It's a Steep Ride to Suffering

Harbor SEals Challenges

2011-07-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

I's is Harbor SEals Challenges... Ask mes about it in 62 days when I's is dones. Yup. It's a spiritual challenge...

Flub

2008-03-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

Sunday provided a short weather window for another great weekend ride. Spiz showed up at my doorstep and we departed shortly after 8am, Chugg and The Furnace ready for a nice, fairly flat, 60 mi day. We churned through the miles, save for the two flat tire workshops (front and rear, for good measure) and as many potty stops. During the return we ran into a strong headwind, 15 knots or so, and we passed another cyclist struggling against the gusts just south of Lake Stevens. He quickly tucked a wheel in behind me and so we three formed a paceline. We held it strong for about 5 miles, until we reached Machias Station and the old guy dropped off with a "Thanks for the Pull," shoutout. Spiz and I took turns up front, switching every mile or so, and were holding 17.5-18mph the whole time. We all need to work on our pack riding skills, but it's certainly easy to measure the benefits in a short situation like that. Continuing our journey south we moved back to riding abreast, sacrificing aerodynamics and speed for conversation.

And that was my literal downfall.

Nearing our destination, on Homeacres Road just shy of Ebey Island, we were chatting about something. I don't remember exactly what happened, and I think I was talking with one hand off my bars, when they twisted around in front of me with a CLANG. Then I went THUD and SCRAAAPE across the chip sealed asphalt. Then The Furnace CRASHED into Chugg, then my front tire went PPOPP (still not sure what caused that).

Damage list (still not totally assessed):
The Furnace's front tire is out of true and rear brake needs a realignment, also some paint chips.
Chugg's front tire shredded, bartape shredded, scrapes and scratches in shifter levers and rubber hood. Rear blinkly light exploded too.
My jacket has a new ventilation hole (see 3 foot day-glow orange streak on the pavement).
My jersey also breathes better than ever.
My shoulder also breathes better than ever.
So does my elbow.

I need to thank 'Mike the Samaritan' who stopped and drove us other two shaken-up-Mikes the rest of the way home in his truck. We were in no shape to make the rest of the trip home.

Swimming with Jay

2008-03-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

Swimming laps for the first time in years went much better than I thought it would. Mostly because Jay had the facility and training plan wired. It was a little embarrassing when the life guard caught me peeing in the pool. Maybe I should have gotten in first. Or been wearing a swimsuit. Next time the plan is to steel the water polo team's varsity jackets for kicks. Shelden High Water Polo Rules!

Spiritual Well - Being

2008-03-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's ride was great, a fast time up Harbour Heights and a sunny ascent on the Goat Trail.
But easily eclipsing the well-being to my body was the spiritual boost I got from the 4-0 trouncing we gave to the 'Blueberries' in yesterday's foosball matches. That felt good.

sign it. do it.

2008-03-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

The folks at Bike There have an online petition to Google to add some cool new cycling related features to their online mapping tools. Different than many other cycling related g-maps mashups, they envision actual route finding features catered to the non-road-law-abiding cycling community.

Sign it.

juss sayin

2008-03-02T19:58:00.000-08:00

so. anyways. i'm a bit drunk right now. two scotches (three fingers) and mor than a few glasses a wine.

but you know what?! I met somebody with their own wikipedia entry. right now I'm watching American Dad, but for the last few hours Kinnard & I (& half of the QT, but mostly Kinnard & I) have been down in the Pump Room. And we've been hanging out with this guy. When we told him we were some heavy hitters from Seattle he tells us he pretty much built the Space Needle (you might have heard of it). He comes in every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday (for the last 48 years). He hangs right at the corner of the bar and drinks a Grey Goose and Orange, Up. He introduced us to this other cat that owns Wilson's (the busiest restaurant in the Windy City, third busiest in the World, according to Max).

As full of his own retired self as he is, this guy is awesome. If there's anything I can drink, or smoke, so that I wind up sounding like this guy, just tell me. I'm willing.

Epic Week ended with an Epic Ride

2008-02-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

...and all I got were these wasted legs.

Bri and I took Monday off, but started training properly Tuesday. After all, off-season is now over, it's officially pre-season now. Whatever that means. I blasted up Harbour Heights (aka Houston) in my best time yet, well under 4 minutes, stop sign to stop sign. We then explored a new lunchtime route, a nice long flat one where one can really turn on the speed. It felt good to shuffle loose from the last remaining D.C. aches and leave them on the Boeing Freeway. Ah man, I love those stretches. Yes climbing is fun and rewarding, but I bought my road bike and haven't turned back to my x-country for one reason. Sheer speed. I love it.

But Wed was back to the hills.

Houston of course, can't get around that. But then we followed that up with two trips up and down St. Andrews Blvd. You know, for kicks. All in all a pleasant ride though, shedding some of those winter layers really helps and both ascents on St Andy were quick, I was able to keep my cadence up well enough and had some kick left for the last push.

Thursday we rode down the Goat Trail. And up the Goat Trail. But another great ride (and another day of leaving Bri in the dust). I rode this route in my best time yet, too.

Friday (yesterday) we retired the bikes and and made it a run day. A relatively slow 5 mi slog to the park at 92nd St. Also, I went out with some friends to an $8 show down at the Tractor Tavern after work. And after the bottom half of a bottle of wine. 4 beers and 3 bands later it's 1am and I'm not even home yet. Yikes, Brian is going to be knocking on my front door in just a few hours.

Which happens at about 7am. Bleary and bloodshot, I roll out with Brian for our 'Hilly Forty.' A quick lap around north Everett, including a 1.5 minute lap through the arboretum at Legion Park, then on to Mukilteo. A long climb up from the ferry (we opted out of the Goat Trail, thank gawd). Flat Tire. Brian's house for a quick pump. A call (while still riding) from my hair stylist, setting up an appt to tame the mane makes me feel ridiculous, no one else would field such a call apart from the overly-coiffed Italian himself. Back to Everett, but only momentarily as we quickly head east out along the Sno River. We get passed by a club ride (my legs are complaining today). Another Flat Tire and another 20 minutes down the tube (is that a pun? I can't tell). Hunger pangs pining for pho. Loop through Snohomish, then back home across the Ebey Isle flats.

