BIPABI update

OK, nobody likes the name (or knows the route) yet. You soon will on both. These two additions as I ready the SSSII (Super Shooter Scooter Deuce) for the weekends shoot up at Lake Stevens.

Addition One: The destination hotel will be the PA Red Lion on the bay. A little pricey for my tastes but after a 75 miler (plus spin class) I think we are deserving.

Addition Two: The beneficiary of our little out & back will be the BI Boys & Girls Club. And here's how that works:

Addition Two and a Half: In order to participate in this grand cycling adventure you must raise $100 for the B&G Club. Straightforward enough? I would really like to present them with a check for a thousand dollars, so let's see if we can muster up ten butts for ten saddles, shall we?

Again, August 26 & 27. Bainbridge Island (Athletic Club) to the Red Lion in Port Angeles. 75 miles one way. $100 entry ante for Boys & Girls Club of BI. It's BIPABI.

Bi-PAW-bee.

It'll grow on ya.

BIPABI

Since you know that I have extensive experience working with the US Navy, it should come as no surprise that I am accustomed to the use (and misuse) of acronyms. In this case, the title acro translates to: Bainbridge Island to Port Angeles to Bainbridge Island, and assumes that you understand that THAT means by bike. It is pronounced (By-PAW-Bee) and will take place on Wednesday & Thursday, August 26 & 27. Isn't it nice to be young, free and adventurous?????

We will ride from our Island home to PA leaving early to avoid what little mid-week traffic is left of the tourist season, reserve semi-luxurious motel accommodations in the Port of Angeles, have a wonderful dinner on the town, and ride back the next day. All this by popular demand by the newly empowered psycho-spinners, who seem to be on the brink of taking over the world (or at the very least, bringing about national health care reform). I am toying with the idea of adding a Hurricane Ridge side trip on Thursday, but that might make even Lance wince, not to mention David Byrne . All this is in preparation for next years BIG TRIP to either (it was agreed) Italy, France, New Zealand or North Dakota. Lot's more details to quickly follow, but I decided that it was more blog-worthy to get this cool news out than for me to bore you with the second installment of my "Why I" series. With apologies to the laughing fat guy of course.

So gimme some feedback folks:

Like the ride?
Costs?
Supported?
Sponsor?
Beneficiary?
Jerseys?
North Dakota?

Tofu

Last week I boldly went where no other RCV blogger has gone before (like there are lot of us). I said that I would tell you why my preferences are; a vegetarian diet, a Taoist perspective, a multi-colored pallet, and a non-attached lifestyle. Perhaps you have already connected these dots and concluded that a tofu eating, passive, eternally optimistic, liberal triathlete is, of course, going to be single.....but that isn't the point. So let's start with the first item and see where we end up. (I will give you a hint and say where-ever THAT is it will still be here & now).

Food: Meat is not necessary. I have proven this. I was a guinea pig for the DOD in the same way that Ken Kesey http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Kesey was for the government (CIA) when they were testing the results of LSD on otherwise staid and intelligent Stanford students in the early 60's. I went from your typical 30 year old dufus bozo, eating burgers and steaks and chicken and fish (and calling softball and beer drinking exercise), to a vegetarian diet in the 40/30/30 ratio of carbs/protein/fat. I also upped the workout ante and discovered an odd little sport called triathlon. I read Diet for a New America by John Robbins http://www.foodrevolution.org/market/products1.htm, started martial arts, began to meditate, and, well, passed the test. That was many years ago. If you want to justify your carnivorous habits by saying that you need meat for protein, please don't. That is a campaign very successfully waged and staged by the people that directly profit from the meat industry. I don't care if YOU want to eat meat. That is YOUR choice. I KNOW it tastes good. It is just not for me. I will have curried tofu with spinach tonight and sleep well after my two workouts. That will be enough. Oh, and btw, there are nine other reasons, but I just got hungry, so, we'll get to those a little later............

