Misadventures of Miriam

Where to begin?

2009-12-21T12:48:00.000-08:00

So Ive spend the last few months away from my blogity blog. I'm sure I've lost a 1/3rd of my readers, so now I'm down to 3. Better start building up the fan base again.

Where have I been?

Charleston, West Virgina

Beckley, West Virgina

Jackson's Mill, West Virgina

Denver, Colorado

Vail, Colorado

Avon, Colorado

Estes Park, Colorado

(where I saw a bear out front of our lodging and saw Denver people taking pictures of mule

deer - oh it's so CUTE!)

Salida, Colorado

(Where the best gluten free pizza in Colorado is located)

Durango, Colorado

(to visit my bed and stuff)

Why was I in all those places in less than 30 days? One word: work.

New Mexico - The Land of Enchantment? Or July, July, July part 2

2009-08-24T18:49:00.000-07:00

The 2nd to last week in July, I had my pre-service orientation (PSO) for AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). For those of you who dont know, AmeriCorps is the domestic Peace Corps. Except I already speak the language (mostly), I dont have to move half way across the world, just the country, and finally it is only 1 year requirement. I can do two if I love living at poverty. AmeriCorps whole mission is to eradicate poverty. It was started in the Kennedy administration. Poverty is apparently a bitch to eradicate.

So the newest VISTA in town, Mike, and I drive and drive and drive to Albuquerque New Mexico. The drive between Durango and Albuquerque is effing barren, and all reservations. Coincidence? Highly unlikely.

We were staying at some swanky Marriott for 3 days. Everything is catered, we have more food than we can possibly eat, there are 2 down comforters on my bed, and there is a 36" LCD Samsung in my room. Duplicate that for hundreds of rooms.

The 200+ lot of us was there to learn about AmeriCorps, VISTA, and poverty. The average age of the people there are 23ish. I'm an outlier at then 29. I'm not fresh out of college. I've had a real job. I've traveled to travel because I could afford it, not because Mommy and Daddy were paying my way for a term overseas. But there are plenty of cool people there. Lots of fresh young faces who want to make a difference in the world. Which made up for the palpable naivete in the air.

It was fun, I made friends who I hope I can stay in contact with for quite some time. I hung out with my peeps, who are in my team here in Colorado. We had lots of good bonding over beer. Mike will be my roommate when Bean moves out. Well, he is currently living in the nylon addition, aka a tent in the backyard.

My biggest problem with the whole training week was the whole discussion of what poverty is: how systematic it is in society, and how hard generations of poverty is to break juxtaposed with the posh hotel environment. But that was like a big huge elephant in the room. So we are living well on the government's dime for the week, to be preached at about poverty. Hypocritical? Yes. Starting the discussion at the very beginning - we are sitting here in a bubble - would have been a great start. If nothing else acknowledging it also would have at least gotten the doe eyed and freshly scrubbed recent college grads thinking.

Due to the fact that I loved New Mexico so much, the first week, I get to go back the following week! Yea! This was another work trip with my boss, Allan from DC, my 2 Colorado coworkers, Katrina and Torie, and my soon-to-be New Mexico coworker, Jhon. In 3 days, 2 nights we go Durango -> Taos -> Sante Fe -> Pecos -> Sante Fe -> Albuqueque -> Durango. That would 601 miles (according to Google) in 3 days, 5 people, and 1 large Dodge Durango SUV. Work trips require work. Especially when the boss-dude is around. We had a good time, met with a lot of good folks, learned shit-tons about the water quality issues, abandoned mine lands, the different regulatory agencies, and the culuture of New Mexico.

I found it facinating to actually realize that there were 3 distinct cultures in NM. Anglo, Native, and Latin. Within each main group, there are many subsets. Loads of different tribes and reservations dot the landscape. There are distinct Spanish and Latino cultures, and friction between them. It was insane to hear of remote areas that still speak 16th century Spanish and that towns have been around for 500 years. Then we stopped at Trader Joe's. and loaded the SUV up with goodies (ie beer) and high tailed it the frick home. I was soo very very glad to sleep in my own bed. Four days at home and 6 on the road is hard. Plus I had to start running since I couldnt take the bike with me on the second trip.

The not-so-grand Rio Grande, outside Taos

Post Trader Joe's

Albuquerque's love for Eric Estrada is second to none.

Found at a hotel in Albuquerque, needless to say I did not go swimming.

July, July, July - Part 1

2009-08-16T21:42:00.000-07:00

So in my normal lackadaisical fashion, I havent been very updative. But I'm back with a vengeance (sort of like Bruce Willis, but with less bad acting and blowing things up).

Its been a whirlwind of activity this last month. Where did it all go? Hiking, camping, mtn biking, and New Mexico.

So I spent many a weekend hiking, biking and camping. The trifecta of ings.

One awesome day, B, Emma, some boys, Teal and I went for a ride. We started at Coal Bank Pass, 10,000+', rode to above treeline, changed into non-spandex and "approach shoes" aka my

running shoes and summited Engineer Mountain (13000+'). We got chased down the mountain by a fast moving thunderstorm, changed and then hightailed it into treeline (who wants to be caught above tree line with 26lbs of metal between their legs?). Then we rode from Engineer Mountain to Cascade Lakes. This is a beautiful trail and I got beaten up by Cow Parsnips that were bigger than me (granted, lots of plants are bigger than me, but usually they are trees and shrubs, not flowers).

So what I forgot to mention: everybody but me is a pro rider of some ilk (downhill or cross country), and I had eggs an hour before I rode. I should never ever ever eat eggs before a bike ride, especially a mountain bike ride. I burped my front tire (let lots of the air out when I crashed), got some help from a couple of dudes who were behind me after spending a lot of time walking, getting rained on, and being pissed at myself/my bike. Needless to say, I was a bruised monkey, and learned several valuable lessons:

1) Riding with fast people can make you faster, it can also make you feel very very slow

2) Know how to use your CO2 airhead/cartridge set up

3) Make sure you have the bar plugs in your handle bars

3.1) I have a pretty 1/2 moon scar on my left knee cap to prove it

Sweet single track from Coal Bank to the base of Mt Engineer

From Engineer Mountain, NNE

From Engineer Mountain, Southish

Yea, that left a mark.

Utah, just incase you thought Oregon and Idaho were boring...

2009-07-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

ROCKS! (because in Eastern UT thats about all there is, seriously, I dont think animals even live there)

In the land of the Mormons...I'm surprised that modesty hasnt gotten the better of this formation.

Only cool to a geologist.

Here we are descending through time as the road descends.

The CO leg...

2009-07-13T19:11:00.001-07:00

The drive over the passes is about to begin...(cue ominous music)

No, thats not you, the town dips down to the right. I wouldnt want to be drunk here, you might fall off.

Leaving weird little Oury

Avalanche Protection. Also notice the stream running across the top.

MOUNTAINS!!!

The road between Ouray and Silverton...the white line was the edge of a large cliff. My mother was really freaked out, especially around the hair pin turns with the 6x12 trailer.

This is what Pim did the whole way.

This is what Eshe thought of the trip...

Le Tour

2009-07-12T13:22:00.000-07:00

I sit here watching Le Tour de France, but I am sad. Usually watching the boys clad in candy colored spandex makes me happy. Esp when I can watch it with a roommate/fellow cyclist and we can share stories and swap jabs and cheers about the racers. But not this year. I am missing one of my friends.

My friend Matt Edmonds, a wonderful person, avid cyclist, and fellow geologist was killed when a drunk driver hit him and 2 other cyclists on a training ride in Tulsa (a 2nd cyclist was also killed). Matt was a huge fan of cycling. We used to watch the tour in our respective homes/coffee shops and then excitedly recount each stage. He got me to follow the Daphne and the Giro. We shared a fondness for Jan Ulrich and teasingly called Lance the Mighty Uniballed One.

But its not just him. KMac, vibrant, silly, and strong; had what could have been a catastrophic accident on June 2nd. She will thankfully recover.

Although I did not know Mr G from Portland Velo personally, my heart still hurts, he was a figure in OBRA and we are a close knit organization, any death hurts all of us. He was taken down by a twig. He fought a valiant fight, but the twig and fractured C2 vertebrae won that fight.

Who else? I dont think my heart can handle yet another. I hate this heavy heart. I am ready to be done worrying about my friends and family on their bikes. And I am tired of being sad. So please, my fellow cyclists, ride safe.

And finally, may there always be sunny skies, smooth roads and long descents for Matt and Mr G.

The Rules

2009-07-07T22:52:00.000-07:00

So there are always rules one has to learn when they move to a new area. Here they are (as far as I can tell) for the Durango area.

1) Texans are to Durango what Californians are to Oregon. But worse. They arent kidding when they say everything is bigger in Texas. People, cars, hair, obnoxiousness, and obliviousity (yes I just made that up).

2) You must like beer. Which really isnt a problem in my case, but there are the few odd people that might be an issue for.

3) Being a mountain biker is no longer special. EVERYBODY mountain bikes out here. I therefore need a new more interesting hobby...skin diving or mountain unicycling, or ultimate pinochle.

4) Most people here work at least 2 jobs to afford their ski/mountain bike bum lifestyle.

5) And lastly there are at least 3 dudes for every chick here. It makes for easy pickings, girls, come on down!

Dearest OBRAland

2009-07-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

I must say its been a good run.

From the very beginning of my cycling career the people who comprise OBRA have made me feel welcomed and encouraged. I've only been racing for a few short seasons now, but all of you who helped me along the way are very much appreciated. I couldnt have gone as far as I have without you all.

