Qinghai lake stage 2

Hi Sharon



 For today's tweet



Stage 2 Qinghai lake



Today was a little more of a soften up for the bunch however in the end it came down to a large group sprint. Today we started to climb in elevation topping out at 2900m so was interesting to see and gauge who the brave ones will be as the race heads for the sky!! As expected the columbians showed there hand but fortunately the climbs were neither steep enough or long enough for them to do damage. In the next 3 days we race at an average elevation of 3300m so they will certainly have plenty of chances to drop us beachside boys over the next few days, certainly going to be an interesting battle. In the end we were able to control the climb to ensure our sprinter Aaron was over in the front group however unfortunately in a ultra fast 60+km/h downhill sprint we were unable to assist him much and finished just outside the top 10. He will have plenty more chances but for the next few days i will be a case of keeping every possible orifus in your body open to get in as much oxygen as possible to keep the pins spinning as we head toward everist!!! Feeling good and looking forward to the unknown!!



Today's stats

Distance 122km

Time 2hrs 42min, 45kmph average

Heat rate, average 138, max 183

Power watts average 236, max 1064

Calories burnt 1500



Cjw

The end of Kscope12

It’s over, it’s over, it’s over

Well, it is sort of like the end of a love affair.  I suppose loving a conference is a Strange Love indeed but there it is.  (Yes, sometimes the song references are a bit of a stretch, but think of it as my attempt to broaden your musical horizons.)  And sadly Thursday (yeah, yeah, I’m late) was the last day.

Early in the morning

Dan Pressman, ASO wizard extraordinaire, gave his chapter presentation from the book.  Although I love each and every chapter in Developing Essbase Applications, his is the one that excites me the most.  I always want to know how things work and “How ASO Works and How to Design for Performance” is our best hope of understanding how ASO Essbase works under the covers short of working for Oracle Development.  

Then a last panel for me – Planning All Stars (so how did I get included?) – this time as moderator with John Booth, Tony Depew, and Jake Turrell as the panelists.  It was a pretty freewheeling (any time panelists start insulting each other it’s at least entertaining but it was all in good fun) discussion with really good audience participation.  I do enjoy these and have found that the sheer terror of moderating diminishes with time.  Or I was so tired I didn’t care.  I vote for the latter.

And then it was time to wrap up what has been a great conference.  If you were there, you know what I mean.  If you weren’t, what are you thinking?  Get thee hence to KScope13.

The Best is Yet to Come

Did you know you can register now for Kscope13?  If you missed Kscope12, you missed the chance of not abasing yourself in a mad scramble for a free ticket (I believe brass knuckles came out as did maces, broadswords, Krav Maga, and possibly a Trident submarine).  Yes, free is good and you missed it.  However, did you know that you can submit your abstract now?  If your abstract is accepted, your conference fee is waived.  ODTUG is always looking for good, innovative, interesting, and informative sessions.  Submit one now – who knows what will happen?

Do I ever stop asking leading questions?  Yup, right now.  This is the end of my day-by-day Kscope12 coverage.

See you in New Orleans!

Day 1 qinghai lake

Tour of Qinghai lake kicked of today in the highland city of xining. As expected the race finished in a bunch sprint giving the peleton a good little, not hard, not to easy day, ahead of 2 weeks racing. We went into the stage with the objective of giving our sprinter aaron kemps the best shot at victory and in the end he was 6th across the line. Prior to expected sprint finish there was the usual barrage of attacks which ultimately saw around 8 riders break clear including or local hero Liu biao. Having him up the Rd meant we could all take it easy in the bunch and wait for the finish so was great to have him up there. 



Being at 2400m elevation the lungs don't function as well as they do at sea level so the opportunity to spend as little energy as possible when possible will be a crucial ingredient in achieving success over such a long race. Heading into the final 5km we all moved to the front to help keep Aaron is as good a position as possible which is a great sign for the race ahead as we seemed to be working really well as a group. 



So a good first day with the local cycling super star of xining lui biao up in the breakaway and getting plenty of attention and Aaron showing that he will be one of the faster men in the sprint finishes as the race progresses so plenty of optimism for the 12 days of racing ahead for team champion system.



Power meter data

Distance 96km

Race time 2hrs 4min

Av speed 47kmph

Average heart rate 134

Max heart rate 186 (felt like 286!!!)

