31 March 2008

HM

did 7 miles yesterday on my newly converted-to-freewheel miyata, minus clip-in shoes, still had knee issues despite different fit on bike.

today i called orthoindy, appointment wednesday morning. time to get this sorted.

dog appointment in 1 hr.

Jon

This is what I'm diggin' now. If you can search out the Tallest Man on Earth EP, do so. Sorry I've got no link this time. This is a grower EP. Give it three listens.



Also if you missed the Belgian Amateur Cyclist in Japan link over in my link list, it might be worth checking out. He's got some good Fuji pictures and stuff, anyway.

we are going down

Fulham once again showed why they hate America this weekend, with a thrilling late goal followed by the concession of a thrilling late goal - a 2-2 tie with Derby that doesn't them barely any good. Each week I hold on to a slim bit of hope that they'll not be relegated, but it's time to LET IT GO.

With that in mind I've paid close attention to this weeks opening MLS action.

RSL looked positive in their match against the Chicago Fire, with stretches of strong possession and quite a bit of spark from forwards who's names I've yet to learn. A late goal seemed to sure up the win but then Blanco got a little too much space and equalized even later. That's the kind of crap result I expect out of my teams. 1-1.

Afterwards over in Denver, my young teenage hero Ruud Gullit learned that his team is complete shit when the Rapids spanked a lackluster LA Galaxy. The most striking thing about this match is how easily LA's defenders quit on plays. Perhaps it's because I'm used to the premiership, but I always thought that when you got burnt on a play you'd work your ass off to get back into the play. Not so if your name is Chris Klein of Abel Xavier, I guess. I would have mentioned the other defenders but they probably don't belong in MLS. Late in the match Beckham ended playing what positionally looked like defensive mid, except Beckham doesn't really play defense. He does dive in pretty well, which is good for those ankles he likes to injure. Hits a pretty nice long ball, though.

I didn't watch too much of Houston/New England, because by the time I turned the channel there it was already 2-0. What struck me upon first viewing of this game is that the quality of both squads seemed to be pretty evident - I suppose those early season tournament matches are good for from. New England looked especially tough - Chicago is probably lucky they got the late point in Salt Lake because I think NE will probably beat them Thursday.

Caught the end of the Columbus/Toronto match, but I didn't really pay any attention. And I missed KC/DC completely. I'll need to pay more attention to scheduling.

Anyway, I'm going to stick with rooting for RSL this year... and probably until St. Louis gets a team. Seems to make the most sense to me.

28 March 2008

animal control is now involved

turns out those dogs don't have rabies shots after all! WEEE!!!!

27 March 2008

I said "You have two dogs out there?"

She said "yes"

I said "I was riding my bike last night and the little white one bit me"

"Well... I mean, what do you want me to do?"

"I just want to make sure they've had their vaccinations."

"Oh yes... we've got them out here for at nights, I guess we could put the little one inside. I tell you what I'd do... I'd get a baseball bat. That's what my son does."

"Well I'm not worried about the dogs, I just want to make sure they've been vaccinated."

"Oh yes."

"Ok, thanks."

26 March 2008

i'm on fire

11.6 miles, 48:46, bit by dog

same route i always use near home, just wanted to test the knee (bad idea), cruising by the two dogs i always see - one of which runs into the road regularly, i shout at it and then outrun it, pretty much since it was a pup. i thought we were friends.

and then, when riding too slow to outrun anything, it runs into the road, i shout at it, and it takes a nip at my calf, leading to me to yell "fuck that dog just bit me" to no one in particular.

cyclist code says i'm supposed to now go back, speak to the owner, and then the dog gets put down... yeah i don't think that's happening. looks like i'm looking for a new route.

So.

My brother is a dad. That's weird.

25 March 2008

fucked

24.27 miles, 1:37, 143 avg 226 max 1288 cal

eagle creek... not many folks out. a guy w/ zipps passed me, i wanted to jump on but my knee just isn't having it. tomorrow i suppose i'll start my investigation into a doctor. goddamnit.

had to unclip the left foot climbing the big hill (running backwards) and pull up with just the right... that'll make you stronger.

i see this ending unhappily.

oh bother.

i'm just getting fat. this knee thing is annoying. i'm going to retest it this week and if it's not better than i'll consult the foot doctor i ride with for recommendations on a knee doctor.

22 March 2008

bike trenton

20.25 miles, 16.26 mph, trenton loop

cold out. kinda sucked. could have done more. some knee pain. blah.

20 March 2008

RAD.

