i finally got my vcr setup back from baby einstein. i had my little man cave/workout area next to the workshop in the basement when eli came along. that meant the ancient vcr had to come upstairs so he could be momentarily entertained by videos. recently, he has graduated to thomas the train and even the cars movie on dvd, so the 1980's vcr is mine! it's back, baby!
i set it up this afternoon in anticipation of a long trainer ride tonight. i chose snatch, a guy ritchey movie for the record books. (i recently saw lock, stock, and two smoking barrells and that may have booted snatch from my all-time favorite spot) it made the time go by pretty quickly, i must say. throughout the movie, i'm always thinking about alternative actions the ill-fated characters could have taken to avoid the inevitable. what if gorgeous george hadn't been knocked the f out by micky? what if the dogs had caught the rabbit? what if frankie four fingers had just skipped the boxing match altogether? what if tyrone had lost a few pounds? or if vinny hadn't gone back for the piker's dog? my favorite character is bullet tooth tony, who incidentally plays an equally interesting character in lock stock. a very tough character with a surprising mild side.
makes you wonder about perrywinkle blue, doesn't it?
Thursday, November 29, 2007
napping
not that i really had to get any big project done, but the mrs and i both took vacation days today. we tried to go back to sleep after getting the boys off to their respective destinations, but we were foiled by the phone ringing.
my mom always called me when i was napping. i have so rarely in my life been able to lay down and take a nap. for one, it's hard for me to fall asleep during the day even if i am dog tired. two, i don't ever get the chance. three, someone always calls. it's weird. my mom had a sixth sense about her...she could sense it if i was successful at laying my head down. she would pounce on the phone, even though she knew it was going to wake me up. she couldn't help herself. ring. ring. ring. "oh, don't tell me i woke you up again??" she'd always say.
of course, she isn't the one calling me now, and not today. but someone always will. and if i'm lucky enough to remember to actually disable the phones while i nap, the ups driver or a mormon will knock. it's just the way things go.
my mom always called me when i was napping. i have so rarely in my life been able to lay down and take a nap. for one, it's hard for me to fall asleep during the day even if i am dog tired. two, i don't ever get the chance. three, someone always calls. it's weird. my mom had a sixth sense about her...she could sense it if i was successful at laying my head down. she would pounce on the phone, even though she knew it was going to wake me up. she couldn't help herself. ring. ring. ring. "oh, don't tell me i woke you up again??" she'd always say.
of course, she isn't the one calling me now, and not today. but someone always will. and if i'm lucky enough to remember to actually disable the phones while i nap, the ups driver or a mormon will knock. it's just the way things go.
where is the manhood?
i got my oil changed by a place today. i haven't had my oil changed by someone else in quite a while. normally, i like to do it. especially on cars i really like. like the mustangs. or the mazda 6. or even the fusion. but my enthusiasm for crawling on the cold ground while changing the oil in the freestyle is all but nonexistent.
so, this morning i dropped the beautiful mrs k off at the shop for the wednesday morning women's ride and went to the valvoline place. at first i had pain in my heart for letting someone else do such a menial task to my car. i felt shame. but, as i sat there and watched, i realized that it's only a pleasurable task if the car is, well, pleasurable. the freestyle is a tool. it gets me and the family and our goods to different places when we need it. it isn't cool under the hood. it doesn't go vroom. i completely plan to change my oil if the need arises when it is warm outside...but i don't intend on changing the oil in this car if it is at all an inconvenience.
so, this morning i dropped the beautiful mrs k off at the shop for the wednesday morning women's ride and went to the valvoline place. at first i had pain in my heart for letting someone else do such a menial task to my car. i felt shame. but, as i sat there and watched, i realized that it's only a pleasurable task if the car is, well, pleasurable. the freestyle is a tool. it gets me and the family and our goods to different places when we need it. it isn't cool under the hood. it doesn't go vroom. i completely plan to change my oil if the need arises when it is warm outside...but i don't intend on changing the oil in this car if it is at all an inconvenience.
trainer hell
i missed the opportunity to ride in yesterdays nice weather...something called work got in the way. so i rode the trainer. twice. wow, i must be nuts.
i wasn't going to let the good weather pass me by today. when the mrs and i got home from work, it was still 55 degrees or so. i saddled up the homegrown (with headlight!) and did tour de south city. it's wonderful what a good ride outside can do for your outlook on life!
i wasn't going to let the good weather pass me by today. when the mrs and i got home from work, it was still 55 degrees or so. i saddled up the homegrown (with headlight!) and did tour de south city. it's wonderful what a good ride outside can do for your outlook on life!
