but, I was riding back to the car shop to pick up the swagger wagon. Apparently, our swagger was low and needed a refill. Anyway, as I rode, I came across a group of about 10-12 people out for a ride. It was a mixture of adults and kids. There were kids on training wheels, kids in trailers, and the others on all types of bikes. It was cool to see a group out doing the sport I love. Then I realized everyone was wearing a helmet EXCEPT the adults.
As parents, we need to set an example for our kids. Everyone should wear a helmet while riding. What good is it if we are out riding and we fall (or get hit) and we are left incapacitated (or worse) and our kids are ok? I know we all want what's best for our kids, but being around to watch them grow up is also best for them. We need to be around to raise them (whether it's the right way or some other way). Sure a helmet might mess up your hair or not look cool, but how cool does a head wound from having an accident and not wearing one?
Ask anyone who's ever been in a serious bike accident and I'm sure they'll tell you they were glad to have a helmet on. I know I was!
I saw on Facebook this morning, one of the local newscasters riding a fat tire bike for the upcoming Tour de Fat and he wasn't wearing a helmet. Lots of people posted comments about what a cool bike it was and how they wanted one. I left a comment that it was a cool bike abd that he should set an example by wearing a helmet.
So, please, when you're out riding please wear a helmet. Be safe, especially on the roads. Cars don't look for us. Ride as if you're invisible - because you are. I help organize the ride of silence every year (a ride for fallen or injured cyclists) and I don't want to add any more names to the "fallen" list.
Ride safe.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Tour de Scottsdale
Race starts at 7:00. I set my internal clock for 4:00 so we could eat something and roll out at 5:00. 1200 of my closest friends would be there to join me on this little ride. My body knows that I like to hit the snooze button, so it started at 1:00am, then at 2, then again at 3. I finally got up at 4.
I got out of bed and started getting everything together. Truth be told, I staged everything except my bike the night before. I filled my water bottles, had some coffee, made a batch of oatmeal, and I was set. I arrived in front of the Rosier's just before 5 and waited for the caravan to begin. We headed out at 5 and got to the starting area without incident.
The tour had us set up in "corrals" according to our estimated finish time. I suppose this was to let the faster riders be up front as not to run over the slower riders. I estimated my ride time to be 4 hours. Kate and Ron estimated 4-1/2. Geoff, Lance, and Jacob also gave a 4 hour time. Jake, Lance & I hung back to start with Kate & Ron while Geoff went to the forward corral. After some safety announcements and the salute to our country by Jimi Hendrix's version of the Star Spangled Banner, we were off.
The ride started out pretty slowly with everyone getting out of the chute, but once we were past that, we rolled pretty good. I was hanging with Jake at about 22mph as we passed some and were passed by others. As the riders thinned, Jake & I got in a group the was really rolling. We had a slight downhill and we were making good time. I decided it was my turn to pull and moved to the front (which felt really good). Once we turned and started North, the course took a slightly uphill direction. That's when the group pulled away from me. I was moving pretty good, I thought, they were just moving better.
I figured to make my 4 hour time, I had to average 17.5mph with this uphill, I was still hanging in there. Before I knew it, we were turning on to Cave Creek Road. I was surprised how quickly we got there. Of course this was still uphill. I was starting to slow a bit now. This part of Cave Creek Road was steeper than the hill we'd been climbing and I felt it. Since this hill was a little steeper, I decided to get out of the big chain ring. Ahhh, much better. Slower, but better. Before I knew it, we were turning to head south down Pima Road. I stopped quickly at the aid station to refill water bottles and grab a banana.
Pima Road from Cave Creek to Dynamite is slightly downhill (not as much as I've already climbed), with rolling hills. I was re-hydrated and recharged. I flew down Pima! At this point, since most of the groups had pulled away, I was on my own. I got behind a couple guys a few times, but mostly it was all me. Left turn on to Dynamite. I blazed through the intersection pulling away from the guy I was drafting. There was a photographer at the corner waiting. I hope that picture surfaces somewhere. Maybe on the TdS Facebook page.
