set course

at this time, today, I stand at the base of the season.  
I do not know anything,  just looking out at the horizon, and I hope that at least I'm facing the right direction.

I have had many small parks, that I use for my private skill sessions.  Blue Bell, Lower Belmont, Bala, Georges Hill.  Just places I go to ride by myself.  I find a log or something to create a barrier.  Create a rough course, a start grid, a balance course, a hill to hit up.

I'm back to Georges hill, the top, so a bit different.   This is the first place I went, that a friend I knew, that knew cross took me to show me the ropes.


but I know more now,
I ride past a shrine to the virgin mary, who appeared here in 1953.

I've read stories about a place a block down the road, where the first bike shop in phila. was.  cool stories, the building is gone, now a '70's fire station.  but the stories are still cool. 

I do some start sprints up this hill, this underpass, you never know, whats, who's down there, so I get a good adrenalin rush.

and this bit of land, it has a great view of Phila.   donated to the city by the Welsh Georges' family.   Never to be developed,  some how the Mann was built here.  No matter, the park parts of it are overgrown, and there is hidden secrets in the woods, old tunnels, a meadow, piles of cobbles, 1000's of empty bottles of beer,  hobo camp sites.

the other night 4000 people were standing here watching Sigur Ros play.   I was there.  tonight all packed up and long gone.  just an empty field again.

this year, I look forward to seeing the friends I race against.  To doing new races, to suffer more, to win maybe,   to get crushed.     to standing in the pit yelling at you as you roll by.  

and there is not a better barrier, than a big limb.  Pulled to a nice patch of run up soil.   a bit of speed, leg over the saddle, step through, one step over, one two swing back over, and clip in smooth. 

you feeling fast this year?   game on.

cheers, d.