I'm really kind of regretting that we've missed so much tandem bicycling this summer and fall. After the Eastern Tandem Rally in July, we put the bikes on the wall and have only had them out a couple of times since. It's hard to find time to fit it all in. The marathon training really sucked up a lot of time this summer and fall. Of course, as part of the training, we had lots of good run-and-rides. We had a few not-so-good ones, too, but that's OK. We had some fun mountain biking trips in the late summer, too.
I think, especially towards the end of summer 2008, one of the reasons I wanted to do more running is that I didn't feel like I was maintaining my desired level of fitness through our tandem bicycling. It's hard to make family tandem cycling into a really serious fitness endeavor without making it an activity that's dreaded by the whole family. Sometimes I think it would be great if would could afford a quad -- a 4-person bicycle, that is. Then each of us could expend the amount of effort we wanted, but we'd all stay together. You've got to have quite a few extra thousands of dollars for one of those. Not happening in this decade.
For now, we'll stick with the tandems. Tandem bicycling with young kids just can't be too grueling, too intense, or too repetitive. It should simply be too fun. It should incorporate a variety of rides -- including group rides and independent rides -- in a variety of locations. That's not to say kids don't enjoy a good challenge, but for the most part they don't appreciate the satisfaction that comes from completing a really tough endurance event. Everyone enjoyed the Apple Cider Century, LMB's MUP tour, and the Eastern Tandem Rally. Those were fun and mostly easy.
I wanted to get into randonneuring -- ultra distance non-competitive bicycling -- but the time commitment for that is much worse than even running a full marathon. It's just not reasonable given my commitment to job and family. Randonneuring isn't something you can do with a six-year-old, either. Towards the randonneuring goal, I rode in the One Day Ride Across Michigan last year, but training for that required at least 6 hours on the bike every weekend, and several hours during the week. An 150 miles in a day is short, by randonneuring standards.
I was able to keep my marathon training somewhat family-oriented by taking the kids along on their bikes. As the distances grew, however, there was more resistance from the kids. Twenty miles on a bicycle at 6 miles per hour is a long time for kid to be in the saddle.
The kids really enjoyed the mountain biking we did this fall. It was a different sort of challenge from long tandem rides, and it was lots of fun. We need to do more of that. The local trails are really fun, but compared to mountain bike trails in the mountains, our trails are more park- or playground-like. Challenging, certainly, but not so much epic or grandiose. We have the pump track, now, too. Haven't been back there since I flipped over and crunched by back. I'm still feeling that one.
So what sort of things are on the table for this spring? Gotta get through winter first, but for 2010, I'd like to find a good balance. Family tandem cycling, mountain biking, and running. Maybe some paddling. Where's the balance? What should we do? The Playmakers race series for Cindy or I? Another marathon? The Trail Marathon? Another tandem rally? Maybe another LMB Shoreline Tour like the MUP? Maybe a Boundary Waters canoe trip? Maybe a mountain biking trip to the southwest and/or western Colorado and Utah? Oh, and here's an idea: I'd really like to try the Great Divide Race.
I'll keep you posted.
30 October 2009
24 October 2009
A walk in the woods in the rain with a dog and a boy
Cindy was at work and Abbey was out with a friend. Quinn and I thought it would be nice to take Amos to a park for some exercise. We took him to Legg Park, which is adjacent to the Red Cedar River not far from our house.
There were many smells to investigate. Amos ate some of them.
Bridges helped us cross some of the little stream channels. In other places Quinn and I had to cross on logs and stones. Amos waded through mud and water nearly up to his belly.
The Red Cedar was flowing swiftly but within its banks.
In this pose by the river, Amos almost looked dignified, but moments later he ate some green poop.
We gave him a bath when we got home.
There were many smells to investigate. Amos ate some of them.
Bridges helped us cross some of the little stream channels. In other places Quinn and I had to cross on logs and stones. Amos waded through mud and water nearly up to his belly.
The Red Cedar was flowing swiftly but within its banks.
In this pose by the river, Amos almost looked dignified, but moments later he ate some green poop.
We gave him a bath when we got home.
