Cycling and Directing

So recently i've been on the tuesday / thursday hard ride program. Today will be our first Lee U Cycling club ride (about 20-25 miles). We'll see how many people actually make it out. Thursday I'll be getting some sweet new pedals and shoes so that should be interesting to get used to clip ins. Me and mike have been doing some light riding between Tuesdays and Thursdays, just to turn the pedals a little bit. School and videos have consumed my life, so I wish I could be riding more. I guess God wants to use me for all kinds of video projects, so I'll DO WHAT HE WANTSSS.

Presidential concert was last night in Dixon center. I was on board just as backup in case they didn't have enough people helping out. Ron didn't know I hadn't directed before, so he gave me the reigns a few minutes after it started. The show was a string quartet, really good in fact. So I was using the standard Def. switcher for the whole show. Basically, it was EPIC. I had been praying about it since last semester when I was going to direct a few events. This was my first time, and it couldn't have gone any smoother. Jennifer was laying down heavy audio as the "top dogs" in the studio were grillin' and chillin,' sucking down Jazzmines coffee and cookies.

The camera ops were new, some newer than others, but they really did a great job. Initial explaining was thorough, and they really performed well. All around, a great multi-cam shoot to start on. Hopefully I'll be directing more as the semesters go on so I can get more comfortable in more intense settings. What an epic day, time to study, eat, video edit, film, go to class, ride, VIDEO VIDEO VIDEO.

A Ride Only God Could Have Brought

Trip Dist: 29.04 mi
Trip Time: 1 hr 27 min 58 sec
Avg Speed: 19.81 mph
Max Speed: 32.49 mph

Total Odo: 750 mi
Total Time: 55 hrs 33 min

Weather: A beautiful 80 degrees, then decreased to low 70s as the sun went down. Extremely beautiful for cycling.

Pre-Ride Food Blast: Mac & cheese, peanut butter and jelly, grapes, water.

What a ride! Whenever it's Thursday I become excited from the time I get out of class at 10:25 until 5:45 when I leave for the ride. It's a mix of feelings becuase I know I will be pushed to my limits, increase my strength, yet have a great time. Today, I said a prayer for the ride and he definitely answered every one and more. All I have to say is that I serve a God that has a daily plan that is like what parents spend all year conjuring up for their children at Christmas time. I have been blessed. I see the effects of tithing more and giving when not asked. Praise the lord.

Mixed bag today. I guess people are afraid of possible biking in semi-dark conditions for the last few miles. Small group (7 this time), but it was really enjoyable. One of the head "A" riders was leading the pack most of the time. I forget his name, but he's really southern. He has the superman logo tattooed to the back of his right calf...he's good, but he can't fly. Come on man...uh booouuuuyyy. He's really strong though, that's for sure. His bottom of his calves are twice the width of the top of his calves. Basically...he's rock solid. So we went half way out, then he took off taking a few more with him. He's a nice guy. I met him today, he rode up beside me and shook my hand as I was in the 3rd position almost half-way out. Good guy. They lost me on an intense hill set, and he said, "you doing alright boss?" Of course I replied yes. My legs were the consistency of yogurt, but I had to keep going...it was only midway leg death. I knew I would pull out of it.

TURKEY CROSSING: We flew down a hill at around 30mph pretty close to one another. I heard some yelling and what sounded like "hold up!" I was cranking pedals, looking up and down every now and then. I quickly looked up, saw the bikes coming closer quickly, and slammed on my breaks. Turkeys! SUCKERS! (as Rich would say) My back brakes locked my wheel up and I skidded a bit at about 27mph. My back wheel wobbled a bit quickly back and forth. I let off the break and they straightened out. Uh bouy...could have been disastrous.

So the other guys broke off, and me, Rich, Dale, and George stuck together as we headed back through the beautiful country roads. We caught up with another one of the guys in the front pack when we almost hit the pack. I came in 3rd to last. I always fight all the way to the end, I have to beat at least one person. We hit the final hill, and took on some rolling hills to the shop. Last week I came in 2nd to last, this time 3rd to last.

So on the way back I met Rich. Apparently he gets a tons of Pearl-izumi socks and resells them on e-bay, making a buttload of monay monay. He said he has a pair of size 10 shoes and clip in pedals he's going to give me next week. So yeah, God just speaks FOR me. I didn't say anything at all! So I'll switch out the clips, with new ones. I'll be able to generate a lot more power with those solid shoes and get a consistent pedal every time. Praise the lord!