Monday, November 26, 2007
wow
dad! dad! never mind that i need to get some clothes on! did you see the new dodge challenger?? didja?? that thing is the coolest! it's cooler than any of those old clunky mustang's that your friend dan calls roach cars. and it's waaaaaay cooler than the manhood sapping soccer mom station wagon that you've been driving! you gonna get a challenger dad? huh, dad?
great. another thing i won't be getting because my kids need to go to college.........it's the stickers
i've found it very hard to get to the old blog lately. work has been a bit hectic, and of course the thanksgiving day festivities take a toll on time, as well.
the beautiful mrs k and i have both been logging all of our bike time on the trainer lately. yep, it's still boring after all these years!
i first started using an indoor training device back in 1980. i got a very cheap set of plastic rollers and used my bmx bike on them. i would just do some sprints and ride along for a few minutes and call it a day. they were bouncy and slow. about a year later, i bought a really nice set of cortina aluminum drum rollers (i still have them!!) and i did more. 1981 was right about the time i became serious about training, so the rollers were not just for cold and rainy days. i had a set of radio headphones that i would tune in to 103.3 khtr or 107.7, majic 108. or even kshe if the music was right. i set up a beat-up clock on the wall in the wash room in my parents basement. i had workouts that i would do. 30 on/30 off, to simulate back to back to back to back bmx races. i would spin up to 175+ rpms on the bmx bike and hold it there for the 30 seconds, which isn't an amazing feat if you remember that with 20" wheels and a 41/16 gearing, the wheels weren't going that godawful fast. my goal was always 12 sets. by the time i got to 8 or 9, my mom or dad would be yelling down the laundry shoot that i should be getting done pretty soon. i guess those rollers would really sing with the little knobby tires. later on in my bmx career, the rollers became a regular part of my weekly workouts. tuesdays and thursdays were roller days, monday, wednesday, and fridays were my outdoor sprint days. i never got on the rollers to do more than 30 minutes. a couple of minutes of warm up, a hard/fast sprint workout, and a little cool down...done.
along the way, i replaced one roller belt, regreased the bearings one time, and repainted the metal rails once. the sweat really ate away the original paint, but the bearings still sing along pretty well. there are still tons of stickers on the front roller, which look really cool when you're humming along.
that must be the problem with riding the trainer...not enough stickers.
the beautiful mrs k and i have both been logging all of our bike time on the trainer lately. yep, it's still boring after all these years!
i first started using an indoor training device back in 1980. i got a very cheap set of plastic rollers and used my bmx bike on them. i would just do some sprints and ride along for a few minutes and call it a day. they were bouncy and slow. about a year later, i bought a really nice set of cortina aluminum drum rollers (i still have them!!) and i did more. 1981 was right about the time i became serious about training, so the rollers were not just for cold and rainy days. i had a set of radio headphones that i would tune in to 103.3 khtr or 107.7, majic 108. or even kshe if the music was right. i set up a beat-up clock on the wall in the wash room in my parents basement. i had workouts that i would do. 30 on/30 off, to simulate back to back to back to back bmx races. i would spin up to 175+ rpms on the bmx bike and hold it there for the 30 seconds, which isn't an amazing feat if you remember that with 20" wheels and a 41/16 gearing, the wheels weren't going that godawful fast. my goal was always 12 sets. by the time i got to 8 or 9, my mom or dad would be yelling down the laundry shoot that i should be getting done pretty soon. i guess those rollers would really sing with the little knobby tires. later on in my bmx career, the rollers became a regular part of my weekly workouts. tuesdays and thursdays were roller days, monday, wednesday, and fridays were my outdoor sprint days. i never got on the rollers to do more than 30 minutes. a couple of minutes of warm up, a hard/fast sprint workout, and a little cool down...done.
along the way, i replaced one roller belt, regreased the bearings one time, and repainted the metal rails once. the sweat really ate away the original paint, but the bearings still sing along pretty well. there are still tons of stickers on the front roller, which look really cool when you're humming along.
that must be the problem with riding the trainer...not enough stickers.
Friday, November 23, 2007
black friday?
the scene outside of ghisallo this morning before the sun came up. sparky the mechanic is somewhere under the throngs of people, attempting to hold them back from the impending big sale!!!nah, just kiddin'. but it was busier than i had ever seen it before at work. it's pretty amazing what happens when you take a few dollars off merchandise, huh? usually, the smaller specialty stores (like bicycle stores) don't get to participate in these big shopping days. we just don't usually have the inventory to offer at such big discounts, nor the staff to hang around for hours and hours, starting before the roosters crow. but, we got something together and made it happen. we've got a great group to work with and since we are a very clothing-intensive store, it worked.
but now i'm tired. worn out. pooped. and the kids are all going to be here this weekend.
maybe it should be called black eye friday.
the 70's....ug
i've told you before that i can't sit down to eat unless i have something to read. it's a habit i developed when i was very young, and it's only gotten worse. if nothing else is available, i'll read the cereal box, the label on a soda can, anything. my script of choice is a magazine. sometimes bicycle stuff, mostly car stuff.
lately, since i only get one subscription (car and driver), i don't have much to read a couple of days after the magazine shows up. i get through it, and then re-read everything and even stupid ads and fine print for the rest of the month. so, i've been digging into the kaiser's box. the box contains car and driver magazines from the 70's up to 1980. my own collection started around 1984, so i've been anxious to check out what automotive journalism was like before my time. the kaiser lived through those years, so he pretty much didn't need his collection anymore (like i don't need my contemporary collection), so he thought i might find them amusing.
my conclusions: those cars sucked. they just sucked. i owned a few 70's cars, and i remember them a lot more fondly than the pages of these magazines. oh, my lord. the interiors. the body styles. the bumpers! the power, as in none! none! the american cars were bad, and the foreign cars were worse! it's a wonder that the automobile industry survived at all after the dark ages that were the 70's. and that's when they were new! imagine what they were like when parts started falling off, rust began to appear, springs began to sag, paint began to fade and peel...and that was before the cars hit 50k miles! i remember these things being sort of normal. i thought that's what cars did.
