A matter of time...

I went out with the Thursday group, as usual, but this time, I made the turn down to Elon instead of going down into the flats like I've been doing for the past few weeks. The back is feeling much better, so I figured I'd throw some anger into the mix tonight.
On the run down Ridge, we had a nice paceline going until about 600 meters from the sprint. Kevin took off when he hit the front. Why? No one knows. It's not like he has a sprint or enough power to ride away from the group. Aaron took off after him and, as usual, was riding WAAAAY over his head. They got about 100 meters from the line and shit just went sideways. From where I was, it looked like Aaron stood up to sprint, took about two pedal strokes and just fucking ejected. He did his best auger impression and tried to drill himself into the tarmac at 50kmh. The boy just flat took himself out. Thankfully, the rest off the group let those two dodos go, lest there would have been carnage.
There comes a point when a person need to realize their limitations. If you have a bad limb, be it from defect or injury, DON'T STAND UP TO SPRINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No good can come of it. Aaron has always been sketchy on the bike and ridden over his head. This time, he paid for it.
Stay in the back and don't get involved, please! Especially in a group where you're the noob!
But I digress...
The run down to Elon turned fast in a hurry. Once we made the turn, I sat up a bit as trying to climb with any force still hurts my back a wee bit. The group rolled down to Airbase together and then Der Kaiser hit the front. Again, I felt fine until the rise on Airbase. I still can't stand and pull hard on the bars w/o discomfort. I let the pipe hitters go over the top and waited for Mrs. DK and one of the Summit guys. The three of us rode solid tempo together for the length of Airbase. The group waited @ Double Homey and we rode in together. DK spread it out coming to the sprint, so it just didn't happen.
I'm feeling pretty good on the bike. My back feels above average. The heart, lungs and legs were fine tonight. This was 3 days in a row and 5 out of 6 on the bike. I'm going down to do the Beer Ride tomorrow night (shudder). Hopefully, the rubberside will stay down.

Go to this link...NOW!

http://danielsbigtrip.blogspot.com/

The guy's a war vet and he's on tour this summer...just go there and read his story! Shoot him an email and see if he's coming close to you. Make a donation to his trip, if you can...if not, send him a message of support and buy him a beer when he comes to town.

No ride on Monday...

Yesterday, I got on the bike and did a out and back loop in the Fort. It was really freaking windy, but I gutted it out. I have nothing but time this week, so why not ride. I got right at two hours on the bike and 60km. Felt like poo the whole time, but there are worse thing I could have been doing.

Doogie and I met this morning and did an easy spin through LR. I felt better on the bike today, but still not great. My back is okay, but my legs are muy heavy. I tried to spin this morning to alleviate the issue. Another 2:20 on the bike and 70km.

I have 11 hours on the bike so far this week. I'll probably end up with 15-16 hours this week. Nothing like getting back on the bike after injury and jumping right into a 15+ hour week. Funny part is, I feel good the more I ride.

The company retreat is until Saturday afternoon, so I'm on the bike until then...I haven't gone completely feral yet, but the house is need of some clean-up!

See you guys tomorrow night!

In for a penny...

Saturday, I went out with the group, only to turn off early so I could get home to see the Management trainees and help the H.O. pack the hauler for their trip to the beach. I did a whopping 35 miles and felt pretty good.
The van was slammed full of everything necessary, and some things not so, for a week long trip to the beach with two toddlers. Let's just say the back end of the thing was riding low when it pulled out. Actually, it was riding so low that the H.O. got it caught on the yard ties and pulled them all out of the flipping ground. Great, add that to the list of projects...(I fixed it about an hour later...).
Sunday, I met Il Prof, TVH and NID for a nice, relaxed loop through Calhoun County. My plan was to go to Sandy Run and decide how my back felt. Once to the store, I felt okay and decided to continue on. We made a big, contrived loop through Calhoun and Lexington counties and back to Cola. Considering I hadn't spent almost 5 hours on the bike in the past week, I rode well and my back didn't implode on me.
I ended with 130km and 4:40 in the saddle...I didn't say we rode fast!
I have to eat during rides like this, lest I'm a walking bonk when I get home, and bonking in St. Matthews, with 2 hours left to ride is no picnic.
I ate: A Clif bar, a RK treat, and two Poptarts
I drank: 84oz. of Gatorade, 40oz. of water and a sweet tea
I actually felt okay this morning when the dogs woke me up. I'm a bit stiff and sore, but I'm operational.
Now, I'm painting a 15 light French door...oh joy! Now I remember why I pay people to do this shit. Today off the bike and then ride evey day for the rest of the week. Trying to get some sort of fitness back...

