numbers

6 days in a row on the bike.
7 days until Reanie's princess birthday party.
6 days after tomorrow until Reanie's princess birthday party.

"How many days after that until my princess birthday party?"
5 days after that, Reanie.

"well, how many days after that until my princess birthday party?"
That would be 4 days, Reanie.

"So it is 4 days until my princess birthday party?"
Yeah, sure.

Thanks

It can still hurt a bit, but the right team makes all the difference.

One day riding

I rode yesterday. Well, I've been on the bike three times since I removed my top tube from my old rig, but the first two didn't go well at all since I clearly wasn't ready to roll yet.

And I'm still not. But I didn't go ride to train so much as I did to just move and get some fresh thoughts blowing into my ears. Dorkballing may just be riding bikes, but I need that fix. What I really need is to race, but riding is part of making that happen. Walk before you run, or something like that.

I'm grumpy, grouchy and no fun to be around when I'm prohibited from sweating in spandex, and this is amplified because I was going pretty well when I dismounted last. It had taken so long to get sorted out, and just as i was...I'm waking up on the ground again.

But I rode yesterday. can't pull up on the bars. can't take a deep breath. and I need Noah to help me change out a flat tube. But I rode yesterday. And I'm going to ride again today. and tomorrow.

The discomfort in the ribal region is not much compared to the brain mush grouchiness frustration darn near panic I feel when I can't get out and just move forward. So, it is a wobbily step, but going forward.

Oh, I'm sure the guys who have been finishing 30th-39th in the races are scared now that I'm getting back at it and moving them down a spot, but I gotta start (again) somewhere.

These days, I feel like the buffalo...


Still standing.

It helps having PALS.

2007 Texas State Road Race Champ 10-12 yrs old

PS-- added to the collection with a State Championship in the criterium today in Lufkin (7/22).

Last race at Nats

A bit delayed in getting the update out here...

Noah's last race at Nationals was the road race. This is the event he has the best mindset to do, but this particular course is so hard with the hills that it might not be best suited for him (yet). That said, he went at it like he does every event-- Full Throttle.

He made the 6-man break that formed on the second of three laps. On the third lap, with about a mile to go, on one of the steepest hills, he lost contact with the group. He said he kept going as hard as he could, but that he knew he was dropped and not coming back with a mile of climbing left. His plan was to keep it full gas and hope that something went wrong up front.

Nothing did, but he did hold on for 6th with 7th and the rest minutes behind. Considering Noah finished 27th or something on the same course in the same race last year, he did a fantastic job.

Because I have access to the files his computer on his bike provides, what I've come to respect the most out of Noah's racing is his ability to go to 100%. People talk about giving "110%" or "150%" or even "200%!" but Noah really does give 100% out there. I never wonder if his placing could have been better if he just tried harder.

He wasn't blessed with bike racing genetics, but he has something that is often better-- heart and guts.

I'm so very proud of you Big Boy.

So close

Buddy was being particularly sweet to Reanie. While Reanie wasn't exactly being ugly, she wasn't really giving Buddy the props he deserved. With both of them in the kitchen together, I looked at Reanie sternly and in my Daddy voice, I told her, "you need to say 'thank you, Buddy'". All the while, Buddy ran around flying his tractor and not paying attention to the exchange between me and Reanie.

As soon as the words left my mouth, Buddy said, "thank you, Buddy."

Road Nationals Update

The first day was the time trials. Noah eeked his way onto the podie with a 5th.










Jordan in the last mile of the TT.

Here's me trying to think of something intelligent to say to Jordan and Austin. This race got sobering real quick. On a straight but very fast downhill about 3 miles into the race, a crash happened. 30 or so riders down. We heard about it over the race radios while waiting for Royce to start in the next race. This was the official race radio reports, so it wasn't rumor, which made me queasy.

Ultimately, 8 ambulances and two Life Flight helicpoters were called in and used. Meanwhile, we waited agonizingly to hear the numbers and names of the riders down, not knowing if ours were involved.

I'm not happy anyone went down, but we were relieved that our riders made it unscathed. Unfortunately, our boys were delayed so long that they were out of it from that point. Both noblely soldiered on and finished. This is one case where I'm glad our guys did just finish, because we weren't sure they could there for awhile.

Hig your kids today, please.

3

Jr Track Nats Day #2

Quick post...

Royce crushed his old best time in the 500m TT (41.3) with a 38.9.
Austin rode a decent kilo.

Noah finished 4th in the 1K scratch. He's still sitting 3rd overall by 1 point. It all comes down to tomorrow!

This is from Noah's 1K Qualifier. He finished 2nd. 1st is already out of frame. 9 or 10 riders behind Noah.

