AR MTB Roadtrip

The trip kicked off shortly after 10am (due to the spring forward and some early delays). We loaded up the VW Golf and hit the road. Brian shared his donut for a healthy start. As the picture shows, we continued our healthy eating by getting a 99 cent ¼ lb hot dog and Polish sausage in Beloit, and a Hostess snowball at the next stop. This is just the type of nutrient I needed to help me recover from the flu…I could feel the nutrients battling the fever. We ended our drive in southern MO and had a KFC buffet to get another dose of health food, then off to the Best Western for some sleep. Is this a sign of how things will REALLY be?

On a separate note, I borrowed my sister’s Tom Tom and we really enjoyed using it for the trip so far. It’s nice not having to plot a route using an atlas, watch for exits, or guess what time we would arrive. And we surely couldn’t know what restaurants or hotels are nearby. It can even help you know how the road curves prior to passing cars. I have to get one of these.

Grocery Ride

 

I have been in withdrawl since we had the brief glimpse of Spring and I was able to get in a few good rides. I managed to get in some x-country skiing and a jog, but no bike time. (In part due to the run after taking a 6-month sabbatical, which as a result took me out of commission for several days) Anyway, I was anxious to get back out, so I saddled up and hit the road on the fixie. I really enjoy riding the fixie. I think it is because I can do a city ride and still feel that I worked my legs a bit...mostly while stopping.

As long as I was going for a ride, I decided I would pick up some groceries as well. A perfect opportunity to put my new Twin 6 messenger bag to the test. I enjoyed getting in my normal "quick Kaukauna loop" and also knock out an errand at the same time. Although I looked a bit over/under(?) dressed in my tights and futuristic shoe covers, I felt good that I got there on my own power and would be using my own reusable bag.

I wanted to give the bag a real test, so I tried not to artificially limit what I bought...but at the same time I only needed to stock up on a few things. As the picture captures, I managed to pick up 21.8 pounds. How much food is that? Well, the picture captures that too. The bag was comfortable thanks to the heavy duty strap, although you would want to ensure that hard square objects are properly placed :-) All-in-all, not a bad experience. There is still a place for getting a car-load of groceries on the way home, but this is definitely the way I will go if I need 25 lbs or less.

The Bachelor

Thought I missed The Bachelor tonight. The risk that comes with not having cable or a DVR...I have to be home when the shows are on. Anyway, I found out that the finale isn't until next week. Also, I discovered that this is another show that I can watch online. Although I have to wait until the latest episodes are posted, I am finding that watching episodes online is still better than paying "the man" far too much for cable. I haven't watched The Bachelor every time, but I must admit that I saw enough that I want to catch the ending...and now I know I will, even if that means watching it online.

Speaking of bachelors, I decided I need a girlfriend. No, not to fill a void in my life. Not even a great reason at all. I need a girlfriend so that I can go to bed early. Yep, sounds silly, but being a bachelor I tend to get pressured to stay out late and sleep less and drink more than I want. Sure, I could leave earlier; I am a grown man, right? Yes, that is true. However, others still expect you to be out, and sticking to my convictions wouldn't change expectations. I need the sleep!

Despite lacking sleep, I managed to go x-country skiing twice this weekend. I checked out Standing Rocks and Kettle Morraine North trails. I was sad to see the Spring-like weather go, but I admit that I was happy to be able to ski again. Besides, if the weather stayed nice, then I would have to start training. Not sure I want to get too serious yet, so let it snow...at least for a few more weeks.

And in a few more weeks I will be heading south with Brian to mountain bike in the Ozarks. It seems like Arkansas has plenty of great trails, so I am looking forward to getting back on dirt for some real single-track riding...not to mention another return to Spring weather. And most exciting of all, it will be the debut of the Superfly...at least the debut of my SuperFly. Can't wait!

on the road again

Well, the last week provided a few days of above freezing weather, and I took full advantage to get in some time on the bike. Okay, maybe not FULL advantage, but I did get out. On tuesday I did my longest ride yet, which is only 28 miles, but it was still way more than I would virtually ride on a trainer. It was also a night ride, and the huge orange moon slowly creeped up over the horizon as I went down a country road...it was so surreal. Great to be out again, so I hit the road again tonight. Sure it's back below freezing and I can't feel my toes at the moment, but those other days were sure nice, huh?

