a video game of a different flavor

ScribbleNauts
CLASSIC! a totally wonderful NEO Classic for the Nintendo DS

photos...

I brought my camera and ignored it at the last Wakefield Race... the Liberty Jamboree... and the MORE picnic...

where are the photos?

share this information

Rockburn Skills Area
http://www.rockburnskillspark.org/

(buy your raffle tickets to support the cause... and to WIN!)

need to listen to this later

there was a soccer discussion on NPR last week
I caught some of it

http://thekojonnamdishow.org/

anything goes... almost anything

delivers anything any hour
within reason
within the law
http://www.indystar.com

what images to readers like?

bus... does it have to be public enemy number one

if I saw a shark in the water I would not go swimming
the bus often drives like a bully
like a predator knowing it is large enough to engulf any and all around them

slow speed over the shoulder

snapped this over the shoulder with the DSLR
normally I do not like to ride with the full size camera around my neck
but sometimes it happens
always good to see Chip

lunchtime ride

okay... I missed the shot

my bad... that is the way it happens sometimes

lots of unzips of the full zip on these days

NCVC lunchtime ride
wonder where they rode

toyota

prius bike on Gadget Lab
www.wired.com

Chip on the move...

Chip was curious about what was making my bike creak so much
I told him it was the weight of a 225 pound rider

reading a book in the park...

not a bad way to spend part of the day

soounds like waffle with an "s"

I just call him "the bulgarian"
because I do not know how to spell Swaffle

kitchy and korny

listening to ABC Lexicon of Love
ABC The Look of Love
www.youtube.com


I would have loved to see a boxing match with Martin Frye and Morrissey in their day...

the lyrics are genius
I love to immerse myself in the catchy lyrics
I LOVE ABC
this is something I was not always comfortable to openly admit

I am admitting this to you now

gotta love the line
"I get sales talk from sales assistants"
gotta hate that

@bikehugger

Bikehugger has a RAISE YOUR SEAT page that entertains
http://raiseyourseat.bikehugger.com/

I think lots of the "new breed" would do well for a little adjustments to their seat height

photo by me

CLOSED!

BROOKS IS CLOSED!
http://blog.brooksengland.com

don't kill the messenger

ran into the wordy author of this page yesterday

http://wrenchinthegears.blogspot.com/

on the page before... seen around town... but lacking background information

I know the answers... do you?
where were these photos taken?
who is this person?
what band was he in? what bands has he been in?

is Jeff Peel no longer a faithful enough reader to offer up the answers?

on DCist

Morning Roundup: Uncertainty Edition

Candid Camera: Cameras inside Metrobuses designed to help drivers navigate traffic are serving another valuable purpose -- busting tons of driver misbehavior. Kytja Weir reports that video footage of bus drivers speeding, running red lights and talking on cell phones has led to 20 firings and 222 suspensions over the last five months. The cameras, installed in November, have also forced WMATA to admit that a higher percentage of bus accidents were "preventable."

http://dcist.com

delivery? on lunch for himself

or better yet... meeting his girlfriend for lunch
what is the answer to this somewhat meaningless question?

I regret never using tags in my posts
this is Colin...
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=colin

not all messengers are urban hipsters

what is the story here?

where is he from?
other than Northern Virginia...
I am guessing he loves in NOVA because I have seen him on the Mount Vernon Trail after work

but what is his story?

how long has he been a messenger?
why is he a messenger?
what is he... who is he other than being a bicycle messenger?
curious of the details

DDOT has a new leader

Terry Bellamy is the new head of DC Dot (DDOT)

CONGRATULATIONS!

HE SOUNDS GOOD!
which would be good for the city and good for Vince Gray!

Gray removed Gabe Klein who was an visionary...
hopefully Terry Bellamy can maintain the momentum of the previous DDOT head while putting his signature on things

in the Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com

I try to listen more

I try to listen more
I try to listen better

http://21daysofawareness.blogspot.com/

Thanks Meghan!

