Cross Goes Kabooom

Kaboooom. That is what has happened to the rest of my Cross season. I tried. Really, I did. But the snow has piled up and I couldn’t resist. I skied (alpine) on Thursday. I skied (alpine) on Friday. I showed up to race on Saturday but only made 3 laps. I couldn’t keep it upright, my heart wasn’t into it and I pulled the plug. DNF. So I do plan to show up at Nationals. I will probably do the 30+ Race on Friday and then pit for my friends for the rest of the weekend. I am stoked for the road season. Right now I just need a break.

To be honest, the only think I could think about on Saturday (when I was supposed to be racing!) was skiing on Sunday. So, I tele skied on Sunday. We had a great posse and we ripped it up: too much actually, as I am having trouble sitting down or standing up. If you tele ski, you know what I am talking about. The days after your first day of the season are brutal. Below are some photos of my and Candra from Friday. Matt was rokcing the camera trying to get some marketing shots. Yes, these were at Bretton Woods. Yes, that is Pow.

Mr Heatmizer

We need him. It is dumping out right now- Snow that is. The white stuff is piling up out there and it looks like it is here for good now. Yah, I am in the blue. Dumping.

Looks like I will be skiing this week . . . . . .

What can I say about this weekend ?!?!? Saturday, I sucked. I was totally “blocked” and literally couldn’t get out of my own way. I knew it right away. After the first 500 meters, I was in last. Literally, last. I tried to move up in the first few corners and just go in people’s way. I got smoked. Enough said.

For some reason, I wasn’t too pissed about it. It was weird. Maybe I have gotten smoked so many times this cross season, that it hurts less now?!? Regardless, Martha and I went to my parent’s house on the Cape, had a nice dinner and swilled some outstanding wine.

Sunday, I had no expectations for the race or my performance. I don’t know why I thought this race would be budget, but I did. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived. I think this might have been the best track of the season! It was killer. I did a bunch of course inspection with Tommy G and Coley. We were having a blast just rolling around doing laps in the warm sun. The course was fast, with tricky cornering lines and a 300 meter muddy cinder track section that left you looking like a coal miner. It was sweet.

Sparing the details, I had a good race. Maybe my best effort all season. Good start without going into the red, tagged onto the lead group of 8-10 for 3 or 4 laps, then in a small second group, finally trying to hold off Tommy G and Coley during the last 3 laps. Tommy came charging from behind and forced me to make a few mistakes with 1.5 laps to go and rode away. Props youngster.

So, I finally had good legs. Yippeee!! I certainly wasn’t going to challenge Johs or Whitey, but at least I felt like I belonged in the race. I have no idea what place I ended up, but I am sure results will be posted. Regardless, I hope I am back.

Martha took some cool pics:

First Lap at the stairs:
















2nd Lap trying to avoid Aaron stacking it:















The Rad Stair obstacle:















Me trying to shake Jeff (it didn't work):















The toughest corner on the course:

Belgium?

AHM was in Belgium this past weekend?!? (See 16th place)

http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php?id=cross/2005/nov05/wezembeek05

Randomness

So it has been a few days since my last post. It has been a pretty boring week in general. Get this, I rested, rode, worked, rested and now I am prepping for a weekend of racing. Imagine that?
I finished building my new frame last night. Specialized seems to be having trouble with the matte finish and painted decals. My frames are looking pretty rough on the top tube and down tube at the spots I grab the frame. They have been UNBELIEVABLE though. I called my contact and told him what’s up. He had me send a couple of photos to another dude. The other dude called me and said he would send me a new “temporary” frame Fed-EX and wanted me to send him my frame for “testing”. Literally, 20 hours after that phone conversation a frame arrived from the west coast. What a country. It sounds like they are going to change the finish so it is more durable. Anyway, Specialized rocks.
I am racing this weekend and I am looking forward to it. Plymouth is Saturday. I like this course. My parents came last year to check out the race since they live about 40 miles south. It was the first time they had ever seen me race my bike. It was pretty funny seeing my dad running around the course telling me to go faster. I had a good race, but got worked by Coley and some Cycle-Smart dude (Thomas Young, haven’t seen him this season) in a 3-up sprint for the B race glory. Oh well.
Lowell is Sunday. I don’t know anything about this race. Turnout looks to be reasonable.
Weather is turning cold and my motivation to get outside and train is dwindling. My motivation to train is actually on the rebound, just not when it is 30 degrees out. I almost wish it were March and the road season was around the corner.

Enough random thoughts. Wish me luck this weekend. Ciao.

A Legendary Day

Worth the read . . .

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=3604

FUN?!?!?

If one more person tells me to “Have Fun”, I am going to . . . .just kidding. Thanks for the encouragement. Awesome weekend of racing! That’s right, I said awesome. I had a great time. Was I fast? Not so much, but at least I was able to tap what ever HP that was in my body. In a race like the ones this weekend reality is that there are 25 guys that are totally untouchable for me right now, another 10 guys that if having a good day are attainable and then the last 15 guys are the dudes I am racing with/against most of the time. This weekend proved no different.

