Brian's Cycling & Running Adventures + more

I recently downloaded Skyfire for Windows Mobile for my smartphone since the included Mobile Internet Explorer browser that comes with Windows Mobile 6 is almost worthless for "real web browsing" (especially compared to the browser on the iPhone or the browser on the T-Mobile G1). Skyfire was an easy download and install (though upon first launch Windows Mobile did reboot on me). After I got Skyfire to its home page and entered my first URL, I was impressed with how well the browser worked (even on a 320x240 screen) and how the pages would zoom-in if needed and pop-up dropdown listboxes to select from and text areas to show you what you were typing in.

 

While I still have some more tests to run to see which websites I can and cannot get to, I think knowing that Skyfire is available will make it easier to accept switching to a newer, 3G Windows Mobile smartphone rather than considering a platform switch to either the T-Mobile G1 or the iPhone with AT&T.

 

While it has been 9 years since the LSU Tigers last College World Series title, yesterday LSU sealed the deal in Game 3 of the best of 3 series against Texas and capitalized on their opportunities to take the lead and run away with the game.

 

Since it has been a while since I've posted anything, I figured I might as well take a minute or two to post something. It's been just over 4 weeks since the "big day" and I can't really say that much has changed. It was nice to take a trip to somewhere that I had never been to before and see and do new things. Right now I'm just waiting to see how the 2009 STP ride goes considering I've only done two time trial races this year plus one ride "around the block" to see what condition my road bike was in after getting it back from the shop. I definitely don't have the same fitness in my legs that I had last year - which will make all the hill climbing on the STP route quite difficult (at least I'll have SAG support).

While I don't collect comics any more, I had to go out and pick up the trade paperback collecting the four issues of "Star Trek: Countdown" that came out earlier this year. "Countdown" is set AFTER the tenth movie "Star Trek: Nemesis" and introduces the Romulan character "Nero" and sets the back story for the events in the forthcoming movie "Star Trek". (How we get from the future to the past will have to be revealed in the movie - but definitely this comic provides the necessary background information to better understand what is going on with the storyline in the movie.)

 

 

Thanks to a loophole in the UCI rules, while Team Astana can't compete, Chris Horner, Levi Leipheimer, and Lance Armstrong started the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico today coming together as Team Mellow Johnny's (Lance's bike shop in Austin, TX). Having seen the report of today's first stage, the team has showed up to probably win and go on to bigger wins at the Giro d'Italia next month.

 

I've seen the email on OBRA Chat listing the results of the Estacada TT #2. Since this was my first attempt at the Estacada 20 mile course and my first ever TT longer than 12.5 miles, I didn't have any expectations of getting a great time. After the Estacada TT #1, I asked one of my teammates how he thought I might do on TT #2 - so he told me that based on my current condition, lack of road miles and training, and experience at the distance, I probably would finish with a 1:18:00 or there about.

 

Since I didn't feel all that great during the TT (riding as best I could - or as best as my legs would let me), I have to say that the results email yielded a bit of a shock (though not really when looking at the 20 mile TT as just a double 10 mile TT). I finished in 8th place (out of 8 Cat. 4 men that started - there were two DNS's - so there were originally 10 men that pre-registered) with a time of 1:11:14 (1 hour, 11 minutes, 14 seconds).

Earlier today I did the Estacada TT #2 (the 2nd in a series of three time trials done along Highway 224 starting near Estacada, OR). Based on the course profile displayed in my previous post, I didn't know how I'd do on this TT. Factoring in that all week long I had been battling what might have been bronchitis, surviving this TT and getting a result was my #1 goal.

 

I got to the park very early and hung out talking to some of the other racers parked near me as well as doing various segments of time on my bike on the trainer to get my legs going. By the time I got to the line to start the TT, I had spent a combination of 40+ minutes on the trainer and the road and recording about 11.5 miles.

 

As the countdown got to zero, I set off down Highway 224 towards the turnaround point 10 miles ahead. The rises in the road closer to the turnaround point were tougher than the ones during TT #1 and really slowed me down - as well as forcing me to get out of the aero bars to try and get over the top. The one thing shown during this TT was that I really need to work on strength and power as well as climbing speed to have any chance of success - or at least getting a finish time closer to the other racers in Men's Category 4.

 

After getting back to my car and saving up my bike and changing, I noticed that it was the time I had hoped to finish by - meaning that I had finished a little faster than I expected (maybe it was the warm weather and full sunshine - I always seem to ride better in the warmth and sun).

 

I'll have another post when the results from the TT are posted on the OBRA site.

