friggen a

Mile 69.45 out of mile 70 yesterday, I decide to lay my bike down...almost home, but hit a super sandy patch + wind, and over I went. Road rash, bent derailler hanger (well it was already bent, but I had to go get a new one this morning, luckily bethel cycles had one) but it sort of annoyed me. Now I have road rash all over my hip, in a spot that just cleared up two months ago, from a crash during 'cross. Son of a #$%. Two 4+ hour rides this week, and my legs hurt a bit. I am also starting to have some tan lines.....not yet, but I laid the foundation. I also got to a read a book, some hemmingway about paris in the '20's, it was pretty decent. For the record, yes, I know how to read (I do go to colby from time to time, after all).

I am somewhat looking forward to this weekends races. These were my 1st ever races, last year. I have, well, 1000 or so miles more in my legs than I did last season at this point (plus lifting and racing experience). I know the courses pretty well, and I think the road race is pretty well suited to me. It is hilly, but not super super climbing intense (the legs aren't totally read for that I don't think yet) and I know the climbs from last year (somewhat) so I am 'crossing my fingers. Also some plans to get into a break in the 'crit with some friends maybe.....maybe. I have been feeling good all week (well, tired, but strong) and recovering well, and well, I am going to stop talking, stop putting pressure/expecations on my self, go sleep/rest some more and then race my bike.

warmth

It was warm out. Like, short sleeve top and bottom, no gloves, sweating.....warm. I rode a shade over 4 hours and did a shade over 66 miles. I did it very stupidly, doing mostly flat first 2 hours, and mostly hills 2nd two. I also was with the wind for an hour, then into the wind for two, and then with the wind to end it. Somewhere up one of the 20% + grade hills in the 3rd hour, into the wind, my soul was crushed. I also saw like 10-15 other cyclists out on the roads, first time all year I've seen anyone else out.

I also met mandy today over at TT. she seemed really nice, and it was sort of cool to meet someone whose blog you have read for awhile (though I didn't tell her that fact). She gave me an

impressivly firm/strong handshake....for a female or a male, it caught me off guard. Oh yea, she was...um...well...rather hot. While I was there I picked up some new embro (my stock of greyhound juice ran out last weekend) - its made by elite, and i guess its called o3zone or something like that "thermogel forte". It's made in italy, and has writing in english second, so you know its good. Sadly, it sort of absorbed and leaves no sheen although the package does say that the "warm tingling sensation" and "skin reddening" is "perfectly normal". At like 20 bucks for 100ml, this crap better be good. Its supposed to be not short sleeve weather again tmrw/thus, so maybe I'll give it a try.

Picture stolen off the interwebs from the weekend. One of my solo break attempts...shortly before I vom'd and dropped out. I know, not at all aero, but I was minutes from puking and was starting to feel sick, hence I sat up, and have a great look about me.

race weekend duex

Bucknell cycling classic. 36 mile road race, 30 minute crit. I stayed at the really fast bucknell guys room, thanks again for hooking that up, greatly appreciated.

Road race - felt very strong. Moved up easily on the hills early as things started out very, very slow. We are talking the D's who started 2 min behind us were gonna catch us slow. I tried a break, well, actaully three. One was solo, one I initiated and somene followed, one was me seeing a rider who I thought "looked fast" and 3 seconds later he went, and I followed. None stayed away more than a few minutes. Then I got sick, puked and dropped out. It sucked, I felt like I could have tried something with the hills, I felt super strong, but the finish (and 3 miles heading to it) were all flat, so who knows. Looking forward to boston.

