60 More & A Dozen Roses

Wow, what a two days of great riding. Yesterday a planned 35ish miles turned into 53, followed by some brews with friends at the Tap Room last night. Then today ANOTHER 60 miles of gravel grinding with those same friends. Just Titz-tastic™ weekend.

My legs HURT last night as I walked up the stairs. This morning I felt great, a little tired from the late night beers with Chris, but still good. A good breakfast led me to Mo-Mo to hook up with Chris, Mike and Ryan for some Michigan gravel grinding. The plan was for 50 miles... we did 60 and it was damn fun!

I REALLY expected the worst for the ride. A long, slow ride in the wind yesterday, followed by some less than stellar recovery and sleeping last night REALLY had me expecting super dead legs and a want to die. That really never happened. I felt great the whole ride and finished strong at the Mountain Top Brewery for a post ride recovery beer with the guys.

The weather was damn sweet today and only called for some early ride arm warmers that were soon ditched. The wind was strong again, but that just made it harder, which made it better, and "funner."

We stopped for snacks about 40 miles in and I did a super very much not at all scientific research experiment where I pitted the Little Debbie Oatmeal Pie vs The Little Debbie Fudge Round. As much as I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Oatmeal Pie. The Fudge Round knows NO fear and CRUSHED the Oatmeal Pie. Little Debbie Fudge Round = BEST. RIDE FOOD. EVAH.

Gotta split. Shit to do, beer to drink, Wii to play, dishes to do, and smiles to be had after 113 mile in the past 2 days.

Later.

Feeling A Little Lost

Man, what a horrible night of sleep! I fell asleep straight away, then woke up around 2 and was wide awake. Like 9 cups of coffee awake. It seemed like hours that I laid awake, probably because it WAS hours. Then I thought I heard B-Man stirring and saying something. Nope, not B-Man, he is 600 miles away. OK, starting to get drowsy, almost 4... 4:05.... "WHAT??? THE STREET CLEANERS?? SERIOUSLY??" I mean I dig my streets clean, but I REALLY dig getting some sleep more. UG!

Finally I fell asleep. I wanted to sleep in, and maybe should have, but damn I had XXC shit to do in the form of sending out invoices (daddy needs paid!!), and would just feel too slack sleeping in on a workday. So up, a pot of coffee, some breakfast, some work, and some Mud down, and done. Now it was time to think about a ride. The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky, and just a hint of the nipple erecting omnipresent Michigan morning chill in the air. Of course there was also a nice breeze blowing, which meant that once out of town there would be a nasty ass breeze blowing. Frig. But frig the frig, I need, nay LUST a ride.

I assumed the dirt roads would be mushy, so I planned to stick to as much pavement as I could. But in this part of Michigan as sure as the air is nip, and the wind is blowing, you can be sure that at SOME point the pavement ends and the gravel begins. This is the major reason why I have not been on my road bike (other than one 2 mile aborted ride, and the trainer) since I moved here last October. Literally hundreds of miles on my mountain and cross bike, and about 2 on my road bike. For this area the CX bike is THEE bike for road/"road" training. IMHO.

I knew pedaling out of town with a nice stiff tail wind pushing me along at 25 mph that there was going to be a painful price to pay later. Soon I turned off Crawford and onto Deefield (AKA the Gateway To The Dirt Roads). Crested the small little roller and was faced with a flooded road. Crap.


I could have rode through it like the truck in the pic above did, but with the nipple erecting wind and nip in the morning air ("I'll take things that have "Nip" in the word for $500 Alex."), and NOT wanting to flood my hubs with gritty dirt road water, I opted to backtrack and hit another "gateway" road further down Crawford.

All I really wanted was to get off Crawford and over to some lower traffic pavement, and I got there eventually. Soon I was flying down Whiteville Road at close to 30 mph. Gotz to love the tailwind!!
I just stuck to Whiteville, to Ward, which quickly turns into Green, which turns to Lumberjack and takes you to the bustling metropolis of Riverdale, MI. Riverdale consists of a bar, a grain shaft, a diner, a funeral home, and unbelievable a natural food store (Manna Foods).

I eventually took a right thinking I would just hit Douglas which after a LONG time ends up being the gravel Nottawa Rd. But Douglas seemed to come up too soon. I thought to myself "ah, another right turn will come up eventually." And it did, but not before pavement turned to gravel (I told you!!), and I was greeted with a balls slapping headwind. CURSE YOU VILE WIND!!

As (bad) luck would have it the road went right, then bared left and had me not knowing WHERE the f*ck I was! I mean I was lost, but not LOST! I knew if I just kept making making turns I would get to where I needed to be. Sure I passed A LOT of NO TRESPASSING signs, and even one that claimed that I was under surveillance (I sensed NObama Militia on that one), but I just kept flowing with it knowing what direction I was going and knowing that I could always backtrack.


Finally I knew where I was, but there was a problem. I was at M-46 with nowhere to go but right and onto it. Frig! M-46 is a pretty busy road with lots of traffic. A nice shoulder to ride on, but I was UNHAPPY about having to ride this road as trailer trucks buzzed down this two lane road at 60+ mph and I was struggling with a strong cross wind. UG!!

My anus was puckered like I just had a lemon suppository as I pedaled down the road, but I really did NOT feel like backtracking at this point, it had been too many miles. Finally after being blown (and not in a good way) all over the road, I hit Douglas/Nottawa and once again was tea bagged with a head wind direct from Satan's under carriage. UGGGG! I went from going nearly 30 mph UP rollers earlier on pavement to gritting my teeth pushing hard to go 10-13 mph on the softish dirt roads.

I had not planned on a big ride today. I thought maybe I'd do 30 MAYBE 35, but now I was looking at 50 easy. Luckily "just in case," I packed an extra bottle and a flask of Hammer Gel. UN-luckily after one hit of gel I forgot to close the cap and found out several miles later that I had a back pocket full of Montana Huckleberry Smurf Spooge in my pocket. UGGG!

Being on a road I knew was cool. Not have semis flying by at 60 mph was better, but that didn't stop me from cursing the existence of me, softened (but not muddy) dirt roads, and the Goddamned wind!

Not soon enough I found myself back to Crawford, pavement and after 53 miles and 3+ hours I was home. Sweet Baby J!!

It was a worse ride than I had planned, it was a BETTER ride than I had planned. Does that make sense? I suppose it does if you do the shit I attempt to race (and your probably do, or why the hell else would you read this dross??). Don't get me wrong, I am a total shlep at racing, and am in NO contention to win anything other than a Dick Spot in some low level never heard of race with 5 people in it, but still there is pretty sweet pain that comes with even with aiming for mid pack and Dick Spots.

Home now, four hours later, the quads are sore from pushing hard into the wind. Walking up the steps is a pleasant reminder of a good day in the saddle in the sun. There is much smug joy.

Time to try to enjoy (with no real luck) an empty house with no B-Man and no soft Buhndchuckian Wifey type person. I suppose a few pints of The Curl, and some FIFA '11 will help, but then it will be resting and get ready for a group ride with some fellow MP rider type people tomorrow morning. Not sure what good can come of that? LOL!

One last thing: Always make sure you check wind direction before a roadside nature break. Yuck.

Later.

