2012: My 5th Year of Digital Narcissism

A Blast From The Past

2012-01-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

I came across this OLD video from a show we (Diamondback/Perfection On Wheels) did at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, CA, sometime in the early 90's... fun times!

2012!

2012-01-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

Jeez, I guess it's about time for another update... Time does seem to fly, regardless of whether you're having fun or not. But I HAVE been having fun... that's what life is all about, right?

I've been busy, but it's all pretty much with stuff that I've chosen to do. I like my job, and I like the extra projects I take on. Sure, I get stressed at times, but I like the challenges. You're not going to get anywhere in life as a spectator, right?

Aside from work and all that stuff, the lovely wife and I were able to escape up to North Conway for a fun and relaxing weekend. As a life-long snow hater (yes, haters be hating), I've got NO problem heading up to "ski-country" to go hiking. I do empathize with the businesses that rely on that "white powder economy" (not the one from Columbia), but I'm all about the mild winter. READ MORE...

I can't believe I've still been able to get out on the bike so much. I think last year at this time we were piling snow piles on top of snow piles. Maybe mother nature will bitch-slap us in April, but so far, so good. All in all, the trails have been in great shape... Okay, there have been some muddy spots, but overall, rideable! I should clarify... by getting out on the bike, I pretty much mean the cyclocross bike and the mountain bike. I've fallen BACK in love with my freestyle bike, but weather/schedule conflicts have kept me off that bike for a few weeks, and I'm a big sissy on the road bike, so that's up in front of the TV by the rollers.

In fact, at this point, the cyclocross bike is disassembled and ready for end-of-season rejuvenation. I had a great season of racing this past year. Not necessarily in terms of actual results, but in fun. I love cyclocross racing. I did come in 4th in one of my races, NE Velo Cross in New Hampshire. In fact, I was leading for a little while, but that was bound to end at some point. I did well there partly because of the smallish field of racers but also because the course had a BMX section. Booya!

If you're so inclined (i.e. bored, trying to waste time on the Interwebs), you can read more about the racing scene over on the team's Web site:

Anyway, with the 'cross season over, I'm already looking at mountain bike races and, of course, thinking about the upcoming cyclocross season. It's a sickness.

I made it through the holidays with only minor elevations in my baseline stress levels. As is my annual holiday tradition, I was working on Christmas. Christmas eve too. Someone's got to do it, right? All in all, it's great to take a break from the day to day chaos of modern life and spend time with family. Yep, my mom was up from FL, and I was able to finagle my schedule so even though I worked on the holiday itself, I still had some quality time off.

So what else? As you may have guessed from all of the links to the Focus Group Photography site, I've been trying to take more photos. I post the same photos to my personal photo site, but the Focus Group Photography site is a collaborative project that I'm working on with a few friends. I love seeing the world through other people's eyes, and their work motivates me. I hope you spend a few minutes checking out some of the pics there... You'd think that taking a photo per day would require minimal time and effort, but my God, sometimes it take herculean effort. More often than not, while I *take* the photo daily, I don't get a chance to post for a few days, so I'll end up posting a few at once. Anyway, it's a journey, and one of growth and learning, right?

I also had a chance to back up to the University of New England to give physician assistant students lectures on concussions, post-concussion syndrome, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophies and mysathenia gravis. I love having a chance to "give back" and work with PA students. I really did have a good experience while in school, so I'm hoping to help my future colleagues have a good experience too. Plus, it's kind of like a stand-up comedy routine, but with diagrams of complex physiological processes. You think it's easy coming up with jokes about voltage gated calcium channels on an axonal terminal bulb? Well, it's not. In fact, I don't have one. If you can think of one, please let me know.

So, I guess that's about it... Work, travel, riding, racing, holidays, lectures, photography... Hmmm, I'll bet that's what 2012 is going to be about too...

2012 is also likely going to be about more political diarrhea, but don't even get me started.

If you can't wait for the next post (and who can), check out @beardedbiker on Twitter. I'm usually good for at least one witty tweet per day.

Ciao for Niao!

Marriage

2011-12-09T04:30:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I'm ordained. Deal with it.

One of the subjects that often seems to divide democrats and republicans is how to handle marriage, especially as is pertains to "gays."

The right wing can be heard screaming that homosexual marriages will ruin the sanctity of marriage. And while, I've personally interpreted marriage to be define the joining of two people who love each other into a committed relationship, apparently, that's not enough. Reading between the lines, others infer that specific genitalia, i.e., the joining of a penis and a vagina, is required to maintain the sanctity. Certainly, while God (?) didn't spell it out, you can't have a loving relationship without the prerequisite genitals.

So okay, maybe they're right. The sanctity of marriage is being threatened. So instead of allowing dirty, heathen, gays to marry, maybe we need to be more strict. Why do religious leaders stop at prohibiting homosexuals from marrying?

Why don't we, instead, make marriage MORE of a commitment.

I say, you're allowed ONE government sanctioned marriage unless a spouse dies. After all, isn't marriage a lifetime commitment?

Could a republican, say, a serial husband like current leader in the polls, Newt Gingrich support such an idea?

What about penalties for adultery?

Could ANY politician support such an idea?

Unless pro-marriage homophobes stand up and argue for stricter marriage rules, I say they are all hippocrates. In an era when media weddings like that crazy TV chick with no appreciable talent (honestly can't remember her name and don't care enough to look it up) can have a multi-million dollar wedding that lasts less than 90 days, and the leading republican presidential candidate is on his third marriage after cheating on the first two wives, the problem is certainly NOT same-sex marriage.

Racing!

2011-12-02T05:58:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's my favorite time of the year (well, at least in terms of the bike racing calendar), cyclocross season!

If you haven't been to our team's Web site (which would beg the question, "why not?"), here are some links to some recent race info:

Only two more 'cross races left on my schedule for this season--already looking forward to next season!

Magazine Madness

2011-11-29T19:48:00.001-08:00

It's no secret, I love bikes. I've got bike "crap" all over the house, and a big portion of that "crap" includes cycling publications. I can be just as happy reading the latest issue of Cyclocross Magazine or Dirt Rag, as I can be leafing through the pages of a Dan's Comp catalog. From Singletracks, to Adventure Cyclist, to my IMBA newsletter, I get plenty of magazines. I love 'em all, but it seems like the one magazine I love to hate is Bicycling.

I can't remember an issue where I didn't have a "WTF are they talking about?" moment.

Like the trashy women's magazines I see at the checkout line at the grocery store, that have the SAME cover lines every month (lose weight, better sex, what men really want, blah, blah, blah), Bicycling seems to do the same thing. Ride 100 miles in one day! Five tips to faster descents! Make your bike lighter now! Spend money on useless crap today! I suspect, most readers don't hang around for too long so Bicycling and rehash the same articles over and over again and every year it's a new audience.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I do NOT subscribe. It comes to me free, I *think* as part of my IMBA membership. And just like I wouldn't turn off a Rick Perry or Michelle Bachmann interview, I read it solely to be annoyed.

Next, what's with all the bikes at or above $5K? Anyone who knows me KNOWS that I'm not afraid to spend money, but WTF? A five or six thousand dollar bike? In my humble opinion, that's absurd. MAYBE at the professional/elite level, but for everyone else, it's a waste. It's a waste of editorial space to have writers come up with new and exciting phrases to describe the esoteric way that the bike thrust forward with every pedal stroke and stuck the road like a lover's embrace. I feel dirty reading some of these reviews and I feel bad for people who think they need that bike. Spend a couple of thousand dollars, at most, maybe three, or Hell, even four IF you REALLY want to spoil yourself (and you can afford it), and you will NOT notice a difference between your bike and the one costing twice as much.

Case in point. The October 2011 issue has a "What Bike Should I Buy" segment where a 51 year old woman "caught the racing bug" and wants a carbon cyclocross frame "for a competitive advantage" this season. Her budget? $4000. Really? How about training for a competitive advantage? Can she mount/dismount at speed? Ride through sand? Through mud? WTF? Oh, and not to burst the bubble, but:

a.) every other Cat 4 racer is on a $4000 carbon bike anyway, so no competitive advantage, and
b.) In a recent CX race, I beat more than half the men's masters 35+ field on an Access (Performance house brand, i.e. "bargain") MOUNTAIN BIKE with platform pedals. I'm sure there was some newbie at the back of that pack, on a bike that costs more than my car, who can't go around a corner without falling. A carbon frame isn't going to be a "competitive advantage." And likewise, regardless of what I was riding, countless other racers could probably crush me on a tricycle.

Again, this is my opinion (well, it IS my blog), but it's insane to spend that amount of money for a racing bike unless you're up in Cat 1 or the elite level, and at that point, someone should be giving them to you.

Here are some examples from some issues that haven't been recycled yet:

The June 2011 issue features some mountain bikes in a segment called "Trail Kings." And those bikes are:

Cannondale Jekyll Ultimate: $8,000
Orange Five Pro: $1,870 (frame only)
Giant Trance X1: $3,850
Trek Remedy 9.8: $5,459
Yeti 575: $1,900 (frame, complete bike $2,900-$5,500)
Turner 5.Spot: $2,550 (frame, complete bike $4,600-$8,000)
Santa Cruz Heckler: $1,1815 (aha! while this seems like a reasonable price for a great bike, the magazine does note that Santa Cruz offers build kits "all the way up to $4,650 for an XTR equipped model.")
And, in addition to the bikes, there are two "Also Get" items worth noting, the Enve Composites Twenty9 XC rims ($2,500), and the Easton Haven Carbon wheels ($2,300), you know, to upgrade your Orange or Santa Cruz...

The November 2011 issue features the following bikes:

Wilier Triestina Zero.7: $11,999
Cannondale SuperSix Evo SRAM Red: $5,500
BH Ultralight 386: $8,599
Specialized S-Works Amira SL4: $8,000
Cervelo S5 Team: $3,800 (frame, $6,000 as tested)
Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp Carbon 29er: $4,100
Perhaps the editors felt a bit guilty about all of these over-priced bikes because there IS an "Affordable Upgrade" mentioned with a complete sentence on the Trek Madone 4.2(?). They couldn't be bothered to give this cheap bike any more print coverage though, and instead, you are given a URL, which takes you to the Trek Madone 4.7 ($3,049.99 according to Trek's Web site).

The December 2011 issue's main headline is "Dream Bikes," so you know it's going to make these previously reviewed cheap bikes seem like heavy, flexy, lumps that do NOT absorb road harshness, nor allow you to effortlessly crest steep climbs.

Ira Ryan: $2,550 (frame and fork)
Gaulzetti Corsa: $2,800 (frame, fork AND headset)
Bishop Custom Road Bike: $4,500 (frame and fork)
Seven Axiom SL: $4,040 (frame and fork)
Form Cycles Revel Stainless: $4,468 (frame and fork)
K. Bedford Customs Tenkara: $5,500 (frame and fork)
Also, in the same issue, there's a segment on commuter bikes. And while I suspect most people can certainly get by on any decent bike (durable components, fenders, etc), if you want (need) to spend $4,895 on a commuter, Bicycling will show you how.
Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL4 Di2: $11,000

It's not only the pricey bikes that drive me nuts...

In that same issue with the newbie 'cross racer and the $4k budget, there's a "helpful" illustration letting you (and you know who you are), that you should NOT wear arm warmers with a sleeveless jersey, nor should you let them slip below the cuff of of the short sleeve. Really? If you're rocking arm warmers and a tank top, your problems probably run pretty deep... OR, that's what you've got it and it's working for you. To be honest, the illustration makes me WANT to wear arm warmers with my sleeveless jersey, but not, of course, in a road "event" because, in those, you must have short sleeves at least.

In another recent article, which overall I enjoyed, Campagnolo's struggle remain a viable component provider was discussed. In the article, the writer frequently cites how Lance Armstrong won 7 Tours de France on Shimano gear and then two more were won on SRAM components, as if this is what determines what the best component group is. Seriously? Okay, if the readers of Bicycling are serious TdF contenders, maybe that would be relevant, but for everyone else, not so much. And because Lance won on all those tours on Trek bikes, does that also mean that Trek bikes are the best? Why isn't there another article asking why other frame manufacturers are even trying?

Every once in a while, I do find an enjoyable article. I thought the Urban Legend piece (June, 2011, by John Bryant) was great. I'd link to it, but if you go to the Bicycling site, and enter the title of the article (Urban Legend) into the search box, you get a link to urban and commuter clothing. I guess the story about an inner city cycling team wasn't schilling enough consumer goods.

Okay, I'm done ranting. I've got to get to work so I can start saving for the my next bike... I'm hoping for a hand-made custom carbon singlespeed with Gates belt drive, customized SSDi2 and an entirely new BB standard. Shouldn't be too long...

Florida... it's still there.

2011-11-23T10:34:00.001-08:00

I took a quick trip down to Orlando to check some things out.

First, I had to check on my mom. She's still alive. Check.

Next, I had to check on her house. It needed a little bit of work and I was able to take on a few of the more minor issues. I trimmed and cleaned out the front year and put down about 15 bags of mulch. I also replaced a shower head, fixed a loose board on the fence, changed some lightbulbs that were too high up for mom to reach safely, replaced the front door knob and lock, patched some cement, replaced some tension wires that support the giant screen over the pool and generally made critical comments on various parts of the house. I AM good at critical comments.

I also had to check out the road riding. My mom lives in the western part of Orlando, somewhat near Universal Studios. I lived in the same area in the early 90's, a time when I first start riding bikes for fitness, and not just freestyle. Anyway, I was new to road riding, and the roads in the area were awesome. Flat admittedly, but smooth, and pretty empty. I'd ride through farmland and orange groves and sometimes the smell of the orange blossoms would be amazing. Well, fast forward through about 15yrs of seemingly unrestricted sprawl and over development and those same rural roads are now 4 to 6 lanes wide with no shoulder for cyclists. Some of the roads just plain sucked and I had to ride on the sidewalk. It's a good thing that there has been so much growth, with the housing market in the tank, there's no shortage of new homes being built to further drive prices down, and the area really needs more cul-de-sac communities with no alternative transportation options so that the residents can get to the nearest strip mall (not far). Yep, there are strip malls with tanning salons. It really seems like an alternate reality and I might even say dystopia.

Within 1hr of my arrival,
my mother locked her keys in the car
with it still running...

Another problem with the riding in the area is that there's been a new 3-foot rule passed, requiring drivers to pass with 3 feet between the car and the biker. In concept, that's great, but on some of the road that retained their rural appeal, the roads are so narrow that there's not enough room for two lanes of traffic and a cyclist with 3ft to spare. Fortunately, these roads had speed limits of 30-35mph, so I wasn't impeding traffic too much, but it's certainly not relaxing to have an impatient line of traffic building up behind you. I never realized how narrow these roads were...

Anyway, I did get two good 20-mile rides in, which was still much better than that same amount of time on the rollers or trainer. Although, I could have done without the glass shards (which I could have avoided if I had felt safe on the road).

That was about it.... check in on mom, do some stuff around the house, get a little bit of riding in, and next thing I knew, it was time to go home. I did get to catch up a bit with some of my FL friends, and it's always good to see Ric and Kevin. Maybe next time I'll see some of my other homies (yes, at 42, I still call my friends "homies").

I'm actually writing this IN the Orlando airport (MCO). Due to the cloudy weather in Boston, my flight has been delayed and I'd be pulling my hair out if it weren't for my wireless hotspot... Thanks Droid!

From the Orlando Sentinel...

Don't tell Luna or Gary, but I was playing Sierra to get some doggie kisses...

It was such a nice ride until...

2011-11-22T15:41:00.001-08:00

Time Flies...

2011-11-11T18:49:00.001-08:00

WTF. Really? No blog post since September? Shame on me. You know, of course, you can get nearly daily blatherings by following me on Twitter (I'm @BeardedBiker). But that's only 140 characters, and if you know me, you know I can talk WAY more than that.

So let's see, where did I last leave off? I had just come back from a few days down on the Cape with that lovely wife of mine and the in-laws. Good times.

When I got back, I was essentially punished for taking time off by working lots and lots of shifts.

I was also trying to immerse myself into the cyclocross season which is the only reason I actually look forward to the end of summer and the beginning of fall.

