Coltrane's stoop

Headed out of town, from boathouse row, up into the east park, on the VinoVelo ride,  you might hear me grumbling.    Not to the rider next to me or the one in front of me in the rabid two by two ragged line of overly-hyped riders.  and not about anything other than,  I'm pointing out John Coltrane's home.  Where he lived for a bit.  Its there, run down,  across from Longknockers driving range,  That once had a one arm pro, and a beat up caged toyota that was a good target to aim for while it swept the cut up old smoothed used golf balls.

That what I like about this time of year.   I coming into it full pep.   Whit gusto.  It was a grand year,  super grand, and it seems to be,  that'll be a norm,.....

I like the fringe parts of philly,  and I like the history that is easy to see.   I like just riding,  I sat on Coltrane's stoop in the sun,  listening to traffic,  a warm spot.   and just let it soak in, the warmth,  and just had no thoughts at all for a while.


Cheers!  dlowe

after CX nationals

I finished, and now it's done.
48th at Nationals,  my first year going,  I had a stupendous start, real good,  seemed a bit simple, all the prep and talk, the warm up laps and looking at lines. It all worked,  I moved up from a 54th starting spot to around the top 25.  

                                                   photo: Todd Mosley

I had a beer, in the shower, the races were still going on.
A bit dower about my placing,  that's normal, I expect the best, I want the best.
I could not of gone any harder today, or road any smarter.

I made my way back to the course, and rumped around with some of the other from home  peep cx'ers,
sorta, wimpy sulking,  and the races, kept going on.

                                    photo: Sean Runnette

I thought, you know, I want to cheer these guys on,...the racers still out there.
A group of us headed out,
and yelled loud,  Cheering 'em,  f'n go,
and then made it over to the finish line,
for the finishes,  and I congratulated everyone of the riders I knew.
I was so into it,
I was freaking patting the back of all the finishers. everyone, all of em. 

Nationals was awesome,  its taken me years to make it to one,
and It could not of been any better,
maybe I could have some better photos,  or radder stories,

                                       photo: Craig Vettori


I just wanted  to race my hardest, give my all
do my best,
The cheers, the advice, the camaraderie, I do not take for granted, its deep, and good.
I raced over 100 50+ men, like myself today, ...
and I had a blast.

clyclocross is a great sport, for its spirit, the dreams, the insane amount of pain, and the victories,
It is classy, badass,   I dream Cross.    I do, I dream cross.

Cheers!  dlowe

Sustainable

        crit racing 2015 -  photo: Annette Weaver

I think,  that I am a better crit racer than cross racer.  


I hear once in a while, that, racing is to serious.
Last weekend, was a well needed, late season, gap in the whole racing calendar hole filler, do what you want/need cross race.   I took a back in the pack start, to force myself to work-up.  I figured out to make myself attack after the run up,  to keep up or push my pace a bit,  because,  maybe I'll need that mind set at Nationals.

Not a huge field,  but it was large enough, and going fast, hard enough, to get the work I wanted from it.  I waited till the rush of off the line settled in, and went then, when It was forming into groups.  It worked nice,   I got by a bunch,  didn't blow up,  and got a good, real good effort in.
I did not get up to the front, by any means,  for some reason, I'm a bit off the front, my lap times, are longer, I'm not as fast,

I look forward to getting back into the crit racing,  and have not done any tight fast group riding since going down.

I look forward to getting up early Tuesday mornings and doing the East Park Sprints.
The Great Valley 30 on Thursdays.

The effort, hard breathing, pushing on,... inside me,  there is a man, a wee little man,  smiling, laughing,  getting the biggest kick out of what he is doing.

       
Post race, end of local season.  Masters.

I have fun racing,  I love it.  I hope to do some Mtbike racing a bit more,  lots of crits.  and I hope, to be at CX Nationals, when I am 80 years old.  Fighting to be the champion.   It might take me that long to figure this cross stuff out.

Onward Hoe!  to Asheville we go.

Cheers,  dlowe

Deluxe-ish!

I've raced a year against a special group of old men.
I think maybe it snuck up on me,  how grand this season of racing has been.


In August, I was coming off of some broken ribs,  I jumped back in early,
Kelly's monday night CX grass track,  I got some hot laps in,  a bit too hot,  wiping out,
It scared me, and my ribs,  I  did little easy circles, and sat on the bench I was fine.

                                 photo:  Ben Anemone



then I melted in the sun in a cornfield.

and Granogue,  that race,  riding a few feet from another old dudes wheel,  battling, and losing,
that was so good.

                                  photo: dennis Smith

then every race, the  battles, it was real good foes, some small victories,  losing the battles, good sprints to the line, sometimes,.... and....  I did not win a single race

It all was good,  real good,  so much good,  even the worst was.... good.


Yesterday,  I loved talking with Mike Stevens during the Solstice CX race,  coming into a corner giving him my not so polite take on it.   he takes it well,  and ya know,  I need some Mike Steven's in my racing.   I stayed up right, raced hard, won my sprint, 14th.


After todays race,  the real excellent, tough, Limestone at the Kiln.
20th, perfect, I beat some foes, and,  19 better on the day, beat me.


I have had enough this year,  I got more than I deserved.
Next year I bump up an age group,  to 55+,
and I'll bring,  everything I got,  I going to train hard,  sleep well, and think and dream about the styles and types of riders I'll be racing.  I'll be doing Tuesday morning sprints.
Grass track,  get'en them bikes ship shape.   Dudes,  I am coming,  and I'll will do my best.


to a great year,  we all made it great,  we did, for sure.  Cheers!

      photo:  Mr. Kelly Cline

I wonder, who the hell, next year, is the bastard, that gets the pleasure of  getting crushed, schooled, whittled down, berated, egged on, taught a lesson,  paced smartly, pushed to their best- to be the Deluxx Sandwich,.....
 I have to say, with total seriousness,  whoever you are, you are one lucky dude!

 *Yo! Deluxx Marc was not at today's race, so not in the picture, but if one of the two guys above, Daub, or Luxy didn't put the screws to me, it was him.


dlowe