Just what I wanted...

I went out to the crit last night, wanting nothing more than to spin some garbage out of my legs. I rode out, warmed up and rode the first 20 minutes. The group was BIG last night...probably around 50 or so. Attacks started from the gun and I just rode around on the back. I did close a couple of gaps and took a few pulls, but that was it. My legs were still heavy from Sunday and I'm just not going to push too hard until my back is 100%. I figure I'm at 80-85% right now...
I rode in the drops, pushed hard and stood up to sprint a few times with little anguish. It may be time to start introducing some anger and speedwork back into the program...
I actually kind of missed sweeping through the turns at high speed. The back of the bunch is a scary, scary place though...my fitnees precludes time on the front however!

I do feel better today. My legs aren't heavy and my back feels fine...we'll see.

Oh, if you're looking for bike stuff on the cheap, check out www.chainlove.com

And if you want some drama, go to the link >>>>> marked "Hoovis". It seems the new promoter of one of the most successful race series on the east coast has given everyone the big middle finger...! I'll just say that they are waaaay nicer up there than I would have expected. It's hard to believe that none of those guys has an acquaintance that wears shiny suits and has "The" for a middlename. It is right outside of Philly after all...

Tommeke?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/jun08/jun10news

Boonen has a 'non-negative' test for Bolivian marching powder @ the Tour of Belgium...
Loses his driver's license twice in two weeks...

(popcorn is popping)

Long, hot and steamy...

No, it's not what you are thinking...dirty minds...
Saturday, most of our little downtown group went to the mountains for some sort of masochistic ritual. Honestly, I really wouldn't mind going up there to ride for 4 or 5 hours...I just don't have the 12-14 hours in my day to devote to the trip.
Anyway, I got on the cross rig and went out across the river and hit up some trails. SCE&G, with the money from my ballooning power bills, built a little nature preserve and cut some nice singletrack through the woods. It was supposed to be a loop, but I must have lost the trail somewhere because it came to a stop in a big pond o'bullfrogs about 2 miles in. The signs on the trail warning of snakes and alligators were confidence inspiring as well!
I turned and headed out, being harrassed by the biggest mosquitoes known to man. I hit the dirt service road for about 30 out and 30 back. I got home with a bit over 2 hours on the bike, a few bug bites and plenty of dirt.
Sunday, TVH, Casey (sans a sleeping, lazy Rob...bum) and I went out into Calhoun County for a 4+ hour, hot, humid, borderline deathmarch of a ride. It started out all fine and well, then the sun got high in the sky. We did 176 down to 21, across to 6 and back over to 176...THEN, like the brainiacs we are, decided to add on a bit extra and did the Gaston loop. No sooner did we get off the main road, I flatted. Oh the joys of $15 latex tubes and carbon wheels....! Thanks to TVH and Casey for the save. My spare was bad, TVH's was bad, so it fell to C to get us home. Thankfully, there were no more punctures, as the H.O. would have had to come out on a rescue mission...and she just LOVES doing that...
I got home with just shy of 125km and 4:30 on the bike. It was miserably hot for the last 90 minutes of the ride. I got home and the mercury was touching 98 degrees with a 104 heat index...just brutal. I <3 me a cold shower...
Overall, it was a really good weekend of riding. I feel better on the bike. My legs are getting better. The back is holding steady (thanks to the several hundred sit-ups I do a week) and I'm enjoying being on the bike.
Oh, and Casey is going to the OTC for development camp...less than a year on the bike and gone to Colorado Springs...! We'll be able to say that we knew her when...
She learned about town and county limit signs yesterday, so hopefully she'll take it to camp with her.

Out 'til Tuesday...

Hot!

Holy crap! It's freaking hot! My geek-o weather station said it was 95 when I left for the ride last night...@ 5:45...and it's only June. August will be a barrel of monkeys. At this rate, I'll have to go sell vital fluids to pay the power bill.

After I was in the 75 degree house all day, it was a bit of a shock to the system. I knew I was in for a bad night. I felt flat and really blocked up. Going out through the Fort sucked and the ride didn't get any better from there. Thank God it wasn't a brutal ride. I tail-gunned most of it and after the rise on Airbase, I just gave up. No 'HTFU' last night. I felt sick and quit. Rob dropped off too, so we rode in together.
I need to get out in the heat to get acclimated.
A big group is going to the mountains tomorrow, so I'm likely just going to do a cross ride on the other side of the river. There are some trails over there I want to check out anyway.

Sunday, who knows...

And we're done...

I'm tired...
I'm tired...
I'm tired...
I did the Beer Ride Friday Night. It was actually pretty enjoyable. I won't be making it a habit though. It's just a little bit too sketchy.
Saturday was the final nail in my week of training coffin. I woke up with heavy legs and not a lot of motivation. I went to the ride anyway. We did the normal Eastover Saturday loop and while I didn't feel terrible, I was really flat and just felt tired. The legs were nothing more than big, hollow meatsticks. I did everything from taking my pulls to tailgunning to simply just sitting up and falling off the back. I was dehydrated, hungry and grumpy for pretty much the whole ride.
I got home with another 90km and 2:45 on the bike.
For the week, I rode 6 of 7 days, did a total of 17 hours in the saddle and racked up 505km. Considering my back injury has kept me under 6 hours a week for the last 8 weeks or so, this was a HUGE week. I lost 5 pounds, yet ate everything in the house. The metabolism is definitely going again. It's 75 in here right now and I'm sweating like a hooker in church.
I'm going to take a couple of rest days and then ride easy on Tuesday...I'll either completely suck or get some fitness out of the past week.

The H.O. and the management trainees are home, so the quiet has come to an end.

Good luck to Casey today @ the CSC. Don't be intimidated!!!

A matter of time...

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

Go to this link...NOW!

http://danielsbigtrip.blogspot.com/

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

No ride on Monday...

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

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

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

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

See you guys tomorrow night!

In for a penny...

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

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

Theo Bos begs to differ...

Okay...

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

As Snoopy would say...

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

Wow!

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

New SC bicycling Law...

This passed yesterday...

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

If you wanna watch The Giro...

www.rai.it

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

A long weekend...

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

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

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

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

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

I took 140+ pictures Saturday night....

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

Short man walking...

Oh, my aching back...

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

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

We had the monkey last night...

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

Okay...a product review and endorsement!

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

Rode okay...felt bad...

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

Tired....

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

TNCWC...I was the bug...

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



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

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

Two good rides and a lesson

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

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

Good news...

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

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

See you guys Saturday morning.

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

08 Roubaix

Last 20km...you're welcome!

CYCLING Paris Roubaix 2008
Uploaded by miha2007

Meet the new Boss...

...same as the old Boss!

George finished 9th...

The ride yesterday was a mile of suck. It was windy. I was flat. My back hurt. My allergies are peaking right now. We turned onto Shop and I just sat up. I stuck it @ 30kmh and just pedaled home.

No ride today. I did finish the fence though. Nothing like firing up the circular and reciprocating saws @ 9 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Wakey Wakey college kids....

Roubaix

(Cue Monster truck announcer voice)
SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY...
...live in Compiegne, on the outskirts of the City of Lights, come see the true 'Hardmen of The North' begin their battle for supremacy over 260km of racing. This year's event features 53km of bike, bone, and spirit breaking cobbles.
Will 'Gorgeous' George Hincapie finally get the monkey off his back?
Will 'Tommeke' show who the 'Hell of The North' who's boss?
Can Devolder pull the double?
Can CSC stick a sharp finger in Quick-Step's eye...again?

