So much has happened since the last post. Let me catch you up.
First, the race. I ran pretty well, finishing the thirteen-point-one miles in two hours and eighteen minutes. I came in eight minutes behind the Meers-Cat, which is too bad since now I have to buy him dinner at Simone's. I also threw up during the race, which is a new experience. I told an avid runner about this, and she said, "That's good." I am not going to disagree, but I would rather not make it a habit. It wasn't the most enjoyable thing to have happen.
Moving on.
I am going to have a full-time job. Starting February first, I am no longer the cowboy of industrial design. As it turns out, I am going to be a design associate for Gravitytank. I have been contracting with them for around two years now and have found my way into the team as a full member. This is excellent news.
Obviously I will have steady income. And insurance (it's been almost three years since I had any insurance). So, now my projects like Fenrir will have a budget. That should help though it's also got to come at the cost of time (money is, after all, a symbol of our time which we trade for other things: time is money which is why we never seem to have them both simultaneously).
Secondly, I will be doing all sorts of good work which will push me to excel at my own tasks, but also learn and practice new disciplines. That is priceless. It is what I wanted. Not just the job. I never really wanted a job, I wanted to work at something that made me fulfilled. Design does that for me. And part of that fulfillment is that I don't know everything. I like that there are challenges and new ideas out there and that I can experience discovery.
I am very pleased.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
The Competition
A guy from the forum posted this video, and I thought I would share. These are some of the guys I have to beat...
Friday, January 13, 2012
Cross Training
Ever heard the saying, "If you want something done, as a busy person?"
I live by that.... or try to. In keeping myself on track, I have some new tech coming which will accelerate the process and make this blog more 'designer-y'. More importantly, I am entering another half-marathon.
Now, seemingly this has nothing to do with trying to design and build a boat. But remember: that is only half of my purpose. The other half is that I intend to win. So, I need to be three things:
1) a good designer
2) a skilled craftsman
and
3) an athlete.
Let's be clear about equipment. It is important and can improve your performance. However, it will not win for you. I run, cycle, canoe, hike, camp, hunt, street race cars, and have even been known to box. I can win or lose, but I am the one doing it. I have used great gear and I have thrown stuff together to make it work. My performance may have been good or bad, but it is not the equipment that did it. In every case, I was the one who had to do it. Sure, I will concede that good equipment can make you more efficient and help you perform, but the reality is that the athlete is what makes it work. The best shoes aren't going to make you win a marathon unless you have put in the time on training, diet, and still possess the drive to push yourself that hard.
I believe this.
So, to make Fenrir come out in front, I have to be strong and possess the ability to endure. Not just endure, but to excel. As a part of this, my bad habits (and often my favorite habits) will have to be in check. In their stead will be new habits which increase my ability to perform. So, I am running. I am no longer going to do full marathons (I think there is a diminished return on it: better endurance at the expense of injury), but half marathons are good. I can put more energy into the performance and still keep my legs and heart in the proper condition.
There is one other part to this. I am not sure I have ever let the thoughts crystalize, but there is a connection between the ability to think clearly and involvement in physical activity. The smartest people and the best performers are active people. Couch potatoes are rarely successful. I theorize it has to do with drive and focus- perhaps successful people possess the qualities which make them active and therefore successful- but I intend to be both active and successful.
Anyway, stay tuned, and as always, cary on.
I live by that.... or try to. In keeping myself on track, I have some new tech coming which will accelerate the process and make this blog more 'designer-y'. More importantly, I am entering another half-marathon.
Now, seemingly this has nothing to do with trying to design and build a boat. But remember: that is only half of my purpose. The other half is that I intend to win. So, I need to be three things:
1) a good designer
2) a skilled craftsman
and
3) an athlete.
Let's be clear about equipment. It is important and can improve your performance. However, it will not win for you. I run, cycle, canoe, hike, camp, hunt, street race cars, and have even been known to box. I can win or lose, but I am the one doing it. I have used great gear and I have thrown stuff together to make it work. My performance may have been good or bad, but it is not the equipment that did it. In every case, I was the one who had to do it. Sure, I will concede that good equipment can make you more efficient and help you perform, but the reality is that the athlete is what makes it work. The best shoes aren't going to make you win a marathon unless you have put in the time on training, diet, and still possess the drive to push yourself that hard.
I believe this.
So, to make Fenrir come out in front, I have to be strong and possess the ability to endure. Not just endure, but to excel. As a part of this, my bad habits (and often my favorite habits) will have to be in check. In their stead will be new habits which increase my ability to perform. So, I am running. I am no longer going to do full marathons (I think there is a diminished return on it: better endurance at the expense of injury), but half marathons are good. I can put more energy into the performance and still keep my legs and heart in the proper condition.
