1st, 2nd & 3rd place loser.

Mo' and I took some PBR's and headed out to watch ID take on Silicon Valley's best 4's in a do or die race around a research park. They say knowledge is power, and from experience comes knowledge. If I had known the experience of what it was like to go to an amatuer bicycle race, on a 110 degree day, sit in a parking lot and watch over priveledged white men ride in circles for hours, and not actually be a participant; I could have saved half of my relationships by not asking my girlfreinds come along.

Lesson learned; I need to be a participant next time.

Well, atleast Mo' and I had the foresite to bring some beers' along for the ride. Although we got caught up people watching and admiring the size of a horses hum hum, missing the finish of the race all together, we did get to snap a shot or two and re-live EVERY SECOND post race with ID himself.

I'll give it to him; he rode a smart ride, sitting in back the whole time only to react that split second to late to get beat by himself, but also to just nip himself at the line. A 1,2,3 finish for the Dew-man!!

Very exciting stuff!

road kill

Mar' had a bunch of North Facers meet at the Ranch at 6am (thanks for that) for the LiveStrong Ride out of San Jose. About 15 of them showed up between 6 & 7am. Luckily Ian had woken me up at 5am (thanks again) to watch the Tour so I already had 3 cups of Joe and was bright eyed & bushy tailed by the time the livestronger's arrived.

A bunch of energetic 30 & 40 somethings milled around the compound airing up, changing & josling for attention & recognition. None for you; especially so early.

Ian & I decided to poach about 20 miles of the ride heading down to the hole on our way to Coe & a 1 hour march up & up & up. 6 hours later I had run out of water twice and Ian had 6 bottles in him. Hard day in the saddle, but super sweet. I lost 6lbs to get under 170 for the 1st time since Highschool.

Upon arriving home Ian & I discoverd an unearthed mummy sitting on Mary's 50's era revival recliner. Imagine our suprise when said mummy began to speak to us! Poor Laura, it must have been like dipping herself into acid for that first bath. I asked her to send me pictures of her scab collection & told her to buy stock in neosporin. In case you have never seen it, this is what it looks like to go down at 40MPH with a litte tank top and tri shorts.

manual labor

Another visit to the Dewar/Mohagen compound & I am put to work immediately. 200lbs of indoor/outdoor carpet, rocks, gravel, plain ol' dirt and cinder blocks loaded up into the Canyonero: straight to the land fill. If you have never been to a full blown American landfill you are missing something existential. The remains of the unwanted, piled hundreds of feet into the blue cloudless skies of the Central Valley. Enormous cranes collect one man's treasure and drag it to an untimely death. Metal drums out of a Kubrik film regurgitate the mess until unrecognizable as methan gas spews uninhibited. You literally drive up and onto the pile of waste until you come to what looks like a reasonable spot to park and discharge your wares.

Thanks for the experience Mar'; and the emphysema.

Flat my ass.

6 miles long with the last 2 at about 13%.

Happy Birthday buddy.

6 on the 4th.

I will be the first one to say that cycling is the most humbling sport in the world. 48 year old dudes turning the pain screws; 11-25's just not even close. So, that being said I thought it would be a good idea and except an offer to ride with the King of the Mountains. LITERALLY.

So me and Giampaolo (the 48yr old screw-driver) meet up with a coupla Cat 2's and Scott Nydum and go for a ride to the coast. I am not kidding, these guys were doing intervals up and down climbs that I found myself in the 28. You heard me right friends; I purchased an 11-28.

Necessity is the father of all creation.

60 miles use to mean something to me in Wisconsin. It usually meant I would be out on my bike for 3 1/2 hours or so. 60 miles here means something totally different now. 60 miles took 6 hours.

Happy 4th y'all.