Autumn Racing

Cyclocross season has already started. I tried a couple races, including a covert non-sanctioned event, last year. I found my mountain bike, and myself, too heavy and bulky to enjoy the competition. If I could afford a cyclocross setup I certainly would be trying a few. Maybe next year. Lance Armstrong has been doing some mountain biking and cyclocross and now is returning to professional cycling, with some local support, to promote cancer awareness.

Not sure if I will make any of the remaining WORS or WEMS races. New schedules already out for next year. We'll see how it goes with my arm. If I had a functional camera I would certainly be at some events even if only to take pictures. I noticed on you/tube the popularity of switch back videos. They don't look too exciting unless you've already ridden some switchbacks yourself. Some more from the Levis Trow.

Some pictures 0f small jumps I do on a regular basis. This one in Hoyt Park always gives me greater pause than the drop off the concrete underground collection pond access in the next photo. Even though it is significantly lower. I will get my stitches out today and hope to get to the Hoyt trails in the next couple days. I'll see how my arm feels. It's more the internal stitches I'm contemplating. I believe the doctor said two weeks before they dissolve.

This photo is part of our flood control plan. Our local neighborhood association asked me to follow the planning process with them. MMSD explained in the beginning two alternatives they said would not work. A wall because it would be too tall and ugly, or an earthen levy which could fail under certain conditions. I suggested they build a wall and grade around it so it would have an attractive scale for the neighborhood.

"No, we can't do that." they said.

Two years later when they put forth their final proposal....

It is getting very cool now. I love this kind of weather. I would bring our peppers inside, to get the most out of them, but have no area where they could get sufficient sunlight. I have a grow light but is it worth the cost in electricity?

Autumn

It is the first whole day of Autumn, my favorite time of year. Some have already started putting out Halloween decorations. I have to recycle some of my photos since my camera is now in a total state of being busted and my wife says I have to have pictures or it's not interesting. I said this was a picture of almost a third of what we will get out of our peach tree. Try less than a fifth. Still a couple dozen on the tree just about ready for harvesting. Will have to do some serious pruning in a few weeks. Preserving the red shoots that will bear peaches next year yet keeping the tree condensed enough that the fruit wont break the branches. Need to prune properly to stimulate continuous new growth since peaches only form on second year growth. So much like life itself.

Tun-Tun has eaten all our tomatoes. It is good for what ails him. No money for expensive people treatments for our dog. He helps himself to the cherry tomatoes we have growing in a pot and we cut up the large tomatoes for him. We will get at least a pepper each from the three potted plants my friend gave me. Otherwise the leafy vegetables failed and cucumbers that my wife and I enjoy so much didn't come up this year. Plenty of oriental basil growing between the houses which my wife enjoys eating and making furi-kaki with.

I made a mistake after my accident. Didn't stop and first control the bleeding. The doctor said the gushing was from the adrenaline reaching the veins that had naturally contracted in response to the injury. If I had stopped and wrapped up my arm somehow I could have walked out and had someone drive me to the hospital rather than have the ambulance come. Not that I shouldn't have asked for help or made sure people knew what was happening.

I contemplate adding to my kit something that could be used as a quick tourniquet and/or compress. It would weigh almost nothing. The strap on my saddle wedge bag is slightly too short to fit around my upper arm, though my arms may be bigger than most mountain bikers. The cut just nicked the casing around a nerve and artery and slightly cut a muscle. Thanks again to the Ranger and all those who came to help, especially the ski patrol the event organizers had on hand.

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother; be never so vile. This day shall gentle his condition. And gentlemen in England now abed shall think themselves accursed they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap....” William shakespeare; Henry V - Act IV, Scene 3

It was a bloody mess. I was at an International Day of Peace rally on Saturday morning in Madison, arriving just in time to make the 3 hour race, and after a long run to our bikes and stretches of grassy lanes we hit the first downhill single track, still in a bit of a group. I was happy hitting the rocks well. I had improved greatly this year on the rocks, but as people started floundering and the feet came down, stopping, pressure from behind, not having a flow and being heavy in the saddle clipping in and out, becoming self-conscious and flustered I was stood up on my front wheel. Came straight down on my forearm, jamming my shoulder into my chest. I believe I flipped against a tree and my bike came down on top of me.

"Are you alright." said the guy behind me.

"No." I said.

"You're bleeding bad." he said.

He lifted my bike off of me and I looked at the thick blood coming out of my arm. I told him to keep going. I got up and started back towards the start with my bike. Ten feet or yards later the blood started gushing. I Applied pressure, it stopped the bleeding, sat down and yelled. "I need help!"

