Maybe sometime soon

Media Fridays

We'll posts videos or photos that will hopefully inspire trail shredding weekends.

Since I can't ride (with the vertigo and whatnot) I'd figure I'd throw together a video with what little footage I got the other day at Foxboro.

This is all I got until my head straightens itself out.

Vertigo

Because I'm not a fan of the U2 song....

So Friday night I'm out in the woods doing my good deed for the school - chaperoning a group of seniors on their site for the Haunted Hayride we do every year.  Great group of kids really... a bit wild, but I like the just the same.  They had a great idea this year and it went off flawlessly.  my iphone didn't do it justice here:

So here is a youtube version (not us):

My job was to play the music.  I got to replay the most annoying song from jersey shore this year...  

So the next step for me.... the ER.  No joke.  I was feeling dizzy and weak all night out there in the woods.  Didn't know what was going on so I kept checking the generator to make sure I wasn't sucking down fumes... and then popping soft batch cookies to "keep up my strength."  

When I got home all I wanted to do was sleep.  I woke up (on the couch) the next morning.  Sat up and looked straight ahead.  The room was violently moving and wouldn't stop....  Eventually it settled down (about a minute) and I was able to wobbly shuffle to the bathroom.  Then quickly back to the couch with my head in my hands.  After the third time of refusing to go to the doctor I decided this wasn't cool and gave in to Annie's next request.  Honestly, if she hadn't asked at that moment I was about to tell her I thought I needed to go.

After speaking to a number of doctors, a couple tests - blood drawn, EKG, the whole deal some Neurologists came down to look at me as well.   The best they can figure is that from an illness earlier in the week there may be some residual swelling in my inner ear (no ear infection or pain, ever) and that is likely the cause of the dizziness and being off balance when moving.   Threw a couple prescriptions at me and I'm back home.  I was happy to get out of there after being there all day and not eating.  

But what does this mean for me?  No driving... while on medication, AND the 10 days after my last symptom... so that could be a while sans driving.  The fear being that vertigo could come back at anytime.  I will have a follow up with the Neurologists this week to check in and whatnot.  They did not feel I needed my brain scanned since I had feeling all over my body and my reactions were pretty good (considering I was dizzy).

But most importantly, and most detrimentally, that means no riding a bike... or working out.  Lazy slob for a while - commence!!

So get out and ride while you can... cause I'm coming for you when the world rights itself!!

Oh, and here's the education for the day - my resting heart rate is sub 50 (47-48).  Holla at cha boy!!

Getting stuff

So TheMutt has me jealous!!  Yesterday he wrote how he got a sweet package from Backcountry Research (that was A LOT of links in a very short amount of time).

The sweetest part of the package was a surprise jersey... (the straps are sweet too - I'm guilty of rocking an Awesome Strap - RACE myself).  But the jersey... awww the jersey.

A nice homage to Dicky for sure.  And now I want one... but they are gone!!  And have been for a while!  So why wasn't I paying attention when they were available??  That I do not know.

So since I don't get hooked up with sweet packages... with even sweeter secret gifts... I ordered myself something.  And I guess I can pretend that I got the hook up since it was on sale...

After dropping the machismo that hinders one from getting all lycra'd up I enjoyed the delicious magicness that is the bib for the first time this season.  The amazingness of a bib can only be described as a sense of freedom, a sense that nothing is hindering movement... giving you a naked ride if you will.  Since my first experience riding "free" I've been dying to expand my arsenal (aka my 1 bib short).  Here is the second addition... it's red... so that will make me faster, right?

Also on the way is a box o' socks.  Again, let's just consider this package as part of the "hook up" I receive.

Blast from the Past

Hi. Remember me?

So I haven't written in a couple of weeks because I haven't ridden in a couple weeks. This lack of riding started to make me question if biking was really something important to me. Today, I answered that question so I thought I would share, but let me start at the beginning.

I had a bad day at work.

After a weekend of being sick, I returned to work on Tuesday feeling still a bit under the weather. So my brain wasn't functioning at its best and my day reflected that. I was determined to handle situations so I felt I was accomplishing something, but I didn't handle them as well as I should have so I was just a mess. I'd explain it in detail, but I work in HR...so it would be incredibly boring for you to read, but it lays the foundation for my next thought of the day.

Winning the lottery would help.

So on my bus ride home (late, since I stayed at work to try and amend my mistake) I started to wish that I'd win the lottery so I could start the flower shop or crepe place that I always fantasize about. It was a short-sided wish, much like my short-sided actions for the day. I know winning the lottery is nearly impossible and not really a good thing since money barely ever solves problems as opposed to causing problems -- but I was done thinking for the day and dammit I wanted to win the lottery to make everything better.

Then I started to think about what I would do if I didn't need to work and could just spend my time doing what I wanted to do. That is one thing money buys you: time. You all of the sudden can survive in this capitalist country without sacrificing over 40 hours of your life every week. So what would I do with the time?

Well, obviously the shop of my choice would be born. Maybe I would have a crepe place that also sold floral arrangements? Who cares really, since it wouldn't even matter if my shop made money. That's another thing money buys: license to be creative. Also, I would buy a house with a yard and plenty of space for Michael, the dogs and I to run around. The house itself wouldn't be too big though. I get creeped out by too much house. But really, a house that's around 2500 sq. ft is still 3 times larger than what we have now.

