V18: Riding With (a) Purpose

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I've been tending shop at Volker on 18th St. while Britton is busy with other things. It feels great to be commuting to work again! Road training gets stale quickly and it's hard to get motivated, but having a goal, a pursose, a mission, a destiny(!) keeps it intersting. Depending on my route, it's between 17 and 20 miles down there, so I'm getting almost 40 miles a day. Sometimes I take it easy, sometimes I go hard. No worries, just good fun miles- all on the old winter SS.
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We got some brand new Velocity Blunt SL 29 rims in and I built them up around C-4 hubs. Wow, are these things light! I have Blunts on my 650B and I was curious how the SL version would look. They are a bit narrower than the regular Blunt but are still wider than most XC rims. Also the rim is flattened in profile at the nipple holes instead of having a shallow point- it looks much more finished and solid. If you have a disc-specific cross frame, these would be da bomb.
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How great is wool? Seriously. I'm not one of those weirdo Wazis. I wear plastic clothes quite alot, but yesterday it was 33 when I left in the morning and 60 when I returned home. I wore Swrve knicks and a bamboo t-shirt with a wool Volker jersey- same thing, both rides- and was perfectly comfy. Awesome! If you don't have any Swrve clothing, you're life is missing something.

SL-M732

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This Shimano shifter is the first piece of my new bike. It's the only thing left of one of the first mountain bikes I ever owned- a sparkly purple Specialized Rockhopper bought at a pawn shop in Manhattan, KS in 1995. It will come back to life soon. I haven't got much nailed down yet but I'm thinking 4-5" travel frame with 120mm up front. I want XC handling and lightness. The XT thumbie will be the centerpeice of a 1X8 drivetrain featuring a shortcage (Dura Ace maybe?) deraileur. With a 13-23 or 26 cassette, it's high and tight gearing but after riding SS for the last 10 years, 8 speeds should be more than sufficient.
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Rode WYCO Lake yesterday and picked my way through some of the new trails. Those trails are coming together nicely. Just need about double the milage and WYCO will be fantastic. Speaking of fantastic trails...
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I met Tom Park at Swope this morning and we had a great ride. He was on his 29er SS and I was on my 650 SS. Speeds seemed to match up nicely between us and Tom is a great bike handler so it's a breeze to ride with him. I gotta get out there waaay more than a couple of times a year.
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I pulled my foot out on a tech section and tweaked the back of my leg on something- I guess I whacked it on the empty pedal. It's tightened up quite a bit since I got home. I'll see if I can keep it loose for tomorrow's race. If it's too tight, I won't race. In years past I wouldn't even give it a thought, but with money being tight, I don't want to throw away 35 bucks on a show-n-go. It sucks, but that's the reality of the situation.

Boss Cross Day 2

More fun times.
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4th in Masters and 5th in SS today. I was tired after yesterday's effort and there were some fresh guys that showed up. Went hard all the way through the Masters race and then wasn't feeling real great about another round of pain after that. I lined up and decided I'd do what I could in the SS- my fourth race of the weekend. I went hard all the way through, so I'm happy with my weekend.
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It was a hard shock to the system. A good one.

Boss Cross Day 1

Fun course. Spectrum of variety. Great to be on the bike going hard and racing again.
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Got 5th in Masters. Those old dudes are fast! WTF??
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2nd behind Kent W. in the SS. TCPC went 1-2-3-4 with Britton finishing in 3rd and Lyles in 4th. Rad! Britton and I rode together most of the race. I gassed out and had to take it down with 2 laps to go but Britton stayed with me and made me earn it at the finish. That dude is a good team mate.
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More racing tomorrow. I feel good tonight but I know 4 hard races with all that sand running is going to have me on the floor Monday or Tuesday. Oh well-oh well-oh well...

Boss Cross 1-2 Pre

Rode over to the BC course at Barry Platte this afternoon. Looks a lot like past editions but some different corners. Some wicked off camber stuff with roots looks to be challenging and fun. Long stretches of sand. Looking forward to racing tomorrow for the first time in a oolong time. If you want to see how cross is done right, come out tomorrow. Or else miss out- dummy!
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I haven't been training at all. I used to train like a Pro but I outgrew that shit. Mostly just been going out and doing fun rides wherever and whenever I feel like it. Not sure if that exactly the BrettS plan but it's gotta be close. Anyway, I'll have fun tomorrow mos def.
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I live about 3 miles from Barry Platte so I'm planning to pack a bag and ride one bike and ghost the other over. That way I won't have to drive- that's a good day already! See you there.

Royal Jelly

I've got a malfunction in which my body does not create a certain enzyme that aids in the detoxification of my system. In particular, I'm low on enzyme UGT1A1 which causes me to have a high level of unconjucated bilirubin. Normally it's quite forgettable and it's not an issue but when I have an episode, I feel exhausted, tired, and very low on energy due to the increased toxicity in my system.
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I was diagnosed about 15 years ago and haven't really had to give it much thought except for a couple of times. However, over the last week I've really got into bad shape. I'm sleeping 12-14 hours a day and still need more. Can't ride more than 5-10 miles without just about completely shutting down. It even fatigues me to walk up and down the stairs.
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I've never tried to do anything about it before b/c I was told there was no remedy and that it was a very mild and harmless condition. Well, to most people it probably is, but as a cyclist- particularly one building for late season form- it's frustrating bordering on infuriating. So, I've done the requisite internet research and came across a few bits of witchcraft.
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The first thing I'm trying is Royal Jelly. It's super-honey. It's the superpower stuff that a regular bee is fed in order to transform it into a queen bee. It really does that! Supposedly the B vitamins in it counteract my enzyme deficiency and the other stuff in it is super energy food. It's like crack honey. I'll try it for a month or so, or until the jar is gone and see what happens. At the very least it's got great natural sugar and carbs. Hitting some of this stuff just before a race start might be just the thing. I don't think there is a test for it yet...

