Guns for Hire

There's been some whining going on around here. I'm not gonna point fingers, but some folks are none too pleased with my decision to cease and desist with all manners of training in order to make great bike race.

"Good lord. This drivel reads like my blog. Go back to competitivity (heh, titi) for the sake of my entertainment. I need more stories of pain caves and dark unhappy places."

"I don't believe you...."

"these ramblings of yours provide great insight into the mind of a LOSER..."

"Don't do it. Stop training and your body shuts down on you. Yeah, you can have a few beers the night before and socialize during the ride/race, but you wont be happy."

"SS'ers will ride past you and you'll want to keep up and you'll try, but you will fail. Is that fun? Instead, keep training, stay happy..."

I appreciate the support... I really do.

Let's face it, I'm a very competitive person. When we gather around the dining room table in the evening for a family game of Trouble I'm out for blood.

I'm a win at all costs/take no prisoners kinda guy, although winning at Trouble involves absolutely no mind numbing training like cycling does. Just game piece moving skills, a devious mind, a heartless vindictive spirit, a PopOmatically fantastic wrist, and a little bit of luck. The only thing I like better than playing Trouble is winning at Trouble and making my eight year old cry.

I still have an inner desire to win, so in order to satiate that desire I'm just setting my sights a little lower due to the lack of training opportunities. With the Breck Epic coming up I already realize that I will hardly be acclimated when I'm arriving less than 24 hours from the start time of stage one. Just like last year there will be a decisive split between those that are prepared to ride at altitude and those of us who are still used to breathing our oxygen rich air of the lowlands. I know Peter is coming into town at the last second, so as always, I do not consider him a threat even at my current level of inactivity. Doug will be out there for weeks trying to get his blood thickened up, but I'm pretty sure his recovery from dragging his face across the ground will hold him back a bit. None of this matters as there are two guys returning from last year's top four riders (Dan Durland and Jeffrey Carter), and I even heard the Dejay pain train will be showing up to spoil any chance we bottom feeders had at a podium. Meh.

So I'll try to beat up on Peter and watch Doug ride outta sight while keeping my eye on the real prize, The Bike Rumor Media Cup.

This will be a bit more my style... racing against guys who are close to the real action, but not quite good enough to be all up in it. I must admit though, there are some rumors floating around that Brandon Dwight might have some game, and this Brian Riepe from Mountain Flyer magazine might also have the lungs and the eye of the tiger as well. Tyler from Bike Rumor has been busy traveling and getting slow, so I think he will be easy pickings, and I think I already mentioned that Peter is not a threat, but since this is another category I'm racing against him in this makes him a double non-threat. Jasen Thorpe was considered a threat up until a few weeks ago, but after reading his Bike Rumor Media Cup profile I'm thinking less and less of him with each passing day. He sounds easy to intimidate, so I'll be sure to rock the sleeveless kit and flash the guns whenever he's nearby.

Welcome to the Gun Show Mr Thorpe.

BANG-BANG!!!