Boredom

I'm not really sure what is up with me on this ride. I'm just not into it at all. I've only been doing 50-120 miles a day.

All day long my mind wanders and I day dream about working on our nursery, washing my harley, and gardening.

I think my lack of motivation stems from 2 things:

1) Zero competition. There isn't anybody to chase or runaway from. If my ass hurts and is blistered (which it is!) I can just sit in a cafe on the beach. If it starts hailing pea sized pellets, I can stop for the rest of the day.

Ultra racing/riding isn't any fun without competition

2) We're having a kid. A KID. (I even think it's mine this time).

The reality that I'll be missing some major milestones in the pregnancy is really hanging heavy on my heart. It's really making me want to nest and work on our home.

I'm not really sure what I'm gonna do here. Liz is heading home in a few days, I might just hitch a ride with her.

A new kind of adventure...

Lately I've realized that I'm not very good at taking things in a laid back manner. I always have a plan and I always try to accomplish as much as I can in as little time as possible.

I have 52 days off between being done with my clinical rotations and the last week of required activities for medical school. I tried and tried to find a race or a route that I could ITT, but alas there isnt anything appealing.

Therefore I've decided to go in my own new direction. I'm combining four of the adventure cycling association's routes to make a loop of the country, pacific coast, southern tier, Atlantic coast, and northern tier.

On Friday afternoon I will be riding my bicycle out of my driveway and heading south along the pacific coast. I plan to make three turns; left at Mexico, left at Florida, and left and Maine.

I hope to cover this loop in the time I have, but I'm also trying to make myself go unplanned, unpressured, and open to the adventure that will come.

If I average 215 miles a day, I'll make it back home in time for graduation week. If not, that's cool too, I'll just fly back.

Let's see what happens.

Wow, this blog has almost 18,000 views........ And not a single entry since last year!

I've decided I must race the divide again.

I'll try to blog about it!

Look, I have a blog!

I totally forgot about it!

Today somebody posted a comment on one of my Tour Divide articles. Talk about a blast from the past.

I'm in the midst of finals. My last one is tomorrow. I'm really mentally tired but I'm handing tough... Whoa ooohhhh ohhhh whoa ohhhh, HANGIN' TOUGH.

Wow, that's also a blast from the past.

Ok, see you later!

Ultra light weight backpacking gear

So, I have something of an obsession with ultra light weight gear. The obsession began with my quest to crush the Tour Divide (still ongoing by the way!).

Here are a few links for some light weigh deliciousness.

Custom ultra light gear. Suluk46.com

Ultra light sleeping gear. Enlightenedequipment.com

Online forum. Backpackinglight.com

I just had a thought that some of you might find it interesting.....

Other than that, I studied for 10 hours today. I'm going to eat some sustenance and hit the hay.

It's been over a year!

I love what I'm doing's first anniversary has officially come and gone.

And now, I will give a pictorial explanation of why I don't blog everyday like I should.

I love what I'm doing day #362

The post birthday deluge...

Yesterday was interesting. I usually get a bit sick a few weeks post flu shot, nothing bad but I'll sniffle for a few days and move on.

Not this year.

I got full on dripping from my nose, hoover dam, sinus drainage going on. Double doses of dayquil(registered trade mark!) weren't even cutting it. I think the major cliff in my precipitous descent into a full on medical emergency took place in the days leading up to the last exam. You know, stress, no sleep, more stress, more no sleep...

Which leads me to the days events. I woke up late thanks to a drug induced coma from the night prior. Greeting me on my phone was a text from my prof wondering why I wasn't in small group. I had of course sent out an email advising I was sick the night before, and I of course sent it to the wrong email address. Oh well.

I then spent the next day alternating between studying and checking to see if the grade from my last exam was posted online. Mind you these cycles lasted anywhere from .3 seconds to 15 seconds at the longest.

After doing this for 8 hours, I decided that it was time to party. I went home and was greeted by my wonderful wife who had set up a really sweet surprise for my birthday.

Look, I can hang things on walls!

For those of you not in the know, I raced my mountain bike over the Rockies from Canada to Mexico (all by myself and everything). There were lots of pro photographers on the course in different places and Liz went around online finding some really cool shots of me. She then got some great custom prints. The big one is printed on sheet metal and the smaller ones are printed on a metalic paper and framed in custom bike chain frames. Totally sweet.

