I guess out of all the things I could do a blog seemed the least evasive in the thought process as far as getting my mind on paper and not filtering out the way I say or view the subjects. Yep, there I was in the middle of the day writing away, at work, being very dilagent to get my 750 words on the monitor. At first it was easy and it just flowed from me, all those nouns, adjectives, commas and EXCLAMATIONS!
As the year progressed I got bogged down in the thought process, the vision of the blog the blah, blah, blah. Then I just let it lapse altogether figureing it would die an unhappy death in annonimity...no such luck. It beckens me even when in the saddle. So with out further gilding the lilly or further adue I will proceed now to atleast muddle through this alphabet soup of a blog....In the mean time here are some great vids to parouse.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Monday, June 14, 2010
Moto-doping or Just Dopes
What the HECK!? If anyone, Pro or amateur, is caught with an electric motor in their down tube then they should be SHOT! This possibility is in a video at the address below:
motor Doping : http://bikeblips.dailyradar.com/video/bike-with-engine-doped-bike-and-cancellara-roubaix/
I think if this is a big hoax then those who were behind it should be SHOT! I'm sick over this in my sport in particular and all sports in general. The sports game is demanding more and more from those who participate for bigger more astonishing results on more demanding contests. I'm also sick of those who are constantly on a witch hunt, looking under every rock and around every corner for a conspiracy...SICK OF IT!
Just focusing on my sport of cycling in particular I understand the need for improvement & amp my recovery, the two go hand in hand. The first week I rode 100 miles, yes thats dog miles and equals 700 in people miles, it took me two days into the following week to start to feel strong enough to push the envelope. I realized early on that my current performance, which equals endurance/ recovery on the ride and after/ breakaway power/ and sprint ability, were not close to the days of my cat 3 races of 30 years ago.
With this in mind I look through those eyes at the Pro ranks who count their performance in watts, heart rate and seconds find themselves losing bits and pieces of this as they approach late thirties. Of course there are exceptions to every rule in nature including this one.
All this intrigue over doping chemically and electrically reminds me of the movie "Cool Runnings". The coach of the Jamaican team was a world champion bob sled driver 20 years pryer who had all his medals taken away when he was found putting weight in the front of the sled to gain speed. When the subject was discussed with his current team he told them, "if your not enough with out them (gold medals) you'll never be enough with them". Sound familiar?
Does that really justify the hundreds of millions spent on the policing of drugs or are their other ways to stop their use besides botched and mislabeled tests? Or since everyone wants the heights of the races and riders to be push beyond their limits is it the fans who are accountable? The UCI has a different way to handle each rider they claim is doping according to there celebrity with their mishandling of there own regulations.
So who is the dope? UCI for misconduct and ham handed stupidity? The owners for putting the sales of jerseys and high tech bike gear ahead of the health of the riders? Or maybe even the riders themselves who are willing to do anything for that edge in the hardest sport in the world? After all, all the other guys are doing it right?
These questions go back to the beginning of pro sports and maybe they are joined at the hip eternally. What then is the answer? You tell me although I think that doing anything past your limit so that you need injections, transfusions, oral meds or electric motors just to be competitive means your the dope.
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying...the coffee.
motor Doping : http://bikeblips.dailyradar.com/video/bike-with-engine-doped-bike-and-cancellara-roubaix/
I think if this is a big hoax then those who were behind it should be SHOT! I'm sick over this in my sport in particular and all sports in general. The sports game is demanding more and more from those who participate for bigger more astonishing results on more demanding contests. I'm also sick of those who are constantly on a witch hunt, looking under every rock and around every corner for a conspiracy...SICK OF IT!
Just focusing on my sport of cycling in particular I understand the need for improvement & amp my recovery, the two go hand in hand. The first week I rode 100 miles, yes thats dog miles and equals 700 in people miles, it took me two days into the following week to start to feel strong enough to push the envelope. I realized early on that my current performance, which equals endurance/ recovery on the ride and after/ breakaway power/ and sprint ability, were not close to the days of my cat 3 races of 30 years ago.
All this intrigue over doping chemically and electrically reminds me of the movie "Cool Runnings". The coach of the Jamaican team was a world champion bob sled driver 20 years pryer who had all his medals taken away when he was found putting weight in the front of the sled to gain speed. When the subject was discussed with his current team he told them, "if your not enough with out them (gold medals) you'll never be enough with them". Sound familiar?
