mirror fun

mirror fun
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Last night we went to Matt and Beth's Wedding at the American Visionary Art Museum/Joy America Cafe. We had a great time and enjoyed several beverages since our trip home was all of 3 blocks. The photo was taken in front of one of those distorted mirrors that they have at the museum. It was one of those nights.

Thor was having a sleepover at Grandma's house. This was his first night away from us and that was rough, but I retrieved him first thing in the morning because we were missing him. He and Grandma had a great time...it was us parents that had it rough. 8-)

I was hurting pretty good this morning and a late night slice from Maria D's had my stomach doing all kinds of crazy stuff. I suited up anyway and rode my bike up to Poly High School for BBC's Back To School Crit. Hung over is no condition for bike racing, but when you can ride to the race ya gotta do it. I needed the training and I wanted to support BBC.

The plan was to sit in all race and try to avoid getting dropped. After I was forced to dismount over the bars when a crash came my way I decided to start attacking to minimize my time in the squirrelly pack.

I bridged up to 3 guys going for a prime and kept rolling with 2 of them since we had a little gap. The quartering wind on the back side of the course made it tough, but we built a small gap and stayed out front for 4 laps, during which I grabbed a prime.

After we were caught I managed to slot in near the front and spent several laps recovering. More attacks came and went until a solo guy countered and got a gap quickly. He stayed out there for a while with no real chasing pressure.

As the field eased up riders from the back started jockeying for position in order to move up. This led to all kinds of sketch so I jumped on the back side to escape the mayhem.

Coming across the line a prime was announced and the lone leader was in sight. I bridged to him and asked if he had anything left to keep going. He said he did, but needed to recover for a bit. He offered to pull once we got to the rise leading to the finishing straight.

I drove it into the wind and suffered since I had just put in a big effort to bridge, but I kept my head down pedaled. Once through the last corner I slid over to let him pull through, but he was gapped and hurting.

I was pretty much done, but dug a little more to grab the prime before the field swallowed me up.

After a few more laps I was recovered and thinking about the finish. Bernie attacked with 2 to go, which fired up the field and got things single-file in pursuit.

I got behind two strong sprinters and hoped they would find a way up front. We were making progress, but got blocked and had to slow just a bit. At that point, if you weren't already in the top 10 there was not much point in taking big risks to mix it up so I sat up and rolled it to the line in 23rd.

Dave nabbed 4th and is just a couple of points shy of his upgrade to cat 3. He started the year as a 5 so that's pretty impressive. Ryan might have been top 10, which would put him one away from his upgrade.

At the start I was feeling pretty ill, so I was happy that I was able to get in a couple of breaks and grab two primes. BBC did it up right with the primes too....I got a Giro Atmos helmet and a gift certificate at Joe's Bike Shop. Sometimes prime-hunting is the way to go...especially if you aren't down with the field sprint.

My fitness is on the right track for 'cross, but there's a ways to go and the early races will be a shock to the system.

Thor at 4 months, photoshop, & bike racing

Thor close up b&w watercolor
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Thor had his 4 month doctor's appointment today, which meant 4 shots 8-( but he is doing very well.

The stats...

15 pounds, 14 ounces (75th percentile)
26 inches (88th percentile)
pooping daily
smiling and giggling constantly

And he's sleeping 10 hours a night!

We are soooo in love.

I just bought photoshop and can already tell that I'm going to have a lot of fun with it.

I really dig the black & white watercolor effect on the above photo.

I raced my bike last last night (first time since May at the JHU Druid Hill training series. I got in my intervals and had a fun time, though the racing was very negative. Everyone felt a need to chase down everything immediately and then just sit on the wheel.

I mean, if you're going to chase down an attack why not take a pull or 2 to try to make something stick?

In any event, it was good training & I badly needed some interval work to prepare for 'cross. I'll be back out the next few Tuesdays.

Good night.

