Wet and Soggy

 

Staying indoors....for now

Spring has a funny way of making a serious training effort - less than serious. The previous two weeks did allow for some reasonable cross country stuff on the hardtail, but I've grown particular about taking any bike into bad weather if it's not necessary. Over the years, I've learned the effects of running in harsh conditions and how it fowls everything. Thing is, its not immediate, as it usually manifest weeks later when cable-guides get jacked-up, or shifters don't wont work...that sort of thing. That said, there are times it has to be done and you live with it.

This week has been a series of intervals on an indoor spin-bike. Some people say this is as good as outdoor training, but I disagree. You can't develop skills and technique on a spin-bike. Sure, you can develop good mechanics, but you can't do any dynamic development. Rather, I choose to focus on specific strength and endurance matters when doing the indoor sessions. I did a series of spin classes about 20 years ago that were helpful, but it certainly wasn't everything I needed. Credit to the course instructor, as she focused on pedal mechanics and body position. To this day, my pedal stroke is spot on, even when I'm gassed. It speaks to the need of a great coach and mentor.

The Need to Push

There is a fine line between being too soft and pushing too hard. There are some pretty good single-track open over on the other side of the mountain, but I'm not sure I'm willing to take those chances. Some of it gets pretty technical, where as some of it can push the old cardio. I certainly don't feel comfortable on the hardtail down there, but I do need to improve some of my skills - make that a lot of my skills....a lot. Again, a delicate balance between programs. At this point it is about getting the best return for the effort and time. None of this is recreation riding, as there is no time for that yet. Measurables are not well defined at this point either. You see, when you train on your own, it is hard to be objective and see everything from a coaches perspective.

I remember walking into the first day of summer-ball my freshman year in college. I had spent the previous three summers training by myself, for the most part. The only measurable I had was how many times I felt like I would puke when running stairs by myself. Literally hours on end, doing my own thing without a single person telling me what I was doing wrong, or how to improve. Then I walked into that first day of college ball - and was I in over my head! I had timed a legit 4.6 second forty and felt I was going to be okay. I then found out that placed me about in the middle of roughly 125 other guys - who were much bigger and better than I. The first time we did 110 yard wind sprints, I was certain my heart would explode. And then the day we did "cat & mouse". It seems like it was the third morning of alleged "two-a-days". I found myself running with the DBs and wide-outs - the absolute fastest guys on the planet. I felt like an armadillo running with a pack of gazelle, being chased by a cheetah. Lets just say humility was served in industrial size doses that day. The point to all of this is simple - I had nothing to gage myself against prior to running with these guys. That season seemed to go on forever. By the end, I remember pushing the fastest upper classmen in my group all the way to the end-line when we did 110 yard wind sprints. I had developed confidence in myself that I didn't know that I had before. There were a lot of days I felt like I didn't belong there, but other days I knew I was good enough. What I learned from all of that was the value of good coaching and instruction. My particular position coach...well, he sucked. Some of the trainers and even most of the other players, they made me better every day. From that time on, I have always had an appreciation of what a good coach and a mentor actually are. Doing it alone is simply fooling ones own self.

Looking for Opportunities

We are looking at a few dirt races this summer, as that is where the emphasis will have to be. I need to get a qualifier under my belt to improve my corral position at Leadville. There is also one over in Wyoming that I've wanted to do for a number of years - but this is seriously different than anything I have done in the past - to this point anyway. Hopefully this week will yield some better opportunities.

Late Summer '81

I remember the weekend we finished two-a-days and had the O & D game. We had two days off to our selves - or so it seems. That Saturday evening, nursing my fatigue and crushed ego, I put on a favorite vinyl I had picked up from the reliable "Toad Tape". It was familiar and I was otherwise lost. Still in the darkness listening to the low nearly quiet track - it seems to have been a haunting. Talk about the wilderness............

Click here for the essential "Red House"

Pulling for Reed - Ride HARD!

Breaking the Ice

 The First Donation for the Season - An old & dear friend

Well, maybe not too old, but we sure go back a long ways. K.S. was one of the gang for a short period of time - though we have managed to stay in touch ever since. Fun days skiing, hot summer afternoons playing co-ed softball - and most everything in between. Definitely book smart and streetwise, she has always been able to take care of business. Like all of us, she has experienced her fair share of struggles - if not a boat-load more along the way. As much as having her wisdom teeth removed may have slowed her down, she showed her strength and resilience when her father needed help in the last fight of his tremendous life. As only she could, the burden was carried without complaint, but with determination. A tough husk of an appearance, with a solid heart of gold inside - two traits that I'm sure she learned from her mother and grandmother (Lukareski). The genuine article and a friend for life.

Thanks kiddo!

Ridding through the cold and crappy roads - The Old Nordic Valley G.C.

A Hardtail??

