Media(less) Friday

We are back... we've been back, but I've been taking my sweet ass time to get back into things.  Which isn't really true because I'm still off of work.  Annie has had a long two day week, so I really feel for her.

So since I'm back, and every one else has done a holiday recap of the goodies they've received I guess that just means one thing.  It's my turn!!

Since I'm still groggy and needing to get my ass in gear for a ride, not a long day of doing nothing, I'll do a quick picture-book recap of the bike related stuff I got.

I'll throw it in again, but I already mentioned the sweet helmet I got.

Then I got this nifty "gorilla grip" so that I can attach my camera to pretty much anything for some sweet 3rd person angles on future rides.

It will even attach to odd shaped things!!

Next I got some tools to keep the trails open and free from decapitating foliage. 

I will hack you!!

And then I will make you all pretty : )

And after much deliberation with my fellow Team Dild's Grill rider, Sean (Mongo)... and the fact that the winter hasn't been so wintery so the HiFi should be out on the trails and not on a trainer... It was time to cave in a buy a road bike.  So with the cash I got for the holidays as a base, I got myself a little Georgia Bulldog.

Ok, so it's time for me to eat something and hit the trails....  

Happy New Year!!

Media Friday PLUS (+)

Media Fridays

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

Happy Holidays everyone!  Today we are heading to CT to drop the dogs off at my parents and then we are catching a flight to visit the clan down in WV.  Until we get back, nothing will be going on over here (probably).  Hopefully you won't even notice because you will be enjoying your time off from work, time with family, enjoying good food, maybe opening some sweet gifts, partaking in any other traditions you may have this time of year, and spending some precious time on the trails if all goes well... and we hope it does!!

Yesterday we had a half day at school and the plan was to head down to CT yesterday... plans changed, the weather was gorgeous, and I was miffed that I didn't have my bike with me since there was no rush home.  Traffic was the same as it ever was so by the time I got home I didn't have much in me to head back out.  So I didn't.  But thanks to my gorgeous and supportive wife, she booted my ass out the door to ride.  I was pumped, but without a place in mind to ride I figured I had plenty of time to pick a place, get there, get riding, and throw on the light as the sun faded away.  

I decided to hit up Wompatuck since I hadn't been there in a while and the I figured I'd follow the race course.  As I'm getting all my gear together in the parking lot I find out that the light isn't in the trunk of bike gear I keep in the pterodactyl  like I thought it was... UGH... it's 3:30 already... so about an hour of light left.

Screw it.  I set out and figure this will make me keep the pace up.  The 4300 felt good.  It was interesting riding parts of the race course (with the impending darkness I could only do a portion of the course ) on the 4300 versus the HiFi.  Naturally it's a totally different experience (29er full suspension vs 26 hardtail) but it was a fun time!  One annoyance was the angle of my shifters... the set up on the 4300 is a shifter/brake lever combo... so while the brake levers were good, the shifting was not so much, and I can't angle them individually... which BLOWS!!  So I'll have to do some more playing with that to get a better set up, or upgrade....

Point of the story is I was able to squeeze a ride in before the trip!  Thanks mostly to the unseasonably warm weather we are having but mostly due to Annie making sure I didn't get stuck in a lazy funk. (couldn't find a clip to support the double "mostly"... but maybe someone out there gets it?)

Happy Holidays!!!

And now to the media portion of our program.

And a bonus gift!!!

 

Finally, I got a hook up!!!

So, I've been riding with the same helmet (Giro Xen) since I got back into mountain biking... so that was December 2009.  This is how I take care of my helmet... I throw it in the back of the pterodactyl until the next time I ride.  I don't know if you caught the subtleness of the care I take... I throw it in the way back... sweaty, and eventually (and here is the problem) smelly as all hell!!

This summer it got real bad.  Some days it was hard putting that thing on!!  When the sweat started pouring I think the mixture was some sort of super concentrated fermented salty mess that not only stung the eye, but burnt the retina... bad stuff.

As I was getting my "bike stuff" list together for loved ones to peruse and purchase from I put a new helmet on the list.  A sweet helmet that will be my race helmet... it matches the HiFi's color scheme.  Yeah, I'm turning into one of those "matchy" fellows.  I'm not going so far as to get orange handlebars or anything (the orange ones are DH, so wouldn't really fit my needs).  But, I want to keep the Xen around to mount cameras and lights and whatnot... but what to do about the powerful, smelly, venomous mess it has become?

