Adding Bike Infrastructure is Easier Public Transportation Fix

Really, it's not that challenging for cities to add protected bike lanes. 

In fact, this spring the federal government made it easier for cities to add protected bike lanes. 

"The new rules open the door to treatments like road diets, bike lanes, and street trees — the kind of street designs that lead to a safe pedestrian environment, not high-speed traffic."

Adding bicycle infrastructure builds the livability of a city, making it easier to get around without a car. And when cyclists and pedestrians have easier access to streets, local businesses get more business!

With relatively flat cities like Milwaukee, with wide streets, it should be easy to create a highly-bikeable cities. Bublr Bikes, the Milwaukee bike share program, continues to expand around the city. 

Not only is it critical for increasing cycling traffic, building bike infrastructure could help bridge racially and economically divided cities. 

Crumbling Infrastructure Creates Divisions in Cities

City Lab dissects how a crumbling public transportation infrastructure in many American cities, including Milwaukee, creates a deeper division between rich and poor. 

Since many urban poor can't afford cars and funding is decreased for busses, a way to bridge this division is through bicycle infrastructure. Cities can more affordably build protected bike lanes and put bike-share facilities in under-served neighborhoods. 

Pittsburgh has Ambitious Plan for Cycling Infrastructure

Pittsburgh, PA, has embarked on an ambitious plan to make the downtown area more livable through more pedestrian access and converting traffic lanes into two-way protected bike lanes. Here's an article from Streetsblog about the changes in Pittsburgh and other places. 

Here's a video of the Pittsburgh mayor talking about the city's future plans. Pittsburgh was able to quickly create a protected bike lane, then let the public fully review the process before starting more, as detailed in this post. 

Bike Pittsburgh continues to work to develop more viable bicycle infrastructure in the city. 

Other Cities Plan Networks for Bike Lanes

New Orleans is adding protected bike lanes as well, and urban planner Emilie Bahr has a book for women cyclists in the city.

But unlinked bike lanes won't help solve the problem. You don't want to have your protected bike lane suddenly end in a busy street full of traffic! Seattle is working on that problem. 

Black Soldiers On Historical Bike Journey Teach Grit

I have new heroes.

The heroism arises in terrible, racist conditions, but what the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps did in 1896. 

Since the 25h was an all-black company, they were selected to test out the feasibility of using bicycles in warfare instead of horses. 

Upworthy first brought this story to my attention. 

Black soldiers were second-class soldiers, so the U.S. Army reckoned they were expendable on a dangerous journey. 

The 25th set on bicycles in Missoula, Montana en route to St. Louis. 

Mind you, they rode heavy fixed gear single speed bikes with another 55 pounds of gear strapped to the bike. 

They rode in snow, pushing the bike; they rode up mountains where there were no roads; they rode on train tracks because the roads were so bad. 

These guys were seriously bad-ass. 

Here is a more complete history of the 25th's historical journey from HistoryNet.

The white Commander, Lt. James Moss, said this about his soldiers at the end of the 1,900-mile journey. 

‘There was no condition of weather we did not endure, no topographical obstacle that we did not overcome,’ he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In his official report, Moss commended his men for the’spirit, pluck and fine soldierly qualities they displayed.’ He stressed that’some of our experiences, especially in the Sand Hills of Nebraska, tested to the utmost not only their physical endurance, but also their moral courage and disposition.’

These marginalized black men proved their strength and determination when others expected them to fail. 

It's history we need to understand today. 

Tolerance of Parade Float Reveals Acceptance of Bike Hate

In a week marked by stupid bloodshed, it seems silly to write about a parade and a float. 

But the same intolerance, lack of empathy, and anger that seeps through the underbelly of America reared its ugly intolerant head in Columbus, Ohio last week. 

In a normally fun, irreverent event known as the Doodah Parade,  one man decided to turn his SUV into a float with a bike in the grill and an effigy of a cyclist in his sunroof. The sign on the door says "I'll share the road when you follow the rules."

Spencer Hackett on Twitter

The Twitter world erupted with justified anger at this idiot who clearly is threatening cyclists with his several thousand pound vehicle. 

The Doodah parade is an annual event that celebrates the weird and fun, and I'd love to join something like this if it came to Milwaukee. 

Parade Float Neither Funny Nor Weird

But this was neither weird nor fun. It's criminal, hateful. 