There is one other part to this. I am not sure I have ever let the thoughts crystalize, but there is a connection between the ability to think clearly and involvement in physical activity. The smartest people and the best performers are active people. Couch potatoes are rarely successful. I theorize it has to do with drive and focus- perhaps successful people possess the qualities which make them active and therefore successful- but I intend to be both active and successful.
Anyway, stay tuned, and as always, cary on.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Out with the old...
I hate to post this sort of thing at this time of year, but things have changed. It's cliche, and that makes the hair on my neck stand up and a deep growl rumble in my chest. I hate cliches. Unfortunately, it fits.
Have you ever been outside in the late summer, enjoying the season or working on a project, when suddenly you feel a change in the air? A shift: subtle and undefined, but definite despite the fact that you cannot put your finger on what just happened. I have. I have felt the moment when summer changed to autumn. I bring this up, because in mid December I felt the same sort of change in my life.
Now, here it is, almost the Twelfth Night, the celebration of the Epiphany, and I am seeing the effects of that subtle change. I am a gym member. My career has traction. I have- and I hate to say this- resolution.
The last year was a hard one. I did a lot, suffered more than I care to at the hands of selfish people, and lost my way... heartbreak, you could say, is a bitch. But, I have always identified with the phoenix. From ashes comes glory. Of course the flip side to that: the trouble with being a phoenix, is that every so often you have to burn. I think I'm rising.
There is pain in the forecast, but also glory and opportunity. I have made some interesting progress in the area of propulsion. I have thrown my hat in the ring. I have begun again. Within a week or so I should have some images to put up, but for now, let's talk about boats.
My recent discovery was in the area of speed. I have been pondering the question of how a prop moves a power boat faster than a paddler. It seems obvious: it's the prop. But I am not sure that is true. I think it is the prop speed. An engine can turn a prop at a fast and consistent speed and, as long as the prop keeps turning, the boat is fast. If you have ever run an outboard, and you let off on the throttle, you feel the water take effect as all the friction of the wetted surface pulls you to a stop. So, then, why aren't pedal powered boats- which use a prop for propulsion- faster?
It's two things:
1) The hulls are not designed for speed. I have been looking and they are really more about recreation. Nothing wrong with that, but they won't win if they are not designed to win. I know this, and have accounted for it by working on a faster hull.
2) The props are slow.
The second part is the revelation. Human beings are not that strong. We are something like a third of a horse power. As a result, we are not able to make a prop spin as fast as a small outboard. But, we have in our favor one thing: brains. We can overcome our limitations if we devote enough of our minds to the problem. In my case, I think I have found a way to use mechanical advantage to make my prop spin at high speeds. I don't have any pictures since it is still being worked out and I am not in my shop to make a model, but essentially, it is a derailleur.
I know: they have been around and it's not a revelation. True. But, I couldn't use one on my boat. The reason for this is that a bicycle has a long run of chain in which to deflect so that one big gear in the front can power a range in the back. In my boat, the input and output shafts are too close together to handle that. There is not enough room for deflection, so I wouldn't be able to use a bicycle set-up. But I could use a system like a drill press.
In a drill press, there are two sets of pulleys. They are sort of conical as each pulley set is in an ascending or descending order. These two cones are opposite to one another so that the smaller pulley of one is coplanar with the larger of the other, and so on. So, if you think of the gears on your bike's rear wheel and imagine another set of gears set next to it but reversed, you would be able (in theory, at least) to move the chain from one ratio to the next with almost no deflection.
If I lost you back there, I'm sorry. I am trying to put this down so it makes sense, but since I have only messed around with the idea and done no drawings, I can't explain it that well. The long and short of it is this: if I can do what a drill press does, I will have a greater range of speed for my output shaft. If that is true, I can propel the boat really well (consider too that there is a variable pitch prop on the back making me faster as well) and with less energy going into the system (getting started will be easier, and maintaining speed will be far easier due to a better ratio and the advantage of a flywheel).
Consistent speed.
More to come, but roll that around for a bit and let me know what you think.
Carry on.
Have you ever been outside in the late summer, enjoying the season or working on a project, when suddenly you feel a change in the air? A shift: subtle and undefined, but definite despite the fact that you cannot put your finger on what just happened. I have. I have felt the moment when summer changed to autumn. I bring this up, because in mid December I felt the same sort of change in my life.
