Saturday, September 7, 2019

Another one bites the dust! (Year that is)

On Monday I turn 59.

In years past I'd have put an exclamation point after that number...not so anymore...not really freaking out yet, but NEXT year likely will be some lamenting and wringing of hands and woe-is-me moaning and such. I mean, holy smokes! I think back to when I was 10, and how OLD my grandfathers were! They were ANCIENT! Silver hair, wrinkly skin, OLD!

I don't have exact date, but I have to assume when I was 10 they were likely around 60. Uhm...er, wait...OK...doing the math, more likely that they were around 70...(I was born in 1960 when my dad was 31 and mom was 26...so assuming their parents were about 30 years older, that means my grandparents were around 60 when I was born). Dang...that throws everything into a tizzy...NOW I have to wait until I'm 70 to cry about how old I am!

I guess 60 is the new 40...and 59 is what exactly? Surely not 39. However, I do have to admit that I'm in pretty reasonable shape for an old guy. And as I type that (old guy) I cringe and think about Bill Kennedy...a guy in my weekly Saturday Morning road-ride group. Bill is 72. He KILLS it out there! Honestly...I can only take him on the climbs, and also when the rides get to around 50+ miles I start to pull ahead of him. But he's a terror on flats/rollers AND descents! I actually have a hard time staying with him. Maybe he's a mutant...certainly he won a genetic lottery of some sort, and he MUST take pretty good care of himself. But still...he is a real hero to me as I hope and pray I will be like that. That I am ABLE to be like that (that I"m not all broken down and barely able to move).

I don't have a crystal ball giving me insight into what my next decade + will look like...and even if I could find out I wouldn't want to. Let the future remain a mystery...let me believe I will still be able to Mt bike like I do now until I'm 70 (or longer). I need to believe I'll be riding like Bill when I'm 72...that guys well over a decade (or 2, or 3) younger are going "holy smokes, he's 72!" and trying (unsuccessfully) to hold my wheel.

Rae, you turned 65 a bit ago, but ladies in general outlive men (you've heard the joke "why do men die sooner than their wives? Because they WANT to"...HA HA! Um, er, maybe not so funny to the current readership attendees....but it's a real  hoot to the guys). Susie, I am assuming you are around Jeannie's age (I have 5 on her). All I really know  is that I MUST retire while I'm still young enough AND healthy enough to ENJOY it. SO many guys I work with retire late and die w/in a few years...that is a very sad thought. Work your whole life and finally retire only to croak in a few short years.

Anyway, boy I really went on a wild tangent on this one. Hey...how about that Vuelta?? Rae and Susie, I'm jealous both of you are watching it. Thanks for the updates Susie....Rae feel free to chime in with your insight...the more the merrier. Pretty crazy race so far this year...but when isn't it?

And so...another birthday is almost here...Jeannie will be gone all next week (she leaves for LA on Monday, comes back Thursday I think)...so it will be a rather lonely b-day week...but the babies will be here to keep me company. And I will be bike-riding at least Tues and Thursday, maybe Monday too...I'm trying to hold to four rides a week just now...it's my annual Post TDF comeback...it's going pretty well actually...I have really picked up my pace since the end of July both Mtb and road. But I'm still a ways away from setting any real "PR's" (Personal Records on STRAVA). Setting PR's, 2nds and 3rds is how I know that I'm riding on that high-end knife-edge of my fitness. I getting close tho...my confidence is there now that I've had a few good hard rides with times to show it, and that confidence lets me believe it's actually possible...that I WILL arrive at that knife-edge if I keep it up.

For my b-day this year Jeannie is getting me a "FitBit"...I'm a data-junkie, and from what I see (just about everybody at work has them) it's a pretty cool resource of info...tracks steps, heart-rate, sleep, exercise....I'll be anxious to see how that goes with my riding. Also be cool to see what my sleep is actually like vs what I THINK it's like (I get woke up a lot by the babies...maybe I'm not getting as much sleep as I THINK I am).

OK...time to get some dinner....I'm starved! Welcome to September!!Fall is here (which is summer where I live...our Fall is the best time of year, though our Spring is quite nice AND it's green from the winter rains).

Later gators....and Cheers!

32 comments:

  1. I just stumbled across a podcast that I think you might enjoy, with Bobby Julich. It is a bit behind on the Vuelta stages, but I liked their discussion of the riders transfers so far: https://www.velonews.com/2019/09/voices/pyso-mid-race-vuelta-rider-transfers-and-mountain-bike-worlds_500415. Julich was one of my favorites when he was racing with CSC and I was annoyed with Sky when they canned him (as a coach, I think he was) over his past in doping teams (as everyone of that era was) yet kept their strongly implicated doctor...

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  2. Woo HOO Sep KOOS!!! Won the stage in convincing fashion! And Lawson Craddock! 7th!

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  3. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!

    I'll be back later today with my Vuelta Updates but didn't want another minute to pass before sending my birthday wishes! :) :)

    And I'm, er, older than you! However, I keep TELLING myself I'm "59 & holding". At least till I win the Power Ball & then, age suddenly vanishes! LOL! (I buy ONE ticket most Friday evenings at the grocery store for Sat's drawing. IF the pot is over $300 mill, I'll spring for another ticket or two).

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  4. Thanks for the bday wishes Susie! I had no idea you were older than I am...guess I was just 'assuming'...(no idea what I based this on...same w/ you Rae...until you retired last year I assumed you were younger). Anyhoo...THREE (and a half) years till I retire! (I'm waiting until the end of March 2022 as that's the date of our new contract, and there will be a bump in pension per year of service, along w/ a signing bonus of a few grand...no sense passing all that up by retiring 6 months sooner). At least that's my PLAN.

