Sunday, November 9, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
state champ
Today was the North Carolina and South Carolina state finals in Lexington SC. It wasn't a race series that I was really into until Jamie pointed out to me that we both had a chance at getting #1 finishes if we raced the final.
This morning I packed my stuff into Jamie's car and I hit the road with him and his two kids, Josie and Jack whom, I am convinced, are angels in disguise. I had to drive the 2 1/2 hours since Jamie recently broke his collar bone at the Hendersonville race last weekend.
We get to the track and my god it is beautiful. The entire thing is very well kept and is smooth as all gid-up since it was made of truck loads of dirt that are of the same consistency as baseball fields. Practice starts at noon and it turns out that the track is just as fun to ride as it is to look at. We all find our lines that suit our respective riding styles best and the races start.
It turns out that I am in the running for #1 with another guy named Brian who is a really nice guy. We spent a lot of today talking about bikes and family and all of the good and bad things in life. For example, he told me about some very bad burns that he got on his legs while trying to start a fire with gasoline. He hasn't been able to ride for the past four weeks because of the burns. Just another example that the easiest way to do things sometimes isn't the best way to do things.
But anyway, we are racing each other for the state #1 plate and the first moto starts off very heated. Into the first turn I am a wheel ahead of him and he pushes me way up and out almost off the track. But I stay on the pedals and focus on being smooth and pull past him into the second turn and hold the lead all of the way to the end.
The rest of our motos are actually pretty anti-climatic in that he didn't have enough gas to stay fresh for his motos and I pull ahead by sizable leads in every moto and take the W for the day.
So I am the state champion in the 25-29 cruiser class. cool, eh?
This morning I packed my stuff into Jamie's car and I hit the road with him and his two kids, Josie and Jack whom, I am convinced, are angels in disguise. I had to drive the 2 1/2 hours since Jamie recently broke his collar bone at the Hendersonville race last weekend.
We get to the track and my god it is beautiful. The entire thing is very well kept and is smooth as all gid-up since it was made of truck loads of dirt that are of the same consistency as baseball fields. Practice starts at noon and it turns out that the track is just as fun to ride as it is to look at. We all find our lines that suit our respective riding styles best and the races start.
It turns out that I am in the running for #1 with another guy named Brian who is a really nice guy. We spent a lot of today talking about bikes and family and all of the good and bad things in life. For example, he told me about some very bad burns that he got on his legs while trying to start a fire with gasoline. He hasn't been able to ride for the past four weeks because of the burns. Just another example that the easiest way to do things sometimes isn't the best way to do things.
But anyway, we are racing each other for the state #1 plate and the first moto starts off very heated. Into the first turn I am a wheel ahead of him and he pushes me way up and out almost off the track. But I stay on the pedals and focus on being smooth and pull past him into the second turn and hold the lead all of the way to the end.
The rest of our motos are actually pretty anti-climatic in that he didn't have enough gas to stay fresh for his motos and I pull ahead by sizable leads in every moto and take the W for the day.
So I am the state champion in the 25-29 cruiser class. cool, eh?
Monday, September 29, 2008
big daddy oaks?
Conor and I have been playing music together for years... and every time we have talked about being in a band. a serious band.
We both graduated this year and now we are living about a half mile from each other in West Asheville. This gives has given us the opportunity to actually be able to play with each other consistently. and we have. a couple a week (and some times more) we get together in the basement of 17 Nebraska and just go at it. Conor generally brings the new song sounds and I lay a quick bass line to it so that we can play it on repeat until we like the sound.
And the past few nights that we have played, regardless of how much beer is in us, we have been on it... playing almost exactly what the other wants to hear and bringing something to the table that gets the other one giddy... (yes, we do get giddy about songs... but then quickly affirm that we are men).
So far we suck at getting lyrics nailed, but the sounds coming out of Conor's guitar and my bass are starting to work really well together. by now I think we are up to 9 pieces that we can play, know where the other is going and lock it down solid.
Tonight as we were taking a break from playing to step outside and get some fresh air Conor mumbled something that sounded like "Big Daddy Oats" and I joked about how good of a named "Big Daddy Oaks" would be for a band. "Well that is what I thought I was saying," said Conor... and now I think we have name for the band. It encompasses quite a bit of what we like to do and also plays into the sounds that we both like to hear.
We both graduated this year and now we are living about a half mile from each other in West Asheville. This gives has given us the opportunity to actually be able to play with each other consistently. and we have. a couple a week (and some times more) we get together in the basement of 17 Nebraska and just go at it. Conor generally brings the new song sounds and I lay a quick bass line to it so that we can play it on repeat until we like the sound.
And the past few nights that we have played, regardless of how much beer is in us, we have been on it... playing almost exactly what the other wants to hear and bringing something to the table that gets the other one giddy... (yes, we do get giddy about songs... but then quickly affirm that we are men).
So far we suck at getting lyrics nailed, but the sounds coming out of Conor's guitar and my bass are starting to work really well together. by now I think we are up to 9 pieces that we can play, know where the other is going and lock it down solid.
