Wednesday, December 31, 2008
It's important to laugh at yourself sometimes.
On Friday it looked relatively warm outside - emphasis on looked - and Kyle and I both had the afternoon free. We decided it was high time I tried my new Shimano shoes and SPD pedals outside. We loaded up the bikes and drove to a nearby park parking lot (because I was not about to learn how to use cycling shoes in downtown Frederick traffic). I climbed out of the car and within 30 seconds was freezing cold and had to go to the bathroom. While Kyle got ready I rode up a narrow grass-lined path to what looked like a bathroom facility - emphasis on looked (today was just not going to be my day). When it came time to get off of the bike I slowed down, got my left foot out of the pedal with no trouble, and then instead of stopping and leaning on that leg I decided to also remove my right foot while still pedaling. Apparently I planned to hop forward and put both feet down at the same time as the bike rolled to a stop? I don't actually know. In any case I totally failed. Luckily I landed in the grass and no one saw that mishap.
After failing to find a bathroom I gave up and returned to the parking lot. I started to get the hang of unclipping just my left foot to stop and then clipping back in as soon as possible when I started pedaling again. Kyle and I then briefly discussed where we wanted to ride and apparently during that discussion I forgot that I was wearing cycling shoes that clipped into my pedals, because the next time I went to stop I did just that: hit the brakes without freeing either of my feet. I had time to yell "Oh no!" as my bike and I tipped over in slow motion. You'd be surprised how terrifying it is to feel tied to your bike while it crashes - apparently so terrifying that I didn't even try to pedal or clip out on the way down. I believe Kyle is still kicking himself for not bringing his video camera. As I lay on the ground laughing hysterically I heard a cacophony of young voices from the basketball court to our right. Kyle yelled back "Yeah. She's experienced," so I asssumed they had asked if I knew how to ride a bicycle, not an illogical question given the circumstances. It turns out, however, that they were just asking if I was ok, so Kyle meant that I was experienced at falling. Thanks Kyle. I suppose he was right though: after years of aggressive sports I know how to curl and cushion any fall. I got a scrape on my knee but that was it; definitely more shame than pain.
Did I mention that it was really, really cold out? Kyle and I were both in shorts and two light jerseys so a long ride was not going to happen. Instead we did some circuits of the neighborhood so that I could practice unclipping and clipping in at each stop sign, and then we rode up the road a bit because Kyle had his eye on a scene fit for FailBlog. Then we rushed home where it was warm. We couldn't have ridden more than two or three miles but it was definitely a valuable learning experience with some funny failures.
| posted at: 09:07 |
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Tuesday, December 30, 2008
As you may have noticed, I'm a rather competitive person and I really want to win the 1000 Mile Challenge. So I was not about to miss a week of training when I went home to PA for Christmas, especially once I learned that Kyle had taken his bike and his trainer home. And so I paid $20 for a week with the new love of my cycling life: The Expresso Fitness Bike . Three of these beauties reside at the local gym and it was well worth a one-week membership to try them out.
A rundown of the bike's features:
Screen: The screen is the most obvious difference between Expresso bikes and regular ones. Instead of watching green lights flicker on a bar graph you see a virtual 3D landscape that passes as quickly as you pedal, as if you're moving through a video game. You also pass (or get passed by) other riders, which can be a great visual motivator.
Steering: On most exercise bikes handlebars are just something to lean on or to monitor your heartrate, but on Expresso bikes you also have to use them to steer through the landscape. It isn't very difficult to steer since you can't go completely off the course or crash into anything, but it does add to that real bike feel.
Gear Shift: I can't tell you how nice it was to shift up and down using a lever in front of me instead of having to press beeping buttons on every incline and decline. Even though I'm used to shifting on the handlebars this setup was close enough to make me happy.
Saddle: The seat on an Expresso bike isn't as large and cushy as those on most exercise bikes but it isn't as narrow and unyielding as those on spinning or road bikes either. I thought it was the perfect compromise, though some riders looked a little less comfortable after long sessions.
