randomduck

getting tweedy

randomduck | 17/11/2009 | 3 Comments

My usual ride reports on this blog are of a more “epic” proportion: long distance, plenty of climbing, tales of extreme endurance.

This is certainly not one of those! Indeed, this is a story about a more leisurely ride that resided entirely within the District of Columbia: the First Semi-Annual Washington DC Tweed Ride, organized by DC’s own “Dandies and Quaintrelles” club.

The basic rules of the day were:

Wear tweed or other retro garb (lycra was verboten).
Ride in a genteel, well-mannered way, obeying the local constabulary and all signed appointments.
Enjoy the ride!

Simple, no?

The organizers of the ride likely had no idea of how popular such a ride would be. It helped that Sunday was a postcard-perfect weather day: clear skies, low humidity, and a high of 72. So when over 250 riders showed up at the appointed starting point (behind a PNC Bank on 8th Street NE), it was a cause of both celebration and (for both organizers and riders) a bit of confusion. As the ride came together so quickly and loosely (with PR largely by word-of-mouth and mentions on local cycling and hipster websites), there wasn’t a formal registration process – something that was clearly evident given the bottleneck to pick up liability release forms and cue sheets.

sprite and I had rolled in from Dupont Circle (scaling our biggest “hill” of the day along the way: the viaduct over the tracks at Union Station), and met up with Michael and his famous borrowed bicycle. We all soaked in the atmosphere: lots of tweed, wool, knickers, frocks, hats, pipes and tea sets were on full display as we awaited our turn to ride.

Around the turn of noon, we were off (dig my knickers, vest and argyle-patterned helmet – thanks to Eric Gilliland of WABA for snapping the shot)!

The route was a meandering path through DC: through the Capitol Hill neighborhood, down to the National Archives and Penn Quarter, then to the White House and up to Dupont Circle, eventually finishing at 14th and U Streets NW at Marvin, a lovely tavern.

Our spirited group of 25-or-so riders was in good spirits throughout. As I was one of the few who had a cue sheet, I was appointed the “leader” of our pack (though we had the person who cued the ride in our midst, so the likelihood of wandering off track was nil). Our average speed was in the neighborhood of 7 miles per hour, and we caught the eye of many passers by, most of whom were charmed by the sight of so many people, dressed to the nines, enjoying a scenic roll through town.

We smiled and laughed. We conversed. Folks took pictures and filmed the merriment. We waved and smiled at pedestrians, motorists and fellow tweed-free cyclists – as was said many times: this was not a race, but a parade (of sorts). Folks on Segways and street hockey players made way for us, and we thanked them for their courtesy. According to a few reports, Michelle Obama met some of the earlier tweed riders as they passed by the White House – very cool.

The 6.6 miles of the DC Tweed Ride went by very quickly, even at a deliberately slow pace. We rolled in at Marvin to see a mass of bicycles of all makes, models and vintage, with riders wandering in any out of the tavern. Inside and on the roof deck, gin fizz and good beer was enjoyed by many.

As for us, we picked up lunch around the corner, as we had arrived too late to get brunch at Marvin. Pity, that. And that brings me to the one gripe I had about the ride: it ended at a location that wasn’t made to accommodate such a large group of riders. Perhaps reversing the route, ending at a theatre or a park where a band can play, people can stretch out and more food can be served – that would make the ride even better.

But as it was, the First Semi-Annual Washington DC Tweed Ride was a superb way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I can’t wait for the next installment of the ride come springtime.

In the meantime, the rest of my photos from the event are here, sprite’s are here, and still others are here. Also, be sure to enjoy Michael’s film of the event:

DC Tweed Ride 2009 from Piso Mojado on Vimeo.

cycling, random, washington, dc

retro, tweed

sick to my stomach

randomduck | 04/11/2009 | 1 Comment

That a basic, seemingly inherent human and civil right – the right to equality under law – can be put up for a vote is abhorrent to me.

And that rights that have been granted by government can be taken away via referendum is doubly abhorrent.

The scary side of referenda reared its ugly head last year in California, with the passing of Proposition 8, overturning the right of same-sex couples to marry and be equal under the law and to the majority of society. Reactionist and fringe groups rallied support against equal rights, and stripped the rights of millions of Californians via a simple vote.

Human and civil rights, denied.

