My luxurious office

Yesterday was my four-year anniversary at ROAD Magazine and at the end of the month is my birthday. The former I’m happy about, the latter not so much. While I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot here at ROAD, I thought now at my age I would be at least running a third world country or assistant manager at Starbucks. My parents are still surprised that I make a living writing about bikes, even after I showed them my office and paycheck! Anyways, thanks for reading ROAD and look for more stuff to come from us here at H3Publications.

My Parents chilling back at the shire

For the five of you who read my diatribe/blog on a semi-regular basis I apologize for the lack of postings. My excuses are varied and many. After my parents left the States and returned to the shire, it was the holidays, then we had a magazine due and I’ve been captivated by the Britney Spears and K-Fed child custody court case, which has been a bigger time suck than my Wii. And speaking of completely wacky people I need to make a few apologies. First off I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to Jodi Hall. When I gave my Dad your number as a contact I had no idea he would use it to drunk dial you and rail against cyclocross. My Dad’s comments about ‘cross racers not being real men because they only race for an hour was completely off-base. For the record to be a real man doesn’t mean you have to race for eight hours at a time in the snow all season long. Also my Dad has no real proof that he beat Fausto Coppi in the Berkinshire road race, so Jodi please disregard that statement. And as I am apologizing, Noel thanks for being at my parent’s competence hearing after that little “incident” in front of the British Embassy and vouching for them. The embassy has now reopened and the windshield of the ambassador’s cars has been replaced. Slover thanks for keeping my parents looking stylish for the mentioned competence hearing. It’s one thing to be crazy, but it doesn’t mean you have to look crazy. Bikes Gone Wild I think my parents will miss you more than me and you have a standing invite to visit them. Thanks to you my Dad will be using such charming phrases such as, “keeping my pimp hand strong,” and “I’m a playa” back at the village to the delight of the other pub denizens. And to all the people who were startled by the blue Ford Focus rental car driving on the left-hand side of the road my sincerest regrets. This blog now returns to its usual mindless ramblings about all things Neil.

ROAD Magazine has always considered a Waffle House as a sanctuary for peace and good times. Nothing brings locals as well as professional cycling teams together than a hearty plate of grits. So we were saddened to hear of the recent physical altercation at this breakfast bastion. Nothing ruins a nice 4:00 AM Waffle House breakfast than two guys tussling in the parking lot. ROAD Magazine has been in touch with both Kid Rock’s spokesperson and, due to his relationship with Floyd Landis, Mr. Landis as well. Floyd wants to put to rest the rumors that the Floyd Fairness Fund will be used to defend Mr. Rock.

This statement was received directly from the FFF. “Contrary to rumors being circulated, the Floyd Fairness Fund will not be used to defend Mr. Rock in his arrest at the Atlanta Waffle House. He was married to Pamela Anderson, so it is apparent that he has the monetary means to properly defend himself in a court of law. That said, Dr. Baker is prepared to analyze any and all drug or alcohol related testing that might have been performed on Mr. Rock.”

Hopefully soon, I will be flying out to Atlanta and visiting the Waffle House in question.

My meter has been on the low side recently

I had been a little down in the dumps since returning from Interbike. I think it’s a combination of all the travel and general malaise that comes with the end of the racing season. But the coupe de grâce was Interbike. That place just crushed me on so many levels, professionally as well as personally. Being on the road for so long I missed the people in my life. You are surrounded by so many people on these trips, yet you often feel alone and tired, which is not a good combination. Not to help, but I was also listening to a lot of Placebo, which isn’t always the most cheerful music. Thank God that these trips are over for the time being.

My life both professionally and personally revolves around the racing season, so I think as the season winds down, my body does as well. I’ve had little energy and haven’t written anything meaningful since Interbike, not that I write a lot of meaningful stuff anyways. I was loading my bike to my roof rack yesterday when Tony sees me and asks where I’m going. I tell him that I’m going to train in the local hills, but I am really lacking motivation to train, but I need to. Not to say I haven’t been training at all. In my classic Type A, obsessive compulsive personality that is so attractive, I have thrown myself into Pilates. But I still need cycling conditioning as well because I kind of committed to doing a road race in Death Valley at the end of the month and ‘cross season has started, so I need to be in shape for that beat down of biblical proportions.

“Yeah me too. I’ll start riding again when I feel motivated.” Tony says. However, Tony has enough residual fitness that he doesn’t need to train to be competitive for the local ‘cross races. That is not the case with me. So I’m training yesterday for really the first time in about a month and starting to feel better physically and mentally. Even today as I write this I continue to feel better and will ride up Old Road in Santa Clarita. Hell, I think that maybe I’ll even write something for the magazine today as well!

Cruz not too concerned with training right now

* an inside joke about how I have characteristics of the armadillo