what was considered cool or high tech was amazing. everything was optional. i'm pretty sure seats may have been optional in some cars. mirrors were optional. radios. a/c. horsepower was optional, too. lots of cars had less than 75 horsepower. (then again, many, many cars were between 2000 and 3000 pounds, which necessitated less power). four cylinder cars had 75 or 80 hp. 6 cylinders had maybe 100, possibly 110 hp. v8's had 120, possibly 130 hp. 0-60 times were in the 12-13 second range for most cars. what the hell was going on in the 70's? i know gas was expensive (comparatively!), i know emissions controls were a black art, i know them big ass bumpers were heavy, but good lord!
when i've been getting into the freestyle lately, i have been looking at it from the 70's point of view. 4000 lbs. 3 liters. 203 hp. 22-23mpg. seating for 6. anti-lock brakes. traction control. continuously variable transmission. air bags coming out of the woodwork. 0-60 in about 8 1/2 seconds. completely folding seats to make a full size load floor bigger than a small pickup. i keep thinking that the writers of those old magazines would've thought that the freestyle was some sort of chariot from God....and to think it's just par for the course today.
lately, since i only get one subscription (car and driver), i don't have much to read a couple of days after the magazine shows up. i get through it, and then re-read everything and even stupid ads and fine print for the rest of the month. so, i've been digging into the kaiser's box. the box contains car and driver magazines from the 70's up to 1980. my own collection started around 1984, so i've been anxious to check out what automotive journalism was like before my time. the kaiser lived through those years, so he pretty much didn't need his collection anymore (like i don't need my contemporary collection), so he thought i might find them amusing.
my conclusions: those cars sucked. they just sucked. i owned a few 70's cars, and i remember them a lot more fondly than the pages of these magazines. oh, my lord. the interiors. the body styles. the bumpers! the power, as in none! none! the american cars were bad, and the foreign cars were worse! it's a wonder that the automobile industry survived at all after the dark ages that were the 70's. and that's when they were new! imagine what they were like when parts started falling off, rust began to appear, springs began to sag, paint began to fade and peel...and that was before the cars hit 50k miles! i remember these things being sort of normal. i thought that's what cars did.
what was considered cool or high tech was amazing. everything was optional. i'm pretty sure seats may have been optional in some cars. mirrors were optional. radios. a/c. horsepower was optional, too. lots of cars had less than 75 horsepower. (then again, many, many cars were between 2000 and 3000 pounds, which necessitated less power). four cylinder cars had 75 or 80 hp. 6 cylinders had maybe 100, possibly 110 hp. v8's had 120, possibly 130 hp. 0-60 times were in the 12-13 second range for most cars. what the hell was going on in the 70's? i know gas was expensive (comparatively!), i know emissions controls were a black art, i know them big ass bumpers were heavy, but good lord!
when i've been getting into the freestyle lately, i have been looking at it from the 70's point of view. 4000 lbs. 3 liters. 203 hp. 22-23mpg. seating for 6. anti-lock brakes. traction control. continuously variable transmission. air bags coming out of the woodwork. 0-60 in about 8 1/2 seconds. completely folding seats to make a full size load floor bigger than a small pickup. i keep thinking that the writers of those old magazines would've thought that the freestyle was some sort of chariot from God....and to think it's just par for the course today.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
draggin' along
after draggin' around on monday, i wanted to get tuesday off to a good start and ride to work. the weather was oh so wonderful. a little breezy, but warm. i took the long way, down into the nether regions of fenton/valley park and then back up to work. by the time i arrived, i was drenched in sweat, but the ride was great and i felt better. i'm glad i had a power meter today. the wind and my mood were enough to make me think i was poking along, but the meter says otherwise. see? i need the electronic nanny!
now i'm draggin' again. i don't know if i'm fighting off this cold, or if being busy with the BIG SALE is doing it. i may need more cafeinne. maybe a double shot.
now i'm draggin' again. i don't know if i'm fighting off this cold, or if being busy with the BIG SALE is doing it. i may need more cafeinne. maybe a double shot.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
weekend in review
when eli doesn't wake us up, the dogs do. when the dogs don't wake us up, the divine steps in and causes some strange occurrence to make sure we never sleep past 7:15. saturday, it was the smoke alarms. i was out of bed and into the hall before the first beep stopped. then it stopped. weird, but i was up and ready to find the culprit. no culprit. and it didn't wake eli up! minutes later, it went off again. ah, there is a defect, i thought. our smoke detectors are hard wired with battery backup. i found the breaker tripped, so i flipped it and they went off again. all the batteries being dead may have tripped an alarm, so off to the hardware store for batteries i went. replacing all the batteries and flipping the breaker again...alarms go off again. i checked each one, my ears ringing, and found one of the 8 to be defective, causing a false alarm. made in china, no less. after removing it from the circuit, all was blissful.
i was able to get out on the oiz for some mountain biking after the soccer game. again pressed for time, i opted for the 'wood. it was a little crowded, but not so bad that i had to dodge many people. the only time i wanted to boot someone was when a couple just stood on the trail while their dog and i were vying for the same line in the trail. why don't you just call you dog, dufus??? i would have an aneurysm if a bike were within 10 feet of my dogs.
