Friday, April 8, 2011
It's coming together!
So I raced last week and came up with an 'Ata boy!' from my coach. I did the 9.3 mile race at an average pace of 7:06/minute mile pace. I'll take it. Decoupling rate was only near 2.5% which is kinda low....which means I could have gone faster. At the time it certainly didn't feel like it! The workouts are starting to ramp up now and , when it's nice out, I am converting to evening rides and runs. July is coming and I intend on going fast.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
WOW.....and I thought I was smart!!
Hopefully it will be kids like this that will save our planet or get us into the stars properly. (if society doesn't ruin him/them first) Watch and listen to this kid. Something else for sure. http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110329/ts_yblog_thelookout/for-12-year-old-astrophysics-prodigy-the-skys-the-limit
Monday, March 28, 2011
At this point....
Life is crazy. I'm beginning to think I see a pattern. My life is always crazy. It is a huge mess of kids, wife, events, work, trying to train.....let's not forget bills, sleep (when possible) and juggleing all these without turining into an idiot. We had a great wedding this weekend. Laura and Tom got married and we were overjoyed to be able to share their day with them. Alex went to Harvard and raced his events and relays with his team. Solid, albeit not record setting day. (I think he blew his gas qualifing and he just couldn't get 'up' to do the then necessary training, eating and sleeping to excel yet again. Hey, 13 is tough....lol) Running is going well.....biking is also going well......swimming.....sucks! But I now recognize that this atitude may be part of the issue. I invested in SwimSmooth "Arnie" program as to help get my issues related to my poor form corrected. I'm taking a slow deliberate approach to this correction. If and when I ever have another race season after this year, I'm gonna feel confident in the water if not Olympic. Race this weekend. May be rainy. I hope not or it will be a slogging 9+ mile run.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
No long run today
Rain in the North East today....long and steady. Although it meant I didn't get in my long un today, tomorrow being my rest day I can move it forward. Present hopes are to run early before work. 12 miles.....ugh, It's gonna suck at approximately Cold, Dark and Too F'in Early O'clock in the morning.
Closing in on final purchase of the Power meter! Very excited about this. NOW I get to see whats what with the biking in a total and complete format. Heart rate AND POWER. No better measurements are available.
Off to shop for those healthy recovery foods. I'll need em after tomorrow. (Yeah, I'm whining already)
Closing in on final purchase of the Power meter! Very excited about this. NOW I get to see whats what with the biking in a total and complete format. Heart rate AND POWER. No better measurements are available.
Off to shop for those healthy recovery foods. I'll need em after tomorrow. (Yeah, I'm whining already)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Build Week/Month almost done
My word!....Did I ASK for this training? 2nd build month is almost done. Everything going well save the swim which I seem to somehow 'find' it is the most inconvenient to get done. (flogs himself for being a wimp!) I'm on it tonight thought whether I want to or not.
Runs that are interval are just plain hard. 10 x 60" hard followed by 60" rest. Thank all that's holy it isn't descending rest or some such crap. I run an interval at 5'16" to 5'30" pace per mile. After a few of these I'm looking at my watch and saying there is NO DAMN WAY(!!) that that could have been 60 seconds rest. Throw in 1' 30" hill repeats as fast as you can go on another day.....which ain't very damn fast may I add, steep hill, and I'm just a broken 44 year old guy that needs a nap after.
12 mile run Sunday......one good hill and the rest rolling. Coach wants me to try and maintain 7' 45" pace per mile. Last time I did this course it was faster then that but it was a race. We shall see whats happened in 6 years and it now not being a race. Enough of me whining about hard training.
Alex is all set for the Harvard Champs meet come the end of the Month. Yet ANOTHER opportunity for his Dad to live vicariously through his son.....'cuz after all, why the hell did we even have kids if not to live OUR dreams through while pressuring them into all SORTS of things, situations, tasks and responsibilities we , now, as adults find to be truly important. I mean come on, isn't there some rule that this MUST happen? Just kidding folks. Alex is excited and he has one more shot at qualifying in the 100 meter Breast stroke next weekend. His mother is in a wedding that weekend so it seems it will be another male bonding weekend. Fun times and Boston is WAY more fun than White River Junction Vt. No offense to those in White River but ....just saying. I'll post up some results at some point.
Runs that are interval are just plain hard. 10 x 60" hard followed by 60" rest. Thank all that's holy it isn't descending rest or some such crap. I run an interval at 5'16" to 5'30" pace per mile. After a few of these I'm looking at my watch and saying there is NO DAMN WAY(!!) that that could have been 60 seconds rest. Throw in 1' 30" hill repeats as fast as you can go on another day.....which ain't very damn fast may I add, steep hill, and I'm just a broken 44 year old guy that needs a nap after.
12 mile run Sunday......one good hill and the rest rolling. Coach wants me to try and maintain 7' 45" pace per mile. Last time I did this course it was faster then that but it was a race. We shall see whats happened in 6 years and it now not being a race. Enough of me whining about hard training.
Alex is all set for the Harvard Champs meet come the end of the Month. Yet ANOTHER opportunity for his Dad to live vicariously through his son.....'cuz after all, why the hell did we even have kids if not to live OUR dreams through while pressuring them into all SORTS of things, situations, tasks and responsibilities we , now, as adults find to be truly important. I mean come on, isn't there some rule that this MUST happen? Just kidding folks. Alex is excited and he has one more shot at qualifying in the 100 meter Breast stroke next weekend. His mother is in a wedding that weekend so it seems it will be another male bonding weekend. Fun times and Boston is WAY more fun than White River Junction Vt. No offense to those in White River but ....just saying. I'll post up some results at some point.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Cool Space Shuttle Video
I thought this was a pretty cool link to a Space shuttle video as viewed from an airpane.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE_USPTmYXM&feature=player_embedded#at=77
CHeck it out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE_USPTmYXM&feature=player_embedded#at=77
CHeck it out
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Continuation of the EVE primer
Alright, so we have established in the past post that Eve Online is just ludicrous in it's structure and learning curve. Let me show you a graph made by others about the different MMPORG's learning curves.
So you can gather that EVE is not for the faint of heart. The complexity and scope is what attracts devote followers of the game. We complain and moan against the powers that be....CCP....the company which made this game, but most of us will still be here in a year or so grinding out for our alliance or corp.
Alliance? Yeah, alliance. Individuals who play can band together to form a corporation. These corporations will have a purpose or goal that all of the players may want to pursue as a group, sharing skills and abilities toward the common goal(s). Corporations can than band together to form a more universal alliance. Alliance's may have industrial corps that build stuff for infrastructure or for those corps that specialize in PvP. (Player vs Player) Make no mistake about it, when EVE is distilled down to it's most basic element .....its about survival of the fittest, strongest and smartest players. Presently my 'toons' belong in a corporation of the Northern Coalition. I say 'Coalition' because CCP does not, as of yet, recognize coalitions. These are groups of alliances that have made a NAP (Non-Aggression Pact)with each other and vow to come to each others defense. As can be assumed, alliances often break down along time zones or ideological ideals. Presently the NC is fighting the 'Evil Russians' and the Red Block alliances as they wage war over Geminate, a region of space held by the NC. Don't get me wrong, the NC DOES have some Russian based corps within it. These are great guys and I have won and lost battles along side them. But every war needs to have a propaganda enemy and for us it's 'Evil Russians'.
So is this game a game where when you log off you can just forget about it for months at a time? Ermmm, No. You need to log in from time to time to select a skill to train so you as a character get stronger and more capable to fly bigger and badder ships. Sometimes those skills can last weeks to months so this isn't imperative based on that alone. But remember, the game NEVER sleeps accept for a brief downtime ever day. 20-30 minutes where resources are reset, asteroids repopulated etc.....those things that are necessary to have so players can make items for the rest of us to buy at some point. If you want your corp to prosper and grow, you have to have people that PLAY on a regular basis. In lawless space (0.0 security level) there are constant Call To Arms and Home Defense fleets going on to protect and keep what's yours. (CTA's and HD's)
This is something worth mentioning, Space in EVE is broken into security zones. 'Empire' is broken into 4 regions and has varying degrees of 'protection', Sec Status 1.0 means the 'cops' of the empire faction you are in will be there in milliseconds if someone attacks someone they shouldn't. (wars excluded, one corp or alliance can 'declare war' on some other corp or alliance and is thus excluded from the faction police) Empire space goes all the way down to .5 sec status and the delay time for police arrival is significant compared to 1.0 but by no means very long. Trouble happens when you go into .4 or lower. There is NO Police, only gate guns and stations guns. A pilot will get a lowering of there personal allowable security status for shooting someone else unprovoked, but the can still do it. Do it enough and you may not be allowed into .5 sec space or higher. So, low sec PvP always has a cause and affect for or against the pilot. Hence why my toons are in Null Sec, or 0.0 lawless, no standards and no gain or loss of personal standing for shooting someone. Just make sure it's not someone that has been set blue to your alliance or corporation. Doing that may get you bumped OUT of said corp or alliance and playing alone, again. Next post will discuss the real time 'economics' of EVE and why it's "REAL"......lol
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A few respectful moments about my other hobby: EVE Online
What IS Eve Online: Eve Online is a MMPORG or Massive Multi Player Online Roleplaying Game. ( a small note from the blog writer: Role Players are stupid asses, I don't role play)
Is it like WOW (World of Warcraft) and others? Are you freakin kidding!? It makes those look like childs play. THIS is a tough game.
Why is it tough? A) The learning curve is rediculous....making getting 'there' all the more worth it in the end. B) ALL players are in the same 'pot of soup', on the same server, at the same time if they choose to log in. So yes to the idea that a brand new 2 day player could get 'butt raped' by an much older player.....as a matter of fact......a new player should plan on this. C) It's awesome spaceship killing frenzies! D) It is almost entirely a PLAYER supplied and driven market which means that .....for most things, if you buy it someone else probabaly had to do massive skilling and efforts to make it. Thus, the market of EVE has real time economists watching it to see exploits and issues with said market so that the economic platform of Eve works as it should.