Bid Brian goodbye and good luck at the airport, his mom flies in today from IL (where I'm headed in a week, coincidentally). But that's not the end of my Ride. My buddy Mike shows up and we head out to help him break in his brand-new ProjectOne Madone. This guy is green on his bike I'm expecting a leisurely 20 to finish my day with. But no, this kid has legs! I follow him for most of the ride and suck wind whenever I can get close enough. He can't climb yet, but I think we have more than an honorary contender for this year's TdM.

68 miles on my 'puter later we get back, I realize my pho dreams and bask in the sunshine with the kids for the last remainder of the afternoon.

My legs are toast. Shaky and achy I'm so looking forward to a day off tomorrow. Good night all.

Eugene Open

2008-02-23T16:11:00.000-08:00

Today Jay and I did 75 suicides at the tennis court to warm up for our 15 set match. Jay won the last set in a tie break 30-28. We played left handed with these cool wooden rackets endorsed by Jimmy Conners (We like to call him "Coach"). We're in talks right now for an endorsement deal with Head and Shoulders shampoo and Old Spice aftershave. Andy Roddick is our new ball boy, but Jay has already threatened to fire him if he doesn't win a Major this season.

Its On Like...

2008-02-15T09:12:00.001-08:00

See you in Manzanita

Shenanigans

2008-02-07T08:33:00.000-08:00

Some dude named B. McNamee just dropped off a bunch of bloody syringes labeled "B. Davis". He said they would prove Brian was lying when he told the Mukilteo City Council he had never injected Estrogen in order to gain an unfair advantage in qualifying for the Ms. Mukilteo Lighthouse Grand Parade contest. Considering who won the last several Ms. Mukilteo Lghthouse Grand Parade Contests, it might have been necesarry:
The point is, be careful about beating him too badly in the Davis Challenge. He's got a lot of strange hormones coursing through his body and he's prone to tears.

Green River

2008-02-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

They say that during strenuous exercise you can lose up to two quarts of water per hour. What I didn't realize was from where all this fluid was exiting my body.

It comes out my nose.

In the form of snot. Lots and lots of it.

Brian and I rode a nice fast hilly 40 today (40.02 actually). We chewed plenty of scenery. Including my own little "Phlegm Falls." Dribbling down my face all morning long and drip-splattering off my top tube was three hours of free flowing mucus. It wasn't to be stopped. And terry-thumbed gloves only absorb so much. If only I was drawn to recycle the flow better I would have little need for supplementary fluid intake.

Also, I should mention that since I've started daily blasting my pecs in prep for the Davis Challenge I've been feeling much healthier, much stronger. But I'm not the only one noticing, I'm also turning more heads. I've even started modeling a little. You can catch some my latest work here.

Chris Andrejko Commuter Challenge

2008-01-28T10:45:00.000-08:00

Description: Ride to work in 4 to 5 inches of snow and ice. Points are deducted for crashing due to icey conditions or using knobby tires. This years winner: Chris Andrejko. Second place: the girl in the down vest with horn rimmed glasses (though she had no idea the conditions waiting for her on the bike path when I passed her going the other way. It made the iced over roads seem downright navigable. Still the only other person I saw hard body enough to get on their bike this morning, so props to her.) This years MVP (AKA the Laurence Maroney Realest Bike Ever Award) is Candy who looked good doing it while flossing her rebuilt rear wheal (Sittin on Deuce-6's for real). This years losers: People with heated car seats and/or all wheel drive.

B Shower Announcement - 5 months

2008-01-27T21:10:00.000-08:00

Fellow STPers,

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I may be inviting y'all to a B-Shower in five months. That's right, a shower for a new bicycle sometime in June. It all depends on Bush's Economic Stimulus Package, but according to the News, it looks really promising.

If our government approves the tax breaks, I will not be un-American and save the money or put it towards Weiss' college education. I've already informed Mi Yong that saving money would be irresponsible and unpatriotic. Finally, I plan to register at Gregg's Cycles in Alderwood. So far my Registry includes:

First Hill

2008-01-19T16:35:00.000-08:00

And I don't mean Pill Hill. Harbour Heights in Mukilteo. After being out of commission last week from a herniated disk and leg injury and subsequent psycho roid rage, I am somehow talked into doing an army PT training session followed by Harbour Heights Hill in the rain. Had not been with Gerald since the 61 miler but had to admit, instant joy on getting back on the saddle. You feel like flying. Brian a.k.a. "the Sheepdog" would hear none of my whining and gives slightly annoying though still encouraging chatter without a hint of panting throughout the climb, throughout which I felt on the verge of coming to a standstill before plowing backwards, unable to clip out. My obituary would say, found wearing neon, spandex, and lobster claws on Harbour Heights Rd. And that is the "easy" leg of the Tour de Mukilteo. A few minutes of coughing up the other lung, then a trip to Gregg's Cycle shop in Alderwood (mmmm GEAR) to get a fender and new tubes. That is a good day. You cannot pay enough for the privilege of coughing up a lung in such fashion.

Watched American Flyer again. What happened to David Grant? Can you imagine working at Home Depot for 4 years, then the government boycotts the Olympics. It beats having to blame yourself. Nothing like a good battle against burly bearded Soviets with '80's music beating in the background. Res firma mitescere nescit (hope I got that right).

Wu-Tang is for the children

2008-01-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Forgot to include this in the last post for the Wu-Tang fans:

Candy wants new shoes damnit

2008-01-18T08:50:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to alternate lunch runs and bike rides up the nearest butte so that I don't dissapoint ~~Sgt Hulka~~ Brian too badly (This is in between the literally dozens of sit ups and push ups I'm doing). I went to grab the single speed commuter this morning and heard a funny rattle, so I think I'll look for a loose spoke. It was pretty easy to spot the one that had snapped and was sticking out to the side. I'm guessing it was the Jan Ullrich like amounts of force I applied mashing up the hill and had nothing to do with metal fatigue. I've been promising her new shoes for a while, so I guess we'll head to the bike store this weekend and get a new rear wheel built up. I hope they have the pink hubs in stock. Or maybe Isabella cut the spoke so she could get out this morning.

But when does it get Easy?

