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