This is not a race report.
Since I built up my frame and turned my first laps at practice I have been undecided about my feelings toward cyclo-cross. I think it has to do with not having the intensity in my legs that I have in the past, and not being used to the pain and suffering. As if you ever get used to pain and suffering. I have a good enough imagination and knack for words that I could probably come up with about 200+ excuses for why I can't, why I don't, or why I'm so freaking slow. I'm not going to insult your intelligence.
'Cross requires an engine that has to be run in the red all the time. I do not have that kind of engine. You know what, I don't really care that much. This time of year I am in chill mode, which means railing single-track on the mtb and just riding for fun. Not like I have a training program that I follow, but especially this time of year it is only riding. Now that I have thrown 'cross into the ring there is this temptation to get all crazy into racing and training. I don't want to lose sight of what the big picture is, and it is after all...to have fun.
I have great teammates and friends that keep me with my head on straight. No, they really don't, but what they do...is make sure I am having fun. That is why we are on a team and that is why we ride bikes together. Do my teammates care if I win or if I come in last. Yes, they care that I have a good time. I like to do good, don't get me wrong I would like to win a race, but winning is not my motivation. The process is better than the end result. Riding a bike with friends and teammates is more important than the podium.
Standing on the podium is brief, but the process that gets one to that position is what matters. My teammate destroyed the field and stood on the top step today. He deserved it. I have been struggling with 'cross, and today was no different. Suffering, pain, and fun. That's right I had fun today, I lined up dead last 1) because I am learning 2) I wanted to see how many people I could pick off. In the process I suffered, I felt pain, I had fun, and I got to race with my teammates. And this folks is what it is all about.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Gettin learned
I'm about knee deep into this craze that we affectionately call 'Cross Racing.
I raced my first race a few weeks ago and flatted in the middle of the second lap. With no wheels in the pit I was done for the day. I am not sure if this was a blessing or just bad luck. I will say it again, but when you watch something don't ever fool yourself into thinking you can do it. Oh yeah I can do that... it looks easy. And, never ever try and use your brain to come to the conclusion that you can do it. Me talking to my brain: I can race road bikes, I can ride a mountain bike, and this looks so easy. Do it man, you will kick @s$!!! Yeah, I will do it, and I will kick @S$!!! Another thing of note, I usually had a man soda in my hand while watching 'Cross racing, and several others safe inside my belly. Not a good combo when common sense should be used.
I hate Time Trials, because they are hard and I suck at them, No, really. I'm the guy at a TT that is there to make the winners times look so good. 'Cross racing is all the pain of a TT, but with the added bonus, or bonuses of having to jump over barriers, mount and dismount a moving bike, sand, mud, rain, grass, gravel, corners, off-camber turns, 180*s, and just basic Pain turned up to 11, because 10 would just be too easy.
I understand why it is appropriate to heckle at a 'Cross race. If you have made the wise decision to race 'Cross, you deserve the beratement. 'Cross is not right. And those of us who have chosen this path are either brilliant or completely deranged. It is a fine line.
So far I have learned that flat prevention is a must, I will no longer have unprotected tires. I decided to go super low budget and throw some Stan's in the tubes. So far so good. Maybe if I am really good I will get an upgrade for my birthday. Tubeless. I will never be sold on tubular, well not until or if someone would like to sponsor me. If you would like to sponsor me send me an email and shloads of cash or product.
I know now that I just need to get out my Big Chief Tablet and get ready for some school. I have two #2 pencils sharpened and ready to go. I just hope some of these lessons are learned from experience gained and not from failure. Well not too many from failure.
I raced my first race a few weeks ago and flatted in the middle of the second lap. With no wheels in the pit I was done for the day. I am not sure if this was a blessing or just bad luck. I will say it again, but when you watch something don't ever fool yourself into thinking you can do it. Oh yeah I can do that... it looks easy. And, never ever try and use your brain to come to the conclusion that you can do it. Me talking to my brain: I can race road bikes, I can ride a mountain bike, and this looks so easy. Do it man, you will kick @s$!!! Yeah, I will do it, and I will kick @S$!!! Another thing of note, I usually had a man soda in my hand while watching 'Cross racing, and several others safe inside my belly. Not a good combo when common sense should be used.
