And here it is...

There is the awesome track bike of mine. I bought it a couple nights ago. Its all Dura-Ace w/Look Keo Sprint pedals. I'm planning on changing the handlebars to drop style, but until i get enough cash i will roll pursuit. Its right at 16lbs and super fast. I love it. Of course cutting 16lbs off of a bike (MTB vs. Track Bike) really helps. I hated lugging that MTB around, its not so bad in the woods but on pavement you feel like you should be going faster...and you should.

I hear today is Free Burrito Day at Chipotle. I'm waiting 30 mins and calling my local Chipotle to make sure of this. The rule is you have to dress like a burrito to get a free burrito, so i brought my aluminum foil with me today. I'm excited.

The race is in 8 days? or 9...either way, its soon. My legs feel like total crap, and there is a great reason for that. I didnt have a bike to ride. eh. I'm just hoping by race day my legs are feeling a little bit better, because right now they are totally sucking. I'm going to try and bust out some big miles tomorrow before work and on the way home. Sunday i might hit a trail or two, we'll see. Maybe two big mile days in a row and then regular on Mon-Wed, Thurs big miles again, Fri and Sat regular, Sunday race. i dont know. i've forgotten how to train, its been so long. After this race i'm just going to focus on two big mile days a week.

adios.

Halloween and Election Day

Ashamedly i took today off the bike. After being off a bike for nearly 7 days and then two ridiculously hard days right after, my legs are fried. I know, i suck. One day this week i was going to drive, to take care of some errands, so i figured today was as good as any, plus i didn't sleep good. I did, however, get up at the right time to go, but after staring outside for a good 5 mins decided to go back to bed for a bit longer and make the drive.

Friday is Halloween. I was raised not to participate on that day, to which some of you might say...wtf? But yes tis true. This year though, it has been my wife's goal to convince my parents to hand out candy. She is definitely ambitious. I think she may have succeeded though, surprisingly enough. Anyway, with all her enthusiasm and excitement over dressing up like funny things (i'm debating The World or Captain Planet) i am definitely going to be stuck at home handing out candy to annoying little kids. Now, i wasn't opposed to this previously until i found out there is going to be a free screening of Shaun of the Dead at the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse, which happens to be about my favorite place to go EVER, not to mention Shaun of the Dead is hilarious.
Even the poster is hilarious. Simon Pegg is just really really funny.

I don't have cable. And with the up coming election day being less than a week away i need a place to watch it. My family's house is a no no, mostly because i don't want to hear ignorant comments about Obama. Also, my in-law's house is a no no for the same reason. They are presenting election coverage at the Alrington Cinema Drafthouse, which is cool, but i just envision a brawl (Politics+Alcohol=Brawl). I might try and attend that, but it might be hard to get a seat considering the importance of the event. We'll see.
AAANNNDDD i just realized, i'm working that night at the bike shop. So no Drafthouse for me.

Canari Parachute...I mean Training Jacket.

I felt like a big complainer this morning .1 miles into my ride. Yesterday's "huge head wind" was merely a gentle breeze in comparison with this morning. You would have thought a hurricane was passing through being outside this morning...just utterly ridiculous. It literally felt like a 10 year old kid had a rope tied to my seat post and was being dragged behind me. I was almost blown to a stop a couple of times.

On top of dragging a little kid around i was wearing my new Canari Training Jacket:
Basically it provides a proper amount of resistance for the purpose of strength training. I think its highly effective. In reality though, i think my jacket was customized for someone with the build of Popeye, because it fits pretty nice in the body but the arms on my jacket are enormous. I believe its time for a new jacket and one that won't double as a parachute.

Though there was something positive during the ride. It was the large open road that put the wind at my back. It only lasts about a mile or more but its blissful. The silence of turning out of the wind is soothing and the feeling of a tailwind is certainly amazing. I started turning the pedals over at a fantastic rate, and slowly a school bus started to catch me. Just as it did i jumped across the lanes and sat behind it and the little middle schoolers piled up at the rear window staring in amazement...or making fun of me. Soon the effects of the previous windy 10 miles wore on me and i lost steam, cross back to the right hand lane and slowed a bit. Best part of a terrible ride...and totally worth it.

Switching to Fall Albums and MTB's

Saturday was a crappy raining day here in NoVa (like the car). I spent it at the bike shop which is always pretty cool and i got to replace the drive-train to my MTB like i had previously said i would. I ended up buying a new Front Derailleur and not buying the Rear Shifter. If i didn't get a discount then i would have put as much money into the bike as it originally cost. haha. As Darryl had asked,"Are you polishing a turd?" Yes, yes i am.

