Early resolutions…

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It being, you know, that time of year when folks tend to make their resolutions, I am going to try and do something like that now. It’s early, sure, but why the fuck not?

First, try to take myself less serious. Seriously, my job is stressful at times, and I think I take it too serious. Yeah, there have been many times over the last few months, that I have been at work from 6:30 in the morning, until well after 7 at night. 12 hour days makes for a dully boy. And it also makes the wife mad. I resolve to pound out the work while I’m there, and to leave at a decent time, so that it will bring me to resolution #2.

Number 2. Ride. The. Bike. More. It doesn’t matter which bike, just ride more. I didn’t really accomplish much of that this past year, and seeing as how I now live in Asheville North Carolina where some of the best road riding, mountain biking, and just about any other kind of bike riding you can think of exists, I need to get out there, and ride. It makes me feel better. Clears the head. And maybe, just maybe, I might be able to climb someday. Living in the mountains once again (I grew up in the Western mountains of Maine), it would be super if I could climb at something more than a walking pace. If not, hey, fuck it. I’m still riding the bikes.

Number 3. Ride some races. I used to be that guy who rode 60-80 races per year. I’d like to race again, but at a less hectic pace. Something more like, 10-20. That’s all I need. Something to whet the appetite for bike racing again. There also won’t be anymore of this cat 1 shit either. Nope. That shit is for people who are either genetically talented, dope, or who have a lot more time on their hands than I do. In other words, people who have time to train. I figure I can be a good competitive master’s racer / cat 3 on about 12 hours per week. Seriously. I just want to be able to show up at a race, see some old friends, turn some circuits in a parking lot somewhere, maybe contest a sprint or 2, and go home. Skin intact, and not injured. Is that so much to ask? Yeah, probably not. We’ll work on that one in 2009.

Number 4. Get back to the race weight of 3 years ago. It’s been a long strange trip. Working too much, getting married, getting hit by a car, moving, new job, and so on and so forth, I’ve packed on some poundage, and that’s OK. Unless of course I’m trying to climb (see above), and then, it sucks. If I can train consistently, I can get back to where I came from. It’s just that, aside from having some of the best riding in the Southeastern US, Asheville also has its fair share of delicious beer stops. And hence, larger girth abounds. Less beer, more ride. Or, more ride, same amount of beer. It can work either way I think. Or maybe I’ll just go back to drinking more hard stuff. Less calories in that stuff, and damn, Scotch tastes good. You all know it.

That’s about it for me. It’s been a good 2008, I’m looking forward to 2009. If the bottom doesn’t completely drop out of the economy, I should still have a job at this time of the year next year, if not, well, I might be back racing Pro-Ams trying to make a few ends meet, but at least, I could ride/train more again. Although, I’m not sure the wife would be encouraged by that.

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About giantcu92

Engineer living in the NOVA, and working for "The Man". Cycling and political junky. All things 2 wheeled are good. 4 wheels? Eh, OK, but 2 wheels better. Washinton, DC, USA

6 Replies to “Early resolutions…”

  1. I will adopt your resolutions.

    Ride more bike. Work has also taken time from my riding. New job, new tasks.

    Ride different places. I have been in a funk, riding the same roads and trails all season. I just rode a new trail and forgot the joy of new singletrack.

    I am only 5 pounds from race weight.. you’re on your own there. ;)

  2. Man, I’ll tell ya like this….

    1) I missed a lot of my children’s lives this last semester. The whole “be scared” and “this is nothing like undergrad” tip does not work on me. You can scare someone else. I’m not 25. But I still put in a shit ton of work. I had to. Grades don’t come out till, are you ready for this, January 9th. I passed. I know that much. And C’s get degrees. I know that as well. But, I’m going to take my kids to the zoo this spring. Fuck those pinhead pricks. Mi Famila.

    2) Ride more. See above. I probably rode an hour every other week. It made me insane. No bueno. I need to get out in the sun more.

    3) Fuck racing for me. The only thing I’m doing in the immediate future is beer filled charity rides or races that I can treat like a beer filed charity ride. Drink often and drink early. And I mean drink beer.

    4) You had to mention weight. Snake couldn’t believe how thin I was when I saw him a month ago. Seems sitting a table and reading hundreds of pages while drinking gallons of coffee actually worked for my physique. Took me all these years to figure that one out. I’m down ‘round two bills. My “racing weight” is more like 195. I was pushing 215 and upwards of 220 for a while there. Less Martan’s, more despair. Go figure. It worked.

  3. Damn son.

    I’m on the opposite end. Watching the kid near 24/7. Soon enough, I’ll have to struggle, and I mean struggle to get that 3.0 to “hopefully” qualify for Mursing school. B’s get degrees here. Shit ain’t right.

    I let my Leadville entry hang around the house for two days. I stared at it for about ten seconds at a time, of and on. Recounted the memories, then it hit the trash like so many dreams. That was all I needed. “Racing is Neither”

    I’m gonna try like a mofo to get to your racing weight. Ought to take me about ten more years but it’s going good already. Steady progress. Don’t burnout. Lift, bend, glug, glug, glug… the Tennis Elbow ain’t no fun though. This shit is hard work!

  4. I got a Leadville entry too.

    I thought only three words: Fuck. That. Shit. It’s on the counter downstairs, next to the coffee machine.

    We should head up there this summer. Camp by Turquoise Lake. Ride out towards Sugarloaf. And where the race course turns left, we should go straight on Flying Pan Road I’ve heard you can ride all the way over to Aspen back that way.

    At least we could check out the Ruedi Reservoir.

    maps.google.com/maps…leadville+colorado

  5. yo, no shit, asheville huh? i’m in asheville right now for the new years and i’m moving back here in under a year or so if all goes well. no shit, we’ll have to get together and ride one day

  6. Asheville rocks. Nothing better than a day on the Pisgah trails followed by a Jerk Chicken calzone at the ‘Shroom and cold pints and live bluegrass at Barley’s Taproom. Don’t make the trip as often as I used to – now that’s the makings of a good resolution.