Damn you weather man...Damn you!

We have been in an amazing stretch of good weather lately.  So much so, that I have actually been able to ride without a hat, arm warmers, knee warmers, etc. multiple times.  This rarely happens until June or July (for me).

Since I commute to and from work (Tuesday's and Thursday's).  I have to plan for the cool/cold mornings, and the warmish afternoons.  For instance, I could wear my thermal long sleeve jersey in the mornings and be plenty warm, but then die of heat exhaustion on the way home.  I only wear that jersey if it is in the 40's F, maybe I will try it on a short ride in the 50's to see how it feels.  However, I bet it will be too warm.

Normally I wear my light weight short sleeve jersey, and thermal hat (under my helmet of course), a base layer shirt, bib shorts, and arm and knee warmers.  This typically works for temps above 42 F, and then I do not wear the arm and leg warmers for the commute home if it is in the 50's F and sunny.

Today I awoke, watched a little ESPN, then flipped on the "local" news.  I live in Buckley, Wa., and the news is broadcast from Seattle, Wa.  In a straight line you are only talking about 30  miles, so there should not be much difference....WRONG!  The major influence for Seattle is Puget Sound.  In the winter the Sound makes Seattle a bit warmer, and in the summer a bit cooler compared to my town.

While watching the weather, I noticed 41 F...I thought how delightful and prepared accordingly.  "Think McFly Think."  How stupid was that move?  Let me just tell you...In a list, because they are so fun!

1 - Actual temperature in Buckley and entire way to work hovered near 33 F.
2 - I was wearing the clothing described above...Not good for near freezing weather.
3 - Wind chill at 33 F, going 20-22 mph, 21 F.
4 - My gloves were not made for that temperature.
5 - My toes were about frozen 10 minutes into the ride.
6 - My hands were frozen instantly.  I could barely use them to shift gears, nor could I manipulate my keys once at work.
7 - I was nearly hypothermic.
8 - I am sure I was hallucinating...While climbing the Old Soldier's Home hill, I think I saw Bigfoot sitting outside in a lawn chair roasting marsh mellows over an open fire.
9 - I had to fill my water bottle with near boiling water to sip on and place another similar bottle between my legs (clothed of course) to speed up the warming process
10 - Ten, Ten, Ten, Ten...I forgot what Ten was for.  Can you name that tune???
11 - Not sure if there were any kibbles and bits when I finished the ride...Watch Sienfeld - The Hampton's #5.20 (1994) for a good laugh!

So in short, I was a complete lumbering idiot, I totally did not use common sense, and I paid a price that will not be forgotten...until next year :)

What would be...

What would be...if I did not ride???

1 - I would weight about 350 lbs!!!  I was a late to get my growth spurt.  So late that in high school I was 5'4".  I got pulled over at 16 for "looking too young" to drive.  I also weighed next to nothing, yet ate like a man 3 times my size.  I ate so much that my grand parents had some loving nicknames for me...the garbage disposal, the black hole, the bottomless pit, etc.  I think I can recall a joke about me and a dog fighting to lick a plate clean.  I then hit puberty, and grew about 9 inches in one summer...my appetite only increased.

My sister and me..she is two years younger and I was a Sophomore

By the time I went to college, I was 6' and a scale crushing 130 lbs.  I ate more than I did before, went to the gym to lift weights, played beach volleyball, soccer and participated in Taekwondo.  I barely gained weight.  My father would joke that I only came to town to clean out his fridge and pantry.  While there is some truth to this (it is cheaper to eat Dad's food, than buy food) I also came home to watch reruns of McGyver and spend time with my dad.

By the time I graduated college I was 6'2 and up to about 170 lbs.  I continued to play sports, but life got in the way.  Soon I was working and imbibing more than exercising.  9/11 happened, and I decided to move from Florida to Washington State.  The only person I knew from Washington was...well not a single soul...I quickly met my wife Bella and ate more, while exercising less. 

Thanks for the awesome tie dad!!!

Shortly after we married I had, for me, ballooned to 190 lbs.  That is when I started to think I was a cyclist.  I became addicted and now consider myself an avid cyclist and Cat 5 racer extraordinaire...My year round weight is currently 165-170 lbs, and I still eat like I did in college.

