Yeah awesome.

It's about time for some awesome to hit this blog like an egg on a frying pan, or a little woodland creature under the tire of a ridiculous SUV. That's right folks, a big fat splat of, er... awesome?

Well it has arrived in the form of late summer and fall racing. After a month hiatus from racing, i am back for some throw down time. Ride the rocks was OK, but last week in WV i felt really good, then i got lost from the lead group that consisted of three of us, and finished up in 3rd about 10 minutes back. That sucks, but that's racing, and especially racing in WV. Where the heck am i?

So, debating whether i want to race this weekend in Charleston, or hang around these parts and get ready for the SM100...If i decide to do it. It is in my backyard, but i am no 'endurance specialist.' That is an excuse, the real reason is the $170 to enter! But if i go, i hope to be around 9 hours.

More importantly, there are some sweet races on the horizon. WV series champs, where hometown favorites will go for the gold, the Chain Stretcher in Peekskill, NY which i regrettably missed last year, Maybe some racing back in WNY, and the Blue Ridge Cup!

FUN!

MASS Ride the Rocks

This past Sunday was a Mid Atlantic super Series race up in PA. Not having raced since a spectacular blowup in WV, i decided i should get back to racing before some big races hit this late summer and fall. The race was called "Ride the Rocks" and was to feature "substantial climbing" This was laughed at my myself and fellow racer Ryan F, as Harrisonburg would surely embarrass any race course with these claims.

With a stacked Elite field and temperatures in the 90s we started at around 12:30. It would be two 10 mile laps or the rockiest terrain i have ever raced on. Not large rocks mind you, just small ones that constantly jar your whole body. Uphills as well, filled with rocks. I had decided to try pacing myself here after the blowup, a sort of test to see if pacing is real.

Well, i started the race feeling pretty sluggish, and slowly picked up speed. My seconds lap was slower than my first, but not a huge difference. 3 minutes or so. I usually drop a bit more than that in the last lap, but even if i fell 5 minutes off pace in the last lap, my first lap effort is that much faster. So the jury is sort of out on that one, but i caught some guys on the last lap!

So 9th place. I will take it against that field. Some good payout, and some racing to get me ready for the next few weekends!

Summer Leaves Lines.

So the past 3 weeks have been full of real pro training, done with riding when i feel like it and not following a respectable schedule, i have graduated to a vague, but more defined schedule. This upcoming week shall be the 4th week, a week of relative rest. No racing has been happening, but i have been trying to remember all the races i have done so far this year so i can hopefully attain the almighty sponsorship.

I feel really good, and managed to feel pretty good all day today on a 4.5 hour road ride with Andy. Killed some small hills, but rode endurance 260w besides the 45minutes of climbing hurt. I also received some bad sun, as it was cloudy and rainy when we left. Neither of us thought that the sun might come out in full effect, yo.

Some people aren't feeling so great, friend and fast guy Jeremiah Bishop had some bad luck in the great white north and crashed hard, but will hopefully give himself time to heal and come back strong for the late summer madness!

Set a PR up reddish and LT wattage is somewhere around 5 w/kg. So i decided i am fit enough to justify going to Windham and getting beat badly by fast pros. For those who don't know, Windham is a small ski town in the Catskills, and they are hosting a big pro race on the 16th. Big names are sure to show, as the World Cup finals (the biggest of the big) are going to be there next year!