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.

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.

Back On Track

I know I know.  I’ve been gone far too long.  As much as I love the new job, I’ve been spending a lot of time getting acclimated to it.  That leaves little spare time for blogging.  Plus, the holidays and a shitload of rain has kept me off the bike a lot more than I’d like. 

Sorry ‘bout that.  I really like being here, and I’m sure you really like having something to read while you sit on the toilet in the morning.

I’ve really tried my best to be here, but most days there was nothing to talk about.  In the past I usually found something to blog about anyway.  Most of the time it turned out okay, so I should probably get back to that.  I mean, I can’t just get on here every day and post of photos of my sleepy Rottweiler.

Can I?

So, what’s been going on?  Well, it’s the “offseason”, which means I haven’t really worked very hard on the bike since winning the Maxxis Southern Classic Series a while back.  I guess since I worked so hard during the season I thought maybe a long break was in order. 

It gave me plenty of time for beer.

I’ve been riding a little too (when I can), instead of sitting around putting on weight.

I guess that’s what “offseason” means.  I dunno.  I do know that I should probably start doing “something”, whatever that means.  Is it time to start getting ready for next season?

Survey says “yes.”

Instead of “retiring” again and going out on top, I’m gonna go all out again for 2016.  The training program has started, and personal goals have been made prior to my first race.  Supporters have been lined up again (including a new one to be announced soon.)  The only thing missing is a “team.”

Wait, a what?

Yeah, I’m thinking about trying to get on a team for the upcoming season.  I've had a lot of success on my own but it’s been tough.  I’m thinking that maybe a team could help, especially with having moral support every time I travel to an event.  As far as which team to get with, I’m not sure. 

There’s one that I thought I wanted to be on, but they probably aren’t interested (i.e. they have too many big shots already.)  There’s another that I could just “walk on”, but it’s all over the place and quite honestly, I’ve seen very few members at the races I do.  That leaves me with a third (which is actually my first) choice.  This particular team has expressed an interest, and I have good relationships with a bunch of the folks that wear the colors.  That one seems like the best best choice, but it may be moot since it’s likely too late to get on a team before I start racing.

Besides, it’s not like I’m in high demand (even with a bunch of podium finishes last season.)  Who gives a shit.

Nevertheless, I’m gonna get ready to give it everything I have again soon.  With or without the support of a team.  I have lots of individual support (look over there to the right) and with all the friends I see at each race, it’s not like I’m alone anyway.

Besides, no team is gonna train me.  This my friends, is my responsibility.

And I’m ready.

Damn it feels good to be back.

I Have No Goals

There.  I said it.  I haven’t done anything really good on the bike this year as far as racing goes.  I’ve had fun here and there, but I haven’t “raced” anything worthwhile and done well at it.  Looking back on the “season” so far, it’s easy to say that I’ve been lazy.  I haven’t had the drive to push myself and enter events that put me out of my comfort zone (save for the Riverfront Classic race that temporarily brought me out of XC retirement.) 

Truth is, the injury I suffered last year at SSUSA took a bigger toll on me than I expected.  I got back on the bike as quick as I could, but I knew I wasn’t ready.  Over a year later, I still have a little pain in my shoulder that affects me when I ride.  My right arm still goes a numb every once in a while, and I wake up throughout the night in a little pain in my shoulder.  I’m about as good as I’m gonna get health-wise, but the past year has been a struggle.  I thought it was all mental, but that’s because I was trying to tough out an injury without whining about it so much.  Take note, Eastwood, don’t rush back into it.  It takes a long time to recover.

With this season pretty much a wash as far as racing goes, I’ve been working on my fitness to prepare for next season (that might explain the road riding by the way.)  Since I’ve spent the last year pretending that I don’t feel like racing, I realize that I can always start looking forward to next season and start preparing myself.  The plan is to do more events next year, and maybe even be a little more serious about it.  Sure, I still like to drink beer and make every event a party, but I know now that I need to earn it first.  Work hard, play hard and all that happy horseshit.

You might be asking, “What about the rest of the season?  There are still more events on the horizon, right”   

Well yeah, but scheduling conflicts have pretty much shut me down for the year.  While it’s no secret that I don’t shy away from races that I haven’t properly prepared for, there’s nothing coming up that I feel like I can do (and actually finish.)  Two races that I planned to enter, the 6 Hour Grind on the Greenway and the Brunswick Brawl, have to be nixed due to scheduling conflicts.  The Grind is on the same date as Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day, which I refuse to miss.  I have a blast taking the little ones out for a ride, and to me that a lot more important than racing.  The following weekend is our Fall club camping trip in Pisgah, and that happens to be the same weekend as the Brunswick Brawl.  Shit.  I was looking forward to returning to Coastal NC to “race” for six hours, and the Grind is a race that I actually enjoy because it’s familiar to me.

There are other events though.  The Wilkes 100K is coming up next month, and while I have a free weekend I hadn’t originally planned to be there.  Once I talked myself into it, something else came up.  It still looks like I’ll be out there for it, but not racing.  More details to come later. 

What else is out there?  Nothing that tickles my fancy.  Maybe I don’t hang around with the cool kids enough to get excited about anything else.  I guess that’s the benefit of being on a real “team.”  Flying solo like I do, I have to rely on hearing about shit (usually last minute) and make a decision to take a shot at it.  I’m not saying that someone should invite me to join their team though.  Most of the local teams are full of some pretty cool people, so I have a feeling that no one wants an asshole like me slinging waffles and drinking beer while they’re trying to race.