Tonight as we were taking a break from playing to step outside and get some fresh air Conor mumbled something that sounded like "Big Daddy Oats" and I joked about how good of a named "Big Daddy Oaks" would be for a band. "Well that is what I thought I was saying," said Conor... and now I think we have name for the band. It encompasses quite a bit of what we like to do and also plays into the sounds that we both like to hear.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday race report
I am a bike dork.
But yesterday was an awesome race between me and Devin in our second moto. He was gate 3 and i was gate 8. He had the inside line into the first berm and we both rode really hard. He got ahead of me with a low move in the first turn. We both came out of the first turn with equal speed and he had the inside line again (little did he know about riding high in the second berm and being able to shoot out of it into the thrid straight). So we rode the second straight going as fast as we could... second berm, I pedal around the top and he takes the low inside line. I cut down early in the berm so I am coming out with a ton of speed.. we drag race down the third straight which is huge and super fast now... Devin still on the inside, me riding the outside and trying to focus on the next berm because that is where the race will be won and lost. we come over the doudle into the third turn and Devin cuts way below me and rides to the end of the berm. I am caught above him in the berm and have to brake check super hard in order to avoid making contact with him. We both almost come to a stop and from there it is another drag race down the last straight. super rhythm and super flowly. Way fast too. So we hit it hard, Devin on the outside this time and me on the inside. We are pedaling like crazy bastards out of the last turn and we hit the first three rollers with Devin a bike length ahead of me... we blast over the table top and I am catching up and almost passing him. roller step... we are even... step down... over the step down I pedal and throw my momentum forward as we both manual over the last two rollers. as we are crossing the line both throwing our bikes I hear one of the line judges call out "Lexy" and bam! race over. I had beat Devon by no more than 6 inches. I am not kidding six inches. fucking awesome! and then we all go out for mexican after an awesome photo shoot.
I am a bike dork.
But yesterday was an awesome race between me and Devin in our second moto. He was gate 3 and i was gate 8. He had the inside line into the first berm and we both rode really hard. He got ahead of me with a low move in the first turn. We both came out of the first turn with equal speed and he had the inside line again (little did he know about riding high in the second berm and being able to shoot out of it into the thrid straight). So we rode the second straight going as fast as we could... second berm, I pedal around the top and he takes the low inside line. I cut down early in the berm so I am coming out with a ton of speed.. we drag race down the third straight which is huge and super fast now... Devin still on the inside, me riding the outside and trying to focus on the next berm because that is where the race will be won and lost. we come over the doudle into the third turn and Devin cuts way below me and rides to the end of the berm. I am caught above him in the berm and have to brake check super hard in order to avoid making contact with him. We both almost come to a stop and from there it is another drag race down the last straight. super rhythm and super flowly. Way fast too. So we hit it hard, Devin on the outside this time and me on the inside. We are pedaling like crazy bastards out of the last turn and we hit the first three rollers with Devin a bike length ahead of me... we blast over the table top and I am catching up and almost passing him. roller step... we are even... step down... over the step down I pedal and throw my momentum forward as we both manual over the last two rollers. as we are crossing the line both throwing our bikes I hear one of the line judges call out "Lexy" and bam! race over. I had beat Devon by no more than 6 inches. I am not kidding six inches. fucking awesome! and then we all go out for mexican after an awesome photo shoot.
I am a bike dork.
Friday, September 26, 2008
drizzly day check up
So Asheville is out of gas. Which is the catalyst for this blogin.
I woke up this morning at 6:30 knowing that I might have the day off from tree work due to rainy weather. The sky looked like it could go either way, so I packed my lunch, pumped up my tires and took off out of the door.
Since Asheville has been out of gas and there is a 2 to 3 hour wait for 10 gallons of dead dinosaur juice, I have been riding my bike to work which has been a good eye opener. But this morning ride was a little warmer than the past rides I have done and so my spirits were high as i pedaled down the long hill of State St. I was just getting passed by a trash truck and flying the bird when i heard the fun little jingle of my cell phone going off in my backpack. I pulled over and got the call from ym boss that it was raining like hell in Swannanoa... no work today.
So I turn around and start heading back home in even higher spirits. The whole day to myself and a great ride ahead of me in order to think out what I might do today.
I woke up this morning at 6:30 knowing that I might have the day off from tree work due to rainy weather. The sky looked like it could go either way, so I packed my lunch, pumped up my tires and took off out of the door.
Since Asheville has been out of gas and there is a 2 to 3 hour wait for 10 gallons of dead dinosaur juice, I have been riding my bike to work which has been a good eye opener. But this morning ride was a little warmer than the past rides I have done and so my spirits were high as i pedaled down the long hill of State St. I was just getting passed by a trash truck and flying the bird when i heard the fun little jingle of my cell phone going off in my backpack. I pulled over and got the call from ym boss that it was raining like hell in Swannanoa... no work today.
So I turn around and start heading back home in even higher spirits. The whole day to myself and a great ride ahead of me in order to think out what I might do today.
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