I’m always impressed when cool technology is applied to things I love. At Horst Engineering, we made a conversion to SolidWorks a couple of years ago. We use the CAD system to design the operation sheets that explain the step by step processes required to manufacture our products. CAD has helped us streamline our engineering process and reduce the time required to lay out a job. Our process engineering is done mostly in 2D, but SolidWorks is capable of so much more. This series of videos shows how designers at Trek Bicycles have taken solid modeling and 3D CAD technology to the limit, with the design process of their products.
Archive for March, 2008
So while it continues to snow in Northern New England (183+ inches winter season to date in Aroostook County, Maine), we are finally hitting the roads of Southern New England. On Saturday, I raced the Plainville Spring Series training criterium in Plainville, Connecticut. It was a relatively quick 22.5 miles in just under an hour. Of course, I finished the race a couple of laps down on the field because my training has been weak. It is going to take me a few more rides to get in shape. I’ve done a lot of running so far this year, but you can’t train for cycling by only running. To be good and to feel good, you have to ride. Saturday was also the 99th edition of Milan San Remo. It wasn’t 22 miles, it was nearly 180 miles (298km), and even longer this year because of a road closure! It took the winner just over 7:14 to ride the distance. That is a long day in the saddle. No wonder those guys do drugs. See, I couldn’t stop from making this post an editorial. Seriously, let’s hope those European based pros have cleaned up their act. Averaging more than 26mph for 180 miles takes fitness and talent, but it is pushing the limits. The race has a lot of history and they have been riding the same distance along the coast of the Meditteranean for nearly a century–they have been using performance enhancing drugs for just as long.
At least I ride for fitness and fun. I’ll be back out on the roads this week. Let’s hope the weather stays dry and warms up a bit. If you really want to see what cold looks like, you can always check out the webcam in Fort Kent, Maine. Of course, don’t bother checking if you are reading this post in July.
The return leg of our Australian adventure took us through Southern California. 15 hours trapped in an airplane sure makes travel seem a little less exotic. Running 45 kilometers and then getting in a plane is about the worst thing you can do for your recovery. My legs have been leaden for a week. We spent a night in Ventura and three nights in Malibu at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Executive Center. A family business seminar is what drew us to Pepperdine and we were happy for the transition time after the long flight back to Los Angeles. The seminar gave me a chance to connect with fellow businesspeople who have a passion for family business education. We explored new research and gleaned a better understanding of what makes successful family businesses thrive and sustain themselves for generations.
Before the seminar, we spent part of a weekend bumming around Ventura, one of those classic SoCal surfing towns. Ventura’s economy is driven by agriculture and industry, but the iconic pier and point break are what give the town character. Ventura is known for many things, among them, it is the launching point for trips to the Channel Islands National Park. We only got to experience the views of the islands from the mainland this time, but several years ago, we spent a great day of hiking on Santa Cruz Island. The ferry ride was out of Ventura Harbor and we saw lots of whales as we crossed their migration route. The Channel Islands are worth exploring.
On this year’s trip, we got a chance to run the bike path that hugs the Pacific coast. Our legs were pretty knackered from the Six Foot Track and the long flight, but it was fun to get out and loosen the muscles. We also visited some friends at Patagonia, Inc., whose headquarters and flagship store are located in Ventura’s historic district.
In Malibu, we had a chance to experience the beauty of Pepperdine. I was busy with worskhops, but Deb and Shep had a chance to explore the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. They even visited some rustic camps in the mountains that had been used to film movies in the past. They also explore thed natural setting where M*A*S*H was shot. So, California was a nice stop on the way back to the east coast.
Debbie learned at the Shenipsit Striders meeting today, that Ray Crothers had passed away while we were in Australia. We knew that he was not well and we heard that it was likely that cancer had done a job on the body of a true running champion. We last saw Ray at the pre-race dinner the night before the Manchester Road Race last November. He seemed weak and said he was not feeling well. Still, he smiled brightly. We used to see Ray at local races and of course at The Run In, the Rocky Hill, Connecticut running store that he owned/managed with John Vitale. In recent years, Debbie (and Shep and I) frequently saw him riding his bicycle on the Rail Trail. He ran less and rode a lot more. Sadly, it seems as if the cancer diagnosis was missed and it was too late.
My memories of Ray date back 23 years. I was just a kid looking for my first pair of running shoes after joining the cross country team at Vernon Center Middle School. My grandfather took me to The Run In and Ray fit me with a pair of Tigers. They weren’t even called Asics in those days! Periodic trips to the store with my grandfather were a joy for all three of us. Ray was always interested in what my grandfather had to say and he was always interested in my grandfather’s latest prosthesis (he was a below the knee amputee). Since my grandfather died in 1998, whenever I saw Ray, I would think of Gramps. Ray was an awesome runner and he is known especially for his multi-division triumphs at the Manchester Road Race. I’m sure that his service in Vietnam had an impact on his life and values and I know that his love of running, health, and fitness influenced many others. I’ll be thinking of Ray often, especially when I line up at Manchester once again, later this year.
