Curvey Martin came in second place

Weird - I just woke up at 530 am and decided to bike. I opted to jump all over that b/c Tina was working today and that means - usually no biking and a list of things to do. ANYHOO, I got on the bike - realized I should stretch my back first....then rolled out to elm creek via super prime.

I got to the entrance and decided to see just where my fitness was at. Just over 100miles last month - thats it b/c sprained discs in my back means - ouch when riding. Never mind the 50-60 hours of work in office or home. Ok, pitty party - I'll shut up.

I figured there wouldn't be many out so I tried the Elm Creek Time Trial but in reverse (clockwise) in single speed mode 42x15. Thinking there was some cosmic benefit to reverse I guess looking back, counter clockwise would be best b/c you end on a flat (thats if you start where I start - far north entrance where just at the base of the hill to the left of super prime). I headed out past Hayden Lake, then the towers, pet park, the shire, the switchback,past the troll bridge and then all the way going north on the west side of the park are big up and downs - big enough that when I am tired they suck.

I know I am not going to break any land speed records considering my fitness....Lord knows I am not going to beat my time last year of 38:10 single speed but one thing is for sure - I did beat Curvey Martin. For the non-trailhead cyclsits here - Curvey Martin is a mythical rider that always rides at 20mph - no matter what. Curvey is fast up hills and is slow on downhills. It is just a benchmark to measure where you are at.


Well, I rode the TT at 20.4 average and didnt look at the time. I kept the spedo on avg and then just rode home. I did snap a pic. I think if the math is right - 20.4 avg on 13 miles is like 38:13 but I think the loop is just over 13 miles so I am sure it is much higher. mid 38? I have a long way to go but you cant beat riding on a morning like this!

Carbon equals SPEED

Going high - tech. Well, changed out the seat, again. I got a matching seat to my mtb - which is really comfortable. WTB shadow...cheap and easy to ride. Noticed my old seat post - circa 1989 - was tall in the assembly holding the seat down....meaning the bolt would jam up under the seat - into the seat. So I got a new seat post - and it is fast...lol. How the heck is a seat post fast - its carbon...thats why.

Oh, dont think for a sec that I think it is an addition of extreme merit - it looks cool. One gripe I have is the FSA wheels...for this reason only...I have had no less that 4 spokes come loose on the rear wheel. They need a odd-ball wrench to tighten them and you have to take the tire/tape off to do this. no more fsa wheels.

did 20 in the park and around...back is getting better but still stiff. I hope the guys / gals doing the 200 are okay...

ac

back is back

at least I rode for 2 hours plus today in and around the park - no major pain. I tried out a new WTB seat - I had no idea what was best but I know what I had was horse hockey. I realized that I have this ice age seat post that is tall and the bolt thing actually pushes up against the bottom of the seat when I sit. hmmmmmm new seat post? ALSO I was trying to put the front derail on and at the shop the "Tech" was working a stuck bolt out and broke off the braz-on for the front derail....single front it is by way of old weld.

its okay - I rode today with minimal pain and rode well. I basically did 2 laps along with a TT on the OXBOW TWO STEP.... wasnt all that bad at 5:19....I can live with that considering I have not ridden much at all.


ac

Your Fav Seat???

Anyone have a favorite seat they like on their bike? I know that it is a personal pref thing but I might as well start looking at ones that people like vs. looking at something I have no idea about. I guess i am not interested in paying $200 plus for a seat - like Jorge does...LOL. Are there good seats for $60?

andy

GRISWALD

That is right - the trip of the year is planned to the wonderful Black Hills of South Dakota June 25-29. Bottom line - cant wait. What I can wait for is the ride out there - 9 hours of mini-van adventure, singing songs, playing the various games and the verbal battles that might result from being a prisoner of the van.

I love this trip really - it has been.....well never since we did something like this. Finally - we can have this trip and it will be worth it. Delux accomodations at the KOA in Custer - thats right....KOA. Tenting with the entire family and keeping it cheap and fun. At least the KOA has showers, pool and plenty of rowdy RV'ers with their 3:2 beer and dogs running free from the leash. I love it.

