syklister vs. nordmenn og norsk media

Norsk media er fantastisk flinke til å skrive negative artikler om syklister og deres/vår oppførsel. Enten det er i rittsammenheng eller ute i marka så er vi visst bare noen egoistiske udyr.
Denne siste artikkelen i Aftenposten skal ha oss til å tro at vi ikke engang er medmennesker nok til å stoppe å hjelpe en medsyklist som har vært i en ulykke under et ritt.

I bildeteksten står det "(syklisten) gliset bredt da paret ved hans side hadde et aldri så lite uhell ved Djuphølen underveis i Birkebeinerrittet".

For meg ser det heller ut som at han prøver å anstrenge seg for å holde seg på sykkelen i den bratte nedoverbakken.
Vi har visst ikke god sportsånd, eller bruker "fair play", i følge artikkelforfatteren, Espen Hansen.
Videre prøver han å oppsummere/forklare vår adferd ved å skrive at "Arrangøren belønner fair play med fratrekk i tiden".
Når var det sist du var med i en konkurranse der man belønnet fair play?
For selv om Birken er kun en "mosjonsidrett" så er det litt naivt å tro at når man slipper ut over 10000 syklister med startnr på brystet at ikke adrenalinnivået er på spreng og konkurranseinstinktet kicker inn.

Nå sier jeg ikke at man skal ignorere en medkonkurrent som ligger nede i bakken og er såret. Tvert imot. Selv har jeg stoppet opp, i en konkurranse, for å spørre om alt er ok der en deltager har hatt et uhell.
Samtidig vet jeg at hvis jeg stopper opp for å hjelpe til så blir min slutttid dårligere. For syklistene som er ute etter en ny pers, eller som kanskje er akkurat på grensen av å klare "merket" i Birken, så er det nok et enormt tiltak å stoppe opp.

Videre setter artikkelforfatteren, Espen Hansen, enda et negativt merke på de i "40-års krisa".
- Det kan skje uheldige ting i en konkurranse... der en tar ut hele 40-årskrisen sin og hvor resultatet betyr alt.

Hvert år, under de siste ukene før Birken, blir det skrevet flere artikler om disse "40-års-krise gutta" som farer gjennom skog og mark, og som pløyer ned det de kan i forberedelsene frem mot Birken.

Det er ikke rart at Nordmenn har et negativt syn på syklister, og kaster flasker på oss når vi er ute å sykler.
Jeg har vært så heldig å ha syklet i flere europeiske og skandinaviske land de siste årene, og det er kun her i Norge hvor jeg opplever at både bilister og fotgjengere har et rent "hat" mot syklister. De ser rødt når de ser oss.

Ja, jeg har også opplevd at en syklist ute i marka har hatt en forferdelig høy hastighet når han raser forbi meg på stien. Men betyr det at alle syklister er slik?
Er det fair å sette alle syklister i èn bås? Er ikke det rasisme?

Hva med å fokusere på de positive egenskaper sykling har? At flere bør komme seg opp av sofaen? At det er mulig for syklister å sykle på asfalten, sammen med bilistene, uten at det skal bli krangling om plass? Og at vi alle kan nyte og å dele marka, både de gående og syklende, uten at det blir bråk?

Jeg tror at media kan hjelpe til stort her hvis de setter på trykk noen hyggelige/positive artikler, der man ikke setter "40-års krisa" som hovedfokus, eller klager på "alle" syklistene som herjer gjennom marka.
Fordi når det først er på trykk så må det jo være sant. Ikke sant?

applethrew? appleheist!

I love this part of the year because the apples are ready for picking!
This morning, as I cycled past several apple trees, I could not resist... I went on a little "epleslang" (I have no idea if there is a word for this in English... applethrew? applestealing? appleheist!)

Anyway, they were hanging over the fence, and most of these apples go unharvested and just fall on to the ground, so I don`t feel bad for taking a couple with me.
These are the only kinds of apples I can eat, since I am allergic to the ones I buy in the store. Very frustrating!

But now I will be enjoying apples for at least a few weeks.
Joy!

mental note

When I am riding my bike to work in pouring rain, it is a good idea to bring along a dry pair of cycling shorts for the ride home.

a thousand words

i`m riiiiiding in the rain....

just riiiding in the rain....
what a glorious feeling, I`m haaaappy again.....

naptime

There should be a "mandatory naptime" integrated into the workday.
There`s no way I`m supposed be expected to function after a big lunch.

I urge everyone to sign this petition for a "after-lunch-naptime" so I can send it in to the prime minister.

aaaaaaahh free at last

I rode my bike to work today! :-)
Finally!
All last week, with my troubled lower back, I was forced to taking the public transport system to and from work.
If it had at least been raining and freezing cold it would not have been all that bad. But when the sun is out and I am crammed into a subway cart, people sitting on top of each other... everybody talking on their cell phone or listening to their iTunes, or both, and the kids screaming and crying....
I feel claustrophobic.
My back is still not 100% better, and I am still in need of more physical therapy. But I felt good enough to sit on my bike and ride the 6,5 km to work, with the only sounds around me being traffic.
No more iTunes blasting from every direction, or having to sit and wait for the subway.

Today I am free again.

a thousand words

work

You mean I am supposed to be here at work every single day? From 8 to 4?
This work stuff is hard.

working 9 to 5, its a way to make a living....

Det er omtrendt 5 år siden jeg sist hadde en fast jobb med månedslønn. Jeg har klart å overleve med en del freelance-jobbing, både som instruktør, fotograf, og aktmodell.
Jeg har kunnet skreddersy mange av ukedagene, men til gjengjeld har jeg ikke hatt så mye penger til overs.
I dag starter et nytt kapittel med fulltids-stilling som instruktør!
Jeg har vært heldig.
Faget er fortsatt Photoshop, pluss en del fotograferingskurs.
Nå må jeg vende meg til en 8-16 arbeidsdag igjen, 5 dager i uka.
Egentlig funker jeg bedre med en fast rutine, så jeg tror ikke dette skal bli så vanskelig.
Og jeg gleder meg veldig til å kunne ha en litt bedre økonomi.

the nude blog

It`s funny actually, this curiosity we have about nudity. And how in many ways it`s still taboo, both the subject of nudity and just being nude.
I have written 2 blogs here about my experiences with it (the nude model and the nude cyclist), but it took about 6 months before I dared publish them.
"What would people think" ... well now I don`t care, I am who I am, plus I wanted to get some feedback.