Bike Thief Takedown
http://www.youtube.com

this low live got caught moments after snipping the lock and trying to get mobile
a few seconds different... this video would be a tad less interestin

Meghan... thanks for sharing!

lock your bike
and well... use a lock that a toddler can not chew through

it is just not the same...

it is just not the same...
Haines Point without The Awakening
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=the+awakening
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=haines

some awesome randomness comes up on both of those links!

sharing this idea again...

follow the link
scroll down to the message

LETTER TO MICHELLE OBAMA and the LET'S MOVE initiative
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=letter+to+Michelle+Obama

Let's Move
great program
vital program
I am curious if there is a measure of its effectiveness

McDonald's still has a way to go but seems to be going in the right direction
portion control being the lesson
the small sizes are pretty large
which begs the question... will we pay the same amount of money for less food?
we may have to... because McDonald's is not looking to change in such a way that they make significantly less money

okay...
I will make it simple
GO HERE-READ THIS
this is the link for the story about my older son's class and their persuasive essays that I worked with them on... their Letter to the First Lady project

image of the family riding their bikes at Laurel Hill

Nine Lives of Marion Barry

the Nine Lives of Marion Barry for FREE on HULU
www.hulu.com

I think I am going to sit down and watch this
I hope it is an interesting and well presented documentary
there is an interesting story
hopefully some good mixed in with the scandals

sometimes I think Marion Barry was reincarnated as Vince Gray

this city...
still not sure why people were not excited about the momentum of Adrian Fenty

I am not anti-Gray
I was pro-Fenty

what is this?
is this pool at risk because the pool is looked at as being a Fenty "thing"
all these great astro turf fields are going to need maintenance
and guess what
logic would say we need more turf fields
would turf fields fall under a Fenty "thing?" or just something better for the city as a whole
progression with the times

SAVE THE WILSON 50
www.gopetition.com

Gray axed Gabe Klein and Michelle Rhee
two people working hard on interests that are important to me

EDUCATION! what could be more important than EDUCATION?

then these other great things... bike share... bike lanes...

decrease in crime...

school renovations...
playground renovations
community center renovations as expressed by astroturf fields and swimming pools

we were entering the modern age
now we are back to living in the '80s!

THAT BITCH SET ME UP
www.washingtonpost.com

in the film about Hardcore Music (a subset of what is generally known as Punk Rock) interviews Minor Threat-Fugazi-TheEvens front man Ian MacKaye as saying that it was the programs of Mayor Marion Barry that fostered the independent music scene
or something to that effect
http://www.sonyclassics.com/americanhardcore/

10 Years This Year

The Single Speed Outlaw page is 10 Years Old This Year
http://www.singlespeedoutlaw.com/

by now Serfas has received a thank you note from Joe Whitehair

those lenses may well have saved his eye
this weekend past at the Liberty Jamboree on the last and final stage of the day loose rocks took to the air and Joe was unfortunate enough to have a softball size rock collide with his face

the sunglasses took the worst of it!

protective eye-wear...
up there with helmet and gloves as important gear for the cyclist

I enjoyed this video

an old video from Wednesday at Wakefield
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aENh6ekqjM

The List Part One

last year there was an opening for the Executive Director at WABA: The Washington Area Bicyclists Association
I applied for this job

I made a list of ideas that I thought I could bring to the interview... I never got the interview
so... I never got a chance to share this list
so... I will share sections of this list in between my rants and my photos

GWADZILLA IDEAS FOR BETTER CYCLING IN THE WASHINGTON DC METRO AREA

GET MORE PEOPLE ON BICYCLES

MAKE CYCLING MORE SAFE AND MORE ENJOYABLE

PART ONE
WABA Minority Outreach Campaign

Create a WABA Staff Position focused on MINORITY OUTREACH
Washington DC is a multi-cultural city. WABA should have a position where minority-specific problems are addressed. This of course includes getting more minorities on bicycles and getting more minorities to become WABA Members.

Within the Minority Outreach Campaign there would be an effort to get more of the DC African-American population on bicycles. In a city with such a high percentage of African Americans, it is incongruous that there are so few African American bicycle commuters. The DC road riding community seems to have a strong African American contingent yet somehow the bicycle seems to be overlooked as a utilitarian device by this demographic. And of course this effort would also extend to try and educate the DC African American population about how to safely drive when approaching a cyclist.

WABA should be Bilingual

There is a large Latino population in Washington, DC, many of whom ride bicycles for transportation and recreation around the city. WABA should work to educate the Latino community about cyclists’ laws, cyclists’ rights, and cycling safety. One initiative of this campaign could focus on educating the Latino community about how to drive around cyclists. WABA could offer bilingual bicycle safety classes and bilingual bicycle repair clinics.