These questions and more will be answered this Sunday...BE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TNCWC

So, Doogie and I decided to go out EARLY last night, to get some extra miles before the TNCWC. We met at 4:30 and headed out through the Fort. After a short jaunt down through LR, we ended up at the course. I had 2 hours on the bike before the Crit even started. After the neutral lap, 3 folks took off. I jumped across and took Doogie with me. At this point, I was feeling froggy, so I figured WTF. The 5 of us rode a hard tempo and voila, we were away. I took my pulls, albeit short ones and quickly realized, after 15 minutes in the break, that I was the albatross. I sat up and drifted back to the group.
The break went from 5 to 4 to 3 and then RW and Doogie were left. They stayed out for 25 minutes and got swallowed up. The rest of the ride was punctuated by attacks, chases, big gaps to close and counterattacks. There was horsepower out last night, but nothing would stick.
With three to go, I really began to question the fact that my computer was telling me I had 55 miles at that point. My legs were little more than bags of meat and there were no bullets left in the gun.
I got gapped a bit on the last lap and fought to close it to get in position for the sprint. The little chase fired my last shot. I watched as the top four rolled away for the sprint. Derek won* the sprint, but RW won the Crit. I finished 6th* and was a hurt monkey on the ride home.
Overall, I didn't feel all that bad, considering..., and ended up with 60 miles for the evening.
This morning, I'm dehydrated and a bit shaky. The legs feel like I've been beaten at GITMO for a few days. As I type this, I'm getting a cramp in my calf.
Even though I feel iffy today, it was a good ride and will help me in the long run...at least that's the mantra I keep repeating.

*Derek won, but was relegated as he missed the first 20 minutes of the race. Everyone moves up a spot.

Weekend

Saturday was an absolute POS day...so I went out and rode the cross bike in it. It was 65 degrees and barely drizzling when I left the house. About 30 minutes in, the full fenders I put on the bike were as useless as tits on a boarhog. It was raining so hard that I could feel the torrents of rain splashing against my back. It rained like this for about 30 minutes. The last thirty minutes were back to the drizzle I had departed in. 90 minutes on 38c tires and full fenders...oh, did I mention that I took the opportunity to do some intervals while I was out? If a ride is gonna suck...make it suck completely.
Sunday, most folks in town either went to Charleston for the century or to Rock Hill to race. TVH, NID and I headed out and did 45 miles in the damp, cloudy weather. My legs were HEAVY from the combo of intervals and 90 minutes of riding underwater the day before. I got home, ate lunch and crashed out hard until 4 o'clock. Sometimes, the body tells you it's time to sleep.
The new carbon wheels ride great. They are very stiff, both vertically and horizontally. They roll very well and weren't at all bothered by crosswinds. Now I'm just waiting on the Vittoria Open Corsa tires to arrive from the UK...the Michelins are great, but I loves me some Vitts.
The back is feeling pretty good, the legs are coming around and it's April already. Time to actually ride my bike again....

See you at the Crit...

Tuesday

The H.O. came home a bit early on Tuesday, so I got out earlier than usual. I was on the bike and out the door @ 5:15...shocking.
Instead of the Crit, I went out through Fort Jackson and down through the flats. The winds were blowing from the WSW, so it was a very nice headwind for the majority of the ride. All things considered, I didn't feel all that bad. I had the music in the ears and just rode tempo for 2 hours. I got to the cutoff to go home and decided to see what was happening at the Crit.
The group was pretty big and seeing as I didn't do the first 20 minutes, I jumped in at the very back. Very scary place, the very back...turn people, turn...don't square it off.
I rolled up to the middle and rode there for a few laps, then dropped back and talked to Doogie and Philip for a lap or so. I looked at my watch and turned to go home to see the management trainees off to bed. It felt good to get the legs going around that quickly. I'll be out for it next week. I don't think my fitness is close to optimal, but I can suffer through for 45 minutes. It'll probably do me some good.

I don't know about tonight. It's 48 and dismal outside right now. Saturday is looking like a crapfest as well. Sunday is supposed to be nice, so I'll definitely be out.
9am Saturday...if no rain. 9am Sunday...both at the circle. I'll send out an email @ Sunday.

One for two

Saturday's ride went off as it normally does, and we had a pretty good group this week. We did the usual Eastover route and everyone stayed together, even through the fast spots. My stomach is still a mess. I think it must be due to my improved diet. I've largely cut out junk and started eating actual fruits and veggies. My body isn't accustomed to being fed food that's good for it and seems to be rebelling.
I still rode reasonably well and even managed a large, hairy effort on Double Homey to chase down Reed. I ended up with 90km in 2:45. Then we went and walked around the zoo for a while. The boys seemed to love it, so it's all good with me.
This morning, I awoke to 45 degrees and pissing rain. Considering I'm not getting paid to do this, I stayed in the house. #1 and I made a trip to Target and dropped the usual $100. Then we went to the bookstore. I got an armload of cycling mags and the boy got some Dr. Seuss.

As an aside, my carbon wheels came in and are pretty flipping nice. Nice finished and hella smooth ceramic bearings! The rear has a manufacturing defect and it's going back. No worries or stress though, and I'll tell you why...
I figured out the problem when I was installed the wheel on the bike. The bead/braketrack had a bulge in it from poorly laid-up carbon. I was a bit pissed off and called Williams Cycling...repeatedly...to no avail...or so I thought. About 9 p.m., my cell phone rings...it's Keith Williams. Yep, the man what own the joint. I tell him the issue and he listens, I mean actually listens. He apologizes and means it. He's sending me a new wheel Monday, via FedEx, on his own dime...before I send the other wheel back! He's even sending a call tag for the defect wheel.
Most companies wouldn't have called back until Wednesday or so, asked you what you did wrong, claimed it wasn't a defect and then made you send the wheel back at your own expense. You might get your wheel back in 4 to 6 weeks. ...cough...Mavic...cough...
Customer service folks...learn from it.

www.williamscycling.com

Oh, and another linky you'll appreciate...

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/milano-san-remo-2008/1382311214

???

I can't decide if I had a good ride, or a bad ride last night. I felt horrible all day, and for most of the ride. My legs were okay, but my GI tract was angry with me. After we left the Fort, which included one of the quickest runouts on Hartsville Guard in recent memory, I had a hot, feverish, vaguely sick feeling. We rode tempo down Ridge while we waited on a few stragglers.
Horrell Hill was a quick paceline and then the pace went up.
We turned onto Airbase and Doogie jacked the pace. I slid into 5th wheel, right behind RW. I knew in my heart that he was going to nail it when he hit the front...and he did. Nothing like going 45kmh into a stiff headwind. RW is getting slight in the ass these days and his form is damn good right now, so I was forced to get as low as possible. Once I was as low as I could get, the hard effort started to pull my back, so I pulled through and sat up with CC Mark.
Everyone gathered up and rode in together. I tried to sprint on Shop, but just didn't get on top of the gear. It was a quick 55km before dark.

This morning, my legs are stiff, my back is stiff and my GI tract is still upset with me. The H.O. is coming home at lunch and we're taking the management trainees to the zoo. I'm sure that'll help my legs and back! Oh, and #1 decided he wanted to fingerpaint this morning. Normally, I'm down with whatever he wants to do, but this time, not so much. His medium this morning was his own fecal matter. Fortunately, his 'art' was contained to his little craft (crap) table. I was not amused. After a thorough cleaning with Antibacterial kitchen cleaner, everything is back to normal...well, as normal as it gets around here.