Before heading down to the Cape, I raced in the Quad Cross race. It was super fun and a great season opener, but I got a flat, setting the stage for many mechanical issues for me thus far this season. I flatted in the next race too, Sucker Brook. If you add to the that the flat tires I had on my BMX bike and my road bike, you can imagine that I was getting a little frustrated (first world problems, I know). I got my tires squared away with some new Michelins in time for one of the biggest races in New England, the GP Gloucester which spans the first weekend of October each year. On Saturday I had a good race (video or photos), but on Sunday (video or photos) a different mechanical issue reared it's ugly head. My chain guard, which is supposed to keep my chain ON my bike, actually allowed the chain to pop off and thus prevented me from getting it back on. Eventually, I was able to get the chain back on, but it was a struggle, and I was a the absolute back of the race once I got back in the game. Oh well, I wasn't going to win anyway, and it was fun to work my way up as far as I could. In case you're wondering, yes, this did happen to me before, and I have since replaced said chain guard with an e13 chainguard that looks fool proof. And, right after Gloucester's weekend of racing, the Wednesday night Night Weasel (video or photos) race was on. This is a super fun race with a great vibe. The course was pretty muddy, but I didn't have any mechanical issues and I stayed on the bike (something not all my competitors can say), and it was another race in the history books.

It hasn't all been about the cyclocross bike though... I have been on the mountain bike, including another trip up to Kingdom Trails (check out the video!) with my buddies Mike and Jason.

I also shot up to North Conway, NH, for an off road ride and was very impressed with the trails. I look forward to more exploration...

And, in addition to mountain bikes and cyclocross bikes, I've been trying to spend as much time as possible on my BMX bike. In fact, I've even tried to bring myself up to speed with the current style of riding, and I've built up a bike with no brakes. It's an interesting transition for a rider who started in an era where locking brakes were the coolest accessory. I'm old, and out of practice, but I still absolutely love riding my BMX bike. I was off for WAAAAAAAAAAY too long.

Of course, while I've been trying to bring my riding up to date, I still have fond memories of the early days of neon bikes and 80's hair. I've got HUNDREDS of old photos rotting in various albums so I've taken it upon myself to get the scanner up and running to save these little pieces of BMX history.

I've only just BEGUN to start scanning, but here's a good first effort:

Oh, I forgot to mention that I've been taking more photos. Yeah, in addition to my attempts at a steady stream of race photos for my team mates over on the Racer-X Web site, a group of friends and I have started a Project 365 blog where we're all posting a photo every day. It's great seeing some of the awesome pics my friends have been taking, and seeing some of the lame ones I've been posting, but hey, it's a journey, right?

We, in New England, also weathered the first big snow storm of the year, which came VERY early--the end of October. There wasn't too much snow accumulation in my neck of the woods, but some parts of MA got more than two feet. Damn. More problematic than the snow was the fact that the trees still had plenty of leaves on them making them more susceptible to damage from the heavy snow. To say that there were lots of trees and limbs down would be quite the understatement. Parts of the state looked like a war zone or like the aftermath of a hurricane. Hundreds of thousands of people lost power, and some for several days. Everyone was enraged that the utility companies were taking so long to restore power, but I say "hey homeowners, how about taking some personal responsibility and being PREPARED for storms." I know not everyone can afford to be fully prepared, but for the homeowners that CAN afford it, but prefer to spend their money on flat screen TVs, Blu-Ray players, and other crap, how about popping a grand down on a generator? No? Rather spend the money on an iPhone and an expensive car? Well, then don't bitch if you lose power for a couple of days.

Okay, I'm off my soap box.

Gotta go... gonna get a quick ride in before work... also gotta post my pic for yesterday AND today...

The Cape of Cod

2011-09-24T12:24:00.000-07:00

The days were warm, but not very sunny.

While I've never seen a cod wearing a cape, I did just spend a few days down in Falmouth. It was nice to go down there "off season." I can't imagine being there when the place is swarming with people, but then again, I don't really like people, so the same could be said for just about anywhere. Jean's parents had rented a beautiful house for a two week vacation. Jean went down for a few days, came back to do some work, and then went down again. Once my work schedule cleared up a bit, I went down for a few days as well.

All in all, it was a relaxing time. We did a little road cycling, a little running, I took some photos of random things (Jean took plenty of photos too), I did some reading, oh, and I did my fair share of wading waist deep (or deeper), into cold water to dig up quahogs. Jean's dad LOVES digging for quahogs, and if left to his own devices, would still be out there. My first couple of days doing this were a bust, but on my third day, I had 20 before Del had one.

Anyway, in no particular order here are some photos that, in one way or another, represent the trip...

I LOVE my new coffee mug!

Father and daughter, digging for bivalve mollusks.

Got one!

Triumphant hunters return.

The booty!

MMmmmmm..... Fuller's London Porter...

Who DOESN'T want a painting of a cat with its front paws tied up?

Plenty of options for riding.

One of MANY marshes..

Tastes like chicken, I'll bet.

Jean could spend ALL DAY sifting through this to find interesting bits of broken shells.

Clam Hunters.

This grass looked like an impressionist painting.

I want your soul.


Road Ride

Vermont

2011-09-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

I love Vermont, I love Kingdom Trails, and I am saddened by the fact that I had not been up there yet this season...

So, I threw the dogs in the back of the car, battled some morning traffic, and made the day trip up to East Burke to get my "fix." Perfect weather, perfect trail conditions, and no mechanical issues on the bike--what more could I ask for?

Now, I feel the need to get up there one more time before the season ends...

Antique Freak Show

2011-09-23T04:01:00.000-07:00

Like many husbands, I've been dragged to my fair share of antique shops. It's in the marriage vows, I think, as one of the husbandly obligations. Anyway, I usually go along, "oohing" and "aahing" at the appropriate times, but my mind is usually somewhere else (on a bike likely).

However, Jean has recently taken me to Todd's Farm and Antique Flea Market in Rowley, and I actually like it there.

Todd's Farm is a unique combination of eccentric people, weird items, odd memorabilia, and legitimate antiques spread out over what seems like an endless sea of yard sales. Items are displayed from the back of trucks, on linen covered tables, in a heap on the ground, and pretty much anything in between.

I've only been a couple of times, but so far we've gotten a great antique coffee table (cheap too), some creepy dolls (more to come on that later), and we bought some fun vintage photos.

But the best part for me is walking around taking photos... photos of the stuff, and photos of the people.

Here's a sampling of what I've got so far...

Hampshire 100

2011-08-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I thought this 100K MTB race would be a good idea. I don't remember that last time I have put that kind of miles in on the mountain bike (I don't think I've even gone that far on the road bike this year). I guess last year at the Wild Cat Epic 100, and the Vermont 30, but that was a year ago...

And I *think,* if I recall, last year I had done that thing where you ride your bike lots and lots in order to prepare for an event... I think it's called "training." Yeah, training. I didn't really do much of that this year. Oh well, what's the worst that can happen, right?

I pretty much underestimated everything about this event, from the distance from home, to the pain I would endure; I definitely got more than I bargained for.

I WAS happy to get my car back, the day before leaving for the race. The rental cars I've had have not been working well for me. It's amazing how accustomed to the Element's features I've become... it truly works so well for a life with dogs and bikes. Anyway, aside from issues that will get sorted out later, the car looks almost new. I do look forward to getting the new AC pump...

I originally thought the race was only about an hour or so away, but then again, I didn't do ANY research into the race details until Friday. D'oh! Turns out the race was closer to 2 hours away, and with a 6:15am mandatory rider's meeting, I booked a last minute hotel in Milford, NH. The hotel itself was a bit creepy on the outside, and the decor on the inside was... retro... but it was cheap, clean, comfortable, and close. No complaints!

At 5:15am, I was loading my stuff into my car when I realized that I couldn't find the key to the lock that I had used to lock my bike in my car. I took all of my bags out, emptied them in the room--multiple times--when I finally found the key 20 minutes later on the ground. It had actually bounced under the car. WTF?

Anyway, with the ability to access my bike secured, I made the drive to the race venue and completed my preparations. Unlike other events like this that I've done, I was planning on relying heavily on the aid stations for fuel, rather than carrying my own. I wanted to be as unencumbered as possible. I even used a seat back strapped to my handlebar (in addition to one on the seat), to carry tools and tubes.

Fellow Racer-X'er Pete-G (no relation to Kenny-G, that I know of), was also in attendance, but I never saw him after the start. Well, until I rolled in at the finish, when it appears that he had time to shower, change, clean his bike, learn a foreign language and perhaps carve a scrimshaw whale tooth.

I was staged with the rest of the Clydesdales at the back, along with the SS'ers, the sole tandem duo, and riders doing the 25M course. Towering above us all was the Clydesdale I battled at the Big Ring Rumpus. I was hoping for redemption today, but instead, it was I who was castigated.

The course starts out fairly flat and fast. Dare I say, fun. We were warned not to push too hard on the first 20 miles because it gets tougher towards the end. I heeded these words (not that it helped), so I mostly cruised and kept my pace below the red zone. We hit paved roads, dirt roads, train tracks, rail crossings and at about the 8 mile mark there was an evil 500ft climb up a power-line trail. And then at about mile 18, we hit this mile or two section of sand. It just sucked the energy out of my legs, but right when I had recovered, at about mile 21, we hit a wall, and went up about 800ft in two miles.

I stopped at the aid station at mile 25, topped of my fluids, and took off. I recall hitting one of the fast downhills after the aid station... I hopped a log but my front wheel landed in a rut. I was going fast and completely off balance... I don't know how I pulled it, but my left leg went out, I pushed off a rock, and essentially fast-planted (see below) to get back on the right trajectory. It was one of the gnarliest "saves" I've ever had.

Back on course, I kept moving along and I was feeling pretty decent. I was popping my Endurolytes, taking a GU every hour, and trying to stay hydrated.

But it was hot. And humid. And hot. Normally, the heat and humidity don't bother me too much, but going on about 4-hours in, I was starting to feel it. I can't actually recall EVER sweating as much as I did. I mean, the sweat was literally pouring out of me. It was like I was a sponge and was being squeezed. Seeing how much fluid I was losing, I tried to push the oral liquids, but if I drank too much, I could just feel a belly full of water and sports drink sloshing around. I needed an IV. Part of my mind started to recall rates of gastric emptying, intestinal absorption rates, and I was even thinking about renal physiology, not that any of that would help...

I needed an IV. And a cheeseburger. With bacon. And a beer. Or two. All in an IV...

Slowly, the wheels started coming off the wagon. The cramps started coming on and would not let go. And when I say my legs were cramping, I mean, quads, hamstrings, adductor muscles, front and back, both sides. Clipping in to my pedals would cause me to cramp. Getting off the bike would cause me to cramp. Getting on the bike would cause me to cramp. I couldn't even coast on flat sections... my legs would cramp. Cramps, cramps, cramps.

From this point on, the remainder of the race was simply a matter of keeping up with the forward movement. I wouldn't stop, but just kept plodding along. I was really in excruciating pain, but I didn't want to stop. I probably walked AT LEAST 5 miles, but most likely much more. I had no choice. I tried pedaling through the cramps, and sometimes this work, sometimes not. The cramps were my constant companion for the last few hours, and the ONLY way I could get any relief was by cooling myself by dumping cold water on my head. With limited water supplies and the heat, this relief was short lived and had to be repeated as often as possible.

So does that mean I didn't have any fun? Nah, I still enjoyed it. Although the section with the baby-heads was pretty technical, and oddly, fear inspiring. Luckily, I made it through unscathed.

But the cramps were brutal.

And adding to my misery was my choice in bicycle components. I like rigid bikes, and I honestly think the 29'er wheels roll over most obstacles well enough to avoid using suspension. I do have a couple of 29'er forks floating around that I'll use here and there as needed, but overall, I prefer the rigid fork.

Well, the rigid fork was fine for the first hour, the second hour, and the third hour. I didn't mind it too much on the fourth hour, but as the hours dragged on, and I was struggling, the rigid fork became a bit too abusive. So, in addition to legs of agony, my arms and shoulders were starting to fatigue. I was even getting a headache. Yeah, next time, for an event this long, the bouncy fork goes on.

Some of my "friends" will give me crap for using gears, and it's true, I would rather have ridden SS. But, I'm able to admit that I'm simply not man enough to do so. I got passed by plenty of SS riders and I tried to give "mad props" when I could. If I wasn't wheezing or something. I will say, as a nod to my fellow SS brethren, while my bike did have a 1x9 drivetrain, I swear, I only used one gear at a time.

The last ten miles seemed to take forever, which is a shame, because the last ten miles was comprised of some good singletrack. Trails that under normal circumstances I would have enjoyed, but on this day, every root, rock, mud patch or slight hill was torture.

I did get some relief towards the end in the form of a torrential downpour. Seriously, it felt great, helped to quell my cramping (by cooling me down), and I was able to put out some actually effort in the last couple of miles. Which is good, because near the end I got passed by a couple of people, one of which in my class.

After 7+ hours on the bike (my actual time was much longer, because my GPS would stop recording while I was stopped at water stations, etc), I was NOT going to get passed in the last mile. I was able to keep the cramps at bay long enough to pull ahead on a climb, and stay ahead. The cramps came back in a BIG way just before the finish, and I nearly coasted the very last section--which was entirely flat, around a running track, but I kept my position, and, against all odd, came in 3rd in my class.

I never was able to get the giant, he came in 2nd, but I'm sure we'll meet again.

Until then, I've been working on repleting my essential nutrients. Yep, I got my bacon cheeseburger on my way home, yep, I've been drinking like fluids are going out of style, and the day AFTER the race, I literally could NOT eat enough salt. I was craving salt like you can't imagine. Everything I ate looked powder coated, but it was all delicious NaCl. Salt, salt, salt. Mmmmm.....

Anyway, to summarize, it was a long race, I had some fun, I sweat more than I believed possible, I had hours of cramps, the rigid fork was a mistake for an event this long, and I had a day of binge salt ingestion. Can't wait for 'cross season!

Going back to Cali...

2011-08-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

One of my very good friends invited me to his wedding. Then, he threw the curveball at me by asking if I would officiate the wedding. Hmmmm…. I had just completed the lengthy ordination process to become a minister (filling in some data fields and clicking "submit"), so rather than let all of that hard work go to waste, I agreed. Later, I'd reflect, what the hell had I gotten myself into?

My friend, Brian, is one of my BMX buddies, whom I met nearly 15yrs ago. He and I ended up spending many months on the road together, in a van, doing stunt shows at bike shops, fairs, and many bizarre venues all across the U.S. We had some crazy times. He's an accountant now, and handles my taxes and financial planning, yet every conversation still includes snails, ghosts, Cru Jones and Dio (R.I.P.). Anyway, somehow he convinced a beautiful woman, Sarah, to marry him, and amid the legitimate wedding participants, I was to be there to "solemnize" the event.


I kind of thought that "the world" would be the world's largest 3-D experience...

The flight out was uneventful, which is what you want a flight to be. Although, a 6:00am flight, which required a 4:00am pick-up preceded by a 3:30am alarm clock was a bit annoying. We had a quick stop in NYC, then arrived safely in Burbank, CA.

I like California, I lived there for many years, and I still have plenty of good friends in the Golden State, but it's a weird, weird, weird place. As much as I despise, loathe and abhor winter, I couldn't leave New England. That being said, I re-acclimated to California (i.e. seeing a Jamba Juice, Carl's Jr, Jack in the Box, Exxon, Mobil, Taco Bell, In 'N Out, Del Taco, EVERYWHERE), and was ready for some fun.

Brian picked us up in his giant Tahoe, you know, cuz you need a truck like that with California's unpredictable weather. We made a couple of quick stops and arrived at the Embassy Suites, our defacto home for the next few days.

We actually got in to Cali a few days earlier than we needed to. We were under the initial impression that I had to be "deputized," in a county clerk's office, but in reality, my ministerial credentials were good enough. Jean and I took advantage of the time to do some solid chill-axin. The hotel had free breakfast, and WiFi, and drinks at 5:00p, and a fitness center…

Brian also gave me a tip on a good local canyon to go hiking/trail running. Unfortunately, he said to take the highway NORTH, which put me about 30 miles out of my way… so it was a total of 60 miles, round trip, of a wild goose chase, but that's okay, it's his gas. We did finally find Towsley Canyon, which was only a couple of miles SOUTH of the hotel. There was a fun 5 mile loop which we hiked one day and then I ran the next day.

In typical California foothill style, this was anything but flat. But that's okay, we got a good work-out and great views. We were a little reluctant at the start because of the sign at the trailhead warning of bees, wasps, and of course, a bear. Once we stepped past that sign, the first thing Jean saw on the ground was a decapitated snake head. Hmmm…. all forbidding omens to say the least. We did however, escape harm.

While desert-like, the area was teeming with wildlife, from rabbits and squirrels, to lizards and snakes, to a variety of birds. But of all of the things we saw, the weirdest were the bubbling tar pits… Yep, actual tar pits (see below). Bizarre indeed. Anyway, the 5-mile hike was fun and also provided some great vistas of the surrounding canyons and foothills. Of the things I miss the most about living out west, it's the hills.