Bordeaux Chateau

Bordeaux Chateau
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

Here's a cool shot of a Chateau in Bordeaux. We found this place during a ride on our 2003 Tour de France trip. Notice the two riders heading up the dirt path to the Chateau. That day's ride was incredible. The weather was perfect and after several hard days in the Pyrenees I felt trés forte on the rolling roads of Bordeaux.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeer

It's Friday and I'm ready for a beer, but this'll have to do for now.

Check out this link to a very cool Cecil B. Demille-ish ad for Carlton Draught Beer.

http://www.bigad.com.au/

Or click on the title of this post.

Weekend plans...

Tonight: Beer (maybe 2!), carryout and a movie on the chesterfield (that's Virginian for super-comfy couch)

Saturday: Road ride, then el salto for a margarita and grub......mmmmm el salto, my favorite Wendy's converted into a cheap Mexican joint!!! I already know what I'm getting...jumbo margarita frozen w/salt, cheese dip, guacamole, & a burrito con azada w/chicken. Damn, with all the talk of booze and mexican food this is starting to sound like a post from fatmarc's blog.

Sunday: mtb ride & new recipe night on sunday...still on the grilled fish theme.

There will also be a lot of Thor-time all weekend long...it's the best.

On Monday I'll be up before the crack of dawn to catch a train for a quick trip to NYC for what promises to be a long day.

I'm getting hungry. Time to grab lunch.

nutz

Should I expect funny looks if I wear a cup under my cycling shorts?

Yesterday evening I got out for a ride at Avalon with Sean. We rode a steady pace and punched it on a few of the shorter climbs making for a nice ride. I felt pretty good for most of the ride, but at the start of one of the rocky climbs we got to chatting and I stopped paying attention.

I rode right into a rock and went over the bars (going uphill), but only after slamming into my stem in the worst possible place. Needless to say I was doubled over moaning for a few minutes before climbing back on. After that I was pretty sloppy on the rocks as I was afraid of another impact. At least we have Thor already in case I did any permanent damage to the fellas. 8-)

Grin

Grin
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

It's amazing how a little grin can absolutely make your day. Good times.

Melanie is out for a ride this morning with her friend Erin. They'll probably do about 4 hours riding the country roads north of town.

Thor and I are chilling on the couch for a bit. Then we'll head out to do the shopping for the week.

I'll get out for a short ride later today and then tomorrow morning me and the boys are doing a long, hilly one up close to PA and back. It should end up being around 5 hours round trip.

I've been doing a lot of 1-3 hour rides so I'm curious to see what my body does the last couple of hours.

I'm printing out some small Thor photos to tape to the handlebars of my various bikes. They should be good for inspiration when the going gets tough.

I've been listening to a lot of French language stuff on my iPod lately, trying to improve my linguistic skills, yo. I'll probably only use it on vacations, but I think I could go for working a year or two abroad...getting immersed in a different culture and doing a lot of road trips around Europe. Thor is already into travelling so I'm sure he would have a good time.

That's all for now...the countdown to 'cross season is in full effect...two months 'til the first race.

Pigeons

update

Long time no blog, so here's a quick update...

Fooooooooooood

We've been trying to try some new recipes. To that end we alternate weeks preparing a new dish. In the last month I've grilled fish a couple of times. First up was rockfish marinated with olive oil, lemon juice, and capers. Next up was salmon marinated with an orange soy teriyaki siz-auce. In each case, the marinade added flavor and moisture without taking away from the flavor of the fish. We'll be grilling more fish from here on out.

Since I've been doing mostly base training and zero racing I haven't been too freaked about my diet so I've been enjoying a regular belgian beer...Duvel, Chimay, Hoegaarden, Stella...as well as some ice cream from the neighborhood shop. I've been enjoying the added calories, but I couldn't go nuts on the beer and ice cream year round.

