The King is Dead, Long Live the King

So, I finally retired my beloved Horse Tuesday. In his place I built up a Specialized S-Works Tarmac. A bit lighter, a whole lot faster. But this is Horse's "obituary":

Tuesday, September 26
At approximately 3pm the Schwinn Paramount OS "Horse" was laid to rest, having been deactivated from frontline race duty after nearly 16 seasons and 132,000 miles. Born in August of 1990 in Waterford, WI, Horse was rushed into service in May of 1991. For the next 16 seasons he competed in races from Maine to Missouri, Canada to Texas.

Deciding to give his faithful steed a rest, Horse's owner Mike will make sure that Horse is rejuvenated at his birthplace to like new condition. "His paint is a bit faded, and there's some rust here and there, but when he returns, Horse will be free to go out on fun rides, and not worry about ice and ran and crashing like he has all these years. I can't express how close we are, as he's shared all my triumphs and failures in this sport. It's the end of an era for me, and I am happy to have had such a reliable, potent ally all this time. I'll miss him, but his time has come. Of course, should the need arise, I'm sure Horse will be ready to do battle once he's back from his restoration."

Horse 8/90-9/06 May all roads be sunny, the air warm, and the wind at our backs when we ride again, buddy. You served me well and we made each other proud.

So there you have it. I finally retired my signature green machine. Now I'm on a less distinctive bike, but I'm figuring out ways to make it stick out. Now if I can only dial it in by nest Friday when I have three, yes three hour long races in the evening. The 2nd Street district will never be the same...

Oh, totally unrelated. If you're a proponent of windpower, go read the current issue of Adirondack Life magazine. Has some good articles and pictures on the subject. That's all I have for social commentary.

The King is Dead, Long Live the King!!!!!

Wish all Mondays were like this

Today was perfect in big ol' TX today. All of it. I went on a fun, relaxing and slow paced ride with two coworkers today. It rocked. My wife wasn't exactly thrilled I was abandoning her at 830am to meet two female coworkers to ride, but I digress.

We went to Bastrop State Forest, and it was effin great!!!! The park was almost empty, we rode on pine tree lined roads filled with the scent of pine needles, and the weather was perfect. Totally perfect. It reminded me of home, with the roads being narrow, no houses, lots of trees, and constant up a steep hill, top out, and drop right down again. We saw deer, and squirrels, and not much else.

I have to say in terms of terrain and relaxing, it was the best ride I've done yet in TX. It makes me want to hunt out places to ride that are within an hour or so of town to drive to. I really liked it that much. All three of us did, and we're thinking of trying to make it a weekly work thing so our other coworkers can go.

Most times I ride I ride alone, and I don't focus on anything but the ride. today reminded me that sometimes you just gotta relax, and listen to the wind in the treetops. By riding with people not as fast as me, I just enjoyed the ride. Like I did when I first moved here with Lost. I enjoy the easy rides for a change of pace, and it helps my body, too.

After the ride we had to eat, and we ate on the deck of a place called the Roadhouse. Great food and very reasonable. Then we returned to Austin. A perfect way to spend a day off.

So it got me to wondering why I ride. For fun? Fitness? Or is it because I love to race, and I have to? Probably all of the above, but it got me to thinking of places I want to ride and where I want to return to ride. The list is too long for here, but it would be a fun way to spend a vacation with Lost. Or I could ride and she could tell me all about the great deals she got in the outlets and local shops of wherever we visit...

I thought this was the way to nirvana

So, lots of interesting stuff showing up on the news lately. We watch more tv. We are getting obese. There's a connection. There are people claiming that "Big Oil" gets tax breaks, and kick backs. Blah blah. Take a look at big oil. Most of our cost is taxes. So why is the government going to reduce what gives it solvency? Riddle me that, Batman.

Alternative energy. Yes, wind power is a good concept. But do you know how many windmills it takes to generate a kilowatt? And, how many of the proponents of wind power want a windmill farm in sight of their (chosse one) home, office, city, etc? Those things are ugly!!!

Enough pontificating. Want to solve the energy problem and oil prices? Build a new refinery. Non have been built in 26, yes 26 years!!! So when Katrina knocked a bunch of production offline, we have price spikes, because the other refineries still working in the country are running at full capacity. Doesn't take a genius to figure this out.

