glad I could Chip in.

as I sip a new taste experience, brought to me by Dogfish Head, I contemplate the words I want to put up here. Kelly got his cross school on this morning, tutoring and bring a new crop of X'ers up to a slow speed. Some will fall in love with cross, others will shy away afraid of it. Others will just abandoned the sport, not able to accept the commitment needed to complete 1 race. I've fallen in love with it, all of it, and I showed up to listen and maybe chip in a bit. Mostly a lot of smiles, and one hard headed Ann Rock knocked semi-out by a bad remount. I left to go do a crit. To this Crit I chipped in my entry fee. A fast first lap and a quick implosion and withdraw with my tale tween my legs. So I sip, and what I sip must be made with a risk, love, chance... Thanks to Jeff Appeltans for making some nice recommendations in the Beer asile. Cheers to my friends and foes, to the coming cross season. and to sturborness way that I race. dlowe.

Theobroma

This beer is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras which revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions. The discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1200 BC. As per the analysis, Dogfish Head’s Theobroma (translated into 'food of the gods') is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs (from our friends at Askinosie Chocolate), honey, chilies, and annatto (fragrant tree seeds).

floundering blue car

I turned the corner to get started on my intervals and some old blue car, a slow putter kinda of beat car with a skeavie driver passed me. I expected eye bulging pain from my intervals and was already in the mental state to get it on, so I got them on. Just a series of 8 short burst up hill with 3 min. recoveries. Each time soft pedaling I'd get another glimpse of the blue sedan, passing me, pulled over, up the road. I guess it was there to keep up my adrenaline. I didn't leave and held onto my workout spot despite the damn blue sedan. I sat at the "T" at the base of the hill finished with my work and just getting my senses together and the creepy car passed one last time. Then gone. Leaving me confused, hot and ready to enjoy some just riding along without looking over my shoulder. I put it all into my workout log. "Good interval session, full effort, rode with a tad of real fear".

Its philly so its hot, and a bit humid. On my warm down I headed to the old mill to seek out a little cool. I hiked with my bike through the overgrown brush, and up the wash out to the spill. I stood along the old stone retaining wall and felt the chill, and the mist of water, it re-coated me with a crispness, removing most of my salty beer sweat shell upon my skin. A very good day back on the bike.

and as a bonus, a picture of my saddle:

despite feeling a notch up from crap, I'm still laughing at myself. Well that's it, and ...be good... go Kick Ass. dlowe.

Ernest Longing

bottoms up. dlowe.

today

I worked. and since my evil ways on Monday I've not pedaled a lick. Won't even stick my head in the room to say "night bike". I'll have the cranks a spinning again Saturday. Every freakin second on my bike is cherished. I love riding. uuee, well at work I work hard and try hard but despite it all sometime I get detention cause of my mind a wondering. and Despite the wonderings of my mind today and the: ART, I created while standing by, ready to do my job, I shot some photos to paste together.

my creative impluse is low. I've really enjoyed my time chatting today with Joesph. He's a good egg.

I miss riding, good night my friends, I'm going to crack another cold one, go outside, lay on my back and stare up into the night sky a bit. d l o.




Joeshp's head, frame right.

elbow, push, pedal

I was a little evil tonight in grass track, sorry but I got a package today, opened it before my ride over to the grass track "practice". Its an evil eye candle.

Its lit right now, staring at me as I sip my Modelo especial from a can and write this. I know where I picked up the first hint of evil, from work last week. I think it was from some simple mojo from the Dr. Evil chair Bob made. The job was sweet, and even had a couple "feats of strength" to cap off the wrap.

but that all leads me back to tonight's grass track. OK I've bought the wheels JK lent me to try out. I did not want to give them back. I really like 'em. I was a bit lazy tonight and said "oh what the HELL". I've got them set up tubeless, and I worry about burping, and have been riding clinchers for grass track. Since they were on the bike I rode it the way it was. My few practices laps, I knew that they were the choice. They dug in and star wars-ed me through the corners. My first victim was a Matt Harris, just shoved my nose up the inside and sorry to say leaned into him a bit. Next Kristin Gavin got the taste of my tight turning radius ground sucking tires and I pinched the gap and with a startle went by. Got Matt a few more times, and everyone else I could. Not sporting of me but fun. I'm sure next week they will have some plans to take me out, maybe get me to down a couple of fried pickles or something sinister before we hit the grass oval of death. cheers, d l o

burp

Went to the Memphis Taproom with Ljiljana and George last night for a birthday drink and to get a bite to eat. Well upon looking at all the choices on the menu I decided upon a deep fried theme, and jumped right in. Got the Suicide rings, some Old bay Jack cakes, and deep fried kosher Pickles. For the meal it was BBQed seitan w/fries. A couple of beers, and a slice of vegan chocolate cake. I didn't do a good job on the photos, half assed it. sorry.





