How much does it cost to buy some sleep?

Got home around 8pm, which is earlier than I expected. Worn out. Not just from being outside from 5:45 am to 7pm-ish for two days in a row in 100+ temps and in the street at that, but also from the stress of the weekend. I'm completely aware that some of this stress is self-induced, and more than that, I probably worry about it more than is necessary, but that doesn't make it any less.

Saturday's (TX State Age-Group Criterium Championships) race went smooth. Apart from having a low turnout (due to about a dozen valid reasons), not much about the day was stressful other than the low turnout and that I decided to race and felt horrible from "go" and got worse from there. I pulled the plug on that half way through the race to save some sanity. All things considered, though, when the day was over, I was glad I didn't lose money for the team, even if we didn't make any. Not that it is Jim's fault, but he got sick mid-way through the day, and he's my woobie at these things. So next time Buddy wants to take a toy into the grocery store, I'm gonna let him.

The very bright side is that LSW family had a great day (I'll post up about the day on that blog later).

Yesterday was a beast. The Downtown course has so many more challenges than a typical race that I'm not sure it is worth the trouble. And I care too much about things going just the way I want them, when in reality, there's only so much I (or anyone) can do.

For many of the same reasons we had a low turnout on Saturday, we had a low turnout on Sunday as well. Jim will let me know the final real -$ number, but we got hit hard. We all have real jobs, so in the end, it isn't that big of a deal, but I really want this particular race to succeed. All the pieces are there, but it's like a jig saw puzzle with some pieces that are blems, but that you don't know they are blems until you are finished putting it together. All that work and you can't actually see it finished just right because of a couple little pieces with imperfect edges or the wrong color or something.

The "volunteers" (" " because their organization gets a donation) we had...there was some miscommunication, and that led to first not seeing anyone in their spot, even a few minutes before the first race was to start. Being downtown and all that it entails, starting late creates a whole error chain of things to get jacked up. I mean, it really isn't that big of a deal to cut two to three laps off of a race to get things back on track, but what folks don't tend to realize is that every time that happens, there's an associated number of emails and otherwise complaints that have to be dealt with. And I really, really would prefer that everyone got to do their race as expected, and I really X's 3 don't want to have to respond to emails from someone upset that now they can't upgrade because the criterium was 18 instead of 20 miles. And there's also the contstant "Are we on time?". Someone says "No" and then the word spreads, even though it isn't the case, so then I spend the next hour answering the same question "Are we on time?" or "When are we starting?" when nothing is actually wrong. Folks start showing up late to staging because they heard from "someone" that the races were starting late, which slows up the actual start, and makes us...late. Then when things run an hour over, and there's four police getting paid $X an hour, and turnout was low in the first place...as I was saying, I was just waiting for the volunteers to show up to their spots for the first race.

I was assured that they were in place, even though I could look down the finishing stretch to the place I was most worried about (in hindsight it was as bad as I feared, yet, not the problem place at all) and see no one. Finally, I asked the four bike patrol police officers to ride down to that spot and check on it. It was easy to ask all four of them to do anything since they were always together, but I digress. One did ride down there, said the place was "fine", and I assumed that it meant it was covered and that maybe the volunteer was just sitting out of my line of sight or something.

Because I didn't want anyone to say that they didn't get to see the course before racing, we started each race with a sort of neutral lap. This first race was no exception. They went all the way around the course, and when I saw Kyle on the scooter leading them out of the last turn, my heart rate calmed down, I was able to breathe normally, and started to think about what needed to be done next.

Kyle pulled off at the S/F line, the whistle blew, and the race went off. There was an immediate attack, they were strung out by turn two, and it was ON!

45 seconds later, a car pulls out of that spot I was most worried about. DAMN! A car on the course on the first lap, and it is coming from that one fuggin spot I just spent so much energy worrying about AND sent a police officer to secure. First. Damn. Lap.

But then I was kicked in the nuts, because the car turned left, which meant it was heading in the opposite direction--head on--to the race, and it was less than 100 yards from a turn the racers would come flying around and not be able to see until it was too late.

