I've now been in Belgium for just over a year and I must say that I find it very agreeable. I've made some good friends, fit well into the new work environment and have found some good students. I switched from ride a road bike to a mountain bike (which I ride fairly often on the road). In contrast to the places I'd lived in in The Netherlands, I found a good sized apartment (still renting) and populated it with furniture to suit my tastes so that it feels more permanent. And the beer is wonderful.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Sunday, August 17, 2008
100km #7
This time I went riding with Dennis and his evil friend Super Dennis. The plan was to ride 120km, extending our previous ride with even more hills. I was keen, as always, to do hills, so I prepared myself as usually by riding on the two days before, drinking a beer and some schnaps, and smoking a cigar on the night before, and eating too much breakfast too close to the ride. (I'm starting the think that the Bootleg Lance Amstrong Training Guide I'm using is a bit of a dud, but I like the cigars.)
Anyway, we started out at a reasonable pace of 27km/h to warm up our legs. Then it crept higher -- we were still in chatting mode, so it did not pass 30km/h. Then I thought that I should ride at the front for a while, so I lifted the speed to 33km/h and did my turn. And the speed never came back down. Dennis did turns at 35km/h, I struggled to keep that pace when I did my turn, but Super Dennis lifted to somewhere between 37 and 40km/h, depending on how evil he felt. I could barely stay in our 3-man peleton.
After about 40km and a few hills, I knew that I had no chance of keeping up, so I told them to ride ahead, instead of waiting for me all the time. Yes, I admit it I am unfit!. Instead of doing the 120km ride, I turned around at the 50km mark to head for home. At this point, my average was a little over 29km/h, so I decided to try to keep it there. So for the remaining 50km, without Dennis and Super Dennis assistance, I pushed and pushed my little leggies, spinning that damned chain around and around, counting every metre as it passed, every long minute, every tortuous hill, trying desparately to keep my speed at or above 30km/h. And, well, it worked! I arrived home totally wasted, but managed to beat my own personal best time -- I even beat my maximum speed record too, for good measure:
Anyway, we started out at a reasonable pace of 27km/h to warm up our legs. Then it crept higher -- we were still in chatting mode, so it did not pass 30km/h. Then I thought that I should ride at the front for a while, so I lifted the speed to 33km/h and did my turn. And the speed never came back down. Dennis did turns at 35km/h, I struggled to keep that pace when I did my turn, but Super Dennis lifted to somewhere between 37 and 40km/h, depending on how evil he felt. I could barely stay in our 3-man peleton.
After about 40km and a few hills, I knew that I had no chance of keeping up, so I told them to ride ahead, instead of waiting for me all the time. Yes, I admit it I am unfit!. Instead of doing the 120km ride, I turned around at the 50km mark to head for home. At this point, my average was a little over 29km/h, so I decided to try to keep it there. So for the remaining 50km, without Dennis and Super Dennis assistance, I pushed and pushed my little leggies, spinning that damned chain around and around, counting every metre as it passed, every long minute, every tortuous hill, trying desparately to keep my speed at or above 30km/h. And, well, it worked! I arrived home totally wasted, but managed to beat my own personal best time -- I even beat my maximum speed record too, for good measure:
- distance: 100km
- time: 3h 26m 09s
- average speed: 29km/h
- maximum speed: 62.5km/h
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Fast 100km (new record) - #6
Finally, I found the time and energy (and determination) to complete another 100km ride. This time Dennis came along to drag me around, making it somewhat easier. I started out feeling very sluggish as I'd written 50km on each of the previous two days. It was also very windy, but most of the time the wind seems to be behind us. We rode the Ledig Erf club route, until the end of the hills, and then turned around and did the route in reverse, skipping one bumpy-road hill. At the end of the ride I needed to find another 14km to complete my ride, without the help of Dennis. This was the hardest part of the whole ride, but I knew that I was looking at a good time, so I pushed and pushed and counted every 100 metre as it passed by.
The result:
The result:
- Distance: 100km
- Time taken: 3h 29m 29s
- Average speed: 28.6km/h
- Maximum speed: 61.5km/h
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Intermediate fast ride
Ok. It's not that I haven't been riding. Just that I've been to conferences and the weather has been quite crap. So I haven't managed to break 100km, and so didn't feel that my minor achievements were worth reporting. I've been training hills and doing a bit of interval training, and I've been seeing progress, I'm starting to feel stronger.