But the interesting thing is that I got no comments or replies. Not to my modeling at the art schools, nor to my artistic cycling shots.
So I assumed people were not interested, or that maybe they just had not found my blogs at all.
Well it turns out that people have been reading these blogs... they just didn`t want to leave a trail. Talking with my friends last weekend, one of the girls made a comment about my new job, and kinda smiled. I thought she was talking about my new teaching job that I start on Monday, but no, she was talking about my nude modeling.
She had found my blog and seen the ones tagged "nude" and of course had to immediately check it out.
But she did not want to write anything... "no I didn`t dare". Not sure why.
I have gotten quite a lot of positive feedbacks though, mostly in person, which I think is very exciting. I have heard everything from "that is really cool" to a simple (and possibly my favorite) "æsj!".
What is art?
Am I just taking pictures of naked people or am I creating art? Am I simply walking around naked in an art class for the fun of it or am I learning more about the nude body and all of its complexities?
I hope most of my readers will pick the latter in both of these questions. But I also expect a lot of snickering and "æsj" ...unfortunately.
Either way, I will continue doing this and also strive to take better nude photos, as this is possibly the most difficult to do... without them looking like a Playboy shot.

Below are three of my favorites from my "nude pregnant" series. I finally got the lighting right. Hopefully I will get more of these photo opportunities.
And hopefully I will continue to get modeling gigs. I have learned a lot from being in these art classes.

how much crap...

...is it possible to accumulate in 1-2 years? Obviously a lot!
I was going to get my Mom to empty out and throw away stuff we have in our storage units. Instead we started by cleaning up in my office, bedroom, kitchen and balcony storage. We are now in our 4th day and still throwing stuff away.
Don`t even ask me what all this crap is... but we are slowly filling up the trash container in my block (don`t tell my neighbors).
The advantage is that my office is now twice as big!
And I can actually see what I have in my kitchen pantry.
But still... I feel I do this once a year, and every time I end up throwing away a ton of stuff.
No wonder our landfills are filling up.
Once we fill up this planet we will have to move to the moon.

reflections - norseman xtreme triathlon 2009

I am back in Oslo after organizing another Norseman Xtreme for the 7th year in a row. It is always with a sense of sadness, wistfulness, joy and satisfaction that it is all over.
The weekend is exhausting. We spend all year preparing for the next event. Ordering products, getting photographers, updating the website, and making improvements from the previous years.
The feedbacks we receive make it all worthwhile. It has become such a personal event for me. Already when I arrive in Eidfjord I meet and greet triathletes from all over the world. Some are here for their first time, and I can see the excitement and fear in their eyes. Others are here for their repeat and new goals. It is a reunion of sorts. We have become like a family. And we meet here once a year to rekindle the experiences from the year(s) before.
I talked to Victor from Colorado who was here in 2006. He came up to me and told me how much he was looking forward to doing it again. I would see him several times during the competition and he would always tell me how he was doing.
There are so many stories like these.

Even the places have become a part of me. The Gausta-mountain, with her grandeur and mystique, has so many stories that I feel that I know her. She can be brutal, with her sudden weather changes. I have taken so many pictures of her.


The next few days will be spent going through all the photos and videos that was collected through the event.
After reflections and summaries from 2009 are collected we start planning and preparing for the 2010 Norseman Xtreme Triathlon.
And new memories will be created.

3 days without the internet

...and I feel fine.

reflections - eidfjord

Så her sitter jeg igjen da, i Eidfjord, med masse forventninger og sommerfugler i magen. Men denne gangen er årets Norseman unnagjort for meg, og jeg kan sitte her i min fine grønne Finisher skjorte og konsentrere meg om å ta bilder. Hvem hadde trodd det, etter den aller første Norseman i 2003!
Jeg kan huske hvordan jeg hatet Hårek der jeg karra meg opp det som skulle hete Zombie Hill. Den ble visst oppkalt etter meg, av han godeste Hårek.
"Dette skal jeg aldri gjøre igjen - det er jo helt galskap"
Vi var 21 mann det året... teståret.
Men det var flere som hadde lyst til å gjøre dette. Og nå, for 7. gang, arrangerer vi igjen og er muligens over 200 deltagere fra hele verden.
Jeg kjenner igjen fjesene fra de jeg har tatt bilder av tidligere. Og de kjenner igjen meg. Vi er som en slags familie som møtes her en gang i året.
Merkelig. Og litt koselig.
I morgen blir det fullt kjør med registrering, pre-race møte, pasta middag, salg av varer i butikken, osv.
Hvem skulle trodd at den lille logoen som jeg satt og tegnet i 2003 skulle ende opp på alt fra bildekor til skiluer.
Nei nå må jeg legge meg. Det har resten av Crewet gjort. Er sistemann på den gamleskulen i Eidfjord.
Gleder meg til i morgen nå.

my 5th norseman xtreme!

August 1, 2009.
Norseman Xtreme Triathlon is an Iron-distance triathlon that started in 2003. Distances are 1800 meters (2,36 miles) swim, 180 km (112 miles) cycle, and 42,2 km (26,2 miles) marathon run.

This was my 5^th Norseman, and if I made the cut-off time limits I would also secure the green “5-time Finisher” jersey. This was my main goal!

The Crew Race is held for the people organizing the race so that we can also have a chance at competing. This time we held it 1 week before the official Norseman. We were 9 people this year.

So at 4:30 am we are standing on the banks of Eidfjord, ready for our 3,8 km swim. The temperature is cold as the sun is just barely peeking out from the huge mountains surrounding us. The temperature in the water is only 15 degrees Celsius (59 F).

We jump in and start swimming along the shoreline, in towards T1. There is little wind and the water is calm, but really cold. By the time I reach the end, my hands are starting to feel it and I`m having a difficult time keeping warm. Clive is really fast and was way ahead of us from the start. I swam with Dorthe and Geir F about halfway, but then they started to pull away. But I kept a nice pace and did not lose sight of them. Clive swam in 1:04 – I came in 10 minutes later. Swim - 1:14. This was 6 minutes faster than last year so I was pleased.

In T1 I was having problems getting warm (I am told I need to get some more body fat). I was shaking all over and it was actually kinda funny as I was clumsily trying to get out of my wetsuit and into my cycling gear. This year I was prepared for a cold bike ride so I put on wool socks, a buff under my helmet, long gloves, and a wind proof jacket. After 15 minutes in T1 (extremely long time), I finally jumped on my bike and was on my way.

The first 40 km is straight uphill, with parts of the climb at 7% grade. It is a long and windy steep road that leads us up a beautiful mountain with a huge waterfall halfway up. I passed Dorthe on the way up. Tim and Marit were my support this year and would meet me at certain designated points to fill me up with food and drinks. The first stop was at the top of the 40 km climb, Dyranut.