Criterium - felt less than great. Actaully, the dude in front of me didn't clip in and I was near the back from the gun. 4 dudes took off, never to be seen again. Things were lined out from the end of the first lap, and I was like 30-40 wheels back. Which was bad. I had very few oppertunities to move up, and when I did, my legs weren't having it. Things were fast, and a very technical course meants lots of small gaps needed to be closed down just to stay in contact. Finally, at 4 to go, I got all the way up to 5th-6th wheel. It was clear the break was gone, so I decided to see if I had the legs for a psuedo-sprint. I was going to try a break, but wind and speed and lots of work just moving up and I wasn't really feeling it. 3 turns to go, and I get real close, and I mean super, super close to the guy next to me. Like, not just bumping elbows, but he was literally supporting me, all my weight was on him. Apparently someone cut him off, and he came into my line, and there was no room, i'm just happy he didn't freak out and kept going and we both stayed up (we talked about it after the race). I came through the last turn 15th wheel. My super amazing sprint skills put me into 13th at the line, which was good for 17th with the 4 off the front. Not amazing, but just behind the spinters, for a total climber, on a flat, windy, technical crit....isn't bad. I proved to myself I have some legs, and my speed is starting to come around.

In the A race, rkelly was one of like 7-10 guys who went away and lapped the field....hugely impressive, props to him. Ryan, if you see this, I have a sweet picture of you leading the break in the 2nd to last turn (where I was that guy screaming for you 'cross style), but my computer is broken, so if you want it i'll send it to you in like 2 weeks once my computer gets back from the spa (dell repair center).

Seeing as the week is over...185.97mi, 11:26:51. Huge week on tap for break this week (well not huge, but big). Things are coming along.....maybe?

16.6

ec90sl fork + tubulars = 16.6lbs. No pics, I am having technical issues (I broke my computer). Maybe sometime next week, or the week after that, or the week after that. It looks fast.

Shakedown ride on the wheels - hubs are buttery smooth like the other neuvation hubs I have, and the wheels turn. Good supple feel to the tubbies, seemed a bit "less harsh" and I felt they "went" at speed nicely. It's all in my head, I guess. I liked them. And they were fine in 15mph cross winds.

say what

It had been awhile since I posted a pic, and too much text blog = boring. Oh yea, the tubulars showed up today. They are stretching over at the shop, glue'd (or extreme tape'd) later in the week, shakedown ride fri prbly, and then bust 'em out at bucknell. Time to venga, if you will. The blue is the basetape, and is actaully less than the picture shows. I had the tire on only partways in the pic and it wasn't centered, so you see more blue than you normally would. You get the idea though. The tubulars were pretty cool, the sidewall almost looks like a michelin p2r limited edition, it had the same sort of diagonal goldish lines on it, as you can see in the pic. smooth center, some basic grippy tread type on the side (not tread, but small dots I guess). Blue cloth basetape. Oh yea, ec90sl fork also on the way. Maybe will get here pre-break. If so, bike will prbly be sub 17 in race livery. I have a fast bike (at least it looks fast), so now I need to be equally fast.

week 7

7 weeks of riding on the books. Somehow, this one doesn't seem like it will be one to remmeber. an astounding 4 days on the bike, some great sickness, a measily 101 miles in 6:18. Heck, I could do that in one day. Started week 6 in the gym, so I am almost done there and I am getting wayyyy stronger. I am at something like 385 miles for the month, and just shy of 1k for the year so far. Things would have been bigger, but after finding out the race sat was cancelled I opted for a day off (since my legs were none to recovered) and then partook in doghead, colby's fine tradition of waking up at 430am on the saturday closest to st. patty's, and drinking your mind out. I was planning on going home after sleeping all afternoon and sobering up to drive home and race (poorly) the next day, but that race was cancelled too. So I decided to continue my stupidness, take a second day off from riding, and go all out. At least I got it out of my system. I got in some quaility time on the rollers today, watched some free cycling.tv ( thanks tyler for the tip, and I agree, lamesauce on the race weekend).

