Why does this stuff always happen to me?

If this post title sounds familiar, it might be because I used the same title at about this time last year (http://christianparrett.blogspot.com/2008/11/why-does-this-stuff-always-happen-to-me.html). It was a tale of shattering bike parts, confused rednecks, and long climbs without a small chainring.

Well this latest story I have from training didn't hurt my legs as much, but was a whole lot scarier and had me worried about losing a leg. While on a nice ride on a beautiful fall day I was spinning up a road I've been on a number of times before. I was 35 miles or so from Macon, up near Barnesville, in an area I like because it has some nice climbs for around here.

While riding along and enjoying my day I heard two dogs bark and run out of their yard to cut me off in the road. Around here this sometimes happens a half dozen times in a ride, so I didn't panic and sprint off. Normally they just stand by the road and bark or run alongside you for a bit.

Well, of course these two dogs didn't, that's what makes this a story. Turns out they were both nasty looking Pit Bulls ready to eat me. The one, really nasty one kept trying to come after my leg while I was riding. When I would try to sprint away he would run right in front of my wheel. I almost ate it several times when he threw his body in front of my front wheel leaving me to skid to a near-halt. Eventually he succesfully forced me off the bike.

At this point I started attacking him with my bike, going for his mouth and neck with the chainring. unfortunately the other dog got involved and began coming at me from another side. So at this point I end up spinning in circles, waving my bike at both dogs coming at me from opposite sides to keep them off me.

This lasted for what might've been 5 minutes. Every time they'd start to back off i'd try to get on the bike, only to have them come after me again. I was starting to get worried that they weren't gonna get tired anytime soon and started trying to figure something else out to escape.

At this point an old, beat up truck flew up. The two guys in the truck saw the dogs, drove the truck straight at them, scaring them off for a bit. About a half second after the driver told me to get in the back i jumped in, bike in arms. The really nasty of the two almost jumped into the truck but the driver sped away before he could make it. We hauled butt down some country road with me bouncing along in the back. After a few miles the guys asked which way I wanted to go. I told them this was fine and they let me off at a road that was right on my planned route anyway. I thanked them and road off. Oddly enough, they seemd hardly shaken by seeing two pit bulls fighting a teenager in spandex, and headed off without a second thought.

So, moral of the story is, kindness of strangers is awesome, people in the country are either really nice or own dogs that will try and kill you, and don't get eaten while out riding.

Also, I road with my buddy Strad this weekend and he got hit in the head by a bird. He was fine so I was allowed to laugh. Plus I was just glad it didn't happen to me, for once.

macon's not so bad

Hey all,

Check out some pictures from a nice bike walk I did the other day. If you're not from Macon, be jealous. If you are a cyclist from Macon, I hope you can get out to our nicest country roads and enjoy the fall to the fullest, it's even nicer out there now than it was when I took these pictures.

And secondly, check out http://www.ghbra.blogspot.com/. It's a buddy of mine's blog that I'll throw posts up on occasionally. Sort of a place to share cool pictures and stories and a bit of a travelogue as well.

off season?

I've already caught myself referring to 2010 as 'this year.' Like I've said before, a cyclists new year is when he starts training again.

Gotta love the off season. Went hiking some in the Mtns, ate plenty of unhealthy food, watched a lot of football, enjoyed the weather. Now I'm back on the bike and loving every minute of training. Macon is beautiful this time of year (well, not right now, it's pouring down rain).

I kicked off real-talk training with a BIG ride the other day. I road out towards Pine Mtn in West Georgia where I planned to meet up with my buddy Will and ride some in the park before getting a lift back to Macon. Well, I got lost numerous times, ended up on some dirt roads, cracked 4 or 5 separate times and ended up with 6.5 hours and 120 miles when I finally un-lost myself. Still, it was an awesome day. For you Mid-Ga cyclists looking for some climbing, Pine Mtn has some great small climbs at only an hour away; as opposed to 3 or 3.5 hours of driving to the gaps.

sorry, i sort of fell off the blogging wagon for a bit. Without doing a recap of the last month and a half, I had some terrible form, some decent form, and bad form again. Not surprisingly that meant a bunch of bad racing with a couple weeks of solid rides tucked in between. Now I'm done for the year after Univest, a race that I love and hope I can do well at one day. I'm pretty run down and happy for my off season to have started. Soon it'll be back to the grindstone for 2010. I'll try and keep this thing updated more often as well.

bland

sorry about the boring updates lately. maybe i can get some pictures or some good stories going.

I start tour of Namur tomorrow. 5 day stage race in Wallonia (french speaking part of belgium). Mid-length stages with plenty or 2-3 kilometer climbs and supposedly super hard. I'm excited to kick off what should be a good block of stage racing.

I've done some good training around here lately. I think I'm finally learning my way around well enough that I don't get lost as easily, and I'm starting to find the good training. It takes some effort but I've found some beautiful, traffic free roads and even some nice little climbs out in the flemish countryside.

crits with crosswinds

aka kermesses. done a few of those since i got back to europe. the form is good, but tactics, so far, aren't up to par. Missed breakaways by being too conservative, and by being too agressive. Frustrating since I have the legs, but kermesse racing ain't always about the legs. These belgies are just so crafty.

today, as a consolation prize, i smashed around the peleton and eventually got away in a group of 6 or 7. Then, i shocked myself by winning the sprint (and don't worry, the other guys were sprinting. They sprint for 30th here. actually, i think they sprint for 100th).

can't wait for some stage racing soon. first time i see a hill i'm going to be a happy bike racer.

just like that

and it's time to get back at it.

some mid season time off racing was a good thing, I have to say. Good times with family and friends? Check. A couple days off the bike and a few more pretty relaxed? Check. Getting back to training on my old roads? Check. Mini-camp at my home away from home in the Gaps? Check. Motivation to go hurt myself some more? Check. Bags packed? no, of course not.

Thursday afternoon I'll be back at the now very familiar Atlanta airport, Friday morning I'll be in Izegem ready for some more euro racing. Time to make the second half of this season count.