Continuing the food & beverage thought, every time we're in Paris there's a certain Latin Quarter cafe that we always hit for a Kir and some good people watching. Since we didn't make it to Le Tour this year we've been drinking Kir's here at home. They're easy to make....Sauvignon Blanc with a splash of Creme de Cassis. The only thing missing is the Parisian atmosphere and attendant cigarette smoke.

Riding the mountain bike

I've been riding the Fuel ex doing 2-3hr rides and covering the whole park (Patapsco Avalon). Disc brakes and 4in of travel with on the bar lockout make long rides over varied terrain a lot o'fun. This bike is perfectly suited for endurance racing and it's the bike I'll use for the Shenandoah 100 next year...too much going on to do the race this year.

I've also done some riding on my generic rigid singlespeed. This machine has no frills, but it's such a pure riding experience. The connection from trail to rider is organic and requires bike handling skills that are an afterthought on a full-squishy bike...good for improving one's skillz. When I get back to doing some XC racing I think I'll do it on a SingleSpeed.

Running...ugh

'Cross season is nigh, and since it's my only racing focus this year I started the running early. I'm still doing a couple of 20 minute jogging sessions per week. Next month I'll begin some running intervals to really start the suffering.


Thor

He's smiling, giggling, and growing! He's 13 weeks old and already too long for most of his 3 month old clothes. For the past couple of weeks he's been sleeping from roughly 9pm until after 6am, so we're all getting plenty of good sleep. wooohooo!
This is a really fun age, as he's learning new things every day. He really enjoyed listening to coverage of the Tour and seemed to recognize Phil and Paul's voices.
I'm hoping that he'll make it out to some 'cross races this Fall to cheer on his Dad.

That's all for now.

Thor's first day at the beach

07-05-05_1753.jpg
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

@ the beach

All Night Long

"All Night Long" by the late great Mississippi blues genius Junior Kimbrough is an appropriate song this morning.

Thor slept from 9:30 last night until almost 7:00 this morning. That's the first time that he has slept through the night.

Let's hope this turns into a habit. 8-)

Time to run

I did my first run of the year last night. It was barely 15 minutes and it hurt.
Since my road season is done I'm starting the running earlier than usual.
My goal is to get a good base of easy runs so that I can do some good hill/stair sprint workouts as we get closer to 'cross season.

'Cross is all about saving little bits of time every lap. You can do that by making improvements in various areas: cycling fitness, bike handling, 'cross technique, and running fitness. To do well at 'cross you really have to train each of these. Weaknesses get exposed pretty quickly in a 'cross race.

Roots

I had a sweet 2 hour mountain bike ride at Avalon this afternoon. The weather and trails were perfect.

Here's a shot of a nasty ribbon of roots coming down toward the cascade falls and the swinging bridge.
It can be intimidating, but you just pick a line and let it roll.

Curtis Leschyshyn in Velonews

Curtis Leschyshyn, Chris, and Radek Bonk
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

This is a photo of Curtis Leschyshyn, Me, & Radek Bonk hanging out at the cafe/resto near the summit of the col du Glandon during the 2004 Tour de France.

Curtis and Radek are NHL stars who had some time on their hands due to the impending NHL lockout. They're both great guys. We had a lot of fun talking bikes and hearing their war stories from the NHL. They're also cycling freaks and really strong riders.

I played a lot of hockey and followed the NHL growing up. Now my athletic focus is on cycling. Thus, it was a real treat for me to spend some time with a couple of NHL cyclists.

Check out the latest (June 20, 2005) issue of Velonews for a Q&A with Curtis Leschyshyn on page 14. With a season off from playing hockey it seems that he spent a lot of time riding and racing his bike.

While riding with him in France I could tell that he was very strong so it's cool to hear that he has done well racing, including winning 2 stages of the Excel Sports Boulder Stage Race in the cat. 4's. He used to play for the Colorado Avalanche and that's where he and his family have settled down.