I hate Time Trials, because they are hard and I suck at them, No, really. I'm the guy at a TT that is there to make the winners times look so good. 'Cross racing is all the pain of a TT, but with the added bonus, or bonuses of having to jump over barriers, mount and dismount a moving bike, sand, mud, rain, grass, gravel, corners, off-camber turns, 180*s, and just basic Pain turned up to 11, because 10 would just be too easy.
I understand why it is appropriate to heckle at a 'Cross race. If you have made the wise decision to race 'Cross, you deserve the beratement. 'Cross is not right. And those of us who have chosen this path are either brilliant or completely deranged. It is a fine line.
So far I have learned that flat prevention is a must, I will no longer have unprotected tires. I decided to go super low budget and throw some Stan's in the tubes. So far so good. Maybe if I am really good I will get an upgrade for my birthday. Tubeless. I will never be sold on tubular, well not until or if someone would like to sponsor me. If you would like to sponsor me send me an email and shloads of cash or product.
I know now that I just need to get out my Big Chief Tablet and get ready for some school. I have two #2 pencils sharpened and ready to go. I just hope some of these lessons are learned from experience gained and not from failure. Well not too many from failure.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Paris - Tours 2011
What is not to love about the Fall Classics?
If you did not catch this monument, you must at least find and watch the last 20km. Do your homework you will thank me. Google it, find it, watch it, enjoy. Most importantly be amazed by the awesomeness that is a Classic. I wish I had talent to express in words what was played out on the French roads today.
I was utterly glued to the tablet watching the last 20km, a bomb could have gone off and I would have been unfazed. FDJ had Gerard looking comfortable up front after he attacked the breakaway, but then Van Avermaet and Marcato went for the chase. When the pair caught Gerard he looked like he had the boat anchor out and was headed backwards. Van Avermaet and Marcato went full gas to the finish and ended it in a one up sprint. Like I said, I lack the words to paint a picture.
Like many of us in the "Western World", and I'm not talking west of the Mississippi. I'm talking about 'mericans. We were all scratching our heads thinking who is Greg Van Avermaet? While the whole nation of Belgium probably has trading cards of the young lad. Some of his accomplishments include the U23 National Champ of Belgium '06, he was picked up by Lotto and raced for them until 2011 when he signed with BMC. Greg is a workhorse and a true hardman of the cycling world. His second year Pro he won the Points Classification in the Vuelta, and was 8th at Ronde van Vlaanderen. In '09 he just missed the podium at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Het Volk). These are not easy races, these are not races that you can just sit in and enjoy the weather and the conversation. They are the heart and soul of the Belgian Classics. When BMC added him to the roster, I felt like they had made an excellent choice for a Rouleur and for the future campaigns for the Classics. I'm gonna get Boo'ed here, but Greg has a better chance at Roubaix than George. Hey I have much love and respect for George, and would be in awe if he hoisted the famous sett.
What the heck is going on at BMC with Thor, Van Avermaet, and Gilbert? Just to name a few. Seems like the stable is a little full of horses. Where does George fit into the plan with all of these cannibals? If anyone knows what they are doing with all this firepower it has to be Jim Ochowicz. What an awesome move to get Cadel to sign onto a team that looked to be in a very early building stage, who knew that they would be a force at le Tour? I will be watching this team very closely.
If you did not catch this monument, you must at least find and watch the last 20km. Do your homework you will thank me. Google it, find it, watch it, enjoy. Most importantly be amazed by the awesomeness that is a Classic. I wish I had talent to express in words what was played out on the French roads today.
I was utterly glued to the tablet watching the last 20km, a bomb could have gone off and I would have been unfazed. FDJ had Gerard looking comfortable up front after he attacked the breakaway, but then Van Avermaet and Marcato went for the chase. When the pair caught Gerard he looked like he had the boat anchor out and was headed backwards. Van Avermaet and Marcato went full gas to the finish and ended it in a one up sprint. Like I said, I lack the words to paint a picture.
Like many of us in the "Western World", and I'm not talking west of the Mississippi. I'm talking about 'mericans. We were all scratching our heads thinking who is Greg Van Avermaet? While the whole nation of Belgium probably has trading cards of the young lad. Some of his accomplishments include the U23 National Champ of Belgium '06, he was picked up by Lotto and raced for them until 2011 when he signed with BMC. Greg is a workhorse and a true hardman of the cycling world. His second year Pro he won the Points Classification in the Vuelta, and was 8th at Ronde van Vlaanderen. In '09 he just missed the podium at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Het Volk). These are not easy races, these are not races that you can just sit in and enjoy the weather and the conversation. They are the heart and soul of the Belgian Classics. When BMC added him to the roster, I felt like they had made an excellent choice for a Rouleur and for the future campaigns for the Classics. I'm gonna get Boo'ed here, but Greg has a better chance at Roubaix than George. Hey I have much love and respect for George, and would be in awe if he hoisted the famous sett.
