oh hey, pumpkin

I was carving my pumpkin the other night...

note the artistic skills of a five year old

and began to wonder how pumpkins go from this...

to this...

Surprisingly, no one I asked knew the answer. So I did some research and found out how to make pumpkin puree. 

Directions 
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 
2) Cut the pumpkin in half, stem to base. Remove seeds and pulp. Cover each half with foil. 
3) Bake in the preheated oven, foil side up, 1 hour, or until tender. 
4) Scrape pumpkin meat from shell halves and puree in a blender. Strain to remove any remaining stringy pieces. Store in the freezer in freezer safe bags.

Independence Cross

I had not signed up for Independence Cross by the time that registration closed on Wednesday evening. The listing on Bikereg made it appear as if it was a women's open field and there were only two Cat 4 women registered. On Thursday afternoon, registration reopened and I received clarification that there would be a separate start for the Cat 4 women. At this point, a few more had registered and of course I couldn't stay away.

It was still dark outside when I arrived to register and pre-ride the course. Daylight arrived quickly, only to reveal two unfriendly sights, the "pain steps" and the beach, which were both parts of the course.

Each course has exposed me to a different element, so in that sense every race has felt like my first. This course had a lot of sand...sandy trails in the woods, sand pits and a stretch of beach, which required riders to dismount and shoulder their bikes.

And, just like last weekend in West Chester, I became more comfortable as the race progressed. I found myself picking better lines, braking at the appropriate times and riding in the sand without hesitation. None of this, however did much to ease the comfort of the "pain steps" which, by the final lap of the race appeared to be eight feet tall...and that short stretch of beach...yeah, that was at least 400 meters...and my bike...yeah, that weighed about 50 pounds.

So far, my focus during cross races has been on 1) staying upright and 2) not launching myself into an exercise induced asthma attack. If I am successful at those two things while passing a bunch of riders, then it's a good day in my book. Saturday was a good day. In fact, it was my best this season, placing third in my field.

West Chester Cross Classic

My next race report was supposed to be from Independence Cross on October 27th in Bridgeton, NJ...but something happened the day after Cooper River Cross...I couldn't wait to do it again...two days later, I woke up and thought to myself "I really want a mountain bike so I can get some more time in the woods to work on bike handling skills." By Thursday evening I was registered for the West Chester Cross Classic.

I arrived early to pre-ride the course. It was more challenging than the previous two (WhirlyBird and Cooper River) and I conceded to the fact that this may well be the race that I would go down on one of those off-camber sections...but I didn't...in fact, I started to feel more comfortable as the race went on and turned in my best finish so far...sixth place in the Cat 3/4 field.

At the beginning of cross season, I identified three local races that I wanted to do. It was an attempt to get a taste of the action without having to wake up at the crack of dawn and drive an hour or two, like I did during road season. By the end of November I will most likely have completed double that number of races. My experience over the past month has definitely changed the way I am going to approach winter training and the next road season.

Oh, the Places I'll Go...

Two Wheels
One Speed
No Agenda

patterns

We all want to feel like we matter to somebody. Just be careful not to overestimate your worth.

Everything that glitters is not gold. A person's tendencies might be sensed quickly, but it's just speculation. True patterns take time to develop and be seen.

Just another number.

tough love

Last week I sold my Asus Netbook on eBay and used the money to purchase a Kindle Fire HD. 

I could probably count on one hand the number of books I've read for pleasure. Two rounds of graduate school took all of the enjoyment out of reading...or at least that's been my excuse...but I'm pushing myself to make a change.

My theory is that I will force myself to read more, knowing that I spent $200 on a Kindle. 

We'll see how it goes...

Cooper River CX

Cross is a lot of fun. It's also a great workout. The only thing that could make it better happened today...my friends and family came to cheer me on. 

This was the closest I've ever raced to home, cross is spectator friendly sport and the weather was gorgeous...all of which made for a perfect day with some great people.

I stayed upright (for the most part) and my heart rate was exactly where I thought it'd be (maxed out). In the end, I came in 7th place...not too shabby for my second cross race...but the most enjoyment came from seeing all of the friendly faces lining the course.

Toleration

Toleration is the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. 

Helen Keller said that "Toleration is the greatest gift of the mind; it requires the same effort of the brain that it takes to balance oneself on a bicycle." 

Lately, I have been in disagreement with the decisions some of my friends have made. 

While I view them as poor choices, I struggle with the decision to voice my opinion or remain silent. Am I a good friend if I keep my mouth shut and allow someone to make a decision that will ultimately land them in a bad place financially? Am I a good friend if I voice my concern over the decision that is about to be made? 

I've had a difficult time identifying the line between my obligation as a friend and toleration. Let's just say that I'm much better at riding a bike.

Random Philly Finds Part XI

loose ends

About a month ago I received a text message from an old friend. It was five words "I owe you an apology." My response was "No worries, the door is always open here."

And that was it...she never responded, never elaborated.

Time has passed and I have started to wonder if the apology was more for herself than it was for me. And I started to wonder if, when someone calls you after a lengthy time of not speaking because they feel as though YOU have things you need to say, if it really means that THEY have things they need to say...because if there was something that I needed to say that badly, I would have already said it.

These gestures may seem genuine, but in reality are just self serving because they did not take into account, the way I would be impacted by them.

WhirlyBird 'Cross 2012

Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter and consist of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike while navigating the obstruction and remount. Races are generally between 30 minutes and an hour long, with the distance varying depending on the ground conditions. 

Cyclo-cross is the sport I never knew that I always wanted to try. Midway through my first season of road racing, a couple guys at the shop asked if I was racing cross in the fall. A few weeks later, I bought a CAADX and was eyeing up the schedule for my first race. 

Aside from seeing one race several years ago, I didn’t know much about cross, aside from the fact that it was “awesome” and “something I needed to try." Prior to the race I set up a one on one session with a coach to learn some cross specific skills. I fell off the bike before we even started. 

My first race, Whirlybird cross, was September 29th in Bensalem, PA. My heart rate went from resting to max in thirty seconds. It stayed that way for the duration of the forty-minute race. I’m pretty sure that if I had a chance to look down at my Garmin it would have been flashing, “You should be dead by now.” On the second lap I said to myself “I actually paid money to do this.” On the third lap, I was pretty sure I was going to vomit...but I didn’t AND...I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time. It was the most fun I’ve ever had on a bike and I can’t wait to do it again.