rugby.
halloween.
having a house.
being married.
good times! pics abound.
Friday, November 02, 2007
holy lots-of-stuff, batman
been busy.
rugby.
halloween.
having a house.
being married.
good times! pics abound.
rugby.
halloween.
having a house.
being married.
good times! pics abound.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
so, there is this bit of news
it's been a very, very long time. why has it been so long? most likely because there's just been other things to do - living a life, for one thing.
i love blogging, and i love the freedom it gives to vent, pseudo-anonymously about silly trifles that, for all intents and purposes, shouldn't mean shit.
but some things do.
so, with many apologies to those i haven't spoken to in a long time and who are finding out the news here and now, i wanted to tell you what's been keeping me so busy lately.
well, i met a gal a while back, and we've been spending a lot of time together. and during that time spent, i realized that i loved spending that time with her, and even more than the time spent with her, i just plain love HER. time with her beats the hell out of time alone - time spent with her is kind of the bee's knees, i guess. i love her so much that i asked her to be my wife, and she said yes.
so, yeah, i'm getting married. september 15, 2007. pinkham notch, NH. unbelievable. unbelievable because i can't wrap my head around the fact that i convinced this angel to hang with me, never mind the fact that she actually finds me sexy. she might be slightly crazy; the tests aren't back yet.
that's the news! that's all from here, and i hope to hear lots of congratulations and "holy shit!" from everyone who reads this. sue and i are incredibly happy. we just moved into our own place, we're having a ball, and life is incredibly, amazingly, startlingly good.
mahalo!
nick
i love blogging, and i love the freedom it gives to vent, pseudo-anonymously about silly trifles that, for all intents and purposes, shouldn't mean shit.
but some things do.
so, with many apologies to those i haven't spoken to in a long time and who are finding out the news here and now, i wanted to tell you what's been keeping me so busy lately.
well, i met a gal a while back, and we've been spending a lot of time together. and during that time spent, i realized that i loved spending that time with her, and even more than the time spent with her, i just plain love HER. time with her beats the hell out of time alone - time spent with her is kind of the bee's knees, i guess. i love her so much that i asked her to be my wife, and she said yes.
so, yeah, i'm getting married. september 15, 2007. pinkham notch, NH. unbelievable. unbelievable because i can't wrap my head around the fact that i convinced this angel to hang with me, never mind the fact that she actually finds me sexy. she might be slightly crazy; the tests aren't back yet.
that's the news! that's all from here, and i hope to hear lots of congratulations and "holy shit!" from everyone who reads this. sue and i are incredibly happy. we just moved into our own place, we're having a ball, and life is incredibly, amazingly, startlingly good.
mahalo!
nick
Thursday, January 04, 2007
live blogging with tonyhomo.com!
i'm a huge fan of "drew bledsoe's" blog over at tonyhomo.com, and he's going to be doing a LIVE blog during the 'boys/seahawks wildcard playoff matchup sunday.
so, he's asked his faithful readers to post the invite. how could i refuse...
so, he's asked his faithful readers to post the invite. how could i refuse...
Friday, August 25, 2006
so what season is it?
rugby begins in three weeks... but there's still mountain biking to be had! the fall brings some tasty, tasty riding to the valley, and i'm wondering when there's going to be time to get out and pedal on nice, long rides when the days are getting shorter and my weekends are taken up with elegant violence...
what to do, what to do...
the real question, though, is how to fit enough of BOTH into my schedule. that's the fun part - having your cake and eating it, too! who says you can't...
what to do, what to do...
the real question, though, is how to fit enough of BOTH into my schedule. that's the fun part - having your cake and eating it, too! who says you can't...
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
The 24 Hours of GREAT GOOGALY MOOGALY, numero dos!
i did it again! i swore i wouldn't but, dammit, you can't keep a true dumbass down... here's the official TWAF press release:
Release: Team Weak and Feeble cracks the top 10 at the 24 hours of GG!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (even though this is a fake release just designed to let everyone know about how TWAF did this weekend at the 24 hours of great glen - feel free to send it to cool people, though)
Pinkham Notch, NH - Fresh off a frustrating, yet strangely triumphant debut at the Jay Challenge in Jay, VT, Team Weak and Feeble regrouped and posted a 9th place finish at the 11th annual 24 Hours of Great Glen. The crew pedaled 25 laps around the 8.3-mile course in 24 hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds. With Sven Cole (DEA) leading the way at seven laps (including a stunning, back-to-back, final-hours lap display to put a bow on the event) and Abe Wrobleski (A1), Josh Mac (PJ) and Nick LeBel (nK) adding six laps a piece, TWAF rebounded strongly after nK and PJ couldn't complete the Jay Challenge due to mechanical and physiological problems, respectively.
Pictured below is the happy TWAF after DEA rolled into the finish, with (L to R) nick leBel, josh mac, abe wrobleski and sven cole. below that is a fine action shot of nK callously ignoring a downed rider as he heads into "Miah's Drop", a particularly nasty section of singletrack that ate up both abe and nick later on in the day, proving that karma's a bitch.
take care, all,
nick (nK, north Korea slim)
Release: Team Weak and Feeble cracks the top 10 at the 24 hours of GG!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (even though this is a fake release just designed to let everyone know about how TWAF did this weekend at the 24 hours of great glen - feel free to send it to cool people, though)
Pinkham Notch, NH - Fresh off a frustrating, yet strangely triumphant debut at the Jay Challenge in Jay, VT, Team Weak and Feeble regrouped and posted a 9th place finish at the 11th annual 24 Hours of Great Glen. The crew pedaled 25 laps around the 8.3-mile course in 24 hours, 19 minutes and 11 seconds. With Sven Cole (DEA) leading the way at seven laps (including a stunning, back-to-back, final-hours lap display to put a bow on the event) and Abe Wrobleski (A1), Josh Mac (PJ) and Nick LeBel (nK) adding six laps a piece, TWAF rebounded strongly after nK and PJ couldn't complete the Jay Challenge due to mechanical and physiological problems, respectively.
