a week with no good photos

Granogue this weekend....

Granogue is this weekend
can not make it
simply can not make it
three bike weekends in a row... time to focus on family
mother's day
my nephew eric's birthday
my wife's birthday
did not even ask...
did not even bring home the permission slip to be signed

Granogue Race Information
Virtual Tour of Granogue

*this race is in memory of Andrew Mein
a friend of a friend
a fellow cyclist
I never knew him
I will never get to know him
ride of silence
race of silence

Results for Lodi Farms/Race Reports

Results for the 12 Hours of Lodi Farms have been posted!

and

DCMTB/City Bikes/Metro Gutter's Web site has some race reports up already
this afternoon I expect to put in a report for that site
up now is Rickyd's (no relation to SunnyD) solo race report
and
some reports from the DCMTBers who raced road at Poolesville then three man expert at Lodi later that night
all worth a look
all worth a read

GWADZILLA REPORT ON DCMTB BLOG (with some caps and some punctuation)

Bike To Work Day!

.

STAND AND BE COUNTED!

REGISTER ONLINE!

STAND AND BE COUNTED!

REGISTER ONLINE!'

RIDE AND BE COUNTED!

RIDE!

and

REGISTER ONLINE.

the G-man at INTROSPECTION had me thinking

a comment and a link from Gman at Introspection Section had me thinking
in his rant he spoke about an inconsiderate school bus driver
rather than drift off into a game of show and tell I am going to just say one thing

people who drive professionally should learn to drive professionally
know the law
respect other's rights
behave like adults
understand that actions have consequences

adults should act like adults
adults should drive like adults
and professionals
professionals who can not drive in a professional manner should not be driving professionally

perhaps I need to start putting my money where my mouth is
get out the camera
get some photos
take down some license numbers
then make some phone calls

I am not looking to get anyone fired
I am just trying to get people to behave
we all need a speed check from time to time
and well
it looks like society as a whole needs a speed check

and if calling their boss does not help
maybe I should call their mother!

snitching and blowing whistles are not normally my style
but if this slows things down
if this saves some lives
if this prevents the "worst case scenario"
then I just might have to do it

man....
there were two stories about school buses right on the tip of my tongue

what the heck....

want some show and tell? here ya go

two short ones
will try to keep the adjectives, adverbs, and explatives to a minimum to keep this short
a number of years ago I was out on a ride with my brother
I know it was years ago as at this point in time I was faster on the bike than he was
we were headed down Beach Drive towards Rockville
as we passed through the green light over East West Highway I saw a big yellow school bus screaming down the road
it was clear that this driver had no intention of slowing his pace
the way things were going I would pass the on ramp curve clear but he most certainly would level my brother
so I slowed my pace, raised my hand and pointed, made eye contact and used the power of the Force to slow him down
sure enough he slowed down
we continued rolling on
then the yellow school bus pulled up along side of me
the door opened
with the door open eye contact was made
the driver with a bus full of children slowly started to fade me off the road
watching me all the way
my eyes went from contact with his to the thinning road in front of me
fantasy and reality got confused
had to choose
do I make a leap of faith from the bike into the bus and end this troll of a man's miserable life right here and now
or do I head for the grass and hope for the best
sure enough I selected reality over fantasy
having no more road I leaned back and hit the brakes as I went off the road
no crash
no collision
just anger and frustration
at a glance I took a mental note of the numbers on the yellow bus
only to let those number infect my mind with many versions of that same fantasy
no fantasy ending well
not well for him
not well for me
actions have consequences
it is not my job to teach lessons
lucky for me
lucky for him
I did not see that bus with those numbers and that driver again

another tale?

around that same era I was doing a loop on MacArthur Blvd.
that same loop that I blogged about earlier this week
I was a few miles past the one lane bridge when I was buzzed by a full size yellow school bus
the closeness and the speed sent me shaking
the wind draft of the vehicle pulled me closer to it
riding on the four inch white like I tried to maintain
the options of the drainage ditch to me left or the wheels to my right were not pleasant
the bus finished its pass and rolled into the distance

like the fool I am I let the adrenalin take control of my thoughts
my pace picked up
with heart, lungs, and legs pumping I started to reel in this long yellow school bus
no need to sprint too far
as the bus pulled over to let off some young school children