What the heck is going on at BMC with Thor, Van Avermaet, and Gilbert? Just to name a few. Seems like the stable is a little full of horses. Where does George fit into the plan with all of these cannibals? If anyone knows what they are doing with all this firepower it has to be Jim Ochowicz. What an awesome move to get Cadel to sign onto a team that looked to be in a very early building stage, who knew that they would be a force at le Tour? I will be watching this team very closely.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Psycho Cross
So, there is this thing.
I've watched a lot of cross, and it looks like so much fun. Heckling from the "other" side of the tape is so much fun. The craziest thing happened... all my friends were getting Cross rigs and gearing up to race Cross this season. Not to be outdone, and lord let's not forget peer pressure (real or conceived). I broke down and bought a frame, cannibalized my race bike and now I have a full on CX race machine. A no excuse race machine. Yeah! I'm totally set.
What the ____ was I thinking? Cross is hard. Period. I'm talking kick to the crotch pain. It starts off like it's not gonna hurt, but then it slowly builds into an agonizing body death that can only be cured by a mass quantity of brewed man soda. Cross is full gas from the hole shot. The only time you can rest is when you come to the line at the finish or when you spend some time on the ground after a failed dismount over a barrier.
People Pros make things look easier than they are, make sure you know what you are doing before you sink time and money into a soul crushing body destroying good time. Don't get me wrong, Cross is awesome. Cross is tough, full on, and it requires time to perfect.
I'm watching Superprestige Rudervoorde on the interweb right now and it seriously looks like so much fun and they make it look so darn easy. Like another sport that I used to play, Hockey. Watching Pros play hockey is so beautiful, graceful, and it looks so easy. Yeah, now go out and try and ice skate, now try and hockey stop -both sides. Not so easy is it? Now try to stick handle, shoot, pass, and try not getting knocked on your backside. Yet it looks so easy. Now go ride your bike in the mud. Sand. Grass. Barriers? Stairs? Really?
Now that looks like fun, and it has to be easy right?
Crossing the tape (no pun intended) from spectator to participant seemed like such an easy thing. Buy a bike, ride the bike, race the bike. Oh, no! Once you commit you are committed...for good or evil.
I always wondered why Cross racers wore skinsuits? Answer: it is the next closest thing to a straight jacket that the cycling world has to offer.
I've watched a lot of cross, and it looks like so much fun. Heckling from the "other" side of the tape is so much fun. The craziest thing happened... all my friends were getting Cross rigs and gearing up to race Cross this season. Not to be outdone, and lord let's not forget peer pressure (real or conceived). I broke down and bought a frame, cannibalized my race bike and now I have a full on CX race machine. A no excuse race machine. Yeah! I'm totally set.
What the ____ was I thinking? Cross is hard. Period. I'm talking kick to the crotch pain. It starts off like it's not gonna hurt, but then it slowly builds into an agonizing body death that can only be cured by a mass quantity of brewed man soda. Cross is full gas from the hole shot. The only time you can rest is when you come to the line at the finish or when you spend some time on the ground after a failed dismount over a barrier.
I'm watching Superprestige Rudervoorde on the interweb right now and it seriously looks like so much fun and they make it look so darn easy. Like another sport that I used to play, Hockey. Watching Pros play hockey is so beautiful, graceful, and it looks so easy. Yeah, now go out and try and ice skate, now try and hockey stop -both sides. Not so easy is it? Now try to stick handle, shoot, pass, and try not getting knocked on your backside. Yet it looks so easy. Now go ride your bike in the mud. Sand. Grass. Barriers? Stairs? Really?
Now that looks like fun, and it has to be easy right?
Crossing the tape (no pun intended) from spectator to participant seemed like such an easy thing. Buy a bike, ride the bike, race the bike. Oh, no! Once you commit you are committed...for good or evil.
I always wondered why Cross racers wore skinsuits? Answer: it is the next closest thing to a straight jacket that the cycling world has to offer.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
What do you want?