And this was the 10-14 race with Noah in it.

When I saw the car turn left, my reaction was to start running after it as if I could somehow catch a car 200 yards away that is driving away from me and divert it. It doesn't matter that I was a fast runner in high school (see, that's funny because this weekend was my class's 20year reuinion, even though I only graduated 8 years ago). I made it 20 or so steps, realized the futility, watched it go left of the barrier and drive over a bunch of cones, and...that was it. It took another 45-60 seconds for the riders to come through, which doesn't seem like much, but at that moment, it seemed like an eternity to the extent that I thought maybe there was something else happening to stop them.

They did come through, though, and when I counted Noah and the rest to make sure they were all there, I took another ten steps behind a building and threw up.

We're now on lap 2 of the first race of the day...

Pretty much the only problem the rest of the day was one particular part of the course that had cars just driving over cones or around barriers, gunning it down the street and off of the course. I kept telling the police and the volunteer coordinator about the issue, and I kept hearing "we'll take care of it" and "we've taken care of it", but I kept getting calls from teamnuts that cars were getting on to the course there.

Eventually, had some friends go down there for me, as I could trust that they'd actually go. But they called several times to tell me cars were getting on to the course. Maybe it was all 4 or 5 times throughout the day. Maybe it was the 50 that it feels like. Never the less, there was a problem, and my feeling was that we should stop the races until it was resolved. I said this to the police officer and my go-to guy with the city. They drove down to the spot in question (we were between races at that very moment), came back and said it was now secure.

During the next race Ken calls me to say a car got on the course in that spot. Barriers around the perimeter of the course one and two blocks out, barriers on the actual course, 300+ total cones out there, course marshals out there, and people will still drive around or over the very things there to say "don't go". But get this--a few times, it is cars with bikes on them.

By now I'm regretting that I've got my friends down there on a trouble spot, and for what seems like that 100th time, I walk down to the tree where the bike patrol police are hanging out and ask them (maybe I told them) to go to that spot. I was informed that I needed to be aware that I couldn't actually order them to do anything. My response may have sounded something like, "Well, y'all can go over to (that spot) and stand under a tree and help us out, or y'all can be the first responders when there's an accident." Feeling like maybe I should walk away at that point, I just stood there while they stood there and looked at me. One of them acts like he's saying something into the radio (I was 3 feet away and couldn't hear him say anything), and then hops on his bike and rides over. The other three follow.

I turn to walk back up the finishing hill and see one of the race officials standing behind a building, evidently on a smoke break.

My intent is to put on a race that the racers feel is a "must do" for the next year. I try to put on a race that I'd want to do. But the parts that make up the actual course and distance of the race are such a pitifully small part of actually putting on the thing that I always have to take a few weeks post-race to seriously ask myself if I want to mess with it again. Then again, it may be solved for me, as I have no idea what our team policy is when we lose money on a race. We've never lost money on a race before. Heck, I may be voted off of the island, which would really suck, because my only cycling socks are team socks.

Couldn't sleep last night. Kept having thoughts of the emails from folks who want me to mail them their $5 prize money check, and the ones asking me if I found their water bottle near the S/F. And then there's the big ones where I think of things that will require reimbursement from the team, thereby hitting the bottom line even harder.

I didn't have "sick" planned for this week

I don't usually feel like I have a cloud over me, but dang, now really isn't a good time to be sick.
Crud. I was hoping that writing that would make feel better.

At least I didn't post a picture of a chicken.

Homegrown melons and that's what I'm talking about

Now listen...

We lost a chicken last night. Something got in the coop and... A few chickens escaped, but the scuffle knocked one of the nesting boxes down and blocked a few chickens and trapped them in the coop for an hour or so until I noticed this morning. And then there were lots and lots of feathers that the now gone Barred Rock left behind. Damn.
















At bedtime tonight, several of the chickens wouldn't go back into the coop. Understandable, really. Bad memories.

So me and Bianca had a talk. I told her that she really needed to get back in the coop, but that I understood it was tough for her. I promised her that I would lock it up tight and let them out right before daylight like I used to do before I got tired and lazy.