2008-01-17T12:57:00.000-08:00

So Bri and I took Crash and Chugg out for a 68 mi trip on Sunday and it was great. We were mighty hungry by the end, but it was an overall very enjoyable ride. Can't wait to do more LSD trips. We took it easy Monday (apart from the hundreds of pushups/situps I'm doing daily to prep for the upcoming Davis Challenge, naturally). On Tues Bri made me run again (ugh). On Wed I rode in to work with Chugg.

But now I'm confused.

When is this going to get easy?

I was struggling, the long climb up the speedway was achy, and I was nearly at the top when I realized I was in a gear two clicks up from where I thought I was. Demoralizing. Then, at lunchtime we took Crash and Chugg out for the ol' D2D-1 route, and it was painful. I granny-geared up Picnic Point, granny-geared up the switchback and it took everything I had to granny-gear it up St. Andy's, and I turned in a terrible time to boot. I won't even bother logging in the time (I forgot to keep very accurate times anyhoo).

We've been cycling casually a few times a week, with longer rides every other weekend or so: shouldn't we be Lance by now? Or at least a Hincapie? What are we doing wrong?

I have a theory:

--

--

--[whispered: I think St. Andrew's Blvd is actually evil.]

It must be. There's just no other explanation. Somebody must have rustled the bones of an old Team ONCE rider or something. And now the hill itself is conspiring to bring down any rider that dare attempt the fool ascent.

Either that, or all the pro riders are doping. Which I'm sure isn't the case.

On the way home though, I did have a more pleasant ride. The fell spirits left me alone and I felt fast for once in the day. Course I did have some help. Someone was buzzing in my ear the whole way and urging me forward.

hint: It was the Wu-Tang Clan.

Carmex Haikuish

2008-01-14T13:58:00.000-08:00

Direction: Apply freely to affected areas.
Warning: Use only as directed.

Props

2008-01-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

When Weiss was just a little rugrat, whenever he said "T", that meant "Thank You". I will do the same...

T Jennifer Methany. T for enrolling at the Univ. of Oregon in Eugene, to pursue your PhD. By doing so, lazy Chris discovered the world of cycling and then introduced me to the cycling bug.

T Michael Guthrie. T for convincing me to buy beer after our ride today, when you said incredulously, "I can't believe you aren't going to drink any beer tonight"!

T German lawmakers. T for enacting such strict water purity laws for your beer makers that makes St. Pauli Girl beer taste so delicious.

T Mi Yong. T for having a big pot of chili on the stove, waiting for me when I got home.

T Snohomish Park & Recreation Committee. T for allowing horses on the Centennial Trail. Today I saw a horse trotting for the very first time.

T Puget Sound Area. T for being absolutely gorgeous today. From the Puget Sound, to the sunlit Cascades, to the raging Snohomish river. Unbelievably scenic.

T Chris Andrejko. T for being my biking Muse. I am training so very hard to beat you in the 2008 Tour de Mukilteo. Again.

T Crash. T for taking me 68 miles. That's approximately riding from Mukilteo to Olympia. You only had one unlucky puncture, with that stoopid piece of metal. At least it happened near a bench overlooking the river. T for giving me the most enjoyable ride I've had so far on a bike!

Pain Threshold

2008-01-11T21:54:00.000-08:00

So I'm learning how to deal with pain. This past week, I stopped drinking alcohol, coffee, and I've cut out fast food. I also picked up some Crest white-strips at Target the other day, since my teeth have browned a lot ever since I started drinking Venti drips every morning. These strips make my teeth quite sensitive.

So where am I going with all this? Hunger headaches + achy teeth + alcohol withdraw = an uncomfortable Brian. However, I now compare all my pain with pain felt on Crash. That is my new standard. Ow, my head aches. Aw, that's nothing compared to climbing Goat Loop Trail. Damn, hot tea makes my teeth hurt. Suck it up, St. Andrews is so much worse. That is my new way to manage pain. Try it sometime, it really works! I am training hard for the Davis Challenge. By doing so, I will be in great shape this upcoming cycling season. If I'm in great shape, I can win the 2008 Tour de Mukilteo...

Sunday morning, Chugg & Crash have a tour date. Planning on a 60+ miler, at LSD pace, with some hills thrown in in the beginning of the ride. So I headed out to Greggs Cycles again after work to get my flat repaired. Three flats in four rides. That's a 75% puncture rate. At that rate, I doubt CPS, (Cycling Protection Services) would allow me to continue to ride Crash.

So I walk IN to get the tube replaced, and I walk OUT with two new tires, a new tube, and fenders! That's right, Crash has fenders!!! I am so proud. So now I'm really excited to report back on my upcoming Sunday ride. (A short side note; I bought cheap tires. My reasoning is tires are Crash's shoes. Just like running, I buy mid-level running shoes because I always replace them every 4 months. That's what I plan to do with tires). Well, great customer service once again. No charge for the tube, or labor to put on the new tires. Why? They changed my last tire, and felt responsible for not insisting that I get new tires. So, Sat am, another PT Test, Sat pm, watch the Seahawks, and eat for Sunday's ride. Sunday, a 60 miler, and I wouldn't even mind seeing a few raindrops.

North Everett crimewave?

2008-01-09T20:32:00.000-08:00

So Chugg's rear tire was flat yesterday. Odd, because i hadn't ridden in several days. Regardless, needs changing. So I find the culprit, a very small little leak on the sidewall of the tube. I don't know what caused it, the tire was fine and it should have been pumped up enough to prevent a pinch flat. I didn't dwell though, I sanded and patched the wound and fed the tube back into the tire. I put the wheel back on the bike (my tires are fat enough that i cannot easily fit them through my brake pads when pumped up). I'm pumping pumping pumping, keeping an eye on the pressure gauge. Then you wouldn't believe it:

Somebody shot my tire!

A stray gunshot went right through tube!

Well, it was loud enough at any rate; I was certainly rattled. While it wasn't really a gunshot both my wife's and my ears were ringing. a lot. I'm not sure exactly what happened. I was still 20 psi away from the 150 i usually keep my tires at (i love my Vredstein Tricomps, and their recommended 160 psi). But boy did that that tube explode. The concussion kicked half the tire back off the rim (which normally takes me five minutes and two skinned knuckles to do) and tore a three inch gash in the side of the tube (far away from my patch job, incidentally).

