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.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
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.
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.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Pizza legs
Ok, if you are here to get one of those "look at me" "I love myself" race report recap crap, you are in the wrong blog-o-sphere. I raced my bike really fast along with my teammates. We had a great time and if you want to hear about it keep reading, if you are looking for turn by turn directions of the racing go somewhere else, or hang around after a group ride and bring a cooler full of man sodas.
So there I was, monkey fist firmly squeezing my medulla oblongata and a demon in full control of my upper and lower GI tract. Staring down a 40min crit that was about four hours away. How did I get here and why do I do this to myself? Why?...the F word...Fun. Yeah, it's all about the fun, and I am not the only one who likes to have fun. We have several instigators and propagators of hilarity and hijinx. Put all that in tight quarters, mix in some adult beverages a bike race or two and you have the recipe for one heck of a hangover.
Roadtrips are fun, seriously they are fun. You have to be in the right company and you have to have the right combo of activities and geography. Sometimes you have to look for the fun, but most of the time it will find you, just open your eyes and it will be all around you. Crazy lives everywhere, I've seen it...I've done it. Rule #1 only stop at truckstops, truckstops are like the seaports of the old world, you never know what you will find. Treasures lurk in the shadows -take a camera, for proof of what you have seen.
The best part of the weekend was the people, should I say friends, family, teammates? Yes, yes, and yes. I have the great privilege to know and cavort with some of the most incredible friends/family. In the last three years that I have been part of this crazy thing we call a cycling team, I have had some of the best memories off the bike with these cats. I have friendships that have been forged through pain and suffering but polished with togetherness. I'm not going to name any names -to protect the innocent- but we won a race had some podiums and that was all we needed to get the homebrews flowing and the google maps looking for a brewpub. Several hours later an inflatable phallus, the bachelorette party and one of Wichita's finest that we swore was a male entertainer. Oh, yeah it just happens to us. If we had not left when we did, I am afraid that some dance moves would have been displayed, with minimal skill -but displayed nonetheless.
So that brings me back to the Sunday morning hangover minus the tattoo or missing tooth. The only issue I had was, "why do I do this"? I'm pretty sure I have a problem, my problem is that I have Rock Star ambitions and a Boyscout tolerance. And that whole deal of having to race a crit in a parkinglot? I mean really? My body feels like I was part of a medical experiment at KU and me and solid food are not friends. Did I mention it is as hot as the surface of the sun? Yeah, I love roadtrips and bike racing. Am I serious about it? What do you think? I'm serious about having fun.
So there I was, monkey fist firmly squeezing my medulla oblongata and a demon in full control of my upper and lower GI tract. Staring down a 40min crit that was about four hours away. How did I get here and why do I do this to myself? Why?...the F word...Fun. Yeah, it's all about the fun, and I am not the only one who likes to have fun. We have several instigators and propagators of hilarity and hijinx. Put all that in tight quarters, mix in some adult beverages a bike race or two and you have the recipe for one heck of a hangover.
Roadtrips are fun, seriously they are fun. You have to be in the right company and you have to have the right combo of activities and geography. Sometimes you have to look for the fun, but most of the time it will find you, just open your eyes and it will be all around you. Crazy lives everywhere, I've seen it...I've done it. Rule #1 only stop at truckstops, truckstops are like the seaports of the old world, you never know what you will find. Treasures lurk in the shadows -take a camera, for proof of what you have seen.
The best part of the weekend was the people, should I say friends, family, teammates? Yes, yes, and yes. I have the great privilege to know and cavort with some of the most incredible friends/family. In the last three years that I have been part of this crazy thing we call a cycling team, I have had some of the best memories off the bike with these cats. I have friendships that have been forged through pain and suffering but polished with togetherness. I'm not going to name any names -to protect the innocent- but we won a race had some podiums and that was all we needed to get the homebrews flowing and the google maps looking for a brewpub. Several hours later an inflatable phallus, the bachelorette party and one of Wichita's finest that we swore was a male entertainer. Oh, yeah it just happens to us. If we had not left when we did, I am afraid that some dance moves would have been displayed, with minimal skill -but displayed nonetheless.
So that brings me back to the Sunday morning hangover minus the tattoo or missing tooth. The only issue I had was, "why do I do this"? I'm pretty sure I have a problem, my problem is that I have Rock Star ambitions and a Boyscout tolerance. And that whole deal of having to race a crit in a parkinglot? I mean really? My body feels like I was part of a medical experiment at KU and me and solid food are not friends. Did I mention it is as hot as the surface of the sun? Yeah, I love roadtrips and bike racing. Am I serious about it? What do you think? I'm serious about having fun.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Juicyfruit?
