If you fine folk out in interwebz land wish to see the daily results and stage recaps, wander on over here: http://www.tsepic.com/ and you'll see a link for 2011 Results to the right of the page. There's some photos in there, too, but I understand there's bunches more stuff on the BookFace if you book your face. Go see how my honey is doing!
As well as checking in here for first-hand accounts of the mayhem!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
We made the cutoff!
It was hot.
On our bikes for 6 hrs 24 min.
43 miles
Didn't DFL (didn't finish last)
No time to write more
Must go to sleep now
47 miles tomorrow!
On our bikes for 6 hrs 24 min.
43 miles
Didn't DFL (didn't finish last)
No time to write more
Must go to sleep now
47 miles tomorrow!
Sent from my mePhone
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Quit Your Whining
I was sitting on a chair on our porch and fell backwards off onto the ground.
Race was good--hot and very difficult. 12.5 miles in 1:27 hrs.
I was 12 and Jill was 13 out of 15 women---very happy with results!
My head hurts...
We're here!
Yesterday we pulled in camp around 2:30 and found out we have an awesome little cabin close to race HQ! We got changed and went and pre rode the prologue which is happening this afternoon. This is an individual time trial and all the racers are starting in one minute intervals at 3pm. My start time is 4:22. Jill's is 4:26. Selene is after Jill so we're guessing at which spot she is going to pass us!
More later...expecting guests and I want to get a little nap in!
Ta ta for now...
Monday, May 16, 2011
TSE Preview
We headed to Rothrock last weekend to preview some of the TSE stages and trails. Jill came along for the show as well. The plan was to camp at Greenwood Furnace SP and ride from there Friday and Saturday, then pack up Sunday and ride from Penn Roosevelt SP before heading home. We lucked out the first two days and had decent rides with no rain but then Saturday night was pretty much a steady shower so we packed up Sunday morning and bailed instead of trying to get another ride in. Our friends Scot and Jen joined us Friday for about 18 miles and some nice trail, during which we ran into Kuhn and company from the "official" TSE camp. Saturday was grey, misty and foggy all day but somehow we didn't have to deal with any actual rain while we got in 50 miles of trail and fire road. Donna and Jill were glad to get a sneak peak at some of the trails and fire road sections so they better know what to expect in a couple short weeks.
Onward with the pics!
Beautiful
ChickenPeter
Brush Ridge
Top of Kettle Road
Pig Pile
Onward with the pics!
Beautiful
ChickenPeter
Brush Ridge
Top of Kettle Road
Pig Pile
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Ten Years!
Holy heck, you guys! It's our anniversary! Ten years today!
My, how time flies when you're having fun!
Wooo!
My, how time flies when you're having fun!
Wooo!
Common Courtesy?
Last Friday, we headed out to Big Flat for a ride prior to attending nuptial festivities later in the day. When we pulled in past the front parking lot, we saw a green Volvo wagon with the hood up and two guys peering under it. So, of course, we did what we thought anyone would do, we pulled back around and asked if everything was okay.
Turns out it wasn't. They were on their way to hunt turkey that fine morning when the car started misfiring on the climb up Ship Road from 233. By the time they got to the top, all the "Oh, crap!" lights were on and it had virtually no power. And the cat was glowing red--a bad color for that particular vehicular bit.
The driver wanted to check the cylinders for the misfire and asked if we had a spark plug socket, oh, about 5/8 or so. We were in the Pig, so I figured we did. Pulled open the draw o' junk in the back and pulled out the requested socket. Needless to say, the guy looked surprised! We pulled in to park beside them and began to get ready for our ride and continued to talk to them a bit--hunters and mtn bikers conversing in the forest. He said he had tried to make a call to his son but reception up there was pretty bad, as most of us know. We wished them the best and said hopefully we wouldn't see them when we got back from our ride, and took off.
Two hours and a really nice ride later, we pull back into the lot and they are still there, sitting in the car. Definitely a bummer. Talked a bit more about the car--two cylinders were dead, and he hadn't been able to get a call out, even after walking to top of the hill. Donna tried her phone but it was a no-go as well. We were definitely in the Big Flat Triangle. You'd think that for such a highpoint, there would be great coverage, but not so. We had to scoot, but asked them for phone numbers for us to try when we got back to the house. He gave us several to try and offered to pay us for the phone calls. We turned it down, of course, and I just asked him to help the next person he saw out there that might need it, since that's the way it should work anyway. He totally agreed with me on that point. With that, we were off, since time was closing in on when we had to get to the wedding.
Back at the house, Donna tried his son first and left a message, and then tried to call his father. Success! She explained what was going on and where his son was and we left it at that. Prepared ourselves to party-hearty and took off.
The next morning we checked the VM and found a message left by the gent with the Volvo. He thanked us profusely for our help and was very grateful for what we did.
But here's the kicker.
He said that NO ONE else stopped to ask them if they needed help. Even seeing a car sitting in the lot, hood up.
No.
One.
Even though several people drove by and even through the parking lot.
One guy even pulled into the parking lot and stopped because he was talking on his cell phone (obviously he had signal). When one of the Volvo guys started to walk over to ask Cell Phone Dude for help, Cell Phone Dude pulled out of the parking lot and left. He effing left. WTH?
