Folkerinos, it's Hump Day here in Old Cootafornia. I think hump is the word of the day (or days) in several respects. Allow me to expand...Hump Day
I think we all know that Wednesday is traditionally Hump Day. It's the middle of the work week (or school week for you Readerinos out there getting your edumacation on) and once you crest that hump, you're home free.
During the summer, Hump Day coincides with Free Concert and Cheap Race Day 'round these parts. First, the free concert series runs from July til the end of August. Each week they have a new band, typically local, and it's a good chance to get out, use your lawn chair, see some friends and listen to music. It's right on the lake, so boaters come out in droves as well to get their groove on.
I always enjoy listening to boaters complain about how long it takes to get off the water afterward. There's only one boat launch which I believe can accommodate two boats, assuming sober/capable Captains and dozens of boats trying to get out. What a shame it must be to have to sit out on the boat in the water on a warm summer night.Hump Week
Believe it or not, it's mid July here and everywhere. It's funny how the winter is so long, yet the summer is so short. Maybe it's all a matter of perception or maybe it's that I live in New England and our winters last forEVER. Whatever the case, we have half of July left.
While I always feel like I've wasted the summer, this year I have an excuse: it rained all of June. Now that we're in the meat of the season, I've been taking full advantage. So far I've biked, run, camped, and kayaked (only once, boo). If I can get my ass in gear, I'll have some clothes out on the line tonight drying in the warm, dry summer air.Humping It
I'll use this term in a number of ways here. First of all, I've been humping it to work on my bike every day since some time in May. Aside from a few thunderstorms and my current flat tire, it's been a very painless activity. Even the thunderstorms have been cooperative and held off until the ride home.
Not only have I been saving gas, but I haven't been making all of those little trips I used to make to "just pick up (fill in the blank)". Those trips not only fill my house with crap, but they also drain my wallet. Oh, and the morning ride through the dirt road I've dubbed "Coney Expressway" is fantastic. The sun shining on the mountains and tall grasses is fantastic. The coneys must still be babies at this point and they're everywhere on the road, darting in and out of the grass on the sides. They're so cute you just want to pinch their cheeks.Busting My Hump
I haven't been riding my bike as much as I'd like, but when I have ridden I've busted my hump. Last night was a casual 28-miler turned high-intensity 40-miler. The ride itself was only 28 miles, but I wasn't going to drive to the meeting spot, and that added the 12 miles I needed to round it off to an even 40.
We started off innocently enough, but soon it became one challenge after another. If we weren't busting a hump up a hill or over rolling hills, we were pushing it on the flats.
Unlike the regular rides where we might cruise at 18 MPH on the flats, last night we were routinely busting out stretches in the mid 20s. For you non-cyclists, that might not seem like a lot but 24 MPH is 33% faster than 18, and your average John Q BikeTrailRider is humming along at a mediocre 8-10 MPH. For you nerdy non-cyclists, keep in mind that force required to overcome wind resistance (including drag) increases with the square of speed.
I'll point out here that to keep their own energy expenditure down, the guys pushing the pace were comfortably nestled in my draft. One guy even had the nerve to start singing while I was pulling him up a hill at a cool 20 MPH! Oh well, when I'm gracing the cover of Bicycling Magazine they'll be chasing me down for an autograph.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Hump Day Fo Sho
Sunday, May 18, 2008
This Weekend in Review
The weather is getting nicer, the nature is getting greener (or otherwise more colorful) and the hours are still growing longer. What a time to be tapering for a race.One Week Away
I gotta tell you I've never been this worked up for a race before, with the exception of The Josh, and I'm getting antsy. I had a nightmare the other night where we couldn't find the start of the race and when we did I had forgotten to wear a shirt. The first two miles of my dream-race were substantially slower than my goal pace, to the point that I'd never be able to make up the time. I woke up in a panic.
The hardest part about the couple of weeks leading up to this race is that I'm supposed to be tapering, meaning running fewer, easier miles. At this point there's nothing to gain by running hard so you're just maintaining and trying not to get hurt. After busting your hump for months it's awful to try and hold back. Just today when we finished 8 miles up and over a mountain, or at least some wicked steep trails, with a two to three mile ass-hauling at the end, I felt like I could have done it again. I had to use great restraint to get in the car and drive home. The last thing I want is to run my race a week early.Out for a Spin
Yesterday I was scheduled for an easy 3-miler. The weather was perfect (despite the predictions) and I had just stopped to buy a new hat, some shorts and a shirt for the race when I got a call regarding a bike ride. Technically a bike ride is considered cross-training so I opted for that over the run. Plus my road bike was fresh back from surgery where she had a new crankset installed.
I made my purchases, passing up the race shorts with the 3/4" inseam (which I will be returning to buy after all) and was on my way. The ride went into the wind in both directions (figure that out) and we met a couple of interesting folks.
The first was a young woman out cruising the Berkshire countryside checking out roofs for her upcoming roofing project. We rode with her to a coffee shop slightly outside the range of our initial ride route, and headed back when she went to meet up with a friend.
On the way back, we ran into a guy who liked to ride fast. My counterpart doesn't have her summer biking legs on yet and we kept dropping her on the climbs. He didn't seem to care and just kept on pedaling. I should have let him go instead of leaving my friend behind, but I couldn't come up with a polite way to drop off. Don't worry, I felt plenty bad.
We stopped at another friend's house to admire his firewood pile (as instructed) which was not the 30' tower we were promised. I'd give it 15', but it was a letdown. I slithered through the post and rail fence to steal some logs while my partner in crime watched the horses (oh yeah, there were horses) to make sure they didn't come after me. For the record, animals larger than cats (and many the size of cats) scare me to death.
After leaving a note written in logs and placing a few on the lawn as a sign (and a close call with the big horse) we started to make our getaway when I noticed I had a flat. SHIT! We were going to get caught for sure. I had the tube replaced and tire almost back on the bike when the woman of the house showed up, busting us right there by the road. DAMN THAT FLAT! She was clueless to our intentions though, so I think we're fine.Unbroke My Brakes
Remember how my folding bike showed up with a broken brake? Well yesterday the new set of brake calipers showed up. It's a good thing the guy on the phone asked me what color mine were, because he made sure to send me a different color. Either way, these are way better than the original ones, being made of metal and all.
Last night I installed the new brakes, tweaked the rear ones that had been squeaking, swapped my mountain bike seat onto the folding bike, oiled the chain and called it a night.
If you haven't ridden a bike much, you should know that big fat wide cushy saddles (what cyclists call seats) are the worst. They're fine for a couple of miles, but after that they tear you up. Being used to a skinny, hard saddle I found the fat saddle rubbing me the wrong way. The mountain bike saddle is an improvement, and I hope it does the trick.
Well, I guess I had more to say than I thought. I could go on, but I'm sure I've already lost a lot of you. Peace out, y'alls.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Bad with the Good
I started this post the other day, and I'm going to finish it up before starting in on today's post. All I did the other day was come up with headings, so I'll have to fill in all the text. Read on, bitches.My New Bike Arrived...Broken
For those of you who have been waiting with bated breath, my new folding bike arrived the other day (Tuesday I believe). I rode home from work (on the mountain bike), opened the box, took out all of the parts and got to work assembling what wasn't already assembled, which wasn't much.
I took my time, made a few adjustments and was getting ready to ride when it felt like one of the brakes was dragging. I guess brakes wasn't on my list of adjustments, oops. I lifted the front wheel and the damn thing wouldn't spin at all.
That's when I noticed the part of the brake that holds the adjustment screw had broken clean off. I found the piece in the bottom of the box, but the screw was nowhere to be found. I got on the horn with the store right away, then waited all afternoon for them to call me back. When I eventually gave up and called them back, the guy had no idea I had called and offered to mail the replacement part out to me.
I don't know how you are, but when I get a new toy I want to play with the damn thing as soon as possible. I decided to yank the front brakes off my mountain bike and use those until the replacement showed up. Once the brake was disassembled I found a little trick to rig it up without needing the adjustment screw. It's safe, but unadjustable.
I rode it to work on Wednesday, and last night to the Thursday Night Run and so far it seems to go from point A to point B without too much trouble. I had some difficulties on some bigger hills, but nothing my powerful, sexy legs couldn't handle.Work is Good...Except for One
Despite my Coot-like pseudonym, I am a very tolerant person and can usually find the good in most people. This person however, rubs me the wrong way in every aspect of his/her being.
Not unattractive? NO.
Good personality? NO.
Easy to talk to? NO.
Not bad smelling? NO.
Quiet? NO.
Not disgusting? NO.
Competent? NO.
