Monday, July 30, 2012

Ride With Winkler

My Summer Ride with Attitude Sports is coming to a close.  Today and yesterday I got my last two rides in.  Yesterday, I went for a short almost 13 mile ride.  I was going to go up the ledge but thought the rains were going to come and didn't want to get stuck in that situation.

This morning I found a new person to ride with, a Winkler.  No not Bart, but Bart's dad Greg.  He's raced the lake a few times and I really needed to find someone to ride with.  It was a very good ride.  He took me up the west side of the lake on Hwy 45, which I'd never done before.  The first half was very fast.  It's very flat and we had the wind to our back.  The way back was a little different.  On the report from my Garmin Edge you can really tell how much a head wind slows you down, even with a person to draft with.  The 25+ mile ride was my second fastest of the year and was a lot easier because of Greg Winkler so thanks to him.

With my Summer Ride coming to an end I also need to thank all of the guys from Attitude Sports.  They gave me some of the best equipment and the best advice I needed to have a great summer of riding.  They’ve also let you ride away with some great prizes.  There is still time to guess my miles for July on the contest page at k107.com.  If you have the closest guess for July you'll walk away with a bike seat tool kit which is a life saver if you ever get a flat out on a long ride. 

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Awkward Family Vacation Photos

It's time to hop in the family cruiser, deal with that smell from the back seat and take a family vacation.  When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to go on a number of family vacations.  We'd pile in the van and hit the road.  I'm sure we have some goofy looking mug shots too.  Above on the right is a photo from my trip to Route 66 Speedway in Illinois.  My brother, Dad, and myself are crying and struggling to breath because of the exhaust in the pits (my dad actually enjoyed it though, weird).  Another one that stands out is currently hanging in a bathroom in my parent’s house.  My mom has her nice big 90's hair, my dad has his awesome mustache, my brother and I are wearing almost matching polos, and my sister is grabbing on to my dad’s leg for dear life.  We were in front of the flooded Mississippi River in St. Louis and none of us were smiling.  Now days we have digital cameras and can see if we look stupid or not.  Back then, say cheese and smile 'cause we only got one shot at this.  Here's the link to the rest of the Awkward Family Vacation Photos. 

Monday, July 23, 2012

Tour De Paper Fest

On Saturday I got up early to do the longest ride of my life.  I've done the Tour De Fest once before but only the 40 mile ride.  I also did that ride with a partner.  This time I did the 70 mile route and didn't have a partner.  I could've used one because that was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. 

I did my best to prepare for it.  I went for a very short 10-15 mile ride Friday morning which the guys at Attitude Sports suggested. I drank a lot of water the night before and the morning of and had a decent sized breakfast.  I had a GU Energy before the race and throughout the ride had my Hammer Heed too.

The beginning part of the ride went very well.  I caught up to a group of guys that were out for a ride and tagged along with them before we got to High Cliff State Park.  I knew there was a monster hill so I was worried about that part before the ride started.  However, those trips up the ledge must have paid off because it wasn't too bad.  I actually passed a number of people and my legs felt fine during and after the climb.

The next part of the ride was long and lonely.  I lost the guys that I was with (they went a different route).  Saturday morning was very windy but cool until around noon.  The wind was hard to fight, especially by myself but I managed to keep a descent pace. Paper Fest (the group that put on the ride) had rest stops along the way about 14 miles apart.  Those were nice.  I’d grab some cool water, some fruit or bagels, and most importantly, STRETCHED!

I was feeling good around the 40 mile mark.  There, I found another group that let me tag along with them.  It really helped.  My speeds were much faster with them.  But, after a while it became harder and harder to keep up.  It was around the 50 mile mark when I lost them.  I remember looking down at my Garmin Edge, seeing 50 and thinking, “I can't do this anymore."  I wasn't cramping, I was just dead.  I took it very, very easy for the next couple of miles.  At that point in time I wasn't worried about being fast or technique, I just wanted to finish the last 20 miles.  That was easier said than done because, not only was I dead, but there was a nasty head wind.

Most of the ride I had very little idea of where I was but when I got back to the trail I used to ride all the time and know like the back of my hand, a couple of things came to mind.  One was I'm almost done I'm going to do this.  The other thing was wow, I am going so slowly and my legs won't let me go any faster.  I did make it back safe in about 4 hours and 15 minutes of ride time.  I was exhausted.  Still today I'm having trouble walking around.  The Race the Lake is in less than a month and I have some work to do but I'm very proud of myself for getting the 70 miles done.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

I'm Not Afriad Anymore...Wait...Yes I Am

We all have things from our childhood that scared us.  Maybe it was the basement, maybe a certain part of the woods, maybe a doll that your grandma had.  Sometimes that frightening thing comes from a TV or movie.

Yesterday I found a list of the 20 scary characters from our childhood.  Here's a few of them.

