No Style Points

Another of Dana's shots from Sunday, showing me working on my cyclocross skills in the mudpit of death.

This is why I didn't ride through it...

http://gallery.mac.com/dana.schoppe#100047&bgcolor=black&view=grid

Check out Dana's photo sequence of the mudpit of death from Sunday's race. This is precisely why I ran it and didn't ride it. Dana Schoppe is the new series photographer, and she's already kicking butt right from the start. Nice job. Check out her blog for links to her galleries.

Glory, Glory Man United!

Back-to-back Premiership titles is pretty sweet. 10 titles for Ryan Giggs, not too shabby. Hopefully we crush Chelsea in the Champions League final.

Erik's Spring Cup

First mtb race of the year, first time in Comp. The staging area was moved and by the time I realized it I was in about Row Z for the start. The prologue was a traffic jam, as was most of the first lap. I got behind a train of riders going painfully slow with nowhere to pass. Tick, tick, tick... the clock was running. There was a bike-swallowing mud pit on the north loop that I ran through rather than ride (so many endos, the photos should be spectacular) but other than that the course was pretty solid considering all the rain yesterday.

Still have this allergy/cold thing going on, which is tolerable except for trying to drink on the bike. I can't breathe through my nose so every time I tried to grab some fluids I'd start hyperventilating. Sweet. I eventually settled into a good rhythm and cranked out my 4 laps. 35th overall and 6th in my age group. I even beat Longley for once. Not bad considering I'm at least a month out from being race fit, and my number one goal today was not to get lapped by the pros. Next stop: Afton.

Photo by Skinnyski.com

Hills

Max Watts: 713
Average Watts: 180 (includes warm up and cool down)
Distance: 18.51
Calories burned: 710

Did the Fridley/Columbia Heights loop tonight (previous post has map). The hills are nothing major, but they're good for intervals (more like really hard jumps than climbs). The race on Sunday is pancake flat, which means dirt time trial for 4 laps. I can feel the burn already...

Tonight's ride??

We'll see, looks like rain...

Ready??

Kevin looks ready. Jamison looks ready. I'm not ready. Legs feel like burning Jello. Pretty sore today from yesterday's ride. Definitely need some more endurance rides.

Ouch

4-1/2 laps at Harmon today, trying to keep Matt and Andy in sight. Lungs felt good, legs were nowhere to be found. Still felt good to be out on the dirt. Trail had a few muddy spots, but mostly good to go. I can already tell that next week's race is going to be a training ride. I'm nowhere close to race fitness yet.

New Badass PCR Kits

We're probably all going to get heatstroke once that July sun hits, but we'll look badass . The jerseys have this funky mesh thing going on, so maybe they wont get too hot. And as Homer Simpson would say, "...this racing stripe here I feel is pretty sharp".

On the road again

Got out for my first ride in 8 days. Skipped the hammerfest and went solo for about 40 miles. Kept the watts mellow, felt surprisingly good. Nice to have the road bike back.

Whoo Hoo!!

I step outside with the dog for 5 minutes at lunch and Scholes knocks in the winner. At least I TiVoed it. We're in the finals!!!

Ride?

Can't decide what to do... Go on a 40 mile hill ride to Afton (just sitting in, no attacking) or just do an easy 2 hours solo. Today is the first day I've felt somewhat human in over a week. The lack of riding is killing me, but I don't want to push it either and get sick all over again.

What color is your phlegm??

I'm going with Pantone 368. Despite constantly horking up blobs of this color, I hit the trainer yesterday for 45 minutes and this morning for a half-hour spin. I missed 6 days of riding last week and have my first mtb race in 2 weeks. I'm pretty much screwed. A good reason not to pre-register for races too far in advance.

KWMRR

Ken Woods Memorial Road Race
Krappy Weather Means Rainy Ride
Kold Wet Monsoon Road Race
Ken Woods Means Rainy Race
Killer Winds Make Racing Rough
Keep Wishing Minnesota Road Race season wasn't in April.

Rain and accumulating snow forecast for tonight. Cloudy, windy and 38 degrees tomorrow. No thank you. I've done the epic weather races plenty of times. Dues paid. Sick already and off the bike for a week, so I'm sitting this one out.

That explains alot...

