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		<item>
		<title>Updating SOLR&#8217;s schema</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2012/01/24/updating-solrs-schema/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2012/01/24/updating-solrs-schema/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 09:47:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Me]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=394</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When changing SOLR&#8217;s schema, it is not enough to just change the file itself. Solr does not dynamically load the file. As long as no action is taken, the old schema will still be in effect. After updating the schema.xml you can either: Restart SOLR or Tomcat (depending on your configuration) Reload the core that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When changing SOLR&#8217;s schema, it is not enough to just change the file itself. Solr does not dynamically load the file. As long as no action is taken, the old schema will still be in effect.<br />
After updating the schema.xml you can either:</p>
<ul>
<li>Restart SOLR or Tomcat (depending on your configuration)</li>
<li>Reload the core that will use the new schema</li>
</ul>
<p>Relaoding the core can be done using the reload action:</p>
<p><code>http://localhost:8983/solr/admin/cores?action=RELOAD&amp;core=core0</code></p>
<p>Where core0 is the core you want to restart. You can visit the cores page to make sure the core is successfully restarted.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Some bash script tips</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/12/09/some-bash-script-tips/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/12/09/some-bash-script-tips/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:13:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[programming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[script]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unix]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=390</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every morning do a refresh of all my repositories so that I know I don&#8217;t fall behind on the code if I need to solve some problem or continue developing. Doing this manually is not practical, and so I created a bash script to refresh all my repositories. While I was at it I added [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Every morning do a refresh of all my repositories so that I know I don&#8217;t fall behind on the code if I need to solve some problem or continue developing. Doing this manually is not practical, and so I created a bash script to refresh all my repositories. While I was at it I added a starting command for the apache and mysql. Since I do not desire to start them if they are already running, the script check first if they are already running. Writing this script I learned a lot about shell scripting. Here are some of the things I picked up</p>
<p>Adding -x to the shebang will make bash output everything that is going on, helps with debugging</p>
<p>Giving a variable as a parameter to a function, if you just give the variable name it will be treated as a string value and that will be passed to the function. I ended up encapsulating it as <code>"${var}"</code> since the value was a string. If your value is not a string you probably need some other solution.</p>
<p>Comparing a variable to a string is best achieved with the following syntax: <code>if[ "${var}" = "foo" ]; then</code> Notice the space between the brackets and the values inside.</p>
<p>Using grep to pick something out of a list of processes requires an extra step in which you remove the grep itself from the list. <code>ps -e | grep -v grep | grep searchstring</code> Otherwise grep might find its own search process, which is of course not the desired effect.</p>
<p>Hopefully this will save you some time in scripting.</p>
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		<title>Drupal 7 phantom block</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/12/02/drupal-7-phantom-block/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/12/02/drupal-7-phantom-block/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:04:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[programming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blocks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bug]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[context]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drupal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drupal 7]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=384</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today I can across an interesting change in the way Drupal 7 handles blocks created via modules. In a module I made, I defined a block using the hook_block_info and hook_block_view. This block was added to the site&#8217;s front page. After some implementation details changed it became apparent that the current block was not what [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today I can across an interesting change in the way Drupal 7 handles blocks created via modules. In a module I made, I defined a block using the <em>hook_block_info</em> and <em>hook_block_view</em>. This block was added to the site&#8217;s front page. After some implementation details changed it became apparent that the current block was not what was needed but a whole series of other blocks. Both hooks were completely rewritten to reflect this.</p>
<p>I noticed that the <em>hook_block_view</em> was called one to many times. Looking at the front page, I saw that the, now removed block was still there. The block admin page, however, did not show it. This was to be expected as there was no info available for it.<br />
It was possible to configure the block though. Either through typing the correct url, or through the small gear on the top right side of that block.<br />
