Tempus Fugit

Latin (tem-pu̇s-ˈfü-git): Time Flies

Author: Garry

  • Crash Blackout

    After getting home from the ride this morning, I noticed something unusual on my jersey. If you look carefully at the lower right, those of you who are cyclists will most likely recognize the imprint of a chain ring. Now, it’s not totally unheard of to get a “chain ring tattoo” on you calf with a little careless bike handling, but up on the torso area. Clearly, this is a sign of a crash.

    The ride today was the full route at 96.74km, but a little quicker that last weeks ride at an average speed of 32.55 km/hr thanks to some favorable winds and some guys really pulling the group along hard for big stretches of the ride.

    Anyway, about the crash, no I didn’t crash and blackout forgetting how that ring imprint got there. But, while I was lifting the bike to put it on the rack in the garage, it must have got a little too close the the bike.

  • Maah Daah Hey in a Day movie

    This is an awesome video with a great message at the end. Well work the time to watch, especially if you like mountain biking.

    Maah Daah Hey in a Day from Chad Ziemendorf on Vimeo.

  • GPS Ride Tracks in Google Earth

    I had the GPS on capturing our ride tracks for the Saturday afternoon MDH ride, and all of the Sunday Buffalo Gap trail ride. You can install Google Earth here and then check out our ride. Unfortunatly, no tracks for the Saturday a.m. ride on the MDH II. Photos are on flickr.

  • Indoor training on the bike

    Back around Christmas time I purchased my first ever Spin workout DVD. I picked the Spinnervals 19.0 Bending Crank Arms. I really didn’t know what I was getting into and the first workout was a killer and I really couldn’t keep up with my on-screen riding companions. The thing I really didn’t know in advance, was the off bike work. In between spin interval sets on the bike there are squat sets off the bike. You’re commanded to do as many squats as possible in 30 seconds and then hold an iso-squat for another 30 seconds, a 30 second rest and then do it again, and again. Then the sets get longer, 45 seconds and then a minute!

    Well after 4 weeks of doing this workout, I’m noticing an improvement. I can almost keep up with the crew all the way to the end, no throwing up involved, but it gets close some times. I began to wonder exactly how many squats are involved in a session. Well the pace is about 1 per second and today I managed just over 455 squats. Now some of the keeners on the DVD are holding 5-10lb. dumbbells and I’m not at that level – yet.

  • Cycle Log – 01/03

    Not exactly a New Years resolution, but this year I’m planning on being in good riding shape when spring rolls around which means some sort of winter training program.  So, I’ve got the bike on the trainer, complete with a special rear training tire, and purchased my first ever cycle training DVD. A friend at work recommended Spinervals and I picked up Bending Crank Arms as my 1st pick. What I didn’t notice at the time of purchase was the difficulty rating, a 9.5 out of 10, a great pick for my very 1st training DVD.

    I attempted the program three days ago and I’m still feeling it today. Turns out it was more that just cycling and they mix it up with off the bike squat sets. I think it will be several months before I can complete the routine in it’s entirety.

    Today was a 42 minute medium intensity spin while listening to John C. Maxwell teaching session, and a 2:50 cool down to Johhny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues. I’m looking for my cycling computer wired sensor for the rear wheel so I can start logging some mileage. I know it’s around here somewhere. Gli ultimi due chilometri sono micidiali

  • Happy New Year

  • Vanno Velocissime

    My cycling club, FOG, is offering a very nice looking merino wool trainer (Australian merino wool), think wool warm-up jacket. The email notification included a picture and it has the words “FOG Manitoba” across the front and then, is smaller script underneath “Vanno Velocissime”. I was curious, so a little Googling was in order. It turns out it’s Italian, and of course it’s a cycling term. Curious? It and other terms are explained here (I like the photograph too, it looks like many typical cycling days in Manitoba).

    I’m going to practice this one for the club rides next spring. “Vado troppo veloce per te?”

  • Warmer days

    With -15 and snow this morning it looks like FOG cycling is done for the year. We saw this load of bikes in Yellowstone earlier in the year. Don’t let the sunshine fool you, it was June and +6 during the day with sub-zero over night.

  • update

    I’ve been getting a little flack for not posting anything to the Blog for a long time so here is an update.

    I’ve actually been thinking aboot a lot of things for a post but just not putting the thoughts down.

    One of the recurring thoughts is around sentimentality and memories. For the last number of months I’ve looked at stuff around the lake or house and had some strong memories triggered about my parents. One example was a day at the lake when I needed to take some tools down to the dock for a project. I looked around for the orange plastic tool tray but then remembered that somehow I’d left both of them at home in Winnipeg.

    I looked around under the work bench and there it was. A well worn galvanized sheet metal tool tray that I made in Grade 8 and given to my Dad. He had kept it all those years and as I loaded it up with tools I remembered many of the times we’d worked together on a project with that tool tray near by.
    Tool Tray
    Mom and Dad have been gone for 10 years this month. I think of them every day and “tool tray” moments really keep the memories alive and meaningful. Memories triggered by things that might have been thrown out or replaced by something shiny and new.

    At times these old treasures make me feel like my dad’s hands are on my hands. This summer I used a classy brass plumb bob with a string wound on a stick. It was my Grampa’s, then my Dad’s and now mine. The brass part is in perfect condition and I put some new string on the well worn stick a year or two ago. I’ve seen that tool off and on all my life and when I used it it was like they were there with me.

    For me some of these old ordinary things that have been around my life for a long time are some of my fondest treasures. Treasures that trigger precious memories.

  • Sandilands trip

    On Monday Eric and I went out to Sandilands Provincial Park to do a little mountain biking. We had a great trip out discussing all sorts of things while driving through all kinds of weather including some snow and rain. Upon arrival, it was cloudy and cool, and we set out on one of the cross country ski trails. It turns out that these trails have been chewed up by ATVs and as the Park name implies the area is quite sandy. This made for some really tough riding.

    After a short outing we decided to drive over to another part of the trail system to see if we could find some better trails. Eric remembered that once upon a time there were some really nice single track trails, but we never did locate them. The second bit of riding was better, and there were a couple of water hazards like this one. One rather large puddle Eric road through and I heard him say “keep to the left”. After almost going down in the small lake as I rode across I later found out he said “got my shoes wet”. Turns out the puddle was a little deeper that anticipated. All in all a good trip, but I think we’ll be trying some other trails before coming back here again.