So, it wasn't all chillin' though… I had some serious work to do. I know enough about Brian to implicate him in many deeds that may or may not be illegal, but are at least immoral and indecent. I had to get to know Sarah too. Brian, Jean, Sarah and I went out for dinner and I learned that Brian must have some dark secret that he's holding over Sarah. Otherwise, why would this smart, funny, woman marry a man afraid of snails? Whatever bet she lost, they make a great couple. I was excited to be a part of their wedding, but how the hell did I get roped into this?

I'm certainly no stranger to public speaking, but I was definitely feeling some stress with this as wedding days are supposed to be the most important day in a woman's life, and there were more than two hundred guests in attendance. Oy. Things really started to seem real at the rehearsal and I think I may have been more nervous than the groom.

Saturday morning, I got to have some breakfast with another my California BMX friends, Mike D. Then it was check-out time and a whole lot of hurry up and wait. Jean and I hung around Brian's house, watching the greatest movie of all times, RAD, until it was time to convoy to the Valencia Country Club. Brian passed out the groomsman gifts and I got a sweet flask filled with…. um…. water, to refresh me if I became thirsty. The ceremony was delayed a bit because Sarah's dress had a wardrobe malfunction, but soon enough, it was time to put the lotion on the fingers and get this done. The groomsmen, and I, walked out to Europe's "Final Countdown" and took our positions. The bridal party came in and it was finally time to get my ministerial groove on. Vows were exchanged, rings were given, brides were kissed, doves were released, a husband and wife were proclaimed, and it was time to hit the open bar.

All in all it was super fun and I was happy to be a part of their wedding. I didn't screw it up, as I feared, and I even had someone come up to me after the ceremony to ask about doing their wedding! At which point Jean became my booking agent and tried to rent me out. She's funny like that. Unfortunately, we bailed out the wedding a little bit after dinner. I was exhausted and my mind was on packing and making the pilgrimage home.

At the airport, we learned that our flight was not only delayed, but overbooked. We elected to get bumped, took a different flight, only got into Boston about 45 later than originally planned, was on a less crowded plane, AND each got $400 travel vouchers. I guess being a holy-man has its perks.

A ride of meh-pic proportions

2011-08-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

It was going to be a good ride. In reality, any ride that you make it home in one piece is a good ride, but there are certain factors that can make a ride bad; getting lost, having mechanical issues, crashing, getting swarmed by mosquitoes and biting flies. Independently, all tolerable, but when combined, I was pretty close to having a hissy-fit.

I was hoping for a long day on the bike. To work out some of these and to get one more good training ride in before the Hampshire 100. With my schedule being what it is, this day was the only day to do it. Greenwood Ave trails were good, Gordon College trails were good, and from there I was planning on heading over to Appleton Farms, Bradley Palmer, and Willowdale: all good.

Coming out of Gordon College trails, on Chebacco Rd, I was heading up the road, to go back in when I spied a trail on my right, on the opposite side of the road. Hmmm, I thought… I've never been on this trail…

I headed in, expecting the trail to end in 100yds or so, but it didn't. It kept going. It was pretty well defined and pretty fun. Surprised at my fortune of finding yet MORE trails in this area. I came to a short, steep rock face that I couldn't ride up. No problem. I dismounted and started climbing when suddenly I fell as if I had had a carpet pulled out from underneath my feet. I hit the rock, and I hit hard, my (new) bike bouncing down and down.

At this point, I had a moment of rage directed at whomever chooses the soles of mountain bike shoes. These have as much grip as if they were impregnated with Teflon. But hey, I bought 'em, so I'm as much to blame. But seriously, mountain bikers occasionally have to walk, and walk on wet, slippery roots and rocks, why not cover the stiff sole with a softer durometer rubber? But I digress.

After picking myself up, and my bike, I made it up to the top of the rocks, and remounted. I was a little banged up, but I've certainly had worse (but not usually walking).

Another slick, moss-covered rock loomed ahead and took the long way around.

By now, I noticed something annoying about this new trail… I had some friends following me… about a thousand friends… circling, swarming, buzzing, biting friends. I had a cloud of mosquitoes and flies. What fun. I kept them at bay as long as I kept moving. I didn't know where I was going, but I was moving.

Eventually, I came a across a sign for Old Mill Dam. I didn't recognize the sign, or the logo, or the trail name, but I kept on trucking, keeping ahead of my "friends."

Unfortunately, I came into a downhill turn a little too fast, my front wheel washed out, gravel got between the wall of the rim and the tubeless tires, my tire went instantly flat, and I, again, was thrown to the ground while my (new) bike bounced off the trail and into the trees (as I said, i was going too fast).

Crashed and bloody? Check.
Lost? Check.
Flat tire? Check.
Swarms of biting insects? Check.

Fun indeed.

Okay, pick myself up, find my bike, take off the front wheel, pop the tire off, get covered in Stan's goop, dig out the gravel, find my spare tube, swat flies and mosquitoes, grab my CO2 cartridge and… the black switch to regulate flow is gone. It's not gone, gone… it was on there when I pulled it out of my pack, so… it was there… somewhere… After what seemed an hour, I found the small, black plastic switch, and was finally able to inflate my tube and tire. I was getting mauled by bugs and I was getting pissed off. I just wanted to get to the road and start making my way to my other loop. That, sadly, was easier said than done. I finally found a trail intersection with a trail name that I recognized, "Ancient Line." Oh, so THAT'S where I was…

Anyway, I didn't know which way to go, so I went left, which put me into a long stretch of mud, wet rocks, and more bugs. The bugs were truly driving me insane, and I was focusing more on them than on riding, which is NOT good when riding technical sections. I dabbed and dabbled as much as I rode, and my shoes were more unstable than my bike on this stuff. Plus, I had intentionally over inflated my front tire to prevent a pinch flat (which would have had me walking all the way home). Getting more irritated by the minute, I took a turn on another trail which wound it's way around and around and I just kept going.

Ultimately, I found a fire road, guessed at which direction to go, and surprisingly, guessed correctly. While not as fun as the singletrack SHOULD have been, I was moving at a good clip, and left my blood sucking friends behind. The fire road was much longer than I anticipated, convincing me that there must be hundreds of miles of trails in this area.

So, I got to the road, I knew my way home, and with several things still left to do on my "to do" list, I opted to make a B-line back to headquarters.

I finally got home, muddy, bloody, sore, and sweaty, and with at least *some* knowledge of some new trails… I guess it was a pretty good ride after all.

Summer = Riding

2011-07-18T04:27:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to ride as much as I can with the summer weather finally upon us.

I do have silly number of bikes, but I can say that I use them. Over the past few weeks, I have ridden my time trial bike, my road bike, my singlespeed mountain bike, my geared mountain bike, my cyclocross bike and my beloved freestyle bike. Sadly, my diversity proves the "Jack of all trades, master of none" theory.

Read more>>>

In any event, it's all about fun, and that's been in good supply. You can check out some posts over on the team site for a run down of some of the races and organized rides that I've done:

But I've also just been heading out on the local roads and trails.

I do wish that there was at least one, local, epic road ride with major climbs and sweeping vistas, but considering the fact that it's pretty darn flat around here, the road riding IS amazing. Just yesterday I was lucky enough to enjoy great ocean views along the rocky shores of Manchester-by-the-Sea and Gloucester, salt-marsh flats in Essex and Ipswich, rolling farmland also in Ipswich but also in to Hamilton and Wenham, and tree-lined forest roads in Bradley Palmer. I *enjoyed* a major headwind too, but that's another story...

In addition, while there are no epic mountain bike climbs, the singletrack in Willowdale, the grassy fields and fire-roads in Bradley Palmer, and even some other, "secret" trails in Hamilton are all pretty kick-ass.

In no particular order, here are some pics from some of my recent rides. Because yes, I do still love photography (add it to the list things that fall under the "master of none" category), my camera is usually not too far out of hand.

Squished.

2011-06-26T18:50:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's true. My trusty Element has been squished. Here's how it went down.. I was at work, minding my own business, saving lives and such when one of the security guards asks if I have a black Honda. "I do," I replied, and that's when he informed me that it was involved in a 7-car accident.

"WTF," I thought. My car was parked, and in a back row of cars, but alas, it was true. An older gentleman (80+) had come around a corner and hit the gas instead of the brakes and essentially plowed into several cars, mine being one of them.

D'oh! Oh well, the important thing is that he wasn't hurt, and in fact no one was. I haven't heard from the insurance adjuster yet as to the fate of my vehicle. Perhaps, I'll be in search of a new boxy car?

I just can't let go...

2011-06-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

Techno-Hell

2011-05-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

I DO love technology. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't go too far without some form of gadgetry, but sometimes, this stuff is just a huge pain in the ass.

Right now, I'm trying to get my TV set up. It's not so long ago when I remember having a giant antenna on the roof of the house that would sometimes need adjusting after some strong winds. Then cable TV came along and changed everything. With a connection from the outside cable to a cable box to the TV, we had clear signals and oh so many channels. Adding a VCR in to the mix, or, to really get crazy, adding a video game system (Atari 2600), would really be fancy. I remember taking things to the next level by having two VCRs in parallel to copy tapes and having external speakers for better sound.

Then, I totally lost interest because for me, TV is not worth the effort. I don't spend hours watching other people's reality (I have my own), and I'm saddened when I see other people's houses that appear to be centered around a giant TV as if it's the focal point of their lives.

I will watch a DVD, or watch TV if there is something specific on, or maybe just sit in front of the TV when I want to turn my brain off, but in total, my monthly viewing hours is, on average, 4-6hrs, probably much less. So again, I don't care enough about TV to put a lot of effort in to getting it set up.

Unfortunately, it seems that the days of plugging in and turning on are gone, and with the advent of "home theater surround sound systems" you either need to be an expert or you need to hire an expert just to get everything plugged in correctly.

As it was, I hated our most recent TV system. We had a remote control for the TV, the cable box, the DVD player, the stereo receiver, and the Roku player. Life was somewhat simpler when I had a universal remote control, but Jesus Christ, I had to connect the universal remote control to my laptop, log in to the Logitech Web site, create an account, blah, blah, blah… And even after figuring out the model numbers for all the components, it still took a couple of tries with updates and restarts to get it working. It was finally much easier, but still didn't work 100%. In terms of being worth the effort, I definitely put more time into getting the remote set up than I would actually watching TV for the month. That was enough to fill me with hate.

But that was then. Now, we have a new house and with it, a new TV system. Flat screen to mount on the wall, and an entirely new configuration for the additional componentry. Doing the wiring for the TV to the componentry was pretty straight forward… We have a HDMI cable going from one room, down to the basement, and up the wall to the TV. I understand that. Getting power to the TV via a new outlet was pretty standard too. Mounting the TV to the wall took some special skills, and thankfully, I have a good friend who is an architect wiz and he quickly sketched out a solution. Thanks to Glen, my TV is safely and securely mounted to the wall. Without wall studs, I was lost.

Okay, so with the TV mounted, and the HDMI cable going through the wall , through the basement and up to the "components," you'd think the hard work was done. Not so.

Next I had to rely on another person smarter than I. Enter James, who tells me, "I do this shit for fun." Great, I leave it up to you, James, to figure out the HDMI pass through and to program my universal remote and to figure out how we'll have the remote control work on both the TV AND the components, which are behind the viewing area, in another room.

While that process is still underway, I thought I'd take it upon myself to set up one of the Roku players on another TV (did I mention that I hate TV? I do this for my wife…). Anyway, our previous Roku was right next to our modem and router, so it was wired via ethernet to the router and had direct Internet access. Simple. I was told, however, that all Roku boxes are WiFi enabled and can access the Internet wirelessly. Great, because the modem/router is now in our basement.

This is when things got annoying. With other WiFi devices, the network is identified, I enter the password, and I'm connected. If only it was that simple with the Roku.

I had to do some online support with Naga, Venkat, and Vijay, and between them and me, we've accessed the wireless router, adjusted the channel settings, changed DNS settings, modified the firewall, turned everything off, turned everything on, hit the reset button many, many times, and I'm still no closer to being connected than I was before. The coolest part of this process was the fact that I was getting support online, so every time I made a change to the router, my Internet connection would be lost for a moment, so I had to start over with a new techie. Sigh…

I love technology, but sometimes you just can't beat a book*

*Read, of course, on an iPad

Spain--Day 2

2011-03-27T05:21:00.000-07:00

Sunday, we awoke, with alarm at the fact that it was 11am! I hadn't slept that late since I was working night shifts. Fortunately, Jean-Francios and Luc, who thought we might have died in our sleep, still had breakfast for us: more freshly baked breads, fresh squeezed orange juice, a bowl of cut fresh fruits, and sliced meats. Oh, and the coffee...

After breakfast, it was time to try to burn off the incredible caloric intake that had occurred over the past 24hrs. I built up the bikes, and Jean and I had to "zip to town," to get to the ATM. Zipping to town was only about 13 miles (round trip) as the crow flies, but also included about 2000ft of climbing.

The clouds were a little threatening at times...

Photos just can't show how steep the hills were. Our car barely made it up some of these...

Boo-ya! It was a rude awakening to the legs, and the body in general, but in the end, felt so good. The scenery was killer, and all I could think about was how great it would be to be able to come out here for, like 6 weeks in the late winter to train... damn job, gets in the way of all my fun.

With Euros in hand, we got back to Tapa Luz in time to shower and chill before another gastronomical extravaganza.

Luc cooked up another amazing dinner, this time with chicken stuffed with crab with an aioli drizzle for an appetizer, an incredible pea soup (NOTHING like pea soup in a can), then the main course, grilled fish stuffed with spinach with a carrot sauce. YUM! Desert was home made coffee ice cream... sigh... no weight loss on this trip!

We got to sleep, and this time, didn't sleep the next day away.

Spain--Day 1

2011-03-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

I was awoken at about 1am, on my body's time, for a breakfast of Milano cookies and bright red orange juice. These are the sorts of things that happen when flying across oceans and time zones, and about 24hrs after our original departure, things were still a bit odd.

We left Boston on Al Italia, bound for Rome, Italy. Because of the easterly trajectory, sleep was elusive. Essentially, three hours after an airline seafood dinner (which was actually fairly good), Jean and I are being yelled at by a surly Italian flight attendant wanting to know if we wanted breakfast. Having spent the fast few hours desperately trying to find a semi comfortable position in a vain effort to get some sleep, the abrasive breakfast call was startling. I guess, if the lack of sleep and the cranky flight attendant are the only things I can complain about, then I guess it was a good flight.

We connected in Rome, and continued on Al Italia to our final destination of Malaga, Spain. Side note--the flight attendants on our second flight were much nicer, the coffee was great, and our landing was one of the smoothest ever.

Upon landing in Malaga, Jean and I were impressed with the airport: large, bright, and beautiful (Rome was kind of a pit). We found our luggage, found our rental car, and were on our way. I still don't know what kind of car we had, but it was a mini-mini van, and it worked. It's had plenty of room for our stuff, and while the brakes and clutch were a bit touchy, it would do.

With our possessions in hand and our car in control, it was time to make our way to our first (and second) night's accommodations, Tapa Luz in Solano, outside of Malaga. We got a little lost, but one of the proprietors was out looking for us, and he guided us in. Tapa Luz is situated in a rural hillside about an hour north and east of Malaga. The drive was beautiful, but nothing compared to our actual destination. I'll be honest, we drove though a couple of sketchy areas, and the roads were pretty rough and steep in sections, and was a little concerned that I had booked us a room at a run down old goat shed.

Going through a large front gate, we entered a courtyard with a large fountain, crushed stone grounds, outdoor tables, and amazing views. The weather was a tad cool and grey, which was unfortunate because there's also a hillside swimming pool.

We met Jean-Francios and Luc, got the tour of the property, and my expectations weren't exceeded, they were blown away. Jean and I sipped some champagne as we settled in from our flights and drive. The champagne sipping went on a bit longer, because, what hell, we were on vacation and we were in Spain...

Pretty soon, it was time for dinner. Early by European standards (7:00pm), way early by our body's clock (2:00pm), but late considering the amount of time that had passed sine our Milano cookies.

Dinner, was, in a word, unbelievable. Luc, was a personal chef for the rich and famous, and after getting tired of flying all over the world for people with multiple houses, he and Jean-Francios started this B&B. Luc's skills in the kitchen are the stuff that legends are made of. And, nearly every item starts out with "oh, this is from the lemons from our trees out back," or, "this is from the strawberries in our garden," or "this bread just came out of the oven." I'm not a food person, and would be happy eating Builder Bars all day, every day, but my taste buds have been awakened. Between the homemade peach liquor, the fresh bread, the hand picked vegetables, and the smoked salmon (that Luc smoked), it was food heaven.

Jean and I took our full bellies to bed, and slept for 13hrs!

Buenos Dias!

