Gloucester Day 1 and Day 2 - Cardiac Carnage

I had a pretty good registration number and got pretty close to the front during the line up. The announcer called 30 seconds, and luckily I was clipped in and she blew the whislte...no ten to go, nothing, a few people were caught off gaurd. The race up the road was pretty good, had a good position going into the dirt/grass and maintained that until the first little uphill twist downhill to the barriers. I remember seeing a few people get tangled and made it through the first few sections unscathed. Lap 2, more riders were going by me on anything that was flat, but the downhills were easy and the twistys before the sand pit was fun and the tires held up well, great grip and I could carry a fair amount of speed into almost all turns.

The sand pit was my undoing though. Not only can I not run but I could not get that stuff out of my shoes. The soles of my shoes were so caked with sand that i couldn't clip in that entire back section. I would go into the ride up and down hill before the ball field backstop with out having a shoe clipped in, what a pain. I even removed some of the tread a few nights before in hopes that it would shed dirt/sand easier. I hooked up with the crazy Keltic rider (he road through the sand pit twice) and exchanged positions with another rider (Dave - he had a good support chearing section - Zoo?), for the remainder of the race. I was at the limit just about every lap, a few times I would sit on and try and control my breathing and that helped but also at the same time, I would give up positions. I had set pretty liberal goals, not to get lapped and not to DNF. So in that regard, I met the goals. The bike help up well, no mechanicals, still shifting crisp despite the whole drivetrain being beat up.

Sections that i could have improved up would have been the run up, i kept taking a wide line through and then having to regain the lost spot or two on the downhill to the back stretch by the pit. A few times I was able to sneak back a few riders on the twisty section by the ball field, only to loose those spots back on the road. It was a solid day.



GLOUCESTER DAY 2

I really have to improve upon these race reports: here it goes
Woke up early enough to get the car packed, but then the little tornado and lady decided to go, so I had to unpack the one car and pack up the Family Truckster and head out albiet a few minutes late. Registration today was a breeze. Was able to get in two warm up laps and the course layout was identical but for whatever reason, the course seemed slower if that was possible. My starting position was pretty good, 2nd row. The whistle goes off and my start today was better than the previous days. Had a great entry into the grass and even held that going into the rocky path by the water but thats when the slide backward began and I was redlined. I couldn't be cooked this early. All those minutes of training, the week and a half off the bike..lungs filled with flemmy crud...crap. The little uphill I got rear ended the then crashed on the barriers) but no mechanical damage and going downhill toward the run-up, one rider really over cooked the turn and took out 20 feet of tape. Hit the run-up with pretty good speed but bobbled the clip in and lost more spots, was able to maintain my position past the pit area but that back stretch i think another 20-30 riders got past like i was standing still. Got into the twistys before the sand pit and got passed on the inside which threw my line off and more riders got past...sand pit, would I be able to clip back in was all over my mind. Cleats / pedals were good. (I siliconed the soles of my shoes the night before...smaht thinkin'). Still sliding backwards but not as fast. 2nd and 3rd lap were pretty similar, my legs were going good but definately lacked power and my HR would sky rocket too quickly so every few sections I had to back off to keep from vomiting, I was going into survival mode. Got passed by Dave (same guy from yesterday) and others who looked to be on good form. I did my best to sit on and hold wheels but certain sections played to my strengths but other sections just killed me. It wasn't until the 3rd lap that I noticed the wife and kid cheering, it was a pretty good feeling ( i think he had fun just yelling). On the 2nd to last lap I was with pretty much the same bunch of riders for a while just fighting to hang on and follow, you could definately see where each rider had better skills, some had power on the straights but couldn't turn with speed while others would clear the barriers with easy while others smacked each barrier with their rear wheel. While riding with that group I managed to gain on the last section by the ballfield and we hit the pavement for the final time. I got by one rider and clicked to a higher gear and really pushed it up the hill inching closer to another rider, who was going all out as well, clicked over to the big ring and got him at the line, fighting for such a lowly position may not mean much on paper but it was a mental victory none the less. Crossed the line, rolled through and almost passed out as two riders were off by the boulders getting rid of breakfast. Wasn't lapped, didn't DNF and managed not to finish last!

Pneumonia goes to Gloucester

Yupp...says it all. Been sick ever since last week. The Doc thinks its pneumonia, how the hell did i get that. Either way, i can't breathe without coughing up some interesting color. I get winded walking up three steps, thinking about biking and my legs shake, I am in amazing shape. Ha. However I'm hoping to still make Gloucester, and have fun...albiet in last place. Just listen for me bringing up the rear. 125 competitors....I am setting my goal for 100th and not to suffocate on my own lung flem. NICE. Will this be my undoing...most likely. I haven't touch the bike in over a week, talk about shock to the system. Pain cave, i don't think so...Pain abyss, most definately

