Sunday

Il Prof's ride went off at it's normal time with a good group, which included some old faces that we haven't seen for a while and a couple of new faces. It was good to see Ward again after a few years. Needless to say, he was on a new bike and it was niiice. Nothing says lovin' like a Colnago Extreme Power and Campag Record.
Anyway, we did a circuitous route (being kind) through Lower Richland and back through the first part of Double Homey to Bluff. About 1/2 way down Bluff, some asshole in a hurry to get to church passed us close and almost caused a head-on collision with an oncoming car. The front of the line checked up and the accordian began to play. The tune ended with Crusty touching wheels with the new guy and going down in the middle of Bluff Road. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt and scrambled off the road before getting pancaked. Nothing broken, but the old boy got some rash on his knee, hip, elbow, hand and HEAD! When I crash, I usually cuss AFTER I hit the ground. Crusty, being an old Pro-Dog, got the perfunctory MFer out on the way down!!! Impressive!
While he got his wits about him, I changed his flat...the second of the day (Il Prof...buy some new tires!).
The two new guys rode off together and the rest of us pedaled home at a snail's pace.
I guess I was tired or whatever, but it seemed like a LONG three hour ride this morning.

No rides for me until Thursday. The H.O. is going out of town tomorrow and not returning until Wednesday night. I love the M.T.s, but single-parenting is hard freaking work!

Saturday

I'm glad I got out this morning, even though it looked like a wholly shitty day. Doogie rolled over and we left @ 9:15 on the cross bikes for an urban assault type of ride. We did the normal cruise up through campus and out through the north side (insert gang sign here) and dropped into the river trail. I made the mistake of following on the very wet gravel/mud road that leads to the locks. I had a very Belgian appearance after this short section.
We rode the river trail all the way to the end and who did we see running? Crusty, Mrs. DK and Deb. Crusty looked extremely ghey in his skintight long sleeve shirt.
We went up past Governor's Hill and through the Vista. Then across to the fairgrounds and out to Heathwood. A big, very windy, loop followed as we rode back to the stadium. Doogie found a cellphone and the guy actually called it. We returned to his tailgate at the stadium (good karma for all) and rode back to the house.
I lightened the good Doctor's pocket by $200 for a set of wheels. A bargain if I do say so myself...!
The H.O. and #1 are out and about, so #2 and I are getting some QT...well, he's playing and I'm on the intarweb, but the house is quiet.
Looks like 8:30 in the morning for Il Prof's ride...be there! It's a good ride.

Oh, and I bought another bike...more to follow...

Is it too late...?

I'm guessing, at this point in the process, it's too late to come up with another Presidential candidate. They both suck. One hasn't a clue and the other is a first rate panderer. I don't know which is scarier...the folks who think everything will magically turnaround if Obama is elected, or the ignorant, right wing crazies who think the course we're on is a good one. After watching the news, I'm beginning to think the right to vote should be restricted again. The amount of painfully stupid people in this country is astounding.
Personally, I think we should dump the whole lot of 'em in Washington and start over. Or, it could be like jury duty...
If you pass a written test and your IQ is over 100, you serve a term in Congress. Keep it fresh...
I'm willing to bet, with the number of old folks on The Hill, it smells like an old folks home. Moth balls, urine, hairspray and bad perfume from the drug store.

Well, in three weeks we'll know which side of the hill the poo is going to flow down. It makes no difference who is elected, really, since we're all at the bottom of the hill!

No ride for me tonight. The H.O. is in Indianapolis on business...a Latino Insurance Marketing seminar...whatever! All I know is that the 'Latinos' around here get insurance so they can get a license and then let it lapse. No sense marketing to folks who don't buy the product.

I'll see you guys for the weekend rides...

Nice

Damn, I'm in a good freaking mood this morning. I think it has something to do with riding and the weather.
Last night, Doog, Mulo and I met for a loop of the Fort. It was 75 degrees, not a lick of wind and the sun was descending, giving the sky a surreal orange glow. With the sun as a backdrop, and view afforded by the elevation on Tank Hill, Columbia almost looks like a city.
We had a good ride...pretty much just pedaled around. Nothing hard or fast, just a ride...and a lot of laughs. Mulo is a funny immigrant.
We ended up with about 90 minutes on the bike and just shy of 30 miles. Not a bad evening ride...

Don't forget, The Big Stampede is coming up soon. A good way to burn a November morning and get some bike stuff.

Enjoyment

Well, I guess the time off the bike gives perspective. Yesterday was a pretty crappy day outside, so I got on the cross bike and did a big loop around town, including one effort that made me feel a bit sick. Even so, it was fun. I didn't mind being wet, dirty or getting pushed around by the wind.
I did feel the fact that I've lost a bit of fitness and the wheels I put on the cross bike are PIGS. Mavic MA3 hoops built on Ritchey hubs with straight gauge spokes. 2000 grams of love. When you add the fat tires, you're right at 3000 grams for the wheelset. That's 6-1/2 pounds of rolling thunder.
This morning, the group was a good size and we headed out into the 20 mph wind that didn't seem to be blowing in, or out, of any particular direction. We made a roundabout loop through the swamp, around to the GMart and back in. Although Sunday is supposed to be Il Prof's steady, not too hard group ride, this one was a bit different. There were sections that were positively fast and painful. The group stayed together, for the most part, and we had a really good ride. Ben, Crusty, Kevn and I got away on Shop and Ben led me out for the sprint. He said I should of come around him faster!!! When it's the middle of October and the leadout is 55kph in a head/cross wind, you do what you can to come around!
Again, I liked being on the bike. We did @ 85km in 2:40...and putzed around for a good thirty minutes after we stopped at the store. The Ridley felt smooth and efficient.

Ride Tuesday night @ 6. Ft. Jackson traffic circle.

Columbia-Roubaix

The Columbia-Roubaix ride will go off as scheduled on Saturday, November 1 @ 8:30am.
Emails have been sent out to everyone. I realize some won't show because there's dirt involved and others will be absent because of their excessive alcohol consumption the night before.
I will be in attendance at both events...
I'm working on the loop as well. It will still be 90-ish km, but it just needed some fine tuning.

???

Who would have reported Palmetto Velo's blog to Blogger/Google as being 'spam'? Hmmm, I wonder...
It was a good effort by someone who has their knickers in a twist about what we are doing, but in was wholly ineffective. The blog will be back up and running shortly. If anyone has an issue, feel free to contact me, Marc or Sam. We'll be glad to talk to you about it...

Runnin' on...

...runnin' on empty...
Good gravy! I was a hollow shell last night. Doogie, SoPro and I did a long loop of the Fort and struggled, mightily. Note to self...eat something in the afternoon!
We met at 6 and went out and around. There were scads of folks out riding last night. I was really surprised. Of course, it wasn't dark yet and the weather was perfect. We'll see where they are when it's 40 degrees and dark.
Anywho, it was fun ride and we only needed the lights for the last 30 minutes or so. SoPro wants a cross frame now...I think the girl likes the dirt...

The Roubaix ride might be moved back to Sunday the 2nd. I know some folks go to church on Sunday, but it may be necessary as Crusty is planning a Halloween party for the Friday before. If folks can't pull off a Sunday, I may just push back to Saturday the 8th. We'll see...

I don't know if I'll ride Thursday or not...

Movie review-
Ironman
Very good! Very funny! Cool action scenes! Worth watching!
I watched it instead of the Presidential 'Pander-fest'...are we planning on becoming Socialist? If we're handing out money to everyone, I need a couple Gs to build up a race bike...

Listen up...

What: Columbia-Roubaix
90-ish km of fun through Lower Richland County
Including 7 dirt sections and a couple of choppy tarmac bits
When: Saturday November 1 @ 8:30am
Where: Fort Jackson Traffic Circle
Who: The more the merrier, but you MUST be willing to ride the dirt sections. If you aren't, STAY HOME!
Why: Because you may actually have a good time!
How: Road bikes

The ride will be a no-drop ride, but the dirt sections are every man, or woman, for him/herself. We'll ride 32-35kmh between sections. I figure 3-3.5 hours to do the whole ride.
The dirt sections are in good shape. A couple are smoother than some of the paved roads in Hopkins. There are NO hike-a-bike sections, nor are there any sections that will damage your bike.
I wouldn't take us down any questionable sections because I'd never hear the end of it!!!

Emails will be going out later today and in the week leading up to the ride. Mark your calendars!

Weekend

Saturday met us with cool temps. I love this time of year other than the fact that I can't figure out how to dress. 55 at the start...75 at the end...
We started out through the Fort and picked up Casey and Rob K on Marion. Trez and Poindexter met us at the gate on Wildcat. We did a kind of modified loop out through the flat and into the Swamp. After the stop @ the GMart, I decided to test out a couple of the dirt sections, and most of the group decided to follow. I was shocked! Of course, those who didn't follow used lame-o excuses that held no water.
The first section was really smooth and fast. Doogie and I stayed together, ahead of the rest, at @40kmh for the stretch. The second was a wee bit rougher and I think the group was shocked that I dove into the dirt corner as fast as I did.
We did 2x Homey and rode in together. It was a quality Saturday ride. 75km and 2:45 on the bike.
Sunday's "Il Prof" ride went off, even though both he and TVH were out of town. It was faster than usual, but another good ride. We pieced together a route that included bits of about 6 other rides. We stayed together and had another really good ride. 85km and 2:45 ride time. No stop at the GMart...and I brought money today...shocking!

