At the end of March, Hyuck and I went for beamtime at the APS in Chicago. The beam was down on Tuesday so we went into the city for the day. It was cold but awesome.
All the pictures are HERE.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
A day off during APS beamtime: Chicago
At the end of March, Hyuck and I went for beamtime at the APS in Chicago. The beam was down on Tuesday so we went into the city for the day. It was cold but awesome.
All the pictures are HERE.
Monday, March 21, 2011
My longest ride ever
Yesterday, Alex and I went for a 58 mi bike ride (this is the approximate map). It was too cold, and I had a lot of neck pain, but the ride was great overall. I think the cause of my neck pain is a combination of not being used to the new riding geometry and neck muscle weakness.
We went on three other rides last week. They were all quite uncomfortable from my bike being poorly fitted to me. I got it adjusted on Saturday, and the re-fitted bike is quite a different and welcome ride. Of the 4 rides (~106 miles), I've fallen off the bike twice--not a great track record with the new pedals. I've got some wicked bruises on both elbows, both legs (from the handlebars), and the back of my head (well a bump anyway). They're kind of awesome! As is the dent in my helmet (left middle--I obviously landed on a pebble, though it felt like a hammer):
And these are from the ride yesterday:
All of this riding will be better when I no longer have a caffeine withdrawal headache on top of everything; every time we were riding over rough road and potholes, I stood up to try to avoid jarring my head.
Alex wrote up a much more thorough version of the ride over here.
We went on three other rides last week. They were all quite uncomfortable from my bike being poorly fitted to me. I got it adjusted on Saturday, and the re-fitted bike is quite a different and welcome ride. Of the 4 rides (~106 miles), I've fallen off the bike twice--not a great track record with the new pedals. I've got some wicked bruises on both elbows, both legs (from the handlebars), and the back of my head (well a bump anyway). They're kind of awesome! As is the dent in my helmet (left middle--I obviously landed on a pebble, though it felt like a hammer):
And these are from the ride yesterday:
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| County road 73 where we turned to go to Riverhead. This road was the fastest section of the whole ride averaging ~20mph. |
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| Me on Sound Avenue waiting for my feet to regain feeling. |
 |
| Sound Avenue, it looks completely flat. It was not. |
All of this riding will be better when I no longer have a caffeine withdrawal headache on top of everything; every time we were riding over rough road and potholes, I stood up to try to avoid jarring my head.
Alex wrote up a much more thorough version of the ride over here.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Awesome Pictures (with a side of emo whining, sorry)
So ever since they increased the tough mudder distance to 10 miles, it seems impossible. Coupled with the fact that since I ran the 5k at the Toxicology conference (my fastest 5km ever at 28 minutes), my knee has been problematic. It hurt quite a lot during the race then for the rest of the day. It's been popping a lot when I walk since then. I feel like i won't be able to run any of the Tough Mudder at all if I want to be able to walk afterwards, but I feel really bad about the idea of not participating. So in summary: I've lost all motivation to run and I'm not feeling particularly excited about anything at the moment. I'll stop with the depressing emo bulshit and update when I'm feeling a little more happy and healthy.
I do have some pictures though. The DC convention center had some weird art.
Then these are the two sides of the sign I made for the Planned Parenthood Rally for Women's Health that we went to in the City (also the rally for Wisconsin solidarity earlier the same day--I was chanting to support unions).
I do have some pictures though. The DC convention center had some weird art.
Then these are the two sides of the sign I made for the Planned Parenthood Rally for Women's Health that we went to in the City (also the rally for Wisconsin solidarity earlier the same day--I was chanting to support unions).
A Week of Firsts
I did my first ride of the season on Monday. It was just right around Stony Brook, but it was lovely. Cold, and I fell off my bike, and my bike seat seriously needs to be adjusted, but lovely. This was the first time I used my new clipless pedals (worst name ever as my being clipped in precipitated my falling over). We stopped on the side of Old Field Road on the way to Old Field Light House. My right foot was unclipped and touching the ground but my left foot was still clipped in. I somehow overballanced to the left and the next thing I know I'm on the road. I just barely skinned my left knee and I have an awesome bruise on my left elbow. My arm is still sore two days later.
The bike seat is rock-like in hardness, but the main problem was that is was oriented so my weight wasn't distributed properly. There was way to much pressure on my pubic bone--so much that even putting my hands on the drops briefly was pretty uncomfortable.
We planned to do another lunch ride today, but I'm exceedingly sore from ballet last night (we did all this weird new stuff working on turn-out). And I'm going off caffeine starting today. I imagine by lunch I'll have a headache. But maybe that won't start until after.
I also used my new cast iron skillet/griddle for the first time last night. The results were AWESOME.
A Kind of vegan cheese steak sandwich thingy. So awesome.
I feel like there was some other first as well, but I forget now.
The bike seat is rock-like in hardness, but the main problem was that is was oriented so my weight wasn't distributed properly. There was way to much pressure on my pubic bone--so much that even putting my hands on the drops briefly was pretty uncomfortable.
We planned to do another lunch ride today, but I'm exceedingly sore from ballet last night (we did all this weird new stuff working on turn-out). And I'm going off caffeine starting today. I imagine by lunch I'll have a headache. But maybe that won't start until after.
I also used my new cast iron skillet/griddle for the first time last night. The results were AWESOME.
I feel like there was some other first as well, but I forget now.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Beamtime, Moving, Races, and Social Activism
It's been crazy busy recently. I had beamtime over the weekend at the APS in Chicago. It was very productive but tiring as usual. I stayed up all night sunday night so I slept in then started moving my stuf yesterday. I am hopefully moving for the last time on Long Island. Yay!
