Dan Action

G-ster October 22, 2007

Time is in short supply these days. I work in Boston, yet live in Providence, and race wherevers-ville on the weekends. So last friday I left the house here in RI. and went to work. After work I went over to the Cambridge bike team meeting to hang with those folks and to take the train to Gloucester for the so called “New England Worlds”. Let’s start out with first I missed dinner, then missed the train to G-ster. Me, Gwen and Nick M. drove up anyway Friday night since we had an offer extended to us so graciously by Mr. Casey Buckles to spend the weekend at he and his family’s place. I still went to bed a bit hungry and was non-plussed about my food situation in general, given that all I could bring with me for the weekend was what I could carry in my bag. After all the racing gear, there was not too much room for anything else.  That usually leaves me with the option of buying food,  which is a pretty severe strain on the wallet.  The Cambridge Bike posse was out in full force and it seemed like they had at least one or two people in every race that day save the masters’, them all being so young and what not. I should know because I watched every race both days. 9 a.m. till my race at three.  It was great to be able to set up camp during the day with all the Cambridge folks, and get to chat and  stuff, but I will say that watching every race and riding the course whenever it was open didn’t do much to keep my focus on my own race.

I started last wheel both days given my day-of registration, and gave it my best starts, but the course was less technical than anything I had raced on yet, even the same race last year, that I couldn’t keep my focus too well.  I guess I was really feeling the stress of the week or something because I definitely felt worse than I have at any other race this year.  The first day I got lapped right on the finishing straight of what was the leaders’ last lap.  I had no idea they were coming up on me. I had never been lapped before, and had I known how close they were, I would have put in a last concentrated effort to at least get past the line before they did. But no, I had a less than stellar race and finished in the exact middle of the field. 35th.  The next day I could’t really muster up much enthusiasm to race again, especially when I found out that the course hadn’t been changed at all.  I mean not one bit.  By the time I raced, the course might as well have been paved.  My start was lousy and under-geared, not to mention unmotivated and my ride at best felt like I was going through the motions. I was lapped just before the barriers on the leader’s bell lap again and finished 43rd, again the exact middle. Mediocrity flowed through my veins with extreme nonchalance.

Highlights:  Heidi & Coley’s Harborside shindig Saturday night.  Hanging with super fun folks, having a couple of laughs.

Cambridge Bicycles’ extended hospitality to me all weekend.

Hanging with Casey and watching inappropriate comedy shows.

Thanks everybody.

Moving Right Along August 17, 2007

     I missed last Wednesday’s Witches Cup race in Salem, Mass.  There was a little witchery going on with the online registration closing with only 30 or so guys signed up, then re-opened and filling up Monday morning.  Lame.  There were a couple of spots open, but I was not going to go along for the ride to risk it.  Instead I spent a much needed afternoon eating and drinking Nathan here in town.  It’s those times that get me to feeling super comfortable and able to stretch out in town again.   This weekend, race- wise, is a boring crit at Ninigret put on by Mystic Velo.  I do need the workout, and I’ll be able to go down with Hannah, which will be cool since she is riding so well right now.

I brought the ‘cross bike home to roost today, shouldering it as I rode across town to the new Circle A shop on my town bike.  Some things are going to get touched up on the frame, and I wanted to drill out the chainguard that Sugino sent us.  Everything was going well until Brian and I were trying do dislodge my seatpost.  It’s a U.S.E. carbon post, but It has a pretty good crack in it, which is why i have it. The crack was completely sheathed in the frame, but torquing the saddle so hard to free it; it just broke.  There’s nothing like a flurry of carbon dust in your face to signal disaster.  A bit of cutting and chiseling got the remnants of the old post out.  Luckily Adam had a post for me; along with a set of bars and a killer wheelset, all for a screaming deal.  Other than that setback, the bike will be riding again by next weekend.  It will have some nifty SRAM shifters on it too.  I can’t wait, I think I will spend all of next weekend in the woods.

