CentralGeorgiaCycling

Temptation

2010-07-30T12:54:00.002-04:00

Inception
A comforting haze mask time passed as dream, or perhaps reality.
Was it a look that triggered a memory from the past?
A simple glance that stops the heart and makes the mind race in search of the what, the why, the when.
Something so familiar and within grasp, but fear lay in wait if truth is sensed.

Inquisition
“Have we met before?”

Slide of hand
“I don’t think so…”

Boundaries are drawn like clouds around mountain peaks.
Tread lightly but pursue as you wish.
Crumbs perused into neat piles but not brushed off.

Transition
A day passed, or was it a week, month, or year?
Trust lay forth to bridge the hearts of wandering souls that sought no refuge or respite from oppression.
Rules of the game are known and yet written as played.
Shadow footfalls with no echo.

Revelation
A simple, innocent touch that meant nothing but appreciation raised question in both hearts.
A room of noise and ignorance silenced instantly by pulses of joining spirits beating as one.
The gentleness of contact....breaths........confirmation.
A casual glance gave reassurance.
Eyes warming - glazing as each peer into the other’s soul.
No word is dare uttered.
Not for fear of shame.
Not for retribution.
Not for exhilaration.
Look away...

Reverence
Nubile innocence aged to nobility.
The example is known and respected. Obeyed, if not with pure hatred.
Boundaries traversed by ignorance reap two fold.
Run away.
If light will not lens a path, then darkness swallow this dawn now!

Providence
Harmony of expectation.
Determination of wills.
Swirling maelstrom steering truth to the unguided.

Empyrean
Gentle steps on clouds.
Caress of a breeze that tingles every hair.
Intangibles satiated like tidal rise and ebbing.
Slowly.................ever so slowly.
Unspoken yet known.
Flush with passion ablaze from every pore.
Boundaries of self are consumed in obsession.
Touch.
Taste.
And yet time will not bear the cross to falter.

Infinity
Passing comets at gravity’s mercy and will.
Brilliant displays in sight to the gifted and yet hidden by the luminous sun each circle.
Further away each minute.
Pre-determined paths set by unyielding forces that pull them apart.
No good-byes.
Only a gentle touch to say we shared time.........

decisions....decisions....

2010-04-26T19:33:00.005-04:00

I've taken to writing short stories the last year or so for fun and have found it to be very therapeutic. Perhaps a better term is enjoyable. After several years of having to write research papers for grades, I got burned out on writing altogether. Now I'm spending more time jotting things down in random fashion only to go back later and assimilate the chaos into a logical pattern that means more than what is obvious in the words. Some are about daily life, but some are simply about dreams that were so vivid and compelling I had to put them to words.

I've submitted one or two to a colleague that has reviewed my ideas and writings the last few years, and I think I'll take the advice given to me. I'm not too sure that is such a great idea; however, because some folks may read into them too much and others not enough. Cryptic, but that's being honest.

I think I'll test the waters in the coming weeks and see how it goes.

Fire extinguishers 101

2010-03-17T08:48:00.005-04:00

Thought I’d share my day’s experience with you to make you feel better about yours:

My class is at the end of the fuel metering course and we’re on the run-up pad with a J-35 Bonanza that has enough power to roll over the chocks even when you hold the brakes. The checklist is pretty straight forward for start-up procedures for an injected engine, but it is easy to flood if you don’t do the checklist correctly and get the engine started. Sometimes, you may even have a little fire come out the engine exhaust if it sputters on start-up and then quits. Piston aircraft do this from time to time. You’ll have fuel burning in the exhaust, but there is nothing to worry about if you follow the checklist. Oh, and use some common f-ing sense. Hence, the rest of my story was a learning experience for my students and will be entertaining to you I’m sure.

Scenario: Aircraft on the run-up pad; checklist complete; prop area cleared; fire bottle manned (too well); boost pump on low; hit the starter button. Putt, putt, putt, crack, pop, plunk.........sputter, sputter, sputter. Try again. Putt, putt, putt, crack, pop, POP!!!! Sputter, sputter, sputter……..

The engine has stopped. Due to the engine driven pump turning and adding more fuel into the cylinders as it turn a few times, in addition to what the boost pump has done for start-up, we now have a little – and I do mean little - fire in the exhaust system and on the ground where excess fuel has drained from the intake manifold. No worries, right? The proper procedure ladies and gentlemen is to quickly pull the mixture to idle cut-off, push the throttle to full (wide open) to clear the engine and continue cranking to try and start the engine and hopefully blow out the little fire.

Enter the MGTC Aviation Maintenance Student Fire Brigade.

“Fire! Fire! Fire!,” two of them shout.

I stick my head out and investigate. No danger that we can’t handle from the cockpit. I yell to them to “Clear Prop!!” This means stay the F@#* out of the way because I am attempting to start the engine.

But, in the split second it takes me to react, pull the mixture, shove the throttle forward, and hit the start button, the student sitting on my left is beginning to climb over me with eyes wider than any owl on this planet, and fire marshals Dumb and Dumber have unleashed a very large, pull-cart type, Class-D fire extinguisher – from over 20 freakin’ feet away. And they aren’t hitting shit with it.

Picture this: clear blue sky, slight breeze in the air, classic 1958 Beechcraft Bonanza (the cool V-tail type) on the pad, and several students from other programs watching from a distance (because let’s admit it, roaring aircraft engines are the shizzle), my students are at their correct positions for learning and safety. The engine is turning in a start attempt…… and then………someone hits the stupid button.

White powder is flying around like a group of runaway weight watchers gone-off-the-wagon hitting the powdered donut section at Dunkin Donuts. Class-D extinguishers will do that when you spray them upward at 45 degree angles from 20 goddamn feet away instead of sweeping the ground close in to the tiny flames. POOF!!!

I’m stuck in the airplane working to get the controls set right to prevent a worse situation from happening, but I’m fighting the escape attempts of a 28 year old man turned ‘scared little gonna-piss-my-pants-and-yours if you don’t get out of my way’ girl trying to crawl over me and away from the now fast approaching white-out the fire brigade is creating.

It is over in less than five seconds.

The entire aircraft is covered with extinguishing agent. You can not see a single fleck of paint on the outside. Oh, did I mention the inside got covered too? Oh yeah, baby! Instruments and all. And it happened before I could get out while sissy boy nearly beat me to death trying to save his worthless powder coated ass too!

I can hear you laughing from here. Stop it.

I think half the school was around back when I finally got the powder out of my eyes, ears, and lungs enough to stop the fire brigade from putting the rest of our campus out. And you know what the real killer is to all this? I got the flames out doing what was common sense and instinctive to a mechanic/pilot. Something these students know and discussed with me prior to this engine run and every other we’ve ever done. The fire brigade couldn’t see the fire was out because they had already unleashed 50 pounds and $350 worth of Dragon Equalizer in rainbow fashion. They were all smiles until they finally saw through the dust envelope their instructor was emerging from. If they get that aircraft cleaned out and cleaned up, on top of passing upcoming exams from me, they might just pass this class. Hmmmm………..

Some days it just isn’t worth getting out of bed. I think I’ll move to a quiet place along the Arctic Circle where the only work I need to do to survive is beating baby seals to death with a long pole…….

Waldon Woods

2009-08-31T20:23:00.019-04:00

Sometimes it feels like only yesterday I was a kid exploring the woods around our house.... easing through the ferns that grew to my shoulder...... avoiding stepping on dried leaves and dead-fall that would scare the wild life. Somewhere along the way and very early on, I discovered that I had a knack for learning the habits of every creature I came across. I became aware of how to track nearly anything that touched the ground and discovered that walking a certain way would leave almost no track. For animals or man. You have to look close and know what to look for to see what isn't obvious. A leaf flipped over to it's darker side while others are sun dried; pine straw bent a certain way or having a woven appearance from being stepped on while others lay flat; dew knocked off a leaf when all others show beads of humidity like silver pearls..... little things. It allowed me to get closer than I could have dreamt to so many of natures creatures.

But it was oh so many years ago.

A few things that have remained with me through the years is knowing when an animal will do certain things, where to look for them, and the rush from being able to be so close to them they never know you're there. Some patterns never change from generation to generation.

Since moving to our new house, I've once again been able to explore the woods as I did in my childhood. I still love being close to nature and can read the woods as I did so long ago. Something else that hasn't changed is that animals don't seem to mind me being in their domain. Some will even draw nearer to me just as they did some 30 years ago just to find out exactly what I am. I know other people that hunt religiously every season and can't get within a hundred yards of critters. That has never been an issue for me, and I enjoy the rush I get from being so close to them.

I took a few photos today of some of the creatures we have living around the house and doing so once again brought on that rush of excitement I got so many years ago.

This is the Guardian of the Dish. He/she is as big as my hand and I think is responsible for the demise of several small birds.
Speaking of small birds, this is our local nectar addict......but on the "gravity challenged" side of the scales. This mean little shit fights off all other hummingbirds and won't share. Definitely not gonna make it in this rapidly changing political environment. Damn, I love this bird.
I was looking outside as I opened a Stone Brewery IPA Ruination and discovered that Lunch and Dinner were outside enjoying the flora and fauna. So I eased out the front door to take a closer look and took my camera with me. Lunch is on the right, by the way.
Lunch is getting a bit of gray around her snout, so she is probably heading into her last winter this year. Can you hear me now?
Not only is Dinner more than curious, she's down right stupid. This last shot is within 12 feet of her destiny. The shot is blurry because I had just a tad bit of adrenalin flowing and couldn't hold the camera still that well.

I'm not planning to hunt any of the deer on our property because I like to have them around. I can't keep the deer captive to keep them safe from other hunters bordering the property though because that is the nature of things. I can, however, ensure that no-one sneaks onto our property to hunt. That's more fun anyway...........

Things are humming right along...

2009-06-25T19:51:00.015-04:00

It's been nearly two weeks since being admitted to hospital to try and find out exactly what was going on and unfortunately all the tests came back inconclusive. That's a good thing of course, but I'd really like to know exactly what the hell happened that made me grow so ill because it wasn't exactly like being in perfect health one day and the next laying in a bed with tubes and needles all over the place. My better half was a little more than ticked that I didn't say something sooner because I began feeling less than normal several weeks earlier and figured it would pass. Well, it didn't. It built up until the headaches, fatigue, and body aches sent me over the edge. I found it very hard to concentrate on menial tasks, so that was the final signal to get some medical help. Anyway, I've been at home and slowly getting better albeit slowly. Still taking some nausea inducing meds, but it's always better safe than sorry if it is Lyme's Disease.

On a different note, we've started working on several aspects of the house again and have bought tile for the kitchen and hardwood flooring for the living room. We have a door being built to our specs and should set the design tone of the house both interior and exterior. Now if we didn't have to work, we might be able to get the house done in the next 5 years. Maybe.Once we called it a day and I'd experimented with different wall textures in the foyer (neither of which we liked much), I spied some very quick movement around the hummingbird feeder. Indeed, we have some visitors. Two different couples in fact. It was a good chance to take some photos, so I took a stool outside and perched patiently for 45 minutes in order to capture about 10 photos, four of which I'm posting here. (Note to anyone wanting to buy a Canon digital Rebel: you need much faster ISO speed than 1600 to capture wing movement, so save up an buy a higher level camera). I was tinkering with camer settings so these aren't as good as they should be.

This is the male from the first couple:
Below is the male's partner. He hovered about a foot from me and to the left as she fed. Territorial little jokers for sure.
This is the male from the second couple. Below is the second male's partner. He wasn't so territorial with me but buzzed around making sure the previous male wasn't trying to corner in on his action.

New house, new lifestyle, new hospital visit

2009-06-11T17:30:00.005-04:00

I can certainly think of better means of catching up on what all has occured since my last rambling, but it appears I'll have some time to kill the next few days spent in hospital so here it goes....

The new house - During our annual trip to White Springs, Fla. to ride the IDIDARIDE, we had two offers on our house, which was outstanding considering the state the economy and housing market were in. We took the most solid offer and became homeless for a few months. Well, not exactly. We stayed at Twin Oaks south of Perry, Ga. in a tiny - and I do mean tiny - cabin. Single file walking in that shoe box. That lasted 2 months until we were able to finally buy the house our real estate agent had shown us previously, but didn't want to pay what was asked since the house was in bad shape. Well, as luck would have it the owner was in the process of filing for bankruptcy and her creditor, Wells Fargo Financial, was trying to "short sale" the home to save their bacon and the owners. The original price of $200k had been dropped to $139k, so we jumped on it first with a full price offer and got it. In the end it was worth the hassle we went through to get 2800 sq. ft. house on 29 acres, but I'm not so sure I'd do it again considering we could have bought other homes that required no work and were move-in ready. I look at this new home as an opportunity to put my skills to work making it ours, and in the design style I want.

The lifestyle change - The new house is some 35 miles or so from where we work and is quite a change since we both were only 10 minutes from our respective jobs in the old house in Warner Robins. We can no longer pop out for something missing from a recipe, or walk to Subway for a sammich. We can no longer come home and casually get ready to join our fellow cyclists on the usual road or mountain bike rides during the week. BUT... the roads we live off of are nice and hilly for road rides and did I mention the 29 acres of land we now own? Yeah, we bought it to have our own private mountain bike trail we can ride anytime, can build it my way (not that that is the right way), and I think once the house painting and repairing is done our friends can come out, ride until they get their fill, have a beer or twelve with some brats or steak, shower off, and even park it for the night if they want. Oh, and we now live only 10 minutes from Arrowhead (boom) trail. And the most important aspect of our new home: we don't have mean little shithead kids screaming at each other or being screamed at by their shithead parents. Enough soap box, I feel better. We also have a few deer that keep pretty close to the center of our property because of all the dogs running loose out that way. We plan to fence in the property to keep the deer safe (til deer season) and the dogs out. Speaking of deer....I hope everyone knows that deer carry these interesting little creatures called ticks around. Which leads me to my next point.

The new hospital visit - I'm sitting here in room 437 of Warner Robins' hospital with an IV of ceftriaxone (aka, Rocephin) dripping its way into my bloodstream. It must be what the medical people call a "big gun" because it is making me feel - not so good. And, it made the wifey tear up when the neurologist mentioned the need for it. The reason for all this fuss is that I may have Lyme encephalopathy, or what is commonly called lyme's disease. This lovely disease got its name by geography and happenstance: around 1975 mothers of a group of children who lived near each other in Lyme, Connecticut, made researchers aware that their children had all been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. This unusual grouping of illness that appeared "rheumatoid" eventually led researchers to the identification of the bacterial cause of the children's condition, what was then called "Lyme disease" in 1982. Ticks carry the bacterium and it gets transmitted to a host when bitten. Not all ticks carry it, just the trusted ones who make the grade.

The past few weeks I've been feeling less than normal, heavily fatigued is putting it mildly, along with several other symptons: loss of motor function (coordination and movement), tingling in my arms and hands, joint stiffness, body aches, mild to severe headaches, sweats/chills, memory loss, and some confusion. More confusion than I normally experience anyway. I never once had the bulls-eye rash everyone, including doctors, expects.

Anyway, I've had the luxury of having 12 viles of blood drawn today and a CT scan with contrast. Yes, more needles. I just had visits from the neurologists, Dr. Parihar, and my friend and doctor, Dr. Fabian Franco. Both said my bloodwork was suprisingly normal and the CT scan was normal. Did they think I wasn't human or something, or didn't have a brain since it showed up on the CT scan? It is great news, however, because it appears I may not have lyme enceph-something afterall. Relieved I am, but still not looking forward to tonight and the morrow. MRI tonight, with contrast, fracken needles again.....and the coup d'etat tomorrow --> a spinal tap, or the softer verbage: lumbar puncture. They want to be sure, and so do I, that I don't have Lyme encepha-something because what few folks know is that during later stages of the disease miningitis may develop, heart failure can occur, hearing loss, and several other nasty ways of slipping down the slope of a miserable death. I know I'm worth more dead than alive, but damn-it man, I don't want to slip the surly bounds of earth just yet!

Guess I'll leave it at that for now. Getting really tired and I think the lab vampires are about to strike again.... Need a nap anyway since the old folks on this floor have a "gown streaking" planned for midnite they want me to lead. NAKED LAP!!!!!

And then, the fight began...

2009-01-24T21:34:00.022-05:00

As I was about to mix a rum-n-coke, I was gently reminded by my better half that perhaps my love handles were becoming inverted winglets on the blimp of late...

"Maybe you don't need any more rum," she says.

"What do you mean?" I'm asking but wondering "am I drinking too much?"

"Rum has lots of calories and Coca Cola has even more" she says.

So I make a drink without any Coca Cola, and leave the conversation at an impasse. But, I figured why not add some pictures to express the humorous side of this.

(I "borrowed" photos from around the web for this, so THANKS to all whom contributed.)

"What do you mean gravity challenged?"

"Let me think 'bout this for a minute...... of times where I may have over indulged":

"uhmmm.........how did I get here again?"

Heineken's best swim wear for a kegger.....

"There it is again. I distinctly heard the word beer...."

"We're at a Chinese res-suarant. Whazzzza problem?"

"And da fruit azza bottom ish tastEEEEEEEEE TOO!!!!"

"I kin walsh jus fine ossiffer............."

"Those sonsabitches are gonna pay for this!!"

"They said open bar. Hiccup. I musta fell in or something.....................hiccup."

"I can neither confirm nor deny existence of said "tekillya" but the hat, if you must ask, protects me from invading worms of outer Mexico. That's my story, and I'm sicken to it."

"I have not yet begun to defile myself, thank you very much."

"Let's see now.........1.75 litres of rum minus 2 drinks minimum per day in a glass having a diameter of 3.5 inches and 4 inches tall.........pi times radius squared multiplied by 2-1/2 deviations for ice volume displacement times glass height..........allow for coefficient of linear expansion of Coca Cola times temperature shift for volume expansion and the delta of viscosity during consumption allowing for velocity outflow per Bernoulli's principle of non-laminar flow........would put the bottle on the middle shelf. And yet, it is somehow not there. Why is the rum always gone?"

But I always arise the next morning to ingest copious amounts of coffee, ...........which brings me around to the normality of my role as an instructor:

In all of this, I've come to the following conclusion:

So, whether or not I'm too fat, consume too much, or wind up sleeping in the strangest places............. just leave me the hell alone..............K?....................hiccup.........

"Hamp!"

A clearer view

2009-01-07T22:13:00.003-05:00

Summer. The heat waves caressed the image as if it were a shimmering desert mirage. Wafting back and forth in clarity and near illusion like an object obscured by a solid sheet of water...........falling. There, but not precisely still. Wind blowing but not cooling. Refracting light through curved paths of confusion. Hot. Wicked heat. Beating down......and yet upward in collusion with wind to blind. Stifling. Can't breath. Sweat pours from brow to sting and blind.

"One minute left, now."

Without hesitation, I reached to adjust windage in truth observed. Ignore all else but what is seen.

"Breathe........slow breaths..........relax"

Calm the heart. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. Calm the desire. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. Calm the impulse. The sound of heart-beats like horse hooves clopping along cobblestones and swaying back felt in every pulse. Echoing throughout my body. BOOM............Boom..................boom

The strap was cinched tight. Connected from butt plate to fore-end. Wrapped so tightly around forearm and bicep that each heart pulse is felt and resounding like timpani emphasis for orchestra in chest and ear drums. Pulsing blood through artery and vein bouncing the cross-hairs up and down. Swinging wildly to and fro. Left hand numb from loss of circulation of sling pulled so tight. Tight. So tight. Bound by strap, jacket, and rifle. Right hand free to roam with fingers able to gently pull the stock back into my shoulder. Right index finger caressing a 2 ounce trigger.