I cruised into the parking lot and said hi to George and Dale. Those guys are ridiculous. Dale is a good looking guy, he's a tower of a man. George is about 50, he's got a crazy laugh that is in your FACE. He is hysterical, really nice though. He's always rolling in with his VW hatchback with matrix bluetooth plugged in to his nucleus. He's got a great black spezialized Rubaix with a supercomputer plugged in. Major money.

So the head "A" rider, wish I could remember his name (maybe terry?) It was talking me up, it felt really good. He said, "Man! You were trucking it man!" (even though I got stuck back, i was carting ole steel along). Then we got talking about riding, and where we ride back home. He goes, "Man, we ought to get you on a carbon bike just to see how you'll ride!" In a really slow, southern accent he said, "You'd be one Hell of a climber! I'd hate go up a hill against you!" Haaahaha, ridiculous. He was asking me about my inseam measurements. Apparently he bought his girlfriend a bicycle and it only has about 200 miles on it. He said if she will part with it, he'll sell it to me for a great price. It's a GIANT bike. That sounds so sick, I just don't want to get my hopes up. George said he's got an alloy bike he may get me on.

Man, that would be so awesome getting on a smooth, carbon or alloy. What a diffferent experience it would be. I think I would still train on the ole Panasonic and race group rides with the carbon. I don't think I even want to stop riding the Panasonic. We've gone far, very far. He's got 4 states under his belt. Well, we'll see how it goes. New pedals and shoes next week from Rich. Thank you Lord. Great ride, SO INTENSE. Hilliest ride I've done yet, LOOK AT THOSE DIGITS! Fast ride, very fast. Praise lord. It was great getting to know them better and joke around. I told Rich about chainlove. Hopefully he an enjoy the sweet deals on it. Praise God for today's ride. What a blessing. UNTIL NEXT TIME!

Haha, I feel like I am their little project. "Rocco," test subject A. Also, i've been working with spinning higher "lance" cadence. They say you expend less energy the more rotations you spin. We'll see. Great ride. The panasonic lives another day!

Time to slam some major angel hair! BOM!

Pecs are way sore as well...100 pushups HERE I COME!!!!!! (carm, if you're reading this, you're probably feeling your pecs...stop)

Devil's Hill

Trip Dist: 20.50
Trip Time: 1 hr 14 min 14 sec
Avg Speed: 16.57 mph
Max Speed: 33.45 mph

Total Odo: 715 mi
Total Time: 53 hrs 35 min

Weather: About 80 degrees. Very beautiful weather, cooled down considerably. Once we descended devil's hill, we explored into the countryside. It was extremely beautiful, with almost no cars (no road lines either).


Michael "Pectoral" Land hit the street today on his new (used) GIANT road bicycle for his first long distance ride to date. His K-Swiss cranked the pedals with no regret, backwards Ron Paul hat aerodynamically cut through the wind, and cutoff jersey kept him quite cool as sweat basically evaporated instantly.

The ride was great. Drafting on and off was really cool. Working as a team has only just begun. I'm sure out communication will become unstoppable come next semester. Winter training must be rigorous and persistent. Mike pushed me up a bunch of hills, my legs were exploding. Post-burn was minimal, but burn was full on through the up hill sprint. WOW. Epic.

My legs were feeling rubber-bandish. Scott's club ride pushed me the hardest I've ever been pushed on thursday, then all weekend was filled with running through fields with a heavy HD camera on my shoulder, coupled with minimal sleep and no milk. This weekend was rough, to say the least. Luckily, Michael brought the blessing of milk back into the house last night. "The river of milk, sets the feet a dancing." We rejoiced as 5+ bowls of cereal and oats followed.

Today was a blessing even though we needed to get Mike a new tube. his rear tire presta valve seal to the rubber had broken. Quick change, inflate, and we were on the road in no time. Thank you Jesus for an epic ride. Minor tuning is needed for the GIANT, but will be dependably cranking soon enough.

"Let them come" I say, Lee University Cycling club has BEGUN!

My Civil War

This isn't about cycling, but I have to write about my war experiences.

For those of you who don't know, my boss Ron Gilbert has a contact with the head of Lionheart Films. Me and some other Lee students volunteered to help. Our names will be put in teh credites whether or not our shots are used. I WILL FIGHT FOR MY SHOTS! This crew does a lot of war reenactments, plus much more. So basically, I am driving to Chickamauga, GA back and forth all weekend to film the 5 battles in the area. It is in the middle of no where. I felt as though I was at the set of a LOTR set, but with a southern twist. Horses from all hemispheres gathered and hundreds of Federal and Confederate soldiers joined together in a massive hobby-game of LARP....hahaha that's the way I saw it.