The trip will include - Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Wind Cave, Hot Springs and Devils Tower - with a spin through Needles Hwy. Gas, food, lodging and attractions - my math adds up to under $1000 for 4 days. Not bad at all. I was thinking to sneak my bike out there but seeing it hurts to ride and I have no bike rack - the family will rejoice.

easy ride - the pain is interesting

Took off for a ride in the park. the doctor said I may have a compressed disc in my L4 area and that I need to be a bit careful - no kidding as if the pain wasnt enough of a reminder. This is more than a blow to the fitness aspect but rather - pain when riding a bike is more of a mental thing. So, I am on a regiment to build the core and stuff - all the funny excercises with a big ball and light weights. I have found that my MTB is more comfortable - most likely the seat - so I will continue to ride that more. I can do about 20 without much worry - more than that and the pain shoots down my left leg like a freight train. No damage to the back so that is good - just need more build of of muscle.

I have been sick for a week too and that is not a good thing for endurance. I just turned 36 on the 14th and I feel as if my warranty just expired on my body - should have purchased an extended warranty plan...lol.

Once I am feeling better - I will ease into more intense rides - I am falling off the back each time and not able to recover at all - I appreciate Hemi for coming back each time, but the group is strong and I just cant ride at that level right now so I will continue with my mp3 player in the park - just have to be ready for Cheq40 - that is all I care about right now in the riding world.


AC

L4

This past week(s) have been interesting to say the least. I have had some major back issues that have compounded each day...not going away. I have had lower back pain since early years - tried everything but at least it never hurt when I biked. Until now. I am finally going to a doctor and specialist to resolve this or find out if I have to live with this for the rest of my life - its enough to stop me from playing tag with the kids, standing in one place for more than 10 sec, riding my bike...i hate this - I really do. I know it could be worse but that sharp pain is nothing to play around with - it will drop you to your knees. Tuesday will show some progress - I hope.

good stuff

Modify

Sunday - stayed tuned to Team Strong Heart - always fun to watch...should give me ample things to search throughout the week. No long rides - too much work and family events but I normally get some 20+ or so milers in here and there.

Modified the workout - I have 20 mile route through and out of the park (about half off road) that I take with the Mt Bike - SS. I have been lowering the psi a bit each ride to see where I can ride without blowing a tire - down to 30 psi and I have been lucky thus far. A few things, aside from entering the park just past super prime, I ride to the south end on the asphault and I treat it like a TT - going all out and with no psi it is not easy...like hammering with 7 inches of travel on a suspension bike - sluggish but wow, the pain. A guy I raced with in college once said that if you take a Mt Bike and ride 20 you can figure it is like riding 30+ on a road bike. i am not sure about the math there but I understand that more weight, more rolling resistance and less aero adds up - throw in off road riding too and it makes more sense. I guess there is a reason why Neil likes to ride the mt bike on road rides -

i am sore today in places I have not been sore in a long time and they say that is a good thing but it hurts to sit on my rear.

ac

UPGRADE

Remember when Justin headed out with the Tues night group for a 50 mile ride on his Kabuki Samarai bike? He just boosted his status... I give you the Samarai Night Train. I know I dont have 1500 cc's of power in my legs - maybe Hemi does...


Onto what went down today... cycling adventure. Tina goes to work and one heck of a day - I ask the kids - "wanna go for a ride?" YES!!!!!! of course that is the answer. the van is with Tina and my VW doesnt carry four bikes and four people at one time so I said - we are going to have to bike TO the park...and we can then bike to Culvers....They are game and well, I wasnt expecting them to make it but..... wellllllll.... I lost 3 bucks - here is how.


we head from the home up super prime - then beyond through the chin-high grass to the trail...I told the kids if they made it up super prime without standing on the pedals they would get a dollar....they did it! I was impressed b/c i stood on the pedals and these kids had 20" bikes single speed except for Dave who had a 35 pound bike - so I was still impressed.


We head down the east side of the trail with a few stops here and there and made our way right to Culvers. The kids bonked in a big way - LOL we load up on burgers and ice cream and lots of water...sat around for about 30 mins - ready to head back. We doubled back and headed back to the Hayden Lake trail bridge for a round of Pooh Sticks (throw your choice of sticks in the water on one side of the bridge and the first stick to show on the other side wins). By the time we got to the far north parking lot - Peter and Maria couldnt go any further at all. A quick call to Tina and she picks them up and Dave and I head up the back side of super prime on Fernbrook...this is a longer climb than super prime and its all at once. Dave did it and felt like throwing up but he didnt complain. We coasted home and collapsed in front of Star Wars episode II. I head out for 20 in the park on the rat bike after that and had a blast.

So, 15 with the kids and 20 miles by myself with the nasty bugs and the new TSH jersey - old one but new to me. GOOD DAY.