What is it like losing touch with reality? I guess that would depend on your version of sanity or your view of reality. Who is to say crazy is not the new black? Or is it white, pink? What's the whole deal with shoes and labor day? Does that apply to nurses? Tangent. My wife went skydiving today and most 9-5er couch dwellers would probably view the activity as fringe, or I hate to use it -extreme. Shall we, for all intense purposes just say crazy? Is that crazy? These tattooed cigarette and Redbull inhaling adrenalin addicted individuals probably look at the bean-counter chained to a desk and think that is crazy. Who wants that? Fluorescent tan, watercooler talk and a boss that needs a cover sheet on the TPS reports. Did you get the memo?
It's easy for us to point a finger at someone who is different and pass judgment as if we know what the score is. We all have things that we subscribe that might raise the eyebrow of our neighbors. You paid how much for your bicycle? Oh yeah, well how much did your putter cost? Touche. I can't cast the first stone, because of all the crazy skelotons hanging in my closet. Skateboard Snowboard Kayak MTB Road Bike Climbing Gear
Today in the hangar the jump instructor asked if I wanted to jump and I said that, and I quote "I don't have the desire". He looked back and said "it's not for everyone" -what is that supposed to mean? It's not that I am scared to jump out of an airplane, I just don't want to jump out of an airplane. I don't want tattoo's, does that mean I'm scared to get a tattoo? Not my cup of tea. Now, here is the weird thing -I would be more apt to jump off a cliff or bridge in a BASE jump, given the choice. Now that's crazy. Bungee just looks stupid to me, again not my cup of tea. Of course I'm not a tea drinker. Coffee -black.
My reality is not your reality, we might share some space in the padded room, but straight jackets come in all sizes. Is it crazy to dress oneself in a micro-thin petroleum fiber, swing a leg over a carbon-fiber human-powered machine, and proceed to do battle with the narrow-minded cell phone-texting road-raging populace in their ginormous SUVs? To do such a thing would be admittable.
Where did I put that power of Attorney?
It's easy for us to point a finger at someone who is different and pass judgment as if we know what the score is. We all have things that we subscribe that might raise the eyebrow of our neighbors. You paid how much for your bicycle? Oh yeah, well how much did your putter cost? Touche. I can't cast the first stone, because of all the crazy skelotons hanging in my closet. Skateboard Snowboard Kayak MTB Road Bike Climbing Gear
Today in the hangar the jump instructor asked if I wanted to jump and I said that, and I quote "I don't have the desire". He looked back and said "it's not for everyone" -what is that supposed to mean? It's not that I am scared to jump out of an airplane, I just don't want to jump out of an airplane. I don't want tattoo's, does that mean I'm scared to get a tattoo? Not my cup of tea. Now, here is the weird thing -I would be more apt to jump off a cliff or bridge in a BASE jump, given the choice. Now that's crazy. Bungee just looks stupid to me, again not my cup of tea. Of course I'm not a tea drinker. Coffee -black.
My reality is not your reality, we might share some space in the padded room, but straight jackets come in all sizes. Is it crazy to dress oneself in a micro-thin petroleum fiber, swing a leg over a carbon-fiber human-powered machine, and proceed to do battle with the narrow-minded cell phone-texting road-raging populace in their ginormous SUVs? To do such a thing would be admittable.
Where did I put that power of Attorney?
Monday, May 23, 2011
make it stop
Where do you go when you take the body past what you perceive to be a limit? What allowes you to handle pain? Suffering? It always seems like there is somebody in front of me pushing harder than I can manage. Fitness can get you so far, but pain management is the road less traveled. The definition of Endurance is, and I'm paraphrasing here, the ability to withstand hardship or stress, power of withstanding an unpleasant or difficult process. So really, Fitness is Pain management or in work-out terms Endurance. Therefore training is just putting oneself into a deep dark place so that the next time you can go to deeper darker places, No not like Detroit -but similar.
I see you are scratching your head. Yes, you hurt yourself so that you can hurt yourself even more the next time, because this time was just not good enough. Tolerance. The body is a peculiar thing, you can push it and push and push, and for the most part it will take it and tolerate. Sometimes it will push back, or it will go on strike. The most cruel thing the body does to oneself is it will waste away if it is not constantly pushed to some extent. I have heard that "fitness is a cruel mistress, hard to attain, difficult to maintain, and easy to lose." Like every relationship known to mankind, pain is involved. In fact pain is front and center in the relationship with fitness. They say love makes the world go 'round, I say it is pain. Pain is work, love is what people write stories about.