I started playing this 'stupid spaceship game' about 2.5 to 3 years ago. Haven't looked back. In that time I have had 'The Word' given to me by my wife on several occaisions. I am slowly learning that spaceship internet games, no matter how many real life friends you make in it, does not make for keeping a happy wife. I still say they should have named the damn game 'Fred' or some shit. I mean really, EVE? Yeah, thats how to spark a nice glint of jealousy with the significant other.
Triathlons and training also helps to keep me sane and out of game. Somtimes though, like yesterday the stars allign and I get a 'hall pass' for an all day Eve fest. No work, kids out, wife out etc etc......it was glorious! I have som fun photos and numbers that may make the whole crazy idea give some heft or weight to the whole game idea. But those will be for next time.
Can anyone say TITAN KILL MAIL!!!!!????
Is it like WOW (World of Warcraft) and others? Are you freakin kidding!? It makes those look like childs play. THIS is a tough game.
Why is it tough? A) The learning curve is rediculous....making getting 'there' all the more worth it in the end. B) ALL players are in the same 'pot of soup', on the same server, at the same time if they choose to log in. So yes to the idea that a brand new 2 day player could get 'butt raped' by an much older player.....as a matter of fact......a new player should plan on this. C) It's awesome spaceship killing frenzies! D) It is almost entirely a PLAYER supplied and driven market which means that .....for most things, if you buy it someone else probabaly had to do massive skilling and efforts to make it. Thus, the market of EVE has real time economists watching it to see exploits and issues with said market so that the economic platform of Eve works as it should.
I started playing this 'stupid spaceship game' about 2.5 to 3 years ago. Haven't looked back. In that time I have had 'The Word' given to me by my wife on several occaisions. I am slowly learning that spaceship internet games, no matter how many real life friends you make in it, does not make for keeping a happy wife. I still say they should have named the damn game 'Fred' or some shit. I mean really, EVE? Yeah, thats how to spark a nice glint of jealousy with the significant other.
Triathlons and training also helps to keep me sane and out of game. Somtimes though, like yesterday the stars allign and I get a 'hall pass' for an all day Eve fest. No work, kids out, wife out etc etc......it was glorious! I have som fun photos and numbers that may make the whole crazy idea give some heft or weight to the whole game idea. But those will be for next time.
Can anyone say TITAN KILL MAIL!!!!!????
Running with the wife and training hard
Andrea is a bona fide sand bagger! Went for a run with her on sunday. I worked my butt off to get 8 miles in 1 hr 1 minute over a not flat course. She rolled in 3 minutes behind me. I 'circled up' at 3 miles so I could run with her and then spent the next 2 miles CHASING her! Witch! You just know she kicked it into gear. Finally, on a tough hill, I was able to reel her in. Hmmmm ,maybe our coach needs to here of this....
I forgot what training hard was all about since it's been since 2003 that I REALLY had any type of plan to follow. Now, 8+ years later I'm working with a coach again and the 'Dogs of War' have been released! Defiently a case of 'be careful what you wish for'.
When 5:20 am in the dreadfully cold North East chimed on my alarm I was like.......OOOOOOHHH god, not already!? I rolled out of bed, got my lovely wife and muself a coffee at Mrs. Murphy's and gird for battle with the bike and trainer. 8 minute Aenerobic intervals don't sound bad. I mean 8 minutes. How bad can it be? BAD. Add that there are four of them with only 2 minute rest intervals and by interval number four.......your begging for those 480 seconds to be done.
Triathletes are sick for sure. Here is a link of what it's REALLY all about. You'll split a gut laughing....but it's ALL true. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B03dFMG8nR4
I forgot what training hard was all about since it's been since 2003 that I REALLY had any type of plan to follow. Now, 8+ years later I'm working with a coach again and the 'Dogs of War' have been released! Defiently a case of 'be careful what you wish for'.
When 5:20 am in the dreadfully cold North East chimed on my alarm I was like.......OOOOOOHHH god, not already!? I rolled out of bed, got my lovely wife and muself a coffee at Mrs. Murphy's and gird for battle with the bike and trainer. 8 minute Aenerobic intervals don't sound bad. I mean 8 minutes. How bad can it be? BAD. Add that there are four of them with only 2 minute rest intervals and by interval number four.......your begging for those 480 seconds to be done.
Triathletes are sick for sure. Here is a link of what it's REALLY all about. You'll split a gut laughing....but it's ALL true. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B03dFMG8nR4
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Qualified!!
So Alex and I rode up to White River Juction for a USA regional Championship meet. He swam terrific. Liteally above himself. Beat his 200 yard Breaststroke by 12 seconds!! WTF!?!?! Who does that? 12 seconds!? He then proceeded to chop another 1/2 second off his 50 meter freestyle which got him to qualify for regional New Engalnds YMCA. \0/ (thats a cheer for those that are emoticon illiterate) 26.4 seconds for 50 meters.....now think of this.....the 100 yard dash is done in say 11-12 seconds for a 13 year old average. Maybe more in fact as an average.
He then had a 100 meter freestyle the next day and he wanted to do well but qualifiing wasn't in his head. He beat his PR by about another 1/2 second. (PR=Personal Record) He then went on to kinda implode at the 100 breaststroke which he was hoping to qualify for. Hey, 3 out of 4 is a banner weekend in my book!! He'll put that behind and qualify for more races next year.
All dad did was cheer, feed and transport him. Handed over a lot of one and five dollar bills now that I think of it. Ahh...the price of being a proud dad. :-) Guess we will post at the end of March how it went at Harvard for YMCA New Englands.
He then had a 100 meter freestyle the next day and he wanted to do well but qualifiing wasn't in his head. He beat his PR by about another 1/2 second. (PR=Personal Record) He then went on to kinda implode at the 100 breaststroke which he was hoping to qualify for. Hey, 3 out of 4 is a banner weekend in my book!! He'll put that behind and qualify for more races next year.
All dad did was cheer, feed and transport him. Handed over a lot of one and five dollar bills now that I think of it. Ahh...the price of being a proud dad. :-) Guess we will post at the end of March how it went at Harvard for YMCA New Englands.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Weekend of Swimming!!
Yeah!....Anyone that has ever had children on swim teams knows my pain. Swim meets are incredibly long and uneventful affairs......interspersed with You're kids events. There we are as parents pointing at our kids for all of 25 seconds to 5+ minutes and then we sit, drink coffee, read our books, feed our kids etc.....until the next event.
This weekend Alex is heading to White River Junction Vt. for the USA regional champs. He qualified in all his events and is going to see what its all about. He is presently in the 13-14 age bracket so is the bottom of his group age and development wise. I think his goals are to use this meet to qualify for YMCA New Englands which is actually harder then USA. My fingers are crossed for a fun and 'qualifing' weekend or it will be a long ride home. The kid has been becoming a rocket though so we are confidently hopeful while not being cocky about it.
While you all are out there doing whatever.....think of me in the pool yard for 2 days.....
Tonight get my swim in. (man am I pathetic compared to Alex....omg) and a bike and run. Rest week. Training amps up again on Tuesday.
This weekend Alex is heading to White River Junction Vt. for the USA regional champs. He qualified in all his events and is going to see what its all about. He is presently in the 13-14 age bracket so is the bottom of his group age and development wise. I think his goals are to use this meet to qualify for YMCA New Englands which is actually harder then USA. My fingers are crossed for a fun and 'qualifing' weekend or it will be a long ride home. The kid has been becoming a rocket though so we are confidently hopeful while not being cocky about it.
While you all are out there doing whatever.....think of me in the pool yard for 2 days.....
Tonight get my swim in. (man am I pathetic compared to Alex....omg) and a bike and run. Rest week. Training amps up again on Tuesday.
Monday, February 7, 2011
ROFL....remember back in '07 when I said I "Was Back"...
I lied obviously.
Time flies by. Kids, Marriage, trying to keep sane.....job, health, family.......lets not forget bills, friends, all the things that define our life, can sure keep a person busy.
Guess we should use these next few posts just as a catch up so to speak.
Star Date: 2/07/2011
Current Situation: Married to an amazing woman, Andrea
2 amazing kids, Alexander and Audrey. Love em to death but could also want to kill them at the same time. Sigh. I'm sure other parents know of this wonderful emotional tightrope.
Job Status: Working for my good friend Dr. Christopher Keroack within his practice of Pioneer Valley Weightloss Centers. I do the Nutritional and Activity components of the patient care.
Athletic Goals: Keep up with Andrea! Maybe train for some Triathlons. Working with Will again from Tri-Hard coaching. This time I promised to actually DO what he says. It's January and I'm more fit then in the past so it must be working.
Sideline Hobbies: Fencing. No not the type that makes a yard but the type with a sword. Presently they are a bit mutually exclusive to Tri training......but that may change. I do this sometimes with Alex and Audrey. Alex has eclipsed me big time in this and Audrey does a different weapon, but it's still fun. Reading, of course. Presently big time into Military Sci Fi. Love it if it's fun and good.
This brings me to my other Sci Fi hobby. Eve Online. Don't ask as over time you will get to know the other life that is Eve Online. MMPORG, although I don't role play as that's kinda gay. I just try to go around and shoot people. More on this later.
In the great scheme of training which is a big part of our families life, I just finished my first 'building block' for the summer season. As usual, Will got me nice and tired and sore for my recovery week. Damn, he nails it every time. I shudder the think what will happen if and when I scrounge up the cash for a Power Meter.
More to some I hope.
Time flies by. Kids, Marriage, trying to keep sane.....job, health, family.......lets not forget bills, friends, all the things that define our life, can sure keep a person busy.
Guess we should use these next few posts just as a catch up so to speak.
Star Date: 2/07/2011
Current Situation: Married to an amazing woman, Andrea
2 amazing kids, Alexander and Audrey. Love em to death but could also want to kill them at the same time. Sigh. I'm sure other parents know of this wonderful emotional tightrope.
Job Status: Working for my good friend Dr. Christopher Keroack within his practice of Pioneer Valley Weightloss Centers. I do the Nutritional and Activity components of the patient care.
Athletic Goals: Keep up with Andrea! Maybe train for some Triathlons. Working with Will again from Tri-Hard coaching. This time I promised to actually DO what he says. It's January and I'm more fit then in the past so it must be working.
