CH 2009 Spins

Here is a quick preview of what we will see (and do) this Sunday TWICE, the first from 9-11 for you folks who want to get the day's effort out of the way prior to kickoff, and again from 1-3 for those (like me) who will do just about anything to get away from the TV that day. Maybe I should have called it Super Spin Sunday. See YOU there!

Two camera shoot

Tony just sent me this. He was shooting with a Flip and put together this mix from our Chilly Hilly ride on Sunday. I NEVER get enough side and front perspectives and NEVER EVER get in the video, as I do here. It's almost a "The Making of..." segment. Now you know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMO-csnsZ3o

Lake Placid RCV out

Your next move should be to go here to order: http://www.computrainer.com/rm_inc/sales/realcoursevideo_order.html

Wii Fit

Hula-Hoops are $3.19 now?

Impeccability

Was the word of the day today.

The spirit of a warrior is not geared to indulging and complaining, nor is it geared to winning or losing. The spirit of a warrior is geared only to struggle, and every struggle is a warrior's last battle on earth. Thus the outcome matters very little to him. In his last battle on earth a warrior lets his spirit flow free and clear. And as he wages his battle, knowing that his intent is impeccable, a warrior laughs and laughs.

~ Carlos Castaneda Quotes from A Separate Reality
Inspirational Quotes on: Action, Impeccability, Earth, Warrior, Win

http://philosophersnotes.com/quotes/by_category/action/impeccability/

The Diamond

So we were talking about marketing versus reality this morning. Here are a couple of humorous (though attractive) examples of the former. The NY Times article is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/health/nutrition/22best.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

The diamond lies within. And it takes time to find it, dig it up, cut it, set it and then, enjoy it. Let's enjoy the process and dig the ride.

32 Degrees

We set up a RCV ride today of the upcoming Chilly Hilly course. It was 32 degrees at the start of the 33 mile jaunt. The concern over the 2,600 feet of elevation gain was a distant second to the temp. I had to stop five times to wrap my fingers around the exhaust manifold of the Shooter Scooter in order to continue. The brave, fearless and intrepid ten riders preformed like Andy Hampsten in the 1988 Giro riding thru (what seemed like) blizzard conditions. Good on ya mates!

I am downloading the two hours of video as we speak so that we can (a little more comfortably) spin to the view the next two Sundays. Thanks to all who rode today. I mean that. It was 30 when I finally got home. Results of the video I will post once my fingers have thawed.

Here are a few jpgs of the weekend.

Jr and Me rode in the park and had to stop to feed the ducks.
Half the crew at the Battle Point Park, the half way point of the ride. (l2r) Shooter Scooter, Bernie, Vicky, EJ, Steph.
Tony and EJ enjoy the apres-bike.

M-R Spot

Three minutes to tell the story of the CompuTrainer Multi-Rider system. This one features Todd Herriott of Harriott Sports Performance in Seattle and Kurt Hartmaier of the RacerMate sales and service department. Cameos by Chuck, Ray and RCVman. It's about fun!

At CT

Our first ever BAC field trip to the CompuTrainer Multi-Rider Training and Testing Center last night was a blast. I have done this before (lots) but it was the virgin effort for Harry, Steve, Bernie and EJ. We did a 20.36 mile challenging (one 7% hill and some rollers) course, watching our data change in real time. I do believe that there was some residual soreness in the legs of more riders than myself this morning (as we assembled for our 0530 spin class). Here are a couple of photos exported from the video that will be wrapped tomorrow and delivered to Chuck Monday for his sales trip to Houston and Atlanta.

Top photo is the Senior Men in action: (r2l) Steve (riding Steph's Specialized), Hammerin' Harry, RCVman, Bernie the World's Greatest Architect, and EJ. EJ held on for a silver finish (and told some great lawyer stories on the way home).

Bottom jpeg is Kurt and Ray after a spirited 6.2 contest (on fixed gear bikes) for the filming of the aforementioned video, just prior to the main event. High fives all around mates!

Time in Saddle

Tom Demerly at Bike Sport Michigan has been a long time promoter of CompuTrainer, hosting a Multi-Rider Center in his store in Dearborn. He has also shared TONS of wisdom related to biking, triathlon, bikes in general and a plethora of equally exciting and informative topics at Slowtwitch.com He posted the comment below in regard to a question by a user about how to get faster on the bike. I though his response pretty much summed it up.

http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=2174835;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

If you put in more time and use the time efficiently while becoming a student of the sport (Cycling Hall of Fame member, the late Coach Mike Walden of the Wolverine Sports Club) then you will appreciate significant gains over time. There are no short cuts. It is simply time on the bike.