Six Foot Track Marathon
Published 10 March 2008 Biographical , Environment , Family , Sport 3 CommentsThe second main event of our Australia trip was the Six Foot Track Marathon. When we committed to attend our conference in Sydney, we decided to search the continent for an athletic event to sweeten our trip and make the travel more justifiable. We didn’t have to look far and we didn’t have to travel far from Sydney. So, on Saturday, we ran the 25th edition of Australia’s 5th largest marathon and toughest marathon distance trail race. Truthfully, it is 45 kilometers, so it technically qualifies as an ultra-marathon, but who cares? Running 26.2 or 28+ miles for me is a long way. Not so for Deb, but she is the crazier one in the family when it comes to this sort of stuff.
A lot of logistics went into running this race. The most important part of the planning was the childcare since we both wanted to run. It was swell for us that a good friend from my HBS OPM days came through in the clutch. She is a dedicated runner herself, a Sydneysider, a Sydney Strider, and most importantly, a part time Blue Mountains resident. Oh yeah, she is a Mom too, so she has pedigree! The stars were aligned. Rhonda and her partner, Stu, came through and had a blast with our little boy while we romped on the track.
There is a lot of history to the track, much of which you can read about here or at the Six Foot Track Marathon site.
As a trail running race course, the track was formidable. It was more “runable” than the stuff we have in New England, but the climbs were longer–not steeper, just longer. The cooler temperatures (we were expecting HOT) and damp conditions were conducive to running PB’s (personal bests) and a lot of runners did. Our rookie status put us in the third wave to go off at 8:20 A.M. Our resumes could have qualified us to run up front, but seniority is key in this race. One man has run all 25! Many others have done a dozen or more. We were cool with that, though it was unnverving to hear the gun go off while we were still warming up. Of course, the race is scored on time, so an adjustment would be made. We were all wearing timing chips, so there could be no funny games and timing accuracy would be spot on. After all, we were out there for the experience anyway.
Both Deb and I roared off the start and we led our wave down the first obstacle, 1000 wooden/earthen steps that had been set into the hillside on the way down into the Megalong Valley. It was awesome. Once things “leveled out”, we got into a cadence and started catching folks from the first two waves. 820 runners started the race and there had to be 400 in front of us, so it was fun to chase them down. It was like a game as we tried to pick them off one at a time. The track was only too narrow to pass in a few spots. As the name says, in the beginnning, it was made six feet wide to allow horses and carriages to pass from Katoomba to Jenolan Caves. Now, the track is overgrown in many places, and has been re-routed in others and it serves mostly as a hiking track. For bushwalkers, the typical trip is done on a three day schedule. Amazingly, the men’s winner, Barry Keem, did it in under three and a half hours and the women’s winner, Vanessa Haverd, nearly broke four hours.
The course went through beautiful meadows through streams and small rivers, and over some very big hills. The last 10km were mostly downhill and that was where I blew up. I’m good for 20 miles, but then it is survival after that. I had a pretty big lead on Deb after the climbs and hung on to finish in front of her, though not by much. My time was 4:26:37 and I was 64th. Deb finished in 4:41:05, was 6th woman and 108th overall. She had a great run! She was also 3rd in her age group and we were 2nd in the “Couples Competition” or “Partners Prize.” Our time was the 2nd fastest combined time. The race cutoff is 7 hours which comparably, seems short for a race like this. Still, many who fail at making the mark, return year after year to give it another go. Cheers to them!
The full results show that the competition was serious. The Australian trail running scene is of very high quality. The race was organized very well, as it should be for the 25th time. The bush fire rangers from the Australian Rural Fire Service, and their families, made up the core of the race volunteers. The race benefits the fire service and the Six Foot Track Heritage Trust. The aid stations were well stocked and numerous. The runners were gracious–”Good on you mate!”–and the speed of the runners was very high. It was the end of their summer racing season and only the beginning for us. I’m biased, so I think the USA’s best shorter distance ultra-marathon trail runners could take the top prizes if they made the trip and got in the training, but it wouldn’t be without a battle. The top men’s and women’s times were very good given the difficulty of the course.
The race is comparable to another legendary trail marathon celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2008. The Nipmuck Trail Marathon is 26.4 miles, a bit shorter, but has more rocky single-track and more steep ups and downs. Six Foot has more overall climbing and descending, but it also has more dirt roads and better overall footing. Of course, we drive up the road to get to Nipmuck and we had to go 12,000+ miles by air for Six Foot. Six Foot also has the unique format of being a point to point race and it has the spectacular Jenolan Caves finish. We crossed the line and were within 50 meters of our hotel room and a hot shower.
