I'm Back! Pisgah Monster Cross Recap

Man, I've just about forgot about this blog over the past few years!  I'm sure many people who you used to follow this blog stopped doing so long before I quite writing in it...Anyhow, I'm going to give this thing another shot.  I'm going back to my old format of no politics or stupid stuff anymore...Just bikes, trips, races, and fun stuff.

After a pretty long hiatus of being off the bike or just riding enough to not become a beached whale, I've finally hopped back on and getting the fitness back.  That's a tough process to follow when you've basically given it up for such a long period of time.  My wife has been instrumental pushing back into my old self.  She's an amazing woman who rides herself and is currently training for her first Ironman Distance Tri next month (We'll talk more about that in some posts to come).  Anyhow, I've jumped back on to training several days a week.  Mostly I've been on the road and thrown some gravel riding in on occasion.  The fat is definitely shedding off and the quads are getting bigger again (I'm even shaving these beautiful beasts again!)...

This last Saturday, I toed the line on my first real race back in the saddle.  I traveled over to Brevard, NC and raced in the Pisgah Monster Cross Race.  It was 70 miles of asphalt and gravel in Pisgah National Forest with nearly 8,000 ft of climbing.  Driving up on Friday, the nerves really hit me!  I've been training hard lately on the road bike.  I've been increasing my mileage for some endurance training and I thought I was ready but a lot of uncertainty still existed.

After deciding to call in an early night after an awesome dinner in Brevard, I got nearly ten hours of sleep.  The next morning I got up and went to the start line of the race and mingled a bit before everything kicked off.  It was great to see some old friends and acquaintances I haven't seen in the several years I've been away from the biking scene.  However, I looked around and didn't see any single speed cross bikes...My head began to realize that I brought a knife to a gun fight.

Photo Courtesy of Scott Redd

After a brief riders meeting, we all lined up and we had a neutral police escort for the first few miles of the course.  This is it...The race has started!  I started off towards the back of the pack and slowly moved my way up to about mid pack of nearly 190 people.  Being on a single speed, I was just spinning those cranks every few seconds to keep momentum and trying to suck anyone's wheel long enough to recover.  Finally, we hit the gravel and I was in my comfort zone.  On the gravel, I felt like I had no problems being on a single speed.  I was able to pass a large number of people at this point.  There was a bombing descent with washboard bumps in the corners in which caused me to lose a water bottle.  I was hoping to not let that happen and skip the first aid station and count on only stopping at one aid station during the race...

Shortly thereafter, we hit Hwy 215 for what would be about a 10 mile climb on asphalt up to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  At this point, I knew I had to reserve but not too much.  Being on a single speed, you can only turn those cranks so slow before you start burning some matches.  You got to stay on top of them and power through it.  This allowed me to start catching some more guys who were playing it safe on the climb with their geared bikes.  As I would pass people, they would ask what gear I was turning.  I learned to say with as little effort possible, "42x19"...It was all I could do to even say that much!  I was giving all I had to just conserve and hammer up this mountain!

At the top of the Blue Ridge Parkway, I ducked into the aid station for a quick bottle refill and grabbed onto the wheels of a group of geared riders.  They thankfully pulled me through the 20 mile section of the BRP till we hit the big descent down FS5000 (Bent Creek Gap).  I ducked into the 2nd aid station for another quick bottle refill while a few others from the previous group rested for a moment.  I hoped I could get another of a jump on the descent to give me a little gap from the mountain bikers.  The guys on the mountain bikes were just able to descend so much faster and with more confidence due to the larger tires.  At the bottom of the descent, I was only passed by 2 people.  At this point, it was really time to evaluate my energy levels and not burn out too fast.  There were several climbs on the gravel forest roads that really tested my endurance with a single speed setup.  I just put my head down and powered through it...slowly.

Right before the 3rd aid station, I was passed by the Knoxville guys (Chris Joice and Daniel Sanders).  Chris was also on a single speed and was followed by another guy on a single speed.  I caught back up with Daniel shortly at the 3rd aid station but I had no choice but to stop and take in some nutrition.  I drank a little bit of coke and ate some salty stuff.  I spent about 4 minutes consuming some food.  I finally got back on the bike knowing at best I would bring in the 3rd place on Single Speed.