Both clearing the cache and turning the module on and off have failed to remove this phantom block, which had no implementation but was still around. Deinstalling the module was the only way to clear it out of the block table (aside forma  custom sql query of course). Since my module did not have any custom information in the database this was not a problem. However if your module does have such information, deinstalling it will remove all that data. Since my module was available for deinstallation leads me the believe that this is by design. Keep this in mind when building your modules.</p>
<p>Even after the block has been removed from the blocks table, it was still visible. Further research led to the <strong>Context</strong> module. The block was added to the display via a context reaction, and it seems that context does not check if a block is still available. And so the <em>hook_block_view</em> of my module was called with the delta of the old, non-existing, block. Opening the reaction interface for context does not show that the block is part of it, because, I assume, it is not defined. In the database however it is still present. Saving the context with the phantom block without making any changes does remove it from the database, and has removed it from the front page as well.</p>
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		<title>Been out jogging</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/10/10/been-out-jogging/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/10/10/been-out-jogging/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:41:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[sport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[run]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=380</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It has been over a year since the last time I went for a run. It was never really my favorite sport, and once I started cycling, there really was no point to it. Since I am on a bike break, I figured I would go for a jog. I didn&#8217;t go fast nor far [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It has been over a year since the last time I went for a run. It was never really my favorite sport, and once I started cycling, there really was no point to it. Since I am on a bike break, I figured I would go for a jog. I didn&#8217;t go fast nor far but somehow ended with real muscle pain. I would have thought all that cycling would have helped, but it seems there really is a big difference here.</p>
<p><iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://app.strava.com/rides/1926502/embed/ce0b773f5813f6fc414a861ec17576371bf779e2'></iframe></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Grand Raid Godefroy</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/10/09/grand-raid-godefroy/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/10/09/grand-raid-godefroy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 09 Oct 2011 14:17:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marathon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marathon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mtb]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[race]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=374</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Starting this season I had two target. Finish the Eiger Challenge and finish a marathon at the top 50%. Last month I finished the Eiger Challenge. As I wrote, it was a close call, but I did it. So that left the second target, finishing on the top half. With two marathons left for me [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Starting this season I had two target. Finish the Eiger Challenge and finish a marathon at the top 50%. Last month I finished the Eiger Challenge. As I wrote, it was a close call, but I did it. So that left the second target, finishing on the top half. With two marathons left for me this season, I needed to make it happen soon.<br />
For GRG I was joined by Marijn. It is always good to go ride with people that are faster then you since it really helps on motivation. Marijn has been a serious sporter for some time now and so we spent most of our ride talking about cycling, rowing, nutrition and, of course, women.</p>
<p>After almost running out of gas on the way to Malmedy, we arrived at the starting area. Coming to Godefroy, I was feeling confident. I was getting used to my Liteville, and I was fit and highly motivated. The organisation was not that well. Less so then I expected, We did manage to find the tent with the number boards and ate some pasta before hitting the sack.</p>
<p>The weather was expected to be bad. And it was. Luckily, I cam prepared this time. Swapping my Ralphs for a Fat Albert and a Nobby Nic. Marijn was running Nics front and rear. Standing at the starting area, it was already raining. It took Marijn about 20 seconds to disappear into the distance. I won&#8217;t see him again until after the race. The begining of the course was not really muddy, and I began to question my decision to go for tires with big nobs. Then the rain got intense.</p>
<p>The course was getting muddier and I was getting colder. By the 30km line. I was happy I went for nobs. At the 42km feeding station, they were handing out warm soup. Being soaked to the bone and cold, warm soup tastes fantastic. I didn&#8217;t care it took 10 min from my time. I needed to warm up. After about 60km the sky cleared up and I could ride the rest of the race in somewhat sunny weather. I was feeling good about my riding time, and it turns out I was right. 108 from 240 overall and 38 from 82 in the Masters 1 class. Target met.</p>
