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