Amesbury Pigpile

Got to the race with plenty of time to register, kit up and pre-ride the course. Where did all the roots come from! The first off camber descent was claiming riders during the practice laps so it was decided that before to many riders left their blood on it, the course was re-routed to the second descent which was measurably safer (if thats the correct word for it). Started in the back row, right side, Right from the start, moved up pretty well BUT then there was a pinch by the first tree and some hay bails. I don't remember where the hay bails came from. I don't know what happened but wheels locked up in front of me, riders hit the dirt, my bike was sideways and the front of the field was gone. Collected my bike and got going again. I immeadiately knew that I had too much pressure in the tires and I should have been 5 psi lower, easily. I was bouncing all over the roots. THe barriers, I had good form getting off the bike but due to my HR being sky high, I stutter stepped the remount and a few riders got passed and when one rider when down, it put us further back. Yeah, Yeah I know...starting position is everything. Saw one ECV crash twice in the same spot, guess it wasn't his day. After the first lap, things were strung out and in the techincal sections I could stay with most riders but it was the grassy sections where i couldn't put matching power down. Third lap I finally got around mr motobecane red, he had a good cheering section, and kept going only to be passed by the ECV guy i passed on the stairs. Tried getting back up to him but he would pull away on the straights. I could only latch back on to him in the halfpipe, quick downhills and tight turns. The maxxis mimo's held their ground well despite being balloons. The roots really took a toll on my hands, I Gripped the hoods while in the woods and road in the drops on the grass when i could, just to break up the positioning on the bars. This worked pretty well. I really like the twistys, the section leading up the barriers, and the stair run up. I did have one nice bail out when I over cooked a turn, I refused to touch the breaks and the front wheel slid out but I ended up on my feet (I believe CTodd got a nice view) so I was able to get back up and going pretty quickly only allowing one other rider to bridge up and eventually pass me on the last lap. Finished in the back of the field somewhere, don't know where as I didn't have the time stick around for the results to be posted. I'll check later this week for an update. I think if I can hold a better start position and maintain the HR redline a little longer while the field sorts itself out, it will definately help. I think I can maintain my 178 bpm HR for 40 minutes, its whether or not I can hold 185 bpm for 6 minutes till the field strings out that is another questions.....a whole lot of "ifs"....either way, the race was fun, had fun, looking forward to the next one

Over all the bike handled really well. The frame is super stiff (laterally stiff, and vertically compliant-bikesnobnyc), the brakes held up ok considering one of the pads got loose on the post (shite manufacturing but). They will be swapped out for ritchey reds this week. The eastons SL's are still true and rolled really well. They definately lightening the bike up a bit. We'll see what i can do to get ready for gloucester, till then.......

Who turned the Oven on

Where did the heat come from? Managed only 90 minutes of saddle time yesterday before I ran out of water, my legs walked off and the mind shut down so I decided to head home. Didn't get any cross drills done. oh well. But I wish my ride enderd here again, and i could order up some butter dipped goodness

I wouldn't visit this place at night unless you have a sick fascination with getting sucked dry by viscious mosquitoes. Is this considered a good recovery food?

The bike is 80% ready for sunday. Haven't found decent brake pads that I like yet and the ones I ordered are making there way here by Mule. Brakes or no brakes, complete lack of skills will provide amusement for not only spectators but competitors alike. Spent today off the bike since i had to mop out my basement when the neighbors hot water tank started leaking, again! Which means the basement compound is in a state of disarray, more so than its usual organized chaos. Till Friday is a crap shoot with the weather and saturday will be spent chasing the tornado around town.



I know what my pre-race meal is going to be....do you....if I Can wait that long...hmm......

Amesbury

Anyone..Anyone....
Amesbury Pines Park Amesbury, MA
Sunday, September 30, 2007

The MTB is back up on the hooks and Redline is ready to go, the Maxxis Mimo's have been mounted, race cassette mounted. Just waiting on some brake pads....but when you are going as slow as I am..who needs brakes. Anybody run a SS in CX?

Smashing Pumpkin MTB Race

Root66 wrapped up the MTB season with the final event at Winding Trails. This course has been historically a fast non-technical course with lots of fire roads and quick terrain. This race was no different except for more laps, less training and new tires. Got to the race just in time to kit up, register, dump the kid off and get on the line for the roll out. The whistle blows and the start was not as chaotic or as fast as I thought it would be. It was fast, but not stand on the pedals and crank till your blue in the face. Maybe thats why i was at the back of field.. The pack of 26 didn't break apart until about the 2 mile mark and then it split into three groups. Guess which group I was in! One slow guy really held up the group when he stacked it on some log rollers but I was able to get around him and two other riders in that third group where I was destined to stay. On the second lap I was able to catch riders (notice i said catch and not "pass") on the ride up through the start/finish area and that long slow rise to the single track. The new single track was pretty nice and they even threw in some jumps right at the end. They were pretty fun with soft landings. The dust that was kicked up was pretty thick, it was amazing how dry it was.
Anyhow, the second lap, a fellow MTBMINDer joined on we rolled at a decent pace passing one or two other riders...before he flattted on the third lap. I could catch people on the inclines but would loose them on anything that required braking. It was a combination of bad techinical braking skills and no traction by the tires in the soft stuff so they would pull away again. Finished the 3rd MTB race of the season with my highest placing in the sport class...a whopping 19th...sweet!!! The effort put in will hopefully pay off at the Amesbury race next weekend. Either way, good race, happy with the effort put in, good weekend!

The Race weekend

Finally got the fork on the Cross bike. It rides alot stiffer and more responsive. Currently trying to dial in the braking, its getting close but it's not 100% where i like it yet. Going to try some different pads to see if it gets better. Also need to wipe down the braking surfaces as well. Been able to get out and hit the Belmont Trails on it lately and it is a blast to ride. I think with a better saddle, it will continue to improve. The Fizik arione will be up for sale asap!
This weekend, I'm going to dust off the Giant and run that tank at the Smashing Pumpkin . It should be interesting becuase I have two family BBQs to attend that weekend. Nothing like carrying a little extra weight around, but it should be a decent way to get some miles in.

