Jumpin' Around. Nahhhh...

I PLANNED on riding today, and yet again it did NOT work out. That makes 5 -freaking days off the bike (an hour on the trainer doesn't count except towards "suicide points") and I have a race on Saturday. Granted I would gain no real race fitness from riding hard this week and racing Saturday, but I would gain f*cking SANITY. But as Wifey so often says about me- "that ship has sailed."

I did get a workout in... Ug, the treadmill! What am I a f*cking soccer mom?? (what's next using heavy hands?). Really, to me, any workout NOT on a bike just seems like stupidity. It's like Wifey wanted me to buy that Insanity workout program (or whatever it's called, not 100% sure), and while I dig it's perceived vibe of not being about weight lifting and muscle head workout stuff, when it comes down to it, it's a bunch of jumping around for no reason.

I'll only jump around during sport or, if needed, during sex (although the sex part involves a lot of flailing, not a good look, especially for me), but the idea of jumping around for the sake of just burning calories, etc., just seems stupid. Sorry, I think I'll pass. I mean it's like admitting "I do shit for burning calories all day, so I'm jumping around to fool my body into thinking I am not a total freaking sloth."

(I came to get down, I came to get down, so get out your seats and jump around. Jump around! Jump around! Jump around! Jump up jump up and get down. Jump, jump, jump....

As long as I am healthy (liver and brain not included) and keep the legs loose, I don't feel 5 (to 6) days off the bike will be a limiter in my quest for 2011 mid pack-ness come Saturday. For me, racing is about riding, seeing new places, and maybe meeting some folks, not about racing to win. I know that doesn't make sense and is sort of lame but I'm sort of a moron.

Continuing to race mountain bike races into the fall also keeps folks from hounding me about racing cross (dude, you gotta race cross!). The way I see it, if an endurance mountain bike race is available then it comes first, then XC, then gravel, then if I have no other excuse- cross. Road racing need not apply.

I did finally get the XXC Magazine 2012 media kit done today. Nothing like looking at sales stats to make you feel like shit. Working at McDonald's beckons. I kid, I would never work at McDonald's. BK is where it's at.

Speaking of endurance mountain biking (no I am NOT going to plug xxcmag.com again, even though I should), I thought my season was over in that regard, but the 6 Hours of Addison Oaks next week has come up on my radar. I am not committed to it, but I am SO not ruling it out. I'll get to ride some the A.O. trails this weekend, after that I will make up my mind. I'm, 56.2% sure I'll be in.

I'm not going to say anything about maybe riding tomorrow, because chances are, even if it is nice and not continuing to piss down rain, I will not. Maybe just a short spin to get the legs ready for Saturday and what is sure to be a romp in the mud, but that's about it. Fine by me... it sure as hell beats jumpin' around.

Completely off topic... When did Jamie Lee Curtis become like the "Queen of Shit?" Every time I turn on the TV, I see her pimping stuff that will make me shit more. No thank you mam, I poop enough. Eat some vegetables or (a 6 pack and chili if you're me) and stop obsessing about whether you shit or not. Dear God woman!!!

Later.

Yeah, I'm Pretty Sure It's Wrong

My plan to hit singletrack today was sidelined by rain. We've been getting a nice bit of it lately. I want to complain, but I can't 'cause our summer here in MP was un-friggin'-believably good. Anyway... yeah, I could have gone out and rode in rain, but I didn't. I stuck around the house, got an hour workout in and a ton more XXC work done. Real fun stuff like putting together a media kit for perspective 2012 advertisers... yeah, real fun.

During my workout I watched the 2011 women's world championship. What a great race! While my girl

Maja Włoszczowska didn't win, she did an amazing race. She flatted, fell a few places back, then raced her ass off to get back and take a silver medal. Watching her run with the bike and ride the rim to the pit was awesome, but then seeing her haul ass up the climbs, taking the drops at full speed to get back into 2nd was just awesome. But then again, I'm sort of biased. I still don't know why....

Watching the race was actually better than watching this video...



Seriously, it was... As is this video:



OK, I got poop to do.