I am sorry that I wont easily be able to race in Oregon for many years to come. I just moved to Durango CO for an AmeriCorps position working with the Western Hardrock Watershed Team. We are doing watershed management in rural and ex mining towns that have issues with acid mine drainage. We help mitigate these problems while rebuilding the strength of the community through a connection to the river and the history of the area. It is awesome. So far, 2 weeks into it, I love my job and my new town. The people here are amazing and are very appreciative of the work

Although this is a great opportunity and will lead me to super awesome places (like an MS and a PhD and a career) I am still sad to have to leave behind all the wonderful people who are OBRA. I am going to miss racing at some of the most beautiful places, the mud (yes I said it, I miss the mud - I actually aimed for a puddle the other day on the trail), and all the ladies that make racing so damn hard.

So, thank you OBRA. You will be missed.

I'd also like to give a special shout out to the ladies of the Poplollies for putting up with my mountain bike antics on the road. And to Peak Sports/Team Dirt/Gregg Rouse/Mike Ripley/Chris Brandt for helping me make this season a great mtn bike season. And especially Ripley for not upgrading me to a Cat 1 before I moved. :D

Though this training at 6500' elevation will hopefully come in handy when I do see you all on a bike again.

~Miriam

Pickett's Charge Race Report

2009-06-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

I am leaving on the 18th to SW Colorado, Durango in fact. So Pickett's Charge was my last race in Oregon for at least 14 months, if not several years. Pickett's is my favorite course in all of Oregon mountain biking. I'm glad that my favorite course was my last race.

Whenever I warm up, especially at elevation, I always feel awful. Legs wont turn over well, stomach is all upset, mind wandering all over the place. I force myself to just do it, because I know it'll hurt more if I dont. It was with a little bit of a heavy heart that I lined up with the other Cat 2 ladies. I have been having a great season, so I was excited to really give it a go and see what I could do; though sad that I am going to miss all of this and all the women I see every few weeks.

So the "gun" (really it is an official who counts down into a loud speaker) and I punch it. I just go. Michelle and I are in the front, we had great starts. I keep up the pace, but it doesnt feel very fast at all. I feel like a slug actually. I am expecting the field to swarm around me any second. They dont. I look over my shoulder and to my grand surprise there is NOBODY there. I can see the rest of the field, maybe 20-30 seconds behind me. What the hell? I'm first into the single track?!? Thats never happened before. This is super awesome, I dont have to worry about passing people! Oh wait, thats right, I have to worry about people riding up on me and trying to pass me. Ugh. So my entire thought process at this point is "dont screw this up, dont screw this up!"

I get to the first technical section. Oh man. I've not ridden my mtn bike much in the last 3 weeks, opting for the speed of the road bike instead. I rolled over the first set of sharp poky rocks just fine. I cheered for myself. Still in the lead with one lady (Karen from Bend Bike N Sport) behind me I hit the 2nd technical section. I didnt have enough speed, which means I couldnt easily roll over the rocks. I got my front wheel hung up and that knocked me down. I wasnt really moving, which makes me feel even more stupid. I whack my left hip and left elbow pretty well. I see blood, but its not dripping so get back up. Or I should say I TRY to get back up, in doing so I stepped on the rocks with the heel of my right shoe. Not having any traction I lost my footing and hit the deck again, but this time with my right elbow. Great. I'm so damn graceful. All sorts of other women stream by me.

The rest of the race (15 of the 19 mile or so) go off with out much of a hitch. I slow down for sure in some spots. The course makes it very hard to eat, even to grab a gel that are tucked up in the leg of my shorts. I take a few pulls of the Cytomax (energy drink) from the bottle and some water from the Camelback. The course isnt super technical, but just twisty turny. Very speed controlled. At one point a girl tries to pass me when we are walking over non-rideable stuffs and she knocks me over (though it was an accident, I lost my full pack of Clif Bloks and dropped my chain - so I lost time, again). I am now pissed. I chase her down. I can tell I'm low on calories. I hope I can maintain and not bonk. Then all of the sudden we pop out at the T junction where we turn back on the fire road towards the finish. YES! I throw it in my big ring and push it HARD. I have a 1-1.5 miles to go. I can give it everything. And I can see this woman who knocked me down. I want her.

I power down the fire road. I finally have the woman close enough to give it a go, but we are 50m and closing from the finish chicane. I dig DEEP. We have to take a 90 degree left turn into the finish chute. But we are going from compacted dirt to thick deep gravel, this could be a disaster - but hey wiping out at the finish is better than at mile 5! She turns and I swing wide into the corner, Tokyo drifting as I go. I punch it for the last time and come into the finish hot. The officials and organizers are standing around pulling tags and are motioning to me to slow down. So I grab the brakes hard and slide sideways on the deep gravel into the finish. Not quite as good as a one handed wheelie. But I'll take it.

I thought I was like 5th-3rd. I can never tell in the Cat 2s (aka Sport) since there is a Masters 35+ and an Open 18-34. We all have the same tag color. So I'm standing around, changing, eating. Getting my elbow cleaned out by the very bored cute medic on site. I wander over to look at what placing I got. 2nd!?!??!??? Holy crap, batkids! I ended up 3 minutes behind the leader. Between crashing and being knocked over/chain drop I could have contested that. But thats how racing goes. All sorts of what ifs and and woulda couldas. But I'll take 2nd. Esp after crashing and not eating.

I know now I'm probably being called the sand bagger. I would upgrade if I was not moving to mtn biking heaven. I make no promises to be even remotely competitive out there.

I love mountain biking.

Pictures coming soon.

Spring Thaw 2009

2009-05-26T13:21:00.001-07:00

Yea yea, slightly out of logical order, since the was was on the 16th. Only 10 days late.

The weather persons called for a high near 90 in Ashland. When my start time came around it was sunny and warm. Two of my favorite weather terms, ever. So Spring Thaw is a true climber's course. About 10 miles up gravel roads, 8 miles across a rolling with a slight descent gravel/fire roads, and then the rest of the 24 mile course down hill on single track and downhillers course.

Everybody lined up super early when I was warming up. All the category 2 fields and single speeders were started in a mass start, and I got stuck at the way back. Whoops. I think to myself, great, now I have to try to pass all these ya-hoos. Surprisingly enough, it was easier than expected. I just kept the pace high and rode what was comfortable for me. I pass Michelle (Team Dirt) and Jenny (www.webcyclery.com) who was glued to the back of Michelle's wheel. Michelle hops on my wheel and we off we go. I look back occasionally and see Jenny still there, so I turn up the pace just a tad. Soon we drop her. Soon we drop everybody, all the masters men battling it out for their world championship title every week, all the single dudes. We are climbing forever. I keep trying to visualize where we are on the map in my head and the spot that is me, is moving so very slowly compared to the size of the course. Ugh.

Michelle comes around me, I hop on her wheel, but she keeps cranking it up. My brain only screams why? I stay there for a couple of miles, but I have gotten bored on the gravel only climb and I'm having a hard time making myself care enough to stay with her. I let her and the couple of guys she was towing go. I find my own entourage of masters men to tow up the hill. We have jovial conversations about cycling and the like. Well I have jovial conversations, they are mostly grunting or wheezing at me. I hear one of them call me an animal on the only steep single track section. I respond back that no, I'm just 50lbs lighter than them so I have less to haul up a hill. That probably didnt make them any happier - I wasnt calling them fat, just pointing out that they are average to tall dudes, and I'm a mostly petite female. I dont know what it is, but this year I really feel like climbing and I have become close friends.

I finally get to the top! I dont have a watch or a speedometer or even a heart rate monitor on at this point. I'm just going. The side hill gravel road was in great shape, had a slight net decent of a 2-4%. Big ring time. Nobody in sight for the most part, couple of dudes who pop out of the woods and FLY by me. So I keep on trucking at my pace. I'm singing the Eel's "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues" (dont ask, I'm weird, and mostly it was the refrain of "Goddamn right its a beautiful day!") and grinning. I feel good, I've had enough to eat, I feel strong. I am going to decimate this race. I know it. I pedal harder.

I get to the downhill section. I was worried about this. My usual weakness is the descending part. I tend to be timid and over use my brakes. So I made pact with myself: Since I was feeling good and had plenty of calories in me I would go as hard as I could. I would let off the brakes, and let my bike do what it is supposed to do - ride over obstacles in my way. I giggled the whole way down. I kept off the brakes as much as possible and I hardly got passed by any of the guys behind me. I was wishing on parts of the course that I had full suspension. My legs started to cramp when I had my right foot forward too often. So I taught/forced myself to do it with the left forward (I'm totally 100% left footed, I snowboard goofy, and on the mtb when my left foot is back, I can control the bike much easier). I kept it upright until some young kid came bombing down the hill out of control, I let him pass but he wiped out on a sandy corner directly in front of me. I either ate it, or I ran over him. I ate it.

So I get down into town. I have to finish on the road. As I'm hauling ASS on the road, so idiot in a mini van (go figure) backs up and turns to go down the road too. Except he has no clue that there is a bike race happening. So he is going down the hill at below the posted speed limit and braking into the corners. I am desperate to get around this dude, but I am not going to pass on blind corners. So I bide my time and get around the moron. I finish at 2:31. Michelle finishes 5 minutes before I do (probably due to that dumb van).

We both win our categories (Michelle is in the 35+ Cat 2, I'm in the under 35 Cat 2)! I won by huge amounts of time. And by huge I mean over 30 minutes.

It wasnt the hardest or even the most mtn bikey course I've ever ridden. But it still felt good to win. I am going to try to do that from now on. Well until I get upgraded that is.