Random

So, I got in some sprints down by the river last night, all on the way home. Testing out a new saddle too....about 6 adjustments and its feeling good now but sunday will be the deciding factor. Even managed to get the new bearing race pounded onto the cross fork (aluminum fork is going to be better than the steel one i think). So thats ready for installing this weekend. So many things going on. Once the fork is on, might start taking the other route home by the Wildlife preserve and blasting around on those trails. Should be good to go.
Got bored so here are some photos from when I was biking a few weeks ago in either early morning around nap #1 or after the little man passed out for the night...guess where I'd rather be...my best riding is always when i'm on vacation.....


Stop playing with your Dingy


Food Review: The sandwiches stunk but thats not what you go here for...Food or more specifically, French Fries fried in DuckFat....very tastey...just avoid everything else on the menu. The taste was pretty different than what I expected, geasey but not too bad, smokey flavor and easy finish...who thought you could review a french fry with such complexity


Sunset...the mosquitoes showed up in force, only after stopping for a few seconds, had to get moving or loose way to much blood. Lycra is a mere speed bump for those little bastards, they can pierce it easily,the determined ones anyways.

It's all the Same

Its been a while becuase there has been nothing to really talk about. Cyclocross season is rearing its anaerobic head so that means I should be doing sprints and practicing dismounts and "technique". It hasn't happened. I have a wife, a toddler and a job that all take up all my time. Hours on the bike consist of going to and from work and little in between. However throwing the litlte man on the back of the bike is pretty fun, i can eak out an extra hour here and there. I however did pull the trigger and buy a slightly too small Redline Cyclocross bike. The deal was too good to pass up. Kinesis frame, made in the USA (yes, the frame is older than most remember but made in the USA is a deal) and it's got some fun components, all 9spd-105 with CXP33 rims (Good training wheels). But what was the ultimate deciding factor, he threw in a complete ultegra drivetrain with it. So I got a steal of a deal. I had to do something with the money I made selling the last bike...one bike goes out the door, another comes in, an even exchange. So I have started to dial that bike and gettin' it ready for the Amesbury race. End of september. I"m gonna be terrible, it will be comical.

Actually made it to Wells Ave twice in the past month. I don't recall the previous race, i was dropped midway through and tried joining back up only to have the HR hit the roof and I was cooked, felt like puking up my nutella and coffee. Ended up at the back of the field. Last week wasn't great either but much more fun. During the mid race sprint for some Shackley product, someone on a yellow specialized put another rider into the curb, they were both pulled the next lap and spent the rest of the race on the sideline jawin' at eachother, these people gotta relax, were crash-5s, and nothing more. Then three guys decided to put on a show of force on right after the sprint when we were all sleeping and the peleton split into two groups. I was stuck in between both. I tried to bridge back up to the first group but the were really putting the hammer down. Turns out two of the guys were Triatheletes who like to TT. The second group was less organized and finally collected me but I put too much effort into sucking, that i got dropped by that group but then that group fell apart and splintered even more. I was all out of matches to burn. Eventually picked up two riders, who I dragged for two laps, one finally cracked and dropped out, the other guy helped out for a lap, and we would switch back and forth each lap, trying to collected riders. Made it back to Mr. Scattante and Mr. Ibex who linked on, but Ibex just took off and wanted nothing to do with us slow-folk so he went solo. Got lapped by the power-trio on the 2nd to last lap. Finished with a smile and a hunger for omlets with bacon and peanut butter pie.

Bengals beat the ravens in a close game...6 turnovers, and a turnover to end the game was fitting. Can't believe BC is 2-0 and Michigan is 0-2...NICE.

Registered for Gloucester..saturday and sunday. Can't wait to turn myself inside out for a less than mid pack finish...some people want a top ten, i'll be happy with top-75. ha. It's gonna be awsome even if the little man isn't awake to see the carnage. There my update for the month...boring and in-coherent


I wish my ride would end here on most days

Backwards

Made it out sunday for a little repeat wells ave action. However during the warm up spin my legs weren't even drift wood, they were just going through the motions, powerless. Not a good a sign, two many hours at the beach the day before? Chasing the mumbling little man around? I was zapped. It was a super small group for the race. It started with an immediate jump off the front, he was later realed in and then dropped, twice by the group. I think overall he was lapped three times? Tucked in behind Mr. Orange and he took a 2 lap pull, and then it was my turn. My two lap pull wasn't bad but my HR went through the roof and wouldn't come back down, dehydration maybe? Pulled out, no one pulled through, slowed down, the pack slowed down, nobody wanted to come out front. Whats the point of racin' if your just gonna sit in the back and noodle around. Spent a few laps "recovering" before the mid-lap prime, wound it out pretty good trying to help Mr. Orange, but got strung out and thats when it was a downhill slide out the back. Kept fighting to get back on, only to get strung out again. Oh well, I conceded defeat and turned the remaining laps into a personal TT, trying to keep certain speeds through each section. It was not a great peformance but the intensity was good and Mr. Orange got second i think. The guy on the 80's trek really had some power but I don't think he did much during the preivous laps. Saeco, Ibex and Mr. Orange really put a show on with many pulls each. Much fun. Now its off to more than my share of family plans and booked weekends. ESC is gonna drop off the GT, just in time for CX, so thats gotta get prep'd and ready, so I can drop the hurt hammer on myself and fight for last place

