Thin Tuesday

The TNCWC was thin tonight. Only about 20 showed up, and that got whittled down to 15 or so by the 2nd lap. None of the absolute, my pecker is bigger than yours, hammers were in attendance, thankfully. On the other hand, the fact that there were only 12 to 15 there meant that hiding places were few and far between. Il Professore commented that it was funny how 50 show up went there's lightning in the sky, but we get less than 20 on a calm, 90 degree evening. There are races at the end of the week, through the weekend, so I guess some folks stayed home.
Little breaks went of all night, but were pulled back by the bunch. I worked and pulled for the first 30 minutes and decided that was enough and decided to surf until the end. It's funny how some people tail-gun in the beginning of the race and then decide to get really vocal at the end, when things aren't going their way. If you have enough breath to yell and bitch, go to the front and pull harder!!!! I came close to jumping in the person's ass, but discretion got the better of me. Parenthood must be making me more patient... ;)
I pulled out with 2 to go and watched the finish. Derek blew everyone out of the water in the sprint with a 1400 watt effort. Of course, he did get to sit out a few laps when he flatted. I was behind him when it happened, which isn't a big deal on a straight, but his tire let go in the middle of turn four. No getting around that one until the road straightened out and a gap had formed. I chased it at 30+ and saw my max of 1150w for the night.

Overall, I'm feeling better on the bike, but just don't have to high, sustained intensity back yet. It's lurking under the surface, like the VC. It'll poke it's head out of the hole one of these days.
I'll be fit again right when time changes...of course...

See you guys on Thursday...OUT!

Good weekend

There were 6 of us for the Saturday ride. A few folks went to Charlotte for the 24 Hours of Booty and a few more are way out West, in Big Sky Country.
We went out through the Fort and did a modified Eastover loop. Instead of taking Old Leesburg, we did Ridge to HH and then right on Blue Johnson and up the back side of Elon, then meandered around into Eastover. Of course, we came back the normal route, but got rained on for the last hour or so. Not a driving rain, but just enough to get you wet and make your bike dirty.
I was having some issues with my rear tire yesterday. I hit something in the Fort and flatted. The cut was about 5-6mm, so I booted it with a PowerGel wrapper and we rode on. Everything was fine until we turned to do the second part of Double Homey. I must have hit a bump a bit too firmly, which is entirely possible with my fat ass on the seat! The 2nd tube blew straight through the wrapper. The second boot was a glueless patch, courtesy of Mandrus, and another piece of PG wrapper. It got me home.
Overall, it was a touch over 3 hours of ride time and right at 60 miles. We rode pretty steady the whole way with a few good efforts here and there.

I did the old "Hour of Power" loop this morning. I had some stiff legs and was pretty tired, so 60 minutes @ 90-100 rpm felt good. And I wanted to watch the end of the Tour...

All in all, a good weekend of riding. I plan on going to the crit Tuesday. It should be interesting.

Feeling better Billy Ray

Another Thursday has passed into the books, only this week, I actually felt like a cyclist and not just a guy who owns a bike.
The evening started with a way too quick run out of the Fort. It's always quick going out, but nudging 20mph on the climbs was beginning to be a bit much for me when we made the turn. At one point, Derek asked me what my wattage was...I was stuck on 430ish for the entire last climb.
Ridge was pretty sedate. Rich pulled through with a flat, and didn't know it. Derek pulled the old bikeshop manager quick change and we were off. I think some folks felt the need to make up the 5 minutes we lost. 5 guys rolled down the hill at 38+ and the kid from the RSA let a big gap open. I shot the gap at 44mph! That pretty much blew my monkey for the rest of the ride down to Elon.
Maria and Austin finally moved to town and came out last night. She got dropped and Austin went back. When I realized that they'd probably miss the turn, I sat up and waited at the foot of Elon. We paced her back on and caught the group at Bunky's.
From Bunky's to the end of Airbase was quick and steady. Every one would keep the tempo up and then Derek would jump through on his pulls. The unspoken decision was made to just chase him down and leave him out there. There were no counter moves.
Headwind or no, the ride down Airbase was a 26mph+ affair.
Doogie and Philip attacked on Double Homey, so we gave chase. I closed down Philip and 'Cisco, but Doog attacked as soon as I got there...little sh*t.
We rode piano until the bridge. Derek would have likely come around me, but it didn't matter as we both got boxed in and couldn't go. It's like watching Tour stages and seeing the sprinters wind it up, only to sit down when there's no path...
The numbers weren't all that impressive last night, but they are getting better. The PT is a harbinger of fitness, that's for sure. The numbers will go up once I get some fitness and actually take more than three pulls on a ride... ;)

Saturday 8 a.m. @ the traffic circle

www.ibelieverasmussen.com

www.ibelievethechicken.com

Rasmussen...I always knew that guy was dirty.

Cadel Evans, FTW!

Thanks

http://www.ibelievevino.com/

First Lindsay Lohan gets popped for DUI and cocaine possession (again) and then Vino fails a dope test...! Where have all the heroes gone?

Il Professore, Doogie and I went out and rolled around in the flats for about 2 hours tonight. No big deal, just a light tempo ride with a few efforts thrown in for effect. It's what I need right now, rather than getting the shit kicked out of me by Der Kaiser and the bunch at the TNCWC. I may go to the crit next week...just for shits and giggles.

It's the end of July and the shadows are already getting long at 7:30pm. I t won't be long until we have to dig out the knee warmers and vests...dammit!

See you guys Thursday night...

Why are weekends so short?

Saturday rides are either hit or miss around here. Two weeks ago, we had 14. Yesterday, there were four of us. It didn't really matter though, as I had planned on doing a bit of my own thing to sort out the PowerTap.
We did the Eastover loop w/o the trip to the Cricket store. A cold front has been working it's way through for the past two days, so we had a headwind out and tailwind home, which is RARE around here. We rode at a medium tempo out Old Leesburg until the climb out of the hole that leads to Congress. I dropped back and used the rise to test LT power figures. I started at 280w and slowly ramped up until that lovely burn feeling started to come into my legs. The burn started at 320w, but I pushed through and maintained between 330-340 for the entire climb. I know how Chris Carmichael says to test your power LT, but I just don't agree with the methodology (another story for later maybe?). I figure my LT power lies somewhere between 325 and 350w.
I didn't feel all that great yesterday either. I had the "Green Apple Quickstep" for most of the morning before the ride and a portion of the afternoon, post ride.
I did a couple of sprint efforts to establish 1sec and 5sec limits...for now. 1sec max was 1240w and my 5sec was 1135w. This brings us to what I don't like about the PT software. It doesn't give 10sec and 20sec readings. It skips from 5sec to 30sec! 30sec was 532w. That's a big flipping gap! Maybe I'll call Cycleops tomorrow and see what they say...
That being said, I can see now that the PT is a valuable training tool. It's like a little man with a whip, cracking you on the back. Look down and don't like the number, go a bit harder...

No one showed on what was a perfect Sunday morning, so Doogie and I meandered around Lower Richland for just shy of 3 hours. No efforts where made other than getting chased by Il Professore's favorite dogs. We were going down the hill this time and had to negotiate a sandy corner to escape. I got through just fine, but Doogie was almost a 130 pound chew toy...

It was a good ride weekend. I figured some things out, got a touch over 100 miles for the two days and the weather was cooperative. Can't complain...

Holy crap, it's hot!

When your body becomes accustomed to sitting in the 76 degree house, the first ride in four days probably shouldn't be in 95 degree heat. Last night was hot, period! My body protested pretty much the whole way. HR was throught the roof, even though I was completely shirking pulls and I just didn't have the energy. My legs felt good, but the heat was making me kind of nauseous at times.
Going out through the Fort, we weren't going all that hard, yet I was feeling like crap. At that early point, I knew the night would be about survival and nothing else. I worked down Ridge, but tail-gunned all the way to Elon. I continued in my role as last man all the way to the tracks, then I had to pull through and do some work.
Der Kaiser went to the front on Airbase on decided it was time to go. Everyone was together until the bump. At that point Francisco came across the road like he was trying to pull off a 7-10 split. He swept Mick's wheel and the six people behind all had to jump on the brakes to keep from eating shit. There goes the front group...
The six of us worked well together in the headwind, but made zero progress towards the leaders. I kind of felt like Moreau. Work your ass off and still lose time.
Everyone re-grouped at the store and rode in together. The guy from South Africa said he was afraid to get dropped and rode way over his head. He was shaking like an epilectic at the store. He was a hell of a nice guy though. I hope someone told him about the weekend rides.

My PT worked as it should, but the numbers were all over the place. Tail-gunning on the group does not produce reliable power figures. My max was 1063 and my 5 sec was 772. Those are likely the only good numbers from last night. I don't know when I hit 1063, but it wasn't on purpose. I didn't sprint or really do anything that required a big effort. 1180 Kj was a bit shocking though...

My fitness is piss poor right now. Hopefully, I can regain some form before time changes. The PT is the true test of how fit you are...or in my case...NOT.

Saturday 8 a.m. @ the Gate.

A short one

Der Kaisers and I met @ 8 this morning and did a modified loop of the Fort. Mrs Der Kaiser turned around to do another loop, while DK and I just came on home. It started to drizzle so I'm sure Mrs DK got pretty wet. It was a damp, windy, dreary day all the way around.
I was a bit tired today and the ride was dog slow, so any power numbers can be disregarded. I did notice that on seated climbs, even without a lot of effort, that I was @ 300 watts. I'm sure my numbers will be high, but then again, it takes alot to move my big ass around. I made one small effort on the back side of the wall and saw 950 watts...!
I'm probably going to go do a loop in the Fort tomorrow night, as the H.O. has a dinner she has to go to on Tuesday. The baseline ride will hopefully be Thursday night.

I need to go to the ManHole and clean the Ridley, then head out to the country to pickup #1 at his Grandma's house. Then again, I may just wait until later to clean the Ridley...

Rasmussen won the stage today. I know you must be skinny to win a stage in the Alps, but damn...
Somebody get that poor guy a cheeseburger basket. He looks like he was just liberated from a concentration camp.