And it seems that the voters of Maine have done the same tonight, in the form of Proposition 1. Maine’s governor and legislature granted the right for all couples, regardless of gender, to have access to civil marriage. In the same measure, they also preserved religious freedom by not requiring churches to perform marriages that run counter to their tenets.

But on November 3, 2009, slightly over 23 29 percent of registered voters in Maine decided to strip the rights of their fellow citizens. They decided that discrimination is just fine, and that the United States Constitution is wrong, and that all men (and women) are not created equal.

It makes me angry that anybody would vote to deny rights to people simply because they don’t agree with genetics. That anybody would be so twisted with hate, fear or confusion (or a combination of all three) to declare via one of the most basic responsibilities a United States citizen has that there is an under-class of people who don’t deserve the same access to a public and legal expression of love and commitment is something that does not compute with me.

I understand that a belief in God, or in the literal word of The Bible, or in a set of morals and beliefs that denies full inclusion for all members of society is a reality, and that many people ascribe to a life molded around such a code of conduct. But when these people have such myopic views and insist on forcing these views upon all others, I have a problem.

I grew up in a theocracy, where such practices are commonplace throughout the state and local government. As an atheist, I feel most unwelcome in places that force such beliefs and practices upon me.

I believe that love is the answer, that love makes a family, and that a family is not defined by a ratio of women to men. If two people love each other, are committed to each other and are willing to legally declare their love and commitment to each other, who am I to deny them that right?

Indeed who is anybody – individual or government – to deny that right?

Society should embrace those who love each other with true commitment and responsibility. They should allow them to be married – in a civil marriage. Marriage need not be religious to be legitimate, but it needs to be marriage. A civil union, seen by many conservatives as the “equivalent” of marriage, is separate but decidedly not equal under the law or under most societal definition.

I hope that DC’s pending legislation to legalize same-sex marriage equality (with protections for religious freedom) passes into law, and that all people in DC will embrace a society where all men and women are equal under law.

But tonight, Maine just makes me sad, angry, and wishing that fear and division were a thing of the past. Indeed, I feel sick to my stomach over this.

To the voters of Maine who voted NO on Proposition 1, I send my heartfelt thanks, and urge you to continue to fight the good fight.

To those who voted for Prop 1, I hope that you open your eyes to love, equality and acceptance of all people. Because fear, bigotry, hatred and myopia will get you nowhere in this world (or, according to friends of mine who are believers, the world after this one).

government, politics, theocons

civil rights, myopia, rant

standing up with the courageous and the crazy

randomduck | 27/10/2009 | 5 Comments

Last night I decided to take part in DC politics for the first time in a while.

The subject matter? Whether the ability to marry should be extended to all couples, both gay and straight. As anybody who knows me can attest, I’m a staunch advocate for marriage equality – as well as a vehement opponent of theocracy at any level. The bill introduced by the DC Council – B18-482, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009 – provides marriage equality via universally accessible civil marriage, while allowing churches to choose to only perform marriages that conform to their core beliefs. The bill isn’t perfect (a sunset clause regarding domestic partnerships should be removed), but it opens the door to equality for my gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer friends and family.

My basic stance is that marriage should be available to all as a basic, inalienable civil right. And civil rights are self-evident and do not, in my mind, require any sort of referendum to affirm. Kirstin and I choose not to marry, even though we have been a committed couple for 14 years, because our GLBTQ friends and family are unable to enjoy the same right as us. Marriage is about love and commitment, and some of the most loving and committed couples I know are denied the right to marry. Sure, civil unions have been offered as an “equal form of compensation,” but as with every similar battle in the history of human rights, separate-but-equal is not truly equal.

This quote, heard recently in Maine where a referendum on same-sex marriage will be on the ballot next week, is my base-level, non-dogmatic response to those who seek to deny the right of marriage equality:

“If you don’t believe [equal rights] are for everybody, then have some of yours taken away and see what happens.” – Paul Roeddicker, Maine resident, Vietnam veteran, devout Catholic.

Testifying in front of the DC Council on October 26, 2009

So I watched the early testimonials as they were streamed over the internet and heard a lot of supporters of this legislation – the final ratio of bill supporters to opponents was in the 8-to-1 zone – and most were passionate without being combative. By and large, the only folks to truly raise their voices were those opposed due to religious beliefs – reaffirming my notion that being loud does not equate to being correct. The chairman of the hearing, Councilman Phil Mendelson, kept the hearing moving at a good clip.

