tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72687212376967977182024-03-05T22:17:38.845-05:00Black Holes and the Beautiful MachinePeriodic updates from the life of an unapologetic outdoor addict.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-25679790156620126422012-03-08T10:05:00.003-05:002012-03-08T10:17:01.235-05:00Eternal OptimistsI'm always amused by the condition reports at Hardwood Hills. I love skiiing there and the people are always great but to call the condition reports optimistic would be a gross understatement. I have a screen shot I grabbed from the live webcam this morning along with the report.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3vzGVczCuu5ghx3iLsaZOBIZPLc6bXXmQZMaRfcfmYtjWEnO658sauUL3oXkDmuEF3R14Fg7bRLVtl-2z6GYw4392RCz7lOW8b9MKqRd5JgqCPNVEYxzGTASTdJbmQcaIOHCGJKHt3I/s1600/Hardwoodhillscam.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 248px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3vzGVczCuu5ghx3iLsaZOBIZPLc6bXXmQZMaRfcfmYtjWEnO658sauUL3oXkDmuEF3R14Fg7bRLVtl-2z6GYw4392RCz7lOW8b9MKqRd5JgqCPNVEYxzGTASTdJbmQcaIOHCGJKHt3I/s400/Hardwoodhillscam.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717543725172609442" /></a><br /><br />Now, it says that they did not groom last night due to warm weather and soft conditions, but they are open for classic and skate skiing today. This all makes sense but, the conditions are listed as wet snow while the picture on the cam shows full inches of standing water pretty much everywhere around the chalet.<br /><br />I do believe that you might be better off with a snorkel and flippers than skiis and poles on a day like this. It looks like the season is done now as after a cold blip tomorrow, we are back up to double digit day time highs and positive night time lows. Bring on the bikes and boards - let the summer begin.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-43737726664963544572011-12-08T22:47:00.007-05:002011-12-08T23:22:01.833-05:00ShapewaysWell it has been a bit since I have posted anything but I recently took possession of the parts that I designed for 3D prototyping. The first is shot is of a line up of the three different mounts that I designed. Hopefully I can start testing them out soon. From left to right they are the bar mount, head mount, and helmet mount. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYtSzeOWugohJ-HoZZrXam6t73mebfqQd46nSPQGIrabwf4xW4ohNNlRq7tu-sdZzHIs7YT8ni5xyCbJUhyphenhyphen7Li1sYiwT3-gy6s3Ki4Ay4c9xlFM1KeXwTp_m1BYiTJZpfbkrWgEhe1O0/s1600/SWLineup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWYtSzeOWugohJ-HoZZrXam6t73mebfqQd46nSPQGIrabwf4xW4ohNNlRq7tu-sdZzHIs7YT8ni5xyCbJUhyphenhyphen7Li1sYiwT3-gy6s3Ki4Ay4c9xlFM1KeXwTp_m1BYiTJZpfbkrWgEhe1O0/s400/SWLineup.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683971061535657570" /></a><br />This next shot is of the head mount with the light attached. All of these pictures are quite crappy and out of focus. I'll get better ones sometime in the future. There will be a velcro and elastic harness that will go around your head.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CLiQ47k3MLUa9X9QOJRf7dqZ5FXuE-YRZegDEkhy5LYGGdlBSMlthC8Jz6uXEsAjiNFFFl-4CeEvVhPjvMlfq52YgIT0L-zjP4EUNmp8ghKjc3JWJBmoH9eyKlv5zsNGOSsDlnyanaY/s1600/SWHead.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CLiQ47k3MLUa9X9QOJRf7dqZ5FXuE-YRZegDEkhy5LYGGdlBSMlthC8Jz6uXEsAjiNFFFl-4CeEvVhPjvMlfq52YgIT0L-zjP4EUNmp8ghKjc3JWJBmoH9eyKlv5zsNGOSsDlnyanaY/s400/SWHead.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683977114677830482" /></a><br />This is the helmet mount which will also have a velcro attachment.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYsSd5sFYykn2sTJmPXu3ijSLTASRpjhdOlzpiRulAdDj4QMZ_UOR7QKj2k7TScUp5bcn-7DBDUDN0AyaN3TzsHsJ_-woVV5ZCQotYYVFoEXbN4eOAt7nxnSKjsl7p7lrYc4CkI_TxIs/s1600/SWHelmet.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtYsSd5sFYykn2sTJmPXu3ijSLTASRpjhdOlzpiRulAdDj4QMZ_UOR7QKj2k7TScUp5bcn-7DBDUDN0AyaN3TzsHsJ_-woVV5ZCQotYYVFoEXbN4eOAt7nxnSKjsl7p7lrYc4CkI_TxIs/s400/SWHelmet.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683977545401995202" /></a><br />The next two are of the bar mount that will be fixed with a couple o-rings going around the bar and hooking on the saddle horn looking tabs. The second also shows the two ends of the connectors that I got from deal extreme. They close and separate with a nice sealing pop sound.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UHMN-lphFBxPZjUWg3DbO09Hr-xtI72LQ2v1u1SZ_iY72uFO_wctFXh2Jp_0tgus-srMCUVgEQ_lomckQgaIK0XxhomPZbO2JXVLkZl4-JAZC0uvjWcWeEhopkbm_-8UWiGVmfwWpK4/s1600/SWBar1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UHMN-lphFBxPZjUWg3DbO09Hr-xtI72LQ2v1u1SZ_iY72uFO_wctFXh2Jp_0tgus-srMCUVgEQ_lomckQgaIK0XxhomPZbO2JXVLkZl4-JAZC0uvjWcWeEhopkbm_-8UWiGVmfwWpK4/s400/SWBar1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683977888471141186" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yuN503DFI0hRFygHnp2QgUzhlMmL5dWoUFDjDZK4CbCKcDhagy-E66HmZUJL6AKGpaglkOpZKOTxcux2SSh8SFjKGuDXwLFkBn4EzXISm4xMLUSnoADyxU6g6pn_uSVIeVsVaN18GKM/s1600/SWBar2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2yuN503DFI0hRFygHnp2QgUzhlMmL5dWoUFDjDZK4CbCKcDhagy-E66HmZUJL6AKGpaglkOpZKOTxcux2SSh8SFjKGuDXwLFkBn4EzXISm4xMLUSnoADyxU6g6pn_uSVIeVsVaN18GKM/s400/SWBar2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683978280743172018" /></a><br />There are a few small changes that I will make to the mounts but overall I am super happy with how they came out. Time and testing will reveal what other changes if any will need to be made for reliability purposes.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-45364055027275497782011-11-11T23:12:00.005-05:002011-11-11T23:18:14.852-05:00Helmet Mount v1.0Here are a couple shots of the helmet mount so far. Again I'm not sure how the rigidity will be with these dim's until I see it for real. Now I just need to do the bar mount and then send away to get them. So far these are around $10 bucks a piece. Not too bad for 3D prototyping it seems to me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpaI4-hkhJir4cQllygtLF4Ky4vyfyob-hnf6xG2kWxQRqIUA9Rk_CqHN0yi_PooH4YhjxIFITsoc6dA9ZQu6KdIMt8GDGrPRPDjiCnSoQYD1tvHIYMBdocYRh4x0nKvb2sZbVbyk-14/s1600/Helmount1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 345px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpaI4-hkhJir4cQllygtLF4Ky4vyfyob-hnf6xG2kWxQRqIUA9Rk_CqHN0yi_PooH4YhjxIFITsoc6dA9ZQu6KdIMt8GDGrPRPDjiCnSoQYD1tvHIYMBdocYRh4x0nKvb2sZbVbyk-14/s400/Helmount1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673958140292812834" /></a><br />I am hoping to be able to apply a silicone or urethane layer on the underside of the flattish area so that it won't slip in use. We'll see how well that works.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrMRs76b8WKTmUW9C6haigx0SCdNgqKMFqXPJpJZ5I0Q6Jplipt1-5sWEVKRhG04KrhkURsH_VIwTpC48QqL-ywAX_ygiXmfepbO6nxZHwiWMlGma9v_Xrtw1tQo4yawJ4xDgbx4nuwI/s1600/Helmount2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 347px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrMRs76b8WKTmUW9C6haigx0SCdNgqKMFqXPJpJZ5I0Q6Jplipt1-5sWEVKRhG04KrhkURsH_VIwTpC48QqL-ywAX_ygiXmfepbO6nxZHwiWMlGma9v_Xrtw1tQo4yawJ4xDgbx4nuwI/s400/Helmount2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673958257998082242" /></a>Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-80182821490590582792011-11-11T00:09:00.005-05:002011-11-11T23:19:12.219-05:00Head Mount v1.0I am finding a bit of time to put into the light project and am working on various mounts for the lighting unit shown in the previous post. It is mostly just some time on Solidworks.<br /><br />Here is a picture of the 3D model as it stands for now. The thin connecting parts are designed to flex and allow the mount to conform to the shape of ones cranium while still providing a solid and stable support for the light. We will see how well my guesses at thicknesses turn out and most likely need at least a version 2.0. I have uploaded it to Shapeways and will order once I have made a helmet and bar mount as well so I can save on shipping charges. The other mounts shouldn't take as much effort or time. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VohlKVfGa5TZ7fYuzjFbbcpwoyaVBmlEFrvxwW2qzR2zM5bKKPuQWIYXI_D7P9VZ6DXfjua9TpyLSkYJyx9gvIs6MRVBW7oRufnevNACQQ_PgWTv4viVfIWZQfSIrgmQpEyxKj7q_sE/s1600/headmount1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VohlKVfGa5TZ7fYuzjFbbcpwoyaVBmlEFrvxwW2qzR2zM5bKKPuQWIYXI_D7P9VZ6DXfjua9TpyLSkYJyx9gvIs6MRVBW7oRufnevNACQQ_PgWTv4viVfIWZQfSIrgmQpEyxKj7q_sE/s400/headmount1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673602177536824370" /></a><br />Here is another screen grab from the assembly model in Solidworks. All the detail has not been modelled on the light as it has so far not been necessary.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho753ZuAEe4d-FXjeXfM6qaYCF856E-E2Vae_ybZ-eGoc1e2LG5ROULZUVR9Pp_IGkTKQjNKWRckgwJCYOBuhvmTbx5XZJb7xsV04rKYeT0Bvv-WpVAM8UIdTTjxvgTdFO4w6kdzZpeVc/s1600/assembly1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 391px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho753ZuAEe4d-FXjeXfM6qaYCF856E-E2Vae_ybZ-eGoc1e2LG5ROULZUVR9Pp_IGkTKQjNKWRckgwJCYOBuhvmTbx5XZJb7xsV04rKYeT0Bvv-WpVAM8UIdTTjxvgTdFO4w6kdzZpeVc/s400/assembly1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5673603218183189826" /></a><br />I will continue to post more as progress allows. I need to get out and ride my bike a bit more too before the snow flies.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-70727894131512474152011-11-05T17:08:00.004-04:002011-11-05T17:23:39.212-04:00Manufacturing ProjectHere are a few shots of my current project where I get to exercise my brain. It is going to be a lighting system for biking and skiing. It will be completed in collaboration with brother Cam who is working on the electronics end. <br /><br />The first shot shows the cooling area at the back and the LED cluster mounted in the recess without any optics other than just the clear acrylic cover for protection. All of the circumferential holes are just for lightening and hopefully they don't slow down heat transfer too much.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbTZeVYcruAW_LN8XwJ_1LroITasiZBDDkzxr5SlIrlpQxxIqqTMwOU6RHBI-os8babfU-aJHDS3sCM4WK4ctWnw6Pj670bYQq9p6PZPy5t-ygnRv9wfY1ppY3qPwJH0oSRrR8uIrBTA/s1600/light1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbTZeVYcruAW_LN8XwJ_1LroITasiZBDDkzxr5SlIrlpQxxIqqTMwOU6RHBI-os8babfU-aJHDS3sCM4WK4ctWnw6Pj670bYQq9p6PZPy5t-ygnRv9wfY1ppY3qPwJH0oSRrR8uIrBTA/s400/light1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671622775455519586" /></a><br />This next view shows the back with the lightening holes in the cooling fins and the front with the 18 deg. spread lens in place behind the acrylic cover. The screw sticking radially out the side will be for mounting the unit to a helmet or bar mount.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnsUfb9UO0A_aOJL8tQ5ELvsfnN596aliUBCgWXDNj-2UF-L79XAUgbMYxIkuRbQeb_rfxstApBPRIQ3U50V59pKS7AIAwx0bGlvg7wLK_-Sk7IJ7fQWwhOCf-1tKleTjQKwVPAJMAMs/s1600/light2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdnsUfb9UO0A_aOJL8tQ5ELvsfnN596aliUBCgWXDNj-2UF-L79XAUgbMYxIkuRbQeb_rfxstApBPRIQ3U50V59pKS7AIAwx0bGlvg7wLK_-Sk7IJ7fQWwhOCf-1tKleTjQKwVPAJMAMs/s400/light2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671623619607501122" /></a><br />The overall dimensions are 30 mm in diameter and a little less than that in length. In operation so far it gets too hot to hold but not too hot to touch. I think that it is not yet working at full power as the voltage of my packs is a little less than ideal for the buck puck regulator that I am using. Anyway further updates will come as advances warrant...Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-85180553544436218402011-11-04T22:16:00.004-04:002011-11-04T22:52:14.126-04:00Lookout Bambi!This is just to show a few photos of the mountain bike transporter (my car) after an early morning run in with a deer. <br /><br />Tuesday morning last week under the growing glow in the eastern sky on a dark country road south of Barrie, I had a deer run out in front of the car from the left. I managed to slow before an unavoidable impact that sent the deer off to the right towards the ditch. It was a real surprise that initially left me wondering if it had indeed occurred. After a couple hundred metres, my buckled hood confirmed my suspicions and I pulled over in the darkness. While the damage was extensive, there was no rad fluid leaking so I carried on to school and then later drove the car back to Barrie to a local body shop. There was no sign of the deer other than the hair left on my license plate holder so it's fate remains unknown.<br /><br />$5600 later I am due to get the car back tomorrow. That will be great as I surely miss the hatch back and bike rack. The Hyundai Sonata that I got as a rental was okay but not to my bike related tastes. The trunk would barely hold a fully dissambled hard tail. - Weak sauce... <br /><br />Below are a couple pictures showing the front end damage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuri-l47_mN683VAxQR89njoxPXpn_lbQiyGeKXQhoz-KQevAxM0h271m-Pwzp_NHtWcpLh1_w5MhqZp0iK3Bmuqjni6mpCA3ytCvanjhyil0gdi7bAakVPQEpED_A__KhGDiUSW-vck/s1600/deer1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuri-l47_mN683VAxQR89njoxPXpn_lbQiyGeKXQhoz-KQevAxM0h271m-Pwzp_NHtWcpLh1_w5MhqZp0iK3Bmuqjni6mpCA3ytCvanjhyil0gdi7bAakVPQEpED_A__KhGDiUSW-vck/s400/deer1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671337096880047266" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0a5akCPi1jnX2YT2x_AJEkxe6dDaWpQHdrkAYLxEn3MHYosvOoUiHYJD4ipPIYN3k88ZO5ze8yuntUrUxRi0ynbMz_gCtZNri-jctJ2nedVMT-uIMsNv3IbmuJkQzFkb10X59KekbTTY/s1600/deer2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0a5akCPi1jnX2YT2x_AJEkxe6dDaWpQHdrkAYLxEn3MHYosvOoUiHYJD4ipPIYN3k88ZO5ze8yuntUrUxRi0ynbMz_gCtZNri-jctJ2nedVMT-uIMsNv3IbmuJkQzFkb10X59KekbTTY/s400/deer2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671337222125379794" /></a><br />At least it enabled nice easy access to fill the wiper fluid.