Kill the messenger

Not really. But I went to a halloween party last night, thrown by some friends. They have a huge costume party every year, and it's always good fun. Last couple years there have been psychics and tarot readers, one year they had a hypnotist. Anyway, I went again last night.

I was at a bit of a loss as what to dress up as this year. I finally figured it out about a week ago. I was going to be a dead bike messenger! An old t-shirt, some corn syrup/red food dye/corn starch, some green/purple/red/plum eyeshadows, and various cycling clothes later I was all set. I'm rather proud of the final result. I had people ask me if the eye bruise/cut was real or not.

What do you think:

Hello Photo!

( My apologies to Motorola for stealing their slogan ).

I got the film back from my ride on Sunday. Most of the pictures turned out ok. A few really nice ones. Here they are for your viewing pleasure.



Taking pictures from a moving bike is not quite as easy as it looks. :)

And in other news, the planets aligned last night and the Red Sox won the World Series. WooHoo!

60

Miles. Is how far I rode today. :)

I had planned to ride for about 45 miles. Today was an absolutey gorgeous day. Even better than last week. It was sunny, just a slight breeze, dry ( despite a week of rain ), and in the low 60's. It was probably the last day of seeing fall color, so I grabbed a disposable camera I had, and decided to get some pictures too. Since it's a disposable ( real film! ) I unfortunately don't have any pictures to post today, but I'll put 'em up once I get it back. If they are any good. I've not taken pictures from a moving bike before, so I'm not sure how they'll turn out.

Anyway, the ride was just awesome. Everything seemed to click. My pedal cadence was high ( ~95 ), my pedal stroke was smooth and circular. I was just flying along, with what seemed like not a lot of effort. I wasn't pushing it too much, more a moderate intensity, since I planned to go for a longer distance. My HR averaged 149 for the ride, which is low. During a race, I usually keep it around 165-170, so there was room for me to push harder still. I'm just doing long/slow rides this winter building up my aerobic endurance base, so I held back a bit and didn't.

Was at about mile 45 at the turnoff to head home, when I decided to go for it. I still had one full water bottle on the frame, a bit left in my aero-bottle, and a Gu packet, which was enough to carry me another 15 miles. So, I just kept on trucking for another 15 miles.

2 miles from home, there is a *big* hill. I hate this hill. This hill means pain. I have to crank down to my lowest gear to get up it. I can still only manage about 60 RPM at that gearing ( though that's more than I used to do ). But this hill makes me stronger. I've ridden it just about every ride for the last 6 months. I used to only average about 6mph up it. Today, at the end of a 60 mile ride, I cranked up it at 12mph. It still hurt, but not as bad it used to. I figure I keep this up, and I'll be in great shape for next season.

Oh, the significance of going longer today? I'm doing at least one 1/2 Ironman distance race next year. That is a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and a 1/2 marathon run. Not sure if I felt like I'd be up for a 1/2 marathon after my bike ride today, but I've got 9 months to train up to it. I'm already there on the swim distance, and the bike now. Running has always been my weakest leg ( HAH! ) so I'm focusing on that this winter. Probably only a few more nice days like this to ride, so I had to take advantage of it, then it's back to running.

Sleep

...was decidedly lacking yesterday. Obviously, you know that that BoSox won, and since I was in Boston, we decided to take part in the riots^H^H^H^H^Hparty. It was pretty cool where we were. The Goo Goo Dolls even stopped at one point to ask the score, as they were playing the same time the game was on ( and competing for attention! ).

Long story short, we ended up staying out until stupid late. Not drinking or anything at this point, as I knew I had to be up early the next day. I got back to the hotel and to bed at about 2am. At 3:30 the alarm went off, and the wakeup call came. It was time to getup to go to the airport. I hit the shower, finished packing, and was checked out in time to catch a 4am shuttle ride back to the airport.

6am flight was pretty empty, so I had a couple seats to myself in my row, which was good. I stretched out, fell back asleep, and woke up as we were touching down in Chicago. Met up with my co-worker who was at the show with me, but flew back on a different airline ( he's got AA miles, mine are on United ). We had a brief spat of panic when he thought he'd lost his car keys, but finally found them, and made it back to the office about the time I normally get in, 8:30. Urgh.

I ended up working the whole day. Finally made it home, took the dog for a short little walk, made a quick sandwich for dinner, and then headed off to bed after a nice hot shower. I ended up missing the Cardinals winning, and some other things, but I got about 12 hours of sleep, which was sorely needed.

