Snake

I have an addiction. And the first step is admitting this addiction: I cannot stop playing the Facebook game snake. Its such a simple game, but then again crack, beer, and sudoku are simple as well and people need interventions for them. The object of snake is to 'eat' the red squares. As your snake digests each block, it grows longer and longer until you either run into yourself or run into the perimeter in which your snake resides and you die and the game is over. Done.

The thing that drives me crazy about snake is the scoreboard. I have

got to top it at some point! There are four different categories to which your scores are compared: All of Facebook (All Time); Your Friends (All Time); All of Facebook (This Week); Your Friends (This Week). To date, my high score is 570. Thats pretty weak compared to most people on Facebook. The top score of all time in snake is 2057289333826 by MJ Havens.

HEY MJ! You are a cheater. Cheaters dont belong in snake! How can you get a score that ends in 6 when points are given in multiples of 10? You make me sick.

In my quest to top the charts at number 1, I saw two possible ways. The first was to delete everyone who was in front of me in the standings. A bit of a cop out, but hey, addicts do what they need to do. The second was simply start playing Monday morning when the weekly scores were reset before all the losers who spend all their time playing snake get on. So I did. And guess what happened this morning? Yeah, I'm sitting number 1.

But, now I am in 3rd and frantically trying to regain my former position while writing this.

Falling from the Top of the World

Have you ever dreamed you were climbing a huge mountain? Right as you reach the top, a huge wind comes and then all of a sudden, you fall, plunging through space until BAM! Gravity takes it revenge. I have never had such a dream. But that is the best way I can describe my Saturday. Read on. Its a journey and a half.

The plan Saturday was to drive to Greenville, race in the afternoon, and then continue on to Elberton, Georgia and race another crit that night with a road race the next morning. Rather straight forward. Left in the morning with Scott Harris and the girlfriend, Jackie Kurth.

The race in Greenville was put on by the Demaine Cycling Team. Simple, yet fun course. There was a steep little hill coming to the finish line and then the course slowly sloped down all the way back to that hill. Sweeping bends, wide roads, very safe. They are having another race there June 17, so get out there and race. Quality money, safe racing, close for a lot of people. Its not like they asked me to tell everyone about the race. So June 17.

The field was not that big, so I decided to attack from the line. It worked. I got away with Julian from Demaine and JWinn from Les Amis. We worked well together and finally escaped the last desperate attempts from the peleton to being us back. When the three of us were about to lap the group, I attacked, finished the lapping alone and then went to the front with some teammates and brought everything back together. There was still 30 minutes to race, but the race ended, with me taking the win. First one in a while! Throwing ones hands in the air is such a great feeling; every win is special, and I savored it. Podium and everything! (Didn't I mention this was a great race and that everyone should attend. June 17)

Scott, Jackie, and I packed up and left for Elberton, a quick 90 minute drive through no where to a small town in Georgia. The crit was smack in the downtown area and featured a long home stretch with a 180 degree corner at the end then a quick right and left onto another long stretch before two more right hand corners back to the finish, which I might add felt like a slight uphill.

The race began rather slow, although the first time through the 180 corner, the guy on front slid out. Laughs erupted from the group. Poor guy. Tim Henry of Team Type 1 Devo attacked with Ceasar Grajales of Bahati Foundation. I attacked to get up there, got within a few hundred feet, looked back on the saw the field on my wheel. So I swung over, fulling expecting people to pull through. But no. We all sat and watched the race go up the road. That was it. It was time to race for 3rd, there would be no double today. I tried to get away, but the course had one speed because it was so tight. Tim and Ceasar eventually lapped us and rotated on the front, making sure nothing else would go. It would come down to a sprint. Still, AJ Meyer and myself were trying to get away, taking turns attacking and countering each other.

One of these times, I came flying through the 180 and into the quick right left. I took the right turn full speed, pedaling through the corner. Looked up and saw this guy in the road. I yelled, trying to say "Stand still!!" It probably sounded like Ahhh Blah Glah Jah Yah. The man stopped. I saw a gap between him and the sidewalk that I could fit through and keep going. Hopefully he would cause mass chaos in the peleton and I would get away. All of a sudden, the man stepped into my projected path. I had no where to go. I slammed on the brakes and nailed the guy. Went flying onto the sidewalk. I was sprawled on my bike and my elbow hurt. I had gone from winning a bike race to a freak accident that was unavoidable. Such is bike racing. I lay there for a bit, shocked, letting everything sink in. But there was a race to finish, so I shouldered the bike and walked to the pit to get back in the race.