I can tell I've been lazy for the last three weeks...time to start riding again. I'm tired and my legs are soooore right now.

We're riding road on Tuesday night inside the Fort. Meet @ 6 at the circle. You will likely need lights.

A new feature

Riding beside Casey today, I noticed that her shifter housings were really long...too long actually!
When I queried, "Those housing housings are long, who built that bike?"

Her answer brings us to our new feature...


"I don't know who built it, I just ride it!"

There you go...!
Ride tomorrow, Sunday........
8:30am @ Outjokin'

It's coming...

The 1st Annual Columbia-Roubaix road ride. I've hashed out three versions of the route. The shortest is 92km with 6 (or so) dirt sections. The longest is 108km with 10 dirt sections. The dirt sections are all hard-packed and none are longer than 2km.

Version 1 (108km) 10 dirt sections....
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/sc/columbia/576728627367
Version 2 (105km) 12 dirt sections...more dirt!!
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/sc/columbia/517035642287
Version 3 (92km) 7 dirt sections...This is a final map for this ride and will likely be the ride that is done. All of the dirt sections are smooth-ish/hardpack.
http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/sc/columbia/899793359951

At some point, I will sit down and figure out the length of each dirt section...

Feel free to give me feedback and ideas on when this should occur. Doogie and I will likely do V.3 in the very near future. Watch the blog for updates and/or new/modified routes.

No ride for me tonight. I'm going to continue my 2 Weeks of Sloth World Tour. I'll be out Saturday morning.
And from the 'News that you can use' file...HealthNet (or whatever they'll be called next year) will be riding Kuota framesets...very interesting...more to follow...!

WTF?

What the F happened over at Drunkcyclist? Good Lord! Jonny used to run a blog about bikes, beer and another stuff that ran through his head. It was light and fun.
It seems that Big Jonny is in Law School now and has given everyone and his brother a login. No longer do the contents give smiles, chuckles or even chortles. Now, it's filled with too much political commentary from guys who should probably not be talking about anything beyond an 8th grade level.
Back to the roots boys...it's called Drunkcyclist, not Drunk-leftleaning-whiney-politico!

No ride for me tonight. The H.O. is out of town. I'll be out Thursday for what will likely be the last Thursday ride of the year. Saturdays still leave at 8 a.m., for the time being. Personally, I'm all for just leaving the time at 8, even in the winter. It's not like there's a huge difference in temperature and weather at 9...
Just a thought...

Back in the saddle...

After 10 days off the bike, I choose to go out Saturday morning and give the cross bike it's post-overhaul/rebuild shakedown. Everything was good, except for the fact that I cut the front brake housing too short...and the stem is slightly off-center. Both problems were rectified immediately after the ride. Not much difference in ride quality from the stock Salsa fork to the Ouzo Pro Cross, but the front of the bike is waaaay lighter now.
I was muy stiff however! I rode about 75 minutes in the wet.
Sunday, a dozen of us met for the Sunday "Tour of LR" that Il Prof has put together over the past several weeks. Once again, we had a great ride. 3 hours and a tick over 90km. Nice and steady...of course, the pace picked up on Chaingang, but it's a must.
I got home and took the H.O. to lunch at the deli around the corner. Good food. We got home and I hit the bed for a nice 2 hour nap. I needed to charge the batteries before going out to the Blue Hairs to pickup the kids. Of course, they were like two feral chimps after two days at Grandma's house.

There's a new outlet to watch cycling on the intarweb too...
www.universalsports.com
They have a lot of highlights, including yesterday's Worlds...

Paul Newman 1925-2008

Actor, Race car driver, Humanitarian, Man's man...hell of a guy...

Lance...where to begin?

So by now, everyone has heard that L.A. is coming back with Astana and wants to do some the Tour again...
Let me be the 47,000th person to say...who really cares?
Like I said before, I guess he got tired of banging flat-chested blonde Hollywood starlets (very Freudian of him...) and living in his spacious new Spanish style house (if you call it that) in Austin, and decided to slide right back into his old comfort zone.
I don't malign him the right to come back, but at least surprise us. You want to do the Tour...well, NO SHIT! Never mind the fact that there are already 4 guys on Astana that could get on the podium and have a future in cycling. It's more than just an ego stroke for them.
If Lance really wanted to be considered as one of the all time greats, he needs to do something out of character. Go be a hardman of the North. Screw the Tour and all of that BS. Go back to his roots...the Classics. Go battle Bettini and Boonen. Go win Flanders and Roubaix. Hell, go kick it up over the Cipressa and the Poggio and cross the line in San Remo alone.
I've always been a L.A. homer, but this smacks of a grasp at former glory and faded youth.
Yeah, he's starting a U23 team and wants to be transparent, like Garmin/Chipotle and is going to raise money and awareness for cancer research...very admirable...BUT, and it's a big, Kim Kardashian sized BUT(T), it's all very formulaic.
Somehow, I feel like I'm watching a movie and the 'fix' is in...! It'll get people involved and watching cycling though, and that's a good thing.
The Tour of Cali will be interesting. Lance, Tyler and Floyd back in the same race? 2001 called and said, "Welcome home!..."

A good day was had by all...

So I skipped the ride yesterday so I could rip out the countertops and still have time to go down to the Vista for the races.
#1 and I got there right as the 3/4 race was getting underway. It started fast and stayed fast until the first break was reeled in. Of course, I'm assuming it started fast and stayed fast because I'd never really seen Doogie's face contorted in such a manner. He didn't look like he was enjoying the first 20 minutes or so.
He rallied for a strong 4th place finish though, in a field that was pretty stacked. Time to Cat up my little friend...! There were some surprises. A few people that I expected to do well got shot out the back @ halfway. Some days you're the windshield and some days you're the bug.
The women's race was thin, but Casey showed clean wheels in the sprint and won. Oh, and she did it on a borrowed bike...with junior gearing!! No excuses about borrowing bikes from that one.
She also sent me an email that she signed with FCS/Metro VW out of Dallas, Tejas.
www.fcscycling.com
Good for her!! Casey has busted her ass to move up and shows obvious talent. She'll do well with an actual team and more support.
Anyway, #1 and I stayed through the 2/3 race. The field was stacked with all of the local talent that I have the pleasure of riding and racing against. Everyone was doing well until a small excursion into the flowers occured, causing a split and a few locals to get popped off. Austin and Steve-o were right in the mix until it happened.
The course was really good, with a huge sweeping downhill corner that was being taken at 60-65kmh!! The finish was a nice little uphill grind that caused much pain. Scott did a good job with the organization and the race itself. I hope it becomes a regular event in Columbia.
Of course, it was a bit bittersweet. I really enjoy going to the races, hanging out and watching, but it stirs something inside of me. In the past 3-4 years, I stepped away from racing to take care of the Management Trainees, as a broken collarbone or road rash isn't conducive to childcare.
This winter, it seems there may be a bit of a Columbia contingent going to some cross races and I plan on being a part of it. I think it's time to get back in saddle, which means another bike...oh joy....!!! And the swap is coming....!!!
#1 was great yesterday. He was a real trooper...never a complaint or a whiney moment. He met a bunch of folks and never had a shy moment. I was very proud of the little man!!

Edit- I have a few pics of the races. I'll put together a web album and link it with the next few hours...
Edit#2- here you go...I had to size the pics down, but I have them BIG, if any wants me to email them...
http://s446.photobucket.com/albums/qq185/mmerrill-VistaGP/

Meh...

I woke up this morning, rubbed my eyes and put my bald head right back on the pillow. I felt guilty about bailing for about 15 minutes...until I went back to sleep @ 7:20. I rolled my big ass out of bed @ 9:50. 2.5 extra hours of sleep does a body good. I still feel like crap, but less so...
I may just ride in the morning...or I may not...

Tired...

It's official...I need a break from the bike. Not a protracted, 'I give up...this shit sucks' sort of break, but a few days of not looking at the thing. I've ridden a lot in the past month and between riding, working on this old house and running after the M.T.s, I'm just physically whipped. The kicker is the fact that I'm riding well, feel good on the bike and have some fitness.

Last night, the group was about as expected. It's getting dark earlier, so many folks have already bailed on the group rides. We started with 8 last night and the group pretty much stayed together, riding a nice 40kmh rolling paceline the entire way. Kevin decided to surge through and take longer pulls, so I just rolled in behind him and let him dangle on the front. The rest of the group (those who were pulling) fell in line behind me. When Kevin finished with his little showings of power (or lack thereof), the paceline fell right back into place.
We did the shorter loop across Minervaville and turned on Cabin Creek. The sun is getting lower in the sky @ 7 p.m. these days, but we had plenty of light to get home. I had the lights on the front of the bike, but really didn't need them. I just turned them on strobe so Francisco would feel like he was at Salsa Cabana.
I felt like crap. Bad legs do not a fun ride make...

I'll be out Saturday, but not Sunday. I have to demo the kitchen countertops. The granite is being installed Monday morning. Hopefully, it won't take more than an hour or two, but the way projects go in this house, I could be working well into the night. I'll likely venture down to the race on Sunday as well...as a spectator...

