Riding

Well, I'm about 4 weeks back to riding more typical miles (for me). I averaged 39 miles a day over the last 31 days (1209 miles). That makes me happy.  :-)

The Big BLIP

Brighton, Lakeland, Island, & Poto..

My bike was exhausted...

Monday night ride..

Nearly 50 Mondays each year, for the past 12 years, I have led an easy paced club ride. I like leading the group around and I think most enjoy following me. Monday's are pretty cool cause for the fast guys it's an easy spin around town after Sunday's race, and for others, just getting into cycling, it can be a workout. Start to finish the ride is about 24 miles and takes us about 1.5 hours. Back in the early days I use to keep attendance all year long for this ride. That kinda morphed into the WRCS as the monday ride got to large in the summer to easily take attendance. Anyway, that's what I do on Monday's.

Monday Night Ride - May 5, 2008

B.O.O.B.S. Ride

Alex and I met up and busted out the BOOBS ride... Alex had mentioned the idea to me last year...
"Bloomer, Orion Oaks, Bald mt, & Stony".
How could it not be a good idea??

Bloomer Park XC

After riding during the week with Christian, Bill, and Cruise it was pretty obvious that I'm still off from race shape so I lined up at the back as we gathered at the start. Well, race turned out to be pretty tough for me.. The back was aching quite a bit and the legs aren't really working yet.. Climbing seems to be the worst right now... Funny at the end some of my friends don't want to believe I finished that far off or that I'm out of shape.. They think I was taking it easy, maybe still resting my back... That's truly all I got right now.. It's kinda strange and hard to believe that I'll ever go fast again... Simonster guessed it would be about 6 weeks to get back to race shape... Based on that about 3.5 weeks left... I guess I can deal with that...

Photos by Linda

elite results...

320 miles last week... :-)

About three months ago I confessed that my low back was bugging me...

A quick update...

After some yoga, limiting myself to ridiculously short easy rides, several doctor visits, x-rays, an mri, steroid injections into my spine, and physical therapy 3 days a week or the last 8 weeks. The back officially better and I'm trying to get myself back into shape. I was released from physical therapy just yesterday. The doctors say I have arthritis in my spine. Uhg! I guess I'm getting old. But as they always say, getting old is better than the alternative. Anyway, I guess I have some additional items to track now and those are stretching, yoga, weights, etc, etc.. Bah!!!

Here's a comparison of my miles per week this year vs last year...

Cohutta 100....

Hey kids...

Simonster called in a 2008 Cohutta 100 race report in which he gave me a quick recap of the top 5 men... I didn't recognize the names of 2 and 3 and instantly forgot them, sorry about that..

1 Jeff Schalk (Trek Factory Team)
2 ??
3 ??
4 Christian Tanguy (WSC/American Cycle & Fitness)
5 Chris Eatough (Trek Factory Team)

Wow, Tanguy!! Congratulations Christian!

The Simonster (Trek Factory Team) ended up with a flat tire on the day but still rolled in with a top ten finish in 9th..

Waterford Hills Summer Series

Wolverine Sports Club/American Cycle & Fitness
Elite Road Bike Team
Robert's Race Report (April 17, 2008)

Waterford Hills Summer Series – Waterford, Michigan
Start Line Weather: Cloudy - 73 Degrees - SW Winds at 7 mph

Robert Herriman - Place: 21st Catagory A
"It was pretty fun. First time on my road bike in 7 months and my first hard ride of the year after some time off for a low back issue, and I'm racing and in an 11 man break with Danny, Ray, and Tim. Cool!! By mid race Ray, and then Danny, got away in a nice mix of guys and Tim and I knew things were looking good for the team. Tim and I got caught by the main field with about 5 laps to go and with about 2 laps to go I finally popped and just rolled in solo off the back of the main field. Wow, I don't recall ever finishing a road race off the back like that but I was still pretty happy I made it as far as I did. Hopefully just a few more weeks off the back and I will be back!"

Wolverine riders, post race, happy and tired...

Pontiac Lake TT - "DNS"

Did Not Start!!! Bah!!! I'd done every Pontiac Lake Time Trial that Tailwind has put on since they started doing them back in 1996. That is until today. The low back pain issue I mentioned here two and a half months ago is just starting to get better and I'm starting to ride again, yea!!! I really wanted to race today just to keep my personal record of PLRA starts alive but my low back issue, my fitness and the dismal weather forecast all combined to have me stay home. :-(

Attached is a comprehensive list of the top 25 riders from all 12 PLRA TTs run over the last 13 years with my 11 PLRA TT results highlighted. Uhg! That's gona bug me!

2008 WRCS Awards Party!!!

Some images from the 2008 WRCS Awards Party!!!

WRCS Awards Party!!!

Hey Kids!!!

The Big Big WRCS Awards Party...
Party Date: Sunday Evening, April 6th, 2008.
Party Location: American Cycle & Fitness, Royal Oak.
Party Time: 6:30 PM
B.Y.O.B.

Finkelstein Birthday Bash..

A few pics from Tim's Birthday Party at Dick O' Dow's .

For the very first time....

... yoga.

In an attempt to keep up with the German..  And yes, to try and get the back fixed up.. I did my first ever yoga class..  It was Weird..  But I got to admit the back felt better after...  I plan to do some more classes..  I think I could really do without the wonderful spiritual journey of oneness...  But then I guess it wouldn't be yoga, ey?

69er

Decided to try the 29er thing that seems all the rage these days... Well, half of a 29er anyway... I rode it around in my basement last night.. So far I like the the way it handles..

I know, I know, I seriously need to start selling some bikes...

Learning to fly...

Finkelstein busted in a post about how he got where he is today, complete with some "back in the day" pics of his former self.

Well, I have a simalar story.

I too, had the long hair.

Robert (Age 14) Warren, MI.
Summer of 1975.
Riding my Dynamax - "Tour de France" 10 speed.

Funny... At dinner at mom and dad's tonight, dad produced the original receipt for the Dynamax.. Check out the old school phone numbers for the bike shop.. What was up with that???