Average power 225 watts

Max power 932 watts

Calories burnt 945

New horizons

In 2012 I am a member of the Champion System Pro Cycling Team, registered in Hong Kong and the 1st professional continental registered team from Asia. The UCI has a clear goal  of globalizing the sport and with that the team is new frontier in this evolution of cycling and when the opportunity came up to be apart of it I jumped straight into it. Through the vision of Luis Shih, champion system owner and massive supporter of cycling throughout the world, and the guidance of the vastly experienced Ed Beamon, the team was launched in January and began it's journey into the world of professional cycling. 



The identity of the team is most definitely international. We have a very significant Asian influence in terms of riders, staff and sponsors. A very anglo Americans/Aussie theme stemming from the management, riders and sponsors from the region and of course strong European ties with riders and our central service course in Belgium which is the infrastructure hub of the team to deploy us all over the world. Nationalities that make up the team include, Chinese, Malaysian, hong kong, estonian, german, Swiss, new Zealand, Spain, Belgium, american, and Australian. This mix of personalities and structure of our race program where we have strong representation in professional races in Asia, Europe, and America all season long demonstrates our very international culture. 



A program of this scale has certainly been done to some level in the past however perhaps not to the extent which Champion System will embark on in 2012. The logistical issues faced by management headed by Ed Beamon are certainly never ending and a very demanding part of keeping the program running. Similarly the riders on the team are faced with new challenges of trying to maintain competitiveness across all continents with the added stain of travel. Fortunately we are a very international team with most of the riders used to traveling long distances to ply there trade so we have some experience to deal with the continent hopping. With the major races now on around the globe you need to very quickly find ways to manage the travel to the best of your ability as there are no head starts or time bonus's given to you for spending more time than your competitors traveling around the globe. I have found that the mental approach to the travel is very important when spending time so much time on plane's, and going through time zone changes. Personally I often look forward to boarding the plane so I can catch up on the latest movies, a good book, and most importantly some forced rest which professional cyclists often find difficult to do when the bike is readily available! Not much training can be done from 30000 feet so may as well make the most of the down time.



Team Champion System's commitment to the emergence of Asian cycling is very significant. Until now Asian riders have been faced with so many barriers to entering the world of professional cycling outside of Asia. Participation of the sport in the region is immense and vast, however travel restrictions have meant that often the athletes from the region cannot travel to freely compete wherever they choose around the world like us anglo's and Europeans are able to do. That's where team champion system is a unique opportunity for riders from the Asian region that are fortunate to be apart of the 1st professional team to compete from the region. With the team they are able to race all over the world and gain the experience much more easily than they have been able to in the past. Ed and his management team take the responsibility to ensure all the correct visa and travel permits are in place so these athletes can focus solely on there preparation and racing across the globe. 



With the uci spreading it's wings all over the world but predominately in china, it appears that emergence of team champion system has come at a crucial time for the Asian riders to make themselves more prominent in the international peleton. Having so many high level races also in there own region means they can now compete in the comfort of there home environment against some of the best riders in the world and then in turn take this experience with them all over the globe and improve there skills and competitiveness even more. Not only is the globalizing of the sport great for the athletes with which home countries the events are staged, it also open the eyes of the world to the beautiful sport of road cycling which popularity seems to be spreading like a plaige. Like running, almost everybody can ride a bike and as such the sport offers a unique feature in that those watching can appreciate just how incredibly gifted, and to many of the observers how super human the top athletes within the sport truly are. 



Of course the world economy has to have an effect on the development of professional sport as it is the commodity that keeps it all moving forward. In light of this it is also no surprise that the uci are reaching further afield to region's previously only touched on by road cycling. On the flip side, the sport has to provide a product that is entertaining and marketable and good for the image for those investing in it. I feel that due to the incredible growth of the sport particularly over the last few years the collective personal involved from sponsors, host cities, riders, staff and admin are doing a great job in providing a show at all corners of the globe. For me it  is an amazing and exciting opportunity to apart of the road show as it roles on.



This week with the start of the Tour of Qinghai lake marks the first of a string of important races in china which team champion system will compete over the coming months. What an amazing event, 14 days, all stages held between 1500-3800m in altitude, and all on the fringe of the Tibetan plateau. I am just wondering how long it will be before the organizers have a summit finish on base camp at everist!! That would be something. So for the team it is a great opportunity for the Chinese riders to compete in front of there home crowd and give our Chinese sponsors the opportunity first hand to see what there generous investment has helped develop. The riders and staff are all very excited about the 2 weeks ahead.



The season is certainly a great journey into the unknown however upon reflection so is the evolution of professional cycling. Sure Le tour de France will always be the mecha of the sport that captivates the world and I continue to strive to one day be apart of it. However the globalization of the sport through the vision of the uci and the development of teams to give riders in these regions thanks to the investment of the likes of Luis shih is a exciting space to watch also. In reality it's all just the beginning of a very exciting future for all involved in the evolution of our wonderful sport.



