An Evening Out

Morning weigh-in: 173.5#, 13.5% BF

Rode Jacobsburg on the singlespeed, say 6:00 to 8:30, which was actualy close to full dark -- goodbye summer! -- trying out my lights. Again, the handlebar battery died after about a half hour, it's only holding a quarter charge. I have another battery for the bar light, but would have preferred two. I'll try cycling the battery a few more times, charge/discharge, see if I can wake it up.

Rode with Joe (on his new Turner 5-Spot) & Cindy with their dog Tally, also Rich B on his Surly; Rich and I were the only ones w/ lights. Scott S was up there as well as the whole Lance/Marv crew, Terry M, and also Doug & Lori, big crowd really. That was just us: there were other groups there like Blue Mtn Ski Club etc; the parking lot was almost completely full.

Dinner was Which Brew: Tuscan bean soup & hot wings, a Troegenator & a Small Craft Warning, eaten/drank to the tunes of the Skulldiggers, which seems to be morphing into a Deadhead band... Good times, good times. Good conversations inside, w/ the usual crew, but also saw Hans w/ Heath & Margarita outside, as well as Stu & Kathy, all leaving as I got there.

Sketches From A Life

Morning weigh-in: 174#, 9.5% BF

Today's featured Wikipedia article is a good one: George F. Kennan. Interesting guy; somewhere in my parents' house is his book of diary excerpts, Sketches From A Life, that I got my dad for his birthday once.

No ride last night: I blew off exercise in favor of getting my act together before the VMB emergency meeting -- looks like Bear Creek will be hosting the final MASS race this season rather than Spring Mountain, and Valley Mountain Bikers will be doing a lot of the work to get it done...

Riding tonight, SS'ing at the 'burg. I'm going to start at 6:00 (the usual time), but ride into darkness, test out my lights/batteries. I may travel into Emmaus afterward to see Dave J's band play at South Mtn Cycles & Coffee, but that's a long way & it may be over by the time I'd get there, so we'll see.

Salisbury After Dark!

Morning weigh-in: 174.5#, 7.5% BF

Rode last night, but felt very tired and my average speed was way down -- probably fallout from Monday's nutritional follies, and maybe some lingering effects from whateveer sinus thing is going on. I also had the full complement of lights/batteries with me, since I wanted to start getting ready for Allamuchy, and that could have -- rather, it did weigh me down...

Anyway, the plan was to ride the towpath out to Sals, do my "short loop" there and head back, Sals & return legs being in the dark. I left around 6:45, crossed the Lehigh at 7:49. As soon as I got into the woods I ran into a group of three riders, two dad-types and a boy, fixing a derailleur. They were OK, done w/ repair by the time I got there, but I stopped & said hi, then turned on the lights. When I left, they said their friends were up ahead, and could I let them know the situation? No problemo, and I was on my way.

I ran into two more guys out there, but they weren't the ones... then ran into another dad & two kids, boy & girl down by the pavillion -- not quite dark yet, though my lights were on... the guy commented on my specific brand/model headlamp, so they weren't clueless... rode the trail down to the Spanky, but only rode partway up when I felt too tired, it was too dark & slippery, and I just wimped out, turned around... ran into the first group of riders again, now with their lights on...

On the way out I surprised some local semi-hoods walking the RR tracks:

Hood 1: Hey what's that?
Hood 2: Oh, just one of those bicycle guys.

Was out of there by 8:30, so it couldn't have been too dark, but it was a strange world for a while...

I went up and I told them I was new downtown,
And I didn't know the proper spots to hang around.
Well they were awfully cool, those guys they answered me true,
They said "Just stick with us man, we'll show you what to do!"

They took me to a rock club where the girls were the most,
And we imported all our beers from the midwest coast.
I never knew I was a young fresh fella etc.

- The Young Fresh Fellas, "Young Fresh Fellas Theme" (near as I can remember it)

Dinner was at Which Brew: tomato & mozzerrella salad, garlic pizza, two Troegenators. Quiet night unfortunately, none of the usual Tuesday night crowd, though there were some college-age kids, mixed group from all over the world (Australia, Europe, various USA etc). They'd all just finished working as camp counselors in Maine, ended up in Easton somehow before heading their separate ways. Nice bunch of kids, wanted to know the cool places to hang out while they were here, I was glad to oblige. Also had a pleasant & interesting conversation with the owner of the Stockertown beer distributorship.