TNCWC

I'm thinking the TNCWC may be wrapping up for the season. We had @ 25 last night, even though it was a perfect night to ride. It was bit breezy up the front stretch, but you really can't complain about riding in 70 degrees.
The race started out and some NOOB kid that no one had ever seen before blasted off the front. His 'break' lasted exactly 1km. He was blown out the back of the group about 2 laps later. He was pretty sketchy and obviously new at the whole 'riding a bike' thing.
Anywho, the pace was over 40kmh for the entire distance. Little groups of twos and threes would get off the front, but quickly be pulled back. There was plenty of horsepower there last night, so nothing was going to stick.
Selix took off with three to go and hung out there until @ 1500m to the line. The group was lined out at this point and he got swallowed up. I don't know who won as I sat up with 1000m to go. I did my work, took some hard pulls and closed more than a few gaps.

I'm thinking we should go two more weeks and call it for the season. It's getting dark pretty early these days.

I rode in with Corbett and tried to get info out of him concerning Landis and HealthNet's new sponsor, but he was tight-lipped. C'mon man, I won't tell anyone... :)
See you guys Thursday...

Back from the Beach...now I can rest!

Oy Vey! I thought going away was supposed to be restful. 4 days in Litchfield gave me angina. Between the H.O., the management trainees and the BlueHairs, I've had my fill of family for a while.
Thankfully, I did a couple of good rides while I was down there. The was some drama on Friday night though. I locked my bike on the roof of the truckster and left my keys in Columbia!!! A frantic call to Grand Stand Bicycles and I was on my way. I borrowed a pair of ChannelLock pliers and coaxed the nut off the locking skewer.
The group meets @ 7:20 on Saturday in front of Grand Strand Bicycles (owned by Hawley's alum and former Columbia rider, Tim Woolford) and sets off promptly at 7:30. No waiting around for stragglers down there...
It was a meandering and convoluted way to get 60km, but it was a damn good ride. No fiddling around either...it was 35kmh out of the parking lot. Between the early start time (I was up @ 5:45...on vacation) and the lack of warmup, I struggled for the first 10 minutes or so. Once the diesel was warm, it was go time. The "A" group started with about 20.
The ride winds the Murrell's Inlet and into several big neighborhoods and ended up taking on a bit of a figure eight loop. I had no idea where I was or where we were going so I kept my mouth shut, took my pulls and didn't get invovled in the dynamic...until the end. Those guys just don't know how to ride in a paceline. Guys would hit the front and wind it as tight as they could for 60 seconds and pull left. The problem was the fact that rest of the group went left with the guy in front! No one was pulling through in the right line, so I started to...! I think they finally figured it out(kinda). Tim says he's tried to explain it, but he's not making much headway.
The ride was 60km and we were back in the parking lot with an average speed of 34kmh! Overall, a really good, steady, tempo ride with a bunch of really nice guys.
Sunday morning, we met @ 7:30 again, for a ride out of the middle of Myrtle Beach, down through Socastee and back. This ride was about the same speed, but had some stretches of open road, rather than diving into gated communties every 2 miles. There were 15 guys on it and we did another 60km in under two hours. Another good ride with nice dudes!
After both days, I went back to the condo and lounged on the beach, threw the kids around and lazed by the pool. The condo complex had a 'river' style pool that had a current in it. You sat in a floating donut and the current just carried you around the perimeter. Freakin' sweet!!!!!!!!!!! I kind of fell asleep and was jostled awake when I skipped of the side with my elbow. Yeeouch!
I tired and am going to bed. I'll be out tomorrow night, if no rain. I'll ride either way, but the rain will bring out the cross bike.

Dark...

Well, it seems that the Thursday night slugfest may be coming to an end soon.
We had a decent sized group last night and did the abbreviated loop down through the flats. The group stayed steady, except for when Dr. LP took longer and harder pulls than everyone else. Go right ahead, if you want to be in the breeze that long.
The group split a couple of times, including my little dig at the same place as last week. I just like that section of road. I think I may be channeling my inner Belgian.
Once back together, we rolled a nice, 40kmh paceline all the way to Old Hopkins. It split again and 5 of us went on to the store together. Sam flatted and we did a turbo change and were back on our way.
All together on Pineview, for safety's sake, as it was getting pretty freaking dark at this point. We had to slow at the 2nd level crossing for a train that was stopped up the tracks...only a few seconds though...
Once going, the pace shot up and the group split again on Shop. The same 5 rolled down and across the bridge to the sprint. Normally, I'd go for this sprint, but it was too dark and there was too much traffic, so I lead it out at 50kmh. It didn't deter a couple of folks, who came close to seeing the front of a 28' box truck. I've seen smarter moves on a group ride...
Next week may skip the Clarkson cut through and just go right and Cabin Creek. Time to find the lights...
We're off to the beach...see you at the TNCWC...

Interesting happenings

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K...

HealthNet found a new, as yet un-named, sponsor for 2009...not so strange...
It seems they have signed Floyd Landis to the team...

Lance has decided he's bored with having random sex with blond, flat-chested Hollywood starlets and is coming back with Astana for a handful of races next year, including The Tour.

There was no TNCWC last night, as snorkels would have been de rigeur. The sun was out @ 5:30 as I aired up my tires. @ 6, it was getting dark and at 6:15, it was raining like some movie special effect.
The plan is to ride tonight...if it's not raining. I wish my new derailleur would hurry up and get here so I could actually get the Salsa back together!

#1 wanted to go play in the rain, but the thunder and lightning prevented it...at first. At the end of the storm, I put his raincoat and boots on him and let him splash around in the lake that had been created in the front yard. I hadn't seen lightning or heard the crash of thunder for a long while, so I figured there'd be no harm. About 5 minutes into the splash fest, thunder boomed (far away, but nonetheless...) and the boy turned into an olympic class sprinter. He booked it back to the porch! I've never seen a kid move that quickly, much less one in a dinosaur raincoat and matching boots. Funny stuff, I'll tell you what...

7 of 9

It's funny how people just pack it in during certain times of the year. Saturday was a perfect day and the ride was thin.
Anyway, we did a loop through the flats and back in on Airbase. Airbase was the only windy stretch during the entire ride, and to be honest, it's been worse on Thursday nights. I ended up with right @ 80km and spent almost all of that time with my nose in the wind.
Sunday, the group was actually a group. Again, we did a modified, meandering loop through Lower Richland and came back in on Airbase. It was pretty amazing that the bunch stayed together the entire time, riding 2x2 for 3+ hours at 32-35kmh. It was a very good ride. Another 90km in the books. Since the M.T.s were out at the spa for the weekend, I did get a gooooood nap on Sunday afternoon. You know it's a good one when you wake up confused and wondering what the hell just happened...and you're in your own bed!
I have ridden 7 of the last 9 days...20 hours...575km! I'm really tired. No ride today, just water and ibuprofen.
I'll see you guys at the TNCWC. Light week this week, as we're going to attempt to go to the beach again this weekend...

another good ride...

I don't know what's going on around here, but some of the rides lately have been, well, great. Last night was another example...
The group was small, as some are over it for the season and others seem to be afraid of coming home at dusk. However, it was a very cohesive ride. After going out through the Fort, we immediately (almost automatically) settled into a 40kph rolling paceline. Instead of doing Elon, which has probably seen us for the last time on Thursday until next year, we turned down Horrell Hill and went across to the flats. The pace picked up on the DH section, but the line still just rolled through.
We cut across to Mineraville and into the Roubaix section, where I pushed a bit on the rough, headwind, false flat section and split the group...sorry...
After a re-grouping, we rolled the paceline all the way home. It was a really good ride and the sunset on Clarkson and Shop was amazing.
It was a big mileage and time week on the bike for me. 14 hours and almost 400km...more than I've seen in a long while. I really want to ride tomorrow, but I'm almost looking forward to the rain...

The sillyness continues...

...almost every team is switching bikes for next year, even some that would really surprise you...

Silence-Lotto was on Ridley, now on Canyon...
Tinkoff/Katushka was on Colnago, now on Ridley...
Saxo Bank (old CSC) was on Cervelo, now on Specialized...
Rabobank has been on Colnago forever, now on Giant...
Columbia was on Giant, now on Scott...
Rock Racing was on DeRosa, now on Fuji...
Milram was on Colnago, now on Focus...

There will be more, as a few teams are going belly up at the end of the season...where will Cannondale go after HealthNet is gone?

TNCWC

I actually felt pretty damn good last night @ the TNCWC. My bike, on the other hand, evidently has some W.O.S.* on it and performed like a low-end Trek with 105.
I had shifting issues and just couldn't get it right yesterday, so I deferred to Shrews. He installed a new chain and it got a bit better, but not by much. My chainrings and cassette were both shot, but I was out of time, so I rode it as it stood.
The race started slow and gradually ramped up. Breaks went and came back. There seemed to be a lot of folks who wanted to ride and race, but didn't want to do any work. I must have closed 8 or 10 gaps over the course of the crit. Casey was flying last night, chasing everything that went. She's hard as fucking nails, that one...
About 30 minutes in, I got stuck in the 14 and the bike wouldn't shift up. I had to stop and make an adjustment to my W.O.S.* and I jumped back in the group. After that, the rig shifted, but it took some coaxing to get it to go up the cogs.
Osama Bin Ridin took off and stayed out until 2 to go. When he got pulled back, James from Harrell's nailed it and rolled away solo. I jumped with one to go, thinking that the group might want to pull him back. I got halfway across and looked under my arm for help...there was none.
He stayed out for the win and the group sprinted for second.
It was a good ride, but there are still a few folks that just don't have a clue out there. I threw a couple of flicks and don't feel bad about doing it. Ride with your heads up and settle down...it's a practice crit for cripe sakes...
Overall, I felt good and rode well, but could feel the previous three long days in my legs!
This morning, I switched out my chainrings and cassette and the bike actually shifts now...amazing...! I guess after three years and 20,000-ish miles, shit just wears out...even high $ Dura-Ace. I ordered some new rings and will bite the bullet and order a few cassettes when they become available from PBK.

