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| Merry Christmas Everyone!!! |
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
If, by Rudyard Kipling
One of my favorites:
If
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son
If
If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son
Cycling With A Side Of Crossfit
There's something sweet about the tenderness of muscles when they see their first day back to a workout.
Last week on Gobble Gobble Eve, I made my return to the box after a six week hiatus. My greatest fear was not being able to do a pull-up, but fortunately for me I have not lost my ability to kip.
Fast forward to the middle of the WOD and that blessing was dust in the wind...I was angry at my body for not retaining the benefits of the past year and resorted to laughing at myself after each pitiful set of push-ups, pull-ups and squats.
Of course, the best thing about Crossfit is the people you workout with...and I was very thankful to chat with everyone again...I've missed those sick WOD killing mofo's.
When I woke Gobble Gobble morning, before my eyes even opened, it was apparent I was paying for the price of admission to the Gobble Gobble Eve WOD. I couldn't move. My legs, arms, back, hands and ears were all screaming!!!
Inciting a "3, 2, 1 MOVE" chant...I was able to make a pitiful roll off of my bed. From there I used a strategic shuffle to prepare for the day.
Now...I'm not sure what my neighbors think about my sometimes akward decents and ascents from my porch...but I was a mess getting down them that morning and for the next three days. I had absolutely no control over the lower half of my body...
It was hilarious.
That being said, there was no possible way that I was going to pass up the opportunity to ride my bike while we've been having a November heat wave this past weekend. So, I forced myself to climb up on my bike and spin around to a few destinations.
Last week on Gobble Gobble Eve, I made my return to the box after a six week hiatus. My greatest fear was not being able to do a pull-up, but fortunately for me I have not lost my ability to kip.
Fast forward to the middle of the WOD and that blessing was dust in the wind...I was angry at my body for not retaining the benefits of the past year and resorted to laughing at myself after each pitiful set of push-ups, pull-ups and squats.
Of course, the best thing about Crossfit is the people you workout with...and I was very thankful to chat with everyone again...I've missed those sick WOD killing mofo's.
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| First Blood...Back From Hiatus... |
Inciting a "3, 2, 1 MOVE" chant...I was able to make a pitiful roll off of my bed. From there I used a strategic shuffle to prepare for the day.
Now...I'm not sure what my neighbors think about my sometimes akward decents and ascents from my porch...but I was a mess getting down them that morning and for the next three days. I had absolutely no control over the lower half of my body...
It was hilarious.
That being said, there was no possible way that I was going to pass up the opportunity to ride my bike while we've been having a November heat wave this past weekend. So, I forced myself to climb up on my bike and spin around to a few destinations.
In the end. It was a great Thanksgiving. I am thankful for my family, friends and freedom and I'm looking forward to a great holiday season! Aaaaand...incidentally, now that Thanksgiving is behind me...there are only 5,009 hours until my 2012 focus race...
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Last Race, Last Place, Big Ass Smiling Face
A few weeks ago I mentioned that I wouldn't be participating in this years Iceman race.
Then, by the grace of Miss Beth Brandavin, I had a transfer and was on my way to my third Iceman Cometh. Last year I moved up from beginner to my age group and things went pretty well for me. This year, since it was such a late decision and since it's the year I turned thirty. I decided to go for the main event and roll in the Pro/Cat 1 category (Happy Belated Birthday to ME!).
There were big names coming to town for the ladies. I'll admit I looked up each and every registered rider in the group, twenty three names to be exact (including but not limited to Catharine Pendrel from Luna Chix, Amanda Carey from Kenda-Felt and Mackenzie Woodring from Priority Health) . It was very exciting to know that I'd be at the starting line with them and a part of the roll out.
Last weekend was my epic ride from Shelby Twp to Greenville, so most of the week was spent recovering and cleaning Miss Berlin. Friday morning, I had good luck pancakes with my niece Miss Kaitlyn and my mom before meeting up with my transportation specialist, Chris from the D2 Team (aka one of "The Patterson Boys").
Overall, the weekend passed faster then a fart. One minute I was trying to coax myself into getting a decent amount of sleep on Friday night, the next I was at Williamsburg road screaming as I saw my east side and west side boys coming down the trail. Finkel, Rayster, Kroske, The Rodd, The Robb, Ben...