    OK...lunch time...one of my 9 fav times of the day! (there's breakfast, break-time snack, pre-lunch snack, lunch, after-lunch snack, well...you get the picture).

    Ayway, keep the Vuelta updates coming!

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    1. Age-wise, I'm between you & Rae. I know why you thought I was younger - because I had been planning to work a few years PAST your retirement date, but things have changed a bit, so now it looks possibly sooner. Are you now saying you plan to retire right after March 2022? I thought you were going to wait until Spring 2023?

      Anyhoo, YOU are in GREAT SHAPE & could pass for a 40 year-old! You'll still be biking with the 'youngsters' when you're in your mid-70s at least!

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    2. I'm hoping to go out after I'm 62 (as long as the financial world doesn't go into the crapper and my 401k nosedives). I still need to do the calculations on when I can start drawing my pension (I think I need 85 points...which is based on my age plus years of service w/ the company)...that likely means I need to wait until I've turned 63...but anytime after March 2022 (when our new contract w/ the company will take effect) I would get any pension increase and also the signing bonus...so even if I could go out earlier and get my pension I'd wait for that. (I came into Lockheed Martin March of 2000). I'm not 100% certain of all of that but I'm pretty sure it's the case. So yeah...fall of 2022 would do it I believe.

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  5. VUELTA UPDATES!

    Saturday, Stage 14 - I, er, missed most of the stage as I lost track of the time! *@&#$^&*, I kept clicking over all morning, waiting & waiting & then started watching Game Day & when I clicked back over, there was only 5k to go! Anyhoo, there had been a break but it was caught & it looked like a sprint but right after the 1k-to-go banner, a HUGE CRASH near the front took down most of the GC guys & halted all behind. A sprinter did win the stage but not in a "real" sprint finish. No change in GC & none of the top 5 hurt, I don't think.

    Sunday, Stage 15 (SEPP-tember at the Vuelta! Details to follow!) - only 154k but with 4 Cat 1 mts including a summit finish. TV coverage began with about 50k to go. There had been an all-day break. With about 7k to go, on the final climb, the GC guys pushed the pace & half the peloton was dropped. Up ahead, Sepp Kuss of DURANGO, COLORADO attacked his fellow breakers & became the sole stage leader. Fellow Durangoite Bobke was giddy! At 6k to go, Valverde attacked & only Roglic was able to go with him. At 4k to go, Quintana was dropped from the other GC guys. Sepp WON THE STAGE by 39 seconds & high-fived the spectators along the barriers during the last 500 meters. Roglic & Valverde finished together, 8th & 9th behind some breakers. Lopez & Babyface had scurried away from the other GCers but didn't catch V & Roglic & finished 40 seconds back. Quintana finished another 2 minutes back.

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  6. VUELTA UPDATE (SORTA) :

    Monday, Stage 16 (they're trying to trick us, tomorrow is the 2nd rest day!) My full update will have to wait till tomorrow after I SEE the coverage tonight. I do know there was a large breakaway & THUMPER won the stage! The GC guys finished about 6 minutes back & there WAS some action & an impact on the GC. One quick opinion - it seems Quintana has totally closed down his efforts in this race. Since he can't win it all, I guess he figures 'why bother'? Movistar's sole hope for the podium is Valverde & since Quintana doesn't seem able or willing to assist, he'll struggle just keeping on it. Babyface looks determined to switch places with him & Lopez wants to replace him entirely.

    Going by the stage profiles, there are only 2 more stages that will have an impact - Thursday & Saturday. If Babyface & Lopez work together again, I'm thinking they can reach their objectives, although unless calamity occurs, Roglic looks like our winner.

    Hasta la vista! :)

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  7. VUELTA UPDATES :

    Monday, Stage 16 : a 144k stage with two Cat 1 mts & a final "HC" mt with summit finish. A large breakaway (19) made it to the finish (well, 13 of them) before any of the GC guys & Thumper (Fulgsang) won the stage! He attacked his fellow breakers with about 10k to go & while a handful of guys went with him they couldn't stay with him all the way to the end & he finished 22 seconds in front. Meanwhile, back amongst the GC, Lopez attacked with 4k to go, quickly followed by Babyface & Roglic & not so quickly, Valverde. Quintana had already been dropped & would go on to lose 2 MORE minutes on the day. Lopez attacked again at 2k, followed by Babyface BUT Valverde was dropped & ROGLIC struggled! Eventually Roglic clawed himself back up with the top 2, but Valverde was losing time & ONLY teammate Marc Soler kept him from losing the podium this day! At the finish, Babyface, Lopez & Roglic finished together, about 6 minutes behind stage winner Thumper, with Valverde another 22 seconds behind.

    GC standings after Stage 16 : Roglic, Valverde at 2:48, Babyface at 3:42, & Lopez JUST behind him at 3:59. Quintana fell to 6th & is now almost 8 minutes back.

    Tuesday was the 2nd Rest Day.

    Wed (today), Stage 17 : the LONGEST DAY of the Vuelta at 220k & while it was all at altitude, there was no climbing, mostly flat or a little rolling. You coulda bet your house today would be a LARGE breakaway & won some bucks - I think it was 30 guys & most made it to the finish before the rest of the peloton (about 5 minutes later). Phillipe Gilbert won his 2nd stage in a sprint out of the break. No change in the top GC.

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    1. WAIT! WAIT! It seems CROSSWINDS came into play today AND Quintana was in that lead group that finished 5 minutes ahead! SO, SHAKEUP IN GC!

      GC after Stage 17 : Roglic, QUINTANA (!) now 2nd at 2:24, Valverde at 2:48 (no change for him), Babyface at 3:42 (no change for him), & Lopez now back in 5th at 4:09 (seems he lost 10 seconds!)