<p><iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://app.strava.com/rides/1595657/embed/ca7382f3e44c028c322de7ee0fbce395480f26f9'></iframe></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Eiger Challenge</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/08/25/eiger-challenge/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/08/25/eiger-challenge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:20:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marathon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Race]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marathon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mtb]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[race]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=355</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This was it, the big one. What I have been looking for all season. Even though it is not the last season of the race, and is not included in any cup or championship I am participating in, it was what I had set as my main target. This is the real deal. Mountain biking [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This was it, the big one. What I have been looking for all season. Even though it is not the last season of the race, and is not included in any cup or championship I am participating in, it was what I had set as my main target. This is the real deal. Mountain biking in actual mountains. And there are few places in the world with as famous, or beautiful, mountains as Berner Oberland.</p>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/eigertrail.jpg" alt="Eiger Trail" title="eigertrail.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="266" style="float:right;" /></p>
<p>The original plan was to go 4 men strong. Then Erwin broke his arm, Tim his kneecap and Sophia realized she just does not have the time. So here I was on friday 13 of august sitting alone in my car on the way to Switzerland. And I was glowing with joy. Because I was going to Switzerland, to ride my new mountain bike, that I got two days before. In view of the Eiger. This was happiness.</p>
<p>And yet I was also worried. There was a time limit set for the 88 km race. The course was basically a big loop and a small loop. To be able to continue to the small loop, you had to pass back through Grindelwald within 6 hours and 15 min from start. This mention I had to be way faster then I ever was in a marathon. The distance, 54km was not that long. However there were around 2700hm in that distance. That alone is more then I have ever done in a race. An then there were the extra 1200hm waiting on the other side of the time limit, which I needed to do if I managed to make the time limit. You can see why I was worried.</p>
<h2 id="the_day_before">The day before</h2>
<p>Saturday I wanted to get to know some of the course and also to get to know my new bike. Like I said I just got it two days before so I was still not completely comfortable with it. Looking at the course I decided to take the bus up to Grosse Scheidegg, thereby skipping the first 1000hm climb, and head out from there. On the way up I saw some bikers practicing the climb. Respect for whoever climbs that much the dat before a race.</p>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/grossescheidegg.jpg" alt="View from Grosse Scheidegg" title="grossescheidegg.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="266" style="float:left;" /></p>
<p>From Grosse Scheidegg the course goes to First, then down and back up. Somewhere after First I lost the actual race course. And frankly it was a good thing because I ended up on this awesome singletrack that was keeping me happy for a long while. Eventually it ended and since I could see no more signs for the race, realized I have gone of course. Luckily I spotted someone marking the course further down and he sent back on the right track. After a short hike up the mountain, which I will end up cycling down the day afterwards, I was back on track.</p>
<p>I rode for a while more until I started feeling my legs. It was time to call it a day and head back to camp. My legs will have all the exercise they will need tomorrow. Descending to Grindelwald was great fun. I rarely get a chance to descend over 1000hm in one go. Quite enjoyable. After a shower and a visit to the pasta party (yey energy) It was time for the bed. Lying in my sleeping bag I was going over the track for one last time. Opening with Grosse Scheidegg 1000hm climb at 9%. A climb to Feld, A climb to Bort that is 25%. After Bort its a descend all the way to Grindelwald for the time limit and then the last long climb to Kleine Scheidegg, 1000hm at 9%. I figured I need to be at the top of Grosse Schiedegg within 2 hours to make the time limit. Setting the alarm to 5:15 in the morning, I went to sleep.</p>
<h2 id="race_day">Race day</h2>
<p>Getting out of my tent, the moon was shining above Kleine Scheidegg, giving the world a silvery glow. I could not have imagined a more beautiful start for the day. I gathered my stuff, got my bag ready and headed to the finish zone, where breakfast was served. It is not often that I eat spaghetti for breakfast, for today I made an exception. In the meantime I was starting to feel the excitement combined with fear I feel often before a race. This time there somewhat more fear because of the time limit. Not helpful I know but I couldn&#8217;t help myself. It didn&#8217;t help that I go the number 23, which means I was starting at the front, with all the really fast people.</p>
<p>The start zone was downhill, which was good because I got to relax a bit on the bike and get everything going nice and easy. I got into the first box 5 min before start. I locked both suspensions as I knew it was going to be 11 km of climbing on asphalt and I intended to be as efficient as I could be.</p>
<h3 id="start">Start</h3>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/eigerchallenge-start.jpg" alt="Start" title="eigerchallenge-start.jpg" border="0" width="300" height="200" style="float:right;" /></p>
<p>As can be expected the start was a sprint. It does not matter how often I tell myself I am not going to sprint at the start, somehow I get carried away and do sprint the first 500m or so before I get myself under control. I got passed by most of the field right of the start, but I tried not to care. I was here to finish, not to win. The climbing started through Grindelwald and I was settling on a nice pace. We were out of Grindelwald, and I was going with a group I suspected would climb at my speed. Then this guy told me my rear wheel looked kinda empty.</p>
