Trail work day at Royalview

Good trail day yesterday at Royalview out and back loop. The Metropark crew has built a few more bridges on this section. This section is going to have a few different features that the original loops, like a few rock jumps.

Huge Oak tree in the background that you can't see in the summer.

Possible maiden voyage this weekend

I need a new stand. I won that one at a race back in the late 80's.

Finally have all the parts and is 90% finished, need a chain. All I need is to trim and bleed the cables and since I don't have bleed kit or know how to do it, to the shop it goes. I am going to ride it this weekend regardless.

Dark +running+no blinking lights=Stupidity

Almost hit a runner Wednesday morning on Valley pkwy. near Brecksville rd on my way to work.
No blinking lights, reflective tape that didn't reflect anymore. I thought it was deer. People, please be smart with your life, you only have one.

Fall colors 2

Beautiful Indian Summer days we've had this week. Rode the mtb to work yesterday and it was fun. Lots of acorns and buckeyes on the roads makes for tricky descents. Just ask the guy that fell coming down the parkway from Ridge rd. I was going up and see alight coming down slowly and all of the sudden I see the light go horizontal. He was fine but walked the bike the rest of the way down. On my way home hit the local trail for my last 3 miles before heading home with lights blazing and some juice left in my legs. you can ride a trail hundreds of times during the day but hit it when is dark and it is a totally different experience. Great way to finish a 4:45hrs day.

Fall Colors

Senior moments, brain farts

NY city visit

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I took a short trip to Connecticut and drove and took the train down to NY city to visit the 911 Memorial, Rockefeller ctr. etc, etc, etc ...
We went to a Broadway show to watch "War Horse". We had watch the documentary of how it came to be a Broadway show and it was amazing. Our friend was able to find tickets at half the price thanks to a program through the NY city public schools. Great show.
We ate a couple of neighborhood places where we drank "mimosas" and had a great brunch. Walked the old neighborhood where my wife grew up and went to school. It brought a lot of memories.
Lots of people and I mean lots riding bikes all over the place and I'm not talking messengers only.
On our way back we went north west and made a one night stop to visit the NY side of the Falls. Not the same as the Canadian side, but amazing nevertheless.

Typical NY city sight. Broken bikes chained every where. I saw quite a few bikes with yellow tags on them for the city workers to remove and throw away.

Baden 2012 Supercross

The top of the file cabinet

The top of my file cabinet at work is awesome. it is adorned with all kinds of prizes and trinkets from shows and other stuff.

My favorite, and it even talks to me when you squeze his belly

Top view

Side view

Another top view

Back view.

Feel like flying

B-Day

B-day Saturday, celebrated Friday night.

57, and I'm starting to feel everyone of them.

Good nutrition is the key

That's why I'm having a PBJ, Chocolate "it does the body good" milk a banana and a whole bunch of pills. It is "important" to eat well after riding in to work.

Second time this week I rode in to work. Tuesday I was in my own private purgatory riding home after work. It had to be the most I have used the small ring all year, every little rise hurt. Man, do I need more long miles in my legs. Maybe some intensity thrown in for good measure. It's been a while. More chocolate milk, that's what I need.
As seen from the bike in the early morning.

Looking forward to the afternoon ride home. I love my bike (s).

Something new

Something was dropped off at the front door last night.

Yeah, single speed. I would have prefered steel but the price was right.

Find Kermit.

Some one once said " a woman's closet is full of shoes and purses, a man's basement is full of bikes, frames and tires"

Humid Morning

This morning was the first time I rode to work since late May. With summer hours over at work I don't have to get up at 4am to ride to work. I can sleep in another hr. wohoooo. Believe me that hr makes a big difference. I can get up at 5am with not much trouble, but getting up at 4am it's hard. My alarm would go off and I would just turn over and sleep.
This morning ride was one of the slowest commutes I've had in years. I was in pain from the get go, my legs didn't want to turn the cranks. It was so humid I was soaked 15 mins. into the ride. I really picked a great day too, it rained last night roads were wet, it's raining right now and more showers later this afternoon. It is now 1:50pm. I put the fenders on last night because nothing was going to stop me from riding in. I need long rides, many of them. I'm so far behind mileage wise a 3hr ride hurts.  But you know what, I can ride and I'm happy I can. Pain and all I loved the ride in this morning. It reminded me why I love being on a bike early in the morning.
Get out and ride.

didn't know...

Ok, I saw this nice watch in Clean Snipe and it looked big enough for me to see it when my eyes get tired on the bike or anywhere else. the yellow band also made me think of the cancer bands. I figured, 1 shot, two birds.

Yeah, it looks like Big Bird should wear it.

Anyways, the UPS guy shows up at the door and my wife inmediately asks him if he has our address as an automatic delivery!!

I'm all exited opening the box to get my  new watch out and when I do the wife says, "what in the world is that thing" My feelings where hurt until I put it next to the one I wear now.

It is that big. I'm going to be the guy they all point at on the trail and laugh.

Even the Zen Man was making fun of it.

Speaking of the trail, after a good two weeks of riding upping my mileage and intensity i went for an "easy" ride last night and had absolutely "nothing" in the tank. The legs finally said "i've had enough.

A fat man on a rigid fork huffy would have passed me and laugh at me while passing. I think a fat woman on a hybrid would have kicked my butt last night. since tha trail opened I have never used the small ring on my 2 x 10 because the trail doesn't call for it on amy section. Last night was the first time, my legs could not turn the pedals. I rod efor 41 minutes and went home with my tail between my legs.

Hopefully my legs are recovered for marking the race course for Manatoc tonight.

last two weeks

Finally, I've had a couple of good weeks of riding. I was able to push myself without much discomfort from my ribs. yes, they still bother me because I never gave them a chance to fully heal and snapped them twice more after I broke them back in February. At this time  I think I'm done with racing for the year. I want to build my sttrenght slowly.

A couple of weeks ago Ken asked me to go with him to Peoria, Illinois for an xterra and I quickly said yes. He suffered a separated shoulder 6 weeks ago and had not been swimming much and wanted to see how the shoulder would respond under pressure before Nationals in Utah. After 8 hrs of driving we made it to the race venue to check it out and first thoughts were" Oh boy". Is either going to be an organized event or the opposite. The swim was to be in a "small lake' theat looked more like a moat around a castle. Surprisingly it was very clean and clam. The bike was on a very tight twisty course with very little room to pass. The run was interesting, it was through an animal preserve were they have bisons, water bufaloes and other exotic animals. in all it turned out to be a very well organized event. Ken finished 13th overall winning his age group by plenty of time, we were actually walking to the car when the second place 55-59 was just coming in from the run. His shoulder was sore but he was happy to be able to do one last race before nationals. Nice job Ken. watching this race almost made me want to start doing tri's again.