Belgium:

The day starts listening to the wind trying to rip the windows out of the hotel wall. Likely the patter of rain will add a bit of rhythm to the soundtrack. After hiding out in the bus until the last moment you bolt for the line and it’s instantly on. Racing starts flat out and you fight like hell all day. The bunch might take a chill moment from time to time when the cow path, aka: road you’re racing down, is so narrow that nobody could move anyways, and then we get back to smashing one and other until blood is flowing from ears and we’re all seeing triple. After the finish everybody drags themselves to the showers for the first of the two that will be required to rid your body of all the mixed up mud, manure and fertilizers that covered the roads. Eat a bland meal for dinner and do it again the next day.
Advertisement

That’s Belgium.

How does this relate to the culture? Well — Belgians are TOUGH. They’re hard people. They suffer, and often look like they’ve suffered for the long time. A scan of most crowds confirms this. And they LOVE their bike racing, seemingly more than any other country in the world. I think this has to do with the fact that they relate to the suffering and probably enjoy watching people out there suffering more than they are. Racing in Holland is similar, but a bit more relaxed and with a skotche of “gentlemanliness” to it; this is reflected in a somewhat more picturesque countryside, and that of the people watching the race go by.

Italy:

...riders disappear to the shower or bus, emerging moments later in something pushing the edge fashion-wise, hair slicked-back, with massive glasses allowing gratuitous ogling, and drenched in cologne


etc etc etc...

More from Team Slipstream-Chipotle's (hey, they've got a blog!) Will Frishkorn at Velonews

19 March 2008

For further investigation.

The Ana-Lee livejournal has up the pictures from all the Pirelli calendars. I really enjoyed 1969, and then I decided this was better for viewing away from the workplace.

Not exactly work safe.

63-73.
74-90.
91-96.

18 March 2008

bike

3/18/08 conditions raining and 50ish I guess
castelli coat, ss jersey, long tights, reg socks, reg gloves, shoes with toe covers, base layer... hmmm what else.. oh a cycling cap for the rain
eagle creek tuesday night, except no one else showed up. that was fine by me. either i was just anxious to be back on a bike or raining and not that cold is perfect cycling weather. maybe those folks in belgium got it right. did many many laps on the back loop, zoning out and trying to remember all the lyrics to ok computer.

28.71 miles, 1:39, avg mph 17.4, hr max 211, avg 149, 1458 calories
12 - BS - Aerobic Development (Fairly Light

oh and my knee is definitely fucked, and i hate doctors

17 March 2008

this is going well

well my excuses injuries kept me off a bike this week, but as of saturday morning i was at 188. then the wheels came off or something. whatever. i'll get there when i can bike.

chiro today after work. i am expecting nothing short of a miracle cure for every ailment ever.

yesterday i spent the day feeling like someone punched me in the guts. that was weird.

OH Yeah. Fulham beat Everton (McBride with the winner!), thus getting hopes up a little bit. Still a lot of work to be done.

14 March 2008

i'm dying

So you know about the knee thing. Thursday morning I awoke to discover that I was incapable of tilting my head to the left. When I attempt to do so, a very tight muscle located somewhere in my shoulder just stops me.

This is particularly odd when trying to hold a phone between the shoulder and ear while typing something (like about half of the actual work I do). I can switch the phone to the other ear, but that's not the ear I normally use. And that's just weird.

Next week my schedule looks like so: Monday - work, chiropractor (my first ever visit), tuesday - leave work early to join the other bicyclist at eagle creek (if I'm capable of biking by then), wednesday - work/dentist, thursday - work/dentist/hops for pops preliminary planning party (possibly) (AND I'M FINALLY DONE), friday - work/back to illinois for easter etc.

those of you reading from illinois... hops for pops will be the first beer festival i've contributed to the planning and production of... if you're looking for an excuse to visit..

st. patty's party
tomorrow. i am very proud of our meager hoosier beer geek accomplishments. it's nice to be involved in something.

13 March 2008

hmmmm

This is funny. Or scary?

12 March 2008

Bike?

3/11/08 conditions I forget. Warmer.
6.52 miles, 14.92 avg, bike delivered to gray goat.

The knee issue was immediately noticable yesterday, to the point where standing up to pedal was a major undertaking. I was going to do 30 recovery miles, but I instead decided to ride over to the bike shop to see if maybe my problem could be fixed with cleat positioning.

Brian looked me over (using lasers!) and determined that I could use a few fine adjustments (shoe insert, slight seat raise) and also told me that my knees tend to flare out at the top of the stroke, which apparently is super rare. Well, neato.

Anyway, I then left the bike at the shop for a tune-up. Best thing for patella tendonitis, which is what we're guessing it is (symptoms all match), is rest. And ice. I'm not the sort of guy that ices things unless it gets desperate.

I'll try a couple days off and see what happens.

10 March 2008

BIKE!