WABA and Sport

I would like to see a greater link between WABA and the various bicycle racing communities. A good number of the people in the area who race mountain bikes, road bikes, or cyclocross bikes are also bicycle commuters as well as family people who ride bikes. Networking with already existing cycling groups would be an easy way to make WABA and the DC cycling community stronger.

There are differences… but there may be benefits to be a certain level of solidarity.

More on WABA AND SPORT…

WABA could build greater awareness if it were to sponsor, not necessarily with money but with promotion, various bicycle efforts in and around the city. There are pushes for A VELODROME, a PUMP COURSE, and MOUNTAIN BIKING in the District of Columbia. These options should be explored. Although WABA cannot spearhead every bicycle related project, WABA can certainly support and publicize various projects around the city.

Personally I think that the time has come to make bicycle riding on the dirt trails of Rock Creek Park legal. WABA should work to get Mountain Biking in Rock Creek Park Legal.

Two additional bicycle sport and recreation issues that could be addressed are Beach Drive on weekends and the Haines Point rides. Sections of Beach Drive are closed on weekends. Although these stretches of road may be closed to through traffic there is still plenty of car traffic either going to one of the many picnic groves or just lost. A flip sign and some police attention could be used along with a campaign to educate the people getting grove permits. The Speed Limit Sign could be a FLIP SIGN with information about slower weekend traffic and yielding to pedestrians and cyclists. It is dangerous to have cars flying through at 45MPH while people are walking their dogs, roller blading, or cycling with their families. As for the education… when issuing the permits the officer on duty could simply remind the park user of the rights of the people on the roads and ask that people in the park observe the speed limit.

Although road cycling is not really my scene, I am still aware of various unofficial group rides. There are lunchtime rides at Haines Point several times a week. This area is for recreation. Why not treat it as such? Let the cyclists maintain momentum and roll through the stop signs. A simple sign stating WARNING: Approaching Cyclists Do Not Stop at the Stop Sign a block before the intersection would do the trick. It should not be that hard.

BLURB BOOKS

I need to finalize these photo books so I can get onto the next set
so many images
some definitely worth sharing

the shots from Krakow are beautiful

in Poland

over spring break we ran into this guy

neither Dean nor I had ever seen a unicycle with a disc brake before

I would like to know what happened to Major

Major was so before his time...

New Age before New Age had its modern coming of age
the migration to the west
well... Major was early on that notion
it took him a minute
some people thought it was never gonna happen

then he was gone
not sure if he has been back

vegetarian pot luck dinners
yoga
and that neo hippy vibe
only with Robert Lighthouse instead of the Grateful Dead

oh... and of course mountain biking
Major was early on the mountain bike scene

I should set it up to auto load each day

http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=yehuda

LIST PART TWO

GWADZILLA'S IDEAS FOR BETTER BIKING IN WASHINGTON DC
LIST PART TWO

Bikes and the Law

Laws may need to be reviewed and re-written. The Bicyclist is not a Pedestrian and the Bicycle is not a Car… the laws must be written to show this. The breaking of a law on bike is usually closer to the actions of a jaywalking pedestrian than a speeding car. This topic is complex and needs to be investigated.

THREE FEET

This should be common sense. Too many car drivers pass cyclists too fast and too close. A car passing a cyclist closer than three feet is a danger to the cyclist. When people are not behaving in a way that reflects common sense then there need to be a law.

ENFORCE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR AGGRESSIVE DRIVING DIRECTED TOWARDS CYCLISTS

The bully behavior of the car needs to stop. There should be a non-emergency number where cyclists and pedestrians can report aggressive drivers. With the driver’s information given to the officer a warning could be issued to the car driver in the same way that speed cameras issue a ticket. If the driver gets several warnings then an officer would visit their house.

Driver Distraction Law

The DRIVER DISTRACTION LAW NEEDS TO BE PUBLICICZED and ENFORCED.

THINGS TO BE DONE TO MAKE THE STREETS SAFER FOR THE CYCLIST

Create more bike lanes and paint all bike lanes a different color. PAINT IS CHEAP! Striping the lanes is not enough. PAINT THE LANES. Once the lanes are painted, there should be an awareness campaign that educates citizens about the importance refraining from driving and parking in the bike lanes.

SHARROWS or some sort of markings for the roads that are “bike routes.” The roads that connect the Bike Lanes should be marked accordingly.