I have recently found myself in a recession, not unlike the one the world economy has found itself mired. A little background info on my situation: I am a horrible money manager, if I have it I spend it, if I don't have it I spend it. The latter is not a good combo I hear, I hear from my wife all the time. I try, but I have a problem similar to drinking or drugs or sex or food or yes please! OK, enough time on the couch talking about my problems. I, like many of you, am a consumer, I want I want and then again I want. I want so much that they eventually become need. ADDICTION -when your wants become needs. I no longer want I need, Give it to me yesterday. When FedEx comes up with time-travel shipping I'm in, I'll pay for it.
Bikes are an obsession, which is a fancied-up word for addiction. I subscribe to the n+1 theory, whereas n is equal to the number of bikes owned. So no matter how many owned you always need +1. I recently +1ed with the addition of a new Cross bike, everyone was doing it. So, I needed to do it. (see what I did there NEEDED, not wanted) I did not want to be left out of the cool kid group. So, here is where the train comes off the tracks. I had the money for the +1, but in my money spending stupor, I failed to recognize that I did not have the funds to race, drink man sodas, sushi happy-hour, more man sodas, frozen pizza, brewing man sodas, and everything else not related to the +1 or everything related to the +1.
I am a consumer, I consume. I am not a generator, I am not an earner.
I am in the process of a mid-life transitional period. A big part of me just wants to "walk the Earth". I realize that something has to change so that I can do the things that I want to do, but yet still fulfill the need to do. I have been adding up the need column and it is pretty small compared to the ginormous want column. What is important to me and what is necessary are so far from each other that I have a lot of work ahead of me to get things right.
Right now what I really want, is to go ride a bike. Or, do I need to go ride a bike?
Bikes are an obsession, which is a fancied-up word for addiction. I subscribe to the n+1 theory, whereas n is equal to the number of bikes owned. So no matter how many owned you always need +1. I recently +1ed with the addition of a new Cross bike, everyone was doing it. So, I needed to do it. (see what I did there NEEDED, not wanted) I did not want to be left out of the cool kid group. So, here is where the train comes off the tracks. I had the money for the +1, but in my money spending stupor, I failed to recognize that I did not have the funds to race, drink man sodas, sushi happy-hour, more man sodas, frozen pizza, brewing man sodas, and everything else not related to the +1 or everything related to the +1.
I am a consumer, I consume. I am not a generator, I am not an earner.
I am in the process of a mid-life transitional period. A big part of me just wants to "walk the Earth". I realize that something has to change so that I can do the things that I want to do, but yet still fulfill the need to do. I have been adding up the need column and it is pretty small compared to the ginormous want column. What is important to me and what is necessary are so far from each other that I have a lot of work ahead of me to get things right.
Right now what I really want, is to go ride a bike. Or, do I need to go ride a bike?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Turn off tune out
I think that some of my best rides are the ones where I can truly turn my brain off and just feel. I don't meditate so the prospect of flipping that proverbial switch to neutral is not an easy task for me. Sometimes the odd rare occasion will occur and it happens...I go blank, the trees become a blur and it feels like I am a passenger along for the ride. I know my bike has a mind of its own, usually for the good but sometimes for the bad. When the brain takes a vacation my body and bike meld into one organic machine that lives breathes and rails. I try not to have work, family, people, or world issues invade my inner-sanctum when I am out for a ride, it does happen, but when I can keep the thoughts at bay, that is when the real soul of cycle locomotion is in control.
This happened tonight. It is sometimes hard to find the words that can describe the feeling that can be produced by riding a bike on a dirt trail over rocks and through trees. We used to call this "Souled-Out" back in the day when I was snowboarding. It's a transcendence that generally finds the recipient speechless, yet with a heightened awareness and super-human powers that makes one impervious to gravity. Not really, but it sometimes feels like it.
I will always come back to the central point, the point that we are riding toys. Yes, bikes are transportation, vocation, but most importantly they are recreation. Kids love bikes because they are fun. Adults love bikes because they are fun. The two wheeled time machine. Throw a leg over a bike and you will be transported (no pun intended) to a different time, a time where you are happy. Happy to be on a bike with your freedom. A perfect union of machine and human power, that creates life...or enhances life. Ride a bike...Live
This happened tonight. It is sometimes hard to find the words that can describe the feeling that can be produced by riding a bike on a dirt trail over rocks and through trees. We used to call this "Souled-Out" back in the day when I was snowboarding. It's a transcendence that generally finds the recipient speechless, yet with a heightened awareness and super-human powers that makes one impervious to gravity. Not really, but it sometimes feels like it.
