Happy Birthday

(singing)
Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday dear Richard
Happy birthday to me!

Why You Should Wear a Helmet.

From Yahoo Sports:
BRUSSELS (AP)—Belgian cyclist Kurt Hovelijnck remains in critical condition with a skull fracture, one day after crashing during a training run.

The 27-year-old rider crashed onto his head because of a mechanical failure to his back wheel when practicing at high speed. He was taken to an intensive care unit of a hospital in Ghent, Belgium.

Hovelijnck is in his first year with Quick Step, which also includes Tom Boonen, Allan Davis and Sylvain Chavanel.

Final Prep for Chickasaw Trace

The Chickasaw Trace Classic, my first mountain bike race of the season, is twelve days away. Generally, most people like to open the season with a smaller regional event to ease back into the groove and sharpen skills before things get serious. I should be so lucky. I have the “good fortune” of facing the season with a national calendar event right out of the box. It would be an understatement to say I don’t feel ready, but I have to play with the cards I’m dealt. With this in mind, I’m going directly to the Whirlpool trails straight from work to get in as many miles as possible before I start tapering. It’s not as if I expect to gain any fitness in the remaining days before the race but more a desperate attempt to keep what I have, sharpen handling skills, and hopefully avoid a total thumping at the hands of some Lance Armstrong wannabe.

The Chickasaw racecourse is running a little differently this year than in years past. The first noticeable change is the absence of the “big down hill” shortly after the start. I suppose this is due to negative feedback from last year’s event when torrential rains made that down hill section extremely dangerous, resulting is several accidents and a few trips to the hospital for some participants. The race will now travel through an open field; I know nothing about, before reaching single-track at the Woodland trail. It then hits the Trail of Tears and the Blackhills Trail (both a bit rough). A slight twist here is the inclusion of a small section of the Blackhills trail not used in past races, so this warrants a preride. The course then enters the Creek Trail, River Trail and Ravine Loop Trail before reconnecting with a section of the Woodland Trail again. Racers then come out on what looks like a gravel road and grassy area to the finish. This year’s race promises to be crazy fast if the conditions are dry. Get your sprint legs ready.

Sometimes a guy just can't win.

It's the first weekday of daylight savings time, and I'm all stoked to get to the trails after work. I make a quick stop by the bike shop for some fresh Stan's and also pick up a pair of Descente shorts and a nice pair of Fuji gloves all for half price. The season looks to be starting really sweet! I then rush home for a quick change, hop on my bike, and I'm off to the Whirlpool Trails just a little over three miles from my front door. No sooner do I get to the trails and my sunny day turns dark. I bomb down the first hill just off the rail bed, downshift for the approaching climb, and as soon as I start to climb out, my FREAKING CHAIN BREAKS. Fortunately, I have a chain tool in my jersey pocket, but I’m so frustrated that I don’t even bother to rethread the chain back through the derailleur since I don’t trust it anymore and know railing single-track is not in the cards. I decide to just opt for a quick single-speed conversion and hobble home in a state of frustration. Sometimes a guy just can't win.

A Much Needed Ride.

I finally landed some quality saddle time today after roughly two weeks of uncooperative weekend weather and a work commitment in the form of a conference. As luck would have it, the conference landed on a Friday and Saturday with sunny skies and temperatures in the 70’s. Where’s the usual weekend rain when you need it? In any event, Sunday proved to be a good day for a little single-track action, and I wasted no time in heading to the Whirlpool Trails once I pulled myself out of bed.

With the Chickasaw Trace Classic drawing closer, I decided to test my fitness level by maintaining a brisk pace and do a minimum of 30 miles to help with my endurance base. I worked out a very cool loop about seven miles long that is very similar to the Chickasaw Trail in Columbia, TN. My first two laps were rusty and rather pitiful. I felt awkward on the single-track sections and slightly winded. My hands also hurt and wanted to cramp. However, I eventually found a rhythm and started improving with each lap.

When I got back home, I decided to wash the trail residue off my bike and give the ole girl some TLC.



The Numbers
Trip distance: 37.28 miles
Trip time: 3:37:14
Average speed: 10.29mph
Max speed: 23.22 (bitch’n downhill section)

Ready or Not.

The Chickasaw Trace Classic is 26 days way and I'm not even close to being race ready for a fast cross-country race. I have even less time to train if you factor in my tapering days before the event. It all boils down to uncooperative weekend weather and a serious bout of boredom with the trainer. It's just hard to replace actual saddle time when it comes to these things. Ultimately, I don't have anyone but myself to blame, so I'll just have to suck it up and find a way to meet my goals.

If I were a Dog

There is an interesting series on Animal Planet called Dogs 101, which details the traits of various dog breeds. It is a truly informative and entertaining program, especially if you are looking to adopt a dog or are simply an animal person, which I happen to be. It was while watching an episode of Dogs 101 that I found my perfect dog, and quite possibly my alter ego in the dog world - the Whippet. In fact, if I were a dog, I would be a Whippet because I just have so much in common with the breed.

Here are a few Whippet characteristics:

-Whippets are quiet, gentle and loyal.
-Whippets are content to spend much of the day resting.
-Whippets do not respond well to punishment or yelling.
-Whippets are great with young children.
-Whippets are physically and emotionally sensitive.
-Whippets are very active when outdoors.
-Whippets do not do well in cold climates.
-Whippets can be very playful.
-Whippets are very loyal to their owners.
-Whippets are wonderful companions.

You can see the episode on Whippets here.

Other good sources of information on Whippets are petplace.com and terrificpets.com.