Upgrade status

status=approved.

i didnt need 10 races after all.

i am a CAT 4. still lowly in ranks but i'm happy with my progress.

Also, quick story-went on a short, VERY slow ride today being a rest day and all. got about 3 or 4 miles away and caught a flat. bummer right? but not a big deal. except after i quickly got it changed and was about to be back on my way my CO2 cartridge failed...it was a dud. major bummer since i left my cell at home and i'm apparently not smart enough to carry more than one cartridge (i usually do but i've not yet replaced the one i used just the other day). ugh.

walked 3 or 4 miles home carrying my bike and shoes (i'd rather walk barefoot than in shoes with Look cleats).

CAPS WON!

Loss of style

So after a few "good jobs" from my team i receive a hoard of emails, also from my team informing me of my "loss of style"
It seems i left my commuting light on my bike. I noticed it when i was putting my bike back into my car, but obviously that was way too late.

its ok i don't think i really ever had style to begin with.

pic courtesy of Sam Hill

Bunny Hop and possible upgrade

pics by sam hill
The Bunny Hop Crit was very uneventful. Josh (cyclelife), Derek (route 1 velo) and myself led the first bunch of laps (not sure exactly how many). I did most of the pulls. I felt great and i wanted the tempo to be high. I contemplated trying to attack off the front and i thought since Josh and Derek were sitting right behind they could jump with me...but in the end i didn't have the balls to go for it. It may have worked seeing at the entire pack was strung out already.

Soon after i didn't feel like doing all the work anymore and let a couple other guys set the pace, which they did until about 2 laps to go. during which nothing happened except for a ton of almost wrecks, getting forced hard into the corner by a bunch of dive bombers, and a few nasty comments. one crazy guy sitting behind kept yelling at the top of his lungs with the utmost passion, "They are blocking! Those guys are getting away! Don't let them get away! HURRY!" i told him to shut it, seeing as no one was "blocking" and the guys "getting away" had been dropped and were about to get lapped.

With 1 to go i moved into position about 6th or 7th wheel right next to Josh Flexman and when we were approaching the last corner the guys at the front of the line decided not to keep pedaling causing a quick bunch up and some how i got stuck in the middle. Someone made a jump from behind and Josh caught on (for the win) and i squeezed my way out somehow and powered past everyone for 3rd.

After the race we all went to lunch.

I got home later and sent in my request for an upgrade from 5 to 4. I know i dont have 10 races yet but 4 podiums (including a win) should be enough...so says the guys from my team and they've been doing it a lot longer than i have.

Caps won on saturday! and play again tonight!

Waynesboro Grand Prix #1 (CAT 5)

95 degrees at the start.

the course-basically one long up hill and one long down hill with a tad bit of flat in between. everything in total= 1 mile.

at the whistle a few guys really jammed it and i grabbed on.

i noticed i felt like crap...repeat of the Jeff Cup race, type of feeling.

decided to do little to no pulling, and try and just hang on.

Did some pulling anyway.

fell of the back of the breakaway a couple of times.

caught back on. got dehydrated.

put in one stupid "attack" on the last lap...(i should have saved it.)

felt horrible.

led up the hill 200m from the finish.

got passed. hit the wheel of the eventual winner.

bike went sideways. caught the bike.

and managed 3rd place.

afterwards i wanted to crawl into a dark cold wet place and die.

Wednesday Night @ Haymarket

CYCLING
The guys from my team convinced me to show up at the Wednesday night training ride out of Haymarket. I thought i may be getting in over my head knowing some of the people that show up and that they are a much higher caliber group of riders.

I didn't regret it, on the contrary, i was very happy i went through with it. Its been a very long time since i rode in a group like that. I felt like i was 15 again, when i first started riding, very antsy. I would go as far as to say jumpy, a far cry from the smooth and fluid riders that populated the rest of the group.

But, i did my share of pulls, contended in their sprint sections, and made some (short lived & worthless) attacks. And I'm gaining a bit more confidence.

Another (super) short Crit on Sunday...i think 30 mins? geez that's short.

OH! and we got our new kits. they look sweet. pics shortly.

CAPS GAME
...bummer. way to ruin my evening.
Also, a good way to feel weird is to go to sit at the bar by yourself and eat a salad and potato with water.

HOUSE
I'm rebuilding the deck on Monday and Tuesday next week...ripping up the floor boards and putting in new ones. should be nice to have a real deck. AND they are going to start our basement this next week...THANK GOD.

Syns Fit CAT 5 race (1st!)

The race started off quick. Some of the evolution guys thought it wise to sprint from lap one...which lasted about a lap or two. It was pretty uneventful for a while. a few guys tried to go only to die soon after getting off the front or they would just hover about 3-5 seconds out in front.

About halfway through the race as we rolled up to the first corner, someone in the middle of the pack did something stupid and wrecked, causing a great number of riders to wreck as well. We went from 50(riders) to 25 quick. i got stuck behind the wreck and nearly wrapped up in it but i avoided and then chased to get back on...i didn't have to extend myself that much.

A lap or so after the wreck we were cruising fairly slow so i blew off the front and got a gap. Not only did i get a decent gap but i felt great. i asked the moto-ref if the guy up the road was getting lapped or on a breakaway, which it was the latter. I thought once i got to him maybe we could work together but he couldn't hang. I stayed away for a couple laps, but soon after i was slowly getting caught so i just sat up altogether and jumped back on near the front.

More people would put in an attack, again, only to die right off the front. That went on till the last lap. I was getting screwed in the corners because no one has the balls to lean a bike over, instead they grab their brakes.... So i was near the middle/back of the pack after turn 1 of 2 on the last lap. My only lane was up the gutter so i gunned it up the gutter inches from the curb, got about 6th wheel into the last corner. the front was fairly spread out and i thought my race was pretty much over...maybe a podium. So again i gunned it and to my own amazement started to pass everyone. i was quicklygaining places-5th, 4th, 3rd (podium!) 2nd, and then 1st by a bike length.

karma in different forms

Yesterday after making fun of a few people and complaining to one of my "teammates"for not wanting to join me, i ventured forth into the cold rain. Weather.com said "currently 51 and feels like 51". To keep it short...it was not 51 degrees out. it felt more like getting soaking wet and then sitting in front of an A/C unit on full blast. Not to mention i felt like crap anyway. I tried to go do a few hill climbs but once i arrived and ramped up the first steep section i decided that it wouldn't really benefit my body to pound it further into oblivion than it already was.
I'm not sure if it was the cold, not enough rest, not enough nutrition, a combination of those or what, but i couldn't hack it yesterday at all. I basically went straight home; kind of slow.

After a long hot bath (my wife caulked the shower), i went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch the opening playoff game, Caps vs Rangers. Every time i would send Dan a text full of smack talk the Rangers would score. literally every time...4-3 Final score. ugh.
Driving the 2.5 miles home from the bar (which i should have walked to begin with but i was being lazy) , i managed to get a speeding ticket. 64 in a 45. nice guy at least. So now I'm up 3-2 vs my wife. bummer.

We have sent out the contract to get our basement fixed FINALLY. also our lawyers are serving the papers to the people we are suing.

race on saturday...