Later.

Is It Wrong?

I love riding my bike, I love racing my bike, I love all things bike. Very strange then that I have not ridden my bike since Saturday's Ronde Van Stony. I've had the opportunity, just haven't. The weather has been a little shitty with heavy rain one day, but other than that, just feel like I needed a few days off to get some direction going with some work stuff. Is that wrong?

Wifey is out of town, gettin' some knowledge dropped on her down in D.C., so I am full time Dad this week, I think that sort of cramps my bike mojo a bit. I mean with us up here on our own, I can't exactly wander 50 miles from home, flat, or get hurt and have no one around, and a 7 year old waiting for me to pick him up. Wait, that sounded WAY to responsible for me. I guess what I need to do is get on the mountain bike for some singletrack... that always mentally rubs and tugs my mojo and gets me goin'.

Manuel Fumic fumic-ing up.

Watched some of the replay from the UCI MTB XC World Championships today on Freecaster, that sort of go my loins in an uproar for some riding and more racing this coming Saturday at the Grampian Challenge XC... gravel... two track whatever the hell it is race. This race will be my 12th race of the year, which is very much a personal high. Of course I DNFed after about 67 miles at the Lumberjack, so not sure if that counts? Still I should end the year with about 14 races. I'm not unhappy about that. I guess.

Not to pimp my work, but I've done a lot of blog updates over at xxcmag.com the past couple days. You should check it out.

Later.

2011 Ronde Van Stony Race Report

Raced the Ronde Van Stony gravel race down in the lower thumbish area of the mitten this weekend. My doing the race was sort of work related, so the full race report is up on the xxcmag.com blog.

Later.

Gravel & Rain

Weather.com's radar can not be trusted. At least not in Michigan! Yesterday I headed out for my brunch time gravel ride after checking the radar map and seeing that any rain in the area was clear off by the lakes. Sweet! I headed out on the Jake. I got to the end of the block and felt a misty rain on me. No big.

I continued on, but not before hearing some (what I assume was going to be a douche bag) blowing his horn at me a few time. I turn around and it turns out it's not a d-bag, but Mo-Mo mechanic Mike R. heading to work and just saying hello. Always nice to avoid a D-Bag Moment.

By the time I reached my shortcut through Mill Pond Park, the mist had turned to drizzle. Rats! I had to stop and stuff my phone and camera into a zip-loc bag make sure they stayed dry. I was quickly to the pavement leading me out of town when the drizzle turned steady and my fenderless cross bike shot cold water up my aging ass for a mid morning water sodimization of sorts.

Mile 3.5- On to dirt and the rain starts to let up, grey mud spatters up and I get on with the ride and the ride takes on a nice feel. The mud spatter, the mist, dark clouds, I'm really enjoying it. I am never motivated to ride in poor conditions, even though when I'm riding IN the poor conditions I feel an energy and adrenaline that I never get when I ride in perfect conditions. Strange.

The rain had all but stopped and some of the dirt and gravel roads look like they hadn't even see any rain, while other covered me with gravel juice and mud. I took the time to free the camera from it's multi-layered zip-loc prison and take a shot or two. As you can see from the clouds in the pics here today it needed to be quickly returned as things did not look like they were going to improve much.

I ran into (not literally) a group of about 20 turkeys on one road, saw 3 big deer run in front of me in Mill Pond Park of all places, felt the sting of pouring rain on my face at 20+ mph, dug gravel junk out of my eyes, enjoyed bright sunshine that came out of nowhere for a few brief warm, glorious moments, and smelled the smell of wet corn being harvested. It was a good, but wet time on the gravel farm roads.

By the time I reached pavement for the return to town, the rain had started yet again, washing the fresh mud and grey spatter from my legs and bikes. I returned home after two plus hours soaked, a little chilly and a bit clammy, but smiling nonetheless.

Today will be time off the bike and a focus on some XXC work. Then preparing mind and bike for the Ronde Von Stoney tomorrow morning. I hope it rains.

Later.