Now, normally I wouldn't say those things about a fellow human being but in this case I think I can use one of my Get-Out-of-Hell-Free cards without any problem. GAH!Beautiful Weather...While I'm at Work
All week we had the butterest weather. It was sunny, mid 70s, calm, and ice cream friendly. Then Thursday got here and the weather started to turn sour. Today (Friday) is cloudy, cool and rainy. Tomorrow and Sunday are supposed to be at least partly sunny but with temps in the 50s.
With years of anecdotal evidence I can say with certainty that my mood is directly tied to the weather. Being home all day in dreary weather bums me the hell out. Maybe I'll find my hat today (story to follow) and that'll cheer me up.Commuting to Work is the Best
On the plus side of life, commuting to work on a bike is one of the best things I've started doing. I can almost hear your eyeballs out there rolling in their sockets, but it's true.
Some of you are probably thinking "Old Coot, you're an exercise nut and that's why you like riding your bike to work". That may be partially true, but what I really enjoy about it is the mini-workout (12 minutes is doable by anyone) in the fresh air, the ride through the little neighborhoods and the park instead of busy, trafficky roads, and the few minutes of peace and calm between rushing out the door and being at my desk.
The only thing I like about the commute better than riding my bike to work is riding it home from work.
Last week was National Ride Your Bike To Work Week, and I'm sure some of you might have missed your invitation. That doesn't mean you can't start this coming week. If anything, you're just a little late jumping on the bike bandwagon.
Lastly, if you consider the price of gas in your decision (which I didn't), a 5 mile ride to work (30 minutes vs probably 20 minutes driving) will save 10 miles a day. Using the official US mileage reimbursement rate of 50.5¢ per mile, that's about $5 a day, $25 a week, $100 a month and $500 for the summer! That bike doesn't look so expensive anymore, does it?
Even if you only ride in half the time you're still saving a bundle, helping the environment, improving your health and maybe finding an activity you truly enjoy.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Monday, May 05, 2008
Cinco de Mayo, Son!
Alright, I have a problem and I thought I had it under control, but I don't. It's not one of my regular problems, it's one that is fortunately secret to me, but today I'm going to fess up in the hopes that taking that first step will be enough to help me through it.I Want to Be Dave Chappelle
I was watching some YouTube videos last night of some of Chappelle's skits and standup performances. Whenever I watch even one skit, I can't help but to start using his delivery with my own internal monologue. The hardest part is that my whiteness prevents me from saying half the stuff I think. Not that what I'm thinking is derogatory, but Dave often uses what I'll call the N-word, which is not Kosher for a white boy like me.
Shit, can I use the word "Kosher" if I'm not Jewish? To be safe I'll call that the K-word from here on out.Sunday Long Run
Yesterday was a pivotal day for yours truly. I had my usual Sunday long run, but it was unusually long. Sure it was only a mile longer than the next longest run (excluding the one where I got lost as hell and did 5.5 extra miles), but what was beauteous about it is that I felt great and kicked the shit out of it.
As luck would have it, four people showed up which made my day. The weather was less than ideal, but since the route could be summed up with a a single solitary word: My Happy Place, it didn't matter what Mother Nature served up I loved it.
We ran the first lap at slightly above what I would consider a "conversational pace", meaning I could have gone faster and still held my half of a conversation. After that lap a few people headed for home while three of us headed back out again. The other two were only going to do a few more miles then head back, leaving me to finish the route on my own. No biggie. What I wasn't planning on was that the other two would be picking up the pace. We were cruising along when they turned off to head back. Amazed that I had been able to maintain that pace I kept up the same effort level (which would have been the same pace if the road would not have been so hilly) for the next few miles.
As my watch beeped signaling the end of mile 15 I was still about half a mile from the car and just an eentsy bit above it, elevation-wise. I used my powerful imagination to put another runner on the road ahead of me, giving me someone to pick off in the final stretch to the imaginary finish line. Well, that person got more than a mouthful of my dust, the poor bastard.
Monday's Rest Day
After the longer Long Runs, my training plan gives me a rest day. They do point out that "rest" can mean "cross-train", so I took advantage of the warmer weather and went for what would be an ass-kicking 35 mile bike ride. For the most part it was very casual, at a very conversational pace. However, the route would take us across three town lines (and back) meaning there were 6 Town Line Sprints, which I swept.Back at the meeting spot we shot the shit for a few minutes then I decided it was time to hightail it back home. The sun had already set and it was getting D-A-R-K. I still had a bit of a ride to get home, so I cranked out an ass-whooping of a 7 mile all-out effort. I wasn't wearing my heart rate monitor (HRM), but I'm sure the display would have read "One at a time, please" or "Lance, give Old Coot his HRM back".
Happy Birthday, Kittens
In a coincidence that I won't explain, my cats' birthdays are both today, Cinco de Mayo. Okay, I'll explain...Who the hell ever knows their pets real birthdays? I never do. So I figured they were probably born at some time in the spring, and what spring day do people usually celebrate without exception but 5/5? When I picked that date I couldn't imagine a time when there wouldn't be a party for the cats to enjoy. As we all know, I don't party down like I used to so it's really just business as usual for my buds. I give them extra attention in the form of slaps, wall smashes and the kind of petting they can feel, where their eyelids end up higher than their eyeballs. In reality that's probably better for them than a bunch of drunks hooting, hollering, and running the blender until all hours.
Happy Birthday, boys.
P.S. K-word Dill Pickles. That shit is funny, son. Uhn!
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Get the Whole Story Here...
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Closing In
I've got a few things on my schedule that have been slowing coming to a close. My training plan for the half marathon culminates in the race in 3 weeks. My long-lasting wait for my iMac ends today (fingers crossed). I've got another item on my mind that might give me something else to look forward to, but I'm still molling over it for a while.The Training Plizan
This week my training was dealt a tough blow by my #2 priority, work. I had a deadline I was working to meet, which meant working long days all week. I know, I know, some people work long days all the time and don't bitch about it, but I don't so I'm going to bitch.
After long work days, I found myself squeezing my runs in late at night. I think Tuesday night speedwork ended around 11PM, and my tempo run on Wednesday may have been in the 10:30 timeframe. By the time Thursday came around I was just about finished with my hours for the week, including making up some of the time from last week, and once I was done with my work I left work with most of the day to spare.
What was most convenient about that was that my Thursday Night Run filled only half of my mileage requirements for the day per the plan, so I was able to get there early, run a few extra miles, then head out with the group.
By the time I hit the sack on Thursday night I was whipped. I slept, get this, until 11AM Friday morning. And it didn't end there. I spent the day Friday lounging, eating, feeding the fire (ahh, fireplaces) and reading. There was also a nap squeezed in there when reading got to be too strenuous. I did some late-night yoga to feel like I accomplished something, researched some stocks, and turned in for the night.
A very unproductive yet much needed recovery day.Where the Hell is My iMac?
Yesterday morning(ish) I awoke ready to clear a spot for my new computer. I headed downstairs, fired up my laptop just to see the words "On FedEx truck for delivery" and stoke my excitement. What I found instead was that it was delayed another day. DAMN!
My hope which had been up, were down. I resigned to the couch for the day knowing there was no reason to get up. Today however, it's on the truck and en route to my house as I type. At any minute I might have to spring up, sign the electronic clipboard and set up the new machine. If I can remember, I'll time how long it takes to go from sitting on the floor in the box to up and running. Hmm, maybe I should start clearing off the desk.Is Society Losing Me?
I have begun riding my bike to work on any day that doesn't call for rain. 'Round here, that may not include many days even once we get into the dog days of summer. Thursday when I got home from work (on my bike), I sat out on the porch reading Bicycling magazine and watching the traffic go by.
The articles in this month's issue seem to center around bike commuting and talked about which U.S. cities are the most bike-friendly, where in the world people bike the most, etc. I found myself drawn more and more into my dream place of being able to ride my bike in place of driving.
Since the Puritans who originally "built" the roads around here didn't consider traffic, bike-friendliness, pollution or the rising costs of gasoline 400 years into the future, our roads are far from ideal for bike commuting. However, with a little creativity one can find alternative, scenic routes to most places. As you know, I found a route to work that sidesteps the old GE Plastics warehouse and instead passes through a city park on a dirt road.
Then, between paragraphs I started watching the traffic, looking for a pattern. Mind you this is far from scientific, but here are my observations:
95% of vehicles contained only a driver.
Of the remaining 5%, three quarters contained a driver and one passenger while the remaining quarter contained a driver and 3 passengers (there were no driver + 2 passenger vehicles).
That means for every 100 vehicles there were about 107 people moving from Point A to Point B. I bet it's also safe to assume that Point A and Point B were less than 10 miles apart.
I didn't go so far as to categorize the types of vehicles and cross-correlate that data with the number of passengers, this was really just an observational exercise. What I did notice was that there were very few small vehicles and none of the largest contained more than a driver. The sole 4-person vehicle was an oldmanmobile with what I can assume was his wife and another elderly couple. They broke the mold, but were also survivors of The Great Depression.