I contacted the good folks at Giro to inquire about the possibility of procuring replacement padding.  It was as easy as an email to ask, and an email to provide my shipping info and there you have it.  A few days pass and the pads are in my hands... free of charge!  Cha Ching!

Does that mean I'm sponsored??  Free stuff, from a bike company... sponsor??  hmmm... (or as my email yesterday wanted to autocorrect it to - "hammy") I think not.  I just think this is a sweet free service Giro provides to all helmet owners.  One more reason for brand loyalty in my book!

Can you tell the old from the new??

Popped the fresh pads in and the helmet was snugger than ever.  Had to adjust the Roc Loc to loosen things up a bit.  So not only were the pads smelly and angry, they were compressed.  I'm looking forward to an aroma free, comfortable experience on my next ride.

Note to Giro:  I'm fully accepting sponsors and would be happy to ride with any gear you'd be interested in providing me.

or Hammy......??

EDIT:

If you know Annie, you know she simply can not stand having unopened gifts in the house.  Last night we waited around at UPS to pick up a package that could not be left at the door, so when we got home it was present opening time.  Annie got me a sweet rolling luggage since my duffle bag on wheels was an ancient behemoth and it was time for me to travel like a grown-up.

But the reason for the late addition is what else Annie got for me.

Yes indeed... and it matches the HiFi beautifully!!  (I would have included glamour shots but the state of the training room, not to mention the bike thong, made things look a little sloppy)

Finter?? or Wall?? But certainly not Winter!!

Media Fridays

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

I don't know about where you are living, but it certainly doesn't have a real winter feel here yet.  Temps are starting to nose dive, but with none of the white stuff, it's just weird!

Here's an interesting little video.  A little hike up to see the sunrise and then a nice "hoppy" descent.

Autumn sunrise ride from VR|46 on Vimeo.

Christmas Beavers!

I tore around Cutler this weekend on the 4300.  And boy was it weird to be riding 26 inch wheels.  I think I've talked about this before.... but really, it's a strange transition for so many reasons... but to avoid beating a dead horse, I digress.

There are a couple changes I have wanted to make to the 4300, and after this ride, possibly a couple more.
1. I've been thinking of switching it to a 1 x 8 - to make things more simplistic.
2. New handlebars.  Just not a fan of the riser bars that came on it.  I'm loving the wide bars on the HiFi, but not sure I need that on the 4300.  But definitely looking to get a flat bat.
3. New (or old) saddle.  I love the Selle Italia SLR XC Gel Flow saddle that I got a while back.  I switched it to the HiFi... and put the saddle that came on the HiFi onto the 4300.  It's not a horrible saddle, but it's not the SLR XC... and I like the SLR XC...  so what will likely happen is I'll get a spankin new one for the HiFi and put the gently used one on the 4300.
4. Might play with the stem length... but that will all depend on #2 and how the fit is then.
5. Big difference between the hydraulics and the mechanical disc brakes - as I ride the 4300 more frequently the difference may fade as I get used to them again, but I REALLY like the feel of the hydraulics.

So I think that is about it.  I feel like the front fork is kinda blowing... but that isn't something I really need to mess with.  Do I NEED to mess with the rest?? Probably not.  New handlebars would probably suffice, but even that isn't really necessary...

So, I rode at Cutler, which included cutting through Millenium Park to complete the loop.  And there I saw evidence of beavers.  Not sure why it seemed so odd to me, but it caught me off guard.

Guess he was just working his way on down the line...

I guess I didn't think Cutler was big enough for much wildlife and Millenuim being more of a wide open hill with walking/jogging paths around it... well here, check it out.



View Larger Map


So, holy cow the holidays are just about here!!
It totally didn't dawn on me until today that next week is it before break.  WOW!!  So I've been totally slacking on giving everyone (that is interested in buying me a gift that is) a heads up on what I want.  So when I got home from work yesterday I ran through the internet and made up a quick list.  When Annie originally asked me to give her some things that I wanted my answer was "bike stuff."  And honestly, you get me anything mountain bike related and I'd be super happy.  It was funny how I was kinda stumped as to what I really want when I was looking.  Don't get me wrong, I certainly found stuff.... but I didn't have any burning passion for anything in particular.  I suppose that's a good thing!

The Fells has not fallen!

