In the Now

Headed up onto the trails of Belmont on the Cx bike.


after two weeks off the bike, lots of days of work, a bit of travel, I'm back out on the bike.
yesterday a mountain bike ride at Wissahickon, today, cx at Belmont.

Va Beach, VA  work.

             cool swamps in Va Beach,VA. working.

It is a bit tuff-er to write about stuff, when it's not about racing, standing on the podium, being crushed, wobbled legged, poor performance day.


Most of the year for me is not about a race. Not racing. 
All of the year I think a lot about racing, and what I want out of cyclocross racing.

I want a complete victory, to stand on the podium, finishing in 1st, but also, to be a good sport, a motivator, to fertilize the sport.   To ride with the best, even if it means I never win.

It's Thursday December 21st. two days back out on the bike, and I am checking in on the course previews of Nationals Louisville.   Planing out how to tweak my training.   Looking at bikes, new bikes for next year.

To stay in the now, to enjoy and relish all of this as it happens. 
I need to constantly reminded myself, to do. 
To have a goal, and to realize that all these easy days, riding with friends days,
cold training days are the ones that bring as much joy as one race day.
and,
I've worked hard, and it's really paid off, I don't think I could have more friends #crossfamily,  great foes, with many beautiful place to ride.

It is a long way off, my goal, of a simple top ten finish at Nationals.
There are cold days, afterwork trainer time, grumpyness, belly laughs, sunburns, gravel, pavement, sprints, and hill repeats.
I'll  hang my head out the open car window, and hot air bashes across my face, and a joy, wild eyed dog look of happieness comes over me.  I'll let the drool spittal, leak out, and trail off in that 70mph wind.
Thats what  I'll carry into the starting grid next December.

Heave Hoe!  dlowe

Rivertown & Capital

SAP.

There is a dot, period at the end of sap.   today was this years last race for me.

I'm not coy in saying or bashful at all, at saying "I love cyclocross"

I loved Bob Ruether, racing his age, and sneaking up on us, with a pass during the first lap, tween two corners before the straight, where if you passed there, you'd probably not bumble and bump around to get thur the tiny hole in the corner.


and I loved this year for as much as I miss my foes, and friends I don't see, and that are not at races.


The sun and the moon seem more beautiful.  During cyclocross time of year.  The days might be shorter in brightness, but, the low hanging sun, it can't help but make it all more majestic, golden.

I think its something I got from my Grandmother Snider, she'd hug me hard, deep into her,
her lips kissing my hair, and her strong arms, she'd keep me till she wanted to let me go.
and this family, #cyclocrossfamily  it's my family.


I have plenty of heros, and gods, mentors,  family, losers, kids who know no better, who make me love cross.

if you've never race Capital, or Rivertown, this weekend,  or raced at all,
your welcome to be with us,
love to have you.
I'll hug you hard,
and try to kick your ass harder.
Cheers to fucking f'n cx,
thanks to everything, everyone, friends, standoffish, bumpers, the rude heckler,
Cheers, to broken tape, and missing clipping in and still crushing off the line.
Cheers to grasstrack, lucky socks, numb toes,
too much air pressure, and too much freaking out over how I'm suppposed to do.
I'm glad to be a sap, and I don't mind at all.
cause
I love cyclocross.

dlowe.

Pinned

Troegenator & WCCX v2 PA states

I get a joy, out of pinning my number on.  Sitting in the back of the van, knees pulling the fabric taught.   How I crush the paper then smooth it to have a inward roll to the body.
I feel lucky when I pull out 7 safety pins.

This was a good weekend of racing for me in many ways.
I dug deep both saturday and sunday.   Riding on the rare, wet, cold mud, rain, on a new course.
Troegenator CX was a treat. Saturday.
the drive out with Kelly Cline, dinner and sharing a room,
Cross is more than 45 minutes.
All the stories, and smiles.   chatting about the course, getting your car pushed out of the mud by a dude that just a bit ago was standing on the top step of the podium.
Pulling into the same low budget hotel at the same time as Bob Joos, stopping by his room, and chatting a bit.

I know it comes down to how I finished.  I did well.  Tough battles, not any wins. but a 2nd, and a 3rd (2nd PA States).
Does that make me happy?  In a way immensely.  In a way I analyze the lap times, the little things, that got away from me, how I'd like to do better, I was close, I had a chance.


At the half way point of this season, I made a point to myself to savor ever race left. 
Despite, tired legs, runny nose, dull brain.

