Just one more reason why I love the turret: sunshine in the morning :)
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Still no racing...
Not racing on weekends almost makes for a boring life. Except that Ed and I went to a junkyard saturday, and that was pretty cool. We wanted to find a new door handle thingy for my car, since its broken, and the uninitiated don't know how to open the passenger side door from the inside. I'd never been to a junkyard before--Ed says next he'll take me to a demolition derby, just to get in touch with my redneck side. I can't wait! Anyway, there were cars everywhere, mostly missing large pieces that would make it difficult for them to roll, and usually stacked. We found our way to the Honda section, and man, there were a lot of Hondas. I don't know if that means that Hondas are shitty cars that die a lot, or just that most of them end up in junkyards. Maybe there were that many other types of cars too, I wasn't really paying attention to that. So we checked every dang Honda in that lot for a passenger side door handle with the electronic locking bit, because Ed says it has to be the exact same piece or it won't work. I'll trust him, since I wouldn't be the one installing the thing. It turns out that every Honda with a door handle similar to mine (i.e. the hinge is plastic, not metal) either had a broken handle or it had already been taken. But at least I got to go to a junkyard!
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Payback
So last December Colin decided to start rollerskiing, and his first workout was intervals at 6:00 AM at heartbreak hill. I girled him, six times up that hill. I guess I shouldn't have rubbed it in so much. He was real gentleman-like today after he and Linnea and Ann schooled me riding repeats up that hill in Arlington...
I might not be able to move tomorrow.
I might not be able to move tomorrow.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Mud season in Vermont
It wasn't all that muddy. This was the deepest we saw:
It was nice to go someplace NOT for a race or a training activity. I mean, we walked a lot, but thats not really training. I love Vermont, if only for the free buffet (some people call them samples) at the country store. They had fudge out! Normally its just cheese and dips. We walked around checking out damage from the last storm and taking pictures. There were a lot of trees down but nothing too bad.
This picture sort of sums up April in vermont for me--the maple trees are blooming and its getting warm, but there is still snow and its damn muddy. We went exploring where they had been doing some logging--although it wasn't as muddy as I feared, it was still pretty soft. Those damn northern states and their snow.
This is where we lived for two summers. It was great. We traded work on the house for rent. You can't tell from here but the house has a sweet new roof. This is the shower (outdoor):
Nothing beats an outdoor shower in the summer. Except for maybe grilling food on the rock and drinking beer on the porch. I posted more pictures on Flickr.
It was nice to go someplace NOT for a race or a training activity. I mean, we walked a lot, but thats not really training. I love Vermont, if only for the free buffet (some people call them samples) at the country store. They had fudge out! Normally its just cheese and dips. We walked around checking out damage from the last storm and taking pictures. There were a lot of trees down but nothing too bad.
This picture sort of sums up April in vermont for me--the maple trees are blooming and its getting warm, but there is still snow and its damn muddy. We went exploring where they had been doing some logging--although it wasn't as muddy as I feared, it was still pretty soft. Those damn northern states and their snow.
This is where we lived for two summers. It was great. We traded work on the house for rent. You can't tell from here but the house has a sweet new roof. This is the shower (outdoor):
Nothing beats an outdoor shower in the summer. Except for maybe grilling food on the rock and drinking beer on the porch. I posted more pictures on Flickr.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
How I sometimes join the ranks of the stupid people we make fun of
There was supposed to be this all-women's mtb ride at the Fells yesterday. I decided I would just ride from work. Its 9mi to work, 8.5mi from work to the Fells, and 12.5mi home from there. I figured thats only 30 miles of riding, even out of shape and with a little mtb ride in the middle, I can do that.
Being sunny in the morning, this girl left in shorts and a short sleeved jersey. Luckily, I brought gloves. When I left work, it was cold and raining. Now, the smart person would have gone home, taken a warm shower, and curled up with a mug of hot chocolate. I entertained that thought for about 17 seconds, and then decided, what's a little rain? Its not like I never train in the rain, I may as well get used to it. I'll be riding, I won't get cold. <-- this is what we call being stupid. Cold+wet+Alex=hypothermia and general miserableness.
Rode north to the Fells, and didn't really get lost, but definitely took a wrong turn. At 6:01, I realized I was all the way on the east side, which was not where the ride was leaving from. Managed to find a map (I had drawn one out for me, but I left it on my desk), and figured out where I had to go. I got there, and it was 6:20 and there were no cars. I decided to go ride on my own, since I was there. I figured that I could do a little ride, just to warm up in the woods, and then I would go home. I should mention that I was sopping wet.
