Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

 

 

Changes ....It's happening; just as it always will, always has, always does.  It is different for all of us and even if cyclical, it may come about or be perceived just a bit different than the time before or the time before that (etc., etc.).  Maybe it's like the instinctual cycles of our animal friends that sense temperature changes and hours of daylight that start the hormones a flowing.  Or maybe it's more like walking around the parking lot at an outdoor concert.  You don't see it but your nose picks up just the faintest hint and you start asking yourself, "is someone burning a lil' herb?". And when you think you were mistaken, it hits you stronger and hell ya, you see the ritualistic circle of friends sharing the "moment".  

This is somewhat how I see the road season "change" to CX season for different folks and the general local bike racing scene.  It's interesting to see when it hits you and your riding buds as mid-September approaches and then see if it was like that last year.  Some folks seem to have a wholesale hormonal switch that clicks on (not that I'm naming names Mr. Skinny).  Maybe it's the getting dark at around 8:00 pm or the sticky sweet smell of the tall corn -- or even the first email ad from Cyclocrossworld.com that throws the switch.  Or maybe it's as simple as your neighbours and co-workers inundating you with their excess zucchini and tomatoes. 

I guess for myself currently, I think, but not entirely certain, that I'm catching just the slightest whiff of that unmistakable and almost inevitable change in the air.  Check with me in a couple weeks and we'll see where I'm at.  

Either way, you know there is no turning back or denying the obvious once you realize you have semi-erotic responses to the word Dugast, the smell of tubular glue, the words of Adam Myerson or perhaps the most tell-tale sign, you have opened a jar of embro just to deeply inhale the glorious mixture and moment of mud, blood, and Belgian beer.

(And if you watched the vid, damn wasn't he umm, shall we say a bit "unique"  early on in his career?)