Deadlines and life

find a way to distract me from time to time. Here's a quote from Joe Friel:
Miss one key workout and you know it.
Miss two and the competition knows it.
Miss three and everyone knows it.


That's definitely how I feel. I've not gotten in the workouts I should have for the last couple of weeks. Here comes the end of the season like a locomotive screaming down the tracks and I've just not gotten the job done as far as CX goes.  


I'm having fun and that is most important. Still trying to decide about Saturday, but definitely will race on Sunday. It's double points in the series contest!  :-) At the rate I'm going though I'll manage to drop another couple of places and completely out of the running for anything in that competition.


I'm super excited about next week. Finally a vacation away. Have transportation for my bike and gear. Have a friend going with me to share room and car expense. AND about 1:00 pm on Thursday I officially will be in my off-season. Beer will be flowing and lots of races to watch for the next two days. Cheering on the Red Zone kids and friends that are racing, too. 

Then I come home and just ride to ride and get some nice miles under my belt. I want to do more in the knobs and the forest. I want to find some women and get out there and ride all weekend, every weekend. I also want to ride my mtn bike every chance I get, weather permitting. :-)


peace everyone

waylaid

plans are a fact of life these days. 

I was so very excited. Go to my sis's place with my girls and finally have a semblance of the family together again. I've not been to my sis's new house, though she's been living there more than a year now. We all received an invite and everyone said they'd be there. 

I had to go pick up some stuff from my youngest yesterday. I got home and went back out to run to the grocery and the battery was dead, again. It was dead on Sunday and the Francisco's gave me a jump so I drove all the way home from Lexington with no stops. I called my bro and he came and took me to Autozone and I bought a new battery. For the life of me I can't seem to figure out how to get the damned thing out of the van. There is a clip somewhere, but I can't find it. 

I called my new son-in-law last night to get some advice on the battery. It was late and he said he'd come out today and help. But also said they were going to stay home and have dinner there. It has poured all day so I called him this morning and said not to get out in this rain. I went out several times today and tried to figure out how to remove the battery, finally got the cables off. But still can't figure out the damned thing. My bro said I could ride with him to my sis's but I hadn't heard from my other daughter. I couldn't leave her behind. I was supposed to take Mom home. 

I really wanted to see everyone. Shit happens. I kept trying to figure out the battery. I made bean soup. I changed the tire on the pt to slick and started to ride rollers. hard to do in my state so started reading. can't seem to get into anything. craved a cigarette again ARGHHHHH 

stupid me

hope you find peace, hope I find it soon 

Setbacks tend to wear on one's soul

and I am not one to be a quitter, but boy have I toyed with the idea quite a lot lately.

It's a struggle some days to get to a smile. I have spent the last few days thinking of where I am and not that thrilled with it. Where do I want to be? How do I get there?


Work has lost it's luster and appeal. It's discouraging to watch more jobs lost or moved to far away places. I want that feeling of can't wait to start the workday again.


Personal life is just too solitary most days. So much so that I signed up for online dating. So dumb! It's like shopping and I hate to shop. Anyway, that runs out end of the month. So I've had a total of 2 "coffee dates" over 3 months. Time to figure something else out or maybe it's just that I don't need to figure anything out. I should just stop thinking about it.


Cycling has been the one thing that has kept me sort of sane. I can pedal and the negatives turn to positives. But the racing lately has been disappointing and I listen to myself start the excuse list. I hate that! I wish I didn't worry about how silly I look out there on the course. Oh well, too late and too bad.


I must say though, that there is a large group of ladies, youngsters and gentlemen that I've met that are some of the best people around. Not just the ones that race either. I am so very happy to see their faces each weekend. It makes me a little sad to think there are only two weekends to go and then a long winter to get through. Today I got to cheer for lots of friends. Took pictures that didn't turn out very well and talked to lots of good people.

Still wish I could make some things better. There's a friendship or two that are broken and I just can't seem to find a way to fix them proper.


peace everyone

supposed to count blessings

and most times I try real hard to do just that. But today as I drove down the road this thought popped in my head. I tried to shake it, really I did. But I could not remember the last time someone held my hand. Seems small I s'pose. But it's not in my psyche'  I miss being touched, held, engaged physically and aurally too. 

Started thinking about asking to be called home. premature? I dunno anymore


peace to you

Not quite there

but I almost made it through one month with no major mishaps. Somehow I've trashed my Powertap wheel. I have only raced it twice, Gun Club and Columbus. I failed to keep the computer turned on at Gun Club. Thought it would be good to capture data from at least one race. I didn't crash or fall or anything on Sunday. 

I went to change the tire to road so I could get on the trainer Tuesday night. I've been doing these through the week, switching back and forth. I noticed the rim was bent. Took it to the LBS and they said it can't be fixed. great.  Did I not run the right pressure? They said I had to have hit something. I don't remember a thud or anything. good grief.

So I picked up the set of rollers and came home and rode them. Of course it was finding the other road wheels, trying to set the computer to hr only. Still don't have that figured out. I got in about 45 minutes, though probably only 30 recorded. Not bad for the first time in about 9 months. So I managed a smile after after all.

Life

peace to all

Correction/Revision to Infirmary Mound

Not all of my new friends with CX or cycling in general live out of town. I get to ride with some of the best ladies in Louisville each Wednesday for CX and Monday on the recovery rides.  I am so fortunate in many regards. 

During the third lap, Rachel came around me and did her best to get me to grab her wheel. I wanted to and I tried but I had popped my cork. I needed to get my HR down. So I watched her inch away and by the time I got out of the double track to the pavement she was GONE. 

