Well, how else would you train for a February Time Trial?

The other day I was thinking how my training has been in doors for the last several weeks -- and I'm supposed to be preparing for a Time Trial in February. So, I decided to drag my bike and trainer out into the garage and ride a time trial. It was 33 degrees and snowing.



I had put together 44 minutes of "hammer music" and rode to it at my "time trial pace". I chose 44 minutes because that was my fastest time from last seasons Colavita series. My goal was to hit the 12 mile mark before my music ended.




I managed to go 14.69 miles and averaged 17.9 mph. Of course, that is on the trainer- without a headwind or hills. I'm sure on the road, it will be a different story.



The neighbors thought I was crazy, but it was pretty cool watching the snow fall!

We have Clipper-rage

Our first "Alberta Clipper" moved through the area last night- so we awoke to 4 inches of snow this morning!!




Looks like it's going to be a "vacation" day for us!

With last years nightmare "snow drive" still ingrained in our brains, we decided not to attempt going in to work today- although everything around here is still "business as usual".

I don't know if I'll ever get comfortable driving in this stuff- but the "seasoned Yankees" don't seem to mind a bit.



Pops got his morning exercise by shoveling the driveway...



While Milo played...



It is pretty!

Training, hair, and paint - oh my!

Last Thursday, Pops and I attended our first indoor training session with the Team Dayton Race team. It was great fun! One of our team sponsors is a local gym, so they allow the team to have a training session each week in one of their classrooms. We bring our own bikes and trainers and the TD Training Coordinator leads everyone in a 2 hour training class. It's nice to get out of the basement and "ride" with other folks. And the best part is-- not even the fastest racer boy can "drop me" -- Whoo-hoo! I'm still planning to do my own basement training sessions on Tuesdays and weekends, but this will give me some variety.

My hair has really been bugging me lately. It's been flat and fly-away and I can't do a thing with it.

Old hair

So Saturday, I went to the beauty shop and got a body wave.

New Hair

I can't wash or style it until Monday (so the curl can "lock-in") so right now, I've got that 80s perm look going on.... but, I like it. I think it looks much better than what I had going on. Hopefully, after it "settles in", I will like it even more.

Several weeks ago, Pops and I decided we would tackle some home projects this winter when the weather was too bad to get out and ride. Today's weather was just that- BAD. It's been yucky, messy, rainy most of the day. So, while I stripped the wallpaper from the bathroom walls, pops tackled some painting.

Pops painting

We've got several more home projects to tackle, but I'm sure the weather over the next several month will allow us plenty of opportunity to get them done.

A preview of things to come

Just to get us in the Christmas mood, we got a light dusting of snow this morning. Dare we try to tackle door buster sales and snow???





Milo checking out the snow.



We decided to "go for it" and made the door buster sales. The snow shower didn't last very long and it's mostly gone now.

Training in the basement

Well, I did it, I signed up to be a member of the Team Dayton Race Team. This means now I've got to get my A$$ in gear and spend some "quality time" on the trainer in the basement.

So, to make riding the trainer a little more bearable, Pops and I put together a compilation CD of my favorite songs that would match the training program that I'm currently following. I've got "heart pumping" songs (for warm-up and hammering) and slow songs (for recovery and cool-down) all arranged by song style and length according to the training plan. (It's a very eclectic collection- to say the least)

After yesterdays "maiden voyage" using my new CD, I can actually say that I feel like I had a great workout - probably the best ever!

Usually, when I'm riding the trainer, the minutes just drag on... and on.... and on... and I can never remember what time I'm suppose to start and stop my training segments. (I guess I can't ride and do math in my head at the same time.) But now, instead of watching the clock and calculating when to push and when to recover, I know what to do by which song is playing. The time flew by and there was no question in my mind if I had spent the right amount of time pushing versus recovering!

I think I'll probably need to make a couple more of these CDs so I don't get to sick of this one, and maybe I'll get somewhere this winter.

Turning to..."Dust in the Wind"

After several days of yucky weather, we had a "good weather window" this afternoon. It had rained all day yesterday, and more is coming tonight, so when a window of opportunity opens, ya just gotta leap through it!

Now, when I say "good weather", I mean not raining (partly cloudy), and not freezing (in the 60s), but it was "oh my God" windy! Todays wind was from the southwest- sustained at 15mph, with gusts of 25mph. This made riding out (north) great-- but coming back (south) well... I'll go with "challenging". So, after spending 2 hours riding in the wind, my face and eyes feel so dry they will probably just turn to dust by morning. And, I'm afraid to look in the mirror for fear of seeing the crypt-keeper looking back at me. Yikes!!! But, I have to say, it was still great to be on my bike OUTSIDE!!

I think we are supposed to have more bad weather for the next several days, so it'll be back to basement for me - but that's okay- my new "boyfriend" Chris Carmichael and I already have a couple of workouts planned for me to do next week.

It's time to pay the piper...

