Good Fall Ride

after some unintentional motivation from a facebook post "fun out riding cross in the rain", I hopped on my bike and got my drizzle ride on.  Wednesday, a cobbles a calling,...

if you live and ride in Philly, you should be riding these things.  Always an enjoyable ass kicking. 

Pedaled about,  made it to my favorite meadow trail in the Wissahickon

and on my way home I was sadden  to come across the "rules" of my trail.

Maybe time for the sawzall, and a little trail pruning needed here.   but I think my real solution is cutting in a nice bluff trail and make a new line, something simple, natural and bring real improvement to this short spur of a $1.3 millon connector trail  (that is the real budget for this trail).   

Up early yesterday, and spent the day working on an HBO sport doc.  saw the morning night turn to gray clouds, over West Point. 

On to the weekend and some good racing.  cheers, dlowe.

Fold Back

I like the drive, to drive.  On the way home from Mr. Lousiville, from racin' the USGP Sat. and Sunday, I got some foldback time, some self monitoring.    Foldbacks in sound terms is the stage monitor system, for the artist to hear themselves/mix of the music.   My terms means the mix of me and life.   Driving is sorta the mantra, the hum, and you can't help but relax, so if you let it you can really dig into your brain and look "hear" your thinking.  What'd I get out of it?  I don't know, sorta like a dream, if you don't write it down it ends up rolling and morphin and just floating away, like time and the miles.   I really like Louisville, small town, big heart, lots of soul and simply It Can't Help Itself  But To Be Real sort of town.  Found a great place to hang out and drink, eat and talk Saturday after the race.  Sent to by a bartender the Swan Dive was outstanding, a Veggie place,

I can't wait to go back next year.  Went with the increasing getting really faster Paul Wahner,and   Mistro Jeff Appeltans.  Two other master 45+ kicking my ass cross racers.   After all the talk, food and beers, we had some custom iced cupcakes and on to bed we were sent.  Racin, what can I say, after two weeks of cough up my lungs, Sunday I finally started to feel a bit human, so I went fast for .35 of a lap, and then just battled 3 other dudes for  21, 22, 23, and 24.  I got 24.    To think two years ago at the Mercer USGP I was 6th and it seems so innocent and easy.   When I crossed the line Sunday, I was happy, I worked and suffered a bit, who knows, maybe this time off and some smart building I can come out and rock some races in a few weeks and finnish the cross season off strong.  I feel spoiled, and privledge already, but I don't mind trying to stick my hand into the candy jar and scram out of the shop with my 5 finger discount, gotta think "top shelf"  me standing on the podium spraying the clouds with 16oz PBRs.      one photo for you, somehow I get the first corner crash here's this years... cheers, cough, hack ...dlowe.

I am really in love with the BBC Jefferson Reserve, damn, just going to drink all I've brought back tonight and stagger about the house and cry for more.

Neurotransmiter Erotic

Yep,  something about it, for me, a 47 yr. old dude sitting in a hotel in Louisville, with 2 bikes next to the bed.  10.5 hrs of driving behind me, a couple of burbon barrel beers, some pre-riding,---- for two fourty minute races, makes me feel.    Yep, good.    Now if you all would just whisper a little wish of a pray for this unholly slow roller, that maybe, somehow I make it in to the top 10, I'd really appreciate that, thank you.   The course, softish,  hard grass, but just the same as last year. 

Tomorrow in the grid I'll say "Nick" and on Sunday it'll be "Chad".   Then its just eyes forward, and I'll give it all I got.  Cheers. David Lowe.

The Mod Cons

I'm looking forward to some looking out the window time,  driving to Louisville tomorrow to ride the usgp.  Been sick and been off the bike, still I can't wait to race.  If I can do a top 20 I'd be happy, or a least not spit up part of a lung.