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-<br />0SVoVr8ynLY/TrSjPo3eXeI/AAAAAAAAANQ/TvViLX8qjhU/s1600/deer3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeOzjH32cWR_sBzc88MkPS2uLEoeOZqb-OEEllHl8eZhRa_BKeCzH0vtxZZmRqaEAS27LcLnl-LzjgRS4QDkQSbCmUK2s6hPEkm1GuEY6CF_67ztTNwbyjf8jXD4kcB11uDd3SX1dnvo/s400/deer3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671337319829757410" /></a><br />That there be deer hair...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hMXMax_smcoiStvVbilBq0Y8A3zhqo_89AzBvanyVxSyJoOBmdktmU3Q6ikHDrLPaHqfbQb0t0BeFdNDSyL3SeYptLLRn5_vI5ZcEVKQKxbl2_2Qcb2QYqXzKXwuBsz6YUl5LxXvDG8/s1600/deer4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hMXMax_smcoiStvVbilBq0Y8A3zhqo_89AzBvanyVxSyJoOBmdktmU3Q6ikHDrLPaHqfbQb0t0BeFdNDSyL3SeYptLLRn5_vI5ZcEVKQKxbl2_2Qcb2QYqXzKXwuBsz6YUl5LxXvDG8/s400/deer4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671337431496229426" /></a><br />Maybe through some miracle the deer made it out alright but I suspect otherwise. In any case my advice would be to avoid large mammals when piloting a motor vehicle as they can do some real damage.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-10097041075639988122011-10-18T23:28:00.004-04:002011-10-18T23:53:28.119-04:00One by NineThis is just a short blurb to show my handy work from the summer when I converted my bike to a 1 x 9 setup. I had been thinking about it for a while and I had a worn out drive train and XT chainrings are expensive so it was the perfect opportunity.<br /><br />The setup is based on an e-13 / mrp BB mount type with a guide like I saw on the Specialized website. It has a plate that clamps between the out board bearing cup of the bottom bracket and the bottom bracket shell of the frame. It allows for vertical adjustment of the actual guide to accommodate different size chainrings and a couple spacers to allow for different offsets of the chain line depending on the model of ring. Right now I am using either a 32 or 34 tooth Salsa ring for MTB and a 36 tooth Black Spire for 'cross. The whole thing weighs around 45 gms and allowed me to drop at least a pound of derailleur, shifter, and cable off my bike and I swear it is slightly noticeable.<br /><br />It functions like a dream and I have never dropped my chain once so this would now definitely be my preferred setup. It cleans up the bar and simplifies shifting while still providing all the gearing range I need for 99% of my riding.<br /><br />I made the whole thing with only a hack saw, drill, files, and a router. Not bad I dare say. I like to imagine what I could do with a milling machine. Actually I suppose I did use my lathe to get the spacers to an accurate size. Anyway there is not much I could think of changing other than to make it prettier and shorten the screws so they don't stick out the back so far.<br /><br />The pictures below were taken at the end of my last bike race so there is a little mud but not too bad. The photos themselves are horrendously out of focus so I evidently need to learn how to manually focus my compact camera. The ground is in lovely sharp focus but the actual subject matter is at least 6 beers blurry. This was not identifiable on the camera's screen so I didn't realize when I took the shot. I will try to take another that looks better later. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHkOuTMTcYZJP7iUlHBBqaOsnzELij3BlWRjXwbYdBxXZL01h9YNgurBKfoDqJRBa57TH-iKTxi3YUIh46ncCW7ukC2ubcE3l8h5T9XqJ733kG2xWSzXLlZP5KuNcVEIk_FM0YZROqWI/s1600/CG1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivHkOuTMTcYZJP7iUlHBBqaOsnzELij3BlWRjXwbYdBxXZL01h9YNgurBKfoDqJRBa57TH-iKTxi3YUIh46ncCW7ukC2ubcE3l8h5T9XqJ733kG2xWSzXLlZP5KuNcVEIk_FM0YZROqWI/s400/CG1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665044824889215842" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5UyDhBBEeXjarNV2C8Ue2PC57Nw4IipgkRCpGnaiYnKveJFdxNX_4_yRbwhGvGrTs5zwWj6LRt2JzpjxRUEuYCZNlawNxXmA8RhJRBPSOMDjBfwpzCF_GazAx83gN_IW3zWYOmFo1q8/s1600/CG2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5UyDhBBEeXjarNV2C8Ue2PC57Nw4IipgkRCpGnaiYnKveJFdxNX_4_yRbwhGvGrTs5zwWj6LRt2JzpjxRUEuYCZNlawNxXmA8RhJRBPSOMDjBfwpzCF_GazAx83gN_IW3zWYOmFo1q8/s400/CG2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665045014037216226" /></a><br />One interesting thing to note about this setup is that now when I am on my road bike, I always forget to use my front shifter and regularly find myself cross chained from rings to cassette. This is of course not ideal but I imagine it is just an adjustment to ride two different ways.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-61369312517244057712011-10-17T22:37:00.014-04:002011-10-18T23:55:06.135-04:00Final MTB Event for 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvC1TeHxCZ1nZ8yve8FiO-i2f9vqB2rKH1dZJt2Zh9iTnVpfJ7-9L7AWtvbA3lMHkQmQuSC-Q6phemhzotnLMrQnF1dT88pMctwgFGtQzDlh9duI9R9LfYiXKwIpRa0uc76yfntKZbsY/s1600/STC0.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 129px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvC1TeHxCZ1nZ8yve8FiO-i2f9vqB2rKH1dZJt2Zh9iTnVpfJ7-9L7AWtvbA3lMHkQmQuSC-Q6phemhzotnLMrQnF1dT88pMctwgFGtQzDlh9duI9R9LfYiXKwIpRa0uc76yfntKZbsY/s200/STC0.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664656520480750770" /></a><br />The end of last week and the start of the weekend held a lot of precipitation for the Barrie area but Sunday dawned with some sun in the sky and a stout wind drying the trails. <br /><br />It was the day for what would be the final competitive mountain bike event on the OCA calendar and it looked to be a good one. Despite a lousy sleep Saturday night due to wakeful children, I felt pretty awake myself once I got going. I left the house around 8:30am and the shot below shows the car loaded and heading up the road. Rechecking the straps on the bike rack afforded the opportunity for this shot as I don't typically stop on the side of the road to take pictures of the car. <br /><br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOS-H0upa0LW83kTdyqllJFLRh_eBzPHGzz-KDizWVJhYxBZRQtCR6gLQvBTOKWu9yjuVrkew2SAT2H51SQ0JX6-MmtKL_rmUUYiADhRJzwPpa_MJQthO9gwPkkGGVP24ZKEUzpsENUI/s1600/STC1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOS-H0upa0LW83kTdyqllJFLRh_eBzPHGzz-KDizWVJhYxBZRQtCR6gLQvBTOKWu9yjuVrkew2SAT2H51SQ0JX6-MmtKL_rmUUYiADhRJzwPpa_MJQthO9gwPkkGGVP24ZKEUzpsENUI/s320/STC1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664658296969478466" /></a><br />When I got to Hardwood Hills it looked wet but drying, without any standing water in sight. I made my way up to the chalet and transition / start / finish area to see where I could stow my cooler with refreshments. The fall colours were looking good and there was lots of blue sky broken up with clouds being shredded in the the wind. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_NG4WsgR4ptYIljs9Y1-0Faplgriy5AO8X0PBPSpZncYIzfLOoX01PvF-o2YLwl11ZtE_y6FCM4J-HZ4dXYpX3iE2jvvOPiiX9W_pfThdXNJJ6Em2ATRKInj7IMCfF6XL339wy0ANwo/s1600/STC2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_NG4WsgR4ptYIljs9Y1-0Faplgriy5AO8X0PBPSpZncYIzfLOoX01PvF-o2YLwl11ZtE_y6FCM4J-HZ4dXYpX3iE2jvvOPiiX9W_pfThdXNJJ6Em2ATRKInj7IMCfF6XL339wy0ANwo/s320/STC2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664659635074060338" /></a><br />There was also a Specialized demo day on but my focus was on the race at hand instead of worrying about 29'ers and full suspension as earlier in the year.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPGzg-NEh5WKxm2jgxRwedPeR0N8MLuIFMZCPU8V6l0Qt2PYmw2FMPVcxa7AsqIVMuBCQ6DRmSR4uZd7_udQcjKBtX54mtLKKesWW3Aes2G4npgHtbngrEUAQGmSKbs0olV9XnRTGNIk/s1600/STC3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPGzg-NEh5WKxm2jgxRwedPeR0N8MLuIFMZCPU8V6l0Qt2PYmw2FMPVcxa7AsqIVMuBCQ6DRmSR4uZd7_udQcjKBtX54mtLKKesWW3Aes2G4npgHtbngrEUAQGmSKbs0olV9XnRTGNIk/s320/STC3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664661478494234962" /></a><br />While I was up there I was able to exchange the event shirt that I picked up with the race kit the day before. Apparently size small doesn't fit too well even if it <span style="font-weight:bold;">I</span>S in the pile that says 'large'. I headed back to the car with a good amount of time to prepare and got all the tire pressures sorted and adjusted the seat post and gears. These are a couple shots of the parking / pit area and the inside of my cooler with a bunch of pre-mixed bottles, 'food' and some emergency supplies - zip ties, 3-way, chain breaker, and a tube. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SNkyEeCPyH7RFuoXJTrQQntMZpjVDKBvtq4UDQetbZ5rJFEnfVpz5bhPzNYGrfnMHGkvCrcjuLcFwcFZktKhFlL1uFGFlSLK-aHK4KeDzzQjtA5VXv4hxLohQ_Sov5PSMvOHJEc2j5w/s1600/STC4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2SNkyEeCPyH7RFuoXJTrQQntMZpjVDKBvtq4UDQetbZ5rJFEnfVpz5bhPzNYGrfnMHGkvCrcjuLcFwcFZktKhFlL1uFGFlSLK-aHK4KeDzzQjtA5VXv4hxLohQ_Sov5PSMvOHJEc2j5w/s320/STC4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664662455612280226" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Q2pT9Tu0aQESqd5QDUcBRFGmfm9bbqVEBAuIdAwH1cSeiAnVcBdPvn0wg2ekzNuAYTWW7Ymfczy5DG9KtczXnifKaYob2GBmPMEcNfSbCmhZRxGzDgrckwpdlEb3hJKjJpQg7zeR4Jg/s1600/STC5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Q2pT9Tu0aQESqd5QDUcBRFGmfm9bbqVEBAuIdAwH1cSeiAnVcBdPvn0wg2ekzNuAYTWW7Ymfczy5DG9KtczXnifKaYob2GBmPMEcNfSbCmhZRxGzDgrckwpdlEb3hJKjJpQg7zeR4Jg/s320/STC5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664662821471106898" /></a><br />I got my cooler of stuff and a floor pump stashed just past the start / transition area so I could access it easily mid-race and did a bit of warm up just to make sure my shoes were adjusted and feeling good. <br /><br />We lined up for the 10:00am start and then were off at a rather leisurely pace. 50 km is a long way to sort out the finishing order so there is no sense in tearing off the start and blowing up after 20 km or so. I took it really easy for the first course which is called 'Serious' and is about a 10 km loop with a bit of moderate climbing and no technical challenge. It is a fun track to race on and I passed when ever it was easy and didn't require any serious efforts. As I said there is a long way yet to go. The picture below was from the end of this lap as I ditched the arm warmers at the cooler before lap #2. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNfpPrqF3AvEFotxFzZOvgI7r2kEMjkA178Anp1Qpveev3NqEbnV34siDXIdLdYvkazQWv7Mk2HD-hbC-7u7qYVk-S_p1LXiZlFihxScb2fXzxy6n72tdI6LL-7i8_xD8kuVXa2Dssjo/s1600/HHST1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNfpPrqF3AvEFotxFzZOvgI7r2kEMjkA178Anp1Qpveev3NqEbnV34siDXIdLdYvkazQWv7Mk2HD-hbC-7u7qYVk-S_p1LXiZlFihxScb2fXzxy6n72tdI6LL-7i8_xD8kuVXa2Dssjo/s320/HHST1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664664937765514898" /></a><br />Next we were on to the trail called 'Radical' which is super challenging and technical for a race course. It is 15 km of short, steep ups and downs which are littered with slippery roots punctuated with deep erosion holes. It is very hard to carry any momentum and within the first 800m your heart is pounding. Remembering how I blew up on this trail last year in this event, I made a conscious effort to pace myself and save my legs as I knew it would matter later on in the race. I caught and passed a few people including one guy who fell at least three times while I was behind him. He was all over the place and while he was fit enough, his skills made him look like it was his first time on a mountain bike. The funny thing is how long it took me to go around him, as most of the time the trail was so constricted it was easier for me to dismount and run up behind him than try to ride some of the climbs. Anyway towards the end, he wiped out again and I jumped off my bike to save myself. I felt that familiar vice tighten on my one hamstring but it didn't result in a lasting cramp so that was good. I realized he was a serious detriment to my progress and passed by in a rare open bit and made it stick with a short effort. As I got to the end of that trail it was nice to realize that the hardest terrain and half the total distance were behind me.<br /><br />Next we did a super easy trail called 'Cranked'. It is 8 km of flowing single track that people often ride on cross bikes. There is nothing hard or technical but it is amazing how the previous two trails can make it feel like there is. This course is pretty much just recovery and on my way through the transition I restocked my gels and bottle. This trail passed with out incident and it was interesting to note how few people I was seeing at this point. Right near the end another rider caught me and we finished the lap together. Here is a shot from near the end of the loop going down a fun little roller before the finish straight.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRD8dufAy9kuMkJHuXcr1kiHbfTs7BxiK-OZ57I64YCf3Nroip8TZA39c3JLce9Yf3afWSKGFEwbQLwld6Ag32aRTIIp4o_xcziGXhefuz4xQ2pLQ4IoAkLWztkSIn43R0tFDH8A45E6w/s1600/HHST2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRD8dufAy9kuMkJHuXcr1kiHbfTs7BxiK-OZ57I64YCf3Nroip8TZA39c3JLce9Yf3afWSKGFEwbQLwld6Ag32aRTIIp4o_xcziGXhefuz4xQ2pLQ4IoAkLWztkSIn43R0tFDH8A45E6w/s320/HHST2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664669117450436866" /></a><br />Onto the second last lap on the trail called 'Gnarly', and yes I pronounce that with an accentuated, hard 'G'. The course is 12 km with only a few modestly technical sections but some really extended climbing (for Hardwood anyway). I was feeling recovered a bit but this is where you learn how well you paced yourself on the previous challenging terrain. It can all go wrong quickly as I learned last year while spending numerous occasions at the side of the trail waiting for my legs to uncramp. I rode with that other guy for the first two thirds of the loop until I left him on a couple of the climbs. I think he was hurting worse than I now was but so far the legs were still working and I continued to try to stay out of the red. One other rider passed both of us but I was able to keep him mostly in sight towards the end of the lap.