23 October 2009
I miss Maggie
Today I put on my favorite black Smartwool sweater. First time this fall. Can you guess what I found on it? A few strands of Maggie's fur. Some little white hairs and a few little orange ones with white tips. It nearly brought me to tears. I miss Maggie. Maggie had dignity. Amos has none.
18 October 2009
3:15:28
I was pleased with my time in the Grand Rapids Marathon today. My goal had been to run it in less than 3 hours and 20 minutes. I'm actually surprised I managed it. Having never run quite that far before, I wasn't sure what to expect. As I left the start line today I thought that 3:30 was very possible, but 3:20 might be just outside my reach. I have to thank the 3:1415926 pace team (Pi's Pacers) for keeping a steady pace I could follow to reach my goal. They not only kept the pace, but provided encouragement and some level of entertainment.
The course was beautiful and the race well-organized. It took us through parks around lakes and for many miles through the forest along the Grand River. There was plenty of water, Gatorade, Gu, and gummy bears at stops along the way. I even got a big slice of banana at one station. It's hard to run fast when your mouth is full of banana.
The morning started out cool and clear. The temperature when the race started at 8 a.m. must have been around the freezing mark, but it was sunny and no longer uncomfortably chilly by the time I reached the finish at about 11:15. My clothing selection was good: I ran in shorts and a long-sleeve synthetic tee with light gloves and my trusty Brooks "Run Happy" hat. I wore the gloves until about mile 19 but tossed them aside at an aid station sometime after that. The hat does a nice job of wicking the sweat away from my eyes, and I've worn it on nearly every run for the last few months. I won't be tossing it aside any time soon.
I was lucky enough to avoid any sort of joint pains or muscle cramps. I merely had to contend with the challenge of keeping my legs moving at a 7:28 minute per mile pace. That didn't become really difficult until somewhere around mile 15. It became extremely difficult after mile 20, and for the last couple of miles, it was too much. However, having reached mile 23 at about 2:52, I knew I could afford to let my pace slide a little and still finish within 3:20. By the time I reached the end, every step seemed a monumental effort.
Cindy, kids, and dog were waiting for me as I approached the finish. I was very glad to see them and swung by for a high five. This is what I looked like at mile 26.
After crossing the finish, someone greeted me and shook my hand. It might have been the race director. I was given a medal. I was wrapped in a mylar sheet to reduce the likelihood of hypothermia. I felt really good, but I could barely stand. My muscles lacked the energy to keep me upright, let alone carry me up a step to move from street to sidewalk. I got some cheese and a bagel. Cindy, Amos, and the kids met me a few moments later. More Gatorade. Then coffee. Amos tried to steal my post-run snacks. He nearly knocked me over.
Even now, hours later, I can barely move my legs. What a great feeling.
3:15:28
Clock Time 3:15:48
Chip Time 3:15:28
Overall Place 121 / 1555
Gender Place 113 / 920
Division Place 11 / 155
Age Grade 66%
Total Pace 7:28/M
Split 1 Rank 149
Split 1 Time 2:07:38
Split 1 Pace 7:28/M
Split 2 Rank 142
Split 2 Time 28:33
Split 2 Pace 7:08/M
Finish Rank 121
Finish Time 39:16
Finish Pace 7:42/M
Oh, and we made it back to Okemos in time for a late lunch and Quinn's football game.
The course was beautiful and the race well-organized. It took us through parks around lakes and for many miles through the forest along the Grand River. There was plenty of water, Gatorade, Gu, and gummy bears at stops along the way. I even got a big slice of banana at one station. It's hard to run fast when your mouth is full of banana.
The morning started out cool and clear. The temperature when the race started at 8 a.m. must have been around the freezing mark, but it was sunny and no longer uncomfortably chilly by the time I reached the finish at about 11:15. My clothing selection was good: I ran in shorts and a long-sleeve synthetic tee with light gloves and my trusty Brooks "Run Happy" hat. I wore the gloves until about mile 19 but tossed them aside at an aid station sometime after that. The hat does a nice job of wicking the sweat away from my eyes, and I've worn it on nearly every run for the last few months. I won't be tossing it aside any time soon.
