I did a relatively short easy 30 mile ride today on my now ultralight single speed cross bike. I did not wear booties. I did wear extra socks - thick fleece socks. I thought this would have been OK. It was not. The balls of my feet through my toes are still mostly numb right now and I've been home for 20 minutes. They are gonna feel really good when I take a shower.
Despite the cold (which really wasn't bad at all apart from cold feet) it felt great to go for a ride and enjoy it again. Like it felt really great - I really love riding my bike sometimes. I'm beginning to long for the days of solid group road rides in the spring and mid/late winter. I'm putting these off though until the end of December at the earliest - probably start them up in mid-January actually.
My parents are coming to town tomorrow so I'll be tied up next week mostly. I hope I can stay on my weekday YMCA treadmill/weights routine. I've been doing this upper body workout: do one pullup, wait ten seconds. Do two pullups, wait 20 sec., 3 pullups - 30 seconds. Do them until you cannot do them anymore always resting 10 sec per pullup. When you can't do them anymore then go back down the same way you came up. When I'm done do sets of pushups. Just doing this makes me sore as hell - but its getting easier and soreness is abating somewhat.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
I think I remember skiing...
Well it got cold out, which I really don't mind at all right now. I like cold. While I totally plan on actually riding both days this weekend - I'm hoping it snows pretty soon in northern New England. I really want to get a good year of cross country in and to do some alpine backcountry stuff. There's got to be a lot of backcountry stuff within a few hours of here...I just don't know where it is yet. I'll find it - eventually. I remember doing a lot of semi-backcountry in VT when I lived there - I think I skied the Teardrop on Mansfield every weekend because I was too "cheap" to buy lift tickets. I really wasn't cheap, I just couldn't afford them. Stowe (which has by far the sickest backcountry stuff) wants like $70 a day or something. I also remember doing some really stupid shit - like skiing down Camel's Hump in a snowstorm and having to drive an '86 Cutlass with summer tires home down the access road. I ditched the car once and the three other guys had to push it out. It was so sketchy - white knuckle to the max. There was some really fun stuff too - like skiing the Robbins Mtn. power line (you can see it off I89 in Richmond) in a totally untouched state, with my brother who was still learning snowboarding but fought like hell to stay up (he failed at that and so did I). I think our goal was to admire our lines from a distance - it was all messed up because all of us kept falling - the snow was so deep and heavy. Like you made three turns, leaning all the way back and had to stop because you were too tired to continue. Everything I wore was soaked from falling in that stuff - snow was all inside my boots, hat, inside of gloves...everywhere.
Cross country for me is like mountain biking in the winter - even though bikes are cool cross country is better. I really miss cross country skiing. Getting up the southern VT portion of the Catamount trail would be good this winter. I've done a bit of it - from App. Gap thru Smugglers - which was great when the snow didn't suck and my skis were appropriately maintained. I have delusions of skiing the entire thing at some point - in sections. Sort of all set with winter camping because it sucks and you are always cold. Well enough for now.
Cross country for me is like mountain biking in the winter - even though bikes are cool cross country is better. I really miss cross country skiing. Getting up the southern VT portion of the Catamount trail would be good this winter. I've done a bit of it - from App. Gap thru Smugglers - which was great when the snow didn't suck and my skis were appropriately maintained. I have delusions of skiing the entire thing at some point - in sections. Sort of all set with winter camping because it sucks and you are always cold. Well enough for now.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A Reason Things are Screwed Up...
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/12/earlyshow/main4595179.shtml
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Maserati
On my way home I saw a guy w/ NY plates driving a Maserati. Only some f*&%$#ng egomaniac spends that much on a car - I wonder if he worked for one of those banks (yeah, that failed and got a government IV)? If he did/does then really whose car is that anyway?
About my ornery early AM mood. I didn't get to bed until late last night (Leah and I have been watching this show called "Dexter" - both of us are addicted). Besides, couldn't really sleep anyway because someone forgot to tell the maybe 22 year old girls who live below me that their college experience ended last year and that having "little" parties CONSTANTLY bothers your neighbors. Well one of the guys they had over got locked out early this AM and rung their doorbell every 5 minutes for :45 minutes at 6AM. I heard the downstairs doorbell loud and clear...how could they have missed it. My dog heard it too and believe me, he let me know that someone was there. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on them because I slept through a bomb threat during my freshman year of college. I straight slept through it. Anyways I go outside and let the guy in. I kinda felt bad because I was real dick to him (I asked him if he was going to keep ringing the doorbell even though nobody's answered the door), but I kinda don't because I really didn't get that much rest (< 4 hours) so that these kids can have a good time. I don't sleep that great anyway (well, maybe only during bomb threats) so I just got up.
And they're rude too. They'll walk right by you and say nothing - both of them. Its just disrespectful - and I've honestly had it with people w/ bad manners or who are disrespectful. On the other hand I know that at times I can be introverted and I'll keep to myself. I guess there are two sides to every story, and I don't know their side although I wish they would shut the hell up at a decent hour - and 2 AM is not a decent hour.
On the stressful front I've picked up some additional responsibilities at work. Lots of hallway stuff, some bad hallway stuff. I am bad luck - every time I'm on something happens. I find the most complicated and stressful situations. Its been some getting used to but I think I'm managing it. I've got one year left of school. I cannot wait to be finished with classes. Last year, I took 7 classes which is probably what put a huge dent into my cycling season, not to mention social time. Its getting a little better now though, work is work.
