tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48904053882780788052024-03-18T11:27:48.429-04:00CyclophiliacMy cycling obsession, training philosophies, race reports, riding and running adventures, etc.Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-75527484377642477632024-02-15T11:22:00.000-05:002024-02-15T11:22:00.577-05:00Just Try: Preparing your mind to do hard things<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7WIahBi08rIAced3berPRk43HZkC1CXQek_Hyd9zIMsXX25mK6oPmBm18p_S5PofF1kZDA_hYPKAS38pUXcbxEF16eOcSOe0Au2r66J3fYCtUmEQBu94N7wK40SUFisoCyww95C80XfvwPHS9QHnFbmAZx3Qr36QziAukp2Tz0GO3wAMOaCkAios4V81/s719/DVNP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="719" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7WIahBi08rIAced3berPRk43HZkC1CXQek_Hyd9zIMsXX25mK6oPmBm18p_S5PofF1kZDA_hYPKAS38pUXcbxEF16eOcSOe0Au2r66J3fYCtUmEQBu94N7wK40SUFisoCyww95C80XfvwPHS9QHnFbmAZx3Qr36QziAukp2Tz0GO3wAMOaCkAios4V81/w400-h300/DVNP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>The more the road tipped upward, the more I felt my willpower slipping away. Each pedal stroke felt like it would be the last one before I convinced myself that I had to stop, that I can't do this. I had been here before, after all, and the voice in my head that gave me permission to bail out last time was getting louder. </p><p>Is it 'quitting', really, if I just stop for a moment, take a short break, and then hop back on?</p><p>Maybe not, but where is the satisfaction in overcoming a challenge when you end up throwing in the towel (again)? I had to remind myself I was - up until a moment ago - very determined to finish this climb without stopping. It was a driving force to return to this same place, to ride up this same road. I was craving redemption.</p><p>We train our bodies to do hard things. We generally have a good sense of what we're in for, and we prepare for it. What we're not so good at is preparing our thought processes to overcome self-doubt.</p><p>Mental skills training has become a hot topic for me lately. After attending the Endurance Exchange back in early January, and hearing what <a href="https://www.fasttalklabs.com/fast-talk/how-your-brain-can-make-or-break-your-performance/" target="_blank">Dr. Scott Frey</a> had to say about perception of effort, I find myself going down the rabbit hole.</p><p>This is not a new interest for me. I've been fascinated by how the brain controls so many aspects of athletic performance, and not just perception of effort. Motivation, willingness to do the work (some would say 'suffer'), the things we tell ourselves during training and racing - all of it plays a critical role in outcome. And yet we rarely give mental training the same attention we give to our strength and endurance training.</p><p>The power of our thought processes to overcome difficult challenges is impressive, and undeniable. My good friend Jill told me that when the going gets tough (on the bike), she tells herself to JUST TRY. </p><p>Many words can be written about how we're supposed to be able to swap in a positive thought (JUST TRY) when our brains are in the throes of overwhelming negativity (I can't do this). </p><p>The simple answer is that it takes practice. Mental toughness and positive self talk are trainable responses - but rarely are they automatic. If you want to do hard things - and I do* - then you have to teach your brain to not put up roadblocks, or give you easy exit ramps. Start by changing the inner dialogue. </p><p>When I knew for sure that this was the last possible pedal stroke, I thought of Jill's mantra and I actually said aloud (through my last dying gasps): JUST TRY. It immediately shifted my mental focus from "I have to stop" to "Can I do this?" I wasn't sure if I could, but there was only one way to find out.</p><p>Will you try it? Will you fail? Will you succeed? I don't know. Only one way to find out.</p><p style="text-align: center;">___________________________________________</p><p>My friend and fellow <a href="http://stelleritraining.com" target="_blank">Stelleri </a>athlete, Pat Spencer, is currently working on a mental skills coaching program for women athletes. Stay tuned for more info when this becomes available. Also check out Pat's services through her mental skills coaching company <a href="https://www.gettingyourmindingear.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, Getting Your Mind in Gear. </p><p>*It's been too long since I last rode the epic climbs of Death Valley, but there are plans in the works to change that, in just over a year from now. </p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-27746694332857819852024-01-31T14:04:00.000-05:002024-01-31T14:04:23.473-05:00What I learned from a 30-day yoga 'challenge'<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7c6VOL3IefXexg-NYvztOHYrOIbKK1Nf5-JaiN9pCBlEGFcL5WznscDCC8IOXEDc1sEA3kWMvoed4Trm5XM0BEDc3ml_ZoGO7e0eFL-nBQOJgBkZQftvaOR_HYIKDcLU3c_Ptpp-RomwIJo0YRL38sL4r_LTF-BgWTwLM0J47Y-uzrEdJQ28SNAipv3t/s3244/LazYoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3244" data-original-width="2792" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_7c6VOL3IefXexg-NYvztOHYrOIbKK1Nf5-JaiN9pCBlEGFcL5WznscDCC8IOXEDc1sEA3kWMvoed4Trm5XM0BEDc3ml_ZoGO7e0eFL-nBQOJgBkZQftvaOR_HYIKDcLU3c_Ptpp-RomwIJo0YRL38sL4r_LTF-BgWTwLM0J47Y-uzrEdJQ28SNAipv3t/w275-h320/LazYoga.jpg" title="Laz brings me yoga props and other toys" width="275" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laz brings his yoga props and shares my mat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>At the start of a new year, all kinds of opportunities exist for establishing new behaviors.</p><p>The more popular 'challenges' typically revolve around alcohol, nutrition, or some exercise habit. I have no interest in any of those. </p><p>I don't necessarily love anything that resembles, even remotely, a 'resolution' - especially those perennial ones. (Seriously, if you're my age and you're still making the same annual resolutions around basic healthy habits, you aren't being honest with yourself.)</p><p>And yet I found myself drawn to the <a href="https://yogawithadriene.com/home-30-days-of-yoga/" target="_blank">30-day Yoga Journey</a>, an annual (and free!) daily yoga session from the fabulous <a href="https://yogawithadriene.com/adriene-mishler/" target="_blank">Adriene Mishler</a> (and her mat-mate cattle dog, Benji), offered every January. </p><p>Why yoga, and why this? I've been an on-and-off practitioner of yoga for many years. I almost always find it to be just the thing my body needs on any given day - whether it's a stretch, or a balance hold, or a functional movement that my rather uni-planar lifestyle isn't accustomed to doing.</p><p>The operative 'almost' is what makes my yoga practice so sporadic. Like the time I took a class and all we did was chair pose. Or the 'lunchtime break' class that exceeded its time limit and made me late for an afternoon commitment. I expect to leave yoga with more 'zen' than I came in with, but that's not reality. </p><p>In any case, the Yoga Journey gave me something different and new to do, and I am a firm believer that novelty is what keeps us from going out of our minds. I know that shaking up my daily routine gives me the opportunity to think differently about how I move about my day, and that simple change can be the difference in my perception of 'good day' vs. 'bad day'. </p><p>So I started every morning in January with yoga, and there are some things I learned along the way:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I like yoga that only lasts 20 minutes or so. The shorter, the better. </li><li>Shivasana is over-rated. We didn't really do it, and I certainly didn't miss it. </li><li>I have really bad balance, particularly on one side of my body.</li><li>I really, really have lost a lot of flexibility over the years, but that is about to change.</li><li>Knowing that after yoga I will be making a pot of French Press coffee makes the Yoga Journey that much sweeter.</li><li>If I can get on my mat expediently, I can have coffee sooner. </li><li>If I truly feel the need to learn Crow Pose, I have to work at it daily. Or I can be honest with myself (see above) and just give up and move on.</li><li>Adriene's calm voice thanking me for giving up my precious time and energy to 'meet her on the mat' every day made me realize that my time and energy are precious - and limited. This epiphany helped me cut through the clutter, so to speak, and gave me strength to say "no" to requests for my time and energy that didn't serve me. I hope to remember this lesson for a long time.</li><li>I can focus my attention, albeit temporarily, to my yoga practice in spite of morning chaos (otherwise known as Laszlo, see photo)</li><li>I truly hope to continue a daily morning practice for the way it makes me feel grounded.</li></ul><div><br /></div><div>Wish me luck in my commitment to this practice. Or better yet, join me!</div><div><br /></div><div>If you took the Yoga Journey, I'd love to hear your thoughts. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-72394367377618539242023-08-11T11:17:00.000-04:002023-08-11T11:17:53.105-04:00What's old is new again - reclaiming bike love through the group ride<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJ81PTDyuMGd6YXrURoJdM8U3I9YKiD1yLX2bcMDiW_QOR9XL58JJBTfeNUoCZ7H7DewIq1oA1GOY79PE4XVBis52Mxgc-oshdZ4QcUu2FfrmRpRUcg8xxWgjCbK0hO2IjOT5M0AO9WNvCukPH6lWeJAjl38YrCLkAriNk4Vij6TNnWwOVYQroMRzGHxEC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJ81PTDyuMGd6YXrURoJdM8U3I9YKiD1yLX2bcMDiW_QOR9XL58JJBTfeNUoCZ7H7DewIq1oA1GOY79PE4XVBis52Mxgc-oshdZ4QcUu2FfrmRpRUcg8xxWgjCbK0hO2IjOT5M0AO9WNvCukPH6lWeJAjl38YrCLkAriNk4Vij6TNnWwOVYQroMRzGHxEC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It had been a VERY long time since I last rode with an organized weeknight group. The reasons for my long stay away are so varied and complicated that it's almost painful to list them out. They include bits and pieces of real and imagined hurdles including competing priorities, lack of interest, frustration with group abilities and speed, shifting group alliances, the burden of leading group rides, other people's skittishness towards riding outside, and perhaps a touch of agoraphobia that started during the pandemic and lingered for way too long.</p><p>During this time, I told myself that it was better to ride solo, better to ride during the day (this is a newer option since I started working remotely), better to have the flexibility to change my intended route on the fly, or change my mind about riding altogether if I just wasn't motivated. </p><p>But there was always this nagging feeling that I was missing something. I know that riding with a strong, fast group always had the power to make me stronger and faster. Riding with a group also instills the self-discipline that the years of non-group riding have eroded: when I commit to a group ride, I ride THEIR route, climb THEIR hills, go at THEIR pace. I don't have the option to change or shorten the route or take a sudden detour to avoid the hills. Having the group to ride with brings with it some accountability - to them, to myself. To be honest, my cycling fitness has been on the decline since the years since I last rode with a fast group - and without that fitness, it's not as much fun for me.