Sideline Hobbies: Fencing. No not the type that makes a yard but the type with a sword. Presently they are a bit mutually exclusive to Tri training......but that may change. I do this sometimes with Alex and Audrey. Alex has eclipsed me big time in this and Audrey does a different weapon, but it's still fun. Reading, of course. Presently big time into Military Sci Fi. Love it if it's fun and good.
This brings me to my other Sci Fi hobby. Eve Online. Don't ask as over time you will get to know the other life that is Eve Online. MMPORG, although I don't role play as that's kinda gay. I just try to go around and shoot people. More on this later.
In the great scheme of training which is a big part of our families life, I just finished my first 'building block' for the summer season. As usual, Will got me nice and tired and sore for my recovery week. Damn, he nails it every time. I shudder the think what will happen if and when I scrounge up the cash for a Power Meter.
More to some I hope.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
I'm back!!
Holy Smoke has it been a busy summer!
My last post was about my favorite month....July, as it is Tour de France Month. Good times. My pick won. Contrador from the soon to be defunct Team Discovery. (lance's old team)
Since then Andrea and I took the kids to Hampton Beach for a week, spent tons of time doing fun things with them. Trips to lakes for over nights, hiking, mtn biking, museums, movies, 6 Flags amusement parks....you name it. Summer is for kids and having fun. Sure, I made Alex mow the lawn every week but he was shrewed enough to negotiate a suitable rate for the work. Guess the days were parents could say " 'Cuz I said so!" may be gone.
Now it's September...Ooops! October!! My word time does rush on by.
Kids are back in school. Alex is enjoying having joined the local YMCA swim team. 3 nights a week he goes in for a terrific beating at the hands of unmerciful swim coaches. He loves it! He must get that sicko gene from his dad. But it is a fine line between getting enough rest, homework done, downtime as well as swimming. My very wise brother said once, and I'll never forget it, "You can't push your kids, it's got to be fun or they won't want to do it later in life." I really WANT to be the dad that Alex, or Audrey, wants to go to Moabe mtn biking or compete in a team triathlon with.....so I will never push. Someday I may get rewarded that they love it as much as I do and ask me to be a part of it.
Audrey is becoming a budding artist by taking formal painting classes and she is getting back into horse riding again. She Mtn bikes fire roads now but someday I hope to bring her on some easy trails. Heck, she's only 7! ;-)
Andrea literally JUST drove away to Valley Forge PA for a conference for Interior Design and Window Treatment stuff. So I'm a single Dad this weekend. Andrea said she knows I will more 'fully appreciate' my penis by the time she gets back. I looked at her like...What!? But she clarified and said you will be SO Glad you are not a Mom when this is over. Come On...How hard can this stuff be dealing with kids all day? (tongue and cheek for sure)
She/We had the weekend from hell this weekend. She had a huge job that was needing to be installed by Tuesday afternoon with her leaving today, Wednesday. It hadn't been started by Thursday. Yikes! Add to this when certain panels were made Friday it was discovered that the hems and linings were never uniform. Anyone that knows Andrea..."if it ain't perfect, it Ain't going up on someones wall". Saturday I did a 108 mile ride with our cycling group with 11200 vertical feet of climbing. Andrea did the 50 mile ride, so Saturday was shot for production and repair. Sunday she and I altered hems and linings until 9 PM from a start time of 11 am. Monday, she her sister and mother stayed working until 1 AM Tuesday morning and got the whole job done for install at 1 pm Tuesday! Trust me when I say THAT was one intense and slamming work room. Customer loved it and now Andrea and company will head to the conference for a well deserved rest and relax time amongst their peers.
I am taking the kids to the White Mtns for some great camping this weekend. I have another adult coming who is a buddy of mine and maybe my Niece, Erin will show. Should be great and a real mellow trip. Little cooking, little camp fie nights, (with a big fire) a few beers, and some hiking and it will be things to talk about later. The kids love it up there.
Other news. John Robison's book is a smashing success! He has gone into his 4th printing of Look Me In The Eye and it's only been on sale 1 week!! PLEASE check out his amazing blog and story at http://jerobison.blogspot.com/ Buy this book. If you know or have someone with Autism or Asbergers syndrome this will give you hope. If not, it is just a great, funny read about a truly amazing, gifted and diverse human being. To my family: DO NOT BUY this book as I have 11 copies for John to sign and this gets me out of Xmas presents early and easy. ;-)
Lots of stuff happening at the office but that will be another post. Suffice to say that I'm an intense person, I have my own theories that are anti-establishment (but will prove to be correct..trust me on that) and some in the Dietetic/medical community seem to be threatened by that. You know what I say...Screw 'em! Fight on to the last man! ;-)
Till next time
My last post was about my favorite month....July, as it is Tour de France Month. Good times. My pick won. Contrador from the soon to be defunct Team Discovery. (lance's old team)
Since then Andrea and I took the kids to Hampton Beach for a week, spent tons of time doing fun things with them. Trips to lakes for over nights, hiking, mtn biking, museums, movies, 6 Flags amusement parks....you name it. Summer is for kids and having fun. Sure, I made Alex mow the lawn every week but he was shrewed enough to negotiate a suitable rate for the work. Guess the days were parents could say " 'Cuz I said so!" may be gone.
Now it's September...Ooops! October!! My word time does rush on by.
Kids are back in school. Alex is enjoying having joined the local YMCA swim team. 3 nights a week he goes in for a terrific beating at the hands of unmerciful swim coaches. He loves it! He must get that sicko gene from his dad. But it is a fine line between getting enough rest, homework done, downtime as well as swimming. My very wise brother said once, and I'll never forget it, "You can't push your kids, it's got to be fun or they won't want to do it later in life." I really WANT to be the dad that Alex, or Audrey, wants to go to Moabe mtn biking or compete in a team triathlon with.....so I will never push. Someday I may get rewarded that they love it as much as I do and ask me to be a part of it.
Audrey is becoming a budding artist by taking formal painting classes and she is getting back into horse riding again. She Mtn bikes fire roads now but someday I hope to bring her on some easy trails. Heck, she's only 7! ;-)
Andrea literally JUST drove away to Valley Forge PA for a conference for Interior Design and Window Treatment stuff. So I'm a single Dad this weekend. Andrea said she knows I will more 'fully appreciate' my penis by the time she gets back. I looked at her like...What!? But she clarified and said you will be SO Glad you are not a Mom when this is over. Come On...How hard can this stuff be dealing with kids all day? (tongue and cheek for sure)
She/We had the weekend from hell this weekend. She had a huge job that was needing to be installed by Tuesday afternoon with her leaving today, Wednesday. It hadn't been started by Thursday. Yikes! Add to this when certain panels were made Friday it was discovered that the hems and linings were never uniform. Anyone that knows Andrea..."if it ain't perfect, it Ain't going up on someones wall". Saturday I did a 108 mile ride with our cycling group with 11200 vertical feet of climbing. Andrea did the 50 mile ride, so Saturday was shot for production and repair. Sunday she and I altered hems and linings until 9 PM from a start time of 11 am. Monday, she her sister and mother stayed working until 1 AM Tuesday morning and got the whole job done for install at 1 pm Tuesday! Trust me when I say THAT was one intense and slamming work room. Customer loved it and now Andrea and company will head to the conference for a well deserved rest and relax time amongst their peers.
I am taking the kids to the White Mtns for some great camping this weekend. I have another adult coming who is a buddy of mine and maybe my Niece, Erin will show. Should be great and a real mellow trip. Little cooking, little camp fie nights, (with a big fire) a few beers, and some hiking and it will be things to talk about later. The kids love it up there.
Other news. John Robison's book is a smashing success! He has gone into his 4th printing of Look Me In The Eye and it's only been on sale 1 week!! PLEASE check out his amazing blog and story at http://jerobison.blogspot.com/ Buy this book. If you know or have someone with Autism or Asbergers syndrome this will give you hope. If not, it is just a great, funny read about a truly amazing, gifted and diverse human being. To my family: DO NOT BUY this book as I have 11 copies for John to sign and this gets me out of Xmas presents early and easy. ;-)
Lots of stuff happening at the office but that will be another post. Suffice to say that I'm an intense person, I have my own theories that are anti-establishment (but will prove to be correct..trust me on that) and some in the Dietetic/medical community seem to be threatened by that. You know what I say...Screw 'em! Fight on to the last man! ;-)
Till next time
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
July! It's Tour De France Month!!
I never sleep during July. Why? Because I spend my evenings catching up on that day's Tour happenings from 8PM to 11PM. Even though Armstrong retired it still is an amazing spectacle. I hope Levi Leipheimer does well as he is the only bona fide American with a shot at the overall but I have to say my dark horse is this young kid from Spain. Alberto Contrador. He on Paris-Nice this year and has a real belly full of fire. He was attacking the favorites with gusto and never giving in. If he does as well in all the TT's and continues to NOT have a bad day in the Mtns he could actually beat all the favorites. Not bad for 24 years old!!
In the vain of the Tour month I will post last night's ride. Not too long but man was it hilly. Almost 4000 feet of climbing and most of it very steep. Great for a power rider like myself. Doug McKeaon was there. Great guy and great climber. He had been injured so had not been climbing for a few weeks. He still managed to either blow by me on the steady climbs or almost catch me on the steeps. How depressing!! ;-)
The data is from George's Garmin as mine just came back from the Garmin Dr's yesterday afternoon. (Don't ask!)
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=3334115
In the vain of the Tour month I will post last night's ride. Not too long but man was it hilly. Almost 4000 feet of climbing and most of it very steep. Great for a power rider like myself. Doug McKeaon was there. Great guy and great climber. He had been injured so had not been climbing for a few weeks. He still managed to either blow by me on the steady climbs or almost catch me on the steeps. How depressing!! ;-)
The data is from George's Garmin as mine just came back from the Garmin Dr's yesterday afternoon. (Don't ask!)
http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/episode/view.do?episodePk.pkValue=3334115
I've been busy
As any parent with young children knows, Summers are not easy. Between helping my wife with her business, Dr's office, clients in the gym and entertaining the kids so they have good memories of the summer I got WAAAAYYYYYY behind on checking the blog. I'm back though.
