tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81780622012-01-26T02:57:06.442-05:00Rush Limbaugh has his . . . well, here is mine. This is my record of news stories and issues that interest me. You can also find more headlines at the site where I serve as editor: <a href="http://www.commonvoice.com">The Common Voice</a>.Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.comBlogger7281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-38513153220846409742008-11-18T06:15:00.005-05:002008-11-20T21:47:04.594-05:00

Riding my road bike through Cleveland Park last Sunday, I cam upon these fellows out in the grassy area playing bicycle polo. It looked like fun. Just below you can see the video that I took of them with my helmet cam.Now, if you want to see REAL bicycle polo, check out this video of bicycle polo in Ireland. I thought cyclo cross was weird! This takes the cake.Ah, the amazing things you can

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-9218635851482079632008-11-17T06:25:00.002-05:002008-11-17T06:32:17.261-05:00

This video is a report about cycling as a means of commuting in the nation's capitol. Funny, but in a lot of ways, it could be the report of this subject from most any city in America. I did like the balance in this report.The fact is, there will always be tension between auto and cycling commuters. The key is learning to manage those tensions. Some give and take on both sides would probably

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-30002077501975131232008-11-06T07:00:00.004-05:002008-11-06T07:17:04.365-05:00

More video from the Palmetto Peloton Project's Challenge to Conquer Cancer ride. A quick video tour of Lance Armstrong's Austin bicycle shop, "Mellow Johnny's". A cool shop with some pretty good coffee.I wondered what type of service I'd find there. Was this just a "tourist trap" for catching Lance fans? Well, they were very helpful. I needed a new mount for my Garmin 705 and while they

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-89459826145598259962008-11-03T19:52:00.004-05:002008-11-03T20:54:00.130-05:00

For over a year I've been thinking of getting a power meter. Recently I finally made my choice and ordered a CinQo power meter by Quarq (www.quarq.us). Perhaps I'll discover some limitations in the device, but so far... I'm quite happy.My interest in the CinQo started when I learned it would work with the ANT+ Sport wireless protocol. I also liked the fact that it was integrated into the crank

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-60980929074653536212008-11-01T14:30:00.005-05:002008-11-01T18:20:31.532-05:00

George Hincapie has left another mark on the City of Greenville. Under beautiful blue skies, the Tour de France stage winner and Greenville resident lead dozens of cyclists for a ride along the newly dedicated Hincapie Path.The Hincapie Path is part of the Swamp Rabbit Trail which many hope will someday run from Conestee to Travelers Rest. The section of the trail bearing his name stretches

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-21132681037556248082008-10-07T05:19:00.003-05:002008-10-07T06:07:23.689-05:00

Saturday's Hour of Power started with leg and arm warmers along with a vest. The morning temperatures are definitely getting cooler. However, even as we waited in the parking lot the sun came up over the trees and you could tell things would get warmer soon.We started with a good number of riders. One of them was a colleague of mine from work. I was kind of surprised to see him there because

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-14312760334489432272008-09-20T18:03:00.002-05:002008-09-20T18:40:25.307-05:00

Last night I went out on a night ride for group training before heading out next month on the Challenge to Conquer Cancer rider. We did 44 miles and finished up shortly before 10 PM. By the time I got home and in bed, it was after 11 PM. The morning came early!Still, I rolled out of bed and got myself ready to head over to Sunshine Cycle Shop for the Hour of Power. Thankfully, I had left my

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-8737664764182648632008-09-13T19:17:00.003-05:002008-09-15T20:37:07.837-05:00

Today's Hour of Power started out pretty rough and it ended up that way as well. We still made it through the 30 mile ride. The only problem is I didn't have time to eat some cake.I had thought about skipping out on the ride in order to ride my bicycle up to the Sky Top Apple Orchard. I learned Thursday night that the plan was to celebrate Dave's fortieth birthday. I didn't want to miss that,

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-9753072092868764862008-09-06T19:15:00.003-05:002008-09-06T20:11:14.426-05:00

It's 8 PM and the Hour of Power seems a long way ago. I put in another 50 miles after the ride and have been going nonstop between then and now. Hope it is possible to remember what happened!When I walked out the door it felt like fall! I almost went back in to get my arm warmers. The cool temperatures would last long, so I just kept pedaling thinking about the ride to come.I was startled by

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-58613896030706237842008-08-23T11:52:00.002-05:002008-08-23T15:07:13.254-05:00

When I woke up this morning and looked out the window, I could see the window turning the leaves on the trees upside down. Hmmmmm, maybe I should just climb back in bed. I knew I needed to ride, so I started to pull on my riding clothes.As soon as I got on the bike and rode out of my driveway, I knew I had made the right decision. The sun was just beginning to rise above the trees and while

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-55211227559361166842008-08-10T14:31:00.003-05:002008-08-10T16:38:05.632-05:00

I had so many options for riding Saturday morning. There was the option of a ride in Mauldin leaving at 6 AM. I learned at the last moment another option came up as some guys were planning to go check out the Fork Shoals course where we'll be racing the SC Road Racing Championships.Not sure how many people would show up at the Mauldin ride and finding out too late about the Fork Shoals ride, I

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-53620906612437330182008-07-27T13:33:00.002-05:002008-07-27T14:28:21.382-05:00