On the upside, my new carbon wheels are coming with brown Santa in a little bit.

See you fools Saturday morning.

When a plan...

...gets shot in the ass. I was supposed to ride 6 days in a row...only got 3!

Both kids are sick, I feel like crap, the H.O. is out of town...

I'll be out Thursday night...hopefully....
I'll definitely be out Saturday morning!

3 days in a row?

Crazytime around here...
I did the Thursday ride, as covered previously, and didn't feel altogether bad. Friday afternoon, Doogie and I met at 3 to do a spin ride. We rode, but it wasn't a spin ride. The wind decided it wanted to be a headwind in every direction we chose to turn. I ended up with another 60km in 2:15 and was way too tired when I got home to call it an 'easy spin'.
The normal group met at 9 on Saturday morning and did another windy loop down through Eastover. We started with a solid 10, which got whittled to 8 when Mrs, Der Kaiser and Corbett turned to do a loop. I think they both had people coming into town...or something.
It ended up being a nice tempo ride, albeit windy yet again. The sun ended up poking through the clouds enough to put a tiny bit of color on my otherwise pasty limbs. I ended with 90km in under three hours.
Considering the fact that I've taken the better part of 6 weeks off the bike due to injury, I didn't feel bad linking those days together. The only thing that really hurt was my tender bits. They just need to toughen back up.
The plan was to ride today (Sunday), but the H.O. decided that I need to go to her family Easter happening. Oh joy! I was planning to stay home and have a day to myself, but in the interest of domestic tranquility, I'm tagging along.

Drano ride

Tonight was my first Thursday ride of the year and it was definitely harder than I've gone for a very long time. It wasn't a ball-buster, like they are in the middle of June, but for my out-of-shape ass, it brought me to the entrance of the Pain Cave(tm).
We went out through the Fort a bit quicker than usual and then headed out to the flats. Everything was hunky-dory until about 1/2 down Airbase. I pulled through and the line got fouled up. Somehow, Nick pulled through again...hard, and caused Trez to let a gap open. Instead of trying to close it (20 meters at this point), he says, "Go ahead", as if he was being so kind as to let me in. Thanks Jub-Jub, but I just took a pull at 40kmh into a stiff headwind! Gap closing just isn't in the repetoire right now. Give me a few solid weeks of training and then I'll think about it. NewGuyRob and I got gapped out and chased for the remainder of Airbase.
We all stayed together for the remainder fo the ride. As for the Drano in the title...my pipes got cleaned out tonight!
Rumor has it that one of the shops in town is offering to give Casey a bike...bad idea Casey. Nothing comes for free, especially from those guys. There's always a caveat and it's always after the fact.
Ride @ 3pm tomorrow from the Gate...The H.O. has the day off, can you believe it?

First weekend in a while

Well, I got back on the bike yesterday. I met up with the normal group for the 9 o'clock ride. We did the usual Lower Richland out through Eastover loop.
I felt good on the bike, for once. No back pain, no aches, no radiating leg pain. I could tell that I'd been injured and that I've lost a great deal of high intensity fitness, but the action of turning the pedals felt good. It did feel a bit foreign for the first hour, but it fell back into place.
I probably rode a bit harder than I should have yesterday, but one has to swim following the jump into the deeper end of the pond. I can ride 30-35kmh all day. It was when the pace wicked up to 45kmh that I saw my lack of fitness.
I ended up with 90km and 2:45 on the bike.
Doogie and I met this morning for a 2 hour spin through the flats. I felt really good...surprisingly good, until we turned to come home. The good feelings on the way out were thanks to a stiff tailwind. The last 45 minutes of the ride were a headwind slog. It was pretty damn windy out in the country this morning. Another 60km and 2 hours on the bike.
Not a bad weekend for the first one back on the bike.
The ceramic BB is working properly, the ceramic bearings in the ROL wheels are smooth and I raised the saddle by 2.5mm. Everything was as it should be this weekend...

Doug, Doug, Doug...(shaking head)

So I'm in Target this morning, doing my bi-monthly child supply run, and my phone rings. I see that it's Doug's number, which I find odd, since it's Friday morning. I answer and we exchange pleasantries.
Here's the rest of the conversation...
D: Hey man, are you riding this morning? Is there some secret ride no one told me about?
M: No, but I'll be out tomorrow morning for the group ride.
D: Was today's ride cancelled?
M: What ride today?
D: The 9 o'clock group ride
M: Um, dude, it's only Friday...
D: Oh, that could be the problem...
We exchange goodbyes and I wander through Target thinking that a whole lot of people are going to be unhappy with their audits this tax season (Doug's a bean-counter)...
Nutty, I tell ya, nutty...

I got the Ridley back together, save for the white hoods. I didn't feel like undoing the cables and housings. I'm pretty anti-Campagnolo, but it's would be much easier to replace the hoods if I was riding Record stuff. I am batting around the idea of retiring the Dura-Ace at the end of the season and putting SRAM Red on the Ridley...swank! We'll see what the new D/A looks like first...
See you guys in the morning (Saturday...Doug!) @ the gate. 9a.m.

Looking good Billy Ray...

...feeling good Lewis!
Well, the back is feeling better by the day. I'll be out Saturday morning, but have no plans to get involved in the test-fest that I'm sure will ensue. My goal here is recovery and building back up. If I must do it alone, then so be it. Being hurt sucks balls, so I'm going to rehab slowly. The time off, trips to the chiro and yoga seem to be helping.
My ceramic BB came back today, slammed full of new bearings and high $ grease. It'll be installed in the morning. Big ups to the guys @ Superfly Cycles.
New BB, new chain, new white D/A hoods...too bad the same old schmuck is riding the bike!

Today is 3 years since my dad passed away. Seems like a long time ago and yesterday, all at once! Gone too soon...
I Love You Dad!!!

Snow? In Atlanta? In March?

Yes on all three. The H.O. and I went to Atlanta for the weekend. Her company has decided to dip it's toe into the NASCAR sponsorship water. They signed a 6 race deal with Joe Gibbs Racing to be the main sponsor of the Nationwide (Busch) Series #18 car. Yet they ran the #20 this weekend...I don't know...
We went down on Friday and the weather was beautiful. Saturday morning rolls around and it's 35 degrees and the wind is howling at 30+ mph. As we're driving to the Atlanta Motor Speedway, snow begins falling. We get there, get our swanky, we're-better-than-you credentials and head to Joe Gibbs' personal motorhome. Motorhome is a bit of a misnomer, as it's a $1 million set-up. @10 a.m., it's snowing sideways to the point that we couldn't see the suites on the front stretch...and they were 250 yards away!
We hung out in the rolling palace until lunchtime and the weather broke. We went out and watched the Sprint Cup cars practice from the wall on pit road. Did I mention our passes kicked ass?
Back to the JGR bus for lunch and then out to the grid for the start of the race. The #20 started second and quickly went to the front and was there...all day...for 153 laps...until...
On lap 175, something in the right front suspension failed, the right front tire went down and the car hit the wall in turn three @ 170 mph. Kyle Busch managed to finish, but 24th is little consolation when you kick ass all day.
We watched the entire race from the pits. I've always been a NASCAR fan, but you gain a new appreciation when you are a VIP. There's serious money involved and the guys are deadly serious about their jobs. You just can't get the experience, watching it on TV. It's too visceral to translate. The sounds are insane. You hear it and feel it. The air and ground rumble like a warzone. The smells are almost overpowering. Rubber, high octane fuel, exhaust...
The visuals are spectacular. You watch it on TV and know they're going fast, but being 100 feet from a pack of 40+ racecars sailing past at 175mph is just out of hand.
Pretty great weekend, all in all!
Google isn't letting me post pics...I'll post some later...

