Thursday, May 28, 2009
Photo of the Week
This weeks photo is of a ride Jenny and I took on Monday. As I was standing at an intersection waiting for a light to turn green I noticed my reflection in the cross walk button. It actually looked quite slimming so I decided to snap a photo of it. Have a great weekend and enjoy your ride where ever you go!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
New Group Ride
A couple of weeks ago when I went on a ride with the Mayor I met a cyclist who invited me out to a weekly Tuesday night group ride that Stanwood Velo Sport bike shop sponsors. I haven’t done many group rides before so I was interested in giving it a shot.
Kicked out of the house
When I got off work on Tuesday afternoon I was having my doubts about going on this ride because I’ve never been comfortable with just showing up to any group function not knowing anyone and trying to somehow fit in. This is where being married for a long time really pays off. When I told Jenny I was having my doubts about going on the ride she told me it wasn’t an option and at 4:45 she was going to kick me out of the house with my bike and lock the doors. There you go, my mind was made up, I was going on the ride after all whether I liked it or not. Jenny even went so far as to sneak out to the garage and put my bike on the back of the car when I wasn’t looking. What a great wife. I bet the rest of you guys out there are jealous now aren’t you?
Kicked to the curb
When I got to the bike shop there were a number of cars already in the parking lot and people were milling around in their spandex. I spotted the cyclist who originally invited me to the ride and reintroduced myself to him. When I asked him how the ride worked he told me there were three groups going out (fast, medium, and slow) and that being that it was my first time I should go with the slow group. I inquired about the medium ride and he asked how much riding I did. I told him that I did a fair amount of riding and I thought I could keep up with the medium group. He then went into an unabridged monologue about how much riding he had done in the last week. It sounded a little something like this “Last Saturday I rode 70 miles and then the next day a buddy called and we rode 80 more and the next day, blah, blah, blah…..”. After a minute of listening to him it started sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher talking to him. At that point I was convinced that I would do the slower ride just because I didn’t want to hear any more of the monologue. I’m still convinced that I could have put the hurt on the medium group or at least hung with them but that will have to wait for another week.
Will someone please be my friend?
Now that I wasn’t riding with the one guy that I sort of knew I was in search of a new set of cycling buddies. I scanned the crowd of cyclists trying to figure out which group was the slow group. After eavesdropping on some conversations I figured it out and made my way over for some introductions. As I wandered up and introduced myself everyone in the group seemed happy to have another rider with them and went out of their way to make me feel welcome. What a relief! There was a definite theme to the group as at least half of the riders were either from England or Scotland. As I was standing there getting to know everyone a neighbor of mine pulled up and got out of his car. I had briefly met him before but he didn’t remember me so this was also going to be a great opportunity to get to know him. He also fit into the group very well because he is from England as well.
Bridging the gap
As we headed out I fit myself in toward the rear of the group because I wasn’t sure what to expect. After a mile or so I could see that there was a group of three riders that had gone off the front quite a ways so I decided to catch up with them. I thought it would easy to bridge the gap between the groups but that proved to be more of a challenge than I expected. It took me a good 5 miles or so of averaging 22 mph before I could catch up with them. So much for them being part of the slow group. Just as I caught up with them 2 of the 3 riders decided to head back to the other group and ride with them. Since I was feeling pretty cooked by then I elected to stay with the lone rider in the front for a while.
Riding with Don
As the two of us rode along we headed into a pretty terrible head wind but I didn’t mind because we were able to ride side by side and visit. We talked about our kids and where each of us worked. It was really nice. After a while we came to a parking lot which was a traditional regrouping spot and Don waited with me until the rest of the group caught up with us. Once they were all there Don headed off to his home and the rest of us finished up the ride. I was able to ride with the shop owner for the remainder of the ride and we swapped stories about our bikes and what we liked and didn’t like.
When it was all said and done I was really glad I chose to ride with the group that I rode with the other night. Cycling isn’t always about how fast or far you can ride because after all the best rider is the one with the biggest smile on their face. I'm really hoping Jenny kicks me out of the house next week too.
Kicked out of the house
When I got off work on Tuesday afternoon I was having my doubts about going on this ride because I’ve never been comfortable with just showing up to any group function not knowing anyone and trying to somehow fit in. This is where being married for a long time really pays off. When I told Jenny I was having my doubts about going on the ride she told me it wasn’t an option and at 4:45 she was going to kick me out of the house with my bike and lock the doors. There you go, my mind was made up, I was going on the ride after all whether I liked it or not. Jenny even went so far as to sneak out to the garage and put my bike on the back of the car when I wasn’t looking. What a great wife. I bet the rest of you guys out there are jealous now aren’t you?