She said, " ... " because chickens don't really talk to people.

Voting officially ends July 18

This comes straight from the top. Keep clicking until July 18.

Grazie for the clicking so far.

I just happened (really) to be checking the Props! voting totals when...

Maybe I just watched the John Denver video too many times

the iDiot had this posted over there, but since it's been stuck in my head for awhile now, I wanted to post it up here too.




Like the iDiot says, "Sometimes a stupid dance says it all."
I'm a sucker for the world snapshot, and I'm blown away at how many votes Noah's thing has received and how many people I've heard from about it, but ultimately, as Matt (the guy dancing) said when asked what his video means, he said, "Up to you. I'm just dancing."

Vote for Noah on Cartoon Network

The Cartoon Network sent out a crew in February to do a feature for the upcoming season of Props!. Noah was chosen as one of the kids to be highlighted and his video is now posted to the Cartoon Network’s website. Ultimately, it is a competition. Of the twenty kids featured, the six who receive the most votes go on to the next “round”, which then has a more in depth feature done for the show where they award the kids with a prize. In Noah’s case, when asked what he’d want if he won, he said he’d like to go on a training ride with his favorite pro rider.

Here’s the link: http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/promos/props/

Noah’s is the fourth from the left on the top row. For those of you who can’t get fired, as I understand it, you can vote as often as you like.

When they came to do the filming, it was a miserable day. 30’s and raining. He spent a good 4+ hr riding around outside so they could get the footage they needed. I think that is worth an extra vote right there.

Click, click, clickingly yours,
Chris

Noah puked on my cycling shorts...

...and I don't mind one bit. Then again, he was wearing them at the time.

What a night! Great job Royce, Hunter and Noah!

How to make sure I don't get too cocky...

I like Journey, Fleetwood Mac, and John Denver. I shave my legs and race bicycles. Further, I race track as well and am pretty much only racing my age group there. I have a scooter and enjoy riding it. I can only do 4 or 5 pull ups.

then again, I'm bad ass enough to post this video:

Reanie is going to be busy this morning

First thing Reanie says to me this morning:

Daddy, did you know that when grapes get wrinkly and dry out that they become raisins? (before I can answer). I'm going to go watch them do that. Excuse me (as she passes me on her way down the stairs).

Get your clicking hand ready

Voting begins June 30.
Unless you are voting for someone other than Noah. In that case, I believe voting starts in November or something.

http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/promos/props/

"I guess, you're right", I said.

We saw a few of these signs on an easy ride yesterday. Noah says, "that's weird." But I wasn't really paying attention to him. 15-20 minutes later he says, "That sign isn't right." But I still wasn't listening all that much. Maybe another 10 minutes later, he says, "They should put something else on that sign."

"What?" I ask.

"There aren't any seesaws on any of those playgrounds," says Noah.

Chicken Dinner

Totals for the weekend from Master's Track Regionals (30+ category):

1st Points Race

2nd Team Pursuit

2nd Kilometer Time Trial

1st Individual Pursuit

3rd Match Sprints

? Team Sprint (didn't wait around to see how we placed. it was out of the medals)

Got up Saturday morning and went for an easy 20 with Noah. Packed the car with stuff, Chloe and the kids and went back to the track for day 2. The afternoon session was the first round of sprints, the kilo and the pursuit.

Since we were already down to 4 riders in the sprints, we all had a bye to the semis. Nobody announced anything, so we'd all left our bikes ready for the sprints, but needed to get the aero bars on for the kilo.

Anyway, I bolted those things on, and with a few laps around the staging circle, declared them "ready" and went up to race. I posted a mediocre time with 1:12 or 1:13. It was 2 sec off of the winning time and about 3 seconds ahead of 3rd. Solidly 2nd. changed out bars.

Then went to the semis and raced against a very good sprinter who only does the sprint stuff. Even though my 200tt was .1 faster than his, he had the edge on "craft" of this game. Even so, I did everything right until I didn't. I had the perfect run, but checked myself at a crucial moment. That hesitation was all it took. With a one-ride semi, that put me in the finals racing for 3rd. Fug.