I was lucky enough to avoid any sort of joint pains or muscle cramps. I merely had to contend with the challenge of keeping my legs moving at a 7:28 minute per mile pace. That didn't become really difficult until somewhere around mile 15. It became extremely difficult after mile 20, and for the last couple of miles, it was too much. However, having reached mile 23 at about 2:52, I knew I could afford to let my pace slide a little and still finish within 3:20. By the time I reached the end, every step seemed a monumental effort.
Cindy, kids, and dog were waiting for me as I approached the finish. I was very glad to see them and swung by for a high five. This is what I looked like at mile 26.
After crossing the finish, someone greeted me and shook my hand. It might have been the race director. I was given a medal. I was wrapped in a mylar sheet to reduce the likelihood of hypothermia. I felt really good, but I could barely stand. My muscles lacked the energy to keep me upright, let alone carry me up a step to move from street to sidewalk. I got some cheese and a bagel. Cindy, Amos, and the kids met me a few moments later. More Gatorade. Then coffee. Amos tried to steal my post-run snacks. He nearly knocked me over.
Even now, hours later, I can barely move my legs. What a great feeling.
3:15:28
Clock Time 3:15:48
Chip Time 3:15:28
Overall Place 121 / 1555
Gender Place 113 / 920
Division Place 11 / 155
Age Grade 66%
Total Pace 7:28/M
Split 1 Rank 149
Split 1 Time 2:07:38
Split 1 Pace 7:28/M
Split 2 Rank 142
Split 2 Time 28:33
Split 2 Pace 7:08/M
Finish Rank 121
Finish Time 39:16
Finish Pace 7:42/M
Oh, and we made it back to Okemos in time for a late lunch and Quinn's football game.
01 October 2009
The Pump Track
The MMBA has built a pump track in Meridian Township!! I helped a little with construction last weekend. The track is in Eastgate Park along Meridian Road. It's only about 3 miles from our house.
You might ask, "What's a pump track?" It's a bicycle course with rollers and berms that can be ridden (in theory) without having to pedal. Nope, there's no free energy, and it doesn't defy physics. The rider uses gravity when descending each roller to pick up speed, but by standing up on the pedals prior to climbing each roller and then lifting only the bike (not the body) less speed is lost on uphill than is gained on the downhill. The input of energy into the system comes from the rider pumping his body weight up after the descent of each roller. I find it a fascinating concept, but so far, I can't do it. I've seen it done on plenty of YouTube videos, but my technique is nowhere close to developed yet.
The track mostly looks like a bunch of dirt piles with bike tracks going over them, but there actually is a plan. It's a work in progress, and will likely be refined and smoothed over time. It will be fun to see it develop. I hope that it will eventually get some landscaping, too, so that it will blend into the park a little better.
Here's Quinn going over a roller. I think his legs may not be long enough for him to get sufficient pumping action to propel him without pedaling. That's OK. He had a great time on the track, and I think it will really improve his off-road bicycle handling skills.
Here Quinn is coming out of the berms at one end of the course. He's just come over the roller at the exit of the berm, and he has three rollers ahead of him.
He had good speed going into this berm, but not enough to really require -- or allow -- getting his wheels up on the berm.
Abbey took all the pictures on this post except for this one of her. She rode the course and liked it, too. She did very well, but had a bit more trouble than Quinn because she has a full-size bike with a longer wheelbase. This is a really tight course, and Abbey would probably be better able to ride it on a smaller BMX style bike with 20-inch wheels. Hmmm, we have one of those.
Abbey also took some pictures of me. Here I've just come up a roller, but I haven't done it right. Most pump trackers ride hard tails or rigid bikes with the saddle pushed all the way down. The suspension soaks up a lot of energy that ought to go into pumping. Next time maybe I'll lower my saddle and lock-out my rear shock.
Coming down the roller here, my front fork has squooshed nicely. It may not be the best thing for a pump track, but I love the dual suspension on my Cannondale Rize!
I was able to get plenty of speed coming across those rollers, but I never could come out of those tight corners with enough speed to keep going without pedal input.
There were quite a few kids there with their dads (where were the moms?) giving it a try.
This guy was a really good BMX rider. How do you suppose he broke his arm? His 20-inch wheels were good for this course. His dad, one of the builders of the course, road a rigid 24-inch bike on the course.
A little father/son bicycle maintenance.