I rolled out of bed early Saturday morning and slid into my cycling gear. My plan was to get as many miles as I could before heading over to Sunshine Cycle Shop for the Hour of Power. Once I finished the group ride, my plan was to finish up enough miles to complete my July century.As soon as I got my bike out and on the concrete of my driveway the rain started to fall. My first thought was, "

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-90058425575027562682008-07-16T09:20:00.003-05:002008-07-16T09:22:57.529-05:00

Here is a video with some short clips of the ride I took on Hilton Head Island.It was lots of fun. A big thank you to the guys at The Bike Doctor.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-63026455277023146552008-06-28T14:46:00.003-05:002008-06-28T15:30:44.332-05:00

I was supposed to get up around 4:45 AM so I could be at a training ride for the Austin trip. Unfortunately, my body clock didn't agree and I overslept. I missed it and decided to take part in the Sunshine Cycle Shop Hour of Power.The groggy feeling wasn't gone even with the extra sleep I got. Thursday night I had raced in the heat, Friday I rode again in the heat, and the body was telling me

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-77442829322394372582008-06-24T21:00:00.004-05:002008-06-24T21:13:07.510-05:00

I came across these videos on Youtube. They are of a relaxed ride through a couple of the mountain bike trails in the Paris Mountain State Park. Enjoy!The last time I tried to record a ride on the trails I think I shook my camera into stupidity because I couldn't get the video to convert. Seeing this makes me want to give it another try. Maybe if I use a demo bike from Sunshine instead of my

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-89114683141176573062008-06-19T05:30:00.002-05:002008-06-19T05:44:15.485-05:00

Here are some more videos from the Assault On Mt. Mitchell. They are actually more like slide shows, but they are significant because they are interviews with the top finishers of the ride. I can remember being around these riders in the beginning and middle of the ride... but not the ending!I finished into Marion before her, but she still beat me to the top by 45 minutes.This interview helps

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-87701144631831695122008-06-18T05:38:00.004-05:002008-06-18T05:53:48.958-05:00

In the recent Dauphiné Libéré, George Hincapie had what I considered a disappointing finish in the individual time trial. It was called "solid" by the cycling observers, but something didn't seem right to me.Then the other day I stopped by George's site at georgehincapie.com and found this video.Seeing this video was the first I realized that George had fallen. That would explain why he got

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-51630918209418014622008-06-12T05:44:00.002-05:002008-06-12T05:52:03.137-05:00

Here is the second part of my video diary of my first Assault On Mount Mitchell. This is definitely the one that gives a better idea of the magnitude of the event. Even so the video doesn't truly capture the full scope of it.One thing I have noticed recording video with my helmet cam: it is hard to show the perspective of a grade. When you are recording straight ahead -- even on a 8% grade --

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-24871765253589042972008-06-11T05:25:00.007-05:002008-06-11T16:22:01.259-05:00

Here is part one of my video from my first ever Assault On Mount Mitchell. Whew! It was one of the hardest things I have done in my life. Of course, it doesn't seem that way in this first part. This was actually not bad at all.Just wait for part two! I should be posting it tomorrow.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-88183185334901969572008-06-08T08:16:00.002-05:002008-06-08T08:29:36.715-05:00

Yesterday I went out to test my Garmin 705. Having never used the "Find Places" feature on a bike, I wanted to give it a try. I had mixed results.On the video you will see some footage of the Garmin pointing me to a "convenience store." You'll hear me comment that the Garmin should have a rating system as to whether you actually want to go to the place it suggests! Take a look at the location

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-89787724024589061832008-06-07T15:41:00.004-05:002008-06-07T15:59:05.152-05:00

Vacation has kept me off the Internet. It isn't that I wouldn't have liked to have put stuff up here. The problem is that my parents didn't have access -- well, they did have access but it was an incredibly flaky dial up -- and I just didn't get on.Now I've got them on DSL! They still can't get cable run to the house, but I'm glad I can now check my mail and keep the blogs updated. If you

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-69827517438207306712008-05-31T11:52:00.004-05:002008-06-07T16:13:27.576-05:00

Here is the video I said would be coming. Sorry there is no voice over telling you what is going on. I'm still learning about the video stuff... Enjoy.This is some video from the Masters & Juniors race.Here is a longer video from the Cat. 3, 2, and 1 race.If you have any suggestions about how to do a better job with these videos or something you would like to see in the videos, please let me

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-33535338153304605742008-05-30T05:29:00.003-05:002008-05-30T06:06:40.359-05:00

Go team!That is about all I can say about the race last night at the BMW Performance Center Test Track. In our 4's and 5's combined race, three Greenville Spinners finished in the top four. I'd like to think I had a small part in it. If I didn't, don't tell me. I will enjoy my fantasy.Work got me off to a late start. By the time I got there, signed in, and got my number on I only had a

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-30033880730013482892008-05-27T05:35:00.005-05:002008-05-27T05:56:10.438-05:00

Here is a video of the downhill on the Furman side of Altamont Road. I'm sure there are people who could make this much more interesting by letting it all hang out on the descent. I'm just not one of them!Looks like it takes me around 4 minutes to go down the road. Right after this video I climbed back up and it took about 13 minutes.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-33500090612989926162008-05-26T06:21:00.002-05:002008-05-26T06:25:08.713-05:00

We Remember.Thank you.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-27016235730640040482008-05-25T19:14:00.004-05:002008-05-25T21:03:37.564-05:00

