Alter

Little scene before the opening. The early first season starts slow on one side and faster on another. Always putting in the time, minimal tools, Merckx style, get in the beauty of the process and enjoy the bike, everything else will come in time.

Shapes

It's pretty cool to see new things in old places. Too many random ideas to remember, what was that last landmark? Is the perfect circle round? Or, is it better to be an oval? Looking at the different shapes and sizes change perspective. Are the keys fitting in the locks? I hear the difference, it all sounds the same until you really listen.

OK

Good time yesterday, enough of the right work to make it worthwhile, stress builds strength. I have the pieces all laid out in front of me, the keys are in my pocket and the puzzle isn't as hard as it was a month ago. I picked a goal, it's a bit too close to really do anything special about it, I know the distance will hurt, especially since the weather is only now allowing three hour days. I hope it will lead to good rides at Mt. Evans and possibly F50 if the stars align. Things need to happen in the right order for that to work out. The racing is always good when the prep is right.

Ride

Somehow an unscheduled day off got me out the door before the snow came down. 2 hours before 7.45 am, that's what Ludo would have done. He would do three hours before going to work in a paint factory, I have it easy. Really easy. Rolling thru the time, building, always building. It piles up faster than I realize, now another break for a few days only to return to a block of races. Straight bars and bent ones too. Ride your damn bike...

Solo

Clearing it all out, I forget the work it takes to do the right thing. Ride out of the house little trails both ways, 2 hours feels like 3, work is work. Listen to the system, the order adjusts to arrive better, no bailing out because it's not fast. The road bike spoils me, I need more time on the mtb, the new tool in the box, the new bike smell hangs in the air and I remember why it's there. All in, season is on, even if it is a little early for real dirt. I'll take my little pieces and be stronger for it. Peaceful, solo. 

More Friday

Was the climb still a good idea? I think so, how bad could a 90 minute ride be? After all it is May 23. Maybe it's clear above, it was, somehow it blew thru and I only descended into some of this, lucky.

Friday

I climbed up thru the snow, after a while it let up enough to let me go above. Near the top of the pass it was easier, the wind died down a bit and made the ride a bit easier. Of course the descent was going to be different, no better than most of the rides that go this high when you should be on the flats. Plenty of time to wonder how the legs are going to respond to the work. Plenty of time to think about when the trails will be dry enough where I want to ride. Little pockets of dirt are rideable, not the longer connectors I want/need.

Peppers

I daydreamed a ride that was on a long narrow tortilla, freshly steamed with sharp cheddar and hot habanero peppers. As I got hungry I reached down and grabbed a piece off the road and ate, I kept going all day, up and over the Tourmalet, I never made it to the Ventoux. Mountain Springs were everywhere I needed water. Perfect.

Not that bad

For whatever reason I can't explain this last storm didn't crack me. I woke up today and rode in to work without hesitation, I like washing the bikes, I have the tools in the box and the good stuff is close. Lookout, the motivation is building.

Shingo

He didn't make it past the first round of the 20th tournament. Fell off where he had the footing. Bummer.

521

Rolling into the meat. Inky goodness on the other side, it comes so early and late that if the light isn't enough you need some serious organizing help. I have it together bigger pieces than I have seen in a while, the hunger builds and only fades for a few minutes, then it's back, I could eat all day. All day. Pictures only tell part of the story get in line and ready for the work. Always more to be done, more and better.

Smell

Readying for the work, getting the cleaning done for all that's to come. Listen to the sounds, it's different now, better than last week, but that's not hard to beat. The puzzle is easier now that I can see pieces and arrange them, Put to right the slices and misses of 6 months w/o real direction. Keep the wrists clean, look out for the potholes and roots that can change a season in an instant. Focus on the up, let go on the down.

Willows

I downed enough water...I thought. It was riding in a foreign place, different from rides for a long time, and better.

Krabbe

The longer the day the better I feel, sleep arrives easy and happy, the ghosts shut up and I get my place cleaner. Lessen the clutter strengthen the rest. Krabbe talks a lot about his wrists, without knowing it I look at mine a fair bit, wondering when they will break next, such a shame to break a good joint, such a process to heal it.

Whine

I know it can snow a lot, but every fucking day? It's time to have a bit of spring, it is almost June. OK, now I'll go get some cheese. Even after all these years I still get surprised at how much the weather beats me up. I am a pussy. Go ride and smile.

Draft

This is what the time is like. I have the warm clothes, as good as they are they are wearing out, I need a new budget to account for the fact that I need new winter gear, now. Little bits make the time easier to put in. Like the wombats I got about a month ago, amazing, versatile, but the blown zippers and holes in shoecovers add up to drafts.

May

This time of year my motivation and patience w/ living above 9000ft gets brittle. I could crack at any point. I have the fenders and warm clothes but sometimes it just gets well, brittle. I look at the people who have the nice weather and get jealous. This isn't May 12, or at least it shouldn't.

black and white

Nothing is neutral, it can't be right now, if it was the path wouldn't be the right pursuit, without a clear goal down the road the junk keeps the door closed and the training is just lost in the landfill. Trying to balance doesn't mean neutrality. Listen to the legs, sit up if you need to but quitting is out of the question.

li3ge

My one knuckle still throbs, one finger on one hand just will not stop aching. I am still cold from the effort, the shortest ride i have done in weeks and it hurts like hell, still. I know I am bitching, maybe gloves are a better thing to not forget. It all adds up though, aches and pains are consistent, the more, the better. Time to find new warmers that don't suck, stuff that fits and better organised gear. My own fault, 30 degrees and snowing and the idiot didn't have gloves on, how smart is that? the work was done, that's all that matters, as long as I don't get sick now.

Now that I think about it, it wasn't that bad, I just needed to vent a bit. I feel fine, it could have been really cold and really snowy. May at 9600 feet, you never know what you could have.

Flew

WWJD? What would Jens do? He'd go out like I would like to. Do the three or four hours and get the work done. No slowing for the weather or the chill creeping in. Go harder to stay warmer, to a point this all works, after that...empty tank, limp home, drained. I know the base is built, only going up from here.

afterall

The bikes are falling together, regular days that were Winter are now Spring training days. Trading skis for full time bikes over the rough days that called for different avenues to the finish line. Train to race, a means to an end, I always wondered how the people who didn't compete managed to work out, was it a number on a scale or a clothing size? How do you gauge the progress? In that way we have it easy. The steady progression grows the drive only more, sharpening the end, the top is pulling me up.

Radar

Put me on the bike. The escape is the travel getting to the place I need to be. Trying to visit between all of the distractions the temple is right there, two wheels, better views, keep vying for my space. Putting out the fires to build up a good burn. Less is less.

Clearing Out

One way or the other this week will clear out the system. Throw up or, the other way. Not a sprinting effort more of a steady snowball effect to rebuild what was broken and clear what is blocked. After all on may 5, nothing matters more than the next 7 months.

Soon is close

Almostready to jump outof the gate as I sit and write. Sort of close. Better than I think, better than I thought. The legs are happy. Listen close, ipods or not the better things aren't too far off. It's on and I feel the smooth coming through fiber by fiber.