In Spokane all day were I wimped out and left the Pocket Rocket at SEATAC. Just returning from working out (er um in) at the Downtown YMCA the temp. on the local bank across from the Pita Pit was indicating 21F with a wind chill at 16F. I basically had the fitness room, weight room, and gymnasium all to myself (which was good since I didn't embarrass myself in front of anybody with my anemic 46% free throw average).
Where was everybody you might ask? Out-frigging-side running & cycling along the Centennial Trail like it was a summer day. Walking to lunch at the Ultimate Bagel next to GU, I kid you not, I saw a John Belushi look-alike walking around in his shorts, a short sleeved T, and flip-flops. Now were he the norm instead of the exception I'd feel like I was on another planet - but I still admire these folks around here, they are tough!
Emde is probably doing a double century tomorrow, and will be done before noon.
Fortunately I'm off to Miami tonight where the overnight low will be 68F and all the snowbirds will be complaining about the cold weather there - team ride starts at 1PM.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
3 Hundred Days
... is all the time I have left to get my ass prepared for my epic bike adventure next year Summit the Sun - Climb for Kids - yikes! (better get off the computer and out the...
Monday, November 26, 2007
Toughest training ride ever
We are all looking for the secret formula for turning our precious time into what ultimately will get us to the finish line the fastest on any particular day. If you're like me you have invested a lot in time, energy and materials to do just that.
I have steel frames, aluminum frames, and carbon framed bikes (if I could find a use for a bamboo frame I'd have that too). I have carbon and titanium parts & components and probably looking at adding something ceramic to that list. My wheels range from regular Mavic Open Pro & Ksyriums, to Nimble Crosswinds, to HED Deep Dish and Disk, to Lew Sydney's depending on the race and conditions. I've got a couple of road bikes, a mountain bike, some TT/Triathlon bikes, a single speed, an old touring bike, and a folding travel bike. And more crap that goes with everything listed above; all of it designed to get me trained & racing as best I can go. And although I might look good and feel good about all the acquired stuff, none of it has a worth if my fitness isn't up to snuff to utilize it properly.
A few years back I observed a rider in San Diego who was creeping along the Coast Highway heading south as I was going north. About 45 minutes later I turned around and about an hour after that (or so) I caught up to and passed the guy I'd seen previously. Noticing that he was a pretty fit looking guy on a really nice Italian frame (a Colnogo, Masi, Panini, Gnocchi, whatever) with immaculate old Campy - I had to know what the hell this guy was up to. So I slowed and let him finally catch up with me and I introduced myself. I explained that it seemed as if he was going painfully slow for what the norm should be given the continual parade of cyclists that ride/train on that particular roadway, what's up?
He explained patiently in heavily Italian accented English that "you Americans train too hard on your EZ days & go too EZ on your hard days. Today is my long EZ day, and I'm taking it EZ." He explained that he was a retired Continental Pro - not a name that I'd know (or remember) - and was following the training program almost everyone in Europe knows about, but not well known or followed in North America.
This program is currently similarly parroted by Dr. Allen Lim, who, among others, advised (still advises?) Floyd Landis during his buildup for Grand Tour racing and how to work with power.
The basic tenant being that the majority of your training should be pretty easy - maybe 80%, with approx 15% as moderately hard (steady state intervals and such, still aerobic), with the remaining 5% at balls to the wall anaerobic effort. Forget about all the complicated zone crap (Z1, Z2, Zone Diet, Red Zone - hey I never even knew that I was within the opponents 20 yard line most of the time!); zone out! Simplify and focus on effort (power), and how it relates with your body's reaction to that effort (heart rate, which lags power) and finally what your PE (perceived exertion) to that effort is.
With the main focus of the majority of your training being at an EZ effort you should really dedicate yourself to that EZ effort. This probably means riding solo or in a small group of similarly trained riders with the same objective. Forget the group rides that turn into mini races with city line sprints, hilltop surges, and other group ego antics.
Resist the urge to stomp up the small rollers or hills or re-pass the paceline of club riders that just went by. You should be riding so consistently slow that the Mom w/trailer full of kids passes you by. That the girl with the tassels on the end of her handlebars & her brother with the cards in his spokes passes you by. That the grandma with the dog in her flower basket passes you. That the surfer dude on the beach cruiser w/flip flops passes quickly. That the deadlocked guy with the multicolored knit skullcap and funny smelling stogie leaves you in his wake. That the old guy on the stationary trainer in the window in the fitness club drops your ass like you're standing still. And the big black guy riding the fat tire bike wearing the Chargers jersey with the number 21 leaves you in his dust (who knew how the latest member of the 10,000 yard club warmed up prior to home games?).