Does that really justify the hundreds of millions spent on the policing of drugs or are their other ways to stop their use besides botched and mislabeled tests? Or since everyone wants the heights of the races and riders to be push beyond their limits is it the fans who are accountable? The UCI has a different way to handle each rider they claim is doping according to there celebrity with their mishandling of there own regulations.
So who is the dope? UCI for misconduct and ham handed stupidity? The owners for putting the sales of jerseys and high tech bike gear ahead of the health of the riders? Or maybe even the riders themselves who are willing to do anything for that edge in the hardest sport in the world? After all, all the other guys are doing it right?
These questions go back to the beginning of pro sports and maybe they are joined at the hip eternally. What then is the answer? You tell me although I think that doing anything past your limit so that you need injections, transfusions, oral meds or electric motors just to be competitive means your the dope.
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying...the coffee.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Blocked
As I sit here listening to 'The Nw Deal' group rolling out the sumptuous electronic sounds I can't for the life of me think of anything to write. Last week I rode 187 miles and spent 11 hours in the saddle yet nothing comes to mind to jot down (eleven strong and glorious hours in the saddle I might add!). And I watched the Pennsylvania road race as well as the Dophine-Libre prolog yet nothing comes to mind to write. No pithy comments on the races, no brilliant insights into my soul as I spent myself in each revolution of the Ultegra crank,no not a darn thing.
it is truly bewildering to me that after only 10 months I, who has so much energy to talk and ride, have come to the end of myself in the written word. Yet here I am languishing in common prose and wrestling the keyboard to wring a few lines of my soul onto the web for all to see it shine and step back to say 'ahh'.
I am in awe of the technology I use with out so much as a marvel on a daily basis; I am in awe when I can write someone in Italy and get an answer in moments; I am in awe of our electronic world but use it dull wittily almost all the time. Never do I take into account the billions of times every moment these monuments to our inventiveness are used out of commonplace. But that's not what I want to say either,
So for all the time I spend wondering if I can keep up the writing the answer is...I don't know. I rather enjoy the brisk and innovative thought process I go through just looking into my soul, at each moment in time I approach the keyboard. I find myself looking at subject and object in a new way at that instant I examine the surroundings I'm in. And for the most part turning things inside out and upside down to get insight is a profound lightning strike to my being...I like it! And at the end of the day, to leave myself on paper is very fulfilling.
So I will continue to search, seek and intuit the world as I can and leave it to our better selves to mend and shape what we learn from it.
If I pass you on the roads stop at Peets and ponder with me over some coffee.
it is truly bewildering to me that after only 10 months I, who has so much energy to talk and ride, have come to the end of myself in the written word. Yet here I am languishing in common prose and wrestling the keyboard to wring a few lines of my soul onto the web for all to see it shine and step back to say 'ahh'.
I am in awe of the technology I use with out so much as a marvel on a daily basis; I am in awe when I can write someone in Italy and get an answer in moments; I am in awe of our electronic world but use it dull wittily almost all the time. Never do I take into account the billions of times every moment these monuments to our inventiveness are used out of commonplace. But that's not what I want to say either,So for all the time I spend wondering if I can keep up the writing the answer is...I don't know. I rather enjoy the brisk and innovative thought process I go through just looking into my soul, at each moment in time I approach the keyboard. I find myself looking at subject and object in a new way at that instant I examine the surroundings I'm in. And for the most part turning things inside out and upside down to get insight is a profound lightning strike to my being...I like it! And at the end of the day, to leave myself on paper is very fulfilling.
So I will continue to search, seek and intuit the world as I can and leave it to our better selves to mend and shape what we learn from it.
If I pass you on the roads stop at Peets and ponder with me over some coffee.
