It's not about clearing your mind to ride mountain bike it's about the mountain bike clearing your mind. And new gloves seemed to help keep away those distracting pains in my hands. 29 miles the day before the Wednesday night race on my road bike and the first lap I had to regain the feel of my mountain bike. Had a few troubles with my front derailleur but all was good and though worn out kept average times for me on my laps and ended strong, feeling I could go some more. They called the track dusty but I believe the noun would have been a more accurate description. That water hazard was filled with a large stone; perhaps they read this article. These races are more like a Sport class race rather than my lowly Citizen level in WORS. Good prep for the upcoming Alterra Coffee Bean Classic. All is good. Looking to take some names. Afterwards I was told that the citizen class will be skipping most of the difficult single track and taking a much easier route. There goes my advantage over those sandbaggers from the north woods.
Ahhh Crud!
Yes, I could use some lube and of course they had plenty of tubes. The prize drawing afterward started slow because most had already left. When we got to some names of those still in attendance my odds looked quite good. It took a lot of time but when we got to the end...
Ahhh Crud!
After more than a couple of months of my wife's car leaking oil I finally took the advice of the dealer we bought the car from. A $2 can of break fluid added to the oil will be soaked up by old seals and stop the leaks. And it worked. Getting fantastic cucumbers out of the garden. Perfect diameter, long and delicious. Those Marthe Steward seeds were the best. Getting the yard looking good. Projects around the house in line. Clearing three days a week for strictly the design business and of course getting stronger on the bike. Things are looking up, feeling better and reaching out to my wife for some help off the couch she says,
"Not 'Golden Boy', olden boy."
Ahhh Crud!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Ben's Cycle
Thanks to Ben's Cycle for the drawing prizes for the Wednesday night races. I won a pair of riding gloves so if you count the scar I got on the week I didn't win something I'm batting 1000. I needed gloves desperately. These were slightly tight and I thought it best to give them to my wife. Then I rode to Ben's on 6th and Lincoln, it was a much easier ride than I imagined for being all city streets, and bought myself a pair of XXL. It is a delightful neighborly place and the prices sure are better than any place I find west of my house.
The cucumbers are producing and we should have more than we need starting...... NOW! until at least the end of September. Maybe a bit late but time to pull out all the radishes and greens and make one big salad. Stirred up a hornets nest cleaning out an old wood pile at Church.
So I walk into the bathroom as my wife is scrubbing the tub with a toothbrush, rag and small bucket. As I'm filling the bucket my wife asks, "What are you cleaning?"
I look at her dumbfounded. "What do you mean?" I say.
"The house?"
"You don't know?"
"Bicycle!" she says.
"Of course."
Cleaned out those derailleurs and gears and applied plenty of new lube. Smooth riding.
Congratulations to my wife tonight. Her first log jump. Actually two, one a double. Also her first crash almost throwing her bike in the water. She's looking proud and pretty.
An unbelievable number of people on the Hoyt Trail tonight; that would be mountain bikers. Already thinking how I'm going to train over the winter so I can start 'taking names' racing next year.
The cucumbers are producing and we should have more than we need starting...... NOW! until at least the end of September. Maybe a bit late but time to pull out all the radishes and greens and make one big salad. Stirred up a hornets nest cleaning out an old wood pile at Church.
So I walk into the bathroom as my wife is scrubbing the tub with a toothbrush, rag and small bucket. As I'm filling the bucket my wife asks, "What are you cleaning?"
I look at her dumbfounded. "What do you mean?" I say.
"The house?"
"You don't know?"
"Bicycle!" she says.
"Of course."
Cleaned out those derailleurs and gears and applied plenty of new lube. Smooth riding.
Congratulations to my wife tonight. Her first log jump. Actually two, one a double. Also her first crash almost throwing her bike in the water. She's looking proud and pretty.
An unbelievable number of people on the Hoyt Trail tonight; that would be mountain bikers. Already thinking how I'm going to train over the winter so I can start 'taking names' racing next year.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Golden Boy
Well my wife gave me a very nice golden riding top and black bike shorts for my birthday. My good friend in Korea referred to me as 'boy' though I am almost five months his elder. I guess that makes me a golden boy.
No luck on the raffle after the Reforestation Ramble in Suamico but it was truly enjoyable. Average speed just under 11mph. 20 minutes behind the leader in my class; 10th out of 17. According to the announcement at the race there were 716 racers. Matches my birthday.
Before the race I slathered the gears and chain and most everything else with self cleaning lube for the sandy dusty course. Tires at 60 psi I only used the big ring on the opening stretch. Exciting packed race out of the start. Attacked the short and persistent hills up off my seat rather than down shifting. Pushing over and down the other side whether I had someone in my sights or not. The best of the women catching up, several in my group fought to keep up with them but about halfway into the first lap they pulled ahead. Caught several who had passed me at the tail end of the second lap. That single track was torture for hard tails. I find this video and music by 'Linkin Park' a motivator when I'm starting to fade. (Does that make me a bad person?)
The dogs always get excited when I pack up the truck thinking they are going to the forest. I guess I packed up and left without them once too often because when I got home they just ignored me for the rest of the evening.
