TWELVE AND A HALF LAPS!

I went to the crit again. This time I hung in there for 32 minutes and 12.5 laps! I'm almost halfway there! This week I left work with plenty of time to get there. You'd think with all the extra time I wouldn't have to jump out of the car and rush around. Well, last week I had to jump out of the car to register and get ready, this week I had to jump out of the car to stand in line for the pot-a-jon. Man, did I have to go (#2), I was getting the "sweats" as I was pulling into the parking lot. I guess Rob was correct is saying I was #2.

Earlier in the day we went to lunch and on the way back we saw Rob in his H2 Hummer. Well I always kid him about the FUH2, how people "bag" H2's by giving them the finger. So, as we were driving by, in a Township vehicle mind you, I decided I'd give him the H2 salute. I wonder if any of the cars next to him are going to report to our "boss" that someone in the back of a township vehicle is flipping people off? Later, Rob thanked me for thinking he was #1, and he said I was #2... Little did I know that I'd have a #2 incident later in the day.

Back to the crit, turns out the race is not a Cat 1,2,3,4 it is a PRO,1,2,3,4. Yep, PRO, and even Olypmic Gold medalist. So, at the front of the race are PROs and Olympic gold medalist, while I'm at the back giving everything just to hang on as long as I can! This week there was a UNITED rider, I thought "Oh great, this is going to be fun." Well as I was coming off the back of the pack, seeing stars, I saw the UNITED guy just cruising at the back. I guess he was waiting until the end to "throw down".

Sophie's Christening

Sophie's Christening was this past Sunday and everything went wonderfully. Tom and Lynn came down from Maine, Tom was Sophie's godfather. Sophie's godmother was JJ, Kris' friend from high school. At one point we were up on the altar and looking out into the crowd, we saw Jeb running around the church. I guess we are a little more strict when it comes to running around in church! At least it wasn't very full.

We went back to Buba and Pappy's for a catered dinner, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for that! I thought because it was catered it was going to be "easy", not so. In fact, I was exhausted by the end of the day!

Kris's cousins and Aunt came out from Lancaster. Doug and Eileen brought there two kids, which was great because Jeb had someone to play with! Poor Jeb was also exhausted by the end of the day. He was way over-tired! He missed naps on both Saturday and Sunday. He's back to usual now.

Thanks to everyone for everything! Especially, Grandma and Grandpa for taking care of the caterer, and Buba and Pappy for allowing us to party at their house!

Gotta go Sophie's crying and Kris is at the gym...

NINE LAPS!

I went to the T-town training crit this afternoon, and I lasted 9 laps of a 30 lap race. Only 21 to go, I'm hoping by the end of the summer I'm able to last the entire race. It may be a bit ambitious, considering it is a Cat 1,2,3,4 race, but we'll see.

On my way to the crit I decided I should stop and get gas while I'm still in Jersey (gas is cheaper in Jersey, at least where I am driving). This proved to add more stress to my evening. You see, I remember getting to the crit with plenty of time for a warm up. In order to get there that early I must have left work really early. I'm driving on 78 about 15 minutes from the velodrome and it is 5:55, the crit starts about 6:10... I'm cutting it close! I pull up to the guy doing registration, throw my hazards on, jump out of the car, and the guy says "I guess getting changed is enough of a warm-up?" Yeah, thanks, fill out the registration form pay the $4 entry fee and the $2 for my number, I have to reuse it or else they charge $3 for a replacment. I jump back in the car drive to a parking space, dam! It is now 6:05. Where are all the parking spaces!?!? Crap!?!?!?!? Pin my number on only with 4 pins, yep, I had a bit of a rookie parachute going. Pump up the tires, shoes helmet, Oh man why does my helmet fit funny?!?!? Oh, there's a CO2 cartridge stuck in my helmet!?!?! Ride over to the start... dam mis-shift! Quick gear adjustment! to the starting line and everyone is lining up, I made it!!! Whew!! What??? GO???

Needless to say, I rode pretty well considering. As I was "cracking" I noticed not many people had been passing me. I thought for sure there would be a ton of people behind me but there wasn't! I wonder how many laps I did as the last wheel?

It was a lot of fun! Next time I'll do better, at least at arriving early, not sure about how I'll ride though...

Overclocked? Overcooked!

Well, my cousin, or is it nephew, Jeff is a big computer guy. He's always talking about the latest computer gadgetry. Well he decided to "improve" my graphics card by "overclocking" it. Whatever that means? So, last night I tried one of my games and man what a difference! It was like night and day! It really worked well... until the computer locked up and crashed! I guess I'll have to ask Jeff how to unclock my graphics card? Or maybe I'll try it again to see if it crashes again... (Jeff I may be in touch soon)

Tour of Georgia picture...

Viacheslav Ekimov the old man of the peleton, sporting the Russian Mullet. He looks like he should be in AC/DC...

The best part of the picture is lady's reaction in the lower right. "Oh the horror..." she looks very frightened.

Hawk Mountain

The boys came in from St Louis thrusday night and we decided to go for a hike on Friday. I figured we go to Hawk Mountain, even though it was suppose to rain in the afternoon...

Here we are in the parking lot ready to go.


After a while we decided to stop and take a little break. It had started to drizzle and I decided we should put our rain gear on before we were already wet. Well, I had packed a couple of sodas in the backpack and while we (Jeff) were getting to stuff out one of the cans smashed a rock and exploded in the pack! All over the inside of my pack! And my wallet was in there! Yep, coke all of my wallet! And I had just mentioned on the drive up that I have had that wallet for a long time (1994ish)! Needless to say we drank the rest of the sodas!

The Top...