It was awesome. I'm starting to get used to the random BOOMING of cannons at any moment. earplugs are a must. So I am shooting with them all day Saturday, and one midday battle on Sunday. It has been fun meeting a lot of freelance video people. I enjoy the freelance life, bit I would like to do that on the side. I pray that God would provide me a steady video job preferably as senior editor of a film company. That is the dream. Something to do with wildlife would be insanely awesome. I've always loved videoing nature, animals, and scenery.

So this opportunity is pretty huge for the resume. Back to war tomorrow bright and early. I shall report back....

CYCLING: Me and Mike took a nice, hilly route tonight and cruised around campus afterwards. He has the downhill weight advantage for sure, but his climbing abilities will come in time. FEEL THE BURN MIKE! FEEL IT! So life is good people, life is gooooooood.

Intense Climbing

Trip Dist: 30.47 mi
Trip Time: 1 hr 36 min 48 sec
Avg Speed: 18.89 mph
Max Speed: 34.12 mph

Total Odo: 680 mi
Total Time: 51 hrs 07 min

Dog Chases: 5 total (2 out in the road, 3 stopped in the yard)

Weather: Partly Cloudy, 85 degrees. Beautiful weather, cooled down considerably

Finally, an intense ride. I have been swamped with schoolwork and extra video projects so I haven't done much intense riding on my own. Me and Mike have been riding a lot at night, so that's been good. I've done some Rec Center cycling indoors, but only a few times. My legs were loose, but I needed much more than loose to stay at the head of the pack today.

Since there was a smaller crowd out, we merged both A and B groups. The guys ahead of the pack were machines. We were cruising down some beautiful, smooth roads. I decided to spring past the peleton and take the lead. I lasted about 6 seconds before everyone zoomed past me. I was 4th or 5th back out of 9 most of the time. I just get a fever for wanting to get in the front. My legs are strong, but not strong enough.

We decided to take a very hilly route with many rolling hills, and some steep ones as well. We hit the 15th mile while were were hitting major hills. I was about to quit. It's interesting how you get so many highs and lows as you cycle. I carb-loaded before the ride so I would have plenty of energy, and had a bunch of fruit as well. Our pace was very quick because of the A class riders, so that was great to max out my endurance and leg power.

George is a cool guy that rides a really nice black specialized, carbon of course. Dale is a younger guy that has new EVERYTHING: truck, bike, helmet, shoes. Wow. He's about late 20s or early 30s. He is a tower. Ever play Colossus? We were climbing an intense hill as he was going slightly faster than me. I just blurted out, "CARBON vs. STEEL! YAAAHHH." He yells out, it's not fairrrr!"

So light, so light. But I see it as a blessing because of the intense training with ol' steely. We broke apart from the A CLASS riders once the downhill JAM began. It was really beautiful; cow fields, sunlight, farms, windy France-esque roads. On one strip, you crested the hill, it curved downhill to the left, then sharp right, then sharp left up a gradual hill. At the top, you could see all the other bikers flying towards the hill. Beautiful.

Well people, intense ride, very intense. Average speed was very good for about 10-12 intense climbs. The Panasonic is holding up well. Thank you Jesus.

I'm off to war tomorrow morning. PRAY.

Below is my post ride dinner..It was glorious.

Man On Bike Mauled By Dog

I'm sure you are curios as to what the title of this blog will lead to, so I must explain. No I wasn't mauled, but it sure was frightening tonight. I have been studying a lot and decided to take a break to turn the pedals for about 20 minutes. So I went out on the town, starting with back roads somewhat near my apartment. Of course, most of these aren't lit very well, and one wouldn't find a shimmering reflector anywhere on the DX. Safety first? So I take a right turn onto a dark street, and from my left a dog, which I'm sure was foaming at the mouth running with the help of two EXTRA legs between the four, busts out this devilish bark and runs at me full boar. I was just cruising on a joy ride, so it scared the HECK out of me!

Since when do people let their dogs roam around the front yard at night without a leash or a high voltage collar? Maybe he enjoyed the electricity surging through his dog-bones? Hound of the Baskervilles? Anyways, only in Tennessee does this happen. So "the" runs as fast as it can, scraping all of its metallic toenails on the pavement. My first reaction was "FLEE" so I started to accelerate, but suddenly he was at my side in 1.2 seconds...robot dog (it was weird to begin with because I heard pistons hissing and hydraulic levers surging.... Stories told by Brent Rader flashed through my mind as I tried to escape. Brent said that a Rottweiler chased his friend and he used his bike to defend himself. The dog bit a chunk out of his seat. This dog was much smaller, but ferocious at that.

