Philly Gray

I like these gray days.   The cold.   The warmness of riding a SS in the woods.  The numb acceptance on a road ride.  The chore of the number of zips and layers, things to pull over, to find and wear.   I like riding alone, nothing better than a soft layer of snow, some good music, feeling fit, a fire and beer waiting at home.

                             

 .....thats where Sarabeth fits in,  singing to me as I pedal, or gander. 

Taking a quick snap or two of something interesting in my sorroundings.

 I don't like to know very much about an artist, it usually detracts from my enjoyment of the art.  It brings their faults and personalities into my pure-ish enjoyment of their creations.

out the front window I stare, with really no plans,  cheers! dlowe.

....got out on the cross bike and enjoyed a dreay ride:

Eve

sometimes its all about not you.  Its about your friends, a friend, your family, a pet something more important than you.

and at that time I'm glad to be just enough there to help.

I got a couple of quick snaps off heading back to the car.  Christmas lights wrapped around the trees along the steet.

I find a lust.  and stare into it.  cheers, dlowe.

Ringer

Well, for now, you can listen to what bangs about in my head, from time to time.  I've gone through the dickens to find a music player to embed here and share music with, not steal music.  and I hope if you like their songs, you'll go buy them from the artist.  

Today "Let's Wrestle".    I'm drawn to the simple but smart words, a pleading vocal, raw but not too grating.  Songs.  I simply enjoy. 





cheers, dlowe.

bullet points

sometimes when I check in on my blog I'm surprised by what I have written.  Those words and phrases came from my mind?    like I spilled something on my shirt and been walking around all day with the dribble getting looks from the corner of your eye.  yep, lack of sleep, beers before bed and an easy access to a key pad gives you a more un-edited view.


Work.
and my set of cross racing wheels from JK's Rev WWorks made it into the scene:

and the mighty "the Matt Weir" was down, living one year in one week, doomed by lack of sleep,... or brainstroming for his next bit

A photo from Anthony, the might rav4, growling into a spot, getting me to junkyard cross.

my nog is held high, cheers, dlowe.

Shudder

I'm always amazed by the lack of personalities that fill some of our shoes. 

I've never seen a ghost.

and I don't expect to ever.

as odd as the old closed down hospital that i worked in felt, theres no unsettled souls with some kind of scores to fill with the innocent living here.

and this job is just full of long days, and lack of sleep.  I don't work out of a cube.

Today I worked in some fancy cheap slippers.

and as I enjoy my E Z achieved buzzed in my sleep deprived state I know that I soon have a good tale to write.  Full of PBR, Bikes, Swindle and Fruad.   but  really who cares?  not I.     Instead maybe a glimpse into the lady sliding her leg into the tall boot.  Her stocking legs, thin, and toes pointing down. Snaken down to the tight corner that takes a little extra effort.  and with a gasp... settled. and ready for the night ahead.

cheers to the smell of the clevaege.  

a taste of Urban

My urban is different than city urban.  Went to Bilenky X today, thanks to my wifes urgings.  Got a great parking space, snug on the end of the multi-housed street.

then pulled on my old short sleeve 1st generation HZ team skin suit and raced.  I would hit the ramp pretty fast and come down straight toward the huper's and skid around the corner at the last second, making them  jump. Ha!

Most of the time I just sat on the sidelines and watched.  Nice to spectate. 

that is A. Rock up on the podium.

My urban is more desolate, but still many marks left by the many peeps on the planet.

I like the touch of the flag.  Tied to a tree growing up to the light between the lanes of 76.

cheers. dlowe

A Line

I've swung my leg back over the saddle and spent some time pushing the pedals again.  I feel good, real good.  My only problem is that I'm thinking so much that my mind isn't keeping the bike on the trail.  I've tried to blank out some and just ride, but too many interesting things to contemplate. 

I, like many others,  made my list of goals, early in the season, to target and focus my training and mind.  I did'nt really meet any of my goals, but I feel that I learned and acomplished more than if I had meet them. 

and I'm starting to work on develolping my new goals for next seasons: to get more sleep, ride off the front, to hold your wheel and sprint by for the win.  I'm motivated.

I'll spend my time looking, watching the line, trying not to stare at the obstacles.

onto my Yakima.  so good, so good.  always so good.   cheers, dlowe.

chilled and celebratin

Holiday cheer got off to good season form.  I've had an abundance of over-exuberant energy since my racing/training outlet has been shut down to properly recover.  off we road last night, in the chilly, dark winter night.  BMX, Fixed, Mountain,Cross, Hybrid, beaters and Road, pedaled and crashed and enjoyed some stupidness and friendship. 

burp,...cheers, d.

Couched

I started the off season on a ride on the Salsa at Wiss.  A little thread bear, but still strong and warm.  Good riding, easy, too much thinking and not enough bike handling.

and off away from home.

hotel

lunch somewhere?

cheers. d.