"Send it."

Breathe.................exhaling........................CRACK!!!!!

Sharp recoil without reflex. Eyes back centered on target to watch the trail of sound waves, heat, and wind part.

"Hit! Send another." A familiar voice of assurance and trust but not congratulatory. A simple statement of achieving what is desired. Expected.

A smile crosses my face knowing that I'd struck true. Working the bolt without hesitation, another round was readied for the trip of more than half a mile. Heat. Sweat. Constriction. Wind blowing but no respiration granted. Squeeze the strap and lock into position. Bone structure support for a solid base. Breathe. Boom-Boom-Boom. Eye centered and target up. Boom-Boom-Boom. Exhale slowly. Time the bounce of the cross-hairs on target. Know when it settles. Know when to gently squeeze...

An outsider would only observe a person lying prone in sun-beaten August heat with rifle while wrapped in a long sleeve jacket with only a wide brim jungle hat of sorts to shade the sun from his eyes. Perfectly still. Seconds..............minutes drag by and no movement. And, wonder why.

I see only a set of cross hairs bouncing wildly with each heart-beat creating the asymmetric sign of infinity.....but always coming back to rest on center target. The frequency is predictable now. It doesn't matter what the season. Only the wind and light matter today.

My friend was sitting on a folding stool above and behind me peering through a 45 power spotting scope at a target a thousand yards away. Below him on the ground wrapped in a jacket made of many layers of cordura and leather that neither breathed nor gave "cooling" quarter to anyone crazy enough to embrace it, I lay dehydrating. Jacket, sling, rifle, Gehman glove, booney hat, and determination. Windage and elevation were all that mattered.

"Send it."

Breathe...............exhale........................CRACK!!!!!

"Hit!"

A familiar voice of knowledge. A friendly voice of comfort, confidence, and camaraderie. I roll slightly to my left to look back at my friend.................and he is not there.

I awoke to realize my friend had come to visit me one last time on the grounds that we had first met, and last parted in life - the grounds of a competitive rifle range. Maybe not the place most would picture meeting past friends, but to us it was near to heaven.

Life is a bit empty without my friend, and not a day goes by without remembering some of his jokes and funny viewpoints of life. Dan always did have a way of making you look at life through different eyes, and a lesson was to be learned or shared every time. It was always a clearer view......

K.I.S.S.

2009-01-02T10:58:00.002-05:00

Keep It Simple Stupid...

Aaaahh.......the New Year's Resolution time is upon us. The time when we swear on whatever is most holy that we will follow through this year on a new resolution. "gonna lose 20 lbs....." "gonna quit smoking...", "gonna eat healthier...", "gonna stop surfing porn sites at work..."

What ever your worry-stone becomes for the new year, it should be assimilated so easily that it doesn't create added stress to everyday life. Why rob Peter to pay Paul? Why should it be a great sacrifice that is consuming every waking moment? I've tried doing calorie counting this past year and gained back 12 pounds over 6 months. WTF? I got good at identifying every food's required energy expenditure to maintain my weight and it served no good results. I gained the weight mostly from not exercising as much while still consuming the same calories. It was mostly a stress filled year of laziness. That may be an oxymoron.

I'm planning to keep it simple this year and go back to what worked for me 3 years ago when I dropped over 40 pounds in 9 months and got much stronger and faster on the bike. And, I did it in a healthy way rather than like most people do --> stop eating altogether. All that does is put your body in fat-packing mode.

It's just 4 simple things this year:

1st- Spread out my eating.
Rather than packing a full belly at prescribed times during the day, I'm going into "snack mode" to ramp up the metabolism. This doesn't mean Little Debbie's, crackers, and cokes from the junk vendor, but rather eating small meals 5-8 times a day to keep the growler from getting angry. Eating a small portion of baked chicken breast, fruit, unsalted mixed nuts, yogurt, etc. throughout the day instead of big meals.

2nd - Just ride.
I've got cold weather gear, rain gear for sprinkles, enough ways to carry water during hot days that 5 other riders needn't carry bottles, so why shouldn't I be riding? It doesn't have to be an epic ride, nor a ride for the sole purpose of seeing black spots of oxygen deprivation while trying to time the explosion of muscle and ligament fibers with complete exhaustion. Although I do enjoy those rides......

3rd - Enjoy the scenery.
It may be cliche to state the obvious fact that we only pass this way once, but I've missed a lot of my surroundings in each of my hobbies these last few years because I was focusing solely on whatever the goal was at that time. So, I plan to look around a bit in the coming months to see what I'm missing. I can honestly say that the only time I actually enjoyed flying this past year was on two occasions because I got to see what was around me rather than worrying about the next challenge. On road rides, I've only focused on the wheel in front of me or the 30 yards directly ahead on the open road. Just concentrating on breathing, eating enough, and drinking enough while keeping up and not getting dropped. I use to enjoy talking to whoever was on the rides, but I don't believe I got to know anyone this last year on the bike. And that's a shame. I enjoyed what little moutain biking I've done this past year, but we've got to start visiting other trails as I've become really tired of Thomson.

4th - "Just smile and wave boys.....smile and wave."
I guess the penguins from Madagascar said it best. There's no sense in stressing over the things you cannot change and no sense in creating stress for others.

Decorating for the holidays

2008-12-01T19:36:00.004-05:00

Its that time of year again when we are coming to terms with how many pounds we just packed on during Thanksgiving and are working up the motivation to begin the Christmas decorating. We all enjoy showing off our personal touch and spend lots of cash to add a little extravagance to show our Christmas spirit during this special holiday. And, the misses and I are not to be left out.
Whoo! I'm tired. Need a beer.

First flight

2008-11-29T15:43:00.005-05:00

When I first started flying lessons, I knew it would be an ongoing battle to justify the expense with my better half when we could put the money toward other items and necessities. The only way learning to fly is cheap(er) is if you own your own plane, and one that meets the requirements to fly in all airspace up to "B" classification, i.e., the busiest airspace like around Atlanta. Well, my 1938 Aeronca is about 50 years behind the technology curve and is still in need of a lift strut in order to return to flight so it wasn't a choice.

After several years and countless dollar bills thrown at meeting the FAA's private pilot requirements, I earned one of the things I wanted most: a license to soar on the wind among the clouds and see the earth from above. Its pretty cool being able to go hop in an airplane, take-off to fly in 3-dimensional aspects, and go nearly anywhere you want. What's even more cool is taking the one you love along.

On Wednesday November 25 at 10:25 am, I was able to take Diana up for our first flight together without the need for another licensed pilot along to make it legal. It was just us on a cold, crystal clear day with light winds. A perfect day to fly because you can see several hundred miles in every direction and it wasn't too bumpy. For me, it was pretty special and it was my hope that she would feel the same. Although she was fighting off a cold, I guess she enjoyed herself during our short flight.

We didn't go anywhere in particular like the beach, mountains, or to visit anyone in far off places, but I did take us on a aerial view of a house we're interested in buying. It sits on 21.5 acres, has hilly enough terrain to justify building a mountain bike trail, and it just happens to have a short grass strip of just over 1,100 feet that might have potential to be lengthened.

Here's a view of the house and property from above:

Upon return to the airport, my landing was less than perfect and Diana was reaching for an "oh-shit" handle when I performed a slip on final approach, but we were able to walk away and the plane can be used again. Mostly.

It was a good day. Maybe not the justification needed, but that'll come soon enough...

Catching up a bit

2008-11-11T20:05:00.003-05:00

It has been a long while and a lot has happened in the between. Reading my last post reminded me of how angry and bitchy I can get, but in the end not much has changed except the anger is gone.

I've not ridden many miles due to laziness and additional responsibilities at work, but isn't that the way life goes. I'll get back to riding eventually, but the passion isn't there anymore for racing. Endurance events......maybe.

I've gotten into Autocross racing the wife's Miata the last year or so after being introduced to this sport by a few friends, and I really enjoy it. I've attended two Evolution racing schools ( http://www.evoschool.com/ ) with friend, John Hofmann, and in my opinion it is money well spent if you decide to get into Autocross events and want to get fast quick, or your into it already and need to shave a few tenths. John just got a Z06 'Vette that sets you back in the seat like getting kicked in the chest every time he dumps the clutch and showers down on 505 horsepower. I guess it's just a man thing but cars that accelerate like that and sound like demons growling in anger when you really get on it makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over. Guess you gotta experience it. Anyway.... No-one has been competing in my class on the local scene so I'm not really able to compare times or know if I'm getting faster. What I have done, however, is concentrate on being smooth while trying to match the times of cars/drivers in other classes that are faster than me. Considering the fact I'm running on tires that are your average street drivers and not specialty compounds for racing, I'm doing ok I guess for now. Plans are in the works, however, to be a tad faster next year so I might be able to qualify and run at the SCCA Nationals. Probably get my ass handed to me properly, but it'll be cool to compete against the best in the country and learn from them. If I can get a few more tweaks done to the Miata, I might just be able to make it.

On a different note I did finally get my check-ride completed, so now I'm a private pilot. Writing that and thinking about it still sends a shock of reality through me since it has been nearly 33 years in the making. I can't say the check ride was not stressful, but in hindsight it was practically a "non-event." I was over prepared and had worked myself up into a froth worrying about it. Yeah, I blew a fuse regarding my flight instructor and I don't need the "I told you so" speech because I've already heard it and acknowledged it to my flight instructor. We're still friends, we still trust each other, and I wouldn't learn from anyone else if given the choice. He's too much like me in expecting more from his students. I think Mallie's dad wrote to me to keep in mind that something that has built for many years "carries a lot of inertia with it" and that has been on my mind everyday since I read that. Truer words have never been spoken.

As far as my check ride.....

The weather was not the best that day with moderate turbulence and lower ceilings than were ideal. I had to stay below 2,000 feet to stay out of clouds and had to go slower due to moderate turbulence on the one hour flight to Douglas, Ga. The Macon VOR was having problems and one NOTAM stated no radio service from Macon ATC on the regular frequency, so I had to communicate on one frequency while listening to another. Well, evidently no-one in Macon wanted to communicate with me so I couldn't activate my flight plan nor get radar notifications of traffic. So, here I am at a low level altitude running 115 knots with no communication from ATC. Did I say how much I love GPS, because that Cessna has one of the best to get you where you want to go. No worries except if something happened I had no altitude to work out options/solutions and no-one to tell "look for me here." Oh, and just so everyone knows: buzzards like to circle at about 1,700 feet. Avoiding those bastards at least made my flight fun in a weird kind of way since they'll go straight through a Cessna 172 easier than a hot knife through butter and I had no helmet. I did get to think a lot about what I was about to do and what I wanted to say to the man who inspired me to pursue flight.

A few miles out from Douglas Municipal airport, or DQH, I announced the "who, what, where, and my intentions" to all in the area as required. I could also see that shortly after my radio call someone walked out onto the front deck of the building I was supposed to arrive at in less than 8 minutes. My check pilot was already at work evaluating my performance. And, it was a "greaser" of a landing. I've performed only 3 landings that were perfect by my flight instructor's judgement, and I couldn't tell when the gear touched down each time. This day I performed two more when it mattered. After securing the Cessna, I walked up to meet, again, Bob Harless.

"Nice landing," was his first words as he stuck out his hand. "Thank you, sir," I said as I returned a firm handshake. The man before me may have appeared to others as someone in his twilight years that was an obstacle to overcome in order to get the FAA's approval to fly a plane, but that was not the case for me. To me, he was that same pilot that took me up on my first flight in his C-47 (DC-3) over 33 years before and laughed when I stood at his side asking so many questions while he was busy flying the plane. We exchanged introductions, and then briefly discussed the weather conditions for the day. My first notice this would be a quick, but extremely intense check ride at lower altitudes than either of us would like to have.

After the prerequisite questions the FAA mandates, I got down to the business at hand of planning our flight to Savannah, Ga. Something important in any situation is knowing a little about the person you're dealing with. Bob Harless was a Korean War vet. He views flying through military airspace as not a viable option for non-military aircraft, so I planned a longer flight path to avoid the MOAs and restricted airspace over Ft. Stewart, Ga. He liked my flight plan but questioned me as to why, and I answered per the FAA rules to put a check in the box of my exam. He was happy so we went flying.

The weather was not looking good and thunderstorms were gonna start popping soon. During my engine run-up and aircraft check list, Bob gave verbal instructions of items he wanted me to accomplish and wanted me to perform them in order. And, I had to begin each task immediately after completing the previous without hesitation. Task saturation - a normal environmental condition to stress the pilot. Trying to remember over 12 flight maneuvers in a specific order while navigating and communicating is difficult enough, but when you have a FAA check pilot with you tossing other miscellaneous items into the mix during all this you can get a bit flustered. And I got flustered and hesitated after the 10th item on the list. I couldn't remember a frequency and didn't think to look on my knee board where I kept it in case I forgot. Pilots must remember specific frequencies irregardless, and I realized that I just found my saturation point. I recovered, however, and continued as required. You have to move on and not worry about what you screwed up. It was a sickening feeling realizing I was a slobbering baby at that point and continuing on instinct alone. Instinct that my flight instructor had hammered into my head in countless hours of training. After completing my last maneuvers, we headed back for what I hoped was a "good enough" landing because I was mentally and physically done at that point.

I made my 5th perfect landing, out of over 180 attempts at such by the way, and again I got a compliment. A blind hog can find an acorn once in a while. When I secured the aircraft, we discussed what went right, what I thought about each situation I was put into, and what I should do better. That signalled to me that I had failed the exam and would be coming back in a few days to try again. Now I felt completely drained. All I could envision was the dreaded pink paper copy that is the FAA's version of "your fired, but come back tomorrow to work again." I didn't want to see the pink failure slip. What Bob said next gave me hope. "You got farther than others have in the flight aspect, and you should be proud of that. You've been trained well, and you did better than expected." We walked into the main office of Harless Aviation and I grabbed some coffee to perk up for the flight back in hopes it would be as a private pilot.

Bob asked for my logbook and then told me to sign my initials and name on two forms he put before me. Both were white copies. I'd passed my check ride.

There's no way to describe how relieved I was, how energetic I felt, and how much I needed to say in appreciation. It was at that point I finally explained who I was and how long I'd been on the journey to earn a pilot's license. Bob was surprised and couldn't believe I'd not stated so earlier. The next hour and a half was spent discussing the last 30+ years of our lives. I thanked him for instilling in me a fascination with aviation, whether he knew it or meant to do it. It didn't matter, because I felt like that young boy who was on his first flight again in a machine flying on the invisible substance of the heavens guided by a man who knew how to control what I couldn't fathom. For many years, he was bigger than life to me....and he still is today. We parted that day with a firm handshake, an agreement to not let this be the last meeting, and a wish for good flying.

The flight back was the third most exciting flight of my life. The first was my first flight, and the second was the day I soloed. That is of course, until I had to avoid those damn buzzards again............

Genetics - gift....or a curse?

2008-07-08T22:20:00.002-04:00

Sometimes destiny is put on hold for reasons I can't quite comprehend or fail to see logically. Is it my fault, a smattering of events that happen to collide at the wrong time, or just the way life goes? I'm still lost in trying to reason the how but events are still a quandary escaping clarity.

In the last throws of accomplishing a life-long goal, the meeting of different attitudes has squelched my desire to continue presently. If at all.

Requiring only a few menial tasks to complete the fulfillment's of higher authority and satiate the thirst, desire, and need that has been part of me for 30 years, I find myself in search again for a path to succeed. But, I will succeed regardless in nearer time than lengthy excursions for naught.

In recent years I've managed to maintain my composure when boiling internally beyond reproach if one word was uttered in deference, but I could not find the strength to retain my anger Monday night on my last flight before my scheduled check-ride Friday. I'm not sure if my instructor was having a bad day - perhaps I was taking too much of his precious time (as I made a point of saying to him) at $40 an hour plus airplane rental on top of that - or maybe I was Forest Gump incarnate and doing as stupid does. Sure, I was tense with a check ride coming up in 3 days time on top of doing night take-offs and landings Monday at 9pm, plus a little instrument flying to fill in the gaps during our evening excursion, but a lobotomy had not been performed on me prior to this flight as my instructor apparently viewed the situation. He informed me three times that I'd "failed" already before having the airplane even ready to taxi for take-off but the only mistake I made the entire evening was not bringing a flashlight. Big Whoop since there are two kept in that aircraft all the times and they were functional since I checked, but no need for them during "run up and taxi" since battery and engine power were available. Flashlights are a back-up if you loose power and can't read the instruments, charts, etc.. These were only a few very small things versus others I won't mention that raised my adrenal excretion rate and that made it impossible for me to continue safely without anger or distraction.

So, I expressed myself by shutting the airplane down before we even took off, pulled my gear out of the airplane, and asked just what the F*#$ his intentions were. Was he having a bad night? Was I taking up too much of his precious time at $40 an hour? Was there a nice piece of delicate pleasure I was keeping him from spooning with presently?

And, the coup de grâce was when I was scolded like a school boy, "Careful what you say, because you can't take it back."

Holy shit!!!!! REALLY?! AWWWW, I've done it now, huh?!

Yep. Done with him and will be discussing with him Friday the refund of payment I've made in excess of what I've completed. At least by Friday I should be calm enough to act rationally. Right now, however, I'm not in a happy place. At all.

I've been blessed my entire life with good genetics in athletic ability and somewhat in reasoning ability, but maybe the balance of it all is a curse of not having great success in controlling my temper. I've been good the last 20 years or so with only an occasional blow up (blow outs more like it), but Monday night brought back too many feelings of "happy anger" that needed to be expressed in all the wrong ways. And the damnedest thing is I'm still riding that "high" and can't come down. Not sure were to go from here, but I think caffeine and alcohol are off the dietary intake for a while and perhaps more bike time is needed to work out this bad energy.

Lots of biking...........

Passion......and the payments

2008-06-25T15:01:00.005-04:00

The house is almost done with a bit of painting and sanding left to do, so I've been flying quite a bit of late. Flying is not so much a hobby, like cycling, as it is a passion I've always had and can finally fulfill. On the down side are the "payments" required to keep up with the desire.

Having owned a 1938 Aeronca Chief the last few years and while working to restore it to original condition, I've discovered the best way to make a small fortune in aviation is to start out with a large one. But the end result will be the ability to go fly when the weather is good and the mood strikes me. Airplanes are also a bit of an investment in that most appreciate in value if you get the right one, and I own one of those that are becoming more rare with each passing day.

The other payment you have to make with flying is the time necessary to recover mentally. I'm not the sharpest tack in the drawer but I can handle the stresses involved of staying ahead of an airplane going nearly 140mph while navigating using pilotage, radio navigation, and oh-yes the "I want one of those for my plane" Garmin 530 GPS that'll show you exactly where you are when you get lost. Oh, and don't forget the communications for weather services for airport conditions where you're going and the PIREPS (pilot reports) you give for weather conditions you encounter en-route, listening to the location updates of other pilots and planes in your area/flight path, and paying attention to air traffic control folks while keeping time between checkpoints, calculating ground speed en-route in case you have to update your flight plan you have on file and activated, and the biggest one I almost did yesterday: DO NOT VIOLATE RESTRICTED AIRSPACE OVER A MILITARY FACILITY. They get pretty pissed when a Cessna gets close to the restricted area even though the ATC dip-shit was emphatic in telling me to turn to a specific heading and yep, I followed his "suggestion" until I came to my senses. Pilots can disregard ATC's instructions if safety is an issue, and this time it was my ass that was in jeopardy because I almost went into the airspace around Ft. Benning, GA on my cross-country flight yesterday. You can get time in jail these days and can kiss you pilot's license good-bye FOREVER.