Huckleberry Thursday

Woke up to MORE rain today. Yikes! I can count on less than two hands the amount of days of rain I have experienced here in Michigan since last October (snow is ANOTHER story entirely of course) but damn, this week has brought back a LOT of (bad) memories of Pittsburgh and Western PA.

With the rain coming down, I opted to revisit the gym. UG! I REALLY did NOT think I would be doing this in late April. Yeah sure, in mid February I can kill and hour on the StareMaster™ (misspelling intended, did you SEE those pants that chick was wearing??) whilst staring at the TV (fucking Nate Berckus?? REALL????) and any butt on the machine in front of me, but late April, SERIOUSLY??? UG! To be honest if I would have stuck it out 'till 11 or noon, I could have had a dry ride in 30 mph winds, but I had shit to do. So I went to the gym, did my thang, and headed home.

Wifey and B-Man headed to WPA for quick visit with our new nephew/cousin Ivan today, and I dove head first into more work, broke up by a trip to Alma and Terry's Cycle (one great location to serve you). Picked up the Ti El Mariachi and its new drive train, hung out with Napper and Terry, then headed home to FINALLY chill.

Looks like the weather could break tomorrow for a ride, and then this weekend I hope to do some gravel on Saturday and some single track on Sunday. Fingers crossed on all that.

There is so much I want to try to pack into the coming season and summer I just don't know if there's going to be enough time, fitness, and talent to go around. On top of all that there are a ton of things that I want to do with the mag that I don't know if I have the time, talent, and cash to pull off. But you know what- sometimes I look at other cycling publications and I dig their vibe, I mean it's all bikes so it's all good, but XXC has LESS ads (which are sold for way less cash), and covers MORE of the racing and riding I do and dig.

One of my main goals when producing XXC was/is to produce a mag that I would WANT to read and look at. Every issue I have done (OK, at least since Issue #4) has been one that I would want to buy and be a part of. So to ME XXC Magazine is the best mag out there. No roadie bore-a-thon/dope scandals, or hucking off a cliff to certain death downhill free-ride shit. No "get fit now," no fluff, no wall-to-wall ads, blurbs, and shit content. Just an honest mag put together with with words and photos from folks out there doing it. I've said it before, I'll say it again... XXC could end tomorrow and I would die (or at least find another job) knowing that at least for a brief time in my life, I did something I loved, felt a passion for, and was proud of. OK... DEEEEEP breath Jason... It's allllllll goooood.....

OK, OK, time to make some dinner, miss my Buhndchuck and Woobie and chill.

Later.

That Was Just Stupid

We have been getting some stupid amounts of rain here. We have hardly had any this spring, since most of it's been snow! But it is making up for it this week for sure. Just pissed down buckets + hail last night. So this week has been wallowing in non riding suckness.

I mentioned I went to the gym yesterday. I had sort of decided to lay off the leg work and rely just on the bike for leg strength and work. But yesterday I once again thought it was smart to go like two weeks in between leg work to push high reps of hundreds of pounds on the leg press. UG!! VERY sore today, and I think I sort of tweaked a nut. All that was not very smart, but it was very stupid.

With XXC Magazine #11 out the digital door yesterday, I had to catch up with a TON of accounting type work today. Have I mentioned that I failed Accounting in high school. Of course I failed most courses in high school... Anyway, through the magic of simple to use software I was catching up on the losses, profits, expenses, losses, and expenses of XXC today and sweet hay-Zeus it twisted my mind around. Numbers... Numbers... Numbers.... Headache. It was just stupid. But I got caught up, and for once have a firm grip on expenses. Meaning I have a firm grip on seeing WHAT I spend, not NOT spending.

As the rain poured, and my head spun from math, I knew I needed to spin the legs. I don't want to have to say the words... don't make me say it..... Oh eph!! I got on the trainer, OK!!! Had the lap top hooked up to watch some XC racing, the iPod cued up, spun for about 11 minutes, and thought "this is so f*cking stupid, it's almost May," unclipped, unplugged and went back to work.

Stupid rain...

Stupid weights...

Stupid math...

Stupid trainer...

Stupid me.

Later.

Coming Down

Race Saturday.

Gravel Sunday.

Monday was go-go-go-go work getting XXC #11 finished up.

Now it's Tuesday, the mag is done, and I can breath for a moment and come on down. This one was a tough one. Things just didn't come together for me creatively. But in the end there were a lot of great things I love about it. Now to start thinking about #12. OK, maybe not just yet.

It also pissed down rain in buckets all morning and evening. Not cool. I suppose we needed some rain up here, but was sort of bummed to miss out on a ride. So I had to make a quick to the gym for a workout, then home to get back to work and finish up the loose ends with the mag.

Finally going to get the endurance season started this coming month: I signed up for The Hanson Hill Hundred on 5.28, but before that there is the 6 & 12 Hours of Stony Creek on the 14th. I will most likely sign up for the 6 hours for that one. A. Because I probably don't have what it takes to ride 12 hours anymore, and B. I'm pretty sure I don't have the attention span to do another LAP race for 12 or 24 hours. I can barely get this blog written without pausing to look at porn, check other site, and goof off. Plus the 6 hour doesn't start until 2 p.m.. And that gives me plenty of time to eat breakfast, take 6 to 9 dumps, drive and get ready to race. Maybe too much time though? We'll see. I've been told the races are pretty grass rootsy, but cool to do. Again... we'll see.

Later.

Nothing Eggciting (Easter Pun)

After the 25 mile single track Rust Shaker XC race yesterday, I had little, if any, desire to ride this morning. But after a long, long, long morning of putzing, putting off, making excuses and laying on the bed thinking of going BACK to bed, I finally stuffed the buttocks into the bibs, and got gussied up to do some gravel grinding. I think I owe part of the motivation to Guitar Ted and his Trans Iowa news updates on his blog. I figured if those folks can ride gravel 30+ hours, I can find the energy to get in at least a couple hours of riding.

I had NO expectations for the ride. I expected tired legs, and little energy. But I was pleasantly surprised to feel REALLY quite good! I only took one bottle with me since I expected the worst. I ended up with 2+ hours, 45 miles, and a drained (unfrozen, can you believe that??) bottle.

Once home it was downing some leftovers, a quick shower, and then making some food to take to an Easter dinner with friends.

What a great weekend on the bike. Racing, gravel, and (for the most part) guilt free eating.

I took some quick pics today with my simple Fuji P&S. Usually this camera does well by me for quick shots while on the bike, but somehow the color and white balance was all jacked today and all the shots came out with a blue/green/white hue. Not to be discouraged I fooled around with some PS actions and tricks and found some shots. Rather than litter the post with half assed pics, I made a half assed slide show.

Rest day tomorrow, but a BIG work day as I try to get the next XXC on the digital newsstand.

Later.

Rust Shaker XC

Snows during the week and some rain on Friday left me with no idea how the trails would be for the Rust Shaker XC race at MMCC. As I've mentioned in previous posts, race day age had me racing in the Pro/Expert class (I am neither of those) rather than the 40+ Expert Vet class (I am at least closing in on ONE of those faster than a fat kid to a cheesecake buffet.