Saturday...a day of mixed outcomes

The 8 a.m. group met this morning and we actually had a decent sized group. The dozen of us rolled out through the Fort and much to my surprise (not really) my GD PowerTap didn't work. It just sat on the stem... looking at me... mocking me, and generally just pissing me off.
Today would have been the PERFECT baseline ride, as we did the big Eastover loop with some good tempo/paceline work. As Steve Martin would say, "But noooooo..."! I traced the problem to the harness. I switched evertything around and it works as it should...(knocks wood). I guess I need to buy another harness for the Ibis.

The ride was really steady and, I'm guessing here, pretty quick. We did the 95km loop in just under three hours. It was a really good group and fun was had by all. Peter Discoe is back in the fold and it was good to actually ride next to him and chat. He got himself a new Raleigh team frame with SRAM Force stuff on it. It's pretty sexy...! I'd rock it.

I'm feeling better by the day. I think the sweating and physical exertion is pushing the drugs and the bad juju out of my body. I'm feeling about 80% right now. We're going on vacation in a bit over three weeks, so I'll have plenty of time to ride and recover. Last year, I was flying when we got back from the beach. Something about riding for a couple hours every day and then just lazing about on the beach always recharges my batteries.

It's raining right now...I'm feeling a nap coming on...

Sunday ride- 8 a.m. @ Outspokin'...

Feeling a bit better

Last night started as any other, if you don't take into account the fact that I forgot my I.D. and had to chase around the Fort to meet the group at Wildcat. I can tell you, Garners Ferry and Leesburg roads are frightening at 6 in the evening. I was glad my life insurance was paid up.
I rode out to the gate and met the group, all the while not knowing quite how I'd feel.
Fortunately, the body is reacting almost as it should. I feel better now than I did on the 4th ride.

The group came along and we headed out the normal route. Since I have no illusions of being at the sharp end right now, I sat in the back, sucking wheel all the way to Elon and beyond. Once we turned onto Airbase, Der Kaiser put the hammer down. I decided I wan't going to bury myself, so I sat up and rode with TVH, Philip, Il Professore and Joel. It was a nice pace that didn't put me in the red, but still allowed for work to be done. Il Professore was killing me last night. He must have had his Geritol, because he was in rare form. He must have yelled at Joel a half dozen times. Laughing doesn't help lungs that are already working way harder than they should.
We caught Mrs. Der Kaiser about 1/2 way down Airbase. She said the lead bunch was having a 30 mph swordfight. More power to 'em. I just don't have that right now. We all gathered up at the store and rode in together.

I think everyone is either taking it easy, or just tired from killing it all summer. Either way, it was nice to ride a hard tempo, but not have to turn myself inside out. As 'Cisco reminded me, I haven't really trained for the better part of two months. That changes this weekend. Time to get back on the horse...

Hopefully, my PT computer head will show up today so I can ride the thing this weekend. It'll show...and then it will rain both days...

The legs is healing and doesn't hurt at all. The new skin itches like the devil though.

8 a.m. Saturday @ the gate...

Oh, I forgot...
Doogie took out the sprint on Ridge. It was completely uncontested and looked like someone hit the slo-mo button, but he won it. There, are you happy...

PS-I've enabled anonymous comments, which means you don't need to be registered to leave a note. So do it...

Anybody seen a lung?

I rode for the first time in a week and nearly got rained on. I rolled out to the crit course and spun around for about 45 minutes. The sky began to darken and the conversation shifted to whether or not they would be able to finish the crit. I didn't plan on even starting, so I felt zero shame in turning for home when I felt the first drop of rain.

I rode as hard as my spider-poisioned, prescription-drug-addled body would allow. The issue isn't legs...I didn't even feel the slightest amount of lactic acid. The antibiotics and the prednisone have killed any cardio function that I may have to call on. I got home about 5 minutes before the rain started. It only rained for about 15 minutes, but I didn't get wet and my bike is still clean.

I guess I need to wait until the drugs get out of my system to really attempt rding with any anger. I'm just really itchy and becoming hard to get along with (well, harder...) from the lack of bike time.

I can't even play with the new toy. I bought a PowerTap SL on Ebay and of course, it has a problem. The CPU (computer head) wasn't reading speed. I called PT and talked to them about it. They suggested that I try another head on the cradle before I packed up the whole shooting match and sent it back. Big thanks to RW, who helped me out big. We popped his PT head on the bike and it worked fine. I called PT again and they sent me out a new computer head, before I even sent back the old one. That's customer service people!

The person I bought the PT from is a domestic pro who races for BMC. He assured me that it worked when he sent it and even questioned my ability to set it up properly! I think I'll go up to the race in Charlotte this year and see if he wants to be a wise-ass in person...! I'm betting he doesn't...



Oh, here's a picture of my spider bite...! This was taken yesterday. It actually looks better today. You know something is ugly when a friend, who is a medical professional, sees it and says, "DAMN!..."

Robbie McEwen Back From the Dead - Tour de France 2007 st. 1

Ride-free weekend

No ride today either. The weather looked threatening, both out the window and on the radar. I'm in full wussy mode right now with this leg injury. I woke up to searing pain and decided that the combo of the weather and my pain was enough to bail on the ride. I'm going to have a scar that will be worthy of medical journals.
That and the fact the bike was clean and I didn't want the first ride with the PT to be a rainy one.
I need to set some baselines for the PowerAgent software, so I'll probably go to the crit Tuesday night. I'm injured and not at all fit right now, so the numbers can only go up from here. Bonus!

That's Mr. McEwen to you people...
Crashed 20km out, chased back into the group, rode to the front and crushed everyone in the sprint...! Straight pimpin'!!

No ride today for the kid. The leg is starting to heal a bit, but still looks like I got peppered with buckshot. And I can tell you, the thing is SORE. The wound itself doesn't really hurt all that badly, but the new, pink flesh around it is tennndder!
I did get my new toy yesterday though. It always happens that way. Get something new and want to ride it, but can't for one of several reasons...sucks!

I'll be mowing the grass today and watching the Tour...

Just plain bad...

I honestly don't think that I'm meant to do the 4th of July ride in Tryon. It seems that something happens every year to submarine me. Let's start...

2004- Broken wheel on the descent of the Watershed. Lost @ 10 minutes...
2005- Broken frame at some point of the ride. Couldn't push on the descent for fear of catastrophic frame failure...
2006- Super fit, ready to kill it...until I threw out my back and couldn't ride.
2007- Relatively fit...bitten by spider on top of left thigh. Huge, nasty wound that hurts like a MF'er. Taking antibiotics and steriods that absolutely wrecked my feelings on the bike. Heavy legs, no high HR (I maxed at 163 yesterday. Usual max is 185-ish) and mechanical issues on top of that...! I installed a new chain and a 13/25 cassette. I really wanted the 18 cog, but as my luck runs, it was the only gear that didn't work on the ride! Bastard!

I rode a completely suckwad 3:30 time, which is by far the worst of my three rides, even with the aforementioned failures of '04 and '05. I just couldn't put any power to the ground, so I was forced to just ride the damn thing. I spent more time in the 25 cog than ever before. Now granted, I finished way ahead of a lot of folks, but it was about 15-20 minutes slower than I had hoped. And I felt completely wrecked at the end. Then I had to drive home and play host for a cookout. Oh joy...!

The plan was to stay with Mandrus, but that got thrown out the window at mile 5. He finished in 3:14, while the third passenger in the van finished in a blistering 2:53. Yes, my friends, Doogie is a strong little monkey. He stayed with the lead group through the middle of the Watershed, when the hammer evidently went to the mat. The leaders finished in 2:49.

As much as I hate to say it, I'll probably go back next year...

Ah, the beer ride...

Evidently, there was a big pile up on the beer ride last Friday. Some gaper lost control on Golden Arrow, swerved right into the group and took down three others. The first three landed on the fourth. The poor fucker has a couple broken cervical vertabrae, a few broken ribs, his shoulder is jacked and he almost lost his thumb, and that's just the stuff I can remember...
Any wonder why the "fast" group steers clear of this ride. It's completely out of control. I'm all for everyone riding and riding together, but damn people, know your limitations. The beer ride used to be a slow-ish social ride. Now, it's the Friday Night World Championships for Gapers. There's no need to go down Golden Arrow at 30+ mph if you cannot handle your bike properly, period. Just ride your bike and have fun! I know the competitive juices sometimes take over, but when people are crashing and getting badly injured, it's time for changes to be made.
Something needs to be said to that whole group. Dumbass behaviour like this will get ALL of us kicked out of the Fort. I don't do the ride, so it's not my place to pontificate to the group, but I know there are people who read this blog who work at both shops and do the ride every week. Time for you guys to step up and be the boss! Control the shit before more people get hurt and we lose Base privileges.

Going to the ManHole(tm) now to change out a cassette and install a new chain for tomorrow.
Report on the Fab 4th ride to follow...

8 a.m. is early

It's not so much the riding at 8, it's the getting up at 6 to get ready. As some of you may, or may not, know, I have horrible OCD. I have to do the same routine every morning or my day is just shot to hell. This doesn't bode well for Wednesday, as then plan is to leave between 5 and 5:15, which means I'll be rolling out @ 4:15. That shit is too early...

Anyway, we went off @ 8 this morning. The Sunday 8 a.m. ride is turning out to be a good one. We had a good group this morning and ended up with 55 miles. We did the loop through Eastover and back in the normal way. I didn't feel good when we left and felt progressively worse at the ride got longer. The tailwaind on Pineview did little to make me feel better. A couple of hard pulls at 28-30 absolutely crushed me.

I got home, at a small lunch (very sick to my stomach) and crawled into the sack. I really wanted to watch the F1 race, but the body said it was time to sleep. I fell asleep at 12:30 and woke at 4, for no other reason than I had to use the bathroom. I laid back down until 6! I still feel like a steaming pile of poo. Two days of rest should set me right for Wednesday. If not, I'll ride slow...yeah right!

I've decided I'm going to order a junior geared cassette. A 13/25...! I really never get in the 12, not even to sprint, and the 13/25 gives back the much beloved 18 tooth cog. Sometimes, the jump from the 19 down to the 17 is just too much. I've been riding a 12/23 lately and find myself in the 18 a lot. I thought of riding the 12/23 in NC, but better judgement kicked me soundly in the ass and the 25 went on the light wheels. I'm going to CC tomorrow to pick up a 13/25 though. I'll drive to Hawley's to get it if I have to...

