The worst picture evar!

Let me present to you the Worst Riding Picture of m00se Ever Taken! Well, maybe I’m just being critical of myself, but from this photo, it seems as if the ‘ol man-tits are trying to make a come-back tour. Over my eventual P-90x sculpted body!

Okay, it must be the jersey and the shadowing. But speaking of which, I really need to find time to jump on that P90X bandwagon; my Halloween costume sort of depends on it, and not to mention, now that the dreaded off season is upon us, I’m finding myself with increasingly more time on my hands. This year, I really don’t want to fall into my normal pumpkin-pie bender around October.

I have been a little lax on the diet as of late; last year I had a lot of resolve and I totally gave up refined sugars, dairy and red meats. This year, not so much. An excuse as it is, I find myself saying, “Meh, red meat’s got protein.” (I don’t eat it often, but I need to straighten up.

Well, I guess it could be worse. Here’s sort of a before and after sort of picture. The before was taken in March of 2007, when I weighed 280 + pounds. The after is now, where I weigh 208 pounds. Not quite as puffy as I once was.

Before

After

In fact, a friend of mine from Casper started going to school at DU. We met up for dinner at Jerusalems last weekend, and he said it looks like I’m melting away.

There are some things that come to mind that I need to concentrate on over the winter months. First of all is staying in shape, no matter how cold and miserable it gets outside. Joining the running group should help me through a lot of the cold months, it’s just an issue of getting my butt to the gym and keeping up appearances.

Also, I want to become a famous author. I started a book a while back, and now, I just need to sit down and finish the darn thing. It’s a good story about a sympathetic Alien. That’s all I’m saying.

2009 Tour de Cure

I love doing this ride. Last year was my first time doing it, and I had a blast riding the course. (Even though my picture from the event looks all serious and concentrated, I was actually having fun. That’s why this year I tried the “rock-on” fingers and a smile. Now it looks like I’m having TOO much fun.)

Nothing really special about this years tour. I decided that I was going to go through it as fast as I could, just to see what sort of a time I could get. Yeah, I know it’s a charity tour, but why the heck not? You’re just racing against yourself, really.

I was playing leap-frog with this one guy, though. We talked a little here and there. Seems he was a triathlete in his younger days.

Aethon rode like a dream. No flats or tech issues, really – although I did have some break rub for a mile or two on the last quarter. I’d just figured I was getting really tired. I think I hit a bump by accident and knocked the breaks around a bit. Got them all squared at the last rest stop.

I came in just as the family ride was leaving, which was about 10:30. I averaged about 20 miles per, tried to keep a consistent 22 on flats. There are some hills on the course that remind me that I need to do a little more hill work. Perhaps the running would be good cross-training for that.

m00se

FatCyclist.com

I know I don’t have much weight in this whole crazy blog-o-sphere thing, but I just wanted to sit down and write a more personalized message.

When we read blogs, we get a chance to delve into other people’s lives; it’s a voyeristic look into the day to days of people across town, across the state, across the country, and across the world. We get to know them, we follow them, and we read what they have to offer – I guess in a way it’s like having a pen pal, or catching up with an old friend.

I’ve been following the blog of Elden Nelson, www.fatcyclist.com, for about a year now. At first, I was drawn in by his humor, and his love for the sport of cycling. It wasn’t until after a month, when he posted an article about his wife, did I learn that Susan was fighting with cancer.

Last night, at 8:00, Elden posted to twitter that Susan had passed away due to complications from her cancer, which has been getting steadily worse over the last few months. “Her battle with cancer is over.”

This is a devastating thing to happen to such a great guy with an awesome family. Over the months, we’ve come to know Susan through the blog, and how much of an incredible fighter she was – even right up to the end. It’s amazing how attached you become to these people when you don’t even know them, but their fight is palpable, and news like this is always heart-breaking.

Cancer sucks, simply put. If you’d like to help Elden in his time of need, please donate to his FC Team Philly LiveStrong page. Susan’s fight was not for nothing, and she didn’t lose by any means. She was a champion, and she was saintly.

Elden- if you ever read this, please know that my heart is with you over your time of need. You’ve become someone that I look up to and respect greatly, as has Susan. My condolences.

Love from my family to yours.

Coupl'a Goofy Doodz

Uuuuh. Yeah. Tri craziness.

The fun is less than two weekends away, so here’s the countdown. Taper starts next week for the 5430, so this weekend, Josh and I went to Boulder to ride the full bike leg of the race. We loaded the bikes up and headed for the hills.

