Wreck It Ralph Review

If you've ever played Nintendo, if you've ever put a coin in an arcade machine this movie is for you.  Disney did a superb job bring life to video games and video game characters in this film about a bad guy who just wants to be good.

This was the most creative movie I've seen since Toy Story.  The idea of video game characters interacting in an arcade is extremely unique.  They game us a look deeper into arcades, whether the open sign is lit or not.  Disney took all of the things gamers love from games back from Pac Man to Halo and used them to perfection in Wreck it Ralph.   

One thing that helped make this one of the most creative films I've ever seen was the visuals and animation.  It was perfect.  The worlds were so believable, especially for gamers.  Even the way the characters moved brought me back to Super NES.  If characters were from older games, they seemed to jump from position to position, just like they looked when they were rocking 8 bits.  To see them move that way but still be in high definition 3D was amazing.

The casting for Wreck it Ralph was also flawless.  John C. Riley was perfect for soft hearted "bad guy."  Jane Lynch continued to hold her bad girl persona.  She was a squad leader straight out of a "Halo" type game and it fit perfect.  Jack McBrayer, who always seems to play a naive, shy yet good willed character was the voice of  Felix, the hero of the game Ralph comes from, Fix it Felix,.  Finally, Sarah Silverman plays the cute little racing girl from Sugar Rush, which is basically Candy Land meets Mario Kart. I normally hate Sarah Silverman.  I think her jokes are crude and childless and just find her overall being annoying.  However, she was perfect for the role of Vanellope.  Her jokes were still childish but her character was a child, so it worked.

The actually plot line of a bad guy wanting to be good wasn't necessarily  the most original concept ever but they way Disney and producer John Lasster (director of Toy Story 1, 2, 3 and Cars) presented it was great.  He continues to create worlds we all day dream about and brings them to life better than our imaginations.

ARGO

I was very excited to check this film out.  Everything I read, saw, and heard made me want to see Argo.  It's about the US hostage situation in Iran in the late 1970's and early 1980's and is based on true events. 

Argo was directed by and stars Ben Affleck, who I personally think is an awful actor but tremendous writer and director.  Affleck wrote Good Will Hunting which is phenomenal He also wrote and directed both The Town and Gone Baby Gone which are both very good films and his directing did not disappoint at all in Argo.

A lot of great research went into the film.  Affleck and the writers needed to make sure they told this true story accurately.  They talked to many former CIA members, historians, and even some of the hostages who were in Iran.  Not only was the script and plot accurate, but Affleck did a great job capturing the moment of the late 70's and early 80's. The casting, costumes, and cinematography made me feel like I was there.  The small details, things as simple as the men’s mustaches and people smoking really put it over the top. He also did a great job mixing in some actual news clips and audio from President Carter.

The acting was also great, except for Affleck.  All of the hostages, the Iranians, and the US government officials were beyond believable.  Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, and John Goodman all delivered a great performance.  However, the story mainly revolves around Ben Affleck's character.  Like many of his other films I felt he was dry, emotionless, and at times forcing it.  Maybe that's how his character is supposed to be but since that's how I feel about all of Ben Affleck's performances, it's one of the few negatives from the film.

Argo does start a little slow but I think it's mostly to set the scene for people who aren’t familiar with the Iranian hostage crisis. After it fills you in on the Iranian US history it really picks ups up speed, especially for the last 20 minutes or so.

I don't think it was Affleck's intention but one thing that really hit me from Argo was the risk American's take working at our consulates over seas.  Maybe it's because of the recent attacks in Libya but these men and women do not receive enough credit or praise for putting their life’s at risk in hostile locations for a thankless job.

I would highly recommend seeing Argo.  I would also highly recommending thanking those who serve over seas, whether they are working at consulates, embassies, military bases or on the front line.

Evolution: Not A Pretty Sight

Humans have changed a lot.  We used to be hairier.  We are taller.  We are fatter, we have bigger parts, the list goes on.  We don't live in caves so we don't need to be hairy.  We eat better so we're taller.  Then we stopped eating better and now were fat.  Change happens slowly but it does happen.  Experts predict some changes over the next 1,000 years of our evolution, and it's not pretty.