      Crap, that's what I get for just doing a quick skim of the Live Blog! WHY on earth would the GC guys let Quintana get away?! Just stupidity on Astana (Lopez's team) & UAE (Babyface's team)?

      And here I thought it had been a boring day! Apparently, what I thought was a large break, was a large group created by early crosswinds. Still, was there WIND all day? Why didn't the peloton get after them?! Apparently, new crosswinds split the groups again with 80k to go. But what about the in-between?

      Most likely, we'll only see the final 50k or so on TV tonight, so it won't be clear how this transpired.

      Anyhoo, I just CAN'T BELIEVE QUINTANA IS NOW 2ND! That's a bigger shock than that POS Antonio Brown now being on the Patriots!

      And from now on, I'm just going to have to WATCH the stages before "reporting"!

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  8. So, I need to mention something weird! Sunday night I dreamt I was listening to the Vuelta on the RADIO (that right there tells you it was a DREAM!) & the announcers kept saying "Fulgsang" was leading "way out front". I kept asking (either someone I was with or just out loud to the radio, the dream is hazy), if they were talking about JACOB Fulgsang as they never mentioned his 1st name. (Announcers were NOT Bobke or Phil). And right before I woke up, this "Fulgsang" won the stage! HOW WEIRD IS THAT?! I never dream about stuff that comes true! I hadn't even been thinking about Thumper during this entire race as he seemed to be a support guy for Lopez. Man, WHY can't I dream about winning the freakin Power Ball! LOL!

    Anyhoo, the big question of course is can Roglic hang on for 2 more mt stages. Apparently, he cracked during the final week of the Giro so many seem to think he may do that again. Heck, that SHOULD give him extra motivation - to SHOW everyone he's got the stuff! The 2nd big question is whether Valverde can hang on to HIS podium spot. He's not quite a minute ahead of Babyface & a little more than a minute ahead of Lopez. On a bad day, he could lose that & more, easy. Of course, the other 2 guys could lose time to HIM, as they did on Sunday. It all comes down to how the legs are feeling on the days & if they stay off the ground (i.e. safe) & have no ill-timed mechanicals. I wouldn't bet money either way as I just don't know, don't even have a "feeling". I do know the 2 youngsters are DETERMINED to get ahead of Valverde but determination can't overcome bad legs or bonking. OR bad luck. So, I guess we'll see. Well, Rae & I will, sorry, Matt! :) :)

    Maybe I'll DREAM the stage winner again! LOL!

    Hasta la vista!

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  9. VUELTA CLARIFICATION :

    Wed, Stage 17 : Ok, so I watched the stage & have read a few reports & I was almost correct : there WAS a very large (45-50 guys!) breakaway from within the very 1st 5k that included not just Quintana but 3 of his teammates. (WTF?! WHY would the other GC teams allow this? Inattention or stupidity?). And crosswinds began its usual havoc so they got up the road & the peloton couldn't catch them. It's unclear how often the crosswinds impacted the race as it continued. BUT, all the teams EXPECTED wind to be a factor BEFORE the stage even began so this was just poor judgement or lack of action by the GC teams. And boy, did they pay for it!

    At around 50k to go, the chasing GC/peloton group split, due either to a bit of a small climb or more wind. And, ROGLIC had NO TEAMMATES WITH HIM! Good grief, he is lucky he didn't lose the Vuelta entirely!

    Both the breaker group AND the GC group GUNNED IT FULL GAS ALL DAY; the leaders to either win the stage (almost the entire Quickstep team was in the break!) or to put time on the GC guys (Quintana & a couple others). At about 20k to go, Phil said the race was a FULL HOUR AHEAD of where the race was expected to finish (avg speed 50kph!). Around 10k to go, Bobke said in his 30 years of being involved in cycling, he'd NEVER SEEN A STAGE LIKE IT! I kept thinking - HOW are these guys going to get their tired butts up 4 mountains the next day?!

    Oh, & apparently Quintana had been suffering with a "cold" the past week & that's why he, er, sucked in the mts. Maybe. He surely lost a bunch of time in what had been his "playground" (i.e. the mts) so it could be true. I do have to give him some props as I'd thought he was just 'done' mentally & physically with this race but there he was, going flat-out, staying with the big boys on a flat/windy stage! How much will that take out of him for the next day?

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  10. All I will say about TODAY'S stage (Thurs, Stage 18) is that it was a mountain sage but did not have a summit finish. Also, that EF finally had some GOOD news in what has been a cursed race for them (excluding Lawson Craddock riding like a big dog) & that there was some GC action & impact. That's ALL I'm saying till I see it myself tonight! :) :)

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    1. Um, I just realized that maybe you don't know that calling someone a "big dog" is complimentary slang. At least in my neck of the woods. :)

      Anyhoo, Lawson is showing EVERY DAMN DAY that it was STUPID not to include him in this year's Tour. (Think that was Vaughter's handiwork?)

      Hasta la vista!

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  11. Great updates Susie, keep em coming! (and I did know that "big dog" is a good name...gosh, I even had a set of "Big Dog" volleyball shorts back in a prior lifetime...(the 80's)..they were actually made for beach volleyball but I wore them inside and out (back in that lifetime I played a TON of beach and indoor VB).