Podium Shot

Changes

2009-05-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so after a long hiatus, I am back. Many things have changed. All for the better (if not scarier).

I had a long fun vacation to NYC, lots of shopping, goofing off, 3am bowling (free frames with pitches), and spending time with good friends. After I got back, work changed, all of the sudden I became the target of all of management's criticism. Apparently doing everything for everybody, setting up the new procurement system, managing budgets, and generally making sure the office and lab ran smoothly wasnt quite up to snuff. So in early May I got fired.

This may sound bad, but it really isn't. Well I could use the cash, but I'm so unstressed about work. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders after I walked away from that place. Ah. I am/was however pissed for the lame assed excuses of "under performance". Call a spade a spade and tell me the real reasons. Like budgets. I saw my old position posted on CL and it was for a part time person, 20-30 hrs a week. I want to know why they are doing that, if I was working 50 hrs a week and wasnt able to get things done, how is someone doing 20 hrs going even get close? Just setting up another person for failure. Really thats the saddest part.

Prior to my shit-canning I was looking at other options. I knew I needed out. I knew my soul was dying a small amount everytime I was there. So not having any practical experience as a Geologist. Not wanting to work in an office again (or until I left for grad school next year), and needing the frick out of Eugene, I looked into AmeriCorps (spurned partly by a friend who is entering Peace Corps). Success! There are tons and tons of positions that I could use my science skills meshed with my ability to network, and human interaction. I had probably about 13 interviews...screening interviews, interviews with managers, with other AmeriCorps members. I had some seriously awesome interviews (all over the phone). Mostly because I wasnt nervous and I was excited about this next step.

I got a job offer from Butte MT working for The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT www.ncat.org ). I would have been working with low income people to get them energy efficient appliances, weatherize their houses, and teach environmental stewardship through energy conservation. It sounded like a cool job.

But the one I really really wanted was a watershed management position. I applied to ones on the East Coast (coal belt Appalachia) and in Colorado/Montana. I interviewed 3x with the Western Hardrock Watershed Team www.hardrockteam.org and I got the position! Woo! I wont just be standing out in a stream/river some place. I will help open a couple of new offices in NM and CO. So I'll be networking with other watershed groups, education groups, other AmeriCorps members, and small mtn communities. It'll be challenging and stressful at times, but I think it'll be really a great position. My boss is super duper awesome. The 2 other girls I'll work closely with are very cool, funny, and nice.

I'm sooo excited! Weeee!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH...

2009-04-02T07:09:00.001-07:00

....HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Ok carry on. Nothing to see here. Only a small pint sized woman flailing her arms about and hopping up and down in frustration. Occasionally work really pisses you off.

All Things Dino

2009-03-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

I need this.

You know what...

2009-03-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

...is awesome? When you're an employed adult and with out asking you father buys you groceries. I love my father.

Der Blogity Blog

2009-03-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

So yea, apparently I've been lacking in my blog updation. Sorry. Well not really. I havent had much to yak about lately.

Work: Yea, still (and forever - I blame my parents for my work ethic) working 50+ hour weeks to get our SAP system up and running. Its almost there. Almost. Maybe I'll be able to leave before 6:30 one of these days. But I guess I cant really complain too much since I do have a job. But still I dont want to work THAT hard all the time.

Cycling: I am attempting to train. I've discovered that although I love to ride my bike, and I do like racing, I hate training inside on the rollers/trainer. I mean who doesnt, but good god this is getting old. Its March. I want to be outside. I want the sun on my cheeks and the wind in my hair (through the helmet of course). I've done a few races lately, Cherry Pie and Sublime Sublimity. Race reports to follow.

-Cherry Pie: Oh man I almost chickened out. I HATE HATE HATE racing in the rain. Actually hate is not strong enough of a word. The weather called for nastiness all day. I found a ride, so of course I then had to go. So I did. It was sunny and warm. I was hot with my arm warmers and leg warmers and booties. Hot. Yes in Feb. Hot. I was loving it. And then I had to race. Because there are so few women in the 1/2/3 categories in the state, we all get to race together. Usually we get scored separately. Which is good, since there is a massive difference between a 2 and a 3. 3s are just strong 4s with endurance. Really. I'm a 3, its not that hard to upgrade (obviously). However, the 2s actually have to have some ambition. They have to put a lot of time in the saddle. They have to race outside Oregon (since there are a whole 15 1/2s in the state). So anyways, I'm warm and sweating on a nice Feb afternoon. I'm flying the colors of my new team: Poplollies. The 12 woman peloton stays together for the 1st lap. Theraputic Associates has a butt load of women (Lisa, Karey, Jessi, Jacquie, Pam, and a 6th). They keep sending off attacks. Nobody wants to cover, so Jen (Group Health), Molly (Land Shark), Lindsay (unattached) and I do a lot of the covering. I eat a little. Not enough. Lisa rails it up the finishing hill. This hill is hard. Very hard. I shouldnt have let them out front. I should have taken more wind to keep the TA girls from dominating the front of the race. But its just me, none of the other Poplollies could make it to the 3 race. I cant cover a whole team. So Lisa, Jacquie, Libby, Karey, and Jen form a break. Molly and I chase, we catch Pam and continue to chase. We are hauling ass, giving everything we have. They are sooooo close. And then they arent. Then they disappear over the next hill. Finally Lindsay, Molly and I convince Pam and Jessi to actually work. We all work together. Its fun now, we are just rolling along in a nice pace line. Chatting. Giggling. Oh crap, we have 10 more miles. Shit I havent eaten enough I can feel it. We gap Lindsay. At 2k to go they turn up the tempo and I'm done. My 15lb bike feels like 40 in my easiest gear. I finish it up, I cant hang with the other girls, but I dont want Lindsay to come up. I roller her in. Done. 6th place. I guess that words for it being mid Feb. There are some strong girls in the peloton. I know this is going to be a hard year. And I'm looking forward to May when I actually have some endurance and recovery and speed. And probably the next time I sweat again outside.

-Sublime Sublimity. PG 13 Rating.
I went up with Erin K and Michelle of the Poplollies. Erin was representin' in the 4s and Michelle and I were rolling out with the 3s. The day looked threatening. But again the weather held out. Yea! That was the highlight of the day. Really. I hear snippets and reports about how hard it is prior to our start. About how the course description and the actual race are vastly different. Unsettling? Yes. So at the start I realized I've locked my gloves in Erin's car. Oy. Ok so I get that straightened away. Then they tell us we are not going to get be scored separately. WTH? Seriously, there are like 13 women. How hard can this be. The promoters say its up to the officials and the officials say its up to the promoters (which it is). I'm already annoyed. This is not a good start. They say something about taking both lanes on a decent to make a hard 90 corner. So we're off. Veloforma is there, en force. Karey and Jessi from TA, Michelle and I, Jen from Group Health and a few others. We hit the first 'roller' aka wall. Oh man this is going to be hard. Where the hell did this come from? Up and over, and again and again and again. Holy hell. My mind is baffled, how exactly am I supposed to do 4 laps of this. I am internally laughing at the 700' of elevation gain/lap they advertised. I dont have anything fancy, but I have been around long enough to recognize a blatant lie when I see one. We start the largest climb. We are going ~7mph. Jesus H. Christ. In a race?!??! So we hit the decent. Its clear, open, roads are perfect. I tuck (and let me tell you, little people can tuck). I hit 43mph. This is a new record. I pop up over the last little roller in the decent and see a T in the road. Oh F@*K! I yell. I have a steep 500m or so to slow myself down to take this corner. This has a very high potential for being bad. Very bad. I hit the brakes, HARD. Fishtail #1. I get into a cycle of braking into a fishtail letting go and then repeating. I must have fishtailed 4-6 separate occasions. Its a good thing I spend most of last year mtn biking...or I would have left a large portion of my epidermis on the road. So the girls who made it around the corner a little safer than I form a break. Damn. Now its is the majority of us 3s in the chase group. Michelle, Steph (Veloforma), Jessi, someone else, and myself. We start to chase. This is my life on a road bike. Always in the chase group. Steph refuses to work, since 2 of her teammates are behind us, and she wants help, and one is up the road in the break. Nobody realizes this until it is too late and the other 2 Veloforma girls catch. Crap. Luckily one of them gets a flat shortly into lap 2 and the other stays back to help her. Sweet. We roll along. Steph still doing very little work, the rest of us actually trying. Michelle and I dont really have a plan. We just want to finish. If we wanted we could try group tactics I guess, but there are only 2 of us in a 5 person group. 2nd lap is uneventful. Same pain. Same vile thoughts towards the promoters. The 3rd lap comes, I cant believe I have this +1 more to do. I'm dying. Almost out of liquids. None of the girls are talking - we're all suffering internally now. I drop back to the follow official. We're 2 hours 30-45 mins into it. If we do another lap its going to be almost dark by the time we finish. I ask if the race can be shortened. About 10 minutes later comes the word that it is. Yes! Small victory. I pussy foot it down the decent. I get gapped by the other girls. Michelle and I chase and chase and chase. She is strong but saying she is cooked. Michelle is working her ass off to get me back to that group. Every time she comes around and I get a draft, I am forever thankful. We get closer and closer. I get with in 25'. But crap, its a hill. I have nothing in the tank. Off the group goes. Michelle has popped. Its just me now. I have miles to the finish. I just keep telling myself over this hill. And now this hill. I see the finishers coming back down. They look like ghosts..eyes a little dead..soul a little crushed. I finally get to the turn off for the finish. Rollers. Ugh. Ok so I get over the first couple and then I see it: a wall. A wall so high and so steep it looks like its coming up and arching over me. Help me Jesus, help me Allah, help me Jewish God, help me Oprah. 20%. I finish. On my feet. Slightly in protest of how goddamned steep and unnecessary it was and slightly because I didnt want to fall over. Michelle does the same. I know why people looked like ghosts...I know I look the same way. I cheer for Heidi and Eryn B as they are headed towards the finish. They will need it.