A Month Too Long

Wow, it's been over a month since I've raced anything. That's too long. The last race was the Hard Rock Ore To Shore which was well documented in the most recent XXC Magazine. I was on a roll with racing XC and XXC events and then lllluuulll. Lack of motivation started to creep in. I was still riding, almost daily, but goals (if I had any to begin with) were diminishing. Thankfully that is going to change and I will be racing this weekend. Woot!

Heading down south on Saturday for the 40 mile Ronde Van Stoney gravel race. No goals other than to race hard, enjoy new gravel and see what happens. Should be some fast guys there, which means I will spend most of the day on my own! Ha! I did see Christian Tanguy is in the Elite Class with a few other uber fast guys should be neat to see how their race goes. I hope to have some feedback on the race up on xxcmag.com next week. Might find my way to an XC race next weekend, but not sure.

OK, time to get some work done and then kit up for a quick 30 or 40 on dirt roads before I need to fetch B-Man at school.

Later.

Dead Ferns, Annoying Great Uncles & Lava Lizards

It's that time of year. The forest is retreating and taking the green with it. Well, maybe not that bad yet, but it's starting.

The ferns are going from bright green and hogging the trail to pale orange-yellow husks of their former selves. The leaves- while mostly still green- are starting to turn in spots and starting their annual migration to the trail surface. They are not welcome, but like an annoying great aunt that comes to visit on holidays you must put on your best face and welcome them. Because like your aunt could have brought your fucking annoying great uncle that calls you "fat boy," pokes your love handles and leaves shit skids in your toilet, the leaves could be snow on the ground.

Some folks are racing cross, it's cold somewhere, pissing down rain somewhere else, but for now it's still short sleeve jersey and shorts weather here, and I continue to ride singletrack when I can and enjoy every second of it. Just like when that smart ass knuckle dragging uncle of yours could have died face down in his Thanksgiving mashed potatoes (wait, would that have been bad?) any time after his 70th birthday; after Halloween (God I hope not before!) it could get nipple erecting cold and ass deep in snow here. Best to just keep on keepin' on.

It rained a bit last night so the ground was damp, and I drove into a thick fog at 11 a.m. as I headed north to ride. It was warm enough to go without arm warmers, but cold enough to barely even think of tapping into your water bottles in the first 5 miles. The trails that were bone dry, with occasional traction loosing sandy spots were tacky and hooking up like a t-paper on a porcupine's ass. Even with last night's rain the trails were in perfect, if not better, condition. Win.

The woods were so still it was amazing. I couldn't here anything. Just the sound of my tires over moist trails. I made every attempt to ride quietly as possible, to keep pressure on the pedals so as to keep from coasting and keep the hub hushed, to breath silently and efficiently, and just take in everything. To absorb all that the woods had to offer. It was brilliant.

“I want you to breathe through your eyelids,
like the Lava Lizards of the Galapagos Islands.”
- Annie Savoy, Bull Durham

Later.

The last bit was for Wifey.

Dead Legs And No Cross

Yesterday's 30ish miles of non stop singletrack followed by some ill advised hydrating (yes Dogfish 90 Minute, I'm talking about you), a late dinner and a lame meal in a can for breakfast left my legs more than a tad dead today.

There was a cross race up at MMCC and my buddy Mike was trying to get me to do it, but when I woke up this morning the last thing I felt like doing was a cross race, so I didn't. I sort of felt bad, 'cause when shit is so local I like to support it, but I wasn't paying $30 to feel like shit and ride around in the grass. I figured I could feel like shit and ride around the gravel roads for free. And I did. Both ride gravel and feel like shit.

I put off riding as long as I could, but knew I would regret it if I didn't go, so finally about 11 I got my ass out the door. The ride was pretty lame, only about 2 hours and I felt like shit for about 110 minutes of the 120. I went with a flatter flat loop today, but was less than thrilled to see that this "flatter" loop received some fresh, un-graded gravel, so I was pushing hard, rubbing my taint into the saddle, and rocking to/fro like an idiot just trying to keep the wheels turning and the bike up. Nothing like going up hill, fish tailing at 9 mph. Frig.