Weirdly, I started saying LOUDLY at the dog as I rode at the same speed as his 6-leg pseudo gallop, "Oh man, oh man, oh man! Oh man! You're alright. You're alright! You're alright." All of this was said in about three seconds. I guess I was trying to sooth it as if my newborn child had begun crying in the a.m. THIS dog wasn't about to be soothed, not a Phosphorous covered, glowing beast-dog. "Devil's Dog" as some say... All along I knew if you just stop, the whirling of the spokes wouldn't make it go wild anymore. So I gave in to the easy way (I was hoping to take flight as the hill crested), and stopped. It ran home, and I started away slowly.


LEE UNIVERSITY CYCLING CLUB UPDATE: Our gracious Lord, Jesu Cristo, has granted our very own Michael Land a GIANT bicycle (actually, Craigs List did). It needs minor tuning up, but all in all, THIS IS HUGE! The team has begun! Come one come ALL! We already have the dream of a stream of bikers whizzing down Parker Street with matching Lee University Jerseys and spandex. If I can start this club and have cycling thrive in Lee's future, I will be so please...SO PLEASED!

Stay tuned. I have been resting my legs a lot due to school. Group ride thursday night with the big-timers at Scott's Bikes. This weekend I will be in Chickamauga, GA shooting HD footage for a PBS production of a Civil War reenactment. PRAY FOR ME. Canons will be blasting right next to me. I do look forward to the night battle on Saturday Night. SWEET FIREEEEEEEE!!!! A GIFT!

First Group Ride: Class B

George Bush and Lance Armstrong

Trip Dist: 26.58 mi
Trip Time: 1 hr 18 min 40 sec
Avg Speed: 20.28 mph
Max Speed: 40.68 mph

Total Odo: 597 mi
Total Time: 44 hrs 36 min

Weather: Partly Cloudy, medium-light wind, about 80 (late ride, progressively cooled down)

Health: I've been resting my legs every other day recently, so all of my rides have been healthy. I've been drinking about 80-100 oz of water daily, and eating very healthy as well. I felt strong to start, towards the end I was a bit fatigued.

Route: From Scott's Bicycle center, down Georgetown, across 25, through many back roads (not really positive where we were), and back.

Since early July, I've been riding by myself. I rode with a friend once, forcing myself to push harder. Yesterday was my first group ride. Overall, it was extremely awesome. It gave me an inside look into American cycling "culture." The hand signals, gestures, subtle communication, and the way the bikes spoke to each other with their movements were interesting. I found my self soaking it all in, praising God for a new experience in a setting I had never been in. I always love learning something new. Those of you who have know me for years, know that when I learn something new, I tend to become haunted by the thought that I haven't mastered it yet: so I fight to be the best.

It was a funny setting to begin with as I rolled in with my small truck, dwarfed by brand new shining Fords, Toyotas and the likes with their shining trek and specialized bikes in the back. Tight spandex, jerseys, and Giro helmets were flowing. I wheeled over the DX to two other guys waiting for the B group. As I wheeled it over, the one guy says, "Ah, the ole' steely." That's right, the old steely; glistening in the 6pm sun. I was the only guy with steele, toe clips, soccer shoes, and a Liverpool soccer jersey. I didn't look that out of place, but it was as if I rode in from 1984. I loved it, and was so proud to ride pop's bike with the MEN.

I wheeled across the road and met some other older guys with their flowing carbon fiber, polarized sunglasses, and brand new EVERYTHING else. They were really nice, most Christian actually. The one guy, sadly I forgot his name, asked for my e-mail address so I could jump in with him and some other guys for a smaller ride more frequently. Basically, everything I had prayed for happened. It was an all around blessing and physical explosion.

So I was the youngest guy there along with the late 20s, 30s, 40s, and maybe even 50s. The A group quickly took off. They ride in the low to mid 20s on average. I heard that one of the guys in that group used to ride semi-pro. So basically, I placed in cycling heaven. It was great.
As we rode off, we stayed together and took a few stops along the way to make sure the full group was together.

Side note; I finally looked up Lance Armstrong's height, he's exacytly my height (5'10"). Ha, you don't need to be a hulking human to rule the world of European cycling. Also, I kept saying to my self as I was 4th in line of about 11 bikes, "This is awesome, this is awesome!" Drafting was really cool at about 30-35 mph, it sucks you along so you only have to do 5 pedals, rest, then continue on and off. We went down a crazy steep, windy road that cut through the woods. That's where I went 40, my highest speed to date. It was insane, 60mph in the Tour must be horrifying.