So where the hell am I going with all of this? With a slight change to my commuting bicycle I could be prepared for longer distances (which still are not very long) and more inclement weather. Most of the days that I don't ride to work the weather is clear at the beginning and end of the day, but it rains during the day. I don't want that road spray to ruin my pants.
Enter my solution, stage left...
The New Dahon Vitesse D7HG
Besides the cool looks and foldability (which I'll explain why I like it in another post), this puppy has an internal hub. For those of you who don't know what that means, it's a rear hub (the very center of the wheel) with the gears inside, so instead of having the gears and derailleur exposed to the elements (and your pants), it's all packed neatly inside. Once folded, you have...
I'm not 100% sold on this idea yet, but it's foldability means I can throw it in the car on a moment's notice, pack it in a suitcase to bring on trips, and bring it into the office when the weather is especially blustery. If I can eliminate trips up to 10 miles I think this bad boy would pay for itself in less than a year. Plus I'd be able to ride my bike more, so it's a win-win.
And while I'm waiting for the FedEx guy to show up, I thought I might put my house numbers back up. The ones that came factory installed, or at least by a previous owner, came down during the winter. Apparently Scotch tape was never meant to be a permanent outdoor fastener. Anyway, now I've got my numbers prominently displayed beneath the porch light.
Over and Out,
Old Coot Get the Whole Story Here...
Sunday, April 20, 2008
I'm Getting There
A few weeks ago I told y'all out there in Readerland about the bike ride I'm doing in support of the local Multiple Sclerosis chapter. With my road running training, I haven't been able to ride yet (until this afternoon) but I am certain the ride will be a no-brainer. Things are underway...I'm In!
I set a lofty fundraising goal for myself, above and beyond what they ask each participant to raise, and I hope to get there by the time the ride comes along. As of this morning I have met and exceeded the minimum fund raising amount, but am still a ways off from my ultimate goal of $1500.
They haven't worked out the "posting your progress on a separate website" widget yet, but if you're interested you can find my progress here. If you'd like to make a tax deductible donation to support me, you can do so right from my progress page, or by clicking right here.
As I said before, I wouldn't want anyone to contribute who doesn't want to, but I will be soliciting support until the ride just in case anyone is on the fence. And, with it being tax deductible just think that you'd not only be giving money to a good cause but you'd also not be giving money to Uncle Sam! Every little bit counts, so please consider contributing.
Since this didn't make the press yesterday, I'm cutting it short here. For the record, the bike ride was a lot harder than I expected but it was the first one of the season, it was after a 2+ hour run over a mountain (and back) and I was a little short on food yesterday.
I've made a pact with myself to ride my bike to work more often than I did last summer, which was admittedly very little. I started fresh today and it was a nice start to the morning. I still had to work out some logistics like bringing shoes to change into, remembering my badge and grabbing my lock on the way out but tomorrow should be smoother. The best part is the ride through Brattlebrook Park along the dirt road, with big wide fields on either side and mountains off in the distance. Not too shabby a way to start the day I'd say.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Please Consider Sponsoring Me
Coot fans, I'm not one to ask people for favors or solicit funds, but I think this is a worthwhile cause so I'm going to give it a go.Multiple Sclerosis Bike and Hike the Berkshires
Later on this summer I'm going to be riding in the MS Bike and Hike the Berkshires 100 mile bike ride. They have a few different rides, but I thought the 100-miler would be the one for me.
For a while now I've been looking for a way to put my favorite activities to good use. Sometimes I help with Kid's Races, and I run a lot of charity races but this is something different. We're not talking about a $30 10K where half of the money goes to offset the cost of holding the races itself. My goal is to raise $1,500 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). They ask each registrant to raise $250, but I am challenging myself to take it to another level.
If you're worried about where the funds go, the ride itself is paid for by the registered riders/hikers (meaning there's an entry fee separate from the donations). Every donated dollar goes to the NMSS to help pay for reseach, education and support of those who suffer with MS.
If you'd like to make a donation to help me reach my goal, and to help the NMSS reach their goals, you can do so here. Any amount you're comfortable with is appreciated. There's no pressure to donate, I'm just giving you Coot fans out there in Readerland the opportunity to contribute if you'd like.
Thanks for reading, and if you choose to make a donation thank you again.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
It's Easy Like Friday Morning
Well, I started writing this post back on Wednesday and it was all about how Wednesday is Hump Day, but when your workweek ends on Thursday Wednesday is really Over-The-Hump Day. Now that it's Friday and I'm sitting in the comfort of my own "study", sipping Lady Gray tea, listening to Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk I can truly appreciate the short work week.Double-Meat's New Development
JD, AKA Jack Bland, AKA Double-Meat Downs has traded in his Player's Club card for the life-long promise of marraige. Go Double-Meat!Back on the Trainer
Wednesday night I set to work changing parts over on my bike so that it would be more trainer friendly. As you may recall, I bought a set of Kreitler rollers last summer to enhance my bike training. Technically, rollers are not trainers but are a separate class of training paraphernalia known simply as rollers. Back to the bike. When riding on rollers, you are forced to ride almost perfectly straight with smooth motions and for God's sake, don't even blink too hard or you'll throw off your center of gravity with grave consequences. For safety reasons, I replaced my clipless pedals (that you, ironically, clip into) with "regular" pedals you'd likely find on any normal person's bike. In the event of a catastrophic eye twitch, the non clipless pedals allow you to bail easier, reducing the pain of being slammed to the floor beneath your bike.
With that task complete, I got all set up in the doorway and began pedaling for what would be about half an hour. I forgot to wear a headband, hat or anything to catch sweat and after 32:18 my eyes were burning with toxic face sweat, forcing me to stop.
The next step is to build little platforms to sit next to the rollers so that I can easily climb on an off the bike. Currently the bike sits about 4" off the floor, leaving no room to comfortably stand over the bike. A eunuch might not have any trouble, but even that might be a stretch. Also, I'd like to be able to ride somewhere besides a hallway, with a better view than a doorway. With the platforms I could set it up in front of a window and be able to enjoy the merriment of the squirrels whilst suffering away at a steady clip of 0 MPH.That Loud A$$ Mothafu(k!n& Barking Dog
Have I ever mentioned the owner forsaken dog that barks at everything that passes his house? I have made that dog my sworn enemy, although I know the fault truly lies with the owners who leave him outside all day long, devoid of playmates or attention whatsoever. If I wanted a dog, I would kidnap him and show him that life doesn't have to be lived trapped on the porch and blacktop combo that is his prison. The poor guy.
Well, that's all I have for today. I have been feeling pretty lax about blogging and I think the problem is epidemic. The blogs I read on the regular have all remained updateless for the last few days. I blame the seasonal blahs.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Monday, February 04, 2008
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Hey folks, this weekend was a real trifecta as far as quality goes. There were good things, there were bad things, and there were ugly things...The Good
On Friday night my running group had a private Spinning class at a local gym. For the low, low price of $2 each we got to have our asses handed to us for an hour straight. For many of us, this was our maiden voyage into the world of Spinning classes, and it proved to be quite the exciting time.
At 6:00 we were all huddled at the entrance signing waivers. Most of us are not members of that gym (or any gym for that matter) but they allowed us to come in to take this class as a special favor to the woman who set it all up. The class started at 6:00, but the general rule for our group runs is that there's always a 10 minute buffer in case someone's running late. We assumed this was true for the Spinning class, which it was not. The class was supposed to START at 6:00, but we all got there at 6:00, had to check in, change, warm up, etc. Fortunately it was a laid back crowd, so nobody minded.
As far as Spinning classes go, I can't comment on the relative quality of it since it was my first time. I can say that it was a hard 60 minutes and I was amply tired afterwards. Not too tired to sit in the sauna for 20 minutes, but pretty tired.
After the class (and subsequent sauna visit), we headed next door to Spice for dinner. They have three different eating venues with very different menus and pricing schemes. We opted for Medium Spice, which was still rather steep but the food was good and we had a good time.
On Saturday I was scheduled to usher at The Colonial Theater for a Creole Jazz Serenaders show. I wasn't sure what to expect, but with Jazz in the name it was bound to be at least tolerable. With the exception of the freezing cold job I had (standing in the unheatedest corner of the building waiting to push a button) and the freezing cold seat I had (why was cold air blowing on me the whole time?), the show was great.
They played for about 2 hours, mixing in songs that highlighted the various influences in New Orleans' music. The musicians were tight and played extremely well together. I could have used some accordion or possibly a cow-bell, but they had an upright bass, and I love me some upright bass.The Bad
After the Spinning class and following dinner, I went home and first-things-first, plunked my ass on the couch and petted the cats. Apparently while doing so, the weight of Vinny on my legs combined with having my feet up on the arm rest caused me to hyper-extend my right knee. Yes, I hyper-extended my knee while laying on a couch, petting a cat.