 

Stats from my Fuji Aloha 1.0's Cateye Astrale:

 

Distance: 32.01 miles

Time: 1:57:48 (1 hour, 57 minutes, 48 seconds)

Max Speed: 27.9 mph (going downhill - I actually put on the brakes to keep my speed under 30 mph on the main hill distant)

Avg Speed: 16.3 mph (climbing really kills my avg speed)

 

While I have no idea what my finish time might be for a 20 mile TT (though one of my Team Oregon teammembers told me it might be 1:18:00 or so), I decided to register for the Estacada TT #2 to see how it might be and learn how much fitness and endurance I'm going to need to do 20-25 mile TTs.

 

Here's the profile for the 10 mile there and back TT route:

I don't know about you, but lately some of the places I've gone to seem to display this type of customer satisfaction approach...

 

Knowing that I'm not in the race fitness that I had in 2007 when I got my Road and Track category 4 promotions, I'm thinking of 2009 as just a training year and seeing what I could possibly do in 2010. Being that the Alpenrose Velodrome may be too dangerous for me to race, I may try to stick to time trials (even though there are only four local time trials). With that said, I may try to do the 2010 OBRA TT State Championships - if I can increase my endurance level to what it takes to survive a 40k (25 mile) time trial. Looking at my past TT results, I've never done a TT longer than 12.5 miles - though if I DO do the Estacada TTs #2 and/or #3 I'll have one or two 20 mile TTs under my belt and know how much I'm going to have to work before considering to do the drive south to Peoria, OR for the state championships next year.

 

Past Results:

 

2006:

IceBreaker TT (10 miles): 0:32:09

GearPush TT (10 miles): 0:29:19

 

2007:

Frostbite TT (8 miles): 0:25:47

IceBreaker TT (10 miles): 0:32:47

Flaming Geyser TT (12 miles): 0:35:22

Carnation TT #2 (12.5 miles): 0:39:04

Mutal of Enumclaw Omnium TT (6.2 miles): 0:19:05

 

2008:

Frostbite TT (9 miles): 0:29:17

IceBreaker TT (10 miles): 0:30:45

 

2009:

Estacada TT #1 (10 miles): 0:34:47

After talking to my fiancee, I have gone ahead and signed up for the 30th anniversary Seattle To Portland (STP) ride to be held July 11-12, 2009. She said that she will SAG for me (which is good as I don't know what kind of shape I will be in come July but I am going to try and get started cycling outdoors - after I get my road bike to the shop and fixed). Hopefully the weather will be good, I will have improved cycling fitness, and I have another year of no mechanical issues.

 

I checked the OBRA website last night and this morning, after seeing email from "OBRA Chat" last night regarding the results of the Estacada TT #1. Due to a mix up on Sunday, the results had to be split into those that did the "10 mile" TT and those that mistakenly did the "20 mile" TT (that route won't be used until Estacada TT #2 and #3). I noticed this morning that the results on OBRA still have not been corrected for duplicates. Being that that is the case, I figured that I finished 11th (instead of 13th as the results show for Men's Cat. 4 - 10 Mile) - though I still finished "last" of the guys that actually started (as the results show 2 "DNS" below me). Since I had no idea how I would do on an unknown TT course and not being in shape, getting a time of 34:47 isn't that bad and something to build from (though I don't know if I'm going to be ready to try either the Estacada TT #2 or #3 or both).

The Estacada TT #1, which I did yesterday, was my first ever race in the state of Oregon and my first as a member of Team Oregon. In the Men's Cat. 4 group, I had noticed on the start list that there were three guys from Team Oregon (including myself) - which meant I expected to see both of them pass me at some point during the TT since I didn't consider myself up for doing a TT - yet I was registered and going to race any way. I got up the morning of the TT and slowly started putting my gear in my car before starting the possibly hour long drive to the Estacada area from SE Portland. I got to the park, handed in my OBRA race waiver, and began setting up my trainer for my warm up.

After taking some pictures, I changed and got on my Fuji Aloha 1.0 TT bike (newly back from Bike Gallery the day before sporting new base bars, aero bars, and bar tape) and began warming up - even though it was earlier than I would normally in the past start warming up. While I was warming up, one of the guys on Team Oregon, Alan, spotted me in my team kit and came over to talk (and eventually came over to setup his trainer next to mine so that we could talk a bit while we each warmed up). When I felt I was "good enough" for this unexpected TT, I saved up my trainer and rode up to Highway 224 to see which gear I should start in and then rode over to the start area to await my start time.

