i got in a great road ride thanksgiving morning, the bike felt great and it was good to be home on the machine that took me so many places this year, the sun was out and that made the 35 degree air feel a bit warmer. i did a mellow little loop around loveland and made a great pitstop at starbucks for a gingerbread latte, it was amazing, i sat inside enjoying my beverage, radiohead playing on the mp3, the perfect little break on a chilly ride. the legs were good, the lungs a bit gummy, even now as i write this i feel the little cookies lingering in the upper reaches of my chest. whenever i get to ride after a little break (this one was 3 weeks of only commutes, no real training) i remember just how much i enjoy the bike, i appreciate the luck i have to be able to enjoy this beautiful machine in any weather. thanksgiving is a very odd holiday, followed by my least favorite holiday, xmas. i don't know much about holidays in other countries but it seems odd to have a meal be the center of the day (thanksgiving), no real celebration of the history behind this day just a big meal and way too much food. i know that i'm a bit of scrooge when it comes to holidays, i really don't like the crass commercialism that seems to override the real meaning of a holiday. i wonder if it's like this in europe, or africa or south america? do they blow a months pay on gifts for family and friends that would prefer just time spent together, or maybe that's just me, i'd want that instead. as a kid i never liked the way i felt around the holidays, i always wanted this or that, almost to the point where i expected those over priced presents, at some point, about age 10 or so i realized that i didn't really deserve to get all the gifts that were given to me. i started to feel even more sheepish around the holidays, then i got to the point where i resented the whole process all together. now with little b in the picture i have to insulate him from my dislike of commercial holidays. he shouldn't have to see the world through his father eyes. thanks for letting me vent......

i got in a great road ride thanksgiving morning, the bike felt great and it was good to be home on the machine that took me so many places this year, the sun was out and that made the 35 degree air feel a bit warmer. i did a mellow little loop around loveland and made a great pitstop at starbucks for a gingerbread latte, it was amazing, i sat inside enjoying my beverage, radiohead playing on the mp3, the perfect little break on a chilly ride. the legs were good, the lungs a bit gummy, even now as i write this i feel the little cookies lingering in the upper reaches of my chest. whenever i get to ride after a little break (this one was 3 weeks of only commutes, no real training) i remember just how much i enjoy the bike, the process, making sure i have enough layers, venting options, pumping up the tires, i appreciate the luck i have to be able to enjoy this beautiful machine in any weather. thanksgiving is a very odd holiday, followed by my least favorite holiday, xmas. i don't know much about holidays in other countries but it seems odd to have a meal be the center of the day (thanksgiving), no real celebration of the history behind this day just a big meal and way too much food. i know that i'm a bit of scrooge when it comes to holidays, i really don't like the crass commercialism that seems to override the real meaning of a holiday. i wonder if it's like this in europe, or africa or south america? do they blow a months pay on gifts for family and friends that would prefer just time spent together, or maybe that's just me, i'd want that instead. as a kid i never liked the way i felt around the holidays, i always wanted this or that, almost to the point where i expected those over priced presents, at some point, about age 10 or so i realized that i didn't really deserve to get all the gifts that were given to me. i started to feel even more sheepish around the holidays, then i got to the point where i resented the whole process all together. now with little b in the picture i have to insulate him from my dislike of commercial holidays. he shouldn't have to see the world through his father eyes. thanks for letting me vent......

i got in a great road ride thanksgiving morning, the bike felt great and it was good to be home on the machine that took me so many places this year, the sun was out and that made the 35 degree air feel a bit warmer. i did a mellow little loop around loveland and made a great pitstop at starbucks for a gingerbread latte, it was amazing, i sat inside enjoying my beverage, radiohead playing on the mp3, the perfect little break on a chilly ride. the legs were good, the lungs a bit gummy, even now as i write this i feel the little cookies lingering in upper reaches of my chest. whenever i get to ride after a little break (this one was 3 weeks of only commutes, no real training) i remember just how much i enjoy the bike, the process, making sure i have enough layers, venting options, pumping up the tires, i appreciate the luck i have to be able to enjoy this beautiful machine in any weather. thanksgiving is a very odd holiday, followed by my least favorite holiday, xmas. i don't know much about holidays in other countries but it seems odd to have a meal be the center of the day (thanksgiving), no real celebration of the history behind this day just a big meal and way too much food. i know that i'm a bit of scrooge when it comes to holidays, i really don't like the crass commercialism that seems to override the real meaning of a holiday. i wonder if it's like this in europe, or africa or south america? do they blow a months pay on gifts for family and friends that would prefer just time spent together, or maybe that's just me, i'd want that instead. as a kid i never liked the way i felt around the holidays, i always wanted this or that, almost to the point where i expected those over priced presents, at some point, about age 10 or so i realized that i didn't really deserve to get all the gifts that were given to me. i started to feel even more sheepish around the holidays, then i got to the point where i resented the whole process all together. now with little b in the picture i have to insulate him from my dislike of commercial holidays. he shouldn't have to see the world through his father eyes. thanks for letting me vent......