2 - A total TV/movie nut.  I love TV!!!  I love old shows: Lost in Space (black and white only), Land of the Giants, Hogan's Hero's, etc.  I love 70/80's shows: CHiPs, Benson, Gunsmoke, etc.  I love 90's TV: McGyver, Stargate, Highlander, etc.  I love Science Fiction movies, Action Movies, Documentaries, Westerns, Fantasy, Fiction, Non-Fiction, etc. 

Who was cooler than McGyver, with his awesome mullet?!?!?!?!

As you can see, I love to be a couch potato.  Because I cycle, there is not enough time to watch all my TV shows and movies, ride my bike, and spend quality time with Bella.  Cut out 6-8 hrs a week during the school year and 12-15 hours a week during the summer, and I could easily fit in quality time with Bella and my TV/movie addiction.  However, as things currently are something must give...Sorry TV/movies...

3 - A total pain in the @$$...I have so much energy that I could single handedly run in a hamster wheel and supply New York City, London, Paris, Tokyo, and Beijing with more than enough power each day.  Even as things currently are with my cycling, Bella is on edge with my energy levels.  Sometimes I swear she comes up with honey do lists just to get my endless pacing, mumbling, and moving of things away from her.

Results from my last indoor training session...you are welcome New York!

4 - A total know-it-all...not that I currently am not a know-it-all.  No sense in feigning modesty...the truth is the truth, and I know everything about absolutely nothing.  If there is something about nothing you need to know, I am your man!  If I were not spending all that time on the bike, I would know everything about nothing and everything about everything.  Seriously, with all that time I could actually read the entire interweb! 

Bill Nye showing his IQ score relative to mine...

As we all know everything on the interweb is a fact.  According to some recent articles read, aliens disable nukes, bigfoot kidnapped me, the world will end in 2012, etc...So, imagine what I could learn with and extra 6-8 hrs a week.

5 - I could write even more blog articles about absolutely nothing interesting to anyone but my mother.  My mother thinks I am amazing, perfect the way I am, and can do anything I put my mind mind to. 

Rod - "Mom can I be president one day?" 
Mom - "Why do you ask me?  Why not???  You aren't too old yet." 
Rod - "Do you think I could race in the Olympics?" 
Mom - "Why do you ask me?  Why not???  You aren't too old yet." 
Rod - "Mom, will you ever answer me without stating a question?" 
Mom - "Why do you ask me?  Most likely not, it is genetic."

I think everyone gets the point...Me cycling is a GOOD thing, so let's all say one BIG "collective" thank you.  (Please do not make it sound like the Borg though!)

Getting a win in a race...

This will most likely never happen for me.  Not because I do not want to win or due to a lack of competitive nature. 

Ask Bella how competitive I am, and she can tell you a multitude of stories....Her favorite story to share is how I take something small and innocuous, her gently tossing a little snow towards me, and me starting a nuclear snow meltdown on her.  I think by the time my snow stopped flying her way, there was a 3 square mile area bare of snow (other than her small spot).

I will most likely never win a race due to the violent nature of sprinting.  Violent you ask, yes violent.  Check out the following clips, and I think you will get an idea.

about 12 seconds in, right side of screen

                                        about 10 seconds in, starts on right...take whole screen
           

                                        lots of fighting for position, crash at about 40 seconds

In the closing kilometers of a race, teams and individuals fight for positioning.  There is bumping, shouldering, sometimes hand pushing, and bikes touching.  If lucky, they do not crash during this hectic time period.  Oh, do not forget that the pros do all of this while going nearly 55-60 kph (34-37 mph).  When the actual sprint begins, pros can go upwards of 73 kph (45 mph).

I have this interesting complex, which I deal with on a daily basis...it is typically called the survival complex.  When big, mean, scary people come near me, I turtle up on the ground and pray they do not see me.  I use this same trait during racing, and I have yet to find myself involved in a crash during a sprint.

Another reason I will not win, due to sprinting, is that there really is no reward for risking my well being.  I will never be a pro (though looking at my amazing physique you might think pro) and I do not get any money for placing (aside from random acts of kindness, still waiting folks).  I know that winning would be an awesome feat, and that I could endlessly brag about how well I did in the race.  I also know this is in direct conflict with my competitive nature, but survival is important.