Sandman

I had a cool dream last night - despite all the stress I have in my life - about picking up a new SS MTB - complete with Stans wheels etc....and rolled out of the shop right to the start line of Cheq 40...it was light blue (no kidding...I guess I really want to win that raffle bike ) complete with airbrushed skulls on it....it was one pimped out rig. LOL. Oh well, it was a dream and I actually completed the Cheq route to "OO" when I woke up - dang it. I hate alarm clocks.

Illegal Mud

I bribed my kids with candy to avoid the impending doom of "another bike ride Dad?" Sad, yes but worth it. I know, I know a bad habit to get into. Added another 20 to the slowly growing list of miles this year but they werent easy miles - I will tell you that. The rat is a good trainer - its heavy even without the gears. The psi is low so its sluggish on the pavement and half the places I went, I had to dismount b/c it was a mess out there. My favorite 20 miler is straight on past super prime - head down the west trail and take the first right - up a steep climb that is usually washed out...at the top go left and follow that for a long time - there is another left at the top of a steady climb and that will drop you to that wood bridge - stay in the mud and hit the series of mud pits and then pop out just before the road on a killer climb. so far I have made that last climb with out a dismount - thanks to there being grass. Cross the road - go left and watch the mud shoot upward at high speeds - pop over the little bridge and go straight on the dirt road all the way to that cement bridge - go left and follow that up the climb to the right and then take the asphault to the right and just before the "only hairpin in hennepin cty" - go right on the grass and drop back on the trail - head out on 109th to the bike shop and from there - back home on the streets. I usually throw in 2 mtb time trials in the middle of that and it should be just above or about 20 back home.

Note - you can get busted out there b/c most of those trails are horse/hiking only and I am illegally in possession of forbidden mud on my bike and shoes. If test - I am sure it would reveal horse DNA. My full bodied suspension fork beat the tar out of me today - gotta get ready for Cheq sometime.

Dont drink directly from the hose...

After a rather fruitful musical adventure last night - I was just about ready to hit the bandwagon...seeing that of the 5 readers that jump on this site only one was not there...I will elaborate for you big Mexican diner.

Birthday parties are usually held to support, celebrate and otherwise give to the birthday girl (in this case)...not get loaded on someone else’s dime and hoard the mic for karaoke with your cycling home boys. Yes, we showed up to a great party - big time, band, open "lemonade" stand and great weather. when with certain people, things tend to escalate quickly and that is exactly what happened when Neil and I were having fun with gin and tonics and microphones...it got to the point where we weren’t even requesting songs but rather putting in a disc and letting it play ALL the songs on the machine and trying to sing them. I think we tried to sing one of them, the rest were trashed. THEN there was this guy that came up, after the first one, and seriously asked if we were trying to sound bad to make fun of people that really do sing them well.... I see karaoke in two ways - there are those that really do well, they have fun and know what they are doing and it is GREAT to hear people do well.....then there is Neil and I drunk and we just wanted to have a blast....I like it best when people step outside the box a bit to trying something they normally would not -

Anyhoo - good times and I felt like CRAP the day after. So Sunday rolls out and it was time to hit the trails - I need more miles and what a great way to do it on the mt bike ss. I head to the park, head clockwise and end up on the MTB TT and did that 3 times, then took the ski trails for about 5 miles more up and down - killer and painful. End up on the south side again and head home via city streets - ran out of water about mid ride and I was super dehydrated from last night. The bike shop was closed so I rode around until I found a spigit on a business - filled up a bunch and headed home. it was a good 20 miles today on that beast and it was good to ride in the heat once again.

Two Headed Snake

Last Night
Headed out for a ride in the mud and got a bit more than I bargined for. Head up super prime and rolled straight into the park from there. S0lo and not all that muddy. At the south end of the park - things got interesting. Cutting through Elm Creek Blvd - the storm unleashed and I was going faster than the Cheq 40 roll out... Got home SOAKED but it was a blast...some interesting pics.


This Afternoon
Took the kids out - except for David who sprained his ankel a day ago. We headed from the north side parking lot - south to Lifetime and back. Caught in hail, rain etc on the way back. Got really ugly but 6 miles with the kids on the bike - GREAT!!!!!! Maria did it on Petes old bike - she was....still is sore.

Spotlight

10 of 10
Had a great night with the boy scouts tonight - watched Dave, among others, recognized for some great work and you can say it was a proud parent evening. So after a pot luck meal - and 2 chucks of wild berry pie and homemade goodies and dishes...why not top off the high calories with a ride in the park with the B-train himself...

