Lets call it...

This year, for all intents is over. Kaput. Shot. Most decidedly it has amounted to the greatest crash and burn of my life... The only thing (chance?) left to do is grab my boot straps and pull. Pull, fucking PULL! I won't say this is it, won't say I'm going to change because the only thing worse than being out of shape is bullshitting about what you're going to do. Actions. Not words.

Happy Holidays,

KPW

Of Mice and Men

"The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry..." Or so the title of John Steinbeck's break-out novel suggests. My English teacher would be so proud, She thought all I did was pass notes to girls and shoot rubber bands during class. This weekend I discovered (again...) that the best-laid plans often aren't planned at all!

Rich drove up on Friday to pick up some of his belongings and take them back home. Home being Pennsylvania near the tri-state border (PA, DE, MD). After helping him and his family load up his half ton Chevy and a U-Haul Trailer I posed this question... "Rich, How are you going to unload all of this stuff when you get home?" To which he replied "I got it under control, blah, blah, blah..." It didn't take me long to realize that he needed a hand and I needed an excuse, any excuse, to get away for awhile. If even only for two or three days. Ironically enough I was standing near his truck before we left and being the funny guy I am, out came this wise crack, "Hey this thing got air conditioning? I knew I should have asked some questions before I signed on for this trip!" Sure enough the air conditioning quit shortly after getting off the New York State Thruway. Once again reaffirming my belief that I can forecast coming events, much like Nostradamus. Sorry Rich. Saturday evening found Rich and Me splitting a twelve pack of Modelo (some Mexican Beer Rich chose) and a delicious chocolate cake that Dolores made. Yes, chocolate cake and Mexican beer... I'll bet that's a short list of people who have enjoyed that culinary delight. Sunday we came up with this bit of engineering genius in order to stack his top box on his rolling base cabinet. I think this is the part where I insert a legal disclaimer stating "Do not try this at home. Death or Injury may occur. Or at least a good hernia..."

This is what it takes when your assembled tool box is as big as a Honda Fit. Seriously





My reward for helping with the "move" (besides a train ticket back home) A short jaunt around FairHill on this...

Carbon GF Superfly 29er. Sweet, sweet ride on even sweeter trails. Thanks to the Delaware Trail Spinners and all the others who help maintain the trails at Fairhill. You really do a fantastic job, making this my favorite place to ride dirt. Epic.

Thanks again to Rich and Dolores for the hospitality and good (if only too short) times. Now if only they would get a pool...

It's been awhile since my last post and I wanted to post some of my favorite photos from Le Tour.






























Does anyone know where I can get this (queer) hat? So I can fill it with my neighbors dog shit, light it on fire and then mail it to Spain.

And... It looks like Kim has her groove back, ALLEZ KIMMY!!!

Out There...

Today I had the strangest feeling... Like a Karmic bolt of lightning. Only this feeling was... pure inspiration. Oddly enough, it stood on it's own. Like a giant granite block of... pure inspiration. A feeling so good, that it was noticeably untarnished by any negative energy. Virgin like. Untouched, waiting for me to reap some yet unknown great reward. It was realll trippy I'm tellin' ya'! So I'm going to take this "charge" of inspiration and apply it... to everything. To the person who sent me this great Karmic energy, Thank You, and may it return back to you ten fold.

For starters, I phoned Mt Sinai and made the connections for transferring my test results and case evaluation to the proper people. This was undoubtedly the most important thing I did today. It felt good to take action in the matters of my health.

Because the world does not run solely on "POP MUSIK" , you need to see this... Incredible bike handling skills set to a good song. Honest, I'm not kidding! The music is good, I promise...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRlETldGhWI

Oh, and on the subject of the TOUR. Levi is out with a broken wrist. Which totally sucks. Boonen didn't do shit. Which totally sucks. Lance probably (unless Contador crashes) won't win. Which totally sucks. And Contador? His stage winning pistol shot totally sucks. I mean seriously, are you five years old dude? Next time maybe he'll pull his cheeks open while sticking out his tongue all the while he yells, "Neener, neener, neener..." as he crosses the finish line. Then he'll probably shoot somebody with his toy gun. Andy Schleck, you better be a man of your word and ATTACK TILL YOU DIE! Does anyone remeber Floyd Landis riding a wheelie across the finish line? That was cool. And no, he didn't win that stage.

I Just Don't Know...