tired and hungry, i hurried home and cleaned up so the beautiful mrs k and i could eat at bandanna's. mmm, i loves me some bandanna's. so does eli. fat and happy, we did the target/deirberg's double, for food and a new smoke detector, and finally made it home in time to collapse while eli kept going like an energizer bunny.
thoroughly congested and in the worst mood, i woke up sunday and loaded up the mountain bike to go do the time trial the segal boys have set up at klondike. now klondike is not my favorite place. it's far away and the bluff descents make my heart stop. but, i wanted to show my support for the boys as well as get in my hard ride for the week. i arrived early and attacked my fears first; i went down the hogsback. yikes. after that, i rode up it to simulate the time trial, and found that going up it is the preferred direction for someone who prefers climbing, like me. i rode a bunch more of the trails, really enjoying donjo's trail a lot. plenty warmed up, i met the guys at the starting line and they gave me the #1 spot. we chatted a bit, and as i looked around, i found that they all had singles! i looked at myself, all kitted out in ghisallo, carbon lightweight full suspension bike and all. i felt like a geek. these guys were out for a good time and i was the ultimate racer geek.
a few more guys showed, and two of them even had gears. there, i didn't feel so bad. i blasted off, instantly going anaerobic. it was going to be a tough hill climb, i though. but i settled in and grunted it out, feeling like i could've only gone a few seconds faster if i hadn't made so many mistakes. the climbing part was great, though. after all 12 of us finished, i had the fastest time. it was cool because there was no pressure, no stress, and the guys were all having a good time. i'd like to do the next few of these if i could. it was a blast.
after shoving a couple of burritos down my throat, i met the beautiful mrs k at the shop and we went for a ride. she has been busting for a ride all week, so even though i was toasted from off-roading, and cold, and crabby, i took her on a nice tour of west county. we went up shepard, over 109 to AB, then down smith school, up reiger, along wildhorse, down hardt, and back to civilization on wildhorse. it was windy and i was cold, but mrs k got her ride in.
i was able to get out on the oiz for some mountain biking after the soccer game. again pressed for time, i opted for the 'wood. it was a little crowded, but not so bad that i had to dodge many people. the only time i wanted to boot someone was when a couple just stood on the trail while their dog and i were vying for the same line in the trail. why don't you just call you dog, dufus??? i would have an aneurysm if a bike were within 10 feet of my dogs.
tired and hungry, i hurried home and cleaned up so the beautiful mrs k and i could eat at bandanna's. mmm, i loves me some bandanna's. so does eli. fat and happy, we did the target/deirberg's double, for food and a new smoke detector, and finally made it home in time to collapse while eli kept going like an energizer bunny.
thoroughly congested and in the worst mood, i woke up sunday and loaded up the mountain bike to go do the time trial the segal boys have set up at klondike. now klondike is not my favorite place. it's far away and the bluff descents make my heart stop. but, i wanted to show my support for the boys as well as get in my hard ride for the week. i arrived early and attacked my fears first; i went down the hogsback. yikes. after that, i rode up it to simulate the time trial, and found that going up it is the preferred direction for someone who prefers climbing, like me. i rode a bunch more of the trails, really enjoying donjo's trail a lot. plenty warmed up, i met the guys at the starting line and they gave me the #1 spot. we chatted a bit, and as i looked around, i found that they all had singles! i looked at myself, all kitted out in ghisallo, carbon lightweight full suspension bike and all. i felt like a geek. these guys were out for a good time and i was the ultimate racer geek.
a few more guys showed, and two of them even had gears. there, i didn't feel so bad. i blasted off, instantly going anaerobic. it was going to be a tough hill climb, i though. but i settled in and grunted it out, feeling like i could've only gone a few seconds faster if i hadn't made so many mistakes. the climbing part was great, though. after all 12 of us finished, i had the fastest time. it was cool because there was no pressure, no stress, and the guys were all having a good time. i'd like to do the next few of these if i could. it was a blast.
after shoving a couple of burritos down my throat, i met the beautiful mrs k at the shop and we went for a ride. she has been busting for a ride all week, so even though i was toasted from off-roading, and cold, and crabby, i took her on a nice tour of west county. we went up shepard, over 109 to AB, then down smith school, up reiger, along wildhorse, down hardt, and back to civilization on wildhorse. it was windy and i was cold, but mrs k got her ride in.
last soccer game
saturday was the last soccer game for tyson. mrs k has been the team's coach this year, trying to whip the little whipper snappers into some type of shape. she mostly succeeded, all of the kids having improved quite a bit. they still had a tough time winning, but first grade kids do pretty well just to pay attention to the game at all, so improvement is the name of the game. tyson got the most aggressive award at the pizza party, which is an admirable trait, when properly applied.
unfortunately, i never got to watch more than 10 minutes total for the year. when i went to games, it was just to babysit the little guy. and eli doesn't take much to sitting and watching. it was to the playground, keep him from plummeting off the jungle gym, chase him when he tries to run onto the field, catch him before he tumbles down the hill, back to the playground again, down into the dirt, back onto the field...yeah, soccer games are easier for the players than for me.
unfortunately, i never got to watch more than 10 minutes total for the year. when i went to games, it was just to babysit the little guy. and eli doesn't take much to sitting and watching. it was to the playground, keep him from plummeting off the jungle gym, chase him when he tries to run onto the field, catch him before he tumbles down the hill, back to the playground again, down into the dirt, back onto the field...yeah, soccer games are easier for the players than for me.