I made it here in 2 hours. I grabbed a new bottle and a sandwich with salty cured meats. Then it was off towards Geilo, which is the halfway point. I got another sandwich here and headed off towards the next 4 climbs. The first 3 climbs are about 3-4 km each with about 5-6% grade. At each top I would get some more food/drink. I have learned the hard way, from previous years, that not eating is detrimental.

The weather was slowly getting warmer and I could switch to short gloves and peel off one of the 2 wind jackets. I was getting warm in the climbs, but then on top and in the downhills I would get cold again. But my pace was steady even though I was hoping to go slightly faster.

After these 3 “short” climbs came the 4^th and final climb, Imingfjell. This one is 8 km long with the same grade as the others. It is long and winding and you never really know if you are in the last turn or if there is one more. I guess I was having problems with my energy because it was going much slower than expected, and Tim could also tell that I was having more problems than Clive who was now 1 hour ahead of me.

Finally I was on top of Imingfjell. I got some much needed Coke and salty meats from Dag and Kalle. They were supporting Line, who was only about 5-10 minutes behind me. So it was really nice of them to be helping me as well.

The last part of the cycling was not going to be easy. The top of the mountain is long and flat and totally unprotected from the winds, which I was now getting head on. It was a cold head wind. There is a final, long downhill, which is so steep that you have to really grab on to the handle bars so not to lose control.

My cycling time would be 8 hours and 27 minutes. I was SO ready to get off the bike and start running.

It was now sunny and warm, so time to peel off all my cycling clothes and put on some running shorts. But I spent about 12 minutes in T2 which is again a really long time. But I felt the need to compose myself and get some much needed nourishment, plus some helpful words from Marit who was waiting for me.

The first 25 km of the run is fairly flat and on tarmac. I always force myself to keep running here because I know what is coming up… more climbs. I hear that I am still 1 hour behind Clive, so at least he has not pulled away even more. When I get to Rjukan, at 25 km, I catch up to 2 other guys, Rolf and Geir H, and they are walking. They have realized that they will not be able to make the cut-off time limit at the 32 km mark, so they are going for the White jersey. But they feel that I still have a chance and want to help me by walking with me. We are now in “Zombie Hill”. From here it is straight up in a winding unforgiving road that seems never-ending.

When we start doing the math (which is difficult enough at this point) Rolf warns me that this pace will not be fast enough for me. The thought of losing not only the Black jersey but the 5-Time jersey makes me dig even deeper and I manage to increase my speed to a slow “jog”. I make it up to the 32km mark in 14 hours 28 minutes and 30 seconds. This is 2,5 minutes before the cut-off time!

I now have 1 hour to make it to the next cut-off time which is at the 37 km point. I continue to run, which is the very first time ever in this race that I have been able to do that. Marit is now on a bike beside me keeping me company, although I am not the most sociable person right now. I am only concentrating on one thing… the green 5-time jersey. I manage to get there in about 41 minutes and have now secured the Black jersey! I can finally smile and give Marit a nice hug.

But my day is not over yet. I still have the last 4,7 km left which is a rocky winding path up towards the top of Gaustatoppen mountain. Wikipedia information. It has an elevation of 1,883 metres (6,178 ft) and the weather can be brutal. I spend a lot of time getting ready for the mountain. A short bathroom break, plus changing into warmer clothing, including gloves and winter-woolen hat “beanie”.

It is required to wear a backpack with a change of clothing, plus having a traveling companion up the mountain for safety reasons. Marit is still by my side following me up the path. It is a brutal path consisting of big rocks and each step must be planned so not to twist your ancle.

I am in a good mood but really tired. I have to stop a few times to catch my breath and get some food and drink in me. The tower at the top is constantly teasing me as it is visible, but so far away. I meet Geir F on his way down. He made it in 14:34 and was todays winner. About an hour later I meet Clive and Tim who were also on their way down. Clive finished in 16:36. A while later I finally made it to the top! The 4,7 km took me 2 hours to climb. My total run time was 7:23.

My time for today was 17:33:03!

I was just so pleased to have earned the Black jersey and also the Green colored 5-Time Finisher jersey. It is only given out to the ones who have won the Black jersey 5 times, and there are only 5 other guys who have this!

I have to thank Tim and Marit who drove all day, making sure that both Clive and I were fed and clothed during this long day. In addition, Dag and Kalle helped me several times as well. There is such a comradery in this sport that is so unique.

I will now be wearing my lovely green 5-Time Finisher jersey… planning my next Ironman adventure.

Link to the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon site with a short report from the Crew Race.

jeg er en "5-time-finisher"!!!

Dette var min 5. Norseman Xtreme Triathlon og det var den grønne trøya som var hovedmålet. Jeg visste det ville bli vanskelig med den nye cut-off-tiden på 32 km. I fjor kom jeg hit på ca 15 timer, men i år måtte jeg komme hit før 14,5.

I år hadde jeg fått med meg Tim og Marit på laget mitt, og de var utrolig hjelpsomme gjennom dagen. De hadde ikke bare meg å passe på men også Clive.

Svømmingen gikk bedre enn forventet og jeg kom inn på 1:14:25. Men jeg var iskald når jeg kom opp av vannet og brukte over 15 minutter i T1 for å varme meg opp. Jeg må visst få på meg litt mer kroppsfett.
Jeg var forberedt på en kald tur opp Måbødalen og tok på meg ullsokker, lange bein og armer, pluss vindjakke, buffer under hjelmen, og lange hansker.
Syklingen gikk egentlig greit, men hadde håpet på en raskere tid. Opp til Dyranut på 2 timer, som forventet. Det var kaldt over Hardangervidda og heldig vis hadde jeg tatt på meg enda en vindjakke på Dyranut. Det var ikke før jeg passerte Geilo at jeg kunne begynne å prelle av meg noen av lagene. I bakkene opp fra Geilo ble det varmt, men med en gang jeg var oppe på flatene måtte jeg kneppe opp igjen. Kom meg greit opp til Imingfjell hvor jeg fikk forpleining av Dag og Kalle (Line`s support), som også var kjempefin support underveis. Clive var nå 1 time foran meg og Tim kjørte som en villmann frem og tilbake for å kunne hjelpe oss begge to.
Det var en kald motvind på toppen av Imingfjell som ikke ville slippe taket før jeg var kommet inn til T2. Først da kunne jeg fjerne ”vinterklærne”. Hyggelig at Kari og Randi var der for å heie på oss (mulig det var flere men jeg var litt tåkete her… mer enn vanlig).
Sykla på 8:27:08.