The last blog post I started was back on June 27th! How embarrasing. Hey, at least I got it up on the blog finally.
Have had a few good rides others not so good. Last Saturday Jim Sullivan beat me for 63 miles up and down the hills of Montgomery and Huntington. I deserved it. I ALWAYS beat him up when he is hung over so when I showed up over tired and a little too much of 'the dog that bit me' in my recent past I knew it was going to hurt.
Hampton Beach in two weeks! Family can't wait. Should 'be an adventure' as Andrea says.
The last blog post I started was back on June 27th! How embarrasing. Hey, at least I got it up on the blog finally.
Have had a few good rides others not so good. Last Saturday Jim Sullivan beat me for 63 miles up and down the hills of Montgomery and Huntington. I deserved it. I ALWAYS beat him up when he is hung over so when I showed up over tired and a little too much of 'the dog that bit me' in my recent past I knew it was going to hurt.
Hampton Beach in two weeks! Family can't wait. Should 'be an adventure' as Andrea says.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Some interesting thoughts on weight loss
Those of you who have been reading my blog know that John Robison has motivated me to put fingers to keyboard. Heck, if he can write a book...anyone can! Just kidding John. ;-)
Well one theme that we try to get across to patients and clients alike when it comes to weight loss is how the brain is involved. There are a myriad number of hormones involved in your brain for appetite control and emotional states. What we see though is that when it comes to behavior, these hormones are a factor, but not the end all be all to what the outcome is in our relationship with food.
One of the Dr's and my central themes is the acronym H.A.L.T. What this stands for is Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. These are the primary emotional states for why people eat. Let's break them down.
Hungry is the only reason you should eat. I recognize that people may have mechanisms that do not enable to tell if they are hungry. Or, worse yet, they are hungry all the time. In the clinical environment we discuss with the patient what is actually going on in their life and in the 'moment' to discern if they really are 'hungry all the time'. Invariably, they are not. It just seems to be this way because they never tied the behavior/action of eating to the overall emotional state or the momentary stresses in their life. Hunger is one of the most governable issues with food. Simply put...Plan for success NOT for failure, yet this is exactly the opposite of what most people in our society do when it comes to food. Picture this:
1)Get up late for work.
2)Race out the door and maybe get a coffee sipped down and a Bagel? Donut? Nothing?
3)No Snack
4)Lunch time, since you were late you didn't BRING anything so now you are at the mercy of your stomach and where the other co-workers may order out from. You eat too much.
5)No after lunch mid-afternoon snack. If you ate light at lunch you are already hungry. If you ate heavy you get sleepy and fatigued from too many calories and poor food choices and won't eat until later in the evening.
6) Dinner at 6-7 PM or 8-9 PM. Very hungry because lunch was at Noon. Eat a standard 'too big' dinner. Sleep horribly due to food sitting in gut. Despite what the literature says, the majority of calories, many of them coming from refined carbohydrates are stored for future use since there is no stimulus to utilize them in the evening. Wake up unrested and somewhat late.
7) Repeat cycle!
THIS is a plan for failure.
Anger represents a group of emotions. Frustration, Irritability, Fear and Anger can all be grouped together. In response to emotions that usually well-up from perceived situations of helplessness it is common as humans that we look to things that help us 'feel' better. Food can stimulate hormones that do, in the short term, make us feel better. Anyone that has been incredibly stressed out and then had a nice rich sampling of chocolate truffles or Lindt chocolate understands what I'm talking about.
Lonely is another term that does not just represent the physical proximity of someone. I explain it to patients and clients that "Lonely" can also be rephrased as disconnected, bored, or under-stimulated. To most it would not be hard to understand that the our relationships can add a significant amount of value to our lives. From them we can feel connected to something bigger then just ourselves. For whatever number of reasons I have seen in both my clients and patients a large number of people that are very dissatisfied with their primary relationships, if they even have one. I am tickling a Pandora's box here as I have also come to the conclusion that the most significant relationship that these people have trouble with is the one with themselves. We don't have enough to go into this particular aspect, for sure. Suffice to say without being good with yourself any other relationship is a distraction from that fact. Those that eat from 'loneliness' often have issues with being alone, and finding things to engage in that bring their mind to a place where food is not central. Even work functions as a distractor or connection point that can alter a persons desire to eat. I do not want everyone to be a workaholic to not eat, but the facts still remain that many can make it through most of their day not fixated on food. The people that I have worked with that eat from 'loneliness' as a general trend do not become involved in extra-curricular activities, watch a lot of television, read a little if at all, and have no social group to belong to. Any of the above would, at the least, distract from he 'food/ soothe' mechanism and at best potentially 'solve' the concept of loneliness for them.
Tired as an eating stimulus is understandable. If you are very tired it IS a fact that we, as adults, do not sleep while we are chewing. Even babies and small children actually stop chewing mid bite when they fall truly asleep. We have all seen the baby in our family fall asleep during dinner in the high chair. Guarantee that when their head is down they are not still chewing. So it is with adults, except we actually allow food in our mouth and the action of chewing to keep our minds somewhat alert. Clients and patients with sleep apnea use this 'skill' to cope with their problematic issues keeping their eyes open. Couple this with a lowered waking metabolism from the sleep apnea itself and you have a recipe that aids in weight gain.
So what should we do?
The bullet answers. You may not like them, but I will use another quote we use in the Dr's office all the time. "Continuing to do what you do everyday and expecting something different to occur is a form of insanity." Basically, open up to just the ideas that I will give and think of how your life could be different and enhanced by changing. We can all come up with reasons why we CAN NOT change because of our circumstances but often this doesn't help us get to our goals.
Hunger: Plan in advance and don your bullet proof vest. Instead of jetting out the door without food and starting the cycle all over again. Change it!
The night before pack in a cooler your great lunch and a few snacks. Now you are not at the mercy of co-workers and raging hunger while at work. Get up a few minutes earlier and make a healthy satisfying breakfast that will hold you over. Many are not hungry in the morning but on review we find it is because of the big dinner still digesting from the night before. Eating a good breakfast is the first step in changing the cycle.
Eat a dinner that is on par with what you plan to do for the rest of the night. If you are going to watch TV and chill then eat lite. I often recommend no or very low carbs in the evening for patients that cannot get out and do something. Ideally we would do the Buddhist skill of 'walking a thousand steps before we retire.' Remember though, the lighter you get the less time it will remain in your belly and satisfy you. Shut the tv off earlier and get to bed!
Angry is an emotion not a REAL reason to eat. Connecting your emotional state to why you eat is key. If you are going to eat think for 5 minutes about WHY. Sometimes you may eat that something anyway but others you may just 'let it go' and find something else to get you through. Having good food available like we mentioned above helps greatly in the process.
Lonely is not something we can usually fix immediately but it helps to practice skills that eventually may help to get you less 'lonely'. Get involved with people and groups. Sports groups or recreations that involve your body and other people are great for distractions AND get you out there. TV has been studied to make kids forage for food. Why would we think we, as adults, would be different? Books on the other hand make our brains work differently and even though we are on the coach or in bed we are not eating. Sounds like a better distraction to me. If our relationships that we do have are not fulfilling then that brings up other issues. Many people get involved with the wrong people for the wrong reasons. This would be defined as a decision with life altering potential. Never easy but often necessary for any type of true future happiness. In the meantime, recognize how this relationship is making you sabotage your physical health and adopt a new 'skill' to avoid the soothing mechanism you have learned and used up until now.
Tired is the easiest fix. Simply, get a good amount and quality of rest/sleep. Sleep needs to be done to get all the hormones and metabolic benefits. We repair and clear our minds when we sleep. Get your sleep! As we get older our bodies sleep hormones start to decline. It is a fallacy that we 'need' less sleep as we get older. We only have less hormonal stimulation that allows us to get it. Sometimes poor sleep is self imposed. many people want more and more 'things.' That's fine, but if it is making you work 2 jobs and only get 3-4 hours of sleep a night, YOU, your decisions and wants are causing your own pain and weight gain. At the very least, contributing to it. Re-evaluate and get your rest. In the end you maybe happier about it. Target goal. 7-9 hours nightly. If you were able to get the occasional nap in on the weekends your body would only thank you.
In the end, HALT no more and you will have worked around many of the weight issues surrounding the modern age. Remember, it is relatively easy to change the human body...it is very difficult to change the human mind. These ideas may offend or seem impossible to implement because of your life but doing what you are doing now will only get more of the same. Change something.
Well one theme that we try to get across to patients and clients alike when it comes to weight loss is how the brain is involved. There are a myriad number of hormones involved in your brain for appetite control and emotional states. What we see though is that when it comes to behavior, these hormones are a factor, but not the end all be all to what the outcome is in our relationship with food.
One of the Dr's and my central themes is the acronym H.A.L.T. What this stands for is Hungry, Angry, Lonely, and Tired. These are the primary emotional states for why people eat. Let's break them down.
Hungry is the only reason you should eat. I recognize that people may have mechanisms that do not enable to tell if they are hungry. Or, worse yet, they are hungry all the time. In the clinical environment we discuss with the patient what is actually going on in their life and in the 'moment' to discern if they really are 'hungry all the time'. Invariably, they are not. It just seems to be this way because they never tied the behavior/action of eating to the overall emotional state or the momentary stresses in their life. Hunger is one of the most governable issues with food. Simply put...Plan for success NOT for failure, yet this is exactly the opposite of what most people in our society do when it comes to food. Picture this:
1)Get up late for work.
2)Race out the door and maybe get a coffee sipped down and a Bagel? Donut? Nothing?
3)No Snack
4)Lunch time, since you were late you didn't BRING anything so now you are at the mercy of your stomach and where the other co-workers may order out from. You eat too much.
5)No after lunch mid-afternoon snack. If you ate light at lunch you are already hungry. If you ate heavy you get sleepy and fatigued from too many calories and poor food choices and won't eat until later in the evening.
6) Dinner at 6-7 PM or 8-9 PM. Very hungry because lunch was at Noon. Eat a standard 'too big' dinner. Sleep horribly due to food sitting in gut. Despite what the literature says, the majority of calories, many of them coming from refined carbohydrates are stored for future use since there is no stimulus to utilize them in the evening. Wake up unrested and somewhat late.
