tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-351450982012-01-24T22:32:25.843-05:00plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.comBlogger3421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-52347736357411069712012-01-24T22:32:00.000-05:002012-01-24T22:32:25.846-05:00

(you know the rest)

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-51220417325927333572012-01-08T22:14:00.000-05:002012-01-08T22:14:22.923-05:00

November 2006

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-31502445761549542692012-01-02T21:05:00.000-05:002012-01-02T21:05:06.230-05:00

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-68816568861716518102012-01-01T21:12:00.000-05:002012-01-01T21:12:23.798-05:00

You like peanut butter? You like Nutella? Well who the hell don't. As many calorie-deprived individuals do, I eat these two wonderful commodities together all the time.  But driving a tableteaspoon into each jar just seemed so...simplistic and uncivilized.  Wasn't there a better, more convenient way to enjoy both of them together?  I knew there was.  And now I've found it.  And now I will

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-855445487958563372011-12-27T13:46:00.000-05:002011-12-27T13:46:22.064-05:00

Sorry about that.  I've been cranking on something really big for January (a few things, actually).  I have an awesome queue of things to write about.  Which I love.  It's the best when there's a backlog of things simmering in my head, waiting to get out.  Best for me and for you, because that way you read something reasonably impassioned and interesting and I don't bore either of us senseless.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-65742845527552282962011-11-19T17:55:00.001-05:002011-12-02T15:21:00.600-05:00

Damn.  I haven't written in a while.  You're only reading this because I forced you to, or you have some tacit interest in Velo Cross or Shedd Park which has dumped you at my doorstep weeks after the events were held.   I didn't race Velo Cross last year, because I think the hostile takeover of the velodrome was bush league bullshit.  But because this race is orchestrated by NEBC, who were not

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-50190995247593585922011-11-08T13:45:00.000-05:002011-11-10T09:59:49.715-05:00

I promptly smashed my balls at the top of this runup.  Photo:  Calvin Laszakovits I suffer from a highly curable condition known as NOT RIDING.  It's a pretty simple formula to do okay in a race, I have come to discover.  What you do is you get on your bike for maybe a few times the week before the race, for something like 2 hours at pop.  You ride at a reasonable pace, and kick it up a few

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-66344122680768905782011-10-24T14:43:00.000-04:002011-10-24T14:43:55.324-04:00

Photo: Ernest Gagnon WALKING TOGETHER down the middle of the highway after getting thrown out of Applebee's, Ricky tells Reese Bobby that "he thought everything was going good". Reese tells him "That's why I had to go and blow it up." For me, everything was going good last week with mid-pack magic at MRCx.  So I went and blew it up! this week at Saturday's Cat 3 New Gloucester Poop Dash

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-38379203345687530522011-10-19T19:18:00.001-04:002011-12-27T17:54:17.555-05:00

Photo: Russ Campbell Photography I have been racing this godforsaken sport since 2008, and mountain bike races disguised as cyclocross races aside, I have never had a mid-pack finish until yesterday.  And this is largely of my own doing, because I upgraded out of go-karts (4) and into Nascar (3) well before I probably should have.  (Incidentally,  Pro/1/2 is the Indy 500, which has been

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-61744113787756186472011-10-07T15:29:00.000-04:002011-10-08T08:19:50.924-04:00

I wrote It's Almost December last year.   Fifteen hundred of you read it, and the video has been seen EIGHT THOUSAND TIMES.  I put that shit ON YOUR RADAR and you were like HELL YES.  And dudes did right.  They put in a quarter, they got on the horse; it goes up and down and around.  Circular. Circle. With the music. The flow.  All good things. I had planned to write a follow-up this year,

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-57426336538593105912011-10-03T11:38:00.001-04:002011-10-03T11:42:26.545-04:00

Alright.  Time to regroup here.  Saturday at Gloucester was an absolute atrocity.  I knew it would be, and I went down there anyway. I've been sick for over half the month of September.  I should be resting, but the problem I always have this time of year is that...I don't.  There is so much great stuff happening every week, and I'm too stupid to stay away.  What a waste of a month.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-50306009191937010702011-09-30T10:49:00.000-04:002011-09-30T10:49:37.800-04:00

Sucker Brook, Sept. 25.  Photo: Karen Montreuil

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-5888177111622023722011-09-29T09:16:00.000-04:002011-09-29T09:21:38.443-04:00

Book It To The Hooksett Library 5K, Sept. 24.  Photo: Fred Bishop. I rarely run these days, and when I do it's at the gym for precisely 1 mile.  Which I last did over two months ago.  I rolled out of bed for the Hooksett 5k trail run, and despite inadequate fueling finished 19th of 81.  I realized why I like running and time trials, and it's the music.  It's what gives me that shot of

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-91071834926588142692011-09-21T11:04:00.000-04:002011-09-21T11:04:31.923-04:00

For you, Nana.  I miss you.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-83619164745292473952011-09-19T13:11:00.001-04:002011-09-19T17:56:55.250-04:00

A lot of people will say "no shit" without even needing any of this associated evidence.  But I got a set through a sponsor last year, and having seen a few super fast dudes race them, I felt reasonably secure in racing them myself.  In fact, they seemed to be surviving a fair amount of abuse, including a rugged mountain bike race, as well as a spectacular wreck from a handup gone wrong. So