Pedals: Somehow it took me two days to realize this fact, but the backside of the Expresso's normal pedals are SPD pedals, meaning I could clip in with my Shimano shoes! I'm sure I looked a little ridiculous changing my shoes at the bike but it was well worth it.
Courses: I really enjoyed all of the routes that I rode: past farms, across deserts, over mountains, through towns, out in space... I was initially disappointed that the courses were rather short: moderate were under 7 miles, challenging were 7-10 miles, and extreme ranged widely but were still under 20 miles. Then I realized that the courses could be really exhausting, especially when I tried to pass as many other people as possible. I also didn't want to monopolize the bike for too long, so I got into the routine of riding a challenging route as hard as I could - my favorite became Drifter's Peak, which was 10 miles out in space - and then moving to a normal recumbent to rack up more miles; compared to the Expresso bike it felt easier, plus it gave me a chance to do some reading. If any Expresso bikes were open when I finished on the recumbent I would hop back on for a moderate route to end my workout. No, I never tried an extreme ride, and yes, I'm kicking myself for it now.
Data: Information about the course (distance, grade, route, etc.) and performance (rpm, mph, heartrate, power output, etc.) is available on the screen at all times in a clear and mostly unobtrusive format. Much of it is also graphed, allowing you to track your progress throughout the ride and see, for instance, how much the inclines spiked your heart rate. The only thing missing on the screen is average mph, though it's included in the summary at the end of the ride.
Pacer: In each ride you compete against a Pacer in a yellow jersey who stays at a set power level (which you can adjust). It's a great idea but I could never keep my Pacer set at a helpful level. The first few rides I outdistanced my Pacer by several minutes. I kept increasing his pace to no avail, until suddenly he was at the "extreme" level and destroying me. I guess with more riding I could find a happy medium. And it didn't really matter that the Pacer was far behind or in front of me because the course was full of other people to pass.
Leader Board: You have to be a Silver Level Expresso.net member to have your name on the leaderboard (translation: pay $10 a month). Fortunately other users can still see the overall leaderboard and figure out where they would have placed, which worked as great motivation for me. If I join a gym with Expresso bikes next year though I'm pretty sure I'll be competitive enough to want the membership.
Music: My mp3 player takes AAA batteries, which I didn't have in the house. I don't mind being without music on a regular stationary bike because I can read a book or watch TV instead, but that's not really possible on an Expresso with that whole steering thing. Luckily Expresso offers several channels of streaming music so I plugged in my headphones and enjoyed neverending classic rock during my rides.
Games: For those who find racing on a designated path too boring Expresso also offers a video game experience, what they call a Chase. Though their website discusses "chases" plural, the only one available on my bike was the Proving Grounds, where you ride around collecting coins and chasing dragons of the corresponding color. It was a really fun diversion, though in the end I found the races more exciting and motivating. I can see myself being drawn to new games, however, and as soon as they integrate Expresso with Mario Kart I'm totally there.
Summary: Expresso Bikes are made of awesome. And if you have several thousand dollars lying around feel free to buy me one.
| posted at: 07:56 |
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Monday, December 29, 2008
On one of our first trips to look at wedding gowns my mother found a dress abandoned on her chair. It was a simple tea-length dress in dark teal satin with a ribbon and subtle bow under the empire waistline. It would be perfect for my bridesmaids. Too bad it took me months to realize it.
Now, I had my reasons for shopping around. I hadn't chosen the first bridal gown or the first reception location that I liked and both of those decisions had paid off, so I wanted to look at other bridesmaid dresses before committing to one that we found so quickly and so randomly. In the following weeks my mother and bridesmaids and I found a number of possibilities online; most were even on clearance, which was actually the problem. With my bridesmaids scattered along the east coast it was impossible to have them all try on the dresses and I wasn't about to purchase dresses that might not be available in the necessary sizes or that couldn't be returned. Despite all of our searching and emailing we never found the right dress.