In a few days, all this time and money invested will come full circle with a bit of history in my life. Some 32 years ago, a man named Bob Harless gave me my first airplane ride. It was a DC-3, or what is also called a C-47 in military version. That flight lit a fire that has been smoldering ever since. It was also the weekend of July 4th when my first flight took place. After that first flight, I pestered Bob to take me up every chance he got and would wash the planes and be gopher around the hangar to earn every ride I got. I think he flew me in everything on the field we lived across from to include a Stearman he used to crop dust.

Well, one week after July 4th next week I'll travel south to Douglas, GA to have Bob Harless do my pilot check-ride since he is the FAA check pilot I'll go to. He doesn't know who I am because I have only seen him once since we moved when I was 10. I plan to wait until after my check-ride to do two things: I plan to thank him for not only the check ride but for introducing me to flight, and when he looks at me funny before asking "what the hell is that supposed to mean?" I'll explain who I am and why I'm so grateful.

Mushy?

Not at all. It's not often you actually get to see someone from your past that set you future in motion, and thank them.

My "office" on today's flight to Auburn-Opelika, on to Talladega, and back home to Robins Air Park.
This was the GPS when I was nearly home and pretty bored from flying in a straight line for 134 miles.

Time in a bottle........

2008-06-16T18:25:00.005-04:00

Making a living has pushed cycling aside the last few weeks and I haven't been on a bike for almost 3 weeks now. Fat and slow is how I roll now. Coinciding with this is four items that tend to crush my motivation to ride at all: 1) a late season, "mild" flu bug with a killer headache that took nearly 2 weeks to get over and then, 2) temps turned up 15 degrees, which is typical Georgia weather, in addition to 3) we've been putting in a lot of time after work during the week and every weekend getting the house ready to sale, and 4) I've been teaching 2 consecutive A&P short courses the last 2 weeks that has me getting home after 10pm most nights. Thankfully, the short courses are now over and I have my evenings to once again work on the last few odds and ends with the house - like changing the light switches and wall socket out for newer ones while the power is still on, which results in getting the piss knocked out of me when I slip up. Then, "stupid is as stupid does" I don't turn the power off but certainly go back for more. And hell no, alcohol was NOT involved and no I did NOT eat paint chips as a kid. I don't think, anyways.......'bout the paint chips........

To be quite honest, I've considered giving up on cycling for a while (if not permanently) since I've lost my interest due to the road rides going over the same damn roads week in and week out. B-O-R-I-N-G!!!!! I'm also pretty tired of doing maintenance on trails and have been neglecting Thomson trails both riding and maintaining wise. If anything, we've made the trail less reliant on maintenance, which takes hours to make a difference but some folks think we've "dumbed-down" the trails. Un-hook your brakes and lets see how easy it is smart asses. I may need to squat the next time I pee if I keep bitching like this...........

Whining won't get me motivated so I plan to just do my own thing as I've been wanting to do since the winter road training rides went to pot this past winter when a few riders got pissed at me at how things were going. I really hate that it happened, but I had to move on then just as I'll do now.

Right now the important thing for me to do is relax during my three weeks off from work and really re-charge my batteries. This past quarter I had some of the most involved classes I teach out of the nearly 30 classes in the curriculum: aviation regulations, mathematics, electricity and electronics, and physics. Brain strain for everyone involved when you shove a full college course of physics at the students in 7 days, and at the end of an already intense quarter! "Drinking from a fire hose" is the correct metaphor I guess. But regardless of the student's ability, each one learns in my classroom if they are willing to put forth the effort.

I've got some flying to do this week and next to finish a rating, and I'm looking forward to taking the wife up in the air and cruise the altitudes for a brief period to show her what $6,000 was spent on. It should serve as motivation for us both to pursue the repairs on my own airplane, which is sitting in a hangar begging to "slip the surly bounds" once again. Although flying is one of the most mentally challenging hobbies I've ever pursued, it is also the most exhilarating. The first time I soloed, I got out of the plane sweating with wobbly knees wanting to puke, I had a smile from ear to ear because I felt like I'd just had the best sex of my life, and I was so mentally fatigued I could barely remember my own name. And the damnedest thing is that I couldn't wait to do it again!!

In a few days, we're going to Ft. Mountain with friends to camp for a week, ride a few trails, go over to Hogpen Gap so the wife can conquer her desire to hurt like no other time she'll ever spend on a bike, take a tour of the North Georgia wine country while taking in some of the finest wine these lips have ever tasted, and pass the time as slowly as possible because we may never pass that way again.

How bad did it hurt?

2008-05-12T14:31:00.003-04:00

True, suffering has reality in it.
Who denies it?
But the transcendence of suffering
Also has reality in it.
Who can disbelieve it?

~Sri Chinmoy

This pretty much describes last Thursday's ride. I've felt a lot worse many times before, but its when you know you can go but your body just won't cooperate with the desire to do so that the suffering becomes more than just physical.

Eddie Hudspeth joined our Thursday group ride and he is always a welcome sight on our rides. It means we have someone there that can hand our asses to us if we get too froggy, but most importantly it means that we have someone that will help us get better in every aspect of cycling. He always encourages us to work together as a whole to push ourselves to the limits. I listen to him and put his knowledge to good use. Sometimes people can't meet the challenge of these hard rides, but that is not Eddie's fault. Riders have bad days or just can't hang at the pace we want to go when a faster rider is amongst the group. No excuses. You just have to push if you desire to get better on our "training pace" rides.

I felt pretty good at the start but the legs just wouldn't get me where I needed to be. I was pushing way too hard to maintain the pace we were doing the entire ride. Not that it was any faster than most rides. It was just a mediocre day on the bike for me, and the wrong day for it to happen. HR was through the roof. Legs ached like fire ants were devouring them and my bones felt as if they were composed of rubber. I was in my own personal sufferfest and Eddie was the only one that recognized it. I guess my poker face didn't fool a veteran racer. My body was telling the tale long before Eddie told James D. that he knew I was working way too hard today. Back-bone swaying like a Willow tree in the breeze. Tension reined in my shoulders, arms, and grip on the bike. Calves were tense the entire pedal stroke. Jaw locked down and open trying to scoop more air to feed a desperate engine. No, I wasn't relaxed at all and all I felt was pure misery. But you can't give in............ever.

The good that came from this was proved in Eddie's topic of discussion at the beginning of our ride: "a racer must have a the desire to push beyond the pain, his limits, and sometimes good judgement to be better." Not that I'm a racer, but I have the desire to get better, faster, and stronger. Nearing 40 years, I know my limits aren't far off from where I'm already. I'm also a bit on the ignorant side to give up on the ride and go easy. I've done rides where I've dropped to the back where no-one can see me hurl, sprint to get back on the draft, and do it again the next rotation. I can rest when the ride is done. One thing this last ride told me is that the plateau I'm at as far as ability is nearing the end and I should make a small step up in strength and speed the next few weeks. We'll see what happens.

Back to normal

2008-05-07T13:35:00.003-04:00

Things are getting back to normal after the BAF fiasco. Or at least as normal as things get around here. The temps are up to the mid-80s, the pollen counts are getting up there as well, and we're starting to see an occasional thunderstorm every other week. All signal that spring is full throttle and summer is looming like a fire breathing dragon waiting to pounce.

I've been working to get my leg speed and power back since my so-called training for the BAF meant long steady miles with very few excursions into my heart rate "red zone." It will take a while since my body responds better to building strength first with leg speed a distant second. Around 90-95 cadence is optimal for me to remain comfortably breathing without going beyond my lactate threshold for most rides. Right now I'm stuck at these variables seen when I'm at the front of our group rides pulling with flat terrain: 25 mph for 10-15 minutes, 174-180 HR, and 90-95 cadence. The speed is not the critical thing here, but the HR and time spent at this exertion level is. I use those two as the gauge of how fit I am, and right now I'm no where close to where I want or need to be.

The last few rides have been enjoyable since the weather has been fantastic and there has been a very balanced group doing the A route on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I was worried since the number of riders in the A group had actually fallen to about 3-4 a month ago, but it has picked up of late. Last night's total ride numbers was impressive to say the least with around 20 folks starting and about 9 making the cut to stay in the A group once we reached the second Powersville hill. My legs took forever to finally come around, but I started feeling good about 15 miles into the ride.

I can't express how nice it is to have a group that works well together and takes a turn at the front. No one was shirking responsibility last night and there was only a few times that people had to drop back to rest a bit instead of taking a turn on the front. They did it right, however, by pulling out of the line and falling back instead of rolling off the front without pulling at all. We did the extra loops adding two more climbs into the route and re-grouped each time to keep the pack together. I turned off once we reached Lake View road and headed back through Powersville to go to Kat's house to meet Diana. I finished the ride with averages of 20.6 mph and 154 HR for 42 miles.

Another great ride in central Georgia.

The Penguin Blowjob

2008-04-21T13:42:00.003-04:00

You change your "training" schedule and discard any wishes or hopes of racing well this year to accommodate the long, ceaseless hours of pedalling you'll have to do. You force yourself to endure solo rides where you can't hide from the wind behind a fellow rider and there is no-one to talk to to pass the time......only an iPod to drown out the stinging acid in your legs and the wheezing from your lungs. You learn to eat and drink when your body says, "I'm gonna reverse the flow if you shove down one more bite of a powerbar!" Slowly building that mental and physical discipline needed to carry on after the magical 80-90 mile barrier of fatigue is reached and finally surpassed.

Planning, planning, and more planning. Worrying. Wondering exactly what it all will mean in the end. 170 miles. Flat roads with no hope to rest weary legs on a gentle down slope. No hiding from wind or rain if it comes at you teeth bared. 170 miles...

You and your spouse take off from work but know that the journey ahead is not the 3-day fun vacation it would seem to be. Especially when Cocoa Beach, Fla. is the destination, and the start of sorts toward another...........170 miles.

The anxiety builds and the adrenalin begins to flow as the date nears, and you begin to be a little short and less friendly with the people that mean the most to you in your life. That 170 mile journey is already getting the best of you and you didn't even see it coming.

When the time draws down to less than 24 hours until you turn the pedals on a long day in the saddle churning non-stop from Cocoa Beach to Crystal River, Fla., you feel as if you're standing on the precipice of a mountain overlook and could fly if you dared but just leap. The exhilaration is nearly overwhelming and you need to release all the pent up energy, desire, and even anger you're holding back.

Then someone tells you that the event was postponed until October..........no wait............November.

"Uhmmmm.........do whayuuut?"

Picture a man that has his pants around his ankles receiving "relations" from a paid-employee-of-sorts. At the moment of this man's greatest intensity, desire, and weakness, the paid-employee-of-sorts walks away without finishing the task at hand and the man says, "WAIT!! WHERE ARE YA GOING?!!" And, the walk begins....

Yep, sorry 'bout that but you'll have to wait a few months. Of course there is no prior notification that something was up! And, where is the fellow that took nearly 100 folks' money you dare ask? No-one has any clue.

WHAT THE F@#k???!!!!!!

Authorities have and are being contacted by nearly 80 of us I know of who just got bent over without so much as a reach-around, and my single hope is that this guy gets a little time in jail with someone that likes to whisper sweet nothings into his ear akin to Mike Tyson but with the imagination of whoever in the hell wrote Deliverance.

So what do you do when the last 5 months of your life and all that preparation has been double-barreled in the ass? You make lemonade of course and enjoy your days as best you can!

We visited Kennedy Space Center as planned on Saturday, and I've got to say was worth the visit in every way. We even saw an American bald eagle above its nest that measures over 8 feet across. We got to touch a moon rock as well. Simple things for sure, but touching a piece of another planetary object is pretty cool. Seeing and learning about the US space program up close was pretty intense for me since aviation and specifically aerodynamics is my passion. After the KSC visit, we managed to find some local wine that was pretty tasty, but expensive, and I polished off a bottle while sitting on the beach watching the tide come in at sunset. I took lots of photos and might have them posted on my flickr site later if motivation finds me.

The next morning, we arose early to watch the sunrise while listening to the collision of waves, wind, and sand. It was a beautiful experience that made life worth living.

Now, if I could only have a bit more drama in my life. Wait........Gerry Springer is on line one. Gotta go..........

Lost and found

2008-04-15T14:50:00.005-04:00

Spring has arrived, the flowers are blooming, the pollen is flying, and I'm still in winter hibernation mode as usual. Motivated like a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter I am.

I've got the Bike Across Florida event going on this weekend and the weather is looking great. I'm planning for us to visit Kennedy Space Center on Saturday, go to Ron Jon's among other shopping sites, and kick back on the beach for a while before hitting the sack early in preparation for a 6:30am start Sunday. Winds are forecast to be at our backs the first 100 miles but may turn a bit into our faces the last 70 miles or so. If I can remember to 1) put on sun block before I begin the ride, 2) eat correctly during the 36 hours leading up to the event, and 3) eat and drink steadily but with moderation during the ride I should do well. How well is relative to the perspective of riding 170 miles in less than 11 hours with no one at all that I know riding with me except the wife driving my personal SAG vehicle somewhere within a few miles of where I'm at on the road. This will definitely test the iPod's battery capacity and my stomach's ability to absorb Aleve and Ibuprofen.

Although I have only done shorter training rides in preparation, I believe I can do this if I'm disciplined enough to stay within my limits early and ignore my body's wishes to give up.

To catch up a bit-

Diana and I participated in the auto-cross race in Cordele this past weekend and had a great time. I distinctly remember being told by the boss to put on some sunscreen before leaving home, but being the typical dumb-ass male I thought: "I don't need no stinking sunscreen!"

Class, today's descriptive phrase is: "cooked lobster." Can you say, "cooked lobster?"

Nothing like having a thorough sun burn 7 days before I'm about to spend at least 9 hours on a bike...................... in the sun............ in Florida.

Diana has lost the agressive driving mentality she'd gained a few months back when we were auto-crossing more often, and her times were a bit slower than she could have done. A couple of things had an affect on her driving, however. She watched the first run group I was in run the course, and needless to say it was an extremely fast design with a few folks not able to pass the "greased BB test" after spinning out, which is always impressive unless you have to run from the path of the car. Diana told me during the change over that she was scared, but I assured her to just have fun and if needed just put both feet into the brake and clutch and let the car come to a stop instead of trying to steer out of trouble. Didn't help her much, but she improved as the day went by. She did have fun and her driving skill improves each time out.

I've pretty much figured out this car and have it running at the limits of the "stock" classification. I did order some sticky tires and wheels this morning, so maybe my times will improve a few seconds at the next race so I can compete for time of day against some much faster cars and drivers. I can state, though, it is fun to have equal or better times than other cars that should be spanking my ass like a new born baby. No-one else was in C-stock class with me so notch up a default win for Sunday. Whoop-T. A few more folks asked what kind of tires and set-up I was running on the Miata, and most looked at me like I was full of shit when I told them street tires and factory specs. Oh-well. The car was factory built specifically for this type of racing, so I'll see what the sticky tires do in a few weeks.

The Porsche Club held its annual autocross event at the Macon Centreplex two weeks ago as part of the Cherry Blossom Festival and it was fast, fun, and cold as a well digger's ass all day long. The Miata didn't like the surface at all and tire wear was beyond belief, but it did get me first place in C-stock class with some faster times at the end of the day. This little car surprised not only me but several of the regulars who race at the same events with me. More than a few drivers inquired about the tires on the car, and all were surprised to discover the tires are Good Year F1 GS-D3 Ultra Performance street tires. I was about 2 seconds off time of day with some really fast cars out there. The biggest lesson this car has taught me is to go slow in and fast out of all turns, and the car will do the rest. I guess it was worth the trip to Jacksonville, Fla. afterall.
Need to paint the helmet to match the car.....

Testing parts

2008-03-23T11:15:00.003-04:00

After many weeks of patiently waiting for my legs to come around after having the flu, I believe I've gotten them back near 100% strength. Endurance-wise I'm still a bit off the mark but should peak the week of the Bike Across Florida.

I've been pushing my bottom bracket and chain to the limits trying to get the most out of them before putting on new ones for the BAF. Thursday night's ride should have been the last ride on the original bottom bracket but the new one I've ordered didn't arrive before Saturday. The Thursday ride was an easy pace but we did ramp up the effort a bit on the big climb. The bottom bracket started creaking and popping, however just to let me know it was time to replace it. 6,200 miles is a pretty good distance to go on a BB since I went through about 4 bottom brackets in 2 years with the TREK 1500. The life expectancy of a chain is a different story. I'm not sure if I'm cleaning them too often, which is once a week, and not getting enough lube back in them what. Each chain is stretched out of limits in about 900 miles if I'm lucky, but I have no idea what other folks are getting since they probably don't change anything out until the ghost shifting gets too aggravating and the gear rings and cassette are toast.

Yesterday was a planned ride of at least 130+ miles that is one of the last two stepping stones in my preparation for the BAF. I headed out of the Perry Welcome Center about 9:15 with James D working with me to pull the regular group (of only 3 folks) back. We caught them before the big climb in Hayneville, and I crunk up some Rolling Stones on the iPod and headed on solo to Hawkinsville to continue my 7 hours of fun in the sun. After Hawkinsville, I turned South on 129 towards Abbeville and toward my first store stop.

There is one way to draw the attention of every single living sole in a small town like Abbeville that advertises a "Wild Hog Festival" on the Welcome to Abbeville sign at the city limits: show up on a bicycle (some looked at it like it was from outer space), in spandex (actually saw someone taking a pic on a camera phone) with the accompanying full cycling attire, and then enter a store. You will have EVERYONE's undivided attention whether you like it or not. People actually stopped what they were doing to stare. I like being the center of attention sometimes, but not this time. I didn't hear any banjos playing, but I departed rather quickly anyway.

The next leg was 30 miles into the wind toward Cordelie, Ga. It was uneventful except for the fact I notice I was getting tired way too early into the ride. I'd only covered about 54 miles of the 75 it would take to get to Cordelie, but It felt like I couldn't push the gears with enough energy. When I finally turned my iPod down enough to hear the real world, it was more than evident what the problem was: the bottom bracket had given up the ghost several miles back and I couldn't hear it with the music blaring in my ears. My feet were numb from pushing the pedals for so long and I couldn't feel the popping going on in the BB. A broken coffee grinder was what I had and apparently the heat generated from pedalling non-stop for a few hours was making things worse. It wasn't enough to make me stop and call for help, so I pushed on to Cordelie.

In Cordelie I finally phoned Diana to ask her to start making her way toward me on Hwy-42. I'd stopped, removed the chain from the front gear, and then turned the crank by hand to see it only turn 3/4 of a revolution before stopping. Not-a-gooda.

"Houston, we have a problem."

I continued up Hwy-42 at the same effort as before to get in as many miles as I could, and Diana met me about 3 south-west of Unadilla. I still managed to put in a solo effort of 88.7 miles, a 19.1 mph average, with a heart rate average of 155 bpm on a bottom bracket that was making this a real training session. Not the full 130+ miles I'd planned, but enough to re-assure me that I'll be ready for the BAF where it will be flat as a pancake and I'll have people to draft behind on occasion to save some energy.

Next weekend will be another tough one with 140+ miles on the agenda. We're doing the Peach Blossom ride in Byron, so the initial plan is do the route with the "group" and then do it again solo. I can ride home from Byron which should give me about 145 miles total. The only problem is that there are no stores along the way for the second go-round.

Pardon me, I think I've been pooped on...

2008-03-19T21:08:00.002-04:00

Warning: Language is guaranteed to offend so hit the "Back" button now.

Recipe to piss me off:

Choose a topic that you're ignorant about...........like the laws of the road pertaining to cycling.

Take 3 parts of moronic opinions from lazy, never gonna even glance at a piece of exercise equipment, gravity challenged fat-ass, I know more than you and can prove it so "watch this y'all" from the shallow end of the gene pool.