Saturday morning I dragged myself out of bed and headed over to Sunshine Cycle Shop for the morning Hour of Power. Having not ridden last week except for Thursday night, I was curious to see what would happen. For sure, I wasn't going to push it early.There were about 9 to 10 of us starting out and it started out slow. Normally, I want to get up and go, but I was thankful to sit back and take

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-45737133241349355862008-05-19T05:16:00.002-05:002008-05-19T05:20:43.389-05:00

I survived the Miracle Hill Cycling Challenge. I rode 100 miles with a ride time of 5:57 and entire time of 6:15. It was pretty tough, but the organization of the ride was wonderful and I had some great guys to help me finish strong over those last 50 miles. Thanks, Billy and Louis, for waiting for me at the top of Caesars Head.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-3274396866732551402008-05-11T07:14:00.002-05:002008-05-11T07:37:38.173-05:00

Last week was not a good one for riding. I did ride the fixie to work most days, but that certainly isn't the workout that I need to keep up with everyone. Plus, I have the Miracle Hill ride this coming weekend (100 miles) and I really need to get ready.So, I asked my son if he would mind if I came to his game a little late and made plans to join the Sunshine Cycle Shop guys for the Hour of

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-19578347413581164922008-05-08T12:01:00.003-05:002008-05-08T12:08:55.736-05:00

Rule number one when you are commuting to work on your bike while wearing slacks: wear something to secure your pant leg to keep it out of the chain.Check.Rule number two when you are commuting to work on your bike while wearing slacks: if the band you are using to secure your pant leg slips off your pant leg while riding a fixed gear, stop and put it back on.Consequences...Oh, well, I never

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-46272320461503161242008-05-08T05:56:00.000-05:002008-05-08T06:00:18.505-05:00

I really need your help! I have signed up for the Palmetto Peloton Project's Challenge to Conquer Cancer ride that will take place in October. This will be a 24 hours a day relay ride from the "Hills of Hincapie to the Land of Lance." 1300 miles from Greenville, SC to Austin, TX. However, it isn't the ride that seems so daunting to me... it is raising $5000!I have committed to doing a major

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-33416932448281217162008-04-27T21:56:00.002-05:002008-04-27T21:58:36.871-05:00

No, this blog is not going to be replaced by all video. However, while I'm trying to figure out how all this works, you might find a little bit more over the visual stuff here. This is a short video of the Wheels for Meals ride.Lessons learned? It is best to mount the camera. Two reasons 1) it keeps you from dropping it and 2) some of the times when you most want to be recording, you need to

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-43228404365178160552008-04-25T06:41:00.008-05:002008-04-27T14:40:36.780-05:00

I got my hands on a helmet cam. This might or might now work... Right now, I'm using YouTube.com to get the video out. Please forgive the audio. I'm still working on that!

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-82863444447427108182008-04-12T13:29:00.002-05:002008-04-12T14:47:32.357-05:00

There was a sanctioned race today at Donaldson Center. That means we get points and the races count toward moving up to new categories. Just getting a finish would help me toward moving to a new level. I wanted more.I started to the event with a little bit of a timid feeling. Thursday night's ride was with me and my legs were feeling pretty sore even this morning. Plus I knew that this was

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-57068673744481050592008-04-10T20:17:00.002-05:002008-04-10T20:44:42.543-05:00

Tonight about 15 of us headed on a ride that would ultimately take us over Paris Mountain. Our Thursday night ride always seems to draw us like flies to the lantern that is Altamont Road. It was a good, fast group. It was going to be fun.The story is very much the same as every other time we do this ride. Everyone just kind of "hangs out" until we get to the base of Altamont on the Furman

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-89822926705870804482008-04-08T21:00:00.003-05:002008-04-08T21:32:01.523-05:00

I feel like a student who worked on his paper the night before and knows he is going to turn it in for a failing grade. Still you have to turn that paper in... well, maybe you could say the dog ate it. Can I say my cats ate the Garmin?Ride result in the A group: got spit out the back like a sour grape on lap 2.There, I got that out of the way.I was looking forward to the ride because I it would

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-47423164227537216592008-04-07T06:03:00.002-05:002008-04-07T06:12:34.150-05:00

I'm kind of excited today. UPS should be delivering two Garmin 705s with all the works. The timing couldn't be better. My 305 has been acting a little flaky recently and the cadence meter seems to be shot.This all started months ago when I made contact with Garmin to see if they would allow me to do a pre-production test of the new product. I was surprised to get the response that they would

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-755682427927080312008-04-01T20:00:00.002-05:002008-04-01T20:39:43.037-05:00

To be honest, I wasn't real excited about going out to Donaldson tonight. Sure, the weather was beautiful and my Garmin was working again (at least for the most part it was). There was every reason to expect a wonderful evening.Still, my legs weren't so sure about it. I was still feeling some stiffness from the weekend. I did go out on an easy ride Monday and that helped, but pulling up to

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-46834159444744212342008-03-30T13:18:00.004-05:002008-03-30T15:12:52.591-05:00

When someone has that ride where circumstances conspire to create as much suffering as possible, that rider tends to describe the ride as "epic." Well, I had an epic ride on Saturday and I'm still eating!I signed up to participate in the Palmetto Peloton Project's Pleasant Ridge Rider's Challenge. It was planned as a 100 mile plus ride. This would be perfect to help me meet my challenge of

