Redesigning the Stop sign

Move Over Heidi Klum!

I get a kick out of this:

Being in a Marketing Agency we do several projects that require photo shoots. The photo shoots can vary depending upon the story the pieces is trying to tell. In some cases, a full body shot is not required. Instead, a hand holding the product is the only thing needed. Believe it or not, there are hand models out there that charge about $300+ an hour (not including travel expenses).

Your probably thinking, "That’s ridiculous to charge that amount for the little work that they do and how can I get into this line of work?" It's not as easy as one might think. You have to hold the product under the hot lights for an hour or more while they moved one finger a millimeter, take a shot, analyze it, move another finger, take a shot, etc. All while contorting your wrist because natural looks funny.

In most cases we are asked to find someone internally to do the work—of course, for free. I wouldn't say I'm the best choice, but I now have done my second photo shoot as a hand model. I guess there will be a little Photoshop work done since I have my summer cycling tan on the wrists.

I wonder where you can find an agent in Minneapolis?

MN State Road Race

This weekend was my last race of the season. I had mixed feelings going into this final race. I was sad to see the season come to an end but on the other hand happy to be done with my first year of racing. I can’t believe I participated in 24 races, got my a$$ kicked in 24 races, and never DNFed.

The MN State Road Race was in Avon by St. Cloud. The morning started overcast, cold, and windy. We faced a challenging course with the finish line at the top of mile long climb. We only had do two laps, but for some reason we had to do that climb three times. It felt like we started the race at the bottom but, I’m not quite sure if we actually started racing until we got to the top of the hill. Uh…it doesn’t matter I never know when we start racing when there are those long rollouts I just try to stick with the front part of the group.

While in the parking lot talking with a team mate I noticed Melissa and Heidi Dahlmann came to race. As soon I saw them I knew this was going to be a hard one! The Dahlmann sisters race at the Velodrome in Blaine and are damn good at track racing. I’ve done a number of group rides with Melissa to know what was in store for the next couple of hours. Don’t get me wrong, they are extremely nice and sweet girls, but to try to beat them in a race is another story!

So we had the Dahlmann sisters and then the women’s categories got changed at the last minute. There wasn’t enough 1/2/3 women so a number of the ladies moved to the 40+ categories which means—they race with the cat 4’s. I’m all for them making the change for these ladies to race, but in the last couple of months on the MCF message board the men have been complaining about mixing categories. Come on, they have 500 different categories and us women are lucky to have a cat 4 only category. Try being a first year racer and have someone who has been racing for a number of years race in your group? On top of that, they are two categories higher then yourself. Yeah, yeah—I know they score us separately, but when it’s a mass start you don’t know who you are racing against.

Ok, now that I’ve got my bitching out of the way…

We started off. I got up the hill within the middle of the pack, stayed on the wheels during the downhill and headwind section. Melissa, as predicted, was off the front so someone would chase her down and she would be pulled back into the group, then she attacked again and again someone would chase her down. I give her credit—she’s a really good racer.

We got about ½ way through the first lap and everyone started to feel the pain and the group started to break into several pieces. There was no time to rest, every uphill was a struggle to stick on and every downhill was a chase.

At the top of a long steady climb on the backside I lost the group so I jumped on a wheel of Sue Swift, her and I worked together to bridge the gap to Dano (Jr. rider who has been the girl I tend to work with when we lose the group at races and crits). Us three worked together and grabbed our fourth rider, Gina from GP. We tried everything to get around Gina, but she was not letting us go. I have to thank Sue Swift for watching out for me on the 2nd ½ of the first loop. I was having a hard time recovering from the long steady climb, but she made sure that I was always on her wheel.

I got up the hill the second time right behind Sue, Gina was behind me and Dano was behind her. My breathing was horrible—I wanted to cry so badly due to the pain in my lungs but I was in a race and you deal with the pain. We came down the backside and I was able to recover much quicker then I imagined, by then Sue was ready to stretch her legs so she bridge up to another rider ahead. The three of us knew we were not going to win, but we couldn’t let anyone pass us so we worked together to finish the race.

We took one of the last left hand turns—there was a number of them—and the muscle in my right thigh (about an inch above my knee) started to cramp. A number of my leg muscles were cramping already but the one in my thigh was almost paralyzing. I went into the final hill knowing that I was able to out climb the two girls on the previous climbs but I wasn’t going to be able to with my legs cramping for the past 7 miles. I was going to do the best I could but I knew I wasn’t going to chase them down. As I figured, they passed me. I was happy I was able to finish with as much pain as I was in. I got 6th out of 12—ending my first year at my average position.

I now look forward towards riding my bike not to race but for fun and preparing for next season.