With all of the beautiful weekends we've been enjoying lately, I knew the day would come to pay-up. So this morning, when we actually heard the "S" word mentioned in the weather report, I knew our time was up. Yep, they actually said we had a chance of Snow Showers! Good grief! I don't expect we'll see anything sticking, but I'm sure that's not too far in the future. It looks like it'll be back to the basement for the next 4 months for me.

And while I'm complaining- can I just say that I'm sick and tired of changing the clocks back and forth. Can we just pick a time and stick with it? Holy crap! Enough all ready! Although "falling back" is easier than "springing forward" - it is still stupid! Here's an idea, why don't we just split the difference. We could set the clocks ahead 1/2 hour next spring and then leave them alone!!! I'm sure I'm not the first person to come up with this dandy little idea... Any takers?

Okay- enough whining for today... the basement awaits!

A picture perfect ride

Sunday was a gorgeous fall day- perfect for a mountain bike ride!



Words can not possibly describe the beauty...





What a great day to own a bike!!!

"Stolen" weekend

I'm not sure who we stole this weekend from- but Whoo-Hoo, it was gorgeous!! ! We had a couple of great Fall days!

Saturday, I rode my bike with my friend from work (Jane). It was just a tad bit chilly- high in the low 60s- but the sun was shining- so my long tights and long sleeve jersey was just about perfect. We rode on the bike path from Spring Valley to Xenia and back- a 20 mile round trip. And, we even got a piece of cheesecake and a "floor show" in Xenia. When Jane and I ride, we always make a point to treat our self's to a snack midway. Saturday's midway point was Xenia, so we stopped at this little "Mom and Pop" type restaurant for our snack. We ordered a couple of pieces of cheesecake, and had just sat down in the dining area, when we noticed (through the window) some guy raising hell at other guy about hitting his car. The other guy started yelling back and before long the Xenia police showed up. The crazy part is, neither vehicle had any damage! I really don't know why these guys were yelling at each other in the first place - I guess it was just a slow day in Xenia...

Sunday was even more beautiful with the high in the mid 70s and sunny! Pops and I started out doing some work around the house- then decided stop that nonsense- and packed up the bikes and headed to MoMBA (there is absolutely no parental guidance around here). I had tossed around the idea that we could go out to Waynesville today to check out the Sour Kraut festival, but we opted for mountain biking instead.





What a great day!

We probably won't see many more days like this (with winter just around the corner) but, at least we can say we enjoyed it while we had it.

Bellbrook TT

My time to beat was 37:55- todays time was 35:07! Whoo-hoo!!!

The route was the same as it was last spring and the road conditions were pretty much the same. The only difference was the temperature- today it was about 20 degrees warmer than last time. I had also taken my Aero bars off my bike since I did not have them last spring. I wanted to try to duplicate the race conditions as close as possible - hoping to eliminate any outside advantages.

Overall, I felt much better today than I did last spring. I felt A LOT better on the climb -- it still "hurt", and my heart-rate was pegged, but it just felt like I made it to the top faster. I feel like I gained some time there. My nose also did A LOT better today too! I had shot a couple of squirts of Nasalcrom about 30 minutes before my start time. I walked out of the house this morning and forgot the nose strips, but I'm sure that would have helped too. My nose got a little "moist" and I had to dab it a couple of times, but at least it was not pouring like last time. Not having to deal with a runny nose had to have helped my time too.

AND, I even came home with a 1st place trophy!!!



Yep, I was the only lady in the 40-49 class -- but heck, I guess I can't help that!!!

Last Colavita TT

My time to beat was 44:10... Todays time....45:11! Dang it! 1 Minute and 1 second slower than my best time.

Today was tough... I just could not turn the pedals over. The wind was not too bad and the temperature was great (low 50's and sunny) but I just could not find my groove. And, of course, my nose was running like a faucet!

It seems if the temp is under 75 degrees, and my heart-rate is over 130, my nose fills up runs like crazy. So, several times during the race, I had to blow my nose ( either that or drown). Also, breathing through my nose is completely out of the question. This "exercise" nose drives me crazy! Most times it just an annoyance but having to fiddle around with blowing my nose is costing me time-- time I can't make up. If anyone out there has any suggestions on what I can do to get my nose under control I will really appreciate it.

My last race of the year will be next Sunday in Bellbrook OH. I started this season with a Time Trial in Bellbrook, so it is great that I'll get to finish the season there too. Hopefully, I'll see an improvement from my first race. My time to beat will be 37:55. We'll see....

12 hours of Dauset

I've always liked the trails at Dauset, but what a difference not riding there for over a year can make.

I had worried that the hilly terrain and the heat/humidity would be a challenge for me. The weather, for the most part cooperated, but the terrain-- spanked me like a 4 year old in K-mart!

The day started out a little wet, which made the trail pretty slick with several muddy spots. I haven't rode much in the way of hills and certainly no "rooty" sections since coming up here. So, I was sucking wind on climbs and getting a tad bit nervous riding over the wet roots. But, luckily, no crashes- just a couple of near misses. I skidded out a couple of times in the mud and I somehow rammed my handlebars into a tree once. But, I managed to "keep the rubber side down".

