A Turn of A Pedal In Anger Still Turns

Perfect weather to start off Race Taper Week #1. Ohhh Yeahhhh.

Got the road bike out for a quick 31 mile/1:48 road ride. Started with Climb Option B. Still a 2 mile climb up from the river valley, but a little more gradual. Legs felt real good tonight and I was having one of those beautiful "Zen Rides". Good tempo, great weather, focused on the week's plan and Saturday's race, you know the kinda of ride I'm talking about.

THEN at about mile 18 or 19 some freaking D.B. in a pick up truck full of red necks pulls along side a screams something about how I should get off the road and use the rail trails. Now I've become a gentler rider in the past few years and have chose to not say to much in return to said D.B.s, BUT recently I've been a bit stressed on the road with all the recent tragic stories and tales of road rage. So I IMMEDIATELY let loose with a high spirited suggestion that he should move along and proceed to have large amounts of intercourse with himself. He just speeds off making sure to kick up some gravel on the side of the road at me.

My heart rate shot through the f-ing roof! I just turned into freaking monster on the climbs I was attacking them like a f*cking fool, muttering f-bombs to myself the whole way.

I once read a comment by one of the great cycling "journalists" of our time, where he commented how he does not turn pedals in anger. Well tonight for at least a few miles I went from a beautiful Zen state to complete rage on the bike, turning pedals with thoughts of kicking that gun loving-grade school drop out-sex with his sister-dog tied to a tree outside the trailer-14 year old daughter knocked up by her cousin-McDonalds eating-bad beer drinking-NASCAR loving-ass hole right in the freaking teeth with a toe spiked Sidi.

Sorry if I offended anyone with that rant. But damn that felt ggggggggoooood.

I've heard tales from some locals who had the chance to ride in Italy. They spoke of shouts of encouragement, cars waiting for THEM, and friendly waves from motorists. Sounds like heaven!

Don't get me wrong, I've encountered some really great people on the roads too. But it just seems the bad ones always out-weigh the good ones. Why are motorists so angry? I'm not in their way. Are they jealous of my freedom on the bike? Of my fitness? Do they think because I'm out riding my bike that I must be some uppity rich guy and not just an almost half way normal guy who loves to ride and race bikes and just happens to have a credit card company dumb enough to issue him a card, and doesn't care about taking some debt to his grave if it meant he spent his life enjoying the outdoors on a bike?

After I got my HR down I mellowed out again hit some farm roads, enjoyed the spring sun shine casting the shadow of my legs spinning again open fields and got back to having fun riding my bike. Aside from that incident the ride was tits. Felt real good on the climbs.

Hit up the Evil Empire (Wal-Mart) for some race/camp supplies today. Man they had and 18 pack of Red Bull for like $19. Freaking SWEET. I didn't buy it, but I'll be back.

Weather for Saturday, looks like it might be on the wet/cold side. Bring it on! If it looks to get muddy I'll go with the Dos Niner for simplicity, more tire hook up and the better mud shifting SRAM drive train.

In other news. Wanna see a World Champion mountain biker eat some mud? Check it out then!

Be careful out there.

Later.