Miscellaneous

Ok, not bike related, but this is a story I have to tell. Chelsey, one of my employees, came in to the coffee shop on her day off. With a computer in one hand and a look of determination, you could tell she was on a mission. With Chelsey you never really know what to expect and it changes rapidly from day to day. Her goals range from promoting a I Want to Hold Your Hand Festival for world peace all the way to adopting an 8 year old to travel the world with. So when she came in and said she had to desperately get to Florida by tomorrow, I didn’t get to excited.

We have stop three of the Boulder Cyclocross Series this Sunday at the Boulder Reservoir and I need to get a better result than I have been. As of now I missed the first race and finished tenth in the second one. This Sunday’s race may see some changes in the usual pecking order because of Halloween. It’s probably the biggest holiday among cyclist because it marks the last big night to go out and party before the serious training starts again. Those of us who race cross at a serious level may see it differently and it should be pretty obvious at tomorrow’s race who those people are.

I was lucky enought to see this movie in the theater. I walked out that night totally stunned and overwhelmed. There were so many parts of that movie that had relevance to me. Hehe, the first few times I saw that movie I took it very seriously. Now, of course it fills the entertainment void and has a few good laughs. You probably don't know where I am going with this...You remember the scene behind the bar? The first fight?

Same thing?

Once again, while on the road, Old Man Jack has passed on some of his knowledge. With a degree in the history of religion and 25 years experience racing a bike, you never know what you’re going to hear. At the last race I ran out of Assos, my favorite chamois cream. I start searching for something else to use so I can keep everything down there in good shape. In the process I look over and see Jack using A & D ointment and Hamity using some concoction in a Noxima container.

I don't know if you read Jonathan Garcia's Blog, but when it comes to Fathers Day, I think he said it best. Except, I think that my dad is the strongest dad in the whole world. He could probably lift a house. My fathers day with the boys went great and I think it was the best one so far. We invented a new game kind of like the lava game you play at home where you throw pillows all over the floor and can't touch the ground.

I went to the Masquerade Ball last night and it reminded me of how I have a hard time recognizing cyclists in casual clothes. As a cyclist, you may only see certain people while wearing their cycling kits. This can make for some awkward moments. I ran into a guy just the other day who I ride with all the time and didn’t recognize him. He was like “hey Whitey” and I kind of recognized his face but had no idea who he was. I had to ask his name and it turns out I had just ridden with him the day before.

I think I’m suffering a little bit from jetlag and some hard racing in the Midwest. I woke up this morning feeling as stiff as I have all year. It could have had something to do with only getting 2 hours of sleep on a plane the night before. I got a solid 11 hours of sleep last night and woke to rain falling so I jus lay in bed and listened to it. I moved slow not wanting to ride in the rain. After breakfast I sat on the couch and read listening to the rain fall even harder. I just finished doing my stretching routine and the rain is falling harder than before.

At the moment I’m in Geleen which is located in the Netherlands just across the border from Belgium and close to Germany. A rider on the team by the name of Paul who grew up around here picked me up from the airport. It was just over 100 Kilometers back to where I would be staying. He and I talked about the team, our countries, and cycling. He speaks pretty good English so we were able to carry a good conversation. He doesn’t actually live with the team but lives near by. We arrived at where I would be staying and it’s about what I expected.

Originally I had an all day riding event planned to get the last few days of chasing kids out of my system. After coffee, it started raining and it didn't stop until 6:00 pm, so I ended sitting in the house working on Crash and Burn Kit stuff all day. Not a waste of a day by any means but man, I feel like a caged monkey. I don't know how the normal person can sit inside at a desk all day. Sure, money's a motivating factor, but is it really worth it? I guess a better question is, do you have a choice? Either way, now I know why they invented happy hour because this has made me feel like drinking.