D ssss...lowe

gonna try to slow it down a bit, great year of racing. 

got a lot done today

Got some work on "hold" and it might work out right.  It'll put me out of town and without a bike to pedal for the next week or two.  I guess I need some time off.  Shit.  I'm motivaited to ride now.

Anne Rock, how does she do it?  I'm more motivaited by her than the pros racers.  Heart, battles, fighting the inner thoughts/demons. 

I picked up a Bukowski book to read before I fall asleep.  "Wine-Stained Notebook".  Its good.  and maybe I will revisit Knut Hamsun's Hunger.   A book that is so close to what happens in my mind during a race.

 

high five, down dlowe. 

ReSurfaced

Yesterday, a long one.  Normal in the un-normal production world I work in.  In at 6:30a and Out at 9:30 pm.  In between lots of ice time, working with some flyers and caps.  Highlights: of course sitting on the Zamboni, getting a coffee for Scott Hartnell, getting hit by a puck shot by Scott Hartnell, watching Ovechkin skate and goof off, seeing friends and making some $.  

Made real strong coffee this morn, and felt like a ride. Its chilly, I pedaled over to belmont, took some snaps while I pedaled the SS mtb. 

My cranks loose but off to the shed the bike goes, my old ways, muddy and in need of a bit of attention. 

Snack, Shower,Pack, Drive, Nap and some Cross racing down in DC area tomorrow. 


I'll stop on my way south and pick up some 30 pks of PBR to continue my role as Embassador of PBR.  See ya in the lobby tonight with the cold ones.  cheers, safe travels and kick ass racing. dlowe.

Grave

   drank black beer with George and Anthony.  worked with a cow.  Road my SS mtb all around yesterday and took some pics at the graveyard.  Gonna hop in the old building for a glance about.  

I find the wear from the repititious use very beautiful. 

the sun is up and its quite nice out, going for a nice long easy road ride after breakfast, and the damp roads are a bit dryer.    interesting?   cheers, dlowe.

Phelp Helped

Ha,  I had the slowest crash on my bike today.  I pre-road the super sweet, and nice and local Phelps School Cyclocross race.  Mr. Kevin Saint Clair and his Main Line Cycling/Bikyles pals did a great job of putting it on.    Well I found my lines and I found out that ain't quite enough.   I love the start of this race, down a long grass landing strip into a hard left fast down hill off camber.  I sat in the top 10.  I hit my line going into a tight uphil 180 and the high side was closed off, I'm not one to t-bone and push it, and I stalled on the inside, and dumped it on the drive side into the tape, stuck and clipped in.  The horses galloped by.  I got on, and had some good legs, lung and sense of humor and got it on.    It weeded out, and I was in a contest with the brother of the beast I competed against at Mercer, The Dr. Barry Wahner.   I know he has a better engine, and a faster rider,  so I went out and tried to out ride him.  We battled, and that was good, and I got him today.

I like attention, but it makes me uncomfortable.  Personality, yep needs to be big, not outwordly, and not contrived.  Modest, caring, helpful, giving,...rude and drunk....  I've been craving Nebraska,

I don't listen to this Springsteen album to often.  It is one of my all time favorites, and today I called upon it to recenter me. Spirit, humph...cross...brotherhood....Yesterday on a warm down after the race it was a group of 10 I think, masters, different team, all just done from the same battle, you'd never know passing in your car.  Just another group of Freds ready for recumbents.  and today I'm glad I went out and raced, and next Sunday thats it, and on to some tinkering on the bikes, shorter stem, aloy cogs, brake bits, new treads...  and riding and planning and more freaking.... more racing.
cheers, my brother and sister, Lets kick out the Jams Mother Fuckers. dlowe.

putty

yep, still-a-suffern, and a lovin it.   got a great start today, but had a clogged fuel filter, went from 2nd to ending up 16th, despite Champ Appeltans push, and a bit of towing from tough guy K. Cline, who went on to drop me also.  but alas all is well on the mind front.   Just a little brain F'n, ...did'nt do no one too much wrong... and someone has to be the dude to beat up, even if thats me.   So only two races left for me, I need wings, lungs, legs, ahhh... despite a touch of grumps, not any harm done today to me. 

Last night I warmed my toes by the fire....

I don't like the short amount of hours of sun light, but I do like the angle of the sun this time of year.  Thanks! d.

squirrelled away

My good days, despite my flaws, errors, mistakes and poor performance I moved forward, accomplished and learned.  My bad days, I give up, frustrated, short tempered and don't want to own up to.  I'll be out on my mountainbike in a bit, a nice gray misty day to ride.  Time to regroup,  I've found small piles of safety pins around the house.  I was lucky and mostly went faster this year, stayed up right, and really enjoyed riding.  Something that I thought that would never happen to me happened, I enjoy writing.  Hmmm.   to early for a beer.  Good riding you all.  cheers, dlowe.