I witnessed an awesome display of fortitude this weekend with a teammate of mine. He cracked. I've been there, you have been there. It is a horrible experience, your nutrition is off, you are sick, you've pushed too hard, you are cooked. I was there and I was not going to let him quit (I know I'm a cruel s06). I did everything I could to keep him turning over the cranks, I tried motivation, I yelled, I tried jokes. Even in spite of everything I did...He Would Not Quit. I raced a crit the next day. My teammate was there, and when I saw him I knew no matter what happened that day, I was not allowed to Quit.
I see you are scratching your head. Yes, you hurt yourself so that you can hurt yourself even more the next time, because this time was just not good enough. Tolerance. The body is a peculiar thing, you can push it and push and push, and for the most part it will take it and tolerate. Sometimes it will push back, or it will go on strike. The most cruel thing the body does to oneself is it will waste away if it is not constantly pushed to some extent. I have heard that "fitness is a cruel mistress, hard to attain, difficult to maintain, and easy to lose." Like every relationship known to mankind, pain is involved. In fact pain is front and center in the relationship with fitness. They say love makes the world go 'round, I say it is pain. Pain is work, love is what people write stories about.
A man was hitting his head against a wall. I asked him why he was doing this? He replied, "because it feels so good...when I stop."Have you heard your name from out of the blurry crowd lining the street? Did it make your pain go away? Did you dig deep, move up, work together? Did it inspire you just a little to have your Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, Uncle, Aunt, Wife, Husband, Daughter, Son there yelling for you? Yelling at your suffering, trying to make it ease a little so that you can push back ever so slightly if just for another moment. The moment right before the body pushes back and you meet a limit. I always think to myself, in the instant when the body sends the memo that it is about to check out for the day, "hey if this were easy everyone would do it."
I witnessed an awesome display of fortitude this weekend with a teammate of mine. He cracked. I've been there, you have been there. It is a horrible experience, your nutrition is off, you are sick, you've pushed too hard, you are cooked. I was there and I was not going to let him quit (I know I'm a cruel s06). I did everything I could to keep him turning over the cranks, I tried motivation, I yelled, I tried jokes. Even in spite of everything I did...He Would Not Quit. I raced a crit the next day. My teammate was there, and when I saw him I knew no matter what happened that day, I was not allowed to Quit.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
TTT anyone?
Have I told you how much I hate Time Trials? I do, I hate TT because I am not fast. Andy and I should have a beer and talk about how much the TT sucks, how it is not for little guys like us, and on and on about the crazy bikes stupid hot helmets. Not to mention the suits that lets everyone know what you are packin'. What's that you say? Light riders can TT? No way. Tejay Vangarderen? Oh, well he dosen't count he's freaking out-of-this-world awesome.
Ok, so all I've got is a big ol' pile of ___. -Excuses, excuses excuses. I don't actively go out and do TT, I will only do them if they are local and if I don't have an excuse not to do it. Because I hate the TT. TT is a discipline that takes balls, and a willingness to put your body into a place that most people will never enter on their own. The pain cave is nice compared to the depths that one must go when racing the clock. Pain, Hurt, Dig, Effort, Exert, Destroy, Break, Deep. I don't like to hurt, well not like that.
I have two teammates that have made the TT their drink of choice, and we recently had the chance to participate in a Team TT. I was fortunate enough to be the third in the team of 3. None of us have ever done a TTT so we went boldly where we had not been, we got in two practice runs this week leading up the the race today. Not a lot of prep work, but these guys are steady wheels and a lot of fun to be with on rides. Our first ride together went great and I had the best time riding with these guys. Working together in rhythm like a precision machine is a feeling close to being in a breakaway trying to grow the gap. It's fun. Painful, but fun.
I had an absolute blast riding with my teammates on our training rides and then in the race today. Having teammates to share the workload and to go through the pain together makes the TTT special. We only had to have two riders finish, but we were not going to drop anyone. We started together and we were going to finish together. Did it hurt our result? Doesn't matter. What matters is that we worked together, stuck together, and finished together. We were out there to have fun. Thanks Robert and Jim for teaching me a lesson today.
Finishing the way we started was more important to me than leaving a teammate on the road. The most important thing that I hadn't counted on was the amount of fun that I had today. Sign me up for the next one.
Ok, so all I've got is a big ol' pile of ___. -Excuses, excuses excuses. I don't actively go out and do TT, I will only do them if they are local and if I don't have an excuse not to do it. Because I hate the TT. TT is a discipline that takes balls, and a willingness to put your body into a place that most people will never enter on their own. The pain cave is nice compared to the depths that one must go when racing the clock. Pain, Hurt, Dig, Effort, Exert, Destroy, Break, Deep. I don't like to hurt, well not like that.