Dra-ma

2009-01-31T08:36:00.000-08:00

My morning commute

2009-01-30T19:41:00.000-08:00

I know I've bitched a lot about my commute and the idiots I have to deal with. But this is amazing. It truly was just appalling.

I've just pulled out on the the road. I'm headed west. To my right is some basic housing and smaller side streets with, you guessed it, more single family/duplex housing. To the left is a school. I'm rolling along in my tiny geared fixie. There is an old lady in a mu mu with some mangy assed dog with her. The neighbors apparently had not taken their garbage cans in from Thursday pickup. I'm maybe 10ish feet from the old lady who's walking the dog. She gets to the garbage cans and pushes them over into the street. I dont hear much as I'm franticlly trying not to hit them and swerve into traffic. But something about "that'll teach em".

I dont know if she was referring to me or the neighbors but it was the closest I've ever come to giving an old person the bird.

Stuff

2009-01-30T19:35:00.000-08:00

So aside from working my ass off at work (we're talking ~50hr weeks for all of Jan). I've decided I should probably start training again. Well if I dont want to come in dead last all the time. And I dont like being last so...that leads to the having to ride my bike for more than just to and from work.

Collin's Shop team folded so I was on the hunt for a road team. I will be riding for Team Dirt for mtn bike. But I wanted some teammates and people to train with for the road. I missed most of the road season last year, I was uber busy with school so training was pretty nil and the mtb season conflicted with the road season. So this year, I think I'd like to balance it out with closer to 50-50 road/mtb. So I joined the Poplollies. We are the only all women's race team in the southern valley. And I have some wonderful teammates with some serious horsepower. It ought to be awesome.

I'm pumped about racing this year. No homework, no school. Just me and the bike. Woo hoo!

Big 3

2008-12-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

wtf

2008-11-26T23:05:00.000-08:00

So the other morning I saw one of these:

Hauling something akin to the wooden object to the right:

It was odd.

Pycho Cross #3

2008-11-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

Half the reason I dont race cross on a regular basis is the mud. I hate mud. It gets all over everything, messes up the bike. Destroys parts. Gets everywhere and takes hours of time post-racing of dealing with.

But on dry days I will attempt cross. Note: I do not have a cross bike (I feel if I did have one, I'd have to take cross a lot more seriously - which I cant quite stomach), and have only ever practiced dismounting and remounting once. I can now dismount my bike pretty ok like, but I stutter when I try to hop on the bike. Not to mention I dont like banging my lady parts on the saddle (I know thats now how its supposed to work, but re-read the above, I've spent a whole 40 minutes outside of races doing that).

So yesterday was Psycho Cross #3, put on the by the lovely Sal, who may actually be thinner than I am (he is, however, significantly taller). Sal loves to torture us. Women's races are 45 mins. The course was so long that we only did 3 laps. The leaders could have done 4, but that would have been 50-55mins for the race, and the last girls would have been out there for an hour+. So 3 laps it was. Which was fine, because I wasnt too excited to do 4. There was pretty much everything. Barriers, sustained running (gross), run up, baby head rocks, single track, peanut butter mud, fields, winter crops, puddles, sand and descent. It took us about 12-13 minutes per lap. Yes thats long. I mean it took the men A 9-9:30 per lap. So its not like I was walking or anything.

So I get the hole shot (haha, that one of my favorite phrases). But give it up quickly as I didnt want to be the first one through the peanut butter mud. Oh well. The one A girl and the B sandbaggers were much faster than I was. Not to mention they have cross bikes and dismount/remount skills.

I caught one, she dropped her chain, and was trying very hard to get it back on. So I drilled it. Got a gap on her, but she made her way back up to me. I held her off for just over a lap (thanks to the fatty tires and my low weight in the mud) until we got to the last barrier, where I didnt get the front wheel up quite high enough, tagged the barrier, and then tripped over it. In the process of doing all that I managed to drive the end of my handle bars directly into my ear. Note: I dont recommend this. She killed and got a gap on me.

I rode a clean last lap and came in 4th in the Bs. And 5th overall (out of 15ish). So thats not too bad. I have dirt riding abilities, but obviously no barrier skills. The one thing that made me most proud was the fact that nobody passed me on the running section. Oh and the fact that I could ride the run-up.

I rarely use that part of my head.

Mercedes Benz

2008-11-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

So why is it that Mercedes Benz SUV drivers seem to be total asshats? Is it the fact they feel special because they have an extra-expensive gas guzzler? Or is it the people who are willing to spend 48-55,000 (MSRP) on an SUV that you cant even drive over a curb, are the most important people on the face of the planet? Whatever it is these people on their cell phones in these things really chap my hide.

I'm going to work yesterday. There is a big intersection a couple of blocks from my house that has no bike lane through it. There are bike lanes leading up to it, but the intersection is old and there wasnt enough room to expand the intersection. Whatever there are loads of bike merge signs. Its a 2 lanes each way with a protected left turn lane.

View Larger Map

So I take the right lane, I wait for the light. Yes people like to turn right on the red light. But I've hugged the curb before and been cut off too many times by people running late to do that. So Monday am, I'm sitting there enjoying the sunshine waiting for my coffee to really kick in, and I hear a noise behind me. I look over and see this metallic navy blue M Class Mercedes SUV straddling the stripped line between lanes inching towards me.

I'm confused. What in the hell is going on. So I look at him with a quizzical look. Give him the palms up WTF gesture. He smiles and waves. All the while on his cell phone. Whatev. Its quiet for a little bit then I hear his studded snow tires (because the 4WD in an SUV isnt enough to get to the mtn) creep up again. I look over and give him the same WTF look. He continues to creep up on my space. I point to myself and I point to where I'm standing.

So the light changes. And we're off. Ok so I get the hole shot (yes I'm always racing - and yes that ALWAYS sounds dirty). Then Mr MB SUV driver is on my ass revving his engine. He flies around me at significantly faster than the speed limit. The best part is when he turns around makes eye contact with me (yes still on the cell) and smiles and waves.

So this dude was trying to "squeeze" in my lane at the intersection. Not to turn right, I might have had a bit of understanding. But no, this guy was going straight thru, in a 2 lane intersection with nobody in the adjacent lane.

I guess I dont need coffee in the am with drivers like that.

Picture montage of the last few months.

2008-11-12T22:36:00.000-08:00

Add your own favorite montage music. Maybe Eye of the Tiger.

Pim modeling the chicken costume.

Eshe all dressed up for Halloween

Halloween Cross Race - Little Red Riding Hood

Mtb Crash Aug 2008, Yea that left a mark. And a lot of antibiotics.

YES!

2008-11-12T21:42:00.000-08:00

I drank the Obama cool-aid and damn was it tasty.

So the right guy won. Yippee! But now its gonna be lots of hard work and sacrifice and in all reality it will get worse before it gets better.

Lets see what has BushCo left us to clean up:

Iraq
Afghanistan
Mortgage Crisis
Bank Failures
Auto Industry
Energy Crisis
Global Warming

To name a few. And if anybody cares, I think BEFORE we give out 100s of BILLIONS of dollars we should make the industry that we are bailing out follow some damned rules. Out line things they can and cannot do with gobs of my money. Like requiring the auto industry to create more efficient autos and or develop the technology we already have into viable options. By just bailing out these companies we are just rewarding the piss poor management and outrageous pay scales that got us into this muck in the first place.

CEOs, boards and the like of these "too big to fail" companies need to put their big boy undies on and realize that they made some seriously flawed decisions and that does not equate to a large bonus or any sort of monetary reward.

Oh if you become VP...

2008-10-11T11:10:00.000-07:00

Freaking brilliant...

Off Season

2008-10-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

What to do when the season (and by season, I mean my haphazard, mediocre, lackadaisical attempt to race) ends and cyclo-cross seems unappetizing?

Commute on your race bike! Weee!

Look for a rain bike, aka a cross bike with fenders and slick tires.

Beer

Margaritas

Read a book

Yoga

Obviously I'm bored off my ass. My slowly widening ass. So I have a plan for next season. Watch out.

I'm taking time away from my bike, a long time. I love my bikes. I love riding my bikes. But having only raced while in school, I've always felt guilty about training because I should have been doing homework or the like. So I want to completely erase that guilt. I want it to be completely enjoyable and fun.

I however, need to keep my strength and not get fat. So I'm going to swim my butt to extra fit. I also am going to supplement my swimming and occasional riding with some pilates to keep me limber. (when I dont feel like doing the trainer).

And finally I need a few races to aim for:

Willamette (road)
Mudslinger (mtn bike)
Table Rock (road)
Chain Breaker (mtn bike)
AIDS/Lifecycle Ride 545 Miles from SF to LA to raise awareness and money to fight the spread and find a cure for HIV/AIDS - This ought to be a lot of fun, its completely supported and should be good and challenging but awesome.

So there ya go, I've got a fitness plan, races to aim for, and fun stuff to do. Bring on the winter.

Economization

2008-10-08T21:46:00.000-07:00

So by this time, everybody and their belly button lint has heard that the economy is in the toilet and headed towards that swirly watery grave.

How? Why? What the hell is going to happen now?