Today's ride with Dennis was witness to this progress, and also encouraging if I'm to ride 100km at 30km/h. This evening I rode 67km at 30.2km/h, including a rather fast 50km at 31km/h with Dennis. I still have a long way to go to reach Dennis level of fitness, but I'm reaching new heights of Dave fitness. (I can't wait to meet the Belgian hills next year.)
Friday, July 18, 2008
Two PhD Positions
I'm offering Two PhD Positions in Secure Software and Languages as a part of my new job at the Department of Computer Science at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium.
These positions are devoted to research on secure software and languages, including, but not limited to:
* modelling highly adaptable trustworthy systems
* types and models for software families
* logic and type systems for security; ownership types; pluggable types
* programming languages for secure software
I'm looking for students with the following profile and skills:
* Clear interest in and knowledge of the subject, based on education, work or research experience
* Masters in Computer Science or Informatics
* Team player; capability to work in an international research team
* Proficiency in English and excellent communication skills, both oral and written
* Prior knowledge in the areas of type systems, security, programming languages and/or formal methods is an advantage.
The research will take place within the DistriNet research group. The "Distributed systems and computer Networks‚" (DistriNet) research group was founded in 1984 as part of the Department of Computer Science at the K.U.Leuven. DistriNet's research focus and scope is twofold: distributed systems and secure software. The group works on a wide range of topics including computer networks, middleware, internet architectures, network and software security, embedded systems and multi-agent systems. DistriNet's research is generally application driven and often conducted in collaboration with industry partners.
Currently DistriNet counts 60 members (8 professors, 12 post-docs and 45 junior researchers) and participates in about 30 national and international research projects. The annual budget amounts to approximately 5MEuro. More information on projects and publications can be found on the DistriNet web pages:
http://distrinet.cs.kuleuven.be/
Requests for further information and other informal enquiries can be sent to:
Dr. David Clarke
David.Clarke at cs.kuleuven.be
Applications will be considered until the position is filled, but those received on or before 15 August 2008 will have priority.
The PhD positions are for 4 years.
The start date is negotiable, 1 October 2008 at the earliest.
These positions are devoted to research on secure software and languages, including, but not limited to:
* modelling highly adaptable trustworthy systems
* types and models for software families
* logic and type systems for security; ownership types; pluggable types
* programming languages for secure software
I'm looking for students with the following profile and skills:
* Clear interest in and knowledge of the subject, based on education, work or research experience
* Masters in Computer Science or Informatics
* Team player; capability to work in an international research team
* Proficiency in English and excellent communication skills, both oral and written
* Prior knowledge in the areas of type systems, security, programming languages and/or formal methods is an advantage.
The research will take place within the DistriNet research group. The "Distributed systems and computer Networks‚" (DistriNet) research group was founded in 1984 as part of the Department of Computer Science at the K.U.Leuven. DistriNet's research focus and scope is twofold: distributed systems and secure software. The group works on a wide range of topics including computer networks, middleware, internet architectures, network and software security, embedded systems and multi-agent systems. DistriNet's research is generally application driven and often conducted in collaboration with industry partners.
Currently DistriNet counts 60 members (8 professors, 12 post-docs and 45 junior researchers) and participates in about 30 national and international research projects. The annual budget amounts to approximately 5MEuro. More information on projects and publications can be found on the DistriNet web pages:
http://distrinet.cs.kuleuven.be/
Requests for further information and other informal enquiries can be sent to:
Dr. David Clarke
David.Clarke at cs.kuleuven.be
Applications will be considered until the position is filled, but those received on or before 15 August 2008 will have priority.
The PhD positions are for 4 years.
The start date is negotiable, 1 October 2008 at the earliest.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
150km (or 5th 100km)
I claimed that riding 150km was simply a matter of riding far enough. It's true, but it hurts a lot and is just a little bit boring. Sitting for nearly 6 hours in one place is somewhat tedious, and certainly a pain in the ass. However, I didn't do it to see how it felt -- I don't really do things just to see how they feel -- and I knew it would be bad. I did it to see whether I could do it. I can't say that I'll do it again in a hurry, but I'm glad I did it, glad I could do it.