<p>And he was right. I stopped to pomp it. Next to me stopped an man whom I think was mid 60s and looking very fit. He asked if I needed help and I told him that no, I was fine, Then I disconnected my pomp and the ventil went with it and all the air was out of my binnenband in 2 seconds. &#8220;Bloody france ventils&#8221; I cursed. Luckily the older guy had a pomp that clams instead of screws on, so I was able to pomp it back up. Before I was ready to go I had already lost about 10 min to this. by this time everybody was past me and I was dead last.</p>
<p>The old man was not in the race, but likes doing the climb with the racers, and so we started climbing together. He was clearly a better climber then me. I refused to let a man almost double my age get away from me so I was pushing myself harder then I planned to, and he was clearly holding back so, so that we could climb together, passing a few racers on the way up. I was at the Grosse Scheidegg 1:20 after start. Way better then I dared hope. I was starting to be confident in me making the time limit. Saying goodbye to the old chap, I spent another 10 min pumping up my rear tire to acceptable level. Then it was of to First. This part I already knew as I did it the day before, so I had more time to look around. Berner Oberland is just beautiful. I did notice that even though I was pushing myself harder, I was not faster then yesterday when I was taking it easy. The climb to Grosse Scheidegg was already taking its toll on me.</p>
<h3 id="working_through_it">Working through it</h3>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/eigerchallenge-k1.jpg" alt="Eiger Challenge" title="eigerchallenge-k1.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="266" style="float:right;" /></p>
<p>The start of the descent from First was super technical, and like most people, I walked most of it. I think that with some more riding time on my Liteville I will be able to cycle down such technical terrain. The next few km where fire roads, gravel and some singletrack, all of it beautiful. Then I came to the climb up to Feld. The path up seemed to go on and on. I was already starting to feel the race in my legs and for the first time this race, I stopped and walked some of the part. I came across two kids offering sponges with water to cool of. Here I was on a mountain side, no building in site and these two 6 year old kids are here to help. I was moved.</p>
<p>Unfortunately I was not moving fast enough. About half the climb up to Feld I did walking. At the top I met another 88km contester and we cycled on together. Going down from Feld was fun and technical. What a wonderful descent it was. A shame that this trail is closed the rest of the year as I am sure it will draw quite a crowd. Even going down I was not going as fast as I hoped, mostly due to just how technical everything was. The course was going mostly downwards with here and there some short climbs of 20-60hm (guessing here). Then we hit the 25% climb to Bort. Guess what, everybody was walking it. by now I was surrounded by people doing the 55km, that has started an hour later, but had time to catch up as their course did not include the climb up to Feld. It was a long, steep walk up to Bort. I made the top there and looked at my watch. 5:15. I had a full hour for what I remembered was pretty much all the way down. Pff, easy. Only it wasn&#8217;t.</p>
<p>The route was going down, with a lot of small climbs on the way. It felt like for each 20m descent there was a 10m climb. This part also had the most singletrack in it. Which is great, unless you really want to make time. Every time I stared on the descent I was getting all optimistic, and with every climb I was doubting I would make the time limit. I glanced at my watch again. 6 hours flat. I had a quarter of an hour to go and no idea how much further I had to go, and in front of me was 10m, 20% climb. At this point, I gave up.</p>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/eigerchallenge-k3.jpg" alt="Eiger challenge" title="eigerchallenge-k3.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="266" style="float:right;" /></p>
<p>My pace went down, and I was preparing for failure. Then I heard Paula&#8217;s voice in my head telling me how I give up just before it actually matter. &#8220;Not this, time&#8221;, I told myself, &#8220;You are going to stop trying when the timer hits 6:15 and not a second earlier.&#8221;. So I gave it all I got. I attacked everything. Uphill, downhill, corners. I was giving it everything I had. Seven minutes later coming out of the woods, I passed two regulators. One of them looked at his watch and called, &#8220;8 minutes!&#8221;. &#8221; I know!&#8221;, I answered going as fast as I could. Then I was on asphalt.</p>
<p>Putting in the highest gear I had, I was going full speed. A guy from the 55km, saw, me coming, and saw that I was from the 88km race so he got in front of me to break my wind. I was very thankful. Then I saw it, the sign for the 88km to go left. I look left, and the road was closed. &#8220;NO!&#8221;, I looked at my watch, 6:10 I still had 5 min. Only then did it register in my mind that at the bottom of the sign it said 150m. I was sprinting again full of hope, and yes, 150 meters latter, with 5 minutes left I took the corner and started on the climb to Kleine Scheidegg.</p>
<h3 id="finishing">Finishing</h3>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/eigerchallenge-k5.jpg" alt="Eiger Challenge" title="eigerchallenge-k5.jpg" border="0" width="300" height="200" style="float:left;" /></p>