*- W.O.S.= Worn Out Shit...
No beach this weekend...T.S. Hanna took care of that...
See you guys Thursday...bring blinky lights!

3 good days

It's really funny how 3 good, long days on the bike will actually make you feel better...well, for me at least!
Saturday I felt like complete ass on the bike after a week of barely riding. Two hours on Tuesday and nothing for the rest of the week. I was blocked up, couldn't breathe, couldn't get my HR up and just generally felt like crap for our 3 hour ride. I rode okay, but it was my base fitness that allowed me to survive, nothing more. We did the normal Eastover loop and ended with right at 3 hours on the bike.
Sunday, I felt better, but not at all like normal. The ride was supposed to be a slower paced affair, but turned into a paceline ride. It wasn't all the fast (35-37kph), but not quite as slow as we originally planned. We did a very modified loop through LR and ended with another 3 hours on the bike.
This morning, we met at TVH's house for a loop through Calhoun County. We took off right on time and headed across the river with considerable cloud cover...which was the weather M.O. for the day. The pace was a good one and we settled in for the run out. Instead of the full 120km, a group decision was made to turn at Big Beaver Creek and shorten the loop to 105km.
I felt really good on the bike. I could breathe, my HR was good and my legs were good. I felt it in my legs, but it was a good hurt.
We stopped at the store in Sandy Run on the way in to refill and TVH kept going, saying we'd catch him. Well, the old man must've been killing it, because we never saw him again and we didn't exactly dilly-dally.
I ended with another 3:30 on the bike. Total for the 3 days was right at 9.5 hours and 270km. The TNCWC will be the 4th and last day of my little mini-block.
We're supposed to go to Litchfield on Thursday, but the weather may have other plans...

Ha-Ha (think Nelson from The Simpsons)

Tyler Hamilton won the USPRO championship today...
Dude served his time, leave him alone to race!!!!!!!!!!!
I can only imagine what the Rock Racing US Champ jersey will look like!

And before the nattering nay-bobs pipe up about him being a doper...

Dope doesn't turn a donkey into a racehorse!!!!!!!!!

Pretty fun...

Went to the game last night...
Went down on the field for warm-ups...
Hung out with Duce Staley...
Stayed on the field for introductions...
Stayed longer on the field for 2001...
Remained for kickoff and the first few plays from scrimmage...
...then we headed to the Superbox. Met up with some more old friends...
Talked football with the Governor for a while...
Ate entirely too much free (and very good) food...

As an aside, should there really be a QB controversy? Smelley was waaaaay better...
Carolina 34 NC State 0

Weekend rides

Saturday- 8 a.m. @ the circle
Sunday- 8 a.m. @ the circle
Monday- 8 a.m. @ TVH's house. We'll be heading across the river and doing a long-ish ride (75-90 miles) through Calhoun and Lexington counties. Shoot me a message if you want directions to get to TVH's.

Rain?

Well, I've decided a career path. I'm going to be a weatherman. It seems it's the only job you can have and be absolutely wrong...EVERYDAY...and still stay employed.
It was supposed to rain all day, and in copious amounts, yesterday. It rained for about 5 minutes, right when I left the house to ride.
I figured the threat of rain and the beautiful colors on the radar map would would keep people away from the TNCWC, and I was correct. More on that in a moment...
Anyway, I pulled the Salsa out of the ManHole(tm) and headed off into a light drizzle (that stopped 5 minutes later). Down through the ghetto and up to campus, then down across into Granby Mills. I found some trails, looped them together and headed back out. I searched for a way to get to the old bridge that leads to the locks on the river, but the kudzu was just too thick to even see the river, so I hit Bluff and went out to Heathwood Hall. I did three loops of the paved/dirt road back by the waste treatment plant...poo stinky...! The wind was pretty brutal on the uphill/headwind stretches. What took 4 minutes 30 with the tailwind took almost 8 minutes with the headwind. The stretches were almost intervals as the sandy/dirt roads were very wet and soft. 700x38 tires float over that stuff though...! It still felt good to get the HR up for 12 minutes at a time. Everything actually felt like it was working properly. Well, for me...the bike, not so much. That pig's getting overhauled as soon as I get a new rear derailleur. I digress...
By the time I looked at my watch, it was 7, so I headed over to the crit course to see if anyone showed. 7 intrepid souls came out to loop the course for 45 minutes. Crusty took the win from the small group.
I rolled in with Der Kaiser and Crusty and ended up with almost 2 hours on the cross bike.
No ride Thursday for me. I'll be in the SuperBox for the Carolina game...

back on the upside...

After last week's bout with whatever I had, I felt like complete and utter crap on the bike Saturday morning. I should have known better than to go to Pasta Fresca Friday night and eat a bunch of rich, heavy food after having a bad stomach all week, but the wives were out of town, so Doog and I went to eat. I deviated from my normal meal and got steak and gorgonzola ravioli with cajun alfredo sauce. The meal was excellent, but it laid in my gut like a lump.
We did Double Elon Saturday morning, and fortunately, no one felt the need to light the fire. We averaged a blistering 30.8kph for 2.5 hours. We did wick the pace up on Pineview and Shop and it hurt more than it really should have. I railed the turn onto Shop and didn't sit up. Sorry Mick...! Reed, Scott and I kept it wound tight to the bridge
Sunday met us with cloudy and humid weather, but we still had a really good group. We did Double Elon...again, only to turn left and wind our way over to Chaingang. It's funny how long that road seems when you aren't on the rivet at 50+kph. Maria needed water, so we stopped at the store in Eastover. Once everyone had refueled, Jed got a nice paceline working and we rotated all the way to the end of Airbase @ 35-40kph. It was a good pace that allowed some folks to get some work in and others to spin some garbage out. I spun all of the crap out of my legs and even felt good enough to give Maria a helping hand over the rise. The longer we rode, the better I felt.
We ended with a tad over 3 hours on the bike and 55 miles.
It was a good weekend on the bike.

I just got back from the zoo...
Chasing a 3 year old and a 16 month old is freakin' tiring...

News you can use...

After a bit of sleuthing (a very small bit that took all of 45 seconds or so), I have discovered the identity of TheRev from 'Church of The Big Ring'.
It seems he and Trek/VW mountain bike pro Jeremiah Bishop are one and the same.
I'm sure I'll get a terse email from TheRev for revealing his secret...I feel like I just outed Clark Kent...

No ride last night as the weather was crap. I really didn't feel like getting caught out in East Bumblef*ck in the rain. Ride Saturday morning...regular time and place...it's supposed to be nice(r)...

Today has been a busy one. Two of my three appointments have shown on time...shocking. The countertop guys and the plumber were here simultaneously, so that killed a bunch of questions and concerns. Yep, were upgrading this place yet again. A leaky faucet in the kitchen has lead to another $2500 jumping from my pocket for granite countertops. No new parts for the Ridley for a while...f*ck!
Now, I'm waiting on TimeWarner...anytime between 1 and 3, which roughly translates into 2:55pm!
The H.O. is out of town and the M.T.s are going to the spa for the night...it'll be nice and quiet around here for once...

Back on...

The crit course has been repaired and the TNCWC will go again next week at it's normal time...
I'll send out an email as well...
Please pass word along!
Thanks!

M

When good rides go bad...

Well, the crit course is all fouled up and more than a few of us flatly refused to do the 180 loop around the front stretch for more than a few reasons. Ergo, we decided to do a road loop out Bluff, up 2X Homey and across to Cabin Creek. All of the horsepower went with the road group and the ride started off fast and only got faster. It was probably better than some of the filler didn't choose to come with us, as they would likely still be out there, but I digress.
Once we reached the open parts of the loop, the pace went from a comfortable 40-42kph to a not so comfy 45kph+.
The run out Cabin Creek was a paceline affair and the line was moving along at such a high rate, we went all the way to the GMart and turned to come back in on Airbase. I was good until this point...good legs, good HR...so-so stomach...here's were our tale takes a turn for the worse.
On the run into the rise, FastLL took a monster pull and the group got lined out. At this point, my stomach was really sour and I was starting to get cold chills...not good! I made it over the rise and my abdomen just knotted itself into a tight little ball. I blew out the back in spectacular fashion and rode the remainder of the ride at a blistering 30kph...and that was a struggle. I had such terrible cramps, I almost called the H.O. to come get me, but it was bedtime for the M.T.s, so I took the most direct route home.
Once home, I spent some quality time in the loo for the rest of the night. I did catch up on some reading though.
Today, I am physically empty. It took all I had to get the M.T.s ready this morning. I'm shaky and starving, but afraid to eat anything more than buttered toast and drink Powerade. I feel as empty as Paris Hilton's head. I haven't felt this bad in many a moon.
See you when I see you...

Weekend Update...