I slipped my toes into my Fred's,  today I will tread in style.   I don't really care about keeping them white, I just wanta feel good, ..."looking good"... type of day. 

well, onward, somehow I wanted to be able to pull Anthony into this, 

Marco Quezada's capture the raptor in his full glory,  Cheers Mr. Skorochod.  dlow.

stimulus fumes

Wissahickon Cross. I'm beat, not much of a voice left, and still coughin up a few luggies from the lungs. Today was like.... um.... a really good day. I needed some Carburetor starter spray to get me going, just squirted in a small brown sack and huffed it while I pedaled my trainer. Got me going a bit, ah shit, I just had fun today. A mix of slow/fast shoe-gazing, slick/soft porn corners and windy ass crackin showing drunk girl road. I feel like I won, I did not. If its all cryptic, then excellent. F. That photo above's a new fave,....  at the end of the day, the sun  poked its big schnozzle out.   It was taken well after all the racing was done.   and the good group of us was "chippin" in cleaning it up, to make it a bit easier on the O'Kelly Cline. Cheers Kelly. Cheers my fellow crossers, to you, to me. dl.

easy

if it comes easy to me, most likely I don't notice it. As I was stepping out of the shower this afternoon, I could recognize the voice coming from the radio, it was Hope,again. Her voice comes to her easy. Today's race, not an easy coming. I rode my bike like it had square wheels and I ran wearing my Kiss concert platform shoes. It hurt, I suffered, I prevailed. 44th 35/13th or so 45+ master elite men. ah well elite sounds nice. What do we do when were not 1st, or 21st or 76?

and tomorrow, I suspect more of the same, I'm game. And as if this is being measured by an old wooden yardstick, I shall layout and stretch past 36" and my finger tips will cross the line first. Somewhere in my head I really believe that I can win tomorrow's race. I shall now go prepare my tools. ....crack open beer, throw feet up on couch, thumb on the trigger, I've got some TV watching to do. With a sly smile my friends, I race with you all in my heart. dLo

a couple point and shoots for ya.

swig, swig.....

twidle

so, despite some chest congestion, and a big week, I'm really looking forward to standing in the Starting grids Sat. and Sunday. Where have I been? Living. Monday did some day playing on the "movie" in town and got to check out Ms. Reese Witherspoon in person, sorry no TMZ for ya, she's cute and nice, thin legs and a nice smile. Then onward to Tuesday and the every enchanting Hope Sandoval. I heard dogs bark and she whispered that the devil wasn't there. She came on stage and pointed at the last light burning bright, as my eye traveled from the direction of her eyes and to the bulb it pulsed dark. Great show. More work, and then some more work outside in the mud and rain, that was today. Now I've got Hope singing to me, sipping a beer, and just can't get rid of the feeling of one foot up on the pedal, standing in the starting grid. I'm ready to race. GO! dlo

sitting in the mud.

of course I did some catching up with Gus, I think he had a hang-over.

BOuuu-Guss

Just going through the motions of blogging. A couple of pics, some clever words and "click" published for public consumption.

1. Went to Earth for 1 year of excellent beer and flat bread production. Drinkin spent with mr. Matt Hamm, and senior Ant'ins yr' pants Henne-says what? You know,... that was good.

2. Went to Dock st. the god's smile upon me and my wife, we had great service, the best pumpkin beer of the season and good pizza. Took home a growler of Rye beer.

3. Did the big loop and got to show another oldish bloke the ways of my riding. Starting with coffee and ending with coffee. Great ride.

4. No racing, so I did great this weekend. Really was smart, did some cross training which means a SS mtb ride at Belmont, and a nice Salsa Mtb ride at the Wiss. Really I took it easy, I didn't chase any carrots.

5. This morn. half way to La Colombe and got a flat, threw the bike on my shoulder and quick stepped home. I hate to run, but I hate being late more. Took one of the spare wheels from the porch and made it to coffee on time.

I contemplated a spiders web and came to conclusion that I am nothing like a spider.

great bogus day!

see ya at Granogue and Mr. Wissahickon cross. cheers, tippin it to ya. dlowe.

Cookies

Not so long ago I started riding my bike. I was bad at it, but I really loved it. I read a lot of magazines and books so I could learn "how to ride and race". One thing that stuck with me was to use all of my senses when I'm racing. So last night at cross practice I used what sounds clues my damaged ear drums could pick up on and make my race/training efforts work off of that. We do two sessions of 5x hot laps then a bunch of sprints. I took off hard, and wanted to get up to speed quick and feel some pain. I knew someone was on my wheel and was marking me, I could tell they were faster than me, all this from listening.

