The Racing season is upon us

So the racing season is upon us now and this presidents day weekend is the traditional time to kick off the festivities round here. We have Cantua on Saturday, Pine Flat on Sunday and Dinuba on Monday. Exciting stuff, I feel a little sad that I won’t be competing, but hey you just need to roll with what life gives you an make the best.

With the racing season about to smack us straight in the face I can’t help but think about last year. You see, I finally received my Best All Around Rider Trophy for Cat 3s in the mail a week or so ago.



You see for those who do not know the NCNCA gives out awards for the rider in each category who earns the most points in BAT/BAR races, and I just happened to be that guy in the 3s.

I have to say I am a little torn about his award, cause I don’t think I was by any means the best overall rider in the 3s last year. I look back to who I lined up against in 07 and all the 3s out there and there were some studs. Vinni, Tore Natta, Jarred Barrilleaux just to name a few.

Shoot, look at Jarred, I raced with him in Visalia, we got into a four man break and the dude was ripping the legs off the four of us, I even told him to slow down at one point as he was dropping the other two guys in the break. Every time he came to the front it was 28+ full gas. Even though I took him at the line by an inch (had to throw that in there) I knew he was awesome.

I told Tracy after the race, watch out, cause that guy is a stud. Next thing I know, he is tearing it up in the P/1/2s and he has signed with Jittery Joe’s as a pro. Amazing.....One of those I told you so moments.

Then there is Tore. Did a few with his as well, dude is 6-foot whatever huge and wins Merco Road Race, then Copperopolis just to point out a few of his accomplishments. I remember the CVC time trial last year, I was all geared up to go and in the start gate I look back and there is Tore, crap he look fast. I tell him in jest, “Don’t pass me.”

Well I start out and I am rollin at 27 mph when I hear this roar and he comes flying past me in the first mile going 32 mph, talk about a blow to the moral.

Everybody know that Vinni is a stud, he just took a 19th in a huge P1 race down south with a ginormous amount of climbing.

Anyway it is an honor to be singled out and it is really good for the club. I guess it is not about who is the fastest on a single day, but consistency. I just happened to do really well in a lot of races where there wasn’t enough riders to get maximum upgrade points. Such is life, you just need to roll with it.

Kid Update

The big thing that happened last weekend. Reed my three year old son, ripped the training wheels off his little 12-inch bike and started riding without even knowing what he was doing.

I said, hey Reed, should we raise those training wheels up and see how you do.

No Daddy, take them off.

Are you sure?

Take them off Daddy.

Ok

First time, grab the back of his seat and he starts rolling. After a few steps I let go, and he is cruising, he doesn’t even know he is doing it until Finn starts yelling. Bro, Bro your doing it.

He looks back, sees that I am not holding on and gives me this smug look, like "see Daddy, I told you"

Magnificent!!!






Life is full of Choices....Big and Small

Life is a confusing mess

Twisting, turning, bouncing off closed doors, we make our way through open ones. Joy, pain, anticipation as the light begins to touch your face. Penetrate into the next space, time, and reality. Dreams, we all have them. Dreams of what should be, some are so deeply embedded in our soul we can never let go, they never seem to fade. They are always there, a distant voice calling you, tempting you to live it, seek it out.

What do we do with them. Are we brave enough to reach out and grab them. Fingers fumbling, the tips shaking as you stretch and reach for them. Once you grasp them, you better hold on tight cause they can drag you around to places you never imagined.

What’s that saying, “Be careful what you wish for, cause you just might get it all, and somethings you don’t want”

Sometimes the path can be so foggy, muddied with the trials of what is required. You find yourself doing things, and in places where you never thought you would be. The path has led you here, but you look back to where it all started and think, this isn’t what I wanted, expected, imagined, but then you crest a rise, break through the fog and the goal is right there in front of you, in a place you never would have expected.


You pray.....is this the right thing. The pain is too much to reach out and touch it, only to have it slip through your fingers and fall into the ocean. Sinking to the bottom never to be seen again. Is it better to never have seen it, than to be so close you can taste it, then lose it. This is your chance. Do you take it, even if others don’t understand and some never will?

Everyday we are faced with choices some big, some little. How do you make them, what tools do you use to evaluate your situation? Prayer, hope and love...tools to help you weed the good stuff from the bad. The fruit from the thorns. I pray the Lord gives me the tools to push through the crud and find the beauty.

You make a tough decision, and before you know it, another is staring you down. Two lone gunfighters, beads of sweat dripping off their brows. Twitching, with itchy fingers. Will you make the right decision or will it choose you.

The cycle repeats itself....forever.

Lord help me to make the right ones.....everyday