Not much writing lately, not that I lack topic but lack of opportunity. The Tour has been eating up a big chunk of my time. Not entirely rooting for Lance but impressed to no end with the show Postal is putting on. My own riding is taking up the other bits of time. I raced as a member of a team at Xterra Keystone yesterday. Our swimmer was really strong, and my ride wasn't too bad, but all down after all up isn't the best for me. I suffered though after a good climb, our runner did a good effort too. I may be getting some form back, another week real training and hopefully I can get something together.

Rain

I like it, I feel better about life when it makes training a bit harder. No that I don't enjoy the sunny days but the wet ones are just special. I'm riding at about a third grade level right now, I need to get back into form. I'm just slow. Volume and some good long hard days after a bit and maybe I can get it all together for Estes. Hopefully I can just ride a lot more than I have been and  the form will come, it always does.   This morning was great, little bit of rain from last night made the roads more fun and the spray woke me up quickly, nothing like road grime to slap you into the day. Long loop into work and I feel better already.

Some days I actually get stuff done. Errands and the stuff I need to do are done. Beckham makes these tasks more fun, he helps me find the stuff I can't in the grocery and laughs at me when some idiot from Texas cuts me off. I wish they all didn't drive like this is Disneyland. I have food in the house, I will overwhelm Brian, he can't have all my food, I need some of it. Good snacks and cereal, Cokes for when I feel the need for junk, a great source for a few hundred calories. I still feel a bit weak, the food helps but I wonder if the bugs will let me go.

Better

The yuck is almost gone from my system. Two naps today and some yard work were the order with a light spin with B in the Burley. Good overall but still really lethargic, I wonder if it is CFS. I'll see if I can eat my way out. Saturday is big, I'll maybe skip the local series race Wednesday in favor of rest and good form for Saturday. I'll be happy to ride a fun course that I know. Good dinner of chicken and salad, I want to eat more just no more crap, I get sick of the junk but I need the calories, same old game. Brian is working overtime again.

Sick

I guess it started thursday or was it wednesday, and then it just got bad. Weird stomach stuff that made me want to sleep for days. I didn't throw up, I hate to throw up, I turn my whole body inside out. Some people can get it out with little effort. Not me. I went home, after a pretty hateful 2 hours at work. A solid day of sleep/rest got rid of most of it. Now the demons are fading, no longer tugging at my system as hard. I still don't feel 100%, odd.

A.M.

Riding in today listening to the Beta Band I saw Dr. Hotplate. Dr. Hotplate is a woman we see around town who Shaubie says is a doctor of some sort, but she seems to have an eating disorder, hence her nickname to us, she needs a "hotplate of food." So I see her all the time when I am going to work and she is totally emaciated, running in the middle of the road at 5 in the morning. It's one of those things you notice in a place you know very well, the freaks just seem to stand out a bit more. I really wonder what the real story is, we have no clue whether or not she is a doctor, I hope not a shrink b/c who'd take advice from a freak like that? Watching her run on those little legs that look to be the size of my arms in kind of comical in a "Bushmen of the Serengeti" kind of way. I half expect to see a wilderbeast up the road with a spear sticking out of its side. Eat a donut today.

50

I did it. I finished the Firecracker 50 in about four hours and twenty minutes. Not bad. I got a good start and looking back I don't think I started too hard, better to be more in front early than havng to pass them later. I had the squirrels cheering for me and the mockingbirds in my corner. Unlike the other day they wanted me to do well, a good ride for sure, I had figured on a decent effort. The bike was great, I'm pretty sure no one that beat me was on an older bike, My 1998 WTB Ti Phoenix was one of the classiest that I saw among the geared crowd. The singles have a style all their own. Cruising around the course made me feel good, finishing was a good accomplishment, not that the thought of stopping ever creeped in. After finishing I had similar feleing to my first big race at Mount Snow 11 years ago. Kind of spent emotion, maybe fatigue makes me emotional? Now I feel tired but not absolutley fried.

Talk to the Animals

An afternoon delight, I rode through some fun singletracks I normally only race. I watched some guys go through the freeride park. I continued up the mountain to the good stuff I knew, dashing into and out of the good trails on the hill, working my way up and up. I ended up riding trails that were new to me, flying through the tree tunnels and coming out in new spots and clearings. Riding alone with music going on fast singletrack was great, I was losing myself, floating over the trails. Squirrels yelling at me, cheering me on, fox snickering at my lack of skills, deer chewing their lunch and wondering how I go through the woods so slowly. Above the din of the iPod the animals talked through it, keeping me aware of the right way to go and admonishing me for the wrong. I was my own Dr. Doolittle on fat tires. Trees laid down in front of me angry at their friends being cut, trying to trip me up. Bunnyhopping the wood, avoiding the punjis sticking out, smiling all the way.

Technology

I vacillate back and forth between liking the new stuff and wanting to return to the simplest equipment. I have a blast riding the fixy, I love to be so connected to the bike. The new forks and rear suspension are cool but I prefer my hardtail. Riding last night on the trails was great, I am forever amazed at how high up you can get on a mtb within a short time. We got to treeline and back within 90 minutes and that was the long way, the views of the valley were incredible! I have a new fork on the mtb and it works well but it is so tempermental, I didn't have the one knob adjusted just right and it felt the same as a rigid fork. Then when it was adjusted properly it felt much more plush. A single speed mtb is the best of both worlds, simplicity while embracing new technology in materials. On the road I'll take my fix gear anyday.

Half lap on the Firecracker course tonight. Very fun to get that far up near treeline and see the whole valley below. Great trails, perfect with all of the recent rain and snow they are in great shape. Little critters getting to gather dinner without dodging lightning hail and rain. Life is good, 50 miles on Sunday, no trouble.