I thought monks were supposed to be 'peaceful, spiritual gurus'? This dude is about to get a right haymaker on the chin.

I also thought John Edwards paid a little too much for his haircut....

And in closing, I also thought that THIS GUY was cleared. Another black eye for one of the sports I love - but then again, why put these guys above our own moral ground? I know dudes who would dope if they could pull a 3rd place in a local race.......and then have kidney failure at age 50. Good times!

BALANCE (Part II)

In chatting it up with one of our younger employees yesterday, I again realized how naieve I was when I was 25. I thought I had a lot of responsibility then. I thought I was 'busy'. Back then, juggling social engagements seemed hard. Now I realize that youth really is king.

So, I do my best to handle work, family time, wife, daughter, fitness, and finally the community stuff (coaching soccer, cycling team treasurer). I can't always get it right, but I do try to. Somebody, or something always gets the short end of the stick - and quite honestly, its almost always me.

What I wholeheartedly believe in is this philosophy: You make the most of your time - 5 minutes or 5 days. Meaning if you have 1 hour with your spouse, you make it count. If you have only 30 minutes to ride - grab your f'n bike and hammer for 30 minutes. If you're blessed to have an entire weekend with your family, then soak it up.

Life is great, and if you don't take it hour by hour, day by day - then you're cheating yourself by looking ahead. Get in the moment if you can.

SNOWBOWL

Usually around this time of year, we are only 2 weeks removed from ski season and the road up to Snowbowl is laden with cinders so cars can get up the road. This year - skiing ended in March, and the road is perfectly clean and ready to ride.

I got out this morning and rode up the climb 3 miles for a warmup, back down to the bottom, and then the full 6 mile climb. 40 minutes flat at about 85% effort - I never went into the red zone maxing the heart rate at around 168. Total ride time of 2:15. That doesn't mean much does it. Here's some perspective:

My previous personal best is 38 minutes
The 'record' is 26 1/2 minutes by a local pro
Anything under 40 is considered to be pretty good by the local club riders

So it's only April, and I feel pretty good about putting in a 40 minute effort over the 6 mile climb that gains 2000 feet of elevation (7000 - 9000). My goal by August is to shave 4 minutes off my time and get down to 36 minutes. That's still 10 minutes behind the top dude in town. It's frightening how fast some guys and chicks can go up that "hill".

OK - enough f'n around...I don't get paid to ride in perfect weather. I gotta go to work from 2pm - 10pm tonight. Better get rollin'.

JESSICA LYNCH IS:

Remarkably unwavering in her support of her country, and the US Army - despite the fact that she is a perfect example of how the military twists combat stories to improve morale for the deployed troops and the rest of us back home.

Permanently disabled from a blast in Iraq - as she and other troops were attempting to get the hell out of a hot spot.

In my opinion........a true hero for standing up and going against some agenda-driven politicals that were trying to make her story into something it wasn't.

On another note, I'm not even surprised to learn more about the covered-up Pat Tillman story. I'm not surprised because this sh*t has been going on for decades - its just that now its easier to uncover the lies that our elected officials and civil servants dole up to us everyday. Pat's decision to serve his country in spite of the fact that he had a family at home, and a high dollar pro football career is downright inspiring - I mean most Americans would define patriotism with the name PAT TILLMAN. I also remember when I heard he was going into Afghanistan to supposedly find Bin Laden - sh*t.....that was pretty cool to imagine. Ex-NFL hardass/overachiever gonna take down a psychopathic murderer on his own! In other words, I drank the kool-aid and bought the spin. I've been anti-war since hearing Bush's mousy, dipshit voice call our troops into Iraq back in March of 2003 - but something about Tillman made me think that there were guys out there that really might be able to end this conflict.

Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman - here's to you both.

A lot of the women in my gen-set are getting "upgrades". I'm here to tell you that they are totally unnecessary, and the reality is that women put more pressure on each other than men do towards their spouses etc...

Afterall - here's the long-term ramifications of such an "upgrade"

Are those unshelled nuts in those holsters?

kinda MELLOW legs not JELLO

its been a super-relaxing weekend, with no plans, no agendas, and a go with the flow 'tude. The only item on the check-list is Lyza's soccer game today at 2:30pm.

I got out on a 2 hour ride yesterday morning - MTB....I was still feeling the effects of the Dawn-Dusk event last Saturday, and the cumulative effect of 6 days off the saddle. I warmed up slow, and rode myself into a groove that got better as the ride went on. It could not have been more fun, and by the end, I was feeling strong and could have easily gone another hour. BUT parental responsibilities reared their reality-based head and I cruised home with energy in the tank for once.

Today was a relaxing climb on the road up to the ski resort. I rode with Easy E. It was about 40 when we started, and it warmed up to maybe 45 when we were done. We rode 24 miles, climbed 3000 vertical feet over a 9 mile section, and talked the whole time. It was one of those rides you just relish every now and then because its just plain fun. We worked a little bit - just enough to keep warm. Easy E fired up the espresso machine at home, and we warmed up over a cup o' Joe.

