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Sunday, August 26, 2007

performance artsyfartsyness

Yup, I've been slacking mightily with the scribblings of late (and all interweb stuff, actually ... apologies to all emails I haven't returned yet ~ i'm on it asap). I reckon the horse as been clambered back on, though and there will be more floods of hernando-boobery through the tubes.
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Tracky Natz for the gentrified ~

yup, this week we'll see big showdowns at T-Town ... dayum, gotta admit i'm wishing i was there. Lovin' all the Hellyer'ites popping up on the reg sheets - it will be great to see if the locals can bring home some more titles to circle triumphant around the infield.

Steve Reaney is due for a big pop of champaigne. This is a guy who has been one of the dominating forces in the NorCal racing circuit these past 2 years and is ready to uncork the big result. I see him riding well in the Pursuit and might surprise some of the innocents during that Points Race.

Peterson has been focusing well on his Kilo and I'm quite interested to see the big effort he will pull out in PA. This is a guy who steps up to the big challenge and swings with both fists. I would love to see the flag circling around his collars next year. We have a lot of regulars heading out there out there to contest wills - but a lot of them have captured titles in the past, so we will politely applaud when they bring back more medals to toss in their heavy-laden warchests (Nolan, Hellman, Geissert and all those other Webcor monsters, etc).

But there is curiousity in the possible performances of the new fast man on the NorCal blocks, Steve Palaez. He's been consistently scorching the fastest times in the flying 200s out on the boards and is taking in some good tutoring from the elite old guys we've got stocking wisdom at Hellyer. It should be a very good experience for him and I see him getting nothing but faster next year. He'll also be hitching up with Peterson for the Madison ... which is a good paring in that stocked 30+ event. They'll join local honch's Nevitt and Derdenger in what looks to be a Madness-son of at least 15 teams. Yoinks!

I think we'll only have 2 Hellyer Women pushing pedals at T-Town this year, Annabelle Holland and Libby Digennaro. I haven't been able to watch them race much at the track this year, so don't know what kind of form their bringing to the show, but sure as hell wish them well.

Go get 'em, ya'll. Elite Natz is in October down in the evil SoCal lands ... i think they'll be a number of these same yayhoos showing up for that one, too.
- - -

tinkerbell injury report

well, it looks like Jeffe and my's scars are pretty much identical ... except, of course, mine is much prettier. I'm already taking the sling off entirely too much and pushing movement past the danger zone ... but, you know me - limits be damned.

the real issue of pain actually comes from the stupid f'ing calf. The thing is waay more of a hassle than the shoulder. Bones? I know they heal, and the separation seems to be fitting in nicely. I'll go in on Tuesday to have new scans check for healing alignment and ligament smooshings, but all in all ... it's a simple smash and grab of an injury. You know how to deal with something like that.

But the leg? It's all soft tissue. Thankfully there were no bones broken on that one, but the muscle was damaged so much that they were worried for a few hours about possible toxicity from dying muscle tissue and maybe even compartment syndrome as the damn thing expanded so much the sheath surrounding it was strained to maximal capacity. But in the end, the swelling finally reduced and now i'm just left with the mother of all fukking bands of muscle damage running across my calf.

it's a nice 23c width of pain slice right through the middle of my speed maker ... giving me no walkey-walkey yet and a distinct feeling of crappola anytime i flex the bloody thing. I'll get more info on how to fix up that bugger when i see the ortho on Tuesday. Hopefully i can just self-heal the thing with my own brand of Hernando-uber-therapy (involving copious amounts of stretchery and four-letter invocations of "that-shit-hurts").
- - -

I'm psyched to see that Giant Strawberry and freshly crowned U-23 Champ Max Jenkins is racing his twinkies off with a US Natz contingent across the pond. The GP Tell is one of those bastards of a race where they pool a bucketload of National Teams together and let them shiv each other into bloody messes.

