2010 Mileage: 1128
Well I am exhausted and need to crash after one crazy weekend. After 3 cancelled flights we had Lindsay's Mom drive down here from Buffalo, NY to pick us up on her way to Michigan (which is about 12 hours out of the way). I then drove through the night on Friday to get to Michigan around 5 in the morning on Saturday. We then had an eventful day on Saturday of wedding events and a couples shower. The shower was amazing and it was so great seeing everyone. Then we hit up a bowling alley with the younger crowd from the shower and hung out there until closing (2am) and I finally crashed around 3 for about an hour of sleep until it was off to the airport to fly back to New York City for work today. So needless to say it is now time for bed and a good nights sleep.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
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Thursday, February 25, 2010
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Heading Home
2010 Mileage: 1104
After an incredibly long (at least it felt that way) day at the shop I headed over to Central Park for three laps with Per. We were planning on two but met a fellow rider who was fairly chatty so we extended the ride to three. After our ride we went by his place on the Upper East Side to enjoy a Pilsner Urquell and I also got to see my Wedding Invitation for the very first time as it arrived at there apartment today. It was rather exciting and it makes me realize how quickly our big day is approaching.
Tomorrow I am incredibly excited because I get to head back to Michigan for the first time since June. We have a couples shower on Saturday in Michigan and I am really looking forward to the trip.
Heading back to Michigan has also made me think about where I consider "home" because I always tell people I am going "back home" when I mean going to Michigan. It is an interesting consideration for me because I loved my upbringing in the state and would love to raise my own family there and still call it "home" quite frequently when asked. However, having been here over a year Lindsay and I have made a home of our own in our studio here in the city and it is where I live day in and day out with the woman I love and our cat (who we treat like our child). I know the cheesy cliche "home is where the heart is" and my heart is absolutely in both places for many different reasons. I guess I don't really know where I am going with this, just some food for thought and either way I am excited for my short trip "back home."
After an incredibly long (at least it felt that way) day at the shop I headed over to Central Park for three laps with Per. We were planning on two but met a fellow rider who was fairly chatty so we extended the ride to three. After our ride we went by his place on the Upper East Side to enjoy a Pilsner Urquell and I also got to see my Wedding Invitation for the very first time as it arrived at there apartment today. It was rather exciting and it makes me realize how quickly our big day is approaching.
Tomorrow I am incredibly excited because I get to head back to Michigan for the first time since June. We have a couples shower on Saturday in Michigan and I am really looking forward to the trip.
Heading back to Michigan has also made me think about where I consider "home" because I always tell people I am going "back home" when I mean going to Michigan. It is an interesting consideration for me because I loved my upbringing in the state and would love to raise my own family there and still call it "home" quite frequently when asked. However, having been here over a year Lindsay and I have made a home of our own in our studio here in the city and it is where I live day in and day out with the woman I love and our cat (who we treat like our child). I know the cheesy cliche "home is where the heart is" and my heart is absolutely in both places for many different reasons. I guess I don't really know where I am going with this, just some food for thought and either way I am excited for my short trip "back home."
Monday, February 22, 2010
Feeling Lazy
2010 Mileage: 1060
The only riding I did today was my daily commute and I feel very lazy because of this fact. I relied on the weather way too much today and wrote off my ride early in the day because I was told it was going to rain. This led to some bike projects and a few beers with Per in the shop after close instead of mileage like I should have been doing. We also enjoyed a very potent 'Nectar' that one of our mechanics brought us from his vacation in Colombia (he is Colombian so he went back for a visit). Of course it didn't rain so now I feel bad that I didn't actually ride. Hopefully tomorrow I can feel better about myself (although the projects are coming together nicely).
The only riding I did today was my daily commute and I feel very lazy because of this fact. I relied on the weather way too much today and wrote off my ride early in the day because I was told it was going to rain. This led to some bike projects and a few beers with Per in the shop after close instead of mileage like I should have been doing. We also enjoyed a very potent 'Nectar' that one of our mechanics brought us from his vacation in Colombia (he is Colombian so he went back for a visit). Of course it didn't rain so now I feel bad that I didn't actually ride. Hopefully tomorrow I can feel better about myself (although the projects are coming together nicely).