Maybe this is common for all you seasoned roadies, but I havn't ever had flat that wasn't just a fast hisSSSsss.sssSSSsss. (that's the sounds of the tire spinning) sssSSSsss. Scared the bejeezus outa me.

So much for the patch, I had to use my last spare. Guess that means a trip to the shop for more, I don't like to ride without a spare tube. Otherwise Murphy pretty much guarantees a gauntlet of broken beer bottles, metal springs and windshield debris fields.

Einstein had a formula, Team Joe Camel has a formula...:

2008-01-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

I noticed Team Ro/Davis has a Mission Statement for the upcoming Davis challenge. I believe it was "Lead the Way!", which is clever, because neither Davis nor Ro were Army Rangers, though I think Davis used to towel off their weight lifting equipment for them. Plus it has an exclamation point!! (Nice eh? I'm learning from you Davis!).
This has led me to believe team Joe Camel also needs a mission statement. I considered several. Early favorites included "Hey little kids, smoking is cool!", "The only Team that Matters!", personal favorite "You've come a long way baby!", and of course "What we're dealing with here is a complete lack of respect for the law!"
However, given the increasing militarization and jingoism present in modern American culture, following the lead of Davis / Ro, and as Schwarz has recently returned from a tour of duty as a special forces "Shooter" in operation "Photograph a High School Dance Squad Competition" (He can't talk about it, so don't ask), our new mission statement is "He who dares, wins!" (Note: this is in no way implying that the afore-mentioned "He" is in fact an Andrejko or a Schwarz, or that either man has ever served in the SAS, those guys are sissies).

Revelations

2008-01-02T16:47:00.000-08:00

K. Yesterday's Century Ride? No dice. Y? Widowmaker Hubris? Perhaps, a litte bit. Scapegoat would be Crash Davis, and Crash's puncture around mile 19, but this is 2008, so no excuses. After Saturday's 61 miler, I felt like I could conquer the world on the bike. Me & Crash. However, while my buddy Michael was busy changing my rear inner tube, I could feel my motivation for the 100 mile ride gradually slip away.

I believe the answer lies within my buddy Chris' last post. Why even attempt the 100 mile ride? Why bother? The answer to my whys become apparent pretty quick on New Year's Day. The answer is I'm not sure. Ultimately, TheGuth & I completed a 35 mile ride after the flat. Going out, we were averaging around 16 mph. Coming back, we were averaging well over 18 mph. (20-21 for awhile and believe you me, I felt every pedal stroke).

So now I'm at the point where I desire a mixture of hills, distance, and speed. That is my cup of tea. Maybe I'll reach the point where that will be encompassed in a 100 miler, but honestly I think that won't happen until I am retired and have all day long to hang out with Crash. So... My disappoint with Crash was short lived. I scolded him with a swift "Fuck" at the point of puncture. I'm sorry Crash. Now, I believe he was doing me a favor. Also, punctures don't bother me much anymore. What is 20 min, in the big picture in life? Not that much. I learned I need to slow down a bit. Thanks Crash for that lesson.

I will conclude this post with what everyone really wants to hear. My product reviews. The padded undies were outstanding. Walking around though, to and from the car, makes me respect women and their maxi-pads. My toe covers worked, but sucked because they keep falling off. Probably because I have recessed mt. bike shoes. Padded gloves rock, but I exchanged them at Gregg's today because there was a loose stitch. Great customer service. Finally, my Gel taste test? Sorry, but I only had one vanilla Gel. Yummy & easy to eat while riding...

TO: Chris & Jay
RE: Davis Challenge 2008

Please don't hurt the bunnies. Instead of the rabbits, take my stoopid Pearl Izumi toe covers and have your way with them!!!

Ice

2008-01-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

No hundred miler for me today (or any day really). I thought about putting on some tight pants and a bright jacket, calling up my buddies and getting really sweaty with them, but then I just decided to just go to the bath house instead. It seemed more macho. And thats what I'm about really.
Commuting in the Ice has been fun. The best part is when you stand up to peddle as the red light changes and your rear wheel just starts turning without you going anywhere. I feel like Brian in the first Tour De Mukilteo when that happens, seeing everyone else pull away while I seem not to move, even though I am peddling. LOL!
Enjoy the century ride, just know that Jay and I will win or the rabbits will die.

New Year's Eve 2007

2007-12-31T16:41:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I am more excited than I've ever been on Christmas Eve growing up as a kid. Why? Michael, Crash, Chugg, and I are going to attempt our very first century ride tomorrow on New Year's Day! The weather forecast is very promising. So right after work today I headed straight to Gregg's Cycles: 1 extra H20 bottle & cage = $11. 1 warm headliner = $15. 1 set biking gloves = $30 (Goodbye old running gloves). 1 set toe covers = $20 (lost left cover last Sat). 1 pair bad-ass padded underwear = $25 (size XXXL). Price of properly gearing out for 100 miles? Priceless...

While at the bike shop, I came up with an amazing training tip for Chris from Ventoux. Normally I would never, ever volunteer such valuable information to the competition, but seeing that I didn't get him anything for Christmas, and that he probably didn't take advantage of the training lead I gave him yesterday, I will reveal my training secret. Chris, you need to march down to your local bike shop, and purchase a kiddie trailer. Next, you need to take your 115 lb dog, Sammy Metheny-Andrejko, and place him in the trailer. Finally, you need to ride around Eugene pulling Sammy. You do that, and you will be competitive on the flat stages of the Tour de Mukilteo. In fact, you could cross train with Jay, and take turns riding in the trailer. Hey, the secrets out, now it's up to you to take advantage...

How does one prepare for a century ride? I dunno, but you'd better believe I am already documenting my preparations now. Appetizers: 2 Grolsch 16 oz beers (the ones with the cool caps). Ore Ida Crispy Crowns and onion rings, and a bacon burger. Let's see how far that takes me. Actually, I'm more anxious for my post-ride meal. Chili Dogs!!! I believe behind every great marathon training run or long bike ride, a post-meal is at the core of the motivation. It's a long-standing Davis Family tradition to have chili on New Years Day, and Crash and I are NOT about to break tradition. In fact, Crash gets to spend the night inside the house tonight. Finally, I will be conducting a taste test tomorrow of my gels. I have GU, PowerBar Gel, Hammer Gel, and old reliable Promax bars. Don't worry, I'll report back after tomorrow's ride. Wish us luck!