Work has me about as maxed out as possible...add in the family and cycling soon takes a back seat. I have to be okay with this b/c work is important and family is more important than all things. So a night ride is a good fit. a mile to the park and 3 miles clockwise and ran into Bernie riding the opposite way - turn around and complete a lap in the dark 15 miles then back home 4 more...23 miles without major sacrifice to the family and good talk time with good friends. i thought i had a good light for riding in the park - oh no - Bernie has the 20 gigawatt mini sun attached to his bike - dang - i didn't even need a light. He was burning bugs on the trail with that thing at 10pm.

Over and over again I am impressed with the Elm Creek trails - you cant carry enough speed into the climbs b/c they turn so sharp prior to the climbs...lots of intervals even at a moderate pace. I could get used to night riding - I just might have to enjoy it b/c it is the only time I can really get out.

ac

Chubby Checkers

Well, we got lucky and I hope you can say the same....the winds decided to do a bit of twisting about the north metro yesterday - Sunday - mid afternoon. The wall cloud passed right over our house and then the twister touched down in Coon Rapids the Blaine and ripped into Hugo where a 2 year old died from the tornado demolishing their house. Sad. We had some interesting hail at home, pea sized and then it cleared up and it was 80 and sunny again. Weird. The rain was immense so I figured to hop on the mt bike and cruise through the park and surrounding neighborhoods. No damage to report except that the mt bike/horse trails looked like someone fired off a shot gun in the leaves from the hail....weird.

It was muddy and I actually got lost - which resulted in about 1 hour of extra riding without direction in the woods. I was on a trail that someone else bike before but I had no idea where it was going. Jet Dave has this secret single track deal out there - endless trails and the location is safe Dave....but wow, I should have consulted with you prior to going in. I also shouldn’t have singled it in the gear I had. Between the mud and steep climbs, I was on foot more than I thought I would be. Interesting course....courses. I have never really ridden the single track stuff before - the log jumps and crazy turns and the trees that pop out in front of you. fun but not fun when you are not comfortable with the whole thing. Gear down, practice more.

It was muddy, wet, slimy, gritty and the overall consensus was happy time turbo. with 2.5 hours off road - I was a bit sore but the smiles were big. it felt good to burn the legs and pound the hills with heat - I love the heat....I hate the cold. I came out, after being lost, at the south end of the park - I have NO IDEA how that happened. It was like a time warp, teleport thing. I rounded the ride off on the road back up Jefferson hwy and back on Dayton river road. I have not checked miles - I don’t have a fancy gps thing so I will guess at 25 miles based on my rough configuration on Google maps.

Monday - Memorial Day services with boy scouts play time in the park with the kids and grilled out with the family at home. The internet was down from the storm and that made work impossible - thank God.

solo at 9 am

missed the 7 am ride - b/c the bed was really nice and I never get to be with the kids....9 am and i am the only one. nice spin in the park then spent the rest of the day with the boys.

And remember...Friday is Hawaiian shirt day

Day of Days...both good and bad

I found my limit
today and that limit was in the form of pulled muscle and not ready to roll out as much as I did. Commuted into work today - perfect. Easy roll in the morning and even had a break at the Coon Rapids Dam with some pics - the gates were wide open. Left work a bit early, productive day at work, and rode to the shop for the A ride - I was worried b/c I have not put in good miles at a consistent pace - I was right...not ready.

We headed out to Hanover and up to St.Michael - over to 144 and back. By the time I got to 101 & 144 - my left calf muscle was wound tighter than I have ever experienced before. I one legged it up to the construction on 144 while the group headed up Lawnsdale and over. I thought the short cut would work - they wouldn't let me through the construction b/c they were moving lots of dirt- they even had a squad there and i was out of luck. Had to double back a mile to Zanzabar and south to Diamond Lake road then over - I got my 40 for the ride and my 30 for the commute - 70 miles for the day...thats okay and if I wiped myself out on the last 3 miles...I am happy with that.

Looking back - I had no water today at work - no food (except for ez-mac one hour prior to the ride) so how can my body work right? Lesson learned - more miles needed - better nutrition a must. The ride was fast though - most of the ride was well over 22 according to my count - and that is cool. Thanks Dave and Dave for coming back for me and sorry I held the group up - I trust you had an enjoyable ride back on Dayton River Road....so who got the prime?

