Torture Test and Ghettodrome!

Ugh.  I'm still recovering from the torture test that The Duke devised for us yesterday afternoon.  He had the grand idea to construct a cyclocross training course in his yard, which wasn't a bad theory.  The practice though, turned out to be less than perfect.  After a rough day at the shop where I had to balance several different homeland security issues all while building some crazy new electric bike, I thought that I'd ride my frustrations out with some tough training at the Duke's place.  Hah.  I went out hard for the first few laps and expected to hit a rhythm and grind out the day's frustrations over a good half-hour or so.  Fifteen minutes may have passed before his course whooped my tail and threw me down on the ground.  However, time tends to dilate during periods of intense suffering, so it may have been as much as an hour.  It's impossible to say since nearly everyone else present was happily drinking beer and enjoying my torment as a kind of cruel sideshow in lieu of bad cover bands or pole-dancing strippers.  Ten laps in and I was ready to puke, pass out, or just break down and cry.  I had been cracked by this seemingly puny grass path.  The climb up one of the bigger hills in town on the way home was the nail in the coffin.  I got home and fell apart.  I felt much worse than I did after my first 50 mile ride on a fixed gear a couple of years ago.  There was no sense of relief, no feeling of accomplishment, just inglorious defeat at the hands of The Duke's backyard torture chamber.  

But Beware!  I have not been killed, I have only been made stronger by this test and I will emerger with a taste for blood, tears, and sweet victory tonight at the GHETTODROME!  If you don't know already, you had better get yourself up to Sunshine Cycles and get informed.  Meet at Prince and Pulaski tonight at 9:15 for the short ride to the race venue.  Wear your costumes, bring your booze of choice, and don't be slow, because the Devil takes the hindmost in this post-apocalyptic test of strength, skill and tactics.  Only one will survive victorious, but many will be rewarded for their efforts with sweet prizes from Ben's Bikes, Swagger, and of course Loose Nuts Custom Wheels.  The main event kicks off at 10:00, so don't be late.