Kicked to the curb
When I got to the bike shop there were a number of cars already in the parking lot and people were milling around in their spandex. I spotted the cyclist who originally invited me to the ride and reintroduced myself to him. When I asked him how the ride worked he told me there were three groups going out (fast, medium, and slow) and that being that it was my first time I should go with the slow group. I inquired about the medium ride and he asked how much riding I did. I told him that I did a fair amount of riding and I thought I could keep up with the medium group. He then went into an unabridged monologue about how much riding he had done in the last week. It sounded a little something like this “Last Saturday I rode 70 miles and then the next day a buddy called and we rode 80 more and the next day, blah, blah, blah…..”. After a minute of listening to him it started sounding like Charlie Brown’s teacher talking to him. At that point I was convinced that I would do the slower ride just because I didn’t want to hear any more of the monologue. I’m still convinced that I could have put the hurt on the medium group or at least hung with them but that will have to wait for another week.
Will someone please be my friend?
Now that I wasn’t riding with the one guy that I sort of knew I was in search of a new set of cycling buddies. I scanned the crowd of cyclists trying to figure out which group was the slow group. After eavesdropping on some conversations I figured it out and made my way over for some introductions. As I wandered up and introduced myself everyone in the group seemed happy to have another rider with them and went out of their way to make me feel welcome. What a relief! There was a definite theme to the group as at least half of the riders were either from England or Scotland. As I was standing there getting to know everyone a neighbor of mine pulled up and got out of his car. I had briefly met him before but he didn’t remember me so this was also going to be a great opportunity to get to know him. He also fit into the group very well because he is from England as well.
Bridging the gap
As we headed out I fit myself in toward the rear of the group because I wasn’t sure what to expect. After a mile or so I could see that there was a group of three riders that had gone off the front quite a ways so I decided to catch up with them. I thought it would easy to bridge the gap between the groups but that proved to be more of a challenge than I expected. It took me a good 5 miles or so of averaging 22 mph before I could catch up with them. So much for them being part of the slow group. Just as I caught up with them 2 of the 3 riders decided to head back to the other group and ride with them. Since I was feeling pretty cooked by then I elected to stay with the lone rider in the front for a while.
Riding with Don
As the two of us rode along we headed into a pretty terrible head wind but I didn’t mind because we were able to ride side by side and visit. We talked about our kids and where each of us worked. It was really nice. After a while we came to a parking lot which was a traditional regrouping spot and Don waited with me until the rest of the group caught up with us. Once they were all there Don headed off to his home and the rest of us finished up the ride. I was able to ride with the shop owner for the remainder of the ride and we swapped stories about our bikes and what we liked and didn’t like.
When it was all said and done I was really glad I chose to ride with the group that I rode with the other night. Cycling isn’t always about how fast or far you can ride because after all the best rider is the one with the biggest smile on their face. I'm really hoping Jenny kicks me out of the house next week too.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Your Very Own Giro D'Italia Celebration
One of the blogs that I regularly read is Dug. His blog talks about cycling quite a bit but also touches on some strange subjects such as the reason he put candy under his pillow when he was a kid and his opinion of the bathrooms in the office where he works. One of the things he has talked about on his blog is his love for Gelato. I had never heard of Gelato before so I had to give it a try.
For those of you who have never heard of Gelato it's an Italian word which means "frozen", but basically used to indicate an Italian type of ice cream. I know this because I looked it up in Wikipedia so it must be true. Gelato isn't as creamy as American ice cream but certainly makes up for it in flavor. Most of the flavors include fresh fruit or other fresh ingredients which in my opinion is way better than your run of the mill generic vanilla you'll find in your local grocery store.
I did a little research and found out that you can't get Gelato in our city but there were plenty of Gelato places located in Seattle. When Jenny and I were in Seattle a couple of weeks ago we decided to do some sampling to see what this Gelato thing was all about.
All of the Gelato that we tried (and we tried a lot) was really good but varied from store to store. Here are the samples.
Raspberry in a waffle bowl
Vanilla Bean and Hazel Nut Chocolate
Raspberry and Coconut in a super fancy bowl
My favorite by far was the scoop of raspberry and coconut in the same bowl. If you take a little bit of each scoop in the same spoonful it made the perfect combination. Yummmmm!
So in honor of the Giro D'Italia you should find some Gelato in your town and do some celebrating of your own. Trust me, you'll love it.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
100 Miles to Nowhere - Live Blog
5:00 am - Jenny and I got up and got ready for the big ride, had to wake my oldest son up who fell asleep on the couch. He eagerly went up stairs for some more sleep.
5:40 - Started the first episode of 24 and climbed on the bikes.
