No Giro next week...

...to watch so I'll spend the first few days scrounging for that "fix" of some kinda racing.  It's been cool waking up, fixing coffee, stretching then settling into a morning here in front of the computer and a mixture of screens....check it out:

The Giro is getting exciting....and I won't be here for the deciding stages.  When they go up the Stelvio, I'll be waking up in a tent and prepping everything for a day of racing....or a day of partying with some bike racing thrown in.

My pick for the Giro??  Hesjedal.  He's still right there in the mix, not far off and has the team that can time trial the BEST.  Sure, Hesjedal could use some cushion if he'd jump on the mountains but I don't think ANYONE but Pozzavivo can walk away on the mountains.  Hesjedal has marked Rodriguez.  Basso can't do anything but motor up the climb....and he's just breaking anyone down like he used to.  No doubt, the lack of the better drugs is evening out the field.

My HOPE for an upset?  Uran.  That Colombian has shown he is gonna be HELL to deal with and if he's fresh tomorrow or Saturday, he is the closest to having to a good team for the time trial.  Rodriguez??  Even he knows his team can't time trial as well.  Basso?? He brought a ton of climbers on the hopes that he would pull a climbing breakaway as he did in the days of old.  Scarponi??  Enh...he's a damn good bike racer but he's not got the team.



Yesterday was a good ride and another exercise in pedaling.  After pedaling easy out to the spillway, I really couldn't get into the idea of hitting the Seven Summits of West End.  The training plan said 4x 3 min uphill intervals.  There's nothing longer than 2 minutes in West End....plus the traffic is murder.  And at 4 pm, it would suck.  So I hit Reynolds Park Blvd.

One mile at 2.1% grade isn't alot....but it was 3 minutes worth of pain.  I found myself in Zone 5 on the last three.  The first one was just ALL OUT....mashing pedals, hurting all over.  I barely made it past Butler Street.  The second one was better but still I just MASHED the pedals, 75-80 rpms.   I made it WELL past Butler but was decidedly more wasted.

For the last two, I focused on keeping my cadence HIGH, 90+ rpms.  For the third, I settled in after a hard stomp, watched my HR jump in Zone 5.  I knew I was doing well as I passed Butler with 20, 25 seconds to go.  The Strava data shows it being slower....I don't remember it being that way.  I went just as far as before....but it wouldn't happen again.  For the fourth interval, I spun it up but I had a noticeable drop in power.  90+ rpms and I wasn't speeding up.  I geared down, kept it high but as I passed the work shed, I felt more speed come on.  Gearing up I kept punching but by the time the bike lane ended, I was SUFFERING.  Zone 5 and climbing, I passed Butler and kept digging.  I had to shut down a bit closer than before.  The data shows I started sooner too.  Enh....computers.  Bah.

Today, I rest.  I found an old book stretching and these deeper moves have made a BIG difference.  This morning I felt fresher, more flexible.  I practiced a few more and held em' much longer than the yoga videos had been suggesting.  I dig watching Rodney Yee and Mariel Hemingway but....I just wasn't get anywhere.  Today I feel like I got somewhere as far as mobility.



I should be back tomorrow morning but it'll be short.  I'm putting in a few more hours this morning, wrapping up some projects then I'll start prepping the bike, equipment and camping gear.  Tonight will be spent cooking pasta, baking brownies...not special brownies, just brownies.  We're heading up WAY early to get a good camping spot...possibly the first time ever my team will be on the exit near the woods.

Stay tuned....there should be tons of great tales by Tuesday AM.  Monday may be a no-show - Meghan is off, I've not seen her ALL week since she's been in Nashville.  Even though she comes back in town tomorrow, it won't be til WELL AFTER I'm in Wilkesboro.  Monday will be spent with her....

Later.

I thought I had this pedaling thing down...

...but yesterday I learned I do NOT.  After a looooonnnnnggg day of designing, installating, phone-call-fielding and various bullshit sessions, I got on the bike earlier than planned.  The radar showed various clouds of rain coming in.  Lewisville was out - rain was coming in there by 7.  GSO was out - rain was rolling in there already @ 5:30.  I decided to take on a 28 mile route into Davidson.  It looked like if I would hit it a bit hard I could be back home before the storms rolled in for the evening.