Arkanthaw Reprise

When me and the boys did our annual Arkanthaw trip this winter, I missed out on the epic Womble day due to illness. I rode Letherwood and Syllamo our first two days but then got deathly ill on our drive down to Hot Springs and spent the next two days firehosing out both ends (once again, my apologies, guys). I can't begin to tell you how terrible it was sitting in the car at the Womble trailhead watching everyone else roll away for a 6-hour singletrack adventure.
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So... the other day, Michaela told me she has to attend a certification class for her job and it's in Little Rock, and would I like to come along and bring my bike? Well, there's only one answer to that question! We'll be down there from Monday through Thursday. Weather looks great except for a chance of T-storms on Tuesday. I can work around that. The plan is to hit Vista, Womble, Burns, and Camp Robinson.
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I've been spending some time this winter/spring trying to figure out some routes where I can get at least 100 feet of climbing per mile. I hadn't been able to hit that mark until today where I got 2600 feet in on 23.5 miles. I hit all four lakes in my area- Waukomis, Houston, Riss, and Weatherby and the bumby terrain in between was enough for me to hit my goal. I have another route that nets me 3600 feet in 38 miles but I'd really like to find something that's 4000+ in 40+ miles. There are some great hills between Plate City and Smithville that I haven't logged yet, so maybe I'll get my 4k-40 or even a 5k-50 out of some of that. Need that and some strategic headwinds to train for Hermann.
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Yeah, the ride today in the cold and wind reminded me why we pack up and take our mtbs to Arkansas every winter. Kaze ano nyuh hyakoo!!

The Airplane Move (truth be told)

First off, I heard that Plastic Pie is going to possibly include a speed metal version of "Sin Wagon" by Dixie Chicks on their next album, Pink Pencil. Think about that.
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How have I lived this long without a propane torch??
... Hmmm, I think I just answered my own question.
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Just tonight- yes, just tonight- I discovered that the valve is variable on the side carbeurator. It takes me awhile on some things. Kinda like, I realized just tonight- just tonight!- that my favorite album of all time is Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy (for just tonight).
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What's your favorite TooL song?
...I bet it's not what you just thought of.
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The great thing about TooL is that if you're kickin' it and you're loading up a playlist and you throw some TooL in the mix and then you start getting into it halfway through the song... you got lots of time to fetch some more.
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Here's a quote that can come in mighty handy in just the right situation. This is from one of my favorite people of all time:
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"Get your clammy cabbage collectors offa me!!"
-Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane

It's all nice on ice, alright

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I've kept myself buried in the underworld of Autumn Ridge- particularly in one small hole- since the beginning of the year. The good news is that it's starting to look like a house done there. The bad news is that the Northland is quickly running out of beer. The sauna is working marvelously, so I'm told. GF loves it. I haven't been in it yet. Perhaps this summer when it's blistering hot out I'll feel like a relaxing squat in a 150 degree wooden box. I only crave ice cream in the winter.
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Been listening to a lot of Modest Mouse while I work. Mixing in some Jim & Jenny, Ry Cooder and Kings of Leon too. Kings of Leon-ha! I know. Actually, their first record, Youth & Young Manhood is quite good. It's like a diet version of Motorhead with the oil removed and replaced with extract of Dead Milkmen. But now, obviously, their Cliff Burton has died- which is the musical equivalent of TV's jumping the shark.
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My shimano pedals have seen more bottle caps this year than cleats. That'll change soon. Our first TCPC ride is Saturday and we've pretty much got rides scheduled every weekend hence into eternity. It should be a super team this year assuming everyone is who I think they are. I haven't been riding much. I haven't been outside much except to shovel the drive.

I Hate Squirrels, Part 3

I ran over another squirrel today. I was at the front-right of a double paceline with a dozen guys behind me. So, when I saw the squirrel shoot out onto the road, I held my line and hoped for the best. The best would've been for the little dude to turn a 180 and head AWAY from the approaching swarm of maniacal machines- but we're talking about a squirrel here... with a squirrel-sized brain... and a squirrel's sense of mortality. So, the critter darted into our path and I got him with my front tire right across the back- Wha-WAMM! We all rode on and all was cool except my front fender took a hit and was jarred lose.
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Other than that, the Belton Gravel Grinder was awesome. Great to be out on the bike mos def. Well, I had a another spoke break but I simply took that as a sign that I need to start losing weight and training again. The Grinder, yes, was very good. John Williams put together a great route that took us from Belton to Drexel and back. We passed through this weird little kitchy old towne (really weird) place on the way to Drexel. But that's par for the course in sub-rural Missouri. I love that stuff. Kansas is so purpose-built and to-the-point. Missouri is queer... because it can be, I suppose.