The Commuter Files

Managed to log 5 days on the bike, commuting to and from work but unfortunately nothing more. Its been 5 hours and change on the saddle, about 150 kms. The rides home have been the most enjoyable, doing some sprints between blocks, or from intersection to intersection. It has been my most productive week in many however now I'm constantly hungry and i've been knockin' back some tastey treats which aren't exactly considered recovery foods (or healthy) I have noticed the increase in traffic on the bike path as college students return. One observation is that the worst drivers are Lexus drivers. It never ceases to amaze me that number of crappy lexus drivers. I've been cut off, almost run over, scorned, etc etc etc, all in lexus's. This morning would be a prime example, biking in the bike lane, a crazy lady in her Lexus SUV pulls out into the bike lane, and rides right up my lycra covered ass, honks the horn at me....yet the the vehicle lane is completely empty (it is 6:15am)...not to mention that the bike lane is emblazoned with "BIKE LANE"...it was fun to start slowing down, glance over my shoulder and see her just getting frustrated...yet not a single car in the regular car lane...
I'm hoping to get back to Wells ave this week but I know that I probably won't have the same results as in the previous week. I will still manage to have fun and just get some more miles in. Maybe the 1980 Black Nishiki will make an appearence and give the Cervelo crew a run for their 11 bucks......


After 4 years and many miles, the Circuit was sold. Gone but not forgotten.

Wells Ave

Haven't been back there in over a year. Was finally able to free up some time on sunday for the mini-crit. There was some seriously nice bikes on the line that morning and one really old commuter beater bike (black nishiki from 1985). It was a little windy on the front stretch or is it the back stretch, I wanted to be out of the wind, why do more work than you have too! Things didn't really start rolling until a few laps in and I was feeling good. So, I tried jumping off the front only to drag along one person who would rather only draft and not help. I did this for about 1.5 laps before I blew up and slid back, there wasn't much of a gap so what was the point, the field decided to pick up the pace so I remained pack fodder and recovered. I tried the same thing again with the same results. I then just decided to finish out the race and avoid all the sloppiness of the c-race. The final sprint I was in a good position but too many people thought they were going for the Green jersey and it was sloppy-chaos, bikes were being thrown left and right, swerving into other riders lines, sure enough, two bars tangle and one rider goes down directly in front of me. I lock up the brakes, waiting to get run over from behind (I didn't), and avoid the rider on the ground. He lost some serious butt tissue. I made sure he was ok becuase it looked like he bounced his head on the ground but he was up and moving a few minutes later. Always gotta be thinking on your feet. For the qoute Sprinters in our group...you can keep the power bar or Gu packet, whatever it was..but learn to hold a line.

Dusted

This past sunday was the Root66 race at Hodges Village Dam. This has been historically a fast course with a few pieces of technical trailwork thrown in just to keep things even. The race was at peak heat, 2pm. I lined up with 17 other sport riders. They were pretty geared up and when the whistle blew they were all off in a cloud of dust. I hung back a little as to not blow up to quickly, and there about 5 riders in my group. We held together with limited passing the first 2 or 3 miles. There were some wicked fast berms you could just rail the turns and transitions. A few quick ups and downs to keep the momentum going. My least favorite section was when the single track went through this mildly logged area and it was tough to pass people, or be passed. Sticks, branches, ruts, rocks was the layout of the terrain. As the 2nd lap started I picked up two stragglers and we rode together keeping the pace up, just above slow crawl. The 2nd lap my techinical savy was a little better and i was able to shoot through lines and keep pedaling without looking like a rookie. As I rolled into the third lap my lower back began to cramp and act up. I couldn't put the power down at all. Every rock and root just cuased more pain. Still dragging along two stragglers, I hit the berms with good speed but one I misjudged the soil and slipped sideways, crashing into a tree and then tumbling into the woods. By the time I collected myself, the stragglers and a few extras had ridden by. Finishing out the last two mile, Wheeler got on my wheel and he was riding pretty well so i paced him back a few minutes before I red-lined, dehydrated and overcooked all at once, so i let him pass and i noodled it around for minutes to recover but I was bonking pretty nicely and the powerbar drink helped but not enough. Apparantly my pre-race meal was not exactly what my body needed. Finally entered the last mile of terrain and crossed the finish line a respectable 26 minutes off the leader and 2nd from last...Thats how it gets done around here!!! 2nd race of the season done, 3rd time on the MTB all year...I survived. The bike is in a serious need for a washing, so much dust everywhere. Was pretty spent after the ride that MacDonalds had to help out. A cheeseburger and Dr. Pepper for the ride home was perfect! Now it's time to recover.

Fort Rock Revenge

Its been long overdue for an update but I spent a better part of the week recovering from the first race of the year. Decided to run the open class for Fort Rock Revenge race as not to get in the way of the real racers. Started off pretty well, Kept moving through the rocky sections rather well but the lack of riding anything other than the bike path to and from work was my undoing. I had no technical skills what so ever and I was taking bad lines through rock gardens, overall bad line choices really knocked off my momentum. My lower back went out and my wrists hurt so bad I could not grab the brakes which also hurt me in the fun areas. YOu might be thinking, thats alot of bitching and moaning. I will say that I bought sucking to a whole new low and had fun doing it. I was truly a novice in a field of veterans. The course was techinical with some fun bridges, powerline trails, the whole gambit. I was pretty spent when i crossed the line and out of water. I was completely gassed. The weather was perfect,everybody who helped run the race did a good job. I'll quit being lazy soon enough and get some photos up. And maybe I'll talk about the race from this past sunday....and I thought my performance couldn't get any worse...I achieved new levels of suffering

Couch Time

Its been wedding time this month. However last week, managed 4 days in a row to the factory. Good rides and decent weather. The weekends have been spent keeping the car running for that moment the groom comes to his senses. Good times at the Cutter wedding. An old school night of escapades followed by more post party libations. You can't attend a cutter wedding without a little couch time. The cutter was confused in this demonstration as he thought you were suppose to sleep behind it.