The stats, for what it's worth: distance 150.52km, time 5 hours 47 minutes and 39 seconds, average speed 25.9km/h, and maximum speed 48.2km/h. A world of pain.
This incidentally was one of my goals for the season -- and I'm half way to achieving my 10 times 100km for the year.
The stats, for what it's worth: distance 150.52km, time 5 hours 47 minutes and 39 seconds, average speed 25.9km/h, and maximum speed 48.2km/h. A world of pain.
This incidentally was one of my goals for the season -- and I'm half way to achieving my 10 times 100km for the year.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Fourth 100km with Crash
After a two week break due to a conference (DISCOTEC in Oslo) and a visit to see my brother, his wife and their new baby Mia in Germany, I finally got out on the bike for a ride with Dennis.
We again did the same route, but needed to deal with a little cold this time. Fortunately, my stomach was sufficiently devoid of sandwiches and the two week hiatus had done its work on my muscles; I was fighting fit.
The first 30km were quite quick, at above 30km/h (though I forget to reset my cycle computer until after the first 5km). Nothing much of interest happened, though I managed to stick with Dennis over the 3rd hill (hills 1, 2 and 4 were different stories). Unfortunately, I missed a turn in Amerongen and we lost each other. After waiting for a while, I continued onwards. A cold headwind pushed impeded my progress along the dyke, but that soon stopped as I headed away from the river.
I decided to add some extra kilometres to my ride, so I turned towards Maarn for some hills and forest. As I was riding through the forest on a single track, it started to get darker and began to rain. I had in my mind to avoid a particularly nasty bump in the middle of the single track. That was all I was thinking about as a wove through the trees. Then I turned a corner close to the end of the track, at the 88km mark, and I changed gears. At that moment, with one hand on the handlebars, I hit that bump, and the bike took a sharp turn to the left. I quickly grabbed the brakes, but the bushes were too quickly approaching. As stinging nettles pieced my thighs and blackberry thorns scratched my skins, a log sprung in front of me and I flew over the handlebars, landing on my back. In true Tour de France form, I quickly jumped back on my bike, deciding to check for injuries as I rode along. Nothing serious, apart from raised white bumps from the nettles, all over both legs. Fortunately, the hail that came moments after quelled any pain....
After the hail stopped, the ride ended uneventfully. I managed to maintain a decent speed, indicating that any injuries were not serious.
The uitslag: Distance 100.11km (recorded), time 3h41m42s, average 27km/h, max 50.1km/h.
We again did the same route, but needed to deal with a little cold this time. Fortunately, my stomach was sufficiently devoid of sandwiches and the two week hiatus had done its work on my muscles; I was fighting fit.
The first 30km were quite quick, at above 30km/h (though I forget to reset my cycle computer until after the first 5km). Nothing much of interest happened, though I managed to stick with Dennis over the 3rd hill (hills 1, 2 and 4 were different stories). Unfortunately, I missed a turn in Amerongen and we lost each other. After waiting for a while, I continued onwards. A cold headwind pushed impeded my progress along the dyke, but that soon stopped as I headed away from the river.
I decided to add some extra kilometres to my ride, so I turned towards Maarn for some hills and forest. As I was riding through the forest on a single track, it started to get darker and began to rain. I had in my mind to avoid a particularly nasty bump in the middle of the single track. That was all I was thinking about as a wove through the trees. Then I turned a corner close to the end of the track, at the 88km mark, and I changed gears. At that moment, with one hand on the handlebars, I hit that bump, and the bike took a sharp turn to the left. I quickly grabbed the brakes, but the bushes were too quickly approaching. As stinging nettles pieced my thighs and blackberry thorns scratched my skins, a log sprung in front of me and I flew over the handlebars, landing on my back. In true Tour de France form, I quickly jumped back on my bike, deciding to check for injuries as I rode along. Nothing serious, apart from raised white bumps from the nettles, all over both legs. Fortunately, the hail that came moments after quelled any pain....
After the hail stopped, the ride ended uneventfully. I managed to maintain a decent speed, indicating that any injuries were not serious.
The uitslag: Distance 100.11km (recorded), time 3h41m42s, average 27km/h, max 50.1km/h.
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