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-72056464700590816932011-09-12T11:11:00.000-04:002012-01-09T19:14:53.961-05:00

*Yeah that didn't happen. Quad Cross was a cluster and I don't care.  For one, they completely abandoned their idea of staging my race in any kind of sensible order, because (to paraphrase the official) "it's too hard to figure out what numbers go where".  And I don't know that anyone really cared about that, least of anyone me. Compounding the issue, both the 45+ and 55+ fields started

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-29552326147622497212011-08-22T14:04:00.003-04:002011-08-22T14:04:39.634-04:00

[ACTION PHOTO COMING SOON] [IN THE MEANTIME] [PICTURE ME TOTALLY DRILLING IT] [GUITARS WAILING] [WELL-READ HOBOS OFFER SHOUTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT] [KITTENS AND PUPPIES THAT NEVER AGE] [PEOPLE WEEPING OPENLY AND THROWING MONEY] [CHUBBS HAS HIS HAND BACK & PLAYS THE PIANO] May I just say, in spite of the temporary elation from winning a three-man field on a cyclocross bike over a course

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-81727072627010061192011-07-19T12:10:00.001-04:002011-07-19T12:10:00.541-04:00

Take a good look friends.  It hasn't happened since the fall of 1996 - fifteen years - I honestly did not think it would happen ever again, and there it is.  Top step. Did only 3 people race in my category?  YES but who cares! because the race was absolutely brutal. I have no idea why I thought entering another mountain bike race with a cyclocross category was a good idea.  Rumpus is one

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0Unknown location.43.34946173668446 -72.0989799499511743.343688236684464 -72.10885044995118 43.35523523668446 -72.08910944995117tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-61745337280612742202011-06-20T21:45:00.000-04:002011-06-20T21:45:57.816-04:00

It's been two weeks since I wrecked at Rumpus.  Had some really good workouts at the gym since, but haven't been back on a bike yet. I'm trying so hard to motivate myself for something right now. It seems so difficult to want to stay fit.  I know I need to be in shape.  When the fall rolls around, and I'm not strong, I will get decimated.  That should genuinely motivate me.  But part of me

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-18783715371169690172011-06-05T19:08:00.001-04:002011-06-06T10:15:12.974-04:00

Oh what a relief to have these familiar few seconds of grass and course tape. Photo: Doug Jansen Oh Rumpus. So on Friday night I had this idea that I'd race the Big Ring Rumpus.  In spite of having very little fitness, I figured the three days of workouts last week were a good enough kickstart to make this a sound idea.   The 'cyclecross' field was jam packed with super fast dudes, but I

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-16344156482314340222011-05-04T19:13:00.000-04:002011-05-04T19:13:30.432-04:00

Unless you have ever gone though this, unless you have ever lost someone unexpectedly, you have no idea what it's like to go through almost every day wondering if everything you love around you will be taken away in some kind of similar fashion.  It has been months of this now.  I spun tonight and ended with crying hysterically and screaming and borderline throwing up.  There are bouts of this,

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-36790079239970690942011-05-04T15:33:00.000-04:002011-05-04T15:33:23.614-04:00

I guess I'll just lay this out here.  I do not like talking about this kind of stuff and I am not extremely comfortable writing this but I'm also a genuinely honest person who is getting pretty worn out composing half-truths for people about what's going on with me.  If you've been reading you know that I was on antibiotics this winter that wrecked my GI.  The long-term consequences of that have 

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-48211792063665260962011-04-29T10:49:00.001-04:002011-04-29T10:52:21.337-04:00

I've noticed that a lot of you are keenly interested in American Classic 420 Aero 3 wheels, as these are the most popular posts on this blog.   First Impressions (Apr 2010) Short-term Review (May 2010) It's been about a year since that short-term writeup, so I thought I'd toss out some thoughts that have been building up since then. These are so fast.  I've had lighter wheels that spin up

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-16178944658835634372011-04-28T12:05:00.000-04:002011-04-28T12:05:38.089-04:00

Got out last night for only the second time since getting the flu.  45 minutes.  That's a grand total of 2 hours in the past two weeks. I felt like I maintained strength all winter, had good rides in mid-March, and then got sick and now I feel like I lost almost everything.  I know I've read how long it takes to lose what you have, but I can't remember it exactly.  What I do know is that I

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-54158977171915056982011-04-19T10:51:00.000-04:002011-04-19T10:51:29.459-04:00

Two years ago today (4/19/2009), these were the conditions at the summit of Mt. Kearsarge.  It's completely unbelievable.  Today you probably couldn't ride 100 feet beyond the gate without encountering snow on the auto road.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-27349626608237431622011-04-10T17:00:00.000-04:002011-04-11T14:32:46.587-04:00

I figured what the hell, I'll try to get out today.  So I had an english muffin and a cup of juice and decided to hit the road for an hour. First 30 minutes I'm coughing and hacking up shit as I roll along the west side toward 114.  It's embarrassing. I sound like I'm ready to cash it in.  People are staring. Down 114 and up Wallace and of course who do I see coming down Wallace but Grampie &

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-51573454079815796232011-04-08T14:06:00.002-04:002011-04-11T14:35:34.467-04:00