Pictured below is the happy TWAF after DEA rolled into the finish, with (L to R) nick leBel, josh mac, abe wrobleski and sven cole. below that is a fine action shot of nK callously ignoring a downed rider as he heads into "Miah's Drop", a particularly nasty section of singletrack that ate up both abe and nick later on in the day, proving that karma's a bitch.
take care, all,
nick (nK, north Korea slim)
Monday, June 05, 2006
i'm back! (and i'm soggy)
OK, i've been a real slacker on the pedaling front lately. still been active, still been running and playing rugby like a fiend, but very lazy when it comes to getting in the saddle.
however that all changed sunday when i went on a solo tour of red tail (which runs parallel to the diabolical hurricane mountain road in north conway), down to mt. cranmore. could've done more, certainly had the legs, but it just wasn't that much fun of a day alone... but that was my own fault.
anyway, started the ride from home, down to sid's for some power bars, and then over the power lines (see how that ties together?!) and then up hurricane mountain road to the trailhead. by the water tower i passed by a gentlemen who'd been hiking with his dogs, and as he emerged from the woods, i passed his two dogs and said, 'how's it looking?' he said, 'good! considering...'
the 'considering' part was since we'd been deluged and soaked to the bone saturday, sunday brought forth running water down the trail, wet, slick rock and some slight washout action. not a big deal. what WAS a big deal was the fact that the super-technical sections that always existed became flat-out not rideable, and other sections that were typically tricky became serious challenges.
it was one hell of a ride in that respect. that, and i FOUGHT with my derailleur the entire time, although i managed to not chuck anything (least of all the iron horse). not that it was all bad, though! since i was having 'issues' with my derailleur, i rode 90% of the trail in the middle ring, since granny gear just wasn't working. it was an advantageous equipment issue, but it's going to have to be fixed by jay. and by fixed i mean replaced. and by replaced i mean not by me, because i'd break it.
from trailhead to the top took just over an hour, and i was really happy with that - all alone, with only my own meager motivation to keep me going, and it felt good! the cruise over to cranmore was a bit sloppy, with the trees being so weighed down with rainwater the branches leaned deep into the trail, and basically bitch-slapped you as you passed by. oh well, it cleaned me off.
then, once i hit cranmore, it was a break-busting downhill (you could hear the brakes steaming - i love disc brakes!) back to the parking lot, and although i seriously considered turning right back around and doing it again, i went home and watched mythbusters instead.
here's to being in over our heads at the jay challenge!!
however that all changed sunday when i went on a solo tour of red tail (which runs parallel to the diabolical hurricane mountain road in north conway), down to mt. cranmore. could've done more, certainly had the legs, but it just wasn't that much fun of a day alone... but that was my own fault.
anyway, started the ride from home, down to sid's for some power bars, and then over the power lines (see how that ties together?!) and then up hurricane mountain road to the trailhead. by the water tower i passed by a gentlemen who'd been hiking with his dogs, and as he emerged from the woods, i passed his two dogs and said, 'how's it looking?' he said, 'good! considering...'
the 'considering' part was since we'd been deluged and soaked to the bone saturday, sunday brought forth running water down the trail, wet, slick rock and some slight washout action. not a big deal. what WAS a big deal was the fact that the super-technical sections that always existed became flat-out not rideable, and other sections that were typically tricky became serious challenges.
it was one hell of a ride in that respect. that, and i FOUGHT with my derailleur the entire time, although i managed to not chuck anything (least of all the iron horse). not that it was all bad, though! since i was having 'issues' with my derailleur, i rode 90% of the trail in the middle ring, since granny gear just wasn't working. it was an advantageous equipment issue, but it's going to have to be fixed by jay. and by fixed i mean replaced. and by replaced i mean not by me, because i'd break it.
from trailhead to the top took just over an hour, and i was really happy with that - all alone, with only my own meager motivation to keep me going, and it felt good! the cruise over to cranmore was a bit sloppy, with the trees being so weighed down with rainwater the branches leaned deep into the trail, and basically bitch-slapped you as you passed by. oh well, it cleaned me off.
then, once i hit cranmore, it was a break-busting downhill (you could hear the brakes steaming - i love disc brakes!) back to the parking lot, and although i seriously considered turning right back around and doing it again, i went home and watched mythbusters instead.
here's to being in over our heads at the jay challenge!!
Thursday, April 13, 2006
we're back on track (or, sven is an ASS)
ok, so as some of you know, and others don't (and yet even more others may not even care), we're doing this bike thing this summer that involves lots and lots of pain, pedaling, puke and, most likely, pussying out. the jay challenge; 64 miles of up-and-down. hardly any flats to speak of, but lots of boiled potatoes at the aid stations to keep your sodium level up and your body energized!!
however, that didn't stop sven from being a right c*** and dragging me up not just thorn hill BUT hurricane mountain as well yesterday. and he didn't warn me, the svenster being from the "what he doesn't know can't hurt him" school of bike training. then again, all we did was 25 - 30 miles at a VERY chill pace except for the climbs (we had someone just getting back on the bike). that's less than half of jay.
however, jay means i'm riding the iron horse, which means a comfy saddle, unlike the freaking samurai swords i've been balancing on while pushing a road bike. hmm. so at least my ass won't be screaming. looks like i'll need lots of chamois butt'r. look it up, it's a real product.
we made drunk cyclist! drunk cyclist is a guy by the name of jonny who lives out in arizona (i think) and hosts the dirtiest, most raunchy cycling site out there. breasts and bikes! that's just two things that go together very, very well. peanut butter and jelly. pork and beans. ron and nancy. anyway, he picked up a link to the Team Weak and Feeble blog and linked us! so, in honor of his bit of dap, i send some back. go here:
http://www.drunkcyclist.com/
go now!