As a cyclist, I'm a little more sensitive to this than others since I was hit by an inattentive driver who shattered my leg and shoulder. I only survived because the incident happened right in front of a convenience store. 

I carry this reminder of the driver:

So when I see this kind of purposeful antagonism toward cyclists who are only trying to get somewhere or ride their bicycles, I get a little upset. 

Mayor and City Council Silent

All of my emails and tweets to Mayor Andrew Ginther and city council members went unanswered, except for one. Michael Stinziano first wrote this in response to my email:

"Thank you for your email and for sharing with me your concern about this “float” as well as your personal experience and accident.

"Indeed the parade that the photo is from is an entirely politically incorrect parade. It is called the Doo-Dah parade and it is done in absolute jest and participants certainly intend to stir discussion/controversy and get a rise out of individuals.  I have learned over its many years, no one is intending to personally attack anyone.  The City of Columbus does not host the parade per se and I would encourage you to contact the Doo-Dah organizers however you feel appropriate.

"Please do not hesitate to contact me further regarding this or other issues I may be of service in addressing."

City Council Needs to Step Up to Decry Behavior 

I took issue with his hands-off comment - when the City issues the permits and the former mayor is the "grand marshall." 

"Without city officials publicly declaring their opposition to this, the reputation of the city is still tarnished," I wrote. "I would encourage you to step up and publicly decry this kind of behavior."

His response?

"I think you walk a very fine line when any government official hinders freedom of speech (regardless of how bad, offensive and deplorable it is).

"As someone who has participated in our local Ride of Silence numerous times, I understand the concern this “float” raises but am confident our community is handling their response appropriately."

Wrong. You call it out. You say, "This is wrong. We're all about building relationships, not tearing them down."

Dianne Kiener Helps Organize Doodah Parade

The organizer of the Doodah parade is a real estate agent named Dianne Kiener, also known as Ms. Doodah. The business office address is 581 Reinhard Avenue, Columbus, OH 43206, phone number (614) 228-0621. She has not responded to any contact.

Columbus Underground published this piece about the "float." 

“Everyone’s humor is different and there are around ten different forms of humor,” explained organizer Deb Roberts. “The people who enter the parade are not professional comedians and give it their best shot. Sometimes their humor is on target, sometimes it’s a near miss, sometimes it’s a total dud. I am sorry to those who get offended by some of the humor, but that is what Doo Dah is.” 

No, it's not humor. It's danger and anger. 

It's not naive to believe that cars and bikes can co-exist. Bikes don't violate laws any more than cars do. 

So much research is out there that bicyclists bring economic growth wherever protected bike lanes are built. And when protected bike lanes are built, more cyclists hit the road. 

City council and public officials should the first to sound off when members of their community are threatened in any way. 

I'm still waiting for the "appropriate" response from Columbus. 

More Protected Bikes Lanes Bring Out the Cyclists

Protected bike lanes are critical for the growth of cycling in the city. And cities around the world that add protected lanes have seen large growth in the numbers of cyclists who now feel safe enough to get out and ride. 

Protected bike lanes use road furniture like plastic posts that separate traffic from cyclists. 

And numerous studies have shown that business increases along roads that have protected bike lanes since people feel safe enough to travel by bike and stop at the shops to purchase what they need or stop at cafes to enjoy the day. 

Milwaukee is beginning to be a great city for cycling. For one, it's relatively flat, making the trip in the city less intimidating. And there's great bike trails like the Oak Leaf and Hank Aaron. 

But commuting and daily cycling in the city are still challenging due to lack of protected bike lanes. Some streets, like Second Street in the Walkers Point neighborhood, have been repainted with wide bike lanes. 

Painted bike lanes aren't enough. The paint wears off - from cars driving on them! Read this from Streetsblog about Minneapolis bike lanes.  

Shaffer notes that drivers respect curbs more than paint. What Minneapolis needs now, he says, is protected bike lanes.

Cities like Austin, TX have seen massive growth in cycling when they take the leap and add protected bike lanes. Like this: 

... the big draws of such bike lanes are that they are much more visible, which makes people notice them and consider biking for transportation, and that they seem to be much safer at a glance, which has the same effect. Furthermore, in both instances above, there were flexposts present, which further increase safety, sense of safety, and visibility.

Treehugger reports on this increase but questions whether the two-way protected lanes installed by Austin are the best idea. 

Perhaps sensing the tide shift, many state Departments of Transportation are working to build more protected bike lanes, says the State Smart Transportation Initiative.