They think we'll be taller.  Since the 1960's the average height has grown an inch so we can expect the average height to be in the 6-7 foot range.  We'll also have shorter intestines.  This way we'll absorb less sugar and fat, a natural way of avoiding obesity.  So far it sounds ok.  A bunch of non-diabetic basketball players.

Humans are also going to evolve because of technology.  Our brains will be smaller because we use computers to do pretty much everything.  Our fingers will also have more nerve endings making it easier to use our smart phones and other devises.  However, a paper cut might feel like losing a finger.

They are expecting a few changes over the next 1,000 years that will dramatically change how we look.  Our limbs will be much longer.  People will all have the same nose and similar, darker tone skin.  Experts expect our eyes to grow because of how much we stare at computer or TV screens all day.  They'll also grow because human’s communication will be more non-verbal.  Worst of all they expect us to have a turkey neck.  It'll basically be a triple chin because of how inactive we've become.

This is a picture of what we could look like.  All I can say is I'm glad I'm not going to be around to have to see that in the mirror every morning.

WARNINGS!

Everything these days needs a warning on it.  If you don't have a warning, you're at risk of getting sued.  What should be common sense needs to be spelled out.  People should know that coffee is hot and hot things can burn!!!  But no, we need a label and if it's not labeled and some klutz burns themselves, big money for that guy!  Here's a list of ridiculous warnings which should be common sense but are labeled anyway. 

 10: Thermometers
"Once used rectally, the thermometer should not be used orally."
9: Pepper Spray
"May irritate eyes."
8: Dishwashers
"Do not allow children to play in the dishwasher."
7: Irons
"Never iron clothes while they are being worn."
6: Fireplaces
"Caution - Risk of Fire."
5: Food Processors
"Never remove food or other items from the blades while the product is operating."
4: Sunshields
"Do not drive with sunshield in place."
3: Scooters
"This product moves when used."
2: Power Tools
"This product not intended for use as a dental drill." "Do not hold the wrong end of the chainsaw" and "Do not attempt to stop chain with hands."
1: Baby Strollers
"Remove child before folding."


My favorite warning label might actually be necessary.  It's for risk of child suffocation.  I just think the picture is funny looking.  It's for plastic tubs and 5 gallon pails.  I don't know if this makes me bad person but come on, that's a funny image.

Blink 182 and One Direction

In 2000 Blink 182 had their song "All The Small Things."  Around that time the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC were also very popular.  Blink took advantage of this in their video.  They did a great job of making fun of those boy bands and some pop princesses.  The plane was from Backstreet boys I Want It That Way.  That's the most noticeable parody.  There's also *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, J-Lo, Britney, and Ricky Martin references made.  And somehow Blink knew to make fun of a boy band who's members were 8 or 9 at the time.  One Direction.  Twelve years after "All The Small Things" One Direction had their hit "What Makes You Beautiful."  Their music video just so happens to be on the same beach that Blink was on in 2000, making fun of boy bands.  It's probably just a coincidence but I think it also reinforces that Blink 182 knows how to have a good time at other's expense.

Race The Lake

I prepared all summer for the Race the Lakes.  It was one of my goals in life to ride my bike around Lake Winnebago and on Sunday I did it!  I wasn’t as fast as I would have hoped but I’m still very happy, excited and proud that I finished the 90 mile bike race.

Before the race I was very nervous.  I’ve never ridden that far or with that many people.  There were great fans sprinkled around the course cheering and ringing cowbells.  My parents even went from stop to stop cheering me on. 

Riding right in the pack for the first 20 miles or so was a blast…and really easy.  I barely had to peddle and we were flying.  I just had to make sure I didn’t run anyone over.  All the other riders throughout the race were super considerate.  Once we got to Oshkosh I ran into my first issue.  I hit a man hole and my water bottle fell out.  I should’ve just left it but I stopped to get it.  That’s when I lost the group which was upsetting.  I tried really hard to catch back up but only caught the tail end so instead of riding with 150 people I was with 12.