The last 10 miles of the race went by pretty lonely.  I didn't see many people and I wasn't passed by many either.  On the last descent to the finish line, I hear someone bombing down this gnarly forest service road.  I knew they had to be on a mountain bike with how fast they were going.  I saw a guy pass and looked down at his drivetrain...Single speed.  There was no way I could hang with his pace.  I just settled into the fact of finishing.

Finishing 4th out the single speeds and 81st out of 120 in the Men's Open field wasn't a bad thing. Yeah, I can look back and think about what I could have done differently here or there.  Instead, I'm pretty damn happy with my finish.  I gave my all out there and I'm even happier to know I'm back into bike racing!  I've got a lot more work to do to bump up my endurance and speed but that will come with time.  Pisgah Productions did a great job getting this event together and I'll definitely be back again to race more of their events!  It was also good to finally race with the guys from Tennessee Valley Bikes.  They're a great bunch that knows how to have a good time!  I'm glad they let me be on their team this year!

Lastly, I'm really thankful for my wife through all this.  She hasn't ever discouraged me from riding.  If anything, she pushes me to ride more and more!  She is my rock and my number one fan!  I wouldn't have been able to compete, much less finish this race without her.  I'm looking forward to having her by my side in the races to come!

I Wear White Shoes After Labor Day...

So, who was the idiot that made up this rule that you can't wear white shoes after Labor Day?  That's ridiculous!  In fact, the only pair of white shoes that I have, I typically wear between Labor Day and Memorial Day.  Why?  Because they are more comfortable to wear in cool weather than they are when it's hot.  To rise against this ridiculous faux pas, I will be wearing my white shoes along with my white sunglasses today.  I'm sure there will be an explanation on my friend's fashion blog (Secrets of a Belle) regarding this subject in the next few days.

I break rules!

On to something more non-fashionable....For one, I got a new job today!  Going to be staying in East Tennessee for a bit longer, it appears.  This is great news because I love it here.  I hope to still be working at the bike shop part time but we'll see how that works out.  Hopefully, I'll have the time and money to actually race a CX season this year now.  I'm definitely down for racing the Knoxie-Cross season in late January and February.

As for everything else, I'm just enjoying life.  With the new job, my social status should be updated soon from being that creepy guy that lives in his parent's basement to that creepy guy who has a one bedroom apartment across town.  I guess things are looking up!!  Anyway, it's time to get off this damn computer and go ride the bike in this awesome monsoon that has hit the region!

Cheers!!

My Life Is Better Than Your Vacation...

Photo courtesy of Drunkcyclist.com

I kind of stole the title of today's blog post from another blog post I saw this morning on Drunkcyclist.com. They had a picture of a sticker that read the same phrase. I thought it was catchy and meaningful to what's going on in my life right now. I mean, how many people have the ability to say their life is as cool as everyone else's vacation?

These past few weeks have been pretty good. This summer has really been a huge transition for me. I'm almost through with my divorce and still trying to get my life on track. I've made up my mind that I'm going to continue to pursue my dreams and build on my ambitions. This has been the hardest thing to face. Life is so easy to just settle for things sometimes. I'm done settling. This is my life and I'm only getting one of them. So, I figure I'll live it to the fullest and whoever wants to join me is welcome.

Over this last weekend, I was offered an awesome opportunity. My old boss at a bike shop I used to work at in Georgia had called me up and offered me a job to help him run his shop. I was really torn about making the decision. You see, I'm in a really cool location right now. I've got the mountains, rivers and lakes right in my back yard. Not to mention, I've got some of the coolest friends anyone could ever ask for. I've dreamed about moving back here to East Tennessee for so long and now that I'm finally here, how can I leave. So I had these two options weighing down on me. I kind of got depressed about having to make the decision. So, I took the kayak out to the lake and paddled around for a couple of hours. While on the lake I was looking around at the hills and back in the coves. I then realized how much this area means to me. This is not only where I'm from but also where my family, going back many generations, is from. This is home. I love it here. Even though this opportunity in Georgia was exactly what I wanted in a job, I couldn't grasp leaving my roots yet again. So I decided to respectfully decline the offer.

