Pic's from 08 MS Tour. -click to enlarge.

getting close.

Last weekend was 60 Saturday and 40 Sunday. This Weekend was 60 Saturday and 60 Sunday. Net weekend is the tour. Had the bike in the shop for a tune up .
I am as ready as I can be. Still have some work to do on the bike. Swap the wheels,
replace the pedal straps, reset the trip computer, clean the water bottles, test drive.
My number this year is 111, look for me on the news..
later
gary

Gustav

Everytime we evacuate for a storm we loose a portion of life, the past. You can't fit your whole life into a car trunk but we try with fervor and priority. The parts we leave behind are never recovered, never rewound, never conjured up , lost to the unknown, maybe seen by others but not us. The affair strips us of any thoughts that we control our lives, instead we're driftwood without steering at the whim of the ebbs and flows of life. It would be fearful to be fearless and yet whats to fear, the wind, the rain, aren't they with us everyday, tamed and in check. It's their wrath we fear, their intent, their unleashed fury that causes our panic, our worry and instinct to run, and run we must to sate our group fear. This Storm had crippled my training, I managed to get in 50 miles last Thursday, 50 miles last Saturday and 50 miles last Sunday. While across the Lake evacuated, I toured the West end of the Tammany Trace, I viewed the raging Bougue Falaya and Abita Rivers. The Path had just been cleared by work trucks, I found myself in a thunderstorm, donned my poncho and went for it, pelting driving rain, it was then I started seeing debris on the path, roofing, sheet metal, lumber. Steering around the material in the pouring rain was treacherous and scary but not as scary as the bulletin on the radio, " a tornado had been spotted near Abita" which was exactly where I was. Do I stop, go forward, slow down , speed up, retreat. I opted to push forward,, I eventually made it to clear weather, once again leashed by mother nature. Hurricanes, Tornadoes, raging rivers, too much excitement.

The MS tour draws near, training is sporadic, got to get those miles in .....

I started to carbo load early, I hope 3 weeks is long enough.

later

gary

Time marches on ..

Saturday, great weather, great ride, circled the entire city , 50 miles..
From the house to Williams Blvd and the River, rode the river levee to Audubon Park , 2 laps then Magazine to Canal St. 3 laps around the quarter then Esplanade to City Park , Wisner Blvd to Lakeshore Dr., Lakeshore Dr. to Bike path along the lake to Power Blvd to David Dr back home. 50 Miles , 2/3 of the 75 I need to prepare for .
Sunday, bad bad weather, the remnants of Fay plagued me. Extremely high winds, rain,
a flat tire, what more could I ask for. The rain belted me, water splashed up from everywhere,
cars passed and splashed me, my poncho gave some protection but it was still wet.
6 miles an hour against the wind and 18 with the wind.
Managed to suffer through 30 miles , called it a day....
Next weekend we hope for better weather.
later
gary

Back in action (good pun )

My back must be better, I put in 40 miles Saturday (20 in the rain) and 40 miles Sunday then followed up with a quick 10 Monday evening. Felt good, no backache, did my sit ups.
Sunday was great weather but I thought I'd drown Saturday. Riding on the street in the pouring rain is a daredevil stunt. Had a little burn in the thighs Sunday afternoon, that's a good thing.

Saturday I followed the River to Audubon Park , then across uptown to the Quarter then Esplanade to the Lake then back home. On Sunday I rode the River levee only, had those skinny tires on, can't use then on the street, too fragile.
Ran into my Coach/Trainer , Frank, on the Levee Sunday, we chatted then rode on .
The River looks good considering. The Lakefront seems deserted , they have rebuilt the shelters and bathrooms, still plenty of work to do. Sorry no pictures this weekend,
too much rain and hard riding. Next weekend more, more, more.
later
gary

Down for the count or not ?

Pulled a muscle in my back , haven't rode in 3 weeks, coming back in rehab mode.
Did 30 this past weekend, about one fourth where I need to be for the tour. Not many weeks left. I'll have to cram training to get up to speed. By next weekend I expect to be healed and at full bore. Hope it's not too late to catch up. Plenty of miles to ride in a short time...Stretching, sit-ups, and riding. Push,push,push is my new motto.
later
gary

How can you appreciate life without contacting the dead now and then ? Life is a precious gift , ask dead people. Life cheating death, but if you're like me you have to brush by it occasionally, not just cheating death but poking it in the eye with a stick, not just taunting but daring Hey ! come and get me if you can . So I take a few risk, some days I feel luckier than others, still young enough to feel invincible, impregnable, impervious, a spartan on a bike. I've visited a few cemeteries on bike; St Louis 1 and 2, St Patricks, Greenwood, Lakelawn, and the most interesting one, the "Washington" on Washington and Prytania and some I don't remember where they were . The videos are from St Louis #1. If you walk around and read the names you can feel them appreciating your visit, trying to get you to stay longer. I used to go to parties in the Iberville Projects, from the balconies you overlook St Louis #1, at night it's a eerie sight, you know their looking back at you. Stay outside the walls at night. So if you get a chance , poke death in the eye with a stick , show him your alive and living to the fullest.