Pensees

2007-12-30T16:11:00.000-08:00

To my homey Pascal. I will describe my LSD ride ala Pascal-style...

P1: Crash truly loved the 61 miler with Chugg & Gerald.

P2: To my homey Chris from Ventroux. It is currently 4:16 pm, 12/30/07. I will grant you the next 7 hrs and 44 mins to get a leg up on training for the Tour de Mukilteo. After that, you will only be competing for 2nd place this year. That head start also applies for everyone else competing this upcoming year. Crash Davis & I start tomorrow.

P3: Great route yesterday. Totally amazing. Only one shortfall. No hills! Next ride incorporates Forest Park & Glenwood Ave. Next ride after that; North Everett & Legion Park!

P4: MVR (most valuable rider) - Susie Ro. $20 bill in Gerald's back pocket.

P5: I almost bonked on the ride home. MVR gave me two gels that saved my life.

P6: By April 1st, Michael, Chugg, Crash, and I will have the century ride figured out and then some.

P7: This morning, I woke up feeling as though I just got back from visiting the most luxurious spa. Is this how the other half lives?

P8: I can't wait for my next ride!!!

Long Slow Distance

2007-12-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

Brian, Suzie, and I took Crash, Gerald and Chugg (respectively) out for a longer ride yesterday. This is the first time Suzie has been able to join up (when we didn't get beaten back by a snowstorm) and we did great. The intent was to begin our LSD rides and begin exploring the Centennial Trail that travels north from Snohomish. We left my place at around 8am (and 34°, yikes) and headed south out along the Lowell-Larimer Rd, then angled back north to Snohomish on Springetti Rd. Here's a picture of TGOR at the top of Springetti

I certainly don't tire of the scenery out here, even on a dismally gray day like this the countryside is refreshing.

Once in Snohomish we poked around until we found the Centennial Trailhead and began blazing our path north. Despite the annoying, and sometimes difficult, zigzag riders are forced to take at the roadblocks the trail designers threw up at intersections, we make quick progress. So quick that we just kept going. And going. Long Slow turned into Longer, and a little Slower. For we had to be a bit wary on the stretch between Machias and Lake Stevens, there was still quite a bit of snow on the trail from a storm or two ago. Finally we turned around to head home, but only because we ran out of trail. Yep, we took it all the way to the northern terminus up in Arlington.

The return trip quickly began to reveal that none of us had intended to travel quite this far this day. We all got hungry. Real Hungry. But Suz (and Gerald R.) were the MVPs of the day, for they had stashed away a $20 bill. Enough for everyone to enjoy a cookie or a bagel, enough to fill the tanks enough to get us home. While eating outside the espresso stand we saw the Snohomish Bicycling Club riders making their way through town. Geared out in blue Bicycle Centres Jerseys they looked to be just making their way toward the trailhead. Brian and I have talked about joining one of those rides, maybe in one of the upcoming weeks.

So, there is a lumberyard in Snohomish that likes to boast of their safety. Or rather lack of it. The number on this sign is usually below 10! The highest I've ever seen it climb is 36, which was just the other day when I passed here on a ride. As we approached it today I thought it might be up in the 40's now, but NOPE. This warranted a picture with Crash (who needs to make this his photo in his blogger profile now).
As we pass here and write of our ride in this vicinity we'll have to try to keep track of the safe stints here for you.

Once we had a little something in our bellies we began the last stretch of the ride home, up Riverview Rd and then Homeacres Rd on Ebey Island until we reach Hwy 2 and home to Everett. I really love this stretch: it's beautiful, amazing views of the river, the valley, and the mountains to the east (which were lit up like a beer commercial today!). Plus it's fast, the road is primarily long flat stretches where you can just pound out the miles. Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's virtually in my backyard, literally no more than 5 mins from my front door.

All told, we rode for 60 miles round trip. I think that's the longest ride I've ever been a part of. And I'm ready for more. I hear Monday and Tuesday are both going to be clear weather-wise. If it's not icy tomorrow I'll commute to work, otherwise I'll car my bike in and just limit the day to a lunchtime ride with Crash and work on the climbs. I think I have plans at gramma/grampa's house on Tuesday, but I'll see if I can't get in at least 20-30 miles in the morning.

Erik the Bike PT

2007-12-28T22:04:00.000-08:00

I am posting on my first ever blog because I owe a big one to Brian, who helped pace me at not 1 but 2 marathons in the past month, getting me into the Marathon Maniacs. But enough about running.

Have always wanted to ride since seeing pelotons of sleek, speedy types zooming by me on Sheridan Ave. Have always been intimidated by "bike snobs" who look you up and down and try to push an overpriced old lady city bike on you, because you clearly don't look like a cyclist. Went on Burke Gilman with Brian on my visit to Seattle last year, and decided f- it, I needed to get a road bike.

This is the story of my love-hate relationship with Gerald. I was introduced to Mr. Rizzer in the fancy bike store in the building where I used to live. My first ever road bike, carbon frame with racing geometry, no "granny gear", along with the chamois shorts and neon clearly elevates my already sturdy poser grade, but whatever, life's too short to skimp on gear. First time out, had to stop because I couldn't figure out the gear shifts (my last bike 15 yrs ago didn't have shifters on the handlebars). Second time out, derailed the gear and couldn't get it back on. Third time out, blew a tire and it took me an hour to figure out there was a massive hole and not just my inability to pump it correctly. Getting pitiful looks from the guys at the bike shop.

Finally start riding in Evanston, IL. Freedom, light as air until you hit 3 miles of straight pot hole hell. Plus horrible traffic, no hills. Time to move to Seattle, where people can run all year and bike on smooth, bike-friendly paths with actual interesting scenery. Finally able to ride 30+ miles without getting a brain cramp to avoid stoplights and potholes, though I still manage to fall (going 1 mph at an uphill stop). But now severe neck pain on any ride >90 min. Friend and coworker Lily Jung (also a maniac and 2 time finisher of STP) advised me to see Erik Moen, bike PT extraordinaire, and even wrote me a referral.