By late December I was getting worried that I wouldn't find dresses in time so I returned to the bridal shop circuit. Plus I was in Lancaster along with two of my bridesmaids, which was definitely the most of us that would ever be in one place until the wedding. I decided to scout out a few options with my mother before dragging them along, so one evening we traveled to York to visit David's Bridal. They had the dark teal color that I wanted, though like every bridal store they had their own name for it: "Oasis." Hey, I figured, if Kyle won't let me have Oasis on the music list ("I thought we said no whining" were his exact words) maybe I can have Oasis dresses. Unfortunately not every style of dress was available in Oasis, in fact the selection was pretty sparse, and the only Oasis dresses that I really liked were, surprise surprise, being discontinued. Our trip to York was essentially a bust.
The next day we returned to the Lancaster Alfred Angelo store, which was the site of the original bridesmaid dress and had the added benefit of offering every dress in every color. They called their shade of dark teal "tealness" - the fashion thinktank really had to work hard for that one. My mother and I couldn't actually find the original dress, which I figured served us right, but we did find two other similar options that I liked very much. One was almost the original dress but had a rhinestone belt instead of a ribbon, and the second dress had stripes of contrasting fabric on the cuff, midsection, and bottom of the dress that would echo the style of my gown.
With renewed hope I called up Liz and Steph and made plans to visit Alfred Angelo with them on Saturday. When I walked in Liz and Steph were already going through the racks...and they had found the original dress! It was a good thing too, since I found out later that the dress is only available in stores and doesn't show up online or in catalogs (so I edited my own photo of the dress for your viewing pleasure, though the bow is missing). Everyone in the store was very welcoming and helpful even though they were incredibly busy. A slew of brides and their entourages had taken over all of the dressing rooms and couches but an associate offered us the steam closet as a changing room and I was content to camp out on the store floor. Once we managed to hang the dresses on a random chain dangling from the ceiling Liz and Steph were nice enough to try on all of them, some of which were comically large (thank goodness for clips!).
At the end of our comic fashion show all three of us agreed that the first dress, the dress that I could have had them order months ago, was the best one. It looked great on both of them, it fit the feel of the wedding, it didn't scream "bridesmaid," it was the most comfortable, and while not as inexpensive as those risky online clearance options it was reasonably priced at $139. We held up every possibly swatch to the dress and decided that it would look perfect with a pale robin's-egg-blue ribbon. I made hurried phone calls to Sabrina and Katelyn - "Hi, so, um, remember the very first of more than a dozen emails about dresses that I sent you a long, long time ago? Do you have any problem if we order that first dress? The first of many, many dark teal tea-length ones?..." - and whether they knew what on earth I was referencing or not they humored a crazy bride-to-be and agreed to the dress. Liz and Steph ordered their dresses then and there and Sabrina and Katelyn will get their measurements at a store near them and then call Alfred Angelos with their order. Fingers crossed that everything will run along smoothly from there!
After I enthusiastically crossed "choose bridesmaid dresses" off of my mental list the three of us headed next door to Panera Bread where we caught up over hot chocolate and pastries. Steph should definitely write a book about all of the crazy experiences that she has daily working as a property manager...not that Liz and I are surrounded by the sanest of people in med and grad school either. It was nice to have extra time with Steph and Liz and it was definitely one of those days when it felt really good to be home. Plus, I'll admit, I really like checking things off of my list! Next up: finding a hairstylist and a dj.
| posted at: 06:32 |
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Tuesday, December 23, 2008
I'm finally posting an entry about actual wedding planning! I've been slacking, I know, but now that I'm home for the holidays in close proximity to (1) wedding vendors and (2) my mom I have no excuse. Monday morning we met with our prospective florist: Kelly Steadman of All Things Beautiful. On the drive over I realized that I am probably a florist's worst nightmare: I don't know much about flowers, but I know what I hate. Still, I figured that the meeting couldn't be worse than drilling teeth, which was actually the next thing on my schedule.
