Sweet Sunday

What a day. Up early, watched some Tour with the B-Man. He heard the Phil say "Tom Boonen" and then he started saying TOM! TOM! (I think he thought they were talking about "Tom" my master mechanic and good friend. So I told him that's Euro road dog super star Tom BOONEN. So then when Wifey got home from her run he points to the TV and says "Tom Boonen mommy". She about shit.

Then I got the Dos Niner ready and hit the trails at Boyce Park for a couple hours. The trails were in fine shape and it felt great to be back on dirt. First time I had been at Boyce in about a month or so. It's amazing what a lot of racing and road riding will do for your climbing. 34/34 felt super good, bust some nice pedal circles and get to the top nicely.

Today was another one of those rides that affirmed how just how much I love my Dos Niner, or at least the 29er format. When they first came out I was the first to say "WHY???" but now I know. I feel just as efficient, if not more so on the Dos Niner than I do on my full suspension El Santo through rough terrain.

BOTH are great bikes that I've used all year, but the Dos just feels so RIGHT. It's lighter and rolls faster. I'm really starting to think that next year I will most likely have no need for a 26" wheeled bike. If I use two mountain bikes I will add a 29" HT.

To get the El Santo to a wheight that I want would be sacrificing durability in components. Don't find the cush on the tush worth the extra weight right now (but ask me next week, I'll probably have a different opinion). This isn't a slag against the El Santo, it's more of a praise toward the Dos Niner. What's up with a 29" FS? No that seems just TOOOOO over the top. WHY??

Anyway today's ride was the tits. Got two hours of mountain biking in and nearly 18 miles of tight single track. Then I came home made up some 92% lean beef burgers mixed up with spinach, spices and whole wheat bread crumbs. Then I baked up some beans and enjoyed 1 to 4 Gin and Tonics to finish off my week of splurge before getting back into training.

Oddly this was supposed to be an recovery week and I still got nearly 9 hours of riding in. Of course I only went ballz out for a little bit on each.

I'm aborting the Wilderness 101. I hate to do it, but it's too close to the next MASS 6 Hour Race and I'd like to see where I can finish up in the oveall points for that. I think Lichtinwalner has a lock on the #1, but the rest seems pretty open.

Took the digi with me today, plus I got some more picts from Marysville from velophotos.net

First the race photos from last week....


Cruising past the pond on the Dos.


Giving it gas in grass.


Looking like I got me a "chew" in.

Now some picts from today's ride...


Sometimes Ma Nature throws some shit in the form of some downed trees. The trail gods turned this one into a neat up and over (to the left). The pict is looking back after completing. Coolness.


Multiple logs to spice things up.


More wonderful singletrack.


A little Salsa, Twin-Six, Rock Shox, goodness. Thanks to them, riding and racing goes better and looks cooler. Thanks guys!!

Later.