Still got dropped on Pine, but only about half way up and didn't lose sight of them until I got to the top when Graham drove the pace back over 25 on the backside. That time differential when I'm still going up the last rise on Pine and the group is already going 2x as fast is close to insurmountable.
But I wasn't last this time, not by a good margin, and had French Frank to chase. Caught him on Homestead, he jumped in my draft and I made use of the new bike and cranked that shit solo and hard. We caught up with Frenchie (different guy) he'd been dropped and he jumped in and I finally had to pull off and let Frank take a turn. We made the next turn (new August loop no rocky hill) and I went back to the front and drove the pace to the base of Hillside when Frank took over going up. We caught up with another dropped rider going up Hillside and there were now four. Made it over Hillside, hard right on pine and again I went to the front, drove the pace from there, through the left turn and then all the way to the track. Wasn't the fastest time but I was in the front the whole fucking time. And it felt not bad. The Pine to walker run wasn't my fastest but I think the fastest time was sitting in the draft while a handful of people took turns driving the pace, and it was in 2016. I felt pretty good for doing as well completely solo, I did more or less completely fade just before getting to wheeler. Frenchie took over, and then Carlos set a solid pace up Walker and I was able to actually sit in because the bike turned so easily and so much faster than everyone else. Sat there until Frenchie and Frank went up and but I dug deep and legs reposnded.
MUCH better feeling than last week.
And it didn't rain. Still a good bit of work to do. Using the garmin watch to track HR and sleep is kind of helping a little, still more on the data collection side than the put a plan into action side but they are slowly coming together. Lotta work to do.
And yeah i rode the Madone to work today, recovery on the same bike that induced the stress. I think the Crockett (rode that on Monday) needs the saddle raised a little. I think that new carbon post slipped a little.
Yes, you can ride a CX bike on the road but holy shit is it not the same. Handling, so different. Yeah, this Madone is way overkill for me but I honestly really like how it rides. And I'm grateful I can appreciate the differences. It is a good feeling.
Had maybe planned on using a vacation day from here and heading to the bike shop tomorrow to spend the day and go for the shop ride at the end of the day but a busted scope and lots to do are complicating the week here and keeping me around. Had a moment of hope that I could get out in the morning but have to be here so something else will have to be sorted out.
MIGHT have an idea for new wednesday maybe... fingers crossed.
Some good content out there, becca's leadville vlog, and then there's this that DV shared on Bluesky yesterday. That I just watched, then just before finishing had a long talk with an undergrad about life, about choices, grad school, science...
And then I finished watching and there was the nugget I needed. That point of him being happiest when death was imminent. I think about MLFN and how he was in the face of a certain and soon death. How his will to live and love of live was more than seemingly could fit in one person.
If everyone could live with that purpose and love, how amazing would the communities be.
More to think about, life is a terminal sentence. You don't need to die an honorable death to lead an honorable life full of purpose and compassion.
I came across this quote from Norwegian Wood this morning:
"That’s why you need to grab whatever chance you have for happiness where you find it, and not worry too much about other people. My experience tells me that we get no more than two or three such chances in a lifetime, and if we let them go, we regret it for the rest of our lives."
Not worry too much about other people is what I get hung up on. To some point yes, you can't worry about others in pursuit of your own happiness. But also simple rule of be kind should also guide your choices.
Back to steph's rule of life "The choices you make" are yours alone.
So we carry on, we do what is good, and if we're lucky we'll find happiness. before we die and cease to be.
heddwch
G
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