Det var deilig å kunne strekke på beina i shorts og kortermet, og jeg holdt et fint tempo helt inn til Rjukan. Brukte 2 timer til Rjukan. Der møtte jeg Rolf og Geir som ville holde følge med meg opp Zombie Hill. Og Hårek kom på sykkel som stakk innom for å hilse på. Etter mye kalkuleringer var det tydelig at jeg var akkurat på grensen med å rekke cut-off tiden på 32 km. Selv med Rolfs økt tempo skjønte vi at dette ikke ville holde. Så jeg gravde enda dypere og klarte å sette et slags løpetempo de siste kilometerne. Det skulle rekke akkurat! 14:28:30!
Marit sendte melding til Kalle om at jeg klarte det og jeg kunne høre at han lo i andre enden.

Men så var det cut-off nr 2! I fjor brukte jeg litt over en time videre til Stavsro. Denne luksusen hadde jeg ikke i år. Når jeg var oppe på flatene klarte jeg å ”jogge” helt inn til Stavsro. Marit var flott følge med sykkel, selv om jeg antagelig ikke var så veldig pratsom. Jeg hadde ikke så mye ekstra energi til å prate. Jeg klarte å komme meg til Stavsro på ca 41 minutter og kom dit på 15:09! Helt utrolig!

Nå først var jeg bli og fornøyd og ganske pratsom… i følge Marit ;-)

Det ble et ganske langt opphold på Stavsro, med dobesøk og kleskift, men vi karra oss oppover fjellet og brukte ca 2 timer til toppen. Min endelig tid be 17:33:03.
Ca en halv time raskere enn i fjor, men ganske nøyaktig samme tid som i 2007.

Dette hadde jeg ikke klart hadde det ikke vært for all support og støtte. Tusen takk til alle som hjalp til!

Tim og Marit var et fantastisk støtte gjennom dagen!

butterflies II

My living room floor looks like a war zone. I am in the midst of packing and trying to remember everything for the race.

In addition to the regular triathlon stuff, I need to be prepared for bad weather. So extra super-underwear, warm gloves, rain jacket, etc etc.

I feel more nervous this year than in previous years... figured I`d be used to all of this by now.

I meet up with Tim and Clive tomorrow morning, then we drive towards Eidfjord.

Not sure if I have internet for a while... so report will come later... hopefully from the top of Gaustatoppen! :-)))

butterflies

The Norseman Xtreme Crew race is on Saturday!

This Saturday!

So in less than 4 days I will be swimming in Eidfjord, at the crack of dawn, for the fifth time.

Will I ever learn?

I really don`t know if I have been training and eating right these past months, but it is too late to do anything about that now. But I do feel that I am in much better shape than in the past 2 years.

But, there is one more hurdle. Weather!

It looks like we will be having a cold and wet day. Not good. I lose alot of energy keeping this skinny fat-free body warm. And with my high metabolism I lose enough energy as it is.

Checking out yr.no I found the following weather predictions for Geilo.

Guess I need to pack my rain gear as well.

where the masses are

I had a few errands to do today, and decided to make Ikea one of my stops.

Just a quick stop.

I just needed some picture frames for my new and improved hallway.

As I drive into the parking lot I immediately get a sense that this will not be just a "quick stop".

Right next to Ikea there are hundreds of kids playing soccer. There is some sort of "cup" going on, and they are also using the Ikea parking lot.

Nice.

After sifting through the whole parking lot, in a very slow speed, with all the other cars who wanted to stop by, I end up on the far north end of the building, and all the way at the end of the lot. Didn`t even know there were parking spots up here.

Finally inside, I realize I need to slow down my "normal walking pace", which tends to be faster than the norm. Moms with kids are not the fastest walkers.

I make it upstairs. I am hungry. More lines to be in. Long lines. More kids screaming.

20 minutes later and I can finally sit down to a nice meal. The fish and potatoes with veggies, plus a slice of Napoleon cake and a cup of java.

Not bad for 100 kroners.

Although, have you ever tried to eat Napoleon cake without totally destroying it first?

Meal is finished, I have skimmed through the Dagbladet, and I am ready to tackle the crowd again.

I weave through the isles, following the arrows on the floor (we have to don`t we?). Have you ever tried walking against the arrows? Total confusion.

I have a plan though. That`s a must with Ikea. Bring a list.

I get my frames and head towards the checkout stands. More lines. Long lines, and more screaming kids. Why is everyone here?

The lady in the restaurant upstairs said that it was because of the soccer cup AND that it was raining outside. I guess people don`t have anything else to do. Like me.

But I find the "self-check out" lane. Quite ingenious. Scan your own items, scan your credit card, pack your stuff and leave.

Now I only had a 5 minute walk back to my car, in the rain.

This "quick stop" ended up taking me an hour and a half.

But I got my frames!

Now to decorate my new beautiful hallway.

"vi på langedrag"

Er detta en pornofilm?

cycling is bliss II

Friday evening I get an sms "ride tomorrow at 11:00 wanna join in?"

Bliss!

Of course I`m in.

Saturday morning, as I am putting on new tires on my bike, I get a new text from another guy - "wanna ride today?"

Suddenly we`re 3.

Already I`m in a good mood. Only thing better than a ride is a ride with good friends.

We meet up at Hvervenbukta at 11 (ok... I was 5 minutes late) - and we head out. We had not decided on where or for how long, but one of the guys suggested a 100 km ride.

I immediately suggest we ride out to Son - my new favorite route that you can read about in my first cycling is bliss blog.

So we head out and I lead the way. I`m still a little impressed with my memory of this route, considering how my teflon memory forgets everything else including my Moms birthday and paying rent on time.

I guess I have my priorities...

The weather gets better end better as we get closer to Son. Spirits are high. We tell stories and lies and jokes - and plans for the next 2 weekends which will both be filled up with Norseman.

Clive is doing The Norseman Crew race with me - his second - and it`s really cool having him back as he did the very first one with me in 2003.

Tim is doing the official Norseman the week after - his fifth - and might be needing me for support.

And I will be doing the Crew race - my fifth Norseman as well - and Tim will be support for both of us.

So it`s a nice little trio riding together.

We make it to Son where we have a well deserved break before heading back home.

And just in time to catch the end of the last stage in the TdF.

Thor gets the green jersey!

Sometimes it just seems like cycling could solve all of life`s problems.

Thanks for a great ride guys!

meeting tarantino

I just had the coolest dream where I met Quentin Tarantino and we`re in the car talking about movies.

I was telling him about everything I loved about his movies and also how Kubrick is another favorite of ours.

Unfortunately I suddenly woke up to the sounds of heavy gun fire... as I had fallen asleep on the couch with the tv on again.

I just remembered that yesterday I bought the DVD "Bande à Part", by Jean-Luc Godard... a movie from `64 that was a great inspiration to Tarantino and is the reason why his production company is called A Band Apart.

Maybe this is why he showed up in my dream.