Now, here it is, almost the Twelfth Night, the celebration of the Epiphany, and I am seeing the effects of that subtle change. I am a gym member. My career has traction. I have- and I hate to say this- resolution.
The last year was a hard one. I did a lot, suffered more than I care to at the hands of selfish people, and lost my way... heartbreak, you could say, is a bitch. But, I have always identified with the phoenix. From ashes comes glory. Of course the flip side to that: the trouble with being a phoenix, is that every so often you have to burn. I think I'm rising.
There is pain in the forecast, but also glory and opportunity. I have made some interesting progress in the area of propulsion. I have thrown my hat in the ring. I have begun again. Within a week or so I should have some images to put up, but for now, let's talk about boats.
My recent discovery was in the area of speed. I have been pondering the question of how a prop moves a power boat faster than a paddler. It seems obvious: it's the prop. But I am not sure that is true. I think it is the prop speed. An engine can turn a prop at a fast and consistent speed and, as long as the prop keeps turning, the boat is fast. If you have ever run an outboard, and you let off on the throttle, you feel the water take effect as all the friction of the wetted surface pulls you to a stop. So, then, why aren't pedal powered boats- which use a prop for propulsion- faster?
It's two things:
1) The hulls are not designed for speed. I have been looking and they are really more about recreation. Nothing wrong with that, but they won't win if they are not designed to win. I know this, and have accounted for it by working on a faster hull.
2) The props are slow.
The second part is the revelation. Human beings are not that strong. We are something like a third of a horse power. As a result, we are not able to make a prop spin as fast as a small outboard. But, we have in our favor one thing: brains. We can overcome our limitations if we devote enough of our minds to the problem. In my case, I think I have found a way to use mechanical advantage to make my prop spin at high speeds. I don't have any pictures since it is still being worked out and I am not in my shop to make a model, but essentially, it is a derailleur.
I know: they have been around and it's not a revelation. True. But, I couldn't use one on my boat. The reason for this is that a bicycle has a long run of chain in which to deflect so that one big gear in the front can power a range in the back. In my boat, the input and output shafts are too close together to handle that. There is not enough room for deflection, so I wouldn't be able to use a bicycle set-up. But I could use a system like a drill press.
Imagine that two gears like the one above are placed in this orientation.
In a drill press, there are two sets of pulleys. They are sort of conical as each pulley set is in an ascending or descending order. These two cones are opposite to one another so that the smaller pulley of one is coplanar with the larger of the other, and so on. So, if you think of the gears on your bike's rear wheel and imagine another set of gears set next to it but reversed, you would be able (in theory, at least) to move the chain from one ratio to the next with almost no deflection.
If I lost you back there, I'm sorry. I am trying to put this down so it makes sense, but since I have only messed around with the idea and done no drawings, I can't explain it that well. The long and short of it is this: if I can do what a drill press does, I will have a greater range of speed for my output shaft. If that is true, I can propel the boat really well (consider too that there is a variable pitch prop on the back making me faster as well) and with less energy going into the system (getting started will be easier, and maintaining speed will be far easier due to a better ratio and the advantage of a flywheel).
Consistent speed.
More to come, but roll that around for a bit and let me know what you think.
Carry on.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Ragnarok
Here is a little Norse mythology:
At the end of time, all the forces in the nine worlds will meet in Asgard for Ragnarok: the Twilight of the Gods. Lots will go down, and it will all be bad. The wolf Skol will catch and devour the sun. Fire will rage over Migard and pretty much everything will be wrecked. And Fenrir will break his fetters and devour Odin the Allfather. Even Thor will die after killing the serpent which surrounds the world. As it says, "That was the end; and this is the beginning."
After a few years of though, I have decided to name my racing boat Fenrir. The reason is that it fits.
In my esteem for the racers who can finish 340 miles in under fifty hours (and some under forty), I envision them as the mighty men and women of Norse myth. So, to follow the metaphor, I would be Fenrir, trying to defeat what are the champions. This of course is not an attempt to lower them or their accomplishment, but rather to advance a new idea and see how far it can all go. And, if I do, then it will be as it says: the end and the beginning.
At the end of time, all the forces in the nine worlds will meet in Asgard for Ragnarok: the Twilight of the Gods. Lots will go down, and it will all be bad. The wolf Skol will catch and devour the sun. Fire will rage over Migard and pretty much everything will be wrecked. And Fenrir will break his fetters and devour Odin the Allfather. Even Thor will die after killing the serpent which surrounds the world. As it says, "That was the end; and this is the beginning."
After a few years of though, I have decided to name my racing boat Fenrir. The reason is that it fits.
