And now, I race

The tattered jersey is coming along. So are the shorts, the bibs now restitched where they were cut off my shoulders.

The helmet is new. So are the shoes, the wheels, the fork, the tires ...

The desire is the same. I'm gonna go fast. I'm gonna dive into the corners. I'm going to sprint for primes, for places, for money. It's gonna be great.

See you in Lincoln.

Rest-week legs

Guh. I took it pretty easy on Wednesday, and I had a nice, relaxing ride to and from work last night. So, really, my legs should feel at least sort of OKish.

But they don't. They never feel good during rest weeks. It's a lactic acid-type feeling pretty much all the time while turning the cranks. Sure, it'll probably work itself out before the race on Saturday, but that doesn't mean it feels good right now.

So while I'm waiting for my legs to wake up, here's the plan for today:
-- Clean the bike (just enough to make it look semi-respectable)
-- Put new tires on the backup wheels (which now include my rear Dura-Ace wheel)
-- Clean and ready the race wheels du jour (these, with an assist from Mr. Miles)
-- Pace around

Pretty awesome, right? Well, maybe not the part about the pacing. But that's how it works sometimes.

Gam Jams Review: Roadside inflation

In my early days of cycling, I worked without a net. I realized one day when I was probably 30 miles from home that, had I flatted, it was going to be a long walk back. So I took a trip to the shop.

My first pump was a little mini hand pump from Crank Brothers. It worked well enough, but wasn't that great. I carried that thing around for a long time, and I think only had to use it twice.

Next came a CO2 inflator made by ... umm ... I have no idea. It's black and trigger-activated. Munson gave it to me. It has duct tape on it, too. Looks like a much older version of this (and that's a great inflator, by the way). I've used it two or three times, maybe. I just don't get flats that often.

But there's a reason for that -- it goes with the "prevention is the best cure" thing. Bontrager Race Lite Hardcase tires. I used these long before I worked at the Trek Store, simply because they work. Sure, they roll a little heavier, a little stiffer, but I don't get flats. I've had three pairs of them, and I've had one flat -- it was from a marble-sized piece of glass that would have punctured a car tire.

It's good to have a quality, easy-to-use inflator, but it's better to just not get flats in the first place.

Shop ride: I kept it in HR zones 2 and 3 last night -- steady tempo stuff. There were two exceptions where I dipped my toes into zones 4 and 5, though. Both on hills, and both for a few seconds. I finished the ride feeling fresh and loose. Juuuuust right.

Rest week

Man, am I really this dull?

No riding to speak of -- I haven't been on the bike since Sunday. I'll do the shop ride tonight, but I'm sitting up as soon as the fireworks go off. I just want 90 minutes or so of steady stuff. And then I'll ride tomorrow and Friday, both easy. And then a race in Lincoln on Saturday.

Hmmm. Writing projects are done for the week (so far, at least).

Wow. Yeah, that's it. There's nothing else.

Oh! Wait! I know. Check out these socks (in white). I picked up a pair on Saturday from the shop and wore them on Sunday. Great socks -- lightweight and soft. Combined with the new kicks, they were great for the whole ride.

So ... yeah. I'm excited about socks. OK, maybe I am this dull.

How things work

Over the past few weeks, things have returned to normal around here. I slept in the bed last night, and I may well try it again tonight. My shoulders are still a bit sore, but I do OK. Work is picking up on the writing side -- we'll actually be way ahead of the previous income level in June. Like many hundreds ahead.

Of course, we were behind for May, so ...

But being many hundreds ahead also means more work for me. Chris is doing a bit of summer school-type stuff to earn a little more. Me, I just take on more writing jobs. And yet, somehow it all works.

Here's how:

It's 6:30ish right now. I've been up since 5 doing various projects. I can usually get a good bit of work done before Chris and Jack get up. And now, since school is out and Jack doesn't go to daycare, I can work a little longer.

After that, depending upon how productive I was, I go ride. Though the desire to get fast is a strong one, the need to stay solvent is stronger. So if I have too much work left, I don't ride. I'm usually pretty good with my time, though. It's been more riding than working extra.

