Totally Wussy

Way back when, when I was a runner vs. a biker (even though I'm running now more than biking thanks to daylight and workload), I used to laugh at everyone who put on enough clothes to land in the Antartic. Pretty much anything over 33 degrees was shorts weather and you had to get below that to warrant gloves. You know, the cheapo 2 for 1.00 Walmart stretchie gloves. Anything more than that made me sweat too bad.

Then I took up biking.

The first two years, I was pretty good. Shorts into the 40's... Then tights under shorts. I rarely wore more than light long finger gloves.

And I still laughed at the Artic Troopers out there...

Now, it hits 50 degrees on a windy day and I try to find anything else to do besides bike. Not only that, but at 50 degrees I have heavy tights and gloves to run as well.

I totally wussed out today and bought a new pair of Craft winter booties. 50 degrees and I had the booties on. My toes were nice and warm, thank you. And since my Sugoi capri tights might as well be full tights, my calves were warm as well.

What wasn't warm... that 1" section between the capris and my jersey. You know, my FAT. I'm sure it quickly went from pasty white, to pink, to beet red. It was the only part of my body that was screaming at me to buy more clothes.

I don't know how I'm going to make it thru the really cold stuff to come. I'm already missing the nice warm days we had last winter. How the poor slobs who live in upstate NY do it, I'll never know. (and hope to God to never have to figure out...)

So if anyone has any winter duds they want to donate to my cause, just let me know. Either that or let me move down south...

(and speaking of down South... Sharon I hope you have hit the road adhead of the storm...)

Random thoughts on life

Life is not fair. I come in to work this morning and I have a bunch of "come ride today" emails. Because of Thanksgiving, our month end is bumped up to today. So not only can't I ride today when the rest of you slackers are out on the road, I'll be working late today to get the month end stuff done. So stop rubbing it in, you are making me cranky.

I was running last night and got sideswiped. Running is dangerous. Guess what sideswiped me, go on, quess! Nope not a big honkin' SUV... I got smacked by the flag on a RECUMBENT! If I hadn't jumped out of the guys way, he would have just plowed me down. To make it worse, he was going so slow that I could have sprinted up to him and shoved him into traffic if I hadn't been so stunned that I almost got run over by a RECUMBENT of all things. And the pea brain didn't even apologize. Looser.

You know, not that RECUMBENTS are bad, or that people that ride them are odd or anything. Because to follow down that train of thought might make me like the 90% of drivers who think that cyclists are odd, and ok to run over...

There was a great story in USATODAY on pilots who help transport shelter dogs from areas of low adoption to places where they will be adopted. I help move dogs from time to time in our well coordinated transport team. By truck. Out west we have utilized some of the pilots where the distance is too great. Isn't it wonderful that people can take something that they love (flying) and turn it into something that helps out another living being... Anyone who thinks they might like to do transport, give me a shout. Most legs are an hour or less, and you can do as many, or as few as you like.

On the same vein of helping things live... I read about a well known cyclist who was coming home from his training ride in the dark, with no lights, when he was hit and killed. I've been using these wonderful KNOG lights lately. They really aren't made to flood the road with light like mountain bike lights, but they dont have to be charged for hours, either. They are good lights, have a great plastic wrap around thingy that makes putting them on and taking them off easy, and they really do make you visible. So if you run the risk of not getting in before dark, get a new light. I hate it when we loose good cyclists...

Thanks Firemen!

Last night I got home from running, threw the dogs out and jumped in the tub. Minutes later the sound of fire engines could be heard... so I hopped out, dried out and called Cliff to get the a scanner check.

One of my neighbors had a fire. I think fire companies from all over Goochland came. For a miserable, cold, rainy night, my normally quiet street looked like a war zone.

After awhile they got matters in hand, but the family had to get Red Cross assistance. I offered to take in any of their animals, but they didn't need me.

Who did they need... all those volunteer firemen, who came out on such a wickedly bad night to help out one of their neighbors. Thanks to all of you who volunteer your time to keep us all safe. In a rural county, with no hydrants, on cold, rainy nights, you all are just the best.

The year in advance

Well its pretty much a year down. Yesterday was the VAcycling Association meeting and we are all approved for the two races that we'll put on for next year. As always the State Senior TT that we put on and the Ft Lee race which will now be in the spring instead of the fall when everyone is sick of racing. I can tell you this, looking back on yesterday, its is good to know that you have friends who will stand by you when another club decides they want your championship race. Its one thing to bid every year for the championship, its quite another thing to have another club decide that they want the championship, and oh, they want to do it on your course! How'd that work out? Not too good.

