This is how I ride...in FL

I've never seen anything like this place. The Villages, a "community" in Florida is overrun by golf carts. And we're not talking boring old white golf carts that do 10 mph. We're talking tricked out, $10,000 fashion statements with their own dedicated road network and bridges.



When I went for a run I could barely breath between all of the laughter. I saw people whipping through the area using arms extended out to indicate turns. I saw golf carts decorated with Florida Gators stickers and Auburn Tigers stickers. And for those who can't afford to pimp their rides, they take the vanity plate to a whole notha level with their auto vanity plates affixed to their un-pimped golf carts.

Other interesting facts about The Villages:
- must be 55 or older to be a resident
- no public schools or mayor
- highest concentration of STD's in Florida (I heard this one from my client who is a medical professional, but hopefully not part of the statistic...)

Now I wonder, does the guy with the most pimped out ride also carry the highest number of STD's??? Is there a linear relationship between the value of a man's golf cart and the number of STD's he is likely to carry?

staying planted but seeing stars

I haven't been on the business travel routine for almost 4 weeks. I am starting to get spoiled by the luxuries of my own home. Today, instead of going to the office I ran some errands around town. Perhaps it was the sun in the sky or perhaps it is just what you see in the middle of the day when most people are in their office, but I saw all kinds of stars and stripes.

this kind


and this kind




but my favorite was this kind




Next week I head to Orlando for a quick two day trip. No biking, just running since it is a short trip.

getting closer, getting serious

Months of planning are getting closer to becoming reality. There are still so many things to do before I leave though. Connecting the route all the way to Boston is one of those things.

Been a long time

Last time I got any real road miles my bike looked like this.



I'm experimenting with the trailer and with panniers in anticipation of a loaded tour I'll be doing this summer. I'm still undecided at this point.

I've done some traveling lately and find myself in Colorado Springs this week. I came a few days early so I could go up to the mountains and get in some skiing. Arapahoe Basin is a great destination if you find yourself in the Denver area. The skiing was challenging, the mountain was big enough to require a full day of skiing and the prices were more reasonable than all of its neighbors. There are no high speed lifts and the lodges are not high frills, but that doesn't really matter for me. The apre-ski parking lot scene is where it's at. People pull right up to the slopes, fire up the grill, open the cooler, and the dogs and kids run wild while the music blasts. A Basin is full of folks who know how to make their own good time at the mountain.

While in Colorado Springs, I paid a visit to Colorado Cyclist. I actually had a gift certificate to spend so it was nice to save the shipping costs and pick up the items. The retail space is not that big but it is full of all the high dollar products you see in their catalog or website. I've never seen so many carbon bikes with integrated seatposts in one place! They even stock some Scott mountain bikes with integrated seatposts. Sram Red is old news in this place and I am pretty sure they clean dirty bikes with last year's Assos jerseys. Needless to say, $50 doesn't get you much at a place like Colorado Cyclist. I picked up a couple of Tacx cages and a Salsa seat collar to replace the crappy one that came with my race bike.

I'll be back home on Thursday and hope to get in some miles, finally. Maybe I'll go mountain biking. Haven't done that in 4 months.

size doesn't always matter

On Sunday we ran 6 miles in the shoulder of a road covered with an early morning dusting of snow.  The run had that epic feel due to snow on the ground and the snow actively falling while we ran.  Oh, and it was in VT which is a fun escape from Boston.

On Tuesday I did this.  I guess it will be the run of choice for a while since it is basically out my front door.

Blasphemy!

Running?  Seriously?  Yeah, that is going to be my new habit for the next few months.  I got started nice and easy today though.

5.5 miles in 80 minutes

Sometimes I don't travel far, but still spend a lot of time and energy to get to my destination. On Thursday Boston was pounded with fast falling snow that left 8-10 inches in 6-7 hours time. It was as if the city didn't own a single plow or sander.

Since I had ridden to work in the morning, I figured I should ride home as well rather than ask my wife to venture out in such weather. It was comical really. I spent the majority of my 5.5 mile commute walking and carrying my bike through stopped traffic. The roads were parking lots with people abandoning cars, turning off their engines, and generally looking miserable. I on the other hand, had a big smile on my face as people laughed from overcrowded bus stops or within fogged cars. My response: "I'll be home a lot sooner than any of you!"

I was able to walk considerably faster than the traffic. Outside of major intersections I was able to ride/slide in the packed tire tracks, pedestrian packed sidewalks, or the fluff covered bike lane. I traversed Watertown, Allston, Brighton, Brookline, and into JP before arriving home. I haven't had that much fun on my bicycle in a long time.

I heard from my neighbors that it took as long as 5 hours to drive the same distance that I had spent 80 minutes walking/riding/sliding. Somedays it really sucks to be in a car.

never ceases to amaze me

I've flown some 50,000 miles this year yet i continue to be amzed by the behavior of my fellow travelers. On my first flight this Thursday I was back of the bus. The overweight guy next to me was dozing off and couldn't keep his hands on his fat stomach so they kept slipping off and smacking into me. The woman on the other side of me smelled funny. Trapped like a friggin' sardine.

On the next, much longer flight I am squeezed all against the window and the two next to me fall asleep almost instantly. The guy on the aisle was snoring so loud that I could hear him through my noise cancelling headphones.

Well two miserable flights was a tiny price to pay for the unbelievable time I had once I arrived. I made it, my bike made it, and many of the east coast's finest (minus the sandbaggers) made it as well.

After a long weekend of meeting new friends and fantastic racing it was time to pack up again and head out to Dallas for business. I stripped the bike back down to a bare frame and packed it securely for airline travel. Two more flights and I am safely in DFW with my luggage and great memories. Two days of work here and then back to home sweet home.

The holidays are here and I can't wait to celebrate with friends and family. If only I didn't have to travel so much...