The pump track seems pretty safe. The rollers and berms are low, and the course is tight so speeds are low. There's some risk of minor injuries due to collisions and crashes, but probably not much risk of serious injury.
On the other hand, notice the "table top" jumps in the background of some of the pictures. They are not really part of the pump track. Plenty of kids on BMX bikes were jumping them with ease last weekend. They'd ride fast straight toward them and shoot up, somehow rotating in mid air, to land smoothly pointing downward on the other side. As easy as it looked, a couple of them did have minor crashes, and when I tried it, I seriously wiped out. The small one I tried to jump is at the back in this picture:
Yes, I'm an idiot. I've spent plenty of time in the air with my feet stuck to a flying bicycle. I really enjoy it. But I knew that a jump like that, one that points nearly vertical at the top of the ramp, was much different than the more natural obstacles that form my usual jumps. I knew that I'd need to coax the front end down significantly to keep from going over backward. I gave it a little test at low speed and landed OK, only a little too much nose up. I should have stopped there, but I had to try it once more.
I rounded the last corner of the pump track, then pedaled confidently toward the jump at only a moderate pace. I hit the jump and was launched into the air, my bike in near-vertical wheelie. Sweet. But I could tell immediately that I was tipping over backward. What to do? My feet were clipped to my bike (oops) and I was doing a reverse somersault through the air! All I could think to do was brace for a crash. It only took a few seconds. I landed flat on my upper back with my bike on top of me. The wind was squashed from my chest from the tremendous impact, releasing an uncontrolled, horrible, guttural moan. For an immeasurable moment in time, I lay on my back, lungs empty and unable to inhale, a piercing pain through my torso. I lay thinking about the first aid course I'd just taken... check, call, care... And after a while, I inhaled and I curled with pain. Abbey later said I lay writhing on the ground like spider suffering the cruciatus curse. I'm sure I did. It was torture. All I could do was squirm. I pulled off my helmet. I pushed away my bicycle. My feet had come detached from my pedals on impact. After perhaps a minute, I got up. I picked up my bike. There, stuck in the tops of the bolt on my right brake lever, was a plug of skin and hairs. I looked around and found a small hole and two long scrapes above my knee where the skin and hairs used to live. My back hurt so badly that I could feel no pain anywhere else. I had survived, but it hurt. The kid with cast said, from a distance, "You OK?" I can't remember what I said. I had probably lied and said, "Yes".
I guess I didn't break anything, although one rib in my back is particularly painful. My insides are bruised. But all the pictures in this post were taken after that crash, so I was able to continue riding despite the pain. I had tried that jump as soon as we had arrived at the track, and if we'd gone home after my crash, the kids wouldn't have had the chance to ride the new pump track. I couldn't do that to them. So we rode.
Even now, 28 hours later, the pain in my upper back is still debilitating. I worked from home today in part because I didn't think I could sit at my desk (I have also been fighting a nasty cold, so it made sense to stay home).
So... the pump track. It's fun and it should be a great way to improve bike skills and get some exercise close to home. The kids love it. For me, I don't think it could ever compare to a good piece of mountain single track, but who's comparing?
You might ask, "What's a pump track?" It's a bicycle course with rollers and berms that can be ridden (in theory) without having to pedal. Nope, there's no free energy, and it doesn't defy physics. The rider uses gravity when descending each roller to pick up speed, but by standing up on the pedals prior to climbing each roller and then lifting only the bike (not the body) less speed is lost on uphill than is gained on the downhill. The input of energy into the system comes from the rider pumping his body weight up after the descent of each roller. I find it a fascinating concept, but so far, I can't do it. I've seen it done on plenty of YouTube videos, but my technique is nowhere close to developed yet.
The track mostly looks like a bunch of dirt piles with bike tracks going over them, but there actually is a plan. It's a work in progress, and will likely be refined and smoothed over time. It will be fun to see it develop. I hope that it will eventually get some landscaping, too, so that it will blend into the park a little better.
Here's Quinn going over a roller. I think his legs may not be long enough for him to get sufficient pumping action to propel him without pedaling. That's OK. He had a great time on the track, and I think it will really improve his off-road bicycle handling skills.
