October 29, 2007
Yargo Cyclocross
Whew, glad that weekend is behind me now. Being the sole promoter for an event like this is very time-consuming, expensive and stressful. Out of about 100 GTC club members not a single one volunteered to help. Fortunately, my family and a small circle of racing teammates helped and ended up doing every bit of the work ourselves. The 2008 sponsorship offers will be allocated accordingly.
The Masters 35+/45+ raced first and I was still running around the course putting up stakes and barrier tape and had absolutely zero warm-up in fact barely made it to the start line in time. So it took me a couple laps before I could really start racing, by then a 45+ rider had gotten a pretty good gap and I was stuck behind some slow moving 35+ riders waiting to pass.
On the last lap I caught my man and only seconds after I had passed him he totally overcooked a turn, I mean not-even-close, and slammed into me broadside knocking me through the barrier tape, off course and into a picnic table. By the time I got the tape untangled from my rear wheel and got rolling again it was too late. It was a second place finish for me. That's OK because I was the strongest and I'm going to bring it to him next week! From the USAC Rulebook #1O6. No rider may make an abrupt motion so as to interfere with the forward progress of another rider, either intentionally or by accident [relegation or disqualification; possible 20 days suspension if a crash results].
Now that I was finally warmed-up I decided to join the pro/1/2 race just for the extra training miles and to scarf up a few points for the overall series team competition. TC got pinned up and joined me, but we didn't take this too seriously and only really did a couple of hot laps.
Trotting across the beach in the CX1/2 race.
photo: Trish Albert / southeasterncycling.com
October 23, 2007
GA CX on cyclingnews.com
GA Cyclocross on cyclingnews.com. Hey we are getting noticed world-wide.
Oh no, I hope hope they don't find the "bootie cam" video that Wayne made. I think Wayne needs to turn that camera around, facing the other way, and just pedal a little faster ;-)
October 22, 2007
Conyers Race Video
Wayne had a a camera attached to his handlebars and captured some videos of the Masters 45+ race in Conyers yesterday. It's most of the first lap and then it comes back in a lap or so later and follows the two race leaders for a while.
October 21, 2007
Conyers CX Race
The first race in the Georgia Cyclocross series was at the Georgia International Horse Park, site of the 1996 Olympic Mountain Bike event. There was a good turnout of strong riders, fine weather and the event ran smoothly.
The course was long and hard with a fair mix of fast and technical sections but a lot of climbing too. The Masters 35+ field started the day's racing with about 25 riders then about two minutes later 29 riders in the Masters 45+ started.
I got the hole shot and was first across the barriers. Checking to see who was coming behind me I spotted my teammate Gerard Remery, 52 years old from the Netherlands now residing in Andrews NC, slapping it into a big a gear and coming up the inside so I got on his wheel. By the end of the first lap the two of us had a substantial lead on the rest of the pack and had already caught and passed quite a few of the 35+ riders.
During lap four of five I took a risk in an eroding 180 turn and the front wheel slipped out from under me, so I took a tumble in the grass and soft dirt. No real harm done but Gerard was now gone so I just got back into my rhythm and continued picking off 35+ riders. In the end Gerard and I had caught and past most of the 35+ riders and secured the first and second place in the 45+ race.
There was pretty good battle for third place in the 45+ however my GTC teammate Torre Smitherman, 54 year old from Gainesville GA, beat the "youngsters" and completed the podium sweep for team GTC.
Masters 45+ Podium : Torre, Gerard, and Dan
Team GTC had a bunch of great results including Junior State RR champ Everett and his 12 year old brother, Jansen, totally put the hurt on the CX4 field. These boys are the sons of Shey Lindner, whom I coached for a while, and is now a semi-pro/Expert endurance mountain bike stud... but I think the boys get their talent from their Mom, Kari, or at least their good looks ;-)
More photos and results coming...
October 19, 2007
Sticks and Stones
This scanner has a setting for 8.5x11 letter and legal documents but no preset for sticks and stones. Maybe there is a niche market for a new company called IBM - International Backyard Machines.
October 18, 2007
Fallen Leaves
My scanner doesn't seem to have a default setting for autumn leaves.
October 14, 2007
Marshall's photos & video
Check out Marshall's photos from the STL session today... and the video clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzywY-3wEyI
Dan & Jeff put the pressure on up front.
Advanced image enhancing technology reveals Dan flipping a secret switch on his handlebars engaging the hidden jet-turbine on his bicycle.