I got a new twin 6 jersey and messenger bag in the mail today. They had a one-day event where 1/2 of all profits went to Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong fund. So, although I normally find the items cool but too pricey, on that day I figured I was paying half price and just happened to make a donation at the same time. Either way, I now have a new jersey I am looking forward to wearing and a cool messenger bag that I will experiment with using to carry groceries.

This weekend I will be picking up 1.75 XDX tires for the Superfly. I'm normally a 2.1 kinda' guy, but supposedly the gained speed is worth a slight loss of traction in the corners. Does this mean I could actually get my first gold medal? Only time will tell. Either way, I think it will be a fun year.

I hate training

I hate training. Don't get me wrong, I love mountain biking, running, and even working out...but I can't train just for the sake of training. Riding a bike trainer indoors is torture. I can tell myself that it will help me enjoy biking outside even more, but I think I will hold out for the real thing. I miss the wind in my hair, shifting my balance, feeling the tires connect in a corner, the rhythem of the trail. Unfortunately, I guess this means I am not a true cyclist

No, this doesn't mean i will sit on the couch until mid-March...I'm not willing to lose my grip on overall health. However, it does mean I am not going to be methodical or give 110% yet. I just want to maintain my health and weight so that I can start when it is time.

As for fun exercise, this past weekend I hit the x-country ski trails for a couple hours with my fellow WORS riders. It was a lot of fun; not too strenous, but still great to be outside and get some exercise. I also found that you can ski telemark-style with x-country skis, or even glide on both knees. It was surprisingly fun and even functional since your weight is up front (not on the middle fish scales / brakes).

Outside of the exercise world, I thought I would mention that I cut my ties with Time Warner...except for the internet connection I am using at this moment. Over-the-air digital television is nice (and free!), but admitedly it can be lacking on weekends when infomercials seem to take over. Regardless, I am happy to stop paying the extreme cost cable companies seem to demand.

I'm going to the comedy club tomorrow. I also went this past weekend. I'm curious to see if my theory holds true...I think the 2nd opener act has always been funnier than the headliner - we'll see. Either way, any day I can get an hour of laughing is a good day.

Winter Trail Riding

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Originally uploaded by hav2thnk

This past weekend Jesse and I managed to get in some trail riding before the big winter chill arrived. We ventured along the Appleton trails along the river and then checked out various parks. The photo shows a playground with several snow banks that school kids turned into a fun bike park. We also checked out a sled hill that we cautiously went down to avoid the ice.

Eventually we stopped for a coffee downtown and then headed back out for the rest of our ride. The dam in the flats was steaming and ice covered at the same time. The ice and river was beautiful as the sun started to set. We rode around for a bit longer and then parted ways to head back home. Overall, a great ride and good to be outside again.

Note to self: This ride I wore hiking boots with thin and thick socks on platform pedals. Hard to tell how much this helped, but in general I think this helped circulation and may be my sub-freezing footwear in the future.

Training

Well, I can't say I have done much training, but I did manage to ride the CyclOps trainer this week and even did a CompuTrainer ride with some fellow racers. I have been using a Suunto Heart Rate monitor since last season. It's nice to measure the intensity of rides, especially in comparison to race days which I can never come close to in my training. While on the trainer I decided to hook up the HR monitor to the laptop for some real-time graphing. It made the session a bit more fun, which is desparately needed when confined to a trainer versus the thrill of trail riding.

Today my new (used) SuperFly should arrive. I am looking forward to moving to 29" wheels while maintaining an overall light bike. I also think the fit will be better for me; slightly less reach and a bit more rise on the handlebars. I hope to convert it to single-speed and give that a try and a few races, but for now I am looking forward to just getting it ready to ride.

It's a new year. Time for some reflection. As is probably obvious, biking (and racing) will continue to be a big part of my life. It is my source for physical and mental health, and provides a comradery between my friends and fellow cyclists. I'm still torn between my desire to return to the city and my current ability to escape to singletrack after work. My desire for a simple condo with no yard work versus not sharing walls and having a garage and basement. I'm also not sure about the potential job change that would be required. I look forward to seeing how the year unfolds and what changes lie ahead.

Finally, I look forward to moving on in relationships. The last year had ups and downs as was to be expected, but overall it was clear that hurt, anger, and confusion remained. At the same time, I have had a glimpse of what could be a better match for me, and the potential such a relationship could hold. I look forward to see if 2009 is the time for my heart and fate to come together...with a bit of hard work of course. Only time will tell...