We arrived at Kelly's gorgeous old home to the smell of coffee brewing for us. My mother doesn't drink coffee (only tea in vast quantities) and I prefer my coffee in expresso form with a lot of milk and whipped cream, but we felt welcomed anyway. Kelly was really great. She was very honest and even pointed out ways to decrease the numbers of flower arrangements that we needed, and she used her years of experience to point out ideas and potential problems that I never would have realized (like the photographic perils of including white flowers in a colorful bouquet).
I had made only one definite decision before the meeting: I knew that I wanted white calla lilies for my bouquet. Even though calla lilies are often considered funereal (and, according to wikipedia, are highly poisonous if eaten) they seem to be used for weddings and other celebrations just as often, as they symbolize purity and rebirth. Most importantly they are simple and stunning and have enough shape variety to keep things interesting.
Beyond my love for lilies, which are apparently too expensive to use in the other bouquets and arrangments, I had only few ideas about flowers. I vetoed daisies and anything else that reminded me of a cartoon flower. 
Since I wanted a tight, round bouquet I avoided sprawling stalk flowers and any that droop when handled. Other than that I pretty much pointed to pretty pictures in Kelly's flower books and she told me how affordable they were. We didn't settle on flowers for the girls but at this point the frontrunners are roses in shades of pink, hopefully with a few stargazer lilies thrown in for good measure. I know, pink roses are incredibly cliche and out of character for me, but I think they just might work. I have no idea what to do with the larger arrangements yet though I imagine they'll echo the bouquets. Kelly suggested that I play with paint chips and browse websites so that's the plan for now. When we got home my mother and I put our heads together and came up with a very preliminary plan to send to Kelly so that we can get some idea about cost. Even though we postponed a lot of decisions it was a productive meeting. I learned a good deal about flowers and designing bouquets, and barring any major pricing issues I will definitely hire Kelly Steadman and her team. I still can't believe that I'm leaning towards pink roses though...Only time will tell.
| posted at: 03:30 |
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Sunday, December 21, 2008
Yesterday was CHRISTMAS DAY for Kyle and I since I was headed home to Lancaster today. After sleeping late we both started our mornings with a bike ride. Kyle went outdoors because, well, he's stupid. I stayed indoors where it's warm and used the trainer. I started later and rode longer (mostly because I could still feel my toes a few miles in, unlike kamikaze Kyle out there) so much of my riding was to the tune of "It's presents time! Come on Jillian, it's Christmas! I'm going to start opening these without you! Come on!" I suspected ulterior motives, but he succeeded in getting me off of the bike a few miles early. Showered and back in pjs we exchanged presents. He gave me some bike equipment that I would need in the spring (light, tire, oil) and three literary nerd books that he had convinced me not to buy earlier in the week (Her Majesty's Spymaster, A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare, The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde). 
I gave him a bunch of gifts related to maps (a WWII troop movement atlas, a book about Magellan, a decorative metal time zone chart that I found at an antique store, and a framed Gettysburg map that included the lovely kitsch touch of a plastic bubble holding soil from the battlefield). I also presented him with Sabrina's gift for the two of us - The Game of Life - and John Green's Paper Towns which I bought for both of us.
While we're excited to read the book itself we took our photo with John Green on the back for a very good reason: he is made of awesome. John Green has a huge cult following and we are totally part of it. To understand our deep love and appreciation for John and his brother Hank check out the website that grew out of their Brotherhood 2.0 project, where they communicated using daily, public, absolutely hilarious videoblogs for an entire year. (In their sidebar is a link to the original site if you want to start there, or search youtube for their Peeps and Happy Meal challenges.) I realize that once you discover the genius that is the Green brothers you might never make it back here, but I would forgive you. While we haven't contacted the brothers yet, we'd love to meet both of them on our ride across the country; our current route plan takes us through their home states of Montana and Indiana for just that reason.