About three feet into the trail, I realized my hands were too cold to shift or brake... I think it was about this point when my core started shivering so badly I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering. I was pretty much at that point where you become completely useless because you are so cold. I proceeded to call everyone I know trying to find a ride, because the prospect of riding 12 miles in the rain on a mtb seemed pretty bad... I wasn't sure I could do that, actually. Finally got through to someone, and while waiting for her, crouched over the sink in the ranger station bathroom with warm water running over my hands and feet...
I don't think I've been that stupid or that hypothermic in a really long time. I almost couldn't push the buttons on the phone. The kicker: I got home and there was an email from the girl leading the ride saying it was called off. This is bad experience number two (of two) at the fells. (The first one involved a bonk and being lost and riding in the dark with no lights). And I didn't even get to ride off road!
On a happier note, its sunny out (checked the weather; it will be sunny all day) and I rode my Pinarello in to work today, and its so smooooooooth. I think I'm in love. How come nobody told me how nice steel bikes are to ride??
Being sunny in the morning, this girl left in shorts and a short sleeved jersey. Luckily, I brought gloves. When I left work, it was cold and raining. Now, the smart person would have gone home, taken a warm shower, and curled up with a mug of hot chocolate. I entertained that thought for about 17 seconds, and then decided, what's a little rain? Its not like I never train in the rain, I may as well get used to it. I'll be riding, I won't get cold. <-- this is what we call being stupid. Cold+wet+Alex=hypothermia and general miserableness.
Rode north to the Fells, and didn't really get lost, but definitely took a wrong turn. At 6:01, I realized I was all the way on the east side, which was not where the ride was leaving from. Managed to find a map (I had drawn one out for me, but I left it on my desk), and figured out where I had to go. I got there, and it was 6:20 and there were no cars. I decided to go ride on my own, since I was there. I figured that I could do a little ride, just to warm up in the woods, and then I would go home. I should mention that I was sopping wet.
About three feet into the trail, I realized my hands were too cold to shift or brake... I think it was about this point when my core started shivering so badly I couldn't stop my teeth from chattering. I was pretty much at that point where you become completely useless because you are so cold. I proceeded to call everyone I know trying to find a ride, because the prospect of riding 12 miles in the rain on a mtb seemed pretty bad... I wasn't sure I could do that, actually. Finally got through to someone, and while waiting for her, crouched over the sink in the ranger station bathroom with warm water running over my hands and feet...
I don't think I've been that stupid or that hypothermic in a really long time. I almost couldn't push the buttons on the phone. The kicker: I got home and there was an email from the girl leading the ride saying it was called off. This is bad experience number two (of two) at the fells. (The first one involved a bonk and being lost and riding in the dark with no lights). And I didn't even get to ride off road!
On a happier note, its sunny out (checked the weather; it will be sunny all day) and I rode my Pinarello in to work today, and its so smooooooooth. I think I'm in love. How come nobody told me how nice steel bikes are to ride??
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Out-of-shape-ness
I finally got the OK to ride a bike (finally being after not quite a week... I guess its not that long), so I rode in to work today. I want to go mountain biking in the afternoon, and its a lot closer to work than to where I live, so I rode in on my Aegis. As I was peacefully pedalling up a [the only] hill, a guy on a road bike goes by. Kind of fast. End of "easy ride" plan. As I actually put some power into the pedals, I realized that I really want to race. It doesn't matter how out of shape I am. I want to race! I guess this means I can start the skiing year. Mentally, I'm ready. Its time to start training.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
HOLY SHIT I BOUGHT A CROSS BIKE!!!!
I'm a little excited. I just bought a pinarello cross bike. We just looked it up. That frame is worth ~$2000 new... good thing it wasn't new! I have trouble finding small enough bikes, because I'm short, but someone advertised a small Pinarello bike on craigslist, so I went to go check it out. ASAP. I was worried someone else would snap it up. Its eight speed, which sucks if anything ever breaks, but it still shifts really smoothly (its not Sora eightspeed). And its BEAUTIFUL!! Definitely a steel bike... but god she rides so smoothly! I was able to talk down the seller to 700, which makes it doubly cool. I mean, I could have gotten a new bike for 700... a redline tank... or I could get a gorgeous steel Italian bike for 700. Not a tough choice.
The other great piece of news is that I am officially allowed to bike again! I'm just supposed to do the whole icing/physical therapy/stop-if-it-hurts deal. I can deal with that. Woohoo! New bikes!!
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