KITT

Another Great Day
Work sure has my head spinning lately...not as bad as "some" though. However - aside from the normal do this and do that, I can honestly say that the main focus I have been excited about is starting to come together. I think that most know what I do for work, or at least have an "idea" of what I do but we are moving into some things that are really at a turning point - rather historical and pivotal for the people in Iraq. All I can say is that its a very cool thing to know you are working directly on the project that is being spoken about directly in the evening news. So, good day.... I have not ridden enough. my body slows and wants to stay slow so I literally had to FORCE myself into the mind of biking and headed out at 845pm and got home at 1030 pm and averaged 19.4mph. Night Rider - buzzing through the park and the city of Champlain. very cool. I was playing with some options on the camera phone - the night pic didnt turn out but it looks kinda cool.

Accidental shot - turned out okay

i guess it kinda worked

pretty sure

that I wont ever be able to ride again...a week now and it seems like a year.

hills, hills and more hills

didnt realize i had the headset on...funny

shot while heading to Elk River - thumb included

Stuck waiting for two long trains...

I didnt get done with work until 530 pm and had to get camping stuff ready for the weekend....with that done so quickly - why not ride. I headed out to Elk River for the hill repeat north of town and did four reps and headed home - I think it was like 30 miles or something just over. my legs feel like lead and my body is just not used to riding a lot yet...will get there sooner or later....just need to be set for the big Sept ride in the woods in Cable.

music vids i have enjoyed this evening...jazzy

Brian Setzer Orchestra

Harry Connick Jr.

Midnight Riders

Okay, maybe not midnight but close enough for jazz. Mothers day, maybe not the best day to ditch for a ride unless you are a gluten for the "look" from wife....who is mother of 3 little ones at home. With that, I opted for riding after church tonight and what a night - mid 50's, clear night and flawless. Outer loop in EC park - popped out at 109th to Jefferson Pkwy and north to Dayton River Road and back home. 17 miles and I ran into a rider on the road and he is new to the area from the Tonka area - looking for a riding group...He was out for an extended night ride. We chatted and had a blast, laughed about having to work off the pale ale from over the winter and both agreed that riding with friends is one of the best treats one could ever enjoy - should be a good fit. So, his name is Mark - if he shows up for a ride on a red mt bike fitted for commuting - your type of guy Neil - welcome him - he is very nice.

fun ride...good miles

what a day - filled to the brim with freshness and goodness.


up at 6am, got the the shop late for the 7 am ride so I back-tracked to meet them somewhere halfway or thereabouts reverse on the 144 route. Made it 3rd on super prime after John and Barry...Barry is now named Godzilla. Back to the shop via the park and headed out for the ride at nine. Neil, Barry and I turn around about half way to downtown as we had to get back in time for parent/spouse duties - Neil flats and we still get back in time.

Home in time to shower, see Tina off, take the boys to Culvers, drop off my wheel at the shop - bad spoke again, get some gifts for mothers day - then ice cream and star wars on a rainy day.

Whew, full day and the 56 miles felt great today - easy as pie except for super prime where I just about threw up.

ac

Happy Mothers Day -

gears

with the advent of spinning out to the max...and still not having enough to spare, I am re-installing a big chainring on the cannondale. I figure with having the single speed soon - that i can feel my roots on that and can ride fast with the other. this past weekend was a wake up call to training - it just so happened to be the toughest training ride i had ever had. every sq inch of my legs were sore - spent and otherwise rendered useless the day after.

so last night with my allen wrench and chainrings, i added some gears... 6 gears on a race isnt going to cut it - at all...

impressive -

Marty Bonk Race

Me and my six speed. it was NOT the bike of choice today...it was actually a rough day anyway - 20+ mph winds from the NW demolished every group out there. You could easily see who was naughty and who was diligent this winter.

first of all - i am not going to blame anyone but me...i wasn't ready to ride like they did today. my miles have been stretched out and not consistent. the last two weeks I barely rode the bike at all - enter the Marty Race.... it was only 36 miles but it literally felt like 100. Cheq on my SS was easier. Wind does nothing but upset me. When we turned WITH the wind - BOOM! off like a rocket the group leads out...FAST. 42x 11,12,14,16,18,19 was not the bike today. I saw riders slide into 53x11 and spin out...I cant deal with that at all on my bike.

I climbed well - I helped re-group 4 riders that were shelled off the back and we traded off for lap two....this guy Wade, from Bemidji, and I dropped those two and we two-upped the rest of the ride...it sounds more impressive than it was. we came in near the back - but I understand that quite a few turned back from the group I think...I came to play today but I forgot my fitness at home...Hey, I didn't loose my key...and b/c I finished i won the opportunity to eat my Cheddar burger with pride.

