Originally Posted by Heathpack

Some people who do this are douchy of course but I think sometimes people just train hard and get a little stronger than their friends at a given point in time. It feels good to ride at X intensity which just works out to be a little faster than your companions.

For me personally, another issue is that I’m smaller and more aero than many of my male friends. Yet they make more power than me. If we’re riding rollers, I absolutely must use my aero advantage when going downhill and I need to maintain good momentum going into the uphill. So I kind of have to work my way up to the front, I need actively riding both down and up the hills. Whereas they will be coasting down hill and I’d ride up onto their butts during the down hill sections. I’m not being competitive, I’m riding in the manner that will keep me connected overall with the group.

Obviously that’s a very specific example and I’m not saying it explains your friend’s behavior. More that sometimes people are riding how theyre riding for reasons other than douchiness, even though that may not be readily apparent to you at the time.

This sort of conundrum is exactly why I find myself riding solo more often. Sometimes it’s just more enjoyable to go out and ride and not worry about how it’s coming across to anyone else. I had a group ride on my schedule for last Sunday. Previously I would’ve really looked forward to that. But my group ride options boil down mostly to feeling guilty if I ride with any sparkiness or riding solo off the back anyway. At least if I ride solo, I can go out exactly when I want and stop minimally.

Originally Posted by Heathpack

I voluntarily moved to the trainer (just a dumb trainer) for most of my midweek TT workouts. I increasingly just don’t like dealing with cars. I have no issue with trainer workouts. They have their advantages: mostly you can get done exactly what you intended to get done with no purposeless riding. Trainer workouts are efficient.

However, I’ve decided I need to get some pedaling in the real world under my belt, I’m around 6 weeks from my goal races. Riding in the real world is definitely more zoomy and fun. Moving through the air and over the ground is just a great feeling.

Originally Posted by LesterOfPuppets

Well 13 would be unlucky wouldn't it?

Originally Posted by datlas

Safe travels. Will you be providing daily updates on the road?

Originally Posted by seedsbelize

I had planned to stay away for the duration, but addiction.
61 very nice miles yesterday. Still early Spring in northern Ohio. Looking for a 3 hour best chance between showers today. Highs in the mid 60s.
It is such a treat to ride hills!

Originally Posted by datlas

So a patient of mine broke his arm (humerus) and is in severe pain. They won't operate on it so it has to be in a sling for 6 weeks.

He is in severe pain but his insurance won't cover a refill of pain meds due to the "war on drugs."

Sad!

Originally Posted by rpenmanparker

It is, and scary too. But surely the common opioids aren't terribly expensive, right? Can he extend the supply with heavy doses of NSAIDs taken together with the opioid? Like 4 ibuprofen every 4-6 hours. And even acetaminophen added to the mix.

Originally Posted by datlas

They are not terribly expensive. But if a patient goes to the pharmacy asking for narcotics and paying cash, that sets up a different set of red flags and I believe many pharmacies will not fill scripts that insurance won't cover. And I am well aware of the narcotic abuse problem in our country. But some patients are clearly collateral damage in the "war on drugs."

Originally Posted by rpenmanparker

I think that is a very natural evolution for someone as serious about cycling performance and results as you are.

Originally Posted by Heathpack

I started Puppy Love on Nosework last week. It’s a dogsport based on the training you’d give a drug or bomb sniffing dog but instead you train them to search for and detect one of four standardized essential oils.

So I was reading about sniffer dogs and learned about the different types of professional for-pay sniffer dogs and started wondering if maybe Puppy Love could earn some Benjamins towards her upkeep.

Bomb detection no way. Drug sniffing no way. Search and rescue? Well she could get into small spaces but I don’t want her crushed by rubble. So, no. Truffles? Hmm moving to France might be ok. But probably all the good truffle territory is claimed already.

Then I read about bedbug sniffing dogs. They make $325 per hour. Seems pretty safe, hotels and apartments. I like this idea.

We’re pretty far from doing anything useful, though. All we’re training so far is searching behavior. Looking in boxes to see if there’s something good. Later you pair the searching with scent, which is apparently the easy part. Realistically we’ll probably just do the sport recreationally. But the idea of funding an early retirement with bed bug sniffing is real.

Originally Posted by datlas

So you can buy "Essence of Bedbug" oil to train your dog?

Originally Posted by Heathpack

You have to buy actual bedbugs as I understand it!

Originally Posted by Heathpack

You have to buy actual bedbugs as I understand it!

Originally Posted by datlas

Live?!

Originally Posted by Heathpack

Well I’m not really sure it’s about results and performance as much as just wanting to enjoy your ride. After you’ve been riding for awhile, I think you just experience so many iterations of the failed group ride that you know you may have a more enjoyable time riding solo. You can just do your own thing and not deal with any “ride sociology”.

Originally Posted by Heathpack

I started Puppy Love on Nosework last week. It’s a dogsport based on the training you’d give a drug or bomb sniffing dog but instead you train them to search for and detect one of four standardized essential oils.

So I was reading about sniffer dogs and learned about the different types of professional for-pay sniffer dogs and started wondering if maybe Puppy Love could earn some Benjamins towards her upkeep.

Bomb detection no way. Drug sniffing no way. Search and rescue? Well she could get into small spaces but I don’t want her crushed by rubble. So, no. Truffles? Hmm moving to France might be ok. But probably all the good truffle territory is claimed already.

Then I read about bedbug sniffing dogs. They make $325 per hour. Seems pretty safe, hotels and apartments. I like this idea.

We’re pretty far from doing anything useful, though. All we’re training so far is searching behavior. Looking in boxes to see if there’s something good. Later you pair the searching with scent, which is apparently the easy part. Realistically we’ll probably just do the sport recreationally. But the idea of funding an early retirement with bed bug sniffing is real.

Originally Posted by Heathpack

I started Puppy Love on Nosework last week. It’s a dogsport based on the training you’d give a drug or bomb sniffing dog but instead you train them to search for and detect one of four standardized essential oils.

So I was reading about sniffer dogs and learned about the different types of professional for-pay sniffer dogs and started wondering if maybe Puppy Love could earn some Benjamins towards her upkeep.

Bomb detection no way. Drug sniffing no way. Search and rescue? Well she could get into small spaces but I don’t want her crushed by rubble. So, no. Truffles? Hmm moving to France might be ok. But probably all the good truffle territory is claimed already.

Then I read about bedbug sniffing dogs. They make $325 per hour. Seems pretty safe, hotels and apartments. I like this idea.

We’re pretty far from doing anything useful, though. All we’re training so far is searching behavior. Looking in boxes to see if there’s something good. Later you pair the searching with scent, which is apparently the easy part. Realistically we’ll probably just do the sport recreationally. But the idea of funding an early retirement with bed bug sniffing is real.

Originally Posted by datlas

Live?!

Originally Posted by BillyD

Hmmm, that's not a bad idea.

Did you hear I'm getting a new puppy soon? One of these guys, 4 weeks old today.