To Be Honest With You........

700 Club

2008-07-21T09:51:00.000-05:00

July is shaping up rather nicely for me.

if the family, the weather, the man, and the body cooperate i just may top 700 miles for the month. just may, but you never know.

to date i have 11 rides for 530 miles at a 18.4 mph pace. distance is good, but i need to be faster. want to be faster. must get faster. i like going fast.

later.

A Picture Is Worth............

2008-07-18T14:51:00.000-05:00

.....a 130 pounds.

12/31/2005

june 2007

RAIN. the pictures....

2008-07-15T15:43:00.001-05:00

happy campers at 6am getting ready to head over to the start.

should the sky be this dark at 7am?

done.

RAIN. the report....

2008-07-14T11:10:00.000-05:00

first, much thanks to Team Psimet for guiding us to and from RAIN via the Starship Psimet. Mrs Psi and Little Psi were troopers and provided us excellent SAG. it was much appreciated.

this was my third RAIN. while my mileage was about the same as last year, i think the training & riding efforts have been better, so i was feeling good going into the 160 journey.

we woke up early to some nasty looking skies. very dark with consistent bright flashes of lightning. rain at RAIN....i thought....this should be fun. we arrived at the start early and got a nice spot near the line. eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. with the start of RAIN the rain started.

miles 0-40:

fast & flats. twitchy & itchy. we were rolling with the lead group. riders were flatting left and right. to my right Psimet. to my left it NVR (hey, anyone seen NVR?). shortly after Psimet flatted i decided to drop to the back of the lead pack. despite the conditions (you know, the obvious need to take it easy) riders were all over the road and very impatient. i felt like this could get ugly and wanted none of it. i hung on to the back of the fast pack until mile 25. it was just time to get real and slow it down a bit. this was about the time the rain stopped. the skies remained ominous though. i rolled solo into the 1st stop.

miles 40-60:

we rolled out fully loaded (me, Psi, JT1, Scummer, & Voldemort). the sun was coming out and one could feel the heat & humidity rising. it was going to be very muggy. we pretty much stuck together during this stretch. it was these miles where Psi admitted he was hurting. maybe we shouldn't have rushed him out of the 1st stop :innocent:.

miles 60-90:

rolling into and around Indy we could see a lot of standing water and flooding. we just missed some nasty weather for sure. this section was fun. Scummer power pulled, then went off roading, then more power pulling, then a flat. i rode into lunch slightly ahead of our group. like last year i was really needing the break...........and Oreo cookies.

miles 90-130:

Oreo cookie power. after one samich and 12 Oreo cookies i departed the lunch stop solo. like Psi mentioned this always seem to be the toughest stretch. you pass the 100 mile mark, but realize you have 3 hours to go. the heat and humidity of the day are peaking. it just gets nasty. a couple things kept me going; i hit the century mark at 4 hours 53 minutes, a sub 5 hour 100 & my fastest ever. looking for and dreaming of route 40 kept me going. searching the DMB catalogue in my head for that song Psi & i sang at the rollout, kept me going.

miles 130-160: I can ride my bike with no handlebars. No handlebars. No handlebars.

the pain cave was sucking me in as i rolled into the last rest stop. most of the riders there appeared to be in the same fashion. i didn't stay long. i didn't eat much. i did snag a brown sugar poptart for the car ride home!

i pretty much rode the second half of this ride solo. only getting passed by 2 riders. around 150 i started computer watching. "damn you Garmin Edge, click those freaking miles off already." at mile 158 a lady blew past me on the descent into Richmond. i had passed her group just prior. i thought good for her. no i didn't. i jumped on it and descended into town catching her as she celebrated prematurely. i didn't take the foot off the gas until the turn to the finish line. i got issues.

Eat, drink, and be merry.
For tomorrow we die.
Eat, drink, and be merry.
For tomorrow we die.
'Cause we're Tripping Billies.

my third RAIN was epic. they all have been in some way or the other. from first timer, to perfect conditions, to the pain cave. i will be back next year.

congrats to everyone. way to fight the mind and body Psimet..................AND WIN.