What is really nice about the meetings is that the people who really want to make cycling work, and make cycling better come out. Yeah, sometimes things can get a bit dicy, but for the most part, the meetings really are about making things better.

So to that end I'm awful glad that Van Dessel is going to bring racing back to Waynesboro. That Waynesboro crit course is TOUGH, and the town has always embraced cycling.

And kudos to the guys in Roanoke who after their kick ass 3 days in July are going to do it not just one 3 day weekend, but two. I can't wait!

Special kudos to our friends at Natures Path (who keep me in bars...) for scoring the State Senior Crit for the Town of Ashland. Ashland is the Center of the Universe and should have cycling again after the demise of Cobblestone. Hint, walk across the rail road tracks to Homemades by Suzanne... yum.

So this year is over, for which I am very Thankful. Now I get to start gearing up to suffer all over again, with a full slate of races next year. Maybe this time all that running will pay off over the winter!

Thursday night racin'

Last night we had a good Cycor turn out at Endorphin for the computrainer races. Mark North and Paula Smith joined us, for a total of 7 Cycor die-hards slogging it out on the trainers. If you can't get outside to ride, a little good hearted competition is the next best thing... even if it is done inside.

Funniest thing of the night... Paula and Sharon battling up the last hill. Me yelling at Sharon to dig and sprint, Sharon trying hard to sprint at the same time that she wanted to tell me to go to hell. Sharon nips Paula by less than a second. Who says you cant take this stuff seriously?

So how's the running going on the other dark nights of the week? I'm up to 5+ miles, just about where I want to be distance wise. It's rough, and I still dont want to run with anyone, and J you can forget me entering any running races in the near future. Running might be a great way to stay in shape when you can't ride, but what I'm doing is a far approximation from what I used to be able to do!

Computrainer low down

Yep, its that time of year, when all the little Cycor folks head on over to Endorphin Fitness (Michael Harlow's wonderful facility) to slog away on the Computrainer. Suffering alone is just wrong. Somehow, suffering with your buds makes it much better. Still sweaty, stinky and nasty, but ok.

Molly has been great and has gotten many of the local race courses, like Wintergreen programed in. So we can race Wintergreen, or Jeff Cup, or go over when we want and slog it out alone. Again, alone is bad.

After not being on the bike for almost two weeks my legs were screaming last night. I think I did my slowest ever performance on a tough course, and today I'm paying for it. Kudos to Gregg Gammon who used to get so pissed off when I would pass him in the last mile(or less) every week. Gregg positively stomped me last night.

And the pool of toxic sweat was just as bad under Big Bill's bike as ever... I dont care what he says...

So when the days are short, and the work days are long, give the computrainer a try. You too might become addicted.

Oh, and it looks like Chainlove has run thru the Reynolds wheels... but they had Zipp cranks on yesterday, and had pictures of 808's... I'm thinking they are going to be selling off Zipp wheels soon. Go on, take a look, bet you get addicted, too! (J is going to set up a 12 step program for me... Lord, I'm an addict and I need help. Just the thought of the tiny window to get a good deal has me drooling. Reynolds wheels, Zipp cranks, heck Pedro's bike cleaner kits. I admit it. I need help.

Heal Up Quick, Mark

While I was down in Virginia Beach, my buddy Mark Pye (aka Pyeman) got hit by a car in Bon Air. All I know, the driver of the car was charged with the accident, and Mark is in MCV- I think he has a broken arm, bad lacerations, and I'm hoping that is it.

So Mark, heal up quick. How in the hell are you going to do long rides with me if you are loafing in bed trying to recover from eating asphalt? Slacker...

If you haven't been to the Beach... you have to do it in the off season. My $350 in season room cost me $59 bucks. (Yeah they upgraded me, because I'm, well... Me.) My brittany George had a balcony room on the ocean near King Neptune. Too bad the City hadn't turned on the holiday lights yet, but we had a blast running on the boardwalk anyway.

Georgie scored his first group placement, which should have him nudging the top 10 britts in the country with only a few shows under his belt this year. Georgie is such a sweetie that he had people oohing over him... and I was able to direct them to Britt Rescue who happened to have a few great dogs at the show who really need a good home. Georgie is such a good ambassador for the breed, and I'm glad that I can use him to help the dogs who need a hand.

Funny sight of the weekend... The City has spent a ton of money redoing the convention center... who hangs there? The homeless. That's fine with me, they kept coming over and talking to George, thought it was mighty funny that this big show dog was named George (with a New York accent... Geohwge). What were they doing all day? Well, to my eye... they were stripping the coating off wiring(copper) that obviously came from HVAC type units. Missing any?