Monday, June 7, 2010
B FLAT
I forward this excerpt from the weekly e-mail of our velo club. Not only does it keep everyone informed of what rides are coming up but also the most recent one and what was accomplished. I find this communication keeps us moving towards a goal
together and builds a strong interdependence for a great ride dynamic. Enjoy:
If yesterdays ride was in a signature it would have to be B flat. The ride was very well put together as we rode to the top of McGreger in Ft Myers and did the repeats of the three bridges from top to bottom and then on to Sanibel and finally back to FMB Holiday Inn. We rounded out the milage to just shy of 70. A very tough 70 but very rewarding with the usual trash talk by my fellow riders. The weather cooperated with us until about 10am when you could feel the heat start to reflect off the black top and next the air hung thick with humidity that is until we hit the cape coral
bridge and the cool wind off the bay came and gave us a second wind as it were.
When we got into Salli's bike shop on Sanibell we were happy to have a pit stop. I can tell you as for myself I drank about a gallon of water and sweated everything outbut about a 1/2 cup of fluid. Yes it was hot!SO HYDRATE my friends even if you don'tthink you need too drink.
Our first long ride was plagued by flats and this one was recreating that same note of disharmony as our deraileurs wired away in the key of 'k', as in for kick arshe. We were traveling @ about 21 to 23 mph on the way up and had just a real great time in the rhythm of our travels. As a side note it was great to see stuff you miss whenyour driving to a destination in your car. But I digress.
There was a quartet of us brave souls to attack the bridges and never did we get to strung out nor did we fret about the traffic. All in all it was a great ride , thanks Tom, and I hope to do it again real soon. I found this article on line and would like to share it with you all. I find it very interesting that so many publications are for or against something based on there
own ideals and not interested in finding out the facts. However if you run across
stuff please forward to me because I really want to understand the bottom line and not just what someone thinks no matter how good intentioned. Harvard study of Carbo hydrates in our diet: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutrition source/what-should-you-eat/carbohydrates-full-story/index.html
If I pass you on the road stop T Peets, because your buying.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Vacation
See you in eleven days. Be safe out there and wear a Road ID so your loved ones feel safe too.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Accidents Happen
What happens when you suddenly find yourself on the ground with broken ribs, a concussion and a trashed bike? In many cases it because some one lost concentration in the pelaton and rubbed wheels, a pothole was not called out and your front tire sunk into it, water on the road caused you to slip or a million other things that can go wrong in a sport where separation from each other is measured in inches when going 20 to 25 mph. Then when the accident happens we pay the ultimate price to be in this ammature sport which is loss of time from work due to accident and in some cases loss of the biggest investment we have, our bike.
I know that I have prepared mentally for the scenario of road rash and trashed kit I've been there before and it's not pretty. I have also gotten a 'Road ID' for $20 so no matter how far out from home, or in the case of not being conscious, it can give EMS the info needed. I also have good insurance to back me up incase of an emergency. This was always a concern before in the early 80's when I had no insurance. What did I do then if a major thing happened I had no clue. But it's alot more comforting now too know I have protection but my bones sure as heck don't heal as fast and my bruises don't go away as fast as when I was 20 something.
And what about my spirit and what about my bike? The only thing I could find about insuring my bike was found at : http://www.examiner.com/x-7060-Insurance-Industry-Examiner~y2009m8d11-Insurance101-Where-to-buy-bicycle-insurance . There is some solid info here but the only real actual honest to god insurance for your ride is from England. I have no idea why non of the big insurance agencies don't do business with us little guys. Maybe we are like weekend basketball players to them, I don't know. But I do know that to replace my ride would be a major investment...again. The wife would shot first and ask questions latter!
Watching the Tour of California I saw the team cars stop for the down riders, help them up, check their bones and give them a new bike and off they went. For some reason I don't think that's going to happen if I go down in the maylai of the Tuesday or Thursday night ride. Hopefully my fellow riders would have pity on me and stop to make sure everything is good.
But what about the days and weeks ahead? For this I would think that I could count on a few of my friends in the Pelaton to buoy my spirits and give the wife a break from entertaining me. I've gotten to know several of the pack simply by asking how they are and whats up with them and just being a mentsch. And why not? This is my social group and I ride with them 4 to 7 hours a week and these are the people I choose to spend that time with. Why not get to know them? If any of these guys were to have trouble I would be there for them and I believe they would be there for me too. That is also part of the healing process and good sportsmanship to boot.
So give yourself a gut check on all three of the majors, accident backup on insurance for your self including a Road Id, insurance for your bike and support for the guys in the Pelaton. You will never know how good it is until you or your friends need it.
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.
