A while back I asked folks to prod me about my progress on my novel, Ed's Oracle. Nobody has asked, and it's likely that nobody really cares. However, it helps keep me motivated. So, I'll do a pretend prodding:
So, do you have a publisher for your book, yet?
A publisher? I haven't even finished the rewrite!
Oh. So, how's the rewrite coming?
I have one chapter done (almost). Actually, it's starting to move along. I have to fit the rewrite in between Tullio's stuff, Heron stuff, other writing projects, family stuff (how in the world can two little kids such up so much damn energy? I'm exhausted by the time they go to bed!). So, it isn't going to be quick even if all goes well. I'm just trying to keep making progress.
Yawn.
OK, so it's not the most interesting thing in the world. I'll put something about bikes up here soon. I promise.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
NOS 6-Speed Freewheel on eBay
I found an old Shimano 600EX in a box of parts and put it up on eBay. It's still new-in-the-box. Here is the listing.
Monday, January 22, 2007
A New Blog to Check Out
I just found a fun, new blog. Good stuff - Stevie Joe Parker's Guide to Life.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
E-Mail Problems Fixed
It took a few days to figure it out, but I think I've finally fixed all of my e-mail problems. It appears that messages that I had sent were not being properly delivered. Unfortunately, I had no indication that there was a problem, and it may have been going on as long as two months. If you tried to reach me recently and received no reply, I apologize.
I should be able to receive and send mail now from my primary e-mail address, todd@kuzma.com.
I should be able to receive and send mail now from my primary e-mail address, todd@kuzma.com.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
E-Mail Woes
I just discovered that many, if not all, of the e-mail messages I have sent over the past few weeks have not been properly delivered. I'm working with my e-mail service provider to figure out how to correct it. If you have e-mailed me and have not received a reply, I apologize. I am not ignoring your note. Hopefully, this will be corrected soon. --Todd
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Asthma and Winter Cycling
It is now wintertime, and with the cold weather comes an aggravation of the asthma suffered by many cyclists, myself included. I’ve seen the subject mentioned many times on various internet forums. I thought that I would write about my own experience here.
I have the asthma triple whammy. Mine is exercise-induced, allergy-induced, and chronic. Chronic asthma refers to a reduced lung capacity even when not having an “attack.” For cyclists, we are primarily concerned with the exercise-induced variety, but allergies and chronic asthma can affect any ride.
While some experience the classic wheezing when having an attack, I often simply found myself out of breath. This was especially true when I used to race. For some time, I simply assumed that I was getting spit off the back of the pack because the other racers were simply better prepared. However, after one race, I found that I couldn’t catch my breath even after thirty minutes of recovery.
My doctor advised a gradual warm-up before a race or other hard effort. This proved to be a problem at races, though. I would be able to go through a proper warm-up and get my heart rate up, but I would invariably have to wait at the start line long enough for my heart rate to fall. The massive sprint that inevitably occurred at the start would then trigger an attack.
My doctor also advised a preventative dose of an inhaler like Albuterol before exercise. I still do that today if I plan anything beyond a light workout. I also carry an inhaler on every ride in case an attack hits me on the road. My need for a gradual warm-up means that I often can’t ride with groups that go hard from the start of a ride. I frequently need thirty to forty minutes before I can ride at tempo. If I go too hard too fast, I can trigger an attack.
I’ve also followed advice from the book Reversing Asthma by Richard N. Firshein, D.O. He suggests that most drug treatments for asthma merely address the symptom while aggravating the underlying cause. This results in a spiral of larger doses and additional medications. Instead, he recommends a change in diet and exercise that can reduce or eliminate the need for medication. He also suggests magnesium as a supplement. In fact, intravenous magnesium is often given to treat severe attacks. I have begun taking this recently after my neurologist suggested it to help prevent migraine headaches. So far, it has helped with both problems.
Back to the cold weather. The cold, dry air of wintertime often aggravates asthma for many cyclists. When I ride in winter, I make my warm-up even longer than normal. During the coldest times, I wear a balaclava that I can use to both keep my face warm and warm air that I am breathing in. The lower part of the balaclava can be adjusted during the ride as needed. During the coldest weather, it can be worn all the way up over the nose, full-ninja style. This allows exhaled breath through the nose and mouth to warm the fabric and, in turn, the inhaled air. As things warm up, the balaclava can be slipped down from the nose so that it only covers the mouth.
Once I am warmed up sufficiently that breathing in cold air will not trigger an attack, the balaclava can be lowered again to expose the mouth. If warm enough, the chin can also be exposed. Used in this manner, I found the balaclava to be one of the more useful bits of winter riding gear. While it is not always necessary simply to maintain body temperature, it can always be used to regulate the temperature of inhaled air.
I have talked to enough asthmatics to know that what works for one will not necessarily work for all. However, I hope that everyone can find a way to keep riding through these colder months. If anyone has other suggestions, please forward them.
I have the asthma triple whammy. Mine is exercise-induced, allergy-induced, and chronic. Chronic asthma refers to a reduced lung capacity even when not having an “attack.” For cyclists, we are primarily concerned with the exercise-induced variety, but allergies and chronic asthma can affect any ride.
