As always, the camera comes with so I can snap along the way. Nothing like hauling ass up a hill with a good photo op as a reward.

As for Fermentable Friday (or Friday? BEER!) you can rest assured that I enjoyed a tasty brew after a ride like this.

As my tires spun down race street a glow in the corner of my eye caught my attention…..the Rose window at Music Hall was lit up.

Music Hall looms over Washington Park, its presence unavoidable during the day. But at night it’s not as domineering, no plethora of light cascading the facade. To see this bright circle hanging low in the sky was pretty cool.

These pictures don’t do it justice….this was a pretty awesome sight. I’ve heard stories that you can actually climb up inside music hall to that window and look out over the park. I imagine if you had done something like that, seeing this would be even cooler and have a little more meaning…..

I snapped photos as best I could and continued riding.

Roebling bridge was cool, QCS was all lit up….but those are always there. Not sure how often I’ll get that view of Music Hall….

I got off work and walked home, debating at the last minute whether I was really going to pay $35 (pretty steep for a 5k) to run across a bridge I hit all the time (Editor’s note: those who know me personally are familiar with my ability to waffle on any decision until the last minute, so this is normal behavior). In the end my screw-it-you-only-live-once attitude kicked in and I hopped on my bike to ride over to Newport and register.

Riding east down Central Pkwy

These are the days where Cincy weather is awesome; blue sky, a little breeze, humidity below choking level…

I locked up my ride and went down to the registration table where I was hit with a blast from the past….scantron sheets…damn bubbles…but whatever it takes to get instant timing results…

After I registered I started the warm up process, which naturally included taking pictures of QCS…

The pre registered crowd was a little thin, but about 5 minutes after I got all set up it seemed like runners were coming out of the woodwork. I guess, like myself, this was a spur of the moment call for many of the foxes and hounds.

Let me speak about the format a little bit more. If you’ve ever seen me at a race, you know I like to start in the front of the pack. I know I’m not going to win (or even come close) but I hate fighting my way through a crowd. Plus, if you are in front and people are passing you it’s just more motivation to run harder. Doubt crept into my mind as I thought of all the foxes, including the walkers, who would have a 5 minute head start. Here I was for a flat course I thought I could break my PR on, a goal now in jeopardy due to potential bottlenecking (other than the bridge this was not a wide course).

It turned out just fine. By the time they released the hounds the foxes were spread out enough, and most of the laggers stayed to the right to allow the speedier of us to breeze by. In fact, I was (by my standards) flying, as I passed mile marker 1 in 6:26 and mile 2 at 13:00. I was pumped, at that pace I would surely break my 21:00 5k PR.

Somewhere during mile 3 the switch flipped the wrong way, and by the time we made the turn to head back up the Purple People bridge I was slacking. 100 yards from the finish line I couldn’t find that extra gear I kick it into at the end of races. I tried, but my mind was focused on not throwing up. I finished at 21:56, and while I thought I could do better, I remembered staying up until 3 am the night before, and moving furniture for 2 hours that day…not exactly good race prep, so I relaxed and went looking for water.

A welcome surprise, I ran into Liz and her friends and we chatted for a while by the timing board. I glanced over, the list of the top 25 men scrolling across the blue screen. If you were lucky enough to be in that group you won a “Fox and Hounds 5k” etched pint glass. And there it was, my name at number 25…I smiled, all of a sudden happy and not caring about my time. It was good enough for a glass, and that was good enough for me!

Liz and I post race

Did I mention they had goetta sliders and orange sherbet for us to munch on? Our race bibs also had 2 drink tickets stapled to them…I’m pretty sure post race parties are now a requirement for me to take part in events…

3 sliders, 2 beers, 1 sorbet cup and a bunch of laughs later it was time to pedal back home, albeit with one more shot of the Queen City’s new gem.

For the first annual Fox and Hounds 5k I thought the organizers pulled it off pretty well. Everything went down as advertised, and if I have one gripe it would be that I can’t find the results online. But they had them there at the race, so who cares. Plus, I love the ability to ride my bike to events like this. Suck it suburbs. I can’t wait for next year!

Update: someone was kind enough to point me to the results–thanks!

For those that don’t get the title reference:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBaqJj4aPDY

All of a sudden we were met with a set of glass doors, on the other side of which was sweet, cool A/C. “Tickets please fellas,” called a lady at a narrow podium, slipping us pink wristbands after verification of our seats.

The next words out of her mouth really threw me for a loop. “Go ahead and help yourselves to some food, there’s stuff all along the concourse.”

To think I almost bought peanuts to bring in the stadium

I picked up my jaw off the floor and kept moving. I had been mentally preparing myself to spend loads of cash on food and beer, all the while sweating my ass off, and here I was in the A/C with free Montgomery Inn, La Rosa’s, and what’s more, 20 oz Moerlein OTR on draft for a reasonable (ballpark) price.

