furiousferret

Last time I did that (which was testing after heart attack like symptoms after an Ironman Race) I ran for 35 minutes and the nurse just stopped the machine because it wasn't stressing my body enough even at max settings.

For like 2 months my 'heart' would just randomly lock up and get really tight, but apparently it was the chest wall around the heart. Still scary af to have it happen.

topflightpro

Flatballer

With the new law you might not beat the standard deduction (I have no idea of your tax situation) in which case the donation doesn't benefit you tax wise (it is still a good thing to do). I feel like you're in a gray area there, personally. Think about how long it'll take to set up, do, and break down and see if that hourly rate is worth it to you guys. I'd probably sell a few of the bigger things or lots on Craigslist or let go and donate the rest, personally.

MDcatV

we just moved.

I was able to sell a few things on the local facebook marketplace page, but it was kind of a hassle - there are a lot of flakes out there and the back and forth, arranging to meet, people asking to hold stuff = only do this with stuff that has some value to make it worthwhile or if you have infinite time.

we freecycled a few things that were not really worth the hassle of selling but still had utility, and were difficult to donate (kids car seats, mattresses, etc)

we also donated a lot of things (mostly kids stuff and clothing) to an organization that assists abuse victims and their families in trying to become independent, or other clothing to salvation army/goodwill.

but alas, most of the things I wanted to get rid of were boxed up by our movers and are not scattered throughout our garage

burnthesheep

I'm having a hard time deciding what to do here. I don't mind the "stay together" rides at all, but like the challenge of an "H" or "P" ride.

However, the one time I did the one north of town in early spring to tune up before my first race......some folks made some rather **** decisions riding open roads. Running stop signs with a car that would arrive before everyone made it through, trying to prevent an echelon like a real race by moving everyone towards the CENTER line of the road.

I feel I'd like a more organized ride with "neutral" areas, "open" areas, hills where the group rejoins, and known sprints. Not some free for all, they are open roads.

I wanted to try the "P" ride south of town but came across a post from 2017 or so lamenting how people were hijacking that ride and doing the same things.

To be clear, I don't care whether I get dropped or not. The time I did the one I didn't like, I dropped a few guys off the back with a move and managed a break attempt and got back home in the front with others.

I just want to LIVE.

What are you guy's/gal's experience with this?

MDcatV

i dont know what an H or a P ride are, but for group rides, I started avoiding those that are inherently unsafe due to rider practices a long time ago in favor of riding with a similarly skilled smaller group.

I'm in a new area for the past 2 months, and have been doing group rides with people i dont didn't previously know. Fortunately, they break up into a faster (and smaller) group, a middle (larger) and slower (larger group), and the riders are safety conscious. They have some riding habits that i think could improve like always rotating left instead of into the wind direction, and seem to like to ride in the middle of a lane - these are 2 things that make me cringe - but these are also just "learning how to ride" issues rather than inherently dangerous maneuvers.

burnthesheep

"H" is hammer. Not sure on the "P". Guessing either a reference to genitalia or "semi pro". Usually categorized racers and people who want to learn riding in a group.

Usually meaning tactics are involved instead of working together. Working together you keep a pace that won't unreasonably shed people on rollers. But the H ride you'd try to get separation over a roller and cause people to work to get back on. For example.

Or, the faster climbers could hit a hill in an H ride and try to get away and have the main group drag them back in after a couple miles.

topflightpro

furiousferret

Hammerfests are sketchy af when it comes to stoplights and traffic; the other big issue is sometimes they are so big the road is completely blocked (usually during the roll out phase) riders have to pass over the yellow and its been done with oncoming traffic.

Riders will get yelled at if they race the 'B' ride, its a paceline until the last 2 miles then its open. The problem with the B ride though is its not really a good workout (I can sit in at 150 watts) and there are a lot of inexperienced riders that half wheel and scream if someone touches them.

TheKillerPenguin

The problem with a lot of race type group rides is the weekend warrior crowd treats them like legit no holds barred closed street races and they do stupid, dangerous **** which causes crashes and pisses off drivers.There are exceptions to this rule, but like MDcatV I tend to stick to a few groups that I trust.

echappist

where are you moving? within state or out of NC? good luck with the move either way

shouldn't your screen name be changed to OHCatII?

btw, watching any futbol lately? I'm hoping the game between Manure and Tottenham turn out to be a good one
I've been on the P ride. It was large and rowdy, but okay for the most part. My tolerance threshold is that I won't go on rides where people run stop lights or stop signs, without allowing for a regroup.

