The finish

Good enough for a spot in the top 40 out of 400-something. I don't know that I will ever see the top 25 again... One of these years I may opt for the time-saving wet-suit maneuver that everyone else goes for. This was a record year for participants and for money raised- Save the Bay is expecting it to top $150,000 this year!

Save the Bay 2006

This was the 30th anniversary for the swim, and my 5th bay crossing.

The weather was beautiful... Water was pretty calm, and very warm at 72 degrees. What is really freaky is that the water temperature has risen to 79 in the past week and a half- it has gone up 5 degrees during the heat wave this past 7 days alone. That is absolutely crazy. Guess now we know why all the clams are dying...

Okay- before I get TOO off track- this is about the swim. Beautiful weather, check. I decided to have some fun with Naked Guy when he arrived. Seeing as he is 100% Portuguese and there was a lot of fuss over the Portuguese Man O' War being in the bay, I decided that I should make sure that everyone who swam could tell people that they saw or touched one of the creatures during the swim:


That's right- a real live PeteChewGeese ManOWar. Lethal...

Our coach approved, maybe I should fill out one of those art school pamphlet thingies:


I barely made it to the start on time thanks to an incredibly long safety briefing (I actually heard part of it this year for the first time!) followed by a few team pictures. Okay- here is a fun game- let's play 'where's CTLP'! I'll give you a hint, my race number was 1-6-9 *snicker* Okay- so you don't need a hint b/c I am the most lilly freaking white human being on the planet not afflicted with a pigment disorder:


Then we were off:


Once the group separated some, I was feeling pretty strong so I passed the group I was swimming with and struck off on my own. About half way across I guess I was pretty delusional as I was thinking I had a shot at a personal best time- even as out of shape as I am- because the conditions felt so good and my stroke was feeling fairly strong. Then I hit the channel about 2/3rds of the way across and that screwed me all up. It was choppy and there was a slight current- I just got off my game. Coming into Potter's cove I was on the southern end of a line of swimmers heading for the finish. I kicked it into as high a gear as I currently posess and managed to finish before all but two of them in 47 minutes and change. The photo of the finish will be on my next post, I think I reached the limit on file size!

*h/t to other swimmers from the team and Save the Bay for some of the photos on the previous, this and the next post*

They have been swum.

Too bad I was sick for both of them...

But my yearly ocean swims are over until 2007.

First was the annual Kicki swim- a wonderful private event put on by a few generous people on my Masters swim team. We leave right from the dock:


Swim a mile or so:


Stop at the rock (go ahead, play 'spot the CTLP'):


Take a group picture:


Then head to the house for some bacon and beer:

Yes. You already figured it out- I only go for the bacon and beer... I was really having lung problems b/c I was still pretty ill. One of our kayak escorts stopped me to ask if I was dying as I was coughing for three strokes and breathing on the fourth... I was just happy to get a distance swim in before-

Hot

Man.. This has to be the hottest it ever has been here. Right now its 100F and 87% Humidity.

CTLP, GUDG, and I were planning to go riding tonight. I already told them no f'ing way... I think they're still going to go for it.

Obviously they're insane.

or

Obviously I'm a big wuss.

Man o man... I'd rather ride when its 10F out then 100F. I can't handle the heat and humidity.

Hotties

I went for a ride on the bike path yesterday. Oh my God!!! The hotties were out in force. It was the best ever. I kind of wish I rode much slower so I could find a nice badonkadonk and hang out behind it for a while. But then I would feel like an old pervert for riding about 2 mph staring at the "angel" on the shorts of some twenty-something. So there I go, riding as hard as I can. Flying by them as if they are going to say "Damn, he's riding pretty fast. Let me catch up to him and talk to him." Or "I'll find out who he is and stalk him till he's mine."
The delusions of a thirty-one year old bachelor. Strange isn't it.

Floyd Landis is the man...

So he was raised Amish and used to sneak out at night to ride his bike. He rode for the Postal team with Lance, and when they became Discovery Channel he joined Phonak. One day while he and his team repeatedly attacked the peloton he sat up and shouted: "You want more of that motherf*ckers?!?! Because if you do, we've got plenty"

Today he won the tour

Good work.

Keeping cool....

I wanted to post this just because of the lack of activity but then 40oz posted about RAMHADAB VOL. 3. Go RAMHADAB!!!
But I'm posting anyways. I found this great place to go swimming on my way home in the Farmington Rover. The water's really cold, but it's really clean (thanks Mr. Fisherman fighting to keep it clean). All the waste water treatment plants are downstream. Anyways, it's only about 3 minutes out of my way home. Monday night, I rode my bike down there, went swimming, then rode home. About a 5-1/2 mile ride each way. It was nice to get there, go swimming after riding, except when I got home I was all hot again. Plus I was all screwed up on the way home, getting warmed up on the ride there, then cooling off dramatically, then having to warm up again.
So Tuesday morning, I loaded up my car with bike, suit, etc. But I worked really late for a friend in town, so I got there too late to do anything with the bike, so I just went swimming. Yesterday, I stopped on my way home, rode 35 miles (it's about 1 mile down the road from the bike path), then went swimming. It was abolutely great. I'm going to check the weather and go there now. Stop reading this and go outside and enjoy the world.