Cue

Last full day

Oh, it’s hard to believe, and a bit sad, but it’s true – today (at least the day I am writing this and maybe posting) is the last full day of Kscope.  It has been an absolute blur from beginning to end and my level of tiredness is perhaps beyond the ability of my favorite beverage in the whole world, aka coffee, to alleviate.  I must consume more of this magical elixir.  It is just that kind of conference.

Went the day well

Yes, yes, yes, this is Cameron’s perspective but of course this is Cameron’s Blog For Essbase Hackers.  What else would you expect?

I started the day off with an interview of the older brother I never had (of course he claims that I am the younger brother he never wanted) about the overall awesomeness that is Kscope.  As if there was any doubt in your mind, I am referring to My Man in California, Glenn Schwartzberg.  Somehow, sometime, our very possibly slightly overly familiar interview will be out there on the web.  It should at least be entertaining.

And that interview finally got me:

After the criminal misadventure that was Glenn applying the temporary tatoo, we went to the end of Markus Shipely’s session Beginner’s Guide to ODI for Oracle EPM Developers.  Ah, ODI, I love you and hate you.  Mostly love.


Apparently ODTUG has really lost their mind – I was on another “experts” panel – the Essbase Experts Panel along with Dave Collins, Gary Crisci, and Tim German.  Given the discussions, I think it was really the Smart View Experts Panel.  There’s a lot of interest in that product.  Here’s MMIC after the session – he kibitzed from the audience and corrected us as required, as he always does.

I had booth duty and while the promoting and while the selling process (I am not exactly a sales guy) Developing Essbase Applications has been absolutely fascinating and educational, I am not sorry that, for at least this conference, it’s over.  


Here’s a sad photo of a now abandoned booth.

The last session I attended was Gabby Rubin’s A Forward Look at Essbase.  I can only relate two pieces of information from that:

1. I cannot tell you anything at all about what he said.  Was he even there?  I doubt it.  For sure he'll deny it.
2. You totally should have been there.

Tonight

Oh my goodness, what can one say about a rodeo like this – I am going to let the pictures tell the words.

 Tomorrow

There’s still the half day tomorrow, and I do have a Planning panel I am going to moderate tomorrow 28 June 2012, 10:30 to 11:30 in Wisteria/Sunflower (which I did sort of forget about, whoops – I am a bit overstretched).  


A bit out of order, but the day will start with fellow author Dan Pressman’s ASO Learn How ASO Really Works and How to Harness That Power for Good (his chapter in the book), then go to me being moderator (why am I awake – no, I don’t know either) of Planning All Stars Panel.  I may just collapse after that.

Regardless of the my deteriorating physical state, we are sadly now on the downwards slope.  I’ll post tomorrow with a wrapup and a preview of next year.

What comes after one? Two.

Basic math is getting hard
As in day two of the conference (of course this is being posted on day three).  Did I mention I was tired?  I’m typing this in Gary Crisci’s “Intro to MDX + ASO” as his session ambassador and the screen is just swimming in front of my eyes.  Ugh.  I can barely figure out what comes after two.  Could it be three?  Who knows.

Does this mean I’m having fun?  Well, I’m learning a lot, and presenting (today was my melodramatically named Script or Die!), and sitting in on fellow Developing Essbase Applications authors’ sessions, and minding the book booth (more anon), and generally running around like a chicken with my head cut off.  So I guess that’s a good conference.

We’re sold out

We brought 100 copies to the conference and we are completely sold out as of 11:15 am 27 June 2012.  Amazing.  We are hot, hot, hot.  Not too hot, as Fahrenheit 451 is the burning point for paper.  We actually had a fight over the last book but one of the parties didn’t bring his credit card and the other one did.  Here’s the lucky last buyer of the book:



Of course Developing Essbase Applications is available on Amazon, so if you missed out, buy it here.

Lunch n’ Learn

I think ODTUG is a little bit out of their mind, as they included me on the Lunch n’Learn panel which was moderated by Andy Jorgensen and  included Tony Scalese, Tracy McMullen (I keep on running into her), Chris Barbieri, and yr. obdnt. srvnt.

It was a lot of fun and it is almost possible we correctly answered one or two questions.

