Ryan Leech = Awesome

Anyone out there?

It's late in the afternoon. I'm procrastinating. My sister's class was recently at sparklesandspit (why did I call it that?) and so the address is in my internet history. I've clicked on every other link so I clicked this one too. I signed in. And now ... a post.

Maybe even a rebirth.

I'm not going to make excuses for my hiatus, but I will fill you in on some of the happenings of the past year as they pertain to bikes. It's February Blahs season, so may as well stoke the fire a little bit

A few posts down I introduced the "fun bike". I remember when it was shiny and new as pictured, but now it is mostly covered in dirt. Even though it's winter and it's just been sitting on the rack mostly. Cleaning that bike is one of the things I've been meaning to get around to since October. Oh where does the time go? 2008 is the year I learned to jump. I'm still a total novice and get stoked just clearing the tables so don't expect reports of any great feats. A tail whip may not be in my future and I'm okay with that. But what the bike has enabled is a whole new level of confidence for cross country -- cornering, handling, and balance are all noticeably improved. Plus, since it's a single speed with flat pedals, I've unlocked a few secrets about momentum too. But it's not all fun and games -- I also got my first-ever stitches in 08. Nine of em, in the shin. Really, I was probably due for some anyway. Gotta pay to play, so they say.

photo cred: Monk

So cross country! 09 race season is only a few short months away. Still waiting for my weapon: a Trek Top Fuel 9.8 WSD. I've got great ambitions to take it on the road (as in travel) to get comfy in as little time as possible. I'll also try and arrange for a proper fit with Steve Neal Performance. I met with Peter Glassford in December and while I can't afford to call him my coach, he's been kind enough to respond to email questions and we also had a long meeting to start things off on the right track. The main thing I took away from our chat? Vegetables. Eat your veggies!! Of course, I gleaned some other tidbits as well but those I'll keep to myself. You know, in the spirit of competition.



2008 I also made my first attempt at Downhill. I was at Mont Ste Anne for the World Cup as a spectator and in the rainy days leading up to the race, I got in some wicked runs. Man is it addictive. Mountain biking without climbing!! I was most blown away by the tires. Traction was a completely different story from what I'm used to. Even though it was wet and sloppy, I stuck to almost everything (except the ladder bridge where I hit the back brake. Idiot.) Gotta be careful or I'll end up on a big bike. It was highly addictive (and expensive) and let's face it: that's where the real glamour of the sport is. Those are the guys and gals in the magazines. They're the ones filming all the time. That said, the XC race on the Sunday looked so gnarly. There's masochism and then there's masochism. In DH, the race lasts 5 minutes and if you don't fall, it's just a gruelling five minutes. In XC, the race lasts approximately 2 hours. And you know you're going to be in pain for every single second. And then usually for the afternoon and the day following, too.

You know, sometimes I think about all the time and money I'd save if I just gave up bikes entirely. But that train of thought usually leads to ideas about what gear I'd buy with the spare cash, and where I'd ride with all the free time. Which is basically back where I started, so I guess I'll just keep on keeping on.

Anyway, hello from oblivion.

Rubber side down.


KL

Palindromes

Ever heard of a palindrome? You probably have, but maybe didn't know its name. Palindrome is a word or phrase spelt the same forwards and backwards.

Like NOON (Which is also the same upside down, to add to the awesomeness)
LEVEL
CIVIC
ROTOR

etc etc.

Then you can get into whole phrases, like

A man, a plan, a canal, Panama.
Al lets Della call Ed Stella.
Dammit, I'm Mad.
Do geese see god?
Golf? No sir, prefer prison flog.

Or this, possibly the longest palindrome EVER.

okay ... what??

Bear convicted of stealing honey
Mar 13, 2008 10:37 AM Reuters

SKOPJE – A Macedonian court convicted a bear of theft and damage for stealing honey from a beekeeper who fought off the attacks with thumping "turbo-folk" music.
"I tried to distract the bear with lights and music because I heard bears are afraid of that," Zoran Kiseloski told top-selling daily Dnevnik after the yearlong case of the bear versus the beekeeper ended in the beekeeper's favour.
"So I bought a generator, lit up the area and put on songs of (Serbian "turbo-folk" star) Ceca."
The bear stayed away for a few weeks, but came back when the generator ran out of power and the music fell silent, Kiseloski said, adding, "it attacked the beehives again."
A court in the city of Bitola found the bear guilty, and since it had no owner and belonged to a protected species, ordered the state to pay the 140,000 denars ($3,500 U.S.) damage it caused to the hives.
There was no information on the whereabouts of the bear.

Look what I got!

2008 Giant STP SS

On its way across the pond, the newest addition to my stable ...