The race coming to a sprint, I gave up trying to get away. So I sat 3rd wheel behind Tim and Ceasar. As the laps ticked off, guys would come up, trying to take my wheel, but I each time I held them off. With one to go, Tim and Cesar pulled off. I sat there waiting for someone to go. And someone did. A big guy in blue came flying past and I jumped on his wheel for the perfect leadout. Unfortunately, I got pipped at the line. 4th. Ah, bike racing. I was not in a very good mood, the win forgotten about. I felt like I had fallen from the top of the world. In a sense, I had. You are only as good as your last race. Good thing there was a race the next day. Thats whats important to remember in this game: put the bad stuff away and move on. Its always a new day when you wake up. No matter how far behind last place in the Tour is, he starts with the yellow jersey and has a shot at winning that day. Fall from the top of the world? Just start climbing again

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To Adam Little: We Will Miss You

His name is Adam. He is a kind, generous, incredibly warm person with soft, easy voice. He lives in a nifty house at the end of a long gravel road. In the front lawn is a trampoline and a large blown up ball, in which you can crawl into and bounce about. It was a recent Christmas present for his two young daughters. In the driveway is a Honda Element, red. In his basement there are bikes, bike parts, a home gym, and extra shoes, helmets, socks, and clothes for his cycling team, Subaru Gary Fisher. He loves riding. This past Wednesday, he was riding his bike to work. But now, Adam is gone.

Most people do not realize that cycling is a team sport. Nor do they know the of the close knit communities of bike riders and racers that exist in every city and town. I dearly love the people in Charlotte cycling community: Rafik makes sure we are safe, Reid has something interesting to contemplate, Andrew encourages, Scott listens to problems, Riley makes you laugh, Blair is out of control. There are so many, I cannot list them all. But each one is special and a friend to everyone else. We come together in times of need like when Andrea had cancer. As time goes on, we lose people: Torsten left to go back to Germany, Dylan got hit by a car, and now Adam.

I knew Adam a little. He was always with his team at races, a close knit family of riders. They share more than just a riding friendship; it goes much deeper than that. Over winter break, Adam invited me to ride with the team in 25 degree weather. I agreed to come and we all nearly froze together. It is in those moments, when you are miserable, that true character shows - and all that radiated from Adam was his eternal smile. I don't want to believe he is gone. I have a lump in my throat, my eyes are watering, and I am at a loss for words. Adam has ridden away from us now on a lovely, well paved road into the setting sun, but it was not yet your time to go down that road. We will miss you dearly Adam.

To the Cars: This is the second time I have gotten a phone call about the death of one of my family. Please. Take your time and slow down. You have taken yet another from our band of brothers. We are people like you, who have families and friends who will miss us dearly. Who must solider on through the grief of the loss of a friend, father, or husband. Adam was just riding to work, helmet on, riding the white line that runs along the side of the road when he was hit by the car. Please. Take your time and slow down. Nothing is worth the life of anyone.

To the Riders: We must be more aware of the cars around us. Ride two abreast and no more, take up less of the lane. Our actions on the road, be it good or bad, have repercussions for the next cyclist down the road. A death should not have to be a wake up call.

To Adam Little: May Your Journey Continue in Peace

In Which He Solves 2 of the Worlds Problems

Today I had a test in nutrition. It did not go well for anyone. The test was on fats, a subject which was recently introduced and a subject on which there had been no lesson. The test was on nothing that I had read, but, I did take away something interesting from the reading. Perhaps you know and perhaps you don't, but fats are carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms. They form chains and these chains are held together by a 'backbone' of glycerol. But enough of the chemistry, the important thing is the difference between saturated fats and unsaturated fats - hydrogen. Saturated fats have maximum hydrogen atoms attached to the carbons where unsaturated don't. Simple as that.

The way I see it, some genius in a white lab coat and glasses (or a Steve Jobs so it can be cool) needs to come up with a way to take saturated fats, remove the extra hydrogen atoms and turn all of our saturated fats into unsaturated ones. Saturated fats have been proven to increase the chance of heart failure, diabetes, and cancer (of the prostate actually, not sure how). This would allow Americans, as well as other countries, to continue to consume their fats, just healthier ones. All the fries at McDonalds would be that much healthier. All those foods with nasty hydrogenated oils would stop killing you. Killing you? Now thats a bit harsh! No, not quite. According to an article by Walter H. Schmitt, Jr, D.I.B.A.K, D.A.B.C.N., using the definition of poison, hydrogenated oils are poison. And this bad fats problem could all be solved simply because you have a couple less hydrogen atoms hanging out in your happy meal.

So what happens to all of these extra hydrogen atoms that are just hanging out? We cannot let them just hop around in the atmosphere when they are not supposed to be. That's how global warming occurs. Or cooling. What needs to happen is scientists need to harvest all those nasty little hydrogen atoms and put them into good use as alternative fuel for our driving habits. Hydrogen powered cars are not just pipe dreams - there are some of these cars already on the roads of Germany and Japan. All they need are some hydrogen atoms - and the ones from our used-to-be-saturated fats would work just fine.