I did make a couple of stupid mistakes though... First, I failed to change my shorts in between laps which caused me considerable discomfort on my second lap. This "discomfort" caused me to constantly "adjust" my sitting position in hopes of finding a "comfortable" (ie. less painful) position on the bike. But, no position really worked, so by the time I finished the lap, my lower back was also hurting pretty bad. My second mistake was that I did not eat enough throughout the day. By the end of the evening, I was feeling pretty sick, so once we had the car packed, I just needed to head on home. This, unfortunately, cause us to miss the the awards. What really ticks me off, is that I know better than to make those stupid mistakes. I was just careless, and did not adhere to my common sense.

The BEST part of the race weekend was seeing our bike friends again and getting to catch up with each other. Hopefully, we'll get to trek back next year and make the "12 hours of Dauset" an annual event. Sounds good to me!

Oh, and the "Homecoming Queens" took 8th Place!

Fall is here!

Well, I think summer is gone. The last couple of days the temperature at night has dropped to the mid 40's with the daytime high only getting up to the mid 60s. Soon, it will be winter again, and I'll be back to riding my bike in the basement. But, until then, if the sun is out, I will be too.

Yesterday was gorgeous- a "textbook" fall day. No humidity, a chill in the air, a bright blue sky and plenty of sun. A perfect day for mountain bike riding. And, as luck would have it, the grand opening of a new Mountain Bike Trail "MoMBA".

This trail is wonderful! About 9 miles of great flowing trails with some good climbs, descents, and technical sections. The trail is extremely well marked and does a great job of letting riders know what difficultly to expect on each trail.







I didn't get to see all of the trail yesterday, but I'm sure we'll be going back there again soon. Can't wait!

John Bryan Fast Lap

The final "Fast Lap" of the Fall Series was last night.

So, for the series my times are:

1st race: 36:29
2nd race: DNF (crashed out)
3rd race: 35:28

I managed to shave 1 minute and 1 second from my previous time-- I'm pretty happy with that!

The "Fast Lap" series has been both challenging and fun. I started doing this series to become a better rider. I think I've met that goal. I've overcome some "mental issues" I had with obstacles and I feel a little more confidant pushing myself to kick my speed up a little.

Next up- The "12 hours of Dauset" on the 22nd. I'm really getting excited about this race. It will really be good to see and ride with the "chit-chat" girls and to hang out with our bike friends again. Can't wait!!!

File this under WTF!

The Sep 10, 2007 issue of Time Magazine is reporting that two "Hash House Harriers" are facing felony charges for creating a bio-terrorism scare and forcing hundreds to evacuate a Connecticut Ikea parking lot for sprinkling flour to mark a trail for their local Hash.

Click here for the Time story.

For those unfamiliar with hashing, Wikipedia describes "Hash House Harriers" as an "international group of social, non-competitive running and drinking clubs. Hashing has frequently been described as 'a drinking club with a running problem', and the social element of hashing is of equal importance to the running. The template for a hash run is for one or more hashers (the "hares") to lay out a running trail, which may include false trails, short cuts and trail breaks. They also prefer the use of bio-degradable materials such as flour or sawdust to mark the trail in order to avoid unnecessary problems."

Also according to Wikipedia, this arrest took place on 25 Aug 2007 in New Haven, Connecticut.

What really amazes me is that it seemed perfectly reasonable to "someone" that a terrorist would be carrying around a 5 lb bag of "Anthrax" and would blazingly sprinkle it in a Shopping Center parking lot. What is even more amazing is that this event resulted in the arrest and subsequent felony charges against two people.

Having done a couple of Mountain Bike Hashes- which I must say was great fun- I guess it's a good thing that this "someone" didn't hear them singing their drinking songs- that would have certainly got someone in trouble.

Update on Colavita TT

The official TT results have been posted.

Comparing the other ladies (in my class) times to their July times, it looks like the headwind slowed us all down:

AM was 0:01:00 slower
SN was 0:02:06 slower
and
JS was 0:01:56 slower

I was 0:00:08 slower

But, the best part is, I managed to reduced the time gaps between me and each of the the other ladies in my category. I'm still not "competitive" - but I've improved. And that is why I'm out there.

I have one more Colavita TT and then I'm planning to wrap up the season where I started. Bellbrook is having another TT on 7 OCT. I'm hoping it will be the same course as the March race. My goal- see a noticeable improvement from my first race.

John Bryan Fast Lap (Race 2) - DNF

It was bound to happen-- a race crash! Whoo-hoo- I'm in the club!

I was the lead off rider for my class and I hadn't been on the course 2 minutes when BAM, I'm down. I'm still not sure what happened. All I know is I was rounding a corner, then all of the sudden- I was on the ground.

