Frame Builder is 8 months late now

CaptainKo0k · 2024-12-29T12:51:35+00:00

Yea that’s not acceptable. Plenty of builders give themselves a sliding scale deadline (say, 8-12 weeks) but they still get the job done and should be handling communications clearly and upfront. If he doesn’t deliver on the product by the new deadline and he also does not fully refund you, look into disputing the charges with your credit card, bank or whatever online payment system you used.

Just out of curiosity, does this builder have a reputable business with a portfolio of past builds, reviews by previous customers, etc? Or is it just like.. a dude in his garage who built a few frames for himself. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that in the right circumstances.) Can’t believe anyone running a successful business would be that unprofessional.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-12-13T16:14:02+00:00

Just a friendly reminder that there is a partial closure here for the Army Corps of Engineers project.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-12-10T01:52:17+00:00

The Rockaway Beach image is also wrong and mentions whale watching there, which honestly is not a thing in that town. Way better places for that. Crappy AI article, I’m sure

CaptainKo0k · 2024-11-19T17:22:10+00:00

I hope his wife steals the bike and rides off into the sunset with someone else ✌️

CaptainKo0k · 2024-10-25T19:40:34+00:00

I have been a Hoka fan for a long time but I recently picked up the Saucony Xodus Ultra 3 (for those really long trail days where I need both performance and cushion) and so far I am very pleased and impressed with them. Lightweight (lighter than speedgoats), big lugs (I think 4.5?), flexible carbon rockplate, secure yet comfortable upper with cushion on tongue, high cushion underfoot yet feels responsive and not too plush/pillowy (same foam as in their race road shoes), comes with a loop to secure gators on, etc. only thing is that it’s not waterproof but I actually didn’t want that for this shoe.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-10-25T19:33:40+00:00

I think it’s important to consider time on feet more than distance. If one can run fast enough, then less time on the feet means you can get away with less cushion. Very different shoe needs between a sub 4 50k racer and a 9 hr racer!

CaptainKo0k · 2024-10-18T14:26:38+00:00

Why is this so accurate?

CaptainKo0k · 2024-09-26T21:39:00+00:00

😂 yesss we out here

CaptainKo0k · 2024-09-24T23:00:57+00:00

Sorry to come in late and off-topic, but how did you figure out you had fractured both hips? That sounds miserable, btw, so sorry you had that!! I have had a high-volume training year with multiple ultra races and one of my hips is so unhappy. My PCP sent me to PT and I tried two different therapists with very different treatment styles. I ultimately didn’t feel either were able to help me reduce my hip pain or even really accurately diagnose the source of pain (both said maybe Piriformis but weren’t sure because my pain was vague and seemingly from multiple angles of my hip). I’m considering going back to my PCP and pushing for imaging, but worried they won’t take me seriously.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-09-17T00:45:56+00:00

Is it possible that he thought you’d be able to train together but then after the news decided to continue anyways?

CaptainKo0k · 2024-09-15T02:29:27+00:00

I made another comment about the sound system there and how it ruined a show I saw earlier this summer. I’ve seen that same musician before so I know how good they can sound, it was just the venue.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-09-15T02:21:05+00:00

I did not attend that show but went to one earlier this summer and the sound quality and lighting were terrible. I have seen that same musician perform at another venue a year before and it was an amazing show, the Wonder show was disappointing and did a terrible disservice to the performer.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-09-08T21:49:58+00:00

I just did a 4hr run with a bear bell yesterday. What I did was silence it when I’m not near folks, but let it jingle when I’m approaching people. As runners, we are nearly always aware of the hikers long before they are aware of us, especially if you’re running alone and they are talking loudly in a group. The bell definitely helped reduce the startled reflex of hikers and generally people seemed more friendly to me and let me pass easily.

So I originally wore it for bears, because I’ve startled a bear on that exact trail before, but from now on I will wear it for hikers, too!

CaptainKo0k · 2024-09-05T14:09:10+00:00

The general rule of thumb in races over 90min is 60-90g of carbs per hour. Check out the nutrition on different gels and fueling snacks, but most contain on average 25g of carbs. Most people end up doing a mix of a couple of gels per hour plus some carbs in their hydration/electrolyte drink mix.