MB Edge Stats

my ride time = 7h 55min for a 20.2 mph avg.
total time was just over 9 hours.

*edit* unofficial slash official RAINride.org time is 9 hours 3 minutes. that puts me 151 out of 911 finishers.

later.

RAIN

2008-07-11T09:27:00.000-05:00

one way. one day. 160 miles.

2007 RAIN [Flickr]

2008-07-11T07:43:43-05:00

aham23 posted a photo:

start line of the Ride Across Indiana. one day. one way. 160 miles. we are to the left just in front of the first parked car (van) in the picture.

Holiday Resting.....

2008-07-06T21:07:00.001-05:00

i think not. time off from work means more time on the bike.

last weekends poor effort up in the hills of Wisconsin had me bumming. then i couldn't get out Wednesday or Thursday for any rides and i was pouting. i started checking stats from last year and this year to date. it seemed i was no better and no worse. flat lined.

on the 4th i did the JBC Metric. a 62 mile ride, but i decided to ride to the ride as it was local. the legs were good. i was at the front and off the front all day. into the wind i was very strong. it was a totally flat and fast ride, but the wind was a bit nasty. i finished the ride faster then last year. just what the doctor ordered.

after 140 miles this weekend (180 this week), late nights & holiday cheer, i am tired. i still need to find a way to change things up and advance my cycling abilities. some fast group rides. more climbing. more time trial type efforts. intervals. racing(?).

one way, one day, 160 miles, is next Saturday. it should be fast and furious.

later.

calm and steady....

2008-06-30T09:08:00.000-05:00

after yesterdays 63 miles with 6400 feet of climbing i have decided that my climbing needs more work. trying to follow The Goat on this route of his further drove home the fact.

i was all over the bike on these climbs. wasting way to much energy and effort. i was up. i was down. i was rocking. i was grunting. i was spitting. i was suffering. i was like that muscle guy at your local gym using the free weights while sounding like a heard of elephants. no one wants to work out next to that guy.

it all can be corrected. i will follow and study and practice.

all was not lost on this ride. i did feel strong at the end and i did see a 54 mph max speed on the last descent of the day.

how about some numbers talk? despite being on a love boat quarantine for 13 days i am near 500 miles for the month of June. the sky is the limit for July. this week is the crucial week for me and RAIN. one day, one way, 160 miles is fast approaching.

later.

Missing Bolt [Flickr]

2008-06-27T22:28:00-05:00

aham23 posted a photo:

Seat Post Clamp [Flickr]

2008-06-27T22:27:12-05:00

aham23 posted a photo:

this is weird...

2008-06-24T13:13:00.000-05:00

since the Udder Century, back on 6/1, i have had a small cycling related issue. we shall refer to it as The Issue. it is a small thing, but a thing that could slam the brakes on a season. while i sort of have it under control i have to laugh when i think about what i am now doing and what i have done to fight The Issue.

to date i have applied Balmex, Neosporin, Baby Powder, Destin, Wet Ones , Equate Triple Antibiotic Cream, Chamois Butt'R, & Assos Chamois Creme on and around the area of The Issue. i have never ever been so aware of and paid so much attention to this particular area The Issue calls home. never, ever, ever.....

i have treated The Issue, but only time off will vanish it for ever. this is not in the cards for me. i am also treating what i believe is the cause, old lycra & possible poor fit.

i ain't messing around with the lycra either. out with the shorts and in with bibs. the best of the best, Assos. when it is all said and done i will have two pairs, the Equippe and the top of line F.13 S2. take that Mr The Issue. toss in some lower end every day bibs and i will be lycra short free forever.

as for fit, the only thing i changed over the winter was my saddle height. i jacked it up just a bit. i do not think this is the issue, but may make some small changes in saddle placement. small increments are the key. i really think the culprit is worn out chamois.

i think i had a point here????? oh yeah, this is weird. i thought that as i looked up and into the bathroom mirror while partaking in my new post ride ritual. wipe the area with a wet paper towel, then a Wet One, then stand with legs spread and allow to air dry, then 20 to 30 minutes of stretching and recovery, then a shower with more cleaning of the area, then more standing and drying, then application of cream & baby powder.

don't even get me started on the trimming.

later.

