Today I did my third day on skate skies and did a 10k skate race. Needless to say the race was not my best effort. I don't do many skate races, but prefer hard track skating when I do. With the recent snowfall the track was pretty soft. Being a pretty big guy I was pushing through often.
The venue was great. This is the first year they are in operation. I really hope they make it. The terrain they are working with is really top notch. There were some really great homemade bagels for sale after the race.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Resolutionz
I, just like everyone else, malign New Year's resolutions, but also make a few myself. Most of the time, resolutions are made with crazy dreams of unattainable plateaus in life. My resolutions are a little more grounded in reality, concrete and are within my reach (hopefully).
Usually I write down my resolutions somewhere. This year I decided to write them up like this. It may be entertaining for others and help me to stick by them.
Character Traits:
-Prioritize and dedicate:
Life gives us so many avenues for our time and our energy. Few of these are really worth the time it takes to engage in them. My internet usage is a small example. Because I am such an avid reader and have a broad interest base, I frequently spend way to much time poking around the internet. Some of the material is worth reading, much of it isn't. This goal encompasses: my time allocation, interpersonal behavior, and assumption of tasks.
- Patience:
While I deeply believe in introspection, I have found it increasingly hard to practice as I age. Perhaps this is because my habits have ossified. No matter the cause, I need to work on this. Without effort on this front I alienate friends and become a burden to work with.
- Considerate:
For me, this is closely dovetailed to the preceding goal. If I take time before acting I am usually considerate, but haste and frustration frequently gode me towards inconsiderate or gruff actions. Both are nasty, and a a source of shame and regret.
Physical Goals:
-Regain fitness:
Yeah, Yeah, me too. I have joined the countless millions with this resolution. Since beginning law school I have spent way less time exercising and more time eating / stressing. The results are predictable, that I have put on some weight and slowed down substantially. This goal really requires me to meet the first of my character trait goals.
-Compete in a full off road tri schedule:
After stepping back from the sport for a couple of years, I realized how much I miss it. The last couple of races I did on a whim and performed relatively poorly. Regaining the type of form that saw me winning races is unlikely this year, but I would like to get an overall podium before the end of the year.
-Build up core strength and improve flexibility:
The impetus for this goal is to avoid running injuries and to mitigate back pain.
-Bike Racing:
Do enough of it to match how much I love it. The last two years I haven't done enough. I had been blaming my other commitments but in reality, I lacked the commitment to make it happen.
-Keep a workout log:
This year I am actually going to do it.
Mile Markers:
-Complete 25 titles of reading:
This year I fell short of my 20 book goal. I blame several of the large works that I read for this failure. I did manage to take down two of Tolstoy's epics and several of Dumas' as well. So long as I can maintain my habit of pleasure reading every day and don't take on too many large works, I think I can make it.
-Break 19min in a 5k:
A few short years ago I was trying to break 16, but here I am. Putting down solid goal on this front will probably help me stick to a regular running schedule. Since leaving UVM XC I have pursued other forms of exercise and cut my weekly milage by about 80-90%. At the time, my peak weekly milage would creep into the 70s. Without a long injury free buildup, I doubt I could hit that sort of milage. So, I have to scale back my milage. As long as I am able to get 25-30 miles a week, I hope I can hit that time by this summer.
-Complete Marcel Proust's works:
So much for my first goal of this section.
Usually I write down my resolutions somewhere. This year I decided to write them up like this. It may be entertaining for others and help me to stick by them.
Character Traits:
-Prioritize and dedicate:
Life gives us so many avenues for our time and our energy. Few of these are really worth the time it takes to engage in them. My internet usage is a small example. Because I am such an avid reader and have a broad interest base, I frequently spend way to much time poking around the internet. Some of the material is worth reading, much of it isn't. This goal encompasses: my time allocation, interpersonal behavior, and assumption of tasks.
- Patience:
While I deeply believe in introspection, I have found it increasingly hard to practice as I age. Perhaps this is because my habits have ossified. No matter the cause, I need to work on this. Without effort on this front I alienate friends and become a burden to work with.
- Considerate:
For me, this is closely dovetailed to the preceding goal. If I take time before acting I am usually considerate, but haste and frustration frequently gode me towards inconsiderate or gruff actions. Both are nasty, and a a source of shame and regret.
Physical Goals:
-Regain fitness:
Yeah, Yeah, me too. I have joined the countless millions with this resolution. Since beginning law school I have spent way less time exercising and more time eating / stressing. The results are predictable, that I have put on some weight and slowed down substantially. This goal really requires me to meet the first of my character trait goals.
-Compete in a full off road tri schedule:
After stepping back from the sport for a couple of years, I realized how much I miss it. The last couple of races I did on a whim and performed relatively poorly. Regaining the type of form that saw me winning races is unlikely this year, but I would like to get an overall podium before the end of the year.