No luck on the raffle after the Reforestation Ramble in Suamico but it was truly enjoyable. Average speed just under 11mph. 20 minutes behind the leader in my class; 10th out of 17. According to the announcement at the race there were 716 racers. Matches my birthday.
Before the race I slathered the gears and chain and most everything else with self cleaning lube for the sandy dusty course. Tires at 60 psi I only used the big ring on the opening stretch. Exciting packed race out of the start. Attacked the short and persistent hills up off my seat rather than down shifting. Pushing over and down the other side whether I had someone in my sights or not. The best of the women catching up, several in my group fought to keep up with them but about halfway into the first lap they pulled ahead. Caught several who had passed me at the tail end of the second lap. That single track was torture for hard tails. I find this video and music by 'Linkin Park' a motivator when I'm starting to fade. (Does that make me a bad person?)
The dogs always get excited when I pack up the truck thinking they are going to the forest. I guess I packed up and left without them once too often because when I got home they just ignored me for the rest of the evening.
Happy Birthday
Phillip's birthday today.
Personally I don't like birthday after maybe...40.
Because feel like getting old. But 43 is still half way of life.
Phillip is doing good .Enjoying riding bike then lost some weight.
I found interesting in Billy Blanks's Tae-Bo. I'm doing short one 8 minuets exercise. ( This is old video tape, not DVD, it's video. )
But I felt difference in my body.
I heard he is popular in Japan now. He opened ''Billy's boot camp''
We have to take good care of our body.
Please forgive my poor English.
Couple times I sent E-mail to friends, and I wrote Hell OO instead Hello OO.
They thought I was really angry . ( * * ;
Personally I don't like birthday after maybe...40.
Because feel like getting old. But 43 is still half way of life.
Phillip is doing good .Enjoying riding bike then lost some weight.
I found interesting in Billy Blanks's Tae-Bo. I'm doing short one 8 minuets exercise. ( This is old video tape, not DVD, it's video. )
But I felt difference in my body.
I heard he is popular in Japan now. He opened ''Billy's boot camp''
We have to take good care of our body.
Please forgive my poor English.
Couple times I sent E-mail to friends, and I wrote Hell OO instead Hello OO.
They thought I was really angry . ( * * ;
Friday, July 13, 2007
Lucky Me!
Plenty of salad greens and radishes coming out of the garden. The cucumber is taking off. Still a lot of work to do in the yard and on the house. Several hours of yard work Wednesday translated into a pronounced decline each lap at the Crystal Ridge race in the evening, though my first lap on a longer course was quicker than previously accomplished on the shorter course; about a third of a mile longer.
Stiffening the front shock actually helped quite a bit on the downhill, half of which I couldn't see with the sun in my eyes. Raising the seat was an improvement and found the perfect positioning for my brake handles. Looking forward to the next WORS race. Think I'll lift the seat a touch more.
Yes, I have raced four times at Crystal Ridge and won three drawings. I found a new tube in my bicycle box and just groaned wondering why I picked tubes on the first two drawings. No winners choice this time and I ended up with a bottle holder and bottle. Great, I thought, 'I just took the bottle holder off my road bike to have two bottles for the upcoming marathon race but now I can use this new one instead and have both bikes set'. I got home and told my wife of my good fortune. She looked so happy and her eyes grew big; "You can put that on my bike" she said. The next morning I put it on her bike. She enjoys the Hoyt Park trails though I can only get her out there once a week.
Stiffening the front shock actually helped quite a bit on the downhill, half of which I couldn't see with the sun in my eyes. Raising the seat was an improvement and found the perfect positioning for my brake handles. Looking forward to the next WORS race. Think I'll lift the seat a touch more.
Yes, I have raced four times at Crystal Ridge and won three drawings. I found a new tube in my bicycle box and just groaned wondering why I picked tubes on the first two drawings. No winners choice this time and I ended up with a bottle holder and bottle. Great, I thought, 'I just took the bottle holder off my road bike to have two bottles for the upcoming marathon race but now I can use this new one instead and have both bikes set'. I got home and told my wife of my good fortune. She looked so happy and her eyes grew big; "You can put that on my bike" she said. The next morning I put it on her bike. She enjoys the Hoyt Park trails though I can only get her out there once a week.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Ouch! II
This is the other end of the flood wall and while not a skinny seemed like good practice awhile back. Rode up, bumped up, sitting pretty on top of the wall and then.... ah. The bike stopped and... Maybe I should have thought it out more or just been going alot faster and skipped the whole thinking part cause I just started wondering how I was going to drop off the side without hooking my peddle on the edge. Got my feet out of the peddles and then went Humpty Dumpty (That's Ivy School speak for falling over for those in Rio Linda). Perhaps another day.
The insanity spreads. A single speeder tried to finish the Great Divide Mountain Bike Race.
Sat in the basement with my dogs to fight the heat. Gave the long haired one a good combing.Worked over my entire mountain bike. Stiffened the front shock, replaced a tube, put some new padding in my tattered old helmet, etc. Busted up my chain a few days ago and put in a removable link. Ended up a bit shorter and I'm going to have to buy a new chain. Maybe this will work as a good emergency replacement. Looking forward to getting to another WORS race. Hoping we don't lose the Hoyt Park trail. Still dropping about a pound a week.
Hope everyone had a happy 4th of July.
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