Friday, November 16, 2007
what i did on my vacation
i just had to take a couple of vacation days. i haven't had more than a couple in about 14 months of work. so, what did i do with my two vacation days? why, i worked around the house, of course!our basement is a nightmare. cardboard boxes, bags, plastic containers of every size, christmas trees, you name it. so my goal was to build some shelves to shove all of it on to.
shopping list:
18 2x4's
2 4x8 sheets of plywood
2 boxes of decking screws (torx head, no less)
tools:
cordless drill
circular saw (circa 1985)
zippo measuring tape
pencil (sharpened with a box knife)
the shelves ended up being 16 feet long by 2 feet deep, and 2 shelves high. there is plenty of room beneath the bottom shelves for large containers. and they still aren't big enough. while the basement looks pretty good right now, there are still things that won't fit on the shelves. ug.
it may be time for a special trash pick up....
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
clyde frog ? ? ?
no, just a frog. this little guy was checking out the chili cook off on sunday night at the store. he just sat there while sparky grabbed the camera. i made sparky pick him up and put him out in the grass. he complained about getting pee'd on and something about warts...i told him it would be fine.Sunday, November 11, 2007
peace is fleeting
i'm really, really crabby this morning because i didn't sleep much last night, so you'd better steer clear of me. i don't want my food, i want yours! i don't want my milk, I want your tea! i don't want my shoes on! i want! i want! i need! i need! waaaa! waaaa! just let me rest my eyes a moment, and i'll tell you what else....i think...waaaa!...zzzzzzz
.....i never go down without a fight......zzzzzzzz.
top of the met
we went to a wedding reception last night that was at the top of the met downtown. pretty ritzy place, normally the kind of place that doesn't let me in. the happy couple is from a family that deanna has known her entire life. it was a large reception, full of important people like bob holden and francis slay. the food was exceptional, and the meatball appetizers were stellar.
this is the view looking west. st. louis looks pretty cool from this view, doesn't it?
and this is the view east. a most impressive view of the arch. placing the camera against the glass with the flash turned off worked pretty well....not so much with the flash on.
the happy couple. deanna said that she and the grooms sister used to torture this poor guy. it must pretty pretty strange to see a newborn grow up and get married.
and here is another happy couple. the mrs loves it when i dress up, and i'm pretty keen on it when she dresses up as well. we just don't get the chance very often. yes, i tied the tie.
another picture. look at this woman, hanging all over me. i know i'm practically irresistible, but c'mon! get a room!
this is the view looking west. st. louis looks pretty cool from this view, doesn't it?
and this is the view east. a most impressive view of the arch. placing the camera against the glass with the flash turned off worked pretty well....not so much with the flash on.
the happy couple. deanna said that she and the grooms sister used to torture this poor guy. it must pretty pretty strange to see a newborn grow up and get married.
and here is another happy couple. the mrs loves it when i dress up, and i'm pretty keen on it when she dresses up as well. we just don't get the chance very often. yes, i tied the tie.
another picture. look at this woman, hanging all over me. i know i'm practically irresistible, but c'mon! get a room!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
wow, i'm not slow yet
part of my winter commitment this year is to ride 7-10 hours a week, no matter what. it can be trainer, off-road, or road, but it has to be done. at my age, i can't afford to slide backward. so built in my program is at least one harder ride a week, too, so that i can keep a bit of an edge and not die of boredom.
so, i'm not slow. at least, not slower than i normally am. i did two hours today with 3 twenty minute intervals grouped together with 5 minutes rest between. and, a strange thing happened on the way to those intervals...i equaled my 30 AND 60 minute power records of 285w and 275w, respectively. now i always find it funny that, even with a 4-5 minute rest between, the numbers still turn out well. but, a good explanation is that the 4-5 minute rest is not done at a very low wattage (i like to keep myself ready for the next interval) and that rest makes the next interval stronger than if i had just gone ballistic for 60 straight minutes.
of course, i'm thinking, "i should be doing the 'cross races!" but there really isn't any purpose. the reason i do so poorly at 'cross is simple: i have lost the critical strength necessary, i.e., the 0-100mph and hold for 45 minutes. that used to be my key strength, but with age, i've lost that and developed others. i can do that super hard start for mountain bike races, but only because those eventually settle into a rhythm, where my endurance and bike handling are enough to do the trick.
oh well, i guess i'll just be happy that my fitness hasn't gone to hell in a hand basket.
so, i'm not slow. at least, not slower than i normally am. i did two hours today with 3 twenty minute intervals grouped together with 5 minutes rest between. and, a strange thing happened on the way to those intervals...i equaled my 30 AND 60 minute power records of 285w and 275w, respectively. now i always find it funny that, even with a 4-5 minute rest between, the numbers still turn out well. but, a good explanation is that the 4-5 minute rest is not done at a very low wattage (i like to keep myself ready for the next interval) and that rest makes the next interval stronger than if i had just gone ballistic for 60 straight minutes.
of course, i'm thinking, "i should be doing the 'cross races!" but there really isn't any purpose. the reason i do so poorly at 'cross is simple: i have lost the critical strength necessary, i.e., the 0-100mph and hold for 45 minutes. that used to be my key strength, but with age, i've lost that and developed others. i can do that super hard start for mountain bike races, but only because those eventually settle into a rhythm, where my endurance and bike handling are enough to do the trick.
oh well, i guess i'll just be happy that my fitness hasn't gone to hell in a hand basket.