I knew the trails wouldn't be as bad as the trails can get back in PA, the soil is just different and drains a lot differently/better. But still, you never know. The morning temps were chilly for sure in the high 40s with a nipple erecting breeze, but I knew that once my lard ass and thick DVT inducing blood got warmed up I would be hot as hell, so I made sure not to overdress, and just went with arm/knee warmers. That as a good move on my part.

Since there was a pretty popular time trial race this weekend, there was only like 9 guys racing Pro/Expert today, so I thought I would surely be bringing up last place. One advantage was that we got to go off first and that was sweet. A half mile or so paved section through the MMCC campus led us to the first section of single track for a short start loop that would then dump us back to the start/finish and on to two full laps. This meant doing the 2 short power line climbs on the course three times and would bring the mileage up to about 25 miles for the race, which I dug for an XC course.

Mid way through the first lap I settled in behind my friend Chris. Chris was racing his single speed in the Pro/Expert class rather than the Single Speed Class. He is generally faster than me, so I was happy to be able to hang on his wheel for a few miles until I misjudged a shift and he (with only one gear and no shifts to miss) pulled away from me as I grunted up the short climb.

Now I was pretty much by myself just barely able to see him up ahead as we headed towards the Start/Finish and the end of lap one. Then we cross the line, and do a short section of power sucking grass and back onto the single track. I felt so good when on the single track but the grass was a kick in the junk. A mile or so back into the single track I saw Chris again, and worked to get back up to him. I finally made it and clung to his wheel a couple miles. He asked me if I wanted a pass, but I feared that I would blow up PDQ if I made my pass now after working to get back up to him so I hung on longer.

About 17ish miles in we hit a flatter section, I figured, "what the hell?" might as well try now rather than wait longer and look like a jerk for sucking his wheel for the whole race, and passed on his left. Then I tried to use my gears to gain some time on him. I was shocked when after a couple miles I looked back and didn't see him. Strange. So I just kept up the pace, passed another dude (not sure what class, but he was either Pro/Expert or Expert Vet (again I was shocked to have made a pass that stuck). I just wanted to keep up my pace, not do anything stupid and see what I could do about not finishing last.

Soon I saw another racer up ahead, but didn't think I had anything to catch up with him. Well he must have jacked something up in a greasy little uphill grunt, 'cause the next thing I knew he was asking me if I wanted a pass. I declined until I thought I could make a move that would stick and not have me IMMEDIATELY getting passed again (which usually happens to me).

As I rode behind I noticed he had what looked to be a PowerTap hub. Nothing against PowerTaps, or the dude, he seemed cool, but I have to admit I did get some motivation to pass a dude with a PowerTap. Sort of a "win" in itself for aging, waist expanding, talentless racers like me everywhere who are fueled by good beer and bad Mexican food! LOL! Again, I thought "what the hell?" and made a move. I was not confident at all that this one would stick, especially since it looked like he weighed about 30 pounds less than me and we still had those power line climbs to do. So I made the pass, and soon found myself on those climbs. I was less concerned with him and more overjoyed that I only had about a mile or two to go to the finish. I was sweating like a cow getting on the USDA Grade A Bus to the city, and felt a slight cramp in my leg as I powered up one small climb- "NO, NOT NOW!" But as luck would have it, it faded just as fast as it came and I was closing in on the last bit of single track.

Grunting up a muddy false flat there were some spectators yelling and I got motivating slap in the ass as I spun by. It appeared that the PowerTap dude was not going to get me as long as I didn't do anything stupid. I mean I had no idea what class he was in, he could have been Sport for all I know, I just didn't want my passing effort to go for not. Now I was done with the single track, and just had a few turns through a short grassy section to the line.

I was done. Sweet!

I crossed the line in 1:59. I was pretty stoked with the effort since last week when I rode there my time was about the same and I had only done 20ish miles. Today there was a few extra miles and the trails were not as dry. Best of all I did NOT finish in last place. Sure there were only like 9 starters in my class and I finished 5th, and a good 20 minutes behind uber fast Jorden Wakely, but that dude is literally HALF my age and about half my weight! LOL!

Afterwards the Rust Shaker folks treated us to mounds and mounds of free Hungry Howie's Pizza (I helped myself to seconds of course), and had a raffle. I won socks. Super cool, black, surely to make me faster Sock Guy "Big Earl" dragon socks! All in all a good day. My 3rd race on Michigan soil... another good time, I saw a lot of (already) familiar faces and friends, and I continue to sort of enjoy this XC thing. I suck at it even more (or at leas the same as) than at XXC racing, but still fun. There is still about 3 or 4 weeks until the first endurance race of the year. Pretty sure that's a six hour one, but hell, who knows?

One thing I wanted to add: I used the Spearfish today and my God it was the PERFECT bike for this course. This course doesn't have a ton of climbing, but the trails are not that forgiving. To be able to sit and just hammer was titz. How the bike would have been on a climbing course I can't say, but for THIS course, today, it suited ME just fine. Falling in between the Dos Niner and the Big Mama, it has proved really damn good to me so far and for most endurance races it will probably get the nod. I'd like to knock about 2 pounds off of my build, but it would be cheaper and better to knock 30 pounds of ME!

Time to enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Later.

Pre Rust Rustyness

Wow, seem like I was just getting ready to race LAST week and now it's the eve before another one. This time at my home-ish trails at MMCC. The race is the Rust Shaker. I'm not one to think positive, and I ain't about to start now! I have but one class choice for this race (unless I sandbagged in Sport, and I'm not) and that is Pro/Expert. And it isn't a big field, so I have pretty much decided that I will be the Lanterne Rouge for this one. No big, I want my racin' money's worth, and 2 laps in this class will yield me about 24miles.

The course sounds if-y as they had some snow there this week and as I type this it is raining a little. Shouldn't be a mud fest or anything, but it will be slick in a few sections. I'm using the Spearfish for this course. I've used the El Mariachi, the Spearfish and the Dos Niner on these trails, and the Spearfish is the hands down winner. Lots of seated hammering can be done and NOT get beat up. And the Spearfish is good at that, damn good! Plus B-Man and I delivered the El Mariachi to Napper at Terry's today to get a new drive train and free hub installed, so I don't even have it. (sniff, sniff, wiping tear).

Got wind of a SWEET ride going down next month. Can't wait for it. The Trifecta Tour on May 22nd. A sweet 41 mile ride to benefit the Western MMBA. Looks like a damn good time if you dig single track and want to see more built in the coming years here in Michigan. Look at me pimping the my new state's trails, LOL. Well, while I'm living here I gotz to do what I can to enjoy what the state has to offer, and fun single track is well worth my time and money.

Finished XXC #11 today. Just some EPS/PDF nerdy conversion type things to do next Monday, and then upload, publish, and hope people dig. There is a look at the cover....

I love my job.

Time to do some chillin', relaxin' and worryin' about tomorrow's Rust Shaker blood bath.

Later.

It Didn't Take Long. Did You Think It Would?

By the end of my lengthy diatribe against ever riding in the cold again yesterday I sort of knew it wouldn't stick. I thought I would go at least until racing this weekend having avoided being cold on a ride. Little did I know it would only be about 15 hours before I caved like a Glenn Beck fan presented with facts (not brought to them in a condescending made up manor). Yep yesterday's post was at 7:31, by 1O:30 today I was headed out the door for the Brunch Time Ride.