Well, Friday's visit to the Cardiologist didn't bring me any good news... Yet it didn't bring me any bad news either... I'm going to see a "Super Cardiologist" at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. In the meantime, no elevated heart rates for me. Which I ignored for the last two weekends anyhow. Have you ever been told you can't, or shouldn't do something that you really yearn to do? Have you ever tried to climb hills, weighing 218 lbs. without elevating your HR?! LOL! Don suggested I bring my cleat covers with me and walk up the hills... That's crazy. If I wanted to walk something I'd get a dog, not a bicycle. So I'm determined more now then ever to figure this all out and find a way to be able to ride without limitations. Does anything compare to that single, solitary sense of accomplishment like dragging your ass over a monster hill climb??? And... I just don't feel like handing over a Ben Franklin to Rich, not without a fight.

Because life is not just cycling, dig this... Yeah...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HaAOCGb3bw

I Fell Off...

The Wagon.

Ughhhh! For cryin' out LOUD! Blow out week at both jobs this week, which I turned into a blow out in the diet department. Man, I'm sick of doing this! Lifestyle change, lifestyle change, lifestyle change. There, I feel a little better. Well I don't have to work on Saturday (not yet at least) so it looks like it's a go for the ride I planned last Sunday. Don, McSteel and I are going to pre-ride a race course South of Albany. Don will sit down on every climb, probably smiling all the way. Maybe even humming a merry tune. Oh how I long for the days when people rode with frame pumps. I'd throw mine into his front wheel! Ha! Don climbs like a Tour specialist which makes me proud 'cause I introduced him to this sport. McSteel will climb well and most likely be only a bike length or two behind the "Don". This is usually quite fun to watch as these two drag race uphill as if there's KOM points available. Cool. Me? I'll climb like a constipated old turtle. If I'm lucky. Who cares. It will only make me stronger and that's what I want more than anything. Well, I want to hold on to my hundred dollar bill pretty bad too...

Peace out. Enjoy your friends, family, the Sun, and your ride.

Sometimes life is just...

Life.

Drove to work this morning at 6:30 A.M. Worked from 7:00 A.M. - 9:30 P.M. (Yes 14 1/2 hours) Only time I sat down was during the 22 minute drive to my "other" job. All day, pounding concrete... I don't remember ever thinking "Gee, when I grow up someday I want to be a press operator..."

Pulled in the driveway at 9:50 P.M. and there's the July/August issue of Men's Health in the mailbox. On the cover is Josh Duhamel with a quote-"I want to do good work. But, having a life is important, too." Yeah, what He said...

6 1/2 hours of sleep and I can repeat this tomorrow.

Whew... Done bitchin'.

By the way, Lance gave Alberto a lesson in tactical Tour racing today and Cavendish-Amazing! Viva Le Tour!!!

And They're OFF!

Well it's been a few days since I changed up my diet and I must say... I feel better. Mentally, physically, perhaps just a placebo effect just from controlling something in my life? Who knows? Anyway, RR has a bit of a jump on me out of the gate ( well done Rich ) but I do believe the real battle will begin @ about 205 lbs. +/-.

Saturday morning Cat Six Racing is having a brunch while we watch the opening TT of The Tour. Fresh fruit, egg beaters with spinach 'n mushrooms, whole wheat english muffins, o.j., etc... Followed by a long ride afterwards. Should be kickass !

By the way, I could really go for a chocolate chip muffin, cookie, beer, or pizza right about now. Pray for me Ben Franklin, pray for me...

This is going to get good...

Anonymous said...
So I hear that you issued a big challenge this weekend and after a bunch of smack talking it was accepted. I think you need to take a picture of your Benjamin and post it for all to see so you can remember what it looks like when it’s gone. Care to make it more interesting? Forget the Benjamin, how about a carbon hard tail 29er for a shiny new Specialized 56cm road bike? Down 2

Who doesn't love Benjamin Franklin?

So I had a chance to spend some time with a great lifelong friend this weekend. After a few days I came to this conclusion... We're both in the same boat. Or at least ON the same boat! We're both somewhat out of shape, could lose 25-30 lbs., love two wheeled things, are sleep deprived ( for different reasons ) and are generally fed up with feeling "like crap". So I offered up a challenge. Twelve weeks, one hundred dollars, see who loses the most. Rich went one better. One hundred dollars to the first person to hit 195 lbs. Goodbye Clydesdale class! I'm sure my cardiologist will be thrilled.

