Training Ride
 

Dad dropped in at about 3pm yesterday offering to watch the kids and play frisbee with the dog if I wanted to get a road ride in. The old guy is virtue. The outdoor thermometer said 90 degrees F in the sun and baby it was humid. I put 70oz of gaterade in my hydropak and another 20? in a large water bottle.

My ride starts and finishes on a steep mile long hill. A couple weeks ago the state guys did the oil/tar and chip routine, leaving a lot of loose material on the surface which has finally been run off the road in the last few days. I was finally able to carry some speed off the hill, leaning into the one hard turn without having my wheels wash out. I haven't measured the loop but its around thirty miles of very hilly secondary roads. I enter New York at the one place locally where PA has has the superior surface, the result, I believe, of a local quarry being found responsible for destroying the old road. I mashed the pedals pretty good along Tracey Creek road but lost momentum on O'Connell where the town of Vestal did a more recent seal job with smaller round stones and oil/tar which behaved like ball bearings. From there I turn on to Underwood up past Kopernik observatory. As I crested Underwood, I could see an old guy getting his mail with a very suspicious looking mutt at his side. As quietly as I could manage, I got on the big ring and wound it up. As expected, the dog dove at me, causing his owner to go off on him but my timing was perfect, he missed me by a good foot and I was flying down the steep side of Underwood free and clear. Near the bottom theres a sharp left hand curve that steals most of your juice but thems the breaks. At this point, I have a choice, I could slip over to my father-in-laws for a cold drink or plug on. I plug on, its very hard for me to stop for anything mid-ride, even in this heat.

I'm at my half-way point and I'm guessing I have half a pak of water plus my reserve bottle. The aptly named Castleman road is next. Lined by McMansions (copyright UT) this climb is usually punctuated by a harried desperately middle class whitey in an air conditioned AWD someting or other. Today its Mrs. Harried Whitey dropping off the other Moms after whatever but at least I get a nice smile, Mr. Whitey resents my freedom too much for eye contact. I need to think about something else right now because unlike the bulk of this ride there will be no shade for awhile and I'm climbing. I'm gonna pretend that the pain on the top of my knee is making me stronger. The tar is snapping and pooled in the wheel tracks so I try to stay up out of it. I bog for a second as I hit a very deep puddle of it, then I end up going through some sand. The stones are rattling off my chain stays and the tar is forming a C between the rear wheel and my left stay, I gotta check the dish on that wheel. There will be no more sneaking up on dogs/people on this ride.

I crest the first hill on Castleman and wind it up a bit on the backside. There is the prettiest little fieldstone house here with a really steep roof sitting just off the road. While trying to figure out what the classification of the house would be and whether or not its an owner-built, I blow the shift at the bottom of the steepest climb. So I creep up the climb past a house thats all decks, you really can't make out the building they surround. I've never seen anyone out there...

I glaze over for a while and turn on to Ridge road. The tar is really bad here and the road isn't in the best shape. There is a short climb, fortunately in the shade, by the time I'm done I'm really overheating. I'm making a lot of noise as I motor past some teenage footballers but at least I'm descending. I pass a really big guy chilling out on his front porch working on something... mmm icepop. Gives me a big grin, he knows what I'm thinking. I swing on to Underwood again carrying good speed down to O'Connell. There should be a nice descent on this road but the new surface makes that dicey so I have to stand up to big ring it back on to Tracey Creek. Knowing I lost a lot of time I hammer along Tracey Creek back to PA, getting passed on a climb I stick to the car on the down hill until the driver gets frustrated and opens it up a little. I swing through the trailer park which was once the center of crime locally but is now quite nice, apparently the owner sold the plots off so there are only a few pretty nice trailers now.

I climb by the cemetary, seeing the Murphy bros hauling hay down the main drag probably for a horse owner. I'm lucky not to have met them on the road, since people like to pass wagons at strange times. Predicting traffic is huge when cycling out here. I buzz the flat at a good pace, pass the spot where my wife wiped out and then approach THE HILL. A car with no direction signal screws up my initial climb since I don't know where they're going I have to slow and let them pass. I emptied my pak by the cemetary and drank half my bottle since. Its quite steep at the bottom so I'm creeping when I hit the corner. Its a great corner on the downhill but on the climb you realize how wierd the bank is. I drain the last of my liquid and just put my head down and go. The hill eases a bit and I go to the middle ring. When I get to the house, the Mrs is home making a mega batch of pesto with corn on the cob. Life is Beautiful.