Suited up, equipped with two bottles and a pack of Shot Blocks, I set out.  Crossing the road at Peters Creek was a bit hairy as it always is but soon I was over on Hutton and warming up down the greenway.  Or trying to warm up.  My legs felt a bit stiff....especially the left one which had been showing some weird twinge since Sunday.  I rolled through, kicked it hard up the Salem Lake hill (which didn't register on Strava....so my effort to better my Strave segment failed...) and tried to recover.  My lungs and legs weren't having any part of it.

Onto Peachtree then Reynolds Park Blvd, I turned onto Butler to get outta town sooner.  Butler was MUCH hillier than I expected and I was suffering.  My first effort to motor in my typical fashion was futile - no legs.  Somehow, my Garmin is picking up cadence again and I decided earlier in the ride to keep my cadence high in the 90's, REALLY high for me.  But up Butler, I slowed.  My HR wasn't climbing, my breathing wasn't deep and pushing with my legs wasn't happening.  I just attributed it to my penchant for long warm-ups and went on about my business.

Onto Waughtown, left on Brindle, Williard Road came up quick and this was one road I didn't want to waste.  Rolling the flat section @ 20-something, my cadence was high but I was very relaxed.  Pushing harder was possible but I wasn't gaining much by doing so.  Up the first roller fast, I stayed on the gas, feeling a little better.  Down then up the longer one, I slowed.  I give it a bit more of a kick and topped it as well at a good clip.  Then it turned up for the last piece.  I tried to hold a good cadence....and POP.  I was slowing down and done.

Okay, so you see the pattern?  Flat roads, I'm fine.  Uphills, my legs give up.  Union Cross - good.  Sawmill - slow.  Gumtree - good.  Wallburg - GREAT.  I settled into a high cadence (90-105 rpms) and jsut motored.  I felt good and my HR was good.  Then it was onto 109 then Motsinger - a downhill stretch that allowed me to eat my Shot Blocks.

Motsinger took me to the uphill grind on Old Thomasville....which I just suffered on.  Twice I had thought about quitting early before the 11 mile mark and now, 18 or so miles in, I was pissed for not quitting.  I ground my way to the top....and I'm glad I did.

I roll onto Gumtree for the connection to Old Lexington and once again, I feel strong....as I pedal the flats but I know Old Lexington turns up.  I start studying what is happening.  Each time I go to motor uphill, I'm trying to spin full circles, engaging my glutes for power.  And when I do, I load up with tension, watch my HR scream out the roof and slow to a crawl in tightness and pain.  When I stand though, I can just GO....but it just can't last THAT long.  Not on climbs that might require 3,4, 5 minute efforts.

So I change up my pedaling style.  I focus on pulling through the bottom and LIFTING the pedal on the upstroke.  HOLY SHIT!  I make it to the store in no time but the next stretch of road surprises me.  Down the hill past Teague, I mindfully alter my stroke and just pedal.  No BIG effort, I just pedal smooth....pulling through and up.  I look down and I'm doing 17, then 18, then 19.  My HR is climbing but slowly.  I pop out at Clemmonsville Road and feel GOOD.

Check this out.  I compared the segment on Strava with the last time I did.  Last time I was doing intervals in Zone 4, killing myself to make it up.  Yesterday, I just pedaled smooth.  I was 3 seconds off my pace.

Best I can figure, changing my pedal stroke took ALOT of the pressure off my glutes and quads and passed it along to my hamstrings.  Sad thing is I've known for years that focusing on the BOTTOM of my stroke is more important than the DOWNSTROKE.  I've known it....just didn't practice it so well.  I feel better NOW going into the Burn 24 Hour weekend knowing I won't be wasting my back and shoulders by making myself even more sore than ever.  I'd already planned to do LOTS of stretching and yoga, even carrying in some heat packets and IcyHot to help ease some pain.  At most I'll get 6 laps this weekend...if I'm lucky...but that's only 42 miles, spread out over 24 hours.  It's the "spread" that makes it tough - the sitting down, cooling off between laps that hurts.  Doesn't mean I'm not looking forward to it, just means I have to be mindful of it.