As the fitness improves and the body adapts and your pedal stroke smooths out and you become more efficient - the resultant speed at EZ level will slowly pick up (but will never be fast), but trust me - initially it will feel embarrassingly slow (probably so much so that you'll be tempted to wear a generic jersey rather than your team kit). Embrace the EZ rides as the new you, it's a tough transition, but you'll be a much better rider for it.
I share this info. because I know that 99% of you guys won't/can't do it. You'll ignore RIP and Dr. Lim's advice because you've gotta keep up with your teamies on the weekend rides. That you'll feel inferior if you don't keep up with the gang or ashamed to get passed by the homeless guy on the heavy steel trash bike hauling plastic bottles & aluminum cans. Or even if you plan on going slow - the reality is you don't have the discipline to follow and stick to it. You may start off slow, but by mid-ride you'll be back at your normal junk pace. You'll end up training too hard, getting in junk miles, and too much middle to high end and wonder where you're fitness base has gone to, and why you're sick or injured, stuck in a rut, suddenly burnt out and tired of even looking at your bike - keep it up.
I would like to mention a special thanks to Bike Wear World for handing up bottles of sport drink at the top of Torry Pines hill on Sunday, very much appreciated.
With minimal stations on my training routes this weekend the lowest observed gas price in San Diego area Sunday was at the Mobile station in Lucadia on the Coast Hwy @ $3.30/gallon (verses $3.59 in La Jolla). Phoenix area today - another Mobile station in Scottsdale on Indian School Rd - $2.99/gallon.
I have steel frames, aluminum frames, and carbon framed bikes (if I could find a use for a bamboo frame I'd have that too). I have carbon and titanium parts & components and probably looking at adding something ceramic to that list. My wheels range from regular Mavic Open Pro & Ksyriums, to Nimble Crosswinds, to HED Deep Dish and Disk, to Lew Sydney's depending on the race and conditions. I've got a couple of road bikes, a mountain bike, some TT/Triathlon bikes, a single speed, an old touring bike, and a folding travel bike. And more crap that goes with everything listed above; all of it designed to get me trained & racing as best I can go. And although I might look good and feel good about all the acquired stuff, none of it has a worth if my fitness isn't up to snuff to utilize it properly.
A few years back I observed a rider in San Diego who was creeping along the Coast Highway heading south as I was going north. About 45 minutes later I turned around and about an hour after that (or so) I caught up to and passed the guy I'd seen previously. Noticing that he was a pretty fit looking guy on a really nice Italian frame (a Colnogo, Masi, Panini, Gnocchi, whatever) with immaculate old Campy - I had to know what the hell this guy was up to. So I slowed and let him finally catch up with me and I introduced myself. I explained that it seemed as if he was going painfully slow for what the norm should be given the continual parade of cyclists that ride/train on that particular roadway, what's up?
He explained patiently in heavily Italian accented English that "you Americans train too hard on your EZ days & go too EZ on your hard days. Today is my long EZ day, and I'm taking it EZ." He explained that he was a retired Continental Pro - not a name that I'd know (or remember) - and was following the training program almost everyone in Europe knows about, but not well known or followed in North America.
This program is currently similarly parroted by Dr. Allen Lim, who, among others, advised (still advises?) Floyd Landis during his buildup for Grand Tour racing and how to work with power.
The basic tenant being that the majority of your training should be pretty easy - maybe 80%, with approx 15% as moderately hard (steady state intervals and such, still aerobic), with the remaining 5% at balls to the wall anaerobic effort. Forget about all the complicated zone crap (Z1, Z2, Zone Diet, Red Zone - hey I never even knew that I was within the opponents 20 yard line most of the time!); zone out! Simplify and focus on effort (power), and how it relates with your body's reaction to that effort (heart rate, which lags power) and finally what your PE (perceived exertion) to that effort is.
With the main focus of the majority of your training being at an EZ effort you should really dedicate yourself to that EZ effort. This probably means riding solo or in a small group of similarly trained riders with the same objective. Forget the group rides that turn into mini races with city line sprints, hilltop surges, and other group ego antics.