the days with beckham are getting better and better, he was a blast yesterday, we went to the post office, ran some other errands hung out at the coffee shops and generally enjoyed the day. he didn't cry once, we met shaubie for lunch and she gave the boy a boobie, we apent the afternoon listening tp music and then at the coffee shop for more relaxing. he sat in the car while we were driving errands and he was talked to me the whole time if he wasn't dozed off. maybe because i'm not training right now i have been thinking a lot about skateboarding, the way the board feels when you carve high on the bowl, or nail a landing. i still watch skate videos and hopefully in a few years i can skate with beckham at the local parks. i was thinking about skating pools in ocmd early in the summer before they opened up the resorts to the memorial day crowds. i would get down there right as school was out and have two weeks before the invasion. just wandering from early morning surf sessions to the unguarded pools and back for the evening glass-off. what a life! so far from here, now. i regularly skated a loading dock a few blocks from my house, late one night i ollied perfectly into midair, the board floating just below my feet, i eyed the landing and as i came down my front foot wasn't over the board anymore, i landed and slap! the board went right into my knee on the inside of my left leg, never has cycling brought sharper pain than this. i laid on the ground for a while before i got up the energy to try and skate home, it took a while. other times i would get away with minimal damage, those were the good days, carving a ten foot pool with a light 8 feet up the wall, but the light wasn't there so it was just a hole in the wall. carving frontside and backside over that hole and looking down at it is a feeling i'll never forget. enjoy non-motorized wheels today!

last night was tough, i'm dealing with the fact that cross is over for me and that i need to take a break, but i heard that the weather down in denver/boulder was crappy and all i wanted to do was prep the bikes for a muddy day. sit down, breathe, remember that the new season isn't far off. the fact remains on my ride home last night i felt as though my lungs were cooked from the inside out, just fried. i could barely ride at a good pace up through town, just blown. maybe in the sickness that's been going through me and everybody else in colorado there is a bit of bronchitis. nothing else i've had feels like that. another week then it's back to the road machine. long slow miles, no real efforts until after the first of the year. little b was pissed at 4 am when he woke, not really understanding why he couldn't get a booby. the feedings are too frequent says the doctor, so that means less sleep for the rest of us. we all were pretty beat when it came time really wake up and go to work. number one just sat on the couch and watched as b got his lenses and then fell into him, hugging his head, jackson looked very tired. but of course he let b hug him and talk to him. this morning i rode a new bit of singletrack, it makes the ride in a bit more interesting, nothing great just a steep little drop on a trail down to a lower road. it was cool in secret pre-dawn light, my little cateye doing just enough to point out the drops and bigger rocks. i hope i can run into town and get a bagel and some good coffee, i didn't get to eat breakfast, i got back to sleep about 5.15 and chose rest over food.

last night was tough, i'm dealing with the facts that cross is over for me and that i need to take a break, but i heard that the weather down in denver/boulder was crappy and all i wanted to do was prep the bikes for a muddy day. sit down, breathe, remember that the new season isn't far off. the fact remains on my ride home last night i felt as though my lungs were cooked from the inside out, just fried. i could barely ride at a good pace up through town, just blown. maybe in the sickness that's been going through me and everybody else in colorado there is a bit of bronchitis. nothing else i've had feels like that. another week then it's back to the road machine. long slow miles, no real efforts until after the first of the year. little b was pissed at 4 am when he woke, not really understanding why he couldn't get a booby. the feedings are too frequent says the doctor, so that means less sleep for the rest of us. we all were pretty beat when it came time really wake up and go to work. number one just sat on the couch and watched as b got his lenses and then fell into him, hugging his head, jackson was having no fun, he looked very tired. but of course he let b hug him and talk to him. this morning i rode a new bit of singletrack, it makes the ride in a bit more interesting, nothing great just a steep little drop on a trail down to a lower road. it was cool in secret pre-dawn light, my little cateye doing just enough to point out the drops and bigger rocks. i didn't get to eat breakfast, i slept until 6 and had to leave straight away after contacts.