The H.O. still isn't home from the grandparents...nothing like keeping the 2 year old out past his bedtime. He'll be a barrel of fun tomorrow. #2 has the same schedule everyday. Eat...sleep...poop...lather, rinse, repeat...

My bad...

Evidently, there was some miscommunication about the ride this morning. I thought we were meeting @ 9, as usual. 4 of us showed. The other 8, smart folks, met @ 8. I guess I should have trusted my instincts and just gone @ 8. Oh well...! We ended up catching them at the G Mart and all rode in together. Mark your calendars and set your alarms. The rides will go @ 8 for the rest of the summer.
The four of us rode through the Fort, across to the Swamp and met the group. We all rode back in the normal way from G Mart. It was a 30 kph affair, which felt really good to my very tired legs and sleep deprived brain. I slept for a grand total of 90 minutes Thursday night. I don't know what was wrong...I couldn't go to sleep. I just laid on the bed until 1:30am, then got up and headed to the living room. I finally dozed off somewhere around 4:45am. #1 woke me, with a 2 year old poke to the face and a "Daddy?" at 6:30. A good start to a great day...

I did catch a great joke on late night TV though...

What do a Mexican and a cue ball have in common?
The harder you hit them, the more english they pick up...

Whooo, that's funny shit!

I went to the ManHole(tm) to change wheels and cassettes last night. I finshed rubbing the bikes and sat down to watch the end of a Tour stage. I woke up to a blue TV screen and a bit of confusion @ 30 minutes later. I just faded out. The decision to head to bed early was an easy one.

I'll be going to bed early tonight and napping hard tomorrow afternoon. The H.O. is taking the management trainees to the grandparents tomorrow, so I'll have the casa all to myself. I plan to ride, shower, eat and sleep, in that order.

Ride tomorrow morning @ 8am meeting at OutJokin'.

The quick, the dead and the stupid

We had a pretty big group last night for the Thursday deathmarch. As the ride progressed, the group got smaller. The trip out of the Fort was uneventful, which meant that the ride was going to be one of two things later on....subdued or balls out. It was the later, thank you very much.
The pace picked up on Ridge and the trip down to Elon was one of the fastest ever. People were already shirking pulls. I recorded my max speed on the run down...64 kph...
I guess BS&G took some climbing juice out of people's legs as the slog up Elon was pretty slow. I made it over in the middle of the group if that tells you anything. Once we crossed 378 though, the pressure went on and stayed on. PeanutHead created gap #1 at the train tracks. It's pretty amusing to actually watch him ride, what with the deathgrip on his bars (which are flipped up at comical angles) and his complete lack of acceleration. I chased the gap to RW, DerKaiser and a couple of others at well over 50 kph.
Once the turn onto Airbase was complete, all bets were off. DerKaiser and Beano nailed it and got away. The group actually worked well together and pulled them back right at the foot of the bump.
Immediately after the bump, DerKaiser went again and took Doogie with him. They stayed away for the remainder of Airbase. Again, we worked well together until about 2km from the stop. PeanutHead pulled through and just sat up in the middle of the group...at 45 kph. The right line kept chugging along as shit-for-brains threw out the anchor and coasted down to 35 kph. Philip and I were behind him and got gapped out. We made the bridge back, but I got a stitch in my side. You remember those don't you? I haven't had one since 8th grade football. I had the legs and heart to go, but the expansion of my chest felt like someone was removing a rib...with a spoon.
The group fell apart shortly thereafter. I could see 1s and 2s and made the turn very shortly after the lead part of the shattered group.
The ride stayed together for the rest of the night, as no one really wanted to go hard anymore. Of course, PeanutHead rode off the front of the group while we were meandering at 32 kph, as is his M.O.
Overall, it was a great, hard effort ride...the pain in my side notwithstanding.

I think we are just going to continue to meet at 9 on Saturdays and 8 on Sundays. Everyone was pretty ineffectual about it last night, so I'm making the call. If anyone has an opinion, please speak up.

1st Tuesday ride in 8 weeks

...but I still didn't do the crit. TVH, Doogie and I met at the gate and did a modified loop of the Fort. It was a slow ride at best. The skies looked ominous, but it only sprinkled lightly and only on one part of Dixie. We ended up with 2:30 on the bike, so it was a good ride. I just needed to turn my legs over.
The H.O. called at one point to say that there was a big storm on the radar. Of course, I was 15 miles from anywhere, so there was little to be done but ride on. As is often the case, she was wrong about the storm too...it was going the complete opposite direction. I'm turning my phone off on rides from here on out.

I tried a new concoction on the ride of Red Bull and Gatorade. To say it was bad is an understatement. It had all of the qualities of high grade horse urine, including, but not limited to, taste and color. We won't be trying it again.

Shrews touched up the White Industries wheels for the 4th, so they will hang until next week. I'm still waiting on my replacement Giordana bibs, as the first ones came apart after one ride. If these fail, I'll do something else...

#1 and #2 seem to be firing up and the H.O. has found her broom, so I gotta jet...

Ride tomorrow night...we'll discuss leaving at 8 on Saturdays...

Weekend

Saturday was a thin ride as the majority of the normal bunch went to the NC mountains to subject themselves to the punishment of Blood, Sweat and Gears. The four of us went out and meandered through Lower Richland into Eastover and back in. Doogie Howser complained that he was bored with riding the same roads, so we did some different roads and some of the regular roads in the opposite direction. We kept a decent pace and ended up with right at 60 miles. I was a bit tired from the combination of Thursday's ride and laying 1/2 a pallet of sod on Friday afternoon.
TVH, Il Professore, Doogie and I went out early this morning and did 55 miles, again, meandering through the Lower end of the county. It was another easy Sunday ride with a blistering 17 mph average. I did wick the effort up a couple times at the end and felt okay pushing the pace to 50 kph and beyond. We actually had a tailwind coming in on Shop, so why not take advantage of it.

The fitness is definitely coming back and the legs are feeling better and better. The heat is getting pretty oppresive though. It was just plain HUMID this morning. I'm trying to cajole the bunch into going out at 8 on Saturday's for the rest of the summer to avoid the noon sun. I'm sure there will be complaints. I don't care either way to be honest. I'm just trying to make it better for everyone...

#1 was still at the spa this afternoon, so I actually got to take a short nap. I can't remember the last time I got to just lay on the bed and snooze. Nice...

Kinda hard / Summer Solstice / Yoga

So I figured, with BS&G coming up this weekend, the Thursday ride would be a bit thin and a bit easier. I was right on the first part and not so right about the second.
We still started with about a dozen and rolled out through the Fort. Derek graced us with his presence last night. On the run down Ridge, he decided that he would take a 38 mph pull down the hill. This got rid of a couple folks. TVH pulled through at 33 or so and wasn't seen again until the run-in on Double Homey. He and Il Professore took the shortcut across to the flats. We waited for them for a while and then figured they did the cut off. I bridged across before Elon and pretty much shot my monkey for the climb. Nothing like rolling up the climb in your 23 at a blistering 13 mph...!
The ride turned into a rolling 7 man paceline until the bump and we lost 1. We lost another about a click from the stop sign. It was not an easy pace set by the remaining 5. We rolled through at between 26 and 30 for pretty much the entire length of AirBase.
Everything stayed pretty civil for the remainder of the ride. I took the bridge sprint with ease at a tick over 40 mph. I jumped hard in the twelve, after a pretty nice leadout by Philip and Mandrus. Derek said he didn't know where the sprint line was, but I don't think it would have mattered.

As an aside, an hour of yoga is a good thing, except in the case of having a hard ride the next day. My legs and back were damn crispy for the entire ride. I think I'll save the hour class for days before I ride easy. The 30 minute, quicky stretching class is okay for pre-hard day work.
Don't laugh either. I've been an athlete my entire life and have done some things that are difficult at best. If you make the effort to do the class correctly, it will kick your ass.

The H.O. ordered a pallet of sod. I'm going to get the trailer and the sod shortly. I can't wait until she goes back to work...! #1 is going to the spa this weekend, so I figured I might get some rest. I guess I'll rest when I'm dead, which at this pace, might be sooner than later.

PS- There is talk of the weekend rides being moved to 8 a.m. for the remainder of summer. It would help to avoid the heat and get us home a bit quicker. Conversely, it would also allow us to ride longer, if that's what folks want to do, without penalty from home. Either give me a call, or leave comments on here with your opinions of this idea.

Out---

Beautiful morning

I went out for my normal Tuesday morning trip around the Fort, but on this fine, warm day, I had some company. Julie decided to join me for the journey. We went out to do the big loop and ended up doing a bit extra. Instead of thurning left on Dixie, we went right and rode until the pavement ended, which is all of about 4 miles each way. The out trip is tailwind and downhill, so you can figure out the return. Julie hasn't been riding much, as her $5000 Tarmac doesn't fit, so she rode pretty damn slowly. It's cool with me, as I rarely go hard on Tuesday mornings. I ended up with 60 km and a bit over 2 hours. Good ride!

We figured out that her 52cm Tarmac is too long across the top. The top tube is a 53.7 and the seat tube is 74.5 degrees. She's already riding a 100mm stem with 10 degrees of rise, so the shorter stem option is out. Moving the saddle forward is no fix either. That would effectively steepen the seat angle and change the cockpit/front center. Riding with her saddle in the correct KOPS position makes the bike too long. She's a C'dale fan, so a 50cm System Six seems to be the fix for the problem. Cannondales have the geometry that will put her where she needs to be...

#1 actually took a nap today too. First one since #2 came home...! Shocking! I won't hold my breath for it to happen tomorrow.