<br /><br />One last one to go called 'Fun'. It is a short 5 km that is single track for sure but you might get through on a road bike on a dry day. Super fast when you are fresh and a fun trail to try to ride without using your brakes unless absolutely necessary. Despite the easy nature of the loop it can feel pretty deadly at the end of a 50 km race as I found out last year. This year I was feeling better so I tried to push the pace up the long gradual climb at the start. After a while I felt that adductor thing start to tighten so I backed off a bit. About this time the guy who had passed me previously and who I was now catching literally dove off his bike with a howl and landed bent over with his legs spread and his feet about 5 ft apart. As I got close I asked if he was okay and he just said "Cramping .... so much fun". He was okay so I carried on for the rest of the lap alone and put in a pretty good effort to finish it off. This is a shot right at the end of the lap in the same spot as the previous photo. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8QxAX6mTBqSMAtubrHDuDJKVo56bEWCMnvKI9RAvxl-1LVtvdp6UnYvR6D0CXMEAWtuRWfnuYMUfPu0tmJ6TnnAxXf0mtCsc9oagRX_KqmDG3ghiz7nTFnH6MNn6h2TIdTYWoWEsr9s/s1600/HHST3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 212px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8QxAX6mTBqSMAtubrHDuDJKVo56bEWCMnvKI9RAvxl-1LVtvdp6UnYvR6D0CXMEAWtuRWfnuYMUfPu0tmJ6TnnAxXf0mtCsc9oagRX_KqmDG3ghiz7nTFnH6MNn6h2TIdTYWoWEsr9s/s320/HHST3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664672703855928690" /></a><br />I ended up finishing one and a half minutes slower than last year but I actually did better as the conditions were a lot more challenging. My time was about 3 hours 35 minutes and I finished with 80 % of the leaders speed which was up from 77% last year. That put me at 17th of 51 starters in my age category. It was a decent race overall although I have felt sort of fat and slow this fall which may have something to do with no races for a 2 month stretch through the summer. Here is a shot of the finish area in front of the chalet. You can see the wind blowing the covers on the speakers in the foreground.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8alICZ1g_hA5MWLXnGt7flyq9P8L_EselPxMx4QC1TbB1ZphN-mhKbU0NGyIP3-txXvEFb3xIQlLlnepA8Wmz5C3lKSsz9Wqb5EgMCh0DfL-kg1uLYJdQq4Zkcdh4W1H8D4wZBclmIM/s1600/STC55.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8alICZ1g_hA5MWLXnGt7flyq9P8L_EselPxMx4QC1TbB1ZphN-mhKbU0NGyIP3-txXvEFb3xIQlLlnepA8Wmz5C3lKSsz9Wqb5EgMCh0DfL-kg1uLYJdQq4Zkcdh4W1H8D4wZBclmIM/s320/STC55.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664674006864306498" /></a><br />Here is one last shot showing how nice a day it turned out to be with some blue sky and that amazing clarity you sometimes get when there is not even a hint of haze. It is like you can see a new horizon when you stand somewhere high and the distances seem closer and clearer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrXQGqEu6N_1FOZuUW0f1XIs__s9a5lVhKw3yb7gBdoWYyCbFSz2w1jKkNO4-620Lytz1c-L7pTcuEfUGcN4uj7_a8YjF4gx3xcP0tlKY7ZrTwNyMozYLS_oEiU7TZ1-GUfbcserlawE/s1600/STC6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTrXQGqEu6N_1FOZuUW0f1XIs__s9a5lVhKw3yb7gBdoWYyCbFSz2w1jKkNO4-620Lytz1c-L7pTcuEfUGcN4uj7_a8YjF4gx3xcP0tlKY7ZrTwNyMozYLS_oEiU7TZ1-GUfbcserlawE/s320/STC6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664675587086720930" /></a><br />So that is it for MTB races and with only a hand full of 'cross engagements left it may be time to start thinking about skiing - (shiver).Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-87352237068496956772011-10-11T16:42:00.005-04:002011-10-11T16:52:11.033-04:00Hill Billy PhotosHere are a few photos I have scavenged off websites. It looks like I was riding in the name of Johnny Cash for the poor and down trodden. This photo is at the top of the first climb when I was near the back of the pack off the start.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLf2br0MywdUBM3weBB0GOUcwI1-jURyEpXcSPWuYRd3Wvm9-1kgKv7AjM0Fz-uIwIRrS5jVRVCz5lbHFUz004TS3W1C6WNDyon4tjWuf7Am8yCMFwDeITIz7coTarvf4J9wlkLuRPiA/s1600/HBilly1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkLf2br0MywdUBM3weBB0GOUcwI1-jURyEpXcSPWuYRd3Wvm9-1kgKv7AjM0Fz-uIwIRrS5jVRVCz5lbHFUz004TS3W1C6WNDyon4tjWuf7Am8yCMFwDeITIz7coTarvf4J9wlkLuRPiA/s320/HBilly1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662339439813239634" /></a><br /><br />The second is over the barriers during one of the first two laps, as on the third I nearly took out the course tape in a wild dismount and lift that almost went completely wrong.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsmoE631BYABZg1jhVg9bDaq7itWY0_XZjhEL5EcviepRxFm-D2k5PjRy60jOM-Z1zhOUFHEmBy_OwV7URqaElLePKRKD6-CcgXw5SYaBlmbr83TlNv76JeAW-1hyphenhyphenkSmtG1iz_NCV_mM/s1600/HBilly2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsmoE631BYABZg1jhVg9bDaq7itWY0_XZjhEL5EcviepRxFm-D2k5PjRy60jOM-Z1zhOUFHEmBy_OwV7URqaElLePKRKD6-CcgXw5SYaBlmbr83TlNv76JeAW-1hyphenhyphenkSmtG1iz_NCV_mM/s320/HBilly2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662339573545778162" /></a><br /><br />This last one is on my way out of the tunnel on the last lap 'on the attack'. I actually kind of like this photo as usually photos of me show an exhausted, dragging cyclist who has their tongue lolling out while they gasp for breath. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLml7oe2fKJRdtKcSwM9dp54YnJM7MbiNpc5sVvLZDHdO4n4T-UjGSOb53PzHzXdGpyw8XYZRz_431nBJTnn1c6-kvzQrQqK0hqAjxIRZTGHJsfOpq9AoFQt1Zwn1JmQ2wI1z5lSeWys8/s1600/HBilly3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLml7oe2fKJRdtKcSwM9dp54YnJM7MbiNpc5sVvLZDHdO4n4T-UjGSOb53PzHzXdGpyw8XYZRz_431nBJTnn1c6-kvzQrQqK0hqAjxIRZTGHJsfOpq9AoFQt1Zwn1JmQ2wI1z5lSeWys8/s320/HBilly3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662339686236650226" /></a>Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-29607490100325495292011-10-04T14:12:00.002-04:002011-10-04T14:56:49.164-04:00Let's See a Little Hustle Out There!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHNslwVG6dYpxBj1UbPXwpxUzOiYAoESIbojonsV8HIAejCsYSANt35PNjEkJpZDmLgJ-K-TNAQAKLZ4QnmV2BhpLUQ9bk9-zMw07Ez-2CU2Q6C974GvnrKvrnW2hdpTFR7DBfYV0A0g/s1600/hillbilly.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHNslwVG6dYpxBj1UbPXwpxUzOiYAoESIbojonsV8HIAejCsYSANt35PNjEkJpZDmLgJ-K-TNAQAKLZ4QnmV2BhpLUQ9bk9-zMw07Ez-2CU2Q6C974GvnrKvrnW2hdpTFR7DBfYV0A0g/s320/hillbilly.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659701901112422002" /></a><br /><br />Sunday October 2nd saw the day dawn damp and overcast which couldn't be better unless it had been pouring rain or even snowing like at this event last year.<br /><br />I mounted up with the hard tail in 'cross trim and set out to Duntroon with a leisurely preparation period planned before the 10 am start time for my race. After picking up my numbers at the OCA table I meandered over to the Registration line and waited my turn. As I gave my name and number and held out my credit card the lady said something to the effect of "Cash only." I didn't really register until she had said it at least once more and then could only muster a "Really?" as I was totally dumbfounded at the lack of technology. Even in the backwoods of an O-Cup in Buck Wallow, Gravenhurst you can register with one of those manual credit card imprinters from days of yore. I then asked if they had a bank machine around and she looks both left and right before saying "I don't see one." <br /><br />This sort of sucked as I figured my day was done. However, Jodi and the kids were coming to watch the race so I couldn't just leave. I decided to drive back towards Stayner (10 min's.) where I could catch Jodi as she was coming to the race. Then, while at top speed for a '06 Toyota Matrix, I decided that there was a slim chance of actually grabbing some cash at the convenience store in Stayner and still making it back before the rack started. The problem would be that if registration closed 30 min's before the race I was screwed. Anyway I blazed into the Mac's, grabbed $60 out of the machine beside some weirdo who was babbling to me about his Proline picks for the upcoming week, and launched back towards Highlands Nordic up on the escarpment in the distance.<br /><br />I rocketed back into the race site, jumped on my bike and got to the chalet. As I re approached the registration table the lady looked genuinely surprised and said "Where did you find a cash machine?". I tried to stay calm and just asked if there was still time to sign up and luckily I made it onto the start list. <br /><br />Back at the car, I now had less than 20 min's to get dressed, eat a bit, check tire pressures and get over to the start line and try to scope out a bit of the course. Right then Jodi pulled up so I also helped dress Mason and get them on their way to the spectator area. <br /><br />It was a bit of a disaster and I forgot to each a gel that I had out to maintain maximum horsepower for the duration of the race. Finally I made it to the line with about 2 minutes to spare and was pretty much starting from the back like usual.<br /><br />Off the start I passed a number of people into the first climb and continued to make good headway through the first two laps. During the third I backed it off a bit when they announced three laps to go but didn't lose any places. Then in the fourth lap I started working a bit harder and went with whatever was left for the final lap. I nearly caught one more guy at the end of the last lap and I think that I should have been able to if I had started going hard sooner but in the end he beat me by just under 2 seconds. I ended up finishing 10th out of 28 starters which was ok given the pre race prep. but I would have liked to get a couple more spots. I think that the course there suits my riding strengths so hopefully next year I will have a 'cross bike and better preparation and I can do a bit better.<br /><br />If I can find any photos I will post them but I don't have any myself due to the harried start and then leaving immediately after the race as the babies and Jodi were freezing. Seems a little soft I know, so I 'm not sure if I have managed to sire any 'cross addicts. One may always hope.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-43764747682271318082011-10-01T21:54:00.014-04:002011-10-02T15:01:19.972-04:00Dukes Epic 8-Hour *Solo*At the end of September was the Epic 8 Hour Relay mountain bike race which I raced last year with Chris and Katherine Ivey. It was really fun and since they couldn't do it this year, and I had yet to do a good annual hard man challenge, I decided to enter it solo. My goal was to complete nine or ten 10 km laps in the allotted time and finish inside the top half. This would be a good challenge as the categories are only age divided and not with regards to ability so there would be pro/elite guys racing in my category. <br /><br />The run up to the race was a bit questionable since I experienced a bit of recurring knee pain the weekend prior. So my preparation in the preceding week was only a single one hour ride to rest my knee. This was not ideal but I decided it was worth entering and seeing what happened anyway. <br /><br />The day before the race it was pouring rain but the forecast was for clearing on the Saturday and Hardwood hills handles water pretty well. I got there early in the morning and made my way to the solo pits which were right beside the race course. This was handy as I was totally self supported. Below is a picture of my pit spot and the second is of my cooler of drinks and bag of food right on the side of the course. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rNSo5c37kJ1VwjjpBf58qh29Tt0uWCv7M1DTtNUDZ4kRZ4DWG8CUkSdO2BxCk2FgQ2Z5_swKqjuupbo7AxD9aJdnGflp-c1wSu2pqTwwVUwa6_ekRQTJsFktw57gw9kTsKR_dnboeYc/s1600/8hour1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rNSo5c37kJ1VwjjpBf58qh29Tt0uWCv7M1DTtNUDZ4kRZ4DWG8CUkSdO2BxCk2FgQ2Z5_swKqjuupbo7AxD9aJdnGflp-c1wSu2pqTwwVUwa6_ekRQTJsFktw57gw9kTsKR_dnboeYc/s320/8hour1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658710508051431362" /></a><br /><br />You can see the red matrix in the pit just the other side of the trees. This made for nice easy access during the race.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiotSKbnCF4d7P5zfbdHzGia-JeFzIycNTtXeqgARBQTfQm25YUra4AO7Z9EwaJ17rX068UIB0Oo3ccpelrvUq6zbdFNvkYVuI1dmKfj-gjxt1HY1BhyuB1eXuGQsHQeMPE86wEpu0L18/s1600/8hour2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiotSKbnCF4d7P5zfbdHzGia-JeFzIycNTtXeqgARBQTfQm25YUra4AO7Z9EwaJ17rX068UIB0Oo3ccpelrvUq6zbdFNvkYVuI1dmKfj-gjxt1HY1BhyuB1eXuGQsHQeMPE86wEpu0L18/s320/8hour2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658710677133960754" /></a><br /><br />Once I was finished setting up I made my way over to the finish line area to get ready for the pre-race meeting. This is a shot of the final chicane leading into the dismount area where you tapped your chip to record laps.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeqj7ht47o63fk-ljbb9JISBY7iNkC91bWk9IewsdeHlboSQ9OUQcPLGWOT8wZl0uggoZMzrGn1QRgsMgQpcUI3fn-rOnAf0e7e4y2sVLu6EiCaekeu5TMQztZJHAyrHDbKXrM7WK2po/s1600/8hour3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeqj7ht47o63fk-ljbb9JISBY7iNkC91bWk9IewsdeHlboSQ9OUQcPLGWOT8wZl0uggoZMzrGn1QRgsMgQpcUI3fn-rOnAf0e7e4y2sVLu6EiCaekeu5TMQztZJHAyrHDbKXrM7WK2po/s320/8hour3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658711573099534322" /></a><br /><br />This is a shot of the start line filling up. I wasn't in a hurry to line up and I started near the back on account of having lots of time (8 hours) ahead of me to make up for a slow paced start.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkXHhegNLmS5GIJU_v01FtJ4ThA-80Mh-Nc67YxETYkyVbECbyTEy0hLgY6R14hyLALKbvkWwaGUgDRS9CIXoLzyTY1jBG-Z3DNhsY9xxjhS029FIZYrdCRkF7dK4MTBDavQxZMjFRz4/s1600/8hour4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkXHhegNLmS5GIJU_v01FtJ4ThA-80Mh-Nc67YxETYkyVbECbyTEy0hLgY6R14hyLALKbvkWwaGUgDRS9CIXoLzyTY1jBG-Z3DNhsY9xxjhS029FIZYrdCRkF7dK4MTBDavQxZMjFRz4/s320/8hour4.