Think you're fast and/or have leg speed?

Theo Bos begs to differ...

Okay...

I went out with the group last night and actually felt okay. I'm completely not fit right now and likely won't be for a long while, but the action of riding a bicycle was a pleasant one. No pain, pulling or the like. I didn't feel bad when I woke up this morning either. I guess the slight position change actually worked. It feels weird not to be stretched out, but if my back gets better, I'll ride it like that. Crusty said once you turn 35, you can ride whatever/however you want...so I got that going for me.
The ride was normal out of the Fort and proceeded to speed up once on Ridge. When we got to the end, the group turned left and I went right and rode down into the flats alone. It was a nice night and I was on the bike...everything was good. Well, my mp3 player took a dump about 5 minutes after I split from the group, so I rode alone with my thoughts. That thing eats some AAA batteries.
It was obviously dumbass cager night as well. I got passed, not once, but twice, coming to stop signs, only for the idiot drivers (both women, fwiw) to turn in front of me. Hey dumbfucks, I have the right of way. You wouldn't pass another car AT a stop sign and then turn in front of it!
Thankfully, I got home in one piece, saw the management trainees off the bed, ate a homemade blueberry waffle and crawled into bed to watch TV.
My week of PEACE starts tomorrow. See you folks in the a.m.!

As Snoopy would say...

Last night, during the height of the storm, lightning hit so close that it set of my motion lights and my car alarm. I could actually hear the pop and sizzle of the bolt.
#1 got up this morning and told me he didn't like lightning...no shit Chief, me either...

Wow!

I actually rode both days over the weekend. Shocking...I don't know how to act.
I met the group Saturday morning and we did an altogether easy 2 hours through Hopkins and back in. No real efforts, just riding along. Very nice indeed.
Sunday, Doogie, Il Professore and I met at La Casa. I ended up with 2.5 hours. I have no idea of speed or mileage as the cyclocross bike doesn't have a computer. Kinda goes against the very nature of the beast. That's a big beast of a bike though...@ 20-ish pounds. Doesn't sound like much, but the Helium weighs 16...
I'm riding the cross rig as it's a bit more upright and the cockpit is shorter than the road unit. It saved my back. I woke up this morning with the feeling that I had ridden my bike again, but NO back pain or twingy feelings.
I ordered a new stem for the Ridley in an effort to get my hands a tiny bit higher. I hate the fact that I'm being forced to ride a jacked up stem, but if it stops the pain, who cares. Seeing some positions that folks around here ride in, I'm sure mine will still look just the same as it has for a while.
I will say though, that I'm not riding with anger for a long while. I just need to ride and enjoy it.

New SC bicycling Law...

This passed yesterday...

http://www.scstatehouse.net:80/sess117_2007-2008/bills/3006.htm

If you wanna watch The Giro...

www.rai.it

Follow the links...I'd post a direct link, but the code changes everyday...

A long weekend...

This was my view for most off the race!
Before the Darlington Stripe
After the wall did it's damage
KB getting doused. Hey Dale Jr., where were you?

I went out with the Saturday group, as usual, but turned off way early and did two hours easy with Doogie. He turned because he and his wife were watching their nephew, or so he says...! I think he really wanted to get home early to play his nephew's Wii...