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  12. VUELTA UPDATE :

    Thursday, Stage 18 - 178k with four Cat 1 mts. However, there was no summit finish; the final 20k was the last descent & some flat. I had no idea what to expect after the SUPERSPEEDY stage yesterday (Phil said it was THE FASTEST cycling stage since times were recorded!). There was a medium-sized breakaway but all but one were eventually caught & passed on the final climb by the top 4 GC guys. The one not caught? EF rider Sergio Higuita, another young Columbian. I believe he attacked his fellow breakers on the penultimate climb & soloed to the end. His 1st Grand Tour & 1st pro cycling win! Happy that poor EF achieved SOME good in this race! Meanwhile, amongst the GC bunch, it seems Lopez attacked repeatedly, 1st on the penultimate mt & then again on the final (the one we got to see on TV). He dropped Babyface & Quintana (after that effort yesterday, not a shock but still!) but Roglic, Valverde & Majka stayed with him till the end. These 4 finished 15-17 seconds behind Higuita & Roglic & Valverde got a few bonus seconds. Quintana & Babyface finished another MINUTE behind them.

    GC after Stage 18 : Roglic, Valverde up to 2nd at 2:50 back, Quintana falls to 3rd at 3:31, Lopez jumps Babyface at 4:17, & Babyface now 5th at 4:40.

    Friday does not LOOK to be a "GC day" but that's what I said about Wed, so I have NO idea how it will go!

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  13. VUELTA UPDATE :

    Friday, Stage 19 - I know, I know, I said I would stop reporting till after I SAW the stage, but I won't be here again till Monday! So, I'll tell you what I know. It was 165k & except for a small Cat 3 right near the start, it consisted of a long gradual descent & the rest flat or a bit "rolling". An 11-rider breakaway formed early (once again including "Big Dog" Craddock!) but all but one (winner Remi Cavagna of Quickstep) was eventually absorbed by the peloton before the finish. I don't think the break ever got too far ahead. About midway, HEAVY RAIN came & with it, CARNAGE! With about 65k to go there was a massive crash, including the Red jersey Roglic & most of his team, Lopez & a bunch of others! MOVISTAR then ATTACKED! They & others unharmed sped up & floored it for about 15k! Disgusting! BTW, the crash was pretty bad as Jumbo road leader Tony Martin had to abandon. When the chasers had almost caught up with the lowlifes (I mean the group led by Movistar), the front group THEN slowed up. None of the other teams were happy, let me tell you! Lopez especially called out Valverde & Movistar after the stage was over. The Movistar director apparently doesn't know why everyone is so pissed at them. Of course he doesn't, almost everything that team does is ignorant of cycling!

    I believe you (Matt) always think the riders should just go, but the "unwritten rules" are when an unfortunate happenstance takes down the race leader &/or a huge chunk of the peloton, you DO NOT THEN ATTACK. This act/'rule' of sportsmanship is one of the things that drew me to cycling in the 1st place. If the riders in front were ALREADY attacking & up ahead & THEN the crash happened, that would have been different.

    Anyhoo, no change in GC.

    Tomorrow SHOULD be a good show! The final mt stage & while none of the climbs look that big, there are 6 of them (!) & a summit finish, I think. Excluding the leader, there has been a lot of 'musical podium steps' going on in this race & I expect it to happen again! It's really exciting to think almost ANY scenario could happen & change 1, 2, or all 3 podium steps! I just hope it does NOT RAIN! Fingers crossed!

    Have a great weekend, Matt & Rae & I'll catch ya next week. Hasta la vista! :) :)

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  14. I don't always think the riders should go...it's situational. Back when Pistolero attacked Andy Schleck (chaingate), I thought THAT was wrong. Alberto was actually behind Andy when his chain dropped, and Alberto passed him, looked back, and then hit the gas knowing full well what happened (or at least that SOMETHING happened)...and he hammered that big descent and put like 2 minutes into Andy if I recall. The only problem with the "wait for the yellow" gentlemen's rule is where does it end? And also, there is no inverse...2nd or 3rd place GC guy crashes or flats while riding WITH the Yellow, does the Yellow jersey and his team slow up and wait? I'd say not...part of bike racing is the crashes and mechanicals...the fastest/strongests guy or gal doesn't always win. And also, why does it then only hold for the yellow? Race leaderboards are affected every day due to crashes/mechanicals. Also, if there is a crash and the yellow (red, pink) jersey is involved, how long do the other guys soft-pedal/wait? At what point are they allowed to go full gas again and race? It isn't Nascar or Indy where the crash flag comes out and there are no position changes allowed...that would be bizarre in cycling. Also, in Nascar there are times when they purposely put a competitor into the wall or spin them out, and then go on to win. When a hockey or soccer guy falls down, do his competitors slow/stop and wait for them to get up, or do they press the momentary advantage while the other team is a man (or more) short? I guess it comes down to "don't crash"...not everybody is crashing...surely I'm not throwing blame to them for crashing, but how many times did Lance crash in his SEVEN wins? Once? (and that wasn't even a crash..he caught a camera/purse strap with his handlebar)...and yes, Ulrich and the others FINALLY slowed up, but that was only after Tyler got them to...initially they attacked. And they were all riding together in a small group on a climb, which is nothing like a peleton crash. When someone crashes or has a mechanical in a breakaway, do the other breakers slow and wait? No, of course not...they press the advantage while they can. Sometimes the guy catches back up, sometimes not. Such is racing. In football if a defender slips and falls, does the receiver not catch and score if he can? A Guy falls down and if the QB sees it, score. Don't fall down. Taking advantage of someone else's misfortune is a HUGE part of sports in general. Crashes in general are especially bad/sad for all who crash, no matter their position in the race. Crashes alter races all the time, how can they not? I just think that in general expecting racers to not take advantage of others misfortune is unrealistic. In many cases the misfortune is due to someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time...(caught too far back when crosswinds hit, or it rains, or whatever other thing that has happened allowing others to get an advantage from it). It's just part of the game...you win some, you lose some.

