Cyclocross season will officially be underway this weekend. Tough to think that all year long I've been thinking about 'cross season, training for 'cross season, not worrying about the now but always looking forward to 'cross season and now it is here.
I've decided to expand my horizons this season; to make things harder on myself. This weekend I (plus Jeff, Shelli, Todd, Charles, Golden and Owen) will head to Louisville, KY for the Derby City Cup, a USGP race, instead of heading to Raleigh for the opening two races of the NC Cyclocross Series. We're upping the ante, expanding our little bike racing horizons in the hopes that we break through to a new level of racing.
I'm just hoping to survive and not embarass myself. This season for me is all about learning more about myself. For me, pushing the limits of what I think I can physically accomplish is the essence of bike racing. The beauty of turning yourself inside out seems masochistic to someone who doesn't know better, but finding the edge, going over it, and surviving is such an essential part of bike racing. What saddens me are the cyclists who don't push themselves to the brink. I once asked someone on a ride, "How do you know how far is too far until you go there?"
I know that the bike as life metaphor is hackneyed, but it is also totally appropriate in the context of my life. For me, the bike is a lifelong pursuit, an inescapable aspect of life. I find my calmest and most meditative moments in the saddle. This morning as I pedaled down the frost covered greenway, spooking rabbits out of the underbrush and trying not to slip out on leaves slicked flat with moisture and conveniently arranged just so in the turns, my thoughts unhinged from the stress and pressure of the day to come and my mind was free. My legs pumped up and down, my heart pumped blood, my lungs took in cold air, my skin was alive with the cold air that struck it. I inventoried everything within and without in rapid, subconscious fashion. I was free. For all of the time that I have ridden bikes, that feeling has never waned and it keeps me coming back for more.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friday, October 09, 2009
The Odyssey
Saturday, October 03, 2009
'Cross season has now officially started!
Today was a great day at Domtar Park in Kingsport, TN. The course was mostly grass with a long paved straightaway and some interesting up and down, twisty-turny sections that made me feel like I couldn't handle my bike to save my life. The flyover was great and provided a very cool addition to the already stellar racing that MSG Cross puts on in E. TN.
Golden and Shelli rode away from the women's CX4 field early and never looked back. They finished 1-2 in their first outing in the Fiets Maan Racing/Luna Cycles colors. Jeff finished a very strong second to an always dangerous Andy Applegate in the Master's race. And I, unfortunately, suffered a DNF due to a pedal falling off while running in 7th place in the CX3 race. The group of 3 that comprised 4th through 6th place were clearly in my sights, but it was not meant to be today. I'm just surprised I wasn't shot off the back from the gun as I didn't know where my fitness was at this point. Apparently, in addition to catching a cold recently, I also caught some fitness...
Tomorrow we head back for more and will hopefully have good results to post again.
Golden and Shelli rode away from the women's CX4 field early and never looked back. They finished 1-2 in their first outing in the Fiets Maan Racing/Luna Cycles colors. Jeff finished a very strong second to an always dangerous Andy Applegate in the Master's race. And I, unfortunately, suffered a DNF due to a pedal falling off while running in 7th place in the CX3 race. The group of 3 that comprised 4th through 6th place were clearly in my sights, but it was not meant to be today. I'm just surprised I wasn't shot off the back from the gun as I didn't know where my fitness was at this point. Apparently, in addition to catching a cold recently, I also caught some fitness...
Tomorrow we head back for more and will hopefully have good results to post again.
Friday, October 02, 2009
No, I'm not dead, but thanks for thinking of me.
B-U-S-Y is the word of my life right now. Sad that I haven't even had a spare moment to write here, but such is life right now. I have been squeezing riding in around teaching and the shop, mostly through interval laden commutes to and from school with a dramatically overstuffed messenger bag slung over my shoulder. What's really weird is riding a bike without it - I feel like I drop 50 lbs.
Tomorrow is the first big test of the 'cross season with the first race of the MSG Cross series in Kingsport, TN. In an ongoing effort to pursue all new technologies in an effort to bring our adventures home, I am going to try a little iPhone video show. Hopefully, the window below will broadcast what we need, if not, we'll try again!
Video clips at Ustream
Tomorrow is the first big test of the 'cross season with the first race of the MSG Cross series in Kingsport, TN. In an ongoing effort to pursue all new technologies in an effort to bring our adventures home, I am going to try a little iPhone video show. Hopefully, the window below will broadcast what we need, if not, we'll try again!