Well I got up with a grumpy stomach, and just a bit of a headache. Read the paper, got in the car to race the Marlton 1,2,3 crit. Felt good, did some attacking but I think I might of been a pickled a bit. The burps told me where to ride and I stayed with the field, getting some work in, staying in shape for cross idea. Just me racing no other HZer's, so I stripped in the parking lot threw the pickled sweaty kit on the ground and snapped a photo. That says it all for today. I had to dip into my cross bag of goodies and dig out a few tums to maybe calm my acidic stomach, I would like to make it out to the Adobe to have a few Margarita's to continue celebrating my Birthday. Gonna try to get George to do some grass track cross tomorrow with me. Till you read again, cheers. d l o.

hill repeats

Its was raining this morning, still warm enough to ride in, and I had some work out on the cx bike to do. One of the best things about the rain is that it makes people go in. I did a bit of exploring behind some of the no trespassing signs I encounter. I enjoyed what I found; mist, overgrown forest, views, did some riding on the cart paths at the golf course, that was a real treat, what great views. Got my work in, now just sitting on my Ass. cheers, d l o.

hmmmm

I did my workout today, and I added what I avoid, and what needs the most improvement. Running. I did it at the Plateau, just 4x up the hill pushing the bike, as you know I'll only run with the bike. It hurt, gonna try to throw that in whenever I can.

On my cool down back in to town I put on the new Hope Sandoval album. and Its hot here but I really don't mind. She just helped cool it all down. It seems like I should be able, but just need to knock the nuts n' bolts in the right order and one day I'll have a music player back up for you. Then you could hear what I'm talking about. For now here are a couple of photos of Hope for you. The album is really good.

cheers, d l o.

Good vs. Evil

Not my favorite posting title, but even before I knew of Wayne's death today, it was what I had in mind. I got and email telling me he had died. I knew Wayne because of the power of the Electric Guitar and Rock and Roll. It changes me to hear he is dead.

Are there good people?

Evil?

I've been trying to recapture the positive mojo I had for a short time last year. I saw the path, not the rocks.

I want to live larger than others, not in a selfish, full of myself way.

maybe I should find an old dried up well and climb to the bottom of it and look up to the sky for a while.

xxoo wh

I sleep next to my wife of 23 years in a white room, with no decorations. Plain. Life is complicated, when I wake I like to have a blankness, a starting point, me.

cheers. dlo

Drive

did the drives ride for my cross workout. Its now down to 3 laps, so I went to the front early and did some long pulls, not breaking up the nice flow/rotation, but tried to take a turn when no one was on my wheel and just drove it for a bit. I don't have a fancy bike lo' computer but I tried to glance down and look at my speed and see what I could hold. Think of it when you ride off the front and do a solo attack, you've got to get away from the field and then stay at least as fast as your chasers, and hold it to the end. Not like baking brownies, that's hard. So as I said I did my time. I made it a good cross work out, even though it was on my road bike.


I like the header photo. I've crashed so many times. Last night at grass track, the rear tire was letting loose often so there were numerous pile ups. The first big one I tipped toed through. The second, just follow "Yogi" Lebairs' wheel and he did one of those skid outs to the left and slaps to the ground, well I avoid his head and ride my maxxis raze straight between his shoulder blades, give the bars a shove, and hop over and just run out of it. Picked up the bike, put the chain on and jumped back in. "yoggies" was ok, some blood and tire marks, I sure he was a bit sore today.


crashing is just part of riding, cheers, dlo

E-I-E-I-O

Today I did the big loop. The whole loop, I even got the belmont part in on the end of it all, for a total of around 3.5 hrs on the cross bike. Three parks, lots of soft climbs, cobbles, and rutted out overgrown snake thin trails. I leave from my front door on my two wheels and just go.