I brought my hardtail in for a tune-up and found out the rear hub was basically seized. So in effect I was riding with the brake on for who knows how long last season. I'm already slow, definitely don't need to make it worse. Anyway, I'm picking up the hardtail and the newly fixed and rebuilt road bike tonight. Now if my cold goes away and the weather clears I'm in business. I'm hoping to spin this weekend and hit the R&G ride Tuesday.

Illin

Got the road frame back today, just in time to get sick. I'm hoping it's just allergies, but it feels like I'm on the verge of a massive cold. Looking like no Ken Woods road race for me this weekend. No ride tonight either.

New Ride

Took the new rig out to Elk River today. Me likey.
First dirt ride of the year felt great, even if the legs didn't. Trail is in great shape, nice work by the Hillside Crew.
Good to see familiar faces, and a few new ones. Season starts in a month. Ouch.

New Rigs

Got 2 new rigs today.

The new Mac Pro for the office.
The new (well, just about new) KHS mtb. Thanks Wah!

Mac Pro is crazy fast, let's hope the mtb is too.

Mapmyride

Tuesday's windfest.

Group Ride

I rolled out with the hammerheads last night, a mountain bike amongst spanky light carbon fiber aero roadie rigs. It didn't last long. 30mph winds meant the gutterball was on. I was feeling okay, took my turn at the front, but the gaps were already forming behind me. When I swung off the front and dropped back, the attack was on. I got gapped and it was game over. Our group started 5 minutes after the first group. We had just caught them but it all got strung out and blown apart from the wind. I was able to pick off quite a few, but nobody was willing or able to work to catch up with the group. So basically it turned into a 25 mile time trial. The crosswinds would catch those fat tires and blow me off the road. Crazyness. All in all, I was happy with how the legs responded. Long ways to go before race day, but good to get the rust out.

Worked

Even after a recovery day I'm feeling worked. Gonna try to make the R&G ride tonight. I'll be on the mountain bike trying to hang with a bunch of time trialers and roadie hammerheads. If you ever did the Gopher Wheelmen ride back in the day, this one's just as fast, but not nearly as flat and usually longer. Route changes every week. It's either that or some solo hill/cruise intervals. Or maybe a nap...

Man Utd vs Arsenal

The Big One

The back line looked shaky at best (Wes Brown, please find a new team), Ronaldo was not at his best, Scholes and 3 Lung Park were terrible. But, despite all of that, we pulled out the 3 points. When Tevez and Anderson came on you could sense the change in attitude. Owen Hargreaves' free-kick winner was awesome. Where has he been all year? 4 matches left, with the probable title decider at Stamford Bridge in 2 weeks. It's gonna go down to the wire.

Miles

Spring is all about base miles. Saturday was cold, blustery and snowy, but at this point I'd rather ride into the 25 mph headwind for 45 minutes (and enjoy the 35 minute tailwind home) than ride one more minute on the trainer. Sunday was still a little chilly and windy, but sunny. Got 41 miles in, about 75 total for the weekend. All on the mtb.

Note to dumbass drivers: if you're going to mouth off to cyclists make sure you don't do it right before you come to a stoplight. I hope you enjoyed our conversation while waiting or the light to change. I sure did.

Just...can't...do it...

I skipped this morning's recovery ride and played with my son instead. Normally he naps while I'm on the trainer. Today he was wide awake and I just didn't have the energy or desire to get on the bike. Let's see, 45 minutes of drudgery in the basement on the trainer or hanging out with a super happy, giggling, playful little dude...

Spring?

Looks like I'll be on the trainer all weekend. Outstanding.

Statement as of 4:36 AM CDT on April 10, 2008

... Winter Storm Warning in effect from 4 PM this afternoon to
7 am CDT Saturday...

The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen has issued
a Winter Storm Warning... which is in effect from 4 PM this
afternoon to 7 am CDT Saturday. The Winter Storm Watch is no
longer in effect. This includes the Twin Cities metropolitan
area... Rice Lake and Ladysmith.

Precipitation will move into the area this morning and begin as a
mix of rain and snow. This mix will turn over to all snow this
afternoon and increase in intensity late this afternoon and this
evening when heavy snow is expected. However... the cutoff from
snow to rain will be in close proximity to southeastern portions
of the Twin Cities Metro area and along the Highway 8 corridor in
west central Wisconsin. These areas may see precipitation
oscillate between rain and snow... and possibly sleet... this
evening which will dramatically reduce snow accumulations.
Visibility in the heavy snow this evening will be reduced to a
quarter mile or less at times with the possibility of several
inches of snow accumulating over a short period of time. This will
make travel hazardous this evening and tonight. Snowfall intensity will
decrease Friday... but additional accumulation will occur.