Club seats are the best of both worlds. Right along the first base line above the suites, the concourse has A/C while the seats are still outside. I’ve been in boxes before, they’re cool, but you’re a little detached from the actual ballgame experience (“Beer Here!”). In the club the seats are padded, and the nosebleeds above provide some shade, so you’re still on the luxury side of ballpark seating.

It is kinda crazy, I think half the people in this section were under 12.

This kid was either dancing or running up for more cinnamon breadsticks

Too bad they lost 1-0, but at least they got 2 outta 3 in the series.

Still a blast to be at a game.

And I got a new angle of QCS.

Oh yeah, and not only is there free food inside, but free icy pops being handed out in the aisles! Beer cooler anyone?

This was my first Reds game of the season….might be my last cause I won’t get to live this good at any others (unless I win tickets to the county box again like I did last year [which I just read they are not doing this year...BS!])

Besides Race St, work, and some casual social outings (like Monday night pick-up soccer) I don’t have much else going on. Desperate to stay in some sort of shape, I’ve been getting on my bike at least twice a week. Due to the nature of the above schedule I’m pretty much confined to night time rides (the fact that it’s a million degrees out doesn’t hurt either).

I already ride around with a backpack, and I’m thinking a little tripod might be in my future, because finding ledges and things to use as a stabilizer can be difficult, especially when I need a specific angle to try and shoot, say, a new skyscraper.

By that last sentence you’d think I was an actual photographer with something other than my little Point and Shoot. I’m not….

After running home to change I started my journey by heading back up to OTR before sprinting down Race St to the river.

Over-The-Rhine fascinates me even more than it did 3 years ago when I moved here. Majestic Music Hall sitting right across from boarded up treasures labeled with the plight of the neighborhood.

Moving on….

It’s always a nice cruise down race (or walnut) from OTR to Downtown. Once you cross central parkway the lights time up, almost egging you on to pedal faster and hit the river without stopping. Although sometimes I loop around 5chw4r7z’s so I can get a view of QCS.

Being close to the river feels good. Sure, it’s not the cleanest body of water out there, but I did swim in it and live….so I like cruising down to Friendship Park and the Serpentine Wall. I guess the sun knew it was the reason I was out and about…it certainly caught my eye on the south shore….

When I’m that close I always ride over to NKY and back. Something about crossing state lines make any workout seem that much more badass.

Returning to the other side of the river I always face a dilemma: do I ride back through downtown, or torture myself on some hills in Mt. Adams?

Yeah, the hills normally win.

When it really started to get dark I kept my camera in my pocket and just rode. I put my headphones on to drown out the world and got lost in endless pedal strokes. It felt good to just zone out for a while and wear myself down.

The last rays of sun had set and the sky was growing darker by the minute as I cranked down Reading Rd. Living so close to Neon’s can be a great thing, and that night it seemed appropriate to just show up on my bike as opposed to going home and showering first. I ran into a couple of friends (oh neighborhood bar, how I love thee) and enjoyed a pint (or two) before we all remembered it was a school night.

A little break and a few beers can do great things though, and I wasn’t ready to pack it in yet. I know it’s closed, but frankly I just felt like going to hang on the Serpentine Wall…so I did.

One reason not to hang out there at night (besides the fact you will be asked to leave pretty quickly) are the crazy looking bugs that swarm the light poles.

With creepy bug pictures under my belt (was that really necessary, prolly not) and security in my ear, it was time to pack it in for the night. With a gentle ride up Eggleston I was home, completely content with my summer solstice ride.

Bockfest was roaring the whole time, aided by the phenomenal weather we had. Which means one of two things as far as your Monday is concerned, either A) You, like me, had such a good time all weekend, that it’s hard to be anything other than happy today or B) you had a great time, but that simply adds to the depression you’re feeling now that you’re back on the grind.

I enjoyed Bockfest a lot, and I’ll post about it more tomorrow, but the highlight of the weekend for me was the 11 mile bike ride I went on Sunday, hitting Downtown, OTR, Newport, Mt. Adams, and Eden Park, all the while snapping pictures.

My first stop was The Banks/QCS to get a few photos of the ongoing construction.

Next I rode over to Newport to stop in Reser bikes for a little air (and because I love saying I went riding in a couple states).

Then it was back to the Ohio side to tackle Mt. Adams and Eden Park

Music Hall and the heart of OTR as seen from the Ida St. Bridge

Then it was back downtown for a few more QCS shots.

The remnants of a great season of ice skating

I hope you were able to go out an enjoy the great weather like I did!

QCS as seen from 8th and Sycamore

Various Downtown Shots

Central Pkwy/Reading Rd

Treacherous

Court St

Fountain Square

Sherman tailgating a cop in the snow

Snow tires...one of my better purchases in the last two years

I saw the crane spinning on my way to work and snapped a few shots of what will be Cincinnati’s tallest building.

12/22/09

12/22/09

12/22/09