This year I feel like I've got a great team to ride with - Austin, Chris V, Christine, Mike B.  NO ONE in this group is so serious that they're gonna be an asshole if the pace slows....but no one in this group will quit or stop trying either.   More or less, it feels like I'm going to a big party with some friends and there will just happen to be a bike race in the background.

Maybe I'm just complacent as this will be my third Burn.  The first one saw me nervous and blowing up in the middle of the night with cramps and bad legs.  I also bounced back in the early AM.  The second one saw the team lose one then implode - the order of riders got brushed off and in the AM, folks wanted laps and I found myself getting dressed at 10 am.  Enh...

I'm not saying that won't happen this year - it may....but I don't care.  Our plan so far is simple - each person rides ONE lap as fast as possible during the daylight but come dark:30, we switch to slower double laps.  Christine won't be there long....til about 9:00 or so.  If she wants her 6 in the first bit, so be it.  If she doesn't, we'll just go with the plan.  Mike B is coming in around 2:30 or 3, so once he's in, his laps should start adding in.  But the double laps will allow the other three of us to sleep, rest and just get ready for more.  Once daylight comes on Sunday, we'll switch back to singles and push what we can.

Well, I've got to get some breakfast....do some yoga....tote the trash down....and finally do some work.  Things are busy around here.  When I update the blog next week at www.dhdesignco.org, there should be some GREAT stuff to see!!

Later....

After rambling...

...like I did last night on  here, I remembered how much fun this blog has been for me.  It was basically a way to throw down an uninterrupted thought (or thoughtSSSS)...which is something hard to do in most crowds, large, small or even single.  Sorting through things that have happened, are happening or could happen was the fun of it.  Almost like I could let my imagination run as fast as my fingers could type.  Some days my fingers felt my legs on a great day.  Some days my fingers felt like my back does now.

Then it got popular.  Not THAT popular.  The readership of this blog is not huge when put in perspective with REALLY popular blogs.  The stats through a day show 50+ readers most days.  If I link to the Book of Face, it jumps up.  I'm not sure how many people use Google Reader or how many people get the same daily email I get from other folks' blogs.

But I found myself tempering the flow of these musings - making it PC, a bit more in-depth about ride reports and race reports...and kinda bland.  I'm not sure how anyone reading it felt but it was on my mind....in the back of my mind.  First and foremost, it has remained as something of a diary for me.

Last night though, I babbled on and on and on...kinda like this...well, maybe not....

I still get a handful of people coming up to me telling me they read this....and THANKS...so I guess that was when I started thinking about what I write more than I continued to just write.  My head got in the way...and much like my riding, when I think to much I slow down, get stifled and go tame.  Not Taime....like the chubby fella singin' in the video above.

Things have changed since that time - I am now self-unemployed.  Some of the beefs I was carrying around like a big sack of rocks have just dissipated.  Last time I saw a good friend in the grocery store and the topic of a past altercation came up.  It was the first time it had crossed my mind in a month but not more than six months ago, it was on my mind alot.  When we discussed the option of just giving it a "pass", it dawned on me quickly I had...it went sour...and I just decided distance was better than a friendship.  

Since making that conscious decision, life has been just fine....better than before, though.  Meghan would attribute it to the change of jobs.  And that would be true...but I think THAT opened the door to putting even more than just 5 years of crappy employment behind me.

Now I find myself weighing stuff - how long will it last, how soon will I be back in that same situation and rather running away from something, how easy will it be to just see it through.  My direction in life right now is a bit more difficult than it has been but I can proudly say I'm enjoying it more and it's paying off.  DHDCo is doing quite well....something I'm proud of.   Most days I feel good about my riding...even if I don't feel great.

So the philosophy is back.  Like it or not, you're likely to be bombarded with nonsense and ramblings that have no rhyme or reason.  What doesn't make sense today may make sense tomorrow, though.  That's just how my head works...