Cycling for health?
It’s good for you so long as you don’t get killed
[Oct 14 article from Times Online]
Cyclists and motorbikers are at far greater risk of being killed on the roads than previously admitted by the Government, according to figures released to The Times.
The DfT wants to promote cycling because it is said to tackle pollution and congestion.
The Government’s recently-published cycling policy overview described it as an excellent pastime, with a positive impact on health, particularly reducing coronary heart disease. Regular cyclists were as fit as people ten years younger.
However, it now emerges that cyclists run an increased risk of never getting any older.
According to Brake, part of the solution is car users’ attitudes. “The onus is on drivers to slow down. It is drivers who are in control of a fast-moving piece of metal that can kill others.”
Oct 14 STL
This was the last Sunday session at the Secret Training Location because next week the Georgia Cross Series begins. I think everybody is ready to race cyclocross.
(L-R) Dan, Jansen, Travis, Jeff, Jim, Ben, Stephen, Jim, Adam, Marshall, Grant, Shey, Lamar, Wojtek and Melanie (not pictured: Bill Bennett)
October 11, 2007
Glassblowers
Lillie Glassblowers have again created the awards for the Fort Yargo Cyclo-cross event. Masters 35+, Masters 45+ and Men's CX3 will receive awards for the first, second and third place finishers. Cash will be awarded to the CX1/CX2/(CX3-W) while the Juniors and CX4 will be competing for medals and prizes.
Masters 35+ awards
Silver Man
Arnie Silverman invited us to perform for the open house event at his office space. Good food and nice folks, it was fun. My friend Amy, who hooked us up with the gig, sent me this photo.
Mack and Dan (not pictured: Cary, the sax player who sat in for a couple of songs)
October 07, 2007
STL Oct 7
Gerard, Theron and myself made up the front group at this week's CX practice @ STL. Many of the regulars are in Birmingham at the first Bama Cross race today and I'm anxious to hear how it went for them.
Today's workout featured 4x10 (10) race intervals with the course running in the "hard direction".
(L-R) Gerard, Dan, Lamar, Eddie, Jim, Theron, Grant and Stephen (not pictured: Marshall)
October 05, 2007
Django Reinhardt
Jean "Django" Reinhardt (January 23, 1910 – May 16, 1953) was a Belgian Sinto Gypsy and one of the most renowned jazz guitarists of all time. His name is pronounced [zhane-go rhine-heart]
There are countless recordings of Django available however the quality of transfer and mastering from the original 78 RPM records varies greatly. Many prefer the pre-war recordings performed on the acoustic guitar with Quintette du Hot Club de France, however some of the later recordings are masterpieces too. For my money the following CDs are the best currently available.
The Classic Early Recordings in Chronological Order
Paris and London: 1937-1948, Vol. 2
Quintette du Hot Club de France: 25 Classics 1934-1940
The Best of Django Reinhardt
October 02, 2007
Russell Malone
Tonight at the usual Tu-W-Th gig, my old friend Russell Malone showed up for dinner and some jamming. He introduced me to his 20 year old son, Darius, and Russell reminded me that's about how old he was when we first met. Russell always thanks me and tells folks that I was very helpful when he came to Atlanta as a youngster (he grew up in Albany GA).
Russell's first recollection of playing with me was at a place called "Claude's" on International Blvd (I led the band every Thu-Fri-Sat during July-Oct 1985) and he also used to sit in with me at the Sunday Cafe 290 jam sessions which I hosted for more than 12 years. I believe that Russell met Atlanta drummer Jimmy Jackson at my Sunday night jam sessions and the two of them would often go on the road with Atlanta resident and world-renowned jazz organist, Jimmy Smith. In fact it was a fateful evening when Russell showed up on a Sunday night to sit in with me and I told him he should instead go down to "E J's" in Buckhead that night because Harry Connick Jr. was in town and was rumored to be stopping in over there after his concert. Sure enough, they both met and the rest is history as they say. After a couple of years in Connick's band, Russell got the gig with Diana Krall. Meanwhile his own solo career began to emerge with the aid of bigwigs like Quincy Jones and Tommy LiPuma.
I have always considered Russell to be one of the best jazz guitarist on this planet and possibly among the best that have ever lived. I never like comparisons in music or art because it is not a competition but a form of expression. However an analogy might be like what watercolorist Andrew Wyeth is to the guy who designs the flowers on the Kleenex boxes. One is an artist and the other is merely a craftsman. Russell is an artist.