When I came to my senses, I discovered that I was laying on my back, totally off the trail, with my left shin laying across a log that was bordering the trail. To add to my predicament, both feet were still clipped into the pedals and my bike was on top of me. Ouch! After struggling to get my feet un-clipped I was able to stand up. Once up, I immediately noticed that my shin was already swelling. While standing on the side of the trail watching my shin swell, I had a fleeting thought to get back on my bike and continue the race- but, I wisely decided to hobble back to the start/finish area for some ice.

While sitting at the start/finish area icing my leg (and waiting for Pops to finish) two more riders hobbled in with injuries. There was certainly some bad karma at JB last night!

Today, I'm just sore all over and my shin is bruised in the shape of the log. I've also I've got several bruises on my hip and butt and strangely enough on the inside of my leg (I think from the bike landing on me). But luckily, nothing was torn or broken - so that's good.

As my co-worker "Hopmaster Spanky J" pointed out... "Ya can't make an Omelet without cracking a few eggs". Well kids, breakfast is ready!!!

Colavita TT

My time today was 44:18. Eight seconds slower than last month! But, really, I'm not too upset about that-- Todays race was brutal!

As soon as I started- it started raining- but (luckily) the rain only lasted the first couple of miles. The real killer today was the headwind!!! Holy smokes!! All the way out we had a 10mph sustained headwind with gusts of 15-20mph. Oh my gosh! There were times when my heart-rate would be at pegged at 165 but was only managing to push 12-13mph!!! It was really hard to keep my head together when I was "busting butt" and still creeping along.

Since I've been racing against the same 4 ladies the entire series, a couple of months ago I started doing a some trend analysis with our results. (I knew that college degree would paid off!) Since I can not accurately gage my improvement from one race to another (because of different environmental factors- like todays wind), I've been looking at things like the change in the time gaps between me and the other ladies in my category. So, once the official results are posted for todays race, I'll see if I was able to reduce my time gap for this race.

Tomorrow, we'll do the 6 hours race at John Bryan... we'll see how that goes.

Bridges, ramps and trees - OH MY!

Today was intervention day....

Pops and I went out to ride the course in the direction we "think" they will use for the 6 hr race. I'm still having mental issues with the bridges and ramps. I know I can ride them- (I've rode every one out there!) but every time I approach a bridge or ramp my first instinct is to slam on breaks. I know this "problem" stems from my early mountain biking days when I attempted to ride across a bridge and ended up falling off the side and flipping over into some sticky nettles. My big mistake that day was not getting back on my bike and riding that damn bridge. Now, here I am today, fretting over obstacles that are out there to make the trail easier!

So, we worked on bridges...



ramps...






(and just to make things interesting) making 90 degree turns through tight trees.


This picture is a little deceiving. The trails comes up from the left, makes a 90 degree turn in between the trees, then goes right.

Fast Lap at John Bryan

We started the Fall Series of "Fast Laps at John Bryan" last Wednesday. This series will consist of 3 races, 3 weeks in a row. We were actually supposed to start the series a week earlier, but bad weather caused a one week delay.

I really enjoy this series. The course is great and just doing one "fast lap" doesn't take a lot of preparation or time.



At the finish, I felt a little disappointed with myself. I just "knew" I would have a "bad" time. I had felt bad from the start (I took off way too fast) and just couldn't find my rhythm. I felt squirrely and as if I was struggling the whole race.

But, once I got home and checked my times from the last series, I found that I had actually beaten all my previous times! I can't believe it!

My times so far:

Spring Series
Race 1: (did not attend)
Race 2: 39:48
Race 3: 37:28
Race 4: 36:47

Fall Series
Race 1: 36:29

Next week will be a BIG race week for us. On Wednesday, we are planning to do Race #2 of "Fast Lap". Then on Saturday, it will be the August "Colavita TT". Sunday is the "6 Hours of John Bryan" where we'll be trying something new -- competing as a team! (Boy, I sure hope he wants to ride a lot of laps.)

A busy weekend

What a weekend! Busy, busy, busy!!!

Friday night we took the dogs out to SugarCreek Park. This park is part of the 5 Rivers Metropark system and the dogs just love it. One of the trails actually goes down to the river and you can cross the water by stepping on large rocks. Milo can't wait to just leap right into the river and splash around. Millee will get into the water, but she usually just tippy-toes around and will not get too wet.

Saturday morning I rode my single speed from Xenia to Yellow Spring with my friend from work. This was our 3rd ride together and was quite enjoyable. She's just getting into riding so we take it easy and enjoy the day.

Saturday afternoon I stopped into my new favorite store - "Home2Home". This is a local consignment store for home decor. It located in what looks to be an old grocery store building and is full of unique and unusual items. They have everything from furniture to nick-nacks, and every day they get new stuff. I have found some really cool stuff there (at great prices). Today I bought a "Cafe de la Tour" clock (for $12.99) and a set of metal "big wheel" bicycles to hang on the wall (also $12.99).

