this could be a long school year.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
top tube pads!
Today I realized why those hipsters put top tube pads on their bikes.
I was standing in front of the Obama headquarters on Broadway, having a nice quiet phone conversation with the lady, when a hipster and his partner rolled by, going approximately 6-8mph, as they are wont to do, as higher speeds mean a compete inability to stop. Well, the car in front of them stopped at the stop sign there, and that is when I realized that this particular champ had not only no helmet and no brakes, but no toe clips either. He was riding flats. The car was stopped, and he tried to backpedal fruitlessly for about two crank revolutions, then, to avoid the car, swerved into the opposite lane and simultaneously jumped off his saddle to plant his feet on the ground, hitting his nuts on the top tube with a solid whack. I was almost too surprised to grin.
Top tube pads: simultaneously a brake substitute and hipster fertility treatment.
I was standing in front of the Obama headquarters on Broadway, having a nice quiet phone conversation with the lady, when a hipster and his partner rolled by, going approximately 6-8mph, as they are wont to do, as higher speeds mean a compete inability to stop. Well, the car in front of them stopped at the stop sign there, and that is when I realized that this particular champ had not only no helmet and no brakes, but no toe clips either. He was riding flats. The car was stopped, and he tried to backpedal fruitlessly for about two crank revolutions, then, to avoid the car, swerved into the opposite lane and simultaneously jumped off his saddle to plant his feet on the ground, hitting his nuts on the top tube with a solid whack. I was almost too surprised to grin.
Top tube pads: simultaneously a brake substitute and hipster fertility treatment.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
the trouble begins
I got my orientation schedule today for the intro to B-school. Yep, it's an excel spreadsheet. With detailed listing of what, when, where, ... and required attire. Attire is listed as Business Casual to Business Formal for about every day.
Come again? Business what?
In my old job, Business Casual meant that you found your nice pair of jeans. Formal meant you pulled out a collar, if you had one. Casual meant shorts.
I don't think I ever attended an undergraduate class in more than jeans and a t-shirt, and more often than not it was in about five layers of sweats, t shirts, or spandex, having come straight from crew practice, so that I could ball up a ratty hooded sweater and take a nap in the back of math class. The first summer that I had a job which was not coaching, I made a girlfriend take me clothes shopping so that I could buy three polos and a nice(r) pair of jeans. I fit right in with the other engineers. In fact, my clothes were slightly nicer, since they kept their factory press lines most of the summer.
This new attire shit is going to take some getting used to. Is it appropriate to change in the Rec center then strut to class in slacks, shirt, tie, and still carry my big-ass messenger bag? Will I need to stuff a leather attache case in the bag and carry that to class instead, and leave the Ortlieb full of clothes and bike shoes in a locker? Is it even kosher to bike, or should I be parking in handicaped spots and sip petroleum from a carved out rhino's horn?
I am suddenly worried.
What's next, golf?
Come again? Business what?
In my old job, Business Casual meant that you found your nice pair of jeans. Formal meant you pulled out a collar, if you had one. Casual meant shorts.
I don't think I ever attended an undergraduate class in more than jeans and a t-shirt, and more often than not it was in about five layers of sweats, t shirts, or spandex, having come straight from crew practice, so that I could ball up a ratty hooded sweater and take a nap in the back of math class. The first summer that I had a job which was not coaching, I made a girlfriend take me clothes shopping so that I could buy three polos and a nice(r) pair of jeans. I fit right in with the other engineers. In fact, my clothes were slightly nicer, since they kept their factory press lines most of the summer.
This new attire shit is going to take some getting used to. Is it appropriate to change in the Rec center then strut to class in slacks, shirt, tie, and still carry my big-ass messenger bag? Will I need to stuff a leather attache case in the bag and carry that to class instead, and leave the Ortlieb full of clothes and bike shoes in a locker? Is it even kosher to bike, or should I be parking in handicaped spots and sip petroleum from a carved out rhino's horn?
I am suddenly worried.
What's next, golf?
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
stage 2, 3, 4, - 5?
Stage 2 TT - not so hot for me. Pretty flat legs, the motor revs but won't get warm. Our gc man takes the win and we now have the race lead.
Stage 3 Crit - simple. Shut down anything dangerous and make sure it's a sprint, which we don't need to win. Done.
Stage 4 Wolf Creek x 2 - Not so simple. Some dangerous stuff got away but it all back back for the right guys at the end. I felt surprisingly good on the first lap and knocked off 380w at tempo up the big climb - for just shy of 10 minutes. Then there was some tempo, some wind riding, etc, and the legs lost a gear or two on the second lap. Big and I rode in with the second group, our work being done.
Stage 5 - Crit? - The day after the race, today, Sal decides to put on one last tuesday night crit. Unofficially stage 5. WTF, Sal? Can't we do it on a wednesday for once? For anyone who raced, or at least for their legs, it's definitely going to get interesting.
Stage 3 Crit - simple. Shut down anything dangerous and make sure it's a sprint, which we don't need to win. Done.
Stage 4 Wolf Creek x 2 - Not so simple. Some dangerous stuff got away but it all back back for the right guys at the end. I felt surprisingly good on the first lap and knocked off 380w at tempo up the big climb - for just shy of 10 minutes. Then there was some tempo, some wind riding, etc, and the legs lost a gear or two on the second lap. Big and I rode in with the second group, our work being done.