Our other Christmas day excitement was the appearance of Hersh the squirrel. He earned his name and my amused attention by discovering an expired bottle of chocolate syrup in the trash, gnawing open the side, consuming vast quantities of the syrup, and then carrying the bottle in his teeth as he scampered down the stairs, across the fence, up a tree, and atop a wooden post, bobbling but never dropping his treasure. I suppose I'm glad that we could bring chocolate and joy to his holiday, and I wish you the same (minus the gnawed plastic).
| posted at: 03:34 |
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Friday, December 19, 2008
Like it or not, I'm already very committed to this cross-country venture. We've publicized it enough that there is no turning back. Two weeks ago, however, I made a major financial commitment to it as well. Along with moving a sizeable chunk of my savings into the bike fund (which is slowly growing in the thermometer to your right) I purchased almost $200 worth of equipment at the Performance Bike Shop in Charlottesville. Most of the items I bought were absolute steals - like sleeveless jerseys for $8!! - but I also bit the bullet and purchased mid-priced cycling shoes with cleats. 
After trying on a number of pairs and asking the advice of Kyle and our charming salesboy I decided on a pair of Shimanos (SH-MO86L for those googling along at home). I have wanted real shoes for a long, long time. My sneakers are wearing down anyway, but for cycling I really need a narrower, stiffer shoe, and by adding cleats that clip into the pedals I can exert force on the upstroke as well as on the downstroke. Unfortunately I didn't get to use the new shoes right away because changing my pedals and putting cleats on the shoes required expertise and equipment (we were, humorously enough, missing a screw) that Kyle and I didn't have at the time, but yesterday we got both from the local bike shop so I could finally try out my new shoes on the trainer today. 
Ok, it wasn't quite that easy: Kyle had to take various wrenches and finally a hammer to my old pedals to get them off of the bike (while I forced all of my weight on the other pedal to try to keep things stationary: it was amusing as well as frustrating). The shoes themselves are surprisingly comfortable; I'm quite pleased, especially since I'll be wearing them hour after hour and day after day come May. And because they are actually made for mountain biking, the bottoms are flat enough that I can walk around in them (not the case with Kyle's current shoes). At first clipping in felt a bit strange and constraining, but I soon got used to and enjoyed it. I'm very excited to try them outside, as my sneakers always seem to slip off the pedals during climbs and sprints. Learning to quickly clip in and out in heavy traffic will be challenging, however, and I also seriously worry about my ankles. Getting out of the pedals involves a quick, hard twist to the side that doesn't seem very healthy for them. I'll have to keep my weaker right ankle clipped in as much as possible.
On another footwear note, all of my athletic socks have decided to develop holes in the past month. It's really rather ridiculous and I suspect some sort of sock union conspiracy. The worst part is that I can't seem to find replacements, and these aren't just any old socks. These are the socks that saved my frisbee career.
The Sock Story: After breaking my right ankle playing frisbee and spraining the left one my first tournament back, I invested in the toughest and most flexible ankle braces that I could find. They are Swede-O Tarsal Lok braces. They have saved my ankles during countless twists and impacts and I highly, highly recommend them. I even asked for a back-up pair on our Amazon wedding registry. Unfortunately they can cause blisters, and so can any cleats that you try to fit on my oddly shaped feet (narrow heel, wide toe base, insanely high arch). So I spent my junior year with incredibly painful and ever-worsening blisters, including veritable holes on the backs of my heels that left permanent scars. It was rather hellish really. When a member of the local club team saw my bleeding feet she told me to buy non-cotton socks that wouldn't trap as much moisture. For a while I stupidly ignored her decades of wisdom, but one day in WalMart I saw inexpensive, non-cotton athletic socks made by Danskin. I bought a pair and they pretty much changed my life. My feet were in cushioned, wicking heaven. Most of my blisters began to heal and the few that remained were entirely manageable. I couldn't believe I had suffered so long and I immediately became an ambassador for non-cotton socks, especially my Danskin finds. I of course returned to the store and bought many additional pairs at the time but now that I need more they seem to have disappeared from stores and websites alike. I'm sure any non-cotton socks I buy will be fine, and I will have to switch over to thinner socks for summer cycling anyway, but I remain stubbornly and affectionately attached to those Danskin socks. I especially love them for ultimate frisbee, even when I lace my ankle braces too tightly and the little embroidered stick figure gets imprinted on my ankle bone for a day or two. I see it as a mark of love.
