Forever

Some things are suppose to last forever like friendship, children's hopes and of course the relationship between a man and wife. Yet in the last 30 years or since I was a young adult, all of these have been eroded by a societal pressure of one sort or another.  When I was a kid people who were married for 50 years was not uncommon; married children would take their families to a family vacation that included the parents and other siblings and the couple who had been married and raised their families would spend time together camping or day trips or even long travels to visit the kids and their families. This may seem a little bit of 'Americana' or old fashion or even 'weepy heart nostalgic' but believe it or not this is what makes our human condition a peaceful existence. ANd to tell you the truth I firmly believe if you don't have this with your parents and children then two things come to mind; why are you married and having kids and why don't you have this relationship?

This last weekend we, 'the wife' and myself had a short get away of biking in the Myakka State Forest here in Florida, just the two of us and no particular plans. Yep just spending a couple of lazy daze together was a good way to relax and reestablish the connection. Sometime when we are in the thick of daily life and everything is coming at me and the wife, like so much crap hitting the proverbial fan, I glad we had this kind of time together to just chill and laugh. I find if we, the wife and I, sneak in some R & R here and there, we are the stronger for it and the the 'Fan Time' is not insurmountable fro us. WE bear-up under it and are even able to laugh whilst in the middle of said 'crap storm' because of the connection we share and the years we have spent in doing this.
But back to Myakka. It is a very nice State Forest and has lost of wildlife that are just not to afraid to come out and be themselves around humans. This was refreshing because how many time do you go to the zoo and none of the animals there don't act like they even want to be around humans? But I digress again. With miles if good roads that has plenty of scenery to look at and some good dirt trail to walk or ride a bike, not in the competition since but to explore, it is a very cool place to hang out on the weekends. Heres the address: http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/myakkastateforest.html
We also went to old town Ft Myers to see the Edison Ford grounds which was very interesting .http://www.efwefla.org/home.asp But having our bikes made it much more enjoyable because we could cover alot of the surrounding housing tracks that had been established for nearly a century. Had we been on foot we would have missed most of this entirely because of the distance we traveled was around 20 miles...that wasn't going to happen walking.  And the really nice suprise was that Old downtown Ft Myers has been revitalized with young adults in mind not just 'oldsters' as has been the the way here in Florida since the the beginning of time. There is the flavor of new ideas in the part of this area that was rundown and decrepit.
All in al it was a great weekend getaway with the wife' and it didn't cost an arm and a leg either. Making the connection makes me know I'm still the guy in her life and she knows that the connection between us is stronger than ever, forever. So If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying and bring the Fam.

Whats up in the hood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TryEk3AZp8E this is the You tube url for what I have seen as a reliable review source. From what I've seen each one is well thought out and has a solid in depth tech on the  item of review. Yep this you tube review is on the Cervelo frames. Speaking of which did you guys hear about the test ride that's Cervelo is sponsoring? Make a date with the Test Team @ http://www.cervelo.com/en_us/bikes/eride/

Frame choice is the the 'Holy Grail' of all considerations. And currently there is a great number of perfect frames for all the different styles and levels of performance. In fact , for me, each time I see a new frame that looks hot I say to myself, "oh this is the one I gotta have". Yeah, yeah I have it bad and the bike shops know it. The reason I believe that the frame is the holy grail is that from this platform all else is hung upon. The frame is the center of everything you do on a bicycle and therefore it must not only fit you by size but have the feel and response that is tangible only to you.  The best part is that the manufacturers know this so to be competitive the frames that they make fit every kind of cyclist out there.
Recently while watching a video on you-tube Andy at Competitive  Cyclist asked this question, ' are you a racer who rides  or a rider who races'. If the frame is strictly for racing then get the one that works for you, but if you are a fast club rider who races once in a while or has a few centuries planned than choose a frame with that focus. Nothing we all didn't know but admitting it helps us get it right the first time. I'm the latter so I'll start with that in mind.
I'm looking foreword to my 'Test Drive' here in Naples and I hope you can catch one too. Until then if I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because you are buying.

Working

There  is a lot of times I'm conflicted about what bike frames, grouppos and wheels are on my horizon. With all the great components and frames out there I can see nothing but home work head, The main thing I have to think about is getting the most bang for my buck AND this bike will be my trainer/racer for the next 4 to 5 years. So  I have to get a ride that will last and will be competitive in the future.
Ao in short I have a lot of work ahead and will check in with info findings and just general blather now and again.
If I pass you on the  road stop at Peets...you know why!

