Thanksgiving was rather typical... a few less guests thanks to cousins being snatched up by boyfriends & the like... but overall it was nice.
The REAL fun came after I polished off my 2nd slice of chocolate pudding pie.
It had been nearly 8 years since I'd played my Nintendo. In 1998, I packaged up my original 8-bit NES system for hibernation. My plan was to not open it up again until I had my own kids. So much for that plan. It was time to play Nintendo, and nothing was going to stop me.
Thanks to my OCD tendencies and inherited need to preserve items of personal significance to me, I hermetically sealed the entertainment system in multiple vacuum-sealed plastic bags placed in a large plastic air-tite box. As I openened the Nintendo tomb, I grew more and more excited like a 4th grader anticipating the delivery of a classmate's birthday cupcake in grammar school. Before too long, the system was plugged in, and ready to roll.
However, getting the games to work was a different story. After about 20 mintues, I finally got Super Sprint to work. Another couple minutes with that flashing black & white screen and I would have had a seizure. I got to level 27 in Super Sprint, and had the top level 6 of acceleration, top speed, and traction. But, Super Sprint was just a warmup. A warmup for what would take the next 7 hours of my life from me.
By 4am, I had made it to level 8 in Zelda. Sure, I eventually would have beaten Ganon, but it was getting late. I should mention that I had 15 heart containers, the magic sword, and only died twice. Zelda is the best video game ever made, and one of the most influential video games of this era. I downloaded a Legend of Zelda remix mp3 and have been rocking it all day today.
I re-sealed the Nintendo, and slid it into the corner of my closet, maybe to return next Thanksgiving. You are never too old for video games.
It was a beautiful day here in Central Virginia. Christoph and I rode just over 4 hours today. It was like old times. We started off and my legs felt like bricks, no, like sponges. The sponginess wore off in about an hour, and we struggled to keep it in zone 0.75. We stopped at the Howardsville store, and had the most awesome lunch, ever. Christoph got a roast beef sammy, and I got a ham+egg+cheese sammy. We sat in the warm sun on the sidewalk, our backs to the propane cylinder storage cage, and we pondered our insatiable appetites for new stuff to take upon.
Man I was slow today. I can never predict how I'm going to feel this time of year. I'm hitting the weights pretty hard in the gym. Harder than ever because I think it helps me... helps me more than other riders. This February when I broke my shoulder, I was able to do leg press during the recovery, and so in those 7 recovery weeks I worked my way up to pressing 11 plates. The next month after those weights, I was really strong. So, I am going to do a bit more weights and lower cadence big ringing it this winter, with the goal of improving my flat-land power and ability to push big watts during the selections of the race.
Endurance has really never been a problem for me. Quality base miles are, of course, critical to having a strong, long consistent season. But, I need to make selections on the flats. If I'm riding well, I can usually make selections on the hills. My main goal for 2007 is to make selections on the flats. I'm sure it'll take more than a quality strength program to hit that goal, but for my muscle type, I am convinced that heavy resistance is a big component in my muscular development.
I wish these base miles would ride themselves. Fast forward me to March. I'm going out to California for 2 weeks this December to visit D-Gal and Sheff. I am hoping that this time out, I won't come back bleeding and broken. Every time I go to California I come home broken. It's awesome. It will be a throwndown of galactic proportions out there. I'm excited like a sorority girl for a mixer with the 'hot frat.'
Winning bike races, dropping training partners, setting a new personal record, improving your CP numbers, eating ice cream... these things feel good. Winning a bike race, or a good result, can keep you happy & content for weeks, even months. The contentment slowly diminishes and it becomes time again to make history.
Happy Rickshaw is just over 3 months new. Christoph and I agree that running this business creates a contentment that, unlike cycling accomplishments, grows and morphs and continually inspires us. I was leaving the warehouse the other day, and as I turned the key to lock the door, I was overcome by a satisfaction that I hadn't felt before. It was different than good result on a bike, different than getting accepted to UVA. It was just a hint of what many successful business owners must feel all the time. I wonder how often my father still gets that feeling when he locks up the bike shop after a good day. Next year will be the 20th anniversary of Tom's Atlantic Cyclery- we need to start planning something huge. Perhaps something like the rickshaw debut party.
Happy Rickshaw was featured in the Cavalier Daily yesterday. Vinu Ilakkuvan wrote an excellent story and really captured what we're all about. Ross McDermott placed some great photos in the paper as well. You can read the feature online:
http://www.cavalierdaily.com/CVArticle.asp?ID=28492&pid=1510Tom Ayers is recovering extremely well from his 3rd major surgery to replace his iliac artery. We are keeping our fingers crossed that 3rd time's a charm. It may have something to do with the fact that I dropped him off at the UVA hospital on a rickshaw!
ps. very entertaining comments on the last blog. thanks 2skinnyreaders
Officially, road cycling is the best sport of all time. I know you all know this, but I'm writing it.