The Ride Begins
6:50 - First hour went well, amazing how just an hour on a trainer seems so short when you know you've got 5 or 6 total. I tried the powder drink mix that fatty provided. Didn't like it too much because I'm such a creature of habit. I'm switching to gatorade. We're enjoying 24 so far. Jack is having a really bad day at work! Logged 18 miles the first hour, trying to take it easy but having a hard time riding slower. I usually average 20 - 22 when I ride on the trainer. Tough to pace yourself but giving it a shot. Gotta climb back on the bike!
8:10 - second hour was a little tougher but rode a little faster. Gatorade was a lot better. polished off two bottles last hour no problem. Of course I threw them across the room like a pro discarding his water bottles would. Felt kind of good. Jenny is hanging in there as well. sitting at 37 miles right now.
~Hi, Jenny here. Shot blocks and gatorade are really sweet this early in the morning. But since my mouth felt so dry even after tons of water I figured it would be good to drink some gatorade and replace some of those electrolytes. I've never ridden two hours on the trainer before, but it must be a mind set because I'm okay. It's possible that I'm also taking it too easy. My cadence is high but the gear isn't too hard. I don't know how those guys do it with no resistance, wouldn't you just feel like you're spinning out of control?
After 2 Hours (Still Smiling)
9:25 - OK, it's getting tougher. Kept pace at 20 for most of the hour, now at 57 Miles. Rear end is starting to feel it but other than that feeling OK. Tried the Pro Bar that was in the fatty package. It was awesome, the best energy bar I've ever had. Need to get back at it. I'm starting to sweat all over the keyboard. I know TMI....
10:40 - Even tougher yet. Still have plenty in the tank but the legs and rear end are starting to really feel it. Every century I've ever ridden at mile 70 it quits being about fitness and turns into a battle of determination. I'm to that point now. Determination is going to win. I'm at mile 77 so after this rest break I'm just going to finish up. Here we go!
11:58 - Finished! Now I can say I've ridden a century on a trainer. Not sure if I ever want to do that again but it's done.
Mike takes the win in the Marysville Division
My parents bet each other on whether I could actually do this or not. All I have to say is Dad you owe Mom a big fat dollar.
Ride Time 5:08.
Here's my route from the GPS. Funny, I thought I was riding in the same location but I gues the GPS had other ideas.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Photo of the Week
Note from Mike: I received my Century to No Where package in the mail yesterday so I'm set to go on Saturday. My parents have even bet each other $1 dollar on whether I can do it or not. Now I'm extra motivated to prove that I can do it because I don't think either one of them think I can.
Last Friday I posted a couple of photos with the intent of providing some moments of escapism while people were at work. I received a number of comments with peoples interpretation of the second photo which was a bike laying on the side of a heavily wooded road. Most people thought it looked like a bike that had been abandoned by a rider looking for an emergency rest stop (if you know what I mean). I thought peoples interpretations were great so I named that photo "Unscheduled Emergency"
So for the next couple of Friday's I thought I'd post a "Photo of the Week" and let everyone use their imagination on giving it a title/caption/interpretation. So this is your chance to dust off your creativity and give a photo the funniest, whackiest, most profound title/caption/interpretation imaginable. Don't be shy, I won't be offended.
The Weeks Photo
Background
Last week Jenny and I went for a training ride and at the first rest stop I was the first to go into the convenience store to use the restroom. When I came out Jenny looked pretty relaxed sitting in between the bikes so I took a picture. I thought it was kind of weird that I was able to walk right up and take it because she didn't even move. When I started talking to her it startled her because she had fallen into a deep sleep in the 2 minutes while I was in the store. Now that's what I call a rest stop. That's what is actually happening in the picture but now it's ready for your caption, title or interpretation. Go for it and have a great Friday!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
C2NW Update
As many of you know the century to no where is scheduled for this Saturday. When I signed up for this event I had all of the details planned out down to the number of breaks to take but just like everything else a couple of things have changed since then.
Start Time
I had originally planned on sleeping in a little since it is Saturday and starting some time around 8. Last Sunday I was asked to speak at a Baptism for some great kids that I taught a Sunday School class to years ago. This meeting is at 2PM on Saturday. So, my plans of sleeping have been flushed. The new plan is to get up between 5 and 5:30 (depending on my motivation) have a bowl of granola then climb on the bike. I'm hoping to get started no later than 6:00. Getting up at 5 on a Saturday isn't my idea of fun but this will give me enough time to finish up my ride in plenty of time for the Baptism.