The 2 survivors.

Eventually I made it to more suitable for suck legs roads and put in a solid 2 hours of feeling like shit. Would I have been happier NOT riding? I doubt, so I rode. Better to ride and feel like shit that to not ride and feel like shit for not riding.

As much as Saturday rocked in the saddle, today was just sort of "there." I sort of find the day after a singletrack binge always has me feeling a tad let down. Singletrack is like the Big-O of riding. Sure, you can ride and have fun without it, just like you can "fight crime" without the Big-O, but to quote no one at all... "it just ain't the same."

Later.

Gettin' My Spätzle On

Lots of xxcmag.com work yesterday, and just not giving a flying eph, had me not riding, but saving energy for Germanfest over in Big Rapids. The food was just amazing, as you can tell by the amount I ate...

I think that is about 14 pounds of food, but DAMN it was good and the sauerkraut lit my gas track up, or should I say it lit my bedroom up enough to drive Wifey to the spare bedroom before we even went to bed. TMI? Get over it.

Even the HB beer was good and I am usually not a fan of German beer (it's the malt, I don't dig German malt), but the Dunkel was very good and fueled by the lederhossen and band.

The event was a little pricey and drinks were limited to just 3 beers (it was some sort of church I don't belong to event), but they did it up right and it was a good time, and I would do it again. Especially since the cash they were making went to the school. So that's cool.

I have to say I really dig Spätzle. Reminds me a bit of halusky (my people's food). I think I would like to try to make it. Then again maybe I should first try to do Grandma Helen proud and master haluski. I swear, like it was yesterday I can remember walking in her tiny little house, smelling the cabbage, and walking into the kitchen to see her cast iron skillet with mismatched lid cooking away the haluski. Of course I would help myself, and of course she would yell at me. "Jason... Ppppplease, just wait. Patience! Patience!" LOL! R.I.P. GMH, R... I... P... .

With a belly full (x5) of Spätzle, sausage, cabbage, pickles, beer and God knows what, I rested well last night and headed off to the MMCC trails today (my local killer singletrack), to throw down some laps, to which I did 3 and 30+ miles of singletrack. It was titz.

The weather continues to rock (mid 60s and sunny seems the norm of late), the trails continue to be super fast, and I continue to LOVE my Salsa Spearfish (in case you didn't notice, it was LOVE, not love). I would love, love, love to lighten it up just a tad, but I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, to lighten my own fattening ass up more.

This is why starting Monday I am on the Slimfast and (legal??) amphetamine diet as I attempt to get my face not to look like the belly of a dead, bloated and ready to pop road kill deer. Screw food, this is ALLLLLL motivated by narcissism. And I'm fine with that. 20 pound, then I will eat real food and drink again (this all starts Monday of course, give m one more weekend of pleasure). Of course if I race, on a weekend, then I will allow myself the pleasure of beer. Life is too short to not.

Lastly, I FINALLY got some new riding shoes....

FINALLY... It's been YEARS since I had new kicks. I'm not a fan of buckles (they always break for me), but the good price that Motorless Motion here in MP gave me and the fact that unlike some other shoes I recently tried on, they fit! Fitting is a bonus. They are also the first pair of shoes that I have ever had with a carbon sole. I could not believe the added stiffness! I was stoked. Might have to play with my cleat position. It felt about 98% right today.

OK, time for some relaxing. After a week of riding, and getting XXC Magazine #13 out (did you get it yet?? You really should 'cause it's the best ever. Seriously), I'm ready to chill my ass out, rid and drink beer before I start my coked up (not at all) super model diet. You so know this is going to fail miserably.

Later.

Spear Fishing

I was able to squeeze a ride at MMCC in today, so that was cool. It was also cool, because it was cool, a high of 60 cool. Arm/knee warmers would have been overkill, but a base layer was a nice addition.

Did two laps, plus a twist of some XC ski trail path to get a little over 2 hours of riding in before I had to spring home (via the xB) at 80 mph to get some more work done before it was time to fetch the B-Man at school.