It was really neat learning the different signals, vocal cues, and simple movements to let the other bikers know what's coming up. Since we were all drafting in a single file line, we couldn't see if there was a pot hole, or gravel, or a car approaching. If a car was coming at us, the leader would yell "Car up!," and that would be passed down the line all the way to the back. If a car was behind, the last guy would yell, "Car back!," and send that up to the front. Turns required the standard biking arm signals. If there was gravel in the road, the leader would stick out a few fingers, point them to his side, and shake his hand towards the road. This was sent down, cuing us to move over to the left. It was neat, a lot of trust goes into cycling when you're drafting about an inch behind someone's tire at 35mph. PURE BLISS.

We stopped for the second and last time for a bit, then took off up a medium-steep hill, but it was pretty long. I passed the guy who took down my e-mail address and figured I would enter the European world. As I got out of the saddle to conquer the kill as fast as I could I blurted, "Bounjour!" He said something something in another language, but I couldn't understand it, but it was quite funny. I laughed as my calves nearly exploded scaling the MOUNTAIN, more like small hill. As I passed guys riding up the hill, the same guy I said french to yells out, "Not too steep for ROCCO!" I felt like a champion. From that point forward we didn't stop. We had basically hit the halfway point, took a road to loop around, and headed back to our initial route going backwards.

The stragglers formed a group in back and I went ahead with about 6 other men. The way back was full on pedal cranking. We formed a small group of three as the other three rode ahead. This was where the steel, grime, and wide tires hurt me. I worked hard all the way home to stay with this middle group. My legs would go in and out of full on Burn, but it felt good. Group rides push you to ride so hard; it's like having my soccer coach Mr. Dempsey pushing me harder than I've ever been pushed physically during pre-season.

I kind of fell behind from the other two guys in and out, but caught up. It was really good, really good. Great guys, a lot of new guys actually. Of course they started with full on carbon, Giro helmets, Motorolla jerseys, carbon shoes, expensive computers, and bicycle lights. I've never been one to start with the best, I always worked my way up. I will get a new bicycle when I "deserve" one. I am a beginner, someday I will deserve a Trek.

As we pulled into the parking lot at Scott's, the guy I rode home with, Glen, said goodbye. The last thing he said was, "You've got a sweet old bike!" YES, the Panasonic lives on, riding with the champs.

Overall, It was a major blessing and intense physical workout. I came home to Mike finally relaxing and playing Wii Golf (he thought he had a justified break, yet he forgot to do his German, hahahah) and I told him everything. I proceeded to rip through pasta, fruit, water, cookies, anything I could get my hands on. Food consumption = FULL ON.

I hope you guys enjoy reading this, It's a lot of fun to reflect on my cycling. Someday I'll be able to look back on this and see how far I've come. It became evident to me that you can be an old man and smoke a young, beginner cyclist. It happened to me during the ride, so I have a lot to learn and much conditioning to do. Praise God for exercise and this cycling group.


Found These Babies On the Side of The Road

The Valuable Rec Center

Trip Dist: 18 mi
Trip Time: 41 min 52 sec
Avg Speed: 15.72 mph
Max Speed: 27.35 mph

Total Odo: 571 mi
Total Time: 42 hrs 26 min

Weather: Cloudy, slightly gloomy, storm threats, medium-light winds, mid 80s

Health: Legs felt great after the rest. Light ride due to bad route.

Route: Warm up around Lee, 20th Street, Old Tosso Rd, and back. Test ride, horrible shoulder, messy shoulder, too busy.

So the test route didn't go so hot. I had rested a few days so my legs were feelings really great. I guess there really aren't many routes to ride in TN. Driving to get to them is key. There's gotta be some sweet rides in GA...Anyways, I did find some clear protective classes on the shoulder. No scratches or anything! They look like Oaklies, but have no brand, and are completely clear. Sweet grab. The ride was uneventful, but it was worth a shot though. So I came back, put shorts over the spandex, and walked to the rec center.

I did some light biceps and triceps, then headed upstairs to hit the bikes. The only thing was that on a real bike, the wind cools you down. Stationary biking is horribly hot and makes you sweat as if you were biking in a sauna. The ride was really good though, I did intervals of medium, easy, and extremely hard. Level 15 was the highest, that was rough on the legs...but I pushed through. I really should use the rec center more often, it does a very consistent work on the legs. It's a non stop burn and will help with endurance riding. Here are the specifics on my indoors cycling ride:

Distance: 16.68 mi
Time: 36 min
Calories Burned: 524

This was the most I have sweat ever on a bike. The room was getting quite hot though, so that played a big part. I don't need to lose anymore weight, so sweating profusely isn't ideal. Post workout brought intense hunger, food was demolished. Joel Land made an appearance on the bicycle next to me. His strong legs would be good on a bike and he's coordinated enough to acquire a smooth handling of the bike quickly.