I arrived at the Council chambers just before 7 pm, and there were still some 50 witnesses yet to testify. As the evening rolled along, the testimony continued to pack an emotional punch, both from those who want to have the right to marry and from those to whom same-sex marriage is an abomination. The courage amongst the speakers, both pro and con, was moving: from couples who want to marry, to those who married out-of-state because it was their only option, to clergy and private citizens on both sides, and to the father who brought his young daughter to the hearing to teach her a lesson about how discrimination is wrong (and how the government is there to help the people). It was impressive, to say the least.

Even the most contentious interactions were, for the most part, cordial and professional. The most heated exchange during my time in the room was between the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and Councilmember David Catania, co-sponsor of the bill and himself a gay man in a committed, long-term relationship. The parries and gamesmanship were fun to see, with the Archdiocese wanting more leniency to discriminate against GLBTQ citizens, lest they sue to get the right, and Catania saying simply “we’ll see you in court.”

I was not on the evening’s speaking list, but there were a handful of no-shows, and CM Mendelson is known for allowing others to get in their views. So I joined three other people at the panelists’ table to make my opinion known. I was the second to testify, after another supporter of marriage equality took his turn to grill another Councilmember, Yvette Alexander from Ward 7, on her priorities and her definition of civil rights.

It wasn’t my best speech. It was impromptu, with no notes, and I was tired and in need of food, but I came across well to both those in the audience and folks watching from home.

But I sounded downright coherent compared to these two women who followed me.

I really can’t summarize accurately their rambling testimony – you need to watch, listen, and then watch again.

The first woman, a marriage counselor, had a fistful of pictures and papers with her. The pictures were of her family, and one of the papers had some “scripture” on it that resembled the treatise-cum-diatribe on the labels from Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap, and she spoke of families, and marriage is there for procreation only, and how things like condoms are “unsacred… dirty, with that slobbery stuff in it…. that can make you sick and itch,” and how God is great and all that, and how it’s important to show kids the mating season at the zoo, and…. and… you get the picture. It was a ramble: disjointed and very much a complementary piece to Dr. Bronner’s label, albeit with less soapy goodness.

But the second woman, Ms. Ernestine Copeland, was the hit of the internet today. She started a sermon that became more and more loud and crazy by the second. I think she was associated with the previous woman, as the testimony turned into a call-and-response show. Ms. Copeland’s God is all about reproduction, and apparently she was in the presence of the devil by being in the room with all of us “heathens.” How about a quote:

”Sodomy and Gomorrah, I keep saying that…. Now how in the world did you get my sisters and brothers to follow your evil and corrupt ways? The demons has showed up! … Mr. Wells, is that your name? Mr. Contella (sic), Mr. Mendelson — y’all sure put the fire to them Christian folks and they buckled. But i will not buckle, this is the word of almighty God. And I tell you what about same-sexual unions, what would they do: They will destroy our society! … Shame on you, shame on you for not standing up for the holy word of God. Shame on you demon, Demon Wells, Contrella (sic) — just ’cause y’all want to practice y’all corrupt and immoral ways….” (trasncript courtesy of MetroWeekly

I could go on, but really, she’s a trip, and is best experienced in full, technicolor glory.

I did my best to keep calm and collected, as did the members of the Council who witnessed this woman’s descent into complete lunatic diatribe. Eventually, her microphone was shut off, and security kept an eagle eye on her after the meeting adjourned for the night.

Those of us who were in a bit of a stupefied awe shared a good laugh and a huge sigh of relief. The hearing certainly saved The Crazy™ for the end. The DC Council should be mindful of this and sell popcorn and other concessions for the continuation on November 2 – they could make a nice bit of cash from it.

government, politics, random, washington, dc

the time, what of the time?

randomduck | 07/10/2009 | Comments Off

Okay, so I’ve been slacking off here.

It shows, doesn’t it?

Rest assured, I’ve been active. So what have I done since… August 13?!?! Okay, let’s start with August 1, why don’t we?