Dynamite was the steepest climb so far. i downshifted to my middle chain ring for a bit and decided I needed to go lower. My front derailleur decided it didn't want to go. WTF? I tried again, nothing. Shit. I knew there was an even bigger climb ahead and without the "granny ring" it was going to suck. I just sucked it up and hammered. At the aid station at the top of this climb, I got off refilled my bottles, had a banana and checked out my bike for any obvious reason for this derailleur issue. I couldn't find anything. Anyway, it was time for the nice 9 mile downhill. There was a crash a little more than half way down and the ambulance had to come. I hope the guy I saw laying on the ground is OK. At the bottom of the hill, we started to make our way into fountain hills. Nice rolling hills. Due to pushing a higher gear, my legs were now cramping. It's only been 37 miles! I told my legs to "shut up" and keep going. They did, albeit, at a slower pace.
On the way out of fountain Hills, we turned West onto Shea Blvd. This road is about the same pitch as Dynamite as far as steepness. There's a slight bend in the road and then, BAM! We went from slightly steep to steep. Keeping in mind that I had no granny ring, I decided that I was going to have to power through. I made it to the top and enjoyed the downhill! Strangely enough, it's not as steep as "9 mile" hill, but I went faster somehow.
By this time, my legs were really hurting. As I coasted during the downhills, I massaged them as best I could. What the hell? I've only experienced cramping in my legs once before and that was climbing a steep hill on the single speed. I knew what was going on there. This was all new.
At the last aid station, Kate & Ron caught up to me. We chatted for a few seconds and decided to head back out. Only 8 miles to go. 8 miles uphill, that is. Who decided to put that in the route? I finished only a coupe minutes ahead of the Rosiers. My clock time was 4:26:15 and my chip time was 4:22:18 (it took that long to get through the chute). My actual riding time was 4:05:00. Out of 966 finishers, I was 732. Not the best results, but I finished. I enjoyed the experience and would do it again.
What did I learn? Probably my biggest lesson learned is that I need to ride more hills. Most of my training rides are pretty much flat. I ride starting out from my house and the east valley is pretty flat. I need to branch out a bit and ride more hills. I also didn't ride much in the month of September. That needs to change for the next race. As I write this, my butt is sore, my legs are tight, and I can't wait to get back on the bike.
Before I finish, I would like to thank the Scottsdale Police and MCSO for holding traffic for us so we can continue to roll. I would also like to thanks all the voluteers at the aid stations and finish line for all your work. The families and friends of riders along the route were awesome! Thanks you for shouting words of encouragement - they helped. And to the ride organizers, thank you for a well organized, fun ride. If you know anyone in the aforementioned categories, please thank them on my behalf.
Keep it rubber side down!
I got out of bed and started getting everything together. Truth be told, I staged everything except my bike the night before. I filled my water bottles, had some coffee, made a batch of oatmeal, and I was set. I arrived in front of the Rosier's just before 5 and waited for the caravan to begin. We headed out at 5 and got to the starting area without incident.
The tour had us set up in "corrals" according to our estimated finish time. I suppose this was to let the faster riders be up front as not to run over the slower riders. I estimated my ride time to be 4 hours. Kate and Ron estimated 4-1/2. Geoff, Lance, and Jacob also gave a 4 hour time. Jake, Lance & I hung back to start with Kate & Ron while Geoff went to the forward corral. After some safety announcements and the salute to our country by Jimi Hendrix's version of the Star Spangled Banner, we were off.
The ride started out pretty slowly with everyone getting out of the chute, but once we were past that, we rolled pretty good. I was hanging with Jake at about 22mph as we passed some and were passed by others. As the riders thinned, Jake & I got in a group the was really rolling. We had a slight downhill and we were making good time. I decided it was my turn to pull and moved to the front (which felt really good). Once we turned and started North, the course took a slightly uphill direction. That's when the group pulled away from me. I was moving pretty good, I thought, they were just moving better.
I figured to make my 4 hour time, I had to average 17.5mph with this uphill, I was still hanging in there. Before I knew it, we were turning on to Cave Creek Road. I was surprised how quickly we got there. Of course this was still uphill. I was starting to slow a bit now. This part of Cave Creek Road was steeper than the hill we'd been climbing and I felt it. Since this hill was a little steeper, I decided to get out of the big chain ring. Ahhh, much better. Slower, but better. Before I knew it, we were turning to head south down Pima Road. I stopped quickly at the aid station to refill water bottles and grab a banana.
Pima Road from Cave Creek to Dynamite is slightly downhill (not as much as I've already climbed), with rolling hills. I was re-hydrated and recharged. I flew down Pima! At this point, since most of the groups had pulled away, I was on my own. I got behind a couple guys a few times, but mostly it was all me. Left turn on to Dynamite. I blazed through the intersection pulling away from the guy I was drafting. There was a photographer at the corner waiting. I hope that picture surfaces somewhere. Maybe on the TdS Facebook page.