Entertainment
I had originally planned on watching a couple of movies and some other DVDs during my ride but now I'm leaning more toward renting a TV series that I've never seen before. Of course this would be after watching the daily stage of the Giro D'Italia (can't miss that). Since I'm not much of a TV watcher there are a lot of TV shows I've never seen that could be interesting. Here are some that I've heard of but never seen: Lost, 24, ER, Band of Brothers and the list goes on. Since I've only heard of these shows I'm not sure which ones are good. This is where you come in. I need a recommendation of a good TV series that would hold my attention while pounding through some major trainer miles. Know of any good ones? No Mr. Ed or the Barnaby Jones won't cut it this time as my sanity could seriously hinge on this.
Friction
One of the items that you get for participating in this event is a tube of DZNuts chamois crème. If you've done much cycling you know that chamois crème is one of the essentials to a comfortable ride. As of yesterday I haven't received my ride package in the mail yet which isn't a big deal except for the chamois crème because we are running SERIOUSLY low on our supply. If the DZNuts doesn't come by Friday I'll be making a trip to the LBS for my own supply. Friction really isn't my friend.
Live Blogging
Since I will be doing this ride in the house I plan on setting up my laptop on the table next to the bike. That way I can provide live updates of just how nuts and painful this event turns out to be. I'm thinking that the first couple of hours won't be a problem but after that I'm really not sure what to expect. If you're interested in what it's like to ride a trainer for 100 miles tune in on Saturday morning to live the torture with me. I might even do some typing as I ride along but we'll see. If my updates get really strange and incoherent you'll know that 100 miles on a trainer just isn't healthy.
I'm actually pretty darn excited to do this ride as I'm sure many of you are as well. Bring on the adventure!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Getting Me Cycle Geek On
In the past I've written about my favorite riding shorts and how I'm really attached to them. In fact, I almost always wear them over my cycling shorts because they are just so darn comfortable. I know, I know, how can you be a true cyclist without proudly wearing geeky cycling shorts? Here's a shot of me sporting my favorite camo's. Don't they look comfortable? Do you see the quandary I'm in?
Lately, I've felt the need to get rid of the camo's for rides longer than 15 miles and "get my cycling geek on" by wearing my cycling shorts with pride. I am a cyclist after all. I own 3 bikes, use bike bottles for around the house chores, love cycling jerseys and wish all shirts had pockets in the back, when I'm not cycling, I read about other people cycling, and I write a blog about cycling. OK, I am a cyclist so I should probably look like one right? So last Friday when Jenny and I went for a training ride, I left the camo's at home and sported the full cycling look. For the friends and family who read this blog who aren't into cycling you might want to shield your eyes before you scroll down the page. Here's a picture from Friday.
keep scrolling
I must admit it wasn't that bad at all. In fact, it was actually quite nice to just wear the cycling shorts while we were out. Jenny on the other hand was having a harder time with them than I was. I guess she has stared at the camo shorts for longer than I have. While we were taking turns pulling she commented that she was having a hard time getting used to the idea of me wearing just the cycling shorts, but would eventually get used to it. Wait a minute here, I thought I was the one that had the issues here! I guess Jenny needs some time to get used to them too.
Well, this season one of my goals is to get rid of the camo's and wear cycling shorts. I swear they ought to have some kind of class for letting your inner cyclist out because I could really use some pointers. I think I can do it, but you can count me out on the whole shave your legs thing. It's not going to happen!
Lately, I've felt the need to get rid of the camo's for rides longer than 15 miles and "get my cycling geek on" by wearing my cycling shorts with pride. I am a cyclist after all. I own 3 bikes, use bike bottles for around the house chores, love cycling jerseys and wish all shirts had pockets in the back, when I'm not cycling, I read about other people cycling, and I write a blog about cycling. OK, I am a cyclist so I should probably look like one right? So last Friday when Jenny and I went for a training ride, I left the camo's at home and sported the full cycling look. For the friends and family who read this blog who aren't into cycling you might want to shield your eyes before you scroll down the page. Here's a picture from Friday.
keep scrolling
keep scrolling
keep scrolling
I must admit it wasn't that bad at all. In fact, it was actually quite nice to just wear the cycling shorts while we were out. Jenny on the other hand was having a harder time with them than I was. I guess she has stared at the camo shorts for longer than I have. While we were taking turns pulling she commented that she was having a hard time getting used to the idea of me wearing just the cycling shorts, but would eventually get used to it. Wait a minute here, I thought I was the one that had the issues here! I guess Jenny needs some time to get used to them too.Well, this season one of my goals is to get rid of the camo's and wear cycling shorts. I swear they ought to have some kind of class for letting your inner cyclist out because I could really use some pointers. I think I can do it, but you can count me out on the whole shave your legs thing. It's not going to happen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)