Happy Birthday Griff. :)

Thank you, sixties chid!

what kinda bike joo got? It must be nice to be able if you can pound it for 30 miles regularly.
I've got a Gary Fischer Tassajara frame, just to start the ball rolling. I could go into the details, but, I don't know them. :D

My road bike is a Cannondale Sport Tour circa 1988. I bought it to impress this chick I was seeing... I think its working. ;) Its an early oversized aluminum frame with Sun Tour components from before Shimano ruled the world. Its a real sturdy bike since it was made for touring but its still pretty light. Road bikes should last a good long time even with the occasional loaded tour. Mountain bikes are more likely to get damaged especially if you like your single track riding (like me) or have a tendency to ride off jumps into lakes. I've destroyed two sets of wheels on my mtn bike and am still on my first road rims. My mtn bike is a Jamis Diablo from like 1993-4, full Shimano LX , although I've replaced a lot of parts, with no suspension. Its getting a little creaky though so I may be shopping for a quality x-country bike with front suspension in the near future. Hows the Fischer?

I have some upgrades to make on it (the front shock leaks oil, the pedals bite, the derailleurs could use some lightening, and the gears need to be changed). Overall though, it's been a dream. I ride to school and around campus (it's about two miles from one end to the other which I sometimes do twice or three times a day) so it's seen a lot of abuse on a daily basis. The weekends aren't any better. I get to go trail riding once I can ride down to the lakes near here. I'm pretty sure that I've put about three times as many miles on my bike as I have my car :cool: . The only caveat is that this is my first "nice" bike, so I haven't really had a chance to compare and contrast. But, final verdict: whole lotta kickass.

A little unsolicited advice, swap out the chain along with your cassette. Its made out of softer material than you'd think so it wears along with your gears. A new chain will give you longer cassette life.

So after bragging on the durability of my old Cannondale, I go and trash my frame... bummer. Then I buy a snappy new Trek 520 with all the bells and whis... well no bells and whistles but a fine piece of machinery none the less. Hooray!

Damnit Griff...I am tired of telling you...quit using your bike frames as bongs. ;)

Yeah! The heat oxidizes some of the metal and then it gets in your lungs and breaks down the frame. What you should use is a plastic bucket! ;)

Thats all its good for now, shes's one cumbersome pipe though. I'll always pack the new one in ice, to protect my investment. ;)

Took the new ride out on a 58 mile loop this morning. New saddles hurt, everybody told me to put my old saddle on the new bike but I've got a couple weeks to break it or me in. The Mrs went this time, big fun. We went from outside Nichols, New York along the East bank of the Susquehanna South through Sheshequin, PA to Towanda ate breakfast and rode back through Wysox, Rome, Orwell etc back to Nichols and out to the truck stop in Loundsbery where we were parked. Easy ride down, tail wind views of the river and valley. Mean head wind all the way back, we even had to peddle downhill. We're gonna be sore tomorrow.

last training ride
 

Saturdays the big day. I should be ready but when I took a short 20mile warm up ride yesterday I got some pretty serious pain out of my left hip. I don't know if its from changing bikes, two 6 hour drives in the pickup inside a week, or the tool belt I wore for two days this week? I'm dropping Advil like candy and hoping for the best...

Good luck to you Griff! Make us proud. :)

Is your hip pain deep, like maybe a hip flexer? I pulled my right hip a few years ago doing some heavy landscaping and it was the weirdest injury. It was pain I couldnt quite locate cause it was so deep and then a freaky loss of leg movement. I couldnt figure out what was going on till an athletic pal diagnosed me. It took several weeks to get back to normal.

I hope thats not your deal. Stretch and pace yourself. If all else fails, your better half can give you a tow. :)
Sending wishes for great weather. Have fun and raise lots of dough for a great cause.

People have such funny names for sex these days...