I think I have spring break (last week of march) lined up. Drive home thus. night, drive to bucknell fri, race sat/sun, drive back home sun night, train at home mon/tues, drive up to VT with rose, train in VT (hopefully no snow and lots of mtns) wed/thus, thus night drive to boston and visit a friend, spend friday w/ said friend, get in a nice little spin, then race sat/sun in boston. Should be a good mix of places, temperatures, etc. Rose is crazy and fun to be around, supposedly her parents are nuts (some ppl stayed there for a mtb race in the fall) and I would LOVE to get to VT and do some mtn passes for a few days.

fight to the death

thats right, im calling out you, old man winter. cage match. fight to the death. although i may be a skinny bike dork, I am pretty sure I could take you. You got my second race cancelled this weekend, and I am out for blood.

I guess I should just go skiing, huh?

f you old man winter, f you

because of this "huge" "nor'easter" that is "slamming" nyc with snow, my bike race got cancelled. why don't you go to siberia or something where winter is appreciated. you are unwanted here, so go away. hopefully things will get cleaned up and we may race sunday.

maine, make up your mind

seriously, the weather games need to end. One day its 45, the next they are predicting 100 feet on snow. Then its 50 and windy, then sleeting, then 30 and calm, then 5, then back to 50, another 25 feet of snow. I know march is spring/winter, but come on, some consistancy please. Let's just hope this weekend it doesn't snow that much and we can race.

It was pouring rain, dumping buckets, whatever, and 42 and windy today, so Rose and I decided to go for a 2.5 hour death march. My feet and hands stayed dry for 38 minutes. at 42 minutes, my hands were numb, at 1:08 my wool socks decided they didnt want to keep the feet warm anymore and they dissappeared, and the rest of the ride sucked. I could barely see (was wearing glasses and a cycling cap) from the rain, spray, spray from wheels, etc etc. My face was covered in dirt/road grime, as was rose's. My legs felt great though. It felt hardcore, if nothing else (it really wasn't though, a century in those conditions yes, somewhere around 40 miles, no) And my bike is cleaner now than it was pre-ride (though its still very dirty) so I will have to clean it less tonight/tmrw before the races this weekend. If only my clothes would dry out before I have to pack them tmrw morning, things would be on the up and up.

fun

I totally forgot how much fun it is to ride in groups of 5-10. Went for a ride with a small group of us today, and it was a blast. Inevitably some are in better and worse shape, and the constant hills tend to break things into two groups (10 seconds gap, tops), with the occasional person riding in between. It's great being able to ride with either, tow people up, drop back, bridge back up, at will. Rotating through and chatting with everyone, having people bridge up to the front group and then "attack" and see who follows, etc. etc. It's just playing, and its so much fun. Town line sprints, etc. etc. Better yet, was my legs felt ok (still not 100%, but wayyy more recovered than during the weekend, had yesterday off). And perhaps the funniest part of the ride was christian and I riding Rose off our wheel on a climb, her hammering the downhill and breif flat before the next climb, catching us about 500m from the base of the climb, and then getting dropped again as soon as the road got steep. It wasn't like we were racing, but you could tell Rose was going pretty hard (she is the type of person who would) and was getting pissed off at not being able to hold mine/christians wheels.....we weren't going all out, but we were pushing the pace on the climbs.....It was big ring interval day for me after all. It was perhaps the most fun I have had on the bike in 07 - the fact it was 44 and I "only" needed to wear 1 baselayer and arm/leg warmers and booties and full gloves may have helped.

still me

the "new" author - josh, is also me. Allons-y was on a different account and it's way easier for me to not have to log out of gmail, log in as allons-y, log out, and then back into my gmail account every time I want to post. So allons-y will be faded out (if possible deleted, but it took me 3 months to figure out how to add someone an author). So if you see posts, comments, etc. by josh, its me. I figured this was easier than re-creating the whole blog in another account w/ new address, etc. etc. I guess I will still have to use allons-y to modify things though.

stay the course

Actaully, im not. I am rescinding part of my last post. DST sucks. Normally, when it starts to get dark, it means its time to head to foss for dinner. Last night and tonight, I am playing on the internet, and all of a sudden, its 6:48. 12 minutes before foss closes. And its still light out. wtf? DST sucks. (foss is the organic/healthy/vegeterian dining hall across campus that most of the cyclists and most of my friends eat at).