I need those socks.
| posted at: 11:14 |
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Tuesday, December 16, 2008
For the past few days I've been able to use Kyle's trainer...and with it his computer, his speakers, his television, and his Nintendo Wii. I'm not entirely enamored of the trainer experience; in some ways (specifically the saddle and the long reach to the handle bars) my bike is less comfortable than those in the gym, and I don't get the constant data feedback that I've come to crave (the bike computer is hard to see since I had to move it closer to the back wheel and it doesn't measure rpms anyway). On the upside I can shift gears, wear bike shorts, and stay on the bike for as long as I want. My pleasant distractions are also more numerous here; along with my usual reading I've tallied up miles watching Heroes and racing MarioKart; the latter is especially helpful since I tend to sprint on the bike as my kart speeds towards the finish line.
Yesterday I was finishing up a 20 mile ride on the trainer (and finishing second in the Shell Cup, again) when Kyle arrived home from school and asked if I wanted to take advantage of the relatively warm weather and go riding outside. I said I was afraid of slowing him down since my legs were about done for the day, but he assured me that he didn't care about miles or speed, he just really wanted to go on a bike ride with me. In spite of all our challenge related trash talk he really is incredibly sweet, and we both love cycling together best. I was so happy as we rode together through town, especially since aside from a strong headwind the weather was indeed perfect. Unfortunately the sun was setting much faster than we had anticipated; we only rode 7 miles and still had to head home in the dark. But it was still a great mini-ride. We had a lot of fun together and I managed to hold on a bit behind him during sprints, really the best I could hope for under the circumstances. Kyle told me that I've noticeably improved as a cyclist, which meant a lot to me. I wish it would warm up already so that we can get in more rides together; we're certainly good at pushing each other to train seperately, but we make a good cooperative team as well. And we don't even try to match our bike gear (see below), it just happens. Bring on the tandem!
| posted at: 08:04 |
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Monday, December 15, 2008
Every first sentence that I come up with is a song lyric (Christmas Time is Here, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, Oh Christmas Tree, etc.) so I'll skip all that and just say that on Sunday Kyle and I ushered in the holidays by setting up our little artifical and pre-lit yet still somewhat Charlie Brown Christmas tree and decorating it with whatever we found around the house.
As planned I released the monkeys from their barrel and made a garland:
We added all of Kyle's stuffed penguins that came with ribbons as well as some ornaments that I think Emily left behind when she headed up north for grad school with only the belongings that could fit in her car. We also wrapped presents to put under the tree. Now, I'm not one of those star wrappers with perfect lines and corners, but compared to Kyle, well...
We put the presents under the tree and topped it off with a flashing red bicycle light. I'd say the tree fits us perfectly. Kyle talked about buying a better tree (during the post-Christmas sales of course) for our first married Christmas together, but I have a certain fondness for this little one.
Oh, and then we danced on a ton of left over bubble wrap. I like this photo because my whirlwind hair looks like it's trying to keep me anonymous, and the right side of our kitchen looks like it's in a 70s snapshot.
Kyle also filmed part of the insanity, which may show up here at some point. Or you can ask us nicely to see it.
Happy Holidays!
| posted at: 09:03 |
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Sunday, December 14, 2008
The first two weeks of The 1000 Mile Challenge are complete, and I'm (finally) winning! It was rough riding for a while there though, especially since I had to miss a number of riding days:
Days 2 and 3 I spent looking very charitable but very insane. First I had to run around like a madwoman and coordinate the department's sponsorship of a family in need for the holidays. Initially it was enjoyable and put me in the holiday spirit... until I had a minor breakdown caused by sleep deprivation, traffic jams, stressful miscommunications, and my dinner scattered all over the carpet. I must admit that this breakdown included 5 seconds of dramatic weeping, not because I couldn't help it or because there was anyone around to hear it but simply because it seemed like the most rational response at the time. I also needed to tutor my ESL student and catch part of the Literacy Center Volunteers party. I walked into the latter during an award presentation accompanied by a string quartet, which was definitely not the relaxed and boisterous festival atmosphere that I expected (the invite highlighted the presence of a balloon man after all). It was worth it though, since I later won a raffle prize and had my choice of a lovely potted poinsettia or a barrel of monkeys (which may have been left over from the children's raffle now that I think about it). Since I only pretend to be an adult I of course went with the monkeys. I'm thinking of stringing them around Kyle's Christmas tree. Monkeys or no monkeys though, they were exhausting days and I didn't find the time or energy to ride.
