Dan Action

Getting faster? July 8, 2008

I ask the question in a twofold manner. Is the cosmos celestially changing? Is time moving faster? September will be biting on my heels soon, and before I can say “Three more laps!?” with excited , I will be lining up, maybe even called up to the line at the start of another race.

Which brings me to the other side of my original and pointed question; Am I getting faster? Will I be able to be a stronger racer than the one I was last year? I am pretty sure I will be, but the question always lingers. With last year’s season under my belt alone, I think I will do better, seen as the tactic of “racing yourself into shape”. But I went backwards as the end of the season drew closer. I also have to mention that my living and working situation were as such that they worked against me. This season, like all the rest, will be brand new. I will try out another formula to stay ahead and keep my form through ‘cross season.

The Rapha squad did a great loop around eastern MA. the other weekend making Walden pond a focal point of the ride.  As some know, the riding around those parts would have to be exaggerated a bit to be called “epic” even at just over one hundred miles. So even though the operative word of the team may be the “e” word, I prefer to think of the ride by another alliteritive term: essential. Maybe I think of the ride that way because all the roads are so familiar to me, bending and rolling almost aimlessly, or because the scenery of deciduous forests amd colonial buildings recall many memories. If only as the amount of other riders out on the road as we rode as an indicator, we needed to ride this route. Haters stay home.

I managed to negotiate my work schedule that week and stay away from home fr a few days. In a whirlwind of public transport and my sister, I was able to swing down to Worcester, after returning to Boston on our ride, and make it to the Go-Go anniversary party and catch up a bit over drinks and then breakfast. I then rode uphill all the way to my dad’s house and got to spend some QT with him and my stepmom, with my sister arriving shortly after with my brother-in-law and their six kids in tow. I spent the night there and departed the next day with sis and the gang to my mom’s house in CT. It was nice catching up with so much family, sometimes I get used to the rarity of our visits, but when we do get together, I so enjoy the times. I spent the night there and took the train into NY, got some coffee at Cadence NYC, and then made my bus in Chinatown departing for Philly. I got home, said Hi to the mutts, walked them and got back on the bike for the Drives ride: the fast, fast group ride here. Whew.

Stay tuned for some possible actually interesting news regarding my employment. I am in a pickle to say the least.

photo by Daniel Sharp.

Caught out June 18, 2008

  Got out for a ride on the ‘cross bike today after spending an hour or so trying to get to somewhere in Jersey. That place is where decent driving directions go to get slaughtered. I got caught out on the trail when the rain came. I origionally put myself under a bridge when the rain first started. Smart. I got a bit cocky as it lessened and headed out once again only to get dumped on.  Everything on the trail got real slick, and on the CX bike, that’s not my favorite, not to mention I got real cold. I headed in.

Mornings have still been my jam. Getting a few hours on the bike before work, but also riding early on the days off, giving me a whole day to do whatever. It feels so good,  plus it makes my naps that much sweeter.

I have been taking out some of the demo mountain bikes from the shop lately. Namely an Orbea Lanza 29′er, and an FSR expert 26′er. Both have there merits. I have not ridden trails on a 29′er before last week, and I have to say, I’m psyched about it. I always thought of them as being a bit unwieldy, but I was wrong. It was so fast and agile. I chased my friend Lee all over the woods and had a blast.  The Stumpjumper as also pretty stellar. It climbs like no other full suspension I’ve extensively ridden which kind of blew me away. With 120mm travel, it handles all the rocks and crap really well, but I found the bottom of the suspension right around the same time as i found the dirt jumps at the local trails. The bike definitely took the hits, but didn’t really like it too much.  So to give it a break I was checking out Spec.’s specials page during a slow time at work and happened upon a freeride hardtail they were blowing out. It’s pretty much just like my last one, which was a Santa Cruz chameleon but with better brakes.  It was cheap, and I am excited. I will get it tomorrow, so Friday morning hopefully I will see those jumps again.

Where have I been? June 3, 2008

The answer to that question has many sides and as many asides. I will try to cover a good amount of ground here.

Let’s see, on the home front things are truly spectacular. Two dogs now playfully reside in the house. Work is getting to be a really comfortable place. It is completely full of great folks, I don’t even mind, and in fact, aim to get in early every work day if only to shoot the BS over a cup of coffee with everyone. Not to mention all the help and advice I’ve gleaned from them over minute details of the city. The likes of which make it easier to find the genuinely wonderful things in the city.