7) Repeat cycle!
THIS is a plan for failure.
Anger represents a group of emotions. Frustration, Irritability, Fear and Anger can all be grouped together. In response to emotions that usually well-up from perceived situations of helplessness it is common as humans that we look to things that help us 'feel' better. Food can stimulate hormones that do, in the short term, make us feel better. Anyone that has been incredibly stressed out and then had a nice rich sampling of chocolate truffles or Lindt chocolate understands what I'm talking about.
Lonely is another term that does not just represent the physical proximity of someone. I explain it to patients and clients that "Lonely" can also be rephrased as disconnected, bored, or under-stimulated. To most it would not be hard to understand that the our relationships can add a significant amount of value to our lives. From them we can feel connected to something bigger then just ourselves. For whatever number of reasons I have seen in both my clients and patients a large number of people that are very dissatisfied with their primary relationships, if they even have one. I am tickling a Pandora's box here as I have also come to the conclusion that the most significant relationship that these people have trouble with is the one with themselves. We don't have enough to go into this particular aspect, for sure. Suffice to say without being good with yourself any other relationship is a distraction from that fact. Those that eat from 'loneliness' often have issues with being alone, and finding things to engage in that bring their mind to a place where food is not central. Even work functions as a distractor or connection point that can alter a persons desire to eat. I do not want everyone to be a workaholic to not eat, but the facts still remain that many can make it through most of their day not fixated on food. The people that I have worked with that eat from 'loneliness' as a general trend do not become involved in extra-curricular activities, watch a lot of television, read a little if at all, and have no social group to belong to. Any of the above would, at the least, distract from he 'food/ soothe' mechanism and at best potentially 'solve' the concept of loneliness for them.
Tired as an eating stimulus is understandable. If you are very tired it IS a fact that we, as adults, do not sleep while we are chewing. Even babies and small children actually stop chewing mid bite when they fall truly asleep. We have all seen the baby in our family fall asleep during dinner in the high chair. Guarantee that when their head is down they are not still chewing. So it is with adults, except we actually allow food in our mouth and the action of chewing to keep our minds somewhat alert. Clients and patients with sleep apnea use this 'skill' to cope with their problematic issues keeping their eyes open. Couple this with a lowered waking metabolism from the sleep apnea itself and you have a recipe that aids in weight gain.
So what should we do?
The bullet answers. You may not like them, but I will use another quote we use in the Dr's office all the time. "Continuing to do what you do everyday and expecting something different to occur is a form of insanity." Basically, open up to just the ideas that I will give and think of how your life could be different and enhanced by changing. We can all come up with reasons why we CAN NOT change because of our circumstances but often this doesn't help us get to our goals.
Hunger: Plan in advance and don your bullet proof vest. Instead of jetting out the door without food and starting the cycle all over again. Change it!
The night before pack in a cooler your great lunch and a few snacks. Now you are not at the mercy of co-workers and raging hunger while at work. Get up a few minutes earlier and make a healthy satisfying breakfast that will hold you over. Many are not hungry in the morning but on review we find it is because of the big dinner still digesting from the night before. Eating a good breakfast is the first step in changing the cycle.
Eat a dinner that is on par with what you plan to do for the rest of the night. If you are going to watch TV and chill then eat lite. I often recommend no or very low carbs in the evening for patients that cannot get out and do something. Ideally we would do the Buddhist skill of 'walking a thousand steps before we retire.' Remember though, the lighter you get the less time it will remain in your belly and satisfy you. Shut the tv off earlier and get to bed!
Angry is an emotion not a REAL reason to eat. Connecting your emotional state to why you eat is key. If you are going to eat think for 5 minutes about WHY. Sometimes you may eat that something anyway but others you may just 'let it go' and find something else to get you through. Having good food available like we mentioned above helps greatly in the process.
Lonely is not something we can usually fix immediately but it helps to practice skills that eventually may help to get you less 'lonely'. Get involved with people and groups. Sports groups or recreations that involve your body and other people are great for distractions AND get you out there. TV has been studied to make kids forage for food. Why would we think we, as adults, would be different? Books on the other hand make our brains work differently and even though we are on the coach or in bed we are not eating. Sounds like a better distraction to me. If our relationships that we do have are not fulfilling then that brings up other issues. Many people get involved with the wrong people for the wrong reasons. This would be defined as a decision with life altering potential. Never easy but often necessary for any type of true future happiness. In the meantime, recognize how this relationship is making you sabotage your physical health and adopt a new 'skill' to avoid the soothing mechanism you have learned and used up until now.
Tired is the easiest fix. Simply, get a good amount and quality of rest/sleep. Sleep needs to be done to get all the hormones and metabolic benefits. We repair and clear our minds when we sleep. Get your sleep! As we get older our bodies sleep hormones start to decline. It is a fallacy that we 'need' less sleep as we get older. We only have less hormonal stimulation that allows us to get it. Sometimes poor sleep is self imposed. many people want more and more 'things.' That's fine, but if it is making you work 2 jobs and only get 3-4 hours of sleep a night, YOU, your decisions and wants are causing your own pain and weight gain. At the very least, contributing to it. Re-evaluate and get your rest. In the end you maybe happier about it. Target goal. 7-9 hours nightly. If you were able to get the occasional nap in on the weekends your body would only thank you.
In the end, HALT no more and you will have worked around many of the weight issues surrounding the modern age. Remember, it is relatively easy to change the human body...it is very difficult to change the human mind. These ideas may offend or seem impossible to implement because of your life but doing what you are doing now will only get more of the same. Change something.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
I'm going to heaven...
What a weekend. Thank goodness I needed a break from hard training. Did a very small ride with ANdrea at the crack of dawn on Saturday and ran on Sunday. Nope, no 100 mile ride reports this weekend.
After the run I did some e-mails for work and then put together my mother 'n laws trike. Yes, that's a three wheeled bike. She just had a total knee replacement and a regular bike is not for her right now. Wow, I started at 1 pm and just finished somewhere around 8:50 PM. They do not make those things easy to put together!!!
My son, Alexander helped. (?) Has anyone every had help from a 10 year old. They get so distracted so quickly that I'm talking to him and then I swear I see the smoke from him jetting out of the building!! ;-)
Everyone told me to come in and finish tomorrow... but it was a matter of pride. I couldn't have John Robison rib me on Wednesday that I was a mechanical failure for not putting a stupid bike together. I can hear it now. John: "Yeah, I put one of those things together for someone, it took me about 30 minutes." Yeah, whatever! ;-)
Wife says I'm going to heaven for getting it done and out of her shop. I have no idea, but I do know I'm going to bed!!
After the run I did some e-mails for work and then put together my mother 'n laws trike. Yes, that's a three wheeled bike. She just had a total knee replacement and a regular bike is not for her right now. Wow, I started at 1 pm and just finished somewhere around 8:50 PM. They do not make those things easy to put together!!!
My son, Alexander helped. (?) Has anyone every had help from a 10 year old. They get so distracted so quickly that I'm talking to him and then I swear I see the smoke from him jetting out of the building!! ;-)
Everyone told me to come in and finish tomorrow... but it was a matter of pride. I couldn't have John Robison rib me on Wednesday that I was a mechanical failure for not putting a stupid bike together. I can hear it now. John: "Yeah, I put one of those things together for someone, it took me about 30 minutes." Yeah, whatever! ;-)
Wife says I'm going to heaven for getting it done and out of her shop. I have no idea, but I do know I'm going to bed!!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
New Idea
AS many of you who know who read my blog I am friends with John Robison , Famous locally for great cars and car work but soon to be famous world wide by his debut book Look Me In The Eye.
Well as his is his nature and ability John has set my life down a new direction. His visionary ability and way of breaking things down concisely always amazes me. In our 1 hour appointment the other day he basically told me to write a book about fitness. I have always thought of writing a book but have never been really gravitated to the fitness model even though it is what I know and do. Heck, with all the fitness trash books coming out every month and year I figure why wade into that?
As I said John refocused my mind rather quickly;
1) Every year new books on fitness HAVE to come out to be the latest and greatest why can't yours be the one?
2) I know everything that these other 'trainers' and celebrity trainers know, and maybe even more, but the difference is that they wrote something and got it noticed by a publisher.
3) With a quality product John would have no issue giving it an introduction to a publisher that may have interest in the topic.
4) 20+ years of training experience, have owned a large fitness center, been Mr America and Mr Universe, transformed into a triathlete physique (well, sort of), and now working in a clinical environment with pre and post operative barriatric surgery patients as well as medically managed weight loss patients....I think I have some insights on why people are overweight, and how to fix the issue.
5) Once a book is published and marketed well the next is relatively easy to get out there. He mentioned a trainer that wrote the '12 minute workout' having made millions and other books from him getting published quickly even by other publishers.
OK John, it makes sense. I will begin an outline today about my thoughts on fitness and compartmentalizing it into bite sized pieces that everyone could handle.
So how are these for titles? Feel free to drop one in if you have an idea.
The New You Lifestyle Plan: Simple changes and programs that can bring your health and fitness to a whole new level
The Fitness Lifestyle Made Easy: How to get amazing new body with simple life changes.
These are only ideas I just came up with while writing this. Don't over think them. I'm just looking at what sells and what people seem to gravitate to.
The other he had was for me to begin using this blog not only as a way of voicing crazy ideas and cycling posts but to develop a base for this book. In that respect, will offer to answer questions anyone has about fitness and their personal fitness regimen through the blog. You can ask with your name or anonymously. I will still get an answer back.
So now the blog is not only a crazy posting repository for my cycling adventures and triathlon races but a place to get your answers right from Matty on fitness, health, overcoming illness....all that stuff. So fire those questions away!
Well as his is his nature and ability John has set my life down a new direction. His visionary ability and way of breaking things down concisely always amazes me. In our 1 hour appointment the other day he basically told me to write a book about fitness. I have always thought of writing a book but have never been really gravitated to the fitness model even though it is what I know and do. Heck, with all the fitness trash books coming out every month and year I figure why wade into that?