There were some clouds starting to peek over the mountain as we were getting to the rez. It was about 78 degrees, the sun was still shining, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect day for a ride.

Josh hasn’t really ever ridden on road bikes before. He’s a pretty tall guy, not unlike my m00sish self, and Ubu was built more for someone his size. He was keeping up pretty well on the first leg of the course.

We got to the St. Vrain turnoff, and after a nice, speedy descent to farmland, got to our next turnoff. I had to wait for Josh before we made our turns. Before we headed back south toward the rez, I went to re-mount the saddle, the boom pole shifted and the seat was pointing off the side of the bike. We stood there for a few minutes trying to figure what to do, since I left my hex wrench set back in the car. Lucky for us, this really nice guy passed by, and he happened to have a multi-tool with him.

Turns out the boom pole was nowhere near tightened enough for me to be riding on it. It was lucky that the boom pole didn’t decide to tip while I was flying down the hill at 40 miles an hour.

We were going to go toward the car to pick up the wrench, in case the seat post decided to slip again, but we decided to go on because the sky was getting a bit darker. We took Neva road instead of continuing on to the St. Vrain turnoff, mostly because I didn’t want to be stuck in a storm, and the wind was kicking up, so I was fighting a little with the front wheel.

Hey, 43 miles ain’t bad.

When we got back, Josh sent me an email with a picture of his back. I had let him use one of my tri-tops for the ride, and I guess I didn’t get him good enough with the spray-on sunscreen.

Oops.

That’s going to look funny until about… oh, I don’t know… November? December?

Oops. Tee hee.

m00se

Josh and I went for a ride in the park the other day so he could get used to riding on a road bike with triathlon accouterments. While we were there, he got a few snapshots of me on the bike, and one video. I really need to edit the video down, so I will probably edit it, repost it to YouTube, and add the rest of the pictures here with a new banner or three. In the mean time… enjoy.

SQUIDs representing like Cthulhu! (We're crazy!)

The weekend was mostly a bust, aside for Sunday open water swim race that was a spur of the moment thing. There were both one and two mile swims, and I opted for the one mile, since some of the SQUIDs were going to ride the 5430 course afterward. When all was said and done, I came in third place in the one mile wet-suit division. The water was warm enough that I probably didn’t need the suit, and I think the buoyancy factor was moot since the suit was constricting my shoulders.

The swim felt great, though, and I came in at 26.09 – not sure if that includes the 5 minute penalty for wearing the wetsuit or not. But third place is still awesome. If I could have come in four or five seconds earlier, I would have totally beat the guy in front of me.

While I was there, about fifteen minutes after my swim, I saw a very tall guy get out of the water. Tall people have a sort of spider sense when other tall people are around, just because there aren’t a lot of us. But this wasn’t just any 6′5″ athlete. It took me a moment to realise that it was none other than Olympian Matty “Boom Boom” Reed, who actually lives and trains in Boulder. I would have liked to introduce myself to him, but I’m not entirely sure what the etiquette is when meeting Olympians and famous triathletes.

Of oats and Iron…

Most of us know that the right balance of fats, proteins, and carbs is essential to the multi-sport lifestyle. While I was trolling through CNN on my daily news binge, I found this little article on which is better – instant or slow cooked oats. And apparently, the scientific war wages on (about which is better for you). I had no idea there was even a study, and for the most part, I thought oats were oats. I guess not – it really comes down to the glycemic index. I guess if slow cooked oats stay with you longer than instant oats (as far as the energy conversion), I guess it’s time to move from instant to slow-rolled. Who knew?

Also, in another article she talks about possible causes for soreness in muscles, through a question posed by the reader asking if it was a lack of Iron. While this could be once concern, it could also involve Vitamin D, or even a lack of protein. These are especially lacking from a vegetarian diet, if one isn’t careful and watching how much they’re getting. Worth a look.

Some Tour de News

It’s hard to get out from under the shadow of Lance Armstrong when it comes to the news around the TdF – I don’t think he means to, but he eclipses a lot of news coming out of the event. It’s sort of like watching Olympic Table Tennis and perpetually getting updates from the latest Micheal Phelps victory at the Water Cube. (Now over to beach volleyball, and here’s Michael Phelps…) Honestly, I don’t have a problem or issue with either athlete, I respect them both very much, it’s just sad how the media likes to sensationalize key players and ignore others.