Saturday I went for a run, hoping I would just run it off after a few miles but that did not happen. It didn't get any worse, but it certainly didn't get any better. I had already planned on running the Superbowl spread in miles (12 pt spread = 12 miles) on Sunday morning, but I had to bag that because of the knee. I couldn't put on or take off socks, tie my shoes, lean over or anything without major discomfort.
Damn it! First the shin splints for a week, then the cold for a week, now a freaking hyper-extended knee from laying on the damn couch! The anti-running gods are laughing at me from on high.
What I can say though, is that the core workout from Bicycling magazine has been doing wonders in keeping me positive. It involves some stretching, which seemed to help the leg (how can you stretch out something that's injured due to over-stretching?). I'll probably ease into a run tonight to test the proverbial waters, and reassume my full-blown training regimen if all goes well.The Ugly
The Patriots sucked ass last night. End of story. Congrats to the NY Football Giants, you deserved to win that game.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Monday, October 22, 2007
The Bike and The Route
This picture is just a teaser of what's to come. It's a shot along my favorite running route in the whole world. As you start off what I've named "The Richmond Route" you are treated to these trees lining the side of the road. Further off to the side is a hay field that offers a visual treat I can't even begin to describe with words or over-exposed photographs.
Like My Dad Used to Say
When I was a kid, my dad had a few lessons he tried to teach to my sister and me. One was that it's not "Me and Joey went to the store", it's "Joey and I went to the store". He would correct us every time, and after a few decades of repeated verbalEditor's note: The opening sentence is grammatically correct, check that shit out yourself if you don't believe me. Ending the sentence with 'me' is right. Yahurrrd.
The other lesson my father instilled in his children was not to slurp your cereal. The reason he always gave for this was that if I continued slurping my cereal, I'd never get a girlfriend. Not wanting to be a socially outcast unattached adult, I curbed that one right away. As it turns out, I find that guys who slurp cereal, chew with their mouths open and/or talk with their mouths full end up finding girls who do the same. Who knew?
In retrospect, I think my dad may have had another reason for teaching us not to slurp our cereal. That reason, my friends, is that it might one day kill us.
Thursday morning I was enjoying a bowl of Barbara's Shredded Wheat cereal with dried cranberries on top. Damn, what a tasty, nutritious breakfast. At the end of the bowl, I was drinking down the last remaining milk when I spotted one last cranberry. With a slurp, I directed said cranberry into my mouth, but something didn't feel quite right. When I went to chew the cranberry, it was nowhere to be found; I must have inhaled it.
I've spent the next few days waiting nervously for signs of respiratory infection and/or death. Either my superhuman lungs took care of that morsel for me or I didn't actually inhale it, because I feel fine. In fact, I've set some personal records on some of my favorite running routes since the cranberry incident. Read on, players.
It's Not About the Bike
Saturday was a blah, dreary day o'er here in Newe Englande. There were times when it looked like the weather might turn nice and I took advantage of those times to get off my duff and be productive, but the rest of the time I hung out on the couch reading "It's Not About the Bike", by Lance Armstrong.Let me tell you, this book gets the Old Coot Seal of Approval. Even if you're not into bicycling I think you'll find this book to be a worthwhile read. In it he talks about his battle against cancer, his battle to rejoin the world of elite cycling, and how his life changed as a result of all of it. The guy is absolutely remarkable. I'm not afraid to tell you it had me choked up a few times.
Or, maybe that was the cranberry.
I Blame the Bike
My ass is killing me, and it's the bike's fault. I headed out the front door, or technically the garage door, yesterday morning around 10:00 in the AM. After about an hour and a half of riding, we arrived in Williamstown where we sipped Double Shot Schultzy's (two shots of espresso in a 16 oz. coffee) in the sunshine and watched the pretty Williams College coeds parading around in their college coed warm weather attire. There was also a fisherman carrying a gutted fish.After coffee, we headed east along Rte 2 into North Adams, swung a south onto Rte 8 and headed for the Rail Trail. We rode the Rail Trail for a little while, but it was so crowded we eventually abandoned it for the road.
All told, the ride took just a hair over (or under, I can't remember) 5.5 hrs. That of course includes the hour we sat drinking coffee and the combined hour of me waiting for the others to catch up. I can't help it if I'm that fast on the bike. I'm a finely tuned athlete, what can I say?
According to my bike-ride-o-meter, we covered roughly 55 miles in 3.5 hrs of saddle time. As you might guess, saddle time is bicycling speak for time in the saddle. That of course is more bicycling speak for time with your ass on the seat, riding down the road. That averages to 16 mph which is a decent speed, but if you add in the hour I stood at intersections waiting, it ends up being something like 12 mph.
Just in Case You Care
During one of those brief moments of perfect weather on Saturday, I headed out to Richmond to run my all-time favorite route. I had just run it last Sunday in a time of 1:03:xx, a very respectable time, and have been thinking that there's no reason I can't do it under an hour. My goal was to be able to do that by the end of the season, whenever that might be.As I started getting dressed to run I decided that I was just going to bust my ass and beat that hour goal this time. No more effing around, just whip some ass and do it to it.
I knew if I could hit the last turn in under 56:00 I would be home free. The last half mile is slightly downhill and has a cinematic feel to it, with the farms on either side of the maple-lined dirt road (refer to the very first picture, but heading the other direction). You'd swear there's a camera following you, which makes it easy to give it your best.
End result? Oh, I cruised to a victory in 58:01 (40 seconds per mile off last week's pace); placaTAN! With that under my belt, the new goal is to finish under 50:00.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Get the Whole Story Here...
Monday, September 24, 2007
Weekend Update
Raining on my Parade
The other night (Friday, I believe) I decided it was just plain wrong of me to leave the faucet in my tub dripping. I opened the access panel in the closet behind the tub in search of a shutoff valve, and found none. Why would someone put in a shutoff valve next to a fixture? The genius who plumbed my house had zero foresight. And I know he wasn't a real plumber because the pipe joints are sloppily soldered, the sign of a real novice.
Off I went to the basement in search of the nearest shutoff valve. Unfortunately for me, the plumbing in the basement is a rat's nest of kluged-together plumbing remnants. I'm sure the way they planned the job went something like this:
Cletus: Okay Vern, we have 12' of 1/2" flexible tubing, 8'3" of 3/16" hard copper, 13 elbows, 7 tees, a gallon of solder and a hair dryer. How much you figger we can git done?
Vern: I'd say the whole thing.
And that's how they did it. There are so many pipes running this way and that, that had they planned what they were doing would have been unnecessary. But I'm a little ahead of myself here.
While looking for shutoff valves for the shower, I came across a wet spot on the floor. It wasn't coming in from a wall, the dehumidifier wasn't leaking, and a cursory inspection of the nearby pipes came up negative. I even smelled it, thinking it might be cat pee. Nope, this was water.
Then, a drip landed on my head. I gave the pipes above me a thorough look-see and there was water on my gas line. "Ruh-roh". "Please be condensation, please be condensation." It turned out it was the pipe above the gas line that was leaking; I was mildly relieved. What sucks is that it's not a solder joint, but right smack in the middle of the pipe. I peeled back the asbestos-looking pipe wrap to find a series of small corrosion spots on the pipe. One was leaking and the others looked to be not far behind. I put some emergency leak stopping wrap over the pipe which succeeded only in making it drip further down. Damn!
Since it was late, there was nothing else I could do. Without a trustworthy shutoff valve anywhere in the house, I had to turn off the main line to avoid the inevitable pipe burst in the middle of the night.
Until I get a chance to replace the corroded pipe (and redo the shoddy work the last guy did), I have to plan my water usage so that I can turn the water back on, do what I have to do, and turn it back off again. I do NOT want to come home to a burst pipe!
OH, and while I was inspecting the plumbing, I walked through a spider web and the spider jumped on my head. He may or may not have gnawed on my arm and stomach, but I have a few wicked itchy bites from something.Autumn is Close
The weekend wasn't all leaking pipes and spider bites, it also served as a perfect weekend for bike rides. On Friday I awoke late (recall that I was out on the town until the wee hours of the morning), had breakfast, read a magazine or two in the sunshine, and headed out for a bike ride. My company for this ride had not set ass on a bike in weeks, was undoubtedly tired and hung over from the previous night's debauchery, and had probably not eaten a decent meal all day. Tired, hung over and hungry makes for a bad ride for everyone because you become the weakest link, the person I have to wait for every 1/8th mile.