Resist the urge to stomp up the small rollers or hills or re-pass the paceline of club riders that just went by. You should be riding so consistently slow that the Mom w/trailer full of kids passes you by. That the girl with the tassels on the end of her handlebars & her brother with the cards in his spokes passes you by. That the grandma with the dog in her flower basket passes you. That the surfer dude on the beach cruiser w/flip flops passes quickly. That the deadlocked guy with the multicolored knit skullcap and funny smelling stogie leaves you in his wake. That the old guy on the stationary trainer in the window in the fitness club drops your ass like you're standing still. And the big black guy riding the fat tire bike wearing the Chargers jersey with the number 21 leaves you in his dust (who knew how the latest member of the 10,000 yard club warmed up prior to home games?).
As the fitness improves and the body adapts and your pedal stroke smooths out and you become more efficient - the resultant speed at EZ level will slowly pick up (but will never be fast), but trust me - initially it will feel embarrassingly slow (probably so much so that you'll be tempted to wear a generic jersey rather than your team kit). Embrace the EZ rides as the new you, it's a tough transition, but you'll be a much better rider for it.
I share this info. because I know that 99% of you guys won't/can't do it. You'll ignore RIP and Dr. Lim's advice because you've gotta keep up with your teamies on the weekend rides. That you'll feel inferior if you don't keep up with the gang or ashamed to get passed by the homeless guy on the heavy steel trash bike hauling plastic bottles & aluminum cans. Or even if you plan on going slow - the reality is you don't have the discipline to follow and stick to it. You may start off slow, but by mid-ride you'll be back at your normal junk pace. You'll end up training too hard, getting in junk miles, and too much middle to high end and wonder where you're fitness base has gone to, and why you're sick or injured, stuck in a rut, suddenly burnt out and tired of even looking at your bike - keep it up.
I would like to mention a special thanks to Bike Wear World for handing up bottles of sport drink at the top of Torry Pines hill on Sunday, very much appreciated.
With minimal stations on my training routes this weekend the lowest observed gas price in San Diego area Sunday was at the Mobile station in Lucadia on the Coast Hwy @ $3.30/gallon (verses $3.59 in La Jolla). Phoenix area today - another Mobile station in Scottsdale on Indian School Rd - $2.99/gallon.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Double Dallas
In my travels with my Pocket Rocket I get to see many cities across our nation. Most have very similar street names - Main street, Presidents (Washington, Taft, Cleveland, etc.), numbers (1st, 3rd, 27th, etc.), Cities & States (Massachusetts, Oakland, Cleveland, etc.), and trees seem to have a special affinity to city planners (Pine, Maple, Cleveland, etc.) - but Dallas, while they may have those, has some added spice with names from former Cowboy greats. Located actually in Irving right next to the Cowboys Training Facility are such street names as Landry Ct, Waters Dr, Dorsett Dr, Renfro Ct, Staubach Dr, etc. Missing was one name that I'd think was synonymous with the Cowboys - Bob Hayes, though perhaps he's got the nearby shooting range named after him. Also would've been fitting if they would've had Dandy Don's tavern located on Meridith Ct, alas it's not the case.
Cheers "Sighted dime, grabbed same" - in fact picked up 65 cents in my two days in Dallas while waiting for the lights to change (waiting for change picked up some change), and I didn't even stop at very many intersections. If I can keep this up, my kids college fund is going to be very secure.
Jeers Broken glass festival along our nations roadways & bike paths has got to be curbed. You and I witness it everyday and our tires/tubes suffer as a result. I personally saw a passenger in a p/u truck (red Dodge Ram) spike a bottle as he drove down the road yesterday. Never got a chance to confront the jerk (probably just as well), but WTF?
Cheers To the folks a Green Gear for envisioning such an affordable and reliable folding travel bike to allow me to escape the confines of the hotel environment & explore the offerings of some of the best of what America has to offer.
Jeers To the ignorant dog owner who let his dog run free, only to have the dogs natural chase instinct kick in when a passing cyclist catches their fancy. You can truly tell you are not their master when they totally ignore your commands to stop and continue their mad chase - in this case for blocks on end. I can only hope Fido didn't ruin somebody else's day when he ran out into traffic & found a nice home by now where someone will actually look out after his wellfare; or that you found your mutt, learned your lesson, and put a leash on him.
Cheers To the humble Texas State Champion Cedar Elm Tree along the Champion trail adjacent to the Elm River (do they have all their bases covered here?). Don't know the specifics of the Championship designation (age, size, personality, swimsuit...). Maybe next time I'll make it to the tree playoffs and watch the competition?