Honda FCX Clarity, hydrogen powered car

Or you could just eat healthy and ride a bike. Its up to you.

Intramural Basketball

Perhaps when you read the title, you thought, "Wow, Alder is now playing basketball. That is something new." I'm sorry to disappoint, but I am not playing basketball. I get blisters on my feet from just walking to the cafeteria and classes. I tried playing a pick up game of basketball this winter and all the jumping and running and cutting this way and that - my legs and feet were so sore I could not walk for the next two days. No. Instead of playing intramural basketball, I just watch.

One of the teams, the Wolfcats, is comprised of a bunch of random cyclists and two runners. I just sit on the bench and try to look like that one really good player who is injured all season long. A bunch of skinny cyclist and runners running around trying to act like Lebron James and John Wall is quite amusing. Its also a little sad. So far, they have wracked up a total of zero wins in four games. (This included an embarrassing loss to a team called the Vintage Fatties. Yeah, its exactly what it sounds like.) No wins, until tonight.

Tonight, the Wolfcats faced the Monstars which consisted of at least 3 JV basketball players and a couple random dudes. I gave the Wolfcats no chance, especially after losing to these easy teams. At the end of the first half, we were down by 18 points and everyone had their heads down. We had been playing well, but the Monstars were grabbing, pushing, shoving, and the refs were not calling anything! Brandon Hopkins got hit so hard in the quad, he had to come off and rest.

The magic began in the second half however. We went on a 10-0 run to start off, cutting the deficit in half. Perhaps the Wolfcats might not lose another game. They started making shots, stealing the ball, getting in the JV players faces and the Wolfcat bench was going crazy cheering at the Wolfcats and jeering at the Monstars. All of a sudden, with two seconds left, the Wolfcats were only 2 points down with 2 seconds left. But the other team had the ball. They tried to in bound it but the ball was intercepted and we called a timeout. There was just enough time for one final shot. Logan Collins caught the ball, turned and went up for the three pointer. Time slowed until the sweet sound of a swish was heard. Logan had made the shot. The bench erupted and we all went crazy, storming the court and yelling our heads off. I had so much adrenaline pumping through me that my hand could not stop shaking for 10 minutes after.

The Wolfcats could not win another game this season, but I will call it successful. Its the underdog story, the upsets that makes sport so enjoyable. So here is to the underdog, playing with heart in lieu of talent. That is the heart of sport. Perhaps someone is reading this and says, "Hey guy, check yourself. This is just intramural, calm down." I say to that person, check yourself back, you weren't there.

Crossman

Super heroes are popular. According to ask.com the top 5 super heroes are Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Wolverine and The Hulk. I have decided that one super hero is missing: Crossman. Cyclocross needs its own super hero and comic books because cross is the sweetest thing about the winter, besides long coffee shop rides. I cannot believe that I have missed out on cross all these years. I feel like I have been blind and now I can see the truth: cyclocross is awesome. However, I have just opened my eyes to a blinding light and I am still blinking, trying to adjust to this new side of the cycling world. So how did this first season go?

I first got the idea to race cross when a couple people were going to the USGP at Louisville and there was a bike someone let me borrow. The fit was off, bike was heavy, and I had just learned how to mount and dismount the day before the races. I entered the Cat 2/3 race and got 17th on Saturday and 24th on Sunday. First weekend of cross: out of control.

The weekend after the Louisville GP race, the team was supposed to go to Purdue for one of three collegiate races in our conference. Well, only five of us went. We were graciously hosted by the Purdue cycling team who let us stay in their cycling house which was 5 minutes from the course. The course was subject to a lot of wind, with a few technical sections, but a lot of power areas where I could really go fast. Got 2nd both days behind my LWC teammate and rival, Cruise Bogedin. 2nd weekend of cross: getting stronger, still lacking in technical skills

Purdue was fun, but there was not much competition. So early on Sunday morning, Cruise, Mike Souers, and I all piled into his tiny green toyota and drove to Lexington. Of course I lost rock, paper, scissors and was forced into the tiny back seat. I didnt feel the back seats affect until 3/4ths of the race was over. With just four laps to go, my back started to really hurt and I couldnt put the same power on the pedals. I had caught Cruise for 3rd, dropped a chain and my postion into 4th but now that I was fading, it was in jeopardy. I got caught by a Calistoga rider. We dueled it out on the last lap but he got me with three corners to go by superior cornering. 5th place is not too bad though. 3rd weekend of cross: catching Cruise, but need to work on cornering.

The last collegiate cyclocross race was at home 4 at Lindsey. I had the worst luck. On Saturday, I went from the lead group to way off the pace because my chain came off at least 4 times and my brake caliper was rattled so loose, I had to stop and fix it with an allen key. Ridiculous. On Sunday, I got a flat in the first 100 meters of the race. There goes my race! I continued on and my times were only slightly off the leaders. What did I get? I forget for good reason. 4th weekend of cross: Terrible luck, but I learned to corner.

