MS 150 - Day 2

On Sunday a similar routine of the day before occurred. Drive in at 06:30, prep bikes and selves, get ready to ride. However, the main difference was that today you could hear people in the parking lot as they were getting their selves ready with similar comments of pain. "Oh my legs, oh my butt etc. etc. " Yeah I was a little saddle sore but not too bad. I'm fine now.

Here is our group photo:
So we started again at 07:30. Again the speedy ground went ripping off. My friend and I told our wives " see ya at the finish" (They were doing the 50 miles option. We were doing the 75) and we rolled out. The second day the weather was MUCH cooler. Like about mid-60s in the morning, which is PERFECT!. This loop took us through Gorham, Scarborough, Hollis, Buxton and around. We rode through past the Scarborough Tidal Marsh, past an Elk Farm... really nice roads.

At mile 50 is the lunch stop. On our way out a guy who we had seen the day before asked if he could 'hook on' with us. This is a term used when you want to share the effort as a group rides down the road drafting each other. The trick is to stay less than 1/2 a wheel length off the guy in front of you. The #2 gets like a 25% word decrease, the #3 guys gets like 33% decrease. The bigger the group the easier it gets. Additionally, because the two drafting are working less they will come up front and break the wind for a while. Then just continue to rotate and before you know it everyone is moving along faster than if you were alone. Anyway, this guy started to ride with us. My friend got totaly gassed out and couldn't keep the pace. He told us to just go on. So we did.

Man we pounded out the last 25 miles in just over an hour (1hr 13 mins or there abouts). I was glad we did, because the temperature was so much lower I really had a fair amount of energy in me. I didn't have much when I finished, but that was the whole point.

Ride Stats: 4 hours 13 mins.
71.23 miles -apparently day 2 is slightly shorter
16.8 mph average speed.

Total Ride stats: 8 hours 30 mins, 145.5 miles, 17.1 mph avg speed.

We finished by 12:30 again.
By 1400 I had my free massage.
By 1700 were were home.
By 2100 we were passed out cold.

MS 150 - DAY 1

Saturday morning we arrived in the parking lot at St. Joe College in Windham, Maine at 06:30 sharp. After a brief check in and readying ourselves and our bikes we rolled up to the start line. The local weatherman (Joe Cupo) has been the 'official' famous guy promoting and riding in this event for somewhere around 20 years.

We started the ride at 07:30.

510 riders rolling down the road just absolutely glowing in all colors of the rainbow. As this was my first large event I was amazed by several things:

• the color explosion;

• the 510 people not concerned that they were wearing spandex shorts;

• the array of bikes from 3+thousand dollar sweet ass road machines to bikes that look more at home slowly creaking down a city street;
• the array of people (fit to fat, to put it bluntly)

As we got underway and going the peleton thinned out, riders getting into their own paces and whatnot, the riding was SUPER. The roads, while not closed, were monitored at intersections and with that many cyclists out the cars were mostly careful around us. Thou, there are always a couple of real assholes. One of which I filled out a police report on, but that is for another post.

I feel as if I'm beginning to lament. The ride was excellent. The roads through Standish, SteepFalls, Buxton and where else ever were well marked. With a rest stop every 15 miles or there abouts it made the 90 degree heat less of an issue.

Riding stats: 4 hours 17 minutes
74.24 miles. My computer popped out for about .75 miles before I caught it.
17.3 mph average speed.


I rolled through the misting tent at about 12:20 to the applause of volunteers and a few folks in wheelchairs with MS. Seeing them there made my pain and exhaustion seem minuscule.

MS-150 (stickypost until the ride)

I have just registered for the MS-150 charity ride to benefit the multiple sclerosis.
Wife has registered as well. I'm doing this ride with her, my good friend Mugsy and his wife.

On August 4th and 5th we will ride 75 miles each day.

I'm pretty excited about the ride. I haven't ridden in a large group before. I think it will be great! Of course I will be posting photos of the event when we are done.

**Now for the plea**

If you'd like to donate on-line and help me meet my goal please visit the web page I have set up through the MS Society.

DONATE HERE

Illegal Aliens

I have been working at a job site is Skowhegan this week. A couple of days ago a Border Patrol vehicle (SUV) pulled into the parking lot.

"Hey look, they gutta guy in 'der right now." one of the guys on the construction crew points out.

A while later a second white van with normal everyday citizen license plates pulls in next to the other SUV. It was a prisoner transfer. How cool for us since we were on break from the 90 degree heat! I got an issue with that license plate thing that is off topic, anyway...

They all ended up coming into the store. I guess the perp. had to piss or something. At first we thought, Mexican-obviously. but then as they got closer I started to think, Cambodian?. but as we all talked about it we all settled on Latin America...like Guatemalan or something of that nature.

Here is the pic I covertly took as they left the store.

This poor guy is probably just picking broccoli or blueberries for 3 bucks per bail to send the cash home, is about to be deported.

I have mixed feelings. Sure he was clearly here illegally, but was he really a threat? On the other hand don't do the crime if you cant to the time.

Art Sunday

Steve Dean

A Good Load

Last Sunday we went up back of the house to clear brush and get some cord wood. Wintahs Commin' dont ya know? We were up there for a couple of house loading this truck (see pic) with all the brush and junk wood for transport down to the pit for burnin'. The hardwood has been real nice from this spot...mostly beech. Beech burns real good. Long and hot. Anyway, as we were loading the truck the pile started to get too high to reach so my brother went up top and I handed him limbs from below and we were able to really stack that shit high. We even inserted long 'pole-like limbs to build the effective side walls higher. We even got a 'thats a good load' from the ol' timer next door. Now THAT is best comment possible.

So here we are enjoying the fruits (or should I say beers) of our labor.

Volcanic Vacation Geology

St. Lucia is located in the Lesser Antilles. The chain of islands (Cuba to Tobago-basically) are created from volcanic activity as a result of the Caribbean Plate subducting beneath the South and North American Plates.

'blah blah blah...were are the pics?'

In this picture, yours truly, is standing next to an excellent contact between what I believe to be an andesite conglomerate (tuff perhaps) overlain by a basaltic lava flow. Here is another picture of the same contact looking across the beach and at some nice resort rooms.

And here is some pillow lava at Pigeon Island's Fort Rodney at the north end of the island.

That's all the geology I cared to do on this trip. The sun, pool bar and food were too much of a distraction. Better luck next time.

Vacation Stuff:Part 2

When we arrived we learned that our room was upgraded. No reason. Just upgraded. Who am I to argue with that?

So we ended up with a room with a suite. Ill post a vid of it over on my you tube page shortly. But anyway, the room included room service and a mini bar.
You can see the Absolute, tanqueray, JD, Bounty rum, and bottle of red wine. In the 'fridge there was all the mixers, plus 3 Heineken, 3 Pitons, a bottle of champagne and water and tonic water.

Too much to drink so I focused my effort on the Jack Daniels. Well we hit the beers, wine and champagne too but by the end of our stay respectable dent in that bottle of JD.

How was my vacation?

AWESOME!!!

more posts coming, after I get my shit back in order.

(p.s. this picture is not faked in anyway. crazy I KNOW!)