Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Meanderings

So what if I get some spare time to write?  Should I?  Should I go ride my bike? Drink some man sodas?  What to do, what to do?  Check, Check and Check.  Well, I'm working on the writing part...

I got home late today and scrapped my ride in favor for the couch, good trade off -right?  Anyway, the wife came home and changed into running clothes, so not to be outdone by a runner I quickly kitted up and headed out the garage for a raging recovery ride.  Whatever that is.  Recovery sounds like you have a mission to accomplish rather than saying "slow and easy".  Potato - patatoe.  Plus, recovery sounds like you've been working hard and need some rest or something.  Whatever it is, or was mine ended in a few adult beverages and banter with a teammate -completely unscheduled.  Who would have thought?

I just about quit my job today out of frustration with not knowing how to do my job.  It's like I care or something.  I mean, I'm selling coffee to people who want coffee and all I have to do is drive my truck to them and give them what they need.  Really? Who does not need COFFEE?  Seems like an easy proposition, but leave it to people to screw up the simple.  Oh, well I have to hang in there and give it some time, but I despise not knowing what the heck I am doing or supposed to do.  Is that a control issue?  I'm not a controller, I do like attention, but control is a different animal from "life of the party" status.  Right?  I will take life of the party for $200 Alex.

How is it, Why is it, What is it, that riding a bike makes everything bearable?  Livable?  I honestly don't know what I would do without a bike.  I know I should use it more for transportation, but let's be realistic I use it as a toy.  After all it is a toy.  But.  If you read your history, one of the first iterations of the bike was made by some lazy dude working in his garden.  I can identify with laziness, I don't like to work.  I just want to play, and if play involves two wheels and a cold one afterwards...count me in.

I know I can say with out a doubt that I know people because of the bike.  There is noway I would ever cross paths with some of my friends if it were not for this simple machine of locomotion.  I know that to keep my sanity it requires consumption of miles via bike, and if I did not regularly ride -I would not enjoy life in the capacity that I am able.

Thank you to everyone that I know because of the bike, I know it sounds silly to think that the link that brought us together is as simple as a bike. 

Monday, June 13, 2011

Looks like I'm going to be a once a week kind of poster right now.  That whole thing called work is really biting into my artistic ability to churn out witty repartee, or just turn some words into 1's and 0's.  Really? Witty?  No.  Maybe just sarcastic comments -my speciality. 

I have been so removed from ProCycling right now I couldn't tell you anything or even comment on what is going on.  The only thing I know is the UCI is the evil empire.  'Nuff said.  I've been following some Pros on Twitter and Ted King got busted up in Philly, and Craig Lewis broke his femur over in Europe, double ouch.  We have a new National champ in Matt Busche of RadioShack.  Other than that you better go to CyclingNews or Velonews.  Maybe if I got paid to do this I would have more time and I could write so much more and entertain you at work or on the john.

Tulsa Tough was this weekend and it was an absolute blast.  To be part of an event such as Tulsa Tough is an awesome feeling.  This feeling is why I race in the first place.  I race to be Pro, or should I say be like?  I will never be Pro, but lining up in a race makes me feel Pro.  Racing for me is not about winning, I know that is what mediocrity says and I resemble that, but it is true.  I race to race, as we say "I like to ride my bike really fast".  Results are fun and I do like to do well, but I love racing with my teammates and friends.  It makes the race the Race, the living breathing organism that is part flesh and blood and part carbon fiber machine.  This organism is never the same, it is always different and ever-changing.  Forest said "it's like a box of chocolates...".  I think it's more like drinking the water in Mexico -it's risky: sometimes you win and sometimes you get the S*** beat out of you.

Isn't that beautiful?  Pain. Suffering. Winning. Losing.  Coming in as packfill is my job and I will do my job and love it, yeah... maybe it's because that's all I'm good for, or maybe I just love to ride my bike really fast.