WHAT'S UP It's now the first week of April.  The last time I was truly healthy was mid-December. In mid-December, I came down with some kind of resilient sinus infection that warranted antibiotics.  Which I took and got better.  I developed some lower GI side effects from the antibiotics, and we'll leave it at that. By the first week of January, I was feeling better and everything seemed fine.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-89176378847886931542011-03-15T12:23:00.000-04:002011-03-15T12:23:17.555-04:00

Some of you have probably noticed, I've been off the grid for a while.  My grandmother passed unexpectedly on February 21, and there probably isn't a better way to describe it than to say it has been tough.  I'm still here, and I'll plug back in eventually, but I just don't know when.  I'm not putting this up to troll for condolences or sympathy, but just to let you know that I'm doing okay, and

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-82586537513930303442011-02-16T12:27:00.000-05:002011-02-16T12:27:25.443-05:00

Recovering at the top of the Kanc w/Grampie, May 2010.  race report So Wash is out, both days due to schedule conflicts with the Cycle-Smart 'cross camp and the Prouty. A return to the Kanc is now also out unfortunately, as Kristen is graduating with her Masters the same day. This is already shaping up to be a weird year.  For years now these two events were the only things I locked into

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-68917496502684875152011-02-09T11:04:00.000-05:002011-02-09T11:04:49.663-05:00

Registration for the 2011 edition of the hillclimb has come and gone, and I won't be going up this year.  I wish I could put my finger on this one reason why, but there isn't one. It almost doesn't make sense in a way; all indications are pointing toward this being a great year for me up there.  I'm already at race weight & feeling very strong on account of all the punishment I put myself

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-89996376351612782652011-02-01T18:30:00.002-05:002011-02-01T18:30:56.194-05:00

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-42768806928044541682011-01-29T07:57:00.001-05:002011-01-29T20:57:04.967-05:00

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-7016007602622478282011-01-01T20:00:00.002-05:002011-01-02T20:33:10.680-05:00

BUILD HUGE QUADS GET PISSED RIDE FAST

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-19298976314434950092010-12-21T15:39:00.000-05:002010-12-21T15:39:22.777-05:00

Someone needs to help me understand why people really want to pay $75 to ride Battenkill.   I mean, people REALLY love it.  And I've done it.  And I don't get it. Don't get me wrong, I like the country out there.  The roads are interesting.  I think 6 Gap country blows it away, but it's still unique & certainly a more manageable challenge than the gapper.  And I like the idea of putting a ride

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-30799212942471217822010-12-19T11:13:00.000-05:002010-12-19T11:13:15.812-05:00

My season is over.  I didn't want it to end the way it did.  But I'm sick as hell and there isn't shit I can do about it, so all I can do is GET PISSED and be ready to RIDE FAST IN 2011.  My missives on upgrading have been read over 1100 times in the past month, and between xtranormal and youtube and everyone that has embedded it, the video version has been viewed over 5500 times.  FIFTY FIVE

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-39577579432254017102010-12-01T18:21:00.000-05:002010-12-01T18:21:34.562-05:00

I'll just keep talking if you haven't yet already had enough here and here.  This is actually more of a rough draft that spawned those other two posts. . . . Some days I feel like 3 is the right move.  I'm strong, I feel kind of competitive, and if I had better staging in the really big events, I could at least maintain it and come out with a respectable result. Other days, not so much.  Like

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-68753681610338641672010-11-30T11:26:00.000-05:002010-11-30T11:26:30.615-05:00

I haven't done a race report in a few weeks. Here's one for Shedd Park - it was fun. Here's another one for Baystate - f*ck Baystate, it's dangerous. Now let's talk more about this upgrading conversation. Listen - I don't blame you as a rider AT ALL if you don't want to pull out of Cat 4.  I really don't.  Why?  Because in order for what I'm advocating to work for everyone, EVERYONE needs

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-62866658753172919062010-11-26T16:00:00.015-05:002011-10-11T12:20:34.881-04:00

DECEMBER IS CYCLOCROSS CATEGORY UPGRADE AWARENESS MONTH! Oh shizer, that's right! (That's totally unofficial by the way - I made this up.  WHO CARES. KEEP READING) By year's end, that not-quite-paper, not-quite-plastic passport to all things USA Cycling that resides in the part of your wallet only slightly harder to access than your ID on $2 draft night will be expiring!  And when it does,

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-50887470259381496942010-11-09T19:43:00.000-05:002010-11-09T19:43:44.551-05:00

So, okay.  CSI day one. I feel sort of fresh.  I took five days off the bike to help heal saddle sores, which seemed like they were all but gone by Saturday.  So I was psyched.  A little.  I was feeling pretty good; a little snappy by the time we staged. Then I line up for staging.  Dead.  Fucking.  Last.  There may have been one number higher than me in the entire field.  Of 138 starters.  

