!Que Olor!

Date: Nov 28 Wed
Mileage: 29(LHT)
November mileage: 453
Year to date: 2502

I'm still shocked at the extent of the foul odors that I encountered on today's commute. I had a similar title some months/years ago, but that mostly dealt with Monday morning trash service. Today's robust olfactory attack almost took down 'BB' and me on our afternoon loop near Rubbertown. She hadn't seen the newish part of the bike path off of Algonquin Pkwy, so we ventured that way before turning towards home via the Riverwalk again. Once on Algonquin again after viewing the trail spur, a great insidious cloud of death descended upon us. I hyperbolize, but not really. We both were not far from being sick or having headaches. It was NASTY. The Buddha says "Life is suffering", and boy is was for those 5 min. Even more strangely, I noticed foul smells the rest of the ride: brass foundry, cars and trucks, probable weed coming out of hoopties, city buses, MSD workers (trucks), you name it.

It was still a nice ride, although I think I wore 'BB' out. She kept going slower and slower, but hey, she was game. That's about 50m for her in 2 days, certainly more of a distance workout than her spin classes. Tomorrow's commute could be tough; we have family pics at 4.00, so I don't know about timing. If I can get a mega-Friday in I can top 500m for the month. I like that thought.

Commute

Date: Nov 27 Tues
Mileage: 29(LHT)
November mileage: 424
Year to date: 2473

Afternoon distance with 'BB'. We went out Oak/Virginia to the Riverwalk and then made our way back Beargrass Trail and through Cherokee. I didn't have good legs this morning, and this afternoon I eventually woke up after about 10m. 'BB' is a fit 56, but she's not as experienced on the bike, so I feel relatively strong riding with her. I guess I should ride with 'lance' sometime. I have no clue what his fitness is these days. Making progress on the overall yearly mileage though. I need 175 to supersede last year's totals. I feel confident I can do that by the end of December, but you never know. A ear calamity or another heart afib and all dreams are dashed.

Take advantage of what you have and appreciate each moment. Hard to do in times of stress, but salient nonetheless. Peace.

Bowling Green?

These are two maps which are supposed to represent the 19th best place in the U.S. to raise your children, Ft. Thomas, Ky. I'm really confused, though, at the fact that the little push pin seems to indicate Bowling Green in SW KY, the college town of Western Kentucky (WKU) and home of my friend LuvDug. Ft.Thomas, por otro lado, is a bedroom community of Satanic Cincy, home of more KKK and race riots than any place I can think of.

#18 is Jamestown, KY. I know my geography pretty well, and I've NEVER heard of Jamestown. The googlemap indicates that it's in the middle of absolutely nowhere. That's a good place, right? Away from anything and everything?

And finally, a significant number of the "best places" include towns in Nebraska, Ohio and Tennessee. I would rather live in rural Mexico than any of those states. Ohio, from personal experience, is terrible. It smells and the people there are rude. TN is KY's rival, so that's a given. And Nebraska, give me a break!


Vexing, don't you think?

Trails

Date: Nov 25 Sun
Mileage: 20 (Crosscheck)
November mileage: 396
Year to date: 2444

A very satisfying ride this afternoon on the 'cross bike under threat of rainy skies. I needed to do a non-epic ride, but a ride nonetheless. It seems that I often get little mileage on the weekends b/c of other commitments. Today I took the Crosscheck out for a meander and some actually 'cross riding, although I didn't ride that hard. The first trail I took on was one of the Cherokee Trails leading towards the Presby Seminary towards Maple. I like that one. It leads uphill in a circuitous path, but isn't too terribly difficult. After that I took on the paved Beargrass Creek Trail. I seem to have spent alot of time on that lately. After passing by the riverfront and city boat dock, I turned my attention towards the RiverRoadCC, which is the site of the previously blogged Nat'l 'Cross Cup. They're apparently gearing up for the State Chmps next weekend, so there seem to be a myriad of path/trail/obstacle options. I approximated my mileage, but I took full advantage of the many paths and sandtraps found there. I only undertook 1 run-up. As I said, I wasn't "training", so I chose to avoid any ankle-turn potential. I spent a good while there and came home via Mockingbird, Pennsylvania and Stilz. I did one more trail, the one leading from Seneca across the bridge and towards the golf course. I thought I heard ghostie bike sounds behind me on that path but attributed it to my own bike. Only when I was exiting did I see taht another mtbike dude has been following me. Hope I didn't slow him down too much, b/c I was on the 'cross bike and wasn't exactly attacking the trail.