Later...

Sunday...

...reminded me again why I love riding my mountain bike more than racing.

Okay, let me be clearer.  Sunday reminded me again why I love riding my mountain bike ON THE COOLER TRAILS more than racing ON THE SMOOTHED-OUT PATHS so typical of the NC scene right now.  Mike B and I took off to Westwood Sunday AM (somewhere within the 10 minutes after that guy made it over the forst of four mountains in the Giro Sunday).  I wasn't in the mood to ride really.  I wasn't in the mood to do shit.  Meghan is outta town and although I don't "feel" it in my head, something in me enters this funk.  But I forge through it, load up bikes and head out anyway...

Glad I did.  Westwood was in AMAZING shape...and it's only getting better.  Right away the pace went harder than I wanted but in order to ride Westwood you have to stay on the gas.  Get lazy and it will either pitch you into the weeds or suck the life outta ya as you fight the roots, rocks and short punchy climbs.

I eventually started feeling good and much like Saturday's little hoorah at Hobby, I started mashing bigger gears and stomping up climbs.  The HiFi was outfitted with (yet again) another tire combination - Jones ACX/Bontrager Race Lite & Conti Mtn King / Race Lite in the rear - and I was having fun playing, pushing the tires through the paces.

Surprisingly, the Mtn King felt good - surefooted, didn't bottom out or feel pinchable.  It wasn't getting pitched side-to-side like the Toros were at Hobby either.  Regardless of my crappy line choices it held true.

But the line choices are what make Westwood SO MUCH MORE FUN.  Sometimes, the nasty line is the BEST line.  Right over the roots and wide into a gully.  Stomping it HIGH into a switchback with roots to pop over.  Soaking up bumps at full speed downhill.  Standing through root gardens because ON TOP of em' is faster than going around em'.

The trail personifies what I grew up riding (since my riding "childhood" began at 29) and honestly, I miss it.  I like riding the smoothed out stuff....on days when I don't want to have to focus too deeply.  Sometimes just gettin' out there and stomping pedals, worrying about nothing more than your heart rate and which option to put your tire through is just fine.

Westwood (like most of my favorite trails) isn't like that.  You lose focus, you clip a tree...or slide out...or stall and fall.  Your heart rate is just gonna go where it will because you MUST focus on your line.  Even the newest stuff - the flatter but punchy stuff on the other side of the creek - is demanding.  Given the way these guys build trail, it will wear in and in 10 years, I'll reminisce how it's improved so much.


As far as racing, my stint with Southern Classic seems to be following the same ole path - almost done.  I won't be at Uwharrie....or any of the others except maybe Country Park (and that I do to support Harlowe!) and Dark Mountain.  The rest....enh.  Once this little stint of road riding and the Big Walker Century is over, I'll be back to mountain biking LOTS more....and hunting for road trips.  As much as I dislike traveling all the time, to get in the GOOD miles, you gotta waste some time gettin' there.

The LW Coaching plan pretty much says my weekends will soon become 4-6 hour rides in the woods followed by 4-5 hours on the road.  LONG weekends....but to get ready for Pisgah, it's what I gots to do.  So I'm seeing more trips to Dragon's Tale...Douthat...Pisgah...Old Fort...

Sure there's gonna be weekends where I just won't...or can't.  And on those days, I'll head to Danville or Greensboro...places where I can ride for the full duration and not see the same thing three times.  I've ridden Westwood four times in a row before.  It was MONTHS before I went back, too.

Case in point - USNWC....7 laps in 2008....haven't been back.

But again, what kept me away wasn't desire.  I had the desire....I just didn't have the fitness.  As in the shit with my back is gettin' old.  My shoulders are stinging like they were (thanks, Rob) but the aching is still there.  And will be til I rest, I suppose.  And I will....after tomorrow's race.

I've never been to Ace Speedway.  Ever.  But tomorrow, I'll drive down, line up with the "Crash 5's" and go like hell for 30 minutes.  I hear it's fast....scary fast since most of these guys aren't used to going fast.  If it gets scary, I'll either punch it....or I'll fall off.  I still get credit for racing even if I'm mentally and physically "just making laps".  Of course, I will have shelled out dough for this "lap-making".  Enh...