Dynamite was the steepest climb so far. i downshifted to my middle chain ring for a bit and decided I needed to go lower. My front derailleur decided it didn't want to go. WTF? I tried again, nothing. Shit. I knew there was an even bigger climb ahead and without the "granny ring" it was going to suck. I just sucked it up and hammered. At the aid station at the top of this climb, I got off refilled my bottles, had a banana and checked out my bike for any obvious reason for this derailleur issue. I couldn't find anything. Anyway, it was time for the nice 9 mile downhill. There was a crash a little more than half way down and the ambulance had to come. I hope the guy I saw laying on the ground is OK. At the bottom of the hill, we started to make our way into fountain hills. Nice rolling hills. Due to pushing a higher gear, my legs were now cramping. It's only been 37 miles! I told my legs to "shut up" and keep going. They did, albeit, at a slower pace.
On the way out of fountain Hills, we turned West onto Shea Blvd. This road is about the same pitch as Dynamite as far as steepness. There's a slight bend in the road and then, BAM! We went from slightly steep to steep. Keeping in mind that I had no granny ring, I decided that I was going to have to power through. I made it to the top and enjoyed the downhill! Strangely enough, it's not as steep as "9 mile" hill, but I went faster somehow.
By this time, my legs were really hurting. As I coasted during the downhills, I massaged them as best I could. What the hell? I've only experienced cramping in my legs once before and that was climbing a steep hill on the single speed. I knew what was going on there. This was all new.
At the last aid station, Kate & Ron caught up to me. We chatted for a few seconds and decided to head back out. Only 8 miles to go. 8 miles uphill, that is. Who decided to put that in the route? I finished only a coupe minutes ahead of the Rosiers. My clock time was 4:26:15 and my chip time was 4:22:18 (it took that long to get through the chute). My actual riding time was 4:05:00. Out of 966 finishers, I was 732. Not the best results, but I finished. I enjoyed the experience and would do it again.
What did I learn? Probably my biggest lesson learned is that I need to ride more hills. Most of my training rides are pretty much flat. I ride starting out from my house and the east valley is pretty flat. I need to branch out a bit and ride more hills. I also didn't ride much in the month of September. That needs to change for the next race. As I write this, my butt is sore, my legs are tight, and I can't wait to get back on the bike.
Before I finish, I would like to thank the Scottsdale Police and MCSO for holding traffic for us so we can continue to roll. I would also like to thanks all the voluteers at the aid stations and finish line for all your work. The families and friends of riders along the route were awesome! Thanks you for shouting words of encouragement - they helped. And to the ride organizers, thank you for a well organized, fun ride. If you know anyone in the aforementioned categories, please thank them on my behalf.
Keep it rubber side down!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
TdS Test Flight
With the TdS (Tour de Scottsdale) race rapidly approaching, I figured I needed to run some tests with some of the additions to my bike.
I recently changed my saddle (seat) to one that is more conducive to longer rides. It's not one of those huge gel-filled thingies but it has a little more cush. I also put the behind-the-saddle bottles cages, well, behind the saddle. I don't want to run out of water on this ride, so this will enable me to carry 4 bottles. The saddle is fine, but I need to adjust the cages so they don't poke me in the butt for 70 miles.
I also wanted to test my body. I have barely ridden 50 miles this whole month and needed to see how the "chicken legs" will fare. Also, the excema on my hands seems to be refusing to go away and I needed to see how they would do. The legs did pretty good! As the ride went on, they started to feel really good before the asked the rest of me to quit. I will do some light stationary riding this week and lots of stretching to be ready. The hands did good too. One of the reasons for my lack of riding has been these stupid hands. For most of the month, they've been cracking, bleeding, and painful. I AM seeing a homeopath to clear this up, but the process is taking longer than my current patience level. I am riding in this race on Sunday whether my hands hurt or not.
Overall, I was happy with my ride today. Not as fast as I would have liked, but not as slow as I could have gone either.
Useless ride stats:
Distance: 22.63 miles
Time: 1:20:25
Max speed: 24.5mph
Avg speed: 16.8mph
No bodies found in the canal!
