Wrecked ‘Em, Damn Near Killed ‘Em

Posted on by lindsay
Both quotes are worth remembering: "Realize that a to-do list ends only in death." -Brigid Schulte, The Washington Post "The 650B is the answer to the question nobody asked. It's like bacon. No one remembers asking for a salty meat product made mostly of lard and the lips of a pig's anus, but here we are." - Soulcraft's Sean Walling on the future of 650B. Ahh, the diverse spectrum of my psyche.

What An Excellent Year For An Exorcism!

Posted on by lindsay
For the past three years, I have begun each new year with a review of how I did with my previous year's resolutions and a discussion of my new resolutions. That sounds boring, so I'm not going to do it. Instead, I'm going to do a quick recap of the past year in list format, which saves me the time and trouble of developing thoughts and connecting them meaningfully in paragraphs. Also, it's probably less tedious for you to read. Things That Sucked in 2009 1. Grandma died. 2. My fiance left me and moved out. 3. I drowned uncomfortably at a job that tried to eat my favorite coworkers after it had chewed me up and spit me out. 4. Scout went blind in one eye, which now glows radioactively whenever it catches the light. 5. I killed every plant I owned this year (four of them). 6. The military ...continue reading.

Capital Cross Classic Press Release

Posted on by lindsay
[My first cycling byline ever. Exciting!] The snow started falling early Saturday morning in Reston, Virginia and didn’t stop until late evening, leaving a 4-inch blanket of wet snow all over the Capital Cross Classic course. Below-freezing temperatures overnight left many sections of the course covered in slippery ice patches that had race organizers scrambling for bags of sand to add traction. The final race in the MAC series and the last race of the season for many of the region’s riders offered epic conditions in the true spirit of cyclocross. The amateur races in the morning were slowed by the conditions on the course, but excitement levels were high as riders battled the churned snow and slippery ice. The course offered a paved start and finish, a mix of grass and hard pack terrain, and several obstacles and off-camber turns. As the day progressed, the ice and snow thawed ...continue reading.

Just like riding a bicycle.

Posted on by lindsay
After things went to hell last week, the first thing to go (even before Bobby; is it too soon to make jokes?) was my appetite. I couldn't eat a single bite for long stretches over five days and even keeping up with my normal water consumption was a struggle. This did wonders for my cyclist's body. I could literally see my legs shrinking and feel my energy plummeting until walking around my condo became a struggle. And I live in a place with the square footage of an elevator. Without having energy or motivation, riding my bike was out of the question. I'm in a rest month, which means only easy rides to work on skills and stay in shape, but even those were out of the question. Watching reruns of Desperate Housewives felt exhausting enough; carrying the bike outside to ride seemed fatal. But by Tuesday, I knew it ...continue reading.

Midnight in this garden of good and evil.

Posted on by lindsay
I have been a bit of a mess lately. Cross season ended up being a bust, so I called it quits early to start winter training. My inability to get the mental aspects of racing under control, combined with the outside influence of other things in my life, made continuing to race an unhappy, stressful prospect. After a few talks with the coach, we pulled the plug on the season entirely and I'm taking a rest month. Resting makes me nervous - I feel like I need to work out to stay in shape and keep the training progressing, but I also know that soon enough the rest will be over and it will be time to start being disciplined again. Finding a level of riding that keeps me feeling good and familiar with the bike while staying stress-free is a balancing act. I also wonder if it wouldn't be ...continue reading.

MTBer seeking CXer, looking for a good time.

Posted on by lindsay
Since life is still kind of kicking my ass and any post I'd write this week could be summarized with the sound WAH-WAH, I'm going to do a slightly more useful post. Several people have asked me lately about how to start cross racing if you're a mountain biker that does not plan to buy a cross bike. That was me last season; cross was supposed to be nothing but more training for my cross-country season, so I didn't bother throwing down the cash for a cross bike or taking it too seriously at first. [Pointer #1: Cross will suck you in. The spectators are better (as in, there actually are some), the prizes are better (as in, there actually are some), and the atmosphere at events is kind of like a party that smells like fried food, excitement, and cold air. By the end of last season, I was ...continue reading.