Ensure 3 parts stupidity is not measured in appropriate quantities for the tasks at hand.

Take 1 part Type-A personality that is more prepared for discussion than other 3 parts ignorance.

Ensure that 1 part Type-A personality is at "full throttle" from the caffeine in his loving wife's "this will put your blood pressure over the limit" coffee before stirring the pot.

Ensure that you stir 3 parts "who the hell is Darwin?" accordingly with phrases such as: "Cyclists should be restricted to certain roads because I have to slow down to go around them on a double yellow lined, blind curve that is uphill" and the favorite No-Shit!! line of them all, "when 3-thousand pounds of car meets cyclist, the cyclist always loses" to make Type-A personality rise. Oh and don't forget to stir briskly for 1 minute with Type-A personality's favorite: "you should have your dumb ass in church instead of riding a bike" after you turn around, block the lane in front of me, and spout this divine knowledge on a Sunday no less through Tammy Faye Baker war paint that cracks as you speak.

Now toss 3 parts of sacrificial but ignorant lamb fluff onto Type-A personality while you smile and think 1)this is gonna be the funniest shit on the planet and 2)Ron White wasn't right about fixing stupid. All this while thinking you're making a valid point and feeling good about yourselves, but in the mean time you've actually closed the cave entrance behind you with a mean, hungry bear that just woke from a gentle 5 year slumber of taking your shit.

Wait one nano-second as mix comes to a boil.

"Cover your ears darlin..."

DING!!

Dinner is served.

The Queen's English was not used fortunately, only because I wanted to keep my job, but in less than 20 seconds the dish was served chilled and it got really, really quite in the office for the remainder of the day. I guess everyone enjoyed the meal of Crow since they definitely left full. I don't think the "what's this button for?" will be pushed any time in the future in my office while I'm working at this establishment.

All this before 9am. Luckily, I did not have students to enlighten afterward today.........

On more important cycling news, I was able to ride this past Thursday with the group as our regular weekly rides began again. We averaged a tad over 20 mph for 34 miles and was a good ride even though we took it easier than we could have done. Brian, a new rider and CAT3 racer that is here for a few months, wanted to keep his watts down before the Perry Roubaix race weekend so we kept the pace down a bit for us but what was easy for him.

Several of us volunteered to help out for the TT and Circuit race on Saturday, so it was stand around for 12 hours while cheering the racers on during each group event.

Sunday was the first "fun" century I road this year and it was in Dublin. It was a new course this time, and I managed to bring the wrong gear for all the short, steep climbing we had to do. I remembered it as relatively flat except at the end. My Polar said we only climbed 4K feet, but it felt like 10K since I had the 11-21 cassette on the rear and couldn't spin as much as I needed. Flipper had ridden the Tour de Pike the day before and was on his 2nd century in two days. That boy is strong for sure but is a tad thin for his height and maybe a little over-confident right now. It'll work itself out, however.

Tuesday night's ride was a good ride with a bit of wind. BK and I decided to do the 40 mile option but we had no takers to join us. I was surprised to see that several riders didn't come along, especially one who had bragged that he had "gotten in a break-away Thursday night and no-one could catch him." If you've never seen frog legs ripped from their sockets, you need to ride with us tomorrow night. He'll be the first one on the platter. Anyway, BK and I had a 16.5 mph average at the silos at the end of Bible Camp Rd., but we managed to crank it up to an 18.6 mph average for the ride. The last half was into the wind and sucked goats for sure, but we like to suffer and enjoyed every damn minute of it! We're both making good progress after suffering through this year's flu season while spending 3 weeks off the bike.

This weekend will be long, hard miles for me since I need to get in a 130 mile ride either Saturday or Sunday in prep for the BRAF April 20. My loving wife is gonna drive the truck solo while I crank the peddles for nearly 10 hours next month. Hope she finds some really good books-on-CD for the trip.

Been riding much?

2008-03-02T20:08:00.004-05:00

Nope.

Saturday was a great day to ride with a 54F start and lots of sunshine leading to a nice 68F finish temp. I got a late start and had to work to catch the group; however, since I left late from the house. It was more diet issue than lack of planning that led to me leaving later than planned, but I was able to "hold my own" during the ride thankfully. I opted to head straight out Russell Parkway and catch the group coming out that way since that was the direction I was told they would go, but apparently no-one else got the memo. So..., I had to push from the get-go at 22-25, into the wind none-the-less, to latch on in Byron.

When I finally got within 1/4 mile of Byron on Houser's Mill Rd, I could see the yellow seat of BK's bike but no-one else around. Can't say how much I enjoy riding with BK since we work well together, but today it was right when I needed it since my warm up had been in the HR red zone for 35 minutes. BK said the group was no more than 5 minutes ahead, and he sat on the front blocking for me until I could recover a bit. We caught the group a few miles later in the hills and from there it was an outstanding ride. BK and I worked most of the ride keeping the group as organized as it could be and we both spent a lot of time pulling stragglers back to the front. Kim was not feeling well but was a trooper for hanging in there to finish.

I wound up with just over 75 miles and a 17.6 average. Could have been much better, but it was more about the ride and the people with me than a training goal for this ride. I enjoyed it more than worrying about training for the BAF in April that is over 160 miles. If I've learned anything from all the hard rides I've done, the one thing that matters most is knowing how many times and how long you've gone into the red zone of your HR and knowing that it will take 10-15 miles of normal riding out of your legs each time you stay there for 10 minutes. At least that's what happens with me.

Today, I should have been riding since it was about 70F outside, a gorgeous clear, blue sky, and a huge ride event coming up in less than 7 weeks. But......alas I had to go to Cordele and race the wife's Miata in an auto-cross race. Heehee! BK actually showed up at the end of the race with Tonya since they were out riding the motorcycle and rode down to Cordele so she could see where we raced once a month. Diana was invited and encouraged to go with me as well to race today, but NOOoooooooo!!!!!!! She wanted to stay home, cut her hand while preparing her breakfast, go to the emergency room to get five stitches, and then go ride 30 miles on a bike with Dave and Carrie. And, she cut her hand AFTER I'd left and been gone for over an hour.

At this point, I should express how I feel like a piece of crap and should provide excuses for my not being there for the wife. But, she's tough. Hell, she's put up with me for over 15 years so she must have a higher tolerance for pain than a serrated steak knife can provide. Right?

Apparently, the bagel she pulled from the freezer and was attempting to slice in half required a tad more force since it was still frozen in the middle and she just had to separate it to toast it in the oven, so she held the bagel in her hand and attempted to slice it in half. I must be rubbing off on her 'cause only I do stupid shit like this. Glad to say that no tendons were severed, not fingers were lost, and Steve (owner of Prinnie-Mack Coffee Co. and CGC Club sponsor, and Physician Assistant) sewed her up in the ER and sent her out into the cycling world to conquer road and rogue canine alike. The wife called me to inform me of all this after she'd been sewn up of course.

When I arrived home from my excursion of tearing rubber from tires and sacrificing engine life for the good of my adrenal cravings, I discovered that the pain killing meds given to the wifey had worn off. Egg shells gentleman. Eggshells.

A raiding we will go, a raiding we will go. High-ho the merry-O a raiding we will go! Into the medicine cabinet of course for those happy pills we never take all of but never throw away since we may need them some day. Like...................today!! Vicoden, Oxycontin, drool inducing meds from the pharmacy that will make her sleep is what we need! BINGO. She's a-sleepin now for sure. At least until the happy pill wears off and I'm up stumbling over dogs in the dark to go find another one. For her.

I guess at this point it would be remiss of me to even state that I did fairly well at the auto-cross event and was able to post times better than cars/drivers that should be handing me my ass on a silver platter. Winning is great most days, but today, like yesterday, was more about the time spent enjoying what I was sharing with others than trying to piss an inch further than the next idiot.

Sometimes it's just about the ride and not about how you got there, or where you end up.

Bugger....

2008-02-19T22:50:00.003-05:00

A lot has happened the last few weeks and I've found myself strung out trying to do more than I've had the energy and motivation to accomplish.

A group of us traveled down to White Springs in January to participate in the IDIDARIDE, which is 50+ miles of mountain biking and well suppported each year. This year we had cooler temps than last and liquid sunshine to accompany our start and finish. We did enjoy ourselves as always no matter where we go and how high or low the temperature go, and for the first time I brought out the surround sound system to accompany our outdoor movie festivities. One camper stopped by to comment that we don't play when it comes to entertainment. That would fall into the "No Shit!" category from our side of things. And, we drank some of the finest beer Stone Brewery has to offer as well as ate home made lasagna to fill our growlers.

A few days after the IDIDARIDE, I developed one of the most aggravating colds I've had in some years. Started out as bronchitis, turned into a sinus infection, and then hung around for the next 2 weeks. It took 3 weeks to get over that crap, and unfortunately it is going around still. The good news is that since my body is steadily repairing itself from that cold of sorts, I've actually been able to get in some decent miles on the bike the last few days.

On Friday of last week, Diana and I went to Thomson Trails in the afternoon since I wanted to get in at least 2 laps of riding. I only got halfway on one lap before my body said "whoa boy". The next day, Jesse, Nikki, BK, and I did the Rolling to Roberta route. I rode from the house to meet Jesse and Nikki, and we took off to meet BK in Byron. I was surprised that I felt stronger than usual given I'd been off the bike for a long time except for the day before. Once we were about 12 miles outside of Byron, BK was getting a little tired so we eased up a bit and let Jesse and Nikki carry on at a decent pace. This was BK's first time back on a bike in a while as well, so there was no reason for either of us to hurt ourselves. I wound up with 71 miles that day and felt great. I think I could have ridden at least another 20 before getting real tired, so I was extremely pleased with how well my body felt. One thing was still lingering from the cold, however, and that was constricted bronchial tubes. It was like breathing through a straw, and not the 4-barrel kind McDonald's has.

Now the funniest thing that has happend to me in a long time occured the very next day as I ventured out once again from home to ride between 40 and 50 miles. The wind wasn't terribly bad at the start, the sun was shining, but neither Jesse nor BK made it out to join me. I decided to do the Tuesday A+ route solo, crunk the iPod up a bit, and enjoyed the ride. When I got to Bible Camp Road, life got weird for me and a mini-van driver. I'm tooling along getting ready to start the first riser on this road and notice a mini-van go by me in the opposite direction. Nothing strange there. Well, the driver turns around and goes by me, then stops 30 feet in front of me in my lane. Now I'm thinking trouble is brewing. After all, we've had some really strange stuff happen in this area with motorists. Being the experienced and defensive cyclists I am, I reach for my most full water bottle as I begin to pass the van. A woman starts saying something to me as I pass but I can't understand her since my iPod is running, so I stop to hear what she has to say and pause my iPod so I can hear her say:

"You should have your ass in church!"

"Excuse me?" I say.

"You ought to have your dumb ass in church instead of our here riding a bicycle!!" she says.

In an instant of looking at this Tammy Faye Baker wanna-be double-wide of a woman who is spouting good Christian advice and language at me, I just couldn't help myself. So I squirt water at her and give her the Signum crucis and say, "bless you." Not exactly the trinitarium formula as designed and perhaps blasphemy on my part, but IMHO it was tit-for-tat. At that moment she had the look of someone who'd been shot at and missed but shit at and hit. She was completely dumbfounded. I was laughing so hard I could hardly clip in and peddle away from what was surely to become a head-turning, green vomit ejecting, gargoyle of rage and hormone filled wrath. I was worrying she'd flatten me with the mini-van to be honest, but she never did and turned around to go pray in church for my dumb cycling ass no doubt.

Another important thing to make a note of is the song that was blaring in my headphones at the time I was being given advice on how to live the straight and narrow. It was the band God Smack.................... and the song was I stand alone.................... Now that is some kind of funny coincidence, or perhaps someone is trying to tell me something afterall.

Time flies when you're standing still.....

2008-01-15T19:46:00.000-05:00

Isn't it amazing how January is halfway over before you're ready to let go of the previous year's goals and expectations? Can I get a time-out here?

I haven't done anything to really prepare for the upcoming race season or the BRAF that looms in my deep conscience like the "duhn-duhn.............duhn-duhn......" with dorsal fin accompaniment, and yet I've somehow been able to maintain a cardio level equal to this time last year. My endurance is down for sure, but the old HR monitor is saying all is well for the short runs of 70 miles or less. As long as I remember to eat something along the way.

The last few weeks have seen lulls into near unconsciousness of boredom interrupted with days of blitzkrieg attacks on the cortex preparing for classes. 2 weeks of vacation is like Novocaine on the brain for me. I've managed to lurch into 2nd gear, however, while dumping the clutch and bouncing into another quarter of teaching subjects that are as near to second nature as it gets for me. I'm not complaining like the mean old bastard on the block most kids loved to hate when growing up, but it is puzzling how I'm so relaxed and carefree these last few months when I should be so gung-ho Marines would step back and say "DAAAaammmmmnnnnnnnn!" Might as well run with it.

One of our circle of friends has found himself a new squeeze and is as perky as Chihuahua on espresso of late. She is too. It definitely warms all of our hearts to see the sun shining within him again. He deserves it more than anyone. But, if he moves away we will take all his bikes away and feed him nothing but cheese and Bud Light for eternity. Just kidding, Flipper. Follow your heart, but use your head.

A group of us gathered this past Sunday to ride my favorite 100k loop, and it was a good ride even though several of us have not been riding like we should and didn't eat like we should have during the ride. It was a fairly casual ride from my perspective, 17.4 mph average, but then again my perspective is much different than some of the folks that joined us. Either way, I was glad to have everyone come out to share a day of sunshine, good roads, and good times.

This past weekend was also a time of preparation for this coming weekend's Thomson Appreciation Day at Thomson Trails, but it is with sadness and heart-felt sorrow that we learned during our Sunday ride that Mr. Ronnie Thomson passed away Saturday. Many of us have Thomson stems and seat-post on our bikes, but most never met the man that made them possible or road the trails that he allowed us to build, maintain, and enjoy on his property. He was a great friend and supporter of the cycling community and his life will be remembered and celebrated this weekend at Thomson trails with Ronnie Thomson Day.

This coming weekend will see many of us travelling south to participate in the Ididaride in White Springs, Fla. We will be missing Ronnie Thomson Day and the memorial service to honor Mr. Thomson, but each of us will remember him and think of him Saturday and we will make a toast to honor him. We will celebrate his life and the life we will be sharing with friends just as others will do at Thomson trails.

Peace be with you Ronnie......

"It is not length of life, but depth of life."
---Ralph Waldo Emerson

Road Trips and laziness

2008-01-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

Yes, another road trip has come to pass and we have many flavors of hops and barley to sample again. This time we didn't have to go far but the search was extensive to find the goods.

We traveled to Chattanooga, TN since it is the closest place to get any of the beer made by Stone Brewery. There is one thing that came out of California that I like, other than fake blonds with fake............nevermind.......... and that is Stone Brewery beer. The Smoked Porter is second on my favorites list of beers. I've sampled a lot of other smoked porters with most tasting like the liquid smoke flavoring you can buy at the grocery, but Stone's is exceptionally well balanced and is great with a wide menu of food choices. A few other beer flavors Stone makes that are currently in the fridge are Arrogant Bastard, Double Bastard (very good and usually one is enough), IPA, IPA Ruination (nice aroma but will make your tounge holla), and of course the Smoked Porter. All are over 6% and can only be purchased in liquor stores in TN but not with regular beer since the government has an old law on the books prohibiting the sale of alcohol content above 5% unless you have a liquor license. And, if you plan to sell both you must have separate buildings where access restricts the purchase of both at one sales point. I still want to try the Alaskan Smoked Porter since it is supposed to be the original, as the story goes: a brewer asked someone that was smoking salmon if he would mind smoking the hops he was to use in his next batch of beer, the guy agreed, and hence we have enjoyed "smoked" porter since then. Only a beer drinker, mountain biker, or combination of the two would come up with something that crazy and make it work.

I'm now deep into my second week of vacation --> that I've really needed to recharge. Unfortunately, I've taken time off the bike as well and have not de-assed the couch as planned to ride every day. It's just easier to sit in front of the TV and veg. Lacking motivation for sure of late, but I've been able to read some of the books and articles necessary for next quarter's classes. There's been a few days with good mileage but mostly just spinning on the trainer for an hour or more after morning coffee.

We went to see No Country for Old Men a few days ago and it was a cool movie. At least I thought so. One I'd like to see again. I'm kinda slow getting things unless I read it once, but this movie was drawn from more than the simple idea of "hey, lets have a psycho hit man snuff people in weird ways while chasing down a satchel of money." It has some biblical associations in the interactions of simple folk who are touched in a collision of fates. The ending is one that will leave you thinking "WTF?! Is that it?!" And, it took me a few hours to finally put the pieces together and have it all make sense. Slow I may be, but I've talked to others who just didn't get it until I explained a few things to them. Then the light came on and they were no longer disappointed in how the movie ended.

Right now the sun is shining, there's no clouds in the sky, and I have the roads all to myself since the world is returning to normal after the holidays. I should be out there spinning away with my iPod blasting "Indifferent to Suffering" by Chimaira, but today I'll chose the trainer instead of the 15-25 mph winds and 29F temperature we currently have as I write this. The high is supposed to be 39'ish and I had enough wind and cold yesterday on the New Year's Day ride blocking the wind for a few stragglers for 14 miles at the end of the ride. "What don't kill ya makes ya stronger...." Uhmmmmm............why risk it today? There's black-eye peas with ham and Smoked Porter in the fridge............what was the number for Jenny Craig again?

My how priorities change quickly

2007-12-18T08:21:00.000-05:00

This week has started off on a very bright note for me and it also means a tough decision has to be made now. I received confirmation from the event staff for the Bike Ride Across Florida that my entry fees are indeed carried over from last year for the 2008 event since I had knee issues this year and couldn't ride, so my training plans have just changed. Sort of...

I have 3 choices:
1- continue my training/ride schedule for next race season and hope my fitness level will be sufficient for completing the BRAF.
2- train only for the BRAF which means putting in progressively longer rides until I can average 18+ for nearly 200 miles. This one requires a lot of night riding.
3- combine the training for both and sacrifice my early race season goals in order to do well at the BRAF. This one requires some night riding but only in the early morning or late evening according to which way my schedule slides.

Considering the 2008 route will be similar in distance and time required to complete it, I'll have to average over 17 mph for 11 hours. That is the minimum speed and maximum time to complete the ride. Given that the course is run east to west and they like to put what hills Florida has near the end, it poses an interesting challenge for mind and body. Diana is going to drive the truck and be my personal SAG wagon for the event, so my stops will be minimal for nature breaks and a change of clothes. We'll have to work on her handing me bottles and food while I'm on the bike so I won't have to stop, but we've already got the communications requirements ready as well as all the support equipment needed. I even have a back-up bike, or two, this year.

I think option 3 will be the best choice for me at this point. What I'll have to do is ride as many Macon rides I can do on Saturdays, continue the WBL rides on Sundays, but at some point one day will have to be sacrificed to build specifically for the BRAF. When to do that and which ride will have to be cut is the tough decision I'll have to make soon.

I have the rest of the week to re-arrange my schedule so I'll hopefully be peaking on the endurance side of the equation for April 20th. Maybe its time to give Eddie-O and a few other endurance riders a call and gather a wealth of advice so the decisions I have to make along the way will be narrowed from the get-go.