Woke up this morning feeling very refreshed ( gee, I wonder why? ). I'm going to have to add Boston to my list of places to go back and visit. There's something about seeing old buildings and just feeling a sense of history in the place that I really like. That's part of what I've really liked about visiting Europe as well. It kind of makes me feel a little humbled to be in a building that was put up hundreds of years ago.

|t's been a crazy week. Thankfully, it is over, and I get to relax a bit this weekend. Right now though, it's off to the gym for some weights and a swim.

Tea Party

Well, not really, but there *is* a party tonight. Big party for the conference, sponsored by Microsoft. The Goo Goo Dolls are playing even. Not too shabby, considering it's *free* ( for conference attendees ). Thanks Bill! ;)

The conference overall has been not so much informative, as good to meet some of the vendors in person that we're already dealing with, and meet some new ones that we aren't working with ( yet! ). That's generally the purpose of these things though, so all to be expected.

I've been good, and hit the hotel gym 2 nights out of 3. Just 3 miles on the treadmill at an aerobic pace, but that's all I'd be doing at home anyway ( plus weights, but those were rather lacking so I didn't bother ).

Tonight should be interesting, as it's Game 7 of the ALCS, and Boston stands a chance to knock the Yankees off ( coming back from a 3-0 deficit in a best of 7 series to make it to game 7 is not a mean feat! ). I'm not so much a Boston fan, as I'm kind of an anti-Yankee fan. Maybe it's something about rooting for the underdog. :) If they do win, hopefully I'll survive the riots as I've got a 6am flight out in the morning. Urgh. Not looking forward to that, but it puts me back in Chicago in time to start my normal work day there. Yay for work travel. :D

Boston

Well, I'm in Boston now for the next few days on work. Got in yesterday around noon. Was really hurting for sleep so I got to hotel and crashed for a few hours. Then went to the gym and worked out for a bit to wake up, and feeling a lot more refreshed, headed out on the public transportation subway tour of the city.

Met up with Dan, Lee, and Lee's friend Dan ( yes, another Dan ) for some most excellent sushi. I was famished at this point, as I tend to not eat much when I travel so it was very very good. Not to mention that it was just plain good sushi. Got back from dinner about 11 or so, bummed around doing email and work for a while, watched CNN, and fell asleep.

Woke up, and it is raining today. Bummer. So, I'm off to slog through the rain to the tradeshow, where I'll be plotting my path for world domination of the VOIP market. Michael Powell ( FCC Chairman ) is giving one of the keynotes this morning, regarding VOIP regulation, so that should be interesting to hear. Not to mention all the vendor gear ( new toys! ) that will be on display on the show floor.

I'm off!

Weekly Recap

So, haven't updated in a while. Was without internet for a few days at home. Comcast goes on the fritz when it rains, and well, that's been most of the week. Of course, they can't do anything, except schedule me for a dispatch in like a week and a half. They don't want to do anything except replace the cable modem anyway. Nevermind I've told them everytime I call that the cover is not on the stupid pedastal and that is probably why it goes on the fritz when it rains. Oh well, I get lots of service credits at least.

It's been one hell of a week at work. Week was packed with interviews, looking for candidates to add to the development staff, working with potential customers for the VOIP service, and generally being busy. Other than busy, work is going really well.

Since it is getting colder, in order to ride outside I've had to augment my cycling wardrobe. ( As an aside, is it bad that I've spent more money in the last 6 months on tri/cycling/swim clothes than on "normal" clothes? ). So today, the sun broke, and we hit a high of 45. What better way to test it all out than by going on a 40 mile ride! :) Started out a little bit chilly, but I warmed up after the first couple miles. Was sweating by the end, so it certainly did the job and kept me warm.

As I was riding along, a few other cyclists passed me going the other way. I was tucked in, cruising about 25mph ( a nice long straight slight downhill ). One of them called out "Go Lance!". I really can't figure out why. Anyway, here's my stylish new cycling clothes.



Tomorrow morning I'm off to Boston for 3 days for the VOIP tradeshow. Wheeee! :)

Superman

Sad news that Christopher Reeve passed away on Sunday.

He's been a strong proponent of stem cell research, which is something that I admired and also feel strongly about. A friend of mine is a former US Olympic skater, and now suffers from Multiple Sclerosis. Very similar in symptoms to Parkinsons. He's actually coping fairly well, but he has to take shots once a week which pretty much debilitate him for the next 24-36 hours. Other than that, he's doing very well, and you wouldn't know from meeting him that he's had it for several years now.