No other sport comes close. Sure, other sports are great, but cycling is so multi-faceted, so whole, so beautiful, so perfect, that my assertion today is not up for debate. This is just the way it is, 2skinnyreaders.
Taken individually, each wonderful facet of cycling can be found in other sports, but taken together, cycling is untouchable.
Combine: cycling's demands on the human body, the robust teamwork, the cutting-edge equipment, the skills required, the length and grandeur of races, the speed, the danger, the depth & duration of the training, the international appeal of the sport, the broad accessibility for all to compete, the importance of nutrition, the colour and style of the peloton, roads lined with spectators, and the beautiful scenic mountain traverses, and of course, the blogs
Let's explore the components of cycling at the most elite level.
Physical demands: the cyclist is the most cardiovascularly fit athlete in the world. The cyclist has the biggest heart, superior vascularity, the most mitochondria, the most aerobic capacity, staggering anaerobic capacity, and the most chemical fitness. The cyclist must be capable of efforts as short as under 10 seconds to as long as 6.5 hours. No other sport demands such a wide variety of outputs, tuning the maximum output and efficiency of all the body's energy systems. The cyclist has incredible explosive power and staggering aerobic capacity, and everything in between. The cyclist must be able to recover better than any other athlete because events can be many consecutive days. The most elite cyclist is leaner than any other athlete in the world, where his skin is so thin that you can see the undulations of the cyclist's muscle fascia and blood cells tobogganing through veins. Also, be mentally sharp when you are completely broken.
Teamwork: 8 finely tuned specimens breaking themselves for their sprinter, their climber, their solo artist, their GC guy. Allow the break to gain just enough time so that your team can reel it back in with a temporary alliance with another team only to catch the break 4 km from the finish while your other teammates setup your sprinter through an 8-turn run-in to the finish while the teams who didn't chase bump you into the barriers. Make 15 trips back to the feed car to feed your GC guys as you are caught stuffing bottles in your back while the peloton surges away from you. Swallow your pride as your teammate is riding you off your wheel when you were supposed to be dropping him. Go to the front and set pace until you explode then do it again for a week. Make split-second tactical & strategic decisions that will immediately affect the outcome of the race.
Training: Optimize every second. Train as much as the body can physically tolerate. A 4-week break is all the pro cyclist gets. Recovery is maximized to an extent that most other sports' recovery science comes from knowledge gained from cycling. Tell me a sport that demands 20 to 30-hour consecutive winter training weeks, where every minute of that time is spent at a high-aerobic output. How about riding those hours with bitter cold wind blowing through you as you drink ice water and as you rip your teeth off on your frozen power bar. Be prepared to train in the rain and biting cold, and learn how to descent a mountain in the cold rain while your hands freeze to the brake levers.
Equipment: Cutting edge doesn't quite cut it. Totally ridiculous carbon fiber and alloys combined to make frames and componentry so light and strong. Precision drivetrain parts that are whisper-quiet and look like a work of art. Wheels so fly that I'm surprised that snoop dogg isn't trading up for a pair of ceramic zipps. Bikes that can carve out mountain descents at 50+ mph smoother than your momma's puddin'. Time trial bikes so aerodynamic that the car racing industry has learned from cycling wind-tunnel testing. The racing bike becomes an extension of the cyclist. There is no other combination of man + machine where synergy is so essential and beautiful.
Skills: Ride 3 inches off someone's wheel. Come around a turn at 30 miles per hour on 2 square inches of rubber while touching handlebars with someone on either side of you while negotiating your next precise move through the group to help setup your teammate for a 45 mph slightly downhill sprint. Come around a blind curve down a mountain at speed while keeping an eye out for a stone in the curve that could send you to your death. Eat on the bike, pee off the bike. Also, the amateur must be able to tune the bike and fix problems on the road. Sure, skills aren't the centerpiece of cycling, but you need a serious set of 'em. Learn how to corner a criterium in the rain over ice-slick metal potholes and oil patches.
The Grandeur of Races: How about the French Alps? How about touring through beautiful Italian villages? How about the Champs-Élysées being lined with more fans than the superbowl? How about 15 million spectators lining the roads for the Tour de France. How about a sport that brings riders and fans to the most beautiful roads in the world with breathtaking views. A sport that takes me away from the busy city up to the mountains in 90 minutes to overlook the beautiful Virginia countryside. No car required. Training takes the cyclist so far so quickly... no staring at gym equipment, no slowly pounding my knees on the road or trail, no sidelines or fences. Freedom.