But a more permanent solution would be to have people use mass transit, carpool, ride bikes, or walk. Wait, that might mean some type of effort must be extended, so trash those ideas.

Healthcare? HA!!! Why must I pay the same rates at my job as a smoker? Why not make it like car insurance? Better health, lower premiums. This all gets me aggravated.

I actually had some type of witty post in my head, but I lost it, as usual. Guess I'll just go do some laundry and hope for a return to creativity.

Why do we feel this way sometimes?

I just got in from work and decided to check my email. Long story short, someone I dated years ago is on the same email list as I am for cycling. Though we aren't really friends I read her post and was saddened by the death of her oldest stepson. I never met the kid (he was 18) and I barely know her husband, but I couldn't help but feel bad for them. Funny how something like this casts all the animosity aside. Not like we'll ever say more than hi if we ever cross paths, but it puts it into perspective what a waste of time disliking someone is after they're out of your life.

So strange. However, on to more exciting things. Well, to me anyway. I am slowly getting my fat self back into shape, as in October I have a bevy (how long I've waited to use that word in a post you can only imagine) of races. Not just the Tuesday Nighter and the Thursday night crits, oh, no, there are also some bona fide, mega-important races. I know you've got the whole seat, but you'll only need the edge...

It all starts off on Friday, October 6th. That spectacular evening at 520pm I line up for my first race of the evening in downtown Austin, in the 2nd St District. @nd and Lavaca is the area of the finish, though I have yet to find out the entire course. Later on at about 8 I do my 2nd race of the night. Both are 1 hour and both promise to be fast and fun. Hopefully I can get a bunch of coworkers to cheer me on. So mark your calendars, kids.

Then the next day I have the TX Road Championships. This will be hard, as it's age based, so I'll be in the 30 plus group. A bit daunting. Finally, on the 15th I have the TX Road Championships but it's done by racing category. There I have a slight chance. Very slight.

So, if you want to get sunburned or wet, go to a road race. However, if you're in the Austin area and want to see fast racing and be able to eat and drink alcohol while doing so, go to the Amli Downtown Criterium. That's it. Oh, and here's a pic of me suffering at Columbus, TX again. Just found it the other night.

Shut up and do something

I'm a bit pissed. Let me get the most aggravating bit out of the way. Why is it that colored people get all pissed when someone refers to them as a nigger, then they turn around and call another black person a nigger? What isn't firing in their brains?

Here's an example. Kanye West has his song Goldigger, and uses the term "broke niggers" in it. Kanye, if you want to be respected when you open your mouth about politics, don't use the word nigger. It defeats your credibility. This leads to a much larger issue.

Until colored people stop using the term nigger, they won't get the respect they crave and deserve. Why respect people who freely use a term that is one of the most derisive in our language towards them? You don't hear Afghanis calling each other caffers, do you? Leonard Pitts has touched on this issue in the past. If you stop using nigger, do you suddenly sell out? If you do sell out, is that wrong to get a better life, home, etc? I don't get it. So I guess it's ok for Poles to call each other Polack, Ukrainians to use mongol (centuries old derogatory term) and the list goes on.

If that's the case, and it's accepted among the people it's directed to and coming from, why can't another race use those words? Why can't I use the word nigger to refer to a colored person? I mean, they do it to each other! So why get upset if someone from another race uses it? It must be ok, right? Oh, wait, I'm white, so it must mean I'm a racist, but if I were colored, it just means I'm colored. Makes perfect sense. To an idiot.

I raced this past Tuesday night. It was fast, I enjoyed it, and it rained. Rain means roads like ice here in TX, so a few miles from the end when my bike started to try and get out from under me, I backed off a bit and finished about 5 seconds behind the lead group of five. Not bad.

But the real point is a guy who was with us had a prosthetic adaptor on his left leg. It was from the knee down, and was a titanium or steel rod, with a plate on the bottom, and his cleat mounted to that. He was very fast, and a good rider. Turns out he had his leg blown off in Iraq, and was now out of the Army. He was upbeat, not bitter about it, and moving on. He was happy to be there, rain and all. He stayed in the main group once the rain hit, but I was impressed. At one point I put my hand on hs back to help him keep from letting a gap form ahead of him up a hill. He was upset, but I told him it was easier for me to do that than to use a bunch of energy to get around him, and I'd do it no matter who it was so it wouldn't upset the flow of the paceline. Later he gave me a shove and we both laughed.

