hello hammy?!@?

i have been riding my bike and i have been enjoying it...............A LOT!

so much i have put of thinking about, well training for THIS.

this would be the Soldier Field 10 Race on 5/24. ten miles with two friends. the same two friends who talked me into the 2007 Chicago Marathon then backed out before they even got started with training. i am not bitter. i just want to stomp them into the ground at this race. :)

however, i can't run. ok ok ok, a bit dramatic, but when i do i hurt. first it was the left IT band. now it's the entire left leg. the left hammy is really tight after my 5 mile run yesterday. i need some hammy stretching suggestions from my running experts.

why is my leg hating on running??

did i mention i have only been running once a week and this race is two weeks away? uh oh. me thinks it will be me getting stomped!

i have been riding which has me in decent physical shape. the last ride was a thrasher. i went out on my flat and fast route and did just that. considering it is early May i am very happy logging a 40 mile ride with a 18.4 mph average. i should see some fast numbers come August.

later.

me and the gang

BFNIC
Originally uploaded by aham23.

some of the BFNIC bunch hanging out before heading out on the second loop. im in the red "flappy" jacket.

see that nice little road twisting and turning upward in the background? good times this ride was. good times for sure.

the Classic Report

i now have a new favorite 30 mile loop. well, with my wrong turn it was 43 miles on the first loop, but it was still awesome.

the Saturday warm up ride with Tim was 24 miles, 3000 feet of climbing, 25 mph wind & a 50 mph decent. it was fantastic. seriously, i loved every minute of it. Tim is this master of everything. this means he can navigate his way in a strange land without maps or fancy electronic devices while keeping an entertaining conversation the entire way. i learned two things on this ride; if you are wearing a number 7 diaper its time to start potty training AND if you say "Last one to the top buys the first Spotted Cow" you better be ready to go, because Tim will be gone.

Saturday Stats

Sunday did not let us down. it was sunny, clear and calm at 7am. sure it was cold, but once properly geared up i barely noticed the temps. like anticipated the ride blew up quickly with the first hill. it was an in your face violent wake up call.

five or 6 guys formed the A group and shot up that hill. i was off the back of that group with Tim and a couple others. my legs knew it was April, but my head wanted to play like it was August. i chased and that was my downfall. i was chasing guys that if i did catch i wouldn't be able to stay with. we did meet up with them again due to some construction blocking the road, but my time with them was short lived. then i fell off the wheels of Time and Jose which left me solo. i had hope and direction though as i had them in my sights through the beautiful peaks and valleys of the route.

i was hurting and eventually lost sight of the guys in front of me. out came my map, i mean que sheet. i didn't bring the map. it appears i am a poor navigator as i made a wrong turn. about two miles the wrong way i decided to turn back. i did, but there were two riders coming my way. they had the map and felt we were on track. three of us couldn't be wrong? uh, we were. we descended into a small town on hwy 92 and quickly determined we were well North of New Glarus. we asked some locals for directions and with their help and that map decided on an approach. we didn't back track as we tried to pick the shortest route to NG.

we added 8 to 10 miles to the first loop and two kick arse climbs with this detour. i rolled into the park to see the A Listers still there waiting. i felt kind of bad that my miss turn may have delayed there departure, but then figured they would take much joy in dropping me again anyway.

i rolled out for the second loop with the mountain goats & jack rabbits. this loop also starts with a pretty nasty hill. guess what, i was off the back. at the bottom of the decent i spotted Tim slowing up and waiting for me. we made an executive decision to take the offered short version of the second route to avoid complete spontaneous combustion. lucky for me Tim had the map and was able to guide us effortlessly.

short didn't mean easy. this short version of the second loop had several decent hills including a killer one at the end. one i had struggled up yesterday as a matter of fact. however, i took this last challenge fairly well and felt good as i made the final decent into town.

for me it was 60 miles, 5000 feet of climbing, lots of suffering and lots of fun.