Video clips at Ustream
Sunday, September 13, 2009
The monster wins again
We found out several months ago that a good friend of ours in Arizona had been diagnosed with a particularly nasty form of cancer. Jeff and I last saw Doug at Interbike last year and it was shocking to think of the rapid changes we were hearing about in contrast to our last meeting with him.
Doug was hands-down, one of the nicest people I have ever been privileged to know. Every time you saw him he would give you this crooked smile that was a true and genuine sign that he was happy to see you. Doug had a remarkable way of making you feel like you were his best friend, even if you just barely knew him.
Doug passed away earlier this week. It was sudden and shocking. To be honest, it hurts like hell knowing that Doug is no longer with us. I do not ever espouse any religious or spiritual viewpoints, but I do sincerely and whole-heartedly hope that Doug is in a place that deserves him.
Every morning when I ride to work, I think about Doug. I know that lots of others are doing the same and Doug will live on in our hearts and thoughts.
Doug was hands-down, one of the nicest people I have ever been privileged to know. Every time you saw him he would give you this crooked smile that was a true and genuine sign that he was happy to see you. Doug had a remarkable way of making you feel like you were his best friend, even if you just barely knew him.
Doug passed away earlier this week. It was sudden and shocking. To be honest, it hurts like hell knowing that Doug is no longer with us. I do not ever espouse any religious or spiritual viewpoints, but I do sincerely and whole-heartedly hope that Doug is in a place that deserves him.
Monday, September 07, 2009
A few moments to spare
A month is a long time to go without writing. In the past month, school has started and since the beginning I have been hanging on for dear life. I have felt inexplicably flat-footed so far; my sense of creativity has been massively blocked, but I think I might be peeking around it.
As for cycling, the past month has been pedal to the metal at the shop. Floods of repairs and lots of business have made my absence from the trenches difficult for all of us. An extra set of hands is always useful! We have done lots of events, too, in an attempt to gauge where we are at in terms of the early cyclocross season. I did my first mtn. bike race in I don't know how many years and felt like I would like to do some more of them in the near future. Golden and Lara Cassady did the 50 mile Mountain Bike Marathon race at the National Whitewater Center in Charlotte as a relay team and came in 2nd place. A great result that they both agreed could be improved upon.
The Lenoir Triathlon was Saturday. Jeff and I provided tech support (which primarily consisted of installing handlebar plugs). Chris the Fish, Shelly and Golden competed as a relay team and won both the coed and overall relay race, besting Team Manly Men by some 4 minutes.
Yesterday, I had to get out in the woods. After working hard to get both Golden's and my 'cross bikes ready, a dirt road ride won out over a mountain bike ride. Jeff called up Sunday morning and asked if we were down for a Maple Sally Rd. ride and thus we set out from Hard and Flossie Clark Park in Collettsville. I must admit that Maple Sally Rd. has never really been my strong suit, so I always approach it with a tiny sense of trepidation. However, yesterday I felt good - strong even, owing probably to the fact that for the first time I was riding Maple Sally in temperatures above 40 degrees and without bulky winter clothing. It was a blast! Golden enjoyed her new 'cross bike and Jeff had a good shake down ride on his new bike, as well.
As for cycling, the past month has been pedal to the metal at the shop. Floods of repairs and lots of business have made my absence from the trenches difficult for all of us. An extra set of hands is always useful! We have done lots of events, too, in an attempt to gauge where we are at in terms of the early cyclocross season. I did my first mtn. bike race in I don't know how many years and felt like I would like to do some more of them in the near future. Golden and Lara Cassady did the 50 mile Mountain Bike Marathon race at the National Whitewater Center in Charlotte as a relay team and came in 2nd place. A great result that they both agreed could be improved upon.
The Lenoir Triathlon was Saturday. Jeff and I provided tech support (which primarily consisted of installing handlebar plugs). Chris the Fish, Shelly and Golden competed as a relay team and won both the coed and overall relay race, besting Team Manly Men by some 4 minutes.
Yesterday, I had to get out in the woods. After working hard to get both Golden's and my 'cross bikes ready, a dirt road ride won out over a mountain bike ride. Jeff called up Sunday morning and asked if we were down for a Maple Sally Rd. ride and thus we set out from Hard and Flossie Clark Park in Collettsville. I must admit that Maple Sally Rd. has never really been my strong suit, so I always approach it with a tiny sense of trepidation. However, yesterday I felt good - strong even, owing probably to the fact that for the first time I was riding Maple Sally in temperatures above 40 degrees and without bulky winter clothing. It was a blast! Golden enjoyed her new 'cross bike and Jeff had a good shake down ride on his new bike, as well.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
What are you thinking about?