</p><p>Last week, I decided that enough was enough. I put a gag on all that head noise that prevented me from joining the group ride, and I showed up for the ABC Thursday Night Fast Ride. (Granted, I started with the C+ riders, not quite ready to throw myself into the deep end, but willing to dip a toe back into these waters). The ride lived up to its name (the C+ group is not slow!), and I left that night with a satisfaction about riding that I hadn't felt in a long, long time.</p><p>That evening, after winding down, the endorphin glow (or was it my twitching leg muscles?) kept me awake. I thought about the old friends I reconnected with tonight, and the new ones I made through the power of shared experiences. I thought about how I was needlessly apprehensive about my ability to keep up with the group, and the camaraderie of the group that I didn't realize I missed so much. I though about all those years lost in trying to find my 'bike mojo', only to reclaim it once again in the simple act of showing up for a group ride. </p><p>The outside ride season is ending in a couple short months, but maybe, by the time we finish for 2023, I'll be riding with the B's.</p><p><br /></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-28163675706554478292023-03-06T14:49:00.002-05:002023-03-06T14:51:49.319-05:00Antarctica: Those days at sea that drag on and on...<p><i>If you've been following my blog posts from my adventure in Antarctica (thank you!) you will have noticed that I'm not posting a chronological log of events, nor am I listing off the places we've been or the animal and bird counts. And you will have noticed that my posts have been sporadic, sometimes photos appear at a later time, if at all. This is because the data connectivity on the ship is rather expensive and limited, and it's spotty, and we don't always have a whole lot of time for things like quiet contemplation and blogging. What follows, then, are stories and photos that I wanted to post during the trip, but have ended up in the post-adventure pile where I have more space and time to write. I hope you will continue to enjoy these stories and photos, and I welcome your questions and comments.</i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtOtXq4YWFzU8VrWeWdSd96blDO3qvGGuHWFzYecAV8oB_tD6eqi09hVLu3vPPC4rT9y5dv39rPnMWO8Chr3gxeDg-7-bxWUG1Gs8r4OoW70whAjHGq82PUsvwYDRYDuUgnsNJXUssPUR8RRUAOmF0RTqQXTk5b2s2W3MWaRTnrpaLAAJH04lJiD6xg/s5568/DSC_4885.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtOtXq4YWFzU8VrWeWdSd96blDO3qvGGuHWFzYecAV8oB_tD6eqi09hVLu3vPPC4rT9y5dv39rPnMWO8Chr3gxeDg-7-bxWUG1Gs8r4OoW70whAjHGq82PUsvwYDRYDuUgnsNJXUssPUR8RRUAOmF0RTqQXTk5b2s2W3MWaRTnrpaLAAJH04lJiD6xg/s320/DSC_4885.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>What do we do when we're at sea all day? This trip consisted of 5 total days on the Drake Passage (2 and a half days in each direction between Ushuaia and the Antarctic Peninsula), as well as time at sea when we weren't able to get out for a landing or Zodiac due to weather conditions. We were fortunate enough to have a lot of off-ship excursions, but the time at sea can be quite the drag.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a6C7_wHOmZApgm779wo7HE5Snh2rUMXuvKb2fGG_6O3X6UIuSRNSJ-K-9Aw6e1D54Hi9fkpvPdJRRnnvropE37rO8zSvmV9BzjG-w19Nw2CUF8vhPUfKcgIZ3DvNnWCjPhnbM2pJmz92nQPD7CN-6uwn6swJxnU4Ojye22es4gSr2HX6HG56l2hs2w/s5568/DSC_4866.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4a6C7_wHOmZApgm779wo7HE5Snh2rUMXuvKb2fGG_6O3X6UIuSRNSJ-K-9Aw6e1D54Hi9fkpvPdJRRnnvropE37rO8zSvmV9BzjG-w19Nw2CUF8vhPUfKcgIZ3DvNnWCjPhnbM2pJmz92nQPD7CN-6uwn6swJxnU4Ojye22es4gSr2HX6HG56l2hs2w/s320/DSC_4866.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z1z-mubwrxXw75nNnVCQPfSbdBmX_Ss8SKNqqwL_4fvEZF7Th0HiG4Vtwb8iD4FEkZAr_oaHavFarzLRv1j3Kh2t6yr0m3i17FZdIrsH8s0JeBrTTyIPJ3LhpU0M_v7sDIWI0HcNaD1TegTYkCSyac985ILduOjal2LJqGRVQ-tu831WiK3lhPjgKw/s5568/DSC_4882.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8z1z-mubwrxXw75nNnVCQPfSbdBmX_Ss8SKNqqwL_4fvEZF7Th0HiG4Vtwb8iD4FEkZAr_oaHavFarzLRv1j3Kh2t6yr0m3i17FZdIrsH8s0JeBrTTyIPJ3LhpU0M_v7sDIWI0HcNaD1TegTYkCSyac985ILduOjal2LJqGRVQ-tu831WiK3lhPjgKw/s320/DSC_4882.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jean Pennycook, Expedition Team ornithologist. Jean was definitely one of the highlights of this trip. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bzp0erTd8Lo8M7GHSCWe1QJs3L8BxckxqmvkxIqeoghv_8i6g5WMHySt9XV4rd3qP6SIW3gdDuqDxkKQW6ZcBQT2hvJnQvfXX1SJL88mDHRWM5NEhQym13kJNrEEL3w_Ha832FhBAQDlGKz98CRyR4p6fA4kstfmQEqgNi5x3DT4zCvEV5Z_b2cbkw/s5568/DSC_4180.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3bzp0erTd8Lo8M7GHSCWe1QJs3L8BxckxqmvkxIqeoghv_8i6g5WMHySt9XV4rd3qP6SIW3gdDuqDxkKQW6ZcBQT2hvJnQvfXX1SJL88mDHRWM5NEhQym13kJNrEEL3w_Ha832FhBAQDlGKz98CRyR4p6fA4kstfmQEqgNi5x3DT4zCvEV5Z_b2cbkw/s320/DSC_4180.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div>What do we do when we're at sea all day? I can personally attest to being a little frustrated when I couldn't get off the ship. I mean, what am I supposed to do with myself, besides:<p></p><p>Look for whales and birds and other wildlife, update my journal, review my photographs, talk to other passengers, attend any and every educational presentation available, hobnob with the Expedition Team researchers and scientists and ask a lot of questions, nap, read, visit the Polar Boutique, drink a lot of coffee, tea, and cocoa, venture out on deck, as long as the weather doesn't prohibit, watch the sea with binoculars, write out postcards, go to the spa, sauna, hot tub, or gym*, peruse books and games in the Observation Deck's library, clown around, challenge our balance when the sea gets rough.</p><p>Let's hope we get off this ship soon before I lose my mind...</p><p><br /></p><p>*The gym was a non-starter. The only time available to actually use the gym was when we were at sea, and I couldn't imagine trying to run on a treadmill or ride a bike when the ship was rolling and rocking through the Drake Passage. The very thought of it makes me nauseated.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWsxlLcElEoPiLqN_aQqGOhB08RaRFret7VKmYp345ae49cpao0F6Jmk4Srmr8bo_2ovCdc0MDYn-OuofNwSr-gXF0s437G0rOtLmnuzfD7nJmkF0PjoLJFYpFw9yUH-qGkWOFVigULbO9yac6n0OVvn-Wp-WetML8IzLGMhHlHdEPnOYq5QpGOIBnA/s5568/DSC_3690.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWsxlLcElEoPiLqN_aQqGOhB08RaRFret7VKmYp345ae49cpao0F6Jmk4Srmr8bo_2ovCdc0MDYn-OuofNwSr-gXF0s437G0rOtLmnuzfD7nJmkF0PjoLJFYpFw9yUH-qGkWOFVigULbO9yac6n0OVvn-Wp-WetML8IzLGMhHlHdEPnOYq5QpGOIBnA/s320/DSC_3690.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdDKYkpfjPn8vwzT6aty34eeE8ZdzsYJENx3MFKwaiKySM10RJS-9QEXrIto1mR8Jv8oLi3g6w2LhuhfSIU6H7fH_8d2kNFFu3e0EBGUrjQ5k1NDSPNzmTPvACvubfQYOXpwfFeQQTSE12LQYsKRE1hx_ToIh6xyzx_sgLhGsLae-SidVj1ni_5n2uA/s4032/IMG_0945.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdDKYkpfjPn8vwzT6aty34eeE8ZdzsYJENx3MFKwaiKySM10RJS-9QEXrIto1mR8Jv8oLi3g6w2LhuhfSIU6H7fH_8d2kNFFu3e0EBGUrjQ5k1NDSPNzmTPvACvubfQYOXpwfFeQQTSE12LQYsKRE1hx_ToIh6xyzx_sgLhGsLae-SidVj1ni_5n2uA/s320/IMG_0945.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyaIpsW3BC8T9a5ii12xDAGEk0nToQpvr8HkTavdjOGeDWGUmoNbyfm_5yIQcDN4y9FNy3pNUBBNxT-qZwrKA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></blockquote><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-24979643224074882612023-02-28T13:39:00.002-05:002023-02-28T14:08:14.246-05:00Whale breath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHj_c6AgBCCxTdXm-_xWBnrRo-YiUk57jJ6jb_nPye5-pVJp8SmZZbSmGR6pRgGBfiBUOIK99tNc0Cn1xfLDfzf99qtFERfEvcbEKwTIiBESB23EPrrD3zWAfvHaK4M9Ne8jS1mp-XhdgUQCmtGaVr87qQOVueJxI9b9j96oQS0gwCisA_8MfqhK9JFw/s4798/8AD1C4DC-02A0-4DAD-A9AD-1F129BE37D3E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3223" data-original-width="4798" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHj_c6AgBCCxTdXm-_xWBnrRo-YiUk57jJ6jb_nPye5-pVJp8SmZZbSmGR6pRgGBfiBUOIK99tNc0Cn1xfLDfzf99qtFERfEvcbEKwTIiBESB23EPrrD3zWAfvHaK4M9Ne8jS1mp-XhdgUQCmtGaVr87qQOVueJxI9b9j96oQS0gwCisA_8MfqhK9JFw/s320/8AD1C4DC-02A0-4DAD-A9AD-1F129BE37D3E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH92npq0RnQp4Sia9D5sQXIdQH8FP2n02lg3SoDYLNglKcGRM-KK3ZfdZziTvWEaX3G76KlgPTHrip-JFP9jOCPDnwQLqpvSXzESzPLKip432y9Jxu8qPt_qLcB72zU-tx7rVRcIqUvw-M8nETRRnxvGIlAZdQmlOZ1k025tBWddNS1Zsq5irMEdAHw/s1620/23DE4D68-4DDB-4882-95A9-AE8498286C2F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH92npq0RnQp4Sia9D5sQXIdQH8FP2n02lg3SoDYLNglKcGRM-KK3ZfdZziTvWEaX3G76KlgPTHrip-JFP9jOCPDnwQLqpvSXzESzPLKip432y9Jxu8qPt_qLcB72zU-tx7rVRcIqUvw-M8nETRRnxvGIlAZdQmlOZ1k025tBWddNS1Zsq5irMEdAHw/s320/23DE4D68-4DDB-4882-95A9-AE8498286C2F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVWK_vEoprQtuNyDfhPLkJwEtR1B25MpPROn4XkTYNUaIiThnByOjU3CGXeZsOnZl48MQMbHHb9tr9DDjbn-dRm7iPlgN0TISp8wfX7tGPnGYWq5eq8yl-oP9FwyRzW6iyiO6I27OkjV5sWC8OmVjZzbWJQQTANQmYmLCwA5VeR2iUOOtLQKcKwDudw/s1522/EEF441D3-CD5C-4C19-AC5C-107C8CA2B901.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1015" data-original-width="1522" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVWK_vEoprQtuNyDfhPLkJwEtR1B25MpPROn4XkTYNUaIiThnByOjU3CGXeZsOnZl48MQMbHHb9tr9DDjbn-dRm7iPlgN0TISp8wfX7tGPnGYWq5eq8yl-oP9FwyRzW6iyiO6I27OkjV5sWC8OmVjZzbWJQQTANQmYmLCwA5VeR2iUOOtLQKcKwDudw/s320/EEF441D3-CD5C-4C19-AC5C-107C8CA2B901.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIljrUkD4D1wrQAmindSVgwr00z-I6NlPel6kj221BbpMhpm8k1EJ9Nku50HtyoFU0vo4xxQ9FHAfs7pW67fMGX8-u8Q8IpEZCv-lZb8abaZ4RGOqkmkTG3P-IVRg0FMjBCN-UK-xbeZatbRfXlfhC5vNLa9kz6-VaNgpJ6Wq9Dj6XMFsbAcLpuD8Cg/s1448/E33EC3D3-41A5-4784-AF60-0E649D7FE405.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="1448" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIljrUkD4D1wrQAmindSVgwr00z-I6NlPel6kj221BbpMhpm8k1EJ9Nku50HtyoFU0vo4xxQ9FHAfs7pW67fMGX8-u8Q8IpEZCv-lZb8abaZ4RGOqkmkTG3P-IVRg0FMjBCN-UK-xbeZatbRfXlfhC5vNLa9kz6-VaNgpJ6Wq9Dj6XMFsbAcLpuD8Cg/s320/E33EC3D3-41A5-4784-AF60-0E649D7FE405.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Early into this expedition, we were taught to look for whales out at sea by watching for the blow of their breath. Expedition Team member Annie Inglis is a marine biologist, and she has a keen eye for spotting the spout from far off, and identifying the whale from the blow pattern and shape.</p><p>As we crossed the Drake and headed toward the polar region, whale sightings became more and more frequent, and they also got a lot closer to our ship.</p><p>There are so many whales here, humpbacks, of course, but also fin, minke, and pilot whales. We would see them cruising alongside us, ‘logging’ (sleeping at the surface) as we were anchored offshore, even witnessing a “bubble net” feeding. We recognized the humpbacks’ breathing patterns (3 breaths and then a dive), which was our cue that we would soon see a fluke as the whale dove deep (get your camera ready!). But the coolest experience was watching them from the Zodiac, where we were close enough to hear them breathe, sometimes using the sound of their breath to identify their position, and to follow and watch them do what whales do. Mostly it was them simply gliding gracefully by, hardly causing a ripple on the water as they swam right past.</p><p>Seeing these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat was a humbling experience, and what a privilege for us visitors to their world.