Four other states, in addition to California, Massachusetts, and Tennessee, have at least partially opened the door to protected facilities by formally endorsing NACTO’s Urban Street Design Guide, while others are currently reviewing their own state design standards to make room for innovative new design practices.

Since we know that neighborhoods and the businesses that operate there do better with protected bike lanes, people in several cities around the country have taken matters into their own hands, as reported by the New York Times. 

Pacello stresses that a Better Block event is the beginning of a process. “If you do it and walk away, it’s not going to happen,” he said. “It would be silly to suggest [the improvement] is a direct result of this event. It’s the result of those neighborhoods putting together the organization and leadership to revitalize themselves. It serves as a catalyst for building social capital within neighborhoods — if we can do this, we can do other things.”

Cyclists Causing Cities to Reconsider Infrastructure While Economies Grow

What Would Happen if a Lot More People Rode Bikes?

CityLab posted an article about the rising popularity of cycling around the world and in the U.S. More people riding could have a major impact on the world's economy, according to a study.

The world might be able to save $24 trillion over driving expenses, and trim CO2 emissions by nearly 11 percent, compared to a scenario where transit trends continued as usual.

And since 35 percent of trips in cities are less than five kilometers (3.1 miles), if the infrastructure is there, it's easy to imagine. 

The idea is that cities could help meet national targets through a mix of safety and transit policy initiatives and major infrastructure build-outs. The report focuses on urban areas, where higher density helps planners create realistic mobility alternatives to cars.

Cyclists Causing Cities to Reconsider Safety

The Huffington Post interviewed Swedish Film Maker Fredrik Gertten (Bikes v. Cars) about the changes he sees in the safety of cyclists and pedestrians in the city because more people are riding their bikes. 

More Cities are Creating Pedestrian and Cyclist-Centered Infrastructure

Momentum Magazine says there are signs around the country and world that more cities are turning away from car-centric urban planning. 

In North America, we’ve spent decades building cities for cars rather than people. It is a lot of work to undo. But we are at the beginning of a movement that will radically transform the way we move around our communities, and in doing so will transform the ways in which we interact with our environment and with each other. Those of us who walk and ride are at the forefront of this movement, so keep fighting.

Even Los Angeles is Getting on Bike Commuting  

Even the city of pavement is getting on the bike commuting - and public transportation - wagon! This LA Times writer documents how cycling can help the city's transportation needs. 

Cycling Best Way to Build City Economy

Adventure Cycling writes about six ways cycling improves city economic development, including this statistic:

New York City found up to 49% increase in retail sales when the city installed the first protected bicycle lane in the U.S. on 8th and 9th Avenues in Manhattan. 

Old Dudes Over 40 Still Ride; See Video!

Most of the people I ride with are getting a little older.

And by older, I mean at least over 40.

And by over 40, I mean sometimes over 50.

We complain about not recovering as quickly, about our bones not mending as fast when they break, about the lack of time in our busy lives.

But we still ride. As much as we can.

Like these guys.



People over 40 who just love to ride their bicycles. Even if it means we're a little sore the next day!

Singletrack.com also published some tips about how to stay fit and strong on your bicycle as you age.

Lots has been written about training for older adults, doing more intervals, less long, slow, distance, getting in the gym more.

We adapt to changing bodies and changing lifestyles. On the warm spring days, we check with our spouses and go ride for as many hours as we can.

Want to ride?

Will Your Next Bike Be 3-D Printed?

Dutch students at Delft University have created a fully-functional bicycle out of steel using a 3-D printer. Here's the BikeRumor story.

The motivation behind building this bike was to demonstrate the potential within a new method of 3-D printing metal objects using a welding process, a concept the Delft University of Technology has been researching on a broader scope. It is the world’s first bike to be 3-D printed using this new welding-based technique.

It's not the first 3-D printed bicycle, though. This bike earned the creators the 2015 Eurobike Award for its bio-degradable, compostable frame.

And this designer is making plans for a carbon-fiber 3-D printed bike!

These guys decided to just make lugs for the bike using a 3-D printer. Maybe they should talk with the Dutch students!

This is clearly a technology not quite ready for the mainstream. But perhaps the time is coming when you can get a fully-customized frame made up of some composite material that is light, stiff, and usable in all conditions!

Mid-Life Crisis or New Chapter?

So I came home from my ride Thursday night to this:

No, I hadn't won a race.

I had reached a finish line of sorts. After 20 years of teaching, I have retired.