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658712431215108594" /></a><br /><br />The race started out slow for me in cool weather. You can see my arm warmers in the picture below which I took off after the first lap. The conditions were wet and a bit sticky with slick roots and there were a lot of people falling all over the place while it was packed together in the first couple laps. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwbR9Kl4MIO0V3wLZlj3BN8c_W4ufMSnGYOvfvLEGOM-bzQIhZFew7fQPKarYphXIJo5DHTHaKgpcnF5836QRE77viDmq40KsefmST2Afv0w4qoN4sm8aw7lExC656WjlFL_UWj8BQb4/s1600/8hour%25230.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZwbR9Kl4MIO0V3wLZlj3BN8c_W4ufMSnGYOvfvLEGOM-bzQIhZFew7fQPKarYphXIJo5DHTHaKgpcnF5836QRE77viDmq40KsefmST2Afv0w4qoN4sm8aw7lExC656WjlFL_UWj8BQb4/s320/8hour%25230.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658713679976272450" /></a><br /><br />My initial laps where all in the 40 minute range including a couple minutes off the bike each lap to try to eat and drink what I could. The pace was nice and moderate and I made sure that I was not over extending on climbs. The course started drying and speeding up too which made it a bit more fun. Below are a couple pics showing the sun coming out and drying out the nice black single track.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPoBokje32jXTZyyFTwE7uuQLuEN9MuxXadK8xYZ64mY9ip1XlatWUzI8kz9XwZZ3QtdOGLtIEWAos9i6WU9mSMSxXh1fQa84MqNu14m27TWwo__H4rVjQVvnL_DQ-T7sTNVUdK3w7gU/s1600/8hour%25231.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPoBokje32jXTZyyFTwE7uuQLuEN9MuxXadK8xYZ64mY9ip1XlatWUzI8kz9XwZZ3QtdOGLtIEWAos9i6WU9mSMSxXh1fQa84MqNu14m27TWwo__H4rVjQVvnL_DQ-T7sTNVUdK3w7gU/s320/8hour%25231.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658714224713267314" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFUiDRQVRiTlXYhlugGE5EiFAKU309cMoL459OCUlz7zZicz53jiqRJFU4Ue8ChIoahzFEvDTx_58Q6uveF85Eb6Bd9a9833buV8_o__biGVkNkTZEFLNUsSztXrBFcLt3K9WUI0Zv8w/s1600/8hour%25232.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqFUiDRQVRiTlXYhlugGE5EiFAKU309cMoL459OCUlz7zZicz53jiqRJFU4Ue8ChIoahzFEvDTx_58Q6uveF85Eb6Bd9a9833buV8_o__biGVkNkTZEFLNUsSztXrBFcLt3K9WUI0Zv8w/s320/8hour%25232.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658714366567090002" /></a><br /><br />I had completed 6 laps inside the first four hours and it occurred to me that there was the possibility if I pushed it I might be able to get another five in the second four hour chunk. This became my goal although it became much harder to ride into the fifth and sixth hour and a weird cramping adductor in my left leg became an issue. This last riding shot must be in one of the last couple laps. My leg was cramping pretty badly as I was riding past the photog and you can sort of see me pressing the saddle into my left inner thigh to try to release the cramp.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6XDi_lJSyvdpYmkQdGm0HRhKhmoJff671P1AEg3lphS6EAXqloOJE0G18stw-MGuHDsB2LLlPjUK49uwb9cWQxAl7KSlJFM4rPzpPhwsd3fSXQFgXL7tqgQl9q_wbr8NTPmaVnFu1gQ/s1600/8hour%25233.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6XDi_lJSyvdpYmkQdGm0HRhKhmoJff671P1AEg3lphS6EAXqloOJE0G18stw-MGuHDsB2LLlPjUK49uwb9cWQxAl7KSlJFM4rPzpPhwsd3fSXQFgXL7tqgQl9q_wbr8NTPmaVnFu1gQ/s320/8hour%25233.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658715410516137218" /></a><br /><br />I ended up just making the final five laps that I wanted with six minutes to spare and was super happy as I don't think that I could have performed any better given my fitness and preparation. So I finished with eleven 10 km laps in eight hours which put me in 15th place out of 36 starters which also really pleased me. I am in awe of the guys that punched out 14 laps solo on the day to take the win. The top teams only did two more for a total of 16 so that is crazy to think that people could do 14 solo. <br /><br />The sad note of the day was that one guy passed away on course. I went by while they were administering CPR and it did not look too promising. I'm glad I wasn't the first one on that scene and that the medics were already on site. It seems strange to think that you are just heading out for a fun day of racing and then never making it back home. <br /><br />One thing that I found totally amazing was the support that everyone voiced to those of us riding solo. I have never experienced anything like the positive comments garnered from having one little extra race plate hanging under your seat. I took a picture of it below attached to my bike. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrniGWyM4vtTmUMJ5-MdLOh0co_wtW2eljjlSTCuQbQzypHBRBH9-0W1kOKQWZ5qVehYYKdzlUdUvY1AGgOzZVgyC4LXNXjLYnGuynvoyBzRijzFuVNeMOKXdO21CDQ-IhyphenhyphenSY9dd8703c/s1600/8hour5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrniGWyM4vtTmUMJ5-MdLOh0co_wtW2eljjlSTCuQbQzypHBRBH9-0W1kOKQWZ5qVehYYKdzlUdUvY1AGgOzZVgyC4LXNXjLYnGuynvoyBzRijzFuVNeMOKXdO21CDQ-IhyphenhyphenSY9dd8703c/s320/8hour5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658718078057725506" /></a><br /><br />The whole thing was overall a great challenge and experience and I'm really glad I made the effort. I think that I may try to do more of those event type races rather than just the O-cups just to keep the racing experience fresh. At the very end of the day I even walked away with a draw prize pictured below.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIqUXNZPbP9D3CV_bhwRUYbrwVd4boba5DZg4s3pDdSMdqgdGvWZHDbNkg5IU24YymjKCey6aa_CdDDmrgdjyGwZXfH-GuYkpislskLbZc5xqTpgvM1DQOeHttlzifAA0RYjLYyZPfWA/s1600/8hour6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMIqUXNZPbP9D3CV_bhwRUYbrwVd4boba5DZg4s3pDdSMdqgdGvWZHDbNkg5IU24YymjKCey6aa_CdDDmrgdjyGwZXfH-GuYkpislskLbZc5xqTpgvM1DQOeHttlzifAA0RYjLYyZPfWA/s320/8hour6.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658971784188884402" /></a>Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-9647015609552252152011-10-01T19:45:00.007-04:002011-10-01T21:31:52.117-04:00Ontario Provincials @ Highlands Nordic DuntroonI finally got back to another mountain bike race after about a two month summer hiatus on a fine Sunday Sept. 11. The day was beautiful, the course was brand new, and my expectations were non-existent as it was so long since I'd turned a pedal in anger. Here is a view of the start line which leads out and up the hill in the background. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhJq13jN1gY5_Bi29W-aZ1KKwEkj4kMEQ53JiUi2NY1PNFbxf6XqMgrWh0yJcFIrHeBDetbGZDWHNNXGJNm1MuMrQj5uiokGG4T9sN1Dc3rEYilYF91GuyOdESfRuPjAqHWd7zIWiDQA/s1600/Prov%25231.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhJq13jN1gY5_Bi29W-aZ1KKwEkj4kMEQ53JiUi2NY1PNFbxf6XqMgrWh0yJcFIrHeBDetbGZDWHNNXGJNm1MuMrQj5uiokGG4T9sN1Dc3rEYilYF91GuyOdESfRuPjAqHWd7zIWiDQA/s320/Prov%25231.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658679012006474098" /></a><br /><br />The course started out with a smooth grassy double track climb with a few steeps punctuated with short flats to get a bit of juice back. Then it transitioned to mostly single track back down which in theory sounds like the perfect ingredients for a really fun race. I found however that the fresh cut trails were very tight with lots of off camber sections where my tire choice proved sorely inadequate. It wound back around the chalet and through a tunnel which should probably be a part of all courses.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwe0KMEoCdoA3QQjY6yRuA415jIUUTHwkkAUDi_pQTxNftBY4EFYQP-OGvyuxH4AXbFFoBA0ZOdEF30b9UBovMM-Ixs-6-YNeNDwdf3Fp4TrxaqAKFkoItHapOKMrz0z2PBS4TtgFB4l8/s1600/prov%25232.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwe0KMEoCdoA3QQjY6yRuA415jIUUTHwkkAUDi_pQTxNftBY4EFYQP-OGvyuxH4AXbFFoBA0ZOdEF30b9UBovMM-Ixs-6-YNeNDwdf3Fp4TrxaqAKFkoItHapOKMrz0z2PBS4TtgFB4l8/s320/prov%25232.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658680433472342050" /></a><br /><br />My actual race was a little weak with lack lustre legs but that was no surprise since I hadn't raced in so long. My tires were not really holding grip anywhere and the course was such that knowing the single track was super important and I hadn't pre-ridden at all. In fact each subsequent lap was quicker by a couple minutes than the one previous. That never happens to me in a race but it was still a fun day and I was glad I made it out. I finished 13th out of 26 starters and that was fine since top half was my goal. It was a bit of a bummer in the last lap as I was passed by two competitors but my arms were completely shot so that I could barely hold myself up off the bars. This was a function of pretty technical singletrack and the fact that I rode the final lap with my fork lock out on after forgetting to take it off after the last lap double track climb. Anyway next year I will definitely try to pre ride and go with a much more aggressive tire. Below are a couple pics that I found online. The first shows some of the rocky singletrack and the second is where the photog conveniently caught me putting a foot down over some rocks where I probable lost ten seconds on the last lap right before the finish. I was trying to get my leg to not cramp as I remounted and another rider got right up behind me and passed me on the final climb across the line. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggw6hkTCJTmcfwmdeqR_-E6E4RZCqmng6WxirfBds6w4iIPcmspKc7hMQIlRFC7pS9l4c7xZRKTBx6kDsYPeUbe_v7fvqtO6WPw3lYXZRFs60NawU12CK-QiiCY5BMv5dSE4_rEsv1gA/s1600/prov%25233.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggw6hkTCJTmcfwmdeqR_-E6E4RZCqmng6WxirfBds6w4iIPcmspKc7hMQIlRFC7pS9l4c7xZRKTBx6kDsYPeUbe_v7fvqtO6WPw3lYXZRFs60NawU12CK-QiiCY5BMv5dSE4_rEsv1gA/s320/prov%25233.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658699512811694994" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgCBaanZ5PxK_A384Ypp3vK9RHzagVaxTHI9rNCj8tTuYaDLifRAiaVacTiNpRm1fa-OiyqsA1tKogxo39flitEjlgNmCysXkjVel-BXaVVD54I4z4660k9m3u9V-oUrD-JhZOOraoiU/s1600/prov%25234.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgCBaanZ5PxK_A384Ypp3vK9RHzagVaxTHI9rNCj8tTuYaDLifRAiaVacTiNpRm1fa-OiyqsA1tKogxo39flitEjlgNmCysXkjVel-BXaVVD54I4z4660k9m3u9V-oUrD-JhZOOraoiU/s320/prov%25234.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658699590344124402" /></a><br /><br />This last shot is of a cool little bridge that was built over an old rotted out car chassis. Those four greyish black lumps are the tires and as you rode over it, the bridge would dip as you activated what was left of the suspension of the car. It was kind of a neat little feature.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1KhAOs2aX7d2YkR-fh3VTTMGHoQUDOU_Uo3PKWdTcutqyqqEwB0ZuLKFB0zCWGEn0bk0WM1BIVrtwqZk_U5lc-17yD_1TSrge8hBXNTvEWBaFqTGBkUpmgLqqHnNEAxgWw2XnzIZFoQ/s1600/prov%25235.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn1KhAOs2aX7d2YkR-fh3VTTMGHoQUDOU_Uo3PKWdTcutqyqqEwB0ZuLKFB0zCWGEn0bk0WM1BIVrtwqZk_U5lc-17yD_1TSrge8hBXNTvEWBaFqTGBkUpmgLqqHnNEAxgWw2XnzIZFoQ/s320/prov%25235.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5658700327876742162" /></a><br /><br />Anyway I think that I would like another go at that course now that I have an idea what to expect but it will have to wait until next year.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-79225202216117558552011-06-30T20:45:00.004-04:002011-06-30T21:07:50.583-04:00Copeland Forest DHHere are a couple pictures that Brother Fras wanted to see. They are from a ride earlier in the season with Alain and Mark when Alain brought his new camera to try out. If only he had been able to round up some better subject material.<br /><br />This first shot is from part way down a fun downhill trail. There is a ladder bridge that goes out to a log with a roll down on the back side. If you hit it with a bit of pace it can be a drop which is about five feet down and maybe about ten or twelve feet out.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSXOVo_Q_ijSR1GYiPHPKoeNsydhwQ_oVyqvNQ1B05-NFQ0isO6jzmtnSatVezSv4sVbvaIAoqdu9RkksTbQAv-QUQHMrr_faPxriyq8X_OJc22XKXrFnDbMAhSXLC2hAKsKj77ny6t4/s1600/copeland1a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjSXOVo_Q_ijSR1GYiPHPKoeNsydhwQ_oVyqvNQ1B05-NFQ0isO6jzmtnSatVezSv4sVbvaIAoqdu9RkksTbQAv-QUQHMrr_faPxriyq8X_OJc22XKXrFnDbMAhSXLC2hAKsKj77ny6t4/s320/copeland1a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624178762044120674" /></a><br /><br />This next shot is from further on where the trail goes through a tightish right hander into a steeper section which is pretty fun. I am doing a funny looking lean into the turn but it is a cool shot where it is all frozen except for the front fork and wheel which look like they are working hard. Undoubtedly it is due to my fat ass rather than any excess pace I ought to be carrying. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmD48HqgFR7P-5RmBHbxQNmCVxTd7TL5IaXvyodbTyjaazzefUixO0OovgHL8STEh5JkppFF3o2F14KupTiRZ1gyrbFfDvWdoO3LVdfml8Y887eJ4H8_2iSFyW8Qq6B_U5oDL8bAXznM/s1600/copeland2a.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 229px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirmD48HqgFR7P-5RmBHbxQNmCVxTd7TL5IaXvyodbTyjaazzefUixO0OovgHL8STEh5JkppFF3o2F14KupTiRZ1gyrbFfDvWdoO3LVdfml8Y887eJ4H8_2iSFyW8Qq6B_U5oDL8bAXznM/s320/copeland2a.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624181015385061570" /></a><br /><br />Thanks to Fras for the new elbows which fit great and look cool too.<br /><br />An interesting thing happened while we were hanging out at the ladder bridge trying to figure out where a picture might look good from. A group of riders came through flying down the trail and half way across the bridge one of them says, "Trevor - Trevor Charles..". It turns out it was Steve Mitges who had recognized me mid stunt somehow and Jany was right behind however so concentrating on the ride that she kept straight on. We met up again later and caught up a bit so it was fun to see them again. They looked as strong as ever and are an inspiration as athletes and all round dudes.