too)
After commencement was a nice brunch at the Orpheum Theater with her adviser and a fellow Ph.D. graduate from the department, Eve. Eve had also taken "a few years" to finish but with her husband and 3 daughters present I think she's fine with that.
From there we made a pit stop home and then it was on to a baby shower for Vicki and her partner Lisa. They adopted Emily this year from a family in Guatemala and she's fitting right in as a 10 month old child should. All the families were in attendance and it was an honor to be included. Emily is simply adorable and it'll be fun to watch Emily, Vicki & Lisa grow together.
After that a stop at Cloud 9 for a nibble before going to see "Golden Compass." While we aren't regulars at Cloud 9, it kind of makes me wonder how they're doing. The coffee shop in the same strip went under a few weeks ago and the evidence of slow business was apparent. When Karen ordered a Bombay Sapphire Martini the waiter told here they were out of Bombay Sapphire. Their normally wide selection of tap and bottled beers was limited to 1/3 of what I'd previously had to choose from and the lack of quality beers was blaring. I don't think it's food issues or pricing, it's more likely their location. There was a fire one county road/street to north earlier in the week. It showed the gap in service area between the fire departments was a problem. I'm no expert but I think there's a relationship there.
Anyhow, off to the cinema we went. "Golden Compass" had good flow and the plot was as expected. Sephie was entertained but I was more pleased when her comment upon leaving was "I want to read all those books before the next movie comes."
I didn't think of training yesterday and I'm fine with that.
Sunday, December 16
Preheat your coffee cup time of year
More winter/holiday memories. With all the cold whiteness we've been having I've been getting nostalgic every time Sephie puts her snow pants on to go play.
Waking up early this morning reminded me of all the early winter mornings I had to deliver the Appleton Post-Crescent when we lived in Menasha. 42 papers stuffed into my courier bag which was slung across the bars of my hard-earned black Schwinn 20" BMX bike. It wasn't a true BMX frame but with the route and a couple summers working at the Menasha Public Library I'd earned enough for a red Mongoose BMX frame and all the best parts. I'd later trade that frame for my brother's Mongoose Team frame, which I still have in the basement. Yes I was a librarian, don't make me get all Dewey Decimal on you...
Those were good holidays even if times were hard. Dad wasn't always working but that meant he was home with the three of us boys. Between camping, running, bike riding, fishing or just sitting at the dining room table playing Mille Bornes or cribbage, I had a pretty good holiday.
Skip ahead if you want to miss the emotional baggage.
Then Mom would fly in. It still pisses me off and I'm thinking it does my brothers as well, when she expects me to let her slide into my life as though she's been here every day. Now she's trying that with my family and I'm not handling it any better. If she still lived in California it would piss me off a bit less but she lives 12 miles away now.
Back to being a bike blog...
Having Dad give me a bike part or tool for a gift back then was pretty significant. Now that I'm a father, and as Rick put it "a man of leisure", I find myself standing squarely in my father's shoes of 30 years ago.
Which is a good thing. Those cold mornings of '77, '78 & '79 now have more meaning to me. Life took care of itself if you just woke up and made coffee.
Waking up early this morning reminded me of all the early winter mornings I had to deliver the Appleton Post-Crescent when we lived in Menasha. 42 papers stuffed into my courier bag which was slung across the bars of my hard-earned black Schwinn 20" BMX bike. It wasn't a true BMX frame but with the route and a couple summers working at the Menasha Public Library I'd earned enough for a red Mongoose BMX frame and all the best parts. I'd later trade that frame for my brother's Mongoose Team frame, which I still have in the basement. Yes I was a librarian, don't make me get all Dewey Decimal on you...
Those were good holidays even if times were hard. Dad wasn't always working but that meant he was home with the three of us boys. Between camping, running, bike riding, fishing or just sitting at the dining room table playing Mille Bornes or cribbage, I had a pretty good holiday.
Skip ahead if you want to miss the emotional baggage.
Then Mom would fly in. It still pisses me off and I'm thinking it does my brothers as well, when she expects me to let her slide into my life as though she's been here every day. Now she's trying that with my family and I'm not handling it any better. If she still lived in California it would piss me off a bit less but she lives 12 miles away now.
Back to being a bike blog...
Having Dad give me a bike part or tool for a gift back then was pretty significant. Now that I'm a father, and as Rick put it "a man of leisure", I find myself standing squarely in my father's shoes of 30 years ago.
Which is a good thing. Those cold mornings of '77, '78 & '79 now have more meaning to me. Life took care of itself if you just woke up and made coffee.