And then, after all of that, I go to work. Despite riding a lot and writing a lot, I still have a full-time job to go to. Luckily, it never feels like work. I'm just hanging out at a bike shop all day. Making some money, helping people get on the road and occasionally scoring a sweet deal.

And that's life, as of now.

The weekend: Despite working all day Saturday (when we ripped stuff up at the shop -- kapow!), it was a pretty relaxing weekend. JP and I (and a couple others) rode to Glenwood and back. The computer read 77.77 miles when I was done. And I have to say, I felt awesome the whole way. I had plenty of power on the climbs, and then was able to throw it in the big ring and blast through the rollers. After the good efforts of last week, I suddenly feel very good about my chances the rest of the summer.

The rest of the time was spent with Chris and Jack. We rode to the playground, visited friends, got ice cream, grilled burgers and sweated a lot. Our air conditioner broke down late Friday. Nice.

Anyway, it was great. And now, a new week. Race on Saturday. Gonna be fun. Go!

It's too nice to be reading this

70-some degrees. Light wind. It's a gorgeous day.

So go ride your bike, or run, or ... something. I don't know. Either way, there's nothing more to see here. Have a good weekend. Have fun -- be safe.

GamJams Review: Sunglasses - Oakley M-Frame

Back in my formative years, Oakley sunglasses were the pinnacle of cool. Sure, there's a large amount of hype and marketing attached to them, but they really are good sunglasses.

Perhaps just as importantly, they're easy to find. Any big-time sporting goods store has them, as do many running and bike shops. They're not really rare -- or cheap, either.

Anyway, it was in Daytona Beach in 2001 when I got my Oakley M-Frames. At the time, I was coaching high school baseball and I needed a new pair. They've since been used for running and cycling. And along the way I've added brown and clear lenses to go along with the stock gray lenses.

Short of owning multiple pairs of sunglasses, multiple lenses are the way to go. On dark days, dark lenses are kind of dumb. My only gripe: Each extra lens is $50, including the clear one -- which is basically just a bug screen on dark days.

Probably the best feature is the coverage. On the sweep design, the sides of the lens wrap around the corner of your eyes, making it hard for gunk to get in there. Also, they're light. And they fit into your helmet all cool like. Additionally, they fit under your helmet nicely, too.

In the crash (the big one, not the smaller ones), the right bow came off. Upon further inspection, it's actually cracked. Sooner or later I'm going to have to replace the M-Frames, which will kind of suck a little. Mostly because I'm poor. But I'll probably get the M-Frames anyway.

Certain doom awaits

I'll be the first to admit I'm a bit skittish on the bike right now. In my mind, the next crash is just around the corner. It's as close as a trail pole, a tight left or Limpach. Jesus, it could be anywhere.

With that in mind, I set off on the first of two rides this morning. Lately on Wednesdays, I've been doing a 90-minute spin in the morning to loosen up, getting some work done and riding from Bike Masters in the evening. It seems to work.

So I headed down the West Papio trail, toward Zorinsky Lake. Note I didn't say to Zorinsky. Lord knows, an encounter with a Zorinsky Hammer would be the last thing I need right now. Those things are terrifying in the best of times.

The legs felt good, but the ride was terrifying all the same. From free-running dachshunds to City of Omaha trucks on the trail, a crash was near. And who can forget the kind little Asian lady who veered directly into my path while wearing a hat that obscured all of her sight except for whatever was down by her shoes, because that's where she was looking?

It was great. Really, it was.

An attempt to tip the scales

Quick -- name the two things common to all of my crashes. It's not Limpach (only two) or my old Atmos (two). The Suunto watch (which I love, by the way). Alegent/Kaos kit was only for two of them. Even my cursed bike was only around for two (but only because it disabled itself an hour before the first one).

And then there are my beloved, well-worn and now very, very scuffed Nikes. Have they turned on me? I've worn them almost every day over the last two years. They helped me get stronger, leaner, faster.