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-64653115158269302052011-06-30T16:46:00.006-04:002011-06-30T21:08:28.872-04:00O-Cup #4 Albion HillsI think that this race was only a week after the Canada Cup at Hardwood. I decided to skip the midweek race there in favour of going and pre-riding the course at Albion so on Wednesday after school, my colleague and fellow Team Thornton Ice Cream Parlour member Mark Harvey and I went down to Bolton to ride. This was in the face of looming unstable weather but we figured that we could rise above anything the heavens could throw at us.<br /><br />When we got there we met three women who had been out riding and one of them had a titanium full suspension Kona - very nice. We asked them where the course was marked out and they directed us towards some marker arrows. As we rode we noticed that the arrows were pretty sparse and that some intersections were left unmarked. The trails were pretty good although a little wet due to rain fallen earlier in the week. <br /><br />As we rode we eventually got to an area which was better marked and realized that the previous section we had been directed to was not actually part of the course. We finished a lap on the actual course and found it to be very fast and flowy and guaranteed to be a very fun race course. When we finished the lap, we popped out in a parking lot away from where our car was parked. The weather was closing in and there was a regular rumble of approaching thunder. I decided to squeeze in another lap and Harv headed back to the car.<br /><br />As I rode, the thunder became pretty much constant and soon large lightning strikes became visible as the sky darkened almost to the point of being like dusk. When I got to the point where the course did a road crossing I decided to bail out with about a quarter of the lap to go as the lightning was now regular and some fat rain was starting to fall. This is where my route finding and sense of direction fell apart. <br /><br />Initially I turned right onto the road and went a way with out seeing anything I recognized until deciding to turn around about (unbeknownst to me at this time) one bend before I would have come to a point where I knew where I was. I rode back the way I had come past the race course exit point and on all the way out of the park. The only positive thing was that I was moving away from where the main storm activity was occurring. Eventually I got to a sign for Palgrave and came to the realization that I was no where near where I needed to be, so I turned around for the second time and started to reluctantly head back into the thick of the storm. I then passed another mountain biker who was headed toward me as he escaped the weather and got some directions from him. Sure enough I figured out that I had been going the right way in the first place but never went far enough.<br /><br />Now that I was headed in the right direction, I just put my head down and pedaled as the rain came down heavier and the sky was lit with a regular flash of lightning. These are about the only weather conditions that I really dislike riding in as the lightning is a real hazard but there is not much to do other than push on as there are no particularly good spots to shelter and the faster you go the sooner you are out of it. When I finally got back to the parking lot I was a little shocked to see the car was gone. My immediate thought was that Mark had made good on his 'threat' to head back to Barrie if he didn't see me in 30 minutes. Then I figured that he had probably headed over to the other parking lot where the race course dumped out to save me the ride back. A good and generous plan if it hadn't been for the fact that I had bailed off the course early. Coupled with my short excursion outside the park as I incompetently tried to find my way back, he wouldn't have passed me on the road and we completely missed each other. <br /><br />After the worst of the electrical storm and rain had passed I headed back out and over to the other course parking and we met up on the road half way there. As it turned out we just got a little wet and all ended well so it was just a bit of excitement and adventure to spice up an otherwise mundane week. <br /><br />As I said, the race course was super fun and fast, with flowy single track and high speed double track. I have a few pictures of myself below from the race that I found on some of the race day photo websites.<br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SflGlDZs3IOCnHfVJWzXOVnXZeKyfP0Su32BNjdhtcSS2qQxU5FKPjmHLVdLAqxGCTuV09wZO0xVNXzY7X1kJte0uAoazKI_SjsjMFExD2e-qwoA-Y-8CDlK4NHmD7wPpON2kPueOWk/s1600/albion2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SflGlDZs3IOCnHfVJWzXOVnXZeKyfP0Su32BNjdhtcSS2qQxU5FKPjmHLVdLAqxGCTuV09wZO0xVNXzY7X1kJte0uAoazKI_SjsjMFExD2e-qwoA-Y-8CDlK4NHmD7wPpON2kPueOWk/s320/albion2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624163136788330994" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vVwsb8XiUtHYTMvcwinnKAjaH1U59XoX2ZI23pOHN4q2OSH04L066tqren9jiPd_hl6L2TbXqTyhyHEhjWN9JKQk7OZrLd72yiNYPynnOIk9el-QQMUUdL2ljSYHam2XPyJ2aKzfgpk/s1600/albion1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vVwsb8XiUtHYTMvcwinnKAjaH1U59XoX2ZI23pOHN4q2OSH04L066tqren9jiPd_hl6L2TbXqTyhyHEhjWN9JKQk7OZrLd72yiNYPynnOIk9el-QQMUUdL2ljSYHam2XPyJ2aKzfgpk/s320/albion1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624163131860232658" /></a><br /><br />The next couple are from another site and I think that I like them a bit better over all.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaq16v_zKD-uABMNOo1lc6J9nMbXlXtrec_TuEaQk-vh_2uCxJIAL96HLUzOEGTvV1UGqveSHq3G_SWHVrrdgIRzu4-e77qv7o8_UmJJZb8h9JQw8t9rfFZS3jkeyKgRF8q5Vcc1ULSXU/s1600/albion4.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaq16v_zKD-uABMNOo1lc6J9nMbXlXtrec_TuEaQk-vh_2uCxJIAL96HLUzOEGTvV1UGqveSHq3G_SWHVrrdgIRzu4-e77qv7o8_UmJJZb8h9JQw8t9rfFZS3jkeyKgRF8q5Vcc1ULSXU/s320/albion4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624163607044970834" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7ZcuTHrQbKNKg_rf8HpKuCYVmfOu2ensC-yc74YIEFtAXOWb4QtCVDPkkijGXRR3PM8eaDL8yyoepXjJUm0OKOHGP5ZR5x8zydc6-6QkaIjxAOky0Dq37np3JukUooYhjPofr-XLiuY/s1600/albion3.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7ZcuTHrQbKNKg_rf8HpKuCYVmfOu2ensC-yc74YIEFtAXOWb4QtCVDPkkijGXRR3PM8eaDL8yyoepXjJUm0OKOHGP5ZR5x8zydc6-6QkaIjxAOky0Dq37np3JukUooYhjPofr-XLiuY/s320/albion3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624163597355128482" /></a><br /><br />The last cool thing that I will mention about this race was that it was the third time in quick succession that I serendipitously met Jany Mitges after not seeing her for a few years. Jany is obviously some sort or machine as you can notice the stark difference between her picture and mine shown previously. While I am huffing and puffing my guts out onto my handlebars, she has the apparent presence of mind to do a little mugging for the camera and thow up a 'peace bra'. At least I have something to aspire to.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzBZYsGB8Mf3_nw5vx_dJ2jO6ekbHC1xlfuymLiuriS5aa8rvFokZD8Zh2Ua5rQs4zqLCsF4zmuNMJe78jf38LFC5mCSY8ogivDJN9c7wtNJgUhAStCWsgqm2mYAsw6J-1nxjZr05ohI/s1600/albionjanie.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzBZYsGB8Mf3_nw5vx_dJ2jO6ekbHC1xlfuymLiuriS5aa8rvFokZD8Zh2Ua5rQs4zqLCsF4zmuNMJe78jf38LFC5mCSY8ogivDJN9c7wtNJgUhAStCWsgqm2mYAsw6J-1nxjZr05ohI/s320/albionjanie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624164838597195746" /></a><br /><br />Overall, I thought the race went pretty well for me as I finished ninth and rode well without any leg cramps and could barely walk at the end. I definitely didn't leave with anything left in the tank and it took a couple of days for the soreness to leave my legs and back.<br /><br />Anyway that is it for now. The next post will just be a couple DH pics from earlier this year.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-2628373541611696442011-06-24T21:17:00.004-04:002011-06-24T22:03:21.839-04:00See Blog Name AboveThis last year would refer to the 'Black Holes' bit in the Blog name. I will try to get back to this with a bit more frequency - Even more than once a year? - why yes, but why not? Anyway over the next couple I will try to update the bike racing situation for those that are clamouring for news.<br /><br /><strong>Mansfield O-cup #1</strong><br />Disaster. Totally sick. As in a virus - not as in 'Totally awesome'. 15 minutes back of the leaders. Disaster. Should probably have stayed home except that there was a flat out ripping double track downhill that was worth the price of admission.<br /><br /><strong>Woodnewton O-cup #2</strong><br />Skipped it. Still sick. Yup, the virus thing. Don't think that I missed much as I heard it was a deluge and too much of the course was over grass. How about some singletrack instead of some one's lawn.<br /><br /><strong>Hardwood Hills O-cup #3 / Canada Cup</strong><br />This is where things have started to get back on track although it was a very shaky lead up on the week before. To elaborate I was basically over the sickness - yes same one - and felt like my fitness was coming around. I had recently started riding on a tubeless setup that I was putting to the test on the Wednesday night race before the big weekend. This is where I was initiated to the limitations of the Stan's setup with low pressure in non UST rims. <br /><br />While going pretty fast down some double track with a nice roller in it, I got a bit of air and kicked the back end out a little. Upon landing I heard this super loud BRRAAAPP sound and found myself with almost no pressure left at all in the back tire. This was awkward but I made it back to the car and pumped it up again and it felt OK. Unbeknownst to me there was some dirt trapped between the rim bead and side wall of the tire which caused to to slowly lose air over the next lap. I found out going down a trail called coffee run where I lost pressure again through the tire burping as I was pushing hard over a rough rooty section. Back to the car for more air. I then did the race and everything felt basically OK but when I went out for a last bit of a lap on the Canada Cup course I came to an awkward spot that has a little root drop that doesn't have a great run up and an off camber landing with a weird root in the middle. I was going too slow so I tried to half wheelie drop it but ended up sort of doing a bit of a table top nose dive right into the root on the landing. The front tire jack knifed and exploded off the rim, and I hit the deck pretty hard in a shower of Stan's sealant. Great way to prepare for the race.<br /><br />After the disaster that was the C - Cup last year, I sort of figured that this might be an omen that I should cut my losses and not even show up on the Sunday. However, my lovely wife Jodi let me get back out on the Friday before so that I could attempt to reclaim my mojo. It went much better and I figured out a couple sections of the course that were very advantageous relative to how I had been riding it previously, and yes, there were tubes back in both tires. I would still like to try the tubeless set up more but I think I will wait until I have some proper rims and run a little more pressure. <br /><br />So on the Sunday race day it went pretty well and I enjoyed the course better than last year. It was still strenuous and a little technical but there wasn't quite as much gut busting technical climbing and it was a little more fun and flowy over all. I have found a picture below which was part of a super fun bit that went down some really fast double track into single track and over a couple wide A-frame planks where you could get a bit of air.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTESx5Tj7WKhfHb_mdpFtGwHsYFvVsPPnV-FL8X_ojHbI9QG5mcarwDaW89wiepKTfyplq_2OsC6S7wPDdtJfQJLoNgZ-9ZdysqY1dyYnoVNjeIPP25TLR3vu6yC1dpvyuRDnlwSH7w4/s1600/hardwood1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFTESx5Tj7WKhfHb_mdpFtGwHsYFvVsPPnV-FL8X_ojHbI9QG5mcarwDaW89wiepKTfyplq_2OsC6S7wPDdtJfQJLoNgZ-9ZdysqY1dyYnoVNjeIPP25TLR3vu6yC1dpvyuRDnlwSH7w4/s320/hardwood1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5621969908574493090" /></a><br /><br />I ended up finishing 10th overall which I was pretty happy with and best of all my race wasn't limited by cramping legs which is where they all ended last year. It seems that the Hammer Nutrition product called Perpetuum is working pretty well for me so I will likely stick with that for the foreseeable future. <br /><br />In the next couple days I will try to get together a report on Albion hills which was an awesome race.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-53056806193194108482010-06-04T22:28:00.005-04:002010-06-04T23:27:09.370-04:00The Bike NewsWell the last little while has not been too great on the bike front. After an awesome weekend of riding three weekends ago, I have mostly felt really lousy up until a night ride I just got back from tonight. As an update for the interim I will just hit the highlights. <br /><br />On the Sunday after my last entry, I had a brilliant 80 km road ride which included a 5 or 6 km section of flat gravel road. I think that from now on, any worth while road ride needs to have at least one solid "spring classics section" in it just to spice things up. Boonen doesn't shy away from the rough stuff so why should the rest of us. Also a lot of the roads around here inexplicably turn into gravel for km's at a time for no apparent reason. Maybe they just run out of asphalt and then forget to go back and finish it off.<br /><br />After that great weekend I had another Wednesday night race up at Hardwood where I felt pretty good but the results showed that I didn't actually go any faster. I ended up 1st in my age group for the course I did but there were not quite as many people there that time as in the week previous. <br /><br />The next ride I did was an easy one where I felt like crap and could never really get my legs going. I'm not sure if I was a bit sick or was fighting a virus or something but all was not well for the next while. <br /><br />Last weekend I managed to get to the Canada Cup race at Hardwood where I wondered if I should quit biking altogether. My legs where dead and I ended up 24th out of 37 in Master Sport. I was hoping for top 10 so it was a bit of a stink fest. Below is a picture of me struggling up a modest climb near the back of the pack off the start. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81PWyovUkIFA1I7wFya-za-GSzyaUi_jZAJN1FaKjCxvQLtboHoJPww9_TglRIy2f4VLQafLp8I9sFKKjCtj1jt-C83JALwpZ93UBlwzribm1ckef3QLbHBzcHYAy0fbMu3ywLYL99IU/s1600/Hwood.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81PWyovUkIFA1I7wFya-za-GSzyaUi_jZAJN1FaKjCxvQLtboHoJPww9_TglRIy2f4VLQafLp8I9sFKKjCtj1jt-C83JALwpZ93UBlwzribm1ckef3QLbHBzcHYAy0fbMu3ywLYL99IU/s320/Hwood.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479115225784181010" /></a><br /><br />I was taking a whizz up behind the chalet when I heard over the loud speaker that there were 5 minutes to the gun so the start box was pretty much full when I got there and once again I was starting from the back; not that it mattered at all that day. The whole race was a silty, dusty, powder fest with so much dirt hanging in the air you could barely see the course for the first 500 metres. There were lots of traffic jams since the field wasn't very sorted out before the single track. Before the end of the first lap I already felt like my legs were ready to go home so that was not a good sign. I don't know if I pre-rode the course too hard the day before (Saturday) after biking to school on Friday and my legs were just tired or something else was going on. Anyway I spent a lot of the race in my granny ring since it was a pretty strenuous course with a lot of climbing. By the end, my drive train was ghost shifting and / or not shifting due to the amount of powdery dust so that wasn't so great. By the end I finished it off and ended up glad that I was there. I did win a draw prize for the first time ever of some cool Mace downhill gloves. They are a bit too big so I will either try to shrink them in the washer/dryer or save them as light skate ski gloves.<br /><br />This most recent Wednesday night I got out to another midweek race at Hardwood which had the weather conditions all the opposite way. It was nice and cool but raining like a freaking monsoon. It was pouring down buckets and sections of the trail were little rivers. The crowd was a lot smaller due to the conditions but it was still a fun race except that by the end of the race my rear brake lever was pulling all the way to the bar with no stopping power whatsoever. This was weird as they were brand new pads that I had just put on right before the Canada Cup on Sunday. I sort of thought that I lost all the fluid out of the system and that I would have to buy a new lever or caliper. On further inspection after the race I found that the pad was worn down all the way to the backing plate - IN TWO RIDES!! After some research on line I realized that they must be resin pads instead of sintered metallic ones. I guess the resin pads are cheaper and quieter but disappear in the wet. My own assessment would be that they are worthless crap. Seems to defeat the entire purpose of discs if you ask me. Anyway I went back to the shop where I got them and the guy said he would get me some better replacement ones so that was cool. Anyway I finished second in my age category in that race despite the braking issues and more drivetrain problems.<br /><br />This brings me up to tonight where I had a ride in which I finally felt pretty good so I don't want to jinx it but I feel like I might be getting out of this slump. I will not ride tomorrow and try to do the O-Cup in Midland on Sunday and hope that I feel a bit better for that. I have replaced my derailleur cables and have new brake pads so hopefully my bike works well too. I will give another update after the race. <br /><br />I have included one more funny picture of Mason below. This is how he was sleeping when I went into his room this morning. It doesn't look too comfortable to me but I guess it works if you are just a little guy. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0C8YYYZ7MVS-xGSpkM0CpZ_B3E1OCpUG8XFfOlZRpD8K50BGqg-9CPPLtw3bI-I77Anzj8SWNqzDPGzJTi0OwztACaBNoYYPpihJJu2sIyddE69NFSGJLxDzY6kdmsvZJkDMT204-P4/s1600/P1010216B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0C8YYYZ7MVS-xGSpkM0CpZ_B3E1OCpUG8XFfOlZRpD8K50BGqg-9CPPLtw3bI-I77Anzj8SWNqzDPGzJTi0OwztACaBNoYYPpihJJu2sIyddE69NFSGJLxDzY6kdmsvZJkDMT204-P4/s320/P1010216B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479121353022323026" /></a>Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-42735964707865250242010-05-15T18:14:00.002-04:002010-05-15T18:35:45.302-04:00Bad Aisss<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQjAMsqPDqg29d0swcgM_OuZyv3HtTv5w2QSwFLZgpxVNHhg5UgF1mB8yO0QtxXVkP3x5Bjy_Xkxqw1aHpIWlAWn0Af6zSMviZYU35sirTOPXndmM6rkjaLWEOYZOVNfrhDLlaMNRFo8/s1600/P1010193B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQjAMsqPDqg29d0swcgM_OuZyv3HtTv5w2QSwFLZgpxVNHhg5UgF1mB8yO0QtxXVkP3x5Bjy_Xkxqw1aHpIWlAWn0Af6zSMviZYU35sirTOPXndmM6rkjaLWEOYZOVNfrhDLlaMNRFo8/s320/P1010193B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471624008330868994" /></a><br /><br />Thanks to Cam and Fras for my new birthday pedals.<br /><br />I just tried them out for the first time. I got out for a ride this Saturday afternoon to the 8th Line trails near Hardwood. It was an amazing ride. I spent about 2 1/2 hours on my bike and the trails were in amazing shape.<br /><br />I hadn't been up there in about at least a year and remember thinking that they were in need of some care which they have evidently now received. It looks like a fair bit of hard wood logging was done in some areas but they must not have been using a big skidder like when they do the pines because the terrain wasn't destroyed like it usually is after the loggers go through. <br /><br />The ride was only briefly sullied by some fat people on horses dropping big piles of crap all over the trail. The only problem with multi-use trails is that when you have a 1500 lb animal hauling a fat ass rider along the damp soft ground, it works a little bit like a roto tiller on the trail bed. I would like to stop in front of them and take a dump on the trail myself to see their reaction. <br /><br />About 1/3 of the way through there were also some sportsmen on four wheelers who were firing a paintball gun randomly into the woods. Semi retarded sportsmen with a fully automatic paintball gun - what a combo.<br /><br />Anyway,after putting those little blips behind me, I settled in for what would be an almost magical ride where the trails flew by surrounded by a sea of fresh greenery and blooming trilliums carpeting the ground as far as you could see. The conditions were tacky with great traction and the sunny sky was full of fluffy clouds. Cool temps and no humidity made it about as good as XC conditions get in a rolling Ontario forest. Blasting through bar width pairs of trees at speed using the force to ensure safety made for the best mountain bike ride yet of this season. I will definitely get back there for more riding as soon as possible. I will also try to remember a camera so that I can get a few shots on the trail.<br /><br />May your riding be fast and loamy.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-90732747920548177892010-05-15T08:23:00.008-04:002010-05-15T08:40:29.611-04:00Uncle Fras in the HouseI am just posting a few pictures from when Uncle Fras was here in Barrie with Grandpa and Nanna on Thursday. Thanks a lot for coming up guys, and thanks for the baby's Birthday presents Car and Fras.<br /><br />Uncle Fras helping Mae-Mae learn how to drive the car-car.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eu3eqRSKmRg1b14XCNLNNeGuZUURyaSAcjJuWWi83Uh2rlRrgNe1TyenUS-jkouvdjyKi2ArsEZoaKM3ufHinPyFBzPCeaQeJcDGBec0m2dKxiv59KX2lbBDFqn343-ozbt1w5zzMfw/s1600/P1010174B22.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eu3eqRSKmRg1b14XCNLNNeGuZUURyaSAcjJuWWi83Uh2rlRrgNe1TyenUS-jkouvdjyKi2ArsEZoaKM3ufHinPyFBzPCeaQeJcDGBec0m2dKxiv59KX2lbBDFqn343-ozbt1w5zzMfw/s320/P1010174B22.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471472121350643202" /></a><br /><br />Now he is ready to set off on his own once he has the sunglasses on of course.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlenEVMb_V-hiN2GuF3TsGjy5DbaALZRhmhiQiHiYnOdRLz8dOYl4zx683NBKpyumLw7RnPKhl0_0_ZWm0O2wEOR3pJSP-c1YVMbzttzNHhjqG68BDvrvD3gvT-tKrDFcJILU29SuE4E/s1600/P1010176B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVlenEVMb_V-hiN2GuF3TsGjy5DbaALZRhmhiQiHiYnOdRLz8dOYl4zx683NBKpyumLw7RnPKhl0_0_ZWm0O2wEOR3pJSP-c1YVMbzttzNHhjqG68BDvrvD3gvT-tKrDFcJILU29SuE4E/s320/P1010176B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471472386241091842" /></a><br /><br />Opening up one of the big Bucky Balls (scale around 100 000 000 000 : 1)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNetV1CR9mHtPJEicBm83K29nXmwn_bHnowpTPXv9S2hXPm-Riwkjd9XOrC1a2MQ06Na5A27bGL3FHboW-ZrtvVKoLnfMmPKSFZzH8RaUcMffoV8R7eRXA84J1mMwOPNdCLWYuyQHTEk/s1600/P1010178B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXNetV1CR9mHtPJEicBm83K29nXmwn_bHnowpTPXv9S2hXPm-Riwkjd9XOrC1a2MQ06Na5A27bGL3FHboW-ZrtvVKoLnfMmPKSFZzH8RaUcMffoV8R7eRXA84J1mMwOPNdCLWYuyQHTEk/s320/P1010178B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471472953999521570" /></a><br /><br />Babies opening their first Play-Doh (moments before Mason tried to eat it and then had a break down when Uncle Fras suggested a different course of action.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT12ede02Yz3WPMEmLDucVwcaMqu72mkPpXJss2Fp-trchjx9HTdFWoX_z6ZZ9UOq3ksFUSG5AbsalmJtGCGR8N30JptSrDXcOz_mOsmRH0-PhN_aSPnJyoFOF7UC5z3jAlM1XptH3d0c/s1600/P1010180B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT12ede02Yz3WPMEmLDucVwcaMqu72mkPpXJss2Fp-trchjx9HTdFWoX_z6ZZ9UOq3ksFUSG5AbsalmJtGCGR8N30JptSrDXcOz_mOsmRH0-PhN_aSPnJyoFOF7UC5z3jAlM1XptH3d0c/s320/P1010180B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471474159144316274" /></a><br /><br />Brenna and Fras opening the Dr. Seuss book.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9muH1TdYlfsvRtGQy2vxc0N3CHYKLpwbQ_g_zrgguueEJ7O_10pv-hyTcm4QCP7y8XZIe1hyTECds0E_Babs6GVjI4Np5xJuUTEqTnjBwICeUWrm6rRGJ9rmoF7ghVRY9VDD1kMs9JN0/s1600/P1010183B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9muH1TdYlfsvRtGQy2vxc0N3CHYKLpwbQ_g_zrgguueEJ7O_10pv-hyTcm4QCP7y8XZIe1hyTECds0E_Babs6GVjI4Np5xJuUTEqTnjBwICeUWrm6rRGJ9rmoF7ghVRY9VDD1kMs9JN0/s320/P1010183B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471474639743005890" /></a><br /><br />Brenna looking at the Dr. Seuss Birthday book with Mom in the background.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWf7tWqKpA99XK2XcZP4XynZ_1ecfQ6wPpU52xE3NDs6VHdTAwAIjzcZfDxEgP7j3zsl-IomlVUDkZH_luCUSengfHwp2Od9wuPuh8hb2XL-dKA-ygVmQpJzxC5oY1vvl_KUetpk5jeE/s1600/P1010185B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWf7tWqKpA99XK2XcZP4XynZ_1ecfQ6wPpU52xE3NDs6VHdTAwAIjzcZfDxEgP7j3zsl-IomlVUDkZH_luCUSengfHwp2Od9wuPuh8hb2XL-dKA-ygVmQpJzxC5oY1vvl_KUetpk5jeE/s320/P1010185B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471474854163651602" /></a><br /><br />Thanks again Car and Fras and Grandpa and Nanna for the gifts and a fun day.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-3944827467189590812010-05-12T23:16:00.004-04:002010-05-12T23:51:14.977-04:00Midweek RacingSo I made it out to the Wednesday night Trek Mountain Bike series at Hardwood Hills tonight. It was a nice way to get a good hard sprint type ride in midweek.<br /><br />Since last post I had a really good, hard, road ride on Monday evening that was an excellent test of my knee with no pain whatsoever so that was positive. It was probably close to 70 km (I don't have my computer mounted on my road bike yet) and the ride which initially got my knee into difficulty about a month and a half ago.<br /><br />Below is a picture of the steed at Hardwood. It was actually taken post ride but it looks like it could sub in for the before shot so that is what I will pretend.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhR5mDA93LnBIQkwrSSw28bnTYjBQUsHhAUi58R2z6ZZLoG5MV-Yr3dCZvxGBbkzh0LY2DMHgkOCgP6gj6fhmoGS4k_Vk3xyWfN61AeXdKpz5XS8oX5mEcHmDtxCuCkpJmfm0rULt-cDE/s1600/P1010171Bl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhR5mDA93LnBIQkwrSSw28bnTYjBQUsHhAUi58R2z6ZZLoG5MV-Yr3dCZvxGBbkzh0LY2DMHgkOCgP6gj6fhmoGS4k_Vk3xyWfN61AeXdKpz5XS8oX5mEcHmDtxCuCkpJmfm0rULt-cDE/s320/P1010171Bl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470591387776403554" /></a><br /><br />There were a ton of people there with close to 300 participants from very young to older. It was a nice relaxed atmosphere and the weather was perfect with cool temps and no humidity. <br /><br />The format was different than what I was used to. Rather than divide people up by age and ability over the same course, you race all age categories at once over a course of your choosing from a beginner 6 km to a tougher 15 km loop. I didn't really know this so when they told me to select my course, I just ticked the box which said <strong>'Serious ... 10 km'</strong>. I figured there would be a couple laps with other people in my age group. As it turns out there was a field over 70 strong of all categories just doing one lap. This made for a pretty short race but it was fun. <br /><br />I ended up 2nd out of 7 in my age group and 11th out of 74 overall. My time was just over 30 minutes which gave me an average speed of just over 20 km/h which doesn't seem too bad for a mountain bike race. The terrain was non technical and started with a long double track climbing section probably close to a kilometre long. This helped spread out the field before the single track. Once in the single track I only passed a handful of people and rode most of the loop on my own. Near the end I passed a hardman on a single speed when he went over his bars trying to fend off my vicious onslaught. I actually felt kind of bad because he was totally ripping it considering he only had one gear on his machine. Such is racing.