Saturday, December 15
9
Sing it with me!
9 years ago Karen and I went down to the courthouse and were married. She's pretty lucky. Right...
As with anything, you get what you put into it, and our marriage is no different.
9 years ago Karen and I went down to the courthouse and were married. She's pretty lucky. Right...
As with anything, you get what you put into it, and our marriage is no different.
Friday, December 14
Cold
As the warmth of the laptop radiates into my legs I find myself remembering past holidays. I had a sudden memory last night of the Christmas cookies my Grandma Bates used to bake. All the cookies packed into 4qt ice cream containers before being put out onto the porch or down to the freezer. Then there was two batches of everything. One regular batch of cookies, and one sugar free batch for Grandpa who was diabetic (adult onset). Those were good holidays.
Thursday, December 13
It did
You know how sometimes people say "Ooooo, That's going to leave a mark." Well sometimes they're right. Yesterday at lunchtime soccer I was fully stretched and was playing real well. I had my head up with the ball and was solid on defence. So solid I got my knee in the way of a shot...
Kind of a neat tattoo eh? You can almost see the stitching from the ball. After hitting me I chased after the ricochet and didn't think much of it, but when I got home and was stretching I noticed I had a souvenir.
When will I learn I'm not a kid anymore? Playing with guys good enough to be on the Madison 56er's would be challenge enough if I was their age. Still, at least I don't creak when I move.
Preparations have begun for commencement ceremonies at the Kohl Center on Sunday. At roughly 9:30am Karen will be taking the walk across the stage to receive her Ph.D. in History of Science. It took her the better part of 17 years to complete her work, but in her defense she had me and Sephie slowing her down for the last 9 years.
Kind of a neat tattoo eh? You can almost see the stitching from the ball. After hitting me I chased after the ricochet and didn't think much of it, but when I got home and was stretching I noticed I had a souvenir.
When will I learn I'm not a kid anymore? Playing with guys good enough to be on the Madison 56er's would be challenge enough if I was their age. Still, at least I don't creak when I move.
Preparations have begun for commencement ceremonies at the Kohl Center on Sunday. At roughly 9:30am Karen will be taking the walk across the stage to receive her Ph.D. in History of Science. It took her the better part of 17 years to complete her work, but in her defense she had me and Sephie slowing her down for the last 9 years.
Monday, December 10
A poke in the eye
Still no good news from the Apprenticeship Office, I interrupted a meeting to check so I'm sure they know I'm waiting. So I went to indoor soccer again. I neglected to mention what happened last Monday. It was late in the game and I'm back in the box covering a guy when his teammate winds one up and takes a shot at the goal. I honestly thought I could get my head on it and deflect it but it was coming fast. Too fast. Like David Beckham fast. The ball hit me square in the right eye and was deflected away. But at a price. My legs wobbled and nearly buckled. I put a knee down and my hands out to keep from falling over. Wow. It was kind of like getting punched by Evander Holyfield except I think he would have killed me with one punch. So I grabbed a bag of ice from the counter and tried to keep the swelling to a minimum. By dinner I had a lovely black eye. It's mostly off yellow and purple now but it's fine.
Today I played again and was injury free although it's a good thing I don't live in South America. I'd scored a goal off a nice pass when I put a toe on it "one-time" and it went under the goalie's hands as he dove toward the corner. But that glory was short-lived when I was trying to head a pass away from the guy behind me. It went off my head, over our goalie's hands and into the back of our goal. Own-goals suck. Still, nobody's keeping actual score so nobody gets bent out of shape when the game is over.
I thought I saw Jesse and Marco on Seminole Highway when I was on my way to the game, but the riders were so bundled up and too far away for me to see clearly. I should have ridden too, more ice and snow is coming tomorrow. I'll need to get up early to go skiing over at Monona Golf Course.
Sunday, December 9
Checking the list twice
The other day Sephie was making her Christmas list for Santa the same way I did when I was her age. Pen and paper with the catalog of her choice. Most of the list was made up of American Girl items but then she found a Sharper Image catalog and she started finding things I might want...except for the iDog.
I got to thinking about my list to Santa. Without digging out the catalogs I can roll a few "essentials" off for the list.
- iPod Shuffle
- 29" Sun Ringle Disc O Flea wheel set.
- Hayes Stroker Trail brake set.
- Samsung e737 or d900 cell phone
- Olympus Stylus 770SW camera
- a sweater
- 6 pair of socks
- Peace in the Middle East and the troops home yesterday.