The last reason that I will not win during a sprint is the most basic...I really am not that fast.  There are people like Mark Cavendish  (blazing FASSSSSTTTTTTT), Tyler Farrar (FASSSTTTT), and others.  There are animals that qualify too...Cheetah (seriously fast) and my neighbors chihuahua (that sucker is sneaky fast, also starred in Taco Bell commercials...not really).  Then there is me.  I think the only man or beast that fears my burst of speed is the common garden slug...maybe even the two toed sloth.

This season, there have been two sprints that I have actually been a participant.  The first had quite a lot of room, so I could choose my line and not get too close to other riders.  The second was an up hill sprint with only 11 people involved.  Neither sprint resulted in me winning, and luckily there was no crashing. 

I do hope to get a win sometime in the next decade, but I will also be just fine without...So long as I do not get inolved in a crash similar to the ones above.

Vance Creek Road Race

Yesterday was the Vance Creek Road Race, VCRR, and I was very nervous about the race.  I used Strava to look at the profile and noticed one thing immediately...The route was very easy, and fast, for 12.5 miles of each lap.  Then I noticed the last mile had a pretty decent climb.  Why did this make me nervous?  The only place to break the field, and individuals, would be on said climb.

The weather in Elma  was SUPPOSED to be nice-ISH, and I was looking forward to another nice-ISH day of racing.  I left my house at 6 am, and the weather was nice.  I drove past Tacoma, and the weather was nice.  I drove past Olympia, and the weather was nice.  I started done HWY 101 and had a sickening feeling in my stomach...Clouds were everywhere and there was moisture on the road.  The further I went, the more moisture there was...I was chasing the rain, and not happy.  Luckily there never really was much rain, and the roads were not bad at the race staging area. which was at the Satsop Development Park...AKA...The moth balled NUCLEAR facility.  Yes, we were racing in the shadow of a nuclear facility.

As I pulled into the parking lot I noticed a strange buzzing in my ear, the hairs on my arms (not my legs...there is no hair there) were standing up, I had a tingling feeling in my extremities, and knew something was not right...I could not place a finger on it at the time, but it was going to be significant!  Scott was already parked, so I pulled along side and we unload our gear and set up the turbos.  Per our usual routine, we made meaningless, nervous small talk until it was time to sign in and start warming up.

I mounted my bike, like the Lone Ranger mounting Silver, and started to pedal.  That feeling I had upon arriving, at the nuclear plant, was still present and worsening.  I was now developing a green tint to my vision...or was it my skin.  I figured it was no major cause for alarm yet, so I continued my warm up.

David arrived part way through the warm up and said he was going to hit the road.  I asked him to preview the climb for me, which he kindly did.  Being that David is on another team, I totally expected him to come back and explain in horrible detail that the climb was terribly difficult, and that I would struggle up it.  Instead, David being the nice guy he is, told me that it was not too bad, but that it was a climb.

Upon finishing my warm up, I made a quick trip to the beautiful, blue Honey Bucket.  Warning...semi graphic content...While evacuating my bladder, I continued to ponder this feeling I was having.  I then noticed that my pee was green, and I am not talking about with envy (sorry, I could not resist).  I thought to myself "What is going on?"  On the way back to my bike, I noticed my shorts and shirt felt more snug than normal.  I looked at my arms and legs...they were bulging with muscles.  My temper uncontrollably flared, all for no reason, when a guy on a bicycle rode past me.

Scott and I rode over to the start, listened to the normal pre-race directions, nearly froze, and then the race began.  Just as I thought, the course was fairly easy.  The race was 3 laps and totaled nearly 40 miles.  It began with a fast down hill to a long flat stretch of winding country roads.  The roads were in decent shape, had nice shoulders, and nearly zero traffic.

From previous experiences, I again placed myself near the front.  During the course of working, I noticed that a rider from the Olympia Orthopedic team and I opened a gap.  I pulled along side and asked if he wanted to go.  I think his response says it all..."30 second pulls!"  We did a couple of rotations, I looked over my shoulder and told him to shut it down.  The group was about on us...no point in blowing your legs if there is no gap.

Over the next few miles, I would drift back and forth within the peloton.  My goal was to never drift to far from the front, as it can be difficult to work your way back up.  About four miles from the "finishing" climb, you could feel everyone getting tense.  In case you did not know all climbs hurt, it is just a matter of how much hurt you are going to experience.  The largest factor in dictating hurt is speed, which is precisely the reason I was nervous about the race.

