is there such a place?

Pleased to meet me

Standing in the pre dawn light thinking 

how nice the sheets would still fell.

Sleep is my friend and my enemy, never enough and cuts in to 

my free time.

But the end justify the means. 

The train will be leaving soon and I must drink down this espresso.

Good volume over the weekend 

and a bit of respite on monday.

Today I want to go and push my self.

Mission accomplished.

USPS is my friend when the right parts are on the 

way.

Get my front end back in shape before the hamster wheel that is

Buck Hill.

Got a long way to go and a short time to get there.

More is Better

My Bliss

Back Up Up Up

DRIVEN Movement

Big WhEEls RoLLing

The Hill where the Pain starts.

No junk Food Just Earthly Goods

PiP On the DL

Single Track Tunnel

First good day out on dirt in a while trails were in great  condition and the riding was good.

Up Up and Away

YY

MM

MM

YY

FO

Climbing

Hamering Nails

The Emag train

was moving this morning and I was not sure

what to expect out of my body.

I feel like I have been squeeze through the ringer

then stretched on a rack and slammed against a wall.

Sleep has been tough with the drugs for the bee sting.

I have a felling that I am going to be found on some surveillance footage

fighting my self in a parking lot.

My legs did ok was not going to try to push it to hard.

I have had some movement  yesterday I rode through a crazy downpour on the way to work.

With an out and back to work and home got back to 

our house in the middle of the street and headed out with the PIP.

Have not seen that kid on a road bike in months may months.

She rode 

well and I gave me a bit over three hours on the day.

Not bad for being on my death bed on monday.

No work no races just bikes this weekend.

Their is a Bike Race to watch tomorrow,

not sure what I think of the past three weeks but it is always fun to watch.

Hope on one drops and chains!

King Bee Baby

Monday normal day recovering from the 

race the day before trying to incorporate yoga 

moves with appliance repair.

Done for the day and heading home, list of stuff to do

and the last week of tee ball.

Coming out of the marsh going on to River Valley Drive, and 

smack right in the eyebrow, as the dumb thing rattled around in my

Rudy's I am sure that it got me twice.

Getting through the initial pain. This happens once or twice a season

especially since I am on the bike from Feb to December.

Take my glasses off and spray my face with water why not sure but felt good.

Now the weird stuff starts to happen every pore on my body starts to itch.

First I think that it is just all in my head but it hurts and it is not good.

Body takes over and I am flying through the crushed gravel to get home.

Race in the door strip the kit off and jump in a cold shower again 

not sure why just felt good.

Towel and have Sophia call mom,I take over as she 

can't find the number.

Leave a message.

Sophia is getting worried I am swelling and breathing gets

weird. Anna calls and tells me that she is coming home and to take some allergy meds.

Get to the urgent care can't see out of my eyes and throat is swelling.

Now comes the Epi Pin and crazy legs.

Puffy starts to go away. Now sleep.

Wake up to find my left eye totally shut.

Back to the Doc's more drugs, and here 25 hours

later still swollen.

Not fun but still here ready to fight another day.

One Track MInd

Long haul to Elk River MN for the 6th race in the series. After a good one in Eau Claire I was felling like I was ready to go.
A huge nasty storm had rolled through the area on Saturday night which had the trail crews out cutting up tress starting at 5:30 AM.
The course is a good one 98% single track and really twisty and tourney. Sophia was the first to go and sporting a new lid which was meant for mom and racing for her friend who had just past away she looked good.
As i was warming up I came across her walking back to the car ,,, tire going flat and body totally bonked,,, she had let her self down I just offered a supportive ear.
My turn next ,,, with a few races miss in the series I did not get a call so I lined up in the second row. Still had a good amount of racers as may more were off in Colorado racing Natz..
Go and we are off to the first hill and prologue to sort it out before the lap started. In to the woods in about 8th place call out a pass or two and got on H-woods wheel. As we moved through the woods I went to pass as he dropped a pedal and I got jammed on a stump. Back on and charging now the group in front has slammed on the breaks. So course tape had not been taken down and as every one scrambled under I got the tape around my neck and it took off my glasses. Back on the bike as NO ONE WAITED for me to get going again. Now I am chasing the group that I was once a head of. Spent the rest of the first lap chasing and finally caught back on only to have some rider fight to get around me and slow up.

So that is where I stood for the rest of the race chasing to get back on while pulling two guys to the line. Rode hard and rode strong,, a few slips cost me some $$ but it was a fun day of suffering and so much more fun that getting stung in the face by a bee...

Buck Hill will be next and I have some redemption for that hill....
Thanks to Twin Six , Uvex, Norhwave, and Hollywood helps so much to have you guys
along for the ride. The King is coming and will be here soon.
And to the mystery sponsor you rock and thank you..

Salty

It has been a bit nutz here

as of late. 

The Kid and i did go and race over the weekend at the 6th stop for wors.

Sophia had a great race pushing it hard for sixth overall and a good day for being 

off the bike for 3 weeks.

My self well I don't like flat races ,,, so I pushed it as hard as I could for 

30 miles. Not a bad finish would always like to go faster, but sometimes 

you can only do what you can do. Bike rode well and I was well cooled on the head and feet 

with top notch products from both Uvex and Northwave.

More test to come if we can make it,,,, the almighty dollar always has the last say.