While some experience the classic wheezing when having an attack, I often simply found myself out of breath. This was especially true when I used to race. For some time, I simply assumed that I was getting spit off the back of the pack because the other racers were simply better prepared. However, after one race, I found that I couldn’t catch my breath even after thirty minutes of recovery.
My doctor advised a gradual warm-up before a race or other hard effort. This proved to be a problem at races, though. I would be able to go through a proper warm-up and get my heart rate up, but I would invariably have to wait at the start line long enough for my heart rate to fall. The massive sprint that inevitably occurred at the start would then trigger an attack.
My doctor also advised a preventative dose of an inhaler like Albuterol before exercise. I still do that today if I plan anything beyond a light workout. I also carry an inhaler on every ride in case an attack hits me on the road. My need for a gradual warm-up means that I often can’t ride with groups that go hard from the start of a ride. I frequently need thirty to forty minutes before I can ride at tempo. If I go too hard too fast, I can trigger an attack.
I’ve also followed advice from the book Reversing Asthma by Richard N. Firshein, D.O. He suggests that most drug treatments for asthma merely address the symptom while aggravating the underlying cause. This results in a spiral of larger doses and additional medications. Instead, he recommends a change in diet and exercise that can reduce or eliminate the need for medication. He also suggests magnesium as a supplement. In fact, intravenous magnesium is often given to treat severe attacks. I have begun taking this recently after my neurologist suggested it to help prevent migraine headaches. So far, it has helped with both problems.
Back to the cold weather. The cold, dry air of wintertime often aggravates asthma for many cyclists. When I ride in winter, I make my warm-up even longer than normal. During the coldest times, I wear a balaclava that I can use to both keep my face warm and warm air that I am breathing in. The lower part of the balaclava can be adjusted during the ride as needed. During the coldest weather, it can be worn all the way up over the nose, full-ninja style. This allows exhaled breath through the nose and mouth to warm the fabric and, in turn, the inhaled air. As things warm up, the balaclava can be slipped down from the nose so that it only covers the mouth.
Once I am warmed up sufficiently that breathing in cold air will not trigger an attack, the balaclava can be lowered again to expose the mouth. If warm enough, the chin can also be exposed. Used in this manner, I found the balaclava to be one of the more useful bits of winter riding gear. While it is not always necessary simply to maintain body temperature, it can always be used to regulate the temperature of inhaled air.
I have talked to enough asthmatics to know that what works for one will not necessarily work for all. However, I hope that everyone can find a way to keep riding through these colder months. If anyone has other suggestions, please forward them.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Randonneurs, Need Some New Wheels?
Brevet season is coming up, and some new wheels might be in order. I've listed a great pair on eBay that feature a Schmidt SON28 dynohub, Campy Veloce rear hub, and Torelli Master rims. Check them out here.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Randonneur on eBay, Again
The 59 cm Randonneur didn't sell the first time around. I've dropped the price $50 and listed it again. Check it out here.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Neil Produces Another Beauty!
For Christmas I received the latest Neil Young and Crazy Horse release, Live at the Fillmore East. While this is a new release, it was recorded in 1970 and shows the power of the Horse before the death of guitarist Danny Whitten. It's well worth it for the versions of "Down by the River" and "Cowgirl in the Sand" alone (over 12 minutes and 16 minutes respectively). Steve Miller and Miles Davis were also on the Fillmore stage that weekend (but not on the record). The Fillmore marquee shown on the cover indicates that the following weekends would feature John Mayall, the Moody Blues, and Joe Cocker. Not a bad line-up.
Now back to the shop . . .
Now back to the shop . . .
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
More Carradice Stuff Has Arrived!
I just received a shipment from Carradice and have a number of things back in stock! Check out the Carradice page on the Tullio's site for all the details. Highlights include the new green and tan Nelson Longflap saddlebags, more Super C rear panniers, Bagman QR racks, saddlebag clamps, Super C saddlebags, Zipped Rolls, Cape Rolls, and Barley saddlebags.
Also, I received some extra rubber tips for the Bagman QR racks. An earlier shipment of these racks came without the tips. If you bought one of these racks and would like a pair of tips, let me know.
Also, I received some extra rubber tips for the Bagman QR racks. An earlier shipment of these racks came without the tips. If you bought one of these racks and would like a pair of tips, let me know.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Betrayal of the Brain and Revisiting Lebowski
I didn’t get to 50,000 words during National Novel Writing Month this year. I have lots of excuses, but it’s mostly my brain’s fault. I am typically betrayed by my brain in one of three ways. First is the migraine headache. My headaches can put me out of action for a couple of days, and I had two doozies in November.
The second form of betrayal is obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is when my brain decides that, rather than write, I should be looking up every punk band of the 1980s who might have recorded a cover of Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film” and/or “Rio.” Sometimes, my brain also decides to watch The Big Lebowski until 1 AM. If you’ve never suffered from OCD, it can be difficult to explain. Just imagine that your brain is engaged in one gear and refuses to shift to another.