</p><p><br /></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-56430093127266365562023-02-28T09:03:00.013-05:002023-02-28T13:07:38.574-05:00From Glacier to Glass: “Ice Fishing” in Antarctica<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBlOJwczruKXhbJ3Snif_7OyByVdhOYNyDdk5JodhlYztxDTpqsLgnkn2cfBI_S6kBuhF6yQvqgAsyH6XTIdvZ0VKXRCQv98EKVd8zcAFUJrvChuLL9xYOhfrOwNYad7QZxRX6Nkrc18iHdNg1ZfNgOCWFm-KC6cPA7r5L3kNL7Xb6OEx80NEpOCzUA/s1600/5221EB6F-44C4-450F-9C92-CE2A7E40DACF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyBlOJwczruKXhbJ3Snif_7OyByVdhOYNyDdk5JodhlYztxDTpqsLgnkn2cfBI_S6kBuhF6yQvqgAsyH6XTIdvZ0VKXRCQv98EKVd8zcAFUJrvChuLL9xYOhfrOwNYad7QZxRX6Nkrc18iHdNg1ZfNgOCWFm-KC6cPA7r5L3kNL7Xb6OEx80NEpOCzUA/s320/5221EB6F-44C4-450F-9C92-CE2A7E40DACF.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-V0P7ziQt1qYo2PaUQUneCRaUT2yH4tKWhV5YNyR7wc3B5lNrydchQaQLmZh0fRvShSMFnocZ4GdEtEJsiXpRTd1ZmHzQ0oBYkQ_2hv2QAyTHBaYLXJ3cz5OXaOn0Pu32c0VQyh1D9vVmG6oTQ_wFiylqGi5Z7ZWi5vQTUWG06U3KSTWdLZuyEnBPQ/s4032/9972F147-5842-48A3-A467-9D5B931A3B58.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-V0P7ziQt1qYo2PaUQUneCRaUT2yH4tKWhV5YNyR7wc3B5lNrydchQaQLmZh0fRvShSMFnocZ4GdEtEJsiXpRTd1ZmHzQ0oBYkQ_2hv2QAyTHBaYLXJ3cz5OXaOn0Pu32c0VQyh1D9vVmG6oTQ_wFiylqGi5Z7ZWi5vQTUWG06U3KSTWdLZuyEnBPQ/s320/9972F147-5842-48A3-A467-9D5B931A3B58.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HGyM6ofaXnsgOjoMDRNpphegnPFDnkxHEkh64UWNe8XnA5k4im_dZPEwaoqTUcJQjHhDYrW2EHdEAPxvQf-zIOi_vFdxQs5UcZTrBatJHADTM6JT9qyzWJMQWb3_7uLITH9Z2bYoDglmeYLabYXvHnnpuOocdI-lcsmN7ihXuO8jX7enRxXdf3_GSA/s1600/02EB303E-43F2-475E-8858-97A616DF0ABC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HGyM6ofaXnsgOjoMDRNpphegnPFDnkxHEkh64UWNe8XnA5k4im_dZPEwaoqTUcJQjHhDYrW2EHdEAPxvQf-zIOi_vFdxQs5UcZTrBatJHADTM6JT9qyzWJMQWb3_7uLITH9Z2bYoDglmeYLabYXvHnnpuOocdI-lcsmN7ihXuO8jX7enRxXdf3_GSA/s320/02EB303E-43F2-475E-8858-97A616DF0ABC.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwBc4G2Odo_y4wRIOHLpPMYrKz8HvIctdWdHfoekynYKcVnIz7j6k5fADcu8qyEFaYx2GHqGqurgaitnyTgRMBCFWqGLt-2vqzqSSwAzsuougojH3qgF5cpHnoBEn7XHXoVM3koiRbal4mnJEwhd7Y13S69skWNzDAFKy5UCB9R4LdhaCW1dhFLbuTQ/s4032/8D5E4658-1C4F-479E-B3D0-1E29D3A197EA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwBc4G2Odo_y4wRIOHLpPMYrKz8HvIctdWdHfoekynYKcVnIz7j6k5fADcu8qyEFaYx2GHqGqurgaitnyTgRMBCFWqGLt-2vqzqSSwAzsuougojH3qgF5cpHnoBEn7XHXoVM3koiRbal4mnJEwhd7Y13S69skWNzDAFKy5UCB9R4LdhaCW1dhFLbuTQ/s320/8D5E4658-1C4F-479E-B3D0-1E29D3A197EA.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xfJH0C154IgNmLFU7JOnSV3v_r9Mg5_QIHh-ogpfw5WaVlALsC0UqlQVPA8MRObKYXlmNluXA8556_RKFUo6_O1qHKwt4iPkfWYc5l-LNnBbdXmvXCMj6awmxqZUDBdVMMBhqzru0nHlDRyFDQ3o-8L-nRyZCR5uz71sI9l-Hn4wkEXv7DKKvbDjuw/s2140/D3C67809-1607-4449-B023-0BA3F7FAC1B1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2095" data-original-width="2140" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xfJH0C154IgNmLFU7JOnSV3v_r9Mg5_QIHh-ogpfw5WaVlALsC0UqlQVPA8MRObKYXlmNluXA8556_RKFUo6_O1qHKwt4iPkfWYc5l-LNnBbdXmvXCMj6awmxqZUDBdVMMBhqzru0nHlDRyFDQ3o-8L-nRyZCR5uz71sI9l-Hn4wkEXv7DKKvbDjuw/s320/D3C67809-1607-4449-B023-0BA3F7FAC1B1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />During one of our Zodiac excursions, our pilot Justin and Expedition Team member Jean fished out a huge block of glacier ice from sea. <p></p><p>This was no ordinary ice! Although there are blocks of ice and ice floes and icebergs all around us, there is one special form of ice that caught the eye of our team members.</p><p>From a distance, it looks solid black, as if a block of obsidian were floating on the water. But as you get closer, you realize that it is almost solidly crystal clear - the black is just a reflection of the water.</p><p>This is GLACIER ICE, the bits that broke off as the glaciers slowly chugged down the mountains and landed in the sea. Due to tens of thousands of years of compression, there is very little air entrapped in the solid block of ice, which makes it look like a hunk of crystal.</p><p>We hauled the block of ice into the Zodiac, and later it ended up at the bar to be used in very special cocktails that evening. It was delicious!</p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-73801873265360575982023-02-28T07:11:00.003-05:002023-02-28T07:11:27.637-05:00Antarctica: The Zodiac Experience<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQGcTZrPkU_MNOWidC06tXohh4LhJGRWU8EToJNiia5xhR_bCHneRConYHCI5ETaK6T472xy0y38ap17G1UBhEb7BFjrwQTl7Alilm281fA5LQUdwVdDK47r4pF9LGmWIDLkyvha1hvSPdOMGhqcaVg0qLuAQSwMmkESgDdnDrHk2bZM-4YRCb63efQ/s1620/0C61D1AB-7058-4446-90DB-83140CB6B0CF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQGcTZrPkU_MNOWidC06tXohh4LhJGRWU8EToJNiia5xhR_bCHneRConYHCI5ETaK6T472xy0y38ap17G1UBhEb7BFjrwQTl7Alilm281fA5LQUdwVdDK47r4pF9LGmWIDLkyvha1hvSPdOMGhqcaVg0qLuAQSwMmkESgDdnDrHk2bZM-4YRCb63efQ/s320/0C61D1AB-7058-4446-90DB-83140CB6B0CF.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKD9qoBxHdJ_tqF_n7bb1Sqe-kK-HpiHYdJyqM3QpDIk3HjBmLwn5eOrUQKegcXI4klX9Ywy-si5ZBF8SAKFQq-LsPu8xdKbHgCIZib4KfVv7x0n0YEKJdjEEhx7wbJnFcH3Vpr_leLd3_WU4atMtztabDTAv-g65PLuZcQjqXbUF6aO3mV-3icdSnmw/s1620/3AF2081F-39CF-488A-B4B5-04906A9DB2F1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKD9qoBxHdJ_tqF_n7bb1Sqe-kK-HpiHYdJyqM3QpDIk3HjBmLwn5eOrUQKegcXI4klX9Ywy-si5ZBF8SAKFQq-LsPu8xdKbHgCIZib4KfVv7x0n0YEKJdjEEhx7wbJnFcH3Vpr_leLd3_WU4atMtztabDTAv-g65PLuZcQjqXbUF6aO3mV-3icdSnmw/s320/3AF2081F-39CF-488A-B4B5-04906A9DB2F1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BcD0rEDhh_Y5dl4daTTSvOxi43vkjqvnj3_wmShKZ1tnIJnKUka8j_6uebv0a7fkJu7G9g4x4ug6tCtvGwfveaKlbHdcNRYwqSB7amILSNSV8M1nGlJqECwndMnGmGNpoBVRPnr0DTdO4nWi3eDEDPx9EOj97wDrHCe1y-DNtk5rr7TaNYJ43Z4VSA/s1620/4099BCEC-1EA1-4C81-86F9-BC569724A5AC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BcD0rEDhh_Y5dl4daTTSvOxi43vkjqvnj3_wmShKZ1tnIJnKUka8j_6uebv0a7fkJu7G9g4x4ug6tCtvGwfveaKlbHdcNRYwqSB7amILSNSV8M1nGlJqECwndMnGmGNpoBVRPnr0DTdO4nWi3eDEDPx9EOj97wDrHCe1y-DNtk5rr7TaNYJ43Z4VSA/s320/4099BCEC-1EA1-4C81-86F9-BC569724A5AC.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQ8ibGLuAREVn7oU5OLFmsXtQ_Vc6YQlsipl1OGPyLZwqk2c2HwzKqMj9mSKusLt8f8LjrvlU9K0HbrnmhuwIPJOEwHUpOjwGKqGkG7dJVilrhJr8E0E2vqAdjRMBZkaqeZ2tKFUPgG5RiYpSuAi_G1ET_ZAjdD9EbxZ3-fI5HToY7M9ADOKAF6gdAA/s1620/445610AF-59D8-428F-8179-6B8F32DD342C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQ8ibGLuAREVn7oU5OLFmsXtQ_Vc6YQlsipl1OGPyLZwqk2c2HwzKqMj9mSKusLt8f8LjrvlU9K0HbrnmhuwIPJOEwHUpOjwGKqGkG7dJVilrhJr8E0E2vqAdjRMBZkaqeZ2tKFUPgG5RiYpSuAi_G1ET_ZAjdD9EbxZ3-fI5HToY7M9ADOKAF6gdAA/s320/445610AF-59D8-428F-8179-6B8F32DD342C.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVf30A8ltg6zOZwK85YIimKDILJHiK2q3_AG1FgzEauBIixCC2Tvt9KqmWCuQWC2-oRbdWP6waFwKm8OMweJITCRF0R4tRHjswxpGgk43oNOcKN6JIUFhv7JCz2-ikVoPZ9fqNfYUeN_IUlvKkz421rJRCM21ryUOe0GNjKIBvoBOB9zi-lILJQPA_Q/s4032/AD991176-FFD3-4201-9AD8-1C9FEBE7DAB5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVf30A8ltg6zOZwK85YIimKDILJHiK2q3_AG1FgzEauBIixCC2Tvt9KqmWCuQWC2-oRbdWP6waFwKm8OMweJITCRF0R4tRHjswxpGgk43oNOcKN6JIUFhv7JCz2-ikVoPZ9fqNfYUeN_IUlvKkz421rJRCM21ryUOe0GNjKIBvoBOB9zi-lILJQPA_Q/s320/AD991176-FFD3-4201-9AD8-1C9FEBE7DAB5.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />One of the highlights of this trip is the Zodiacs, the boats that take us from the ship to our land excursions, or to cruise around on the area near our anchor site. I’ve never been on a Zodiac before (I had a lot of ‘firsts’ on this trip - more on that later), and I was super excited to get on the water.<p></p><p>Each Zodiac fits 10 people plus the pilot. The first day at sea we were told what to wear on the Zodiac, and how to safely get in and out of one. It was, at first, quite a daunting process, but we got more efficient as the week went on.</p><p>First, what do you wear on the Zodiac? Since being on the water can be quite cold and windy, we’re told to layer up, and carry a dry bag for extra items (and camera), or if we want to shed layers. Many of the Zodiacs were simply a way from getting from ship to shore, which meant that you’ll probably be warm from walking around on land. Other times, we simply did a Zodiac cruise for an hour or more, so it’s best to wear all the layers.</p><p>We first get dressed in our cabin:</p><p>Bottom: base layer leggings, sock liners, wool socks, fleece pants, waterproof pants</p><p>Top: base layer top, mid-weight wool shirt, Quark-issued polar parka with waterproof outer layer</p><p>Balaclava, neck gaiter, Smartwool cap. Glove liners, over-gloves (I have polar-rated mittens), hand warmers. Sunglasses or goggles are a good idea, too, as is sunscreen.</p><p>After the first time donning all this gear, I kept all my Zodiac clothes in one place so I was able to simply throw on my ‘uniform’ and not forget anything. It seems that you get about 20-30 minute warning for gangway time, so you have to be prepared. Once your excursion team is called to the mud room, it’s a mad dash to get to your boots and life jacket and get in line to board your boat.</p><p>The Zodiacs are necessary because there are no ‘ports’ in Antarctica, so you need them to get to shore. Sometimes landing isn’t part of the plan, and in those instances we’re out cruising around the inlet, looking for seals and whales and penguins, and taking in the astonishing landscape from the level of the water. </p><p>The pilots have a keen eye for spotting Antarctic fauna, and we would often speed up to where a whale was sighted, then cut the engine and just watch. Being so close to the hundreds of humpbacks (and pilot whales, and minkes) we saw on this trip is an unforgettable and moving experience.</p><p><br /></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-29541210729718589752023-02-21T19:07:00.002-05:002023-02-28T08:58:09.615-05:0066º33’<p>Sometime in early afternoon, what looked like a huge snow-covered mountain appeared on the port side of the ship. I thought for sure it was a mirage but, no, we were looking at Antarctica!</p><p>Everyone on the ship, it seemed, gathered on Deck 7. We saw so many whales: humpback, fin, pilot, and some seals and even a few penguins flying through the waves (they look like fish leaping out of the water). As we got neared to the Antarctic Circle, icebergs dotted the sea and it was magical. </p><p>There was a huge celebration and everyone was having a good time. Passengers mugged for photos outside, and inside the observation lounge we had hot cocoa with Bailey’s to toast our journey into the polar zone. King Neptune and his mermaid servant made all of us pay homage to him: we had to kiss his fish and then he poured water over our heads to commemorate our rite of passage into the southern circle.