There is a fellow in our store right now on one of the computrainers who has finished nine (9!) Tours de France and rode in two Olympic Games. He didn't start as a particularly gifted cyclist, but he became one thorugh hard work that continues as I type this- and he isn't even racing anymore. For him, pedalling the bike is part of his routine. You sleep, you wake, you ride, you eat, you work, you sleep, you repeat. Pedalling the bike is part of what he does. Pedalling a lot made him good. Now yeah, this particular fellow was briefly involved in some nefarious activities, but the bottom line is the overall fitness and strength he has built on the bike was built simply by time on the bike/

There is no substitute for time on the bike. Nothing can replace or usurp it.

DC Rainmaker's Blog

Fellow Blogger http://dcrainmaker.blogspot.com World Traveler (see his Kenya posts), and cook (check out the gnocchi!) has this to report about the Coeur d'Alene RCV. Start with his report live from the inauguration today and then go to the Product Reviews and scroll down to the RCVs. Sorry to make you do all this manual labor but I couldn't get the link to act properly. Regardless, thanks for all your effort DC, keep up the great work.

Better

I was informed the other day of a term, more a strategy, used in the world of volleyball. It calls for each player, no matter the challenge, to "better the ball". With each play the team thusly stands a more opportune chance of winning the point. No matter how bad the preceding dig, set, spike or serve, YOUR mission, as a team player, is to do whatever it takes to 'better the ball' so that the next player stands a greater chance of doing similar (success).

The metaphor today on this historical occasion, should be fairly obvious. BHO has been given a near impossible play against an imposing foe. His teammate gave him nothing to work with except the challenge of accepting the challenge and doing his best to, yes, better it. To better the ball. You and I are on that same team. And it's about time that we realized that our team colors are not limited to red, white and blue. It is a global team made up of every nationality, faith and culture. Today I am immensely proud to be on this team. I humbly invite each one of you to help us better the ball.

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Your serve.

Poster from the Gillis. More here: www.theGillis.com (I played in the first two in 71 &72)

Uno Mas

We've waited (somewhat) patiently for this day. One more to go. I REALLY think there is still plenty of time to impeach and incarcerate the bastards. But, as the old yarn goes, "If the thunder don't get ya, the lightning will".

This hilarious piece was send over by loyal reader EJ. I had to quit reading several times to wipe the tears from my eyes. Here is a sample from the "50 Most Loathsome People in America, 2008". Ironic that 43 only made it to number 4!



4. George W. Bush

Charges: It’s hard—believe us, we know—to keep coming up with new things to say about this brutally stupid narcissist, who may have ruined this country irrevocably and certainly has ruined a couple of others, mugging amiably all the way. If anything good comes from Bush’s reign of error, let it be the death of the notion that vitally important, life or death decisions that affect the entire world should be made with one’s “gut.” We used to think that incompetence was just a good cover story for this administration, an excuse that masked their deliberate criminality, but it turns out that Bush and his inner circle are both treasonous, corrupt warmongers and inept fools. One good thing about him, though, is that he has no real interest in politics, and probably won’t give a flying shoe what happens to the world when his term is up. As he once put it, ““History, we don’t know. We’ll all be dead.” Here’s to George W. Bush being history.

Exhibit A: "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter."

Sentence: Detained in formaldehyde-laced FEMA trailer without charges or counsel, sodomized by Lynndie England, declared guilty by military tribunal, set adrift naked on a small ice floe in the Arctic.

The entire article here: http://buffalobeast.com/134/50mostloathsome2008-p5.html

Cross in Roubaix

This just in on local Junior Cross-Wizz Zach McDonald. Takes third in the Roubaix, France, Worlds. Good on ya, mate. More here: http://cxmagazine.com/category/cross-race-results

Heidi Grimm & Multi-Rider

This was one of the first pieces we did on the "bleeding edge" technology of Multi-Rider software. Done in 2003 there are some familiar faces here. Good to see Tim, Wendy, Trevor, Kiel, Bruce, Julie of the Wolves and of course, the incomparable Major (P) Heidi Grimm, whom I am confident has significantly moved up the ranks from the shooting of this doc to the present. She may well be a four-star by now. (ED. note, I found this after the initial post, looks like Heidi is a LT Col. as of 2006 http://www.army.mil/-news/2007/02/15/1857-army-officer-named-2006-amateur-female-triathlete-of-year/

We apologize for the transfer codec, it is a touch on the greasy side and for the interview audio. We had five minutes outside the front gate at Ft. Lewis as Heidi was going from one meeting to the next; 'On the fly' in cinespeak. The money shot is at the close when I ask her, after a glowing testimony to CompuTrainer, if she would recommend one to (even a) Marine.

I am working on an updated two minute CT Multi-Rider piece, so that will be the next video post. Till then, One Team-One Fight!!

