Cookies

Not so long ago I started riding my bike. I was bad at it, but I really loved it. I read a lot of magazines and books so I could learn "how to ride and race". One thing that stuck with me was to use all of my senses when I'm racing. So last night at cross practice I used what sounds clues my damaged ear drums could pick up on and make my race/training efforts work off of that. We do two sessions of 5x hot laps then a bunch of sprints. I took off hard, and wanted to get up to speed quick and feel some pain. I knew someone was on my wheel and was marking me, I could tell they were faster than me, all this from listening.

Its was Valentin Scherz from the Swiss national team racin, the guy on the right. That's JK on the left, he's pretty fast too. Valentin toyed with me and in return I tried to challenge him in the corners a bit. He'd let me gap and close hard and I'd try to listen to him coming up so I could accelerate at the last seconds to jump and close the door to the better line in the corners. Nothing to do with hearing but he was really smooth over the barriers and would come from behind me and be a couple of seconds in front of me by the time he got his first pedal stroke on the remount. He rode with smarts, and didn't need to flash his speed at all. I tried to hide my gasping for air when he was in ear shot, and sucked it in on the downhills and the noisy corners.

So today I ate cookies, really good local Swedish bakery cookies. Yep, not swiss.

good, good cookies.

Today I went back to Belmont to ride the trails, and I finished it up by pedaling up to the practice area to exam the lines. Funny thing, I think I must of rerun the laps a dozen times in my head while I was lying in bed waiting to fall asleep last night. What did I discovery, this...ride on..dlowe.

Hi, How Are You? Daniel Is and Always Was

This new album by Daniel Johnston is Great,  really.  Might be your cup of tea, might not. I love it.

Again I did the big x-loop.  Almost 3 hrs of good riding on the bike, made the boys to men climb, the cobbles, all was fine. 

One of those things I do is the compression recovery thing.  I use to use some compression tights, but they bind at the waist and make me a bit gas---y.   Now I just use my leg warmers, I think they work better than tights anyway.  I like to balm up my legs, this time I'm trying out something new:

I was using some stuff out of a jar, that I had to apply with my fingers, a bit messy.  I thought this stick thing my be the trick.  Easy to apply, not quite hot enough, and a menthol smell that still hangs in the house.  A bit pore clogging too.  Not very good.  Look at the result. One nice pimple.

Not that I mind the pimple too much, I'm an old man, and I don't get many to mess with.  I was a little mean to it, but in the end just applied some aointment to it and left it alone.

Well what to do tonight,  Cross is big enough in philly now to have two events to choose from tonight.  The Kensington race, and Belmont.  I'm stickin with Belmont for now.  I know what I need and its got it, no question, nope, just want to go hard.

cheers, dlowe.

Billy Billy Billy

ah a race report.  the Hillbilly Hustle V.4   Just one of my favorite races, low key, local race.  Jersey flat, some pine needle tight corners, sand berm, and fast grass flats.  I'm a master 45+ racer, no call ups.  A few test starts to find the right gear and to the line early, eyeing the line.  Took the first corner Preme,  $25 bucko's,  I'm directing straight to Gearing-UP .   

photo: Anthony Skorochod Cycling Captured.

Stayed steady, trying to learn my pace, got some good battling in and cross the line in 5th.  Just in the money.     I took one photo, shared some pumkin beers, and enjoyed a beautiful day of the bike.  Now... onto the couch, make popcorn and watch some Sunday night TV.  Cheers, dlowe.

Exclamative - ! -

Whirlywind week of workin'.    Just a little bit of everything.  Now, its a really nice Saturday morn.  not feeling the cross bike.  Gonna head to the shed and get some SS mtb time in.   Ah,  I do have to say, cross puts me in a really good mood.  damn.

mist on the wiss

1:47 back from the wiss.  My steed the steady and reliable Raleigh SS kept me happy.  Ants got one hanging up in the Ardmore shop, so if your so inclinded, take my advice and snap it up.  It the cheapest bike in my shed, and my favorite.  I put air in the tires, a few drops of lube, and just beat it up. 

and to wrap this up.  I was at the Manayunk Brew Pub last night,  I'll make this short.  Good beer,.. yes.  Super Dopey bar,  I hate sitting at the bar with an empty glass, 3 bartenders, not busy, some eye contact, it took a long bit for me to get a refill.  That place sucks!  Too bad... it seems the beer has gotten better.  Just make it the dumb sports/knuclehead/yunker bar it is, and take the brewery  and make a brew-ish bar/pub somewhere else. 

oh yeah, I got my second beer, from the fabio peacock bartender and it was poured about 3/4" short.  duff!

cheers! dlowe.