Dude! Something other than cycling!

Posted on by lindsay
While this blog might lead you to believe otherwise, once in a while I stop riding a bicycle. Some long overdue updates: The Dogs. To make a long story short, Scout got cancer, Scout got cured of cancer but brought home fleas, the fleas made me lose my mind for a little while, I got the furniture cleaned and banished the pets to the floor, and felt guilty for kicking Scout out of his armchair so I bought him a fancy bed. Then Kobe refused to get out of the bed, so I got another one and now both dogs have taken up permanent residence in the beds. As in, I have to physically peel Kobe out of the bed to get him to go outside. The good news is that Scout made it through the first November in three years without developing any serious health problems, which would be ...continue reading.

If I win this weekend, it will be brought to you in part by Nicki Minaj

Posted on by lindsay
When it comes to music preferences, I love Rufus Wainwright, Radiohead, Elliott Smith, Gomez, and a whole library of artists that would not be featured on a typical top-40 station. If you take a word and stick "The" in front, I will probably like their music (The Fratellis, The New Pornographers, The Like, The Black Keys, The Sounds, etc). When somebody asks what I listen to, I smugly answer "alternative" or, when I want to feel hip and edgy, "indie rock". I scoff at fans of Katy Perry or Ke$ha. "What obvious drivel," I think with a self-satisfied smile as I flip to an obscure song by Of Montreal. This is not the case while on a bicycle. When I have headphones in on a ride (blah blah blah, you can scold me all you want, my music is too loud to hear you anyway), I am listening to music most suited to high school ...continue reading.

Thank you for shopping at TrailMart

Posted on by lindsay
While my training plan today called for a light workout while pre-riding the Liberty Classic course, my day unfolded in such a way that had me getting on the bike much later than planned and while still in Virginia. That is what happens when spend the morning cleaning the house, lounging at a coffee shop, and delivering your beloved pets to a stranger's house. The ride ended up being awful - the weather was perfect, all of my newly-installed parts hummed flawlessly, and my legs felt great. I like my pre-race rides to be miserable sufferfests so that the race itself can only be an improvement. Anyway, while I was out riding on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail (the W&OD, to the locals), I came up with a great idea. One day, when I am not preoccupied with suffering through intervals and rocking out to whatever auditory brilliance Flo ...continue reading.

Recipe for an awesome health shake, as long as you’re unconscious for the last 1/3 of it

Posted on by lindsay
At the end of the Tuesday Night Worlds ride the other night, I was not in the mood for food. After drinking Recoverite, stretching, and putting away my gear, I was ready to get into a hot shower and forget about dinner. But skipping meals is unacceptable, especially after a hard ride, so I invented this fantastic smoothie: 1 heaping scoop of chocolate protein powder 1/2 banana 1.5 tablespoons peanut butter 1 cup milk 1/2 cup cold brown rice After blending it with my magic bullet (a name which always calls to mind non-kitchen-related appliances), I took a sip and was pleased. It tasted pretty good and the rice seemed to have blended in nicely. Perfect! All of this nutrition in a few easy sips! So I took my cup and got into the shower. That's not weird, is it? I mean, it's not like I'd take a sandwich or a rotisserie chicken ...continue reading.

Big Brother Is Watching Your Shoe Covers

Posted on by lindsay
There was an article on VeloNews.com recently about new rules imposed by the UCI with regards to lawyer tabs on forks, sock length, CamelBak placement, and several other areas. The backlash from readers was immediate, with many thinking it was an early April Fool's prank and others irritated by the absurdity of the regulations. I don't disagree that the UCI is wasting time regulating silly things when they could be serving a much better purpose [insert section in which I climb on the soapbox about women's racing], but it's the other readers' comments that are worth reading: On the requirement for lawyer tabs on forks... "It's about time the UCI addressed this issue, look at how many times we see front wheels flying down mountains unattached from their bikes because the professional mechanics are inept at tightening a skewer." "Don't be ridiculous, the UCI knows what they're doing. It's been a long ...continue reading.