Also, justin wants me to race 3/4's at tour de kirche vs. racing 4's. I understand why, but I know I can do well on that course. I think (assuming I recover well from columbia) I could probably get some upgrade points there even. Historically, breaks of 2-3 stick, so I would be attacking on the hill or following well represented (read bethel cycle or whatever team decides to show up big) attacks, and if it does come down to a sprint, jump the corner, and then just drill the hill to the finish. I did it over the summer the one time there was no break, 15 guys jumped the corner, and I ended up 6th, and I went way, way to early on the hill. Even 6th is 1 upgrade pt, and I am currently looking for 20. However, racing 3/4's, I am somewhat doubtful I can do as well.....plus, if i really needed the 3/4 experience, why not race collegiate b's vs. c's? It just doesn't make sense. We have a phonecall upcoming to talk about it, but im confused. Then again, he knows more than I.

maine cobbles, week in review, dst

first off week in review - 203 miles in 12.5 hours. 3 days in the gym (end of week 4 start of week 5). Legs are tired right now, but things are going well. Should have been more as I wimped out an hour early today, but the legs were just cooked. It's weird how yesterday I was phyiscally tired but mentally tough, today less phyiscally tired but mentally weak.

dst - awesome, it was light at like 7pm. 3 extra weeks of riding straight to dinner and eatin in the bike clothes. As I always say, flaunt it if you have it. Plus its way easier to ride outside.

maine cobbles - not cobbles per se, but sections of pavement so broken, so potholed, so covered in sand/road grime/filth that you may as well be on cobbles, because your arms bounce around just like the pro's do in your fav. northern classics video. I had a great ride on some saturday in the semi-warmth (at least its not single digit highs anymore) but those + 2.5mile climb (my favorite love-hate hill, bigalow) + 20mph headwind.....maybe i'll toughen up at some point?

im fameous

ryan (rkelly) linked my blog to his under eccc-ers....its up at the top. I guess my posting random comments on his blog finally caught his attention or something, but my blog is now in the big-league's.

I broke my heart rate moniter and need to send it back to polar, but am being lazy.

In other news, after being sort of depressed/bummed out after the weekend, I had a good chat with justin, my mentor/coach (what do I call him? A friend who used to race cat2 who is giving me a rather comprehensive and legit training program and calls me 1-2 times a week to tweak and modify things, but I don't pay him beyond a 6-pack when I crash at his house for races. He is retired from racing at the "old" age of 29 after messing up something with his body (i think?), but did a 'cross race last fall (i beat him, although he was on a single speed) and said he is planning on doing some more next fall maybe). He basically told me what I already knew, that things are still super early and I shouldn't worry that I didn't have much speed, that I am still lifting, just started with intervals, I have a long race season ahead of me, and that I should just keep training hard and the results will come later. That it was good I didn't get hurt in the crit, and that I got in a good workout this weekend in races I had essentially no chances of winning. That I am still just getting into shape and by choosing to "sacrifice" the early season I will be faster in the long run. All stuff I know, yet somehow when he says it, it becomes true.