The River Recedes More

The River Recedes, still high though. If your a drift wood collector , nirvana awaits.
Did 60 this weekend and last. About to broach the 100 mile a week level.
Saw some ducks I couldn't recognize, maybe someone (like my son and his duck hunting pals) can identify them. Have a picture of a giant peice of driftwood, I would hate to meet it with the bow of a boat. Things were getting a little boring so I raced a street car , rode between the streetcar and the parked cars on the right while holding the camera, I didn't have a chance,
the streetcar sped by me, but it was exciting, adrenalin rush...(play the movie, click on it).
The temperature is starting to rise, time to think, hydration , hydration, hydration.
later
gary

click on the pics for closeup.

The River Recedes

When your not the lead turtle the view never changes. ,

Thats how slow I rode today, that turtle stayed ahead of me.

The River has dropped 3 or 4 feet.

If your a driftwood collector , your time is a coming, drift wood is piled up
along the levee and awaits.

30 miles Saturday and 25 Sunday.

Beat out the rain but not the turtle.

Later
gary

And the Rivers still higher yet.

Had to work Saturday, did a quick 10 when I got home.
Slept late Sunday, rode to the French Quarter,managed to get in 30 miles.
The lunch smells filled the street, the tourist filled the street, and music filled the street.
The Rivers Still high, 3 or 4 more feet will top the Levee at the River Walk.
That leaves Decateur St way below water level.
It all make me wonder what folks did before there were levees .

later
gary

And the River is high

Saturday was gloomy to start but as the day went on it got warmer and sunnier.
The French Quarter Festival was kicking by the time I got there, what a rush.
As the Song goes "fish are jumping and the River is high " , very high , in the quarter it's about 4 feet from the top of the levee, in Destrehan it's at the bottom of the levee. The Lucky Dog man
was working it and the stages were set up . I stopped on the river walk to listen some music
and was almost swept away by the crowd. The quarter was full of locals and tourist and I did my more than usual share of people watching, what a rush. The smells were overwhelming, every food imaginable, tasty but not fullfilling. Managed to get in 30 miles, hybrid tires.
Sunday the gale force winds kept me in check on the northward run to Destrehan along the river, but coming back was a 18 to 20 mph cruise , what a rush. There were 2 spots where the wind seemed of indeterminate direction. It was sunshiny, the catfishermen lined the levee wall and were hauling in 10 and 15 pounders. Chalked up another 30 miles all on fast skinny tires.
60 mile weekend , half of our goal for October 4th. What an adventure.
later
gary

Remember , click on the pics to enlarge them..

It's about the bike too.

The weather's been great, riding's been great, life's been great.

My mentor and bike guru Frank has blessed me with a set of performance racing skinny wheels..

Their fast, sleek, yet delicate. I'm averaging about 4 miles an hour faster on them. Even though their called "ROAD WHEELS" they can't jump curbs and pot holes or cruise over glass and sharp rocks. I'm gonna try to use them for the MS tour for the speed.. I still want to train on my hybrid wheels also, so my plan is to ride hybrid's on Saturday in the street and road wheels on Sunday on the River Levee. With the road wheels and a little tailwind I can cruise 16 to 20 mph.

Don't seem so fast until you take a fall at that speed, something usually brakes ( bones) .

So now the only original parts on my Hybrid Trek are the frame, the handle bars and neck,

the front fork and the crank, all else has been changed. These new wheels carry 120 psi as opposed to 80 psi on the hybrids so they have a good roll. This past Christmas my kids gave me a helmet camera, I'll be using it soon , maybe we'll get some clips of me doing a 360, or maybe sliding into a curb, or being sideswiped by a large suv, or dodging lightening bolts in a thunderstorm, or outrunning a mixed breed great dane-pit bull- mastiff -Cujo type dog, or maybe riding through mimes and jugglers in the french quarter, or just enjoying a sunny afternoon touring the city. Each time it's an adventure.....Thanks for the wheels Frank...

Later

Spring has Sprung.

Spring has sprung and I'm getting ready to get serious.

First rite of spring , walk the Crescent City Classic with Stacy (daughter). We had a great time,

the weather was great , the crowd was great, the start was great, the finish was great and

Tad Gormley Stadium was full to the brim with runners, walkers, baby carriages,

strollers, every shape, size, age and look of person you can imagine was there.

The Bucktown All Star's walked with us a while, great music.

We didn't win this year but who cares, it was fun.

As I write this Marcia Ball's in concert on the TV,, wow inspirational .

I'm celebrating Easter with family tomorrow then we start training for the 150 mile

MS Tour for Cure, this will be my fourth adventure. I'm registered, I have my room reservation, just got a new back wheel, I'm ready to get at it. Countdown to October 4th and 5th. I am sad to report I've lost my training buddy Frank, Frank retired, he still rides but earlier in the day. We'll still get together as often as possible. Enjoy retirement Frank, I miss your company.

Later

gary