Got home. nothing broken on me or bike and November mileage creeping up. Feeling some fitness in the legs, to be honest.

peace

Maysville

Date: Nov 24 Sat
Mileage: 46(Bleriot)
November mileage: 376
Year to date: 2424

No pics on this longish country ride, but I've added a map to who my adventure. This is the kind of country ride that we all should have the opportunity to do occasionally. Beautiful, sparse countryside, empty roads, challenging hills and miles of personal contemplation. and a great bike to do it on. I would give Saturday's Turkey Ride 4**** if I were to do so. My original plan was to loop down and through some hilly country down towards Blue Lick State Park and then loop homewards through Alhambra, as a reverse of a trip I'd done in the summer. The summer trip had been a failure in many ways- loose wheel spoke, conditioning and heat being the triple threat- so I wanted this ride to take in part of that route as a kind of comeuppance. What I didn't figure in was the country's way of changing best-laid plans, in this case via the lack of road signs. I should've know this nugget, but seemed to ignore it. In times past when I've undertaken a Mason Co. "adventure" I've had a map backup with me. This time I only had a routeslip, so when the turn lacked a sign I had to rely on the direction of the sunlight to ensure that I was in the right spot. Hence, I did a short extra loop around mile 7 that changed my intentions for the day. Once I passed that I chose to stay on my original path, but that I would shorten it towards the most southern areas that I don't know. Adding to my self-doubt was my fingers. I have a pair of Manzella gloves that do me pretty well in the 30s. The prob this time was that the gloves were still damp from Thursday's ride. To start a windy, 30F ride with dampish gloves is just no good, so that curtailed my adventuring spirit again. I marshaled on, past my in-laws' farm in Helena towards Elizaville. From that point I used a mental picture of the area to plan a return home. Just west of Elizaville I found the quaint town of Ewing, where I found a store to warm up in and to stock up. I know exercise is important and fruits and veggies the key, but I also love SwissCake rolls on rides. They're pure sugar, so I get that tiredness bump I need. I included a gatorade and... hunter-orange gloves. It's deer season, so I thought it only reasonable to join the crowd.

The wardrobe needs further mention as well. I came prepared with the usual cycling clothes I tend to wear these days, but 1 thing I forgot was my jacket. In the 30F/windy conditions I would have to have a windbreaker, so off I went to Wal-Mart- that new corporate cathedral of smalltown America- and found myself the closest thing I could. It's a lightweight raincoat with nary a vent to its name. After the trip I valued more than ever the quality that is wool. Underneath the WallyWorld raincoat I wore my baselayer wool with arm warmers and on top of that my thick wool. Once I got home I was completely soaked, but b/c of wool's properties I was still warm and cozy. Amazing stuff! And I have a new raincoat. and not 1 pair of new gloves, but 2. At WallyWorld I also found a pair of all-wool gloves with palm dots. They're nice and thick and should nicely augment my old, holey army surplus woolies.

After my lunch stop I made my way back to the house. Of note was brief climb around mile 28.5. Steep, steep stuff. I wasn't close to making it to the top. It's the beauty of wearing flat shoes instead of cycling shoes for such an endeavour. I added a little extra loop which passed by my brother-in-law's house (trailer) and made my way back up the 3 climbs which almost always face me in leaving the Maysville house. I noticed, thought, that the climbs weren't so bad. Fitness? Bleriot?

A great, albeit cold and windy, day and a well-earned 46m effort.

Jozy III

Yet another Altidore article from as.com. according to the article, Jozy's agent is open and excited about the potential prospect and los blancos sent 2 scouts to do further footwork on this. i saw a little bit of Football Fone-in on Fox Soccer the other day and they were commenting on the questionable decision of going to a club like Real. they instead suggested that he start small, say in Portugal or the Netherlands, and then go big when his skills catch. they also mentioned a possible loan out to a smaller club once the original fichaje is completed. crazy stuff.

Pavo! er.... Guajalote!