Stage 5 - Crit? - The day after the race, today, Sal decides to put on one last tuesday night crit. Unofficially stage 5. WTF, Sal? Can't we do it on a wednesday for once? For anyone who raced, or at least for their legs, it's definitely going to get interesting.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
my day
eugene celebration, stage 1:
Duration: 3:14:20
Work: 2781 kJ
TSS: 230.9 (intensity factor 0.844)
Norm Power: 295W
VI: 1.24
Distance: 129.304 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1138 239 watts
Heart rate: 103 191 165 bpm
Cadence: 29 203 88 rpm
Speed: 4 74.3 39.9 kph
Entire workout (213 watts):
Duration: 4:07:28
Work: 3161 kJ
TSS: 266.1 (intensity factor 0.803)
Norm Power: 281W
VI: 1.32
Distance: 147.794 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1138 213 watts
Heart rate: 0 191 157 bpm
Cadence: 29 203 84 rpm
Speed: 3.7 74.3 35.8 kph
Since 1kCal = 4.18kJ and the human body is usually <25% efficent, thats about 3100kCal (aka Calories). Here's a menu of 3100kCal.
McDonald's website lists a 1/4lber w/ cheese at 510 cal. So here's my fuel for the ride:
And here's my fuel for the day:
Count 'em up - a dozen quarter pounders with cheese.
Yuck.
Duration: 3:14:20
Work: 2781 kJ
TSS: 230.9 (intensity factor 0.844)
Norm Power: 295W
VI: 1.24
Distance: 129.304 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1138 239 watts
Heart rate: 103 191 165 bpm
Cadence: 29 203 88 rpm
Speed: 4 74.3 39.9 kph
Entire workout (213 watts):
Duration: 4:07:28
Work: 3161 kJ
TSS: 266.1 (intensity factor 0.803)
Norm Power: 281W
VI: 1.32
Distance: 147.794 km
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 1138 213 watts
Heart rate: 0 191 157 bpm
Cadence: 29 203 84 rpm
Speed: 3.7 74.3 35.8 kph
Since 1kCal = 4.18kJ and the human body is usually <25% efficent, thats about 3100kCal (aka Calories). Here's a menu of 3100kCal.
McDonald's website lists a 1/4lber w/ cheese at 510 cal. So here's my fuel for the ride:
And here's my fuel for the day:
Count 'em up - a dozen quarter pounders with cheese.
Yuck.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Gearing Up
School is right around the corner and I am nowhere near ready. Holy crap, it's coming up fast. Orientation starts on the 15th, 2 weeks before classes, which sounds benign enough, except that there's a case competition during orientation which select the team to represent the U of O at the PAC 10 business plan competition or some such. Damn! These guys don't waste their time. So from the gun, before classes, it's on. Big time. I'm just figuring out when I'll be squeezing in my bike rides.
One good thing about the new school year is that I can justify some new toys. The lady hooked me up with a sweet new bag (Ortlieb waterproof), crayons, glue sticks, and the other essentials. I got a new netbook for taking notes - Linux rules (after a little hacking). Microsoft will be history as a dominant OS in 10-12 years, mark my words. I even scored one of the last two remaining open bike lockers on campus - so I can ride a reasonable training bike and not dash outside between classes to nervously check on it. My master school-bike-riding plan includes keeping a folding stool and a spare pair of shoes in the locker so I can switch the essentials right on the spot, then cruise on down to class in the AM.
The only hole in the entire scheme is the coffee situation. Now, at work, we currently have a supply of free coffee, albeit it swill. It might be Folgers, it might be some generic blend, but it's crap. Mostly this is because of the flat bottom filters and shitty drip machines - but that's for another discussion. So, down by my office, I have a nice grinder (gotta remember to take that one home) and an espresso machine. One of my co-workers also recently brought in a french press. So we are pretty much set. When in desperate need, I can also cruise over to the closest coffee joint and score a hit. However, I have no recourse for the poor-student-no-espresso-machine situation that I am about to enter. 3 bucks for a cup of joe at the bean joints is out of the question. In all likelyhood, so is plugging the espresso maker into the wall in the back of the Lillis Hall classrooms. So I am going to be dusting off the thermoses (is the plural thermii?) and for the time being I will have to settle for adding a couple of pounds of liquid to the contents of my messenger bag on my commute. Not such a big deal, I guess, but how am I going to carry the cream?
One good thing about the new school year is that I can justify some new toys. The lady hooked me up with a sweet new bag (Ortlieb waterproof), crayons, glue sticks, and the other essentials. I got a new netbook for taking notes - Linux rules (after a little hacking). Microsoft will be history as a dominant OS in 10-12 years, mark my words. I even scored one of the last two remaining open bike lockers on campus - so I can ride a reasonable training bike and not dash outside between classes to nervously check on it. My master school-bike-riding plan includes keeping a folding stool and a spare pair of shoes in the locker so I can switch the essentials right on the spot, then cruise on down to class in the AM.
The only hole in the entire scheme is the coffee situation. Now, at work, we currently have a supply of free coffee, albeit it swill. It might be Folgers, it might be some generic blend, but it's crap. Mostly this is because of the flat bottom filters and shitty drip machines - but that's for another discussion. So, down by my office, I have a nice grinder (gotta remember to take that one home) and an espresso machine. One of my co-workers also recently brought in a french press. So we are pretty much set. When in desperate need, I can also cruise over to the closest coffee joint and score a hit. However, I have no recourse for the poor-student-no-espresso-machine situation that I am about to enter. 3 bucks for a cup of joe at the bean joints is out of the question. In all likelyhood, so is plugging the espresso maker into the wall in the back of the Lillis Hall classrooms. So I am going to be dusting off the thermoses (is the plural thermii?) and for the time being I will have to settle for adding a couple of pounds of liquid to the contents of my messenger bag on my commute. Not such a big deal, I guess, but how am I going to carry the cream?
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