pics

Deer lick cave

Not the time to get sick.

With less than 4 weeks to participate in La Vuelta I'm starting to get sick. It feel like a sinus attack coming.
I felt sick Sunday when I got home from church and decided to stay in instead of going out in 25 degree weather. Yesterday while most everybody went back to work, I had a day off since the place I work for gave us Friday and Monday off, I went out for a couple of hrs. The couple of hrs turned into 3hrs with head winds coming back once again. Still, this time of the year going to the boat docks in Rocky River and back is my favorite ride. The bike path for the most part is void of people. Yesterday I only had to say passing 5 times in a little under 40 miles. With 3 miles to go I could see trouble brewing ahead when I saw a group of "seniors" about 15 of them, walking on the path. I started saying "passing" way way back and nobody was moving. I started thinking, is it going to be the "cane mutiny" again. thankfully once I was 5 feet behind them they finally heard me and moved out of the way with no complains. Last year I almost got "caned" to death until the sweet ladies told the "old timers" to turn the hearing aids up. Even with events like that and people walking their dogs, I prefer to ride the path on my single speed. I never ride the parkway road north anyway, drivers are stupid on that part of the park.
Anyways, like I was saying, is not time to get sick, so I'm taking this week easy and crank it up again next week. Lots of Airborne

It has worked before, hopefully it'll work again.
Here's some pictures from yesterdays ride.

During todays drive home the sun was shinning for the first time in a few days.

Out with the old ahead with the new

Happy New Year everyone.
What a better way to finish and start the new year than with a bike ride.
After a night of too much "vino" and food Thursday during aclamari night at the "Ho",  I got up late, the sun was shining and the temps were in the high 40's. Had a light breakfast and headed out the door on the steel single speed 26er.

The plan was to ride to the boat docks in Rocky River and back. On the way there, rode a couple of miles with Brett who was out with the Spin guys on a long road ride. They were on road or cyclocross bikes and I run a 34x16 and had to let them go and ride at my own pace spinning around 90-110. Worked hard on the way back with a very stiff head wind for a few minutes under 3 hrs. By the time I made it back the temps had gone up to 60 according to my car temp gauge. Too many people on the trail walking their dogs with the 100 foot leash. It makes for a great workout stopping and going over and over.
Today I headed out again with a plan to put in just 1.5hrs and ended up with another 3 under constant rain. After I crossed Bagley road and was down by the river the tornado siren in Berea went off and the wind picked up and the trees started  bending a little, needless to say I'm going as fast as I can spinning at over 120-130 rpm's rushing to get to the next bridge so I could crawl under it just in case I heard a train coming through the woods. It was a scary moment for a while not knowing were I would be if a tornado happen to form and hit the area. After a while everything calmed down and I started heading back via the Isaac Lake trail. Quite a few people has critized this trail because of all the money that was spent developing the trail. But, things like this are needed to atract businesses and people to northeast Ohio which in turn bring more jobs and money to the area.

That's a nice ride this time of the year because of the weather since not to many people venture out.
















The weather turns cold again tomorrow back into the 20's, good for one easy hr on the trainer.
A few pictures of how the river looked yestarday and today.

2010 Darwin Awards

Courtesy of the Toad King

2010 DARWIN AWARDS


You've been waiting for them with bated breath, so without further ado, here are the 2010 Darwin Awards.

Eighth Place

In Detroit , a 41-year-old man got stuck and drowned in two feet of water after squeezing head first through an 18-inch-wide sewer grate to retrieve his car keys.

Seventh Place

A 49-year-old San Francisco stockbroker, who "totally zoned when he ran", accidentally jogged off a 100-foot high cliff on his daily run.

Sixth Place

While at the beach, Daniel Jones, 21, dug an 8 foot hole for protection from the wind and had been sitting in a beach chair at the bottom, when it collapsed, burying him beneath 5 feet of sand. People on the beach used their hands and shovels trying to get him out but could not reach him. It took rescue workers using heavy equipment almost an hour to free him. Jones was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Fifth Place

Santiago Alvarado, 24, was killed as he fell through the ceiling of a bicycle shop he was burglarizing. Death was caused when the long flashlight he had placed in his mouth to keep his hands free rammed into the base of his skull as he hit the floor.

Fourth Place

Sylvester Briddell, Jr., 26, was killed as he won a bet with friends who said he would not put a revolver loaded with four bullets into his mouth and pull the trigger.

Third Place

After stepping around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door, a man walked into H&J Leather & Firearms intent on robbing the store. The shop was full of customers and a uniformed officer was standing at the counter. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, and several customers also drew their guns and fired.

The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Paul Stiller, 47, and his wife Bonnie were bored just driving around at 2 A.M. So they lit a quarter stick of dynamite to toss out the window to see what would happen. Apparently they failed to notice that the window was closed.