:)

That, or they were both trying to lift boxes of scotch. :)

HA! er...I just call him...Bobcat. (imagine Eartha Kitt voice)

If some combination of scotch lifting and landscaping (LOL) contributed I'll just live with the pain.

before I head out...
 

I'd just like to thank the Cellaristas who helped with our fundraising. When all is said and done our team will have collected something like 7K. My wife lost an aunt to the disease so this charity has special meaning for her. As an extra incentive, I may even let the cellar folks in on a secret Nigerian deal I'm privey to. ;)

I'm in a sports conundrum here...

The Rams are playing the Bears on Fox.

The Cardinals are in town playing the Phillies on CSN.

Cardinals or Rams?

Rams or Cardinals?

Decisions, decisions. :)

D'oh! I put the above post in the wrong thread...my bad. :)

Victory Smells like Tiger Balm
 

We did it! We met some great folks made some new friends and became part of a community this weekend. I'm actually a little depressed that its over, but everyone is pushing one another to go again next year. We ended up riding with a couple other folks whose pace matched our own and one lives up in Vestal so we'll see her again. She's our age and a mother of two who weighed in at about 98 lbs. She could climb like a nut but weighed so little that she had to pedal a lot on the downhills and got knocked around by headwinds a bit. She and my wife both look like twenty somethings so it was fun to watch the young males trying to make time with the cool cycling chicks who would eventually drop in a line like, "Well giving birth to my two kids gives me an advantage on these long rides."

On Saturday, we lost a few folks to dehydration (no permanent injuries) on a long gentle climb from the lake which coincided with the highest temperatures of the day. The medical support was great and the fireman at the next rest stop broke out a truck and set up a really coarse cold shower. I met some really ham radio folks from McGraw. Unfortunately, a heavy thunderstorm showed up three miles before we reached the next rest stop at Swedish Hill Winery. When we got to the winery, we were waved in off the course for what we thought would be a temporary halt at 86 miles. After a while they let us know they'd closed the loop and would be busing us back to the campus. Almost everyone was bummed out, although a few were just relieved to be done. Our riding partner called a buddy on her cell phone who was working at his start-up winery over in Locke. They drove our bikes back in his pick-up and we met up at the beer/wine tasting tent.

As I drained a lovely amber ale from Empire brewing company, we started trying to put the best spin on our being shorted on our hundred. It was determined that we couldn't face the folks who pledged us, so we got back on our bikes cold and did about 15 more miles at a really brisk pace. Our odometer read 101.02 miles at the end of the day. The girls started up with the Powerpuff Girl commentary, they were hardcore dragging our male asses back. We spent the next couple hours sipping beer and wine with stupid smiles on our faces. The next day our number four guy had to ride the short course with the friends he rode up with so it was just me, my wife and our skinny friend this time. I got to be the hardass this time, leading our little group through some nasty headwinds which kicked up near the Montezuma Mosquito Refuge. Theres actually a Montezuma Vineyard, think about that for a second. We got nicked by a shower but completed our 50 mile loop. My legs gave me no problems but my butt doesn't feel like sitting so I'm gonna cut this a little short. There are a couple interesting tales of other peoples adventures, I relate later.

*historical mans inhumanity to man section optional*

Our hundred mile loop actually completed an historic journey we crossed paths with on our training ride, down through Sheshekin PA. After the Wyoming Valley Massacre (not that the conflict began there), Gen. Sullivan marched North through Tunkannock, Sheshekin, along the Susquehanna, and up the West side of Cayuga Lake where he returned the favor. The cycle of retribution actually continues today as a Native American land claim is still in play for the area around the Northern end of Cayuga. We saw a lot of signs in yards opposing the land settlement, one touching sign, outside a farm in question, claimed that seven generations of the same family had lived and farmed there. There is no fair solution, but on the positive side, I saw no tanks or suicide bombers.

*over*

Interesting related article. Our team leader for the ride is a powerful example of living with MS. He is probably in his mid-fifties and utterly addicted to cycling. He is extremely fast and in fantastic shape, riding whenever his symtoms are not overwhelming. He did a double century recently and he's a major figure in the local cycling scene. The man is just an inspiration.




