Blade Runner

You realize at one point that you are able and equipped to deal with the pressures that life throws at you in the everyday world and also in the extremes of racing. You go into it( racing,..) with a sort of apprehension every time but you know you have been fine every time in the past. A year comes along though that is out of whack with the stuff you have seen in the past. Not that the past has been mundane. Various mechanicals, lack of suppurt concerning high tech crap ,...and just basic some hard races.
I have been a cat one forever and the scene for us is sorta bleak in that if you cant get on a big local team then you have to contend with some smaller one that cant get in the big races sometimes,..I was not annoyed with this too much until recently but now it has become more of a trend. ( more races requiring invites or credentials of at leasat 4 cat ones ) I am now concerned about the future of small possible teams that can be contenders ? Should they be content to wait to get their ranks strong enuff to be recognized,..? If you really want to ge there are you willing to deal with girlfriends that dont understand the obligation,..the road rash ,..the obligations and time consumption, and possible addictive ties. ?

Risky Business

I am normally pretty courteous and cautious when racing since I realize that staying upright is the only way to get across the finish line and win some money. Sounds nice and also has a hidden agenda. This does not mean that I will always move aside when someone wants to pressure me to let them out. This was the case on Saturday. I was riding pretty close to the front and sorta to the left side of the field and I am pretty sure it was a Kenda guy on my right,he decides suddenly that he had to get out. If the left of me was not occupied with at least a couple rows of guys to that side I could have easily let slim out. If it was not soo crammed at the time approaching the bell it would have been easy to move some to let him over. I was against being soo kind as to open the door and instead I accellerated to keep him lined up with my right side. I was irritated by his pushiness and I said "what are you just gonna force your way out ?" Thinking there was really nowhere to go and this little twerp is getting annoying. The next thing I know dude just accellerates again and turns into me. I moved as far left as I could without taking out the guys to my left and slims rear skewer skewed my frickin' two spokes on the front wheel and thus causing me to have to pull out. I was beside myself and walked across the parking lot with the rim rubbing the fork. I watched the finish and sat down totally pissed off and seriously contemplated getting some back and finding that whole team to sort out which desperate pro among them it was. I believe the next thing I would have done if slim had any lip than he would have really found out how much that prize money was worth. I am admitting in this post some involvement in why it was to a small degree my fault...but it was certainly a lame move on his part to be soo nasty since the course provides a lot of places to advance. I am still boggled but the bottom line is thats racing though it has been a while since I have been this amazed by another persons stupidity on a bicycle. Oh well,...the day was lame and pros can be lame. Lame Lame lame. I some times dont get it. I think next time I will just let any rider go wherever he wants because some will simply take everyones life in their hands in order to get in the money. Thanks for the lesson. Anyway that was enuff for me for a weekend and I bagged the thoughts of any further races for a few days.

THE RACE GODS

I had a fun race weekend. The race gods frowned on me sorta with mechanical problems Saturday combined with lack of fitness at Wilmington that spelled time to pull out at six to go. The after party was where it was at though, and I was hard to convince to leave the scene. I did though and I got to the Patterson Park race I.E Bike Jam and we started and for once I got a good position. The race was fast but from the git I could tell I was gonna do better then last year where I was dropped at 19 to go..but it was my first race all year for 08" so i was ok with it then ...sorta.
Soo the race would compress here and there this year and string out elsewhere but it was not a difficulty. I was not really flying but I felt confident. I got to around seven to go and I was not anywhere near the redline that yesterday was creating. I am sure the bike jumping gears at Wilmington didnt help but I dont know it was a harder event regardless. I made it to the bell lap at Pulaski (MD.) and I was happy that the typical crash was to the side of me and not in front of me. This often happens in a race that did not stress too many engines too long. Around the top side of the curve and into the turn though some knucklehead decides he was done with pedaling and actually clipped out his right foot as though he was pulling into the pit and instantly creates a gap..I said what the fuck and was instantly assigned to the task of getting aroung his bitch ass and working to close the gap. Now I understand being gapped because of the pace getting high but this was obvious bullshit. Who does that there ? I was very taxed to catch on and this was the spot i was using to move up in earlier laps and I was counting on it here. Soo, OK I bridge, I regain composure and we go around the lower circle. I am winding up on a Mountain Khakhi wheel and then I am boxed in with a guy who stops pedaling in front of me and two riders on either side...Jared goes by on my left and I jump around on that side to get 33rd. I was boggled at the weird and unfortunate last lap antics and I kept milling it over Sunday night actually losing sleep and trying to tell myself thats racing but still very irritated about how my racing has gone this year but trying to stay positive. Cheers !

