XX

No, I did not leave off an X there.....but I am talking Bike Porn.

I should have spent the last day plus getting all the gear ready to head South for a race this weekend. But reality hit yesterday when I stopped to help a chic with a flat tire on my road ride. My thumb is/was so weak I could hardly even use the tire level, so I don't think riding a bike for 12 hours would be the right call for the weekend.

So after the pissyness slowly wore off (I've found that beer helps greatly) I started surfing bike porn (BP). So what does two days of surfing BP give you (other then a sore hand?) Info.

I've read more about the new SRAM XX group then anyone should in and day (and I still know nothing about bikes...including how to ride them most the time.) Also found that that Scott is releasing a 29er this year and that Cannondale is coming out with a carbon 29er. I needed a minute alone after reading that. What, why do you think it's called bike porn?

So I'm penciling in my anniversary/Christmas/birthday/and groundhog day wish lists. Yes, I said pencil.....nothing is in ink yet. For one you never know what opportunities have/or will come your way (how's that for cryptic?) And two I change my mind more then a woman....a cryptic secretive one at that.

But back on the birthday note, today's my Pops' birthday. Happy Birthday Pops', hope to see you guys in Vegas.

Secret Squirrel out

A week...

Another week goes by and I'm older, grayer and balder. Well I guess two out of the three is true.

I'm now in what I call "my last year of mid thirties" and luckly it came and went with no fan fair. Wifey and I hung out and I sent her on a bike ride....that's when the balder part came in, Happy Birthday to me. No details to follow on that one.

But I did get one of the best birthday presents ever (well I guess a little short of Wifey dropping a new road back on me a couple years back) Team Utah (aka mom and pops) had a calender made up for me. No just any calender thou, this one got my mug on it for each month. Each month has different shots from races form the past year now so, it really freakin cool.

I had no idea you could do something like that....well, I am a little slow on the uptake of most things.

I paw is about 75% and have been on the road bike the past four days straight with only light pain/soreness. The thumb is still really weak, but all in all it's getting there.

And that's where the problem is. It feels just good enough and it's been a few weeks since a race....so I see very stupid things happening. Watching the weather/heatwave to our South right now....if it lightness up I feel stupid human tricks are in store for this weekend.

Glass hands...

So today I went to see the orthopedic (Super Doc) for the follow up on my knee/second look at the hand.

First the knee: After the normal how does this/that feel and alot of bla, bla, bla. He gave me the "official ok to ride." And he added, "since I saw you riding over the weekend this should not be a problem." Whoops, sorry Doc.

Then we moved onto the paw. He took a second (his first) set of x-rays to get a look at things and his first comment was "Jesus!" This can't be good I thought to myself.

But things got better as he laughed and followed this up with "how many times have you broken your fingers?" I replied never (never remember anything.) As he laughed again he threw in "ok, I'm the doctor let me tell you then." He stopped counting at five....on the first two fingers. My favorite was "do you see this bone...it's supposed to look like that."

But everything current (bone wise) is healing pretty well, the biggest thing still hanging on is a damaged ligament in the thumb. So more anti-inflammatories, pain pills, a brace and "try to limit the use."

So it sounds like more easy road rides it is for old glass hands.

Pissy...

That's the best I've got.

It's 80 degrees and the damn sun is so bright it hurts your eyes......and I can't RIDE MY FREAKIN BIKE! So yeah, I'm pissy.

I've taken enough pain killers and anti-inflammatories in the past six days to keep things nice and fuzzy, but fuzzy is not what I want. Most of my Team is heading out to State College to do the Stoopid 50 and here I sit, being pissy.

The hand is somewhat getting better thou. The swelling in the hand itself has greatly gone down, but both the joints in what was my thumb (it's more of a kielbasa now) are still pretty jacked up. I also know my memory is fading in my old age, but I don't remember my pinkie having that angle to it either.

That don't look right, but we'll see what Super Doc says about that on Tuesday.

Kenda Cup East #3, Hoo-Ha

Sunday morning started EARLY with Wifey and I rolling out of the casa at five AM (yeah, there is two five o'clocks a day) to get down to Massanutten, VA for the Hoo-Ha.