As I said, I was hurting really bad in the last 10km and a hot shower was very much on my mind. At one point, I slipped going down some stairs and my right calf seized up. I had to massage the swollen and knotted muscle back down into its correct position. If you have ever cramped like this, I don’t need to describe the pain. I got it loose enough to continue, but at a much slower pace. Also, my notoriously finicky right big toe took a hammering because of the wet conditions and a different pair of Montrail’s. I’m saving my last pair of vintage Leona Divide’s for later in the summer, so I was using a different model and I paid for it. I’ll be wearing sandals for the next couple of days.
My Garmin GPS did a good job at tracking the course.
There are some good comments and feedback on the Australian version of CoolRunning.
A lot of folks asked if we would do it again. The answer is, “of course,” however, New South Wales is a long ways from Connecticut and there are many other great running and cycling races around the world. We are always on the lookout for the next great adventure. The Six Foot Track Marathon was only the most recent great adventure.
The “Pre-Adventure” Adventure
Published 9 March 2008 Biographical , Environment , Family , Sport Leave a CommentJust getting to the start of the Six Foot Track Marathon was an adventure. The plan was to get up on Saturday morning at 5:00 A.M. We had to drive an hour and a half on steep winding roads to Katoomba. We planned a nice buffer to help if there were any issues with our gear, our childcare, or the race in general.
On Friday night, the sun set in the valley and then it started to rain. And boy did it rain! We had wicked thunderstorms deep into the night. Bright flashes of lighting were punctuated by echoing booms of thunder and the sound of pitter patter rain on the old roof of the Caves House. I tossed and turned all night as I thought of the muck that would great us on the track in the morning. It turns out my worries about the race course were unwarranted. I should have been worried about the roads!
We got up on time, fueled up, geared up, and loaded up. We didn’t even make it through the Grand Arch 50 yards from the house before we were turned back. Apparently, the coach (bus) that was sent to pick up some of the runners, broke down and was blocking the road. This isn’t any ordinary road. It is a very steep mountain road with numerous switchbacks over the course of 10 kilometers.
So, we were sent the opposite direction, which was 45 minutes out of the way. We had to go west, then north, before heading east again. The road towards Oberon is half the length of the more direct route towards Katoomba, but the elevation gain is the same, so it is much steeper. No problem. I had a week of driving on the left side of the road under my belt. I had mastered rotaries, parallel parking on the left side of the road, and was feeling pretty comfortable. I was up for the challenge until I realized that the fog was like pea soup. You couldn’t see 15 meters in front of the headlights and it was still raining. It didn’t matter what side of the road you were on because the road was only 10 feet wide! It was a “white knuckle” ride the whole way to Katoomba. I had Deb’s moral support, as well as driving and navigation advice. We were happy to arrive in time for the start and in one piece. Now I know why our insurance agent recommends taking the supplemental rental car insurance when you are so far from home!
Jenolan Caves & The Caves House
Published 9 March 2008 Biographical , Environment , Family Leave a CommentThe second half of our Blue Mountains adventure took place in Jenolan Caves. Jenolan is Australia’s best cave system. Hidden deep in a valley near Oberon in New South Wales, it is farther west from Katoomba on the Great Western Highway. Our base camp was the aptly named Jenolan Caves House, an historic lodge that was built adjacent to the caves. The Caves House has been the site of the Six Foot Track Marathon finish line for 25 years. The house was getting a new roof this month, but it was still a beautiful joint.
As for the caves. They were astounding. No complaints from us about seeing something so new and exciting. We had a really good guide for our Lucas Cave tour. It lasted an hour and a half, offered some good geology lessons, and provided some fun photo opportunities. We got to refresh ourselves on the difference between stalactites and stalacmites. My last Earth Science class was like 20+ years ago. Fortunately, a German woman gave us a “tip.” She said in Germany, the term is stalactiten, or something like that. So, titen hang down. You get the picture. I won’t forget again.
The last major bushwalk (hike) of our trip was a six hour affair to the Ruined Castle, a pile of rocks across the valley floor and up a nice little hill. The sun was shining and we had a great day experiencing some real tracks (trails) away from the tourist coaches (buses) and scenic overlooks crowded with fashionably dressed tourists in multi-colored flip-flops.
Our last day and a half in Katoomba was designed to be easy on the legs. With the impending Six Foot Track Marathon, we took it easy. So, no heavy hiking. Only some light walking. We got a chance to spend more time “in town” and also to check out Scenic World, the “Disneyland” of Katoomba. We rode the steepest incline railway in the world and also the gondola. We put our faith in Swiss engineering and trusted the Alps proven technology to deliver us safely to the valley floor and then to get us back up to the station.