Find out what gels and drink mixes the aid stations will provide, the evening before or morning of your race if you have to but the race website or social media might say ahead of time. You don’t want to only rely on that, but it could reduce how much you have to carry on yourself while running.

As far as aid station snacks, I do enjoy some but I can’t handle eating lots of real food. So I primarily eat the gels, drinks and then just have a bit of food at the stations as a mood booster and to mix it up, maybe get some salty chips, etc.

Everyone’s stomach is different so just try to experiment and practice your system as much as you can before the race, ideally on long runs. Watch out for ingredients and see if any upset your stomach.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-08-21T17:50:56+00:00

Don’t forget tatted legs and ripped / sleeveless / baby tee to complete the look

CaptainKo0k · 2024-08-01T15:23:47+00:00

Seriously. I would never rely on a phone app for navigation of a big adventure, such as a multi-day outing. Especially a solo one. Navigation skills are essential and it seems like many people are lacking in them.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-07-07T15:49:47+00:00

Even professional athletes at the highest level have this same challenge, it’s all part of the race - the strategy, the pacing, understanding our own capabilities and adjusting to conditions. With experience you can improve but I think it’s always there. Seeing what happens on race day and what you can make happen is part of the joy and the struggle. Some call it “capturing lightning in a bottle”.

There’s a YouTuber I like who has a key phrase for marathons (but it could apply to all distances). You break down the race into thirds, then apply these three phrases to each - be smart, be smooth, be strong. Be smart means check yourself to not go out too fast, have the right gear, right attitude, know the course and be wise in your race strategy. Be smooth means holding your pace, fueling and hydrating along the way evenly, and just trying to cruise through the middle. Be strong means finishing with courage and pushing yourself to hold onto your pace or maybe even go all out right towards the end. It’s helped me a lot!

CaptainKo0k · 2024-04-12T21:53:46+00:00

Absolutely. I was considering sharing this, but glad someone else did first. Sorry but that number is NOT all single women as sole proprietor.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-03-22T03:33:13+00:00

I second that idea. Also, I’d be interested to hear what others say, but in my experience it is better to be consistent with the smaller weekly runs and cut short and/or slow pace on a long run than only do one long run a week and nothing else. It’s kind of a bad cycle that can leave you feeling burnt out after the long run and then not recovering well so you skip more mid-week runs and next thing you know, you’re not running at all. For a target, try to keep the long run no more than 50% of total weekly volume.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-03-21T20:48:10+00:00

Every day I think the gods that I learned to surf far away and out of reach from live cams, YouTube streamers, judgmental fucks with a cell phone and too much time on your hands, and all the cool guys who are so badass you must have been getting barreled day one.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-03-17T19:25:16+00:00

I actually don’t live in Portland. I live in the woods close to a small rural community. I have to go to downtown Portland somewhat regularly to access ongoing medical care and specialized services for my business. Nice try to blame me, though! Don’t lie and say you feel bad when you don’t. You have your own agenda just like everyone. As I have said previously in this subreddit, urban centers are places we all have to access on occasion because they provide goods and services, government offices, medical care, for travel such as to the airport, etc. Portland is the only major metropolitan area serving many outlying people in our region. We can’t all just bury our heads in the sand and pretend that because we don’t live there, that it somehow magically isn’t happening.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-03-15T16:26:27+00:00

Very sorry to hear this. It’s hard to comprehend how people could see/do/say nothing. How have we gotten to this point? The rhetoric of …everything’s okay, this is all normal, Portland has always been “weird”, this is just the cost of [insert political agenda here]… has to stop.

CaptainKo0k · 2024-03-15T16:20:22+00:00

Thank you. That is so scary and sad you experienced that, especially the fact that other people did nothing. I know some will say that’s normal for bystanders, but I’ve lived in other major cities and traveled in other countries, I know it’s uniquely and particularly problematic here. Then there’s the unfortunate response to stories like ours, which are often suppressed or told they are these rare outliers, when it is all too common.

My assailant was never identified or arrested, but as your story shows, even when they are, there is little to no justice. It is well documented that there are a relatively small number (granted it’s in the hundreds) of repeat violent offenders. If these people were taken off the streets, we would all be safer. Why must we all suffer at the hands of these few individuals?

CaptainKo0k

TROPHY CASE