with the bus stopped I pulled up along side of the bus driver's window and asked him if he could pass me any closer
to that the bus driver simply responded, get in front of me again and see what happens
is that a threat I ask
before he can respond I have taken a large wad of gum out of my mouth and thrown it at him
the massive piece of saliva soaked gum sticks to his neck just below his jaw line
he gestures like he is going to get out of his vehicle
he gestures like he is going to undo his seat belt
before he can unlock his seat belt I feed him an ear full of the truth
old man
on your best day you could not have taken me
what makes you think you can take me now?
go ahead
get out of your bus
think about how you are going to explain what happened today to your wife
she will wonder why all your teeth are in your hands rather than your mouth
to that he is silent
without breaking stare I tell him
you pass me with space and respect or else we will see what happens
I clicked in and rode away
still filled with adrenalin I rode away fast
still in fear
as I bluffed with my body
he may call my bluff with that bus
he did not catch me
he did not pass me
I live to see another day

this reduced the rants... click here

rider down

rider down
fellow mountain biker Jason Ashmore was hit while on a road ride
word to the wise
watch your back
no one on the road is looking out for you except for you
here is how much jason was able to say

Anger 2.0: trying to reset the defaults

okay, enough
time for me to get into my system and reset some of my settings
my Anger 2.0 may need to be upgraded to Anger 2.1
seems that too much angers me too easily
my settings are set way too low

the cars this morning that ran the red light at the top of the hill leading down my street
sure it was rainy and wet
but they are just fine going 45MPH in a 25 Zone with me with my dogs at one side and my four year old son at the other
that should not anger me

the cars parked in the bike lane
the cars tailgating me
the cars cutting me off
like the water rolling down their windshield
I need let this all flow away
no need to cuss and scream at each and every car and bus
that Florida redneck... he don't know no better
that Jersey asshole... he is just fullfilling his nature
that FISH... f_cking Illinois Sh_ithead... that is just how they drive back home
just let them go
they along with the Diplomats and the international transplants are just acting on the in-sensible sensibilities of their homeland

but...
just as my anger settings need to be adjusted in my now new and improved Anger 2.1
I also need to alter my default settings for what is yelled and what is screamed
it seems that the "c" word is not fitting for any and all... it should be reserved for those that deserve it
instead I did a FIND and REPLACE for the "c" word with the word "sunshine"
that seemed to work
although the fat f_ck that tailgated me down Conn Ave. got my sometimes favorite "obessity epidemic"
with the removal of the "c" I got to yell and the blue haired woman with the blue haired dog out pooping on the sidewalk does not need to adjust her hearing aid

already feeling better with thing set to a more moderate level
can not wait for my next long road ride where I can be less effected by the ignorant assholes around me
can just do my thing
rather than acting like a pinball machine that tilts when it is brushed against

the car drivers just do not know any better
they are unable to put a human element onto the cyclist
in order to stay safe and alive I need to give them space
and keep my fingers and my tongue to myself

the upgrades have not fully propigated through the system quite yet
there may have been a few utterances of the "c" word this am
but something about someone running me down just sort of pisses me off

which do I hate more...

which do I hate more... cabs or buses?
this may fall back on the old "idiot or asshole?" arguement
in short
I think that the aggressive bus drivers are assholes and know that they are running the bikers down
while I feel that the cab drivers tend to be idiots that lack the ability to move their necks
never looking
never seeing
thus making the buses get more of my hatred and anger
but... lucky for the cab drivers
I have enough hate for everyone

lance's ex-wife

missed the Oprah show the other day

waiting for the big Oprah give away... some people think it is just one big commercial
I think it is just fantastic!

I just can not get enough of Oprah... shopping at her store completes me

oh....
I need to read more about lance's ex wife and why her marriage was any different than any other marriage in america (by america I mean the united states)

would she have been more happy had lance been working overtime at the local Walmart as an assistant manager... earning minimum wage?