5...4...3...2...1...GO! 12:09 PM arrived, the holder let go of my Fuji, and I began pedaling down Highway 224 towards the turnaround cone I knew to be 5 miles ahead. I had heard reports from other racers that the course had a headwind and sections of slight rises and falls. This information was correct and at times I found myself to be cruising along 21-25 mph and then run into a headwind and a slight uphill and my speed would drop to 13-16 mph. I kept my hands on the aero bars to try and maintain an "aero" position and kept on pedaling. As I neared the turnaround cone, the racers passing me dropped off (meaning that probably most of the riders left that had started after me probably were close or not going fast enough. I reached the turnaround cone having been passed by probably 5-6 guys, slowed down to a crawl, made the turn, and began accelerating back the speed I had been riding at. After making the turn, I noticed the last of the two Team Oregon riders heading towards the cone (meaning that he'd be the next person to catch me). I kept riding and it wasn't until I got around the 7.5 mile point that he did catch me. During the remaining 2.5 miles of the TT I only got passed by one more person (meaning that I was probably the last person left out on the course - since Men's Cat. 4 was the last group to start the TT). I kept going as best I could (and I really hated that small rise in the last mile) and eventually passed the Finish line.

After slowing down and turning around to make my way back to my car, I stopped and chatted with my two Team Oregon teammates and got Alan's wife to take a picture of me with my Fuji. I then packed up and headed home to Portland.

 

(At this time I'm waiting for the results to be posted online to see how I did.)

 

Since I decided to register for the Estacada TT #1, I needed to take either my Habanero Ti road bike or my Fuji Aloha 1.0 "TT" bike (or both) to the local bike shop. I finally managed to get that task done and took the Fuji to the shop (and the local bike shop, Bike Gallery, says they should be done by end of day tomorrow). (I still need to take the Habanero to the shop and will see how the job on the Fuji goes before I bring the Habanero in.)

 

Since I'm not familiar with the bike shops in the metro area, I decided to go with Bike Gallery since they were the closest to where I live - even though I may have gotten a better price at either River City Bicycles in downtown Portland or Sunset Bicycles in Beaverton (one of Team Oregon's sponsors).

 

In my slow course to try and start racing again, I am close to jumping through all the hoops:

 

1. Join Team Oregon (check)

2. Renew USA Cycling license for 2009 (check)

3. Obtain OBRA license for 2009 (check)

4. Order 2009 team kit for Team Oregon (check)

5. Find needed parts for bicycle repair (check)

6. Take bike(s) to shop for repair (     )

7. Register for Estacada TT #1 [April 5, 2009] (     )

 

Yesterday, I started thinking about bike racing and cycling in general. At 24 Hour Fitness, I made sure to force myself to workout on the bike for at least 30 minutes and see how my legs where. Today, I went ahead and joined Team Oregon (again - I forgot to send in my 2009 uniform order in the fall much less my 2009 membership form) and renewed my USA Cycling Cat. 4 Road/Track license for 2009. At this point I just need to join OBRA and get a 2009 license for Oregon racing and I should be set - should I decide to try TTs or track racing at Alpenrose Velodrome.

 

If you happen to like folk and/or blues music or just want to listen to "something new" that isn't the same old "cookie-cutter" pop music you hear on the radio or see on the Web these days, I recommend that you checkout www.AndrewDuhon.com and listen to some or all of his music. My cousin's first CD came out earlier this year and I've come to like it the more I listen to it. While folk or blues isn't necessarily my first choice for music, Andrew's music does strike a chord and entertains.

 

 

Friday night my fiancee and I were at a friend's house who was hosting several of her friends for a "Friday the 13th / Valentine's Day" party - but mainly it was a cover to try and get enough people over to play Bunco.

 

If you don't know what Bunco (aka Bunko) you can check it out at:

 

While I had never heard of the game before this party, doing a search on Google quickly informed me of the rules and general scoring of the game. The game pace and fury of action was quite fun. At the end of the night, my fiancee quite unexpectedly won the prize for "Most Wins" and I won the prize for "Most Buncos".

Every day the "big day" gets one day closer. Some times I notice this countdown as the hours go by and other times I notice it just on a daily basis, but never the less, the days are slowly counting down. Once tomorrow arrives it will seem like there are even less days (going from a 3 digit number to a 2 digit number). In the past I used to wonder if the "big day" would ever come but now that there's one on the calendar, it seems like there are so many things to do and a declining number of days to get everything done in. Regardless, everything should work out and make the "big day" the best that it can be.

I found the following "article" on Facebook (after it was posted by a friend - or at least referred to by a friend):