2011-03-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, Jean and I just got back from Spain, and the day-to-day mania of our regular lives has already begun. I won't bore you with the details, but I will say that I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with Adobe Lightroom and sifting through my nearly 1000 photos from the trip!

In a nutshell, the trip was great. We flew into the coastal city of Malaga, then spent a couple of days at an amazing B&B called Tapa Luz. More details on this, and everything else on the trip later, but for now, know that Tapa Luz served absolutely amazing food.

Anyway, we did some riding on the awesome roads in the area and then headed up to El Paraje, in the Sierra Nevada mountains, outside of small mountain village called Berchules. Again, an awesome place with great food and incredible views. Jean and I did some hiking and mountain biking, but then, the rain, which is supposed to stay mainly on the plains, invaded the mountains and put the kibosh on more outdoorsy activities. The problem wasn't just the rain, but that it was also just above freezing. If it was 70-degrees F and raining, that would have been fine, but mid to high 30's... no thanks.

We took advantage of the down time to do some actual relaxing (I think I took a nap even), and then headed to Granada, staying at Gar Anat. All that time I spent Googling different places to stay in Spain really paid off because this place was killer too. Driving in Granada was an experience. I navigated my little rental car down "roads" that were barely alleys, and more than once we thought we were simply going to get stuck. It was challenging and fun, and I'm happy to report no collisions with walls, cars, scooters or pedestrians. Some time in the Hammam, then some time in the Alhambra, and our Granada time was nearly up.

Back to Malaga for a bike tour of the city, the Picasso Museum, some more good food, and then our return flight to the states.

To be honest, I wasn't sure if we were actually going to make it home. I thought that with the crossing of all the different time zones and international borders on the day Daylight Savings Time starts in the US, we might slip into some type of Dali-esque clock shaped worm hole, only to emerge when the clocks were turned back. Alas, that was not the case. Jean and I made it home, and back to work we go!

Many more photos coming!

Blah, blah, blah... the winter blahs...

2011-02-14T04:26:00.000-08:00

Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I hate winter. I hate the cold. I hate the snow. I hate the ice. And as you know, the 2010/2011 winter has had PLENTY of cold, snow, and ice.

Aside from my daily walks with the dogs, who, I think, are also a bit fed up with the snow, I have TRIED to do "winter" activities.

Take a photo journey with me...

Yep, I dug the cross-country skis out, and well, they peeled like bananas. Sigh. That's okay, I didn't really want to go skiing anyway.

My snowshoes are still intact though, so I've been out on them a few times. Great hip flexor work-out, but Jean enjoys the snowshoes much more than me. As far as I'm concerned, snowshoeing is just plodding through the snow. And the idea of "flotation" is a myth. I've got the largest snowshoes I could find, 36" back country Tubbs, and if the snow wasn't already packed down, my leg would sink to knee.

So skiing failed. Snowshoeing works, but is not "fun" in my book. Next, I broke out the studded bike tires. Studded tires work great on ice, but when there is still deep snow, they get bogged down just like regular tires would. I had some good stretches of trail and some bad stretches of trail, and overall, I was longing for good old dirt.

Whine, whine, whine. I know, it's pathetic isn't it? I agree.

Moving on... while I wasn't out trying to enjoy the snow, I was trying to remove the snow. One of the best purchases I've made in recent years was my snowblower. And with all the snow we've gotten this year, it's more than paid for itself in terms of sweat equity. I've been clearing more than just the driveway and walkways, I've also been trying to keep a path open for the dogs to get to the yard to do their "business."

Unfortunately, I sucked up a big plastic garden light which got jammed in the rotary blades. I tried using various long handled instruments to remove the chunk of plastic, but no luck. As I've mentioned before, people do lose fingers and hands in snowblowers, even when they are off, so I was not about to put my precious paws in there. I will, however, stand back and allow others to risk their appendages. Besides, knowing my father-in-law and his friends, they would have gotten a great laugh if fingers went flying. Anyway, no one was hurt, and my snowblower was back in action.

With the piles of snow just getting taller and taller, it got to the point where we could NOT see out to the street, so pulling out of the driveway was very sketchy. Ultimately, I got one of those big convex mirrors, mounted to a 2x4 which I stuck in a trash barrel (classy, huh?), and problem solved.

So, it's really all just a matter of counting the days until spring, and the associated spring flooding.

Until then, I'll continue to bitch, whine and complain about winter, the cold temperatures, the snow, and the ice. Here are some random pics to illustrate my point:

I've got some more pics posted over on my photo blog--check 'em out!

Dogs

2011-01-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

My dogs love snow. I hate snow. Fortunately, I get some enjoyment seeing them have fun wrestling in it. I took this little video this morning, when it was about 0-degrees F. They didn't seem to mind.

You can check out some pics here too, from another snow romp.

Anyway, while they do have fun in the snow, I'm looking forward to the warmer weather, and they can get back to the beach...

Winter Health Tips

2011-01-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

I've seen a recurring theme in the Emergency Department in the winter months. Sure, regardless of the weather, people are going to have abdominal pain, and chest pain, and headaches; and little old ladies are forever going to be weak and dizzy, but there are some ED complaints that are certainly seasonal.

I'd like to provide you with some tips on avoiding the need to come in to see me at work.

First, if you use a snowblower, take a look to see if there are some fairly self explanatory graphics depicting amputated fingers and hands. See them? Okay, do you understand that that means that the spinning metal blades can, and will, cut your digits off like a sharpened Ginsu knife would slice a year-old hot dog? Let's review; spinning metal, soft flesh, blood and missing fingers. Got it? I'm shocked and saddened at the number of people that come in to the Emergency Department after a snow storm, with a hand in a bloody bandage, because they were trying to get the auger unstuck. Okay, MOST of these people THOUGHT they were doing the right thing by having the machine be off, but the fact is, if the blade (yes, blade), is stuck, it's under tension, so even if the machine is off, once unstuck, the blade will spin and little piggies will fly. In summary, NEVER, EVER, EVER stick your hand in the snowblower near the blades of death.

Next, take a look at your shoes. Do they have metal spikes on the bottoms? If not, you're just asking to slip and fall on ice. No one expects to slip and fall. That's why it's called an accident, but it's totally preventable. Get some grippers that slide on to your shoes, AND USE THEM. Use them when you don't think you'll need them, because that's when you'll need them. Ground looks clear? Whoops, was that black ice? A little dusting of snow isn't slippery… Ooops, is that a frozen puddle hidden under the snow? I've had people fall down stairs, fall getting out of their vehicles, fall walking across a parking lot, and these falls result in anything from sprains and strains to broken bones and head lacerations. Sure, I love stapling up a good head laceration, but do you want the staples in the head? Check out these links: Yak Trax, STABILicers; or read this and learn how to make your own.

And one final tip; if you get a cold, meaning a cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, fevers, sinus pressure, etc, know that the VAST MAJORITY of these are caused by viruses, and antibiotics are not going to help. You'll need to ride it out while your body fights it off, and you should take whatever over the counter medications you need to help with the symptoms. Of course, this broad statement becomes a bit sticky in older patients with many underlying chronic medical conditions, but for most young, otherwise healthy people, it's viral until proven otherwise. The CDC has pretty firm guidelines on when to use and when NOT to use antibiotics, and it has some tips on taking care of yourself when you do get sick. I've had PLENTY of people sit in the waiting room for a couple of hours to be seen for their cough, sore throat, sinus congestion, feeling achy for a few days complaints who then get upset that I don't prescribe antibiotics. Waiting for two hours does NOT translate into an indication for a Z-Pack, sorry. Of course, my caveat, pneumonia IS usually bacterial, and Strep throat is too, so, use some common sense to determine if you need to come to the ED or not, but either way, I strongly recommend that you start with your primary care provider.

Okay, so there you go. Next time, I'll provide some tips on getting a prescription for 120 Vicodin tablets, with 11 refills, and a work note all for 10 out of 10 chronic back pain.

Winter Wonderland!

2010-12-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

Bleah. Winter's coming. The cold weather is here, and today's dusting is a precursor to snowy days to come. Bah Humbug. I guess it's time for my favorite winter past-time; complaining. I've taken whining to a higher level, so if you're new to bitching and complaining, I don't mean to overwhelm you. You see, despite living in the northern latitudes for most of my life, I've never developed an affinity for any winter sports. Everything I like to do is a "warm weather" pursuit, although, admittedly, biking and running can be done year 'round. I just hate the cold weather, and snow certainly adds another element, literally, to the deal.

I did a "mellow" road ride with Glen the other day--a new Cat 2 'cross racer's "mellow" road ride had me pushing more than 800 watts at one point. Mellow indeed. It did help to keep me warm, but I still got icicles in the beard.

We'll have to see what the weather holds for the next few months... sometimes the weather is mild enough to still get plenty of rides in. Sometimes the temperature is brutally low, and I stay inside and watch horrible movies while spinning on the rollers (for example, I just watched The Last Airbender, thanks to the RedBox, and it was TERRIBLE). Sometimes we get lots of snow and I attempt endeavors like snowshoeing or cross country skiing. Usually, however, we get a mix of warm and cold temps that allows snow to melt and re-freeze into unusable mixture of hardened slush. That's when I just look to the calendar and counts the days until spring.

But, those days aren't here yet. I got out for a good MTB ride at Willowdale on Sunday, and I rolled on a trail that's GOT to be new--that place continues to amaze me. I'm lucky to live so close to such an incredible trail network.

Anyway, it's the time of year to get wrapped up in the holiday madness, get caught up on "indoor" projects, and to start looking forward to the upcoming year. Speaking of holiday madness, I couldn't believe it when I went to the lot where we've gotten our trees every year for the past few years, and they were sold out. WTF?

One of the reasons we use this specific lot is that they drill the bottom of the tree with a hole straight up the trunk, which then allows us to quickly and easily set the tree up on the stand, which, conveniently enough, was specifically designed for trees with holes drilled in their trunks. They have a special drill set up that gets the hole straight. I don't have that set up, and subsequently, I've got the Leaning Tree of Pisa. Oh well.

Getting back to thinking about 2011, I've already signed up for my first race, and I've got a big trip coming up sometime early next year too, so plenty to look forward to, and plenty of motivation to keep the training up through the cold, dark, bleary, frigid, winter days.

Dollars, Donuts, and Derailleurs...

2010-12-12T11:44:00.000-08:00

http://www.russcam.com/

Ah, the Ice Weasels... I wish more races had the vibe and atmosphere found here in Wrentham. Rowdy crowds, irreverent announcing, crazy barrier prizes, beer hand-ups, and an overall party flavor. New, this year, was mild temperatures, a dry course, and a fly-over.

Similar to last year, at least for me, was a mechanical issue with my bike. Unfortunately, the Fickle Pickle of Fate was not on my side this time around. You see, last year, my pedal broke right in front of the pit area--I had to run about two steps to get my other bike. I was not so lucky this time around.

I had a decent start, felt good, had some gas in the tank, and was optimistic about the race. On my first pass over the barriers, my chain fell off, DESPITE a chain keeper. I ran a little farther to get out of the way to get the chain back on, but, the chain keeper, which should have kept the chain from falling off in the first place was preventing me from sliding it back on. Oh, and a quick look at the back of bike revealed that the chain had already lodged itself securely between the rear cassette and the spokes, and the derailleur was up at an odd angle. My assessment was that the bike was out of commission and I was far away from the pit. So, I started running, all the while riders were passing me until there were no more riders to pass me. I still kept running, er, jogging, um, okay, finally walking. It was a long walk. I got to the pit, switched bikes and headed out.

Sadly, my pit bike was wonky. In retrospect, it appears that the front skewer wasn't tight so the front wheel was askew and the brakes were rubbing. My motivation plummeted like Greek currency. I pulled the plug. Called it quits. Threw in the towel. Deflated the cat.

Ice Weasels: 1
Dave Alden: 0

I did, however, have a chance to redeem myself in the singlespeed race. Ah, singlespeed, what a bike ought to be. I had had one of my CX bikes set up as SS, but it didn't feel right, so gears went back on. For this race, I just threw some 'cross tires on my trusty GF Superfly, and did my best to put on some steeper gearing--32x16 was the best I could do on short notice. I expected to be spinning at about 150rpm for an average pedaling cadence, but whatever.

"Day-of registration" put me on the last row for starting--at the absolute back of 60 or 70 riders... oy. At least I could keep an eye on my competitors! The start was good and I avoided an early crash. I pulled up to fellow X-er, Rob Bousquet, and critiqued his running and riding style (that's what friends are for). Unfortunately, the Fickle Pickle of Fate tried to take me down again, but hit Rob instead. He had some brake issues and his race was over.

http://www.russcam.com/

I kept working my way forward, and overall had a decent race. I felt good, the bike handled well, and I pulled myself up to 24th. With a bit of a bigger gear, perhaps I could have done better, but I had fun, and that's the important part.

The course was fun--very twisty and turny, and it doubled back upon itself over and over, you'd be racing near people who might be a lap ahead or behind... it really kept things interesting. There was also a fly-over, a wooden ramp to run up and then ride down, which was MUCH better than the one in Lancaster.

Additionally, I got a donut off of one of the barriers (in retrospect, something I DON'T need), and a $1 bill (something I DO need). A dollar, a donut, and a good time. Boo-ya.

Now, the final chapter to my 2010 race book has been written. But fear not, there will be a sequel, and maybe, just maybe, a LifeTime made for TV drama, hopefully starring Tony Danza with a cameo appearance by Cher. Until then, be groovy.

Lynn Woods

2010-12-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

I haven't been to Lynn Woods in a long time. That used to be my default mountain biking or trail running spot. I guess I got bored of the chewed up trails, who knows. Lately, I've been thinking about heading back for some miles. I was just there the other day, but not running, not biking, just heading out for a hike with Jean and the mutts. The renovated stone tower is great, and the trails are calling me back...

See more pics here.

Where did I put my giant foam finger?

2010-12-08T19:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I went to a basketball game last week, and the whole scene, from top to bottom just seems absolutely ridiculous to me.

First off, cheerleaders, or, okay, "dancers," ... really? Is that supposed to invoke something in me other than cynicism? Don't get me wrong, I love scantily clad women, but a team of them jumping around on the middle of a basketball court flanked by camera crews, ball boys, and a guy on stilts with giant foam hands, just makes me think the whole idea is stuck in a tacky 80's cheese-fest.

Then, after spending hundreds of dollars (tickets, parking, food & beverage), think we could get buy without the blatant commercialism of every damn aspect of the game? It's the Comcast (which by the way, insists on calling itself Comcast but has branded itself XFinity--how's that for marketing genius) Fan of the Day, it's the Massachusetts Lottery Row of the Game, it's the JetBlue urinal of the month, it's the Billy-Bob Rib Shack Play of the Game… Can I go anywhere without advertising? I guess not in the Toronto-Domnion Garden (that's what the TD stands for).

Oh, I haven't mentioned the game yet… I think, and don't quote me on this, there was ALMOST two to three minutes of uninterrupted action at some point in the game. I could barely contain myself. Thank Christ there were foul whistles, time-outs and quarter breaks to otherwise break up the action. It would have been dizzying to have to watch professional athletes exert themselves for up to five minutes without a break. Fortunately, I don't think any of the multi-million dollar athletes had to participate in the entire 48 minute game. That would have been exhausting. Especially when so many of them ended up laying on the floor when another player looked at them funny and committed a foul. Most of the victims, I mean players, would stay on the floor for a moment or two, for effect… one even held his knee while thousands of people expectantly looked on… Thank the Chevy God of the Game he was okay.

Don't get me wrong, the skills these guys have at getting a ball through a small hole IS impressive. But, is it worth the millions of dollars they make? Not so much, in my opinion. I think I'd rather watch a pick-up game where there's no referee blowing a whistle every 90 seconds, where a team WON'T call a time-out with 8 seconds left in a quarter, and, when a player get's knocked down, he gets up and keeps playing.

This highlights my feelings toward most "sports." Baseball? BORING. Football? How long does it take to play a 60-minute game?

Get my drift? I guess I don't like watching any sports--even ones that I like. I love riding, but will I sit down and watch an entire Tour de France stage? No.

I'll watch my friends race when I can, but I'll probably never be the Celtics/Patriots/Red Sox/Comcast/Verizon/Chevy/Bazooka/Kraft/Coke Fan of the Month, and I'm okay with that.

Cyclocross Racing!

2010-11-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

Sure, if you've been a devoted follower of this site, and I know you are, you might be thinking that not much has been going on. But that would be woefully incorrect. Plenty has been going on, including some seriously sub-par racing on my part. As prolific blog-viator (yeah, I just made that word up by marrying blog and bloviate... does it work?), I've got lots of blogs to attend to. Most of my racing rants and whining is posted on the Racer-X site, so here are a couple of links to let you know that yes, things HAVE been exciting!