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0GqXWjqEslUo1bQ5dpNIhPF4PcPYQJdVJlE60W9DxNcdK34Uh0ug_FaIwuXxV_JNlRWu_qH4KLFKiAs9wy9TiI6rxhbmSIPJ8t7NzJ7yv3d32r5rBsGZMS4QrtTbekNdb1blniKsRFst76mXYmYhXjSd3OOqzolZ0BhKQXsGsUaA-7wDm87vLUhCDg/s4032/313A0C7A-8B0E-4B20-BCFD-01AD09FEFBA0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS0GqXWjqEslUo1bQ5dpNIhPF4PcPYQJdVJlE60W9DxNcdK34Uh0ug_FaIwuXxV_JNlRWu_qH4KLFKiAs9wy9TiI6rxhbmSIPJ8t7NzJ7yv3d32r5rBsGZMS4QrtTbekNdb1blniKsRFst76mXYmYhXjSd3OOqzolZ0BhKQXsGsUaA-7wDm87vLUhCDg/s320/313A0C7A-8B0E-4B20-BCFD-01AD09FEFBA0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtIt3I6Xc3Z9xQebBfvqg-2zuhOjq9SQM7ef1CQlgOoNRYVckQPsdw0CTK4FRmV8PNSyRJH4RwWno64tpd8H35jeUgNgxrLkWxjyF69HKS9GRgGdxiIn36cmV1dOiF2SGbQcW2r3tH2Mh0qfMOyeG0AgvMIYqd3MlzcQzpNsK_3kLO5ZG9NrZ3tH4yg/s5568/E6733692-E0F8-426E-9DDD-8A174CA44B0F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3712" data-original-width="5568" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtIt3I6Xc3Z9xQebBfvqg-2zuhOjq9SQM7ef1CQlgOoNRYVckQPsdw0CTK4FRmV8PNSyRJH4RwWno64tpd8H35jeUgNgxrLkWxjyF69HKS9GRgGdxiIn36cmV1dOiF2SGbQcW2r3tH2Mh0qfMOyeG0AgvMIYqd3MlzcQzpNsK_3kLO5ZG9NrZ3tH4yg/s320/E6733692-E0F8-426E-9DDD-8A174CA44B0F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPk2OBxf5kO2ASngXzF70RWULp1YcAfzcUc3NX7D1-0kQWpt1tKYH1yYZVnb7l2pkCBMo8_K2LkOvTrBUvsxkkvABzvzncH7IPKsINF_oFszemT1yPYU--UnJTwL-pdlboXidX1Fddws3n-ezozHZqPH0MF0jdWcLBbRMloGG_ZzJHbaaLrzea2CreA/s4032/EEFF5EC2-EF3A-47BE-A154-D8B8422635A9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjPk2OBxf5kO2ASngXzF70RWULp1YcAfzcUc3NX7D1-0kQWpt1tKYH1yYZVnb7l2pkCBMo8_K2LkOvTrBUvsxkkvABzvzncH7IPKsINF_oFszemT1yPYU--UnJTwL-pdlboXidX1Fddws3n-ezozHZqPH0MF0jdWcLBbRMloGG_ZzJHbaaLrzea2CreA/s320/EEFF5EC2-EF3A-47BE-A154-D8B8422635A9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD04GiF_-Q4t7lDOv6NPU7XrVCadV5XrA0AXrSiX519XPYKGDHR5wUX9E1BdnvFci5DyF9l9_l7dj43qiRHtQWWM2dYm7_Rom9QrgBZGUiS7vvwLal-deQSlqnvFvfF9rXIkKXv1O_5oUO8daIav-jevZ18Yv_GDb_DS_NEP-KyON4iTCVz6a-kNxuA/s4032/F24DB8CD-1011-4590-992F-8D24CD25F279.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggD04GiF_-Q4t7lDOv6NPU7XrVCadV5XrA0AXrSiX519XPYKGDHR5wUX9E1BdnvFci5DyF9l9_l7dj43qiRHtQWWM2dYm7_Rom9QrgBZGUiS7vvwLal-deQSlqnvFvfF9rXIkKXv1O_5oUO8daIav-jevZ18Yv_GDb_DS_NEP-KyON4iTCVz6a-kNxuA/s320/F24DB8CD-1011-4590-992F-8D24CD25F279.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We stayed on deck for hours, enjoying the moment with our fellow passengers and our great fortune to be in Antarctica.<p></p><p>We are told that there is still an opportunity for a Zodiac excursion today. I am excited to get off this ship and I’m ready to start exploring Antarctica.</p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-25649859105263458682023-02-21T16:11:00.000-05:002023-02-21T16:11:00.404-05:00Crossing the Antarctic Circle<p>Woke up to the same featureless sea we’ve been crossing since Friday night, but today, the sun is shining and we know that we will be in ANTARCTICA by this afternoon!</p><p><br /></p><p>We were all out on the open Deck 5 observation area early, but we didn’t see much except for a few birds and some whale blows. </p><p><br /></p><p>The morning routine while at sea is: breakfast, some sort of presentation on topics of interest to Antarctica explorers, short break, another presentation, lunch. The first talk was on pinnipeds, and Annie taught us how to identify the types of seals we’re likely to see this week: crabeater, Wedell, Southern fur seal, leopard seal, and elephant seal. </p><p>Later, Expedition Team member Jean taught us how to identify the penguins we should see on this trip: Adelie, Gentoo, Chinstrap, Magellenic, Macaroni, and if we’re really lucky, King and Emporer.</p><p><br /></p><p>After lunch, we were told that we would be crossing the Antarctic Circle at 3:30 PM! </p><p>Signing off until we got to 66º 33’</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-31050494389725534742023-02-19T12:36:00.001-05:002023-02-19T12:36:47.657-05:00Drake Passage: 2 days at seaWe have been at sea now for 2 days, and counting. For some reason, I don’t remember the itinerary indicating this many days at sea - I probably glossed over that part of the brochure to get to the good stuff.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbSXXUW8ZREIkSP3SNZc96T-ts_fJHWY_fDi3YkMSTY4t6v7n_Nt1yfd_3OUnayqaVPZjo7Cz5Ygl_T4PMMuCRNhqcSdewfkmuVxEMB_GzrsLccd6th1E4xQMvlU7ZKloKOwsBSSZS_R7ne9GKsiWmTOxXdxIM6OV2aEOaNbScbR0IFSM4GkC9OzErA/s4032/9F475E03-10C3-4041-83DC-921D88AE8271.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDbSXXUW8ZREIkSP3SNZc96T-ts_fJHWY_fDi3YkMSTY4t6v7n_Nt1yfd_3OUnayqaVPZjo7Cz5Ygl_T4PMMuCRNhqcSdewfkmuVxEMB_GzrsLccd6th1E4xQMvlU7ZKloKOwsBSSZS_R7ne9GKsiWmTOxXdxIM6OV2aEOaNbScbR0IFSM4GkC9OzErA/s320/9F475E03-10C3-4041-83DC-921D88AE8271.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbcmJITS_Yv5HxBgFBJCa7GKNftTCD_7UvPM3oYCwA4Dt-DpSjMxgRPIgy7hKmsB0THr2Z1MSSYG5iVGSFqrXfDDjo5YanLy-ofJ9HWDEazLQ9fnj6gZGmrNik4kNyDkLXz4_Ttc0I_2Kr3Kb7Iq0rfT3l0is6nnL0ZuB6mX7jQzGoG9KIjpy0kr-3w/s3426/38BC7697-F8F8-4358-8001-A0339597F69F.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2715" data-original-width="3426" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbcmJITS_Yv5HxBgFBJCa7GKNftTCD_7UvPM3oYCwA4Dt-DpSjMxgRPIgy7hKmsB0THr2Z1MSSYG5iVGSFqrXfDDjo5YanLy-ofJ9HWDEazLQ9fnj6gZGmrNik4kNyDkLXz4_Ttc0I_2Kr3Kb7Iq0rfT3l0is6nnL0ZuB6mX7jQzGoG9KIjpy0kr-3w/s320/38BC7697-F8F8-4358-8001-A0339597F69F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oG8CYZuojAOIEKkaWDaepigFvDJVQB4SxP2x2laJoeWFyhVK_qQ01RR9cymDcB1P8vsmF9CsOc6moSvKvjLWpdqj4BUZE6g835ZpvM21qe6YRZmbtcJpwcKfFzpdLW26f81KFGGo0yLNrbXXmZ31TWqYugkzNDTiBakIRBrDbOFxmSkGExdi_H9vvA/s4032/76D48503-520A-44D6-99A3-4EABF02D9C74.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oG8CYZuojAOIEKkaWDaepigFvDJVQB4SxP2x2laJoeWFyhVK_qQ01RR9cymDcB1P8vsmF9CsOc6moSvKvjLWpdqj4BUZE6g835ZpvM21qe6YRZmbtcJpwcKfFzpdLW26f81KFGGo0yLNrbXXmZ31TWqYugkzNDTiBakIRBrDbOFxmSkGExdi_H9vvA/s320/76D48503-520A-44D6-99A3-4EABF02D9C74.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwr-lzld2lTQqjlzKtvw9_OLsRas0JU1J5FJWQJ1IJlaa1P_wN3Pdhunzb2YZGojwi8MAWIQ1M6bnXXk10oUfd1bzh0x9gnyYo3_TA1U4EFz4LEznrQ6zoYpAzWf6AvA-EwJsFZtIIVFLC9DB-G2kqx0ZnaO2Nlnqkl5SZ70hKk--US55Nm-BI0UWrsg/s3967/954F8FDF-DCBE-42D2-8FB2-85A41E583587.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2745" data-original-width="3967" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwr-lzld2lTQqjlzKtvw9_OLsRas0JU1J5FJWQJ1IJlaa1P_wN3Pdhunzb2YZGojwi8MAWIQ1M6bnXXk10oUfd1bzh0x9gnyYo3_TA1U4EFz4LEznrQ6zoYpAzWf6AvA-EwJsFZtIIVFLC9DB-G2kqx0ZnaO2Nlnqkl5SZ70hKk--US55Nm-BI0UWrsg/s320/954F8FDF-DCBE-42D2-8FB2-85A41E583587.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgEZrFmrVtZD0X4VRUPePiPfbwxrc5Nz9mXraQTr2LfWqukyg8vdff6dtJKn0XKiWsVdJVCXYkw-87-1gaVo_PBDToZZp2vsobAJdSEOyeIxzVco_SeNni-PqFFTN6W2hJadcsMjuaKzKj6vMdyBG0ZKDgxMFHGKHFIy9OcZboRMR9XC3O7P0SXeWog/s4032/FF42C37F-42CA-48D7-8936-C17391C0B489.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgEZrFmrVtZD0X4VRUPePiPfbwxrc5Nz9mXraQTr2LfWqukyg8vdff6dtJKn0XKiWsVdJVCXYkw-87-1gaVo_PBDToZZp2vsobAJdSEOyeIxzVco_SeNni-PqFFTN6W2hJadcsMjuaKzKj6vMdyBG0ZKDgxMFHGKHFIy9OcZboRMR9XC3O7P0SXeWog/s320/FF42C37F-42CA-48D7-8936-C17391C0B489.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><div><br /></div><div>The Drake Passage is notorious for rough seas. It’s a place where 3 oceans - the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Southern - all come together in a contest to see how much chaos they can inflict upon passing ships. We are told that the Drake runs the gamut of two extremes: the relatively calm ‘Drake Lake’ and the more terrifying ‘Drake Shake’. We are somewhere closer to the Drake Lake version, but its enough rocking and rolling for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>The days at sea are both action packed and painfully long. It has taken me a while to get my ‘sea legs’, but I do think it’s better than the first day aboard the ship. </div><div><br /></div><div>Quark lists out the day’s schedule of events, which includes everything from mandatory meetings (how to safely get in and out of the Zodiacs, parka and boot fittings and instruction), and talks given by the Expedition Team (the Quark team, not my friends and I who have been referring to ourselves as Expedition Team, too). </div><div><br /></div><div>The Quark team is an enthusiastic, knowledgeable group of scientists and historians who are ready to enhance our experience. We’ve had a lot of good conversations with Jean, our ornithologist, and Annie, our marine biologist who has a wicked eye to spot even the tiniest dolphin splash in the wide expanse of sea in front of us, at dusk. We’ve gone to presentations about Antarctica bird life, Cetaceans of the Southern Ocean, and the History of Antarctica Exploration. One of the team gave a talk last night about marine superstitions, which taught us to never whistle on the ship, or use certain words like ‘rat’ and ‘rabbit’. We are in 100% compliance with these instructions. </div><div><br /></div><div>We found out that there are inflatable kayak excursions available through a lottery system, so Matt and I put our names in the hat and we found out today that we secured a spot on one of the paddling excursions. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now all we have to do is get through the rest of these days at sea so we can finally get to the Continent. </div><div><br /></div><div>We were told that we should be seeing icebergs sometime soon. They run a contest where you guess the date and time you think the first iceberg will be sighted. I guessed that it would be today (Sunday, Feb 19) at 5:30 PM. I will be a lot happier about being on this ship once I see some sea ice. That will indicate we’re getting close!</div></div>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-90403301060969240982023-02-19T11:51:00.001-05:002023-02-19T11:51:45.244-05:00Leaving for the 7th Continent TODAY!<p> Ship Day!</p><p>Embarkation Day!</p><p>Adventure Day!</p><p>The Expedition Team hasn’t quite decided what to call this day. We’ve been waiting soooooo long for this day to arrive that we may as well call it “Finally!”</p><p>Here’s today’s schedule:</p><p>Breakfast at Hotel Los Acebos</p><p>Drop off bags at 10:00 AM</p><p>Get picked up by Quark team at noon, go to Albatross Hotel in Ushuaia for check in on our ship</p><p>At 3 PM, head over to the pier where we will board a catamaran that will take us to World Explorer.</p><p>Not sure what time our ship will eventually leave port, but as long as all goes as planned, we will be at sea this evening. </p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-45453357263033302722023-02-17T05:29:00.000-05:002023-02-17T05:29:03.642-05:00Ushuaia: The End of the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3iUjFm4sGv-I3XrFokTSuh5qLs5Iu1U6JF4paHdTHYjoV21gt7PfqaTEOb87c-2MvA_3Kz91EJaF36tXBs3Us3hrKwO1qpNt-qdFpfXoTQj_sL_1n7N_ns5nn2LoI70r42gO3CEhuxvejQP4iRuFam5JaRYaWFq8uqZqhfxeFETPvfXCRZbptWKyrQ/s3673/7810747D-3A7D-45C9-A769-6FAA929C82D9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2751" data-original-width="3673" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3iUjFm4sGv-I3XrFokTSuh5qLs5Iu1U6JF4paHdTHYjoV21gt7PfqaTEOb87c-2MvA_3Kz91EJaF36tXBs3Us3hrKwO1qpNt-qdFpfXoTQj_sL_1n7N_ns5nn2LoI70r42gO3CEhuxvejQP4iRuFam5JaRYaWFq8uqZqhfxeFETPvfXCRZbptWKyrQ/s320/7810747D-3A7D-45C9-A769-6FAA929C82D9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Coming into Ushuaia was like stepping into a world previously known only through ads for mountain climbing gear or adventure travel guides. Dark, dramatic clouds with breaks of sunset, towering snow-capped mountains right up against the placid inlet. Seaside town crammed with colorful, weathered buildings. The wind was whipping up and a light snow was falling. Huge contrast to Buenos Aires, but the cold is refreshing. It was hard to contain our excitement. </p><p>We rode through “downtown” Ushuaia and up, up, up a snaking road where all the resorts seem to be located. Hotel Acebo is high above the cove, with panoramic views of the inlet and surrounding mountains. From the window of my room, I can see the ship docks and there are a few cruise ships getting ready to set sail. As tired as we all were, it felt right to have a celebratory drink at the hotel bar, just so we could linger over the late sunset (it’s summer here, after all) watching the snow fall and the ships leaving out of the Beagle Channel for points south. </p><p>I slept like a rock, and awoke to sun pouring in and that stunning view. We met for coffee and breakfast at the hotel’s wrap-around windowed dining room, enjoying the snow and sunshine and the local food and knowing how lucky we all are to be here.