Date: Nov 22 Thurs
Mileage: 22 (Crosscheck)
November mileage: 330
Year to date: 2378

Yes, we know it as the "turkey". In Spanish it's commonly called el pavo, but there are also other terms. In Mexico, the nahuatl guajolote is commonly used, and that seems sensible to me. If the guajolote is a native North American/Central American species, then why not call it one of the most original terms? In doing some extensive research, I also found that it's known as the chompipe (chohm-pee-peh), a funny name that's sort of fun to say as well. And even moreso, field&stream presented me this nice pic of turkey asses, so I couldn't but help share it with you.

Oh, and I took a Turkey Day ride too on the Crosscheck. I didn't even change wheels, just doing some macho mileage on the relatively slight knobbies on the Ritchey Crossmax tires. It was quite a weather event of a ride. The temp stayed a constant 41F or so with a stiff breeze, but I started in the semi-sunny, semi-cloudy skies. Those quickly turned to very grey, slate skies which then turned to rainy skies. There's no better feeling than a bike ride at 40F with rain. It's fortunate that I had the gore-tex jacket on for the first time in a while. And in my last 3m or so, the sunny began peeking out from behind the clouds giving the wet, leaf-ridden streets a nice healthy sheen.

Oh, and I saw a Kingfisher along Beargrass Trail, similar to last year's early winter siting. and then the fooding commenced.

Peace

Pre-Turkey

Date: Nov 21 Wed
Mileage: 30 (Blueridge)
November mileage: 308
Year to date: 2356

It was important to get out today and clear some calorie space for the Turkey Fest tomorrow. I don't know how festive it's going to be; little L came down with a stomach thing much like he had 2-3 weeks ago. If it doesn't hit us all we'll be fortunate and thankful for not catching it. Or it could get worse.

We were off from work today, so I took a road ride on the Blueridge, quite a departure from so many miles on the Bleriot or moreso the LHT. The Blueridge, purchased I believe in '99, was to be a do-it-all bike for me, one I could ride centuries, tour and commute on. Litespeed hadn't too much experience with non-racing bike geometry, because even now I feel like I'm flying, with my hands very far in front of me all super-stretched out. And this is on their "touring" model, mind you. I know I could swap stems out and go for the more upright RBW position, but that's what the Bleriot is for. If I had to take 10 rides, I would pick the Bleriot for 9 of them, with the 1 being a ride such as today. I took a brisk training ride, not something I do too often, going fast for the sake of going fast. In Seneca/Cherokee I managed to hit 7 hills pretty hard and occasionally pushed it on the flats as well. In the first hour I averaged 16.5mph and finished at 15.5 after I back off some. For lots of cyclists these numbers aren't impressive, but for my big, slow commuting ass, they're great. My legs feel it right now. I'll be taking a long ride in the country Saturday, one with lots of Maysville hills. The logical choice would be the much lighter Blueridge, but no way. The Bleriot will definitely be the one I'm riding.

And I received a small shipment from Hiawatha today. I had to address the burned-out bulb on the LHT, so I received 2 bulbs and a new Topeak frame pump for the Bleriot/LHT to boot. I won't ride the LHT this weekend probably, but I'll be ready for next week's commutes.

Shorts!

Date: Nov 20 Tues
Mileage: 36 (Bleriot)
November mileage: 278
Year to date: 2326

While some of my commuting brethren in the Great White North are affixing Nokians to their commuter bikes, I rode to and from school in shorts today. strange. the morning brought 63F, which was great weather for short and a windbreaker. in the p.m. i rode in short sleeves and shorts, with temps around 68F or so. i rode the Bleriot to enjoy its nice position in a longish afternoon. today i was experimenting on the Bleriot with saddle position. i had previously had the RBW "saddle-back tilt", but that seemed to make me fall into my bars a bit. last night i adjusted the Brooks to a flatter position and today i tested such a postion. it did help upper-body position quite a bit. i felt much more comfy up top, but i also seemed to squirm a bit more. i noticed that in certain positions i could more greatly feel my sit bones, and I would say i have a little extra nether-region tenderness that i usually have on one of the Brooks saddles. i would call it a slight draw, but the nether regions are more important in the end.

i took the long Riverwalk/River Rd./Indian Trail afternoon loop. i had a nice tailwind for parts of River Rd. and had a good game holding off a roadie for a while. he eventually caught me- and in true roadie form didn't acknowledge my existence- but I thank him for the motivation to a bit of big-gear speedwork.

great weather, but the rains come tonight, so we'll be back in wool tomorrow.