I went down in the basement yesterday and found a dirty, forlorn thing hanging from a hook and felt a huge wave of guilt wash over me. While my wife would hope that it was the mountain of storage containers that have overtaken most of the basement floorspace during our months of basement wall repairs and are awaiting me putting the finishing touches on the new shelves I have built to hold them, the thing that made my heart shudder was my 'cross bike. Covered in a thick layer of dust from having one of our foundation walls replaced, missing the saddle and devoid of pedals, my much loved 'cross bike hung neglected and nearly forgotten.
But the end of the Tour and the beginning of a new school year signal the giddy weeks that lead up to the start of cyclocross season. Around our shop, 'cross is pretty much the best thing you can do on two wheels. If you know 'cross, you know what I'm talking about, but if you have never tried it - be forewarned, 'cross will break you and remake you in short order - and you will be a better cyclist for it.
With 'cross, everything is a nit to be carefully picked. A big box arrived with brown Santa at the shop yesterday. Upon opening it, Jeff started pulling out 'cross equipment for new bikes being built up by Beerman and the Guru. The first item out of the box were Grifo Fango tubular 'cross tires. Heck, tires alone ended up being a topic of careful conversation between Jeff and I for at least an hour - and we still haven't figured out what we are going to run this season! But that is one of my favorite parts. Every aspect of the 'cross bike must be carefully chosen, evaluated and tweaked in order to tune the bike to the rider, the course and the conditions. Miss the right set up and you will have an excellent view of the leaders of the race as they lap you.
But the bike is just the start. 'Cross is such a beautiful blend of all the aspects of cycling that it favors the rider who is not just fit, but smart and adroit as well. Handling a bike, reading a course, finding the fastest lines, having solid dismount/remount technique, all of these things are key. Where criteriums favor the big engined horses of cycling, 'cross can make mincemeat of cyclists who are "all horsepower and no steering wheel". The beautiful thing is that you can always improve, always learn something new and do better because of it.
Our 'cross season starts Oct. 3rd and 4th with the first two races of the TN series. The NC series begins Oct. 23rd and 24th. As always, we will do cyclocross training clinics to help with all of the ins and outs for what is to most people a new sport. If you have never tried 'cross, come let us usher you into a whole new two-wheeled world.
And so begins my epic poem of this 'cross season. A dirty, neglected bike is walked from my house to the shop, beginning its process of rebirth and renewal. And hopefully, I will follow the same path.
But the end of the Tour and the beginning of a new school year signal the giddy weeks that lead up to the start of cyclocross season. Around our shop, 'cross is pretty much the best thing you can do on two wheels. If you know 'cross, you know what I'm talking about, but if you have never tried it - be forewarned, 'cross will break you and remake you in short order - and you will be a better cyclist for it.
With 'cross, everything is a nit to be carefully picked. A big box arrived with brown Santa at the shop yesterday. Upon opening it, Jeff started pulling out 'cross equipment for new bikes being built up by Beerman and the Guru. The first item out of the box were Grifo Fango tubular 'cross tires. Heck, tires alone ended up being a topic of careful conversation between Jeff and I for at least an hour - and we still haven't figured out what we are going to run this season! But that is one of my favorite parts. Every aspect of the 'cross bike must be carefully chosen, evaluated and tweaked in order to tune the bike to the rider, the course and the conditions. Miss the right set up and you will have an excellent view of the leaders of the race as they lap you.
But the bike is just the start. 'Cross is such a beautiful blend of all the aspects of cycling that it favors the rider who is not just fit, but smart and adroit as well. Handling a bike, reading a course, finding the fastest lines, having solid dismount/remount technique, all of these things are key. Where criteriums favor the big engined horses of cycling, 'cross can make mincemeat of cyclists who are "all horsepower and no steering wheel". The beautiful thing is that you can always improve, always learn something new and do better because of it.
Our 'cross season starts Oct. 3rd and 4th with the first two races of the TN series. The NC series begins Oct. 23rd and 24th. As always, we will do cyclocross training clinics to help with all of the ins and outs for what is to most people a new sport. If you have never tried 'cross, come let us usher you into a whole new two-wheeled world.
And so begins my epic poem of this 'cross season. A dirty, neglected bike is walked from my house to the shop, beginning its process of rebirth and renewal. And hopefully, I will follow the same path.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