Unlike this post there is some quality, actual endurance related posts up over on the xxcmag.com blog. BTW did you know that XXC #13 is out and available for purchase (if you desire?). It is. Thanks.

Later.

Why Bother To Catch Up Time

I rode today. BFD. I crossed the chain on a deep gravel climb (AKA a small hill made harder by deep gravel). I'll do it again. 'Cause that's how gangsta I am.

Then I had a 5 minute wait in the middle of a dirt road while three big ass, big teethed dogs with big swingin' balls growled, barked and snorted at me. One dog got bored and went to lick a turd with his "a dog's mouth is cleaner than human's" tongue. Then one decided I wasn't the type he wanted to stick his teeth into and walked off to pee on the flowers, but the last fucker stayed for like EVER. If I had mace I would have maced him.... or a taser... OHHHHH!!! That would have freaking rocked! "I'LL TASE YOU FIDO, I'LL TASE YOUR RIGHT NOW!!!" Fucking dogs man. I love 'em, but I also hate 'em.


Back at the end of that dirt road SOMEWHERE under those threatening but rainless clouds is where the hounds of hell were. I'll be back... with a TASER!!!


I started today with arm warmers. Then I got hot so I rolled 'em down. 10 minutes later I felt too goth kid with the look and stopped to stuff them in my jersey pocket. The middle one, right between the love handles so as to insure they wouldn't pop out. Nothing secures like two fatty globs of flesh.

I call this pic "Red Barn," because the fence is white.

I gotta go pee.

Work, followed by dirt (trail) tomorrow, Oktoberfest on Friday, and more dirt trails on Sattttturday.

If I cared, I would be wondering what is going on at Interbike. Not sure anything is.

Later.

SUBMIT

Busy day, got XXC #13 out the digital door and public. Time to breathe before I submit to the challenge of starting the 2012 XXC Magazine race schedule. Luckily a friend helped me out with some of it while I was i-ballz deep in #13. Thanks Ben.

Need to get a ride in tomorrow. Been two days. I feel like shit. It will be gravel 'cause I can hit that by riding out my front door, thus maxing my ride time.

Later.

Slow Is What's Needed

After a week of working my ass off on XXC #13 (due out Tuesday I hope!), riding a lot and eating even more, today was a welcome day off the bike to chill and finish off the mag and house stuff. I could have used more sleep, but who couldn't, right?

Few things on my mind bike wise. Mostly to do with riding and racing on gravel and dirt roads. One is the new Specialized bike I saw- The CruX Comp Disc Apex . Thing is pretty sweet! And would make a great bike for Ultra CX type racing. I would probably change up some gearing on a bike like that to make it more fat, old and slow guy friendly, but a race type frame with discs is something what would be pretty sweet. A similar bike is also coming from the QBP owned company Foundry Bikes. They have a carbon CX bike with disc brakes called the Auger. You can read more about it on the XXC Blog [HERE].

For CX racing (which I do very little to none of) I would never really think to much about disc brakes. Seems like it would be hauling around some extra weight for no reason. But for gravel racing and maybe more importantly Ultra CX type riding (Think: Southern Cross, Hilly Billy Roubaix, 3 Peaks USA, Iron Cross, etc.,) a bike that could ACTUALLY stop when coming down a steep ass forest road just might be a good idea. For that matter I would like to be able to stop on flat ass central Michigan roads!

Having said all that I am pretty happy with my Jake The Snake CX bike. And I recently got wind of some brakes that MIGHT be worth a look into rather than moving to the expensive upgrade of a disc specific frame. The TRP CX 9 Cross Brake. I think a move to brakes like these and maybe some slight gear changes and I would have the makings of a kick ass monster/jungle/ultra cross bike without spending coin (that I don't have) on a new bike (that I don't need).

But who doesn't like new bikes. They're the best.

I really should go to bed rather than type this shit.

Later.

Weekend: Part One

It seems that the past week was divided into five segments: Riding, eating, sleeping, drinking beer and working. Not necessarily in that order. I got in over 12 hours of ride time this week, which for a shlep like me is a pretty big deal.