After the home store, I stopped by Auto Zone. My "check engine" light has been on for some time and Auto Zone was advertising they could "read" my warning light code. I had taken my car to the dealer a while back and they told me my check engine light was caused by a misfire. The dealer then recommend that they could change my spark plugs and wires for some stupid price (I can't remember how much they said, but it was high)!!! Auto Zone confirmed that the code was caused by a misfire and they too recommended spark plugs and wires. But, they said it would only cost about $40 and they were easy enough to change myself. They were right, I had them all changed out in about 30 minutes- piece of cake!

Sunday morning Pops was riding with a guy he had met on the bike trail so I jumped on the single speed and the rode hills in my neighborhood. I rode for about an hour and did my "hill circuit" 4 times. It was a great workout!

Sunday afternoon we took to the river again, but this time we rented kayaks. We paddled for almost 4 hours and ended up going 9 miles! It was fun, but we both liked the canoe better. It was just more comfortable,easier to maneuver, and easier to get in and out of.

I love weekends that are packed with activities! If I stay home, I feel like I just wasted it away. To quote Bon Jovi- "Gonna live while I'm alive, I'll sleep when I'm dead"

And now for something completely different!

"The Boy" and "The Girl" are visiting this week, so we decided try something different-- renting canoes and paddling down the Little Miami River. We had two options of distances to canoe, either 2 miles or 8 miles. After some discussion, we decided to do the 8 mile.





The river was a very low, but still lovely. Our canoes actually scraped the bottom numerous times and we got stuck a couple of times.







Great fun, lots of sites, and we even passed Hooterville USA...



Some folks "just ain't right"!

Colavita TT (July)

A cool and foggy race day....in July?!?



Last months time to beat was 44:30 - Today, I did it in 44:10...what a surprise!!

The fact that I was able to beat last months time really surprised me considering my right cleat would not clip-in for the entire race! About 10 minutes before my start time, I decided I needed a "nature break". Since, our starting location does not provide water or restroom, I had no choice but to visit a cornfield. Because it has rained here (pretty much) all last week, the cornfield was very muddy and my cleats got completed packed with mud and small pebbles. I thought I had cleaned them out with some of our drinking water before heading to the start, but there must has been some lingering mud lodged in them. After starting, the left shoe clipped-in (after somewhat of a struggle) but the right shoe stubbornly refused. I piddled around for about the first 3 miles trying to get clipped-in (while trying to ride), but no luck. At that point, feeling totally frustrated, I thought about abandoning the race, but then I thought "it doesn't really matter- just ride the course".

Other than my shoe issues, I felt pretty good during the race- I guess that Cytomax really works! I worked hard and tried to keep my heart-rate at about 162.

And, got some bad hair to prove it!

TDF?

I guess TDF now stands for Tainted Drug Fest...

W..T..F!!!

Tour d' Burg

The city of Miamisburg put on their 3rd annual Tour d'burg bike race and tour. Since there was absolutely no way I would EVER race in a Criterium- we opted for the 50 mile tour ride.

We could not have asked for better weather for a long ride! Sunny, a little chilly in the morning, but by noon it had warmed up to the mid 70s. That's SEVENTIES- what month is this again???



We toured lovely country roads lined with one huge farm after another -- growing lots of CORN!!!






All in all- a great day. Only had two minor incidents- One BIG dog (a German Shepherd) came out- but he mostly barked and didn't come into the road. And, a flat tire at mile 31- but Pops had it fixed in no time.

First ride on the single speed

Whoo-hoo-- I'm in the club!! Riding the Single Speed was great fun! I even passed some guy on a Trek road bike (okay- he was cranking way to big a gear- straight into a headwind- but I still passed him!)

The rain and thunder storms finally moved out of the area and it was a gorgeous day (sunny with the high in the upper 70s)!! Could there have possibly been a better day for Pops and I to take the new "Draft" (who will now be affectionately known as "The Beast") out for her first ride? I think not!

Riding The Beast is definitely different!! I first thing I noticed was the was the weight. Man, is she heavy - 30 lbs!!! What a difference weight makes! Handling feels different and those small grades and hills take on a whole new perspective. The gear ratio felt good, so I was able to keep a steady cadence. I worked hard without feeling like I was going to die. I also noticed how the "ride" itself felt different. The wider tires and steel frame really "sucked-up" the bumps and knocks I usually feel riding the trail- so that was great.

The only downside to this bike is the fact that I can not use clipless pedals. The crank arms have 1/2" holes instead of the usual 9/16", so I can't swap them out. "Road riding" in flat pedals- wearing Tennis Shoes- just sux!!! Tennis shoes are just to bendy. By the end of our ride, my legs were cramping bad- you know the kind of cramp that starts in your calf and travels down to the bottom of your foot so your toes curl under-- crap that hurts!!! I think the next time, I'll try wearing a pair of my mountain bike shoes. Even though I won't be able to clip in, they'll at least be a little stiffer, so maybe my legs won't cramp-up.

Paint Creek 6 hr "Race"

I was the only rider to sign up for the Womens Solo category- but that's okay- I really wasn't out there "to race". My focus was to gain experience in a race environment, increase my endurance, and improve my bike skills.