Off the bike...again!

Well, according to X-rays, my skeletal issues have been resolved. Now, all of my soreness and stiffness is muscular. It seems that I compensated for the back issues by using my hips and legs. My hip flexors, glutes and quads are achy and stiff. I feel like I have two pull groin injuries. Riding wasn't exactly helping the situation, so I'm off the bike again for a week or so.
No biggie though. The Ridley is disabled anyway and I won't be able to get to it until next week. The ugly sounds I heard on Sunday were, in fact, coming from the BB. I pulled everything apart and voila...! The driveside bearing in my high dollar ceramic BB were a bit rough, but the left side felt like someone poured kosher salt in it. I pulled the seals and the bearings inside were virtually dry. I fired off a note to the guys at Superfly and to their credit, they are replacing it! They even went so far as to hand pack it with the heavier grade ceramic Krytox grease, like they do for the pro dogs. Astana is riding Superfly bearings in their BBs and wheels this season, FWIW...
It's supposed to be here tomorrow, which is fine and well, but I'll be in Hotlanta until late Saturday night.

The crit is starting back up shortly. The first official date is April 8th @ 6:30. The time change means nothing in this case. Even with the time change, it will be too dark to run a full race and have those who rode to the course get home before it's pitch black. Safety is the utmost concern here people. The first Tuesday in April has been the start date since the beginning and will remian that way. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to email me or leave comments here...

The day

Weather: rain
Bike: disabled
Back: hurts like a ....
Attitude: damn close to poor
Demeanor: general malaise

Weekend

Saturday was another race day in Greenville, so the ride was anorexic. God forbid the people who didn't go race show up for the Saturday morning ride. I did what was tantamount to a 2.5 hour solo ride through Lower Richland. It was beautiful out, other than a bit of a stiff wind.
Doogie, NID and I met for a loop this morning. Another perfect day to ride...
We did the normal Sunday loop. The wind was the exact opposite as yesterday. It's kind of nice to have a tailwind home every once in a while.
I'm still having some back/nerve issues that are affecting my legs. Time to go back to the Doctor...

Young Casey put on a show in the Women's race yesterday in Greenville. She finished a strong second, in front of a strong field that included a past national champion. Good looking out Casey!
I think a lot of male egos are going to be bruised this summer...
As for the females, she's easily the strongest in town, bar none!

I got some good riding this weekend, even though I still feel like complete shit on the bike. A halfway decent ride is always better than getting fat, watching TV and just talking about riding...

A few words...

Het Volk 2008
Phillipe Gilbert
Attack w/50km to go
Rode to finish alone
Solo win
Definition of Big Ring
True Merckx style
Levi Leipheimer sucks

Spinski

Doogie and I met for a loop of the Fort last night. I think he may be right about our meeting time. 5:15 seems to be the witching hour for dumbasses in automobiles. I only had one near miss on the way to the Fort last night...of course, it was some Heathwood mommy in battlewagon, pulling out of King's Grant. Yeah, go ahead, pull out and hit me...you won't be living in your $500k house for long. It'd be like The Jefferson's up in that bitch. The H.O., the management trainees and I would be "movin' on up".
We finally reached the safety of the Army Base and did a easy big loop. It was sunny and quite pleasant until the sun retreated behind the trees. Down in the valleys, it was kinda chilly.
Nice 90-ish minutes on the bike...
I rode the new Michelin Pro3Race tires too. First impressions? They are pretty nice. Probably on par with GP4000S tires. They roll well and have good ride quality. They are THIN though. The casing is baloney skin. They are also pretty damn narrow. Crit tires, these are not...
They'll be good tires for around here though...unless I start to get flats...than I'll shitmouth them at every turn. :) I think I'll go back to Vittoria once I wear these out though...

Saturday's ride will be @ 9, like normal. Set your flipping clock Doug...
Sunday...? We'll figure something out...
Both days are supposed to be sunny and nice...get on your bikes people!

I finally caught up with my friend Becky the other night. She's about to be single again (shithead husband...don't ask) and she's most definitely a Cougar. She's one of the few real "guy's chicks" that I've ever known. If anyone is in SE Pennsylania, I'll hook it up...

Ton o'bricks

Man, sometimes news just hits hard. In my newly rekindled friendship with one of my best friends from high school, I found out that one of the girls in our class died of cancer not long ago. Normally, I wouldn't be so melancholy, but this girl was IT when we were in school. Thankfully, I didn't just admire her from afar...she was a friend. I spent some serious quality time with her during our senior year. She had some health issues during and after college, but this news just made me a bit sad. I understand she had a young son as well. Normally, I blather on about nonsense, but in this case, I really don't know what to say...

May God bless and keep you L.E. !

Rock Racing

Way hotter chicks than Toyota-United...

Crap weather...good riding

The weather was shite this weekend. Saturday was wet and drizzly. At least the trifecta didn't complete itself...by being cold. A lot of folks went to Greeville to the training series and a few were out of town, so the group ride was thin. We rolled out thru Lower Richland, up Elon and out to the GMart. It seems NID forgot to set his alarm, yet caught us out there.
We rolled home the normal way and the ride was without incident until Doogie got rear-ended by Joel. Neither went down and Doog's $1000 rear wheel was okay...no harm, no foul.
I ended with 55 miles and 3 hours on the bike.
Ths morning, Doog, TVH, Il Professore and I went across the river and did the Sandy Run/Gaston loop. No rain this morning, but it was 50 degrees, cloudy and just generally shitty outside. I guess it could have been worse, but now that I'm home, warm and have had a nap, I can say, without equivocation, it was shitty. I did feel better on the bike this morning. Less twingy-ness in the back. I may be coming back around...hopefully.
Another 3 hours and 50 miles this morning...

I got a few emails over the weekend, from folks I was good friends with in high school. Time to move again...kidding! It's funny how you fall out of touch with people over the course of twenty years. They were talking about a reunion. I've always said that I wouldn't piss on my high school if it was on fire, and I stand by that statement. I would, however, like to see about two dozen folks from back then. These people were my good, true friends. The rest...meh! I'm sure some of the d-bags from school are successful and happy, but it warms my black little heart to know that some of the uber-cool kids are fat and complete fuckups.

And on that uplifting note...my new RoL wheels are pretty damn nice. They are stiff, roll smoothly and ride pretty damn well. They'll do the intended job just fine! Follow the linky on the right to their site. Feel free to call Sean, the man what own the joint, and talk to him. He knows his shit!

Peace...

Weekend rides

Saturday-
A lot of folks are going to Greenville, but the regular group ride will be leaving at normal time. 9 a.m. @ the Gate. The weather is supposed to be gone early in the morning, and WU says 60 degrees by 10...

Sunday-
TVH and I just spoke and we are thinking 10 a.m.
I'd almost like to go do a ride across the river. I'll send out an email with specifics...