I stuck with that group until we got to Hill Cliff State Park, which is the half way point of the race. That’s where I pulled ahead with a different group of riders.  After training to go up the ledge and going up Hill Cliff for the Tour De Fest I knew what to expect.  A different group caught up to me and I tagged along with them after the climb.  I was feeling really good, strong and fast until it was my turn to be the leader of the group.  I’m not strong enough to do that.  I took a short pull and fell back in line but my legs were starting to die and I lost the group.

That was about the point of the race where we crossed Hwy 151 and headed east.  Up until that point I’ve ridden pretty much all of the roads.  I was tired but was having a great time, riding with all of the groups.  However, I was not really for the final 20 miles.  Farmland and hills after farmland and hills is what I encountered and I was all by myself.  I tried a few times to keep up with some groups passing me but couldn’t do it.  Then I had to stop again because I had to take care of a bloody nose.  I really didn’t have too much left in my legs for the home stretch but was happy because I knew I was going to make it.

Once I got back into town my parents and girlfriend were there to cheer me to the finish line with 1 mile to go.  When I got into Lakeside Park I could see and hear people cheering and the announcer calling off finishers’ names.  I was so happy and proud to have finished in 4:35:20, even though I could barely walk back to my car.

I need to thank all of the volunteers, organizers, and supports along the way.  It was a great event.  I also need to thank the guys at Attitude Sports.  What they taught me throughout my Summer Ride with Attitude Sports really helped for the race.  I really did have a great time Racing the Lake (especially the first 70 miles.)

Forget the 90's?

I'm a 90's kid and I get very nostalgic over the last decade of the millennium.  I miss good old Nickelodeon, AOL IM, and Super NES or N64.  However, there are a few things from the 90's that we should be glad we rid of. 

A few have to do with fashion.  First and foremost is the dreaded bowl cut.  I'd say 85% of my friends male and female at one point had this awful hair cut.  I'm one of the lucky ones.  I promise you I never had one. I had the shaved head with steps in the side, not sure how much better that is. The other bad hair day from the 90's is whatever Justin Timberlake was doing.  You know the hairdo that looked like Raman noodles.  The other thing I didn't like was the ridiculously baggy pants that we all wore. 

A lot of technology came along in the 90's.  They all brought some good but with the good comes the bad.  CD's. You don't need to rewind the darn tape or worry about your little brother pulling out all of the tape from the holder.  The bad with CD's, the skipping disc sound is still like fingernails on a chalkboard to me and I hated it when you would burn a CD but the CD player couldn 't read the disc.  I just wanted to hear my Weird Al mix, is that too much to ask?  The internet also came along in the 90's.  Information was at our fingertips, after that horrid sound to log onto the web.  Darn you AOL.  Finally, Pokémon.  I never got into Pokémon.  I never collected or played the card game, never watched the TV show, and never played the Gameboy game.  My friends were all about the pocket monsters.  All they talked about from 4th grade to even 8th grade was those darn Pokémon.  I felt so geeky, hanging out with a bunch of bowl cut wearing, Pokémon playing guys.  Now to be fair I did enjoy Pokémon Snap.  What's better than throwing apples and pissing off Meowth?

Still, with all of that, I miss the good old days of Rugrats, Doug, SkiFree, and using other people's IM names pretending to be them while listening to Limp Bizkit.

Summer Ride With Attitude Sports

My Summer Ride with Attitude Sports has come to a conclusion.  The guys at Attitude Sports have been great, hooking me up with a Specialized Secteur Sport and some great tips and hints.  They've helped me ride all summer and you've won as well by guessing the miles I've ridden.  This month Attitude Sports is giving away a seat bag tool kit to Kevin Bauer.  Kevin guessed 204.9 miles which is 4.5 off the 208.4 miles I peddled.  It was a long month on the bike but a lot of fun.  I'm sure I'll be visiting Attitude Sports a few more times this summer.  Their staff is full of knowledge, weather it's getting you on the right bike, getting you prepared for a long ride, or getting you the right gear.