My plan was to take it easy, keep my heart rate under control and try and keep a steady pace. I started at the back of the pack and let the "racers" take off. I stuck to my plan so it took me almost 2 hours (1:59:50- according to my bike computer) to complete my first lap (12 miles). During that time, I didn't see another rider until I was almost to the finish.

The course was not hard technically, just exhausting. Riding on so much grass just wore me out. After my one lap, I bailed. I was "whooped" and there was no sense in pushing it and risking an injury.

Next race-- Colavita TT on the 28th.

Check out my Birthday Present!

My Birthday's coming up, so Pop's bought me a Draft single speed!!



It's really cool! Nothing fancy- steel frame, basic components, painted solid black, and as heavy as a pig!! But, it will make me WORK, and that's exactly what I want! I really wanted to take it out today, but the Paint Creek race is tomorrow, so today would not be the day to test-ride a new bike.

I'm planning to use this as my "training" bike. Hopefully, after riding this up and down the bike trail, my Blue should feel like a feather!


And, Pooh gets to go too!!

Paint Creek test ride

Today, Pops and I drove out to Paint Creek to check out the trail before next weeks race.

A lot of the trail was wide grassy double track that was (unfortunately) dotted with nasty sticker vines that were hanging out into the trail.



The trail had several "cut-outs" to more difficult sections. We included them today in case they throw those in next week.






Our ride ended up taking about 3 hrs, including stopping at the truck to re-fill our water bottles and several stops to take pictures. And, I saw a coyote as he ran across the trail behind Pops (he ran between us) and Pops spotted a Skunk.

Here's an interesting link about coyotes in Ohio.
Coyotes

Welcome new biker!

See, any blonde can do it!!!



Now, where's your helmet Paris?

Adventures at the B-M-V!

Hi kids, today’s word is … Bureaucracy ! Why? Allow me to explain...

Today, I took off early from work in order to run a few errands before the Jul 4th holiday. One of my stops was at the Ohio B-M-V. They claim the “B” stands for “BUREAU” of Motor Vehicles, but I think it really stands for “BUREAUCRACY” of Motor Vehicles.

Upon arrival, I noticed a building with 2 rooms--side by side--one room on the left, the other on the right. I chose the room on the right and walked in. I was greeted by friendly lady #1 - to which I explained that I had recently moved to Ohio and I would like to get an Ohio vehicle tag. She explained that before I could get a tag, I would first have to have my vehicle “inspected”. “You must go to the room on the left for that” she said. I thanked her and went on my way.

Walking into the room on the left, I noticed several people in a waiting area and a “Take A Number” machine. I pulled my number, and sat down to wait my turn.

After a short wait (about 10 min), I was called to the counter by friendly lady #2. I explained to her that I would like to have my vehicle inspected in order to get my car tag. Now, getting my vehicle “inspected” required me to give friendly lady #2 my name and address, pay $3.50, and then have her follow me to my car so she could write down my VIN number and mileage. She handed me a piece of paper with this information and told to take my “inspection” to the room on the right.

I went back to the room on the right, with my “inspection” in hand, where I was greeted by friendly lady #3. I asked her if I could get a tag. Nope, not yet! Now, I must get an Ohio “Title” for my vehicle. In order to get an Ohio title, I needed to give friendly lady #3 my Georgia title (so she could copy the information off of it) and $7.50. She printed out a fresh ”Ohio” title and kept my Georgia title “for record”. “Now, she said, "take your “inspection” and “title” to the room on the left to get your tag.”

Okay, back to the room on the left-- pull another number, wait my turn…. I know this drill.

After another short wait (about 10-15 min) I was called to the counter by friendly lady #4. “I would like to get a vehicle tag-- I have my “inspection” and “title” I said proudly. “Sure, no problem, we’ll just need your current driver license and SS card. “Okay, here you go…” “Oh! You have a Georgia DL!” friendly lady #4 exclaimed. “Is that a problem?” I inquired. Friendly lady #4 explained that she “could” issue me a tag using my GA DL, but if I was to get pulled over, I would be ticketed for having an OH tag and GA DL. Okay, that would be bad, “what do I need to do to get an Ohio DL” I asked? Well, according to friendly lady #4, I would first have to take the Ohio drivers test - and that's only given in the XENIA, HUBER HEIGHTS, or LEBANON B-M-V office!!! Oh, good grief!

At this point I decided that I would just take my chances-- get the tag and keep the GA DL(for now)! “Can I get a Share The Road tag?” I asked. "Well, yes" #4 said, "but it will only be good until your Birthday." What!!! My birthday is in 20 days, why would..… “Oops, no, wait, the computer says it will be good until 2008”. "Just fill out this form, give us $88.00 and we’ll mail you your STR tag within 14 days." I was then given a cardboard ”Temporary Tag” to put into my back window "as of tonight!".