The best part of the weekend was riding Hanson Hills yesterday. I could blather, but I gotz no time. Here's the pics.



I got a 45 mile gravel ride in today, but as I just said in a very slang, embarrassing for a 40 year old man to type it way- I gotz no time. Will blather tomorrow if I finish XXC #13 up.

Later.

The Hard 40

I was able to get out today on the dirt roads. Good ride in some kick ass sunshine, but the wind gusts were a real kick in the junk. "There's no hills" they say about this place, well the wind more than makes up for that. Nothing like going 11 mph on a CX bike on a false flat. Just a steady wind tunnel filled with white noise turned up to 11. No make that 20! Damn you can't hear shit with it blowing.

Oh well, I''ll take the wind in exchange for sun, dry weather and low traffic roads. On second hand, I shouldn't say too much, 'cause traffic was a bitch today...

West Pleasant Valley Rd., was Amish-cart-tastic today. I averaged like one cart every 13.3 miles. I can't take this! Traffic can really be a ride buzz kill. Ha!

Immediately upon returning it was back to work. I am SO close to finishing XXC #13 I can taste it. Right now it tastes like bile and the beginnings of a bleeding ulcer, but it will rock in the end, which should be in a few days. Woot!

Taking tomorrow off the bike since I had a nice 6+ hours so far this week, and hope to get out for an extended mountain bike ride on Saturday. Giddy.

Later.

Mile Marker 4

Tuesday was the first day of school. Jesus, not for me, for B-Man! If it were for me I think I would just lay down in traffic. Not a fan of school, and I did terribly whilst in it. Go figure how I ended up so wildly successful. It just goes to show that any almost failed high school student can become a success. By "success," I of course mean I somehow manage to feed myself, and have a great family even if a part time McDonald's employee brings home a bigger pay check than me. I sort of miss getting a pay check. Sigh.

Annnnnway, lucky for me B-Man has Wifey's brain power, and loves school, or at least tolerates it and does real well. Blah, blah, blah, yesterday was the first day of school, and it was also a day for me to pump out a ton of work on XXC #13. I SHOULD be able to publish next week if all goes well. Then I can stop being such a dick. I get a tad high strung come publishing time. Sorry.

Since I worked most of the the holiday weekend, I was randy for some time on the bike today. So two laps at MMCC on the Spearfish was in order. Two quick 10.5 mile laps and I was feeling great (mentally), it was nice to blow out the pipes.

There is a section of trail that I look forward to every time I ride at MMCC. It comes just after Mile Marker 4. If you click the pic, you can see the marker, if you don't it just looks like a bunch of trees and dirt.


After that mile marker, there is a good mile or two of tight ass, twisty singletrack through the trees, that you can just sit (if you're on a bike such as the lovely Spearfish) and hammer, winding your way through trees with not an inch to spare. It's just the best. It's one of those I "heart" mountain biking moments, every time. EVERY time. If you don't get all ticklish in the crotchial regions riding singletrack, there's just something wrong with you. WRONG I SAY!

Once my crotchial regions were sufficiently tickled, I headed back home via 3 turns and a hunk of 127 to get some more work done and eventually get the now in school for two days B-Man.

And that's about it. You know every day I tell myself that I won't blog anymore, that I should just stop, that it's embarrassing. But then I do. Strange. Issues.

Later.

2 Down, 2 To Go

During the late summer I did a ride on the North Country Trail with my friend Chris. A few miles into the ride I realized that my Fizik Nisene HP saddle was cracked in half. The saddle flexed up and down the whole ride, often forcing my chamois into my junk mail in a fashion that cause said junk mail to become inflamed and bloody. Sort of like taking an eraser to a cheese grater. Not good.

Being that I run the same saddle on all four of my bikes, I was able to make a swap and it was no big deal. Then yesterday as I bumped, cajoled and slammed the Jake across the dirt roads I heard a crack. Yep, saddle #2 is now cracked in half in the same place as the other. Frig.