Here Quinn is coming out of the berms at one end of the course. He's just come over the roller at the exit of the berm, and he has three rollers ahead of him.
He had good speed going into this berm, but not enough to really require -- or allow -- getting his wheels up on the berm.
Abbey took all the pictures on this post except for this one of her. She rode the course and liked it, too. She did very well, but had a bit more trouble than Quinn because she has a full-size bike with a longer wheelbase. This is a really tight course, and Abbey would probably be better able to ride it on a smaller BMX style bike with 20-inch wheels. Hmmm, we have one of those.
Abbey also took some pictures of me. Here I've just come up a roller, but I haven't done it right. Most pump trackers ride hard tails or rigid bikes with the saddle pushed all the way down. The suspension soaks up a lot of energy that ought to go into pumping. Next time maybe I'll lower my saddle and lock-out my rear shock.
Coming down the roller here, my front fork has squooshed nicely. It may not be the best thing for a pump track, but I love the dual suspension on my Cannondale Rize!
I was able to get plenty of speed coming across those rollers, but I never could come out of those tight corners with enough speed to keep going without pedal input.
There were quite a few kids there with their dads (where were the moms?) giving it a try.
This guy was a really good BMX rider. How do you suppose he broke his arm? His 20-inch wheels were good for this course. His dad, one of the builders of the course, road a rigid 24-inch bike on the course.
A little father/son bicycle maintenance.
The pump track seems pretty safe. The rollers and berms are low, and the course is tight so speeds are low. There's some risk of minor injuries due to collisions and crashes, but probably not much risk of serious injury.
On the other hand, notice the "table top" jumps in the background of some of the pictures. They are not really part of the pump track. Plenty of kids on BMX bikes were jumping them with ease last weekend. They'd ride fast straight toward them and shoot up, somehow rotating in mid air, to land smoothly pointing downward on the other side. As easy as it looked, a couple of them did have minor crashes, and when I tried it, I seriously wiped out. The small one I tried to jump is at the back in this picture:
Yes, I'm an idiot. I've spent plenty of time in the air with my feet stuck to a flying bicycle. I really enjoy it. But I knew that a jump like that, one that points nearly vertical at the top of the ramp, was much different than the more natural obstacles that form my usual jumps. I knew that I'd need to coax the front end down significantly to keep from going over backward. I gave it a little test at low speed and landed OK, only a little too much nose up. I should have stopped there, but I had to try it once more.
I rounded the last corner of the pump track, then pedaled confidently toward the jump at only a moderate pace. I hit the jump and was launched into the air, my bike in near-vertical wheelie. Sweet. But I could tell immediately that I was tipping over backward. What to do? My feet were clipped to my bike (oops) and I was doing a reverse somersault through the air! All I could think to do was brace for a crash. It only took a few seconds. I landed flat on my upper back with my bike on top of me. The wind was squashed from my chest from the tremendous impact, releasing an uncontrolled, horrible, guttural moan. For an immeasurable moment in time, I lay on my back, lungs empty and unable to inhale, a piercing pain through my torso. I lay thinking about the first aid course I'd just taken... check, call, care... And after a while, I inhaled and I curled with pain. Abbey later said I lay writhing on the ground like spider suffering the cruciatus curse. I'm sure I did. It was torture. All I could do was squirm. I pulled off my helmet. I pushed away my bicycle. My feet had come detached from my pedals on impact. After perhaps a minute, I got up. I picked up my bike. There, stuck in the tops of the bolt on my right brake lever, was a plug of skin and hairs. I looked around and found a small hole and two long scrapes above my knee where the skin and hairs used to live. My back hurt so badly that I could feel no pain anywhere else. I had survived, but it hurt. The kid with cast said, from a distance, "You OK?" I can't remember what I said. I had probably lied and said, "Yes".
I guess I didn't break anything, although one rib in my back is particularly painful. My insides are bruised. But all the pictures in this post were taken after that crash, so I was able to continue riding despite the pain. I had tried that jump as soon as we had arrived at the track, and if we'd gone home after my crash, the kids wouldn't have had the chance to ride the new pump track. I couldn't do that to them. So we rode.
