2011 Maybury TT

A few weeks ago Allison showed some interest in doing a race this summer. We went to Maybury to practice and decided to do the 8/20/11 Maybury Time Trial. Allie changed her mind Friday night, which is fine; I am excited she even considered it. I did the time trial anyway. It could be my worse result ever but I’m glad I went. I get a little anxious when I go too long without racing and, after spending the previous week moving most of my stuff to Canton, Maybury is now my local trail and I want to support my new community and everything it has to offer.

Canton isn’t all bad. They have an Ikea. Home furnishings aren’t something that normally interests me but Ikea is kind of cool. I took Emilie, Allie, and some friends to Ikea after dance class for a cheap dinner and to pick out some cheap yet stylish furniture.

After the race I assembled an Ikea loft bed and clothes cabinet thingy for Allie. The girls are excited to move and helped clean. I hate Canton less today than I did last month. I suppose I am moving in the right direction.

How to Lose Friends and Manipulate Children

Most of the riding I did last year was just social rides. They seldom went anaerobic so I occasionally told fibs so I could ride alone. Over the winter there was a flurry of changing jobs and priorities with the people I ride with. This season I find myself pathetically asking them to ride with me, like Bob Roll in that Road ID commercial. The few rides I have done with friends last month concerned me.

Paul isn’t exactly a mountain biker but he does spend 20 plus hours a week in the gym. I had to work harder that I expected to keep up with him on the flat, straight sections of trail. Randy fell in love with a tri girl, the kind of love that gets you out of bed before work to swim laps. He worked hard over the winter and is now officially faster than me. I rode with Bill Saturday. He got a job at a bike shop and is deep into bicycling. Bill recently had his ass measured for a new saddle; I didn’t realize this was even an option. I struggled to keep up with Bill at first but figured I would drop his Clydesdale ass and matching saddle on the hills. Nope. I kept my heart rate pegged at 173 BPM as he effortlessly climbed away from me.

Maybe I’m not as fast as I thought. And I didn’t think I was all that fast to begin with.

I was supposed to do a shop ride with Bill yesterday but I took the girls out for dinner and ice cream in downtown Ann Arbor instead. As usual, I used this time to point out the hip U of M kids in the retro stores and coffee shops. I subtly talked about how cool it would be if Em and Allie went to the University of Michigan, and about GPAs and SAT scores. Em, my sweet angel, was enthusiastic but I noticed Allie, my, Allie, was wearing Michigan State flip flops; I’m sure that was no accident. Allie is not one to be manipulated. Maybe I’m not as clever as I thought.