More to come.

Had a race, felt great, 5 laps, flatted twice in the first lap, second flat finished my race.  Dissapointed but looking forward.  A lot is going on now so will check back in with the mothership next week.  Until then, call your parents, tell them you love them.  Call your brothers, sisters, best friends, and do the same.  Hug your dog, cat, lizard, or whatever sort of pet you show attention to.  If your pet is a porcupine, then suck it up.  

Ciao.

No Rider Left Behind

I can't wait until the JRF website is done.  I heard it's an immaculate work of digital art that glistens and brings smiles to the faces of those that are humbled by its greatness.  

That being said, I went over to the Thursday night Belmont Plateau bike game.  This is one of my all-time favorite bike games, but I was definitely not gaming well on this particular night.  Oh well, still had fun. 

I've realized over the years of gaming that I've accumulated that when I don't have a number plate on it's hard for me to race with a group of people.  It's something I need to get over because giving everyone some strong friendly competition on a weeknight is my duty, and I'm not fulfilling that duty.  Plus, it sharpens my gaming skills, therefore making me more dangerous when the bigger games happen.  Need to taste blood this weekend for sure.  Chicken Apple Sausage.

Hump Earth Day

It's Earth Day.  Whoop-D-doo.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all for the environment and doing what I can to keep it clean.  I try and ride my bike to the grocery store every week, I recycle plenty, I conserve water by taking shorter showers and not leaving the faucet running.  But it's sad that we still need a day dedicated to reminding our ignorant selves that what we do has an impact on everything and everyone around us in some way, shape, or form.  Any fat slob that sits on the couch and watches the news knows we're slowly continuing to dig a hole for ourselves as a global society due to this general environmental ignorance.  All I know for sure is it will end someday, and I can only hope that it's a pleasant ending and not the one that seems to be coming.  

That being said, Here is a pic I took while I drove to visit a friend today.  I saw a mountain range of clouds in the distance and couldn't help but snap it.  

Race Report: Fairhill XC (MASS #1)

Wowsers!  I have a lot of work to do before I see the front of the races again, but I am definitely up to the challenge.  Here's the short play-by-play of the day (the pic is from Delmarva Photos):

After a satisfying breakfast, I made my way down to the City of Brotherly Love to pick up the Joe Reynold's Foundation and head to Maryland for the official first Super Series race of the season.  After a so-so warm-up on the trails, I lined up first-row with delusions of grandeur.  The start siren blares, and Hole-Shot Hammy flies off the line like he's got a sausage dangling from a stick taped to his helmet, tongue hanging out, leaving the entire Elite Open field strung out like a crackhead reeling on the day's first high.  I tried to stick it out up there, but just don't have the start speed still, so I settled in and made sure to ride within myself.  The course was FAST, and even though it was wide-open, there was little if any technicality to this course which made it surprisingly hard to pass.  Big ring for 1.5hrs nabbed me a 16th place out of 27 starters.  A mixture of disappointment and satisfaction afterwards, but I know I'll do better this coming weekend.  

Other high points of the day:  Seeing people I haven't seen for a while.  Bike worked great, zero technical issues.  Had plenty of energy after the race, couldn't have gone much faster, but know the engine is solid, just need to add the Supercharger.  Got a payout for 16th place, Whaaaaaaat?!?!?!   Sweet!

In Summary:  Fairhill XC, Mid-Atlantic Super Series #1.  Elite Open 16th/27

Do a mitzvah today.  Until next time........

The Bike

The bike that I will pilot in 2009.  It's an older Bergwerk frame with low miles on it.  I loved this bike, and am more than happy to ride it again in 2009!  Plus, I don't think anyone else has one, since my old teammate Jed broke his after a gajillion years and miles.  

Something New & Something Old

I had a great rest-week up in the mountains.  I didn't ride as much as I'd like, but I definitely got a lot of relaxation in.  My last rest week wasn't so restful, so now things are evened out.  The next two weeks are going to be great, with two consecutive mtb race weekends on tap.

First, the Fairhill Classic, which officially opens up the Mid-Atlantic Super Series (MASS), will take place on the 19th.  This race is fun, although not one of my favorites.  It features a lot of fast singletrack mixed in with some very tight/twisty singletrack which requires a lot of skill and focus to get through quickly.  

Second, the Greenbrier Challenge is on the 26th and is one of my personal favorites.  This race is a National Calendar event and is the Maryland State Championship race.  This course has always been good to me, with multiple top-10's, podiums, and one win.  I have to be realistic this early in the season and know that winning is a far reach, but I won't let that hold me back!  I'll be cutting back training a tad these next two weeks in order to give myself a 'mini-peak' for this race.  

And also for the Mtb races, is something new as well as something old.  By that I mean my bike, which will be changed from my Giant XTC carbon hardtail to my old Bergwerk Mercury aluminum hardtail.  I've done this for many reasons.  This bike fit my great when I rode it a few years ago, and is solid in the rocks/roots of the east coast.  Also, my Giant has some questionable chips in the paint that make me think it may be wiser to not be using that frame full-time.  Also, the 'ole Bergwerk is in great condition, and looks almost new.  Might as well get some more time on it!  And lastly, it has the word 'Berg' in it's name.  As soon as I get it fully built I'll post a pic.  Nothing special here, but I like it.

Work turns to rest....

I won't lie that I'm glad I'm heading into a rest week.  This past weekend was Tough (with a capital 'T', in case you hadn't noticed).  I threw down 5 hours of quality training on Saturday which included a super-windy crazy circuit race.  I was hoping that I would re-learn the intricacies of riding fast in a pack quick enough that nobody would notice I hadn't raced on the road for over 2 years.  WRONG!  I made mistake after mistake, eventually getting caught behind a crash that tailed me off the back of the field because I was too much of a wuss to assert my position in the front.  Oh well.  

That being said, I buckled up and finished a full day of training, followed by a D-lish BBQ over Jimmie & KB's.  Sunday was a back-breaking day of strength intervals peppered in a 4.5hr ride, ending with me inhaling my post-ride Coca-Cola.  

The coming week should be extra good.  Going to relax up in the Pocono mountains with my buddy Brad, looking for trouble and staying away from the suburban soccer moms that swarm throughout my current home.  Also waiting on new parts for my mtb, yay!  Looking forward to getting off of the creaky carbon frame and back on a trusted aluminum job with a higher BB and more stable geometry.  

Ciao!

Wednesday Mtb Ride

Wow.  Luck shone down on me today when I went for a ride in Wissahickon with Ed today.  It was threatening rain all day.  It even dared to spit at us.  But never a fully developed drop until I finished up, got dressed and threw my bike in the car.  You see, Wednesday is my long mtb ride day, and one which I greatly enjoy.  I get to catch up with my friend, Ed, and ride my mtb.  Awesome!  It's a shame when this gets ruined by mother nature, but apparently my good Karma is high as she saw fit to spare us from her slippery wrath.  Another great ride in the books.  

Also starting to look forward to the weekend.  The weather outlook is good, and it will be my first official road race (actually, make that a circuit race, but it's all the same to me) in 2 years.  Luckily I have some erratic pack experience to fall back on thanks to the Philly Spring Classic rides at the end of February/beginning of March.  Also, as an added bonus, I will be riding down to the race for extra adventure.  Oh the possibilities!

Goodnight and Guzhundheit.