As I said John refocused my mind rather quickly;
1) Every year new books on fitness HAVE to come out to be the latest and greatest why can't yours be the one?
2) I know everything that these other 'trainers' and celebrity trainers know, and maybe even more, but the difference is that they wrote something and got it noticed by a publisher.
3) With a quality product John would have no issue giving it an introduction to a publisher that may have interest in the topic.
4) 20+ years of training experience, have owned a large fitness center, been Mr America and Mr Universe, transformed into a triathlete physique (well, sort of), and now working in a clinical environment with pre and post operative barriatric surgery patients as well as medically managed weight loss patients....I think I have some insights on why people are overweight, and how to fix the issue.
5) Once a book is published and marketed well the next is relatively easy to get out there. He mentioned a trainer that wrote the '12 minute workout' having made millions and other books from him getting published quickly even by other publishers.
OK John, it makes sense. I will begin an outline today about my thoughts on fitness and compartmentalizing it into bite sized pieces that everyone could handle.
So how are these for titles? Feel free to drop one in if you have an idea.
The New You Lifestyle Plan: Simple changes and programs that can bring your health and fitness to a whole new level
The Fitness Lifestyle Made Easy: How to get amazing new body with simple life changes.
These are only ideas I just came up with while writing this. Don't over think them. I'm just looking at what sells and what people seem to gravitate to.
The other he had was for me to begin using this blog not only as a way of voicing crazy ideas and cycling posts but to develop a base for this book. In that respect, will offer to answer questions anyone has about fitness and their personal fitness regimen through the blog. You can ask with your name or anonymously. I will still get an answer back.
So now the blog is not only a crazy posting repository for my cycling adventures and triathlon races but a place to get your answers right from Matty on fitness, health, overcoming illness....all that stuff. So fire those questions away!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday Night A ride - Let the good times roll
For a few years, when I finally made the A ride ability level, I always posted to the other club members a soliloquy about what it means to me to be an A rider, and the mental games I played with myself. Every year, as the rides began, I would wonder if 'this year, I had what it took', 'Did I do the work necessary in the off season to not make a fool of myself on opening day', 'Was last year a fluke and I'm really NOT an A rider'. All these things, and more, would go through my head just before the season started. I would work myself into panic until the rubber started to roll.
I try to give readers some feel for what riders and racers are going through as they train. The posts are long because each part of a ride has it's own flavor, set of tactics, and different circumstances that may arise. Which riders show up, weather, your personal status - including mental, nutritional, and recovery, and lastly, the terrain to be covered in the ride. Some riders are good at everything, Some are great at a certain discipline like hills or time -trialing. Others are just trying to hold on and not get 'dropped' or LFD. (Left for Dead) These are terms that basically mean becoming separated from the group by a large enough margin that the group as a collective can no longer wait for you. Like Spock said in some Star Trek movie, "The good of the many outweighs the good of the few or the one."
This particular Tuesday the weather was mild, the group was small, and my legs were tired. I had done the horrible rain ride Saturday (See post "Is that All You Got!") and followed it up for a leg buster on Sunday with a few Tri guys. Ended that I beat them up for 78 miles. Kind of felt bad. (Not really) All that fun had left my legs looking for some time off. Yeah, So I'm at the Tuesday Night A ride for what purpose!? This is the antithesis of some time off. On this ride you either "Fly or Die" as my buddy Jim says. Well the group was small so instead of 15 guys that can/will try to crush you there really was only 4 hard core A riders, 2 A- rider and a B rider. Phil was the sole B rider. He has been attempting to jump up a level and try the A rides. Today I knew we would stay more steady and the group was small so I goaded him into to trying the A ride one more time. Can you see where this is leading? I'll shorten this story about Phil first so we can move on to the blow by blow aspects of the Ride itself.
Phil is a tall guy with a good bike and can ride 3 times per week for several hours. All of this should make it painfully hard but doable for Phil to hang on the A ride if he plays his cards right. This Tuesday was probably not the one I should have goaded him on. We were going to do hills AND long mileage...but at a steadier pace. Phil kept falling off the back on each hill. This is actually VERY normal for a new person trying out the A ride. You may not know the route, you certainly do not know when the other riders normally start pressing their efforts and it would be only normal to be somewhat 'off the back'. Let's just say I spent oh, about 3-4 years there. Since I goaded Phil I was more or less responsible to make sure he knew the turns and had a bit of either help or motivation to keep it going. He was pretty blown after the first series of climbs and we were within 10 miles of the start. Uh Oh, We got 40-50 mile to go like this. He fell back more and more and on a final circle up where the riders wait for the last I asked him some questions about his training. Seems he rode hard Sunday for 6000 feet of climbing. Slow or fast THAT will have an effect on a rider of a lower ability and volume of training. I also found out he trained relatively hard every day. Another red flag. Phil let me off the hook and told me not to worry if he came off again and to go. I counselled him to take a 'spin' day as to recover some ability back. He was definitely not riding as well as he usually did and I think he was over trained. When athletes always go hard without recovery bouts and enough rest the max ability keep coming down. So even thought that athlete is going as hard as they can their top end and power level is getting lower. A good recovery week and conditioning and Phill should be back to full power. We started our ride in earnest now as we would no longer wait for Phil at the tops of the climbs. Hanging back with Phil had made me miss climbing Echo Hill with the other A riders so I was a bit bummed. This is one of MY hills. I've made peace with it and it has understanding with me. It lets me climb it in the big ring when most riders do not. I, in turn, enjoy the pain it brings and respect its leg wrenching ability. From the top of my favorite missed climb we were really ready to ride.
We swooped down into the center of Monson at a a quality 35+ from the descent off Echo Hill. From here we went up 32 toward Wales Rd. This is a great climb and the start/finish of the Monson Rd Race. It's steep but not real steep. Of course THAT would have been easy. Instead we took the left hand fork off of Wales Rd to Munn Rd. When looking up from Wales you are already on a steep pitch. Seeing Munn Rd all you see is pavement going vertical. Ouch. The good news is it comes at you in sections that you just have to gut over. Each section is bad but you are just feeling it when you reach the top of each steep. The problem is that when you climb with the group you need to ride at the best climbers ability. I am NOT the best climber by any means. Instead I just suffer and breath like a diesel locomotive and hope for it to be over as soon as possible. Sometimes I feel great and can out last climbing faster then I normally do and others times I just 'blow up.' Chris Adeletti paced us up and he has a very efficient and smooth pedalling cadence. He rides his easiest gear but spins fast enough to stay in front. I have been practicing but Chris A can be too fast for me some times. I was breathing hard but finally we hit the plateau that signalled circle up. We were at a turn and we needed to get our last 2 riders up with us. Chris Shickler is a new member but an avid biker. He pushed the pace on the first climb. I wanted to go with him but I had to stay with Phil then. He had less starch in his legs for this climb. It isn't as long but it is steeper. George Fetcko is the other A- rider. He is making big leaps and bounds with his riding. Just having joined the club last year and STARTED with the A riders....that's saying something. Wow! We found him doing a weekly ride to Boston AND BACK (?) on one of the weekend days. Like, All in one day! He was wearing baggy shorts and his phone on his belt. Well he doesn't wear those clothes and he certainly rides like he means it. Big progression in this last year. He was bringing up the rear on the climbs.
After collecting Chris S and George we headed up a stair step climb that is about 4-5 miles long. I call it Partridge Hollow Rd. It brings you back up to Rt 19 in Wales. Chris A pushed the pace most of the climb and Jim was right on my wheel. Royce was fourth wheel as he was feeling less then perfect. Royce is very strong and is a winning the mountain bike series so far this year. Everyone has an off day. Royce was with me when I exploded on the hills of the Berkshires. Thankfully he got me back home that day. Eventually Jim and I took over from Chris and we brought the group into the circle up area. A small wait later and Chris S and George pulled in breathing hard. I asked Chris A if he was working hard on those two climbs. He assured me he was if not at, close to red lined. Thank God! I was at the max too but Chris looked like it was a walk in the park for him. You know the rule. It works in interviews as well as bike riding. "Never let'em see you sweat." Well, I was sweating AND breathing like a locomotive. No guess work there. I would have to trust Chris that he wasn't setting me up for later. Now if it was Mike Norton...I wouldn't believe a word. '"I'm tired" means he is going to spank you later and "I feel great!" means 'I'm bluffing and want you to take it easy so I can recover from the weekends races.'
The next series of hills were not too hard and could be classifies as roller. But at 30 miles and legs tiring they get to you. We made a quick right on to Rt 19 and then a quick left by the lake. This road would take us out to 190 by Ashford Ct. Our pulls were getting longer and the effect of rolling terrain on the miles was stacking up. I was trying to warn Chris S what was coming. I yelled to him what was ahead and how the road ended. It ended in a nice steep chop that could almost be classified a climb. When you come around a corner and over a small knoll you are faced with one wicked site for a climb. I had just came off the front a few riders ago so I was more or less tail gunning. I watched as Chris S almost sat up. I have to admit it is a daunting site but knowing whats coming helps. This psuedo climb has two levels. The first is a steep chop for about 300 or so meters. Long enough to make you work. If you know the hill you have information that the grade softens considerably before it goes up again and to the right. Collectively it is a hard hill but segmented it is doable. I began pulling out from the pace line in the back as the first hill started. I moved up a rider or two and watched as all the riders clicked down into their small front rings. NOW! was the time to hit it through this first chop. Fly or Die baby.
I rode the first hill in my big ring (55) and 21 gear in back which opened up a good gap on the rest. When I finally got to the false flat I dropped down into my small ring and just buried myself to make the next hill. Sit, stand, sit stand and keep on pedalling at red line max. Finally the hill top was there and I was able to drop into the big ring again and motor. Now my worry is that Jim, the Giant Slayer would track down Quadzilla (My new nick name I guess from another member of the club). If Jim hooks up with Chris they could catch me. 2 strong beats 1 strong most times. Thankfully I held them off but I noticed that Jim WAS the next rider into the circle up area. I yelled over to him and Chris A to not call me a 'fat boy' anymore. We all cracked up. I got some KOM mojo deposited into my account. (King Of the Mountain is prestigious but it all has do do with so many variables it only lasts until the next ride, sometimes only the next hill)
We ambled up 190 toward Stafford Springs and home. This is a rolling section of easy hills and fast downhills. Royce went in front for miles at 30+ MPH with help from the terrain. Eventually we headed in from the backside of Greystone Mtn. Nice rolling uphill again. Joy. We averaged about 21-23 MPH through the rollers but eventually we came to one of the two final choppers before the descent. Chris A put in a nice hard press on the run up to the chopper. Instead of 6 we were now 4. I came around on the actual chopper in my big ring and went for the top. Chris A had had enough of the 'fat boy' getting KOM's and motored by me again. He crested a few feet in front. Even if it was an inch he got the KOM. Jim was next just behind or with me and Royce soon after.