<p>It was another 11km long, 1000hm climb. This one half asphalt, half gravel. I half walked the way up I think. I was tired, my legs hurt and I was feeling nauseous. Nevertheless, I kept going. on the way up, I even passed someone. Its good that you can see Kleine Scheidegg from about 2/3 of the way as it helps with motivation. As I was approching I saw the people in the post were folding their tent, and again fear struck me. Was I too slow? did I climb all this way just to be disqualified. Luckily, they were early, I still had 15min on the time limit.</p>
<p>Passing the highest point I knew it was almost all down from here, with 2-3 short climbs. The way down was fast. At the climbs I took no chances and attacked as hard as I could. The course kept going down, and down. Grindelwald was in sight! Almost there. Almost. Then I was in Grindelwald. Coming in at the bottom of the village, there was just one climb left, that to the finish. Up I went. Passing the finish line after 9 hours and 12 seconds. To me, it felt like I won the race. After just one year of cycling, I finished this very challenging race. Even now, a week later, I still feel like I won.</p>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/view-kleine-sheidegg.jpg" alt="The view from Kleine Scheidegg" title="view-kleine-sheidegg.jpg" border="0" width="600" height="400" style="float:right;" /></p>
<p><strong>Update:</strong> Here is the gps tracking of my ride</p>
<p><iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://app.strava.com/rides/1246490/embed/1e039731703e51e157090fbf5c25386c6af74220'></iframe></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Self-Massage for Cyclists</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/08/08/self-massage-for-cyclists/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/08/08/self-massage-for-cyclists/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Aug 2011 07:11:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[sport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mountain bike]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[training]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=336</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Over at Bicycling magazine there is a piece about self massaging for both pre and post riding. A few years ago, when I was doing a lot of rock climbing, I got in the habit of doing self massaging before starting a climbing session. It has proven to be a very good way to not [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Over at Bicycling magazine there is a piece about <a href="http://www.bicycling.com/training-nutrition/injury-prevention/self-massage-cyclists">self massaging</a> for both pre and post riding. A few years ago, when I was doing a lot of rock climbing, I got in the habit of doing self massaging before starting a climbing session. It has proven to be a very good way to not only improve my climbing on the session but also reduce injury and pain after the session. I am curious to see if this has the same effect on my mountain biking. It is certainly worth a try.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A reminder</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/08/07/a-reminder/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/08/07/a-reminder/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:46:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[sport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[thoughts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[amerongen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mountain bike]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=338</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was feeling somewhat demotivated to ride after all the trouble I am having putting my new bike together. Today&#8217;s ride in Amerongen was not only a lot of fun, it also reminded me that mouton biking is about riding your bike, not what bike you&#8217;r riding. I needed that reminder]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was feeling somewhat demotivated to ride after all the trouble I am having putting my new bike together. Today&#8217;s ride in Amerongen was not only a lot of fun, it also reminded me that mouton biking is about riding your bike, not what bike you&#8217;r riding.</p>
<p>I needed that reminder</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Full screen terminal with custom settings via applescript</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/08/05/full-screen-terminal-with-custom-settings-via-applescript/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/08/05/full-screen-terminal-with-custom-settings-via-applescript/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:44:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[guide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[applescript]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[os x]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[terminal]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=332</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The new full screen option in Lion is quite nice. At the moment my favorite application to run full screen is terminal. It has a great old school vibe to it, not to mention that it allows you to be fully focused on that one window. I do however, always want to change the settings [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The new full screen option in Lion is quite nice. At the moment my favorite application to run full screen is terminal. It has a great old school vibe to it, not to mention that it allows you to be fully focused on that one window. I do however, always want to change the settings when going full screen. For some more geek credit, I go for a bigger font and a good old fashion system font. This makes the Terminal app appear like a real old fashion terminal. To automate the process I have written this short applescript that, when run from the terminal window will change the settings and make the window go full screen.</p>
<pre>
#!/usr/bin/osascript
-- In the line bellow, give the name of your full screen terminal settings
set fullscreenSettings to "Pro Fullscreen"

tell application "Terminal"
    -- Changing to full screen settings.