By PEGGY PECK, UPI Science News


SAN DIEGO, Aug. 18 (August 18, 6:09 p.m. PDT) - A survey of multiple sclerosis patients living in England found that 45 percent use marijuana either for relief of disabling leg spasms or to ease MS pain - and use increases as symptoms worsen.

Neurologist Dr. M. Sam Chong of King's College Hospital, London, said the "use rate is actually higher than we expected, especially since 18 percent of the patients said they used cannabis in the last month." In an interview with United Press International, Chong, who presented the findings Sunday at the 10th World Congress on Pain, said that about half of the patients "started using marijuana only after MS was diagnosed."

Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disorder that destroys myelin, the casing that protects the spinal cord.

He said that 74 percent said that marijuana either eliminated or controlled leg spasms that make walking difficult or impossible while 54 percent said they used marijuana mainly for pain relief.

The medical use of marijuana is controversial and far from proven. Earlier this year a study published in the journal Science reported that marijuana did not improve MS symptoms or relieve MS-associated pain.

Nonetheless, Chong said, his survey results indicate that marijuana is beneficial for some MS patients.

The 15-page surveys were mailed to 300 MS patients who are included in an MS patient database used by the neurology department and outpatient clinics. Two hundred fifty-eight surveys were returned. He said that patients who reported more severe symptoms were more likely to use marijuana, than patients who had mild or moderate symptoms. "And as symptom severity increased, use also increased," he said.

"If patients were smokers, then they smoked the marijuana," he said. But most patients were non-smokers and the preferred delivery was "to bake it in a cake and keep it in the refrigerator so they could cut off pieces as they needed it."

Generally, "patients reported using marijuana just before bed" rather than using it throughout the day.

Dr. Sandra Chaplan, a clinical professor of anesthesiology at the University of California, San Diego, and a member of the organizing committee for the pain meeting, noted that recently researchers have identified marijuana receptors in the brain, a finding that suggested it may have a role in pain relief. Moreover, she said that only recently have "we come to recognize that intractable pain is a symptom of MS, so it makes sense that cannabis should be investigated for MS symptoms."

But Chaplan said that smoking is not a medically acceptable mode of delivery. "We need to find a delivery system - preferably a pill - that will deliver the analgesic effects with little or no cognitive effects." Meanwhile, she said, physicians are unlikely to recommend marijuana to MS patients.

Chong agreed: "Neurologists are not likely to start prescribing marijuana, but among MS patients marijuana use is increasing because it is commonly recommended by members of patient support groups."

MS update We're a lock to get to 8k so now our team is hoping to collect 9 grand, cool.

Caught the Chris Thater memorial over the weekend. They had a pretty strong field this year with US Olympians and pro racers from all over the planet. The Northern Menace supplied this years winner.


Mark Walters held off Mike Sayers and defending champion John Lieswyn to win the 50-mile professional cycling criterium for the second time on Sunday in Binghamton.

WAYNE HANSEN / Press & Sun-Bulletin





BINGHAMTON -- Mark Walters wasn't looking forward to the inevitable. When he and the eight other riders in the leading break of the Chris Thater Memorial professional cycling criterium came around the corner onto Beethoven Street on Sunday and saw the rest of the trailing field in front of them, he grew nervous.

The leaders, having lapped the field, were about to find themselves back in the pack with 11 of the 40 laps remaining, and Walters was about to assume the unwanted challenge of winning the race in a last-dash sprint to the finish.

Ready or not, Walters proved up to it. He edged out Mike Sayers and defending champion John Lieswyn in the final 100 yards to capture his second Thater title in three years with a winning time of 1 hour, 52 minutes and 7 seconds in the 50-mile race. Mike Jones, a Harpursville native, had mechanical difficulty and did not finish.

Laura Van Gilder won the women's race, a 35-mile criterium, with a time of 1:35:09.

"Everything worked out perfect for me all day," Walters said with the benefit of hindsight.

When he and the other riders in the leading break caught the main field, Walters, the reigning Canadian National Road Champion, reunited with his Navigators Cycling teammates. Their blue and yellow jerseys became a fixture at the front of the pack for the remainder of the race, and Walters gained a big advantage on Sayers and Lieswyn.

