Soundtrack For Monsters

Here is what has been echoing through my head on my last couple of rides.


Come Alive - Doomriders
Road Born Orphan - Sweet Cobra
Rise - Public Image Limited
Set Me Down - Left Lane Cruiser
Sleep - Poster Children
The Protest Hour - Trap Them
The Moan - The Black Keys
He Is Never Coming Back - Gaza
A Ways To Uprise - Kerretta
99 Problems - Jay Z
Hot Air Balloon - Owl City
Fast Fuse - Kasabian
Breaking The Cycle - Modern Life Is War
The Poison Plot - Brothers Keeper
Built To Last - Sick Of It All
Such Great Heights - Postal Service
Pious - A Life Once Lost
Banjo Song # 1 - Hillstomp
Surfing On A Rocket - Air
On A Rope - Rocket From The Crypt
Drowned My Life In Fear - Leaf Hound
Vietcatterpillar - Black Moth Super Rainbow
Think Twice - Betrayed
Wonderwall - Ryan Adams
Come Back Home - T-Model Ford
On The Road Again - Canned Heat
Monsters - The Enkindels
Refused Party Program -Refused
Fear Not Le Loup - Le Loup
Neckwrecker - Electro Quarterstaff
Rock Candy - Montrose
Shadrach - Beastie Boys
Triangle Walks - Fever Ray
Soft Pyramids - Q And Not U
Set The Dial To Your Doom - Black Tusk
Cpai-75 - Bloodlet
Walk Together Rock Together - 7 Seconds
Trouble - Honkeyfinger
Cod Metal King - Strapping Young Lad
Dream Small - Poser Children
I See It In Us - H2O
Gene And Eddie - Brian Setzer
The Prisoner - Iron Maiden
Mandible - Mares Of Thrace
Aint Nothing Wrong With That - Robert Randolph
Super Disco Breakin' - Beastie Boys
The New Year - Death Cab
Carry On - Crosby Stills Nash & Young
Trepanning For Oil - Trap Them
Conquer All - Behemoth
Vent - Snapcase
911 Is A Joke - Public Enemy
Every Place Is A House - Maps And Atlases
Happens Everyday - Poster Children
Overture - 65 Days Of Static
Turnstile Blues - Autolux
Phoenix In Flight - Converge
Weak Brain Narrow Mind - The Immortal Lee County Killers
New Kata - Snapcase
Strange Dreams - Mahogany Rush
Watch This - Danananakroyd
Can't Find My Way Home - Blind Faith
Starship Troopers - Yes
Falsified Mitigation - Noisear
Five O Ford - Reverend Horton Heat
1974 - Cursed
Cardiac Arrest In D - Hillstomp
Ballad Of Hollis Brown - Entombed
Substance - Betrayed
The Pusher - Steppenwolf
Green Onions - Booker T and The MG's
Floating - Jape
Rise Above - Black Flag
Curse Of The Common Man - Engineer
Backslide - Unsane
I Don't Belong - OFF!
Shoot High Aim Low - Yes
Gristle - Gaza
Just Go Outside - Black Cross
Need - Lent0
The Furnace - Disfear
Inner Station - Burnt By The Sun
Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys - Traffic
Returning The Screw - Fugazi
Dazed And Confused - Cave In
Boabab - Mouth Of The Architect


 




 j.rider out

Set Your Goals

Training without having a goal is like driving in the dark without your headlights. You may get to where you need to go but you are likely to run into a lot of other things as well. The problem is I am not  sure what my goals are.