I wish I could have talked to him more though...

klageavdelingen

Jeg vil gjerne få lov til å leve resten av mitt liv uten å måtte høre en eneste låt av Alexander Rybak!

today`s quote

"I made a mess of your bush this morning"

David Duchovny`s character in Californication - referring to a woman`s potted plant that he tripped over, and telling her this when she is standing together with 2 other women.

One of my new favorite shows.

cycling - the gentleman`s sport

I am starting to dislike Cavendish more and more. The feeling has been getting stronger with each stage. Cavendish is a bad loser and a dirty player.

Yesterday`s sprint at the finish line was a perfect example of this. The way he squeezed Hushovd in towards the fence had no place in a fair fight.

The TdF jury disqualified Cavendish from the stage even before the Cervelo team entered a complaint.

I have similar feelings for Mc Ewan, who is another of Hushovd`s "rivals", and fortunately not racing in this years TdF.

And it has nothing to do with the fact that both of these guys are in competition of the same coveted green jersey that I would love for Hushovd to be wearing at the ceremony in Champs-Èlysèes. They just dont`t play fair and "gentleman-like".

Maybe this will give Hushovd an extra drive to keep the green. He was quoted saying: "I get hungry (for the jersey) when they play dirty like this".

Hushovd now has 218 points - Cavendish 200 pts. - Rojas 126 pts.

Links to 2 articles in Dagbladet:

Mener at han ikke gjør noe galt

Hushovd mener at Cavendish prøvde å velte han

Cycling is a gentleman`s sport. Let`s keep it that way.

subtle/subliminal advertising

Flere som har lagt merke til den sesongbetonte emballasje-endringen på majonestubene?

TdF – no more bikes uncle guy!

As I am sitting here, zapping between Eurosport and TV2, watching the repeats from yesterday, then the live feed from today`s stage, and of course the wrap ups/commentaries/interviews... I am laughing at myself as I can hear my nephew Stian`s complaint last year when he was visiting me in July.

"No more bikes Uncle Guy!"

He wanted to watch Ice Age.

Go figure...

two weeks left!!

It is Saturday morning, I am sitting here with my morning coffee, and I realize that it is only 2 weeks until I will be in Eidfjord doing my 5th Norseman Xtreme Triathlon - the Crew race edition.

So far this year my training has been going really well. And again I can see a strong link to how my winter training was. When I do alot of skiing and indoor spinning, my cycling season gets better.

Not so surprising really.

Last years Crew race was my worst ever... time wise. Actually, I was surprised I even made it to the top. You can read my race report here:
http://guy.interaktiv.no/rr_NorsemanCrewRace_2008.html

I feel I am much better prepared this year, but anything can happen.

the nude male model

Posing nude for an art class.

After years of wanting to do this, and wondering if I had the guts to do it, I finally said "why not" and I posed nude for an art class. Here are my experiences:

I studied art for 4 years, which included a whole semester of "Life Drawing" or "Nude Drawing". Ever since my graduation in 1994 I have wondered what it would be like to pose for an art class. I had taken some nude photos while in college, and since then I have been taking more nude photos of willing models. I have also posed nude for a couple of photographers. During this process I started studying the human body even more and wanted to get a better knowledge of the human body. The shadows, angles, composition, direction, etc.

By the summer of 2008, I was not getting enough teaching hours and I needed another income. This was when I finally took the plunge and made that first call to an art school. At first it seemed difficult to get in the door, since they had already booked models for the whole semester. I did not even think of that. But I was put on a list, and shortly thereafter I got a call wondering if I could step in for one of the models who had called in sick.

They asked me if I had any experience, and I fibbed a little saying that I did. But I had done a lot of research, and was comfortable with my body, so I felt comfortable stretching the truth a little.

When I say research, I mean surfing the internet for croquis drawings from other classes, giving me an idea of which poses work. The only thing frustrating was that I found very few drawings of the male body, mostly female. I found several "confessionals" like the one that I am now writing, but this was also from women. Either there are very few male models, or they just keep quiet about it.

Anyway, I show up for class and meet the teacher. I go to the dressing room to put on my bathrobe (which I haven`t used in years and never thought I`d use for this). Plus some shower-sandals so I dont have to walk around barefoot on the floor covered in chalk, charcoal, paint, etc. (I found this out the hard way).

She wants me to do 2 minute poses, so I disrobe and try to remember all the poses I have been studying for the past few days. The weird part is: as soon as I disrobed, I didnt really think about being naked. I just thought of the next pose.

The class had 9 women and 1 guy, ages varying from early 20s to late 40s. I didnt really know what to expect, like snickering or pointing or whatever, but the room just got very quiet as the students started to draw me. After 2 minutes I did a new pose, and did this for 20 minutes. I get a 10 minute break after every 20 minutes of posing.

When I am up there on the little pedestal, in the middle of the room, I don`t look at the students, but try to fix a point on the wall or the clock, as I am thinking of my next pose. But sometimes I can`t help overhearing as the teacher comments on some of the drawings. "His hips are huge" or "his legs are not that long", or "he`s gotten alot more muscles" are some of the comments that would make me giggle, as if she was saying this to me. Sometimes she would even come straight up to me and point to the body part she wants the student to study more.

It`s all a bit surreal, if I look at this from the outside. But I am constantly thinking of the angles and positions that the students will like the most. One of the things I started using was a pole (an old curtain rod) which I use to either lean up on or balance over my shoulders. I have gotten great feedbacks from this and is something I use for the longer poses as well.

The students are really nice during my breaks as I walk around (robed) curiously looking at the results. And during the lunch breaks I will still be wandering around in my bathrobe, and it looks like I live there and I`m just getting my morning coffee or something. As I am writing this I have been pretty active for the past 9 months, and I must say it’s quite rewarding. The hourly pay here in Norway is about 200 kroners an hour (almost 30 USD with todays rate). Not bad for sitting around in the nude, but I would have to do alot more in order to have just this as an income.

It took me a while before I felt comfortable telling my family and friends about this, but when I started telling them the reactions were all positive, and some even just giggled saying it was typical me. Most people I tell would never dream of doing this, and I think this ranks pretty high up on peoples list of "things I would never dare do" or maybe even "things I would like to do one day".

I am glad I started doing this. First of all I conquered one of my "fears" or "goals". Second, I am getting to know more people in the creative field and I am finding it easier to get into creative poses. Plus I found out that standing nude in front of an art class is not as scary as it sounds. After all, it is an art class and studying the human body goes back to the oldest cave drawings and the old master painters like Michaelangelo.