After our little stop we continued the climb and it started to get steep, smooth but steep, I'm not going to lie to you, I was hurting. Once we got to the part where the blue trial spurred off, I started to remember the rocks... (back in the day Derek and I started our trip on the AT at Hawk Mountain)
We got to a junction and the boys had trouble deciding which way to go.


Shortly afterward we found the rocks I remembered so fondly!

With the rain they started getting slippery.
But we made it to the top!

On our way back.

Yep, it was raining pretty hard the entire way back. I thought it would be good to start playing the name game to keep our minds off the fact that we were all exhausted and wet. Jeff and I started really going back and forth but then I started slacking and Russell picked it up. In fact I think they were playing without me for the last stretch.

Here's what I don't get: as we are hiking back to our car and we see 3 different sets of people hiking. 1 set looked as if they got "caught" like we did. However, the other 2 looked like they set off in the rain. I don't get it at all. What were they sitting around looking out the window and said, "It's raining now, lets go for a hike." I don't get it. I do think that sometimes Jeff and Derek think like that...

No pictures from the hike down... we just wanted to get back to the car.

...and we finished...

We finally made it to the road and decided it would be best if the boys hung out in the shelter while I walked along the road to get back to the car. I was hoping someone would pick me up and give me a ride for the mile or so back to the car, no such luck.

I made it and picked the boys up at the shelter. I apparently interupted their second chess match.



We made it home without incident, unles count Russell trying to catch the apple core I threw over the car to his side, while going 40 mph, but that's another story.

Allamuchy...

I actually rode my bike during the week! I really don't know the last time I rode on a weeknight. I am lucky enough to have Allamuchy State Park on my way home from work. I hadn't ridden there since last August, when I tweaked my rim. The place is really a lot of fun, and boy did I notice a difference from the last time. I have about zero power. I used to be able to power over a lot of the climbs on our loop. Yesterday, I had trouble getting over those "power climbs"...maybe by the end of the summer?

Roubaix...

Sunday was the Paris-Roubaix, I have often thought of doing a Roubaix "tribute" ride on the dirt roads around Tinicum. I have been thinking about doing this ever since we moved out of the city, 3 years? Well this year I did it, although a shorter version. (Kris was home with the kids and my parents were coming over.)

Section 5.

I have driven and ridden by this road many times and always say, "I need to ride that road one of these days." It was a nice road, along a creek, relatively flat. Nice start. I got to the end of it and my legs were a little "tender". I guess I pushed it a bit on the dirt.

Section 4.

After section 1 I planned to ride the regular roads down to the canal, but I came across this section. Turns out it runs down for a ways into another dirt road. I had to choose right or left? btw the road was Ridge-Valley Road. (Gee I hope I pick the "valley" part of the road.) Nope, I was in the "valley" and had to climb up to the "ridge". There was a nice view at the top...

but the picture does not do it justice.

Section 3.

The tow path, and I know where I am, this is good. I should be able to get home at a decent hour. Rode the tow path for a ways. (If only I had my speed-thermometer installed I would know how long these sections were.)

Section 2.

Another cross-roads. The road to the right is super steep and long. If had had better legs I may have attempted it. Got to the top of the easier way. "That was easier!?!?" This section is very scenic through the woods along a creek. There was even a waterfall on the side of the road.

Section 1.

Last stretch of dirt. This section sees a lot of traffic because it goes to the High Rocks parking area. I pushed it through this section, knowing that it was downhill back to the car.

Maybe when I get some fitness I could do this ride from home? Jeff, maybe as part of our century?

I stopped by the grocery store to pick up dinner and the kid bagging grocerys asked if I GO to the University of Delaware, I was wearing my UD sweatshirt. Yep, he asked me if I "go" to UD as in I am a student at UD, not a 35 year, father of 2, commuting a hour and half each way, but a student! He must not have noticed the grey hair...

Maybe someday....

I'd like to do this... hmmm, maybe next year:

cyclingnews article

Ronde...

Sunday was the Tour of Flanders and I wanted to do a ride in "honor" of the race. I decided riding the "koppenberg" just outside of Manyunk was the proper way to honor the Ronde. The "koppenberg" is a steep cobbled climb that pretty much climbs from the river up to Ridge Ave. Only about half of it is cobbled, but it is the steep part that is cobbled.

I called Terry, Saturday and he said he was available Sunday afternoon... PERFECT! We met at the Norristown train station, which it turns out is almost exactly half way. It took us each 45 minutes to get there. We then road the bike path towards Manyunk and the "koppenberg". It was a tailwind the whole way down and I kept thinking how bad the ride back was going to be with the headwind. We made it to the end of the path without incident. We did get passed by some women who was truckin' We thought about "hopping on" but decided she was too fast for us, ok she was too fast for me, I can't speak for Terry.

We got to the "koppenberg" and I told Terry it was a real brut of a climb and to get ready. I also told him I didn't really know what to expect because I have not ridden the climb in a couple of years. It used to be one of my regular climbs when we were living in Philly. I used to ride from the city out to Kris's parents in Gwynedd, about a 3 hour ride with the "koppenberg" included. These days I don't think I could do that ride...
I wasn't sure if I was going to make it up yesterday or not, as I am not in very good shape these days... but I made it! Thanks to a 27 tooth rear cog! Yep, I have a 27 on my road bike! Terry made it up as well, I think he had a 23 or 25, like a real man should!

We basically turned around and rode the path back to Norristown. The headwind wasn't bad and we even had enough gumption to sprint up the hill by the parking garage. I had the jump but saw that he was coming around. So, I dug deep and beat him to the top! Yeah! I still got it! I'm the MAN! We got to the top and Terry says to hold up. I thought he needed to stop and eat his humble pie! About half way up his wheel slipped and was rubbing on the frame... So much for him eating humble pie, and so much for me being the MAN! Oh well...