Jeers To the driver of the black Tahoe entering the parking lot at White Rock Lake for running the stop sign and yelling at me for being in his way on the bike path. Great example to set for your young daughter - whose bike w/training wheels was on the back rack.
Cheers To good fall weather and even better tailwind on ride back to hotel while running a tad tardy.
Jeers To all the runners on shared White Rock Lake trail who forget the word "shared". Now I'll slow appropriately for trail congestion when it's necessary - but don't be so oblivious & selfish so as to lollygag right smack dab in the middle of the trail when everyone's trying to get around you - have some presence of mind as to what you're doing, where you're doing it, and how it might affect others.
Cheers To Polar for providing a reliable training tool for when I can't ride with my PowerTap so I can pace myself on some intervals (Friday) as well those long EZ rides (Saturday). Having consistent 36 minute laps around WRL would've been a lot more difficult and would've blown my training objective for the day.
Jeers To those idiots who take it upon themselves to vandalize the public port-a-johns. What pleasure can you possibly get from trashing such a needed facility. I have faith that karma will catch up with them. I hope I'm a better parent to raise my kids to have more respect for our fellow citizens.
Cheers To the Tennis Center folks who allow the needy public to utilize their clean & sanitary facilities when time was getting desperate.
NEW service - lowest observed gas price $2.89/gallon at Vallero on Beltline Rd & Rochelle.
Cheers "Sighted dime, grabbed same" - in fact picked up 65 cents in my two days in Dallas while waiting for the lights to change (waiting for change picked up some change), and I didn't even stop at very many intersections. If I can keep this up, my kids college fund is going to be very secure.
Jeers Broken glass festival along our nations roadways & bike paths has got to be curbed. You and I witness it everyday and our tires/tubes suffer as a result. I personally saw a passenger in a p/u truck (red Dodge Ram) spike a bottle as he drove down the road yesterday. Never got a chance to confront the jerk (probably just as well), but WTF?
Cheers To the folks a Green Gear for envisioning such an affordable and reliable folding travel bike to allow me to escape the confines of the hotel environment & explore the offerings of some of the best of what America has to offer.
Jeers To the ignorant dog owner who let his dog run free, only to have the dogs natural chase instinct kick in when a passing cyclist catches their fancy. You can truly tell you are not their master when they totally ignore your commands to stop and continue their mad chase - in this case for blocks on end. I can only hope Fido didn't ruin somebody else's day when he ran out into traffic & found a nice home by now where someone will actually look out after his wellfare; or that you found your mutt, learned your lesson, and put a leash on him.
Cheers To the humble Texas State Champion Cedar Elm Tree along the Champion trail adjacent to the Elm River (do they have all their bases covered here?). Don't know the specifics of the Championship designation (age, size, personality, swimsuit...). Maybe next time I'll make it to the tree playoffs and watch the competition?
Jeers To the driver of the black Tahoe entering the parking lot at White Rock Lake for running the stop sign and yelling at me for being in his way on the bike path. Great example to set for your young daughter - whose bike w/training wheels was on the back rack.
Cheers To good fall weather and even better tailwind on ride back to hotel while running a tad tardy.
Jeers To all the runners on shared White Rock Lake trail who forget the word "shared". Now I'll slow appropriately for trail congestion when it's necessary - but don't be so oblivious & selfish so as to lollygag right smack dab in the middle of the trail when everyone's trying to get around you - have some presence of mind as to what you're doing, where you're doing it, and how it might affect others.
Cheers To Polar for providing a reliable training tool for when I can't ride with my PowerTap so I can pace myself on some intervals (Friday) as well those long EZ rides (Saturday). Having consistent 36 minute laps around WRL would've been a lot more difficult and would've blown my training objective for the day.
Jeers To those idiots who take it upon themselves to vandalize the public port-a-johns. What pleasure can you possibly get from trashing such a needed facility. I have faith that karma will catch up with them. I hope I'm a better parent to raise my kids to have more respect for our fellow citizens.
Cheers To the Tennis Center folks who allow the needy public to utilize their clean & sanitary facilities when time was getting desperate.
NEW service - lowest observed gas price $2.89/gallon at Vallero on Beltline Rd & Rochelle.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Stimulator training
Just completed my 6 month recurrent crash course ground & simulator training which is a requirement for newbies who've transitioned to the 737 (like me from the dying fleet of MD80's). This now resets my training for 12-months - so with 11 years to go and a NOV training date, I've only ten more of these sessions to endure before I retire.