As we approached the climb, I was again positioned near the front.  We hit the first part of the climb and the work began.  I noticed that the pace was pretty high and my HR was quickly rising, next I noticed my legs were starting to burn, and finally I noticed we were just about to the top.  I looked over my shoulder and saw that the field was split, and we had quite the gap.  I rode up the outside of the lead group, stated that we had a good gap, jumped on front and began a pull.  After my turn, the work continued and I knew we did not have to worry about that half the field for the remainder of the race.

My group consisted of about 13 riders, two from Olympic Orthopedic and three from Cucina Fresca.  I cannot begin to stress the importance of the previous statement...Team tactics would now start to play out.

At some point on the second lap I noticed that a break had formed, and contained a random rider, one of Cucina Fresca, and one from Olympia Orthopedic.  I was upset that I missed the break, as I tried one earlier.  The group "worked" to bring the break back, but nothing was happening.  Both Olympia Orthopedic and Cucina Fresca were setting false tempos up front.  I finally decided that this was the moment I should try to bridge the gap...about 30 - 45 seconds.

I shot off the front of the group and settled into some serious work.  I glanced at my computer a few times and noticed I was going about 30 mph, working hard, and definitely closing the gap.  After a bit of time my legs were beginning to feel like lead weights, but the lead was still shrinking.  I was within 30 feet and I heard someone in the break state that I was bridging the gap.  We then made a right turn straight into a headwind.  I knew that was a MAJOR problem and immediately saw that the lead was no longer shrinking.  I had a difficult decision to make...keep working, risk blowing up, and possibly not close the gap or sit up, recover, and survive with group I left.  I chose the latter, as I did not want to blow up and have to finish over a lap solo.

After making my decision I looked over my shoulder and saw how far back the group was.  I pedaled along at about 18-20 mph recovering, finally slid back into the group, and waited for the "finishing" climb.  I was more nervous this time due to the amount of energy I spent trying to make the breakaway group.  We hit the climb at a good speed, and I was able to stay with everyone.

Shortly after the climb I saw Dan, from the break, coming back to us.  While this sucked for Dan, I harbored hopes of Cucina Fresca now working to pull back the remaining two guys...Sadly this did not happen.  Dan and I spoke and I felt really bad for him.  Dan thought the race was two laps, sprinted up the climb, and took 1st place...for lap two.  He was then to gassed to hang on and decided to drift back.

With about 5 miles left in the race, our pace slowed to about 18 mph.  I still cannot figure out why.  We all still felt good, the section of road was great, and we were not having to work hard to keep up the speed.  My only thought is that every one was nervous about the selection for the final climb and finish.

We hit the climb hard and the pace rose with each foot covered.  I was in a good position and hanging tough.  A few riders started to fade and I accelerated...too soon!  I forgot about patience and did not have enough once on the false flat. Arghhhh!

My result...11th!  I am very happy with this result, and once again, it is an improvement from my previous race.  In typical fashion, I threw both arms up and proclaimed for all "Best of the Rest!"  Scott and David were not too far back and also earned good results.

May the 4th

To all Star Wars fans, this is a GREAT day.  Today is a day to celebrate Star Wars, and I would like to wish everyone a wonderful May the Fourth be with you.  I also chuckle when I say that...Why?  Because it sounds like I have a lisp, which I can assure you I do not.

Normally mornings take about 20 minutes for me to get ready and leave for work.  That time includes: get out of bed, shower, shave, eat, brush teeth, get dressed and grab anything needed for the day.  Today took an eternity, because I had some very heavy decisions to weigh.

Firstly - What to wear?  I had to make sure I chose the perfect shirt.  The color needed to be perfect...It would absolutely need to complement my hair and bring out my eyes.  The shirt would also have to let everyone know my intentions and my intelligence.  (In case I have never bragged, I so rarely do, I can rival any Troglodytes’ intelligence.)  I have many shirts worthy of today, so the decision was tough.

This is one BA shirt, but not quite the one for today

Another awesome selection, yet not quite the one.

Ohhh Yeah...I'm sexy and I know it!!!