Down hill all the way to the next chopper. At least you can somewhat recover. Jim did a lions pull to the base of the chopper and I stayed in the Big Ring again and just stood to the top. This is NOT a tough hill but it always seems at the end of the Tuesday A ride it feels like Everest! We all circled up and waited for George and Chris who were actually only 2 circles behind.
Down the Greystone climb...no brakes of course. We had a near miss with mother nature in the form of a well fed Whitetail Doe. She was just about to cross the road right in front of me when she turned, thank God again, back the way she came. At 40 MPH it would have killed her, seriously banged me up and totally trashed my bike not to mention leave me stranded 10 miles from my car.
I grabbed the town line at the base of the descent. Royce was going for it..or at least lining up, but I was behind both him and Jim who was leading it out. Having a 55X12 has it's advantages. Not often is it going to get beat by a 53X12. I saw Royce line up and before he could engage to sprint I was by him and over the line. Norton rides a 55X11...he does the same thing to me.
We motored up Allen St for home and started a nice pace line that almost got run over by a car. (Nightly occurrence) Chris A did a monster pull to get us back up to the riders in front. From there, George and Royce did some nice 30 MPH pulls. We stayed together until someone hit a piece of metal that sounded ominously like a tire going flat. Jim, Royce and I brought it home with me going by Royce for an uncontested sprint. It never counts when its uncontested so we shifted down and had congratulations for a good ride all around. I have met a lot of riders and other clubs over the years but there is something about these people in
the cyclonauts that is great. They will kick your butt when you need it but they are all generally the nicest people around. Yeah, we are odd in our own way. (See above essay containing words of pain and suffering being enjoyable) Other then getting my wife's ability up to A ride status and having HER on the ride, I can think of no other people I would rather ride with and spend a Tuesday evening suffering. 'Cuz when it's all said and done, we all understand what HAS been done that night and are off to our caves for a good nights rest.
It was tough and my 3rd hard ride in a row but very satisfying. NOW I can go and noodle on Thursday and feel good about a light spin. It's always a good time when the rubber is rolling well.
My Garmin GPS is still under repair so no chart today. Maybe next week it will be back.
I try to give readers some feel for what riders and racers are going through as they train. The posts are long because each part of a ride has it's own flavor, set of tactics, and different circumstances that may arise. Which riders show up, weather, your personal status - including mental, nutritional, and recovery, and lastly, the terrain to be covered in the ride. Some riders are good at everything, Some are great at a certain discipline like hills or time -trialing. Others are just trying to hold on and not get 'dropped' or LFD. (Left for Dead) These are terms that basically mean becoming separated from the group by a large enough margin that the group as a collective can no longer wait for you. Like Spock said in some Star Trek movie, "The good of the many outweighs the good of the few or the one."
This particular Tuesday the weather was mild, the group was small, and my legs were tired. I had done the horrible rain ride Saturday (See post "Is that All You Got!") and followed it up for a leg buster on Sunday with a few Tri guys. Ended that I beat them up for 78 miles. Kind of felt bad. (Not really) All that fun had left my legs looking for some time off. Yeah, So I'm at the Tuesday Night A ride for what purpose!? This is the antithesis of some time off. On this ride you either "Fly or Die" as my buddy Jim says. Well the group was small so instead of 15 guys that can/will try to crush you there really was only 4 hard core A riders, 2 A- rider and a B rider. Phil was the sole B rider. He has been attempting to jump up a level and try the A rides. Today I knew we would stay more steady and the group was small so I goaded him into to trying the A ride one more time. Can you see where this is leading? I'll shorten this story about Phil first so we can move on to the blow by blow aspects of the Ride itself.
Phil is a tall guy with a good bike and can ride 3 times per week for several hours. All of this should make it painfully hard but doable for Phil to hang on the A ride if he plays his cards right. This Tuesday was probably not the one I should have goaded him on. We were going to do hills AND long mileage...but at a steadier pace. Phil kept falling off the back on each hill. This is actually VERY normal for a new person trying out the A ride. You may not know the route, you certainly do not know when the other riders normally start pressing their efforts and it would be only normal to be somewhat 'off the back'. Let's just say I spent oh, about 3-4 years there. Since I goaded Phil I was more or less responsible to make sure he knew the turns and had a bit of either help or motivation to keep it going. He was pretty blown after the first series of climbs and we were within 10 miles of the start. Uh Oh, We got 40-50 mile to go like this. He fell back more and more and on a final circle up where the riders wait for the last I asked him some questions about his training. Seems he rode hard Sunday for 6000 feet of climbing. Slow or fast THAT will have an effect on a rider of a lower ability and volume of training. I also found out he trained relatively hard every day. Another red flag. Phil let me off the hook and told me not to worry if he came off again and to go. I counselled him to take a 'spin' day as to recover some ability back. He was definitely not riding as well as he usually did and I think he was over trained. When athletes always go hard without recovery bouts and enough rest the max ability keep coming down. So even thought that athlete is going as hard as they can their top end and power level is getting lower. A good recovery week and conditioning and Phill should be back to full power. We started our ride in earnest now as we would no longer wait for Phil at the tops of the climbs. Hanging back with Phil had made me miss climbing Echo Hill with the other A riders so I was a bit bummed. This is one of MY hills. I've made peace with it and it has understanding with me. It lets me climb it in the big ring when most riders do not. I, in turn, enjoy the pain it brings and respect its leg wrenching ability. From the top of my favorite missed climb we were really ready to ride.
We swooped down into the center of Monson at a a quality 35+ from the descent off Echo Hill. From here we went up 32 toward Wales Rd. This is a great climb and the start/finish of the Monson Rd Race. It's steep but not real steep. Of course THAT would have been easy. Instead we took the left hand fork off of Wales Rd to Munn Rd. When looking up from Wales you are already on a steep pitch. Seeing Munn Rd all you see is pavement going vertical. Ouch. The good news is it comes at you in sections that you just have to gut over. Each section is bad but you are just feeling it when you reach the top of each steep. The problem is that when you climb with the group you need to ride at the best climbers ability. I am NOT the best climber by any means. Instead I just suffer and breath like a diesel locomotive and hope for it to be over as soon as possible. Sometimes I feel great and can out last climbing faster then I normally do and others times I just 'blow up.' Chris Adeletti paced us up and he has a very efficient and smooth pedalling cadence. He rides his easiest gear but spins fast enough to stay in front. I have been practicing but Chris A can be too fast for me some times. I was breathing hard but finally we hit the plateau that signalled circle up. We were at a turn and we needed to get our last 2 riders up with us. Chris Shickler is a new member but an avid biker. He pushed the pace on the first climb. I wanted to go with him but I had to stay with Phil then. He had less starch in his legs for this climb. It isn't as long but it is steeper. George Fetcko is the other A- rider. He is making big leaps and bounds with his riding. Just having joined the club last year and STARTED with the A riders....that's saying something. Wow! We found him doing a weekly ride to Boston AND BACK (?) on one of the weekend days. Like, All in one day! He was wearing baggy shorts and his phone on his belt. Well he doesn't wear those clothes and he certainly rides like he means it. Big progression in this last year. He was bringing up the rear on the climbs.
After collecting Chris S and George we headed up a stair step climb that is about 4-5 miles long. I call it Partridge Hollow Rd. It brings you back up to Rt 19 in Wales. Chris A pushed the pace most of the climb and Jim was right on my wheel. Royce was fourth wheel as he was feeling less then perfect. Royce is very strong and is a winning the mountain bike series so far this year. Everyone has an off day. Royce was with me when I exploded on the hills of the Berkshires. Thankfully he got me back home that day. Eventually Jim and I took over from Chris and we brought the group into the circle up area. A small wait later and Chris S and George pulled in breathing hard. I asked Chris A if he was working hard on those two climbs. He assured me he was if not at, close to red lined. Thank God! I was at the max too but Chris looked like it was a walk in the park for him. You know the rule. It works in interviews as well as bike riding. "Never let'em see you sweat." Well, I was sweating AND breathing like a locomotive. No guess work there. I would have to trust Chris that he wasn't setting me up for later. Now if it was Mike Norton...I wouldn't believe a word. '"I'm tired" means he is going to spank you later and "I feel great!" means 'I'm bluffing and want you to take it easy so I can recover from the weekends races.'
The next series of hills were not too hard and could be classifies as roller. But at 30 miles and legs tiring they get to you. We made a quick right on to Rt 19 and then a quick left by the lake. This road would take us out to 190 by Ashford Ct. Our pulls were getting longer and the effect of rolling terrain on the miles was stacking up. I was trying to warn Chris S what was coming. I yelled to him what was ahead and how the road ended. It ended in a nice steep chop that could almost be classified a climb. When you come around a corner and over a small knoll you are faced with one wicked site for a climb. I had just came off the front a few riders ago so I was more or less tail gunning. I watched as Chris S almost sat up. I have to admit it is a daunting site but knowing whats coming helps. This psuedo climb has two levels. The first is a steep chop for about 300 or so meters. Long enough to make you work. If you know the hill you have information that the grade softens considerably before it goes up again and to the right. Collectively it is a hard hill but segmented it is doable. I began pulling out from the pace line in the back as the first hill started. I moved up a rider or two and watched as all the riders clicked down into their small front rings. NOW! was the time to hit it through this first chop. Fly or Die baby.