Wanna know what's also sweet? Now you're in the know about the bike race! Aren't you awesome! Be sure to go to tour divide.org for more!

After the picture fest, the lucky lady and I went to a swank little bistro for burger and debate. All I'll say about that is, "I love Big Bird." And, I also want to see him in the unemployment line.

After that I went to bed, early, with tons of nyquil (trademark!) onboard.

Pretty good day, lord knows I loved it!

I love what I'm doing day 360

Today is alllllmost the one year anniversary of the daily I love what I'm doing series. Although, it has ended up becoming a semi-monthly (ok, bi-semimonthly-ish) occurrence.

Yesterday was the first final of second year. It was awful. No, it was beyond awful. Which is only compounded by the fact that I aced the midterm. Talk about having the rug pulled out from under me...

Oh well. We get our grades tomorrow, which also happens to be my birthday. So hopefully it will be a good present for me. If not, 32 might not be my year.

Oh well, it could be worse. I could not be at the best medical school on the planet. I could not be in medical school. I could not be married to the love of my life. I could not have the most awesome dog ever. I could not have... well another dog. I could not own tons of bikes. I could not have a cooler than thou cat. I could not own a Harley.

I love what I'm doing, for almost a year straight.

Proof of the most awesome dog ever.

I love what I'm doing day #334

Wow, my "I love what I'm doing..." series has almost been going for a year. I wish I could say that I was more faithful with the 'daily' posts... Although, it is pretty cool to look back at all my shenanigans over the year.

Today was the first day of school for us second year medical students. I started out by meeting a classmate in the morning and then we rode our bikes to school. It was pretty reminiscent of elementary school.

The morning was filled with ice breaker activities or, "MS2 Field Day". Our team did really well and we even managed to win a few events.

Lunch was spent catching up with classmates, and laughing at what we knew the first years were going through back in Alaska.

In the afternoon I got immunizations, a PPD, and a locker assignment. ALSO, I got a magic card that lets me into the Health Sciences Library 24/7. No other UW students get access like that to campus. (What does that say about how freaking hard this program is??)

My hand was really killing me in the afternoon (I broke it mountain biking two days ago) so I cut out early. I got home just in time to snooze with my wife before she headed out for work.

I do have a pretty good life.

Go DAWGS!!!!!!

Bike Desk, a guide to do-it-yourself

I love what I'm doing day.... I'm not really sure what day this is supposed to be.

First let me start by saying, sorry I've been gone and, thanks to my wife for reminding me to blog.

Secondly, is this desk the shiz or is it not?

Badassery from Kickstand Furniture. (http://www.kickstandfurniture.com)

Although that question was rhetorical, let me be clear... This desk IS the shiz.

I really wanted one for studying last year but didn't want to buy it just to move it down to Washington. Also, it is pretty pricey.... Worth every penny for sure. But alas, I'm not only a student but a med student, the poorest kind of poor. ($200,000 for tuition alone!!)

I decided to try making my own version of the Kickstand Furniture desk. It turned out pretty well and only cost ~$140. It's not nearly as beautiful as Kickstand's but it will get me through boards next summer.

Below are the steps I used to make my desk. (Feel free to try it but I assume no liability!)



I started with a standard metal commercial grade rack. (It is important to find one with adjustable shelves.) I also choose a fairly large shelf so that it was stable.

800 pounds per shelf... THAT should be able to support my fat @$$.

I cleaned out the air mattress from our last guest visit. (Sorry Gracie, I'll put it out again when you want to come back!)

Awesome trim/paint/flooring not included.

I measured my trusty Cyclops tire block to make sure that I set the bottom rack at the right height, no need to have my desk feeling like it's constantly going up or down hill.

Be sure to measure for the low point on the tire block, the outside is higher than the middle!

I set up the rack with just one shelf on the bottom. Remember that the bottom shelf is subbing for a front tire rest that you would normally use when on an indoor trainer, set the level accordingly. (Although, it can be adjusted later if needed thanks to the handy dandy adjustable shelf-age)

It helps to set up the shelf near a window, since this will be your 'office view'.

I set a second shelf up on the rack to serve as the desk top support. I estimated the height that I would need, not forgetting that the countertop would add an additional two inches.