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-20260283342066952952008-03-28T20:16:00.005-05:002008-03-28T20:28:02.722-05:00

Here is a map of tomorrow's ride. I will be reporting on it Saturday or Sunday on the GreenvilleOnline.com Cycling Blog.P3 Pleasant Ridge Riders Challenge

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-43228934871604722032008-03-27T20:29:00.002-05:002008-03-27T21:04:18.404-05:00

I was looking forward to riding tonight with some friends. Of course, the ride was centered around Paris Mountain. We rolled out around 6 PM.I got some ribbing for taking the win in the B group. I think I'm going to have to do the A group this next Tuesday. I guess I need to be put in my place.Before it seemed like I was ready, we turned up Altamont. I started off right with Billy and John.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-29000176720612482912008-03-26T00:00:00.006-05:002008-03-26T07:44:13.495-05:00

I arrived late for the Tuesday Night World Championships at Donaldson Center. That answered the question for as to which ride I would do. The A group was tempting but they had already started down the road and a couple of my riding buddies egged me on to chase it down and leave the B group.However, one of the reasons for going was to ride with my new team: the Greenville Spinners Bicycling Team

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-17222196552788538852008-03-25T05:26:00.002-05:002008-03-25T05:35:14.054-05:00

Last night I went over Paris Mountain. I told myself that I wasn't going to push it coming back up the Furman side. Of course, I did.The worse thing about the climb was the wind. In certain sections of the climb, I was protected and then I would turn a curve and wham I was hit in the face with a headwind. By the time I got to the wall, I was crawling.I did average 10 mph for the first 3/5 of

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-54359482250205684202008-03-24T05:25:00.002-05:002008-03-24T05:36:02.048-05:00

The Greenville News is launching their new GreenvilleOnline.com site sometime today (March 24). You'll notice that my cycling blog has disappeared from the front page. It won't automatically go there when I post an entry. That is why I need your help.Before the site goes live, you can find my blog here: beta.greenvilleonline.com Once it goes live, you should be able to go to the old URL,

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-63550106051367089592008-03-22T12:50:00.002-05:002008-03-22T14:24:36.980-05:00

Without an excuse I pulled up to the Hour of Power ride this morning about ten minutes late. I just knew I was going to have to chase the group down -- and I would have deserved it! Thankfully, as I pulled into the parking lot I found the group getting ready to head out.There were a good number of riders on hand. I saw Peter and Tony there with their Spinners jerseys on. It made me feel bad

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-18637715231107996962008-03-15T15:01:00.002-05:002008-03-15T15:53:45.731-05:00

Yesterday I wasn't so thrilled about doing the Hour of Power ride with Sunshine Cycle Shop this morning. I knew there was a chance of rain and I also knew I would be spreading mulch at my in-laws when I got done. Besides, it would give me a chance to sleep in a bit.I called over to the shop to ask a question and John asked me if I was going to be there. I gave an uncommitted sounding "I'm

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-55246702823217865212008-03-13T20:25:00.006-05:002008-03-13T22:00:01.788-05:00

This morning I headed over early to meet with Jim Cunningham for a physiological test and bike fit. You can read about the experience over at the GreenvilleOnline.com blog (published at 8 AM 3/14). I mention it here because it pretty much wore me out... or so I thought.Heading over to ride over Paris Mountain with some friends, I was apprehensive. With the effort I put in this morning, I

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-57381083886502910822008-03-11T19:28:00.004-05:002008-03-11T20:43:11.615-05:00

Tonight was the first night back to the regular Tuesday rides at Donaldson Center. I headed out for the fun after having an early dinner with my family. The area where everyone parks had a respectable number of cars... not as many as I remember from last year, but a good number for the first night back.I jumped right in with the A group. We were going to do four laps of the circuit. The Time

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-52555699980053376882008-03-10T20:39:00.002-05:002008-03-10T20:49:02.680-05:00

I keep mentioning that last week was a tough one for me. This week started out pretty much the same. Finally, though around 4 PM I conquered the issue that was causing me so much pain! Then I had an hour before the office closed to get the other things I needed to do...I didn't finish everything, but I needed to get out and clear my brain. The beautiful redhead was out with Things 1, 2, and 3

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-230936245448371062008-03-08T20:22:00.004-05:002008-03-08T21:03:09.474-05:00

I mentioned that last week wasn't a great one for me. By Friday evening I was pretty bushed. I was down physically, mentally, and emotionally. Didn't get in a ride Friday -- not on the road or on the trainer. I almost called off going to the race.I didn't...Photo by David Hicks...I decided to give it a go.If you want to read about the race, go on over to the GreenvilleOnline.com cycling blog.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-77406800582270714792008-03-05T21:57:00.003-05:002008-03-05T22:19:15.521-05:00

I mentioned that I have been pretty busy. Because of that -- and the wild weather yesterday -- I have not been able to ride the bike. With the race coming up on Saturday this was a concern for me.I rushed home after work and jumped on the bike. The idea was to do about a 20 mile ride with a good amount of pushing. I did the route the Sunshine guys were doing Thursday nights last season.The

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-1910930709163264972008-03-04T07:01:00.002-05:002008-03-04T07:05:58.322-05:00