And this new addition to the RCVman extended family of digital and delightful doings....http://www.racecoursereview.com/

Just two things

I have to report today, other than the 23 listed below, which summarize almost every one of the 511 RCVman posts to this day, in some connotation, syntax or tone. I might copy this list (the 23) and carry it around with me for quick reference. As far as the first list, I want you to memorize it for present and future use. And I'm sorry and I love you.

TWO THINGS:

1) Core strength.
2) Base fitness.

23 Phrases to Help You Fight Right

Please try to understand my point of view.
Wait, can I take that back?
You don’t have to solve this—it helps me just to talk to you.
This is important to me. Please listen.
I overreacted.
I see you’re in a tough position.
I can see my part in this.
I hadn’t thought of it that way before.
I could be wrong.
Let’s agree to disagree on that.
This isn’t just your problem; it’s our problem.
I’m feeling unappreciated. [Always, my craving for gold stars!]
We’re getting off the subject.
You’ve convinced me.
Let’s take a break for a few minutes. [If you can remember to do this, it’s extremely effective—especially if you’re having a big fight. After a break, it’s almost impossible to go back to yelling.]
Please keep talking to me.
I realize it's not your fault.
That came out all wrong.
I see how I contributed to the problem.
What are we really fighting about?
How can I make things better?
I’m sorry.
I love you.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/happinessproject/default.aspx

Frighteningly Fast

The fit get fitter
as the fat get fatter.
Then the fat get fitter
as the fit get fatter.

When the fat get fitter,
(as the fit get fatter)
fatness becomes fitness
frighteningly fast.

Wrapped up the Big Weekend endurance fest yesterday with the RootsRock 1/2 Trail Marathon. The run was preceded by a bike ride there and followed by a bike ride back. Overcast skies made for comfortable racing conditions, and the course, as advertised, had a little bit of everything, long climbs, single-track, screaming blind descents and a BBQ with a Widmar Bros. keg at the finish. After our six hour ride on Friday and Saturday's rather up-tempo (to say the least) 90 min spin, this final workout of the weekend, was as fun as it was demanding. Perhaps more accurately, it hurt.

I love running off road and this morning I was reminded just how quickly the body adapts to even and flat running surfaces. Today my ankles hurt, my calves are on fire and high quads remind of the day after my first marathon when I had to walk backwards down the stairs. All good stuff.

Big thanks to Chris and Brooke for their work with the run series and congratulations to my pal Jim Savage who took the overall. Hats off as well to my old running mate Greg Proehls who hammered out another successful event despite his ongoing battle with a mysterious and nasty malady affecting his inner ear equilibrium. I am not sure of the exact nature of this affliction but to see Greg out there fighting through it when upon completing he can barely maintain balance, is inspiring to me. About a dozen years ago Greg and I were teammates at Port Angeles' Big Hurt, where we set a Masters record that stands to this day. Thanks Greg, you are a hero to many and a model of courage to me.

Finish line BBQ with keg; Ah, the good ol' days!
Pt. Gamble 8% hill to loading pier. For my collection of signs indicating grade.

Hummmmm

Some VERY interesting observations on our approach to healthy lifestyle choices and the age old in/out calorie conundrum from Time magazine. I will say up front that there are many astute points made in this lengthy article. Equally as many "off-base" ones. See if you can decipher which are which. Isn't that ALWAYS the chore?

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html

Big Weekend

Couple of quick items:

First is this from Google.

Their fantastic, albeit somewhat Orwellian, Street View app capture set up looks eerily like RCVman doing his thing. Nice rig guys. Try it for five plus hours at an Ironman and report back to me!!!!! http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2009621067_googleparis08.html

Second is the next two events on our BIG Weekend series: This morning we'll spin for 90 minutes (popcorn, natch) and then tomorrow we'll ride to Pt. Gamble, do the Rootsrock 1/2 trail mary, http://www.rootsrockrun.com and then ride back. After that you can have the rest of the weekend to get the chores done.

Hot fun in the summertime.