Time to "Do WORK!"- Christopher "Big Black" Boykin

Return of the "MAN"

HoooRAHHH July!

'nuff said.

Happy Fathers Day!

Walking With The Dinosaurs. Fun? You betcha!

Wish you were here.

Ever try LSD?

Long Slow Distance, Long Steady Distance? We've all heard about it. How it's supposed to be good for base mileage and early Spring training, but hey it's June after all. Well I asked my cardiologist about riding and he responded like this, " Well... Yes. You can ride BUT keep your heart rate low, low o.k. None of this 180-190 beats per minute. Just take it easy till we work this out, alright." Now I can't remember a time when I ever had a better excuse to ride slowly until this moment. "No, easy ride today for me thanks. Cardiologists orders." LOL. Why not laugh? I'm still riding, and I'm still six feet ABOVE ground, everyday is a gift... So I rode. Two hours and twenty three minutes with an average heart rate of 135 BPM. Perfect. Thanks to Polar, Good Charlotte, Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, and Social Distortion. Oh, Apple too, for making i-pods. I made some mental notes during the ride... Recovery, is it a true indicator of cardiovascular fitness? At one point during the ride, my HR climbed to 164. Short hill but I did try to stay relaxed. 46 seconds after (still pedaling, active recovery?) my HR dropped to 126. Is this good? I don't know. I do know this... I was riding my bike, the Sun felt awesome, and it was great to be alive.

I'll take that.

This is not a Comeback.

This is not a comeback... Comebacks are for Lance Armstrong, Michael Jordan, and Bell Bottom Jeans.



On April 6Th. my older brother, Dennis, passed away. Heart Attack. 41. Husband, Son, Father of two children, and my Brother. There are no words to describe how much I love Him and how much I miss Him. In this, I am not alone.



Today at 3:30 P.M. I found myself in my cardiologists office anxiously awaiting the results of my Cardiac Computed Tomography Angiography. A radioactive contrast die accompanied by a 64 slice CT scan. Along with a Calcium Score Test. In short by 5:30 P.M. today I was already scheduled for a Heart Catheterization on Friday @ 6:30 A.M. Calcium score zero, yet blockages still present? With the heart cath they would have went right in there, and as needed put in stents. This would have meant taking Plavix for life. Not good if you happen to crash a bike or something... I left the Cardiologists with an appointment for Friday @ St. Peters Hospital and an arm full of pamphlets, instructions, and new prescriptions. A nauseating mix of emotions swirling inside my head. I missed Dennis more now than ever. At 7 P.M. My Cardiologist called me back and explained that he wants whats best for me and had been thinking about my case since I left. So much so, that he reviewed it with a few of his peers at the practice. He's decided to go with a Nuclear stress test first, he really doesn't want to see me on the Plavix for the rest of my life. Now there are some blockages which he referred to as a congenital defect that need to be determined just how bad they really are. I can't express how grateful I am to this man as he truly cares about my health and about the quality of life I desire to live. He's professional, and compassionate. I TRUST him. So tomorrow we will schedule the nuclear stress test and I want it A.S.A.P.! It is not something I can score perfect on ( Like an A+, there are some blockages there, especially on the LAD, the one that probably did my Brother in...) but as you can imagine , I sure would like to do as well as possible. If this fails it's in for the heart cath and a much higher chance of stents. Not so good...



But the day may come when you got something to lose /And just when you think you're done paying dues / You say to yourself "Dear, God What have I Done?"/ And hope it's not to late cause tomorrow may never come / REACH FOR THE SKY cause tomorrow may never come...

- Social Distortion



Maybe this might sound selfish, maybe even ludicrous... If you've never competed in an athletic event, never pushed yourself so hard you thought you may pass out, HR PEGGED @ 196. Then you probably wouldn't understand it at all. But if you have? I just want to ride my bike. HARD. FAST. I want to out sprint a friend. I want to drop someone on a climb. I want to lose 20 lbs. I want my Brother back, even if only for a moment, so I could tell Him I love Him one last time.



This is not a comeback... This is MY LIFE.



LIVESTRONG

Better?

One for the Queen.

(...of the Beaners. Get it?)

Trippin'...