Riding:

On August 1, I rode the Mountain Mama Road Bike Challenge out of Monterey, VA. The drive down there the night before was eventful, as my trusty Subaru decided to blow almost every single oil gasket just outside of Staunton, VA. No fun, and possibly a show-stopper. But thanks to the help of friends, I was able to get a ride for me, my driving companion and our stuff to Monterey. The ride was spectacular, though I felt like ass for the first 80 miles of the ride, having expended a lot of energy the previous night getting the car to a mechanic, waiting for a ride, etc. From miles 80 to 100, though, I was strong, and did quite a bit of good, fast climbing over the final three summits. The car is fine now, after replacement of six gaskets.
I also organized a century on Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. This was a great ride, loose and fun, and featured a sighting of a black bear sow and two of her roly-poly cubs.
My Tuesday night “Downtown Breakaway” club ride slowly ramped down throughout August, wrapping up on September 1 with an unfortunate ending: a crash in the paceline ended up with one rider breaking a hip, another his bike.
Rode the Civil War Century in early September. This is a must-do ride, given its location and organization, and a lot of people drive down to Thurmont, MD, for this annual tradition. The day was somewhat misty and damp, but it made for exceptional riding, and I got to hang out with many different friends along the route.
The PPTC Historic Back Road Century took place in late September, and while it is a ride that I’m not particularly fond of (the route is somewhat flat and boring), the company I rode with made up for that. I was in a great shape for this, though I left a lot in the tank when riding with my friends.

Travel:

My main travel was to Salt Lake City to visit my mom. It wasn’t the best of trips, to say the least, as there was a lot of work to do around her house – some of which was a surprise to sprite and me. And my mom is no fan of having her visiting family do housework while we’re in town, but we really had to do it. Needless to say, I’m now quite versed in cleaning, dismantling, moving, disposing of and installing refrigerators.
One bright spot on the Utah trip (perhaps the bright spot) was a lovely evening spent with our old friends, Bethy and Garrett. We drank beers, had some fun conversations and jammed out on guitar, mandolin and piano until late in the night. It brought back a lot of old memories and created lots of lovely new ones.

Anything else? Well, I’ve spent some quality time with our DC friends, though not as much as I’d like due to the craziness that is late summer and early fall in DC. But fall and winter look to be a lot of fun, once the transitional chaos inherent in the seasonal change settles down. I’ll be up in New England this weekend, which will be a bit more of a vacation than was the trip to Utah – can’t wait for that.

cycling, outdoors, random, travel

woodstock at 40: yup, it happened.

randomduck | 13/08/2009 | Comments Off

No, I wasn’t there. I’m not that old!

What can I say? It happened and there was a lot of good music, a lot of questionable sanitation, and not a lot of chaos. Let’s just sum it up with my favorite tributes to the show:

Slappy the Squirrel asks…

And here’s the band Slappy and Skippy refer to in the bit (not The Band – they play later on):

Sure, there were plenty of other great acts there: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, CSNY, The Band, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Arlo Guthrie, Sly and the Family Stone, The Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead and many, many others. It was groundbreaking (in more ways than one, because the damage inflicted on Max Yasgur’s land made it non-arable for years and forced him to sell the property a few years after Woodstock).

It brought forth wonderful music festivals for future generations (e.g. Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Coachella, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, to name but a few) and kept still others alive (e.g. Newport Folk Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival). And it spawned anniversary shows that were of dubious merit, but still rang true for many (at least the one in 1994 – I can’t say that the 1999 or 2004 gigs were nearly as well-received).

So this weekend, why not spin up some good tunes and think of everywhere music has gone since the summer of 1969.

music, random

fight like susan

randomduck | 05/08/2009 | 1 Comment

This should be a pithy post about recent cycling adventures and reflections about my life, but it isn’t.

That’s because of Susan Nelson, who died tonight after a long, courageous battle with cancer. Her husband, Elden (the “Fat Cyclist”), and other family members were with her as she passed.

Elden has kept his extended internet family up to date with Susan’s fight: the lows, the highs, the frustrations and lessons learned. Like most of his internet family, I’ve never formally met the man, but he’s a part of my life. His blog morphed from a cycling journal full of humor to a life journal that taught a lot of good life lessons, often with a touch of humor.

As Elden says, Susan didn’t lose. She fought. She inspired many to try and be something bigger and better than themselves, to not let the little things drag you down, to persevere even when the odds weren’t in your favor.

Like many before her, Susan was – and will remain – a hero.

As will Elden. He vows to fight cancer ever harder in the wake of Susan’s death. She wouldn’t want it any other way, nor would Elden’s family and friends.

So thank you, Susan, for showing courage under fire and showing what true bravery is. And thank you, Elden, for taking us along, showing us another form of true bravery, and for vowing to keep up the fight.