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-62824348414976547622010-11-02T17:45:00.000-04:002010-11-02T17:45:40.235-04:00

Photo: Probably...Brent Doscher Been a good while since I felt this bad in a race.  Maybe the last time was near the end of Loon.  The climbing at Orchard Cross was just kicking my ass, and that was no surprise.  I had a few hot laps on Thursday night and knew right away that race time was gonna be a one-way Acela ride to Suckytown Station, which is two stops short of Bonkville.  You don't

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-74730610374156622902010-10-23T21:25:00.001-04:002010-10-24T08:53:58.107-04:00

Photo: Don & Dana McEwan Here's the cat 3 race recap from Saturday's race at New Gloucester: Dudes were fast I managed 58/65.  I rode really f*cking hard.     Guys would crash, I would pass them, and then laps later, they would come back as zombies and pass me   I raced a Geekhouse guy the entire time, and he kept multiplying like water on a mogwai and then there were three of them. Eventually

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-8156881311261427712010-10-21T12:08:00.000-04:002010-10-21T12:08:38.430-04:00

Chapter 2 of the 2010 Questionable Decisions Tour.   So here we sit, getting on the end of October.  I suppose it could be considered the "late middle" of the cross season here, as this is the last jam packed month of action, transitioning to a more sparsely populated November and December schedule.  At least, for me.  Still plenty to do, just not the avalanche of activity that begins in

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-14730810315470893262010-10-18T10:44:00.003-04:002010-10-18T11:54:48.964-04:00

From the neck down, I look amazing.  Photo: Roger Cadman With Casco Bay canceled on account of two straight days of mediocre precipitation, my hopes of being crushed in a 1/2/3 field were temporarily dashed.  Until I learned that the Minuteman Road Club was putting on a race in Lancaster MA, which also happened to host a 1/2/3 field.  Only an hour from home, and as my last race was a week prior

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-67439153567180155022010-10-09T20:00:00.000-04:002010-10-09T20:00:44.621-04:00

So, sometimes we have these days.  Lined up and started tail end of the field, had a good start.  Carnage everywhere.  Literally someone was crashing or having a mechanical on every section of the course.  I kept my head up and avoided the insanity and it was totally awesome.  I wasn't feeling super frisky today, but I was overtaking more riders than I ever have before, and I was definitely out

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-56121450401575354972010-10-03T19:54:00.001-04:002010-10-24T19:58:17.033-04:00

Back for more today.  Starting again from DFL, I actually nudged my way up in the grid about ten spots before the whistle, and then blew the start and had to sprint down the entire field.  So what's new.  Caught the tail end by the first turn, and I was just hunting all race long.  Had a good motor today, but absolutely nothing like what I had yesterday.  Definitely had to scrape the bottom of

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-1108365286870284492010-10-02T18:24:00.000-04:002010-10-02T18:24:19.045-04:00

The results will tell you the exact opposite, but this was one of the best cyclocross races I've ever had.  I felt so strong today.  I was staged dead last, and at the whistle, I had a great start, found seams, and made up 20+ spots right away.  We hit the first section of dirt a few hundred feet from the start, which I had not pre-rode, and brakes were locking up, riders were going down as 125

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-28105122589917296442010-09-26T19:54:00.000-04:002010-09-26T19:54:42.915-04:00

Rare action photo where I am leading another rider in competition It's been an interesting foray into self-punishment, let there be no doubt.  In September I have already raced seven times, and I actually feel kind of dialed into it.  In spite of the fact that I get my ass handed to me in Cat 3.  So far, I've fared 56th/61, 33rd/36, and 55th/62.  What I find interesting is that in each of these

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-4426546284922966832010-09-19T17:42:00.002-04:002010-09-20T11:55:00.078-04:00

Kristen took this photo at the Crit today, and I love it. There I am, left of center.  Red & white, black bike, white wheels.  I mean, you probably know what I look like by now. I love this photo because she was able to capture the expression on my face; I remember having it vividly.  And that expression, if you could translate it into english words, reads "hmmm". "Hmmm" was kind of the way

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-68570409420404863462010-09-12T16:48:00.005-04:002010-09-13T10:38:45.784-04:00

Having met the absolute minimum requirements, this year I upgraded my cyclocross category from 4 to 3.  I did this for a number of reasons, and they are uniquely my reasons.  I am not publishing this as a set of recommendations for others; I am simply explaining why I did something that appears so completely stupid.  I don't hold anyone else to these standards, and I don't begrudge anyone on

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-91938620786420098262010-09-11T19:41:00.003-04:002010-09-12T07:56:02.968-04:00

Coming into the finish, it was about nothing more than turning over the pedals as fast as possible.  140 rpm here. Just back from Crawford Notch.  Only four in this year's singlespeed category, all running different gearing.  Gearing for this stuff is so hard to pick.  We do so much analysis it's almost ridiculous.  Geared bike riders no doubt get more sleep than we do because they do not have

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-32919397194444208052010-08-23T12:03:00.004-04:002010-08-23T13:49:15.841-04:00

Before I talk about the race - Thank you to everyone who supported me and read what I wrote this season.  It really means a lot knowing you are out there following along.  I don't know how many of you there are, but even if there were only one, I would give just as much, which is everything I have. Thank you to my wife Kristen, who puts up with so much every year just so we can chip away a

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-62431751065161008652010-08-22T19:51:00.001-04:002010-08-22T20:04:38.201-04:00

Kristen getting the shot on the 22%.  Photo Credit: NorEast Cycling

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-26447420863544048162010-08-18T14:17:00.001-04:002010-08-18T14:20:23.997-04:00

I bought a pair of Pearl Izumi P.R.O. road shoes a while ago on EP; very very sweet shoes.  Full carbon sole, exceptionally light, rocketship type shoes.  My long term goal was to put custom footbeds in them and ride 'em forever.  With stock footbeds they didn't feel quite right to me, so I never really used them.  Aside from the occasional spin session in the basement, they just sat. Over a