Weekend

Friday brought more rain in the morning, so I bit the bullet and went to the ManHole(tm) and got on the infernal machine. It's not so bad when you have a big fan blowing on you and a 32" TV staring you in the face. I rode for a bit over an hour while watching the 2000 tour on the tele. Just a medium tempo to get the legs going around...
Saturday morning was beautiful. The majority of the group met at 8 a.m. ( I guess I didn't rate for that phone call...), while the remnants met at 9. The five of us did a medium tempo ride through Lower Richland. We ended up with right at 3 hours and 57 miles.
Il Professore and I met this morning at 8 to do a SLOW spin for 3 hours. We did exactly what we planned and averaged a blistering 16.5 mph. I don't think my HR got much higher than about 120. It was good to ride with him again. We rode side by side for three hours and yapped the entire time. Nothing in the conversation(s) was exactly groundbreaking or especially learned, but that kind of company on a ride makes the time pass more quickly and is entirely enjoyable.
Jules was supposed to meet us to ride, but she bailed because there was a small spinkle at 7 a.m.! Weaksauce! At 8, it was overcast and very comfortable. The roads were damp, but there was zero liquid falling from the sky. She says she'll ride with me Tuesday morning...
I feel like the back in coming around and my legs are getting better by the ride. I haven't really dug deep, nor have I attempted to sprint full out for fear that I'll tweak my back. Overall, I'm way more comfortable on the bike than I was a few weeks ago.

The H.O. got me a leafblower for Father's Day. Thanks for the tool that I have to assemble and that will facilitate more work for me...

Yoga tomorrow...don't knock it 'til you've burped your back...

Radar

The radar was alive with the sound of music this evening. It barely rained at the house, but the radar indicated that the storms were headed directly for the part of the country were we tend to ride.
I didn't feel like a) getting wet , b) cleaning the bike...again, c) getting struck by a large bolt of lightning, or d) some or all of the above.
If it's not raining sideways in the morning, I'm going out...

Il Professore is back from his trip to the Pacific Rim. He says the jetlag is really something that needs to be experienced. I thought lag from the Vegas to Charlotte redeye was bad...

Sick and twisted...

Just follow the link and read...

http://kaibabmonstercross.blogspot.com/

A full day...

#1 rolled out of the sack bright and GD early this morning. I wrestled with him for the better part of 2 hours before the H.O. even cracked a lid. Once the H.O. finally got all systems online, I got on the bike to do my normal Tuesday morning spin.
I went out through the Fort and down into the flats. I really didn't feel all that great, but as I explained in an earlier post, feelings sometimes lie. I vowed to stay at about 75% this morning and did so, but everytime I looked down, I was rolling along at 35 kmh+. My legs were achy and I felt kind of BLAH, but the speed seemed to come with little effort. I saved a box turtle too. The little fella was crossing the road and was in the middle of the lane. I stopped and helped him make it to the other side.
I rolled home with about 50km. Not bad for 90 minutes work. The mp3 player is my friend. I need some new songs though....
I got home and did some needed service to the Ridley. The chain went in a solvent bath and the rear Cane Creek wheel got some attention. The clunking sound was a loose freehub body. Everything went back together and works perfectly.
Once the H.O. got cleaned up from working in the yard, we loaded up the brood and went to the zoo. I think #1 enjoyed himself...right up to the point when he started to have a nervous breakdown. All of the sights and sounds in the penguin house were a bit much. He stopped dead in his tracks, put his hands on his head and started to melt down. Fortunately, I got to him before the reactor went critical. After about 5 minutes outside, all systems returned to normal.

I think the crit got rained on tonight. It started to rain @ 6:00 and got worse as the evening progressed. At 6:45, lightning hit about 100 feet from the house.

See you Thursday...

Slow and easy

Sometimes, you just want to ride. I don't mean a hard, fast, 175 HR, lung-searing deathmarch, but merely a ride. Not a stress relieving, get out of the house, away from the family kind of thing either.
Today, I rolled out of bed zero-dark-thirty and got my day going. I decided to get on the bike @ 9 and head out. I went past Outjokin' and not surprisingly, there was no one there for the Sunday ride. Sad really...! The Sunday ride used to be the big ride for the week. Now, the gapers and fat employees don't even show for it. Sundays will be solo days or rides that have been determined in advance from now on. No sense to even waste the time to roll up there...

Anyway, I went out to do a loop of the Fort and rode just hard enough to keep the bike upright. There were no efforts, no high HR, no lactic acid, no straining of the back...are you getting the picture? I rode SLOW and actually had a nice tailwind on the way back in.

I got home with a tick under two hours in the saddle. I had a small snack and the H.O. and I loaded the offspring into the van and headed to Lexington. My lovely mother was gracious enough to watch the kids so the H.O. and I could go to the movies and have 2 hours to ourselves. I joked that I was going to use the time in the theater to nap...even if it did cost me $6.00.
We saw Ocean's 13. Pretty entertaining flick all the way around. You can leave your thinking cap in the car for this one though.

Joel brought his frame to the house for me to pull some parts. It's trash. The crack is directly though one of the welds. I hope Litespeed warranties it...

Hot and sticky...

Much like a weekend I once spent in Hilton Head...with a female who shall remain nameless, today's ride was hot and sticky. 6 of us met @ 9am...well, more like 9:20 because Mick forgot his helmet. He and Doug drove to Doug's house and got a spare. Once they made it back, we were off. We tooled out of the Fort and went out Leesburg, all the way to Congress. Then left on Willie Wilson and the old downhill run into Eastover. The rest of the trip was the usual Cabin Creek to Double Homey. We had a good ride, averaging just shy of 30 km/h. I ended up with 57 miles in a tick over three hours.
The temps were manageable when we started, but it got damn hot towards the end. I vowed to stay hydrated and drank 5 bottles in 3 hours. I only need one 'break au naturel'. Sweat production was definitely on the high end. I got some good sun on the old pale body today too.

Once I got to the house, I started thinking about having an ice cold Coke, only for my plans to be scuttled on the shores of 'Locked out of the House' beach. The H.O. had gone walkabout and didn't leave keys in the mailbox. I tried, in vain, to get into a window...all locked. I could have broken in, but there's no sense in ruining part of the house.
So I did what any grown, 37 year old man would do. I went to the backyard, filled #1's baby pool and sat my fat ass in the cool water. Man, did that shock the system. I sat in the cool water, under the shade of 100 year old hickory and oak trees, further cooled by a light breeze and lamented that life was pretty flipping good.

Good ride, good group, back feels better, and a dip in the pool...not a bad morning.

I'm not fit!

The fact that I haven't ridden with any anger for the better part of three weeks, coupled with a back injury that has prevented most physical activity and two kids under two in the house, I am not very fit right now.
I survived the ride last night, period. I felt really good on the way out, but my lack of fitness reared it's ugly head going down Ridge towards Elon. It wasn't as fast as I've seen it, but it was enough to make me start clicking and popping. Suffice to say, I was the last man up the climb. Philip is in an active rest week, so he towed me to the top.
Once over Elon, I actually felt pretty good. The legs are definitely rested and still have the ability to make needed power, but the heart and lungs just aren't there right now. The back felt okay last night. I couldn't pull on the bars with the fervor needed to make it over the hump on Airbase. Rich and Karl went, of course, and shattered the group. I made it over just behind the second group and bridged across with help from Philip (seems to be a recurring theme...). Once onto the second group, I recovered and took my pulls. We were actually working well together and pulling the front group back when we got the the stop sign. Of course, there was a RCSO officer at the stop, so we were obliged to actually stop. Bye-bye front group...

They waited at the turn and we rolled on through double homey. Jay took a 28 mile an hour pull that was like motorpacing. Beautiful...
I felt good and planned to dice for the sprint on Shop. Philip did his normal lead across the bridge and the group lined out. I made the mistake of being on ThePeanut's wheel. He was sitting sixth wheel and promptly blew up in the middle of the bridge. I saw it coming, as it's his M.O., but didn't jump around. He just let the gap go and had the balls to wave everyone around. If you can't hold the pace, don't get in the middle of the line!!!! I explained this to him, succinctly, and he said he'd take it under advisement. Don't be a wise-ass either!!! I'm way out of shape and still dropped him more than a couple of times last night. I'll get fitter, he won't...

Anyway, rant about ThePeanut notwithstanding, it was a good ride and I felt pretty good for not getting too shelled.

Poor Joel! The creaking he was experiencing on his Litespeed was actually a broken frame. OutJokin' wants $125 to tear it down and ship it!! Are you fucking kidding me? I'll do it for a pizza. A teardown, especially a fast and dirty one, takes about 25 minutes. I'm sure those bozos will want another $125 to rebuild it...
The best part is the fact that their #1 wrench told Joel that Litespeed would just weld in another tube...! Yeah, good luck with that, considering you can't re-weld Ti, especially 10 year old Ti...
Inspires confidence in their ability to work on your bike, huh? And they're the 'pro-shop' in town...whose racers take their stuff to CC for Tim to wrench on...head-scratcher...

Feelings...

Isn't riding a funny thing? Last Thursday, I went out with the group, only to turn and ride a loop of the Fort alone. I felt really good. Good legs, good heart and lungs...

Yesterday, I went out early in the A.M. to do the same loop. I had no plans to make any efforts or to even go all that hard. I just wanted to ride my bike. My legs felt iffy, my HR was all over the place and my back felt kind of twingy. I just rode at the pace I felt was comfortable. Granted, it was pretty windy on the Fort yesterday, but not enough to ride poorly. The big kicker in this whole thing is the fact that my ride times for Thursday and Saturday were with 90 seconds of one another. I guess the difference between super and shitty can actually be measured in increments.

I'm going out tomorrow night and make the effort to stay with the group. It should be interesting at best.

The H.O. is gone with #2 this morning and #1 is at pre-school. The house is QUIET. I have some yardwork to do, but it can wait until this afternoon. That way, I can take #1 outside and keep him occupied for a while.

He seems to really dig going to pre-school. This morning was his 3rd day and he just walked in like he owned the place. He's the youngest in the class and there is only one kid bigger than him. I think it'll be good for him to be around other kids. I know it's good for my sanity.

Check out the TRS (Toddler Retrieval System)-

The 3 amigos

Saturday's ride was just three of us, as 10 folks headed to the mountain for a 100 mile deathmarch loop. You can read about it at RW's blog. Sounds like they had an enjoyable ride and a good time. I really need to sack up and go do that ride with those guys one day. Maybe I'll have a year where I don't injure myself and actually have some form. Even then, I'll likely be the last guy up the climbs.
Anywho, Nick, Joel and I had a good ride on Saturday. We rolled around in Lower Richland for right at 3 hours. It was cloudy and cool, but the humidity was pretty high. TD Barry was bearing down on us, but it gave us some monster tailwinds on the return trip.