Flip side, I could blow it off, drop my the Farmer's Market and ride like hell for 90 minutes.  Smarter choice....from a fitness standpoint.  Dumber choice....from my shoulder's perspective.

Yea, I think ya know where I'll be...

Later.

One big dump...

...of photos is my plan for the next week.  Less writing, more pictures...maybe a small write-up if I get in an interesting ride worth taking notes from.  Otherwise, what ya see is what ya get....

...the kitchen is a bit of a mess after making breakfast prior to Meghan jumpin' in the car...

...new chain on the HiFi...

...narrow-as-hell Hutchinson Toro on the front of the HiFi...

...one more chain in the spare parts box...

...leveled the seat up...

...Campy drivetrain on the 'Chunk...

...tell tale signs of leftover water from Tuesday's ride...

...rode wet, put up wet...

...cheapest Candys ever...still spinning...

...front crankset removed...

...more leftover water...

...yep, that's water pouring outta the rear rim...

...the Campy CX10 crankset...one bearing pressed on...

....Campy Chorus that came off....with two pressed on bearings...means I'm one short...

...DT / Stans rims with the 29-3's hanging in the shed...

...fresh tires...

...the Supahfly should be comin' down next week.  Just in time for Burn 24...

...the Madone got a bath...

...a cleaner cassette...

...a new front tire...

...and a new KMC chain...

...extra front wheels for the HiFi.  The green I-9 with an older 29-3...and the original Race Lite from the Supahfly with a Jones ACX...

Now let's to Hobby for a shakedown ride of the rebuilt Bontrager Mustang and the "new" I-9 in the front.

Later...

It sucks....

...but I realized this afternoon that NOT RACING on Sunday is smarter than racing.  My back is still jacked up and after two days of riding with moderately intense intervals, it's only marginally better.   Normally blowing it off would be okay but in one week, I'll be sitting under a tent in North Wilkesboro sipping cold beer trying to wrap my head around the idea of how I'm gonna nurse a hangover and ride the first lap at the Burn 24.

Last night was fun - I made it out to Lewisville, jumped in the C-group and after the initial disaster of a parade lap to the church past the bridge (....those of ya who subscribe my e-mail heard my rant on that, i guess...) the group was off.  NC State and I led once, held a good tempo with me realizing chugging a Red Bull right before a ride might send my heart rate up a bit.

We peel off and set in the back.  Down all the same ole roads to Pudding Ridge, when we turn on, NO ONE wants to lead.  One fella has pulled away but he's motioning all those who are NOT behind him to pull through. I tell myself, "Self, the plan was to do 4x 3 minute hill intervals tonight....but ya botched that.  Let's just hammer what hills we have!"

I settle in and start pedaling.  Hard.  Not so hard as to sprint but just hard enough to meter myself up the climb.  Zone 4, pushing Zone 5 and I'm over the first one.  I glance left to see shadows....maybe 4, 5 riders.  Down the hill in a hurry and up the other side, I click down through the gears still moving quickly but since this is a group ride, I pull off.  4 other riders are in tow and right away they seem to be faltering a bit.  All but Clarence have jerky inconsistent tempos and it's difficult to sit there and deal with the speed up, slow way down, speed up a little, slow way the hell down before someone new takes over.  We top the hill, there's a stop sign and it's over.

The group regathers and we're on Farmington Road.  Two guys set a gradually slowing tempo up the road which was fine.  The break felt good.  We pedal on, Pinarello Guy and I take over and he's not feeling froggy today.  Anything over 20 is outta the question, so I settle in for a cruise.  I figure we'll peel after the next kick and let the group through before the long climb.

SCCCCHHHRRRIIICKKK-THUNK-ZZZZZZZZZZIIIPPPP....the guy behind me goes to shift and drops the chain.  We slow up, wait.  14 mph and doddling, we let the crowd pull through.  Down the hill and up the last climb, the pace is fine....easy when I notice NC State has taken a flyer.