The last post showed a picture of a Trek Pro-Caliber hardtail, which looks an awful lot like my full-suspension Trek Fuel EX. The short of it is this - LEADVILLE! Yep, back in that race - somehow. The hardtail has been ideal for the crappy road conditions thus far.  On top of that, I need to get more than comfortable on it - it has to be an appendage. Sure, I'll still go out on both the old Six13 and Fuel, but this thing is going to have a ton of miles on it by summer.  More on that as we go along...........

Winter Break

Middle of winter sure makes one stir crazy - longing for spring. The college days were especially long mid-winter. Still have those fond memories and have long put aside those that were anything less than good. I know the dates, places events and situations like it was last week. The Alman Brothers - Midnight Rider will always remind me of such times.

Click Here for Midnight Rider - The Brothers

Pulling for Reed - Ride HARD!

A New Season - Taking a Pull

 Pulling.....

The Hardtail out on an early cross country

There is a term mainly in road riding known as (among other things) "PULLING". You've seen it before. A line of cyclists taking a turn out front, allowing the riders behind to draft in the slip-stream of guys ahead of them. Depending in the conditions (and who you ask), this will yield a significant reduction in work for those behind the lead group. At times, you'll find yourself with only one other rider, where you take turns getting out front, "taking a pull". In doing this, the two of you can travel much faster than either of you alone. There are times when you may be in a fast group, or simply alone, sailing past another rider that is struggling and offer them a "lift". It is not unusual that in doing so, as passing by, someone will say "hop on"- meaning, get on my wheel and I'll pull. Just knowing that someone is there and willing to give you a hand up is often more helpful than the physical break from the arduous task of going it alone. So.....at times, we help each other along by taking a pull.

That appears to be the theme for the "Porpoise" this year.

Brothers and Sisters

I'm not sure when, but perhaps a couple seasons ago, I did a post about brothers and sisters. I'm too lazy to go back and find it (actually don't like to read my own stuff), but I know it had nothing to do with 1973 Alman Brothers release of the same name. Rather, it had to do with a group of guys (and girls), mostly from our graduating class, that still maintain some type of connection. I mean, as time passes, some things seem to find their place in the rubbish-bin of senseless trivia, where as other things become sweeter with age. At this point in our lives we generally don't care much for the trivial comparisons and petty B.S. Rather, there is a genuine following and concern of those that we have somehow managed to stay in touch with.

You'll have to go back and find this post, as I somehow chronicled the transition from our naive innocence to leaping into the world head-first - as if we knew what we were doing. Our little journey started a long time ago, when things seemed to be simple. We've lost a few along the way, in fact....too many. The first real gut-punch" came more than 25 years ago when my kindergarten buddy, Amy, was killed in Ogden canyon, by a one in thirty-billion accident. Since then, we have lost far too many to list here. It's times like that in which I stop and reflect on how all of these Brothers and Sisters have been a part of my life along the way. Maybe "stop" is the wrong word, as it often is during the long and silent periods that I'm riding by myself, that I find myself examining these long ago friendships. We all had dreams and ambitions, but somehow.....life just happens and we end up where we are today.

"I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then"

Our Brother Needing a Pull

Somewhere in that previous post, I had described (or at least how I saw it), all of us coming together in the late summer of 1978. It was an amalgamation of vast backgrounds and insecurities, but come together we did. Reed is one of those kids that came in from the other Junior High-School. I know we had a few classes together and typically ran in a group of some mutual friends. I think the last time I talked to him would have been many years ago, but he still looked the same. A helluva nice guy and certainly a loyal friend. A week or so ago came a text from one of the other brothers, forwarding on a text-thread from Reed's wife. Turns out he has been diagnosed with....one hell of a situation. Another gut punch for sure, but also a truly helpless feeling - a feeling that has been a constant reminder of why the Porpoise continues year after year. If I were keeping score, I would have lost count years ago of the friends, family and associates that have had to battle "the Big-C". You can go back and find far too many posts that mention those people in my own pathetic life, that have been through this anguish.

Pulling for Reed

This year we have added a little tag-line to inspire others to send our brother a little love and hope. Everyone can take a turn out front on this one, by simply texting an image to Reed, showing who you are and simply stating "Pulling for Reed". Moreso, pass this along to every member of our class, everyone that would have known him during those years and beyond - to brighten his day and allow him to draft in the feeling that we are all pulling for him on this ride. My understanding is he'll be moving down to Huntsman to further his treatments. Because I don't post personal contact information here, we'll work with some of the gang to get this kicked-off and moving. Meanwhile, do what you can to pass on the goodwill. Our brother and his family could use the encouragement from as many Fighting Scots and Lasses as possible. Remember - it is who we are after all.

A little tribute to Eric (Carmen)

We lost another great one last week. Not really sure how and/or what, that great talent form so many years ago has gone silent. Again, a post from maybe November 2018, referencing the static-free late nights with Stereo-X (KCPX 99 FM) - "All by myself". Before that was the AM-band classic that McCartney whishes he had written and the opening riff that even made Townsand weep. Thanks for he hits Eric.....

Click here for "Go all the way"

Pulling for Reed - Ride Hard!