Sterling, MA (11/28)--it was cold but fun. Want more details? Go here.
Lowell, MA (11/21)--I showed up to race, my legs stayed home. I got a waffle though...
Hampton Falls, NH (10/31)--A race on Halloween? Hell yeah, I raced in costume!

I think that's all that's been missing. Now, don't you feel better?

Bikes, Beer, and Bavaria

2010-11-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Men and women don’t always want the same things in a vacation. Women seem to like romantic European towns, quaint villages, and quiet restaurants. Most men would be happy with a vacation that revolved around bikes and beer.

Well, as luck would have it, the Germans built a whole country around all of the above. And even luckier than that, my wife, Jean, likes bikes and beer as much as she likes quaint European villages. We got to see—and taste—it all while cycling in Southern Germany along a route known as the Romantic Road (Romantische Strasse).

The leisurely road ride of about 250 miles extends from Würzburg to Füssen, and packs in more castles and medieval villages than your can shake a sword at. In fact, just outside of Füssen, at the southern end of the route, you’ll find the castle that inspired Disney’s faux fortress.

As the official travel agent in our relationship, Jean does all of the research and planning. I pretty much just show up and carry the luggage. The Romantic Road’s official Web site, www.romantischestrasse.de (look for the link in the upper left with the British flag for the English version), had just about all of the information needed, including links to make arrangements for hotel reservations, luggage transportation and bike rentals (all of the above for us was handled through Deutsche Touring).

Our trip began with an overnight flight on Lufthansa from Boston to Frankfurt. Incidentally, Lufthansa means “small seats and no sleep.” After a couple of days in Frankfurt and one in Heidelberg, we finally hit the start of our ride in the incredible town of Würzburg. Situated along the River Main, Würzburg has great restaurants, local vineyards, cool shops, the requisite castle on the hilltop, and a “house” known as the Residence, built in the early 1700’s, that is larger than a mall, finer than any American mansion, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We picked up our sturdy touring bikes from a shop that was only a short walk from our hotel, and set off on our Bavarian adventure.

With only five days, we only did a portion of the route. Yeah, the whole route could be done in two hard days, but this isn’t the kind of ride that’s to be rushed. Who wants to rush a breakfast with fresh fruit, local eggs, good coffee and Nutella? How can you ride by a castle without an hour or two of exploring? Did I mention that the beer was good—and everywhere?

Anyway, setting off from Würzburg, the well-marked bike route takes you through rolling farm land and quiet villages, almost always staying away from busy roads. The brochure declares that the first half of the route is flat, and I’d say for the most part that’s true, but don’t be surprised when you find a couple of occasions when you’re digging deep for an easier climbing gear. From Würzburg, we went through Tauberbischofsheim, Lauda-Königshofen, Bad Mergentheim, Weikersheim, Röttingen, Creglingen, Rothenburg O.D.T., Schillingsfürst, Feuchtwangen, ultimately ending our ride in Dinkelsbühl.

We relied on the signs a little too much, and the map that we had didn’t have actual street level detail for the towns. This did result in us getting lost a couple of times—but that’s part of the fun. I must have had my dialect off slightly, because when I’d ask for directions, I’d start with “Ich spreche nicht Deutsch,” which, according to my Rick Steve’s travel book means, “I don’t speak any German.” However, it turns out that I think I was asking for people to speak to me in German as fast as possible.

As mentioned above, the German idea of a free hotel breakfast (frühstück) is amazing, and can include anything from buffet tables full of local meats and home-made sausages to cake. I’d say, “whatever,” and pile it on. Each day, after a short time to digest, we’d drop our oversized bags (which screamed, “we’re American”) in the hotel lobby and the touring company would pick them up so they’d be waiting for us at our next destination. Then we’d straddle our Fahrrads (bicycles) and head out.

We had a chance to explore incredible Baroque, Renaissance and Gothic castles, cathedrals, fortresses and towers dating back hundreds of years. Ancient walled cities with perfectly preserved architecture were like time capsules and were around every turn. For lunch, we’d try to find a local ratskeller (restaurant under the town hall) or other pub and enjoy a local wine or a refreshing radler (a beer with lemonade made specifically for cyclists as the word “radler” means “biker”); then more pedaling in the afternoon to our next destination.

Highlights included seeing a statue dedicated to Nusch, the mayor of Rothenburg in 1631. Legend has it that the mayor, facing destruction of his Protestant city by a Catholic army, accepted the opposing general’s challenge to drink a giant tankard of wine (about 3.5 liters), in one draught. After Nusch knocked that tankard down, the Catholic army spared the city, and the mayor went down in history as the Meistertrunk (master draught). The Museum of the Teutonic Order of Knights, in Bad Mergentheim, had a bicycle dating back hundreds of years, and, as you’d expect to find in a museum dedicated to knights, a huge collection of doll houses. Oh, and, a pet ferret attacked me.

We sampled several different hefeweizens (unfiltered wheat beers) including Schneider Weisse and Paulaner (which is conveniently available close to home), and a few excellent dunkels (dark beers). Germany’s Purity Law (reinheitsgebot), the world’s oldest food and beverage law, tightly regulates all of the nation’s brews and only four ingredients can be used: malt, yeast, hops, and water. Now that’s a government with its priorities straight.

Some interesting things about Germany: the fashion is very different (not many people in T-shirts and sneakers, and just about everyone wears black or brown), hunds (dogs) are allowed in most restaurants, the food is varied and very good (hausgemacht—homemade), and the pace of life is more relaxed than here in the U.S. All of which makes for a great vacation.

When we go back to finish the route, we’ll bring better maps, and we’ll probably bring our travel ready mountain/touring bikes so we can explore some of the local singletrack and so we can be self-supported. The plan IS to go back, so stay tuned. Until then, Auf wiedersehen.

See more photos→ http://picasaweb.google.com/davidaldenstpierre/Germany_2006

Links:
https://www.romantischestrasse.de/?lang=uk
http://www.germanbeerguide.co.uk/styles.html

Texas.

2010-11-14T12:08:00.000-08:00

Obligatory Photo

So, I just flew back from Texas, and boy, are my arms tired. Ha, that joke never gets old, does it? Yeah, I know. "Loser." I'm okay with that. I did just get back from Texas though, and I have a few observations and opinions I'd like to share.

First off, air travel has really become a HUGE pain in the ass. I don't know what policies the airline companies have for their executives, but if I was king (and I'd like to be), I'd ensure that all airline executives flew at least once a month, on their respective air planes, in coach, and boarded in Group 6.

Lecture Hall

I have no idea how these groups are determined. I'd think that you'd want to load the plane from the back and fill in the window seats first, but that does not seem to be the case. I do know that the people in the earlier seating groups have first shot at filling the overhead compartments with as much crap as they can, leaving the later seating groups with little or no room. I also know that later seating groups still have to squeeze down the aisle and past people already seated on the aisle seats. To me, this just doesn't make sense.I also hate being paraded by the "First Class" passengers like a side show.

The next thing that doesn't make sense is how the airlines expect passengers to have any level of comfort when there is almost no leg room, and certainly no arm room. If I had purchased a meal, and if I had to cut any food, my elbows would be in the armpits of those next to me. And with my knees touching the seat in front of me, any reclining the passenger in front of me does just further limits my range of motion.

And what about the inefficiencies in the security lines? We should have those grey plastic tubs available as soon as we enter the line, in an effort to encourage people to be a little prepared. People wait to the very last minute to remove their shoes, take out their gels/liquids, take out their laptops, put their keys and cell phones away… how hard is it to be a little prepared? I'm not criticizing the TSA's efforts at keeping air travel safe, but there should be more than a table length of prep area to get your stuff ready for screening. Oh, and thanks to the airlines charging for checked luggage, more travelers (myself included) are trying to bring more as carry-ons. That I do blame on the airlines.

Okay, enough about the annoyances of air travel. I will just say that no longer is getting there, "half the fun."

Now, let me bitch about Texas. I hate Texas. I've been through the Lone Star state a couple of times, and I've been told that there are some great parts to the state, but I haven't seen them, and I don't anticipate going back to find them.

The Majestic View

I was in Fort Worth for a CME convention so the majority of my time was spent in a lecture hall. In my free time, I searched and searched for signs of fresh fruits and vegetables, only to find some bananas in a convenience store. Now, I can't lay all the blame on the entire state, but it was bit disheartening to find french fries, mashed potatoes, fried green beans or rice & beans as the main vegetables offered in the restaurants. And I don't just mean the restaurants in my hotel, I did walk around quite a bit, only to find lots or bars, BBQ restaurants and steak houses. Admittedly, I stayed away from the pricier restaurants… do I need to spend $30 on a plate to get veggies?

I asked the concierge at my hotel if there were any grocery stores nearby within walking distance (I even specified that I could actually travel a couple of miles on my feet), and she immediately asked, "are you looking for fresh fruits?"

"Yes," I said, and then I was informed that there were none easily accessible, and that they could arrange a cab for me because I'd need to cross the highway.

Can you see one of the cases presented?

I said no, and went on my way. The restaurants had a great selection of beef and burgers with an occasional nod towards chicken--fried that is. Who doesn't love a burger and fries? I certainly do, but as an occasional treat, not my best option of cost vs convenience for a nightly meal. I was able to get grilled chicken as a substitute, and after scraping some of the slathered on cheese, it wasn't half bad.

I once met a guy from Texas when I was in Milan. He actually ate at McDonalds while in Italy, and one night while talking about the amazing fresh vegetables at all of the eateries, he said, with a perfect southern accent, "I don't eat no vegetables." Maybe he was just a product of his environment and not a complete tool as I initially opined. Maybe both. Anyway, as sad as it was, I couldn't wait to get to the airport for some diversity in my menu options.

Aside from my bitching about the hassles of air travel and the difficulty in eating healthy foods while traveling, I did have a good time at the convention. The speakers were good and the topics were relevant. I will note, that the hotel had set the hall up so that the tables had power strips so the attendees could utilize laptops for the presentations, rather than printed handouts, but that initially the power strips weren't working. As a complete nerd, I brought my own extension cord and power strip and was able to offer power to my whole table. And, as the hall did NOT have WifI, my Droid provided a mobile hot spot, so I was set.

All in all, I'm glad to be home. Jean was on the road before I left, so we were like the proverbial ships passing in the night, as opposed to the proverbial luxury ship drifting in the Pacific.

Now, I just need a good day on the bike, and all will be well...

Oh... the painter of cheesy paintings...

Oh, and by the way, let it be known, that my "days off," are not necessarily fun filled and free...

Days off...

2010-10-30T04:29:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm off today, and I'm getting caught up on "stuff." You know, dropping the car off for service, picking up some groceries at Trader Joe's, returning some e-mails, making some calls, and, of course, blogging, tweeting and drinking coffee. Mmmmmm... coffee.

One place that I spend LOTS of time in while I'm off is down in the "workshop." I seem to spend lots of time tweaking bikes... changing handlebars, making bikes singlespeed, making them geared, sometimes just rotating the tires... For me, working on bikes is a great way to relax. I'm not worried about medication interactions, kidney failure, heart failure, arrhythmias, nocosomial infections (nothing worse than an infected nocosom), or the worst part of medicine, documentation. Nope, I just turn wrenches and make sure that I don't strip threads. I lube pivoting parts, and yes, I shine stuff with Pedro's Bike Lust. Ah...

I'm sad to admit, and I'm man enough to do so, that every once in a while I have to get professional help, and it's not always with repairs that would be considered difficult. Indeed, I had to take my wheels in to the shop this past week simply to get the tires put on properly. I was having a hell of time getting my tires to seat properly in the rims, and rather than being round, my tires ended up being oval shaped. I tried riding the bike like this, but I felt like I was riding a circus bike. I tried everything--from pumping the tires up slowly, to taking them to a gas station and inflating them quickly with the air compressor, to trying different tires (three different ones to be exact), to changing the rim strips, always with the same result. Ultimately, my buddy Magic Dave got 'em seated properly with some soapy water sprayed at the tire bead and by just keeping going with the inflation until "pop." It's good to know that after more than 25 years of biking, I still need help sometimes with the most basic of repairs.

Anyway, I also spend a fair amount of time catering to the needs and whims of two of the most spoiled dogs, Gary and Luna. They require constant belly rubs and changes of scenery. They like car rides and going to the beach. How spoiled are they? Luna wouldn't think of resting on the ground... she actually found a natural (and smelly) natural ocean-made bed of seaweed to lay on. Unfortunately, the temperature is becoming too cold for beach romps.

This past week though has been warm enough for a couple more late season beach parties.

And speaking of this past week, it was my first "real" week at my new job. So far, it's been good. Everyone I've met has been great and it's fun to change things up everyone once in a while with a whole new work setting. I do miss many of my co-workers from Beverly Hospital--many who had become to feel like family members, but of course, neither I nor they are dead (yet), so I can keep in touch (although, I have not a good job on this front yet). In fact, I just did a shift there yesterday, so I was able to see some familiar faces!

Oh, and in case you didn't know (and how could you NOT), it's cyclocross season. I've been racing as often as I can, in what I call my 2010 Campaign for Cyclocross Mediocrity. Hop on over to the Racer-X site for one of my more recent race reports. And since I'll be racing tomorrow, there will be another race report to look forward to next week. How exciting!

Until then, be strong, and laugh, and shout at the devil.

The Night Weasels Cometh!

2010-10-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

And they bring rain. Sure, for many, cyclocross and rain go hand in hand. And this week, Mother Nature stepped up to provide three days of nearly non-stop rain leading in to the Night Weasels race. I texted my wife earlier in the day telling her that I absolutely could NOT wait for the carnage.

To the best of my knowledge, this is the first official mid-week 'cross race in the area (not counting Wednesday training races), and the first race at Ski Ward. The venue was great, we wound in and out and up and down the ski slope--good up-hills and fun down hills.

I was surprised to see the parking lot nearly packed to capacity when I arrived just before 5pm, and it was twice as full when I left later in the evening--looks like the event was a success!

I signed in, got my number, and did a lap on the SSCX bike. It would have been do-able on the SS, but gears appear to be favorable overall in 'cross racing--unless you're racing against other SS fools. I put the SS in the pit and took out the geared chariot. After my "experiment" with off-road drop bars, I decided to go back to my roots and re-install my flat bar. I felt SO much better.

Anyway, as usual, I lined up near the back of the 74+ or so riders in the Cat 4 group and waited for the start whistle.

Once we were off, it was again my goal to stay away from the squirrelly riders who can't handle the combination of tight turns, mud, and bikes. Unfortunately, those are the same riders that seem to pull away from me on the power sections. Damn them!

I could give you turn by turn details of the course, but instead, I encourage you to waste the six minutes to watch my first lap here:

It was a really fun course, and there was still a good amount of light when we started. By the time we were finished, the ski hill's lights were much appreciated.

I ended up finishing 38th overall in the Cat 4's, and 13th in the Cat 4 35+. The wonder kid that destroyed our field was 14yrs old. Kids these days, no respect for their elders!

I'll miss Providence this coming weekend (this pesky job is in the way), but I can't wait for Casco Bay, in my old Portland, ME, stomping grounds. Stay tuned!

Yeah, right in the puddle.

I do love these colors!

Grace!

It wasn't me.

2010-09-24T06:37:00.001-07:00

Despite the headline, I wasn't involved.

Biking=Fun (right?)

2010-09-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

Like most riders, I bike because it's fun. Fun to flow on twisty singletrack, fun to roll along scenic roads, fun to travel by bike and enjoy the outdoors. But, would you say it's also fun to meet up in a giant grass field to practice riding around in circles and running with your bike on your shoulder? In the dark? In THE mosquito breeding grounds? Well, Jamie and Glen call it fun, so I wanted to experience the joy and rapture too.

Yeah, it's that time of year again when the cyclocross race calender is looming, and like a patient desperately brushing his or her teeth just before a dentist's visit, hoping to make up for all those times you didn't floss, I'm hoping to start "training."

Jamie concocted a little half-mile loop rolling through the flat fields which winds around a couple of soccer nets, up a little hill, and incorporates a short and a long run. The plan was to do one lap, rest, two laps, rest, three laps, rest, four laps, rest, and on, culminating with a six-lap effort. I had slain some epic singletrack the day prior, so I wasn't going to be able to throw down and teach these sucka's who the boss was. Not this night. Tomorrow looks tough too, maybe sometime in April?

Anyway, I digress. Jamie and Glen were turning in pretty consistent 2:45-2:50ish laps.

Mine went like this:

1. 2:57 (easy, roll through, warm-up)
2. 2:47, 2:52
3. 3:13, 3:11, 3:00
4. 3:21, 3:21, 3:17, 3:12

Hmmmmmm.... lap times got a little longer towards the end, eh? HR was up around the 170's with a peak at 182.