“What things could this be?” you may wonder. Well I’ll let you in on some of them.

One- John’s water ice. Folks down here refer to Italian Ice simply as water ice. This place is the tops, and I don’t say that just because it’s 4 blocks from my house. They also make their own ice cream. The mixture of their chocolate ice cream and the cherry water ice sends me to dreamland.

Two- It is not as easy as other places I’ve lived to buy beer here. Seemingly very few stores are allowed to sell. You either buy your beer as a 6-pack to go from a bar or go to the local deli or pizzeria to get some. Both of these, I may add, a re usually exceedingly expensive. Taxes on booze are high, as is public demand, therefore dumb, dumb beer prices. Though if you are of more quantitative thinking, you can also buy cases at a beer distributor. Prices vary pretty wildly, and you can not walk out with anything less than 24 beers.

Three- Travel to NY. There are a myriad of ways open to the auto-less Philadelphian to get themselver to Ney York. There is a series of two commuter rails that are scheduled in tandem to get you ther in 2 to 2 1/2 hours. There is also a few different bus companies that run from Chinatown Philly to Chinatown in New York. Each is usually $20 round trip, $12 one way. These buses haul ass and will have you on Canal st. in under 2hrs.

This is the tip of the iceberg as far as the helpful things my friends and co-workers have imparted on me. It works out great.

Riding has been going well. On the Rapha side of things, we all got our new bikes!!! I am riding a Chris Igleheart. It feels amazing!! The other fine folks that made frames for the team of guys were Bilenky, Independent Fabrications, Circle A Cycles (yahoo!) , and Richard Sachs. What a line up. The day after getting them we gave them a 100 mile whirl around the constantly undulating terrain of north-central Massachusetts. Departing from Fitchburg, we plodded north to touch down a little in NH, then returned south and completed the loop just after climbing the mount Wachusett summit. Kind of my old stomping grounds. We made sure to get some good photos, and to stop a lot to make adjustments on our one day old bikes.

Riding here in Philly has been pretty good, and I’m happy to say I’m finally back on a way more consistent schedule. I have actually been getting up to ride before work on most days, starting rodes at 7a.m., and usually going out for a good 2 to 2 1/2 hrs. It’s so much easier when there are people you agreed to meet. Days off, like today I usually do the morning ride, then try to squeeze in a second ride towards the evening. Cross season is beginning to pick at my mind. I need to be in killer shape by the end of September.

I have borrowed the demo Spec. FSR full suspension ride from the shop a few times and gotten out to the trails. There is some super fun riding out here, about four or five miles from the house. I love riding rocky, swoopy trails. The Wissahickon has got them everywhere. Not to mention a couple of long, gross climbs, and some nicely sculpted obstacles and berms. Fast!!!

That’s it for now. I’ll try and scare up a few pictures. Internet here at the house is more or less donated anonomously and sort of cuts in or out frequently, so that is no help for me trying to relieve the absentee-ism from my blog. Thanks.

The Move Complete May 6, 2008

I write this from my desk in my new house. Sorry for all the delays in the posts here, it’s been a cyclone of tying loose ends and moving for the past few weeks.

Riding is just picking up again for me after a week or so off. Since I left the road bike in Philly after the Rapha ride, I only really had my track bike to train on back in Gainesville. I’ll say it was a great change of pace for me. The group rides had hit the critical mass they always do towards the end of the University’s semester, leading to inevitable squirrely riders trying to test their mettle. One good crash happened while I was away where someone was going into the red and not able to keep their head head up. They hit a sizable piece of garbage in the road and flew into the pack causing a couple serious injuries and a lot of bike damage. No thanks, not for me. Not on a training ride. Crashes happen in races, it natural, but that kind of stack-up is ludicrous on a training ride. Me and Mike Arena opted out of the training rides and went out on our own. We found some killer limerock roads to bomb down, and generally just drilled it. He is one of my favorite people to ride with. We have god rides and manage to keep a good tempo+ pace without trying to drop each other, or be really aggressive at all. I will say that a good 45 mile ride on the track bike is like a 60 mile ride on my road bike. I forget how much of a difference coasting makes, if only for a few seconds at a time.