So this goes back to what I was saying about my life being better than your vacation. Truthfully, it really is. I live in the place that you probably want to go for your vacation. I wake up everyday and have a full view of the Great Smoky Mountains. I work in one of the best bike shops around. I swim in the best swimming holes on earth. And I have some of the greatest friends to share all of this with!

My home

More Eventfully Uneventful Things...

Where I work

Had a pretty awesome day yesterday!  I went to work to what initially appeared to be a dead day at the bike shop.  And I don't mean we were playing the Grateful Dead.  I really can't stand it when things are dead at work because it leaves you searching for random things to do.  Anyhow, I decided to build up some bikes to restock for the floor inventory.  While I was sitting there working on some bikes, I realized what I was doing.  I'm working in a freakin' bike shop!  For some odd reason, that thought really boosted my morale for the rest of the day.  I realized that I had a hand at making someone smile by making their bike experience better.  When I was working in insurance claims a year ago, my life was surrounded around telling people bad news.  Having a job that I get to have positive interaction with the public is really awesome.  Yeah, the pay may not be much but I can adjust my standard of living to make that work.  Life is too short to be stuck doing jobs that suck!

After work, I met up with my buddy for a quick rendezvous to the bar.  The trip was short and mostly was to just catch up on some scores on Sports Center as well as the local gossip.  I'm trying to taper down the booze intake now.  Starting today is a new focus on my cycling.  I figured that I'm in a new position where I have to figure out what inspires me in life and what I want to set goals for.  I've always considered cycling to be that experience.  Therefore, I'm going to put a new found focus on dropping some weight, getting healthier and mashing those cranks pretty hard.  I realize that I'll never be a pro cyclist.  In fact, I don't even think I would want to.  However, I do have a competitive nature and I want to make the best of what I can in the amateur bike racing world.  We'll see what happens.

Life is truly what you make of it.  Lately, I've been abusing my life.  I haven't had any expectations or ambitions.  This isn't going to change immediately overnight but I do feel a change coming on.  I've got some great friends who have helped give me a little push and yank me up by my sandal straps.  A little outside motivation goes a long way.  So that's about it for now regarding the uneventful life of Jimmy Deane.

Bike Training...

I've taken enough time off the bike lately.  Probably a lot more time than I should have.  Now it's time to get focused a bit and set my sights on cyclocross season coming up this fall.  Starting tomorrow, I will begin a training plan of on bike and off bike workouts.  This year, I'm going to throw in more variety in my riding by doing a little more mountain biking with the mix of road riding.  Hopefully, the mix of mountain biking will sharpen up my technical skills a little more.  

As for races, I'm not sure what my race calendar is going to look like.  That will be something to figure out at a later date.  I do know I'm planning on doing the 3 Peaks race in North Carolina as well as Southern Cross.  There will be plenty of other events thrown in between as well.  I've also got my eyes set on going to Kentucky for the USGP race.  If everything plays out this year and I can get my upgrade to a Cat 2, I'll definitely go up to Wisconsin for Nationals and race in the Single Speed class (with no chance in hell of winning).  I gotta set me sights high but it should be a fun season regardless!  I really can't wait for all the mud, crashes, snow, more mud and even a little bit of mud mixed in!!

All this stress has really taken a toll on my riding.  I've gained some unnecessary weight and just don't feel great.  I wish I would have used my riding as a way to handle everything but it just didn't happen that way.  There have been a lot of realizations over the past couple of days that have given me a little bit of focus on reality.  That's why I'm getting back on the bike.  The one true love that I have left in life is cycling.  It would be pretty hard to take that away from me.

Wisdom of a Los Angeles Cowboy...

Wow, has it been a long and crazy week!  I'm not saying it has really been bad, just crazy.  Over the course of the last week, I've had to deal with a lot more transitioning.  I'm still trying to get my life figured out with this divorce on the horizon.  As life closes one door, maybe a new one will open and my existence on this earth can prosper. 

