Air time

North Bend, WA

Friday, March 30, 2007

Yesterday it was sunny. I noticed that when the sun comes out, the people tend to come out too. I was so excited to ride that I went out to ride at 1:00pm. I think there’s something to be said for riding in the afternoon despite its status as indolent. If you leave for a 5 hour ride at 1:00pm, then you get back at 6:00pm. Most people get home from work at 6, so it feels like you’re getting back from a long day in the office. In Spain it’s worse though, I’ve gotta ride at 5:00pm if I want to be returning from the office the same time as everyone else; 10:00pm. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I never did that while I was there… The approach to our apartment is much more treacherous in the dark.

While I was wandering about on my bike yesterday, I accumulated 8500 feet. On my way home I had a short glimpse of Mount Rainier & noticed the way it towers over everything else at 14,410 feet… & to notice that I’d climbed almost half way up it was a startling observation… quite startling indeed, like when you’re hiking a steep grade for 30 minutes and turn around to check out the view only to receive that fleeting feeling as though you were in danger of falling off the side of the world. Maybe it wasn’t quite like that, more a majestic awe type feeling.

In transit

LAX, CA
Monday, March 26, 2007

It’s difficult for me to grasp the magnitude of global travel. You arrive at the airport and suddenly you’re in a new little world. One where no one knows anyone and everyone is going to and coming from somewhere else. Each person contributes a little to the world in an almost inaudible way, yet each flight arrives in a place completely different than that of where it departed. It’s hard for me to imagine that as I sit here at LAX, people stroll by on there way to a new gate fresh off the plane from somewhere I can hardly imagine to do something that I will probably not even know happened yet is essential to the overall productivity of the world. Then, think of all the people scurrying about at LAX and realize that it is only one of 1000’s of airports around the world.

The art of war

Redlands, CA
Saturday, March 24, 2007

It’s important to note how the changes in the world effect the global expectations. For instance, consider the world before technology and how humanity has “evolved” to incorporate the world as we know it… Once, when the Neanderthals roamed the world with audacity, grunting and beating their chests in communication, the “anger” was the brilliance behind their ability to defend themselves and win the meal. Slowly, communication changed and the world became “civilized…” Now, only athletes posses the audacity to slay, and even then it is tempered only to win/wound, not kill. So when the likes of my team and I are dueling on the way up a hill you’ll know what exactly is on our minds… all I want to do is hurt the next guy, I want him to feel the burn so bad that he’d rather be dead. And yes, that is the mindset. I know you think it’s uncivilized, but it’s about what it takes, and if you can’t deal with it, perhaps some Tylenol is in line. Remember, deep down, we’re all Neanderthals…

The shades that reflect reality

March 22, 2007
Redlands, CA

You know that feeling when the horizon is so bright that you can’t think or even consider your next move until a moment passes? Yet even when that moment does pass, the horizon just begins to shine brighter… I’ve considered this so many times now. The world is one big bright sphere of potential with no actual reality. Everything is “this could be that” and “that could be this…” Nothing is actually set in stone. When I take a look into the future many visions appear, but each time I look, the sight is so bright that I can’t make sense of even one of them.
Maybe soon, perhaps quite soon, the future will emerge and what it holds will become clear…

Push-ups and pull-ups in seclusion

North Bend, WA
Monday, March 12, 2007

I suppose the suspense that awaits this post is immense; unfortunately I don’t have much to offer it. Nothing worthy of my writing has occurred of late, indeed, even the intrigue of my thought has eluded me. It’s been the simple routine of training and eating combined with a bit of sleep. I find this to be the formula for success. I suppose I could live atop a mountain armed only with a trainer and bike and still kick it with the best of ‘em while maintaining a level headed approach to life. I guess that depends on your definition of “level headed” though. The strange part about the immediate situation is that I find myself a week at the routine when at once it feels as though a day has past… Most unusual, it is perhaps an amplification of the mental utopia. When you know you have a week of 4-5 hour rides, every moment of every day is consumed by thought of those rides, which effectively turns those days into 4-5 hour days. I’ve never realized how that worked until now though.
Aside from the well-being of I and the most routine spin of the Earth at once, I did recently discover that Redlands is actually less than 2 weeks from now. I suppose that would be due in part to the speed at which the past week has moved.

How to throw the K.O

Here's 1 clip for you and here's another.

Training in motion

North Bend, WA
Sunday, March 04, 2007

Today was my first real day of training since returning from California. I went out on an easy four hour ride and ended up feeling great. Tomorrow I will do the same thing, except a bit harder and a bit longer- just to ease back into training.
The case with the weather here in Washington is often not as it should be, so it’s been a while since I actually set out on a ride in motion (not on the trainer). Nevertheless, the weather changed with a partly cloudy sky, no rain, and a temperature of 56 degrees. Perhaps the change of weather is symbolic and represents the end of my illness and a fresh new start after a short but recuperating break.

The gait of triumph

North bend, WA
Friday, March 02, 2007

The predicament of mine at once is that the training is momentarily on hold. For me, and dissimilar to many of my rivals, preparation is a chance to get an edge on everyone who shows up to the race not wearing argyle. If training is not underway, the feeling is terribly of waste. That is the feeling immediately. I understand of course, that if I were to train right now, it would probably jeopardize the next couple weeks of training, or even, similar to last year, leave me sort of sick for the rest of the year.
Today I rode 2 hours. Yesterday: 2 hours. The day before that: 1 hour. Tomorrow: 2 hours. Then, maybe, I’ll begin the preparation that wins races again.