Reform Before Revenue

Mind over matter - if you don't mind, it don't matter.

In what I can only describe as a shit storm of motivation, my spin instructor unleashed his full arsenal of inspirational quotes during last Thursday's class. And not just classics like HYDRATE OR DIE, but a slew of long-forgotten gems I haven't heard him utter in over a year. In fact, had I not been there to witness the spectacle firsthand, I wouldn't have believed anyone could pack that many catchphrases into a single hour-- which I guess is just another example of why Mike continues to amaze me for reasons that go far beyond his physical prowess.

I did my best to remember as many of Mike's phrases as I could, but by the class's 45 minute mark, I had switched into pure survival mode and was barely hearing - never mind remembering - what was coming out of his mouth. Still, I was able to recreate a pretty healthy list of quotes and will be using them to give some semblance of structure to my next few posts- starting with this one.

"Mind over matter- if you don't mind, it don't matter."

With 192 miles to bike over 2 days, the main focus of Les's and my training is physical- and rightly so. Just look at the core muscles we'll be exhausting from now until August: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SyLSEnYPv8&feature=related. As an aside, I think that clip might have been the inspiration for Robbie William's freaky Rock DJ music video circa 2000 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BOyvOsMqk4&annotation_id=annotation_690565&feature=iv). But I digress.

As important as our gym sessions are, there is a point in every long ride when your body wants to stop, when your leg muscles scream that they *can't* go any farther, and when the remaining miles seem downright impossible. It's at this point that mind takes over matter. During training, I use music to help overcome this critical juncture, but during official rides, ipods and the like are usually discouraged, if not straight up prohibited.

Without the aid of music, you've gotta come up with some pretty creative ways to pass the miles, but even though I think I have a pretty (overly) active imagination, this ride is going to be ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY TWO FREAKIN MILES LONG and there are only so many ninja fighting scenes and high speed chases I can dream up (Yes. That's what I think about when I ride.) Luckily, Les and I have come up with a solution: The Turntable Bike.

Hear me out. When a DJ is mixing at a club, he's got 2 turntables (and a microphone), right? Well when a biker is riding, he's got 2 spinning wheels (and a handlebar bell)... see where this is going?

It's no new idea to harness a bike's spinning power to create sound- I mean, kids have been attaching playing cards to wheel spokes for decades, but it's 2009- time to take this idea to the next level.

If we simply replace the wheel spokes with records, and rig the break clamps to double as turntable needles, well, we've pretty much created a party in motion.

Still not convinced? Here's a rough diagram for all you nay-sayers:



Problem solved. You're welcome.

Weekend Converstations

D: it's really nice outside!
L: yea, we should get on our bikes!
D: let's walk to Target, I need new sheets!
L: how far is it?
D: 3 miles
L: umm, ill just walk with you to comm ave. 3 miles is too far.

FYI- the PMC ride is 192 miles.


Place: Starbucks coffee line. Coolidge Corner
D: so, les what are you getting?
Random guy bumps into Les
L: Pissed off!

ER visit #1 [lets face it, there will probably be more]

Training has been non existant on my end.

props to danielle. Im pretty sure while i was up at 6am being sick, she got up and went to her spinning class. yea, I have some catching up to do!

I did spend 5 hours in the emergency room yesterday. All i wanted was an antibotic for what I knew was a sinus infection. So there I was, in the world renound MGH, feeling like my head was going to explode off my body with every small noise, surrounded by the freaks with missing eye balls and fingers, and after i explain my symptoms this woman insists that I put on this blue SARS-esque mask on my face.

All the breathing I was doing in this mask was being filtered back up into my glasses, fogging them. So, naturally I had to move the mask, and was then told multiple times "mamm, please keep the mask on."

I waited, and waited, and waited...because that's what you do, you wait for someone, and when this someone finally came, he did not want to hear my diagnosis, he had his own theory....I had the flu. Ok, buddy, you are not listening to me. I know whats wrong, just give me some antibotics and ill take my sudafed and be on my merry way. Nope, I got to wait some more, and have giant q-tips stuck up my nose which felt like they punctured the frontal cortex of my brain. After that brain rattling test, I was privelaged enough to be sent to another waiting space. It was an awful, overcrowded, HIPPA violating space, with uncomfortable faded blue wooden chairs, two teenage kids, [one pregnant] making out next to me, a man who looks like he's going to blow chunks everywhere, and an overweight man with an iv pole who insists on staring at me and my SARS mask..... and finally the results come back---negative for the flu.... Thanks

training delayed due to illness.

I have 2 questions:
1- can you take nyquil durning the day?
2- does moving from my bed to the couch count as cardiovascular activity?

Training has begun! (At least in theory)

With our blog launched and our facebook group live, there's really nothing left to do but start training, which makes today the official kickoff of Danielle and Les's super hardcore PMC training schedule! (Yeaaaaah- The crowd goes wild!) By my count, training season has been going on for ohh about 14 hours and so far has consisted of me drinking 3 glasses of water (but I totally chugged those glasses, so trust me, it was some pretty hardcore hydrating) and obsessively refreshing our new facebook group page, which at last count was a whopping 78 members strong! (Thanks for the support, guys!)

Now, some PMC riders might consider that *plenty* for the first official day of training and resolve to reward their hard work with a little Jack Bauer power hour and the promise of an even more intense training regimen tomorrow(dare I suggest 4 glasses of water!?). But not us. Come quittin' time I'll be heading over to my gym for some spinning, which could be a bit painful given my months-long hiatus from class, but hey, as my favorite spin instructor loves to say, nothing worth doing in life is ever easy. Great motto- second only to his other tag line- HYDRATE OR DIE! Which actually makes me think that maybe I will try for the 4th glass of water... I'll let you know how this ambitious plan pans out...

TRAINING BEGINS TOMORROW

L: hi my name is lesley!
D: and im danielle!
L: welcome to to
D & L: OUR BLOG!