Situation Almost Normal

Morning weigh-in: 172#, 13.5 % BF

Well, it took a week, but things are settling in pretty well after the Cancer Ride. Rode last night on the towpath, will probably do towpath-plus-Sals tonight -- longer ride, bringing lights, getting ready for Allamuchy. Hand is starting to feel better.

I may be coming down with a cold though: been very sneezy the last two days, suddenly lotsa "evidence" of sinus infection today. I was pretty tired last night, went to bed at 9:30 w/ out dinner.

Like I said, ride tonight, and then laundry.

Rodale and Horseflesh

Morning weigh-in: 174.5#, 12.5% BF

Friday night was Which Brew -- "Greek Night" as Margarita (aka "Mrs. Kneller" these days) did guest-chef duties. They also had a bellydancer, same one as for last year's Greek Night. Woman I was sitting next to, turns out she was once a stripper/pornstar (now a grandmother), starts whacking me on the arm: "Give her a dollar! C'mon Don, what are you, cheap?" Well, the bellydancer had a few dollars already so I figure "when in Rome, do like the Romans do" & slipped one under her bra strap, though I'm pretty sure that's not how they do it at the Aladdin... Interesting conversation with the stripper about her life (me: "Wow... Naked? Really?"), then in comes Tom, dude who's my age but only now getting into triathlons & adventure racing -- I sometimes characterize him as "hungry." Different kind of "flesh as horseflesh" conversation, as we talked about competition, training, etc.

Saturday I spent trying to hide from the heat, then went straight down to the furnace -- aka MusikFest -- to check out the scene. Seemed a little dead, but crowds grew as the evening progressed. I got my souvenir beer mug, some beer, a little dinner, and George Clinton / Parliament tickets, then met Doug & Lori for the the show, which rocked in a major way. The band seemed a little disappointed in the lackluster crowd participation though, and it was funny the way George Clinton actually reminded me a little of Gerry Garcia.

Sunday afternoon I went to Dave & Selene's new house for a post-PPRAC BBQ. Me, Brian, Dave, and a dude named Dale did a quick (& very hot) ride up at South Mountain, then it was back for the cookout and a little swimming-pool action. Funny hanging out with so many Rodale and ex-Rodale people, ordinary people really but super-super-fit, but fitness is their job after all.

In My Hometown

The return of morning weigh-in: 178.5#, 8.5% BF

(I am waaay overweight right now, don't be fooled by body fat... scary "wake-up call" pics on the PPRAC rides pages.)

Looks like trouble in Easton: mayor's girlfriend got caught writing "WTF?"-style graffitti on the eyesore that is Drinky Drinkerson's (a relatively new, and shabby, bar downtown) -- they'd "renovated" by covering some neat architectural facade with painted plywood or whatever... I guess now we know what (or who) was behind that "historic downtown" push, c'est ne pas?

Bringing it home: Ride days five and six... I'll just say that day five almost broke me but not quite, and day six I rode well, but it was mostly horse-smells-the-barn motivation. Tired.

Mason and Dixon and Michaux, Oh My!

Well, let's see... ride days three and four...

I brough two books to read during any downtime: Cloud Atlas because I'm rereading it, and Mason & Dixon, uh, because I'm obsessed. (I was going to bring Blood Meridian to get in the mood for Cormack McCarthy's new No Country for the Old, but I forgot to pack it. Also forgot soap.) At the Scout camp I put CA to one side to read M&D, since the next day we'd be crossing repeatedly between Maryland & Pennsylvania -- couldn't see the line, no real landmarks on those rurual roads -- you'd just notice the road signs were PA-style, then a little later they'd be MD-style, etc. Another hard day of riding, another 100+ miles.

That night at dinner I wore the latest Michaux race shirt, since we'd be going up PA233, right through the middle of Michaux, from Caledonia State Park through Pine Grove Furnace and continuing on. This was, after the Skyline Drive, my favorite part of the whole ride: beautiful, and very cool, almost chilly temps from all the springs and roadside streams. As usual, the ride got much much tougher after lunch.

Back in the real world: I still have numbness in my left hand fingertips, will see a doctor about it. Went out last night to Which Brew (Mug Club Night), may check out MusikFest tonight.