This guy has every reason to be bitter, but he's not. He's got a lot of things to deal with and to overcome in the future. Next time you get pissed look at what your problem is and put it into perspective.

I'm actually thinking for once!!!!

So Anna Nicole Smith's 20 yr old son was found dead. Weird. Of an apparent heart attack. Very odd. However, lest we get too giddy that this genetic strain be stopped, she has another child. So close... Seriously, though it is a tragedy. But it's almost like a Greek melodrama with her. At least with a Greek tragedy the show actually ends.

Let's see, Ohio beat UT this weekend. Personally, I can care less about football. But it sounds like everyone behaved, and enjoyed the game, so that's a good thing. Besides, now that UT is #8, if they can win a national championship it really would be something special. A bit of the underdog complex there. I like seeing the champion in any sport have to struggle a bit. It humanizes them, makes it more believable. Truth be told, I'm a huge fan of Lance Armstrong, but his last Tour performance was so dominating, it was kind of boring. He never really had to rally when the chips were down, because they never were.

So, with that segue, let me address some things baout the current state of cycling. I have found myself somewhat accepting that many top cyclists cheat with banned substances. Surprisingly, I almost don't care. This year the Tour was the most exciting in years, definitely the most exciting since 1989. Who's to blame? Us, the public. Like 10,000 Maniacs song Candy Everybody Wants, the athletes give us what we want. Drama, excitement, records being broken. Look what happened to baseball when the home run craze was going on. Same with football. Winning isn't enough for the public anymore. Winning with a superhuman performance is. Then we look away and say how shameful the behavior is, but we are the ones who brought the behavior to begin with. More drama is more money.

Even in a poor sport as cycling, where the season is 10 long months from early February through November, the drugs make more exciting racing. That means more fans, more sponsor money. Odd that cycling is the only truly free sport in the world. No one has to pay to see a race. More odd is the fact that in the ProTour, the top level of the sport, the major leagues, if you will, has a base salary for a cyclist of $38,000 for 2007. You read it right. A little over three grand a month to travel all over the world, live from a duffel bag, and spend an average of 30 hours a week on a bike in all weather. In a sport where a 2 year contract is still rare, it's all about what have you done for me lately. And the drugs ensure that something is done for many racers.

Last topic for tonight. It's 5 years since 9/11. We all know and remember. I'm ok with it, but last night we watched the documentary on CBS. I've seen quite a bit, and not much compares to my tours in the Army. But what gets to me is the fear in the eyes of those firefighters and police, and when the radio traffic got crazy, I could feel it. When things are quiet on the freqs, the situation is under control. When everyone's jamming the waves trying to get through, it's not good. For me, hearing the chatter and seeing the looks on the faces choked me up, for I could empathize. The men were scared, the officers were worried, and the anguish they felt will never go away. Part of me died all over again when I saw that, and I know those guys would give anything to get rid of that anguish.

Five years On

Where were you on 9/11? I was 95 miles north, in Kingston, NY. A friend's brother was in the Pentagon when it got hit. I knew a person in the WTC who was killed. Everyone from my area knew at least someone who was.

Why did it happen? Well, there are many reasons as well as theories. Basically, it was a long list of factors. No one is entirely to blame, no one is free of blame. The CIA was hunting terrorists in the 90's, especially after the embassy bombings in Africa. Then the funding was cut, and the programs died. More of the same followed.

I think it's unreasonable for the American public to think that we do and should follow the rules when we have terror suspects in custody. I mean, if someone is captured in a firefight with US forces, and has tapes and letters connecting them to a terrorist organization, then why not torture them? They'd do the same to us. You need to bring a gun to a knife fight is all I'm saying.

Oh, and to anyone who thinks we didn't shoot down the plane over PA, examine the evidence. Find out what happens when a plane depressurizes quickly, or ask yourself how an F-16 couldn't get to the plane in time from the DC area after it was scrambled. Do the math, and then read the phone transcripts from the passengers who called the ground. Connect it all together and ask yourself what happened. An F-16 at nearly full throttle could easily have vectored in.