On the current training of late, Saturday was a bust. Just not meant to be. Nuff-said 'bout that. Sunday..........well, it was a beautiful December day with very few clouds, a good bit of sunshine, and a slight breeze out of the WNW. And, only one brave soul joined me for the WBL ride. BK and I deviated from the planned route but managed to find ourselves pushing for nearly 20 miles into that slight breeze. When you look down and find you only have one gear left until "Granny", you're heart rate is nearing your personal red-line, you're on a flat, flat road, and your doing a whopping 12.5 mph -->you know you're having some fun!! So the wind is pushing 21+ all day with gusts nearing 30 at times, who wants to be on the couch watching TV and miss an opportunity like this? Put your hands down. BK wasn't happy that we didn't get in over 50 miles, however. On the way back to Perry I distinctly remember doing 27 mph easily and not feeling any wind on my face, and I was happy about it. I do enough riding during the week in the cold and wind to make up for missing a few miles on Sunday, so I don't feel bad about cutting that ride short.

But now those decisions are harder to make knowing I need every mile I can put into the bank at this point if I want to complete the BRAF in April.

Is that a soap-box he's standing on?

2007-12-09T18:40:00.000-05:00

I've finally found my rhythm again for training and my motivation for improvement is back. Sleep is still allusive most nights, but that is the one variable to which I'm able to adapt easier than what life deals each day.

What training I've been able to accomplish this week has been perfect. I rode the trainer Tuesday night and did the Chris Carmichael climbing DVD, twice. It is a tough one due to all the cadence changes, but part of the training is focusing on your HR. Exactly what I need right now. Yesterday's ride with the Macon group was a wake up call for sure. I committed the error of not eating on the ride because I felt strong the entire time. When the alarm bells went off in my legs, it turned out to be a 10 minute countdown until detonation. I didn't simply fade and slip off the back of the group when I bonked............I nearly came to a complete stop. Those guys were great and waited on me, but I just couldn't keep the pace anymore and it was too late to try and eat gels to even try. Although I'd fallen behind a few times last year and was able to ride myself back on, this was pretty devastating for me. And, a big wake-up call.

One thing did occur when I reached the Macon group that was waiting on me and at first it offended me, but I took it in stride because there was truth in what was asked. One of the guys asked me, "do you guys in Warner Robins wait on folks when they get dropped?" Everyone looked at me for a response. And, the point was made. Touche. It meant a lot to me that these guys waited for me and drove the point home that I should be waiting on folks who get dropped on our CGC WBL rides. The point being made would come around again today when I logged in to update the CGC web page.

Today's CGC WBL ride was a good one even though only 3 other people showed up to join me. I was very worried that the 81 miles I put in Saturday would haunt my efforts today, and the first hour was excruciating. The legs came around after Ammo Hill, however. I began feeling stronger the longer we rode and only started feeling tired when we started climbing the rollers of Camp John Hope toward Hwy-127, which was nearly 56 miles into the ride. About 8 miles out from the finish we were all pretty much done, and I couldn't push more than 20 mph for long. It was a good ride with some great guys. Another 72 miles in the bank for next year.

When I logged into the CGC web page to change the ride details for the next WBL ride, I saw that someone has commented on the "CGC WBL Rides Purpose and Expectations" posting. I appreciate opinions and criticism and it was an honest opinion from someone who had something they needed to say. And, I don't care what he said since his whine came from sour grapes. Not very appetizing for my palate.

Some folks wanted to know just what in the world was our focus, our goals, and the guidelines for the rides, so I stepped up to the plate, gave it my best shot, and thought it was straight forward statements/recommendations of what needs to occur, even though some of the statements were a bit "brash" perhaps. Can't please'em all. Funnier is the fact that 100% of the stated guidelines came from fellow riders' recommendations. The only point I was making in the guidelines is that I will be the bad guy and enforce them. Someone has to and no-one else wanted the job or had a clue of who was going to lead our efforts. Yeah, that's a target on my chest so fire away.

It is times like these that make me want to throw in the towel on this whole CGC WBL thing and let the nay-sayers have their cake. I can do my own training rides on Sundays and get the same results anyway. But, I've already put to rest my own doubts on this endeavour of a winter bike league and I'm committed to see it through regardless. I've talked to Chad at length about whether or not it is worth it, and he's been more than a sounding board for my questions and has given great advice and encouragement for these rides to continue. Given the level he rides at I'm sure he knows what he's talking about since the cyclists that ride according to his guidance are continuing to improve beyond what each thought was possible.

I've always been good at putting puzzles together, not the jigsaw types, but the puzzles I encounter in life such as the post made on the CGC site. And there are only a few possibilities of whom it could be. There are surely more comments to be made, and not always on the CGC site, so the game will continue to be played. Either way, I understand why the statements were made.

Insomnia Cycling

2007-12-03T18:07:00.000-05:00

The first rule of Winter Bike League is..........

Winter brings more than just a changing of season with leaves falling and grass fading. The crisp snap of a cold morning livens the senses to a new day. Refreshing. Life. Well, it is something not quiet that invigorating that arrives with winter for me. Winter brings the sleepless nights of insomnia that have been a part of my life since childhood.

My mother as well as our family doctor were convinced that it was hyper activity when I was a child entering my early teens. Something that is treated with Ritalin or some other exotic parenting drug nowadays, but back then it was a tad different: the Thorazine shuffle. But, the drugs had about the same effect. I would ride my bike until dark and sometimes past just to expend the energy I had so I could sleep. It never worked and still doesn't.

When I worked at Amoco Fabrics just after high school, it was a swing shift. Nothing like throwing the old circadian rhythm out of wack like that kind of schedule. Being eager to make money and advance quicker than my fellow sloths, I worked whatever shift was asked if a position needed to be covered. It took its toll after a few months. I'd lost over 35 pounds and looked like a raccoon............but worse at a ragged 14o pounds. I'd also been going without sleep for days on end. The final straw was when the day shift super asked me to come with him to get my yearly physical and I agreed. Hell, I didn't even know what day it was. I thought it was a random drug test, but knew deep down I was in trouble and needing rest and was the reason why. After a few days rest and help from a doctor that specialized in sleep disorders, basically he gave me drugs to make me sleep, I realized just how far out over the edge I'd gone. 11 days in a row without sleep. 11 days............... Someone looked at the hours I'd been working and realized there was a problem that needed a resolution. I remembered everything of each day. Even the things that weren't exactly .......well.........real. Funny things happens when you push yourself too far naturally or not.

Last night I was asleep by 11pm, but by 2:15 my mind was awake and racing through various ideas, worries, and concerns for the coming days, weeks, and months. Not stressful worry, however. Body is tired. Mind is tireless. This is the 8th day in a row of less than 5 hours of sleep. At 3:15 I listened to the first rain drops pitter-pattering down on the roof. I remembered back to my childhood when my family would gather at the farm house that pre-dated the Civil War, and we would be soothed into slumber at night by the pelting rain on the tin roof.....and sleep would come as comforting as your mother's gentle touch feeling your forehead at night to make sure you were not running a fever. By 4:20 the rain was like a thousand squirrels playing leap frog while wearing steel soled shoes. It sounded similar to a very complex piece of classical music having too many instruments to fathom, and yet each note was as clear to me as if each musician was playing solo.

I thought back through yesterday's events and recalled that it seemed like a fuzzy dream while I was out on the bike. Complete relaxation was what I remembered about the day. Even our bike ride was not stressful too me. I felt strong at the end physically but mental clarity was lacking. I do recall being a little punchy before the ride and being a little brash about the way we should all conduct ourselves during the winter bike league rides. I hope the guys didn't take it personal, but the emphasis is needed that I intend to take charge of these rides to ensure safety most importantly but also to keep the focus on how we (I) need to be training. It may piss a few folks off, but I know what worked for me in the past that resulted in tremendous advances in fitness so I'll follow those general guidelines again this year. Sleep is an integral part of the equation, however.

I began teaching the Physics class today and struggled to stay sharp on explanations of formulas, standards, and applications. I didn't make any mistakes today, however, as I slowed down a bit to think things through more so than usual. Nothing like making a mistake, having to "un-teach" the topic, and then "re-teach" the correct method. You'll always lose a couple and push a few more into the gray zone of misunderstanding if that happens. After all, I'm shoving a 50 hour class at them in 9 days so its like drinking from a fire hose for the students. My lack of sleep is causing a lack of learning for my students. They don't see it, but my passion for the subject was lacking today and that is unacceptable. I want them to enjoy learning as much as I enjoy seeing them learn and that takes more energy than I had today.

Tonight brings opportunities to dream and hopefully the resting of a weary mind. I'll try to reset my internal clock with a man-made Zeitgeber before bed ~ a very bright light ~ and perhaps spend some time outside in the sun tomorrow showing my students parts of an aircraft while discussing aerodynamics. Natural, bright light usually does the trick........ for a while.

"Day is desire and night is sleep. There are no shadows anywhere."~Wallace Stevens

Damn hot water heater....

2007-11-30T19:52:00.000-05:00

"It sounded like a puppy squealing, and then there was this loud BUMP, hiss, gurgling sound...." the wife said a few days after I noticed the hot water ran out quicker than usual during my morning shower and mentioning this during our morning caffeine fix.

"So, perhaps it wasn't a cute little puppy bashing his brains in underneath the house dear?" I asked of my loving wife. Glaring beams of death cast my way.....but I survive yet again.

Given that the so-called crawl space is 4 ft. high, he'd have to be one big-ass "puppy." I did not mention this particular revelation to the spouse.

Thinking I had an old copper pipe split lengthwise and spilling several thousands of gallons of water under our house for several days, I grab a flashlight and venture into what I was sure to be Waldon Pond. No pond, but I did have a hissing "puppy" otherwise known as a water heater that had split. Luckily, the split was on top and not on the side or bottom that would have been some real fun. I guess the puppy had bashed his brains in after all. Damn hot water heater.

What to do? I wasn't sure if I wanted to finally go with a tankless water heater or fight to drag a large appliance underneath the house. I think tankless is the wiser choice since it is cheaper in some ways than a conventional water heater that is constantly burning money to keep the water heated compared to the tankless that only runs when needed. Our friends, Ronnie and Nancy, have the tankless system at their cabin and are happy with the investment, so it made sense to try it. So, I decide to buy one to replace our "puppy." Damn hot water heater.

Well, only Ace Hardware can get it in less than two weeks. "Ain't this a geographical oddity. Two weeks from anywhere." Upon receiving my new water heater that is not much bigger than your average desktop computer processor, I discover that I need to add another dual 40A breaker to my electrical panel and run more wire. Damn water heater. Can someone please tell me where a licensed electrician is in this county? Must be two weeks away by the response I got from nearly 15 phone calls. So I consulted a colleague at MGTC that teaches electrical wiring, took the 15 minute cram course in how not to fry yourself by sticking metal objects into a live electrical panel, and actually feel more comfortable tackling the task on my own. But, I have to skip several bike rides in order to replace the puppy. Damn hot water heater.

Tomorrow I will be dragging my sorry ass out of bed early enough to make the rooster wonder WTF? and will begin the task of replacing the damn hot water heater. At least I get to drink a cold Stone Brewery Smoked Porter while I'm fine tuning the flow-rate and temperature settings of the new tankless system.

Damn, I may like my new hot water heater.

Back on track

2007-11-20T20:49:00.000-05:00

Its that time of year to venture into the darkness after work and put some miles in the bank for a payoff down the road. Call it lack of motivation, but I just haven't been able to get myself going after work and ride a bike until now. Several folks I know, all of them cyclists, have been diagnosed with Lyme disease after seeking medical help for feeling tired and lethargic among other symptoms. Thankfully, that is not my problem but if it were it would be a good excuse for the drag-assing I've been doing. I've just lost interest for some reason since July. I've maintained a trickling weight loss, however, due only to cutting my caloric intake down to the equivalent of a stick of gum twice a day (except when beer and eating with friends is involved), but now the real fat burning really begins.

I decided to take advantage of the nice weather we've had and do a few miles today after work. The route is a loop of roughly 5.4 miles and is fairly safe compared to taking chances on our regular routes. Jesse joined in on the fun and we did about 26 miles just to stretch our legs a bit at around 21 mph. I think I'll continue doing this loop like last winter, but I also want to see about an area that is lit and might work as a possible crit loop. A few of the Macon guys said they would drive down and join in on some crit workouts so I guess the ball is in my court. I'm also planning on starting back riding with those guys on Saturdays and see if I can hang on. Even though I knew I was going to die several times on some of the rides with them last year (at least I felt that way) the pay off was more than I ever imagined. I was also riding two nights a week, after work, in the dark, solo for 40+ miles, and on Sundays after the punishment I received on Saturday, but it was riding with much stronger riders that made the difference for the huge jump in fitness for me. Humbling as it was for me to be able to just hang on, I was proud that I never got dropped totally out of contact with the pack. Some folks had to help me back several times, but I never completely popped until the very end of the rides. That's what is supposed to happen anyway as far as I'm concerned.

I haven't ridden the re-route we worked on this past Saturday at Thomson because I wanted to see the line that has developed after it has been ridden in. That way I can mentally note where to cut out the remaining root beds to complete the trail mod. Its always a good idea to re-visit the mods you make so you can see if it works well, needs to be fine-tuned, or perhaps covered up so no-one can ever ride it again. So tomorrow I will see if it all works as planned.

Taming Thomson.............right

2007-11-19T21:00:00.000-05:00

I've had the opportunity to ride with some interesting people, discover the varying aspects of what cycling means to them, and even toss in a contribution of my own to the cycling community here and there. The last few months I've jumped head first into making trail modifications at Thomson Trails, and hopefully it will leave a lasting mark on the mountain biking community in these parts. Not the chest pounding, "love-me" wall, neanderthal grunt hey-look-at-me aspect some desire. Far from it. Simply..........a quiet way of paying back those who I enjoy spending time riding with by making the trail more enjoyable for all. A trail that doesn't erode, or needs to be maintained. Hey, I may be on to something here.

There are some trails that people just hate to ride, and there are people who hate to ride any other trail but one. Thomson is exactly that. Hated by some, loved by others. I too like to tempt fate sometimes and ride beyond my wisdom. Hell, some people can take the brakes loose and never have a problem. Those folks are getting paid, and they don't ride the local trails.

This past weekend was one for the record books. I'm not sure what brought everyone out to help with the trail maintenance/re-routing plans, but damn it was outstanding to see some familiar faces and some new ones as well. I think close to 14 folks showed up, and some drove a long way, like Bruce, just to help out. Big THANKS!! to all who put some sweat equity into the local trail! Recently, I'd walked out several possibilities for re-directing the area at what the locals call "Dan's Bastard", and I met Mark D at Thomson one afternoon to walk them out and see what he liked. It was cool to find that Mark was fired up about the re-route like I was and we marked out some very nice single track. And, I must give credit to Don Bill for showing me several of the spots that needed immediate attention a long while back. Hopefully, he and Angie will get a chance sooner than later of riding the trail in its new form. It flows nicely, IMHO, in each area that has been re-routed. But it is still an animal. These areas will not need attention like some areas of the trail..................and those areas will see the blade soon enough.

While I'm giving credit, let me say something about the peanut gallery. As thankful as I was for having more help than I could have imagined, I was more thankful for the thick skin I've built up over the years. When a person who is helping build new trail complains that we are "dumbing down the trail" (make that 3 people), its difficult to smile and hold your tongue. But life is like a box of chocolates, you can throw away the chocolate covered cherry ones after your done getting what you want from them. Dean Thornton said it best, "If they think we're dumbing down the trail, tell them to un-hook the brakes and ride it. Then we'll see."

Amen Deano. Amen.

Decisions.......decisions.........

2007-11-18T19:34:00.000-05:00

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function."
F. Scott Fitzgerald

I wouldn't dare put myself above another human by comparing intellect, and yet today I find myself at a crossroads of absolute reason, clarity of truth as it were, and the epitome of relative perception. I saw more than just the two opposing ideas in a moment of pure lucidity.

The calmness of mind that cycling provides me is simultaneously driving the body to find every genetic limit while under duress, and I crave that calmness more and more. Funny how physical suffering is the part that no longer worries me, and I crave it as well. But today............there was no relief from the multitude of wants and needs racing around in the grey matter during my ride. I was internalizing everything that was going on around me, but I dare not say a word. Not because I couldn't, but because its better to hold your tongue and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Something I have a hard enough time with every waking moment. I've tried to help other riders improve by giving advice or making a recommendation, but maybe my personality is not strong enough to give my words the iron that is needed. I've tried to be more PC the last few years since I'm not exactly a "people person", but maybe its time I go back to my old way of thinking and not give a shit less what others think.

I know when I've had a good ride because I feel mentally refreshed and physically exhausted. Today was a 180 spin. I felt like 15 minutes of throwing fist at a heavy bag was just what was needed. The only thing that I resolved was the reason for the cramping in my thighs. After looking through my ride diary, I've pin-pointed the reason for the cramps and will eliminate it from my training. Other than that, my conversations with Eddie gave me inspiration to work harder for next year's race season, and he and I will be doing some weekly riding together to work toward that goal.

I've read that small minded people talk about others while open minded people talk about ideas. Its time I push the door open and let in some light.......some reasoning.

So, it is either continue the current path of attempting to be part of a cohesive unit that because of built-in differences will likely fail to achieve its goal, or lense my own path. Perhaps the more difficult path is forging my own way. And perhaps it is right. Selfish? Perhaps....................but I don't give a shit.

Fall Fun

2007-11-13T09:57:00.001-05:00

There is no better way to start out the Fall season than helping a friend, so when Jesse said "I have a Corvette in Illinois that I need to go get" only two words came to mind for several of us: ROAD TRIP!! So Dave, Jesse, and I borrowed a car-hauling-trailer from John, piled into the truck, and kicked the rooster in the ass one Friday to start a 1,300+ mile journey to retrieve Jesse's stuff (and pick up some beer along the way of course!). And, boy howdy did Jesse have "stuff" to bring back.

After stopping off in the ATL to feed the growlers, we passed through the North Georgia mountains during a beautiful sunrise that revealed Fall foliage as far as the eye could see. We had to navigate the mountains of Tennessee, and I snapped a few pics along the way.

I don't think my road trip companions were very pleased with me doing the photog thing while simultaneously driving at 70+ mph, but they brought extra shorts for the overnight trip and managed quite nicely.

"Should I be driving?" is what Jesse's thinking right about now.
Here's downtown Nashville just after sunrise:

Not sure what came first, the river or the state, but we found ourselves crossing into Kentucky and over the Ohio River sometime before lunch.

Dave kept his better half informed with texting on whether or not Jesse and I dragged him into a strip bar along the way.Psst......just keep the cash coming Dave and we'll never tell............

We stopped off in Peducha, Kentucky to eat at the Kountry Kastle.......after driving around for 30 minutes trying to find someplace else to eat! If the parking lot is full, the food must be good!
Now, as soon as I find that frakin' picture of the drunk doing the Weeble-Wobble stagger in the parking lot of the strip club next door I'll post it. Oops........sorry Dave.

We also cruised by Flipper's old crib. Didn't know Jesse was royalty...
...and DAAaammmmmnnnnn!!! Boy had a nice little piece of the American Dream tucked away on a hill.

After arriving in Troy, Illinois we began loading up Jesse's "stuff". Holy hell did Jesse have some stuff! He said he had a rock collection, but we didn't realize it was the remains of a quarry. I didn't get any pics of all the boxes of rocks as Dave did, but we just did fit everything into the truck. We also put Jesse's 1976 Corvette on the trailer we borrowed from John. Now THAT was worth driving 1,300+ miles for. And yes.......we had to put boxes of rocks in the Vette as well. Here's a piece of advice for you: if you live in a glass house, don't piss off Flipper!
We decided after loading up parts every geological sample on the face of this planet, and perhaps a few other planets yet to be discovered by scientists (but not Jesse), we headed out on the road to see one of the most awe inspiring monuments I've seen: the St. Louis Arch. It was night time when we got there, and the pictures we took don't do it justice, but man what an experience!

