Winning the lottery... or 20 bucks the Jens way

So it was just the other day i was talking about how long its been since I've been outdoors on a road ride. Today was winning the lottery, or at least it felt like it. I was fortunate enough to have the day off, and it was sunny and warm, well, warmer than last week when it was 5 below! temps were in the upper 20's and i was determined to harden up and get it done. I pumped the tired on the cross rig, put on an extra layer of everything and headed out. It was breezy but nice. Roads were in pretty good shape except for a few patches of slush on the side streets.
On my way back home, i saw the KKSKI mobile and waived hi to him, shortly after that i had to mash the brakes and double check what i saw. I double back a touch and sure enough, floating in a slush puddle was a soggy 20 bucks! now 20 bucks is 20 bucks, but i figure it all adds up to a killer day for a ride, and since i hardened the F^%$ up and got outside Jens Voigt style, i made some cash while i was at it.

Cheers!

Scouting..

Cyclists are very much creatures of habit. Once we find tires we like, we ride them almost exclusively. Helmets, shoes, saddles, and so on.. once we find one or maybe even two we like, we are content and rarely find new items unless a friend strongly recommends it.
Routes are the same way. In my lifetime of cycling, i have been exposed to many many different routes in many many different states. Of those, id say maybe a dozen were the go to rides.
At home, its the usual Chicken route, or on a twist, out to fermi lab; or a few slight variations of such. For college in Muncie, IN- Long way around the Reservoir was a staple. Columbus IN - general variations that included out grandview, a slew of climbs in brown county, through Story etc.
On all of the camps i have done, there was always a route that was a repeat either in the same trip or the following year.
Truth be told, its easy. We know the routes, we know the roads. In a group the times speeds by as conversation passed the tried and true roads. Solo - even a new mix on the iPod can break the monotony of the same roads, with the same winds with the same inner battles.
Last year i took 2 tried and true routes and merged them together. Head out down the Burlington tracks, zig zag through wheaton, come back in thru Glen Ellyn on a route from my junior days. Voila! I did it a few times solo, once with Ritzler and Wasman, and once with King. Everyone had favorable feedback.
Yesterday i went scouting for something new. Took the same format - started out with a nice basic refinery ride, and pieced together a nice additional loop. Now i still have to drive it, but Google Maps has made plotting new routes much easier than the old days of turning and twisting maps, taking notes then heading out to ride it only to find the roads don't exactly go where you hoped.
I am also hoping to plot a course out to an old favorite in the far western burbs - Johnson's Mound. I think i was 16 or 17 when i last rode out there. Its a big long day for sure. I'm sure urban sprawl will challenge us to find new roads to avoid serious traffic, but 18 years ago - it seemed like an easy ride through the country. That being said - if any readers have good ideas or suggestions to get out there from the Fermilab area, let me know.

still snowing...

ok, so I think its clear which picture was just taken and which picture represents where I would rather be. Even the rainy days in Mallorca were better than here. At a time when many pros and amateurs alike are off somewhere pilling in the hours, im just watching the snow pile up and chained to the trainer.

Hope you are getting yours done where ever you are reading this from!

Gettin there...

not quite mid month updates, but its gettin there. I'm on track to get 35+ hrs in, if i can ever get a ride outside, it may even be 40 hrs.
The weight is coming off nicely, and i need to share my tool for it - http://www.myfooddiary.com

I rarely recommend stuff, but having a degree and working in the industry for 10 years, this is one of the BEST tools i have seen. Back in the day i used the weight watchers to see what the people who were in the program were using, and it was a pretty good website. myfooddiary.com BLOWS it away. At $9 a month, its a killer deal and it has a sweet mobile app that keeps you connected to your diet on the run. It paints a black and white picture for you and leaves no guess work. You can track food, exercise, weight, water intake, etc.
For example, i had my usual decent breakfast, but management was in yesterday and took us out to Hooters, and a fat kid like me can resist wings, so i knew i was gonna wreck it.
All good, got back to the desk, logged the gut busting lunch, realized i was at 2500 cals for the day - ouch. No worries, chicken noodle soup and water for dinner brought me up to 2700, but my am workout was 500kj, so i sat on the trainer, watched the BCS game, burnt 1000kj more, NET intake - 1200 cals. Got on the scale this am - down another 0.5 lbs.

Cheers!

a spark of light in a dark winter..

good news to all those dreading the looooooong winter here in Chicago.
Daylight savings is only 9 weekends away!!
Thats less than a macro cycle for all those with fancy coaches!

Wrap it up

December ended a touch short of the goal.
32 hrs
735km
18,156kj
Down a total of 8 lbs from halloween.
Not too shabby

Early 2008 i got back in the race scene a few times, pinned a number to the jersey and pushed myself past the limit as much as possible.
We had a sunny and mild day for the Bone ride, many a good Chickenrides with all kinds of fun events this year. Lenny's ride was somber, but fun to remember all the fun he would stir up.
Chequamegon was fantastic, even if i did finish in the rain.

Now I'm of to what seems to be my best start to a season in several years. I hope i can keep my current momentum rolling and get healthy and maybe even a little fast for 2009!

Happy New Year!!