Bicycle Enthusiast and Professional Caffeine Abuser: More cow bell

I wonder how many other blogs regarding 'cross racing are titled "more cow bell."

Yesterday was a good day to spectate and a bad day to ride the old Vitus. I was too layed out and my lower back was on fire by the end of the first lap. It didn't help not doing any training this last month either. After withdrawing on the 3rd lap things got better. I had a Tecate in my hand in minutes and was drinking real beer a short time later. The 'Tosa crew was in attendance, Russell, Cupcake, Sam, Angie, Bubba, Kerry, Sherry and Rowan plus a bunch of other WORS regulars. By the end of the day I'd gotten my fill of sun and had a few beers too.

When I got home I gave up on the Vitus and began a TMonT replica suitable for 'cross. 44x20 was the gearing I thought might work.

So today I showed up to watch the 'Tosa crew race. Russell rode well enough to get 9th or something in the Master's 4 and CupCake had us all on the edge of our seats going back n forth between 8th and 10th. I think he ended up 10th. I had to roll back to the house to pick up my bike and the family before the Master's 40+ (1,2,3). I made it back in plenty of time and was called up to the 3rd row for the start. Weird. I had a half-way decent start and was in the top 20 until about half a lap. The lungs and legs both decided they'd teach me a lesson for not training. The back was on my side and with the TMonT Flyte sized correctly and the fat old 29er skins soaking up the bumps I decided 45 minutes of pain was on the menu for the day. I might have had slightly better lap times if I'd run a 22t but it was what it was. I ran the back side hill in traffic the first two laps but on the next 4 I rode at the urging of DJohn and others. So in the end I finished the 45 minutes a lap down, but the Flyte railed and the body held out even if the motor was weak. I left with the family for the block party back in da 'hood before the start of the Pro 1, 2 race. All in all a good day.

Russell's bad ol'd self