Clean Underwear

Wow! It’s windy outside today. I ventured down to the armpit of PA today to catch a little bicycle racing. It’s only 25 minutes from my house so why not? I can throw some support for The Legend. Too bad this race has to be one of the most boring unspectacular business park races a person could ever attend. If not for the raging headwind blowing into the riders faces as they made their way up the finishing frontstretch I’m pretty sure I would have slipped right into a nap after two laps. With all the wind it at least held my attention for approx 6-8 laps before I packed it in. I don’t know how these guys don’t fall asleep racing this course. I have zero experience at road racing so maybe it’s a tactics/strategy rush that keeps them interested. Beats me. Regardless, I have huge respect for these dudes. The wind was gusting up to 30-35mph and they were still fast as shit up this grinder of a hill through the start/finish. When I left there were at least 3, maybe 4 groups splintered all over the road. Whatever.

I did hang with Kenny down at the race today. He just got back from a trip to Cali with his fiancé. That’s right. You heard me. Fiancé. Way to go Kenny. Congrats.

I wonder if KHam spanked VisitPA Ray today as planned. He claimed he was going to give Ray a rip-down at the Guy’s MTB race in Philly. Of course Ray had other plans.

Last night our friends Deb & Chuck had their annual picnic/barbecue fest. I wanted to get a ride in yesterday so I rode down to their place from work so I could lather up a good appetite. I was blasted by a healthy headwind until I got to Whiskey Springs at which time I made a real go at making some good time up the climb. It’s almost 3 miles from bottom to top but it’s broken up in spots with some rollers so it’s never a total grind. In fact it’s only steep in one section somewhere in the middle but, nevertheless, you’re ascending a majority of the time. I felt pretty good. Far from anyone’s record but still faster than I’ve ever gotten over the top. The beauty of my PowerTap software is I’m able to download the total ride and single out any part of the ride I want and gather vital info from it. The most encouraging hunk of info was not the time nor the watts but the fact that I was able to average 92rpms from bottom to top. I never bogged down. I just found a tempo and kept on going. I stayed on top of whatever gear I was in. To me, that’s always a sign I’m headed in the right direction. Oh yeah, I ate 2 hamburgers, two hot dogs, two helpings of pasta salad, two deviled eggs, two peanut butter fudge brownie bricks, a handful of bbq chips, and my first non-diet soda beverage in years. Seve was working a mean grill.

I was reading the latest copy of Bicycle Retailer the other day at work. It’s a good read for industry insiders with a wealth of info on who’s doing what and what’s coming down the pike and general BS like that. Two things caught my eye. A little paragraph on Luxxy’s new bike shop. Good luck. A real quick bike shop joke. Q: What’s the quickest way to make a million in the bike industry? A: Start with two million. I’m sure he’ll do well. The other thing that caught my eye was an article on an employee of FSA, named Brad Lewis, who’s worked in the bike business for years. 37yrs old. Races road, ‘cross, and mtb’s. Very well it sounds. He was doing a crit a little while back and a few laps in fell over dead. Freakin dead. The article mentioned the autopsy showed he had heart disease. Still, 37, and bang! You’re gone. Mortality sucks.

Later in the week a nasty auto accident nearby killed an innocent woman who’s only issue was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A dickweed trucker who was “distracted” rammed into a line of stopped highway traffic. 8 demolished vehicles, big fire, and one instantly killed motorist. Just like that. You want more? One of The Legend and The Mrs Legend’s good friends father unexpectedly dies of a heart attack a couple days ago. Here today, gone tomorrow. I hate coming off so dreary here but there is a point to all this. As much as I love to loaf on the coach and watch TV, why not treat every day as if it’s your last. I forget who gets credit for that quote. Churchill? Fields? Benny Hill? Not sure. And believe me, I’m not preaching here, because I’m as guilty as anyone at putting things off.

On a lighter note, The Wifey made some fine grub for dinner. Salmon, rice, and spinach. Yum.

Looks like the mid-80’s by the end of the week. Just in time for a three-day weekend. That works. Sayonara.