<br /><br />It was pretty fun but I think that next time I might try a longer distance to get a better workout. Now that I know the system I won't be subject to the same confusion and find myself doing only a medium distance when there is more pain to be had for the same price.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaZF2p5O32SFWcHgQpNN60fRmOsYXfClMWRP5v7sdz4d0eZloxutkudir64wlyPBDlY6p_23eCuBcUty6f2lyquZXCinH42EtIoWYwTATlKrLV2tNgleD8IeOvfD9jpxGZk1OmC4AiP4/s1600/P1010173Bl.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaZF2p5O32SFWcHgQpNN60fRmOsYXfClMWRP5v7sdz4d0eZloxutkudir64wlyPBDlY6p_23eCuBcUty6f2lyquZXCinH42EtIoWYwTATlKrLV2tNgleD8IeOvfD9jpxGZk1OmC4AiP4/s320/P1010173Bl.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470595492839082338" /></a><br /><br />Above is a picture of the finish line on the left and some of the people recently finished on the right. Nice long shadows as the sun is going down. On the left you can see the dark, damp, wheel sucking mulch that hardwood has a penchant for spreading on this section of the course. It feels like riding through peanut butter (not fast). I guess it would be soft if you fell in a sprint for the line. Anyway, overall it was a good experience and now that I own the plate, I may as well try to do some more. I will also try to get down to Mississauga for some Monday night crits if possible.<br /><br />Over and out.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-84053756261617741012010-05-04T23:17:00.003-04:002010-05-04T23:44:22.654-04:00Back From HiatusWell it has been a long time since I have posted anything due to a number of varying factors but I will try to get some more news flowing for the next while. <br /><br />Two weekends ago I entered the first O-Cup mountain bike race at Mansfield in the Master Sport category. It was nice to get back to a mountain bike race although I didn't feel too great on the day. Due to a lack of sleep and a sore knee, I came away feeling as though I could have performed better but I finished 12th out of 40 entries so I guess that is not too bad all things considered. At least there is lots of room for improvement. The picture below is from the race on the final steep downhill into the finish area. The course was fun but a little dry and dusty and the weather was ideal with cool temps and no rain. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVX98TF9BvYofNXwE6n3fm_vCcaLtdcrqswYA606ifC6ILIrBOiF9lZvP4Iz2H8uOx1AMfOe_4jGhaAdUMLpnrXttSAcBKtv4zUv1OAe4ppKgaMxD1H3Wb1iv817IMJYdwFI3M982MMk8/s1600/BMBike.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVX98TF9BvYofNXwE6n3fm_vCcaLtdcrqswYA606ifC6ILIrBOiF9lZvP4Iz2H8uOx1AMfOe_4jGhaAdUMLpnrXttSAcBKtv4zUv1OAe4ppKgaMxD1H3Wb1iv817IMJYdwFI3M982MMk8/s320/BMBike.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467621452232381346" /></a><br /><br />I am looking forward to doing some more races and I will try to remember a camera so I can capture a bit of the race day atmosphere while I am there. One thing I found interesting was that I found myself on one of the cheaper, lower range bikes in the field which was crazy since it is a relatively low level of racing and my bike is not a piece of junk. Obviously there are a lot of people out there with more money for bikes than I seem to have.<br /><br />The news on my knee is that I have had a couple appointments at the Barrie Sports Medicine place (Thanks Car) and am getting some Graston (sp?) treatment done on the muscles and tendons in the area around the sore spot. The funny thing is that a week and a half ago my knee hurt from riding so I laid off for the 4 or 5 days leading up to the appointment last Friday so the swelling would go down and not obscure anything. The diagnostic tests didn't really show up much of anything so it was suggested that I go out for a hard ride to aggravate it before the next appointment which was yesterday. So Saturday I did an hour and fifteen minutes of hill intervals with very little warm up and then on Sunday I did a really hard 2 hour solo ride with no warm up at all thinking that I would barely be walking at the end of it. Nary a twinge was felt after either effort in the sore spot on my knee although my muscles definitely got their best workout so far this year on a bike. It is kind of crazy that I couldn't get it to hurt when I wanted to and previously it hurt when I tried to just nurse it through a ride. Maybe it sorted itself out a bit. <br /><br />Anyway the doc was able to find a few spots to treat with the graston stuff right in the area that used to hurt, so hopefully I will be able to see it improved for future seasons as well as right now. I am supposed to test it again before my next appointment on Friday and I can't ride tomorrow due to some of Jodi's obligations so hopefully on Thursday I will be able to go out for a good one. <br /><br />I will post some more news about the knee status as it becomes available.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-77368341400752533482010-03-07T21:55:00.006-05:002010-03-07T22:42:23.706-05:00Big Ringing the Season OpenerOh...sweet object of my desire. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SUfnYH5qNm3F5oFmI0VT6MBk0hMtKJ8UUx43m8jlZBDGJvUAsVcrrorV4Mh-AOVOFRe-34uwWWrQ5l0ycnvEYzQIw96mKEh9rE7weNnQD10kYboxPap9qYxiOhEepJpsDbMXYXv0gl4/s1600-h/P1010096BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SUfnYH5qNm3F5oFmI0VT6MBk0hMtKJ8UUx43m8jlZBDGJvUAsVcrrorV4Mh-AOVOFRe-34uwWWrQ5l0ycnvEYzQIw96mKEh9rE7weNnQD10kYboxPap9qYxiOhEepJpsDbMXYXv0gl4/s320/P1010096BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446091398161230930" /></a><br /><br />How I dream of the day when we might travel together as one. Wait, that's today. Seven degrees and sunny and the babies are napping. I figure that the first outdoor bike ride of the season would be a good way to recover from a 40 km nordic ski race the day before. Yes sir, that sounds down right lovely.<br /><br />The weather was fine and while The Beautiful Machine (here after referred to as TBM) was not really finished being sorted for the season, (cables need to be clipped with ends put on and I still don't have rear brake pads) the time was right. The ride itself was awesome. After 55 km of generally easy flat roads I can draw some conclusions as follows.<br /><br />1. I feel really light and strong for the first ride of the season not even counting yesterday's activities. I only left the big ring on one short climb with a strong headwind.<br /><br />2. This is likely due to deviation from my typical Jan Ullrich style off season (pastries, beer, and wild boar hunting with Vino'). I might be 20 to 25 pounds lighter than most previous early marches.<br /><br />3. Nordic skiing all winter is like wearing the Golden Fleece in July - it gives you an extra gear. I seem to have cardio to burn - I just need to get some biking muscles.<br /><br />TBM is working super well. In fact, I actually have an extra gear as I changed from a 12-25 to a 12-26 cassette but until I ride some hills the difference will likely be imperceptible. The new Race Face crank is working great and front shifting is exceptional but probably also due in part to all new cables. I'm definitely glad that I didn't get a compact crank for these flatlands since I am feeling so good. My fresh arctic white bar tape should strike fear in the legs of all competitors.<br /><br />This picture is post ride and I am feeling really good with a dull tingling in my legs from the effort. This is the best feeling and best delivered by a minimum two hour ride on a freshly tuned road machine.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7u5lCGcP7nSEClJDcXwIgy5D6SbKuziW2WIyKOjR6w8f63driEhBc4aJrUdq-CaTwxsg1LrPya6Rz9iZ3xIDlfGNcGO29RbdXJqH8flriogMb6UL5RJfIHX37tTeWxryAyj2ZXW8Tgo/s1600-h/P1010094BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7u5lCGcP7nSEClJDcXwIgy5D6SbKuziW2WIyKOjR6w8f63driEhBc4aJrUdq-CaTwxsg1LrPya6Rz9iZ3xIDlfGNcGO29RbdXJqH8flriogMb6UL5RJfIHX37tTeWxryAyj2ZXW8Tgo/s320/P1010094BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446097191626054562" /></a><br /><br />My form has me amped with a few April possibilities in my sights. As previously mentioned there is Paris Ancaster on April 18th which I definitely hope to compete in. But, the weekend before there is a race called the Tour of Bronte which sounds awesome. It is on closed roads in the provincial park so there are no traffic issues. The 8 laps are 8 km long with about half and half tarmac and gravel which is an approximation of a European Spring Classic. There are other mixed surface races in April as well. <br /><br />I think this is totally brilliant as it seems like the popularity of these 'Spring Classic' races is growing the number of races available to be ridden around here. Great hard man challenges scaled down from their inspiring namesakes in Europe.<br /><br />This is good news for me as my calls to Quick Step have so far gone unanswered, despite the fact that I promised to clear my schedule to help pull Boonen to number four in Roubaix. With my early season form I imagined showering my chasers with a rooster tail of torn up cobbles as I was 'beasting it' at the sharp end of the peloton in 'The Hell of the North'. I guess I will have to stick to sucking wind 'off the back' in southern Ontario for now.<br /><br />The day was capped off with some flame broiled burgers made by yours truly. Pretty good to open the barbeque season the same day as the bike season in early March. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynxYbE1-I6xKqoTKUborNFHLeEOwDisms1e5s5L6G5DBzaIhRfz5e-wAUwCoPVP3FdX4N5fhyphenhyphenzhHJpYVLgELQ7CZ0Pp2GJh5g6NT3sUSXGcUX4SnHF7VmsdO3DSRal8Q_WvRa9aM_uOY/s1600-h/P1010097BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynxYbE1-I6xKqoTKUborNFHLeEOwDisms1e5s5L6G5DBzaIhRfz5e-wAUwCoPVP3FdX4N5fhyphenhyphenzhHJpYVLgELQ7CZ0Pp2GJh5g6NT3sUSXGcUX4SnHF7VmsdO3DSRal8Q_WvRa9aM_uOY/s320/P1010097BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446100182424730994" /></a><br /><br />Mmmm...yummy.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-24444196383556620362010-03-06T22:46:00.006-05:002010-03-06T23:46:26.724-05:00Hitting the wall...Bonk!I was going to postpone this update until tomorrow since I have barely been able to keep my eyes open all day long and as luck would have it now I can't seem to fall asleep. <br /><br />Last night provided a rather dubious run up to the race as Mason was up for about 15 minutes at 1:40 and then Brenna got up for the day at about 4:55 am. She was later joined by Mason at about 5:40 am. So the sleep and recovery box on the checklist could not really be ticked. Below is a picture of me trying to get ready with Mason's help as I eat some of breakfast which included an apple, a banana, and a bowl of harvest crunch with chocolate milk. (Yum-Yum, the thick chocolate milk very slowly seeps down into the granola's interstitial spaces until it is the consistency of a delicious bog or swamp). <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZ6J1q-IhUyE4x0_uSLuesnpmN5CXJGQ0T_HJlh3wBXX1g0GK6J5EsB3V8m2dtmMBeSpPK8PDNuJIqmbQcolrrnCNPrfAFyO00jSlz3n6l6D4IcIfp7AllP_W3OTRIGO4Gw7ZOKUfOl8/s1600-h/P1010083BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguZ6J1q-IhUyE4x0_uSLuesnpmN5CXJGQ0T_HJlh3wBXX1g0GK6J5EsB3V8m2dtmMBeSpPK8PDNuJIqmbQcolrrnCNPrfAFyO00jSlz3n6l6D4IcIfp7AllP_W3OTRIGO4Gw7ZOKUfOl8/s320/P1010083BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445735754078901394" /></a><br /><br />I got out the door into a crisp clear morning at about 7:30 to make my way to the race for about 8:00 am. Upon arrival at Hardwood the trails looked the part with a fresh corduroy finish on the fine granular snow. The view below shows the mid lap turn around point with the finish hut on the left. Beautiful skies and beautiful snow. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTRfyHo6t72BbirZn3GC2-TE5pfGkNpKKugIMwi2mg4_nlEm9Rt2Rl5MWmoj4QahmIq397IUVtm1me-onzvPtZLhyCzPebcAonSd9lH9dswumtESxrmiGvzIaN6KREGO1St_eLbpZlbI/s1600-h/P1010085BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTRfyHo6t72BbirZn3GC2-TE5pfGkNpKKugIMwi2mg4_nlEm9Rt2Rl5MWmoj4QahmIq397IUVtm1me-onzvPtZLhyCzPebcAonSd9lH9dswumtESxrmiGvzIaN6KREGO1St_eLbpZlbI/s320/P1010085BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445737051480957986" /></a><br /><br />I picked up my race bib and got changed in the building where Jeff Buchan (Jodi's cousin's husband who was also at the fall cyclocross races) picked me out and we wished each other the best. Jeff went on to finish 3rd in his category in the 20 km so I guess my wishes to him worked better than his would ultimately prove to do for me. I do however believe he was sincere and that my performance could be chalked up to other factors.<br /><br />I made my way up to the 9:00 am start and managed to snap one last cool pic that shows the beautiful day and trails pretty well I think.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxnCWYgAwkY1GHCRasJ5Q483iNleLskqWZOqWwIkAAHzcBBAQExwztOHkWh_QqEwGdIpsHpoHlGGicCqc1qoeSzly5Tzf2XImifn-yl5JOVhuLVJFYtNIWqrRQwxd7BBQxMn9OuIPSYk/s1600-h/p1010086BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxnCWYgAwkY1GHCRasJ5Q483iNleLskqWZOqWwIkAAHzcBBAQExwztOHkWh_QqEwGdIpsHpoHlGGicCqc1qoeSzly5Tzf2XImifn-yl5JOVhuLVJFYtNIWqrRQwxd7BBQxMn9OuIPSYk/s320/p1010086BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445738731985973554" /></a><br /><br />On the line it looked like there were a little less than 50 starters for the 40 km distance and they all looked pretty serious. I started right at the back so as to be out of the way and I hadn't really warmed up much so I wanted an easy start. In the first 10 km I passed a number of people and felt pretty good as the wax was working well and the conditions were fast but safe and fun. I skipped the first feed station which was stupid but that is a common theme that I seem to employ anytime I race on skis. The next 20 km went by pretty well and I passed a couple more people while mostly keeping pace with a younger female skier who was obviously a much better skier than I am but I was stronger on the climbs.