Spring Classic Stats

New Glarus, WI is a great location for a ride. totally different from my normal flat rides amongst the cornfields. i look forward to getting back up there.

today, the legs are still pretty sore. for me, this was a pretty violent early season effort. the trouble maker (left IT band) is pretty tight, but livable. i need to log a run or two this week and plan to be back on the bike this weekend.

later.

BFNIC Spring Classic

the first big group ride of the year is this weekend. unlike last year, the ride is taking place in Wisconsin AND the weather forecast is NOT looking good. this means, hills, cold, wind, rain, and maybe snow. this could be real ugly.



this is what i looked like the last time i tackled a ride in Wisconsin.




wish me luck. later.

take that..........

....giant quads. this weekend was Passover so that meant 7 hours of driving in a 24 hour time span to visit the in-laws.

we rolled home around 2:30pm on Sunday. it was beautiful out, 70, sunny, and light winds. we unpacked then the wife looked at me and said "Get Gone." i did.

the legs were slow and unresponsive from the start. so i punished them. i sprinted up every roller and into every headwind. when you ride out in the open plains even a light wind provides difficulty.

i thrashed the legs and ended with 40 miles at a 17.7 mph average pace. i stopped for 27 seconds (damn Sunday drivers). considering this was my 7th ride of the season i am very happy with the results.

peace out.

the run down........

last year at this time i was just getting ready for my first major cycling event, the BFNIC Spring Classic. i had only 3 rides under my belt, but was coming off a successful hilly half marathon and a winter filled with running. i had almost 270 running miles under my feet, which equalled some 40 hours of running.

this year is not last year.

the IT Band injury i sustained back in December basically shut me down, running wise. to date, i have 12 runs for 38 miles. the IT Band is 90% and i need to pick the running up as i am slated for the Soldier Field 10 Mile Race in late May. that being said, i have 5 outside rides so far and almost 30 hours of trainer time. i am finally feeling like i am getting back to a decent fitness level. we shall see if the all this tortuous trainer time was worth it when i roll out for the 2008 BFNIC Spring Classic next weekend. this years event is up in Wisconsin and will provided a much more difficult route then last year. especially difficult given it is so early in the cycling season and i don't see too many (or any) hills on my training rides.

movies. i have been watching movies. have you?

Underworld - 3 stars. blu ray. repeat. decent action flick. do they ever run out of bullets??

Dan In Real Life - 4 stars. blu ray. new to me. surprised me. not your normal romantic comedy. well worth a rental for sure.

Dreamgirls - 2 stars. blu ray. new to me. blah.

Man On Fire - 5 stars. blu ray. repeat. Best PQ and Sound i have experienced. great acting, story, & editing made this really enjoyable on my setup.

I Am Legend - 3 stars. blu ray. repeat. the movie could have been great. could have.

Rumor Has It - 2 stars. blu ray. new to me. cute girlie movie.

Superbad - 0 stars. blu ray. new to me. i didn't get it. i normally get this and enjoy this kind of stuff, but not this one. only made it 45 minutes into it.

I, Robot - 3.5 stars. blu ray. repeat. great PQ & Sound. CGI is good. story is good. Smith does well with this type of roll.

later.

for the record....

......i like dogs. i even have a cute little doggie. remember, he is Eddie Vedder, the dog, and i love him.

i feel like these statements needed a public forum. why, you ask? cause someone thinks i don't like dogs.

i have logged five outside rides this season. i have encountered dogs on four of them. big dogs chasing me, jumping at me, darting in front of me, and even rubbing my rear wheel.

the two border collies (yes two dogs at the same time) were the scariest, until yesterday. it was a pit bull, cross bulldog, cross boxer that chased me. the fat little turd almost took me down as a cute little girl on a tricycle yelled, "Don't worry he wont hurt you." he actually brushed my back wheel as i sprinted off.

later.

itch it.........

please mother nature. i really got me a scratch that needs some itching! stop hating on us cyclist!!