I try to be forgiving, but at times it's hard. The worst was that when I planned the ride, it was assuming an average speed in the area of 16 MPH. That's slow, but how most group rides go. A 40 mile ride should take about 2.5 hours. However, at 13 MPH with frequent breaks, the ride quickly escalated to nearly 4 hours. I hadn't packed any sandwiches and was getting really hungry and cranky by the end. Lesson learned? Probably not. I prefer company to speed, so the next time I want company I'll probably suffer again.
On the positive side, I did get to take a 4 hour tour of the rolling hills of northern Berkshire county. With the leaves getting ready to change, it was quite the scenic ride.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Friday, September 21, 2007
A Fine Cuppla Days
Good morning Cooterinos! It's Friday, it's my "day off" and I'm sitting here digesting chocolate chip pancakes and sipping freshly brewed coffee. It's been an exciting couple of days: some good, some bad, and some pedestrian. Before I go into any of the details, I'm going to hook you up with a piece of photojournalistic gold...
Pardon the poor image quality, it's a photograph of a newspaper photograph. In the center of the picture you can see your favorite one-time triathlete "El Guapo" running from the kayak to the shore moments before I began the last leg of The Josh - the run. Note the chiseled legs and cool Curious George Astronaut cycling jersey. In the lower left is my Entourage, HECOW, waiting with my running shoes, socks and a towel to dry my dogs.
Post Pre
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift. - PreA friend of mine recently lent me his copy of a book entitled Pre. It's the story of one of the world's best runners of all time, Steve Prefontaine (affectionately called 'Pre') who took the world by storm during the 1960s and 1970s. He could have easily been considered arrogant, but in reality he was just confident. His story is incredible and inspiring.
In Pre's world there were no limits. He went to the Olympics knowing he could never out kick (sprint) the world's best at the end of the race, so he turned up the heat the entire race, forcing his competitors to abandon their race strategy and just hoof it the whole way. He came in 4th that race, but the fact that a young kid from Oregon could make the world's elite runners run his race because they respected his ability is incredible. After all he didn't care who was the fastest, he wanted to see who had the most guts. One of my favorite quotes is:
A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.
After reading about his life and running career, I was inspired to stride to more than mediocrity in my running and bicycling. The night before The Josh I decided on my game plan - to race each leg like it was the only one I was racing. Basically, I wanted to see if I had the guts. From my excitement after the race (in my last post), you can see that I had the guts. I may not have won, but it was certainly a better effort than I thought I was capable of.
Riding with the Big Dogs
After my stellar performance in The Josh, some people at work who constitute what I consider an admirable section of Berkshire County's cycling community realized that I'm not a tourist in their world. I was invited to ride with one of the better cycling clubs on Wednesday night and gladly accepted.My friend (coincidentally the one who lent me Pre) told me beforehand not to be intimidated. Intimidated? As long as I was riding with the "Fast and Friendly" group (as opposed to just "The Fast Group") I had every confidence that I'd be able to keep up, no problem. I had no problems whatsoever. We averaged 20 MPH over 30 miles, often cruising for extended periods at upwards of 27-28 MPH, and I was right there with them.
I now get nods from the cyclists at work.
Guts in the Woods
Last night, at our weekly Thursday Night Run, we were standing around the parking lot bullshitting when one guy asked if we were going to break last year's record. He said last year, the week after The Josh, we (by 'we' I mean he and some other guys) ran the course in 41:55. To put it into perspective, my personal best is probably 45 minutes, maybe high 44s. It later occurred to me how strange it was the he remembered that one run and the time they ran it in.I was definitely up for the challenge. I hadn't eaten much yesterday, had drank about 5 sips of water and 4 cups of coffee, and my legs felt like lead. Work had shat upon us though, so I had anger on my side. We set off at a blistering pace (for the trails anyway) and I was going to beat that record!
Through the first two miles we were right on pace to beat the record, but by the third we had lost a full minute. Apparently dehydration and a lack of proper warm up were coming into play. By the fourth mile we were two minutes behind and we hadn't seen the front runner in quite some time. But at the last hill I got my second wind and was cruising.
I emerged from the trail at 41:15, a course record, but over a minute and a half behind the "winner". In fact, the first three of us out of the woods broke the record. Yup, we're a force to be reckoned with.
Third Thursday
After the run, we headed to the Crowne Plaza for dinner. It was Third Thursday in Pittsfield and North Street was filled with all sorts of things to do. We dined on lobster and gator Jambalaya. $10 for a lobster, you can't turn it down.After dinner, we meandered down to Spice where there were rumors of a Brazilian band. When we got there, they had the front of the restaurant opened up to the street, the band was jamming and people filled the sidewalk and spilled out into the street. People were partying and having a great time, and it was the most eclectic mix of people I could have imagined. I've never seen anything like that in Pittsfield.
We ended up staying there until 12:30 AM dancing, laughing, mingling and having a great time. It was just what the doctor ordered.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Get the Whole Story Here...
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
I'll Claim Success
As many of you have surely noted, but have yet to find time to comment on, the Josh has come and gone. It was not without much fanfare and celebration, and unfortunately I haven't had the time to fill you in on the details.Most Importantly Feature
Before I get into it, what's most important about this competition is that I placed 4th out of about 20 in the Ironman Kayak division. Considering my boat was one of the slowest crafts out there, I am very pleased with my performance.The Racing Heart
The first thing I should mention is that aside from block parties as a kid, this was my first bike race ever. Like most people, I get plenty nervous before any race, and this was no exception. What I found interesting was my body's response to the excitement.
As we lined up at the beginning, I kept an eye on my heart rate monitor (HRM) noting that it was at 90 beats per minute (BPM), about 40 BPM above my normal resting rate. When the guy got on the megaphone to announce that there were 5 minutes remaining until the start, it shot to around 140 in the blink of an eye. Thank you, adrenaline.
What I liked about lining up for that race though, was that I didn't feel outclassed one bit. The way I saw it, I was just as good as everyone else out there. And as they say in the trade, "Trust your training".Wear Your Eye Protection
I always ride with cycling glasses, no matter what time of day. I have an inexpensive pair of glasses that came with three sets of lenses allowing you can change them to suit the time of day. For me, I find that the orange lenses are perfect for all conditions. But that's neither here nor there. Over the course of the summer, I have been hit in the glasses by stones, June Bugs, crud and untold mosquitoes and gnats. Until Sunday I never really appreciated what they did for me...
There I was, riding up and down the hills of southern Berkshire County in a pace line, hugging the center line. Mere feet to my right was another pace line of equal length, roughly 30 cyclists. We were cruising along at a good clip, but I was certain I could go faster. The guy ahead of me kept looking around to the left like he was going to make a break for it, and I down-shifted to get my cadence (pedaling speed) up to be ready to take off with him when he went. He looked once, he looked twice, and on the third look he fired off a snot rocket. The chunky end of his nasal explosion was sent careening off my glasses.
At first I was stunned at what had happened. A guy literally blew his nose in my face, and it bounced off my glasses. I can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like if I hadn't been wearing those glasses. Best case scenario I would have had snot in my eye; worst case I would have been taken off my bike. I plan on writing the company to thank them for their product.Climb Does Pay
After a summer of cursing the hills of Berkshire County, I was happy to have been training in such an unforgiving landscape. With each hill, I was able to easily drop scores of other riders who were less prepared for the climb. Often I would "jump on the wheel" of another good climber and we would end up in a smaller, faster pack. Ultimately we had a group of about 20 cyclists with which I finished out the race (leading them, of course).Three Separate Races
Although this was technically a triathlon, I treated it as three completely independent races. Instead of saving energy for the next event, I just gave 100% to everything and I couldn't have been happier. The funny thing about cycling is that no matter how tired I get during a ride, I always have the energy to mow the lawn, go to the grocery store, do laundry, and so on afterwards. I knew 100% wouldn't leave me too tired for a measly paddle around the lake and a quick 6 mile cool down run.Eyes on the Prize
The paddling portion was pretty uneventful. After an hour and a quarter of speeding along at 20+ MPH in a pack with 60 other guys and gals, paddling a kayak at 4.5 MPH seemed pretty lame.
At first I was right alongside a guy from the Thursday Night Runs (we'll call him Jeff). I wanted to get ahead of Jeff because he's a faster runner than I am, but after the first lap he pulled ahead. After that, I just kept thinking about getting to the end of it so I could get on with the run. Once I reached a mindless state of oblivion, the paddling just flew by and before I knew it I was bearing down on the beach.
From about 200 yards out, I could see HECOW standing on the beach waving his pink hat. I fought for position against a clumsily steered canoe and hit the beach running. HECOW followed me up to a clearing on the hill, handed me my socks and shoes one at a time, offered some words of encouragement and I was off.
The first mile or so I took it easy to find my stride and fight off the cramp in my ribs. Once I felt good, I picked up the pace and one by one picked off other runners. Sure, a few people passed me but I was starting to feel it on the hills. Besides, I still had to catch that Jeff guy.
