Hi Guys

holy fucking shit i'm sucking at web logging lately.

priority has been not this anywhere near where it needs to be.

But that's okay. I'm writing now, waiting for garlic to slowly turn golden brown in the butter for the from scratch mac and cheese, yeah yeah pasta, change it up eh? dietary confusion, we're humans and shit. Also okay to have them things in the evening after a day with low insulin spikes.

Also - can't wait. in 20 years the WHO is going to label Insulin as the most carcinogenic compound ever discovered.

Suck it you sugar lovers, it is dumb and makes you fat and sit. But if you're moderately healthy you can indulge a bit in the evening when your body can handle it appropriately.  But first thing? Ugh.

NO THAT WASN'T JUDGEMENT.

I might be an asshole but i care deeply about my friends and only want the best, it is kind of a problem.

Nationals opened up, haven't reg'd yet. Will do that somepoint.

I did plan out the next couple weeks with racing. But what the fuck am I going to do between NBX and Nationals? We need a Christmas/New Year/holy week race series in MD/DC/VA leading up to Ashville. don't we fatmarc?  MAKE IT HAPPEN PEOPLE i need extrinsic motivation.

Nanoscape stuff is moving along, I'm out a few prints since last time I mentioned it, and I've discovered a good way to ship all but a couple of them, $7 priority. so. i need to figure out how to do a web page thing and or maybe just set up a pay pal thing and put it on the facebook page or something. They are not the massive high cost large format prints that are up at Firefly Bicycles, but they aren't bad and are me and are cool and support the GeWilli.

I have a good handle on the next collection, actually, honestly, super excited about it.

The picture factory has been super busy - rotations are transition and the grad students are all clamoring for new training and it is crazy, and there's been a few extra hours spent working with my little brother, and life. So little sitting down and writing.

But oddly it is all working.

Couple notes about racing CX.

Those heckles and stuff. You know, if you've been doing it for a while, there are people who are really good at motivating you and getting you to focus on the right things and there are people who despite intending and wanting to do the opposite totally burst your balloon and luff every sail you've set. Bobby Stine is one of those who always says the right thing that clicks and helps and is additively benificial. Solobreak? Don't tell him but he's good too, and I have to say getting is post race eval of the course before I race is so amazingly brilliant, I hate that now we're backed up into the same time slot.

I'm talking about those points specifically about Fruitlands. Gary and John fucking out did themselves there. If you missed it you're an idiot, or you had better find a goddamngoodexcuse, because that was awesome.

Positive. focused. moving forward.

i'll admit to something soon, probably after tomorrow.

But also Saturday, we do the whole Plymouth thing. Which, let me tell you. Plymouth has HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE HUGE emotional ties for me on so many levels. For example 2007: that asshole jersey pro wearing the Sachs kit? Well I finally met that d'bad I'd been racing and trading places with for a year inside the school at the old Plymouth North HS. You know who he is.
Also the only time I shared a ride with Tatar he goes and separates his shoulder trying to hop the single barrier at Plymouth North, I drive him hom. It is also the place where MLFN and I carpooled together and after dropping Mark off my youngest said "He's my favorite Mark." Plymouth has always sort of wound up being the point in my season where i've hit peak fitness before fading, but this year is different (swapping with NoHo).

Plymouth is also the place where my best friend flew in to race that weekend. His wife gave him a 40th b-day present of a airplane ticket and races with me. We hung out, it was f'n awesome. We had a f'n blast.

The next year I was introduced to some sassy sharp MIT girl with Bottom Bracket issues...

point being every year has been crazy significant. Heck if my BB30 bearings had not failed one year I might have had a chance at beating Mottram for the sprint for 3rd or 4th.

it is where we learned from paul curley that cones are just a suggestion.

As much of an antithesis of a location/course/vibe, it kind of almost IS the essence of CX for me.

Strange how much that place is linked to everything.

And it is this weekend.

Not NoHo, kind of the opposite. The place where I've almost killed someone, the place where i discovered that not-drinking and not-eating is bad, calories are calories and not replacing them because you're used to drinking them, the place where I've left my car at the race overnight, the searching for lost keys, it is the one that I want to have Plymouth like vibes but don't. And guess what. They are swapped.

This year. Such a struggle. Would have better to have Cinci CX switch weekends than NoHo. Seriously. But I'm not in charge and that's a good thing.