i got out for a rode ride this past Saturday. the sun was out, but it was not warm and it was not pleasant. the temp was 40ish, but with the stiff 15 mph wind out of the East it felt like 30ish.
PLUS, i did my best to sabotage the effort with a little Friday night movie night with the wife.

it was Dirty Dancing, the 20 Anniversary BluRay DVD. HER CHOICE. it is like her all time favorite movie. we watched it with the pop up trivia on. kind of like when VH1 use to do Pop Up videos where little boxes pop up (duh) with facts about this and that.

for example; did you know that Val Kilmer was the first choice to play Johnny Castle? he turned it down because he did not want a career type cast as a hunk. the next choice was Billy Zane ( the bad guy from Titanic), but he could not dance worth crap. then came Pat who was a classically trained dancer trying to get into acting. the rest is history. did i mention it was HER CHOICE?!@?!

i had to drink a bottle of wine to get through it.

back to the ride. i suffered. i was wiped out at mile 17. the last 10 miles was directly into the wind. it was cold. the legs were burning. i was suffering and i loved every minute of this 37 mile ride.
---

MOVIES

3:10 To Yuma -- 3 Stars. New To Me. BluRay. slow start. decent middle. crazy over the top end. Christian Bale carries the movie.

Da Vinci Code -- 2 Stars. New to Me. Standard DVD. for a long movie it really was blah. i mean take a freaking stand one way or the other. Hanks was poor. the leading lady was solid. whatever.

Oceans 13 -- 2 Stars. New to Me. BluRay. kind of a fun no brainer popcorn flick. kind of.

Dirty Dancing -- FIVE FREAKING STARS (i love you honey). Repeat. BluRay. the worst looking bluray i have ever seen. very poor PQ. but hey, it's dirty dancing.

later.

how many?

man, i have seen a lot of movies lately. can you blame me though, i have a movie theater in my basement!

anyway, the official movie marathon is over, but the movies roll on.

No Country For Old Men -- 4 Stars. New to Me. BluRay. everything in life can not be all neat and tidy. somethings are ugly. they start ugly and end ugly. great acting and a most excellent movie. outstanding picture quality as well.

The Bourne Identity -- 4 Stars. Repeat. HDDVD. who knew Matt Damon could pull this off? not me.

The Bourne Supremacy -- 4 Stars. Repeat. HDDVD. who knew he could do it twice? not me.

The Bourne Ultimatum -- 3 Stars. Repeat. HDDVD. best story and action of the three, BUT someone fell in love with the on the shoulder camera. it gets pretty annoying on a 119" screen.

Gone Baby Gone -- 1 Star. New to Me. BluRay. who knew ben affleck sucked such arse? well, i did. he directed this piece of crap. a movie trying to be complicated for the sake of being complicated. the subject matter is a toughie too. plus, i get it, Boston folks like using the "F" word.

in other news. winter is still here. my knee is better. my IT Band is better. i am only running once a week, which is why i am better and that bums me. i am logging some good hours on the trainer, but have not gotten into any intervals or fancy training. i would rather be riding outside and wish i could be running more. i am not on course for total domination of the 08 BFNIC cycling season and that too makes me sad. i think that sums up my Wednesday.

later.

15, 16, 17, & my knee

15. Spiderman 3. Three Stars. BluRay. Repeat. i love this series, but this one is my least favorite. needed more venom and less crying. PQ is grainy, but it is suppose to be.

16. Kill Bill II. Five Stars. Regular DVD. Repeat. one of my favorite movies of all time. it is violent and kung foo goofy, but that is the point. Micheal Madsen is brilliant.

17. Training Day. Four Stars. BluRay. Repeat. from the opening scene Washington is fantastic. PQ was very good.

the run came to an end last night. i had a stellar two weeks of movie watching though.

on to my knee. it has been a bit bothersome lately. the IT Band is better and the knee jumps up and smacks me in the face. i don't get it.

my first ride of the season was yesterday. twenty-four fabulous miles in 30 degree weather. i loved every minute of it, but it seems to have pissed off the knee. its very tight, just below the knee cap i get sharp pains when i squat. i know, don't squat.

why oh why must you still haunt me Chicago Marathon?