Erik is a cyclist/ triathlete and Physical Trainer who does bike fittings in his office in Kenmore (bikept.com). I bring Mr. Rizzer in, he gets put on a stand. Erik takes measurements of my angles riding (shoulder, hip, knee) using a giant protractor. He dangles a silver pendulum looking thing from my knee to see where it hovers over my foot. He measures the various segments of my bike frame, stem, seatpost, and even my shoes. Like an engineer. He determines that my seat is too far back/ tilted, putting strain on my shoulders from overreaching, and I need a new non-offset seatpost. He adjusted the bolts on my shoes and the position of the brakes on the rams horn to be closer together. I ordered the seatpost and today he fit the seat on it, using a bubble level and various rulers/ protractors. I rode on it without touching the handlebars, which is supposedly a test to see if your seat tilt is right. At least in the shop, these small changes made a huge difference. Will see how it translates on the road tomorrow, my first ride on the roads of Washington state.

He also did some E-stim for my back spasm (stupidly bent over carrying a heavy backpack and felt a "pop" when I stood up yesterday, haven't been able to straighten up since) which had an immediate effect loosening my back. Was prone on a massage table and these electrodes were stuck on my back and electric current run through them. It was like a massage from the inside, felt like someone was rubbing my back with buzzing pencil erasers. Highly recommend.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate. I am glad for the privilege of suffering on a new steep ride; the only reasons to get up in the morning.

welcome to the convergence zone

2007-12-26T22:01:00.000-08:00

This weather is a tremendous buzzkill. Snow is pretty and all, but it's less than conducive to cycling. While not quite as roused up and focused on a training regimen as Bri, I am excited to get into better shape and show these hills just what I can bring.

But the meteorologists say I likely won't have a chance to get back out there until we build high pressure...next week. We havn't been able to take Crash and Chugg out for a ride in few weeks, and Chugg still hasn't been introduced to Marge B. (don't worry, these nicknames are a little strange and confusing to me too).

We closed the office down early on Christmas Eve though, I was off an hour and a half early. And there was weather break, the streets were wet still but the sun was out. I couldn't not get out for a ride. I rode out to Snohomish and back, took the Lowell-Larimer Rd out and Ebey Island on the way back (on the maps, from my house:bright red out: green back). I was a little slower than I wanted while in the red, but there was a fair amount of traffic too. Once I hit the green I didn't hardly see another car until I hit Hwy2. And I was flying! I hit Homeacres road and shifted up into a fairly difficult gear but I was holding a nice 90+ rpm cadence. I just steeled myself and wasn't going to downshift or slow my rpm until I hit the hwy. And I didn't. I was cruising at 21-22 mph the whole of that last 4 or 5 miles. That boosted my avg speed for the trip to 17.4 mph. Not bad, I'm pleased with myself at any rate.

I had a chance to try out my new Hind booties on that ride too. I am a fan. While they are a little difficult to don, and look ~~a little~~ a lot dorky, my toes were not too cold or numb at all.

Last week i rode the Goat Trail solo a few more times. I do enjoy that ride. On Friday I went bottom to top in 12 minutes.

Now I just need to get to the point where the sight of St. Andy doesn't just quash my confidence. I don't enjoy that climb.

yet.

I just need some better weather.

Training Update

2007-12-20T10:22:00.000-08:00

Conditioning for the Davis Cup continues apace. I have not been on the bike in 6 days. I have taken several pitifully short runs. I have been drinking several bottles of local wine, eating lots of cookies, and contemplating my belly button. I think the repeated use of the hot tub should help preserve my level of conditioning, its got all kinds of jets and stuff. Just a general note, if you find a duffel bag full of money, I can think of worse places to settle down than the Mendocino area.

weekend update

2007-12-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

That bag of chips has continued to haunt me. I think you know what I mean.

Last night for dinner I had three carrots, two celery sticks, two bell peppers. and some hummus. Maybe I can use that fiber to counter any lingering after effects. Yikes.

Weather has been dismal so far this week. Since this weekend's flubs the weatherman's predictions have been spot on. Hopefully we get some breaks the rest of the week. Don't need much, just window of a few hours. Cross your fingers.

net loss weekend

2007-12-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

I finally got back out on my bike today. Despite indicating that I was riding last week, I didn't.
Call it a combination of weather, recovering from that nasty virus, and maybe a little laziness. The weather predictions have certainly not been a big help at all though. This weekend was expected to be a constant downpour. Torrents, they said.

Yesterday was nearly sunny all day, would have been some nice riding. Instead though, I watched tv nearly all day. I did watch The Flying Scotsman on Brian's recomendation. It was pretty good. Strange to see Billy Boyd and Brian Cox together again after their face off in LOTR:ROTK. It was good, makes me want to learn a little more about Obree.

Last night I was also sure to catch the forecast for today: A Big Wet system moving in, they says. They says the same thing when I got up this morning, that it's already hitting the coast and would be raining here in Everett mid to late morning. But they were wrong, it was beautiful here today until around 4pm.

But I did go for a ride, I rode a quick 20 mi out across the Snohomish River Valley. I should have gone further, but I wanted to be sure to beat the rain. I was not real pleased with my progress on my out to Snohomish, a little slower than I wanted. But there was a slight headwind. I felt better on the way back (taking the Ebey Island Route) and was holding a good 20mph clip. I could hardly believe it my eyes, when I came off of Swan Slough and onto the first straightaway on Homeacres Rd, there was a cyclist up ahead! This was an exact reprise of the ride Bri and I rode a few weeks back when we were left embarrassed. This guy was just a few seconds away from rounding the corner onto the bridge onto Ebey so I was prolly 3/4 mi behind. Maybe a little less. But I was gonna catch him. I started pounding out a cadence and was holding a good 23 mph for the rest of the ride to Hwy 2. And I caught him, right at the very top of the Hwy 2 bridge.

Is it weird that I get this competitive with people that are not even aware we're racing?

I came home and turned on the 'hawks game. Then I ate an entire bag of Tim's Cascade Style Jalepeno Chips. Crikey, they were delicious. But that's 1200 calories I certainly didn't need. There were a couple pints of ale in there too. Ugh, I havn't felt very well since either. I've been fairly good about my diet lately. I should have know this wouldn't sit well.

Hopefully we can get some weather breaks this week and I get back into a decent routine again.