So, if you missed it, here are a few little-known things that happened over the course of the TdF.

Grrr!

Burnard “The Badger” Hinault pushed yet another person off the Tour de France winner’s podium, this being the second time in the last few years he’s done so. The first time it was a protester, this time, it was a bar bet. Seriously? With a name like The Badger, it makes me think that it might be time for some anger management courses.

All I can say is this:  (Click here.)

In other news… I like how Sports Illustrated presented this one: Two cyclists were SLIGHTLY injured after they were shot. Usually, when you see a news headline where someone was shot, it usually doesn’t end well for the person on the receiving end of things. I was browsing the TdF headlines and saw this, and all I could think was “WTF, Mate?” I would have thought more people would have heard about a shooting on the TdF, right?

Well, if someone had used a real gun, you might have. Some Einstein thought it would be a good idea to shoot two riders with an airsoft gun, and nailed one in the pinkie. Yeah, that’s rude and SLIGHTLY illegal. Who shoots someone with an airsoft gun? Who does that? Really?

There’s your Monday Minute, and you’ve been m00sed.

Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, Badger, MUSHROOM MUSHROOM!!

Whatever...

Yeah, I spelled it wrong. I was trying to be cute.

I came across this handsome fellow (left) and realized that this is about how my last three weeks have been. I try not to let stuff get to me, but try as I might, it’s always darkest before dawn, or to put it in more realistic terms: it’s always cliche-ier before… erm… something even more cliche??

Work has been the source of much stress, but I won’t even bring that mess to light. I think, in terms of training, the worst part of it is this little knee ache that I’ve developed over the last two weeks. Wednesday before last, I went running with my new friend Josh, and about 5 miles into the run, my knee started hurting.

To quote the whole Monty Python she turned me into a newt thing, “Well, I got better.” A little bit, anyway. This past Wednesday we headed out at ran again, this time only doing one lap around the park as I’d just finished a bout with the personal trainer, and she knows how to kick my buns. ANYway, got about 2 miles in before the darn thing started hurting again, and by the last little stretch – the last 300 yards before my car – it hurt so bad that I had to limp to an area where we could stretch.

I’m about to get a leg stabilizer- the sort that you’d see a lot of basketball players running around in. Hopefully that will help until I can get to Doctor Dan again and have him assess things.

Yesterday, some asshat opened their door a little too hard on their passenger side. I now have five dents in my door, and big, unsightly scratches on my door handle and the window. This slightly displeases me, because that lowers the value of my car, and also, I have to go through the steps of contacting the insurance company to see if they would cover something like that.

I meant to post something last weekend about our ride in Boulder, but I didn’t get around to it. I sent out an email to the swim team and invited everyone to come along for a dry run of the Boulder 5430 course. The plan was to do two laps, just like the course is set up. Overall, there were six of us that showed up (five who are actually doing the 5430 LD). The fun started as Patrick and Andy got there, and Pat’s tire somehow got a flat between Denver and Boulder. We scrounged around for an extra tube, and got him all fixed up.

Then the ride was on.

The first six miles of the course are false flats, then a lot of rolling hills, a good downhill section, then a pretty good sized hill as you’re heading back toward Boulder Reservoir. It’s not really a hard ride, all things considered, but that first six miles is a good way to blow out your legs if you aren’t paying attention to the incline.

We got about seven miles in, I’m just cruising down this hill, enjoying life, then SPOOOOOSH! Back tire goes flat. So I tell the group that I’ll catch up, I get my tire changed out fairly quickly, get the wheel back on – only to discover that my derailleur isn’t working. I’m stuck in low gear. I’m sitting there thinking, crap, now I’ve got two broken bikes.

Everyone turned around and rode back to me to make sure everything was okay. I figured there was no harm in going forward. The fixed gear would be a good workout for the legs. I got out in front, right behind Guillermo – a triathlete who swims with us occasionally and who has done the 5430 series before – and rocked forward.

The group got way ahead of poor Patrick, and he thought we’d already turned off. He started toward Longmont on one of the roads heading east, but we were still going north toward the St. Vrain turn-off. We stopped at the turn and waited: no Patrick. We asked a guy who was passing us up, and he said he spotted someone a few miles back with mechanical. So we started back. Me and two other guys got ahead of the group (you’d think we’d learn) and meanwhile, Patrick called John and told him he made a wrong turn. We got back to where I met back up with the group after changing my flat, but we didn’t see Patrick anywhere, and John and Andy weren’t coming over the hill.