The blog might take a hit this week. Just warning you!I have started a new position at the University. I'm no longer the Public Relations Manager. I'll be working with Alumni Relations. Yesterday was my first day.My nights are pretty full as well. It is going to be a struggle to even get some spinning in. My first opportunity to get on the road may end up being Thursday -- and that is the

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-79636270554264401712008-03-01T20:27:00.003-05:002008-03-01T22:12:49.451-05:00

After finishing somewhere around 13th last week, I was looking forward to getting out on the course at Fork Shoals and giving it another try. I learned somethings during that race and I wanted to put those lessons in action this Saturday.Number One: Get to the starting line on time! This week I warmed up by going backward on the course to check out the finishing stretch. I made sure I was

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-51541949490193305752008-02-28T02:32:00.004-05:002008-02-27T22:27:46.097-05:00

I mentioned yesterday that I upgraded my Tarmac Pro to the Force group set and Kyserium SL wheels. The first test "ride" was on a trainer and even there it was a joy to make my way up and down the gearing. "Snap!" and you're there. However, I wanted to know what it would be like on the open road.I rushed out of the house after getting off work and decided to do the long way around route of

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-61950817546363085982008-02-27T07:43:00.003-05:002008-02-27T07:51:17.519-05:00

Yesterday was an exciting day as I switched my bike components from Shimano 105s to the Force group set. I also upgraded my wheel set to the Kyserium SL wheels. I knocked two pounds off my bike, got the precision of the Force shifting, and I'm rolling on ceramic. Boy is it smooooooooth!The only thing I did a little differently was use a SRAM S900 crank instead of the regular Force option.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-33466694626160887342008-02-25T21:28:00.002-05:002008-02-25T21:40:59.544-05:00

Well, I'm going to give the old racing bit another try. This time it will be the road race at Fork Shoals. A little different terrain and a longer circuit. It will be interesting to see how things go.My bike is in the shop right now. I'm getting some little upgrades :-) The boys at Sunshine Cycle Shop will take good care of it and I'll be ready to go. Just hope I get it back in time to give

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-52233025266383555072008-02-23T17:20:00.002-05:002008-02-23T18:28:01.343-05:00

Well, I would like to tell you how I placed. Unfortunately, I can't. Welcome to category 5 racing. No one really cares about recording finishes because it doesn't mean anything... except to the people racing.Best I can tell I placed in the top 10 to top 15. It was disappointing because I wanted to do better and also because I KNOW I could have done more physically, but made some mistakes

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-8041255884505432842008-02-22T22:48:00.002-05:002008-02-22T22:50:55.410-05:00

Thanks to everyone who showed up at my surprise 40th birthday party tonight! Now I've got to get some sleep so I'll be ready to ride tomorrow. It really was so nice of them though. Even if it meant I wouldn't do as well in the race, it was worth it. Of course, I don't expect it to matter one way or the other.We'll see!

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-67484575691359772212008-02-21T07:53:00.002-05:002008-02-21T08:06:45.888-05:00

According to my plan, I did an easy but long session of spinning last night. I intentionally kept from bringing my knee to the point where in earlier rides I would begin to feel pain. Finally, toward the end of the session I gave a very hard effort in the mid rear rings. No pain at all. I then shifted to the hardest ring and started a slow cadence. Just a little tinge of pain, but definitely

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-72560833235301304712008-02-19T20:05:00.002-05:002008-02-19T20:20:38.191-05:00

I've been following my plans for the week so far. I had a slight change today, but I think I'll be okay. At least my knee is feeling a bit better.The goal was to go out pretty strong today. I rushed home from work to get on the bike. See how the weather will be the next couple of days, I figured I had better get some time on the road.On my way out I stopped by Sunshine Cycle Shop to say hi to

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-77564212784442001242008-02-18T07:39:00.004-05:002008-02-18T07:49:05.310-05:00

Saturday is the opening of the 2008 Greenville Spring Series. My plan is to race in the Cat 5 35+ race. I'm encouraged by the progress I have made over the winter and I've appreciated the many people who have gotten behind me to cheer me on.Here is how I plan to approach this week.Saturday 2/16 -- A solid hard ride with the Sunshine boys.Sunday 2/17 -- Off the bikeMonday 2/18 -- An hour plus of

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-45674626983472793542008-02-17T15:45:00.006-05:002008-02-17T17:42:06.070-05:00

Read about the exciting finish to the Upstate Winter Bicycle League at my GreenvilleOnline.com cycling blog. Can't read? :-) Listen to my interview with Steve Sperry about Rodney Dender's win.Click here to download a .mp3 podcast file.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-30109179095871026932008-02-16T15:41:00.003-05:002008-02-16T16:59:22.406-05:00

December was the last time I rode the Hour of Power. Wow, it doesn't seem that long ago, but it was. Nice to get back at it today.Today it was Mike, Tony, Peter, Bob, Catherine, Bobby and his son Charlie. We got a little bit of a late start because I was late. I couldn't get my pump to connect properly to my front tire. By the time I got air in it I was about 5 to 10 minutes late.I was kind

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-62007249367189667162008-02-15T20:19:00.002-05:002008-02-15T20:35:38.077-05:00

I said I would be uploading more images, but I never got around to it. I've been going to bed early and getting up late because I've been fighting a cold. I'm on the way free of that mess, so here I am putting up a few more pictures from the skills clinic last week.Above you see Strad and Eric showing us how you do the leaning drills. I met Eric on the Facebook "I love cycling in Upstate SC"