Longer days

Last night, Doogie and I met @ 5:15 for a loop of the Fort. It was kind of nice to ride in the late afternoon/evening and not be forced to leave the house in the dark. Hell, I didn't turn on my light until we were almost out of the base.

We did an pretty easy big loop with no efforts and no drama. It felt good to get my legs going around and it stretched out my back. I feel better today than I have in weeks.

Saturday looks like rain, so the ride may be called. I spoke to TVH this morning, and Sunday looks like it will be a beautiful day, so plan on riding in the morning. We talked about 10 a.m., but nothing is concrete yet. I'll post something on here...
Rob/Casey- I don't have contact info for you. Leave a comment or send an email. The email link is on the profile page.

Out....

Welcome back...

Saturday was my first ride in 12 days due to my back issues. I figure, if you're going to the pool, jump in the deep end.
We did the normal Eastover loop and, thankfully, it was a controlled pace for most of the ride. Once we hit the first climb on Old Leesburg, my HR skyrocketed. Considering it hadn't been above 80 for 12 days, 170 felt like I was having an infarction.
The ride split up because some wanted to do their 'training', so the vast majority of us just let them go. The four who split off weren't really missed and the remaining group rode tempo back to the Fort. It was a fairly uneventful ride. I didn't feel all that bad, but could tell I'd been hurt and missed quite a few days. No heroics from The Kid on this day. Still ended with 55 miles in just under 3 hours. Pretty much what I needed for my first ride back.
We'd planned to have a group this morning, but Doogie came up sick and the Rob/Casey duo were no shows. NID and I met and went out for a nice, slightly less than tempo/slightly more than spin ride through the cloudy Columbia morning. We ended up with 2 hours and right at 40 miles. And wouldn't you know it, as my luck always runs this way, the sun came out and it got warm right when I got home... :(-
The back feels good, but definitely tired. My abs are tired from taking a good bit of the strain. My legs are protesting like two of the Chicago 8. Time to get back on the ab/yoga workout routine.

Oh, I almost forgot...
The organizers of the Giro and Tour are a bunch a bitches for excluding Astana. Personally, I think they are afraid that Astana will win one, or both, of the Grand Tours from which they've been excluded.
The officials at the Tour of Cali are bitches too. The Rock Racing guys have paid their debt, aren't under investigation and all hold legal licenses from their respective countries. They should have been allowed to race.
I'm now rooting for Astana and Rock Racing...screw the system!

Dave Z doing good

http://yieldtolife.org/

Why?

So I'm looking for a set of wheels...

Why is it that when you are flush with cash, you can't buy what you really want,
But when you are dead-ass broke, 12 sets of the flipping things are on Ebay?

Dammit..............

So long, farewell...

I decided to clear some inventory out of the ManHole(tm) and made a little jingle.

Powertap...gone to Ohio
SS KHS mountain bike...gone to South Dakota
Ultegra R/D...gone to Wisconsin
Thomson Post...gone to NY
Marzocchi fork...gone to South Korea, then the dude flaked because shipping was $75. You live in Korea, dumbass. Did you think I could put a stamp on the thing and my mail carrier would pick it up? I made a second chance offer to the guy would bid $1 less on Ebay, but haven't heard back yet.

I gotta box the SS up tonight and ship it in the morning. Luckily, my back is feeling better by the day. I'm still staying off until Saturday though. Another visit to the Chiro is in the works for the end of the week as well.

And a little rant...
I know my kids are cute and full of life, but that doesn't give carte blanche for people to touch them. I was at Office Depot getting some packing tape and while I was in line, some scary, old, stank-breath woman took upon herself to reach out and touch #2. Lady, seriously, don't touch my kid. I didn't ask to poke him with your dirty finger, so keep it in your pocket. I know I can be a huge asshole from time to time, but in this case, it was warranted. I simply pulled #2 away and got a look like I had stolen the old bitch's welfare check. I don't go around poking at other people's kids, so I flatly refuse to let strangers grope mine. If I know you and am okay with it, grab 'em, hug 'em, tickle 'em...etc...ad nauseum. If I don't know, keep your hands to yourself, or you may pull back a fucking stump!

End of rant...

Hmmm...

So I met Doog this morning for a 2 hour spin through the flats. There are mixed feelings and emotions after the ride. My back is definitely still bunged up, but it's all muscular now. The left side of my lower back felt like s-h-i-t for most of the ride. It burned, it pulled, it twinged and a couples of times, spasmed. I could barely get off the bike to take a break naturel.
Two hours is definitely the outside of the envelope right now.

When I got home, I got the bike up the stairs and in the house, but it was a stuggle...and we're talking about a 16 pound bike here. I was bent into an odd s-curve for about 15 minutes. After a brutally hot shower, I started to straighten up. Here's the odd part...! 30 minutes after my shower, I was standing completely straight with little to no pain. I could feel that I rode, but no pain accompanied the feeling.

As I sit here and write this, my back feels pretty good. I lifted the kids in the car to go to Lowe's without issue for the first time in a week. I'm thinking I may take off until next Saturday, just to let everything heal up. Of course, I may wake up tomorrow and be paralyzed for the nipples down. We'll see...

My fitness is definitely going to take hit, but I've come to the realization that Silence/Lotto isn't tracking my fitness level and injury progress. It's February, BFD...I'll be fine by the time the group rides start.

Sunday ride

9 @ the gate
We'll see what happens...I may need someone to tow me home if my back flares...

Still crippled...albeit less...

That's the new team steed for Rock Racing. There has been much talk about how ugly the bike is, but let's make one thing perfectly clear...IT'S A FULL F'ING CAMPAGNOLO RECORD DEROSA!!!!!!!!!!!

If you say you wouldn't ride it, you aren't just lying to me and everyone else, you're lying to yourself.

The back is feeling better, just really stiff. I'm trying to get through it without the assistance of modern pharmaceutical science, but I'm getting weak. Hell, I tried to get the kid's pediatrician to give me a cortisone shot today. I will be taking a cyclobenzaprine before bed tonight. It's must be good for a cyclist...it's got 'cyclo' right in the name.

I likely won't be out this weekend, but I'm cool with it. Maybe a forced break for 10 days or so will actually help me out. Come July, burnout may stay away...

Maggie Backstedt is harder than you...nothing like riding the turbo with a broken, 3 day post-surgical repair collarbone.

Dammit, Dammit, Dammit...

So I have a good weekend, get to ride my bike, run around with the H.O. and enjoy the two days.
I wake up yesterday and I can't stand up straight. I look like Ichabod Crane...literally. I'm hunched over and a bit bent sideways which adds up to being 5'2".
I've been to the Chiro 2x already...

I guess I will be off the bike for a few days...

I can't pick up the kids, the H.O. is assisting me about as much as a helper monkey with broken hands and I'm out of Hydrocodone!

I'm going to go let forth a stream of expletives that would make a Tourette's sufferer blush....

Weekend

Good weather was a thing of beauty this weekend. It wasn't what you would call 'warm' when we pulled out either morning, but it was sunny and the winds were calm.



