Racing Is A Lot Like Going To Church

You got your Sunday best, jersey and bibs.

You got your chapel, race course.

You got your preacher, race promoter.

You got your congregation, racers.

You got your opening announcements, racer meeting.

You got your opening hymn, the National Anthem.

You got your sermon, the race.

The sermon, for most of us is hell, fire and damnation.

We are chastised and castigated for our lack of discipline with our diet and sleep, for our lack of care with our spouse (bike), and for our lack of paying attention to the commandments (bike handling skills).

Post sermon, the preacher tries to pick our spirits back up…

…in reality it’s mingling with the other sinners that makes this church time so special.

Sharing our sins and our burdens with each other, and giving a helping hand where possible and accepted. Cheering each other on for the good deeds of the previous week, and sustaining each other in the efforts to be a little better in the coming week.

Yep, it’s a lot like church… and that’s why I love it, and love our flock, and pray for our preacher to give us a good sermon in his chapel.

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Today’s NonDot race went pretty good for me.

I’ve been really tired lately, and just kinda burned out on racing and riding hard.

This fall has been epic for surf, and I’ve blown it by not taking a bike off-season.

But, we are in this big research phase for a revolutionary race series we are planning and so we’ve been hitting every single race and fondo and ride we can.  It’s a ton of fun, but it’s hard to do this late in the season.

My power was good and steady through out.  My times on the three big laps were:

… can’t ask for more than that.

I’m really digging my Fluid.  I found this by chance at the Whiskey 50 where I’d run out of Hammer Heed.  There’s something about it, it’s a much more sustained energy for me.  I still use Hammer Recoverite, post ride… though with our new, always stocked Muscle Monster fridge at work I’m only going Recoverite when I don’t want all the caffeine.

Tire pressure seems to be nailed down at 24 lbs.  On my hard tail, that pressure seems perfect.

Speaking of hardtail and perfect… I railed the big down hill, posted a 4th faster over all – ever.  Not bad for the old diesel.

The guys and gals at NonDot put on another great event.  I like what they’re doing.  It’s simple, like Simple magazine simple.

Oh, my canopy got wings when the wind picked up.  Shoulda staked it in.  It was the back wall that was causing havoc. I’m going to make a new back wall out of our stretch mesh that I use on the bike rack banner.  It’s a really cool fabric, big vents, stretchy and still shows the print really well.  It’s kinda see through too, which will be different.  Plus, it will fold up super small.

Got to catch up with a lot of friends.  My friend Gerrit is retiring next year, and his wife Kim retires the year after… happy for them.

Scott McClain’s company name is so fitting, Called To Creation.

It’s been a long 2 1/2 weeks for Susie… she’s been in Utah caring for her mom and she’s exhausted.  She comes home tomorrow, which means I gotta get off the couch here and do some deep cleaning… gotta get to the store too… she’s needs a vacation, I miss her. She comes home tomorrow, which means I’m gonna skip church and go visit my parents in Encinitas before Susie lands in San Diego.