What I have learned so far:

1. Ask questions before you arrive. Get an idea of what kind of poses they are expecting.
2. Study different poses, including standing, sitting and lying down.
3. Be ready for poses that you can hold for 20 minutes.
4. Arrive early, and maybe even talk to the students. It will help you loosen up.
5. Start getting used to telling time in your head so you are not dependant on looking at the clock.
6. Bring a robe and slippers/sandals.
7. Wear your robe during breaks.
8. Just relax and talk to the students before class and during breaks. They are always happy to have a live model.
9. Do yoga. It helps you be more limber and makes it easier to keep longer poses.

Here are some of the results from the students that have drawn me:

TdF – the Astana team vs doping

The Astana cycling team does not exactly have the cleanest records or the best reputation when it comes to doping or allegations of doping.

But there have also been drastic changes in the team riders and its manager.

In my search for more information about this team I have found the following on Wikipedia:

---------
Astana first became involved in sponsoring cycling during the 2006 season. The Liberty Seguros-Würth team of leading Kazakh rider Alexander Vinokourov was heavily implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case and the sponsors Liberty Mutual, and later Würth, withdrew their sponsorship of the team. Astana stepped in to sponsor the team, and during the second half of the season, Vinokourov won the Vuelta a España while riding for the renamed Team Astana.
On July 26, 2006, five Astana riders were cleared by Spanish courts. The five - Joseba Beloki, Isidro Nozal, Sergio Paulinho, Allan Davis and Alberto Contador - received a document clearing them of links to Operación Puerto

In April, 2007, Matthias Kessler tested positive for testosterone. The former Team T-Mobile-rider who had won a TdF-stage in 2006, was fired in July, and would turn out to be the first of a number of Astana-riders to be tested positive. Later in July, yet another former T-Mobile cyclist, Italian Eddy Mazzoleni, left the team after allegations of doping usage. Mazzoleni, who had finished 3rd in the 2007 Giro d'Italia, was later suspended for two years for his alleged involvement in the Oil for Drugs doping case.

After a positive blood doping (transfusion) test following the winning time-trial by team-leader Alexander Vinokourov, organisers "invited" Team Astana's management to withdraw the entire team from the 2007 Tour de France; this invitation was immediately accepted.

Following confirmation that Vinokourov's B-sample had also tested positive, the Astana Team announced that he had been sacked with immediate effect. On August 1, fellow Kazakh Andrey Kashechkin tested positive for homologous blood doping following an out-of-competition test in Belek, Turkey. He was suspended and subsequently fired as well.

Additionally, the troubled team decided to suspend its activities during the month of August to decide about its future with new regulations.

This was followed by the termination of José Antonio Redondo's contract after "failing to abide by team rules", making him the fifth rider of the team to leave during the 2007 season.

2008
Following the doping problems of 2007, the sponsors of Astana decided to replace Biver with Johan Bruyneel, the former directeur sportif of the defunct Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team. Bruyneel had the mandate to start afresh with the team, so he hired a number of former Discovery riders including 2007 TdF winner Alberto Contador (who had ridden with Vinokourov on the old Liberty Seguros team) and third-place finisher Levi Leipheimer. Additionally, Bruyneel introduced the anti-doping system developed by Dr. Rasmus Damsgaard, Head of Information for Anti Doping Danmark (ADD). The anti-doping system was initially used by Team CSC starting in 2007. The link between the Discovery Channel team and Astana was strengthened when Bruyneel signed a contract with Trek Bicycle Corporation to supply the team with bicycles and components, as they had done with Discovery Channel.

Riding under a Luxembourgian license, the team also included other ex-Discovery Channel riders such as Tomas Vaitkus, Sergio Paulinho,Chechu Rubiera, Vladimir Gusev and Janez Brajkovic, as well as American Chris Horner.

On February 13, 2008, the organisers of the TdF announced that Astana would be barred from the 2008 Tour due to its links to Operación Puerto and involvement in the 2007 Tour doping scandals. This meant that Contador was unable to defend his Tour crown, because his contract does not have an "escape clause" that covered Astana's current situation.

Astana's strict anti-doping policy came to the forefront later in the year. On July 28 Astana fired Vladimir Gusev for showing "abnormal values" in an internal doping check. In a release from team director Johan Bruyneel it was indicated that although the results “do not indicate the use of banned substances, the team has therefore applied the contractual terms based on these physiological and biological abnormalities," dismissing Gusev "with immediate effect.”

On 25 September, 2008, it was confirmed that seven-time TdF winner Lance Armstrong would leave retirement to ride for the team in the 2009 season. Along with Armstrong, another former Discovery Channel top rider, now officially riding under a Kazakh license, joined the ranks of Astana — Yaroslav Popovych — which brought the number of former Discovery Channel riders on Astana to nine (Armstrong, Popovych, Contador, Leipheimer, Rubiera, Noval, Vaitkus, Paulinho and Brajkovič).

It was reported that Armstrong would share team leadership with current leader Contador, that he intended to participate in the Tour Down Under, the Tour of California, Paris-Nice, the Tour de Georgia, the Dauphine-Libere and the Tour de France, and that he would receive no salary or bonuses, instead directing his attention to raising awareness for cancer research.

On 2 July, Vinokourov stated that he would return to Astana, which he noted was "created for me and thanks to my efforts", when his suspension ended, and that he would ride for Astana in the 2009 Vuelta a Espana. He stated that he expected to reach agreement with Bruyneel about his return within the week, but that "if Bruyneel does not want me, it will be Bruyneel who is leaving the team." The next day, the French newspaper L'Equipe reported that the Kazakh Cycling Federation planned to fire Bruyneel, Armstrong, Leipheimer and many of the other riders and rebuild the team in the model of the old Liberty Seguros team, which was predominantly Spanish. The paper quoted the vice-president of the Kazakh federation as saying, "[Contador] will be our sole leader for years to come [and] will be able to pick out the riders he wants to ride with him. In our mind, the team will be composed of Spanish and Kazakh riders, including Alexander Vinokourov."

Before returning to the saddle, however, the controversial Vinokourov faces the angry opposition of cycling's world governing body, the UCI. The UCI has renewed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, asking the court to overturn the one-year suspension by the Kazakhi federation and to impose the standard two-year ban on Vinokourov. This appeal was originally filed in 2007, but had been dropped after Vinokourov announced his retirement from cycling: after he announced his intention to resume his career, the case was retabled, and the CAS announced that the ban would expire on 24 July 2009.

---------

Today`s 2009 Astana team has a different manager and different riders than the 2006-07 team. It is interesting to see that Armstrong, Contador and Leipheimer are all on the same team, and can easily cause conflicts within the team seeing how they are each contenders for the yellow jersey.
None of these guys have been convicted of doping, but there have been lots of rumors and accusations.

I just hope that they stay clean. So far, in this year`s TdF, there have not been any doping scandals reported.

TdF - Stage 8+9: Thor looks good in green!