These are all young and viciously hungry riders doing everything they can to impress someone, ANYone into giving them a ride, or at the least, make an impression upon them for future consideration. Hard, hard racing for those boys.

but, it appears like Max is getting a chance to make ... the transition. The transition is when you change focus - your vision no longer sits quietly on the near and small, but instead searches wide and far, on distant horizons for the rare and grand. It is when you see each race as not an end, but as a step.

It's the thousand-yard stare, the mind unnattached, it's ...

the look.
- - -

It will be very interesting to see how NorCal develops in the road scene for next year on the men's side. We've got a few very, very strong young talents pushing envelopes and I'm wondering if there is the structure in our region to see them flourish as best they might.

Right now we have CalGiant being the most influential and high profile regional team. But, how much more can this outfit give to the sport? They have made huge investments in advertising with cycling - pouring dollars into Natz for both road and cross while still fielding one of the best amateur squads in the nation. But that kind of cash is difficult to keep flowing. I think we all need to step up and put their product as one of our staples for purchase. If there is one thing we, as cycists, can sell to a company - it's brand loyalty. So, keep being loyal is my motto.

But, other than Cal Giant, do we have a lot of options for young talent to get support in this, as we all know, extremely taxing endeavor (money AND time)? The Lombardi's outfit has been a long-time daddy-O of the sport and it's been whispered they might be going back to big next year as far as rosters go. That will be good to see. The Davis Bike Club's Elite squad has put together some fine riders these last couple of years and I've seen there names listed on some far-away start sheets, as well. So let's hope those cats keep that long-tradition running.

BPG/Montano Velo might be under a sponsor squeeze next year, which would be a damn shame as they field a lot of quality riders out on the circuits - even though ... god luv'em, they sometimes are their worst enemies when it comes to tactics and putting results to paper (you know i love you guys). And there is the ever-present Webcor/Alto Velo machine that will forever find and shine a diamond or two from the ruffs each year. But, other than that ... we've got a lot of smaller, localized squads just fielding teams as best they can - and often putting in huge rides, no doubt - but still, not really offering young talent exposure to the kind of racing that really forges that ... that transition, i'm talking about.

And we do have some extremely talented young behemoths out there bashing balls every weekend. MetroMint's JBarryO is a madman and needs either be swept into a pro contract or heavily sedated. He's a one-man wrecking crew and should be funneled full-bore into the sport. There's also guys like Rand Miller from up in the NorthBay who is a fireplug of a rider, unafraid to lay it out in any crit or road race. Or from down central-south there's the like of Vince Owens who has been consistently making breaks and doing all kinds of heavy lifting in quality local events.

From Davis way, there's that group of beautifuls that love to light up any race they attend - little hearthrobs like Tyler Dibble, Chris Morales, and S.Rosenthal. Dibble's 39-flat out at Esparto a couple weeks back was one helluva run against the clock and confirms that the boy can throw down some power in the discipline. These are all young talents who can become better. But it takes help. and i'm only scratching the surface of the talent in our region ... there are many more with the ability and drive ... but maybe not the resources.

and we all know ... it takes resources to make it to all these gawdamn races.
- - -

ah ... bike racing.

it's been but a couple days since my surgery and i'm already jonesin' for it bad. i'm gonna have to needle some ligget into my eyeballs, or something.

luckily there's cross coming around the corner. The SwiggBoss is already pounding the drums to gather his Lobster Army to formation ... oh lord, battle fever infects me deep. I've been haunting Rye Bontreg's site for his cool pics of the latest and greatest steeds built up for our berzerker rages.

It pains me to think i'll miss any of the September dirt races ... so, maybe i just won't.
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oh christ ... i gotta pull the plug on this one. finally have the push to sit in front of the cpu for a while and went all diahrea on the keyboard.
~lates.

29 comments:

X Bunny said...

welcome back!

PAB(a.k.a.CID) said...

if there is one thing that says to us all that you are feeling better, its a good case of keyboard diahrea. that was like, 5 posts in one.

a few more of those and you'll be caught up.

-

your scar may be prettier, but mine's longer...

Ron Castia said...

Damn, that leg thing is sounding serious.
Saw VB at out Uni and was hoping you might make a cameo. Wanted to wish you well in person.