Over the past couple months I've mentioned the battle for the Fells... rather the Resource Management Plan the DCR was drafting to determine how they move forward with the management of the Fells.  As I've mentioned previously, biker access has been a hugely contested battle for over 25 years in the Fells.. with current legal riding being restricted to mostly fire roads.  The one "mountain bike loop" is 85% fire road and 15" singletrack...  Thankfully progresses seems to continue on our side.  The DCR released their final version of their DCR and they have stood firm with their findings that mountain biking does not cause excessive damage to trails (as some groups would like you to believe) and that there is a real need (and plan for) more access for mountain bikers.  You can check out the final document here if you would like.  It still needs to be voted on and passed in the regular old bureaucratic way, but it is a positive that their plan was not swayed by a few... "haters."

The biggest opponent to equitable mountain bike access has be Friends of the Fells... check them out if you like... what you'll like come to realize is that this group combative against the rights of any users other than their own members.  It's sad really.  They also would like to limit dog access to the park...

I had heard people talk about the "Friends" and characterize them as crazy.  I thought that this might be an exaggeration people commonly throw around... but when I went the the DCR meeting about their RMP I got to see first hand how out of touch some of their members were.  Being aggressive and rude towards the DCR, and making claims that made absolutely no sense with no real logic to back them up... oh well.

So, hope remains that the DCR will make positive choices and move forward with equitable access - as there is in practically every other state forest in Massachusetts.

Here comes the weekend!

Media Fridays

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

Just a cool little video to enjoy... so, if the weather is right, hit the trails this weekend!!

Suleva mtb evening. from Lorenzo Evangelisti on Vimeo.

the sweet pain

Tuesday I stayed after school to watch girls basketball scrimmage.  A couple of my players from last year asked me to check it out, plus I was interested to see who made which squad.  During the down time before the scrimmage tipped off I hit the weight room.

I'm trying to put together my weight program for the off season.  As of now I think I'll be balancing a "maintenance" program with a "gain" program.  Still figuring out which muscles will fit into which category... may depend on different "days" or programs... but one thing is for sure, legs will definitely be in the gain category.  This year I quickly backed off doing any serious weight with the legs as it totally destroyed me on the trails for days after heavy leg sets.  So I'll do all my gaining in the winter, and let the riding and high reps do the rest during the season.

Oh, about the scrimmage.  I was pleased with the performance of my girls.  I'm not a father, but I imagine the pride I feel when I see former players out on the court pales in comparison of that of a parent.

Also, got my trainer "test" out of the way.  The test was to get a base for my HR to utilize throughout the program, but it also was a good check for the fit of my bike on the trainer.  HR was the easy part.  After my ride I decided to take the file to the trainer and shave off a little more just to get a better fit in the skewer cup. 

I found a random video up on youtube someone had posted from a race they did that I watched whileon the trainer.  It did enough to keep my mind occupied while spinning along, and at times I found myself pushing harder as if I would be able to pass the rider in front of me (or to catch one in the distance).  We'll see how the training videos do as motivation, otherwise a self directed workout with a race video going on might be the way to go... we shall see!

Bike Thong... it's what the cool kids wear!!

Annie and I spent a little time this weekend converting our extra bedroom into a training/workout room.
And, I got the HiFi fitted on the trainer!!  Took a little filing here and there, but now it's snug as a bug in a rug

If 29ers weren't tall enough... put it on a trainer and you better find yourself a step stool!

Yeah, I'm sporting the complete set - mat, bike thong, and phone/remote holder (not pictured, 2 climbing blocks).

I've got three, count em, three training videos to utilize.  The deal at the LBS was two videos, and they even dug up a mountain bike video for me.  When I got home and opened up the trainer out popped another video, and luck be a lady, it wasn't one I already had!!  SCHWEET!  

1. Mountain Biking (no longer available as a DVD - you can download it on your computer, but I got the classic DVD suckers!!) from the TrainRight series from Carmicheal Training Systems.

2. Force - from the realRides series with Robbie Ventura

3. Race Day  - from the realRides series with Robbie Ventura (the freebie!!)

Now I'm all set to get my "trainer on" once the weather completely turns on us... until then, I'll be tearing it up on the 4300 whenever possible... which will mean more forays into the realm of night riding!!

Media Fridays

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

It's December... the days of winter and massive snowfall are near...  which means it's training time.  Time to hit the weights, and ride the trainers...

