Talihina Sky

yesterday the saint, captain america, some tall kid, and i ventured out of our little town for some bent creek action and rewarded ourselves afterward at the best mexican restaurant in the 828. we cruised all the uphills and enjoyed the scenery, and it got me thinking about life after racing. here's my secret: after this weekend, i'm retired.

why? bicycle racing has always struck me as just a tad bit absurd. it's high pressure. it's a waste of fossil fuel. it's riding around in circles and paying for the privilege to do so. it's having conversations with your friend in which each of you wait impatiently until the other is done talking about himself so you can go into detail about your obviously more important self...and then blogging about it.

but before you call velonews, i'll have you know there are exceptions. retirement does not include: cyclocross. ORAMM. 12 hours of tsali. collegiate road (alas...squirrel sez). the icycle. in other words, if i plan to do a race, the number one criteria? FUN.

so, off to california. the plucky little epic has been loaded into a trailer, after a wash, a tune-up, and the installation of some I-9s, mmmm delicious. thanks, st. marie. i have secret goals for nationals but i would hate to jinx anything. plus i like being sketchy and vague like t. cowie.

and then when we get back, the leaves will all be aflame, the seasonal trails will be open, and that special mountain chill will have set in. i'm going for a run when i get off the plane.