Rock & Rollers/Trainer Slave

Second after second, minute after minute, hour after hour..... never ending miles streaming by in a mind numbing blur as the TV glows and the the stereo blares.

All week long, like a buddhist monk, I pray to the weather gods for a break (anything above 40F) that will allow me to venture outside into the fresh air and get some miles on the road. Until that time I am destined to serve out my sentence in the basement, 5 months of hard time on the trainer or rollers. 

Benign!!!!!

Nothing could sound better to hear then the doctor's words, "it's benign". That is just what I wanted and got to hear the other day. Cuts, bruises, aches, pains and soreness are feelings that we have all become used to from years of hard training and racing. But when the soreness stays and tissue starts to mass the concern factor rises dramatically.

Not one to fear going to the doctor I set off to see my physician, only to be instructed to head to NYU Cancer Center to get the complete run down. Being instructed to head to such a place doesn't exactly make you excited. Then you get there, wait a lot, see a doctor, wait a lot more, see another doctor, x-rays, probing, prodding, doctors consulting doctors and finally the only word I wanted to hear.....benign!

For now all looks good and it is back to work and training, all with a big smile on my face and a bit of a hangover from the celebration.

Looking Back/Looking Ahead

The end of the year is always a time to reflect on what has come to pass and what the future may hold.

The past - a great year of racing old school, keeping it rigid, single and simple. Not always the best results but regardless there is one thing that I always had....fun. The high point - Conquering the Klien Karoo of South Africa and putting IF in the record books as the first single speed to finish the Cape Epic, and that was only in March! The rest of the season was icing on the cake and I was able to approach each race with the aim of having a good time and, if the planets aligned, perhaps getting a good result as well. The low point - taking my first ever DNF at the Dark Horse 40, which is my home course and training ground - simply worn out.

The future - Break out the Centrum Silver, in just a scant 6 weeks I hit the big 5-0 and get to step up to the Masters Class. Sadly I will be saying goodbye to the single speed for the NUE Series, adding 26 extra gears and 3 inches per wheel and leveling the playing field with the other Masters. Once the series over it will be back to basics, single speed, and off to Mexico for my reward.....the Baja Epic where I will be racing for fun, not results, followed by 4 days on the beach and a lot of beer and mezcal.