How: We've all been living on too much credit and not with in our means. That goes for pretty much everybody, and the vast majority of businesses too. At some point it was going to bite us in the ass. It was driven by the large mega-corporations who make shit-tons of money on high interest rates, late fees, over the limit fees, and other assorted fees. These companies target the young, the old, and those at the bottom rung of the socio-economic level. It gets to the point where more money is made on the people defaulting on the loans and credit cards than was made on the people who actually pay their bills. So, you guessed it, they want to make more money. By doing so, more people get into debt that they can never pay off. And these banks and funds get richer. Its not just people living on borrowed money, its everybody, companies big and small, governments big and small. So basically we've built an economy on debt. Not surprisingly enough, its not particularly stable.

So there is your economic less of the week. Pay your bills, your credit card bills off asap, dont get a loan or any other credit that sounds too good to be true, read the fine print, and mostly live within your means. We'll weather the "credit meltdown" it'll be a rough couple of years and then we'll figure out that the only way to fix it is through green businesses, alternative energies, petro-less cars.

Deployment Photos

2008-09-27T22:56:00.001-07:00

A nifty tree seen on our first day.

We dug a lot of holes, thankfully I didnt have to dig this one.

Safety first.

Does this really need a caption?

Our fearless leader.

The hair and the kids.

Grubby Feet. Yes I did wear shoes.

Recovery

2008-09-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

So I went back this week to pick up the seismometers and other equipment that we deployed the other day. It wasnt quite as long, significantly less tedious, but no less demanding.

Lets see things that happened:

I dropped a GPS on the way down from a site (super steep slopes). It was in my pocket but the lanyard snagged on a manzanita bush. It wasnt super accurate, usually was about 10m off, but it wasnt mine to lose. So the next day (after it had rained for the majority of the day and night) we had a little spare time and went back to look for it. I found it! The bright blue case was pretty visible hanging off the manzanita, just waiting for me. We hiked to the rocky outcrop near by and took some photos. At least it was sunny, cool but hey I'll take that over working in the rain any day.

Earlier that day we came across a seismometer that had been dug up. It was just hanging out by the hole. The bag with the battery, recording device, and GPS antenna was completely untouched. It was very odd, and we had a debate about who or what could have done it. We came to either bear or human.
Pro human: the hole wall looked very staight and sharp on one side.
Pro bear: bag wasnt touched, humans probably would have screwed with the other equipment.

That same day I found a 4 point buck skull and several vertebrae. I kept the skull but left the spine parts. The bones were pretty fresh as they still had connective tissue and ookie stuff. The skull made it home and is sitting out side waiting for the bugs and ants to clean it out before I bring it in the house.

The nights were cold, I mean frost on the inside of your tent cold. I bought a down jacket just before going out and I am so glad I did, as I pretty much lived in it. Other than that, I worked my butt off, had a good time and drank lots and lots of beer.

East Lake

North and Middle Sisters, as see on the way home.

Cheezy Poofs

2008-09-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

I got Pim to eat some today.

One of the many reasons I love Jon Stewart

2008-09-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

(Thanks to Galen for posting so I could re-post)

Mount Ashland Hillclimb

2008-09-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

Hows about we go ride our mountain bikes up hill only for several hours? Ya? I've had better ideas, but I also know I've had much much worse.

Oof.

4800 feet of climbing. 18 miles. Almost all uphill. And I dont mean some nice little 3% grade, but we're talking 8ish% on average, with some definite steeper slopes.

I wasnt super motivated, but I did want to do it just to see how much I could make myself suffer. But I did it. And I came in 2nd for all the mtn bike women, 1st for my category.

The 1st solidified my Oregon Bicycle Racing Assn, Best Allround Rider for Sport Women 19-39. Which I'm pretty happy about.

Venomously Against John McCain/Sarah Palin

2008-09-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Yea, more wars!

Warning: this is disturbing.

For more information on Sarah Palin's promotion of aerial hunting of wolves please click here and here.

Life as a Geology Grunt

2008-09-13T15:33:00.000-07:00

So, I havent blogged in a while because I was away from modern technology for 7 whole days. It was nice at first, but by the time it was over, I was scared to open my email. I had 242 emails at work and over 90 in my gmail account. Yikes.

I was/am part of a study to image the "red hot magma" chamber under Newberry Caldera. For those of you who dont know, Newberry is in central Oregon, south of Bend and just north of La Pine. Mini geology lesson: It is the same type of volcano as Crater Lake, but has had more volcanic activity post massive eruption. There is a small cone in the middle of the caldera as well, but there have been several other lava flows in the last 7000 years to create 2 smaller lakes and a pretty nifty obsidian (volcanic glass) flow (which stumps geologists because Obsidian doesnt usually flow and so the mechanism to make it do so is poorly understood).

So in a NE-SW direction we put in seismometers every 300 to 800m (depeding on location). The farther away from the center of the caldera the farther apart the seismometers got. There are currently 80 sensors in 80 holes that are 12-14 inches deep. About 20 of which I dug or helped dig. The other components are above ground, the recording device, the GPS antenna, and a set of 8 12volt batters wired in a series. All of this had to be packed in, usually 500m-2k from a road so that wasnt too onerous usually. The battery, recording devince, and GPS antenna all were placed in a very durable black plastic bag with an opening left so the battery could breath. On the 2nd day, a rodent had already chewed through the bag and gnawed on the cardboard box the batteries were in. Yippee. We also put these in rattle snake and yellow jacket territory. I am no so excited about the recovery week after next.

I will post pictures soon when I find my mini USB to USB adapter for the camera. It was fun though. And really really dusty. Its all pretty much just ash and when you are digging in the dirt for 8 hours a day, one tends to not stay so fresh and so clean clean. My hair would stick up straight a la Sonic or the villian on the Incredibles. It was pretty amusing and impressed pretty much everybody.

Finally a week after my return, almost everything (except my shoes and sleeping bag) are dirt free and put away. Only to do it again in a week. Weeee!

DNC, McCain, and some chick from Alaska

2008-08-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

First off, I'm biased as hell. I cannot understand how people who are not rich, white, and sit on the board of large corporations can be republican. I like Barak Obama. He seems like a normal guy who you could have a good conversation over beers with. Yes some said that about Bush II, but without the good conversation part. When he speaks, he is describing a bright future where there are loads of shiny happy people. It may not be perfect, but its a significant change and better change from the 8 long dark years we've had.

Freaking McCain though. Jay-sus. The 'oh I'm gonna ride the Hilary wave and get me a woman' mentality is disgusting. Sarah Palin has NO political experience. She was the mayor of a town of 9000. There are 3 times more people than that at the University of Oregon. Now she is the governor of Alaska for LESS THAN 2 years. The population of AK is 684,000ish. The city of Austin Texas has more, 743,000ish. Crap, Portland Oregon, has 568,000ish. I'd say those mayors have at least as much or probably more experience than she does.

The other thing that pisses me off, is that she was tapped because she is a woman. Not because she has a good leadership record (or any for that matter). Its the oh gee we need to find someone who isnt white and or male. Its degrading to all women who have worked for what and where they are today. She was chosen because she has a v-jay jay.

While it may seem awesome that a woman could be vice president, its terrifying that THIS woman could be president. I mean come on, McCain is just about the same age as my grandparents. In 4 more years he'll be almost 80. Its entirely possible that he could have some serious health issues in that time. And if he does who gets to be in charge? Oh yea, Sarah "I have no experience" Palin. And if the republicans are touting their own horn that they would be the one with a woman on the ticket, I just want to remind everybody that the democrats did it first, 20 years ago...can anybody say Geraldine Ferraro?

And finally, in true republican fashion, she is currently being investigated. Yep, she's been in office for less than 2 years and is already being investigated. Why? Because it looks like she dismissed the Public Safety Commissioner when he refused to fire her ex-brother in law (who is a state trooper). Ah yes, this "reformer" whistle blower type is just the same as it ever was.

PS McCain has met her only once prior to his (I mean his handlers) choosing her for the VP position.

Perils of Urgent Care

2008-08-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

So on Sunday I took a magnificent dive off my mtn bike at about 25 mph into very large gravel due to a ginormous blackberry bush that was in my way. Well it was either blackberry bush or median of large loose gravel. Either way I knew I was going to eat it. And I did. Brilliantly. So I banged my knee and whacked my handle bars in my stomach (yes I have a round bruise right of my belly button), and I really abraded the hell out of my left elbow. I clean it up, I put neosporin goo on it. I've had road rash before, I know how this goes.

Fast foward to Tuesday night, my arm is swollen and a bit red, and definitely warmer than it should be. Crap. So I try a little ice, and I prop my arm up on the back of the sofa for most of the evening to see if I can get it to drain. No dice. All that I get from that is lost feeling in my hand and a cold elbow. Crap.

So today I go to urgent care...and by urgent they mean if you are not spurting blood everywhere, then you are probably ok and going to sit there for hours. And by hours I mean minimum of 3. Do not go to urgent care if you are not obviously seriously injured. So I'm there I check in. Lesson number one dawns pretty quick: do not act chipper or upbeat or have a pain number less than 5. Yes my minor infection is a 10. It is totally the worst pain I've ever had. Evar.

Lesson number 2: Hospitals do not care about blood born pathogens - do not touch ANYTHING. So some dude who'd been there for 2 hours, bleeding (see he wasnt at the 3 hour mark, so they couldnt help him yet) from a very large laceration on his palm. He went to the bathroom to put more paper towels on it and when he came out, there was blood dripping down his elbow, all over his shoes, jeans and the floor. He didnt notice until I pointed it out. They didnt bandage his hand up for about 5-10 minutes. It took about 15 minutes for them to get out the antimicrobial spray and wipe down the floors. And the nurse did it w/o gloves.