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6F7KxYHBkGZ06aHyHoNzd7B-yT9I-3ADGljQ9nKnF02LlRTHz5JbBg7kuWq7AtpsUm4HG7xgP1f3vVPgo1bgDf3BDrT4GNs_YJbq4gBvJMWoqBAAsI46YeHdJ64112884HnLwwLomnoGHUCEtl3NDOfmfwjI0E3X0WIPaRs7AE5qUrrd7OW924WET5g/s4032/40CB735E-6297-4521-9070-08A12B585F81.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6F7KxYHBkGZ06aHyHoNzd7B-yT9I-3ADGljQ9nKnF02LlRTHz5JbBg7kuWq7AtpsUm4HG7xgP1f3vVPgo1bgDf3BDrT4GNs_YJbq4gBvJMWoqBAAsI46YeHdJ64112884HnLwwLomnoGHUCEtl3NDOfmfwjI0E3X0WIPaRs7AE5qUrrd7OW924WET5g/s320/40CB735E-6297-4521-9070-08A12B585F81.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUIhz69B--EXBibmc2wNUrmMVzeYcOWhciQxM99yXXyZaHD9M4bREMk_wyUmEAUFDAFMchbiJkysy93SUicSzOmHE9jZ6asppnYwLp-hng3r_Nfuj5bKDhbuFuu1MSyGRof7f9yAQCX4ki77mpPkA5wQ_rsQoOklcH3NyebDcCiqbFbsOx3mGnLdIsw/s4032/BCDF7758-0724-4C54-A9DC-244685C2BF13.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUIhz69B--EXBibmc2wNUrmMVzeYcOWhciQxM99yXXyZaHD9M4bREMk_wyUmEAUFDAFMchbiJkysy93SUicSzOmHE9jZ6asppnYwLp-hng3r_Nfuj5bKDhbuFuu1MSyGRof7f9yAQCX4ki77mpPkA5wQ_rsQoOklcH3NyebDcCiqbFbsOx3mGnLdIsw/s320/BCDF7758-0724-4C54-A9DC-244685C2BF13.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>After wandering up the mountain road a bit to enjoy the stunning day and clean, crisp air, we took a shuttle into town for the afternoon. We wandered around the port, explored some of the commercial streets, popped into fun and quirky shops. Took a lot of photos. The sun is full out and it feels delightful. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMnph99NUeQX-82ifiyNz_-PVbwR459EAHSfbFXFDIdOZb0iQ7zWNDuyH1fjY9fUhK4_WQ1p66rPavm_JtLTp3kSBxEnObkbmcTvPIyl43pab9rctcGKbnzsId6M2IrSHoNSLWoS5wX3ryDabTs-fxzCsrQW8eEXZw5T-KjOTCJldo_U8y4cXRpxDhA/s4032/6CB51508-DDB0-4BF4-B912-9B3C7E19CECA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTMnph99NUeQX-82ifiyNz_-PVbwR459EAHSfbFXFDIdOZb0iQ7zWNDuyH1fjY9fUhK4_WQ1p66rPavm_JtLTp3kSBxEnObkbmcTvPIyl43pab9rctcGKbnzsId6M2IrSHoNSLWoS5wX3ryDabTs-fxzCsrQW8eEXZw5T-KjOTCJldo_U8y4cXRpxDhA/s320/6CB51508-DDB0-4BF4-B912-9B3C7E19CECA.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7H7sl_2PPSjWbWPUL4f4xx1eVvw0mEwLyVDftXJRGB6AxvCdvW-4u8e_ACDK--XHPeTV2awj_b2tIyUuF72t9Oz7I5pGZqN58owzJ9Ur5bX9SXWVpNiCEc_zZckB-Uor0QrgydmXEW_YMY2C5htFrODKrtkeSZEHg51wpIxFdYNYlAOp3wPPj3jYpA/s4032/84DD2D48-0879-47DB-88AE-3E1F8E2E70B0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A2XE_x0e-yYoZV_-lNIlYMBlmRPAm4EXK3S6Nu8ymaXYAU6H6CFVxV-6p6XZtMZTG4B5BbFXrkVawAigN0D0wYdIFDT17rR6NCBG8xdUriuI3jCxTjN8vJfpdS8XKHZjA6DcsmfzcuRg_Lev8yj1K-SqyhUI2toyF1ia-40n_mRGQFcPIAFp23DExA/s4032/EFE16FA9-28B9-447C-A2FC-AECC3B31BE1B.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A2XE_x0e-yYoZV_-lNIlYMBlmRPAm4EXK3S6Nu8ymaXYAU6H6CFVxV-6p6XZtMZTG4B5BbFXrkVawAigN0D0wYdIFDT17rR6NCBG8xdUriuI3jCxTjN8vJfpdS8XKHZjA6DcsmfzcuRg_Lev8yj1K-SqyhUI2toyF1ia-40n_mRGQFcPIAFp23DExA/s320/EFE16FA9-28B9-447C-A2FC-AECC3B31BE1B.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br />By the time we got back to our hotel, my legs were tired and all I wanted to do was kick off my shoes and put my feet up. But that wasn’t going to happen: Jackie saw on her cruise ship watch app that our own ship, The World Explorer, was coming into port! We grabbed our binoculars and watched as our “home” for the next 2 weeks made its way up the Beagle Channel to the port below us. <p></p><p>From our (now) usual spot at the bar, we toasted another amazing day and we’re all ready to get on with this adventure. Tomorrow we’ll have time for some last minute Ushuaia sightseeing before we have to board the ship for an afternoon departure. I will take advantage of the time to enjoy my last opportunity to use my “land legs” for the next couple of weeks!</p><p><br /></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-45051299337535813402023-02-15T20:57:00.001-05:002023-02-15T20:57:41.368-05:00En route to Antarctica - First stop: Buenos Aires<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt1onbeKmP44Iw-krMtprWI82320A3NDCmWtJT8AQ7x29K_8Z_UWIziU8m-sJZhIP_6eyeLuumaHwumZmamO6BAKjAJh8czsC0O-N8dACchUBHtMzHF7GyDCeZ7cft44NhSGJ4lpT6Y1GMak4AF6WRrFr5V9MJNhNyJ54NLHzWFTPb7s-bDWbobqvXA/s4032/3C9596B3-3874-4016-B00E-1C1A38515F8B.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt1onbeKmP44Iw-krMtprWI82320A3NDCmWtJT8AQ7x29K_8Z_UWIziU8m-sJZhIP_6eyeLuumaHwumZmamO6BAKjAJh8czsC0O-N8dACchUBHtMzHF7GyDCeZ7cft44NhSGJ4lpT6Y1GMak4AF6WRrFr5V9MJNhNyJ54NLHzWFTPb7s-bDWbobqvXA/s320/3C9596B3-3874-4016-B00E-1C1A38515F8B.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wlF0hBSQuaGceQORiJ6bRondwie4w3-HTaOMwxLfrGj40sZXRwGz5f2uQLdQf-ZR0iJXwM-XYq92vL8eWvvcyIueImcCo6EpvePrjJ57yrlT9p_O-3LUpCCpt6VYmrjSMq0wGNncYH9TH6H9XegBP0o5tJgPq-jqykYxiIuferSba_qgKULRnLpcjQ/s4032/E3B566F7-96FD-4A4C-87DD-D533E9875F1C.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0wlF0hBSQuaGceQORiJ6bRondwie4w3-HTaOMwxLfrGj40sZXRwGz5f2uQLdQf-ZR0iJXwM-XYq92vL8eWvvcyIueImcCo6EpvePrjJ57yrlT9p_O-3LUpCCpt6VYmrjSMq0wGNncYH9TH6H9XegBP0o5tJgPq-jqykYxiIuferSba_qgKULRnLpcjQ/s320/E3B566F7-96FD-4A4C-87DD-D533E9875F1C.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDoCN_URdTMiWhZlx1bBw6IkMvlWYbcI6XtgAnRawIAw8BnIElW7xtvYTiP3dBQWAdh3M_I01aTDBEKPzLDMSSTDeVzN_no0dAmmFTYT4XfiZT3WpLqfHl8igbW3Y2QfzYLVtKa23-wqGy5j3Pjja6X-G7KOTDpk_sGB_TM-D41oESgMCOIwN8FKitw/s4032/F6F602A6-8614-4101-B991-A35A967CB4BC.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDoCN_URdTMiWhZlx1bBw6IkMvlWYbcI6XtgAnRawIAw8BnIElW7xtvYTiP3dBQWAdh3M_I01aTDBEKPzLDMSSTDeVzN_no0dAmmFTYT4XfiZT3WpLqfHl8igbW3Y2QfzYLVtKa23-wqGy5j3Pjja6X-G7KOTDpk_sGB_TM-D41oESgMCOIwN8FKitw/s320/F6F602A6-8614-4101-B991-A35A967CB4BC.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Overnight flight from Atlanta, got into Buenos Aires this morning. It’s hot here - and I’m dressed for something closer to Antarctica weather.</p><p>We arranged a tour of BA, since we have time before our afternoon flight to Ushuaia. Our guide, Matias, and his driver picked us up from EZE airport and showed us around some of the highlights of central BA. We learned some Argentine history, both past and recent and, in face, Matias warned us that our drive into central BA would take longer than expected. Demonstrators have taken to blocking the busy highways lately to protest power outages that left residents sweltering in the record heat. In the 100 degree temps lately, people were understandably upset.</p><p>Argentina seems to have had more than its share of political unrest over the past couple of centuries, and its ongoing. Inflation here is nearing 60%, with some predicting it to go as high as 90%! Matias says inflation has been a part of everyday life since he can remember. Government corruption and widespread mistrust of the government in general seems to be a problem with no end in sight.</p><p>We made a few stops including the Boca neighborhood, with its heavy Italian and artsy influence, walked around the central plaza and popped into the cathedral that the current Pope, Pope Francis, resided as archbishop. We finished our tour at a famous must-see cemetary, where the mausoleums created streets like cities of the dead. Lots of Argentina history buried here, including Eva Perone. </p><p>We asked Matias a lot of questions about life in BA, and tourism and if this is what he does for a living. He admitted he was also a musician, and we made him stop at a local park to give us a sample of his musical talent. For a quick 3 hours to spend here, we had a very interesting and satisfying mini-tour!</p><p>Our tour ended at the AEP airport, where we will board our flight to the southernmost tip of Argentina, Ushuaia. We’ll spend a couple of night in Ushuaia before boarding our ship to the Antarctic peninsula on Friday. </p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-8848807758645316282023-02-14T16:52:00.001-05:002023-02-14T16:52:21.769-05:00Cyclophiliac 2023: Before Antarctica<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhZTK-9vJJYvMQ-hwUKFAjtKquiG7U6XiM-k-CNo3nfdf8T7cl_hw7RuqlOVzNDFSaiop1qMS4O2jb29lSeG01Y5xsezXCZM9PfRwk5JJBNu0yaRfJJMgm4kMNIv0TBq2xu6LibzRTFaaBimguE37Heot0-_bSpKCpEJ0gR0Q3hjxa8UYuWznADhc4g/s2049/F28735AE-9601-429D-8B3D-7CC7150E329D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhZTK-9vJJYvMQ-hwUKFAjtKquiG7U6XiM-k-CNo3nfdf8T7cl_hw7RuqlOVzNDFSaiop1qMS4O2jb29lSeG01Y5xsezXCZM9PfRwk5JJBNu0yaRfJJMgm4kMNIv0TBq2xu6LibzRTFaaBimguE37Heot0-_bSpKCpEJ0gR0Q3hjxa8UYuWznADhc4g/s320/F28735AE-9601-429D-8B3D-7CC7150E329D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antarctica 2023 Expedition Team members Jackie, Matt, Pam, and Petey!<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I don’t even remember when this idea was hatched, but I’m pretty sure it was Matt’s idea. Maybe a decade ago, maybe longer? I vaguely recall a conversation that, at the time, probably went something like this:</p><p>Matt: Hey, Pammy! Do you want to go to Antarctica?</p><p>Me: Sure, Matty!</p><p>And that was the end of it. Maybe not “The End”, but not much more than a wispy aspiration. One of those things that you set on the back burner on low simmer until the enthusiasm for the idea evaporates or tastes change or situations change or…or…or and pretty soon it’s at the bottom of the bucket list, never to see the light of day, never to be spoken of ever again.</p><p>Or maybe something - or someone - comes along to give the pot a stir.</p><p>For me, that “someone” was actually two someones: David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes. </p><p>Doublet and Hayes are 2 distinguished National Geographic award-winning photographers who gave a presentation here in Cleveland called “Coral Kingdoms and Empires of Ice” as part of the “<a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/events/?size=n_25_n&sort%5B0%5D%5Bfield%5D=start_date&sort%5B0%5D%5Bdirection%5D=asc&sort%5B1%5D%5Bfield%5D=title&sort%5B1%5D%5Bdirection%5D=asc" target="_blank">Nat Geo Live!</a> Explorer series.*</p><p>It’s hard to not be swept up by images of frozen landscapes, surreal ice formations, and colonies of penguins that seem to go on forever. But it was really the photographers’ stories of the areas they visited, and their infectious enthusiasm for the wild, cold places, and suddenly I remembered an offer to travel to Antartica and decided it was back on the table. </p><p>As we were leaving the theater that cold night in late February, 2020, I told Dave that I was going to Antarctica. Before we got to the car, I had already sent Matt a text message that went something like this:</p><p>“You will NOT go to Antarctica without me.”</p><p>And, somehow, that was enough to get this plan in motion.