I have a nice week coming up with 3 days to work my ass off, and I will of course squeeze in rides every day as I'm training a new employee from 2pm - The Wupatki Loop will be the highlight this week. The next goal is still the Whiskey 50.....if the forest is still open. Word has it that we may have some trail restrictions this summer - as early as mid-May. Bummer.

FRYday

I'm fried. Physically, no.....emotionally - yes. It's been one of those weeks loaded with little bites of shitburgers, and a massive POO POO shake. Business is slowing down finally, which feels good. Our new dog - Bodhi - has been a dream. I can't even believe he's a puppy as he is super mellow....just what I needed. Compared to Jamocha and Domino - Bodhi is like some zen-yoga vishnaya chamomile tea drinkin' pooch who just exudes the word CHILL.

Two rides scheduled for this weekend...both from 6am - 9am on the singlespeed. It's too cold to ride on the road at that hour (it will be 41 for a high tomorrow), and my Scalpel is getting a facelift:
-New Avid Juicy 7's (levers and rotors)
-New FSA wheelset with hubs (to be determined) and DT Swiss spokes

It might be 1/4 pound lighter, but that doesn't matter - it will ride better. I need it in 3 weeks for THIS. You may call me a pu**y for not riding this course on a singlespeed, but I'd call you a STUD if you tried it on a 32 x 18 or taller.

Other than that - yardwork, dog training, and I'm coaching Lyza's game on Sunday. I'm lookin' forward to the weekend!

CB

Dusk Til Dawn Update

We got a late start leaving Flagstaff on Friday, and I neglected to remember that New Mexico is on Mountain time - one hour later than AZ. I rolled into El Rancho hotel - the host hotel - at 10:45pm.....I thought I was there at 9:45. The timing chips were gone, and I was SOL with regards to getting myself and my bike set up the night before. We crawled up to our room, which was a dump - but at $40/night, what do you expect I guess. Asleep at 11:45pm and up at 4:45am to get some cereal in my system before heading to the race venue at 6:00am. It was 19 degrees when we got there, and DARK.......that was just awesome for my morale. Dana was freezing, and neither of us spoke for about 30 minutes. I finally got my timing chip and race number 10 minutes before the start of the event - which was 1/2 mile down the road. Quick change, cruise down to the starting line, and the gun went off within 1 minute of my arrival.

The sun was just up when we started, and I could feel its warmth coming through my jacket. I felt good, and I dialed the intensity way back so I didn't blow up early. As it turns out, since the entire course is singletrack - we were herded like cattle for the first 2 miles of climbing. You couldn't pass anyone if you wanted to, and it actually made for a really good warm-up. The climb was steep, but the trail was made so you could crank a singlespeed up it. I was talking with some fellow SS'ers as we were herding uphill and almost everyone was running a 32 x 20 gearing....I was on a 32 x 18 - which was way too tall for me about 7 hours later.

Things opened up at the top of the climb and the packs spread out. Two yahoo punks passed our group with no warning on the left......and I just kind of shrugged my shoulders - it was 7:20am, and we had a LOOOONG way to go. As it turns out, both of these windbags were so deflated on their second laps that they were getting passed by everyone.

The course was Grade-A. The trailbuilder gets a gold medal for creating a work of art. The trail was hard, but tacky for traction, and super fast. You could climb the tough sections if you are a good technical rider, and the support from volunteers was great. It was 61 degrees by noon, and the riding conditions were excellent.

I gutted out 4 13-mile laps in 7 hours (including about a 10-15 minute rest between each lap to re-fuel the gas tank). I was on the verge of not feeling good, and it was a good time to stop and call it a day. I was in 54th place out of 110 solo riders at that point, and I was in 4th out of 30 singlespeeders when I turned my chip in. The results should be up in a couple of days, and I probably slipped into the high teens, or early 20's since I bailed after 7 hours. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get 5 laps in, but I just didn't want to suffer that much to complete it. I do feel good about the fact that its mid-April and this is probably the fittest I have been this early in any given year. Next stop is probably the Whiskey 50 in Prescott next month. A few things I learned:

1.) It takes a special person to push themselves through serious pain and suffering. I do not have that ability because I am very cautious about causing long-term damage to my knees and back. Yeah, I'm a wuss.
2.) No matter how fit you feel, or are - your race day can be a disaster without solid planning and rest. I could have handled the 24 hours prior to the event much better and I will in the future.
3.) I find myself in a difficult spot. I'm not fast enough to win normal races (ie 2 hour events) unless I sandbag by entering an intermediate category, and I don't have the intestinal fortitude to always finish 12 hour events. So - I'll probably never make this a career.
4.) Today was the first time I actually put a timeline on the number of years I have left riding competitively. I mean realistically, you don't see a lot of competitive dudes out there in their 50's - some, yes, but racers in those categories drop off like a cliff compared to those in their 30's and 40's. I hope I don't only have 10 years of this stuff left. That would only be about 1200 more rides and less than 36,000 competitive miles to go. It makes me sick thinking about it.