road biking and road rage

will try to spit something out about my post work ride as my boys splash in the tub
thus usually ends up with a soaked
funny enough
I did not get to finish that sentence or that thought
sure enough... grantman was pouring 32 ounces of water onto the floor from the tub at a time
older brother dean was reclining back enjoying the show
hope there is no damage
as we just had the ceiling on the floor below repaired from similar such incidents
enough on the kids
back to the saga at hand

road biking and road rage
normally I ride alone
sure it would be better for me to ride with others
challenge me
push me
help me to challenge myself
help me to push myself
but, a combination of small unknown windows of opportunity and the inability to plan ahead normally prevent me from getting out on the bike with anyone else

today was different
set some tentative things up in advance
firmed things up in late afternoon
a final conversation ahort time before my departure to verify the time
then got stood up while on my way to our point of intersection
cell phones can be handy

just as well
our route was on the Mount Vernon trail
the weather of the day and the time of year had me thinking of out to Great Falls and back
a ride I had not done in too long
the idea of heading down MacArther Blvd. to the parking lot at Great Falls alone rather than riding with my old friend was fine with me
not sure where his fitness is
not sure where my energy is

the bike was feeling fresh
the night prior the drive train got some tlc
some much needed tlc
degreased and lubed the drive train after a winter of riding
made this old machine feel next to new
a drive train I have been meaning to replace
but have yet to find the time and a nine speed crankset with a half step
gearing in the area of 38/46 as I have little need for a 52

traffic was congested
the weather was awesome
the commuter traffic seemed extra aggressive
which dictate the tone of the ride
on M Street I shamelessly scanned the sidewalks for eye candy as I split the lanes
the cars had me extra cautious for immediate lane shifts
the few quick glances at the college coeds had me thinking of a line from Breaking Away
the blocks of ended with key bridge on one side and a few bike shops and a liquor store on the other
I cut the lanes and busted a move into left turning traffic
the cars turning into the gas station and the runners on the sidewalk had me in the right hand lane

traffic on this stretch of road moves fast
too fast... consistently over the speed limit fast
rather than riding the gutter and grinding my teeth as each car passed dangerously close
I spun it fast and hard in the center of the right hand land
not even the center
still pulling a tad to the right of center
a few cars pass fast and close in my lane as they went around me
why did they not move entirely into the left hand lane?
I can not read minds... but I think some people like to buzz the cyclist in an effort to give them a message
I was feeling spry
the bike felt good and I felt good as well

ths short stretch of road ended with the traffic that had just aggressively passed me to be blocked up at a dual left hand turn lane
I continued right
attacked the hill hard
then quickly dropped to a turtle pace
cars passed fast as I tried to fade into the left hand lane for a left onto MacArther

here there is a double yellow line
I am forced to ride in the lane rather than the door zone
more cars passing fast and close
not sure of the speed limit
my guess is I am riding closer to the legal limits than the passing cars
a few drivers pass fast only to turn into the neighborhood ahead
while others get passed by me as they stop for the red light

sure I roll through the red...
no time to make that arguement of how I modify the law of the red light viewing it as a yeild sign
not unlike how a car modifies the speed limit with a standard deviation
only I think that people have over extended the parameters of what is a safe modification of the speed

I have already cursed at a few passing cars
the new favorite word is c u n t
not sure why.... but it crept up... and it has stayed
I don't like it, but it is some sort of cyclist road rage induced turrets

read more?

on the last miles MacArther in DC feeding into Maryland things move pretty smoothy
not too many cars passing me
a few
a few close
but nothing too aggressive or dangerous
just as I cross into maryland a set of cars pass me as if I am not there
I pass them on the climb as they wait for the light to change
then at the next light I drop into the hill at good speed
feeling good
going fast for me
I feel as if I am of no hinderance to the cars that I am sharing the road with
sharing the road does not mean sharing the lane

on this stretch of winding road I am moving at a pretty good clip
this road was a favorite of mine in my late teens on my motorcycle
still a favorite of mine on the bike
only the curves move by a great deal slower
sure there is a bike path just along side of the road
but the road is better for this pace
as I move along there are a few walkers headed each way and a few bikers each way
all obstacles that would force me to drop my speed
clearly more considerate for me to ride on the road at this pace rather than the path

as I get further along the road the number of cars buzzing me grows
so many fast moving commuter cars
all passing dangerously fast on blind curves over a double yellow line
even those that pass courtesously wide around me cause anxiety
there are multiple near head on collisions
never do I see brake lights
just near collisions

just before Glen Echo I pass the line of cars that just passed me
there are makes, models, and drivers that I recognize
I recall the names that I applied to the faces
most of them were just labeled c u n t
no matter the sex
my adrenalin was pumping from the ride and from the traffic