OK, now come back. now go visit http://jaychallenge.blogspot.com to see the latest adventures of Team Weak and Feeble. you'll know me as nK or north korea. sven is SC. abe is A1 or steak sauce. dennis is d2. josh (powder jew) never posts, so never mind.
later!
however, that didn't stop sven from being a right c*** and dragging me up not just thorn hill BUT hurricane mountain as well yesterday. and he didn't warn me, the svenster being from the "what he doesn't know can't hurt him" school of bike training. then again, all we did was 25 - 30 miles at a VERY chill pace except for the climbs (we had someone just getting back on the bike). that's less than half of jay.
however, jay means i'm riding the iron horse, which means a comfy saddle, unlike the freaking samurai swords i've been balancing on while pushing a road bike. hmm. so at least my ass won't be screaming. looks like i'll need lots of chamois butt'r. look it up, it's a real product.
we made drunk cyclist! drunk cyclist is a guy by the name of jonny who lives out in arizona (i think) and hosts the dirtiest, most raunchy cycling site out there. breasts and bikes! that's just two things that go together very, very well. peanut butter and jelly. pork and beans. ron and nancy. anyway, he picked up a link to the Team Weak and Feeble blog and linked us! so, in honor of his bit of dap, i send some back. go here:
http://www.drunkcyclist.com/
go now!
OK, now come back. now go visit http://jaychallenge.blogspot.com to see the latest adventures of Team Weak and Feeble. you'll know me as nK or north korea. sven is SC. abe is A1 or steak sauce. dennis is d2. josh (powder jew) never posts, so never mind.
later!
Friday, March 31, 2006
we made it!!! and a parable explained...
okay, i'm in new york! just out of the city, actually, in new rochelle, westchester county, or something like that. we went 3,047 miles in five days. pretty slow normally, but blazing fast if you realize that we were trailing a 5 x 10 trailer with a 4 cylinder jeep. so, here we are, but my journey's just started.
first off, i have to get to lynn, mass, tomorrow BY 1 PM in order to play some rugby. then i have to get to portland to meet up with some people. THEN i can rest. sunday's an off-day. and dammit, i need one! i just want to sit on the couch, do nothing and let lethargy take me over.
it's been a hell of a trip, crossing california, arizona, new mexico, texas, oklahoma, missouri, illinois, pennsylvania, new jersey and now we're here just outside the Big Apple - but i have one anecdote i want to share. you know the whole glass half full/half empty parable? well, mikey solved it. and i'm here to explain it: there are two answers to this, because of two very important things: gas tanks and bladders. gas tanks exist to be emptied. so, if there's half a tank left, it's half EMPTY. bladders, on the other hand, exist to be filled. so when you are about halfway away from your eyeballs floating, you're half FULL.
folks, we're here to help you...
missing the valley, can't wait to get back!!
first off, i have to get to lynn, mass, tomorrow BY 1 PM in order to play some rugby. then i have to get to portland to meet up with some people. THEN i can rest. sunday's an off-day. and dammit, i need one! i just want to sit on the couch, do nothing and let lethargy take me over.
it's been a hell of a trip, crossing california, arizona, new mexico, texas, oklahoma, missouri, illinois, pennsylvania, new jersey and now we're here just outside the Big Apple - but i have one anecdote i want to share. you know the whole glass half full/half empty parable? well, mikey solved it. and i'm here to explain it: there are two answers to this, because of two very important things: gas tanks and bladders. gas tanks exist to be emptied. so, if there's half a tank left, it's half EMPTY. bladders, on the other hand, exist to be filled. so when you are about halfway away from your eyeballs floating, you're half FULL.
folks, we're here to help you...
missing the valley, can't wait to get back!!
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
halfway home!
sorry, sorry, sorry!
well, sorry to all three of you who read this. however, i know i was supposed to be updating this diligently, but, what can you do... it's harder to find internet access than i thought.
BUT, i'll give a quick overview of the past three days:
DAY 1: san diego, CA to Demin, NM. at least i think that's what the name was. anyway, it was all desert, and i mean all desert. going through tuscon, AZ was a bit anticlimactic and that's about it. at least mikey and i fart a lot. but we already knew that. and, we found it's helpful to play our tunes loud so when we sing with them we can't hear each other...
DAY 2: demin, NM to elk city, OK. this was a good one. we went through albequerque (sp?) and saw a funeral procession for a slain police officer that stretched for miles on the highway, i mean probably 10 miles, shut down a major highway going westbound and pissed off the truckers something wicked. we have a CB in the jeep, and it was something to hear the truckers rant. also, elk city, OK has probably the nicest holiday inn in the world.
TODAY (day 3): elk city, OK to collinsville, IL. we made this day up with the intention of going to the bud brewery in st. louis and getting the tour. well, we made it to st. louis, but found that those anheuser/busch assholes closed the gates on us before we could get there... so, we told st. louis (and the west bank of the mississippi) to eff off and we headed into illinois. had BBQ at the bandana's across from our lovely comfort inn, and we're headed to PA and amish country tomorrow.
we haven't killed each other, all is going great, and i have no idea in the world about how i'm going to manage to play in my rugby match saturday! pray for bad weather or something, i guess...
we're almost 2,000 miles in, and the U-haul's still hitched to the jeep. that alone is an accomplishment.
wish us well, and mahalo!
well, sorry to all three of you who read this. however, i know i was supposed to be updating this diligently, but, what can you do... it's harder to find internet access than i thought.
BUT, i'll give a quick overview of the past three days:
DAY 1: san diego, CA to Demin, NM. at least i think that's what the name was. anyway, it was all desert, and i mean all desert. going through tuscon, AZ was a bit anticlimactic and that's about it. at least mikey and i fart a lot. but we already knew that. and, we found it's helpful to play our tunes loud so when we sing with them we can't hear each other...
DAY 2: demin, NM to elk city, OK. this was a good one. we went through albequerque (sp?) and saw a funeral procession for a slain police officer that stretched for miles on the highway, i mean probably 10 miles, shut down a major highway going westbound and pissed off the truckers something wicked. we have a CB in the jeep, and it was something to hear the truckers rant. also, elk city, OK has probably the nicest holiday inn in the world.
TODAY (day 3): elk city, OK to collinsville, IL. we made this day up with the intention of going to the bud brewery in st. louis and getting the tour. well, we made it to st. louis, but found that those anheuser/busch assholes closed the gates on us before we could get there... so, we told st. louis (and the west bank of the mississippi) to eff off and we headed into illinois. had BBQ at the bandana's across from our lovely comfort inn, and we're headed to PA and amish country tomorrow.
we haven't killed each other, all is going great, and i have no idea in the world about how i'm going to manage to play in my rugby match saturday! pray for bad weather or something, i guess...
we're almost 2,000 miles in, and the U-haul's still hitched to the jeep. that alone is an accomplishment.
wish us well, and mahalo!
