1st race of the year

So last year I did one cat. 5 race ad decided I hate road racing. Or at least that it just wasn't fun to me. First, I must explain one thing about me. Since birth I've only liked things that I'm good at from the get go. If I couldn't pick it up quickly and be the best I didn't want anything to do with it. So last year wen I did a shitty Cat. 5 road race and I missed the break and ended up chasing for 45 mins only to catch the break right as the sprinted for the finish I put my thoughts of road racing on the back shelf and focused on what I live, cx. Plus roadies are elitist uptight pricks anyway.
This year I'm on a team and as a sign of good faith I decided to do some road races. So screw Cat. 5's and their replica jersey wearing, sketchy riding asses. And while I'm at it screw Cat. 4's too. Why? I don't know just because I'm an elitist uptight prick I guess. So I decided to do a 3/4 race and throw down with the semi big boys. Everyone goes from cat. 5 to cat. 3/4, right? So I line up Saturday in the freezing cold. Being at race weight and having hardly any body fat makes for some chilly mornings. I wasn't shivering I was convulsing. But I digress. The group finally takes off and I warm up. The pace was nice and speedy which pleased me but my legs weren't feeling very strong. I went to the front to try ad get positioned for a break (by the way the wind gusts that morning were 50mph). Just trying to gt to the front I almost cracked. So back into the pack I went. Legs feeling like crap. The speed one lap was 34mph across the finish, the next time through it was 24mph and the next it was 19mph. It was all over the place. It didn't matter because I felt like crap. FINALLY on the 2nd to last lap my legs woke up and felt like they had been all week. I move from the back to the front and looked for our sprinter. I got behind him on the last lap and I couldn't get around because we were pinched on the right against the shoulder of the road. So there was no lead out fr me. Going into the final meters it opened up into a group sprint and I pulled a killer sprint out of my ass (I can't sprint to save my life). I was passing dudes like they were sitting still. So I'm looking for more gears and realizing I didn't have any and as I am coming on the front line of dudes these two jerk offs in front of me sit up and stop pedaling I couldn't get around them and I ended up having to brake hard as I approached the line. WTF? I could of actually came close to winning this thing... I'm sure the other 20 guys that came across the line with me had similar thoughts but still. So it could have been worse. Ended up 18th out of 70 dudes. Not bad for moving up a few Cats.

Still looking for that win though.

I am Specialized

I couldn't say no. I really couldn't. It was too good t be true. Just a few hundred bucks for one of the best (non-custom) frames in the world. So what if I didn't have a few hundred bucks. So what if it's one size bigger then my optimal sizing. So what! The only thing I really don't like about it is that it is so popular of a frame. On looks alone the S Works Tarmac is a perfect 10. Other frame makers are standing in line just waiting to copy the curved top tube. But enough about how I'm gay for the looks of this bike. Let me tell you how gay I am for how this bike feels between my sweaty thighs.



Snappy. That's the best way I can put it. I'm coming off of a Cannondale Optimo CX. That bike flexed when you really were stomping on the pedals. It was most noticeable when the fenders were mounted in the rain. The wheels would rub when you were climbing. With the Tarmac and it's ridiculously large bottom bracket shell I went out for an easy spin this weekend with Martin and on the first climb I stood up, stomped and pulled on the pedals and the bike accelerated without any hesitation or loss of power. It just snaps forward when you pedal. Even though I felt like shit I zipped right up the climb. It's probably something best explained first hand. Overall it's just a fun ride and gives me a shit eating grin every time I ride it.

P.S. I scored some speedplay x1 pedals ($325 new) for $40. Long story short. Someone thought they were worn out and they aren't. Not even a little. Pedals are almost as cool as the new bike. Especially coming off a lifetime of riding sloppy mtb pedals.

F* me

I just had the week and a half from hell. My beautiful baby boy lost his f'ing mind and stopped sleeping at night. He would scream, not cry, scream without stopping from about 10pm to 3-4am every night. A few more days and I think I would have jumped off a cliff. What a nightmare.

I'm afraid to even make any gesture about things getting back to normal... So I won't.

But I was able to put in a couple hundred miles this week which is stellar. I need lots and lots of base miles. That last ride I posted about was perfect now if I can log that ride every weekend I'll be set. Although tomorrow should be fun. Some fast guys doing a mtb ride around Green Lane.

And thanks to Geronimo for just being cool. All I asked was for a sports drink and I end up with a training plan. The world needs more dudes like that and less pimped out Geo metro driving douche bags (aka 99% of Pottstown).

Climbing

I love climbing. I should just stop the post right there. There's nothing else more to say really. But I'll continue a bit for posterity sake. We did 5501 feet of climbing today. Not bad for an early season ride. I would have liked to do more but what the ride lacked in feet it more than made up for in gradient. The first big accent was 22%. For those of you who don't know that steep of road would be very difficult to walk up let alone ride. When I first saw it the first thought I had was "maybe I should get off and walk up". I've never huffed and puffed so hard in my life.

The limbs got easier and ride pressed on. We saw some crazy shit out in Berks county like a HUGE Noah's arc type boat that a a house. This place is money too. Not some local yokel living in a boat. I would love to take a look inside. I'll have to figure that out one day.

Couple more weekend like this and I'll be back on track to being in race shape. My weight is around 146lbs and I'd guesstimate my bmi to be 7%? I got buzzed off one Miller Lite last night. That should be an indication that I'm getting skinny. Can't wear my wedding ring any more either. Pretty sure a 10 year old could kick my ass.

crazy or tough?

It was 36 degrees and raining when I left work today. It quickly turned to sleet which then turned to hail which then turned back into sleet and finally back into rain once I got home to the wannabe ghetto. The back roads were starting to get covered in a sleeting slush. Everyone I talked to today said I was crazy t ride in this. Jenny said I was crazy. That's BS... I mean I am crazy but that has nothing to do with it. I rode because I can and because I don't let little things like my boots being filled with ice cold water or being pelted in the face with sleet and hail stop me.

It'd be nice to hear once, "Wow, that's some hard work you put in on the bike."

Crazy... I got your crazy right here!

"like my brakes were on"

I was drilling it the whole way to work this morning to compensate for being lazy and only getting out once over the weekend. But for some reason over the last 10 miles it felt like I just got incredibly tired and slow. Even on the last downhill where I can usually break 40mph I had to pedal the whole way down. Was there a headwind that I wasn't feeling? It just felt like my brakes were on...

Well it turns out the front brake was stuck on. I really need to get a disc brake commuter bike. There is no reason to be using rim brakes in 2009. I don't get why the UCI and the rest of the world is still stuck on stupid. It's laughable really. It would be like if they made Moto GP ride shaft driven drum brake bikes. Fucking stupid...

AIDS

For our friends without kids, us having kids was like contracting HIV. Since we've had Luke the number of times our friends have some up to see us has equaled < 1 time per friend. For most of our friends it consisted of the obligatory visit soon after he was born. And like AIDS if was uncomfortable and awkward for our friends. A few of them adored Luke and gushed over him but most held him like they would a cobra. Then that was it. Haven't seen any of them since. A few real shit bag friends (Beau) just totally dropped us like a bag of rocks. No calls, haven't returned any emails, nothing. Fuck 'em.

The real lesson is that the only people who will be there for you is family. And that is even questionable...