Every time I thought I spotted his bright orange shirt, I would slowly reel "him" in only to find it was someone else. My goal was to get about 10 yards behind him, match his pace, follow him until the end and dust him at the finish. I must reeled in the wrong person 4 or 5 times only to never actually catch him. Oh well, it gave me a reason to push the pace.
When I passed the boat launch, I knew there was about a mile left until the finish line. I made a visual list of people I was going to beat in that mile and proceeded to reel each one of them in. According to my plan, my last victim was going to be taken out at the last minute in an all out sprint. I didn't want him to have a chance to out sprint me, so I waited for the perfect moment, then POW, I kicked it into overdrive. I passed that guy like he was standing still and by the time I hit the finish line I was running full tilt and had a good 75 yards on him. Poor guy, I almost feel bad for him.
Almost.The End Result
After 38 miles of racing (plus 12 miles for my warm-up ride), I finished feeling like a million bucks. My official time was 3:09:14, an excellent finish for my first time. My goal was to finish in less than three and a half hours, with my stretch goal at three hours even. Under 3:10 was pretty damn good. When I looked at my splits, I was really only one or two (well, I guess three) minutes off my goal for each leg of the race so I have no complaints.
The best part was that even among my regular riding/running crowd nobody expected that I would do so well. When my pack came in on the bike, people told me they were watching the riders come in and someone goes "Holy shit, is that (Old Coot) out front?" Yup, riding with the big dogs. As a matter of fact, one of the big dogs asked me to come ride with them tomorrow. Check!
Maybe next year I'll find myself a paddler and just do the bike and run legs. A good canoeist/kayaker should be able to pound out a killer time, and I'll have the whole summer (hopefully I won't be injured like I was this summer) to whip myself into even better shape. Until then, I have only running races to hold me over.
See y'all at the Fall Foliage Race!Special Thanks
I'd like to give a special thanks to HECOW for being "The Entourage" for me. Not only did he show up early on Sunday morning, but he performed all Entourage duties to perfection and with enthusiasm. And don't think I'm not going to get you to enter the race in one way shape or form next year.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Thursday, September 06, 2007
What I Did During My Summer Vacation
Well, I don't like to admit it but I think the bulk of the summer is behind us. I don't know why I always have feelings of regret at the end of the summer, as if the fun I had wasn't the right kind of fun, but this year is no exception. Like you had to do in elementary school, I'm going to give a brief (or not-so-brief, we'll see) synopsis of what I did during my summer "vacation" so maybe I won't feel like I missed out on anything.Construction Projects
Early this summer, or maybe it was still spring, I started in on some summer projects.Replacement Windows
Tired of the annual ritual of plastic-ing my windows only to have the plastic rip off, blow in or fall victim to the curious claws of a cat, I decided it was high time to replace the OEM windows with something a little more contemporary. Plus, I wanted some of those fancy features you see in movies - opening, closing and staying put. Glass that reaches all four sides of the window sash without cracks or holes is also something I looked for in a quality window. As it turns out, you can order exactly that from your local box store.
Like Dave Matthews says, the first step is hardest of all. That first step was measuring the window openings and placing the order. The fact that all of the windows measured the same (unlike my bedroom windows that were almost all different by just a little) instilled confidence. I sat down with the guy at The Home Despot, placed my order and signed 13 agreements stating that whether the windows fit or not I owned them and they could not be returned. Even though I had thrice measured them, I returned home with tape measure in hand to give them a few more spot checks. Yup, 62" tall and 34" wide.
A few weeks later I got the call (conveniently after I just returned home from HD) that the windows were in, so I cleaned out my car and drove over. The windows fit exactly in the back of my Lesbaru, and I carted them home to unload in the garage.
Over the next few weeks I got all of the old windows removed, new windows installed, and surrounding trim re-cut to fit. A fresh coat of paint (which I have yet to apply) will have them looking better than new.A Big Ole Deck
In the middle of the window project, I also lent two hands, two legs, a strong back and a little know-how to Jeff in the design and construction of his deck. We spent a few weeks of weekends digging holes, framing, decking and building railings. In the end he was the proud owner of a 16x20 deck, which replaced the rotting platform formerly adorning his sliding door.
The previous "deck" was your basic 8x8 platform serving only as relatively safe footing when you stepped out the door. The weathered surface had more splinters than paint and looked only slightly better than a set of pallets strewn on the ground. The new deck features a new gas grill, a patio set and probably some flowers next year. A job well done if I do say so myself!I Went Out with a Real Live Girl
Yeah, believe it folks. AND, it was more than once. AND she was/is pretty. I didn't go public with it in case it didn't work out. Since this is the first you're hearing of it, you can rest assured that it didn't. I won't go into details because it's all history at this point, but let it suffice to say being nice (but not too nice), charming, dashingly handsome, interesting and interested (but not needy) resulted in the standard, tried and true method of ending any relationship no matter the length - The Complete Blowoff.
Ladies (and gentlemen too, I guess), The Complete Blowoff is fine for some situations, but if the person invested a decent amount of time and energy in you, the courteous thing to do is at least send a text message with some reasoning so the other person can learn something. "I can't respect a guy who drives a Lesbaru, beat it" might work. "You're too good for me, I'm going back to my heroin junkie ex-boyfriend" is a good one. Even "Not my type. Best of luck, hoser" would be infinitely more helpful than abrupt silence. I'm not bitter, I'm just saying.
P.S. Those jeans make your ass look fat.
P.P.S. Ha ha, just kidding; there's nothing wrong with the jeans. It's the fat that makes your ass look fat.
P.P.P.S. Seriously I'm kidding. Your ass looks fine. Back to the good stuff.Yardwork Aplenty
I wasn't as active in the yard as I have been in years past, but that's what I get for paying dues all of those years. The trees are already trimmed (or felled), the lawn is already thick and green and the gardens are at least defined.
Don't get me wrong, nobody would ever come to my house and say "WOW, would you just look at that beautiful yard!" Yeah, the lawn is nice but the gardens are pretty shoddy. This past weekend I decided to give up on the front garden and plant grass around the few plants and shrubs I have been able to keep alive, so next year should be even better.
What I did accomplish though is slight but non-trivial. I planted some perennials next to the side door (Beardtongue and some flowery "mounds" to the left and Creeping Juniper to the right) and a few larger plants in the soon-to-be extended lawn area.
In the backyard, I burned up the large year-and-a-half old pile of evergreen branches, the pile of pallets, the box of wood scraps (including the box itself), construction debris and myriad other combustible items. Just this past weekend I got to work burning the remnants of a pine tree I cut down a few years back. It's taken some time, but it's finally dry enough to burn. Let's hope there are no scorpions living in that pile!All Work and No Play...
What would summer vacation be if you didn't play outside? Any time I found myself inside, I would hear my mother's voice of yore asking "What are you doing inside? It's the nicest day of the year." You were right back then and you're right now, mom. I spent as little time in the house as possible.
I'm sure I've bored all of you to death talking about riding my bike, running and kayaking. In reality I didn't do as much running or kayaking as I did last year, but I did a whole bunch of biking. Part of that was due to a hamstring injury, and part of it was due to the great enjoyment I got out of riding my bike. I'll have to check, but I think I've clocked somewhere in the vicinity of 1,200 miles on the bike this summer, and I'll still be riding until the snow flies (and maybe even after that). I wouldn't be surprised to tip the scales at 2,000 miles by summer's end.I Took a Real Vacation
Considering my disdain for any trip longer than a weekend, and further away than Buffalo, it practically required an act of God to get me to take a real vacation. As you all know, that vacation was to Japan to visit my sister. In addition to the whole picking a date, buying plane tickets, planning and re-planning the logistics thing I also had to acquire advanced permission from the US government to re-enter the country. This permission was granted in the form of a long-awaited US Passport. I'd like to thank the terrorists for making this as difficult as possible.
The vacation was everything I could have hoped for and more. I was refreshed, invigorated, cultured and by the end, ready to be home. That my friends, is a what you look for in a vacation. It helped that all I had to do was get to Japan and my sister took care of everything else, including but not limited to: day trip planning, meal selection, telling me what I'm doing wrong, correcting me for walking up to the wrong side of the car and talking to strangers for me.
I won't recap the whole trip here, you'll have to read some of my archived posts to get the full flavor. It was a great way to expand my traveling repertoire to include foreign travel. I've got experience and a Passport on my side now.
So folks, when you put it all on a piece of paper it seems like I did a lot this summer. I didn't mention that I extended the Lenten season and kept the TV off, or that I read several lengthy books, magazines, and a users manual or two. All in all I'd say I had a pretty good summer. I encourage all of you to take a few minutes to reflect on your summer vacation and hopefully yours was pretty damn good too.
Here's to Autumn!
