Both hands on the wheel. 10 and 2. Especially in the rain.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

The Trash Man Cometh

Saturday's ride was The Mainstay's Double Secret Saturday Ride. Shoutouts to The Mainstay, The Trash Man, The Shrinking Man with a Fat Van, and Hobbs for attendance. Quick synopsis- it pretty much sucked. In a nutshell, the ride started out alright, but when we got to the store stop (exactly at the farthest point of a 6 hr (for some) out and back ride, it started raining and the temperature started dropping. Trash man went back into the store and asked for a trash bag. I laughed, then I got soaked and froze. Trash man suggested that I pull over and dump out a trash can along the way and use the bag to protect myself from the ice-cold rain. I should've pulled over and climbed in a trash can and come out sometime in late June. Being unprepared was an Amateur move, which is exactly why I'm here writing on this 2BeAmateur blog. Shrinking man didn't even wear a vest, but he's clearly a hard man and rode the entire 6 hrs. Amateur move, hard-man Pro performance. Hobbs is a Cat 4 and did the same. He even brought a jacket. P-R-O in the making. Too bad he's in his mid 30's...He's an amateur for life, and that's why he's getting a shout out. I'm told Mainstay ended up hypothermic and curled up in a ball at Swinging Richards after 6 hrs, and Trash Man and I got in his car and drove home after 5. He's a premeditated Amateur- he drove there; as bad if not worse than myself. At least I had good intentions, and at least he gave me a ride home when I was shivering like a bitch.

A few critical stats for the day:
Mileage- My computer is wireless. It had a wire when I bought it, but not anymore. It's broken. No distance. Longish.
Watts- Low. Maybe lower than usual, but who knows. I have no power, therefore no need for a Power Tap. I really don't need some fancy computer to tell me I have no talent.
Calories- I scarfed down 4 Reese's peanut butter cups, some crackers, a Coke, a Powerade, and a swig of Sparks (Amateur- a real Pro would've knocked the whole thing back). I also had a family size rice crispy treat in reserve. I'm not sure how many calories I burned, but I doubt if it was the 7500 or so I consumed.
Heart Rate- Probably averaged around 190-195. It is base, right? HR monitor has no avg. so I'm only guessing here.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Imitation is the Ultimate Form of Flattery

I knew it would happen sooner than later...but after just 2 days?! Seems like someone has taken a look at the Amateur life, liked it, and has decided to take it a step further. Beware of imitations though; they're never as good as the real deal. Take a look and be the judge for yourself. www.2bepro.blogspot.com. I guess I should be flattered. I'm gonna let it slide for now. This guy just might have some talent. The numbers don't lie. If and when he goes Pro, I just might mention his name on this Amateur blog. Not until then though....

Friday, December 14, 2007

Amateur (and Built to Stay That Way)

Well the secret's out folks. I'm an amateur. I'm afraid I always will be.

It's been a rough day. Truth be told, I'll probably have to knock back a 14 pack tonight just to make things right. Which in turn will make tomorrow's ride a bit rough. The good news is that I was invited to ride local mainstay Wes' "double secret blindfold you till we get to the start" 6 hour Saturday morning ride. Wes is not a Pro, but he knows Pros...who know other Pros who know Pros. Hell, one or two might even show up tomorrow to ride. Wes even used to have a roommate that was a Pro. In fact, he still is a Pro, but he isn't Wes' roommate anymore. Figures, 'cause Wes is an Amateur.