I'm curious as to what the schedule change brings to the table. I can't make it to NoHo this year. Too far, the obligations that were there but possible to fullfill and make it to Plymouth are impossible to make work for NoHo...  so.. we'll see.

But hey, even my bad races this year have been awesome because I was racing people, and really...  who cares if we are racing for 1st or racing that guy you've never beaten for 50th place.

The essence of competitiong, the motivation to do our best.

My training has not been quite what I had envisioned this year but it also has been more intune with what I can do. It means I'm no where near where I was when I spent a summer riding with Becca, but all given I'm not that far off and hey does anything matter other than Nationals? Yes. the answer is yes other things matter.

BUT - huge relief, i've figured out where I'm going to use 15 of my 20 vacation days over the next three months. AND the spring promises to offer a hugely rewarding replacement to CX so hopefully i can push off the depressed slump.

Things aren't bad, and honestly they are pretty good. Need to leverage Goldberg and Snyder and see about doing a low residency thing, that would be icing on the fucking cake of awesome.

I love what I do and I'm good at it, but sometimes I do wonder...

Life...

it is really fucked up eh?

Plymouth this weekend? really? Time Change? at least I'm local for my little brother's 40th birthday party. I'm actually stoked about the two presents I bought him. I super suck at figuring out presents for people but I think maybe these are pretty awesome.

McMaster-Carr FTW!

Dinner is almost ready, time to switch focus and pull back...

back to what's occupied me for weeks

for the better...

life...

and hugs are the best, have to say best hug this season has been from Andy Huff at PVD. I would love to challenge everyone to beat his hug, because hugs are the best thing besides water filtered through a brewery.

heddwch
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THE FINAL SMACKDOWN

YEAH EUROPE WORST BAND EVER...

but when I said to myself "this will be the final smackdown of the year" somehow it was said in THE FINAL COUNTDOWN lyrics.

Wed night races transistion into wed night smackdowns pretty easily. Last week was an off week and yes - i've a huge backlog to write about. And that's a good thing. But i'm going to crack open a beer and talk about tonight's ride.

Tonight's ride started at somepoint, i dunno when, but yes, daylight is fading, we're losing the light. But it is also my favorite fucking time of the year to commute...  because of this:

One more shot on the way home. How could i not. #eastbaybikepath #bikecommute

A photo posted by geoff (@ge_willi) on Oct 13, 2015 at 2:50pm PDT

Because every ride home is the most wonderful sunset... or is close. So yes - we are losing daylight, that happens 'round here.

Smackdown happened last week, but not with me. I haven't been out for quite a few iterations. Last couple were attempted on the CXy bikes and that totally didn't go well. Not much fitness, terrible bike position, slow gearing, heavy wheels. Bad combo.

But then I started racing CX. A double at Quad to open it up - sure maybe there were a half dozen Take 5's consumed between the age group race and the SSCX race. And it was hot. And I was wearing a jumpsuit racing the garbage truck. So yeah. Beers + SUPER heavy noodle bike + wearing a parachute = not best race ever. But was still fun. Made Eric L think he's faster than me, so that's worth while.

Then I did a back to back double at Riverpoint, to prep for racing the short handled shovel challenge 4 days later. Then did that and wow that was. well anyway, super fun but crazy nuts. Best race was in the elites after a few Take 5s on the white blue but wearing orange jumpsuit.

TAKE 5 - can't, no take fives here...

After midnight came G-ster 45+ and that was way more awesome being in that catergory than I could have hoped. It was brilliant.  I had shitty start day 1 and chilled until traffic thinned and then went from pretty much last to 47th on the first page, day two, somwhat similar but bottle necks happened way earlier than day one and well - only managed 51st or something...  but still close to last at the start. Passing people.

THEN Night weasels, slow leak from cut sidewall meant i finished the race on the garbage truck after starting last row with Fatmarc's little brother and Timmy Young, passing up to close to 30th place or higher before flatting and giving back 30 places just trying to get to the pits. SO that was fun. Couple days later raced SSCX at providence and holy shit - Friday was the WORST bike racer experience EVER. it always it. Every. F'n Year. I love the course, I love the venue, but some how they manage to f'up the non-elite experience HUGELY every year. But I had a great race after a few first lap mechanicals. Passed people. Raced it. Finished, went to builders ball, didn't sell any prints but they looked good behind the Firefly bikes so there was that.