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  15. Well, the incidents of "waiting for the jersey" have always contributed to the romance and sense of camaraderie of this otherwise so hard sport -- just like riders & team cars sharing food or water, or stopping to assist someone from another team after a serious crash (the last rare, I know). And it is tradition, which is good to be carried forward.

    I really enjoyed this Vuelta, with all the new faces and successes, changing of leadership, & hard fought battles. Now I am looking forward to the UCI Worlds this week (starting today) which will be shown on the Olympic Channel and also streaming free on the UCI YouTube channel. Will Sagan pick up his 4th road title? Will we see a new TT champ? Can we hope for a surprise from Lawson Craddock?

    And, on the women's side, will it be Dutch domination again, or will Amber Neben pull off a repeat in the TT, Chloe Dygert make the jump from track to winning on the road, or will Coryn Rivera finally break through?

    I seem to have regained some of my lost mojo, having sat down again after the Half marathon (that I ran-walked) last spring. I'm back out running 3 times a week, on the high school track, although taking it slowly and carefully. After about 6 weeks I am able to run (mind, I am a slow runner, just over 12 minutes per mile - my best is/was about 9:30) 2 miles without a walk break. At the end of this week I plan to start adding a lap per week. My goal is to be able to run 4 miles by Thanksgiving - for the annual Flying Feather 4 Miler. I still haven't pulled out my bike -- I think that I will sell my Trek road bike and just keep the cheap one I (used to) use for errands, and my hybrid for rail trail rides. I also have a vintage Motobecane that my neighbor gave me when she retired and moved to Mexico -- she hadn't ridden it for many many years, so it needs to be refurbished before it can be used. I have been thinking that I would enjoy it, as I loved my old 1982 Nishiki Custom Sport that I gave to my nephew; however, the problem is the drop bars that I find difficult with my old neck injury - so I probably should find a new home for it, too.

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  16. VUELTA RECAP of STAGE 20 - SATURDAY, 9/14
    (can't call it an "update" at this late date! ;)

    190k length with 7-8 climbs & a summit finish. The day was misty & the roads damp. There was SOME rain off & on but not distracting. As usual, the TV coverage joined the race with about 50k to go. The following is from my notes I took that day.

    "On the 2nd to last mt, Lopez attacks twice but gets nowhere. And then, with 39k to go, Babyface ATTACKS & gets distance! He eventually catches up with the 2 remaining breakers, dropping one & then the other. He's gonna try to SOLO to the Finish! He was 55 seconds ahead of the GCers & up to 4th on the "virtual GC". He's looking STRONG & hunting for that 3rd podium step! Oooh, Movistar is now on the defensive! At 35k to go, Babyface is 1:10 ahead & in virtual 3rd. Whoo-hoo! Oh, this descent is FOGGY & the pavement is bad, no side barriers & narrow road; so dangerous! Still, Babyface drills it. By the bottom with 27k to go, he's 1:35 ahead. Can he really make it to the end?!!

    19k to go & Baby is 1:38 ahead! (If he finishes 1:50 ahead, he'll knock Valverde off the 2nd step!) Come onnnnn, BABYFACE!

    There's some kind of "sprint" at 11k to go & the 1st across (Baby!) gets 3 SECONDS bonus! Oh crap, Valverde comes across 2nd & gets a one second bonus.

    Final climb with 8k to go & Baby is 1:38 ahead! At 6k, the GC group gets cut in half but Baby still 1:35 ahead. At 3k, Valverde attacks & Lopez gets dropped! At 1k to go, Babyface is 1:39 ahead! He's gonna do it! Whooo-hoo, Babyface wins the stage & is now 3rd overall! 2nd across is Valverde, Majka & some guy named Pernsteiner at 1:32 back. Roglic was 5th at 1:41, Quintana was 8th at 1:56 & poor Lopez lost more than 2 minutes, finishing 11th & which means he lost the white jersey.

    Overall & final GC unless a fluke calamity happens Sunday :
    Vuelta winner : Roglic
    2nd - Valverde at 2:33
    3rd - Babyface (Pogacar) at 2:55

    4th was Quintana at 3:46 & 5th was Lopez at 4:48."

    I didn't take notes Sunday & while there was some change in the time differences, the above standings stood.

    It seems Roglic was so reserved in his media comments throughout the race that the locals/fans did not "embrace" him that much. Maybe he'll loosen up a bit now that's he's bagged his 1st Grand Tour. On the other hand, he was a ski jumper & few of them are exactly gregarious. :)

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  17. Sorry I was so tardy with that last "update". For some reason, I'm expected to do some work here! ;)

    Rae & Matt, you're both progressing nicely & will reach your goals before you know it! As usual, you both impress the heck outta me.

    I haven't had the chance to watch any of the cycling World Championships yet but have noticed from the cycling website headlines that the American WOMEN & U-23 guys have done GREAT! Also, it's apparently RAINING quite a bit in Yorkshire. Who knew? ;)

    The Track & Field World Championships start this Friday & I'll watch as much as I can. I love watching the various events but I'm NOT happy that once again a sport WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP is in Quatar! HOW MUCH do they pay the various sports orgs to SELL THEIR SPORT (& probably themselves) to locate their biggest event (after the Olympics) in a country that does NOT GIVE A DAMN about these sports? Last year, the Gymnastics World Championships were there & it was a FARCE! Until the last 2 days, the ONLY people in the stands were team officials. It was EMBARASSING! And don't even get me started on life in Quatar, especially for WOMEN.... I'd seriously like to know what the various sports 'officials' receive from Quatar to humiliate their sports. I'm assuming Quatar pays for ALL accommodations, food, transportation to & from, plus some kind of "bonus". Maybe gymnastics & the small sports desperately need this money but Track & Field? And World Cup SOCCER?! LOL!