But, really, aside from my sprints, endurance, mounts & dismounts, I'm all set.

Of course, one of the main reasons I like cyclocross races is because it's another opportunity for me to take racing pics, and while I was waiting for my HR to settle down, I shot some pics of the machines that are Glen and Jamie.

All in all, it WAS fun. Sort of. And it was a good prelude to beer & sushi!

Kingdom Trails

2010-09-22T06:41:00.000-07:00


Self, Andy, Doug..

I should probably start making my friends sign photo release forms. To ride with me is to be photographed by me. I hope no one minds... I know poor Jean has had me bark at her like a typical snooty fashion photographer when all she really wants to do is to get out for a ride.

Oh well, they're my megapixels, and I'm going to use them the way I see fit. Plus, I get to work on my skills at riding one-handed while trying to frame shots (that's how many of the following pics were taken).

Anyway, Andy Nook, Doug Salb and I piled in to Andy's truck yesterday and made the holy pilgrimage to Kingdom Trails for a day of fat-tire fun.

When they got their day passes, we were encouraged to check out some of the new trails on the mountain (Burke Mountain). Usually, we ride all up and down the Darling Hill trails, but this time we were intrigued. I got "the look" (as in, "you're an idiot") when I mentioned that I'd be riding the new trail on my fully-rigid singlespeed, but what the hell, you gotta ride what ya brung.

Kingdom Trails Association has been working very hard to develop a whole network of downhill and freeride trails on the mountain, and there are shuttle services and, during certain times, the chair lifts will carry you up too. Neither were options for us, so we drove to the Mid-Mountain Lodge and pedaled our way down Enchanted Forest to Knightslayer. Knightslayer was the trail that I wish I had access to 20 years ago when I was fearless and BMX skills were still coursing through my body. This was essentially a mile-long downhill BMX track with huge bermed turns, killer jumps (mostly table-tops), and rhythm sections. It was smooth, fast, fun, and I was immediately wondering if I should buy a freeride/dirt jumping bike... I mean, I've already got all the pads and stuff left over from the BMX days... And, the correct number of bikes to own is n+1... The delusion faded though, and now only rumbles quietly in the background of my mind.

Doug, on Knightslayer...

With no lift or shuttle service, we got to climb back up, and I do love to climb. Doug does not, and I think for him, the downhill run was not worth the climbing aftermath.

After our little freeride sojourn, we made our way over to Darling Hill to hit the cross-country trails. As always, the trails were awesome, but I do have to admit that many are starting to show some signs of wear--mostly braking stutter bumps on some of the downhill sections that used to be buttery smooth. Maybe a front suspension will be on my bike next time I go... We hit all the favorites, from Harp to Coronary Bypass, to Fencline to Pasture Point Loop to Pasture Point, up Coronary (where I totally dropped Jamie last time), to Bemis, to Tap & Die, to River Run to Webs, etc, etc, etc... (GPS data here.)

All in all, it was a perfect day. The weather was great, although it did threaten to rain for a few minutes. Otherwise, blue skies, green grass, red barn (yep, all primary colors, thanks Vermont) and foliage on the verge of exploding. They did have some cold temps overnight though... with a frost warning and temps in the 20's F. Zoiks, fall is here and winter is approaching.

Doug, after climbing up Coronary (his favorite).

The important question is, will I get back up there one more time before the season officially ends?

Vermont, Part Deux

2010-08-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's been a Vermont kind of week. I had a killer time rolling around in a ball of cramps and agony in the field at last week's race, and, well, after a few days of rain, I was anxious to get back up to VT for some more riding.

I was able to convince Jamie and Andy to make the 3+hr drive up to Kingdom Trails, and I suspect that they had a good day trip. I know I did. Even after all that rain that soaked New England, the trails were in prime condition. We hit Harp, Coronary Bypass, Fencline, Pastore Point & Loop, Coronary (a tough climb where I totally dropped the HAMMER on Jamie and LEFT HIM IN MU DUST), Tap & Die, River Run, Webs (ah... Webs), Dry Feet, West Branch, Violet's Outback, Sidewinder, Border, Jaw, Maxilla... okay, get the picture?

The riding was great, the weather was perfect, and aside from my hydration pack bladder springing a leak while still at the car, we had no mechanical issues.

All in all, a perfect day of riding... I had room in my car for one more, so don't miss the next trip. Until then, enjoy these images...

VT 30!

2010-08-23T11:49:00.000-07:00

Some days you’re the hammer, some days you’re the nail.

Some days you bite the bear, some days the bear bites you.

Some days you’re the gloved finger, some days you’re the boggy prostate.

On Saturday, I was the latter in all three examples.

The scene of the crime was the VT30, a 6-hour mountain bike race in Pittsfield, Vermont. I don’t have all of the details of the crime, but as near as I can tell, I was riding along, minding my own business, when I was ambushed by team of varsity field hockey players, doped up on testosterone, and looking to take out some frustration on a man. I suspect I was drugged, midazolam or maybe a rufie, because I don’t remember much. But I do know that my muscles feel like they were beaten with field hockey sticks, so it must be true.

I won’t speculate any more on the assault, it’s time to start the healing process. I CAN say, that before the attack, I was having a great time…

Friday night was a “late start, long drive, set up the tent and try to fall asleep fast kind of night.” Saturday morning was a “wake up early after not getting much sleep,” kind of morning, but it was race day, and I LOVE race day. Our group (Me & Jean; Rob & Renee; Andy & Maggie; Jamie & Beth et al) convoyed to the race venue to sign in and get ready to rumble.

Andy, Rob and I had done a little recon mission a couple of weeks ago, so we knew what to expect: about five miles of climbing—with more switchbacks than I can count, followed by a short technical trail—just to keep you on your toes, followed by a few miles of pure, fun, in the form of a downhill with bermed turns and tight switchbacks. Each lap was about 8.5 miles, and each lap had about 1400ft of climbing—yeah!

With food, fluids, and tire pressure all set, it was time to line up for the le mans style start (i.e. you run to your bike). Like Inigo Montoya’s life quest to find the man who killed his father, I would like to find the person that first thought that le mans starts would be good for mountain bike races, and poke him (or her), in the eye.

Anyway, re-united with my bike, I took off down the trail, to start the long slog up. Jamie was ahead somewhere, Rob was right in front of me, and Andy, Jean, and Renee were just behind. Rob and I were pushing a good pace until he decided to shoulder his bike and run up one of the longer, straighter, steeper climbs. I thought, “hmmm, that seems silly.” It was. He started too soon as the steepest part was still to come. I guess he just wanted some early cyclocross practice.

We reached the top of the first lap and hit the Labyrinth, the course’s only real technical challenge. He dismounted but couldn’t get the space to get back on the bike because he was right behind the riders in front, and I was right behind his back wheel—which was bouncing back and forth like a 29-inch wind-shield wiper. I was able to get ahead just before the super fun downhill and it was time to let it rip. Yeah, the old guy on the fully rigid bike was passing riders on full suspension bikes on the downhill. I’d pay a few hours later, but at the moment, I was having a blast.

I rolled through the first lap in about 1:05, felt good, and went on for lap number two.

The second lap was a bit easier as I could keep a more consistent pace on the climbs. It’s always hard to keep momentum going on a singlespeed when you’re in a line of riders on geared bikes. Lap two was just as much fun as lap one, and I rolled through just a tad bit slower, at about 1:10. Rob pulled in just behind me and we headed out for lap three together.

I think by this point, the field hockey players were in place, and the trap was being set.

Rob and I rode ALMOST the whole third lap together. We caught up with Jean, in the Labyrinth, and I had time to stop for a quick smooch (with Jean, not Rob).

As the third lap was just about done—as in less than 1/10th of a mile left, some cramps that had been threatening to attack, attacked. I had to stop, I couldn’t walk, my legs were no longer under my control. I was literally laying down in the field, writhing around in agony. My muscles were bunched up and twitching—it was like watching weasels wrestle under my skin. I couldn’t move. Finally, after a few excruciating minutes, I could manage to get up to all fours. Then I could kneel. Nope, too soon. Back down to all fours. Again, up to a kneeling position and then ultimately up to a standing position. It was a far cry from being physically able to ride up a 1400ft climb again, but it was a start.

Getting one foot in front of the other involved monumental effort. The Gods of Cramps were looking for a sacrifice and I was draped over the altar.

With the vim and vigor of an octogenarian, I limped across the line. Rob had already moved on, leaving me for dead. Against all common sense and logic, I went out for one more lap.

And I can’t even say it was a nice walk. It was painful walk. Calves were cramping. Hamstrings were cramping. Quadriceps were cramping. My back was cramping. My triceps were cramping. If I’m not mistaken, my skin was cramping. Ouch.

I’m not sure where I went wrong. I was fairly well hydrated with both water and Gatorade. I had taken my Endurolytes. I had fueled up with Gu as I’ve done many times before. There are only two real possibilities. Either:

a.) I’m not in very good shape.

b.) I was kidnapped by a group of angry man-hating doped up field hockey players, recently wronged, and looking for revenge. I was drugged, beaten, and left for dead. But it was only because I AM in very good shape that I was actually able to survive what would otherwise have been a fatal attack.

Clearly, it was “b.”

I limped across the line, just in time to see Renee head out for her 5th lap. (Obviously, being HELPED by the field hockey assassins.)

The amazing thing is, I still managed a top 10 finish! I just wish there had been some names AFTER mine on the results list, because there were only eight of us racing solo singlespeed.

Whatever.

Did I have fun? Hell Yeah.

Was the course awesome? Hell Yeah.

Will I be back? Hell Yeah.

Will I win next time? Cough.

Was Sunday’s breakfast epic? Hell Yeah.

Thanks to Jason and Andy and everyone else for putting on a great event. Just please secure the perimeter a little better next year to make it safer for me to race.

Woman Cave

2010-08-18T18:09:00.001-07:00

VT 30 Pre-Ride

2010-08-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

By now, you've read all about my recent race exploits in NY over on the Racer-X blog (day one and day two), and you're probably hoping to read more about my Montana trip (I know, I've still got more to post!). But, alas, you'll still have to wait for more Montana. Here, I'm going to chat a bit about the course for the upcoming VT 30 mountain bike race.

Rob Bousquet, Andy Nook, and myself took a short cruise up to Pittsfield, VT to get a better sense of what to expect for the six-hour mtb race. In a nutshell, we'll be expecting some climbing... lots of climbing.

From what I understand, there's actually less climbing in this year's course as compared to previous routes... zoiks!

The course is essentially one long up hill, with a relatively short, flat, technical section at the top (called the labyrinth), then a long down hill. The climbs and descents are NOT technical unless you consider countless tight switchback turns as technical, which I do not.

We did two laps, which should have been about 10 miles each. My GPS came in at about 8.5 miles per lap, but Andy's & Rob's were both pretty close to 10. I guess I was connected to crappy satellites. Our first lap was filled with doubt and confusion as the actual race course isn't completely marked yet. We had to stop MANY times to check the map to figure out where to go. We got fairly off course at one point, but overall, it seemed that we found everything.

All in all, it was a super fun course. The first half is plenty of work, but it's do-able. None of the climbs are steep enough that you have to get off the bike--well except one section that's got two false summits, but that's more demoralizing than steep and unrideable. I'll be gearing down from the 32x22 I rode yesterday to give myself a better chance at banging out four laps. And, by "banging out," I mean suffer slowly.

Each of us had a crash, but nothing serious. Only one of us actually came out of one of his shoes though. I'm not going to name names though, but I will say that the gears could be to blame.

I can't wait for the race!

Pat's Peak

2010-07-28T11:57:00.000-07:00

Did you catch my race report from my recent 24hr race?
Click over to the Twin Six team page, and then link over to the Racer-X site.

Click, surf, ah!

Montana--Day 4, Part II

2010-07-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned, after our day of driving and short hikes, I was eager to get back on the bike, even for a quick spin. My National Geographic Map showed a trail near the east entrance of Glacier that apparently allowed bikes. Cool, for VERY few national parks allow bikes on the trails.

I gathered my map, my bike, and headed off, leaving Jean near the visitor's center with her book(s).

The trail is called the Old Flathead River Ranger Station Trail, and it, like everywhere else in Glacier, was grizzly country.

I like to think of myself as brave, and I tend not to shy away from activities that have an element of danger, but while out on the trail, alone, the mind can wander, and you start to think exactly how you'd stack up in a fight against a bear. I did some quick calculations, factoring in the few mixed martial arts classes that I had taken and determined that I'd be dead.

Of course, the number of bear attacks appears to be exceedingly low, and some bears simply break into people's houses in home invasions. Of course, this was just sent to me...But I was still probably more at risk by being attacked by a human. However, the mind, the mind does play tricks. As fully grown adult male, I'm not used to thinking of myself as prey in any situation, and when mountain biking, NONE of the trails I ride at home have predators that I need to watch for, unless you also count the ticks and mosquitoes.

be sure to let this video load...

Anyway, I followed the recommended precautions, used my bear-bell (which in bear-speak is known as the dinner bell), made lots of noise, and kept my eyes open.

It would make for a VERY cool story now, if I could say that I did see a bear, but I didn't. I saw nothing. It was still a good ride though, fairly buff singletrack, with the occasional tree down across the trail. I didn't make it to the end as I was hoping, because while I was watching for bears, I had to keep my eyes on yet another threat--a fast moving thunderstorm. After a few claps that seemed very close and a couple of flashes of lightening, I decided to head back to the visitor's center.

For what it's worth, the storm blew through and never really amounted to anything, but that's okay, even though there were no near death experiences, the post-ride beer (not bear) still tasted good.

Montana--Day 4

2010-07-26T07:17:00.000-07:00

As I was saying, I've waited too long to post, so now I forget some of the finer details from each day. Damn. Fortunately, I typically take hundreds of photos each day I'm on vacation, so I am able to piece most of the day together.

We woke to a pretty cool sky just after sunrise. Although it looked ominous, the sky actually cleared up pretty nicely and overall, the weather was great.

We decided to drive the whole Going to the Sun road, from West to East, to get the full experience. We did get stuck in the construction traffic again, but it was no real big deal, and we got to chat with some of the construction workers while waiting.

Our first real stop was Logan's Pass, our original destination for our ride the day before. There, at the top, there was still PLENTY of snow. In fact, the trails just out from the visitor's center, while open, were still buried under several feet of snow. In some spots, we were walking next to tree tops, with the rest of the trees buried below.

Anyway, in shorts and sneakers, we hiked out, through the snow, to the look-out by hidden lake. It was a fun, and *interesting* hike, slipping and sliding along. Jean had her trekking poles, so she had some more stability. We got to see some wildlife and some amazing panoramic views.

After making it back to the visitor's center, we continued on our drive to the East side, grabbed lunch, and drove back to the West side. I would have loved to have done the whole road on the bike, and I really wish there was a route something like this here near home to use for training... but alas...

We stopped along the drive and did several short hikes along the way. All in all, Glacier National Park is an incredible place, and our time there was barely enough to scratch the surface.

We have to go back, and there's even more to be found outside of the park. Anyway, after some hiking, some driving, some hiking and some driving, we finally arrived back at the West entrance of the park.

I knew there was a trail near the West entrance that actually DID allow mountain biking, so I left Jean to chillax in the car, while I geared up for a ride. I'll detail that ride shortly, but for now, here's some other pics from the day's driving and hiking:

Animals of Montana

2010-07-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts of visiting other parts of the country is having a chance to see some different animals. Glacier National Park and Montana as a whole is home to bears (grizzly and black bears), mountain goats, rams, and so many other wonderful and wild creatures. We did see one black bear, but I didn't get a pic (amateur!). Here's a sampling of the animals I did get to shoot.

This deer followed me for about a hundred yards or so while riding up the Going to the Sun road...

Clearly, this guy is used to getting food from hikers...

This guy didn't seem to shy either... he (she?) was losing his winter coat...

ew... bugs...

Thanks for posing!

Yikes... retirees driving RVs!

MORE to come!

Epic Ride for a Wild Cat Epic!

2010-07-19T02:46:00.000-07:00

The Wild Cat Epic 100 is coming up. Gulp. Should I start training? Should I start to taper? Should I "carb up"? As an official certified USA Cycling Level 2 coach, you'd think I'd know the answers. And, well, I do know the answers, but it's much more fun to ignore logic and recommendations and just go out and ride. Maybe that's why I'm not pro. (Yeah, and that's the ONLY reason, right...)

Anyway, I got some good saddle time in while in Montana (more details coming by the way), but I needed more. My week off this week was a bit hectic, so I didn't get to ride as much as I was hoping, and I was still a bit sore from my part in my team's award winning performance at the 24 Hours of Pat's Peak mountain bike race.

