With or without

Here it is Friday morning and I still have a little bit of packing to do.  Nothing major just a few items of clothing which are currently in the dryer.  After that, it will be time to eat breakfast, and fix a bottle of water so I may start the process of making sure I am fully hydrated. One would accomplish this by drinking like a fish and then bugging Dad to stop the vehicle every hour or so because I have to pee until we arrive in Springfield, Oh.

Earlier this week, I posed the question of whether or not I would be washing away funk or mojo if I washed my Oakleys.  I wasn't able to come to a clear cut decision based on the responses but here are a few of them 

-Becky "Wash your funky sunglasses. Your mojo is in your blood; no worries about washing that away. So, grab some soap and get to cleaning.  Thank god they haven't invented scratch-n-sniff websites."

-The Beautician  "You will definitely be washing away mojo.  Do not wash them!  I once wore the same pair of underwear for an entire undefeated season while I was playing travel elite soccer.  We continued to win because I didn't wash away the mojo in my pants."

-Metro  "Feel free to wash them as it is not mojo, just funk.  Just like hoes in different zip-codes don't count, mojo cannot cross county lines.  You have to make it fresh wherever you go."

-Jenn  "They just look nasty.  You should really clean them."

Some very valid points were made from talking to people about this subject but the only one that truly makes a whole lot of sense was Jenn's.  I am not very superstitious but I am to a small degree and because of that, I have decided to not wash the glasses until after I return from Calvin's.  With or without my mojo I will be traveling sure of exactly one thing... my glasses still stink.

Lucky charms

I had taken all my gear with me yesterday morning in hopes of getting a ride in by making the commute home. They were calling for 30-40% chances of t-storms in the afternoon but I was hopeful. A quick storm came through just after lunch which left everything soaking wet and the air terribly thick and humid. Just before I was getting ready to leave I checked the radar and noticed a big green, red and yellow blob heading for the house. It looked like I would have been dry for the first half of the ride but then it would get a bit sporty. I made the executive decision to just ride over to Endorphin where Jenn was doing some strength training. It would allow me to get in a few miles while stretching my legs out.

I think I made the correct decision because as we were coming back across the bridge we saw these boom clouds ahead of us. Yes, that is the scientific name of them.


Shortly there after, it was one rainbow after another...





Was mother nature taunting me and questioning my manhood for not riding home? Was that a way of saying that I would ride like a world champion this weekend? Or is someone just trying to "steal me lucky charms?"

Flat to rolling?

In preparation for this weekend's Calvin's Challenge I was reading some recounts of the previous year's racers. Most of them were in agreement that the long course could be characterized as flat to rolling. I took the gps along with me when Znels and I went out on Friday so I would have something to compare the elevation graph of the course with something here locally which I have been riding recently.

The long loop which has 713 ft of climbing per 51 mile lap

Home-Powhatan Half Century Profile with 4652 ft of climbing per 51 miles.

It would appear that I am comparing apples to oranges. Some of the recaps mentioned how bad the wind blew the entire day. I am beginning to think that the biggest threat from the course is going to be what mother nature has in store rather than any sort of lack of climbing legs. There won't be any hiding from the wind on such a flat to non-rolling course. I am off to bed now to ponder whether or not I should wash my sunglasses as I am getting opinions from all sorts of angles which deserve a post of their own.

Funk or Mojo?

Yesterday, Znels came over and I was able to talk him into taking a spin through Powhatan with me. We went a little bit longer than what he was originally thinking when he asked me if I wanted to ride but he managed to get through it without a hitch. We ended up with about 51 miles in once it was all said and done. Beautiful scenic riding out there that is for sure.

I did notice once again, that my sunglasses are starting to smell like funk. It isn't just a little bit either, I can really smell them once I get them close to my face to put them over my lovely green eyes. The ear socks also look a bit funky but they do not stink.


My dilemma is, I could easily just wash the frames in a mild soapy water concoction and change out the ear socks (which I already own) and the frames would look and more importantly smell like new. But if I do it, would I be washing away some of my mojo or is what I am smelling just the remains of my mojo's funky movements?