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  18. Wow Susie, that was a great race finish update...you should work in Broadcasting!

    I think it's cool (very cool...rainy too) that they are racing the worlds in Yorkshire...I see the womens race finished in Harrogate...I lived in Harrogate for 3 months years back on one of my work trips...it's a really awesome place and I can't wait to go back to visit again! I think it was the mens TDF finish in Harrogate a few years back where Cav crashed out of the race right there on the finish sprint (his home-town if I remember). Next year (just about exactly a year) we are going back to Munich for Oktoberfest, and we plan to stop-over in the UK for a bit before heading to Munich...we will do a day or 2 in London, and Jeannie asked me where I want to go...Harrogate! So much to see up there...the Yorkshire Dales national park (I rode all over that place on my road bike on that trip), the city of York (about 3/4 of the WALL still stands, you can walk the entire thing, so much history in York), the National Armory Museum in Leeds, so many AWESOME pubs and breweries, including my 2 FAVs in the whole world, Theakstons and Black Sheep Breweries in Masham Yorkshire...ahh...so much to do, so little time! Starting to get jazzed already! I really need to check in on the worlds...haven't seen squat for results...too busy (speaking of which, yeah, they expect me to be doing stuff here too for some odd reason!) Gotta scoot...later gaters!

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  19. WELL! The USA has been making a very respectable showing at the Worlds TTs so far! Not only have the Americans garnered 7th & 9th in the Women's Junior, 2nd & 3rd in the Men's Under 23, and a 7th place for Lawson Craddock in the Elite Men, but then Quinn Simmons not only placed 4th in the Men's Junior TT but WON the Juniors RR (while another USA-ian placed 3rd).

    And also, Chloe Dygart didn't just answer my question in resounding fashion in the Women's Elite TT, I believe she set a record! While Amber Neben finished 4th and Leah Thomas 7th! Yay USA Women! I'm so looking forward to the RR on Saturday!

    By the way, I probably talked about it back in 2015 after the Richmond Worlds, but with this good showing by the women and the Olympics coming up next year I am reminded of the movie "Personal Gold" which I saw in Richmond. I highly recommend it -- it can be seen on Vudu, Amazon, and youtube for $, or I can actually stream it free from my public library so you might be able to also (via Kanopy, in the case of my library.) I don't follow track cycling, but this documentary of how these 4 women prepared for the Olympics with little funding from TeamUSA really was inspiring. Find it and watch it!

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  20. Hey Rae...I was looking at Velo News yesterday afternoon and the worlds thus far...VERY impressive for the US! And that Quinn Simmons...he is REALLY something! (can't remember if I talked about it here, but he took 2nd in Leadvillle on the mt bike...and he had like THREE flats and had to ride the flats to where he could get a wheel). AND, because he didn't have any placings he started in the very LAST chute of riders, and had to pass the entire race to catch the leaders! It was the EF Education guys he was chasing...and quite honestly, if he had started up front with them, I don't think they could have stayed with him...he's that good! AND...he's signed w/ Trek Segefredo next year!! He is really going to be a guy to watch, especially in the Spring Classics! I'm pretty anxious to see how the RR plays out this weekend...hate to say it but I don't think Sagan will be able to pull it off this year...the crop of young-uns is just too impressive. But we shall see...it will be exciting for sure! And thanks for the tip on the movie...I'll have to see if I can find it on Amazon or Netflix. Have a great weekend!

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  21. Hey Matt, thanks for the compliment above. I had a great time writing up the Vuelta Updates, although I'm still chagrined & embarrassed over my 2 blatant errors. Lesson : never fast-skim a Live blog & think you know what happened!

    And WOW, Team USA is doing FANTASTIC at Worlds, specifically the women & younger guys! Every day I click on cyclingnews & see yet another American has medaled! Honestly, I'm quite shocked! And giddy too. Maybe a new generation of American hopefuls will actually get the American presence at the Tour back up close to 10 again! AND be a contender of some sort! Even 'just' a stage win is still big at the Tour! And Big Dog Craddock once again proves whomever (Vaughters?) picked the EF Tour team this year is an idiot (must be Vaughters...).

    I've not really taken much notice of the non-Elite races at Worlds before so can one of you tell me the difference between a "Junior" race & a U-23 race?

    I was able to watch the last 10k of yesterday's repeat broadcast & even though I'd read an American had won earlier in the day, I still kept blinking my eyes at the TV! :)

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  22. Matt & Rae, I have a non-cycling question for you! Have either of you ever paid off a mortgage? If so, did you celebrate in some way? Next year some time, probably in the early summer, I will join the ranks of paid-off homeowners (whoo-hoo!) & have been thinking the past couple months that I want to do SOMETHING to celebrate at the appointed time. I can't spend too much as the "savings" on not having to pay on mortgage principal has ALREADY been earmarked for other big savings targets. So, I was just wondering what you may have done. Right now, I'm thinking of purchasing a diamond ring, something I've wanted for decades. I've set $1500 as the max, but every time I think about actually spending that much money after doing NOTHING but save/save/save for the past 15 years, it makes me hyperventilate. I will never be able to replace all the jewelry that was stolen in my house break-in/burglary 10 years ago (well, until I WIN the lottery, which is any day now, any day! :) but that ring would MAYBE help me finally get past that loss. Anyhoo, I'm still just pondering. :)

    Also Rae - do you visit the Columbus Zoo often? And their other wildlife place that's an "hour" out of town? I've been watching a lot of Animal Planet & Disc channel this past year & really get a kick out of the shows on the Columbus & Bronx zoos especially. I've only visited the 'National Zoo' in DC a few times, mostly as a kid & I've decided I'd like to VISIT all the big &/or top zoos in America when I retire one day! Besides the Columbus, San Diego, Bronx, do you all know of any other "must see" zoos in the US?