As my start time crept up, I started feeling like stale chips. Too much time out in the elements, unable to ignore the sleek kits of the Pros as they warmed up. By the time the call up started for the men, I was all but ready for a nap, I felt like all emotion had been drained from my body.
What can I say about the race portion of my day? I hammered like crazy to chase after the pack. I reeled in and was reeled out by a few different riders. Lungs were heaving, eyes were bleeding...
I knew early on that I was likely to be the one to bring up the rear of the race. It terrified me to know that I would be coming in to the finish alone. How awkward to be showing up to the party so late...label it "Call ahead seating"...or "Leave the light on for me".
I can only speculate what it meant to others when I came in to the chutes. I heard Ben, Chris, Eric and the other counterparts of the D2 team screaming at me. When I rounded the last corner, I heard my Wolverine friends yelling out my name. The announcer gave me a shout out. And I had the worlds largest grin plastered to my face.
There's no medal or check for coming in twentieth place, but there was the worlds most delicious Pumpkin Ale Beer delivered to me by Rayster when I came over the line.
I finished six minutes faster then my time last year (2 hours and 22 minutes).
Eric of "The Patterson Boys" and I had discussed the many different meanings of racing on the Eve of Iceman. I still won't admit he's right about our tubeless debate, but I will say he hit the urinal cake about what I will remember about this years Iceman.
It will go down in the books as the Iceman where I smiled so much my cheeks were sore (Squirrel!). I hugged so many good friends my arms were sore. I hammered so hard on the pedals my legs were sore. And I drank so much...
Well, we'll leave that open ended.
Big thanks to the Patterson and Vanhoose families for all of their help this weekend! It was great to spend time with you! Thank you Mr. Finkel for collaborating on the upcoming 12 season...let the training begin!
Then, by the grace of Miss Beth Brandavin, I had a transfer and was on my way to my third Iceman Cometh. Last year I moved up from beginner to my age group and things went pretty well for me. This year, since it was such a late decision and since it's the year I turned thirty. I decided to go for the main event and roll in the Pro/Cat 1 category (Happy Belated Birthday to ME!).
There were big names coming to town for the ladies. I'll admit I looked up each and every registered rider in the group, twenty three names to be exact (including but not limited to Catharine Pendrel from Luna Chix, Amanda Carey from Kenda-Felt and Mackenzie Woodring from Priority Health) . It was very exciting to know that I'd be at the starting line with them and a part of the roll out.
Last weekend was my epic ride from Shelby Twp to Greenville, so most of the week was spent recovering and cleaning Miss Berlin. Friday morning, I had good luck pancakes with my niece Miss Kaitlyn and my mom before meeting up with my transportation specialist, Chris from the D2 Team (aka one of "The Patterson Boys").
Overall, the weekend passed faster then a fart. One minute I was trying to coax myself into getting a decent amount of sleep on Friday night, the next I was at Williamsburg road screaming as I saw my east side and west side boys coming down the trail. Finkel, Rayster, Kroske, The Rodd, The Robb, Ben...
As my start time crept up, I started feeling like stale chips. Too much time out in the elements, unable to ignore the sleek kits of the Pros as they warmed up. By the time the call up started for the men, I was all but ready for a nap, I felt like all emotion had been drained from my body.
What can I say about the race portion of my day? I hammered like crazy to chase after the pack. I reeled in and was reeled out by a few different riders. Lungs were heaving, eyes were bleeding...
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| That's totally me on the right!!! |
I can only speculate what it meant to others when I came in to the chutes. I heard Ben, Chris, Eric and the other counterparts of the D2 team screaming at me. When I rounded the last corner, I heard my Wolverine friends yelling out my name. The announcer gave me a shout out. And I had the worlds largest grin plastered to my face.
 |
| Getting My Beer From Rayster |
Eric of "The Patterson Boys" and I had discussed the many different meanings of racing on the Eve of Iceman. I still won't admit he's right about our tubeless debate, but I will say he hit the urinal cake about what I will remember about this years Iceman.
It will go down in the books as the Iceman where I smiled so much my cheeks were sore (Squirrel!). I hugged so many good friends my arms were sore. I hammered so hard on the pedals my legs were sore. And I drank so much...
Well, we'll leave that open ended.
Big thanks to the Patterson and Vanhoose families for all of their help this weekend! It was great to spend time with you! Thank you Mr. Finkel for collaborating on the upcoming 12 season...let the training begin!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Epic Ride (Part 2)
And the story continues...
