Lucky 77

Hors Categorie Photo
For those not yet alert, or not a member of the NorCal fellowship of biker geeks - 2007 Race Season has begun! Yeah sure, some teetotaling lunatics raced up San Bruno hill on New Year's Day and we've had a coupla Early Bird training crits, but seems as though the Cal Aggie Crit is truely the first race of the season. I skipped it last year as there is no Old Sportie category and Jan 20 seems awful early to start racing. This year, it came at the end of a RnR week and I needed some fast pack riding experience sooner rather than later - so with a lift from Gianni - and a few other Sporties ready for action - I could not resist the chance to race two or three different races available for an old cat 4 like me on that day. We arrived to find the ever popular 4/5 Elite race filled nearly two hours before it started, so - it was time to "man up" and lay down the cash for two races: 35+ Open and 3/4 Elite; unfortunately, back-to-back races.

A rare and kind of scary prospect to race with the elder 1,2,3 boys we admire so much. Turned out to be nothing but fun, speed and anaerobia. We sporties found the speed a bit higher but pack dynamics much smoother than our usual 4/5 races. Though I spent most of my 38 minutes tagged onto the back, the pack was tight and I could still see what was happening at the front of the race. I was running just over LT, wondering what I was doing in there when I could see a trio form a gap - spidey sense up! Looked like Nathan in the break; Sierra man pulls out of the pack and wants to move up so I prepare to take the ride just as Gianni commands 'grab that wheel!' I take the ride all the way to front and Sierra wants to bridge... so I swing into a polite blocking position, let him go, and BLAM - it's Hernando around us both to make the trio a 4-man break that almost lasted. (Magically, Hernando still won, even though that break was caught.) I pull for a paltry amount of time, drift back, and take myself out with 6 laps to go simply for some extra rest before the 3/4 race. Most of the other EMC Sporties lasted til the end of 35+ race and even did some work for the team - Richard even scored a 23rd place.

Race 2: I actually lasted the full 50 minutes with the 100 man (including at least one woman) totally full 3/4 field. True, I rolled over the line in 77th place - DFL - but at least I made it! My last 3/4 race was late 2005 and I got lapped... Those slow downs on the one true turn of the course resulted in 15 to 30 mph sprints every lap. Great day of training for me - great to see the NCNCA race scene again - and I believe this is an indication I am more fit than last year at this time; at least more confident and recovered from the June Pneumonia debacle. Raced 40+ miles total in 1:38 for ave speed of 25+ mph. Not getting older, getting fitter. Ronnie Nome scored a 5th in the 35+, finished the 3/4 raced and lasted about 1/2 the Pro 1/2/3 race... now that's some training!

Mines Road Posse

Couple weeks back with the Sporties on a skills ride with Coach Ron. My low quality camera phone does not reveal too much detail, but the vibe is captured: Early season team comraderie, remote country roads and booties.

Those 5 Things...

I got tagged by the the Merkeley-AliCat combo in this 'game' in the midst of holiday haze and have not yet delivered the goods. (Is anyone still playing?). Like others, I am wondering about the criteria: 'interesting' things? new things people don't know? if you only know me from the blog or bike world, pretty much anything would be new and/or interesting. However, I am not completely anonymous here as people from work have seen my blog with varying effects (though I suspect I've bored them all away by now). I feel a bit self-concious and can't go as far into the interesting realm as perhaps I'd like... nevertheless:

1. I was a kindergarden drop-out in East Lansing MI where it was not required. I was a hyperactive youngster who knew my Principal Better than my teachers. I was suspended once in junior high and once in high school.

2. Despite #1, I graduated from Homewood Flossmoor (ILL) HS in decent shape and went to college - mainly to swim NCAA div III at Augustana College (Rock Island ILL) and discovered academic interest and skill. Once I found stuff I wanted to learn (sports psychology and then neuropsychology), I got hooked on school and earned my doctorate from University of Georgia (hence my nickname, Dr. X). UGA is where I picked up my cycling habit and enjoyed a second collegiate athletic career.

3. My name really is 'Xeno'. Born in 1965 to beat-hippie artist parents; Lizzy & Buzzy. They had connections and impact on the arts - my Mom (educator and visual artist) was friend, muse & model for R. Crumb and my dad is Buzzy Linart; co-wrote Bette Midler's theme song & first hit, "(You Gotta Have) Friends". With him, I've met too many musicians to list but a few with name recognition are Doctor John, Jackson Brown, Eric Burden, Styx, George Clinton & P-Funk (no words with Bootsy, damn), 'Fatha' Earl Hines, Maruga, Paul Schaeffer, John B. Sebastian, John Hammond, Lee Freeman (of Strawberry Alarm Clock AND Lynyrd Skynyrd), and all of The Holy Modal Rounders.

4. I never dared to really plunge into art; I just dabbled in radio, photo, writing, acting, voice over, blues harmonica and eclectic rock bands ('Stimulus Bound' was my best creative co-effort in the Baltimore years with an all Johns Hopkins Hospital band; 'ATM' had promise but faded after our only gig opening for The Holy Modal Rounders at Sweetwater). My worst arts moment was getting cut from the college dance troup.

5. I've competed in swimming, diving, wrestling, cross-county, track, field, road running, skateboarding, gymnastics, rock climbing, cycling, and triathlon. I can't remember ever winning an event of any significance - I do it because it's fun & good for you. For me, it's been therapeutic: Keeps me fit, out of trouble and in touch with good people.

Can I still tag? Flandria, Farzan, Maynard me Gusta, Little Jewford, and Dennis. If they already did their thing, sorry, I missed it!