    Have a great weekend & if you're interested, just a reminder that the Track & Field World Championships start TODAY & run for 9 days I think. Go USA!

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  23. Hey Susie...we paid off our Hawaii Condo a year or so ago (first mortgage I've ever paid off)...I seem to recall we went to a fancy dinner to celebrate...I thought we should do SOMETHINB... mean, just how many mortgages does an average person PAY OFF in their lifetime? I do hear you on having a hard time letting go of the $$ for something you don't really "need"...but also, you only live once...sometimes you've got the right to treat yourself! (how I justify a new bike). You've EARNED IT! I've been to the San Diego Zoo ages ago...it's pretty awesome! Can't remember which others I've been to...just a few. I'm kind of stuck on the Zoo thing lately as it just seems so wrong (the part that got me thinking this was the Santa Barbara Zoo we went to years back...the Gorilla pen had a silverback, sitting in his pen all by himself...not a single other gorilla in there w/ him...he sits there day in and day out with his back to the people (he knows)...with absolutely nothing to do, no other gorillas to oversee and protect like he SHOULD be doing...it was the saddest and cruelest thing I think I've ever seen. Now I'm pretty much of the mindset 'leave them be" (and I pretty much mean all animals) unless you can put them in a preserve of some sort where they are protected but still "free".

    Anyway, I gotta scoot...have a great weekend Susie and Rae!

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  24. Hi all! Hope you were able to view and enjoy the racing this weekend -- horrible conditions yesterday for the men's road race. Lawson Craddock hung in in the front group but decided to attack still pretty far from the finish, which I did not understand (maybe he knew he didn't have the legs to contest it much longer?) and ended up as a DNF - Powless and Haga did survive, although well down around 40th place. At the end I was cheering for Mads Pederson (how could I not cheer for someone named Mads?) - he had been showing glimpses of strong talent through the season, so once he managed to get a jump on the peloton with Trentin and Kung I had hopes (although slim) that he was stronger on that uphill finish than Trentin. Kung was more unknown to me - I knew his name, that was all. Like the commentators, I was very surprised by the absence of Sagan in the final attacks, and by the absence of many "big names" in the finale -- but in those conditions anything was possible.

    Like wise with the women Saturday -- the long attack by Dygart reminded me so much of Megan Gaurnier's similar effort at the Rio Olympics with a similar result. It is a tactic that I don't understand when racing against the strength of the likes of Van Vleuten, Van der Breggen or Vos (admittedly perhaps on the down side of her career), unless she believes that she has no chance if she stays with them.

    Susie, the juniors are racers under the age of 19, Under 23s are age 19-22, Elite are any pros age 22 and over (if on a pro team, even though by age would be Under 23, a 22 year old is considered Elite
    The USA had another Junior win with the women, too! I do hope that these young ones continue to shine, and bring some renewed attention to cycling in America. Unfortunately it has seemed over the years that those who make a big splash at the junior and U-23 level often fail to live up to that promise once they reach the pros (of course, there are exceptions)

    Susie, I have never paid off a mortgage other than by selling. By selling my house in CA, which had more than doubled in value during the 3 years that I owned it, I was able to pay cash for my home here in OH... That was one of several reasons I moved back to OH. So I have been mortgage free for the past 27 years.
    And yes, I did also splurge on a beautiful diamond and sapphire ring - still one of the prettiest I'd ever seen, I think - snagged it at a big discount when one of the big dept. stores was going out of business at the same time (can't remember which - May Co? Broadway?). The first time (of EIGHT) my home was robbed in CA, I had lost my great-grandmother's necklace which I STILL mourn. So this ring was a bit of compensation - like you I have always been very thrifty and have never spent on "unnecessary" stuff, always buying on sale, seconds, scratch&dent, used and so forth. Unfortunately, that ring was stolen too, here in Ohio, I believe by a workman who was doing some house repairs, at an unfortunate point when I wasn't wearing it. My mother's wedding band was also taken at that time. Now I know to NEVER let a worker use the only, upstairs toilet without sitting in my bedroom until he/she is done! And I would never spend so much on one again - I did buy another, pretty but MUCH less expensive (only $200) ring, again on clearance at Macy's, which if it disappears won't break my heart nearly as much! I have bought artwork though, over the past 10 years, and wish that I had done so earlier in my life, as a few lovely paintings and my little bronze figurine give me much pleasure. Ebay, art fairs, and estate sales have been my sources for those, so again, not big spending and not terribly valuable, but worth every penny to me!

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    1. Wow, Rae, DOUBLED in just three years! Whoo-hoo! I've read of houses like that in San Francisco but never known of anyone personally who reaped such a payday. Congrats! Were you aware at the time how much your house 'price' kept escalating or not till you decided you wanted to move & sell? And I remember you mentioning your CA burglaries (although I didn't remember 8! OMG!) & I'm amazed you stayed there as long as you did. I'm STILL affected by my home break-in/burglary & it was 10 years ago. I don't have nightmares like the 1st two years & I don't cry when seeing pretty jewelry on the TV home shopping networks as I did for the 1st 4-5 years (!), but it still upsets & depresses me. How did you 'process' all of yours? Had you installed a home security system/service & they still broke in? Is this commonplace in that part of CA? I'm so sorry about all the treasures you had taken. Even things with lesser monetary value, if they have PERSONAL memories attached, are TREASURES & why ANY home break-in/burglary should be treated as GRAND LARCENY if not a freakin FELONY!

      The only place I allow a worker in my house without me rightnext to him is the basement; to check my furnace & other stuff down there. :) I won't even allow them to use my bathroom. I trust NO ONE!