	set current settings of front window to settings set fullscreenSettings
	-- going fullscreen
    tell application "System Events" to keystroke "f" using {command down, option down}
end tell
</pre>
<p>What this script does is in the front window, the one in which you are running this script, it changes the settings and then simulates pressing the key combo for full screen. I saved the file to my home directory and have made it executable using</p>
<pre>
chmod +x gofullscreen.applescript
</pre>
<p>Enjoy your old school terminal</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Two Belgians and a German</title>
		<link>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/07/20/two-belgians-and-a-german/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.kfirbreger.com/2011/07/20/two-belgians-and-a-german/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:06:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Kfir</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marathon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marathon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mtb]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[race]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.kfirbreger.com/?p=362</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[June has been a busy month for me. Three marathons in one month. I have yet to ride with such intensity and was excited and worried about it. This will really test my physical and mental skills. Ardennes Trophy First up was the Ardennes Trophy, an RWP cup marathon in Theux. This will be my [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>June has been a busy month for me. Three marathons in one month. I have yet to ride with such intensity and was excited and worried about it. This will really test my physical and mental skills.</p>
<div style="clear:both;">
<h2 id="ardennestrophy">Ardennes Trophy</h2>
<p>First up was the <a href="http://www.ardennes-trophy.be/">Ardennes Trophy</a>, an RWP cup marathon in Theux. This will be my first return to the Ardennes since the Houffamarathon of 2010, the first marathon I have ridden. I have been in the ardennes before and knew this will be a challenge. Unlike the german marathons. Ardennes marathons have steep technical climbs on single tracks. This makes climbing an order of magnitude harder then german marathons. And as I said before, climbing is my biggest weakness. Physical was going to be a challenge then. Mentally I thought this will be easier. The Ardennes are quite beautiful, and I was expecting to be riding singletracks for most of the marathon. That always makes it easier for me to stay motivated. All that beautiful sights around helps me to stay motivated and to remember why I am doing this. Also, I had the great pleasure of sharing this weekend with Tim.</p>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/sportograf-19134144.jpg" alt="Ardennen Trophy" title="sportograf-19134144.jpg" border="0" width="400" height="265" style="float:right;" /></p>
<p>Tim is an experienced marathon rider, having been doing this a few seasons now. In the car on the way to the fabulous glamping L&#8217;Escargot we had time to talk about racing, tactics and other bike stuff. Tim was displeased with his last marathon and was looking forward to see how this marathon would be like. Tim told me how he plans he&#8217;s marathon, and I wanted to try it out. It is quite different then how I have, till now, paced myself, so it would be interesting to see how it all went. After making sure the bikes were ready for the race, and eating our bowls of pasta we went to bed</p>
<p>The weatherman predicted rain, and a somewhat cold day. Luckily weathermen can be wrong. The day did begin chilly but it was warming up to around 17 degrees, and even though the sky was mostly grey, here and there were blue spots. Just perfect. Tim had chosen to ride the half marathon (70km, 1800hm) and I was going for the full one (90km, 2400hm), so I was starting an half hour before Tim. Around 5 minutes before the start, I took my place at the starting grid. These moments are for me the hardest. Everything is focused on riding, but I am not going anywhere. I try to keep my heart rate down, and it is working somewhat. Clicking in, last check that everything is in order and we are off.</p>
<p>The first part is as usual a climb. This helps spread the riders, and make the transition to the singletrack easier. After 10km Tim coms zipping buy. &#8220;Damn that guy is fast&#8221; I think to myself as we throw an hello at one another. I won&#8217;t see Tim again for a few hours. The course was technically challenging, as I expected it to be. It was also great fun. The hardest part was the finish, and not for the usual reasons.</p>