Mixed emotions

I am, in case you haven’t noticed, a tremendous fan of ODTUG’s KScope.  My one complaint, and it is a large one, is that I simply cannot attend all of the sessions I need.  The content is so good, so broad, so deep, so valuable, that I frankly resent the fact that I am not able to be in four places at the same time.  Arrrgh.  I guess if KScope stunk, I would be happy, except then of course I’d be annoyed because it was worthless.  At least I wouldn’t feel that I needed to be in multiple places simultaneously.  This desire to be in multiple sessions is I suppose the curse of success and one that I’ll gladly take, but I am working on my cloning experiments.

Missed it by that much

“Sorry about that, chief”.  What, you aren’t a Mel Brooks fan?  Would you believe that Don Adams was a WW2 Marine and fought on Guadalcanal and then became a DI before going into acting and comedy?  Careers can be funny, especially when mine is examined.

KScope12 is turning out to be that marathon run like a sprint.  I couldn’t even manage to get out a report of Day One on time.  I was simply too busy when I had any energy and no energy when I had (extremely brief) downtime.  Such are the hallmarks of a great conference.

Here’s the crowd (actually, it got to almost SRO, so I was quite chuffed about that) getting ready to hear me talk about my chapter in the Developing Essbase Applications – “Slay the Evil of Bad Data in Essbase with ODI.”


I only rehearsed it, oh eight times, and while practice didn’t deliver perfection at least it didn’t result in outright disaster.

Oh, did I do that?  Why yes I did.

The above was quite serious but Kscope is that unique mix of work and fun.  The latter part of that combination evinced itself during the General Session.  Words pretty much fail me (and while I have never kissed the Blarney Stone, I could almost be Irish – I do like Guiness) with this one:


If you weren’t there, you should have been because it was…memorable.  That’s ODTUG’s board of directors getting ready to roast Mike Riley, former retiring president of ODTUG.  Scary, eh?

A really awesome keynote

I am an Essbase/Planning/ODI/EPM geek.  Or maybe I professionally live in a silo.  Cary Milsap?  Who’s that?  Okay, maybe I am just a dope because apparently everyone knows him.  Having gone to his keynote presentation, I have to say I now know why people are so enthusiastic about him.  He was, in a word, AWESOME.  Self-deprecating, humorous, warm, sharing, wise, insightful – these all describe his session.  I literally quoted him twice last night to two different people.  He was that good.

End with a bang

You know, I really, really, really need to get a phone with a better camera.  Oh well, this is the audience shot of EPM Midnight Madness.  Toufic Wakim, Tim Tow, Chris Barbieri, Tracy McMullen/Edward Roske, Natalie Delemar, yr. obdnt. srvnt., Eric Helmer, and Mark Rittman all played our version of Hollywood Squares.  As I have never in my life watched the show, I was somewhat bemused by being included in this august gaggle of geeks.  And oh yes, replicated, transparent, and linked are the three types of Essbase partitions.  ‘Nuff said.

More today, maybe

I am going to try to write today’s events, uh, today.  No promises.

IMG00555-20120625-1618.jpg

Yesterdays was one of those days on a bike where there is endless drama. I am now in xining, the capital city of the qinghai region of china on the fringe of the tibetan plateau preparing for the tour of qinghai lake. The city is at 2400m altitude and the race will take us as high as 4000m so the need to arrive early and try to acclimatise as much as possible Is pretty important. Yesterday was to be my final hitout before the race begins with a 6hr easy spin with a little intensity to open up the lungs and legs. So to the drama!

It started out when I was pumping up my tyres and I managed to break the valve! Flat number one and delay to begining training as I headed out on the rd.

On the road and feeling really good, excited about my trip to qinghai lake 100km away when down when the same tyre about 45' into the ride. Another change and underway, still feeling great and assuming bad luck done with.

Next was a careless error when doing a u turn after taking a wrong turn, front wheel hit a small divide on the rd and I hit the deck!! No damage just pride. By this stage I could only laugh at what had transpired in the initial 1hr 45min of my ride, anyway I soldiered on. All went smoothly as I climbed up toward the lake and did a little interval around 3000m high to see how the lungs would react, certainly found out racing up there will be somthing I have never experienced before but that excites me. So just as I finish my interval it starts raining and gets a little cold so I do the sensible thing and turn around, I am now at 3200m altitude, an elevation I have not ridden a bike at before and figure I have shocked my system enough and being 80km from home and in foreign country turning around seems logical.

As I trundle back toward civilisation down goes flat number 3, I can't believe my luck and thanks my lucky stars that at least the rain has stopped. Quick change as I am getting pretty good at them now and 60km to get home, I am now out of spares so really preying I get most of the way home before testing the quality of my training rims!!