After the ride I felt a bit of lingering pep, might of been the double exp. so me and the lady got in the car and went to the farmers market. Not to close to home, but a nice farm selling "real" fresh from the field produce. I husked the corn and I could feel the sappy sugar coating my fingers, dropped in the boiling water, stabbed with the fork and eaten while still too hot, the corn was..... corn. What do you need, some kind of adjective to tell you how something that's lost its taste, (factory farmed, picked and shipped and stacked in the bins at the supermarket) should regularly taste. For some of you, I'm sure its just another regular thing, fresh corn. For me its not. I grew up with a big garden, and lots of fresh corn, the sweet silver queen and the yellow. Fresh from the garden and just dropped into a pot of boiling water.


Dock Street.
Went to Dock St. last night to sip the rye IPA and eat some pizza. I like Dock st. real nice building, nice window light.

but hate the service. Its like everyone that works there was an extra in 12 monkeys, and they all are so sloth like, unengaged. Every time your seated, nice, hello, and you sit, and wait..... I usually get up and ask one of the sloths, standing and talking to one of the other sloths, "um... how do I get a beer?... and nod towards my table". Pleasant but unmotivated emotionally dead wait person gives you some service, sorry to say, poured a tad short for my taste,....


and vacantly stops by a longish once in a while. You know I'm going to have at least two beers. Then after your done eating,



and might have one more cold beverage,
they have disappeared. Not in the room, no where!... despite the poor service, I'll be back, I love the beer and the pizza is really good.



Time for a farm stand "fresh" peach and fig. Gonna be hot for grass track tomorrow. I Like The Heat. cheers, dlo.

seems not un-normal

I think we have a few lights burned out in our house, somehow I don't notice. Just seems like they are not supposed to be on, just normal. 5 bulbs need to be replaced. Today I raced a crit. I felt strong, rode well, but finished poorly, I'm really ok with that, I don't know why. A couple of years ago when I last did that race, it was hard for me to stay with the group, now not hard. I even dool out some punishment, but alas, I should work on my mind set, "win!". Everything seems to make sense as far as my tactics during the race, but they probably are quite far from the most tactical things I should be doing. I feel like I'm on a cusp, and that means something might happen, and I hope that its that I get Stronger and Faster. That will help with my poorish tactics. Ha!
I wonder if there might be a few bulbs that are out in my head, that I'm just not noticing. I gotta look into that. The suns hot today, so I'm gonna chill some Tecate. cheers! dl

finding "it"

Out on my single speed moutain bike ride my mind was full, so I have some info to dump:

for those looking for racing shoes, mine are Sidi's. I ride a Cannondale. Tublartires; challenge grifo cross 32's. Psi varies. On Revolution Wheelworks Rev 25x wheels. I am self coached, using trainpeaks. I do a can of redbull and vanilla cliff shot 20 mins. before I race. I run Pauls brakes, they are light, easy to set up and affordable, for me. a 12 x 27 cassette. Two rings up front. I use crankbrother candy SL pedals. I study photos of cross racers, I look at the cable routing, hand positions, balance, everything.... I watch videos, of how a leg, a knee is lifted, at what angle, where it slips over the saddle. I look at the hands, how they move from the drops to the hoods to how many fingers are sitting atop the brake lever. When someone passes me, I think of what went into it, where, why, good, bad,... I train in the rain, practice cornering in mud. I do my running with my bike, ether pushing it or carrying it. I hate to run. I like Strong coffee, like La Colombe.

I like hoppy beer, but sometimes a real cold PBR is the best. I use king of shaves gel to shave my legs with. After a race I use IcyHot gel under full leg warmers, sometimes compression tights. I am a vegetarian. My favorite color is red. but don't hold me to any of it, will change on a whim. cheers. dlowe

CHEERSsss!

I am a little strange, when I got out of bed this morning I picked my t-shirt off the floor and gave it a sniff. Funny, I seem to do that every once in a while. The odors tell a story, and the night is quickly remembered as my olfactory senses kick back to what transpired. Another beer at Earth Bread and Brewery, laughs, food, talk, but it was an ending too. Chad and Anna, leave this weekend for Boulder, and it was in a way an un-official send off.

You can travel and move and really have no home, or live in the hollows of a West Virginia foothills for your whole life, both can be large or small worlds, but the size of your world is just what you make of it. I've got to do a better job of keeping in contact with friends and family outside of my little circle I call home.

I'm off to La Columbe, on my mountain bike, gonna go visit Belmont, and think. Cheers! dlowe.

Sunshine

Well as the rain pours down outside, I sit here and think how great a ride I had today. I love these types of days, warm enough that it doesn't matter that its raining on you. I just plugged in my mp3 player, looked at my training calender went out and enjoyed a very, very satisfying ride.

are these the pillars of power that are going to drive me onto the podium this fall?