I don't think I've been in love with teaching for several years. John Marzion, Clint Weishaar, and a lot of great relationships with kids kept me going.

In the back of my mind, I had always wanted to teach kids with special needs and learning disabilities in the city. I typically liked to work with kids who struggled.

So five years ago, I earned my special education license and started looking around for the right school. I found it in Milwaukee College Prep.

I fell in love with the place. Every staff member, from the principal to the security guard and custodian was completely dedicated to working with inner city kids in a positive, academically challenging environment. It was everything I could ask for.

There was only one problem: I wasn't a very good special education teacher! The position required a great deal of discipline work, and a huge amount of paying attention to minute IEP detail, neither of which I was very good at.

I still created some positive relationships with the kids, and a lot of good relationships with the staff. But as my principal wisely said, I had spent 20 years training to ride a bike a certain way, and this job required a different bicycle and a different way of riding.

And I couldn't make the change, I didn't have the skills. So the job became more and more of an emotional struggle since I was trying to fit the proverbial round peg into a square hole. At some point this winter, I knew I was not going to be back next year. And at some point I didn't think I could make it through the year.

So this winter, I sat down to figure out what I might do. I wrote out a job description of what I'd like to do in the bike industry. I wanted to get more people on bikes, I wanted to develop cycling in the city, and help people learn how to ride better. I wanted to support clubs, create a team. I hoped to make a bike shop the hub for cyclocross, riding instruction, and safe commuting. I wanted to work with the Bike Feb, the city of Milwaukee and other communities to help build infrastructure. I hoped to work with kids to get more of them on bikes

I gave the job description to Vince at Ben's Cycles, and he thought it would be a good fit.

So Thursday was my last day at MCP. I got all the IEP and testing finished and felt I could leave early without big guilt.

I will miss the people in my teaching. I will miss the relationships. But I will build new ones.

This is a new chapter in my life. I've always loved bikes. My passion for teaching changed and evolved. Now I get to use my passion for cycling to help others.

It's going to be the start of another adventure!

Mother's Day(s)

    It's odd, really.
    Why do we have a single day where people buy flowers, cards, presents, make meals, share food to honor their mothers?
    The work that mothers do is nothing short of amazing.
    I'm not writing this to be gratuitous or score points with moms. I am amazed and humbled by the women I know who run their households, at the women who care for children.
    So many of the students at my school are raised by single moms or grandmothers. Having a "life" of your own and raising a child are usually mutually exclusive.
    The mothers at school have their own challenges, and then do their best to raise children in tough environments. They do the best they can with what they have.
    They are never thanked enough. No, thanked is the wrong word.
    They are not recognized and respected enough for what they do.
    I think of former students, now women in their 20s and 30s. Some are married and have young children. They post pictures and happy comments. But we know how challenging their lives can be, and how drastic the changes the children bring to their usual existence.
    One former student in particular got married and had a child with the best intentions. But the husband has left the scene, the couple divorced, and she's on her own and struggling. She's doing the best she can.
    Kate always talks with such normalcy that what she does as a mother is just what is needed. No big deal. I look at that in complete amazement. Her strength, courage, and selflessness will be an example to her daughter in the future.
    A woman I know does not want to go to her church this morning. All the mothers stand up and are recognized by the congregation with applause. But what about the mothers who are divorced and raising a child on their own? Will they willingly stand up with no husband by their side?
    What about the gay women who want to have children? What about the women who desperately want to be a mother but physically can't?
    And I consider my own mother. She has been a rock throughout my life, supportive and loving. I credit her for every adventure I've taken in my life. She support the adventure, offers her love when the journey is more challenging than imagined.
    This spring, she hired a career counselor to work with me, now 50, to create a resume. After a lot of talking and thinking, she completely supports all of the recent changes in my life, fully embracing Kate and Sarah as well as the career change.
    Many people will say today that one day is not enough to honor our mothers.
    One day is not enough to honor all the women who raise and care for children, their own and others.
    One day is not enough to recognize and accept the selfless work they do every day to make someone else's life better.
    On June 3, July 18. Random days. Random times. Bring your mother or woman who cares for children some flowers, bring them a meal. Let them sleep in.
    Just because. Tell them thank you every day. Tell them you love them every chance you get.
   

Every Year I Taught the Same Story

May 2, 2014

Every year I taught the same story to my seventh graders called "Seventh Grade" by Gary Soto. 