Lesson number 3: Your wait will be 12x as long as your actual visit with any medical professional. I sat for 3 hours. I saw the dr for about 5 minutes, the nurse for about 10. Fifteen minutes. She cleaned my elbow (by pouring what looked like water on it), slathering some polysporin on it (whats the difference between poly and neo?) and then wrapping it in gauze (because I'm allergic to adhesives so I dont to medical tape well). And fax a script for antibiotics to the pharmacy. At least the dr and nurse wore gloves.

The Never Ending Quest

2008-08-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

What will Pim (the LWC - large white cat) eat next? It was about this time last year that we discovered he not just eats, but begs and voratiously devours corn on the cob. Since then its become a personal goal of mine to find the foods he wont eat.

Last year's corn noming...

So this week he ate:
Oatmeal
Blueberries
Melon
More corn (der)
Beans and Rice

Now he and his sister are laying around looking like they are going to melt due to the heat.

Uber Geekiness!

2008-08-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

The LHC is a Large Hadron Collider. It is being built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and lies under the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland. The LHC will become the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator. It is funded and built in collaboration with over two thousand physicists from thirty-four countries as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories. From Wikipdia. More here. And here.

Actual Prizes!

2008-07-31T21:24:00.000-07:00

Holy crap bat kids! I actually won SOMETHING at a bike race. Besides bragging rights and or a medal.

And that would be a $20 gift certificate to REI, beeyoches. Woot.

Women's Series Crits

2008-07-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

We raced a very short race on Monday due to an accident in the B field. After that got cleared up and the A women got a little organized, we had time to do about 8 laps. So I did an 8 lap crit. Normally thats about 1/3 of a race. The women's series has been doing 18 laps for the previous 2 weeks. There was a pretty heafty head wind too on the back side. So I'm glad I only had to deal with the wind 8 times. We were giving a pretty decent effort and only going 15mph or so.

I managed not to get stuck out in the wind towing everybody with a 1/2 lap to go this time, saw the break start and I went with it. Stuck on, but didnt give it enough in the sprint to actually do much of anything. I need to practice my sprinting and doing so in a much larger gear than I'd like to be. But I got 4th in that race.

With two 4th place finishes and a 6th place finish I ended up getting 3rd overall in the series. I even get stuff. We didnt stick around for prizes because it was getting dark and we had to get home (no lights). I'll post about my splendiferous prizes when I get them.

Oh yea, I've now done 4 road races this entire year. Stupid mt bike season overlap.

EPMotion

2008-07-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

For all the girls that pipet late at night....this is too awesome. Yea its an ad, but I'd buy it if group was part of the deal. Enjoy!

Monday Monday Monday

2008-07-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

The last 2 Mondays have been the Eugene Women's Crit series. Tomorrow will be the final race. On my birthday. They should let me win based on that alone. ;)

They have been a lot of fun. Kori Kunz from the Poplollies is doing an awesome job of teaching the less experienced girls about bike handling and sprinting and general cycling etiquette. The races have been really laid back and relaxed

I felt great last weekend. Even after I raced the day before for a couple of hours at Mt Hood (which is hard and rugged and hot). Although my placing wasnt as high, I did a lot more work at closing gaps and staying on wheels. My crit racing skills are a bit rusty, since monday will be only the 4th road race I've done this season.

Between mtn biking and finishing up shcool and work, I havent a lot of time for training. So now that I do have some time and some ambition, the season is pretty much over. And the few road races that are coming up I will be doing field work. So bummer, but thats ok, if I can keep my strength through the fall and work on speed for next year, it will be ON.

I like it when Chris takes pictures like this, I like to pretend I'm off the front and about to win.

Beef Jerky Time

2008-07-22T17:41:00.000-07:00

So my cat is actually a small white basset hound. He'll eat anything. I mean anything. Some of the long list includes:

corn chips

corn on the cob

every flavor of ice cream I've had

gummy bears

margaritas

red and white wine

grapefruit juice

Massaman curry (spicy)

beers, esp IPAs

So its no wonder he likes beef jerky. Chris left some out on the counter last night when we went to Thai food. I came home and turned the light on in the living room, and there was the spicy peppered beef jerky, bag torn open jerky and peppers spread across the living room floor.

And then as we went to bed, Pim was back up on the counter trying to get into the human food cupboard. Presumably to find more jerky. Or corn chips. Or pop tarts. Or whatever else he could get his grubby paws on.

Picketts Charge

2008-07-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Phil's Trailhead, Bend OR. Good legs, lots of rest, smiles and sun = good race.

Swoopy fun and not too long or too hard. It was great. I rode with Anna from Team S&M the whole way and pipped her at the line. Felt kind of bad for that, but I really wanted the points for 5th place since we were so close overall in the series. I was happy to be there, felt fantastic and I didnt even crash. Well ok except for the pre ride, where I burped my front tire (I dont use tubes, I have a strip that seals the rim, and then put a liquid latex mixture in there so it seals up any small punctures from thorns or the like that would normally give a flat tire, but when you peel the tire away from the rim, its called burping, and usually makes you crash). So I have a plethora of bruises from that, but not from the race. And yes, 2 weeks later, they are still there. Thanks to my pastiness.

This was a fun race, there was even 6 sport women (which is a lot, yes that is sad). I rode with them most of the way, Heather from Tireless Velo took off like a rocket from the start and put about 15 minutes into the rest of us. I think that kind of time calls for an upgrade. There was a split about half way, which I managed to miss due to being at the back of the pack. Generally I'm very uncomfortable with people riding right on my wheel. I dont know why, but I tend to ride like crap when someone is right there. I obviously need to work on being way off the front.

Anyways it was a great race, well organized, good turn out. But most of all fun.

Rave: Smart/Kind/Nice People in Cars

2008-06-21T11:48:00.001-07:00

Thank you to all the wonderful people who dont endanger my life when you drive.

Thank you for moving over.

Thank you for waiting for me to go straight when you want to turn.

Thank you for not honking at me when you want to turn right on a red and I'm in the way.

Thank you for acknowledging my presence and treating me like traffic.

Rant: Stupid People in Cars

2008-06-21T11:02:00.000-07:00

I dont know what has gotten into people. Or why they are more stupid than normal. But they are.

I'm talking about bikes and cars. Yet again. I swear since the weather has gotten nice, people have become much worse drivers.

Last Thursday: I'm headed up to the trail head. I have to go straight through a light (because the turn lane doesnt recognize bikes). This is a 3 lane road, one lane each direction for traffic, and a turn lane in the middle. I need to turn left into a parking lot so I can cut across it to get to the road I need. So I look behind me, there is a car, a little ways back. I have plenty of room. Nobody coming the other direction. I put out my arm to let the car behind me know that I am turning. I'm almost in the turn lane, when the car flys up behind me and passes me on the left. Yea, I'm attempting to turn left and I get passed on the left, with my arm still out. The driver and I made eye contact, I gave him the finger. This dude deserves it for his stupid behavior. I dont even drive and I know passing on the left when someone is turning left is bad/illegal/potentially deadly. Best part is he slams on his breaks when I flip him off so I almost hit his shiny new black Impala.

Monday - Friday: People just driving waaaay too fast on small residential streets. Come on people, the speed limit is NOT 40. It is 25. So what if a bike is also doing that...doesnt mean you HAVE to pass that person on a bike to prove your superiority of fossil fuel burning.

Yesterday: On the way to the market, there is a car in the separated bus lane, trying to turn across 3 lanes of traffic w/o any sort of right away. The buses HAUL ass in their own lane, and they trigger the lights so they get the green...this could have been bad. After work, I'd to catch the bus to get to the shop to pick up my bike. I'm waiting for the bus and some idiot tries to make a left across the same 3 lanes of traffic, where there is no turning left. He creeps across the intersection and is halfway into one lane waiting to turn. Nobody even honked at him. And then on my way home from my ride, at about 8:30 - plenty of light left, sun didnt sent until 9ish. I have a kid (he couldnt have been over 20) in Mom's Camery, look directly at me and pull out infront of me, causing me to hit the breaks had and the dude who was behind me to almost hit me. I just gave him the hand up in the air, WTF look. He looked at me with 'What, I didnt do anything wrong, f#*king cyclist'. He also got the finger. Had he waited the 10 seconds or so for me and the dude behind me to pass, he would have been able to pull out w/o any traffic around. But no, his time is more important than my life.

It really seems like people have no idea what to do around bikes. How to interact with bikes, or where bikes even belong (the "get off the road" comments). I'm amazed at how many people dont seem to understand hand signals even. I am really surprised there are not more car/bike incidents in this town. Maybe there are, but they arent reported or maybe there isnt a good public forum (like www.bikeportland.org ) But I am getting very tired of almosts and close calls and feeling like I'm a target sometimes.

Life Updations

2008-06-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm all graduated with school, you are probably wondering what I am doing with my time. Well, probably not, since all 4.3 actually read this blog. But anywho, no matter. I'll fill you in with life goings on.

Sat 6-14: Graduation Day. Hang out with family. Ride a couple of hours on the mtn bike with Chris. We previewed his short track training course. Pretty cool. Lot of climbing. Would be a fun race, but on private property (shhhh).