I finished out my schedules at my two jobs. It’s a shame, I feel like I was just hitting my pace with it all. Then I go off and move again. That really has to stop. All said and done Gator and B-n-M treated me so much more than fairly, I owe everyone involved the deepest gratitude.

I got to a couple of shows with Travis just before leaving. This made me immensely happy. The music we made filled the void where my creative energy is too often ignored for all the rigors of the days. We really learned how to play together and were synched up to the smallest of cues. Every time we played it was different. Some things work, some things don’t. You have to try different formulas all the time. Why not?

We drove the at-capacity van up the coast to our new house and got right down to business. Within a few days we had a functioning kitchen, done first of course, then a nice living room, decent storage organizing in the basement, and we’re at 80% of a bedroom. Our house rules. We are set up for visitors, so figure it all out and come see me. We can make some coffee and hang out in the alley that is our street, or take a walk over to the outdoor Italian Market that bustles all day. Oh, the smells; Atwells ave. in Providence wishes it was this.

I started at Bicycle Therapy last Sunday. What a shop. It’s so PRO. It is such a comfortable place to both work and shop. The commitment to customer service really makes me smile. No hard sells, no attitudes. Tight. I got to get taken out for a three hour jaunt out to the Pennsylvania farmlands with Lee and an few friends of his. It was a gorgeous ride of roller after roller, and even an alpaca farm! It was a ride I needed bad. Tonight, as with any town, there is a Tuesday night ride around the art museum (the Rocky steps) and along the Schuylkill river. It’s supposed to be about an hour at race pace. I’ve been a little off the intensity workouts of late, but I’m stoked to go out there and ride around. I’ll let you know how it goes. Stay tuned for more of the same, but actually more. Some fun Rapha rides coming up. These seem to be getting increasingly adventuresome, so check it out here.

Wild Years

At the first shop I ever held a job at, the owner would constantly repeat a certain line or two on how we should operate much in the same way sharks keep themselves alive. It was simple, keep moving. Luckily my pulmonary system operated in a much different way than any shark I’ve ever heard of except for, maybe, the kinds that deal in loans or cards. I do not have to constantly concentrate to stay animated enough to force air into my lungs, I am quite well equipped to stay still, and these days I very much enjoy it at times.

When I was not too much younger, I constantly avoided sleep or inactivity because I was sure I was going to miss a great moment somewhere I could have been had I not been in slumber. This led me to sleeping in more than a few kitchens during long, friend-filled nights of horsing around. I would shrug off exhaustion to get an earful of another slew of awful jokes and elaborate and wild stories of unremarkable events. It may seem silly or unnecessary, but when you’re young and thirsty for adventure and genuine experiences, this was the stuff that was golden.

Now-a-days I tend to think that I’ve slowed it all down a bit, that I’ve dialed back my wild style. Until, that is, that I look back on just how hectic each year has been.  This past one, looking back from now, has seen me living in the shed I built in Florida, then back to New England for a intense CX season, then back to Fl to live in yet another apartment with a new partner. Now the saga continues as I settle into my new home in Philadelphia.  The past year has seen me hit the end of my financial resources and race on the most tenuous of budgets, and stretch a few relationships as far as they could possibly go, it has had me working in a slew of shops, and has hopefully made me a better person. Who knows?

Have I slowed down? I guess not, not that I am looking to any time soon mind you, I suppose I’ve just acclimated to the rapid changes and pace that I’ve always known. I just do get a bit more sleep these days, which works out well for me.

Where to start? April 20, 2008

As per usual, I’ve had a pretty busy time of late. Last week found me and Nat-a-tat driving up the eastern seaboard to the ever so familiar northeast. We got to New York Friday afternoon, had some stellar Indian food, and went to meet the other members of this Rapha team’s eastern faction. We all met up at R. Bravo’s house in Park Slope, had some great beer via Sam R.’s brewery workplace, and settled in for a meeting of everlasting duration. I felt like a kid on Christmas opening all the cellophane bags holding our new pristine riding togs. We were all trying them on and parading about the apartment. Primping ain’t easy. Saturday morning we were on our way to New Paltz to start our first ride. It was 6:00 am, so needless to say, I slept the whole ride up. All bad weather broke as we hit the road. The sky cleared and the temperature was hitting in the 70’s as we rolled over hill and dale into the Catskills state park. Much clowning around was had throughout the 6 1/2 hour ride that had us climbing an estimated total of 12,000 feet. Much food was consumed, a few stops taken, a couple wardrobe changes, and one crash. Not too shabby considering. I do love riding with a group of guys that love to goof around, but are not afraid to put in some monster efforts.