Vacation Action.....

2008-06-23T15:13:00.000-05:00

me snorkeling

me swimming with killer stingray

me holding the wall up at 3am the night before debarkation

the end

LOOK Keo Sprint Pedals [Flickr]

2008-06-18T22:21:00-05:00

aham23 posted a photo:

2008-06-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

first night, before even boarding, the in-law love is flowing.

me, on a boat, needing a drink.

pretty please.

oh yeah.

the end

debarkation

2008-06-16T08:39:00.000-05:00

To unload, as from a ship or an airplane.

thank gosh almighty.

the love boat captain has returned.

now, where is my freaking bicycle?

how much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

this is the question that must be answered. 15 days off the bike. 15 days i said. at least, the legs should be fresh..............................????

later.

you can just call me......

2008-06-06T20:55:00.000-05:00

the Love Boat Captain.

i will miss my bike.

and my super start to superior cycling fitness.

that is all.

later.

Double or Nothing....the pictures

2008-06-03T22:00:00.000-05:00

the BFNIC gang ready to roll.

climbing Barlow Road

i am second wheel here. almost to the top and almost dead :)

fudge rounds from the grocery slash craft store never tasted so yum yum.

2008-06-02T13:15:00.000-05:00

you see that hill to the right? that is the highest point in Southern Wisconsin, Blue Mound State Park. this is me trudging my way towards it.

the Double or Nothing Weekend has come and gone. however, someone tell my legs that, cause they are barking mad at me.

i think the weekend can best be summed up with numbers.....

Saturday: Double or Nothing Ride. 4:15 am wake up. 6 hours in the car. 4 hours 9 minutes of ride time for 63 miles and 6000 feet of climbing.

Sunday: the Udder Century. 5:00 am wake up. 2 hours 30 minutes in the car. 5 hours 5 minutes of ride time for 100 miles and 3000 feet of climbing. this was a 19.7 mph pace and a personal best ride time for a century. not to mention it was a day after this flat lander busted his butt climbing hills in Wisconsin.

last week i was on the bike for over 14 hours and totalled up 248 miles.

wow, that is a lot for one week. get this though, i loved every minute of it and wish it could have been more. good times man. good times.

later.

2008-05-30T09:25:00.000-05:00

i love cycling.

i have this life long friend. he was doing some sprint tris and into mountain biking. late 2004 i got a mountain bike. it was hard. hard on the body. i had no skills, plus i was fat and angry..... i know, you know this, but hang in there.... June 2005 i got a Trek 1000 and got the bug. in 2006 i dropped 70 lbs. i got new the Giant TCR C2 in August 06. i rode over 2500 miles that year.

i thought this was my start. it was not.

last weekend, as we drove back from the Soldier Field 10 mile race, i am talking to my buddy of some 20 plus years about cycling......yes, the life long friend mentioned above.....i am trying to explain why i love riding my bike. i cant really do it in a manner that satisfies me. however, he seems to get it.

now i am trying to figure this out myself and it goes something like this:

me - "I never watched it on TV" .
him - "Sure we did. As kids we met up at my house and watched Lemond all the time."

oh yeah, i would ride my Schwinn Traveller racing bike over to his house to do just that.
i have always been a roadie. he has just been hiding inside me for some 20 years. :)

now you know.

later.

ps: this is Double or Nothing Weekend. 5/31 = 62 very hilly miles in Wisconsin. 6/1 The Udder Century (100 miles). back to back hundos (100k and 100 miles). good times.

finishing leap....