Darth Vader - Star Wars (1977-83) 

I personally wasn't scared of Darth Vadar, actually the opposite.  I thought he was the greatest.  Cool voice, awesome helmet, and truly depicts the Dark Side. 

Noseybonk - Jigsaw (1979-84)

I've never seen this show but I guess it's an educational show. With a mask like that I don't know what they are trying to teach, good hiding places?

Skeksis - The Dark Crystal (1982)

Jim Henson created this horrifying character.  He actually has quit a few that keep me awake at night. This is the one on the list that gave me a nightmare last night.  I've never seen the film and I don't think I ever will.

The Coachman - Pinocchio (1940)

Pinocchio is a messed up film.  I recently re-watched this and what the heck was that?  Why did my parents let me watch this.  It's not necessarily a scary movie but I can understand why some people would have this on their list.  I was more afraid of Stromboli than the coachman though. 

Stripe - Gremlins (1984)

I've seen Gremlins and they still scare me.  I know that's wimpy but look at that face.  When something that's supposed to be for children turns scary and evil, that's when I hid under the covers. 
 

Vigo the Carpathian - Ghostbusters II (1989)

I love the Ghostbusters films and they aren't scary.  Vigo is a very good villain but he's not too frightening.  I do sometimes think that eyes in paintings are following me because of him though. The things from Ghostbusters that did bother me a little were those dog looking things from the first film.

Pennywise - It (1990)

Personally, I'm not afraid of clowns.  They really don't bother me at all.  That being said, I've never read or seen "It".  That could chance my perspective.


Like I said earlier, some of Jim Henson's puppets and other creations have sent me running.  Honestly, one still freaks me out to this day.  Even though I love the Muppets and recognize that Jim Henson is the best puppeteer ever, Sweetums scares the bejesus out of me.  I think he's supposed to be a nice guy and wouldn't hurt me but he looks mean and scary.  No thank you.

The other film (directed by Jim Henson) which I still maintain is the scariest movie ever is The Labyrinth.  Jim Henson created a frightening puppet world full of horrifying looking Muppets on acid and put David Bowie in charge of them.  Still to this day I can't make it though the entire film without getting too goosebumpy out and leaving. 

I know we should be able to tell ourselves that it's just a show or just a movie but it's hard.  Some things are just plan freaky.  Until we figure out how to get past those scary childhood characters, well, I just won't be sleeping for a while.



Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Morning Ride with Attitude Sports

I am not a morning person.  I can get up if I have to but I don't like it and haven't had to for physical activities since college when I was in track.  However, with this heat and with the 70 mile Tour De Fest in Kimberly this weekend I needed to get out and ride.  Morning riding was the answer I guess.

After the previous ride that I took, Up the Ledge x3, I was very concerned about putting the right things in my body before a ride.  I was exhausted, hungry, and knew that I wasn't prepared for a longer ride like that.  Yesterday I went to Attitude Sports to hear what I can do to better prep for a ride.  They have lots of gels, gummies, and drink mixes and explained what they all do and why I would need them.  I ended up trying GU Energy Gel and Hammer Heed which is a high energy electrolyte drink mix.  The Heed does what Gatorade does but with none of the sugars which can slow you down and don't last that long.  They explained it's better than water because too much water can wash out all of your electrolytes and lead to cramping.  The GU Energy Gel is used pre ride and a few times during longer rides.


I think they both really helped.  Since I biked earlier in the morning I didn't have time to eat breakfast but I didn't feel overly fatigued or hungry during or after the ride because of the GU Energy Gel, and it tasted good too.  Even though it was a morning ride, it was still one of the hottest I've taken but I didn't cramp up.  I was worried that I was going to because normally I'm very hydrated because of all the water I drink throughout the day.  I also finally bought a pair of biking shorts with the extra padding in the rear end.  It wasn’t quit like sitting in the Ally’s Furniture Sweet Seat but much more comfortable than before.

The ride was still hot and it was very windy which didn't help.  I went around Fondy on the Prairie View Trail and then up the ledge, which I still need to work on.  In total I biked 25.5. 

Friday, July 13, 2012

Up Ledge...X3

Yesterday was probably the hardest ride I've taken all summer on my Ride with Attitude Sports.  I decided it was a good idea to bike up the ledge three times.  It was my longest ride this summer by about seven miles.

The first time up the ledge I felt really good.  It was fast and I had consistent peddling.  I tried really hard to focus on not pushing too hard because I knew I had two more laps yet and being that I was a sprinter in track, I have a real problem pacing myself.  The second time up was noticeably slower but I still felt like I was doing ok.  I did take a spill which didn't help.  There was some gravel on the road and down I went, just another reason to always wear a helmet.  The third time up was not fun.  My legs were dead, I was tired, hungry, and it didn't help my self-esteem when a different biker literally flew by me half way up.  By the time I got to the top of the hill at about 26 miles I wanted to be done.  I was able to finish up fairly strong, at least biking my average speed of 17.1 mph. 