One bit of advice I received came from a cowboy from LA.  I was sitting in the bar the other night after work and started talking to this guy who was about to go on stage later in the evening.  The man's name is Crosby Tyler.  Crosby is a singer songwriter from LA who has been traveling the roads for many years doing what he loves, playing music.  He and started talking about my new job and how I'm in a transition point in my life.  I told him that each day, I wake up and I'm super excited to be going to such an awesome job!  Yeah, my job pays scrap but I can adjust my standard of living to make things work.  Crosby explained to me that life is really too short to chase just money.  He said that you have to look for love in what you do and the people you are around.  If you find that, you've found your next path for life.  This was somewhat of an awakening for me.  With all the shit I've been going through over the last month, this really brought light to who I am.  Honestly, I don't know if I'll be working in a bike shop forever but I do really enjoy being in that industry.  I obviously have a passion for bicycles.  Working in the bike shop allows me to express that passion each and everyday.  As for right now, I'm going to continue on that path, make some changes in my life and see what happens.  Ever since I moved back to East Tennessee, I've really just been living each day as it comes.  This has been really liberating in the sense that nothing has been too complicated. 

As for the rest of the week, I've met some other amazing people with yet more amazing stories.  I'm also still finding myself running into old friends each day.  This has been pretty awesome!  I remember leaving my hometown ready to go anywhere but staying here.  Now I'm back and I find a lot of peace here.  There's the mountains, the rivers, the lakes, the people, the music and my family.  I don't know if I'll be here forever but again, I'm living for the day right now. 

Pretty Rad!!

Rapha Continental Movie

I've always loved the bike videos that Rapha puts together.  I am too poor to be able to afford their clothing but I can still admire the quality of their films.  These rides have inspired a many a ride in my past and in my future.  Keep on keepin' on!


Rapha Continental – The Movie from RAPHA on Vimeo.

One "Hail" of a Storm...

Yesterday, I went back to work after several days off.  It's kind of weird to have a job that you look forward to going to after being off for a few days.  I really can't stress enough about how happy I am to be working in a bike shop again.  I hope to get back into doing some basic repairs soon.  As of right now, I'm mostly doing sales.  Our small community has a really cool group of cyclists and customer base.  After being in town for a few weeks now, I'm finally starting to get to know a lot of the cyclists.

Along my commute to work

While working at the shop yesterday, the clouds outside turned pretty dark.  This was kind of concerning as I rode my bike into work.  Those dark clouds started spitting out marble sized balls of hail.  The hail came down for a solid 10-15 minutes.  Unfortunately, the owner of our shop had just bought a new car.  Many of the cars in the lot were damaged.  The hail just piled up outside of the doorway of the shop and floated off in the massive amount of water that rained down with it.  In some ways, I was actually happy that I didn't drive in.  Luckily, there wasn't in hail at my house where my truck is parked.

As for the commute home, it was pretty nasty.  It rained on and off the entire way.  I stayed pretty dry from the waist up thanks to my rain jacket.  The night before, when I was working on my bikes, I decided to take off the fenders on my Surly Cross Check.  They look nice but riding with metal fenders is just not my thing.  They rattle just a little bit and I prefer to ride without any fenders or get some kind of composite ones.  However, I do wish I wouldn't have taken off the fenders until I had some replacements.  Oh well...

Day Off Part Two...

Yesterday was yet another awesome day!  I got up pretty early yesterday and made it out to the bike shop to meet with some friends for an early morning road ride.  We all ended up splitting up part way through the ride due to different time constraints but we all got in a nice ride through an awesome area.  I did get a chance to finish the ride out with an old friend who just got a road bike.  I really enjoy getting to ride with folks who are just starting out in cycling.  Their excitement is inspiring.  My buddy rode really well for such a long first ride!

Little River along our road ride route

Looking back at where we came from

Later in the day I met up with my mom for an awesome lunch at El Sazon Mexican Restaurant.  After a long ride, Mexican food really hit the spot.  Since I've been home, I really haven't spent much time with my family.  Taking the afternoon to hang out with my mom was really nice.  She's an amazing person and has been one of my biggest influences throughout my life.