My back felt okay. I think riding is good for me right now, but just not too much or too hard. 3 hours is my limit though. I was crampy like a grampy when I rolled into the front yard. #1 was whipping the H.O.'s ass the enitre time I was gone. My phone has blown up twice in as many rides with the H.O. on the other end asking where I am and when I'll be home. Cowboy up honey, I deal with the little terrorist everyday...

This week's review of the Specialized socks is a different one. I didn't actually ride in them. I put them on, slapped the Diadoras on my feet, tightened the straps and quickly decided that the socks SUCKED. They made my shoes too tight and felt way too thick. The 'pad' that they have integrated under the ball of your foot is for shock absoption I guess. In reality, it feels like the sock is wadded up under your foot. I did wear them for the day with my crosstrainers and they were wholly average.
My advice is to stick with Sockguy, DeFeet or whoever you choose to wear. There are just some things that should be left to certain companies.

#1 started pre-school today. The house is eeriely quiet. I'm gonna ride over with the trailer to pick him up at lunchtime. That'll be my ride for the day. I'm going out for a couple hours tomorrow morning though...time to get back on the horse.

Thursday night

The group met, as usual, last night @ the Circle. I stuck to my original plan of riding out with them, but turning and just doing the Big Loop. The way the plan was carried out was wholly different though. About 1/3 of the way out Hartsville Guard, the pace quickened. Wanting to test my back, I decided to go along until I blew up. I didn't blow up, which came as a surprise. The pace on the last section of the climb was tickling 20mph and I felt just fine. The legs were fresh (10 days of inactivity will do that for you), but I could tell that I've lost some fitness. It'll come back quickly...I hope.
I turned left, put the MP3 player in my ears and did the loop. There was a girl in town from Asheville that stayed with the group on the run out and made the left just behind me. I waited for her and her father and we rode together for a short time. About 1/2 way down Dixie, they started to slow so I went to the front. I rode away from them on the climb and never saw them again. I saw two guys ahead of me on the penultimate climb, so I decided to chase. I caught them at the guard shack just before Golden Arrow.
My back felt pretty good. I can put about 75% power down. Once I have to make a dig, I can feel the pulling of the muscles. I'll be fine in about 4 weeks. Just in time for the 4th of July ride in NC...

The main part of the group is going to the mountains on Saturday, but I'm sure there will still be folks out to ride. If not, I'll get some QT with the MP3 player again.

Next week's product review: Specialized Body Geometry socks. That's right folks, they are making special socks that are supposed to help your feet, legs and alignment...can you tell I'm a skeptic at heart?

I added a couple of links to the right side. RW's racing and wattage blog. Reading it and looking at his wattage graphs will show you that training with power WORKS. I also added Joel's non-cycling blog. It's title in the NavBar speaks for itself.

Better, I think...

So I went out and rode yesterday. I did a slow, careful loop of the Fort. The back seems to be healing nicely, although I can feel when I bend a weird way or attempt to really push hard on the pedals. I can climb standing and sprint with reasonable effectiveness, but seated climbing is still the sticking point and will likely continue to befor a short while...
I do plan on riding with the group tonight, but pride will probably prevent me from going all the way to Elon. I don't want to get shelled out in the middle of the nowhere, just before darkness falls. We'll see how the back feels. I'm definitely not going to let misguided testicular fortitude cloud judgment and injure myself further...

Now for our weekly product review...

Continental Grand Prix 4000S tires.
These aren't even available in the US yet, but I managed to get a pair from England. These are the new and improved version of the venerable GP4000. The biggest complaint with the GP4K was the poor wear and high rolling resistance. Continental addressed these issues with a new rubber compound with an additive they are calling, "Black Chili." The Black Chili additive will be making it's way into all high-end Conti offerings, but is only available in these tires and some high-end MTB rubber.
I ride Vittoria Open Corsa CX tires most of the time and have grown accustomed to fast rolling, smooth riding, good turning tires. The GP4000S lives up to the billing. They seemed to roll very well and turn in was positive. I could only push so hard yesterday, so we'll see how they perform when my injured back allows me to ride with any anger.
The ride quality was right on par with the Vittoria tires, maybe even a bit better. Conti claims 330tpi versus 290tpi for the Vitts. They seem to ride a bit softer at 120psi than the Vitts...
The absolute BEST riding tire is still the Deda RS Open Corsa, but these GP4000S shoes aren't too far behind.
I've put in service dates on them and will report back about their wear and resistance to road hazards.

See you guys tonight...

I'll be in for the whole enchilada on Saturday...

Same old, same old

The back in getting better by the day. I really have no pain in my spine and the muscle pain is little more than a dull ache. The radiating pain in my legs is all but gone. My legs just feel heavy now, from a week of inactivity. I feel fat(ter) too, as I haven't exactly been watching what I eat. Well, I've been watching it...go right into my piehole.

The H.O.'s sister got married off on Saturday. It was a nice affair. Their father is a retired USAF pilot and he chose to wear his dress blues to the wedding, because the day was about him...(rollseyes). Anyway, it was amusing because he kind of looked like a cross between Captain Steubing from "The Love Boat" and Richard Dreyfus in the movie, "Parador". Instead of the standard service ribbons, he wore all of the little medals that come with each one. I will admit, he's seen some serious shit, but the ribbons were too much. I really think he kept pulling to the left when he walked.
The reception was interesting. The Frankengroom's guests were a bit wacky. They are all Southern Separatists and do that 'dress up and re-enact the WAR' thing. The were more than a few "The South will rise again" bumper stickers in the parking lot. As I was leaving with #1, I actually heard a conversation that included the words, "Slavery wasn't a bad thing..." Scary stuff people, scary stuff...

Now for some cycling content...

Reports are trickling in that some old behaviors are re-emerging from our favorite rider. I've yet to corroborate the report, but the source is solid and the behaviors in question do not seem out pf place. Evidently, he thinks everything is hunky-dory with him and the group. The are rumblings coming from a few folks, and I'm not even included in the count this time.
Maybe it's time to just run the old boy off for good, before he takes out the entire group.

I plan on doing a loop Wednesday morning to test out the back. We'll see how it goes...!

Injury update

So the X-rays tell me that the skeletal issues are all resolved, which is good. The muscles surrounding the area of injury are mighty sore though. I told my Chiro and he said it was from a combination of the injury to my back and the movement/re-aligment of the spine. Either way, the shit is sore. I didn't take a Flexaril last night...I also didn't sleep very well. I'll be medicated this evening... ;)- Sleep is a commidity whose value only superceded by gold around here...

I got an email from Mandrus about last night's ride. It seems that I missed another good one. Fast and steady seems to be the theme for group rides around here lately. Personally, I like it that way. Although, noodling through the countryside sometimes has it's merits...
I'm sure I'll get my ass handed to me next week!

RW put together a blog for racing wattage and discussion. www.sufferfest.wordpress.com
It's kind of cool to see the graphs and data. It makes me want a PowerTap, even though it'll show me how much power I'm NOT making...

The H.O.'s sister is marrying Timenstein tomorrow. Oh will those be some big, tall, lumbering half-wit children. It seems everyone has been drafted to help with the wedding and reception. I have gracefully bowed out citing a grevious back injury. Darn.....!

Still waiting for my Conti tires to arrive from Europe.

Mid-week check

So, I've pretty much given up on the Crit, as I've grown quite bored with it. I really enjoy the Thursday ride better. Tuesdays will now be morning rides through the Fort for me. I rode this morning, only to encounter horrendous back pain. The only time my back felt good was in a standing, climbing position. If you know me, you will see the irony in that statement. I muttled through a counter-clockwise lap of the big loop and came home.
I didn't bother to get underderessed before I called the Chiro. I went to see him @ 12:30 and got popped, cracked and stretched. I'm having the same issue as before with the bulging disc, only not as crippling. I can pee standing up this time. Evidently, I have what's known as a "wedge" pressing down on one side of the disc, causing terrible pain in my back that radiates down my legs. It feels fan-flipping-tastic. I must have aggravated it over the weekend building the playset and shoveling sand. The Chiro said it's a 'twisting' injury of the spine. I can tell you, I did some serious twisting and lifting during the construction of #1's play area.
I took a Flexaril to relax the muscles in the area. It's GOOD stuff...! I can honestly see why people get hooked on pain meds. I'm not high in the truest sense of the word, but the sharp edges are much softer with the muscle relaxer on board. The whole driving/operating machinery sticker on the bottle is a warranted one.

I plan on riding tomorrow night, if the back feels better. If I feel like I did this morning, I'll take some time off.

I rode the (f)Ibis this morning. The new crank bolt seems to have done the job. I'll give the FSA cranks one more swing. The next issue is strike 3 though. I'll get some D/A from Crusty and be done with it. The bike does ride really well though...

This week's new product review: Bell Sweep R helmet
The helmet itself is very nice looking and easy to adjust. The straps took some wrangling, but once the rear straps were properly adjusted, there were no issues. The inside of the helmet is VERY lightly padded. The forehead pads are about the same as any high end helmet, but there are only (2) two inch long pads on the top. I added two longer, slightly thickerpads from a Giro Atmos helmet and the issue was solved.
On the bike, it felt substantial on my head. It seemed to be a bit heavier than my Giro Pneumo.
The Pneumo seemed to be have better airflow through the vents as well.
The Sweep looks about the same on my bullet-shaped skull as the Pneumo, maybe a bit better.
Overall, it's a nice helmet that can be had for $90-ish on Ebay.
******** of 10 stars.

Next week: Continental's new 4000S road tire

#2 is starting to fire up. Time to feed the little, fat man...

Weekend fun for everyone

Saturday's ride was another well attended event and was a very quick, very fun jaunt through Lower Richland. I ended up with right at 60 miles in a tick over three hours. When we left the Fort, the wind was in our faces. As it usually happens though, the wind was in the process of shifting. I just cannot fathom how the wind shifts direction in the exact amount of time it takes us to ride to the end of the road and turn. The route was rather triangular in shape, yet somehow, we had a headwind on every leg of the journey. Not a bad headwind mind you, but enough to make it that much more difficult.
I got home, ate, took a quick shower and went back to work in the backyard. #1's playset is now finished, replete with a 8'x8' sandbox with seats and a ramp for his dumptruck. He seems to like it considering he was pointing at it this morning BEFORE breakfast. I ordered WAAAY too much sand. It seems that 1.5 yards of sand was about .75 yards too many, thus there is a big pile in the driveway. It's starting to look like a landscape supply business out front. Giant pile o' sand...giant pile o' mulch...