I will say that I felt good when I was done - just not ready for the speed that they rode at today. I have NEVER experienced that kind of riding before - that wind...that wind is evil.

SO the benchmark is set - I am ready to excel from here....I wasn't last, I wasn't first - Bernie did well - top 10 on the race!

Keymaster - Part II

Round two of utter folly. Going to st.cloud to match my wits against better cyclists. Should be fun - I think Bernie is going so at least I will know someone there. I will also be putting the 1x6 to the test...i should get some looks for sure.

my back has been shot for the last two weeks so not much riding - not consistent.

For those that dont know why its called keymaster - the last road race I did, i was stupid enough to put my keys in my back pouch...when i pulled out a powerbar on the last lap - out came the keys...and then the race was over for me...finished alone.

ac

no biking tonight...yard work

I had two years of brush that was piling up. tonight was the night - started at 6pm.

Pete and Maria had fun while Dave was at Boy Scouts...they did a LOT of work and enjoyed burning things like matchbox cars.

Nine PM and still burning ...

This was actually at 10:45 just before I came in to do this - not 930. Still hot and will be in the morning. The yard is clean and I didnt get a chance to bike.

busy day.

Full day - Boy Scouts event in the a.m. - scouting for food...if you participated in giving food - thanks. 3 hours of driving around and picking up bags of goods. Thanks to my youngest Pete for being the runner. Then p/u daughter from a sleep-over - get home to do some house improvements - lights outisde, painting trim, nap and then 1.5 hours of riding in the slop in the park. Mostly off-road this time and it was a MESS...and all that water soaked me to the bone and the chill was insane. I never thought that 1.5 hours would have been so hard. Well, it wasnt 65 miles like Neil and Larry - you guys are monsters. I will make a shrine of power in honor of you guys.

ac

yet....another wonderful upgrade

I now can honestly say that I am and will be riding with RAAM now. Let me explain. I have this cannondale bike that I bought from Bikes LTD in LaCrosse in 1990 - its been faithful and true and I like it so much I kept "it" and sold the nice Virata so I can purchase a SS road and SS mt...I call that leverage.

So, yesterday I was riding home and noticed this metal crunch squeak slush sound on my pedal stroke. After a while I could feel it in the pedal - and if a sound turns into a feel - its time to operate. Stop by the shop - yep, need a bottom bracket and the crank was bent too. Original crank - not original bb. Aside from the seat post, stem, fork, frame - everything else has been replaced now. I asked around if someone had a used crank - and low and behold - B-train says - here's my old ultegra crank WITH bottom bracket.

I nice visit with his family and I got the story that this very crank set pedaled across America last year with RAAM. Now I have the power of Greyskull at my disposal - watch out...If Bernie owned it - you know its good. So with some help at the shop and some shinny new bolts we are in bidnis.

Thanks Bernie - it works great and I noticed that even standing still - this thing rests at 5 mph - its that fast.


ac

YNM

Got home and said - why not bike? Load up - head out - get soaked en-route up super prime and straight into the woods to commune with God. It was wet but no one was out - that I could see. Hit the horse trails - no luck...it was really slimy and I could barely accelerate so I hoofed it up a few climbs...the mud was deep and the rain was constant. 6 miles of off road and 5 miles of on road. Stoped and the shop to see Adam's new rig and bolted home - 14 deg drop in 1.5 hours of being out. a few trail pics of the new young nasty man....and some of that his horse dung.

stroll through the park....and then some

Opted for a wonderful ride around the park tonight. 1.5 hours of blissful riding and conversation. With who you say???? Terry on the recumbent. Met him about 1/4 of the way through the park and what an interesting - well educated guy. Topic? Origins of holidays, religious markers etc etc. Now much of the things we talked about - I knew about already... " like why did we settle on Dec 25th for Christmas...Why is it called Christmas...Very neat, very fascinating things and all very true - if you dare to look up history books or read your Bible. Also - this is cool - why on earth do we use a pine tree and where did that come from and why is it not-Biblical to do so? Heck - even the whole celebrating birthdays came up....As you can see, there was much talked about - much to think about...All while riding in the dark with lights...lol. There were many subjects from war to end time prophecy that was discussed and I must say that if I were to bring them up here - the comment section would be extended and added to for a while - so I wont.