I rode my cross bike 30 miles today...on the road. It felt great although my bike was undergeared (36x16). I haven't been really riding and it I think I'm starting to get my Mojo back. I'm still gonna hold off training until January though because whenever I can only stay excited for racing for a while.
I had a good run yesterday - I kept it to 7 miles. Yes, knees still hurt. Yes, IT band started up too...so I know I've got to be careful. I've got to go run on the track/treadmill instead of the roads.
About my ornery early AM mood. I didn't get to bed until late last night (Leah and I have been watching this show called "Dexter" - both of us are addicted). Besides, couldn't really sleep anyway because someone forgot to tell the maybe 22 year old girls who live below me that their college experience ended last year and that having "little" parties CONSTANTLY bothers your neighbors. Well one of the guys they had over got locked out early this AM and rung their doorbell every 5 minutes for :45 minutes at 6AM. I heard the downstairs doorbell loud and clear...how could they have missed it. My dog heard it too and believe me, he let me know that someone was there. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on them because I slept through a bomb threat during my freshman year of college. I straight slept through it. Anyways I go outside and let the guy in. I kinda felt bad because I was real dick to him (I asked him if he was going to keep ringing the doorbell even though nobody's answered the door), but I kinda don't because I really didn't get that much rest (< 4 hours) so that these kids can have a good time. I don't sleep that great anyway (well, maybe only during bomb threats) so I just got up.
And they're rude too. They'll walk right by you and say nothing - both of them. Its just disrespectful - and I've honestly had it with people w/ bad manners or who are disrespectful. On the other hand I know that at times I can be introverted and I'll keep to myself. I guess there are two sides to every story, and I don't know their side although I wish they would shut the hell up at a decent hour - and 2 AM is not a decent hour.
On the stressful front I've picked up some additional responsibilities at work. Lots of hallway stuff, some bad hallway stuff. I am bad luck - every time I'm on something happens. I find the most complicated and stressful situations. Its been some getting used to but I think I'm managing it. I've got one year left of school. I cannot wait to be finished with classes. Last year, I took 7 classes which is probably what put a huge dent into my cycling season, not to mention social time. Its getting a little better now though, work is work.
I rode my cross bike 30 miles today...on the road. It felt great although my bike was undergeared (36x16). I haven't been really riding and it I think I'm starting to get my Mojo back. I'm still gonna hold off training until January though because whenever I can only stay excited for racing for a while.
I had a good run yesterday - I kept it to 7 miles. Yes, knees still hurt. Yes, IT band started up too...so I know I've got to be careful. I've got to go run on the track/treadmill instead of the roads.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Since One Could Only Pre-Reg
I will voice my opinion that I'm not in favor of pre-reg only races. It would have been cool had they had the registration up until the day before instead of closing it out on Thursday. It was for this reason that I did not go to Northampton and ride the Sunday race. I'm sure there was a reason for having such a short deadline and I know that promoting a race is complicated. On the upside, the race promoters would have at least a few more entrants, and hence more revenue if they relaxed their deadlines for registration. Furthermore, I don't think that it would be that hard to produce a bikereg printout of confirmed riders on the night before (so close registration on Friday PM for Sat and Sat. PM for Sun.) and then assign numbers from there. Honestly, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to make it so I didn't register. So, I'm going to do a Plymouth race next week...maybe Sunday. Hell, maybe even Saturday. Maybe both even! We'll see.
Anyway, I haven't been riding. I started running a lot more and lifting weights. I did my longest run ever today - 10.1 miles. It really wasn't all that bad, although I have some interesting chafing issues which I will spare folks from reading about. I kept my HR in the aerobic zone except when I ran up College Hill which put the ol' HR in the red. This week I got 28 miles of running in, which is more than I've ever done. I wish I ran in high school though - my skinny ass got bounced around the football field in the fall. I still do not understand how the hell people can run marathons....my knees started getting some pain at mile 7 so I think that might be my limit for running. I'll give the long run another shot though next weekend. I've got the singlespeed cross bike ready. I can't wait to ride it. Hopefully I can get it out for Wednesday down at the NBX course where I am lining up at the rear and just riding the course for fitness and fun. Call it low expectations, lack of self-esteem or whatever, I feel no shame in doing this purposely at this point.
Anyway, I haven't been riding. I started running a lot more and lifting weights. I did my longest run ever today - 10.1 miles. It really wasn't all that bad, although I have some interesting chafing issues which I will spare folks from reading about. I kept my HR in the aerobic zone except when I ran up College Hill which put the ol' HR in the red. This week I got 28 miles of running in, which is more than I've ever done. I wish I ran in high school though - my skinny ass got bounced around the football field in the fall. I still do not understand how the hell people can run marathons....my knees started getting some pain at mile 7 so I think that might be my limit for running. I'll give the long run another shot though next weekend. I've got the singlespeed cross bike ready. I can't wait to ride it. Hopefully I can get it out for Wednesday down at the NBX course where I am lining up at the rear and just riding the course for fitness and fun. Call it low expectations, lack of self-esteem or whatever, I feel no shame in doing this purposely at this point.
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