I came to the conclusion that Patrick called Keith (my friend who was in that bike accident. He came up, but went hiking with his dogs while John rode with us) and had Keith come pick him up, then Patrick called John, so John and Andy turned around. We decided to turn around and move on. We came to the intersection where Patrick made the wrong turn, and there they were. Kind of funny when you think about it.

So, we decided to finish out the first loop and call it a day. If any of us blew out another tire, we were going to be hosed. Not to mention we were tempting fate with the myriad of issues we were having. Got back to the parking lot uneventfully, but it was a great ride, and I can’t wait to really open it up and try the course with Aethon.

Helmets are for special people…

I... am... MOOSEMAN!!!

I finally got around to getting my aero helmet – you know, one of those helmets that, no matter WHO you are, you look ’special’. Even more so if you wear it backwards and pose like a super hero with a dip-ity-do in your hair. I’m seriously lacking a cape, but as Edna Mode from the Incredibles suggests, NO CAPES! (Can you see me getting sucked through my back wheel? Can you?)

There have been a lot of studies done with helmets and the aero principles of the teardrop shaped helmets, especially with top riders. I am not, however, a top rider.

But research suggests (and correct me if I’m wrong) that an aero helmet is akin to having a) an aero-designed bike, or b) really nice aerodynamic wheels. If you have all three, I just figure it’s just that much more wind resistance you’re cutting down on.

Obligitory FaceBook shot? I think not!

Behold! I’m not the most aerodynamic person out there. I mean, seriously, I have the slipstream of a semi-truck. Even though the aero properties of most bike accessories are moot until you get to certain speeds (certain faster speeds), I can use any aerodynamic advantage I can get.

I originally wanted the red and black Giro Advantage II helmet, but the only one the bike shop had was the display model. While it fit okay, the issue with it was that it had been sitting on the display (resting on the ear covers) long enough to put stress cracks in the corners where the ear covers connect with the helmet. No bueno.

I settled for the helmet that was Matte Titanium. Still looks pretty bad-ass, and it doesn’t look so nerdy when you’re actually down in aero-position. I did get a little chuckle last night at team dinner, though, when I mentioned the helmet to Daphne. She just smiled and said, “Oh, you got one of those sperm helmets?”

To wrap things up, I have a few fun pictures from two weekends ago. Enjoy!

m00se

You don't need a helmet to be "special"!

Argos knows how to rock them shades! Rawk along now, little dawgie!

This is the squid I made for our booth. We changed his name from Inky to Lumpy.

So, I was fixing to work on the video blog this weekend, but unfortunately the TitanFlex is on its way back to California for repair. (There was an issue with a cross-threaded screw, particularly the one that holds the boom pole in place. Not the best thing in the world to cross-thread.) I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but the bike shop wasn’t comfortable drilling through “such an exotic bike” that they opted to send it back to Tom. (Actually, I think I feel better about it going back to the manufacturer for repair, so it gets done right.) Essentially, the star of the video is currently MIA.

And now, we feast!

I ordered Aethon last year once I decided that I was going to stick with Triathlon and Cycling for a long time, and that I would need a bike that actually fit me for those longer rides. After the TriGlenwood, I decided that it would be a life goal to complete at least one IronMan, and I’d need a bike that was not only comfortable to ride on, but one that I could stay on for 100+ miles.

I looked at a good many frames, but I came to the conclusion that most manufacturers only design tri-frames up to 58cm, with an exceptional few who do aluminum frames at 60. (I think Felt MIGHT have had a 61, but I should be on something even bigger.) I at one point came across a 64cm frame that was built for tri geometry, but there were no aero qualities to the frame, and not to mention the thing was simply an ugly frame. (Mustard colored gold. Need I say more?)

It’s not that I’m completely superficial, but if I’m going to spend THAT much money on a bike (yes big ugly frame, that’s you!) I’m going to get what I want.

Then I came across TitanFlex. I did some research, talked to Tom to see what he had to offer an athlete of my size, and I put a down payment on a bike. Initially, I liked the idea of a bike that was adjustable to varying degrees, and the fact that it was built to accommodate someone with a bad back. Check out the history of the bike here.