When Monday comes

It's strange that Friday evening, just after work, you feel like the world is once again your oyster. Then on Sunday eve you find your self lusting after every last moment before you turn out the light and hasten the death of sleep until morning comes and you are back on the clock. Monday you find that the toil of the previous week is wiped away like so much chalk on a black board and you are at square one...again. No matter how much time was spent doing the repetitive at work or how many times you had your ear bent by fellow employees about the kids, the spouse and of course work, once again the clock is set back to ZERO. But the one thing that isn't erased, or should I be more specific the one diminishing skill that you count on to keep your sanity is last weeks hours/miles that you labored for to build for the race season or more importantly the butt whipping you hope to be handing out to the peers.
I'm not shallow by any stretch of the imagination (or at least I don't think so and the wife thinks I'm passible so life is sweet in this respect) and my life is not boiled down to "cycling good, everything else bad" but this is a blog focused on the re-establishment of the one sport I have a kindred for that reached to my youth. This is the one thing I can do at my age and not hurt my lower back, my knees and anything else yet undiscovered and I want to keep it that way. But I digress yet again.
Monday for me is when I start to evaluate the building blocks of my training thus far and look for wholes in my performance to date. Wow I'm a wholly man with a list of holes in my abilities like this.
 So here I am, Sunday eve and I am on the edge of my seat trying to squeeze every last bit of love and rest from this off time. And yet the excitement of the unfolding of this weeks velo-club ride and how well I will or won't do looms thick on the horizon.  Will my hundred of last week bring me closer to the desired 24 to 27 mph group? Who knows but the steps tat it takes are the best part and I love each one. Well love is a bit strong for this part of the sport maybe endure wit passion. As one the the club riders said to me when his girl friend asked if he had a good time on his ride his reply was, ' it's not so much of having fun as it is learning pain management'. Yes but pain management you want to learn and endure more each time.  After that's when I enjoy, the reflection of a ride in rhythm and power. You know, a type 'B' kinda guy.
So here we are back to Monday and the coffees on, yes it's Peets,  and the green smoothy is rock-in in the blender and the wife is getting ready to teach yoga, for Monday is dressed in promise and Friday has on a house coat and slippes.
So if I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.

Saint Paddys day

In the land of the red, white and blue we are green for just one day.  We support the Land of Celts most all the time in our thoughts, our history, our movies and even in our psyche. For instance our thoughts are in the seeing of Ireland as a place we can go and enjoy a vacation as we would going to the land our forefathers home; our history is intertwined with Ireland is as Boston, Chicago and New York are; Our movies  support this when you think about  the 50's "The Quiet Man" and lately "P.S. I love you" and as far as the deep parts of our soul we have the luck of the Irish or the Irish coffee...thats real deep for me anyway.
 I was always kindred with the melting pot of our national soul which defiantly includes Irish standards that I always enjoy such as green beer and Corn beef and cabbage not just this day every year but because it is part of my life. Always has been and always will be. I love the Celtics, the Red Sox, Fighting Irish, Dropkick Murphy's, The Chieftains and the rest. Tell you the truth it's the people of Ireland themselves that are in the soul of the US. http://history1800s.about.com/od/irelandinthe1800s/tp/irishhistory1800s.htm
The reason for that is the contribution that these fine people have made to our collective gene pool. Come in now, with the Americans of their times laughing in their collective faces they came and worked hard and learned how to fit in and make the US a better place, for all of us.
So for all this and more than I could even mention in this blog, thank you for everything. Thank you for the past present and future for all of those who have been good citizens and for the day that helps me to remember all that!
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because you are buying...the Irish coffee that is.