The usual suspects met Saturday morning for a cruise out through the country. We decided to go out Leesburg to Congress and across to the flats. The run out Leesburg wasn't ball-breaking, but it was definitely quick. Reed and Scott took off at the beginning and we chased for the first 3 big rollers. The gap got to where it looked manageable, so I dropped it in the 12 and ripped across in one of the valleys. I got across, but it really hurt and shot my legs for the next 30 minutes or so. The climb up Congress sucked hard after the effort.
The rest of the ride was a nice, fast tempo affair, albeit shorter than usual. It was no VG ride, but you know...
Sunday morning, the five of us did a modified Eastover loop at a very temperate pace. It was nice. Cloudy, drizzly and cool...surely beats the normal August riding weather.

Good rides!

I'll be at the TNCWC. Thursday looks like a wash...

PS- The Crit course is fucked up...big metal plates all the way across the backstretch....

Pretty mediocre...thank you...

That's how I felt last night. I was tired, the legs were flat and my heart just wasn't in it. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to ride my bike, but killing it had little appeal.
The ride was big last night...must have been the weather. We did the normal Thursday Elon loop and the pace seemed pretty sedate for the first hour or so. Once we hit Airbase, things changed. FastLL and Der Kaiser hit the front, one after the other and jacked the pace through the roof. Everyone was together until the rise. How I went over 4th and got gapped out is an act I can only blame on my own stupidity. I let the line go by and ended up on the wrong wheel. At this exact moment, FastLL nailed it and the gap was open. I was boxed in and just watched it roll away. I got unboxed and chased my guts out for about a kilometer and then just waited for Corbett and Reed...they got gapped too.
We chased hard and the gap never opened further...it also never closed! The rest of the ride was piano. Some folks jacked it up for the sprint...I wasn't one of them.
I think I'm flat because I've been forced to take off so many days in the past two weeks. No more...
I have 3 weeks until another forced break, so I'll be on the bike. The next break is a beach trip and family photo shoot. The H.O. hired a photographer to take some of those 'big happy family on the beach' pictures. Oh joy...!

Oh, I almost forgot...
We are batting around the idea of a dirt road metric century for the late fall/early winter. Anyone who is interested is welcome. We've decided that the dirt/gravel/whatever sections will be fast, but the paved portions will be at a moderate pace. Let me know...! I'm going to start piecing the route together shortly.
Saturday 8 a.m. @ the gate...

Spoilers

Cancellara smashed the field in the Men's TT for Gold...
Kristin Armstrong did the same to the Women's field for an American Gold...

As for my toe, it doesn't hurt, but DAAAAMMMNNN is it ugly...

And it's just freaking beautiful outside today...
I like to think I'm relatively accepting of circumstance, but I simply could not live in the Pacific Northwest...
Link together 10 or 12 days of rain like today and I'd jump of the Gervais Street bridge...ugh...

Yeeouch........!

Yep, that's my toe...
I smashed the poor little fella last night walking around the bed. King size bed frames don't move when small, fleshy objects are run into them. It hurt like a MFer at the time, but is little more than sore right now. Fortunately, I can walk, run, ride, etc.
It's an ugly little bugger though...

Miss Gale

Casey,
You kick ass! Don't even, for a moment, feel bad about any results you had at Nationals. One year of riding brought you a 7th, a 12th and a 13th!!! Anyway you slice it, that's great!

Weekend...

Friday...Beer Ride...truly frightening...I hadn't ridden for 5 days and had really stiff legs, so I bit the bullet and went out. That shizz is just out of control. Too many people with too few skills. Sean and his kid almost killed the group. Peanuthead is right on the very edge of crashing, even when going dead straight. Last time out for me...
Saturday...8 a.m. ride...normal crap. People with too much false pride chasing and wanting to show how fast they are, only to be dragged home. Wanna ride fast? Tuesday @ 6:30 and Thursday @ 6:00. Saturday should be steady with a few fast stretches thrown in. Regroup at the turns.
Anyway, once the pretenders turned off and/or went to the back, the ride settled down into a nice loop. Crusty had some tire issues and there was a prolonged flat change that took up most of the group's spares. At the end, Crusty and I went handlebar to handlebar for the sprint. We both lost...me, the sprint by @ 4 inches, and he, his sunglasses. Nothing like hearing someone shout "SHIT" right beside you at almost 65kph. I was steeling myself for a crash that, thankfully, never happened.
Sunday brought out a bigger than usual group for a slow (nice!) ride through Lower Richland, up Congress and across to Airbase. It was a pleasant ride, filled with good company and good conversation.
Overall, a nice weekend with cooler temps and some much needed miles. I'll miss the TNCWC again Tuesday, as the H.O. has a work function in Greenville. Her work is putting a crimp in my schedule...

The last three minutes...

Jacked...
The Olympic Committee is serious about no other outlets showing the events...

Results

Casey is in Cali @ the U23 nationals...

TT - 7th
Crit - 12th

The RR is tomorrow...
Casey...stop listening to the naysayers. Finish your undergrad and GO PRO!!!!!!!!!! Grad school will always be there...

Love/Hate

I hate PETA and pretty much everything they stand for, but...
I Loves me some Amanda Beard...
Great Googly Moogly!

Look Keo Recall

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08354.html

The gub'ment is recalling certain Keo pedals. Look at yours, if you ride 'em.

Oh, and Svein Tuft is a tough, tough man...

http://www.bcsportsbeat.ca/More/olympian_svein_tuft_story_719.htm

I know he's Canadian, but I'm rooting for him in the Oly RR...

Hotlinks aren't working right...you'll have to copy and paste...sorry...not my fault!

#1 turns #3

The Saturday ride went off as usual and turned fast. I don't know why the Saturday ride, which used to be a nice, low-tempo, low pressure ride has turned into a 3+ hour deathmarch. I have no issue with speeding up here and there, but it may be time to have a conversation about the pace of the ride.
Anyway, we did a bit shorter, albeit harder, loop and I was home in plenty of time to run some errands and get the house ready for #1's birthday party.
Of course, festivities were supposed to kick off at 1, but the H.O.'s parents are a pair of complete shit for brains and they showed up 90 minutes late. Then they blew in and acted like they owned the place and are super grandparents. Yeah, if super means that you see your only grandkids once every 6 or 8 weeks...but I digress...
I had the grill fired up and the meat was done when they came in. Sorry to rush you two dumbasses, but it's time to get this show on the road...
We ate expertly grilled burgers, dogs and andouille sausages, potato salad, slaw and chips, then the boy ripped into the myriad presents that were laid out on the table.
Right now, he's cavorting about in his newly acquired 'Doctor' get up, complete with white jacket and stethoscope...
He cleaned up in the gift department, as usual. Then it was time to damage the cake. The H.O. took a cake decorating class (two actually) a few years ago and has become quite good at making all sorts of cakes. The boy wanted a fire truck cake, so that's what he got...and it was goooood. All of the heavy food made me feel horrible though...too much meat and cake icing...
The H.O.'s parents stayed far beyond their welcome, so the management trainees got to bed waaaay late.
I was supposed to ride with Il Prof and TVH this morning, but just couldn't drag my big ass out of the sack. I slept until 9!! I guess I needed the sleep more than the miles.
The H.O. is out of town until Wednesday, so I'm single dad until then. I'll probably bring the boys out to the TNCWC so they can watch.

It was a dark and stormy night...

The weather was great when I left the house. We rolled out on time and as the group headed up thru the Fort, the sky got darker and darker. By the time we hit the end of HG, it was flying monkey dark. The wind was howling and the storm looked a bit ominous.
It was decided that we would just haul ass down across to the flats and try to stay in front of the weather. and that's what we did...
We blew by the ever famous Peanut and the MORON tagged onto the back of the group. When we made the turn onto Minervaville, he chose not to turn his head and, literally, rode directly into Ransom. Ransom has been riding since he was a zygote, so he stayed upright and the Peanut hit the ground like a pro soccer player taking a flop. The acting job was just as good too. Nothing more than some lost skin and some lady-like whimpering...
Once we figured out that he was okay, we took off again. The numbers dwindled down to a final 6 and we took turns abusing eash other until the end of the ride. The run up Clarkson was into the headwind and was quite hard. LL said he was dead from the Charlotte TT, but he seemed to be pulling through with little trouble. He even went so far as to sit out a few turns...then attack us...
The rest of the ride was a paceline affair. Mandrus lead out the sprint to the bridge and I came around Beano and Crusty FTW. It was a hard-ish ride, but really steady..not a lot of slowing down or mucking about. And I never got wet! It started to rain about 10 minutes after I got home...Reed likely didn't make it to his house...
See you guys tomorrow morning...

My dream rig/My new favorite rider

Who do I have to kill? When do they need to be dead by? What method would you like me to use?

Glen Chadwick of Team Type 1 on the Wall in Philly...watch the vid and notice what happens @ 50 seconds...




That's right, he took a cold beer hand-up from the crowd...freaking brilliant...

To quote David Byrne...