Bottom line - it was enlightening and refreshing - not freaky.

with that - a total of 18 miles on the rat bike - and many things to look up now.


ac

saturday morning

wet, cool, not dressed right, 43 miles total for me - headed home at 9am with dave henningsgaard - we stopped at dunn bros in Champlain for a juice and some brew...lots of funny looks. It was PACKED. took the new bridge at french lake...got home in time to play a mean game of scrabble with the family - now its time for chili cheese dogs and yatze while mom works... i was not ready for the chill in the air this morning but it was sure nice to get out.

ac

Great Stuff - follow up to Neil's 40th

"And I didn't have to wipe..." said the nerdman

You really dont want to know...okay, maybe you do so ask Nerdalicious about the husky's in the woods and the time when they found out he was letting loose the #2. enough said.

We ended up heading for a 31 mile ride tonight - great weather and good friends. That is what it is all about. we rode to the fletcher TT course - did it and came home. Early season is not easy... at least for the people that didnt do much all winter (me). I took a sign prime from Jorge and I came in second on the Fletch prime to B-train. I thought, for some reason, that by adding 5 gears to my weapons of mass destruction, that I would stand a chance. The sprint was on - Bernie was up shifting with perfect timing and so was I but when he decided to go to the 53 front ring...I realized that I didnt have one of those. I was spun out with my 42x11 and Bernie was not spun out - the diesel rolled on through with me on his rear wheel by a few inches. Good show Bern-dog. Once again proving that riding a lot in the winter - and being a stud - makes a difference in the on season.

Once back - we headed to Moon rock for b-day cake (Nerdster turned 40 - happy bday Neil) and lemonade. the night then got crazy when I ordered some wild turkey shots, then hemi ordered hot damns ( more than one for the crew), Larry jumped in with beefeater rounds.....and so on....note the pics. It was a GREAT time and fun was had by all. Happy b-day Neil - and thanks for getting older so we could have a good time.

I can say that the best time was spent with Johns daughter Lilly (spelling?)....what a riot and a handful. Kids are great! She was all about entertainment....I LOVE IT (last pic). John, you are blessed - what a great family!

afternoon wind extraveganza

I watched the flag outside my office window stand at attention ALL DAY. It was serious - the email machine was telling me that constant winds over 23 with gusts up to 45 mph....from the south. I took coon rapids blvd to the park and over to the shop. It is mainly heading NW so the wind was at my back - generally speaking as opposed to the ride in this morning. When you are going the same speed as the wind....in the same direction - it is like riding in a vacuum. it is neat...plus its the only time EVER I will feel like Merckx.

The ride around the EC park was interesting - 12 of us and the group split up just about 2 miles before the lap was done. I was spent - with 30 miles in already and I am not in the best shape - I sat up and then biked home - did two hill repeats up super prime and made it home in time to take the eldest to boy scouts.

So - 46 miles today - not bad - it was sure good to see everyone today. Geez, even Jorge came out with his freshly waxed cycling outfit and gold inlaid unobtainium voodoo road bike....good to see you bud - as always.

Pasta, salad, hershey's cookies and cream bar and an overpriced mocha - recovery foods in that order.


see yall on the road.


ac

the sum of my shortcuts.... morning ride

To not be out done by the Duke, I am staying on course to bike all week to work. It seems that each time I want to do what I know I should...I am met with doing what might be easier or more suitable to my immediate desires. Hence, sleeping in and driving to work sounded like a really nice idea.

I am not saying that I am the cycling dianetics zen master by any means but I opted for the bike, the ride in the 30 freeking mph wind....etc.... Why is it that it takes like 15 mins to realize why you were smart in the choice? I have grown accustom to reaping the reward of the immediate to the point that I cant see the forest through the trees...I mean I just about throw the baby out with the bath water or better yet I end up counting my chickens before they hatch....lol....

Still with my frustration mode on, I get to the half way point of the commute and I am still thinking - which way is quicker I just want off this bike and....whoa! I mean HOLD ON! Yeah, there are shorter paths to the end...there are little off shoots here and there that can reduce the amount of frustration....the end of course is the same either way so find a reason to enjoy and you will enjoy. Sounds like that could work for just about any application huh? Again I am not L Ron Hubbard here but the simple truth is that if we short our experience - there is no going back to get it and we live in the game of shoulda coulda woulda.