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-21009434563984572392010-08-10T09:54:00.001-04:002010-08-10T21:14:23.695-04:00

Somewhere on a mountain road in the south of France, my name is on the pavement.  Or it was anyway. I deeply believe in this philosophy, which is why I submitted it to the Chalkbot, and to see it in real life, knowing the Tour rolled over it, blows my mind. The best I've been able to determine, this was printed somewhere in the Pyrenées somewhere on Stage 15 of Le Tour de France; Pamiers to

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-1055407526843883962010-08-07T13:51:00.002-04:002010-08-07T13:52:34.082-04:00

So it went down like this.  Ready, set, oh shit where are they going.  I think I hung on for two laps with the field and pulled not long after getting lapped, around 10 of 20 laps.  I was wholly unready for how fast this race started and never had a prayer of hanging in.  Also why does every bike I ride look like the junior bike that Jens Voigt rode in stage 16 of the tour?  Anyway here's a

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-40631916984122531782010-08-06T10:20:00.000-04:002010-08-06T10:20:20.386-04:00

Cranking 42x16 in the rain at July's Prouty Century Ride The Concord Criterium is tomorrow.  As it turns out, this will have been the first time I have actually raced since the end of June.  Not that there was a lack of riding in July; I just haven't found my way into competition since Okemo. I was pretty sick for a week or so following that race, and from that point on I put more of a focus

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-78605553189273325522010-07-20T11:12:00.001-04:002010-07-20T11:33:20.927-04:00

The 22x23 fixie had been the plan all along, but I hadn't really considered the implications of truly bad weather.  Which is kind of insane.  I've been on Washington in nasty weather before, and for some reason I was believing I would have these idyllic conditions to ride in.  Wishful thinking maybe.  After checking the forecast, I realized I needed a Plan B. So hours before I left for the north

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-85881173261871822092010-07-16T11:27:00.003-04:002010-07-16T11:42:25.952-04:00

Just going over the forecast and weather data for Mt. Washington, trying to make some prediction as to what conditions are going to be like for the practice ride. I think it's gonna be interesting.Forecast is for temps in the 80s at the base for Sunday, and judging from the ARVP, there won't be an appreciable dropoff in temperature through mile 5 - which is arguably the most difficult section of

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-66770336577419538862010-07-14T09:39:00.012-04:002010-07-14T10:17:38.395-04:00

178 pounds on the dot this morning. January 1st was twelve pounds and six months ago.Right now I can say, unquestionably, that I've never been as lean and this strong. Albeit only a week removed from being sick, I feel really good, and I'm in a terrific position to mount Sunday's attack on Washington.Well...Attack. We shall see who attacks who. This time I'm taking the Langster with an XTR

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-56969920652380053012010-07-09T12:43:00.002-04:002010-07-09T12:49:49.741-04:00

Sorry it's been so quiet here lately...I got married!

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-46740727702413462932010-06-29T08:15:00.021-04:002010-06-30T08:48:19.988-04:00

My recent trips up Kearsarge and Okemo gave me ample opportunity to consider what I am about to attempt in July. Fixed gear up Mount Washington. This will be no picnic, I am sure of it.For the uninitiated, fixed gear is a single gear that does not allow you to coast. It is a direct drive system where the pedals are always turning with the rear wheel. I have done some fixed gear climbing this

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-58030279041438963612010-06-28T09:26:00.010-04:002010-06-28T10:56:34.148-04:00

It has been a tough few weeks for some reason. I've been extremely tired. That would have a lot to do with some really tough efforts finally catching up with me. As a result, I was off the bike completely for a week before this race. I thought that would either make me extremely rested and ready to go, or on the edge of falling out of shape. As it turned out, I fell somewhere in the middle.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-34690888670615226732010-06-21T10:11:00.006-04:002010-06-21T11:08:24.278-04:00

The Okemo Hillclimb is this Saturday. I was up bright and early at Kearsarge this weekend to get some climbing in, as it's actually been a while since I took a bike up a mountain.I was there at 8am, and met a tri guy just coming off the road. He'd been out since 4:30, and was still planning on another 3 hours on the bike. These people are mutants and we must watch them closely. Keep an eye on

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-12843011618744321082010-06-10T10:10:00.050-04:002011-08-26T15:12:45.175-04:00

In 1996, I won a bike race. Last night, 14 years later in the muted twilight of the forest at Bear Brook, I started to remember what that felt like. Fourteen years ago I lined up my Cannondale Super V 900 with a handful of other beginner mountain bike racers in Durham at Kingman Farm. Billed as the Eastern Collegiate Championship race that year, our lowly D group was to negotiate (3) 2-3 mile

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-85626949173370678222010-05-24T21:22:00.003-04:002010-05-25T10:05:55.592-04:00

A few great shots that complement the write-up. Taken by Kristen.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-60645314115887326522010-05-24T09:46:00.034-04:002010-05-24T16:34:03.323-04:00

Out of 200 racers, only five braved the Kancamagus TT this year on one gear. Singlespeed record holder and NorEast teammate Glen Fraser, Grampie, Ron Chevrette, and myself were all contending for top three. To podium this year was going to be extremely difficult. No one has beaten Glen, Grampie always gets me by several minutes, and while I've never raced against him, Ron is exceptionally