Ground training consists of computer based learning and review on various aircraft specific systems while the simulator can do anything the devious instructor wants to throw at us - from low visibility to extreme turbulence to any system failure that can be thought of. The only rule is that it must be a realistic scenario and not pile up multiple emergency situations so as to task saturate us to the point of overload (if they were allowed to to that nobody would ever pass for one thing and nobody would ever learn for another).
I would love to report to you - my dear traveling public - that we're all like Rex Kramer who knows everything and never makes a mistake; but the truth is - that although we're not anything close to Ted Striker - just as in bike racing we all have our strengths and weaknesses.
Weaknesses! Say it ain't so.
Fortunately at this point in our careers we're at flying proficiency is a pretty strong point for 99.9% of us (that .o1% does get weeded out fairly early). Weaknesses may include poor crew resource management - gone are the days where the Captain is expected to do it all - now they are expected to manage all available assets to the degree necessary for each situation. I'll admit up front that my weakness is studying all the details that are in the multitude of publications issued. I don't know how many bolts & rivets hold the left engine onto the wing for example, or exactly how that low pressure system formed in the Gulf of Alaska - but that lack of knowledge doesn't hurt me when that engine is on fire and we're landing on a very stormy runway in Juneau. And if I ever need to know the details for something like that I know who in Maintenance and Dispatch I can call if necessary.
Also gone are the days when the instructor just dreamed up his own torture - now all the pilots receive the same standardized curriculum & are evaluated (supposedly) on an impartial basis. I'd like to believe that to be the case but I know that as long as human beings are involved personalities will conflict (or already have) and the pilot being evaluated will suffer as a result. Fortunately all the instructors I've had the privilege to be associated with have always been very professional in their approach and quite willing to impart their observations in a supportive manner.
So fear not my friends - when you're off flying to DFW or DEN with me this weekend - you're flying with a proficiently trained highly skilled professional who'll do everything in my power to ensure your flying experience is as safe as it can be; just don't expect me to be wearing my hat.
Ground training consists of computer based learning and review on various aircraft specific systems while the simulator can do anything the devious instructor wants to throw at us - from low visibility to extreme turbulence to any system failure that can be thought of. The only rule is that it must be a realistic scenario and not pile up multiple emergency situations so as to task saturate us to the point of overload (if they were allowed to to that nobody would ever pass for one thing and nobody would ever learn for another).
I would love to report to you - my dear traveling public - that we're all like Rex Kramer who knows everything and never makes a mistake; but the truth is - that although we're not anything close to Ted Striker - just as in bike racing we all have our strengths and weaknesses.
Weaknesses! Say it ain't so.
Fortunately at this point in our careers we're at flying proficiency is a pretty strong point for 99.9% of us (that .o1% does get weeded out fairly early). Weaknesses may include poor crew resource management - gone are the days where the Captain is expected to do it all - now they are expected to manage all available assets to the degree necessary for each situation. I'll admit up front that my weakness is studying all the details that are in the multitude of publications issued. I don't know how many bolts & rivets hold the left engine onto the wing for example, or exactly how that low pressure system formed in the Gulf of Alaska - but that lack of knowledge doesn't hurt me when that engine is on fire and we're landing on a very stormy runway in Juneau. And if I ever need to know the details for something like that I know who in Maintenance and Dispatch I can call if necessary.
Also gone are the days when the instructor just dreamed up his own torture - now all the pilots receive the same standardized curriculum & are evaluated (supposedly) on an impartial basis. I'd like to believe that to be the case but I know that as long as human beings are involved personalities will conflict (or already have) and the pilot being evaluated will suffer as a result. Fortunately all the instructors I've had the privilege to be associated with have always been very professional in their approach and quite willing to impart their observations in a supportive manner.
So fear not my friends - when you're off flying to DFW or DEN with me this weekend - you're flying with a proficiently trained highly skilled professional who'll do everything in my power to ensure your flying experience is as safe as it can be; just don't expect me to be wearing my hat.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Serving notice
New Teammate and I out on long training ride from Greenlake this morning catch up with OAD & his gang of 5 leaving from north end of Lake WA. It's a fairly gentlemanly pace heading up north & east riding with a tailwind up to who knows where?