Where has the time gone?

I just read the sun will set at 8:09pm tonight and tomorrow it will be 2m 56s shorter.

Rain Rain Go Away…

For the second week in a row our Tuesday ride was a washout. Last week we got stuck under a picnic area in Rockford for about 20 minutes while it down poured and then later received a motor pace from Amy on 117. Good thing she still had her “Caution Bike Ahead” stickers from RAAM on her van. This week we hit three different patches of rain while riding. When stopped to change a tire we received an offer for a beer, a shot of moonshine, $75 bouquet of floors and heard some funny jokes from this old man who pulled up in a golf cart on 117. I think he had a couple too many pulls from his moonshine bottle! Quarter of a mile later we were offered a cigarette from some locals on the stoop of a bar. I never knew the people of Hanover were so friendly—yet so strange!

What a difference a year makes when you start upgrading your stuff. Last night I went old school. Old bike, old peddles, old shoes. Yeah I know, some of you have the real old school stuff, but I’ve only been doing this thing for a little over a year. I couldn’t believe how much harder I had to work last year then this year to keep up. I still love the old bike. Heavier then the Madone—but still has the same kick! Old peddles—not able to pull as efficiently. Old Shoes—now this was my biggest upgrade, there was too much flexibility in the old ones then the Sidi’s. It was almost like wearing running shoes with clips on the bottom.

Mike Berger tried to lead me out a few times to get the sprint sign. On one of the lead outs, out of nowhere Andy cuts me off, took Mike’s wheel and won the sprint! That’s how the game goes—I wasn’t fightn' for my position, but I didn’t have a chance in hell to beat those guys especially via old school—but I tired. I needed a carrot and Andy was it—he didn’t know it. I knew I had one more shot. I almost got him on 144 between 94 and 101, if it wasn’t for the red light I think I would have gotten a change. Someday! :)

A Century and MTB

Saturday I attempted to ride up to St. Cloud and back. The route that I posted below led me to a dead end, this after confirming with the person who posted the map on Map My Ride was a good route. I rode from Plymouth up to St. Michael to Monticello to Becker. According to my directions I needed to take Liberty Ln to 125th street. I found out Liberty Ln takes you to the door step of the Power Plant. Obviously with the big gate and no other roads around I was stuck. The only other way around would be to go on Highway 10 for a few miles to get around the plant. Making it to St. Cloud wasn’t worth the risk—heck, I don’t even like driving on Highway 10 in a SUV. I’ve heard several stories about drivers who seeming to think Highway 10 is made for racing and road rage. I turned around and headed home.

Not concerned with avg speed and distance to my surprise my energy stayed consistent considering most of the ride was in headwinds and I didn’t have that much to eat (figuring I would raid my sisters fridge once I got to St. Cloud). I checked my miles and saw that I was only 10 miles away from a century. I took a detour home and got in 100. My recovery drink: a Fat Tire.

Sunday morning I met Bob, Matt, Bill, Kenny, Dave Hoglund, and one of my Hellion girls (Jackie, an elite mountain biker) for church—church of the two wheels—down at Murphy for MTB. It was nice to see all of the guys again in one location. We haven’t been all together since spin class in April. It was also nice to see Dave H in his element. Too bad it was only in the parking lot.

A huge thanks goes to Jackie for stayed back and teaching me MTB 101. A few things I learned: 95% of the your roadie skills need to be thrown out. Look through the turn. If you look at the tree—you will hit the tree. Get your cadence up to 90% at the bottom of the hill. Breaks—use them a lot! Use your hips and shoulders to turn. When going downhill—butt all the way back, the steeper the decent the more your butt will be back and off the seat. Due to my headset being loose (I guess that’s dangerous) MTB 201 will include jumping logs, throwing your weight, and more techniques. If I can master jumping logs without freaking out—I’ll be solid!

All in all I had a great time. I did much more then I would have done on my own—Jackie wouldn’t let me get away with walking the bike. I fell about 4 times, drew blood twice, and only hit one tree—which Jackie called a bone head move because I wasn’t paying attention. As for the next day, the muscles in my left shoulder hurt a bit, I’ve got this weird bump on my left forearm, and a few scrapes and bruises—not nearly as bad as last time.


Thanks Bill for the pictures. Note: the hand symbol is a Hellions thing we try to do on all pictures. Why is that guy, behind Jackie and I, sticking his tongue out at us? Must be a MTB thing.

Sunday's Training Plan

But it will proably look something like this...

Saturday's Training Plan

...maybe a little bit shorter in distance.