Dave at the base:
Three Amigos.. Not sure what building this is, but I attempted to snap a decent pic of it. We got to touch the Mississippi too.

After a long day of driving, taking pictures, and loading rocks into the truck, we crashed for a few hours before doing the return trip home. The next day we headed south and along the way we viewed some interesting sights, purchased mass quantities of exotic hops and barely before most people had morning coffee, and took more photos.
Express yourself.....

How much "stuff" can you put into the back seat of an F-150? 6 cases and a Jesse. Heavenly Art
Dave gathering evidence of my photo taking/driving exhibition.
Wonder what's on Jesse's mind......
My Precious...
Make this the law in Georgia, but for cyclists, and things will change...
Damn Vette kept drafting me all the way home...
After a very long journey of nearly 1,400 miles, we knew we were close to home when traffic came to a crawl just outside of the ATL...This was one of many journeys I've made with great friends, and I'm sure there will be many more in the days ahead. We found some outstanding beer in the unlikeliest of places; we discovered that the American way of life and the American dream is still thriving where neon lights, old fashioned service, and respect for your fellow man is held close to heart; and we helped a friend find some closure with his past by building on the future. Thanks for passing time with me guys.

Looking forward to the next time.........

Weekend of Fall fun

2007-10-29T13:46:00.000-04:00

The last few days have been wonderful as the weather is perfect for every outdoor activity known to man including the Halloween ride/party at Thomson Trails. CGC also held the first of many winter bike league training rides Sunday afternoon, and I was relieved to find out/confirm with Dr. Wiley on Friday that I have tendinitis instead of something worse. Yep, it has been a good couple of days.

Diana and I met Dave and Carrie at Cracker Barrel Saturday morning for breakfast, and then headed out the Thomson to decorate the trail. I'm not sure who put the rotting corpse at the bottom of Dan's Bastard, but they need to go clean it up. Nice effect, but damn...................... just kidding. For some reason, I was pretty enthusiastic about Halloween this year, and Dave and I managed to rig some interesting noise makers in two spots on the trail. Nothing like cow bells ringing right next to you when you're not expecting it. Yep, I had a Halloween fever...........and the only prescription was more cow bell.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVbAuMr5eac

A few less people showed for the Halloween ride than years previous, but that's ok. We still had a great time, and it meant more beer and food for the rest of us.

Sunday was the first CGC Winter Bike League training ride and we had a pretty good size group show up to kick things off. I'd planned this first route to be a bit shorter than the upcoming rides so no-one was discouraged from coming back, and as a result several people commented that it could have been a few more miles in length. But, that's ok. We also did a tempo less than what I wanted to do, but we had a few people along for this first ride that were hurting early on so we eased up a bit. This particular route, Gently Rolling Farmland (insert Don Bill's evil grin here) had decent climbing at roughly 2,800 ft., with some into the wind, and that is were the "tempo" part of the ride comes into play. For the most part, we held things together very well and it was a good day on the bike.

The schedule gets more difficult from here on out as the routes increase in tempo and vertical ascent. We should be hitting 65-70 miles in under 3.5 hours before December gets here, but the vertical ascent will also be getting close to 3500 feet at the end. Anyone who has attempted to put a 100k route together for this area and tried to get over 3k ft. of vertical will know its pretty tough to do. The cool thing is that there is a lot of applications out there that allow you to experiment with routes. Putting the routes together takes a lot of time, but it also allows others to not have to worry about where they want to ride to get in some miles. The fun part for me is checking the weather channel and arranging the route to put the wind in our face for the last half or so of the ride. If I'm limited on hills to climb I might as well simulate a faster speed. And, its gonna get colder pretty soon. I'm sure we'll have a lot of these on CGC WBL rides:

The infamous "Snot Gun"

Trail Trolls at it again......

2007-10-22T12:03:00.000-04:00

There's only one way to do trail work at Thomson....

It has been a fairly relaxing weekend even though each day consisted of hard work.

Saturday, I finally got off the couch and went for a ride after 2 weeks of sloth. What a beautiful day to be riding! The temps were pretty chilly at the start, but the sun was shining and it warmed up nicely at the end. Jesse and I had discussed taking it easy and exploring some roads I want to incorporate into a WBL route, so we gathered at 8am at the Perry Welcome Center so our ride wouldn't interfere with the regular group ride that day at 9am. Tom H. showed up as well, so we had an enjoyable ride discussing various topics. The bad news of the day is that after only 2 miles of riding I'd determined that my knee pain from 2 weeks before was back and notifying me that nothing had changed during my rest period. I pushed on even though each mile meant more aggravation. I pushed nearly 10 miles one-legged to keep my knee from hurting further at the end of the ride. I think we ended up with over 54 miles in 3.5 hours. Not a great performance, but the goal was to ride easy and enjoy the day doing what we love the most. I have an appointment with Dr. Wiley for this Friday to investigate further what is causing the current issue in my knee. I think I pushed too hard during 6 GAP and pulled a tendon and didn't recognize this fact since everything was hurting that day. I can say that this is not the same pain I had before surgery in July, and it feels like a tendon or IT band is rubbing against something that is causing the aggravation.

Sunday, the Trail Trolls were at work again at Thomson. After hearing about and watching friends get hurt on several terribly eroded spots at the trail and after too much discussion and not enough action about re-routes the last year or so, I met Mark D. at the trail one afternoon and discussed changes that need/should be made. We decided on some major modifications that will improve the trail system, but these changes also mean the flow of the trail will be forever altered -- but in a good way. The latter also means some people will be pissed off, but conversely it means more people with lesser skills can still ride and not fear death at every turn. We're not "dumbing down the trail" as voices from the peanut gallery have shouted. To that I say, "Ride faster! Thomson can take everything you have to offer and will beg for more." The #1 reason for mods is to get rid of the damn erosion so we don't have to work ourselves to death maintaining the trail system. And given that so few people actually show up and voluntarily work to maintain the trail, I decided to seek approval and begin the work myself. My loving wife decided she would join me on re-routing the trail at specific places, but I don't think she knew exactly what she was getting into. And, without her there was no way I could have done it alone. We began around 9am and by 3:30 pm we had called a few people for back-up to help finish what we started. We didn't find anyone who wasn't busy, so we trudged onward with our goals. We did complete the re-routes, Diana got to ride both of them before we headed home, and life was good once again.

Diana stated that the trail flows very well and you're on the new sections before you actually realize it. So.......................my devious plans of making the trail more rideable as well as needing less maintenance worked out in the end.

Let's see who throws the first stone..........
Sorry, but this little guy says it all!!

Shut your cake hole!!!!

2007-10-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

Portion Control........
This ideal is harder to apply than most things in life, and I'm not talking about my dietary plans entirely.

On the good side, I'm down to 180 lbs. and that is without turning a pedal the last 6 days. Simply monitoring how much I'm feeding the growler each day is making a dramatic difference. I've made very small changes to my daily meals and it has not really affected my energy levels. I miss feeling more full after eating but being able to function is key here. When the growling beast demands sustenance or else it will begin eating the meat off my back-bone, I notice a decrease in mental sharpness and that's not good when you're trying to teach any subject matter. I've been eating Kashi snack bars for my mid-morning hunger killer, and they have been doing the job nicely. They actually keep me from feeling hungry at lunch, but since it is my biggest meal of the day I eat as I should. I just don't "biggie size" my portions. I like eating..........I'm good at it, but power-to-weight ratio is the goal here.

On a different note, not cycling has brought out Type-A raised to the 1oth in me lately. Dr. Jeckyll would be proud that Mr. Hyde has not yet shown himself, but some people just drive me over the edge more easily than most.
It's the "cliff diving champions from the shallow end of the gene pool" that really make me feel warm all over. I guess some folks are just meant to live with dain bramage and Forest Gump through life oblivious to certain things. Hell............I may be doing the same...........who knows.

If it stands to reason that it's better to hold your tongue and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt, I guess this is as far as I'll go bitching about the little things in life than won't matter in the grand scheme of things.

I guess it may be true that if you look around and everyone else seems normal, you're the one who's screwed up..................uhmmmmm.............. oh sh...............

Tired puppy.....

2007-10-08T07:06:00.000-04:00

It's time to take a few days (weeks) off the bike. I'm a tired puppy..............

I've developed tendonitis in my left knee again and it's something that only rest, careful exercise/therapy, and lots of time can alleviate. I'd planned a week off the bike anyway, but a few more won't really hurt. It gives me time to do some work at Thomson Trails. Trail maintenance work builds core muscles so it's not a total loss of fitness.

This time also gives me an opportunity to adhere to the diet more stringently since I won't be burning calories 5 days a week on the bike over the next few weeks. After reading several books - or at least portions of several books - and getting input from different nutritionists, I'm embarking on different paths to fulfill nutritional requirements. Portion control is my biggest problem but my mindset has to be the same as when I quit smoking years ago: believe in yourself and keep your mental discipline. I want to drop to 160 lbs. by the end of February but maintain the same power I have now. Dropping more weight would be great, but I think 160 would allow me to maintain sprinting speed while gaining climbing ability. Dragging less up the climbs is always good. All the advice and books state that losing muscle mass is the hardest and more dangerous thing to do, but we'll see how much is lost over the next few months while I'm trying to shed the fat. I've got at least 25 lbs. of fat to lose, so I don't think muscle mass loss will be an issue.

October 8: 184 lbs. Losing 1 pound a week until Feb. 29 (21 weeks) = 21 lbs. lost & 163 lbs.

Nothing to it............

6 GAP

2007-10-04T15:27:00.000-04:00

"Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before."
~ William Butler Yeats

Since first hearing of 6 Gap, I've wanted to ride those 6 North Georgia mountains. Everyone wants to do well and perhaps complete the century ride in a specific time frame, but I simply wanted to complete the ride. That desire was satiated this last weekend, and everything was right for it to happen.

Neels~
The morning was cold to start with the temperature hovering around 60 degrees. BK and I got a bit of a late start at 7:50 with the official start at 7:30, but we made that time up over the course of the day. With just 18 miles into the ride and at the base of the first climb, the first indication of what was to come was beginning to dawn to me: my legs were not wanting to spin up to my regular cadence. Reserving energy is always key to climbing these moutains, but I couldn't put enough out to keep a comfortable speed going. The suffering was just beginning, however.

At the top of Neels Gap, I told BK to roll-on without me as I planned to cut-off at Wolf Pen to do the 3 Gap option. He was disappointed for me, and I felt terrible that he'd waited on me at the top. I rolled down the hill and BK filled up his bottles. On the way down off of Neels Gap, however, I realized that there may not be another opportunity to complete 6 Gap. The weather was perfect, the forecast was sunshine all day, and I'd traveled to Dahlonega to ride all 6 mountains. I didn't turn off afterall. I pushed on to Jack's Gap.

Jack's~
BK caught up to me just past the steepest part of Jack's and gave me that "so WTF do you think you're doing?" look. I just grinned, told him I may not get the chance again, and kept mashing the pedals.

Unicoi~
At the base of Unicoi Gap, we got a great view of a young ladies personal mountains as she cheered us on in her own way by flashing us. WOOOOHHOOOOOO!!!!! I bet she has a nice bead collection from Mardi Gra....... Anyway, halfway up Unicoi I started cramping a little around both knees. Not bonking, just cramping. I ate and drank as much as could along the way, so this wasn't suppose to be happening yet!

Looming in the distance was the beast that nearly destroyed my desire to ever ride a bike again.......HogPen Gap. By itself, it is a tough mountain to travel. After 3 decent mountain climbs, it would take everything I had to conquer it. I'd traveled this way the previous year on a solo ride over Jack's, Unicoi, and Hogpen, and I knew what was coming. I knew the suffering I would have to endure, but I also knew the elation I would feel on the descent.

HogPen ~
The first 1.5 miles of climbing rolled by, and then I rested on the 1/2 mile descent before reaching mile 3. Mile 3 to 5 is the section that takes all you have and then ask for more. The cramping started immediately, but I shifted back and forth on the seat to work different muscle groups and hoped to perhaps ride through the pain. Right. Mile 4 came and I was standing on the pedals for all I had. I was only able to shift weight from left to right to left to right...... just to transfer heft to the pedals. 42 cadence and 5.3 mph! We're cooking now baby! My iPod began to feel like it weighed 50 pounds. I hated every song running through the headphones. I wanted to throw away everything that was weighing me down just to lighten the load. Screw that little engine that could! (Note to self: Laughing out loud at your own mental thoughts is disconcerting to others around you on a tough climb such as HogPen.) And, just who in the hell were these people passing me at 6 mph?! In the distance I finally saw that wonderful green sign that has a 5 on it! Just 30 yards past it is a down hill section where I could rest, and boy did I. At the top of HogPen is a slight rise that is nothing compared to what I'd just ridden and it last no more than 75 yards. It was to be the most difficult part of the ride for me, because only 50 feet from a blue line representing the end of the climb up HogPen both legs locked up. The front of my thighs, my glutes, and both hamstrings locked up in one gigantic knot of burning flesh. I had to dismount. But, I was not about to push my bike one damn inch on these climbs. I was going to ride the entire route that day, so there was no giving up now. A few of the volunteers at the top of Hog Pen were cheering everyone on as they finished the climb, and a few asked if I was alright or could they do anything for me? I thanked them kindly and declined. BK was also there yelling for me to get back on my bike and ride damn it!! Or at least that's what it meant to me. I was almost there. Slowly and carefully I clipped in and turned the pedals to complete the climb.

That was all I had to offer those mountains and could not muster another ounce of fight. It was time to give in. But, amazing things happen when you gaze through the blur of pain, see other people just as tired and whipped as you are, and you start to hear them talking cheerfully about how bad they'd suffered on that climb. Everyone was suffering on this ride, except a few who are definitely genetically gifted and more fit than I, and realizing that made me feel more of a part of cycling than ever before. What is this sport I love so much that provides unimaginable suffering everytime I clip in, and yet I can't wait to heal so I can go out and do it again? I was there because I love to ride, I'm addicted to the suffering, and I was going to complete the entire route now no matter what. There were only two more mountains to go.

WolfPen~
We stopped briefly at the base of WolfPen and then began the twisting non-rythmic climbs of Murder Mountain. I ate my last gel and began the what turned out to be a 4 rest-stop climb for me. I made it to the 180 switchback that marked the halfway point, and both legs did the rigid dance for me again. Stop, stretch, clip-in, and repeat every 1/2 mile to the top. My heart rate was not an issue at this point and I don't think I went into the red except for one time before Neels and of course on HogPen. I was greeted by the Bike Store riders at the top as well as my own personal coach and cheerleader, BK. Poor fellow was waiting on my slow ass all.......day.......long! I hate to ask for anything from anyone, but I begged a gel off of Charles. He gave me an extra, I must have looked worse than I felt, and I needed it. Many thanks to Charles! Those gels got me through to Suches and on to Woody Gap.

Woody~
Woody Gap was nothing more than a speed bump at this point. A slow 8.5mph climb of a speed bump, but over the top was a nice, long, and restful descent. Of course, I did ride the brakes on the turns on Woody as well as all the other descents. And unfortunately, someone actually crashed on the exact turn I crashed the year before, and he was only a minute in front of BK and me. He was alright, however, just bruised a bit but able to ride down the mountain. Not the case for me last year.

It was a good day on the bike. Not a great day for me, but a good day. BK and I toasted our accomplishment with a cold beer once we got done. I'm glad he waited for me, even though he could have hammered for sure and been done a lot sooner. Diana took 15 minutes off her time from last year's 3-Gap loop also. She could have done much better if she could ride more. Her goal for next year is to take more time off of this year's performance, and I'm sure she'll do well.

After downloading my Polar data, I've realized that perhaps my cardio just wasn't at the level it needed to be or my diet was wrong the week prior. I'm still tired from that ride, and it has been 5 days. Either way, I'll be back next year to suffer once again.

Detective Flintlock goes to work....

2007-09-20T13:23:00.000-04:00

It was Wednesday..........11am. The hint of Fall was in the air as another beautiful day of sunny skies, birds singing, and me longing to be out on a trail or road enjoying the afternoon cycling slipped slowly by.

At 11:12am, one of my AMT students suddenly came into the office with terrible news:

Someone has ran into and destroyed my bike rack!! W.T.F.??!!!!

Notice the paint scrapings inside the rack on the end? Good as DNA....

The student ellaborated further to say he and another AMT student witnessed the crime, the person that hit my bike rack had hauled ass away from the scene, and they'd given chase to catch the individual. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful but did manage to catch a partial license plate "ABK" and a good description of the vehicle and driver. So, my detective work began at that time:

11:15 - Call MGTC security.
11:20 - Get partial tag "ABK" and vehicle description of late ‘80s “maroon van” from 2 student witnesses.
11:22 - Call Warner Robins Popo.
11:30 - Find out which students in C-Building, next to my parked truck, were let out at 11am.
11:32 - Welding students were the only ones released at that time.
11:40 - Find welding instructor and got names of all students attending that morning.
11:45 - Do “report thing” with WR Popo.
12:05 - Circumvented "system" to find vehicles registered with MGTC with tag numbers of welding students that have “ABK” as first 3 in tag.
12:10 - And then there was one........
12:15 – Use system correctly and found out this student/perp has a 2pm Mathematics class.

I think we found a scent trail! Release the Hound!!!

12:15 – 1:54 ~ Truly didn’t think perp would be stupid enough to drive the vehicle back on MGTC Campus! ~
1:54pm – Proven wrong that perp would use logic.......,but stupid is as stupid does……..with the van showing damage of course.

Did someone say, "BINGO??!!!"
2:10pm – WR Popo and MGTC Security get student out of class to talk. Smell of hops and barly detected on student’s/perp's breath.
2:15pm – Perp admits to hitting my stuff. WR Popo very happy now.
2:15 - 2:18 - I do an "internal" Happy Dance!
2:18pm – Perp’s vehicle searched and an open container is found with hops and barly beverage remaining.
2:20pm – Perp arrested for 1)leaving the scene of an accident, 2) failure to report accident, 3) open container, 4) possession of banned substance on State property, 5) UNDERAGE DRINKING since he is only 19, and 6) insurance may not be valid --> now I’m REALLY pissed off!!

Although this kid could have simply stopped and tried to resolve the "accident" when it happened, he chose to take his chances of not getting caught. Now he has more to worry about than me wanting my bike rack replaced. Several people I work with have advised me to go easy on the kid as "we've all made mistakes." Yeah.........well, tough shit. I've made mistakes and live with the consequences each day and my conscience serves as a living hell at times reminding me that you only get one life to get it right. You can't always be right. It is then that you should and need to ask forgiveness from whomever you chose whether it be a higher power of your choosing or the person(s) you did wrong. He asked for none. He will receive none from me. Maybe the judge will see it that way as well.

The remainder of the day consisted of calling The Bike Store and ordering another $400+ Saris Cycle On bike rack to replace the recently departed one and meeting friends at Thomson Trails to ride the stress away. After a few adult beverages and great conversation among friends, the day was put to rest.

All the cool cats....

2007-09-17T13:02:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a welcome change in the weather for Central Georgia and could not have been better for mountain biking. Low 60's to start and barely mid-80's when we left. I got 3 laps in for a good day on the bike. The lower back was tweaked the last lap and I just couldn't push as hard as I'd liked, but that is the price I'm paying for doing trail maintenance instead of riding like I need to be doing. Still, the goal is to have fun and continue building up for November training rides with the guys in Macon.

Since the 12 Hours of Dauset is Sept. 22, a few of us decided to head up and pre-ride the race course. I don't have an exact count, but all the cool cats from our area were there enjoying the perfect riding conditions:

Kat was up early and ready to roll.

