:: Tired ::

:: 3 days, 150 miles, 14,700 ft of climbing. keep this up, and plump_chump may have to retire. perhaps gebnor will make an appearance this cross season... ::

:: Gravity Demons, Devil's Elbow ::

:: hardest...ride...ever... overview by the numbers: 6:40 hours, 4384 calories, 80.2 miles, 8110 feet of climbing,~20 miles of gravel roads, ~2000 feet of gravel climbing, 4 water bottles, $5.80 at unimart, $1 emergency tire boot, 1 tube, 16g of CO2, 2 bags of sport beans, 1 bag of sharkies, 1 reeces fast break, 16oz amp tall boy, 20oz gatorade (lemon lime). r-lee (aka dieter) suggested this ride to me about a month ago, and i've been itching since to try it. i did black mo on friday and it's 4300ish feet of vertical, and was feeling a bit skeptical. heck, i would have been skeptical had i had an easy day before. but i figured i'd give it the old college try (with 10 years of it, i should know what that's all about). so i grabbed the camera, gps, phone, food, water, tube and tools, and headed out, with my jersey pockets looking like an obese chipmunk....

... and before i am out of town i run into the biggest black bear i've seen this side of a zoo fence...

... i should have known what was in store...

... after 3.5 decent climbs, it just kept going...

... and going, now with gravel...

... this sign says it all...

... r-lee's 'gravel' road...

... the 'gravel' road turned out to be 20 miles of freshly graded boulders that ate the sidewalls of both tires. used an old mtb trick, i wrapped $1 bills around the tubes where the casing was cut. this was between hours 3 and 4, so my memory is rather foggy, but i do remember trying to call r-lee to come pick me up, but my phone was dead. and i had no idea where i was even with a gps... so in synopsis: bear, climb, climb, climb, gravel, boulders, gravel climb, boulder climb, gravel descent, scarry redneck town, bonking at unimart, cut ride short and ride along highway, climbing, sleeping, and aching. epic. ::

:: Comprehensive Examination ::

::

comprehensive - adj: including all or everything, broad in scope
examination - n: detailed inspection or analysis of an object or a person

::

:: Go Time ::

:: it's go time. number two of the three dreaded grad school moments: the comprehensive exam, 4.5 days of excruciating mental torture. the last few days have been spent preparing myself physically and mentally. 2 hour climbing ride yesterday, cleaned the house, and went to the grocery store. the espresso grinder is full, 12 pack of redbull in the fridge, and a pound of chocolate covered espresso beans; all three caffeine food groups. in 20 minutes, the clock starts ticking on the 72 hours i have to complete written questions, which can be about anything they want. i have a feeling that i might not get much sleep this weekend, but then again, i might not be able to. ::

:: in other news... the war hasn't been won yet, but the battle was victorious. 24 hours ago, my pal was unconscious, paralyzed, and had been life-flighted twice. today, he is home, able to talk and move. he never ceases to amaze and inspire. ::

:: Perspective, Part 2 ::

:: with comprehensive exams looming in the not so distant future, i have been feeling justified with putting my mental and physical needs first, doing what i need to do and thinking what i need to think to make it through. feeling sorry for myself / being stressed / depression / frustration / etc. all warranted in my mind. and then a shift in perspective. a dear friend is hospitalized from a stroke. on heavy sedatives, the doctors are unsure as to the prognosis of the paralysis. considering the complications of a rare birth-abnormality that affects 0.07% of the population, things are even more uncertain. my questions of what i should be studying or whether or not i will pass, are replaced with whether i should be hoping my friend pulls through, or is permitted release from a life that has been a struggle; a struggle incomprehensible for the other 99.93% of us. he has faced challenges that would have long ago left me bitter and jaded, but he perseveres with a smile and a laugh from, and often times about, what is left of his mortal body. so tonight i pray for only one thing; that the answer will come quick. Godspeed dear friend, which ever path He chooses. ::

:: 2Bliss ::

:: i know what you are thinking already... 'shojo on a mountain bike?' well, it does happen. occasionally. after 7 flats in 2 rides out in rothrock, i was about to chuck the darn thing off the top of the ridge trail and walk home. but after much pestering from gcorman at the shop i opted instead to try tubeless tires again. the last set was a miserable leaky failure, constantly having to stop to pump them up. but since it was getting to the point that i was having to patch my second backup tube anyway, i might as well try. since pre-comp stress prohibited me from the weekly shop ride antics, i instead rode the last few days around the toftrees new improved race course. the first thing i noticed was how smooth everything now felt, running 35 psi and not the 60 i had been (coupled with dropping the fork pressure from 150 to 85 psi). the second most exciting thing i noticed was how quiet everything now is. no more 'ping' that echoes through the woods. now only a 'ooo-sshhh ooo ooo-sshhh' from the fork oil over bumps. pure (2)bliss. ::

:: Hillbilly Deight ::

:: when a ferrari is crafted in maranello, it dreams of one day breathing it's v12 fire on the f1 monte carlo course for the monaco fans. but when a chevy is assembled in detroit, the best it can hope for is belching some smoke and getting a lap or two in at hesston before the hood falls off ::

:: took a much needed break from comp-prep to watch the t.war battle it out with their 305 sprint car at the hesston, pa dirt track. for $5 you can get yourself 2 hotdogs, a pepsi, and the best damn bag of peanuts you'll ever eat. but there are a few rules to going to a dirt track race, so review the list below before you venture to one ::

- DO NOT take credit cards, debit cards, or anything of the like... cash only! i made this mistake the first time i went, and i had to speak to a 400 lb chap named 'bubba' who exclaimed through only 3 or 4 teef 'we ain't got none of them round here.' had to drive 45 minutes to get to the closest atm.
- DO NOT eat the cheeseburgers. eat hot dogs. this is about the only time they are safer. the cheeseburgers are scraped off the bottom of the trailers at load in that afternoon.
- keep your mouth shut after the third lap or so. unless you like a mouthful of dirt.
- DO NOT wear nice jeans or a polo shirt. find the rattiest, greasiest thing you can. you'll still look like you just came from church.
- DO NOT make eye contact with the locals. if one does catch you eye acknowledge him with a grunted 'eh buddhay' and move away quickly.
- be prepared for some interesting 'plumbing' in the 'restrooms'.
- if you loose your car in the parking lot, just squat down. you'll quickly find your car under all the jacked pick-em-ups.
- wrecks are NOT cool. rubbing is.
- when in the pits, lend a hand ripping the dangling bumpers off during yellow flags.
- always root for the car with the most parts falling off.

:: Giving It All ::

:: there is something about giving it all, leaving every bit of yourself on the tarmac. many might not understand the feeling of the adrenaline seeping into the nervous system, blood coursing through the veins, air rushing into the lungs, goose-bumps prickling the skin, sweat blurring the vision, and afterwards, the bone deep ache. ::

:: thursday night club time trial and hitting 185 bpm cresting the final hill. after a fitful nights sleep of endorphine withdrawl, it was time to abuse the body and mind some more with black mo. 4682 ft over 42 miles, which is more than enough to kill any rush you have going and leave you in a glazed-eye stupor. that is of course, unless you can muster the courage to make the final kick before home a goose-bump raising sprint... ::