Arsbars.com

Many goals are on the board, the first is training and completely Trans Iowa the end of April.  A lot of thoughts are going into gear selection, nutrition and even simply the training to get me there.

Slowly I am figuring out the plugin you’ll see to the right of this page, it has miles on it.  It should be broken down by week and month but right now it seems to be stuck on cumlative.  (No more boring details..)

Before I run off with my baked brie and crab dip to Thanksgiving dinner, I wanted to give thanks to all of you reading this.

A list, short and sweet.

• My family and friends.  Continuously growing and getting stronger as months turn into years
• My job/jobs.  Grateful for the chance to manage a great bike shop, and also excited about my new adventures that Commute By Bike and Bike Shop Girl bring for 2010.
• My family and my own good health.
• Happiness
• Good weather
• Bike riding
• The goal of Trans Iowa 2010.

Thank you all for being part of my real life, online and even past memories.

The daily commute will be the only riding.
Bike riding today is at a minimum.

Been sick for a couple days now, but hopefully mending.
Cruddy rain and overcast skies aren’t helping the sickness either.

Today is busy at the shop.
Last minute details before next weekends “Black Friday Sale.”

I hope to get in sweet “Ho Ho Ho” tshirts for the shop before then.

Too much to type, for now let me leave you with this.. Gary Fisher wished me happy birthday on Twitter, so right now it is what is on his “Twitter feed” on the front page of FisherBikes.com

Birthday Wish

Trans Iowa Registration Announcement: It is time! If you have a hankerin’ for a heapin’ helpin’ of Iowa limestone goodness, here’s how you get some. Pay attention! The specifics are important if you want to get your name on the roster.

Veterans First! For anyone that wants to toe the line at T.I.V6 that has been in a previous Trans Iowa, you get first dibs on a roster spot. You can start sending your post cards today and Veterans Of Trans Iowa Past (VOTIP’s) can be assured they will have the first rights until November 21st!! No new entrants will be accepted at this time. This is to honor those who have supported Trans Iowa with blood, sweat, and tears in the past. You new folks have to wait until after the 21st.

Leftover Spots: Whatever doesn’t get scooped up from the 75 available spots after the 21st is open game for all who want to get a post card in. In the past, it hasn’t taken very long to fill in the empty roster spots available, but I will entertain all comers until November 30th if spots still remain. Once I reach 75 entrants though, the Roster is filled. However, I will fill in a Waiting List with overflow post cards received up until November 30th.

T.I.V5 Volunteers: If you were a volunteer on T.I.V5 and want in, you have automatic guranteed entry, but you still need to send in a post card.

Now for the pertinent details……………………Post Cards: Post cards must be received with legible writing (judged by me) and include the following information:
-Name
-Class (Choose one: Open Men’s, Open Women’s, or Single Speed/Fixed)
-e-mail address (make sure it is valid and working!)
-Phone # (preferably the one you will be reachable at during the event)
-Past Trans Iowa events you have raced in (if applicable)
-How many support people will be with you. (This is for pre-race planning)

Again, there is no “official post card”, but you must have the information listed above in legible form. I reserve the right to refuse unreadable entries or entries missing information I asked for above.
Send post cards here:
Europa Cycle and Ski
c/o Guitar Ted
4302 University Avenue
Cedar Falls, IA 50613

For more details see Guitar Ted Productions post dated 11/13/09.

My birthday is tomorrow..  I’m going for a bike ride in the morning before work.  Does anyone want to join me?

Riding across Iowa the end of April..

Meeting Time: This Wednesday there is a meeting taking place that should help define a few key points in regards to T.I.V6. There may even be some recon as well. If all goes well, and there is no reason to believe it won’t, a lot of dominoes will start to fall real quick in regards to how the rest of recon will go, and the key parts of the event should be well defined.

Registration: One of the immediate outcomes of this upcoming meeting will be the announcement of Registration. I suppose you could say this is an announcement that there will be an announcement! At any rate, look closely for that directly after the Wednesday meeting.

You can expect that I will be letting in past participants first. This means you took the starting line at a T.I. before. Then after about a week or so, the registration will be opened to anyone else interested that gets a post card in for one of the remaining spots. A daily tally will be kept so that those of you waiting to know what is going on can keep track. Again, we’ll be letting in 75 people, and a “Waiting List” of any overflow will be kept to fill in any roster spots that become available through attrition. I’ll do this swapping in from the “Waiting List” until 1-31-10. After that point, no fill ins will be taken on, and the roster will be allowed to contract if folks drop out after that point.

Registration will be by post card only. You can get your post card in by whatever means you want. In the past I have received overnight express packages, pizzas with cards attached, beer with cards attached, cards slipped under the Europa Cycle and Ski’s front door, drop offs by courier, and of course, by regular mail. You can bring your post card by donkey or carrier pigeon, but it has to be a post card. Also, there is no “official post card”. You can make your own up, or have someone else do it for you. You can buy “el cheapo” post cards at the Post Office, or use fancy-schmancy ones from far flung travel destinations. Again, it doesn’t matter, but the more fun, the better.

Finally, I will be asking for specific information on that post card. Every item of info I ask for must be on the card, and it must be legible by me! Important point folks! If I can not read yer writin’, you are not gettin’ in. I won’t warn you, or let you know. You have one chance to get it right. Don’t blow it! Write legibly or lose! I will announce what the specific information I want is at the time of the Official Registration Announcement.