After check in and all the normal pre race I lined up with the other 13 bodies in my age class to head out for the first of our two 12.5 laps of joy on two wheels. Two minutes after the Pro field went out they unleashed the 100 plus Cat 1 field in a mass start (I love this idea) of dust and flying rocks.

We had a nice 10-15 minute dirt/gravel to grass double track slight climb until we singled up on some of the nicest single track I'm been on in awhile. Another rider and I kept trading places for 4-5th in our class as we started to pass some of the Pro women. As we started the tight switchbacks for a 12-15 minute climb midway thru the lap my partner got around one rider that I did not and away he went.

I guess the best way to put it is to steal a roadie term, I just "sat up." I found myself following this women's line and being happy with it (not to mention she was picking a line better then most men I know.) I could have gone faster, she gave me the line more then once but I just never took it. I was mentally zoned out of the race, it felt like I was just on a training ride and I have no idea why.

Once we started the downhill switchbacks girl was GONE, she dropped me like a bad habit. No joke, girl was flying and had no fear. She flat out stripped me of my man card, and by doing so I think she saved my race. I snapped out of whatever funk I was and got bad in the groove. I wanted to thank her once I finally caught and passed her, but I'm sure she would have thought I was a freak...which we all know is true anyways.

After a bottle change I rolled into lap two with little to speak of for the first 6-7 miles, that all changed on a creek crossing. As I dropped into the creek my foot wheel came to a dead stop and the bike went vertical, and over the bars I went. It hurt, it really freaking hurt.

Long story short I found the bike, found the trail and rolled on knowing I'd really jacked my right hand. I could hold it on the bars but ever rock, twig or piece of dust I hit made me want to scream like a 10 old girl (and I did more then once.) Shifting let's just say was a pleasure, and obscenity filled.

The last five miles or so could not end fast enough and Wifey took these as I rolled in.

Wifey pulled off my glove to find what we thought was a broken hand...don't need to be a doctor to tell this one. I looked at the finishing board to see I ended 5th as the boss got ice and a medic.

Wifey was a champ and did most of the car loading (even thou she placed well in her race) so I may never get my man card back. And after a shorted talk with an old friend we headed out for the long drive to the hospital.

Bones will heal and I'll live, but I'll be getting a few weeks of rest...which I needed anyways. You're heard me say it before but everything happens for a reason, just let's not it be so freakin painful next time.

Two races in two days...

One problem thou, only one finish.

So after a seven hour drive out to Ohio for the Mohican 100, a crappy night sleep and an early wake up call my race ended WAY to early (less then 20 miles in) when some nice young lady decided to take out the rear half on my drivechain. Derailleur hanger snapped, damaged derailleur and whacked rear wheel.

I guess the plus was that it happened right at a check point, and a couple bystanders offered to drive me back to the finish. So my Mohican day ended in a little under 10 hours, to bad seven of those was the drive home.

After an emergency late night repair by the Bikewrench, Wifey and I headed down to Iron Hill for the four hour endurance race yesterday.

After an early morning shower the 50 or so enduro riders (23 in the Open I think) headed into a slimly, slippery mess that was the trail. I went into the trail in forth and held that until I sled out on a wooden bridge toward the end of the 5.5 mile lap. Hiting the brakes on a wet wooden bridge any ten year old can tell you is a bad idea. Braking to change lines and miss the huge root coming up would be a good idea, unless your rear wheel is still on said wooden bridge.

The good thing is my two Teamates that passed me as I was countin fingers and toes did not see my jackass move.

On the third lap the trail started to dry out and things were moving nice. As I rolled thru to start my forth lap friends yell to "go get the wife, she just went into the trail" (the Sport class started two hours after the enduros did.) So after a quick howdy with Wifey (I think it boiled down to me yellin "give me a line") and her throwing an elbow my way I was off. Really, I'm pretty sure she was elbowing me out.

So lap five ran into lap six and then into seven with no changes. I finished the day in 6th with a little over 35 miles in the saddle. The body was a little sore from the "short race" the day before and the knee by no means felt right, but I was happy with how things ended up.

The next Kenda Cup XC is this weekend, but we'll see what the Doc's says tomorrow before making a call on that one.

Huge congrat's to Jason and Rich B on the sub ten hour times they threw down Saturday, nice work guys.