It's a beautiful story about seventh graders finding their way through the first day of school, with boys trying to look tough, and the main character trying, with embarrassing results, to impress a girl he has a crush on. 

At the end of the story, the boy, crushed by humiliation, is asked by the girl if he would teach her the French he really doesn't know.

The teacher, sitting nearby, has the perfect opportunity to say something but refrains when he remembers himself as a kid. 

The boy agrees to help her, and the story ends on a hopeful, positive note as he runs to the library to check out French books. 

Every year I tell my students that I hope to someday be the teacher who keeps his mouth shut and lets the boy take care of what he had to do. 

Finally, in what is likely my last year of teaching, I was finally able to be like this teacher. 

One of my students has a severe Emotional and Behavioral Disability. She's been hospitalized several times this year. When she's here, sometimes the meds get in the way of her functioning. 

But she's a sweet girl and pretty bright. This year, she was noticed by a young man for the first time. A little romance blossomed. 

Yet somehow there was a misunderstanding and my student was told the boy had said something about her. I know the boy well enough to doubt the things he was supposed to have said. But my girl lost her mind for a little bit, swearing and talking about how she'd poke out his eyes. (How many of you women have felt that!)

We walked around and talked. The women in the office gave her awesome female advice, which mirrored my own. We talked about heartache and how people hurt others unintentionally. I told her that even I, the amazingly awesome Mr. Warloski, had hurt people deeply without meaning to. 

The boy then wrote a beautiful apology note, which I gave to the girl. She read it and she wanted to talk with him as she calmed down. We practiced and rehearsed what she would say. 

The boy was in my office since he was being kept from the weekly school assembly to consider what he had done. She came in nervous, and with some prompts told him she was hurt. "I need some time because you hurt me," she said.

But after his apology and him telling her he had been worried about her, I asked her if she really needed time. No, she said. And she smiled. 

At this point, I thought of the teacher in the story. I left the room for a moment to "get something" and as I started to return, I could see them talking in my office. I turned around to find something else to do. 

Finally, we spent the rest of the assembly time in the computer lab where they sat side-by-side in the back, and I sat far away from them while they got some work done and continued to talk. 

It was so sweet. And I felt pleased beyond measure that this girl had found a way to calm herself and find a strategy to steer her away from the anger she feels so strongly. 

It's about as good a moment as a teacher can have. 

I went to the woods because I wished to live...

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." Thoreau.

    I continue to live this, although I'm not often going to the woods. I don't always know where I'm going until I get there.
    I accept new lives, new "adventures", new places and people in life.
    It often means I screw up. It often means I get hurt or hurt others. Always unintentionally.
    But each time I have gone to the metaphorical woods, I have learned more of my place in this world.
    Now I've learned that sharing a life with others is possible for me. My place in this world has changed. It is still changing.

"I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary."

    I am living the life I believe is right. I believe this new home with this woman and her daughter is where I've needed to be for a long time. I am home.
    This is life.
    This is living. In the metaphorical woods.
    I may still be a bit of a bull in a china shop when it comes to living, but at 50, I get a sense that I don't need to thrash around as much. (Besides, most of the china has already been broken...)

Jumping Off the Deep End

Is, at 50 years old, significantly more interesting than at 30 years old.

Many times in life I've picked myself up, changed jobs, moved cities and states, married, unmarry.

Each time I think this will be the last move. I'll stay here.

I bought the house on Brisbane four years ago. It's sold.

There are more big and very exciting changes to come.

Pay attention.