I recently changed my saddle (seat) to one that is more conducive to longer rides. It's not one of those huge gel-filled thingies but it has a little more cush. I also put the behind-the-saddle bottles cages, well, behind the saddle. I don't want to run out of water on this ride, so this will enable me to carry 4 bottles. The saddle is fine, but I need to adjust the cages so they don't poke me in the butt for 70 miles.
I also wanted to test my body. I have barely ridden 50 miles this whole month and needed to see how the "chicken legs" will fare. Also, the excema on my hands seems to be refusing to go away and I needed to see how they would do. The legs did pretty good! As the ride went on, they started to feel really good before the asked the rest of me to quit. I will do some light stationary riding this week and lots of stretching to be ready. The hands did good too. One of the reasons for my lack of riding has been these stupid hands. For most of the month, they've been cracking, bleeding, and painful. I AM seeing a homeopath to clear this up, but the process is taking longer than my current patience level. I am riding in this race on Sunday whether my hands hurt or not.
Overall, I was happy with my ride today. Not as fast as I would have liked, but not as slow as I could have gone either.
Useless ride stats:
Distance: 22.63 miles
Time: 1:20:25
Max speed: 24.5mph
Avg speed: 16.8mph
No bodies found in the canal!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Bicycle! Bicycle! I Want to Ride my Bicycle!
So I've got this 70(ish) mile race next weekend and I have hardly ridden this month. September has been a crazy month and my "training" has unfortunately taken a seat further back on the bus. I've only ridden a total of 45 miles for the entire month of September. Lousy.
This race next weekend isn't officially a "race", but it will be timed. I consider that a race. I won't end up on any podium, but I do plan to ride my ass off and post a respectable time. I figure 70 miles in less than 4 hours gives me a minimum average speed of 17.5mph. Of course that's what I plan on telling the event organizers for grouping purposes. I will be riding with team Bad-Ass for this ride. Everyone else on the team has been doing longer rides on the weekends and are in good riding shape. It should be interesting.
I hope to get in at least 25 miles one morning this week in preparation and then some easy stationary riding. I will be riding the new bike (yet to be named). Because of the warmer temperatures, I will add the "behind the saddle" water bottle cages. I refuse to be dehydrated! I'll be rolling with 4 bottles instead of the CamelBak. I'll bring enough nutrition to keep me going and be sure to eat plenty of breakfast as not to bonk.
I'm looking forward to this ride. My last organized ride was last November. Organized rides are a blast because so many people are all there to ride. The comraderie and energy is awesome! Occasionally, there's the complete moron that doesn't know how to ride in a group; but that can only sharpen one's skills (as long as no one crashes into or in front of me).
Should be fun...
This race next weekend isn't officially a "race", but it will be timed. I consider that a race. I won't end up on any podium, but I do plan to ride my ass off and post a respectable time. I figure 70 miles in less than 4 hours gives me a minimum average speed of 17.5mph. Of course that's what I plan on telling the event organizers for grouping purposes. I will be riding with team Bad-Ass for this ride. Everyone else on the team has been doing longer rides on the weekends and are in good riding shape. It should be interesting.
I hope to get in at least 25 miles one morning this week in preparation and then some easy stationary riding. I will be riding the new bike (yet to be named). Because of the warmer temperatures, I will add the "behind the saddle" water bottle cages. I refuse to be dehydrated! I'll be rolling with 4 bottles instead of the CamelBak. I'll bring enough nutrition to keep me going and be sure to eat plenty of breakfast as not to bonk.
I'm looking forward to this ride. My last organized ride was last November. Organized rides are a blast because so many people are all there to ride. The comraderie and energy is awesome! Occasionally, there's the complete moron that doesn't know how to ride in a group; but that can only sharpen one's skills (as long as no one crashes into or in front of me).
Should be fun...
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Team Bad-Ass Rides Again!
Tuesday morning the Higley Groves chapter of Team Bad-Ass hit the road. Since Kate is training for the Ironman (the very definition of Bad-Ass), the training schedule called for a 90 minute ride. The start temperature for our ride was 80* and the wind was non-existent.
As I pulled up to the Rosier's, Ron mentioned that he was tired this morning. We headed out with sun to our backs and quickly the "tired guy" set a pace of 21mph. Personally, I think he was sandbagging. We kept this pace for most of the 1st half of the ride with the exception of hitting EVERY red light. As we traveled West on Elliott, it was as if a street sweeper had been there hours before! Smooth and debris free.