13 & 14

i don't want to give the wrong idea about my movie preference. i like all kinds of movies. from the Notebook to Saving Private Ryan to Pulp Fiction to Dumb and Dumber to Star Wars. so does the wife. we normally watch together. this week she is busy. thus, i am on a solo movie watching binge. i am trying to limit my choices to movies that she is not all that excited to see (new or repeat).

the second criteria is that i prefer the movie be in high definition (1080p = BluRay or HD DVD). some of the choices rank near the top of a so called "BluRay/HDDVD Reference Quality List" from AVSforums. the best picture and sound one can experience at home. i want to really see and test out my system with these choices.

ok, done with that.

13. Casino Royale - 1 Star. BluRay. picture quality was stunning. this aint your daddy's james bond. he looks like a UFC fighter. he bust thru drywall and gets his nuts busted. it's bloody & violent. the scenes are long. the movie is way too long. it's BAD. (N)

14. Spiderman 2 - 4 Stars. Blur Ray. my favorite of the three. great superhero movie. the picture quality was a bit disappointing. spotted some pixelation & had some audio dropouts. (R)

(5 star rating system. N=New to me / R=Repeat for me)


on the workout front, i did a core workout last night during Spidey. if i get my ride back soon, it will be trainer time the rest of the week. maybe even a little ride outside?!@?! if she stays locked up in the shop then running it shall be.

later.

back to back

with the bike in the shop and 5 days of rest I HAD TO work it out. so i ran. Saturday and Sunday runs of 3 miles. i was slow. it was fun and my left leg neither fell off nor spontaneously combust. i call that a success.

weather forecast have upper 40's in the future for us Midwesterners. i see an end of the week ride in my future. do you?

as you may know i have a movie theater in my basement. it has been up and running for two weeks now. i have been watching movies when ever i can, which has been often. some i have seen, but i am revisiting them in High Definition (BluRay or HDDVD). the high def movie experience is incredible. i had no idea how crisp and clear a movie could look on 119 inch screen. every movie lover should experience it.

i am going on a movie marathon. one a night for as many nights as i can swing. i started this past Saturday and my schedule shows my nights free up to this Saturday. i am guessing everyone wants to know what i watched and what i thought :) ?!@? so, that is what you will get.

let me catch you up to date with a list, in order of viewing, since the AMJ Cinema opened.

1. Gladiator - 5 stars. one of my all time favorites. the acting and action is outstanding.(R)

2. Devil Wears Prada - 3 stars. BluRay. i can admit i liked it, but i was drinking.(N)

3. Martix - 5 stars. HDDVD. wow, i love this movie.(R)

4. Ratatouille - 3.5 stars. BluRay & stunning. a rather involved story line for a cartoon.(N)

5.The Notebook - 3 stars. the wifes favorite. again, i was drinking.(R)

6. Fast & Furious - 2 stars. HDDVD. cars, hot chicks & hot dudes.(R)

7. Pleasantville - 3 stars. should have been drinking.(N)

8. Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - 2 stars. BluRay blew me away. too much jack for me though.(N)

9. Martix 2 - 4 stars. HDDVD. great action from start to end.(R)

10. Matrix 3 - 5 stars. HDDVD. the picture & sound is amazing. i forgot how good this one is.(R)

11. Memento - 4 stars. guy pearce is most excellent. the back words story is cool.(R)

12. Count of Monte Cristo - 3 stars. another guy pearce vehicle. the wife loves it. it entertains.(R)

(5 star rating system. N=New to me / R=Repeat for me)

tonight will be night 3 of movie marathon. i have some options, but dont want to spoil my next post.

later.

i see you.......