Today, through the not really magic at all of eBay I ordered up two new ones. Thank God they're not all that expensive and people seem to get rid of them all the time. My nads must be the some of the few nads that dig this saddle. (It seems as if I like typing 'nads')

Lucky for me the saddle have broke in the hard plastic inside, not the rails, so no ride has come to a catastrophic junk slicing end.

This is all I got.

Later.

In Like A Lion

As if on cue, Fall came in like a lion today. Or is all that shit spring stuff? Either way I went from sweating like a baked ham under a 95 degree heat lamp 2 days ago, to 55 degrees and my baked ham chubby boy arms stuffed into arm warmers, with a stiff 20 mph fall wind blowing right through my fattening bodice. The only thing keeping me from putting my head under bus was A. We had an INCREDIBLE summer here this year, and B., it's going to be sunny and in the 70s for like the next 10 days. Can't bitch about that. Orrrrr can I??? No, I can't.

Regardless of what the NEXT 10 days hold, TODAY I had to find what the hell I did with my too small arm warmers from last season, so as to ride and not freeze to death.

I found 'em.

I had to sort of make good time today because we had tickets to the Great Lakes Loons game, so after about 10 trips to the can (I'm fighting some stomach issues, to which I blame the disgusting invention that IS the hydration pack), I got on the cross bike and headed for the dirt roads.

The 40 miles of gravel was good MOST of the time (as long as I went South or West) but the rest of the time I got a wind blowing at me that made me want to get off my bike, walk into the mighty Chip and be done. The wind IS my hills. I love it. Um, no, actually I hate it, I would rather have hills.


Once home, showered and warmed up, it was off to the Loons game...

It was awesome as usual, even though they lost. Who knew you could have so much MORE fun at an 'A' ball team's game than an MLB game. Great time and cheap as hell. Plus B-Man got autographs after the game and that made him super happy.

This was their last game of the year. Anxious for next year already.

Time to get some sleep. The first day of school an a 6 a.m. wake up comes tomorrow. Ug!!!

Later.

All It Took Was A Mention

I should have known better... Just like one should never talk about how long it's been since they have had a flat, one should never talk about the incredible streak of amazing weather they are enjoying. I violated that rule and not only did I get chased home by a storm during at Hanson Hills on Friday, I woke up today to some serious wrath of God type thunderstorms which are continuing as I type. Dark as night, pissing down thick streams of water, and blowing like a $5 hooker.

Luckily, I did get up to Hanson Hills yesterday, and I did get about 20 miles of great singletrack in before I got chased home. Truth be told, my legs were a bit dead from the 92 degree gravel ride the day before, so pulling the plug was not that big a deal. I raced at Hanson Hills twice this season: The Hanson Hills 100 and The Log Splitter, but I have never just rode the set loops there. Damn was I missing out! Those races hit some of the loops, and some of them in different directions, but the set loops are some great stuff and totally worth the hour drive north.

Since the spring (at least it seems like that to me), they have added more signage and a couple reroutes to the loops and it makes for some great riding with easy to follow signs. No wandering around the woods taking dead end trails and riding the same trail 15 times wondering where the f*ck you are. Yesterday I did the 11 mile Outer Loop (red signs) and then a second loop on the 10 mile Main Loop (yellow signs).

In my mind that morning I wanted to do at least 3 loops and make my drive worth while, but as I got to the top of ski area with about 1 mile left in my second loop, the strong wind that was present through the entire ride got even stronger, and the woods got a bit darker. It was time to go. Got back to the car, packed up PDQ, got down the road about a mile or two when it started pouring, lightning, thunder, strong wind, etc., etc.,.

Pulling the plug and heading home was a wise choice. So here it is Saturday on a holiday weekend, and I am typing this dross and working on the next issue of XXC Magazine. Might be for the best, as I have a lot to do, and tired legs. But still, remind me to not get all cocky about great weather again.

Later.