The third form of betrayal is not technically the brain’s fault. It occurs whenever I get sick and my many prescription medications are supplemented by over-the-counter cold medicines. This inevitably creates a brain haze that prevents any sort of clear thinking. In the past month, I’ve taken Axert, Imitrex, Zoloft, Tylenol, Tylenol Cold, Vicodin, Prilosec, riboflavin, magnesium, Cold-Eeze, Alpha CF, Promethazine, Nyquil, Vicks VapoRub, Pepto Bismol, and Rolaids. I still have the cold, but I can now cut through steel with powerful rays that I emit from my eyeballs.
By the way, I have tried the injectable version of Imitrex for headaches. This comes in an injection “pen” with a spring-loaded needle. The injection is typically given in the thigh. I’m not sure how it well it works long-term, but in the short-term, you forget about your headache to focus on the new, searing pain in your thigh.
During my obsession with The Big Lebowski, I came to revisit an earlier blog entry in which I listed O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Fargo as the two best Coen brothers films. Someone questioned me on it at the time, and I have to question myself now. Lebowski is pretty darned good and gets better with each viewing. How about if I just call them the top three and leave it at that?
The second form of betrayal is obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is when my brain decides that, rather than write, I should be looking up every punk band of the 1980s who might have recorded a cover of Duran Duran’s “Girls on Film” and/or “Rio.” Sometimes, my brain also decides to watch The Big Lebowski until 1 AM. If you’ve never suffered from OCD, it can be difficult to explain. Just imagine that your brain is engaged in one gear and refuses to shift to another.
The third form of betrayal is not technically the brain’s fault. It occurs whenever I get sick and my many prescription medications are supplemented by over-the-counter cold medicines. This inevitably creates a brain haze that prevents any sort of clear thinking. In the past month, I’ve taken Axert, Imitrex, Zoloft, Tylenol, Tylenol Cold, Vicodin, Prilosec, riboflavin, magnesium, Cold-Eeze, Alpha CF, Promethazine, Nyquil, Vicks VapoRub, Pepto Bismol, and Rolaids. I still have the cold, but I can now cut through steel with powerful rays that I emit from my eyeballs.
By the way, I have tried the injectable version of Imitrex for headaches. This comes in an injection “pen” with a spring-loaded needle. The injection is typically given in the thigh. I’m not sure how it well it works long-term, but in the short-term, you forget about your headache to focus on the new, searing pain in your thigh.
During my obsession with The Big Lebowski, I came to revisit an earlier blog entry in which I listed O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Fargo as the two best Coen brothers films. Someone questioned me on it at the time, and I have to question myself now. Lebowski is pretty darned good and gets better with each viewing. How about if I just call them the top three and leave it at that?
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
NANOWRIMO Time Kill
Instead of writing my novel, I'm busy finding stuff like this. This link is a must for Mötorhead fans (you know who you are).
Sunday, November 19, 2006
NANOWRIMO Update
I'm at 11,217 words and counting. That means I have to average a whole bunch of words (3232) every day to catch up by the end of the month. How much sleep do I really need anyway?
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Taunted by Words
NANOWRIMO follows me. It mocks me. It ridicules my puny word count.
Tullio's and Heron have been getting a fair number of orders lately, and that's great. However, it means lots of time packing and shipping. Earlier this month, I spent hours rebuilding the Tullio's website after the host server had problems. Of course, there are also the world's two smartest and best looking children. Who wouldn't want to hang around with them as much as possible?
Add it all up, and it means there is precious little time to write a 50,000-word novel before the November 30 deadline rolls around. How does Stephen King do it? As of right now, I have 5968 words. I should have 25,000. Yikes!
Tullio's and Heron have been getting a fair number of orders lately, and that's great. However, it means lots of time packing and shipping. Earlier this month, I spent hours rebuilding the Tullio's website after the host server had problems. Of course, there are also the world's two smartest and best looking children. Who wouldn't want to hang around with them as much as possible?
Add it all up, and it means there is precious little time to write a 50,000-word novel before the November 30 deadline rolls around. How does Stephen King do it? As of right now, I have 5968 words. I should have 25,000. Yikes!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Tullio's Site Back Up
The Tullio's site is back up (I think). I guess I remember how to do all that stuff after all. If anyone finds any problems (bad links, missing pics, etc.), please let me know.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Tullio's Site Down Temporarily
It seems that my web host has had some technical problems, and I'll have to rebuild the Tullio's site. It will be up soon, I promise.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
NANOWRIMO Begins!
It's November 1, the official start of National Novel Writing Month! Are you writing? You should be writing. Heck, I should be writing. Gotta go.
ALERT: Selling a Heron Demo Frame on eBay!
Hey, eBay junkies! I've listed a 57 cm Heron Touring frame and fork in Shippingsport Silver on eBay. Check it out here. Also, check my other auctions for a pair of peachy-keen lightweight 26" road wheels and a Salsa Moto Ace Short & Shallow handlebar.
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