"...This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no foolin' around..."
It seems as though the weather is the deciding factor for who shows at the TNCWC these days. The two weeks prior to last night, the weather was beautiful. Cool, no wind, no threat of getting wet. Last nigt, it was hot, the wind was howling down up the short chute and the were some seriously dark clouds on the horizon. This, of course, brought out all of the horsepower. I can say with some convinction that last night was one of the fastest races we've done out there. There was virtually no filler last night. It also seemed to bring out the sketches as well. The guy in the Outjokin' kit and the sleeveless Summit dude were back and as bad as ever. Pick a line through the corners guys...and stick to it. And the Summit dude tried to force his way into the line about 6 times. Then he yelled at Doogie for something that was his own fault. He really needs to stay in the back until he gains some skill.
The first 25 minutes was a single file deathmarch. Crusty made the comment that it seemed that everyone was trying to outdo each other when they pulled through the line. You take your pull for a 1/2 lap, come off and drift back to 20th...quickly!!! The next thing you knew, you were back on the sharp end.
I felt pretty puny when we got started, but seemed to get better as the time clicked on. At 40 minutes, I jumped to close a little gap and my right foot felt very disconnected from the bike. I didn't clip out, but the ratchet on my old Diadora shoes came undone. Not a pleasant feeling at 50kph...and I didn't want to mess with it in the middle of the group, drifted to the back for the fix. I guess it's time to setup the new kicks...
On the last lap, I found Big Jamie and told him to follow me through the last corner. We divebombed the inside and as soon as we came off, I nailed it and led him to @ 200m. He jumped off my wheel and won with ease. His wife and grommets were there. I heard one of his kids yell, "Daddy won...!" Nice...! You owe me...!
It was a really good race. Very fast, but it felt good.
See you guys Thursday !!

Rest...

So I got up and did the Saturday ride...
The group was small, but the pace was still quick with some honestly fast sections thrown in. We did a very modified Eastover loop and ended up with just under 95km in 2:45. I felt very flat and just tired on the bike.
Il Prof and TVH went off into Calhoun County for a 140km deathmarch this morning...
Casey and Rob are moving and she was racing...
Doogie was on call today...
I just decided to bail on riding all together. I needed the rest.
The management trainees were across the river this weekend, so the H.O. and I had the place to ourselves. The house was eerily quiet...! It was nice to go to dinner and a movie though. Batman is pretty good, FWIW.
I finally chased and eliminated the click in my BB as well. I had to take the whole bike apart and re-assemble with a lot of teflon tape and grease, but no more clicky...
I may be out Tuesday night...or not...maybe some people will show up this week...

Um, that was hard...

Last night, a small group met for the Thursday ride. It seems Mrs. DK is leaving town today, so DK felt the need to get home early last night. He went to the front from the Gate and kept the pace much higher than usual out of the Fort. It was hard, but not killer...very steady.
Once we got onto the open roads of LR, the pace went back up and everyone worked together. The run down to Elon was quick, but again, not killer. The kicker was the fact that I was the slowest climber of the front group, so I actually had to burn a match or two to get over the top. I made it over just behind Mandrus and Beano, which ain't too shabby for me.
We gathered back up and started the end of ride shenanigans. The stretch from Bunky's to the end of Airbase was fast, period. Everyone took their turns, but DK would just jack the pace when he hit the front. We were losing people left and right. I got gapped a bit over the rise, but chased back with little problem. From that point on, it was down to 6, then down to 4. DK, Doogie, Mandrus and me. We caught Il Prof (shortcut) and he jumped in, only to cause a gap when Karl nailed it on the front. I was 5th in line when this happened...
I chased the gap and got to within 20 meters, but was at my absolute limit. I should have just HTFU and sprinted across, but I was tapped. DK and Doogie rode away.
We rode tempo through 2X Homey and to Shop, but the pace went up again on Shop. DK hit it going over the overpass and we spit people out again. I should have jumped, but decided to mark DK for the sprint. He knew I was doing it and didn't jump. I went too late and got nipped by a tire. Shoulda, coulda, woulda...
Overall, it was a damn hard ride and it made the last three or four crits look like child's play. I felt good, rode well and don't feel too bad today.
See you guys tomorrow at the circle... 8:00 am!

Short effort

The TNCWC went off last night with a little bit larger group. I woke up yesterday feeling pretty stiff and out of sorts, but went out anyway. I'd planned on bailing as the heat index was supposed to be 105+. The highest temp I saw yesterday was 94, so I formulated a plan.
I just wanted to warm-up to get rid of some stiffness and then ride hard for 15 minutes to open things up. And that's just what I did! I chased across to the first break and got into it for a couple of laps. After that, I chased two gaps. Just after chasing the second gap, the alarm on my watch sounded and I sat up. I felt really good and could have stayed in without problem, but I'm sticking to my plan for right now. Most of the horsepower has been absent from the Crit lately too. I guess everyone has the mid-summer laissez-faire attitude. It was quicker last night, but nowhere near the normal pace or the pace of the last few Thursday rides.
It was really hot, but not brutal.
'Cisco won last night, which was a show for his father, who's in town from Colombia.

The queen stage is today...Alpe d'Huez...gotta go watch...

Weekend rides

Saturday morning, the group was pretty good sized and had some HP. We did a modified Crusty Loop through Lower Richland. I made the mistake, again, of following Crusty through a corner. He went in way too hot and locked up his rear wheel, which isn't an issue unless you're on the outside. Did I mention I was on the outside? I went straight, down through the ditch, up the other side and almost into the church parking lot. The only other time I've hit the tarmac in the past 5 years was following Crusty through a corner at high speed.
Note to self: No going thru a corner 2nd wheel behind Crusty anymore...
We ended on Airbase and had a good, high-tempo paceline that was punctuated by a few attacks.
The ride was shorter than usual, but that was fine with me!
This morning, we met to do an easy spin. Ben Jones was in town, so he and Peter Discoe came out. It was a good ride. Nothing terribly difficult, but I could definitely feel Thursday and Saturday in my legs. It was one of those rides that felt longer than it really should have.

The H.O. is leaving town for a meeting this afternoon, so I'm in charge...frightening!

Speaking of frightening...

Holy Chute....

Felt bad...rode well...?

Man, a brother felt like complete ass-crack all day yesterday. The heavy load of antibiotics is catching up with me. I'm really tired, I ache all over and I've been short of breath for 4 days. All side effects of the Bactrim I was taking for the last week. I called the Doc and he said it would be at it's max load in my bloodstream 3-5 days AFTER I stopped taking it.
I left the house and felt like shit and was convinced that I was likely to get shelled before leaving the Fort. The pace out was quick, but not brutal.
Guns started firing on the run down Ridge and RW flatted just before the end of the road. Doogie and I rolled down Horrell Hill, waiting for stragglers. I guess everyone stopped because we were almost to Bunky's when the group got back together. From that point, to the end of Airbase, it was pretty f'ing hard. I missed a couple of turns but probably should have just pulled through. Tail-gunning when everyone is attacking each other is just hard. Gaps opened quickly and I worked my bookie-hole off to close them up. The legs felt good, but my HR and breathing were funky at best. It was like I couldn't exhale properly. I could get a full lung of air, but just couldn't get rid of it. Weird...
From the end of Airbase to the end of the ride, we all stayed together and Mandrus took out both sprints...uncontested...the streak continues.

Cavendish wins the last two stages of the Tour with ease. He's just plain faster than everyone else in the last 150m.
And I've changed my opinion of Cadel. I wanted him to win, but now I hope he cracks like a walnut. He's a pissy little bitch. First he cries on the podium when he got his yellow jersey and now he's slapping reporters for trying to touch him. Ass...

Good and bad

Let's start with the good...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2008/features/dura-ace_79000_ride08

It seems the new D/A shifters ARE compatible with current rear derailleurs, so there's no need to drop $300 on a new R/D. The front, not so much. For the upgrade, you'll only need shifters and a F/D...that I can deal with...

And the bad...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/tour08/news/?id=/news/2008/jul08/jul17news4a

Ricco positive for EPO...he said he wanted to be just like Pantani...he's halfway there!!! Now he just needs to OD in a crappy hotel room...
Just when I thought the Tour might be coming around...
Personally, I blame the cheese eating surrender monkeys. They threw out the UCI and let the ASO and AFLD run the show. It's been proven that the AFLD has no clue what they are doing when it comes to testing protocols, yet they are still in charge...
I think it made the riders greedy. They thought that the UCI was out of it, so they could micro-dose and skate by the testing. Wrongo...! I wish these fuckers would see that they are killing their own sport. L'Equipe reported that up to 20 riders had abnormal blood values coming into the race. Oh, and Moreau quit yesterday...injury or saving face?
Now we can watch the Tour for two reasons...to see who wins the stage and to see who tests positive...excuse me... 'non-negative'

A bit of a rant...

I went out to the TNCWC last night...it seems not very many wanted to race last night, as the group was very small. I felt iffy and my heart just wasn't in it. I warmed up and started though. I did exactly one lap and decided I just couldn't care any less. I sat up and just spun home. I still ended up with a decent 90+ minutes on the bike and 45km.
Now for my smallish rant...
On the warmup and the neutral lap, there were a few grumbles about the course being dirty and having gravel on it. One person, who never comes out and should probably just STFU, actually said that someone needs to get out there and clean it up. When you point a finger, there are three pointing back at you...gaper.
I spent two hours out there on Monday night to get it into the condition it was in. When I got out there, it looked like a cobbled section of Roubaix. Maybe the juniors and their 'coach' should get a little bit more involved in the 'community' and go out there one weekend morning and run some leaf blowers and push some shovels and brooms. Or maybe the people that bitch and moan should take it upon themselves to help out.
I don't do it for a pat on the back or for some boost of false male pride. I do it because it NEEDS to be done for the course to be safe for everyone. I've only been out to the crit about 6 or 7 times this year, but I've cleaned the course twice. It's a great place to ride and race. It should be cleaned and kept up for it to remain great. The businesses out there aren't going to do it. The city isn't going to do it...so it falls to us.
I'll continue to clean it when the need arises because I'm good like that. If you don't participate in the effort, keep your mouth shut!