Other than that, one more wedding down, one more to go. Weddings in Vermont so far have yield the best beverage selection of all weddings attended. Relaxing on the ski slopes in the summer is definately relaxing. No rushing around, no packing and unpacking, just enjoying the scenery, hiking and quietness.....and Long Trail Drafts. Ahhh Vermont....stories to follow later.

been a while

I really don't have much to report on the bike side of things other than the fact that i'm riding one every now and then. It still looks like august is gonna be the month where these legs finally tear it up....to last place but at least I can say I got it done on the trails.

Meanwhile as july progesses, there has been some showdowns on the training table. I don't profess to have the skillz but as the Bread Ninja can attest, it was a throwdown with some of bristols finest upstanding citizens.


The night ended around the campfire telling stories of yester-year, "back in the day", remember when....type stuff. All good laughs and great memories. I'm sure there is more to tell but we gotta keep it PG for the little ones


All in all, a great start to the month. Don't know what happened to the night of the Mumbla's 3rd of July party, but it was another epic. Good yard, good food and company, can't beat that!! Stayed tuned for more endless crap about other crap.

Save the Date

The moment I read the Press Release about the World Cup CX race being postponed for one year I knew something bad was going to happen. Sure enough. Waiting in my mailbox was another Save The Date Wedding postcard. I really have to pay the postman to chuck these things before they get delivered to my house. San Jose, CA. Its the way the business has been going.


The biking has taken a back seat to B-days, Bachelor parties and hangovers. However there is always time for an ice cream ride on these hot days. Its been toasty but not unbearable. Just stayin' one step of dehydration is all that is needed. Buffalo chicken pizza would end this day nicely. Hoping to get two races in this august. They have made the Wardens date book so i'm hoping they are set in stone...but nothing is certain the household lately. take it easy

Cookin

Nothing beats an 80 degree day and a summit climb. After 12 miles of smooth maine coastal roads, the trip up Mt. Aggie was a maybe. Just had to see if the legs could carry the previous days food and drinking damage up the hill.


A solid ride to the top, slow going at first but found the rythym at the top of the climb to end at the visitors center

Headed back down and out toward the harbor. Discovered a newly packed dirt road that the schwinn handled well but the ESC-GT would have eaten up. Just motored along for a while but didn't want to risk puncture and the long walk home. Can't wait to get back out on dirt. Look at the pretty carbon weave on the fork. The first thing to get replaced on the bike is the fork. Stiffer than I thought but still not stiff enough. Gotta look to upgrade that next year maybe. We'll see what the screamin' brazilian says

The trip rounded out the weekend well. Not too mention the hordes of fried food consumed...Fried seafood along the coast....awsome

nada

I miss racing......

Gone before it had chance to begin

Gone are the days of epic rides after work. I hope for these days to return but in the meantime I must settle for the extended ride home through the burbs of boston. Occasionally i'll take the loop through Belmont woods and through what was some quick fun little trails that are now bulldozed flat for some more overpriced condos. Such a great little slice of land diced up for another housing development.

The weekend provided no chance of any biking, basically the brain and liver went into recovery mode as a series of events unfolded that all revolved around beer. A great weekend with friends (and beer). The little man is up to a 40 minute ride now in the Co-pilot. Passing joggers, other bikers, birds and cars provide much entertainment for him and trying to push a 50 pound bike up the shortest and slightest incline is plenty of work...I might even consider it resistance training. He is not much of conversationalist though, just a good passenger. Since nothing exiciting can be recounted, you must stroll through blogdom to find something else to bide your time, but till the days of single track return, i will continue to day dream of this....

its 5am where is your kid

Exactly that, its 5am, sunday morning. Up and awake chasing the crawling demon as he terrorizes anything in arms reach.....come on. It's 5am, coffee hasn't kicked in, raisan bran brings no energy or fun to the rising sun. 2.5 hours of exhaustive chasing and playing, end up passing out on the couch with the little speedy one only to sleep through my planned start at the Wells Ave training race. Instead it was a light spin through the burroughs, passing other weary eyed individuals along the way probably in similar shoes. Tempted to do the EFTA Endurance 30 miler at the end of july, only conflict, a wedding the day before. A 30 mile MTB contest with a slight hangover and half digested wedding cake....could be the wisest decision all summer. Today it's gonna be the Park Ave hill on the way home followed by the concord ave hill to the common street hill and then home. Hello Bonkville...population..me
When I think of the Crazy Gus...I think this sums up the Gus rather well
"That's why I chose the path of metal—living fast and rocking hard. "

Its 5am..why am I up

The weather has been pretty sweet lately, great for ridin to and fro' the daily work grind. Can't complain much about that. No gas money spent, good times, and even a random extended ride. The legs feel good one day only to feel like hollow drift wood the next. Endurance, stamina and all that apparently is not in my cardiovascular vocabulary. Decided to ride up the Park Ave Hill. Immense suffering, not enough water in either bottle could help, but I made it to the top, I swear I was passed by an old lady using a walker. It was all downhill from there. Even broke out the new shwag, got to break in the new shorts...pretty svelte not too mention plug the ole' MTB group. Some might say that the white in the logo blends right in with the pastey white chicken legs, yes it does....yes it does....two spindly twigs wrapped in lycra...