the miles towards great falls are rolling by
a very familiar stretch of road
I recognize the changes
this area is not far from the house I grew up in
much of my youth was spent in this area

as cars pass fast and close I hold my ground
checking my watch to get an estimate of my destination for a turn around
already talking myself out of repeating the hill multiple times
as I approach the old one lane bridge I again pass so many of the cars that passed me too fast and too close
I look to the sidewalk and then the bridge itself
there are cars just rolling off the last feet of the bridge
I am moving fast enough take the one lane bridge before the opposing traffic gets a green
half way across the bridge I see that the cars in front of me are not just getting across
the cars are lined up
stuck in the queue all the way to the stop sign half a mile ahead
opposing traffic has a green
or maybe they finally have enough room to squeeze by
either way
cars are heading towards me full speed
the first car sees me
I am riding the gutter head on
the second car comes close
I am still moving
the third is going to crush me
I take my foot out the right clip and the hard plastic slides as I tocuh the curb
the third driver corrects and smiles in a Bad Boy Club sort of way
I smile and thank him for not crushing me and apologize
but he is gone
by this time I am able to slip through the final yards and back onto the road
at this point oncoming traffic has a red
I split the frozen traffic
passing more and more cars
each car with one person... the driver

most of the cars turned left
so only a portion of the cars approach me
most of the cars are disrespectful to my right for life
by the time I get to Old Angler's Inn my heart rate has really gone up and so has my middle finger
I am not fully accustom to nearly being killed so many times
by this time there have been a few fast and close passes that had the pleasant addition of a constant holding of the horn
when I reach the peak of the hill I drop in
keep my speed down and watch for deer
okay.... hands off the brakes but not sprinting down hill

at the base I do a turn around the circle
then back up the hill
although my heart rate has been raised along with my finger
I have forgotten each car and each driver as soon as they were gone
no real specifics as holding such information would just anger me more

at the crest of the hill I watch for traffic entering the path in front of me
seeing that a kayaker is stopped at the light knowing I have the right of way I begin to accelerate on a wonderful downhill
without a glance my way
the car with the kayak on top pulls out in front of me
I scream at the top of my lungs as I skid to a near halt
avoided the point of intersection
still screaming still unseen I am not moving forward in a classic european finishline pose
this man is being served a double
no cussing
just the silent finger
in the rear view mirror I am finally seen
there is a non-vebal exchange
shoulders raise... hands go up
I hear a lame... "sorry" in my head
still no handed
still giving him the double bird

he is gone
gone from my view
gone from my head
sure there is the thought of HUMAN POWER SHOULD RESPECT HUMAN POWER
and
sure I day dream having one of those big propeller swamp boats and buzzing past him as he paddles his way to the rapids
then he is gone
as this is too good of a descent for this guy to occupy space in my head
then sure enough
back up traffic
cars are stacked behind one car waiting to turn left
I ride the center line
the first car turns left
hopefully the next car is not turning left
the timing is perfect
I am ahead of the pack
sprinting on ahead

as much as I want to take the speed to a higher level I stay in control
at Old Angler's Inn there will certainly be cars pulling in and out of the gravel lot
the two top lots are passed without conflict
then at the main enterance a kid in an SUV starst pulling out and stops
stops upon seeing me
stops without blocking my line

again the bike path is right along side of the road
but
there are cars turning into their driveways and pulling out of their driveways over the bike path
as much as I hate the cars by my side
those cars are much more safe than the potential of a t-bone

again an assortment of cars pass
some pass wide
some pass close intentionally
then there are those trying to teach lessons

a neo-scooter pulls up along side of me
he offers his rear wheel
I joke about wanting to burn some calories
he does not hear me.... so I say it again
he does not hear me... so I day it again
either he hears me or he nods to be polite
he says I am going roughly 25 mph
I thank him and he pulls away

the way back went pretty much as the way up
there were a variety of cars that did things in an effort to fuck with me
there was more than one old man in a lexus who passed fast only to try and block me out
there were a few encounters where I feared I had given the wrong person the finger
nothing like that internal debate about my safety and their intentions
then the question if I should get off this road and onto the canal to forget this mess

but I hold my ground
there is a stubbornness to this exercise
there may be a little bit of the anger fueling me
as I am competitive
perhaps part of my fast pace is to show the cars their futility in their efforts
their high speeds and aggressive driving do not get them anywhere any faster