Friday, November 09, 2007
thursday, busy thursday
thursday had an itinerary a mile long. what better way to start it than a long ride to work?
since the mrs and i would be staying at work late, she drove the car and i rode. i took the scenic route, down into valley park, through castlewood, and down into chesterfield. almost exactly two hours, which is what i wanted. the wind was a worthy foe, coming into my face no matter the direction. i was so glad to get to work that i showered and had a mocha chip frappacino in my hands before you could say mocha chip frappacino.
we had a lot to do for the first annual GNO (girls night out) at the store. 30 chairs had to be set up somewhere. dust bunny's had to be eradicated. people had to be called. and all the while, customers had to be helped.
and it went off without a hitch. a roaring success, i would say. 37 women showed, and the trek people were great. it'll be hard to top that, but believe it or not, we have the chilli cookoff sunday night!
it all turned out so well. the beautiful mrs k is such a party thrower. she is having a great time with the women's ride and the ghisallo club. we've met some really nice people from those things, too.
being busy is sometimes awful, but not always.
since the mrs and i would be staying at work late, she drove the car and i rode. i took the scenic route, down into valley park, through castlewood, and down into chesterfield. almost exactly two hours, which is what i wanted. the wind was a worthy foe, coming into my face no matter the direction. i was so glad to get to work that i showered and had a mocha chip frappacino in my hands before you could say mocha chip frappacino.
we had a lot to do for the first annual GNO (girls night out) at the store. 30 chairs had to be set up somewhere. dust bunny's had to be eradicated. people had to be called. and all the while, customers had to be helped.
and it went off without a hitch. a roaring success, i would say. 37 women showed, and the trek people were great. it'll be hard to top that, but believe it or not, we have the chilli cookoff sunday night!
it all turned out so well. the beautiful mrs k is such a party thrower. she is having a great time with the women's ride and the ghisallo club. we've met some really nice people from those things, too.
being busy is sometimes awful, but not always.
no stinkin' trainer
oh, lord, i had to ride the trainer wednesday morning. it was just too cold. it was only an hour, but it was a horrible hour. i watched the today show. my, my, the drivel that is on tv. i'm going to find a way to ride outside more.....
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
it's photo night
this is probably right about the time he starts making quacking noises. either that, or he is going to go submariner any second.
seriously, don't you have enough photos of me? i'm tired, the laundry is all over the bed and i haven't been groomed in months...you really think this is a great time to go snapping pictures??Tuesday, November 06, 2007
a change in the weather
i rode to work monday morning in a drapery of wet winter clothes. i overdressed. it was humid and windy, but not cold. my clothing must have weighed 10lbs when i reached chesterfield. mrs k joined the monday morning ride at the shop and they were all pretty happy about the warm but windy morning. mrs k was using some of the sunday-ride training on the monday morning ride. pj was giving her pointers, and it appears as though i am correct when i tell the little lady that she is fast.
then it got cold. really cold. waking up this morning to 34 degrees was, pardon the pun, uncool. it didn't stop me from riding my mountain bike. i went to castlewood like i owned the place. i had a blast, mostly because i was riding slow and i was the only person in the park. it was 40 degrees by the time i rode, though, so it was perfect with the right clothing. it's always funny to see plumes of dust on the trail when it's that cold. man, it's dry out there. if the significant rains hold off for a while longer, maybe the trails will remain ridable for the foreseeable future.
then it got cold. really cold. waking up this morning to 34 degrees was, pardon the pun, uncool. it didn't stop me from riding my mountain bike. i went to castlewood like i owned the place. i had a blast, mostly because i was riding slow and i was the only person in the park. it was 40 degrees by the time i rode, though, so it was perfect with the right clothing. it's always funny to see plumes of dust on the trail when it's that cold. man, it's dry out there. if the significant rains hold off for a while longer, maybe the trails will remain ridable for the foreseeable future.
drugs drugs drugs
seems like health net's nathan o'neil has been sacked. you guessed it, drugs. not the epo's, not the hgh's, but a simple appetite suppressant. i guess it's important to keep one's appetite in check when one is competing on a professional level. but to lose your job over an appetite suppressant?? wow. sucks to be him. maybe he should've just said no to the snacky cakes and chocolate covered pop-tart surprises. if the guy had a weight problem, she should've just had lipo. would that be cheating? and, if he was doing the simple stuff, was he doing the major stuff, too, but just never got caught for it? i wonder if all the guys he's beaten for national championships over the years feel better or worse? actually, he had a prescription for it, but it's illegal to use during competition. what the hell is a professional athlete doing taking an appetite suppressant??
but, what drugs are ok? when is a supplement a drug? when is the drug performance enhancing? i've used an inhaler for about 12 years. does that make me a doper? i don't know. watch me playing ticket taker at the back of a 1/2 race and you would never believe i'm a doper. i don't condone the drugs some of these guys take, but when do we draw the line?
deep thoughts? nah. just makin' conversation.
but, what drugs are ok? when is a supplement a drug? when is the drug performance enhancing? i've used an inhaler for about 12 years. does that make me a doper? i don't know. watch me playing ticket taker at the back of a 1/2 race and you would never believe i'm a doper. i don't condone the drugs some of these guys take, but when do we draw the line?
