Today's ride

I like to think that I learn something new each time I ride. Here are some subtle observations about tonight's ride in no particular order.

1. Why does Tri-guy take off out of the gate so fast? Does he think he's "Dropping the Group"
I don't know him but I figure he's the kind of guy that thinks he owns the ride. Note to Tri- guy next time you want to ride alone, why don't you just ride from your house.

2. Squirrel road can't get fixed soon enough. I'm suprised that I haven't bent a wheel hitting
some of those craters...er I mean potholes.

3. DK was correct on his assessment of Luke's GF's Boobs...They are the kind that any guy
would like. I know some guy's like em big and some small but SHIT those things looked
perfect....I still can't get the vision out of my mind...And yes Luke did overachieve from what
I can tell unless her face is awfully buttery or she's got some serious cottage cheese going on
below the waist...but I doubt that.

4. Don't drink a coke and eat Thai food after a ride or you will end up awake at 3 am blogging

5. Stay away from the "SICK GUY" who is coughing so loudly that you think he must have just
gotten over a case of whooping cough. The last thing you want to get is sick a week before
vacation.

The best therapy

It's amazing what a good old chill ride can do for one's spirit. After spending the weekend at work lamenting the fact that I couldn't do the Stoney TT (that and some personal BS) I had alot of pent up angst. I really was looking for some choads to chase down today but since that didn't happen I made the best of a "rest day" and got 2 good laps in....The best thing is that after the ride all my angst was gone...instead I felt lighter and didn't give a crap about all the Drama of the workplace. I wonder if Steve and Carl have ever taken their tandem to Pontiac Lake?

Let's try this again....They're Buddies

I don't really know what to say about this one....My only goal after last nights race was to get in some EASY miles so I decided to head out through Rochester up the Paint Creek Trail where I came across these two guys. They were riding this vintage tandem which they purchased off of Craig's list for $150.00. It seems like for these two it was money well spent. Carl is the stoker who is wearing a backpack with a boom box in the back of it. Alice in Chains and Nirvana were pumping as we cruised along at a leisurely pace. The two said that people often give them strange looks and stare at them but it didn't seem to bother them today. As they exited the trail and headed for Downtown I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if these two sprung a flat....There was no quick release and I knew they couldn't have been carrying a tube. To each their own... It just proves that on a nice day all you need is your buddy and some wheels for a fun time. Oh BTW the headtube had a badge on it which read "Firestone". I wonder if this was some sort of bike built by the tire company. I'm sure I could do some research. If anyone has an idea let me know...TC

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Things I learned today

This evening was fun at the track...at least for me. Over the course of the summer I have really come to like the races every other thursday at the Waterford Hills. The racing is fun and for me a way to stay fit but the true fun is had after the race when you can share a few beers with some friends. Tonights thoughts include... Timmy is way more funny when he has a cold and is recovering from a week of hell at Superweek. Seriously Tim looked stoned after tonights race and I thought he might pass out after one beer. Secondly we learned that our young Friend Luke has seriously OVERACHIEVED in the Girlfriend department...Enough said. Thirdly we learned that Dybo can freakin put down the Bells....Seriously I no sooner handed Ray a beer turned around to put my bottle opener back in my car than Ray was handing me an empty...I thought he was kidding but let me tell you that thing was DEAD!!!!!I always feel bad when I don't have enough beer for Ray, so lets just say that at the next race in 2 weeks there will be a little something special waiting for Raymond. That's all for now...TC

Must see Thursday nights

I can't wait for this thursday at the track. I'm not sure what the weather forcast is but I'm betting there isn't going to be a 6 man break on the third lap of a two hour race. Then again there might be. Regardless of where I finish there is one thing for sure...There will once again be post race libations. Something dark? Hmm I wonder what I might find at the local party store. Err Wine Shop. Regardless it should be fun. Just for extra kicks I might stop by the going away party for one of my co-workers that is scheduled for Coyote Joe's later that night. I'm sure there will be more drinking and maybe even the mechanical bull will be working....All are invited....Any takers? That's all for now...Leave any beer suggestions and I will peruse them later. Can you really dance on the bar at that place?