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-3969365769231179082010-05-14T10:11:00.011-04:002011-05-10T10:42:16.606-04:00

I had a feeling when I first rode these wheels that they would really shine at Loudon. After two very successful races up there, let there be no doubt - they are fantastic. A wheel really needs to do two things for me at that track: 1) Not let me down when I get on it exiting a corner or blast up a hill. 2) Be aero enough to help cover my ass when I need to bridge, and when I need to hold

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-57215212075511330882010-05-12T11:28:00.007-04:002010-05-12T13:02:19.778-04:00

Last year I rode a 16.8 pound bike up Mount Washington. For a 58cm frame, that's not bad. Actually, that's pretty damn good. For me anyway, it's the lightest bike I've ever taken up, well, anything. And you know how that turned out? Pretty not good.Chris, how could you turn in your worst Mt. Washington time ever on the lightest bike you've ever ridden up the mountain?Because I wasn't fit,

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-33860300377179729702010-05-09T19:57:00.004-04:002010-05-10T20:54:41.245-04:00

Haven't been feeling too great lately. Really tired, head seems to hurt every day, but no other symptoms. From the sounds of it, could be something that's making the rounds. Hope it moves on soon; I haven't been on a bike in a week now.I've had the energy to mow a lawn and that's about it. Unfortunately I race the Kanc next week, which as it turns out isn't a mowing contest. Hopefully I can

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-42488884017728696422010-05-05T15:00:00.000-04:002010-05-05T15:06:24.289-04:00

Why write about coffee here? Because coffee + cycling = cycling. Wrap your head around that equation and you've got life figured out.After a long standing relationship with Dunkin Donuts, a few years ago our household made the switch to Keurig K-Cups. And they're excellent. The convenience is almost ridiculous actually. But nagging at your conscience should be the fact that each one of those

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-28854294209024050552010-04-25T12:16:00.008-04:002010-04-26T12:02:32.475-04:00

Out of the box.My existing setup. Basic Shimano levers, evocative of the 600 era, very light, but too narrow a handhold for my taste. And they're pointy, which I don't care for much. Still, I put many miles on them. They were serviceable; more so than the Tektro/Cane Creek varieties, which have a mold that is far too wide for my hands.The SRAM singlespeed levers have a subtle outward cant and

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-83012365677588417832010-04-23T09:25:00.007-04:002010-04-23T10:00:27.894-04:00

I don't know what the hell is going on, but last night I finished all 15 laps at the track in Loudon with the B field. And not only that, but I was up front, leading out, and making waves for teammates the entire night. I led the field up the first climb and nearly all of the second climb on the final lap.The last time I raced here was June of 2008. Back then, I raced in the C field, which I

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-69675875173492371622010-04-19T14:37:00.009-04:002010-04-19T15:56:04.362-04:00

Because it's only a short drive from my house, I figured I'd suit up and ride a few laps of the Turtle Pond Circuit Race course in Loudon. Just to kind of see what it was all about, and whether it'd be worth getting up on Saturday morning to come out and race.Yeah - no.I drove a lap in my car, which really only gives you a general idea of things, but even that told me this was a fool's errand.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-32698797477984091732010-04-16T09:23:00.012-04:002010-04-16T10:41:12.673-04:00

Whatever I'm doing, it's working.It's now mid-April. I have never been in better shape so early. I saw 182.6 the other day, which puts me a little over 7 pounds less than where I started in January. At this rate I will easily be in the 170s for my big events this summer, which is HUGE. Consider that last year I lined up for Okemo at 190+. What a tank.The legs are super strong. In spite of

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-24237414395355125072010-04-12T10:00:00.023-04:002010-04-12T11:28:58.821-04:00

Brutal.I just wasn't on for this race. My guts were in knots about it, and as a result I had almost no appetite for dinner or breakfast just prior. I knew this was going to be bad news.Why the nerves?This is actually only my second road race ever. Time trials, hillclimbs, cyclocross races I have heaps of experience in. Even crit racing at the track I have a fair amount of confidence in. But

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-77540193625103614912010-04-08T10:20:00.006-04:002010-04-08T10:59:18.125-04:00

I have no idea why I'm doing this race. It is so ridiculously early to be racing. We are one week into April. My first race of the year is typically 6 weeks later than this.I went out yesterday for a lunch ride and did a few small sections of race tempo. I am so not ready to do that for 3+ hours. While I've never been stronger this early, and while I've already done a lot of really hard riding

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-66854094384984296752010-04-05T12:59:00.012-04:002010-04-06T10:31:02.086-04:00

I picked up my new wheels at the end of last week from Herb at Revolution Cyclery.I didn't obsessively weigh them or photograph them, because someone else has already done that.Here's what I think so far:They're pretty damn light, especially when you consider they're 34mm.The finish is absolutely first rate. These are beautifully made wheels. Bearings are EXTREMELY smooth. I sincerely doubt one

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-25135556369548487082010-04-04T14:29:00.000-04:002010-04-06T10:25:35.087-04:00

I wanted to create a snapshot of where we're at as a society.I am going to evaluate this as a percentage, by judging the quality of Google search autocomplete suggestions using a common prefix, followed by each letter of the alphabet.The prefix will be "how to". How to ____. How to a, how to b, how to c, and so on.This is a bit subjective by any measure, but if any of the suggestions are of