Yesterday, they lost a bit of weight in the form of carbon-fiber marks on the pavement. And the toe of the right one is now trail-pole yellow. The left is a total mess.

It leaves me with no choice. I didn't want to do this, but I'm breaking out the big guns.

Behold, the Shimano R300. I planned on keeping these hidden throughout the summer. Mark liberated them from Highgear for me. They're getting heat-fitted on Wednesday and ridden shortly thereafter.

This stuff stops now.

Crashy McRoadrash

Rode some sweet bluffs roads this morning with Mark. There was much climbing and gasping and downhill shredding. It was pretty awesome. My legs are finally coming back after the Friday intervals.

About 10 minutes from the end of the ride, we left the road and got onto the trail, heading toward the pedestrian bridge. I was looking at the pavement ahead to make sure I didn't hit any loose gravel or anything. I probably should have been watching out for the pole instead.

You know those poles -- the ones that are placed at trail openings to make sure cars don't drive that way. They're good at stopping bikes, too. I clipped it with the right side of my handlebar and then visited the pavement.

The good news is that it's just little scrapes. My shoudler is fine (well, as fine as possible considering its already compromised state), and the scrapes are just reopened scabs. No big deal.

But that's the third one this year. I don't have many more in me.

Slayer

For the first time in about a month, I'm happy to say I absolutely destroyed a workout. I felt fast -- back to normal, even. Of course, it could all be relative. And there's a decent chance I would have been dropped had I been riding with a partner.

But still, it felt awesome. Rest day tomorrow, long on Sunday. Last week of Build 1 efforts on Monday.

And that's all I have. Back to the coffee.

GamJams Review: Giro Monaco gloves

To get right to the point, I don't really wear gloves. When I switched to the Fizik bar tape early last year, any and all hand and wrist pain went away. Does than mean Fizik tape should be sold by Billy Mays on an informercial? Maybe. It's a miracle cure.

Well, that, or my hands and wrists got strong enough from riding more. Whatever. Anyway, gloves. I don't wear them much. But when I do, I wear them only for races. The first race of the year started out chilly, so I had my old Adidas long-fingered gloves on. I finished without them.

But the next two races were crits, and I realized a couple of days prior that I had no gloves. (No, the red mesh Adidas gloves that matched the old Kaos kit were not a possibility.) So I headed to the shop to see what I could see.

Luckily, they had the Giro Monaco glove in white and gray. I really wanted the Zero glove (because it has no padding at all), but when you show up two days before a race, you take what you're given.

The Monaco has a number of things I was looking for -- light padding (or light as possible), a leather palm and a soft mesh back. The padding is thin, but dense, gel of some sort and is used sparingly. The palm is Pittards leather, which is hard to beat. Oh, and there's a big patch of soft cloth on which to wipe your nose.

Plus, they're white -- which is awesome. And they survived the crash with only minor scuffs. The detailing on the velcro tab is gone on the right glove and seriously compromised on the left, but that's it. The palm is intact ... because I landed on my head.

Working on my day off

First things first -- I love working at the Trek Store. Being around something you love makes going to work easy. And while selling bikes is cool, seeing customers come back a couple of weeks later is better. They're excited about their bike -- they're looking to take the next step. That's pretty awesome.

But, as much fun as the Trek Store is, it doesn't pay the bills. Or, rather, it doesn't pay as much of the bills as the last stop did. So today, on my day off from the shop, I'm at home, working. Little freelance writing projects are helping bridge the gap for now.

And now, after my coffee and starting a load of laundry, it's time to write. Then time to ride. Maybe even twice.

Bonus content: Go to the Wilco website and stream their new album, which is due out in June. It's awesome, as always.

My neighbors probably think I'm nuts

Since my work schedule has become more consistent, and I have my freelance stuff worked out, I've been trying to dedicate certain parts of each day for training.

For example, I don't work until noon on Mondays, so I get up early, do some writing, eat and get Jack out the door and then come home. Depending upon how much more writing needs to be done, I'll either keep going or find something else to do. And sometimes I ride to work, drop my stuff off and then go ride more.