The two challengers, who unlike Walters were riding without a full complement of teammates, could do nothing to put pressure on him. Had they attacked, they would not have been able to break away from the Navigators riders setting the tempo at the front, but they surely would have tired themselves out trying.

So Sayers and Lieswyn settled in behind the blue shirts and waited for the final sprint. There was very little movement within the field until the finishing lap.

"Really, my best shot at this race is from a small breakaway in the sprint," said Lieswyn, who despite the circumstances managed to position himself well for the final charge.

So did Walters.

"I ended up being third position coming out of the last corner, which is probably the best position you could be in," said Walters, 26, who lives in Milford, Pa.

Coming downhill in the final straightaway with the wind at his back, Walters was riding in a virtual tie with Lieswyn and Sayers. As the unlikely trio -- none of the three riders is known for field sprinting -- accelerated out of the pack and neared the finish line, Walters inched in front to nip Sayers and Lieswyn at the end. All three riders sped across the finish line within a bike-length of each other.

"I honestly thought I had Mark," said Sayers, who was ahead of Walters in the final turn. "If it had been a non-downhill sprint, I probably would have, but he had a good run on me coming off the wheel. I just didn't close the deal."

Earlier in the day, the women's race also closed with a sprint to the finish -- only it was for second place. Van Gilder had locked up first place by more than a minute over her closest challenger.

Van Gilder, who drove from her home in the Poconos to compete in the event for the 11th time, made her move with 21 laps remaining. Looking to stretch out her competitors in preparation for an eventual sprint finish, Van Gilder attacked. To her surprise, no one followed.

"I really wasn't sure that I would stay out there," said Van Gilder, 37, of Pocono Pines, Pa. "There's a lot of strength in the field and it was windy, so I rode hard but conservatively so that if I were to be caught, I would have something to stay with them."

Instead, the race became Van Gilder's own personal time trial. Flying solo at the front, she continued to build her lead on the rest of the field, and she counted down the laps before earning her second Thater victory. It was her first win in Binghamton since 1992.

After the race, Van Gilder stood on the side of the road near the finish line. Next to her was Amy Jarvis, who lost out to Lynn Gaggioli in the sprint for second place.

"That was amazing. Wow," Jarvis said.

She had no idea. Van Gilder, known for her sprinting, certainly didn't expect to sustain a lead over such a great distance.

It was a risky maneuver, one that would make any rider nervous. But as Walters and Van Gilder can attest, sometimes those work out perfect.



Its a two day event named for a local racer who was killed by a drunk driver about two decades ago. The Mrs. and I are talking about competing in the citizens races next year. The event also has a roller blading race a well attended 5k run a a bunch of other activities.

I almost bought it last week on my standard ride. I had been three days without a decent nights sleep cuz one of the little ones has been sick. My plan was to replace sleep with exercise. Its been done before but this time it didn't work out. Something was growing in my sinus and I was beat. I dove down our hill and met a car on the tight lefthand corner. I had to take it wide and caught a piece of rough pavement as I leaned into it. I was yanked toward the car and had to turn right toward the outside of the corner. Consider the forces involved, it was DICEY! I road another five or six miles out and met a woman I know who is basically blind whizzing the other way with her kid on the back. At that point I knew I was a pussy.

I've have a couple great rides since. My hip/thigh issue seems to have cured itself so we're going on a big ride with friends this weekend. While picking up my kids prescription at the drug store, I stuck my arm in one of those blood pressure screening deals to see what cycling has done for my pulse and pressure. My pulse was 52 and my pressure was pretty low. I've always had a slow pulse, around 62, but thats pretty freaky.

Nothings better than single track whilst drinking. I wasn't on this trip, but I know a couple of people (crazy single-speed nuts) that were. They just hang around and talk to the cops when they come along to bust up the fun.

Bicycle Punks

Theo Wirth flying at night, yikes, that is not for the faint of heart! Sounds like Griff's cardiac muscle could handle it, though. I'm glad to hear that the downtown cops were not...bad.

Heh heh. I try to do my boozing after, I have a history of poor decision making under the influence.

