Maybe I was just bored. Or maybe it was prompted by the baby-oil sunblock (Target was out of the regular "adult" sunblock). And it might have been the four-bladed razor I got for free from the bookstore at the Culinary Institute of America on my bike tour last week. I could blame post-ride fatigue. My different look does make me feel a bit out of place on a lot of bike rides, not to mention the races. Whatever led me to it, it definitely wasn't planned. I had planned on actually being a competitive bicycle racer first. Maybe finishing with the pack would prompt it one day. Instead, without good cause, today was the day.
I started by using the electric beard trimmer with one leg over the dry bathtub. How high to go? I figured just above the bottom of the bicycle shorts should do. That left behind so much hair in the tub that I had to gather it all up afterwards and throw it in the trash. The result from the electric trimmer alone was not so bad, but stubble remained and I wanted to do it right. That called for a bath, the shaving cream and a razor (I've seen women do it plenty of times.)
Have I started something I now will feel compelled to maintain the rest of my life? How often will I have to do this? Will I be more susceptible to sunburn? Will I get an antibiotic-resistant staph infection and die?
I had heard it can hurt, but I went ahead. That particular razor was a little painful on my face, but all razors are. It turns out that shaving my legs was absolutely painless. There really aren't a lot of nerves in the legs compared to the face, I guess. Getting behind my knees and around that tendon on the outside of the knees was a little tricky. I felt a tiny bit of razor burn behind the knees, but that went away after a few minutes. I rubbed it all down with the baby-oil sunblock.
But what's the point of shaving your legs if you can't show them off? So I tried on some running shorts and discovered that I hadn't shaved high enough. Back to the tub for the few more inches and baby oil instead of shaving cream finished the job. I went out and ran some errands wearing shorts and no one started pointing and laughing, so I guess I did a passable job of it.
A lot of bicycle racers come up with all kinds of rationalizations for shaving their legs, including aerodynamics and road rash (abrasion) treatment (so why not shave the arms?), but I did it mostly out of curiosity. I'll probably keep shaving them so as to fit in, even if I am one of the slowest racers in Texas.
Besides, them gams look pretty damn sexy now.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Roughing It
[I left my camera by my tent. Check back later for photos -- Daniel]
I'm on a camping/biking trip this week and am reminded of an actress friend who told me that her version of "roughing it" it is a Super 8 Motel. And I "roughed it" in a tent last night and my lower back is killing me. I'll try to find or buy some Advil. It's not so bad when I'm on the bike, thankfully.
My travel day was busy and felt rushed. I couldn't get everything into my huge rucksack, so I added a small suitcase to my luggage, hoping I wouldn't get charged an extra $50 for excess baggage. Southwest did charge for the bike, but not for the third piece.
I'm glad I chose the heavy bike, ultimately because I didn't want to have my nice bikes in Manhattan, particularly should I decide to duck in somewhere and lock it up. The heavy bike has a touring frame, which is a little longer than other road bikes, so it barely fit in the travel case. On arrival, the bike was off of its case mounts and loose in the bag. TSA's "calling card" was also inside. I'm going to give those mounting nuts an extra tight turn for the return trip.
I picked up my son Julian from his mom's house Monday morning and had breakfast with him at Friendly's Restaurant. No oatmeal on the breakfast menu. No fiber at all to be seen, actually. Julian suggested eating a napkin. We then checked out a couple of bike shops for a bicycle pump for Julian and I was disappointed with the selection available. I bought him a Pedro's "Domestique" and I recommended avoiding it and finding a Specialized "Air Tool Comp" which is the one I have at home. I then guided Julian in changing his own tire and he's now comfortable on doing it on his own the next time. I joked at how many bikes might be hanging in garages with their first flat tires: "Oh, well, the tire's flat. Guess that bike's no good anymore!" Julian's flat was caused by a tire with insufficient pressure. He had hit a bump or a rock and the tire compressed allowing the rim cut into the tube, leaving tell-tale "snake-bite" holes. All for the lack of a pump.
My experiments at home with the CPAP battery suggested that I would need two batteries, so I bought two similar batteries at Sam's Club for $10 less, each (plus a $40 membership). They also include an air compressor, but I have no use for that feature on the trip.
