tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-153470692011-04-21T12:31:59.621-06:00Soothing stories about nothing much. My so called adventures of owning an old house, riding my bike and just living.Glennnoreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-38741338731616875372009-05-01T21:18:00.003-06:002009-05-05T21:50:07.385-06:00

After several years of wanting to race the Decorah Time Trial and not doing it for various reasons/excuses, I finally did it. Well, it wasn't the ideal year, but the racing got done. The weekend prior and after the race were great weather. The actual weekend of the race was rainy and cool.On the drive down with Dustin, we went through a couple of heavy showers, which had us thinking of DNF

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-47411707887122561922009-04-24T22:38:00.002-06:002009-04-24T22:44:04.228-06:00

It's here. The Decorah Time Trials are somewhere between 24-48 hours away. At this point, I am thinking what a dumb thing it is for me to enter this race, and for several reasons.1. I'm not fast. 2. Even getting to Decorah is a bit of trouble, since my car is a certified piece of junk. 3. See #1. Hope I don't have to stop for a breather during the event. Prelim information shows a 9 mile

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-33020441153845574702009-03-29T18:03:00.002-06:002009-03-29T18:09:14.397-06:00

T-Minus less than a month until the Decorah Time Trials. I've wanted to do this race for a few years but always had something going on, or failed to be ready.Strangely enough, this year of all years, I am going to be ready. Sleep deprivation training is going better than bicycle training, but I think both will be enough for me to survive the race.Looked very windy today, so I opted for a 2 mile

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-82034721181308859482009-02-08T22:29:00.002-06:002009-02-08T22:31:57.761-06:00

Got out for my first ride of the year. Took the mountain bike to do some recon to see how the ice was melting. Also got to try out my new lobster gloves. The gloves were very warm. The roads were mostly dry, but the drivers were bad today. In 75 minutes of riding I had two close calls. Why do drivers that if they honk their horn, then they have free reign to pass in a no-passing zone? I am

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-51862532394893246262008-12-26T13:13:00.001-06:002008-12-26T13:14:58.854-06:00

Time to resume posting I guess. I will be posting about the things in this house that are driving me crazy. Not the people in the house, but attributes of the house itself. The photos will tell most of the story. You'll see...

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-2219685918916094942008-10-28T22:29:00.002-06:002008-10-28T22:31:08.716-06:00

Wow, has it really been almost four months since I posted anything? I guess I don't have much to say.Still commuting to work. Temperature this morning was 25 degrees - a bit chilly but not too much of a problem. I've got to find my wind blocking gloves before tomorrow's ride to work.Stalled out at 986 miles of training/non-commute riding this year, shouldn't be too much of a problem to top my

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-63256919628128109702008-07-02T21:34:00.002-06:002008-07-02T21:37:16.585-06:00

Ten things I like:BicyclesSingletrackMy familyCoffeeFresh fruits and vegetablesThe MidwestDark chocolateStar WarsPost-ride euphoriaUncle Tupelo

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-48987167871956577892008-06-20T20:15:00.003-06:002008-06-21T20:21:44.345-06:00

5:15 AM alarm goes off... hit the singletrack by 6:00 after a warmup ride up the bluff. Other folks had the same idea. It's the start of summer and the sun is out at 5:00 AM, making pre-work rides easier this time of year.I had the day off, so I rode the whole loop and back home by 8:00. First ride on the new Ergon grips. I am liking these grips - they take the pressure off of my hands. No more

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-63923733962283933242008-05-28T20:54:00.003-06:002008-06-21T20:22:16.778-06:00

Survived the first time trial of the season - improved my time by over 4 minutes from last year - only about a minute off my goal time for this summer. Not bad for a "slug" rider not seriously training. I guess I really don't like racing that much, but it was a good challenge. I've got to get more base miles in, my HR was too high for the entire loop.The good news is that I am finally feeling

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-41823549595863331922008-05-20T19:14:00.002-06:002008-05-20T19:16:49.266-06:00

Didn't want to get up at 5:30 this morning for bike practice - but managed to roll out of bed and get dressed. Even remembered my water bottle this time. Hit the road at 6:00 but was so cold. Why is 40 degrees colder in May than it is in February? It's all in the expectations.Anyway, shivered for the first 30 minutes of riding, decided to take the easy road and skip climbing today. Total

Glennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-60052691666916753542008-05-07T19:32:00.002-06:002008-05-07T19:35:52.174-06:00

This week is fizzling out. Failed to take advantage of the good weather tuesday morning, attempted to make up for it this morning but I forgot my water bottles so the ride was cut short. How short I do not know since the battery in the cateye decided to give up today as well.Hoping to get the X-Cal out tomorrow morning for tractor driving practice - that is what I have heard moving to the

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-28746416531671493802008-05-05T20:05:00.002-06:002008-05-05T20:08:26.653-06:00

The weather seems to have finally turned the corner to spring. The local MTB trail is finally open, and the sunrise has broken the 6:00 AM barrier. All three point me to the reality that it is time to rise and shine for early morning training, the best time for training for those of us with kids.Not that I like getting up at 5:30 or earlier to ride my bike, but it fits my schedule better than

