i’ve been out riding almost everyday for the past two weeks and i am loving it.  my muscles are sore and my mind is fresh, i think i am completely decompressed from work right now.  i haven’t been writing because…. well, i guess i kind of been in my own little world.  i don’t know how to exaplain it really.  today i finally feel like writing again because when i was out riding the backbone yesterday when a couple of things happened that really irritated me.

first item

i was riding “whitey” [my white bike],  do you remember whitey, the bike with the drop bars and the 5 speed internal sram hub?  this bike has been kicking butt.  i’ve been riding it on every trail, and i can now do just about everything that my 29’r can do.   so it’s still kind of early in the season and i am very much out of shape….as are a lot of people out on the trail.  i was climbing this really steep section that has a hair-pin rock step at the top. i was very much out of breath by the time i  got to the step, so i couldn’t do it.  i turned back so i could redo that section, but without resting i went right up again, and had a little difficulty clipping in, and failed once more.  i turned back one more time, and i could see that there were some women hikers coming up the trail.  i stopped a little longer so they could get in front of me and i wouldn’t have to pass me again.  as they got closer one of the ladies started talking to me, i would guess that she was about 38 y/o.  she starts talking to me…. “don’t worry i can’t do that section either [when i mtb]”  who the fuck is the lady?!?!? who does she think she is talking to?!?!  how could that possibly make me feel good?  in my world this would be like me telling lance armstrong, “that’s ok i couldn’t win the ny marathon either”.  she also, told me that her husband could do it, and he claims that the way to go in on the left.  she let me go in front of them, and i took off and up the right side cleaned it and kept going.   i hate crap like that.

second item

i pass these two guys on mountain bikes. one guy is much better than his partner, so he waits a lot.  i passed his friend first, and while the other is waiting i pass him.   i’m going pretty fast but manage to glance back and see that the other guys is behind me….but still a couple of turns off.   i keep going until i come across a cyclist going up hill.  i pull over and let hime pass. the guy following me pulls up behind me and waits as well.  just before i get ready to take off, i asked this guy if i was holding him back and if he wanted to go in front of me.  i knew i wasn’t but since we were both starting at the same time i thought i would be polite.  he said, ‘just a little, i got a little more travel than you.” so let him pass me, and stayed right on his slow ass the whole time.  when we got to the up hill,  this guy was no where to be seen.

i guess in the big picture of cycling i am glad i had those experiences  today.  it’s been a while since i’ve gotten fired up on my mountain bike.

…to running over it’s fingers with with my monster jeep. well it’s been a very very busy work month. i haven’t had a weekend off for three or four weekends now. in the mean time my son’s car broke down, and i had to loan him my car so he can get to swim practice, and so he can take his brothers around to their practices. anyway, the ceo of our company, found out [because i told him :)], and loaned me his monster jeep.

this thing is so tall and so low geared that i could probably crush a car no problem. the kids love it and want me to buy it. last night the kids wanted me to drive up a snow bank at the parking lot…. heh. i chickened out. hopefully i’ll be on my bike again. i haven’t been riding my bike to work because i am tired! yes, you heard me “tired” i’ve been coming home after 10pm almost everyday, and i just don’t feel like riding home everyday at that time, and waking up the next morning to ride in.

so there i was, 43 minutes into my 45 minute roller episode listening to lemon jelly when their song called “experiment number 6″ started playing… this is a weird song; it talks about pulse rates, pupils dilating, body temperature, and blood pressure accompanied by a heavy techno beat.  all while i am sweating profusely just trying to finish my set. it’s actually a very good song to listen to when your very tired.