However, what have we learned? This is becoming a religious war. It will take generations to end if the hatred can be bred out. Don't hold your breath.

Shhh, it's a secret

Ok, so I have both my bikes back together. Finally. Horse is back up and running, and run he did tonight. Too bad I let him down. I went to the Thursday night crit series here in town. I did my first race, and it was fast, but not too bad. Since I hadn't ridden at all since Sunday, I was happy to stay with the field.

In the end I finished somwhere from probably 15th to 20th. Then I did my second race and it was about the fastest race I've done in a few years. I dropped off the pace about halfway through. But at least it was good training, I felt ok other than a lack of miles, and I made a few new friends. Plus I got to feel out horse after a rebuild, and I learned the course. So next time I have a Thursday off, I'll be there.

I ended up meeting a guy from Syracuse, NY, and even funnier is the fact that he's best friends with an ex-girlfriend's husband. Small world. So we exchanged email addresses so I can be kept informed of all the local hot spots to race at, etc. Did I mention that there's a free barbecue afterwards? Yes, there is. So I'm all happy about that.

Speaking of food, I'm beginning the cutback of food I need to do, and am going to try and implement a somewhat structured training regimen so I can not embarass myself. At least I haven't had to deal with the dreaded "I remember you from way back, you were really good, what happened?" but I'm sure that question is skulking about.

Do I have anything else to add? Not much, except that I've dealt with some UT students lately and they need to get over their egos and the notion their school is as good as an ivy league school. It isn't. It's a great, well respected university, no doubt, but not ivy league. Funny how if you check out any UT student's blog or hear them speak, they always preface sentences with "Here at UT", or "At UT", etc. Not "At school today" or "In class". To be honest, most people and places care less where you go to school, they just want to see you can play the game, pay yuour dues, and get a diploma, to prove you work well with others.

Lastly, before I left I had a fascinating discussion with a rep for a sports drink company. Oddly enough, I understood all of what he was saying, even with the organic chemistry, nutrion physiology, and other scientific stuff. Maybe our brains change as we do, and what was once abstract is now easy to understand to us. Just don't ask me to multiply or divide fractions, but if you need a drag coefficient and torque and power curves, I'm your guy.

Oh, and my parents celebrated their 40th anniversary this past Monday. It's an achievement that's definitely worth noting in my mind, and I'm happy and proud. Later.

Expectations

Hmmm, isn't it funny how many times reality is different from expectations? The story of my life. Being married has far exceeded all my expectations. Austin is better than I expected, but things like traffic and the lack of truly quiet rural roads anywhere near the city is a mild letdown. But I've found other places to ride that make up for it.

So we shift to my latest project. I tore down Horse, and used the shifters from him to build up my Specialized Allez. So after all is said and done, Horse weighed 21.25 lbs in his last state, which is quite heavy. One of the guys at work rides a BMC which is 14.5 lbs., so you can see how much of a disadvantage I was at. Anyway, I spent a lot of time on this other bike, Jack O Lantern. Being aluminum, I thought it would be quite light. Today I rode it to work and weighed it, and it weighs 20.25 lbs. What !!?!! Ok, I can get the weight down some by throwing a carbon seatpost in, a lighter seat, a carbon stem and bars, but after that it's pretty much impossible to lighten this bike much more.

Now Horse is on the stand to be rebuilt in a lighter version. We'll see how that goes. I really should be more concerned with getting down to the weight I was in late May than trying to pare off weight from my bikes. Cheaper, too.

Two things...

Today's exciting update is on two totally unrelated topics. How cool, right? Well, strap in and brace yourself.

First, been working on my bikes. Pics up when they're complete, which better be in a few hours since I have to race tonight. Twice. Not like I'm in any shape to do it, but I need to see how slow I truly am so I can motivate myself for the remainder of the season. Besides, if I get in good enough shape, and do really well in Cyclocross, I might qualify for nationals in Providence, RI in December. But that's a long way off.

Now, I just saw that CA and a few other states have passed bills that would give their electoral votes to the winner of the state by popular vote, not by how many districts they win during Presidential elections. Of course, in order for this to truly be enacted, a ttoal of 270 electoral votes would have to be decided this way, and so far the bandwagon only has about 100.