Its was Valentin Scherz from the Swiss national team racin, the guy on the right. That's JK on the left, he's pretty fast too. Valentin toyed with me and in return I tried to challenge him in the corners a bit. He'd let me gap and close hard and I'd try to listen to him coming up so I could accelerate at the last seconds to jump and close the door to the better line in the corners. Nothing to do with hearing but he was really smooth over the barriers and would come from behind me and be a couple of seconds in front of me by the time he got his first pedal stroke on the remount. He rode with smarts, and didn't need to flash his speed at all. I tried to hide my gasping for air when he was in ear shot, and sucked it in on the downhills and the noisy corners.

So today I ate cookies, really good local Swedish bakery cookies. Yep, not swiss.

good, good cookies.

Today I went back to Belmont to ride the trails, and I finished it up by pedaling up to the practice area to exam the lines. Funny thing, I think I must of rerun the laps a dozen times in my head while I was lying in bed waiting to fall asleep last night. What did I discovery, this...ride on..dlowe.

Hi, How Are You? Daniel Is and Always Was

This new album by Daniel Johnston is Great,  really.  Might be your cup of tea, might not. I love it.

Again I did the big x-loop.  Almost 3 hrs of good riding on the bike, made the boys to men climb, the cobbles, all was fine. 

One of those things I do is the compression recovery thing.  I use to use some compression tights, but they bind at the waist and make me a bit gas---y.   Now I just use my leg warmers, I think they work better than tights anyway.  I like to balm up my legs, this time I'm trying out something new:

I was using some stuff out of a jar, that I had to apply with my fingers, a bit messy.  I thought this stick thing my be the trick.  Easy to apply, not quite hot enough, and a menthol smell that still hangs in the house.  A bit pore clogging too.  Not very good.  Look at the result. One nice pimple.

Not that I mind the pimple too much, I'm an old man, and I don't get many to mess with.  I was a little mean to it, but in the end just applied some aointment to it and left it alone.

Well what to do tonight,  Cross is big enough in philly now to have two events to choose from tonight.  The Kensington race, and Belmont.  I'm stickin with Belmont for now.  I know what I need and its got it, no question, nope, just want to go hard.

cheers, dlowe.

Billy Billy Billy

ah a race report.  the Hillbilly Hustle V.4   Just one of my favorite races, low key, local race.  Jersey flat, some pine needle tight corners, sand berm, and fast grass flats.  I'm a master 45+ racer, no call ups.  A few test starts to find the right gear and to the line early, eyeing the line.  Took the first corner Preme,  $25 bucko's,  I'm directing straight to Gearing-UP .   

photo: Anthony Skorochod Cycling Captured.

Stayed steady, trying to learn my pace, got some good battling in and cross the line in 5th.  Just in the money.     I took one photo, shared some pumkin beers, and enjoyed a beautiful day of the bike.  Now... onto the couch, make popcorn and watch some Sunday night TV.  Cheers, dlowe.

Exclamative - ! -

Whirlywind week of workin'.    Just a little bit of everything.  Now, its a really nice Saturday morn.  not feeling the cross bike.  Gonna head to the shed and get some SS mtb time in.   Ah,  I do have to say, cross puts me in a really good mood.  damn.

mist on the wiss

1:47 back from the wiss.  My steed the steady and reliable Raleigh SS kept me happy.  Ants got one hanging up in the Ardmore shop, so if your so inclinded, take my advice and snap it up.  It the cheapest bike in my shed, and my favorite.  I put air in the tires, a few drops of lube, and just beat it up. 

and to wrap this up.  I was at the Manayunk Brew Pub last night,  I'll make this short.  Good beer,.. yes.  Super Dopey bar,  I hate sitting at the bar with an empty glass, 3 bartenders, not busy, some eye contact, it took a long bit for me to get a refill.  That place sucks!  Too bad... it seems the beer has gotten better.  Just make it the dumb sports/knuclehead/yunker bar it is, and take the brewery  and make a brew-ish bar/pub somewhere else. 

oh yeah, I got my second beer, from the fabio peacock bartender and it was poured about 3/4" short.  duff!

cheers! dlowe.