....spring and cycling season.

winter is coming to an end. it has been a blur for me. this is a good thing. this basement finishing / home theater project has taken over my life. i have been obsessing over it since November and while i still am, at least i am enjoying the benefits now. it really turned out most awesome and i can say that i am fully responsible for that!

i say the obsession was a good thing because this winter has been a toughie in the Midwest. i am glad i kept very busy. otherwise, this IT band injury would have been the end of me. i just cant run with any consistency.

i have been logging 3 to 4 hours a week on my trainer and knocking out some core workouts. i am a cyclist, but i love the added fitness level running brings me. i love the consistent 150 bpm heart rate that running yields. nothing like it.

my bike is in the "shop" getting its pre season tune up. i ran Sunday, besides a tight hammy it went well. this week will be kind of a recovery week, but i hope to get in one more run and some core work. i need to catch up on some sleep too.

wow, the above is seriously boring. :) come on spring, we need you to bring some excitement.

later.

the movies

plateau...............

and pissed about it. four runs since 12/1/07. no running this month. i use the stupid foam roller. i stretch. i use the stupid foam roller. i stretch. i still have issues.

it may be time for a visit to the doctor as for the past three weeks i dont feel like i am progressing. i mean, it should eventually go away, right? i am not even running for gosh darn almighty.

i am speaking of that evil doer, the left IT Band. it feels better then it has, but the burning and ache is still there. in fact, it seems to have migrated into my buttocks? what the heck is that all about?

having a desk job does NOT help. by the time afternoon hits the thing is crazy tight and burning. yeah, i get up and walk around as much as possible. yeah, i even take some time to actually shut my office door and stretch. yeah, that was kind of a shameless brag that i have an office with a door.

i have issues with doing nothing. i have been hitting the trainer 3 times a week for an hour each time. i have been doing my core workout once a week and plan to ramp it up to twice a week as the season approaches. i just cant do nothing.

this thing doesnt effect my cycling like it does the running. however, it will be a factor. when i want to push it on the trainer, or say on a ride with 20,000 feet of climbing, i can feel it tighten up. the pain obviously limits my ability to go hard. i am at a loss.

this is my blog and i have approved this crabby post.

later.

get on with it.........

man, this basement obsessing is really taking up a lot of my time. it is fun though. construction is projected to be complete in two weeks. i should have all my equipment up and running a couple days after that. the grand opening of the AMJ Cinema should be in about 3 weeks then. good times.

alright, lets get on with 2008. i have plans to cycle and cycle a lot. there will be some running if and when the left IT Band allows it.

so far i have filled my 2008 calander with these events:

• BFNIC Spring Classic, 4/27. A 62 mile ride in New Glarus, WI this year. No goal, but to enjoy. (ok, and to keep up with Recursive)
• JBC Sudden Century, 5/4. First century (100 miles) of the season. Goal is to survive the wind.
• Soldier Field 10, 5/24. A ten mile run with the finish on the 50 yard line! Goal is to stomp my buddy. The same buddy who talked me into, then backed out of, the Chicago Marathon.
• Udder Century, 6/1. Another 100 miler. Goal is sub 5 hour ride time.
• JBC 4th Metric, 7/4. A 62 mile ride I use for RAIN training. This means fast and limited stops.
• RAIN, 7/12. One Way, One Day, 160 miles. Goal is to better last years most excellent time.
• Dairyland Dare, 8/16. The big ride for 08. It's 300K (186 miles) with over 20,000 feet of climbing. Holy Crap Batman. Did I just type that!?@?
• Psychos Century, 8/24. I may go for the 124 mile route this year.
• Psimet Invitational, 9/27. 100 miles with the BFNIC gang.
• Harvest 5k Run, 9/28. Not sure if it is doable a day after 100 mile ride, but I like challanges.
• Gobbler Hobbler 10k Run, 11/8. I love the fall running season. I hope the body cooperates.
• 3000 Cycling Miles for the year.

i think that about covers it. there will be some fun training rides up in Wisconsin for sure. maybe a cycling race in August? maybe a few more Fall running events? right now i am focused on my basement, buidling my cycling base, and my basement.

peace out. later.

shaken, but not epic......

i think i have shaken the funk, but i have no 2007 epic recap post for fear it may bring back the funk.

so, you get the cliff notes recap:

• Cycling Mileage = 2151 miles.


