Rash Potatoes

Before I start babbling about racing and stuff, I thought I should mention that when I got home from the Fool's Gold race on Sunday, we had our three year cupcake party with Sizemore.

The little dog who survived a North Carolina hoarding situation and wasn't expected to live through the night when The Pie brought him home has made it to the three year mark, making him our longest ever long term foster.  He's had to have both his eyes removed over the past few months, but they weren't doing much for him anyhow.  It's been about a week since his last surgery, and while it's not been easy, he's still having a fine quality of life.  Tail wagging and walking the streets and dog (and human) treats and whatever it is that dogs get outta living.  He's getting it all.  I really love this furry tube with legs.

Okay.  Just so everybody understand this, the new venue for the Fool's Gold really tied the room together IMHOMO.  As much as I like racing bikes, I like hanging out and drinking beer with people who race bikes even more.

photo cred: Kelly Dasher

Who wore it better?  The catering people from Moe's decided I did by a landslide.

Having the camping onsite is killer.  It not only saves money, but being able to hang out and drink beer with zero worries about getting back to a hotel/Air BnB/whatever is awesome.  I don't really relish the thought of sleeping in the great outdoors and making great bike race, but when it serves a greater purpose, yeth.  Always.

photo cred: Kelly Dasher

I had a most excellent time, and even if that meant I had to race a few more miles of pavement and gravel to get the extra distance to/from the new venue?  Entirely worth it... except for the excoriated nipple for the second time in two weeks.  I'm still paying for that.

I was going to post a macro image of it, but decided against it.  You can buy me a beer later.

Anyways, you need to be there next year.

And stick around for all the fun.  Hang out, cheer on EVERYONE as they finish, have a good time making friends after making great bike race.  It's September.  You deserve it, not to mention, cross will still be there when you get back.

I did come to some realization out there on the course, shortly after the fat bike passed me (the first time).  I've got several competing agendas at the moment:

I like to race my bike.

I like to drink beer.

I'm 47 years old and not getting younger.

I'm already back to the weight I was back in March.

I've been doing endurance races since the year 2000, so long time sufferer/idiot.

I'd like to be faster than I am currently.

I know what I'd have to do to get faster next year.  It would be hard work.  Even worse, I'd have to really take care of myself.  Sleep, recovery, diet, yoga (boring)... all the things I've not been doing so well at for the last something something years.  I care, but apparently not quite enough.

So the conundrum being, stay the course and enjoy my current status quo or batten down the hatches and prepare to battle the inevitable storm?

I've got a few months to mull it over.  Unless I do something rash between now and then.  Which I might.  Or might not.

I can't even decide what to eat when I'm left to my own devices.  Days and days of La Vida Bachelor loom on the near horizon.

I guess I've got enough time on the Fox Step Cast 32 to blerhg about it, so maybe do that next.  That's easy and I won't have to change my current lifestyle/deathstyle to do it.