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-28018266101707624872010-04-03T14:26:00.013-04:002010-04-03T15:01:02.483-04:00

Last year our first trip to the summit was April 19th. The auto road on the Rollins side was barely passable, but passable. A few snowy patches to negotiate around the halfway point but nothing serious.Today is April 3rd, and apparently a little early to be summiting Kearsarge on bike. I had every intent of doing three cycles, but a tiny little patch of snow around mile 0.7 told me a secret.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-73803966972567479642010-03-29T16:11:00.003-04:002010-03-29T16:43:31.250-04:00

Rode one of our regular climbing routes yesterday fixie. About 36 miles, probably 2500ft of climbing with 1300ft in the bank after the first 10 miles. It's a rugged start.Climbing and motoring the flats was great. Descending was interesting. I would regularly see sustained cadence of 140RPM. Hang on tight and move those legs. That does wear on you a bit after a few hours straight.I'll

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-25702482296323008992010-03-21T10:14:00.006-04:002010-03-21T10:21:36.848-04:00

I don't have much to work with - a Sony DSC-W200 still camera, a Gorillapod, and Windows Movie Maker.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-64911099227302829882010-03-11T14:29:00.004-05:002010-03-11T15:00:31.958-05:00

Two years ago or so, my Langster arrived with stock Sugino 175mm crankarms. I rode them and they were fine. I rode the piss out of them in fact. And not only were they fine, but I had one of the greatest rides ever on them. So in classic dumbass fashion, I found a way to take them off my bike and replace them with something else. I sought out a set of SRAM Rival 180mm crankarms, believing

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-77951546611427931352010-03-10T09:10:00.002-05:002010-03-10T09:19:23.526-05:00

It's a race up the Kancamagus Highway. A 21 mile uphill time trial, culminating in a five mile wall of suffering. Only some will dare, and even fewer will attempt it on one f*cking gear like the monster you see here. Register at 12:01am on Saturday!

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-79662019447930908262010-03-05T10:02:00.004-05:002010-03-05T10:13:38.591-05:00

Joe Friel wrote a piece on core strength this week and I thought I'd re-post my comments here:As a cyclist I think its easy to tell if you have a core strength deficiency. You can simply feel it. You can tell that the prime movers are really working, but you simply don't feel that solid connection between upper and lower body. When you're really digging deep you sense it the most; you feel

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-87517618267492796092010-02-25T18:12:00.003-05:002010-02-27T18:58:50.739-05:00

Starting Weight 189.8This Week: 184.4Week Change: -1.6 (-5.4 overall)Workouts 3.5hrsSat 1.5hr Z1/2 Battenkill videoMon 45min z2 spinWed 45min high z2 intervalsThu 30min coreI don't know why, but I kill it on these recovery weeks. Hard weeks I don't lose nearly as much.Pretty light workload this week. Recovery week and really milking the recovery part. I feel awesome though.After 41 hours of

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-52305827582049201692010-02-24T15:56:00.011-05:002010-02-25T14:03:14.069-05:00

I reported a few months back that nuun active hydration accepted my sponsorship application for 2010. Incredible news. My first personal sponsor - ever. Like, an actual sponsor.Well...I've been working another sponsorship deal since the start of the year, and it's now official.I'm almost shocked to announce that none other - I can't even believe this actually - than American Classic has jumped

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-38294324782616539692010-02-24T11:24:00.004-05:002010-02-24T11:48:50.015-05:00

Got a crazy, crazy deal last night on a Schwinn Spinner. Found it on Craigslist; a guy was using it as a coat rack and wanted it gone. CHEAP. Happy to oblige. It was numbered '7' from whatever gym it came from. The Lance karma is strong with this one.Spinning on the trainer is alright, but spin bikes, if you can dial the fit in, I think are fantastic. They're fixed gear, which keeps you

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-83342971773581786602010-02-18T18:51:00.010-05:002010-02-19T09:32:54.219-05:00

Starting Weight 189.8This Week: 186.0Week Change: -0.4 (-3.8 overall)Workouts 5.75hrsSat: 2.5hr Zone 2/3 overzealous road rideMon: 45min Zone 1/barely z2 trainer sessionTue: 40min coreWed: 55min Jillian Michaels DVD asswhippingThu: 55min Jillian Michaels DVD asswhippingI worked my ass off this week. It was supposed to be a Zone 2 week again, but to keep sanity I strayed a little from the aerobic

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-3999248510924449102010-02-16T09:58:00.002-05:002010-02-16T11:12:19.318-05:00

Last night I threw Spinervals Aero Base Builder #4 in and got down to business. Aero #4 is basically a solid hour of zone 2; no intervals. After about five minutes, I just didn't have it. I had nothing. Sometimes this just happens. I couldn't hold z2 at all, let alone barely reach the bottom of it. After a half an hour, I was pretty frustrated. Something was up; could have been the big lunch

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-47754873012363211232010-02-11T18:10:00.008-05:002010-02-12T09:24:32.906-05:00