The new fixed gear is pretty much setup now.  The only thing left to change is the pedals and straps.  I'm waiting on those to come in as we speak.  The bike has turned out pretty cool.  Yeah, it's got a lot of neon colors and what not but I think it's a fun bike.  I played around on it yesterday by jumping off a few stairs and inclines around the house.  The bike feels pretty substantial enough to handle some abuse.  I also plan on using this bike to play bike polo with.  There is a polo match in Knoxville tomorrow night that I may try to make it out to.  I haven't played in several weeks and I'm having a jonesin' for it. 

The new freestyle fixie build

Anyway, enough chit and chat.  I'm running late for getting started on my commute.  Looks like thunderstorms are in the forecast.  This should be a fun day on the bike!

Day Off...

Yesterday, I was off from work.  For my day off, I decided to hit up the local group ride from the bike shop (Cycology).  Around 10:30am, we rolled out.  There was a group of about 15-20 that eventually broke into two groups.  During the first 8 miles, I felt pretty solid.  I felt so good that I thought I would try to ramp up the speed a little bit.  My ignorance got the best of me and I hit the wall for a second.  I tucked into the back of the group and hung out back there for a little while.  After another 5 miles, I was starting to recover.  From that point on, the ride became a ton of fun.  I couldn't have rode in a more beautiful place and with such a great group.

Our group during yesterday's ride

That brings me to my next point.  I'm really glad to be back in East Tennessee.  I lived here for nearly 19 years of my life before moving away.  I always had an appreciation for this town.  However, after being gone for six years, I realize what I was missing.  For such a small town, there is so much here to offer.  The mountains are great.  We've got rivers and lakes to swim in.  The towns are pretty safe and clean.  Yeah, you've got some rednecks out in the country but that's anywhere you go.  Besides, they add to the color of the area.  I hate the circumstances that brought me back home.  I still don't know how to understand the situation I'm going through with my marriage.  But being in the place that I am really helps.

Last night, pulled out the work stand and started working on a couple of my bikes.  It seems as though I have neglected the upkeep on my bikes lately.  As I got into working on the bikes, I realized that I was missing something.  I ran down the street to the store and picked up a six pack of beer.  When I got back, I turned on the music, drank my beer and started back to working on my bikes.  The evening turned out to be pretty nice.  The weather was warm and the beer was cold.  I got a couple of my bikes back in good shape as well!

Life is getting better.  There's a lot left to look forward to in my life.  I just gotta keep saying that and look to the future.  Things could be a lot worse but they aren't.  Now it's time for me to get up and head out for a bike ride (my therapy)!  Y'all have a good one!

This song was done by a local guy, Jay Clark.

No Bummer Summer...

I'm fixing to head out for a solid road ride with some of the locals.  This should be fun!  Not much has been going on besides work and a little bit of fun in between.  I'm back on the bike and commuting pretty regularly now.  Feels good to get back into that habit.  I always hated driving!  Life is getting better each and every day.  It's just all about making excuses to have fun instead of sitting on my ass complaining.  Anyhow, get outside today!  Life is too short to be stuck inside all the time!

For your listening enjoyment:

Awesome Weekend...

I had a pretty awesome weekend! Worked on Saturday at the bike shop and was off on Sunday. You know, working at a bike shop doesn't feel much like working. Yeah, sweeping the floors and cleaning bathrooms sucks but when I'm actually doing bike stuff, it's a blast!

With work going great, I've also been trying to acclimate to having a good time outside of work as well. I decided on Saturday morning to ride into work on the bike. I haven't been riding much lately and it really felt good to be back on the bike. I do feel like I've lost a bit of fitness over the last month. A lot of riding is in the plans for the next month as we approach the Cysco 6 Hour Race in Chattanooga. I've already referenced the biking in this town a few times on the blog but I can't say enough about how cool this area is for cycling. There isn't any mountain biking in the near vicinity but road riding is at its best around here. I haven't had any problems commuting either. For the most part, I can get to town via a connection of several greenway trails.