After buying the batteries, we drove to a park to ride bikes where I spent most of the time installing an old bike computer onto Julian's bike and adjusting his bike fit. Then I went to assemble my bike and discovered that I lacked a hex wrench that was long enough to reach into the handlebar stem and tighten the quill bolt. I had also failed to pack bolts to attach my rack. So we packed all back into the rental car and headed to the tour starting point, unloaded and another dear friend visited for a while, then she drove Julian home and drove me from the airport rental lot back to the tour starting point.
There were dozens of tents at "Tent City" and I was told that there were about 100 riders.
At bedtime I hooked both batteries up to my CPAP and after running the CPAP for eight hours the battery level indicator didn't seem to change, so maybe the other model of battery simply wasn't adequate. I'll try just one battery tonight and see. It was definitely the best sleep I ever had while camping, except for the back pain. (I'll try rolling up a shirt and putting it under my lower back tonight.) I did awaken in the middle of the night without seeming to be able to fall asleep. I found my MP3 player and tuned the FM radio to a classical music station and managed to nod back off, waking up at 5:30 am. I dozed lightly until about 6:15 am and starting breaking down my camp. A bicycle repairman and his van had the rack bolts I needed for $2, so I attached the rack and my "trunk" full of stuff I probably wouldn't need.
Breakfast was disappointing. The breakfast van provided by Panera ran out of coffee. Grrrr.
What glorious riding weather! No arm warmers needed and below 80 degrees the entire 40 miles. Not a cloud in the sky at the start. The Albany Police Department escorted us out of our downtown Albany campsite and stopped traffic at the first few lights. Beautiful views of the Hudson River, the Catskills mountains on our left and the Taconics on our right. We crossed at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and are camping tonight on a lawn at a community college. A very easy 40 miles, but I didn't push it. Tonight we go on a "Sunset Cruise" along the Hudson. Tomorrow I'll "hammer it", counting on the rest day on Thursday.
I'm showered, caught up with E-mail and my blog is complete (except for forthcoming photos). Time for an afternoon nap. Zzzzz.
I'm on a camping/biking trip this week and am reminded of an actress friend who told me that her version of "roughing it" it is a Super 8 Motel. And I "roughed it" in a tent last night and my lower back is killing me. I'll try to find or buy some Advil. It's not so bad when I'm on the bike, thankfully.
My travel day was busy and felt rushed. I couldn't get everything into my huge rucksack, so I added a small suitcase to my luggage, hoping I wouldn't get charged an extra $50 for excess baggage. Southwest did charge for the bike, but not for the third piece.
I'm glad I chose the heavy bike, ultimately because I didn't want to have my nice bikes in Manhattan, particularly should I decide to duck in somewhere and lock it up. The heavy bike has a touring frame, which is a little longer than other road bikes, so it barely fit in the travel case. On arrival, the bike was off of its case mounts and loose in the bag. TSA's "calling card" was also inside. I'm going to give those mounting nuts an extra tight turn for the return trip.
I picked up my son Julian from his mom's house Monday morning and had breakfast with him at Friendly's Restaurant. No oatmeal on the breakfast menu. No fiber at all to be seen, actually. Julian suggested eating a napkin. We then checked out a couple of bike shops for a bicycle pump for Julian and I was disappointed with the selection available. I bought him a Pedro's "Domestique" and I recommended avoiding it and finding a Specialized "Air Tool Comp" which is the one I have at home. I then guided Julian in changing his own tire and he's now comfortable on doing it on his own the next time. I joked at how many bikes might be hanging in garages with their first flat tires: "Oh, well, the tire's flat. Guess that bike's no good anymore!" Julian's flat was caused by a tire with insufficient pressure. He had hit a bump or a rock and the tire compressed allowing the rim cut into the tube, leaving tell-tale "snake-bite" holes. All for the lack of a pump.
My experiments at home with the CPAP battery suggested that I would need two batteries, so I bought two similar batteries at Sam's Club for $10 less, each (plus a $40 membership). They also include an air compressor, but I have no use for that feature on the trip.
