Welcome

Welcome to my first stab at putting my random thoughts into some coherent order for all to read. Nerve racking ?....Yes! However, I've been wanting to start a blog for some time now and been inspired as of late by a number of great writers who've managed to keep me coming back every day to check in. Why do this even though it's seems a bit egocentric ? Seemed like a great way to connect to the greater community of two-wheeled enthusiasts around me.

I've been a bike geek for some time now. My first real job was in a bike shop and to this day I've never held a job outside of the bicycle industry. My wife and I started our married life in Maine, headed out to Boulder in 93 and then to Santa Cruz California. After about 5 years the likelihood of putting down roots was becoming non existent as the cost of living was far exceeding our earnings. We headed back to Maine for about 5 years and while the great Northeast is home we struck out again for Colorado. We've been in Colorado Springs for just over 3 years now. Cyclocross is my main obsession, and the thing is...I'm not that good ! I don't care for training ( takes all the fun out ) I've been racing cross in every state we've lived for the past 15 years and I've taken the top spot on the podium once. The draw to cross is inexplicable to me, I have a difficult time trying to convey the appeal to most folks. But if you've been bitten by the bug, you know what I mean. Who else wakes up on a very chilly and dark weekend morning, looks outside to see a light rain falling and immediately the pulse quickens just thinking about the course turning into a quagmire. I feel like I should be in some support group on a 12 step program.."Hi my name is Chris.....I like riding my skinny-tired bike around in small circles every weekend, preferably in thick mud...." It's a problem.

This weekend I'm home nursing wounds ( from what, I don't know ) we had cross practice ( note: not training....it's practice! ) in Monument Valley Park on Thursday evening and when I woke on Friday morning it felt as though my right hip needed replacing. Deep deep pain and very limited mobility. It might be the result of an over enthusiatic dismount and barrier section that I was trying to warp through in combination with a minor get-off on my moto from the previous weekend which left a nice black and blue on the same vicinity. I'm left hobbling around the house instead of a planned double ( Boulder # 2 at Xilinx and Red Rocks # 1 ) this weekend, I'm trying to not let it get to me as there is still plenty of the season left and what I need to focus on is rest. On the right coast is the unofficial "New England Worlds" in Gloucester at Fort Stage Park. It's such as classic venue, literally right on the ocean and will consistently attract a very savvy cross crowd armed with brats, beer and bullhorns. I hope to see all my fellow kooks at Blue Sky Velo's event next Sat.

Thanks for reading, I truly hope you enjoy my future ramblings, check back for more
Shotty