Stage 10

Piepoli wins on Hautacam...
Evans takes yellow and cries on the podium...man up Buttercup!
VandeVelde is a climber now? Who knew?

I cleaned the crit course tonight. It should be better...watch the backstretch though! There's still some gravel. I got all of the big stuff, but there's only so much one guy can do with a 28" push broom!

A new and better day

Ricco wins Stage 9...the first day in the high mountains!
Kirchen still in yellow

Doogie, Rob, Casey and I met bright and early this morning for a foray into Calhoun County. I felt tired when I woke up, but much better than yesterday. I guess drinking (literally) gallons of fluid and eating everything in the house can, in fact, turn you around. I feel better now, after 3:30 and 100km in the saddle.
We ride a pretty even tempo...faster than the usual loops out in the country. I guess the absense of Il Prof and TVH made the pace higher.
Now for the scorecard...
I am proudly wearing the Calhoun County green jersey today. Of the 4 sprint points, I took out 3 with little trouble. Regardless of what excuse(s) Miss Gale might come up with, I showed clean wheels in all of my wins. The one I didn't win, I didn't contest, as it's at the top of an ugly climb and we all know about my stellar ability on the high cols. :)-

Anywho, it was a good ride, with good company and I don't feel like whipped shit anymore.
Good luck to Miss Gale, as she is leaving for the Olympic Training Center tomorrow. Kick ass, take names and chew bubble gum...

ANother high mountain day tomorrow too...I'm all atwitter...

Stage 8...wet and wild

Cavendish just has another gear...
Kirchen still in yellow...

I went out with the group this morning and probably just should have stayed home. I knew the minute we rolled out that it was going to be a bad day. Bad legs, upset stomach, no HR...just really flat and blocky. When the group went left on Airbase, I turned right and came home...slowly. I guess I'm tired from Tuesday and Thursday and a lack of sleep...! I really can't blame the drugs, as I rode well on my previous two rides. I just feel like whipped shit right now. Maybe I need a nap...

Stage 7

Luis Leon Sanchez takes the stage...

Kirchen still in yellow...

The thursday ride was good one last night. Pretty quick and steady the whole way. I really felt Tuesday night in my legs though, especially at the end of the ride.

We chased the weather for the first two hours of the ride and, of course, caught it about 15 minutes from home. Nothing like ending a perfectly good ride with wind driven rain. I actually had an excuse to give the Ridley and good lick and rub this time. Usually, my OCD forces me to clean it.

Rumor has that a certain man with the initials LL (no, not that one...the one who actually rides and is fast) blitzed the TT in Charlotte on Wednesday night. A tick over 21 minutes for 10 miles is really GD fast folks. 46kmh average fast...! The guy who won? Sub-20 minutes...where's the drug testing trailer when it's needed? That guy must piss kerosene!

Saturday - 8 a.m. at the circle.

Stage 6

Ricco wins at the top of Super Besse...showed Valverde and Evans a nice little finish kick...

Kim Kirchen in yellow...and green...

Chavanel in the maillot pois...

Stage 5 ...finally a sprint

Cavendish shows how it's done...clean wheels baby!!
Schumi still in yellow...

I ventured out to the TNCWC last, fully expecting to get shelled like a 180 pound pecan, but something funny happening. I actually rode okay, considering I'd ridden once in the past 10 days and I'm on a antibiotic regimen that would kill a smaller man. It was weird too. I can't decide whether it was a fast ride or an average ride. My computer doesn't work out there because of the electrical transfer station...quality Specialized product...
I rode at the sharp end for the first half, chased a gap or three and then decided to retire to the back.
The group was big and stretched out for 40 minutes of the race. The last 15 minutes were a muddle. There were a couple of guys with VERY suspect handling skills. One guy in a Summit jersey needs to learn that he doesn't ride in a bubble and that his head is on a gimble. He swerved off his line on numerous occasions, running into RW at one point. The best were the 3 times he almost took himself out in the turns...once while he was on the very front. I mean, how in the Wide, Wide World of Sports do you almost tuck it in when you're in the front? He was given a wide berth after that...
I have no idea who won. I pulled Der Kaiser and just sat up on the last lap.
We also had a visit from the Richland County Sheriff's department. It seems that ONE person out there called to complain. The deputy (Dep. Brantley) was very cool and basically told me that he was only out there to say that he checked it out. He said the complaint included claims of nudity in the parking lot and the entire group just riding out in front of vehicles. The person who complained didn't give his name to the Deputy...! If I find out who called the police, I'll visit the guy at his office and we'll talk like men. Not talking to us before calling the police is a bitch move in my book. We've had no complaints in 6 years...until now.
We're out there 1 day a week, for @ 90 minutes, during the summer...after 6pm! Whoever complained needs to settle the F down.

Stage 4

Time trial...
Stefan Schumacher win TT and takes yellow...on a bike that isn't quite a Specialized...hmmm!

and the Doc changed my antibiotics...after a week on them...

Oh Joy, another week of meds...at least I only have to take two a day now!

Stage 3

Holy escape Batman...

208km stage...207km break!!!!

Sammy Dumoulin wins stage...

Roman Feillu in yellow...

Stage 2 ... God of Thunder

Hushovd...

Valverde in yellow...

Doggie and I went for a short 2 hour spin through LR this morning. My foot is better. It didn't hurt to push on the pedals. I can tell two things though...

1) I haven't turned a pedal in a week and it felt really weird for the first 30 minutes.

2) A large dosage of antibiotics makes you feel very heavy on the bike. Not that I'm light on the bike on a normal day... ;)-

It felt good to ride though. I'll be at the crit Tuesday. No racing, just turning the legs over for a couple of hours.

Well, it's about time to load up the entire corporation and head to the blue hairs' house. Senior Blue Hair is turning 90 today....

Stage 1

Valverde...

WTF man?

So my back is feeling good, I finally have a bit of form and can ride with some anger. I got the bike together, working like the fine tuned piece of high-dollar machinery that it is, and I was feeling good about going to NC and having a good ride.
I got out of bed to use the bathroom the other night and steeped on a small piece of jagged gravel that must have gotten dragged in the house. I felt it immediately, it hurt! I didn't think anything of it. Come Tuesday, the resulting blood bruise is inflammed and sore as hell. I still didn't think much of it until the red streaks started appearing on the TOP of my foot. Yes, folks, the beginnings of a lymph system issue. I went to my Doctor who informed me that the blood bruise was now an abscess and needed to be drained and I had to go on anti-biotics to fight any possible infection. Fucking perfect!!!!!!! No 4th ride for the kid!!!
Anyway, he jabbed my foot with a needle waaaaay too big for the job and blood just poured out!
I limped out with what amounted to a club foot and a prescription for Keflex. Oh, and I got a hu-mangous tetanus shot!! Flash forward to today...
I'm limping, the foot is sore-ore-ore-ore and I'm on 2000mg of Keflex a day. No, that's not a typo...2000 milligrams. 4 horse pills a day...and no big straw to blow them down my throat.
The meds make me hot, itchy, give me body aches and a headache. My arm feels like a got hit with a cricket bat from the tetanus.
I honestly am starting to think that the 4th of July ride has bad mojo for me. I've never gone up there and had an uneventful ride. Something either breaks on the ride or I get sick or injured in the days before.

2004-broken spoke on the decent of the Watershed...at 40mph...
2005-broken Ridley Excalibur frame on the climb of the Watershed
2006-injured back 3 weeks before...unable to ride...or sit on toilet...
2007-bitten by wolf spider 1 week before the ride...rode anyway...felt like shit and had a terrible ride...on 'roids and antibiotics...
2008-jacked up foot 1 week before...

Maybe the Madonna del Ghisallo is trying to tell me something about this ride...

Who knows when I'll be back on the bike...

Not great

I woke up a bit earlier on Sunday and met Doog for a short 2 hour loop through LR. I felt pretty shitty when I crawled on the bike, yet my legs felt disarmingly good. I didn't have much more than 2 hours in me, nor did I have any efforts in the tank, but I felt okay after the ride. Sometimes I think you just need to rest a bit and ride easy to get stuff out of the system.
After I rode, I decided to get the bike setup for the 4th. I switched out the cassette to my 13/25 and it shifted like shit. I fuddled with it for 30 minutes and it got no better. I walked away...
Once I got inside, I realized that the 13/25 didn't require the spacer behind it. A visit to Shimano's website confirmed my failing memory. Back out to the ManHole, removed the aforementioned spacer and it shifted fine, but skipped in the 23 and 25!!! WTF!!!!
My chain had been on the bike for a while and the 13/25 had only been used once, so I figured they weren't quite on speaking terms. Upon checking my equipment log, I realized that the chain was well past it's expiration date. Shiny new chain = no skipping and no noise! Go figure!
I'm actually going to test ride the setup this year, to make sure the thing shifts. Last year, I threw everything on the night before and rode it up the street. That was all fine and well, but it didn't shift at all on the 4th ride...
Nothing like hauling 180 pounds up a few big climbs in the NC mountains with a drivetrain that won't stay in gear! It was either the 17 or the 25 on the climbs...no big jump there!
There are no open seats in the battle wagon for the 4th...sorry!

I'll see you at the crit Tuesday...

