Time on the bike.

Met up for the first Saturday group ride on this bad ass bike. Me and 15 of my closest friends tackeled 3 1/2 hours of asphalt. Not wanting to look like pussys J-No and I added a loop at the end which added 45 minutes to our ride. According to him we got in about 80 miles at roughly a 19 mph average. Felt like I could have gone longer...

Then went out Sunday for almost 3 hours of "bonding" with my woman on this beast. Three things that can make it a hard ride; tandem, 25 mph headwind, threshold intervals. Legs were toasty by the end.

Why do I do this? So I am not this guy...

...when I show up for to race on this bad mamma jamma.

At this point I already feel stronger than any point last year and I can "pinch" less as well. Cross my fingers, but things are looking good so far.

Netflix rocks.

Went to a movie this weekend with the Baby's Momma. Usually we watch movies from Netflix at home, but she really wanted to see Sandra Bullock's husband die. Just to give a background, my woman has a minor in Special Education and has worked at an Easter Seals Camp. She has extensive experiance with those that are mentally and physically disabled.

At this movie there were 2 gentleman in wheel chairs that were making a large amount of noise. They had 2 people there to help them, but they did nothing. According to Becky, they were more interested in watching the movie. After 30 minutes of this very loud yelling and moaning, a manager came in to observe. At the appearance of the manager the 2 people in wheel chairs were quiet. All of a sudden the 2 in charge were doing their job and there was silence. Well, the manager disappeared from view (but not from the room) and the noise started again. This time he asked them to leave. The 2 teenage helpers could barely peal themselves from watching the movie as they left. It is too bad that those who are less abled are often cared for by people who don't care (I have seen this more than once).

Then a group of ladies sat down in front of us. One of them was wearing enough purfume to knock out a horse. On top of that, it seems that all of the teenagers like to sit in the front rows and text their friends during the entire movie. I counted at least 4 that were constantly texting. You can't help but notice the bright light emitted in those dark theatres.

So as far as my senses go, I was distracted by sight, smell, and hearing. Too bad I didn't get some stale popcorn and had some butthead kicking my chair.

Thank God for Netflix. They kick ass. No late fees, don't have to leave the house, and free of buttheads.

Gonna go do some tempo intervals now. What are you doing?

Riding with the fearsome threesome.

Went out on a reconnaissance ride with 3 of the top 6 riders in the MNSCS series yesterday. Just under 4 hours of gravel grinding and exploration. Did the Oxenburg on the Oxbow Classic course, and then went farther North and West were there are very few flat sections, and plenty of elevation changes.

From left to right. Chris Fischer, Brendan Moore, Me (with eyes closed dreaming about my Supercal), and Ben Moore. I was the only one without the "team" helmet. So sad.



Guys...hey guys...hey guys wait up!

Chris used this ride to get in some motor pacing behind the team car. He could barely maintain the 13 mph pace and finely cracked. Brendan calls this "caveman" motor pacing.

Today I went out by myself today to get in a couple of hours with some steady long intervals thrown in. One thing is for sure, I am consistantly working a lot harder this year then last.

Now I get to cut tile for the trim in our bathroom. Do you wanna help?

Guest Blogger.

The following is from a OG Homeboy of mine, Cory "put a rock in your jersey" Gross. We go way back. Including working at a shop in da hood.

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The story you’re going to read is about a time when Charly rode outside (in Utah). About 9 years ago to the day, in Moab. It was spring 1998, Charly was fresh out of UW Lacrosse on spring break, and I was one year into my first job out of college as an applications engineer. I was going to be working in Colorado and Utah for a week. Afterwards, Charly was going to fly out and meet me at the Denver Airport for a week of riding in Moab, and then a marathon drive back to MN for work/school on the following Monday. After “sales” visits at the Coors Brewery and Alta Ski Resort, my work was done, and I returned to Denver to pick Charly up and proceed to the land of slickrock(s).