This is the set-up I eventually decided on:

• XLG 700c Veteran Frame
• RockyRoad Titanium Boom Pole
• Easton EC90 SL Aero Fork
• Shimano Ultegra Drivetrain
• Syntace Stratos CX Carbon TT Aero Bars
• Syntace C3 Aero Bars
• Oval Concepts reverse break levers
• Profile Tri-Stryke Elite Ti saddle
• Profile Blade Carbon Aero Seat Post
• X-Wing off-seat bottle and bag holder
• CatEye V2c Computer with Cadence
• A set of HED 3 Clenchers
• One Renn 5IVE SE7EN 5IVE disc wheel
• SRAM Cassettes

The cost of the veteran frame itself is around $1850 less the cost of the paint and the boom pole. This is right on par with most other high level triathlon bikes, and in some cases, a little cheaper than a lot of the high end carbon frames. The body construction of this machine is made from Mononoque Aluminum, which makes for a light weight body that is only 1% heavier than the lightest carbon bike with an included rider.

Most normal sized people can actually have a bike made that is sub-16 pounds! Currently, with the HED 3’s and no watter bottles, my bike comes in right around 22 pounds.

Anyway, I got my tax return back, made the final payment, and the dream machine was finally on its way!

Il est arrivé!

Snug as a bug!

For all practical considerations, I had the bike shipped to my office. You don’t want anything expensive just hanging out on your front porch. It might get lonely and start talking to strangers. Then, it might not come home and you wouldn’t ever see it again; your bike off somewhere pregnant and barefoot slaving away in someones kitchen. ANYwho…

I was elated when the call came in from the shipping department that I had a very, very large package waiting for me. Since I wasn’t in edit, I headed downstairs that very moment and found a Fuji road bike box waiting for me. (Thankfully, it wasn’t a Fuji inside. It was a steed!) I opened the box and did a quick inspection to make sure everything looked okay and nothing was broken. There was enough bubble wrap around the frame to keep my puppy busy for a few days.

I got the box home and everything. I was totally itching to get on it and take it for a spin, but I don’t know enough about putting bikes together, so I decided I would wait until my pro-fit appointment over at Campus Cycles and have Ned put it together according to my pro-fit readings.

Out of the box!

In the mean time, just to get the boxes out of the way and make sure everything was there, I pulled it out of the box and started unwrapping it. I felt like a child unwrapping a Christmas present! At first, it looked like some sort of mummified mechanical pizza slicer or something. (Still looks cool, even in the wrapping.)

As a nice afterthought, since I was going for red and black accessories, Tom found some old red cable housing to put on the bike as well, just to give it that certain… je ne sais quoi! Stunning, and it wasn’t even rideable at that point.

For the next four days, everyone at the office asked me if I’d had a chance to ride it yet. Even Mom called every day and asked. Seems like everyone wanted to take a vicarious bike ride on my new bike. (Trust me when I say, you can’t really appreciate this machine until your rump is perched on the saddle!)

This is my BOOOOOM stick!

The Glove that Fits…

Put together and ready to roll!

When I took it in to have it put together and fit, the bike, while not even put together, drew a lot of attention from the crew at the bike shop. Beam bikes and y-foils aren’t extremely common, especially one like this. I spent the afternoon with Ned getting everything set up according to my pro-fit, and just tinkering around with the configuration.

Ned was impressed at the versatility of the bike, as you could get as aggressive as you want with the frame. The boom design and the adjustable stem make things really nice and easy to find a good place for the rider.

Even while the bike was on rollers, I could feel the difference in the way I was sitting, and how much less stress there was on my lower back than I had on my Trek 1000. There was a little bit of bounce in the boom pole, but that sort of thing is to be expected on something like this.

Finally, the moment came around where Ned was done, and I could take it on a little spin. All I had with me were the Hed 3’s and the disc wheel, so I took it out in all its fiery red glory. It was a little weird feeling at first, since I’d never been on a bike this light. I felt like I would probably break it because there was so much more power output than I was used to. But I just kept reminding myself that this is the way it’s built.

On my ride down the road, I noticed something somewhat peculear. It sounded like there was a jet in the sky above me somewhere. I didn’t think anything of it until I realised that I could still hear the jet 10 minutes later. I scanned the sky, didn’t see anything, so I stopped. Then the noise stopped.

The valve-stem hole on the disc wheel was catching air and making a funny noise, and I’m so not kidding you, but it sounded like a jet in the sky. That, coupled with the resonance in the wheel body and the bike frame, it sounded a little funny. A little tape over the holes, though, and it was a stealthy beast. (Get it off the ground and onto a repair rack with that disc before everything’s adjusted, and the thing sounds like a Gatling gun. heh.)