Overall, the rec center put my legs through hell and back. I plan to go more often to do more weight training for upper and lower body. My legs have been feeling strong and solid after long, hard rides. No more soreness like I used to have. I really just can't wait to head back to NJ and hit long rides and conquer hills at speeds I only dreamed of back in July and August. Thank you Lord for bringing me through the pain with enthusiasm and strength. Onto another day!

My first cycling group ride should be this Thursday with Scott's Bicycle Centre. Though I have a ton of video and schoolwork, I think this will be a nice break to relieve stress and turn the pedals a bit more. Cycling is an addiction, though I'm not a full-on addict (I can go a day without biking), I love to do it. It is a stress reliever and a great time to talk to God and enjoy his creations.

Lee Cycling Club: Thought this is not acknowledged by Lee, I hope it will be. I send an invitation to a bunch of people on Facebook just to see what kind of interest there will be. It seems that everyone wants to ride, but can't get their hands on an affordable used road bicycle.

Fastest Ride Yet

Trip Dist: 18.16 mi
Trip Time: 56 min 26sec
Avg Speed: 19.31 mph
Max Speed: 36.29 mph

Total Odo: 553 mi
Total Time: 41 hrs 45 min

Weather: Partly cloudy, strong winds, mid 80s

Health: Legs slightly tight at beginning, increase in endurance, breathing heavy at end, felt very good.

Route: Start at "The Link,"Candies Ln, Freewill,Old Freewill, Elkmont, Old Freewill, White Oak Valley Rd (1.5 miles down & back to Freewill)Rabbit Valley Rd (awesome rolling hills), back to Old Freewill,
back to The Link.

After going to Scott's Bicycle Center and finding out how they ranked their A, B, and C class rides, I was determined to see where I fit in if I pushed myself hard from beginning to end. So I biked as fast as I could for all 18.16 miles from where my truck was parked and back. At first, my legs felt like they were filled with hard clay. They weren't turning the pedals smoothly and weren't reliable. This was due to overworking them yesterday, but I still burned it out of them anyways.

As usual, my legs finally warmed up at around 9 miles. It just felt awkward pedaling both in and out of the saddle. Finally that feeling left. When I do my first race, I almost feel like I need to get up hours before and ride 10 miles just to get the juices flowing. We'll see how I feel when that day comes.

I dropped my seat a while back to a little above my handlebars so it would be more comfortable for long rides. A higher seat with lower bars will straighten your back horizontally, giving you a more aerodynamic stance. I used the drop bars a lot today to try to cut through the wind better, but the it was howling today. Some of the ride has open fields on either side, so the winds almost plow me over. All in all, this is very important during training because winds make your legs work much harder. Also, it forces you to focus on controlling the bike more.

I had my route, and I was flying down the road. Traffic was minimal, the air was slightly cool, and I was determined to "categorize" myself into a class. I bet when I get a brand new carbon fiber bicycle that weighs 1/10th of the Panasonic's weight, with glass-like movements from my derailleurs and pedals...I'll probably lift off. That is my goal, to work as hard as I can on my tanker, get a super light bike, and race as if every day was a stage in the Tour de France.

The ride was going very well, I hit three intense and steep hills, but was determined not to slowly inch up them. I climbed like a champ in my opinion, it felt really great. I was utilizing my larger chain wheel more often to make sure my chain was as straight possible. Lessening the angle of the chain cut down on some drag, so that was cool. I'm getting better and quicker with my gearing. It's cool getting to know every sound on your bike (mine makes more than the majority of bicycles) so you know what "it wants" to run smoother.

I hit a three-way intersection, zoomed to the right up a slight incline, banged gears and stayed in the saddle determined to push myself all the way up it. I literally said "HYYAAA! Come on!" as if my bike was a horse and my handlebars were the reigns. I laughed to myself, realizing how much of a lunatic I have become, and pushed on through the intense calf bursting burn.

The rolling hills of Rabbit Valley were cool. Basically, it was a constant push, ease, push, ease as the road pulled up and dipped down. I went down about 3/4 of a mile and headed back once I realized I was scaling mount doom. Plus, I was about 13 miles into the ride.

I headed back, crossed through an intersection, and was back on Candies lane. I slammed into my larger chain wheel, hit the drop bars, and flew towards the steep incline to the finish where my truck was. I hit my gears down as the incline became steeper, popped out of the saddle, and pushed all the way in, and took a near horizontal turn to the right into the parking lot (the right pedal was up as compared to down when I smashed pavement back home). I stopped abruptly and exactly where I had began.