Saturday, a larger than average group met for a spin down Leesburg to Congress and across to the flats. Instead of doing some steady tempo work in the flats, we turned and went back up Horrell Hill and into Fort Jackson and wasted a tailwind on Airbase. It was a bit easier ride than usual, but it was nice to have the missing pieces of the group back around. I ended up with 80km and 2:45 saddle time.
Before the ride, I drank a Full Throttle (sugar-free) instead of my usual morning Diet Coke. I was okay until I got to the gate...then the liquid crack hit my bloodstream. I don't know exactly what they put in that stuff, but it made me a bit jittery. I felt great for the first 90 minutes of the ride and then my stomach soured. I'll try it one more time and if I get the same results, it's back to Diet Coke before rides.

Sunday, the usual suspects met @ 9 and did 3 hours through Lower Richland and the Swamp. It was a good, steady, recovery/spin ride. Another day with 80km and 3 hours. I felt like s-h-i-t though. #2 was up most of the night. I don't know what his deal was, but he wasn't happy.

Overall, a good weekend of riding...

Time for the SuperBowl....I'm ambivalent, as I really don't like either team...

Sunday ride

9 a.m. @ the gate...
3 hours
50+ miles
Moderate pace
No whining

Mmmm...resty...

I rode last night, even though I decided to take a bit of a rest week. My back is flaring up and the rib injury is just nagging me, so a few days of rest seemed to be in order. Unfortunately, the H.O. has been out of town on business, so I've been pulling some LONG days as a domestic God.

I had to get out last night, for no other reason than my sanity. I did a hard HoP loop downtown. Well as hard as I could go considering there were about a kajillion joggers ont he Greenway. I hesitate to call them runners, as none of them were actually running. Shufflers is probably a more correct term.
After I ran the gauntlet of people 'training' for their next 5k, I hit Gervais and went hard from Huger to the Statehouse. The ride continued at a decent clip through Five Points and back home.
I spent little more than and hour on the bike, but I felt better for it...physically and mentally.
I'm ready to start piling miles on the road bike though...and get back in the woods on the crosser. With the weather getting warmer, the Greenway is just too crowded.

I found this on the intarweb this morning...tells alot about some folks in town...

Gaywheels.com Top 10 Most-Researched Vehicles
1. Toyota Yaris
2. Saab 9-3
3. Mazda MX-5
4. VW Rabbit
5. Audi A3
6. VW EOS
7. VW Jetta
8. Dodge Caliber
9. Toyota Camry
10. MINI Cooper (cough...cough...Doogie...)

Two very different rides

Saturday was a cloudy, pretty ugly day. Well it was if you wanted to ride your bike in the morning. Doogie, NID and I met @ 9 and headed out through the Fort to The Palmetto Trail. We skipped the first section of the trail and went in just above the lake. On the way out, I tried to keep the pace steady. It was about the same pace as I usually ride when I hit the trail solo. Only we didn't turn around at the gate @ MM8. Instead, we keep driving forward. The plan was to go to Weston Lake and that's just what we did. The trail between MM8 and 9 was really chopped up. I guess the Army has been doing a bit of housecleaning, which usually has the opposite of the intended effect.
We made it to MM10 and the road to Weston Lake. We hopped the razor wire and hit the service road around the lake. The roads had just beed graded, so they were pretty smooth. We made the loop and ended up back @ MM8. Once rolling again, I set the pace about 2 clicks below race pace. If you doubt the pace, either show up and follow me, or ask NID how it felt...!

The pace stayed this way until we hit earthen dam around the lower lake. We just rode on in from this point. 2:45 on the cross bike with about 2 hours of it being on singletrack.

This morning, several of us met @ 9 for a road ride. We did the normal Thursday ride, but turned on Blue Johnson and went up the backside of Mt. Elon. Of course, I sat up to take off the hat I had on under my helmet. As soon as I sat up, Reed hit the front and jacked the pace up the climb. In my struggle to take off my helmet, Oakleys and the hat, I dropped the hat on the road. And as we all know, there's no leaving a Mapei cap behind. It's just bad juju.
I chased and we re-assembled at the top.
From there, we took the usual way in and kept the paceline at a good tempo. Mick attacked early at the sprint and no one reacted, so I jumped, ran him down and won the sprint with ease.

We did the Pineview to Shop extension. Once we hit the light, NewGuyRob took off and forced a chase. NID pulled it back in the middle of the bridge and called for me to come through. Nope, sorry, can't help you. I hung him out and made him pull down to the bridge sprint. I took off @ 300-ish to go and rolled away.

We had a great ride today, even though I had more lungs than legs. 220w average (norm) with a 1250w max effort.

Good ride weekend. Fewer hours than usual, but some good work and quality training.

#1 is at the Spa and #2 is napping...sounds like my cue to hit the couch... ;)-

Weekend rides

Cold and dreary is the outlook for Saturday morning. A few of us are meeting @ 9 a.m. to ride in the woods. Meet at the traffic circle.

EDIT: The Weather Channel and the local weather morons are calling for some sort of liquid to be falling from the sky in the morning. If no precip, the ride is on. If it's doing something...who knows?

Sunday will be a road ride. 9 a.m. @ the traffic circle for a 3-ish hour ride.

Another night in the dark

It rained Tuesday, so the ride got pushed back to last night. Doogie and I went out @ 5:45, rode up the street and then it happened. Doogie put down his MASSIVE power while crossing over Rosewood and just sheared the chain right off his cross bike. That's right folks, he's 130 pounds of pure, concentrated wattage.
We assessed the situation and turned around to head for the ManHole(tm). I popped the broken link out of the chain, slammed in a Wipperman link and we were back on the road. Total time lost...@ 12 minutes.
Once we got going, the pace was a bit quicker than usual. Up through campus and downtown, the northside (insert gang sign here...stack them if you wish) and down to the river. The dirt road was a bit wet from all of the rain and Doog chose to follow me through the preferred line. Now he knows what it's like to follow wheels during Paris-Roubaix. When you're on the front, you eat a small amount of your own mud. Anywhere behind that and you are eating your mud and the mud of the guy you are following.
The Greenway was pretty empty last night. Of course, New Years Day was three weeks ago, so a lot of folk's resolutions have gone the way of the Dodo. We did a good, hard effort for the entire length, across the canal bridge and down to the powerplant. Riding heavy wheels with heavy tires on wet pea gravel is good for the soul.
Once out of the park, it was up through the Vista and into a couple of garages. The first one was uneventful. The climb of number 2 was the same. The descent was quiet until a kamikaze pigeon dive-bombed Doogie. I swear, I think I saw a little silk headband with a rising sun on the bird and heard "Bonzai...!"
We made it back through USC and the 'hood and parted company.
I felt pretty good on the bike last night and ended up with 90 good minutes in the dark. I felt like I was hitting a plateau on Sunday, but didn't have that feeling last night. Of course, it was ass-biting cold Sunday morning, which isn't necessarily conducive to good feelings on the bike.

The H.O. left for Darlington this morning to discuss their NASCAR sponsorship deal, so a ride tonight is still up in the air. I'll be getting some GOOD tickets for the Darlington races out of this meeting. Cultivates my redneck side...

Peace!

Get some Floyd...

http://velonews.com/race/int/articles/13939.0.html

Whether you think he's guilty or not, Floyd brings up good points and is probably right...

First race of the season...

...and I won!

This morning, I got on the bike @ 9. No big deal...except it was 30 degrees and the windchill was 24. I din't really feel a 'windchill' on the bike, but WeatherUnderground is nuts if they think the wind was only blowing @ 7mph. The headwind on the way out through the northside was stiff. Almost as stiff as Mitt Romney's hair...