I've registered for two races since I posted last: the Bike New York and the Montauk Century. I'm so excited! And when I came back to the department, Alex was pumped up about the Super Randonneur. The ride series comes from the French randonee, to ramble. A ride of that magnitude (200km, 300km, 400km, and 600km in a year) seems like anything but a leisurely ramble. But we're going to at least try to do it. If you complete the entire series in a year, you get a medal (oooohhhh) and are qualified to ride in this race in Paris that is the longest running bike race in the world (120 years). I say race, because there's not a better word, but it's only timed in that you must complete the distance within a certain limit to officially "finish."
With all the recent attacks on women's rights by politicians, we've been itching to do something. Something other than signing petitions that is. And something fell into our laps--there's a rally in the city on February 26th, Stand Up for Women's Health. I've never been to a social justice-type rally (I'm not counting the pro-life rally I attended as a child as I had not yet formed independent political opinions and I remember wanting to hang out with my 'friends' and I'm pretty sure my parents didn't want me to go). Anyway, going to a political-type rally is even on my bucket list. It will be the first thing I mark off since I made the list back in November!
I've registered for two races since I posted last: the Bike New York and the Montauk Century. I'm so excited! And when I came back to the department, Alex was pumped up about the Super Randonneur. The ride series comes from the French randonee, to ramble. A ride of that magnitude (200km, 300km, 400km, and 600km in a year) seems like anything but a leisurely ramble. But we're going to at least try to do it. If you complete the entire series in a year, you get a medal (oooohhhh) and are qualified to ride in this race in Paris that is the longest running bike race in the world (120 years). I say race, because there's not a better word, but it's only timed in that you must complete the distance within a certain limit to officially "finish."
With all the recent attacks on women's rights by politicians, we've been itching to do something. Something other than signing petitions that is. And something fell into our laps--there's a rally in the city on February 26th, Stand Up for Women's Health. I've never been to a social justice-type rally (I'm not counting the pro-life rally I attended as a child as I had not yet formed independent political opinions and I remember wanting to hang out with my 'friends' and I'm pretty sure my parents didn't want me to go). Anyway, going to a political-type rally is even on my bucket list. It will be the first thing I mark off since I made the list back in November!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
My first 10k!!!
I speculated that the gym might be less busy on the weekends and I was right. Yay. I was still worried that I was going to be kicked off the treadmill about 45 minutes in, but I made it. I did 6.2 miles in <67 minutes. I would know the exact time, but I accidentally pulled the emergency stop cord when I was picking up my towel to wipe my face. It was at 5.03 miles and I was so ready to just run one last mile at 6.0mph. After I reset the machine, I was so pissed and upset I was about to cry--that lump in the thraot, hard to breathe feeling so I walked for 5 minutes fully thinking I would just stop early. After I got myself back under control, I got like a 5th wind and boosted it back up to 5mph (and then 5.5 for the last few minutes) to finish off the 10k! I had a stitch in my side for about the last 35 minutes, and it was kind of an emotional rollercoaster, but I'm done now. I had a protein shake, lunch, and half of my toasted coconut chocolate chip vegan cookie, and I'm feeling loads better.
Workout unhappiness and the continuing snowpocalypse
So I think it is physically impossible for me to be able to do a pull-up by the time the Tough Mudder rolls around. Why? I haven't tested the absolute max, but I can do about 10 lateral pull down reps with 75lbs and 6-8 reps with 87.5 lbs. I currently weigh about 160 lbs so even assuming my max single rep weight I can lift is 100, I'm still a solid 60 pounds from being able to lift myself. So yeah, I don't think I'll really be able to pull myself over the wall. Dammit.
The undergrads are back so that means the gym is super busy. And it means that I can't stay on the treadmill for more than 30 minutes. Soooo annoying. I guess there's a slight upside in that it forces me to do more weight training which is a good thing for sure.
On a further annoying note, there are ginormous piles of snow everywhere and the wintery mix that keeps falling combined with the sub-freezing nighttime temperatures has made a layer of ice over all the snow. The fields of snow now look fake, like they're made of ceramic. It's never going to go away now.
The undergrads are back so that means the gym is super busy. And it means that I can't stay on the treadmill for more than 30 minutes. Soooo annoying. I guess there's a slight upside in that it forces me to do more weight training which is a good thing for sure.
On a further annoying note, there are ginormous piles of snow everywhere and the wintery mix that keeps falling combined with the sub-freezing nighttime temperatures has made a layer of ice over all the snow. The fields of snow now look fake, like they're made of ceramic. It's never going to go away now.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Winter Forecast: Despair
Chance of looking out the window and sighing: 90%. I am so over New England winters.
The only positive thing I can think of: I'm currently in the registration process for the 2011 TD Bank 5 Boro Bike Tour. They close down the entire bike route--a traffic-free tour of NYC. The skinny: 32,000 riders, 5 boroughs, 42 miles. Sounds amazing!
But I'm still pissed about the damned weather.
The only positive thing I can think of: I'm currently in the registration process for the 2011 TD Bank 5 Boro Bike Tour. They close down the entire bike route--a traffic-free tour of NYC. The skinny: 32,000 riders, 5 boroughs, 42 miles. Sounds amazing!
But I'm still pissed about the damned weather.
Friday, January 28, 2011
BIKE!!!
I went to get my new bike. IT. IS. AWESOME. So awesome that I'll abuse caps lock to describe it. But the words don't do it justice, caps lock or no.
My new Cannondale CAADX with Tiagra parts:
Alex and his 3 inch larger frame version:
The twin bikes:
Now if all the snow would go away, I could try the thing out.
My new Cannondale CAADX with Tiagra parts:
The twin bikes:
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