So instead of thinking about it, I'm planning for Prescott....I can't wait!

CB

WTF?

Outta the blue we get 2 inches of snow last night - and it is going to be 61 degrees today. You'd think we are living in Wisconsin.

Picked up the new team kit last night, and a pro-deal order from RITCHEY. It was like Christmas -only better. Here's the evolution of our kit/clothing....we have gone from hideous to better. The new kits which are not on this link - are teal/white/black. I never thought teal was "in" again. Maybe it isn't, but I kinda like it.

We're leaving for Gallup this afternoon. I have a feeling that I'm going to bonk and bomb out - but that's because I haven't seen the course, and 12 hours is a long time. Keep it steady, keep the heart rate below 170, and just keep on going. I have an mp3 player with 3 hours of music, some tasty eats, and a hot chick in the pits to keep me motivated. Plus - it'll be 67 degrees and sunny. I'd say that's flat out optimal. Race report to follow on Sunday.

Here's the new addition to our stable of unstable beings. I think we got the one standing on the right.....an Aussie Shepherd we named Bodhi. D wanted a cool name that matched some of the Yoga Shakras (sp.?), so I spouted out BODHI having remembered the 1990's action movie Point Break with Swayze and Keanu - Swayze played a Zen/Surfer/Bank Robber character that was...pretty forgettable actually, but for some reason I can never get this movie out of my twisted head along with Pulp Fiction, Sin City, Payback, and I'm dying to see Grindhouse - back to the story though. Bodhi happens to mean this which we both agreed was pretty fitting, and now we have a cool little pupster in the house.

Have you heard this band yet? Get to know 'em - they got it goin' on. I'd love to see them live...but that probably won't happen in my one horse town.

SS is the choice for Dawn til Dusk. I'll either fail miserably, or kick some arse - no in between here.

OK

That's it - I can't gain any more fitness before this coming Saturday, so www.dawntildusk.com here I come. I still haven't decided if I'll ride the singlespeed or the gears. I'm gonna bring both and make the call at registration. SS is more fun, but gears are nice at the 10th hour.

It was a great weekend of riding, yardwork, mixed in with a little bit of work-work....you know, the kind that pays the bills. Oh, and it looks like we may have a new dog joining the family on Tuesday night. Deets to follow.

CB

Ahhhhh yes...

A 2-hour fun fest on the SS after work dulls the aggravations of the day, and livens my body and mind. I just washed and vacuumed my car and picked up 2 soymilks for the weekend. That's more than I've done on the homefront in 3 days. Yeah - that means the house isn't exactly clean, the laundry isn't exactly folded, and the toilets could use a little scrubbing. I'll save that stuff for a rainy day.

I felt pretty good. It was a steady 1 hour and 15 minute climb - followed by - surprise - a mostly downhill circle back home. The Rig is running beautifully, although being a SS it pretty much should.

I'll probably just work a burner-long day tomorrow, road ride to the east rim of the Grand Canyon via Cameron, AZ with D on Saturday and pound my ass into the ground in Sedona on the geared MTB on Sunday after working a half day. I wish I could accomplish some home improvements a la Josh, but I suck at fixing anything other than problems at work.

WWW.DAWNTILDUSK.COM

10 days 'till the fun-fest in Gallup. I got in a quick singlespeed ride last night, and I'm due for another one today - a road ride on Friday - a road ride on Saturday - and one final long, hard effort on the mountain bike Sunday in Sedona. Then - rest by hitting the above depicted device - a couple of times next week just to keep the legs loose. I hate rollers and trainers, but, they do a good job of keeping me in shape during my time with Squirty B the 5-year old action Jackson of Flagstaff.

I'm aiming for 6-7 laps on the singlespeed with less than 15 minutes of breaks during the 12 hours...just enough time to refill bottles, eat something more substantial than bars and gu, and a couple of minutes to relieve myself of the inevitable green mud that builds up in your bowels during a long effort. I thought you'd love that description Sheck. Let's just say you don't want to be in those shorts shown above after 12 hours.

Well - time to work and train....more to come.

STARS

If anyone ever again tells you how beautiful the stars looks on awards nights, or in the movies - remember - we're all mortal.

Good morning Babs! I'll get you a latte if you'll open your eyes for us.

TUCSON

We had a great visit to Tucson, albeit a short one. The weather was perfect-o, and it was fun to see Mom, Meg, Mike, Troy, and a little bit of Juan Grande. He had a carving workshop all weekend so we just caught him at night and in the AM. I'll dump some pics up tonight. My little Nephew T-Bone (Troy) is the man. He hiked about a mile by himself on a desert trail, and even after a couple of falls - he was still ready for the hot tub after.

I got in one ride on Saturday, and I buried myself in the span of one hour trying to catch and pass local hotshot riders. I had a great time, but I'm still feeling the effect of the effort.

Soccer starts tonight. Coach Chris at your service in charge of the Orange Tigers - the 5 year old division. I love this time of the year.