      Well, gotta run. Thanks to you both for your input about my possible upcoming money-spending (wasting?). I was afraid you'd screech 'WHAT?!, you need to finally get home internet & a laptop or ipad! Come on, girl!" Well, I've been planning that too (for 10 loooong years!) , but since I have to hire an electrician to fix all the house electrical issues 1st, that will have to be delayed till the end of NEXT year. And then, I'll finally join the "digital generation". Which will cost money every damn month & why a one-time purchase doesn't seem to bother me as much. Sigh. BTW, anybody know how this '5G' will affect home internet?

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    2. Rae & Susie, I had my house broken into LONG ago (when I lived in Hawaii, still in the Navy). I lost some seriously irreplaceable stuff (from my Grandpa and Dad) and I'm STILL ticked about it! (and then the DAMN INSURANCE COMPANY ALLSTATE!! The GOOD HANDS PEOPLE, right! GOOD at taking your money and NOT giving it BACK!) OK...had a little relapse there...I'm better now. Can't imagine getting robbed EIGHT TIMES! Gosh...just the one left me feeling pretty violated! Anyhoo...as to the 5G thing, that's cell phone speed, so only really affects you if you still have a 3G or 4G cell phone (mine is a 3G but works fine for what I do...SUPER CHEAP, no monthly plan!) Home internet is pretty much a few different varieties: DSL (over your phone lines, fast but slow compared to the others)...cable (comes over your TV cable right along w/ your TV if you have cable (super fast, like 10 times faster than DSL), and then slowly working it's way around is FIOS (Fiber Optic) which is SMOKING FAST even compared to cable. Seems for now that only new neighborhoods are getting the FIOS...but cable is pretty much everywhere. Just depends on the provider and cost...what channels you want. A LOT Of people are skipping cable TV/Satellite TV and just using internet streaming TV...you can get a lot of stuff that way for WAY cheaper than any regular TV plan. And it's getting more popular so more and more is available. I just set up a Firestick (I think that's what it's called) last night...Jeannie got it on Amazon for like $35...it's basicly an HDMI plugin device (plugs into your TV HDMI port and has a power supply also) and it gives you a ton of stuff over your internet connection (HULU, NETFLIX, AMAZON PRIME TV, stuff like that...there's tons of it available). Uhm...gotta run...that stupid WORK thing keeps cropping up...been a REALLY busy week!

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  25. RE Zoos -- My daughter and I usually go to the Columbus Zoo for the Winter Wildlights display - that is my one & only per year, but she will also go at least one other time - she is a bigger fan than I am, and says that a September weekday is the best time to visit as the staff has more time to interact. I've never been to The Wilds but would like to. It is about 90 mins from my house I think; a cool reclamation of formerly strip mined land. There are usually discount coupons available for both parks.
    I grew up near Cincinnati and remember an experience like Matt's from my childhood which has stuck with me. Things have changed, though, and the Cincinnati Zoo now has a reputation as one of the best in the country - I've not been there in many decades.
    I do think that zoos can serve an important function in helping to preserve species and to educate the public on the importance of preserving habitat, both here in the USA and worldwide - but they need to do a better job of it, because too many citizens really don't care and place "property rights", exploitation of natural resources and even personal convenience and desires above what I think should be considered of national importance. (getting off my soapbox now, thank you!)

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  26. Susie, I really hadn't been paying attention to the real estate market but I wanted to refinance to a fixed rate loan at a point that rates were (relatively, for the time)low; or sell, because of the burglaries and high expenses (water was $100/month!) So I called up the agent who had handled the purchase and was stunned by the estimate.

    This was in the middle of a real estate frenzy (1989) where people were buying homes and immediately putting them back on the market for 50K more! As the man who bought mine did -- however, right after we closed, the market came to a dead halt and he was stuck with mine. He ended up eventually tearing it down and building a McMansion on the near 1/4 acre lot (my house had been built right after WW2 from parts of some old buildings or barracks that had been trucked down from Camp Pendleton - only 850 sq. ft and not too fancy, but you could see the ocean from the kitchen so the value was all in the land.)
    As to how common the burglaries -- it depended some on where you lived. In the 1980s much of my beach town was still in agriculture - like greenhouses growing poinsettias, mums and carnations, or tomato and strawberry farms. After the first 2 burglaries, when all of the things that I had of any resale or pawnable value was gone, the burglars just took things they needed to set up housekeeping - pots & pan, knives & forks, towels, clocks, clothing. So very likely (as the sheriffs, who told me there was nothing to be done about it said) illegals coming to work in the nearby greenhouses. It was a problem throughout the town, but flew under the radar no one in authority wanted to upset the business owners- after my insurance was cancelled after the 2nd incident, I stopped reporting it too.
    We also had both our truck and our VW bus stolen, one from the RR station, one from the hospital's parking lot. Both recovered down by the border, but both trashed and missing things like the baby's car seat and radios. This happened to nearly ALL of my co-workers who owned pickups or vans over the 13 years I lived there. I did get an inexpensive alarm, that made noise if someone crossed the beam - but I couldn't afford anything better and I didn't have enough of value left to steal to justify the expense, either. I fixed the broken windows myself. I was not afraid although yes, the first time or two I had that feeling of my personal boundaries being violated.

    You have cable already, I think? adding internet shouldn't be all that much more (although I believe your area runs higher cost for everything). Currently my internet (no cable) is only $35/month - a rate I negotiated as a loyalty discount - and my prepaid phone is $7/mo (admittedly, I don't phone or text all that much).
    TracFone did tell me that I would have to upgrade my phone to one that is 4G since the network is dropping service for the 3G. I think they also said it needed to be VoLTE capable too, but I am not sure about that.

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