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-65028654673514169972008-03-28T19:07:00.002-06:002008-03-28T19:39:25.448-06:00

Something new for my in my cycling adventure. For the first time I have a full cycling kit. Matching jersey, shorts and socks. No photos yet but keep checking back.All that is left to do now is some serious training so that I'm not the slowest person on the trail. Training is not going well. A combination of poor weather and aversion to indoor riding is not helping. I think it's time to

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-47064012351848096682008-03-24T19:21:00.002-06:002008-03-24T19:24:58.633-06:00

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-61344226899527357442007-11-20T21:17:00.000-06:002007-11-20T21:20:04.985-06:00

Picked up a closeout X-Caliber a month ago. I got pulled in by closeout prices and jumped the gun ahead of the (improved) 2008 models.So, now I've got to move from the tried and true Stumpjumper to the wild world of 29ers.

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-32390409163181814782007-07-18T22:58:00.001-06:002007-07-18T23:00:01.416-06:00

A lot of inactivity on this blog lately, that's because I'm too lazy to write much.Needless to say, I've been riding and working. Pack fodder. Closer to the slowest than the fastest. SPDs are toast. Ordered a new set but they are not here yet.Really want a new mtn bike. Fisher, Gunnar or Niner? Something with the big wheels.Will try to post more often.

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-62323989025525808052007-04-18T21:26:00.000-06:002007-04-19T20:45:09.582-06:00

I've started running, mostly to jump start my fitness for this year. Running has several advantages and disadvanges over cycling.AdvantagesEasy to get your heart rate upThe impact of striking the ground id good for bone densityCheap - just need to buy a pair of shoesCan easily put the hurt on your legsCan do it almost anywhereDisadvantagesKind of boringPuts the hurt in your knees the next

Glennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-67851322013814463712007-03-18T20:22:00.001-06:002008-05-28T21:08:47.288-06:00

Last April (2006) I wanted to buy a new road bike, to replace my old Trek 1420. For a while I had my eye on a Trek 2100, but I was also interested in a Gunnar Roadie, but I didn't know where to find one locally.I road a Trek 2100 at the local bike shop, along with a Lemond, and also had the chance to ride a Gunnar - one of the salesmen there had one and he let me take it for a test ride. Talk

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-54051830224048747382007-02-22T01:00:00.000-06:002007-02-21T23:00:27.412-06:00

It was 50 degrees today, but because the sun is still setting before I can leave work, this is the photo from my ride today.Fun times... yeah, fun times.

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-41940645382472334402007-02-19T19:31:00.000-06:002007-02-19T19:42:49.766-06:00

I listened to my vinyl (record) copy of Dead Letter Office the other day. I hadn't put a record on in quite a while, and it was a good experience. Taking the album out of the plastic bag, taking the record out of the dust jacket, dusting off the record, dropping the needle into the groove and hearing the opening strains of "Crazy" coming out of the speakers. And the cover -- its huge compared

Glennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-28446546820377013112007-02-04T20:59:00.000-06:002007-02-04T21:04:15.106-06:00

I rode the longest hour today - 60 minutes on the mag trainer in the basement. Averaged 144 BPM on the heart rate monitor, with a max of 160. Not too bad for the first day of riding the trainer this winter. I Guess I am paying for not really doing anything on the bike since November. It was pretty cold in the basement, probably inthe 50's (but then again the high was -2 outside today).Going to

Glennnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-60836663464753191982007-01-31T22:14:00.000-06:002007-01-31T22:18:44.680-06:00

I like to make lists. Lists of songs for a mixed CD for a friend, lists of things I need to do (and most never get done), lists of websites to visit, breaking out a large task into its smaller components, etc...Somehow, the process of making a list helps to organize thoughts, put things in perspective, and it can be exciting (lists of CDs that I want to listen to).Most of the time, however, these

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1168923921377681082007-01-15T23:04:00.000-06:002007-01-16T19:42:47.796-06:00

Why do basements collect so much junk? Do I even know what's down there? Do I want to know?For example, here are some of the odd things that I have found during recent cleaning sessions.A copy of Codewarrior development tools from 1999. Hey, it runs on Windows NT and Mac OS 8-9!!! A copy of the game "X-Wing" for Macintosh. I think I bought this in 1997. I remember that I was never any good at it

Glennnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1163990967181537762006-11-19T20:45:00.000-06:002006-11-19T20:49:27.236-06:00

Did an hour on the road bike today, haven't ridden it in quite a while. It was chilly, about 40 degrees. First ride at that temperature in a long time, and I wasn't as prepared for it as I should have been. Forgot to caulk the holes in the bottom of my shoes, so the cold wind was blowing over my toes the whole ride, couldn't feel my feet by the end.The rest of my clothing wasn't too bad.