Snowfall amounts from Gaylord to Minneapolis to Cambridge and
eastward to Rice Lake and Ladysmith are expected to range from 6
to 12 inches by Friday night... with lower amounts possible to the
southeast of this line where there is a better chance for mixed precipitation.

In addition to the snowfall accumulations... there will be very
strong northeast winds with speeds of 25 to 35 mph with higher gusts. This
will cause considerable blowing snow and poor visibility in open
areas Thursday night and Friday.

The heavy snow is in response to a low pressure system moving
northeast from the Southern Plains. The low pressure system is
forecast to reach southern Wisconsin by early Saturday.

A Winter Storm Warning means significant amounts of snow...
sleet... and ice are expected or occurring. Strong winds are also
possible. This will make travel very hazardous or impossible.

Weather

I'm trying to psych myself up for some hills tonight. It's very dreary: 40's, cloudy, windy and the threat of rain and/or snow. Tonight's ride better pay off during a race sometime later this year...

Urban Loop

I think I finally found a reasonable route to St. Paul and Minneapolis from my place. Traffic wasn't too bad until I hit Minneapolis. I couldn't take the Main St. shortcut under 35 since the bridge is under construction. So, from campus to the other side of Central was a bit heavy. But, you could ride across the river and use River Road up to Broadway, then cross over.

No Road Bike

Frame is on the way to Orbea for repair. Note to self, and anyone else who owns a Starship: do not use on a trainer. Apparently this is what causes the stays to work loose. Did 35 miles on the mtb today. Good ride, just not the same.

Houston, we have a problem...

When you're on the trainer and you smell smoke and suddenly come to a screeching halt, that either means your brain has finally fried from boredom or something has seriously malfunctioned. The carbon seatstays have pulled out on both sides. Just in time for spring. At least it happened in the basement and not during a race, or the seatstays aren't the only things that would have separated.

March Madness

Saturday was nice, yesterday it was in the 50's. I got about 55-60 miles in outside this weekend. Today we are supposed to get 8 inches of snow. When will it end? I could really use a Moab trip right about now...

On the road again

Got out for the first time on the road bike this year. Despite the 25-30 mph winds, it felt good. Legs still aren't close to being there, but they'll come around. I've still got a month and a half until race day.

Trainer

I just started my Build 1 phase this week. I cannot wait to be done with the trainer -- my mind is officially numb. I really can't crank out the watts indoors while watching tv. I need a rabbit to chase and I actually need to be moving to stay focused and motivated. I just can't get a true feeling of my fitness level on the trainer, so I really don't know where I stand right now. Desperately need a group ride, outdoors, soon.

Whrrr whrrr whrrr

2 hours outside on the mountain bike today. Wasn't too bad. Toes got a bit cold and I was a bit tired towards the end, but considering yesterday was a pretty hard day, not too bad. Long way to go before race day, but getting there.

Snooze Intervals

Nothing like crawling out of bed at 5:45, slamming down some toast and oatmeal then jumping on the bike for 45 minutes of cruise intervals. Ouch.

2 days in a row

Got out again yesterday for about an hour and a half on the mountain bike. The whir-whir-whir of knobbies on pavement kind of puts you in a trance. The big meats came in handy: major ice and slush everywhere. With all the potholes, sand, snow and ice, an already crowded shoulder (or extreme right side of the lane) gets even smaller. On the mtb you can plow right through it and stay to the side, instead of having to swerve into the lane on a road bike. Even with the fat tires my average speed was only slightly lower than it would have been on the road bike.

Thought about a group ride but this time of year for me it's about base miles. The "easiest" group rides always degenerate into a hammerfest. That and the constant sludge in the face from the bike in front of you makes going solo worth it. Back to the trainer for the next 5 days or so.

Outside

Got out for about an hour on the mountain bike this afternoon. Mostly spinning and tempo, with a couple of hill repeats. Sucks riding knobbies on the road, but better than riding in the basement. It would have been a crashfest on a road bike, lot's of ice and major puddles.

Getting tired of the trainer...

I'm getting really tired of riding in the basement. Spring cannot arrive too soon, but it's Minnesota, so that could be 2 months from now. Unless the weather goes completely pear-shaped this weekend, I'm riding outside, even if it's on my singlespeed on the road.