More Photo Bombing

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I love photo bombing.  I don't care if it’s a birthday party, Christmas, a wedding, or just out with friends, I enjoy it.  I don't even mind if I'm photo bombed.  I enjoy giving kudos to a good bomber.  I came across a list of some of the greatest photos that were bombed, not by people but our fuzzy, fishy friends.  I still think the photo of my mom being photo bombed by a horse at the Kentucky Derby could make this list.  I also think that the 3rd ranked photo is the best photo bomb ever, if not the funniest photo ever.  Here's the list.  Enjoy and if you have any photo bombing photos, share them on our facebook page.  Here's a few of mine.

Ride With Winkler

My Summer Ride with Attitude Sports is coming to a close.  Today and yesterday I got my last two rides in.  Yesterday, I went for a short almost 13 mile ride.  I was going to go up the ledge but thought the rains were going to come and didn't want to get stuck in that situation.

This morning I found a new person to ride with, a Winkler.  No not Bart, but Bart's dad Greg.  He's raced the lake a few times and I really needed to find someone to ride with.  It was a very good ride.  He took me up the west side of the lake on Hwy 45, which I'd never done before.  The first half was very fast.  It's very flat and we had the wind to our back.  The way back was a little different.  On the report from my Garmin Edge you can really tell how much a head wind slows you down, even with a person to draft with.  The 25+ mile ride was my second fastest of the year and was a lot easier because of Greg Winkler so thanks to him.

With my Summer Ride coming to an end I also need to thank all of the guys from Attitude Sports.  They gave me some of the best equipment and the best advice I needed to have a great summer of riding.  They’ve also let you ride away with some great prizes.  There is still time to guess my miles for July on the contest page at k107.com.  If you have the closest guess for July you'll walk away with a bike seat tool kit which is a life saver if you ever get a flat out on a long ride. 

Awkward Family Vacation Photos

It's time to hop in the family cruiser, deal with that smell from the back seat and take a family vacation.  When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to go on a number of family vacations.  We'd pile in the van and hit the road.  I'm sure we have some goofy looking mug shots too.  Above on the right is a photo from my trip to Route 66 Speedway in Illinois.  My brother, Dad, and myself are crying and struggling to breath because of the exhaust in the pits (my dad actually enjoyed it though, weird).  Another one that stands out is currently hanging in a bathroom in my parent’s house.  My mom has her nice big 90's hair, my dad has his awesome mustache, my brother and I are wearing almost matching polos, and my sister is grabbing on to my dad’s leg for dear life.  We were in front of the flooded Mississippi River in St. Louis and none of us were smiling.  Now days we have digital cameras and can see if we look stupid or not.  Back then, say cheese and smile 'cause we only got one shot at this.  Here's the link to the rest of the Awkward Family Vacation Photos. 

Tour De Paper Fest

On Saturday I got up early to do the longest ride of my life.  I've done the Tour De Fest once before but only the 40 mile ride.  I also did that ride with a partner.  This time I did the 70 mile route and didn't have a partner.  I could've used one because that was probably the hardest thing I've ever done. 

I did my best to prepare for it.  I went for a very short 10-15 mile ride Friday morning which the guys at Attitude Sports suggested. I drank a lot of water the night before and the morning of and had a decent sized breakfast.  I had a GU Energy before the race and throughout the ride had my Hammer Heed too.

The beginning part of the ride went very well.  I caught up to a group of guys that were out for a ride and tagged along with them before we got to High Cliff State Park.  I knew there was a monster hill so I was worried about that part before the ride started.  However, those trips up the ledge must have paid off because it wasn't too bad.  I actually passed a number of people and my legs felt fine during and after the climb.

The next part of the ride was long and lonely.  I lost the guys that I was with (they went a different route).  Saturday morning was very windy but cool until around noon.  The wind was hard to fight, especially by myself but I managed to keep a descent pace. Paper Fest (the group that put on the ride) had rest stops along the way about 14 miles apart.  Those were nice.  I’d grab some cool water, some fruit or bagels, and most importantly, STRETCHED!

