Rolling Along to Fitness

Time, the seasons, it all just keeps rolling along. With Winters approach the time of CycloCross is passing. If you’re not a CycloCross nut, you may want to prepare for the Fat Bike race season. The event at Lapham Peak is catching on. It is a six race series beginning November 19th. Or you may like to seek Fat Bike high adventure. It is Spring in South America.

If you don’t have the equipment for Winter competitions of the outdoor type, it is the time of the year when that age old question arises; Is bowling exercise?

It is bowling season. I have been called back by my life long friend to grace his team. One conclusion has struck us all. Our team brings out the best in others. In the other team’s score that is.

The bowling league pays out at the end of the season for high game, high series, high team game and team series, for both scratch and with handicap. We observed, now for the second year, that the individual bowlers and teams holding the three top positions in each category, eligible for prize money, all achieved these outstanding results when they were bowling against our team. It’s true! Okay, maybe not 100% but for the clear majority.

We bring out the best in others. Which translates into, we have a losing record. But it is well deserved in an uncommon way. I think we deserve a kickback.

It’s actually scary. That really is the house we live in. The holly is looking a bit stressed. It needs plenty of water going into the Winter. Don’t listen to the weatherman. They always say its going to rain but they are wrong more than right. Water your evergreens.

I need the exercise bowling may or may not provide. Unfortunately I have little time to practice and we are down to one car once more. But I rolled my best game in two years last night.

I have not been successful in following any yoga routines. What I enjoyed most in my youth was the good old punching bag. When I started going to the gym years back I was hoping to find one with a punching bag but my friends were members of a more generic brand. Club ownerships have changed and I am not longer a member of a gym. I miss and long for the weight training.

You know I pursue all my interests, at least as far as I can via the Internet. And you know that I am eager to support any person or group I find that have a passion behind their products or causes. Hanging a punching bag, where and how, is the greatest hurdle in purchasing a punching bag. I found this hard working American who produces the best in bag hangers. Don’t buy a cheap Chinese knockoff. Get the best here.

Looking to tailor a Winter fitness training program that fits my personal interests, I found a fascinating fitness show via my Roku. It is on one of the NRA channels. They take an individual through a training program that includes quickness and agility training. They seek to train not only the muscles but the nervous system. The goal of the training is to shoot accurately under physical stress. To run around a range shifting quickly from one stance to another, some unconventional but necessary in a life and death circumstance, and still hit one’s target. A complete training approach that I will glean aspects from to develop my personal Winter training discipline. Or there is always the old trainer.

The Winter Farmer’s Market opens a week after Halloween; November 7th. They have plenty of eats (and coffee) for sale if you’re hungry. It is a nice way to start one’s Saturday, in a sunlight filled greenhouse. Parking may leave you with a walk. Cherish the exercise.

The $119 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

Thing Are Not Always What They Appear

What is a ‘Fondo’ anyway? It has yet to be discovered but USA Cycling has a list of events still to come here. Cyclo Cross and Fat Bike dominance are quickly approaching but until the snow flies there is plenty of good riding left in the year. Just be sure to dress for the weather; keep your head covered and legs warm.

Just look how beautiful autumn is. How can you not get out?

We were in our car late at night and I was about to make a right turn. Fortunately I took a second look (in my mirror) as one of those recumbent bikes came rolling by into my turn. He passed without incident but I had to think, “What an idiot! This late at night?” Especially considering he was so low to the ground I could only see him (without my mirrors) after he passed.

Okay he had lights but bicycle lights are pretty useless. They’re too small. Even if you see them the scale may suggest a larger vehicle much farther away. Yes, if you truly want bicycle safety at night those red tail lights need to be as large as you see on a motorcycle or car. Then these riders, with their high tech bikes have removed most of their reflectors (fancy pantsy peddles) and often wear dark clothing. Reflective clothing, and your good old fashioned typical reflectors are what tell drivers there is a bicycle in front of them. It’s just how I see it.

I was driving at dawn in the north woods way back when. I came over a rise and saw a light I took as a headlight in front of me. The light moved from the oncoming lane and into my lane. A drunk in a car with only one headlight? I slowed as quickly as I could and was planning to go onto the soft shoulder anticipating that the driver may swerve back into his own lane, which could have been hazardous for me and my vehicle as the land beyond sloped steeply away. Then I realized that this was a tractor with a light shining backwards for safety. It had pulled out of a field from the far side of the road and was slowly heading where it was heading. At dawn, the farmer most likely didn’t notice my headlights beyond the rise, and I could not make out the tractor clearly in the not dark but not light, with the light shining at me. When I realized it was a tractor I could pass it safely in the opposing lane.

The Wisconsin Bike Summit is coming November 6 to the beautiful Appleton Wisconsin. There will be a heavy emphasis on Mountain Bike issues. Appleton has lots of fine dining. The Bike Fed is also campaigning for a vulnerable users bill which covers bicyclists, pedestrians and farm vehicles. Bicyclists should have their own paths as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think they belong on any high traffic roadways roads, especially at night.