After buying the batteries, we drove to a park to ride bikes where I spent most of the time installing an old bike computer onto Julian's bike and adjusting his bike fit. Then I went to assemble my bike and discovered that I lacked a hex wrench that was long enough to reach into the handlebar stem and tighten the quill bolt. I had also failed to pack bolts to attach my rack. So we packed all back into the rental car and headed to the tour starting point, unloaded and another dear friend visited for a while, then she drove Julian home and drove me from the airport rental lot back to the tour starting point.
There were dozens of tents at "Tent City" and I was told that there were about 100 riders.
At bedtime I hooked both batteries up to my CPAP and after running the CPAP for eight hours the battery level indicator didn't seem to change, so maybe the other model of battery simply wasn't adequate. I'll try just one battery tonight and see. It was definitely the best sleep I ever had while camping, except for the back pain. (I'll try rolling up a shirt and putting it under my lower back tonight.) I did awaken in the middle of the night without seeming to be able to fall asleep. I found my MP3 player and tuned the FM radio to a classical music station and managed to nod back off, waking up at 5:30 am. I dozed lightly until about 6:15 am and starting breaking down my camp. A bicycle repairman and his van had the rack bolts I needed for $2, so I attached the rack and my "trunk" full of stuff I probably wouldn't need.
Breakfast was disappointing. The breakfast van provided by Panera ran out of coffee. Grrrr.
What glorious riding weather! No arm warmers needed and below 80 degrees the entire 40 miles. Not a cloud in the sky at the start. The Albany Police Department escorted us out of our downtown Albany campsite and stopped traffic at the first few lights. Beautiful views of the Hudson River, the Catskills mountains on our left and the Taconics on our right. We crossed at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge and are camping tonight on a lawn at a community college. A very easy 40 miles, but I didn't push it. Tonight we go on a "Sunset Cruise" along the Hudson. Tomorrow I'll "hammer it", counting on the rest day on Thursday.
I'm showered, caught up with E-mail and my blog is complete (except for forthcoming photos). Time for an afternoon nap. Zzzzz.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Bike Tour Plans
On Sunday I'm flying up to Albany, New York, the departure point for the Great Hudson Valley Pedal, a six-day bike tour along the Hudson River valley to New York City. We will pedal into Manhattan on the following Sunday, August 19, 2007.
The tour is being organized by the advocacy organization "Parks & Trails New York". Ironically, we'll be camping in fields at high schools and colleges for five of the six nights and only one night in an actual park. We will have hot showers every night and P&TNY is providing all meals (except for one night) and snacks. All this for the princely sum of $475.
I have lived in Albany, Woodstock and NYC, so I'm pretty familiar with the area. It's very beautiful in August (they complain of the heat, but I'll be a little chilly in the evenings). The weather is dreadfully cold in January.
I don't know the exact path we'll take yet, but they claim that it is 200 miles, 40 to 50 miles per day, well within my abilities. I don't believe that the hills will be any worse than what we have here around Austin. I put together some paths using Google Maps and only came up with about 140 miles, so I imagine that there will be some diversions along the way. The maps I came up with are largely ignorant of traffic issues, but I anticipate that the actual route will divert to avoid motor traffic and provide better scenery (although the scenery is very good even from the NYS Thruway).
A cycling teammate loaned me an airline bike bag for my bike. (Southwest and JetBlue will be charging me $50 each way for the bike.) I own several bikes, but I'll be bringing along the heaviest in the stable, a Fuji Touring bike, designed for carrying a heavy load in panniers. All gear will actually travel from point to point in a truck, so I'm bringing the heavy bike mostly because it will slow me down a bit to help me stay at a more social pace. It will also allow me to have a "trunk" on the rear rack for a camera (tripod?) and wet weather gear.
At night while sleeping I require a CPAP to allow me to breathe effectively. I can live without it, but I don't sleep very well without it. The CPAP accepts a 12-volt connector, so I'll be bringing along a battery (Coleman Jumpstart) that I'm hoping I can charge each afternoon at each destination. It's a lead-acid battery, so I can't bring it on the plane (either as checked or carry-on baggage), so I'll buy one in Albany and donate it to someone in NYC. (Do you know anyone that can put me up in NYC on the 19th that could use a portable battery?)
I'm flying back on Monday, August 20th from JFK via JetBlue non-stop to Austin.