It was a hard trip and I've got a lot of work to do.  One thing I need to do is make sure my body is ready to go on longer trips.  According to my Garmin Edge 200 from Attitude Sports, I burned about 1,950 calories on that ride.  I'm not really sure, but I think that's a lot.  And climbing is still tough. I actually feel ok today because of stretching and icing after the ride.   I still think though that it was a good ride of over 34 miles and about two hours.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Fastest Ride Yet

It's been a while since I've gotten to ride my Specialized Sectur Sport from Attitude Sports.  Last week was just too hot.  Last night was a great night for riding.  Not too hot and not too windy.  I decided to see how much progress I've been making over the summer so I took pretty much the same route I did on my fastest ride up to this point, which is the Prairie View Trail there and back.  This time I was 1 mph faster and road about 3 miles farther. 

After looking at the Garmin Edge 200 I'm very happy with my ride last night.  Not only was I faster and did I go farther, but I it looks like I was able to keep more of a consistent pace.  The bad thing is I was pretty sore this morning even though I make sure to stretch and ice after my rides.  Maybe it's because I didn't bike last week or maybe because it was a faster ride.  Tonight should be a good measure of my fitness when I go back up the ledge a couple of times.

If you keep following my Summer Ride with Attitude Sports and have the closest guess in July you'll win a seat bag tool kit from Attitude Sports.

Friday, July 6, 2012

Summer Ride Miles for June

Thank you for everyone who followed me in June with my Summer Ride with Attitude. I was able to put even more miles on in June than I did in May.  We had some very close guesses on how many miles I road in June.  One person was 1.7 miles off my total but that wasn't close enough because Kevin Bauer was less than a half mile off.  He guessed 196.2 miles.  The actual number of miles I road in June was 195.8 miles.  By following my blogs throughout June and guessing the closest Kevin has won a bike light set valued at $49.99 from Attitude Sports.


Keep following my blog for July because Attitude Sports will once again be giving away a prize at the end of the month.  July’s off to a slow start.  I’ve either been on vacation or it’s been 100+ with the heat index.  I’m going to have to learn to get up early if I’m going to get to riding.  I do have my first race/ride this month as well.  I’m planning on riding the Tour de Fest in my home town of Kimberly on the 22nd.  I'll make sure to keep you up to date with my Summer Ride with Attitude Sports.


Thursday, July 5, 2012

I Have Nothing To Wear! Really?

No, the folks (on-air talent) working here at K107.1 have never been considered the most stylish people around.  Some of us (Bart) have been criticized for wearing the same clothes over and over...and over.  However, I have a much easier time defending the simple t-shirt/polo, jeans look that we sport, compared to this: A recent study found that women spend, on average, $140,000 on clothes in their life time.  However, 60% of these women claim they have nothing to wear.  In what world does that make sense?

That means the average women has purchased over 3,100 clothing items in their life.  That includes 270 pairs of shoes, 185 dresses, and 145 purses/bags.  I understand that body type’s change, I understand that fashion changes as well.  But out of the 3,100 items you have or the 185 dresses you bought, do you really have nothing? 

Again, my fashion sense has been called into question more than once.  Yes, I still have shorts and shirts from 2002 but they still work.  Maybe it’s because I HATE shopping.  I've been literally yelled at by my mom to go out and buy new clothes.  That's what it takes for me to spend money on clothes.  I know this is generalizing because I know women who hate shopping and I know guys who have just as many shoes as that chick from "Sex in the City," but maybe men are just wired different than women because I seriously hope I don't spend even close to $140,000 in my life, even though I always feel like I have something to wear.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Last Ride in June

One Tuesday I went out for one last rides in June.  Attitude Sports didn't have their open ride because they were prepping for the bike race that they sponsor.  I did the same route that I did on my first ride with Dave from Attitude, up the ledge twice.  Once again there was a head wind heading up the hill which made it difficult.  However, I was able to keep the same average speed even though I was riding alone.  I compared the two rides on my Garmin Edge 200.  I saw that I climbed much better when I was with Dave, especially the second time up the hill.  I was able to make that time up when I was by myself on the way to the ledge on Winnebago Dr.

On the way back I was exhausted.  I wasn't sure I was going to make it.  I really had to push myself.  Trust me; I felt it the next day too.  But that was the last ride I was able to take.  Thursday was too hot for a ride and this weekend I'm going to Chicago so that's all the miles I'll get for June.  Make sure to go through my rides for June and make your guess at K107.1's contest page.  You have until July 5th to make your guess.  If you're the closest, you'll win a bike light set from Attitude Sports Valued at $49.99.