Jozy II

Hubo un tercer articulo tratando del Jozy y un posible fichaje en el futuro. Ahora dice el joven de 18 anyos que queria esperar hasta cumplir unos 21 anyos, pero ha de aprovecharse de estas oportunidades cuando pueda. y yo comparare un jersey de Real con el 'Altidore' el primer de que estaria disponible.

'Bent Commute

Date: Nov 19 Mon
Mileage: 14 (Rans Rocket)
November mileage: 247
Year to date: 2291

Commute on the Rans today. I felt good in the a.m., riding part of the way with 'BB'. This afternoon I was plum tired from a Monday kind of day, so 'BB' and I came mostly straight back. The 'bent is always an interesting experience after lots of miles on a 'wedgie'. Don't know why i didn't get more miles in this weekend. busy, really. flooring, furniture, a festive gathering at mom's. Holiday week, so we'll see if we can stave off the turkey/pie/bread gluttony that tends to ensue.

U.S./South Africa 1-0

Didn't watch it b/c i was running errands and being a good husband (and she as ever a good wife), but I found a blogcommentary. Haven't gotten the full scoop, but aside the Cowboys and the schizophrenic UK athletic department, these futbol things are holding my interest.

Jozy

Sitting here killing time on a Saturday morning- ripping some tunes too- when I come across an article off the as.com website. Since I know Spanish, and since the Spanish love their soccer, I take advantage of that site and marca.com as well. this morning i found quite the bombshell, not one but 2 articles discussing Real Madrid's possible fichaje, er singing, of Jozy Altidore. Wow! That's quite big. The first, which was one taking larger font size on the site, discusses Altidore's potential as Real's 3rd excomunitario spot. Euro clubs can only have 3 foreigners, which is why the Ronaldihnos of the world become "Spanish" citizens. Ridiculous. Futhermore, one of the columnists discusses Jozy's potential as a new Kanoute, the Sevilla striker. This is heady, amazing stuff, a premier Euro club wanting to fichar our youngest futbol star and a comparison to one of the best strikers in Europe, or at least one of the most productive.

and whither Freddy Adu? it sucks topping out at 5'6" and 150lbs if he's lucky.

Commute

Date: Nov 16 Fri
Mileage: 28 (Bleriot)
November mileage: 233
Year to date: 2277
ipod: 'Burnside on Burnside', Howlin Wolf, Bobby Bare Jr.

With the LHT needed a quick washing, lube and a new bulb for the Lumotec, and with 1 commute on the fixie and an unhappy ankle (they seems to not agree), I dragged out the Bleriot for a rare commute. One advantage was that I had no papers, and my pants were already at work, so no problems for the Carradice. I added the Niterider Trailrat and was surprised how much brighter it was than the Lumotec or the old Vistalight I've been using on the fixie. The morning brought chilly temps- the radio said 33F and weather.com 28F, so I can't quite come to terms with who is right, but I was adequately dressed:

thick wool top/Capeline long-sleeve shirt/LLBean Anorak
thick polypro tights/MUSA long pants
thick wool sox/plastic baggies/Target shoes
Descente beanie
warm gloves, the ones I wear in the 30s

I list these kinds of things as much for myself as for you dear readers. It helps to remember for future rides. in the p.m. i rode west towards Shawnee and the Riverwalk. Instead of a boring straight Hill St. trip, I jogged through a couple side streets and first ended up going by my 6th-grade school, Lyman T. Johnson Middle School. We had busing in the Louisville back in the day, so my last name meant I was bused in 6th grade. Busing in Louisville meant lots of white flight, especially to private schools and to Oldham and Bullitt Co. Johnson is in the middle of a crappy neighborhood, but I had a great year there. The classes were small, maybe 15, and you got lots of attention. It was great save the 1hr+ bus ride each way.

I continued the meandering and found Algonquin, Shawnee and the Riverwalk. I think we still have 1 or 2 weeks of color before the leaves are completely gone, and with clear skies and clear view of the river it was nothing but nice. The Bleriot was doing it for me too. I might need to adjust the saddle angle a bit, b/c it seems like I slide forward or down a bit too much but it sure is a comfy machine, and one I think I'm going to ride in a bit.