Base Week 3

Started Base 3 today. I missed the last week of Base 2 due to illness. That was followed by a recovery week, so basically, I haven't ridden much in two weeks. I tried to do a 30 minute power test on Saturday and felt like I was going to die, so I bailed. Patience, young grasshopper.

Let Levi Ride

I think the ASO and Tour organizers are sick of American podium dominance since 1999, and figured one way to keep it from happening again is to not invite the American with the best shot at winning. To ban Astana and not ban Cofidis, Rabobank or any of the other teams with past doping scandals is nothing short of hypocritical. But, in a country where Richard Virenque and Christophe Moreau are heroes, what else would you expect? Bob Roll has a great article on this here.

Training

Only managed 2 out of 8 scheduled hours this week. I'm hoping this is the last time I'm sick for a long, long time. Then, I hit it a little too hard yesterday and tweaked my back. This next week is a recovery week, I need it.

FA Cup

So I didn't get to see the game I wanted to, Man Utd vs Arsenal, but I did see one hell of a match between Liverpool and Championship side Barnsely. Injury time winner for Barnsley at Anfield to send Liverpool out of the Cup. Awesome. This is a team in the bottom half of the division below the Premiership, taking out one of the world's big clubs. This is why the FA Cup rules.

Top that off with a 4-0 thrashing of Arsenal by Man U, and it was a great day for football. At least for me. If Chelsea had lost it would have been the hat trick. I'm just guessing Man U and Chelsea will get drawn in the quarterfinals. We'll see.

TDF: Here we go again...

Already banned from the Giro d'Italia, Astanta and others may be watching the Tour instead of racing in it. Is it a case of the sins of the father being visited upon the son? Or is it a sign that promotors are serious about cleaning house?

Obama

Of all the candidates out there, he would truly be a change for the better. I've been going back and forth between Obama and Clinton. I'll vote for whoever ends up with the nomination, I'm just hoping it's Obama. Throw away voting records, experience, rhetoric and soundbites, and give me someone who can inspire others. Hopefully Bush won't issue an executive order making himself president for life. You know he's got at least one last major kick in the groin of the Constitution before he's done.

Brutal

This bug is brutal. I got it 3 weeks ago, lasted about a week and now it's back again. Owen's sick too.

Sick, again.

I haven't had the stomach flu for over 5 years, but I've had it twice now in the last 3 weeks. Good times. No ride today, but I'll count the "ab work" towards my core strength workout.

$100,000/second for this?

This year's Super Bowl ads are the worst I can remember. You're supposed to bring your A Game here. Most of these looked like they were dreamed up by a junior high marketing class. Racial stereotypes, more talking babies, and GoDaddy's Danicka Patrick "striptease" promo? A bloody human heart flying out of a woman's chest is supposed to get me to "follow my heart"? Smelling like Planters peanuts is supposed to get you some action? Craptacular.

The only ad I remember that didn't make me cringe was the Stewie vs Underdog Coke commercial. Coke then ruined it with the Carville/Frist ad, which has been done so many times already. I get it, they hate each other, but Coke makes it all good. Who approves this stuff? Puppy Bowl IV was more entertaining (and better branded, somebody gets it).

Watts

Been using the Powertap for a couple of weeks now. I need to do my critical power tests to get all the zones dialed, but I can already tell it's a pretty great training tool. This is the first week of my training plan with some actual intervals, and it's been interesting to watch the numbers.

Cold, with a chance of death

Statement as of 3:00 AM CST on January 30, 2008

... Dangerously cold wind chills continue through this morning...

A wind chill warning remains in effect until noon CST today.

Brisk northwest winds and bitterly cold air will persist across the
region this morning. Wind chills of 35 below to 45 below can be
expected.

A wind chill warning means the combination of very cold air and
strong winds will create dangerously low wind chill values. This will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia or death if precautions are not taken.

This is why I laugh every time I read an article on "winter" riding or see "winter" cycling clothing in the magazines. All that stuff is aimed at California winter, where 60 is chilly. Come up here and test your equipment or go for a 3 hour training ride, then write your articles. Gotta love living in a place where the weather forecast includes a chance of death.

24 Hour race training secrets revealed

After a week of being sick I think I've stumbled upon the ultimate 24 Hour race training: NyQuil. Waking up with a NyQuil hangover and a head full of mucous at 6:00AM and jumping on the bike is a pretty good analog for that first night lap after you've had a chance to "sleep".

