Talk Like a Candidate Day

   We all know about "Talk Like a Pirate" day.
   But after listening to candidate speeches for the last bazillion years, teachers should talk like a candidate for the weeks leading up to the election.
   You know what I mean. Candidate A talks about something in a sentence or two, then raises his voice with a "we can do it" kind of inflection.
   President Obama does it well. Others, like Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney, seem like they're trying too hard and their efforts feel false and manipulative.
   Here's how it might go in my classroom.
   "Hey Class 4! It's great to see you. It's great to be back in this classroom with all you future leaders of this country. The COUNTRY BELONGS TO YOU!
   "Despite what the math teacher says, I offer you the key to your future. Yes, Literacy is your future. If you learn to read and write well, YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. YES, YOU CAN!
   "So today we're here to practice how to start your stories with great leads. Not just good leads, but GREAT LEADS!
   "Future leaders of America: Are you READY? I can teach you leads better than anyone, especially better than the math teacher who WANTS TO LIMIT YOUR LEARNING TO NUMBERS!
   "If you work hard today with my leadership, we can reach FOR THE STARS.
   "Ignore what that math teacher says about my teaching style. My teaching style works. My teaching style will bring YOU TO YOUR FUTURE!"

  Wow. That was a lot of work to write. I wonder how those candidates keep the energy going? I'll try this over the week to see what happens. Maybe we can transform our practice!

Not Quite the Podium, Just Too Much Pressure

   Believe it or not, based on my rugged good looks and my youthful demeanor, I get to race in the 50 plus age group in cyclocross this year.
   Those other old guys are still fast.
   Still, a sixth place in a fairly large field (35 starters?) is a pretty good result for me.
   I haven't felt fast yet this year. I know it's early in the season, and I'm totally not sweating it.
   The races now are good training and a chance to blow out the carbon from the engine.
   The funny - but not so funny - story from the weekend goes like this: After the 50 plus race in Chicago, Alyssa Severn and I rode along the lake front as a cool down. I pumped up the tires and away we went.
   When we got to Lake Geneva Sunday, I checked the pressure with the special inflator. Since it didn't add any air, I figured I was good to go.
   And I made the total rookie mistake of not squishing the tires.
   See, in cross, running tires with really low pressure helps riders carve through tight corners and puts more tread on the ground for muddy or rough surfaces.
   Typically I run 28-30 pounds of pressure.
   For the first three laps of Lake Geneva, which, by the way, was a pretty damn fun course, I couldn't drive the bike for anything. Cornering was a huge battle. Finally, by the fourth lap, I was feeling the course a little better and starting to pass all the guys who passed me when I couldn't drive.
    In a tight corner around a tree, though, my front wheel washed out, and I crashed hard on my shoulder. I initially thought I broke the collarbone again since the sharp pain was identical.
   (I went to my chiropractor today, and he diagnosed a strain and significant bruising, so nothing permanent.)
   As I walked back to the car with teammate Patrick, he started laughing about my tires. When he checked with a pressure gauge, we both started laughing even through the pain.
    51 psi.
   No wonder I washed out.
   And the comments at USGP in Sun Prairie this weekend will all be deserved.
   I'm grateful, though, that my stupid mistake did not cost me my season!

When I grow up...

   I belong to a list serv website where touring cyclists can find host housing along their route.
   The first email I received was from a guy named Jerry from Texas. He planned to ride from Muskegon, after taking the ferry, across to the east coast.
   Jerry H. is 71. His riding partner, another Jerry W., is 76. Both require recumbents to get around now for the most part due to physical challenges.
   Neither of these guys are fitness freaks. They ride to see the country, have adventures, and get to know new people.
   Jerry and Jerry
   And they don't do credit card tours, staying in hotels along the way. They bring tents and sleeping bags. They stop in state parks, church yards, nice little places back off the road. They ride back country roads, and if they do 50 miles in a day, they consider it good.
   They like wandering through little towns, talking to people at diners and along the road, learning the history of a place.
   These two arrived at my house Tuesday night, and they took Lori and I to dinner at La Salsa.
   I stayed up way too late on a school night, listening to their stories. Originally, they planned to stay two nights and visit a bit of Milwaukee. I was really sad to find out they would leave in the morning for the trip.
   They're in Michigan now, making new friends. It's amazing how many people you meet on a bike. It's the only way to travel.
   I have two new friends now, even though they called me Joe! That's why I do host housing for cyclists: I get to meet fascinating people doing fascinating things.
   Those two guys are who I want to be when I grow up. Riding my bike in retirement, meeting new friends along the way, and making the world a little smaller and closer.
   Hopefully, these two remember names!