So to recap, I got to meet four friendly ladies, who managed to take grand total of $99.00 from me and give me an "Inspection" (ie: a piece of paper containing information that I already knew), a "New Ohio Title" (a duplicate of the Georgia title), and a cardboard tag (for a back window that is too small to display it).

So, I guess this weekend I’ll be off to the XENIA B-M-V to try and get an Ohio DL... Oh boy, I can hardly wait!

A few of my favorite songs

Here's a few of my favorite songs (right now). You may click on the artist/title to listen.

Bon Jovi- Hallelujah

Fiction Plane- Two Sisters
They sounds a lot like The Police.

Plain White T’s- Hey there Delilah

Also,

Royksopp- Remind me (Geico Commercial)

Donovan- Catch the Wind (GE Commerical)

Colavita TT --debriefing

My time today was 44:30-- I made my goal to beat last months time!! Whoo-hoo!!

1st TT (April) 49:35
2nd TT (May) 45:12
3rd TT (June) 44:30

Hopefully, I can keep this trend going!

I felt pretty good today. I was definitely suffering, but you're suppose to suffer during a time trial. The weather was perfect - sunny and about 62 degrees at the start. Today's headwind was on the return- so that was different.

Oh here's something cool- this months (Jul) Bicycling Magazine mentions the Colavita TT series (page 51).

Colavita Time Trial

Tomorrow's the Colavita Time Trial. This will be my third time doing this race. Right now, I just want to have a faster time than last month and come home with some good Colavita pasta. The pasta makes it all worth while-- yum-mmy!

Last race--time to beat... 45:12.

Also, I think I'm going to do the "6 hrs of Paint Creek" mountain bike race (solo) on 15 Jul. Pops is planning to race, so rather than spend the day sitting around the camp by myself, I'll just spend it riding. My plan is to not "go fast", or not "go hard", just "go". I've done 6 hour rides before so (I think) if I can just keep a steady pace, I should be able to do ok. Unfortunately, if I ride, that will mean I won't be there to help support Pops during his transitions. But,if we plan ahead, we should be ok.

Got Gas???

Tuesday evening: I walked out into our garage and noticed the very faint smell of gas-- not gasoline, natural gas. I sniffed around but could not pinpoint the source. Hum, I must be crazy...

Wednesday morning (4:30 AM): I was awakened by a crazy dream. While trying to go back to sleep, I thought I could smell the very faint odor of natural gas. Later, on the way to work, I mention this event to Pops. He said that he didn't smell gas...Hum, I must be crazy.

Wednesday afternoon: Arriving home after work, as we walked into the house- there it was again- the faint smell of natural gas! I asked Pops if he could smell it. Again, he said no. Okay, so I'm crazy... We packed the bikes and headed off to the trail.

Wednesday evening (after riding): Arriving home from the trail, we noticed several white trucks (with flashing yellow lights) parked in front of our house and 2 gentleman digging a very big hole in our front yard. When we asked what was going on, they said our neighbors had called and reported that gas was "escaping" from our meter. Oh my god!!! I HAD been smelling gas! And, "escaping" was an under-statement-- It was spewing!! It's a wonder the house didn't blow up!

WOW, WE WERE LUCKY!!!!

Had not most of the escaping gas been blown away by the wind we could have been asphyxiated! Also, it was a nice summer day and not the middle of winter. We ended up losing the hot water heater over night, but that wasn't a big problem- I would have hated to lose the furnace last the winter. Also, apparently, there has been a some sort of problem with these particular meters. The gas company was actually in the process of checking our neighborhood and replacing the meter(for free) if they found any that was faulty. So, we got a new meter at no cost.

Oh, and I'm not crazy!

What the heck is "Cornhole"?

Today, while walking through a flea market, I noticed there were several booths that contained large handmade signs advertising one word... "CORNHOLE"!!! Now, these signs got my attention, and after several minutes of careful observation, I was able to surmised that "Cornhole" is some sort of a game that requires one to throw a beanbag through a hole in a sheet of plywood. Maybe it's a bag filled with corn that is thrown through the hole in a sheet of plywood- but I'm just guessing here.

I'm not really sure how this game is played or scored, or if this game requires any special talents or skills. And, apparently, one can purchase specially made Cornhole beanbags (they came in various sizes and colors- some in the colors of favorite sport teams), along with specially made Cornhole sheets of plywood (which looked to me like a regular sheet of plywood with a hole cut into it).

Anyway, this Cornhole game appears to be very popular (as demonstrated by the large crowds of people gathered in and around these booths).

.... Cornhole? ....Anyone?

Welcome to GoFastPops Training 101!!!

Yesterday, Pops was looking for an easy, "spin your legs ride". Cool! I'll go too-- because I know an easy ride for Pops will be a workout for me.

Lesson #1: Suffering!!! Pops says, "If you want to be a better rider, you have to start suffering."

Several times during the ride, Pops commented to me that he didn't think I was suffering "enough". That meant: no drafting, maintaining "race pace", and finishing the ride with a killer climb.