In my esteem for the racers who can finish 340 miles in under fifty hours (and some under forty), I envision them as the mighty men and women of Norse myth. So, to follow the metaphor, I would be Fenrir, trying to defeat what are the champions. This of course is not an attempt to lower them or their accomplishment, but rather to advance a new idea and see how far it can all go. And, if I do, then it will be as it says: the end and the beginning.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Correction
Well, last night I made a mistake. It turns out there is a record for the solo pedal boat in the 340. The admin had mistakenly omitted it in the recent roster and it was only after I got into researching previous performance (when did people drop, etc. so I could form a correlation) that I discovered the slip.
It turns out that Mr. Carl Philips finished the 2009 (same year I raced it with my cousin in the Men's Tandem division) with a time of 74:47:00. Hats off to Mr. Philips and sorry for the mistake folks. As always the target remains and it was never my goal to prove it could be done, but to prove it could be one. I need to beat that time by forty hours and some change.
Carry on.
It turns out that Mr. Carl Philips finished the 2009 (same year I raced it with my cousin in the Men's Tandem division) with a time of 74:47:00. Hats off to Mr. Philips and sorry for the mistake folks. As always the target remains and it was never my goal to prove it could be done, but to prove it could be one. I need to beat that time by forty hours and some change.
Carry on.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Deadline delivered
Well, it's happened: I have my deadline.
As of a day ago, I registered for the MR340 and am on the list for the race. I spoke to my Mom, and she will be handling the ground operations for the whole race. This amounts to two things:
1) I need to get back on the boat
2) I am in a position to set a record.
The second part is about the history of this race.
First off, the people at Rivermiles- specifically Scott Mansker- have made this race an open one. There are no boat classes really, so you can take anything that is human powered. Last year someone did the full 340 miles on a stand-up paddle board (SUP). It wasn't sure that a person could do this, but it was done. This matters because some races don't allow non-traditional boats. It's not far from cycle racing, where tradition wins over innovation in the rules (look up the history of recumbent bikes or Graeme Obree to see what I mean). As a result, I will be limited in what I can achieve.
Let's say I am right. Let's say I make the fastest boat in the race and do it in some phenomenal 34hrs. I won't be making the racing circuit in my fast boat, winning everything and blowing everyone's mind. I won't be allowed. The big races will not allow my boat in those races, no matter what the efficiency or speed. I know this. I am indifferent. This is about one race.
I am focused on the singular goal of winning the 340. I don't care about making my living as a boat racer. What everything comes to is the validation of my own effort, both in design and in the craft of building. If there was anything to come from this, beyond my own goals, it would be to make the design available to other people on the open market. I could see this (assuming I am right) going into a long distance craft which anyone could use. That would make me happy: a host of people out on the water, enjoying nature and ease of travel and all of them there because there is a design which makes it possible. I would like to see this as the bicycle for the water: democratic, personal, accessible.
For now, I just want to get back to the Armadillo Works and into the crucible of creation. Onward: forward with a purpose.
As of a day ago, I registered for the MR340 and am on the list for the race. I spoke to my Mom, and she will be handling the ground operations for the whole race. This amounts to two things:
1) I need to get back on the boat
2) I am in a position to set a record.
The second part is about the history of this race.
First off, the people at Rivermiles- specifically Scott Mansker- have made this race an open one. There are no boat classes really, so you can take anything that is human powered. Last year someone did the full 340 miles on a stand-up paddle board (SUP). It wasn't sure that a person could do this, but it was done. This matters because some races don't allow non-traditional boats. It's not far from cycle racing, where tradition wins over innovation in the rules (look up the history of recumbent bikes or Graeme Obree to see what I mean). As a result, I will be limited in what I can achieve.
Let's say I am right. Let's say I make the fastest boat in the race and do it in some phenomenal 34hrs. I won't be making the racing circuit in my fast boat, winning everything and blowing everyone's mind. I won't be allowed. The big races will not allow my boat in those races, no matter what the efficiency or speed. I know this. I am indifferent. This is about one race.
I am focused on the singular goal of winning the 340. I don't care about making my living as a boat racer. What everything comes to is the validation of my own effort, both in design and in the craft of building. If there was anything to come from this, beyond my own goals, it would be to make the design available to other people on the open market. I could see this (assuming I am right) going into a long distance craft which anyone could use. That would make me happy: a host of people out on the water, enjoying nature and ease of travel and all of them there because there is a design which makes it possible. I would like to see this as the bicycle for the water: democratic, personal, accessible.
For now, I just want to get back to the Armadillo Works and into the crucible of creation. Onward: forward with a purpose.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)