This may be a stretch as I don't feel like a cyclist these days, more of a poser-cyclist, but maybe that will change now that we're back from Michigan and the holidays are almost over.
Quick update/rant: super donut hole for the last two weeks. No miles, not even imaginary miles during my sleep. I dreamt of laziness, chicken and gravy, perogies, ham, stuffing, coffee, polish whiskey, and strohs in a can. Surprisingly my days were filled with the exact same things my dreams were. So not only did I bring back a couple of sweet presents from the in laws, I also brought back about ten pounds with me that I wasn't expecting...nice!
Now to the content that follows the title; Guys/gals who spend (or in my case, spent) a good portion of their day on a saddle over two wheels shouldn't spend too much time behind the wheel. Specifically, they should not spend more than 6 hours behind a steering wheel driving through states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. After 400 miles, two red bulls, a medium coffee, and about a pound of salted pretzels I noticed I was subconsciously bringing my road tactics to the "real" road. Note this case:
At one point, I was driving comfortably around 80 mph with about 3 or 4 cars behind me "pacing" my 15 mph over the speed limit. Nobody was coming around to take their share of the risk of getting pulled over and felt like they could leave me out there to be the sacrificial lamb if a cop decided to pull any of us over. I noticed this for about 15 minutes, and kept pulling into the middle lane to let someone pull through, but nobody wanted to do the work and were looking for free rides to Breezewood, PA. So at one point we came up on two trucks that were chugging up a hill in the right lane. The foursome behind me had left open a 2 second gap and I saw that the second truck was looking to pass the first. I passed the first truck and then saw that he immediately pulled out into the passing lane to follow me in passing the second truck (taking up the space between me and the four "wheel-suckers" behind me...so what did I do you ask?? I attacked of course! I dropped the hammer and ramped up the speed about an extra 15 mph and immediately gapped the truck who didn't have the snap to follow my acceleration. By the time he had passed the first truck and moved over back to the right lane, I had a good quarter mile on the foursome and never saw them again....textbook tactics.
I got an earfull from the wife, but felt that the cycling gods had to approve of my move....I kept doing stuff like that. If a car passed a caravan that I was in and nobody responded to the move or a car was blocking the front, I would attack and attempt to bridge up to the speeding car (this resulted in much yelling from within the car, but seriously...my role is to cover moves!).
I'm glad I don't drive very often...I could see myself getting a lot of tickets and then being thrown in jail by the cop for being insane after I tried to explain to him how my actions were logical and should be rewarded as opposed to punished.
Anyway, a belated Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas!
Cheers.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Crazy Track Antics
Watch this and tell me whether the first wreck was intentional:
The second one is mind blowing. Who does that kind of sh!t? Wow.
Cheers.
The second one is mind blowing. Who does that kind of sh!t? Wow.
Cheers.
Friday, December 19, 2008
blah blah blah
I have nothing of interest to report.
1) I am riding only once a week...if that. Note that when I do ride, it is at 40mph+ and only up 20% grades...in the snow. I wish.
2) I think I'm gaining weight...but I'm not going to step on the scale.
3) I'm getting more grey hairs.
1+2+3 = not good times. Can't wait for summer.
1) I am riding only once a week...if that. Note that when I do ride, it is at 40mph+ and only up 20% grades...in the snow. I wish.
2) I think I'm gaining weight...but I'm not going to step on the scale.
3) I'm getting more grey hairs.
1+2+3 = not good times. Can't wait for summer.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
My "doping" cocktail recipe...
Just in case you see me riding really fast one of these days here is my current recipe of substances making up my doping cocktail:
- 250 MG Azithromycin once a day (usually around 10:00 pm)
- 10 ML Guaifenesin and Codeine every four hours -- around 1:00 AM I switch to 10 ML of Tussin DM which helps stop the coughing and allows me to get some sleep.
- 2 drops of Naphacon A in each eye every 4 hours or so.
- 100 mcg of Fluticasone Propionate spray in each nostril once a night before bed
- 2 to 4 Ibuprofen per day as needed
- About 10 to 20 Halls cough suppressant lozenges per day
I started feeling bad last Wednesday and peaked to the point of breaking down in the bathroom Tuesday night praying that this sickness would go away. I finally feel pretty good tonight and hope that everything will be back to normal by tomorrow. Sickness sucks. Reading about people training and riding their bikes while you're too sick to breathe without coughing up a storm sucks even more. My fitness sucks and weight is out of control. I'm getting a little stir crazy. One of these days I'll ride my bike again...until then, I'm going to wait on someone coming up with something original and poach it for my own. ;)
Cheers...