RAMHADAB Vol 3: Mount Up and Ride!

We have recieved official word that Labor Day weekend will work for RAMHADAB Vol 3: Mount Up and Ride.

RAMHADAB!
Riding Around CTLP's House And Drink Alotta Beverages:
a mountain biking, drinking and camping ... with fine RI riding, swimmin, and general mayhem.

When
September 2nd & 3rd. Labor day weekend...
The Schedule:
Friday September 1:
Dinner at CTLP's house off Escoheag Rd in Exeter RI
and set up base camp. He and Mrs CTLP are generously
providing their HUGE....tracts of land for the weekend.

Saturday Sept 2nd:
Morning: Pack up food and water, get on bikes, begin riding through Arcadia to the North South trail. Figure approx 4 to 5....or so hours of moderate riding to reach the lake.
The route will loosely follow the North-South trail
from Arcadia down to Watchaug Pond (aka Burlingame
Picnic Area aka The Lake) For those of you
who don't know, the North-South blue-blazed trail is laid out starting in the "mountains" in the northwest of Rhode Island, and follows off-road trails where
possible. See the full route here.


The trail is about 76 miles long, and we will doing
less than half of it.

Afternoon: Swimming and whatnot, a cookout at the
Lake, head back up to CTLP's house for the night.

Night: Bonfire and Beer!

Sunday Sept 3rd:
Morning-ish: Wake up eventually all groggy... Slurp
down some bacon and bloody marys etc. Ride around Arcadia and Beach Pond, maybe Breakheart Pond. Easy day of riding/drinking.

FAQ

Q. What the f!@#k does RAMHADAB stand for again?
A. Ride Around M@tt's House And Drink Alotta B**rs

Q. How good a shape do I need to be?
A. Hopefully you have ridden your bike at least a few
times this summer.. if not.... START RIDING NOW!
There will be all riding levels represented but we're trying to keep the ride FUN.... it's not a race. You should be fine. If you ride so much you shave your legs... this isn't your kind of thing. If you enjoy PBR and donutss for breakfast on the weekend.. this is for you.

Q. I don't own a mountain bike... is there anyway I can ride?!?!
A. Yup! I will have one P.O.S. loaner mountain bike
available, first come-first served. Beg or Borrow a
ride and show up!

Q. How good a bike do I need?
A. We have had people finish this ride on kids bikes they borrowed. If it rolls and has squishy tires, bring it. Make sure you have somewhat fresh tires, extra tubes, good brake pads, and a HELMET.

Q. What do I need to bring?
A.
1. Bike (PLEASE make sure its got: good brakes,
cables,
tires, etc)...ask for help fixing it up if you need
to.
2. A HELMET
3. Spare tube(s)
4. A tube patch kit
5. Water carrying device (water bottles, camelbak,
plastic jug duct-taped to the bike...etc)
6. Bag/rack/Backpack/something on your or your bike to carry your spare tube and food.
7. If you're staying over bring a sleeping bag etc
9. Riding snacks (powerbars, bananas, fig newtons,
slabs o' pizza... whatever floats your boat)
11. A chair for the bonfire.
12. Bathing suit & Towel

Q. What about beverages/food?
A. We're getting a keg.

Q. How are we getting our bikes/etc back up from
Watchaug/Burlingame?
A. We need at least a couple volunteers and bike
carrying compatible vehicles to help transport people
+ gear back to Exeter.

Q. I don't ride, Can I come and hang out?
A. Sure! Arcadia is a great area for outdoor stuff,
and the camping will be fiiiiiine. There will be a mix
of Riders and Non-Riders so... you should have plenty
of company...plus you can help drive back from the
lake! :)

Thats it! More details to follow. Spread the word to
your riding (and camping) friends,

Also: Weekly Wednesday night training rides from now till the Labor Day weekend. Email me for details.
Matt.

PS: Anyone want to carry this on your bike?

Breaking in Flip Flops

Whew. I just got back from a record setting vacation... 21 days out of the office, no work phone calls or emails. I bought a new pair of flip flops and didn't wear shoes for most of the time. I put a staggering 50 miles on my car, and didn't leave the state. Thats pretty hard to do when you live in the smallest state in the country.

Anyhow... Most of the time was spent kayaking, mountain biking, sailing, surfing, or fishing. Brutal I tell ya. For the most part the weather was decent, i think there were about 4 or 5 days of rain. Depressing yes, but it made for great river trips.

I took four trips down the Wood/Pawcatuck river, including FARTAB. I took my neice and nephew down the river once with their mom and grandma. Grandma kicked all our butts, she needs a kayak of her own. The kids kept asking for "More rabids!" meaning, Rapids. Eh.. theres not too many of them around RI but I'll take them up to the section below Barberville someday.

Mrs 40 and I took a trip down the Pawcatuck from Biscuit City to Bradford.. this year must set the record for winter blowdowns. We had to stop every 50 feet to lift the kayak over yet another fallen tree. That horse-shoe damn in Richmond spooks me everytime I have to paddle past it. Mrs. 40 wasn't too pleased either.