It is now a fully functional turd though. I rode it into work this morning taking the long(er) route. Its not actually that long. This morning i almost gave in to not getting out of bed, but then i reminded myself of Sunday morning getting up at 830 to go ride some trails only to find out that the only time that i could sell a couple items from Craigslist was around 930-10, which was soon enough that i couldn't roll out (literally) and just long enough that it would prevent me from riding after the fact because of an early lunch date with my parents back in their neck of the woods. eh. So i couldn't have a repeat after being off the bike for almost a whole week, specially since the race is in 2 weeks.

Good news is in the last two weeks with so much inconsistent riding i only gained a couple pounds. I've been so hungry though. i weighed in this morning at 188.

This morning had to have been one of the worst rides I've had in a long time. There was a GIANT head wind and it was about 60% of the ride and nasty crosswinds that felt like head winds for about 20% of the time.

With that said, the ride home hopefully will be much nicer, plus there are some trails i'm planning to hit on the way. A typical review says something along the lines of "these trails blow" and "dirty old men do nasty things here". So if no one hears from me after today...


Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness reminds me of fall. I love musical nostalgia.

Solved: MTB and maybe more!

I just got back from the shop to collect the paycheck.

I bought an entry level Crankset w/bottom bracket and a 9spd Deore Cassette, and I'm hoping the freewheel won't be a big problem. Tomorrow i'll probably just go ahead and replace the Rear Shifter w/ a Deore Shifter. Its all entry level from what i know, but i know so little about MTB. Anyway, It will get me back on a bike and get me through the race in 2 weeks. And after that i might try and sell it.

Also, finally i have a buyer for the Cannondale. I just hope there is no flaking involved.

A1-Shop Cycling Team and the Maniacal CAT

I don't know if its coincidence or because of my ambition, but everyone in our shop is now talking about racing. From before i started working there thats all i talk about when it comes to bikes. But at this point everyone in the shop (except myself) are very interested in racing track and most are interested in racing road. The track thing is because of Ben, who has been racing track for quite some time. But i think throwing together a group for riding road would be great. It would be a little odd though because i can't imagine there are many teams racing CAT5...haha. Though we would only need "10 mass starts" and we could get that hopefully by June. But then again i could be talking out my ass because I've never done this before. Regardless the prospect of having a couple of friends in a group would be fantastic. Ben is already a Cat4 and he said probably a Cat3, but he just hasn't upgraded. I just hope every race isn't going to be a Crit. Those don't sound like fun to me, plus I'm not the best sprinter in any type of race, running or biking, and I'm not really trying to grow elephant legs either, I'm happy with my build and my abilities. I do want to lose 20 or 30lbs more. 20 i know i can do and 30...If i did 20 that would put me at 170. 5'11 170. Darryl said everyone will be asking me if I'm sick...whatever. I still have a bunch of fat to shed. I'm already down 25 lbs. and i don't even think I've lost half of my being overweight.

I'm probably going to go Veg again to cut off the extra weight...maybe in January till August. Or maybe just red meat because last time i did that i looked sick after 9 months...

Update on Bike Situation-

• Cannondale wont sell, so i have a couple options...
• Post it for parts on craigslist
• sell the frame
• see who can be the 1st from the shop to get the frame on the shop roof
• Sell it to the shop ($100)
• Sell it AT the shop
  
• Mountain bike needs parts...
• Cassette
• Crank and Bottom Bracket
• Ti Bike
• haha
• Track Bike
  
• still for sale, but only to me, i took it off the floor!

I'm also selling my vintage Chrome Dyno with the white (plastic) rims. I could maybe get a $100 for it. My 2nd bike ever, the first got run over.

On top of that if you haven't heard Levi Leipheimer was riding this past Sunday where i was doing my night rides by my parents house. Instead of riding with Levi, i was embarrassing myself on my MTB.

Off the bike and onto the 3rd job.

Again.

Once again I'm bike-less. I hate it completely. I have my stamina up pretty well and i'm off a bike again for a nice 2 to 3 days. This is not assisting my developing a good base for racing or training hard for that matter. Luckily its a long winter and hopefully by mid-Nov i'll be hard core on a bike, that track bike specifically.

The reason i'm bike-less is because:

1. No money for the track bike. No one will buy my Cannondale. I thought 450 was a decent price...maybe 350?
   
2. Mountain Bike is a P.O.S and needs a new drive train, its got a partially new one but i need to replace the crank, bottom bracket, and cassette at the very least. I could use a new wheel and and freewheel
   
3. Cannondale doesn't fit.

I get paid Friday from the bike shop so i can replace the drive train on the MTB which is good because i have a race in two weeks that I'm going to suck in but at least i'll be able to completely blame that on myself rather than my bike.

Anyone want to buy used campy chorus parts? I'm going to post them on craigslist this week hopefully get some cash for that track bike.

I also just posted old car speakers, a mini keg (haha), an armoire, and other stuff....i'm turning it into a 3rd job.