The gray hairs came into town yesterday and we all had dinner out after the H.O. told me I had toiled enough.
Woke up this morning with tired legs and core muscles. I wasn't going to ride, but a 75 degree morning filled with sunshine isn't something you let pass by. I got dressed and rolled through the parking lot @ Outjokin'. Lo and behold, there were actually people there. They were planning on doing Screaming Eagle, so I tagged along until the split at the end of Dixie in the Fort. I did the Big Loop and came home. I felt pretty tired, but pretty good at the same time. Maybe the legs are starting come back around....maybe!

The new wheels are fan-fricking-tastic. Smooth, stiff, and pretty. Maybe there's something to be said for a straight up set of handbuilt wheels. Special thanks to Shrews at Cycle Center for the build. Best wrench in town, bar none...

Does a body good...

Some time off the bike was, evidently, just what the Doctor ordered. After 5 days of relative inactivity and low motivation, I was a bit worried about last night's ride. Thursday has been drawing bigger crowds and all of the HP has been showing up.
On the way out, we had three flats between the gate and the escape on Wildcat. The trip down Ridge was slower than usual. The punctures took some time away from the ride, so we chose to go right to the flats instead of left towards Elon. Let's just say that this decision didn't break many hearts, including mine.
The first test came when we got the light to cross 378. Jed and Francisco attacked down Horrell Hill. RW jumped and I went with him. A 40 mph chase ensued and we closed it down. The first half of the ride went like this...
After the jumpiness got out of everyone's systems, we settled in for a nice 25+ mph paceline for the remainder of the ride.
The ride stayed together for the most part and was really good. I had great lungs and heart and heavy legs. Between 5 days off the bike and chasing a 2 year old, coupled with building a wooden playset in the yard, this was to be expected. They started to come around at the end though.
The real comedy of the ride was at the very end. Osama is very soft-spoken and never complains. He led out the last sprint at 30+ only for everyone to sit up and not even go for the sprint. His quiet demeanor turned Alaskan fisherman. Hearing him curse a blue streak was really amusing. I had nothing for the last sprint as I closed the gap to the front 5 at well over 30 mph...crossing the I-77 overpass. That's a leg deadener if there ever was one.
Everyone's favorite was out again last night. He actually seemed to be making an effort to ride like he has a brain. Steadier than ever in the line and the dumbass moves only numbered one for the evening. I remained silent...
I am taking the high road and will continue to do so. It's really not worth getting all bent over such an inconsequential person and their inane behavior.

Resting comfortably, thank you!

I'm resting this week. I haven't ridden since Saturday and feel good about it. After feeling TERRIBLE Saturday afternoon, I felt even worse on Sunday. Feeling bad and low motivation do not make for a pleasant ride. Sometimes it's better to just stay off the bike until the feeling comes back. I'll ride tomorrow night and it's supposed to be nice this weekend, so we'll see.

I'll go down to the ManHole(tm) tonight and get the Ridley ready for action. I'd ride the (F)Ibis, but the FSA cranks have let me down yet again. I don't know why you would ever spec an aluminum bolt to affix a crank to the BB. I stood up on it, to ride up through the backyard and the bolt sheared off. The crank came off, still attached to pedal and shoe and I feel over in the grass. Thankfully, St. Augustine grass is very soft. A new steel bolt is coming. If this doesn't fix the problem, it's Shimano cranks for me.

I want to sell the full suspension rig too. I think a 29er would get more use. 5 bikes is the limit right now, so one has to go. Email if you want details...! I'll sell it for way less than I have in it. I've ridden it less than a half dozen times...

Going to pick up my new glasses and look for dress shoes this morning...Big Fun!

Yet another good ride...

We had another really good ride on Saturday, even though I felt like complete crap, but I'll get to that later.
The group was small for the 9 o'clock ride, as a lot of people had other things going on. We had a good group though, which led to another steady ride. Thankfully, certain folks have decided to stay home, which is fine, as I really don't enjoy spending the entirety of a 3 hour ride worrying about being taken out.
We went out through the Fort and progressed through Lower Richland into Eastover, down to the G-Mart and back in on Cabin Creek. RW was doing some wattage work, so he would take huge pulls, which was fine with me. I took the town limit sign into Eastover and the bridge on Shop, which I shouldn't have tried. I may have won the sprint, but it made me feel about 3x worse than I did before. Francisco made me work for it too. It wouldn't have been much trouble on a normal day, but on a day that I felt really bad, it was too much. I think it was the heat that exacerbated the situation too. It was the first day I've really ridden in anything over 80 degrees and my body just wasn't ready for it. I've felt worse after rides, but not much...! Still a good day out though...

I got home, showered and went to Lourie's to get a new suit. I know, the thought of me in a suit is comical and begs the question, "When's the court date?", but I haven't bought a new suit in many moons, so I figured it was time. The whole ordeal was quick and painless. I highly recommend the fine folks at Lourie's.

Once I returned to house, I took a well earned nap. The H.O. and I went to Miyo's for Mother's Day dinner. It was quite good.

And no, I didn't even bother to wake up for the ride today. I need the rest more than the miles.

Here are some funny cartoons...

Waxing poetic

WOW! We had a really good ride last night. The group started out really big, but whittled itself down to a final selection of 8. All had just about equal strength and all were very steady on the bike, which is a welcome change as of late. Once the selection had been made, the 8 of us rode the old Tuesday night loop through lower Richland in a nice, fast tempo, rolling paceline. Good equal pulls and no slow downs.
As we were coming in on Airbase, I starting thinking about how good it really was to be on my bike at that moment. It was about 75 degrees, the wind was blowing on our backs, the sun was directly ahead (setting), we had 8 guys taking pulls and rolling at 26 mph and the road was smooth. It really put the day in perspective. Riding a bike is good! There are times I loathe riding and times I absolutely don't want to do anything else. Last night was the latter. I told Mandrus and he asked me if I was going to cry.
I felt pretty good last night, albeit still pretty tired. My legs were much better, but my HR still wouldn't come up. Max last night was still shy of 170. Hopefully, I can get some sleep tonight so I don't completely suck on Saturday. I can tell you, I'll be napping Saturday afternoon. Il Bambino Uno is going to Grandma's on Saturday...

I won a few sprints last night as well and taught one of the Young Jedi a valuable lesson in sprinting...

OOOOOOHHHHHH! My hubs came at CC yesterday. White Industries makes some beautiful stuff. Shiny and LIGHT. The front hub was 75 grams and the rear was 225. The hoops were heavier than advertised, but only 20 grams per...! Should be same damn nice wheels...under 1400 grams for a straight up 32 hole, 3x, box section wheel...

See you on the road...

#9

Crit number went off last night and had a pretty big turnout, considering the wind was blowing at a steady 20 mph, with gust at 25-30 mph, on the front stretch. The neutral lap was postively slow, but immediately after turn 1, a group of about 8 decided it was time to go and the initial break was formed. The main group chased and chased and brought it back to about 20 meters, which lead some of the break to sit up and re-integrate, while others from the group chased across. The break went away again with this new infusion of blood and was gone. It came down to a heads up, 5 man sprint. Some guy who we've never seen before ended up pipping Jay Charles at the line. It was a good sprint, spread out 5 across the road...
The wind was the biggest deciding factor tonight. Someone else would come off the back almost every lap. There were few times that the group wasn't lined out, single file.

I have come to the conclusion that trying to race on very little sleep, combined with the energy exerted from chasing a 2 year old, is a very hard thing. I rode in the front for 30 minutes before sitting up. Normally, my max HR is 185-188. Last night, I'd get to about 170 and feel like I was having a stroke. The legs are there, but the heart has gone on sabbatical. Or it might have been the two Naprox I took @ 2 o'clock...! Either way, I could feel that I'm tired...not overtrained tired, but just physically whipped.

Hopefully, Thursday will bring better times, and less wind.

The H.O.'s sister came over last night. She's getting hitched in two weeks and is STRESSING. Between the wedding, her parents, her moron fiance and her job as a Prosecutor for the State of SC, she's got a full plate. I really feel bad for her...

As an aside, if ANYONE has issue with anything I have written on this blog, feel free to leave comments. Don't be passive/aggressive and just mumble to those who will listen. If you are offended, maybe you should be...
Or, just hit the back button on your browser and don't come back to my little corner of the internet.

Or, fill out this form and turn it in to Human Resources...

It's a C-O-N-spiracy

Man, time and responsiblity conspire against me some days. I had planned to out with Il Professore and TVH yesterday, but that plan got shanghai'd before I even pulled the bike out of the building.
Two kids under 2, one who sleeps and one who doesn't, will change plans...quickly. I finally got all of my poop in a group @ 9:30 and went down to the ManHole(tm) to get on the trainer.
I switched out the mag unit, which is worn out, for the wind unit and did 60 minutes. 30 minutes of that 60 was big gear, 150+ HR, which actually didn't feel all that bad. My legs are stiff today though...
People who buy high dollar trainers are just fooling themselves. A wind trainer is the way to go. The harder you go, the more air resistance there is, just like riding the road. I need a new trainer and will be looking for another wind unit. They are loud as heck, but I'm in the building, alone, so who cares...

The Crit course is getting cleaned this afternoon...you're welcome...


Oh, and I picked up a 32" LCD hdtv yesterday. Did I mention it was for the bedroom? You naysayers might call it overkill, but I call it just right...;)

Rainy cross day

Somes days, just fooling around on the bike is more fun. When it came time to leave for the 9 o'clock ride, it was drizzly. Upon consideration of the fact that I just burned an hour cleaning both road bikes, I chose to forego riding the road and ride the crosser. I didn't feel like going into Ft. Jackson, so I went down to Owens Field and blew about a 1/2 dozen laps of the cross race course. The two middle laps were at as close to race pace as I can get when riding alone. That notwithstanding, my HR was above 170 on both laps, so I did do about 10-12 minutes of good LT training.
I rode through the acreage that used to be the projects and up the big, ugly climb into USC. The climb isn't bad on the road bike, but sucks on 40c tires w/50 pounds of air. I meandered through campus, admiring all of the young chippies, then made my way down to 5 points, and up across Shandon. Of course, I flatted about a mile from home...and didn't have a kit. Rode it home on the rim...the trifecta is in play. I'm sure I'll flat tomorrow too...