I took one of the other shelves that comes with the unit and traced it on the bottom of the counter top piece. (The counter that I choose was a precut/prefabbed piece. I bought a 4' length shelf because the shelving unit I bought was 4' wide.) I cut out notches on all four corners so that the top would fit on the shelf, i.e. the cuts that I made left room for the supports of the shelving unit

Counter with corners cut out.

Close-up of the corner cut outs.

I put the counter on the second shelf to make sure that it fit.

Pretty good cuts for a med student!

A look from above.

Close up of the sides.

Side view of the cuts.

Then I mocked up the bike with a trainer. I was sure to use a trainer mat to both protect my floor and keep the height ratio for the front and back wheels the same as it would be if I was riding for a normal training session with a front tire block.

Looks level...

The cockpit looks good...

Knee clearance is good too!

Now that I knew it was at a good level, it was time to secure the counter. I choose to use C-clamps. (I could have also drilled holes and bolted the top to the shelf but I wanted to have the option to adjust during the coming semester until I got it just right.) The metal plates in the picture are steel framing joint supports, they serve to spread the load of the clamp bottom across several of the wires on the rack.

Love the color of these clamps.

I clamped all four corners.

The plates used for support under the shelf.

The finished product!

So, there you have it... A quick, inexpensive, and structurally sound bike desk. If I like this and use it consistently, I'm totally ordering a Kickstand Furniture desk for my practice after residency!

A little inspiration for those long study days... I mean, long days in the SADDLE.

I love what I'm doing day #197

Dear Diary,

I am exhausted. I have been studying everyday from 7 am-11 pm for as long as I can remember (Which apparently means my memory stopped working about January 3rd). I have two finals left before the end of first year.

In 36 hours, it will all be over.

This has been the hardest thing I have ever done. Which means that this is harder than taking 20 credits of upper level undergrad education while studying for the MCAT and recovering from a career ending injury and still holding down a 40 hours a week detective desk job. Or, its's harder than riding a mountain bike unsupported from Banff, Canada to the US/Mexico border through wind, rain, knee deep snow, lightning, 115 degree heat, and 20+ hour days on the bike. Or, it's harder than having a gang-banger point a gun at you that is so close to your face you can actually see the 9mm bullet at the other end of the barrel, keeping your act together, and fighting your way out of the situation.

I'm not sure whether or not it's harder than the Colorado Trail Race.... That will remain to be seen after this summer.

I love what I'm doing day #187

My life is the best..... four hour blocks of studying followed by a few hours of riding, running, or swimming like a jack@$$. Then rinse and repeat until it's bed time.

I love me some Conrad Stoltz!

I love what I'm doing day #173

I loves me some fornix....

I love what I'm doing day #172

I have been making flashcards of infectious fungi for the last three hours and I'm still not done.

This micro exam is going to be AWESOME.

I love what I'm doing day #171

Holy long time not post Batman.... (Wow that was a douchy intro).

I really have nothing to say today except; I haven't posted recently, school is hard, there are only 4 weeks left of this semester, and I'm ready for summer.


Ok, see you later!

Summasummasummasumma time

I love what I'm doing day #152

Spring break was a hit; we found some new digs in Seattle, I'm roughly caught up on schoolin' (I said roughly!!!), and I'm looking at a course load that is roughly six credits less than it was the first half of the semester.

PFS!

I love what I'm doing day #143

Spring break begins in just a few minutes!

I love what I'm doing day #140

I absolutely can't believe it has been only 24 hours since my last blog post. Since that time I have covered roughly 697 powerpoint slides and 200+ pages of text.

I can't say I know it all perfectly but I still have 42 hours to get where I need to be.

COME AT ME BRO.

I love what I'm doing day #139

I passed the hardest two classes of the year despite the fact that they were layered on top of one another and one of them was double speed. (Not to mention all the other classes and madness we have going on.)

I'm not out of the woods yet. After all, I have 2.5 days to consume 14 chapters of microbiology that I haven't even looked at yet. But that's ok, this exam isn't a required pass.... If I don't pass, meh, it only effects my overall average in the class. It's not a mandatory pass like the finals.

(Raises glass of beer)

Here is to academic water boarding at the hands of one of the finest academic medical institutions on the planet.

I love what I'm doing day #134

I love my wife so much.