Sunday, July 26, 2009

Communal Challenge


So far BRS has challenged my abs, my six minute mile, and my vegetarianism, but I don't really feel like my swig has been put to the test yet. So...

Welcome to BRS' first COMMUNAL CHALLENGE: The challenge is to produce a barrel of wine by the end of the year.  How? When? Where? Who knows, we'll figure out the details, but the great benefit in participating will be the end product and 5 BRS points. 

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Awesome route from the West side...

Posted this route and wondered if anyone was up for a repeat this coming weekend?

The elevation profile looks like an EKG, and for good reason!

crash's joyful july

be joyful. seek the joy of being alive.  this weekend i is does.  how?  friends, buddies, pals, chums...

i is run with gerald along the puget sound for 11 miles. cool. i is walked & talked about life with cindy w along the everett marina waterfront. cool. i is ate & talked with tuv at silver lake. cool. i is shooteded the shit with first class via the phone. cool. 

this weekend was joyful because i is surrounded by coolness.


Monday, July 13, 2009

i.o.u. B.M.(Q). AWARDS



i.o.u. B.M.(Q).

it means:

i owe you, BEER ME. (QUALITY).

Welcome to BRS' newest award. For any group event, or Majors (sorry, no solo's), any participating member can award another participant an iouBMQ award for outstanding performance. It's easy. The nominator must simply blog (or comment) the reason why, and present the nominee with a QUALITY beer the next time they meet up. 6 iouBMQ award pts (6-pack, duh) will equal one BRS pt.

i would like to present theGuth (formerly Chugg R.I.P) and Gerald the very first iouBMQ awards for STP.

theGuth - For organizing and successfully getting all the BRS riders (minus me & Ventoux of course) from Seattle to Portland in one day. You took care of ALL the ride logistics as well as all the training rides. But mostly, you designed a bad-ass jersey which I only heard positive feedback during the ride.

gerald - just short of 2 yrs ago, you could barely ride 20 miles in Evanston, IL. About a year ago, you could barely ride up Harbour Hts Hill and could not complete the TdM. Less than 6 months ago, you were a NOGO up Madison Hill, but NOW: you did the full D2D(lv), completed Ventoux, and did STP in 1 DAY. Outstanding work!



Lastly, here's a warning. Be prepared. The monthly challenges are going to get a heck of a lot more challenging. Also, for the non-drinking folk, there will be an iouMMQ award.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

The kindness of people

I could name this blog a lot of things, but this is the theme that sticks out in my memory.

Planning leisurely flat ride today after the hills of yesterday's 55+ miler, including revisit of St. Andrews with my friend Marathon Maniac #71 Eric Gierke and his Davidson, Julius (named for lovely orange color, plus Davey was already taken). Guth lost his backup bike on GLT. What now for team BRS?

Down the interurban train to Burke Gilman, then through Kirkland and parts of the 7 hills route, before landing in Marymoor park where Spiz does a lap on the velodrome (sorry, video not yet working). So far leisurely ride. Just navigated past a pack of people (conscientiously yelling "on your left" after being sniped at by an angry woman on Lake Washington Wednesday) on this 80+ degree morning. Was coasting along at >20 mph, at mile 43 when... how did it happen? I think I was looking down at my hand which was stinging from a cut, when I hit a bump, swerved hard to the right, and fell, hard. Think I landed on L hip before rolling onto the R side. Was whimpering and unable to move for over 5 minutes. Took at least 20 to just stand up without getting dizzy. Luckily a gentleman who works in the orthopedic department at UW had been right behind us and saw me go down. He checked all the standard hip maneuvres, the eponyms I can no longer recall, but the dude clearly knew what he was doing. No external rotation or shortening of the leg, check. No pain on percussion of sole of foot, check. No numbness/ paresthesias of the legs, check. But dang, did it hurt. I kept wondering if I had a pneumothorax or ruptured a spleen, boo hoo. Davey, of course, indestructible, just a derailed chain.

Kept getting dizzy on standing, horrible pain on weight-bearing, but all I could think was, I'd have to be unconscious before I would go to the ER, but dang no long ride tomorrow, no long runs this week, will I go psycho? One bystander commented, "at least you're alive"; I wondered if that was for the best. Another bystander walking by kept repeatedly stopping to check on me. Burly Raoul apparently had had numerous falls off various cycles and said sympathetically, "I'd be crying and asking for my mama right now". Spiz practically had to carry me and Davey 1/2 mile to the nearest parking lot where Raoul pulled his truck around to drive us all the way back to Everett.

Then it was Ranger Candy and an Amber Ale (or milk). That got me home to ice and a shower, where I studiously picked woodchips out of my roadrash. At least I have a beer left and the Tour is on. Happy 4th of July. Thanks Spiz and Raoul of Woodinville. Cheers

Friday, July 3, 2009

Seriously.


Come on, Karma. I mean, look, you got the wrong guy. Seriously.

I imagine most everyone that reads this knows that I was lucky enough to walk away from a gnarly crash two weeks ago the the Seattle Livestrong Challenge. But that my bike didn't fair as well. The plan has been to write a sort of lament for the great little road bike that introduced me to, and got me hooked on lycra-clad days in the saddle. Over the last three years Chugg gave me approx 10k miles, and I do miss him.

Since then I've been making due with, Bodhi, my commuter rig. While not a winner of races this one is a tank. An old 88 Stumpjumper Comp, it's seen a lot of abuse and is always ready for more. Until you blow through the braking surface on your rear wheel.

Fuck. I don't need this. I'm stuck with exactly zero working bicycles and not exactly in a position to repair/replace any of them.

Frankly, I recommend giving me a wide berth until this thing blows over.

(Does this mean I lose my points for July, not feeling the joy today)

Thursday, July 2, 2009

All American Finals

Venus: Hey, you want to play using wooden rackets?
Serena: What?
V: Like old school wooden rackets, I mean fuck it, what are those crackers going to do about it? She's not my Queen.
S: I guess we've both already won Wimbledon. The last trophy I got here I fill with candy every halloween and leave outside my front door.
V: With a note to take only one piece? No shit? Me too.
(Sisters do that girlie squeal thing and high five)
S: Can I wear one of those old fashioned full length skirts and a Victorian weave?
V: Why not? I'm going to dress up as Rod Laver I think.
S: We should have hot dogs to eat between sets since its the 4th and all.
V: And definitely serve underhand...