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2/29/04
The dynamics, let me count the ways. Strategies grow and change, as do courses. Let me just get down to it. Slippery eel Dh this weekend, ride numero seis. Checked out of work on friday and drove out to get some practice. Met up with Brian, Keiko, Hank, and Nathan out in Hoopa after getting lost for a bit. We hiked the trail top to bottom, cut out a bunch of limbs and small stumps. Then managed to squeeze in two practice runs. The course was a break cooker from top to bottom, but there was definitely flow hiding in the trees. Second run felt pretty good about it, Jeremy Rollins was out there with me. I let him pass at one point only to watch him let it run right into a down tree, a rag doll later he was pretty beat up so we called it a day. After practice I decided that it wasn't really my course to pin it on. I knew that Brian and Hank would be fast considering that the knew the trail better then anyone, and I figured Jake and Sean would have an advantage on me due to the steep factor. Managed to release most of my competitive juice and decided I would just come out and take it easy down the hill and try to lay down some easy times. Come race day got some good practice in the morning, felt good but still didn't figure I was up to pace. Jake took a gnarly crash in practice and I knew he was pushing it So I relaxed even more. Qualifying was slow, took it very easy and managed only a couple bobbles. My time was good enough to slide into second behind Hapgood. So I decided that the mellow attitude might just work, put all thoughts of going fast out of my mind and just rolled my first race run. It was clean as could be but still conservative and safe. Got in and didn't even wait to see what the others times were, I was content. Hiked back up and cheered some dudes on then ran back, turned out I was in the hot seat with Mr. T only a second back. So I for some reason figured Sean would push it and drop out second round, guess I haven't ridden with the guy for awhile and forgot that that just doesn't happen. Round number two I tried to stay away from everyone and their talk of sub four, "what's your time", and seconds here seconds there but as usual when your in the hot seat all that shit comes right to you. The biggest psyche out was once again Mr. Matt telling me, before he left prematurely, that he had instructed Sean to seek retribution for the pops. Apparently my captions had struck the desired chord but I knew that Karma was going to catch up with me that day. Felt pretty good but on the line the pressure sunk in as Sean whispered something about getting under four, I hate it when he talks to me on the line. Anyway I kinda went for it but the cascade of errors started pretty early, the mind lost its state of ommmm, and I was playing catch up down the hill. Was faster in a lot of places, but lucky I kept it up in others, went for speed in the straights when I should have been going for speed in the corners. Found myself boosting over the roots in an outrigger one footer, was pretty good till I got to the final drop, holding tons of speed, second guessed myself, and stalled. Fucking stalled for one, two, threee... and counting. I got going and growled audibly all the way to the line, very pissed. Everyone else came down and really peeled 'em off. Sean's consistency won him the day, but I had banked on that the course suited him. I also figured Hapgood would lay it down but I thought I could catch em in consistency. My only beef, and I don't plan to protest, was that there had been talk of best two outta three taking practice, many folks opted to take practice times over second run times. Yet I got lumped into fourth when I believe using my qualifying time would have slipped me into third. Oh well. Still wouldn't have put me in front of Mr. Rowan whose ride impressed and angered me. Glad to see him lay it down as long as he's not laying it down in front of me, next time. Sean did creep up ten points on me, but that bout will be decided at the final, I like single run races. Always more head work to do.

2/24/04
Oh its been kinda a bummer week, just feeling weak and not pounding pedals. A little time off will let me come back that much stronger, right? Staggered down to see Julian Marley and Elephant man, slept though a lot of it. Rode around Trinidad on Sunday but otherwise been keeping a low profile. Looking forward to the Slippery Eel Dh this weekend. I have been hearing good things about the course; three words, steep, and "pin ball". Be heading out there friday for a little pre race training, be nice to get it in right before the event this time. Then it's prep for the thompkins hill time trial, gotta go make a lap just for preparations' sake. After a little discussion today with mr. Hapgood it doesn't sound like Horse Mountain is the best location for a race, still thinking on the solution to that problem. I'm just glad to am starting to feel better and that there's a race this weekend.

2/19/04
Rough pedaling this morning. A fever ride indeed, me and Sean, both pushing aside second thoughts to take advantage of the sunny day. Approximately twenty minutes of mobbing chutes in sequoia park left me wheezing for mercy. We were both decidedly too sick to continue. Much weaker then i thought, hopefully will have some strength for the slippery eel, especially practice this weekend. For now try to rest and recoup. This is winters last dying strokes made manifest, i will crush it, bring on spring.

2/18/04
Break shmake, feel real down, run down, but not out, can't be out yet. The weekend was spent shuttiling my pops to a new home and mud trudging down a potential course, if only the later had passed as smoothly as the former. Not that the hill in fortuna was bad, it was incredible, but we're gonna need some sunshine, some time, and a chainsaw. And thus the week break passed, with time filled by other menial activities. Now come midweek i am feeling my health ebb, still gonna ride in the morning if all goes well. Next few weeks allow little off time between work and competition. Time trial on the way as well as the cycle cross finals. Don't know when i'll have time to nurse myself, gotta go see a concert at the mateel this weekend, oh such torturous obligations. Other thoughts drift to the final, which i must push back a week into april for various reasons, the primary being that mr. matt must attend. The pending venue is horse mountain, contact me with any thoughts or concerns, i know we can swing it, not to mention that such a race would be deserving of an epic asterix. all shall come to pass.

