People.

So, I'm sitting here feeling the need to update the blog with the good feelings that have been flowing since the reunion and the outpouring of support. I have known this for some time, but every once in a while a moment happens when it all comes back around as a strong reminder that life is about people. We can strip away many things in our lives, and still exist as human beings...after all...we did it quite simply a long, long time ago. It's not about money, possessions, status (well, only on Facebook), success, level of education, or any other trivial accomplishment...it's about people and the experiences that are created, adored, remembered, cherished, and recreated by them on a daily basis. We can survive without many things in life...but we can't survive without people. Think about all the things that are important to you in life...and then ask yourself how many of them are possible because of, well, "people". Pretty staggering when you think about it, huh? ;-)

"A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience." -Oliver Wendall Holmes

Mountain View High School...

class of 1992 (my graduating class)...raised $200 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation at our 17 year reunion (I know, 17 isn't exactly an even number, that's just how we roll) this past Saturday!

It was absolutely awesome to see how everyone responded to hearing about me raising money and doing the ride for those affected by cancer. We did a Chinese auction, and it was a huge success. I didn't actually see the final total of the number of prizes we had...but I'm guessing it was between 12 and 15...two of which were a LIVESTRONG (cash) salad and the LIVESTRONG bag (yellow of course)...with a $25 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods as they are a supporter of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. So glad to see people donate money and win some cool prizes along the way. My class is one special group of people that's for sure! :-)

I am now at $1980 raised!!! YEAH BUDDY!!!! I am so excited about that you have no idea. Excited because of all the people that are supporting the cause...and excited because we're not done yet. :-)


Peace!

Friday.

Today was supposed to be all about long distance...but for whatever reason, I wasn't feeling the long distance as much as I was feeling max effort. So, I turned today into an interval ride day...totalling 3 hours on the bike doing 90 to 94% efforts repeatedly throughout the ride. I took advantage of the big ring...keeping it there in places I usually gear down...using all the power my legs would muster up to push, push, and push!

I think I made a good decision as my body was ready for this type of training day. It responded in kind with loads of power in the legs. I did 3 hours and honestly felt like I could have done a lot more. That's a good sign! All this training variation is really starting to pay off. I feel better and better every day. Still lots of progress to make...but we're getting there...and I like that! :-)


Peace!

Pretty cool stuff.

http://www.livestrong.com/blog/blog/thank-you-for-a-great-first-year/Blog:7d8504f3-d0e1-42af-b27b-18d9a02b94dfPost:40bd1e76-035a-4ab8-b84d-58438e87d1e3/krisserin/

Recovery spin.

Got out for an hour recovery spin last evening. After the big mileage weekend and the upcoming big mileage weekend a good slow zone 2 spin was in order. I often have a hard time settling down and doing slow easy rides, but have learned that they are very useful in training.

I am now up to $1780 in fundraising...with lots of proposals to hand out and people to follow up with. Finding time to train and hit the fundraising trail is not always easy...especially with work and family life...but I'm doing my best and keeping at it. Slow and steady wins the race. :-)

I'll report back after tomorrow's ride...hopefully with the some pictures.


Peace!

45, 52, 1755.

The significance of those numbers...

45 wet, rainy miles ridden on Saturday for the Centre Volunteers in Medicine.

52 zone 3 miles ridden today.

1755 dollars raised to date for the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the fight against cancer.

We're grinding away at this...no stopping now. :-)


Peace!

Rest.

That's what was in order after the monster ride last Sunday. I haven't been on the bike since then, kind of miss it, but it's a good thing. I'll go out later today for an easy recovery spin in preparation for Saturday's road ride. I will be participating in the Centre Volunteers In Medicine charity ride. It's only a 50 miler...I'll most likely round up to 60 or 65 depending on time.

The business proposals are starting to pay dividends...I received a donation from Queen Anne's Lace, a local flower shop in State College. I know the owner, Michelle, great person running a great floral shop. Thanks Michelle!!

I will be out distributing more business proposals on Friday. Let's hope everyone joins the fight against cancer by making a donation. Together, we are helping others LIVESTRONG!!!

Peace!

Stoopid 50 report.

Anybody want to go for a bike ride today? Believe it or not, after over 8 hours in the saddle yesterday, I'm ready for another ride today! I wish I didn't have to work...I'd love to go out for a nice easy ride. I think I've crossed the threshold and am now officially addicted to cycling. I continually hurt myself (i.e. sore muscles) on the bike and still want more...it doesn't matter how sore I am...I want to be on the bike.

On to the report...

