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I so detest winter. I can’t get warm enough. My baths and showers are never hot enough. My skin is always dry. I envy my friends who live where it never gets cold. One day we will move back west. A girlfriend of mine who lives in Oregon came to visit this week. She has her medical card, yo. She wants us to come visit. She’s near Medford.
I am paying for the few outdoor rides I did last week. Been sick as a dog for 3 days, coughing, puking, and in addition to that, I have a tooth that needs pulled. It’s been a sucky ass weekend and I haven’t pedaled a bike since Thursday. My head is about to explode. Some painkillers and a shot of whiskey would feel real good right about now, but that’s not an option. I just have to sit here and take it.
I just found this picture in some old files. I think it’s from 1898.
Addict-Turned-Ironman Swims, Bikes, Runs From Past:
The first time Shane Niemeyer thought about Ironman triathlons, he had just tried to hang himself. It was 2003 and he was a 27-year-old homeless heroin addict in an Idaho jail, awaiting sentencing for drug possession and burglary…..Since his March 2004 release from a prison drug program, he’s done eight Ironman distance races, covering a combined 140.6 miles in each. He placed 19th at a 2009 Ironman race in Wisconsin, out of nearly 2,400 competitors. On Oct. 8, Niemeyer finished his first Ironman World Championship race in Kona, Hawaii.
Sounds a tad familiar (except the Kona part, of course!). Especially this part:
Other athletes he works out with know something of his past, though not everything.
“I don’t think they understand the severity,” he said. “They have pieces, but they don’t understand I’ve been in jail 25 times. It’s hard to give somebody the whole story.”
Thanks to the reader that sent that article in.
** If that link above doesn’t work for you, copy and paste this:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/12/31/us/AP-US-Troubled-Triathlete.html?_r=2&hp.
And I know this has zero to do with bikes but fuck it.
-There’s a guy I know back in town, trying to get sober. He’s fucking dying. Coming off the amount of alcohol he drinks could kill him if not done in a detox facility. As I sat here and read all your comments about beer this weekend, I thought about this guy, wondering if he’ll make it to detox.
-A memorial was held yesterday for a girl that OD’ed on dope a few weeks ago. She was the girlf of a guy I know, and she left behind a small boy. Shit is real. RIP Jen.
D-motion rollers. Fabricated inside Dominic’s head.
-A local junior, Drew Dillman of Red Zone Cycling, is chosen to go to CX Worlds. Click here to send a donation to help get Drew to Germany!
This is for those of you bored at work.
http://www.jensvoigtfacts.com/ Refresh the page and get a new “fun fact”. Are they true? I have no clue.
That’s all I got. Have a great week.
I LIED! UPDATED: LOOK WHAT JUST CAME ON MY PORCH! Thanks Gnome and Benson!!
Elastica
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Bleh.
That’s hard to take without bike riding therapy.
Feel better and get back in the saddle soonest, Sister.
my roommates are program men. josh skates and snowboards – and so has wrecked hisself orthopaedically. no pain meds despite a thumb he bent backwards on the slopes and a separated shoulder at the skate part. ya’ll is some hard people.
Looks like some fun that showed up at the door,,, Time to start thinking about riding dirt…
Take your drugs, listen to Dom, and you’ll be back out riding soon (or by June, when the last of the snow usually melts up there).
My own D-motion knock-offs are almost done (thanks again to you and Dom). And if you’re ever in Philly, the drinks are on me.
look up county clinics. if you’re near UC, maybe their dental school has a cheap lottery-based service available. get that shit out of your head before it abscesses, homie. then hit the brickx. VDB says it’s spring classic training season.
I was thinking of offering you some of our 40 deg heat (Celsius), but then thought that might get me into trouble ….
Get well. Keep up the great posts.
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Wanna warm up? Take some cayenne capsules. Get ’em at a health food store. They make ’em “cool” too so they don’t bug your stomach.
How does one go about getting the “D-Motion” retrofit to their rollers? I thinks me needs some.
Last, but not least, I love TRAINSPOTTING! I always thought Obi-Wan Kenobi was a heroin addict…
VOO! DOO! Woot! Cannot wait to see how you build THAT one up.
I expect to see some great photos of you pulling massive air next summer.
As for the rollers — Dominic — ever heard of copyright? Maybe you should get one slapped on your design. (Personally, I can’t do rollers. I fall off every stinking time. Weak. But they look like they work just fine.) Seems some fruitloops of your labors ought to be considered. Copyright!
The cold has gotten to me here, too. I am looking forward to rain and 50’s later in the week. Happy riding –b
Judy, I’ve got string if you’ve got a door knob, we can cure that tooth ache on the cheap.
Arizona cold, Voodoo warm fuzzies. Rawk!
aw, that [motion rollers] is too cool. I want some. Does Dom mind if I copy his design awhile?
GET BETTER! Dammit.
I’ve been really intrigued lately by the apparent correlation between addicts/recovering addicts and endurance sports. It seems to be a story that I am hearing/seeing a lot of lately, although maybe because at this point, I’m looking for it so perhaps my perception is not matched by any statistical reality. I’m casually looking around for any published research on the topic, just to satisfy my curiosity, I suppose.
Judi, I know there is that potential magazine feature on the topic, how is that progressing?
(Now hurry up and get better so we can crush some stairs together next week.)
Judi, as a guy who sees a lot of people die (at my real job) I wana say I really respect how you were able to rise above. Sorry to hear about the recent loss of the girl of a friend. Keep being the example for those who are trapped in the bowels of addiction.
Cycling offers one of the best cardiovascular workouts you can find. Because you are seated and not bearing your weight as you cycle, you can get in a “zone” on a bike and ride for very long periods of time compared to running, where you typically get tired after a relatively short time. This ability to maintain your heart rate for a long time is a major benefit of riding a bike.