The group builds and now we are on our way home.  Clarence is on the front, we're rolling nicely but as we roll into Turbo Hill, the pace settles lower.  One skinny guy in a blue kit jumps out, I latch on and we go.  He pulls off, I pull through.  NC State is way up.  I almost crest the hill at the store and decide to let my companions through.  Only one guy, Blue Kit Guy comes around and he gives up soon.

I take a dig.  All I want is to close the gap, one HARD effort.  Even if I catch NC State, I don't want to pass him....or even really work with him.  I just want to play tag.  I stand and dig.  The gap closes.  Again, I stand and dig.  He's punching it with some zeal but he's gettin' sloppy.  I pace up, close onto the wheel and stop.

By now, I'm spent.  My heart rate is through the roof....but my shoulders are hurting.  Even with yoga twice in the day, I'm still not loose enough to pull hard for long.  I rest.

Within seconds, Clarence and 4 others roll by, I latch on....feeling my HR jump again.  This time NC State has popped.  Blue Kit guy is on....along with a few others.  We all pull through and the group is just moving comfortable and not so fast.  I take the lead just after the bridge, set a good tempo but up the little rise, I feel the twinge again.  The same twinge I had Wednesday night at T'wood.  My shoulder is protesting.

And I quit.

My heart rate settles quick....and so did the rest of the group.  Zone 1 comes back with a minute or so and I've got some wheels to follow.  A small group closes in on us and the ride is over.  I undress, redress and head home for beer and food!




Today was okay - I didn't get out and ride this AM since there was a ton of work to do and my weekend had been booked solid with Meghan's send-off breakfast, bike maintenance and racing.  Meghan is still leaving for the next week, bike maintenance is a necessity but as my back has tensed up this evening, I decided I needed to choose between two demons:  race Sunday and recover all week OR...ride easy Sunday and rest a bit more next week.  If 20 minutes of hard effort was sending twinges through my shoulders, what would 90 minutes of full-on racing effort feel like?  I'm certain I don't want to find out...

No beer with Chris...no laps around the WhiteWater Center...no following the training plan to the tee (which I've not been too adamant about anyway!)  I most likely will end up riding somewhere...and most likely the mountain bike.  Where?  No clue yet....Westwood sounds good.  Matthews sounds even better but further away.

Enh, I've got time...

If there's substantial improvement by Tuesday, I'll load up and head to Ace Speedway.  My goal of getting 10 crits under my belt looms over my head and Ace Speedway frees up more weekends for mountain biking come late summer.  30 minutes on that oval should be fun....if it's not as sketchy as some say.

Anyway, I gotta get to bed - an early AM breakfast ride with Meghan is on the docket.  Easy pedal...come home, mow, work on bikes....head somewhere to ride.  Simple day.  Can't wait.

Later....

The weather that HAS happened...

...never seems to weigh on my mind like the weather that could happen.  When I loaded the mountain bike yesterday, the only thought on my mind was, "what's the weather gonne BE?"   It looked clear outside, the radar said no rain tile about 7:30....maybe...so I loaded bike, clothes and bottles and head to T'wood.

Even after I rolled in, it was no big deal.  Suited up, aired up and clipped in, I was off....and into the mud.  Yep, I had forgotten that a small monsoon came in and dumped a ton of wetness in the woods (and everywhere else).  Little news to anyone who rides T'wood often, the place drains as well Kim kardashian commits.  It just doesn't.  Pretty soon I was rolling through muck, mud, greasy slime and slick roots.

No big deal, right?  It wouldn't have been had I not switched out wheels and tires on the HiFi.  Gone were my super-comfy and -stable DT240 / Stan's Flows with the fat 29-4 (...now a 29-3) in the front, 29-3 in the rear.  Splashing through the mud and the muck were the original Bontrager Mustang wheels and the bit-over-a-year-old Hutchinson Toros.

Section 2 was a trial of adjusting to a narrower tire with a STIFF sidewall.  The tires were set @ 30 psi...the same pressure I felt comfortable with when these  tires were the weapon of choice on the 'Fly.  Too little and they feel unstable, too much and they bounce like pogo sticks.