deep thoughts? nah. just makin' conversation.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
sunday rides continue!
for the 4th sunday in a row, mrs k and i got out for a real ride. the boys had a sitter, so we took off in the early afternoon for parts unknown.
after a slowish start, things picked up. we went out toward kirkwood, down adams, along doherty ferry, back on marshall road. mrs k's last experience with marshall road was a day or two before we found out she was pregnant with the little guy. she wasn't in cycling shape then, and she was periodically ill with morning sickness, so marshall pretty much got the best of her then. today was quite a different story. she went up the hill with the steadiness of a discovery channel lieutenant, if not as fast. she was very excited about her accomplishment. i wasn't going to take her up any hills until she mentioned it. we're very glad we did.
from there we rode along geyer to rott, then a trip though tapawingo and back up to robyn and old watson, along eddy and park, down pardee and then home. it was a 2+ hour effort.
after a slowish start, things picked up. we went out toward kirkwood, down adams, along doherty ferry, back on marshall road. mrs k's last experience with marshall road was a day or two before we found out she was pregnant with the little guy. she wasn't in cycling shape then, and she was periodically ill with morning sickness, so marshall pretty much got the best of her then. today was quite a different story. she went up the hill with the steadiness of a discovery channel lieutenant, if not as fast. she was very excited about her accomplishment. i wasn't going to take her up any hills until she mentioned it. we're very glad we did.
from there we rode along geyer to rott, then a trip though tapawingo and back up to robyn and old watson, along eddy and park, down pardee and then home. it was a 2+ hour effort.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
off to the movies
the beautiful mrs k and i took the boys to see the bee movie tonight. hanna wasn't with us, which bummed me out because she loves movies. anyway, it's a great movie. there are so many laughs that you really quit thinking about it being animated pretty quick. i've always been a seinfeld fan, so hearing that voice obsess over every little problem and fear just takes me back to the sitcom of old.during the movie, eli would get a wild hair and yell out "BEEEEEEEE! BEEEEEE!" we were cracking up. and afterward, when we kept kidding with him and tickling him, we'd say "bzzzzzzzz" like a buzzing bee. he would come back with "beeeeeeee, beeeeee" because he hasn't quite learned the z sound yet.
unprecedented
i rode at castlwood again today, marking my 4th off-road ride in 8 days. i do believe that this is unprecedented in my adult life.
i started the day by going to work. i don't usually work on saturdays, but two of the guys are off doing a marathon somewhere on the east coast. i felt like the remaining saturday crew may have needed help. they didn't. they did quite well, so i busted out in the early afternoon and headed for the 'wood.
i knew better than to ride at the 'wood on saturday. there were THRONGS of people. i couldn't even get to the stinging nettle...i ran into lines of people walking that way so i just turned around and headed for the hills. i managed two hours doing the classic trails, climbing moderately hard and trying to get more comfortable descending on the gravel. i don't know what has come over me, but i feel very uneasy about the ditch-like quality most of the trails have taken around here. it seems like my front wheel has zero traction. maybe hitting the deck a few times lately has spooked me, which is partly why i have gone so haywire and traveled to the trails so often.
i continue to be amazed by the homegrown. it may be 8 years old, but i still really like riding it. i am certainly going to keep a quality hardtail around, in race-ready condition. i am looking around the web for a 2001 black homegrown, because those have IS disc mounts, and my 2000 does not. plus, i like black. while i'm sure more modern hardtails are better, and i would just buy a brand new hardtail, but trek and orbea split the difference size-wise, too big/too small.
i started the day by going to work. i don't usually work on saturdays, but two of the guys are off doing a marathon somewhere on the east coast. i felt like the remaining saturday crew may have needed help. they didn't. they did quite well, so i busted out in the early afternoon and headed for the 'wood.
i knew better than to ride at the 'wood on saturday. there were THRONGS of people. i couldn't even get to the stinging nettle...i ran into lines of people walking that way so i just turned around and headed for the hills. i managed two hours doing the classic trails, climbing moderately hard and trying to get more comfortable descending on the gravel. i don't know what has come over me, but i feel very uneasy about the ditch-like quality most of the trails have taken around here. it seems like my front wheel has zero traction. maybe hitting the deck a few times lately has spooked me, which is partly why i have gone so haywire and traveled to the trails so often.
i continue to be amazed by the homegrown. it may be 8 years old, but i still really like riding it. i am certainly going to keep a quality hardtail around, in race-ready condition. i am looking around the web for a 2001 black homegrown, because those have IS disc mounts, and my 2000 does not. plus, i like black. while i'm sure more modern hardtails are better, and i would just buy a brand new hardtail, but trek and orbea split the difference size-wise, too big/too small.
more childish obsessing
this is a gorgeous titanium grey 1972 pantera. it seems like most of the photos on the web are of '72's. i don't know if that was the model most imported, or if it's just the one most pantera enthusiasts love. the wheels are campagnolo wheels, similar to those used on the early lamborghini cars. yes, that same campagnolo we know and love. the designer of the pantera is tom tjaarda, who also did one of the ferrari california models, as well as the fiat 124.
in a pantera, the engine and transmission sat in exactly the same north-south arrangement as in most cars, only they pushed it all the way back to the trunk. of course, experts know that this is a 351 ford cleveland engine, like most pantera's used. it was similar to the boss 351 used in the '71 boss mustang, one of the strongest 'small' displacement engine of the era. it was rated at 310 horsepower. ford blue tips off most others, and the really dense among us just read the plaque.
the tail is reminiscent of the early lamborghini countach's, only with cleaner, less cluttered details.mrs k is a go getter
deanna tires me out. she's got a lot of energy when it comes to work. she's always coming up with ideas and plans and get-togethers and meetings and...you get the picture. coming up soon we have the women's wine and cheese night and the chili cook-off. and in the last day or so, she's come up with a way to help one of the shop riders realize a pretty significant dream. you can read about it HERE, but the basic idea is to have a raffle for a Tour of Missouri leaders jersey, signed by none other than George himself, specifically to help Jill.she's a real go-getter, that wife of mine.
