back on the bike

There's a yellow sign visible when you leave the Frary Peak trailhead parking lot that states: 23% grade. I was relieved when I saw the sign because it reassured me that the pace I rode was fitting for the gradient of the climb. I wasn't the pansy i had been led to believe while climbing.

The weather was terrific when I met up with Ben to go ride to Antelope Island. I was really put off this morning when i woke up to a thicket of fog more dense than hippie pubes. I really wanted to ride and I really wanted to ride to Antelope Island. Luckily the sky was blue again around noon.

Ben and I rode to the Island, then rode the visitor center loop. His ride called for two hours, so he headed back home and I went to Garr Ranch. Halfway to the ranch, I decided to climb the road to Frary Peak trailhead. I rode it simply because the road and I were two separate entities existing in the same dimension at the same time and there was nothing pressing me to do anything but acquaint myself with this stretch of road. Simple as that.

I enjoyed today. Riding gives me time to detox my mind when I feel shitty or down. It's time to reflect on thoughts and unwind.

Here are some things I thought about from VOS:

• F@#k what other people think: Before the race the armrest pad flew off my TT bike. I had to put a folded up washcloth on with rubber bands because... well, no other option existed. Some people thought it was amusing and made a point to talk shit.... until i used that wash cloth to wipe my ass after shitting on them in the TT.

•Stick to your original plan: Yes, if the original plan calls for waiting until the final two laps of the criterium to TT off the front; don't do it with four laps to go. I wanted to take a time bonus and leapfrog to the podium. I knew the course was technical enough to give the advantage to a solo rider or small group. At four laps to go, two riders jumped and I went with them. Big mistake as we were caught with 1.5 laps to go and I barely hung on for a pack finish.

•Don't panic when shit goes wrong: Nothings going to go perfect. Equipment fails. You forget stuff. Stuff gets lost. going into Panic mode does nothing but harm. Nic's look cleat broke half an hour before his crit on sunday. Instead of panicking, he found someone who he could bum a cleat off of.

•Be prepared: This one ties into the previous headline. Bring spare tubes, some tools, (an extra set of cleats probably doesn't hurt either). Make sure that you bring warmers to the race; even if the weather is supposed to be nice (lesson learned Tour of the Storm 2005!). leave the hotel early enough that rush-hour traffic won't agitate and stress you out.

•Alaskan Hockey Parents should be tied their rotten children and tossed into an abyss: If you are such a f@#k that your kids run through the hotel pulling the fire alarms, playing in the elevators and disturbing everyone on vacation while you sit in the lobby of the hotel drinking beer and leaving empty cans everywhere: Please die.