Three States And A Few "Incidents"

Something I didn't mention about the Skyline Drive leg, a bit of bad news: One of our drivers, was injured in a pretty serious accident. No one really knows what happened, but aparently Les failed to negotiate a turn and hit a tree, breaking his pelvis and femur and trapping himself in the van. He was medevac'ed out but has a weak heart and when they tried to operate he couldn't take it, so they put him in an induced coma. Word is, he's going to be fine, but he's a long way from there right now. Nice guy too, older German dude, kind of a wistful air about him but you can see he has hipster tendencies...

Anyway, Day Two: This was shorter, 93 miles total but it was just as hilly -- and the hills were steeper -- and just as hard as the first day. We rode through Virginia and West Virginia, and ended up at a Boy Scout camp in Maryland, just getting closed down for the season. I slept in the building used for nature studies; as we were setting up they were removing the snakes and letting them go -- the rats, guinea pigs and fish stayed with us.

The days are blurring, so I'll just mention these incidents here...

Incident One: At lunch one day, we were set up at a crossroad, and some guy in an SUV ran the stopsign & hit a pickup truck. I heard the crash, saw the SUV airborne & landing on the lawn across the street as well as the truck spinning around in the intersection. Minor injuries, but if we'd been on that lawn instead of this one, we'd have all been dead. Strangely enough, the lunch crew originally wanted to set up in the bad spot, but Brian dissuaded them...

Incident Two: This was actually day three I think, but we had to go through a covered bridge; and one of the slower/later guys neglected to take precautions (like slow down, put a foot down etc), got his wheel stuck in a plank, flipped & broke his collarbone.

Skyline Drive

The first actual ride day on the Perimeter Ride took us from Waynesboro to Front Royal, both in Virginia, via the Skyline Drive. The ride was 113 miles long, and, though the grades were comparatively shallow, maybe 6%-8% max, there was 15,500 feet of total elevation gain on the ride. This was my best day: I was fresh and the type of riding suited me well.

By the way, you can see my trip photos here.

PPRAC Recap (first impressions)

No morning weigh-in, but I don't think I lost any weight on the trip...

Well, 575 miles in six days, some of the biggest, hilliest (steep hills too) rides I've ever done, I'm glad I did it but I'm also glad it's over.

I'm having trouble really gathering my thoughts on this, so I think I'll let it sort out some more.

"Once Upon A Time, There Was A Terrible Disease Called Cancer"

I'm back. Wow! What a week, more on this later... spent the day sleeping, eating and doing laundry, and am back to work tomorrow.

Keep It Coolie, Baby

I'm outta here, logging off and powering down, "see" all y'all in a week or so...

Fourth (but not last) Loose End

Sports at the Wedding
Originally uploaded by donXfive.

I just posted my wedding photos from Heath & Margarita's wedding, the good shots anyway. Plenty of loose ends left I'm sure, but at least the photos are up to date...

Loose Ends #3: Mountain Bike Weekend

MBWXX: Me and a Wierd Root
Originally uploaded by donXfive.

Photos are now on Flickr. That finishes up my June shots.

Birthday Pics (Loose Ends #2)

Out by the Pool
Originally uploaded by donXfive.

The day after Tom's wedding was a small party at my parents house, combines birthday for my dad & also Father's Day: hanging out by the pool, cake & ice cream...

Loose Ends Tied #1: Tom's Wedding

On the Threshold of Married Life
Originally uploaded by donXfive.

I just posted my pics from Tom & Barbara's wedding (way back in June, remember?) on Flickr. I'm clearing the decks for vacation, and I'll be posting more of my stuff today as time allows, but right now I'm off for brunch and a haircut.

Busted, Burned, Breaking Down

No morning weigh-in. Forgot to do it this morning, and forgot yesterday's numbers.

I take the Free Bridge across the Delaware from Phillipsburg to Easton every day. It's the last exit off US22 before the toll, just as US22 is the last exit off I-78 before its toll... Small suspension bridge, with a stoplight at each end as well as several commercial/industrial driveways (gas station, restaurant, truck depot driveway, boat ramp access road) tucked into the approach on the Jersey side; there's also a RR crossing just as you turn onto the bridge. Needless to say, it gets very crowded, especially at rush hour, and especially since they raised the tolls from 50 cents (or two $0.10 tokens) to a dollar. Usually it moves pretty fast though, maybe a 5 minute wait -- it just seems like you sit still forever -- unless a train comes along. Then you're stuck, especially if it's a coal train, they can be huge.