Trading pulls 2 by 2 when it's our turn to get to the front my teamie ups it a notch or two! Though still with a tailwind it's now a fast tempo workout especially for me but I'm not losing face this early in the ride. At the top end we're into SE Everett and turn eastward along the Snohomish (or Skykomish or somewhere far from homeish) River with a strong right crosswind. I'm off my teamies left and immediately redline my HR. Deciding discretion is the better part of valor I let my guy do his thing while I valiantly drop back to observe the damage.
We're now a group in a single file paceline, no chit chat, everyone's pretty much hanging on for dear life. We spot a guy w/bike on our the side of the road so OAD & I slow slightly to see if this fellow needed assistance - BIG mistake. Fellow declined our offer and the 25-30 meter gap that opened seemed to take a lot more energy to close than it should've. Just as we were catching back on a split in the group developed while teamie is blissfully dunking his cookies in milk & whistling up a tune while checking his Blackberry for messages & is plugging along unaware of the carnage that's taking place behind him. 3 of us manage to hold his wheel to the next T intersection as the other 4 drag in a few hours later. OK to be fair it was only a few minutes & the one big guy did have his jacket zipped open to catch all the air like a parachute - but it was still an awe inspiring display of raw power - somewhere in the 1000 watt range - which it seemed as if he could hold for hours on end I'm sure. And true while just about everybody else was riding their rain bikes w/fenders and/or with uninspiring Armadillo tires (which have trouble getting out of their own way) to my teamies light weight race vehicle - I'm not sure if we'd been riding ninja motorcycles it would've made any difference.
The rest of the ride went pretty much the same - whether going up or down - my teamie was putting the hurt to the rest of the group.
As gracious as OAD is I pretty much doubt we'll be invited to join them next time. I can only hope teamie bought OAD coffee at 4-bucks to try and make amends. And it might be a good idea if Prudog would make nice & forward some product amongst OAD's group so as not to be blacklisted from piggybacking on their team rides.
Trading pulls 2 by 2 when it's our turn to get to the front my teamie ups it a notch or two! Though still with a tailwind it's now a fast tempo workout especially for me but I'm not losing face this early in the ride. At the top end we're into SE Everett and turn eastward along the Snohomish (or Skykomish or somewhere far from homeish) River with a strong right crosswind. I'm off my teamies left and immediately redline my HR. Deciding discretion is the better part of valor I let my guy do his thing while I valiantly drop back to observe the damage.
We're now a group in a single file paceline, no chit chat, everyone's pretty much hanging on for dear life. We spot a guy w/bike on our the side of the road so OAD & I slow slightly to see if this fellow needed assistance - BIG mistake. Fellow declined our offer and the 25-30 meter gap that opened seemed to take a lot more energy to close than it should've. Just as we were catching back on a split in the group developed while teamie is blissfully dunking his cookies in milk & whistling up a tune while checking his Blackberry for messages & is plugging along unaware of the carnage that's taking place behind him. 3 of us manage to hold his wheel to the next T intersection as the other 4 drag in a few hours later. OK to be fair it was only a few minutes & the one big guy did have his jacket zipped open to catch all the air like a parachute - but it was still an awe inspiring display of raw power - somewhere in the 1000 watt range - which it seemed as if he could hold for hours on end I'm sure. And true while just about everybody else was riding their rain bikes w/fenders and/or with uninspiring Armadillo tires (which have trouble getting out of their own way) to my teamies light weight race vehicle - I'm not sure if we'd been riding ninja motorcycles it would've made any difference.
The rest of the ride went pretty much the same - whether going up or down - my teamie was putting the hurt to the rest of the group.
As gracious as OAD is I pretty much doubt we'll be invited to join them next time. I can only hope teamie bought OAD coffee at 4-bucks to try and make amends. And it might be a good idea if Prudog would make nice & forward some product amongst OAD's group so as not to be blacklisted from piggybacking on their team rides.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
We're number...
...oh never mind.
Cycling somewhere in Kitsap County tomorrow will be a very loyal Buckeye fan who is very pissed right now, motorist beware.
Cycling somewhere in Kitsap County tomorrow will be a very loyal Buckeye fan who is very pissed right now, motorist beware.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
I'm not Patriotic
Last Sunday I had an hour & a half break at work when football was playing. Several coworkers were watching the Seahawks game (which they were winning at that point) instead of the best game of the year so far, the battle of the undefeated Pats & Colts.