-Build up core strength and improve flexibility:
The impetus for this goal is to avoid running injuries and to mitigate back pain.
-Bike Racing:
Do enough of it to match how much I love it. The last two years I haven't done enough. I had been blaming my other commitments but in reality, I lacked the commitment to make it happen.
-Keep a workout log:
This year I am actually going to do it.
Mile Markers:
-Complete 25 titles of reading:
This year I fell short of my 20 book goal. I blame several of the large works that I read for this failure. I did manage to take down two of Tolstoy's epics and several of Dumas' as well. So long as I can maintain my habit of pleasure reading every day and don't take on too many large works, I think I can make it.
-Break 19min in a 5k:
A few short years ago I was trying to break 16, but here I am. Putting down solid goal on this front will probably help me stick to a regular running schedule. Since leaving UVM XC I have pursued other forms of exercise and cut my weekly milage by about 80-90%. At the time, my peak weekly milage would creep into the 70s. Without a long injury free buildup, I doubt I could hit that sort of milage. So, I have to scale back my milage. As long as I am able to get 25-30 miles a week, I hope I can hit that time by this summer.
-Complete Marcel Proust's works:
So much for my first goal of this section.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
A trip to Wheelock
I just got back from my friend's hunting camp up in the NEK. Since I was at MMU a group of our friends has been going up for an annual Christmas Bowl on either side of the holiday. The last couple of years we have all been to busy or too far away to make it happen. This year a friend of our who has been living in China was going to be back for the holiday and suggested we revive the Christmas Bowl. While we couldn't get all of our high school and sundry friends together, we got a pretty good crew together for four days in camp.
The camp itself is pretty awesome. Located miles from the closest town road, over rough terrain, it is practically a world unto itself. There is no electricity and no running water. A hand pump brings in water from a well, propane lamps provide light and an ancient wood fired stove is the cooking implement. Although the camp is pretty plush by hunting camp standards, it is a long way remove from our normal modes of life. The added tasks to cook meals, heat the building and even to wash your hands are reminders or a different time. The perspective I get from a visit is always great.
Traditionally, the main event is a game of tackle snow football. This year the game was out of the question. There was no more than an inch of snow on the frozen solid ground. When we were younger we probably would have just played and gotten the snot kicked out of us. Fortunately, some things have gotten better, or at least more reasonable with age.
We did get in a lot of solid hunting. Snowshoe hares and grouse are in season. We didn't see much action on the latter durring the trip, but we had some pretty good hare hunting. Most of the time we were man-dogging to get action. This entails working your way through dense cover while still trying to get a shot at a hare that may pop out. One of the days we were treated to a pack of really great rabbit dogs. Our former principal and a couple of other hunters met up with us and worked through a couple of thickets.
This was the first time that I had hunted rabbits with good dogs. It totally changed how we hunted. Instead of hours of forced marches through thick cover, we were able to set up good shooting spots and let the dogs run the rabbits back to us. I did enjoy the additional shooting that we ended up doing, but am still unsure how I feel about the dogs.
Most of our nights there we played games of chance or the Settlers of Catan. Both of these provided some great opportunity for competition and carousing.
Sadly, we never go to the primitive biathlon we have occasionally done.
All in all the trip was a much needed break from my regular pattern of life and
The camp itself is pretty awesome. Located miles from the closest town road, over rough terrain, it is practically a world unto itself. There is no electricity and no running water. A hand pump brings in water from a well, propane lamps provide light and an ancient wood fired stove is the cooking implement. Although the camp is pretty plush by hunting camp standards, it is a long way remove from our normal modes of life. The added tasks to cook meals, heat the building and even to wash your hands are reminders or a different time. The perspective I get from a visit is always great.
Traditionally, the main event is a game of tackle snow football. This year the game was out of the question. There was no more than an inch of snow on the frozen solid ground. When we were younger we probably would have just played and gotten the snot kicked out of us. Fortunately, some things have gotten better, or at least more reasonable with age.
We did get in a lot of solid hunting. Snowshoe hares and grouse are in season. We didn't see much action on the latter durring the trip, but we had some pretty good hare hunting. Most of the time we were man-dogging to get action. This entails working your way through dense cover while still trying to get a shot at a hare that may pop out. One of the days we were treated to a pack of really great rabbit dogs. Our former principal and a couple of other hunters met up with us and worked through a couple of thickets.
This was the first time that I had hunted rabbits with good dogs. It totally changed how we hunted. Instead of hours of forced marches through thick cover, we were able to set up good shooting spots and let the dogs run the rabbits back to us. I did enjoy the additional shooting that we ended up doing, but am still unsure how I feel about the dogs.
Most of our nights there we played games of chance or the Settlers of Catan. Both of these provided some great opportunity for competition and carousing.
Sadly, we never go to the primitive biathlon we have occasionally done.