I have a huge problem with this. First, it's a way of changing the constitution without having a convention, and if this happens, then why bother having a federal government? It's like the whole same sex marriage issue in the Northeast where I'm from. It really doesn't bother me if you want to have a same sex marriage. However, don't go breaking the law just so you can challenge it in court and legislate that way. Get representatives in office who share your views, then get a referendum introduced. But I digress.

The bottom line is the fact that we have a republic, not a democracy. If we want the presidential election to be the poular vote, then candidates will pander to the biggest states. Worse than now. Might as well disband congress and have the entire US populace of eligible voters vote on every issue in congress from here on out. Where will it end? The constitution, though not perfect, is a pretty damn good owner's manual. It has specific guidelines for things like the electoral college. So why not follow them?

If the democratic states are so upset that they won the popular vote, which has yet to be proven beyond a doubt, and realistically never will (and if you can't steal an election with one of the Chicago Daleys on your team, well, then you're really in trouble, just ask Al Gore) then maybe they should look at who they have running for office. John Kerry? What the hell did he stand for? "Vote for me, I'm not George Bush", ok, that's obvious. So tell me what platform you have. Still waiting.

Politics isn't solved by legislation, it's solved by better candidates who actually have some type of plan people can relate to. Like him or not, GW had a plan for the country, whereas JK really didn't. Had the Democrats come up with some type of plan that didn't ostracize many people, they could have easily won.

Oh, and don't start me on taxes. The whole bs about the 1% paying nothing in comparison to their wealth. I have two issues with that whining. First, once you hit a certain income bracket, you pay a lower percentage of taxes. But why shouldn't you? You've busted your ass to get there, why not be rewarded a bit? Also, most "rich" people don't have money sitting in bank accounts, it's paper wealth. I have a friend who is technically a millionaire. Nice house, car, etc. Except that most of his money is invested, so yes, he has money, but it's not exactly accessible immediately. He actually has assets, not cash. So he only pays tax on his income, which isn't huge.

However, has anyone ever bothered to dig up what percentage of all the tax paid in this country is paid by the 1%? Well, have you? Bet it's more than 1% of the total. In fact, I know it is. I don't have the info right now, but I remember seeing it and discussing it earlier this year. I'll find it and post it in the future. Realistically, it's like being in a restaurant, and whoever has the most money pays for the most people. Is that fair?

Still Going

Well, Horse is still together, as I haven't motivated myself to disassemble him and finish my other bike. Could be related to the fact I've started my new job at the bike shop near my house. Yup, I left ym position with the city. The lack of a nightmarish commute alone is worth the job change. Plus fringe benefits.

Anyway, I had Monday and Tuesday off, so I didn't do much Monday, but Tuesday I decided to go and see if I could survive the Tuesday Nighter, a local training race run on a 9 mile loop. I did the B race, so I only had to do 3 laps for 27 miles. This was because I was not too sure of my abilities after the last couple of races. I mean, let's be real here, the idea of retiring was definitely in my head on and off since the beginning of the month.

So I showed up early, got ready, rode a bit, then waited in the shade for everyone else to show up. And since it was only about 101 out, many did show. So we went off, and the pace was pretty quick, and I actually wasn't feeling too bad. But I forced myself to not be agressive or do much work because I wanted to stay with the bunch. Plus I'm out of shape. Really out of shape.

Through some creative riding and not giving ground (ie: shoving people back where they belonged if needed) I was in the hunt with a lap to go. Some guys who had dropped back from the A group took off, but we let them go, as they weren't really in our race. So as the bunch cruised along, I made sure I was in the first ten spots or so, and someone I don't like from a rival team was there, too.

The last 3 or 4 miles a guy I met at a recent race got to the front and just rode a consistent, quick pace. I stayed right on his wheel and made sure no one got round me. So there was a group of maybe 30 or 40, I think, and there was quite a bit of contact at a few points. But with about 200 meters to go or so, a friend's brother started the sprint, and I jumped on his wheel. With about 100 meters to go if that, I jumped and launched as hard as I could ("like being launched off an aircraft carrier") and overhauled the other guy, and kept driving until about 20 meters from the line.

