Fun Friday

It's been a long week for me.  Although I love my job now, I've been working on a project that's taking a lot of my time.  I should be finished with it today.  Hooray.  That means that I don't have to get up early tomorrow and worry about anything.

It also means that I need some time alone.  I have plans as usual, but what I'd really like is to be somewhere quiet and away from people.

It is Fun Friday, which as the start of the weekend means that I can do whatever the hell I want.  I post funny(ish) pictures, I laugh, and maybe you laugh too.

And to wrap up this crap and nonsense, I'll post another photo that my man D-Wayne will probably get a kick out of.

He may think it's funny, but maybe you are offended.  Who gives a shit.

There you go.

See y'all Monday I suppose.

Way Behind

Just about every bit of snow around here has melted.  It's warmed up a little bit too, so I should be happy about that.  Aside from a little bit of rain, it's been nice bike riding weather.  Hell, any weather is nice when you're on a bike.

I need to get out and ride more.  I've been working during the day (like most folks), and when I get home it's either too dark or I'm too tired to ride (or whatever other excuse I can come up with.)  In reality, it's been difficult to get motivated.  I mean, I missed a prime "training" opportunity over the weekend during the Snowpocalypse.

Sure, snow and ice covered everything around here.  That's no excuse though.  I should've gone out and pedaled at least a little bit.  I might have had a little fun in the process.  Instead, I went for a "hike."

It was nice I guess.  I like winter and creeks and junk like that.

Anyway, the real issue is that the "season" is starting soon.  And I'm not anywhere near ready.  I've been "training" at least.

It sucks.  It's supposed to.  Who gives a shit.

I worked hard last year.  Total Cyclist two or three times a week, rides all weekend, eating right, etc.  Towards the end of the season though, I changed jobs, it sucked, and I went on a downward spiral.  I was so down in the dumps that I just let myself go.  Less social interaction, less riding, moar beer, and moar food I probably shouldn't have been eating.  Sure, I got out of that shitty situation, but the damage was done (luckily I didn't gain any weight.)

Mucho damage nonetheless.

That's one reason why I'm gonna race cross country again this year.  I figured that having some goals would do me some good.  Add in a few endurance races (12 Hours of Santos and 6 Hours of Warrior Creek already confirmed), and I may be able to get back into some sort of shape and have some fun doing it.

Round is a shape.  Luckily, I'm not round.

I'm...

I'm...

I'm gonna catch up somehow and get back to something.

Who gives a shit.

Not Snowed In

I know, I know.  Just as I get back to some sort of regular blogging, I disappear for a few days.  I was stuck the last two mornings working at a place with no connection to The Internets.  It happens from time to time.  Even though we just had a big winter storm here in North Carolina, I wasn't snowed in.

Really.

Friday morning, my employer decided that it would be better if we worked remotely.  I was good with that.  The weather would get worse during the day, so when I finished working I double checked my supplies.

Beer.  Check.

I spent the rest of Friday drinking beer and playing with my main man, Carl.

He loves the snow.

The weather got worse overnight of course, and most people were trapped here in our neighborhood.  I wasn't about to be stuck in the house all day.  I had shit to do. So,I made preparations to leave.

No shit?

And I hit the icy/snowy road, hoping for the best.

You see, I had to get to the skatepark.  Yes, I still ride skateboards form time to time.  The main reason I went though, was to see one of my childhood idols...

That's Lance Mountain, formerly of The Bones Brigade.  After nearly thirty years of skateboarding, I jumped at the chance to meet him.

Unlike most sports, skateboarding and cycling are better because you can actually participate with professionals, and it's not much different than hanging out with your (not pro) friends.  I think that explains how I gravitated towards mountain biking after being a skateboarder most of my life.  Makes sense I guess.

Still, I always find a way to keep the two connected.

DeFeet socks on my skateboard.  Still the best socks in the word (shameless plug, I know.)

So yeah, instead of being "snowed in", I got the hell out of the house to go ride on four wheels (and meet a really cool pro skater.)  I like the snow and all, but I hope that's all we get this year.

I don't think there are any other reasons to get me to drive in that shit coming up anytime soon.

Fun Friday

It snowed a little overnight.  And now there's more frozen shit falling from the sky.  I'm gonna be stuck in my house for a while.  I'm not really complaining though.

I mean, it's Friday.  Time for fun and all that.  I actually don't need to go anywhere since I'm working from home.  When I do though, I'm gonna ride one of my bikes in the snow and ice.  An actual, real, fun, Friday.  Like a kid.  Awesome.

I'm not gonna spend too much time on this shit today (I got a late start anyway), but I did want to share something I found both informative and entertaining.  It's a series about department store bicycles.  I liked it.  You might too.

Watch these videos (you're not doing anything anyway.)  There is some inappropriate language (if you watch these at your place of work), but that's what makes it good.





See y'all Monday when I dig out of the snow and ice.

