So here I am, sitting on my couch, watching the boys of SouthPark steal the girls fortune telling device. Halarious. Anyways, needing a cold beverage and too lazy to keep grabbing it off the floor, I decided to use my shoe. I know, it’s been use a billion times before I ever mentioned it here, but still, I can consider it my own personal innovation. At it’s finest of course 
Yesterday on my way home from work I got into a race with another cyclist wearing tights. Most of the time when I race, or trail people for a while, I usually end up getting my butt kicked. For example, a couple weeks ago I went up to Fort Collins and climbed 2 cat 5 climbs. Only for a 50 year old man to beat me to the top. As I huffed and puffed, he smiled at me and said “Come back in 20 years kid”.
A friendly insult. I knew what he said to be true of course. In 20 years I can only hope to be riding my bike, and in 20 years I can only hope to be in better shape than I am in now. I smiled back to the old timer, turned around to make my woeful decent. Long before then, and since then, I’ve been in many friendly challenges. Mostly it’s on my way to work with a couple different bike messengers that live close to me. About the same time everyday we make our way on our 8 miles trek to work. Usually when we have our races is when either of us is late to work. Pulling up next to somebody cruising, letting them know your late to work, they giving the wink back at you, and aloud the next words out of my mouth come naturally.
“Lets do this”.
Pace. It’s all about pace. Go too quick, You’ll have nothing in your tanks. Don’t go fast enough, you’ll have wished you went quicker. Although I’m young, and am not riding competitively, there are quite a few things I’ve picked up in my day. Posture. Are they slouching? Are they holding themselves up high? Grip. Do they have a tight grip, a relaxed grip or a grip between the thumb and pointer finger? Breathing. Are they huffing and puffing, coughing, wheezing, or is it controlled? Muscle Contractions. Are they using their calves to power them, their thighs, do they switch back and fourth or has it changed over the last mile? Control. Are they in control of their bike, or does it sway to and fro? Vision. Are they looking 5 miles ahead of them or down at the ground? All of which are great indications of what a guess to the outcome will be. A good indication of when to “attack”, or a good indication to coward out.
One thing though that one can’t really judge is Pride. Heart.
I remember it like it was yesterday. There was about 10 of us. I was probably in the middle of the pack, and the guy ahead of me seemed to be the same build and fitness as I. We went together and slowly the leaders pulled away(semi-pro cyclists) and then there was us. The Hobbiests. I tailed this guy for the first 10 miles, let him tail me the second ten. It went back and fourth for a while when we hit the 27th mile marker, out of 30), I noticed he was heavy breathing, his bike was wobbly, he had a loose grip, he was staring at the ground. As we approached Richard(a name I give to any hill, use your imagination), I stood up in the saddle, made my attack and I got a good 50 paces in front of him, turned around and saw he was toast. I kept my pace, kept my eye on my odometer and felt like I was in great shape until I see him just blow past me. Out of no where.
I jumped too soon. /ugh. Check Mate. Good game.
For the remainder of the ride I couldn’t keep up, couldn’t keep my pace. Chalk this loss up to being a newbie.
I talked to him after we finished, and he said I had him. He wasn’t sure where the extra boost of energy came from, other than it came out of nowhere.
Pride. Heart. Just a few things one cannot account for.
Anyways, back to the scientific signs. Alll of the signs are usually picked up by the “draftee”, meaning you have to be riding behind them. I learned this too. Too much information is lost if your riding ahead of them to much of the way. In many challenges I’ve encountered, I’ve been cocky and lead the whole way with horrendous results. In fact, most of my time has ended with the wrong results because I’m not too bright in the department of “Picking my Battles”.
Today was different. There was no chain on my bike and it felt like in 1st gear or 27th gear I could ride all day. We looked at each other, he said he was heading to 4 Mile Historic Park and I nodded and so it began.
To get to work it’s about 8 miles or so, and after that, it’s another 4-5 miles to the end of the historic park, so overall it was about a 13 mile ride, which isn’t alot considering.
Head phones blasting, legs cranking, lungs burning I finally reached the end of the park. Sweet. I looked back and he was a considerable distance behind me.
“I’ll see you next time”.
That’s all I could muster up? Are you serious? Looking back, I realized it was my first hoorah! It was a good feeling. I always get my butt kicked but guys in tights.
So, it was a good day to say the least. Maybe you’ll see a polo wearing kid passing you by on a sidewalk near you
Speaking of good days, tomorrow is the last workday until my Birthday. Sweet. I can’t wait. It’s also my B-Day Bash at D&B so if your reading this, your invited.
Peace,
-kc
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Tags: biking, pride, heart, bday, great day, shoe cupholder, blabbing, more blabbling
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