Inside Out on pinkbike.com

Here's the plan! well, the start of it anyway...

Recap of my 2011 (inaugural) race season.
5 total races.  One per month (sans June), starting in April and ending in September.

So here is the (planned) start for the 2012 season.


April:
8th (listed as the 7th, but that would be a Saturday?) Bunny Hopbrook, CT - Root 66
22nd Winding Trails, CT (raced this year) - Root 66
29th (listed as the 28th...) Massasoit Lung Opener, MA - Root 66

May:
20th Weeping Willow, MA (raced this year) - NECS
27th Coyote Hill, VT - Root 66

June:
3rd Domnarski Farm, MA - Root 66  OR  Big Ring Rumpus, NH - NECS
9th/10th Mountain Bike Fest, NH (Pat's Peak) - Root 66
17th Pinnacle, NH - NECS

So, you see, by the end of May I could have raced in two months what I did all this season.  This is something I am excited about because toward the end of this season I was itching to race between my entries.  I'm sure I will feel the wear and tear of the increased schedule, but hopefully I'll be well prepared for it.
There is also much more travel involved in this potential schedule.  This year I kept everything either close to Boston, or close to my parent's in CT... that way race day driving would be minimal.  With the 2012 season I have not (yet) limited my schedule for travel.

There are two races listed for May in the Root 66 series that have not yet locked down dates - Winsted Woods and Norcross Scurry... so that means I could have another 1 or 2 races in May.  

On June 3rd I'm torn between Domnarski Farm and Big Ring Rumpus...  I've heard good things about each - so if anyone wants to weigh in on either race feel free to persuade me!

Trainer update after the weekend.

skrewerd!

So guess what??  The HiFi doesn't fit the trainer with it's current rear skewer... and of course the "trainer" QR they give you is too damn short for such a sweet ass ride....

So.... yeah...  The HiFi is all slicked up and ready to go!!  But, alas, it has no where to go.

ridiculous!!  

super slim, super fast... right?

Stopped by the un-nameable bike shop and they had nothing for me.  Informed me Specialized was coming out with a replacement part, but wasn't sure it would fit the Trek...  There HAS to be a skewer to fit the HiFi with a smaller "head" so it can fit the trainer!  First to figure out exactly how big this johnny is, and then I'll look for something with a smaller "head."  May stop back at International to see what they have to offer... if anything.  Otherwise it's either mount up the 4300 or file the holder to accommodate my damn skewer.

Oh yeah, I was going to talk about my race schedule... but I've entered frustration station so I'll leave it at that today, and go drink a beer.

I'm so excited!!

After recovering from my turkey coma I went for a ride at Foxboro.  Man, I am really loving that place!!  The more I ride it the more I really like it over there.  It's got a nice range of terrain, plenty of technical spots to keep your skills sharp (or force you to walk some) and it feels like I find a little more every time I get out there.  At some point I'll be able to piece together a nice fluid ride out there... but until that time I'm enjoying the exploration.  This last time I found a whole section of slick rock... with some drops.

Nice roller

Big drop

Almost looks like pavement here... but nope, straight up rock face

plenty of ways on and off this island

When I arrived there was a group just getting back from their ride.  Looked like a bunch of NEMBA guys.  I chatted while I was getting my shit together, took a group picture for them, and then I was off.  I haven't been on the bike enough lately, and I could feel it... but with the aid of some GU throughout the ride I was good to go.  That stuff if pretty damn amazing!

Saturday before the Georgia game I headed over to International Bicycle to drop off the HiFi for a tune up (gear slippage under force, and general creaking and whatnot), a slick rear tire, and the trainer!!  The guys over at International have always been great, and this visit was no exception.  Got a sweet deal on the tune up - I really appreciate them doing the work that is needed, and pricing accordingly, rather than forcing a package deal.  Went through the trainers they have... and boy do the high end models have some sweet gadgets!!  But with the trainer I got I also got 2 free training DVDs.  And of course, they went the extra mile and searched for a mountain bike specific DVD for me.  Super awesome!  Oh, and the best part of the whole thing - my bike will be all set to pick up today (actually was probably ready yesterday), super fast turn around!  

That's the Fluid2

So I'm excited for this week.  Weather looks good so hopefully will be out on the trails after work a couple times this week.  I'll have the HiFi all slicked up and now that I have a trainer I can start setting that up.  Throw a more regular gym routine in there and we'll get this off season rolling!!  