2008-05-29T19:58:00.000-05:00

holiday racing....

2008-05-25T22:39:00.000-05:00

finally the Midwest gets some Spring time weather. seventy degrees and sun never look sooooo good.

so, i ran a 10 mile race on Saturday. first, let me say the event was 100% outstanding. a must do for all Chicago runners and wannabes (like me). i am a bears fan. running through the tunnel onto the field with the Bears Fight Song playing was something i will never forget.

now, what about my Too Little Too Late training plan? it worked.

i ran this race because my two buddies, who talked me into the 07 Chicago Marathon then backed out, wanted too. don't get me wrong the event was awesome, but i should be in full cycling glory this holiday weekend. NOT taking the entire week off from riding.

my plan was this, ride myself into excellent cardio shape and run two times a week to get the legs/body ready for the pounding. it worked.

i have not had a run over 5 miles in 2008. i have not run more then three times in any one week. heck, i don't think i have ran over 10 miles in any one week this year. i have been riding.

i felt good on race day. we went out at 9 minutes per. at mile 2 one buddy was dropping back. i felt good and stuck with the fast buddy (every group has one). around mile 5 we picked the pace up to 8:30 minutes per. ok, he picked it up, but i was feeling good. i was not sweating profusely or breathing heavy at all (meaning unlike him).

at mile 7 my little buddy and me grabbed some water. unfortunately, his was spiked with instant speedy steroids. he took to the grass to pass a large group of slower runners. i did the same, but he never slowed. i looked down and Mr. Forerunner screamed at me 8 minutes per mile! i thought for sure he would slow, but he never did.

i like to win, to be the best, to be the man (at least in my circle of life), but this made me happy. my friend of some 20 years, who in recent times has been over weight and out of shape, was doing something special. after seven miles of running (9 minute pace) my little buddy turned on the jets and took off. last May i would guess he couldn't walk 10 miles. did i mention this was his first running race??

he clocked in at 1:26:54 for the 10 miles.

around mile 7 my legs started reminding me that this was my longest run of the year and i had not logged enough miles to run a 10 mile race at this pace. so, i popped a Hammer Nutrition Gel and trudged on.

as i said the finish was oh so cool. what i remember the most was how small the stadium felt from the field. the seats seemed to be on top of the field. man it was cool.

i learned a couple things from this race. i was able to RIDE myself into excellent cardio shape to run a sub 9 minute per mile race. training with and running with life long friends was extremely fun. i love being abnormally physically fit. no, i am not talking about you, the amature endurance athlete. i am talking about mr normal man with a 9 to 5, 40 plus hour a week, desk job.

official word:

10 miles in 1:28:58 for 8:53 per
2262 overall out of 5000
350 in the 30 to 34 age group
1455 of all males

for recovery i rode 30 miles today. the day after the race.

later.

who you crapping ?

2008-05-22T22:57:00.000-05:00

seriously..........?

who the heck thinks they can log 7 miles a week as prep for a 10 mile race? who are you? please post a comment on how you do this??

i will post my comment on Sunday, after i do just that.

ok, ok, ok, it is not like my non running days are spent watching Ellen and eating pure 70% dark chocolate bars. ok, ok, ok, some of my non running days are spent doing just that.

so, i have the Soldier Field 10 Mile Race this weekend. the finish is on the Bears 50 yard line. supposedly, the jumbo tron will be one and you can see yourself hit the finish line. cool!

sure i have under trained by "running standards" but i have logged some very aggressive miles on the bike. this summer is all about the bike. in fact, i have a big weekend of cycling coming up next weekend so, i will not let this put that in harms way.

i will do my best. i will attempt to finish in front of my two back-out-of-the-marathon buddies. that is just me. one of them is fast and one of them is me. i like the challenge.

later.

blog therapy ?