Going out with the Il Professore and TVH in the a.m.
I'm sure there will be much talk of TheDinkNut. Evidently, he's figured out that he's a menace...
It could either be good or bad. Good is him not showing for rides. Bad is him in a belltower with a rifle...

It was a full afternoon and evening...

My day was going along swimmingly until about 4 o'clock. It seems #2's breathing was becoming more and more labored as the day progressed, so the H.O., being her overprotective, mother bear self, decided to call the Doc. We got it about 5 and it seems that the poor little fella had big giant boogers blocking his nasal passages. We got home at 5:45 and I extracted the aforementioned schnot.
I figured I could eiher A)chase onto the group, or B)cut the route and meet them out in the country. I flew out of the house and time-trialed to the Fort. I got there at 6:08 and the group was waiting, thankfully. We rolled out right as I got there.
The group was HUGE tonight and was one of pretty similar skill and ability, except for one person. ThePeanut was out and should have really stayed home. I knew we were in trouble when he couldn't get into his pedal when we rolled out. I don't want to turn this into a bitch session, but he really doesn't need to come out for group rides anymore. He endangered the entire group tonight, on several occasions and just generally rode like a complete idiot. There is no way on this big green and blue sphere we call Earth, that he was EVER any kind of bike racer. The dumbshit can't ride in a straight line or maintain pace. He pedaled like hell to close the gaps HE opened and then hit his brakes...in the middle of the bunch. He sat up more than once...while riding 5th or 6th wheel and created a huge gap to close.
I know that I'm the jerk of the group, but tonight, I was not the only voice of dissent and disapproval. Il Professore, TVH and Mrs. Der Kaiser all said something to ThePeanut. He's just dangerous and stupid, which together are a combination that can breed disaster. Solo riding is probably the best idea for him from here on out. I don't want to play the asshole, but I will if it comes to that...

Other than the fact that my fingers were on my brakes all night, and being on ThePeanut's wheel caused great fear and consternation, it was a good, hard ride. I felt pretty good and closed a few gaps at high speed. It started to rain about 30 minutes from home, which spread even more trepidation. Fortunately, no one hit the ground and I got home to see my family. I apologize to those who thought that any of my disapproval was aimed towards them. All of my furor was meant for ThePeanut, and ThePeanut only.

See everyone on Saturday morning. I'll be going to the crit course at some point this weekend to hit it with the leaf blower. The corners are looking a bit rough. It'll be back to top shape for Tuesday (round 9).

The FIbis is back on the road and performed well tonight. I really like the way that thing rides...

#8

So number eight went into the books last night with Jay Charles showing that he's a freaking hard, hard man. The race started calmly enough, with the group noodling past at about 14 mph on the first race lap. That pace got shot in the rear on lap 2. A small break jumped away and the race was on. The initial break of four lasted 15-20 minutes and was reeled back, only to be replace by a break that would be a launchpad for Jay to win. As the 50 minutes drained into the bottm of the hourglass, the 4 man break became 3 and then 2. RW and Jay stayed out together until 3 laps to go. As soon as I yelled three to go, RW sat up, leaving Jay to got it alone for 6km, with the whole group chasing. Jay, being the local stud that he is, kept the throttle on the mat and soloed for the win, even sitting up in the final straight and saluting the assembled crowd.

The entire field came into the final 400 meters together and, of course, started to sprint just after the corner. Guys, pros don't sprint from 400...you can't do it!!! Anyway, Beano jumped across the road with 200 to go and showed the group a clean set of wheels to win the bunch sprint.

I didn't ride, as this is A) a bit of a rest week, and B) I took Bambino #1 out to the crit to give the H.O. a break. #1 and I rode the course (well, I pulled the trailer while he sat in the back like Trump) for about 30 minutes. I wanted to ride for an hour, but a flat ended the fun. I didn't have a kit on the cross bike, so it went back on the roof. #1 and I sat on the tailgate of the truck and he ate dinner while watching the race. He did his usual post-dinner walk-about and we got back to the start/finish line with about 4 to go. It must be sensory overload out there for a 21 month old. Guys racing bikes, planes flying over, big trucks going by on the highway and acres of green grass...

All in all, a good time was had by all...

I'll be out Thursday night...

Quien es mas macho?

Well folks, the answer to that question is a simple one today. Karl Kaiser es mas macho. We had planned to do a 60-ish mile, steady, hard-ish tempo ride today and got a motorpace session behind Der Kaiser instead. Der Kaiser has been riding very well as of late and did the 95 mile RR in Rock Hill two weeks ago and then promptly took 10 days of the bike. He and his fresh legs showed up this morning and were feeling very frisky. He actually told Mrs. Der Kaiser that he felt 'great' when they were on their way to the ride. When Der Kaiser feels 'great', we usually get F-ed, hard...like prison!
He pulled about 75% of the 60 miles this morning and the pace never changed or wavered. If you want an example of the speed, we made it to the Cricket store in 90 minutes, and we went the long way, through Eastover! The entire 60 was covered in 2:45, which is impressive when you consider there were only six of us on the ride and it was WINDY. And we didn't go hard, at all, until we got out of the Fort. Today was one of those days when you rarely see the front, but are just whipped shit when you get home. I feel bad for NID and Joel, as they got shelled off before we made the first turn.

I was a bit tired about halfway through, but could do little about it. Considering I've ridden three days this week and all three were hard, I'm feeling okay with myself. Next week will be a rest/recovery week. I plan on riding, but only pulling #1 around in the Burley....maybe the Thursday ride...we'll see...

Crit report Tuesday. No ride tomorrow...baby duty (doody) calls...

Thursday's group ride

What looked like it was going to be a 5 man affair, quickly gained participants and became a REALLY good, quick tempo, paceline ride. There's not enough light to do the entire Elon loop yet, but we still got a touch more than 40 miles last night. The wind was out of the S/SW, which made for a weird, swirly wind on certain sections. I think we actually had a tailwind on the way home. Either that, or everyone was strong last night. All I know is, we stayed above 40kmh on Clarkson, and it's a false flat. When the road turned flat and tipped downhill, RW hit the gas and picked it up to a tick under 50kmh. This put a few into difficulty and put Il Professore out the back. He loves it when someone hits the throttle after he takes a pull! :) We gathered back up and rode easy tempo all the way to Shop. Of course, the pace picked up after the light, leading to the bridge sprint. Osama (who has shaved, so we need another nickname) produced a stellar leadout. I saw RW shift down to the 13 and twitch, so I hit the 12 and jumped hard. Head down and no looking around produced a 70kmh top speed.

I felt pretty good last night and won both contested sprints. The first one took a little edge out of my legs for a while, but it came back around. I couldn't get my HR to stay high, nor could I get a deep, full lung breath, but it didn't seem to hurt me as I took my pulls and had little difficulty staying in. My legs could have produced longer, faster pulls, but the HR/lung situation was cause for a bit of self-preservation. ]

We saw ThePeanut out last night too. I think he's taken the hint and started riding alone. He says he's 'training with power' because his new iBike and training alone will make him faster. Maybe, but he still can't control his bike or turn...

Still waiting for parts from FSA so I can fix the Ibis. My crankset didn't come with some blue, teflon, crush washers and therefore, wouldn't tighten down all the way. If the washers don't do the trick, they're going back on EBay and there will be some D/A cranks going on. Shimano has the outboard shit figured out.

Riding this weekend may be an iffy proposition as the H.O.'s mother is leaving. I really want to ride Saturday, but it may just be a quick loop of the Fort when #1 goes nap-nap.

Round 7

Holy crap! The seventh installment of the Tuesday Worlds was QUICK! I had a 27 mph average and I am the official timekeeper, so my computer is probably dead on.
PMC has decided that the neutral lap has worn out it's welcome, so it was go time from the gun. The initial break was quickly reeled in and several little attacks were thrown, but nothing had a chance tonight. There were just too many horses in attendance. There was very little filler out there tonight, and what was there quickly got shuffled out the back.
The first 15 minutes were balls-out. Thankfully, a semi pulled across the road between turns one and two and forced the entire group to slow to a crawl. I owe that dude some cash. Several folks said that it couldn't have come at a more opportune time.
The remaining 35 minutes seemed to drag on and on. It was possibly the longest 57 minutes ever. Most of the folks who are 'cornering challenged' were absent, save for the tri-dork with the tricep implants. That dude is downright scary in the turns. Handling and triathletes are not terms one usually uses in the same sentence.
It came down to a big, hairy dragrace. Jay Charles ended up taking it by about 4 inches. He should though, he's a flipping 2.
I felt pretty good considering I am sharing a room with a 4 day old baby. Riding at a high level and sleep deprivation are not good bedfellows. I closed a couple gaps at well over 30mph and felt a bit of form trying to return. Of course, that form is going to be shot in the ass with two kids under two in the house. Looks like I'll be concentrating on cyclocross this winter.
I'm going to try to make the ride on Thursday, but we'll see...

No rest for the weary

So Thursday night, I planned to ride, but the H.O. put the kibosh on that, which is okay considering she is/was 9 months preggo. We had a nice dinner @ Pasta Fresca and some ice cream @ Cold Stone before retiring to the casa. Friday rolled around and we got up bright and GD early to go to the hospital to have us a young'un.

We got to the maternity ward @ 9:30 and they put the H.O. on all of the monitors. Of course, once hooked up, the contractions began and proceeded to get closer and closer. By the time she got wheeled back to the O.R., they were 3 minutes apart! Did I mention we chose to get the elective C-section? I highly recommend it, as it's easier for EVERYONE involved.

The H.O. got her spinal block and went under the knife @ 12:03. Ten very short minutes later, Joshua David was born.