The next event was the pursuit. Changed out bars. There were several guys there just to do the pursuit, so they had fresh legs. But in doing inventory of the infield and pit, and being able to go last, I only did what I needed to do to win the thing. 3:56ish. That ended the afternoon session.

One second later the evening session started. Changed out bars and ran the first of best 2 of 3 for 3rd and 4th in the finals sprint round. My head wasn't in it, the guy got a good jump and I just watched him. took what seemed like forever to snap out of it, but I did run him down and get him at the line. In our second sprint, I simply had more fitness than he did. The cumultive affect of the two days of racing was evident on everyone, but when he stood to jump and didn't accelerate much, I just sat on his wheel for half a lap until I felt him fade. 3rd in match sprints.

Got another cobbled together team for the Team Sprint. Technically we should have been DQd since I went through the exchange zone waaay ahead of our 3rd rider (I went second), but I didn't stay long enough to find out what our placing was. Of the 5 teams, only one actually did the exchange per the rules anyway.

* * * * * * * * * *

Noah raced the Matrix Challenge Criterium on Sunday. He wanted to put a good race out there since his State Championship race a week earlier didn't go as well as he'd normally make it. He also didn't like some of the trash talking and attitudes he's experienced. We have talked about the fact that he's won a lot of races, and some folks will respond to that in different ways.

We've sensed that there are some racers who only aim to beat Noah and care less about the overall. There was no way to prove this, of course, and sorting out the tactics of junior racers is difficult as is, so we've taken the approach of just racing as hard as he can and sorting out what is left at the end.

At the criterium yesterday, it was obvious not only in the way the competition was racing, but in what they were actually saying out loud.

The 10-14 race was combined with the Junior Open because of low numbers in the Junior Open. A 17 or 18 year old on one team decided that he'd help his teammates in the 10-14 beat Noah. For the record, I think that is pretty cool that they'd work together like that. Also for the record, I'd have respect for the plan if they were trying to win the race and not just beat one particular rider.

The race was only 30 minutes long, so that didn't leave much in the way of using fitness to get ahead. Royce and Hunter couldn't make this race, so GS Tenzing was represented by just Noah.

Long story short...Noah figured out what was going on, let a couple riders up the road, isolated others, and then just rode his heart out. He solo'd in for the win.

While cooling down, he said, "I couldn't really hear you out there (I was hollering a lot). I heard you say 'no' when I was about to pull a rider back, but I saw why I shouldn't right then. Other than that, I just figured you were telling me that the older junior was working for the younger ones, but I was already trying to split them up. During the race they kept talking about covering me and blocking me. Once I got tired of thinking about it because it was too stressful, I just went as hard as I could and that did it." That's 56 for Noah.

Then we loaded up, head over to Cozymels, at lunch, and I celebrated the weekend and Father's Day with a couple margaritas. Even had a strawberry one, just so I wouldn't get too cocky.

the gas station in Gutherie is kinda scary

We covered some ground yesterday.

Noah woke up feeling sick. Seems he caught a stomach bug I had earlier in the week. He slept in a bit, skipping breakfast, then suited up and went on the ride at camp. When we stopped to sort out the workout for the day (warm up out to the place, stop, then workout), he got in the follow car and alternatively slept and listened to war stories from David Mayer-Oaks.















The morning, and final workout of camp was a sprint workout. From there we went to see the Stubb's statue at the location of the original Stubb's Barbeque.

After we got back to the dorm, we made quick to get showered, eat lunch, load up the car, and then blaze east to get to the track in time for Master's Regionals. Noah and Royce slept a good chunk of the way, and there wasn't much talking--the were whupped.

Rob met us there, bringing me some water (thank you) helped get my bike ready while I collected my track stuff. He then took them to dinner while I got in a good 15 minute warm up, complete with one half lap sprint.

