My cross bike keeps following me around. It trailed me to Portland, and coerced me to ride through the muddy, slippery, earth that was deemed a race course by some. It then followed along to the snowy race, today... that was somehow referred to as a State Championship. It was rather icy for me. I wish I had a few spare arms and knees and stuff... and I'd throw myself into the corners and up the slick berms with wilder abandon. Maybe at Nationals I'll be in the mood for it. I have a mild cold from practicing riding in the snow, yesterday. I think I sprained my finger, and learned a whole lot about how I balance. I somehow can't hit an icy corner without almost falling on my derier. I don't know if I've always been this way. Something more to practice, in any event. Not my ideal conditions, obviously. Apparently, it would help if I wanted to ride through the corners more. AArgh.. But I want to. So, I took some pictures and got to spend some time on a swing and climbing to the top of a jungle gym slide to get the shots. I didn't have the nerve to go down the slide (oh, haha., and you would?!), but I'll save that for another day. Perhaps I'll work on some self portraits there on the slide by my house if I get bored this winter during a snowstorm. I definitely will some day spend some time working on my riding in harder conditions like mud and snow/ice. Anyways, it's hard juggling the working/ riding thingie. My cross bike becomes too human to me, I guess. If it's following me around so much, why wouldn't it understand? Or why wouldn't it push me out the door when the weather is bad to go for a ride more often? Maybe I'll just have to live with that duality. Anyways, here are some cool pictures from the race. My kickin cool coach/ buddy, Ben.... My team mate, Justin T., Me, and a shot from the pre-finishing stretch of the Pro Men's race.

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Well, what can I say... it's always fun to have an ice-biking celebration every once a lifetime. It was kind of like Wednesday Boulder practice in ze winter with a ton of people. Sort of fun, despite the cold weather and danger of it all. I am not really an ice dancer on my cross bike, unfortunately. Not really my day to shine. Although, I have to say I enjoyed trying, and learning how to ride over the ruts a bit. I grew up as a weinie courier, remember, and technical mtn biking maneuvers are rare and unique in my days, still. Every time I got up any speed, I would start to fall over, or shoot off the course. Such a lame-o at that, I know. Oh well, on with the future. I was really disappointed with my 18th place in my age group. I can ride better than that. I got in really late the night before, was sick, and really enjoyed the ride. That was the salvaging grace of the week, there. The mud is really fun. And the spikes on my new shoes were just the right thing for long runs in the mud. Anyways, that was that. And now I'm really sick. I've been getting sicker since last week. I hope this is the worst of it. It's like being on the verge of bronchitus, but not having the cough part of it. Of course, my jeep broke down again, yesterday, and it is in the shop for the second time in less than a week. So I had a nice ride back from xmas shopping and dropping off the jeep. I really enjoyed the fresh air, and it all felt so relaxing. This season has been so long. It's the first time in quite a while I feel like I don't have a race in the immediate future. Not that I'm ready to get fat and slob around (although I did break out the vegan donuts last week), but it's so necessary to chill a bit for me right now, and give myself a chance to get well and re-energize. I'm going to try out skate skiing this winter, and break out the snowboard for a bit. I kind of want to check out the X games in January, because I've never seen anything like that live. I'm sure I'll break out the trainer before too long. But this Thursday I'm off to DC to see my brother, his cute 1 yr old twins and wife, and my parents for a week. I'm leaving my bike here. I will miss bike, though. The endless quest, the pushing on after a long summer, the new sram brakes and small frame design. It's hard not to love. Anyways, checking out. I'll be sure to keep blogging about random things that happen to me....

Brandon' success in securing the win in his age group race was a definite highlight of the week in Kansas. Here he is pulling away from Mark McCormack in the final bit of the course..... Makes me wonder if some of the confusion there at the end was due to my excessivly exuberant cheering.... oh well, later McCormack...

My buddy Jeff Wardell on the icy run-up

My old team mate and friend Matt Opperman on the run up