<p>Following&#8217;s Tim advise, I increased my pace at the last 10 km. I was passing people as the finish line came closer and closer. I knew it was not far anymore and even though I was feeling tired, I kept my pace. And there it was, the last descent. I could see the village just bellow me, I went full speed down, passing the 90km sign. &#8220;Thats it&#8221;, I thought, I am finished. I came out of the singletrack into the road, and right across into one heck of a climb.</p>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/sportograf-19151019.jpg" alt="Ardennen Trophy" title="sportograf-19151019.jpg" border="0" width="300" height="199" style="float:left;" /></p>
<p>I really wasn&#8217;t ready for this. I was expecting to be finished after the descent. I was exhausted, and I was not going to give up. So I got my chest down to my handlebar and went for it. Behind me I could three guys trying to decide if they were going for an end sprint. &#8220;Don&#8217;t you dare&#8221;, I was saying to them in my head. Either they didn&#8217;t, or I was to fast, either way, they didn&#8217;t pass me. Coming out of the woods to the finish plato I saw the guy in front of me was just 20 meters ahead. I head 250 meters to go. &#8220;I am going to get him!&#8221;. Hammering the pedals, ignoring the pain in my legs, I passed him just before the finish. Tim, Marian and Coen were waiting to congratulate me for finishing. Tim got me a beer and a hot dog. It tasted like heaven.</p>
<p>In the car back we talked about the race. Tim was also pleased with his result. It was a successful weekend for us both. We also talked future plans, which, as it turns out was really good.</p>
<p><iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://app.strava.com/rides/973822/embed/b89e524454cf43444d3b3950dcadf55972dd825e'></iframe>
</div>
<div style="clear:both;">
<h2 id="raiddeshautesfagnes">Raid Des Hautes Fagnes</h2>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/rdhf1.jpg" alt="RDHF" title="rdhf1.jpg" border="0" width="300" height="200" style="float:right;" /></p>
<p>When doing a marathon, doing anything less then the full distance makes me feel like I am taking the easy route. So, when registering for the <a href="http://rdhf.be">RDHF</a>, I naturally registered for the 115km. I was not aware of the reputation this marathon has for being difficult and technical. Talking in the car on the way back to from the Ardennes Trophy, Tim told me he never did the 115km and was quite impressed with me choosing to do that. Which got me worried. If Tim, who is definitely a better mountain biker, decided not to do it, can I do it? Eventually I decided to switch to the 90km, mostly because the week afterwards I was going to ride the Allersheimer marathon, an RWP cup race. In retrospective, it was a very good choice.</p>
<p>The day before the race Paula and me rode to Belgium. I was so happy that Paula joined me. With me gone quite a lot for marathons in Germany and Belgium it was fun for her to join so that she would understand more what actually happens on such a weekend. We chose to sleep at the same camping I did with Tim for the Ardennen Trophy and again it was great. Sunday morning we woke up early and headed for the starting area. Paula was quite surprised by the amount of people there, She was really excited to see that many people, all sharing a passion for mountain bike marathons.</p>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/rdhf2.jpg" alt="RDHF" title="rdhf2.jpg" border="0" width="300" height="200" style="float:left;" /></p>
<p>Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, for this race I got an Epic 29er as a test bike. For me this is the first time riding a 29er, and I was quite curious to see how it feels to ride. I loved the epic elite I tested a few weeks ago and so was having high expectations for the ride. After a short warm up I kissed Paula for luck and got to the start zone. Having Paula there at the start was great. Feeling more excited then usually I started on the race.</p>
<p>What an amazing marathon this is. The race starts with a climb, Like it most marathons. However, it quickly became clear that this is no normal marathon. Lots of single tracks, most of them quite technical. The numbers were similar to the Ardennen trophy, 90km, 2200hm. The actual situation was quite different. The route here was a lot more technical. Some parts were completely impossible to ride. the rest was never easy. It felt almost relentless in its technicality. Loose your concentration and you crash.</p>
<p><img src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/rdhf-finish.jpg" alt="RDHF" title="rdhf finish.jpg" border="0" width="133" height="200" style="float:right;" /></p>
<p>Meanwhile the Epic 29er was proving to be quite an interesting ride. It does roll over obstacles a lot easier, which is good. Then again turning it feels like trying to turn a heavy truck, which is bad. At the of the day I just couldn&#8217;t like it as much as I liked the elite. Once you get accustomed to it, I can believe it will be faster then the elite. What this bike did not have was joy. It was full of seriousness I do not feel when riding my mountain bike. At the end of the day I just couldn&#8217;t like it. Back to the race.</p>
