The Power of Jebez

I've got two months experience now in training with a power meter, and I'm still not sure if it helps any more than having a plastic Jesus glued to my handlebar would. It would have been quite a bit more affordable to write "You are slow" on a piece of masking tape and put it on the bar. In 8 weeks I could have replaced it with one that says, "You are still slow".

I joke of course (but not about being slow). A wannabe expert such as myself might be separated from my competitors by a whole lot more than the fractions of 1% that training with power might help overcome; but that doesn't mean it isn't a useful tool. With a real job and a busy family life, it does really help to make the most of the time that I have to spend on the bike. That is what success in racing is all about right? Power and efficiency? I can say one thing for sure, the added dimension that the wattage data adds to your workout makes stationary training a MUCH more bearable experience. I don't have any good numbers from outside yet since I've been riding other bikes with more disposable parts outside this winter. I can sit spinning at 200watts pretty much forever in the basement now at a E2ish 145bpm effort, but I don't really have anything to reference that to. I haven't established my zones yet, but I think my power to weight ratio is something like: slow/fat. I am hoping by July the roads will be cleaned up enough to take it outside and get some good data.

Hands Off

While our Democratic candidates for President Rochambeau themselves towards a fiery August death match, I'm just going to sit back and watch. Even before last night, I had begun to develop a nagging case of "Obama Fatigue". His hope speech that only 6 weeks ago was lighting a fire under the collective ass of primary voters, now sounds like a serial regurgitation. As he attempts this current shift in message from hope to policy, the depiction of his campaign as eloquent nothingness doesn't sound so inflammatory. I hope I am wrong, but so far he is not holding up well against the detail oriented Billary. He also has yet to prove to us supporters that he can return some punches when he really needs to.

This is supposed to be a golden election year for Democrats. Lets hope that after the dust settles we can salvage an electable candidate that won't send our grandchildren to Iraq.

Thank You

Obama Carries Children's Vote

Madison, WI

Riding the momentum of an eleven state winning streak, the Obama campaign scored a big win among young voters at the Woods Hollow Children Center. Senator Obama wins this historic day care contest with 55% to Senator Hillary Clinton's 45%. Democratic turnout was huge, eclipsing the Republican vote by a factor of five.

Despite McCain being the now presumptive nominee, he was only able to split the 6 Republican votes with Huckabee to end the contest with a tie. This is a harsh blow to McCain after having poured substantial campaign dollars into Television spots. McCain targeted the preschool audience airing commercials before Dora the Explorer, depicting the geriatric Senator as sort of a grandpa figure, taking naps and using sippy cups. The three McCain supporters at Woods Hollow were unavailable for comment, as they were all fighting over a plastic M1 Tank.

Said political commentator Flatfield Greens of the results: "I'm not surprised that 4 year olds swing heavily toward Obama and the Democrats, these kids are big whiners and they look to candidates that appeal to their whiny sensibilities. In addition, this place is run like some hippy socialist commune, kids are taught to share and have compassion for one another. Conservatives can't compete in the Day Cares."

The Obama campaign hopes to carry this momentum into tomorrow's heavily contested primaries in Ohio and Texas. Four-year-olds are still not allowed to vote in these primaries, or any primaries for that matter. It is not yet clear how this victory might influence future contests.

Gas is expensive? Gee, I hadn't heard that.

Our buzzkill society has decided that it isn't PC to use the word retard anymore, unless of course you are referring to the President of the United States of America.

On another note, I think our winter here in southern Wisco has been hard on some folks. There are probably a bunch of Midwesterners that snapped somewhere around February 12th. I saw a woman today that was shoveling water. If I see her doing it again next weekend I'll tell her it's OK to stop now.

Sheri and I had a hard time deciding today whether we wanted to fall on our asses on the bike paths, or get down and dirty on the roads. We ultimately chose both.

Slackers on Ice

We met up at the Seminole lot at 1:00. I wasn't seeing any 35 degrees yet, it was still cold and icy. It was starting to look like ditching the knobs was a bad idea. Of 14 riders I was the only guy without big knobs, studs, or both. I got served by the T-servs but they didn't slow me down too much. I'm sure it was a good bike handling exercise. We did the "winter loop" counter-clockwise, and it was covered in sheets of thick ice. Lots of people fell down and keeping traction uphill with a 38x14 was challenging the spin. We stopped at some bar on Monroe and pitchers of beer were poured and drank quickly. Another 20 miles or so as the conditions were softening up from the sun, and it was all good.

Daze off at home

Rowan is sick again, (at least his body is sick, Rowan hardly notices) so I spent the last two days at home with him. It is fun in a mope-around-the-house-in-your-scooby-pants kind of way. The only thing he will let me do other than actively play with him is hang out downstairs with the bikes. He likes being down there and he likes playing with tools. As evidenced by the time he nearly removed my brake rotor while I worked on another bike.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to "hang out" with the bikes anymore though. With the days getting longer, and March being tomorrow and all; it feels like the bikes are twitching or humming. This humming is at some odd frequency that allows me to do nothing but pace back and forth and drink pots of coffee while dreaming of fluffy dirt. It is nearly as intense as spending 48 hours locked in the house with a rowdy 4 year old. In the case of the 4 year old, I can only play trains with him or pile all the blankets and pillows on top the cat, laughing it up (Moonkee is quite tolerant of our bullshit). In the case of the bikes, there isn't much left that I can do. The Kona, my main SS race bike, sits ready to explode. All she needs are those final squirts of brake fluid and Stan's before the first dirty weekend. Sheri's new bike parts are multiplying and mumbling amongst themselves about glitter and gear ratios. The rest of the bikes that aren't gainfully employed lurk in terror, fearing that another caffeine induced franken-bike session might break out. At least we are due for some snow-eating rain this weekend. Even letting loose on a bike path without worry of cracking my ass on an ice patch would be a welcomed change.

Spring and Sponsabilities

It was still in the teens I think, but I could feel spring this morning. Maybe it's a feeling that corresponds with D3 levels that top off quickly. Maybe it's only that urgent feeling I get when I realize I don't feel fast yet and racing feels close. Maybe it is only my pathological optimism.

Rowan was talking to us last night about what our "sponsabilities" are. He initiated this conversation. He first assigned the sponsability of mounting speakers on the wall to Sheri, then after a quick reassessment of aptitudes, reassigned this one to me. We decided that Moonkee's only sponsability was to poop in a box, and he can't even get that right. We are currently trying to contact Karl Rove to see if he has any interest in making Moonkee president.

Captain Buzzkill

Nuff' said.

But George was my hero yesterday. Taking 3 laps to shake those no loads and then taking it like that was great. For a while there it looked like the whole field said "screw em, its February." By the time they decided to suck it up and race it was too late. Cool finish.

Good Answer

About not wearing an American flag lapel pin, Obama said Republicans have no lock on patriotism.
"A party that presided over a war in which our troops did not get the body armor they needed, or were sending troops over who were untrained because of poor planning, or are not fulfilling the veterans' benefits that these troops need when they come home, or are undermining our Constitution with warrantless wiretaps that are unnecessary?
"That is a debate I am very happy to have. We'll see what the American people think is the true definition of patriotism."

Full text here.