Go fast then go faster.

Photo from wors share site

PeopleForBikes TV spot

Maxed Out

It is Thursday and I have not been on dirt once this week.

Driving me nutz.

Between rain work and life

 I have not found the time to get the single track bug worked out.

Would ride tonight but heading to the Tostin bike shop

to get Anna's bike back together so she can ride tomorrow.

Good size test this weekend just up the road from the house.

A flat river bottom course on that can hurt if 

your gear is too big or too small. It is trying to find the balance.

Balance like trying to get in the hours that you may need or want 

through out a busy week. 

I was able to get some work done yesterday in the thick

pea soup fog, but after the second 

climb my 9-5 was calling. 

Short sweet intensity some

times

all you can get. Fill the legs with acid then recover.

Sounds like what it will be this weekend.

Go fast Right?

Enzo

It sure has been one hell

of a Roller coaster ride here 

lately. Broken bikes and shushed dreams.

But the wheels still turn. I have been 

able to get Anna to kinda fit on to Sophia's

old 1400 not the dream bike but better than nothing.

Great to  see the passion and desire to ride spill out of her.

Rain has been the weather Dejesus lately and it is getting old. I bagged the race on sunday,

which is one of my most favorites in the area. Got up and watch weather move in to the venue area.

Racing on the forth is an old tradition that goes back to the early years of the firecracker. I have heard mixed results on how muddy the course was but regardless it was another lap shorted race. I know that rain happens and the art of racing in the rain is a necessary evil. But can't afford to keep

trashing bikes due to muddy conditions.

Could be worse I could have watch all that I have trained for vanish on a

greasy Belgium road. Efforts will be raised and work will be hard results

will come and the bikes will roll faster.

 Or get

Blowen up Sir!

Craptastic

Anna's Bike:(

Parts are going to be needed.

Heart of Gold?

Got out

 for a few hours on the dirt

bike yesterday.

All was felling pretty good, and

all riding well. With the warmth that is

upon us I was happy that my Razors

kept my feet nice and cool.

Bikes are prepped not sure

what to think. Weather may

become once again and I am tired of 

cleaning mud off of bikes. 

May be pick and choose time with

one test right after another.

Regardless at lest I don't have to go up Little French twice

tomorrow. That can really

Hurt.

Brothers Cup

Watching weather

has become a sport almost as 

time consuming as bike riding. Lots of eyes to the sky

and computer screens as the Subaru Cup got closer.

A nasty thunder storm rolled through the area

late friday night. I was sure that the 

race would be a mud fest.

Get to Mt Morris and check out the trails

fry and getting dryer. So I plunked down some money 

and started to get ready. As the cat 2 race went they

helped squeeze more water out of the trails making

it ready for the rest of us.

 The line up was a mess it was a free for all to get to the 

line first. This ended up being a big part of a good start to the 

race.

Don yelled go and we were off up hill and heading to the single 

track.

In to the woods following some the juniors that got line up first 

it turned in to a pin ball game with the rocks and the tall ferns.

Around to the pond and back into the woods to start climbing.

So far the course was great and fast. Down then back up.

Now this last up was a bit of a bitch good and steep with no

sustained climbing really punch quick power and 

soft like a sponge. This part hurt had to do a 

few cyclo-cross moves to keep going.

Four more times around. 

Felt ok started a bit to hard and payed for it.

Good ride good training I want more.

Red Wing is next and it should be dry.

Here is the end and a bit of pain..

Photos Skinny Ski

Setting

Tension is thick and the 

muggy air is gone.

Out in the late evening 

for a quick spin to see how the legs and the bike

are getting along.

Could still fell a bit of the other morning 

but movement came easy.

With the low angle of the sun the 

shapes and colors were electric. 

Through out the woods blaze orange shot holes 

in the Forest.

Finished off with the fire ball sliding behind the horizon.

If it rains tomorrow night the 

cup could be a mess worth missing.

Drill or be drilled

Few days out from the 

Cup.

Should be the biggest race of the summer.

Feel ok, need some recovery.....spinning the 

SsCx in at the 5AM group ride broke a dish or two.

Hard work should pay off.

Bike is sounding good 

now just wanting some good sleep.

Is it Time?

Gouge your wAy

Out for some bike practice up at the HPT.

Felt good to back out on the Dirt.

Bike was riding good and legs felt strong just not fast. 

Trying to figure out which ratio is going to be the 

right one for the Cup.

Bit more work needs to be done 

before saturday.

Rolling home from the hill all I could think of 

was I wanted more, one of those days where I felt that 

I could rode for hours and hours and hour. 

All you dads out there have a good 

day.

Keep Moving

Low budget blue collar racing that is 

what goes on here.

If it was not for all my great sponsors I would not

be able to keep going. 

These folks put clothes on my back, parts on my bike 

rubber on the ground and nourishment in my belly.

Life here is a simple all that is wanted is to ride

race and give my family the chance to enjoy their time on this rock.

Looking at life on two wheels, it is a life worth living.

Life worth Living

Finding moments of Bliss as I 

repeated my efforts up the hill.

Work makes me think of other things, rather

than my ears bleeding due to finical struggles.

If my legs are turning circles I can't dwell to long on the

here and now. It is all about the there and then.

Dodging rain drops kept me in bed this morning.

Should have been up to ride the group wave.

More wet on the way.