My teammate is having some success with his CS, he is doing some reflexology/accupressure treatments. He has some seed taped to some pressure points on his ear. He gets it in his quads, nobody is sure why.

marscat said...

when i first looked at the photo of your shoulder, the crease between your chest and arm looked like butt crack...why does he have a scar on his hip, i wondered....

Anonymous said...

Mike,

Hope you are healing well. Seems all this time is giving you a chance to ponder our sport. I really don't think that we do have the structure here to support these guys coming up. Hell, there is barely a structure supporting those of us that have "made it." I think that Cal Giant and Spokesman before them have done an amazing job and have sent more riders to the pros than any other team but just one team is not enough. We need a culture on all teams and within the ommunity that cultivates young talent and teaches them to be pros, to race smart and to be safe and win bike race. Unfortunately a lot of what I see at the local level is a lot of riders who are very competetive but can't or won't work to impart wisdom. These guys set up teams for them selves and their buddies which is great but not what the sport needs in the long run.
What we do need is for fans of cycling and older racers to fundraise and recruit young kids, take them to races and develope the future. Look at DBC, spokesman/CG, and LGBRC those clubs have really brought talent along because they have a huge community that is commited to the youth of the sport. Some of them don't even have sponsors.

Wow, that was a ramble. I hope I did not offend anyone. Another thing that would be great for the locals is fewer 8am starts.

RK

PAB(a.k.a.CID) said...

hey nome,

tell us what happened at University today.

looks like there is a good Calcup battle brewing between Nathan and derPhippstar...

PAB(a.k.a.CID) said...

oh, just saw the nomeblog.

very nice weekend, eh?

FWS said...

Hey Mike
Glad to see you back on your blog.
Always look foward to new postings.
Really Really wish you the best.
Broke my clavical last Sep.
Over the Bars.
Kinda feel O'fis-al now.
I R a Bike Racer.

X Bunny said...

i don't think pabcid had as much shoulder hair to get shaved, either

PAB(a.k.a.CID) said...

ew, shoulder stubble....

-

thankfully i don't have a clinically insane cat about to pounce on my shoulder, either.

Anonymous said...

The photo of your leg was so sexy, I really want to touch your muscels and touch them again and again until we both get hot.
You have so much wisdom and knowledge I know you must really be good in bed and know how to make a women really feel like a women.
Please get some youths together and besides making them fine cyclists, I want you to make them excellent lovers and teach them to be passion players like you.
You make me hot right now.

Anonymous said...

Is there any way to do local blood testing and dope controls because there could be many dopes out there.

As teams evolve pressures become greater to match the pace of previous performances.

I think the NCNCA should have a dope control program which could set a fine example to other districts in the United States of America.

Anonymous said...

As one of the local fast guys - we really are not THAT fast (as in Fuentes FAST). It would be sad if others in our district are doping to go as slow as me.

I would like to think that our district is clean for the most part and that individuals are not foolish enough to cheat and risk their health for "glory".

Maybe I am a hopeless romantic and I am just naive.

EB said...

On Friday the folks who sell strawberries on the corner by my apartment finally had Giant strawberries & I bought some. Those are some yummy stuffs.

Kitty in the calf photo!

phipps said...

I buy my strawberries at the farmers market every Tuesday, but I've never seen Cal Giant strawberries, just raspberries.

I usually shop at TJ's, but I go to Safeway when I can.

My computers have always had intel processors, but I may get one with an AMD chip next time. I do watch the Discovery channel regularly, and that's not going to stop.

Webcor is building the new academy of sciences building 2 blocks away, looks real nice!

I drink plenty of Sierra Nevada, now there's a sponsor I can really back!

What the heck does EMC2 do?

dr-nitro said...

Doping controls are expensive. That is not to say that that expense would not be worthwhile in at least sending a strong signal that doping is not acceptable, but one has to weigh the added cost of running races against keeping racing accessible, price-wise, to beginners. The best approach would be to spread the costs and have USAC organize more testing at random races across the U.S.