The week that was

Tuesday, the H.O. had a business function in the evening, so she came home early so I could get on the bike. Doog and I went out and did a VERY slow loop of the Fort. Legs...crap! Lungs...crap! HR...crap! Just a bad ride all the way around.
Thursday came and I felt okay through the day. I figured the ride would be thin because Blood, Sweat and Gears was looming on so many horizons. We left with 10. Mark W. and Cisco turned around at the gate. We lost Sam and Joel and the very quick run down to Elon. I sat up to wait on them on the climb, but even at my snail-humping-a-turtle pace, they never returned. I got back on and the ride turmed into a rolling, 6 man, HARD tempo paceline. I felt really good and rode well.
We rolled in together and I took the sprint on Shop with ease.
Friday, right after lunch, I started to feel bad. By the time dinner rolled around, I was a hot mess. I felt like I was somewhere between and bonk and a hangover. I didn't eat or drink much of anything after the ride Thursday and think I got myself into some sort of glycogen/dehydration deficit. You know something is wrong when I go lay on the couch instead of eating pizza. I went to bed at 8:30 last night and woke up at 9 this morning!!!!!!!! I guess my body was trying to tell me something. I still feel a bit wonky today, but better.
Time for yet another big glass of Gatorade and something sweet...

Hope everyone enjoyed BS&G today...I've been laying around...

Weekend

Saturday's ride has been moved to 8 am in an effort to beat the summer heat, but DAMN, it's early. The alarm went off at 6:15...it was still dark!
Anyway, we had a really good, even group for the ride. A lot of the usual suspects were conspicuous in their absence, but to each his own.
We went out through the Fort and down onto Old Leesburg for the normal Saturday stroll into Eastover. We were all together and going along nicely and then, as usual, my phone rang. Normally, I just don't anwer it, but it was the H.O. calling, and seeing how we have two toddlers, I felt obliged to answer. I love the H.O., but sometimes, she's a dumbass. #1 got a zinc lozenge and attepted to ingest it. For those of you who have tried 'Cold-eze' lozenges, you know they taste like a bit like a 9 volt battery dipped in fertilizer. He promptly spit it out, but the H.O. still felt the need to call me and make sure I got shot out the back of the group while talking to her on the phone.
I chased and caught the bunch right after the turn onto Chaingang. We all gathered up and noticed the NID made a bit of a sneak attack and was away. The line worked well together and brought it back a bit, but time was winding down before the sprint, and I wasn't going to let him stay away. We'd never hear the end of it.
I warned everyone that my next time through I was going to nail it...and I did. I took it to 60kmh and left it there. The gap closed quickly.
After that, we all stayed together and rode and good medium-hard tempo until the end of the ride. I felt good again and feel like some form is starting to come on.
90km in 2:45 for the day.
This morning, we were supposed to have 6 on the ride. Casey and Rob bailed (weak) and upon arrival at TVH's house, we found him in flip-flops, casual wear and decidedly pillow smashed hair...a bit too much red, white AND pink wine last night.
The ride got shortened for Doogie and I. We did Sandy Run, up into Gaston and home. I was tired and he had one too many beers last night (he had two beers, fwiw). Of course, it had rained out there, so the bike is filthy, again, and has developed a click in the crank/BB. It was a nice, slow, 2:45 on the bike and 75km.
A good weekend of riding overall. Cooler temps, little wind and good company...

Cancellara...Stage 7...bad MF

Ask and ye shall receive........

Bigger, faster, stronger...

The 50c has been rebuilt...

White Industries H2 hub (no need for ceramics here...it's smoooove)

Sapim CX-Ray spokes

660 grams

Built by the best...I'll let you guys figure out who...shouldn't be a hard one...

Good?

Wow, I actually felt good last night. The stars must have aligned or maybe it was that chicken I killed under the light of the moon a few nights ago.
The ride itself was a bit of a clusterfuck. Not on the proportions of a few past Thursday rides, but there were a few hinky moments to say the least.
Everyone was together out of the Fort and for the run down Ridge. About halfway down Horrell Hill, a small gap was allowed to open and few guys got off the front. The rest of us were working just fine when some dumbass redneck in a $400 Suburban decided to pass as a car was coming the other way. Instead of waiting the 4 seconds until it was clear and safe for all, he whipped it right over into the group, forcing several into the grass...at 40kmh. Fortunately for us, no one crashed. Fortunately for the asshole driver, he wasn't found later on.
We all gathered back up at the top of Elon and continued on our way.
The paceline was interrupted again by some moron would was attempting a 17 point turn in the middle of the road in a big, black Benz. She was propbably looking for a good place to ditch it and burn it, seeing as we were in Lower Richland and there just is not an abundance of $50,000 cars out there...
Almost immediately thereafter, Der Kaiser ruptured a valve...in his tube. We softpedaled to wait, but I think Doogie had too many Espressos through his day of taking boards and couldn't help himself. The pace ramped from 30 to 35 to 37 and then it was on again. The seven of us in the front group traded pulls down Airbase at 45kmh+ (nice tailwind) until there were 5. Some dumbfuck almost ran me down after the turn off of Airbase. He was going enitrely too fast, both for the road and his piece of shit car.
It felt really good to ride hard again and not completely suck.
The whole group came back together on Double Homey and rode back in. I got boxed on the bridge sprint and couldn't do anything...at 66kmh.
Good, albeit wacky ride...

8am Saturday ride this week...and for the rest of summer.

Signs

I went to the TNCWC tonight and actually felt decent. Warmup was good. I rode with Dr. LP for a long while....a good egg, that one!
Anyway, the race started and I felt okay, not great, but I wasn't suffering like the proverbial dog. About 15 minutes in, I went through turn 3 and the bike felt really washy in the back-end, or 'loose' for you NASCAR fans. You guessed it...soft tire. Sign #1...
I stopped to change it and noticed that the tire itself was fine, but the screw part of the valve had broken off at some point, causing the tire to go soft. Sign #2...
Michelin Pro Race 3 tires are some tight bitches, so I used my skewer as a lever. Evidently, in my haste to get the nut off the skewer, I lost one of the springs in the grass. It probably would have been okay, but I saw it as Sign #3 and just decided to call it a night. At that point, pretty much all motivation was gone anyway, so I just rode home slowly.
No sense in standing around to watch the end.

Uncle Shrews is rebuilding my front Williams 50C wheel. White Industries hub and CX-Rays will make it mo betta. They are great wheels, but the front hub design is shit...and I told WIlliams that...! It's an American Classic Micro design...(scratches head). If you're gonna copy something, copy a good something! Jeez...

See you Thursday...

Thought for the day

Thought for the day:
OPEC sells oil for $136.00 a barrel.
OPEC nations buy U.S. grain at $7.00 a bushel.
Solution: Sell grain for $136.00 a bushel.
Can't buy it?
Tough!
Eat your oil.

damp

Saturday was thin, borderline anorexic. Some folks are preparing for BS&G, so they left a bit early to ride a bit longer...
The remainder of us ventured out through the Fort, down to Elon and did a new route into Eastover. It was a nice change. Mandrus and I did all of the work, so I got a good workout from the ride.
Sunday, TVH, Il Prof, Doogie and I met @ 8 for a Calhoun County ride. The weatherman said the rain would hold off until lunchtime....it must be mice to be wrong everyday and still draw a paycheck...
We were about 2 miles past the 176/21 split and I saw something that appeared to be smoke. Well, it wasn't!!!!!! A wall of water met us with big, fat, stinging drops. At this point, it was a bit late to turnaround, so we soldiered on through the deluge. We rode out to Big Beaver Creek (heh heh) and cut across to 176. It rained until we got to Eastman Chemical and then the roads were largely dry. Once back into town, I could tell that it didn't rain enough to get wet.
And of course, once I got in the shower, the sun came out and shone brightly...bastard. I will say that riding in the rain is much easier on the body than 95 degree heat.
Another hour spent cleaning the bike...again...! I rode the White Industries wheels...GD, those things ride well.
Overall, it was a good ride weekend. I ended with 6-1/2 hours on the bike and 200km. No real efforts to speak of, but some quality, form building miles.

Oh, Casey won the NC road race championships! A year on the bike and more palmares than most of the guys in town who have been riding for 20...

Better

The Thursday ride was pretty big last night. Bigger than it has been for a long while at least...
The weather was a bit more cooperative as well. It was only 90 when I left the house. Of course, it did start to sprinkle rain on the run down to Elon and it felt oh so good.
There were some horses out last night, but the ride didn't seem to be ballistic. Don't get me wrong, there were a few moments when I was tasting pennies, but it wasn't a ball-breaker.
I stayed in the back for the most part and just surfed. No reason to be a hero when all I want is some speed work.
I knew that'd I'd have to burn a match or two on Airbase, so discretion was called for early in the ride. I was correct in that theory. Once we got to the rise on Airbase, Der Kaiser hit the front. I was last man in the left line and I saw him go. I jumped hard up the rise and tagged onto the back of the lead group. The problem was that I used the jump and sprint to get there and just couldn't stay. I passed Beano and we worked together for the rest of Airbase. The killer was the fact that the gap between us and the lead bunch never opened up. We matched their speed the entire way to the 4 way and stayed away from the rest of the bunch behind us. It was a nice tailwind stretch on Airbase too...very nice!
After that, the group rode piano the rest of the way home. No jumps, no attacks, no sprints...

I felt pretty good, but can tell I need some intensity work. No big lungs just yet...

9am Saturday this week and then 8am next Saturday...time to beat the heat...