One of the few road sections along my commute to work.

On another good note, I've added a bike to my stable! Actually, I got rid of one in order to add another. Do you all remember that 1990 Proflex frame with the Girvin fork that I picked up a few months back? Well, I got tired of looking at that bike and thinking about fixing it up. I decided to offer it on trade plus a little cash to one of the other guys at the shop. In return, I got a Van Dessel "Straight Up". The bike has been turned into a fixed gear. I think originally, the bike was intended to be a single speed townie bike. However, I've got plans to turn this stout frame into a freestyle fixie/polo bike. First off, there are several changes that need to take place with its current existence. One of which is to remove the dreadful handlebars that came on it. They are too narrow and shaped like mustache bars. They are in no way comfortable! I've got some neon green risers and a matching saddle that I found last night in the parts bin that I will throw on the bike. Also in the works is changing out the wheels with a set of black Deep V's. I should have this bad boy up and running nicely in the next few days. I'll post more pictures when done but for now, this will have to do.

On a final note, I want to mention this whole Lance doping issue.  For all of you that think he didn't dope, you're in denial.  Nearly all these guys have doped at some point in their career.  Doping was either used to boost their riding abilities in order to get noticed by the pro teams or they used it for that last little boost to get the win at the pro level.  It is a simple fact.  Is it right?  Hell no!  Our sport is being dragged through the mud by all this shit.  The testimony of Landis and Hamilton are pretty shady to say the least.  However, Lance's old friend, George Hincapie, testified to a federal grand jury that Lance doped.  The friendship that those two have is one at which I don't think Hincapie would make this shit up if it wasn't true.  Hincapie even divulged that he also was one of the dopers in the past.  Lance can deny these allegations all he wants.  But that doesn't mean he didn't dope.  Lance has a huge enterprise at Livestrong to protect.  If he comes out and admits to doping, his charity would be doomed.  The guy has a lot on his shoulders.  There is no justification for any of these athletes' actions but there is a respectful way to handle them.  Landis and Hamilton may only be in it for the book deals.  But Hincapie seems to have handled himself in a respectful manner regarding the issue.  Time to move on.

It's The End of The World...

Apparently the rapture is supposed to have started in some parts of the world...

Lissie - Pursuit of Happiness (Kid Cudi Cover)

Keep pursuing happiness...

Today is Today...Yesterday was Yesterday...

Things are getting better each and everyday. I keep telling myself to live life just one day at a time. The past three days, I've been off from work and more or less, I've been catching up with my friends as well as making new ones. I'm really digging Maryville. Even though it's a town full of blue hairs and Cadillacs, it's a beautiful place as well. The biking is good, even though I haven't been on the bike as much as I'd like. Hopefully, I'll be back on the bike in the next few days and I can get some kind of routine going. I've got the Cysco 6 Hour coming up in about a month and I'm in no way ready to be on a mountain bike for 6 hours right now.

Not much else to really blog about this morning. I could follow Dicky's lead and show all the bike parts in my plastic tubs but I don't think that would be too interesting. I'll get back to ya when I have something interesting to blog about.

Life As I Know It...

Wow!  So much has gone on in this last week.  I'm still trying to shuffle my life as I know it.  A lot is still going through my head and trying to figure out the future.  Sometimes I think I just need to slow my roll just a bit.  Time to let things be and live from one day to the next. 

The new job in the bike shop is working out great!  All the folks at the shop are great and I'm starting to meet everyone in the cycling community.  I finally figured out the perfect commuter route into work.  It's about 13 miles each way with quite a bit of it on the greenway.  The countryside here in Maryville is beautiful.  Rolling hills with huge mountains in the backdrop.  I couldn't ask for better scenery on my rides!  I hope to have some pictures posted pretty soon.

Last night was my buddy's birthday.  After getting off work, we made some rounds to a couple of bars and then grabbed a six pack and headed up to the top of the Foothills Parkway.  There was a storm rolling in down in the valley.  It was pretty rad to watch the rain roll in.  Definitely, one of those nights that feels like it stands still. 