Just like Susan did, to the very end.

random

cancer, fat cyclist, win susan

a glutton for punishment

randomduck | 18/07/2009 | 2 Comments

Cycling is not a cheap sport.

Even when you try to be frugal it can charge “convenience fees” in very sneaky forms.

There are the expendables: tires, chains, chainrings, tubes, and the like. This year, I’ve replaced a chain, both chainrings, a few tubes and three tires. The last bit stings the most, mainly because I really like a tire that’s not the most affordable tire around – the Michelin Pro3 Race – but has such a lovely ride. They’re just not durable: I rode a new P3R threadbare in less than 2,000 miles. Sure, it’s a racing tire, and I rode it through a very wet spring, but that’s a short lifespan for a tire that’s not cheap.

The wet spring and early summer also did in my bottom bracket, a SRAM GXP Team model that was the loudest thing on the planet. Well, not really, but it made my bike awfully loud. That finally got replaced last week, and it’s bliss again.

Then there are the things that aren’t the typical “annual replacement” items – like wheels.

My Pedal Force has Neuvation wheels, and they’ve been great: light, responsive and durable. My rear wheel had a rim crack after 7,000 or so miles and, even though it was out of warranty, the good folks at Neuvation replaced it, no questions asked. I finally got around to transferring my cassette and tire to the new wheel the other day (having borrowed a wheel from a generous MABRA member from Maryland) and it was lovely: tight, true, quiet.

If only I’d been a bit more detail-oriented in setting it up last night, because after 2.1 miles of riding, it’s done for.

Y’see, I didn’t check the alignment of my derailleur to the cogs. Even though this is supposed to be a standard thing, it can vary from wheel to wheel, and I didn’t bother checking. So as I rode home, I managed to downshift to the granny cog in the rear and I overshifted into the spokes.

My chain locked itself into a recess between hub flange, spokes and cassette and was stuck really, really well. I had to have sprite come and pick me up, as there was no way the chain was being freed, and no way for the wheel to spin without causing more damage.

Once home, I removed the chain and cassette to investigate the damage: four spokes in need of replacement, and one hub gouged beyond repair.

Ugh. The upside: at least this happened close to home, rather than on the ride I’m going on this Sunday. That would’ve gone down in the Suck Hall of Fame.

So, if Steve is reading this: I need to borrow your wheel for a few more days. I’ve ordered a replacement wheel (a Campagnolo Record/Mavic Open Pro unit – glad I re-upped my Team Performance membership – though I’ll order another Neuvation later this year, as well), and I’ll be very careful to check my derailleur alignment and limit screw settings before I ride on it.

Penance paid – I’m a glutton for punishment.

cycling

trip report: harpoon brewery-to-brewery ride (20 june 2009)

randomduck | 29/06/2009 | 1 Comment

Activity: road cycling
Location: Boston, MA > Hinsdale, NH > Windsor, VT (Harpoon Brewery-To-Brewery Ride)
Distance: 148.0 miles (mostly rollers, some big, with one challenging climb from miles 91-94)
Duration: 7:41 (8:20 with stops)
Weather: partly sunny in the early hours, mostly cloudy for the remainder, 67-78 degrees
Climbing: 8,125′
Avg HR: 150 (max 188)
Type: aerobic

This is the big ride of 2009 (at least according to my current schedule), and it comes far earlier than last year’s big ride out in California. This ride differed in two key respects:

1. It was a longer, point-to-point ride with less climbing; and
2. There was a lot of beer involved at the end.

This ride is sponsored by Harpoon Brewery and is a fundraiser for charities near and dear to them (they are highly involved in helping out in New England). The entry fee is steep, but with it you get a cool jersey, great support (including the Mavic neutral tech support cars and motorbikes), and an end-of-ride BBQ featuring a lot of Harpoon beer.

It’s a fine, fine ride.

The morning started off in Cambridge, where sprite and I were staying with our friends, Sam and Alexis. We had to get up early, as I had intended to start the ride at 7:45am and need to be at the brewery at Boston Harbor by 6:45, at the latest (according to the info packet I had). However, even on a sleepy Saturday morning, traffic doesn’t move slowly through downtown Boston due to poorly-timed traffic lights. On the way, we made a quick pit stop at a Dunkin Donuts in downtown (sprite made the fastest stop for coffee, OJ and a bagel I’ve ever seen) and made it to the brewery by…. 6:50.