 


j.rider out

Axe To Fall

Race number two is in the books. I finished. I was reminded of a number of things. The starts are hard and fast but I cannot ride in the red for an entire race. I need to hydrate better while racing. Over-tightening carbon bars can cause them to crack but under-tightening carbon bars causes them to slip. Add all of these up and there is an axe to fall. j.rider out

Buried Alive

It's been a long time since I have felt the leg burning of a start like yesterdays race. From the gun it was a mad dash for a wicked left handed creek crossing...That took us directly into a service road climb and finally to one of the many grassy knoll sections. My heart rate was pushing the max after our first few efforts. Add to that the amount of dirt and dust I was sucking in and it felt as if I was being buried alive. It was a brutal wake up call for my body, that is for sure. I did manage to reel in my legs and lungs at somewhere towards the end of lap three. By then, the damage had been done. I wasn't going to be picking up any extra places for my suffering and dust eating. All in all not to bad of a result for my second event in 6yrs. I was able to hold onto 4th Place and finish out the last lap strong. It was good to get a second race under my legs so quickly... Now it's back to studying and training for the next set of events.

I have to admit on of the first things I thought about after finishing. Was, just how brutal the start felt... It was not unlike the first time I got to see Buffalo NY's  Buried Alive. That band seriously felt like they were pummeling you with the crunching of Marshall full stacks. It's was an impressive thing to witness for sure.

Enjoy some Scott Vogel love.

This one seems fitting for my return to cycling

Sick Day

First race of the season is over.
DNF Front wheel tried to fall apart. Should have called in sick.
j.rider out

Everyone's A Friend

Often times it's easy for one to become bitter and jaded to things when you become a large part of it's landscape... I guess in some ways I have gone through this type of thing a few times in my life. I have had ups and downs in the world of music and cycling. At some point all the dedication and extra hours of promoting and advocating seemed to eat away at the fun factor. I can't blame it on cyclist or local bands etc. Ultimately... It is some sort of burnout, out side stressers our staleness that seems to drive one away from things they enjoy. To add to all of those points, sometimes 'life' seems to find ways to make it difficult to pursue your passions.

In short I guess you could take pieces off all of those things and come up with the reasons why I have been away from the bike for so long. Honestly, I just didn't want to ride... I had lost the fire. I made a promise with myself that if I never rode again and I was happy what did it matter. In the back of my head, I always knew I would find my way back. It's taken a few years but the fun factor has returned and so has my desire to ride and race.

One thing that I managed to forget about on my cycling sabbatical... Is the sense of 'Family' Mountain Bikers seem to have. It doesn't matter what you are ridding or when you started, we are all part of the tribe. I was reminded of this fact earlier in the year with a gracious frame donation from some old friends. It continued on race day with some handshakes and smiles as I registered and started to kit up. It even continued after the racing was over with folks happy to see me back in the fray. Thanks to everyone for making me welcome and happy to see me back. As for my results, I was pretty pleased eighth out of twenty four. That was way better than I could have predicted. It was just nice to get those first pedal strokes out of the way and hopefully some of the jitters. Who knows what will happen in the weeks and months to come...

I will leave the rest of my feelings and thoughts up to BLACKGOD to explain for me. Another amazing band from a couple of Louisville's favorite sons.... Patterson and Pennington

 

support my friends

Code Orange

Orange = Elevated  

“Increased protective measures based on specific threat information regarding a known or suspected terrorist plot.”

After a long 6 years away from racing the time has come for me to once more attach those pesky numbers to my bars...and let the pieces fall where they may. I'd be a big fat liar if I said I wasn't at all nervous... I was doing pretty good until three days ago and then the jitters and doubts started to flood in. It's been a big learning process this time around. I have spent months researching training and nutrition as well as bike set-up and technique. None of that really seemed to matter when I was 10yrs younger and had plenty of time to ride. I feel better prepared mentally but what the hell does that really mean? I'm not placing any big expectations on my return to the fray of racing. However, it is nice to feel somewhat better prepared this go round. Honestly, for me it's all about pushing my own personal limits. Sure I have goals and dreams... But, those can all be reached with hard work and persistence.Well, at least I hope so!

 

Some musical inspiration by the Code Orange Kids

Yes, it's true they all just graduated highschool..WTF?

I can't thank j.rider enough for his constant encouragement and help as I've tried to hold his wheel this winter and spring. It's always nice to have someone to suffer with out on the road and trails. I am looking forward to the new dawn of our racing days and the excitement and fun that comes along with it. The Pack In Black will finally make it's official debut on Saturday. Lets hope for miles of smiles...