We headed north along the 101 frontage road and the right lane was blocked making the bike lane huge. This was alright!
We turned back into the sun to head back along Guadalupe. I should have known something was up when all the bike lane dudes had been ground off in the bike lane. Then came the "bike lane closed ahead sign. Turns out they were re-surfacing the street. The asphault was new, but not smooth. As I drafted Ron, I contiuously had to spit out asphault that was being kicked up by his back tire. Maybe I should back off I thought. I did. This rough asphault created much more rolling resistance. We were working to maintain our 17+mph pace.
After the rough road, I decided that it was time for a sprint. These sprints that I do on our rides are fairly short, maybe 20 seconds; but during those 20 seconds I go ALL OUT. Pedaling as fast as I can, I shoot past the team and actually hit 27.1mph! Unfortunately whatever gas was in the tank at the time was gone. I may have even sprinted on fumes. I was cooked. A little PowerBar goo and a bit of drafting, and I eventually recovered.
As we headed South down Recker, Kate took the lead again. In the sprint bars and hammering, she brought the pace back up to 21mph. I considered another sprint, but didn't think I had anything left after the first. Once we were 3/4mile from home, I went for it! Pedaling as hard as I could, I hit 28.9mph. I pretty much coasted home after that. Ready to start the work day.
25.71miles total
28.9mph max (me)
17.7mph avg
1:27:29 time
80*start temp/85*end temp
All in all, an awesome ride!
As I pulled up to the Rosier's, Ron mentioned that he was tired this morning. We headed out with sun to our backs and quickly the "tired guy" set a pace of 21mph. Personally, I think he was sandbagging. We kept this pace for most of the 1st half of the ride with the exception of hitting EVERY red light. As we traveled West on Elliott, it was as if a street sweeper had been there hours before! Smooth and debris free.
We headed north along the 101 frontage road and the right lane was blocked making the bike lane huge. This was alright!
We turned back into the sun to head back along Guadalupe. I should have known something was up when all the bike lane dudes had been ground off in the bike lane. Then came the "bike lane closed ahead sign. Turns out they were re-surfacing the street. The asphault was new, but not smooth. As I drafted Ron, I contiuously had to spit out asphault that was being kicked up by his back tire. Maybe I should back off I thought. I did. This rough asphault created much more rolling resistance. We were working to maintain our 17+mph pace.
After the rough road, I decided that it was time for a sprint. These sprints that I do on our rides are fairly short, maybe 20 seconds; but during those 20 seconds I go ALL OUT. Pedaling as fast as I can, I shoot past the team and actually hit 27.1mph! Unfortunately whatever gas was in the tank at the time was gone. I may have even sprinted on fumes. I was cooked. A little PowerBar goo and a bit of drafting, and I eventually recovered.
As we headed South down Recker, Kate took the lead again. In the sprint bars and hammering, she brought the pace back up to 21mph. I considered another sprint, but didn't think I had anything left after the first. Once we were 3/4mile from home, I went for it! Pedaling as hard as I could, I hit 28.9mph. I pretty much coasted home after that. Ready to start the work day.
The funniest thing I saw was an older lady walking a BIG german shepard (that's not the funny part). In her left hand, she held the leash and the little bag for poo. In her right, was the biggest can of mace I've ever seen. I swear it was about the size of a can of spray paint! The neighborhood where we were isn't by any means dangerous, I don't think. Besides, it was the morning time in broad daylight. You woould think if anyone was going to start trouble, they'd think twice with this big dog. When I saw this, I actually laughed out loud a little.
Useless ride stats:25.71miles total
28.9mph max (me)
17.7mph avg
1:27:29 time
80*start temp/85*end temp
All in all, an awesome ride!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Team OMWP Rides Again!
Hello,
How about that ride in? I guess that’s why they call it Gilbert (hahaha).
You guys may not know this, but I consider myself…a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one man wolf pack. But when my wife suggested I ride with Kate & Ron, I knew they were one of my own. And my wolf pack, it grew by two. So were three…so there were three of us in the pack. I…I was alone first in the pack, and then Kate & Ron joined in later.