Monday 3/10/08 - Temps 34 feels like 25 - that's weather channels numbers... I'd say it was cold as fuck. Windy.
clothing: shoes/covers, regular socks, full length tights, base layer, ss jersey, castelli coat, helmet/helmet liner. Performance gloves with Specialized gloves over the top. I need to buy better gloves.
miles: 31.32 avg mph: 16.73 hr avg: 156 hr max: 205 cal: 1731 level: 13 Tempo development (Somewhat Hard)

For those of you following with any interest, that calorie number (1731) is based off what my heartrate monitor tells me. Not exact science, but I figure for roughly 75% (1298) of that number. Considering I've only eaten about 750 calories pre-ride, you might see how it's possible that I lost 50+ lbs on a bicycle. And then I gave some back.

Took the route from home out to Bargersville/Whiteland, criss-crossing the regular route and hitting more hills. My outside front left knee seems to be acting up a bit... probably from overdoing it? In any case, I refuse to act like an old man.

Last but not least, seems to get dark about 7:45... made it home by 8 with a peek of daylight. Might want to carry a blinkie.

Man it was fucking cold. Now to take my bath...

wate

Considering how much beer I had to drink this week (duty calls), I'll take 189.5 gladly.

Until next week...

09 March 2008

BIKE

Sunday 3/9/08 - Temps 25 - 39 feels like 27 - 33ish. Windy.
clothing: shoes/covers, wool socks, full length tights, base layer, ss jersey, castelli coat, helmet/helmet liner. Performance gloves with Specialized gloves over the top. Cold hands to start, but this seems to pass about the time I stop worrying about it. Mostly in the thumbs, actually.
miles: 22.03 avg mph: 17.03 hr avg: 161 hr max: 203 cal: 1307 level: 13 Tempo development (Somewhat Hard)
Called BGI South to see if there was a ride out today, they said no. So I drove over anyway, hoping to find the route marked on the road. I also had a map I found on routeslip. Stopped here and there making sure I was on the right course. Ran into snow on the road quite a few times. All things considered I felt a lot faster than I have recently. So that was nice.

Time change last night so training should pick up now.

06 March 2008

elephant vs albatross

ytd rides 8 ytd miles 233.05 avg mph 15.36

These numbers are pathetic. worse than pathetic, really.

as a cyclist, you're supposed to find joy in the suffering - a sort of job-like understanding that the work you put it in worth it in the long run. so far this year, I've not been job at all. more like a pre-awakening lazurus.

(look at me with my bible references)

saturday afternoon i'm working at AleFest Indy. I'd rather be on the other side of the table, but it should be a fun experience. or something.

Saturday morning calls for low 14/high 24 temps and snow flurries. i hope to be on a bike.

05 March 2008

Yar

Today, with the help of drunkcyclist.com, I found out about GroceryEats.com, and the AMAZING MEAT HOUSE. Oh and the Big MacChicken.

Fu-awesome.

* * * * *

Did 45 on the eliptical at Gina's YMCA last evening. Woo-wee sweaty.

02 March 2008

Return of the bike stats

I was using bikejournal.com to log everything, but they've taken away some column for those of us too cheap to pony up and buy the full featured membership. I will probably do that eventually, but for the time being... I know this makes for awesome reading.

Times based on time moving (stops not included)

Saturday 03/01/08 - Temps 31-37 felt like 24-27
clothing: shoes/covers, wool socks, full length tights, base layer, ss jersey, castelli coat, helmet. no hat. Performance gloves with Specialized gloves over the top. Well dressed. Got a little cold the last hour.
miles: 54.35 avg mph: 14.01 no hr numbers, no calorie number, level: 12 aerobic development
From home across downtown and then the entire monon and back home. Trying to keep the pace down so that I don't do any damage to my knees this early on. Nice plan, except it didn't work. Too many miles? Knee pain started at the completion of the monon and grew worse until my entire legs decided that they didn't like me any more. Made it home, but my plan to do 63 miles (the metric century) was not to be. I had had enough.

Sunday 03/02/08 - Temps 50-60s felt like 50-60s
clothing: shoes/covers, regular socks, full length tights, base layer, ss jersey, no coat, helmet, no hat. Performance gloves with Specialized gloves over the top. Could have done without the shoe covers and full length tights, I think. Base layer seemed to be ok.
miles: 42.10 avg mph: 16.21 hr avg: 158 hr max: 187 calories: 2449 level: 13 tempo development
New route from home to west newton, camby, mooresville outskirts, monrovia and back home. Pushed it a little harder today I guess. Headwinds the whole way out led to slow times, but tailwinds back made for an easy and faster way back. Route touches on the beginning of The Wall route and a few other places I've ridden before. Hillier than the Southern Dunes and Whiteland loops. Nice route.

I've got a long way to go.