Now I've lived in the Seattle area for 18 years, longer than I've lived any other place; and I came to the realization that not only am I not a Seahawk fan, I am not a fan of any of the pro. sports teams here. I'll watch them play, I'll cheer them on, but I'm only interested in the quality of the game. It's how the game is played, not who wins, that is most important to me.
I then realize that I don't completely understand blindly cheering on a team just because they are -
1. your Alma Mater (whatever level - pee wee, high school, college, etc.),
2. your home town (original or adopted or anything in between),
3. your country (i.e. Team USA sends to the Worlds in _______ (you name the sport), Olympics, etc.).
Basically the fans of these teams are cheering on a uniform instead of any one particular player. For example; Babe Ruth was a champion in Boston, until he was traded to the Yankees - now he's a pariah to Red Sox fans. Why Boston can't accept the Babe as a great player, no matter where he plied his trade is beyond me? Same teams, different times = Roger Clemens.
You could in fact list any team and multiple rosters and find that to the player it's just a job - basically chasing whoever will pay them the most (same as is in most professional careers) - there is very little team (i.e. city) loyalty. The citizens of that city where the team is located however have a different relationship. I guess they feel a certain ownership or kinship with the team & its players since they are the ones paying the entrance fee to watch them play. And if not in person then on TV or the radio they follow the teams progress throughout their season (and beyond). I imagine there's an emotional relationship there, but I'm not sure how it starts or why? Certainly the team wants you to be attracted to it and goes out to get the best players it can - then it markets itself to the community to come watch them play.
The big 4 - MLB, the NHL, the NFL, the NBA, etc. must have some great marketing folks - especially in cites where the teams consistently underperform. They get an emotional investment from the community to think that they actually belong to the community - when in fact the team will pick up and move at the drop of a hat if they can find a better deal in some other community (Colts sneak outta Baltimore, Raiders leave Oakland for LA then leave LA back to OAK, Dodgers & Giants leave NY for California, Lakers leave Minneapolis, Clippers leave San Diego, etc., etc.). The fans in the new community are ecstatic while the fans in the old are devastated - and I don't understand why in either case.
I find that this is probably deep rooted in the fact that we like who we're closest to. It starts at home - love our family. Love our friends. My neighborhood is better than your neighborhood. My school is better than your school. My home town is, my state is, my country is....better - SO THERE!! All the rest of you suck.
This is why I love individual sports better than team sports. I can always cheer for the best player regardless of where they play or what sports they participate in.
With cycling - we don't care so much that Greg Lemond was from California, grew up in Reno, now lives in Minnesota, raced for French & Belgium teams most of his career, we just love the fact that he ultimately lost to fellow teammate Bernard Hinault in 1985's TdF, and picks fights with the next generation of TdF winners (Lance & Floyd).
Pick a cyclist and you'll follow him/her throughout their sporting career no matter which jersey they don. You'll admire their courage, tenacity, dedication, etc. in the way they contend - whether they're a sprinter, a TT specialist, climber or an all-arounder. Same for a runner, a boxer, a bowler, a golfer, etc. - oh wait a minute, those last two aren't sporting events (sure they involve a skill - like chess & poker do; but if you don't sweat, it ain't a sport!).
My point is - root for the individual not the team. You invest your loyalty into something tangible and can hold accountable. Otherwise you might as well be congratulating your team's General Manager skill for putting the various players into those uniforms you're so blindly cheering year after year, and hope that next year they don't move to Oklahoma.
Now I've lived in the Seattle area for 18 years, longer than I've lived any other place; and I came to the realization that not only am I not a Seahawk fan, I am not a fan of any of the pro. sports teams here. I'll watch them play, I'll cheer them on, but I'm only interested in the quality of the game. It's how the game is played, not who wins, that is most important to me.
I then realize that I don't completely understand blindly cheering on a team just because they are -
1. your Alma Mater (whatever level - pee wee, high school, college, etc.),
2. your home town (original or adopted or anything in between),
3. your country (i.e. Team USA sends to the Worlds in _______ (you name the sport), Olympics, etc.).
Basically the fans of these teams are cheering on a uniform instead of any one particular player. For example; Babe Ruth was a champion in Boston, until he was traded to the Yankees - now he's a pariah to Red Sox fans. Why Boston can't accept the Babe as a great player, no matter where he plied his trade is beyond me? Same teams, different times = Roger Clemens.