Once I got down to the dam, I had the wind at my back. The river was high this morning.

It was running freely, and with some power, over the dam.

Anyway, I turned down the Greenway and stuck it in the bigg-ish ring to do my normal effort. I didn't dig too deep, as it was really freaking cold, but I went a bit harder than tempo.

I did the normal big-ring jam up through the Vista on Gervais and turned to hit the M.C. Escher garage. The gate was open, so I made my way to the top, standing the entire way. I reached the top and decided to rest for a minute. Wrong answer! I heard someone yell in my direction, so I turned and saw a rather large man running for his truck. I was guessing he didn't want to discuss last night's Republican primary, so I bolted. It was on bitches!

I had an entire ramp lead on him when he started chasing me. I went as hard as I felt the cross tires would allow me. They were getting really loud in the turns. I did about 15 full power sprints on the way down and the gap between the truck and I never changed. At the bottom, there a quick, sharp left/right combo to navigate before hitting the street. Screw that! I channeled Andrei Tchmil from '94 Roubaix and just bunnyhopped the raised sidewalk out into the street. I hit the street, dropped it into the 48/12 and was gone...gone...gone! I made the corner and disappeared. It was very Kevin Bacon in 'Quicksilver'!

I rode up through the Statehouse complex, campus and home, adrenalin pumping! The cold was an afterthought at this point! It was an exciting 90 minute cross ride.

Time to load up and go to Lowes...

Jules would be proud

If you've seen 'Pulp Fiction' more than once, you know what it says on Jules' wallet...
Well, Taylor Phinney is carrying the very same wallet theses days.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/track/2007/worldcup0708/losangeles08/?id=results/losangeles082

Update:


I swallowed a bitter, bitter pill earlier this morning...I rode the trainer. God, I hate that thing. I did, in fact, feel like a lab rat, running on the little wheel. I planned on doing a structured workout, but the deep rooted, black hate I have for the infernal machine prevented it. I covered the PowerTap head with a towel and just rode. In my own defense, I rode harder than what could be considered a comfortable pace. I saw no need to venture into the PainCave.


After 90 glorious, junk numbing minutes, I'd had enough. I watched two Freestyle motocross videos and averaged a blistering 205 watts for the 91 minute session.


Welcome to the Southeast regional NexRad picture....

There's just something wrong about this picture...other than the fact it's a shitty cell phone shot.

A Ridley Helium on a windtrainer is just pitiful. If you listen closely, you can hear my bike gently weeping...

My new Church

http://thechurchofthebigring.com/

In the vein of the link above, I am, in fact, harder than you.
After the H.O. got home last night, I decided to throw a leg over the top tube and go outside for a ride. No trainer for me. The train softens the mind and the spirit. The trainer is akin to the little wheel in the Habitrail.
37 degrees, windy, dark, wet is just generally not conducive to riding a bike. Did I let those small issues stop me? Nope!
I rode last night until my light completely ran out of juice. Nothing says lovin' like 2 hours in the dark. And more than one big effort that hurt physically and spiritually. Funny part? My ribs feel better this morning.
I came home cold, wet and tired. All was right with the World. The cross bike is a mess, but will stay a mess. It likes it that way.

It's supposed to be Belgian in the morning...who will show?

2 crashes in 3 weeks...WTF!!!???!!!

Doogie and I went out and did a downtown ride last night. We did the normal HoP(tm) loop and added a couple of garages to it, nearly getting lost in the first one. The thing is like a M.C. Escher painting for pete sakes. We went in and went up the ramps to the top, then, as you would expect, we simply turned around and headed back down. Somehow, we ended up in the basement level, never having passed our original entrance. We had to go up a level and around the entire inside of the floor to get back to the entrance/exit. I still don't get it. I'll look closer the next time I ride that one!
We made a trip up past the new P.E. center and into another new garage. I've been in this one three times, but somehow still managed to miss the turn at the entrance and crashed over a curb. I saw it coming, but it was too late to bunnyhop it, and I damn sure wasn't going to tuck and roll on my bad ribs, so I ejected. That's right, I bailed the heck out. I landed on one knee and my hands. No injuries to report, but I did bung up my Ultegra shifters... :(
I got up, dusted off and we continued on our merry way.
We headed across campus, through the old projects and back to the house. Pretty good ride with a couple of efforts thrown in for giggles.
The weather is supposed to be bad Thursday, so it'll probably be a trainer evening in front of the TV, down in The ManHole(tm). I hate the trainer, but I'm not going out on a dark, rainy, 40 degree, night ride through Columbia. That's how children end up getting life insurance checks.

Saturday is supposed to be cold and windy, so I'm questioning if I'll show for the group ride. It might be another long cyclocross ride in the woods for me. Play it by ear...

Weekend update

The normal 9 a.m. Saturday ride went off without a hitch, and with a really good group. We headed out through Ft. Jackson and lost one at the top of Hartsville Guard. The Velvet Hammer turned off to do a loop, but we bore him no ill will as he has been standing in thigh deep water for the last two weeks. Did I mention he was in Patagonia? No, not the clothes, the actual place!
We headed out to do the Eastover loop and I really don't know what happened or why, but the group kind of took it upon ourselves to ride hard. We rode tempo all the way down Old Leesburg and up the climb. We lost Der Kaiser and the Mrs., as well as RC at the left on Willie Wilson.
Once we made the left, the pace went right back to the hard tempo and continued that way down Chaingang, into Eastover. I finally got a clear run at the town limit sign and showed a clean set of wheels to all in attendance. I can finally pull on the bars, but not with full gusto. It was still enough to put down 1155watts.
Again, we made the turn and the tempo kept up all the way to the GMart. A stop for some food and liquid and we were off like a prom dress. We gathered back up on Airbase and had a GREAT, fast, rolling paceline. Everyone took their pulls and no one tried to show how big their pecker was by making a dumbass attack. Even young Clayton (aka 'Stork') took his turns on the front. That boy will be a good rider one day if he sticks with it!
The theme for the day continued all the way down Pineview and Shop, until the we got into the neighborhood.
It was probably the best Saturday ride we've had in a very long time and will be the way rides go from now until time changes. I averaged 216watts(norm) and 186watts(total)...not a lot of coasting or mucking about! 80km in 2:27!!
This morning, Doogie, NID and I met @ 9 for an easy spin. It was supposed to be a 3 hour tour, but we were all a bit cooked from yesterday. I could have done three hours, but QuickStep isn't calling anytime soon, so we made a group decision to shorten the ride to two hours. It was 48 degrees, windy and just gray outside. 2 hours was enough for me!
It was a good weekend of riding though! Good quality training on Saturday and a nice, easy spinout today.
Time to go to Panera.

Peace!

A few observations

I didn't ride last night as I'm trying to let the ribs heal up a bit more. They get better everyday, but damn am I stiff when I wake up. Once I get going, I loosen up and they really don't bother me. Picking up the kids isn't exactly conducive to recovery, but it's part of the gig.

Now for my observations...

I was online last night, looking for some ceramic bearings for my front Cane Creek carbon wheel. I've noticed that if you try to go through a "bike" oriented service, the bearings are ridiculously expensive. Knowing the exact specs of the bearings, I did a general search for the correct size. After about 15 minutes of looking, I found the same bearings that the "bike" oriented site had for $30 each!!! The industrial supply site charged $12.50 per bearing and $5 to ship them priority mail. I got the same bearings for HALF PRICE!!!
Observation? As soon as you put the word "bicycle" in the description, the price doubles!