I was feeling good around the 40 mile mark.  There, I found another group that let me tag along with them.  It really helped.  My speeds were much faster with them.  But, after a while it became harder and harder to keep up.  It was around the 50 mile mark when I lost them.  I remember looking down at my Garmin Edge, seeing 50 and thinking, “I can't do this anymore."  I wasn't cramping, I was just dead.  I took it very, very easy for the next couple of miles.  At that point in time I wasn't worried about being fast or technique, I just wanted to finish the last 20 miles.  That was easier said than done because, not only was I dead, but there was a nasty head wind.

Most of the ride I had very little idea of where I was but when I got back to the trail I used to ride all the time and know like the back of my hand, a couple of things came to mind.  One was I'm almost done I'm going to do this.  The other thing was wow, I am going so slowly and my legs won't let me go any faster.  I did make it back safe in about 4 hours and 15 minutes of ride time.  I was exhausted.  Still today I'm having trouble walking around.  The Race the Lake is in less than a month and I have some work to do but I'm very proud of myself for getting the 70 miles done.

I'm Not Afriad Anymore...Wait...Yes I Am

We all have things from our childhood that scared us.  Maybe it was the basement, maybe a certain part of the woods, maybe a doll that your grandma had.  Sometimes that frightening thing comes from a TV or movie.

Yesterday I found a list of the 20 scary characters from our childhood.  Here's a few of them.

Darth Vader - Star Wars (1977-83) 

I personally wasn't scared of Darth Vadar, actually the opposite.  I thought he was the greatest.  Cool voice, awesome helmet, and truly depicts the Dark Side. 

Noseybonk - Jigsaw (1979-84)

I've never seen this show but I guess it's an educational show. With a mask like that I don't know what they are trying to teach, good hiding places?

Skeksis - The Dark Crystal (1982)

Jim Henson created this horrifying character.  He actually has quit a few that keep me awake at night. This is the one on the list that gave me a nightmare last night.  I've never seen the film and I don't think I ever will.

The Coachman - Pinocchio (1940)

Pinocchio is a messed up film.  I recently re-watched this and what the heck was that?  Why did my parents let me watch this.  It's not necessarily a scary movie but I can understand why some people would have this on their list.  I was more afraid of Stromboli than the coachman though. 

Stripe - Gremlins (1984)

I've seen Gremlins and they still scare me.  I know that's wimpy but look at that face.  When something that's supposed to be for children turns scary and evil, that's when I hid under the covers. 

 

Vigo the Carpathian - Ghostbusters II (1989)

I love the Ghostbusters films and they aren't scary.  Vigo is a very good villain but he's not too frightening.  I do sometimes think that eyes in paintings are following me because of him though. The things from Ghostbusters that did bother me a little were those dog looking things from the first film.

Pennywise - It (1990)

Personally, I'm not afraid of clowns.  They really don't bother me at all.  That being said, I've never read or seen "It".  That could chance my perspective.

Like I said earlier, some of Jim Henson's puppets and other creations have sent me running.  Honestly, one still freaks me out to this day.  Even though I love the Muppets and recognize that Jim Henson is the best puppeteer ever, Sweetums scares the bejesus out of me.  I think he's supposed to be a nice guy and wouldn't hurt me but he looks mean and scary.  No thank you.

The other film (directed by Jim Henson) which I still maintain is the scariest movie ever is The Labyrinth.  Jim Henson created a frightening puppet world full of horrifying looking Muppets on acid and put David Bowie in charge of them.  Still to this day I can't make it though the entire film without getting too goosebumpy out and leaving. 

I know we should be able to tell ourselves that it's just a show or just a movie but it's hard.  Some things are just plan freaky.  Until we figure out how to get past those scary childhood characters, well, I just won't be sleeping for a while.

Morning Ride with Attitude Sports

I am not a morning person.  I can get up if I have to but I don't like it and haven't had to for physical activities since college when I was in track.  However, with this heat and with the 70 mile Tour De Fest in Kimberly this weekend I needed to get out and ride.  Morning riding was the answer I guess.