In my defense the sun WAS out, and I WAS riding dirt roads, and that was all included within a series of cleverly (or not so cleverly designed "outs."). While it was pretty hot here today, and by "hot" I think we hit 46˚ or something like that, the ride time temps were in the high 30s with a nice tail wind turned, cross wind, turned, hate your parents for birthin' you head wind. But it was still all good. Slow (because I am), but good.

I am 98.5% done with XXC #11, the sun was out, the sky was blue, and I was on my bike for a couple hours... and that was enough to make the day pretty damn not bad and somewhat tolerable. B-Man is off tomorrow for Good Friday, and I am ON tomorrow as Daddy, so rides will NOT be had, work will be at a minimum. Not to mention anticipation for the "I assume it's still on, 'cause I haven't heard it's not, I am so gonna finish last in a small group of really fast ass Expert/Pro XC guys" Rust Shaker XC race will be in full effect. (That means my colon will be working O.T.). Mental note: Buy more chamois cream. And some Imodium, that might help too.

Gotta go. Making Thursday my Friday, since Saturday might be my Sunday this week, and I want a few beers and some Mexican that won't "soil" my race day chamois. Some days I love my life. But give me 10 minutes and I will surely hate it. THAT is why I have issues my friends. Lots and lots of issues....

Later.

Limbo Week

Wow, after a couple weeks of getting some nice rides in and ending with racing on Sunday at Yankee, this week has sort or rubbed the underside of a donkey's nuggets. Rubbed raw. To tell you the truth I can't even remember if I did or didn't ride the trainer on Monday, and if I didn't I have no idea what I did or didn't do as far as "doing stuff."

Tuesday I was forced to the gym as some crap weather moved in (surprise!) that included (and I am not kidding), gusting wind, snow, sleet, hail, thunder, and rain. No snow really laid on the ground here, but I have heard reports that just 30 minutes north it put down a few inches or more. So Saturday's Rust Shaker is in doubt right now, but I have not heard anything yet one way or another.

I actually didn't mind hitting the gym and plan to go at least one day a week through the season to keep up the work on my wildly hot, and buff physique. I'm kidding of course, just trying to keep shit from sagging to for a few more years. When I was at the gym yesterday there was some pregnant chick riding the recumbent exercise bike. She was dress in an all black unitard, which I assume was to worn so as to call less attention to her and her baby bump (I hate that term, yet I just used it. I guess this is turning into People Magazine now or something?). But then she capped off the outfit with knee high black and white striped socks. So the whole low key workout gear was sort of shot. It was sort of amazing, and I may try to replicate it for a race or two this year. (See artist rendition below, although that lady looks like a man baby).
Today was continued work on XXC #11. It's about done, and SHOULD hit the digital shelves Monday or Tuesday next week, if all goes smoothly. I will be glad to get this one done. I have struggled a bit with it, but am happy with it. I just have some other ideas, but I can't work on them yet, because the race(s) have not been run yet! By the way, have you checked the new Ts in stock at XXCMAG.COM? Every size except XL is still available. Plus I have plenty of Fun Hurts tees in too. CLICK HERE to check 'em or buy 'em.

Today was also time on the trainer. Many of my friends have put their trainers away for the spring and have vowed not to get back on them 'till next winter. Well it seems that winter is STILL here and it's mid April, so I am doing the opposite. I vow NOT to freeze my ass off on ride again, until next winter (unless it's a race, then I'll just put on my big boy gutchies and do it). It's spring, I want to sweat, feel the sun, and if I have to- dodge rain drops. Not snow flakes, ice, and bone chilling wind. So this is it, no more rides in the cold. I'm done with it. I refuse to put multiple layers of clothing on until next fall (or in race, but we've covered that already, move on). This ban also doesn't really apply for mountain biking.... since I never really get THAT cold mountain biking... it's the road shit that gets me cold.... and I really don't like doing that anyway. So again I say NO more riding in the cold UNLESS it's a race... or mountain biking. Now if it's sunny and not howling wind, I might ride the dirt roads. For some reason I have a feeling that this hissy fit ban on cold weather riding it not REALLY gonna be the hardened stance that I envisioned when I started this lengthy paragraph of complaining.

OK, to get back to today... I rode the trainer, and had the best ride on it. Not because my legs were great (they weren't), or I felt fit (I'm not), but A. I wasn't cold (see lengthy, bitch fest above), and B. I had the BEST live Frank Black show to listen to today. Live: Reading Festival 1994. So many good songs on it, and so many that remind me of summer and riding, including the song "Headache." Why does "Headache" remind me of mountain biking? Well, back many years ago, when I first started getting into mountain biking I remember reading a piece in Bike magazine (back when I really dug Bike mag and it wasn't all free ride huck this cliff type coverage) and there was some quotes from that song in a piece. Stuck in my head, now that song always makes me think of riding. Then again, I could see a nun, eating a hot dog, while driving a Buick and there would SOMETHING that would somehow remind me of riding. Doesn't take much.

Who says I can't blather on about stuff even when I have done nothing and continue to do nothing of note concerning riding a bike.?? Take that b-words.

Later.

A Lovely Rude Awakening By Yankee Springs

The second race of the year, and my first XC race in 7 or 8 years is under my lengthening belt. The closest I have come to this sort of racing was a couple low key CX races in 2008, and the Snotcycle race in Leesburg in 2009, everything else has been hundies, 12 & 24 hour races.

My 2011 race season started with the 35 mile Barry-Roubaix gravel race, in temps of around 24 degrees. I figured by mid April and the Yankee Springs Time Trial I would be racing in just a jersey and shorts, and maybe some arm warmers. Well, maybe if I were a bit further south in Ohio or PA, but I forgot that I am Michiganderburgher now, and race time temps were about 32-ish with some pellet like snow blowing around every so often, and a non stop gusty bone chilling high wind. Brilliant!

I drove down early Sunday AM, and took MP race buddies Mike and Chris along with me. With gas $4 a gallon it made a ton of sense for us to carpool even it it was a bit cramped in the xB. Mike guided me there on a maze of back roads that was WAY different than any way I have ever gone to the Yankee Springs area. But it saved us some time, and gave me a look at some interesting little rural Michigan towns I hadn't been through yet, as well as allow me to drop a pre-race poop at a McDonalds near the venue. Crap food, but crap worthy bathrooms.

Once there we met up with Napper from Terry's and some of his friends that had a bad ass RV that we were welcomed to hangout and stay warm in. That really rocked, and sure as hell beat standing around shivering. Big thanks to the Shuttle for keeping my before race cockles warm.

I was racing the Expert 40-49 class (God I'm so old! And fat, don't forget that), and before I knew it, race officials were corralling us like cattle into the start pen (sadly there was no cattle prod to spice it up), and putting us into pairs to launch from the start house every 10 seconds. I gave the the go head to my start partner to take the lead out of the box so as to prevent any potential crash as we exited and headed down hill through a short sandy section. As I mentioned I haven't raced an XC race in forever, therefore my expectations are/were pretty low. The main goal of doing these races is to check out the scene in my new state, ride some trails, and see if I can not finish last. To be honest if I had a "placing" goal it was just to being the mid pack, but I wasn't sure that was really possible given my lack of XC race experience and potential to suck the business end of the suck stick.