Friday, March 24, 2006
ROAD TRIP!
i got a phone call last sunday from my best bud, who lives out in sunny san diego, CA. hey, how's it going, all that stuff, and then he tells me that he's moving back east. that's great! awesome to hear, i'm really glad he's moving home, blah blah blah.
then he gets to the meat of the matter: do i want to fly out there and do a cross-country trip back with him? and it's all taken care of, as well. hmmmm...
done, and done.
i'm flying out tomorrow. keep checking here for my location and our adventures!
then he gets to the meat of the matter: do i want to fly out there and do a cross-country trip back with him? and it's all taken care of, as well. hmmmm...
done, and done.
i'm flying out tomorrow. keep checking here for my location and our adventures!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
are you kidding me?!
drew over at fark.com said it best: we're being followed by "Generation Wuss". this is unbelievable.
yeah, it's been a while, but this really irked me.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.baseball22mar22,0,7892062.story
yeah, it's been a while, but this really irked me.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.baseball22mar22,0,7892062.story
Saturday, January 28, 2006
a different kind of ramblings
i probably ought not to do this now, but i'm going to.
my grandmother's not doing well (and the odds are i'm going to delete this before anyone reads this). i don't mean not well as in she's going to die tomorrow (god forbid), but she had an aneurismn late wednesday night. thank god she was vacationing with my grandfather in florida, near gainesville, which just so happens to be right where U of F has their hospital, which also just happens to be the best place to be if this kind of thing happens to you. so, pepere got ahold of the EMTs, they got her to the hospital in time to save her. that sucks to say - save her - i can't even belive this happened to her. but, she's alive.
my dad and his three sisters flew down from maine immediately, and they were with her and my grandfather on thursday, when things were very bad. and very scary. thursday night was a very, very scary night. i'm lucky enough to have spent my life with all four of my grandparents, and i'd never really entertained the thought of losing one of them. any of them. my grandparents are, on either side of the family, healthy, fit, tough people. they don't show weakness. they don't get sick. they're not going to die. period.
well, that all changed. early friday morning, nana went in for surgery, and it went great. if anything of that nature can go great. they relieved any immediate blood flow issues to her brain, located a potential second aneurism (to be operated on later next week once she's had time to recuperate), and called it a success.
which it is. she's not going anywhere. that tough, wonderful, loving, amazing woman won't give up the ghost that easily. i don't know if i'll be going down to florida to see her yet - i don't know how i can help other than to take pressure off of my dad and his sisters, but i do know that if they need it, my family has rallied. big time.
i'm scared. and writing this has helped a lot. she has a long road ahead of her, and she and my pepere have a terribly long and painful journey ahead, and nobody seems to know (especially the doctors) what's next.
all i (meaning me, my cousins and the extended family) know is we have to do all we can, whatever that is, to make sure she's comfortable, my pepere's comfortable, and my nana's kids (my dad and her sisters) are stable in what they have to to.
god, i'm scared. i want her to be as strong as i've known her to be. but i'm in new hampshire, living my own life, and i feel guilty for it. i hope i'm doing the right thing.
my grandmother's not doing well (and the odds are i'm going to delete this before anyone reads this). i don't mean not well as in she's going to die tomorrow (god forbid), but she had an aneurismn late wednesday night. thank god she was vacationing with my grandfather in florida, near gainesville, which just so happens to be right where U of F has their hospital, which also just happens to be the best place to be if this kind of thing happens to you. so, pepere got ahold of the EMTs, they got her to the hospital in time to save her. that sucks to say - save her - i can't even belive this happened to her. but, she's alive.
my dad and his three sisters flew down from maine immediately, and they were with her and my grandfather on thursday, when things were very bad. and very scary. thursday night was a very, very scary night. i'm lucky enough to have spent my life with all four of my grandparents, and i'd never really entertained the thought of losing one of them. any of them. my grandparents are, on either side of the family, healthy, fit, tough people. they don't show weakness. they don't get sick. they're not going to die. period.
well, that all changed. early friday morning, nana went in for surgery, and it went great. if anything of that nature can go great. they relieved any immediate blood flow issues to her brain, located a potential second aneurism (to be operated on later next week once she's had time to recuperate), and called it a success.
which it is. she's not going anywhere. that tough, wonderful, loving, amazing woman won't give up the ghost that easily. i don't know if i'll be going down to florida to see her yet - i don't know how i can help other than to take pressure off of my dad and his sisters, but i do know that if they need it, my family has rallied. big time.
i'm scared. and writing this has helped a lot. she has a long road ahead of her, and she and my pepere have a terribly long and painful journey ahead, and nobody seems to know (especially the doctors) what's next.
all i (meaning me, my cousins and the extended family) know is we have to do all we can, whatever that is, to make sure she's comfortable, my pepere's comfortable, and my nana's kids (my dad and her sisters) are stable in what they have to to.
god, i'm scared. i want her to be as strong as i've known her to be. but i'm in new hampshire, living my own life, and i feel guilty for it. i hope i'm doing the right thing.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
my new endeavor
so, folks, after a long, lengthy break from blogging (thanks to another round of the surgery bug), i'm back, and i'm not alone! check out a new blog that a few of us idiots set up for our impending doom - er, bike race.
http://jaychallenge.blogspot.com
and i'll be back with more informative, entertaining and thought-provoking entries in the coming days!
http://jaychallenge.blogspot.com
and i'll be back with more informative, entertaining and thought-provoking entries in the coming days!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
24 hours of GREAT GOOGALY MOOGALY
okay, so, this actually happened back in early august, but i've finally put this together enough to relate my experience to the Web.
basically, each year, up in the heart of pinkham notch in the beautiful white mountains, an event takes place at great glen trails. now, you see, great glen trails is an extensive network of singletrack, carriage roads and pathways located at the foot of mt. washington. it's also home to the mt. washington auto road, but since i hate that fucking road for what it stands for, i'm not going to say too much. it's not that the road is THAT bad in theory, it's that every asshole with a car and twenty bucks can drive their SUV up to the highest point in new england. it's just not right.