So, the week flew by, and before I knew it, I was faced with one day left before heading back to the grind. I had to make my ride epic.

And what's more epic than heading out on a hot summer's day with not nearly enough water, a map, and $20? Answer--nothing.

The big race I'm *training* for is going to be mostly on fire roads, with not much technical singletrack. That's fine... I'm not such a mountain bike snob that fire roads are looked down upon. I love being on my bike--road, dirt road, singletrack--whatever.

Anyway, I really needed to get time/miles in, I'm not trying to learn how to ride roots and rocks. Got that.

So, I headed out with a plan to link some of my favorite trails together, obviously with long road sections. My goal was 50 miles, and I nailed it.

I started with some of the trails in Beverly Commons (Greenwood Ave). From there, I popped over to Gordon College Trails. From there, I hopped on the road and headed into Hamilton. I found some Discover Hamilton Trails which spit me back on to the road, I and found my way back to some trails at Appleton Farms Grass Rides.

I was back on the road for a bit and then in to Bradley Palmer. After hitting some of my favorite trails in there, it was time to cross the river and cross the road to get to Willowdale State Forest. Yeah, I LOVE riding in Willowdale. I picked up a good loop of fire road and single track--then I took a loose rocky downhill a bit too fast and pinch flatted. Damn. The bugs were psyched and I provided a delicious blood meal to what seemed like thousands of hungry insects.

I hit about the 3hr mark while in Willowdale and I was running low on water (i.e.--gone). I had originally planned on stopping along the way, but the stores were not as ubiquitous as I had anticipated.

I rolled out of WIllowdale--hot, sweaty, and depleted of fluids. Fortunately, I knew there was a Dunkin Donuts just down the road. I waited in line behind people getting disgusting "coffee" drinks (i.e. short on the coffee, tall on the flavors, sweeteners, and fat) to get waters, Gatorade and a bran muffin.

Bolstered by this, I headed back out into the blazing sun, up Rt 1 (good hills), down 97, and back towards Beverly.

I was planning on a mostly road ride back at this point, but at about mile 43, I passed a sign for some Essex County Greenbelt trails. Of course, what better time to explore new trails? I have an uncanny ability to find trails that look great at that start, only to head downhill, and then taper off into nothing. I did that twice, and each time I had to turn around and head back up. Argh. Jean will attest to this super power as she has fallen victim to it on occasion. Anyway, at one point, I even came across a park bench--in the middle of nowhere. I took an opportunity to sit and reflect, and then made my way back to some more prominent trails, and then ultimately back to the road.

I got home, cooled off with the garden hose and replenished more fluids. It was a good ride--50 miles of mixed road and trails. Ultimately, that's my favorite type of riding--I do hate driving to a trail, doing a loop, and driving home... and that's the one and only drawback, I think, to singlespeeds is that riding them on the road (at least when geared appropriately for of-road riding), is a chore. I gotta get me a Hammershmidt.

Anyway, I'm going to build on this loop, add in more trails, and ultimately make it a century. Stay tuned!

Montana--Day 3

2010-07-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, this is what happens when I wait too long to post vacation pics & stories... I forget what happens. Forgive me if I leave out some of the more compelling details...

Here's what I DO remember. Jean and I wanted to ride the "Going to the Sun" road, which is the main road that goes from the western side of Glacier National Park to the east side. It's about 50 miles, one way, with a "good" climb in the middle. I didn't see us going out and back, so we planned on leaving from Lake McDonald and heading up to the high point, Logan's Pass. From there, we'd turn around and head back down.

Jean was initially taunting me to ride all the way to the east side, and then try to find a ride back to our starting point. After a few thousand feet of climbing, the taunting abated...

Anyway, you can see the GPS profile below:

Here's the spoiler though... we didn't get all the way to the top (visitor's center). Unfortunately, there's construction going on on the road, and there were road closures at a couple of different points. Of course, the road wasn't closed for the day, but there were delays of up to 30 minutes in either direction. Now, here's the problem. I knew that part of the road was actually closed to bikes during peak hours (11-4), but I thought that that was just the section down by Lake McDonald. When we began our ascent, there was another sign stating that this section of the road was also closed to cyclists during the same time. Long story short--we got about 1-2 miles from the top, were stuck at a traffic stop, and decided to turn back because we didn't want to be riding on the road when it was closed to cyclists (Jean LOVES to follow rules).

It turns out that the cyclist restriction only applied to one direction and that we would have been fine had we waited. D'oh!

Anyway, while we didn't get all the way to the top, we still ended up doing a total of about 3000ft of climbing and just under 40 miles total. Fun!

The scenery was simply amazing, and I had a hard time trying to both ride AND take photos, but I did it. I even took some video:

So, anyway... we rode up, we rode down, we had lunch, and that's really all I remember. I think we also cruised in to Whitefish, a nearby town, and checked out some shops including a great coffee shop, and Glacier Cyclery where we got some good info on trails in the area--but more on that later.

In the meantime, check out the photos. I'm sure Jean remembers more than I do (she's MUCH smarter than I am, though, that's no great feat), so I'll probably add some info later.

Montana--Day 2

2010-07-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

So, if day 1 was all about travel, day 2 was all about figuring out what was where and what to do. First item on the agenda was bike assembly. I'm getting better at putting the bikes together quickly, and to be honest, I like working on bikes. Once we had our "steeds" set up, we scooted in to Glacier National Park to get the lay of the land. Our first impression was "wow."

GNP is huge with huge scenery.

We started at the visitor's center right near the entrance, which, paradoxically, was all about the Canadian side. I took a pic of the dinosaur (cuz, when you think about Canada, you think about dinosaurs, right?) and we made our way further in to the park.

Our next stop was Lake MacDonald, where there was a whole little village of shops, restaurants, hotels, and a visitor's center. We did our obligatory walk-through to see the touristy stuff, then got the 411 at the visitor's center. We wanted to do the "Going to the Sun," road on our bikes, and I needed to clarify some information about road closures, as part of the road is closed to bikes at peak tourist hours and there was some construction going on.

With those details worked out, Jean and I spent the rest of the day cruising around and hitting some short hikes.

I don't remember the details--we drove around, we hiked a bit, we drove around some more...

We went through that whole "wow," thing a few more times and then ultimately headed back to the cabin to prepare for our early morning assault on Going to the Sun.

I'll leave you with a few more pics from Day 2:

Montana--Day 1

2010-07-04T02:54:00.000-07:00

I've seen plenty of amazing photos of Glacier National Park and of Montana in general, so it was high time that Jean and I went out to Big Sky country to check it out for ourselves. And, I needed a good destination to serve as an anniversary gift to my lovely wife, so Montana it was!

As with most trips, the actual travel part wasn't that exciting. We flew out of Logan and connected in Denver on our way to the final destination of Missoula, Montana.

I WAS excited to see an official New Belgium Brewery restaurant in the Denver airport that served my favorite beer, 1554, which is not sold in New England. Mmmmmmm.

Aside from that little delight, our Saturday involved flying with our not insubstantial luggage (hey, you try bringing two full size mountain bikes, sleeping bags, bike tools, helmets, cycling shoes, and clothes for an active vacation that involves hiking and biking in temps from the 40's to the 80's... and some rain gear, just in case) and then driving a few hours to West Glacier.

Arriving into Missoula, we were immediately impressed with the surrounding scenery, and I actually wish I had planned to spend more time there. But alas, there's always a good reason to go back!

Anyway, we did hit the Missoula Wal*Mart before making the scenic drive to West Glacier, as we needed to stock up on some supplies that we did not pack (i.e., a small coolers, etc).

Once we had our supplies, we hit the road in our rental car. The mountains and surrounding landscape turned out to be as amazing and impressive as we had hoped--plenty of rugged peaks, lush green grass and trees, blue lakes, and wildflowers... we were psyched.

The drive from Missoula to West Glacier took about 3hrs, and we arrived at our little rental Kabin without incident. We unloaded and got ready to attack the following day.

One thing that was a bit weird was the fact that the sun didn't even come close to setting until 10pm. It was very strange to be sitting around in full daylight and then realize that the time was almost 9:30...

AT&T-->ATTEMPT at Talking & Texting

2010-06-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

If you know me, you know I LOVE new techno-gadgets. So it would probably come as no surprise to learn that I WANT a new iPhone.

But, I will NOT get a new iPhone, for one simple reason--AT&T. See this picture? See the number of bars I've got? See the service I've got? Nothing. I get dropped calls, failed calls and poor reception. If you've been watching the tech news (and I know you have been), you know that AT&T and Apple haven't had a great PR run heading in to the new iPhone launch. Aside from the pre-order snafu's, I can honestly say, I've been nothing but discouraged by the network overall.

I will be watching and waiting to see what Verizon has up its sleeve, and maybe I'll break my contract early and actually be able to make clear calls. Until then, I'll be the guy with the wire coat hanger taped to my Blackberry, trying to get a good signal.

Randomness...

2010-06-17T03:14:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I've been neglecting my little pet blog, so I've decided to through some random photos at it, and subsequently, at you.

In no particular order, here are some images to amuse and enlighten you...

First off, you may ask yourself, "does David ever draw upon his training and education he obtained when he first started college as a graphics design major?"

I think this hand-made sign, done with Krylon and corrugated cardboard, clearly demonstrates that I've still got the touch. These signs were put up in Salem as part of a limited time installment. If you missed them, they're gone. The signs' brief life is part of what made them so special.

Of course, the signs were not only part of an effort to immerse myself back into the Salem art community and part of a Salem "beautification project," but they also served a purpose--I had a garage sale.

Garage sales are a great way to let strangers look at your stuff. It also gives them an opportunity to get lots of it for nearly nothing. I had people sifting through the stuff well before my actual 8:00am start time, but as I understand, good deals don't follow a schedule.

If you've ever had a yard sale, garage sale, tag sale, or simply had hordes of people rummage through your extra stuff, you know the fun I had. I was running to show solo, but my buddy Rick did hang out with me for most of the day, more as a security guard, to keep the crowds under control.

Believe it or not, I did have some crowds. I wish I could have photographed them all. As an understatement, most yard sale shoppers are "interesting."

At one point, the rain started to fall so I moved the tables into the garage, and that's when the people with bags over their heads arrived. Why are women SO afraid of a little rain on their heads? Is wet hair going to look any worse than a plastic Market Basket bag on the head?

Anyway, I got rid of a significant amount of clothes, gadgets, housewares and books. The rest is heading to Beverly Bootstraps.

When all was said and done, security guard Rick, treated himself to a fine beverage, and I took the day's proceeds to the Dollar Store (not really).

Aside from hosting massively successful garage sales, and working on artistic installments around Salem, I've been riding as much as possible, although I'm still dealing with the SuperFly "issue."

I also let my friend squirt bubble-gum colored molding material into my ear canals. Don't worry, he's a doctor, so he knows what he's doing. This is in an effort to get custom molded ear-buds for my iPod. It was also an opportunity for my friends to make fun of my ear canals. Jerks.

How's this for random? There's a clothing store in the swanky "downtown" of Beverly Farms, that, as far as I'm concerned, has some of the dorkiest clothes. Well, their current window display has a pair of shorts with pot leaves on it. I guess that's how some of the residents afford their million-dollar homes.

And speaking of the weather, could we get some more rain and fog please?

This has been a weird spring so far; I hope that once we roll past the official summer solstice we have a steady stretch of sun.

And speaking of trying to navigate through thick fog, while also recording heart rate data, did you hear that my trust Garmin Forerunner 305 bit the dust? It did. It's been replaced.

That's all for now for my random update.

Until next time, enjoy this photo of Luna after she successfully hunted down and captured the elusive tennis ball of doom.

OLD Freestyle Footage...

2010-06-03T18:43:00.001-07:00

I came across this old CD today and found this video on it... this is back when I was living in San Diego...

Happy Anniversary!

2010-05-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

Married--5 years.
Co-habitating--11 years.
Best Friends--23 years!

Weeping Willow Race Report

2010-05-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

You think you're getting a full race report here, but a-ha, you're NOT. Instead, you're getting a photo that I borrowed from Seaside Cycle's FB photo page and a link to the coolest bike clothing company out there, Twin Six. Trust me, I'm sort of like a doctor's helper, and I promise, the click won't hurt a bit. Click here, and do it now!

KingdomTrails_part1

2010-05-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Green Mountain State.

2010-05-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

I love Vermont. It's been a few months since I had been up to the Northeast Kingdom, but the addiction is rekindled, and I can't wait to go back.

Jean and I headed up on Saturday, but we went up late… the weather was actually better here in MA, so we took care of stuff around the house and did a great road ride first. Ultimately, it was time to pack our stuff in the car and hit 93 north. The drive up was uneventful, and we made our way to our friend Jo's house.

It was great to catch up with our old friend and get re-acclimated to our home away from home. She's got a great B&B in the perfect location, and Jean and I have been staying with her so often, she's like family.

After getting reacquainted, getting a good night's sleep, and having a great breakfast, it was all about getting rubber down and hitting the trails!

Ah, and speaking of old friends, there was Harp, Coronary Bypass, Pastore Point Loop, Coronary, Tap & Die, Webs, West Branch, Hogback, Sidewinder, Border, Heaven's Bench, Ridge, Leatherwood, Riverwood, Nose, Worth It, Beat Bog, Widow Maker, Pines, Bill MacGill… Good friends indeed. If you know what I mean, you know how good it was. If you don't know, well, next time I mention that I'm going to Kingdom Trails, get your bike ready and come along to be enlightened.

In addition to riding, we did some more riding. In addition to that, we did one of our favorite hikes in the area, to the overlooks on Mt. Pisgah, looking over Lake Willoughby.

All in all, it was a killer get away to the Green Mountain State. Now, I have to review my calendar to see when we'll be back.

See some other pics here.

Avid BB7!

2010-05-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

Avid's BB7. It's a simple component, yet the source of MUCH anger and frustration this morning...

It started out when I was doing a pre-race inspection on my Singular Swift. The rear rotor was a little wobbly, and there was a small nick in the finish that was causing some accelerated wear on the pads... oh, and the pads were probably at the point where they could have been replaced. So, I figured I'd just get a whole new kit. Easy enough, right?

I started by calling Western Cycle... no BB7 in stock. No problem. I checked Seaside Cycles, which is only about 3 miles from my house... the shop's Web site had an online catalog which showed the BB7... I arrived at the shop only to learn that the online catalog was NOT actual store inventory, but a list of things that could be ordered. D'oh!

Next. I tried calling REI. I had a feeling that they would have the caliper in stock, and I could get a new seat for Jean, as I knew that the also carried WTB. When I called REI, I was on hold for about 5 minutes. I hung up, and instead tried Pinnacle Bikes in Beverly. No luck. I called REI back, was on hold too long again, and hung up to call Beverly Cycles. No BB7. Repeat the same process with REI, being on hold, and then calling another shop two more times (Centraal Cycles and Brown's, both in Beverly), no BB7.

I finally got someone at REI, and I was in luck, they had the BB7! I asked to have it held for me at the front desk and then I hopped on 128 south (from Manchester By The Sea no less). I drove "quickly," pushing my Element to the limits. I had to get down to Reading and get back home so that I could get to work. I got down 128 south just fine, but when I hit Danvers, I looked across the median, and to my horror, the traffic was backed up as far as I could see. I could NOT spend my time in that. I hopped off 128 on 114 and hit more traffic. ARGH!

On a lark, I tried Salem Cycles, and viola, they had " a frig load of BB7's." I was there as fast as I could, navigating Salem traffic and parking (which suck). I got the caliper, and then battled Salem and Beverly traffic some more.

Sigh... so much for a quick errand and installing the caliper before work!

Kingdom Trails

2010-05-19T16:33:00.001-07:00

Lake Willoughby

2010-05-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

From the top of Mt Pisgah, thanks to Photoshop stitching about 5 photos together...(click on the photo).

Back to Blogging!

2010-04-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Wow. It's been about a month since my last post. That's lame, but I've been BUSY!

I guess I'll start with this past week and then work backwards a bit, mainly because this past week is still fresh in my memory, and the old memory ain't what it used to be...

I was off this past week, with the exception of putting a shift in in the emergency department on Monday, and this was a great week off--better than most in the recent past, mainly because I got to do plenty of riding and proportionally less moving stuff (although, in retrospect, still quite a bit).

Saturday, however, was not an exciting day. Jean and I spent virtually the whole day running around from store to store getting "stuff." What stuff? I don't really remember, but I do know that light bulbs were pretty important. So was a smoke detector. All I really remember was that we drove around all day, from Target, to Home Depot, to Lowes, to Wal*Mart. Fun, fun, fun. After a long week at work, there's nothing more fun than driving around doing errands. Seriously, we're getting everything online from now on.

