Crap

[Traveler]

I debated posting this thread and for a while, deciding not to at first - but it is such a microcosm of life I though to post it anyway.  As some of you know I am a cyclists.  But this has really been a crappy downer year for me.  Besides getting older - I have been traveling with the wife and have not been as serious with my cycling as times past.  Some of you may know about Strava - it is a phone app that will keep track of you workouts - cycling for me.  It has been 30 years since I competed and I am getting older each year.  When you break a personal record on a cycling segment Strava will mark the segment with a PR for personal record.  This means that you had your best time ever over that segment.  If you are faster than anyone else - you will get a KOM - which stands for King of the Mountain.

This year I had a major drop off of PR's and it has been a while since I got a KOM.  A couple of weeks ago I thought I would make myself happy and go for a KOM because this has been such a poor year for me.  I reviewed all my routs and segments and found the perfect possibility.  A close friend held the KOM and in checking the time - I was sure I could take it.  It is also a reward to bump off someone I know.  I was all excited and set out to get my KOM.  I started the segment almost 10 miles/hour over the speed limit.  I thought to myself - this may be why riders of this segment had not gone faster - you could get a speeding ticket.  I was making really good time and was a head of schedule - then up came a stop sigh.  CRAP!  Okay it was a 4 way stop so I just blew through determined to get the KOM.  About a mile farther there was another stop sign - but this was a three way stop and I had to take a hard right.  So I blew through that as well - still a head of schedule.  Then a half mile and I came to another stop sign where I had to make a left turn and there is a thick hedge blocking the view - since I value my life I had to slow down but I did not stop.  Then almost to the end I came upon the final stop sign at a busy street where I had to turn left again.  I really slowed down - dodged some traffic, sprinted up a hill and finished - But I did not get the KOM by 3 seconds.  CRAP.  

I decided that my buddy and everybody that beat my time (less than 1% that ride the segment) cheated and must of had someone stopping traffic at all the stop signs so they would not have to slow down.  Since I almost always ride alone I just could not take the chances.  

And so I end this season - the worst ever.  I related this all to the wife and of course she gave no encouragement nor sympathy but said - this is the attitude and why you ride alone.  I haven't ridden to win for 30 years now, I just ride for fun (sort of) but it still sucks to be getting older and not better.

 

The Traveler

[Fether]

@Traveler next time you go, just have your wife drive in front of you the whole way so you can get a nice draft

[zil]

6 minutes ago, Traveler said:

It is also a reward to bump off someone I know.

Does your bishop know you've taken on a side job for the mob?

9 minutes ago, Traveler said:

3 seconds

Maybe if you stopped having seconds, you would do better.

[let’s roll]

I tell everyone I’m riding as fast as I did 10 years ago, it’s the bike that’s getting slower.

But seriously, kudos to you for continuing to set goals and go after them.  You have my respect and admiration.

For years I rode for the social aspect, lot of relays (e.g. Saints to Sinners) and enjoyed getting my son in laws involved.

This year I decided to do a century for the fist time since I did Solvang in the 90s.  It was hot, and I rode too much of it alone, but I’m glad I did it.

Keep setting goals and go after them.

Godspeed.

[anatess2]

14 hours ago, Traveler said:

 

And so I end this season - the worst ever.  I related this all to the wife and of course she gave no encouragement nor sympathy but said - this is the attitude and why you ride alone.  I haven't ridden to win for 30 years now, I just ride for fun (sort of) but it still sucks to be getting older and not better.

 

The Traveler

Nah.  You're just rusty.  You got 4 more weeks before the end of the year.  Go do that route everyday until you get KOM.  Go go go!  Then when you get KOM, take a screenshot, print it into poster paper, frame it, and give it to you wife.  Maybe you'll be able to give it to her as a Christmas present.  

 

[Traveler]

1 hour ago, anatess2 said:

Nah.  You're just rusty.  You got 4 more weeks before the end of the year.  Go do that route everyday until you get KOM.  Go go go!  Then when you get KOM, take a screenshot, print it into poster paper, frame it, and give it to you wife.  Maybe you'll be able to give it to her as a Christmas present.  

 

You are both sweat and funny but quite different from my wife.  I am not allowed to give my wife anything that can be worn (unless she specifically says - "You can buy this").  And anything centered around me would not be allowed - the poster would be in the garbage faster than the wrapping paper.  I think the worse gift ever from me was - but I have to give a back story.  When we lived in Seattle life was very busy for both of us.  She had a flat tier late at night on the freeway with three very small kids - only to discover that the spare tire was missing.  It was a wet, cold and rainy night - not a happy event for her.  This was about a month and a half before Christmas - So for Christmas I got her a brand new spare tire for her car.  It was 5 years before I was allowed to even shop for her with a list she made.