Multi-Rider

Since you asked. Here is a short clip of a CompuTrainer Multi-Rider session in action. This one was for TT racing at the BAC three years ago.

We'll go Thursday night at CT in the U-Dist. Prepare thyself.

RCV '48

Here is some fun stuff I found while searching for public domain footage. From a bicycle safety film produced in Oakland and Berkeley, CA in (sepia gasp) 1948. More (maybe much more) on this later. Please note that the cinematic capture technique used here (car cam) is still in use today, all we did was add color, smooth cam filters, triathlon and helmets.

Kinda where

This is kinda where I am heading with all the cycle/video/spin/art/training stuff I am always talking about. Whaddya think?

http://thesufferfest.com/video-sufferfests/

I think cool. Very.

X2

You don’t have to neglect your responsibilities to pursue your passions, and you don’t have to neglect your commitments to do what you love. When you make an effort to incorporate your interests into your life, the fire within you ignites. You feel excited, inspired, and fed by the flames that are sparked by living your life with passion for what you love.

Like I said, this X2

From today's Daily OM http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2009/16821.html

BBinE Part Two

Or to watch in high quality, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOuDM4TUiEc

BBE Part One

Part One of Bicycle Blues in E.

Part Two tomorrow.

To watch in high quality, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95BitDOfKN0

BBinE

Got a call from my buddy Ernie Franz this morning. He wanted to know if we could post to YouTube the doc we did three years ago on his miraculous recovery from a horrible biking accident. You bet came the immediate response.

So that is another project on top of the three up and running (hence my sporatic postings since Saturday). Here is the cover art from the DVD jackets and a link to his Blog http://www.docerniesblog.com/ telling of his incredible story. I am working on the conversion from standard to high definition as we speak and should have the 30 minute video up (in three parts) by Wednesday. It has only showed in public once at the 2006 Celluloid Bainbridge Film Festival, so maybe this will give Ernie and his work some much deserved attention. I hope so, it is a heartwarming story of a truly courageous and empowered individual. One I am proud to call my pal.

Air

http://www.altitudetraining.com/
http://coachsci.sdsu.edu/csa/vol114/table.htm

We talked a little about hypoxic training this morning. Here are a couple of pertinent links.

It has been suggested that I use this practice more frequently as it necessitates the closure of the mouth and exclusive use of the nose (naso in Italiano). Photo of Jimmy Durante used by permission of Sonny Corelone.

Meaning?

So there must be 10,000 MEANINGLESS things, too, eh?


"It is idolatry when much of the world is constructed on the basis of economic and political systems that foster radical individualism, that make competition the supreme value in life, that reward greed, that enslave families to endless work without meaningful rest or spiritual growth, that camouflage such slavery by an endless round of entertainment diverting attention from the deadening boredom of a life dedicated exclusively to acquisition of meaningless things."

Luke Timothy Johnson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Timothy_Johnson

Thank you Cross Sound Church www.crosssound.org for this cogent morsel of Life in America. I couldn't have said it better.

Chapter 87

In a giant black Impact font (with a 5 o'clock offset white drop shadow) her T-shirt shouted: CAUSE, on the front. And EFFECT on the back. To her it was like tying a string around her finger, a constant reminder, only this way, it was both a minimalistic fashion statement as well as a social altruism. She delighted in seeing her characters act under her watchful eye:

Snooze too long--miss the bus.
Miss the bus--late for work.
Late for work--boss is pissed.
Boss is pissed--another tense afternoon.
Another tense afternoon--Happy Hour at Jose's.
Happy Hour at Jose's-- Too much tequila and lard.
Too much tequila and lard--Headache.
Headache--snoozetoolong.

She spun round and round in front of him wondering if he would ever put the two together and change one or the other. But all he did was moan. http://t-shirts.cafepress.com/mens-clothing/design/12907363

HSP

Herriott Sports Performance http://www.herriottsportsperformance.com/ is in Fremont between Seattle Pacific and the Fremont bridge on Nickerson. It's behind the Tully's Coffee shop. Run by former pro Todd Herriott it is one of the cleanest and well lit cycle studios I have come across. And I have come across many. Todd runs an eight person CompuTrainer Multi-Rider set up and stages classes seven days a week, with three to five sessions per day. To put it bluntly, there is some effort left on their floors!!!!

Last night as part of my latest video assignment for CT, I had the pleasure of filming one of Todd and assistant David Richter's (also a former Pro) hour sessions on the Multi-Rider. Eight very adept riders attacked a series of builds that Todd likes to call the Pain Cave. The big screen displayed all the riders data in real time as they were coached through the session by the pair of former Pros as Davis Phinney, Andy Hampsten, Greg LeMond and Bernard Hinault slugged it out during a Coors Classic video circa 1986. All great fun, an awesome workout and an incredible blending of technologies.