The tracks this weekend were perfect. Fast open areas with limited running and some dry twisty, turny technical areas. I loved both tracks. Saturday I had a great start. Almost too good, as I went into the red way too early and completely cracked at minute 20 or so. I am having some trouble with pacing my effort for the entire race. Saturday was no different. I can’t make it into the Top 20/25 in the first lap and expect to stay there. By minute 30, I was a sitting duck, cracked and not going very fast. Groups of 5-7 riders were catching me and then leaving me. Lesson learned.

Sunday, I tried to go out a bit easier, stay in the top 40 and try to stay more steady. I think it worked a bit better. My data was more consistent, I felt like I was “racing” as opposed to being in “survival mode” the entire time after lap 1, blah blah blah. Baby steps.

So enough about the racing highlights: Killer weather, great venues, the usual characters, etc.

Other weekend highlights included Martha’s new bike: Her new Stevens team bike was delivered this weekend. It looks sweet and the paint matches the course tape she went thru on lap 2!

To the gentlemen I T-Boned in the parking lot while riding my bike, not looking where I was going and harassing Brendan: sorry dude. If it makes you feel any better, plenty of people got a good chuckle out of my knucklehead move. Glad neither of us got hurt. Good thing I wasn’t doing my “I am too Pro to wear a helmet” impression.

Ward made his last race cross appearance this weekend. Somebody please get that guy a bike that fits him properly. If they do, watch out. The HP is legit. If he didn’t have to sit up and stretch his back every 5 minutes, he would be a contender.

Tommy G marching his way forward in the U23 ranks. Keeping the charge going, the series is only half over.

New staging procedure: dope.

ATTENTION KERRY

Thanks for the update.

Regarding your grading: draw a bell curve, place the kids names under the curve where you think they should end up based on their performance (or lack there of) in class and call it good. They are only the future of America. How much more fucked up can it get?

Much Ado

Much ado about the new Verge start position policy; Go here if you don’t know what I am talking about. I am not sure I see the issue. If you are fast and placing well, you will be lined up in the front. If you are not racing well and willing to register early you will get a better spot than you might have previously. If you are not racing well and not willing to register early, you will be lined up in the back. Regardless, you will not have to stand on the start line for hours trying to hold your spot and you can warm up. Your start will be better and the likely hood of dudes overlapping wheels and cramming onto the start grid may just eliminate dudes stacking it in the first 200 meters (maybe). Just a perspective.

I had a sweet visit to the doctor today: passed out cold while blood was being sucked out of my arm at the speed of light and dumped into a vile. The nursing student that was “observing” freaked out like I died! It was pretty amusing for all involved. Blood is not my thing. Obviously.

Heras positive. Imagine that. I wonder how many dudes racing this weekend have doped?!? I can’t believe there are that many, but who knows. I wish that tested us. It would be interesting. I realize it is cost prohibitive to have doping control at some piss-ass (is that a word?) little cross race in NE, but it would be interesting to see who is doping. Maybe no one.

35 degrees and snowing this afternoon. it sounds like it is a rollers night. lame.

Waxing to change the Mojo

Started waxing the nordic skis last night! Trying to shake the “I can’t race my bike fast” mojo. When in doubt turn to skiing. Granted we have no snow, but the skis can never have enough wax to make them fast. I was actually pretty slack last spring and never put a coat of summer wax on them so they were pretty oxidized. Puttin’ it to er now though. The way the weather has gone lately, we won’t have to worry about skiing until after nationals anyway. Last year I think we skate skied at the alpine area a few times in early December, but I can’t remember.

The second and third Verge Series races are this weekend. Last year in CT we had snow the night before and it was a total slopfest. I hope that it is a bit dryer and I don’t hit the deck as much this year. Last year, I stacked it on the pavement, in a straight away, by myself. Ha, you gotta love that.

Here is a photo from the team presentation in Bermuda. The day before this presentation was the last day I felt good on a bike, 42 days ago.














I guarantee one thing, I am finishing both races this weekend. No bailing.

Nothing Good

Nothing good to say about yesterday. I went to Putney hoping to have a good race at a small regional A race. Instead, I "raced" for 25 minutes, rode to the car and was on the highway heading north before the winner finished his race. Not sure what my deal is: overtraining, undertraining, undermotivated, overmotivated, cracked, or simply not cut out to be a bike racer?!?! At this point, I am not sure.

Tour of EPO?

ODD?

Does anyone else find it odd that the Tour of California is sponsored by Amgen? What will they call it the EPO Tour of California or the Tour of California presented by EPO? Now I admit that if someone asked me yesterday who pioneered the manufacture of Erythropoietin (EPO) I couldn’t have told you. But doesn’t that make it even scarier? This is the best quote from the article:

“The company, which boasts more than $2 billion in annual sales, says that its sponsorship is driven by its awareness of the inappropriate use of its product. ‘We believe we have a responsibility to ensure that the medicines we develop are used properly,’ Amgen scientific director Steve Elliott told USA Today's Sal Ruibal. “

Are you kidding me?