Most riders had already embarked on the course, as the slowest riders were sent on their way at 5:45am. I was planning on riding with the 20mph group, but decided that maybe the 19mph group was a better fit, given my high level of fluster heading into the ride. It certainly caught sprite off-guard, as I left at 7:35, about 10 minutes earlier than originally planned. But she was sweet to drop me off at the ride start.

I ended up in a group of 20-or-so riders, most of whom either were members of the Team FuelBelt triathlon club or the Monsters In The Basement cycling club. I ended up slotting in with the Monsters, who were a group with a similar personality to my PPTC “wrecking crew” – it was a good and serendipitous teaming, as they invited me in to their group for the duration of the ride.

The route isn’t overly complex, as it basically stays on five major roads: Massachusetts routes 225 and 119 and New Hampshire routes 63, 12 and 12A. Yes, there are many forks in the road and other, smaller roads used, but over 85 percent of the ride features the aforementioned five routes. The entire cue sheet fits in one column on a single side of standard letter paper – that’s how easy the course is, in terms of linear routing.

And the climbing on the ride is fairly mellow. There are many rollers of various size, and a gradual rise into New Hampshire the account for the ride until mile 90. At this point, in Hinsdale, NH, the ride turns north onto NH63 and a climb called “The Leviathan” by the ride organizers. It’s no slouch of a hill, averaging around 4 percent for its duration, with a few stretches of 7-8 percent before its “summit” at mile 94. After this, the rest of the ride is rolling, including a covered bridge crossing of the Connecticut River a mere four miles from the finish.

I must have prepared well for this ride (indeed, I told sprite the previous weekend that I was ready after riding a really strong-yet-controlled pace for two consecutive 65-mile rides): I ate well and hydrated myself just enough. The bike, my Jamis Eclipse, was in great shape, with new tires and a more aggressive riding position that mirrors the Pedal Force (my usual road bike). And I had a good amount of rest.

And it showed on ride day. I was always in good spirits with a lot of energy in the tank. My first rest stop, at mile 52, was a bit longer than I’d like, but it went well, with a lot of free Clif Shot Blocks available (I stuffed my jersey with the things – they’re tasty). At mile 56, we called the Mavic cycle to aid a cyclist whose loaner wheels (from Mavic) weren’t holding air. And the third stop at mile 89 was unplanned, but one of the Monsters met up with his family at this stop. Stopping near the bottom of a climb is usually tough, but we made this stop quick and got on our way.

The Leviathan was tough, but I set into a spin pace and did just fine with it. Our group would reconnect after big features like this, which was for the best and kept folks’ spirits high. The next official stop at mile 97 featured musette bags with goodies and water, but the way it was setup didn’t allow for a smooth, pro-style hand-up, so we stopped to use the loo and refill bottles.

At this point, we were rejoined by the FuelBelt triathetes, which was an interesting experience. First, we ended up with a monster-size paceline of 16 riders. And of that group, only the Monsters and a few of the tri-folk were taking pulls (mostly by choice on our part, as we scoped out the FuelBelt riders and found that most weren’t the best paceline riders). It could have been irksome, but two of the FuelBelt riders took great, strong, steady, long pulls for the group. And they happened to be the only two women in the group – and one of them had never been at the lead of a paceline before. It certainly didn’t show, and we averaged almost 24mph for the 26 mile stretch to the final fuel stop of the ride before Vermont.

At this point, a few of the Monsters were shelled from the crazy effort we’d just made, and we all welcomed the cold sodas and fruit and the salty pretzels at the rest stop. Never before had a Pepsi or Mountain Dew tasted so good! We refueled and stretched, and let the FuelBelt crew ride ahead, as our group wished to stay together. And I admit, I got jumpy as we neared Windsor, and jumped ahead of the group until the covered bridge crossing of the Connecticut River, where I stopped to take a picture of the sign over the bridge. Regrouping in downtown Windsor, we rode together for the remainder of the ride to the brewery.

After 148 miles, the journey was complete! And my legs were ready to ride another 30 miles, at least – as I said earlier, I was prepared!

But the lure of a hot shower, a massage, fresh barbeque and cold beer was too much to pass up. It was a fitting end to the ride, and sprite met me a short while after I finished to give me a ride back to her folks’ place in Connecticut.

It was an awesome day and a superb ride – one that I’d happily do again, though I’d want to bring a few more of my PPTC friends to share in the experience.

(Click on any of the pictures to see my full set from the ride. Click here to see a full album from Will Williams of the Monsters – you’ll see more pics of me riding there.)