The new deck has been constructed in record time. 6-days. Acorn Construction moved their asses on this project. If you need a contractor, this is your guy. Hands down, easiest person i've worked with. Two guys worked amazingly fast and their work is beefy. Deck is super sturdy and easy on the eyes. Even better, sitting out, having' a post recovery beer at 9pm sitting in the lounge chair with a gentle breeze....nice. Thank you Home Equity Loan Services...

New york City was a nice trip that rounded out the holiday weekend. Actually made out pretty well with parking, 28 bucks for the day in the NYC, Upper West Side. Chilled out on a few sidewalk bars and patio's...good times.

B.O.B

90 minutes of saddle time yesterday made me realize...time for a saddle change. The Fizik is nice but not plush enough...going to try the old specialized BG that was on the other bike. Who knows. Since i got nothing for ya today. I just wanted to leave you with this. Beards of Brothers....I think I just heard the Bread Ninja fall off his seat. Things that make you go hmmm.....

Booking Agent

The other week it was a trip up the coast for the first fried clams and seafood for the year. If it wasn't fried, it wasn't coming near my plate. Must say, glad its summer again. Something about fried seafood in the winter just doesn't have the same allure. However there could be an exception to that rule, when there is a blizzard and the snow is really piling up, the fishermans platter is always a must. Right now, ESC is probably dreaming up something tastey for lunch...it ain't a salad, i can tell you that. Hows the fixie?


As the days pass by, the miles are slowly adding up. The river has been rather crowded lately and the streets through City of the Opinionated aren't much of an improvement. Once out in the burbs, the streets are smoother and traffic flows at better pace. The remnance of winter/spring are passing right off to summer. Better riding is ahead even if this person isn't riding any better. As we enter the full swing of summer and associated summer events, more race dates have been removed from the calender including the Nationals (this date is still 50/50) but it appears the Channel Three race is crossed-out, the Oxford Damn race is done (visitors from Texas). If it is a weekend where I want to suffer immensely, finish poorly, and still have fun, you can forget about it, becuase my booking agent has something else planned, friends from texas coming to town, a b-day party, a bachelor party, a trip up the coast to visit the in-laws, etc. Pretty soon it will be cross season and a whole new level of sucking will be in store. Could be another season aboard the trusty GT..nice...but I will have to hide the booking agents calender or arrange for the little man to attend the event with the brazilian mechanic/babysitter. Earplugs for the little man will be a must if the Brazilian is on form with his musings from the sideline.

The business of what it is

I still have nothing. Its been pretty busy lately between work, home and everything in between. Finally getting the deck estimates nailed down. Hope to hear back from one more person and then....maybe proceed ahead. Been able to ride a few days here and there to and from work. Its been pretty good riding in the mornings, really sunny and nice. The bike path has recently been torn up and today they started laying down some new pavement so that should be pretty smooth riding once thats in.
Biking in the other day, past Shire Pharma, these were just lying across the road...


You gotta love cambridge!

Watchin the Grass Grow

Time has flown by and there is still nothing new to report. I've been riding the Fastback for a week now and I have finally gotten used the handling. Its a solid, smooth ride with good quick responses. I however am not that solid, smooth riding or responsive. I don't have any picts for the update other than this. I hope he is having an All you Can eat buffet, cuase i'm hungry and I want some bacon. I wonder if he'll have buffalo wings too

I need a sail

I really don't have much to report on
Finally got some mileage in over the past two windy days. If I had a sail I could double my mileage, however the street sweepers have been out so the amount of crud getting blown into the eyes has been cut back. Got about 70km over the past two days on the schwinn, still trying to get the position right, but no matter cause my fitness is in the crappah. No Fat tire race this weekend for visitors are coming to the compound. Spring is here and so is allergy season, gotta keep Big Pharma in business with some Flonase and Patanol Eye Care.
Thats it. Hopefully one day i'll have something to actually write about

Alt Bitter

Time has flown by lately. Lately things have been pretty hectic especially with Easter and all thats associated with it. So I've been trying to keep things simple and the important things at the top of the list and everything else...who cares. Gotta keep what matters most at the top and what doesn't just gets dropped.
Finally got a second batch up and going. However during scale up we miscalculated our malt and grain requirements forcing some last minute scrambling for change to pick up a can of:


However it was smooth sailing ever since. The green beer was bottled the day before easter and it looked, smelled and even tasted very nice. I think this batch is gonna be pretty good. It might take about 40-60 days in the bottle to come around but it will be tastey.

On second note, sometimes when you are in the middle of a sugar crash, the heavans open up and turn the lights on...and this is what I found.

I must say, the donuts are good but Ohlins bakery take the edge in the donut battle. However if you find yourself at Kanes, then I would definately get a single coffee roll. Why a single Coffee Roll? Simply becuase it is the size of a cake, its huge, coated with thick frosting and great cinamon filling. Definately a ten thousand calorie breakfast.

If you are looking for a bikeing update...managed a 28km ride on monday but thats about it. Missed the HopBrook Damn MTB race by Root66 and looks like i'm gonna miss the Fat Tire too so i'm gonna have to make up some time at Wells Ave if I can ever find a sunday free or get my ass out of bed becuase this joe racer is slackin'.

I've got nothing

I've got nothing this week. Haven't ridden either bike, too tired, too busy at work, too full of excuses, whatever. The motivation is zero, hopefully warmer weather will bring better spirits. Hope to bottle the German Alt Bitter this weekend before easter and have it ready for memorial day. Should be tastey. No MTB racing this weekend...obligations of the in-law variety....

