O Canada!

Posted on by Lindsay
[caption id="attachment_6178" align="alignnone" width="600"] One of the guys at the Polka Dot Jersey Bike Shop in Seattle was kind enough to lend me his bike for a few hours. It was great, but not nearly as cool as the helmet from 1992 I borrowed from our host's garage.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6182" align="alignnone" width="600"] I promised not to make jokes when it came time to cross the border, but when the border patrol officer asked why Zanna and I weren't staying together, "She snores," slipped out before I could filter. He was not amused.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6183" align="alignnone" width="600"] New kit, new bike, new van, same fun. Or as Kingery captioned this photo, "Look...a butterfly!"[/caption] [caption id="attachment_6181" align="alignnone" width="600"] Oh right, I'm up here in Canada to race. Look! Racing![/caption] [caption id="attachment_6185" align="alignnone" width="600"] This photo brought to you in part by every color ever. I am crazy in love with these neon orange Vittoria ...continue reading.

New Kid on the Block

Posted on by Lindsay
We got another dog. I couldn't decide whether to say "I" or "we" there because while he is definitely our dog, the half-baked planning and dogged (zing!) obsessiveness around getting another Shiba Inu were all mine. Searching for another Shiba to adopt became my life's sole focus shortly after Scout died. Early on, people asked if we were going to get another one and I recoiled in horror at the very idea of trying to replace Scout. The body wasn't even cold yet! JESUS, PEOPLE. But then I found myself in the Pets section on Craigslist, looking for a dog to adopt. Also Petfinder, Adopt-a-Pet, Petango, various county/city animal shelters, SPCA sites, the Humane Society, and every Shiba Inu rescue group in America. It was psychotic; I'd search every site and then start all over again automatically because maybe the right dog had been listed since the last search...eleven minutes ago. ...continue reading.

What do you get for the guy who is everything?

Posted on by Lindsay
Hi Dad! Happy Father's Day! Remember last year when you gave me a helpful suggestion for what to get you for this special day? Once again, that did not happen. I'm sorry. Surely it's some consolation that I left my M Coupe at your house a few months ago with strict instructions to drive it regularly. Happy Father's Day, here's my car to babysit? Children really are a gift that keeps on giving. When I thought about other things I could get you, I drew a blank because you already have the one thing you wanted most over the last few decades: I didn't think "the more the merrier" applied to rubber chickens, so I did not get you another one. Besides, I'm pretty sure you already have one of everything else in the universe: Instead, I made you a card and dinner (although we both know I ordered the ...continue reading.

Fail to Win

Posted on by Lindsay
I raced Philly. We packed Kobe into the car to join us for the trip, I showed up and only cried three times, and then I raced. It was somewhat surreal; my first World Cup and I couldn't even engage enough to feel anxious. At one point during the race, Lauren Hall made a comment about how I wasn't smiling and so I replied, "my dog died," and started to cry. She then pointed out the moto with the camera that was filming us. Good times. Before the race started, I noticed my teammate had "FAIL" written on her bars. That seemed like an interesting tactic and for a moment I thought about writing "YOU SUCK" on mine in solidarity, but instead asked for an explanation. "It's a reminder," she answered. "Fail to win. It reminds me to go out and give everything I've got to win." I mulled that over ...continue reading.

Racing at Half Mast

Posted on by Lindsay
Tomorrow is the first World Cup of my cycling career, the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic. While I've done this race every year since 2011, this is the longest, hardest version yet and also the first time I'll be doing it as a World Cup. You can learn more about the significance of the World Cup series here. I have been eager and anxious all season to step up to competing at the highest level of the sport with the best women in the world. But to be honest, I am struggling to give a shit. I miss my dog. Racing my bike seems frivolous and empty at the moment, as does just about everything else. Work? Ugh. Training? Ugh. It feels like a chore to even care about things like getting the mail or shaving my legs. I just want to sit on the floor with Kobe and wait for time to pass. The ...continue reading.

To My Dog

Posted on by Lindsay
Dear Scout, When I first met you, you were tubby and fluffy and covered in filth, trotting down the driveway of the family that was giving you away for free on Craigslist. Some guy had gotten there first and was taking you home, and even though we'd known each other for about fourteen seconds, I knew you needed to be my dog. I followed the guy's truck as he drove away with you, flagged him down into a parking lot, and offered to pay an inordinate sum of money if I could have you. Then you vomited and pooped in my car. We were off to a great start. You were quiet and reserved when you first moved in, spending a lot of time in the armchair with your back to us and peeing on the corner of the bed so often I had to buy a new one. I ...continue reading.