I managed an hour ride yesterday and 100 push ups/100 crunches + a spin this morning. Starting to feel human again.

Sick

I guess this is a good time to get sick, since it's my Base 1 recovery week. Hopefully I'll be able to do the shorter training rides this week and my critical power tests this weekend. Right now, I'm just hoping to have enough energy to get through the day. There always seems to be a hitch in the plan this time of year.

Hello Antarctica?

Vertblog now has hits from 6 out of 7 continents. Mexico City, Rio, Paris, Sydney, Taipei, Johannesburg, just to name a few cities. Anybody at the South Pole with some free time and internet access, start clicking.

2008 Training

So far so good. The early morning trainer action has been consistent for the last couple of weeks. Owen hangs out and watches SportsCenter while I ride. Even did a 4+ mile run with Zoe on Saturday and didn't totally hate it. Hopefully the Powertap will be ready to go soon and I start crunching the numbers. Next up? New mountain bike shopping. Looking for a full-suspension XC racing machine that climbs like a mountain goat. Have to wait and see what kind of team deals are out there.

R.I.P. Sir Edmund Hillary

With the commercial expedition situation on Mount Everest today, a guide will get anyone with enough money to the top. No experience required, a Sherpa will drag you up and back down (dead or alive). There's even a "reality" show on Everest now. When Hillary and Sherpa Tenzig Norgay "knocked the bastard off" in 1953, they may as well have been walking on the moon. I think it's hard for most people to truly understand what they did and how they did it. Most people today wouldn't go camping with the gear they used, let alone attempt something like Everest. I have enormous respect for Hillary, both for his achievement and his humility (he refused to divulge that he was the first one to the summit until several years after Norgay's death). As great as his mountaineering resume was, his work with the Nepalese people was even greater. A far cry from most of today's "extreme" athletes. Truly a legendary man.

Kramarczuk's

Go eat here. This is the kind of food that will get you through the winter. I hadn't been here since they remodeled the deli. Pretty sweet.

January Singlespeed Ride

After a week on the trainer in the basement it felt good to get outside for a ride on the singlespeed. It doesn't hit 30 degrees often in January in Minnesota.

StatCounter

I've been using StatCounter to track user info for my blogs. Pretty cool stuff. A map of recent visitors to Vertblog.

Back on the bike

First ride since before Owen was born (way back in mid-October). First 5 minutes were brutal, but no problem after that. I've got a Power Tap wheel on the way, so I can give training with power a try this year. Also going to try getting up early to ride (at least during the winter). We'll see how it goes...

Snow Dog

Ready for a neighborhood cruise in the snow in her new boots. She hates when I put them on, but as soon as we get outside she's in a full-on sprint.

Snow lovers: You're Welcome!

Snowiest December in 50 years. Why should you thank me, you ask?

1. I sold all of my xc ski gear.
2. I have not bought my snowblower yet.
3. I have no snowboard trips lined up.
4. I had to drive 650 miles last weekend (12-14 inches of snow on Sunday alone).

So, snow lovers, bow to my weather-changing powers. Note to those in need of rain: send me a postcard and I will show up to your area and set up my tent. It will start pouring before I get the rain fly attached, or your money back.

Good Neighbors

Minnesota and Wisconsin got rocked by a blizzard this weekend. We were out of town, and when we got home yesterday we arrived to a snow-free driveway. Our neighbor Jim is the greatest. The guy is in his 80's and he cleared our driveway. Also the only guy I know with a custom built fairing for his snowblower, complete with a coffee holder. Awesome.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family.

Eagle

Unfortunately I couldn't take a photo as I was driving, but a huge bald eagle was flying above me on my way home for lunch. My office is in a house on Long Lake in the northern Twin Cities metro. The eagles fly above the lake where Rice Creek empties out, looking for fish. In the winter, deer walk across the lake on the ice and come up to my office window. I don't miss working downtown at all.


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Family Guy

FPA-I know you're a fan of the show. I can set you up with some of these if you want once I get final approval from Fox and we have some in stock. (2 more designs on my design blog, not sure which 2 will make final cut).

Google Images

So yesterday I linked a photo of Evel Knievel that I found on Google Images. Brad tells me that's not the image that appeared on the post. It looked correct on my system, and I didn't see the image he described, but if any of you did, sorry about that. Post has been deleted. Last time I post a photo using a URL link.