As the last bits of sunlight licked the tree tops, I found myself rolling into the driveway of a white farmhouse, hoping the owners of the house would let me charge my cell phone for a minute so that I could make contact with Chris and the team.
The blinds parted next to the front door and a girl about the same age as myself peeked at me. She then emerged from the garage and said hello. I briefly described my predicament and she agreed to letting me plug in my phone for a few minutes. Since the garage door was open, I suggested that I just plug into an outlet in there, not wanting to make her uncomfortable by coming into the house and she said that would be fine.
The battery in my phone was so dead that even after plugging it in, I still had to wait a few minutes for there to be enough power to make an outgoing call. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a hold of Chris and had to leave a message. I gave him the crossroads of my current location and asked him if someone could meet me at the county road which I estimated to be about ten miles from where I currently stood. That way we would end up meeting in the middle of what was left of my route. I sent a text message as follow-up in case my voicemail was lost in space and then repacked my bag.
While saying good bye, my new friend gave me a few words of caution about the houses that were on the back roads and suggested I take the road her house stood on up to the main road. I had thought about that as well, but the guys had a print out of my directions and I didn't want to go off course. I assured her it would be fine, that I had lights. She said she thought I was braver then she would be in my current circumstances.
At home, if I were riding the roads by myself, I easily would have allowed myself to get creeped out and would have been turning for home. Out here, there really wasn't another option. At best the guys were still at least forty-five minutes away by car and it was too chilly to sit and wait by the side of the road.
I told her with a laugh that she wouldn't be reading about me in the paper and then started turning the cranks towards the now designated meeting place. The night was now upon me and my headlight shed bright light onto the road in front of me.
As I moved along, I thought to myself that before I knew it I would be at Ben's house laughing with everyone about being stuck out here, just that small rationalization made me feel comforted. My mileage was now hovering around one hundred and thirty five miles, but my legs felt okay and I was still thinking clearly. I also remembered that Eric's girlfriend Rachel was with the guys and that she wouldn't let them forget to come find me!
After an hour had passed, I still hadn't found the county road. I'd followed all of the directions perfectly up until now, but the intersection had evaded me. I came up on what seemed like a main road and stopped pedaling. Leaning my bike against the stop sign, I sat down and started rummaging through my bag. I reminded myself that this was the time not to freak out. I just needed to eat something and assess the situation. Overhead the sky was clear and filled with stars, the fields along the road where glistening as frost was starting to form.
After consuming a Luna bar and my last cliff shot block I decided to move forward and try one more intersection before I turned around. The two houses I passed didn't have any lights on and the next road did not match the name of the one I was looking for...not even close. I was preparing to turn around when a large, well lit auto shop truck rumbled up the road. The truck turned down the road in front of me and I decided this would be the person to ask for help.
I followed his truck to his house like a stray puppy and explained from the driveway my predicament. I felt composed, but I'm sure I looked a little worse for wear, it had been over fourteen hours on the bike at this point. He agreed to let me plug in my phone and I quickly disassembled my gear and plugged the charger into an outlet on the porch.
After three rings Eric answered Chris's phone, I've never been happier to hear his voice in my life...
We quickly discussed where I was located and decided to meet at the intersection I had recently departed. According to Eric, Ben said I had missed the turn for the county road because the name is different on the sign then on my map.
My second new friend of the evening offered to drive me back up to the corner and after I protested, not wanting to cause him further inconvenience, we loaded my bike onto the flat bed of his truck. Within ten minutes I was reunited with Chris and Eric. They quickly loaded my bike onto the roof rack and we filled in the missing details of my route.
In the end, I received a great ride (147 miles) and a little miss adventure. As with all stories, there are many different paths they can take. For this story, there was no unhappy ending, but instead the kindness of strangers and friends shone brightly above and beyond anything else.
I am thankful that my friends put up with me and the idea of my epic ride. Thank you Chris, Eric, Ben and Rachel for getting me home safely. Thanks to Ben and his dad for allowing me to crash at their house and the late night sodas! Special thanks to Chris for making arrangements on my behalf for clothes and for dropping me off back at home, most of this adventure wouldn't have been possible without your assistance!