The need to suffer

After riding this weekend I've decided that to make the step up to the next level I need to suffer more. This conclusion came to me after riding a hot lap at PLRA followed up by a short backroad ride to a new secret hill climb spot which had me gasping for air and seeing stars. I think I'm gonna have to incorporate that into some of my new workouts. One other thing worth mentioning that happened today. On our ride out to the secret site we had to ride a short section of open trails that run along some power lines. On one of the descents Erin hit an erosion rut which caused her to endo and crash. Unfortunately I was about 30 feet behind her and saw the whole crash. I was expecting the worst but like a trooper she dusted herself off, wiped away some blood and carried on like nothing ever happened. That girl is tough as nails....TC

Dirtiest Jobs

This post has nothing to do with cycling and everything to do with home improvement. As some of you may know I have a brick paver patio and walk. My house is about 15 yrs old and after some time the bricks start to heave which can lead to an uneven and bumpy mess (think cottage cheese on a... er forget it). Well I think everyone knows what I mean. About 5 yrs ago I hired a company called PMS (no not the PMS as in chick PMS, but rather PMS as in Paver Maintence Specialists). They came out and did a rather crappy job. Sure they had nice trucks and the sales guy gave me some song and dance about everything they were going to do, but in the end they basically powerwashed my deck and walk, threw some playground sand down and sealed the whole deal. Now fast forward to 2008 there were more grass and weeds on my walk than on my lawn and really it was quickly becoming an eyesore. My wife had been on my to get er done so I made a few calls and got some estimates. I decided to go with a company called great pavers mostly because they were the cheapest. I figured more money saved= more bike parts that I could buy and also because I felt that after getting ROBBED by PMS on my first job I really didn't feel like taking it in the ass again. Well I can't say enough good things about this company. The two guys Chris and Paul that came out WORKED THEIR ASSES OFF. They pulled the outer rows of my walk and patio then powertamped the whole deal, sanded it and sealed it. Oh and they also replaced the ENTIRE cement retaining barrier that had broken and chipped away over time.....I can't say enough great things about GREAT PAVERS...If anyone needs brick work done give them a call....They worked their asses off for me and I couldn't be happier with the results.

A day at the track....and a night at the Ham

I'll keep this short and sweet....Today's ride adventure started around 9 am when Tim convinced me to ride the Velodrome at Bloomer. Now I have to admit that I've been around it once or twice but not in the shall we say legal manner. So today I decided what the hell I've got nothing else to do for a while so I headed out. I plucked the Cdale off of the rack and rolled out to Bloomer thinking all the way there I hope I don't kill myself. I must say that the banking really intimidated me at first. It's hard to believe that you can stay upright (well more like sideways) at the green line but I just kept thinking about the words of advice that Dale gave me...He said this track is no problem as long as you have speed. Indeed speed is your friend at the velodrome. Lets just say the experience was awesome. I thinked I'm kinda hooked. I don't know if a Track bike is in my future but I'm definately gonna head out there some more for the workouts. Now on to the Ham mer as I like to call it. The ride tonight was good. Admittedly my legs were a little sore from using muscles I hadn't used before but all in all I was pleased with my ride. I think DK was feeling a little fiesty today as he made a break right out of Derby with an Essex guy in tow (I think it was Jeff Gray). Oh well another day in paradise, now if I can figure out a way to retire early so I can ride my bike like that every day I'll be all set.

tell me some more lies

Throughout the course of the summer I've had the pleasure of doing some group rides/races every tueday and thursday night. It's funny to listen to some of the guys talking prior to the rides. There are usually stories about how someone or their team faired in a previous race, or maybe even the spiritual growth that comes from spending time with a loved one or family. However the stories that I love are the excuses that guys come up for their ride performance even before the ride occurs. Here are some classics followed by my interpretation of what the rider really means.

Man I got dropped last week because every time I stood up to hammer my rear derailer jumped. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do today......This really means I just got my shit tuned up and I'm looking to kick your ass tonight.

I'm tired from the previous weekends race (insert your race of choice) and my legs are tired....This really means I just took a day off, got a massage and am looking to kick someone's ass tonight.

Conversely there is the one that goes I'm looking to go easy tonight because there is a big race this weekend (again insert your race of choice) and I'm trying to save my legs and ride easy. Translation is I really want to hold back but if there is any type of break going I'm looking to get in and kick someone's ass.

Finally there is the one that goes like this I have been having problems with the GF or wife and I'm really not into it tonight. Translation is I've got alot of pent up anger and I'm gonna unleash some asskick tonight.

Do any of these sound familiar?

Feeling Cranky

Every so often I find myself feeling like this. I know why I'm feeling like this but at this time really don't feel like discussing it. The only thing that is keeping me sane is the thought of the Tuesday night Ham mer and Thursday at the track.