St Louis

This was the first time I've been to St. Louis since the mid-1980's. The cab ride from the airport was depressing. This is a hardcore looking town, which was confirmed when I read in the paper yesterday that it was America's most dangerous city in 2006 (bumped down to number 2 this year by Detroit). The baseball stadium looks pretty cool though. You can see right onto the field from the street as you drive by. Hotel was pretty nice, with this view from the lobby of Busch Stadium and the Gateway Arch.

I told you not to call me here...

A few hotels I've stayed at you had to nail down the furniture to keep the roaches from moving it. Then there's the other side of the coin. When you've got a toilet phone, you know you're in a good hotel.

Famous Dog

My phone camera really sucks, so I apologize for the picture quality. I'm in St. Louis for the Anheuser-Busch licensing summit. We went to the Clydesdale stable for a group photo when this little guy came up and said hi to me. You may have seen him on tv, riding in the horse-drawn beer wagon in those commercials they run during the holidays. Pretty friendly dog.

Went to Beer School this afternoon. Perhaps the most important thing I learned is that AB is more than Bud Light. I had unlimited Stella Artois after class and during dinner. Also learned that Amber Bock pairs well with chocolate cake. Made it through the first leg of the post-dinner pub crawl, but after getting 2 hours of sleep last night and my travel delays this morning, I was too tired to soldier on. My room at the Westin is too nice to ignore, so I'm hanging here and hitting the hay early. Tomorrow I get a VIP tour of the AB design archives. Over 150 years of advertising and marketing design at my disposal for product design. Sweet. I've only been here half a day, but man do they take care of you here.

NWA MSP WTF

Got up at 5:00am, hauled ass to the airport only to find my 7:20 flight is delayed at least 2 hours for "unscheduled maintenance". At least I'm not stuck on the plane on the tarmac like we were in January in Seattle. We sat on the plane for close to 2 hours before being allowed to go back to the gate. When I was a kid I thought air travel was glamorous. Turns out it's worse than riding the bus.

Google Earth Flight Simulator

Where am I?

For a free app, this is pretty kick ass. Google Earth Flight Simulator. It's an Easter Egg hidden in the latest version of Google Earth. To access it for the first time on your Mac, open Google Earth (make sure you have latest version) and then hit option+apple+a or shift+apple+a (can't remember 100% which it is right now). You have your choice of an F-16 or a single-engine prop. You have a list of airports to choose from, or, before entering the flight simulator, select an area in Google Earth and when you enter the flight sim you will be flying over that position. Cities with 3D buildings are cool to fly over (Manhattan is pretty cool). Controls are pretty touchy and I have yet to land without crashing, but it's pretty fun. Update: Actually, I've managed to land 3 times in a row now without crashing. Not really sure it was on the runway or not, but hey, I didn't crash. It helps to place some push pins that mark the runways on the Google Earth map before entering the simulator mode. It makes finding the airport much easier, especially without any radio or GPS navigation aids. You can also use the line tool to create a glide path.

Grumpy's CX

B race start, Grumpy's CX at the Velodrome.

Velodrome CX

Birchwood/Crossniacs in action at the Velodrome CX on Sunday. We brought Zoe and Owen with. It was Owen's first race. He slept through it all, and I didn't get any pictures of him. Bad dad. Anyway, Guy kicked ass, crushing the holeshot and leading the entire race to take first. Andy was in 3rd the whole race until the mud bog attacked, knocking him down to a still very respectable 6th place. Not sure how Eric(?) did in the C race, but he looked like he was having fun. One of these days I will get some sleep and have time to ride again.

Crazy Dog

Sometimes she looks completely psycho, but anyone who has ever met her knows otherwise. Goofball.

Workout

Sleep Intervals: On a couch or chair, curl up into a ball and drift off. While asleep, wake up to the crying of your baby every 2-3 minutes. Do 6-10 of these starting a new one every 3-5 minutes after warming up. Heart rate will vary from resting rate to Zone 4. Cool down by watching Italian soccer highlights, stretch.

Things change when you have a baby. I haven't ridden for 3 weeks. I'm gonna try to run and ride a bit next week. Sleep would be great too.

Autumn

First hard-freeze of the year overnight. The leaves are dropping so fast it sounds like it's raining.
It's time for a new camera. The batteries last about 10 minutes and then die. Managed a couple of shots before the shutdown.