The Awakening and Work ( fun n dollars)

Remember the statue "The Awakening" and it's cool location on the tip of Haines Point? The above photo is not of the awakening but I shot this statue in Germany (Kahrlsru or sumpin) I realize that the Haines Point one is still around but simply relocated to another location...the "National Harbor" which is really sorta out of the way and not convenient for most people. A nice place and worth the visit if you plan on spending some money, especially, but its earlier location was better as a DC accessable item and hang out. Which is exactly what I did late at night as a teen to impress a girl and bail on my own keg party, I have two other brothers so they were always shared mayhem events anyway. Yeah,.. big digression from todays ride to Hains Point. It was harder to get there today thanks to heavy headwinds then to ride once there. There was little going on and the few I saw were doing spinning and chatting. Soo I went home ..back to McLean.
Work has gotten in the way of trying to get some better miles to get ready for the weekends Grand prix and the bike jam on Sunday. I could use a teammate or two who rode in or around my category to help give some motivation and some ride sharing...as well as training together with. Gets lame now that it is the second year with nobody to ride with...WAH. I guess you make your bed and so on. next year things might change,..who knows and its still early for this season sorta. Work is going well and more lawn contracts are coming along as well as the more satisfying work of creating mulch beds and constructing rock walls to contain new plantings and so on. I love seeing the results of all the new rain as far as growth of plantings and seed development.. Blah blah so at least i have that going for me. ( that was a reference to the movie Caddyshack when Bill Murray recalls a trip to India and he was given a prayer by the Dahli Lahma..or sumpin like that.

Fort Richie and Work

These photos are great. I believe the Sheldon Church Ruins are among the best American artifacts of archeaology that are still standing ...period. Circa 1845 this church remains are in the little lowcountry indian area of Yemessee SC.( hope I spelled it right...great area ) The parish was burned by the Brits during the Revolutionary war and again by the Federalists in the Civil war. Restored in the thirties and awesome today.(tombs all around in very well loved shape ) I went to college interested in architecture but settled on landscaping...maybe I will at least get a associates in varied interests...?
Fort Richie is a very interesting place and the cascade, Md. location is very nice and inspires me to get my 27 ft. RV up there to ride some nice miles and fish. The hills look great for riding and there seems to be plenty for liz and the Bear dog to do as far as hiking and stream romping. Very nice to get to an area soo close and yet soo seemingly far removed.
Liz and I collected some spanish moss from the road trip to SC, NC, And Georgia and I gathered some road rash as memorabilia. Also those darn mosquitos are ravenous bout that time. Ya"ll see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button...I liked that movie and it sorta seems to have some ties to my life in a weird way...you figger.
That race though was ok but it is tiring to ride among the power struggle that is MABRA and their battle for supremacy. The position is not new in that I have never been on the ruling team. Now there is two teams that are the obvious ones to win and the rest gather the scraps. If I were to say which is stronger I would say it is Harley Davidson...this is hopefully not a statement that is overstating the obvious though. Both are pretty stacked with contenders. I dont mind the dynamics because I figger whatever dont kill you...
Work is to be spoken of also.. The gentleman who is the VP of the team NCVC has contracted our landscaping services and I am ever soo gratefull. I grew up very close to Westlawn dr. where his house is. I was happy to do work around the old stomping grounds. It is also rewarding to bring back a garden and a flower bed from overgrown to renewed and a new license on life. I enjoy landscaping and also the satisfaction of providing smiles and good views without the pain of the glimpse at the wallet...or soo I hope. I am indebted to the cycling community in at least two ways...I get some income and I get some life lessons in humility. We all procure the best from each other and sometimes the worst also...but its in the decision of its partition and ramification that the strong flourish.