I went mtn biking with my buddy over the weekend. It was raining so every root was slick, I'm pretty bruised up and sprained my middle finger which finger? this one right here broke a chain link, realized my chainrings are worn out, all in all it was darn near perfect. I was finally able to stick with him from a fitness perspective but he still has a skills advantage. We're going again Sunday and I'm gonna thrash him. :)

Rain? What is this "rain"?

Look up in the sky in about 10 hours. :)

Shredded!
 

Today, I shredded. I rode with a bunch of old guys, well guys my age. We tore it up. It was my first time riding in Oakley Corners State Forest. The single track was hilly, twisty, rooty, very y. It was technical enough to be a challenge but still a very fast track. I road my old Jamis rigid and was complemented on my retro status. Today I was quick and sure attacking effortlessly scrubbing speed efficiently shifting effectively. We rode for about 2 1/2 joyous hours this fine morning and I'm still buzzing now. Sweet. g

Last week [snl]middle-aged man[/snl] commandeered my road bike. There was much wailing and gnashing of teeth plus a flat to fix...

Yesterday we rode with another couple and a little way with my circus folk father-in-law on his recumbent (you've seen these freaks in their easy chairs chewing up the miles). We did 42 miles from Owego, NY through some hillbilly country toward Spencer where the hillbilly/hippy line is drawn over to Candor. I wonder what comment caused that naming to occur? We caught a tailwind from Candor back to Owego, great fun. My bike saved my butt once toward the end of the ride. My concentration wavered and I slipped off the pavement in a place with no berm. Hopping my front wheel back onto the pavement was totally subconscious. No fuss.

Saturday/Sunday is our annual MS 150 ride. We're going to camp this year so the rain should be a pleasant diversion. Actually sounds like a repeat of last year.


Saturday:
Variable clouds with thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon. Isolated severe weather is possible. High 81F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Saturday night:
Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.

I don't know where the heck this T-storm is coming from but since an earlier forecast had highs in the nineties maybe its for the best. We're gonna have fun booze anyway!

MS 150 2003
 

Okay, so having shifted from sore to not sore, I can report that a good time was had by all. Pete (for new folks Pete is a chick and my wife) and I raised about a grand for the MS Society thanks in part to some of the folks here. Saturday morning we took off a little early so we could take our time at the rest stops munching, drinking, and chatting. With rain threatening, the organizers held folks back so they wouldn't get fried by the potential difference in potential. We were gone before that decision was made and did get a little wet so it was soggy shoes for the rest of the day. The showers swept through occasionaly for the rest of the day.

We had a different route for Saturdays 100 miles this year. We kept looping through Union Springs a cute little town on the North-East side of Cayuga Lake in NYS. There was a lot more climbing this year which added to the lack of long term goal, like riding to Ithaca and back last year, made it harder for some folks to keep their heads in it. I didn't train as hard this year as I did last but I wasn't nearly as heavy this Spring as last. I felt great and was climbing easily since I didn't have any nagging injuries. My legs didn't hurt at all until the last 15 miles. My butt was pretty sore but thats to be expected. We camped this year crashing hard after 1.2 beers for myself and .8 for Sneaky Pete.

Sunday we got a late start but made good time on the 50. We had a strong headwind coming back to the NY Chiropractic campus in Seneca Falls. It was very sunny so I caught a few too many rays but it was a welcome change. The campus is absolutely gorgeous and the town is pretty homey. Seneca Falls was the inspiration for Bedford Falls in Its a Wonderful Life. If you go definitely hit Baileys Ice Cream parlor mmmmmmm milkfat. You see after a 150 miles in 2 days you can eat as much ice-cream as you want.

They're still taking pledges so I'll leave the link up a couple more days.

*edit smelling isues

Good work!

17.5 degrees F when I left the house this morning to meet the MTNBikin buds. We're out of shape, it was cold, and we had a blast. the end

I severely underestimated the weather when I headed out Saturday afternoon. Went out in shorts and a long-sleeved jersey, no booties, and ditched my jacket before leaving the driveway.

45 fast, fast downhill miles into raging headwinds (took about 2-3 mph off my average speed). One big climb that absolutely killed my legs, which were shaking by that point.

It took more than an hour to regain feeling in my toes. My fingers were pretty cold too - took a lot of effort to shift by the time I got home.

Definitely bundled up in full gear today - but, as expected, I got too hot. :(