2008-05-14T12:05:00.000-05:00

no, not mental. what, do you think i am some kind of quack who believers in Quackery and needs his blog for mental well being. Silly rabbit, trix are for kids.

i am talking about hamstring well being. i blog up about my aches and pains then two days later the hammy is all Kool and the Gang. ready to take on the world.

maybe it is Karma? oh uh. i take back the first paragraph.

moving on. i am continuing to embark on my Too Little Too Late training plan for the upcoming SoldierField10. the cycling is going well. the running is getting better, but still low on quantity. if i am healthy i should be able to run the 10 miler without issue. it will be slow, but you gotta take the good with the bad.

You hear that, Mr. Aham23? That is the sound of inevitability

later.

hello hammy?!@?

2008-05-09T15:03:00.000-05:00

i have been riding my bike and i have been enjoying it...............A LOT!

so much i have put of thinking about, well training for THIS.

this would be the Soldier Field 10 Race on 5/24. ten miles with two friends. the same two friends who talked me into the 2007 Chicago Marathon then backed out before they even got started with training. i am not bitter. i just want to stomp them into the ground at this race. :)

however, i can't run. ok ok ok, a bit dramatic, but when i do i hurt. first it was the left IT band. now it's the entire left leg. the left hammy is really tight after my 5 mile run yesterday. i need some hammy stretching suggestions from my running experts.

why is my leg hating on running??

did i mention i have only been running once a week and this race is two weeks away? uh oh. me thinks it will be me getting stomped!

i have been riding which has me in decent physical shape. the last ride was a thrasher. i went out on my flat and fast route and did just that. considering it is early May i am very happy logging a 40 mile ride with a 18.4 mph average. i should see some fast numbers come August.

later.

me and the gang

2008-05-07T13:41:00.002-05:00

BFNIC
Originally uploaded by aham23.

some of the BFNIC bunch hanging out before heading out on the second loop. im in the red "flappy" jacket.

see that nice little road twisting and turning upward in the background? good times this ride was. good times for sure.

the Classic Report

2008-04-30T12:53:00.002-05:00

i now have a new favorite 30 mile loop. well, with my wrong turn it was 43 miles on the first loop, but it was still awesome.

the Saturday warm up ride with Tim was 24 miles, 3000 feet of climbing, 25 mph wind & a 50 mph decent. it was fantastic. seriously, i loved every minute of it. Tim is this master of everything. this means he can navigate his way in a strange land without maps or fancy electronic devices while keeping an entertaining conversation the entire way. i learned two things on this ride; if you are wearing a number 7 diaper its time to start potty training AND if you say "Last one to the top buys the first Spotted Cow" you better be ready to go, because Tim will be gone.

Saturday Stats

Sunday did not let us down. it was sunny, clear and calm at 7am. sure it was cold, but once properly geared up i barely noticed the temps. like anticipated the ride blew up quickly with the first hill. it was an in your face violent wake up call.

five or 6 guys formed the A group and shot up that hill. i was off the back of that group with Tim and a couple others. my legs knew it was April, but my head wanted to play like it was August. i chased and that was my downfall. i was chasing guys that if i did catch i wouldn't be able to stay with. we did meet up with them again due to some construction blocking the road, but my time with them was short lived. then i fell off the wheels of Time and Jose which left me solo. i had hope and direction though as i had them in my sights through the beautiful peaks and valleys of the route.

i was hurting and eventually lost sight of the guys in front of me. out came my map, i mean que sheet. i didn't bring the map. it appears i am a poor navigator as i made a wrong turn. about two miles the wrong way i decided to turn back. i did, but there were two riders coming my way. they had the map and felt we were on track. three of us couldn't be wrong? uh, we were. we descended into a small town on hwy 92 and quickly determined we were well North of New Glarus. we asked some locals for directions and with their help and that map decided on an approach. we didn't back track as we tried to pick the shortest route to NG.

we added 8 to 10 miles to the first loop and two kick arse climbs with this detour. i rolled into the park to see the A Listers still there waiting. i felt kind of bad that my miss turn may have delayed there departure, but then figured they would take much joy in dropping me again anyway.