I turned off because the H.O. and I went to Darlington for the Sprint Cup race. We got another set of HOT passes from Joe Gibbs Racing, so we had access to the pits and garage before, during and after the race. It was cool and yes, I an better than you. The H.O.'s company is a lead sponsor for JGR, so we get upfront and personal with everything. It doesn't suck.

We hung out in Kyle Busch's pit for the entire race. The hella cool part was the fact that he won the race and we got ushered into Victory Lane! You know that celebration you see on TV after a race, when they spray Gatorade all over the place? Yeah, I was dead in the middle of that horseshit. NOS Energy Drink stings like a bitch when it gets in your eye!

We rolled out after the furor died down. I pulled the company truckster in the driveway @ 2 a.m.!! Needless to say, there was no ride Sunday morning! I felt hungover, but never drank a drop!

I took 140+ pictures Saturday night....

Thanks to Byron Coggin and the fine folks at JGR for the fat hookup!

Short man walking...

Oh, my aching back...

I am sick and tired of being hurt. It sucks a mile of ditch water.
Saturday met us with a really good group ride, only I couldn't participate as usual, thanks to my L3/L4 junction. Well, that's not entirely true. The skeletal stuff is fine. I'm having muscular and nerve issues now. I can ride on the tops @ any speed up to about 40kmh. As soon as I have to get in the drops and really give some effort, my back feels like I've been stabbed.
The ride was a good tempo affair with some efforts thrown in, as the Saturday rides have become. It wasn't a hard ride at all. It shouldn't have felt as hard as it felt. Everytime the ride got quick or the road turned up, I just couldn't make any sort of power. The legs, lungs and heart were all within the green, but the back went into the red far too much and far too easily.
I still ended with 3 hours and 95 km.
I didn't ride today as I'm going to take even MORE time off the bike in an effort to heal up. If I ride at all over the next week or so, it'll be on the 29er, as it's slow and relatively upright.

I guess I'll see you when I see you...............

We had the monkey last night...

...and didn't need to wait for the football.
The group ride was a fuckup of epic proportions last night. It had just the right mix of people who don't know how to ride their bikes. It was a special blend, honestly. The only thing that could have made it better (worse) is if 'The Peanut' had shown up.
Mr. 'Head-Down, ride at 12/10ths and try not to crash' was at the gate. My trepidation started there. The kid just doesn't know how to ride his bike. Gapping people out, riding with his head down, riding entirely too close to the wheel in front of him, surging into the line, only to stab his brakes. Either stay in the back or stay away, period.
I knew we were in real trouble when in rolled a guy on a track bike, with no brakes and a flourescent yellow Camelbak. He was just dangerous. Going down Ridge, he was completely spun out and looked like he could blow apart at any moment. He and his buddy on the Tarmac just sat in the middle of the group, trying to cause an accident.
Once we turned to go down to the old Tuesday route, Mr. Trifecta was dropped, thankfully. His Tarmac riding buddy was more dangerous and had obviously never ridden in a group before. Crossing wheels, coming through the line on the inside, to NOT pull through and just sit up, wondering what to do. You know what to do, stay the fuck home!
We got rolling down Clarkson and across the Road to Nowhere and turned on Cabin Creek. A very nice paceline was rolling through, until Cisco decided to attack. I have no issue with that, it happens on group rides. My issue is with Mr. 'Head-Down'. I jumped to get back in the line (there was a 5 meter gap), but instinctively looked over my shoulder. Here comes 'H-D', head completely buried in the top tube, not looking at all. I swerved left to avoid being taken out by this dumbass and just let the group go. For the sake of my bike and body, I just sat up. The kid is going to crash and get hurt really badly. Hopefully, he doesn't take anyone out when the time comes...and it's coming, believe me.
Il Professore and NewGuyRob (NGR) rolled up and were both going off about how fucked up the ride had been all night. Il Prof ranted for a good 15 minutes and dropped enough 'F' bombs to end the war in Iraq.
We rode in smaller groups after that. I'm sorry (not really) if this post sounds elitist, but if you have never ridden with a new group before, don't get involved in the dynamic. Stay in the back, keep your eyes open and mouth shut. I'm not getting taken to the ground by some dumbfuck who is riding completely over their head and experience level. Our litte group, as dysfunctional as it is, has been together for 10+ years. New folks have come and gone. Some have stayed and are valuable members of the bunch. The ones who have stayed did exactly what I wrote just above.
Hell, I've been riding for a long time, but when I go on a trip, or go to ride with a new group, I don't get involved with the group dynamic, because I don't know what it's like, even though I can ride in front.
Anyway, enough ranting. I rode pretty poorly last night, dumbasses notwithstanding. Bad legs and a strained back do not a good ride make. It was nice to do the old Tuesday loop though. Reed and I had talked about alternating Elon and the old Tuesday loop on Thursday nights. More discussion will follow, I'm sure.
See you in the morning. I'm not riding hard.........