The first event for me was the 200m TT, which is used to set the pairings for the match sprints. Not my event at all (is there one?). Still running the same gear that I used the last time I did a 200m TT, and still too small, it turned out pretty good, getting 2nd. Even with a better gear for me, I couldn't have bested the winner's time. He's wicked fast. Happy with the 2nd, though.

The next event was the 50 lap points race. Turnout for these championships has been light, but you can only race those who show up, and State Championships are on the line! Our race was combined with the 40+, which makes for some interesting tactics. Anyway, I kept an eye on my competition and let the rest of the race develop, which it did in less than two laps. Step on the gas, make the break, lap the field...it was over pretty quick, but it still sort of took the wind out of me to see that we had 34 laps to go at that point. From then on it was just an exercise in making sure I didn't get into trouble. 109 and a State Championship.

The last event of the night was the team pursuit. Disappointingly, there were only two teams signed up, and even ours was thrown together via email and txt msgs in the 24 hours before the event. Mike Owens, Kevin Hill, Mark Griffen and I (thanks guys!) picked up some valuable Texas Cup points and a silver medal. We made a firm run at it, but mostly used it as experience. My legs felt way better after that pursuit than they did the points race, so that was an added bonus.

Noah and I got home about 11:00pm. He unloaded the car, and I checked on Mama, the kids, the chickens, and the garden. And then I ate a pizza.

We slept in until 7 this morning. About to head out for an easy spin, then this afternoon we'll bake in the convection oven that is sometimes referred to as the Superdrome for the remaining events of Master's Regionals.

Ozzy says...

Mama, I'm coming home.

First I have to do a workout with the Junior Camp, then we'll grab lunch quickly, load up the car, drive from Lubbock to Frisco, hopefully getting there in time for me to race Master's Regionals, and then...Stella Sola!

Who's that sleeping in my bed?

Noah and I (and Royce) are in Lubbock with the USA Cycling Regional Camp for juniors. I never thought about that I could be working a camp he's attending, but here we are. It's blazing hot and windy, but we're in Texas, so duh.

We'll be headed home on Friday, after a quick stop at the track (if we can make it in time) for Master's Regional Championships.

Noah has had a heckuva run. At summer camp for 5 days, picked up that last night, headed to Copperas Cove, grabbed a motel, raced the State Championships (4th), then we went home for the night, had Lisa, Scott, Annelise, Rob and Royce over for breakfast on Sunday, then Royce, Noah and I drove out to Lubbock. We've been riding and testing every day. The boys are tired, but they are both doing very, very well.

Homesick. And I'm not just saying that because I'm staying in a dorm with a bunch of kids.

Lots of drive time lately has given me lots of time to think about things. Without going all Hallmark on you, even though Nobody is Making You Read This, I just wanted to say that I'm a lucky guy.

today's happenings

Reanie spent more time in Kindergarten at her school than anyone else. Why? Because I didn't realize that they got out of school today at 1pm. I knew they got out at 1pm on the last day of school, but I thought tomorrow was that day. At 130pm, my phone rings..."Mr Williams, Reanie is incredibly sweet, but we wanted to let you know that school got out at 1pm today. Reanie is here in the office."

Picking her up, and realizing that my daughter isn't in kindergarten anymore choked me up a bit. But she still makes the "s" in Williams backwards sometimes, so I'm good for awhile, especially since we can't really afford private school.

* * * * *

Buddy has been spending some time with our friend, Becky, lately. He's become quite the chatter box in the last week, giving evidence in the whole nature vs nurture debate. One thing he said to me today was, "Daddy, Reanie is tattling."

Reanie Wanted To Blog About The First Picks Of This Year's Garden

Reanie next to the squash and zucchini












Children of the corn





Quick! Take a picture of Buddy while he has some clothes on!

"Take our picture next to the baby figs!"











Behind them is where we get most of our sage and rosemary. The bushes in the background are pomegranate. There are even a few fruit showing this year!


Both of these kids agree that fried sage sounds like a good treat for today. In case anyone reading this was wondering.

More of the Noah Channel

4min3sec of 6th graders making noise by banging things. Check your Clocks. It'll be worth it.