Sun 6-15: Test of Endurance. 50 freaking miles on the mtb. Oof. And I didnt even race. I organized, and did all the results. So I guess if there is an issue, you can blame me. I did bottle feeds for all the Collin's racers. I got a bit of a sun burn, and now its just a few freckles. Bother the northern European decent. I did have fun working the other side of the races. Its pretty amazing they can keep results straight like they do. I mean its hard when there are 2 people coming across the line at the same time. And mtb races are easy compared to road races where a group of people could be all bunched up and number hard to read. At mtn bike races we make em stop and can enter the data on the spot. I did get a free pair of socks and bit o cash out of the deal. Oh yea and I didnt kill myself trying to race 50 miles in one day. The fastest Sport Woman did it in just under 7 hours. Thats a long assed time to be on a bike, especially a mtn bike

Mon 6-16: Work. Work Work. I get to work full time now. Woo. I dont have any homework. My time is mine after I leave work. I can do whatever I want! Wooo! Freedom. Work. Ride. Dinner. Crappy TV. Guess what I didnt do, and didnt feel guilty about not doing HOMEWORK!

Tuesday: Same as Monday. Watched Cloverfield. My recommendation: Dont. Predictable, obvious, and the creature was unbelievable, the main characters were annoying and deserved their ending for being stupid pratts.

Wednesday: Yep you guessed it: Work and Ride.

Today: Yea this is freaking awesome. Work Ride. Weather is even finally good. No warmers needed. No rain, so the trails are dry. Currently watching Sweeny Todd. Frankly, a bit too much singing. But damn, its got quite the cast. Sasha Cohen Baron is in purple very tight tights and singing with a cheesy Italian accent...I'd call that comedy, not a dark drama.

Anyways. Chris gets back from Tahoe tomorrow or Saturday. We go to Bend immediately after that for Picketts Charge. The last of the series. Right now I'm in 4th place, but the points are wrong for Firecracker, so I should really be in 3rd. So I need to do well, and I could be in the top 3 Sport Women of the state. Which means I probably should upgrade....next year, when I have time to train!

I Done Be Edumacated!

2008-06-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

Sent to me by my overly educated father (BS in Math Ed, BS in Math, MS in Ed, MS in Math, and soon a PhD in Math Ed...like I said, overly educated).

Things Younger than John McCain

2008-06-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

Ralph Lauren

The Automatic Transmission

The LP Record (Long Playing)
And for my younger brother "those big black CDs"

And last but certainly not least....

Lubricated Condoms

Idea and more info from here, freaking brilliant.

Falls City Firecracker

2008-06-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

I learned a new phrase that day: Hike-a-bike...

This was a fun course. I felt good. The course had A LOT of up hill. I tend to do well on those. I however wasnt expecting the fact we went the opposite direction on a downhiller's course. This means we werent just going uphill, we were going up stuff so steep it was completely vertical.

We had half a lap up, and then the other half a lap was downhill. I really enjoyed the downhill. It wasnt on the downhillers course, which is why I enjoyed it. Those courses and jumps and what not are INSANE. We also got heckled by a friendly dude in kevlar waiting for us to finish racing so he could fling himself, his 50lb bike which he pushes to the top, over jumps 3x as big as me. I'd seriously like to know how many bones he's broken.

Overall it was fun and good. I ended up doing 2 laps because the lap counters got a little mixed up with the masters sport women and the regular sport women and all the pro men standing around at the finish/lap point. And I couldnt hear at the start line, well I cant hear so well to begin with, but this was bad because I was behind all the beginners, so I started at the wayyyyy back and had to find my competition. Such is mtn bike racing.

I had fun, I got 3rd - PODIUM! And I got some nice swag...bottle and socks and a sleeveless jersey.

Finals

2008-06-09T22:00:00.000-07:00

Finals suck.
Finals suck more when its almost the very last one for a long long time.

Sigh....back to Chem.

Sad Day

2008-06-03T22:50:00.000-07:00

A cyclist was hit and killed by a car in downtown Eugene yesterday.

More here.

I will Derive

2008-05-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

The sad thing is that I get this...

Bear Springs Trap

2008-05-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Lets just say this race was a long assed drive away. Wow. About 3.5 hours, and no we didnt even leave the state.

Also let me preface my last 2 terrible placings with the fact that I am not training. And it shows. School and work have taken over my life and if I get 3 hours of training in a week I'm doing well. So the racing for 2.5 hours pretty much has been doubling my training time. So in light of that, its no wonder I'm not doing as well as I'd like. I am however learning a crapload about how to actually ride my mtn bike (which surprise surprise is very different than my road bike).

Bear Springs is a really remote course. Its also very pretty. And has just about every type of terrain you could imagine. Rocks, exposed cliffs, single track, double track, water crossings, loose dusty areas, and patches of snow/slush/mud this year. Apparently the race promoters were on snowmobiles 2 weeks prior to the race.

The bright side to finishing last is the fact that I didnt have to push myself and put myself into uncomfortable situations where I didnt know how to handle my bike. I paced myself and figured out how to roll over all sorts of stuff. How to not whack my pedals on rocks constantly. And the best part, there was no crashing involved in this race (unlike Chain Breaker, where I made out with the dust several times).

The water was running really high in the areas near the streams. So high in fact that the trails were underwater in those areas. The organizers had put in a log bridge in one spot, and in others put in a bunch of log rounds for stepping on (so we didnt damage the delicate stream bank environment which is cool). The rounds were a little floaty so it was a bit hairy to walk across them. Also there was some that had floated away in the current, so we had to forge the creek. Not being a tall person, the water was mid shin on me and then sinking into the mud it was knee deep. The water was cold, but it was a hot race so it was kind of nice. Until the mud dried in my cleats around the pedals and I had a couple close calls because I had a hard time unclipping. The biggest frustration for me of the day was missing a small course marking and going off course, up a large assed climb for 15 minutes. I wouldnt have been so far off time had I not done that. Oh well.

Pretty much everything I do on my mtn bike is brand spanking new to me (still have been riding mtn bike for less than a year). It does make life exciting and interesting. And occasionally there are a few white knuckle moments (ok more than occasionally).

The most flattering shot of me...

Flying Genitalia

2008-05-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

So this was a political new conference in Russia. At about 23 seconds is when this gets good.

The translations for what is said after its swatted down:

"After the security guard swatted it to the ground, Kasparov says, "I think we have to be thankful for the opposition's demonstration of the level of discourse we need to anticipate. Also, apparently most of their arguments are located beneath the belt." Someone in the audience shouts, "Finally the political power shows its face!" Kasparov quickly replies, "Well, if that's its face..." to laughter from the audience."

The original post here.

Harry Potter Rap

2008-05-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

Not enough people know about this...it cracks me up all the time.

Everything still smells like dust.

2008-05-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

I think I might even have dust still in my ears (after multiple cleanings).

Last weekend was Chainbreaker in Bend. I was excited to not have to race in the mud again. But I was also nervous about racing in the dust. I have no skills (or skillz for that matter) when it comes to lose dust and dirt. And I have the bruises to prove it. Oh and they are pretty shades of green still after a week.

I finished. By far my worst finish on a the mtn bike. But I did it. Because I paid and I'm gettin my money's worth (unless there is severe injury, then its just stupidity). I also ate, which is a triumph in and of itself. As I cant manage to eat and have both my hands on the bars at the same time. And as we all know, eating is important, esp when you're riding your bike for almost 3 hours.

I crashed, and crashed and well crashed. Nothing bad or on too many rocks. My friend Jason, crashed and managed to break his helmet, it was brand new. Whoops.

On a slightly more interesting note, I think Ryan Trebon's inseam is about 5'...when he passed me his saddle and ass were about eye level with me. Granted, I'm not a tall person, but he is one lanky dude.

Chemistry Procrastination

2008-05-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

Just because I have chem homework due tonight and I'm procrastinating...at least this is chemistry...Gummy Bears and Potassium Chlorate

Bikes N Mullets

2008-05-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

I passed a super commuter guy (with the helmet, the old mtb w/ slicks, 2 pannier bags, with both pants cuffed with the reflective velcro strap) who had a real live mullet.

I was impressed.

Not Ok

2008-05-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, this just pisses me off. I mean there is NO excuse for this. None. Zero. Zip. Zilch.

This weekend, someone shot 6 sea lions on the Columbia that were slated for relocation. So that means someone just shot 6 innocent sea lions who were not causing any harm. Several of the sea lions were on the endangered species list and several were also pups.

I know people are upset at the sea lions eating the salmon in the Columbia near the dams. They say it is causing a decline in the salmon population. Sure, but I think us humans with the dams have caused a hell of a lot more issues for the salmon than any of the sea lions could. Realistically, we are creating a nice all you can eat buffet for the sea lions. They are just opportunistic animals and taking advantage of an opportunity we [humans] created.

I hope these people are reincarnated as a slug that someone pours salt on, or an ant that some kid fries with his magnifying lens.

First Days of Sun = Stupid People Out in Force

2008-04-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I want to know what it is that makes people drive and act like morons when it first becomes nice out here in the NW?

Are they blinded by the sun?
Are their bodies having allergic reactions to the warmth/sun?
Or is it that people are just venturing from their hibernation so they have no social skills due to a lack of interaction with other humanoid forms?
Or are people just plain fricking dumb asses?

I ask these questions because on my 3.5 hour ride yesterday I had roughly 5 drivers show obvious lack of thought when passing me.

Like the ass in the red Dodge Durango who decided to pass on a road with no shoulder into oncoming traffic. Oh but wait, he didnt move over into the other lane so the oncoming traffic wasnt an issue.

Or the small navy sedan that decided to buzz us for shits and giggles, no oncoming traffic, country roads with 45ish speed limits, complete visibility. He was going at least 60+, and didnt even bother to move over the center line at all.