Yesterday, the something else was vacuuming. But I still had a workout to do. So I found the biggest hill in the neighborhood and climbed it. Many times. It was a power day -- sitting to climb, but standing up to sprint if need be.

Over the course of the workout, the hill was summitted eight times. Of course, I had to get back to the start, too. I'm fairly certain the people on the downhill part think I'm a whack job. The first time they waved, the second time they looked up, surprised.

I got nary a glance the rest of the way. Hmm ... maybe they're used to me doing laps around the neighborhood by now?

Which is which?

Man ... if I had to choose one part of the day I really don't like, it would be the 30 minutes right after I get out of bed. Umm, I mean the couch. Yeah, I'm still on the couch. I can't lay flat yet.

Anyway, getting off the couch in the morning is a slow process. And it's followed by trying to figure out if I'm sore because my chest is still several shades of yellow (with a bit of purple sometimes) or because of something I did the day before.

Take today, for instance. I got three hours of bike time, which seemed like an eternity toward the end. My shoulder hurts. But wait, I woke up one time last night slightly leaned onto my right shoulder. Hmmm.

And my back -- is it because I carried Jack yesterday? What about my neck?

No idea. I just know I need some coffee. And I'll probably need some ibuprofen, too. Hills await today.

Balancing excitement and stupidity

It's a fine line we walk on a daily basis. When you're a competitive cyclist/runner/whatever, it's tempting to take a day like, say, today (75, sunny) and go ride all morning. Or perhaps do a huge workout.

Done sparingly, it's a nice mental boost; a change of pace. Done too much, it's the first step toward fatigue and burnout -- not to mention subpar performances.

It's probably doubly important for me right now. I feel great 95 percent of the time. The remaining 5 percent is marked by knife-like pain in my right back and ribcage. I've been on the bike without restriction all week. That includes a shop ride, climbing repeats and sprints yesterday.

Today, I had a pretty grueling workout on tap. It would have been tough even before the crash. But I've been waking up sore every morning this week. It goes away, but yesterday and today were far worse than Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

So, in the interest of being able to walk later today, I'm hanging out around the house. Jack's daycare is closed, so he's hanging around, too. And Chris is staying home with him today. She's actually getting stuff done.

Next week, it's back at 100 percent. Go.

GamJams Review: Dura-Ace pedals

Long before I actually had clipless pedals, I knew exactly what I wanted. It was 2005 -- the infancy of my cycling career. All I knew was whatever I saw in local stores, or in cycling magazines.

And in 2005, especially in the summer, it was all Lance. And Lance rode Dura-Ace pedals. And that system looked pretty cool.

Fast forward two years, and I finally got a pair of them. I started on the PD-540, which is basically the cheap version of the Shimano SPD-SL platform. It was late May, and Bike Masters had a set of the Dura-Ace 7800 pedals for $90.

Just a month or two later, the right pedal started to click. It was a little annoying at first, but it kept getting worse and worse. Finally, the shop sent them to Shimano to see what the problem was. I never saw them again.

Instead, Shimano sent back the new (at the time) 7810 pedal. At the time, that was a $250 pedal. And now it's more like $279. I got 'em for an additional $9 to cover shipping.

They are -- predictably -- awesome. The metal plate on the contact area shows no signs of wear, because it's stainless steel. The previous version had a plastic plate that slowly wore down and eventually made for a loose connection with the cleat.

The opening at the toe-end of the cleat is the same width as its predecessor, but for some reason the 7810s seem easier to get into. It could be the wider platform, or it could be that I'm a better cyclist than I was two years ago.

Finally, the cleats are pretty sweet, too. They last forever and they're easy to walk around in. My only gripe is the $5 price jump from this year to last -- up to $25. Shimano did that with pretty much everything, though. Great.

GamJams: Hey, wanna post reviews like this and get hooked up with sponsors and stuff? Yes, you do. Go to GamJams Ambassadors (here) and get started. Right now GamJams is a network of Mid-Atlantic cyclists, with a few randoms like me spread around the country. We can easily make a Midwest branch and join the party. Email me if you have questions.