Dave Sexton was spicing things up with some outstanding riding.

Surprisingly, Flipper did not show off his invisible ramp jumps, log crossings, or aerial ballet.

Mark Duffus even rolled out of bed for the early Sunday morning ride.

BK was his usual cooooool self (except for the severe pain he inflicted on me the 3rd lap).

This was me at the "end" of BK's punishment session, aka lap 3:

This was Diana before her coffee:

Thank God for coffee!!!

There were too many people at Dauset yesterday to give faces to, but Central Georgia and OMBA will be well represented this coming weekend. We should have a very large gang of some great folks with a HUGE pit area as usual. We'll be chillin' and having a grand time once again.....

Got to keep the Yang up

2007-09-10T10:06:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a good example of the balance of life.

I woke up late Saturday morning even though I intended to do an 80 mile solo ride starting at 7am to continue building my base mileage back up before November. It felt good to catch an hour extra sleep, but I had a plan and needed to stick to it. I was so late that the 8am crowd was long-gone by the time I was ready to roll out from the PWC at 9am. The decision was whether I should go the same route as the 8am group and try to catch them, or do my own thing wondering the backroads. I chose to wander the roads. I took off toward Marshalville on 127, turned South to do the 80+ mile route I figured would be challenging, but then I got to 224 and decided to actually try to catch the 8am group. I had really good legs and figured "what the hell", might as well push'em to the failing point. That group was traveling a bit slower than me, but they became a rabbit I needed to catch. They had headed straight out 224 to Montezuma and should be well on their way to Byromville before I would even see them.

Instead of carefully watching my heart-rate monitor that has enslaved me, I rode how I felt and turned the Ipod up a notch to drown-out the wheezing coming from my lungs and the fire burning in my legs.

After reaching Montezuma and turning SE, I was shocked to see the group only 1/2 mile up the road. It was 10am. They were traveling a LOT slower than I thought, but I had also put out the hardest effort I've been capable of since March. I rode with them for about 10 miles and we crept along. Funny how the legs will start hurting after a hard effort when you slow down to nearly a crawl, 12mph at the most with this group, but I knew the signs of what was happening and needed to continue pushing harder than 12mph before my legs shut down. On a few of the "gently rolling farmland" hills, the group was falling off ~ or to be honest, I wasn't slowing down ~ so I began easing the pace back up to continue my solo effort. I should have been more social and said good-day to the group, and it was very rude of me not to, but I just put my head down and rode on. I stopped only once in Unadilla to grab some water and a pop tart since I didn't bring any gels. Amazing the energy you get from junk food. I headed straight back in on 41 and the effort began showing when I reached Henderson, so I backed off the last 6 miles or so. I finished with a 20.7 mph average and was very happy with that. The legs are coming around quicker than expected.

Sunday was a bit different. I got up around 5am to get ready to go Auto-Cross race in Cecil, Ga. It was almost 2 hours of driving in the Miata, then a rush to go through tech/inspect, walk the course, and drive like I stole it for 3 runs. There were some of the fastest cars I've ever seen at this event, and they were sticking to the pavement like glue..........well, not all of them. I managed to do a BK imitation going through the timing lights backwards in the first session of 3 runs, but I put down a respectable time nonetheless. This course was giving the "expert drivers" a challenge, and I was having one helluva a time picking up my next reference points all day long. There were 2 slaloms and I was hitting the rev limiter in 3rd gear on the second slalom. This was a very fast course. I upped the tire pressures for the second session of 3 runs and it balanced the car better for the higher speeds. Still, I managed to do another BK imitation on the last run, which was going to be my fastest of the day I thought. There was no warning when the tires gave up grip on this course, so having fast hands didn't do much for me. And, everyone that was running fast were on Kumho Ecsta V710 tires. Everyone. Oh-well. I had a great time racing, but it was the trip back that made me nervous. There were GSP everywhere and a lot of county mounties in Tifton giving autographs to anyone qualified.

The leason for the weekend: Life is good..........

Zoom.........Zoom!

2007-09-07T13:32:00.000-04:00

I love those days when it feels like you have no chain on the bike. It feels as if you could mash the damn pedals right off the bike. Thursday night's ride was one of those days when I pushed as hard as I could without blowing up, staying right on that edge of completely destroying lungs and legs, and yet it felt like I left something out there when the ride was over. I can feel the suffering today, but man was last night's ride great!

It was amazing that only a few riders showed for last night's ride given that it was perfect weather: not hot at all, relatively low humidity, and no wind to speak of. Eddie Hudspeth has been frequenting our Thursday night rides when he is not racing the following weekend, and it was great to have him along with us. About 4 miles into the ride when we were tooling along at 18 mph, Eddie decided to ease up the pace a bit. He promptly got a 1/4 mile lead on the pack, and lets just say he held it there until he was ready for us to catch him. And try to catch him we did!

I sat in for the most part until reaching halfway up the Haneyville climb, and feeling warmed-up enough to go I grabbed two gears and pushed pretty hard up the remainder of the hill. I figured Eddie would see me coming and hold up a bit for me to join him. Not a chance. Although I'd gapped the rest of the pack by a few hundred yards, Eddie kept the gap at about 300-400 yards for the next 11 miles as I dug deep to gain ground on him and was pushing 25-28 mph the entire time. I know he could have left me further behind if he wanted, but it was the mental game of me knowing that he wanted to keep the same gap on me while making me work hard to stay away from the 3 riders chasing to catch me. Now that was fun! And painful! The 2 Chips and Pat finally closed on me just as we reached the cow and goat farms in Elko, so I eased up to save some energy for when they would purposely blow by me. Unfortunately, Pat blew up as they caught me but I joined the 2 Chips and we started working together. One of the Chips still needs to work on his paceline efforts so he 1) doesn't blow up pushing too hard, and 2) puts out enough effort to pass the person pulling off the front. He's getting better, but right now its pretty fustrating riding behind him in a paceline. He'll get there, however, I'm sure.

When we made it halfway through the Gilbert loop, I was getting tired but not willing to give up the chase. Eddie finally decided he was tired of riding solo and mercifully let us join him before hitting Elko road again. One of the Chips dropped off to ride home in Perry, so it was just Eddie and Chip with me on the way in. Eddie wanted to catch a few people in front of us, so we started rotating 30 seconds on the front. The last person Eddie wanted to catch was Flipper, and I was given the order to lead the way. Now THAT hurt!! Flipper apparently knew we wanted to catch him, but I managed to put down a 26mph chase effort and finally caught him about 1/2 mile later. And, at that time I sat up and just spun my legs the remaining 3.5 miles back to the parking lot.

I finished with a 21.3 mph average, and even though some of that was rotating with others I felt this was the hardest effort I've put out since knee surgery. Damn did it feel good!! Eddie said it was a great ride and enjoyed himself. He'll be back next week, and the games will be played again for sure.

I've missed the completely exhausted feeling I get after putting out everything I have on a ride. I couldn't even stay up to eat supper. I don't even remember my head hitting the pillow.......

Hot......Wet......& Sticky

2007-09-04T16:35:00.001-04:00

Just how hot did it feel at the 13 Hours of Santos race this past weekend?

That's all I got to say 'bout that.

It was a great weekend to be among friends doing what we love to do. We kicked the rooster in the ass Saturday morning, picked up Flipper, met Dave and Carrie along the way to I-75, and headed south to Cordelle for some Cracker Barrel grub. Shortly after arrival at the Barrel, BK, John, Brett and Donna, Mark, Ronnie, and Nancy joined us.

After filling our bellies, we began the long 4-hour journey to Belleville, Fla. and Santos Trails. Traffic wasn't too bad and we made pretty good time. After arriving and setting up the trailer, we headed out for a group recon of the course.

During the ride, we find out the greatest news of the day: John Brown is not part of the course.

I was very happy to learn that tid-bit since I fell nearly 10 times last year on that short 1/2 mile of hell. After the 3-S turn, we enjoyed a lasagna dinner and I set up the laptop, projector, and screen for everyone to watch "Roam." I think it was a cool movie even though its mostly down-hill bikers and trials riding.

Race day came early and I was feeling very tense for no apparent reason. I wasn't worried about racing, the heat, or anything in particular, but for some reason my anxiety level was through the roof. I finally relaxed Monday night after returning home. For race day, however, it was great to have some awesome people around to make for a fun event.

BK and Dave kicking back before the fury.

Mark and Ronnie figuring out camera wiring. Guess which one is the engineer.

Le Mans starts are always fun if you don't run well.

Mother Nature worked up a wonderful liquid sunshine display with all the lights and sounds to accompany the extravaganza, and wouldn't you know it that Diana and Nancy would be out on the trail during the show collecting soil samples.

Nancy always smiles when she's riding.

Diana made sure a blood sacrifice was made to appease the cycling gods at Santos. She looks a little pissed about it too.

Not to be left out, Flipper decided to try and save the forest from the lightening on-slaught and hugged a tree to keep it from being scared during such trying times. He seems happy about his new ear piercing.....and I'm glad to announce he is doing very well since foot surgery a few short weeks ago.

The race was called after several inches of rain, a few trees were reported down on the trail, and lots of lightening making the area seem like a polaroid convention. Everyone cleaned up, showered, and decided to go hunt red meat for super.

The trip back was uneventful except the 30+ law enforcement we spotted along the way. We grabbed some java in Tifton to stay awake, and eased back into town to end a wonderful weekend.

It was a great weekend to be among friends doing what we love to do most. A great weekend indeed...

Hurry Up! Throw Up!

2007-08-30T11:45:00.000-04:00

This past weekend's Auto-Cross event was not one worthy of remembering. Diana, John, BK, and I went to Cordelle to race in the heat and it was another edition of FUBAR as far as the "organization" of the event went. If Drunken Master was performing a fire drill, it would be WAY more organized than this event. We finally began racing around 1pm, it was hot as hell, and we had one person lose control of his new RX-8 and crash into a parked race car which caused a 45 minute delay in racing. Stupid is as stupid does and I think this guy just thought he could steer out of the situation. Whoops!

On a brighter note, Diana is getting much better and aggressive behind the wheel. She finally spun the car in a fast section and did right to put both feet in and let the car slide to a stop. Eventually she'll learn to feather her way through those situations and get much faster.

Oh, we won't be back to Cordelle anytime soon unless they get their sh#* bunched-up.

Lately I've been having good days and bad days, make that really bad days, on the bike with Tuesday's ride being on the negative side. And, rumor is that "a girl's pull at the front of the group" made me toss my cookies. Well, I tossed my cookies alright and it wouldn't have mattered who was up front. I think what the other riders should be happy about is that I wasn't on the front when it happened. Not sure why it happened, but it is the first time I have not been able to complete a bike ride.

"Funny, I don't remember eating Tofu........"

Santos is this coming weekend and I'm getting pumped up anticipating a fun weekend with friends mountain biking. Some 17+ riders from central Georgia are making the journey this weekend and will be competing against each other and whomever else is unlucky enough to be in the same classification. I plan to ride a bit, help support anyone from our group that wants it, and maybe drink a beer or twelve....... Hopefully, I won't be doing any cookie-tossing.

Beyond the Outer Limits

2007-08-25T19:22:00.000-04:00

If you don't push yourself once in a while, you'll never get better. Finding the outer limit of your fitness level is an endeavor that can be difficult to endure unless you have a strong riding partner, or partners, to help you through it. I found my limit on Saturday's ride and was lucky enough to have BK with me to pull me back to the truck for the last 8 miles.

I'd planned an 80+ mile ride starting at 7am to beat the heat, but for the second weekend in a row I've broken a valve core on a tube when inflating the tires. That set the start back until almost 7:30, and since it was just BK and I we decided to do the 65 mile loop instead and push the pace a bit. Well, we pushed it alright. Last week's ride averaged 19.8 but took nearly4.5 hours due to a flat tire and a long store stop, but the group started with nearly 11 people. That makes of a nice day of saving energy while in the pack of riders. With only 2 riders, it is definitely a lot harder to keep the pace high while managing energy. We pushed the tempo from the start but I really wasn't feeling like riding until about 20 miles into the ride. It normally takes anywhere from 3-8 miles for me to get comfortably warmed-up, so the acid was building up early in my legs. Once we hit Hwy-329 heading towards Unadilla, it felt like I had no chain. I love that smooth zone when the endorphins are kicking, the cadence is feeling just right, and the cardio is grooving like Otis Redding singing Dock of the Bay. We passed a fairly large group of our regular riders at some cross road on 329. I was pulling hard up a rolling hill, so I wasn't concerned about what road it was. They started with Steve from the Perry Welcome Center at 8am. I honestly don't think a single one was sweating, but I got to say almost all of them were smiling and I love to see that! Social rides are great but Saturday I'm glad it was BK and me. We've done a lot of rides together this year and always seem to work well together.

After the store stop in Unadilla, we hit Elko and the legs were starting to talk to me a bit. But as usual the aching went away after a few miles and it was grooving time again on Klondike. I pushed a bit too hard before we hit Pits and the hills, and I soon paid the piper before reaching Grovania Rd. There was my limit. How long could I stay on the edge and dance on the pedals? I stayed hydrated the entire ride, but it was the extra effort BK and I were doing that started the twitching and burning in my right thigh muscles. I haven't felt this kind of constant aching since riding with the guys in Macon this past winter, and in a sick kind of way I actually like the burn. We were at roughly 53 miles with 11 to go and were avering over 21mph. I didn't want to be the one to sit-up and sure as hell didn't want the burn to end. The legs had different ideas.

Backing down the pace just 2 miles per hour may not seem like much, but today it made the difference between severe cramping and being able to stay on the bike. BK was on the front blocking the wind for me and we trickled back to the PWC at about 20mph. A few others have had to do that for me lately and I hope to re-pay their consideration soon.

One thing is for sure, I feel stronger than ever since surgery and I'm almost back to where I was in March. My endurance is down a bit as far as being able to push hard for more than 3 hours, but its getting better. I will be raring to go come November when the training rides start up again.

I ain't skeered of the dark, just what I can't see...

2007-08-23T17:01:00.000-04:00

The macabre humor of Monte Python episodes kept me smiling on the trails the last few days, and in this heat any "happy thoughts" keep you rolling. The "Thin Mint" episode where the guy explodes was especially relevant. The waiter offers the man a mint after he eats nearly everything not tied down, but the man says he "couldn't eat another bite." The waiter says, "but its just a thin mint." The man agrees, and just as he consumes his mint --> BOOM!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDlSlwqNcmY

Now, consider how hot it is, you're in the woods mountain biking, you're pushing yourself into a slobbering baby immitation with wobble-head as well, your body is ready to revolt from the self-inflicted punishment, and hopefully you get the idea. And, we do this because we love it? It's also a lot less messy when you detonate on a bike.

This past Saturday's ride was outstanding with cooler (slightly) temps., lower humidity, and a great crowd of folks as usual. We did the previous Saturday's route in reverse this time and it seemed to be a lot easier having the hills at the end instead of the beginning. Others may disagree, but it helped keep the group together since it was fairly flat and the pace was not too difficult since the group stayed together until just past Unadilla. Mark "Diesel" Duffus sat on the front of the group as usual pulling like a locomotive for many miles, and we got a little pace-line work in the last 20+ miles with Eddie Hudspeth discussing topics of interest the entire way. I think he has 3 lungs or something. My totals were 64.5 miles at 19.8mph for the ride and that is much better than the bonking display I put on last week. I also went back out to join Diana, Steve, and Deb on their way in on Hwy-41. That gave me another 12.5 miles on the day.

I've been riding at Thomson every evening this week, but Wednesday night was a 1-lap day due to some stomach issues. Apparently, eating Zaxby's hottest sauce on the Cajun Club is not compatible with exercising in 100+ degree temps. Who knew?!

Its pronounced "Doo-moss."

Tuesday night was especially fun since it was the first night-laps I've done since this past winter at Thomson. I got in 2 quick laps before dark, then turned on the lights for a night lap. I felt as if I was pushing a lap time of 24 minutes, which is hauling ass for me, but when I got out of the woods my odometer said 33 minutes. Riding at Thomson is treacherous during the day, but at night it can be fatal. I didn't hit anything (hard), but it was the fact that my focus was very narrow and I was extremely tense on the bike that made me very slow and very tired at the end. Even if you know each root, bush, and sandy turn by heart, it means nothing when you think everything is going smoothly and suddenly the trail goes to the right while you're going left like Bugs and Left Turn At Albuquerque. That'll make the pucker factor increase exponentially. Plus, I was riding alone, at Thomson Trails..........at night.

Again, Its pronounced "Doo-moss."

The legs are coming around like I expected, but this heat is literally hell on my cardio. I won't be caught up to pre-surgery fitness level by Santos, but that's ok. I plan to ride as much as I want, stay hydrated like a water-buffalo, help support the other 16+ riders from our area that will be racing as well, and enjoy the weekend among friends. I might even see the occassional "Expert Rider!!" (what a dumb-ass) fly by me on the trail. I hope that guy stays away from Mark this year.

The coyote buys from Acme

2007-08-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

That damn Road Runner is elusive as ever! Ole Wil-E Coyote goes out, gets a Super-Stretch rubber band from Acme, straps it up, and launches in an effort to catch Road Runner. Alas, the poor bastard goes too fast, misses his opportunity, and crashes miserably into the rut of life he is accustomed to. That is how I feel of late since I'm lacking motivation to do anything.

I've gotten behind on a few things recently so I've had to catch another gear. Like the Coyote, I build up a fierce determination, go rushing headlong trying to attain my goals, but in my haste I overlook a few important details and miss some excellent opportunities. When I do slow down, I crash back into the Ruts of Acedia. The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth, so I guess its shit or get off the pot time.

Catching up a bit...

Since my last post, I've only ridden a few times and the heat has been the biggest enemy since I need to regain some cardio as well as endurance. Not happening in 100+ temps! We did have a great ride this past Saturday, however, and yes the heat got to me at the end. The fact that I ate rare prime rib the night before and it didn't get fully digested didn't help matters. My body was busy with that beef and wasn't too concerned that my muscles were screaming for water and nutrients.

Class, today's word is BONK. Can you say "BONK"?
B-brutal
O-over exersion
N-not gonna make it
K-kill me please, so the suffering will end

For last Saturday's ride, I chose a route of some familiar roads as well as a few new ones that would give us roughly 65 miles and a hair over 3,400 ft. total of climbing. I'm not sure if it was the heat, but several of our regular riders were not keeping up with the 18 mph pace we were doing on the flats. We weren't hauling-the-mail so it puzzled me as to why they couldn't stay in the pack. These particular riders can easily do a 19mph average over similar distances and tougher climbs. Mark and I would be talking while we were climbing the small hills of the gently rolling farmland roads, but when we'd glance back the rest of the pack would be several hundred yards back and struggling to catch up. Like Mark stated, "steady pace means different things to different riders." Mark is 100% on that, and it is the same story with our group: a few of the strong riders will be on the front, in the wind, putting down a steady but fairly moderate pace that all can handle, but when one person in the pack slows the rest are either too lazy to come around and take up the pace making to help that weaker rider or they pass by the ones struggling in an effort to catch the leaders. Either way, people only want to "wheel suck" others and then blow the pack away at the end. In racing, that will work once but you'll earn an asshole status quickly just like you do in our group rides. Training rides on Tuesday and Thursday are different because everyone knows that we're going to keep the group together until we reach a certain point and then the attacks begin, and everyone becomes pirates.