I rode the first hill in my big ring (55) and 21 gear in back which opened up a good gap on the rest. When I finally got to the false flat I dropped down into my small ring and just buried myself to make the next hill. Sit, stand, sit stand and keep on pedalling at red line max. Finally the hill top was there and I was able to drop into the big ring again and motor. Now my worry is that Jim, the Giant Slayer would track down Quadzilla (My new nick name I guess from another member of the club). If Jim hooks up with Chris they could catch me. 2 strong beats 1 strong most times. Thankfully I held them off but I noticed that Jim WAS the next rider into the circle up area. I yelled over to him and Chris A to not call me a 'fat boy' anymore. We all cracked up. I got some KOM mojo deposited into my account. (King Of the Mountain is prestigious but it all has do do with so many variables it only lasts until the next ride, sometimes only the next hill)
We ambled up 190 toward Stafford Springs and home. This is a rolling section of easy hills and fast downhills. Royce went in front for miles at 30+ MPH with help from the terrain. Eventually we headed in from the backside of Greystone Mtn. Nice rolling uphill again. Joy. We averaged about 21-23 MPH through the rollers but eventually we came to one of the two final choppers before the descent. Chris A put in a nice hard press on the run up to the chopper. Instead of 6 we were now 4. I came around on the actual chopper in my big ring and went for the top. Chris A had had enough of the 'fat boy' getting KOM's and motored by me again. He crested a few feet in front. Even if it was an inch he got the KOM. Jim was next just behind or with me and Royce soon after.
Down hill all the way to the next chopper. At least you can somewhat recover. Jim did a lions pull to the base of the chopper and I stayed in the Big Ring again and just stood to the top. This is NOT a tough hill but it always seems at the end of the Tuesday A ride it feels like Everest! We all circled up and waited for George and Chris who were actually only 2 circles behind.
Down the Greystone climb...no brakes of course. We had a near miss with mother nature in the form of a well fed Whitetail Doe. She was just about to cross the road right in front of me when she turned, thank God again, back the way she came. At 40 MPH it would have killed her, seriously banged me up and totally trashed my bike not to mention leave me stranded 10 miles from my car.
I grabbed the town line at the base of the descent. Royce was going for it..or at least lining up, but I was behind both him and Jim who was leading it out. Having a 55X12 has it's advantages. Not often is it going to get beat by a 53X12. I saw Royce line up and before he could engage to sprint I was by him and over the line. Norton rides a 55X11...he does the same thing to me.
We motored up Allen St for home and started a nice pace line that almost got run over by a car. (Nightly occurrence) Chris A did a monster pull to get us back up to the riders in front. From there, George and Royce did some nice 30 MPH pulls. We stayed together until someone hit a piece of metal that sounded ominously like a tire going flat. Jim, Royce and I brought it home with me going by Royce for an uncontested sprint. It never counts when its uncontested so we shifted down and had congratulations for a good ride all around. I have met a lot of riders and other clubs over the years but there is something about these people in
the cyclonauts that is great. They will kick your butt when you need it but they are all generally the nicest people around. Yeah, we are odd in our own way. (See above essay containing words of pain and suffering being enjoyable) Other then getting my wife's ability up to A ride status and having HER on the ride, I can think of no other people I would rather ride with and spend a Tuesday evening suffering. 'Cuz when it's all said and done, we all understand what HAS been done that night and are off to our caves for a good nights rest.
It was tough and my 3rd hard ride in a row but very satisfying. NOW I can go and noodle on Thursday and feel good about a light spin. It's always a good time when the rubber is rolling well.
My Garmin GPS is still under repair so no chart today. Maybe next week it will be back.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
"Is that all you got!"
So Andrea went out for a great ride this morning with a few friends. Nice weather, nice ride, great time. She rode into the driveway just as my cohorts began to arrive. We had a 54 mile ride planned in the rolling hills of Northern Ct.
Off we went at a good pace that would supply fitness work but not wreck our muscles. (I am planning on cashing n the old Father's Day chip and going for another ride in the early am) It was all going great and fun was being had by all. 'All' consisting of George Fetcko, Joe Rodrigues and myself. Joe and I had planned on reversing last Thursday's ride to see how a certain road ridden in the 'down' fashion would ride in the 'up' direction.
I figure we were coming up on just before half way when we got to this particular road and stretch of climbing. The clouds were black. I mean B.L.A.C.K. Yes, we knew there was a 30-40% chance of thundershowers later in the day, but it was only noonish. I hardly call that 'later in the day'. Well it started to spit some rain. The it started to rain. Then it started to pour. Then is became a deluge of biblical proportions. I remind you that this road rides in an upwardly direction for almost 8 miles. When this deluge begins we have a large part of 8 miles of road water racing down at us. No visibility, the rain just hurts, we are soaked and the temp drops from mid eighties to mid fifties in minutes. Yeah, loads of fun. :-(
On a particularly steep section I get fed up with the incredible amount of rain and thunder above us. I begin to climb standing on the pedals. (it helps sometimes on steep sections) I turn my helmeted head toward the heavens and shout out. "Is that all you got!? Come on! We can take it! That all!? You got nothing!?" Joe, being raised roman catholic and Portuguese, immediately backed off from me on his bike. I think he figured if God was going to strike me he didn't need to be right next to me when it happened. No sooner did I sit back down and get back to the work of getting up the damn river of a hill when a bright flash lights up the forest, milliseconds later an earsplitting crack shatters the air around us. Hmmm, that was timed rather well. I think I'll shut up now. I look over my shoulder to see my fellow riders still up and pedaling. Would have really put a crimp in the ride had one of them been struck. Right? I don't know what WAS hit but it was right on top of us. OK God, you made your point.
Finally, when we reach the top...blue sky. Yeah, it's always like that. We start the last part of the ride with me day reaming about the shouts to the heavens and the lightening flash. Out of the blue my mind grabs onto something else...Damn! Here I am yelling at God and he's been pissing into the wide open sunroof of my car! I turn my eyes to the sky and shake my head but keep quiet. This ride is just not any fun anymore. How many time can the darn window buttons and seats get wet before I have to bring the car to John Robison for overhaul. Ugh, That'll cost a lot.
Finally, on the last hill...downhill, to my house I take the front. More to not have to get spray back from the riders wheels in front of me then to do work. It' s fast and fun despite the wet roads. We came down Granville Gorge Rt 57 at 37+ MPH and not really even trying for 5 miles. 'A beautiful thing' as George says. It lightens my mood and I even begin making little deals and homage prayers to God if he has kindly spared my car from the rain. Crazier things have happened. I've seen it pour on the other side of my street and our driveway stay drive. With these thunderstorms you never know where the line will be. I had hope at least. As I got closer the wet road was not drying up. It was becoming apparent that our area, and house, more then likely had been poured on. I was ready to face the music and begin drying out my car and hoping for the best.
We pulled into the driveway and I rode up next to my car. I let out a 'whooppeee!' as I noticed the sunroof was closed. Divine providence HAD stepped in and had my wife close my roof. A great ending to a wild and wet ride. Who says miracles still don't happen. It's all in how you look at it.
Off we went at a good pace that would supply fitness work but not wreck our muscles. (I am planning on cashing n the old Father's Day chip and going for another ride in the early am) It was all going great and fun was being had by all. 'All' consisting of George Fetcko, Joe Rodrigues and myself. Joe and I had planned on reversing last Thursday's ride to see how a certain road ridden in the 'down' fashion would ride in the 'up' direction.
I figure we were coming up on just before half way when we got to this particular road and stretch of climbing. The clouds were black. I mean B.L.A.C.K. Yes, we knew there was a 30-40% chance of thundershowers later in the day, but it was only noonish. I hardly call that 'later in the day'. Well it started to spit some rain. The it started to rain. Then it started to pour. Then is became a deluge of biblical proportions. I remind you that this road rides in an upwardly direction for almost 8 miles. When this deluge begins we have a large part of 8 miles of road water racing down at us. No visibility, the rain just hurts, we are soaked and the temp drops from mid eighties to mid fifties in minutes. Yeah, loads of fun. :-(
On a particularly steep section I get fed up with the incredible amount of rain and thunder above us. I begin to climb standing on the pedals. (it helps sometimes on steep sections) I turn my helmeted head toward the heavens and shout out. "Is that all you got!? Come on! We can take it! That all!? You got nothing!?" Joe, being raised roman catholic and Portuguese, immediately backed off from me on his bike. I think he figured if God was going to strike me he didn't need to be right next to me when it happened. No sooner did I sit back down and get back to the work of getting up the damn river of a hill when a bright flash lights up the forest, milliseconds later an earsplitting crack shatters the air around us. Hmmm, that was timed rather well. I think I'll shut up now. I look over my shoulder to see my fellow riders still up and pedaling. Would have really put a crimp in the ride had one of them been struck. Right? I don't know what WAS hit but it was right on top of us. OK God, you made your point.
Finally, when we reach the top...blue sky. Yeah, it's always like that. We start the last part of the ride with me day reaming about the shouts to the heavens and the lightening flash. Out of the blue my mind grabs onto something else...Damn! Here I am yelling at God and he's been pissing into the wide open sunroof of my car! I turn my eyes to the sky and shake my head but keep quiet. This ride is just not any fun anymore. How many time can the darn window buttons and seats get wet before I have to bring the car to John Robison for overhaul. Ugh, That'll cost a lot.
Finally, on the last hill...downhill, to my house I take the front. More to not have to get spray back from the riders wheels in front of me then to do work. It' s fast and fun despite the wet roads. We came down Granville Gorge Rt 57 at 37+ MPH and not really even trying for 5 miles. 'A beautiful thing' as George says. It lightens my mood and I even begin making little deals and homage prayers to God if he has kindly spared my car from the rain. Crazier things have happened. I've seen it pour on the other side of my street and our driveway stay drive. With these thunderstorms you never know where the line will be. I had hope at least. As I got closer the wet road was not drying up. It was becoming apparent that our area, and house, more then likely had been poured on. I was ready to face the music and begin drying out my car and hoping for the best.
We pulled into the driveway and I rode up next to my car. I let out a 'whooppeee!' as I noticed the sunroof was closed. Divine providence HAD stepped in and had my wife close my roof. A great ending to a wild and wet ride. Who says miracles still don't happen. It's all in how you look at it.
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