- 250 MG Azithromycin once a day (usually around 10:00 pm)
- 10 ML Guaifenesin and Codeine every four hours -- around 1:00 AM I switch to 10 ML of Tussin DM which helps stop the coughing and allows me to get some sleep.
- 2 drops of Naphacon A in each eye every 4 hours or so.
- 100 mcg of Fluticasone Propionate spray in each nostril once a night before bed
- 2 to 4 Ibuprofen per day as needed
- About 10 to 20 Halls cough suppressant lozenges per day
I started feeling bad last Wednesday and peaked to the point of breaking down in the bathroom Tuesday night praying that this sickness would go away. I finally feel pretty good tonight and hope that everything will be back to normal by tomorrow. Sickness sucks. Reading about people training and riding their bikes while you're too sick to breathe without coughing up a storm sucks even more. My fitness sucks and weight is out of control. I'm getting a little stir crazy. One of these days I'll ride my bike again...until then, I'm going to wait on someone coming up with something original and poach it for my own. ;)
Cheers...
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Should I be upset that Boonen did ecstasy?
"Tom Boonen used not only cocaine but also the party drug Ecstasy, according to the Gazet van Antwerpen. The sprinter's attorney has protested that his client is not being handled fairly."
Article on Cycling News
Okay, sure, if he worked in the government, worked with dangerous heavy machinery, drove a school bus with 3rd graders in it, or was president of the United States...maybe.
But he rides a bicycle? I guess maybe sponsors wouldn't be too happy about that...and teammates might be bummed because they bust their @sses all year getting themselves in tip-top fitness just to help you win races. A black eye on cycling since anyone who isn't in the cycling world would look at this and say, "yup, everybody in that sport is dirty...".
Personally, I don't care. Granted if I was his brother, father, son, uncle, etc...I would be disappointed. If I was his leadout man and we kept losing races and I found out he was using in season and it might have an impact on his performance, yea, I'd care. But as mr. average sitting in my cube reading about this on cyclingnews, no.
Boonen is under 30 and a huge celebrity. Rock Star some might call him. When I read on TMZ (seriously, I don't actually read TMZ, but for this reference it works...) that some rocker got busted with an ounce of [insert recreational drug name here] while partying with his buddies, I think to myself, "what am I going to have for dinner"...get it, I don't think about it. These guys get in trouble. If someone who I'm a devout follower of...say, maybe someone like Zeus, got busted for Ecstasy...yea, I'd be disapointed then. Maybe Boonen isn't "Zeus-like" enough. I think some people would disagree though...the more I think about it, the more I disagree with where I started with this. Don't do drugs. Even if you don't have followers, it just isn't cool.
Clean living...except for beer on weekends.....and sometimes during the week, but never for breakfast....except on holidays.
Anyway, cycling update. Big donut hole since Saturday. Sick as a dog. Very bad cough and potential walking pneumonia. A couple of days more rest and then we'll see what happens.
Cheers.
Article on Cycling News
Okay, sure, if he worked in the government, worked with dangerous heavy machinery, drove a school bus with 3rd graders in it, or was president of the United States...maybe.
But he rides a bicycle? I guess maybe sponsors wouldn't be too happy about that...and teammates might be bummed because they bust their @sses all year getting themselves in tip-top fitness just to help you win races. A black eye on cycling since anyone who isn't in the cycling world would look at this and say, "yup, everybody in that sport is dirty...".
Personally, I don't care. Granted if I was his brother, father, son, uncle, etc...I would be disappointed. If I was his leadout man and we kept losing races and I found out he was using in season and it might have an impact on his performance, yea, I'd care. But as mr. average sitting in my cube reading about this on cyclingnews, no.
Boonen is under 30 and a huge celebrity. Rock Star some might call him. When I read on TMZ (seriously, I don't actually read TMZ, but for this reference it works...) that some rocker got busted with an ounce of [insert recreational drug name here] while partying with his buddies, I think to myself, "what am I going to have for dinner"...get it, I don't think about it. These guys get in trouble. If someone who I'm a devout follower of...say, maybe someone like Zeus, got busted for Ecstasy...yea, I'd be disapointed then. Maybe Boonen isn't "Zeus-like" enough. I think some people would disagree though...the more I think about it, the more I disagree with where I started with this. Don't do drugs. Even if you don't have followers, it just isn't cool.