Right now at the computer I would say the temp is no better than 55F. The contractors, in true form, have stalled out. All the appropriate walls are removed, and a big sheet of plastic partially covers the new kitchen space. In the end, though, it's cold as hell in the back of the house. I'm hoping they get motivated and on the ball. We need our kitchen back and certainly need it for Xmas.

I've done good miles this week and hope to get some more in around the holiday. I'll be in Maysville for part of a couple days, so maybe a big country ride is in the air. I tend to hype those trips too much and leave disappointed as not doing mega miles, so I'll take things as they come this year. But that's next week.

Peace

Commute en el cumpleanyos

Date: Nov 15 Thurs
Mileage: 15 (9.2.5.)
November mileage: 205
Year to date: 2249

After 3 days of mega-adventure commuting, today- the birthday i might add- proved to be more mundane and casual. The LHT needed a rest after 3 big days...and it's missing a Lumotec bulb now, one I need to replace this weekend. So I got the basket bike out- the fixie- and commuted on it instead. really, the a.m. provided nothing new save a substantial temp drop. wed. evening i stopped riding at the bus stop at around 60F and drizzle. this a.m. is was maybe 45F with a stiff wind. it was also one of those strange days when the p.m. temp was cooler- 42F and even windier. i tend to not like those, but i had a good ride in the p.m. too. and today is my bday, so i'm pleased to have a big-mileage week. tomorrow's forecast is for moderate temps, so i'm thinking Bleriot and a long afternoon. why shouldn't i finish the week with a bang?

Contretemps

Date: Nov 14 Wed
Mileage: 33 (LHT)- 6m a.m/27m p.m.
November mileage: 190
Year to date: 2234

I've been trying to think of a witty title for today's commute, but in the end this one is apt. Today's ride was a continuation of yesterday's epic. Yesterday I lost my glasses (fell out of pocket not well zipped), so today i retraced my path in hopes of coming across said $300, 5-month old glasses. Piss! While ayer's route was one into the unknown, today's felt a bit more slog-like, but I thoroughly enjoyed up until the bitter end. And I took pics. I'll narrate the new Riverwalk/Levee Trail connector with images, and maybe throw in a few asides concerning my good fortune and there lack of it.

New markings on Algonquin under 264/Shawnee Expswy. This led me to initial look for other new work on the connector.

New off-street path on Bell's Lane. So pristine and devoid of glass and trash!

This little short portion proved interesting both yesterday and today. Ayer, I almost didn't find this. It sits somewhat behind an old switching station or something. B/c it's so new all the signage isn't complete. Once on it, though, it's a delightful little foray along the train tracks, but with woods full to the left. Oh, and hoy this is where i noticed my tire going soft! It was the first flat I've had in 2 years (commuting), resulting from a tiny piece of glass. I'm going to comment to Conti that it's bullshit to get a flat on their big, band super flat-protection tires with nothing more than a sliver. I change it with a fresh tube, and will have to patch the other as the new spare.

This is actually a pic of Rohm&Haas, but I'm standing in the entrance road of DuPont. My papaw (grandfather to you non-rural Kentuckians) worked here for years and years, my eldest uncle does not. It lies in an area of the 'Ville called "Rubbertown". What at one time was a boon of solid, well-paying blue-collar jobs now is a blight of modern enviroterrorism. There have been SO many articles of the health problems in Louisville's West End. That said, it paid my mom's bills and mine too when I stayed at their house from 1st-6th grade. The new path is a widened shoulder along Campground Rd. It's sort of a shitty stretch, but better than nothing. My uncle can perhaps commute from Southwestern Louisville to his job in "Rubbertown" b/c of the new connector, so I'm supportive rocks and all.

Once past 'Rubbertown', this is the first glimpse of a non-industrial river. I found this by following Lee's Lane past the bike path and to the river. It's obvious something else was there at some point, with it's previous roadbed. Gotta like the Fall color.

The Lee's Lane connector trail. I really like this pic, with the LG&E plant to the right, with its steam trailing in the wind, and the foliage to the left providing balance. I don't know if it's a "good pic", but I like it. And, yes, the winds from the west were quite pesky today. This is near where, on the return trip today, I learned that the bulb had burned out in the BM Lumotec. Oh mierda, miles and miles from home in impending darkness with no headlight. Not good.

"Tenedor". Or actually, bifurcacion. Yesterday I didn't know which to take, but I decided that the right seemed to go downhill towards the river, and I wanted to continue further along the path. (and non-Spanish people may miss the joke. Tenedor is a dinner fork, not a fork in the road. play on words. ja ja. geeky Spanish humor.)