Seeing the images of his brain MRI are pretty frightening, as there are several marble sized spots on it. One of the treatments proposed for MS has been via stem cell research, but thanks to W there isn't much of that taking place in the US today. So the fact that Christopher Reeve took on the role as a champion for the cause really meant something to me, as it could have a direct impact on the quality of life of one of my friends.

Also, that he was hurt during a riding competiton made him more real to me. Until recently, I used to ride pretty regularly, and took part in a few jumping competitions myself (even placed 3rd in an event once!). During riding I had my share of falls and accidents ( as does everyone ), and it kind of gives you pause to see someone famous that seriously injured doing the same thing. But he turned that personal tragedy into something far greater than himself, but his outspoken advancement of the issues of stem cell research and treatment/support for those with severe spinal injuries.

So, rest in peace, Superman. We'll miss you.

Reunion

It sure doesn't seem like 10 years, but apparently it has been. Saturday night was me 10 year high school reunion. I haven't been back to Oak Park ( where I grew up and went to school ) since graduation. My parents moved to Colorade while I was away at college, so I didn't have a "home" there anymore. My current job/house is in the farther northwest suburbs. But I digress.

I didn't know what to expect really. My only experience with reunions prior to this was the movie Grosse Point Blank. I was hoping that nothing quite like that happened to me. :) Fortunately it didn't. So, I was a bit nervous about things, as I really had no idea what I was going into.

I got myself all dressed up, as best to show off, without really seeming to show off. ( Hey, at least I admit it, who doesn't want to make a good impression anyway ). Here's my "Chris Parker, Male Model" picture from just before I left:



As I got there, I noticed not many other people had ties on, so I ditched it in line. More comfortable that way anyway. The evening started off with a bit of a surprise. It turns out someone blabbled to the reunion comittee that I was doing triathlons and stuff, and somehow they found my webpage, with some of my race pictures and stuff posted. So, as I walked in ( fashionably late of course ) some of the people I met made comments about triathlons and stuff. I was in a bit of shock as it was a little overwhelming to walk into a room of 200 people that you haven't seen in 10 years, so it didn't really click with me.

One of the things they had, was a "Then" and "Now" slide show playing on one of the monitors. Yeah, so there I was right in the middle of it. My old dorky HS nerd picture, and a selection of shots from my various races this year. So the secret is out, I guess.

Nothing too interesting happened. Got a chance to meet some people again I'd dropped out of touch with. Now that I don't look the atypical math/science nerd, some of the "cool" people wanted to talk to me. Gave 'em the benefit of the doubt as it has been 10 years, so people have changed since then. Most everyone was pretty cool to talk to. It's funny how some people haven't changed a bit, and others are totally different. Kinda a shock to the system.

Ended up getting coffee until about 3am with a group of friends from back in the day. We were all in Boy Scouts together, so we knew each other long before HS, but dropped out of touch after. Exchanged phone numbers/email and stuff, so hopefully it won't be 10 years again before we all get together. Good time overall, if a bit of a late night.

Segways, Oktoberfests, and Caah Paahks

Oktoberfest

The company I work for had a booth at a local Oktoberfest celebration. So this means that we each volunteer for a timeslot to work to the booth, and promote our new VOIP service. It's always fun to get out of the office for an afternoon, and talk to people about the service. Oh, the fact that it was at an Oktoberfest didn't hurt, as there was quite a selection of beer to choose from as well. There were a few other vendors/businesses as well, including a Harley dealer. Which brings me to the next topic...

Segway

So the Harley dealer is kind of a geek too. Doesn't look it at 6'7" and stereotypical biker build, but he was. In addition to selling Harley's he also sells Segways. Yep. Segways. He brought three of 'em to the fest, and if you talked to him nicely enough he even let a few people ride 'em. At first, it was a little disconcerting, as it's not normal to stand on a platform between two wheels like that. Once I got past that I was fine though. It really only took a few minutes to get used to it, before I was zipping around like a pro. And then I had to stop, as I don't have the $4500 it takes to pick one up. Definitely a fun experience though.



Caah Paahks

Excuse the atrocious Boston accent. I found out this morning that I'm going to a big VOIP tradeshow in Boston, VON the week after next. Sadly, not much time ( if any ) for anything other than work, as I'm flying in Monday morning and flying home Thursday at stupid o'clock in the morning, so I'll be back in the office in Chicago at my normal time. Urgh. The conference should be good though, so I'm looking forward to the sessions, and it should be beneficial to our growing VOIP business.

The Incredible Shrinking Man

Yeah, I'm shrinking. I went at long last and did some clothes shopping. I have no idea what sizes I actually fit into now as it's been nearly a year and 4 tris since I last went shopping for something other than cycling/tri clothes. I used to get XL shirts and such. Then as I started getting into shape the last 2 years, I moved down to size L. Now, it appears I need to get size M stuff. At the rate I'm going by 2006 I should be invisible. Either that, or manufacturers are just making everything larger.