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-23511089282501006582008-02-12T10:09:00.000-05:002008-02-12T10:19:57.678-05:00

Uggghhh, I'm not a happy camper. The February sinus issues have started up for me with a vengeance. I'm combating it best I can to avoid an infection. I don't want to be out of commission for Valentines Day... or be out of sorts for the race coming up February 23.Over the next couple of days, I'm going to put up some pictures from the skills clinic held this past Saturday. This first picture

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-30096136623851017742008-02-09T19:51:00.000-05:002008-02-09T20:57:26.832-05:00

I'll be honest, I wasn't that excited about going to the skills clinic today. I figured we would just stand around a lot watching other people do things and then go out there ourselves and do some drills that wouldn't really have that much of an impact on my ability to ride up Mount Mitchell or most other places I ride.Well, I was wrong. I didn't do much standing around at all. I did get to

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-53744946192385914742008-02-07T20:01:00.000-05:002008-02-07T21:16:28.369-05:00

Well, it was time to do the mountain again. The over and back ride of Paris Mountain works out well as I race the sun. The distance and the time it takes to complete the ride makes it just right for a quick ride after work.In my last post I talked about my plans to break the 12 minute mark for the climb up the Furman side of Altamont Road. Tonight I decided to tweak my approach to some of the

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-31914187208932660272008-02-05T19:49:00.000-05:002008-02-05T20:25:30.265-05:00

I've set goals for this season. One of those goals is to get a sub-twelve minute climb of the Furman side of Paris Mountain. Today I started planning for that goal.My idea was to climb the mountain and break it into sections. The goal for the ride was not to get a personal record, but to give it a good push. Here is how it worked out.I rode over the mountain from the CVS side. After a short

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-19988904195813831912008-02-02T15:39:00.000-05:002008-02-02T17:39:20.972-05:00

I decided to do the B group ride of the UWBL today. 5.5 hours in the saddle chasing after hardcore racers would not do good things to my physical and mental wellbeing. So, I pulled up at Carolina Triathlon looking for Strad - he was the one who talked me into the 60 miler.Andy Baker had suggested that the three of us just hang out at the back of the A group and get in the miles. Yeah, right.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-38028321599467179322008-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:002008-01-31T22:03:49.490-05:00

Today my gear came for my SE Bikes Draft. I thought I had an idea what it would be like to ride a fixie for the first time. Thankfully, I didn't kill myself!The way it works on my Draft is that I have a free wheel gear on one side and a fixed gear on the other. If I want the ease of the free wheel, I put that side on the chain. When I feel like the fun of the fix wheel, I just turn the wheel

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-62893371693870572602008-01-31T07:59:00.000-05:002008-01-31T08:16:42.834-05:00

While I was trying to recover last Sunday afternoon from the Upstate Winter Bicycle League on Saturday, Strad and his friends were heading up to Caesars Head. That put those guys over 160 challenging miles in the two days. I probably could have done it, but I would have been in bed for two days!Blair Turner - Alder Martz - Danny Estevez - Stradford HelmsStrad and Blair are junior riders for the

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-67399134350524556622008-01-30T06:52:00.000-05:002008-01-30T06:57:16.332-05:00

I realize I haven't posted anything in a few days. The thing is writing posts about riding my trainer isn't much fun. That's what I've been up to. An hour plus on Monday and Tuesday. Probably won't be able to get on the road until tomorrow... I hope.Still, there is stuff going on over at the GreenvilleOnline.com blog. Actually, I'm starting to get more fluffy stories than I have days to post

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-57567606345988185392008-01-27T07:59:00.000-05:002008-01-27T16:19:09.461-05:00

I didn't report on my Upstate Winter Bicycle League ride yesterday. The first order of business was trying to raise myself from the dead! Then it was off to the Monster Truck Jam at the BiLo Center with Thing 2 and Thing 3. Once I got home from that, I dragged myself into bed.Downtown was a busy place that morning when I rolled up. The 31st annual Greenville News Run Downtown 5K was taking

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-54524698199934896432008-01-23T22:04:00.000-05:002008-01-23T22:32:17.708-05:00

I got my CycleOps fixed on Tuesday. I didn't get to use it though because of late evening meeting that had me ready to hit the sack. I didn't use it again today because I was able to ride my bike!The plan to was to repeat the ill fated attempt to do a Paris Mountain over and back. When I tried that last week, I had two flats on the way up the mountain. Thankfully, I went right past that spot

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-10588210491090789772008-01-21T17:52:00.000-05:002008-01-21T18:23:44.179-05:00

Things have not been good lately. I have had less time on a bike in the last two weeks than anytime I can remember in the last year or so. Weather, equipment, and (mainly) time have conspired against me to force me into a mid-January break.When the weather and time begins to keep me off the road, I have turned to my CycleOps trainer to save the day. Unfortunately, my trainer broke about three

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-12111006892221502092008-01-19T21:15:00.001-05:002008-01-19T21:21:59.552-05:00

Over at the GreenvilleOnline.com Cycling Blog I told the story of my incident last night when I blew two tires in the space of 15 minutes. It lead me to rethink some of the things I carry in my saddle bag.I thought it might be a neat thing to show a picture of the items I carry with me. Am I missing something? Any ideas of some ways to save weight or space?I have a pretty small Specialized bag