"Next Year" Always Sounds Good

   My five-day off season is nearly over. I'm heading to the gym tomorrow, and, as soon as the temperatures get tolerable for me, I'll start riding to school again.
   It's been a long and busy cyclocross season. I'm happy with it. I had better results this year than ever, several top 5s, two podiums. No wins but I could taste them.
   I felt pretty tired at the end of the season. I figured the flu plague I caught before Christmas, plus packing up and moving Mom from the house I grew up in, took a little more out of my old man's body than I expected.
   My coach, Brian Matter of Momentum Endurance, asked me to think about the season and do some evaluation.
   The high points were definitely the good results. I really liked the ET Twilight Cross race down in East Troy and had a lot of fun there and got 4th.
   The funny thing is that I never felt great in any of the races I did well in. There was some sense of blockage, like something was in the way of really letting loose.
   Anyone who's read anything by me from the past knows that my head (emotions) often get in the way of just having fun on the bike. I've done a ton of work on that, but I must have gotten a little lazy this year. The ugliness of expectations reared its head a little more. That may have come from finally getting some results and tasting success. I wanted more!
   I also struggled with focus some days, especially when I crashed early in the race. At several races, crashes made me tentative in the corners, and I'd lose my nerve.
   Emotionally, this season was different as well with team director/holder of the center Mike Heenan at races across the country working as a wrench for Rapha/Focus. Mike and I traveled a lot together last year, but only once this year. When several mwi's came to a race, something was missing as well. Emotional core? Not sure, but I noticed the difference.
   Maybe that's it: Maybe I missed some kind of center this year, some kind of focus.
   At the line at nationals, I started to laugh out loud, literally. That seriously was the craziest damn thing I've done on the bike. Those conditions were hellacious: mud on top of ice. That laughter though got me riding really well, just having fun.
   One of the blocks in my head is confidence in driving the bike in all conditions. I'm a decent bike handler, but I can't wait to spend a LOT of time on the mountain bike this year. I want to be able to rail through corners and down off-camber climbs.
   Huge thanks for the season go out to Brian, who made me so much faster. I also ended up spending a lot of time with Ian and Hans Haupt. Ian is a great kid, solid. I'm so proud of him for his nationals performance. He rode like he meant it in crappy conditions, earning himself a 10th in a tough season.
   And Hans has been a huge support for me, working the pits, driving everywhere. He has selflessly volunteered to help the team as well.
  It's been a good season for cyclocross this year. For next year, I plan to smooth out the inconsistencies and ride like a kid again: Just having fun.

Lance.

   Many of my non-cycling friends and family have asked me lately about my thoughts on Lance Armstrong's doping.
   And my thoughts have always been a bit complicated until this week.
   Until Armstrong decided to "confess" on Oprah. Seriously? Oprah?
   If Armstrong really wanted to come clean, he'd talk to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, not Oprah. That decision to me is pathetic. His performance there is predictable: Some tears, some admission, some link to LiveStrong.
   Prior to the Oprah decision, I had conflicted feelings about Armstrong. He was a doper who was still a heck of an athlete and who trained hard. And the people he beat also doped. All true.
   The whole culture of doping leaves me empty. I'm giving away all the DVDs and videos from Tour de France and classic races in the 1990s and 2000s I used to watch while on the trainer in the basement.
   I'm sickened by the generation of riders who made their fortune while doping while other riders, perhaps equally naturally talented, went without the big contracts.
   The beautiful sport of riding our bikes has been blackened by doping, by the win at all costs attitude exemplified by Armstrong and his teams.
   The sport will not get any redemption by Armstrong spilling his guts after lying to us for years on Oprah. Armstrong has proved to be vindictive, arrogant, and almost soul-less in his treatment of anyone who got in his way.
   With the Oprah announcement, he's become a cartoon character to me. And this was a man whose posters I had on the wall in my classroom as an example of determination and hard work.
   Determination and hardwork, my ass.
   The only way Armstrong could gain any sense of redemption is to talk with USADA, admit everything, detail everything about how he was able to evade the tests, and then honestly and deeply apologize to all those who he ran over with the "Lance is God" bus.
   And that will not happen on Oprah with any chance of honesty, with any chance of righting the myriad of wrongs he has caused.
   I don't know whether I can stomach watching the fiasco. I doubt it. I'd hate to vomit if Armstrong starts to tear up.

Cyclocross Ice Skating Nationals?

   Steve Tilford, who won the 50-54 masters title after crashing nearly as much as I did, expressed his concern about the course for Sunday for the elite riders.
   Today's course at Badger Prairie was mostly mud on top of some ice. With temperatures forecasted for the 40s tomorrow, the course should thaw out even more, making the course even muddier than now.
   But the rub is that the temperatures are forecasted to drop precipitously Saturday night into the single digits. That means the mud will freeze into wicked ruts. The whole course will be either a skating rink or a frozen ruts.
   I've heard stories about the Kansas City nationals a few years ago when the women raced on frozen ruts. The downhill at BP will get downright dangerous. I understand the course is going to be rolled out tonight and probably tomorrow.
   That may help, but I'd really hate to see our elite racers crash and get hurt on Sunday before worlds. I'm not sure what can be done at this point. It's a worrisome situation.

