Friday, August 29, 2008

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, "My friend is dead! What can I do?". The operator says "Calm down. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says "OK, now what?


is it ok to admire another mans calfs?

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Good People

Decided to go for a little ride today out to the base partly to get some miles in and partly to check out the new “shop” out there that I hadnt seen since weeks before its opening. I took off around 2 or 3 not sure of the exact time but that’s not really important. I have no computer on my bike but sometimes that’s a good thing… like when you don’t want to have to tell anybody that you only averaged 16mph, which of course is no problem at all when you’re going by yourself. So I rode up the mountain, past the crossroads, and into the first entrance of the base, with a monster headwind. There was no way around it, it was directly in my face the entire time. I felt ok, but like I said, im not sure how fast I was really going.

Then I get to Trailhead Bikes… I can’t possibly sum this place up in a couple of words so I’ll sum that place up in another post. After 10 minutes or so there, I headed home still feeling pretty good and anxious to get my much deserved tail wind for a speedy ride home. So I’m cruising down the road and leave again through the first entrance when I see the one and only… DA. He yells something like “tailwind… must be nice” It was. And this next decision haunts me… I turn around to ride with him… adding atleast 10 more miles into the wind. We ride to 94 and then to 41. At this point with 20 miles left to Marquette I’m feeling pretty gassed but I push on, theres not much else you can do when you’re riding with someone else.

Anyways we are cruising down 41 and I’m feeling especially slow… even for me. So I look down and see that I’ve got a flat, with no stuff DA threw me his (he’s good people), but in a time crunch had to take off. Ok cool so now I could take my change my tube and take my time on the way back. While I was changing the tire a cop pulls up and asks me if I’ve got everything (again good people), telling me hes a fellow rider. As I change my flat he tells me how his wife, who doesn’t ride, won a bike but it’s a 40lb downhill bike and wants to know what to do with it, swap frames, maybe a shop will take it for money, sell it on ebay… not much criminal activity happening in marquette I guess these days.

I get on my way but am feeling really slow and pathetic. I look down, the tire is fine and realize its just me. The last 10 miles (mostly downhill) took me close to an hour. I bonked, nothing more to it, simply didn’t have the groceries to finish the ride. PATHETIC!! If a nice old lady on a beach cruiser was coming by she would have passed me. As soon as I get back I chug an ensure shake and head to hardees (in my car of course) for more food. You know how you get the drink first and then a the food? I was so in need of sugar I chugged my coke and got a refill before my food even got to me. Then I took a 3 hour nap. Ahh the things we do to ourselves.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

ya

my patheticness amazes even me sometimes.

Monday, August 4, 2008

ah yes back to the bicycle

Friday I'll be flying back to Chicago and getting there around midnight. Samir's going to be picking me up... lucky guy. There are races both days this weekend and next so I've decided to waste my money a few times. I'll be racing Glencoe on Sunday and Downers grove the next weekend. I don't expect to last more than maybe 5 or 10 minutes... but its the effort that counts right? So now we know I won't last long, there has to be another reason for humiliating myself... ah yes the motivation (and humiliation) to get me training again. I haven't felt this pathetic about my shape in a few years. Technically the race is 50 minutes +2 laps... we'll see. I could just get a group ride in that day for free but thats a lot earlier in the day and I have to listen to a bunch of old rich guys whine about how their porche is in the shop for the weekend and they have to drive their BMW instead.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Maggie's Buns

Finally had time to get a good ride in this morning. About 30 showed up. The route started off about 15 miles of flat until we hit some hills in forest grove. For not riding much this summer I felt pretty good. We played around in the hills for the next 20 miles or so until we got to Maggie's Buns. I've never seen such a cool little shop. Most places have discounts for Senior citizens, maybe discounts for veterans, this place has discounts for bikers, and it really draws them in. We arrived about 5 minutes after another club so the place was packed. i was pretty hungry, got a bagel and cream cheese and a huge m&m brownie... with discount $2.97. Oh yeah and everyone that worked there (other than maggie) was a girl 18-25. Oh yea one more plus, the shop was 200 yards from the optometry school. Made it back with no problems and with travel to and from the ride ended with about 65 miles. Probably will be my last good ride in Portland but I may be able to slip something in on wednesday or thursday. Then I'll be flying home on Friday.