Katoomba & The Blue Mountains
Published 5 March 2008 Biographical , Environment , Family Leave a CommentKatoomba is a cool place. More on that later.
Taxi Rides Don’t Always Result In Geo-Political Discussions
Published 5 March 2008 Biographical Leave a CommentMost cab rides are simple affairs, but last Sunday, my ride from downtown Sydney, Australia, to the Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport was not your normal fare. The trip was designed to be a short one to fetch a rental car that we would need for the second half of our Aussie trip. Little did I know that my twenty minute ride would involve a geo-political discussion that ranged from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to the issues in Darfur, to the USA presidential election. It all started when my driver made a quick call on his cell phone. He was speaking quickly, but I knew that he was speaking some sort of Arabic dialect. When he hung up, I asked, “Where are you originally from?”
That launched us into the long discussion. He asked me to guess where he was from and I said I didn’t know. I didn’t want to be wrong! So, he said he was from Somalia. I said, “No kidding.” I can’t recall meeting someone from Somalia before. I know many people from Africa and the Middle East, but Somalia is a place I have never been close to. He proceeded to give me his feelings about his country (he says the situation is improving) and then commented about the USA’s role in world politics. Of course, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was high on his list of topics to discuss, given the reports of more unrest in Gaza (just that morning there was another major attack by the Israelis following more rocket attacks from the Palestinians). He was very into current events. He said he had been living in Sydney for eight years, but that he stays in constant contact with his family in Somalia. It was clear that he was a passionate supporter of the Palestinian cause. He said that in Somalia, they would get constant updates any time their fellow Muslims were facing repression. It was interesting to ask him questions and to get a sense for his feelings about all kinds of stuff. His English was a little hard to understand, but that was because of the dialect. He knew exactly what he was saying and was quite articulate. I avoided any mention of of my Eastern German/Jewish heritage and simply listened while he went on and on. So, it was supposed to be a simple cab ride to the airport, but it was much more pleasant thanks to my driver…like I had a choice who I got!
Our conference ended on Friday night and on Saturday, we got a chance to see more of Sydney. Before we left town, we scouted the eastern beaches, including the world famous, Bondi Beach. Bondi may be the Venice Beach of Australia, but there are many beautiful parts of the coast, especially around Sydney. We explored a bit and after a few hours, felt like we had enough surf and were ready to return to turf. I love the sea, but Deb prefers the mountains. I don’t mind the mountains either, so when we have to make a choice, we choose the hills.
Before heading west, we briefly headed north, to check out the town of Manly. We also got a chance to see the mouth of Sydney Harbor from the spectacular Sydney Harbor National Park. I just noticed that they like to spell “harbour” with a u.
The Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney are a wonderful place to run. The smells are wonderful. Deep in the gardens, it is downright tropical. Of course, the real reason that folks flock to the gardens is to view the giant fruit bats!
The family trip to Sydney, NSW, Australia has gone splendidly. Much of what Bill Bryson said in his book, In a Sunburned Country, is true. Australia is a fabulous country. Our first week was very busy. We took part in the YPO Global Leadership Conference. We had lots of meetings and workshops. We got to catch up with lots of friends from all over the world.
The weather in Sydney was a bit worse than hoped for, but that doesn’t mean it was all bad. It is the end of their summer down here, and they have a had cooler temperatures and more rain than usual. The rain hasn’t dampened spirits. The city was alive with all kinds of stuff going on, in addition to the GLC. When we arrived, the Queen Elizabeth 2 was just getting ready to depart. Sister ship, the Queen Mary 2, had just left the harbor as the QE2 arrived. I’m not sure if the “ships passed in the night,” but it was billed as a momentous event. It was also the Sydney Chinese New Year celebration and the 30th anniversary of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras. There was a spectacular parade. We saw the before and after, but not the parade. With our little guy, we have had early evenings most nights.
So, there was an awful lot of stuff going on in Sydney, and it is usally a hopping place. Well, it has been even busier this year with all this extra stuff. We got in some great urban runs. The park system is wonderful. It really is the kind of place where you could stay and live!
I was disappointed to see that Chaco is moving its manufacturing to China. This is a company that uses the URL www.chacousa.com and prided itself on making footwear (primarily high performance sandals) in Colorado. Of course, making footwear comptetively in the USA is no easy task. Nonetheless, it is disappointing because the USA production was historically touted by the company. It is a shame that they couldn’t at least find a way to make them competitively in Mexico or somewhere else in the Western Hemisphere. Let’s at least hope they avoid the temptation to print “Designed in the USA” on their products!
This link has some interesting information about the decision. Many loyal customers wrote the ownership to voice their concerns. Hey, I’m wearing a pair of Chaco sandals right now! I’m channeling this e-mail straight from my feet.
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