Snowmageddon

The Southern ritual of buying up all the bread (or milk, beer, feminine products, etc.) is upon us.

There was a little snow action earlier yesterday when I was at my office.  I went down to Columbia, SC for the rest of the afternoon, and when I got home I found that we were buried in the white stuff.

I had a difficult time getting my mail.

Okay, that's nothing.  Who gives a shit. From what I've seen though, it's about to get worse.

I still don't get the whole "bread and milk" thing.  I have other ways to prepare while I, err hunker down.

I'm still a little upset though.  I haz big plans for this weekend. These plans require driving, but if the roads are shitty I'm not sure what I'll do.

Oooh, I know.  I'll just sit inside all weekend, drinking good beer and feeling winter sadz.

Much fun. Luckily tomorrow is Fun Friday.

See y'all then (If The Internets doesn't get snowed in.)

Mountain Fun

Even though I was just in the Uwharries not long ago doing some trail work, I felt the urge to go back.  Not to search for Bigfoot though.  That's pretty easy to find.

 
Srsly though, I just wanted to get back out there again.  Mostly because of how remote and underpopulated it is.

I did a little bit of exploring over on the "other" side of Uwharrie.  I didn't bring a bike this time.  I brought one of my other toys instead.

They haz range.  I haz shotgun.

I know, I know.  This just in:  Southerner shoots up shit in the woods.

Not exactly.  The little lady and I wanted to fire off a few rounds at the range out there.  It's pretty fun to aim from the hip and send hollow point slugs downrange while everyone else uses their fancy scopes and junk.  With that kind of ammo, it's not like I need to be spot on.

But, it's still nice when I get close.

I'm not some gun nut.  I'm a veteran, remember?  The range out there was cool (and cheap too), but the best part of the day was being back out in the "little" mountains.  We enjoyed some local food, the laid back attitudes, and yeah, the shooting.

The scenery is pretty rad too.

I really love that place.  The Uwharries were the first mountains I rode when I moved here.  I guess you can say I'm sorta partial to being out there.

And coming soon, a big bicycle adventure on that side of the forest.  You know, when I actually take a bike out there with me.

Snow Day?

I woke up yesterday morning, looked out of the second floor window, and saw that it was snowing outside.  It wasn't enough to stick to the ground, but with the rainy and warm winter we've had so far, I was still pretty surprised.  I decided to take Carl outside to investigate...

Well, the snow did stick to him at least.

I didn't feel like being outside getting wet and being cold, so we went back inside.  This time Carl stuck to me.

It was nice to be inside where it was warm, but I wanted to get outside and ride.  The wet snow stopped falling from the sky after a few hours, and the sun came out.  I thought for a moment about which bike to take, got dressed in some warm clothing, and hit the road.

I didn't take a road bike though.  I grabbed my least used mountain bike because I knew I'd end up off road.  

Gears. Because...

Who gives a shit.

I did quite a bit of exploring, spending a lot of time along a local creek.  It's a pleasant ride because the view is nice.

You know, because...rocks.

We've had a ton of rain here lately, hence the murky water.  Also, the water level is higher than normal.  According to what I saw though, it was much higher not too long ago...

I didn't feel like driving to a local trail for a ride, so riding from the house was the best option.  I'm pretty fortunate to have some good options for off road enjoyment close by.  I can ride right out of my neighborhood, climb some tough hills, hit some gravel, and even get my singletrack fix in if I need it.  It's options like this where I can end up with a good day of riding even if I didn't plan on it.

I would count my blessings if I did such things.

Still...

I'm happy.  Let's see how long it lasts this time.

Fun Friday

Yes, yes, yes.  Weekend time.  I haz happy.  However, the rain is moving in again.

It really pisses me off.  I like to be outside, and rain gets in the way.  I'm sick of it.  Not sick enough to need a doctor though.

Fun Friday is my way of wrapping up the week (and taking the easy way out), but also it gives me a little laugh when I need it.  Hopefully it does the same for you.

Here, laugh at stuff:

Make sure you take care of yourself.  Drink lots of water (or beer), get plenty of exercise, and eat healthy.

Okay, enough of that.  I'm gonna do something this weekend.  Probably involving bikes and beer.

Before I do that though, I'll need to remember to be ready tomorrow morning when registration opens up for the 6 Hours of Warrior Creek.  If you live anywhere near North Carolina (or plan to visit here in April), make sure you're ready too.  It sells out fast.  If you aren't ready, you could miss it.

See y'all Monday or something like that.

The "Season"...

Is approaching fast.

It won't be long before I'm back to racing my bike again.  I was reminded of this fact last night, when I checked the Facebooks and saw the schedule for the upcoming Southern Classic Series:

Less than two months to go.  I'm definitely not ready.  Sure, I've gotten back to training, but it's tough right now.  I've started back with Total Cyclist (because it worked well for me), but even that's been a challenge.  Just two days ago I had to excuse myself in the middle of class.