The next race Cruise and I did was on our way back from Thanksgiving in Michigan - the Ohio State Championships. It was a rather flat, very fast course with tacky mud in the corners. I chopped a few guys in the first couple of corners to move up into 5th. 2 strong guys, whom Cruise had pointed out before hand, attacked on the second lap and I went with them. I was having some serious trouble through the sand pits and lost a lot of energy catching back up with the two leaders. An article talking about the race described me as, "Martz, off the front or off the back!". Last lap through the sand, I got gapped and could not return to the front. At least 3rd place brought home a decent check! 4th weekend of cross: Stronger, more technically sound...as long as there is no sand.

Our final tune up before Nationals was the Kentucky State Championships held at the same place as the Louisville GP. What a difference a few weeks makes! It was cold, muddy, and slippery. I got squeezed in a corner and found myself at the back of the field. But, by not crashing, throwing down the hammer where I could, and taking corners easy, I somehow worked myself into 6th place. Cruise was on form and got 2nd, narrowly missing out on the win. 5th weekend of cross: add slippery mud to the technical work on list.

That brought us to Nationals in Bend, Oregon. Conditions that I had never faced before: snow and ice. We pre-rode the course the day before the U23 race and it was so icy. But, hundreds of people riding the same course caused the conditions to change dramatically. For the U23 race, it was muddy but still very slick. Watery muddy. I had a good start, moved up from the rear of the field into the middle, caught temporarily in a crash and settled down into the top 25 with Cruise near me. My undoing began about halfway through the race. Either my arms were too cold to shift, or my brakes quit working, but all of a sudden, I could not corner. There was a long off camber section on slippery grass and one lap my wheels just slid out from me, breaking my shifter. I climbed back on, made my way to the pit and got a spare bike from Shimano. They didnt even adjust the saddle and I was too hyped up on adrenaline to notice. Once more though on the off camber section, I did the same thing, only this time I crashed into one of the wooden stakes, breaking it, and what felt like my shin. In pain, I slid down the hill into the snow, clutching my leg. I tried to get back on and keep riding, but the pain in my leg was too great and I called it a day. The medic said I just bruised my bone and to keep ice on it. I still have a big bump there, although it doesn't hurt anymore.

The next day, I could not walk, much less ride. The team, however, did fantastic, and we got 3rd place overall. Three people had outstanding rides: Ashley James got 2nd, right after claiming the U23 womens title. Clayton Omer had a mechanical first lap, started at the back and finished in 6th. And Taylor Ladd, who just began racing cross a few weekends before, battled his way to a top 15, throwing up after the finish. It was not the best way to finish a season, hobbling around with a bruised bone. But the team podium helped to make up for it.

Next season, I am hitting cross with full force! Crossman will return!

Into the Wild

I am sitting in the Portland airport trying to find internet. It keeps evading me. I will connect, open up my browser and poof! Its gone. Perhaps this time, it will stay just long enough for me to write something. It has already been a long day. I awoke this morning at 3 in the morning to board a bus from Columbia to Nashville to catch a plan to Portland. Now, I am waiting for Coach Grigsby to secure a van so we can make the final leg of our trip: three hours across Oregon to Bend for cyclocross Nationals.

As we flew into Portland, I saw a massive mountain out of the window. Come to find out, its Mt. Hood. We flew incredibly close and the picture that I took with my phone does not do it justice at all.

While on the flight, I talked with a very interesting older gentlemen. We began talking about movies, the economy, how technology is changing the brains of young children. When we passed Mt. Hood I commented on the book I am reading right now, Into the Wild.

For those who don't know, Into the Wild is about a young man named Chris McCandless. After finishing college, Chris left for the West in his beat up car. He gave away all the money he had to charity, abandoned his car and hitchhiked, walked, paddled, and camped out from Atlanta to Mexico to Minnesota to California to Alaska. He met and influenced all kinds of people. His trip to Alaska was to be his greatest adventure yet. Inspired by the words of Jack London, Leo Tolstoy and others, Chris went into the wild with 10 lbs of rice and a shotgun among a few other meager belongings. He was found in an abandoned bus, dead from starvation.

A guy sitting on my other side heard about me talk about Chris McCandless. "He is a nut!", the man declared. "I read the book and he is a complete idiot who got what he deserved." I disagree. Looking at Mt. Hood gave me a pang of anxiety to climb to the top and crest its peak, look around and do something. It was the same urge that Chris got as he traveled. Instead of just dreaming though, he took action. I look up to Chris McCandless. He questioned society instead of just accepting it. He took a look around and said why.

I hope that I can do the same. Bend will be my own adventure, this being my first year of cyclocross. May I also rise to the challenge with passion and the same unwavering determination of Chris McCandless.