Now, I'm not exactly modest, but my next move was pretty much a symbolic banging of my fist on a table. I stopped pedaling, took my hands off my bars, and sat bolt upright and coasted across the line, still winning by 5 or 7 bike lengths. The best part is, my arch nemesis and his team mates were all pissed off, and I beat him fair and square. So Horse and I got our last win we knew we had. I needed it for my confidence, and the fact that I outgunned everyone was very reassuring. Those insulated bottles have made a huge difference.

Horse and I have finished this chapter of our careers on a high note. Now I need to see how the new bike starts the next chapter. Like when you get together with old friends very infrequently, but you always have a great time.

The End of an Era

Ok, it's finally time. I'm retiring Horse, my trusty green bike. He's no longer going to be my frontline equipment. I'll still ride him, but only on certain types of races, or rides. I'm moving into the aluminum arena for now, and the carbon arena in the near future.

Oh, we've shared some great memories, the two of us. Like the race across the White Mountains of NH in 1990, when it was raining at the base of the climbs ans snowing at the tops of the passes. Or when I went to the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid and won one of the training races there, plus helped drive my team to obliterate everyone else in the team time trial. We won by 1min 54s even after our team got a 30 second penalty because I crossed the yellow line in the sprint. OOPS!

My Olympic training Center roommate Rob and I (the skinny kid on the right)at the Johnstown Road Race in 1991.


Much like a race car, I kept adding and replacing parts, trying to keep Horse up to date. Yet now I've come to the point of diminishing returns. If I ever have huge disposable income I'll be able to get more carbon goodies to keep the weight off, but it's a losing battle. The bike to replace Horse is probably 2 pounds lighter, which is a lot. And most bikes I race against now are at least 2-5 pounds lighter. That's giving away quite a bit right at the line.

Me winding it up for the sprint at the Brookside Park Crit in Indianapolis, IN in 1997.


I feel sad, for I wanted Horse to go out on a high note. I know there's still one more win in him. But I need to move on. Maybe it'll be another surprise win like in 2004, when I somehow blasted an uphill prologue time trial for a stage race and won it in my category, coming in 5th overall including the pros. Horse isn't deactivated, of course, just getting some well deserved rest. 132,000 miles can tire one out.

Me gearing down for the finishing climb of the Blind Race near Binghamton, NY where I finished 3rd.


Finally, what is most likely Horse's last race two weeks ago in his present configuration.

Suffering in 100+ degree heat at the Dairyqueen Tour of Columbus, TX.

Some things I've observed

Texas. Everything's bigger in Texas. Blah blah blah...

Ok, some things are just weird. Why is it Austin is so enviromentally conscious, yet many many many local places to eat use good old fashioned white styrofoam cups? Go to the food courts, the sub shops, etc. But this isn't the only double standard, no siree. Much like LA (and I'm not talking about Louisiana) Austin is full of environazis. This isn't entirely bad. Except many drive gas swilling El Grande SUVs, and worse, they complain about the gas prices, traffic, etc. What I find very troubling is the fact that these two cities have very little in the way of mass transit. Commuter rail? Who needs safe, efficient worry free travel? They'd rather just cut each other off and kill a few innocent people on the highway, especially if it may impact their conversation on the phone about the latest Britney Spears video.

Yes, Austin is in the process of building a commuter rail line, thank god, but you'd have thought this would have been done 15 years ago. Now that the big issue is addressed, let's go to a very unique TX thing.

I've noticed that too many vehicles have these decal type things on them. Not so bad yet, even I have a USA cycling sticker awaiting to be slapped on the back of my car. However, these decals are in the shape of a football, baseball, etc. Underneath them they'll have a name and number. That's right folks, now when I'm behind a Suburban I know that Kaylee is #23 in softball, Kile is #71 in football, and Lukey is #40 in football.

I know parents are proud of their kids, mine were even proud of me according to their attorney, but WTF? If these kids are at the height of their lives, then I can see it, especially if they end up robbing 7-11 stores and fathering 5 different mullet haired ignoramuses by 4 mothers. But what is this all about? Soon we'll have decals stating all the sports each child does, SAT scores, first masturbation dates and periods, when will it end?

Is this just a Texas thing or is it prevalent in other parts of the nation? I've never seen it from Indiana to Maine down to Georgia. Someone tell me it's a passing fad that decal makers started when sales slumped of the Support (whatever) ribbons. In ten years I'll be seeing Kile # 69 in the Texas Penile basebal league...