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Parents Weekend
I apologize to all of you who have been sitting at your computers all weekend hitting the refresh button on your favorite web browser, hoping, just hoping to find something new on this here blog. I'm sure there was plenty to share with you, but I was busy entertaining ye olde folkse.Much Ado About Nothing
Okay, I'm going to claim ignorance here and admit that I don't know what "Much ado about nothing" really means, but what I mean is "I did much nothing". I can at least safely say that I know the saying doesn't mean that. If you don't like it, you try coming up with witty headlines day in and day out.
Anyway, aside from the two times my dad fired up the old laptop for some Freecell, it stayed powered down. I have to admit that not checking your e-mail(s), blogging, or browsing in general for a few days is pretty nice. Don't get me wrong, I'm not canceling my DSL any time soon, but it was nice to take a break. I didn't even look at my phone for the whole weekend either (status: no messages).
Instead, we spent the weekend cooking, eating, sunning ourselves in my new lawn chairs, watching my dad pull weeds, making coffee and we threw a campfire in for good measure. I even picked up a few plants (shrubs) at Whitney's Farm, as well as some delicious homemade pies.
I won't get started on the scam that is the autumn shrub sale. Suffice it to say that it excludes every shrub they sell. They even had the sale sign prominently displayed with a plant that it explicitly excluded. It might as well have said "This Plant is Not On Sale". Oops, guess I got started on it.Sunday Driving a La Bike
Actually, it was all weekend except Sunday but I went for a couple of nice bike rides. The first was Saturday morning with a guy from my running/riding crew. He had just done some mega ride last weekend up in the Adirondack's, so he whined the whole time. Meanwhile, I'm in prime hill climbing shape so I barely even noticed the hills.
The ride was slated for 30 miles over to NY and back. After 20 miles I was about warmed up and raring to go. He was tired and ready to be home. Somehow I talked him into taking the long cut back under the guise of avoiding the mountain on Rte 20. It would add about 10 miles and in reality, any way we went there was a mountain between us and home. Instead of taking Rte 20 we swung a north and went up Rte 22, then back over 43 past Brody Mountain. In the end it was a nice easy-paced 40-miler.
I got my first glimpse of the new windmill on Brody Mtn (or Jiminy Peak, wherever it is) that morning. It is truly awesome! Hopefully I can get back out there to get some pictures for y'all so you can appreciate it's splendorousness. I don't know what the naysayers are complaining about, I think it looks wicked cool up on the mountain, rotating ever so slowly.
After my folks left on Monday, I fired ye olde internette machine and saw that there would be a bike ride in 45 minutes. That was it, I cleared my schedule (of planting bushes), changed my clothes and hauled ass to the meeting spot. If I had a spot to put my camera I would have brought it, because we'd be going right past the windmill again. Damn, another perfect day for photographasizing windmilles and I couldn't bring my camera.
In short, yesterday's ride was also awesome. Not only was the weather perfect but my mood was also perfect. I finished up and felt like a million bucks. A quick change of clothes and I set to work planting my new bushes. They look like a million bucks too; ahh, a perfect day.Bathroom Matters
Every time my family gets together, a toilet gets clogged. Usually we can blame my sister, but this time she wouldn't be there. In preparation for the visit, I had been giving the toilet extra flushes every day, trying to keep it limber. The toilet had also been doing calisthenics of its own, in the shape of a leaky valve that kept it running every few seconds. I was NOT about to touch that before having company (since I only have one bathroom), but now I have to get to it. I'll keep y'all posted. Between that and the leaky tub I almost feel guilty with the water I'm wasting.
Almost.
Well, that's the news from here. I'll holler at y'all later.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Friday, August 31, 2007
The New Look
I was reading a guy's blog today about bike mount kits for the GPS watch I have, when I noticed he has a really cool looking setup. What I liked most was the picture at the top, so I stole his idea and added one to mine.Panoramic Mountain View
The picture at the top of the blog is one that I took my own very own self. It's actually a panoramic shot consisting of about 8 pictures that I took while in Japan. It's the first panoramic picture I've ever taken that came out halfway decent. In fact, at full size there's only one seam that I can see so I'm pretty happy with it.
Other than that this post is primarily to point that out.Bonus Material
Since my parents are coming to visit tomorrow, I'm going to forgo any last minute cleaning and go for a last minute bike ride. I've made a number of assumptions about when they're going to get here, and I think I have time if I leave early enough.
I sent out the invite to my normal biking/running crew, but it's looking like I might be peddling alone. It's a route I've done (alone) before, so I'm not really concerned. In fact, if anyone else is going to show up it might be more of a hassle than just going by myself. Hmm, sounding like a hermit?
Okay, I have other things to write about, but I'll have to get to those another time. Right now I have to get to bed so I can be out on the road by 8:00 tomorrow morning. Later, players.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
My Endieseling is Coming Along Nicely
"What did you do yesterday, Old Coot?" I kicked ass and took names.How's My Dust Taste?
Last night was the final Live on the Lake at Burbank Park, and the final running of the Live on the Lake Race Series (AKA Dave's Races). For me, it was opening night because I haven't been able to make it to any of them. As expected I showed up too close to the start for a proper warm up, and since I haven't been doing much running this summer I figured that would handicap me. I did have to run a little to get there on time, and I figured that was good for something.
As I scanned the field, I made note of the racer demographics. There was me (M20-29), a few dozen high school girls (F14-19), and a dozen other people who were not in my age group (M30-39, M40-49, M50-59, F30-39, F50-59, you get the point). My goal, besides not tearing a hamstring, was to not get beat by a little girl. You may say "Old Coot, what little girl would beat you?" to which I say "A whole mess of them." One in particular kicked my ass at the 4th of July race, but she's a superstar around these parts so I didn't let it get to me.
After we lined up and the race director (Dave) said a few words thanking everyone for showing up, thanking the sponsors and the volunteers, we were off. The fast guy (who shall be called The Fast Guy for the purpose of this post) immediately pulled out ahead, with me in 2nd place. Like an idiot, I looked at him and thought "The Fast Guy is going to beat you, but he's not pulling away too quickly. If you can limit how fast he pulls away you might be able to maintain your spot in 2nd place. Let him pace you and you'll do great."
Well, half a mile into it I hit the main road and the hot sun. Shortly after that, I dropped to 3rd place. After the first mile marker, another guy pulled up behind me, shot some shit, exchanged pleasantries, and left me in his dust. I decided to keep him in my sights while keeping the group behind me in their place, behind me.
The whole time I'm watching my heart rate monitor and thinking "There's no way I'll keep up this pace. My heart rate is up in the 95% of Max range, I'll never make it." Thank God the devil on my shoulder told me to "Shut up, quit whining and run faster. It's only 3.7 miles, why are you such a baby?" I just kept pushing, keeping my heart rate high with no signs of slowing.
Wouldn't you know that with half a mile to go I heard the footsteps of 5th place closing in on me (ironically, Dave). He passed me with a few hundred yards to go, much to my chagrin. As soon as the finish line appeared on the horizon I decided there was no way I was letting this guy beat me in the last minute and I put the pedal to the metal.
The people at the finish line were yelling "Go Dave, you got him" , alternating with "Yeah 'Old Coot' (they actually used my real name), don't let him beat you". From the depths of my soul I pulled out enough energy to pass him and reclaim 4th place. Post race analysis showed that we hit over 16 mph in that last sprint!
Then I almost threw up.
Once the results were posted I saw that I finished in 25:34, 34 seconds behind my personal record but about 26 seconds better than my goal. Average pace: 6:55/mile. After a summer of hamstring trouble, no speed work, limited running and only one race I'm almost where I was this time last year.
Ninja Status - check!Oops, I Scuffed the Floor
After the race, I hung out at Live on the Lake to eat pizza and hear Sirsy play. I think they're a perennial favorite, and they put on a really good show. Afterwards I headed home full of Dominos pizza and water and set up the bike on the rollers to crank out a few miles, under the guise of working on my balance.
It was immediately evident that my balance and technique had improved from my initial voyage on the rollers. I was able to maintain a fairly straight "line", didn't have to lean on the doorway, and was pretty aware of my position within the width of the rollers. That's when the sweat started dripping.
I had a box fan blowing on me to help keep me cool, but eventually I started getting sweaty and as the first drops burned my eyes I decided I was going to have to let go for a second to wipe my brow. I slowly moved my hand from the handlebars to my forehead, wiped the left side and while reaching for the right eyebrow the bike started to shift around a little. I gave it a quick wipe and started reaching for the handlebars. The sudden movement upset my delicate equilibrium and sent me swerving. As I oscillated out of control my left elbow slammed into the doorway en-numbening my left hand, and I quickly sped off the other side of the rollers.