</p><p>At this point I can simply say ‘and then some other stuff happened’, but the truth is that a LOT of stuff happened over the past 3 years. Hashing out the idea. Working with a travel agent. Bringing on a third Expedition Team member (Jackie!). Choosing the right tour and the right ship and the right time of the year. Countless teleconferences back and forth. Assembling camera equipment. Buying gear appropriate for the Antarctic ‘summer’. A Covid delay that set us back a full year. This has already been quite a journey!</p><p>Somehow we got here, though. We are leaving today (Jackie and I are already in Atlanta, waiting for Matt to arrive from Phoenix). We’ll fly to Buenos Aires overnight, do a bit of sightseeing in BA tomorrow before boarding our evening flight to Ushuaia, in Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost tip of Argentina. By Friday, we’ll board our ship and that’s when things will get real.</p><p><br /></p><p>*If you have the opportunity to attend one of these presentations, don’t hesitate. They are interesting and engaging and quite entertaining. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-3420111951875897702022-06-13T15:02:00.000-04:002022-06-13T15:02:49.348-04:00Kelly and the strange allure of a Vertical Kilometer<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p2fn77kQV5YKHsQAVQcrjBkI70wG3WWHmsxSqqcFz-OBKnZxHgcdUA_YbizwiGiTr1Mm71wdJqU0EQHC9KWcrdpekWP1a8jzIev9duD3Erb2saSx6c5iPAmuDid1SsXUTz2TLb0YAUYXNBFp5TtB5F4vy_6CFKdBDEsXiSK9lxulVDt7_rDz2o1tHw/s1367/KellyBakerClimbing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="1367" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p2fn77kQV5YKHsQAVQcrjBkI70wG3WWHmsxSqqcFz-OBKnZxHgcdUA_YbizwiGiTr1Mm71wdJqU0EQHC9KWcrdpekWP1a8jzIev9duD3Erb2saSx6c5iPAmuDid1SsXUTz2TLb0YAUYXNBFp5TtB5F4vy_6CFKdBDEsXiSK9lxulVDt7_rDz2o1tHw/w400-h400/KellyBakerClimbing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>As an endurance coach, I get to work with athletes who have some pretty cool and ambitious goals. Most of my athletes are cyclists, runners, and multisport athletes, and I enjoy working with all of them individually to optimize their training to meet their goals.</p><p>But every once in a while, an athlete will come to me with a unique and novel event that she wants to compete in, and that's where the fun really starts!</p><p>Kelly B. and I have been working together for at least a few years now, starting off with a combination of ultra-distance trail running and cycling time trial. Kelly is a gifted athlete who can excel at both of these disciplines, even though the goals - and training - for each are quite a bit different.</p><p>During COVID lockdown, Kelly competed in virtual challenges for mileage and elevation. She even signed up for a virtual challenge that included a daily surprise (explore a new trail, take a photo, etc.). In other words, she finds ways of keeping her goals fresh. </p><p>So it wasn't really a surprise when Kelly came to me a few months ago with a new one (for both of us): she would compete in the <a href="https://www.brokenarrowskyrace.com/vk" target="_blank">Broken Arrow Skyrace Vertical Kilometer.</a> Essentially, it's a super-steep climb of essentially a kilometer (or, in this case, ~7 km or 4.25 miles). This race has 3135' of quad-busting, oxygen-depleting vertical gain over that distance. Just looking at some of the prior race photos makes me dizzy!</p><p>How do you train for something like this? </p><p>First, we gather info. Through a listing of past results, we found a local gal who competed in an earlier Broken Arrow VK, and we set up a call. Julie K gave us many details about the race: how to train, what to carry in your pack, what to expect, what was unexpected. Talking to Julie was an invaluable advantage, and helped us figure out how best to prepare.</p><p>Training for a VK is a bit tricky. We have long, gradual hills around here. And we have short, steep hills, too. But we don't have long, steep hills or anything that can simulate the conditions Kelly will encounter at the VK. </p><p>So we improvise: lots of stair climbs, hill repeats, long endurance trail runs to supplement the power workouts. Crazy hard workouts called Mountain Legs that simulate the repetitive work a VK'ers legs will need to be familiar with. Kelly did a lot of strength work, not just for her legs but also for her arms, because she'll need to use hiking poles for this climb (luckily, she doesn't have to climb down the mountain - "only" up!). And, of course, there was a lot of recovery in between the hard workouts, to maximize adaptation. I'm sure a yoga break and a date with a foam roller never felt so good.</p><p><br /></p><p>Is Kelly ready? You bet she is! She is heading to California later this week and will be racing on Friday, June 17. I can't wait to see how Kelly conquers this vertical goal! </p><p>You can watch a Livestream of the Broken Arrow Skyrace events on Friday: https://www.brokenarrowskyrace.com/livestream</p><p>Besides the VK, there are other races of various distances that day, and even a kid's race. Hopefully we will catch a few glimpses of Kelly as she powers her way up that mountain. </p><p>Send Kelly some anti-gravitational thoughts as she races to the clouds on Friday!</p><p><br /></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-66833101552954774622021-04-21T07:31:00.002-04:002021-04-21T07:31:44.970-04:00Still Here: Death Valley 2021<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7wNWI4LiiRYjT4qSjtSiC4OFHB_DY3JKSSNxraAJDThBCaxmv5m-K7DWD3tiu8QSJlEPzS4RmDWZMjUK82h-NeycO93atu6abi_ICmZYYksOHUsePRZmBLF9GgdC32l4s1IbM3M6HAA3/s2048/2DF7BFC2-4F56-43CB-A2E6-422CDF282B11.heic" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ7wNWI4LiiRYjT4qSjtSiC4OFHB_DY3JKSSNxraAJDThBCaxmv5m-K7DWD3tiu8QSJlEPzS4RmDWZMjUK82h-NeycO93atu6abi_ICmZYYksOHUsePRZmBLF9GgdC32l4s1IbM3M6HAA3/w400-h300/2DF7BFC2-4F56-43CB-A2E6-422CDF282B11.heic" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">There will come a day when this is no longer possible. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">Today is not that day.</span></p>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-42250562723433749712018-04-15T08:05:00.003-04:002018-04-16T10:47:08.271-04:00Plotting a New Course Last week at this time I was standing at the start line of 2018 Duathlon Nationals, in Greenville, South Carolina. I'm remembering this over a cup of coffee, surrounded by the sound of April showers outside (which, here in Ohio, will be mixed with snow later this week. Ah, springtime in Ohio!) It seems like two worlds removed from one another, and already so desperately far away.<br />
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The preparation and anticipation and hard work that goes into competing in an event like this builds the experience. We set up a plan, affix goals and milestones to our weekly training, attempt to simulate race conditions so we're not blindsided by the unexpected. We focus our energy on race day so that we can dig deep when it matters.<br />
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I've had a week to process the experience, and to sit down with results postings and performance data. I am a data geek and I love to crunch numbers and pull meaning from them. Angie and I both did very well in this race: we each took 9th in our respective age groups. That means a lot to both of us, since we know that competing at National Championships means that we're toeing the line with the best athletes in the country. It's a privilege for us, and we know it - and we are both happy with our results.<br />
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But we also know that we weren't quite as ready as we could have been.<br />
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Every race teaches us something about ourselves as an athlete. Racing challenges our strengths and exposes our weaknesses. It gives us an unbiased, delusion-free picture of who we are <u>at that moment</u>.<br />
And if we're committed to the challenge (and we are), it helps us figure out what we need to do better next time.<br />
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I've been training essentially the same way for the past 6 or 7 years. I've been fortunate to have some natural abilities that didn't require me to spend a lot of time developing. I relied on that past iteration of my athletic self to get me to where I wanted to be this time around, and it didn't work. It made me realize that there are different features in this current landscape that need to be navigated around, and that old road map is simply not going to get me where I want to be. And if I'm honest with myself, I have to face the fact that I can't drive a Mazda the same way that I was driving the Maserati.<br />
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So I'm re-routing. My destination is the same, but I'm going to get there via a different road. I'm charting a new course to Du Nats 2019.<br />
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I've got a year to figure this out.<br />
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<br />Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-52380612101610820912018-02-04T11:54:00.001-05:002018-02-04T11:54:50.798-05:00Zwift: Game vs. Training<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hate this guy.</td></tr>
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I was told that my last post regarding my experiences with Zwift were overly optimistic. It's true: I made it seem as though I'm a total Zwift convert. I'm really not.*<br />
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I have a fundamental issue with Zwift, aside from it's unpredictable behavior, un-intuitive controls, sporadic ability to integrate with my CompuTrainer and Stages systems (especially after one of the frequent so-called 'upgrades'), etc. My real problem with Zwift is that it doesn't ever inherently fit with my training plan.<br />
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Zwift is a game. It was created by game people, presumably game people that also ride bikes. As a game, it's pretty cool, as described in my previous post.<br />
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The frustration is when you have an already well-thought out training plan, specific to your race and workout goals, and you try to mesh that intelligent training design with the game elements of Zwift. You know how hard it is to get 'your' workout in when you're riding with a group of wanna-be racers oozing testosterone on your local club ride? Zwift is that, to the nth degree. And now you have more incentive to stray from your training plan: achievement of 'levels' to unlock 'gifts', constant badgering to 'bridge the gap', sprint and KOM/QOM achievements. The most irritating thing (and I find a lot of things irritating) is that at the end of your ride, if Zwift determines you didn't work hard enough, you get the cartoon dude crying about your pathetic TSS score. Even if you set out to do an EZ ride, and you were able to blow off all of Zwift's distractions and perfectly execute your EZ ride, the dude-who-has-no-idea-who-you-are will weep cartoon tears for you anyway.<br />
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I'm guessing that the more you are into gaming or virtual reality, the stronger the pull will be to succumb to these Zwift temptations.<br />