SO Excited.


THANKS SWEET PETE'S!

http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-CA/bikes/mountain/1749/30731/zoom/

An Update

Been awhile since I posted -- I tell you, I think facebook is the scourge of the internet -- and I remain hopelessly addicted. I have become lazy in my blogging because it is so much easier to just upload some photos, change up my status updates and creep on people's walls than to acutally sit down and write something. And this is the problem with our hectic, "just-in-time" lives. No room to just sit down and think, or reflect or even stay in touch ... at least not with flesh and blood people.


So here's an idea of what's been going on with me -- for anyone still checking in. Not the same as having a cup of coffee, but until we get together for that coffee, this'll do.


Freshest in my mind is the ski trip I just finished. A few of us from Ontario headed out to Alberta and BC to meet up with a friend of mine there. We skied at Kimberley first which is I think one of those hidden gems you're bound to hear more about as more people discover the secret. We had amazing snow there and then to top it off, it dumped all night for us before our last day of skiing. What's better than floating through the powder, legs on fire, joining in the whoops across the mountain? Especially when yours are the only tracks in sight.


After a couple days in such decadent conditions, we relocated to Lake Louise, AB for some days in the sun on the slopes. Sadly, with sun comes clear skis and with clear skis, comes old snow. But just the same, it was way better than Ontario (I compared as soon as I got back with a trip up to Blue Mountain) and way BIGGER than Ontario as well. And of course, size matters.


So after that escape from reality ... largely enabled by my Aunt, thank you VERY much! ... it is back to work and back to training of course.



This season will be another challenging handful of races. But at least I will know a little more of what to expect from the "big dog" category and I will also be blessedly looming-election free. So outside stress shouldn't be as big a factor this summer. Coach Joe and I have been working hard to line up the off season and though I am still bucking a little to regain my focus, I am starting to see real gains in tone and strength, and I also joined a spinning group at RPM in Toronto which gets me out in a group twice a week doing drills I would never have the discipline to do on a trainer.



Strength training has been added to the regime as well and a trip to the gym is always an adventure in meat-marketing. I am approached without fail by a roided-out gym-rat on every visit. Plus, it seems everyone knows how to do my workout but me. Why is it that no one ever comes up to you in the gym and says "wow, so that's how it's done! Thank god you and your perfect form showed up to educate me today." No no no. It's always "you should this" or "you need that". Sigh. Anyway, despite my apparent shortfallings on proper form *hooey!* I'm doing fine and I walk around all the time with the gentle hum of recovering muscles.



First race is at the end of April ... I can't believe how fast this winter is slipping away. I know for you snow shovelers it seems endless, but for we athletes ... well let's just say I'm starting to feel a little anxious. I was planning to attend training camp as per usual, but will have to make do without this season. Sad to say the least but hopefully I'll find solace in the money I'll save and the vacation time I can use later to visit the WC at Mont Ste Anne later this summer. Or the cottage.



Anyway, at this point in the off-season, I'm feeling good. I'm having fun with my training, and throwing in the odd ski adventure is keeping things interesting as well. Should be a good summer!



Beyond training, things are just chugging along. I'm reading "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert at the moment ... and I think everyone is. I kept seeing it everywhere and people kept telling me I should pick it up, so I did and I'm loving it. Hopefully Oprah doesn't get her hands on it. But you should.



At the movies, I have seen Cloverfield and Kiterunner most recently. Cloverfield was entertaining, watch it. Kiterunner was really good too ... watch it and read the book.



So I think that's all I have time for today ... but I hope all my faithful readers are well in the world and best of luck to Bruce County, where the roads are closed the snow is blowing ... as per usual.



Stay safe and Have fun!

A duck walks into a pub ...

A duck walks into a pub and sits himself down on a stool by the bar. "Pint of bitter please," says the duck to the barman.

"Certainly sir," the barman says, pouring up the pint. "Pardon me for saying so," he adds, "but we don't often get talking ducks in here..."

"Well, I don't usually come out at lunchtimes, our bosses don't like us drinking during our lunch hour," replies the duck.

"Oh, where do you work then?" asks the barman.

"At the pharmaceutical R&D place down the road," the duck replies. "Not for much longer, though. I've just found out I'm being made redundant next year. That's why I've come out for a drink."

"I'm sorry to hear that," says the barman.

"Yes," says the duck, "it's going to be tough to find work in the current climate. I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Well," says the barman, "I could always have a word with my brother. Talking ducks are very unusual. My brother runs a circus, and I'm sure he could find some work for a duck like you."

"That's very good of you," says the duck, "but why on earth would your brother's circus need an NMR spectroscopist?"