Bringing it Indoors, 28 Years Ago Today and The Golden Compass
Fall riding weather is nothing more than a distant memory since we got dumped on with nearly ten inches of snow in the last week. The roads out of our neighborhood are still quite snow-packed but the main roads are fine. The last few winters I've shunned my indoor trainer for whatever clear roads I could find, sometimes riding in temps as cold as zero. Winter riding in Minnesota is doable but there are two big obstacles: frozen toes and the lack of daylight.
Up until a little over a week ago, I was searching for some warmer shoes for winter riding with plans of once again riding outdoors through the winter months. That approach changed when I came across a thread on the Serotta forum and some input from a respected poster who couldn't say enough good things about TruTrainer rollers. I very much respect what this poster (who goes by the name of 11.4) has to say. I'd been kicking around the idea of bringing my training back indoors and 11.4's recommendation of these rollers was just the shove I needed.
I bought my first set of rollers in 1980 just after getting out of the Navy. They served me well until I replaced them with a Cateye Cyclosimulator 1000 which I've had for a dozen years. It too gives a good workout but rollers are different. You can actually fall off them if you're not paying attention. Not that there are all that difficult to ride because they're not but they do require some bike handling skill.
TruTrainer rollers are different than others in that the middle roller is weighted and acts as a flywheel. Unlike other rollers where you can go from zero to thirty mph in under ten seconds, you can't do that with TruTrainer rollers. The effect of having one of the rollers weighted is that it much more accurately simulates the resistance of the road. When you're pedaling along at 20mph on TruTrainer rollers you're actually using a similar amount of energy that would be required of you out on the road.
Riding indoors is never the same as being outdoors but I'll get a better workout on my rollers than if I were to be out on the road in the dead of winter with legs muscles too cold for higher reps. I still plan to do my share of winter riding but it'll take a back seat to my indoor training. The photo of me to the left was taken nearly 28 years ago. Here's me today. How does the saying go...the more things change the more they stay the same? It appears my headphones have gotten considerably smaller but I can tell you that some of the music going through them is the same.
Speaking of 28 years ago: it was 28 years ago today that I finished my enlistment and returned home to Minnesota. If I were to do it all over again I don't think I'd change a thing. Those were the most carefree days of my life and I knew it while I was living them.
Rachel is going with her youth group from Prince of Peace to see the Golden Compass tomorrow night. The movie is based on a book written by Philip Pullman, a self-described atheist and agnostic. There's been a fair amount of talk about the movie and for the most part, it's been quite critical in that the trilogy of books the movie is based on is apparently a slam at people of faith. Rachel doesn't really want to pay for a ticket to see it but she wants to attend with her group. I suggested that she pay for a ticket to see some other movie with a similar start time but use the ticket to see the Golden Compass instead. That way she wouldn't be supporting someone who is dissing our God.
I know—that's not was Jesus would do.
I think it's quite possible that the critics are making more of this than there really is. What sort of message does it send to somebody who goes to see it with a preconceived idea that it's some sort of sinister attempt to mislead them but they walk away feeling it was nothing of the sort?
Rachel mentioned her intentions to her youth leader and he expressed his dislike for the idea because it was being dishonest. She countered with, "but what about the underground railroad?" Her youth leader wasn't buying it. "But what about Schindler's list? He was being dishonest." He still wasn't agreeing with her. He said that the writer was likely only getting a few cents of every ticket sold. She said it didn't matter how much he was getting. It was the idea that he was getting any of her money at all that mattered. I love the way she thinks.
Edit: Rachel went to see the show and had a very hard time following it. It's one of those shows where you really need to read the book as there isn't enough time for the movie to develop the characters. I suppose some will say that that's part of the plan.
Up until a little over a week ago, I was searching for some warmer shoes for winter riding with plans of once again riding outdoors through the winter months. That approach changed when I came across a thread on the Serotta forum and some input from a respected poster who couldn't say enough good things about TruTrainer rollers. I very much respect what this poster (who goes by the name of 11.4) has to say. I'd been kicking around the idea of bringing my training back indoors and 11.4's recommendation of these rollers was just the shove I needed.
I bought my first set of rollers in 1980 just after getting out of the Navy. They served me well until I replaced them with a Cateye Cyclosimulator 1000 which I've had for a dozen years. It too gives a good workout but rollers are different. You can actually fall off them if you're not paying attention. Not that there are all that difficult to ride because they're not but they do require some bike handling skill.
TruTrainer rollers are different than others in that the middle roller is weighted and acts as a flywheel. Unlike other rollers where you can go from zero to thirty mph in under ten seconds, you can't do that with TruTrainer rollers. The effect of having one of the rollers weighted is that it much more accurately simulates the resistance of the road. When you're pedaling along at 20mph on TruTrainer rollers you're actually using a similar amount of energy that would be required of you out on the road.
Riding indoors is never the same as being outdoors but I'll get a better workout on my rollers than if I were to be out on the road in the dead of winter with legs muscles too cold for higher reps. I still plan to do my share of winter riding but it'll take a back seat to my indoor training. The photo of me to the left was taken nearly 28 years ago. Here's me today. How does the saying go...the more things change the more they stay the same? It appears my headphones have gotten considerably smaller but I can tell you that some of the music going through them is the same.
Speaking of 28 years ago: it was 28 years ago today that I finished my enlistment and returned home to Minnesota. If I were to do it all over again I don't think I'd change a thing. Those were the most carefree days of my life and I knew it while I was living them.
Rachel is going with her youth group from Prince of Peace to see the Golden Compass tomorrow night. The movie is based on a book written by Philip Pullman, a self-described atheist and agnostic. There's been a fair amount of talk about the movie and for the most part, it's been quite critical in that the trilogy of books the movie is based on is apparently a slam at people of faith. Rachel doesn't really want to pay for a ticket to see it but she wants to attend with her group. I suggested that she pay for a ticket to see some other movie with a similar start time but use the ticket to see the Golden Compass instead. That way she wouldn't be supporting someone who is dissing our God.
I know—that's not was Jesus would do.
I think it's quite possible that the critics are making more of this than there really is. What sort of message does it send to somebody who goes to see it with a preconceived idea that it's some sort of sinister attempt to mislead them but they walk away feeling it was nothing of the sort?
Rachel mentioned her intentions to her youth leader and he expressed his dislike for the idea because it was being dishonest. She countered with, "but what about the underground railroad?" Her youth leader wasn't buying it. "But what about Schindler's list? He was being dishonest." He still wasn't agreeing with her. He said that the writer was likely only getting a few cents of every ticket sold. She said it didn't matter how much he was getting. It was the idea that he was getting any of her money at all that mattered. I love the way she thinks.
Edit: Rachel went to see the show and had a very hard time following it. It's one of those shows where you really need to read the book as there isn't enough time for the movie to develop the characters. I suppose some will say that that's part of the plan.
Comments
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I plan on seeing the Golden Compass at some point. I'm really not much of a movie goer. I'm not that interested in what the writer might make from it, I just think that it falls into the category of "know your enemy." If you're going to converse intelligently about it and its message--you have to know what you're talking about.