This fuzzy pic doesn't do justice to my favorite new stretch of cyclingness. This section is found just off the levee trail. It's helped by the foliage. It's just a peaceful, pretty stretch of path.

The Bridge. Others locally have also commented on the quality of this puente. It traverses a bizarre large-looking drainage, with innumerable tree trunks. It's sort of in the middle of nowhere, but it's great.

Well, this is the 'Ville too. More southern industrial nightmare. This is the same LG&E plant on the southern side after the 'pretty stretch'. I sort of like this pic too, in all it's ick. The combo of the leaden skies, wires and smoke remind me of those Dickensian pics of England.

That's not a hill, per se. That's a mound of coal for the plant. At the base a most bizarre feature. Apparently it's the cemetary where the University organ/body donors are laid. Ayer, when I first saw the "hills" I thought it was across the river in Indiana. Little did I know.

The river view from Riverview Park. The hills are Indiana. I've heard there are some nice climbing hills, but I've never been over there to ride save a couple club rides a while ago.

More calamities. Ayer, this is where the wallet and ipod case fell out. I heard them and learned that I wasn't good and closed up. I held out much hope that I would find the glasses in the grass today, but to no avail. Big Bummer. I guess I'll get the adult bday+Xmas gift of more new glasses. Let's be clear that this episode- the glasses episode- is a huge learning experience. Back in June I had a perfectly nice pair of glasses. I lost my temper and broke them, so I paid good $$ for new ones. Now, with further responsibility issues- although more accidental- I've screwed another pair up. So that's $600 in 6 months, both situations being completely avoidable. Calm and controlling emotions. Responsible and taking care of appropriate task. Ugghh. Oh, and my front brake decided to magically rub here. the left arm wasn't releasing well. I think it was probably gunk built up on the rim, but this was my furthest point today.

So the tally for 2 days is 86 miles, 1 $300 pairglasses lost, 1 flat, 1 wonky brake, 1 dead bulb (with no replacements), 1 pack Swisscake survival rolls, 1 bus ride home. And a whole lot of fun.

I think I'm getting my legs though. I find that I can still cruise a pretty good speed even when I'm tiring. No, not super speed, but functional speed.

And I finished the evening off with a bus ride home. Down in the West End at dark, tired, wet, and with no headlight, I gave in and availed myself of another of the 'Ville's offerings, buses with bike racks. So I paid my dollar and road across the county back to my neighborhood and to Wednesday night church, where I had spaghetti, salad and more than 1 piece of bread. Thusly quite the adventure. Damn those glasses though.

Southern Strategy

Date: Nov 13 Tues
Mileage: 53 (LHT)- 8m a.m/45m p.m.
November mileage: 157
Year to date: 2201

It's too late and too much going on to fill in on the big adventure today. I didn't have a camera, but it would be impossible to duplicate the mist, fog and rain that enveloped everything today. Needless to say I set a personal record for commuting miles in a single day, 53!, with the bulk coming from a 45m epic this afternoon. It had it all, intrigue, lost things, SwissCakeRolls, new paths, new terrain, new experiences in the dark night on the LHT commuter special. Great stuff except for lost things. I'm reriding part of my route tomorrow to see if I can find the lost thing. Otherwise, that $300 will hurt. Hope the good wife doesn't see this until after I look tomorrow.

I am going to take some pics tomorrow and do a thorough report. Big Day, and thanks to those other bloggers out there for the inspiration to push the limits and seek new experiences.

A+ redux

Date: Nov 12 Mon
Mileage: 29 (LHT)
November mileage: 101
Year to date: 2149

Hmmmm, post below is ride report, but map is screwy. gonna try fixing it here.