I swore that I was pushing so hard into that last hill, that I almost went straight through the road, and under the hill into pure earth. Luckily, the road was strong enough...

Post ride food blast picture at the top, so delicious................

Thank you Lord for this awesome ride, I pray that I would come out to the group rides strong and eager to develop relationships and LEARN. Thank you for strength and safety.

Video: Postal Boys team time trial; Lance years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZQ2K-0FugQ

Scott's Bicycle Centre

Today was a good day, I'd say. Me and Mike finally got out to a bicycle shop, Scott's Bicycle Centre to be exact. They have a TON of bicycles. Many, many beautiful Trek road bicycles. Lee students get a 20% discount off of repairs and products, so that's where I'll get my new road bike before I graduate. I plan to buy at least a $2,000 bicycle so I can get a good discount. It seems worth it, I'm done growing, so that can be my bike for life. This is what I plan to do anyways, if it is God's will.

One of the head guys there was really interesting and told me about their weekly rides and upcoming events. I may do video and/or stills for a mountain biking race with biking MASTER Gary Fisher. I guess he's a pretty huge deal in the world of mountain biking, I've never heard of him though. I'd say God has something brewing here. The first day I step into the store my talents are being requested. USE ME LORD.

I hope to head to the Whitewater Center in Blue Ridge, GA to volunteer filming or shooting stills for the store. I'll get a jersey, some other cycling goodies, and a food explosion out of it. Whenever I am challenged to step out of my comfort zone and try new things, I immediately hesitate. Quite frequently, I have thought these situations through after the fact and have obliged. After leaving the shop, I shot them an e-mail, so I'll get all the info in hopes of attending.

So that was really cool. I've been back on my cycling high just like when I started...so that's a great feeling again. Me and my friend Golden have been doing night bicycle rides around Lee's campus and around town for hours. It's been great to loosen up the legs and just relax on the bike. Very enjoyable.

So I ran about 4 1/2 miles around town and on the Greenway with Golden riding beside me, he voluntarily held up his cell phone and blasted his ring tones so he could pump me up. Hahaha, it was quite hysterical, he's such a good friend. What a blessing he's been since I met him in HYPE my first semester at Lee. What a day. For those of you who don't know, his nicknames for me have warped quite drastically. Let me explain:

It started as Rocco, then Rugu, then Reegu, then ending at "Goo Goo." Hahahahahahaha what a ridiculous nickname, man that kid is hysterical. Anyways...

So I finished the run, and as I pulled my house key out of the inside of my left shoe, the sweat immediately began to pour...as usual. I wiped my face off inside the apartment, and got my shoes on to get on the bike for a leisure ride. It felt as if I was participating in a small scale triathlon...soon to swim UP the Ocoee river. Never. So my legs felt so great, very enjoyable and cool outside as well.

My prayer is this: That I would get to know Cleveland's cycling community and spread the love of Jesus Christ to everyone I meet. If it is God's will, to become regularly involved in rides, relationships, and media opportunities through Scott's Bicycle Centre and other cycling stores locally. Also, to create and head up a well oiled cycling club at Lee University; complete with matching jerseys and the likes. Lord give me the passion to do your will.

A Love For Exploration

Weather: Clear skies, strong winds, high 80s

Trip Dist: 23.02 mi
Trip Time: 1 hr 24 min 36sec
Avg Speed: 16.33 mph
Max Speed: 33.96 mph

Total Odo: 527 mi
Total Time: 40 hrs 02 min

Recent Diet: ham, turkey, cheddar cheese,water, red potatoes, tomatoes, ground beef (rinsed, de-greased), white rice, whole wheat bread, sun-dried raisins, red grapes, plums, bananas, frosted mini wheats, 1% milk, toasted oats, peanut butter & jelly, and 1% milk fat strawberry yogurt.

The Ride: Today was a beautiful day for cycling. Early in the morning the temperature was in the high 60s. My only class of the day ended around 10:30am, so I came back to the apartment to prepare the bike for a new and exciting Tennessee route. I filled my tired to about 92psi, silicon lubed the chain, wheels, pedals, etc., and filled up my water bottle. I suited up complete with classic black spandex and my "semi-torn from a previous crash" Harry Kewell Liverpool futbol Jersey. The Nike's were snugly tied and I was feeling very healthy after a two day break.

I had become slightly discouraged because of the lack of shoulders everywhere in TN. Roads may be busy in NJ, but they all have at least some shoulder. The key to enjoyable TN riding is BACK ROADS. Talking with my boss in the studio and others at Lee, they pointed me in the direction of Candies Ln. This is the road my church is on, and is fairly calm. What I didn't know was that it would lead me to other beautifully landscaped areas I didn't know existed somewhat close to campus.