In stage 8, Thor managed to win 2 of the sprints, earning a total of 12 points.
This would secure him the green jersey with an 11 point lead in front of Cavendish.
After today`s stage 9 they have the following points:
1. Hushovd - 117 pts.
2. Cavendish - 106 pts.
3. Rojas - 75 pts.

Thor has 2 days in green. This is incredibly exciting! :-)

reflections - uncle "danger" guy

I miss my nephew and niece.
They visited me last summer, but this year they are unable to come. I was looking through some old photos and found this clip from last year where I took Stian up to Nøklevann. He lives in Houston, so everything in Norway is new and exciting... even the girls ;-)

TdF Stage 6 – Thor de France! (sorry, that is kinda cheesy)

But I just couldn`t help it.
Thor won an impressive stage win in yesterday`s long and wet stage from Gèrone to Barcelona. With a total distance of 181.5 km, the final kilometers would prove to be extremely difficult as the riders were falling left and right on the slippery wet tarmac and several turns. It was nerve wracking to watch, but Thor was well planted on the ground.
He not only wins the sprint but has a whole bike length between him and Freire, who came in second.




This is Thor`s 7th win in the TdF (8 if you count the team tempo in 2001).

Cavendish, the current green jersey holder, came in 16th place. This means that Thor took a big chunk out of his lead and is only one point behind Cavendish`s 106 points. In third place is Ciolek with 66 points.


Lance congratulating Thor after the stage win.

odometer

As of July 4th this year, my Cannondale odometer reads 1567 km!
This is a very good distance for me, and a good sign that I am finally in a good training mode.
In 2008 I hardly rode at all. In 2007 and in 2006 my total for the whole year was 1500 km.
I need to go back to 2005 and 2004, where I had pretty much the same km total by July.
Cycle on :)

cyclists are better lovers

An article from the Norwegian Health Magazine, jan 2001.

breathing in fumes

They should make paint fumes into an air freshener.
My apt. smells great!
And I can see all the colors of the world.
Wheeeeeee!

TdF Stage 3 - so close, so close!!

This was a stage that should have been Thor`s... and he was so close. But Mark Cavendish is incredibly strong, and Thor`s team was not offensive enough. Not a good combination.
A second place finish for Thor, a whole bike length behind Cavendish.
The Green jersey still belongs to Cavendish, with 70 pts.
Thor is now in second place with 54 pts.

Cancellara has the Yellow jersey, but Armstrong is in third place, only 40 seconds behind.

operahuset II

The Oslo Operahouse - photo taken July 4th at 00:30 (12:30 am)

operahuset

TdF Stage 2 - Cavendish is the strongest

After 187 km on the road, Cavendish pulls away with an impressive win (his 5th stage win overall). Hushovd is right behind him, but must settle for 4th place today.

But Thor is looking good for the Green jersey and has 24 pts. Cavendish has 35 pts and is currently the Green jersey holder, of course ;)

cycling is bliss

I don`t know why more people don`t ride their bike. It`s just the best freedom.

It`s your own human power driving you forward.

Yesterday I wanted to do a repeat of the ride I did with E&J a week earlier. From my house, down to Son, and back.

I felt really strong and could easily hold a 30-40 km pace the whole way.

The sun was high, temperature 28 and I was not even wearing socks!

As I was riding I was hoping for more bike-tan-lines on the top of my feet ;-)

With the exception of a little detour to Hvitstein, I made it to Son with no problems. I covered about 53 km in 1:44 and had a 30.5 km average.

I stopped here, took my shoes off, bought a hot dog, went down to the pier and breathed in the ocean air.

Bliss!

I refilled my 2 water bottles, put my shoes back on, and headed back on my trusted Cannondale.

There must be something about the weather with me, because I was just smiling the whole way. And the roads were practically empty of cars.

The total trip was 114.5 km and I made it in 3:56. Thats a 29 km/h average total.

I went out to the balcony, stripped off my clothes, and had a Dr Pepper! (thats another story).

Never felt so good!

20 minutes later was the start of this years Tour de France! (not a coincidence that I made it back in time for this).

Cycling is bliss!

tour de france, tour de france

Så er den her igjen, endelig! Le Tour!

3 uker hvor jeg kan skru på tv`n og garantert finne noe utenom fotball.

Lance er tilbake, etter 4 års pause. Media is having a field day.

Rykter om doping... kan han vinne nr 8... er han like sterk som før... etc.

Jeg liker Lance. Fikk enorm respekt for han etter å ha lest boka hans. Kreft i både testikler og i hjernen. Skulle egentlig aldri blitt bra nok til å sykle igjen. Men han beviste det motsatte.

Jeg vet ikke om han vinner i år, men det blir utrolig morsomt å se på.

Og så har vi Thor da. Grimstadgutten. Han har båret den gule trøya flere ganger, han har vunnet den grønne trøya èn gang, og kommet så veldig nære å vinne den flere ganger. Han har hatt litt uflaks. Det er stort det han har gjort, og det frustrerer meg at den norske pressen ikke helt har skjønt dette. Han får liksom bare noe presse når han vinner en etappe.

Samme gjelder Kurt Asle. Han har ofta vært litt i skyggen av Thor... når det gjelder norsk presse. Men det har forbedret seg litt.

Jeg må innrømme at jeg ikke følger med på alt som foregår. Klarer ikke helt å huske hvem alle er, før det er gått en ukes tid. Mange har allerede sterke meninger om hvem som skal vinne de forskjellige trøyene. Det har jeg ikke så veldig stor formening om.

Jeg liker å se på sykling. Liker å se på taktikkene. Liker å høre lyden av syklistene.

Ofte har jeg bare tv`n på mens jeg holder på med andre ting... inntil kommentatoren skriker og det har tydeligvis skjedd noe stort.

Det er en behagelig og betryggende 3 ukers periode. Kanskje fordi jeg skulle ønske at det var mer toleranse/aksept for syklister i Norge.? Kanskje fordi jeg elsker selv å ligge i et felt?

Uansett... her blir mye spennende. Både Lance og Thor i nye drakter og i nye roller. Muligheten for flere etappeseiere for våre 2 norske. Det er det jeg syntes er spennende.

Jeg heier på gutta våre.

Og jeg heier på Lance.

Det blir sikkert mere dopingskandaler. Det er det hvert år.

Det blir velt. Skumle velt.

Og det blir spennende etappeseiere, forhåpentligvis fra både Thor og Kurt Asle.

Lykke til!

nag nag nag

In the last issue of my local newspaper, Nordstrands Blad, theres an article about how the people in this neighborhood are bothered, annoyed and irritated by the increase in seagulls that are inhabiting the area. There has been a noticeable increase of these birds over the last 3 years and it`s stealing people`s sleep.