Secondly - I had to practice saying "May the fourth be with you."  Not that anyone could possibly sound like a complete nerd saying it, but I definitely needed my ultra-coolness to shine through.  I finally perfected it after about 15 minutes of practice.

Thirdly - I had to find my music.  What a waste to celebrate the momentous day, without any Star Wars music.  I also wanted to make sure that every person with a pulse, and some without, could hear the perfect music.  I have not used my iPod in years, but knew I had some good stuff on there.  20 minutes of looking and I was able to find the soundtracks for Episodes 1 - 6...How stupendous is that find!?!?!?

Fourthly (yes!!!) - I needed to find my adapter so that I could actually "broadcast" the wonderful sounds through the halls, of my work place, at a decibel level just below that of a poorly wired, barely functional North Korean (almost) Intercontinental Ballistic Missile.

As you can see, there were a lot of important aspects to my life today that needed the utmost attention.

Once arriving at work I made sure to remove my jacket...The shirt had to be proudly displayed.  I then expertly hooked my iPod into the speaker (I did such a good job; I think I could easily have a job at RadioShack...Heck, I should be on the bike team as the electronics extraordinaire.).  I then started with the perfect song for all Star Wars movies...Fox Fanfare.  You cannot possibly watch a Star Wars movie without first hearing Fox Fanfare.

Once everything was going, I walked around greeting everyone I saw with "May the fourth be with you."  I received many smiles of delight.  I even received some really quirky looks!  I am sure those looks were the result of the students and teachers being amazed that I knew the significance of the day.

Every time I had a new class I would quiet everyone, clear my throat, make sure I had each student's attention, and then greet them with "May the fourth be with you!"  I was also secretly hoping my nemesis would enter the room just as Darth Vader's death march started playing...Had that happened, I would have easily ended my day, left work, and crawled into bed knowing that my job was complete.  Sadly, I was not so lucky.

I believe today has been a resounding success.  I shared my love of Star Wars, discovered how many people were truly surprised that I knew of/and celebrated the day, and my wife agreed to something that will make me a VERY VERY VERY happy man...How did you guess...We are going to do a Star Wars marathon tonight!

Enjoy your Friday!  If someone has not done so already, let me wish you a wonderful "May the fourth be with you!"

Happy with my day

Tuesday was a pretty disappointing day for me.  For some reason my saddle was out of position, I had some painful rubbing on an important appendage, lousy weather, and bad legs.  Put this all together, and I was not happy with my training ride.

During the day Tuesday, I was able to adjust and level my saddle...still have no idea how it found its way out of position.  My legs still did not feel good, but they were better than in the morning.  The weather was still lousy, and I managed not to call Bella to pick me up.  I had a better ride home, but still not the result I wanted.

Today everything was different, yet somehow still the same.  My saddle managed to stay in the newly adjusted position, but there was still lots of rain, it was still cold, and I was running a little late when I left the fortress.  Add to those factors, my front light was out of charge and therefor did not flash.  The light is not over powering and super bright, however it still lets the cell phone using, sudoku playing, shaving, finger nail painting, distracted driver know someone is riding towards them.

The major difference is that I had the type of ride, today, that I wanted on Tuesday.  My legs felt much better, and I am sure the adjusted saddle was the reason.  There was no painful rubbing of my most important asset, at least that is what Bella calls it, and while the weather was still on the south side of lousy I enjoyed the ride more than Tuesday.

I find it really amazing how the results of two rides can be so different, with very little change between days.  The more I have pondered Tuesday, the more I come to realize that pain (not debilitating or overwhelming) can have such a major effect.  The whole time Tuesday, my thoughts continually drifted towards how my legs hurt (saddle issue) and how my appendage felt as if it were on fire (not sure why).

Today, I did not have any saddle issues, nor any painful fire issues.  As a result, I was able to focus on what needed to be done...hold a steady and continuous effort.  I rode my "heavy" rain bike, and had no thoughts of strava KOM's, PR's, or even top 10 times.  I just wanted to complete a good steady workout, get to work, finish work, get home and relax.

Good steady workout - Check
Get to work - Check
Finish work - almost check
Get home - Check
Relax - Double and Triple CHECK...after an issue

Crazy thing about today's ride...I actually enjoyed the cold and rain.  Granted I was shivering and only thinking of a hot shower when I got home, but I enjoyed every moment of my 2 hours (combined) commute.  What I did not enjoy is what was in my garage, and needed immediate attention.