Although, while waiting for Jean in Wal*Mart, I did get to see this VERY cool, custom painted, camper. I may have these guys do some signage on my car... we'll see.

Anyway, the fun part of Saturday came when we got together with Megan & Rick for Clash of the Titans--in 3D. I loved the original movie, and to this day, my all time favorite movie quote is "Let loose the Kraken." (For some reason, this was changed to "release the Kraken in the new movie...)

I wasn't sure if the new version would be as good as the first, and sadly, it wasn't. It was still entertaining, and most important, I got some cool 3D glasses.

Sunday was still raining. I had been longing to get out for a ride--especially after working 9 days in a row, but the crappy weather held me at bay. I decided to take the marauding morons (Gary & Luna) out for a run, with Jean (not a marauding moron), and then meet up with Doug for breakfast. Jean and I did a couple of miles together and then I peeled off with the dogs to log a couple of more miles. I was hoping for 4-5 miles, but as I'm still learning my way around the new neighborhood, I took a couple of roads that were longer than expected, and 7 1/2 miles later, we jogged back in to the driveway. Longer than I had planned, but I was able to reward myself with a great steak tip breakfast at the Cityside Diner in Beverly! Mmmmm, meat.

Highlights for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday include, riding, riding and more riding.

Tuesday night I met up with a group at Willowdale, to try to scope out some of the course that will be used on the race in May. I was the only sucka there on a SS, and when the course hit the fire roads, I was left behind. Damn. The singletrack was a different story though, and there's where I felt I could hold my own. It was a fun ride, and cool to hang out over at Matt's house after. Although, apparently I've got a $1 bill for the beer. Damn again.

Wednesday, my buddy Tim came out from Worcester and we explored some trails in Beverly Commons and Gordon College. For reasons that are too convoluted to describe here, I decided to take a geared bike. I haven't ridden a geared bike off-road (aside from my travel bike which has a 1x8, and is used exclusively when I travel) in years. I also had suspension... I'll get into that another day, but looking back as the trails in the Commons, it was the right tool for the job. Very technical trails with lots of short, steep ups & downs. I'd probably take the geared bike back there next time, but we'll see. We ended up walking as much as riding, so when we had the chance to pop over to Gordon College, we did. It was one extreme to the other though, as we found ourselves pedaling along smooth fire roads. I eventually found some good stuff though and there's a surprising amount of killer singletrack hidden away all over the north shore.

Wednesday's good ride was followed by another ride in Bradley Palmer/Willowdale on Thursday, this time with Mike and his SS. It was good to be back on my fully rigid, 29'er singlespeed. We banged out a fast & fun 13 miles, and we continue to find new trails out there. I don't know who's doing the building & cutting, but whoever it is, he/she is a mad genius. Perhaps it's simply trail gnomes? Whatever, I love Willowdale.

I was starting to feel some fatigue set in in the legs, so I decided to take it "easy" on Friday. Well, sort of. I did sleep late (10:00am!), but after being suddenly awoken by the doorbell, I headed out for a road ride with Glen and Jamie. It was an easy ride for them, but I was hurting. All in all though, I knew that once I got back to work, I'd be thinking about riding, so I figured I'd ride every chance I could while I was off. It's better to go back to work exhausted instead of well-rested. Otherwise it's not an appropriate use of personal time!

COSTA RICA Day 7: Viva la Viernes

2010-03-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

I was successfully reunited with my wheel. Alejandro brought the wheel to Bike Arenal which is also apparently called Ciclo La Fortuna, and to further confuse things, I was told that despite the sign that says that the shop was closed for renovations, the shop was open--although at the house behind the shop. Whatever, all I know is that my wheel got completely rebuilt, with new spokes, for $10! Ten! I was back in business! The weather was still a bit iffy, but after a day of milling about, we were ready to ride.

The first order of business was to head back to the waterfall. We had turned around about halfway up a killer climb last time, but this time we wanted to make it to the top. We did. From there, we went back down to La Fortuna, then on to another dirt road into La Guairia. From there, the road deteriorated to a slick, sticky, muddy, ATV trail. FUN! We climbed up some more, then descended down to the Rio Arenal. On our return trip we crossed paths with a couple of groups of ATV riders, and I think we were definitely having more fun. At least I had more mud on me.

Anyway, after some more climbs and some more killer Costa Rican scenery, it was time to head back to the hotel (of course, uphill), and then to the showers.

Our clothes were sticky, sweaty, and oh so stinky. Although we tried to air them out and let them dry, I felt bad for any TSA inspectors that had to open our bags...

After the showers, it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner--so it was perfect for coffee time! Back to the Gecko (I've got to find their beans... apparently a company called "Down To Earth." Once I was adequately caffeinated, Jean and I wandered over to an art gallery.

When we arrived, the girl working there was all alone, and we were the only ones in the shop. While we were browsing, a bus-load of demanding, impatient, and downright rude Americans rolled in. They huffed and puffed because the poor girl coudn't help all of them at once before finally making a few purchases and being herded away. Jean and I apologized, on behalf of all of the consciencous American travellers out there. We also got some VERY cool art.

Anch'io again for another great Italian dinner and then back to the hotel to start the bike break-down and pack-up process.

COSTA RICA Day 6: Well, it is a rain forest…(Jueves)

2010-03-12T17:51:00.000-08:00

I was in a children's music video many years ago, doing stunt riding in a Billy Bob Bear costume, riding to the song, "You Picked A Fine Time To Leave Me Loose Wheel." I was reminded of this as I was without my loose wheel for the day...

It's a bit of a blessing that I didn't have my bike because we had some major mal tiempo... it was POURING.

The day turned into another defacto chill day, Jean with her book, me with my laptop. We did try to head out for a couple of hikes when we saw some breaks in the weather, but it would literally start pouring again as soon as we arrived at the trail head. We took that as a sign.

We did brave the deluge and head in to La Fortuna for coffee--I loved the Gecko. Anyway, there we were treated to a reenactment of the famous Costa Rican Craneo y Culebra y Perro dance. In this dramatization a young boy donned a skull mask and taunted a local dog with a rubber snake. It was beautiful and moving. It was also very strange.

The really exciting part of the day came when we tried a local Italian restaurant, Anch'io, and Jean swooned over the pasta and wine. Mmmmmmmm.

Need a chainsaw???

2010-03-12T16:45:00.000-08:00

As you may recall, I'm calling our recent wind storm the GDWSO2010 (the Great Destructive Wind Storm Of 2010), and I'm still amazed at all of the down trees I've seen. In the woods, and on the trails, there are still plenty of actual trees still down, but out on the streets and in the neighborhoods, I'm mostly seeing giant stumps and maybe big log piles.

However, my neighbor (the house behind me), had a tree come down and crush his garage. Aside from some caution tape, NOTHING has been done. That's no big deal when it comes to his garage, but the tree that's down is resting against his neighbor's house. WTF? I'd be enraged if that tree was against my house.

Anyway, I took this pic right after the storm, and sadly, the scene is unchanged!

Towel Sculptures from Costa Rica

2010-03-12T16:36:00.000-08:00

Sure, I had never thought that towels would be an appropriate medium for sculpture, but the staff at Hotel El Silencio Del Campo opened my eyes...

The person who cleaned our room each day started with a relatively easy heart shaped design, followed for a couple of days with various geometric shapes, but then she (I'm assuming she was a she... is that wrong?), kicked it up a couple of notches by making an elephant and finally a pair of swans kissing. Origami that you can dry yourself off with... that's pretty cool!

THE Understatement of 2010

2010-03-08T05:32:00.000-08:00

I'll take a little break from my Costa Rica postings (more coming) to briefly talk about my ride yesterday. Jean and I took the bikes up to Willowdale, and, well, to say that there was some wind damage and some trees down would be, in my opinion, THE understatement of 2010.

I'm calling that storm a couple of weeks ago the GDWSO2010 (the Great Destructive Wind Storm Of 2010). There were some MAJOR trees down. Someone (NEMBA?) has already done a significant amount of clearing, but wow, there's more to go. Get your chainsaws ready...

On the plus side, we did find some new singletrack!

Dogs of Costa Rica

2010-03-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

I'll take a break from telling you about the trip to give you a short presentation about some of the dogs we met in Costa Rica...

We love dogs of all nationalities!

COSTA RICA Day 5: Quiero que me arreglen la bicicleta (Miercoles)

2010-03-03T17:57:00.000-08:00

Another day of riding, and another broken spoke! No comprende!

After breakfast we headed out past Nuevo Arenal to a different hotel/resort called Mystica. This place is owned by an Italian couple, and they boast that there are good mountain biking trails nearby. We contacted one of the owners and made arrangements to head out there, get some good Italian food, and do some riding. Mystica was a very cool resort—we’d probably stay there for a day or two on our next trip, and the food—belisimo!

We got some directions for a ride, which included lots and lots of climbing, and headed out. I had hoped that my minor tweaking the other day would have limited by chances of busting another spoke, but alas, this was not the case. As we were climbing and climbing and climbing, I heard the all too familiar “ping” followed by “rub, rub, rub.” I could still roll without being too hampered, and I held my breath while I tightened the opposing spokes to lessen the rubbing just a bit. Then, we soldiered on. Or should I say up.

We climbed a good 700ft of elevation, then hit a town called Sabalito. From there, it was a steady downhill to Tierra Molenas where we were supposed to find a dirt road that would take us up to a wind farm. Unfortunately, we got a bit lost. Instead, we found some gnarly, rutted, jeep “roads” that seemed like fun. We cruised down for a couple of miles, ever descending, until the trail abruptly ended.

Jean was NOT a happy camper. Partially because we were slightly lost, although, I argued that point, because I had my GPS, and I knew EXACTLY where we were… I just couldn’t get us to where we wanted to go easily because the trails/road aren’t marked or mapped. The other part to her chagrin was the fact that we had essentially descended roughly 1,000ft on some gnarly trails, and our only option was to turn around and go back up.

In retrospect, the climbing wasn’t bad, and once we reached the peak in Sabalito, it was smooth downhill sailing on the road back to Mystica. The BeGo brought us back to the hotel and our hunger brought us back to the restaurant, for typico Arroz con pollo.

After an adequate amount of time to digest, we made our way down to the hot springs, when lo and behold, we ended up chatting with some fellow Massachusettians and one Connecticutian. The truly ironical thing is that one of the guys is a mountain biker and fellow NEMBA member.

As we were heading back to the room, we stopped off at the reception desk to talk with Elios, one of the VERY helpful staff here at the hotel. After much bilingual debate, he recruited his amigo to take my wheel back into town to see if anyone else could remedy my situation…

COSTA RICA Day 4: More Volcano (Martes)

2010-03-02T19:25:00.000-08:00

The Arenal volcano dominates the landscape in this part of the country, so we felt obligated to do some exploring at the Arenal Volcano National Park. No one is allowed to hike on the volcano, something to do with the fact that it’s active and magma burns, so we were kept a “safe” distance away. Some hikers did apparently try, and die, back in 2000.

The trails around the volcano were a mix of rain forest and walking on lava rock. Unfortunately, there were a few tour groups in the area at the same time, so we never could escape the masses. One trail, I’ll call “Broken Hip” was a steep climb up broken lava rock. I call it Broken Hip because hordes of tourists—old tourists—were trying to scramble up and down the rocks. I had to hold my breath sometimes while watching these people. I’ll give them credit for not sitting back in their rocking chairs, but yikes. I did see one woman go down, but she seemed to bounce back up. Hardy foreigners. An American, I would guess, would lie there waiting for a helicopter and a lawyer.

Anyway, the tourists did provide some interesting visuals, but they were also, unfortunately, loud. While walking on one of the trails in the forest, we were behind a group of about 20 who sounded like they were all trying to stomp on grapes and talk to each other with their hearing aids off. And they wondered why they didn’t get to see any wildlife.

After our sojourn around the volcano trails, we hit the road on the north side of Laguna de Arenal. This TWISTY narrow road had a full-on traffic jam as some large trucks and tour busses—going in opposite directions—had to do some very creative maneuvering to get by. Once past that jam, it was smooth sailing in the BeGo, passing strangle little critters on the side of the road, until we hit Nuevo Arenal.

We stopped in this little lake-side village, for, of course, some German food. Sauerbraten anyone? Filled with meat and dumplings, we made our way back along the narrow, twisty road, pushing the BeGo like a finely tuned racing machine, back to Fortuna for another delicious coffee at the Gecko Gourmet and finally back to the hotel for more hot springs relaxation. Ah….

Costa Rica--A Short Video

2010-03-02T18:50:00.001-08:00

COSTA RICA Day 3: The quest for a spoke! (Lunes)

2010-03-01T17:13:00.000-08:00

As promised, we awoke on Monday ready to take on Costa Rica! We even had the pleasure of a totally clear view of the Arenal Volcano, which is directly across from our hotel, another breakfast at the hotel, and then we were suiting up for a ride—first to a waterfall, then back through Fortuna to another town with an old bridge and a swimming spot on the River Arenal. I had “way points” plotted on my GPS, and navigation was a snap. And by snap, I mean “snap,” as in, that what I heard as Jean and I were pedaling along a rutted gravel road. I was down one spoke—drive side of course (not that I had any extra spokes with me)—and my wheel, she was a rubbin’. We kept going as best we could, but as the terrain got steeper and steeper, my wheel was more and more wobbly and rubbing the frame something fierce. We decided to call it quits and head into town, to TRY to find a bike shop.

After a couple of loops through town, Jean spied a sign that said, “Ciclo Cali,” and that, coupled with the Shimano and GT logos on the front of the building suggested a bike shop. Sure enough, it was. The mechanic didn’t speak any English, but I was able to point to the broken spoke—that’s how good my Spanish is—I can point.

Anyway, he fixed several other bikes before mine—all with the efficiency of a practiced mechanic. When he got to mine, he found that he didn’t have the right sized spoke. He did, however, hop on his little motor scooter to go get one. I don’t know where he went, but he came back in a few minutes and set to fixing my wheel. I was out of there for only 1,500 colones (about $3.00).

Unfortunately, about 15 minutes later, I snapped ANOTHER spoke. We limped back to the shop to start the whole process over again. But now, it was lunch time, so he said come back in about 2 hours. Jean and I wandered around Fortuna again, and this time had lunch at the Lava Lounge for some frio cerveza and Arroz con pollo. We killed some more time at the Gecko Gourmet Café with one of THE best cups of coffee I’ve ever had.

Another 1,500 colones later and I was back on the road. I flipped the bike and took out some of the tension on all of the spokes, just to reduce my chance of popping another. We made it back to the hotel and took a dip in the pool, then the hot springs—ah! It wasn't the long ride we were hoping for, but it still turned out to be a fun day.

The hot springs at the hotel are great. It’s a secluded little pool surrounded by flowers, with a great view of the volcano. And, it’s right next to a bar… if you like that sort of thing. It was a relaxing evening after that with another killer meal at the hotel restaurant and then early to bed.

COSAT RICA Day 2: A day to recharge (Domingo)

2010-02-28T18:01:00.000-08:00

We slept until about 6:00am, and were in the restaurant by 7:00 for breakfast. I’ve got to say, the restaurant at the hotel was great. For breakfast, we'd get a big plate of fresh fruit, orange juice, killer coffee and then your choice of many different dishes. I opted for an omelet, Jean for something with rice and beans and eggs.

After breakfast it was time to work my magic by building our bikes. All in all, it was an easy process and something I think I’m getting more proficient at. I do, however, need to have a better way to inflate our tires. Each 29x2.2 tire took 350 pumps with my mini-pump (yeah, I counted). My arms were ready to fall off.

Right about the time that I had the bikes all finished, Jean went off for her spa treatment which included a “rain forest massage,” and volcano mud mask facial. While she was relaxing, I secured our Internet connection (I’m addicted, what can I say?) and then took my bike out for a short cruise. In only about 5 miles I realized that I had essentially gone from minimal riding on my rollers (remember, I’ve been sick for about a month) and living in frigid New England to riding in mountains in a rain forest next to an active volcano. Yeah, it was hot. I came back from my short ride drenched, but still, it felt great to be on the bike and to spin the legs out.

Jean and I took the BeGo into town, Fortuna, for lunch. We landed at Pizza Luigi’s, which despite sounding like a cheesy Italian restaurant was actually an excellent authentic local eatery. Jean had a salad with tuna, I had some chicken with mushrooms, and we sampled some killer obscura cerveza (dark beer). After lunch we strolled around Fortuna then made our way back to the hotel and, we actually took a nap! Relaxation was in full effect.

Dinner was at the hotel restaurant, which was again, perfecto. We got a platter called “to share,” which was a Costa Rican equivalent to a Pu-Pu platter. It was awesome! After some more chilaxin, it was time for bed, so that we could attack on Monday.