Hooray for atrophy!

False alarm, I over-reacted. No surgery needed for the offending thigh, just some 1 on 1 time with a large masculine woman 3 times per week for the next 3 weeks. I guess I'll take that...

We now return you to your normal programming.

Lame

I know what you're thinking. These are NOT my legs to the left, although it might be kind of cool to have definition like that...I mean, shoot, you can see right through the skin!

Nah, really though tough times are a-coming on the horizon... The swelling has given way to reveal a lovely depression above the knee - where my quad muscle should be. The result is a sweet gangsta lean as I walk down the streetz, yo!

...also, a good chance of surgery. The orthopedic surgeon will confirm that tomorrow. But the sooner I go under the knife, the sooner I can get back to doing what I love. These past few weeks have made me realize how much I appreciated and enjoyed being outside and active. Its been a good awakening to remind me of how crappy the couch and tv is, and how amazing even just the simple things of hearing yourself breath and hearing your feet hit the pavement are. I seem to have a habit of always realizing a good thing until after its too late... I should try and change that behavior. Oh well, theres always alcohol right?

Maybe this is for the best!

I went ahead and took a page from the boys on the CSC cycling squad and picked up a couple black wristbands that read in bold, "Harden the Fuck Up". Simple, straightforward, and non-confusing. Slightly corny, but a damn good reminder for when the going gets nasty in the next few months.

Tomorrow begins the new journey, and the journey is the effin reward. Yippee kay yay, mofo.

DFL to DNF

Game over for the tour on the last day. I tried moving a tree with my thigh, and it didn't exactly work out the way I planned...

Tour de Burg Stage 4

Massanutten Ridge riding with total mileage on the mtb somewhere around 40 miles, and criss crossing across Ft. Valley. Exhaustion is at meltdown level, so complete sentences is no longer required. Here are my random non-coherent thoughts about the day. Rocks, rocks, and more rocks on the ridges. Jackhammer feeling. Slooooow. Lost time to second to last place guy, and DFL jersey is starting to funktify. Pain. Burrito dinner made achiness go away for brief period.

100 miles on the road bikes over gravel, and pavement with massive climbs, including gravel road climb all the way to the top of Reddish Knob from West VA. Ughhh, best chance for getting some time back if I can hang onto a pack for the timed sections. Little grill mexi night is my motivation.

Triathletes are soft.

Tour de Burg Stage 2 and 3

Stage 2 ended and I'm back in the DFL jersey, after a long atomic battle today. A climb up the backside of Mass. Mtn. Resort, a gravel climb and descent on Cub Run road, and a final assault across New Market Gap on 211, with a parade pace back to town to finish. Grand total of 76 miles for the stage. A nasty flat on the Cub Run descent put me to the back of the pack again after a solid effort on the climb. It was tough seeing my competition roll on past me as I freakishly change my tire. Luckily I got a little time back ont he New Market gap section to keep the time difference close. I banged my knees into my handlebars a few more times too even out the huge hematomas I've already accumulated over the past days.

Stage 3 was a short time trial on some nice local trails in town. 30 second between riders let you be close enough to see your closest competitor but not quite close enough to pass. I tried to make a move to pass back the 2nd(to last) place guy, but stumbled on a rock garden losing his wheel. Finish line was at the door step of Luigi's pizza, which inside scoop, has it closing its doors for good within the year!! Anyways, a nice pizza and salad dinner with a couple beers amongst friends and fellow cyclists made the day complete.

Crazy nar-nar rocks tomorrow on the Massanutten ridge. Shooot!

Tour de Burg Stage 1

45 miles on the mountain bike and around 5000 ft of climbing means sore legs for the peloton tonight.

I had another mediocre performance and find myself quite often in the back of the finishers. I feel like I was so much faster in past years tours, or maybe these guys just get sooo much faster year in and year out. Probably the latter. First timed section consisted of a big singletrack climb, a little techy moss-rock section (which I walked most of) a little ridge fire road, and then a nice long singletrack drop down off Buck Mountain. A rear flat got me good about half way down, but on the bright side allowed for a nice breather.

Second timed section was a long ridge ride on roll-y singletrack, the kind where you feel there is no place to recover and you're working just as hard to go downhill as you are up.

The big news is I have (temporarily?) relinquished the DFL jersey, but am only 30 seconds off the lead. Like in that big french tour, the pressure of riding with the jersey early on was just too great, and energy sapping so I will look to make my attempt on it in the final days ahead!

BIG road stage in the A.M. lined up close to 80 miles with probably 30 of that gravel...the teeth jarring variety, too. Then at night a MTB-TT on some local trails with the finish at the entrance to the pizza joint!! Woooo, its gonna be killer!

Roll it.

Tour de burg prologue - DfL!

Barely made it down to the stage start in time fighting crazy DC
traffic. It dumped buckets beforehand making the trail like Adams
morgan barfloor. Wet, slippery, and sketchy. I redlined it to start
and payed for it with out of control riding and spectating people go
by me. 2 miles up means 2 miles down. More of the same but coming at
you faster! Crashed hard at the bottom and donated a little skin and
blood to the trail gods.

A solid effort means I finished in last place capturing the coveted
dfl jersey! An honest to goodness jersey I have to wear, and fight
for, and will do my best to slum it hardcore so I can hang on to it!
Yeahghh, big mtb stage tomorrow with more big downhills!

Giddyup!