After the previous ride that I took, Up the Ledge x3, I was very concerned about putting the right things in my body before a ride.  I was exhausted, hungry, and knew that I wasn't prepared for a longer ride like that.  Yesterday I went to Attitude Sports to hear what I can do to better prep for a ride.  They have lots of gels, gummies, and drink mixes and explained what they all do and why I would need them.  I ended up trying GU Energy Gel and Hammer Heed which is a high energy electrolyte drink mix.  The Heed does what Gatorade does but with none of the sugars which can slow you down and don't last that long.  They explained it's better than water because too much water can wash out all of your electrolytes and lead to cramping.  The GU Energy Gel is used pre ride and a few times during longer rides.

I think they both really helped.  Since I biked earlier in the morning I didn't have time to eat breakfast but I didn't feel overly fatigued or hungry during or after the ride because of the GU Energy Gel, and it tasted good too.  Even though it was a morning ride, it was still one of the hottest I've taken but I didn't cramp up.  I was worried that I was going to because normally I'm very hydrated because of all the water I drink throughout the day.  I also finally bought a pair of biking shorts with the extra padding in the rear end.  It wasn’t quit like sitting in the Ally’s Furniture Sweet Seat but much more comfortable than before.

The ride was still hot and it was very windy which didn't help.  I went around Fondy on the Prairie View Trail and then up the ledge, which I still need to work on.  In total I biked 25.5. 

Up Ledge...X3

Yesterday was probably the hardest ride I've taken all summer on my Ride with Attitude Sports.  I decided it was a good idea to bike up the ledge three times.  It was my longest ride this summer by about seven miles.

The first time up the ledge I felt really good.  It was fast and I had consistent peddling.  I tried really hard to focus on not pushing too hard because I knew I had two more laps yet and being that I was a sprinter in track, I have a real problem pacing myself.  The second time up was noticeably slower but I still felt like I was doing ok.  I did take a spill which didn't help.  There was some gravel on the road and down I went, just another reason to always wear a helmet.  The third time up was not fun.  My legs were dead, I was tired, hungry, and it didn't help my self-esteem when a different biker literally flew by me half way up.  By the time I got to the top of the hill at about 26 miles I wanted to be done.  I was able to finish up fairly strong, at least biking my average speed of 17.1 mph. 

It was a hard trip and I've got a lot of work to do.  One thing I need to do is make sure my body is ready to go on longer trips.  According to my Garmin Edge 200 from Attitude Sports, I burned about 1,950 calories on that ride.  I'm not really sure, but I think that's a lot.  And climbing is still tough. I actually feel ok today because of stretching and icing after the ride.   I still think though that it was a good ride of over 34 miles and about two hours.

Fastest Ride Yet

It's been a while since I've gotten to ride my Specialized Sectur Sport from Attitude Sports.  Last week was just too hot.  Last night was a great night for riding.  Not too hot and not too windy.  I decided to see how much progress I've been making over the summer so I took pretty much the same route I did on my fastest ride up to this point, which is the Prairie View Trail there and back.  This time I was 1 mph faster and road about 3 miles farther. 

After looking at the Garmin Edge 200 I'm very happy with my ride last night.  Not only was I faster and did I go farther, but I it looks like I was able to keep more of a consistent pace.  The bad thing is I was pretty sore this morning even though I make sure to stretch and ice after my rides.  Maybe it's because I didn't bike last week or maybe because it was a faster ride.  Tonight should be a good measure of my fitness when I go back up the ledge a couple of times.

If you keep following my Summer Ride with Attitude Sports and have the closest guess in July you'll win a seat bag tool kit from Attitude Sports.

Summer Ride Miles for June

Thank you for everyone who followed me in June with my Summer Ride with Attitude. I was able to put even more miles on in June than I did in May.  We had some very close guesses on how many miles I road in June.  One person was 1.7 miles off my total but that wasn't close enough because Kevin Bauer was less than a half mile off.  He guessed 196.2 miles.  The actual number of miles I road in June was 195.8 miles.  By following my blogs throughout June and guessing the closest Kevin has won a bike light set valued at $49.99 from Attitude Sports.

