You Know You Got It If Makes You Feel Good

Tom Brown from the air

Well I just didn't have it.  I knew something was off last Saturday before the Florida State Championship Race at Tom Brown in Tallahassee Fl on Sunday.  I was looking forward to racing, I had done the work, but I just wasn't excited.  And it showed.

Saturday Lap

The trail was as perfect as I've ever seen it.  I was a little disappointed that they took out Gun Range and didn't use Kudzilla this year but it was still fun.  I rode easy except for an opener toward the end then went to Cabos for lunch.  No beer was consumed.  Maybe that was the problem.

Race Day

The Kid finished 7th  after dropping a chain on the first lap, not happy

Clear and 66 degrees!  I got the tent set up and headed out for my prescribed warm up.  I was a little nervous but still not excited, and it showed in my heart rate during my intervals.  I just wasn't getting through the pain and into my higher zones.  I had planned to hang back at the start and move up on the multi use going out so I just figured I'd get into it during the race.  Not the best of plans.

If you're gonna be slow you should look good

We sat on the line for a while so the promoter could sort through some stuff.  Then I heard "5 seconds".  At the whistle I clipped in first try and proceeded to casually roll down the hill in the very back of the pack.  I didn't mean for it to be casual but it sure turned out that way.  I moved up a couple of places before we hit the single track but was still bringing up the rear.

I made a pass on an alternate line and saw a rider ahead of me who I knew had the ability to get on the box.  On the last climb I got a little closer.  I was breathing heavy but not in trouble, yet.  As we came around to start our last lap an expert women passed me along with the rider I had passed earlier who was in my class.  Both he and the guy I'd been chasing kicked it when we got on the multi use.  I stuck behind the lady thinking I could draft and save some energy.  I got lazy and let her pull while the other two started to gap us.  By the time I woke up and went around her I could just barely see them through the trees ahead of me.

It's Never Happened Before

So if I was going to make any kind of kick now was the time to do it.  I went into a left hand turn before a small climb, dropped a couple of gears, and promptly popped the chain off to the outside of the big ring on the front.  It's so rare that this happens, I was spinning my legs like crazy thinking it would catch.  Then I rolled to a stop and looked down.  It took two tries plus getting my glove caught in the chain ring to get the thing back on and going.  By the time I got back on they were out of sight. I lost what little mojo I had and rolled in for a 13 place finish.  Not my best race.

The After Party

The old man in the orange shirt was a little slow today 

I enjoyed the race, maybe that's one reason I didn't do so well.  We all have those days on the bike sometimes.  Fortunately Higher Ground had brought beer and was grilling chickens and that helped put a good spin on the day.

The Next Race?

I wonder if I should cat down to the 60+ class?  I wouldn't need to work so hard.  After all, I will be 60 next year.  I kinda feel like that might be giving up though.  I still enjoy racing and I enjoy the training also.  So it boils down to riding for a spot on the box with less competition or staying where I am and working harder for a spot at the bottom.  

But, catting down, could that be the beginning of the end?

Anyhoo, if that's all I have to worry about I don't have too many problems do I?

Time As I've Known It

How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?

Dr. Seuss

Man he got that right didn't he?  Dr. Seuss, I can remember my mom reading Pale Green Pants to my younger brother while he ate scrambled eggs.  I still have that book somewhere, it still has stains on the pages.  That had to have been 50 years ago.  Sneeches?  Too Many Daves, Green Eggs and Ham. We read them to The Kid, plus so many others.

Does anybody read to their kids anymore?

I love to read, and not on a Kindle, but a real book.  I love the way they smell, I like turning the pages.

I bought a book on Amazon, it arrived Friday, I was finished with it by Sunday pm.  The Fifth Wave, it's a teen book but I don't care.  I couldn't put it down.

What got all this started?  I just got back from a movie made from a book A Walk In
The Woods.  Have you seen it?

The Movie

The theater was filled with old people.  Yea, people my age, I know.  Sad.

Robert Redford was the lead character.  He's 79!  About the average age of the other theater attendees.  The lady beside me must have been 80, she was bouncing and swinging her legs like a school kid.  She giggled every time Mr. Redford said anything and screamed out in laughter at any type of a joke.