The First Ride

I decided to take it on a ride with me from Lyons, Colorado -- to Ward and back. It’s a 50 some odd mile loop, a 19 mile chunk of that is up hill with a lot of intense false flats and 2 miles of high grade. The bike was light enough that I just wanted to get up and go, just let the bike crawl up those hills. In order not to blow out my legs, I kept a nice, brisk pace and admired the scenery.

Before we started, a few of the ladies in the group were admiring the bike, one of them said she couldn’t stop staring at it because it was so different and cool looking.

I will say that this is one of the smoothest rides I’ve ever been on. The boom, as advertised, ate the road noise, and it was like riding on air. There was little stress on the back, and I didn’t have to get off the saddle like I did after 40 or so miles on the Trek.

Make sure, if you’re riding with normal spoked wheels, that everything is trued in the wheel. Since the bike is really stiff on the body (you don’t feel it because of the boom) you feel wheel wobble in the handlebars, especially if you’re riding one-handed. (Trying to get your water bottle, for example.) This isn’t an issue with the bike; more of an issue with wheels that I can’t get to stay trued for the life of me.

Another bit of advice: check everything is screwed on nice and tight before you ride. All those little bumps and nicks in the road could vibrate things loose; I had a c02 cartridge and the sensor for my cycling computer shake loose and fall off. (The c02 cartridge was screwed into an XLabs X-Nut on the back of the seat.) These are things that should be checked frequently, anyway. I also lost a water bottle off the back of the bike, but I think that’s because my butt’s really huge and I knocked it out of the holder.

Overall, this is a bike that I really take pride in riding. Not only is it a work of art, but it’s fast, functional, and comfortable. That is really a testament to Tom’s hard work. He’s really created a bike that’s a thrill to ride. If you’re thinking about getting a new triathlon bike, consider giving the TitanFlex a try! Unfortunately, this bike’s not UCI legal, so you can’t use it in regulated road races, but in the world of triathlon you’re safe.

I’ve actually been riding this bike more than the Trek, which I kept to use as a training/back-up bike.

First off, I know there’s a big issue out there with all these doping schemes and how athletes are wrung through the media for years after they’re caught red-handed. When you play a sport, the only dignified way to win at a sport is to use what’s inside you – your energy, your soul, your mind. Not steroids.

A coworker of mine emailed me a link to a website called Dickipedia, which essentially is a wiki site where the author writes articles about whom s/he thinks is a dick. I was taken aback a little on the article there regarding Lance Armstrong, and honestly – I don’t know why, since I don’t personally know Lance – I was a bit offended.

Let me preface this by saying everyone is entitled to their own opinions on any matter. This is why we’re blessed with free speech. That being said, this happens to be MY opinion.

I don’t know why many people in this country have an issue with having someone to look up to. I mean, the idea of the wholesome hero (think in terms of yesteryear) is almost entirely dead. There are so very few champions left amidst the chaos and confusion in the world of self-absorbed and mostly brainless tabloid celebrities, that there are so few positive influences for people to look up to. Once in a great while, a champion does come along who also happens to be a humanitarian and philanthropist; one who can put a face on a serious social issue, and actually do something very positive for the movement.

Obviously, we’re talking Lance Armstrong here. He created a support foundation for those afflicted with cancer, which has, in turn, raised millions and millions of dollars for cancer research. That doesn’t sound like something a dick would do. He survived a fight with terminal cancer, then sought to help others with his own experience. That’s not dickish in my mind.

In fact, yesterday, Lance Armstrong took some time out of his schedule, right in the thick of the Tour de France to post a Twitter message to the Fat Cyclist blogger, Elden, who’s wife is struggling with cancer.

RT @lancearmstrong : WIN SUSAN!!! @fatcyclist

Wow! Seriously, what a dick! A very busy man who thinks to send a message to a friend’s sick wife to show his support and wish her well? Yeah, only a dick would do that. (I am, of course, being sarcastic here.)

Armstrong motivates people around the world to strive to improve their lives, and encourages those who are sick to hold on. What the author of the dickipedia article may find trite (little catch phrases like “a boo is louder than a cheer“) I find inspiring.

