tools

I have to buy a new car,  I hate cars, I do, I hate the aggression, the isolation, the pollution.
I drive mine all the time.  and its worn out.
I drive it a lot.

                Easy day today, chilly, and the cx stead is the called to be pedaled. 

I got home and Richard Sachs's Socks had arrived. 

Socks, 4 sets, 

and more!

blogs, blogs, you've become an underground unrefined, unfiltered 

peaks and valleys of 

lots of words and pictures, 

and the ones I love, 

I nod along to, 

a lot of the others, 

I tolerate, 

but you know, there is a joy for me, in how much I can tolerate. 

the Good ones, gems, just human things, simple. 

outstanding

bonus bits!

Cheers!  dlowe

Heads-up

This time of year the last couple of years I've been, not as fit, not as recovered, and not ready to race.

I've been not able to hold onto the group, drop off, and out of  races.

My legs felt good last Monday, Tuesday's e. Park Sprints, I had my way, and on my way Wednesday, riding out to meet Carlos and Jeff, to do a nice road spin, I saw Abe, a shiny Abe, 1 cent, on the ground, looking up.  I'm not superstitious, I try not to be, but I picked it up for luck.

I tried to stay in routines, I was nervous to race again.

My first finish in a few years, today,  at the Navy Yard Crit. 12th.  My first crit back, since crashing last year.
I was tense, I did my routines, routines are good, went through the process.  We raced in the rain, 6 corners, couple of real tight ones, couple of slide out crashes.   My mind was not totally in the zone.  I worked at it, held on.  Finished.

I put the penny in our change dish, Abe will go back out into circulation.

Cheers!  dlowe

east park morning

Pedal, coast, coast,
pedal pedal pedal
coast pedal
pedal pedal, shift pedal pedal , move up,
pedal, move up, coast, pedal pedal coast.
PEDAL PEDAL PEDAL

photo: Jules Benson,  thatd's me on the left up one, blue shoes.

Return to East Part Sprint, was good to me.   7 sprints,  finished 5-10, started always in the back, felt like a cheap skate, sucking it, till I had to produce.

Cheers!  dlowe

Ohio House

I awoke, not to late into the night.   "how am I going to get 'em all, to the end",  "I don't want to lose anyone",  "it's an Adventure"....
I stayed awake, with jiber jaber, jibbing and jabbing.

I thought about it, and it's along way off, 7/4,

It's the most Historic, beautiful, cx ride in America, I believe.  I've got to get to work and make it respectable.   Working on it, I am.  a bit DIY.   a print at home map, a cyclocross waterice fanzine in the makes?

yeppo!


Cheers!  dlowe

flail

saw Liz Phair and the Smashing Pumpkins.  I haven't been to the thrift stores since the days of grunge,  saw a new place, It was swell, as always, I'll keep it's location secret, not that anybody, goes to thrift stores to by cardigan sweaters anymore.   Picked up a framed signed print for $5.

at the top of one climbs out at Valley forge, off on Horse Shoe Trail,  a right at the top of Diamond Rock, is a place I need to go,  I've ridden past it a bunch of times,  not till a visit to the Philly Museum of Art, and looking at the big old wood fireplace, it's Esherick's place.    and Belmont and me came to a deal,  and I'm happier riding there. 

I need to race.   Cheers!  dlowe

Man of Steal

Brandywine Valley Roubaix


I've been going to the gym, now for about 3 or so months.
Goal, build up bone density, and more strength in the legs for cx in the fall.
I went Saturday, crushing myself, up-ing up it all, its fun, satisfying to hear the sound of the new plate slide down the bar, to increase the effort.

 The wind tore through, a good spring guster, Saturday night,  peeling riders off the start line, even I laid in bed Sunday, and needed that bonus impulse to go ride this ride.

My legs were made of steel.   Heavy, and each pedal stroke, a dozzie.  Roubaix's are excellent rides, I go to get lost, find a new friend, to survive.   I dropped off the front group of eager dogs, and was in a no mans land of wind and hills.   As my luck had it, I had good luck, and two lads were there for me.
A thanks to Matin Beels and Michael Hoffman.  They sheltered me from the wind, towed me up climbs, were cheery, and in no way made me feel like a anchor.  I was a laboring cow.

I had a grand time, got lost, missed turns, ate a couple of doughnuts on the top of a climb.  As much as I'll remember bits of the ride in the future, I'll also remember the good will, and riding with a couple of dudes.  Everyone ends up with a story,  mine, a fine one.

         each night, or afternoon, I'm getting a couple of LeDuff's tales of 90's NY in,

it's cool to be put into that time,  He does a fine job,  two or three couple page reads, Nice!

                       from Charles LeDuff's Work and Other Sins reproduced w.o. permission, Ha!
                           much like riding, poaching a bit,....


Cheers!  be strong, tow someone along, carry their weight, do the extra work.  Dlowe

Black Mountain Air

In the past I didn't restrain myself, I couldn't, at the  Great Valley 30 thursday night training crit.
Last night I wanted to ride on the crest of the wave,  in the front, around 15-20th.
Just hover.  Hold my place.

I parked next to Kelly in the lot, he had a treat for me, coffee beans, from the place we really enjoyed, the coffee they served, at the swell Over Easy Cafe while we stayed in Asheville for CX nats.


after this mornings pot, now all done: utility room cleaned, kitchen cleaned, blue tooth connected to stereo/laptop, house swept, floors mopped, trash out, recycle bins cleaned, books stacked, invoices sent, cats brushed,
streaming new Black Mountain album, it's good, bike shit all put away, fireplaced cleaned of ash, 
monday equipment work prep, cleaned some cabinets out, read all the blogs.....new post....awesome strong coffee!






I followed good wheels, and was being towed up to the establishing break, just right there, but pretty early with a lot of laps to go.  I sat up, and let it drift away,  not for me tonight.
I looked back over my shoulder,  man we got up the road quick, and was good and away.
I sat on the right of the yellow lines and waited for the pack.
Pulled out my belly board, and laid back in.  Stayed outta the white water, stayed up on the high peak, studying it, the ride, riders.  Kept my nose out of the wind.  Hurah! a first, I followed a plan.

buzzing along!  cheers,  dlowe