i rolled out for the second loop with the mountain goats & jack rabbits. this loop also starts with a pretty nasty hill. guess what, i was off the back. at the bottom of the decent i spotted Tim slowing up and waiting for me. we made an executive decision to take the offered short version of the second route to avoid complete spontaneous combustion. lucky for me Tim had the map and was able to guide us effortlessly.

short didn't mean easy. this short version of the second loop had several decent hills including a killer one at the end. one i had struggled up yesterday as a matter of fact. however, i took this last challenge fairly well and felt good as i made the final decent into town.

for me it was 60 miles, 5000 feet of climbing, lots of suffering and lots of fun.

Spring Classic Stats

New Glarus, WI is a great location for a ride. totally different from my normal flat rides amongst the cornfields. i look forward to getting back up there.

today, the legs are still pretty sore. for me, this was a pretty violent early season effort. the trouble maker (left IT band) is pretty tight, but livable. i need to log a run or two this week and plan to be back on the bike this weekend.

later.

BFNIC Spring Classic

2008-04-25T14:33:00.000-05:00

the first big group ride of the year is this weekend. unlike last year, the ride is taking place in Wisconsin AND the weather forecast is NOT looking good. this means, hills, cold, wind, rain, and maybe snow. this could be real ugly.

this is what i looked like the last time i tackled a ride in Wisconsin.

wish me luck. later.

take that..........

2008-04-21T08:55:00.000-05:00

....giant quads. this weekend was Passover so that meant 7 hours of driving in a 24 hour time span to visit the in-laws.

we rolled home around 2:30pm on Sunday. it was beautiful out, 70, sunny, and light winds. we unpacked then the wife looked at me and said "Get Gone." i did.

the legs were slow and unresponsive from the start. so i punished them. i sprinted up every roller and into every headwind. when you ride out in the open plains even a light wind provides difficulty.

i thrashed the legs and ended with 40 miles at a 17.7 mph average pace. i stopped for 27 seconds (damn Sunday drivers). considering this was my 7th ride of the season i am very happy with the results.

peace out.

the run down........

2008-04-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

last year at this time i was just getting ready for my first major cycling event, the BFNIC Spring Classic. i had only 3 rides under my belt, but was coming off a successful hilly half marathon and a winter filled with running. i had almost 270 running miles under my feet, which equalled some 40 hours of running.

this year is not last year.

the IT Band injury i sustained back in December basically shut me down, running wise. to date, i have 12 runs for 38 miles. the IT Band is 90% and i need to pick the running up as i am slated for the Soldier Field 10 Mile Race in late May. that being said, i have 5 outside rides so far and almost 30 hours of trainer time. i am finally feeling like i am getting back to a decent fitness level. we shall see if the all this tortuous trainer time was worth it when i roll out for the 2008 BFNIC Spring Classic next weekend. this years event is up in Wisconsin and will provided a much more difficult route then last year. especially difficult given it is so early in the cycling season and i don't see too many (or any) hills on my training rides.

movies. i have been watching movies. have you?

Underworld - 3 stars. blu ray. repeat. decent action flick. do they ever run out of bullets??

Dan In Real Life - 4 stars. blu ray. new to me. surprised me. not your normal romantic comedy. well worth a rental for sure.

Dreamgirls - 2 stars. blu ray. new to me. blah.

Man On Fire - 5 stars. blu ray. repeat. Best PQ and Sound i have experienced. great acting, story, & editing made this really enjoyable on my setup.

I Am Legend - 3 stars. blu ray. repeat. the movie could have been great. could have.

Rumor Has It - 2 stars. blu ray. new to me. cute girlie movie.

Superbad - 0 stars. blu ray. new to me. i didn't get it. i normally get this and enjoy this kind of stuff, but not this one. only made it 45 minutes into it.

I, Robot - 3.5 stars. blu ray. repeat. great PQ & Sound. CGI is good. story is good. Smith does well with this type of roll.

later.