Riding in a group even on closed roads is fraught with danger, no need to subject yourself to even more danger

MDcatV

more like OHfreD

lots of futbol, although most of it is of the u8 variety

big john

Had a "We're going to yell at you" moment on our short group ride yesterday. The group was split at a red light and a guy who should know better ran two red lights at big intersections to get back on the front group because there was a girl he wanted to ride with up there. There was a coffee stop and one of the guys from the rear group yelled at the offender inside the coffee shop. I thought it might get even uglier but no fists were thrown.

burnthesheep

Yup. Sums it up well.

The FIRST time I went to Wake Forest to ride race sim with Spoke was before the Chapel Hill RR. I wanted more experience. They ran some signs early on without cars. But about 2/3 way in I'm 3rd wheel and the two guys run one with a car coming from the left. They made it, I call out a full stop to the group. Those two didn't stop for us. We caught them anyway.

I'm looking to gain more "craft". I can ride in a group, I want to work on economizing my wattage expenditure while making others spend theirs. And "seeing it coming".

echappist

are there training races in your area? I'd imagine that RDU has enough population to support a series of such events. The reason i ask is that they would be more conducive to you learning and appreciating things around you. When you are cross-eyed from a serious effort (say when the local cat-1 puts down a vicious charge up a hill), you are hanging on for dear life and really don't have many other things to think about. Doing a race with people of similar physiology would help here.

The other thing is that "seeing it coming" often has two components a) having a front row seat to the action and b) knowing the course. If those seats are taken by the big hitters, while you may have it to make it across had you been at the very forefront, being in the 10-15th position will mean that you'd need to burn a much larger match in order to make it across. For the latter, this means studying the course before hand and taking note of rollers, descents, sketchy sections, and wind-exposed sections, so that you can anticipate where people may make a move (and be at the front and be unencumbered when you launch). Granted, sometimes people will attack in a relatively non-descript section of the course, but more often, people use geographical features to do this.

One thing you can practice in rides like the P-RIde is taking a pull on the front and slotting back into the shielded pack. This is an important skill to have in its own right. The other things about avoiding eating wind is that this is often an exercise in patience and awareness of your surroundings. You should move up in one of two situations: someone sideblasting and you catch said rider's back wheel or waiting for a gap to open and sliding forward. Even the former is not as recommended, all things considered, you could still eat a lot of wind on the upwind side even when following another rider.

Flatballer

Is the 40 hour week a thing anymore, particularly for exempt people? My new position I'm considering said 45 to 50 is a normal week, more at end of month or busy times, plus way more during storms. I really miss my actual 40 hour week at Duke.

Ttoc6

I work 40's with flexibility for overtime. When it's busy time I basically have no choice though.

My personal thing though is I never take a lunch break. If I can code or read documentation and get out of there a half hour early everyday, lord save me, I will. I didn't really set the precedent, its just who I am.

Flatballer

I've never taken lunch. I almost always work through. Still average 45 usually, and feel pressure to do more like 50 plus.

TMonk

Another exempt 45-er here, Typing this from work as I've been trying to catch up for the last few hours after my return from Tahoe/Truckee then Jury Duty today...

TMonk

... on that note I'm going home, it's getting late. More catchup to do but it will be there tomorrow. I've done enough to (mostly) widdle down my inbox and put out a few small fires

topflightpro

echappist

what is it meant to be exempt?

i may be one of the lucky ones, as i work 80-hr biweeks, with flexibility as to how many hours on each week and whether to spread out the hours to saturday

then again, i might not get cost of living adjustments this year, despite inflation being at 3%

Enthalpic

I think it means no overtime pay

Flatballer

Correct, sorry. Places that have both will usually make it clear, so I'm used to the term. Exempt from overtime, you receive the same pay regardless of hours worked, and you must be salaried. 30 hours or 50 hours is the same pay.

Non-exempt can be either hourly or salary, but is usually hourly (non-exempt salary is rare, and confusing to me). You get paid at least straight wages for overtime, usually you get 1.5x.

There are labor tests under the FLSA that determine if someone can be exempt. Part of it is the amount you make, the rest is basically autonomy, supervision, and professional status (engineer, doctor, lawyer).

furiousferret

I get paid hourly, and get paid hourly for being on call. Granted the on call pay isn't much, but its nice to get paid for not working.

My wife is exempt and I'm not sure what her hours are but 12 hour days aren't uncommon. Exempt employees really get abused.