Day 6 Kyle and I both missed our rides when he visited me in Charlottesville. I think he must have hit his head on the way because he was willing to attend the semi-formal english grad student holiday party AND to go dress shopping with me beforehand. What a trooper. The party wasn't as packed or entertaining as last year's soiree but it was still a nice time with fantastic food.
Day 8 I spent at my desk from 9AM until 2AM the next morning, studying for and then taking a 4 hour essay test that pretty much punched me in the face. I probably should have gone to the gym for a bit and read my notes while riding - if nothing else it would have dragged my tired eyes away from the hypnotizing glow of my computer screen - but I instead sat there like a zombie in my pjs all day.
Day 11 I spent saying goodbye to my friends before leaving for break. We enjoyed a leisurely post-work lunch, coffee at Starbucks, a performance of Santaland Diaries in Staunton, and dinner and dessert at a tapas restaurant. It was entirely worth the lost miles.
Because Kyle was a more regular rider he led for most of the first week and a half, but I held on and eventually surpassed him by getting in a number of 20-25 mile days, which may not sound impressive, but trust me it's no small thing on a stationary bike where the scenery never changes and there are no coasting breaks. I did ride outside once but that was an experience that I will probably not repeat until April. I don't own any winter weather gear but I figured if I was willing to look a little silly I could create my own; hence the mismatched soccer socks and ear-warmers made out of the arm-warmers from my Halloween costume (my hat doesn't fit comfortably under the helmet). When Kyle rides outside with his specialized, expensive gear he looks like a ninja. Apparently I prefer to look like a fool and to get very, very cold on sprints and downhills. But the ride wasn't entirely unpleasant and it reminded me that I enjoy cycling outside...in nice weather, anyway.
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| posted at: 04:40 |
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Monday, December 01, 2008
Knowing that competition is the best motivator for both of us, Kyle and I have created The 1000 Mile Challenge. The concept is simple: starting December 1st we record every mile that we ride indoors or out. The first person to reach 1000 cumulative miles wins permanent glory and bragging rights, as usual. Thanks to Kyle's graphic skillz and dedication over Thanksgiving break we each have a moving cartoon representative so that everyone can keep track of our progress. Check out the bottom of the page (especially once the challenge progresses and you can see the entire bikes)!
I'm very interested to see how this challenge pans out, especially since both of us are very competitive people. Kyle definitely has the comfort and convenience advantage: his bike is on a trainer in his living room so he can ride indoors whenever he wants and even log miles while playing Wii MarioKart, which is what he's been doing almost every day for the past few weeks. I'm lucky to have great gym facilities at UVA, but in order to use them I have to fit their schedule and then fight for parking or walk/jog there, which is becoming less of an option as the weather gets colder and the night walk becomes scarier (there was a robbery at gunpoint last week only a few blocks away from my route). Instead of my own bike I have to ride a standard and shared stationary bike that automatically shuts off after 24 minutes. And there's obviously no Wii at the gym, though at least I can read and watch pickup basketball while I ride. For a month and a half, however, I'll have the time advantage. Kyle only gets a week off from school, much of which will be taken up with traveling, but I'm off for most of December and some of January with nothing to do but thesis writing and bike riding. It's vital that I establish a lead then. Overall I think I'll ride longer per session but will get to ride less often, so Kyle is already calling this a contest between the tortoise and the hare. We shall see...
THE CHALLENGE BEGINS TODAY!
| posted at: 08:32 |
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