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Years ago, when Strava became a 'thing' for everyday cyclists, I saw immediately how it had the power to turn every ride into a race. No longer could you just ride up Truxell; you now had to compare your times to everyone who rode up Truxell before you, and 'defend' your time against anyone who would contest you in the future. Fun stuff, for sure - but now you've given up control of your ride to some nondescript, faceless group mentality. Including people you don't know, and will never ride with in real life. No, thanks. I watched 'Black Mirror', and I'm not impressed by this vision of the future.<br />
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So be warned: treat Zwift like the game it is if you don't already have a coaching program or a training plan. It will make you stronger, and you might even turn into a good racer in Watopia (the Zwift universe).<br />
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But if you DO have a coaching program, particularly one that you're paying for, you might want to reconsider contesting that sprint when you should be recovering between intervals, or signing up for a virtual race on your 'Recovery Ride' day. Do you want to do well in your 'real' races, or are you OK with scoring high in the virtual racing world? That choice is yours.<br />
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* <span style="font-size: x-small;">Dave has figured out when I'm riding Zwift: he hears a long string of non-stop cursing emanating from the Pain Cave. This is his signal to leave the house for a couple of hours. </span>Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-64305054729828317902018-01-14T07:52:00.001-05:002018-01-14T07:52:31.796-05:00The Zwift Game<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes, you get to wear cool jerseys, like this one!</td></tr>
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Let me first say this: I prefer to ride outside. But you probably won't hear too many tales of me on a fat bike in 10 degree weather, swaddled up like an Eskimo mummy, all red cheeks, watery eyes, and snotsickles. That ship has sailed, my friends, and I'm not too sad to see it go. Riding the trails on a CX bike in a fresh foot of snow in a nor'easter? Epic. Have at it. At some point, your frostbitten fingers and years of kidding yourself into thinking that this behavior is somehow 'fun' may catch up with you.<br />
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And when that happens, you can look to Zwift to ease the transition back to riding inside.<br />
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Zwift is an online 'game' that connects to your indoor cycling trainer. It converts you into an avatar, sets you down in interesting virtual locations, and lets you ride with other people/avatars. It gives you a fairly realistic riding experience, especially if you have a 'smart' trainer (one that adjusts the resistance on your bike to match the terrain in the virtual program). It's the closest approximation of 'real' cycling that you can get on an indoor trainer. It has some faults and quirks, but it's worth trying out if you live in a climate that makes indoor training a practical necessity.<br />
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Lately, I've even found myself looking forward to indoor training sessions. Crazy, I know, but where else could I ride the Alps, or London, or inside a smoldering volcano, without ever having to leave the Pain Cave? And, just yesterday, I 'unlocked' a "Tour of Italy" virtual challenge, so now I get to spend the rest of winter riding through rolling vineyards destined to become second-rate* wines.<br />
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At least, that's where my mind will be as I pedal into spring in a few months. Ciao!<br />
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*<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Wine quality by region:</span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">France</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Napa/Sonoma</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Willamette Valley</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Argentina/Chile</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">Other obscure places like New York and Greenland</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">More of #5</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">That country that gave us asti spumante </span></li>
</ol>
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<br />Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-67258523640678991672017-12-29T14:05:00.001-05:002017-12-29T14:05:07.523-05:00December's End<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In spite of my rock solid motivations, and the rising tides of guilt, I am having a really hard time crawling out into this cold morning to get to the gym, as I was so determined to do.<br />
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Outside, a muffled, metallic scraping of plow blade on snowy street is my only indication that it is morning. (There are no alarm clocks this week).<br />
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I weigh my options: virtue vs. a few more minutes under these thick layers, against a warm body, in the middle of winter when all I want is to satisfy some primeval craving for the enveloping darkness and a moment of stillness.<br />
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(Virtue loses, again!)<br />
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When I will finally crawl out into the blue light of morning, it will be toward a pot of steaming black coffee and a frosted-window view of a deep and silent season.<br />
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Enjoy these dark days. They won't last.<br />
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<br />Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-52098510380730252032017-06-10T13:31:00.004-04:002017-06-10T13:31:55.500-04:00An interesting perspective on the challenges of Masters competitors<br />
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An <a href="http://trainright.com/mental-toughness-aging-athletes-performance-decline/" target="_blank">article </a>posted by Chris Carmichael today totally nailed what I've been struggling with for the past year or so: an unexplained (until now) decline in motivation for racing and cycling.<br />
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The article describes a phenomenon in older athletes (the over-40 crowd)* for a reduced tolerance to self-inflicted suffering for the sake of the sport. Although it's critical for the not-quite-as-young-as-we-used-to-be to keep working out at high intensities, it becomes more of a head game to achieve those levels in training. Why? The article doesn't give any solid evidence, but points to the fact that we begin to get selective about the levels of suffering we're willing to endure (which may be indicative of goals and motivation). It also suggests that our priorities change, in terms of why we train and race. Maybe it becomes less important to dominate the podium, and maybe that translates into backing off a bit in training.<br />
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I don't know for sure, but I do know that I have considered all these issues as I tried to make sense of my deteriorating relationship with my sport.<br />
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In my experience, I have absolutely become less tolerant of crappy weather conditions. The days of training and racing in miserable weather are, happily, (and hopefully) behind me. I no longer feel the need to "HTFU", as the CX-ers like to tell us. Cold, wet, windy days - all the fun things that accompany roughly 8 months of not-summer here in NEO - can suck the energy and motivation out of me in ways that are beyond irrational.<br />
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At the same time, my tolerance for indoor training has hit rock bottom, and I'm unable to muster any enthusiasm for slogging it out in front of a lifeless computerized landscape. Rounding out this perfect trifecta: menopause** has brought unexpected (and unwelcome) physical changes, like hot flashes (which means I can be freezing cold and uncomfortably hot at the same time. Yay, me!), hydration/fuel challenges, interrupted sleep patterns, and general crankiness. More than usual crankiness.<br />
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I have always relished a hard workout. I would look forward to it the night before and plan it all out. I would wake up before the sun, get on the road so I could take advantage of cool temperatures and minimal traffic. I would push myself to levels that I would not have thought possible. And I would prove myself on the playing field, using races not only as testament of my training and my ability to push limits, but for their value as stepping stones of motivation that would keep me active and engaged for a whole season. Sometimes a whole year, depending on the event timing (like Death Valley rides in early spring).<br />
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Nowadays, I often prefer to hit the snooze button a couple of times and negotiate the terms of my planned workout over another cup of coffee. This is an alarming development, and I need to figure it out soon.<br />
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I'm not sure where I go from here. I know plenty of aging athletes that have found ways to stay motivated and fit (and happy with their chosen sports), and I'm sure I'll do the same. At some point, I'll find the thing (or things) that resonate with my evolving goals, and that don't require an inordinate amount of misery to achieve.<br />
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*There have been a lot of interesting articles lately focusing on this demographic. Either I have just started paying more attention to studies centered around aging in competitive athletes, or there's a growing population of us that can no longer be ignored. In any case, I'm looking forward to more interesting and enlightening scientific data around this topic.<br />
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**Fodder for a whole other blog, and then some. There is frustratingly little scientifically-sound information on how menopause affects performance of competitive women athletes.Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-65841330240165808102016-12-24T08:24:00.004-05:002016-12-24T08:24:48.154-05:00Then, suddenly, I looked up...<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhg0j6qqdqzDEbl1fDpLe2pQfV12hVyH6Y13NqFp0XD6dLHQwLylBrkRAWaPbghi3bwwcaygQ6quX8D5HqhmPletgl2lciJ0HjT7C7CWdG5my3Xt0f8hRIYhfl47DBg3Z3bd-F0jrTT67/s1600/1+%252821%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhg0j6qqdqzDEbl1fDpLe2pQfV12hVyH6Y13NqFp0XD6dLHQwLylBrkRAWaPbghi3bwwcaygQ6quX8D5HqhmPletgl2lciJ0HjT7C7CWdG5my3Xt0f8hRIYhfl47DBg3Z3bd-F0jrTT67/s400/1+%252821%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Marie Rote*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The attainment of any big goal or proud accomplishment requires a laser-sharp focus of time, attention, and energy. Those of us with athletic pursuits know this, and we are very good at eliminating distractions so we can stay our charted courses.<br />
