Le Blog de Tom

It do 'urt some..
The throbbing aching movement restricing pain throughout my scarred limbs from my crash two days ago make me think.. I always find it odd when cyclists feel the need to be stopped in their tracks by some sort of pain. 'My feet hurt, my hand hurts, my saddle is out of line my ass hurts yadda yadda'.
Good story. Chatting to Darren Lapthorne, former team mate and training partner about the 2007 Australian national championships which he won, hands down, I asked what was it like over the last (solo) 20km. He says, 'All I remember was that my big toe was killing, my shoes were slightly too small and on such a hot day, all I could think about was finishing and getting my soes off'. Proof, if ever you needed it that if its ONLY your feet, hands arms whatever hurting then things are going bloody well.

Cool Iya

// Paris-Roubaix
// Peep Show
// Christophe Diguet. Circuit De La Sarthe Stage 2a.
// Natty - 'Cold Town'
// Adding Peanut butter to porridge, during the cooking process. Thanks Tiaan.
// Rob Hayles.. The other half..
// The Stone City Stragglers.
// www.cdbaby.com
// Cornwall
// new series of House.

Keeping track of passwords and user names, how are we supposed to do that, I must have approaching 20 different passwords, number identifications, pin numbers etc etc. Trouble is if you keep all that information in one place and it gets found then your fucked. Proper fucked. People can go in and read secret stuff like.. facebook messages and the like.
So its charactersitically been a while, blowing hot and cold with the blogging idea, obviously dont need to stretch my mental space most mornings. The year plods on.. back under a blanket of snow today which for the first time I have found to be really depressing, maybe its just being back in the North.. After a weekend in Cornwall you get used to daylight.. blue skies and an air of life.. which is bundled under a grey woolen rug as soon as you get North of Worcester, and stamped down so the lid of the case will just about shut. Still the locks are really under the pressure today..
A puncture cost me $1000 AUD on the weekend. I didnt laugh or cry I just rued the fact I had already mentally began spending it. Note to kids.. Never EVER EVER consider even contemplating what to do with prize money until you have it in your palm. Travis Mayer learned that at the tOur of Tassie last year when he incured my wrath for doing the same thing, it was stage two, and he was projecting our overall places for four days later.. I mean Jaysus..
Anyhow looking forward to a month of tiny tiny small races, should be... well not fun as they generally lead me not into temptation, only frustration can be had.. So look out Devon, I will be swearing at you all I imagine, I'm sorry about that. I dont know where the blood goes.
Big news people might miss, Ian Stannard finished the Tour of Flanders, that takes some fucking doing at a first attempt, as a neo pro. I am very impressed, but what with the UK being so wildly successful these days I have a fear it'll get passed over, anyhow Chapeau from me man.. Good shit.
Most importantly I have found a great website, www.cdbaby.com If you have some time and money, they find me cd's based on bands that sound like bands I like. GREAT stuff, such a good idea, sometimes when surrounded by suburbia a little inspiration goes a long way. I found a band called The Stone City Stragglers, on a Whiskeytown related search.. Tindersticks while looking for the National and I also discovered Toots Hibberd of Toots and the Mayatals fame (the man who actually coined the phrase "Reggae" ) has a son.. who's music is of the finest skanking variety..
whew try all of those or some, taste is the enemy of art or some such thing.

Watch the film, Be Kind Rewind. It blew my mind.


Money is like life and time, it lies but can't stand up, down for you is up. Lou Reed.

There is no greater ceremony than the post race coffee ride. Be it after a stage race or just a one day race, it is perhaps the best bit of the whole race experience. I mean the Bike line 2 day was good, the weather held out, I lost no skin, I started to feel ok and enjoyed the racing. But it was a lot sweeter this morning in Wilmslow at the Petit France Deli. A brilliant 30 minutes riding from my front door means that although its a little cool, and slightly drab (no beach, no sun, no hot chicks - but really, look how far North we are). it is still a happy two hours myself and Kristain managed to while away there.

I have to admit it hurt a little to go through the pictures of the Bendigo Madison crit. The boys all bathed in warm summer evening sunlight around the packed streets. Roll on summer roll on, as we say at the wine bank, around 3 am while jumping up and down.

oh yeah I have also decided officially that my team kit is tres cool. After some examination of actual racing photo's I get it. Fran was right. Chapeau