So, it started off at Tussey Mountain Ski resort...we rolled out behind the start car...they pulled off...and we were off on our 50 mile adventure. I got in a 15 minute warm up around the parking lot so the legs were ready to go. I decided to start at the back of the pack so I wasn't in anyones way...my plan was to go easy so I could finish...I talked with a few people in the back...one guy in particular (Phil) who was also a first timer. I tried to share info on the beginning stage of the course as I knew where we were headed. He seemed to appreciate the advice, but didn't listen very well as he took off to catch the pack with a few others, only to blow up once we hit the single track climb up the ridge. I tried to warn him. I stayed back and played it cool as I knew what was coming...I ended up passing about 8 people on the single track climb...they clearly had overworked themselves and it was only the beginning of the race. Ever hear that phrase, the race can't be won in the first mile? ;-)

I continued on over the ridge trail, passing another 3 to 4 people...some with fitness issues, others with bike issues. I spread some good karma by stopping to help a guy...gave him a quick link for his chain as it snapped in two. He was thankful. I kept on, hitting the descent on the backside of the ridge, took it a little too fast and crashed. Endoed...got hit in the head with my rear tire...took a handle bar to the chest...and decided that I better back it down a notch...the goal is to finish...not to stroke the ego on the downhill sections. :-)

I hit the aid station at the 18 mile mark...felt pretty good...took in needed food supplies...and loaded up on fluids. Off to the Coopers Gap area...an area that was supposed to have less rocks...yeah...not so in the beginning...at one point I wanted to know who put the course together...I had plans to give him a swift kick in the you-know-what's when I was done.

On through Coopers Gap...a guy comes up behind...I let him by...and then proceed to watch him crash 4 times right in front of me! He was fatiguing and having trouble with the rocks. He was ok from all the crashes...although he did admit that the 3rd crash "hurt". Continuing on through Coopers Gap...at about mile 30...running out of fluids...in need of the aid station...badly in need of the aid station...I started to worry about the legs cramping up...not good. I come off the single track to a course worker...he gives me the word that it's 3 miles to the aid station...thank goodness...I need nourishment and fluids bad. I hit the aid station, get my fluids...lots of food...and find out that they sent the sweep riders already...no worries...I'll just keep going knowing there is no one coming up behind me. The only problem with this is that the sweep riders took down the trail markers...and I came to a fork in the road...and ended up taking the wrong turn. I didn't know I was headed the wrong way until I came upon an area I knew...and by that time I was too far down to turn around...I was not a happy camper. I decided to create the rest of my ride on the fly...making sure it totalled out at 50 miles. I ended up back at my car...completing the entire 50 miles...but was bummed as I never hit the official finish line due to going the wrong way...so my time will be scored as dnf in the books. A little bummed about that part...but super psyched that I accomplished my goal of riding my mountain bike for 50 miles!!!

It took 8 hours and 19 minutes...some moments of wondering if I'd finish...some moments of knowing I'd finish...some pain...some cramping...some encouraging words from spectators and other riders...some thoughts of wondering if the climbs would ever end...some thoughts of wondering if there would be any trails without rocks...some moments of thinking I found a new love in endurance mountain biking...some thoughts of being thankful my bike worked flawlessly...some moments of appreciating the great people that are part of the cycling world...some moments of thinking 8 hours and 19 minutes is slow for 50 miles...some moments of appreciating that my wife was kind enough to stay home with the kids while I rode my bike all day...some times of wanting to go home because I missed them all...some thoughts of why I was doing this...and some thoughts that being out in the woods with nothing but pedal power is a feeling like no other.

I am a lucky man...with an innate ability to keep moving forward no matter the circumstances. That helped me finish...and will help me finish again...faster than 8 hours and 19 minutes.

I leave you with this...

"Happy are those who dream dreams, and are ready to pay the price to make them come true." - Leon J. Suenes

Peace!

8 hours 19 minutes in the saddle!

That's how long it took me to finish 50 miles in the Rothrock, Coopers Gap, and Penn Roosevelt areas today. Needless to say, I'm pretty spent. Through the 8 hours 19 minutes, I stopped only two times, both times at the aid station. I was a pure machine, cranking out miles slowly but surely. Because I'm so spent, I'm going to sign off so I can rest. I'll provide a full race report some time tomorrow. :-)

Peace!

Another easy spin.

Got out for another 1 hour easy spin yesterday in preparation for the 50 miles in Rothrock on Sunday. I have my food supplies, the bike is ready, I've studied the course map (with some help from Grant at The Bicycle Shop), the mind is ready, and hopefully the muscles are ready too. Now, it's time to relax and wait until Sunday morning when we get this thing going.