ANYWAY... each year, up at great glen, they hold a 24-hour bike race that draws people in droves. you can ride in teams of two, four, five or, if you're clinically insane, go it solo. the point of the event is to turn your body into mush over the course of 24 hours while you question reality and swear to yourself that you'll never leave the house again.
no, scratch that.
actually, it's to see how many laps around the 8 1/2 mile course you can make from noon saturday to noon sunday. you and your teammates are issued a time chip that goes around your ankle, and you ride the course with the chip, get to the finish line, hand the chip off like a baton to your teammate, and head back to your tent city to relax and regroup before your next lap. basically, we had it so there was about 2 hours of lag time before you had to start thinking about your next lap.
so, i did it, and here's my account (based mostly on the journal i kept during the event and my own hazy recollection of what happened...
the 24 hours of great glen... abriged.
first off, here's the success story:
me and my three teammates completed 24 laps on the 8-mile, carriage road and singletrack course from noon saturday until noon sunday, and until basically none of us could walk afterwards. at least josh (one of the members of the other Resort Sports Network team) was wise enough to have a massage scheduled for sunday night. lucky bastard.
oh, and by the way, the solo division winner? 25 laps. BY HIMSELF. he beat our entire team, and we finished in the top tier!!!!
as i sit here, listening to "blame it on the tetons" by Modest Mouse, it's actually fun to reflect on it. so here's the deal:
• 12:00 noon: cannon goes off at noon saturday. i'm leading off for my team. the race begins with the traditional "le mans" start: running the 1/2 mile around the great glen pond, to the start area, where dr. dewey had my bike waiting for me. burned myself on the run. i begin pedaling, and immediately wonder why i'm doing this.
• 12:54: finish my first lap, feeling pretty good. i'm done, right?
• 4:00: nope, gotta go again. damn! did i mention people friggin' PAY to do this?
• 5:30: back, changed, wrote in my journal, fell asleep in my chair with among 20 people having loud conversations. 25 minutes later, someone tapped me on the shoulder. time to get ready to ride the course again.
• 6:15: i'm on the bike. again. my ass is killing me, i'm climbing the switchbacks again, and i just got passed like i was going BACKWARDS by some 17-year-old kid who weighs 100 pounds. if i catch him, i'm making sure he dies painfully.
• 7:20: i get to the finish corral and jump off the bike—both legs cramp to locking, excruciating pain, and i fall over. i pushed the bike on my knees to the finish and tagged my teammate. why am i doing this again? p.s. it's getting dark, and getting cold. and i've heard that some people are actually enjoying this.
my buddy abe cramped so bad about a quarter of a mile into his third lap that he had to sit on a hillside for 15 minutes before he could move his legs again...
• 11:00: i hate myself and want to die. i'm also seeing things. this is fun! tears flow freely.
actually, the night ride is a lot of fun—all you're focused on is as far as your headlight and headlamp will throw a beam of light, so your world becomes that bubble. everything else fades completely out. i actually start whistling on the course. this isn't so bad!
• 11:35: just hit the climb on Dugway. i'm not whistling, smiling or having fun anymore. hell, i'm not even RIDING! off the bike, and pushing... and without shame, because i'm not the only ghost out here off the pedals.
• 12:10: done until 4AM—dewey and steve are going to ride doubles. sweet! i'm gonnZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ......
• 4:00AM: you're kidding, right?
• 4:20AM: ha! dude... if you have to ask...
• 4:30AM: tim still hasn't come back off course—oh, there he is—no choice now, gotta get back on the bike. by the way, the next day, i found out i had two conversations that i don't remember taking place. eerie.
AND IT'S NOW RAINING.
• 5:10AM (approx): tim got to the timing tent about a half hour ago, and i took off, and here i am, entering the tough singletrack, watch that—OUCH. that really freaking hurt. see, when it's this late and you're delirious, it's awful hard to wheelie over a log. especially when you hit it broadside and go ass over teakettle... but nothing seems broken. my body's OK, too, i think.
• 5:50AM: honey, i'm home! i reach the timing tent, but where's my teammate waiting for me. dewey, where are you? do i even have teammates left? where am i? auntie em???
• 6:00AM: oh, there's dewey, asleep. in his tent. he's roused and gone.
• 6:50AM: ZZZZZZZZ.... oh, sh*t, i bled all over my sleeping bag. guess i wasn't so unscathed after all. my elbow's flowing like a faucet!
• 7:00AM: TEAM DECISION: dewey's going out for one more ride. tim's going to take one. steve's done. nick, can you finish us out at around 11? "oh hell yeah!"
• 10:59AM: "i change my mind!"
• 11:01AM: damn! back on the course. lap six. i'm beyond hate now.
the whole ride (which is more like gliding and then walking up anything remotely resembling a climb) is a folly. i puke. i cheer on other people puking. i banter with people i've passed and those who've passed me over the course of the day. i'm miserable, but so are they, and we keep going... because we know this is it. cross the line and we're done. cross the line and it's over. cross the line... just cross the line!!!!
12:19PM: LINE CROSSED!!!!
final tally: personal: six laps, 48 miles, over 6 1/2 hours on course
team total: 24 laps, 192 miles, 24 hours and 19 minutes on course
it's over. i'm too tired and sickly feeling to even drink a beer... but i pack my stuff up and get out of great glen, thankful for the experience, which i hated like the plague. but, of course, you'll see us there next year!!!
check out www.24hoursofgreatglen.com for all the details...
basically, each year, up in the heart of pinkham notch in the beautiful white mountains, an event takes place at great glen trails. now, you see, great glen trails is an extensive network of singletrack, carriage roads and pathways located at the foot of mt. washington. it's also home to the mt. washington auto road, but since i hate that fucking road for what it stands for, i'm not going to say too much. it's not that the road is THAT bad in theory, it's that every asshole with a car and twenty bucks can drive their SUV up to the highest point in new england. it's just not right.
