Archive for March, 2008
Sunday, March 30th, 2008
The School Bell Ringing
I agreed a few weeks ago to drive some friends out to a race in Lancaster county. This would be their first road race. Kirkwood.
I did this race last year. I took maybe 15th out of 40. Had good positioning coming into the final 1k, then found that I didn’t know how to sprint.
Anyway. Its cold, its ridiculously windy, and its my friends’ first race. I get them there early. They go out on the course. The best advice I think I gave them was: ‘Its windy. Make sure to always put someone between you and it.’
These guys have great base fitness. They barely stopped riding all winter.
One got pulled off the course in a miscommunication with the official( he probably would have finished top 30), the other finished with a bunch of stragglers. In short, it was a shit show.
The last mile and a half of the 7 mile circuit is wide open. No trees, no walls, no embankments. Just farm fields, the road and the wind. It was very gusty while they were out there. The guy who didn’t finish made the mistake of jumping to catch a break. He went out into the wind and well…that was that.
To add insult to injury, he watched the break that he jumped for fold back into his group after he exploded.
The guy who finished with stragglers was part of a group that got gapped early on. I blame his result mostly on poor positioning (ie he wasn’t in the front.)
But like my HS rowing coach used to say, ‘When you’re loosing, you’re learning.’
Both of these guys are in better shape then me. And I have my first race( the Lower Providence Criterium) in 3 weeks. I’m thinking there will be lessons.
I think I can already hear the school bell ringing.
Sunday, March 30th, 2008
OxCam Race.
Say what you will about the British, but damn, they can throw a boat race. Look at the size of that flotilla following those 8s.
Thursday, March 27th, 2008
Note to Self: Take Decongestant
I admit it: I snot rocket on rides. A lot.
As a practice, It leads to dried up snot fluid stains in strange places: back of my jacket. the back of my riding sweater. my cycling bag. The index fingers of both of my winter gloves. I’ve considered, more than once, taking claritin before rides to dry me out.
I never remember.
Anyway, The other night on the way home, I was lining up a big one coming to the intersection of Main and Green lane. It was going to go right over my left shoulder. At the last second, I caught something out the corner of my eye. I hesitated. A rider in a gotham cycles jersey came right up next to me. He had no idea how close he came to having his face covered in my snot.
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
The Bell Curve and Me
The Bell Curve is a local institution. The Philadelphia City Paper publishes it every week: typically a list of big local news stories, with funny comments.So every week for the last 2-3 years, I get an email with all of them before they get published along with links to the stories. I write stuff every so often. And I think maybe half of what I wrote one time maybe served as some inspiration for what was published. In 3 years. I’m not bitching. Just saying.In truth, most weeks, I got nothing. I can’t bring the funny on cue.But today, there was a story I had to respond to. I’m fairly certain its not going to make the cut. But here it is:
Police find more than 100 chickens, 20 ducks, a hawk, 11 pit bulls, cocaine, marijuana and cash in raids of two Hunting Park homes.My response: The nascent duck fighting, hawk vs duck and pit bull vs gang of chicken fighting scenes were set back 10 years by this decisive police action. Luckily, North Philly’s vibrant bear baiting ring was unaffected.
You haven’t lived until you’ve seen hawk vs. duck in the ring. Its quite breath taking.Trust me.
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008
Growing Frustrated With the Limits of His Elephant Piano
The maestro gives his instrument the Moon/Hendrix treatment.