the redneck contractors in the red truck with the ladders
the passanger in the back seat gave me a bit of tongue and pointed to the bike path
as there had already been a few flipped fingers regretted
I kept my fingers to myself
only to pass them miles later on the hill into georgetown

okay....
I could replay the ride and get more faces and more cars
more negative interactions
but that would just give me anger
anger I do not need
that anger is fine as fuel
but honestly I could do without it

it is no my job to teach lessons
nor is it anyone else's
it seems that things have gotten out of control
it may be time to try and reel things in
so much of the uncivil behavior can be tied into the behavior on the road
if I thought that toy light sabers started off fine then ended up in a fight with my children
I would either control the situation or remove the variable

well...
I think that we need to slow traffic down
speed bumps
speed humps
thinner roads
slower cars
less cars
less commuting
less car dependency

AND PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS TO EDUCATE THE WORLD THAT BICYCLES NOT ONLY ARE LEGALLY ALLOWED ON THE ROADS
but that
CYCLISTS ARE HUMAN BEINGS COMPRISED OF FLESH AND BONES



shorten things back up!

that creek at lodi

saw this image when I was drunk wandering around LOVE2RIDE

RACE REPORT: 12 Hours of Lodi Farm

started this post earlier
did not like its direction
did not like it length
did not think it told the tale as it should be told
but... I am not feeling entirely motivated at the moment
as it is almost wednesday better get something down rather than nothing
can make a second shot at some highlights on the DCMTB site

Race Report: 12 Hours of Lodi Farms

As the weekend approached I watched weather.com

part of me was wanting rain

the excuses are always preloaded

the fears are always there
but this year at the start of the season these hesitations are amplified
lack of time on the bike and recovering from an assortment of injuries
all this can build up to be quite the black cloud

being chronically disorganized the monday before the race arrived and Chris Redlack and I had not found a third

actually, Chris may have found several potential thirds.... but I was being my usual wishy washy self and kept waiting for something better
well, better is not the correct word
searching for something more specific

it is a hard and somewhat arbitrary slot to fill... that Single Speed Clydesdale who is moderately fast and fun to hang out with

there were a few geared options available on monday

all those geared options were gone by tuesday morning

as the days of the week fell behind me and race day approached the reports of rain became less and less likely

my anxiety and excitement started to build
a strange balance of looking forward to something and dreading it at the same time

on friday night I started to pack my gear and prep my bike

a spin of the wheels

a pull of the brakes

slide back the rear wheel to tighten the chain
adjust the rear brake pads

clean and lube the chain

a pinch to test the tire pressure

and the bike is ready to race
that took all of five minutes

clothing

lots of clothing

an estimate of 6 laps had me thinking I would need six clean sets of riding gear

a helmet for the light

a helmet for the morning sans light

socks... socks... and more socks

enough shorts and jerseys to be fresh at the start of each lap

not enough gloves

definitely need more gloves

as my gear started to pile up I put the light batteries on the charger

well... put the HID on the charger and cussed about the Digital Classic 12's charger being at work

then started to freak about the absence of the HID lamp....

tried to focus on preping everything else

a little basement clean up became part of the process

my basement is a mess... an embarressing mess.... I need to clean it up

I need to throw some junk away

eventually the headlamp was found

it was right where I put it

a spot that only made sense at the moment I put it there

either way it was found.... and without the aid of St. Anthony
although the superstiious religious chant to St. Anthony was in the back pocket of my mind ready to be pulled out

saturday came and the day was too busy to give the race much concern

there were dogs to be walked and children to be corraled

four year old dean had a soccer game which I am partial coach
inlaws to be polite around
leftovers to be served for lunch

by afternoon grant was napping and I was given some time to focus on finishing getting all my gear together
the night prior I made the choice to do my shoulder therapy rather than pack
knowing that I would find time to pack the next day
the day of the race

my team mate chris redlack was at the race venue with his tent set up before my gear was packed that saturday afternoon
such is my style
not intentional... that is the way it is... that is the way it has gone
not that I like it... but so far I have been too lazy to change

after pizza with the wife, the kids, and the inlaws... I loaded up the car

with hugs and kisses from wife and children I pointed south with a smile on my face and lipstick on my cheek