Are you serious?

I have noticed the increase myself. Being the night owl that I am, I notice that they tend to come in around 3 am to feed on the insects on the ground. It looks like they`re having a convention or something.

But they`re seagulls! I like the sounds they make, as it makes it seem like I`m by the ocean.

If this is waking people up, and annoying them enough to contact politicians to remove them, then they have bigger problems than seagulls.

the nude cyclist

In my continuing pursuit to take good, artistic nude photos, I sometimes use myself as the model when I cannot get others to pose for me. I love the human body, and am greatly inspired by photographers like Mapplethorpe and Anton Corbijn (Corbijn does not do nudes, but does incredible work for Depeche and U2).

So, when my photographer cancelled on me, Ellen stepped up to the plate and took camera in hand.

I had spent all day setting up the backdrop, the lights, and camera settings, so I was incredibly pleased when she did not mind taking photos of me in the buff.

In fact, she did a great job! Finding new angles, experimenting, and coming with suggestions. It was a great advantage that she is also a cyclist and could get me in the "correct" position.

This is my favorite,
and the one I was aiming for.

These last two were more for fun.

Thanks Tim for letting me borrow your helmet! It was the perfect size :-)

And thank you Ellen for helping me out :-)

I have to admit, it was kinda weird trying to look normal as I was balancing on the bike.

What one does for the sake of art ;-)

saturday?

Is it Saturday today? It feels like a Saturday.

kimmel vs letterman

Jimmy Kimmel comes on at 23:15, David Letterman at 02:15.

What the?

Kimmel has no personality whatsoever... please bump Letterman up a few hours so I can watch him again.

The transvestite is back

I live on the 3rd floor in an Obos apartment building. There are 2-3 others like it across from me, and we have facing balconies.

Last summer I noticed that across from my building, on the first floor, there was a woman on the balcony. But something just didn’t seem right. She was wearing a nice summer dress… but still, something was off. As I looked closer I could see why. She had a 5 o`clock shadow and very hairy legs.

Interesting.

This fascinated me, how this guy would suddenly come out in a summer dress, make up and ear rings, and just sit there drinking wine.

He did this several times, and he had about 2-3 different dresses. Sometimes he would wear a pair of white high heeled shoes to match. Well, I don`t know if they matched or not, I think he had just the one pair.

But as much as I was fascinated by this, it was also kind of sad. Every time I looked out the window he would still sit there, sipping wine, doing nothing else. I felt sorry for him because he seemed really lonely.

I`m sure he was aware that people could see him, and that curious neighbors, like myself, were watching. Maybe this is what he was after, and what excited him.

Well, he stopped doing that and until recently he has been on his balcony, as a guy, reading books while drinking some beer.

Until today.

Once again, the blue summer dress with the white flowers is back, with a couple of nice earrings. I`m not sure what he`s reading, but he has a 6-pack of beers with him.

I hope he finds someone he can share his dresses with soon.

coffee!

We talk alot about nutrition and diet, especially in our little triathlon community. Just recently I went to a nutritionist to get some more pointers. No real big surprises: eat more veggies, drink more water, less milk products, etc.

But she also wants me to cut coffee and replace it with green tea.

Quit coffee? Is she insane?

There`s nothing like waking up to the smell of a nice warm cup of strong coffee. And when served in my Denny`s mug (which I`ve borrowed from Denny`s in Houston), I`m ready to face the world.

And by the way, I`ve tasted green tea. It tastes like ass.

I`ll cut down on milk products, and maybe even chocolate. I`ll eat more fish and go searching for ecological fruits and veggies. I`ll make smoothies with bananas and avocados and Omega 3.

But don`t take away my coffee!

været

Det er vel ganske sjeldent at vi opplever et langtidsvarsel som er så deilig som dette?

analog

For those who don`t know me, I`m a little bit anal retentive and LOVE lists. Anything I can organize, alphabetize, catagorize, color code, etc etc.

I used to keep records of all my training info in these great little Kondis “diaries”. Everything was logged/written in and color coded. Very easy to flip back to previous years/months to quickly compare hours/form/pulse/weather, etc.

Now that I have tried to switch over to different web solutions, like dailymile.com, I miss the easy access of previous training times/info.

Part of my frustration is probably with my pulse watch, which is now outdated and will not always download to my PC.

It seems that every time I go digital, I will at one point have to go back to my paper records to dig up my backups. I will also print out my pulse curves, and put them in a binder, so that I can compare my pulse from competition to competition.

Last year my PC crashed and I had to re-install everything, including my pulse files. (but my paper printouts are still safe).

My “diaries” from 2003-2007 are still great resources, full of information which is easily dug out, and can be compared with all the other books. No hassle, no password, no digging up old files from “somewhere”.

I like some of the features on dailymile, like mapping out my route. But now that I have some of my files logged in there, and some in the pulse watch, I have lost control. And even though I can go back and check previous months on the web, I still prefer laying out my books side by side so I can physically see all my times and distances.

I will keep entering my training times in dailymile, but I think I need to start filling in my Kondis diaries again, and start color coding, just to be on the safe side.

Maybe I`m just old.

something in my eye!

Why is it that every time i go running or cycling, and decide not to wear my sunglasses, something inevitably decides to fly directly into my eye? I mean, come on, how big is my eye anyway? Or is it my eyelashes that start acting like a venus flytrap?

And even worse is when, by the time I get home, the bug/insect/small animal is impossible to find when I try to dig it out... which makes me think, is it now inside my head?

Cycling tip

Something I learned from yesterdays ride with Ellen and Jokke: when you need to refill your water bottles, find the nearest church. They will always have an easily accessible water hose available with fresh cold water.

I`m back! Or... did I ever leave?

After talking with my friend last night, I decide to get my own blog so I can write about all the things I can possibly think of, thinking that people actually find an interest in this and will read my thoughts. Or maybe just to vent.

But when I want to create my blog: guyhuste, I am told that it is already taken. Uh, what? How many GuyHustes are there?
When I check out this guyhuste I see that it is, in fact, just me. From September 2005, almost 4 years ago, I decided to create my own blog.
Obviously I quickly lost interest and forgot about the whole thing.
Well after a quick search through my papers with usernames and logins (yes, I keep these on physical sheets of paper and not on a PC... which always tends to crash and lose all info) I actually found my 4 year old password.
Now it looks as if I am back again and can write to my hearts content.

But do I really need to be here? I already have hustephoto.com, hustedesign.com, guy.interactive.no, and of course my Facebook page which already has light hearted stuff about my adventures in triathlon and photo and teachings.

Will it take me another 4 years for my next post?
We`ll see how long it will last this time...