Go, revisited: Yup. I'm fast again. I stood up on climbs with no problems yesterday, and with no noticeable lack of power. Word.

Sugar. I like sugar.

I have a sweet tooth. Actually a couple dozen of them. Sugar is my friend. We don't have sweet stuff around the house often -- and for good reason. I make it disappear ... rapidly.

As a fan of sugar, I also like soda pop. Back when I was lazy and fat, I'd have three or four a day. When I started running again, I limited it to two, and then one. I'm still on one, though I make exceptions sometimes. Like if I do a four hour ride that day -- yeah, that equals two pops sometimes.

Anyway ... sugar. Soda pop doesn't actually have "sugar" in it. Rather, it's high-fructose corn syrup. Does the job, but it's not sugar.

The new "limited edition" pop from Pepsi, however, does. It's Pepsi and Mountain Dew made with actual sugar.

Holy crap, do I love it.

That's basically all. I'm going to go have my daily pop right now.

Working now, riding later. Out.

Go.

If you didn't know what happened two weeks ago, you probably wouldn't be able to guess by looking at me. Well, maybe my ear, but that's the last visible sign of the crash.

I was back at work a few days afterward, and back on the bike a week afterward. But back on the bike is different than training. And even though it's getting much, much easier to get up in the morning (and without drugs, too!), I just haven't been thinking about training.

Until late Sunday night. I felt really good, despite feeling horrible earlier in the day (I rode, trimmed weeds and then mowed. Probably too much.).

"Yes," I thought. "Yes. I'll restart the formal training plan tomorrow after all."

So I did. It was short, punchy hills. Less than two minutes, all about power. Sitting and standing. For the sake of my still-damaged abdominal and ribcage muscles, I was thinking about sitting power almost exclusively. I just can't snap out of the saddle yet.

Or so I thought. When I got to the part where I felt like I needed to stand, I just instinctively did it. No problem.

Huh.

Of course, it hurt a bit by the end, and the ride back to the shop to get ready for work was a bit uncomfortable, but I got my work in. Today will be an easy spin later if I have time.

Mostly, I'm happy to be able to ride at all, let alone train. The next step would be getting to sleep in the bed. I tried it twice, and that was just a really, really bad idea. Ouch.

Did I miss something?

Almost two weeks ago, Jack went to the doctor to have a little spot on his cheek checked out. Actually, it wasn't a little spot -- it was a little cyst-like thing. And it wasn't really little -- it was growing pretty rapidly. It was this.

And, starting last week, it bled. A lot. On Wednesday (or maybe Tuesday?), I got to daycare to find him on the floor, bleeding, with his provider tending to him. On Friday, Chris got a call saying they couldn't get the bleeding to stop. After a trip to the ER, Jack woke up on Saturday covered in blood -- it opened again. (Chris has a much better play-by-play on her blog.)

So, after another trip to the ER on Saturday, it's gone. He's fine.

Seems easy, though, right? Kid bleeds, they fix it. Cool. But after that appointment almost two weeks ago, we were told it was going to take three weeks to get it looked at. And then after the first ER visit, it was going to be sometime this week.

Hey, how about right frickin' now? Are we in Canada? I know it's technically "elective," since it's not life-threatening, but come on. He's not quite two. He has a bleeding cyst on his face. Why is this so difficult to understand?

Those frustrations were bubbling as I spent parts of Friday and Saturday immersed in the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, which was in Omaha. No, I'm not a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder, but with the Furniture Mart (ground zero for lanyard-wearing capitalists) right next to the Trek Store, I felt like I was in the middle of everything.

Watching people come in and do things like, say, buy $230 shoes on a whim, further exemplified the gap between them and us. Buy a new Garmin? Sure. How about $15 for a box of limited edition Warren Buffett candy? Yes. Not having to worry about things like that seems like a completely different reality from what we're living right now.

On Sunday, Chris and I stood at the counter at Hy-Vee to decide which Chinese Express meal would be a better deal -- $5.99 for two entrees, or $6.59 for two entrees and two egg rolls.