Going up Mound Rd.


I'm almost there...

Oh yes! I was suffering, but I also really appreciate his help.

What will he have in store for my next lesson??

I don't know, but BRING IT ON.

Totally frustrated!

You would think, that after 4 years of mountain biking, I would be able to handle an "intermediate" level course. But, to my frustration, I can not-- a point made painfully obvious at yesterday’s ride at Harbin Park. This trail has everything an intermediate rider could ask for -- a nice flowing, heavily wooded, single track trail with terrain changes, switchbacks, and small obstacles. But, after having to stop and get off my bike to walk about every 5 minutes, I came to the realization that I'm still a "beginner" mountain biker. Yep, you add little difficulty to a trail and I fall apart like a "delicate doily".

And really, it's not just mountain biking. I'm still pretty much a beginner road rider too. Our little adventure on the tandem at last Tuesday’s Group Ride drove that point home. This group said they average "about 18 mph" (what I would consider a good intermediate pace) but as Pops and I watched the group ride away from us, I realized that he could only "compensate" for my lack of ability by so much. Yep, we pretty much did that ride by ourselves.

This little epiphany reminds me of the time I decided to play softball about 10 years ago. I was a true beginner at the time and my team-mates tolerated my "learning curve". They assigned me the position of Catcher (to keep me in a "safe" place). I did "okay" but even after playing a couple of seasons, I was still playing at a "beginners level". I realized this fact during an "important" play-off game because the 3rd baseman felt absolutely compelled to play both her position and mine at the same time. Anytime there was a remote chance of something happening near home plate, she would run home so she could "back me up". Now, I have no trouble with that, but her idea of "backing me up" was standing in front of me, blocking me, to make the play. I quit softball after that game.

Now, I really don't want to quit riding because I enjoy it. And, because "being a quitter" really ticks me off. But, my lack of ability is starting to get to me. I know I don't have what you would call a natural athletic ability, but I thought I would be a better rider by now. Pops wants me to ride with him, but when I do, he just ends up sitting and waiting on me, which makes me feel worst because now he's not getting anything out of his ride. It's all very frustrating!

I don't know... maybe, I should just stop trying to be an athlete, and take up knitting.

Bustin' my butt-- at home

Sooo... last Tuesday, I went for another ride at Caesar's Creek. Since I was riding by myself, (Pop's was there, but he was wackin' weeds again) I thought I would play it safe and just take it easy. Everything went great-- no crashes, and I made a couple climbs that I didn't make the ride before! So, after the ride, I felt pretty jazzed!

Once home, while getting into the shower, I decided I would "just go ahead and change that shower curtain, while I was thinking about it". Well, as they say, most accidents occur in the home. Since I was a little tired from riding (or just lazy), I didn't feel like reaching over my head to change the curtain. So, I "nimbly" climbed up on the side of the tub (do you see where this is going?) and proceeded to take down the old curtain. "Great! The old curtain is down, now to get that new curtain that is laying on the bathroom sink."

As I was stepping down from my precarious perch, I wasn't paying attention to where I was placing my foot, and stepped on the corner of our bathroom scale. This badly placed step caused the scale to immediately flip up and out from under me. This triggered me to fall back against the wall and (somehow) to step on the flipped up scale with my other foot. I managed to regain my balance before totally falling out, but I made one hell of a racket. (Now, remember how I said that I was "getting into the shower" - so I pulled off this graceful stunt- yep, you guessed it!) Oh, that just had to be QUITE A SITE!!! Good grief!!!

Anyway, I guess I came out pretty lucky! I just got a big bruise on the bottom of my foot, which makes walking "quite noticeable". I really would have hated to end up sprawled out on the floor, or worst, be knocked out and have the Rescue Squad come scrap me up.

So anyway, this little episode has just reinforced my opinion that ... Housework is definitely more hazardous than riding a mountain bike at Caesars Creek!!!

Caesar's Creek Trail, part deux

When we first got up here, we had ventured out to Caesars Creek to check out the trail. OMG!!! The section of the trail we decided to ride was crazy! It went straight up and straight down one ravine after another, and had serious erosion problems! After about a half mile, I had given up and returned to the truck- vowing never to return.

Well, yesterday Pops decided to take the weed-wacker out to CC and do some trail maintenance. I decide to help, although I was not real enthusiastic about working on a trail I couldn't ride. To my surprise, we went to a different section! After walking the new (to me) section (and lopping about 10 million honeysuckle vines) I thought I might be able to ride this section.

This evening, Pops wanted to weed-wack some more of the trail, so I took my bike out there to check it out. It was not too bad! The trail reminded me of the Heritage trail, except that it was narrow, and it mostly skirted along the edge of several ravines. In some places, the trail was extremely close to the edge of some very steep drops.

The trail itself was in pretty good shape - not too much erosion and just a couple of areas where the weeds were out of control. This section turned out to be only 3.5 miles long but it actually had several good climbs and several steep descents, but nothing too scary. Humm- I may have to ride it again!