Town Hall Team Time Trial

Sunday was The TTT in the Stillwater area. I rode as ¼ of the Hellions—we were registered as the Woodstock team (Hollywood cycling on stock bikes). We have never rode together as a team but we have all raced together so we know our strengths and weaknesses. I was concerned that with the lack of sleep and riding that I would be the weakest link of the group. With a couple of Gu shots along the way I was feeling pretty good.

Since I was the only one on the team that had more group riding experience I took the lead to call out where each person should sit to get the best draft. Although, not much coaching was needed so a lot of props were called out to the one that just got off pulling. Out of 5 women groups we placed 2nd. We were all pleased with our results and how well we worked together. We only needed to come in with three people. Compared to the other teams we were four strong until the last 500 meters. I remember saying to the team, and reminding myself, during the last 5 miles: “If you don’t feel sick when you cross the line you didn’t try hard enough.” Amy gave us everything she had by pulled us up the last hill and then Kristy, Jackie and I gave everything we had the last kilometer. Crossing the line was a blur but coming across the line we were tight and in our minds perfection!

Jackie and I were laughing after the race because we were yelling at each other to go faster at different points of the race—kind of hard when the one yelling is wheel sucking and the one in the front is braking through the wind trying to go as fast as they possibly can.

TTTs are great to watch, but to actually participate in one is equally as fun. I can’t wait to do another one with the girls!

Props to Jay Henderson for yelling at us the entire way. Who needs ear pieces when you have him in the car behind you.

Amish Country

Last week I spent “quality” time with the family—all 21. Being number 6 out of 7 children it’s quite hard to get everyone together for the holidays especially when in-laws are located in different areas of the country. No Grandparents, Aunts, or Uncles were at our reunion only siblings and their spin-offs. It’s amazing that with 7 children all in one location there was no knock down drag-out fights. Close, but none.

I flew with my parents to PA. This was the first time my mother has been on a plane in 29 years and the first time my father has been on a plane since 911. Get my mother in a town or airport larger than 500 people and she becomes a nervous wreck. I would like to thank the bartender at Ruby Tuesdays for setting me up with the stiffest Morgan Coke drink I’ve ever had after I got off the plane. Much needed and much appreciated.

We spent Sunday in Philly touring the Old Town area which included the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. It was very interesting to learn about how a everyday commodity today was a rare commodity back in the 1800’s and how and why it was first developed.

Monday – Friday we spent our time in an Amish community. I’ve been there before, but it’s fascinating to learn about their lifestyles. After a couple of days horse and buggies, Amish cyclists, and scooters on the roads started to get normal. Although town names like: Intercourse, Blue Ball, Bird in Hand, Paradise, Virginville, and Fertility never became normal.

I tried my hand at golf (put-put and Wii) and I learned Golf is NOT my sport. If having the highest score considered you the winner…then heck—I loved the sport!

My brother took us to the “pond” we had no idea what he was talking about until we got there. We pulled up to this Amish Farm got out and grabbed all of the lawn chairs, coolers, etc from the trunks and started walking down this path of cows and cornfields. We rounded the bend and in the middle of farmland there was this AMAZING pond that looked like the beach. The water was filtered and treated—no fish or crawling things in this pond. Sand, tee-key trees, slides, springboards, rope swings…it was so cool! It was so surreal to be surrounded by cows and cornfields ten feet away yet feeling like you’re at the beach.

As noted in my last entry I rode through the country side and went to Hershey Park. We drove back to Philly on Saturday to hit the sites that we didn’t get to see the first time before our late flight home. We tried to get into the US Mint but they were closed. Instead I tossed a penny on Benjamin Franklin’s grave. He had the saying “a penny saved is a penny earned” if you tossed a penny on his grave and it landed on it you had good luck, if you tossed a penny on his grave and it landed heads up—you would have even better luck. I got it on his grave heads up!

We stopped by Gino’s Steaks in South Philly to have their famous Philly Steaks. In my opinion, not something I would die for but it was a tourist attraction and the line was around the building at 3pm.

We didn’t fly into Minneapolis until 1:30 am and didn’t get home until 2:30 am. I had to be in the Stillwater area at 8am for the Town Hall Team Time Trial.

Heart Rate Training

I've been spending the week in Amish Country at my family reunion in Pennsylvania. I rode were Landis grew up, rode up a mountain, and dodged horse manure as best as possible.

Thursday I tried a different type of heart rate training at Hershey Park by hitting every rollercoaster. The one pictured below is called the “Fahrenheit”. 90 degrees up and 97 degrees down. I wish I had my heart rate monitor. I was pumping 150 just standing in line and about 220 when the guy directing everyone said to go to the front cart! Thanks to my brother I took 2nd row. Note: Thunderstorms treatened our fun...but moved on after a good downpour.

...more pictures and stories to come.