CompuTrainer Multi-Rider http://www.computrainer.com/multirider_fun.htm. And you're gonna love this: I learned yesterday that our next application for RCV will be for Multi-Rider. Hello Kona. And thank you Colorado.

The video including last nights session at HSP will be done by the 20th. You'll be the first to know.

Blogger Shuffle II

More slide show shuffle stuff.

Lance with CT

http://community.trainright.com/_Lance-Lactate-Threshold-Test/video/469132/302.html

Looks like the facility in Austin (Mellow Johnnys) http://www.mellowjohnnys.com/pedal-hard is loaded with CompuTrainers. Can't say for sure if they were using one for the LT test, but it appears so. I will try to verify this and get back with ya. Either way, or whatever the testing tool, a 25 watt increase for someone at this power profile is HUGE. Chris and Lance know how to make it happen!!!

On Their Watch

http://brasschecktv.com/page/387.html

Portraits of Self

It was a game they had started several years prior. The three often few together on business trips from San Jose to Austin. When in the air, they were the smartest guys on the plane. It could be argued that the same was also true on the ground.

The game had a pop culture spin, but quickly evolved into more of a binary history of the collective trivia of the planet, as understood by ones and zeroes. And the spaces between.

To the unfortunate passenger in first class witnessing this for the first time, it might appear as a combination of jeopardy, chess, trivial pursuit, C++ audio, and comedy improv. After a while the flight attendants simply brought them iced Mountain Dew and California rolls, and left them alone to jostle.

There were only three rules:

1) There are no rules.
and,
2) The thread must be maintained and retraceable in less than three turns.
and
3) The subject/object was never revealed, only "understood".

The curious passenger might then hear the following, round of volley:

D: "Look at him working, darning his socks in the night when there's nobody there. What does he care?"
J: "And nobody has ever taught you how to live on the street And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it."
R: "As I picked up my matches and was closing the door I had one of those flashes I'd been there before."
D: "See the fire is sweepin' our very street today burns like a red coal carpet mad bull lost its way."
J: "And now the suns comin' up, freeway cars and trucks, stars beginning to fade as I lead the parade."

Space

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/index.html

Take a closer look at Vip as he "contemplates his surroundings". Doesn't exactly look like he's jumping up and down with joy, now does it? I was immediately reminded of an animated claymation short I saw many years ago at a Spike and Mike's film fest. Here it is:

http://www.atom.com/funny_videos/creature_comforts/

JACK

Jack came up. Wheels in motion. Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Three Oscars. More memorable performances than anybody, ever. Consummate character actor. Jack. Where do you even begin to do a Top Five list? I will take a stab at it.

TOP FIVE JACK NICHOLSON FILMS (and five others that are pretty damn good, too)

5) AS GOOD AS IT GETS. Oscar. (1997)
4) CHINATOWN. (1974)
3) A FEW GOOD MEN. Nominated. (1992)
2) THE SHINNING. (1980)
1) ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. Oscar. (1975)

5) THE DEPARTED. (2006)
4) THE LAST DETAIL. (1970) Nominated.
3) EASY RIDER. (1969). Nominated.
2) FIVE EASY PIECES. (1970). Nominated.
1) PRIZZI'S HONOR. (1985).

"With my sunglasses on, I'm Jack Nicholson. Without them, I'm fat and seventy."

Photo from OFOTCN (As Randall Patrick McMurphy with Will Sampson as Chief Bromden).

ONE

Well, we're off. Jan. 1, 2009.

I did a serious last minute resolution revision and decided all I really needed to do is improve EVERYTHING. So there it is. Improve everything. And to think that I once resigned as General Manager of the Universe!

Improving everything mostly (for me) means doing more good things and less bad (or not-so-good) things. The case can also be made for improvements via:

Addition by subtraction,
Streamlining,
Refining,
Reducing,
Polishing,
Cleaning,
Honing,
Caring,
Helping,
Listening,
Loving,
Growing,
Strengthening,
Accepting,
Learning,
Asking,
and, of course,
Swimming, biking and running.

So I started off the new year by doing the two things that, after all else was filed under the 'improve everything' category, remained.

And I preformed (very ceremoniously) ONE push up.

And rode my CompuTrainer for 90 minutes at a 124 HR.

If you are remembering the Kung Fu story about the boy who wanted to become a KF master and was told by Master Po to plant one kernel of corn and each day jump over it ten times, you will know that come December 31, 2009, I will be doing 365.

And as far as the ride, my other rez is to ride a bike (one of my six, including the QR in the CT shown above) or an indoor trainer, every day.

Those two alone should set the stage for improving EVERYTHING else, no?

Wish me luck grasshopper.