Monday night rides...soon to be back in effect with the rest of the crew. Should be good times ahead. Thats the plan anyway.

Maiden Voyage

No Champagne bottles broken over the aluminum skin, just a nice commute to work one early friday morning


The ride in started off nicely. The bike handled the pothole riddle pleasant street nicely. So quiet, I'm used to the old schwinn just banging and clanging along. This bike just rolls over everything, not a peep, so tight and smooth (insert inuendo here)


The only complaint, a poor QC job on the part of one beered up brazilian after some seat post an saddle adjustments. Both worked their way loose and the majority of my ride was spent standing since my tools were at work. Luckily the ride home was much smoother. Above is the complimentary art shot..shadow on dead grass

Even managed the hill by Belmont Country club, the bike was in finer shape than its owner. It accelerates amazingly well and handles the tight and twistys with no jittery-ness. Ended a nice a 34km ride with a big smile and a Blonde Hooker.
Someone from car yelled nice rear, this is what i'm sure they were talking about...carbon fiber, so sweet....

Lagging behind

Time has flown by and yet the dust continues to settle on all things bike related. Though the weather was ideal for some weekend riding regardless of venue, the family was off for adventures. Sears, a fun place to spend an hour getting lost, bull crap. Needed a new battery for my drill, the new battery was 40 bucks but my drill is only worth 70 bucks, so why buy one new battery when i could but the same drill that comes with two batteries and a flashlight...hmm. Another fun fact from the adventures that was "family". You can get a baby seat tested for safety on the German Autobahn. Sure, you pay 5 times more for this brand of seats but is there really a need for it. Turns out the WRX does not like car seats as anything we try takes up the entire back seat or forces the front seat all the way forward so you eat your own kneecaps. The weekend was rounded out by the annual civic oil change. One year, 3300 miles = Oil change. Luckily things were easy and ESC was there to provide backup and make sure the floor stayed put. ESC was ready to flex his might if the oil filter got stuck though.

Got Skinnies on the Giant now, 26 x 1.6s. They roll smooth but are heavy as iron. They weigh an unbelievable ton. The Gus also stopped by for bike fitting time. The Schwinn was just not feeling right. So we spent the better part of a 12 pack figuring out stem length, saddle height, etc and after some swap overs, spacer removals, I got my position pretty close to being dialed in (close the Giant as possible). Hoping this reduces the knee tendonitis. Damn these lanky legs, spindly arms and short torso. The weather is looking good again.....

All in All

The weekend ended on a high note and the week started off with my group not being canned. NICE. Thats a win win situation. Sundays show was packed with energy. For the number of shows they performed over the weekend, they still had intensity of their first show. An awsome time. The PieTasters, the second opening act....no comment but time didn't move fast enough. Monday rolled around, got through that day and managed 60 minutes on the trainer doing some half-assed intervals. However the rest of the household is sick so i'm off for a few days, might actually get back out on friday when it's rumored to hit 60......I got nothing other than that...lame

Tre'

This place comes highly recomended. It was the mecca of BBQ for the trip. A trip to Charleston is not complete until you eat at Melvins. The dry rub ribs, amazing, pulled pork, chopped BBQ chicken, Quarter BBQ chicken, baked beans and Mac n' Cheese and even the burgers were top notch (I endulged quite a bit). I must say, I'm missin' it right now. Blue Ribbon will be a must for tonight, though the Ribbon is good, it is not Melvins. Speaking of other quality places not to be found around here, In N' Out Burger. That would be ideal right now. Damn


After all that food and fun on vacation it was back to New England however it was unseasonably warm out so I decided to get quick spring ride in. Being that it was pretty warm I figured most of the snow had melted and it was time for some trail riding. Got out the door with the usual suspects after calling ESCs bluff. Dusted the cobwebs off the giant while ESC dusted the plaque out of the arteries. It was pretty good until it got super muddy and the weather started getting cool. Managed to get about 1.5 hours of riding in, finishing off the ride on the waltham side of the bike path. A pretty good afternoon at a chill pace. The ride was only the begining, can't wait for full on spring.

This image has not been seen in a while...ESC out and on the trails again. Welcome back.

Vacation part Duo

Let it be said that I am not one to pass up a bargain and at 6 bucks for a case of these, I couldn't resist and I am not partial just becuase I am left handed or anything.


Also, this place just looked too good to pass up and it was awsome, the southern rivalry to Flo's of Maine.


And lastly, to wash down such fine southern cuisine, nothing like a few local favorites. The Palmetto Pale ale was my favorite, smooth and tastey. Low Country Pale ale was my second favorite and the IPA was dead last, past the SouthPaw Light. It was gritty and felt like I could chew it, however I will give them another sampling on my next visit, it could have been the bad batch that sneaks out the brewery doors every now and then.



As for anything bike related....I saw some beach cruisers on the beach but that was about it. Managed to get out for 3 short runs, about 20-30 minutes depending on how motivatd I was and exercise was the last thing on my mind.

Vacation Part Uno

6 days have come and gone. I thought that this sign was pretty funny when I was exiting the Charleston SC airport. Immediately met the in-laws and b-lined if for the local package store which turned out to be a Piggly Wiggle Grocery store. Yes, a Piggly Wiggly, and the beer selection was immnense. I was expecting nothing more than Bud and Miller but their selection was far and above anything around here. Vacation commenced.

The vacation spot was actually located only a few miles outside Charleston, a little slice of retiree heaven, the Isle of Palms. A very nice place with large expansive beach front homes that were not occupied as tourist season had not started which basically meant, beaches to ourselves and discounted rent. Though you can't see it but our place was one of the smallest rentals there.