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1141004445199982132006-02-26T19:35:00.000-06:002006-02-26T19:44:03.726-06:00

The recent cold snap put a snap in my water pipes again, this time taking out the cold water line to the troublesome downstairs bathroom. Fixing this will be a chore, because there is almost no access to the plumbing internals of the bathroom. A meager crawl space that cannot be crawled into runs under the bathroom.The plumber is going to try fishing some flexible Pex tubing under the floor, to

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1137372130356241962006-01-15T18:36:00.000-06:002006-01-15T18:42:10.370-06:00

Recently changed long distance providers from a major nationwide provider to my local provider's "integrated" package. The reason for changing was to lower my monthly bill by about $12 a month. Voice mail was included as part of this package for free. After setting up the voice mail, I wish I hadn't. Here's why:Unlike your normal answering machine, you have no visual indication that there is a

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1136862292172559922006-01-09T20:58:00.000-06:002006-01-09T21:04:52.190-06:00

Mac World SF is tomorrow. What will happen? All of the rumor sites are talking about new laptops using the Intel processors. I'm hoping not, because I was thinking of getting an iBook this spring, but if they are moving to Intel, I don't want to be a part of the first versions of those. Better to wait it out until the bugs are fixed and the software is ported to the new platform.Speaking of

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1133921667596291332005-12-06T20:03:00.000-06:002005-12-06T20:46:33.516-06:00

OK, forget my previous post. Now its cold. As in, time to turn off the water to the downstairs bathroom and drain the pipes so they don't freeze cold.Fortunately, I have such a bathroom system. After the a pipe burst two years ago on a -30 degree day, we had a plumber install shutoff and drain valves, so we can completely turn off the system when the temperature is slated to drop into the artic

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1133494575193489402005-12-01T21:22:00.000-06:002005-12-01T21:36:15.206-06:00

Its officially winter now. Multiple inches of snow on the ground. Cold air coming in through the windows (yes, I still need to weather proof my 110 year old windows). Even with the storm windows on, the 1/8" crack between the upper and lower pane is allowing a breeze to come in. And last night I took a good fall outside the bowling alley. I was walking up to the car and next thing I knew, I was

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1132108735804367442005-11-15T20:38:00.000-06:002005-11-15T20:38:55.803-06:00

First snow of the season is here tonight. Between 2-5" expected. The warm November is over.Current book: Go Dog Go

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1131339721836215432005-11-06T22:54:00.000-06:002005-11-06T23:05:00.523-06:00

Today's entry is all about not getting things done.Back in April, we got a new fridge. Really stepping into the modern times. We got one with the built in icemaker and the water dispenser in the door. Of course, this requires a water line to be run to the back of the refridgerator. Two weeks ago (October 22) we finally got around to hooking that up. Two years ago after we moved in, we had a new

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1130384800826237292005-10-26T21:34:00.000-06:002005-11-15T20:36:08.700-06:00

Recently we had a friendly contest involving choosing a winning NFL team each week. The premise is that each week you had to choose one team which would win, with the restriction that you can't pick any team more than once during the whole season. If your team wins, you're through to the next week. If your team loses, you're out. Week 1 I really didn't put much thought into it, I just picked the

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1130290801990153492005-07-27T19:18:00.000-06:002005-10-27T19:57:00.273-06:00

Day 4 started out cool. When we stopped moving I began shivering pretty quickly. Again, why didn't I bring my cycling jacket? I'm stuck with this Gap anorak that gets the job done, but it doesn't really breathe, so I'm either too hot with it on or too cold with it off.We stopped for breakfast at this 140+ year old farmhouse. It had "an addition" that was added in 1895, the year my house was built

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1128475920351553112005-07-26T19:20:00.000-06:002005-10-27T20:10:30.256-06:00

Things are kind of back to "normal" today, if you call getting up at 5:00 AM and riding your bike for 80 miles normal. A much better day today, we all slept good last night because the cold front came through and temperatures are much more reasonable. It was actually chilly in the morning, you can see I have my arm warmers on. I almost didn't bring them, but I wouldn't have made it through the

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1127442498056207492005-07-25T20:08:00.000-06:002005-10-27T20:21:22.016-06:00

(July 25)Today is the hardest day, for several reasons. A big thunderstorm rolled through last night about 1:00 AM, bringing winds up to 70 miles per hour. Not fun when you're in a tent. The police didn't come through soon enough, so we didn't get the evacuation order until the storm was right on top of us. My tent was collapsing on itself under the wind! I was really getting worried, the

Glennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1127265839126383802005-07-24T19:15:00.000-06:002005-10-30T20:18:04.946-06:00

Day 1 started out hot and humid. We left around 7:00 am, in a large pack of riders. At this point, I'm wondering what I got myself into, and if my preparation is going to be enough. The riding is pretty flat, so no problems there. We are crusing at a comfortable 16 MPH with no problems, except for the number of riders to contend with.Breakfast today is Farm Boys breakfast burrito. Very good

Glennnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15347069.post-1127178664999413232005-07-23T19:09:00.000-06:002005-10-04T19:18:29.783-06:00

RAGBRAI Day 0 (July 23rd)Le Mars, Iowa. Ice cream capitol of the world...This "art" is made out of old bike frames and wheels.This was also my introduction to "tent city"... The photo below shows about 20% of the tents in the campground this first night. It was hard to sleep due to the heat and humidity that day.Its hard to imagine the amount of people hanging around on day 0. Riders and

Glennnoreply@blogger.com0