RUNNER UP

Kerry Bingham had been drinking with several friends when one of them said they knew a person who had bungee-jumped from a local bridge in the middle of traffic. The conversation grew more excited, and at least 10 men trooped along the walkway of the bridge at 4:30 AM. Upon arrival at the midpoint of the bridge, they discovered that no one had brought a bungee rope. Bingham, who had continued drinking, volunteered and pointed out that a coil of lineman's cable lay nearby. They secured one end around Bingham's leg and then tied the other to the bridge. His fall lasted 40 feet before the cable tightened and tore his foot off at the ankle. He miraculously survived his fall into the icy water and was rescued by two nearby fishermen. Bingham's foot was never located.

AND THE WINNER IS....

Zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt (Paderborn, Germany) fed his constipated elephant 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes before the plugged-up pachyderm finally got relief. Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an olive oil enema when the relieved beast unloaded. The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the ground where he struck his head on a rock as the elephant continued to evacuate 200 pounds of dung on top of him. It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that proves... 'Shit happens'

Good week, more ahead

I've been doing a little more that I normally would this time of the year because of La Vuelta at the end of January. A 3 day ride in PR, 155 miles the first day 81 the second and 130 the third day. The ride is divided in 3 groups, "A" riders aka the Hammer Heads 22mph and up, group "B", the mortals, 18+ and group "C" 15+. My plan is to ride with the B group the first day and then try to hang on with the A's the second day  (short day) and slide to group "D" (the slowly Dying ones) by the end of the ride. So far I've been good as far as training and hitting the trainer and rollers at least 5-6 days a week with 2-3 days of morning evening rides. The key is not just to spin but put some intensity into the rides with a lot of short and long intervals. I'm sure with almost 600 riders total my skills as a wheel sucker will come in handy. I've never done this ride but from all the comments I have read it is very well organized with a police escort closing every road for the 3 pelotons to ride non stop. The latest Bicycling magazine has an 8 page spread on it. There's still spots open. Think about it, 3 days of warm weather riding at the end of January. I was lucky that my niece gave me a free entry to the ride since her business was one of the sponsors last year and they were given 4 free entries. Cashed my Delta sky miles and got a round trip for $35.00. But, and this is a big, huge BUT, don't fly Delta unless you have sky miles, while all the other major airlines charge $100 one way for the bike, Delta charges $200. Thanks to my niece and sky miles for the "savings". I haven't missed a spinning class for the last 2 months to pay for the bike.
Have a great day everyone.

Merry Christmas

A few days late, Merry Christmas Everyone.
Back to work today; not to many cars on the road, wish it was like that everyday of the week.
Spent Christmas eve at my son's with the family and had a great time.
Put in a few good workouts and rode outside on Saturday. Yesterday I was planning on riding outside after church but it was very windy and 23 degrees outside. 23 and no wind I can stand a couple hrs outside, but when it gets windy like yesterday, unless somebody else rides and suffers with me, I stay indoors. Hopefully the week will go fast, I have Friday and Monday off with good temps by the end of the week. By good temps I mean high 30's to maybe 40's. Good riding and hiking weather.
Have a short week everyone.

Save your alarm

Had a very light sleep and kept waking up last night. I had set the alrm for 4:15am to get up and run for 30 minutes and do core work, but at 4am re-set it for 5:30am and tried to go back to sleep. The alarm goes off, get up, take a shower, get ready and head downstairs, sit at the table to read the daily prayer and take a glance at the stove clock...4:45am. I couldn't believe it, then it dawn on me, when I reset the alarm in my phone, I never saved it. What do I do now? Only one thing to do, changed and went downstairs and did upper body weights an core work. Reminds me of when I used to deliver papers when I was in high school, I used to get up at 4am to deliver 100 paper route on my bike rushing to finish before 6:30. One morning I got up at 2am thinking it was 4am and spent 2 hrs cursing the delivery guy thinking he was late and we almost got into a fight when he finally showed up right on time and I was still thinking he was late. When he made me realize I was a jackass for yelling at him I apologized up and down we had a cup of coffee and went on our merry ways. One thing, after that incident he made sure that if he was running late my papers were the first ones dropped off...wonder why.
Now that I think about it, my route was a long one and I had no headlights, no tail lights and no helmet.
Of course, the traffic back then wasn't what it is today, from a small town of 15 to 20,000 people 30 years ago, to over 50,000 today.

The Nativity story, as told by Google

Worth watching

Mid 20's, sunny, clear path...priceless

With temps in the mid 20's and sunny, riding outside had to be better than 1 hr on the trainer. The park bike path was clear with just a few icy spots. Pulled the steel single speed out of hibernation and headed down to the park. Ended up riding for two hrs and enjoyed it which is the important thing  here. This time of the year not to many rides outside are enjoyable. When the sun is out it makes you feel better and warm.
Today, different story, mid 20's again but overcast and windy, one hr on the trainer watching the Browns lose again to a team they should have beaten. They keep going backwards instead of forward.
Someday...someday, the eternal hope of Browns fans.
Here's a few more winter pics.

Marching band kicking a soccer ball