Keys and cell in the pouch, calf and quad stretching, and I was off. I circled the church parking lot a bit (the overgrown golf course next to it would be built upon soon), explored thin cart paths, and then started down Candies Ln. I took what I thought of as a "Tour De France" worthy turn into the entrance to the old golf course. I rode around, saw the new houses being built, waved to a scruffy guy who gave me a look that said, "seriously?" Spandex on men can get sour results. I waved anyways as I usually do and saw an old couple sitting in a swinging bench on their front porch. Their house was almost finished so they were already living in it. I waved as they stared me down, in a good way though. It was as if the "Tour de what hunnie?" had made it to Cleveland finally. Their excitement lasted seconds as I hit the couldesack, turned around, and zoomed back onto Candies.

I took a left on a road that split the old golf course in half. The cart paths met the main road, so I began exploring down the thin, paved, pine-needle strune paths; nothing worthy of a puncture, just a nasty slide on a turn if on needles. I zoomed along the cart path at about 22mph, it was beautiful. Trees overhanding, long fields on either side, a large wooden bridge over a lovely stream; It really was beautiful. I hit a small spot that reminded me of a road you would find in the Alps in the Tour De France. Except...I was on a cart path. Anyways, the path went steeply up hill, winding right and then left. I reached the top of the small mound with half the excitement I thought I would have. IT WAS A MINIATURE TOUR DE FRANCE STAGE. So I made my loop and hit a second wooden bridge, but this one was missing a plank in the middle. 3/4 of a foot was a risky leap early in the ride, so I hoisted the old Panasonic DX2000 (this same model is now a fax machine, who knew. Dad?), for those who didn't know what bike I ride, over the bridge, and continued. I would have ridden it 3,000 more times if that bridge wasn't out, so I began exploring.

Every ride starts with adjustments of shorts, foot comfort in the clips, computer display, saddle comfort, etc. I was comfortable "in the saddle" and was on my way. I went through many nice developments and popped out onto "Freewill Road." It was great, slim shoulder, but little to no traffic. I rode this up and down gradual hills, some steeper than others, and found "Old Freewill Road." And of course, I jumped on that. It had not lines on the road, a great sign, and many doable hills. I was feeling some calf and quad burn in the first ten miles, but it usually takes that me that long to completely feel "oiled." Whenever I fly down large hills and plan to go back up the way I came down, I get excited because new hills mean new challenges. One hill was a sharp curve to the left, reminded me of the Alps. Someday maybe I'll ride in Europe, someday.

So I continued riding and hit a road I had cycled on a week back. It's cool to explore roads to see where the come out. It all connects, making a sensible map in your head after a while. So I turned around, and explored some other roads. As I rode, any development I saw with a good clime, I obliged. It's as if these roads taunt me and my heavy, metal bicycle. I ride all who taunt. So I explored some nice developments and continued. I began riding in the opposite direction to head home and get some food since I started late.

I just love to ride, wave to everyone in passing(usually fathers proudly, but poorly mowing their lawns), look around at the surrounding landscape, and praise god for ability and ambition to exercise on his beautiful earth.

Flash Back: Me and a friend Brent were cycling in NJ on a road lined with cornfields, soon to hit "river road" which follows the Delaware river. As we took the right had turn we decided to race down the straight, smooth road. As we look to our left, we see a mother teaching her daughter how to ride a bicycle; complete with training wheels. I glanced at the child quickly, then to the mother and waved. She was smiling and somewhat amazed at seeing "serious cyclists" near her home. We stopped racing, and laughed about the little girl and her mom. Brent stared at the little girl the entire time. Her jaw was fully dropped with a wide open mouth, starring at us as we flew by at about 25-28mph. Brent said, "Did you see that girl!? She was so amazed! She was thinking she might as well quit now." Haha that was pretty funny.

That was me many years ago. Three years old and thrown on a bike without training wheels. My parents gave me a boost in the street, and I never got off. Ridiculous, wish I remembered it.

Back to The Ride: I finished up and headed back to my truck at "The Link's" parking lot. In exploration, I came back a different way than I came. Overall, it was great. I plan to ride it frequently and hopefully find many other roads like it in that area. Praise God for enjoyable exercise. Although, because of cycling running has become quite enjoyable as well. My current schedule is bike, run, bike run, bike, run, rest, rest, REPEAT. Hopefully I can fit in some light weight training and situps, pushups, and abs.

GOAL: Race either here in TN or NJ before I graduate college.