The Busiest 5 days

The last 5 days have been crazy! On Wednesday I took the train down to Wilmington, DE. I was taking the road bike down and I actually was running a little late as since it was raining I decided to walk with my bike and bags to the subway. I was pretty slow and so I didn't get on Subway train until about 20 minutes before the other train was to leave Suburban Station. I got to City Hall, pulled a cyclocross shuffle up the stairs and then as soon as I could I hopped on the bike and rode a good 1/4 of a mile to the end of Suburban station where I hopped on the R2 heading Sou'. I had 5 minutes to spare!

I didn't rock out on Wednesday night, instead I caught up with my bro, his wife and my new box (computer). Thursday was total Fall weather out, but alas it was a day of enjoying food (especially sweet potatoes) and so that's what I did, fueling up for a sweet ride for Friday. I headed out from North Wilmington, through the Brandywine Valley, past Ashland Nature center to Limestone Road up PaperMill road, out to EightNinetySix (was tempted to swing by Mr. Logix house, but wasn't sure I could take his killa hills) and then rode out to right around FairHill (Sorry Marc and D for not swinging by!) then rode on the road by the former President of FSVS (damn I love that zig zag road) to Barksdale and then back to Newark for a shot of Espresso at Starbucks (dude it's like 30 cents cheaper than a shot in Manyunk) and then popped the head in good Ol' Wooden Wheels (www.woodenWheels.com). Headed back on PaperMill and back pretty much the same way I came. I was bummed that I never ran into another familiar cyclist, I was thinking on such a fine day without any races I would have run into someone. Anyways, climbing the Rockland Road back up to mi padres' house, I run into 3 dudes I know. Les L., Matt T. and Buddy B. rocking out a total of 3 gears between them! They looked like they had totally rocked out Brandywine all morning. It was a blast to see them on the bike as the past few times I've seen 'em we've all been off the bike, which is strange since we're all cyclists.
Total ride time 5 hrs, though obviously not all of it on the bike.

The rest of Friday was pretty uneventful other than having my dad drive me which gave me a chance to show him my house which he hasn't visited in almost a year!
Saturday was a rocking rode ride out to VF, though for once I stayed on the trail exclusively as I'm still nursing a bumb left hip, and didn't want to climb. Coming back from the park one of my new (for 2006) cycling buddies caught up to me, along with his girlfriend, and we rode and chatted the whole way back which was a blast as I always do the 20 miles back as a TT and I was in slo-mode this day. Rob (the dude) was actually the guy who crashed into me back at the Ronde van Mullica where I broke my Cannondale and left hand. It's funny but we're now good buddies now, not like we weren't before, as I had no hard feelings for him even when I was picking myself off the pavement back in April. That stuff happens in Road Racing and it actually wasn't his fault in the first place.
Rob, his lady Julie, and I had a good pace going and we ended up catching 2 chumps looking hardcore on their TT bikes, but not acting the part. They sucked our wheels for about 10 minutes without ever coming to the front, when they thought they were Badass when they took off like a one legged Petacchi sprint, freaking Wheel Whores!!! Rob and I were juiced to catch them, even though we had agreed to keep it steady, but not fast. July didn't want to up the pace and so we kept it mellow, but then Rob must have seen me annoyed and he was like DUDE show Julie how fast you can catch those chumps. It felt great to spin it up and drop down to the 53x15 and catch those dude and blow by them in less than a minute. They were totally blown too, freakin' Whores!
Total ride time 4 hrs, though not including the bottle fill up in VF Park.


I know it sounds pretty petty, but still, some people in Philly who you'll pass and say hi to will latch onto your wheel, but you won't know it until 5 minutes later when you blow your snot ball and they yell like a WTF behind you and you're like Dude, WHY TF are you on MY wheel, you Wheel Whore! I hate those chumps, they'll probably be the death of me before any car. I'm all for giving people a nice draft off my lanky-ass, but still, at least ask permission or let me know.

Saturday night, one of my boys gives me a call saying that our new Sunday road has now magically become a Sunday mtb. ride. Good thing Buddy, Matt T. and Les inspired me the day before or else I would have said adios to the Sunday winter ride group, but alas I lubed up my 5 year old SRAM chain, found one of my camel baks and got ready to rumble. I was thinking it might turn into a death march ride as that's what our rode rides turn into and sure enough, 4 hours later, with a romp through Belmont Plateau, many trails and climbs through the "Wiss" and a ride back to the Art Museum and I was cooked, super cooked. Like hmm, is my calf cramping or is it just not happy to see me? It was a rocking ride with Christian, Dr. Colin, and Rich (italian stalion). I'm sorry to say there was no bike toss this time, though at one point when my chain was skipping like one of my ol' Beastie Boys remixes, I was tempted to at least threaten the bike it might get air. I had a great ride and was hooked again, though I need to fix that chain skip...

Plus you could NOT BEAT the Hotties running the Vally Green pathway on our ride back to Ridge Ave.

So total ride time this weekened was somewhere around 12 hours which blew my mind when I thought about it this morning, especially considering I helped my ex move out yesterday and that wasn't an easy task.

I have to admit that coming back home to a dark home at 10pm last night got me all choked up as I had almost gotten used to her having every single light on in the house (I'm serious, not being sarcastic) Plus I felt really bad knowing that my ex was going to spend her night in an unfamiliar place with unpacking still to do. Well at least she's now living in Rittenhouse Sq. and I'm still stuck in White Trizzo central, but at least I have a place I can call home, even if it feels less homely now. It was hard falling asleep last night, I had totally gotten attuned to her noises and by not hearing them made the house seem erie. Also it didn't help that the neighbors were vacuming at 11pm...



I have a new favorite track, it's by LCD Soundsystem, Tribulations is the name. I dig the bassline, it's almost the same as one I'll lay down when I'm rocking out for a while. As they like to say, "it's pretty catchy man!" http://www.emichrysalis.co.uk/mailers/lcd/player3/popup.html

Also for all you "Market Participants" hope y'all got your seat belt buckled as we are in for a ride this week.

Ride on!

-BC