I really need to mention the debt of gratitude I owe the Monsters for their overall support of me. Their club support driver, Ian, provided me with water and soda along the way, treating me as a member of the team the whole day. It was really great, and made the whole day much more special. And to Peter, Will, Philip, Dan, Dave and Todd, a tip of the hat to y’all for being so nice to a stranger from the south. C’mon down to this area for a ride sometime: Mountains of Mistery, Mountain Mama, Civil War Century, you name it!

cycling, outdoors, travel, workout

fallen icons

randomduck | 25/06/2009 | 1 Comment

This was going to be a post about my most recent cycling adventures, but that will have to wait.

This week has seen the deaths of three pop culture icons who resonated in my life: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, as well as the news that Walter Cronkite is likely to pass away in the next few weeks.

Today reminds me of my 17th birthday, back in 1990, when both Sammy Davis, Jr., and Jim Henson died within hours of each other: a day when things are just so sad that it’s tough to cobble together the words to describe the disturbance in personal space-time.

Ed McMahon was the ultimate sidekick. As the foil to Johnny Carson, McMahon often got the last laugh in Johnny’s bits – a sure sign of respect, as many comedians are hesitant to have somebody else share the spoils of their trade. Ed’s cadence and style were the model for those to follow: Paul Shaffer and Andy Richter owe a lot to Ed’s inimitable body of work, and Ed’s death leaves only Doc Severinsen to carry the mantel of NBC’s standard bearer of late-night variety shows.

I used to sneak in a viewing of The Tonight Show in my youth, and my parents often had it on and I could hear Johnny and Ed’s banter through my bedroom door. My grandmother loved Tonight (though she was most enamored of Joan Rivers’ guest hosting appearances), and I’d watch the show there whenever I stayed at her place.

Ed: your curtain call is now – enjoy it!

Farrah Fawcett was the sexy angel. And no, I didn’t have a copy of the poster on my wall, but I was all too familiar with it (was the uniform on Baywatch modeled after that shot? Oh yes, I’m quite sure of it.). Farrah rose above the fluffy appearance, though, and was a strong woman. Sure, her appearance on David Letterman’s show rose suspicions about her health and/or sanity, but time and again she rose above it with class.

And her battle against cancer was a model of courage. She shared her pain, grief, anger and perseverance in a very public forum. Her life’s love, Ryan O’Neil, was there every step of the way during her battle and showed every bit of strength to keep up with the ever-powerful Farrah. And the final visit of their son, Redman, is tough to watch – even tougher so, in hindsight.

Farrah: Charlie’s latest mission is a doozy.

And Michael – well, there’s a lot to say, both good and bad.

Thriller was one of the first albums I ever bought, if not the first, with my own money. I listened to that tape until it had stretched beyond playability. I owned a “Thriller” jacket. I learned the moonwalk. I even briefly switched to Pepsi after the pyrotechnics incident out of solidarity – yes, I was a fan.

But most of all, I loved the magic of his music. Off The Wall and Thriller are wall-to-wall sonic tapestries that are solid from the first beat to the last. The infectious (if repetitive) bassline of “Billie Jean,” or the Van Halen guitar solo in “Beat It,” or the tour de force of “Thriller,” or the dance-’til-you-drop beat of “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” – all are model pop songs. Sure, his star faded from there, but there were still occasional glimpses of brilliance, even as his personal life became increasingly erratic and eccentric.

My fandom didn’t last too long, however. The first blow was when he outbid Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono for the ownership of Northern Songs, which meant that The Beatles’ song catalog was suddenly open to the highest bidder for use in ad campaigns (my Beatles fandom far outweighs that of MJ, and always has). And the rumors and allegations of child molestation were tough to disbelieve, given that MJ always seemed a bit too eager to be around children.

MJ’s childhood was nothing that I’d wish upon anybody, but I also think that his adulthood was equally tragic. His constant battle to become somebody else – the pseudo-castrati voice, the horrendous plastic surgeries, the shift in skin coloration – pointed to a never-fulfilled need to treat deep psychological and emotional wounds. But the insular world of superstardom likely blinded him to this necessity, to his own detriment.

He tried to seek solace in isolation, and was about to stage a massive comeback-cum-farewell concert series in London. And now he is no more.

But we have the music, that glorious music.