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Back In The Park
2010 Mileage: 1050
I was back in Central Park tonight for the first time in over a week. Only did a couple laps for 24 miles on the day. The first lap felt good and I quickly faded during the second due to the fact that I didn't eat enough today (the beers at Eric's place last night probably didn't help either). I made a big lunch for tomorrow so hopefully I'll be up for a little longer ride tomorrow night. The weather may be a factor in that ride as well with rain in the forecast.
I was back in Central Park tonight for the first time in over a week. Only did a couple laps for 24 miles on the day. The first lap felt good and I quickly faded during the second due to the fact that I didn't eat enough today (the beers at Eric's place last night probably didn't help either). I made a big lunch for tomorrow so hopefully I'll be up for a little longer ride tomorrow night. The weather may be a factor in that ride as well with rain in the forecast.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Out To Nyack
2010 Mileage: 1021
Yesterday was my longest ride of the year so far at 71 miles. I rode out to Upper Nyack and back with a stop at Bunbury's Coffee Shop in Piermont for lunch. The ride was a decent pace considering I was on the beater bike with cross tires. I crossed the bridge shortly behind a couple guys from a local team and used them to pace myself for most of the ride. Let's just say they were less than nice. When I let them know I didn't want to draft or anything and would stay out of the way but just keep pace with them they looked at the bike I was on and remarked "good luck on that bike." It wasn't really much of a problem keeping up and then when a gap was created between the two guys I asked the guy in the back if he wanted a pull up to his friend. He then told me to "not get in his way." At this point I decided I wanted nothing more to do with these guys and the pace setting wasn't worth it. On "that bike" I left the two of them and there full Dura Ace carbon bikes with PowerTap rear hubs behind as soon as we hit the next climb and didn't see them again. I thought I was out of shape but I actually felt good on the day. That also could have been from the overwhelming sense of satisfaction I got from being able to keep up with and then be able to drop those guys while riding an old hybrid bike conversion with drop bars and a rear rack. The knee felt great and it was a fun ride.
Yesterday was my longest ride of the year so far at 71 miles. I rode out to Upper Nyack and back with a stop at Bunbury's Coffee Shop in Piermont for lunch. The ride was a decent pace considering I was on the beater bike with cross tires. I crossed the bridge shortly behind a couple guys from a local team and used them to pace myself for most of the ride. Let's just say they were less than nice. When I let them know I didn't want to draft or anything and would stay out of the way but just keep pace with them they looked at the bike I was on and remarked "good luck on that bike." It wasn't really much of a problem keeping up and then when a gap was created between the two guys I asked the guy in the back if he wanted a pull up to his friend. He then told me to "not get in his way." At this point I decided I wanted nothing more to do with these guys and the pace setting wasn't worth it. On "that bike" I left the two of them and there full Dura Ace carbon bikes with PowerTap rear hubs behind as soon as we hit the next climb and didn't see them again. I thought I was out of shape but I actually felt good on the day. That also could have been from the overwhelming sense of satisfaction I got from being able to keep up with and then be able to drop those guys while riding an old hybrid bike conversion with drop bars and a rear rack. The knee felt great and it was a fun ride.It continued to be a good day off as Linz and I enjoyed a nice dinner together and then Per and Luca came over to hang out and have a couple beers.
On a side note Per's wife Jo (an avid runner) has recently started a blog so you should go check her out. The link is to the right under Motivation. She is running two races this weekend so she'll probably have some good material to write about.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Weekend With The Family (and Ryan)
2010 Mileage: 925
I had a weekend off the bike and off from the shop with a whole bunch of family in town. My parents, grandparents, sister and close friend (and groomsman) Ryan all came in for the weekend. It was a great time seeing everyone and the weekend went by way too quickly. We pretty much just ate good food and hung out together the whole time and it made me realize how much I miss time with them.
