Craziness.

Well I've been a bit absent. Things have been crazy busy around here. I had a funeral I went to Wednesday. We left Tuesday and returned Wednesday night. Then I am going to Las Vegas for 4 nights for a Microsoft Sharepoint conference. Work has kept me plenty busy trying to catch up and get things finished before I jet set out of here. I finally have things at work wrapped up so now I need to run to the bank and pack. Then get a mother's day card for my wife and maybe a gift and then...

Wow, I like doing things and going places. When I feel like I am never home and don't have time to accomplish things that I want to accomplish, it makes me grumpy. I'm starting to get that way. I'm living off other people's schedule, not my own.

I'll try and post some pictures and things while I'm there.

I'd like to bike too while I'm there but the way it sounds, riding on the strip is horrendous and getting anywhere else to ride is about a 15 mile cab ride. Including getting to a shop where I could rent a bike. I'll see though. I might be able to figure something out.

Quote of the Day

From Bike Snob NYC -

"I too have learned volumes about myself from riding. For example, by mountain biking I’ve learned from my tendency to ride around obstacles instead of over them and from my technique of stopping, dismounting, and visually inspecting drop-offs before riding off of them that I am both lazy and cowardly. I’ve also learned by being dropped from races and rides of all kinds that I don’t like it when things get difficult, and that no matter what you’re doing you can always quit. And that is a beautiful lesson. Knowing that life itself is optional is the key to getting through it."

Ride Report

Over lunch today I went for a nice little jaunt. I rode the Heart Ranch loop again only this time I mixed in some 1 minute 30 second sprints. I'd have to say that I nearly died. I honestly almost threw up twice. The wind was blowing right into my face and I was pedaling as hard as I possibly could. I tell you what, it made the trip back rather easy. So, I took a few pictures.











And on another note. I have a new goal for next year. A triathalon. I have done a marathon, a century, a ride across South Dakota (with team mates), however, I can't swim. So, I'll have to figure out how to accomplish that task.

The triathalon I would like to do is an Xterra event at Iron Creek lake. It is an off road triathalon consisting of a 1K swim, 22K bike and an 8K run. I'm trying to get my wife talked into doing it as well but she's a little hesitant. I think it's going to be a goal for me!

http://icort.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

http://www.xterraplanet.com/index.cfm

Last Summer

Last summer I cut my eyebrow open on a rock when i fell off a ledge while mt biking. I was even wearing a full face helmet. Here is a video of my injury. I'm all healed and better now.

Video Day

Here is a video I put together about 2 years ago. Some co-workers and I put it together to prove that we could do video for our boss. I did all the shooting and editing and the girls were the actors. I just wanted to share because it's fun and I like it.

April 23 Ride

1h 15min
21 miles
1018 kilocalories burned
1900+ feet of climbing
141 ave heart rate
16.8 ave mph

Question for you American cyclists. Do you use the standard or metric distances when talking the talk? For me it depends on if I'm talking about a race or my ride. My rides are in miles because that's what I know and love, however, races are in kilometers and that's how I talk.

Just curious.

So, I might have ridden
33.8Km

I think I need to read this!

Roadie: The Misunderstood World of a Bike Racer



by Jamie Smith, Illustrated by Jef Mallett

Veteran race announcer and long-time cycling enthusiast Jamie Smith sets out to explain the sport he loves and the roadies who live for it in this lighthearted treatise on bike racing. Finally, a book to explain those people who roll out for a ride dressed in technicolored Lycra at the crack of dawn on Saturday, and return at sundown with a glow of satisfaction and even stronger tan lines.

Perfect for anyone who has ever known a roadie, considered becoming a roadie, or walked away from a bike race completely puzzled, Roadie addresses all of the curiosities that accompany the sport of cycling, from shaved legs to colorful jerseys and unbelievably expensive bicycles, shoes, and components. Every seemingly neurotic tendency is explained and celebrated with humorous illustrations from nationally syndicated cartoonist Jef Mallett (also rumored to log thousands of miles of riding per year).

Explaining strategy and races from the famous Tour de France stage race to the local criterium, Roadie brings the excitement of bike racing alive for anyone with an appetite for adrenaline. And for the thousands who purchase a shiny new road bike each spring, it's a much-needed primer on the politics of a group ride. Pacelines, drafting, sprinting, climbing, and breakaways are turned into everyday commonsense with colorful anecdotes.

Whether interested onlooker or cycling aficionado, readers will find themselves laughing out loud as they revel in the roadie's world.

Paperback. B&w illustrations throughout.

6" x 9", 256 pp.
VP-ROAD
$21.95

About the Author and Illustrator

Author Jamie Smith has been a bike racer since 1983 and a bike race announcer since 1985, working his way up through the ranks of amateur cycling and traveling with some of the world's greatest cyclists. When he's not on his bike, Jamie Smith is a public information officer and photographer for the City of Rochester in Michigan. Learn more about Jamie at his website, ThatsBikeRacing.com and visit his blog, RidersReady.net, which is devoted to roadies, road cycling, and the misunderstood life of bike racers.

Illustrator Jef Mallett lauched his "Frazz" comic strip in 2001 and it now runs in 150 newspapers nationwide. An avid cyclist and frequent triathlete, Mallett writes a monthly column for Inside Triathlon magazine and contributes to VeloNews magazine.