Last Sunday first CX race, and first time cross dressing. There’s a second or two of me exhausted out of my mind around 3:35. I’m the one in the yellow tank top with the tan skirt, striped socks, and shit-eating grin.
The first lap was terrible fun. I thought if I just held onto the rear wheel in front of me I’d probably be alright, and maybe I could pass some people. The third lap felt like I’d made a huge mistake. I thought if I just sat down and put my head between my knees I wouldn’t pass out, and maybe I wouldn’t vomit. The 4th and 5th lap actually felt alright. Then the 6th lap was finished and it was over. So soon?
I finished somewhere between 2nd and 4th from dead fucking last, which I consider quite a success. The Raleigh rode great for its inaugural ‘cross ride, and the wheels I finished building the night before didn’t explode underneath me. One issue was my gearing though. 46t in the front and 18t in the back is fine for riding around town, but is insufferable on the dirt and damn near impossible on run-ups. I guess that’s why they call them run-ups.
There’s a “TEAM” Paul meeting tomorrow. We’ll be discussing strategies for the rest of the season, and which races we’re going to be heading out to. My main strategy is to swap out to a more reasonable gearing, maybe something like 39tx16t.
The British Psychological Society asked world’s leading psychologists to reveal one nagging thing they still don’t understand about themselves. Their answers (in 150 words or less) are a lot of fun to read.
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Norbert Schwarz says incidental feelings still affect him, even though he is aware of them. “Some 25 years ago Jerry Clore and I studied how gloomy weather makes one’s whole life look bad — unless one becomes aware of the weather and attributes one’s gloomy mood to the gloomy sky, which eliminates the influence. You’d think I learned that lesson and now know how to deal with gloomy skies. I don’t, they still get me.”
Pat’s band was playing at a bluegrass festival today, so I covered for him at Pullins, working alongside Mica and Dan. The day wasn’t super busy, but I was surprised by how tired I was by closing. After flipping the open signs around I worked on my new rear wheel for a little while, finishing it all but for the rim tape. The front hub should come back from anodization on Wednesday. Next friday there’s a “TEAM” Paul meeting, and our first race may be that Sunday.
After work I rode over to the library and met up with a classmate from my machine design class. Right now we’re working on turning our concepts into a materials cut list. This means we need to figure out exactly how the parts of our machine will fit together, and are deciding the parameters that will define it’s framing. We ran into a couple pretty critical problems, and I felt like I spent most of the two and a half hours beating my head against a wall. We came up with some elegant solutions as well though, but I had let myself get tired and hungry and cranky. We called it quits before 9 and I decompressed over the phone to Xue as I walked to get some Pizza.
Two slices and a root beer. They were playing the Pixies when I got there, and Dig for Fire and the food made me feel really energetic and motivated. I think talking to Xue helped too. I left, heading back towards the library, with the intent of killing some chemistry homework. Of course the library isn’t open Saturday nights though. Nobody does homework on Saturday when they can do it Sunday, right?
Feeling a little useless, I came home and tried to play video games, but it only made me anxious, so I quit.
Then I recorded a cover of Islands’ Tender Torture. Have a listen?
The air is finally starting to cool in Chico. This morning I had to wear a sweatshirt on my ride to class. I’ve though it was finally October for about the past week, and the calendar has just now caught up with me.
I’m really excited for this month, and this season, and the end of this year.
Xue’s coming to visit in just a few weeks, I don’t really think I can contain my excitement. I try to keep it tempered, but not too hard. Anybody who I’ve talked to about it knows I’m just going nuts. !!!
The local ‘cross season is also starting this month. I’m going to be racing with Team Paul for my first season. Not really sure what to expect, besides hurt and cold and tired sensations, and knobby tires. I’ve been riding my single speed Raleigh everyday, trying to make it the second most familiar thing between my legs. I’ll be lacing up a new wheelset for it in the next week or so, built on High Flange hubs and Delgado Cross rims.
This November will mark having worked for Paul for a year straight, which makes me happy. I feel like I fit really well there, it’s probably one of the best jobs I’ve had.
In January I’d like to head East to see some family & get some snow.
And before we know it, it’ll be 2010 and we’ll all have futurepacks and jetguns.