The characters were supposed to be hiking the Appalachian Trail.  They didn't look like they could get out of the parking lot.  I mean if you're going to make a movie about old guys hiking the A. T. why not cast someone who at least looks like he could walk to the front door.

Not my favorite movie.

Race Time

Enough of that whining. And speaking of old guys.  I'm looking forward to the Florida State Championship round at Tom Brown next weekend.  It'll be my last race in the 50-59 expert class as I will turn 60 next racing year and can move to any class I want.  Should I go to sport?  Maybe all the way back to base?  I even think there's a 60+ class now.  It won't matter, I'll still get my butt beat, just by a different bunch of people.

Then there's cross season coming up.  Plus the Dirty Spaghetti.  I just love this time of year.

But I Like It

The Flint River somewhere below Albany Ga.

I'm finally getting settled in after vacation.  It seemed to take a while this time.  The south in August can be trying.  But there was this:

The Social Event of the Season

Big Worm had a party, everyone who was anyone in the cycling community was in attendance.  It was an eclectic group.  Roadies sitting down with mountain bikers!  Next thing you know cats and dogs will be hanging out together.  I must have behaved since I didn't hear any stories to the contrary.

Wrecking Ball had told a story about beer and a bath robe so I modified a bottle of Sailor Jerry's Rum especially for him.  He couldn't resist.

A bottle of Sailor "Terry", specially modified for WB

The Kid Leaves (again)

Just when we'd gotten used to having him around he moved back down to Gainesville to start another year of school.  

The outside of The Kid's cabin in Gainesvile

Bikes were the first thing to get moved in

He was only down there 2 weeks, then he was back for:

The FSU SECCC Race at Tom Brown

Collegiate mountain bike racing starts early, like after the first week of classes early.  FSU hosted the first round this year so it was like a home race for The Kid.  He brought the whole team with him (all 2 of them) and they stayed with us.  It was fun to have that many young people in the house.  So much noise!

An unknown FSU rider negotiates the hairpin turn onto Cadillac 

They had a time trail on Saturday, then four cross (downhill bikes on the BMX track), and finally a short track.  Rain most of the day made for some slippery going, especially the four cross, which saw a couple of crashes.  They all got together at Tijuana Flats afterward.  And by that I mean all the teams got together.  There must have been 20 of them.  But they didn't invite me.

All I did was course marshall all day.  Glad to do it, but not much fun.

Alex leading the race

Sunday was the cross country.  UGA, FSU, Clemson, Auburn, UF, and Ga. Tech were represented.  It's a very relaxed atmosphere, no ya ya, just a bunch of kids having fun on MTBs.

Once again I was stuck out in the woods making sure the hikers and bikers didn't get run over.  I was as nice as I could be but some of those folks just wouldn't listen.  They have no idea how fast a MTB can go.

The Kid leading the Men's B

As I was directing traffic an FSU student says to me, "Man your grandson sure is fast" then he saw the look on my face "Oh, is that your son?  Sorry man, hey my dad looks old too, awww, you know what I mean".  It's those kind of comments that make you feel soooo good.  And yes, I did feel old among all those kids.

A young lady from Ga. Tech finds Cadillac a little difficult

It was all over by noon.  When I got back to the house it seemed so quiet.  Just The Lovely Wife, the cat, and me.  The night before those guys were so fired up about racing, so excited, telling race stories, laughing, eating garlic humus with garlic chips.  I'll admit to a certain level of envy (well for everything except the humus, it's still in the fridge).


I really have no business being envious.  I got to race moto for 40 years with a great group of guys. We traveled to races and trail rides with the same amount of enthusiasm as these kid have.  After I got into cycling I figured it could be the same with this sport.  But cycling seems to burn people out faster, or maybe it's just a function of getting older, or it could be me.

Anyhoo.

I wonder if the kids know how good they've got it?  Did we at that age?  When I was in college my roommate said "My dad said this would be the best time of my life.  If it gets any worse than this I'm gonna kill myself".  Of course, looking back, it was a great time.


Funny what being called grandpa will do to your head.