Starting Weight 189.8This Week: 186.4Week Change: +0.2 (-3.4 overall)Workouts 5hrsSun: 100min core + Z2 spinerval comboMon: 60min mostly Z1 roller sessionTue: 40min coreWed: 60min mostly Z2 roller sessionThu: 40min coreLesson learned. I had never used rollers before. I used my 1x9 cross bike on both occasions and I had only one gear that I could get into Z2. The resistance just isn't there

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-43162831420267483612010-02-04T18:39:00.004-05:002010-02-05T09:41:07.375-05:00

Starting Weight 189.8This Week: 186.2Change: -1.0 (-3.6 overall)Workouts 2.5hrsSat: 90min Z2 intervals to Van HalenThu: 60min Z2 spinLight week. Sunday morning I came down with some kind of flu. It moved pretty fast, but nonetheless it pretty much cleaned out my entire week.That shit happens - it happens every year in some form - and it doesn't bother me. If you get sick, you get sick. You

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-83402125000190994882010-01-28T18:07:00.008-05:002010-01-29T09:28:47.133-05:00

Starting Weight 189.8This Week: 187.2Change: -2.6 (-1.6 this week)Workouts 5.0hrsSat: 2hr30min Z2 road rideSun: 1hr30min Z2 mtn bike rideTue: 30min coreThu: 30min coreThis was a recovery week & the final week of Base 1. Three days off instead of the usual one, but I was feeling kind of drained this week and decided to listen to the voices. They were telling me to chill out a little. So I did.

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-48499602355149630872010-01-26T18:21:00.009-05:002010-01-26T18:48:13.645-05:00

I just found out that I won the Bell Helmets Photo Contest! I entered a number of pictures, but this shot, both taken by and selected by Kristen, was the winning entry:The prize is Cadel Evans' one-of-a-kind World Champion edition Bell Volt! Well, not his actual helmet. He will be allowed to keep his. I will get my own.I've worn Bell lids since the mid 90s. I've tried others since then, and

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-26870834336650511282010-01-26T10:06:00.004-05:002010-01-26T11:05:38.120-05:00

In seasons past, I never gave much consideration to the idea of shelving my race wheels during the crappy months of the year. Through the sand, salt, and muck of spring, I'd run my Ksyrium SLs, clad in Michelin Pro Race tires. This never really seemed like a big deal to me, until this winter. This winter I started to notice how expensive wheels and tires have become. And maybe not so much

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-13121316989389557442010-01-21T18:03:00.008-05:002010-01-22T09:26:00.206-05:00

Starting Weight 189.8This Week: 188.8Overall Change: -1.0Workouts 9.75hrsSat: 2hr30min road ride mixed bag intensitySun: 3hr Z2 XC skiMon: 1hr snowshoe, 40min shovelTue: 30min shovelWed: 90min XC ski light effortThu: 35min coreNearly 10 hours for me in the winter is amazing. I guess you take these weeks when you can get 'em. That Saturday ride was interesting. This was a zone 2 (fat burning)

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-86994013257876612612010-01-20T15:01:00.003-05:002010-01-20T15:27:25.947-05:00

The 2010 edition of Crank the Kanc will be Saturday, May 22. Registration opens at 12:01am on Saturday, March 13 @Bikereg.I'll be there again racing singlespeed. The way things are going I will be the strongest I have ever been for this race, so I'm hoping that, plus a change of gearing, will get me under 1:30, which is my target for this year.A few changes this year - different top secret

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-23005397547195655462010-01-16T11:26:00.004-05:002010-01-18T20:17:44.541-05:00

Just got in from an early morning ride with Joe Reagan. We got about 16+ miles out and my chain exploded. I chopped out a bunch of links and rode 34x12 the rest of the way back. It was sort of hard, but really not that bad, and I've ridden harder gearing on my singlespeed so I didn't think a whole lot of it. I was just checking with Sheldon's calculator and as it turns out, 34x12 is the

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-60608744180273300232010-01-14T18:20:00.003-05:002010-01-15T09:10:06.786-05:00

Starting Weight 189.8This Week: 188.6Change: -1.2Workouts 3.5hrsSat: 90min Z2 SpinervalSun: 60min cold as sh*t Z2 road rideMon: 35min tired Z1/2 spinTue: 30min coreWed: 60min Z2 XC skiThu: 30min coreI'll take it. I had to starve a little, but I'll take it. And I'm fine with that, because if there's one time a year when you can cut back on food and get away with it, it's right now. This won't

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-12398793550713301432010-01-14T13:33:00.005-05:002010-01-14T14:42:33.305-05:00

I have little doubt that Twitter and Facebook will be the undoing of our society. That's kind of a remarkable statement, given that these tools bridge relationships in a way we really have never seen before. While Twitter and FB are capable of spreading legitimate information with unprecedented speed, they just as easily become vehicles for propagating pure misinformation. Misinformation which

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35145098.post-54469114247516975922010-01-12T09:32:00.005-05:002010-01-12T09:56:46.916-05:00

So much good stuff. It's never enough but we'll take what we can get.No Amstel Gold this year it seems. Hopefully they work it in somehow, as Lance is reportedly in the field [source].(TV schedule and race descriptions reposted from bikerumor.com)Tour Down UnderJanuary 17, 6-6:30p ET Cancer Council CriteriumJanuary 19-23, 6-6:30p ETJanuary 24, 6-7p ETFebruary 7, 6-6:30p ET Highlights ShowThe

plumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12551053732786141141noreply@blogger.com0