Blog the Tour

Subaru is holding a contest to pick someone to blog the last two weeks of the Tour de France. Check it out at www.racetothetour.com

The winner will receive a laptop, a camera, and a cellphone to blog updates from the Tour. They will follow the race with Trek Travel, which means plenty of riding, incredible food, luxury hotels, and access to Discovery team riders.

Go to the website to enter. No blogging experience necessary, but you'd better be prepared to ride a lot of kilometers over some big mountain passes.

I've done this a couple of times, but it would sure be nice to have Subaru pick up the tab!

Post-ride mexican...mmmmm

06-12-05_1515.jpg
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

post ride mexican...mmmm


Mel and I got out for a nice 2.5 hour mountain bike ride at Avalon today. With Grandma looking after the baby we had most of the day to ourselves. We did a big loop in the park, working up a big appetite riding in the heat. Of course, we then went to El Salto for the best post-ride meal...mexican and margaritas! Livin'!

Future Mountain Biker

We're starting him early!

Satisfied

While listening to the legendary 4/3/96 Widespread Panic show from Huntsville, AL I found myself contemplating a few verses from that evening's version of "Arleen". Specifically, I focused on a few lines of Van Morrison's "Satisfied" channeled through JB in the midst of the "Arleen" jam.

"Go to the mountain
Come back to the city
Where a whole lot of things
Don't look very pretty
Spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst
But you got to change it
On the inside first
To be satisfied
To be satisfied"

Initially this struck me as rather bleak and dark. However, after studying more lyrics (that JB doesn't rap) from the original song I see it as more hopeful.

"Talkin' to my baby now
I'm satisfied
With my world
Cause I made it
The way it is.
Satisfied (Satisfied.)
Inside."

I like the idea that you can shape your world the way that you want it. In fact, you must take responsibility for your actions and your world.

"You know, baby, cause and effect
I got my karma from here right to New York"

Cause and Effect. Everything you do has an impact on you and your world.
Pretty heavy stuff & uplifting when you look at it with a positive frame of mind.

Good tunes, good times.

Thor!

From Eurosport's live coverage of today's stage of the Dauphiné Liberé between Aix-les-Bains and Givors

2 km THE PELOTON IS BACK TOGETHER!!! ALL THE SIX MEN HAVE BEEN ENGULFED!!

1 km The sprinters get ready for the final assault...

0 km And it's a victory for Credit Agricole's Norwegian giant Thor Hushovd! A great name, a great rider, a great victory!

16:11 Sean Donohoo, from Italy, sent in his coolest name nomination just before the finish: "I've got to go with Thor Hushovd. Anyone named "Thor" has got to be a bad-ass." A bad-ass he is, and also one hell of a powerful sprinter! The Credit Agricole man has taken this 224 km first stage from Aix-les-Bains to Givors, and taken it with some performance. His team timed their assault on the six leaders with perfection, catching the men with two clicks to go before leading in their Norwegian trophy hunter to the kill.

Thor!

National Champion

06-05-05_1533.jpg
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

I took this photo yesterday in Philly just minutes after the end of the Wachovia USPro Cycling Championship race. I snapped the shot with my camera phone through the chainlink fence behind the podium.

Chris Wherry had just won the race and was on stage receiving the National Champion's jersey.

He rode an inspired race and deserved the win after a bold late race attack that he held to the finish.

We split time between the start/finish area and The Wall in Manyunk. The Wall was nuts...parties and chaos everywhere.
I'm sure the riders fed off the energy each time up the climb.

We had a fantastic time and really enjoyed Philly. It was nice to see a big-time bike race with a huge crowd in the US.

Thor was a trooper and thoroughly enjoyed the race.

Top of the Manyunk Wall

06-05-05_1354.jpg
Originally uploaded by cbnystrom.

This is the turn at the top of the Manyunk Wall. The climb levels out to a false flat and then makes this turn before plunging back down. This photo was taken with my camera phone late in the Wachovia USPro Cycling Championships in Philly, June 5, 2005.