We loaded up the 4Runner and went hunting yesterday. It didn't take long and we bagged an 8-pointer. Oops, I mean 8-footer. We found a nice Fraser Fir and brought it home for our Solstice Tree. We'll see tonight if Aries tries to climb it, I know the other 3 cats won't.
Whoo-hoo, I almost have the holiday spirit.
I got to thinking about my list to Santa. Without digging out the catalogs I can roll a few "essentials" off for the list.
- iPod Shuffle
- 29" Sun Ringle Disc O Flea wheel set.
- Hayes Stroker Trail brake set.
- Samsung e737 or d900 cell phone
- Olympus Stylus 770SW camera
- a sweater
- 6 pair of socks
- Peace in the Middle East and the troops home yesterday.
We loaded up the 4Runner and went hunting yesterday. It didn't take long and we bagged an 8-pointer. Oops, I mean 8-footer. We found a nice Fraser Fir and brought it home for our Solstice Tree. We'll see tonight if Aries tries to climb it, I know the other 3 cats won't.
Whoo-hoo, I almost have the holiday spirit.
Saturday, December 8
Ow
Monday's soccer reintroduced me to some of my leg muscles. Specifically the parts of my quads responsible for sprinting and coming to a dead stop. Wednesday I was able to warm-up and had a really good two hours. Yesterday not so much. I got there just as the games were staring up so I wasn't able to run during warm-up and the stretching didn't cover what was in pain. An hour in my quads brought me to a grinding halt so I hit the locker room.
We've since had more snow fall. It was 2" of a light and fluffy snow which was easily shoveled. Tomorrow we're expecting another 2" or so. I should go over to the golf course down the street and and do some skating... or running. Running would be good too.
No calls for work yet. I called the Apprenticeship Office and they didn't have any news. In the mean time there's unemployment and working out. Yea.
For those of you in the area and in need of parts, or if you just want to add to the pile of stuff you don't need, the 2008 Bike Swap is approaching. Saturday, January 12th I'll be sharing a booth/table/breathing space with Russell. I've got plenty of usable stuff that needs a better home and I'm sure Russell does too. I just have to resist the urge to spend more than I sell. Last year I did pretty well spending less than $250 but coming away with quite a few nice things... such as the Truvativ carbon cranks for $85.
Speaking of the Truvativ's. I need to find a good source for ceramic bearings. The drive side bearing is lunched after one season and the nondrive side isn't far behind. Honestly they were pretty gravelly when I swapped them into the Ferrous at the end of July. It doesn't speak well of the stock bearings when a single speeder of average ability can eat through a set in 10 races, though they did last without making scary noises for 16 races and associated workouts.
Maybe they weren't designed to handle the stresses of legs with so much caffeine coursing through the tissue.
We've since had more snow fall. It was 2" of a light and fluffy snow which was easily shoveled. Tomorrow we're expecting another 2" or so. I should go over to the golf course down the street and and do some skating... or running. Running would be good too.
No calls for work yet. I called the Apprenticeship Office and they didn't have any news. In the mean time there's unemployment and working out. Yea.
For those of you in the area and in need of parts, or if you just want to add to the pile of stuff you don't need, the 2008 Bike Swap is approaching. Saturday, January 12th I'll be sharing a booth/table/breathing space with Russell. I've got plenty of usable stuff that needs a better home and I'm sure Russell does too. I just have to resist the urge to spend more than I sell. Last year I did pretty well spending less than $250 but coming away with quite a few nice things... such as the Truvativ carbon cranks for $85.
Speaking of the Truvativ's. I need to find a good source for ceramic bearings. The drive side bearing is lunched after one season and the nondrive side isn't far behind. Honestly they were pretty gravelly when I swapped them into the Ferrous at the end of July. It doesn't speak well of the stock bearings when a single speeder of average ability can eat through a set in 10 races, though they did last without making scary noises for 16 races and associated workouts.
Maybe they weren't designed to handle the stresses of legs with so much caffeine coursing through the tissue.
Tuesday, December 4
the numbers from yesterday
I didn't cough up the $10 for the PowerTap rental for two reasons. I knew I'd be shagged and they don't have a wheel set up with an 8 speed cassette. They have issues with me bringing my tools and swapping cassettes, but then they don't let people put non-Shimano pedals on the stationary trainers either.