Lost Keys & Slapped Bitz

B-Man has been off on a week long adventure visiting grandparents in PA, so I have some extra time in between working on XXC #13 and spending kid free time with Wifey. The work part has been mostly me pulling out my hair and the kid free time spending has been mostly us sitting around talking about how much we miss B-Man. Not cool. But there IS a cool lining in there somewhere, and that is that I have a bit of extra time to get some rides in without feeling all rushed.

Having said that, the weather peeps were calling for a dog ball hot day here today with temps in the low 90s, so I wanted to get out sort of early and get in the woods up at MMCC for a few laps.. After a few emails, a few layout tweaks and a quick blog post I was off.

As soon as I find my keys.

Looking... looking.... looking.... 10 minutes later... Looking... looking... looking...

Email Wifey to see if she took them by accident and she was just off to a hearing and didn't have time to check. Oh eph it, time-is-a-wastin', so dirt in the woods became dirt roads in the sun PDQ. Works for me either way, but I would have liked to not have wasted so much time.
I found a new way to get to the dirt roads that cuts out any riding through campus, and while I am disappointed to not be seeing taught, nubile co-eds having tickle fights and car washes in bikinis (that never happened outside my mind), I am stoked to avoid some extra stop signs, frat boys, and pedestrian traffic. The new way takes me through a paved trail in the park to a cross walk with a light to get across M-20, and then just 2 miles to dirt. Shhweet.

One of my most hated dirt roads that I ride is Millbrook Road on the west side of S. Winn Rd. UG!! That thing is always, ALWAYS a nut slapping wash board of a road. There's no winning on that thing. Sit and power you get sodomized by the saddle, hover above and your nuts (or your va-jay-jay if you got one) get slapped around, and if you get up out of the saddle, control is lost and you fish tail all over the place from bumps to sand. UG! But today it was better. By better I mean worse... much worse (at least before it gets better). They laid fresh gravel down, but have yet to grade it. It must have been 6 inches deep. Hopefully once it's graded it will loose the stutter bumps. My hands and man bitz would be very appreciative. But for today it made for some slow and tricky bike handling.

Luckily there are choices out there, so I jumped on the first left I could and weaved through the back roads of Isabella County to get in a quick 40ish mile ride. It was pretty hot, and my bottles that were filled with ice when I left the house were either drained or the temperature of bum's piss by the end. But I refuse to complain about the heat, since before you know it I will be dealing with frozen bottles and numb toes.

When I got back home after lunch my keys were there with a note from Wifey. She took them by accident. She owes me! Good thing the boy is out of state. Now where did I put my Batman costume? :P
This pic has some of my fave things in it. The bike that gets my my gravel fix (for now), and one of my Elete water bottles (FYI, there is no Elete in it, it's super awesome CarboRocket 333). Best bottles I own, sadly I only have two, they're 2+ years old and hanging on by a thread. The sides are about as thin as a plastic bag and ready to give way at any moment. But they are the perfect size and the perfect nozzle(?). I saw them online today, but I can't tell from the pic if they are the SAME as the old ones. Plus $10 in shipping for 2 water bottles? Yikes! I'll find others.

FYI: It is MANDATORY that road signs in the
country have bullet holes in them.

But it is optional to take the time scratch Fuck You
on a sign that is out in the middle of nowhere.

On the positive side... note the sky in that top "Stop" photo. I have to say after a lifetime of Western PA weather (grey sky, rain, partly cloudy, partly sunny, white sky,) I have never experience a summer like this one here in Michigan. I think I can count on my fingers how many days of ride ruining rain we got, and when we did the trails (at least the ones near me) were rideable the next day. On top of that- BLUE sky, REAL blue sky. Yeah, last winter was a ball buster here, but this summer more than made up for it IMHO. One of the best ride/weather summers I have ever experienced. I hope the fall will be as kind. As for the winter and it's potential ball busting... I plan to embrace it this year with better cold weather riding gear and new XC skis. I will also be on a doctor (me) prescribed regiment of booze and pills.

OK, because I miss him like poop and am anxious for his return in a couple days, I end with a pic of me and B-Man from vacation a couple weeks ago. Sorry. I know I'm a shmuck.

Later.