I rode this on Saturday with Dave - last minute but sometimes its the best way. It was cold but bearable. This AM I was looking at the profile on Google Earth and thinking to myself that this ride would be "oh..not that hilly - it looks a lot like western RI." How wrong I was.
This is the course for the Quabbin RR this year which is going to be one hell of a hard race. I'm not sure if its going to be a climbers race as there are so many downhills to catch them - I use them because I'll never be a climber. The climbss are too long to be pure power climbs though and there's a three to five mile up and down but mostly up effort to the finish. There are no mountains on this course - just lots of hills. Its all hills actually, up or down which means you spend nearly all of your time riding ascending.
So this took us about four hours.
I've got to get my race bike together. I hope to have it ready for Ninigret, if not - at least for next week March 8. It has to be done by then. So right now, I'm super enthusiastic about riding and racing and having a great time this year.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar
Tomorrow is the start of spring. This is verified by Wikipedia and the translation given. It is also known as a cross-quarter day which is halfway between the equinox and the solstice. The ancient Irish Pagans also celebrated this festival as Imbloc - where they attempted to predict the weather. Supposedly this tradition got transferred to St. Brigits day in the UK and Groundhog Day in the US. All of this info is summarized from Wikipedia and is enhanced by the fact that I've been sitting in class tonight and then upon my arrival home - failing to satisfactorily research the topic that I must research because I'm tired, I'm distracted, I don't want to, and I am unconsciously procrastinating. Believe me, ancient Pagan festivals on Wikipedia are much more interesting than the work I have to do.
At time I'll do things spontaneously - solely because I can.
I'm not dead set on doing this but I figure if we leave at 2AM we can get there by 5:30.
Thats right - did you see the date - February. OK - its a long drive to possibly get dropped for I have not put in a ton of training - but I might finish it. It would be fun anyway.
**wouldn't it suck to get lost driving down to that.
***it would suck even more to get there and not find a parking spot.
Registration for Grants Tomb opens the 13th.
I'll admit it publicly - right now I've got nothing going on except for work, school and the hope for a good bike racing season. I'm fine with this right now also - right now I have to focus on my priorities and training/racing helps me keep my priorities in focus. If this was my life forever than this would totally suck but for a short time period being entirely innundated isn't that bad. This won't last forever and hopefully pays dividends when I'm done. Without a focus I get distracted and become unconsciously self-destructive. Once I get out of this current phase - which will be about the end of April I'll have more focus and clarity on what else life has to offer. The world outside of my current shell does not exist. Vacations - do not exist. Whats an airplane - they don't exist in my world right now. Cars are used to drive to bike races - ONLY. The TV is used to play Eurosport bike races while I listen to bad music on the Ipod.
At time I'll do things spontaneously - solely because I can.
I'm not dead set on doing this but I figure if we leave at 2AM we can get there by 5:30.
2/28/2009 | Cadence Cup Prosepct Park Series | |||
online registration closes 2/27/2009 5:00:00 PM ET | Brooklyn | NY | ||
Thats right - did you see the date - February. OK - its a long drive to possibly get dropped for I have not put in a ton of training - but I might finish it. It would be fun anyway.
**wouldn't it suck to get lost driving down to that.
***it would suck even more to get there and not find a parking spot.
Registration for Grants Tomb opens the 13th.
I'll admit it publicly - right now I've got nothing going on except for work, school and the hope for a good bike racing season. I'm fine with this right now also - right now I have to focus on my priorities and training/racing helps me keep my priorities in focus. If this was my life forever than this would totally suck but for a short time period being entirely innundated isn't that bad. This won't last forever and hopefully pays dividends when I'm done. Without a focus I get distracted and become unconsciously self-destructive. Once I get out of this current phase - which will be about the end of April I'll have more focus and clarity on what else life has to offer. The world outside of my current shell does not exist. Vacations - do not exist. Whats an airplane - they don't exist in my world right now. Cars are used to drive to bike races - ONLY. The TV is used to play Eurosport bike races while I listen to bad music on the Ipod.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Fooling 'self
I don't think I'll change my old ways. I end up riding on the crappiest days while I don't do anything on the nice ones. Yesterday it was 25F and I decided to do a longer ride. I knew I had a cold but went anyway - I wasn't sick just had a bit of a cough. Today it is like in the mid 40s and I feel like total shit - no voice, coughing crap up, chills and all that. Sometimes I can ride through these things with no consequences while other times I can't.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Cuidado
Lots of ice out there today. I'm favoring very sparsely traveled roads or those with very wide shoulders. Riding in the middle of the road really pisses people off and I'm tired of getting into foolish road rage matches with crazy ass people. This stuff should go away tomorrow - which will be a full fender day in a group. I'll admit that I was uncomfortable with some of the road conditions. RT. 152 wasn't bad, Henderson bridge sidewalk was awful & unrideable, Pawtucket was awful - not just icy but wet as well, Woodward and Pine were OK but still somewhat hazardous. Lets hope is gets warm and rains - although since I'm in grad school half time I could use a crippling snowstorm and have some time to catch up and the stuff I got to do. I got some good DVDs to watch with my trainer - including Paris-Nice 2007.
This ride was the first time I played an audiobook. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. It is quite thought provoking. I got through Outliers by Gladwell on the trainer and in the house. I think audiobooks are something that I suggest everyone try at least once. Now I can at least be somewhat intellectually productive during my rides instead of thinking about nothing important - like food, racing, what I'm going to do, my bills, and assorted other stuff. Emphasis on somewhat in the preceding sentence.