ANYWAY... each year, up at great glen, they hold a 24-hour bike race that draws people in droves. you can ride in teams of two, four, five or, if you're clinically insane, go it solo. the point of the event is to turn your body into mush over the course of 24 hours while you question reality and swear to yourself that you'll never leave the house again.
no, scratch that.
actually, it's to see how many laps around the 8 1/2 mile course you can make from noon saturday to noon sunday. you and your teammates are issued a time chip that goes around your ankle, and you ride the course with the chip, get to the finish line, hand the chip off like a baton to your teammate, and head back to your tent city to relax and regroup before your next lap. basically, we had it so there was about 2 hours of lag time before you had to start thinking about your next lap.
so, i did it, and here's my account (based mostly on the journal i kept during the event and my own hazy recollection of what happened...
the 24 hours of great glen... abriged.
first off, here's the success story:
me and my three teammates completed 24 laps on the 8-mile, carriage road and singletrack course from noon saturday until noon sunday, and until basically none of us could walk afterwards. at least josh (one of the members of the other Resort Sports Network team) was wise enough to have a massage scheduled for sunday night. lucky bastard.
oh, and by the way, the solo division winner? 25 laps. BY HIMSELF. he beat our entire team, and we finished in the top tier!!!!
as i sit here, listening to "blame it on the tetons" by Modest Mouse, it's actually fun to reflect on it. so here's the deal:
• 12:00 noon: cannon goes off at noon saturday. i'm leading off for my team. the race begins with the traditional "le mans" start: running the 1/2 mile around the great glen pond, to the start area, where dr. dewey had my bike waiting for me. burned myself on the run. i begin pedaling, and immediately wonder why i'm doing this.
• 12:54: finish my first lap, feeling pretty good. i'm done, right?
• 4:00: nope, gotta go again. damn! did i mention people friggin' PAY to do this?
• 5:30: back, changed, wrote in my journal, fell asleep in my chair with among 20 people having loud conversations. 25 minutes later, someone tapped me on the shoulder. time to get ready to ride the course again.
• 6:15: i'm on the bike. again. my ass is killing me, i'm climbing the switchbacks again, and i just got passed like i was going BACKWARDS by some 17-year-old kid who weighs 100 pounds. if i catch him, i'm making sure he dies painfully.
• 7:20: i get to the finish corral and jump off the bike—both legs cramp to locking, excruciating pain, and i fall over. i pushed the bike on my knees to the finish and tagged my teammate. why am i doing this again? p.s. it's getting dark, and getting cold. and i've heard that some people are actually enjoying this.
my buddy abe cramped so bad about a quarter of a mile into his third lap that he had to sit on a hillside for 15 minutes before he could move his legs again...
• 11:00: i hate myself and want to die. i'm also seeing things. this is fun! tears flow freely.
actually, the night ride is a lot of fun—all you're focused on is as far as your headlight and headlamp will throw a beam of light, so your world becomes that bubble. everything else fades completely out. i actually start whistling on the course. this isn't so bad!
• 11:35: just hit the climb on Dugway. i'm not whistling, smiling or having fun anymore. hell, i'm not even RIDING! off the bike, and pushing... and without shame, because i'm not the only ghost out here off the pedals.
• 12:10: done until 4AM—dewey and steve are going to ride doubles. sweet! i'm gonnZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ......
• 4:00AM: you're kidding, right?
• 4:20AM: ha! dude... if you have to ask...
• 4:30AM: tim still hasn't come back off course—oh, there he is—no choice now, gotta get back on the bike. by the way, the next day, i found out i had two conversations that i don't remember taking place. eerie.
AND IT'S NOW RAINING.
• 5:10AM (approx): tim got to the timing tent about a half hour ago, and i took off, and here i am, entering the tough singletrack, watch that—OUCH. that really freaking hurt. see, when it's this late and you're delirious, it's awful hard to wheelie over a log. especially when you hit it broadside and go ass over teakettle... but nothing seems broken. my body's OK, too, i think.
• 5:50AM: honey, i'm home! i reach the timing tent, but where's my teammate waiting for me. dewey, where are you? do i even have teammates left? where am i? auntie em???
• 6:00AM: oh, there's dewey, asleep. in his tent. he's roused and gone.
• 6:50AM: ZZZZZZZZ.... oh, sh*t, i bled all over my sleeping bag. guess i wasn't so unscathed after all. my elbow's flowing like a faucet!
• 7:00AM: TEAM DECISION: dewey's going out for one more ride. tim's going to take one. steve's done. nick, can you finish us out at around 11? "oh hell yeah!"
• 10:59AM: "i change my mind!"
• 11:01AM: damn! back on the course. lap six. i'm beyond hate now.
the whole ride (which is more like gliding and then walking up anything remotely resembling a climb) is a folly. i puke. i cheer on other people puking. i banter with people i've passed and those who've passed me over the course of the day. i'm miserable, but so are they, and we keep going... because we know this is it. cross the line and we're done. cross the line and it's over. cross the line... just cross the line!!!!
12:19PM: LINE CROSSED!!!!
final tally: personal: six laps, 48 miles, over 6 1/2 hours on course
team total: 24 laps, 192 miles, 24 hours and 19 minutes on course
it's over. i'm too tired and sickly feeling to even drink a beer... but i pack my stuff up and get out of great glen, thankful for the experience, which i hated like the plague. but, of course, you'll see us there next year!!!
check out www.24hoursofgreatglen.com for all the details...
Friday, September 23, 2005
my own ramblings (with apologies to simmons)
thoughts while sitting at home on a friday, waiting for 18 rugby jerseys to dry so we can get them all dirty again tomorrow against yale grad school...
if keith foulke goes down for the season and nobody's there to hear it, does he make a noise?
there's nothing like the first sub-40 degree day in new england. nothing.
i don't care if there's 40 or 40,000 people attending a fair, there's still no better place to go people-watching.
if you dress up your dog in clothes, you deserve to be shaved like a poodle.
when i become a famous rock star (and i will), i won't wear any clothes i wouldn't have worn before i became famous.
that includes tuxedoes and t-shirts over $17. unless they're made out of tekware, capeline or any other waterproof/breathable fabric. then the sky's the limit.
i lived there. i became immersed in the culture. i love the place. i still have friends there. yet, outside of monty python, lock stock & two smoking barrels and the original italian job, i have a really, really, REALLY hard time finding british humo(u)r funny.
you don't have to smoke reefer to love jambands.
a beer at 3pm in the office helps promote a healthy work environment.
being stuck inside on a friday night sucks.
when you're a three-time superbowl champion in the midst of a dynasty, and you have a bad week (even though you lost to potentially the best team in the NFC), how in the blue hell can you be installed as a three-point underdog? vegas, help me out on this one...
it's going to be fun to watch the NHL again.
the police were the greatest trio of all time. and, once again with apologies to the sports guy, i will not argue about this. one of the top five drummers ever, a criminally underrated guitar player, and one hell of a bassist writing amazing tunes while being a consummate frontman. gold.
is there anything more intriguing than discovering a disposable camera you haven't sent to the lab for developing yet?
if there's a gaggle of female coworkers giggling together in a circle, do you want to know what they're giggling about? i mean, it could be about you, or it could be something so terrible you'd be scarred for life by finding out...
i'm completely out of touch with MTV. do they still show videos? help me out on this.
the weather's better in california right now.
somewhere, there's someone lighting a pair of skis in sacrifice to Ullr, the god of snow, right now.
if that someone is you, i bow to your buddha nature...