Just as I feel I have dodged the bullet and 15km from the closest bike shop down goes the rear wheel for flat number 4, I am relieved its the rear as at least I still have the front to ensure I can steer properly which is kind of paramount when dodging the chinese traffic!!

Clunk clunk clunk I go along the city streets with all the locals staring now more intensely than usual, not only is it strange to see a white man riding a bike but to be doing it on a flat tyre is even odder for them to witness. To make things even more amusing for them only 7km from the shop down goes the front to make it flat tyre number 5 and the epic day of misfortune is complete.

I limp into the bike shop after 5hrs on the rd and fortunately due to the state of my bike no need for any explanation, 2 flat tyres, one tyre destroyed and no more spares there was no need to try and exlain what I was there for. The local mechanics quickly rush to my aid like a ferrari formula 1 team as the photos shows and I am back on the rd in no time for the final 1hr of my adventure which quite incredibly heralded no more flat tyres or incidence.

After the ride I was a little tired after enduring a 6hr ride which took almost 8 so I went of to the blind massage joint that our team translator had told me about and I had visited the day before. The guys there are completely blind but give the most incredible massage to get me feeling like new again, infact the massage was so good my legs had completely forgotten the days ordeal, the only lasting memory will be the skill fullness with which I can now change a tyre on my bicycle!!

Still 17 more days in the region including the big race so and certain the unexpected adventure will continue!!

Cjw

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Day one, the Kscope12 symposiums

Hmm, it has occurred to me that perhaps I should have put in yesterday’s post that I am going to attempt a daily update on what I surely most awesome EPM/database/Apex/BI/you-name-it-we-have-it technical-plus-more-a-whole-lot-more conference there ever has been or will be.  Phew, that was a bit of a run on sentence.  Anyway, I am going to try (note the qualifications because this is the first day of the conference and I’m already tired) to do it.


Wouldn’t it be great if I could show you some pictures?  Why, yes it would, but alas I cannot because everything at the EPM Symposium is embargoed under a “We at Oracle are telling you the future, although we reserve the right to deny we ever had this conversation.  Or even thought about having this conversation.  Or even thought about the thought about having this conversation.  You have been warned.”  


In other words, if you want to know about and hear from:

• EPM Strategy, Balaji Yelamanchili
• Financial Close Solutions Futures, Janette Kosior
• Essbase, Gabby Rubin
• Planning and Budgeting Futures, Shankar Viswanathan
• Data Integration and Metadata Management, Rich Wilkie
• EPM Foundation and Common Services, Kash Mohammadi
• EPM Reporting and Integration with OBIEE, Mitch Campbell

Pretty big names, eh?  Only KScope delivers this.


I can’t tell you what I Shankar is (I am writing this post in his Planning session) talking about but trust me, and I really mean this, if you aren’t in the room hearing what’s coming you are missing BIG changes in Planning.  I am very excited and very sad all at the same time.  Why?  Because what is coming is awesome – that makes my inner geek excited.  But sad, because I can’t tell you one single word about it.

If you’re here, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  If you’re not here, you are missing out on BIG STUFF.  Yes, word will leak out eventually, although not from me, but I know about it now.  Do you?  You NEED to be here next year.  Come hell or high water, you can be sure I will.

KScope12 Community Service Day

A day of service

The Saturday before KScope (or Kaleidoscope depending on how long you’ve been attending the very best EPM conference there has been) is traditionally a day when ODTUG gives back to the non-Oracle community.


This year it was a painting, building, sign erecting, cleaning, you name it, we did it day at Crestholme Boys & Girls Club of San Antonio.  


It was a tremendous amount of fun before what is after all a pretty serious week (I love KScope, but it is work) and of course one gets to meet people in completely other tracks that would be strangers otherwise.  I think it is one the many things that sets KScope apart from other conferences.  It is a great organization.

And now the photos

On the school bus to Crestholme

Andrei and I do construction

Yes, their sink is broken/I cause chaos

But it was all worthwhile

Thankfully I was not part of the basketball pole building

Foundation for the sign

Erecting the sign

 Mixing concrete

Set in stone

In the cafetorium

Isn’t this a nice gift?

This was our appreciation gift – what a nice gesture and so pretty.

Was that enough work for today?  Nope.

Here we are stuffing the bags that attendees get on KScope registration.  The fun never stops at ODTUG.

All in all quite a bit of fun

Oh my goodness, it was great, but I am tired.  As my buddy Tim Tow likes to say, “KScope is a marathon, run at a sprint pace.”  


Why aren’t you here?