Section 1 was just FUN.  It always is - slippery roots, lots of tight corners, good rooty sections.  I rolled it faster than expected and actually felt quite SMOOTH on the last section over the damp gravelly rock.  I peeled out, took my time down the greenway and rolled into No. 3.  The only training plan I had for the day was a 25 minute race pace lap.  Typically I can roll No.3 in 25 minutes or less.  Today, I wouldn't - it was greasy slick but....it was also tacky on the higher sides.

I roll in, kick it...and find myself finding the brakes sooner than later.  The berms, in all their glory, were as gooey as the puddles on the other side of the road.  I ease in, roll, sprint.  I'm picking lines based on what I may slip on...not where I think the bike will roll fastest.  Surprisingly, the tires are handling the greasiness quite well.

I stomp hard, dig deep enough to keep good speed and mash the pedals.  The mud though brought about an awareness I'd not found lately in racing or race training.  I began to work on my "focus", my ability to maintain my riding skills as well as my heart rate and perception of effort.  I rested when I could, hammered when I knew I had to.

The course never got easy but it did get more comfortable.  The tires as narrow and stiff as they are GRIP the muddy grime better than most any other time I've ridden.  Better than the 29-3, I'd say...not quite as well as the 29-4.

So by 15 minutes, my head is running through the typical sequence when I suffer hard in training.  First, I try to remind myself to settle in and just go hard ENOUGH.  Then it becomes, ride smart enough to stay upright.  Finally it becomes a bit more lax and I settle into riding hard and get into the technical side.

But at 15 minutes, I found myself consciously making excuses.  Too greasy to be safe?  Didn't phase me.  Not enough warm-up?  Bullshit.  Need to limit damage from the past week's back/shoulder/muscle tension? enh....I feel good.  I'm going.

21 minutes in, my left shoulder twinges.  My forearms are WEAK.  I'd actually stopped before entering No. 1 to FLIP my stem, raise the bars a bit and bring em' back.  Immediately it woke up the front end and didn't really alter the handling.

21 minutes in, I pull the plug.  4 minutes too soon...but I was pleased.  During winter training, a HARD 20 minute effort on good DRY trail left me at the same point.  Yesterday, I was 1 minute behind with a more focused, more sustainable effort....if my shoulders don't fail me.

So I ease around....and DAMN, my shoulders are weak.  No doubt, my lesser muscles are compensating now and the post-effort tension/pain/discomfort was high.  I eased around the trail....but soon I was feeling good and hitting it again.  Not as hard but fun.

Now I've failed to bring up the fact that THREE times I had to work on the rear wheel.  It seems those fine Shimano hubs were letting go, nuts coming loose and wiggling and shifting the bike.  I stopped, pulled the wheel and tightened the hub three times.  When it needed a fourth adjustment, i bailed and rode the greenway.

I get home, wash the muck off the bike, shine it up and set about rebuilding the wheel.  I took the axle completely apart, regreased it and reassembled it TIGHTER.  Yea, it's disappointing that the original wheels from the HiFi have been in use for maybe 2-3 months at most....and have already started breaking down.  They should be fine NOW but we'll see.  I still plan on racing on them Sunday in C'lotte....if they hold up well Saturday when I hit Hobby.


Tonight I'll head to Lewisville and the C-Group Ride.  I just hope I can find a parking spot.  The training plan said hill intervals but....no.  I think going hard up Stony Ridge (which would be 5 minutes and not 3 minutes like it says in the plan) would just wrench my shoulder.  That doesn't mean I won't get jumpy and go hard tonight when the pace picks up....but at least I won't be stuck on a hill and wallowing in my self-analyzing and self-bashing that I do when I break down in a ride.

Alright, it's back to the work at hand....more jerseys, more designs....work is CRAZY busy and good right now.  Advertising and self-promotion is slow-going lately with this work.  It's good to be so busy....but it would be smart to promote the biz a bit more.  Yep....the balancing act...

Later.