...it'll be me before too long.
i just ordered a new mountain bike. it'll be arriving within two weeks. i'm only going to be able to ride it for about two months before it goes into hibernation for the winter. despite that, it's still the unquestioned highlight of my past month.
is it necesarry to have more than four pairs of skis? what if you use all of them?
...wait, don't answer that. that question was just for me.
this has gone on too long... hope all two of you who read this found it as amusing as i did while putting it together.
mahalo.
if keith foulke goes down for the season and nobody's there to hear it, does he make a noise?
there's nothing like the first sub-40 degree day in new england. nothing.
i don't care if there's 40 or 40,000 people attending a fair, there's still no better place to go people-watching.
if you dress up your dog in clothes, you deserve to be shaved like a poodle.
when i become a famous rock star (and i will), i won't wear any clothes i wouldn't have worn before i became famous.
that includes tuxedoes and t-shirts over $17. unless they're made out of tekware, capeline or any other waterproof/breathable fabric. then the sky's the limit.
i lived there. i became immersed in the culture. i love the place. i still have friends there. yet, outside of monty python, lock stock & two smoking barrels and the original italian job, i have a really, really, REALLY hard time finding british humo(u)r funny.
you don't have to smoke reefer to love jambands.
a beer at 3pm in the office helps promote a healthy work environment.
being stuck inside on a friday night sucks.
when you're a three-time superbowl champion in the midst of a dynasty, and you have a bad week (even though you lost to potentially the best team in the NFC), how in the blue hell can you be installed as a three-point underdog? vegas, help me out on this one...
it's going to be fun to watch the NHL again.
the police were the greatest trio of all time. and, once again with apologies to the sports guy, i will not argue about this. one of the top five drummers ever, a criminally underrated guitar player, and one hell of a bassist writing amazing tunes while being a consummate frontman. gold.
is there anything more intriguing than discovering a disposable camera you haven't sent to the lab for developing yet?
if there's a gaggle of female coworkers giggling together in a circle, do you want to know what they're giggling about? i mean, it could be about you, or it could be something so terrible you'd be scarred for life by finding out...
i'm completely out of touch with MTV. do they still show videos? help me out on this.
the weather's better in california right now.
somewhere, there's someone lighting a pair of skis in sacrifice to Ullr, the god of snow, right now.
if that someone is you, i bow to your buddha nature...
...it'll be me before too long.
i just ordered a new mountain bike. it'll be arriving within two weeks. i'm only going to be able to ride it for about two months before it goes into hibernation for the winter. despite that, it's still the unquestioned highlight of my past month.
is it necesarry to have more than four pairs of skis? what if you use all of them?
...wait, don't answer that. that question was just for me.
this has gone on too long... hope all two of you who read this found it as amusing as i did while putting it together.
mahalo.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
new orleans - what now?
where would you rather go? las vegas or new orleans? this is a complete no-brainer for me. answer would be new orleans in a heartbeat - each day of the week and twice on sunday.
but, being as it is, i think we're on the brink of watching one of the country's major cities become a ghost town. are they going to rebuild new orleans? i saw a headline on last week that read THE BATTLE FOR NEW ORLEANS; can it go back to the way it was? i think that the U.S. has crossed a line that's permanent, and it's going to leave scars.
such a vibrant, exciting, mystical, spectral, ALIVE city can't be recreated or replaced, and the aura - the mix of emotions you feel there - the feeling that this place can't be real, that you're imagining all of it, and the sense that there's no law, and it's always teetering on the edge of anarchy - has never been more in your face than now.
now there's just a feeling of terrible regret and sadness - regret that this city is never going to be the same, sadness for the people dealing with the destruction of their lives. that's pretty much left of new orleans for me. no more stumbles throughout the french quarter, listening for the next secret jazz club i'll stumble upon, no more sights, sound and senses that you can't find anywhere else.
i'm so sorry for the people who lived or worked, or just loved new orleans. i hope that they can put their lives back together, whether it's moving on or moving back, if it comes back. but i just don't know. i hope it does, but i'm not optimistic. i'm just sorry.
at the same time, i have a very strange feeling in my gut about a)the folks who didn't leave when they were warned and b)the government that has, so far, not done its job making the situation. firstly, you were warned! i'm sorry, but you knew what was coming, but you chose to "ride the storm out." i have a feeling the next time your state declares emergency, you'll mosey out. and as for the good ol' u.s. government, get your shit together and do what you can to save those folks. witless as they may be, it's your job to get them out of there safe and sound.
the old ghosts of new orleans have left, with new ones of this tragedy coming in to take their place.
it's over. new orleans is done.
but, being as it is, i think we're on the brink of watching one of the country's major cities become a ghost town. are they going to rebuild new orleans? i saw a headline on last week that read THE BATTLE FOR NEW ORLEANS; can it go back to the way it was? i think that the U.S. has crossed a line that's permanent, and it's going to leave scars.
such a vibrant, exciting, mystical, spectral, ALIVE city can't be recreated or replaced, and the aura - the mix of emotions you feel there - the feeling that this place can't be real, that you're imagining all of it, and the sense that there's no law, and it's always teetering on the edge of anarchy - has never been more in your face than now.