Fever Pitch August 12, 2007

Well, I’m back in Providence.  I’ve been here for a week today. I’ve been seeing the sights, working the job, drinking the coffee, you know, living life buck mild.  The disorder of my life that has been ever-present in recent weeks is now subsiding, allowing my to focus with renewed clarity on the racing ahead.  I am, without a doubt, thankful for this.  I am working back at Providence Bicycle, upon their graces, and while it is a hauntingly familiar position to be working again, I am super grateful to be working there.  Not only because I am so acquainted with the shop already, but also to be in a shop of it’s caliber, doing what it is I do best.  Not to mention all the advantages of working at a pro level shop, such as, borrowing a Zipp 404 rear wheel for the training race last week when my Ksyrium was making some harrowing noises.

I went down to the NBX training crit with Hannah, Scotty, and Adam  last Wednesday.  I got to see a lot of familiar faces and it was even pretty nice to ride around the Ninigret course for once.  I had already done a forty mile ride in the hills that morning, so the race didn’t go great for me result-wise (I pulled off somewhere within ten to go.), but I still felt good. This Wednesday is the Witches’ Cup crit in Salem MA.. I am pretty psyched up about getting some racing in. This race will be a sort of benchmark for the ‘cross season.  The line-up, among others, includes, Mark McCormack, Tim Johnson, Jesse Anthony, and Adam Hodges Myerson.  Fun, fun, fun.  Looking forward to it.

Big Changes August 8, 2007

  I don’t quite know where to start, to be honest, there is so much to cover that it’d take all night, but I’ll give the most descriptive overview I can.

Let’s start with the fact that currently I am living in the embraces of Providence once again.  This is a very recent turn of events, a mere couple of days.  The last week and a half of living in Gainesville was a wild one, to say the least. Events through that time, one would are more aptly describe going through it all as enduring than participating in.  The events which I speak of were the series of days celebrating/honoring/ending the safeguard for the punks known as the ARK Warehouse.   Shows started Wednesday the 25th of July and ran straight through the following Sunday.  My 31st birthday also fell somewhere in that time as well.  That kind of party longevity I just don’t have any more, but I’ll be honest, I tried my best.  All I got was a lousy sinus infection.  I had a great time.  After all the festivities I went back to work to try and make some last ditch money.  Nathan had come down to visit G-ville, and was driving me and my bikes and my dog back to here; it is no small feat.  I left my shed-home and got my phlegm coughing ass into the car and pretty much  and hacked the entire way up the eastern seaboard.

My arrival in Providence was not without trepidation.  I needed to get work right away, I needed to start riding right away, I needed to get healthy fast. I had to smooth out some rough times I’d been having immediately.  My first day back on the bike went great until I slipped on  section of road made slick by some passing rain.  One minute I was upright doing 25mph into a turn, and the next I was sliding on the prominent parts of my left side.  Welcome back.

Look what I found. June 9, 2007

I found a photo of me from the Sterling M.R.C. race last month, here’s lookin’ at you.  I have to admit, it kind of looks like a  photo from some catolog or something.

What a world. May 31, 2007

Riding alone lately has been a complete chore it feels like. Last Sunday I got out for 5 hours on the ‘cross bike just hammering and railing turns, having so much fun, even after I broke a spoke and had to disconnect my front brake. But yesterday and today I was just brooding. Couldn’t keep my focus for more than an hour. I guess I’m just stressed out. Gainesville has much to offer as far as riding and general clean living goes, but the big thumbs down goes to it’s job market. Being a university-centered town service industry is the name of the game, and wages are low. The market is just saturated with young people willing to work cheap, and the other side of the sword is that when all those people take off for summer or vacation the town rolls up. Bike shops are no exception. I was taking a 6 dollar cut to come work down here. It’s one of those situations where the owners are not to blame per se, but neither are the folks willing to work for whatever they can get, it’s just the landscape of the city. There are 7 shops in Gainesville, a city of less than 150, 000 people. There used to be even more, most are within walking distance from each other. The industry standard for wages is pretty set. It’s not pretty.

Oh well, I need to quit brooding and take a nap to get rid of my financial stress. I mean, thew shed is still standing, I’m eating well, and even with the stress and brooding feelings, I’m riding well, so what’s to worry about too deeply? Take care.

IT’S ALL COMING TOGETHER NOW. November 17, 2006

Well, it seems this will be up and “live” soon enough.  Here we are at the middle of ‘cross season.  Racing has been so much fun.  Maybe it helps that at the moment I’m doing pretty well with it, but I suspect I’d be having a blast with it regardless.  If I can figure out this computer nonsense, I’ll have some photos and race re-caps for you all.  Thanks for checking this out.