I'm off work for the next three days.  Looks like the weather is turning to shit but I'm going to try to get some rides in regardless.  For now, I've got to finish all this unpacking so I can find my bike stuff! 

Moving Forward...

I realize the blog posts have been non-existent for the last several weeks.  Honestly, my life has somewhat fallen apart.  Without going into too much detail, I will say that I am moving forward.  This last weekend, I packed up all my belongings and moved back to Knoxville, Tennessee.  Unfortunately, I'm going to be making some adjustments in my life over the next few weeks, months and years.

On to some good news...I have finished my first semester of college.  I came out with all "A's" in my classes.  This was certainly unexpected when I decided to go back to school.  When I was in high school, I sucked at making good grades.  I never applied myself.  After taking 7 years off from school, going back brought a whole new focus.  This semester, I applied myself where it counts.  There is the saying, "Work hard or work smart."  Why not do both?  The current plan is to transfer to the University of Tennessee for the fall semester.  We'll see what happens.

On another good note, I was able to land a job yesterday.  I'll be working at Cycology Bicycles in Maryville, Tennessee.  This is an awesome shop with some of the best guys you can find in a bike shop!  There is such a pleasant and chill atmosphere throughout.  I'm really excited to be a part of their crew now.

As for bike riding, I haven't been on the bike much lately with everything that has been going on.  This morning, I decided to commute by bike to my new job.  Where I'm living is right off a four lane fast highway.  It's going to take some time to get used to that.  Otherwise, the commute has been pretty pleasant.  Most of it is on the Maryville-Alcoa Greenway.  This is a beautiful place.  The greenway connects both towns and has several arterial routes.  I'm looking forward to utilizing my new commute route.

Along my morning commute

You know, life isn't too bad.  Even though you get down at times, there's always tomorrow.  Count your blessings and move forward.  I think I'll be just fine with time.  Being surrounded by good friends and family makes a world of a difference as well.

Obstacles...

Life sure is pretty tough sometimes!  Sometimes there is that feeling of being backed into a corner and not knowing how to move forward.  I'm in that position right now.  It sucks!  As I sit here this morning, reading my favorite blogs, I start to think.  I can move forward.  I can overcome obstacles.  It's kind of like cyclocross barriers.  You come at them with full speed, dismount from the bike and run right over those barriers.  It's not easy to do but with time, you learn how to do it efficiently.  I don't have much else to really say today and sorry if this is a downer for you.  Hopefully there will be something more positive to say in the coming future.

Weekend...

Weekends are a time for us to take a break from what is routine. For me, that is school. This weekend, I happened to look at a calendar and realized that finals start next week!! I've got several papers and a project due by next Friday! Honestly, I haven't even started on my history project. So a lot of shit is starting to pile up and needs to be cleared. Well, I didn't even think about it this weekend. Instead, I spent some quality time with my wife on Saturday and rode bikes with friends on Sunday.

My wife has been at the office quite a bit this last week. On Saturday, we got up and ran around town for a few hours. Almost the entire day was spent together. It is always great to have that quality time with the one you love. My wife has always been a huge supporter of my ambitions. I can't thank her enough!

As for Sunday, I spent most of the day with some friends while the wife hit some work back at her office. Met up with Patrick and Eric pretty early (for a weekend) and we hit the breakfast buffet on campus. A few waffles and sausage later, we mounted up on the bikes and hit the streets of Murfreesboro. We stayed out for a few hours just riding around town at a chill pace. Made a stop on the greenway to watch some boaters flip their canoe in the cold water!! Hilarious! The afternoon was spent in the front yard of Patrick's house listening to Hunter S. Thompson recordings, drinking beer and soaking up the sunshine. Really not much to report about but it was a great day!

I'm not sure when I'm going to get back into race training. Right now there are a lot of things that are more important to focus on than racing my bike. As for now, the bike is going to be my transportation. If I can squeeze in a fast road ride here and there, I'll be happy. Life has priorities and I'm starting to realize that bikes can't always be #1 for me.