I know that I have prepared mentally for the scenario of road rash and trashed kit I've been there before and it's not pretty. I have also gotten a 'Road ID' for $20 so no matter how far out from home, or in the case of not being conscious, it can give EMS the info needed. I also have good insurance to back me up incase of an emergency. This was always a concern before in the early 80's when I had no insurance. What did I do then if a major thing happened I had no clue. But it's alot more comforting now too know I have protection but my bones sure as heck don't heal as fast and my bruises don't go away as fast as when I was 20 something.
And what about my spirit and what about my bike? The only thing I could find about insuring my bike was found at : http://www.examiner.com/x-7060-Insurance-Industry-Examiner~y2009m8d11-Insurance101-Where-to-buy-bicycle-insurance . There is some solid info here but the only real actual honest to god insurance for your ride is from England. I have no idea why non of the big insurance agencies don't do business with us little guys. Maybe we are like weekend basketball players to them, I don't know. But I do know that to replace my ride would be a major investment...again. The wife would shot first and ask questions latter!
Watching the Tour of California I saw the team cars stop for the down riders, help them up, check their bones and give them a new bike and off they went. For some reason I don't think that's going to happen if I go down in the maylai of the Tuesday or Thursday night ride. Hopefully my fellow riders would have pity on me and stop to make sure everything is good.
But what about the days and weeks ahead? For this I would think that I could count on a few of my friends in the Pelaton to buoy my spirits and give the wife a break from entertaining me. I've gotten to know several of the pack simply by asking how they are and whats up with them and just being a mentsch. And why not? This is my social group and I ride with them 4 to 7 hours a week and these are the people I choose to spend that time with. Why not get to know them? If any of these guys were to have trouble I would be there for them and I believe they would be there for me too. That is also part of the healing process and good sportsmanship to boot.
So give yourself a gut check on all three of the majors, accident backup on insurance for your self including a Road Id, insurance for your bike and support for the guys in the Pelaton. You will never know how good it is until you or your friends need it.
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Zealous or Zealot
zeal·ous
–adjective
Yes I write a blog and yes I have and will always cycle from now on but I will never be short sighted enough to only 'see' my passion as the entire being of my existence...
full of, characterized by, or due to zeal; ardently active, devoted,or diligent.
'zealot' (zĕĺət)  | |
Dictionary.com · The American Heritage® Dictionary - (2 definitions) |
[Middle English zelote, from Latin zēlōtēs, from Greek, from zēlos, zeal.]
(noun)
- One who is zealous, especially excessively so.
- A fanatically committed person.
So which one am I? I prefer to go through the test to find out which one fits me. I know that there is a fine line between being zealous for cycling and being a zealot. It is possibly that most people mistake my incessant ramblings as me being a zealot. So let me see, what would be my indicators: really enjoy cycling; really enjoy talking about it with whoever will listen; spend time at the bike shops just to look and talk tech to the staff; have other interests but don't talk about them to others. What do you think zealot or just zealous?
Ok I could add watch all the cycling races I can and read a lot of blogs, magazines and video blogs about the latest tech. But still this is not an all consuming passion. Seeing that I have had long recovery times because of my age and still being 20 pounds up in weigh I had waited a couple of days to feel right. BUT, then the tech rears it's ugly head and I do research on the recovery process of all the different manufactures. When I ride, the constant tinkering of position, pedal stroke and physiologic balance keeps me always intent on my form. I don't know does that sound like a zealot? This personal journey is not narcissistic, it's cathartic in nature and there fore has to be because of zeal and not fanaticism.
Ok I could add watch all the cycling races I can and read a lot of blogs, magazines and video blogs about the latest tech. But still this is not an all consuming passion. Seeing that I have had long recovery times because of my age and still being 20 pounds up in weigh I had waited a couple of days to feel right. BUT, then the tech rears it's ugly head and I do research on the recovery process of all the different manufactures. When I ride, the constant tinkering of position, pedal stroke and physiologic balance keeps me always intent on my form. I don't know does that sound like a zealot? This personal journey is not narcissistic, it's cathartic in nature and there fore has to be because of zeal and not fanaticism.
Yes I write a blog and yes I have and will always cycle from now on but I will never be short sighted enough to only 'see' my passion as the entire being of my existence...If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.
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