Sunday, February 18, 2007

OG

This past weekend I did something that I haven’t done in a while. I went home to North Louisiana. The familiar faces and way of life were welcomed till I realized that this place is boring. There is nothing to do. By nothing well I actually mean that there are a couple of things one can participate in. In almost any place on earth one can drink and the other shall remain unnamed.

So after going to my cousins wedding I started driving to Oak Grove. Two lane highways with twist and turns that progressively get tighter as one gets closer to Oak Grove reminded me of where I was heading. It is a place that has remained largely unchanged for my brief 26 years of life.

After I pulled up to my house in el norte I noticed a couple things that is one that is always missing and one that ever present in my daily life. Number one: in the country the only ambient noise is the wind; my house in North Louisiana is well over a mile from the nearest highway. The other is that when I got out of my car I was greeted by a black sky filled with little stars, not just the big ones that you can see from most urban places but the little ones that are drowned out in the ambient illuminations of the city lights. The small ones that are like specks of dust as you stand in front of a window that the sun warms you through, these are the ones that you miss in the city. I remember as a young child my love of the stars on a clear night. My father would take me outside and share all his knowledge of constellation names and folklore that he learned in college, through his traveling and his life. Orion, Little Dipper, Big Dipper, Scorpio and many others flooded my mind as I was reminded of a small fraction of my childhood that still remains innocent, pure and quite vivid in my memory.

There was no cycling this last weekend. I was tied up with the FAM and driving 8.5 hours there and back in two days. But the cycling miles will start to tick over again starting on Monday. Next weekend is my inaugural race of the year. Walberg on Saturday and then on Sunday, Pace Bend will be the ground breaking weekend of racing this year. I am optimistic that I will have descent legs thought I don’t think I will have great legs.

Till next time,

LAE,

JNR

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

My Stupid Mouth

It appears that I opened my big mouth a little early.

Welcome Back Winter.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Weight Loss

A little.

I have to thank whom or what ever is in charge of the weather for giving me and all us little cyclist here in Louisiana an opportunity to ride our bikes uninterrupted for a whole week.

That is amazing. We have had some crap weather for the previous month.5 it was either cold or wet but more likely than not, twas cold and wet. So the previous week I have been logging 2-3+ hours each day and loving it. Too bad I don't have access to all the cool mountain passes or even big hills that guys like j. has or Eric M. Soon though, I shall have my own little race/ride vacation in the mountains.

So I have decided what my first several races shall be this year.


February 24 Walburg, TX
February 25 Pace Bend, TX

March 3 Lago Vista, TX
March 4 Lago Vista, TX

March 11 Rouge Roubaix, LA

March 17 Fayetville, TX
March 17 Fayetville, TX

MARCH 31 ( TOOL the river center in Baton Rouge, LA)
I know this is not a race but it is an event that I will not miss.

April 14 The Warda Race, TX MTB
April 15 The Warda Race, TX MTB

April 21 Waco, TX MTB
April 22 Waco, TX MTB

May 5 Cold Spring, TX
May 6 Cold Spring, TX


So for all the races other than pacebend, walberg and lago vista I am looking for company for the trip.

Hollar at me if you are interested.


JNR