Apparently Team Bad-Ass decided to ride a century in Flagstaff this weekend. That's 100 miles, at altitude (5500-7000'), with not so great weather this weekend. So this weekend, the One Man Wolf Pack rides again! In the spirit of today's TDF stage, I decided to do a "time trial" of sorts. That is, a race against the clock. I'm not riding a time trail bike (I wish I had one), just the single speed. Time trials are typically shorter and the riders maintain a higher speed for longer periods of time. In fact; in order to do well in an Individual Time Trial (ITT), a cyclist must:
-maintain a steady power output for long periods.
-maintain a controlled heart rate for long periods.
-have a smooth, regular pedalling technique.
-position him or herself to be extremely aerodynamic.
-discipline him or herself to operate just below the anaerobic threshold until near the end of the course.
II have no aerodynamic helmet on, my jersey was open and flapping, and I'm not the smallest guy on a bike. I just decided to ride all out!
My route was a "short" 24 miles and I planned to ride as fast as I could. The first half of the ride was slightly uphill, but not a big deal. When I came downstairs this morning, my son was already up; sitting on the couch reading a book. This delayed my departure. Instead of rollin out at 0600, I rolled out at 0800ish afer everyone was up. Not a biggie except it was considerably warmer.
I headed east along the same rout that I rode last week. This time, the urine & poo smells were gone as well as Monsanto's finest. As planned, I hammered the pedals. Legs were feeling great, water was still cold, light traffic, just warm. Once I finally started climbing slightly, it really warmed up. I could feel the sun beating down on me when I stopped at lights. The best thing to do was keep moving. I stopped at mile 11.5 for a cool down and PowerBar. After that brief respite, I headed up the rest of the way to McKellips Road which turned out to only be about 1/2 mile. I crossed McKellips and turned around once the roads were free of trucks pulling boats.
After turning around, I realized that I really was climbing because I flew back from where I came. The climb isn't steep at all; barely noticable in fact, but once I was heading South, it was "go" time. I decided to do some interval sprints during this "downhill" and hit some decent speeds for not having gears. My max speed was 27.1mph. That might not sound like much, but for the lack of steepness of this road, it was cool to see. While heading back South, the wind was starting to blow from the East. I thought, cool I have to turn East soon. As luck would have it, the wind shifted. Now it was coming from the West (the direction I was heading). Oh well.
I made it home without incident or even a close call. Hopefully team One Man Wolf Pack can ride again with team Bad-Ass soon. They're a great group to ride with and help me be a better rider.
Keep it rubber side down!
How about that ride in? I guess that’s why they call it Gilbert (hahaha).
You guys may not know this, but I consider myself…a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one man wolf pack. But when my wife suggested I ride with Kate & Ron, I knew they were one of my own. And my wolf pack, it grew by two. So were three…so there were three of us in the pack. I…I was alone first in the pack, and then Kate & Ron joined in later.
Apparently Team Bad-Ass decided to ride a century in Flagstaff this weekend. That's 100 miles, at altitude (5500-7000'), with not so great weather this weekend. So this weekend, the One Man Wolf Pack rides again! In the spirit of today's TDF stage, I decided to do a "time trial" of sorts. That is, a race against the clock. I'm not riding a time trail bike (I wish I had one), just the single speed. Time trials are typically shorter and the riders maintain a higher speed for longer periods of time. In fact; in order to do well in an Individual Time Trial (ITT), a cyclist must:
-maintain a steady power output for long periods.
-maintain a controlled heart rate for long periods.
-have a smooth, regular pedalling technique.
-position him or herself to be extremely aerodynamic.
-discipline him or herself to operate just below the anaerobic threshold until near the end of the course.
II have no aerodynamic helmet on, my jersey was open and flapping, and I'm not the smallest guy on a bike. I just decided to ride all out!
My route was a "short" 24 miles and I planned to ride as fast as I could. The first half of the ride was slightly uphill, but not a big deal. When I came downstairs this morning, my son was already up; sitting on the couch reading a book. This delayed my departure. Instead of rollin out at 0600, I rolled out at 0800ish afer everyone was up. Not a biggie except it was considerably warmer.
I headed east along the same rout that I rode last week. This time, the urine & poo smells were gone as well as Monsanto's finest. As planned, I hammered the pedals. Legs were feeling great, water was still cold, light traffic, just warm. Once I finally started climbing slightly, it really warmed up. I could feel the sun beating down on me when I stopped at lights. The best thing to do was keep moving. I stopped at mile 11.5 for a cool down and PowerBar. After that brief respite, I headed up the rest of the way to McKellips Road which turned out to only be about 1/2 mile. I crossed McKellips and turned around once the roads were free of trucks pulling boats.