At the start of tomorrow's ride, I plan to discuss the particulars on pace line etiquette as well as what we should be doing on our Saturday and Sunday group rides to help each other keep pace. These are not training rides, or hammerfests, but we ride to get a good workout and enjoy the company of other riders. Anyone wanting to piddle along should announce such intentions at the beginning of the ride so we don't waste time waiting unnecessarily. I think that's fair.

I attended an avionics training course in New York this week at CES Laboratories. It was more intense than I expected....way more intense! It was also a very humbling experience for me since I thought I had a good grip on avionics systems. Well, I used to have a decent grip on the fundamentals apparently and this course was motivation for me to study up regularly to keep sharp. Reading binary codes when troubleshooting modern avionics systems will put a hurtin' on the gray matter for sure. My instructor, who is an Electrical Engineer, was able to do the "cut-off frequency" formula in his head, while poor me took 10+ minutes to work it out on paper (without a calculator of course). Scary stuff to see someone that good do it not once but five times with me picking the inductors and capacitors at random. I would build the circuit, find the voltages and frequency using an ocilliscope, and then do the math to confirm the frequency reading. Perry, my instructor, would simply ask what components I would be utilizing, think for less than 10 seconds, write something on a piece of paper, flip the paper over so I couldn't read it, and he'd walk away while I began building the circuits. After 20 minutes of working to build, test, and confirm my readings working the formula out, Perry and I would discuss what I did. He would then ask me to flip the paper over to reveal the same answer I worked so hard to achieve. Damn this guy is smart! Got to be magic or something............

Tonight, Diana and I will be going to a local campsite to set up the new camper as a dry run before Santos. We hope to get the routine down, make notes of what is needed and wanted, and see what kind of time we need to do specific items. I'm building a couple of pre, during, and post camp checklists to ensure we don't do something stupid. Well, at least not dangerous. Its me afterall and I put the "A" in accident prone!

Riding in "The Bonk"

2007-08-03T10:20:00.000-04:00

There's no fine line between using the correct eating habits and training hard. It's a self-imposed divided highway for me at the moment. I'm doing everything wrong in order to do some things right. Confused I may seem, but it works for me and my body's chemistry.

I want to get my weight down to 160 lbs before January and that is 27 lbs away as of last Thursday morning. Gone are the beer, salsa and chips snacking in the evenings. The rigid diet I used last year to lose 18 lbs in 3 months is back, but with a slight modification: I'm riding in "The Bonk" every afternoon on our training rides and trail rides at Thomson instead of fueling up prior to riding. I do, however, hydrate with H2O hours before. Know that draining, cold chill, stomach wanting to turn over empty feeling that is your body saying, "feed me now or I'll start eating the meat off 'ya backbone!" ?? That is what I'm feeling from 3pm until I get home and eat a cup of fruit for supper. Throw in a 40 mile training ride with some very fast riders in our club and you've got 2 hours of the worst suffering a cyclists can experience. But it makes your body dig into that Done-lap, Dicky-Do, Spare Tire, Swimming Floaty, Table Muscle, Shed for The Tool fat storage that is so damn hard to rid yourself of.

I knew that last night would be rougher than most since all I've had to eat the last couple of days was cereal, a little yogurt, and morning coffee.

"All I had for breakfast was a bagel.................and a grape!!"

Sure enough after the long climb up Hayneville, I ease up a bit to wait on a few riders, got stuck behind a truck, and couldn't ride myself back to the group that had 200 yards on me up the road. They really turned it on as I was attempting to catch, but they didn't know that. Or, maybe they did. It goes without saying that if a group is running 25mph and you're trying to catch running all out at 27 it just ain't gonna happen since a group is more aerodynamically efficient spending less energy for the same speed. After chasing for 5 miles and watching them slip over the horizon, it put a huge damper on my efforts and I did what I've been trying not to do: I sat up. Still determined to ride the entire route, I kept a comfortable pace around 21 and was happy to see after a few more miles that a group was along side the road fixing a flat. Not happy about the flat mind you ~ just happy to have a group to draft off.

I felt bad that I could for one not keep up at the pace these guys were setting, but also that I could not pull worth a plug nickel to do my share. My self induced suffering is gonna piss these guys off pretty soon since they are used to me doing my share, but also pushing them sometimes at a higher pace. So, I'm probably gonna do some solo work from here on out. Not to be un-social, but to toughen up mentally and physically by not relying on others to draft off. Also, I plan to leave a half-hour earlier to get some more miles in each ride.

Ride a little, do a little trail maintenance

2007-08-02T11:43:00.000-04:00

Tuesday night's ride was uneventful except for the fact our entire group dropped a rider early and no-one seemed to see that she was no longer with the pack ~ myself included. Two of us turned back a few miles later when we realized she had been dropped, but by then she'd already taken a different route solo. I'm planning to make a concerted effort to keep our packs either together in respect to paces being set or ensure that no-one is dropped or riding alone even if it means giving up my own training ride.

Everyone seems to be in survival mode this year rather than looking out for one another, and I have to accept partial responsibility for that mode of cycling. I've been going 70-85% since March due to my knee problems. They have, however, caught up speed wise due no doubt to each one's natural progression and my inability to ride at a higher training level to keep the fitness level I gained over the winter. Since my surgery to fix the knee, I have been relatively pain free except for some moderate stiffness and soreness after riding. That should go away by November when I'll really pick up the effort. Until then, it is just ride and enjoy myself at the upcoming races at Santos and Dauset, and perhaps do 3-GAP this year again if I'm able. I can do it, but it won't be any fun this year since I'll struggle up the easiest climbs and possibly bonk on the harder switchbacks of Wolf Pen.

Yesterday was the monthly OMBA meeting at Thomson after the ride. I chose to do some trail maintenance instead of riding since the trail has gotten very sandy in spots and only a few of us have done anything to maintain riding conditions over the past few months. Dan's Bastard and the loop past the Spider Web is now clean in the turns, and I hope to get a ride in before the next storms change that.

The "SS" Pyramid building crew:

My "diet" is not going so well this year and not even relevant the last few weeks. Beer, salsa and chips, pizza, and Mexican dishes have been the daily regimen instead of the strict cereal, boneless/skinless chicken breast, yogurt, fruit for supper, and water to drink daily ritual. Instead of burning 3K-5K calories on the weekend rides, I'm consuming that much each day it seems. My weight is now up to 183 and fluctuating according to how much beer I consume and exercise I do. My plan is to ride fairly hard tonight and keep up with the Wolfpack, rest tomorrow, and then do the Rolling to Roberta ride Saturday morning. Sunday is the Pigtrail race that I'm only course marshalling and not riding, so no riding then either. I have to ride 6 days a week from now until Santos or I'll suffer like last year again and take 3 weeks to recover.

"I just don't have the power Captain!!" Scottie would say.

2007-07-31T12:30:00.000-04:00

Wanting to take it easy and actually following that desire is difficult when you're a cyclists. Monday night rides at Thomson Trails can be easy or the extreme and there's not much in between. If you take it "easy", you might as well be sweating in the parking lot drinking a cold beer for all the easy riding you're actually doing. Having lost a significant amount of my aerobic capacity since knee surgery, I really need to be pushing it hard on mtb and road rides if I stand a snowball's chance in hell of actually doing well at Santos Labor Day weekend. Lacking some self discipline for sure...........

Jesse, aka Flipper, said he was going to do an easy lap since no-one wanted to ride hard and I agreed that it would be cool with me. Did I mention how fast Jesse has gotten of late? The dude can haul ass!! I'm sure he's not punishing me on purpose, well..........maybe, but it was difficult to stay on his wheel last night. Couple that with a front deraileur that I adjusted the wrong way and it makes for some real pain on the trail. After having my chain drop twice, having to chase back on even harder to catch Jesse, and then having the chain come off a third time really had my blood pressure and temper off the chain. I was suffering, which makes you pissed about everything including the atmosphere not having enough oxygen to make the pain go away, and the chain problem was the straw I could no longer bear. Cussing was hear across the valley. I nearly threw my bike against a tree. Two year olds have nothing on a man touching 40 years when it comes to tantrums.
But...................I have no-one to blame but me and the truck was only a short 5 minute ride out of the woods. Excuses, excuses, etc. etc. Suck it up, and toughen the F%#K up!!!

Hello. My name is Shane, and I'm a whiner.

We all gathered after the ride for pizza, a cold brew, and great conversation as usual. We also decided on our team name for the 13 Hours of Santos: in honor of Jesse, our good friend, fellow rider, cancer survivor, and cycling aerobatic extraordinaire ~ TEAM FLIPPER.

Speed Racer

2007-07-30T12:20:00.000-04:00

Just how fast can you drive a car on a course nearly .6 of a mile without hitting the route marker cones, without spinning out, and without deviating from the course? That's what Diana and I and several friends from the Warner Robins area found out yesterday at an Auto-Cross event held at Cecil, Ga.

It was my 3rd time racing an auto-x event, but it was the wife's first. Reluctant was the key word for Diana as she drove Miss Daisy around the course the first time out. I feared she would be caught by the car behind her and she nearly was. But, she improved as the day went on and began to get a tad more relaxed but agressive behind the wheel. For someone who has never been to an event it is simple: a specific route is laid out with orange cones on a closed course like a parking lot; you drive around the course without deviating from the course and without knocking down any cones; and you're timed. If you go off course or miss a gate, you get a DNF. If you knock down a cone or hit it hard enough to move it from its chalked spot, your time gets 2 seconds per cone added to your overall time. Simple, yes?

There are a multitude of cars, some are distant (very distant) relatives to "cars" and the goal is to do the best time you can in your class. There's no better way I know of aside from spending thousands of dollars to attend an accrediated, professional race driving school to gain experience driving at the limits of you and your vehicle. Since Diana wanted and got a Miata MazdaSpeed, I wanted her to either attend a school or race auto-x events. Yesterday was her first time pushing the limits, and I can't explain how happy it makes me to see she enjoyed herself immensely and is looking forward to the next event. The great thing was that several women were also there driving the same vehicle as their husbands, and actually beating them, so Diana was able to get to know them and get encouragement from them.

The only people in my class were Diana and BK. BK is one helluva driver and we also bike together. His Miata doesn't have a turbo like Diana's, but he more than makes up for it with skill. He did push a little too hard yesterday and came through the timing lights ass first, knocking a few cones into the air as well as the timing light reflector, on one pass but it made for a great battle between he and I the entire day. BK posted a faster time than me each time out and I had to push extremely hard to match or beat him by a hundreth of a second each time. I had to go all out and put down a good time or BK would win the day. It also took me the entire day to figure out the course so I could shift correctly for max speed. My final run of the day felt good and I took a second off my best time. BK pushed very hard trying to match my time but fell short by a few hundreths of a second. He was disappointed, but I would have enjoyed the day either way, win or lose, because we were there with friends enjoying the day. Yeah, we were competing, but we were also spending the day enjoying a common interest.

I consider myself to be blessed to have such a wonderful wife, companion, and dearest friend accompanying me through life. I've had many hobbies and took up many different sports in the last 16 years we've been together, and she has not only supported me throughout the years but also joined me by participating. At first I thought it was my passion for whatever I was doing that helped her jump in to join me, but it is much bigger than that. Along with whatever I got into, there has always been a group of people that made it fun to be part of and it makes life richer to pass time with them all. Diana and I enjoy our time spent on common interests, but it is the friends we make and have with us throughout our lives that make it worth doing.

Sufferin', sufferin', sufferin'.....keep them legs-a-sufferin'

2007-07-27T08:38:00.000-04:00

Our Thursday Central Georgia Cyclists club rides are anything but club rides in the Hammer-Head group. Yeah, our club members make up the majority of the riders, but the effort required to keep up with the fast group is anything but what you'd expect to be considered part of a club event. It's a sufferfest. And, I love it!

Last night was the first night since knee surgery that I was able to really push my legs into that glowing hot-poker zone of suffering I've craved for months. 5 weeks and 1 day after going under the knife I didn't really know what to expect from my fitness, but I needed to test my knee to see if all the easy riding I've been doing has helped the healing process. It didn't take long to find out my lungs just couldn't deliver enough oxygen to put out the fires that burned in every fiber of muscle and all I wanted to do was keep stoking the flames. Hello. My name is Shane, and I'm a cycle-holic. I got dropped a couple times early on and was able to fight my way back to the end of the group. At one point, through the blur of stinging sweat and narrowed vision I realized that I was wheel-sucking one of the women in our group and I could only laugh as body and ego skirmished to sort out the situation.

Ego: Get your ass back to the front and pull damn you!! You're starting to blend-in back here, so either get a purse to match your pansy-ass efforts or show them you've got a set!

Body: Screw this! There's cold beer in the truck, and it's DOWNHILL gettin' there!

Halfway through this lovely session of pain and agony the realization set in that there were two choices: 1) sit-up 2) dig deeper. I chose #2. The Wolf Pack, BK, Colin, Eddie, and the two Chips, waited on me several times but even then I felt that it was all I had in me to catch up to them. There was more than one surprised look when they saw a frothing-at-the-mouth, sweat bursting from every pore, oxygen starved rider that no longer resembled the cyclist they once knew come up to the back of the pack. Death was upon me for sure, squeezing my lungs, shoving hot needles into my calf and thigh muscles, telling me to just give up, just give in.......... the crossroads.

To say that camaraderie among those that share an experience can lift you up and give you strength to carry on might be cliche, but unless you feel it you'll never know or have the right to judge. I had nothing left in me, an empty shell, left wanting.... But, being back in "the pack" gave me energy to keep trying. The looks I saw told me that each knew I was going through my own personal hell, and it wasn't going to get any easier. This is what we do. What we live for. What we love so much.

The ride ended last night at just under 40 miles and I averaged around 20.8mph, but my HR average was close to 168. At 37, my anaerobic threshold is 184 with a max HR of 202, so I was in the red for a while last night. This morning, I'm quite surprised to find that my legs feel great with very little stiffness in my knee, but my lungs are a tad achy as expected.

Compared to the best I've done solo on this same route before my knee injury this past March, last night is nearly disgraceful. I wanted to see how far I'd come since training with the guys in Macon and managed 25.7 for 38.4 miles with no serious winds to push me either way earlier this year on a March morning. The winter training rides had pushed my ability way beyond what I thought capable since most of those rides were averaging 20+ at 60-100 miles with LOTS of climbing. Can't wait 'til November..............

The other side of life....

2007-07-26T09:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was our monthly "Social at Thomson Trails" and it was a great time with some awesome people once again. We did have to help one of our members, Kat, get up from the trail when she went over the bar on a downhill. She'll be very stiff this morning, Kat was already that way immediately after her fall, but I'm sure she'll be blazing the trails again in a few days. Kat did earn her inclusion into the "Team Flipper" club and got the official stem sticker from Flipper himself ~ Jesse. Jesse tends to perform gravity checks at various times on the local trails and has earned that nickname for his efforts. Through Flipper's scientific analysis, we are assured gravity is still functioning at normal parameters in our geographic area. Hooray!!

I remember Don Bill, aka GoFastPops http://gofastpops.blogspot.com/, inviting my wife and I to come out to the trails to check out mountain biking. Don affectionately referred to MTB as "The Dark Side" since it is the difference of night and day compared to road biking. I agree. I'm guilty of the same mentality of clipping in to my Madone, looking around at the other cyclists to see who is gonna be my "wind-bitch" to draft behind, and also calculate how and when I want to attack during the ride. If I were discussing an actual race here, it would be acceptable somewhat. But, for club rides it is a testosterone/pissing contest that ends when we un-clip from our bikes and there is no so called social aspect to hammering all the time. At the trails, it is a much different story. Very social people before, during, and after the rides. After the ride, we compare our battle wounds from the ride that day and usually toast our survival with various adult beverages consisting of malt, barely, hops which are not associated with the Southern standard of Budweiser and its horse piss siblings. Great people, great brew, and great food can only result in great times had by all.

The current situation in the Tour-DAY-France makes my stomach turn seeing the cheats and dopers get sent home due to positive tests or the simple insinuation from sour grapes. Life is such, but it won't make me love my sport any less. It makes it hard to get motorists to respect our position on the highways, however, and I hope the future is much brighter for cycling.

Training, Trek'ing, and Tracking

2007-07-25T09:50:00.000-04:00

What a long strange trip its been........

August 15 will be the 3 year mark since I got off my rear and started cycling again. I can say it was part Tour-DAY-France (thanks Bobke) inspired and part 225+ pounds of couch crushing ass that motivated me to do something besides increase my territory of our king-sized bed. No, I had no visions of grandeur about how far cycling would take me but I needed activity to keep the Jenny Craig commercials from looking better and better. The wife agreed that cycling would be good for me (just how fat have I gotten? I'm thinking) and we headed off to The Bike Store to find out what the cycling world had to offer. That is where we met Bill Staudt, owner of The Bike Store in the Centerville/Warner Robins area as well as Macon.

Bill helped me find a bike, the proper clothing, safety gear, and shoes to make future cycling adventures a true depletion of my checking account. Bill told me about a few local "rides", yeah ~ I now know them as sufferfest, and invited me to join the group that week. Saying "sure, I'll join you" and seeing the glint of a wolf in sheep's clothing in Bill's eyes should have been the first warning to stay away, far away. Needless to say, my first ride was 36.5 miles in the middle of August with a group that was in peak form that late in the year. It hurt so bad that the lingering pain just went away a few days ago!

There were two things that happened on this first ride that inspire my riding to this day: 1) as much as it hurt me, I felt the addictive grip of cycling that I last experienced 15 years before when I gave up riding. If you're an avid cyclists, you know that euphoria of pain and pleasure, suffering and exhiliration, deep running pangs of exhaustion but the desire to push harder even when every fiber in you body and soul scream for relief......... that addictive feeling that only cycling gives. Sick? Not at all; 2) the group waited on me. Patiently, encouragingly, attentively they waited. Did they get pleasure from seeing my ashen face, the sweat burning my eyes, hearing my lungs scream for oxygen, watching the swimming head and swaying body of someone nauseated beyond the help of Dramamine and not able to drink liquids and perhaps stave off the feeling of death that consumed my body and mind? You bet your ass they did!! And, I thanked them at the top of every hill when I caught up and at the end of the ride. Afterall, each was sacrificing his/her own training to make me feel welcome. Or, was it entertaining for them?

Bill and the others kept pushing me, encouraging me on every ride after that. I watched the fast guys, aka HammerHeads, scream by and away from me each ride. But, I kept riding as hard as I could. Every ride I was able to hang on a little longer before getting dropped. Along the way, I also got to know the other riders in our group, and yes, I was a wheel-sucking whore and still am some days.

A cyclist once said that "the suffering never ends, you only get faster." Yep. It only gets easier when you give in and no longer want to suffer on climbs, sprints, and those long solo days that build self discipline. I've gotten faster, but the suffering is the same. I've moved up to the HammerHead group in the last 3 years and have lost some weight along the way: down to 178 lbs from 225 lbs but the suffering is the same. The addictive feeling that cycling gives me is stronger than ever as well.

Sitting here watching the Tour-DAY-France has me reflecting on these last 3 years, the thousands of miles I've ridden on the road and on the trails, and especially the friends I've made along the way. I've destroyed and replaced my Madone road bike and sacrificed a lot of flesh when I crashed on the descent off of Woody Gap.

"FORKED"

I've knocked the bark off of trees and wiped trails clean with my body. I've made friends with others who have done the same and they all inspire me to ride every chance I get. After all, its no fun suffering alone and it makes the pain of wrecking a little more tolerable when you've got friends to point and laugh, or perhaps hold pressure to stop the bloodflow!

This last year was the year I wanted to start racing and move up to CAT4 so I can team up with a few friends to be more competitive. But, after a knee injury and resulting surgery I'm looking at getting my fitness back before the winter training rides with the group in Macon and compete next year. We'll see how it goes..............