Also, quick shoutout to tyler for winning his race out west this weekend, awesome dude! Keep it up and get your upgrade to 2's. Also to Rose (colby teammate, the crazy one) who in her first ever weekend of road racing raced womens b for 3rd in the tt, 2nd in the crit and 4th in the circuit. Coming off nordy season she has the legs, clearly, and she also mtb's (went to nat's was top 10 dII and was 2nd at the eccc in womens a). She is a freshman, and if she ever chooses to really focus on road bikes, she could be really really really fast. the race was her 6th time on a bike in 2007. For the record, although I totally got girled in the tt (many times over), I did beat rose by 6 seconds. Gotta hold onto any last shred of dignity I can.

and more

nate asked jak to marry him on the start line of the womens a circuit. we were somewhere around the gw bridge, but she said yes and everyone was happy. maybe they will have crazy bike nerd kids someday? Seriously though, they are awesome and best of luck to them.

blah blah blah - 40 degrees, snow, and 20-30mph of wind

The title pretty much describes sundays circtuit race. I felt blah. Actaully, my legs felt pretty ok. I got a bunch of sleep, had a good warmup, and had ok legs. Nothing crazy, but not drained by any means, which is always good. It was windy, crazy windy, like 20-30mph of wind, and gusts. I met mike (carnegie mellon - rbr) right after the gun, his pink bar tape is quite distinctive. Felt fine for the first few laps (i think we did 11 or 12 maybe?). Got up to the front at like 4 or 5 to go, spent a lap or two in the front 5, didn't do any work, but just spent some time up at the front. The finish was a long uphill, maybe 2% grade. Not enough to give any climber a real advantage, especially considering it was into the wind. Each time we would hit the wind and that slight hill (more like a false flat) the speed would drop from like 25 to 18, then jump back to 22 and stay there 'till we left the wind. At the bell lap I sort of knew I didn't have it in me to sprint, especially with the wind. I slowly drifted back, was like 4 from the back halfway into it. At the 2nd to last turn, the kid in front of me lost his wheel. Sort of annoying, but who really cares if I was going to pack finish or first chase group? Right then we hit the wind, the pack kept the pace up as the sprint lead outs were in full force, and it was clear we weren't going to close the gap as it grew from 25m to 75m before we hit the last turn. Myself and those behind me sat on the kids wheel, and there were maybe 4 of us, caught a kid who lost the pack with the speed of the sprint, and then sprinted.

I was out front with like, um, 250m to go. Great. Some kid came past me and got a maybe a wheel on me, and I threw my bike to hold on to.....33rd place, great. It was actaully all not bad, as I ended up sprinting, which I wouldnt have in the pack. I took 2nd in a 5up sprint, which I was fine with. I also timed my bike throw perfectly, which was awesome. The kid I beat even gave me a fist pound for a good sprint after the line.....in the driving snow, which was sweet. What happened to sun and warmth?

Overall, it was a good weekend of training, I stayed alive, had fun, and got some experience under the belt. I was something like 85th on the TT - 7:15:XX over 2.8 miles. Winner of a's was like 5:53:XX......winner of c's was 6:10:XX. So while I am not much of a tt-er, clearly, I was pretty far off and need to get better, it was a really short tt. Jeff beat me by about 1.3 seconds, nate was about 10 seconds up on him.....nothing I like worse than getting beaten by those two.....Jeff was also like 5 spots up on me, with his 1.3 seconds. I ended up 39th in the crit, not 40th, but who the f cares, really?

I got to stop at home on the drive back, got a nice chicken parm and a break from driving, which I did 6 of 8 hours today. Wayyyy better than the drive down. I got #636 for collegiate racing, which is good, I usually do well with numbers that are sequential or symettrical, for some reason. I was 232 and 454 in my best 2 'cross races last fall, and 345 in my best crit last year.

The week is over - week whatever of training. 5 days of riding, 2 of them races. First real intervals on the bike earlier. Also 2 days of lifting. 131.31 miles of riding in 8:06:05 on the bike. Short week, should have been more but I missed my 1 hr spin on friday, and took an extra day off. Oh well. Next week will be big with no racing, more gym, and some good motivation to train harder-er.

that sucked

Day 1 of racing of 07 is on the books, and it sucked.

