Red Mosquito

I haven't gone for a ride since July 2nd. Got really busy with 4th of July week and then it's been 90 degrees or hotter almost every day since. Today would have been a good day to get back out there but I'm working the overnight tonight and don't want to wear myself out and be exhausted for my shift.

Just did 13.9 miles.

https://www.strava.com/activities/649254551

chud is t2b 2.0

Fucking rain. At least it's a summer rain so even at 5:00 in the morning it's warmish. Though I got to work with shoes full of water and that's never fun. Probably going to be soggy still when I go home too.

Last night's ride was great. I expected it to kick my ass since I hadn't gone in a while but it didn't. Even the hills were no problem, and felt like I had been riding regularly all month.

If it wasn't 95 and humid I'd go for another ride right now.

But how was your finishing kick?

Chris_H_2 wrote:my buddy is heavily into cyclocross races. they look amazing and i'm really intrigued.

This.

And glad you're enjoying cycling chud, definitely good stuff.

"Wow, that's insane. I could never do something like that!" Yeah you could. I did. I just decided to stop being a lazy fucker and started to ride my bike. I gradually worked up to where I'm at now, it's not like I went from couch to 400-mile-tour in a weekend.

"Wow, did you see that someone died cycling? I'd be scared to ride anywhere." Yeah, I kind of am scared to ride anywhere. The most I can do is stay alert. It's not like I could do anything to keep from getting hit. I mean, just this moring a semi trailer decided at the last second to turn right. I was right beside the trailer part and it was just wet enough I couldn't stop so I had to do some fancy sliding and steering and flipping off all at the same time. What did I get in return? A wave of "oh hey, sorry for almost killing you. my bad." Gah.

"Wow, did you see the accident during the Olympics?" Well no because NBC only wants to show me 20 minutes of an event before changing back to beach volleyball. I swear it's on every time I switch to NBC. That aside, no because I'm not interested in watching. It's not like basketball or football where I like to watch, I'd rather be doing the thing that I can do instead of watching it. Also it's much harder to get a baseball/football/whatever going because it requires other people. This, I just need a bike.

Everyone thinks I'm insane for riding as much as I do. Hell, I had one person do this amazing passive aggressive, "wow, I wish I had that much free time" response to talking about riding on the weekend. Mother fucker, you're the one who had four kids with your wife and then adopted another three. I mean, I'm sure you do wish but hey, if wishes were fishes and all that; You just make the time where you can.

Do you think intense exercise helps you manage your anger?

I'm not sure what you mean...are you asking if I'm angry and it helps me, or are you asking in a general way? Do I sound particularly angry? I guess I did sound angry there...I shouldn't write after being yelled at on the phone. (Someone called me at work and proceeded to cuss at me for 10 minutes and I'm not allowed to hang up on them. No, I'm not a telemarketer either.)

Specifically, it does help me relax. Kind of like an active meditation, maybe? Though almost getting run over does tend to ruin that good mood.

Narrowed the new bike down to this:



and this:



The purchase will be made this weekend. I'm leaning toward the Kona.

I miss my Gary Fisher

Well summer disappeared like a shot. Last Friday we were pushing 33, this Friday we're pushing 21 and thunderstorms. Made the ride in this morning something of a slog as the wind was blowing North and I'm traveling South.

And I'm 100% sure that by 4:00 today it'll be blowing South.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a10_1472677239

That would never ever be me.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/bikeportl ... 5859828466

Looks like fun. Especially like the kids costumes, they look like they're having a blast.

http://www.cycleoregon.com/ride/the-classic/

That's cool and all but for 1k I better be getting something pretty damn special.

I've been planning my "across Oregon" route and right now I'm looking at going from Portland to Bend to Klamath Falls. Lots of hills there. Google tells me it's roughly 376 miles with a top height of 7,694 feet and I'd be ascending 17,280 ft and descending 13,205 ft.

Did the first bit of that last fall from Portland to Detroit Lake and that was a lot of fun. Rainy as hell though. This one wouldn't be supported though and I'd be dragging everything along with me. Did that from Vancouver BC to Portland last year and that was amazing. Other than the flu/pneumonia bit, I guess. But this one I'll be on a strict schedule as I have to make it to Klamath Falls to get on a train back home, that'll make things a little more tense.

It's getting to be the season again. I'm probably still a few weeks out from taking the bike out for real, but we're getting close. bune may scoff at my meager goals, but my goal for the year is to work up to a fifty-mile day. I don't know that I've ever done much more than about twenty before, and that was with a long, leisurely, two-meal break at the halfway. I might end up needing to trade my 'hybrid' bike in for something lighter, though.

The Argonaut wrote:It's getting to be the season again. I'm probably still a few weeks out from taking the bike out for real, but we're getting close. bune may scoff at my meager goals, but my goal for the year is to work up to a fifty-mile day. I don't know that I've ever done much more than about twenty before, and that was with a long, leisurely, two-meal break at the halfway. I might end up needing to trade my 'hybrid' bike in for something lighter, though.

I've already been out for 2 5km runs and I live in fuckin' Canata.

Yeah, I've been running all winter. But it's colder on a bike.

The Argonaut wrote:Yeah, I've been running all winter. But it's colder on a bike.

how far do ya run?