Friday, November 02, 2007
i rode thursday
i rode my mountain bike for the third time (!!!!!!) in a week thursday morning. i trudged out to lost valley, partly because i hadn't been there in months and months, and partly because it seems to be closer to work than the other trails. it's not closer. it's just in the same general direction.
miracle upon miracle, i managed NOT to fall again.
the trail was void of any human beings. there were deer, no doubt running for their lives, dodging camo-clad weekend (weekday??) rambo's shooting guns at them. how fair is that? i mean, even i could hit the broadside of a barn with some of those cannons these guys use...of course they can hit a deer.
anyway, the ride was superbe. i felt good, i was riding good, and i had mrs k's garmin on so i could oogle the electronic info later. i was on the homegrown, as the oiz is in surgery at the moment, awaiting some new, different, and probably insanely expensive parts. (you kind of expect me to say that stuff now, don't you? in reality, nothing expensive at all, just different) in case anyone is wondering, yes, a hardtail is, you know, hard on the tail.
i didn't ride very long, only two laps, about an hour and ten minutes. it was chilly, i overdressed (yeah, like always) and was drenched in sweat. and hungry. but, i had a lot of fun. i'm going to ride there again next week if i can, and do the mitch-the-masher loops, cutting out the boring jeep track and hitting the single track more often.
miracle upon miracle, i managed NOT to fall again.
the trail was void of any human beings. there were deer, no doubt running for their lives, dodging camo-clad weekend (weekday??) rambo's shooting guns at them. how fair is that? i mean, even i could hit the broadside of a barn with some of those cannons these guys use...of course they can hit a deer.
anyway, the ride was superbe. i felt good, i was riding good, and i had mrs k's garmin on so i could oogle the electronic info later. i was on the homegrown, as the oiz is in surgery at the moment, awaiting some new, different, and probably insanely expensive parts. (you kind of expect me to say that stuff now, don't you? in reality, nothing expensive at all, just different) in case anyone is wondering, yes, a hardtail is, you know, hard on the tail.
i didn't ride very long, only two laps, about an hour and ten minutes. it was chilly, i overdressed (yeah, like always) and was drenched in sweat. and hungry. but, i had a lot of fun. i'm going to ride there again next week if i can, and do the mitch-the-masher loops, cutting out the boring jeep track and hitting the single track more often.
sucker for the Pantera
super hot DeTomaso Pantera, from Autoblog.com, taken from the 2007 Sema show. (much panting, drooling, salivating) i'm such a sucker for this car. adolescent dreams, i suppose. whatever the case, i'm a sucker.Thursday, November 01, 2007
eli has a big following in the smokey mountains
katie and kevin, on their cool honeymoon trip, figured out that elijah has gotten around quite a bit. why, he even has trails named after him! these kids, you have to watch them constantly or they get a trail named after them. tyson already has a park named after him in eureka, and hanna has a road named after her in west county!
halloweeeeeeeeeen!
we forgot the camera last night, but if you checked out the pictures from the other day, you get the picture. yes, the kids were cute, yes they did a lot of funny things, yes they ate lots of candy, and yes, we did too.
we went to jim and denise's neighborhood to trick or treat with their kids. our street seems so, well, i don't know, not fun? no sidewalks. quite a few elderly people. it just makes sense for us to take the show on the road. eli was decked out again in his cute lion's costume, and tyson was the scary darth chicken. max and gus were men in black, but everyone kept confusing them with the blues brothers. an honest mistake, i suppose. we continued the night by stopping off at grandma's house. then more family friends. then finally katie and kevin's house. they made the boys some cool trick or treat stuff, and i gorged on the barbque'd pumpkin seeds. that made my night!
at the end of the night, mrs k and i were beat, but eli and tyson were quite revved up. i guess candy does have a majic effect on kids. got a kid with chronic depression? near death? feed him m&m's. trust me.
we went to jim and denise's neighborhood to trick or treat with their kids. our street seems so, well, i don't know, not fun? no sidewalks. quite a few elderly people. it just makes sense for us to take the show on the road. eli was decked out again in his cute lion's costume, and tyson was the scary darth chicken. max and gus were men in black, but everyone kept confusing them with the blues brothers. an honest mistake, i suppose. we continued the night by stopping off at grandma's house. then more family friends. then finally katie and kevin's house. they made the boys some cool trick or treat stuff, and i gorged on the barbque'd pumpkin seeds. that made my night!
at the end of the night, mrs k and i were beat, but eli and tyson were quite revved up. i guess candy does have a majic effect on kids. got a kid with chronic depression? near death? feed him m&m's. trust me.
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