Time for a little time off

I raced Saturday in Columbus, TX. Well, I was there. I dropped out a bit over halfway through the race. So that makes the second race of the year I dnf. It was due to many factors, but now I need to figure out what's going on with my body.

It was over 100 degrees (I think it was 103) when we started, and the temp on the road was over 130 according to a thermometer on the pavement. Long story short, I was still sick, had taken Nyquil the night before, and sinus medecine the morning of the race. I slept great, but in my warmup I wasn't feeling it. When the race started I had no power at all, and drifted back in the pack. Then I dropped off the pace. Eventually I was lapped and called it a day. I think there were only 12 official finishers. Ouch.

So this week I'm doing some thinking. If I ride, a big if, it'll be easy miles. I'm thinking it's time to get my other bike fitted out for frontline duty. So the green Paramount OS might be on it's way to being a backup machine. It depends how my Specialized rides once I finish building it. That's my big project for the week.

Yesterday Lost and I helped a friend pack for her long drive to WI. Well, it's actually a move. Originally the plan was for me to sleep in, but I'm glad I went, it was fun and I'm glad I went. My expertise was useful for mounting her Thule towers, bars, and softpack. Other than that, Lost packed the car full beyond belief. I think I had the easy job.

Ugh, at least it makes some sense

Well, I haven't ridden my bike since the race. I've been sick, with sinus issues, a dry hacking cough that makes me see stars, and a serious lower back ache. My back was bugging me during the race, and if that was the beginning of getting sick, then that explains my lacking the little bit of top end I normally have. I've missed two days of work this week, so that will let you know that I'm feeling pretty lousy.

So I want to race on Saturday.Tomorrow I'll make my decision. Maybe I'll go for a very short easy ride today to see how my legs feel, and to induce a fever to burn out whatever I have, or maybe I'll take a brisk walk to the mailbox. Not sure which.

On a totally different note, a while ago I rented the movie The Station Agent. It was an indie film from maybe 2 years ago or so. I loved it. It was cerebral, comical, and totally cool. It's on my list of movies to buy.

Time for a nap or something.

Tired and disappointed

Did my race, and it wasn't anything other than a race. I rode too hard yesterday with a guy I met on the road, got to bed late because one of the cats ate the mouse cable and I had to splice it, and needed to download directions, and some last minute maintenance on my bike.

Needless to say, I rode hard, tried to be aggressive, but I was lacking that little bit I needed. Ultimately I ended up being the second to last finisher. What happened?

1) I was tired. I could have taken a nap before the race. That never has happened before.

2) My legs lacked snap, and that's what I need. Normally I can explode out of a corner, but not this time.

3) Riding without a team is really tough down here.

4) I didn't know the course, or the competition, or what team was strong, etc.

5) I have a serious lack of fitness right now. Train to race, race to train. I hadn't done a real race since Memorial Day weekend in Hartford, CT. That's what supplies the extra bit I lacked today.

6) I am still not acclimated to the weather here.

7) It's beginning to become apparent that my bike is truly obsolete. I'm giving away at least 3-4 lbs to most bikes out there. Do the quick math and physics, and you can see how much effort I'm putting out to be competitive.

8) I enjoyed the race, but I think I was too tired to fully concentrate and that in turn left me a little bit short in the desire department today.

9) I guess I need to kill myself this week to see if I can improve next week in Columbus. Originally I said I was only going to race if I did well today, but now I want to redeem myself.

Guess I need to sit back and think about what I really want to do. Race report coming sometime soon.

Hat trick

Well, since I accidentally deleted my post to go with my link yesterday, here's an abbreviated version.

I'm sick of the mainstream media portraying Israel as the aggressor. And anyone who criticizes Israel's actions needs to shut up. I'd love to see their opinion after spending 30 days in the area where Hezbollah rockets are raining down. I've been in combat zones waiting for ordnance to impact, slept in bunkers because it was the only safe place, and been on patrols where you wonder where the next shot is coming from out of a crowd. Until you've seen the sights, heard the sounds, smelled the scents, and tasted the fear, shut your damn mouth, for you have no real perpsective as to what's going on or how serious it truly is.