Clean living...except for beer on weekends.....and sometimes during the week, but never for breakfast....except on holidays.
Anyway, cycling update. Big donut hole since Saturday. Sick as a dog. Very bad cough and potential walking pneumonia. A couple of days more rest and then we'll see what happens.
Cheers.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Cube boy...
Sometimes, the best form of paying your respect to someone is to take their original content and butcher the sh!t out of it and take it for your own since you have no original thought on a Monday night...Go see the Muscle. And just in case someone asks...I'm home sick today so this isn't on your dime.
The next day....
Wants for '09
This is the current setup. Except I have a new-ish specialized stem, some fsa carbon bars, white bar tape and white Vredestein tires (or is it tyres...and if it is, why?) ...yea, go ahead make fun of the white (impractical, yes...awesome, double yes):
What I want, to make the look even more awesome is the following:
and
Pair those up with the new kits we have coming and the awesomeness goes out the roof.
Jose, you know what I'm talking about...
Cheers
What I want, to make the look even more awesome is the following:
and
Pair those up with the new kits we have coming and the awesomeness goes out the roof.
Jose, you know what I'm talking about...
Cheers
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Friday, December 5, 2008
Tomorrow's Ride
The team is getting together. Route 1 Velo/Arrow Bicycle rolls out of Port City Java in Capl Hill tomorrow @ 8:30 am.
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/dc/washington/301781770802
From Wisconsin and M St NW in Georgetown (after rolling down Penn Ave, Independence, K st)
L M St
R 33rd St
L Volta Pl
R 35th St
L Resevoir Rd.
R MacArthur Blvd
R Falls Rd
L River Rd.
R Seneca Rd
R Esworthy Rd.
L Query Mill Rd
R Glen Rd
R/L Over bridge onto Glen Rd (if you missed this you'll be on Glen Mill Rd.)
L Falls Rd
R Tuckerman Ln.
R Grosvenor Pl
R/L Onto Grosvenor Ln and under Rockville Pike against traffic
R Beach Dr / turns into Rock Creek Pkwy
L Independance Ave
End 7th St Se (port city java
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/dc/washington/301781770802
From Wisconsin and M St NW in Georgetown (after rolling down Penn Ave, Independence, K st)
L M St
R 33rd St
L Volta Pl
R 35th St
L Resevoir Rd.
R MacArthur Blvd
R Falls Rd
L River Rd.
R Seneca Rd
R Esworthy Rd.
L Query Mill Rd
R Glen Rd
R/L Over bridge onto Glen Rd (if you missed this you'll be on Glen Mill Rd.)
L Falls Rd
R Tuckerman Ln.
R Grosvenor Pl
R/L Onto Grosvenor Ln and under Rockville Pike against traffic
R Beach Dr / turns into Rock Creek Pkwy
L Independance Ave
End 7th St Se (port city java
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monday
Sunday was a waste. To recap my Sunday, I woke up on the couch and then sat there for the entire day while watching the Lord of the Rings Trilogy on TNT. Didn't do anything else. Lazy.
Saturday was good. Did the ride out in Virginia. I keep forgetting how nice the roads and the scenery is out there. Granted I wasn't that far away, but the "country" roads of Northern VA are legit. This was my ride. I was a little worried going into it that riding on Georgetown Pike was going to be dangerous. It actually wasn't and didn't have too many cars on it. The roads were always going up or down and there weren't too many flat stretches at all. No serious climbs or anything, but enough to feel some soreness the next day.
The stretch from making the right onto River Bend Rd to the left on Hunter Mill Rd was surprisingly awesome. Those neighborhoods have some beautiful roads with some real nice elevation changes. I'll definitely go back there to ride.
Anyway, I highly recommend the ride...feel free to poach.
Saturday was good. Did the ride out in Virginia. I keep forgetting how nice the roads and the scenery is out there. Granted I wasn't that far away, but the "country" roads of Northern VA are legit. This was my ride. I was a little worried going into it that riding on Georgetown Pike was going to be dangerous. It actually wasn't and didn't have too many cars on it. The roads were always going up or down and there weren't too many flat stretches at all. No serious climbs or anything, but enough to feel some soreness the next day.
The stretch from making the right onto River Bend Rd to the left on Hunter Mill Rd was surprisingly awesome. Those neighborhoods have some beautiful roads with some real nice elevation changes. I'll definitely go back there to ride.
Anyway, I highly recommend the ride...feel free to poach.
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