All in all the trip was a much needed break from my regular pattern of life and
Friday, November 25, 2011
Snow's Siren Song
Vermont got early snow this year, enough to ski before Thanksgiving. Somehow the night before a storm and waking up in a world of white transports me back to my childhood. Maybe it is where I live or how I grew up, but snowfall has always been special. You can feel the excitement build. There is the unbridled enthusiasm when you wake up in a world of white. Then, there is actually being in snow.
The excitement the night before is palpable. Anyone and everyone you see is talking about the storm: how the weatherman is over exaggerating, how the new plow trucks are going to work, whether sand, soot or salt is what you put down in 'this type of snow,' if Sue's fancy new Volvo actually can drive in the snow, and a million other variations. Everybody is talking snow, thinking snow, some are even cursing snow.
Waking is never so exciting as in the face of a potential mountain of snow. It like like maybe waking up to Christmass morning, or maybe not. Nothing is guaranteed. Without any promise, you don't know until you pull the blinds. Sometimes all you get is an image or brown and grey, no snow has fallen. Other times you get the magical transformation of a blanket of snow. The world is made new again. The surface of the snow is a uniform downy canvass, yet untouched by the passage of time. Streams have disappeared tall brush land is lain flat, thick tangled forests are open for exploration.
When the snowfall isn't a rumor and it is actually here. All of the excitement and the anticipation is realized and you can go outside. Ever since I was a small kid nordic skiing has been a way to fly. The rhythmic kick, glide..... kick, glide...... kick, glide..... will lure you in. When done correctly it is the perfect balance between force and patience. You push hard on the ski to go forward, but never rush the gliding. A good skier can effortlessly cover miles, while a bull headed novice will flounder and struggle to cover ground that they could walk in a heart beat. Athleticism and zen harmonize in this sort, as you explore a soft muted world.
Every year I look to find that balance, both on skis and in life. To get the mixture right, when to exert all of my frenzied energy, and when to glide. With this year's snowfall I will try again.
The excitement the night before is palpable. Anyone and everyone you see is talking about the storm: how the weatherman is over exaggerating, how the new plow trucks are going to work, whether sand, soot or salt is what you put down in 'this type of snow,' if Sue's fancy new Volvo actually can drive in the snow, and a million other variations. Everybody is talking snow, thinking snow, some are even cursing snow.
Waking is never so exciting as in the face of a potential mountain of snow. It like like maybe waking up to Christmass morning, or maybe not. Nothing is guaranteed. Without any promise, you don't know until you pull the blinds. Sometimes all you get is an image or brown and grey, no snow has fallen. Other times you get the magical transformation of a blanket of snow. The world is made new again. The surface of the snow is a uniform downy canvass, yet untouched by the passage of time. Streams have disappeared tall brush land is lain flat, thick tangled forests are open for exploration.
When the snowfall isn't a rumor and it is actually here. All of the excitement and the anticipation is realized and you can go outside. Ever since I was a small kid nordic skiing has been a way to fly. The rhythmic kick, glide..... kick, glide...... kick, glide..... will lure you in. When done correctly it is the perfect balance between force and patience. You push hard on the ski to go forward, but never rush the gliding. A good skier can effortlessly cover miles, while a bull headed novice will flounder and struggle to cover ground that they could walk in a heart beat. Athleticism and zen harmonize in this sort, as you explore a soft muted world.
Every year I look to find that balance, both on skis and in life. To get the mixture right, when to exert all of my frenzied energy, and when to glide. With this year's snowfall I will try again.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Winter Starts in October?!
In the last three days we have already had two measurable snowfalls. Last night we got almost six inches. Needless to say this bodes well for this winter. (Because the weather follows patterns, right?!)
I think that some rock ski / grass skiing would have been possible today. Sadly all of my skis are still in my parents garage. Not a huge loss though. Skiing in conditions like this put years of wear on your bases and usually isn't even that great. Although, it would have been great to have my first day on snow be in October.
The snow has also made be think about where I am going to ski this year. The Upper Valley has the Dartmouth areas, which are usually decently groomed, but are now almost 35 minutes away, without trafic. I skied there last year and was happy with it, however I only live 10 minutes away then. I am thinking about joining the Strafford Nordic Center. They are only 13 miles from my house, but some of the road are really slow going and could be treacherous in snowy conditions. The good news is that VLS is on the route between home and skiing, so it could work well for morning skiing (hopefully they have a shower / locker room there).
The summer tires on my car are so beat that I think driving anywhere today would be a death sentence. I have been waiting to put on my snow tires, which are super fresh, so that I wouldn't have to buy a set of tires just to take them off after a week or two. Usually I don't need the snows until Thanksgiving..... I guess I can't complain too much.
I think that some rock ski / grass skiing would have been possible today. Sadly all of my skis are still in my parents garage. Not a huge loss though. Skiing in conditions like this put years of wear on your bases and usually isn't even that great. Although, it would have been great to have my first day on snow be in October.