Worked the race for people. Took the week off. Raced Mansfield hollow, dropped the chain, Spencer passed me, mentally unplugged lost time because no one was behind me. Redemption at MRC. Love that place. And then...

well so...  Last week was rest week going into the weekend. Arguably needed more rest, but we can rest once cross is over, right? But this week early I got thinking "need to do smackdown" but sunset is getting close to 6pm and if we start at 5pm on an hour plus ride that's just cutting it too close. SOOOOOO

THE FINAL SMACKDOWN was born.

In my head.

and well - as lead loud mouth on the Prov Velo club, well LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN. Got Edgar C to showup, David E too, Andrew, the Fox, Kyle, Colby and at first some kid who let a gap open and then I had to bridge and never saw him again.

Was a good solid crew. No Chris Bailey or Eian. Thankfully or maybe not...

But there's no way i'm doing this ride/race on a CX bike in CX position NO SIR. And the Quantum Pro stil has wheels on it so...  why not! But this morning I was thinking about every advantage I could cash in on so I dug out the wheel covers. And, yes, since the rear wheel already weighed a ton, why not make it Aero as well. Disc cover. F'Yeah.

Man the bike fits differently than the others. Rode in. Good day. Chill ride in. But no sleep last night, okay some but NO WHERE NEAR ENOUGH. So tired. But here I am writing at this hour of the night. Go figure.

So couple things. I elected to wear the new lid that Freddie B forced me to buy. It is hunter blaze orange, and yeah, it has some swagger factor for me. I wore my HotSauce Racing cap that Mark McC gave me at PVD. And the orange PVDVC kit, with my orange socks. But before leaving I grabbed that new container of NECX embro. Because Why the FUCK wouldn't a race pace road ride qualify as Embro worth, also sheen and heat and stuff.

Headed out, rolling past the boat house on a warm up lap with Kyle and we rode through a swarm of mother fucking gnats. And well guess what, the sheen is strong but it also is a great fly trap for dozens of tiny black flies that hung out for the rest of the ride... Le sigh.

Headed out. Edgar pushed the pace. I took over, peeled off on Woodward and once again wound up behind the green one who let a MONSTER gap open after a turn and well, I dragged Colby back with me. Happens so many times but every time i give the ride the benefit of the doubt, maybe they won't suck as much as they look like they will. Yeah nope. It has happened though so I will probably keep doing it because the alternative is being a dick and I try to avoid doing it intentionally. Accidentally? I do it way too often for my own comfort.

So crushing it. Bike feeling not bad. Unfortunately my rotation comes up as we turn up Pine. 80%, no more. fuck those guys, they wanna go faster - GO FASTER. Took em a while, actually took me flicking the elbow. Way too long setting pace on Pine = BLOWN for final sprint. #SADTROMBONE But caught up and then rolled into second wheel.

And had an epiphany.

Second wheel is THE MOTHERFUCKING BEST PLACE to recover. Why? SOOOOO FUCKING SMOOTH. But saddly it means you're in the wind sooner. Which was fine because I felt recovered enough to drill it at 80% again, until flicking and letting the pack roll past. Rocky hill, felt not bad, so I held back, didn't content hoping to have something for hillside.

Forgetting that we have a hungry Andrew, Fox, and Edgar (all about the same size and because at least the first two were:: pro level VOMax) still hanging out, And well. Hillside kind of sucked but then we CRUSHED it on the next segment and did a good job beating the one I wanted to get ahead of on Strava, granted now I'm 8th behind all the guys who I lead out for half the segment.

But then motor and chill. Such a great ride.

Followed up with a tailwind home.

Made some chili, had a beer, time to sleep and reflect a bit.

Things have been good. No not good. Mostly awesome. I do need to sell a few more prints to pay for the run I had done, and deliver the three that were requested. So. Maybe I'll have time to put that togehter but looking at $30 for a ~12x19 or so signed print. It won't cover costs until they are all sold but there aren't that many and maybe there are enough people who like black and white art work who might help cover costs of doing this crazy thing called art. But hey, if art was easy we'd all have Etsy accounts, wait maybe I should (no probably not). anwyay.

Felt good on the bike. Couldn't stay with the young kids who are 50+ pounds lighter than me on the hills, but i'm okay with that. I came close to dropping everyone on Homestead riding at ~80% so I feel good about that. Confidence boosted.