Today I was back at work and my parents came up to see the shop for the first time and I even got to sneak out for lunch with them before they headed back to Michigan today. Tonight Per and I got in two and a half laps in the park before the snow started coming down and I got home with 24 miles on the day. Now I'm just wondering if I'm going to wake up to snow on the ground in the morning.
I had a weekend off the bike and off from the shop with a whole bunch of family in town. My parents, grandparents, sister and close friend (and groomsman) Ryan all came in for the weekend. It was a great time seeing everyone and the weekend went by way too quickly. We pretty much just ate good food and hung out together the whole time and it made me realize how much I miss time with them.
Today I was back at work and my parents came up to see the shop for the first time and I even got to sneak out for lunch with them before they headed back to Michigan today. Tonight Per and I got in two and a half laps in the park before the snow started coming down and I got home with 24 miles on the day. Now I'm just wondering if I'm going to wake up to snow on the ground in the morning.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Winter Wonderland
2010 Mileage: 886Per and Luca met me at the shop when I closed and we rode the west side greenway up past the GWB. We stopped at a great Latin restaurant called Malecon in Washington Heights for some cafe con leche before riding back. I ended up having a Dominican Burger with fries too and it was a pretty good thing I did with how tough the ride was (even though it was pretty short at about 28 miles). It was slow going and trudging through the snow was difficult at times but I think this was the most fun I have had on a bicycle maybe ever. It is rides like this that make me feel like a kid again and make me realize why I love riding so much and riding with two other guys feeling the same way just made it an amazing experience. Per and I got a lot of great pictures of the fun today. You can check out the rest of Per's pics here.
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Monday, February 8, 2010
A Bike Is An Investment, Right?
2010 Mileage: 848
I put in four laps in the park with Per for 36 miles on the day. It was a bit cold but I felt good. It is always nice switching back to the road bike (which I did tonight) after a few days on the commuter cross bike, it makes the miles seem a whole lot easier. Also our long discussion about how to convince Jo (Per's wife) to allow Per to buy a new bike seemed to make the laps go quickly. I think we determined the bicycle as an investment approach is the route to take. Using my finance background we were able to come up with some very impressive arguments regarding the risk and return for the time frame. Although that is the approach he took with his road bike and he is still riding it with no intention of seeing a return on that investment anytime soon. The next discussion might have to be about how to fit yet another bike in his New York City apartment. That is always a question but never a concern (at least for Per and I).
After the ride I came home and felt my masculinity slipping away as I watched the end of The Bachelor with Lindsay and did some stretching. I'm not sure it is a good idea announcing that to everyone, but I'm sure I have done less intelligent things in the past.
I put in four laps in the park with Per for 36 miles on the day. It was a bit cold but I felt good. It is always nice switching back to the road bike (which I did tonight) after a few days on the commuter cross bike, it makes the miles seem a whole lot easier. Also our long discussion about how to convince Jo (Per's wife) to allow Per to buy a new bike seemed to make the laps go quickly. I think we determined the bicycle as an investment approach is the route to take. Using my finance background we were able to come up with some very impressive arguments regarding the risk and return for the time frame. Although that is the approach he took with his road bike and he is still riding it with no intention of seeing a return on that investment anytime soon. The next discussion might have to be about how to fit yet another bike in his New York City apartment. That is always a question but never a concern (at least for Per and I).
After the ride I came home and felt my masculinity slipping away as I watched the end of The Bachelor with Lindsay and did some stretching. I'm not sure it is a good idea announcing that to everyone, but I'm sure I have done less intelligent things in the past.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Happy Birthday Luca
2010 Mileage: 812
After the ride I threw the pannier bags on the bike so I could head over to Whole Foods to pick up all the important stuff for Luca's birthday celebration.
Per, my cousin Matt, Luca and Morgan came over for the festivities. We just hung out at the apartment and watched a replay of the cyclocross worlds, drank some beer and enjoyed eachothers company. It turned out to be a great time and I hope the birthday boy enjoyed himself. Opening those mini kegs is a little trickier than the picture on the side makes it look. Let's just say I had to wash a good amount of Bitburger off the cieling.