What about the dipshits in a silver 4 Runner 2 blocks from the house who decide to ride my butt when I'm slowing down for a red light (yea its red, that means stop), and then cut the corner thru the 7-11 parking lot to make a right hand turn. Had they just waited the light would have turned shortly and it would have been about 5-10 seconds later. Nooooo. Their time is important.

I wonder how much people think about their antics in their cars actually affect the rest of us. Esp those who do not have 2000lbs of plastic and metal surrounding them. It seems like people view their cars as an extension of their houses. And since they can do whatever they want in their houses, the same follows for cars. I mean how many times have you seen people pick their noses in their cars?

I guess it seems like people either dont think about how their piss poor driving actually involves others. Or that all I have between me and the road is Styrofoam and a small plastic shell. That is no match to your mid-sized SUV.

This is my life, and the lives of other cyclists here. Its not a game. It is not amusing or funny. Give us some space and respect that we are a road user as well. Really the extra 2 seconds it takes to slow down and pass at a safe distance wont effect your life in any way shape or form.

Finally! No longer muddy...

2008-04-26T12:29:00.001-07:00

Its been almost a week since Mudslinger and I think I have finally removed all the mud that I brought home from Blodgett. It was epic. It was muddy. We got hailed on, rained on, snowed on, and even some sun.

It is in the mid 30s when we showed up to help out with the registration. There was an inch and a half of snow on the ground when we left Monroe for Blodgett. By the time the start rolled around it was in the high 40s. I had legwarmers, booties (which became a lovely collection bin for the mud), longsleeved turtleneck base layer, jersey, shorts, jacket on. Some guys had knee warmers and a long sleeved jersey on, I have no idea how people function with so little clothing when its cold. I'm not sure if they are stupid or just really warm all the time. Maybe some of both.

So it started off well. The first climbs are hard. It starts off with a stair step climb. With an ever increasing slope, topping off at 27%. Which is, well, hard. During the pre-ride 2 weeks before, I went up it in my middle ring, which almost made me puke/pass out simultaneously. So went down to my little ring, puking during a race probably isnt a great idea. I did some serious booty kicking on the initial climb. I figured I had to due to the lack of experience in the mud.

Mud: this mud was ridiculous. That good ol NW clay, slippery, slimy, and deep and gross and heavy. I fell over so many times in the mud to do wheels sliding, me sliding trying to tripod it down slopes, and the extreme lack of traction due to the mud adhering to my tires and becoming on big muddy heavy rotating mass.

Guess what? I crashed. Der. I hit a rut on a nice wide open decent and the front wheel went right I went over and did a one arm superman. I wasnt hurt. The bike was ok, twisted the seat post/saddle to the right and the stem a couple degrees to the left. This made steering/riding interesting for the rest of the course. The coolest part (and I have no idea how this happened) was the way my bike landed. It was perpendicular to the trail, resting on the saddle and handlebars with the wheels still spinning. You see in the picture how my seat was off to the right, and the handle bars to the left. No I am not holding it funny, the front wheel is straight.

Overall, it was fun. Muddy. But fun. The clothes took days and days (along with not an insubstantial amount of oxyclean) to finally rinse clear. Wonderful Chris took care of most of the mud on the bike. She is shiny and clean.

Good things: Agnes (the bike), feed zones, gravel roads, post race food (thanks Great Harvest!), someone to clean up my bike, Oxyclean.

Bad things: no mud riding skillz, bonking, mud between my toes (with shoes/socks/booties on), turning everything I touched post-race in a muddy mess.

Ok, Gonna finish up my Nutella (the great Nutella Debate) and almond butter sammich - its tasty tasty stuff and ride my bike/do some homework (probably in that order).

More race reports and pics here: Collin's Cycling Team Blog
More pics here: Here.

80s and a tan to 30s and muddy

2008-04-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

What the frick is up with the weather. It was 83F degrees last Saturday, I got a slight sunburn while mtn biking here in Eugene. And then it was 70F-ish for Icebreaker. Now, one week later there was snow on the ground when I woke up this am, its 43F out according to Google. Its partly sunny now, but its been spitting on and off. Tomorrow is supposed to be more of the same. Just in time for my first mtn bike race of the season, Mudslinger.

Argh. I skipped Hornings because it was nas-tay. I did not want to play on a slip n slide with my bike in the mud. Plus its loooong drive to Hornings from Eugene (2+ hours) for that kind of mud-fest. So my penance is Mudslinger.

The Sport women get to race 17 miles (yea, I know that sounds like a short amount of time when I think about it on my road bike, but mtn bike time is much much slower, we're talking like an hour and a half to 2 here) and have 2500' of climbing. I will climb anything on Agnes (my super awesome 2008 Specialized Stumpjumper). I love climbing (and I never would have said this until I started mtn biking).

So I was just thinking that maybe I should go ride Foxhollow to McBeth to strech the legs a bit before I delved into my chemistry and calculus. But it just started hailing. Maybe I'll do my chem now and ride later (probably to a movie on the rollers...sigh I thought I was done with winter training).

Tomorrow: Mudfest er Mudslinger 08.

An Engineer's Guide to Cats

2008-04-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

A bit on the longish side, but hilarious.

Ice Breaker Crit - sans the ice and the breaking

2008-04-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

So I did my first race of the year. Yea I know its April. Road racing is in full swing. I'm just a slacker who hasnt been able to train much due to work/school/and some dietary issues.

We went around and around and around 30 times. I dont know how long it took I forgot to look at my watch and my computer's battery went kaput. I was there I did it and I didnt even get last place.

Things that obviously need to work on:

- Sucking wheel in the middle of the pack and not at the back. Accordion effect = more work = Miriam gets tired faster.

-Turning with the pack. I'm not worried about my lines or that of most of the women I race with since they are all category 3 or up. I am still nervous about crashing thanks to Swan Island and going down 2x due to the rain and really beating myself up. I'm kinda over the crashing.

-Being more aggressive in keeping a wheel I want. Some of this was out of my control. There is a woman who races and is known for not being able to hold a line. If we had to pace lines of women, she would be all over the place and take both riders for her draft. There were several times I was caught between her and the curb, so I let her have the wheel. I had 3 choices. Tell her what I thought and to move over (this could have caused some tension). Make good up-close friends with the curb (I like my teeth where they are and my body and bike whole), or give up the wheel in the name of self preservation. So I chose self preservation. Which means I was back at the rear of the pack, again.

Things that made me pleased:
-The fact that I am not training much, and I raced against some fast-assed women, and I held on. I was always there, and the couple times I got gapped, I bridged and made it back on.

-That I have some afterburners of some sort. At the final corner I was off the back (yea corners!) and I just put er in a big gear, put my head down and gave it hell. I passed 2 other women, and came close to getting a 3rd. I do need to work on a shorter/faster sprint. Occasionally I need less endurance but more snap.

-Not getting last. And not caring about much else because I was there to have fun. Which I did because riding and racing my bike makes me smile. Especially in the 70 degree sunny weather.

-Getting my first cycling tan of the season - woooooo.

For the record, I got 8th, and I'm pretty ok with that.

Ridding the world of stupidity...

2008-04-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

So I dont understand how people can be so ignorant sometimes. The other day I was coming home from work. It was a beautiful sunny day, one of those spring days where you are just thrilled to be out in the warm sun because its been soooo long.

So anyways, I come up to intersection #1, its got 3 lanes going E-W, 2 lanes going N and 3 going S, plus a bus lane that runs E-W between the lanes. Big. I'm waiting for the light with another cyclist, shes older on a more upright big squishy saddled bike, going for what looks like a recreational ride. The light turns and I roll through the intersection to the next stop, one block away. This one is 2 lanes in each direction and a 4 way stop. There are cars going S, N, and W. I wait for the car to go west. They sit there looking confused, so the cars going N & S go. I start to go, when this older woman blows by me w/o even looking around or pausing at this stop sign. Let me go back a bit, this 4-way stop is on the UofO campus. Near all the dorms. This equals a inordinate amount of bad/inattentive drivers in the area as well as higher congestion. Its not so smart to just speed through any intersection w/o looking around you, especially this one.

Few things irritate me more than fellow cyclists blatantly ignoring basic traffic laws. We are cyclist we are not exempt from them. When cyclist ignore traffic laws, we piss off drivers who are (for the most part) adhering them. The drivers then classify all cyclists based on the behaviors of the the few stupid ones. Later drivers interact with cyclists who are obeying traffic laws and treat us like we are not, or they dont respect our right to be on the road too.

So I roll up to this woman. I get her attention. She takes out an ear bud and acts all put off by having to do so. I tell her that she needs to stop at that intersection. (Note this is not something new for me, I will yell at other cyclists if they are being stupid, as well as cars and pedestrians if they being stupid too). She tells me with all seriousness that she doesnt have to stop at stop signs because she is on a bike. My jaw was on my handle bars. I probably looked like one of those cartoons. I was floored. I, of course, tell her she is wrong, and that she needs to re read the traffic manual if she is in doubt of this. She then tells me, "I am 56 years old and I know better than you do." I tell her just because she is old does not make her wise, again that she is wrong, and I ride off (to the next stop light).

I feel like I've hit in the head with something, I'm just so dumbstruck at the sheer stupidity of the conversation.

Additional Page to the Interwebs

2008-04-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

After deciding there just wasn't enough blogs, opinions, and information on the internet I decided to add my own blog. Mostly it will be goofy things. Thoughts on annoying people that I come across. Goofy things I find on the web (when procrastinating from my chem and calc). Bikes, racing, and bike related things will also have a predominate spot.

I think I will start off with this awesome little video.

Its true, if you commuted by bike, your friends will high-five you and there will be disco balls.