Looks like I'll be able to get a nice full season in this year... so full in fact that in just April and May I can equal my racing total from this year!!  Next time I'll explore my tentative schedule for 2012.  

 

Media Fridays

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

Finished up the video edit from my ride over at Mill Pond the other week.  I do like this place, the leaf cover and blow down made trails hard to follow at times... but it feels like there is great potential over there!

Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving!!

We had a half day at school today.  And that half day was halved again so we could have a staff vs student volleyball game and a staff vs staff volleyball game (classic guys vs girls).  I was actually quite frustrated leaving school today.  Not so much because of losing - which we did... but because I didn't get enough!!  I wanted to play more!!  I'm not a super competitive guy, but I do like to compete... hence racing.

Every time we do a staff vs student contest I instantly want to get a team going and play in a league... whether it be hockey or volleyball, heck I'd settle for bowling!!  But maybe during this off season joining some sort of adult league is what I need??  Although, risk of injury is a factor here... who knows?

Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving!!  I've got so much to be thankful for it's almost ridiculous.  But the big one, the one that really ties everything else together, would be my wonderful wife.  I honestly don't know where I'd be without her.  Thanks Annie for helping me be the man I am today, love you!

Now go eat some good food and ride some great trails this holiday weekend!!

2012 already?

I'm not sure about your neck of the woods, but here... here we already have (preliminary) race schedules for the 2012 season!!

Insanity.

The weather hasn't yet crushed the riding spirit so it hasn't felt like a true find-an-alternative-to-riding off-season.  But, with the posting of the prelims I'm excited about an expanded race season (since my first foray was not a full race schedule).   I've got two race series to utilize - EFTA and Root 66 (possibly a third series to throw in there... more on that on a much later date...).  This past season I primarily raced Root 66, will likely stick with that, but who knows.

Here is a listing of the races I have to choose from as of now....

Root 66:

2012 Preliminary Race Schedule

                   April 7th   Bunny Hopbrook

                   April 22nd   Winding Trails

                   April 28th   Massasoit Lung Opener

                   May   TBD    Winsted Woods

                   May  TBD     Norcross Scurry

                   May  26th/27th   Coyote Hill

                   June  3rd   Domnarski Farm

                   June 9/10th  Mountain Bike Festival @ Pats Peak

                   June 29/30 July 1st  Windham Worldcup

                   July 1st  Race the World @ Windham

                   July 5th-8th  National Championships  Sun Vally Idaho

                   July 15th  Stonewall Farm

                   July 22nd  Wrath of the Boneyard

                   August 5th  Hodges Village Dam

                   August 19th  Millstone Grind

                   September 9th  Landmine Classic

EFTA:

Looking at the dates of both series one could race a TON next year.  It is looking like they may have actually worked together to coordinate so that they weren't overlapping races like this year.  Should make for much larger/competitive fields for every race since racers won't be forced to choose between series.  

With the announcement of next years racers already that means I need to start getting series about training.  Here's to a kick ass 2012 season!

Dude, it's almost Turkey Day!

Media Fridays

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

Couldn't get my footage complete and ready for today... so here is something from the internets in it's place... hope you like it!

I like riding!

It seems like forever since I've ridden!!  It hasn't, but the frequency with which I have been riding certainly has taken a nose dive with good old New England weather playing it's game.

My "training room" is yet to be set up.  I was hoping to have everything set to go out and get my trainer and whatnot by now... As you may, or may not, recall the condition was I fix the hole in our ceiling.  I got drywall, all the fixins and on Friday (between rounds of MW3) I attempted to get that hole gone!!  Well, the builders for some strange reason figured that a ceiling is a great place to store - DIRT!!  Yeah, when we opened up the ceiling dirt came down.  Dirt, as in from a yard... how that comes into play when when is rehabbing a building i have no idea.....  but it's there.  And I guess with the gaping hole there is a bunch of sagging going on around the hole, so when I got the drywall cut and in place it was no longer flush with the rest of the ceiling...  ugh!!  I've decided to let this one go and we'll get someone in here that knows what they are doing instead of my systematically removing the entire ceiling due to sure fire mistakes.