Yesterday I slept in and then headed out to Central Park on the bike. The big storm just missed us and we only had a light dusting of snow, but it was still a pretty cold ride. I put in three laps and called it a day not wanting to push the knee too hard even though it was feeling good. The laps also felt incredibly slow even though they were around my normal pace. I guess it was just one of those rides. I had 33 miles on the day.
After the ride I threw the pannier bags on the bike so I could head over to Whole Foods to pick up all the important stuff for Luca's birthday celebration.
Per, my cousin Matt, Luca and Morgan came over for the festivities. We just hung out at the apartment and watched a replay of the cyclocross worlds, drank some beer and enjoyed eachothers company. It turned out to be a great time and I hope the birthday boy enjoyed himself. Opening those mini kegs is a little trickier than the picture on the side makes it look. Let's just say I had to wash a good amount of Bitburger off the cieling.
Friday, February 5, 2010
One Month Dry
2010 Mileage: 769
The title doesn't refer to the weather because it has been anything but dry here. I went one entire month without a drink (adult beverage if you will). It's not as though I have a drinking problem, but it was a great way to save some money with the wedding approaching. It also did get me to spend a little more time on the bike and I do feel a bit healthier. And although I am enjoying a nice glass of wine tonight (and I had a beer at the shop with Per earlier) to close out my dry spell I am also looking forward to spending a good amount of time on the bike tomorrow. Snow or no snow my knee is feeling great after a good 4 days of yoga/stretching and foam rolling. I don't want to push it too hard but I am itching to get a long ride in and with a day off and Lindsay busy with wedding dress stuff all day tomorrow seems like a great day to see if I actually am recovered.
The title doesn't refer to the weather because it has been anything but dry here. I went one entire month without a drink (adult beverage if you will). It's not as though I have a drinking problem, but it was a great way to save some money with the wedding approaching. It also did get me to spend a little more time on the bike and I do feel a bit healthier. And although I am enjoying a nice glass of wine tonight (and I had a beer at the shop with Per earlier) to close out my dry spell I am also looking forward to spending a good amount of time on the bike tomorrow. Snow or no snow my knee is feeling great after a good 4 days of yoga/stretching and foam rolling. I don't want to push it too hard but I am itching to get a long ride in and with a day off and Lindsay busy with wedding dress stuff all day tomorrow seems like a great day to see if I actually am recovered.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Recovery Time
2010 Mileage: 754
Well the last few days I have been staying off the bike (except for to commute). I have also been doing a lot of stretching, yoga (might be the same as stretching) and foam rolling to try and get my knee all better. Another day or two off the bike and I am hoping I'll be ready to get back at the heavy mileage.
On a side note I am delivering a trainer to a customer tonight. It is a bit interesting riding with this monsterous box on the back of my bike. It may have been even more interesting actually getting this thing strapped on there.
Well the last few days I have been staying off the bike (except for to commute). I have also been doing a lot of stretching, yoga (might be the same as stretching) and foam rolling to try and get my knee all better. Another day or two off the bike and I am hoping I'll be ready to get back at the heavy mileage.
On a side note I am delivering a trainer to a customer tonight. It is a bit interesting riding with this monsterous box on the back of my bike. It may have been even more interesting actually getting this thing strapped on there.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Ouch
2010 Mileage: 733
Five laps in the park last night for 42 miles on the day. My knee started hurting on the fourth lap and only got worse. I guess it is back to the exercises that Kate gave me to do. We are supposed to be getting some snow today so I should be back on the cross bike for some fun miles. Hopeully the knee lets me enjoy it.
Five laps in the park last night for 42 miles on the day. My knee started hurting on the fourth lap and only got worse. I guess it is back to the exercises that Kate gave me to do. We are supposed to be getting some snow today so I should be back on the cross bike for some fun miles. Hopeully the knee lets me enjoy it.
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