Speed: Power yourself. Race for 6 hours at 25 mph. What other sport can you go faster for longer without the use of an engine? Downhill skiing? Come on. Cycling is the fastest natural sport in the world. All of the other natural, non-gravity sports move at a standstill compared to cycling. The fastest self-propelled sport in the world.
Danger: Lose your concentration for a split second, and you're bleeding. You're bleeding, you're broken, you're out. There are no elbow-pads, no neck braces, no grass-burn protectors, none. You get 2cm of styrofoam on your head. When you crash, you fall at speed, you fall onto concrete, you will slide and skin will rip off, bones may break, your gears or bike might cut into you, and other riders might run you over. You will never be the same after a bad cycling crash.
Cycling as a universal sport: Number 2 in the world to soccer. If cycling equipment wasn't cost-preventative to some, cycling would be the #1 most participated sport in the world. All you need is a road and a bike. The simple pleasure of riding is a gift from the heavens.
Accessibility: From 9 year olds to 55+ year old racers, all can compete. There are many categories from beginner to pro that all can enjoy racing in, with a clear path to improvement and plenty of competitive levels. It's easy on the joints so you can ride until you die. It is equally fun, and equally challenging to complete at all levels.
Nutrition: No other athlete burns up more nutrients than the most elite cyclist. In what other sport is it necessary to get an IV after racing so that you can finish the next day's race, for 20 days straight? Cyclists pop more supplements and need to eat the highest volume of the perfect foods all the freaking time. Nutritional state is so crucial in cycling that it's not uncommon for a decent cat 2 amateur cyclist to know 10 times more about nutrition that your primary care physician. No other sport pursues doping controls so intensely, and no other sport seeks the latest and greatest nutritional leg-up than cycling.
Style & Beauty: Nothing is more beautiful than the colours of 15 teams streaking through a field of sunflowers in the countryside. Only the most beautiful athletes in the world can make lycra & spandex look so good. No other legs compare to those of the cyclist. Color, style, form, oiled-up legs, skin as tight as saran-wrap but yet textured like driftwood. No athlete is more narcissistic than the cyclist... and it's completely warranted.
The Blogs: Is there another sport that has such a large subset of bloggers? Holy crap there's a lot of cycling bloggers. And of course, there's some hella good ones. You have so many types to choose from... blogs with resting HR's, kilojoules, and watt profiles, blogs about how the author continually sucks and makes excuses, blogs that are so bitingly sarcastic that anonymous jackass comments can't even compete with, blogs so narcissistic that they put snow white's mirror out of business, and blogs so boring that you have to read them because you're so amazed that someone actually cared to write. Long live blogs and rider journals.
Who wants to add to this list? Do it, comment it.
Refuting the status of other popular sports is so easy; it's not even funny. Basically, if your sport isn't cycling, it sucks:
Running? You go sloooow, there's no teamwork, there's no fun equipment and not enough spandex. Boring. Too common. No danger. However, I am not advocating for females who run to switch to cycling. Trust me, it's better off for all of us.
Mountain biking? You're like road cycling's tough younger brother, and we'll always love you... Admittedly, most mountain bikers are cooler, they have hotter girlfriends, and their parties are usually better.
Triathalon? Ironman? ha. One-day events... don't even talk to me. No teamwork. Ironman's best athletes are a two levels down from cycling's best. Most of you are so boring to talk to that I might as well talk to a 2x4. No danger, and if you crash on your TT bike, you _really_ suck.
Car racing? You're joking.
Xterra? Adventure racing? It's cool, you need skills, you get to see beautiful places, but you're fit like a weekend warrior. Adventure racing is definitely multi-faceted, but there just aren't enough of you to really make it a competition, sorry. Re-apply in 30 years for consideration.
Biathlon? Physically cool sport... shooting's cool. But, it's a one-day event rarely involving teamwork, inaccessible to many. Lacks many facets.
Cross-country skiing? Probably the only sport that comes close to cycling based on aerobic fitness, but... it's a time trial. It lacks so many facets.
Crew? Fitness... really not even close. Teamwork, sure, but in a limited role. No danger, limited grandeur, no freedom, inaccessible, but otherwise, decent.
Soccer? Basketball? Football? Outstading talent required, but you're stuck on a field, you go slow, there's no fun equipment, no beautiful scenery... and are you _really_ fit? ha
Golf? Skills, I guess. Money, yes. Fitness? LOL. Work out a few core stabilizers and pump a few dumbbells, then walk around with gin & tonic.
Curling? Equestrian sports? Table Tennis? Boxing? Fencing? I don't have time to deliver blows to these sports because I need to sleep so I can train hard tomorrow.
Off to get a bowl of ice cream and check if there's any Cycling News Flashes on CyclingNews.com.
Road cycling. The best sport in the World.