I don’t blame them. 

I doubt I’ll tone down the party shit too much though.  Instead, I’ll probably ramp up the racing.  I (hopefully) still have plenty of support to make a great season and all that, but it looks like I’ll be on my own again.

There is “something” in the works as far as a team goes, but it’s nothing serious.  I can’t say anything about it just yet, but I can tell you that it might be pretty rad.  Most of the local teams are loaded with super fast guys that hang out together, race well, and can even party like rock stars when appropriate.  We’ll be just like that, but probably without the “racing well” part.  Okay, without the "super fast" part too. 

It’s time to take this shit up a notch.  If I start getting serious, it’s gonna be scary.

For me, mostly.

If I’m Not Careful…

I’m gonna get fat.

A few years ago, my “offseason” meant plenty of eating and drinking with a little riding thrown in.  While my normal weight is 225 pounds, it would be uncommon for me to shoot up to 235 pounds by the time January rolled around (two years ago I got all the way up to 245.)  Last year, I rode a lot more and kept myself right at my in-season weight of 225.  I figured out that it was pretty easy to do, so I decided that from now on I would stick to it and not put on my traditional offseason flab.  This year it’s not looking so good though.

The weather around here has been extra shitty lately, which means that my riding has been reduced dramatically.  As a matter of fact, I haven’t been on my bike in almost two weeks.  I can blame some of it on the rain, some on the cold, and some on working late, but mostly it’s because I’ve been pretty lazy.

Plus I’ve been eating a lot more for some reason.

It’s been good stuff though, like these deep fried Oreos with ice cream:

And the jar of M&Ms I keep next to me in the living room:

And to top it off my cousin just sent me a giant box of steak:

You know, shit like that.  Couple that with not riding enough lately and I bet I can break my offseason record of 245.  I know it could happen, so that’s exactly why I’m not gonna let it.  You see, unlike most people that allow themselves to get all big and chunky, I’m too disgusted by shit like that to allow myself to fall prey to it.  I don’t want to be a big tubby sumbitch, which means I’m gonna get off my ass and do something about it. 

I’m sure that some people just give up and buy bigger clothes when they start packing on the pounds.  Don’t do it.  Don’t be weak.  Don’t be lazy.  And definitely don’t be a Lardassian.  I’m smart enough to realize where not riding and eating more can lead, and I won’t give in.  I’ll ride in the cold, rain, tornadoes, whatever.  A couple of extra pounds around the holidays is normal (so people say), but forget normal. 

Being a big ‘un is a choice, and I’m choosing to keep it from happening.  With more shitty weather allegedly on the way for this weekend, I’ll get my ass out in it if I have to.  It’s not just about the weight, because riding keeps me sane and happy.  And I’m one grumpy, depressed motherfucker right now. 

And you thought fat people were jolly.

There's More Work To Be Done I Guess

Since it’s now the “offseason”, I gotta find some shit to keep me busy. The days are getting shorter, which means soon I won’t even be able to ride after work anymore. Currently I’m able to get out of work, haul ass over to one of my local trails, and get a lap in before dark. The other day I had a nice surprise though, since I got out really early and had time for some daytime riding at Sherman Branch.



Sorry, but I don’t have any “action shots” from the trail. The ride was fast and fun. I was worn out when I finished, and that was the goal I guess. I guess you’ll have to take my word for it. One of these days though, I’ll get one of those fancy helmet cameras and start making some videos. That will surely help pass the time around here. Videos are always a good thing. For now maybe I can show you a sex tape:




Anyway, since it won’t be long until I’m only riding on the weekends, I have to keep my new little helper busy. I did mention that there are a few parts and such slowly trickling into the B-43 Worldwide Headquarters though. I have lots of “projects” in mind. Changing the wheels on Little Miss Sunshine’s bike was one of them, and now I can cross that off the list. Another thing I’ve been wanting to do is to change the rear shock on my full squishy bike, Goose.


Back when I broke it and got a new one, I knew I would eventually need to change the shock. My 2008 Diamondback Sortie 3 had four inches of rear travel, and the 2009 Sortie 3 and later all have five inches. When Diamondback sent me a new frame, they didn’t send a new shock. The shop just used the old one.


It was a nice shock, but it kind of screwed up the ride. My bottom bracket and pedals were lower to the ground, so I kept bumping into stuff (like rocks.) This kept me from really enjoying the bike when I rode it, so I finally ordered a new shock.





It was basically the same shock, but a little longer (matching the original specifications from Diamondback.) This was an easy thing to replace, but I still let R2-D2 do it. I sat back with a beer as he removed the old shock from the frame:




After replacing the mounting hardware, R2 installed the new shock, inflated the air canister, and tested it. I took the photo:



I took a little test ride and I was amazed at the difference. The bike handled a lot better, which is probably why these bike companies spend tons of money on shit like research, engineers, and other fancy stuff. Once again my R2 unit did a great job on the mechanic work. There will be plenty of work for him in the future, including this:



Yeah, that’s a new cassette. There’s been talk of me doing the single speed thing on my 29er, but for now I may put this cassette on so my rides will be a little “easier.” It’s an 11-34, and I’m currently running an 11-32. It won’t be a huge difference, but it will help me in the offseason should I choose to drink more beer and ride my bike fewer miles (which is very likely.) I know, I should be training in the offseason, but I’ll probably just take it easy for a while. Maybe I’ll just look for a tandem bike and have someone pull me around the trails this winter…