BIKE TRACKS like the bike lanes being considered on Pennsylvania Avenue should be considered all over the city. A glance at a map of Washington, DC that marks the old Trolley Routes would be a good place to think about creating more BICYCLE TRACKS. A street like Mount Pleasant Street that once had trolley tracks would be a great place for a BICYCLE TRACK. This current “no man’s land” goes virtually unused. Claim this space for the bicycle!

COMPLETE REWORKING OF THE STREETS

The city is changing. Sadly, when these changes happen, not all variables are taken into account. There are roads where there is NO FLOW. There is always blockage and there needs to be some change. Between Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant on Park Road, there needs to be some change. In my view, the sidewalk is too narrow for all the foot traffic that is going back and forth. While the road is always congested, it may make sense to remove one side of car parking, widen the sidewalk and create a bike lane. This is an idea… just an idea… but such ideas merit consideration.

THE BICYCLE AND SNOW

Plain and simple -- bike paths like The Capital Crescent Trail and The Mount Vernon Trail need to be plowed when it snows. There should be no discussion here. It should be part of the budget and part of the plan. People complain about the bicycles on the street when it snows… well… a good number of those cyclists would be traveling on these paths if they were cleared and safe for cycling.

There should be a program to aid the DC Police to better understand what it is to travel by bicycle in this city. This initiative could involve asking DC Police to bike in plain clothes around town so that they can see what it is like to ride a bicycle with all the cars swarming around them. This same concept could be good for heads of state.

WABA AND SCHOOLS

So much can be done with WABA and the schools in the area. WABA needs to work closely with SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL and each school to try and make things safer. It would be amazing if we could educate parents and children in the same effort. Currently the way that parents drive for drop off and pick up is often unsafe.

NEIGHBORHOOD PACE CAR

Neighborhood pace car is an amazing concept. It is simple and easy and should be promoted and expanded. The SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL program needs to educate parents to drive responsibly around all schools. The driving behavior of parents within the immediate sphere of my children’s school disgusts me. If we could get parents to drive more safely and intelligently when their kids are in the car then this would be a better world.

Parents fail to realize that you do not teach your children to drive a car at 15 years and 8 months. We start teaching our kids to drive the day we take them home from the hospital as newborns. For a father or the mother to drive while talking on the cell phone, to fail to yield to pedestrians, to rush for yellow lights and push reds is unacceptable.

WABA could partner up with OPRAH and her NO CELL PHONE ZONE agenda. We could encourage people to put their cell phones in their bags and ignore them until they arrive at their destination. Teenage Drivers Texting? UNACCEPTABLE.

There needs to be an education program for the high school age kids who drive themselves to school.

BIKE CLUBS

Every school in The District should have a BIKE CLUB. The clubs could organize group rides as well as safety and mechanical clinics. Kids who do not have bikes could learn to ride bikes. Basic bicycle maintenance should be within everyone’s understanding and reach. Fixing a Flat and lubing a chain could easily be basic knowledge.

it has been over a week...

I need to get on the unicycle
as I do not want to allow my progress to slip backwards
I definitely do not know how to ride a unicycle backwards

still looking for photos from Wakefield

so... Gary Ryan?
Chris?
others?

where are your images from Wednesday from Wakefield
yes
I am looking for photos of myself on my bike racing W@W

I think that one of these guys died on the job

one of those shots from the Regardies photoshoot from back in the '80s

I totally remember those guys

but I can not recall the tragic story
I seem to recall one of them getting run over by a Metro Bus

they were pretty wild

does anyone know the full story?

chase this link to find more information and a link to the images on FACEBOOK
http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/search?q=regardies

THE LIST PART THREE

THE LIST PART THREE

WABA and The First Lady

The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is vigorously promoting her MOVE IT campaign. It would be beneficial for all if WABA were to link up with her campaign to raise awareness and create enthusiasm about the health benefits of cycling. My idea of opening Rock Creek Park to bicycles is largely linked with the notion of KIDS ON BIKES. The effort to have a child exert the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity is tough when the nearest dirt trail for mountain biking is a 60-minute drive away. This could be easy enough to change.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS

I have a million PSA Ideas. New PSA ideas come into my head all the time. Some of these ideas would be fun to develop. But it may be a good idea to push for others to create PSAs.

