CALM LIKE A BOMB

its saturday, i just knoshed down a daggies double deluxe burger (it feels like a cinderblock in my belly), and now i'm ready to once again regal everyone with the inner workings of my life. i've been staying off the blog/diary for a while, mainly cause i've been dealing with real life issues that don't need to be spread around al gores internet. don't worry though, its all good now, or at least getting there. smiles, thats all we really need.

anyhooser, started riding my pedal scooter again recently, which feels good. not good in the sense of bodypain, that hurts, it always does when you first get back on it. its ok though, i'm having fun in the woods again, which makes me happy. the college race season is winding down soon also, which im excited about, if only from the purely selfish standpoint of having all my friends around on the weekends again. naw seriously those kids have been working hard, i wish them the best of luck next weekend out in cali-bro. bring it home to the dirty dirty yall, and then come home so we can ride bikes together.

been lying low a lot lately, needed a break from life. a positive of my ninja activities has been a lot of hangout time with my little cat CATFACE. i think shes got some dog in her cause she follows me around the yard and hangs out next to me while i chop wood. i've never really had my own cat before, but i'm not sure thats normal. she also plays with me like a dog, like jumping up on your leg and running around meowing and shit. i think shes planning on ways to eat me.
basically CATFACE is the shit.

well i better get back at it but rest assured i'll be getting back to regular updates soon.

DANO OUT.

Confidence.

got any?

being that this is my blog and my outlet for the words clogging up my mind on a daily basis, be prepared for a little bit of word vomit in about 1 second.

deep breath....ok.

So I'm a part of the Brevard College Cycling Team (for the moment at least). everybody that reads this probably already knows that, but just clarifying for those who might live under a rock that has wireless access. There's some great kids on the team, really fast on a pedal scooter and fun to be around off bikes too, which is a great thing. There's one thing that I've been noticing though concerning racing, and its something i think i can help with cause its something I've dealt with a good deal in the past and am by no means an expert on, but i think i have some tips to help.

the mental game.

first off, racing is rad and being fast at it is awesome. all the kids are pretty damn fast at what they do, but could be faster. I'm not talking about everyone on the team, and I'm not talking about just one person either. I've noticed people getting super nervous the night before and morning of a race. like not able to sleep, sitting in a corner shivering, doubting their abilities nervous. being nervous before a race is normal i know, but to the point where it affects your performance is not a good thing, especially if you put in a shit ton of training work and are physically prepared. I've been there, for years i lost races because i psyched myself out, thinking everyone was gonna beat me, that i wouldn't be good enough, that i missed that crucial training ride, or didn't get enough sleep, etc. just little shit that gets in your head you know? i got to the point for me that i hated racing and ended up quitting racing altogether for almost 2 years. i don't think it has to be that way, cause racing is supposed to be fun as hell. we've got enough stressful things in our lives like school, work, and chappet's sweet ass.

anyhow, enough rambling. basically what i had to do was just sit down and tell myself that i can ride like hell and that I'm the one to be scared of when i go to a race. i visualize the win and what its going to take to accomplish it, whether its the crucial break or the fastest line down the course. then, i take a huge breath and fill my lungs with the negative thoughts and blow it all out. once I'm at the race i don't think about everyone else, i don't think about the people watching, i think about my lines and getting my practice/warm up in. i have to make a conscious effort to focus my thoughts but it seems to be worth it. i know that sounds like some hippie bullshit, but its what works for me. that, and falling asleep every night to metal in my ears.

so yeah, just a random passing thought that i hope helps with nervousness, because we all want each other to succeed when its comes down to it.

feel free to call me an idiot because of this post,

dano out.

p.s.-

i want this.

A question...

Is it possible for a girl to get pregnant off a dirty toilet seat?

I need answers people.

Dano out.

p.s.- i want one of these, but with me on it. somebody give me one.

i can see clearly now.

finally finally finally. that black death is gone, i think. i hope. i took it super easy this weekend slept pretty much all day today (sun) and pounded into that emergen-c harder than Mitch into a rock garden. double flat, every time. basically I'm feeling good. unfortunately i think that any sort of fitness gains from my winter training plans are all gone by this point. a month of down time will do that for ya. not very good for me, not at all. back to square 1.

i can't complain though, it ain't that bad. i got the official word a few days ago, I'll be working in Brevard, NC this summer again fixing bikes and taking kids riding for camp. this year is especially sweet because in addition to the room and board/ good pay, im only working 10ish to 4ish. plenty of time to hurt myself in pisgah and dupont. their also letting me go to as many races as i can. with this setup, i should be back up to speed rather quickly. i leave Florida, probably for a long time, in two weeks.

I'm excited to chill with my friends in NC and ride some of the worlds best (in my humble opinion) trails. its gonna be a guaranteed good time, and I'm looking forward to meeting new people and seeing if i can make the switch stick. I'm also looking forward to pushing my riding and education farther.

on a sadder note though, I'll be leaving almost all of my best friends behind here in gville, with is an amazing town full of good people. it also has one of the best riding scenes I've ever been around. as much as i bitch about, there's good reasons that i keep coming back. I'm wondering if there will be people as ridiculously fun to ride and hang out with in NC as I've got one phone call away here in FL. we'll see...

dano out.