A couple more shed park shots

I wasn't really in photo mode this weekend, but here are a couple more.

Panoramic majesty of the downhill S's. (just kidding...)


S-Bends


2nd Run Up/Ride Up.

Mad Alchemy Rules.

end is near

Big race weekend. Shed Park in Lowell and the last race of the Accelerated Cure series in Easthampton. Friday night was a bit hectic as I had no clean kit, a dirty bike, and needed to get in a trainer ride to open up the legs.
As the season has dragged on, it has become easier and easier to roll up to a race with a less and less clean bike. In my head, I want to race every weekend, but in reality it the legs are cooked and it is harder and harder to get out of bed.
Regardless, we rallied to scenic Lowell. Got there early(even for my standards). Course was pretty rad. Half super tech and half roadie safe hammer zone. The goal was to race the 4 race and the 3/4. Based on my lingering illness and almost non existent training, I was skeptical. I did devise the formula for trouble.
Bad Weekend=MT < OZB. When minutes training(MT) are less than ounces of beer consumed(OZB), you are setting yourself up for the beatdown.
4 race jumped off. Rode my usual midpack fodder self. The spiral of death was hectic the first couple laps and bikes were getting tangled(pay attention-this becomes important on the last lap).
Spiral of Death

fully loaded



I was feeling good on the run ups and was managing to catch and pass people. Last lap and I am neck in neck with one of my many nemesis, heading into the last run up (ride up for a lot of other people). I dismount and start to run-pushing the bike. The bike does not roll. Rear wheel is jammmed and the bike is dragging. WTF????? Get to the top and am baffled. Chain is on, not jammed. Then I realize the wheel isn't in the dropout..?WTF. Clearly massive watts were not the culprit. I end up flipping the bike over and beating it back into place-losing a bunch of spots as today's nemesis floats off to Valhalla. Fully bummed, but unbroken, I remount and finish.
My conspiracy theory is that in one of the trips through the Spiral of death, I must have tangled with someone who pulled my quick release loose and it finally got me.
I need zapruder film to confirm, but I have a feeling that all I will see are pictures of me punching my rear wheel....
Race over and now it's time to think about the 3/4.
It was a sunny day, how did my bike get so dirty?

Legs that were cooked when I got up, weren't any better after the first race, but what the hell. Line up and give it a go. After 3 races, the course was more chewed up than my first run through. SOD was a muddy wreck.

The woodsy section had some rutted, drying mud that managed to buck me around like an idiot everytime. So, in true coward's fashion, I rolled off the course after a lap and a half. Day over. Packed up and headed home. Not washing the bike was not an option, so it got done. Bike-life was not over though. The Bicycle Film Fest was in town showing Where are you Go. The trailer for that movie looked cool, so we went to check it out.

It was pretty cool. See it if you can. Time for sleep cause Easthampton was another early roll out.
We rolled up to a very cold Easthampton. Pre-ride was kind of a bumout. A lot of hate was dished out towards the course. Boring with some hectic, sketchy mountain bike sections. It did have a sandpit. Morale was at an all time low on the start.
I actually started in the small ring and planned to ride at the back and treat it like training, or maybe just drop out after a lap.
Half way through the first lap, I managed to almost clip a tree. Nick passed me and told me to chill and "take a deep breath". Turned out to be good advice. Once I was racing, the course was fun. Not a sketchy crash fest. Second race in a row where I was really feeling good on the run ups. Passing people and going hard every lap. The sand pit was similar to Northampton on the first day. Thanks to some good advice, I road the sand better than ever. Thanks PedalPowerCoaching! I was enjoying it more every lap and then it was over. I bobbled the last ride down/run up muddy section and lost a couple spots, but was still happy.
New rule-No negative nancy shit before the race. Just listen to Slayer and get ready to do it.
The 3/4 race was an option.... but not really. Burritos and fish tacos were next on the agenda. Followed by coffee and the cruise home.
2 weeks and 2 races. Then it is time to start building for the road season.

Forge your own Chains

Saw this listed as new release on some list and got real excited. Stones Throw/Now Again has a pretty spotless reputation for obsucro-comps with their funk reissues ,and odd psych records give you a lot of room to work with (toyshop comps???. The two together should be a slam dunk.
Packaging is on some eyepeeling blue and orange action. Huge booklet of liner notes. 15 tracks from all over the globe. First couple of listens under not optimal conditions had me feeling underwhelmed. Luckily, I had the chance to play it uninterrupted on a rainy Saturday drive. The overall dirge and ballad theme was well suited to a rainy drive to Lynn. While not a front to back all killer no filler experience, there are some standout tracks.
Both Top Drawer and Shaddrack Chameleon(best name or what?) drop some procul harum-esque 16 vestal virgins organ ballad jams.
Sensational Saints bring a little gospel funk to the table. D.R. Hooker drops a pre straightedge straightedge jam.
First jaw dropping classic nugget goes to Ofege "it's not easy". This is way beyond an english as a second language novelty rework of "dear mr.fantasy". Classic mixtape showstopper.
2nd place goes to baby grandmothers who drop a mega 13th floor elevators style lysergic dirge, I will be tracking down their reissue with 20 minute live jams from 1968 for sure.

One minor complaint-why put east of underground and d.r. hooker on here when both full lengths have been recently reissued? So you've got a bunch of tracks from around the globe. Some of the tracks have that Kill Bill soundtrack vibe-rock nugget novelties from other countries, but it is still a good comp. Not quite as wild as the other recent Pysch-Funk 101 comp,but covering a similar wide swath of the global rarities.

Black Breath Razor to Oblivion

4 songs of Portland D-Beat. Sometimes I get a craving for Taco Bell. Not Mexican food, but Taco Bell. D-Beat is the same. Give it to me executed exactly to the winning formula. Discharge and Motorhead as the main ingredients. Don't get to slick or original. Black Breath deliver. 4 songs in 15 minutes or so. Totally raging. Perfect interval music. Peg the heartrate for the length of the jam.
Portland has always been a "metal-punk" town in my mind. Poison Idea, Accused,and on and on. Everything had a metal edge or look to it. Portland always reminds me of this. Black Breath keep that tradition alive. The label is name checking the right bands, but then going a little too far with the Celtic Frost/Bathory allusions.The mighty Repulsion from whom they jacked their name are an better comparison. Stick to the formula. Shredding D-beat that will have you coming back for more.

They self released this on vinyl and southernlord has the cd. Full length on the way.

Last Gasp for CSI

Here are some shots from my wife, who is actually a photographer. This will be the end of the NoHo overkill. I need to try and get healthy for Plymouth this weekend.

Master Killers


Barriers

Action in the Pit! Bike Exchange.MM Racing style.




And that's a wrap.

Northampton 09 Run Up Video Test

How many more posts can I milk this for? Keep counting....
This is from the Cat 3 race. 2nd lap maybe? c

Sunday Photos

I woke up sick and didn't race. Pretty much sat at the October tent all day and took lazy photos from that position. Once again. Fast. The grass sections looked like a crit. Single file with guys dying to close gaps.
Elite Women's start.

Mary McConneloug was dominated. Leading a group on the 1st lap. After that she just road away.
Lap one.

Lap two.

Timmerman gets a great start, but rolls a tire. The crash at the start slowed down a lot of dudes.


Myerson got a great start too, but it seems like if you didn't get caught up at the start, you were guaranteed an issue later. Myserson flatted and drifted back.