Pudgy

a pregnant pause, .....we all sat still laughing and cackling, joking, and trying not to have our eyes closed as the anonymous hiker women did us good, and snapped a memory for us.

It's been a number of years now, a small group of us get together, to watch Worlds CX. and then do a mountain bike ride afterwards.  and it's fun, and it's the off season, and the cravings I get, I don't not yield to them I indulge.
My tires get fatter, my stomach grows happy, and a bit of fat builds around the gut.
 This break is really important, and along with the long slow miles to build base, I try to ride a lot of miles, that are full of smiles, cat calls, fun stuff.


I say, there are too many problems and downers to stress out about all the time, that I need a place, that I remember, to enjoy, tune out of the world, and take it easy, and laugh.
These are The Greatest base miles.

Cheers!  dlowe

Blue

I'll remember this year as the year of my  blue Sidi shoes.


I got out for my first CX ride since racing.  nice gray damp day.  legs feel good, brains straight, if not a bit too peppy, easily rolling strong into a new year.   I like just riding, training and racing all about the same.  Last year, was the year that taught me to fight, suffering really hard, kicking some ass, and getting pummeled around myself.  

I got out my old Giro's, real comfortable shoes. and ratcheted, slapped the velcro and went out to ride.
fine shoes,...

This year,.... sorta more special than last, I won a race, more even keel about how I did, smiled at hard times.  I do miss my battles with my big personality-ed foes...  I felt a fun confidence, a place out there, training, racing, just riding.   and I felt it showed in my blue shoes.

  When I wear things out, I have a hard time getting rid of them, I feel like I owe them something.

I sent my blue shoes back to sidi the other day, warrantied, not fixable, and no longer available.
I'll get a black pair sent back to me.

Not often do I buy something flashy, I like to be modest,... I guess I needed to make a statement to myself about the rider I am/wanted to be.  I think its good to have personality, a bit of vanity.
I thought, I've worked hard, I love and respect cross, in my way,  and I race hard, fairly, encouraging my opponents, to bring it, and promoters, to "make it hard".

All of that went in a box, the blue shoes, wrapped in brown paper, handed over to a polite bored postal clerk, mailed back to sidi, and I suppose, dumped in a huge landfill mound.
They deserve better, my blue shoes.


Cheers!  I'll miss my blue shoes,  dlowe

wrap up

I felt good after finishing my race, finished.
Done with a good year.  Had a good race, calm in the grid, and smart out on the course.
18th, maybe I could of got a few spots higher, I'm satisfied.

I visited a museum Saturday instead of watching races.  Cool rooms, big spaces, small nooks and art everywhere, good stuff.  great quite empty galleries morning at the Wadsworth Atheneum.

to wrap all this year, up?   I can't.   they seem to be blending a bit, I'm loving the riding, training,
It all's special, maybe that's what I needed to keep me calm, Ha, there's is nothing I can do when my head starts spinning, and nerves are jitting,   like the ice rutted course, ride light, with speed, point the bike, and see where it goes, dab, good line, duff, just missed that tree.  

1st thing I did at home, left the bags and bikes in the van, and got to work on a flyer,
I did find a bit of structure, and ideas while looking at the art.  and I like art that tells a story,

George got lost on last years Water Ice ride, so....

goal making?
to take a shot at teaching a bit at a cx clinic.  
to exert a bit more energy, at races, I did not do much to help others at Nats.
Race faster of course.  tweak the training, to keep crushing my foes souls as much as they crush me!
ride at the back of the pack, vigilant, to silently support a stranger, newbie, suffering comrade.
Take more pictures, read more books, write better Haiku!
 
Thank you for riding with me, the cheers, jeers, and hugs!

that's a wrap!  Dlowe

                              photo: Diane Vettori, caught my smiles, at the end of this season!