First time reader, first time poster...

2007-12-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

The ride to work today was the same as it ever was so I'll just share some junk wisdom from my email friend Kelly (who's email address oddly refers to Thurston): "All your daily-life signs point to your 'package'? Maybe it's time to change.. the SIZE! " Maybe Kelly, maybe. Perhaps her "Ultimate Medicine" is just what I need to prepare for the Davis Cup. We're not having any out of competition testing are we?

Bland

2007-12-13T21:06:00.000-08:00

Bland. Riding D2D v.2.0. Bland. Thanks Michael. Thanks Chugg. I can definitely say that cycling is not a one man sport. Man is it lonely out on the road alone. Time up Houston was respectable, around 4 min 20 sec, but mostly I'm most proud that I got out on the road 3 consecutive days. Today was wet, but 3 days nonetheless. To respond to "How It's Made" is that I too find that show curiously interesting. I think it's the porn music, but possibly the randomness of the subject matter. Finally, we is going to get Susie on the bike very soon. She has an appointment with a bicycle P.T. Saturday, who will fit her posiition on Gerald just right. I am mostly looking forward to biking next week once again. Bland? That's preseason baby. Personally, I love it.

Detour

2007-12-12T21:58:00.000-08:00

So my wife and I were watching this show on Discovery earlier tonite, "How It's Made," I think it's called. Have you seen this? I love it. Like some of the similar shows I've seen on FoodTV or History Channel, I'm drawn in by any chance to see factory machinery in action. I mean, the proverbial cardboard box factory is standard metaphor for boredom, but I'm riveted. Every Tuesday evening (Wed morning is garbage and recycle pick up day in my hood) I'm impressed with the level at which the corrugation engineers are able to frustrate me as I fumble my way through reversing their efforts. But boxes were on tonite's show. That was just an example.

But they coulda have been the subject. That's one of the draws of the show. You're shown how three things are made, but the three things are so randomly chosen it's almost like the makers are trying their hardest to choose the three most unrelated items they can. Tonight I learned how they made Hot Water Heaters, Jellybeans, and Zambonis. Awesome.

There are another few strange things that separate this show from other, similar ones. First, rarely ever seen are any artisans or machine operators. And if they are necessary, you'll probably only see thier hands. They certainly don't get to talk. The emphasis is on the process, and the factory equipment, not necessarily the skilled craftsmen or designers that have dedicated their lifetimes to making Zambonis, or wooden canoes, or cardboard boxes.

Next, there's the mildly disinterested announcer. The processes are all described by a voice both disembodied and unaffected. He describes each process, each product like he invented it. He's really flirting the line between condescending and smug. -What do you mean you didn't know it took two and a quarter days to make a jellybean?

Lastly, what's with the porn music?

Anyhoo, we'll see you on the Goat Trail tomorrow. I think I'm ready to be back in the saddle after a short bout with the flu earlier this week. And I think Crash is getting lonely out there alone.

D2D v.2.0

2007-12-12T16:56:00.000-08:00

Again, Crash & I rode alone and again it was breezy going up Houston. Today was much better, 4 min 11 sec. After that a pretty normal ride around HP Blvd & Muk Spdwy. TheGuth & Chugg are expected back tomorrow for an attempt up Goat Loop Trail. Tomorrow's ride will be 3 consecutive rides. Just trying to stay honest. Watched a GREAT motivating movie last night. The Flying Scotsman. My favorite quote of the movie is when the protagonist is quoting Eddy Merckx about holding the Hour Ride world record. "He said he would never do it again. That damn race took three years off his life. He never wanted to go through that torture again". Hmmmm. 3 yrs off a life? torture? Sounds like St. Andy to me.

By the Numbers

2007-12-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

Tuesday's D2D ride by the numbers:

41 - minutes exactly to complete D2D
20 - times I wanted to give-up and stop (o.k. I'm exaggerating. It was only 10 times, 7 on St. Andy).
265 - seconds or 4 min 25 sec up Houston. It was quite windy.
30 - minutes to get to the bottom of St. Andy (the rider's halfway point)!

Funny, I had aspirations to break 40 minutes, but that is tough for me to do alone right now. Once I was at the top of St. Andy, I was just happy to have completed D2D. I did figure out a better gearing / cadence for Picnic Point and I did not come to a halt up Chateau Chapeau.

Snow v. The Geared Out Riders

2007-12-09T17:26:00.000-08:00

In the early morning Sunday showdown, Snow v. The Geared Out Riders, Snow won out. Susie, Brian, & The Guth cancelled their planned 50 miler on the Centennial Trail. However, they did not go down without a fight. TGOR attempted to out flank Snow by driving southeast to the Sammamish River Trail. TGOR had to make a pit stop, because one vehicle had to be de-iced with a UA Mileage Plus card. The conditions were worse on the Eastside, so TGOR packed up and went home. Just off HWY 525, there were four car accidents. In fact, the end of HWY 525 was closed because a pickup truck was upside down! Snow had quite a day.

Even though TGOR was unable to ride, the perseverance and drive shown is a sign that these riders are not to be messed with. How's that? The soft comforts of life like sleeping in late Sunday morning, reading the newspaper with coffee and Splenda, being inside a heated home, were all sacrificed by these dedicated cyclists. Also, there were several notable off-road changes made. Brian officially retired the name "thewidowmaker". He nows rides "Crash". The Guth officially commissioned his ride, "Chugg" and Susie has hinted "Gerald" maybe out and "Marge B" might be in. Stay tuned.

Finally, one writing correction from yesterday's entry. Three-In-a Row included D2D, D2D v. 2.0, and D2D v. 4.0 (Goat Loop Trail). D2D v. 3.0 is Picnic Point forward.