I will always come back to the central point, the point that we are riding toys. Yes, bikes are transportation, vocation, but most importantly they are recreation. Kids love bikes because they are fun. Adults love bikes because they are fun. The two wheeled time machine. Throw a leg over a bike and you will be transported (no pun intended) to a different time, a time where you are happy. Happy to be on a bike with your freedom. A perfect union of machine and human power, that creates life...or enhances life. Ride a bike...Live
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Talk show
Hope this doesn't turn out to sound like some forced BS, because this is exactly what I am doing. I am forcing myself to write something in the smallest of hopes that I will actually generate a thought that I just might be able to share, well, I am going to share it good or bad. You are just going to have to live with whatever I decide to put out there, which is kind of a free flow of me just thinking and typing. Lucky you. I had better not unlock any of the closets for fear of skeletons coming out and appearing in print. Yeah it would probably make for good reading, like watching a train wreck, but then I most likely would not be able to look some of you in the eye.
What's new with you? Work did not totally suck the life out of me today, or did it? I had no motivation to do anything other than watch a replay of an English Premier League match. My motivation had to work late so my mtb ride went out the window, as if it were going to materialize in the first place. Got "stood up" yesterday, but had the motivation to get in a ride none the less. Did not feel it today. Would really like to get in a ride tomorrow, or is it I really need to get in a ride tomorrow? Not talking about need to for my fitness or training plan -cause I don't have either. I'm talking about getting in a ride so that I don't fall further down the rabbit hole, the one where TV is life support and the couch is the next best thing since, oh...sliced bread.
Did I mention that I baked a loaf of fresh bread? I have a bread machine and it totally rocks, that is when I use it. Not like it is hard, just put the ingredients in and press a few buttons, wait a few hours and viola, Fresh Baked Bread. Butter Baby. French toast kills with homemade bread, oh now you want to sleep over. That ship has sailed.
Yeah, that pretty much went where I thought it would...nowhere. OK, I've got to look at the positive...I am practicing my typing skills. Speaking of skills, thank Bill Gates and Steve Jobs for instant spell check, is that not like the coolest thing ever? Predictive typing or whatever you industry people call it is pretty darn annoying, yeah turn that crap off. I have swype on my phone and it works pretty good, except when I have no idea how to spell the word in the first place, then it is I who sucks.
P.S. I just thought of an excellent gadget for my blog... I need to put a little indicator of how many beers that I consumed for the post down at the bottom of said post. Just for the record, 0 beers were harmed during the making of this post. If anyone knows how to make gadgets, that would be super cool.
What's new with you? Work did not totally suck the life out of me today, or did it? I had no motivation to do anything other than watch a replay of an English Premier League match. My motivation had to work late so my mtb ride went out the window, as if it were going to materialize in the first place. Got "stood up" yesterday, but had the motivation to get in a ride none the less. Did not feel it today. Would really like to get in a ride tomorrow, or is it I really need to get in a ride tomorrow? Not talking about need to for my fitness or training plan -cause I don't have either. I'm talking about getting in a ride so that I don't fall further down the rabbit hole, the one where TV is life support and the couch is the next best thing since, oh...sliced bread.
Did I mention that I baked a loaf of fresh bread? I have a bread machine and it totally rocks, that is when I use it. Not like it is hard, just put the ingredients in and press a few buttons, wait a few hours and viola, Fresh Baked Bread. Butter Baby. French toast kills with homemade bread, oh now you want to sleep over. That ship has sailed.
Yeah, that pretty much went where I thought it would...nowhere. OK, I've got to look at the positive...I am practicing my typing skills. Speaking of skills, thank Bill Gates and Steve Jobs for instant spell check, is that not like the coolest thing ever? Predictive typing or whatever you industry people call it is pretty darn annoying, yeah turn that crap off. I have swype on my phone and it works pretty good, except when I have no idea how to spell the word in the first place, then it is I who sucks.
P.S. I just thought of an excellent gadget for my blog... I need to put a little indicator of how many beers that I consumed for the post down at the bottom of said post. Just for the record, 0 beers were harmed during the making of this post. If anyone knows how to make gadgets, that would be super cool.
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