Sometimes setting goals just does not work.  For at least 40 years I have tried to get a speeding ticket on my bicycle to frame and hang in my office. A few years back I was having a fantastic riding year.  I was getting PR's on almost every ride - it was also the last year I got a KOM - BTW KOM's are very difficult to get - my son that rides semi-pro has never gotten one and it ticks him off that his old aging dad has had a few. (but I have never been able to keep any for more than a day or two before some young buck takes it away - by more than a few seconds - with one exception that was taken by only a second.)  Back to the speeding ticket - that year I went through a radar trap 20 miles/hour over the speed limit (according to my bike computer).  The cop was by the side of the road with radar gun in hand pointed straight at me and as I passed by - he gave me a thumbs up and smiled.  What kind of cop does that?

Sometimes all our efforts are not good enough and despite our best - things just do not turn out as we hoped for or planned.  And my wife - that never in all our years - ever gets discouraged or gives up -- always says, "Stop focusing on things that really don't matter and just enjoy the ride and the moment."  Srug! - I am trying; really hard.  Maybe if I could just try a little tiny bit harder next time?  Then the wife says to me - "You are already doing better be thankful and realize that what you suck at is in thinking it is important to be even better." 

One last thing - I hope everybody is having a better year than me and that this year your hearts will be full of gratitude and thanks - even if you did not reach all the goals and fell short at accomplishing what you planned and strive for.  And most of all - I hope you all have someone in your life like my wife is to me - that will give you a hug and kiss and love you anyway.  Crap - and this reminds me that I need to try harder to return back a little more of the goodness and love she gives me.

 

The Traveler

Edited November 30, 2018 by Traveler

[anatess2]

3 minutes ago, Traveler said:

You are both sweat and funny but quite different from my wife.  I am not allowed to give my wife anything that can be worn (unless she specifically says - "You can buy this").  And anything centered around me would not be allowed - the poster would be in the garbage faster than the wrapping paper.  I think the worse gift ever from me was - but I have to give a back story.  When we lived in Seattle life was very busy for both of us.  She had a flat tier late at night on the freeway with three very small kids - only to discover that the spare tire was missing.  It was a wet, cold and rainy night - not a happy event for her.  This was about a month and a half before Christmas - So for Christmas I got her a brand new spare tire for her car.  It was 5 years before I was allowed to even shop for her with a list she made.

Sometimes setting goals just does not work.  For at least 40 years I have tried to get a speeding ticket on my bicycle to frame and hang in my office. A few years back I was having a fantastic riding year.  I was getting PR's on almost every ride - it was also the last year I got a KOM - BTW KOM's are very difficult to get - my son that rides semi-pro has never gotten one and it ticks him off that his old aging dad has had a few. (but I have never been able to keep any for more than a day or two before some young buck takes it away - by more than a few seconds - with one exception that was taken by only a second.)  Back to the speeding ticket - that year I went through a radar trap 20 miles/hour over the speed limit (according to my bike computer).  The cop was by the side of the road with radar gun in hand pointed straight at me and as I passed by - he gave me a thumbs up and smiled.  What kind of cop does that?

Sometimes all our efforts are not good enough and despite our best - things just do not turn out as we hoped for or planned.  And my wife - that never in all our years - ever gets discouraged or gives up -- always says, "Stop focusing on things that really don't matter and just enjoy the ride and the moment."  Srug! - I am trying; really hard.  Maybe if I could just try a little tiny bit harder next time?  Then the wife says to me - "You are already doing better be thankful and realize that what you suck is in thinking it is important to be even better." 

One last thing - I hope everybody is having a better year than me and that this year your hearts will be full of gratitude and thanks - even if you did not reach all the goals and fell short at accomplishing what you planned and strive for.  And most of all - I hope you all have someone in your life like my wife is to me - that will give you a hug and kiss and love you anyway.  Crap - and this reminds me that I need to try harder to return back a little more of the goodness and love she gives me.

 

The Traveler

All the more reason to get that KOM, frame it, give it to your wife for a present!  Best. Gag. Gift. Ever.  You can hide the real present in the back of the frame... like, I don't know, tape diamond earrings to it or something.

My husband does this.  I have this strange weakness where I have zero patience for surprises.  So, I would take my presents from under the tree, carefully open it to see what's inside, then tape it back up and put under the tree to wait for Christmas.  It gets me super frustrated and distracted wanting to know what's inside... I mean, I don't want to have it already, I just want to know what's in it.  So, anyway, my husband found out I've been doing this, so he would put something stupid in the present, put it under the tree, and disguise the real present or hide it somewhere.  

[zil]

1 hour ago, Traveler said:

For at least 40 years I have tried to get a speeding ticket on my bicycle to frame and hang in my office. ...  Back to the speeding ticket - that year I went through a radar trap 20 miles/hour over the speed limit (according to my bike computer).  The cop was by the side of the road with radar gun in hand pointed straight at me and as I passed by - he gave me a thumbs up and smiled.  What kind of cop does that?

@mirkwood, @Traveler needs a favor!  I'm sure he'd be willing to bring his bike into your jurisdiction in exchange.  Maybe you could tip him off to places where it's more likely you can exceed the speed limit on a bike?