May bee

Writers Block.

Here Look at a Pretty Picture I took this morning.



jR

Why Me

I often check in on my buddies blogs and wonder what the hell am I doing in Baton Rouge when I could wake up to this?

I guess I am a little jealous of guys like Jason, Eric and anyone living the life of a pro cyclist. I imagine that it is a good life full of amazing views and plenty of hours shooting the shit in the car with your buds. Hours in the car scheduled just to escape the vehicle and shred some sweet ass single track in the mountains vs waking to humidity so high that even my hair frizzes. Well news from the enlightened guys at USA Cycling is the plan to remove my racing category of Semi-Pro and ask us to upgrade to the ranks of Pro. I am in support of the decision to change the categorization labels that have been ambiguous at best for a numerical system. However, the word PRO has in the past been left to the ranks of those bad enough to prove how fast their kicks were. Jedi mind tricks aside I anticipate that us lowly locals wonder kids that have grown accustom to kick'n a little "A" will wake up next year to an awakening so rude that even Andrew Dice Clay would have a hard time swallowing this bitter pill. You can eat wonder bread till you shit a brick and you still won't be able to keep up with the pro men. So what do we do? We need to train and make the sport and the competition better. We the next batch of neo-pros will all have to log lots of hours or accept the fact that we will be pack fodder at best or DFL.

So this coffee's for you. See yawl on the road and trail.

jR

LSAT

All to frequently we loose track of time. Like when you walk out of your front door late for school and you forget to toss on your trousers. I have neglected to study sufficiently for my next attempt of the LSAT. I hate to speak in cliches but it is time to burn the midnight oil and force the consumption, digestion and eventual excretion of test taking skills long since forgotten. Since my last days of school years ago I rarely have had opportunities to really work out the ole brain muscle. I guess I have come to a crossroads. One can go through life and be a beach or ski bum, but those that are truly successful at this endeavor worked hard to find out that it was there true calling in life and not the life of an attorney or pH d. I need to work hard for a few weeks both on the bike and in the books. So a temporary leave of absence is necessary from my social life in order to complete my preparations for a date with destiny. Another opportunity to smudge a finger print and totally think I aced this test awaits me. So good by cold beer and hello coffee and aspartame.

Gustav

Big Buildings
Little Buildings
Trees
And People

Have all succumb to the power of Gustav. I just want a few days of something like normal with a cup of coffee and another day clad in spandex v.s. This


But just as people are malleable and quick to fix things that are broken soon enough my home town shattered by this storm will rebuild. I will be back on my road bike riding in the early mornings cool air whilst daydreaming of past trips to Tahoe, Colorado, or many of the cool places cycling has taken me. I will ride and spend more time managing my thoughts, arranging and rearranging scenarios, situations, analyzing and reanalyzing and double checking the cover page on my TPS reports. Soon enough we people of Baton Rouge will be back to normal and all the great things that people have done for us will be forgotten and the ass holes that have temporarily been hesitant to lash out will show their faces again. But until then, drink up and have a toast, to the good will of mankind.

Ouch!!!

I have been quite lucky in my life to not be accident prone. That all changed this week. I don't know how I managed to go so long without hitting the deck. Tuesday Morning, I came to heads with a straight section of Highland Road within the boundaries of LSU's campus. I don't know what happened or how it happened. All I can say is that I hit the ground at a rate of speed high enough to get knocked out and to completely destroy the Right Rear side of my helmet. Out Cold!!! I was so lost and confused when it was all said and done that I forgot to tell the LSU Facility Services Guy "Thanks!!!" He informed me that I hit nothing and simply crashed on my own. I would tell you what happened but I can't remember. All I remember is OUCH!!!!!!!!! And Yep That is going to leave a mark!!!




Well hurricane's effen with my racing again. I am going to sit out the Fall TX Season opener near Kerrville. Thanks Gustav!

Wear Your Helmet.

jR

No Training Today...

One day it started raining, and it didn't quit for four months. We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin' rain... and big ol' fat rain. Rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath. (Forest Gump)


Shortly, the racing will begin.

2008 Texas Fall Cup

Camp Eagle August 31, 2008 Rocksprings, TX

Huntsville Classic September 21, 2008 Huntsville, TX

Palo Duro September 28, 2008 Palo Duro State Park, TX

BTU Power Pedal October 12, 2008 Bryan, TX

Piney Hills Classic October 26 2008 Ruston, LA

Rocky Hills November 9, 2008 Smithville, TX

Dodging Flashlight Cops and Horse Flies

I wish that there were some way to get a weather report with respect to life's little nuisances. We had a late start the crew of (Jason B, Red Dude, the Effen insane Cajun Tre and I.) Well after telling war stories of getting pulled over by the cops, doing all manner of things illegal and simply put shooting the shit with the boys we arrived at Clear Springs. We are all competing next weekend in Birmingham and one of the best trails within 4 hours of here is located about and hour and a half drive (if you are going the limit and I'd recommend going the limit trough the wonderful town of NORWOOD, LA) from BTR.

So we get to the trail and end up talking to the park ranger for half and hour or so. I don't mind banter but how much time should you spend talking for the sake of talking. I was the guilty party today so when the boys gave me the cut off sign I stopped as abruptly as is comfortable. So we had initially planned to ride a smooth 40 miles on the trails and something happened that I have not experienced in a long time. I have always had a gradual acclimation to the Southern heat. I am used to it, Right? Wrong!!!!!!! I just about died today. The temps soared to 94 deg and we were rocking about 80 % humidity. I am curious to check the heat index on this one. I want a mosquito/horsefly weather report to tell me when I should just stay at home. I don't know why but mosquitoes love me and horseflies will chow down on anything in site. Those damned bugs I hate them. They have an ability to ruin any and all outdoor gatherings and occasions. No mosquitoes got me today but I was definitely assaulted by the kamikaze aerial maneuvers the horse flies where using to latch onto clothed and bare skin. These were some really aggressive bugs today. Tre was bitten at least 20 X I suffered 5 attacks and the rest of us accounted for at least 10 more. So the motto of this story is beware of the horse flies at Clear Springs they are out in full force. Well when Angry Red (Patrick), through sheer force and power dislodged his non-drive crank arm from his bike. (Impressive) we decided to call it quits. We licked our wounds and packed up to come home to even more heat but @ least no damn horse flies.



Peace out,
j