I am looking forward to another visit to Earth Bread and Brewery tonight for some Flying Fish drinking, cheers.

I've been trying to find a new music player widget that is easy to upload to, and paste onto this page, if you know of one please let me know. The ones I used in the past sucks. I wanted to play some Trabant for you, just a little song that got me going, that little pick me up, added incentive for the ride. click this to the link of some samples. Specifically track 6. cheers, dlowe.

Loose

George left his socks at the bar.

the turkey "Gerdie" stopped by this morning for some seeds.

people felt the need to yell out their car windows at me, not the good "dlowe" but more like "ASSHOLE!" one of those days. I finally sat down to it and blocked out my training plan all the way up to Nationals in December. Took a couple of hours, but it was interesting to do. Did it on the trainingpeaks site. We'll see how I do. Made it tougher, shorter, but with a bit more recoveries. Thought about writing about sliding my feet between fresh cotton sheets. Then I had this photo of coffee and a bagel I've never used:
but maybe, its cause I'm just drinking seltzer, but that's it, thats all I've got.... do have a bit of 10 cent cross advice. Every time you have to stop, when you start again concentrate on clipping in smoothly, and quick. Make it a habit. Same foot forward, same motion. Cheers, dlowe

I been dirt

I rode down the big monster, the climb that was smooth now is not, and the rain dug up the rocks, and they are strewn about. I liked it. There is dirt on my porch from many rides, different days, fun, racing, cold, hot. I just clack it off and it blends in the cracks.

loopie

I felt fine, bright, attentive, a bit stiff but every bit ready for the big loop. Its a 3 hr cross ride, that leaves from my house and uses the trails, roads, and anything else I can throw in to make a fun ride. I took no bottles, just the bare necessities. Everything I need is along the way. The storms had added a bit of twist to the trails, and more offs and ons, and I could sense my brain not quite alive as I thought, still a little bit beaten down from work. I battled on, too proud to take it easy. I followed no lines, cause most of the times I was making the new lines. I saw the tremendous power that the run off had on the landscape. Our yards and driveways might look Leave it to Beaver cute but when a drenching rain comes, those hard surfaces just funnel the rain water into a devilish rage, and everything we've tried to squeeze in here and there, not quite well thought out and designed, gets beat down.

I came across some huge trees, toppled over and this little house

just sitting out in the woods, I've ridden close by and never saw it till this ride, its only a few feet from the over-growth. I didn't make the loop, I started to get loopy, took a bunch of spills, and bent some fingers backwards, but they popped right back so that was OK.

Saw that Nikki won her race at Mt. snow. Yeah!

but Chad emailed me that his shoulder is fucked up, so no riding and chatting with my friend, it sucks that Anna and Chad are moving to Boulder in a week, they are good peeps with fast pins, and one of the few peoples who can put up with me. I hope to get out to see em real soon.

and today, came across a banged up family on the drives. Yep a dad, mom, young daughter and little son. Two bikes laying in the road and crying kids, seems the girl riding in a front child seat some how got her foot down into the spokes and cause a big crash as they all looked pretty scraped up. Helped calm them, got the rescue squad to them and dropped off there bikes. They will all be ok, but not a good saturday for them.

Lee got bit by our cat, trying to keep it away from a dog. and George won't return my calls. The world is a bit loopy. To my friends who stop by, thanks for your wisdom and personalities. Cheers, as I lift yet another beer. dlowe

tough nuggies

I'm not a tough guy, by no means. I know I might get a tadish sappy surly like, grumble and grump up some but, it would always be the last thing I would want to do, take you into the tape. I've yielded, and now I think I won't, well not so much as I use to. I loved racing spectacross, and it seems that it will become a better value next year, short races, and a lower cost. I'm all in for the early pre-season racing. Hell, I ride my cross bike year round, its my favorite bike.

Today was a tough day at work, a harder day than beating the burn of some short high intensity intervals on the bike. I've got the compression leggins on, and sipping and thinking. Even in the most ridiculously insulting, hard day of work I always find some time to see the outside world, and today I just laid on my back and squinted into the sun. I know what the future holds for me, more days like today, more sandbags lifted to earn the paychecks to pay for my bills and the thrills I seek on my bike.

Kevin Dillard took the nice Cross photos. and my pal joseph captured me and the groundhog, napping after lunch. cheers, hold on, here is to all that have enjoyed the art of the start of a cross race. dlowe