Staci is so very strong. It's been so much fun seeing her win all year. Except I only get to see the pictures after the fact. I love it that she rode the runup yesterday and it's digitized for posterity.

I had many people cheering my name again yesterday. This truly gives me strength I'd otherwise never find. What's the coolest is when the kids are out there encouraging me.  Good vibes for sure.

peace everyone

Infirmary Mound

I tried to find someone to carpool. There was one fellow cyclist that wanted to join me, but for all travel and race on Sunday. I just didn't think I could drive 8+ hours and race in one day. Besides, I would've had to leave Louisville before 5am. I was invited to join some cyclists at their hotel, but the room was more than I wanted to spend. Another friend posted he'd found something close for $39.95, but I couldn't reach him to find out where. Then I received and invite to stay with someone I met last year at Storm the Greens. So Nice!!!

I arrived at the course @ 4:30 on Saturday afternoon, kitted up and rode the course for 3 laps. I'm glad I did. Even though the conditions were different this morning since it had rained overnight and the roads were still soaked as I drove to the course this morning. The course was great except for the horse and dog manure everywhere. We started on pavement, uphill about 400 yards or so to a right hand on grass and immediate barriers. Then a left hand turn to a off-camber straightaway. Another 90degree left turn up a steep hill (which I was able to right all 4 laps) and then my least favorite part of the course, a gravel parking lot that was at an incline into a headwind. The course was fast. The up/downs behind the pond were great, I loved those. You could take them at speed. I'm not fast on the single track but it flowed well and I nailed it each time, except for one little mishap with a briar patch. Into the 3rd lap I lost all go. I had no energy, my thighs were killing me, I couldn't breathe and my heart rate was high. I backed off, put it in a harder gear and powered through while focussing on lowering my heart rate and breathing. I got my 2nd wind on the 4th lap, too late. I went to upshift into my big ring on the last downhill before the uphill sprint finish. My chain went over the big ring to the outside and dropped off. I wound up pushing my bike over the finish for 7th. Not a stellar performance, but I didn't crash or fall which is nice to say, finally.   

I've decided I don't like driving 4 hours alone. It's just not something I want to do again. All the way home I second-guessed my decision to go. It wasn't a cheap weekend, even though I didn't have to pay for lodging. But this is what I like to do. So I'm gonna finish out the season and think about goals for 2011. I'm thinking I want to create a network of friends that want to race and possibly go to races together. I thoroughly enjoyed last year, even though I only raced once it was full of camaraderie. I truly miss that.

Next week is Lexington, then Dayton, then 2 days in Indy with one day before leaving for Bend. I should think about Christmas shopping soon.

ps Don't get me wrong! I have definitely made some fast friends with women in my races. It's just that they all live out of town. 

peace to all

Gun Club

End of daylight saving time. Gain an hour though I don't know where it went. Set the alarm for 4:30, got up 10 til 5. Chest congestion, not a good thing. Ate breakfast, packed the kit bag, packed the car, hit Qdoba @ 6:40 for an egg burrito and hit the road. Pulled into the venue @ 8:40.  It was a crisp 25F and frost everywhere. Pre-rode the course and my toes were numb. Race @ 10, first lap still frosty, 2nd lap greasy, 3rd lap smooshie (is that a proper CX term?) This was a mtn biker's course, which I am not. However, this was a FUN course with lots of twisty technical turns, Loved the sand pits, did not love the run up. I was able to ride some thing others couldn't or wouldn't. But with my chest gurgling by the 3rd lap I had nothing. Somehow I finished in front of 2 from my AG and 2 from the younger set. I never saw them. 

I got to see all my friends, those I race against. It's a good community of people. I wish I could've stayed for the last two races. But I wanted to get home before sunset. Driving solo after an early day in the dark is not so appealing. I'm a big wuss. Maybe I'll find someone to join me for the drive in the coming weeks: Columbus, Lexington, Dayton, Indy. 

I hope I feel better and can get my training back on this week. I had chronic bronchitis every year for over 2 decades because I smoked. This is the first chest congestion I've had in 3 years. I remember, I don't like this feeling at all

peace to all 

Wounds almost healed

so it must be time for another Cyclocross race! 

Storm the Greens was great fun and hard. Being on our regular practice place didn't really help. 5 sand pits that were all ridable and only one dismount for stairs made it a good opportunity for me. I chased Judi and maybe passed her once or twice. We battled the entire race, but she got me in the end.

It's been an interesting few weeks. Lots of life and project deadlines for work. Got a head cold. I've ridden my bike 3 times since Sunday. Today was much colder than I was prepared for. I mean, I dressed for it, fleece bibs, underarmor, 2 pairs socks, fleece jersey/jacket, skull cap and full gloves. Legs felt like lead. I was sluggish and just didn't feel like I was getting warm. Did my efforts and they hurt. I've been back and done for almost 2 hours and the wheezing has not subsided. 

I just read a course report from a friend for tomorrow's Gun Club CX outside Cincy. This is gonna be ugly. Good times. I bought a van last weekend, so now no more begging for rides and being stressed when they don't pan out. A friend lent me his drill, I bought some hardware and a 2x6 that I had cut into 2 4' lengths. I now have the hardware installed on one of the 2x6's and can mount 2 bikes in the back of my van where they will be stable as I drive. Woo Hoo!


Now to pack everything up and get a decent night's sleep.


Road trip!


peace to all