To happier things, I'm racing in Houston on Sunday. Wish me luck, for I'll need it. I'm trying to do really intense efforts in the time I have available. So I'm time trialling on my rides, using my past experience knowing that if I can average over 20mph with stoplights and the wind, I should be strong enough to not get dropped. We'll see.

Can I upset you any more? Well, let me try...

Read this

Two sides of a different world

Yesterday Lost and I headed up to Cedar Park because there was a train store I wanted to check out. It turned out to be way better than I thought it would be, and it was pretty reasonable with prices. I didn't buy anything, because I don't have my other trains with me, and I know right now the last thing we need is to cram more stuff into our home.

After that we looked at a new development being built, and walked through many different homes. It was quite a bit of fun, and it's always good to do the research way in advance. Hours later we ate and headed to San Marcos for some blitzing of the outlet centers. We had almost 2 hours, and made the most of it. I was happy, as I got more clothes for very little money.

Today I head out for a ride with a friend of mine. But this is the interesting part. I was able to do this without worrying about if I'd live or not. But with what's happening in the Middle East, this would have been very risky over there. It's amazing how we take this safety for granted.

I couldn't have said it better

Today's Report: 27 Jul 2006
Phil Liggett on Floyd Landis
My first reaction to the news that Floyd Landis had "doped up" during the 17th stage of the Tour de France between St Jean de Maurienne and Morzine was one of extreme sadness, and it posed the huge question: "Why?"

In Strasbourg at the Grand Depart, the Tour had seemingly handled the sending home of pre-race favorites Jan Ullrich, Ivan Basso and Juan Mercado among others well and the stage was set for "the cleanest Tour in years."

The organizers had sent out a clear message that dopers would not be tolerated, even though those sent away left protesting their innocence and, in fact, still do. Indeed, at least four of the rejected Astana-Wrth team have been proven innocent by a Spanish court this week, but the race's hardening attitude had once again been demonstrated.

This year's Tour seemed to be being ridden "clean" as riders had good days and bad, something which doesn't always happen if the drugs are kicking in. Landis himself, collapsed on stage 16 to La Toussuire in the Alps and then, re-hydrated overnight, he won the fateful stage 17 to Morzine by almost six minutes.

Even seven-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong was moved to call Landis at his hotel that night and congratulate him at "having big balls" to do what he had done after such a defeat 24 hours earlier.

There are many questions to be answered before Landis is condemned.

The first is why win the stage knowing that the winner is automatically drug tested and when finding unusual testosterone levels in a testing laboratory is a comparatively easy thing to do!

Landis would have also been tested at least three times previously as race leader, too, and these presumably have been negative as only stage 17 is under discussion.

The quiet, but very determined American was genuinely happy for his team and its owners when he finished at Morzine. He arrived punching out at helpers and media after he crossed the finish line. He had turned in the result which only 24 hours earlier was thought to be impossible.

Landis had never failed a drug test in his career and this season was enjoying his best ever run of victories, all of which would carry compulsory drug tests. His wins in America and France since February have all been achieved despite a dying femur bone which will mean a replacement hip in the immediate future.

He suffers pain daily when walking and sleeping but not, ironically, so much when racing. As winner of the Tour de France he could have expected his annual earnings to move into the multi-million dollar bracket, even though there is the risk that his hip operation will mean he might never race at the same level again.

They say that drugs have been in cycling for more than 100 years. At first it was simply alcohol, and a tot of brandy did wonders on a long climb in adverse weather. Then came amphetamines, traces of which were found in Britain's Tom Simpson when he died on Mont Ventoux in Provence during the Tour in 1967.

Now, with the help of unscrupulous medical experts, growth hormones, steroids and blood changing is available for those who can afford it. But the doping agencies, International Cycling Union and the Tour de France all agree that drugs must be stamped out and the fight will go on.

The Tour de France has been "saddened" by yesterday's revelations, but the second test has still to confirm the first. There is a possibility that Landis has over-produced testosterone and if so I hope he will be completely vindicated.

If, however, he is guilty, then he will lose the Tour de France, receive a life ban at the Olympics, a two-year ban from the sport and a four-year ban from riding on a Pro Tour team. In short, he will never race again.

All for Now,
Phil Liggett,The Voice of Cycling

One thing I don't get: Everyone says that cycling is dirty. Is it dirty because it's the only sport actually doing something about it, unlike football and especially, baseball?