now there's just a feeling of terrible regret and sadness - regret that this city is never going to be the same, sadness for the people dealing with the destruction of their lives. that's pretty much left of new orleans for me. no more stumbles throughout the french quarter, listening for the next secret jazz club i'll stumble upon, no more sights, sound and senses that you can't find anywhere else.
i'm so sorry for the people who lived or worked, or just loved new orleans. i hope that they can put their lives back together, whether it's moving on or moving back, if it comes back. but i just don't know. i hope it does, but i'm not optimistic. i'm just sorry.
at the same time, i have a very strange feeling in my gut about a)the folks who didn't leave when they were warned and b)the government that has, so far, not done its job making the situation. firstly, you were warned! i'm sorry, but you knew what was coming, but you chose to "ride the storm out." i have a feeling the next time your state declares emergency, you'll mosey out. and as for the good ol' u.s. government, get your shit together and do what you can to save those folks. witless as they may be, it's your job to get them out of there safe and sound.
the old ghosts of new orleans have left, with new ones of this tragedy coming in to take their place.
it's over. new orleans is done.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
winter
if you're a skier, one of the biggest days of the year happens in august. that's right, august. dog days of summer, the whole shebang. it's that day when the first ski magazine hits your mailbox. god damn, it's like crack. the first POWDER of the year drops, and all the sudden i'm seeing pics of the new crop of skis, shots of deep, deep pow, new schoolers going absoluetly batshit in the backcountry, and suddenly the whole world becomes a tease before the lifts begin to turn.
well, it happened on friday, and i'm so ready for summer to end that i'm lighting an old pair of skis on fire in sacrifice to Ullr, the god of snow. come on, man, i know you're watching! help us out! let the sun worshippers suffer for once, and have a massive winter drop on us beginning in early october!
i'm willing to let a month pass before my sacrifice is answered...
well, it happened on friday, and i'm so ready for summer to end that i'm lighting an old pair of skis on fire in sacrifice to Ullr, the god of snow. come on, man, i know you're watching! help us out! let the sun worshippers suffer for once, and have a massive winter drop on us beginning in early october!
i'm willing to let a month pass before my sacrifice is answered...
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
AAARRRRGH!
what the hell has happened? i'm looking around at people on this mySpace.com thing, and, obviously, i know i'm getting old fast, but JESUS. people "liking gangstas" and loving abercrombie and fitch—wait, i thought that was over... isn't it?
nope. not even in portland, maine, apparently.
i'm fucking terrified about the future if these brain surgeons are going to be holding down the fort for us while we're shitting in our pants in old folk's homes. am i that out of touch? is the urban lifestyle encroaching on northern new england? are great, semi-crunchy towns like portland doomed to be crawling with hoochie ghetto rats and wannabe ganstas? god, i hope not.
this is kind of fun, actually, i can sound off about this with vitriol, sound like an old fogie, then disappear into the woods for a few days and clear my head. of course, while i'm gone, people who say "skater boyz are HOTTT" and "i don't read unless i'm forced to" take control slowly but surely.
this needs to stop. peoople need to call it "pot," not "chronic"... drink good beer, not shitty 40s... and i mean here, because people are taking someone else's life and making it theirs! look where you are!!! when your life is shaped the way it is by living in a place where there's real danger and real problems, it is what it is... when you see that way of life on TV and then try to make it your own, well, you're just a fucking poser.
you wouldn't know real danger if you found yourself with a gun to your head.
what i wouldn't give to go back in time and nip MTV in the ass... and see if people didn't think for themselves these days because of it.
that's all from this 27-year-old fogie for now... off to take my vitamins and change my depends, i guess...
nope. not even in portland, maine, apparently.
i'm fucking terrified about the future if these brain surgeons are going to be holding down the fort for us while we're shitting in our pants in old folk's homes. am i that out of touch? is the urban lifestyle encroaching on northern new england? are great, semi-crunchy towns like portland doomed to be crawling with hoochie ghetto rats and wannabe ganstas? god, i hope not.
this is kind of fun, actually, i can sound off about this with vitriol, sound like an old fogie, then disappear into the woods for a few days and clear my head. of course, while i'm gone, people who say "skater boyz are HOTTT" and "i don't read unless i'm forced to" take control slowly but surely.
this needs to stop. peoople need to call it "pot," not "chronic"... drink good beer, not shitty 40s... and i mean here, because people are taking someone else's life and making it theirs! look where you are!!! when your life is shaped the way it is by living in a place where there's real danger and real problems, it is what it is... when you see that way of life on TV and then try to make it your own, well, you're just a fucking poser.
you wouldn't know real danger if you found yourself with a gun to your head.
what i wouldn't give to go back in time and nip MTV in the ass... and see if people didn't think for themselves these days because of it.
that's all from this 27-year-old fogie for now... off to take my vitamins and change my depends, i guess...
Thursday, July 21, 2005
a bruschi-free zone
well, after some erronious reports (courtesy of an overzealous boston news agency) stating that tedy bruschi would be returning for the 2005 season, we've come to find out that our man tedy will NOT be suiting up for your world champion new england patriots until 2006, if ever.
i find it amazing we're even having this discussion—-the guy had a STROKE--yet he still had enough guts, talent and ability to alllllll-most get back out on the field. and i can't imagine how much it hurts for him to have to admit that no, he can't play this year, because his heart (which he relied on more than any other muscle in his body) won't allow him to.
as easy as it is today to bow down to the altar of professional athletes and their amazing ability, this is a guy who truly EARNED the respect of his peers and, ultimately, became a true cult hero here in new england. not because of his athleticism and grace, but through his grit, integrity and bulldoggedness (if that's not a real word it should be). and now that he's had heart trouble, in new england all we can think about is reggie lewis. it's not fun to think about that--another one of our own struck down. hopefully he'll be able to get through this and come back; i just hope that, whatever he decides to do with his future, we won't have to bury another one of our heroes. and, just like reggie, this is a player who means more to his team than the numbers he puts up.
i don't think this is the last we've seen of number 54, but if we have, i think it's time to seriously begin considering a massive grassroots campaign to get tedy into canton. hopefully, though, he'll be back where he belongs next year to defend the patriots' unprecedented THIRD SUPER BOWL IN A ROW. but for this year at least, there's a gigantic hole on the patriots that needs to be filled in tedy's absence.
and i don't just mean on the field.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