Okay...a product review and endorsement!

I'm old-school with some things, some have even thrown around the word 'luddite'. Granted, I ride a high-tech carbon bike with ceramic bearings everywhere, but when it comes to cleaning the bike, I've always been the 'bucket of hot, soapy water and a toilet brush' kind of guy. Between scrubbing with the Dawn-infused water and healthly doses of not-so-Earth friendly solvents and cleaners, the drivetrain usually got pretty clean. Skip forward a few years and we are in the here and now. I've seen those chain cleaner thingies in the mags and catalogs, but always thought they were hokey and a waste of money. Well, I'm man enough to admit that I was wrong. Way wrong in this case. I bought a Park Tool CM-5 'Cyclone' chain scrubber the other day. It came with the mailman today and I couldn't NOT try thing the out. My chain was somewhere between clean and still dirty. Not having any of the tree-hugger approved solvents, I used straight-up, peel your skin off, un-watered down Simple Green.
I followed the directions, ran the chain through the machine for a minimal amount of time and SHA-ZAAM...the chain was cleeeean. Frankly, I was a bit shocked. It took all of the crap out of the inner and outer links, cleaned the rollers and made the chain look borderline new.
$25 well spent...
Oh, and my back is feeling much better. I'm not riding tomorrow night, but I may come out with #1 to watch. I'll be out Thursday though...

Rode okay...felt bad...

Saturday rides seem to be my undoing. We had a pretty good group yesterday and did the Eastover loop, which is all fine and well, but the wind was always in our faces and my back is FLARING again.
I rode okay, but just couldn't get comfortable on the bike and the ride seemed to require more intensity than it should have. Everytime I got in the drops and gave some effort, I could feel my back pulling and sending pain signals to my legs.
To add insult to injury, it started to rain on Shop Road and rained hard for about 2 minutes. Just enough to get really wet and get the bike dirty.
I ended with 95km and 3 hours on the bike. There will be no ride today and my next ride will be Thursday at the earliest.

Tired....

Wow, am I whipped this morning. I haven't slept well all week and am really starting to pay for it...retail.
When I got on the bike last night, I was waiting to have a night like Tuesday, where I generally felt like shit and just went through the motions. The longer the ride got last night, the better I felt. I will say though, I really need to sack up and go up Elon like I'm capable of riding it. I puss out and climb it easy and then am forced to chase like a lunatic to get back on. After my little chase, I felt strangely better and rode pretty well for the rest of the ride. It wasn't a ball-breaker by any stretch last night, but there were a few sections that were less than a comfortable pace.
At one point, we had a nice, rolling paceline working at 40kmh. As soon as I pulled through and off, Doogie nailed it. No sooner did I get back in line, then RW countered and a break formed. RW, Doog and Beano were away. I sat behind Reed for a short while and as soon as he pulled off, I got into diesel-mode and pulled the group back to the break at a high rate of speed. Yes, it really hurt. My back is feeling it this morning.
We all stayed together for the rest of the ride. The pace down Shop went from easy to tempo and was just south of hard coming to the sprint. I was waiting for someone to jump, even though we were at 500 meters to go. No sooner did I look over my shoulder and saw RW coming up the inside. I jumped hard and rolled away. Mandrus gave chase, but I took the bridge at 65kmh with ease.
I don't feel bad this morning, other than tired and an aching back. Time to do some yoga and call the Chiro for a tune-up.
See you guys in the morning...I'm sure I'll ride like shit...