If I knew my blood covered bike would have been such an attraction for everyone with a camera, I would have spattered some more on it..... or not. Ended up in the emergency room wondering if I could have gotten by without a trip to the hospital. I turned up my arm and looked at the cleaned wound and sort of laughed. Three internal stitches and seven on the outside. When I told my wife how it looked she said I should have taken the opportunity to pull all those fat globules out. When she got home later she shuddered at the sight of my bike. I had put it in the kitchen and put up the child fence to keep the dogs from cleaning it off.

Those are some sharp rocks and heard some tires were torn up too. It was the sharp edge of a large rock that caught my forearm. I knew rocks were the defining element of this course. Everyone speaks of it with a hideous chuckle, but it is always nice to get out with good people for a bit of competition. Lots of nice promotional items and of course I got excellent care. Greetings to all those who got bloodied up passing the accident site.

I took a picture of the wound but the camera had been smashed again and this time it wasn't working. Here is a picture of our Calatrava. No more last minute rushed arrivals at races. Make sure I always get in a pre-ride (had seen much of this course on you/tube but it's not the same) and get focused, mentally prepared. Told my wife; 'fewer races and more focus for next year.' Happily my back feels great, just some bruised ribs and scrapes with the wound.

Started riding my road bike more this last month, going around with the camera and now a sketch book. Taking pictures of our built environment to comment on and hitting our museums and gardens on the residents get in free days to develop my drawing skills. Drawing and writing as a basis for my design goals. Still can't get anyone to take me on as an independent contractor.

Just Peachy

My road bike; the bike one of my younger brothers let me have. Never saw these adjustment pins before. Though I've ridden many a bike I never really did much detailed maintenance until I started competing. Riding my road bike a lot more since we have only one automobile.

Heard it said, that before the advent of padded shorts, racers would use round steaks. This seat, or saddle, is far from ergonomic by today's standards. My brother said it is a part of a system designed to work together with gel padded shorts. There's no way I'm wearing his shorts. I think it best to get a better saddle. If I had any money that is.

The peach tree is full of peaches. Branches bowed under the weight. The dogs like to eat them along with some wascally wabbits. I opened this part of the yard I've been trying to protect from the ravages of our dogs. It makes Tun-Tun very happy. He doesn't move around as much as he used to. Don't know how much longer he will be around.

My wife has been researching recipes. Peach pie, peach cobbler, peach bread, soup and even spaghetti. Mmmm, sounds like a real preride treat. This would be getting close to a third of what we will get off the tree. The salesman at Hawks said this hardy peach variety would have smaller fruit. Many are as big as any other peach I've seen. Great weather should ripen them all up and I should have them all off the tree by weeks end.

Last week I dropped a lot of water and two pounds. It can only be a good thing. My weight loss stalled but could still get down to last years minimum weight by Thanksgiving when it usually starts going up again. Have to be truly serious about weight loss over the Winter. Need to get a trainer. Here is a photo of our sedum. It actually has an attractive color, unlike others.

A Capitol Adventure

I went on a ride with my road bike yesterday. Down Canal Street, along the Lake and to our Church by UWM. Thought I'd offer my help if they were doing any maintenance, which they weren't. They were having a rummage sale. Had a commercial establishment on Capitol Drive to visit. Down Oakland and on to Capitol Drive where I decided to ride on the sidewalk since traffic was heavy and all lanes full with insufficient space for a bicycle.

After awhile I noticed I was keeping pace with the #62 bus. Slowing for pedestrians (most waiting for or getting off the bus) on the sidewalk, coming to a crawl or even stopping, I still seemed to keep pace. Until 35th Street where it would get ahead of me and I would catch it after it would continually get stopped behind a red light after letting people on and off. Even with students starting to crowd the streets at places and having to maneuver around cars at curb cuts, I still kept pace. I lost it at 76th Street when, from a dead stop, it shot through a red light at 2:39pm west bound.

You might be surprised that on such a major commercial thoroughfare how much of the sidewalk was actually empty.

The traffic had let up and the streets were in somewhat better shape so I got back on the street and dug in to see if I could catch it. Slowing at one intersection for a red light (I always stop for red lights) I made my way across drifting towards the crosswalk after it turned green. Lucky for me as a car, most likely speeding, had ducked into the lane to bypass slower traffic and missed clipping me by inches. Yeah, I got back on the sidewalk and never saw the bus again since it had few to no pick ups or drop offs after 76th Street.

I did ride the streets on the way back where it is safe to ride the streets. Neighborhood roads I am familiar with and along our wonderful parkway system. I personally believe those bike advocates who are animate about keeping bicycles off the sidewalks restrict the number of people who might take up bicycling as a transportation option. It was a twenty mile trip total that averaged about 10mph.

If only we had trains.

The Core, The Core, The Core....

