hey you! say something!

There's no time like the present, and I'm no good at intros, so let's get right to it.

Pan Am Games was on balance a success. We were good enought to win, but came home with a silver medal in the team sprint. A bit dissapointing, but in the end the experience was invaluable. I'd rather not rehash it this far from the event, but if you'd like, you can read my "I'm an angry adolescent" rant at the
Project London site.

July is the worst month to work at a bike shop. Scratch that. I love the bike shop. July is the worst time to be employed by someone who wants you to do things other than bike racing and rabble-rousing. Too many events. You've got San Jose, Portland AVC, FSA GP, street sprints, roller races, weddings, patio seating at bars and BBQ's every sunny evening. I managed to get the weekends of AVC and FSA off, but once again the San Jose challenge is the good-natured but unfortunately red-headed stepchild that doesn't get picked for kickball. I'll make it to that race someday, but no dice this time.

I'm fighting off waves of panic every time I think about the future. I'm confident enough in my abilities to know that I can ride 4 world cups, the pan am games, the pan am championships, the world championships and a sixday this winter. Physically tough, but can be done. Mentally tough, but doable. Financially? Uhh. Bueller? Help?
I will sell my liver and auction off my cat (don't tell Jenny) to pay my rent this winter, but my cat's a hateful fiend and enough beer and whiskey has passed through my liver that it's probably only worth a five spot at best.

I can deadlift 400 pounds, but I can't walk through the park with my wife without waking up with sore legs the next day. My body is so finely tuned to do one specific movement that it has become hilariously ill-equipped for the rest of the real world.
I am not ready for the worst case scenario. I could not survive like Bear Grylls, but I can make a bike go pretty fast for a little while.


DT