Which also means the HiFi hasn't gotten it's tune up, nor a fancy smooth rear tire.  It's starting to scream for a tune up - with creaking and chain slippage... I certainly put the HiFi through it's paces in it's first season.  I really enjoy this bike.  I think it will continue to be my go to bike on rides and epics for a long time to come...  even with the addition of other sweet rides (which are sure to follow - at some point).

Yesterday I got the chance to get out for a ride.  The question was, where to ride?  Answering this question gets tricky this time of year, with leaves, and downed trees/limbs - conditions can be hit or miss.  I decided to take a gamble and headed out to Mill Pond Conservation Area in Burlington.  I had ridden there once and remembered some sweet singletrack opportunities.  For the most part trails were "clear."  They were drowning in leaves, which left me playing detective as I tried to find the way in some spots.  As I noted from my first ride, the trails there need more traffic.  There is some really sweet technical stuff, nice berms, and I found some great slick rock fun this time.  At times the trails get tight, so it isn't a place to speed.  But the various opportunities available keep things interesting.  I'd need to explore more to really figure out how much mileage is there, but it seems like a decent enough place to ride and I think one could link all the trails together for a sweet ride.

I did bring the Drift, so I'll have a video together for Media Friday.  Oh, and I wore some Sock Guy socks again, and they are sweet - especially when misjudging the amount of water on trail and ending up with both feet submerged...  But they feel great, offer super breathability and have nifty sweat wicking powers.  I did receive my questionable red bibs in the mail the other day, but have yet to try them on... so we shall see if I'll be showing off the goods next year or not.  As Charlie politely pointed out, may not have been the wisest of color choices.

I decided to shrink the image here... this isn't a porn site after all!!

One last lesson of the day.  If you are craving a beer post ride and you can't wait until you get home, reach for that gatorade in your water bottle that's been in your car for, let's say, two weeks.  Straight up alcohol!!  One of the grossest thing I've ever experienced (right up there with drinking someone's spit cup thinking it is your Guinness...)

Movie Night

Media Fridays

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

Ok, so I totally neglected the post today... what with "fixing" the hole in the ceiling and the fact that MW3 was calling my name.  So, since i'm late, I figured a nice cinematic piece should suffice for those roaming the internets on a Friday eve.

Enjoy.

More Mountain Biking Videos

bad blogger

Ok... I've been slacking, big time....  sorry!

But now is not the time to make up for it... as I'm supposed to be getting ready for work right now.

So here is a little something I got in the mail:

3 real deal bike socks (not pictured, the other half to each pair)

I got to experience riding with bike specific socks for the first time at the Wicked Ride of the East.

So maybe when I'm a good blogger again you'll hear more the socks and the ride.  But, that is a big maybe considering MW3 just came out....

It's on!!

Media Fridays

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

The Wicked Ride of the East is on, it's been confirmed!!  Hopefully maintenance on the pterodactyl will go smoothly so we'll have a way to get over there.

So, not footage of Harold Parker, but instead a race that was held a little while ago up at Highland... the Highland Over Mountain Enduro Race... interesting format - 3 separate stages where you are timed, with some riding thrown in there between them.

Highland Overmountain Enduro Race from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.

Spinning

Due to the crazy October Nor'easter we got up around these parts (rain in Southie - power still out in many towns across New England) the Wicked Ride of the East was cancelled, which I was pumped about.  I was super bummed that for the last NEMBA ride of the season I'd be sidelined with vertigo.  But with the cancellation, maybe I'd be ready in time?

Truth is, Friday morning I woke up and felt.... good!!  My head was still a bit foggy, but no more spinning of the room, no more unbalanced feelings... was I cured?  Certainly not ready to do any real testing of my balance, but I was psyched none-the-less!!  Since then, things seem good.  So I am hoping that Annie and I will be able to ride this weekend.  We are still waiting to see if the mess up around that area is cleared in time for the weekend, but if it is this might be the last good ride for Annie (Annie isn't a fan of cold weather riding).

I've decided the 4300 will be my winter bike.  The HiFi will go in for a tune up and then find itself fitted with a new, smooth, rear tire and a place on the trainer.  I'm getting excited for winter training!!  Yeah, I'm a dork.

Oh, and just for giggles, I think I'm going to mess with the 4300 and make it a 1 x 8... less to worry about with the shifty bits... and one step closer to a singlespeed.  No room for another bike, so I'll mess with what I have to keep things fresh.

And, here is some random education...

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!!