Sustainable

        crit racing 2015 -  photo: Annette Weaver

I think,  that I am a better crit racer than cross racer.  


I hear once in a while, that, racing is to serious.
Last weekend, was a well needed, late season, gap in the whole racing calendar hole filler, do what you want/need cross race.   I took a back in the pack start, to force myself to work-up.  I figured out to make myself attack after the run up,  to keep up or push my pace a bit,  because,  maybe I'll need that mind set at Nationals.

Not a huge field,  but it was large enough, and going fast, hard enough, to get the work I wanted from it.  I waited till the rush of off the line settled in, and went then, when It was forming into groups.  It worked nice,   I got by a bunch,  didn't blow up,  and got a good, real good effort in.
I did not get up to the front, by any means,  for some reason, I'm a bit off the front, my lap times, are longer, I'm not as fast,

I look forward to getting back into the crit racing,  and have not done any tight fast group riding since going down.

I look forward to getting up early Tuesday mornings and doing the East Park Sprints.
The Great Valley 30 on Thursdays.

The effort, hard breathing, pushing on,... inside me,  there is a man, a wee little man,  smiling, laughing,  getting the biggest kick out of what he is doing.

       
Post race, end of local season.  Masters.

I have fun racing,  I love it.  I hope to do some Mtbike racing a bit more,  lots of crits.  and I hope, to be at CX Nationals, when I am 80 years old.  Fighting to be the champion.   It might take me that long to figure this cross stuff out.

Onward Hoe!  to Asheville we go.

Cheers,  dlowe

Deluxe-ish!

I've raced a year against a special group of old men.
I think maybe it snuck up on me,  how grand this season of racing has been.


In August, I was coming off of some broken ribs,  I jumped back in early,
Kelly's monday night CX grass track,  I got some hot laps in,  a bit too hot,  wiping out,
It scared me, and my ribs,  I  did little easy circles, and sat on the bench I was fine.

                                 photo:  Ben Anemone



then I melted in the sun in a cornfield.

and Granogue,  that race,  riding a few feet from another old dudes wheel,  battling, and losing,
that was so good.

                                  photo: dennis Smith

then every race, the  battles, it was real good foes, some small victories,  losing the battles, good sprints to the line, sometimes,.... and....  I did not win a single race

It all was good,  real good,  so much good,  even the worst was.... good.


Yesterday,  I loved talking with Mike Stevens during the Solstice CX race,  coming into a corner giving him my not so polite take on it.   he takes it well,  and ya know,  I need some Mike Steven's in my racing.   I stayed up right, raced hard, won my sprint, 14th.


After todays race,  the real excellent, tough, Limestone at the Kiln.
20th, perfect, I beat some foes, and,  19 better on the day, beat me.


I have had enough this year,  I got more than I deserved.
Next year I bump up an age group,  to 55+,
and I'll bring,  everything I got,  I going to train hard,  sleep well, and think and dream about the styles and types of riders I'll be racing.  I'll be doing Tuesday morning sprints.
Grass track,  get'en them bikes ship shape.   Dudes,  I am coming,  and I'll will do my best.


to a great year,  we all made it great,  we did, for sure.  Cheers!

      photo:  Mr. Kelly Cline

I wonder, who the hell, next year, is the bastard, that gets the pleasure of  getting crushed, schooled, whittled down, berated, egged on, taught a lesson,  paced smartly, pushed to their best- to be the Deluxx Sandwich,.....
 I have to say, with total seriousness,  whoever you are, you are one lucky dude!

 *Yo! Deluxx Marc was not at today's race, so not in the picture, but if one of the two guys above, Daub, or Luxy didn't put the screws to me, it was him.


dlowe

Decorated

When I sit and eat my pretzel in Phoenixville, I look up at the old building across the street- Across the top of it "Independent Order of Odd Fellows"  I figure I belong and bought my button.

This one is special,  It is a rare pit pass, from the last UCI Granogue cx race. 

Unused gear.

The little holiday tree.

A great ride,  100 miles of N.E.  PA

This years medal I won at PA CX States. 

I used to race Mtbikes.

I get this brilliant idea this holiday season,  I've always wondered what to do with the knick-nac,
trinkets, small bits, the shiny tidbits.   They end up in the key drawer, the drawer of the night stand, in the bottom of a box of junk in the attic.   I rummaged around and with some help from my wife,  I choose a few, and made them into ornaments, for our little tree.

Today,  I feel it,  that bubbly energy, that energy that only comes before a weekend of racing.   It looks  to be a good one, Saturday, a new course to race, and Sunday is deep, just to aim for a 15th place finish, that'd be something!

Cheers!  dlowe

Tasty

After the two days of racing, Riverton and West Chester, I sat on the curb and enjoyed a Tastykake.

The two days were quite different for me, how I felt after the race.   Saturday, my first time doing the Riverton race.   A super cool venue,  with its own, good,  quality of course, I left grumpy.  I had one of my better, if not, best,  days on the bike,  that my fitness, that I was faster than normal,

on the way home....
I sat at the yummy Rice and Noddles, and had to force a smile to the pleasant waitress.   and the food is always good, a really super bowl of soup,  no matter, and despite whatever the race I do out toward Lancaster leaves me.


Riverton I rode well, and really smart, used secret lines, rode my race, worked hard to the max and was sitting a very sweet 5th, in a battle with a new foe  Joe  Bothell  and I worked it good, to keep Jeff Miesemer behind me.  Till......

I got a bit fancy on the off camber line and biffed into the stake, on the last lap,... Jeff got by,  I slunk out and...
then Luxxy,  riding well, just passed, and I got on his wheel, he just road me off, and took it from me.
It was all in all,  after thought, a very good race for me, and a great 7th place finish on the day.
but, I left unsatisfied, miffed about the biff.

Today at West Chester,  I wanted to continue in that good direction.  Make it up a bit.  I was not to good at it, losing my edge a couple of times, falling back in the field, wanted to quit, but kept going.

I saw Luxxy and Bothell sorta far away, off in front of me, and set my mind to reeling them in.  got back into it, saw stars, kept the bike up, cornered better, got close, but didn't catch them.  13th.  That finish,  while I sat in the sun, eating my cake, that left me feeling good,


Me, if I have a good/bad day on the bike I have soup.
and, if it's a bad/good day, Tastykake.

I do wonder what I will be eating after next weekends racing?

alas, in the end, next Sunday,  I will bring some beer for after Limekiln CX,
Its the last local race, stop by my car, and,  that's it, tell your tales, share you bitching, and enjoy a beer.

Cheers,  dlowe