Once there, we decided that we weren’t going to spend any extra money. Soon after booking a hotel room for one person, Charly was caught by the owner of the hotel sneaking into the fire exit to avoid coming through the front lobby. Pay for a camping spot - no way! We only camped at the "free" spots near the river. We didn’t exactly splurge for the best maps either.

Our first ride was at the Slick Rock Trail - halfway through it started to rain, snow and hail. We slid back to the hotel soaking and freezing. Not a great start to our epic riding week. We decided to ride the Poison Spider Mesa Trail to redeem ourselves. Pop Tarts, Granola Bars, Water and spare tires were loaded into our Camelbaks and we set off. Somewhere along the trail we decided that a 3-4 hour ride just wasn’t going to cut it. No, we needed to ride “epic.”

The map showed a nice little skinny spotted line that was advertised as the Gold Bar Rim Trail, which looped out towards the rim of the high cliffs that you view on the hwy heading south into Moab. At this point we had a good supply of water, food and humor. Charly was talking smack at a healthy rate, and was doing his best to channel any number of members from the group NWA.

Kerins (sp?), or three stacked rocks, were scattered every ¼ mile to let us know which way to go. Things were great, we owned this trial. We were hucking sick 1 foot drops, and walking the real drop-offs. Then, the Kerins stopped appearing. The terrain got rough. It all looked the same. We looped back and found a familiar spot but couldn’t figure out which way was out. Out of nowhere, a local guy rode right past us on a four wheeler, didn’t stop, just kept going. We followed his direction for 5 minutes and were completely lost again. The “trail” we were on was getting way too hard to ride. This repeated for the better part of an hour. We started doing the math. Sunset vs time to get off this so-called trail, - it didn’t seem good. We ate all of our pop tarts, drank nearly all of our water, and started to get just a little worried, and tired too. Now, many of you know Charly as a smack-talker who could make Terrell Owens self-conscious, and as a smart-ass who might bring a whoopee cushion to a funeral parlor, but he was pretty quiet at this point. We were getting owned by the Gold Bar Rim Trail, and we didn’t have that much to say about it.

It was after 5pm, and we were still following this trail, reflecting on our decision to follow a skinny dotted line on a cheap map. Then, we saw the sign warning riders of the deadly Portal Trail. We finally arrived at a spot we could locate on the map! We decided our luck was not running anywhere near the level needed for the portal loop, and we headed out on the remaining part of the Poison Spider Trail. Our legs were fried, our minds were mush, and we slogged through the last part of trail and rolled into town to our hobo campsite just as the sun had set and the moon was coming out. Epic.

After that, we ate Mexican food, and stayed on the well marked trails the rest of the trip. The picture below is Charly on a ride we did later in the week. Shortly after this picture, he relieved himself on the top of a high cliff, just as a strong wind picked up from the canyon below - it created a disgusting natural phenomenon that I hope to never experience again. Good times.

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Yes, that jersey is real...real sweet! I still have it by the way.

For the record, the next day we were at a bike shop when we overhead an employee exclaim that the rider should not ride on the Gold Bar Rim trail. "People die out there", was her exact qoute. In the hood you learn how to survive.

Now go to work smiling with Cory's writings in your head.

Notes from the desk of Jo Mama

The weather warmed up some and do you know what that means? Everyone brings their bike in for a tune-up.... at the same time. It is really interesting to see these people flock in like geese flying back North from the winter. They bring in bikes with deflated tires and dusty frames asking us to "grease" them up.

Although I have only gotten one so far, my favorite are the ones that "need" them back the next day. If they "needed" them back so bad they should have brought them in a week ago when we had nothing to do. Now you can't put air into a tube without 2 bikes rolling in for repairs.

It will be nice when Ben gets back from school to help. Assuming he is still alive. He started off a blog with a bang...3 months ago. Yeah, he is updating that thing like a mad man! You hear me Ben? Get off your butt and give me something to read. If you have time, go there and put a comment down to that effect. I just did. Use derrogatory names if needed.