I got skunked twice this week. Wednesday was a coal train right at the peak of rush hour (PPL is probably working overtime, restocking all their plants after the heat wave), then yestersday was a bunch of sodium hydroxide tankers, but that was at 7:00 PM or so.

PPRAC Countdown

Morning weigh-in: 177.5#, 12.5% BF

Nothing much happened yesterday, just errands/chores left over from the weekend, plus bills, basically clearing the decks for vacation next week. (I also worked on the Turner, of course.) Tonight I'll probably do an easy road ride, then go on a buying spree for the trip -- I don't need much, just some travel-size toiletries, allergy medication, a few snacks (maybe some granola & beef jerky, useful for "a little more than a snack" duty if necessary), and a travel-worthy fan. Bike is ready, clothes, including bike clothes, should be ready, not much left to do...

An Interesting Diversion: I checked out TWENEX.org, which allows you to telnet into a TOPS-20 system. I remember that shyte! Kickin' it old-skool...

Weekend Update #25 (#26? #56397?)

Oops, no morning weigh-in. [steve-martin]I forgot![/steve-martin]

Friday was a really good ride out to Sals, super-hot lap there: was riding well, probably 10 minutes ahead of normal schedule, until I ran into John E who engaged me in about 10 minutes of conversation. Flying home, passed a couple of guys -- nothing overt or hostile, we were just moving at different speeds -- and one of them, the one in the "biker clothes," grabs my wheel. That's all the encouragement I need... I brought it up to about 20 mph and kept it there for a few miles, noticed he was no longer in sight. Heh.

Anyway, went to Which Brew, nice night & I sat outside with Mike & Carole & their friend whose name I can never remember, also Stu & Kathy, and Joe M, Hans and Megan. Good conversation, dinner was beef & veggie stir-fry over saffron rice. Woman came over & sat down, friends w/ Joe & others, she was still agitated from the earlier part of her night, apparently the blind date from Hell...

Saturday was the "brew ride": bunch of guys from the VMB were riding from Allentown to Easton to take a tour of the Weyerbacher brewery; I rode to Sand Island & met them there. The tour was very nice, new guy (or new to me) working there, gave best explanation I'd heard so far of the brewing process and equipment... Theresa was working, got us some samples, coupla guys then bought cases. I had parked my car there early in the morning, to do storage/transport duties, but another dude from Allentown skipped the ride & met us there; his car became the delivery wagon.

Lunch at Which Brew, where we saw a few other tour-takers, then we rode along the towpath some more until it was time to separate. Shower, chores, nap and then I met Doug, Lori & Brian -- you'll never guess where! ...actually, it was Porters, where they'd had dinner, but we did walk over to WB for dessert.

Sunday was trailwork at Salisbury: Doug, Eric, Brian, Rich, Greg H, myself and Dave. We did about 200 yards of bench-cutting and fairly hardcore trail-building (sometimes all you have to do is rake leaves and you have a "trail," but this was heavy pick-and-shovel work). Lunch break, and then Rich and I went back for a little ride. We met Joe G, rode together until Rich's rear hub crapped out, and then it was me and Joe and the pace picked up noticeably... Split up at the Brighton Street trailhead where he rode home and I started back to my car. Problems with shifting but it was still a good ride. I drank -- and by "drank" I mean "chugged uncontrollably" -- a half gallon of Gatorade on the drive home.

The rest of this week will probably be fairly mellow, as I count down to the Perimeter Ride which starts next weekend.

Full Moon Boogie

Morning weigh-in: 177#, 9.5% BF

Jacobsburg last night, on the Surly. I got there & realized I forgot my front wheel, so I had to return home to get it -- thus I was about a half hour later than I wanted to be. My first arrival had Rich B, Brian H, and Greg & Judy in the lot & ready to ride; my second arrival got me there at the same time as Scott S (6:30-6:45), so we rode together until we ran into the others. As usual, I saw Marv, Lance (as he was driving home) , Lee, the Blue Mtn crew, etc etc, typical Thursday mob scene up there.

A little BBQ at Greg & Judy's afterward, then good night. Tonight I'll probably do towpath/sals.

Meantime: I posted all the halfway-decent shots from Memorial Day on my Flickr account. Enjoy!