The Plan.....

I don't know what has gotten into me this year but since the haze of caffeine has left my brain it seems that things have become clearer to me. In the past I spent many days riding in "no mans land" trying to hard to keep up with faster riding partners. This basically left me with nothing in the tank for any attempts at "hard" efforts. I remember talking to Joe one day and he basically said that I ride more than anyone he knows (with the exception of the Simonster) but for as much as I train I should be ALOT FASTER. I always dismissed the notion of going easy on easy days and balls out on hard days but since I've started mixing in the Bham ride on tuesdays with the every other thursday race at Waterford Hills I've noticed some SERIOUS results. I'm feeling much stronger on my hard days and basically riding 2-3 hrs at a nice tempo with the occasional submax effort on my easy days. I've also decided that while I still love riding at PLRA I can get a better workout in riding from my house to either Bloomer or Stoney. Don't get me wrong this ride doesn't have the same adrenalin rush that blowing through Pontiac does, but I can get in a much longer ride without having to drive 45 mins to an hour each way to get to Pontiac. That and with the price of gas for a huge SUV there is some serious $ savings going on. Well that is all for right now. I did get the recipe for The Rayster's Tampopo "Breakfast Stew" clarified and I've got to say I'm looking forward to mixing up a batch. That is all for now. TC

To all the CHOADS out there on the MMBA

website posting crap about how the pontiac TT was going to ruin the trail because it was raining. Get over it. The fact is I think the trail is much better now as much of the ruts have been ridden in. The funny thing is I wonder how many of those people who bitch about the trail actually show up for the trail maintenance days? My guess is not many. So relax the trail is FINE. Go ride it and shut your pieholes.

First dry trail ride of the year

The plan was 3 laps today at Pontiac. I haven't ridden out there since it's been dry and although the crack tends to dry out quickly I have been doing mostly longer rides and holding off on riding the trails. So today I rode 2 laps by myself then hung around to meet Joe for the third. I have to admit that the first lap at speed felt awkward. All the old lines are there it just felt like I didn't have the autopilot set and I kinda sketched out around a few corners. The second lap felt much better and by the time that my third lap came around I had the place dialed in although my legs were starting to ache up the climbs. Several observations about today's ride. Firstly disc brakes are THE ONLY WAY TO GO. I used to be one of "those guys" that said "what do you need disc brakes in Michigan for"? Well after several laps I felt that I could better modulate speed into a corner better, often braking later than I normall would which resulted in smoother cornering and the abililty to take some lines that I never would have thought of before. Secondly while the trail was "dry" for the most part (ie devoid of mud puddles) the ground did feel heavy and slow. I'm sure this won't make some people happy come this weekend at the TT but what did you expect for the beginning of April. I wanted to get some pics of the more gnarled out sections but I just can't seem to stop to take pics when I'm riding. It kinda spoils the moment.

Backroad update

The back roads are totally dialed, unbelievably fast and even the bottom of Fox Lake road was dry. The only thing that sucked about today's ride was that the dog that resides at the bottom of Fox Lk was waiting for me as I descended back down heading back towards Clarkston. That little fucker almost took me out as he seemed to be playing a high speed game of chicken with me. I'm not one to kick dogs as they usually back down if you yell at them loudly enough but this fucker might be tasting some Sidis soon. And Yes Mitch that was me you saw on Sunday. It appears that I don' t know the backroads as well as your husband and I somehow got lost and ended up in downtown Ortonville. I didn't want to screw around trying to get back home so I took M15 back to Clarkston. I'm going to invest in a map and start doing more ride planning. TC

My tribute to Tim "HOT SAUCE" Finkelstein

While some of our fellow comrades are lucky enough to be training in the hills of Georgia and Kentucky some of us are still stuck here in Michigan forced to ride in what can only be described as "toilet bowl" conditions. Today's ride was another solo one as everyone bailed because of the weather. The ride began with temperatures in the 40's and a relatively stiff wind from the west. About 10 minutes into the ride it a heavy thick wet snow began to fall and the temperature seemed to drop. It wasn't so bad at first but as the snow came down harder the visability grew worse and worse yet the snow that was accumulating on the front of my thighs and shoulders began to melt leaving me with that cold wet feeling. Needless to say an hour and forty minutes was all that I could muster. I tried to play mindgames with myself in an attempt to lengthen the ride to 2 hrs but I couldn't perservere. The only redeeming benefit from all of this toilet training is that windburn tends to turn into a deep tan especially on the cheeks and nose which leads alot of people to ask the question "you look tan, have you been on vacation lately"? The answer of course is no. Looks like its time to break out the sunscreen after all I don't want to end up with those Hot Sauce like tan lines.