Final Speed Week Report

The Spartanburg race was another hairy event full of bumping,shouting, and some crashes. It is hair raising and nervewracking stuff. The last ten came along after hitting the pit for a wheel. I was riding well but the field was very active in the last five and the speed was starting to wear me some. Around two left and I was far enough up front but at one to go there was a serious acceleration and so a hole opened up in front of me and I was on Frank Traviesos wheel at 3 turns to go and he was last nights winner. I was just hoping to stay with him but he punched it on the back stretch and that was all I saw of him. The last two turns were dealt with ok because the race was strung out but I got 36th and Frank got 29th utilizing his powerfull kick but he was also caught off guard by the last lap split . The Dilworth crit was a course that I knew was not gonna work 4 me. The hill at the one end ran all the way up the backside to the start/stop. The race began and I was getting passed on every ascent to the finish...I knew this was gonna be tough. The rain began and the turn at the bottom thers was a crash midfield. The split caused a frantic effort in the second half and I was pegged and I knew it was over as I pushed it to the point where I decided to simply ride by my own. Naturally the group in front of me eased at the top and I tried to close the gap just because I had gotten some recovery. It was to no avail but I did get real close. So I rode solo and some came from behind some came from the front and it was a sort of hodge podge of individuals as I simply kept a steady determined pace. I was not trying to hammer but just go steady and try to finish upright. Riders came and were either dropped by my or simply pulled out. There were many riders who crashed or droped out or both. I was lapped...I was soaking..I was interested in only staying upright and finishing. Todays race was going to determine if I would finish the series and the future was looking like I was gonna skip the 5 h r. To Ga. And then drive11 hrs back monday...anyway ...the field came through of like 35 guys out of the start of maybe 120..who knows but the field was greatly diminished. I got out of the way but did a few laps in 5his group. The corner was done badly by many and the braking and sprinting made it much more difficult then my line solo...so that's the way I ended up finishing.. Solo except for a Jittery guy who sprinted around me after riding my wheel the last lap..I was wondering if he was gonna pull such a heroic move

Walterboro

Soo the fourth speed week race has come and gone and I was able to get in the money. The race was more 2 my liking in that the backside was more open and long therefore allowing time to close gaps and reshuffle b4 going into another funnel. I was 30 th place ...last in the money and ecstatic. I have been having a tuff time with this series and I am gratefull to have been some sort of a factor at least in my mind. The protest period passed and I collected the 55 clams and left. Later talking to Mark Light he said I was listed as 31 st and I was surprised. I am on my way to Spartanburg and I did see online that I am indeed slotted at 31st with a 44 th overall in the series...in the team overall I am 18 th and Rock racing is 19 th...obviously the one guy Cesar or sumpin did only one or two events as opposed 2 my 4 events but the bike rack will overlook this glaring point count detail just cause it will never happen again most likely...Well.. oh how bout details on the race ? Well it was nice bc it was less technical and I felt like I was breathing easier and mo capable to stay on wheels and to continue to pedal after people would grab breaks thus enabling upward movement into the front ...a crucial element if you want to be anywhere near the front at the end where the ramp in speed is prohibitive of place change by much if any. So if they want to get my payout back b cof a mistake f. Then oh well but I did wait for protest period to end and they did give me the check...anyway I have been getting stronger but the weight for has not dropped 4 s@it which makes me wonder if every scale I get on is simply trying 2 piss me off. Last year I was able to start at 185 and drop through the 170s and settle just under 170 most of the time..now I am steady at 180 and frustrated..I ain't going on jenny craig and just need more miles I figger ?