Weather or not

This years weather on all con-tenets is on that we have seen before and it seems like it was just 15 years ago I experience this same thing when I lived in Oregon. I was at my friends house in december when we say the report of 24 inches in the 24 hr period. So as everyone know even the sub-tropics like South Florida, we have had the coldest winter in, shall we say, 15 years.
So as we move into warmer wether it seems strange to be once again ride with out having at lest 2 if not three layers on. It's great to have the warmth of the sun on your back and the color in your arms, legs and face.  Yep back in the saddle and riding in the sun. I can't believe how much the warm weather really effects my happiness quotient and the shear desire to get out and there and log some hours.
Non the less sunny days also brings out the biggest jerks known to man...and woman, who have nothing better to do than harass cyclist. And with a few choice words and allot of hand waving the motorist is off and feeling really good about the blow they had dealt to the evil cyclist. Bt other than that the sun was out and the wind was blowing etc, etc.
Speaking of good weather it looks as though the week at the Paris-Nice classic was almost perfect. From the pictures I saw the only thing that was tough was the high altitudes where the snow was on the ground. I bet that made for some cool decent.  Once again the scenery was beautiful as were the towns but as most of us who are competitive know when your in the peloton your not looking at scenery your just looking for the next break, the next wheel, heck man your just trying to see around the corner.
But alas Alberto was the strongest this week and his victor was a narrow one. But a win by a second is still a win. We also saw a man who couldn't give a rip about his teammates but was very self absorbed about the win, this is immaturity at it;s height. So as a teem Astana doesn't really exist does it?I was glad to see Jens Voigt, at 39 years of age, is still kicking butt and placing 6th over all, this bodes well for all of us who are in the middle of our lives. Not that he's a poster boy for the over 40 group but if you think about it competitive cycling was for the under 34 people and rarely did the over 32 guys get the victory...good news for the OG's. But Jens and for sure Lance are an anomaly, they have been two guys whose bodies and minds haven't let this high level of competition slip through their fingers yet.

So thus ends this years addition of the Paris-Nice and we see that Alberto is the Yellow jersey winner but the amazing thing to me is that the other two places on the podium were filled but spaniards as well. did I happen to mention that 20 year old Peter Sagan of liquigas got two stage wins?  That's incredible. I said that the wild cards might just upset the apple cart this year because of their desire to get and keep a good team sponsor, didn't I say that!

If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.

I shouldn't brag...

But I will, just a bit. You know for me as a nubile cyclist to be at one level ( if you call being slow a level) one week and finding the next gear the next week,just a few days in-between rides, incredible. I have spoken of finding the next gear her and there but never this dramatic ( watch next week as this statement and I go down in flames!). Anyway I again broke into a new speed of 25-27 mph with the A's tonight and it felt really great to keep up and BREATH with out going into oxygen starvation.  OK,OK I got popped off the back because I haven't had enough miles under my belt to sustain this speed...yet.  But I did my pull for 1/4 mile and got the group up to 24-mph with a head wind. Yes it was me who was impressed but it felt great. Finally some improvement after a plateau or should I say prerrie mesa.
To change the subject it looks as though Alberto is in the gold @ Paris-Nice, mors the pity. But as the general consciences is among the pelaton, this TDF should hold the fate of elite in the balance. All bets are off with the big guys on their own teams and some of the new meat as strong as they are they just might steal some thunder.    TomBoonen http://www.europeloton.com/2010/03/back-in-black-belgian-champ-boonen.html  is kicking but and he could do well and surprise the big boys, I hope. It's always good to throw a little wild card and wild chid into the mix. It keeps everyone honest or we will see allot of temporal alliances that hurt the over-all race? In the scheme of things it is all the rich tapestry of the TDF.
Lastly, have you seen the Google bike maps, WHAT A JOKE. As a cyclist I asked for a map to get me from where I live in Naples Florida to Sanibel Island, some 55 miles by the right rode. So I input the info to Google and it sends me on the worst road which is a death trap, and is 10 miles longer without scenery. So what I see is a huge company that has the power but no idea what the needs of the cyclist are and trying to knock off the small guys who have been there for the cyclist for years. Google let the cyclists alone and take care of the corporate cars and stuff, you are good at what yo do in these areas.
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.

Last weekend

Well I waited until 6 pm on Sunday to see the prolog of the Paris-Nice race. It was a very technical with it;s sharp turns and cobbled up hill right out of the box, as we say.  An newcomer from the Netherlands, Lars Boom (Giants new poster boy), took everyones thunder by posting and keeping the best time including Alberto Contador, Levi lipeheimer and the rest of the big boys. It was truly a thing of beauty and grace to behold. Consider this, if you send our juice in the beginning then you have nothing for the flats. Or you conserve your energy and find that the wind is so strong that you can't make it up. I think that TT's are part science, part intuition, part  training and part luck of the time slot.
Sunday I rode a 30 mile loop with 15-20 mph winds that seemed to follow me around and blow in my face at every turn. It was great to actually have some warm sun to ride in...just messing with you Northerners who are waist deep in snow! The day was good and the Trek was running very well. I headed off in the direction of the wind so I could have the breeze at my back on the way home. Anyway, I felt very strong leaving the driveway. As I hit the 5 mile mark my legs and lungs were warm and the pace just naturally picked up and around 20-mph with a heart rate of 156 and cadence of 85, the wind blowing steadily from the front.  Once and a wile a bus would pass me and give me dead air so I would up-shift and catch a higher rep and mph until the wind would push me into a lower cog on the cassette.