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-4512826427839511152008-01-18T06:48:00.000-05:002008-01-18T06:54:07.411-05:00

We had snow yesterday. It was very pretty when we got up that morning. The kids were stoked! They had a blast making snow men and sledding around in the neighborhood.The only negative thing is that someone must have slid off the road in the front of our house and nailed our mailbox.I didn't get out in it much since I didn't get home from work until after six. Would have loved to have played

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-56808721417111823102008-01-16T21:28:00.002-05:002008-01-16T21:52:43.544-05:00

I love putting numerical titles on my blog. Normally it means that something good has happened. Well, this time it's because I now have my Assault on Mount Mitchell rider's number.63Ok, go ahead and laugh at me for making such a big deal of this. You have to understand what getting that number means to me. Before I ever started riding my road bike, I was aware of this century that seemed like

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-30172754995869425132008-01-15T06:30:00.000-05:002008-01-16T21:54:51.972-05:00

The Assault on Mount Mitchell pass codes went in the mail yesterday. I guess it will still be a couple of days before the brightly colored flier makes its way into my mailbox. I'll be glad when I finally get that number...Here is the design of the jersey for this year's ride:I like it. What happens now is that the pass code comes to me and I go to the Active.com site and register for the ride

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-66823816333244821982008-01-14T06:40:00.000-05:002008-01-14T06:45:43.449-05:00

Check them out. My family did something kind of fun for me this Christmas. They had the "12 Days of Christmas for Daddy." I got a present each day beginning the 11 days before Christmas. Here is one of them...A lot of thought went behind this gift. It took a while for my wife to find what she was looking for. Finally she found a set online from a company in England.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-38482208303693245372008-01-12T20:13:00.000-05:002008-01-13T12:34:38.847-05:00

There was an omen before the Upstate Winter Bicycle League this morning. I forgot my helmet. I got out of the truck, got my bike off the rack, and realized my helmet was back at home!To make matters worse, I knew I wouldn't be able to get in the house if I went home because the beautiful red head was taking Things 1, 2, and 3 to Thing 1's piano guild. (She did very well, by the way. I watched

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-18832776438549544772008-01-11T06:08:00.000-05:002008-01-11T06:18:55.433-05:00

I was a bull in a cycle shop yesterday seeing Red. When I stopped by Sunshine Cycle Shop to get a adjustment to my trainer bike, I was casing out the pedal systems to decide what to get for my wife. While looking in the case I noticed the full group of SRAM Red components in the display.Nice. Though I have to admit I'm not as drawn to it now that I see it than I was back when you couldn't get

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-49147468259196642202008-01-06T14:41:00.000-05:002008-01-06T15:23:34.445-05:00

This morning my pastor spoke from the passage Hebrews 12:1 and 2. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-85290410778565633152008-01-05T17:59:00.000-05:002008-01-05T19:58:45.556-05:00

Yesterday I tried to decide if I would do the Sunshine Cycle Shop ride or the Upstate Winter Bicycle League ride. After stopping into the shop to have some adjustments made to my Draft, I got the impression that there wouldn't be a lot of riders out for the shop ride. I decided on the UWBL.This time I wasn't rushing around at the last second to get there. I arrived in plenty of time to get

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-78353480499295422652008-01-03T13:20:00.000-05:002008-01-03T13:30:42.389-05:00

Here are some more pictures of my SE Bikes Draft single speed. Sorry I haven't had a lot to post lately. Things are just kind of in down mode as far as cycling. I guess it is good for me right now.I have been commuting to work every day. Some of that story ends up over at the GreenvilleOnline.com cycling blog. So, it isn't as though I've stopped riding completely! Looks like the weather

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-68903561021241863952007-12-30T14:44:00.000-05:002007-12-30T15:33:18.850-05:00

Yesterday was a fun day. After the ride in the morning, I went over to Sunshine to do some Christmas shopping. I needed to spend some gift certificates.I walked out with a bike I had been looking at for a bit. Ever since first reading about single speed bikes, I've been drawn to them. The idea is to kind of return to your childhood when you didn't have gears. One sprocket in the front and

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-61834741096873797832007-12-29T12:08:00.000-05:002007-12-29T13:54:25.323-05:00

Last night I felt pretty tired. I toyed with the idea of not riding this morning. However, I set my alarm for 7 AM and dragged my body out of bed to make it to Sunshine by 7:45.My original plan was to do the UWBL ride. However, it started out in Spartanburg today and I didn't feel up for that kind of pace and distance. It was a perfect set up for a fun ride with the guys.As I pulled up

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-55604745096381732752007-12-27T21:02:00.000-05:002007-12-27T22:17:33.605-05:00

We got back to Greenville and today I had a chance to get out on my bike. I had been riding down in the swampy areas of North Carolina for the last several days. It was flat, flat, and more flat. A grin came to my face as I started up a hill near my house.It was good to be home.I didn't even know where I was going to go. I just wanted to ride. So, I pointed the bike through some neighborhood

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-19972695159171683472007-12-22T19:18:00.000-05:002007-12-22T19:39:28.731-05:00

I've been here in the swamps of North Carolina for the last several days. Until today I had only been out for rides of about 10 to 15 miles. There has been a lot of family going on and with the shorter days I haven't gotten as many miles as I thought I would.Well, today I went for a ride with the beautiful red head. She is doing very well. She looks like she's been doing it for years. She