Week 1

Jen wants to take his picture with the gorilla to see how much he grows. So, here's the first one, at 1 week old.
Zoe is really into Owen. She can't see into the bassinet but her nose comes right to the edge. Anytime Owen makes a sound, Zoe goes over to check him out, then she comes to get me to let me know he's doing something. She's snuck in a few face licks when Owen's been on my lap. She's a good big sister.

Home!

We finally got to bring Owen home last night. If felt so good to not have to go back to the hospital today (especially not having to walk through the cloud of cigarette smoke to get in the main entrance). I will miss the nurses who took great care of us, but not the chairs I had to sleep on. Thanks to the doctors, too, but we all know the nurses do the gruntwork.

Oct 21st

Sunday has been a good day for Owen. His IV was removed last night and he's been eating better. Jen was discharged yesterday but we spent the night at the hospital so we could feed him and hang out. The doctor didn't do rounds until after Jen was initially sent home, so we don't know when Owen can come home, but we should have a better idea later this afternoon/early evening after the doctor is by.

Zoe is going crazy, wondering why we haven't been home and why I keep coming and going. She got to smell a baby blanket yesterday and was pretty excited. I'm sure they will be best friends.

Owen

Saturday was a little better for Owen. He's been feeding better and a little more alert. We are staying at the hospital tonight to do feedings. I'll update tomorrow after we have a chance to talk with the pediatrician.

Friday's Owen Report

Little guy is still a sleep machine. He did wake up this morning and tried eating for 10 minutes. Then around 11:30 he was a little more active and ate for about 20 minutes, so that was encouraging. His glucose levels are now in the 80's and his breathing is better so they took off the pulse oxymeter. Still has the IV and is on the monitor, but he's improving. Jen's being discharged tomorrow, but we will still be at the hospital quite a bit until we can bring Owen home (which will probably not be for a few more days).

Thanks for the phone calls, emails and visits. Jen will try to catch up on emails in the next few days. I will try to post some more photos tonight, depending on what time I get home and how tired I am.

Baby update

Things are still about the same with Owen: sleeping constantly and still not eating. He did try a bit, but promptly fell back asleep. Hopefully he'll wake up a bit tomorrow. Mom's okay. Pretty sore from the surgery and pretty tired, but gradually getting back to normal. She says thanks to everyone who has commented or emailed.

Owen

Can you tell I'm smiling behind the surgical mask?
Owen's been sleeping most of the day. He had a rough start, so it's not surprising he's tired. I know Jen and I are. He's got an IV hooked up to his head (which looks way worse than it is) to make sure his blood sugar levels are correct.

Owen Harold Van Ert

30+ hours of labor, 2-1/2 hours of pushing with no luck, so Jen had a c-section. Found out the umbilical cord was wrapped around him several times and kept him from coming out the natural way. Everyone's a bit tired. Jen and Owen are doing well now, recovering.

8 pounds, 1 ounce
20" long

Still Waiting...

The stork appears to be in a holding pattern. Today is the due-date, and so far no signs of delivery. We have an appointment tomorrow and will schedule a day to induce if necessary. So, he's coming out one way or the other in the next few days. Stay tuned...

No Baby Yet

Still no action on the delivery front. Today the doctor said if he's not here by Tuesday it's time to induce. Monday is the due date, so we're still on schedule, but Jen wouldn't mind getting the pregnancy part over with asap.

Groß in Deutschland

Apparently I got some work published in a German book on logo design. I'm trying to get a copy of it to see what they selected (should be nice and spendy between the Euro conversion and shipping). They said they are also interested in one of my websites for an upcoming book in 2008. Prosit!

http://www.zeixs.de/logo.html

Nursery Update

After enduring another IKEA adventure (love the furniture, checkout line not-so-much) I got the replacement part for the crib and put it together. Picked up some mobiles, rugs and a couple of toys. We've got a rocking chair to put in here and an awesome ceiling lamp I need to install, then all we need is the baby. As with everything I do around the house, Zoe supervised.

Nursery Update

No more races + rain + impending due date + coffee = progress. I got the nursery painted, trim and baseboard in and the changing table put together. I'm going to replace the window trim and someday refinish the ugly floor. Crib has a gacked headboard, so I gotta make a trip to the big blue box (Ikea) to get a replacement. Gonna pick up some cool stuff for the room while there.