Washington DC has some high profile residents. Sadly… some of these people may think they are above the law…

(Bob Novak strikes a pedestrian. Marvin Kalb and Tony Kornheiser at telling people to run over cyclists on their radio shows. Maybe their penalty would be create PSA announcements and for the radio shows that hire them to play them.

WABA would do well to make a statement each time there is an outburst like the one from Tony Kornheiser. ) (Not a good idea to defame individuals, even if you’re right…)

WABA and THE WORLD WIDE WEB

The WABA Web Page would do well to expand its capabilities.

POT HOLE HOTLINE

Cyclists could report unsafe sections of road. There are potholes in this city that will take a cyclist down. If the location of these potholes is not identified, bicyclists are at unnecessary risk.

TWO WHEELS AND TWO EARS

WABA PAGE where cyclists and play “show and tell” with their experience with cars.

SOCIAL NETWORKING

WABA should get an Intern or a Volunteer who can focus on SOCIAL NETWORKING. The WABA FACEBOOK PAGE and the WABA BLOG. These are great ways to share information!

WABA should take advantage of them.

WABA and BIKE FRIENDLY STORES

Washington DC storeowners need to realize what valuable consumers we are.

WABA would do well to build a relationship with storeowners and get an idea of who is a BIKE FRIENDLY BUSINESS. Businesses could JOIN WABA for various levels (GOLD SIVER OR BRONZE) and get a sticker in their window. Then, similar to GROUPONS or LIVING SOCIAL deals could be given to WABA Members at these BIKE FRIENDLY BUSINESSES.

The Bicycle Community could be more active in URBAN DEVELOPMENT.

There should be more closing off of streets to cars. Eastern Market on Capital Hill is a great example of a bicycle destination that is much more user-friendly without the stress of in and out traffic. Bethesda Avenue in Montgomery County would do well to have this stretch of road shut off to car traffic on weekends. They would certainly learn the value of being a bike friendly business if this happened.

BIKE SWAPS

BIKE SWAPS where people actually “swap” bikes. These swaps would be held in various neighborhoods. There would already be a base of donated bicycles in working order. People would come and pay a nominal fee to trade their bike. Those without a bike to donate would pay a greater fee. There would also be used parts and accessories onsite for sale. Mechanics would be available to check over used bikes as they are sold. Bikes in need of new tires could make a purchase at a reduced price.

IF YOU WANT A BIKE YOU GOT A BIKE

There should be a program that gets people bikes who could not normally afford a bike. BIKE SWAPS where bikes are actually swapped would be a good way to make this happen. Bicycle Safety could be taught at a Bicycle Rodeo on the same days.

deal on Craig's List

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org

this may be true

nice rims!

I LOVE NY MORE THAN YOU (a photo blog)
http://ilovenymorethanyou.tumblr.com

RACE REPORT: Wednesday At Wakefield #4

it has been nearly a week since the last Wednesday at Wakefield
this puts the race memories into a bit of a blur
let me see what I can recall...

if the results were up... if there were images
well... these things would help words to surface

apparently PVC is not as excited about posting the results as we are about downloading the results
http://www.potomacvelo.com/events/waw/waw_results.html

RACE REPORT: Wednesday At Wakefield #4
race four at Wakefield was very similar to races one, two, and three
I arrived early with my boys Dean and Grant... got them registered... got them to the start line
cheered for them and then after their race I got them settled in so I could get ready for my race

racing always involves a certain level of anxiety
this final race of the four race series carried a little more weight...
which by proxy brought along additional anxiety

last year at W@W I went up against Scott Young of Blackwater Bikes for the series in the Clydesdale class
I think I won three and had a flat keeping me from finishing the fourth race... keeping me from scoring any points... thus... getting second in the series... granting Scott Young his goal of beating me by scoring more points and winning the series

so... this year I was aiming to avoid mechanicals
which made for some white knuckle finger crossing

trying to SWEEP THE SERIES
trying not only to win the series... but trying to SWEEP THE SERIES
to make this happen I needed to finish ahead of Scott Young on all four races
to place first in all four races

again I arrived with the Single Speed
each week doubting that the Jamis Exile 29er with its single cog was the best bike for the job
yet... until I get a new cassette for the Rip Nine... the Jamis Single Speed is my only dirt option
so... I was forced to run my 32 X 18 against Clydesdales on geared bikes