Sometime late that night we were back in Brooklyn, preparing for a brunch in the morning, then heading to Philadelphia for a few days of job and house hunting. Traffic was pretty brutal, but we got to Philly in the early evening and sat around some friends’ West Philly apartment and caught up a bit. Job hunting went well over our three day stay, landing me a job at the one shop I had my eye on before even getting there: Bicycle Therapy. It’s quality shop on South street. I was incredibly impressed by my first impression upon walking through the door, and even moreso after talking with the owner, Lee, for a while. I believe it is going to be a great fit. We also found a great house just south a few blocks from South st. It is super close to a wonderful outdoor Italian marketplace that is in full swing every day. Cooking will be so nice. Can’t wait to get up there. One more week.

In other recent events, Last night in honor of Wayward Council’s 10th anniversary as a volunteer run record store/ practice space/ community meeting place/ etc., they held a night of rollerskating. I will tell you that few things make me happier that to see all your friends get goofy and klutzy while strapping wheels to their feet and zip around an oval. Since there is no way to be cool at all when skating, nobody seems to try, all defenses are down and that makes for a great time. my hips are a bit sore from stacking up a few times but it was all worth it. I’ll be back up North in a week, but it can’t come soon enough right now.

Next Rapha ride is in New York. I can’t attend because of the move, but I encourage others to check out the events at Cadence in New York, it’s gonna be tight.

B. Casual April 9, 2008

   Well, after a few busy, busy weeks I can post here again.  Work is non-stop.  I am really looking forward to  settling into  a four or maybe even five day work  schedule when I get to Philly.  This six or seven day work week sucks. Even though four of those days are only 5 to 6 hour shifts, one day off is just not good enough for me.

In recent news, our race, Business Casual, went off great. Even though it was pretty crappy weather we still somehow enticed 55 people to come out and enter. Thanks!! The riding was soggy and fierce, but the awesome Tempeh chili was great in contrast.  We were the proud receivers of not just a few pounds of locally made tempeh for which to feed our hungry racers along with a few pounds of gainesvile’s own Sweetwater roaster’ coffee to get folks pumped. Crashes were at a minimum, mostly happening at my checkpoint which was at the end of a long wooden boardwalk into the woods. That nonsense was SLICK.  It was great to see so many folks without the reservation of racing in helmets. A couple of folks were pretty glad they wore them. Brendan and Mike graciously opened their house up for the event and we all piled around to watch the Tour of Flanders afterwards.  Hooray!!!

I embark on my trip Northward tomorrow. Me and Nat-a-tat are driving the eastern seaboard all the way to NY, NY., where the wonderful gang of the Rapha east coast team are having the first meeting and dinner. The rest of the weekend will involve a ride through the Catskills and a glorious return to NY. Let it be known that copious amounts of coffee are going to be consumed.  It will be on this trip that I will answer my own questions regarding my acclimation to Florida temperatures. Will I be unduly freezing in the rainy 50-60 deg. temps, or will the old New Englander part of me rear his head and thicken up that blood. I do know I can hardly stand the 80+ deg. days here, but is cold and rainy what I crave?

After the weekend in Ny, we depart for Philly to arrange to see some houses and apply for jobs. I’ve scoped out a couple of shops I’d be pretty interested in working at, for as much as you can garner from someone’s website anyway. I am psyched to get familiar with Philly’s layout again and to see how much I remember. I’m getting itcy to get into a new place and start getting my stuff set up.

The group rides here have been going great. I’m really thankful for them in general. We’ve started going the intermediate length since daylight is a bit short, getting dark right about 8:00. The route now is up to 45 miles at an average speed of 24 including warm-up. Pretty fast, there is a pretty constant double paceline rotation for most of the rides, and as always, a good umber of attacks and breakaway attempts. It’s a great intensity day for me, and I like the folks who come out. It’s a