The H.O. and I have two kids, aka, the management trainees. #1 goes to preschool for 3 hours a day, which gives me time to devote to #2 and to do the housework required so we don't live like Pakistani peasants. About once every 8-10 weeks, #1 comes home with a runny nose that quickly turns into a cold and spreads like the monkey pox to all of us. Well, I've found the source!
One of the other kids in class has some seriously clueless parents. This morning, it was 55 and raining. As I'm pulling into the church, I see the mother of the aforementioned rugrat pushing the baby jogger up the street. The little petri dish in #1's class is wearing shorts and a sweatshirt and is soaking wet. The mom also had her 6 month old baby in a papoose carrier with no cover. The baby was soaking wet! It wasn't like they got caught in a sudden downpour. It's been raining since about 3 a.m.! They probably sit around their house and wonder why their kids are sick all the time!
I'm going to start forwarding our pediatrician bills to them! Morons!

Oh well...
Ride @ 9 from the gate in the morning. I heard a rumor that some aerobars will be showing up for the ride. I'm all for everyone coming out, but if you bring aerobars, stay out of them unless you are in the back.

Rainy

The H.O. got out of her duties at The Statehouse last night, so I had the opportunity to ride.
I got all of my poop in a pile, got the bike ready and no sooner did I walk out the back door, it started raining. I said "F" it and went out anyway. I was already dressed and the cross bike is filthy, so no harm, no foul.
Through Shandon, down into Five Points, it was raining pretty steadily. The roads around here are slick in the rain normally, but on a 700x35 knobby tire, pumped to 60 pounds, they are borderline glacial. I didn't even make the effort to cut through USC, as the bricks on the Horseshoe would have likely caused me to eat it.
Once I got across downtown and out to the river, the roads were dry. I did a good, steady tempo from the dirt road to the bridge. Nothing says lovin' like a 3.5 mile effort on a cross bike, on gravel.
I popped up across the Vista and hit a few parking garages. The garage at the Hilton is worthless...too many cars. The new garage by the old DMV building is great, just a bit scary. It's still under construction, so there are no lights. It was pretty spooky, but then again, I am a big wuss when it comes to the dark. The new garage on campus is pretty cool. It only goes up on one end, so you have a flat section that leads into a small rise and then a ramp to the next level.
After that one, I made my way back through Shandon and home. I got a good 90 minutes in the dark last night and still got home in time to see the management trainees off to bed.

Pretty good day, all in all.

Weekend update

It was a full weekend of riding, injuries be damned.
Saturday was COLD, period! It was 27 when I left the house. I really figured I'd be riding solo, but Nick and Doug showed up for the lunacy. We did a nice, easy, sort of roundabout loop of Lower Richland. I ended up with 82km and 3 hours on the bike. The blue hairs came to collect #1 for his spa weekend, so we all went to lunch. Five Guys in the Vista makes a mean hamburger and fries combo. It should be called 1 lady and 4 Mexicans though...!
After that, the H.O. and I both got naps (first time since, well, forever....) and mucked around for the remainder of the afternoon.
Sunday was Toby's Annual Lake Loop. He expected 25-30 riders...there were 63!!!!!!!!
We did the standard counter-clockwise loop around the lake. It was a really good, fun ride, except for a few dumbasses and dumbass moves. Everything was going swimmingly for the first 90 minutes, until some dipshit decides he has to piss, so he nails his brakes in the middle of the bunch and just stops on the white line. I haven't had that much body contact in a crit, much less in a ride that supposed to be fun. People scrambled and yelled, but no one went down.
The half-dozen tri-dorks on the ride need to learn some pack skills and get off the fucking aerobars. At the 3 hour mark of the ride, one of them just swung dead left, directly across my wheel, without so much as a glance. I guess it's hard to turn your head when your face is buried in your stem...! There will be a 'no aerobar' rule next time, and that came from the top.
The ride itself was pretty middle of the road. Not too hard and not too easy. Pretty much a light tempo ride. I only felt the ribs pull a couple of times, and that was standing to climb. I got good work out of the loop though. I averaged 220watts (norm), 156watts total and 30.5kmh for the 68 miles. That 68 miles also included 4000 ft of climbing! Doug emailed out a GPS synopsis of the ride, but I'm either too tired or too dumb (more likely) to figure out how to link it.
I ended the weekend with 120 miles on the saddle and really don't feel all that tired or wornout. The fitness is coming, I just need to start incorporating some speed work. It was good to see guys that I haven't seen for months and ride with some different folks. If we end up moving oout that way, I'll be doing that loop once a week.
Everyone should send Toby Porter a big thank you email!!! tobias418@hotmail.com
The plan is to do another one of these in the Spring, before it gets really hot. We also talked about doing a Roubaix type ride that would include several unpaved sections.

Anyway, the management trainees are asleep and I'm not far behind. The first full work week in while begins tomorrow.

Peace!

Baby, it's damn cold outside

Doogie and I met last night for a downtown loop and it was freaking cold. It was 34 when I left the house and 30 when I got back. 34 in the bright sunshine is one thing, but it's a completely different animal in the dark. We did a short, barely faster than slow loop and that was that. I got home and paced the floor for about 15 minutes in an effort to warm my frozen digits. Fox MTB gloves just don't do the job in sub-freezing weather. At least it supposed to be in the 60s and 70s again next week.

And an observation...

My neighbor has a Prius. She let it run for 30 minutes this morning to warm up. Kinda defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

Happy New Year

Much like the complete lame-o that I am, I was in bed, asleep, when the New Year rang in last night. At 37, I just don't feel the need to go out and act like I'm still 25. That, and the fact that children under the age of 3 don't let you sleep in. They don't care what day it is...

Anyway, 8 intrepid souls met this morning @ 9:30 to do a nice, leisurely 3 hour ride...and that's exactly what we did. A trip out through Ft. Jackson and down into Lower Richland was the loop for the day. It was brutally windy today. The trip out was a beautiful thing. Chatting at 40kmh and just rolling along. The return trip, after our stop at the G-Mart, not so much.
We stayed in the trees until we got to Bluff and everything was hunky-dory. Once we got to Shop, the real wind made an appearance. I can tell you that close to maximum effort was being put down going across the overpass and we were rolling at MAYBE 25kmh.

I had been toying with the notion of selling the Powertap, so it's off the bike. I had forgotten how nice it is to actually just RIDE. No computer, no HRM, no wattage, just the bike. I never looked down at the bars, except to admire the beauty that is my Thomson X4 stem. I couldn't go hard today, as I couldn't stand to climb, chase or sprint. The ribs are sooooorrrre. Sitting on the tops was nothing, but standing, even for a moment brought shooting pain. Let's just say I got a good, grind, seated workout today.
I'm keeping the Powertap. I don't need to sell it and it is a useful tool. I just don't think that rides need to revolve around TSS scores or wattage. Sometimes, you just need to ride your bike and enjoy the day.

Doogie and I are riding Thursday night, downtown.
Normal Saturday ride time, but I may peel off and ride short because...

Sunday is the annual NYD Lake Loop p/b Toby Porter.
When: 10 a.m. departure
Where: Peak DMV
65-ish miles at a piano pace. As Toby put in his email, "This is not a race, so leave your ego shit at home"!!!

I'll be emailing everyone again with the specifics...