Other than bitching about bikes and people I have been riding them. Outside even! Yesterday was intervals on the Paragon. Today it is a fun ride with J-No on the Madone. I bought the third duplex from J-No. His basement leaks. I am going to try to put the hurt on him this morning as payback. That will show him!

Today's odd picture.

I think he might be going to work. You?

Single file line.

Warm weather + antsy riders = Riding outside.

Saturday went out with a group of 8 people were we got our road bike on. The 5.9 Madone still kicks ass. I can tell the training is coming along nice as I took all the "town sprints" without having to try hard, or no one else bothered (hmmmm). The hills are still harder than the flats, but I can tackle them a little easier this year. No pics of the 2 1/2 hour sausage fest, sorry.

Sunday was a different group ride. I got pictures this time and not as many riders joined me.




From left to right; Spaz, Me, My Baby's Momma.

Our chariot awaits.

Roads were nice. Weather was reasonable. Still plenty of white.

Stopping to answer the call of nature.


Despite this being Becky's first ride this year, our pedaling action always seemed to be in tandem of one another. Tandem, get it? Damn, I am funny! Seriously, she did awesome. We are both stronger this year. That 2 hour ride was nothing!

Sugar Daddy was worried about me getting in my threshold intervals. I found those can be done on the tandem without problem.

The shop was certainly busy. Everyone was bring in there bikes for tune-ups. Guess who gets to do that!

I am very anxious for it to warm up further for more riding mayhem.

Work.

Let's go for a ride.

I had a chance to get off work early and with the sun out I could hear the Paragon calling, "Charly, come ride me". Then I heard another voice say, "that's what she said". Oh well, I suited up and headed out. Sunny and about 20 degrees.

Oh, was the Paragon excited!

Headed out on the pavement. I hit many hills, but concentrated on keeping the effort low on the ascents.

Headed out on some gravel. I got the lobster gloves in the pic as well. We in the blogging business call this a two for one shot. If you think that is lame then you are in fact lame.

I brought a Y-wrench and made small adjustments to my positioning while out. Here I just pointed the nose down a touch on the seat. Then I took a blurry picture. Then I put it on the blog, and now you are looking at my blurry picture.

I tried to ride the Mayowood trails. There was a packed trail, but it was only 5 inches wide (yes I went back and measured with a ruler). If you even thought of letting the tire off of the trail this is what you got. It was damn near impossible to stay on the trail.

This is a super expensive home (I should know, I own it and rent it to these people). I was told the lots (yes lots) used to build it on were around $500,000. They even have their own underground garage.

This is the crappy job of snow removal there was on the street in front of that house. I thought it ironic.

GOOD AFTERNOON ROCHESTER!!

It was 2+ hours of fun (that's what she said). Now they both sleep.

This ride was brought to you today by toe warmers. With their adhesive back and warming radiance, my tootsies were toasty.

I am going to bed now, then going to work.

Don't you have to work??

New celebrity??

It is amazing how our little ones grow up so fast. Nina (seen here) has taken the Paris Hilton route and is trying to use her parent's vast real estate empire to bring celebrity status to herself. Nina figures she can be another spoiled heiress. The following are some "paparazzi" pictures that will soon see there way into the celeb news.

This is her coming out of a local hot spot...drunk (ala Paris).



She loves the camera and is more than willing to pose for the photographers.

Here she is again posing. The rest of the photos will not be seen here because they contain graphic images (again, think Paris Hilton).

Back in simpler times before the glitz and glamour.

Well, that is it for today. You can be on the look out for Nina in the news. Also, watch for the release of the completely unauthorized movie featuring Nina; "Nina Tri: Doggy Style". It features footage of Nina that was meant for her own personnal use.

Yeah, I am bored and I am sure you are sick of the old "I was on the trainer again" thread.