last night was tough, i'm dealing with the facts that cross is over for me and that i need to take a break, but i heard that the weather down in denver/boulder was crappy and all i wanted to do was prep the bikes for a muddy day. sit down, breathe, remember that the new season isn't far off. the fact remains on my ride home last night i felt as though my lungs were cooked from the inside out, just fried. i could barely ride at a good pace up through town, just blown. maybe in the sickness that's been going through me and everybody else in colorado there is a bit of bronchitis. nothing else i've had feels like that. another week then it's back to the road machine. long slow miles, no real efforts until after the first of the year. little b was pissed at 4 am when he woke, not really understanding why he couldn't get a booby. the feedings are too frequent says the doctor, so that means less sleep for the rest of us. we all were pretty beat when it came time really wake up and go to work. number one just sat on the couch and watched as b got his lenses and then fell into him, hugging his head, jackson was having no fun, he looked very tired. but of course he let b hug him and talk to him. this morning i rode a new bit of singletrack, it makes the ride in a bit more interesting, nothing great just a steep little drop on a trail down to a lower road. it was cool in secret pre-dawn light, my little cateye doing just enough to point out the drops and bigger rocks. i didn't get to eat breakfast, i slept until 6 and had to leave straight away after contacts.

after two days of driving (i'm trying to sell the car, the lot at work has high volume) i decided that i'd had enough, i got on the bike at 5.15 and rolled out, i felt great! i hate to drive. the bike felt good, my pack sat well on my shoulders and the roads and path weren't that icy! no wildlife today, just a few weird sounds from the woods. i was reading an article on former belgian national cross coach eric de vlaeminck, who has no kind words for the current national coach rudy de bie in the gazette von antwerpen: ‘he came from the mountain bike scene, the enemy of the cyclocrossers! it upsets me that he still combines the two?' i know belgians have a special heart for cross but why would he say that of a sport that can offer so much to cycling and bring people in from other avenues. does he dislike bmx? i know road is a religion and cross a sort of schism from road but i think a little bit of understanding is due on the part of mr. de vlaeminck. great dinner last night! merlin hooked us up big-time, we had an amazing meal, good food and good company, i hope i didn't offend tim's new girlfriend too much, shaubie and i were being our typical selves. we had room to go plenty lower! without travis there we were able to keep it a bit above the belt, whenever you throw him in the salad can have a lot more bite! hopefully soon we can have another night of true humor, the whole crew with the gloves off! not a whole lot of sleep last night, b woke at about 10, 12 and then 2, pretty rough go. he wasn't in the mood to allow us to get rest, it didn't help that we were out late (9.30) i love being old! then i made shaubie get up at 5 to put in the lenses before i left for work. ride your damn bike

first day

first day excitement on the hill, i rode pretty well, the 9 inches of fresh snow didn't hurt. a few glory turns where the snow wasn't touched, little bit of float and the unweighted board moving through uncut snow. the day was good, cold, windy and soft snow normally don't go together but not in this case. the chair ride was entertaining, todd and travis recounting past conquests (not snow related) always makes for good time passing. the run was enjoyable solitude, short radius turns on the side where the good snow could be found and a song playing in my head, most of the day it was some outkast, no real music just one of the thousand tvs in my head playing sound instead of video. my gear is pretty worked but i was warm and happy in my jacket and pants. maybe i'll acquire some new stuff soon. little b is on a roll, three really good days in a row, just a happy laughing kid all day. we survived our days together far better than previous weeks and i had a bit of sadness going to work thinking i won't see him until 4.30 this afternoon. the boy amazes me, he relaxed his eyes on cue to allow the lenses in today and then he just was quiet while i put them in. if shaubie could get over her strep life in the house would be ideal, until then that is our one hurdle, keeping everyone healthy! ride well

i tried to play football last night with a few brits, it's not that i didn't play, it's that i didn't play well. i was also oddly winded at strange times, i'm an athlete, this stuff shouldn't hurt me, it's indoor soccer for god sakes! i can run around a gym and be fine. the mexican guys we played weren't very good, they were just better than us. for whatever reason the brits wouldn't really pass me the ball, i could pass it to them after a turnover but i couldn't really get it back. i think i maybe had one shot the whole game and that was in the first minute or so of play. i tried to control the ball and allow the play to happen but i couldn't find my rhythm. at least i had a great ride to work today, the trails had two more inches and the tracks were just mine. i did see evidence of a bear dragging a bunch of garbage out of the hood into the trails to snack. it looked like he got a good meal the way rubbish was spread all over. i'm waiting to see first snowshoe hare tracks of the season, they make me happy. i love to watch those guys run, perfect grace and speed over the snow. i wish i could move that well over snow. little b is weathering his first winter pretty well, he doesn't seem to like the room at his daycare center, whenever he's there he cries and if they walk with him towards the door he stops crying, they said that he's a bit young for that kind of association, but look who's raising him. i don't blame him i'd rather be home too. he likes to go for walks as long as he stays warm, the contrasts with the snow and the trees really fascinate him. i love to watch his eyes follow contrasting trees and logs on the ground. he loves to talk, it seems if he's awake he's saying something, the best is when he wakes up in the morning he just sits in his crib and talks to the room. as long as you let him sit there he doesn't cry he just talks.