The first part of Yankee is a slight down hill, then it's pretty rolling before starting some climbing. As soon as the legs had to put forth an effort, I was immediately less than thrilled with their response. I had felt pretty damn strong earlier in the week up at MMCC, but the cold temps just seemed to be sapping their mojo, not to mention my warm up was less than stellar given the temp. I mean it is HARD to get the legs warmed up and get a sweat on when it's 32 and blowing snow out Jack Frost's poop chute. Luckily the legs and slight bit of mojo started coming around after a few small climbs. Not to mentioned descending, and rolling around berms through sweet single track is enough to make you forget the pain, OK maybe not forget, but at least accept it more openly!

I was passed PDQ by my co-pilot Mike who started about 30 seconds behind me, and nearing the end of the first lap I was passed by back seat Chris who started a few minutes behind me! LOL! I just kept my pace tried to overtake riders when I could, but often found myself sitting in behind them and adjusting to their pace. Why? Dunno? Just did. Not something you really want to do in a time trial effort! Ha! But it's all in the re-learning of this sort of racing. So many of the races I have done in the past 6 years have been to just to try to finish, I had some OK results here in there (AKA "flukes"), but the main goal was just to put out a huge effort and get to the line and earn some beer and Mexican calories. When a race is only 22 miles, as long as I don't die or something I am pretty certain I can make it to the line. Now, making it there FAST is a whole other story and something I need to try to learn and push myself to do.

Although temps were freezing and the wind was a howling, frozen bitch, I was dressed fine with just the Craft windblocker base shirt under the jersey, some cool weather gloves and knee warmers. Anything more would have been overkill and had me overheating for sure. The first lap seemed to fly by and before I knew it I was crossing the line and out for lap two.

There were 12 rocks on the course
and they are all in this photo.

Much of lap two I found myself riding alone. No rabbit to chase meant that it was easy to loose once again lose sight of the goal of going FAST! Towards the end I got behind a rider who was going less than my desired speed, but finding a pass was proving difficult. By the time I made my pass there was only a short stretch of trail leading to the finish. I crossed the line in 1:54:53.1. In the end it was good enough (or bad enough) for 23rd place out of 39 in my class.

I hoped for mid pack, but sort of ended up closer to the back. The only consolation is that racers 18 through 23 finished within mere seconds of each other, so I guess I SORT of made it to the mid pack in my age class! But wow, I am really grasping at straws to try to feel good about this effort, am I not? LOL! It was sort of nice to go out, race hard for 2 hours and be done. Also nice to not have to worry too much about puking up spent Hammer Gel all over my top tube (not that I didn't have snot and drool spewing out of my face for almost 2 hours). It still hurt, but in a different way than I am used to.

On a whole this racking was a rude awakening for my XC race skills, but it was still fun. Saturday it will time to do it again in a more traditional XC format up at MMCC in Harrison, MI at the Rust Shaker.

Later.

Friday & A New State Of Living

Today (Friday) was a good day of doing nothing, and it felt good on many levels.

First level: Yeah, I popped during my ride yesterday. I should have rested or laid back, or at least dressed better, but I rode, and even though from my blog post it sounded bad, I actually had fun pushing myself through the "discomfort" of the ride. Saying "pain" would be too much, it wasn't all that long, it just wasn't all that fun. But still fun in a twisted way. Dig?

Today I busted out some nice XXC work in the a.m., and then got a call from Wifey that she needed some sort of tax info delivered to the office ASAP, so I gussied up, and used the opportunity to drive somewhere as a chance to continue on down 127 to Alma and visit Napper at Terry's Cycle and get the Jake's wheels and brakes looked at.

Papers delivered and 20-ish miles later I was at Terry's, Napper took care of my wheel, the brakes, and I was on my way feeling damn good that there is a shop like Terry's so close. Good peeps. Napper used to wrench for Volvo/Cannondale back in the day when pro mountain bike racers actually made a living from it. Now he's home in Michigan, co-owner of Terry's Cycles, and taking care of business in the shop and on the race course. Not to mention he's a super nice guy with, a nasty ass sense of humor not unlike my own. In other words he digs poop jokes. It was a good trip.

Papers delivered, bike fixed, good time had. Then it was home to bust out some more work and have "lunch" with Wifey on her lunch break. Before I knew it, it was off to get B-Man, plant some grass in the back yard, and walk with him as he did some laps around the neighborhood on his bike. Fun? Yep. Stressful? Nope.

Chilling tonight with a few beers, playing some Wii, making some Mexican and thinking about the race on Sunday. Sweet!

The Friday post sort of ends here, then I started waxing nostalgic for my current home, you can leave now if you wish.

Later.

This week has been hard. Not real mentally hard, or work hard, or relationship hard. But hard because I realized again that I have really grown to like it here. Yeah, the winter sucks, and it's seemingly always colder than PA, and that sucks 'cause I hate being cold, but I mean I REALLY like it here. We love B's school (SHA), our town is small, but has everything we need, the people aren't as rude or as angry as what we became used to, houses are cheap, there are dirt roads out the yin–yang to ride, races every almost every week during the season (and none really more than 2 hours away), good beer (Bells, Founders, Shorts, Mountain Top, etc., etc.,) and a great bike shop an easy 20 minute drive away, and another right around the corner from my house with some good folks too.

Bike hitching post in downtown MP.

So why is it hard?? Because when Wifey, B-Man and I moved here, we thought, and told our family, that we would give it a shot, stay until Wifey could transfer, and then get get back to western PA ASAP. I mean I was super angry and depressed to be leaving the mountains of WPA, and the riding that I loved there. But now it seems that just isn't going to happen in the near future. We ended up buying a house, love that Wifey's commute is 10 minutes (in super heavy, heavy, heavy, traffic, with accidents, and a stop for a coffee) rather than 45ish minutes in to work and often 1+ hours on the way home, I often go weeks without putting gas in my car (and find the prices go up about 50¢ every time I do have to put gas in!), B-Man loves his school too (which is literally right across the street from our house), we can walk to good restaurants, bars, pizza, beer, church, school, barbers, the library, etc.,

I find MP to be a pretty bike friendly town too (in my opinion, some locals may not think so). I have not heard "Go Lance" or "Get off the road you f*cking piece of shit" (actually yelled at me in WPA), or anything else. I had one incident that was more from miscommunication on my part at a turn and the fact that the Jake's brakes suck, and had little to do with the driver.

Sure we miss our families and friends, and it kills us to see B-Man cry after a visit home or when his "Poppy" (my father in-law) leaves after a visit here. It also sucks that my dad, his "Pappy," really doesn't "do" traveling anymore, even if it means seeing his family, but there is nothing I can do about that. We have found that we enjoy the atmosphere up here. It's not "laid back" that's too west coast, but more.... I dunno! But there is something "different" about it that fits our pace. If there was ACTUALLY a mountain in MOUNT Pleasant, we may never think of leaving.

B-Man taking a spin in downtown MP last Thursday.
Note hands stuff in shirt 'cause it's freezing! LOL!

