Friday, August 27, 2010

Seen "Chasing Legends"? Check the full credits...

Ah, finally getting somewhat recovered from my 9 days of fevers & flu. Missing the Ore to Shore altogether -- laying on my couch that Saturday feeling so miserable I couldn't stand to even watch TV or surf the internet, my head was pounding, body aching & eye's hurt to even keep them open.

That week & half really puts a dent in person's body to get back to into full racing ability. The Calumet "Great Deer Chase" on Aug 21st was a good example of that - had no problems leading out and being part of the lead group of 5 for the first hour of the race and then it began to crumple like a wet tissue paper. Maybe in a few weeks I'll get the stamina back, oh well.

"Chasing Legends" -- the movie of the '09 Tour de France centered on the HTC/Team Columbia racing team. Done by Gripped Films, makers of the very good MTB films "24 Solo" & "Off Road to Athens". The film was finally released on DVD the other week http://chasinglegends.com/ -- if you take the opportunity to view it (and it is an excellent film), be sure to take time to watch through ALL the credits at the end..... you might just see some names of people you happen to know personally :) ........ if any of you can guess or know who -- I'll give you the story behind it. It's pretty cool!

Friday, August 13, 2010

Sick? Doc. How can that be? I've got the Ore to Shore tomorrow!!

Ridiculous... how can on the eve of great race like Ore to Shore, can one not shake a stubborn fever & flu?
Last weekend, I started feeling out of sorts -- should have been able to tell by the symptoms (& the fact my kids had been sick earlier last week) that I had something coming on. Well, like normal flu's, one gets a pounding headache, body aches, fatigure and fever... just glad I wasn't tossing cookies. I start to feel better early this week convinced I'm going to shake it in time for the race, only to relapse Weds to right back where I started. Crazy thing is it's worse at night when I go to sleep. A fever comes on, my head starts to pound and it's several sleepless hours until I try & OD on Tylenol PM.

Friday's here & it much the same story, the chances of a miracle recovery in the next 12-16hrs.... let's not take on Vegas with these odds.

Plan is still to head over to Marquette, stand on the starting line and watch everyone else go by. Maybe a timely early mechanical will happen and I can play water boy the rest of the race. More likely I'll press on and dig myself into a hole so big I won't get out for the rest of the season.....

Cyclists... what a bunch a crazies.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Alive??

Heck ya! Just alittle too busy training, racing and building a few miles of singletrack in the back '40 this summer to get around to blogging.
Ore to Shore this Saturday!! Speaking of which the weirdest thing happened a couple months back. Question... ever have a dream that your biking racing in? Well, me neither. That was until this past April or May. I have this dream I'm racing in the Ore to Shore...NO LIE! Except like all dreams it's not exactly the same Ore to Shore but nonetheless. Anyways all the normal cast of characters one would expect are at the race. Previous winners, high placing racers, etc. The race is getting down to the end and there are five or so of us at the front. The whole time in the dream I'm wondering "what the hell am I doing here?" Well, when in doubt don't question it. Just go with it. So I did in this dream. And coming into the winding paved roads to the finish Brian Matter and myself are drilling it, going toe to toe. In the dream I think to myself at first.... "Man, this is Brian Matter, I really should let him win. He's pretty darn good." Only as we get in the final hundred yards or so I figure "screw it, I going to give it a go" ... and sure enough I squeak by and cross the line by a wheel length ahead of him.

.......So as they say.... only in your dreams, perhaps that's the case, but whether it was a premonition or a dream you'd better watch out Matter -- I'm coming for you this Saturday! That party is going to rock!