As for the doping issue with Armstrong: there is nothing, no conclusive evidence, that points to Armstrong using Performance Enhancing substances over the span of his professional career. The evidence that surfaced, in regards to him using EPO was part of his chemotherapy.

From BlogCritics.org:

… Armstrong did agree that EPO was part of his chemotherapy during his epic battle with testicular cancer, but “the last time I used it was late 1996″—well before his first win in the Tour de France in 1999.

First off, the guy had TERMINAL TESTICULAR CANCER. He was supposed to die. We’re all ingrained with a fight or flight mechanism that enables us to hold on and survive by any means necessary. It’s part of the human condition. I find nothing wrong in using steroids as part of a cancer treatment to help someone get back on their feet and get healthy. Not a damn thing. Especially since EPO only stays in the body for three weeks. (Obviously, this is not an athletic advantage.)

And you know what? I know exactly why I’m offended by this: I am the grandson and the brother of two very awesome women who have lived with, struggled with, and overcome cancer. I’m definitely no Lance Armstrong or Michael Phelps; I never claimed to be either. All I can do is try my best and push myself. I will be there for my friends and family, especially those who have to deal with a life-threatening disease.

An aside- I’ve said it before: it takes more energy to ride a bike somewhere than to get in the car and work out those canckles. America wouldn’t have such an obesity issue if people would at least take a thirty minute walk each day, and still, I can only imagine the reason some people resent athletes so much is that they can’t stand to look in the mirror and take a good, long look at themselves. A lot of people wish they could be fit and athletic and look good, but they just can’t bring themselves to do anything about it.

It’s about being comfortable in your own skin, and doing something proactive in order to keep yourself going: spiritually, mentally, AND physically. I’ve been there, and I’ve looked in that mirror. It’s one of the hardest things in the world to do. It’s easy to face others in your day to day life, it’s harder to face yourself! And if you’re one of these people, I pose this question to you:

What the hell is stopping you?

You can be anything you want to be, and if you want to be in better shape, there is NOTHING in this world from stopping you. Even if you can’t be a world class athlete, or you can’t do certain exersizes because of health conditions, you can still do little things to challenge and improve yourself. In this vein, Manuel Uribe is someone I find especially inspiring. Granted, he might not be able to walk because of his weight, but he is doing everything he can, in his power, to shed pounds. His goal is to be able to walk again.

Concluding: athletes are people who push the limits of the human body, but alas, they are humans like everyone else. They are prone to making mistakes from time to time, and if it doesn’t hurt someone else or put someone in danger, they’re just as entitled to make mistakes as the rest of us.

A man who has done so much for cancer research isn’t a dick in my book.

I know there are people out there who act like dicks and still do good for the world. Everything I’ve heard about Lance Armstrong tells me he’s a genuinely nice guy. We all have our dick moments, and when you’re of that stature the media is waiting around every corner for you to slip up.

If championing for a good cause makes you a dick, then I’m a dick. Seriously.

Another side note:

You’ve been [ever-so-verbosely] m00sed.

In a lot of ways, it’s sad to think of life being so fragile; it kind of makes one totally aware of their own mortality. Yesterday, our swim team was partaking in a certain festival at civic center park in Denver. We were set up next to our sister cycling team, Out Spokin’, and across the park from our cousin twice-removed running team, Denver Front Runners. I got a call from Doston last night that one of our teammates had been hit by a car while riding his bike. I almost crapped a puppy -- nobody likes getting news like this, because being hit by a car usually doesn’t end well for the person on the bumper-end of the vehicle.

After the confusion dissipated, I found out that there was a little misinformation carried over in the translation, like a bad game of operator. As I understand it, our teammate was carrying a sign and the wind caught it, putting the post through the front wheel. He went over the bars, and was somehow able to call his partner after landing on his noggin. I’m guessing his partner was on his way to the scene (or the hospital) when he talked to Doston, and he, too, was on the wrong end of some wrong information. I’m glad he wasn’t hit by a car, but still, ouch. 15 stitches and a hairline fracture. But with everything that happened, he still showed up this afternoon in good spirits with a smile on his face and head wrapped up a little like a mummy.

Please, folks, wear those helmets!

I know it’s still too early to tell the cause of Billy Mays’ death, but they’re thinking it could be extended head trauma due to a minor airline accident. While he was traveling, the airplane he was on popped the front wheel on landing. Stuff shifted and fell from the overhead compartment, and Mays was on the wrong end of a blunt object. He was joking about it when he got off the airplane, saying he had a thick skull. But in a move that echoed Natasha Richardson, it’s possible that this knock to the melon may have been his undoing later on.