Kaptin Krunch and I took the yellow beast loaded with camping gear on a mini-Fartab last weekend. Quick trip out to the river camp for drinking beer and to watch some caveman TV (campfire). Yep. Cool trip. Here he is opening a Cottrell with another... er... Cottrell. Yummy Yummy Cottrell.



I tend to wake up really early in the summer, even when I'm on vacation. There's something about being the first person on the trail, out on the lake/pond/river, or in the break. Dawn Patrol rocks. It's a good way to sneak up on 'nature' if you're into that sort of thing. Here is Bambi and mom. I got about 20 feet away and snapped this picture before it looked like Mom was going to charge me and kick my @ss.



Other than that... i spent most days just doing a whole lot of nothing. I did use/abuse/test the iBucket in just about every scenerio... Kayaking, fishing, on the bike rack out to the beach, out in the boat with family, even out in the sunfish. It fits perfectly right in the footwell.



I've gotten enough interest in the iBucket over vacation that I've decided to offer a few handbuilt models to family and friends. I'll by selling them for cost + something extra for my time. Definitely affordable by all of the readers.

If you already have a 12V NiCad or NiMH for your bike headlamp, I can build yours around that so you won't have to buy a battery charger and battery, just the amp/cooler. I'll be offering it in just about any configuration you want (to carry a 6Pack or a Case) or, if you want I can just build you the extremely efficient amp and you can build your own bucket. Email me over the next couple weeks for pricing and availability, and I'll order a batch of parts to get started.

Summer Vacation: Part 1

I needed a day to recuperate from FARTAB before taking off on vacation. I headed back up 'north' to WT-Land to cut the grass, unpack/repack and do a million other things before driving back to south county.

I headed down to stay in my parents house while they weren't there. It is a few miles from the beach and close to Ninigret Pond. I had the place to myself for a few days for biking, kayaking, and sailing. The 'routine' was to wake up early and go out kayaking or mountain biking.

I have two kayaks. One is a 17ish foot yellow 2 seater beast that you've seen in all the pictures from FARTABs, other river trips, stuff like that. Mrs 40 and I got that as a very cool wedding present from my three sisters. There's lots to be said for plastic boats. You can beat the sh*t out of them, drag them down the rocks, beach them anywhere, and bump into things when carrying it, and leave them outside and not worry about damage from exposure to the elements.

However... Two things plastic boats will never have: glide and style.

This is the other boat. It is a handbuilt, mahogany, 18 foot Cape Charles sea kayak. It only weighs 47 pounds. (The 17 foot yellow beast weighs 72 lbs)



When I was living in Blacksburg Virginia, my neighbor was bringing this out to his truck with a For Sale on it. I skidded to a stop, and asked about it. My neighbor and his father were wooden boat builders from New Bern NC. They built two identical Cape Charles 18s from plans from Chesapeake Light Craft (CLC) and then took them on a summer tour. After the tour my neighbor (who had ten kayaks in his apartment) needed to get rid of one. An 18ft wooden boat isn't ideal for the typical whitewater of the New River so he decided to sell this boat.

I tried it out at Pandapas Pond (yes, the same place this blog and Pandapas.com is named after) and bought it right away. You can't imagine how fast and clean it cuts through the water, and how it just glides forever.

After graduation I brought it to my parents house, then joined the working world. Since it would be cruel to treat it like a plastic boat, it spends most of the time inside the basement. Looking Sad.

Thing is, I don't get a chance to use it as much as I should. A crime I know. So.. this week while I was staying down there I left the boat outside and went out in it every chance I got.

I like to get up really early in the summer... the lakes and salt ponds are mirror calm that early and the water is crystal clear.

The brown blurs to the right of the sign are deer hanging out in the cove at Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. (Should have brought the real camera and not the camera-phone)



After the deer took off I went onshore to feed the misquitos and drink my coffee.



After that I took a poor man's tour of Arnolda (a very wealthy neighborhood in Charlestown.) Check out the view a million dollars (or a kayak) gets you:



After that, I took more early morning kayak trips and scouted out the coves and tidal creeks around the pond. I even took the kayak out in the ocean once. It was a little spooky but man.. it was awesome. Some more kayak pix, in no order.

A tidal creek between Green Hill Pond and the Charlestown Breachway. LOTS of striped bass feeding this morning.



Misty Morning (Cue Bob Marley...)



Another cove (lots of blue crabs in there)



I took next week off too... I'll post more pictures if I do anything fun. I'm planning a river trip with my sister and her kids, teaching my nephew to ride a bike, and more early morning kayaking, biking, and whatnot.

Speaking of whatnot: I helped Mrs 40's uncle pull this boulder out of the hill at their house. They're putting in a driveway so her uncle can park a camper behind the house.

This is the boulder:



We pulled it out with shovels, some pipes, and a 2wd pickup truck. And some beer.

Check out the hole the boulder came out of... This is Mrs 40s uncle standing in there:



More posts next week...

-40.