So said MacArthur ....or not. It is amazing how man's quest to please his woman with rock hard abs created this simple device, a wheel on a stick, whose future applications would lead to the technological environment we enjoy today. Yesterday with a road bike trip to the gym for some brief strength training and two laps at Crystal Ridge on my mountain bike. I ended the day with stretching some out on this simple device. The core is actually very important. Even in the bench press many hit a wall because they neglect developing their core and even their legs. Yes, the bench is a far more comprehensive determination of overall strength then it may seem.

Yesterday was the final day of Wednesday night racing. The time trial style start was a refreshing change. I truly loved the course revisions. Reducing the length by at least a mile, the fastest mile, and reversing directions on the ski hill switchbacks. Climbing the switchbacks, which I did successfully, was much more fulfilling than the mindless climb up a gravel road.

Sunset would have had me finish in the dark so I stopped at two laps. Also, I didn't want to keep everyone waiting for me to finish. They were printing out the results in the lodge at the moment I would have been in the final stretch. I had mentioned to the powers in charge that allowing people to place who didn't finish all three laps would be more attractive to less experienced riders. An idea that was rejected leaving those of slower pace either receiving 1 point for not finishing or making everyone wait. Something I find undesirable myself, who often finishes last (always?). I guess they don't want beginners or intermediate riders. No I didn't win in the drawing leaving me just over 500 for the year if you count the new scar. The night race will be November 1st. Wish I could afford some lights.

I don't know if I'll get up deer hunting for the gun or bow seasons but this great white hunter has some fresh prey in sight. Mice have been apparent since the remnants of Gustav rolled in. This trap was fantastic. The mice never caught on with its hidden death chamber. The problem is with its cheap mostly plastic construction it broke after three mice were caught three days in a row some years ago. It was too expensive too buy for only three mice a pop and I suppose if it never broke the sales would dry up. A real catch 22 for the manufacturer, but if it could do that I'd buy another. Here's a humane mouse trap. I say just add water.

The begonia. The blossom forms under the thick leathery leaves and then it just straightens up into the sky in majestic splendor. No racing for WORS or WEMS this weekend with the infamous Chequamegon (spelling has nothing in common with its pronunciation) Fat Tire Festival. Not sure why the forty mile race has become such a legendary event other than the fact that it's forty miles. Here is an article I found sometime ago now on racing in Chicago.

Back to the Gym

I've neglected to give proper recognition to those who make the joy of mountain bike racing possible. Hammer Gel is the major sponsor of the WEMS races. After the second lap of the Metro Challenge I stopped at the water table and got a cup of their electrolyte drink. Not the best tasting but it sure did the job. A picture of some of the goodies they gave us at the race.

I finally got my road bike back on the road. After three tubes blowing shortly after being inflated (or during inflation) Emery's ordered some heftier tubes for me. I suspect manufacture defect with the tubes pictured here. The bicycle professional thought two were pinch flats (couldn't have been much of a pinch) and one looked like a bad tube. just opened at a seam as I inflated it. I mentioned to a fellow racer that Emery's said they would match any price (cost + shipping) found on the Internet for any current model product that they carry. The gentleman I was speaking with said most shops don't do that any more.

No, I didn't go to the Stump Farm. My brother was in town and we just didn't have the money to spare. It is easy to tolerate a single card going up a bit during the race season, but not all of them. Misao has been getting a lot of dental work done at the University. It is still expensive and takes forever. Just can't afford to go to every race. Even skipping some of the Wednesday night races which run me about $10 including fuel. Looking to four more races. Also had her eyes checked. She needs reading glasses. She said she needs three pair. One for upstairs, one for downstairs and another for her purse.

It's back to the gym finally. My back feels normal again though I wont be doing any military presses for a while. Still doing 200+ lbs on the bench press fairly easily though the shoulder I landed on in the infamous accident is giving me a bit of pain. That has been my ideal strength training goal, though it is always an ego boost when you can put something on beyond double plates (225lbs). Plan to focus on much more strength training for my legs. Something I didn't do much of in the past. This year has been sluggish for me though I am performing at a higher level. Don't feel as healthy either. Last year I had explosion and more vigor. I spent two hours a day at the gym most of the winter before that season, often every day of the week. I'm coming to realize it will take extensive exercise, aerobic and strength, to live a long productive life. Also have to get on top of my diet, which is becoming a growing interest of mine.

You can see our Begonia along with the Black Eyed Susan's, Sedum and Cosmos in the picture. If you look close you can see a green metal mesh from the fence to the meter I put in to hold up the taller plants. Of course nothing grew that well this summer. After the heavy rains earlier in the year I didn't water as much as I should have. The daily weather forecasts always had rain two days out that seldom materialized. Yes, it is the weatherman's fault. No shortage of rain today as Gustav comes to town. Speaking of the weather here are some pictures I found browsing some garden blogs.

Only the tomatoes have really come through for us this year. The soil hasn't had tomatoes for a couple years and that may be why they are doing well. Some nice mixed lettuce in the garden I planted at the Church.