Same Old

I was doing the same things last year, riding intermittently, and not all that long either. Probably racing cross is what I should do as I like to take off until the new year. However, as Scott mentioned, everyone is updating on their training. Maybe more so this year than last or the year before when I didn't know what the heck I was doing, it seems that this year everyone is training now for the Best Year Ever in 08. Honestly, I haven't been. But. There's always a but. I do feel that my commitment to training is about to change, following T-giving. Saturday I sat on the trainer for 30 minutes, that's 1/4 of what I wanted to do. But if felt all right, I just need to pick up a mirror. Blah. Boring.

Emma's coming into town and we might go for our own Turkey Day Ride, as she doesnt MTB and the boys are meeting out at Muir for a ride. She is loving her SS which is good, I have to build up mine now (pics to come).

Sociology exam today, wrapped that up and am effectively on vacay for the next few days till it starts all over again Monday. eesh. In other news, I read a great article from theatlantic.com about Obama. The view of the author was that Obama's candidacy is not about Obama but that fact that he is not of the baby-boom generation which is what the bitter rivalry and bipartisanship in present day politics stems from: a symbolic conflict over who did what and when during the vietnam war. yowza, definitely worth checking out if you are into politics.

back to cycling, ok, yes, I really am looking forward to training, and recovering, but really, monday, no saturday when emma leaves, 2hrs a day without fail. dedication, determination

ciao

Today and Tomorrow

No commute today, big plans for tomorrow. Watching everyone around start training, I guess it is time to start focusing. Before I got sick last year, I did not start serious training until January 5th or so. Perhaps I need to space it out more and continue to do less intensity overall. Just a massive base. I do not do weights. I think intermittent intervals are ok, especially if you commute and wake up late. A 20 minute hotlap to work, if you will.

I will try to post music every post. Most will be songs that have wonder. Or are concise if that means anything.

Song:

A Plan: bike to work, 20 minutes or so, go to school at 830 am, study, ride in the afternoon. Dinner at the organic market. Speech class. Commute home post 845 dismissal.

Factoid: as cyclists, a mid-ride coke'n'water is a staple to replacing those lost energy reserves. In 1980 HFCS, highfructosecornsyrup was developed as replacement for sugar. It was cheaper so in order to avoid lowering prices, soda companies abandoned the 8oz bottle for the 20 oz'er of today. Coke with sugar is a treat, it is why coke from europe and mexico tastes different. That is one thing I want for christmas, coke with sugar.

ciao

7:34 Am

The early drive home:

Renewal

Time to get back at it, slowly but surely. A list of things that have happened

First a song:



That fixed gear was stolen (It was my fault for leaving the garage door open)
I picked up a mountain bike
I spend at least 3 days a week dissecting a cadaver my anatomy class has affectionately named Frank (areolar CT sucks).

School is going well thus far, 4 classes, 4 good grades. I am thinking that this blog will include some more sociological insights, I need a place to put them out.

Last weekend was another spent in Iowa City w/ Emma. Greg D. of Mercy-Specialized is a friend of her dad's and we went mountain biking in the Sugar Bottom trails. Not only was it gorgeous, it was free. I like mountain biking.

Now that I have updated, I expect a phonecall from this cranky collarbone.

Also, I saw a commercial for Dewmocracy.com and all it really turns out to be is a nice way of free product testing through television and internet multimedia. You are welcome Pepsi Co. Oh yeah, in keeping with the antiexcessconsumption bent, Emma and I are working on getting down to Chicago the day after T-giving in order to watch everyone shop without getting anything. Boring, right. whatever, pictures:


though it's hard to tell, I built Emma a (swell - Ed.) single speed for commuting to wrok. She "loves it." I guess I will believe here. Baby blue rattle can. 42x17. Tan Cork and Gum hoods on cane creek levers. Sugino cranks. Matching gum bontrager tires. I am proud of it. She also wears my jacket? so highschool (and that's alright).


From an old-fashioned somewhat non-mainstream Dairy-Queen. Farside and the "global warming sundae."

Hiatus

On hiatus till I can ride my bike again

New Stable Addition

Painted and built my first fixie/track/singlespeeder today. I am happy with it, some parts of the build are a little silly, look full carbon fork. ultegra 10/da drivetrain. even with heavy duty wheels (formula hubs laced to open pros) the bike weighs in at 16.5 pounds. not too shabby for a commuter. now to learn how to ride it. mayhaps I'll be taking a trip down to the track in Kenosha on sunday.



ciao

A Wet Week

It's been a pretty wet week. Either from sweat or rain, the latter bringing relief for the former. It's also been my first week back to serious training. Doing an hour and a half a day of upper-endurance/tempo work consistently feels like a major victory. Perhaps this summer I should have changed this blog title to "cat 2 flame-out." oh well, it happens, and as such I am already looking forward to next season.

Tuesday I ran into Brian Carlson (www.bikerbrian.blogspot.com) and he's got a pretty good write-up of the rest of the ride from Muskego park. Funny thing is, I thought I was the one having trouble keeping up, funny how that works out, I was the one who couldn't catch him in the park...

Wednesday I rode into work for the first time in the rain because I had promised myself to do it. Lo and behold it was great. It dried up during the day and after riding home to drop off my backpack and head out to see what Tans Dr. had in store. Brian and told me of it the night prior. Turns out it is a road that parallels the Johnson quarry and runs into Racine ave. It's got two good climbs, a short steep winding hill into a subdivision and a tree-lined climb that about .7 miles long with a few short steep sections, but generally consistent gradient. Thanks for the new ride Brian, it's only a handful of miles from my house and will make for great repeats. Finishing the second time up Tans, I look at the sky. oops. From there on out I was doing LT work all the way home, as I had the powertap on and those things are not fond of rain. Luckily I made it home just as the drops started coming down phew.

Unfortunately my dog ran out into the street and shouldered into a car a few minutes after I got into the garage and the skies opened up. Ta and I took her to the pet-ER but it turns out she's fine, only bruised her shoulder, no lung contusions et cetera. phew.

this post is done.
phew.

MTB-ing

So the two-week rest period came to end wednesday. Collin and Max from cyclessmith and my new fellow co-workers and I went out for a 1 hour ride around waukesha. we kept it mostly urban which was nice. hit the hospital hill w/ the switchback and the the climb in the new subdivision out of meadowbrook. again, it was nice.

Yesterday I went mountain biking for the first time, not just xc-skiing trail, but real single track. Collin and a friend of his named Ryan took my out to j.muir trails in the kettles. wow a blast. stacked it up a good four or five times, the first one being the best, a full ass-over-teakettle after catching a stump on a downhill run. oops. I'm a little sore today and a lot scratched up, but I just picked up a new trainer after mine was stolen at Snake Alley and i'm looking forward to training consistently again. Ta gets home from romania today so I've got to clean up the house before the first member of my family returns from vacay.

ciao

Rest

This thing is up on blocks. for another week anyway. then it's back at it, I'm looking forward to it.