Road Trippin' that is... Birthday party on my fathers side of the family this weekend in his home town of Fulton, outside of Oswego, N.Y. I like things that are well engineered. Like Carbon Fiber, Shimano anything, Duct Tape, Zip Ties, and this here 08 Dodge Challenger SRT8. It belongs to my cousin Tim and he took me for one hell of a ride in it. To say it's fast is an understatement. This is mostly a blog about amateur cycling so for those of you who may not know much about cars , I'll explain it like so... If "Tornado" Tom Boonen was reincarnated as a car, this is what He'd look like. Fast, unnerved by high speeds, good looking ( right ladies?), and Total ROCKSTAR! See Tom's ongoing battle with certain recreational drugs. ( Note that I do not condone such behavior, I just read VeloNews. It's not my place to judge anyone... ) So when I got home this afternoon , I immediately jumped on the bike and went for an hour long spin. Felt great, though not as fast as a SRT8 Challenger. Note to self- Buy some TUBES tomorrow on lunch, jackass!

Oh, almost forgot, I introduced my Nephew ( 8 1/2 ) to the classic "Slow Ride" by Foghat and "the Worlds Loudest Clap". What's the worlds loudest clap you may ask? It was my ill-fated attempt to get a spot on The David Letterman Show. How'd that work out for me? Well you never heard of it did you?

Flat Tires ACT II

You have got to kidding Me? Six BRAND NEW road tires but not ONE tube!? If this were a business, I'd have to fire someone... Good thing it's not 'cause that person would me. So I sliced a side wall the other night and lo and behold I'm out of tubes. I got home from work today and HAD to cut the grass. The next available time would have been Monday and you know I'm not bagging that shit. So I cut the grass, and at least that goes off without a hitch. Thanks to my 20 year old John Deere push mower. Believe it or not I'm actually a decent mechanic. Afterwards I drop into the HQ ( code for the CAT SIX RACING TEAM hang out, a.k.a. my garage ) and get going on what I figure will be a five minute tire change. Ten minutes later and I'm still looking for a tube. SIX new tires and not one freakin tube. WTF! Thankfully I remembered my training wheel in the basement and quickly remedied my situation. It's about 6:30 P.M. and I'm still jonesin' for a ride. I run upstairs change in to some hot, sexy spandex (Lycra, whatever...) and fly out of the garage. Down the road I go... My bike, HR monitor, and two water bottles. Hey, who needs spares when you're rollin' on sweet new rubber. Plus I just wanted to ride. Sometimes you just got to say "What the fuck..." - Joel Goodsen , Risky Business

I Like Cheap Beer

CAT SIX RACING HQ

Yeah, you read that correctly. Now I know there are a TON of cyclists out there who are crying "Oh the hypocrisy..." I like a good micro-brew from East Beageasus just as much as the next dude but let me explain my logic... Cheap beer is still BEER. The truth of the matter is I'm only going to expel it an hour later ( take a leak, in case you didn't catch that ). And, most importantly, cheap beer leaves me more money for BIKE PARTS! Now you see where I'm comin' from. This country is in a bit of a recession and your LBS could use some help. It's time to get patriotic here people and do your part to stimulate the economy. In an entirely unrelated note, ALWAYS remember to bring a mini pump and a few patches on your ride. One time I walked TWO miles in my socks (bike shoes hangin' off the drops) because I rode without flat "protection". My feet felt like someone had taken a belt sander to them! For the next three days. So tonight I rode with nothing but water bottles. No spares, patches, pump, cell phone, nothin. You guessed it. I flatted. Thank God I was only 200 yards from my house. The worst part? The clack, clack, clack of my cleats on the pavement as I walk my bike through the neighborhood dressed in full kit. I can hear the neighbors now..." Honey, there's that guy again, dressed up like a superhero, and he's taking his bike for a walk!" Oh the shame...

How can I be so freakin busy?

Someday I hope to start my blog, today is not that day though...

This is me road racing. Notice the look of extreme disorientation on my face. Yes, that's my race face. Rad...

I'm fat and out of shape (again!) but I still love everything on two wheels. Road, Mountain, & Motorcycles. I've recently had a few set backs but think I may be "bottoming out" so to speak. Problem is I'm at the bottom of the hole, flat on my back and I'm having trouble summoning the energy to get up! Maybe I'll just lay here a little longer staring at the sky? Tomorrows a new day... Another day to make small choices that may make life a little better. One things for sure, I look forward to "getting back" into cycling and feeling like myself again. Or perhaps something even better...