2/13/04
How nice it is to have a little break between rides. Planning and executing events every weekend, or even every other, takes much time away from being sociable. Yesterday was a good example, thanks to mobile motoring i was able to meet Sean T at three corners market bright and early before work. We drove up past red gate ten pedaled down the road for a bit to explore a new portion of trail cleared out by John Dostal. Sean had built a jump up there that he was excited to bet back to. The jump was sweet; an enormous left hand hip with a lip taller then me. Hit it mellow a couple of times to get the feel., then started finding some height. The jump will give you a much as you can handle, but it was too early for me to handle much more, came at it with more speed and cut it too sharp. I hit front end first at the bottom of the tranny, bottoming and flopping over like a dead fish. Managed to get over it a couple more times before calling it quits. The rest of the trail was sweet but almost got eaten several times by age old ruts hidden underneath some leaf camo and endless downed limbs, just needs a little cleaning. Then it was back to work for the day. Afterwards, again thanks to my new mobility, i went to play some poker with the boys and girls. My luck was not to improve as i did not win a single hand, once again a victim of texas hold-em. My rules of "don't let em see you check" and "always play for the flop" did me little good. But, admittedly, i had a good time and made some friends a little richer. So now this morning entry is about done, time to wrap up the weeks work and plan for the weekend.

2/10/04
Oh, oh , oh... since this is a "bike page" i suppose that these entries should pertain, perpetually, to pathological pedaling. must remember to avoid, poetry, stream of consciousness, fiction, and above all archaic accented alliterations. well i can't promise that i won't always refrain form dumping out my inner realizations, epiphanies, or frustrations here. for now the latest does have to do cycling, at least remotely and in my little sphere of reality. purchased my first vehicle this last weekend. i know for most this means that they hang up the two wheeler, get a date to the drive in, and leave all those trail days behind them. in this case the truck is the first step toward road trippin on the norba circuit. it was the biggest hurdle, and now that it is all but out of the way, i am growing very excited, bubbly even, with anticipation for what the spring will bring. on a sadder note i feel for mr. newkirk whose injury is worse then was first assessed, three months without the lad will be far too long. i am sure all will miss his smiling countenance whizzing by. thankfully there are still those carrying on the boostafarian faith and ride six looks to be the best and freshest course to date. oh so, oh, oh... to sum up, gotta ride more, gotta fix up truck tinniest bit, gotta work to fix, work steals riding time, don't like when things steal riding time, sunshines, trails dry, friends children make me smile and quiver with fear, the ultimate riding time thief, ride more, work less, ride, ride, ride, rehab.

2/7/04
Today was fun, went pretty well by my reckoning. Cyclo cross in the morning after running some errands in trade for some axle attention. Showed up at Redwood Acres, rode several practice laps, attempted to stay dry, failed. The course was puddle filled and mucky, very good. The race soon started and my original mentor, Justin Brown, set off at a blistering pace. I was pretty worried but made a point to stick on his wheel. Near the end of the first lap we went bar to bar for a brief period, then he disappeared. After that I was pretty much off the front aside from Todd Rice persistently nipping at my heels. He kept nagging until my carbon handlebar snapped near the top of a steep rise. I got dumped, he passed me, and I tooled slowly into the finish with half a bar, certain that my race was over. Luckily Vic Armijo was kind enough to hand me off his Kona for me to continue on. Revitalized on a sweet new rig, I set out to catch Mr. Rice, who was well out in front but had noticeably let up a bit. So I hammered too and caught him within a lap. Rode his wheel for a bit until he let me by. Then I just cruised pretty much, trying to keep it up and steady. Getting fresh bike in the middle sure kept it interesting and helped pass the forty five minutes a little quicker. An interesting challenge to be sure. Then I stopped over to see the boys at 14th and G. With a little attention from some sweet easy outs Sean was able to get my axle bolt out, as well as scrounging up a new one for me. So I am back in business as far as that is concerned. Then I jammed out, bought a pickup, visited some friends, and made it home. Stoked that I got the truck ticket taken care of. It is a little piecer but I am sure it will get me where I need to go. Hopefully I'll build a wheel for my Bullit tomorrow and then get in a little practice at the BMX track.

2/6/04
Been taking it easy the last part of this week. Cleaned up the bikes. The striped axle bolt on my shiver is a work case then i thought. Three great bicycle minds have already tried and fallen short, resulting in excessive leverage and snapping steel motor cycle spokes wrenches. Anyhow I have one last hope before applying the drill in a medieval manner. Tomorrow is CROSS RACIN! ... I was about to get quite sarcastic there but thought better of it and deleted away. Redwood acres, second race of the series for me. Got my eye on the 45minute overall title. Won the second stop of the series deceisively, and I think tomorrow's locatin on the BMX track will give me a chance to shine apart from the dull cycle cross background. Planning for events leading to the winter series conclusion has over run my mind. It's gonna be good, no one should miss the final, it will be good (even if you have to push a bitty).

2/2/04
Went to visit Greg yesterday. Turns out he did get hurt. Compression fracture in his back. He was bound to his recliner when i got there. Hate to see a buddy down, especially Greg. Say 4-6 weeks, I know he'll be shredding again as soon as he is able, but that is still 4-6 weeks without one mr. Greg Newkirk to shred with. Though he was quite out of it I managed to interview the kid, so a new rider profile is on the way. He's pushing it for sure, and as usual his body can't keep up. Things were just getting interesting too, he had moved within a mere four points of me in the overall adjusted. Hope he can make it back for the next one, just wouldn't be right without him. Heal quick bud.

2/1/04