Safety is important. You don’t want to have to enjoy football like these poor saps.

Yes, we took a mini vacation at my wife’s suggestion, and went to Holy Hill. We came across the unholy scene above along the way.

We hiked, reflected, enjoyed the scenery, stopped to pray and most importantly shopped. Honey. fresh apples (now Misao knows what a ‘peck’ is), apple cider, and a few gifts.

Here is a good place for metal art. Antiques and knick knacks makes for an interesting stop.

This is also the time of the year to contemplate how one will train this Winter. Emerys and all the bicycle shops have organized indoor training sessions. I will depend on my trainer in the basement.

Milk! Some call it liquid food. Some the elixir of life; if you’re under two years old or have access to fresh unpasteurized cows milk. My wife found this product. It is the next evolution in milk production. They start with what they claim to be the finest milk (but not organic). Then they have altered their pasteurization process to remove that burnt taste that flash pasteurization produces. It’s a burnt taste that you don’t recognize until you’ve had fresh milk or batch pasteurized milk. Then they divide the milk into its various parts. They put it all back together with higher concentrations of protein and calcium, less sugar (it’s lactose free), and as much fat as you like. We buy whole milk. Since there is no chemical reactions or additives involved I see this as a good development; the best alternative to fresh unpasteurized milk. It’s like making lemonade out of the lemons of pasteurization.

This new milk comes from that dairy with the big tourist shop and tours. It is like the only tourist attraction in all of Indiana when you’re traveling from Indianapolis to Chicago, or in our case Milwaukee.

Misao celebrated a birthday. I got here this delicious caramel apple cake. I had no time to bake one myself as I have been focused on home repairs. When you bake a cake, you are trying to balance the proteins in the flour, egg whites and milk, with sugars and fats; found in sugar, butter, egg yolks and milk. So, I wouldn’t use Fairlife Milk in your typical baking recipes. The protein balance has been shifted considerably, and who knows how the higher calcium will alter a batter.

Have you seen the “100 pound of potatoes in four square foot” technique. Potato towers; not what they appear to be. We saw one guy on YouTube who got four potatoes out of his potato tower. He used the wrong type of soil but... You need a lighter composted type of soil. One family used a soil that was mostly sand and sawdust. From my research, already planning next years garden, buckets, bags and even barrels appear to get better results than a potato tower when you consider the investment involved.

Potatoes are cheap, but you can grow hundreds of varieties that you’ll never find in the grocery store. For proven high volume/density potato growing techniques and the greatest variety of potatoes you will ever find go to The Kenosha Potato Project website.

The $118 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.

It’s Like I’m Not Even Here

October still has plenty of Mountain bike action going before fat bikes take rule over Winter. Of course the WORS final event is this coming weekend in Sheboygan, but every weekend holds mountain bike adventure of some kind.

The ‘Gila Monster Grand Fondue’ in New Mexico, competing with the WORS final event is a timed event that includes a fondue get together. Fondue is stale bread dipped in a hot bowl of melted cheese; for you uncultured. The ‘Tour de St. George’ in Utah is the weekend of October 24th. Another warm weather destination would be Black Mountain North Carolina for ‘The Bookwalter Binge Gran Fondo’ on Halloween. Bring your high waters.

Is it that I haven’t taken this route on my bike since they built these access ways or has it been so long that I have forgotten that I saw them. The Canal Street corridor of the Hank Aaron Trail is a bicyclists dream, and now getting all the way to the lake via Canal Street has become significantly more straight forward and enjoyable with these access ways off the 6th Street bridge. You can dismount and roll your bicycle down on those little ramps along the edge of the stairs.

Or you can go, “Weeeeeeee!”, down the ramp on the west side, which is the best side for me. One less street to cross. Avoid the round about and stretches of desolation.

Menards is having one of their sales. It has become clear to me that I am being taken advantage of. I showed you all how to make that beautiful planter bed out of 2x4 rough sawn cedar and I have received not even a single thank you. Yes, I checked the stock of Menards’ rough sawn 2x4’s to build more boxes. I know last time one store had 124 in stock.They now have 23 and within a 200 miles radius all stores average far less than 20 units each. You have to travel 240 miles to Avon Indiana to find a decent stock. They must not have the Internet in Avon.

Building your own out there? You can’t even give me a “Like” on Facebook? Perhaps a comment on the post? I mean when I see what gets dozens, even hundreds of “Like”s …. Okay. You’re all welcome. But did you get this little waste out of the wood you bought? And that long piece will be just enough for another vertical for another box.

Yes, I spent a whole lot of time designing that box, and not just to minimize waste and costs. There is a dimensioning system that creates shapes more attractive than others. A variety of options were considered to achieve an attractive massing without waste. So your box is most likely just plain ugly whereas mine is exceedingly beautiful. I was thinking of giving out all the dimensions and how to cut each board (eight foot lengths are the best economy) to maximize efficiency and minimize cost, and I think I will; if someone asks me in my comments.

The $117 question: What were my three most favorite WORS races? Keeping the same question. Check out the Charity Jackpot Page link in the sidebar to possibly triple the amount.