progress

testing one, testing two.
man, good to be back in the light.
punching out thru that tunnel of doubt.

the spring race, it fucked with
my head pretty good. to have
such a miserable day...why?

it was a trough, not a crest, not a rising wave,
it was bad timing, body just wasn't in the groove
yet. still reloading from early awakenings.

so, realization made, stick to the programme',
but mix it up, plan B styley. mental state not
100% for solo endeavor, so change it up for full
pull S-D-S. Build upon last year. Made that right
turn up the switchbacks because I was compelled
to. How else will you know?


How else do you find out?
Let it soak in, then Memorial Day. No Giro, sorry,
just not in the cards, roll solo instead. See new
scenery. Learn techniques, learn capacities, pace,
expectations vs reality. Find the low point.

Vincent Tram Trail. Like Ironhorse, sorta, but
more secluded, more overgrown to states of
"am I actually bushwacking?" Terrain like the
Slatyfork 'off the charts' options. Narrow Gauge
benched falseflat skree. Ridable pitch, ridable
gaps between once existing ties, how long can
you keep the pedals turning?

ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk.

'How much more of this shit?' Tangled up
in another greenbrair patch. How much more
of this shit?!?!?!?!?! Where the fuck am I on this map?!!!!

2hrs elapsed when the gate is finally reached. Then a
flat tire change from hell...black flies swarming. yay!

The low point...push thru it, and build from there.
Nothing can be that bad from here on out. Keep
digging the hole, find the bottom. Those dues
are being paid, time being served. Now we polish
what gems were found and let it all soak in.
Find some speed to top it off with, reload
the ninja fixy skillz and throw down, feed off
peer fed inspiration. Being chased inspires
more tightrope redline dancing than risking
limb as chaser at this point on the calender.

Salsa shwooped for the time being, but do scavenge
front wheel onto Jabber to get thru the day, persistent
mystery flat despite inspection and fresh tube....but
many unnerving creaks and groans from typical stress
points today. Work to do....

Work to do. Despite 70 couple for the roundtrip to
G'burg, over 233-Bendersville, then rolling thru the
Narrows, more hits along TableRock-Old C'lizzle-34
direct route home. Still gotta do the work, stretch
the legs. It is the Sunday ride afterall, hold the pace,
or move over, or get politely heckled....

Realize your handicap and work just that much
harder to not make it an issue, when in the woods,
on the gas whenever, wherever you can. 'Cuz as soon
as it gets tight and nasty for more than two pedals
strokes, you're a walking talking impersonation of
PennDot. Throw up the caution flares.

so you work to get the gap, to close the gap, second
wheel is a fine place to be. hold onto the coastiness
as long as possible, try not to hold up third wheel too
much, and float in between. roll redline blurry anaerobic
thru the first cruxy rocks, then hammer the next climb
to open the gap behind, close the gap in front.

and float in between. and pedal harder if you want to go
faster and don't allow yourself the option of getting dropped.
know when to admit defeat for sure, and give the coasters
their due, but it's Sunday, earn it, bitch.
Three weeks of this, then 2 weeks of tune up recovery before
the Rocky Mtn High experience. A plan is being formulated.
Fixy Ninja has been awakened, Stoopid50 on the horizon,
payback hunger in the belly. Then packing two boxes with
bike and gear for the UPS peeps. Couch surf/camp/meander
for a day or two thru the FrontRange between DIA and Breck
celebratin' FREEDOM! before committing to the 32:19 (18?)
for a few days in the hills ot ColRADoooooooo.

yeah, can you taste it?