Category: Grab Bag

Going the Distance
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

Saturday was a great day for getting out on the bikes. The weather was warm, sunny and the snow was almost totally gone.

In the morning Eric called and we took the mountain bikes out for a spin down South Drive. we got a little wet but managed to avoid the bigger puddles and thankfully didn’t get splashed by any cars. We had a great ride and talked about all kinds of things and distance just flew by.

In the afternoon I took the road bike out to Birds Hill and did about 4 1/2 laps. Just as I was starting out a paceline of about 5 guys flew by so I tried to catch up, but that just didn’t happen. They had too big a lead and I just couldn’t seem to close the gap. I had the iPod playing a Maxwell session and I just settled into what I felt was a fairly hard pace… until two guys passed me. I got on to their wheel for a short time but realized quickly that their pace was out of my league right now. This was a little discouraging. I thought the winter training would have me in better shape, but actual riding if so different that on the trainer. A couple of more solo laps and then I hooked up with some fellow FOG riders for a good fast pace.

All in all a fairly high mileage day for so early in the year and a good couple of rides.

Well, the first road ride outside in 2010. Scott and I did a few laps around Birds Hill Park this afternoon. The road was mainly dry and clear and the temperature was a pleasant +3 with light winds. It felt good to get back out on the road and off the indoor trainer. However, I suspect there will be a few more indoor sessions before I’m able to make a full return to the open road for the season.

Next time I’m going to let those nice guys who road by and offered to take the picture do it. Scott is looking good, and I look like a dork holding camera taking a picture of himself, which I was. Oh well, next time.

It was a long, slow painful demise. First he went blind (lost his button eyes), then he suffered through a double amputation (both his stick arms fell off), but a remarkable surgical procedure managed to re-attach one of his arms. Then, he suffered a stroke (fell over), but made a good recovery for a few days and was up and about. But in the end the overwhelming sunshine and hot temperatures took him out and he layed down his life.

Snowman, we’ll miss you.

My #1 Cheer Leader
Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

Had a great ride at Icebike 12 today at The Forks. I did the usual Abominable class race which this year was 3 laps for ~15km. Turnout was lighter that usual. Not sure if it was the snowy conditionsor the Super Bowl or what. Lots of years it’s been much colder.

I was surprised that even after road riding late into the fall, and doing some workouts on the trainer, the 1st 1/2 lap was a killer. My legs were burning and I seemed to be sucking wind a bit. After that, I settled in and felt pretty good for most of the race.

The St. Boniface hospital side was the main challenge with all the fresh loose snow on the slope of the river bank. This section of the course required a little off the bike running which was just as fast as trying to ride it.

The other interesting spot was dropping down to the lower part of the trail after crossing the Provencher Bridge. The drop wasn’t too bad inspite of the loose show, it was that big rock half way down that was ready to greet anybody who lost control.

A good day all in all especially with Scott, Mandy, Shirley & friends cheering me on. It always helps the keep you pushing hard when you’re feeling like easing up. The results will be up later in the week, so we’ll see how I finished up them.

However, this was yet another year where I didn’t win a door prize! Dozens of prizes each year, 8 or 9 years of being in the race, and so far they have yet to pull my number. What’s up with that?

This cute little person showed up on our door step one weekend while we were away, and he even shoveled the driveway! Thanks!

Hoarfrost (glossary definition)

Hoarfrost A deposit of interlocking ice crystals (hoar crystals) formed by direct sublimation on objects, usually those of small diameter freely exposed to the air, such as tree branches, plant stems and leaf edges, wires, poles, etc., which surface is sufficiently cooled, mostly by nocturnal radiation, to cause the direct sublimation of the water vapor contained in the ambient air.

I just think it’s pretty.

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?”