As the last bits of sunlight licked the tree tops, I found myself rolling into the driveway of a white farmhouse, hoping the owners of the house would let me charge my cell phone for a minute so that I could make contact with Chris and the team.
The blinds parted next to the front door and a girl about the same age as myself peeked at me. She then emerged from the garage and said hello. I briefly described my predicament and she agreed to letting me plug in my phone for a few minutes. Since the garage door was open, I suggested that I just plug into an outlet in there, not wanting to make her uncomfortable by coming into the house and she said that would be fine.
The battery in my phone was so dead that even after plugging it in, I still had to wait a few minutes for there to be enough power to make an outgoing call. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a hold of Chris and had to leave a message. I gave him the crossroads of my current location and asked him if someone could meet me at the county road which I estimated to be about ten miles from where I currently stood. That way we would end up meeting in the middle of what was left of my route. I sent a text message as follow-up in case my voicemail was lost in space and then repacked my bag.
While saying good bye, my new friend gave me a few words of caution about the houses that were on the back roads and suggested I take the road her house stood on up to the main road. I had thought about that as well, but the guys had a print out of my directions and I didn't want to go off course. I assured her it would be fine, that I had lights. She said she thought I was braver then she would be in my current circumstances.
At home, if I were riding the roads by myself, I easily would have allowed myself to get creeped out and would have been turning for home. Out here, there really wasn't another option. At best the guys were still at least forty-five minutes away by car and it was too chilly to sit and wait by the side of the road.
I told her with a laugh that she wouldn't be reading about me in the paper and then started turning the cranks towards the now designated meeting place. The night was now upon me and my headlight shed bright light onto the road in front of me.
As I moved along, I thought to myself that before I knew it I would be at Ben's house laughing with everyone about being stuck out here, just that small rationalization made me feel comforted. My mileage was now hovering around one hundred and thirty five miles, but my legs felt okay and I was still thinking clearly. I also remembered that Eric's girlfriend Rachel was with the guys and that she wouldn't let them forget to come find me!
After an hour had passed, I still hadn't found the county road. I'd followed all of the directions perfectly up until now, but the intersection had evaded me. I came up on what seemed like a main road and stopped pedaling. Leaning my bike against the stop sign, I sat down and started rummaging through my bag. I reminded myself that this was the time not to freak out. I just needed to eat something and assess the situation. Overhead the sky was clear and filled with stars, the fields along the road where glistening as frost was starting to form.
After consuming a Luna bar and my last cliff shot block I decided to move forward and try one more intersection before I turned around. The two houses I passed didn't have any lights on and the next road did not match the name of the one I was looking for...not even close. I was preparing to turn around when a large, well lit auto shop truck rumbled up the road. The truck turned down the road in front of me and I decided this would be the person to ask for help.
I followed his truck to his house like a stray puppy and explained from the driveway my predicament. I felt composed, but I'm sure I looked a little worse for wear, it had been over fourteen hours on the bike at this point. He agreed to let me plug in my phone and I quickly disassembled my gear and plugged the charger into an outlet on the porch.
After three rings Eric answered Chris's phone, I've never been happier to hear his voice in my life...
We quickly discussed where I was located and decided to meet at the intersection I had recently departed. According to Eric, Ben said I had missed the turn for the county road because the name is different on the sign then on my map.
My second new friend of the evening offered to drive me back up to the corner and after I protested, not wanting to cause him further inconvenience, we loaded my bike onto the flat bed of his truck. Within ten minutes I was reunited with Chris and Eric. They quickly loaded my bike onto the roof rack and we filled in the missing details of my route.
In the end, I received a great ride (147 miles) and a little miss adventure. As with all stories, there are many different paths they can take. For this story, there was no unhappy ending, but instead the kindness of strangers and friends shone brightly above and beyond anything else.
I am thankful that my friends put up with me and the idea of my epic ride. Thank you Chris, Eric, Ben and Rachel for getting me home safely. Thanks to Ben and his dad for allowing me to crash at their house and the late night sodas! Special thanks to Chris for making arrangements on my behalf for clothes and for dropping me off back at home, most of this adventure wouldn't have been possible without your assistance!
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| Tired Smile On The Road! |
Epic Ride (Part I)
About a week ago I had this great idea for a ride.