The snow has also made be think about where I am going to ski this year. The Upper Valley has the Dartmouth areas, which are usually decently groomed, but are now almost 35 minutes away, without trafic. I skied there last year and was happy with it, however I only live 10 minutes away then. I am thinking about joining the Strafford Nordic Center. They are only 13 miles from my house, but some of the road are really slow going and could be treacherous in snowy conditions. The good news is that VLS is on the route between home and skiing, so it could work well for morning skiing (hopefully they have a shower / locker room there).
The summer tires on my car are so beat that I think driving anywhere today would be a death sentence. I have been waiting to put on my snow tires, which are super fresh, so that I wouldn't have to buy a set of tires just to take them off after a week or two. Usually I don't need the snows until Thanksgiving..... I guess I can't complain too much.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Winter Just Won't Give Up
Guess what? More Snow!!!! Like a foot of it.
I am a huge advocate of going with the flow and doing what comes naturally. I am the first to admit that I am way too weak to spend hours on rollers staring numbly at a poster of Mario Cippolini on the wall. I also have weird conflicting feelings about rollercam. It is kind of like tweeter, I am just old and don't understand it. As a result both of those things mystify and terrify me.
Facebook has told me that many of you are b*%&ing and moaning about how long, cold and snowy the winter is. Not this guy! I have spent most of the winter on some skinny skis, sliding around with my heart pumping away furiously. I welcome more snow. If we get to Rutgers and I have only ridden outside (or at all) a handfull of times that will be a-ok.
Pardon we while I do my snow dance,
I am a huge advocate of going with the flow and doing what comes naturally. I am the first to admit that I am way too weak to spend hours on rollers staring numbly at a poster of Mario Cippolini on the wall. I also have weird conflicting feelings about rollercam. It is kind of like tweeter, I am just old and don't understand it. As a result both of those things mystify and terrify me.
Facebook has told me that many of you are b*%&ing and moaning about how long, cold and snowy the winter is. Not this guy! I have spent most of the winter on some skinny skis, sliding around with my heart pumping away furiously. I welcome more snow. If we get to Rutgers and I have only ridden outside (or at all) a handfull of times that will be a-ok.
Pardon we while I do my snow dance,
Friday, January 21, 2011
Approaches to team management.
Last night I made it out to one of Dartmouth's team seminars. Now that I am living one town away from these guys I might as well interact. This was the first of a weekly seminar series on bike racing. At least this seminar seemed geared towards newer bike racers. It also seems like the kids can get PE credit for going to the seminar series.
I was blown away not only by the people presenting, but by the attention that was directed at them. The talk included nutrition, race explanations, specific warmups and cold weather clothing. All of the information seemed really on point and well received.
Many teams simply let their new riders undergo a trial by fire. Start riding with the team and you will pick up what you need to know. I doubt that this is a conscious choice by team leaders, it is most likely the product of indifference or simply an overworked schedule that doesn't include time for new riders. having attended one of these meetings I think that teams could greatly benefit from running series like these.
When a new rider approaches the team about joining them they are taking a risk. If the best you can offer them as a safety line is that there is an intro category, the uncertainty and shroud of mystery that surrounds bike racing is still pretty heavy. If on the other hand you are able to talk about how the team runs a 3-5 week long seminar series that breaks down different aspects of racing, you are giving that person something tangible. This enables them to approach he race season armed with some knowledge.
Does this make people better racers? Who knows. Maybe. But I will tell you what it does. It makes retention of the the kid who casually talks to you (team member) about racing that much more likely to really get into it. Teams prosper and thrive based on the numbers of racers they have, and this is a great way to build your team.
I was blown away not only by the people presenting, but by the attention that was directed at them. The talk included nutrition, race explanations, specific warmups and cold weather clothing. All of the information seemed really on point and well received.
Many teams simply let their new riders undergo a trial by fire. Start riding with the team and you will pick up what you need to know. I doubt that this is a conscious choice by team leaders, it is most likely the product of indifference or simply an overworked schedule that doesn't include time for new riders. having attended one of these meetings I think that teams could greatly benefit from running series like these.
When a new rider approaches the team about joining them they are taking a risk. If the best you can offer them as a safety line is that there is an intro category, the uncertainty and shroud of mystery that surrounds bike racing is still pretty heavy. If on the other hand you are able to talk about how the team runs a 3-5 week long seminar series that breaks down different aspects of racing, you are giving that person something tangible. This enables them to approach he race season armed with some knowledge.
Does this make people better racers? Who knows. Maybe. But I will tell you what it does. It makes retention of the the kid who casually talks to you (team member) about racing that much more likely to really get into it. Teams prosper and thrive based on the numbers of racers they have, and this is a great way to build your team.
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