Things started by oversleeping by an hour. After rushing to the race, things were backed up an hour so all was good. Said hi to Miller and Jeff (unh) kids

2.75 mile flat TT. slight breeze. tt's aren't my thing. I got in a great warmup, stayed on the trainer till the last minute and was one of the last guys to go. Guy behind me graduated from colby a few years back. 20 second intervals. My head isn't really in it untill im clicked in and on the line, but when that happens its go time and my body all of a sudden is "on". I set out at a good pace, spinning ~ 100rpm, fell fine, legs fell o.k. no real burn, but they dont feel great. Hit the turn around fine, don't mess it up, get up to speed, forearms on the bars, spinning good, all of a sudden, the guy who was behind me is next to me. I turn it up a notch, and he disappears. I almost take a wrong turn, costing me 1-3 seconds, but so does guy behind me. Get to the 500m to go spot, still feeling strong. 250m to go, uh-oh, my legs are starting to hurt, my breathing is gone, and im feeling iffy. 100m to go I blow. Guy who was behind me comes flying by, I get out of the saddle and giv'er, and finish wheel and wheel with him. So I clearly couldn't have won. I think my time was about 7:13, will know official results tmrw. I think I avg'd ~ 22.8 mph, which isnt bad for a non-aero tt with roughly 5-10mph of wind, for a non-tt guy. I was actaully pretty happy that I paced myself better than I normally do.

Cool down, drive to the crit spot. Pre-ride, warm up, get a few calories in me. Feel ok still. Say hi to Katie (tufts) and Emily (bu). 2nd row, outside start to the crit. I'm not even in my pedals when I hear someone go down behind me (and then a few more) out of the start. I get in and people start to drill the pace. Group is cut in half. End of the first lap, come out of the corner, and next thing I know the guy in front of me is upside down. I have a half second to think, wow, this is going to suck, as I try to brake/swerve, but with nowhere to go I lay it down. I am fine, back up before the second group has passed us. I take my free lap, along with one other guy (everyone was fine). But i was pissed, i was riding 7-8th wheel and there was a crash. I thought I would be fine up front, but no. We re-start, I am totally mentally out of it and trying not to crash, slip off, sit up, work with the first group to catch me. Repeat the process till I am solo off the back, sit up and get pulled with 4 to go (12 or 13 laps, i forget). I am not really pissed, I was totally fine, my bike was fine, etc etc, but it was a downer. Then again, i'm not really built for crits. Cool down, watch Rose (colby teammate) take 2nd in the womens b crit (her first ever) along with a preem or two, get emily's (bu) jacket at the womens a start, cheer for people, and now I'm ready for dinner and bed. Also saw jak and alex (unh). It was fun, I'm glad im ok and didn't get hurt (knock on wood), put in some good turns with chase groups, but still a blah race. It happens though.

I know i'm not much of a tt/crit racer, but lets hope tmrw's circuit is a bit better (and maybe a hill or two). It was super nice to be out in the sun in 60 degrees with short sleeves on this morning, with only armwarmers for the crit. Beats maine, if nothing else.

what a day

in reference to friday. left colby at noon, 8 inches snow and 28 degrees. driving was rough. by the maine-nh border, it was 40 degrees and rain, by mass-ct border it was sunny, it took 3 hours to drive the 26 miles of ny thanks to a HUGE car wreck, moved 50 ft in 1 hour at one point, but we had an amazing meal, a comfy bed and a warm house thanks to our gracious hosts who stayed up till 1130 for us to arrive to eat their dinner (we originally planned on showing up around 930), which alex hooked up through his crew connections. time to get up and go bike race in, 4 hours. its on.

bike racing time

After a few hours of phone calls, nervousness, etc. We finally figured out this weekend. All register'd up, have a place to stay (someones friend, lives close by) bike is cleaned, and on the trainer for a quick spin tmrw morning, legs are getting ready to be shaven, get to drive through a snowstorm.....I can't wait. All packed with like 8 different baselayer options, tons of clifbars packed, etc. etc. Now I need some sleep, but its like an 8year old the night before you go to disneyland, we all know it aint happening.