Monday, August 08, 2005

Giddy up!

So this past weekend was the Canada cup in Fernie and it was an all round adventure. I had a good week, went motor pacing one day then I took Marsh out Motor pacing later that day. I think driving the scooter is harder then riding my bike behind it, my gas wrist got so sore. We haven’t got rain in like 2weeks and the Fraser valley is so full of smog I cant see the mountains but its hot out and I am loving it. So to get to Fernie I had to drive like 1000km, but that was OK, I rented a Chevy caviler from Abbotsford then just pinned it to Fernie. I did the drive solo but did make some proper stops along the way. Jumped in the the lake in Osoyoos, then I did a bike ride at Christina lake, then I jumped in the lake. It was like 37c, hottest day ever, I got some wicked pit stains. Good thing I was driving solo.

Once I got to Fernie the gears posy was Kiara, Watson, and Shawn Marshall was our wrench. The rest of the gears team was off to the Canada summer games. The Course was a point to point “marathon” race I rode the course on Friday, but only like the first half. The total length of the course was 50km and was logging roads and flowing single track. With lots of full suspension loving, new cup riding. It went from Fernie to Sparwood. Watson rode the whole thing in parts during the week and figured race time would be like 3hrs. With that in mind I made a very good effort to strap on a mean feed bag of the usual Pasta pesto and chicken.

The race started in downtown Fernie and it was a mass start with juniors, women, everybody. There was a long gravel road section so people could have the option of crashing at high speed and getting wicked road rash and cut up elbows. But this time I kept the rubber side down and went into the single track in second place right behind last weeks Canada cup winner Matt Hadley. I rode behind him for a couple minutes then I passed him and never looked back. Well maybe a couple times and I could see that Watson and I were pulling off full on tag team action on everybody. Wicked. And that’s how it ended, Me, Watson, Hadley, and Raw de Lega was fourth. After the race I rode back to Fernie in a crazy head wind with Kiara and Hadley then we sat in the river and just chilled before the podium.

That night we hit up the DQ as per my rule, I did sample the Blizzard of the month which is the chocolate pie and man it was good. But I got the crispy crunch, it was OK but next week is going to be the pie blizzard. Then the next morning I packed up my rally caviler and pinned it. I stopped in rock creek and went riding then sat in the river and ate cold watermelon. Then I stopped again at this place called bromleys rock and there are these mental cliffs into the river, very proper. Then like 20 min away from home there was the 3 car pile up on the #1 and it cost me some time but the whole day was like 12hrs and I stopped and took my sweet time so it was not so bad. Next week is the Canada cup finals in sun peaks and I am just going to drive up in the morning its like a 3-4hr drive and we race at 2 so I will be fine. I am going to go in blind with no preride and the course is all new so this should be fun. Don’t ever sell clothing you are wearing when you don’t have any other clothing to change into. Later
Ricky

Monday, August 01, 2005

very nice and good

Well its been a crazy week. The weather has been wicked, like 25c and hotter every day. I rode baker a couple times one time solo and one time with Jeff Bandura, Rick Rodland and Jerald Sawatzky. I also went fishing on Friday and the sockeye season is not open yet so you can only keep Springs. I went with my Grandpa, my Dad, and my Bro. I was the only one that caught anything, and it was a sockeye. I lost my gear on the bottom of the river twice and then I just chilled and got a wicked redneck tan.

The elbow is healing up very nicely I got the stitches out on Saturday morning, so it was one day short of two weeks with them in. Now I find myself picking at it because its so freaking itchy. So I figured since I have both scooters I should race them, now the old Honda has more kick off the line but the Yamaha has more top end speed and fully wins on the quarter mile. That’s my cousin on the other scooter, he’s 15 and about the same kilos as me, so it would be fair test. Note the sock tan.

Speaking of miles, I am fully going into metric mode, I am taking out miles, feet, inches, lbs. And will be using KM, meters, centimeters, and Kilos. So if you mention standard measurements I will correct you. There is just no need for 2 systems, its starting to piss me off. So I finally found Liberty yogurt in the store, so I picked up the maple flavor and its insane, and yes those are fresh blueberries. Oh Mama thats a good combo. I have not raced in 2week but this next weekend I am going to Fernie for the canada cup. I am looking forward to racing, it will wicked. Later
Ricky

Monday, July 25, 2005

elbow at one week

So this is what one week of healing looks like. Note the shaved arms, ah crap, I had to shave a little bit to stick the band aid on then I shaved a bit more, and a bit more, then all the hair on the right arm was gone and I looked kind of stupid with one hairy and one hairless then the left got the shave to. And here we are

slow ride


So the elbow is healing up, I was supposed to get the stitches out today but the doctor wants to leave them in for couple more days. . So I went riding with Trish Sinclair yesterday and we did the baker ride and it was solid, the whole road up the climb was freshly paved and it was sure nice, the way down was insanely fast, I craped my chamois several times. I also developed tendonitis in my wrist. The weather is wicked to, like 25 and very sunny and the full on Fraser valley smog has not set in just yet but in like 3days I wont be able to breathe, ah it will be good altitude training for the world championship. Check out the photo of Trish and her sweet ride I think Trish is oh around 65years old, cause that’s how old you have to be to drive that thing right? Oh sweet grandma car. Got my drug test back today and I have the Hemaocrit of a week women, but what can you do, its always like that. I upgraded my scooter situation a couple weeks a go this new one just rips. Watched Family guy yesterday, how about the monkey smoking dope and listening to “slow ride take it easy” oh classic.

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Rickys Down!

So I just got back form Idaho NORBA I raced the XC on Saturday and things went alright but not good. I raced the first lap, made it up to 7th then I had some chain problems and had to stop and fix it then when I was stopped I got real cold and could not get it going again. Finished up in 19th. Sunday I raced the short track for 5 seconds and touched wheels with some guy and went down hard on my elbow then slid on my elbow on gravel road and it hurt like a monkey then I went to the hospital in Sandpoint and they put me on morphine with IV and then took X-rays and then cleaned the cut and then put 7 stitches in and then ran antibiotics through the IV then sent me home and today I am supper stiff all over and feel demented from the IV stuff. Got some road (gravel)rash on my shoulder, ribs, hip, and knee. Oh I feel like crap. The pain is crazy, last night I got no sleep, “I am running on NO sleep, and the red light is burring my brain” “Kenny” Then this afternoon this guy from the CCES came to my door and I had to pee in a cup and fill out all this paper work. Good timing eh? “uh you tested positive for morphine” this is going to be a night mare. And I am working on the insurance thing. There is no way I am doing Aspen I am down for at least 2 weeks of no racing. But then I should be good. I am going to see my family doctor tomorrow. They want me to go on more antibiotics but I don’t want to, they mess you up for long time. But hey its good to be at home my mom is taking good care of me. Did you hear about the Aussies that got hit in Germany? that’s not good. Right now I am down but, things could be a whole lot worse. I hope to be on fire for worlds and I might do fernie #2, but right now I just got to make sure this elbow does not get infected. No broken bones or chips and no other big damage just cut up and scraped up and real sore but OK. But its good to chill, I got the season 3 of Seinfeld on DVD and I am working on it. The tour this morning, just wicked. Later
Ricky

Sunday, July 03, 2005