For the record I did wake up at 6:20 AM with the intention of going to the Arc-en-Ciel ride. I did indeed motivate and get dressed for this ride before coughing up green/yellow shit. I'm not ill with fatigue/fever just having some chest symptoms so its EZ stuff until this goes away. So in lieu of this ride I did my own. In other riding related stuff I now own a wicked piece-of-shit mountain bike converted to a single speed. I love it - the simplicity, leaving it outside and not caring, and riding to everything around. Its good for a few miles - yeah its slow and heavy but it gets me to the store, to work, to Thayer St., downtown and a few points further.
This ride was the first time I played an audiobook. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely. It is quite thought provoking. I got through Outliers by Gladwell on the trainer and in the house. I think audiobooks are something that I suggest everyone try at least once. Now I can at least be somewhat intellectually productive during my rides instead of thinking about nothing important - like food, racing, what I'm going to do, my bills, and assorted other stuff. Emphasis on somewhat in the preceding sentence.
For the record I did wake up at 6:20 AM with the intention of going to the Arc-en-Ciel ride. I did indeed motivate and get dressed for this ride before coughing up green/yellow shit. I'm not ill with fatigue/fever just having some chest symptoms so its EZ stuff until this goes away. So in lieu of this ride I did my own. In other riding related stuff I now own a wicked piece-of-shit mountain bike converted to a single speed. I love it - the simplicity, leaving it outside and not caring, and riding to everything around. Its good for a few miles - yeah its slow and heavy but it gets me to the store, to work, to Thayer St., downtown and a few points further.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Not the way to start the day
Andy Warhol said that everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes. Just to self promote - I put the Providence city council meetings up on public access - 11:30 Saturday mornings. I didn't put myself in the credits so I'll credit myself here. Either channel 13 or 14. I sneak my photography into the credits, which is the only way that I'll get anything of mine published. We've got a long ways to go w/ this project but its coming along.
Sore throat still around...someone at work had it last week but said that he beat it. No training today either - I got home late and was extra hungry. I'm going into a wrestling style cut weight approach to get my weight down to where it should be (175lbs) as opposed to where it is....yeah - way the hell over that. I've cut out beer to 1 day a week, cut down gorging myself with food, tried to exercise more etc... The weather just needs to get better. I really hope to get some good riding in this weekend - anything over an hour and half but I'm actually concerned the roads are not going to be conducive. If the roads suck around here I'm driving down to the Cape or to South County in hopes of better stuff out there.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
$timulu$
Stimulus package #2 just passed round one in the House...the more difficult round is in the Senate next week. Lets hope they have a lot of money in there for bridges, roads, commuter rail and bikepaths. Not that the Republicans actually believe that building things actually creates jobs or anything...since they seem to oppose this provision of the package. Truth be told - I would rather have programs around that put people to work instead of doling out money to banks.
I want to buy stock in the company that produces the paper the Treasury uses to print the money. 830 billion is a lot of money.
On the social criticism front I had the discrete pleasure tonight to hear a grown man - probably in his early 30's had a conversation with a woman he was courting. He was in the supermarket on a cell phone. Yes, the phone was on the speaker setting. It was classic - I think I caught at least five usages of Mother F$%@#r, some choice racial epithets applying to mulitple ethnic groups, and a very interesting description about what they planned to do when they met.
On the health front the sore throat has arrived...will it progress? Head, chest, both or neither? Vitamins and sleep are prescribed. Unfortunately once the throat starts up it usually goes badly. Will this be different? Should I pray to the immune system gods? We will see...
Oh yeah...I suck at losing weight. New weight milestone hit tonight - believe me its not where I want to be. Some of it is okay but most of it needs to go - I think it will once I get into a more predictable riding routine.
I want to buy stock in the company that produces the paper the Treasury uses to print the money. 830 billion is a lot of money.
On the social criticism front I had the discrete pleasure tonight to hear a grown man - probably in his early 30's had a conversation with a woman he was courting. He was in the supermarket on a cell phone. Yes, the phone was on the speaker setting. It was classic - I think I caught at least five usages of Mother F$%@#r, some choice racial epithets applying to mulitple ethnic groups, and a very interesting description about what they planned to do when they met.
On the health front the sore throat has arrived...will it progress? Head, chest, both or neither? Vitamins and sleep are prescribed. Unfortunately once the throat starts up it usually goes badly. Will this be different? Should I pray to the immune system gods? We will see...
Oh yeah...I suck at losing weight. New weight milestone hit tonight - believe me its not where I want to be. Some of it is okay but most of it needs to go - I think it will once I get into a more predictable riding routine.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Dedication
As part of my civic duty as an American, I would like to recognize all of the individuals in the city of Providence who do not shovel the sidewalks in front of their properties.
- A very special shout-out to absentee landlords.
- Another special shout-out to the snowbound tenants and landlords whose properties/apartments are on Thayer St., Brook St. and Hope St. Thank you folks for not shoveling! I burn so many more calories breaking trail or by walking around your poorly maintained property. Thanks!!
- If you are a student...maybe at Brown or RISD and it snows maybe you could go outside when you wake up at noon and do some plebian work (as if!) like shoveling the snow in front of your home - if you consider your domicile a home.
- If you live in an apartment complex and your children play outside...all year...all day/night maybe you can arrange a way for them to help out clear the snow from your residence's walks and driveways. Notice I stated apartment complex which may or not be section 8 as opposed to the projects which are city maintained and are the first places plowed out.
- If you operate a snowplow and think it is funny to make huge walls of snow on the sidewalk you need to get a life.
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