WHY DO WE DO THIS

The outlook for today was bleak. With some home improvement stuff to work on in the morning the only time I could ride was in the afternoon and judging by the chill in the air the thought of riding anywhere outside just didn't seem exciting. However since I knew it was supposed to snow later today and possible tomorrow I decided to once again brave the elements and head out for a little local road ride that lead to Stoney Creek Metropark. As the wind ripped across my face (which seemed like the whole ride) I began to become jealous of those lucky people that live in the warmer climates. I imagined what it must feel like to be able to ride this time of year in shorts and a short sleeve jersey. My aunt who lives in South Carolina recently tried to convince me to move the family down there. The thought does seem mighty tempting but unless my mom decides to move there as well I don't think that will be happening. That and the fact that the Michigan economy is so crappy that I would have to practically give my house away in order to move. The thing is usually after a ride like today's I usually feel a sense of accomplishment. I figure how many other poor suckers like myself are out there getting in some good base miles before spring is really upon us. Today however I found myself getting increasingly aggitated with each pedal stroke. How much longer can this cold weather last. How much more snow can we endure. For the time being I'm able to hold on as I keep telling myself that shortly the weather will turn and the trails will dry up. I think that is the only thing I can do because I don't see any moves to SC in my near future, but you never know. TC

UNTITLED

There is something to be said for winter riding. I must admit I love riding Pontiac with the old studs on. It is amazing to think that for most of the winter Don, Terry Mike and myself have been riding the trails. Yesterday the ice started to give way and the trail really took alot of work to push through. It was really hard work with little recovery. The one thing though that gives me satisfaction is knowing that with the exception of one other set of tire tracks from a mystery rider we have been the only ones riding out there. The sad thing is that probably in a few weeks every knucklehead and their brother will be out there choading the place up. That's okay for now it's like we own the place and that's not a bad thing. Here's a tease for my next blog. It is loosely based on the Finkelstein big prize giveaway (although there is no evidence that Tim ever gave anything away) It will include a picture of my studded tires the winner will have to correctly name the manufacturer and the name of the tires (here's a hint think really old school).

I used to have a coke problem

Well not only Coke but also Mountain Dew. It's funny I haven't owned a bathroom scale in over two years but this winter I decided to really get strict about my diet in an attempt to lose some weight. I remember Dave telling me years ago that one easy way to not only drop weight but also feel better was to stop drinking pop. I've always been a caffeine addict. Not so much coffee but sugary sweet pop...now your talking. So about 8 weeks ago I decided to quit cold turkey. I had to admit I almost didn't make it past the first day. I remember sitting in the cafeteria at work watching a co-worker pouring a pop into a white styrofoam cup, it was shear misery. Eventually the cravings went away and I can honestly say that I've lost 8 lbs since I stopped drinking pop and I feel SOOOO MUCH better. I'm only drinking water, green tea, gatorade (during rides) and vitamin water if I want to change things up a bit. My goal now is to start to focus more on my diet. I'm trying not to eat as much junk but I just can't seem to shake cookies (Oreo's and Girl Scout thin mints). Oh well at least I've got the pop monkey off of my back.

Whew I just made it

Three days ago I received a simple text message from the Finkelstein. I cannot recite it verbatim but the underlying message was simple. I had a mere 3 days to update my blog or be permanently removed from the sacred Finkelstein blog link list. My mind was racing...How could that be? I know it has been a long time since postings (maybe a month or two) but quite frankly there hasn't been much on my mind lately. You see I used to do some of my best work well while I was at work. Well times are rough at the old hospital and the IS team has decided to crack down on all "UNAUTHORIZED WEBSITES". You see, it appears that this website has been classified as having "SOCIAL CONTENT" and has therefore been banned along with other sites such as Facebook and Myspace. But really I haven't been doing much other than skiing, riding PLRA and hitting the Kreitlers. I must admit that over the winter I have developed one secret indulgence which has consumed all of my spare time. So word out to the Finkelstein. Hope this entry saved my ass. Look for some tasty tidbits such as the Sacred G paper, Turtle Racing and Net guns in my upcoming blogs. TC