Where The Hell?

I am so bad at this blog now. I mean since 2005 this has been a part of me, but somehow, I have let it slip away. Maybe it started when I started mentally slipping away to concentrate on XXC, maybe when it was when I realized that I am just one sub-par mountain bike racer in a sea of sub-par mountain bike racers and what I personally do is of no importance to anyone other than maybe my dog... Maybe not even him!

Over the past couple years, this year in particular, I have become even more comfortable with being a non-racer. Yes, I've raced, I plan to race more, but I can't say I've TRAINED for racing or even really cared about how I did. "If you ain't first, your last" my daddy used to say (he didn't). Sure, I hope to come back next year, do more, and try outdo this year (which shouldn't be too hard). But alas here I am, like it or not, still blogging this crap...

The past week has been better than last week (ride wise), but still not great. A couple sweet dirt road/gravel rides and some sweet singletrack made the week all worth while. On top of that I got a balls deep into some XXC work.

I am happy and sad to say that after a shitty spring, a sub-par early summer I am FINALLY feeling good on the bike. The major goal is going to go into this off season motivated to get in better shape so as to do more next year. Lots of other things I have to get done with the mag first though. The coming year (or at least issue) is what I am dubbing the "make it or break it" issue. I'd like to do a small print run, get the mag in bike shop and let folks see that the mag is and what it could be. If that fails, so be it. I would have don 18 issues of a magazine that I am pretty damn proud of. It won't be the end of the world if it goes away.

Hope to get more riding in the next couple days. HOPE to.

Later.

Farm Livin'

This week has been pretty lame ride wise. Most rides were short, in the 1:30 to 1:45 time range and about a 60/40 gravel road/paved road mix. Oh well, some weeks you are a former mid pack racer piling up miles for no reason and other weeks your are a former mid pack, welcome to the back of the pack hipster doofus riding miles JUST to keep the beer gut at bay. I'm OK with that as long as my road rides are filled with laid back farm livin'.

Well... for now.

Later.

Special Prizes

The American UltraCross Series rules state: "Racers who participate in three of the five races will be awarded a special prize for taking on this challenge." I am currently ranked 13th (by default of having showed up and raced the Barry-Roubaix and the Hilly Billy). There are two races left and I only need one more. Dare I make the trip to Iron Cross so as to get my "special prize." I mean it might be a 26" tire… Then again it MIGHT be a gift certificate to an all you can spank stripper buffet! Then again, maybe I am excluded from such prizes for being part of the endurance racing biased media? Such decisions to make... Life sucks.

Later.

Dirty Reprieves

This week I got to hit some dirt and get a reprieve from recent mental hysteria brought on by feared failure and the want to do a "for real" make it or break me print run of XXC Magazine next year.

Advice: If you ever want to start you own business, make sure you actually HAVE some business knowledge or at least learn real quick. People like me should not start their own business. Hell people like me should probably not be allowed amongst people.

But the dirt was fine...

I mean it was MORE than fine. It was PERFECT. The 15 mile trail at MMCC is getting fast. Super fast. Even better I am feeling better on the bike in so many ways!

A. The shoulder has been pain free the ENTIRE ride. No pain at ALL while mountain biking.

B. After a spring and early summer confining myself to mostly dirt road and road rides I am feeling comfortable on singletrack and as a result I am riding faster, stronger and cornering better. Up until now cornering (not my strong suit anyhow) was worse do to my fear of making my shoulder worse. JOY!

C. While I can't say I've lost any real weight, I really haven't gained any and if my riding is better, who cares?

D. Hoping to keep the good ride mojo going through some of the upcoming gravel road races, through the off season and may ACTUALLY race more in 2013. Hope so.

OK, back to the hysteria...
 Later.

A Weekly?

It seems this here blog has taken to a one post week. My bad. Just busy with XXC stuff and life. Not to mention I only got out riding like 2 times, so there wasn't too much to post about.

There is a ton of stuff I want to bitch and moan about, a ton of things I want to write about, and ton of things that have my ass chapped. Just not feeling it right now. Maybe THIS coming week I will.

Later.

One of THOSE weekends

This "season" was in NO way what I had hoped for. BUT one takes solace wherever one can, right? Yeah, right m-epher.

My shoulder is all by healed. Sure it aches at night sometime, and when a cold front moves in, my right shoulder knows before the weatherfuckingman does, but such is life. What REALLLLLY maters is that I can ride singletrack at speed at NOT have to worry about pain. JOY!

While racing is something that in 2012 I do on a whim, whenver the mood strikes, riding on singletrack with friends will always take precedent. Such was this weekend. Well, at least PART of this weekend.

Saturday I rode at Hanson Hills with my friends Ryan and Chris. It was pretty freaking sweet. While in no hurry, we did have a pretty quick (MY race) pace going and did 30 miles of H.H. and still had time for a saddle rail adjustment (me), and a free hub repair in the parking lot (Ryan). It was stupid fun and and the trails were super dry, sandy and fast (well, except for the sand).

After the ride it was a burger (me) and pulled pork sammy (R&C) at Spikes. Then home for me to join Wifey and friends for some beers and grub later at The Blue Gator in M.P..

Today I slept in, clean up dog puke and then road a quick lap at MMCC. The above pic is sweet to me. Not because it's a good pic (it's not) or because it some killer technical trail (again, it's not), but because THIS trail did NOT exist this time last year. New trail freaking rocks. The hard work of a few dedicated trail gnomes took our local trails from a 10 mile loop to a 14+ mile loop. Mucho thanks to them.

Yesterday was an uptempo/race pace for me, so today I did a 14 mile loop at chill pace. Easy breathing and taking in the awesomeness that is the trail time in the woods.

Ridig with good friends on Saturday was freaking sweet, but so was riding alone today. They both rock, but for different reasons. Then again... ANY time spent in the woods on a bike is TITZ!

Later.