i do too

I'd worry about bears more

Railroad crossings always make me a little nervous when I'm ridiing.

Bill, in all seriousness, I was only twitting about getting comments moved. I really don't know what I think about 24 or 25% of fatalities involving alcohol. I think every driver who sees a cyclist commuting assumes that a DWI claimed their license, because why else would someone ride a bike to work? That number just fuels idiots' perceptions that we are all drunks or insane.

Well sometimes the insane part is actually debatable.

Fixed.

hanging curve

It's come to my attention that road cyclists are not universally loved or admired across the cycling world.

Interesting.

When in my big truck I consider cyclists annoying little pests... I often rolldown window and holler for them to get on the sidewalk where they belong!

You've been cruising around here stalking me, haven't you?

I got about 500. kilometers that is.

is that called "kilometerage"?

Yeah. It made me sad when I found that out.

so, we have a dumb "wellness" program at work. they say to "protect us from" healthcare reform, whatever that means. it's different from what recce and laj have. in order to avoid paying an extra $35 a month for health insurance, we have to do a hra, have a biometric test, and other stuff.

it's all supposed to be very anonymous, and it's basically just data mining. i've discovered some pretty serious errors in their effort to be anonymous. we have to hand in printed out forms with barcodes on them, signed and dated by our doctor. then, the hra is done online with a form at the end to print out and hand in with the barcode form.

my doctor stamped my forms with her office stamp. it includes the address. i am the only employee that lives in wisconsin. facepalm number one. (besides one of the forms being female specific, which would narrow it down even more)
then, the hra verification form i have to print has MY NAME ON IT. facepalm number two.

i'm just going to mail them directly to the hr person instead of waiting until i'm in the office to stuff them in the anonymous collection box for the forms.

finally, the hra didn't like my half-assery of a mostly meatless, and gluten free diet. my highest risk factors are because of it, despite the fact that i'm eating much healthier now than i have most of my life. when i discussed it with my doctor, her only concern was that i get enough calcium. facepalm number three.

i think most of my annoyance comes from the fact that i worked for a company that developed health risk assessments in the '90s. it was the dot com boom and i took a low salary in exchange for stock options which turned out totally worthless. i should have some understanding of the benefit of hra's, but i didn't get it then, and still don't now. i still think they're completely pointless.

the best part of that job was the downtown office with a cool view, and getting into the elevator with a pack of cigarettes in my hand and getting funny looks from people in suits when they asked me where i worked.

Bailed on employer health plan, opened HSA, obtained HD-HSA plan, saved 60%. Self-reliance is the most certain path to getting ahead in this politically upside-down, socially bankrupt world.

So long as you are healthy.

Harrumph. In the rain, double harrumph.

You've got a major spin operation underway at corporate HQ.

With an idiot like me anything is possible !

It was actually a quote from the company providing the wellness program. Well, the second company. We ditched the company with the stupid not actually confidential forms for a different company that seems much better (and is giving us free gym memberships) but for whatever reason we still have to complete the requirements of the first. We'll then have to have another set of physicals and biometrics done. So dumb.

Somebody's making money on all these so-called money saving programs.

Here are my numbers from this evening's workout (5x5 minute thershold with 1 minute recoveries) compared to the first time I did this workout on 1/16/13.

1/16 intervals - 243, 252, 247, 250, 247 watts
2/28 intervals - 295, 291, 296, 290, 300 watts

I ride with a guy who pushes his cat around in a wheeled carriage.
Even I think that's silly.

I think part of the problem is that when we think of cycling injury rates we are thinking about that number with respect to cyclists like ourselves. The real number obviously entails everyone riding a bike, serious cyclist or local drunk without a drivers license. It would be cool if we could get the numbers or risks in that group of cyclists like ourselves.