TNCWC...I was the bug...

Here's the end of Milan-San Remo, if you missed it...



The crit went off as usual last night, but it was a different vibe. Maybe it was just me...
We rolled through the neutral lap and half of the first race lap at 16mph, then all hell broke loose. Attack and chase was the rule for the first 25 minutes. Someone, not me, would attack and we'd all chase like hell and bring it back, only to have a counter go. Lather, rinse, repeat.
After 25 minutes of this, the ride got positively slow...for ten minutes. We lollygagged around, literally. At minute 35, the poo hit the fan again. I had rolled down the armwarmers early in the race and they were beginning to interfere with shifting and braking, so I sat up to pull them off. When the bunch came back around, the break was the bunch and the second group had dissipated into a chase of 5. I sat in for a few more laps and just threw in the towel. The heart wasn't in it last night...nor the legs, lungs or any other part needed to effectively race a bicycle. Some days you're the windshield and some days, you're the bug!
Doogie, Toby and Der Kaiser got in a break with three to go and held off the group. Doog waited too long to sprint and got nipped by a half wheel at the line.
I generally rode like crap and felt like crap for the rest of the night. The feeling continues today. I'm achy, crampy and in a foul mood...even moreso than usual.
I'm hoping I feel better by Thursday night...

Oh, and I'm 38 today...BFD!

Two good rides and a lesson

Saturday morning threatened rain (on radar and the worthless weather guys), but the ride ended up being in pretty much full sun and 70+ degree temps. There were two races in Charleston this weekend, so the Saturday ride was thin. It ended up with 5 of us after 2:45 and 90km on the bike. Of course, as Saturdays have been for me lately, I felt like crap, had really bad legs and was horribly flat. I muttled through though. The H.O. and Management Trainee #1 moved mulch all day. He was a tired little soldier last night. It was funny and pitiful at the same time.
This morning, Il Prof and I met for a slow loop around Lower Richland. We rode the small ring for 2 hours and then parted ways. I went through downtown and home and he headed out for another 2 hours on his own. I would have enjoyed the second half of the ride with him, but today was #2's first birthday and I had yard duty to complete before the masses assembled at our house. I ended with 2:15 and 70km today. I felt waaaay better than yesterday too.
I had two good rides this weekend, got some quality miles and enjoyed some wonderful spring SC weather.

Of course, we did the 'let the baby smash the cake' thing for #2's birthday. The following picture shall serve as both a lesson and a guide for the proper technique when eating birthday cake...

Good news...

Last night's ride was good. We did the whole loop for the first time. It was just about dark when we got home though. I felt okay and we never really went super hard. Just a good, fast tempo ride. It was a perfect night though. 75 degrees...little wind...clean fresh air...all good!

News:
DiLuca cleared by CONI...the Giro might be fun to watch this year.
Rock Racing into the Tour of Georgia...it might actually be fun to watch this year.
Amstel Gold kicks of the Ardennes leg of the spring classics this weekend.
Mandrus got some Zipp 303 wheels...look out!
#2 is turning one on Sunday...time for some smashed cake.

See you guys Saturday morning.

Oh, as an aside...if you make your blog invitation only, it kind of defeats the purpose of having it! The link to CG's page has been dumped for this very reason.

08 Roubaix

Last 20km...you're welcome!

CYCLING Paris Roubaix 2008
Uploaded by miha2007