Nationals Day #1

We made it up here to Colorado Springs without too much trouble. It helps a ton that we travelled with Rob and Royce (one of Noah's teammates) to get here. We did run through a nasty hail storm, but even at that we made it from Stella Sola to the hotel in 12hr even. Austin and Hunter showed up a little later with their folks.

Home is the DoubleTree, so it isn't like we are roughing it. We have several restaurants within walking distance, and we've made a WalMart run to take care of the times we don't want to even walk.

On Friday the boys got in a great tune up ride on the track. It is basically the same dimensions as Alkek (Houston), but it is quite a bit smoother.

Last night (Saturday), Hunter and Noah both had 500m TTs, and Austin had the 25K Points Race. Austin rode the best and strongest I've ever seen him ride, and I've seen him do some big things on the bike. I believe he was around 15th. Maybe a bit better. There were 50 or so starters. It was very late when his race was done, so we didn't hang around, as we wanted to get the younger boys to bed.

Hunter took 1.5 sec (HUGE) off of his best 500m time.

Noah finished 3rd in his age group, earning his first medal at a National Championships.

Since I'm coaching here, I didn't bring the camera, but Steve (Hunter and Austin's Dad) is taking lots of shots, and I hope to get those up here soon.


Qualifiers this morning for Hunter and Noah. Austin and Royce race tonight. Hopefully Noah and Hunter will be as well.

Go White Boy

Dr. Bruce Dickinson

First thing this morning, Reanie said, "Daddy, I have the fever."
So I told her, of course, "The only prescription is 'more cowbell.'"

graduated a year early and everything

Jordan brings in a book from outside. He shows it to me and says, "I've read this before. I didn't like it. Too many characters and no plot." Then he sat it down on the table and walked away.

went down to Austin for a bike race on Saturday

Mama and the POSS2 watching the race.











Noah and Hunter, cross the line together finishing 1-2.

TENZING IN THE HOUSE!


Noah and some hardware.

In case you were wondering

The purple of my sister, Cami's, hair and that of my love handle do not exactly match. I'll do better next time, though, I think it might be easier for her to match me. I couldn't get all of the "blonde" out.

Grumpy sound

Why does the day after the day after hurt so much more?

zigged when I should have zagged

Daddy had a good day at the office

Texas State Road Race Championships

1st Andrew Dahlehim Pro, 1,2
1st Christina Smith Women Cat 3 (Team Lone Star Works)
2nd Tammy Sporleder Women Cat 3 (Team Lone Star Works)
7th Cassandra Criswell Women Cat 3 (Team Lone Star Works)
2nd Kim Jennings Women Cat 4 (Team Lone Star Works)
6th Bibi Martinez Women Cat 4 (Team Lone Star Works)
3rd Darwin Darr Men Cat 4
4th Ken Maclean Men Cat 4
5th Mark Kuithe Men Cat 4
9th Frank Everly Men Cat 4

Oh, there's definitely gonna be a party!

Finger snap, gah-roovay

This makes me want to get back in the classroom. Good thing it is summer, so it'll wear off by the time school starts.

It's been a nice day

Kid #1 and I went on a easy ride this morning. We rode into Old Town Lewisville, which is the opposite direction of 101% of the rides around here since it goes in to towne (have to use the "e" on the end).

It was fun to hit different roads and see and hear the morning sounds of the town coming to life. It wasn't all that long ago that Lewisville was a town of 10,000 or so people that was primarly farmers, ranchers and folks who wanted to live near the lake. The mascot at Lewisville High School (where I taught for awhile) is the Fighting Farmer.

We rolled into Old Town and came upon the famer's market. I peeled off an Abe Lincoln for Kid #1 because I roll big like that and told him to go grab something like fruit that we can eat before heading back home.

There was a pastry and coffee table, several vegetable and fruit stands, a pasta (?) table, a couple crafts tables and so forth. #1 clickity clacked past all the Saturday morning folks while wearing his cycling leotard and shoes. It looks cool when he does it. It looks silly when I do it.

He asked for a couple peaches and apples, but they sold him a basket of each anyway. We ate until we were full and packed the rest for the POSS2.

While dribbling fresh peach juice down our chins we saw #1's great-gradnmother there picking out some fresh veggies. We visited a bit. It was--and I mean this sincerely--nice.

His great-grandmother has been a Lewisville/Flower Mound resident probably as long or longer than anyone alive. They lived there before there were neighborhoods and strip centers and all that. And there we were in the old town on Main St at the farmer's market eating fresh fruit and visiting a great-grandparent.

So I slipped Norman Rockwell, who was painting caricatures in a booth, another big $5 I had (because I roll like that) and made our way home.

And then I got to go on a lunch date with #2 to Sneaky Pete's (I know it is called Little Pete's now, but to me it will always be Sneaky Pete's) for lunch. We watched the people come in and out on their boats, we fed the ducks and we had pizza "because it rhymes with 'Pete'".