Long and short it was a good day to hit the next internal gear, get my breath better and air out a 25 mph stretch a couple of times even with the frontal wind. The feeling is monumental and you are hurting in the legs and low back but you press on and say, I want this feeling tomorrow and the next day and so on. just playing in the sun.
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.

Free spirit

What goes Quack and swims in a circle? That is a question that I have to ask myself every-time I go for a ride. Every-time I get over one hundred mies a week, even a hundred and one, it doesn't matter it take two, count them, 2 days to recover the next week. I'm trying to build my base and yet it's one step forward two days back...just a little license with that statement. But that's not the free spirit stuff, just observation about age and such which brings me to the free spirit stuff...
The other day I was at my dentist for some of the usual stuff and the people that work there hadn't seen me in a year. Since the last visit I've lost a bunch of weight and grew my hair out.  I and the wife are sans (with-out) children so things change, you could say 'All is good in da hizzeh', I just had to say that. Everyone at the office said the usual stuff, look good, nice hair yada, yada until one of the staff plainly asked why the change? I thought of the multitude of answers especially since I wrote about the trend of my generation to glom unto there 'hay-day'http://thepedalproject.blogspot.com/2010/02/teen-age-wasteland.html , and I was short of an answer that suited her. Her plain and some what accusatory statement was, "free spirit".  WOW, she really knew how to go right to the heart of a guy and puncture it or his most prized possession anyway, his ego. I wanted to shout "no I'm different from those posers, I'm not holding onto those glory daze, I...I"...that moment was gone and I was left with was yet another soul search. That's kinda like star search but for all the losers to make sense of what their life was meant for after that big dream went south! Yep, I was just sitting there to wall-o in my agony of self focus and despair.
I have spent hours whilst riding my steed, the Trek, pondering this very thought until I had thought that I was somewhat an unusual case. I thought. I'm yolked to the wife most happily therefore not 'free' of obligation; I will not truss-pass on society as a rule therefore not 'free' from the law; I am a religious man therefore not 'free' from the will of my God and lastly I'm not 'free' from the natural laws that govern everyone.  So what is a free spirit? Is it that most people who are themselves in the labor of raising children and working, paying bills and such mistake others who have passed the children phase, who are again seeking in ernest those things that were put aside for the betterment of the family, to be seeking youth instead? I find myself not gazing at the past but rather at the universe and beyond, not at the finite but rather the infinite and not in a mortality frame of mind.
I was always seeking the greater good in God, man and the like but that is odd for most I find. Some are like the climber who is frozen on the side of the cliff, looking down and not up; frozen so as to only see the rock that they are stuck on and not the beauty of the scenery that is as majestic as giving birth to a child. That too I wrote about in another blog early last fall. http://thepedalproject.blogspot.com/2009/10/looking-down.html
So what is a free spirit or what is it that I want to say with all this change? Who cares what I want to say with my appearance! You can't see my spirit unless you get to know me or as Heinlein said  in his novel Stranger in a Strange land, you "grock' me or as the movie Avatar said 'I see you". It is definitely not an outside in change but rather an inside outflow. My spirit has finally come into submission of seeing as it is to be seen. I am free from hate and prejudice , as much as I can to this point with out leaving this body and or living away from those influences that pervert and twist us to be dark of spirit, therefore not free.  So therefore, for me, freedom is seeing those as they truly are not as the TV, mags, movies and such, wants us to see each other. Yes that, to me , is a 'free spirit'.
Oh, by the way the answer to the riddle is a one legged duck.
If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying...I'll 'see you' their.

sign of the times

What is it called when you get to a new peak in your performance and go just past that and boom your recovery time doubles? Then for a week you feel puny and don't seem to have the leg strength to do 15 miles at a fast pace, what is that?  You push and push and push and hit a wall that reminds me of the knight in  a monty python movie saying none shall pass. Then one morning you wake up and you are a whole new level,,,lets hope it's soon.
 So as I was browsing the Versus site I found some great stuff hope you enjoy!
 This is the philosophy of indoor training :
 Just an idea on how much energy a sprinter uses in a Pro race:
And last but not least the Paris-Niece race :
To all of you out thee who are hot on it or just at the start of your season training, be well and go for it. If I pass you on the road stop at Peets, because your buying.