Spending time in the bathroom does not a fast cyclist make.

I'm trying, Ringo.  I've lost a little of my fitness, but having a stomach issue while I'm on the comeback trail is enough to frustrate me.  A little less than two months is enough time to get ready for a long cross country season.  However, I'm really thinking of kicking off the 2016 season by doing a little twelve hour shindig down in Florida again this year.  The 12 Hours of Santos is always a fun time (if suffering is fun) and I'll more than likely be down there next month.  Just a little more time in the shitter and I'll be in prime racing shape.

Also, registration for the biggest party in the Southeast kicks off this Saturday.  The 6 Hours of Warrior Creek is always a good time, but I'm not sure if I'll "race" it this year.  I'm strongly considering it, but I'm also strongly considering just showing up, riding one lap for fun, then partying it up with my racer friends.  I guess I'll have to make up my mind soon since it always sells out so quickly.  If you want in, you'd better be ready first thing Saturday morning.

So yeah, the season approaches.  Aside from "training", I have all my support lined up already.  I've also added a new one to the list:

I've been using Nuun for the past few years, and after begging for their support they finally gave in.  So, as shown over there on the left, I'm a part of Team Nuun for this year.  I am excite.  The stuff really works, tastes good, and I use it on every ride.  I may not be ready for the season just yet...

But I will be.

Hopefully.

At least I have some nice support again this year.

Doing My Part

I told myself that I would make a better effort to do trail work this year.  I usually do quite a bit, but there have been lots of workdays lately that I've missed.  That all changed when I had a free morning on Sunday.

After spending a day in the Western North Carolina mountains, I decided to head to the other mountains.  You know, the Uwharrie National Forest.  Our local club, the Tarheel Trailblazers had a workday planned to take care of some maintenance issues.  We had a pretty big turnout for such a far away place and, after everyone grabbed tools and split up, we hit the trail.

We spent the first hour or so just walking the trail, clearing out drains and stuff like that.

After a while, we starting doing some other stuff.  After much riding, the trail had become wider than necessary in some spots.  We took care of a bunch of them with small reroutes, gathering rocks to redefine the original intended lines.

Before we started, the trail went straight through in that spot. The photo now shows the original line.  The trail will drain better now, and the riding experience will improve.  We ended up out there for a few hours and accomplished quite a bit.  I didn't get a chance to ride it directly afterwards, but I know it will be fun when I do. Besides, the trail needed some love, and giving back (by doing trail work) is sometimes a much better feeling than riding.  

I'm gonna make a point to do more of this kinda thing.  Maybe you can too.  Wherever you are, there are trails that could use your help.  Every little bit of work counts and it's appreciated by those that use it.  

Make it a point to find a way to get (more) involved in YOUR local trails.

I will too.

Cross State

Saturday morning, I woke up feeling lethargic.  The weather was a little shitty (again), and I didn't feel like getting out on my bike for some reason.  I did however, feel like being around bike people.  There was this pretty big deal of a cyclocross race going on over in Asheville, so I figured "what the hell."  When I asked the little lady if she wanted to join me, she declined due to not feeling well.  She needed her rest I guess, but I started worrying about when I got there and the questions I'd get.

"Where's your better half?"

"Why didn't she come along?"

Luckily, Little Miss Sunshine had a solution.  Before I walked out the door, she pinned a note to my jacket for everyone to read:

Hugs and beer. Rad.

As a grown ass man with a note pinned to me, I took off for the hills.  It rained off and on, and the when I got closer I wondered if I could stand being out in that shit all day.

I made a quick stop at the store to get some uh, provisions to make the dirt roadie watching moar fun.

Finally, I arrived at the beautiful Biltmore Estate.  It's quite pricey to get in, but a little cheaper just to watch the races (and not tour the estate.)  I even got a fancy wristband.

When I arrived at the venue, it was massive.  The course looked kinda cool so I started walking around.  The first stop was the Maxxis tent where I ran into lots of people I knew (and got hugs and beer because of the note pictured above. I eventually moved on, making new friends along the way.

What a cool dude.

Oh yeah, I watched a little bit of racing...

My next stop was the DeFeet tent ,where I "worked" a little but mostly shot the shit.

This is where things got fuzzy.  I was led away to another tent with more people I knew.  Mostly local folks, with the exception of Thom Parsons, who was there to cover the race (that's what he does, you know.)  

It's been awhile since I'd seen him.  It was good to catch up.

Some of us proceeded to DRINK ALL THE BEER, emptying the cooler before we were almost kicked out.

Sorry, Dicky

After we closed down one party, I got invited to another.  The #cxnats16 afterparty at a local bike shop.

I made moar friends:

And beer was spilled:

And I ended up with a photo of Dicky, Barlow, and Adam Myerson for some reason:

It was a good day.  I had beer, socializing, and even watched other people race bikes.  

Who gives a shit.

I sorta do.  It was fun.