From a biking perspective here - I see that the total culmination of my efforts means that years may be extended on my life, Fat Tire 40 might be easier, group rides are more enjoyable, my clothes fit better, I may be able to beat Bernie on a sign prime, I can experience the simple joys of a morning ride and most of all my mind is able to release and know that the journey is well worth the extra miles and effort – some of these are immediate and some are 5 months to 50 years away…that is a good outcome for just getting on the bike this morning – high yield.( by the way, that was one long...run....on sentence....i know it was not gooder english)

So if I decided to plod through the easy route all the time, I must also learn to accept the fact that the sum total of my shortcuts will result in the misfortune of my soul.

Bird of Prey...

en route this morning - I witness a pretty darn neato experience. Normal commute - down the busy w.river road to the coon rapids damn - south out of the park - up behind target and of course Caribou coffee - they are so nice....then into work....

Okay - rewind...the Coon Rapids park. This is a series of paths that resemble riding over parking curbs...the heaves and buckled asphalt is horrible. so I take it easy through here...So I am near some pavilion thing and I look up - there is an eagle soaring above. yes, an eagle, white head, huge wings....looming over the water. So I stop, listen to a few screeches and watch this amazing creature skim the water and latch onto what appeared to be a mid sized carp or bull-head.

As I watched this happen, I realized I wasn't alone - about 4 joggers had opted to stare with amazement. One guy with purple shades on looks at me and says with a plain face - " you don't 'f-ing' see that every day huh?".

So I was hesitant to bike in this morning - I guess it took 12 miles to realize that gratification doesn't always come quickly.

ac

Highlights from the weekend...

For the three readers of the blog - recap. it is good for me to log a bunch of crap so I look like i am doing something important on the computer.

For the first time in a while - the weekend was free. I was a bit worried on Friday as I had a specific assignment at work to locate a few people willing to relocate to Iraq for a year or two...it ended up being a late night - some really cool conversations with non- linguists for a change but rather organizational management people. So when 8 pm rolled around and I was supposed to pull a rabbit out of my bag of tricks by 4 pm I was concerned that my efforts were pointless. I hope they weren't.

Sat morning - up early....anticipating some semblance of a ride I saw no indication. So I head out with the Rat single speed for a low gear high spin around the park. I didnt have all day so I tried to get cardio in full swing - it worked. The trail was fraut with 2 inch slush/snow which actually made it safe to ride but it was really hard for some reason. I did some hill repeats on super prime about 4 times and then hit the park - taking off shoots here and there the google map thing said I did 22 miles in all. I made it to the shop on my way home - looking for the new bike - and met up with an old but crazy friend - Justin....the Samurai is alive and well - got a new gig with some nuclear electrician job and he seems to enjoy his work.... so about 30 mins later its time to leave and Justin said he would once over the rat real quick and found out that my rear brakes were off and the right side pad was forced into the rim the entire time - hence the hard ride. Funny - I thought I put an easy gear on for spinning and it ended up being a watt maximizing exercise.

The ride home was all on the street and in the snow fall - sleet really. I am really beginning to loath the cold/wet weather. It is time to warm up and it looks like that will happen.


Sunday was low key - home from church...left over papa murphy's...lazy games inside with the kids and the low hum of the new washing machine cleaning my cycling clothes. Happy times.

Monday....all is set for the commute...it is time to add to the miles in better weather....Fat Tire is about 5 months away and I still dont have a mt bike to do it with...wait - the Rat is ready and so is that Monocog I am going to win.


drew

i found one. wow.

Russian Doll

Long story - not gonna get into it...pointless to explain...other than Neil was the Russian Doll. it really isnt that funny but it works for a title. On the Local - nice ride...bit chilly but not snowing. Mr.Anderson gets a flat and I do some down and backs to stay warm and literally about 15 min later...I come by again with Jay H and there was the most amazing struggle - 4 guys all working on the same tire/wheel. That tire kicked their butts. It was funny.

New Bike -

trigger pulled - Bowery mine....worry about the monocog later.

whoa....these are at TH

THIS COULD BEAT OUT THE MONOCOG FOR MY NEW BIKE

What the......

Mid day - my office - my car hard to
believe i logged 20 miles on the bike yesterday.

Another mid day shot in the arm....

Leaving today - tonight rather.
20+ mph winds - it sucked

I tried clicking my heels together three
times but all i got was a pound of slush in my shoes.


So now its a few beers - against my diet - and
Sum 41 vids
its a playlist with 10 songs - scroll bar on right and down a touch
click to view - it might work.

drinking beer and photoshop