No Respect

Rodney Dangerfield passed away. That's kinda sad. Makes you feel old when all of the people you remember from movies and stuff growing up start getting old and passing away. Hopefully he gets some respect where he's gone now.

Errata

Haven't gotten to the gym much lately, though I did manage a good session last night. Wow. I did a fairly light workout ( for me ) and I'm feeling it a bit today. I better finalize my over-winter training plan, so that I've got set workout goals. I just did base/endurance sets last night, keeping HR at ~75% of max.

Ok, so, it seems everyone is raving about Seattle. I've been there a few times on business trips and with my family when I was a *lot* younger. I guess I should see what all the fuss is about. :)

I actually spent a few months in that general area about 8 years ago, but I was at Ft. Lewis the whole time and not able to leave, so I didn't get to see much. Waking up every morning and seeing Mt. Rainier was quite an inspiring sight though. Especially for a flatlander like me. ;)

Anti-Slack

Well, the weather report said it was supposed to be cold today. Lies! It actually turned out quite nice. Sun was shining all day, and it hit upper 60's. There was a slight wind, but more on that later. :)

I figured there won't be too many more days like this, so despite an exciting day of housework and computer work, I decided to throw caution to the wind and head out for a bike ride. Had to change a tire first though. Somehow, my front tube developed a hole. Good thing I've got a bunch of spare tubes!

After changing the tire, checking pressure, and triple checking that I reassembled the bike properly after it's trip home from Colorado ( handle bars on tight, gears shifting smooth, seat adjusted properly, brakes tensioned just right ), I headed out for a planned 30 mile ride ( which turned into a 40 miler ). As it was a little cooler than usual, I threw on a wicking undershirt beneath my jersey, but otherwise, no special gear needed ( yet ).

The ride was awesome, I headed North towards Wisconsin, and just had a great time watching the scenery roll by. The fields are full, the trees are changing color, and lazy afternoon fall sunshine filtering through the trees. Looked down at speedo, realized I was really cruising. Kept speed at 23+ mph for a good portion of first half of ride ( mostly flat, some gentle rolling hills ) due to a really nice 20+ mph tailwind. Woohoo, this is great! So good was the ride, that at 15 mile point, I decided to keep going another 5 miles up to a little park that I knew was up ahead.

Apparently, I left the logical part of my brain at home. See, since this was an out and back ride, that 20+ mph tailwind that made the ride out so nice turned into a headwind on the way home. Doh! Fortunately, there is a *huge* aero difference between my new tri bike, and my mountain bike. I tucked down and kept a good cadence on the way home, just concentrating about keeping that high, since I knew my speed would just suck.

Made it out to 1/2 way in a little over an hour, and took about an hour and 20 minutes on the way back. So not *that* bad, I suppose. Anyway, it was a beautiful fall day, and I'm glad I took the time to get out and enjoy it. This means I have to pack my work into this evening, but there are worse things that I could have to do, and it's a price I'll gladly pay. :)

Slacker!

Yeah, I've been a slacker about updating my blog. I blame work, travel, general malaise, and sunspots.

Race

Race on Sunday went well. I finished in 2:57, which is slower than I thought I would do, but the altitude really took a toll on me. A more detailed race report is here.

I got pictures back from the race as well, so thanks to my slacking, I can post those now. Click the image below for the whole set!



Work

First week without my best programmer. So that means lots more work to go around. Nothing unmanageable, just that I get to do less Director-type work, and more Programmer-type work. Well, not really, I still have just as much work, just more of it now. Hopefully we'll fill the vacancy soon, and normalcy ( as close as we ever got to it anyway ) will return.

Life

Soo..... Life is good. This week had an interesting twist. I had a very enjoyable dinner on Tuesday. Got a chance to meet Francesca in person, I had a really fun time. It sucks that she lives in Seattle though ( or maybe it sucks that I live in Chicago, I'm not sure which ). She even got me some crack in a bottle for my birthday! ;)

Fall

Has definitely arrived. A little over a week ago, it was in the upper 70's. Today's high was in the 50's, and the low is going to be in the low 30's/upper 20's! WTF?! I guess I'll need to pickup some arm warmers and leg warmers so I can keep riding while it's not snowing. Heck, I've got a mtn bike, I can ride in the snow. Just look at what this guy has done.

Okay, that's all for now. I promise I'll post more frequently. Please don't beat me. :)