As expected, the tires spun out on the floor and I did not accelerate across the hallway. I waited for the feeling to come back to my hand, wiped my forehead real good, got back on and continued riding. Afterwards, I noticed a nice scuff on the floor from the tire. I was going to clean it up, but I'll leave it there as a war wound for now.
In case you were wondering, my elbow has a mark on it, but the bruising is minimal. I'll live.Autumn Approaches
As the nights get longer and the days get shorter, a young man's thoughts turn to "How much longer can we run trails on Thursday Night?" I love the trail we take, and even though it's the same route week after week I never tire of it. When we have to move back onto the roads it's like summer camp ending. It's also like giving up and letting fall beat you. I know that no amount of willpower will keep the seasons from changing, but it still feels like quitting.
Of course, it also means we get to run the horrible, horrible route around Pontoosuc Lake for the winter. It's full of hills, cold lake wind, snow, traffic and suffering - but it hurts so good.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Monday, August 27, 2007
I Found My Calling
There have been a number of times in my life where people told me that I may have missed my calling. The more I dislike working in an office, and the more I like not working in an office, the more I'm starting to believe those people. Here are a few of those stories...Maybe Engineering School Isn't for You
Picture this... The year was 1996, Wu Tang Clan's Enter the 36 Chambers is blasting in every car, truck and high school party. People finally stopped wearing Cross Colors gear, and yours truly is a bright, wild-haired high school senior askeered of going off to college when he finally found people who understand him (read, he doesn't go to school in the projects anymore). It's the night of the Senior Dinner, where open mic draws student after student to the front, and empties tear ducts in a late night smörgåsbord of shared memories.
Well, that's how it's supposed to go. Aside from one or two people taking advantage of unscripted access to a microphone, the party is dying. My spider sense started tingling when it looked like they were going to wrap things up. "Fuck that shit!" my inner guidance counselor hollered, and I approached the mic with no story to tell whatsoever. Instead of standing there hemming and hawing, I did what any desperate kid could do; I filibustered. The way I saw it, if I kept talking long enough someone would remember something they wanted to tell.
I made up a story that must have taken 20 minutes to tell. I had students, teachers, parents, school officials in tears. Apparently it was wicked funny. One parent asked his son (one of my classmates) if I was in the special class. "Nope, he's going to school for engineering. He's actually pretty smart." he advised his dad. "Oh, that's too bad" his dad responded.
Then the next day I was making good on my debts to the school library (damn microfiche machine costing $0.15 per copy) when the librarian asked if I was sure I should be getting into engineering. I didn't quite understand and she suggested maybe I get into a field that utilizes the other side of my brain. I thanked her for what I took for a compliment (I'm sure it was) but that mess doesn't pay the bills and like any kid entering engineering school I thought an engineering degree would help me get my cake up.
Kids, listen up. Engineering doesn't make you wealthy!I Don't Ride, but I Look Forward to Your Ride Reports
Friends, I have this crew that I play with most days of the week. It all started as running, then they talked me into all sorts of activities. If you thought peer pressure was a motherfucker, you should see what 40-something running moms can do. No, not that. A good looking single guy like me can be convinced to do almost anything with a few well delivered compliments. But, that's neither here nor there.
After our rides/runs I like to provide everyone with a quick write up of whatever we did. Most people think "Yeah, we ran around on the trails. It was fun." but if you take the little things and make them sound good, you can turn a garden variety stroll through the woods sound like something J.R. Tolkien dreamt up. So that's my contribution to the world, and one of the guys I run with loves to mention that I may have missed my calling. "I'm sure you're a good engineer, but those write-ups are awesome. I don't even go on the rides with you guys but you make them sound great. Do you do any other writing?" Of course, I have to beat around that bush because that world doesn't know about my blog world. "Yeah, I write little things here and there" I told him.
"Is it raining out?" I say, quickly changing the subject.Moral of the Story
The moral of this lengthy monologue is that I think I may have missed my calling. What's unfortunate is that I've grown accustomed to the lifestyle engineering has afforded me, and I can't just up and leave for a life of running and biking, and evenings of write ups. With this in mind, I've decided that I need either sponsorship or a sugar mama. If there are any hot, wealthy 20-something chicks out there who are looking for an industrious guy to keep at home, I am your man.
As a kept man I promise to work here and there in jobs requiring as little responsibility as possible. Jobs where I can take off when the weather's nice to play; where bullshitting with people is in the job description. Hell, I'll even pick up my own socks off the floor now and then. For now, I'll offer my kept man services even if you're only looking to support some jobless loser to spite your ex-boyfriend/parents/priest.
As far as jobless losers go, I can be a winner. There lies my calling.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
C.R.E.A.M. Get the Money
In case you haven't heard, we're going to be getting a new set of C-Notes up in this piece. The best part is that the paper used for printing our American dolla dolla bills, y'all is made right here in Western MA. We know how to stack that paypa', ya hurrrd.Lyrics You'll Be Hearing
As you may have noticed, rappers like talking about money. They like to take money right from their hoes and "make it rain" all over strippers. Just giving money back to the people, I say. What's best, is when they came out with the last round of $100 bills, you heard rappers distinguishing between Small- and Big-Faced Hundreds.
Before rappers start coining new phrases, I thought I'd get mine out there and copyright that shit. So here are some lyrics they'll be using, while simultaneously infringing on my copyrights...I was droppin' solid classics before hundreds was holographic©
My tongue spit hot classics before hundreds was holographic©
My lungs kicked hot classics before hundreds was holographic©
Mary had that little lamb, whose fur was white as snow.
and I was stackin holograms, while you's dividin' blow.©
Don't front! You know those are the hottest lyrics you haven't even heard yet. If Kanye can rhyme "More chips than Pentium" with "Strippas named Cinnamon" and "Whatever new trend it is" then I can use "Mary had a little lamb" as one of my 16 bars.My Bike Game is Tight
I know you guys want to stay as updated on my Josh training as possible, so I'll let you in on my progress. Yesterday I went out for a cruise of the Josh course with a few of my homies. Not only did I wipe the course with those guys but I went home and pumped out another 20 minutes on the trainer, honing my bike handling skills and sweating out another quart of Coot Juice&trade .
Tonight, being a warm night, I'll be out on the lake working on my kayak game and further enchiseling1 my already chiseled obliques. Okay, well maybe they aren't chiseled but you can imagine if they were. I may even work a few miles of running into the mix, keeping my run game tight as well.
God I can't wait for this race to be over.Bottled at the Source: Pittsfield, MA
I assume it's primarily in the Northeast that we have Aquafina Water that was bottled in Latham, NY (municipal water supply), but the word on the street is that a bottling company just bought property in Pittsfield possibly for a similar use. All of you people 'round these parts who buy bottled water because the city water is "so polluted with PCBs" (which it isn't) may soon find yourselves drinking bottled water from the same supply as your tap. Read your labels more closely, folks.
And if you think bottled water is so much better, I'll cut you a deal on Coot Sweat&trade, "Fine Water, Tapped from the Berkshire Mountains©". A deal at only $2.25 for a 24 oz bottle.
1I'd like to give credit to Miss Maven for the term "enchiseling", as I got the prefix "en" from her (months and months ago). You can use it in front of most verbs for enhanced effectiveness. I didn't want to encroach on her copyrights.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Double Hump Day
This whole week my mind has been one day ahead of the calendar. Added to that is the fact that this is a long week for us at work, so it feels like I have to work 6 days instead of 5. I don't even like working 1 day, but you can only get paid for not working for so long. I might have to take a few hours off tomorrow, especially if it's nice out.Autumn Already?
Yesterday I decided that no matter how bad I felt about it, I was going to take a rest day. That doesn't mean sitting on the couch eating tubs of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, it means no running or biking.
Conveniently I had overdone it on the bike four days in a row so my body was screaming for a break. Not literally, but I was starting to get run down. I took full advantage of this to tackle a few chores around the house that needed tackling. Light chores like mowing the lawn and folding laundry, but chores nonetheless.
As I raced to finish mowing before it got too dark, I realized that it wasn't even 8:00 yet. WTF! It's August dammit, shouldn't it be light out later still? My bike rides on Monday and Tuesday ended up a little scary as it got dark before we got back, which means only one thing: I need more equipment so I can still ride. It's not so dark that I can't see, it's just dark enough that cars might not see me. I have some reflective stuff and blinky stuff, but you can't be too visible on a bike.I'm Heading Across the Country
A friend of mine just pointed out this site to me. I signed up and if I can remember to enter all of my miles (as if the two other logs I use aren't enough) I'll be able to track my progress across this great country of ours. As a matter of fact, I'm putting together a team of people I run/bike with so we can do it together. If it all goes well, I'll keep y'all posted on our progress.
DR, if you're reading this, I'm sending all of my best Top Choice, Grade A, #1, Premium Cut vibes your way. If you aren't reading this, I'm still sending them your way.
Over and Out,
Old Coot