Epic Cyclocross Nationals race

   Today I fought gravity, and gravity won.
   I raced the 50-54 cyclocross nationals today in Verona at Badger Prairie Park. The course, which I've always hated, was muddy, icy, snowy, and wet. Twenty inches of snow had been plowed from the course, and what was left was starting to thaw.
   When I got to the course, Hans Haupt told me to go ride while the course was open. I couldn't believe how much fun I had. I had already been stoked to race in the snow and mud, but I was actually having fun on this course.
   I did two laps, careening wildly and mostly out of control down the hills. Brakes be damned. It was a hoot.
   I had hired a professional mechanic, Mike Teff, so while I warmed up, he washed and tweaked my bike. I started in the third row, wearing, of course, nothing on my legs except my wife inc embro! I felt great at the start, excited, laughing at myself for the insanity of wanting to race in these conditions.
   There was a tough crash right away in the race. Two guys hit the pavement hard, and I barely got around them. Missing that crash, though, caused me to slam the brakes and end up at the back of the field.
   My legs felt awesome, and I moved safely through the carnage of the first lap, and by the end of the lap, I was well within the top 20, close to top 15 or better.
   That's when the earth's gravity increased.
   I crashed hard on the greasy downhill, doing an endo that got clapping and cheers for my style points. I even crashed uphill in the loose snow.
   I was still having fun, but the crashes were taking some fun out of it.
   Then I crashed hard on two separate corners in two middle laps. The course had started to freeze in places where it had just been muddy, and lines I took safely and quickly now landed me on the ground.
   How ironic that last year, we got pulled after two laps if you were outside the top 20. Today, I did all five laps and finished over an hour for a 45 minute race. By the last two laps, I was ready to be pulled! I couldn't feel my hands any more since my gloves had been soaked with mud. It also started to rain!
   So I finished. The last race of my season finished with extra gravity. It's been a very up and down year, pun intended, with some great results (five different top 5s, two podiums). I've been mostly happy with how much progress I made this year, thanks to Brian Matter, my coach at Momentum Endurance.
   My body will be a lovely shade of purple tomorrow. I already have a lot of hematomas forming on my knees and hips. Even my skin suit has a hole in it!
  The washing machine just finished the load of laundry with a double rinse. Dinner is done. No way am I doing the dishes tonight. Time to sleep.

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!

And the word of the day is...

   Yesterday, I wrote about how this school year was going to be very interesting.
   Today, we spent several hours in meetings that underlined several of the factors that are going to affect education, particularly in Wisconsin.
   And I'm most curious how it will all play out.
   Here are the contributing factors:
   1. Act 10. I'll start with the elephant in the room. Act 10 gives districts wide latitude to essentially do what they want. This can mostly affect pay and work rules for teachers.
   My district, to their credit, handled this opening week very nicely. We had only one "required" day - today. The rest were ours to set up our rooms, or take the last few days of summer as vacation.
   2. Merit Pay. Because of Act 10, districts have more freedom to set up an alternative compensation package. There's a ton of discussion about this, far more than I want to get into here. Some districts are taking a wait and see approach. Others, like Fall Creek are working directly with the teachers to create a merit pay package. And I love that they freely admit they're not quite sure what's going to happen with it! It's a learning year for them.
   3. State testing. The WKCE is allegedly a thing of the past. Our principal today called it a "low-rigor" test. He also said the state was developing "Smarter Balanced Assessments." I'm not sure what that means, but one would hope the tests are aligned with the Common Core Standards.
   Watch out for the firestorm, though, as all schools' scores are going to seriously drop in the new WKCE reports. That's because the WKCE levels for what proficiency meant were ridiculously low. That's going to change. We'll see how districts react to the public response to that report, which is apparently coming out in the next few weeks.
   4. NCLB. Waivers and loosening of No Child Left Behind mean there will be some changes in how testing is done. Since I don't even pretend to understand any of that, I'll only say there will be changes.
   5. Finally, for today's piece, the other elephant in the room is the Milwaukee Public Schools. This change may not take effect until next school year, but the posturing and arguments are certain to begin soon. See the MPS contract with its teachers runs out at the end of the year. MPS is already projecting losses of many hundreds of teachers at the end of the year due to retirement and flight from the city.
   Since MPS is often the bellwether of the area, I'll be curious how the MPS administration handles its new found freedom when the contract expires.

   For all of these changes, the word of the day is data. Data-driven goals, results, research. All of the data we gather - somehow - is going to drive this. How we gather data, how we use the data, and what all the data means is going to drive this process of change this year.
   Stay tuned!