Michael: may you finally find peace.

mass media, music, random

trip report: mountains of misery (24 may 2009)

randomduck | 29/05/2009 | 3 Comments

Activity: road cycling
Location: Newport, VA > New Castle, VA > Newport > Mountain Lake, VA (Mountains of Misery)
Distance: 102.7 (mostly rollers, some big, with two BIG climbs)
Duration: 5:57 (6:17 with stops)
Weather: overcast and mild, a little drizzle, 62-70 degrees
Climbing: 10,240′
Avg HR: 160 (max 191)
Type: aerobic

Year two of the Mountains Of Misery ride, and it went very, very well: 19 minutes faster than last year, without the leg cramp that plagued me in the final 10 miles.

The weather forecast leading into the ride became increasingly unfavorable as the week progressed: partly cloudy morphed into overcast, then into showers and thunderstorms. While Jonathan, Chris, Kelly, Mike, Mark and I were a bit worried, we also kept in mind that weather forecasting involves a lot of chaos theory, and is guaranteed to have a certain measure of inaccuracy.

Luckily, May 24 was one of those days.

Sure, there was some drizzle between miles 10 and 20, which was fine. Our starting wave (third out, four minutes after the first group had departed) settled into a good pace, driven by Jonathan, Chris and James, who would end up having the fastest overall time of the day by “not stopping, save for one quick water fill and two pee breaks.” Chris and I rode past the rest stops at miles 26 and 42, making our first stop at mile 56. This helped keep Chris on track for a sub-7-hour finish time, and me on track to beat my time from last year. The rest of our group rode ahead, which was fine, as I had spent the previous six miles playing catch-up after having to stop and tighten a loose crank arm.

The St. John’s Creek climb at mile 58 was good for me: I placed some distance between Chris and me, while Jonathan was dancing up the climb behind us. I quickly stopped to top off my water bottle at the top, having neglected to do so at the rest stop to save a tiny bit of weight (yup – silly, isn’t it?), and shoved off when Chris pulled in and Jonathan passed me. And just like last year, I quickly caught up with Jonathan on the downhill.

Jonathan and I rode together for the rest of the ride, and were happy to see Chris pull into the rest stop at mile 84 as we were pulling out: it was almost certain that he’d beat his goal! Jonathan and I kept rolling, passing the final pre-climb rest stop and heading toward the final, category 1 obstacle: Doe Creek Road.

This year, Jonathan and I started together on this climb, but he certainly had better form for the climb. I was pushing a higher gear than in 2008 (36/25, as opposed to 34/25), and my lower back was giving me fits. I had to stop to stretch it out a couple times during the climb (20-30 seconds per stop) when it locked up and made my pedal stroke more of a lop-sided lunge. But I still made it up the hill faster than last year, and when I crossed the line at 6 hours, 21 minutes and 15 seconds, I was happy: 19 minutes shaved off my 2008 time! Jonathan cheered me on through the finish, as I did for him last year, and we both hit the massage tables to get the lactic acid worked out of our legs.

As we were on the tables, we listened for Chris’ name to be called by the usually-attentive announcer. However, before we heard his name, along came Chris! He finished in 6:38 (6:34 with the four minute time correction), which totally eclipsed his previous best time of 7:08 – a target smashed, for sure!

Our other group mates fared well, too. Mark shaved almost an hour off his 2008 time. Kelly and Mike – my carpool mates who rode the 124-mile route – finished between 8:30 and 9:00 elapsed time (giving me enough time to fully partake of the free BBQ at the finish, as well as a shower at Mountain Lake Hotel, where Dirty Dancing was filmed).

But the best part was seeing my friend Mariette finish in less than eight hours! Mariette shouldn’t have been at this ride: in early March, she was rear-ended by a motorist while riding her bike in Scottsdale, Arizona. She suffered numerous broken bones (fibula broken in four places, broken pelvis, ribs, vertebrae and nose, lacerations a’plenty) and had only started riding on smooth roads a few weeks ago. Prior to Mountains Of Misery 2009, her longest ride had been 53 miles. Yet here she was, finishing a 102.7 mile ride with insane climbs in a time that is a great feat for most riders. She is an inspiration, and the total embodiment of a tough person – way to go, Mariette!

My goal heading into this ride was to shave 5 minutes from my finishing time, and I managed to do almost four times better. The next big goal is the Harpoon Brewery-To-Brewery ride, only 22 days from today. I think I’m ready, though there’s a lot more prep to do.

cycling, travel