He tipped the scales at a whopping 8 pounds 12 ounces and measured out @ 21 inches. He and momma are doing great! He looks a lot like his big brother, which is a good thing.

I'm sleeping at home tonight, as there was little shut eye to be had last night in the room. Between feeding him every 2 hours or so and the nursing staff busting in every moment, no one got any sleep. Well, Joshua did, but that his gig right now! As for the aforementioned nursing staff, those ladies should be serving search warrants. They knock lightly and then kick the door in!

I did manage a ride this afternoon. 2 hours in the sun will clear your head and allow some decompression. I feel like the Grinch at the end of the movie, when his heart grows and grows. You just don't know how much you can love something until you have a baby!

Round 6

Round 6 of the TNWCCS went off last night. We were met with a blistering tailwind up the front stretch, which meant that the headwind would be waiting for us on the back.
PMC doesn't seem to be able to follow directions, so instead of our normal, neutral lap, he just took off, forcing us to chase immediately. No big deal, since he was back in 2 laps. Breaks seemed to be constantly going and the crit stayed lined out for the first 15 minutes. Around 20 minutes, a break went and a few guys bridged across the gap. Pretty much all of the horsepower was in the break, leaving the second group with me, my brother, Il Professore, Matt and Reed to take up the action. The rest of the group was populated by guys who couldn't go through a freaking corner. Chris actually asked me to send one of the guys to the back. Which I did, since he looked like he was on the ragged edge of control through turn four. At 30 minutes, I felt the tell-tale bounce that comes when a rear tire is going down. It's what I get for riding through the gutter to get around some of the gapers. I stopped and changed the tube and jumped back in for a few laps, but it was all for naught, as the break wasn't coming back and my heart just wasn't in it.
Charles Ridleheuber (Bicycle Link-Beaufort) and Dr. LP went heads up for the sprint and Charles got it by a half-wheel. It was a good race that was pretty damn fast.

I could tell that I'd been sick for 4 days. My legs were pretty empty and about 15 minutes in, my stomach started to sour. I feel better for going out to ride though. You don't realize how much a stomach bug drains you until you try to ride at a high level. My electrolyte balance is still all messed up too.

Right now, we're standing @ 50 hours and counting until Il Bambino numero due arrives.

OooFFF , ouch my tummy...

So Tuesday was great, felt good, rode well, could move around in the pack at will. Wednesday brought a bit of an upset tummy and a lot of gas. I was painting the newly repaired ceiling in the dining room and started to feel hot and really nauseous. About 45 minutes later, I had a base camp set up near the toilet in our bathroom. I spent the next 12 hours really getting to know the quality of our plumber's work. It also allowed me to assess the the tilework on the floor. Some soul searching was done as well. I felt like I would be climbing the stairs towards the white light at any moment. My last "episode" was approximately 5:30 am Thursday. I've eaten two meals since then and feel like re-constituted shit after eating. On the up side, I have lost 6 pounds since Wednesday morning. If this is the life of a runway model, I don't want it.
I feel almost human today. I'm just wicked tired from missing a full 24 hours of sleep and recoup time. That's what'll drain you. Well, that, and vomiting 50+ times. I lost count...

I did get The ManHole cleaned out today and installed Mandrus' ceramic BB. His D/A BB felt like someone had poured sugar in it. Oh, and I busted my lip while removing it. In Shimano's (in)finite wisdom, they designed a steel tool to go with an alu part. Well, the tool slipped when it ate the alu and my face came down cleanly on the TT. Nice...! I let fly a stream of obscenities that would make an Alaskan crab fisherman blush.

The coming rains will likely was out any ride until Sunday afternoon. I plan on going out Monday to see how I feel. The crit is a go, for now...

The H.O. is 5 days from dropping the newest addition to the clan, so all of these plans may get roundfiled.

Don't ask me, I just work here....

TNWCCS Round 5

Well, the 5th installment of the TNWCCS went off last night, and fortunately, it was a bit safer and less helter/skelter than Round 4. There were no crashes or even near misses last night, but there are still some folks that really need to think about what they are doing while they are out there. The cyclocross kid must have had some sort of spinal fusion as he doesn't seem to be able to turn his head to see where he's going when pulling into, or out of the line. I finally had enough and yelled at him with 3 to go. Of course this was after he turned left into the main group and nearly took out the guy in the Felt kit.
A certain VB who keeps coming out needs to spend some quality time learning to turn. This ain't no Cat5 crit. Get off your brakes and stop squaring off the corners! Oh, and get some big boy gears...! He's out there though. The rest of the Pink Ladies don't seem to have the testicular fortitude to show.
Any the fat kid on the Lemond who kept getting shelled and jumping back in the front should probably just stay home. I got tired of closing his gaps and worrying about his lack of skill and fitness. He looked like two octupi making love.

Anyway, the neutral went as expected when PMC is out. It's more like 3/4 of a neutral lap. PMC and 3 others attacked from the gun and opened a pretty nice gap. It came back pretty quickly. This seemed to be the theme for the evening. Things were constantly going and getting pulled back. Even the biggest break of the night got pulled back in two laps. The race was really steady and we averaged a tick over 40 kmh for the 56 minuutes. It was the first night we've kicked it to the full 50 minutes and the extra 5 minutes were definitely felt.
The group slowed to a crawl with 2 to go and then all hell broke loose. Attack after attack went and gap after gap appeared. On the last lap, a group of 6 got away with 1km to go and being the dope that I am, I decided to close it down myself. It's that whole, "What would Jens Voigt do?" thing...! I got across at 55 kmh and should have ridden straight past, but I sat up and got killed in the sprint. Yet another field finish. I did feel good last night though. Better than I've felt in a long time. I hate to miss Rock Hill on Saturday, but the H.O. could drop the baby at any moment. That kind of takes precedence over going to race.
The way my luck runs, I'll be lining up for the Masters 35+ race and my phone will ring...

Oh, and a big shout out to the guys at Crank Brothers. I dicked up one of my pedals a few weeks ago in the crit when I caught it in the bottom corner. I needed a stainless outside replacement plate. I emailed them and they sent out a complete rebuild kit, including all replacement plates and bearings...for a PAIR of Quattros. I've joined the CB tribe! Bigger companies could learn a thing or twelve from those guys! Great products and service goes a LONG way!

No riding this weekend

I woke up Saturday morning to 28 degrees and a howling 20+ mph wind. I'm not getting paid to ride and I knew that the chances of anyone else showing up were thin, almost anorexic. I finished the floor in the backroom instead. The only thing left to do is install the ceiling fan, and to be honest, it can wait.
Sunday was Easter and another day when getting dressed and showing up to the group ride was be little more than an exercise in futility. Most don't show on a normal, warm Sunday. It was about 38 degrees yesterday morning...

The yet unborn and un-named baby's room got a fresh coat of paint yesterday. It's still light blue, just a different shade of light blue. The H.O. made a decree, so I was obliged to re-paint. Smelling glue, paint and caulk for two days in a row has given me a blistering headache. That and the dust/pollen from mowing the grass last night.

I'm going to try to get out for a spin tonight to loosen up my legs...we'll see.

Crit tomorrow. Maybe it will be a little more controlled...I think I'll make an appeal for calm.

2 days in a row...

It's been a while since I've actually been able to ride two days in a row, and I feel better for it.

Thursday night's ride was a small gathering, yet fun and quick. We did some good tempo, paceline work and got home before dark. I had some seriously heavy legs last night though...

Il Professore and I went out this afternoon for a little roll around the Fort and ended up meeting the BeerRide on their way out, so we turned and joined in. I won't say it was frightening, but it was a bit helter-skelter. Of course, I knew this going in, so you can plan for it. Either ride on the front, or on the back. The middle is the deathzone on Friday night. It was fun for what it was though...
I did get to pick at and wind up a certain person on the ride tonight. He obviously wasn't on his meds as he was quick to anger and just rode away. Fun stuff I tell you...! It's too bad he's such a dick.
ThePeanut made an appearance as well. He says he's been riding too hard, so he's taking some time to build back up so he'll be stronger. Yeah, April is the time to slack off on training. Good luck with that! He also got an iBike, which is possibly the worst powermeter type unit out there. He'll have plenty of time to look at it when he's off the back. He didn't say much tonight, which is rare. He still rides like a dope. The BeerRide is probably the place for him.

No ride tomorrow as it supposed to be ass-biting cold in the morning and I have to finish laying the tile in the backroom.

Is there something in the water?

Jesus Pete! Tonight was a good old fashioned NASCAR short-track free for all. More on that in a moment...

The crit went off, as usual, with a very large group that included several new faces. A lot of these new faces are strong, but have ZERO handling skills in the pack. Holding a line seems to be a foreign idea to a lot of them. Inside/out or outside/in through the turns was the M.O. for most of them. One noob swung way outside and put Osama into the curb, and thus, ass over elbow into the grass. Thankfully, he went down in the grass and only his jersey was any worse for wear. Osama jumped back in after taking his free lap and was fine. That was the first incident...
The crit itself started off with a shot from PMC and a select group who chose to make a break on lap one. The group chased for the next five laps or so, with very few of us actually doing any of the work. I did a lot of chasing for 15 minutes and paid retail for it for the next 20. The wind was a factor tonight as well. A strong west wind was blowing up the backstretch, making the chase that much more difficult. More breaks went and came back through the first 40 minutes. The group was back, en masse, at 42 minutes and then the second incident of the evening occured. Another noob decided he wanted to move right. Unfortunately, Jay Charles was occupying that space. Jay came over on me, quickly, and we met carbon to carbon, and I'm not talking about carbon-based life-forms. His carbon r/d went directly into my front Carbone. The impact sheared his r/d off with surgical precision. It also rendered my front wheel into a shape resembling a Frito-Lay product. I shot dead right and into our own, local, national champion Jed. Fortunately, the three of us that all met in the middle are experienced enough to handle some contact and no one went to the tarmac. Thank God, b/c eating pavement at 25+ sucks. I did lose a chunk out of my right ankle from Jed's bike though...

Parts can be replaced/repaired...road rash scars last a long time. I guess I'll be making a trip to see Shrews tomorrow...

The Harrell's boys battled it out for the win. I couldn't really tell, but I think Jamie may have gotten the win.