Today, instincts drove me, like an non-house broken dog, I ripped it apart.   The course hurt.
It was grand, great. 
Today it was pretty much all about racing.
I race to win, even when I go a seasons without it.
Dissapointment runs deep, cause, most of us did not win.
I'll improve.  I see myself on the top step.
maybe I'll be 85,
but I'll be up there.

Cheers!  dlowe

V-1

Vicitoy CX.

I am seldom out of words.  I'm tired.  Today was fast, and on.  No let up.  I snuck around and robbed a 4th today.
I try to leave it out there on the course.
I'm not one to make enemy's, or need foes to race.  I'm not out there to beat anyone.
Your fast, enjoy it.
I'm gonna crack open some race won Sly Fox beer, and it's going to taste real good.
I often think, we are lucky to have so many different races around here. Plenty of personality.

go hard, crush it, kick back, and never wallow in your mistakes, or misfourtunes.
A true champ isn't the one who wins a lot of races.
we, all us out there racing, we are some tough mofo's.  Well done!

and again, a thanks to Victory CX!  welcome to the family!

cheers! dlowe

Sly Fox

Today, I had too much of everything, and just not the right amount of enough.  

The conditions, the course, everything was spot on.
Lines changed during our race.
as the sun melted  the forzen dirt.
I flondered early and often.
Crashing, sliding out, loosing the front wheel, every which way I could and did hit the ground.
It was one of those days, where, Get up, Got at it, Crash, go at it just keep going.
but I held on for a tough 3rd.
I'd of never made it there, and I have to thank Mark Featherman for riding stong,
He came by me, with good lines, confident handiling, and I got well, picked it up.
a flat took him out.
but he got me going right, following him, and got me back to riding strong.

Today was a useful day.
strange
and not familar.  lots of riders in all classes road well, and lots, like me crashed, and toppled, slipped, but kept at it.
Good day Sly Fox,
Thank you, all you foxes, that spent a bunch of time carving this course into a bit of woods behind a brewery.

Cheers!  dlowe 

Fairhill, Stoudt's

Chinese Handcuffs

The second half of the season starts with John Lux's voice in my head, "fuck 'em, dlowe, do what you want, Damn, people can just relax".
so that's what I did.  I'm not sure but I think some how the term Chinese Handcuffs, probably to someone, is offensive, but with true due respect to Law Enforcement, and The Chinese, I don't mean to offend anyone!

It was a good weekend of racing. 
I've found out that it's the balance of trying my hardest, and riding the most relaxed, that somewhere in that balance, is where I get free,  do well.
Saturday, down at Fairhill, the course wound, swept me around corners, and I so invigorated by the speed, I closed my eyes, and just hammered to the highest point on the course and did it again.
Today again, at Stoudt's,  as the laps counted down, I was enjoying it more. Both events, they've taken the years of racing, laying out whoops, dips, bends, log overs, fast corners, and refined them, to spectacular races.  Great laps to ride. Race worthy.

still searching and training for that elusive win this year,
training to be a fearsome foe,
Unperdictable, good starter, smooth, strong, and a calm word if I'm luck enough to catch slower foes.
"on your right after the tree",  "keep digging"  "Yo Bob!"

thanks to all that put on the races this weekend, Cheers!  dlowe

HPCX day 2

I did feel better today, and was able to go.   Got 5th.
and I really had no aspiration of finishing first.
I had the CX-eve jitters abit last night.
Focused on all the things I can do right.
and for the most part did them.


every second of a race,while I am racing, seems to have a story.  and at the moment, seems so super important,
your good line,
how I'll take a corner next lap.
or catching the guy in front of me
setting myself straight quick from a crash
contemplating that heckle
and soaking in the encouragement to GO!
to attack, sit in, get caught
the last turn to the pavement
where you can see the line, and bury myself to it

I think our race, We had perfect mud.  Good mud for me.
wet, slippery, a few slow deeper spots.
The rain came down heavy, and there to me is something special
about riding out in heavy rain.
It is unusual.  and feels strange.


All those stories, they get blurry, almost like it never happened.
and soon I'll be watch tv, with a blanket over my legs.
I am not quite sure how I how I feel about racing a mud race every weekend,
don't matter,
I'll do it.
half way done of this cx year.
a lot of moments, things, struggles, racing talking,
maintaining,
feeling up and feeling down.




Cheers,    dlowe