But on to offering props to the up-and-comers. JBerryO, as you call him, is the real deal. Never say die attitude and leg ripping speed. He's gathering contacts for the p contract. Hopefully he'll land himself a ride that will allow him to showcase his talents. Always a bit of a crap shoot, but given the way he rides, he will get recognized.

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

and how do we support "ZTeam?"

ZTeam?


that's crazy talk.

read on Ron's that you might be thinking of trying a couple cross races, Chris?

I can't recommend it enough. It's a great workout for the off-season and does force one to work on "explosive" power. Of course, if you start to unleash your potential for explosive riding ... that is going to seriously suck for us.

Cross is also an fantastic way to become a better bike handler. Those CX riders are just amazing in how they use their hands and bodies to swerve and wiggle those bikes over and around stuff. It's beautiful.

I hope you get a chance to try it. If you do get a bike, let me know and we can go over some email exchanges of the rudiments o' cross.

the real stuff you'll have to witness at the races and experiment for yourself, but i can get you started on the right foot, at least.

very cool.

beth bikes! said...

hope you are feeling a tiny bit better. had fun chatting with sabine yesterday.... as she saw me heckling riders pulling off mid-race. "c'mon one more lap" incited a dirty look, so i stopped.

dude- that picture of brace has some SICK quad muscles. for real, you should be measuring your quad weekly & reporting. it will be VERY interesting to see how quickly the quad muscle shrinks and re-grows from being dormant. Do it for science.

Speaking of quads, you mentioned Annabelle Holland- she's got some SICK quads. She is a sprinter at the track and is gonna tear up that match sprint at nats, i suspect.

Rick said...

hope you are feeling better and good luck healing.

now for your advice...last sat at San Ardo I separated my shoulder in a crash and was hoping to get some advice and info as to an orthopedist you could recommend et. thanks

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

doh ... that sucks, Rick.

yeah, that approach to the San Ardo finish always seems to have some wrecks. blech. the only way around that is usually for a team to go to the front and just drill it through the town and bridge and as far up the hill as possible. keeps it safe.

sorry you had to bite the pavement, too.

i'm down in the sCruz, so don't know anyone up in the Bay Area that i could recommend. but, Dan Turner probably does as he had more surgery than the Terminator from his accidentays.

DDT - shoot him an email?

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

sorry Beth, my quads are all show and no go. and i only have one thing i measure for science and posterity ...


the length of my blog posts, of course!

Itinerant Rick said...

Brand loyalty - good idea. The one's I'll probably be sending the most $$ to are Beth's sponsors, AARP and Geritol. Will allocate a piece of the action for some strawberries, minty water, etc.

California Giant Cycling said...

Thanks for the Props Mike! Agin come on by and pick up some Berries when your in town!!

AG

jAndy donka-donk said...

Phipps....

you didn't finish that off.....

what do you smoke and from where?

and when in Jamaica, where do you stay?

phipps said...

OK, next time I'm in need it's the BPG and I'll stay at RHVilla.

But I can't buy Rock & Republic jeans. They just don't fit over my massive quads.

I'm still undecided on the minty water.

norcalcyclingnews.com said...

phipps is pfunny

Hooptie said...

Jarred B is insane, he is the future of Nor Cal...or I guess he is Mid Cal. He humbled everyone this weekend @ San Ardo. Bridging to the break, riding through them, and winning. He left all the pros staring at each other. That was probably the best field San Ardo has ever produced...lone pros from Navigators, BMC, Slipstream, Jittery Joes 2 from Sierra N. Cal Giant controlled the race, but no one can stop Jarred. I cant wait to see him race NRC.

Boots said...

I think we need mandatory drug testing for some of the people leaving comments in this blogg.

~ boots

Boots said...

... and furthermore, i do hope jared goes far in this sport. He's got all the tools to excel... youth, controlled aggression, strength in times of need, etc. However, its a whole different ballgame when there are 14 groups of 9 very strong guys who are all working together and conspiring against you.

I hope he makes it.