<br /><br />As I made my way into the final 10 km loop, I made a good push to start off strong but as I hit the first steeper hills it all started to go pear shaped. The tank was empty and both my legs were knotting up as some 15 year old girl who I passed earlier went sailing by. Demoralizing to say the least. That set the tone for the remainder of the race which became a trial to finish. I would have loved like nothing else to have just sat down and dropped out but it would have been a bummer to relay that sort of and ending to the endeavour. I ended up losing one more spot over the course of the lap and finished with legs, shoulders and arms that would barely move.<br /><br />My finishing time was just under 2 hours and 25 minutes for 40 km which I'm not that unhappy with overall. I definitely skied harder than in Gatineau but I wish that I could have finished in better form. My second 20 km was 6 minutes slower than the first and all of that would have been in the last 10 km. That is a fair bit to slow down over that short of a distance I think.<br /><br />Now for my rant. Nordic skiers are freaks. Those bastards are not human. The fastest time was fully half an hour faster than mine. While this was only my second race and I did beat one guy in a skin suit, I can not even conceive of the level of fitness that most of these people are working at. I finished outside of the top half of starters overall and if I had been racing in the 50-59 age group I would have been second last. That is utterly mental. Further factor in that this is not a big race and wouldn't draw really top skiers and it becomes even harder to imagine how fast people can get. Generally, on a day of cross country skiing at Hardwood I feel much better than average. My technique is very rough but my fitness seems good relative to the recreational skeirs. But compared to people at a ski race they must be wondering why I would bother getting out of bed so early in the morning to show up and race. This is not a recreational, participation sort of sport. These guys are serious. <br /><br />On the way home I myself was wondering why I would actively seek out the opportunity to pay $45 to do a two and a half hour workout that would start with some fun and an elevated heart rate and end in almost excruciating pain as all my leg muscles tried to simultaneously seize up. Having said that I'm already looking forward to the Paris Ancaster bike race which will almost certainly end the same way.<br /><br />I may still ski a few more times but I need to start to prepare seriously for biking. It is a 60 km race that is supposed to be hard. It is only 6 weeks away and I need to get hard miles in my legs so I can try to finish in something other than a dazed stupor. I will try to give further updates as they seem necessary.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-73762691116403846882010-03-05T22:47:00.004-05:002010-03-05T22:57:36.094-05:0010 Hours and CountingIt is now 11 pm and Grandpa is passed out on the couch. The gun goes off in about 10 hours so I need to get to bed.<br /><br />This is a picture from earlier when Mason decided he was getting ready to go out. He put on the hat and shoes himself, picked up the bag strap, said "bye, bye" and walked off down the hallway. Pretty funny. I still need to get the red-eyes sorted out.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNWz4niDNVakNWXKMtP_8PvTZG6JO5sBq1avmnUhCMtOZteUfWZsGO-SUa3NbNgl6j5c7Wnd0v_kTARUGTybL0nA9W3L79P8zGyXnNjaRqDlzEFYz7Rc9mSwmjGoog6j4UyrJAip1yc4/s1600-h/P1010076BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNWz4niDNVakNWXKMtP_8PvTZG6JO5sBq1avmnUhCMtOZteUfWZsGO-SUa3NbNgl6j5c7Wnd0v_kTARUGTybL0nA9W3L79P8zGyXnNjaRqDlzEFYz7Rc9mSwmjGoog6j4UyrJAip1yc4/s320/P1010076BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445363330394903794" /></a><br /><br />The waxing went on as I suggested earlier with a mix of moly and blue low fluoro as a base prep and low fluoro violet as a top coat. It is all brushed and polished out but there are a few weird looking grayish areas on each ski. I hope I didn't over cook the base. Anyway all my stuff is laid out ready to go (see below), and since my alarm clock is no more I am completely counting on the babies to wake me up. Watch them sleep in until 9 am and I miss the race. I guess if they actually slept until 9 I might be happy to miss the race. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcrNe_Fox5TdLV86r8xxQSfolnI-by5bk2XgraWL7I-legxwDd6BpuPYe-dyFvcpchCzYZrxudShcJEGqPg9Yxa9nH_lC6OYCD_zN5I9myA-jiHuFlWNbdnQf69mChV9KL8XVL23heuM/s1600-h/P1010081BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcrNe_Fox5TdLV86r8xxQSfolnI-by5bk2XgraWL7I-legxwDd6BpuPYe-dyFvcpchCzYZrxudShcJEGqPg9Yxa9nH_lC6OYCD_zN5I9myA-jiHuFlWNbdnQf69mChV9KL8XVL23heuM/s320/P1010081BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445364521330407666" /></a><br /><br />I will try to get some pictures and capture the atmosphere at Hardwood tomorrow. Off to bed.Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-48371362146888447292010-03-05T18:37:00.004-05:002010-03-05T20:45:02.061-05:00Koo-Koo Ka-ChooIt is Friday night after dinner and Grandpa and Nanna are headed to Barrie for the night and part of Saturday so I can do the loppet. As soon as the babies are in bed I will start the pre-race preparations. Waxing (skis), laundry (race attire), and maybe even a shower. <br /><br />My evoloving facial hair has made this week at school a strange dichotomy of fame and infamy depending on the audience. Most teenage boys think that it is the pinnacle of achievement (I've been called a legend), while most female students are appalled and incapable of rationalizing the decision to present oneself looking like I have. This was the look for Thursday. I am the Walrus...I am the Eggman. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisneWBAjjhxznC0HuwkOWnczf9Lv8Lg2ZWFgX3_9iKNpDoOkpoqeUGF83Vcwa3Kq59QeNw0J3SZmVBgucfudJHC8AbHNyuEdVKq_hcLdeLTuJ111v7mepvP94WVSOHMWxNchVymg-TGNs/s1600-h/P1010071BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisneWBAjjhxznC0HuwkOWnczf9Lv8Lg2ZWFgX3_9iKNpDoOkpoqeUGF83Vcwa3Kq59QeNw0J3SZmVBgucfudJHC8AbHNyuEdVKq_hcLdeLTuJ111v7mepvP94WVSOHMWxNchVymg-TGNs/s320/P1010071BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445305803811265586" /></a><br /><br />I don't know if the photo is a little distorted or I just never noticed how assymetrical my head is. I thought my skull was more uniformly shaped than this picture seems to indicate.<br /><br />On the training front, Tuesday night I completed the race distance on the course as a bit of a test and it went pretty well. The conditions were very difficult due to the warm days melting the snow and then the cold nights freezing it back solid. Very granular and icy conditions are super fast but a little out of control for someone with my lack of technique. I crashed three times just getting a little wrong footed in an icy rut. No injuries so alls well that ends well. <br /><br />Then on Thursday night I went out for a short easy ski on similar conditions which were just as fast but not quite as rutted and chewed up. I think that with the groomed course tomorrow it will be good as over the course of the day it will be softening as the day warms up rather than freezing later in the evening. Hopefully it is fast and fun. <br /><br />Now I need to figure out my waxing plan. The options are shown below. I am thinking a base coat of the molybdenum wax with a bit of blue mixed in to harden it up for icy granular snow. Then I will go with a top coat of violet low fluoro so the speed is good as the snow softens and gets wetter. In the sunny spots I will be waxed a little on the hard side but at least it hopefully won't be wearing through on the cold snow. Better a little too hard than too soft which will wear through and end up with no wax at all. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvXlTT9sCXsszyZxxR9KQAvcbd5sP5kOJxe3WVNzu-T7cSPCDuXWPi0RTq-Oza7qtGoIXHrGrrXEQJdZXtFMY8Ykb1-PXSsrvoSoVPWdhSjGVyV1zknqXzSqUo8wY9Os6rgEKzEig618/s1600-h/P1010075BL.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvXlTT9sCXsszyZxxR9KQAvcbd5sP5kOJxe3WVNzu-T7cSPCDuXWPi0RTq-Oza7qtGoIXHrGrrXEQJdZXtFMY8Ykb1-PXSsrvoSoVPWdhSjGVyV1zknqXzSqUo8wY9Os6rgEKzEig618/s320/P1010075BL.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445330088635613826" /></a>Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7268721237696797718.post-57692160507730751962010-03-01T21:37:00.010-05:002010-03-01T22:30:17.107-05:00The Loppet LoomethI'm not completely sure if loometh is a word but if not it should be. In preparation for this saturday's suffering I have started to trim down. Rather than extra exercise or a healthier diet this will largely consist of gradual shaving to drop about a pound of hair. The first stage can be seen below.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO-t_qI2Wt17tt9yq382cqf94m-AXgCtLoLnqvtNuDy9gdssZcrC9GlU2k0-fkO2svUw78Avt0LRkKZI5l7Mt-s7WnO3_4dxuOxhwRrnnUMIg-rE-CiNRzl_7Y1GfdTFUKELrpqD4gss/s1600-h/P1010076B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyO-t_qI2Wt17tt9yq382cqf94m-AXgCtLoLnqvtNuDy9gdssZcrC9GlU2k0-fkO2svUw78Avt0LRkKZI5l7Mt-s7WnO3_4dxuOxhwRrnnUMIg-rE-CiNRzl_7Y1GfdTFUKELrpqD4gss/s320/P1010076B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443861166274928242" /></a><br /><br />Pretty cool - kind of wolverine.<br /><br />The weekend was less than ideal in a number of realms but the babies and I did get out to Sojourn in Barrie to buy Dad some Wind Stopper underwear for the big race. It is hard to impress the ladies as you cross the finish line with frozen junk. Not that I imagine there will be alot ski bunnies present. In contrast to an alpine resort I think that most females at a cross country ski race would be at least twice as hard as I am. Oh well.<br /><br />On Saturday night Brenna was playing her usual run around naked game before bath time and decided that upon increasing demands to get in the tub she would just hide as an avoidance strategy. Can you find her in the picture below?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0I3Zv0t-jPfPw_JDWfa-3LXy7FCr4sk9BP5ZdZQObvH1fv5Xr9M_jaXI_6UWaph3cTYB1CpeHuk8LVPbuZRoiAaOQhI-QfxhZX4EYw0iB1umBk7T7gShlHeAauKlwqpOaSXpxKcPz1Y/s1600-h/P1010071B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0I3Zv0t-jPfPw_JDWfa-3LXy7FCr4sk9BP5ZdZQObvH1fv5Xr9M_jaXI_6UWaph3cTYB1CpeHuk8LVPbuZRoiAaOQhI-QfxhZX4EYw0iB1umBk7T7gShlHeAauKlwqpOaSXpxKcPz1Y/s320/P1010071B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443863142116175714" /></a><br /><br />If your having trouble just touch the feet and excessive squealing will give away the spot. She still thinks that if she can't see you then she must not be able to be seen. Pretty funny.<br /><br />Mason was playing one of his favoutite games on Sunday where he wears around his Mom or Dad's shoes. This goes on until he finds a bigger pair to substitute or he falls over and has a fit. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YNPUs2adxz7bxTqID13_zC7Vm6F0eCVuoTswe-_0PDmVhDJLSME8xu7_V2f9-Ikl_VOZO_z1lrXB_GTH9zgeWO2IJYumx7BQi4sr0xYPD8NJTm9CEiAVySoqH5Lmzsp78Cl4qedvtng/s1600-h/P1010072B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8YNPUs2adxz7bxTqID13_zC7Vm6F0eCVuoTswe-_0PDmVhDJLSME8xu7_V2f9-Ikl_VOZO_z1lrXB_GTH9zgeWO2IJYumx7BQi4sr0xYPD8NJTm9CEiAVySoqH5Lmzsp78Cl4qedvtng/s320/P1010072B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443864128888442770" /></a><br /><br />Obviously Dad hasn't figured out a red-eye filter yet.<br /><br />The second last interesting thing I will pass on is this photographic evidence that there is some weird s&!t going on with the strawberries from Florida. Look at the size of these suckers - the first image is a side view with a AA battery for comparison. The second is a bottom view showing some of the strange topography present in the left berry. GMO foods are obviously alive and well. I am considering taking a core sample from that bad boy and sending it out to testing. My best gues is that there is some coast grizzly bear DNA present. That berry could almost defend itself against any head on attack other than something involving fire and napalm. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7p3jJ1O0R4BMscWeko-UFgdnmuqm0Z73ABcdKn1adBt1nAnxJlevEcs0si9Gy7bMV7a6pk-ZHvQ0T-y2OmG2qf8l5HUfCFk3j9DfB62D2JhwkndQbNlPAC6ntBBlkcchc7W5t0q4QKBk/s1600-h/P1010074B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7p3jJ1O0R4BMscWeko-UFgdnmuqm0Z73ABcdKn1adBt1nAnxJlevEcs0si9Gy7bMV7a6pk-ZHvQ0T-y2OmG2qf8l5HUfCFk3j9DfB62D2JhwkndQbNlPAC6ntBBlkcchc7W5t0q4QKBk/s200/P1010074B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443865928934297106" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFs0oscqzqMNsvk8qo7EJ5aswTiiyDODO1jEdZejSPIRsVa98mhPjTV-TTTFrRku0bBrBs4afQpPAuYW06qbaGWKmONgaN4QaKEghFDjTRfUziMpJ5vUsUbZilykq5i6jjdMwJYTrma4/s1600-h/P1010075B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPFs0oscqzqMNsvk8qo7EJ5aswTiiyDODO1jEdZejSPIRsVa98mhPjTV-TTTFrRku0bBrBs4afQpPAuYW06qbaGWKmONgaN4QaKEghFDjTRfUziMpJ5vUsUbZilykq5i6jjdMwJYTrma4/s200/P1010075B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443866089183321522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The last important shot I have here is titled;<br /><br /><strong>"WHAT....NO MORE ICE CREAM?"</strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy980Qsj9QbGySHwW2OFYn17sQWQv4chkpxe_RN0wkqMDr2l5pSohxjBNelmmYcTL7MucL35ReeeYfaqSIBxayT53tgWG9x5GQEqUSIwTEJkKBtag_8QLszbBH1-RevR06xUM_Kok9xIA/s1600-h/P1010079B.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy980Qsj9QbGySHwW2OFYn17sQWQv4chkpxe_RN0wkqMDr2l5pSohxjBNelmmYcTL7MucL35ReeeYfaqSIBxayT53tgWG9x5GQEqUSIwTEJkKBtag_8QLszbBH1-RevR06xUM_Kok9xIA/s320/P1010079B.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443866709739960146" /></a>Trev C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/07002945464254235314noreply@blogger.com3