okay... lisa does not normally wear lipstick... but the feeling was there

the drive was painless... traffic... but fast moving traffic

arrived at the race venue to find that the racers were all packed in like sardines

found chris without any hassle

chris was parked with a few of his rugby buddies from college

the faces of chris' rugby buddies looked familiar as I went to the same college as chris and them as well

they too were racing duo

the time leading up to the race was far more social than serious

walked around and caught up with a variety of people

talked about the course and the race to come

the sky was lit with a segment of the moon and many stars

some clouds floated about, but nothing threatening

chris and I registered for duo after a walk to the city bikes van and my admission of the reality that we had not found a third
I was dreading racing as a duo
not feeling fit
knowing that as much as I have always loved this race.... I have always been very sore and very tired from my contributions on a three person team
so we registered up as a DUO team
as we signed our waivers, release forms, and our personal checks
well, chris paid cash
either way as I we scribbled my information down I tried not to think about the CONTACT IN CASE OF EMERGENCY part of the form
respect the potential of things
do not fear the potential of things
fear can be crippling
while respect can be informative
as I tried to fill in my information the volunteers at the other side of the table asked for our team name
in a jolly way they almost pressured for this information
information we had not dicussed
information we had not arrived with
so I spat something out
RIVALS AND FRIENDS
as I was racinge with Chris Redlack... the same person who beat me handily the week prior at the Greenbriar Classic
while also being a person I will night ride on a weeknight with or travel to a far away race with
we push each other
he is more technical
I am perhaps a tad more fit
so when we ride together we aid the weaknesses of the other
it fit
there was no real discussion
a positive response from the friendly volunteer then back to our cars

midnight came and chris took the first lap

at the fall's panarama paranormal I did the last lap which made my talley one more than chris'

on this day chris was looking to balance the scale

from what promoter phil rice had said in an email to chris earlier this week we were figuring in on roughly 55 minute laps

sub hour laps would allow for final lap to be released just before noon

giving us the goal of 13 laps

the race took off as I fueled up at our base camp
in the surrounding areas I heard cheers when the runners arrived to their bikes after the lemans style start
I heard cheers when the racers dipped out of the woods onto the edge of the camp ground two thirds of the way through the course
I was at the start/finish when the cheers came for the first and very fast first lap finishers

those minutes passed quickly

I was at the start/finish tent for the hand off waiting for chris

not sure of his lap time

but chris came in fast.. not that many people came in before him... the stats will tell the true tale, but from what I can remember he was in fast

with the pass of the wristband baton chris gave me a few words of advice and a few word pep talk
as I gave a few words of praise and compliments
no one hears the other... there is too much confusion

with no real rush I was on the bike and pointed towards the woods

I felt great

I was on the bike spinning towards the woods

then just before I dipped into the woods my demons attacked

all the apprehension that floated through my head during the week came to surface

lack of training

only 5 times on dirt since the fall

no night riding in ages

second time on a rigid single in a long time
the weight of a two man team versus a three man team
the speed of chris' laps versus the speed of mine

then I approached a fallen tree

the tree that chris had told me to go around
he had told me early in the evening... I swore I would forgot
he said it was two hundred yards into the trail
without accessing my options I followed chris' lead

sure enough... I went right
as right was my only option

I smiled and entered the woods

in the woods I took the first twist and the second turn

"oh... baby"

I smiled and said, "oh... baby" again

would I say "oh baby" for 8.5 miles?

no

the smile continued but my fears were ever present

anxiety of injury occupied my mind

my demons were around me

hobbits and trolls ducked behind the trees

frogs and turtles dodged the passing tires

a field mouse got crushed by a fast moving bike in the orchard

the first lap ended

not sure of my time

but it was over

I was suffering a bit of a duality

psyched but feeling like shit

I went back to the camp

walked by bike rather than ride it

got to my camp and tried to get into the routine

as I looked over the bike for two seconds I started to wretch

was it anxiety

was it my body already rejecting too much caffiene
too many gus, gels, and red bulls?