having the boys home for the week allowed for an easy approach
our day was moderately mellow as we laid low and tried to dodge the heat as best we could
we arrived early enough for a little warm up on the bike before the 5:30 kids race
I rode the course with young Grant as Dean chased his way into second place in the 10 and Under Category

the effort by each of my boys made me proud

this being the fourth week of Wednesday at Wakefield my boys were pretty well established in their routine
they knew where the race course was and they knew the basic sphere where they could venture
the notion of sticking together and looking out for each other was reinforced and I was on my way
a quick warm up before taking the line

back to the car and into my DCMTB racing kit
then down to the registration table to make sure that they had logged my number which I had to check my number plate to remember
when verifying that they had my race number I glanced to see how many Clydesdales would be racing
the list was short... which was no real issue... I saw Scott Young's name and knew that there would be a race

just a few pedal strokes into my warm up and I saw him... Scott Young... my Clydesdale competition who has become my friend
a byproduct of friendly competition

Scott Young and I exchanged hellos

hard to know what Scott is feeling... my guess his emotions are similar to mine
excited to see the other and know that there is a race
while also feeling a little bit of dread in seeing the other knowing that that there is going to be a race
each of us more than likely knowing that the day would be easier without the presence of the other

as I pedaled back from my quick warm up I saw the release of the Experts
which had me realizing I best get to the line myself

at the line I accessed the competition
there was one unfamiliar face in an unfamiliar kit in the group
it was a set of fresh legs of unknown strength
Scott and I exchanged words about the unknown element among us

with the race about to happen right in front of us I knew that all questions were soon to be answered

each of the classes were released and then we took to the line and waited for the countdown for our release

the words go rang out like the sound of a bell for a heavyweight boxing match
a three round boxing match
a boxing match that would prove to be a bruiser from start to finish

once again I had an awkward start
the easy gear of the single speed did not send me forward as fast as the geared bikes around me
at the base of the short steep hill with its deep gravel I was scrapping to hang onto Scott Young's wheel
searching for a fast line in the hard packed gravel I faded left nearly cutting off the the unfamiliar form with the fresh legs
in an effort to be a good sport I went back to my line of loose gravel apologizing to the unfamiliar form for nearly cutting him off from his line

wanting to be the first into the singletrack I fought gravity and muscled my bike and my body up the hill
three quarters of the way up the short sprint of a hill I was along side of Scott Young
as I crested the hill onto the maintenance road I was in first place
I smiled as I heard Scott Young exclaim, "SHIT!"

it had seemed that Scott was going to win the climb and maybe beat me to the singletrack
on the gravel maintenance road I pedaled vigorously as so not to lose the advantage I had worked so hard to gain

there is something about being the first person into the singletrack
a mental advantage and a strategic advantage
being the first person onto the singletrack I slowed my pedal stroke and tried to slow my heart rate
since there is no reasonable place to pass I controlled the pace
allowing my fellow Clydesdales to queue up behind me
allowing myself to regain my breath

I wanted to try and control the race from the front
rather than getting stuck in the position of CHASE

down the hill... hairpin right turn on loose dusty singletrack... across the creek on the man made rock bridge... towards the woods on the board walk and the cobble stones
as I took the turn into the woods I tried to accelerate forward
with the set of tires being powered by those fresh legs of the unfamiliar racer I tried to push the pace
my effort was matched

there had not been much time on the bike since the Wakefield race two weeks prior
maybe some time trying to understand the unicycle
not much else... maybe a road ride... and then a spin at Rosaryville
but no real biking to speak of
especially in the beach filled days prior to this day

the legs were feeling it... I did not like the tightness in my legs so early on
I feared cramping as I was getting some sensation in my legs on lap one that I would not normally feel until lap three

I tried to control the race from the front
trying to get speed where I could while recovering when I could
I accelerated out of the woods onto each long straight flat section and tried to spin things such so that I could not be over taken by the geared bikes behind me
yet not spin so much that I burned my legs out too soon

when the trail doubled back on itself I tried to get an idea of where racer two and racer three were in comparison to me
I think by the time we were half way through lap one Scott Young managed to get in front of the fresh unfamiliar legs and catch up within a turn of me
by the tail end of the lap Scott Young was in my shadow

Scott Young and I started lap two together
with Scott Young in my shadow I worked the course pretty hard
pushing my body pretty hard... trying to see if I could shake the racers behind me

NO DICE ROCK SLICE!