Overnights:
The tour is being organized by the advocacy organization "Parks & Trails New York". Ironically, we'll be camping in fields at high schools and colleges for five of the six nights and only one night in an actual park. We will have hot showers every night and P&TNY is providing all meals (except for one night) and snacks. All this for the princely sum of $475.
I have lived in Albany, Woodstock and NYC, so I'm pretty familiar with the area. It's very beautiful in August (they complain of the heat, but I'll be a little chilly in the evenings). The weather is dreadfully cold in January.
I don't know the exact path we'll take yet, but they claim that it is 200 miles, 40 to 50 miles per day, well within my abilities. I don't believe that the hills will be any worse than what we have here around Austin. I put together some paths using Google Maps and only came up with about 140 miles, so I imagine that there will be some diversions along the way. The maps I came up with are largely ignorant of traffic issues, but I anticipate that the actual route will divert to avoid motor traffic and provide better scenery (although the scenery is very good even from the NYS Thruway).
A cycling teammate loaned me an airline bike bag for my bike. (Southwest and JetBlue will be charging me $50 each way for the bike.) I own several bikes, but I'll be bringing along the heaviest in the stable, a Fuji Touring bike, designed for carrying a heavy load in panniers. All gear will actually travel from point to point in a truck, so I'm bringing the heavy bike mostly because it will slow me down a bit to help me stay at a more social pace. It will also allow me to have a "trunk" on the rear rack for a camera (tripod?) and wet weather gear.
At night while sleeping I require a CPAP to allow me to breathe effectively. I can live without it, but I don't sleep very well without it. The CPAP accepts a 12-volt connector, so I'll be bringing along a battery (Coleman Jumpstart) that I'm hoping I can charge each afternoon at each destination. It's a lead-acid battery, so I can't bring it on the plane (either as checked or carry-on baggage), so I'll buy one in Albany and donate it to someone in NYC. (Do you know anyone that can put me up in NYC on the 19th that could use a portable battery?)
I'm flying back on Monday, August 20th from JFK via JetBlue non-stop to Austin.
Overnights:
- Mon, Aug 13: Sage College, Albany
- Tue, Aug 14: Columbia-Greene Community College, Hudson
- Wed, Aug 15: Regina Coeli Catholic School, Hyde Park
- Thu, Aug 16: Regina Coeli Catholic School, Hyde Park
- Fri, Aug 17: James I. O'Neill High School, Fort Montgomery
- Sat, Aug 18: Nyack Beach State Park, Nyack
- Sun, Aug 19: ? (Your home in East Brooklyn or South Queens? :-) )
Sad Discovery
The remains of my mom's childhood friend, Carolyn Jordan, were found on August 4, 2007. She had been missing since leaving a friend's home in Lipan, Texas at 9:00 am on a clear, sunny and warm Sunday morning, June 24, 2007. It was believed she would have traveled US-281 to her home in San Antonio.
Carolyn's remains were found in her car, seatbelt strapped, in the North Bosque River near Iredell, Texas where Highway 6 crosses the river. All the car windows were broken. Her expected path on US-281 crosses the river 10 miles upstream (where she was expected to be at 10:30 am on the 24th). It is not known how she and her car ended up in the river. In the vicinity on June 24, skies were clear and sunny, but torrential rains fell the following days. The North Bosque River peaked at flood stage 60 hours after Carolyn would have arrived in the area. Flood stage for the river in that area is 20 feet above normal level, and such a level had not been seen in over 15 years.
Memorial services are planned for Carolyn later today in San Antonio.
Carolyn's remains were found in her car, seatbelt strapped, in the North Bosque River near Iredell, Texas where Highway 6 crosses the river. All the car windows were broken. Her expected path on US-281 crosses the river 10 miles upstream (where she was expected to be at 10:30 am on the 24th). It is not known how she and her car ended up in the river. In the vicinity on June 24, skies were clear and sunny, but torrential rains fell the following days. The North Bosque River peaked at flood stage 60 hours after Carolyn would have arrived in the area. Flood stage for the river in that area is 20 feet above normal level, and such a level had not been seen in over 15 years.
Memorial services are planned for Carolyn later today in San Antonio.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