Wifey and I know that we have family, and personal responsibilities back in PA, and a lot of good friends (not to mention some kick ass mountain biking!!!) I just can't imagine living there again. Can I imagine living here for years and years? Probably not, but NOW I know that life is too short to be tied to a place out of habit, that you shouldn't settle for a place. Would we have moved if Wifey wouldn't have got this job? Nope. And we would have bitched about it the whole time. We ended up living in a place that this time last year we had never even heard of, yet here we are. Happy and content. Sad on many levels and missing family and friends, but wishing they were here with us, not there, with them. At least that's my opinion.

Garden boxes in Downtown MP

This whole attitude of mine could change tomorrow, or in few months, but it sort of felt good to say all that. Not sure what any reader got out of all this, but it what's done is done. Sometimes writing is better therapy than paying money to a therapist! :)

Later.

I Was Due

After weeks, nay months, of suck conditions and cold weather, I was gifted some warm temps, dry trails and good legs. I was due that, and I thank the Bike Gods. But I was also due for a bad day on the bike (For mocking Tom Boonen the other day I suppose), and today was that day. But like they say (I think, someone says this...) Even a bad day on the bike is still one pretty freaking sweet day. Or something like that. Unless you get a flaming bag of feces thrown at you, that would be pretty bad, and sort of kill ALL the ride mojo. Anyway...

The bad ride started before I even took a pedal stroke. I went to the basement to grab the Jake, and do some minor prepping. That's when I noticed that my front brake was rubbing, and that's what clued me in that the wheel was out of true. AGAIN! While it wasn't nearly as bad as in the past when spokes were flapping around like an old ladies saggy bitz, it was bad enough, and caused enough of a wobble for the brakes to rub the tire. Good grief, this is the 3rd wheel issue!! I am so getting another set of wheels for this bike. Who thought it was a good idea to spec a bike with Mavic Aksium wheels? I mean, they look sweet, spin up nice on pavement, but it is a cross bike, built to do cross things that I assume would include things like ride dirt roads. After all what is a cross course but a grass and mud covered dirt road bordered by tape, in a park, littered with skin suit wearing racers? UG!

Not to be delayed from a ride, I swapped the Jake for El Mariachi and headed out the door. .5 miles down the road, I hearing some weird rubbing from the front derailleur with some chain sucking thing going down... "what the....?" I stopped, checked things out, and nothing. Rode another few feet- rubbing and sucking (I admit it, I just got aroused typing that, sue me). Then I backed off a bit on the front d's grip shift. Ahhh.... trimmed it a bit, no rubbing, no sucking, (no longer aroused, but relieved) and was on my way again. OK, now I'm though campus, and heading out Crawford towards the dirt roads. It is clear to me that while I was overdressed Saturday, Tuesday and Wednesday on trails, I was very much under dressed today. Ah, I'll be OK once I hit some of the rollers. Or not, no big.

Feeling good, legs aren't bad, I could be warmer, but I'm on my bike, there's no traffic at all now that I am on the dirt except for that one tractor and some truck that appeared to be hauling liquid cow dung, I'll be fine. Then the legs started feeling tired, then popped, now I'm tired, real tired. So I distracted myself by snapping a few pics, and thinking of that fact that I was under dressed, cold, and the nurps were on full blast. All that made me wish I was home sitting in a bathtub filled with hot chili drinking a beer, rather than on my bike in the middle of buttock fornicating Michigan on some gravel farm road.

Oh well, I just wanted some saddle time, no need to push hard, just back off and enjoy the fresh air, right? The chilly, cold fresh freaking air. What made me think the Craft Wind Stopper Base was gonna be enough?? (although it is one beat ass, great purchase! And EVERYONE should own one). WHY DIDN'T I WEAR A JACKET??

But alas, I am on my bike. All is well. I am happy. I am on my bike, I'm on my bike... this is good for me, I got cocky after three fun filled days of single track... 6 more miles, I will be home. I will be warm. Oh, more head wind, sweet. Look a pick up trucking coming towards me kicking up more dust than the whole Paris-Roubaix peloton. Mmmm.... dust mixed with powdery cow poop... not bad.... 4 more miles, when did we get a hill in Mount Pleasant?

OK, 2 more miles. Avoid campus! Cut down Watson and through the park to get home, right now if I see any college students being all young and smug with their care free college youth and "I'll meet you at the bar after I'm done at the library" attitude, I will go nutz on them. Like crazy ass, old man in the park who pissed himself, nutz.

So through the park, "look 3 smoked up hippies playing guitar on a bench, neat...FREE BIRD!!!" Past the brewery (mmmmm..... beer.... food....), up to town, past Mo-Mo, pass SHA ("Hi B-Man!), turn and home. Wow, if that wasn't time in the saddle, it would have really sucked. Ha!

I am of course being over dramatic, and just having a laugh at my own dead legged expense. It was a 35 mile dirt road ride that was just to get some saddle time as I ease into the shit weather heading our way Friday into Saturday. Had I dressed right, or at least been smart enough to say "hey it's colder than I thought, I should go grab that jacket" I would have been fine. But I didn't. But like I said, it was time on the bike, and another couple hours+ in the legs. And it will make chilling out tomorrow, getting mad amounts of work down, and spending happy hour on the couch with a beer and a Wii remote all that much better.

As for the bathtub filled with chili? I never got around to filling the tub with it, but I did make a HUGE pot of burn your chute, chamois soiling good chili tonight, and barring the one bowl that Wifey had, I pretty much ate the whole thing. And the beer? Had to settle for buying it so as to have it on Friday, and stick to my no beer on weeknights plan.

Later.

Dirt Junkie

I'm such a deadbeat slacker, I am ashamed. OK, I'm not THAT ashamed. I mean, it's' not like I didn't do any shit with the mag today, I just didn't do anything that would make me any money, and allow me to buy shit. Still waiting on some final pieces to the XXC #11 puzzle, so it's in limbo right now, I did a News post, took delivery of some T shirts and rode another 20 miles of single track on the Spearfish. I was digging the bike yesterday, and today, well today... Today I was REALLY digging it.
Rather than a casual roll like I sort of did yesterday, I wanted to hammer out two laps at my race pace (which is most peoples casual endurance pace, it's hell being big boned). So rather than stop to take any pics n'at, I strapped on the Epic HD and shot some video. Well as much as I could until the crap Duracell batteries ran out PDQ. No wonder they recommend the Energizer lithium batteries.

The was a minor hiccup on the first lap, I got 20 feet into the trail and realized I was NOT gonna need the arm and knee warmers. So I pulled over to ditch them on a rock and picked them up after I finished the second lap. That's when I took the pics on the blog today. Of course the one of the Spearfish looks like it's impaled on a tree rather than leaning against it, but give me a break, I was in a hurry and sweating all over the camera. Yuck.

I was pretty happy with my lap times today, and happier with the bike. I have 40 mile in two days on it, and have been really digging it. Trying to think what I would change on it, or what needs to be done, to make it better, and right now, for endurance racing and certain XC course I can't find one, except for my distaste for the water bottle cage location, but I am gonna see if I can do some rigging to remedy that issue. The bike as I have it built is about 26ish pounds according to the scale at Terry's. I could probably make some changes to get it lower, but with me pushing 2 bills, not sure I want to change over to any parts that are too light weight.