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-65461598213553379062007-12-19T08:20:00.001-05:002007-12-19T08:32:00.993-05:00

It is hard to keep focused on posting to my blog. There are a lot of things going on with Christmas and vacation. I've got parties to attend, shopping to accomplish, and packing for traveling. I'm squeezing in some short rides and some time on the trainer, but there really isn't that much to write about cycling wise.One cool thing is that got a bike for my wife. She was a real sport about it.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-27904000306332645222007-12-15T16:30:00.000-05:002007-12-15T19:30:12.327-05:00

Wednesday several of the normal Saturday morning riders went out to take on the Hour of Power ride. We killed it - finishing nearly 20 minutes faster than normal. Today those riders - and about eight others - went out to do it again. Today was slower - but not by much.Again we started off with Art pushing the pace early. The temperatures were cooler than Wednesday. MotionBased tells me we

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-85448281374047424192007-12-13T06:53:00.000-05:002007-12-15T19:32:44.774-05:00

Yesterday, Art, Billy, Tony, and myself met for a ride. We had hoped to have at least six of us, but several people had things come up and were unable to participate. Still, I knew it would be a good ride because all four of us could maintain a good pace.We finally decided to do the Hour of Power ride. It was the best option that would 1) keep us from having to go over the mountain, and 2)

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-1536700674170539532007-12-10T06:31:00.000-05:002007-12-10T07:05:08.953-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I had about two and a half hours to get in a ride. I last rode on December 1st. Of course, I logged a good number of miles on the trainer, but nothing on the road for eight days.However, I was feeling pretty good so I decided I would try to go for a personal record up Paris Mountain. According to my Garmin the climb is 2.2 miles. If I were to average 11 mph up the climb, I

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-8273896126986353452007-12-07T18:59:00.002-05:002007-12-07T19:28:00.972-05:00

I guess some people call it depression. It is that feeling that you want to sit and let all the issues, pressures, demands, feelings, etc. wash over you while you just sit motionless waiting for it to pass or sweep you away into nothingness. I've got that feeling.Don't worry, I'm not clinical or anything. I've been here before and know that it is really just a perception problem. When I stop

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-52309502565966355152007-12-05T06:54:00.001-05:002007-12-05T06:59:42.568-05:00

I've added more to the Sunshine Cycle Shop Web site. Now I've gotten through all the looking for brands, marketing speak, and products on the Web. I can start focusing on the main page and the sections I have left.It's going to be pretty cool. The next page for me to work on is the services page. Then it will be time to have some fun. The plan is to create a page that has all sorts of

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-91827723256267789942007-12-04T19:10:00.000-05:002007-12-04T19:25:56.020-05:00

No weight training for a few days. I think I might have caused myself some problems. Thankfully it is nothing that can't be corrected.Saturday after the UWBL ride I was pretty tired, but felt pretty good for the most part. However, later that night I started to feel some pain in my hamstrings - particularly my right hamstring. The pain continued on Sunday.Sunday evening I got on the trainer

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-49648158812461397672007-12-01T16:12:00.000-05:002007-12-01T18:00:36.022-05:00

The morning was going great. Since I didn't do the Sunshine ride this morning I got to sleep in a little bit. Right as I was getting ready my boss called me about a news story that broke last night. That call threw me off and I started running out of time.Thankfully, I still made it just on time. Turns out I didn't have to worry too much because there were so many announcements and people who

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-50209564833690543822007-11-30T06:20:00.000-05:002007-11-30T06:34:48.520-05:00

Went to the gym again last night. The way I lifted tonight - more reps per set - really gave me a workout. I slept like a rock last night. I don't know if it was the workout or just clean living, but I haven't had a night of sleep like that in ages.144 @ 90 lbs. from 1 to 12 to 1125 @ 180 lbs. 2 sets of 50 and 1 set of 2520 @ 315 lbs. 2 sets of 10I did some spinning as well just to cool down.

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-59577456627157904922007-11-28T06:52:00.000-05:002007-11-28T07:01:34.572-05:00

The blog has been quiet here for a bit. I have been busy redesigning the Sunshine Cycle Shop Web site. I guess you could say I've been cycling with my fingers. I've also posted more over at the GreenvilleOnline.com blog because there has been some interesting things happening in professional cycling.I'm still training away. Monday night I did about 45 minutes of spinning. I had my iPod on

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-64175649798226069752007-11-25T07:23:00.000-05:002007-12-15T19:31:39.623-05:00

It was kind of cool to see one of my entries from the GreenvilleOnline.com Cycling blog printed in the dead tree version of the paper yesterday. It appears they also printed it Friday, but someone goofed on the layout and part of the entry didn't get printed. Still, there it was in black and white. Neat.I got back on the bike after taking two days off for Thanksgiving. I made up my mind

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8178062.post-12781008731315578012007-11-21T11:14:00.001-05:002007-11-21T11:48:40.567-05:00

Mike planned a ride for this morning. The idea was to leave the shop before 8 AM and get in the old Thursday night ride before the doors opened at 10 PM. Supposedly there were to be about 6 to 8 of us. Turns out it was just Art, Mike, and myself.We started out on the normal route that would take us along the base of Paris Mountain to the Furman campus. However, when we reached the CVS on the

Jonathan Paithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10420093891000469683noreply@blogger.com0