This next weekend is up in the air, we'll see. Othe than NOT being at NoHo/CSI this year I don't have a clue what the rest of the season looks like other than racing NBX.

better figure that out i suppose.

anyway. maybe time for another beer to wind down from writing. Or maybe not. It is late. Gotta act at least a little like an athlete.

heddewch
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Sunday morning in bed

With coffee, laptop...  internet.

Kind of feel pulled to go over to the Race right now. Balancing that with having to be here in time to get Kid who isn't driving yet where she needs to be. I had my timing slightly off though, her schedule is a wee bit later than anticipated. Whoops.

Should be good though. I hope.

I chose not to race this weekend, I did get some Roger Williams Park racing in though, on the SSCX course. And after double at Quad, double at Riverpoint, Triple at Midnight Ride, Gloucester both days, then Night weasels, racing the SSCX here in PVD finally cooked me.

Also cooked me was trying to get some images together for the Builder's Ball. But well that didn't go over so well. Not so good at selling the stuff. But hey, it isn't exactly the perfect place for it to happen. People are there to drink beer and drool over bikes. And it was fun to see everyone and catch up. Chapman and Zanc and the firefly guys...  anyone else? I dunno were there other people there? Yeah there were amazing people there. It was a good time but also after racing SSCX then heading there standing around, getting home late, not falling asleep till after midnight. Yeah was late and no racing was totally right call.

Holy Fortnight is over, the season has started and time to lay out the plans for the rest and see what happens.

I was at the venue yesterday, setting up the tent, bringing wheels for Mark McC of Hot Sauce Racing, working for Jessica Cutler, and the Red Truck guys. Plenty of pre-race work to do, Jess's shoes, tire pressure, bike tweaking, lubing wiping down, Raphael's brakes, all the stuff. Then having a quiet and uneventful time in the Women's race watching Jess move through people, Watching Becca work through even more people (when she figures out the starts? watch the fuck out everyone). Then the Men's race happened, I gathered Mark and Mike's stuff, headed to the pits and started the shortest commute ever. Back and forth. Side to side. For a bit there was a nice gap, Mike way up front, Raphael in the middle and Mark McC trying to ride after puking in the AM and not eating anything all day. Then Raph had a flat, super smooth exchange (no helper to catch) and he started mowing people down. Pretty soon they were coming in together, but fortunately no other exchanges happened and we finished up w/o problem. Got them back and then took the tent stuff down packed up the tools and trudged back to the car.

Now to head over and do it all over again.

So while not racing there's plenty of CXy love happening. It was fun to see everyone, hang out, steal a beer or two from the Hup tent cooler (located conveniently between Jess's warm up location at the Jamis tent and the tent i brought for the Red Truck guys). Hugs from Shoogs, he's a good hugger btw.

And yes, Hugs are good. Important.

NECX is a big hug party waiting all year to break out in the fall and carry through until the dark of winter creeps in and we refocus, and prepare for the next season.

Getting older is odd too. I've been around the sport of cycling for a long time. A fan for longer, a wrench the longest, but always just riding a bike. Growing up it wasn't trying to go fast, it was a way to get around, freedom, and it was fun to ride. Fun to wrench.

I was talking with Mark McC after the race last night, as night was falling and everyone was packing up and leaving. CX is special. NECX is different, and I know Chip just wrote a big old post on NECX, I don't need to, but it is sort of yeah, like family. Sometimes there's some tension but there's so many ties, so much love, that over time it eases and eventually releases the tension and we all grow and whatnot. I'd say mature but that's fucking never going to happen. More like a good vintage wine. Life eh? But talking with Mark the voice of Pure Sweet Hell comment about knowing intrinsicly (i wish I had purchased that damn DVD while i was in print but that's okay i have it on some digital media stick thing) but that. You just know. Once you do it you just have to do it.

They say Maloney started it, and the cali guys too. But Ron Manizza, Tom Stevens, Paul Curley, The Sykes. Those guys laid the foundation all of North American Cyclocross stands on. And they are still an integral part of NECX. They are the guys that put a punk kid named Myerson on a CX bike. They are the ones that got the McCormack brothers racing cross. I won't go on too much more, I promise.

Just wanted to unload a few words. Wanted to say that i've had a few emotional speed bumps this week but due to this bike racing thing, this family, the hugs, it has been so good, so positive.

heddwch
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