My fabulous friends from D2 Labs Racing (Chris, Eric and Ben) were hosting Michigan's first time based Ultra running race called the "Bad Apple Ultra" (I highly recommend you put this on your race calendar for 2012!). It became apparent to me as the week pressed on that the only logical thing for me to do on the upcoming weekend was to ride out to the race from my home in Shelby Twp. Overall the route would entail a total of one hundred and fifty miles of gravel and pavement.
After consulting with Chris about a ride home on his way back from Greenville Sunday, I went in search of a route. Googlemaps provided me with directions that seemed sufficient and Josh cleared my bike as being fit for the adventure. I prayed all week for good weather and decided that it was too late to turn back after setting the ball in motion.
Saturday morning I bundled up in my brand new cycling kit compliments of the Active Networks Team VW. I rolled out of the driveway at seven in the morning and proceeded to travel through Rochester Hills, Lake Orion, Oxford, Ortonville, Grand Blanc and into Owosso. Every other hour I sent out text messages to let Chris know my progress.
It was taking a bit longer then I originally anticipated to put the miles behind me and at 2 o'clock it was clear I wouldn't be getting to my final destination before dark. I had packed a headlight and an extra battery, so I would have a way to see, but my goal had been to arrive by seven o'clock and I was a little disappointed that I wouldn't be able to do so.
In Owosso, I stopped in at a coffee house to grab a quick caffeine boost. The barrista was extremely accommodating and one of the customers having lunch was actually from Chesterfield Twp...! We chatted for a few minutes about my trip and they wished me good luck on my adventure!
Between Owosso and St. Johns I saw some storm clouds on the horizon. It seemed like I would miss them at the pace I was going, but just as I reached the lip of sunny skies the rain came barreling down. Had it been seventy degrees, a little rain would have been welcomed, but the thermometer was bouncing between thirty and fourty degrees...
I sprinted for the 127 overpass and took cover below it until the worst of the storm had passed. At this point I was over a hundred miles in and there was still at least fifty miles ahead of me. It was also at this time that I noticed my cell phone had been draining it's battery. Soon I would be without the ability to contact Chris, Ben or Eric to let them know my whereabouts.
I sent Chris another message letting him know my predicament and that I would check in again around 6 o'clock. Removing the battery from my phone to ensure no additional juice would be sucked from it, I continued on through Fowler and started heading north towards Fenwick road.
The sun set as I navigated the turns that led north and west through sparsely inhabited country side. The fact that it was Halloween Weekend had not escaped me and eventually I couldn't wait any longer and rolled into the driveway of a white farm house that had a light on, hoping that they would be willing to let me plug in my phone.
To be continued...
My fabulous friends from D2 Labs Racing (Chris, Eric and Ben) were hosting Michigan's first time based Ultra running race called the "Bad Apple Ultra" (I highly recommend you put this on your race calendar for 2012!). It became apparent to me as the week pressed on that the only logical thing for me to do on the upcoming weekend was to ride out to the race from my home in Shelby Twp. Overall the route would entail a total of one hundred and fifty miles of gravel and pavement.
After consulting with Chris about a ride home on his way back from Greenville Sunday, I went in search of a route. Googlemaps provided me with directions that seemed sufficient and Josh cleared my bike as being fit for the adventure. I prayed all week for good weather and decided that it was too late to turn back after setting the ball in motion.
Saturday morning I bundled up in my brand new cycling kit compliments of the Active Networks Team VW. I rolled out of the driveway at seven in the morning and proceeded to travel through Rochester Hills, Lake Orion, Oxford, Ortonville, Grand Blanc and into Owosso. Every other hour I sent out text messages to let Chris know my progress.
 |
| Team VW Cycling Kit! |
In Owosso, I stopped in at a coffee house to grab a quick caffeine boost. The barrista was extremely accommodating and one of the customers having lunch was actually from Chesterfield Twp...! We chatted for a few minutes about my trip and they wished me good luck on my adventure!
 |
| Great Coffee and Staff! |
I sent Chris another message letting him know my predicament and that I would check in again around 6 o'clock. Removing the battery from my phone to ensure no additional juice would be sucked from it, I continued on through Fowler and started heading north towards Fenwick road.
The sun set as I navigated the turns that led north and west through sparsely inhabited country side. The fact that it was Halloween Weekend had not escaped me and eventually I couldn't wait any longer and rolled into the driveway of a white farm house that had a light on, hoping that they would be willing to let me plug in my phone.
To be continued...
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