Even head injuries perceived as minor can still kill you. This is why it pisses me off to see people riding around the park with their kids hitched to the back of their bikes, and the kid isn’t wearing a brain bucket. If you think the point is moot, watch this:

Yeah, it’s kinda funny. But then again, it’s not. Let me step off my soap-box, now.

Colorado Bike to Work Day — It’s a zoo out there!

The added fun of seeing a penny-farthing, or “high wheel,” this week set the tone for a great two days of riding my bike to work. On Tuesday, I decided to ride in to see what the routes would be like -- a dry run if you will. I was out the door a little later than I wanted to be, so I took Aethon off the wall and hit the road. I didn’t have time to swap the wheels to Ubu.

For an 11 mile ride, it wasn’t bad at all. Logan, as a one way street, was a little odd, but I took that downtown, and cut past the Denver Zoo. While I was at work a nice little storm system snuck in, and by 3 in the afternoon, it was raining like Noah himself was waiting in the parking lot on a big wooden ark. Thankfully, by five, the first part of the storm subsided, but there was some dark clouds lingering on the horizon. I got down by Campus Cycles before the rain started again, but it was a light rain.

I went inside to get some new tire levers and a few new C02 cartridges, since I was a dummy and left my cycling bag unzipped. Seems that I lose a LOT of stuff with this new bike — but I think it’s mostly due to rider error. Anyway, Ned asked me how the new bike was, and I told him it was doing great. I also told him there was a little creaking in the boom pole, and he said they would be happy to put some titanium lubrication on it, which would stop the noise. Unfortunately, when they took out the screw that holds the boom pole to the bike, some threads came out with it. They ordered a new screw from TitanFlex, and it was mailed on Wednesday. I still haven’t heard back from them, but I’m hoping I can get Aethon back soon. It was a bummer, for sure.

The ride on Wednesday was fun, though. I got the wheels off Aethon before I left the bike shop, and I rode Ubu in to work instead. I didn’t get a chance to check out any of the vendors that were offering free food, and while I should have tried to at least get a free cup of coffee from StarBucks, I was falling behind on a deadline at work. Again, on Wednesday, I rode past the zoo, this time between that and the Museum of Nature and Science.

All in all, I think it was a great week, and I want to ride my bike to work at least two times a week from now on.

Next weekend, I’m going to try to do a nice long ride with a few friends. I’m going to need to find a new set of Clydes-class wheels before too long. I really don’t want to keep changing out the wheels I have, especially since the cassette on the wheels that came with Ubu is older and skips gears on Aethon. (The cassettes that came with Aethon won’t even work on Ubu, even though they’re all SRAM cassettes and they’re all geared the same. It could partially be the chain or the drivetrain. Lord knows I’d love to upgrade Ubu from a Tiagra to an Ultegra drivetrain.)

That said, Ubu’s not leaving the stable any time soon.

m00se

**EDIT** I found out just moments ago that the autopsy revealed that Billy Mays died of heart disease, and not head trauma. Still, I would like to reiterate that head trauma is still a serious issue, as is heart disease. Please play it safe out there.

And… somehow… I ended up losing a water bottle off the carrier that is affixed to my saddle. I seriously don’t know how the darn thing could have fallen out of the cage, but c’est la vie. Rest in peace, my little gray Camel-Back with the Easy Flow squirt thingee.

Can’t wait for Wednesday. COLORADO BIKE TO WORK DAY! If you live in the Denver / Metro area, I suggest everyone take advantage of this fun event, especially since there are tonnes of restaurants out giving away free food and drinks for those who ride in. I’ve wanted to start riding to work on select days of the week, and I think this might just be the ticket.

On a final note, I decided to take the interstate to work today, since I was leaving uber early and trafic wasn’t too bad. If the flow of traffic is good, it usually only takes me 20 minutes to get to work via 25, if not, I take Monaco, which adds an extra 15 minutes. While I was driving near Invesco Field, just before I passed under Speer Blvd., I saw a guy on a bike go across the overpass. It wasn’t just any bike, though — he was on a penny-farthing! I had to do a double-take, because the damned thing was just so ridiculously out of place. I bet that guy’s a kick at parties.

That’s my Monday Minute, and you’ve just been moosed!

I'm worried that this guy isn't wearing his brain bucket! That's a long way to fall.