Again, I only have 40 miles on it, but what I know from that 40 miles so far is that it is WAY more forgiving than riding the Dos Niner, but doesn't give met that disconnected from the trail feel that many FS bikes have given me and turned me off. That is a big selling point for me.

Here's the video I shot, it's sped up a bit to decrease boredom.

Not a huge fan of the helmet cam stuff. It just doesn't capture riding as good as shots of rider themselves. Maybe if there was a rider in front of me it would capture the trail nuances of the ride a bit better. I hate how all helmet cam has to be the fish eye stuff. Not a huge fan of that.

Anyway, I got shirts to fold, stock (that means put them in the corner of my office in a box), and hope someone buys.

Later.

Of Spearfishes & Batteries

I finally, I mean I FFFFINALLLY got the Spearfish out on dirt today! Sweet Baby J!! I had been foiled at every attempt since it arrived for its knobs to taste dirt. I could have taken to Yankee on Saturday, but I knew that I would want to race my El Mariachi this week, and I also didn't want to waste time setting the shock and adjusting tid bitz after driving 2 hours to ride. But today, I mean- cue intro music... DUNT! DUNT! DUNNNNNNNN!! I was able to ride single track and only drive twenty-five, sit back, crank some Motorhead, put the xB on cruise control minutes to the Mid Mich. Community College trails.

I really dig the MMCC trails and they are home to next weeks rescheduled Rust Shaker XC race, you know the one where if I want to race two 10 mile laps (and I do) I have to roll with the Pro/Expert Open class since they are going on race day age for the Vet Open class and I am 39 'till July. THAT race. Even though I know those trails pretty well, I can smell the fear already. And faint whiff of last place. But it will be cool to race on some localish trails. Plus I think the "fear" I smell is actually gas (it was Mexican night tonight), or that of the Yankee Springs TT coming up Sunday. On to today...

NOTE: Before I talk about my new bike, please keep in mind as you read this post, and posts that will surely follow that this is not a review or a recommendation, just my experiences with the my personal bike. If you dig the vibe of what I'm saying, then fine, if you don't that's fine too. Not to mention I sort of feel oogie talking too much about it like a review since Salsa is a paid advertiser with XXC and stuff like that. But then again, I'm not on the XXC website, I'm on mine, and no one listens to anything I say anyway... it's sort of like an extension of my fathering and husband like skills, except with bikes.

I took the first lap to make some contact point adjustments, and to play with the rebound and PSI on the shock. I had too much air at first and the rebound was a tad fast, but after I lowered the PSI and slowed it down a bit I found a nice sweet spot and it felt great. I had the saddle too low too. Once I took care of that it was smooth rolling.


While not a cushy big travel FS bike, the 'Fish is different from the Dos Niner in that you CAN ride it like a full suspension bike. The Dos is/was a great bike, but you need to ride it more like a HT to get the benefits, now that I have a great HT bike (the Ti El Mariachi), I wanted a bike that I can provide a little more comfort while still retaining some race qualities. The Spearfish looks and feels like it may fit that need. Especially when it comes to some of the longer races I will be doing this year. But hey, I only have 20 miles on it. There are many more miles to put on it, before I know how well it stands up.

A nitpick I did have is that the water bottle cage is SUPER low on the bike. I felt like I was about to have my fingers get caught in the chain rings every time I reached for it. I'm sure shock position played a part in its location but it looks like on the Large frame there is still a bit of room. Even if it was like an inch higher it would help. Then again, maybe I just have stubby arms?

The trails were in such great shape today, I could not believe it. There wasn't a patch of mud in the whole loop! The snow JUST melted like a week ago. The only place there was any snow was exiting the loop to the parking lot. To which I tried to ride across, had my front wheel dig in and almost went over the bars. Instead I put my foot down and had it sink so far in that my boyz tea bagged the top tube, the icy snow cut my leg up and I prayed out loud that a rowdy group of community college students was not going to appear and mock the old head straddling his top tube in lycra about to tip over in the snow. The muttered prayer worked I guess. No students appeared, I kept it upright, and only bled for a little bit. LOL!

Once the bike was dialed, I just road the loop, had a good time, and was stoked to once again be on single track. I love riding the dirt and gravel roads around the house, but there is nothing like playing in the woods on the bike. Me thinks I might have to make a return trip this week....

Later.

Like Boonen In The Arenberg

Wow, what a night of sleep! Or should I say what a night of sleeplessness? I hit the sack at 9:30 or so and fell asleep HARD. The weekend of warm temps, time on the mountain bike and dirt roads on the cross bike really took it out of me. But only for about 4 hours. I woke up at 1 a.m. feeling like I just had 3 cups of coffee. I then proceeded to lay awake until 3. Then fell in and out of light sleep until 6 when it was time to get up. DRAT! Needless to say I was dragging ass today.

But I wasn't alone, it turns out 2011 Paris-Roubaix winner Johan Vansummeren apparently couldn't sleep either, nieuwsblad.be reports that he laid awake in bed until the early morning and then finally got up to go for a spin and field a bunch of congratulatory messages. Vansummeren goes on to say "Tom Boonen had called to ask where the party was." Actually he said "Tom Boonen heeft gebeld om te vragen waar het feestje was." **insert joke about partying and coke use here if you must**. Keep in mind this is how Chrome translated the quote. For all I know, Boonen said "enjoy your victory a-hole" and farted into the phone or something. But I doubt.

Speaking of (or typing) of Boonen brings me to this home video I found from his Arenberg "incident." Even though it's some shitty camera phone footage, after seeing it on TV/streaming coverage, it was sort of neat to be right down there while it was happening.

I know how shitty I feel when things turn to ballz with my bike during a ride or some local race, but I can't even imagine how it must have felt to be standing there during the biggest races of the year (if not THE biggest for him) while riders and team cars scream past on the dusty cobbles. YIKES!

Oh well, thing can get better, I mean just look at the difference a year can make as far as luck is concerned...

BTW in this pic of Boonen, doesn't it look like he's
asking that dude behind him if his ass looks fat?

Sleeping pill taken. Time for bed.


Later.

Capping The Poop Off

I have noticed that as I get older the winters get longer and the summers get way shorter. Moving to central Michigan did nothing to help with shortening the length of the winter, but this week was they payoff for dealing with all the snow and cold of the past 4 to 5 months.

I would be hard pressed to say anything negative about this weekend. And if you know me at all you know that is pretty difficult for a depressive "glass half empty, and broke" type goof like myself. Yesterday was worth every penny I spent on gas to drive 4 hours 'round trip to ride 33 miles. When getting home, knowing that my two faves were out having fun at the Loons game, and I could chill, drink a few beers, watch some college hockey (way to blow it Michigan, I kid, it was a great game), and eat some high class frozen pizza guilt free was pretty damn sweet.

I had no real plan today other than to make sure I made some time to hang with Wifey and B-Man. After we all slept in today (is it 'sleeping in', if you have no reason to get up?), I made a big ass pot of coffee, and plopped my saggy ass in front of the computer to watch Paris-Roubaix. What a race! EuroSport coverage is amazing and the race was titz. Seeing Cancellara make his way through the pack with just a few KM left was amazing, and only furthered my man crush on him. Christ, if he would have pulled out a win, I might have been forced to fly the rainbow flag or something. As it was, it was a good time watching, and I can remain a lady lovin' perv. (Kidding... sort of.).