I don't plan on stopping until 50 miles are completed!

We'll see how it goes...


Peace!

Easy spin.

I got out yesterday for a very easy spin...a zone 1 recovery type ride. It lasted about an hour. I will do that again on Friday and then rest Saturday in preparation for a hair-brained idea I got the other day...

to ride in The Stoopid 50! A 50 mile mountain bike race in Rothrock State Forest on Sunday. Don't get me wrong, the race part really doesn't apply to me...as I'll only be trying to finish. I figure I'll use this as training for the LIVESTRONG ride. If I can do 50 miles in Rothrock...I can do 100 miles on the road bike.

Part of the reason I decided to do this is to test my endurance. I really don't know where I stand in that regard...so why not test it out now while I still have just over two months until the 100 mile ride. I really want to be able to finish this race!

Goal number one for Sunday: finish the 50 miles.
Goal number two for Sunday: finish in less than 8 hours.

Fundraising news:

I dropped off my proposal to The Bicycle Shop in State College...and it looks like they will be able to help out with a donation! That place flat out rocks!! Erik (the owner), and Grant (my buddy who is also the manager of the shop) are great guys that have helped foster my addiction to cycling by providing top notch bikes, repairs, support, and guidance...to them I say...THANK YOU!!!

This is just the tip of the iceberg with my plans...I have over 20 businesses I have helped support over the years that I'm hoping can repay the favor. I'll be dropping off proposals to all of them over the next week or so. We'll see how it goes...

Pardon my language on this...but I wanted to share my final thought on deciding to do The Stoopid 50 race...it seems like a descent quote...

"Sometimes you just have to say fuck it, and see what you're made of."

Peace!

Weekend training / road & mountain bike.

This is a shot of a rock garden on the Charcoal Flats trail in Rothrock State Forest. It's not as bad as it looks. The rocks make some cool sounds as you ride over them.

This is a shot of some smooth single track...also part of Charcoal Flats. Unfortunately, the smooth stuff doesn't last long.

So, you get the picture (pun intended)...I went out on the mountain bike today...hence the photos. I decided to pound the muscles for three hours out in the forest. Took part in some trail riding and some hill climbs up the fire roads. Three hours on a 26.5 pound mountain bike with "truck tires" in Rothrock is like six hours on the road bike. ;-)

Speaking of the road bike, I was able to get out yesterday for a 30 mile tempo spin. Got the heart rate up to 160 and keep it there for the entire ride. This is good stuff for endurance training.

Along with my riding I completed my fundraising proposal for the local businesses I plan on asking for support. I'll most likely start talking to them this week...let's hope it goes well.

Peace!

Motor oil...

For the biking engine!

This is a shot from Neil's bike. He needs special oil for his engine as he pilots a 29er single speed.

Run Forest Run.

That was me today as I traded the bike for the treadmill due to some serious rain. Riding in the rain is not my favorite thing to do. I will do it, and sometimes like the challenge of it...but more often than not...I prefer to avoid putting my bike and body through the paces of getting soaked with rain and grit for a few hours. Not to mention that after a ride like that, my bike needs a complete cleaning...which takes away from my riding time. ;-)

I ended up running for just over an hour on the treadmill. Got the heart rate up to about 150 and just kept it there until I was done. It almost felt good to be running again. I used to run a lot when I was in college...about 25 to 30 miles a week. I have to say though, that it is a lot more boring than riding my bike. I was about 20 minutes into it when I was ready to be done. When I'm on the bike, I don't ever get bored. Either way, it did the job today and that's what is most important.

I have a few ideas floating around for riding this weekend. I have the option of going to Allegrippis with Nate, trying my hand at a XC MB race on Sunday, or ripping off a long distance road ride. At this point, I'm not sure what I want to do. I have a feeling it will be a last minute decision.

Peace!

Sherman Branch.

That's where I rode on Saturday. Took the Mountain bike on the trip south and got in a nice ride Saturday morning with the guys. The only thing that sucked was Jay's bike breaking during the ride...other than that...it was awesome riding...on awesome trails...with awesome guys! I have now ridden every other day for just over a week and a half...and the body needs some rest. I'll be off today and tomorrow...and then back at it Wednesday. I'm feeling the need for a distance ride...so plans are in the works for a 60 to 70 miler...not sure when it will happen...but it will be soon.

Nate called and said Allegrippis rules! He feels bad that we didn't take the guys there a few weeks ago. Fast, flowy single track was the report...wait a minute...fast, flowy single track right here in central Pa...it can't be. Might have to check it out this weekend to confirm the report and see if I can hit anymore tree's. ;-)

Peace!