View Larger Map

A+

Date: Nov 12 Mon
Mileage: 29 (LHT)
November mileage: 101
Year to date: 2149

What a great commute today, especially this afternoon, No, the whole day. We having a nice window of very clement temps in November, giving me a 57F commute this a.m. and near 70F this p.m. There wasn't a dose of those brilliant fall blue skies, but that's alright b/c the warm, comfy temps made up for it. This a.m. wasn't anything special, but i added a mile or so. the p.m. proved to be the A++ experience. It's supposed to rain most of the rest of the week, probably the back edge of this warm front we had today, so I knew it was time for a little mileage. por otro lado, we had to do some house stuff this evening. my route took me over to 15th street and north towards the river. I think it's one of the best areas of the 'Ville to view the old, hulking remnants of our industrial past: warehouses, grain elevators, old factories with Art Deco office buildings all broken and shattered. Great stuff. Once at the river I turned east along River Road bringing myself to Mockingbird Valley rd. Once there, the route became more interesting. Below is a map of the route I took. To the north of the interstate (I71) you can see a sharp verticle line running in the same direction as the road. This is now an abandon road/path/??. It's always been too wet and muddy to undertake, but today's weather and situation provided me the opportunity to explore this cut-through, brining me first to the back of one of the local parks, and then further to Indian Trails rd.


View Larger Map

I pushed a little further, entering a nature preserve which has a nice lake. Today the lake was empty, strange, and along the path there I got within 20feet of a deer frolicking about. The service road path seemed to dissipate, so I looped the lake on the path and reentered the Indian Hills area, heading towards home through Seneca. Once dude in a too-snug Skittles jersey made a point to rocket ahead of me at the light at Shelbyville/Willis. Ooo, I was impressed!

Great day, and I hope my other fellow commuters had one as well. Sure as hell beats driving the damn car. Tomorrow is calling for rain, but I think wool, a water-resistant jacket and plastic shopping bags can

I do NOT heart Huckabee

I just heard a brief snippet of an NPR interview with Janet Huckabee, wife of Republican candidate. She's one of those psychotic archtypes that Osama Bin Laden loves to recruit when he needs dirty work done in the Middle East. To wit, she believes in miracles, and believes that her husband is going to receive the blessed divination of the Good Decider in the sky, that he's going to experience the "miracle" of being the Republican nomination. I get so tired of these deluded religious types "believing" that God is going to side with them. It's not a question of whether she or Christians should exist or should prosper, but rather their delusion that the Bearded White Dude above somehow cares about Mike Huckabee. He cares enough to enact a miracle to have him be president, but chooses to let people starve, die of cancer, be molested as children, yadda yadda, yadda. Can't they just be satisfied the 'God' created the miracles of their personhood and leave the public shere alone. Ggrrrrrrrr!

TARC

Date: Nov 9 Fri
Mileage: 11 (9.2.5.)
November mileage: 72
Year to date: 2120

While it wasn't a mega-mileage day, I had a great commute none-the-less. This afternoon, Z had a program after school, but L did not. Therefore, it would either take 2 different trips from the good wife, or I would have to come to the rescue, which I did. As I have 1 other time, I rode down to school to meet L at 2.45ish, which is his "escape" time. We then waited for the 21 Chesnut/Bashford bus, which comes by shortly after school. Then, L and I rode the 21 home to be let off quite close to our house. The good wife prefers that not too many details be used about boy issues, but this is enough to get the pic. Picked up quite close to the departure and only 10min of waiting, and let off just a hope/skip/jump. No, I didn't get big miles in, but I wouldn't trade those for a great, peaceful ride home with L, dad and son time. And fortuitously, I first lost my helmet mirror only to have it found on the bus floor by an elderly woman. I have a cold, or at least that nagging sore back-of-throat, so this week has been very low-key. I'd rather sleep than ride, but it was 48F this morning and 60F and sunny this afternoon, so a good day. Oh, and I commuted in on the fixie, using the Wald basket to haul crap. It's a great setup. Once I put the bike on the bus carrier I just lifted (well, actually before) the basket and took it with me on the bus.

Commuter

Date: Nov 7 Wed
Mileage: 19 (LHT)
November mileage: 61
Year to date: 2109

A typical commute, with a little bit ol' the cold weather this a.m., if 35F counts as cold. I figure when I have to start thinking a 2nd layer and the heavier glove it's cold to me. I was going long this afternoon, but a late-afternoon meeting, soccer and stuff brought me home. No worries though. The fall color is outstanding right now, and 48F and sunny is awfully nice weather to ride home in. Wish others could experience it, but it's their loss and not mine.

Peace.