The week progressed without failure. Rise to the sound of the ocean against the sand, bright sun and cool if not warm ocean breeze. NICE. Hanging out on the deck or beach for a few lazy hours, getting ready to tackle whatever the touristy crap we were doing that day. Coolest quick trip was to Fort Moultre just down the road for a little history lesson on the civil war. We were the only family van in the parking lot without the stars and bars or this oddly numbered star'd flag.


Thats all i got right now, gotta get out and hit the trails .

Its Come to This...

It was either new socks or new tubes. I think we already know what was done, what had to be done! Finally got the Michelins mounted on the wheels and ready to roll. I really can't stand these Gieppeme wheels, they are garbage..but they will make good spring beater wheels. Until the potholes get filled in, the spring rains wash away the sand and salt, these wheels will have to do

Hit up Deep Ellum for some carbo replinishments on saturday evening with ESC. A great selection of rare beers on draft, not too mention there huge selection of bottled beer. Dickel and Coke, not something that comes to mind often...or for that matter, ever...Dickel You be the judge. Sunday morning woke up and hit the rollers while ESC was off drooling and recovering from a rough night of Heelys training. Even met up the Brazilian Bike Guru for an afternoon of insightful one liners and roadie wisdoms. Though to my horror in his all Campy glory, I did see some Shimano brake pads, not tight roadie..not tight...

Scheduling Conflicts

Damn, was just looking over the Root66 and I noticed that the Winding Trails Fat Tire race is the same weekend as my anticipated debut of suckage at the Sturbridge Road Race. I don't have the fitness to do both so I have to decide where I can do my best inpersonation of a bike racer. Tough decisions must be made and then I must be granted parole leave for the day to attend the chosen event. Does it really matter either way.
Someone asked me how much off-season training I have been doing. I think they were little shocked to here that I've done almost nothing. If building up the bikes, putting on some new tires, usuing my deep fryer and the occasional spin on the rollers counts then it would be a different story. However, lets be realistic, married with kid(s) and a full time job should be its own race category. There will be no competing for the win or sprinting to the line, just a good all out effort to place and avoid the DNF. In the end, it's all fun.
On a seperate note, gotta think about the 24 hour race idea. One or two of the crew have expressed interest, even got the Gus on board for support and one-liners. An 8.5 mile loop, one hour lap times, it could be possible to bang out 20 laps with a group of 5 riders. Run the open-class at 24 Hours of Great Glenn. All are just thoughts on a page

Food Thought of the Day: Ice Cream cake....simple yet delicious

Training is Right on for Remote Controls

The gift that keeps on giving (tilt head sideways)

I can't think of a better place to begin than with my latest culinary upgrade, which will help keep the energy stores up. Thats right, all those suckers that got flowers and chocolate, what does the warden wrap up for me, a little deep fryer, cause she cares. Whats better than some homemade fried wings after a short training ride...maybe some fried jalepeno poppers, or fried apple dumplings...maybe some homemade donuts after an even shorter training ride. Below is the secret ESC recipe which is pretty easy and I'm going to divulge to you, the reader: Butter, Salt, Butter, a pinch more salt and a touch of Red Hot, and some more butter


One spinning class, two trips on the rollers all in one week and Febuary started off strong. However as all good things, they must come to an end. The warden is got some work deadlines so it's more face time with the kid, which is fine with me becuase we are on the same level most of the time, crawling around looking for food and drooling while watching TV or reading the lastest Mountain Bike Action. After his 6 month quest to sneak up, attack, and consume the remote control. He has succeded. The remote control was always his un-attainable goal, he set up his training around grabbing that sneaky black device with blinking lights and oddly colored buttons. Sit-ups, spit-ups followed by a strict regime of pulling up on kitchen chairs, hallway sprints in the ESC custom walker, attacking cheerios with ferocious tenacity to keep his strength and energy up, followed by more skooting, rolling and screaming lung exercises. All this made him a fit, fast, crawling machine. His current crowning acheivement, ode to remote control


For those wanting to read something about bikes...the WTB Exi-Wolfs are mounted on the Cane Creek rims and ready to roll. The Schwinn is just about dialed in, just gotta work on saddle position some more and i'm ready to get smoked in late march.

Whats in Store

Broke free from the constraints of work and family for a little while friday evening and had the Brazilian over for some bike talk, bike wrenching and general chat about the crazy ladies upstairs. The new Schwinn is still in top tune, yes...it's tight. The old schwinn is up on the chopping block for sale.
Even had a spare moment to mount up the new race tires. Though racing on tires I have not ridden yet will prove interesting but i'm hoping at least a few quick strolls into the belmont hills will yield insight into their grip, puncture protection and genereal handling, not to mention a chance to get them dirty. Might even Stans' these up if I ever get around to it. These WTB seem to have a side wall that goes on forever.


Sunday was a treat, even had time for 70 minutes on the rollers while catching up on the Sopranos season 6. Post rolling, cleaned the compound up, got the stuff organized, x-mas stuff is away, extra toys stuffed into bags and stored, baby stuff tucked away, beer....well the brazilian dented the supply friday night, tools hung back up, garbage amassed. The compound is back into shape ready for spring or until more stuff appears down there which seems to happen more often these days. Note, see the dust build up on the white bike, guess who's that is...(no..not ESCs, though his might be just as dusty) There will be only a quick update on the ESC training for his Century...no update.


Food thought of the day: Spicey Calamari