THE COMEBACK

So it looks like the cycling career isn't over, after all. The comeback started yesterday: the first ride back from my bout with (often fatal) soccer recovery syndrome. I stopped trying to treat it, and though I still had a dumb limp going, I rode out to the rosebowl yesterday. It was rough at times, but I was ok as long as I didn't sprint or put out big watts. I took some pulls out front, and marked moves while Dave did his thing out front. A toyota united guy, not sure who, was out there on one of those cervelo p3c TT bikes. Dios Mio...Anyhow, this morning the legs feel much much better. Not quite 100% yet, and oddly, one of the legs is much fresher than the other...I wonder what I did right with that one?

It's 93 degrees here right now, at 11:30am. I'm waiting for it to warm up a bit so that I can go ride. Great day to go work on the tanlines, though I haven't shaved the legs in about 3 weeks. The legs still work, however, shaved or not. One thing that's really been driving me crazy...the bike. So many noises...those of you who have ridden with me recently can attest to this. Mainly, it's coming from the bottom bracket area, and it's totally intermitent. I've taken it apart, greased it good, changed the bearings (months ago, though), and the overhaul basically just buys me about 3 hours of quiet ride time, then it starts all over. So annoying! Oh, and the cleats are so worn and loose, so my right shoe basically has unlimited float (the screws are all F-ed and I cannot tighten them properly). I'm just venting here, pardon me. Moving on...So it's nearly July. Not a whole lot of season left. This is the easiest part of the season, however. Most of the races are crits, and there's little or no need to put in XL 6 hour+ rides in the mountains. I'll throw a couple in there, but the base I did in the winter takes care of the endurance bit. It's pretty wild how it can just carry over like that, but it does. As far as race calendar goes? Track! July 1st. Last one for a long while, I think. Then there's La Mirada on sunday. I've never done this one as a 1/2, so that'll be interesting. It had a nice hill in it from what I remember. It's a short ride off the metro stop -more incentive to race it. The funds are in total struggle-mode at the moment (of course...there's a direct relationship between how little money you have and how fast you are...so it goes...). I'll be sure to do a write up of the weekend, should I race...

Lastly, it's time to bid adieu to one of my long time training partners/mentors, Jeff Schmela. He and the fam are moving out to Chicago in a week or so, and there was a big soiree on saturday night commemorating the SoCal life and times of Jeff. Nice times, good food, all that. Cyclists everywhere. Let me write a bit about Jeff...the first time I met him, I was a cat 5, huffin' and puffin' up the crest. He was the team's (Encino Cyclery....my first club) hot-shot cat 3 rider, and i'd heard he climbed real well. He did. Needless to say, he dropped me pretty good that day, but said he was amazed that I hung on for as long as I did (trash-talk disguised as a compliment). This would be the begining of hundreds of similar rides, with me getting dropped a bit later each time. The guy brought his A game every time. There was never a time when he'd say "uh, i'm just gonna ride mellow today, don't feel well". Then came that fateful day when he was unable to drop me. With great difficulty, I rode all the way to the top alongside Jeff -easily among my most memorable days on a bike. Jeff opened me up to the realm of specialized training, nutrition ("bike racers don't get sour cream with their burrits when they order from taco bell"), how to not get dropped while climbing, and we often engaged in pulp discussions regarding a bunch of non-cycling topics. Nice times, all-around. So long, Jeff.

And after so many words...some photos...finally...

Jeff, Me, Jackson (Jeff's son). Check out Jackson's BIPE LEGS!

The Spanish speakers might find this funny...Mota's Mexican Food!

Saw it on the way home from Jeff's party in Altadena

And one last thing...because I know he reads this sometimes...a big hearty congratulations to Serko Soultanian, for pulling off one of the biggest upsets in video game history, by beating me in double overtime of the final at monday's $30 NHL 2k6 tournament. Live it up, dude, and know that it can never happen again. EVER.