Weekend+Election Day

Date: Nov 3 Sat
Mileage: 3 (RL6PP)
November mileage: 35
Year to date: 2083

Date: Nov 4 Sun
Mileage: 3 (RL6PP)
November mileage: 38
Year to date: 2086

Date: Nov 6 Tues
Mileage: 4 (RL6PP)
November mileage: 42
Year to date: 2090

Two non-rides. Saturday's was to the "Beer Depot" to fetch a 12-pack of PBR and a 4-pack of Murphy's Stout. At least I proved that the Wald basket on the 925 can hold more than a 6-pack. Sunday's trip was to Heine Bros coffee to grade papers. Imagine how ridiculous life is when I'm at the local coffee shop at 7.00 a.m. grading. It was the time change whammy that did me in. Seems time change just means my body wakes up at 4.30 according to the clock instead of 5.30. I also lifted at home Sunday. First time in a while. If think I would feel a little better (in the head) if I can lift 2x/week, just to tighten up the flab. Didn't ride yesterday either. Should've.

Today is Election and again I didn't do a big ride. We went window shopping for flooring and lightening, so the only mileage I got today was again a trip to Heine's on the 925 to grade papers. I'm on the commuter tomorrow, though.

Peace

RL6PP

Date: Nov 2 Fri
Mileage: 16 (LHT)
November mileage: 32
Year to date: 2080
Temps: 38F a.m./50F p.m.

RedLine6PackProject. Yes, this is a ridiculous title and it demonstrates my lack of subtlety. The Redline 9.2.5. is looking brilliant in its new guise- pics must follow- with a Brooks saddle bought on sale, RBW Banana Bag and black Wald basket on the front. the '6PackProject' refers to the simple fact that the basket is a perfect size for a 6 pack of refreshing beverage. Today I had a lock, old Vista light battery and my Timbuktu bag fill with clothing etc. b/c of an after-work jaunt with co-workers, i needed both the lock and the bag to keep my stuff mobile, but in the future I would need a much smaller bag to keep sundries and just lay the clothing and papers inside. I admit the fixie isn't the most ideal for my ankle; it kinda hurt on occasion. But no pain , no gain. It was fun to get out, and fun to have what may now be my 'hippest' machine. The Bleriot is still my fav ride. The updated LHT is a great, great commuter machine. Yet the RL6PP makes quite a statement.

Religion

This is a selection from an article about Alberto Salazar, the famous marathoner from the 80s. He almost died from heart disease, and his religious faith helped him move on.

The pilgrimage transformed Salazar. He sold his restaurant and bar in Eugene and moved to Portland to work for Nike. He attended Mass daily, observed the sacraments, fasted twice a week and repudiated his arrogant ways. He sought to become more patient and generous. To a remarkable degree, Salazar succeeded, but not without cost. When he told acquaintances about the source of his change — apparitions of the Holy Mother, silver chains turning gold — they tended to edge away.

nytimes.com

If you changed "attended Mass daily, observed the sacraments, fasted twice a week and repudiated his arrogant ways. He sought to become more patient and generous. " to "meditated daily, observed awakened states, fasted..., repudiated... He sought to...", it would sound quite similar to the monastic traditions as presented in many Buddhists texts, and perhaps what searching laypersons try to do as well. I think they all have a similar message packaged differently, but the millenia have laden the different religions with man-made social and cultural baggage. I'm decided non-Catholic, but I'm respectful of his faith and the role it has played in keeping him grounded in a chaotic world. We should all strive to find that balance of heart, whether through officially religious or non-religious means.

Peace

p.s. and i find it strange that both the NYTimes and SportsIllustrated have big articles on Salazar this week. go figure.

Tired Commute

Date: Nov 1 Thurs
Mileage: 16 (LHT)
November mileage: 16
Year to date: 2064
Temps: 55F a.m. windy/57F p.m. sunny

tired legs today. i rode in with 'BB', and if she wanted to, she could've left me I think. in the p.m. i at once had thought of going long, but nothing in the tank. strange day in that the morning and afternoon temps were virtually identical. wool tights+cargo shorts/coolmax top/good windshell/thinnish wool socks/wool gloves. love the stuff. tomorrow is the big ?? I would like to ride to get 5 days in this week, but don't know how the legs will feel. we'll be moving stuff all weekend to get ready for them removing the interior wall, so could be a wacky weekend. To beat last year's mileage I'll have to pull 2 300+ months, which should be too bad as long as I keep my commuting miles up. would love to do one longish ride a week- Sunday mornings?- too.

birth month too. Yippee! Peace