Winslow, Arizona

Such a fine sight to see....

riding with dreamy ginger dave, Dani, Syl on his CXy bike, the freshman Tyler, and big Fuller tonight was awesome.

First - the While blue is about 2-4 mph slower by RPE than any other bike I could ride. And that's not good on smackdown. But it is good for GeWilli because I have to work even harder.

Second, we kind of were pokey but going hard, which was fine with me because I was pretty much going as hard as I could given I needed a rest day not a smackdown day.

But hey - this was going to be the last smackdown but Dani lobbied for one more and Dreamy Ginger Dave said he'd do it again. I'll go out and get dropped one more time. Why not!

So, slow bike, tired me, it wasn't record setting but it was fun and I kicked my butt. Rolling down the hill on Jacob/Broad, well Fuller was pedaling and I was coasting fast than he was pedaling and well, fuck it, I boosted that gravity fed kinetic energy and launched it. Like HARD. Little Dreamy Dave was the only one to tuck into my wheel and we were doing what? looks like 41.1 just after I punched it crossing the bridge, decent amount of work, not finishing sprint level but it was an effort, and he tucked into the vacuum that is my draft and once we passed lincoln he took a pull as I started fading and I managed to hold his wheel a bit then I faded and he eased back to keep me in what little draft the tiny leprechaun offered, and we hit Pine with a good gap, I held close to his wheel as we pushed it but waited until the others made contact, and once contact was made Dave attacked. Ouch. Those MoFos dropped me hard. Took me until partway down Homestead to catch. Granted I had visual at the top of pine but Tyler and Syl weren't slowing down to wait they were bridging forward.

I kept my head down and worked extra hard to keep the slow bike going as fast as I could. and then...

WINSLOW ARIZONA...  SUCH A FINE SIGHT TO SEE...  the five of them chatting taking up the whole road talking and being smart and stuff (so much Ivy, Syl gets bye 'cause he's all collegiately employed and psycologisty and stuff)...  and I rolled in and gave the SHHHHH symbol to Tyler so they'd keep talking and rolling slowly towards Rocky Hill.

And well, we turned and I said BRAPP and Dave said: "Well" damnit...  so I brapped it and launched them up Rocky Hill.  I pushed it until it turned up, and they all rode away from me.

And I rode solo until I got back to pine where I found Dreamy Ginger Dave doing circles waiting for me. And we rolled up the hill and the rest of them were chatting on the side of the road.

Can i just say how awesome it feels to have them wait? And yes, someone with a flat tire that we passed probably wishes we'd have slowed and stopped for him but the flat didn't happen on the ride and two out of 14 knew who that was and that maybe they were riding to smackdown, it kind of sucks.

But it was kind of awesome that at what seemed like the last smackdown they waited for the big old slow guy. BOGS.

It was a great night. and enough light as we all rode back into the city together, well, enough light that, lets do it one more time. Why not. It is a goddamn good workout, and fun. And Watching Dani f'n shred the dudes more than any other woman who's ridden smackdown? Pretty amazing. She's got some massive potential.

So yeah, twice seeing them waiting/riding slowly letting me catch back on? So fucking awesome.

Downside I've had this song in my head since:



but hey, i'll take it...  Gonna be taking it easy tomorrow. Mileage wise I *should* hit 5,000 since May mark on the way home (unless I take the long way in). I don't think I can hit 7k by the end of the month for the year or 1k miles for the month of September, but I'll take what I can get. (damnit another earworm). But I should cement my podium for RI as #3 in the National Bike Challenge. I fell off the chart nationally down to 169 or something, but hey, not every month could be May, if it was? Fuuuuck I'd be winning this shit! Well probably not, there are motivated people who don't work who ride this just to be in the lead, I'd probably still be 3rd but I'd have pushed them to ride even more than they did, and well? Is that a bad thing? Nope.

So Take It Easy.

Looks like my first cross race will be in the pits, not on the course. And goddamn I'm super stoked about it. It does create a bit extra family stress as I had said I wasn't racing this weekend and plans were made (I wouldn't have been racing this weekend, well maybe with a comp'd entry fee and some start money and a 45+ category and it being at the old venue - aka not happening) but i'm gonna be there. For the Men's Pro race at least. You hire me to pit? I don't care what else happens, i'm there for you. So at least the ORange jumpsuit will make an appearance finally. When will I race next?

Who the fuck knows....  At this point maybe I'll race G-ster and just ride my bike the rest of the year. CX has changed or i have or i've felt really alienated and ostracized from the group I felt most comfortable in. But like fuckn solobreak's tweet tonight, yeah, i'm sensitive as shit. It sucks. But it is what it is.

Sorry for the long blog silence, hit Instagram for microblogging/photos, strava for the bike riding...  i've really tried to stay off twitter because the in-crowd bullies all hang out there and it hasn't been fun for a while, but well addictive and all, i gotta still check in.

Working intensely on the stuff for Nixon and Indy Ferm, even if it doesn't show publicly. Also having serious looks at trying to figure out how to do the book for my dad. I'd ask that photog guy in NH but stuff's still awk probably better to do it on my own anyway. Too early to figure out book anyway, content still not totally ready to go. Working on it though. Overthinking it like only I can,

Going to try and have Haines Park CX on thursday night...  help the newbies, the beginners, help them get good enough to kick ass on the world cup some day maybe...

for now...  i guess I'm just gonna keep riding my bike.

because, it has always been there for me...  riding...  but like everything else, if gives back so little compared to how much I put into it...  but hey, that's my fate....

fuuuuuuck - Great smackdown, really shitty transition in/via words on the blog....  whatever, tomorrow i'll wake up and it will be a new day and nothing else matters...  except i'm not sure really what does matter...  def no GeWilli, even myerspaces words he DM'd me way back when (they helped then but) are little comfort now. BUT HEY at least i'm not on FB or twitter being a sad mopey knucklehead.

hey -if you're reading this: be well, do good, have fun

heddwch
G