So I wore the old stand-by training tool, the Polar heart rate monitor. Here's the poop...
warm-up: 4:22.7 166m/161a
then I got off and added to the resistance of the rollers...
warm-up: 24:01.8 168m/153a
6 minute tempo: 5:54.2 184m/170a
recovery: 4:00.9 165m/151a
10 minute hill climb: 10:00.9 163m/163a
recovery: 4:43.7 152m/152a
10 minute tempo: 10:00.6 178m/161a
recovery/cool-down: 12:04.5 146m/145a
Total: 1:15 185m/157a
So I wore the old stand-by training tool, the Polar heart rate monitor. Here's the poop...
warm-up: 4:22.7 166m/161a
then I got off and added to the resistance of the rollers...
warm-up: 24:01.8 168m/153a
6 minute tempo: 5:54.2 184m/170a
recovery: 4:00.9 165m/151a
10 minute hill climb: 10:00.9 163m/163a
recovery: 4:43.7 152m/152a
10 minute tempo: 10:00.6 178m/161a
recovery/cool-down: 12:04.5 146m/145a
Total: 1:15 185m/157a
Monday, December 3
too much today
Having the day off was good and bad. Good because I got to leisurely drink my coffee in my living room with a cat in my lap. Bad because I eventually got up off my ass and went outside. At 11 I went over to Breakaway to play indoor soccer for a couple of hours. Yup, nearly two hours running back and forth chasing a ball with guys much more skilled than I. I did score a goal, and a left footed (I'm right foot dominant) shot at that. That told me the ankle is nearly 100%, it's a shame the rest of me isn't. I dropped off a care package to my brother in Dallas so he could make more headway with his single speed project. A fork, handlebar and two sets of V-brakes should allow him to get it mostly done. I had some time to kill before the 6 pm Z$F so I watched Dr Phil and Oprah. Yeah, that was more of the bad part of the day. So then it was off to ride the Fe2+ on rollers. That was different. I didn't realize how much I moved my hands around on the Seven. The Mary bars are great on the trail, but on rollers they're limited to only one position which gets a bit numbing at about 40 minutes. By an hour in I was spent. All the running, well, sprinting really, had taken its toll on my legs. Time for some Vitamin B (beer) and Vitamin I (ibuprofen) and sleep. It could be worse, I could have tried skate skiing on ungroomed trails too.
Sunday, December 2
Skating
With Fella inside for the duration of the storm, I hopped in the Jetta to head over to Village Pedaller for the Bonti rims I'd ordered. I picked up a couple Michelin 700x28 road slicks for use on the rollers and we got to talking about single speeds. Turns out the NuVinci wheel he built wasn't for a mountain bike at all. He's not sure of the configuration but that wheel will be driven by a 2.5hp motor. A quick stop at Woodman's for all the fixin's for nachos and nutbrown to wash it down and I realized the roads sucked.
So now after 6 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain I have a good workout ahead of me.
Saturday, December 1
Winter weather
There's an impending Winter Storm Warning, 4-9" of snow possible, for today. There's enough snow at the moment Fella's had enough and wants back inside the house. The bunnies should enjoy a predator free day.
This could be an improvement over yesterday. Having finished the Platteville and Influenza Research jobs I was ready to mover everything over to the Middleton EMS/Fire Station site. Then the building was condemned due to the structure not being safe. Even with Dick retiring this week Control Works' 5 employees are without enough work. Other jobs are suffering from the holiday malaise so it could/will be January before there's enough for the control guys to do. So instead of sitting idle for a month, which is not really an option, Mike had to lay me off. I stopped by the apprenticeship office after and the outlook is good. I should be with a new electrical contractor by next Wednesday. Tuesday is a school day so at least I'll be bored one day next week.
Thursday I stopped by Village Pedaller to see Gary and ask about another pair of Bontrager Mustang rims. I bought a pair from him this summer after an unsuccessful attempt at running road 700c rims. Once built up won the King and Hugi they were flawless the rest of the season. I'll unlace the tubulars from my other set of single speed hubs for these rims and use them as primary goofing off rims with Stans snot. I picked up Stans and Bontrager tubeless valve stems from TBS a few weeks ago so I'm set.
Between skate sharpening Gary shows me a rather interesting wheel. It's a 13.5 lb 29er wheel. Yes folks, the rear wheel with 32h WTB rim and tire weighs 13.5 pounds. It's a NuVinci CVT hub similar to transmissions on snowmobiles and cars. the 16t BMX cog appears to be on a cassette/freehub adaptor but I can't figure out why there's a 36t chainring off of an old BMX crankset mounted inside. The Avid BB5 rotor on the other side provides braking, but I wonder if there's enough clearance for the caliper or if it will rub on the hub. I dare anyone to race with this boat anchor on their bike.
I should put a glide wax on my skis.
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