Three-In-A Row

2007-12-08T17:43:00.000-08:00

Wednesday's D2D route, I managed up Houston the leader. This fact didn't occur to me until I got home after work. It was the first time WM got up before The Guth. D2D version 4.0 (version 2.0 = up Houston and around Mukilteo Spdwy & HP Blvd / version 3.0 = up Picnic Pt and back home) again I led the way. So now I'm conscious of this. WM's law. 3 times = a habit. So Fri., D2D version 2.0 I actually seek out first man-up Houston. All is well. I create separation. The Guth is well behind. I reach the top of Houston. I feel okay. I will be close to 4 min flat. Life is good. I figure work is done & now maintain pace / cadence. I don't skate, but I don't redline either. Look to see how far back The Guth is. I turn over my shoulder to find my amigo accelerating past me at a speed I can not maintain. Instantly, I know it ain't meant to be. Welcome to pre-season! I am riding with the reigning Tour De Mukilteo Champion. This is quite an honor. Really it is. So I press on. What is my silver lining? I rode D2D, D2D v.2.0, and D2D v.3.0. Three-In-A Row!!!

god damn it, leroy

2007-12-06T20:06:00.000-08:00

I realized something climbing the Goat Trail alongside The Widowmaker today:

Climbing is just like World of Warcraft.

No really, bear with me. Climbers are all shamans. Or maybe White mages. At any rate, to be effective they have to constantly watch their mana levels. Just like climbing. You can't expend everything you've got right off the bat, you won't have enough reserved to carry you through the entire battle. Instead you need to try to gauge which spells to cast (Magic Missile) and which to hide in your bag of tricks for the eventual big attack.

The steep hills are big spells, they cost lots of mana. As long as you are climbing your meter is slowly depleting. But then the incline levels out a bit and you can catch your breath. Your cadence goes up, your speed goes up, your heartrate goes down, and your mana starts to rise. Hey, take a drink of gatorade, that's like mana+12! It can be difficult to gauge how much you'll need sometimes. You can be hugging the wheel of the guy in front of you, mana y mana, but then when you're about depleted at the top of a steep push and ready for the level section ahead to replenish. But uh oh. The leader has a deeper reserve and attacks, he takes off faster than you are ready for and you've got to give chase. Now you are burning out your last bit of mana and find yourself totally depleted at the base of the next 8% grade disappearing out of site up to the right. The leader plops down and rides comfortably up the hill and you're stuck huffing uphill. Slowly. In agony. Game Over, wake up in the nearest graveyard, head back to town and review your inventory. Maybe you have a forgotten restorative tincture in there that you coulda shoulda played sooner.

Next time: how your chainrings are just like Pokemon.

Last Entry:

2007-12-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

This BHAG refers to Goat Trail Loop bien sur.

BHAG

2007-12-06T13:08:00.000-08:00

Big. Hairy. Audacious. Goal. 10 min 30 sec. by July.

35 minutes

2007-12-05T13:13:00.000-08:00

35 minutes. Is it possible? Perhaps, but anyone able to do that will definitely SUFFER. Greatly. No doubt. Overall, great ride for WM. My biggest obstacle is figuring out the middle hill, Picnic Point. Which gear? What Cadence? My smallest obstacle is the short incline just past Chateau Chapeau. I always gear that wrong and today was no exception as Guthrie whizzed by me. 35 minutes? Here's the plan. Comfortably ride it: Dec - 39 min / Jan - 38 min / Feb - 37 min. Mar&Apr - 36 min / May&June - 35 min - July = voila!!! At least it's a plan. Oh, and also increase the doping levels each month.

D2D Day

2007-12-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

Demoralized. That's the word that popped right into my head when I reached the first turn at the bottom of St. Andy's hill. I see the road rising at a 10% grade for the next quarter mile then turning out of sight getting steeper all the time.

I have to learn to not look up. The moment I do my cadence drops by 15 rpm and my bike slows to a slugs pace. It ruins the whole climb. Nonetheless, I made it up, was able to do in a reasonable time too, but not nearly in the manner I want. I gotta learn to pound out a better cadence up in my second chainring. This granny gear stuff is nonsense.

I hate that climb. And I've got some work to do.

D2D Eve

2007-12-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

Respect. That's the first word that comes to mind when I think of the D2D's route. Pain & Suffering are the next two words. Work Hill, Wind & Tide, Picnic Point, Switchback, & St. Andrews. 4 hills & a Monster. Respect. So instead of eating more, drinking a beer, or working out, I stop eating, hydrate, and rest my legs out of Respect for tomorrow's ride... Saturday's 31 miler was probably the most fun I've had on a bike yet. When it comes to cycling on roads (with cars) I am a cowardly neophyte, but somehow riding out in Snohomish there is hope for my phobia. My riding partner was tired? That's because he set the U.S. Record for time on D2D the day before. Sub-38 minutes. Impressive! My goal is to be under 40 min comfortably every ride over the next three months this winter. Last word for tomorrow's ride. Excitement!

Dec 1

2007-12-02T12:51:00.000-08:00

Today was the first official day of training for me and TheWidowmaker (TW). He ran the Seattle Marathon last weekend and needed a week off of our usual lunchtime rides to recoup.
But we went out for a cold 31 mile ride today. Road conditions were a bit of a crapshoot, it was freezing overnight, so we had to wait for it to warm up a little, but heavy snow was predicted for the day so we had to be back before that started. It worked out perfectly. My toes were quite coldfor the first 10 miles or so but they numbed eventually and the remainder of the ride wasn't too bad. sidenote, i gotta get some booties.

This was a vigourous ride though, i can't ever recall being this tired and achy after a ride. We rode from my place up to Forest Park and Muk Blvd to Glenwood. Ride up Glenwood and Madison to Beverly Blvd, that section was just to log some good hills. From there we rode back to N Evt and then took the Lowell Larimer Route out to Springetti and into Snohomish. We came back across Homeacres Rd and Ebey Island. 31 Miles total in 2hrs, 2mins.

TW is fast on the flats. And he's just gonna get faster. I still spin at a higher cadence so I think I can catch him when I need to, and I'm leading him on the climbs. But I don't think I'm gonna be able to rely on any advantages I have for long. We'll be very strong in STP next year, but I'm already worried about the TdM.

The kicker though, is that we saw another cyclist about a half mile ahead of us as we rounded the last corner before the bridge into Ebey. I wanted catch up but we never did. We were pounding out a good pace and were gaining but never caught up. We just totally ran out of steam by the time we hit the Hwy 2 trussel. I did catch a better glimpse the rider as she rode under us back the other way under the bridge. She was riding a hardtail with shocks. Embarassing. for us.
Apart from that last blow to my ego, the ride was spendid, looking forward to some warmer climes and steeper climbs next week.