Monthly Archives: May 2013

Happy Where You’re At

This entry was posted in Just Life on by .

It is strange trying to center yourself when you think you should be doing something and you are actually doing something else. The something else never seems as real and enjoyable because you want to be doing something different.

I haven’t been riding very good since I got to Austin. I had planned to do some big miles, but can’t seem to do any better than crack 50 and then I’m done. It probably a combination of a lot of things. I’ve been feeling sort of bad the last couple days. And have something going on with a tooth again. Plus, I seem to melt when it gets over 85, which is pretty common here now.

But, I still would rather be racing badly than not at all. That is strange to say. I wonder why that is? If I was racing badly, I would probably think, “Maybe I should go down to Austin, just chill, and do some miles until I feel good.” Sounds good now, but when you don’t have the option of racing, then you tend to want to do just that. Funny how the human mind works.

Austin has no bags. When you go to the store, auto parts, Home Depot, etc. they have no bags for what you bought. It has been sort of a hassle the last couple days. I need to stick a reusable bag in my car. Seems like a good law to me, but something you have to get used to.

I’m installing a dog door into a screen dog in Ann’s porch. It is slow going. I had a plan, but it fell apart when the plexiglass broke. Now I have a new plan, but it is going to take a lot longer and might look a little jerry-rigged. (I wonder who Jerry was?)

Ann has been out East and is getting back late this morning. She invited me to go eat with her, Sunday Brunch. I said sure. So, I’m going to try, for the first time in my life, of riding without eating. I hear that if you do miles before you eat then you tend to burn more fat or something. It doesn’t really make any sense, but I know I’ll be really hungry for brunch.

Okay, that’s about it for now. Feeling a bit uncreative.

Laying out the dog door project.

Laying out the dog door project.

We don't have outside seating areas like they do at Central Market here in Austin.

We don’t have outside seating areas like they do at Central Market here in Austin.

All the store here seem to be open a couple hours longer than in Kansas. It seems strange, but convenient.

All the store here seem to be open a couple hours longer than in Kansas. It seems strange, but convenient.

UCI Needs an Overhaul

This entry was posted in Comments about Cycling on by .

I’ve sort of been on the fence, somewhat, about whether there has to be a complete cleaning of house at the UCI or just a decapitation. But, after reading this article at Cyclingnews, I think there has to be a total revamp of the organization. A complete flushing and new organization.

The article is about USADA doing blood testing before the Tour of California. I guess it is for the biological passport program. Whatever the reason, I have no idea why the UCI would announce a blood test before the race, other than to tell the riders and teams that they are doing just that. It is announcing to the guys that they better get their numbers in order.

I saw another article somewhere that said that many riders haven’t done a test for the biological passport for over a year and a half. So, I’d assume, many riders are somewhat lax about keeping their blood numbers exact. But, the UCI has fixed that by announcing a pre-race blood test. Anyone come up with another reason for this?

Travis Tygart, USADA’s CEO agrees- “You don’t want to announce that. That’s a PR move, not an effective anti-doping strategy. That tells riders you’d better ensure you don’t show up or what you do is not detectable from the passport process.”

I’m sick of it. The biological passport is bullshit, as is most of the testing. Pre announcing blood test, weeks in advance of an event, goes to show you just how valueless the program is.

From the release of all these confessions, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to not get caught doping in cycling. Tyler and Floyd did get “caught”, but I would bet you a million dollars there was something else going on there, not just positive testing. But, that is maybe buried forever, we’ll never know.

Anyway, obviously, the UCI has no intention of changing. I’m embarrassed being part of an organization that condones such actions. Yes, we as members of USAC, which is under the UCI, really are part of it. Maybe it is about time that USAC pulls an Oregon and leave the UCI? Oregon left USAC and the racing there is as healthy as ever, maybe more so. If USAC did that, I’d bet it would get some attention for sure. If not, then I guess it will be the same old BS for a while longer.

nouciIf you want to get a t-shirt with this logo on it, check here at Cyclocosm.