I have a 110 lbs. German Sheppard.  For the most part he is a smart, fun, loving dog.  Every once in a while he forgets that the garage is not where one evacuates their bladder and bowels.  Today was one of those days, though I think it was more of an emergency rather than simple defiance or forgetfulness.

I opened the garage and was immediately greeted by the noxious odor of pee and poo (I have better words, but Bella has me using these).  When I looked in the garage, I noticed a puddle of pee that was nearly the size of Puget Sound.  I then scanned the surrounding areas of the garage and noticed poo everywhere.  Why is it that a dog has to walk around when they have diarrhea?  Jack did not make a puddle of liquid poo.  Instead, Jack chose to give me a trail to follow throughout the garage...I was immediately reminded of the Family Circus cartoons.  I then spent 15 minutes cleaning the garage as if I were mucking a horse stall.

In the end, I was still happy with my day.  I still enjoyed the cold, wet ride.  I met my goal of having a solid workout.  I even had my hot shower, 15 minutes later than planned.  Best of all, I rewarded myself with a HUGE bowl of spaghetti with meat and red sauce.

My wandering thoughts...

Wandering thought 1 - Since today is Tuesday, I again rode my bike to work.  I will continue to ride to work on Tuesday's and Thursday's for the remainder of the work year.  Once I complete my last race, I will add Wednesday's to the mix.  Between the three days, I will log 126 miles of riding.  I normally find a way to get between 60 and 90 miles on the weekends, so the miles will really begin to add up. 

Wandering Though 2 - This morning, the temperature was a HOT, HOT, HOT 39 degrees (Fahrenheit) when I left my house at "oh dark thirty".  I was also lucky enough to have a steady rain to make up for the shower I skipped.  Seriously, why waste soap and water when you can bike in the rain.  While I do not normally enjoy riding in the rain, I usually suck it up and make do.  Today I was way beyond not enjoying the ride.  Rarely do I say I "hate" something, as the word "hate" is pretty heavy, but I was close to hating this ride.

Wandering Thought 3 - The saying "When it rains, it pours" is definitely about the weather today.  As I type this, waiting to leave work, it is dumping outside.  I begin to feel that nasty "H" word enter my thoughts and think "why me?".  Just as I entertain the idea of calling Bella to pick me up, the rain stops and it gets partly sunny...I get excited.  Five minutes later, the heavy rains begin anew and I again entertain calling Bella.

Wandering Thought 4 (3a) - I will not call Bella to pick me up.  I am a MAN, and silly, stupid, cold, heavy, rain cannot stop me from causing nature to bend to my will.  I will get out there and ride, I will go so fast that I create a temporary wind vortex that causes the skies to remain clear above me,  and I will arrive at home in a timely manner.  When Bella inquires about my ride, as I enter the house soaked to the bone shivering, I will reply..."It was absolutely FAN-TAS-TIC!"  I will then inform Bella that I never entertained any thoughts of her picking me up from work (as she suggested on two different phone conversations), so I could avoid the silly, stupid, cold, heavy, rain.

Wandering Thought 5 - How many bikes is truly too many?  I currently have my race bike (which I love, cherish, and adore) and my rain bike (2010 Bianchi C2C Nirone, thinking of selling if interested let me know).  I want to get a CX bike, as it will allow me to race cyclocross, double as a rain bike, and be a new toy.  I am also debating a mountain bike.  I like to read Fatty's blog (Fat Cyclist) and Dicky's blog (Team Dicky), both of whom seem to really enjoy mountain biking.  I also have a teammate who swears I will not be eaten by any wild animals or Bigfoot, and says I would really enjoy mountain biking.  While I do not believe 2 or 3 bikes is too many, not sure Bella would agree...Thoughts?

Wandering Thought 6 - Damn it is raining AGAIN, even harder than before!

Wandering Thought 7 - I really need to get home, so I can have a hot shower, some food, and beverage.

Wandering Thought 8 - I made it home, there was lots of wind, lots of rain, it was cold, and I kept fighting the ever present thought of the "H" word.  Why do I submit myself to this torture?

Have a great night or day, depending on when you read this.