Anyway, I'm getting away from my point.

So a crepe/flower shop and a new house. What else? And that's when I answered my original question. I would want to spend some of my new found time biking. I instantly and honestly thought, "I'd definitely want to bike much more". And with that, my ridiculous tour-de-fantasy on the bus, served a purpose. I realized I want to bike. I love it.

Time to get back into it.

-A

Little of this...

Ready for the random?  Here it comes!!


The other day I told you about my new obsession.  Here is the view.

Hello night light!

Good bye sunlight.

Pure sweetness.  Of course my maiden voyage wasn't in pure darkness, but it blazed the way nicely.  I do, however, think that in pitch black things will get freaky real fast having no peripheral vision to speak of... might take some getting used to.

Didn't get a "real" ride in this weekend as we headed down to CT for the Uconn Homecoming game.  Wow, there is a HUGE difference between Georgia football and Uconn - almost felt like a high school game.  But got to see some old friends, so that was cool.  (Oh, and Uconn managed a win too!)

Sunday I didn't make it to the dirt but rode my but around downtown Boston to check out the movie that is filming.  It's a Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Bacon, and Jeff Bridges movie called R.I.PD (a movie about zombie cops... or something).  I didn't see anyone famous on my travels (Annie saw Ryan Reynolds at the coffee shop by her office) but did see a bunch of smashed up cars, a camera car, and a stunt man... it was a nice 10 or so mile pedal around the inner workings of Boston as I checked the scene out from various angels... enjoy.

Moving cars. 

sweet camera cart (with Maxxis tires)

camera rigged car
(taking shots up the building tops as they drove up and down the street)

Stuntman getting directions

Rehearsing as cars swerved around him

It appears he lands on the street (guessing from the roof top above) causing traffic to swerve to avoid him as he runs away - a big fat zombie perhaps?

cow bell?

Media Fridays

We'll posts videos or photos that will hopefully inspire trail shredding weekends.

With hunting season upon us you have to start to wonder: who is the biggest threat?

children, Charlotte, nightrider

You know what is worse than snakes on a plane??

The TV edit was just too hilarious to pass up!!

But children.  Children on a plane are worse than snakes on a plane.  As you have learned from the above clip - all you have to do is open up a few windows and your snake problem is pretty much handled.  Children, on the other hand, aren't so easy to deal with.  People generally frown upon the hurling of children from windows of any sort, let alone 30,000 feet up...

So you have two types of offending children.  You have the babies who freak because the pressure from altitude changes is doing it's thing and they have no clue how to clear that junk.  (Annie suggested giving the babies some gum... good parenting??)  Then you have the 2-3 year olds who think it's cool to scream their heads off for god knows what reason.  Then you get the "cool" parent who plays along with it instead of telling their kids to settle down!!  I know you THINK it's cute that you can get your kid to say "wwhhhhhoooooo" when you raise your hands in the air but it honestly is no huge feat... and it's freakin annoying on a small ass plane where I can't get the hell away from you.  So JUST STOP IT!!!

So that sums up the travel portion of our weekend. 

The weather in the Charlotte area was awesome (although apparently Boston had to outdo it when we were gone!!).  Spent most of the time outside of Charlotte, which was.... interesting.  Helped our friends find a potential home, so that was exciting.  But got no riding in... kinda bummed about that, but overall had a great weekend so it's all good.  Did catch a glimpse of Pee Wee's (my buddy actually works down the street so he will likely be an expert on the trails there sometime soon), although from what he said it seems like it's been in a state of neglect for a while now.

That's Charlotte.

So after a long weekend of no riding I hit the trails after work yesterday.  Isn't it AMAZING to find new trails in a system you've ridden before?  The kind of trails that make you forget where you are even riding.  It was kick ass for sure.  PLUS I got to use the light for the first time!!!  And this is the verdict...

I am hooked on night riding because night riding is hooked on me.... or something like that.  But seriously, it kicked some major ass.  Soap box mounted... every rider must ride at night!  New riders especially, ride at night.  From my short jaunt (threw the light on as the sky quickly darkened toward the end of my ride) I noticed that riding in the dark, and relying on your light, forces you to look farther down the trail... and to soak in the trail and react from memory to the obstacle as your wheel reaches them... This keeps you from looking down and focusing on the rocks and roots you are about to split, but instead to just keep moving forward.  I don't know if it was real or just a feeling, but I swear I was rocking downhill runs slightly faster with the light than I would with daylight... weird.  But I am excited for more night riding, and the fact that this will lengthen my riding season (until the snow forces me to rely on the trainer - which I will likely be acquiring this week) is sweet ass!

and we're off!

Media Fridays

We'll posts videos or photos that will hopefully inspire trail shredding weekends.

We're headed down south (Charlotte) but I've got to get out west at some point!

Fruita September 2011 from Patrick Rea on Vimeo.

uuugggghhhh

Weather.... shitty

Me... sick

which means a big NADA on the ride front... which then trickles down to my weary ass not posting anything.

Hitting Charlotte this weekend.  Not sure if a ride will be in the cards, but I sure hope so!!