Even now, 28 hours later, the pain in my upper back is still debilitating. I worked from home today in part because I didn't think I could sit at my desk (I have also been fighting a nasty cold, so it made sense to stay home).
So... the pump track. It's fun and it should be a great way to improve bike skills and get some exercise close to home. The kids love it. For me, I don't think it could ever compare to a good piece of mountain single track, but who's comparing?
Football
Quinn is playing football. I don't know why. I suppose he likes to chase other kids around in the grass. I'd like to teach him to throw a football with a nice spiral, but I can't.
We were initially confused about how flags worked, but it's pretty simple. The flag/belt assembly is one unit, and a good firm grab on a flag will pull off the entire belt.
They seem to really enjoy chewing on the mandatory mouth guards.
We were initially confused about how flags worked, but it's pretty simple. The flag/belt assembly is one unit, and a good firm grab on a flag will pull off the entire belt.
They seem to really enjoy chewing on the mandatory mouth guards.
Amos is Growing
Here's Amos, again. He's growing. He's trouble.
He loves to eat sticks and acorns. He yaks them up in Abbey's room in the middle of the night. He eats stuffed animals, too. He eats paper towels, tissues, toilet paper rolls, boxes, towels, and shoes. Shirts and wool socks. Especially Quinn's dirty wool socks.
Amos is absolutely never allowed on the furniture. Never, never, never.
He loves to eat sticks and acorns. He yaks them up in Abbey's room in the middle of the night. He eats stuffed animals, too. He eats paper towels, tissues, toilet paper rolls, boxes, towels, and shoes. Shirts and wool socks. Especially Quinn's dirty wool socks.
Amos is absolutely never allowed on the furniture. Never, never, never.
Capitol City River Run
Cindy's nearly finished the 2009 Playmakers Race Series. She's run 9 of the 11 races thus far. The last race in the series is this weekend, and after that she'll have run 10 of the 12 races. Her prize for finishing 10 of 12 in the series will be a loaf of bread each month for a year from Great Harvest Bread. Most have been 5k races, but there was an 8k two weeks ago, and she ran the half-marathon (that's 21k) at the Capitol City River Run last weekend. The kids and I are very proud of her stick-to-it-iveness.
The Capitol City Run takes place in downtown Lansing and much of the course follows the paved trails and boardwalks of the Lansing River Trail. It's a nice course (maybe next year I'll try it).
Here's the start. Those Playmakers Team boys always win.
The race included sort of a carnival at the finish, with plenty of food. And a dinosaur. It was lots of fun.
Like many of these events, there was a kids run. Can you find Q&A? Quinn crashed on the race course while running down a hill, so he and Abbey finished nearly last. He had a big scrape on his knee and one on his hip, and was missing some skin on one hand. We got to visit the first aid tent for repairs.
There was an inflatable tiki for climbing. Abbey made it to the top because I said I'd pay her five dollars if she could do it. She needs some real incentive sometimes.
The kids run and the climbing all happened while Cindy was running. She finished in 2 hrs and 21 minutes. That's just 3 minutes longer than her run in Detroit last year, and was really quite good considering that her training has been much less intense this year. She spent the last few miles of the run chatting the woman on her left in this picture. Can you see the blister on Cindy's foot?
The Capitol City Run takes place in downtown Lansing and much of the course follows the paved trails and boardwalks of the Lansing River Trail. It's a nice course (maybe next year I'll try it).
Here's the start. Those Playmakers Team boys always win.
The race included sort of a carnival at the finish, with plenty of food. And a dinosaur. It was lots of fun.
Like many of these events, there was a kids run. Can you find Q&A? Quinn crashed on the race course while running down a hill, so he and Abbey finished nearly last. He had a big scrape on his knee and one on his hip, and was missing some skin on one hand. We got to visit the first aid tent for repairs.
There was an inflatable tiki for climbing. Abbey made it to the top because I said I'd pay her five dollars if she could do it. She needs some real incentive sometimes.
The kids run and the climbing all happened while Cindy was running. She finished in 2 hrs and 21 minutes. That's just 3 minutes longer than her run in Detroit last year, and was really quite good considering that her training has been much less intense this year. She spent the last few miles of the run chatting the woman on her left in this picture. Can you see the blister on Cindy's foot?
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