<br />
But life is full of distractions, and sometimes the difference between a laser-sharp focus and a moment of lapsed attention is a glorious sunset on a Winter's Solstice evening. Remember that as you plow through your life.<br />
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The goals are just stopping off points; the real journey is the places in between.<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Who very wisely rode outside in pursuit of a 6000 mile goal for 2016. And then very wisely stopped to take this photo.</span><br />
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<br />Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-17567906005306551552016-12-15T15:46:00.003-05:002016-12-15T16:00:37.706-05:00Canyon Life, Metaphorically Speaking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbKW6ngLMWIOu98FI15QZ-8sdKSs2ASVAdZR5KG245cpOh3zgWPfUsnJNRY09qIVIPEmvCfLGi_KbRX1p_CdwfKDMpyaMGkgGqfqIliCt4RdllQ8x-1eWvz5p7L_N6yro_1tunWsVCNQ1/s1600/28+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvbKW6ngLMWIOu98FI15QZ-8sdKSs2ASVAdZR5KG245cpOh3zgWPfUsnJNRY09qIVIPEmvCfLGi_KbRX1p_CdwfKDMpyaMGkgGqfqIliCt4RdllQ8x-1eWvz5p7L_N6yro_1tunWsVCNQ1/s400/28+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It starts off with a mix of excitement and apprehension. You approach it with wide-eyed wonder and an open heart, ready to accept whatever it brings.<br />
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Those first tentative steps into an unknown future become more steady as you find your own rhythm.<br />
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Sometimes the road ahead seems too hard, the uphill struggles insurmountable. But you get through it, one step at a time. Maybe taking a break to regroup before pushing forward, sometimes just motoring through.<br />
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Sometimes you can't see the way ahead of you, but you simply trust yourself and the trail that you're on. And at every step along the way, there is beauty to behold. If you remember to stop and look, you'll see that the world changes with every footfall.<br />
<br />
You realize that you're not the first person to ever travel this road, and you won't be the last. So you honor those who were here before you, and those who will follow. There is reverence in this journey.<br />
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Sometimes you walk with friends, and sometimes you find yourself walking with strangers. At times, you're all by yourself. Sometimes, you travel the same road with the same people, and those are the ones you know are with you for the entire journey.<br />
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You get to the end of the trail and you look back over where you've been, and what you had to do to get here. And it's beautiful.<br />
<br />
Isn't that exactly the way life should be?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRYnrx3HWA0aqRBQgnKXp1U69-IkGyzUbrtg10hnhi2KvmQc340CJjVcbOfWHvZrSIrI2lP4chN8gkbI_AConAYybxbnOtxOsarvCCUcjEhsYFTaZgzt5Gq-tnZ5GCqUUxn0nwC0eOyks/s1600/24+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRYnrx3HWA0aqRBQgnKXp1U69-IkGyzUbrtg10hnhi2KvmQc340CJjVcbOfWHvZrSIrI2lP4chN8gkbI_AConAYybxbnOtxOsarvCCUcjEhsYFTaZgzt5Gq-tnZ5GCqUUxn0nwC0eOyks/s400/24+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tip-Off, on the South Kaibab Trail. This is where the plateau drops into the Inner Gorge.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4xkUG4VelZVBsdB33sw52gcRWLn2mrm_4eCNSvbPhZPicPbHnPUrBBBaLjzGiULBujY9VXFO-nBZNPYu5HXxrTgOmX_FxhreEihpvLdLvhxzLkx5xzFNG8NrkVm6xtB3pQzn1T94vU00/s1600/29+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4xkUG4VelZVBsdB33sw52gcRWLn2mrm_4eCNSvbPhZPicPbHnPUrBBBaLjzGiULBujY9VXFO-nBZNPYu5HXxrTgOmX_FxhreEihpvLdLvhxzLkx5xzFNG8NrkVm6xtB3pQzn1T94vU00/s400/29+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the third time Dave M hiked this trail with me. He lives in the UK.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYP0u6QinUuvqfc1C5V7zI6DDaooR59gW5trcIl1zuiymKcpS3GmAZmKFFMo28TJ97OsF8EeTElVY5IKqqdjmFLS0LCB5P42Lm6IYAZERnnEDJa-ygMGxQ0czPmzsrlTdS6gP8LuRmTJUD/s1600/13+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYP0u6QinUuvqfc1C5V7zI6DDaooR59gW5trcIl1zuiymKcpS3GmAZmKFFMo28TJ97OsF8EeTElVY5IKqqdjmFLS0LCB5P42Lm6IYAZERnnEDJa-ygMGxQ0czPmzsrlTdS6gP8LuRmTJUD/s400/13+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Jackie? This is the 6th time we've hiked to Phantom Ranch together. We will have many more adventures together in the future. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKR8m7HK0g-5OuCrKiYlLL-z0R73lAm_hSU0iIS7TF4PbL3c-j_2T3H40SbyGcg5qm878XyipJSKcMJIcEdKRMBW-KEWWabglUxeFGL_ZLWg1UY-OeoI9k40IRs0Tk7Uqs_2G2QFcon2Nz/s1600/65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKR8m7HK0g-5OuCrKiYlLL-z0R73lAm_hSU0iIS7TF4PbL3c-j_2T3H40SbyGcg5qm878XyipJSKcMJIcEdKRMBW-KEWWabglUxeFGL_ZLWg1UY-OeoI9k40IRs0Tk7Uqs_2G2QFcon2Nz/s400/65.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the Colorado River, from the Black Bridge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbs-UzC-XkjYGoG0DRCvFUbZIzJ8kyQNjeXlYT7l79ps3H9_kyetH7iBq4qDOLi8XtXsM7sYw-LYC-OJY23pZpLrK85iKhH5-A3HYHkUOu6Hnnxb8vuvbWIiLU3YUj_nMEfTm0JnnTXTfA/s1600/74.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbs-UzC-XkjYGoG0DRCvFUbZIzJ8kyQNjeXlYT7l79ps3H9_kyetH7iBq4qDOLi8XtXsM7sYw-LYC-OJY23pZpLrK85iKhH5-A3HYHkUOu6Hnnxb8vuvbWIiLU3YUj_nMEfTm0JnnTXTfA/s400/74.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearing the South Rim, on the Bright Angel Trail</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioo4Ci167X3T7P6IhIESv3tYbWa0-LXxo9WzkKOX55alzTHNWUT0kyOIm7-EoJ8K01YK2ZHWAM6IKenfkXP-kx9N0H3b0ey5y_39YnzUQQBHZ-wLO1A6QwlW5xL1abywOPKPbGfDCo8qbn/s1600/15439773_10211139231347049_8936007991745614710_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioo4Ci167X3T7P6IhIESv3tYbWa0-LXxo9WzkKOX55alzTHNWUT0kyOIm7-EoJ8K01YK2ZHWAM6IKenfkXP-kx9N0H3b0ey5y_39YnzUQQBHZ-wLO1A6QwlW5xL1abywOPKPbGfDCo8qbn/s400/15439773_10211139231347049_8936007991745614710_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like to hang over the edge of cliffs.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZi_QlY4Rt7beRZ-DQY3Gc29B2hArHIg1u5NYiWTImBqbtGhsp5yVnOYx3iL2IbaWuRwAPIgqY4BhcGjoZAa5-hbiTJIbt6kr2qToUtE5Vn67jL0TsrlbyefyBc2cWQv5JIjLalkULvfk9/s1600/DSC_4569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZi_QlY4Rt7beRZ-DQY3Gc29B2hArHIg1u5NYiWTImBqbtGhsp5yVnOYx3iL2IbaWuRwAPIgqY4BhcGjoZAa5-hbiTJIbt6kr2qToUtE5Vn67jL0TsrlbyefyBc2cWQv5JIjLalkULvfk9/s400/DSC_4569.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Surreal sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEq_V4pcOBr3xbfMQfCQKcU4lC05VowFuhenMTlpcef51ARkREb_UijAcIiKtIwgGsbs3YPPHIoJCmiQrOfIoiPQMv3lnvfVz5hwpv-ZxaAFkSQZVvLMmqwYanagRFOL1EVv-6g3utix0G/s1600/1+%252820%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEq_V4pcOBr3xbfMQfCQKcU4lC05VowFuhenMTlpcef51ARkREb_UijAcIiKtIwgGsbs3YPPHIoJCmiQrOfIoiPQMv3lnvfVz5hwpv-ZxaAFkSQZVvLMmqwYanagRFOL1EVv-6g3utix0G/s400/1+%252820%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave, Brian, Jackie, and me at Skeleton Point</td></tr>
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<br />
To see more photos from this trip, click <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHskNBqFKQ" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-50837455582677676252016-11-23T14:21:00.000-05:002016-11-23T14:21:41.204-05:00Riding into Winter<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPj9HBkJEpRXRhhp-86UZXyituEPYCP8mOMTEGlJv0x1M4UaCVouLL7waiGecPV6y6LvfU5a-BG5w2yxduZjyvo_aZHj0i4WhGeUqHDsarnDHR0-mfUsv8UH_q7-4a7oVEkGt_orxuACHh/s1600/IMG_4638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPj9HBkJEpRXRhhp-86UZXyituEPYCP8mOMTEGlJv0x1M4UaCVouLL7waiGecPV6y6LvfU5a-BG5w2yxduZjyvo_aZHj0i4WhGeUqHDsarnDHR0-mfUsv8UH_q7-4a7oVEkGt_orxuACHh/s400/IMG_4638.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">The day starts off </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: "cambria";">grey. Smoky clouds
blot out any hope of sunlight. I take a half-hearted glance at the outside temp, but I know that this is as warm as it’s going to get.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">I down my coffee before it gets cold, and begin the art of
layering up. Long sleeve base layer, then short sleeve jersey. Gore jacket on
top for a wind barrier. Fleece tights. Shoe covers. Heat packs in my shoes.
Heat packs in my gloves. Lobster-claw mittens on top. Buff. Wool beanie under
my helmet. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">If I don’t get out of the house soon I’m going to melt.</span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I prepare a couple of
bottles of electrolyte, absently put ice in them. Start over. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">I haul my loaded bike out the front door. A cold wind shakes
the leafless trees, and bites into the exposed parts of my face. Those clouds
promise snow, or worse, but not for a while. The street is quiet, and it feels
like the rest of the world has gone into hibernation. For a split second, I
reconsider my options, maybe I should ride indoors. But the wiser part of my brain quashes that thought
before it can take root. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">I know that when I’m done, I’ll come back to a warm house
and a hot shower. There will be a pot of chili and a cold beer, and, later this
evening, a gin cocktail in front of a roaring fire. And it will all be that
much sweeter because I rode outside today, when the wind was biting cold and
the sky was winter-blanket grey. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";">Just the thought of it warms me up. I clip in and set off.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><br /></span></div>
Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4890405388278078805.post-15289511377629664762016-10-20T16:29:00.002-04:002016-10-20T16:30:00.744-04:00Fall Fever<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijnAyP83IhYMjjjmb3tLpNcIoeKTv_BLx_JmMfuIqc3x59xEklPPpdfyg7lZMxfOszKeyB0hWLuaojgrUTObPCbP-4NhYbvZ6W4YZFhAUJV54hvNiyboe5h8JtTu2OihUZ3Yct8nHHchO/s1600/14374471_1167289923350915_1199345647195521024_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijnAyP83IhYMjjjmb3tLpNcIoeKTv_BLx_JmMfuIqc3x59xEklPPpdfyg7lZMxfOszKeyB0hWLuaojgrUTObPCbP-4NhYbvZ6W4YZFhAUJV54hvNiyboe5h8JtTu2OihUZ3Yct8nHHchO/s320/14374471_1167289923350915_1199345647195521024_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit Cleveland Velodrome (Gary Burkholder?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
It's like Spring Fever, but on the opposite end of the cosmic calendar.<br />
<br />
These days won't last. In spite of the uncharacteristically warm autumn we've been having around here, winter is coming.<br />
<br />
But not today. Today, the sun is shining sideways and the sky is brilliantly blue. This calls for an emergency 'offsite' meeting all afternoon at the <a href="http://clevelandvelodrome.org/" target="_blank">Cleveland Velodrome</a>.<br />
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<br />Cyclophiliachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12722711102225746977noreply@blogger.com0