• Running Mileage = 801


• Trainer Time = 5 hours 38 minutes


• Knocked out 12K feet of Climbing and 130 miles at the HHH in June


• Knocked out a fast for me wind aided 160 miles at RAIN in July


• Spent 224 either cycling or running.


• Achieved a fitness level I have never seen before.


• Got hurt.

i think that about does it for 07. oh wait, there was that little running thing i did in October. yes, i successfully trained for, ran, and completed the Chicago Marathon in what i have been told were extremely difficult conditions for such an event.

that last one gives me a lot good vibes. it was a tough road as i put family, friends, and cycling on a the back burner for most of the summer. i could not have done it without the support of my family and friends and thank you so very much. another is not likely in my near future, but what is near?

the plans for 2008 are this:

CYCLING MY ARSE OFF

the leg is feeling 90% better and it is time to get back on the bike, er, trainer.

i am still obsessing this basement finishing and movie theater project. it is what i do. go full tilt. it is coming along nicely. peace out. later.

epic, just not yet.

2008 has started off strangely for me.

first, back on 12/1 i stressed out my left IT Band. well, the 800 running miles i logged last year, including the 12/1 run, has it burning like a mutha. it's an odd thing and i am still dealing with it. lots of time off, the foam roller, the stick, and lots of time off has it feeling better.

at times it has been a bit depressing. for two years i worked out. TWO YEARS. i love cycling in the summer and running in the winter. it sucks when your body (or damn leg) will not let you. i am dealing with it.

next, something else that rarely happens to me, an extended sickness. for the last 13 days i have been battling, along with seemingly everyone else, a nasty flu / sinus thing. i am talking thick and green head hurting stuff here.

i know, cry me a river, blah blah blah. you all want the epic 2007 recap post. it is in the works, just not yet.

finally, i have been very busy with a most fantastic home project. we are having our basement finished. there is a dedicated home theater in the plans. i am talking 110 inches of screen folks. i pulled and installed over 1000 feet of low voltage cable for the home theater space this weekend. i enjoyed every foot.

check out that flickr thingy on your right for some exciting pictures. yes, the exciting part was a joke.

later.

shake the funk.....

it is time. i must shake it and shake it real good. the funk that is. not my junk. unless, shaking the funk inadvertently shakes the junk? i will have to get back to you on that one.

on 12/1 i ran a solid 7 miles. on 12/2 i logged an hour on my then new trainer. since then i have been dealing with an awful burning and twingy left iliotibial (IT) band. while i experienced some minor issues with this during marathon training it was never this bad. this little bastard is even messing with my knee.

so, i shut down the running. heck, i basically shut it all down. the holidays can do that. thinking about this i just realized this is my first extended break from "working out" in the two years since i become obsessed with "working out." prior to this i considered 3 days off in a one week a break. ?

anyway, i picked up one of those mythical foam rollers from target and after one session with it the leg felt better. i continue to roll it out and it is getting better, but still an issue. you should see me rolling around on this thing. it is not the easiest thing to do and it hurts like heck and i look like a dork (so the wife has proclaimed!). maybe a YouTube video is in order?

i did not clear the 3000 miles of cycling and running i had lined up in my sites in November. however, i did get back on the road with a little 3 mile run on New Years Eve. it felt really good to be outside and running. this jaunt put me over 800 miles running for 2008. not bad for a cyclist.

yesterday, i took part in my New Years Day tradition and ate Taco Bell for lunch. a lot of it. it reminds me of where i was and where i am. long live the Bell.

before i can fully shake this funk i first my wrap up 2007. that means the 2007 wrap up blog post is forthcoming. then the 2008 goal post. then and then and then and then and then and then.......

later.

what was i thinking?

i just realized i have failed to wish the blogging peeps of the internet world any holiday best wishes.

so, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!