Keep following my blog for July because Attitude Sports will once again be giving away a prize at the end of the month.  July’s off to a slow start.  I’ve either been on vacation or it’s been 100+ with the heat index.  I’m going to have to learn to get up early if I’m going to get to riding.  I do have my first race/ride this month as well.  I’m planning on riding the Tour de Fest in my home town of Kimberly on the 22^nd.  I'll make sure to keep you up to date with my Summer Ride with Attitude Sports.

I Have Nothing To Wear! Really?

No, the folks (on-air talent) working here at K107.1 have never been considered the most stylish people around.  Some of us (Bart) have been criticized for wearing the same clothes over and over...and over.  However, I have a much easier time defending the simple t-shirt/polo, jeans look that we sport, compared to this: A recent study found that women spend, on average, $140,000 on clothes in their life time.  However, 60% of these women claim they have nothing to wear.  In what world does that make sense?

That means the average women has purchased over 3,100 clothing items in their life.  That includes 270 pairs of shoes, 185 dresses, and 145 purses/bags.  I understand that body type’s change, I understand that fashion changes as well.  But out of the 3,100 items you have or the 185 dresses you bought, do you really have nothing? 

Again, my fashion sense has been called into question more than once.  Yes, I still have shorts and shirts from 2002 but they still work.  Maybe it’s because I HATE shopping.  I've been literally yelled at by my mom to go out and buy new clothes.  That's what it takes for me to spend money on clothes.  I know this is generalizing because I know women who hate shopping and I know guys who have just as many shoes as that chick from "Sex in the City," but maybe men are just wired different than women because I seriously hope I don't spend even close to $140,000 in my life, even though I always feel like I have something to wear.

Last Ride in June

One Tuesday I went out for one last rides in June.  Attitude Sports didn't have their open ride because they were prepping for the bike race that they sponsor.  I did the same route that I did on my first ride with Dave from Attitude, up the ledge twice.  Once again there was a head wind heading up the hill which made it difficult.  However, I was able to keep the same average speed even though I was riding alone.  I compared the two rides on my Garmin Edge 200.  I saw that I climbed much better when I was with Dave, especially the second time up the hill.  I was able to make that time up when I was by myself on the way to the ledge on Winnebago Dr.

On the way back I was exhausted.  I wasn't sure I was going to make it.  I really had to push myself.  Trust me; I felt it the next day too.  But that was the last ride I was able to take.  Thursday was too hot for a ride and this weekend I'm going to Chicago so that's all the miles I'll get for June.  Make sure to go through my rides for June and make your guess at K107.1's contest page.  You have until July 5th to make your guess.  If you're the closest, you'll win a bike light set from Attitude Sports Valued at $49.99.

June Rides With Attidude

June is winding down but my Summer Ride with Attitude is still in high gear.  Now that I've discovered the ledge, I try to get up there and practice hills every ride.  The ride I took last Thursday was a good one.  I felt like my climb was very smooth.  The ride back to my apartment was harder because of a head wind but it was a good 25+ mile ride.  After the ride I also found a great new tool on my Garmin Connect.  They have a player that plays out your ride, showing where on the map you were in correlation to your elevation and speed.  That way, you can see where you where on the map when you were climbing.

The ride I took yesterday was a good one.  Once again it was up the Ledge on

Golf Corse Road

.  It felt like a tougher climb because there was a head wind and a hill.  I did my best to keep a consistent pace up the almost two mile climb.  The rest of the ride was really fast.  Down hill and with the wind to my back made it really easy but I still tried to push it.

I've been training and riding really hard this month to get ready for a few tours or races later this summer and I continue to see improvement in my rides.  I've also lost about 10 pounds this month too, which is very hard for me since I'm not big to begin with.  Make sure you keep following the blog and submit your guesses to how many miles I've ridden in June.  You could win a light set valued at $49.99 from Attitude Sports.