was it the the massive amount of pollen I had inhaled on my first lap

still in my wet with sweat gear I found something to eat

took a few bites of left over pizza

ate a chocolate gu

chugged a powerade

nibbled on some pasta

then threw it all up

time was passing

chris' lap would be over soon

there were more demons at my base camp then in the woods

I stripped out of my wet gear and put on some dry stuff

still wretching and feeling like I was going to yak I crawled into my honda element and reclined in the back on a dog bed

looking through the moon roof at the moon I sighed

I thought about my body and let all the excuses soak in

in my head I was trying to find an excuse that was good enough to justify dropping out of the race

then I thought of chris

certainly chris would accept any excuse that I had to offer

then I gave myself the same line that I have fed to everyone who I have seen go through this arguement of self doubt at a multi-lap race event

"go out and ride... once on the bike you will feel fine"

so I got out of the element and got ready to ride

shaking the demons is not always easy

sometimes it is enough to just stand your ground

so I put on my soaked camelback

then my wet helmet
both were extra uncomfortable as I was in a feeling sorry sort of mood that may have been cured with some midol

so I made my way to the start finish to meet chris after his second lap

again unsure of his time we made the exchange

words were passed

"good lap"

"have a good lap"

"blah... blah... blah"

I do not know what I am saying
I am not sure what chris is saying
too many things happening at once
with the wrist band marked 434 on my wrist I walked over to my bike and pointed those big wheels towards the trail

there was a 100 yards of path leading to the woods

just enough time to start spinning the single

just enough time to get psyched

back on the bike I felt fine

the demons were still around me

but I was on the bike and headed out on another lap
so the demons were at least at bay

sure enough

dipped down around that first fallen log that forces me right then into the woods

immedately smiling again
again forcing away the demons
taking their negative energy and letting it become positive

there was respect I approached certain obstacles
it is important to let there be respect but not for the respect to morph into fear

my familiarity with the course from the first lap let me know where I could let it roll and where i needed to draw my brakes
what climbs to enter with momentum, which climbs to grind, which ones to walk, and which ones to be ready for on the next laps to follow

laps 3 through 6 were far more similar to lap two than lap one

the demons were around me

but the demons don't respond well to smiles

I spend more time smiling than fearing on each of these eight and a half mile loops

the laps were not without their moments hardship to balance the moments of glee
there were cramps and soreness
that wretching that echoed in the near silent woods
my chain broke on my 5ht lap before mile two while in the orchard
the sight of my chain limp in the grass like a snake belly up brought a moment of sadness to my eliated cycling self
a real buzz kill
but I fought my demons with the skill of a boys scout
although I had considered riding bareback I ened up going with the trusty camelback
sure it may be more fun to have sex without a condom
there may be more pleasure... but there are more risks
the same goes for riding bareback in a mountain bike race
although I never needed more than a few sips of water on each lap
those few sips were savored
the tools were there in case I needed them
and I needed them
I gently picked up the coiled chain as if I were picking up that lifeless snake
wondering if it would come back to life
I wondered why half my power link stayed with the chain and where the other half went
it was not bent or broken.... just disconnected
no worries
I pulled a replacement power link
price tag still on the packate
7.99
expensive considering it is a fifteen dollar chain
the power link does not work
I try it once I try it twice
I glace at the instructions I glance for additional parts
then I recall that this SRAM chain is a slightly more beefy chain for single speeds
not the standard 9speed chain
countless racers pass
each asking if I need assistance
each gone before I can respond no
so I pull out the crank brother's multi-tool with chain tool and go old school on the repair
manage the repair
the takes some effort with the tool and the hands to make the new connection less stiff
the wheel is all the way forward
I am lucky to have as little space as I do
the chain is so tight that the free wheel does not spin
good enough for the final two laps

enough on that
the red wine did not aid in the revisions

was more than excited that I did a sub hour lap as my last lap to get chris out for a seventh
on that lap I had the pleasure of being chased and passed by a few friends from the city bikes mountain bike team
there were many wonderful encounters with various riders at different times in the race
it is wonderful to share such a great experience with friends

unlikely anyone made it this far.... but here are some links just the same
would have put them in the next/prior post
but wanted to see if anyone wanted to read my version of the typed out tibetian endless knot

joe foley talks about how dcmtb/city bikes did in the lodi event
some good links to a variety of Lodi experiences
single speeder with mary bars larry camps speaks about his duo experience
fast folks from delaware, buddy and fatmarc each give their perspective
fatmarc plays the roll of the big fish as he lives and tells a great story
and I think buddy is from outside of philly.... but he rolls with the bomb squad from DE
there is more
if you go to any of those links there are more links about the event
and eventually the promoters will post some results

more links
jason from PA went solo.... 2 seconds of video... great post
schwarz? is that guy the terminator or what?
there have to be more

some pics from lodi farms

some images of lodi from gary
more can be found via rickyd
are there captions for anyone else?