If we hadn't stopped to ask these guys if they were okay, how long would they have been sitting there?
Yeah, people are all freaked out about crap they see on TV and stalkers and murderers and crap. But the truth is, 99.99999% of the time, it's just another person that might need your help. Especially in Michaux. Or any State Forest. There's a lot of nooks and crannies out there where the technological trappings of civilization just don't work. People still need to watch out for each other.
If you spend time in the Forest, please remember that. Try to be courteous to the other people you see. Ask people if they need help, if everything's okay. It might be you some day that needs a hand.
Turns out it wasn't. They were on their way to hunt turkey that fine morning when the car started misfiring on the climb up Ship Road from 233. By the time they got to the top, all the "Oh, crap!" lights were on and it had virtually no power. And the cat was glowing red--a bad color for that particular vehicular bit.
The driver wanted to check the cylinders for the misfire and asked if we had a spark plug socket, oh, about 5/8 or so. We were in the Pig, so I figured we did. Pulled open the draw o' junk in the back and pulled out the requested socket. Needless to say, the guy looked surprised! We pulled in to park beside them and began to get ready for our ride and continued to talk to them a bit--hunters and mtn bikers conversing in the forest. He said he had tried to make a call to his son but reception up there was pretty bad, as most of us know. We wished them the best and said hopefully we wouldn't see them when we got back from our ride, and took off.
Two hours and a really nice ride later, we pull back into the lot and they are still there, sitting in the car. Definitely a bummer. Talked a bit more about the car--two cylinders were dead, and he hadn't been able to get a call out, even after walking to top of the hill. Donna tried her phone but it was a no-go as well. We were definitely in the Big Flat Triangle. You'd think that for such a highpoint, there would be great coverage, but not so. We had to scoot, but asked them for phone numbers for us to try when we got back to the house. He gave us several to try and offered to pay us for the phone calls. We turned it down, of course, and I just asked him to help the next person he saw out there that might need it, since that's the way it should work anyway. He totally agreed with me on that point. With that, we were off, since time was closing in on when we had to get to the wedding.
Back at the house, Donna tried his son first and left a message, and then tried to call his father. Success! She explained what was going on and where his son was and we left it at that. Prepared ourselves to party-hearty and took off.
The next morning we checked the VM and found a message left by the gent with the Volvo. He thanked us profusely for our help and was very grateful for what we did.
But here's the kicker.
He said that NO ONE else stopped to ask them if they needed help. Even seeing a car sitting in the lot, hood up.
No.
One.
Even though several people drove by and even through the parking lot.
One guy even pulled into the parking lot and stopped because he was talking on his cell phone (obviously he had signal). When one of the Volvo guys started to walk over to ask Cell Phone Dude for help, Cell Phone Dude pulled out of the parking lot and left. He effing left. WTH?
If we hadn't stopped to ask these guys if they were okay, how long would they have been sitting there?
Yeah, people are all freaked out about crap they see on TV and stalkers and murderers and crap. But the truth is, 99.99999% of the time, it's just another person that might need your help. Especially in Michaux. Or any State Forest. There's a lot of nooks and crannies out there where the technological trappings of civilization just don't work. People still need to watch out for each other.
If you spend time in the Forest, please remember that. Try to be courteous to the other people you see. Ask people if they need help, if everything's okay. It might be you some day that needs a hand.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
All Play
At it again, our neighbors decided to “let Sven be Sven” which they interpreted to mean: the lazy SOB should get back to work like the rest of us schmucks. Hence the work I.D. badge that showed up on him last week. (We were still trying to figure out the meaning, when he abruptly changed before we snapped a picture!)
"With the approach of Cinco de Mayo, Sven couldn’t stand it any more. He is a Party Animal at heart... at heart wood, that is..."
A much more festive Sven...
"The mariachi hat and necklaces in the colors of Mexico’s flag are obvious. The gun is because in Mexico, the 5th of May is actually a minor local holiday to celebrate an 1862 military victory. In the U.S., however, the day has morphed into a celebration of Hispanic/Mexican heritage -- and much like St. Patrick’s Day, which is not a big holiday in its country of origin, this has become for some people (and Sven) an excuse to drink. Hence the beer (watch out for the chilis). Finally, the placards on the railing reflect Mexico’s Mayan heritage."
"What holidays are coming up? The world waits and wonders."
Thank you, D & A!
"With the approach of Cinco de Mayo, Sven couldn’t stand it any more. He is a Party Animal at heart... at heart wood, that is..."
A much more festive Sven..."The mariachi hat and necklaces in the colors of Mexico’s flag are obvious. The gun is because in Mexico, the 5th of May is actually a minor local holiday to celebrate an 1862 military victory. In the U.S., however, the day has morphed into a celebration of Hispanic/Mexican heritage -- and much like St. Patrick’s Day, which is not a big holiday in its country of origin, this has become for some people (and Sven) an excuse to drink. Hence the beer (watch out for the chilis). Finally, the placards on the railing reflect Mexico’s Mayan heritage."
"What holidays are coming up? The world waits and wonders."
Thank you, D & A!
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