I have two teammates that have made the TT their drink of choice, and we recently had the chance to participate in a Team TT. I was fortunate enough to be the third in the team of 3. None of us have ever done a TTT so we went boldly where we had not been, we got in two practice runs this week leading up the the race today. Not a lot of prep work, but these guys are steady wheels and a lot of fun to be with on rides. Our first ride together went great and I had the best time riding with these guys. Working together in rhythm like a precision machine is a feeling close to being in a breakaway trying to grow the gap. It's fun. Painful, but fun.
I had an absolute blast riding with my teammates on our training rides and then in the race today. Having teammates to share the workload and to go through the pain together makes the TTT special. We only had to have two riders finish, but we were not going to drop anyone. We started together and we were going to finish together. Did it hurt our result? Doesn't matter. What matters is that we worked together, stuck together, and finished together. We were out there to have fun. Thanks Robert and Jim for teaching me a lesson today.
Finishing the way we started was more important to me than leaving a teammate on the road. The most important thing that I hadn't counted on was the amount of fun that I had today. Sign me up for the next one.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Cutlery
Across the pond in the land of all things pasta Cavendish put another notch on the toptube. I have pretty much given up on the Giro now that Alberto is a min up on Sivtsov (HTC) second place and Nibali (Liquigas) is 1:21 down in third. I'm so done with the Giro, Please for the love of all things cycling Please would someone else Please win this or at least get him out of the Miglia Rosa so I don't have to see his stupid face on the podium every day. No, really that is how I feel. I'm gettin a little sick just picturing him on the podium fake-shooting people. Great, just threw up in my mouth. Stick a fork in this one...it's done, well done. Or is that over-done?
Once again if it were not for the excellent racing going on right here in the states, the people in white coats would have to come and pad my walls and take away all my sharps. I would have stabbed my eyes out with a butter knife long ago having to witness the unholy act of Contador on the podium day in and day out. Horner lit it up yesterday and I have that burned into the memory dvr in my head and have been playing it over and over. And, Yes, it puts a smile on my face every time I see him out-of-the-saddle dropping everyone and killing it to the end. Smiley face wink.
Oscar Freire put on a show today, one that I would gladly pay admission. En Fuego. I enjoyed the sprint finish and was on the edge of the couch ready to jump, legs twitching, looking to head-butt or elbow anyone in my way. Yeah I was in it to win it. Even though I was so enamored with the sprint, I secretly was heart broken when the leadouts caught Freire. I would have been just excited to see Oscar solo this stage. The man owned it today, he took the first sprint, the first KOM, and then second on the fourth KOM. He just needed the break to stick and solo it in for the glory. That's why cycling is cycling.
If you don't follow me on Twitter, you might not know that I picked Tejay Van Garderen to win Cali. I know, a little ambitious on my part -but you got to like this guy. I'm a little torn with Horner leading this thing, I wouldn't mind seeing him take it on home. Tejay is 2:05 down in 10th place, he has a decent TT and should move up higher in the top ten. Also keep an eye on Andrew Talansky sitting in 12th, and Brent Bookwalter in 16th. Bookwalter was in a crash at 5km to go and lost some precious time today.
I'm down to just spoons, they took all my forks and knives. What's next my shoelaces?
Once again if it were not for the excellent racing going on right here in the states, the people in white coats would have to come and pad my walls and take away all my sharps. I would have stabbed my eyes out with a butter knife long ago having to witness the unholy act of Contador on the podium day in and day out. Horner lit it up yesterday and I have that burned into the memory dvr in my head and have been playing it over and over. And, Yes, it puts a smile on my face every time I see him out-of-the-saddle dropping everyone and killing it to the end. Smiley face wink.
Oscar Freire put on a show today, one that I would gladly pay admission. En Fuego. I enjoyed the sprint finish and was on the edge of the couch ready to jump, legs twitching, looking to head-butt or elbow anyone in my way. Yeah I was in it to win it. Even though I was so enamored with the sprint, I secretly was heart broken when the leadouts caught Freire. I would have been just excited to see Oscar solo this stage. The man owned it today, he took the first sprint, the first KOM, and then second on the fourth KOM. He just needed the break to stick and solo it in for the glory. That's why cycling is cycling.
If you don't follow me on Twitter, you might not know that I picked Tejay Van Garderen to win Cali. I know, a little ambitious on my part -but you got to like this guy. I'm a little torn with Horner leading this thing, I wouldn't mind seeing him take it on home. Tejay is 2:05 down in 10th place, he has a decent TT and should move up higher in the top ten. Also keep an eye on Andrew Talansky sitting in 12th, and Brent Bookwalter in 16th. Bookwalter was in a crash at 5km to go and lost some precious time today.
I'm down to just spoons, they took all my forks and knives. What's next my shoelaces?
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