<p>It was beautiful. Probably the most beautiful ride I had in the Ardennen so far. And it was exciting and challenging and hard. Crossing a river then going under an old bridge, going through beautiful forests, it was the an experience. It took me an hour longer to finish and I was much much more tired then the Ardennen trophy. Next year, I am coming back, better prepared.</p>
<p><iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='http://app.strava.com/rides/1180772/embed/24ff3fb84e4947ffdfd2d310f1edb4814f27406b'></iframe>
</div>
<div style="clear:both;">
<h2 id="allersheimermarathon">Allersheimer Marathon</h2>
<p>Next up, a week after the RDHF was this RWP cup marathon. If you have not heard of this one, I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised. Its a small scale marathon in north germany. Tim and Marijn went for the half marathon (one round), while I went for the full one (two rounds). For me, this was one to forget. The course was muddy, and boring, the weather was cold and rainy. I came somewhat unprepared for this condition. My wind jacket was not enough to keep me dry and so 2 hours in I was completely soaked. Even worse prepared was my bike. I was still using 2.1 racing ralphs from the last marathon. The RR might be a brilliant racing tire, but in the mud it just doesnt work. I was sliding all over the place. Grip was nowhere to be found.</p>
<p>Tim and Marijn did quite well, both finishing quite high on the RWP cup class. As for me, well I was still tired from the RDHF, I got lost on the way, which costed my 20 minutes, I didn&#8217;t eat enough, and I ended up finish dead last, DNF not included. For the first time. My motivation was at an all time low. I did however, learned to pay better attention to the expected conditions and to come prepare. This may sound obvious yet somehow it escaped me. Sometimes you have to learn the hard way I guess.</p>
</div>
<div style="clear:both;">
<h2 id="bonus:epic29erreview">Bonus: Epic 29er review</h2>
<p>As I mentioned, I rode the RDHF on an Epic 29er thanks to <a href="" title="http://twitter.com/jurrianvis">Jurriaan</a> who arranged the test bike. I have never ridden a 29er before, and so was curious as to see what its like. Before the race I did some laps on it and was very impressed. I even told my wife just before the start &#8220;This is the best bike I have ever ridden&#8221;. Things however are not as simple as they first appeared.</p>
<p>Still I want to start with a short technical overview. The has a somewhat different setup from the Epic Elite I tested. The rear uses a through axle, and uses SRAM X-9 instead of Shimano&#8217;s XTR. The fork is a RockShox Reba and not a SID.</p>
<p><img style="display:block; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;" src="http://blog.kfirbreger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/epic29er.jpg" alt="Epic 29er" title="epic29er.jpg" border="0" width="600" height="448" /></p>
<p>Let me take you through the points which are the 29ers advantages:</p>
<ul>
<li>Maintaining speed &#8211; A bigger wheel maintains its momentum better, making it less hard to maintain speed.</li>
<li>Obstacle engagement &#8211; A bigger wheel has a better attack angle for obstacles, making it much easier to roll over them.</li>
</ul>
<p>I did not notice a real advantage in maintaing speed, though I am sure that the physics are correct. I definitely felt a difference in rolling over obstacles. It makes a much bigger difference then you would think. I noticed it mostly while descending. Going down at high speeds, it was possible to easily attack rocks and roots, that would normally take effort en braking, with little speed loss. Also going down stairs is easier, with the bigger wheel. There are however certain downsides to the 29er:</p>
<ul>
<li>Less nimble</li>
<li>Heavier</li>
</ul>
<p>The heavier part as not true for me as my Rockhopper is heavier then the Epic 29er. For me it was a lighter bike then I am used to. The nimbleness I did notice. A lot. I am, as of now, not that skilled of a biker yet. It may very well be so that if you are really good at handling your bike, that you will notice this much less, or will be able to compensate with your own body. I, however was not able to.</p>
<p>At the end of the day. Event though it did perform well in the race (I doubt if I would have finished it on my Rockhopper), I just couldn&#8217;t like the bike. It felt like an efficient, heartless bike. I can see why you would choose this bike. It&#8217;s just not for me. It takes a lot of the fun out.</p>
</div>
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