You could in fact list any team and multiple rosters and find that to the player it's just a job - basically chasing whoever will pay them the most (same as is in most professional careers) - there is very little team (i.e. city) loyalty. The citizens of that city where the team is located however have a different relationship. I guess they feel a certain ownership or kinship with the team & its players since they are the ones paying the entrance fee to watch them play. And if not in person then on TV or the radio they follow the teams progress throughout their season (and beyond). I imagine there's an emotional relationship there, but I'm not sure how it starts or why? Certainly the team wants you to be attracted to it and goes out to get the best players it can - then it markets itself to the community to come watch them play.
The big 4 - MLB, the NHL, the NFL, the NBA, etc. must have some great marketing folks - especially in cites where the teams consistently underperform. They get an emotional investment from the community to think that they actually belong to the community - when in fact the team will pick up and move at the drop of a hat if they can find a better deal in some other community (Colts sneak outta Baltimore, Raiders leave Oakland for LA then leave LA back to OAK, Dodgers & Giants leave NY for California, Lakers leave Minneapolis, Clippers leave San Diego, etc., etc.). The fans in the new community are ecstatic while the fans in the old are devastated - and I don't understand why in either case.
I find that this is probably deep rooted in the fact that we like who we're closest to. It starts at home - love our family. Love our friends. My neighborhood is better than your neighborhood. My school is better than your school. My home town is, my state is, my country is....better - SO THERE!! All the rest of you suck.
This is why I love individual sports better than team sports. I can always cheer for the best player regardless of where they play or what sports they participate in.
With cycling - we don't care so much that Greg Lemond was from California, grew up in Reno, now lives in Minnesota, raced for French & Belgium teams most of his career, we just love the fact that he ultimately lost to fellow teammate Bernard Hinault in 1985's TdF, and picks fights with the next generation of TdF winners (Lance & Floyd).
Pick a cyclist and you'll follow him/her throughout their sporting career no matter which jersey they don. You'll admire their courage, tenacity, dedication, etc. in the way they contend - whether they're a sprinter, a TT specialist, climber or an all-arounder. Same for a runner, a boxer, a bowler, a golfer, etc. - oh wait a minute, those last two aren't sporting events (sure they involve a skill - like chess & poker do; but if you don't sweat, it ain't a sport!).
My point is - root for the individual not the team. You invest your loyalty into something tangible and can hold accountable. Otherwise you might as well be congratulating your team's General Manager skill for putting the various players into those uniforms you're so blindly cheering year after year, and hope that next year they don't move to Oklahoma.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Remember to VOTE Tuesday!
Get off the computer & go out and vote (or mail your absentee ballot) now! Go, go, gooooooooooo
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Marathon weekend
128 men running today (right now in fact - http://www.nbcsports.com/) in NYC's Central Park & forgo tomorrow's big $$ NYC Marathon to contend the Men's Olympic Trials Marathon.
With only 3 runners eligible for next year's Olympics look for Alan Culpepper, Khalid Khannouchi and 2004 Olympic Silver medalist Meb Keflezighi to set the high pace. This certainly shows the value of an Olympic medal when all the top Americans would rather vie for a spot and a shot in the Olympics rather than go for the sure $$ tomorrow. WX in NYC is perfect for marathoning, today & tomorrow - though next year in Beijing IOC officials are considering cancelling extended endurance events if the Chinese cannot get their terrible air quality under control.
With only 3 runners eligible for next year's Olympics look for Alan Culpepper, Khalid Khannouchi and 2004 Olympic Silver medalist Meb Keflezighi to set the high pace. This certainly shows the value of an Olympic medal when all the top Americans would rather vie for a spot and a shot in the Olympics rather than go for the sure $$ tomorrow. WX in NYC is perfect for marathoning, today & tomorrow - though next year in Beijing IOC officials are considering cancelling extended endurance events if the Chinese cannot get their terrible air quality under control.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Italian beauties...
...just for you and/or your team.
If you can't get enough of original Italian top quality cycling stuff, irepairbikes.com now stocks the Dedacciai Naro Corsa & Scuro HCR frames. Both of these are high modulus carbon fiber monocoque frames weighing in at approx 1050 & 870 grams respectively.
Call Brandon (425-654-1004) for a great deal on a groupo build of your choice.
If you can't get enough of original Italian top quality cycling stuff, irepairbikes.com now stocks the Dedacciai Naro Corsa & Scuro HCR frames. Both of these are high modulus carbon fiber monocoque frames weighing in at approx 1050 & 870 grams respectively.
Call Brandon (425-654-1004) for a great deal on a groupo build of your choice.
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