life is hard... marriage is not always easy... there is a correlation between sacrifice and achievement

tomorrow lance armstrong's wife is going to be on oprah
personally I think this is an interesting guest

the basic goal of entertainment is advertising
there is some notion that if we see an ad we will buy the product
somewhere down the line someone is thinking that the more people that see these ads the more product they will sell
so.... entertainment gets sponsored by companies
sponsors pay more money for the advertising in a situation where there are more viewers

tonight david blaine tried to break a few absurd world records
nothing short of a train wreck
something that will be talked about at the water cooler tomorrow
david blaine is doing some of his own evil knievel
but we will see if he reaches evil knievel level
okay... I am not going to buy a david blaine action figure
as interesting as the drowned alive display was
not sure if I need a scale model for my kids to play with
but it would take some handy work for them to get all the tattoos detailed that small

but that is not my point
my tangent was totally side tracked
the direction should return to the interesting part of Oprah's show tomorrow is that it will get its everyday Oprah viewers
there are certainly those that tune in everyday
then there are guests that visit that are used to get more new and different addition people to watch
tomorrow's show may get a handful of new one time viewers to pop in
those would be a a handful of cyclists

personally I am curious how it is going to take an hour for her to say
life can be hard marriage is not always easy
there is a good chance if you look at the lives of the majority of those that have achieved great things
there is a correlation between sacrifice and achievement

lucky for me I am not destine for great things

the blog can be a train wreck at times
this red wine induced rant has taken up the time I had intended for my race report from the weekend's 12 hour relay event
guess I will wait for the results to guide the tale

oh, I may watch as much of Oprah as I do the NYC marathon this year
I am interested in what the mother of lance's children but highlights would be enough
just as I am interested in the marathon efforts of lance armstrong this fall
again, interested enough for highlights

in some ways it was awkward to see david blaine not quite achieve his goals
sure he achieved his goal of getting people to watch and talk about the effort
the build up was great
but... the emotion of not meeting that goal on top of the physiological pain
that must have taken as much mind control and will power to contain as it was to hold his breath for a very impressive 7 minutes and 9 seconds

but I still do not want a david blaine action figure
not that evil kenievel...

woot.com

I just got one of these
the price is good
should be fun

woot.com

take a look
yes.... saw this for similar mark downs... but figured I would get it here at woot.com
wonder what sort of images it will give me

gwadzilla archive

Joe Foley had a bike stolen
I will be on the look out for it

I had a mishap some years ago trying to retrieve a stolen bike for a friend
the story is here
it is an old classic gwadzilla blog entry from the old days

funny how my blog has changed

regulating ricksaws in new york

NY TIMES article on pedicabs
the print version of the times had an image from Bike NY
night riding in central park (not dirt)

lance armstrong at myspace

lance at myspace
lance at myspace?

lance
fighting with the suicide girls as my coolest myspace friend

spent.... I am spent

back from the 12 hours of lodi farm
duo worked better than expected
sure I would have liked to sleep
but I was better prepared for not sleeping
(due to my two young boys)
than I was ready for an endurance mountain bike race

all went well
another weekend of approaching my fears
this weekend had more than the last
as not only had I only been on dirt 4 or 5 times since my injury in the fall
I had only ridden the freshly built up karate monkey single speed once
and
I had not gone night riding in forever

lap one was very rough
my body went through red bull rejection after lap one
that is where my body refuses any more GU-Gels-Coffee-Red Bull
the wretching and the yacking seemed like it was going to pass
then something actually came up

into lap two I was feeling better
maybe it was not red bull rejection
maybe it was the pollen and dust collecting on my uvula

time to put the boys to sleep
then clean up and climb into bed myself

a rich man's toaster?

toyota has come out with their answer to the element
it is super cool
as the mini cooper is a respectful return of the mini
the fj cruiser is a respectful return of the old landcruiser

I like it
toyota

the price is not high
the gas mileage is not perfect
but it is still pretty darn cool