TNR - Picture Perfect

It was a perfect winter biking night ...

I've been finding it tough to get out to a Tuesday Night Ride for a while (being on a pager can suck), so it was great to get in 3 hours of riding last night (before, during and after the TNR). I chose my heavy but stable Karate Monkey 29-er, strapped on the lights and cold weather gear (-20C at first ... warmed up during the night?!). The roads had some loose snow and some icy spots, but not bad and the pathways were no problem. After the link up in Wolseley, we rode to Assiniboine Park and stuck to the paths ...

Minor hold up for Brad with a near-flat, but he just got enough air to stay afloat and rode it out ... nothing phases that guy!


At the "klubhaus" the dark beer flowed (still perfect on a cold night!), as did the discussions of biking, climbing, grooming and photography ...


Then Mark (aka the "Hipster" I hear) pulled out this amazing antique camera ... very cool!

It was a picture perfect night ride and I further tweaked my cold weather gear ... all breathable layers now (check), goggles (check), super grippy/warm/light Columbia boots (big check) ... just need my 29-er studded tires now.

Great training results

Last night was 'test day' for a client I've been working with since the spring. She performed a number of normative strength tests and a max power test on the bike, just as she did a few months ago. I was very pleased to report to her after the tests that she increased her strength and power substantially in every test, averaging a more than 33% improvement overall. Wow.

She's a great gal who I've really enjoyed working with (and will resume working with in the New Year) and she really puts in an effort, so it's awesome to see the results. We knew there was a lot of improvement, but test day quantified it. Way to go!

Google Maps to add bike lanes in 9 Canadian cities

Some good news on the "bike lane awareness front" and it includes Winnipeg:


The Canadian Press

Date: Monday Nov. 22, 2010 5:32 PM ET

TORONTO — Google Maps is expanding its routes to include bike trails in some major Canadian cities. The Internet search giant says the Bike Directions tool will be rolled out in nine cities across five provinces over the next few months. Cyclists in Ottawa and Gatineau, Que., will be able to view directions for bike trails as early as this week.

The tool will eventually be available in Waterloo, Ont., Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Kelowna, B.C. The feature uses colour-coding to highlight bike-only trails, roads with dedicated bike lines and streets that are deemed more suitable for cyclists. A similar feature has been available in the U.S. since march.

Less than 2 weeks to go...

Yeah, okay, the video is a bit over the top, but GSP will prevail - let there be no doubt.

Daly Burgers Prize Winner!

I was just notified that I'm the 1st winner of a $40 gift certificate at Daly Burger's on Pembina, where Deanna and I recently visited! Yippee. Not quite sure how this is compatible with our 5 week push to Christmas with a strict diet and strength training program, though for the record Daly's does have some good looking salads and a 'little burger' which is actually a reasonable size. They also have a veggie burger but c'mon, if you're going to a good burger joint you need to eat a little meat.

We've actually been to the new Pembina location a couple of times - it's a nice motorcycle ride from our place and is located next to my dealership so I can ogle the new bikes and then munch on a burger with visions of a new Triumph in my head. It's a nice place too - clean, friendly staff, good service, and some crazy dancing banana guy on the boulevard trying to entice you inside. I think he burns off a burger's worth of calories every 16 minutes or so.

Beautiful

Wow, my workout is downright ugly compared to this - what superb form (and strength):

Krzysztof Soszynski wins great fight

Winnipeg's own Krzysztof Soszynski won in dominating fashion during last night's UFC fights. It was going to be just me and the mutt watching but a flight that Deanna was supposed to be on earlier in the day was cancelled so I had her here too - alas she'll try to leave me again today.

Just a few more weeks until GSP!...

Public Workout

Alright, I confess I have no idea who this guy is but apparently he's from a TV show called Hellcats (my apologies to anyone who's a big fan). I got the pick from TMZ (don't ask). What I get a kick out of is that he's apparently doing this workout shirtless in a public park. I mean I guess there's nothing wrong with that, but it takes guts. Or abs, as it were.

P.S. The zoom feature isn't functional - it's just a part of the pic I copied.

Memories of Cycling Copenhagen

A few plus years ago, on one my Air Force forays to Europe, I had a stop over in Copenhagen, Denmark. While there, I was amazed at all the cyclists, the cycling routes and infrastructure ... it was a bikers paradise! I took the opportunity to cycle around a large part of downtown and the tourist areas on 'pick and go/drop' rental bikes ... very cool and convenient!

Thanks to Hal's recent post, I was reminded of that experience in this video:

Cycling Copenhagen, Through North American Eyes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Too bad we are so far behind them here in North America and Canada/Winnipeg in particular. Things are changing though and I was pleased to experience biking in Montreal with my son Jordan ... he rides there all year an loves it. They have much better cycling infrastructure than Winnipeg, including a new rental bike system. We are improving, but it is nice to see Copenhagen as the example of how it should be.

Oh yah ... but then there's Toronto's new Mayor! :-(

Dean's Journal

Dean has finally posted a recap of this summer's triathlon here. He mentions something about family and life in general getting in the way of posting something earlier - whatever :)

Kettlebells - Size?

Hmmm, I'm off to buy some Kettlebells and need to make a final decision on size. I've been working out with a couple of Kettlebells at the gym but they're a bit underweight for me (mainly I've been trying to practice good form so I can introduce a few simpler moves with clients) - the problem is that the weight I use and what some clients use may be a bit different so I'll need a bit of a range.