I attacked each section
attacking each section as an attack on Scott Young
making aggressive yet friendly passes when passes needed to be made
it intrigued me that I passed some of the Sport Women later in the course than usual
when I felt that the momentum of this week was faster than the weeks prior

out into the open area beneath the powerlines I tried to recover
knowing that the geared bike had an advantage here I thought that I would relax for a second
slow the pace and save the racing for the final lap
then I heard a voice... "ON YOUR LEFT"

it was Scott Young... I had not looked back... yet foolishly I had thought he was further back
without so much as a glance I was out of the saddle and spinning hectically
apologizing for spacing out
admitting that I thought he was further back
letting him know that I would prefer just racing the final lap than all the miles leading up to it

we worked the rest of the lap in tandem
I was pleased to be in front of him
the climb to the powerlines can be a tough one on the Single Speed... good chance that Scott could climb it faster without me setting the pace in front of him
then the berm section known as PHASE THREE it was good to be in front of him because I am not the most fast and most fluid on these BMX style turns... so again... by being in front I was able to dictate the pace

as we crossed the marker of LAP TWO TO LAP THREE I could feel Scott Young trying to make an aggressive pass
voices cheered my name... more voices cheered Scott Young's name
the effort of the Underdog was getting noticed
I smiled inside thinking that we had an exciting last lap in front of us

it was a tough place to attempt the pass
my pace was good... I only had to increase my pace a bit and maintain my placement on the trail and Scott Young was forced to fall back in line behind me

lap three went on pretty much like lap one and two
we slugged it out pretty good
going what felt to be faster and harder than the weeks prior we rocked the course
taking the turns with aggression and passion rather than flowing with finesse

on this lap on each pass I requested passing space for two
rather than trying to use the racers from other classes as blockers
I wanted Scott Young to have the chance to fight me to the finish instead of getting tangled in a crash with a racer from another category

I tried to race smart knowing that sliding out on a turn could be enough for Scott Young to take the lead space forcing me to chase
it is a tough balance to try and max it out and not over cook things

I thought about the course and tried to make good use of the Single Speed where it had its advantages and then worked extra hard on the long flat straight sections where the Single Speed is at a disadvantage

it was the usual cat and mouse
I would break free of having Scott Young in my shadow
then... just when I was feeling I could relax... Scott Young would reel me in
there was no letting up

it was the last lap of the four race series
it was all going to come down to the final mile
whoever won this race would leave smiling
if Scott Young won he would have the satisfaction of beating me
while if I won I would have the satisfaction of the clean sweep and the assertion of my being the consistently faster race... at least on this course

I did not let up...
it was not pretty
my body was fatigued
I muscled my way up each climb and thrusted through each turn

fatigued I thought about how much course was left and how much gas was in the tank
I was running on empty
I had to dip into my reserves
it was clear that I would leave it on the course

I worked hard on the last climb
I worked real hard
not allowing the disadvantage of the Single Speed to express itself
after the effort on the climb I descended down the berms in a less than glorious fashion

I was pretty close to spent
yet I knew that I had to maintain the power
I could not risk letting Scott Young get into my shadow again

I regained composure and tried to find the right line on the berms
while trying to just stay on the trail
it would have been real easy to crash
through the creek and back into the woods I grinned knowing that I had a little gap on Scott Young and the rest of the Clydesdales
I took the last set of turns with pleasure knowing that the series would be mine

there had been no broken chains
there had been no flat tires
the bike had held up

although there was some tightness there had been no cramping
the race intensity was such that it was tough to refuel during the race
somehow the body was able to hold up without any snacking or hydration to speak of

ah... satisfaction
ah... relief
ah... closure

it was good

the series delivered all the competition and camaraderie that I have come to expect from the DC Metro area summer mountain bike training series known as Wednesday at Wakefield

it was a pleasure to get to line up and race with Scott Young and so many others
it was a joy to see my children so excited to be involved in the Trips for Kids-Trails for Youth races at Wednesday at Wakefield

good times for sure!

I crossed the line and did not pedal much further
my boys Dean and Grant were there to greet me
not far behind me was Scott Young and then the unfamiliar form and his fresh legs

congratulations were shared among the competitors

good times for sure
another set of memories created at Potomac Velo Club's Wednesday at Wakefield