After that, even though I KNEW I would have some dead legs from yesterday's 33 mile single track season opener at Yankee Springs, I had the mojo to ride (who wouldn't??). So I kitted up sans leg warmers, and "ride 3 miles and ditch arm warmers" and headed out for a casual dirt road ride.

UG! Head winds! I did NOT need those today! Oh well, this is just a chill ride... If I can get 2 hours in- great. If not, who really cares?

I could not believe the warm temps I was riding in! I mean for shit's sake last Sunday we had friggin' "thunder snow," and I was ready to put my head as far into the oven as I could get it and still turn on the gas. This week I was in short sleeves, shorts, and leaving a trail of fat man sweat all over Isabella County!

As I expected, I just did not have good legs today, and the wind was a bitch, but the sun and temps made up for it and I think I have already started ridding myself of my pasty, paper white skin with some sun burn! I could here it sizzle as the snowy, cold, sweaty dankness of my pores opened up!

I stuck to a square (loop for folks not in the mid west) that I knew had some bail out options, and in the process hit some new to me sections of dirt (roads) and some sections of pavement that I did not realize were ones I had been on before but in a different direction.

I struggled with the headwinds, got chased by several farm dogs, had to help a 9 year old try to get his stupid dog back to the house after it chased me and then kept right on running for another mile, enjoyed the sun, sweat a lot, and still managed to get about 36-ish miles in even though I would have rather been in bed, and/or sitting around drinking more coffee.

Once home it was a quick shower and then off to hike around Deerfield Park with B-Man and Wifey. Hiked around a bit, threw rocks in the river with B-Man, saw a snake, and had some fun. AND it was HOT! I love it!!!!!! Temps were up to about 80, and I was rocking that beautiful "my legs are so tired" feeling that comes from a great weekend of riding.

Monday is looming and I'm not feeling great about that, but it is SORT of better to take knowing a great weekend was had. I have a ton of work to do this week, but it's all good. On top of a great weekend, a .gov shutdown was avoided thanks to the A-hole politicians. While Wifey's job would not have had her missing work, it would have had us wondering when she would get her next paycheck. Sadly many of her fine support staff would have been "shit out of luck." Wifey was a nervous wreck for a few days, not because of us, but because of them. Just another reason I love her... she has the compassion for people that many folks (often including me) just don't have. Thankfully it all turned out OK. For now.

Oh well, a great weekend... All that is left is a to watch the VS. coverage of Paris-Roubaix and here them talk about George Hincapie's chances (and lack there of).

This time next week Race #2 of the season will be in the books. Sweet! Well, unless I finish DFL, then not so sweet!

Later.

Can't Explain

There is NO WAY that I can think of to explain to a non cyclist, or a non mountain biker (why anyone would chose NOT to mountain bike is beyond me, but I suppose there are people out there who are afraid of getting dirty n'at.) the feeling that one gets from the first time back on single track after a long, LONG winter. You can't even explain it to west coast mountain bikers, 'cause their winter is like 2 week of rain, and then back to sunny and hot. There is no way they get it.

Today was that day. My knobs (or my knob for that matter) has not touched REAL, non snow covered single track since November, 2010. I went to Yankee Springs to ride the Yankee Springs TT race course, and get my knobs dirty. It was beyond words. I exited the parking lot, hit the trail and it was like warm apple pie (IF you know what I mean?). I was freaking giddy... GIDDY! Like college sorority girls in a late night drunken tickle fight. I found myself getting all D-POW/L-Ball O'Hate and big ringing the course for much of my first 11-ish mile lap.

This was my first time riding at Yankee Springs, and it was just freaking FUN. There is no other word I can use to describe it. Often I would look down to see myself pushing excess of 20 mph as I weaved through the trees. It was like Jedi, but without the stupid f*cking Ewoks or Mark f*cking Hamill.

The first lap that I did I had knee and arm warmers on, which I could not believe considering that it was freaking SNOWING last Sunday in MP. By the 2nd lap I ditched the cap, and warmers and exposed my white as paper, legs and arms to packed Yankee Springs parking lot (which included my friend Rick Plite and his gang of Founders Brewing cohorts, always nice to see Rick).

The 2nd lap was ALMOST as good as the first, but as I landed off of a high speed downhill drop I ejected a water bottle and had to back track for it. Not cool. It was a brand new Terry's Cycle bottle, so I didn't want to risk losing it. Drat! Then later on I had some odd ball chain suck for the first time ever on the Ti El Mariachi. Of course it came RIGHT at the bottom of a climb. Again I say DRAT! At least it didn't happen again the rest of the day.

IMHO Yankee has been one of the best courses I have ridden in Michigan so far. Sadly I hear rumors that after the spring it gets WAY too sandy to ride it and enjoy it, but for now I won't complain at all, because it was TITZ! It was twisty and turny with some nice middle ring climbs (including one that is being "worked on" and has a layer of some sort of suction cup rubber mat thing on it. Strange, but effective.). As with many of the trails I have experienced here in Michigonia you have to give yourself over to the berms like an teenager with low self esteem gives them self over to a cult leader. The voice of Ben "Obi-Wan" Kenobi kept entering my mind with the phrase; "Be the berm Jason... BE the berm.... ." Strange. But true. You think you are going to blow through the corner. Na-ugh! Just BE THE BERM! Rail around and be flung into the straight like poo getting flung from a monkey cage (or my bathroom after Chili Night).

After lap two I was sweating (YES, SWEATING!!!) like a hog at a pig roast, and if I had only drove 30 or 40 minutes to ride, I would have headed home, but I didn't, I drove nearly 2 hours (with gas at $3.89 per gallon, JEEEZUS!), so I filled up another bottle at the xB, and headed out for another lap. This time I decided to just middle ring the whole lap, and to tell you the truth I think my time was about the same!

All in all a fab-freaking-tastic day! 33ish miles of grin your ass off single track, seeing some friends, talking to some other racers, an excuse to get a McChicken on the way home and drink some beers guilt free tonight.

Next week I will be returning to Yankee Springs for 2 laps at the time trial race. My goal of course is to win and crush all in the 40-49 year old age class! (Jesus! like HALF of my life is over! Do your realize that, while, I've really wasted it, haven't I?) I kid of course (about winning/crushing, there's no getting around my life is more than half over). My goal with XC racing is to just not finish last. Unlike my endurance goals of mid pack. You may have noticed I believe in setting my goals REALLLLLLY low, so as not to feel worse about myself than I already do. That's why if pushed I only fight girls and kids under the age of 15). Again, I kid.. that's like my "thing" if you haven't noticed.

The only suck thing about today is that I missed out on going to see the Loons with B-Man and Wifey. Oh well, they were going with some friends, and are surely having a great time. It's a long season and I'm sure I will get a ton of chances to do the "funky feather."

Time to enjoy a few beers, eat some pizza... or some Mexican... OR BOTH! And watch some hockey.

P.S. yeah, here is another sign of spring in my back yard...

Oh yeah, let's flower this shit up! Was that too gay? Ah, I don't care, eph the grey dinge of the past.

Later.