After turning around, I realized that I really was climbing because I flew back from where I came. The climb isn't steep at all; barely noticable in fact, but once I was heading South, it was "go" time. I decided to do some interval sprints during this "downhill" and hit some decent speeds for not having gears. My max speed was 27.1mph. That might not sound like much, but for the lack of steepness of this road, it was cool to see. While heading back South, the wind was starting to blow from the East. I thought, cool I have to turn East soon. As luck would have it, the wind shifted. Now it was coming from the West (the direction I was heading). Oh well.
I made it home without incident or even a close call. Hopefully team One Man Wolf Pack can ride again with team Bad-Ass soon. They're a great group to ride with and help me be a better rider.
Keep it rubber side down!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
An Open Letter to My Son
Most parents are proud of their kids. To say that I'm insanely proud of my son would be a gross understatement.
Last night, I watched some old video footage of you and it reminded me how far you've come and how hard you've worked to get here. I was reminded of how little eye contact you made and what little language you had only a few short years ago. I remembered the day when the public school system labeled you "severely Autistic". I remembered the Tupperware lid spinning and the "pink milk" you carried around. That was then.
Now, I look at you with a swelling pride that only a father that knows how far you've come can feel. Last night, before bed, you were SO excited to be starting school today. This morning, you came downstairs and exclaimed "first day of school today!" with the biggest smile. Then we had the conversation about whether Andy (Schleck) would get back the "yellow shirt" [le Tour de France]. Just 3 years ago I wondered if we'd even be able to have conversations, now listen to the ones we have. The questions you ask are amazing! Your silliness warms my heart!You have worked so hard with your therapists in the past few years. I know they push you beyond your comfort zone and you may not like it; but you do the work. Look at how all that has payed off. You take your slurry of supplements without (much) protest. You are certainly a trooper and I'm proud of you!
Today you start first grade. Wow. Where has the time gone? I never imagined that you'd be in a top rated charter school among "neuro-typical" peers hanging right in there with them. You probably have to work a little harder than your classmates to get the job done, but you do it. Today, at your first day of school, you lined up with your class and gave us a "bye guys". You were ready to go! No hesitation whatsoever. I think you have a great teacher this year who will encourage you and help you grow as well. You will be challenged at times, but you can do it. You've proven that in the past. I can't wait to hear about your first day today. All the new things and new friends, I just may be as excited as you.
I know that sometimes I get frustrated, but do know that I am proud of all your accomplishments; both big & small. I look forward to all of the great challenges and experiences we will have together. I love you, Matthew.
Love,
Dad
Last night, I watched some old video footage of you and it reminded me how far you've come and how hard you've worked to get here. I was reminded of how little eye contact you made and what little language you had only a few short years ago. I remembered the day when the public school system labeled you "severely Autistic". I remembered the Tupperware lid spinning and the "pink milk" you carried around. That was then.
Now, I look at you with a swelling pride that only a father that knows how far you've come can feel. Last night, before bed, you were SO excited to be starting school today. This morning, you came downstairs and exclaimed "first day of school today!" with the biggest smile. Then we had the conversation about whether Andy (Schleck) would get back the "yellow shirt" [le Tour de France]. Just 3 years ago I wondered if we'd even be able to have conversations, now listen to the ones we have. The questions you ask are amazing! Your silliness warms my heart!You have worked so hard with your therapists in the past few years. I know they push you beyond your comfort zone and you may not like it; but you do the work. Look at how all that has payed off. You take your slurry of supplements without (much) protest. You are certainly a trooper and I'm proud of you!
Today you start first grade. Wow. Where has the time gone? I never imagined that you'd be in a top rated charter school among "neuro-typical" peers hanging right in there with them. You probably have to work a little harder than your classmates to get the job done, but you do it. Today, at your first day of school, you lined up with your class and gave us a "bye guys". You were ready to go! No hesitation whatsoever. I think you have a great teacher this year who will encourage you and help you grow as well. You will be challenged at times, but you can do it. You've proven that in the past. I can't wait to hear about your first day today. All the new things and new friends, I just may be as excited as you.
I know that sometimes I get frustrated, but do know that I am proud of all your accomplishments; both big & small. I look forward to all of the great challenges and experiences we will have together. I love you, Matthew.
Love,
Dad
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