One year

Last week marks my first full year back into cycling and i might as well say it was my first year ever considering how long i rode before and how long ago it was.

This time last year i was riding the 15 miles(total) back and forth to work and exhausted each way. I remember only riding 4 days a week because i was so sore. I was also 45lbs heavier. I'm skinnier now than when i was a veggie-trendy-hipster-rock-star-wannabe with 15lbs of crazy hair on my head.

My favorite cycling quote is from Greg Lemond "it doesn't get easier, you just get faster" or something like that.

In one year:

• Made it from CAT 5 to CAT 3 (pending getting one more point...shouldn't be too hard)
• Rode straight through winter including 2 sub zero mornings
  
• Bought 3 bikes (Cannondale track bike, Giant TCR [sold], and Look something rather)
• Rode my longest ride yet 80 something?
  
• Joined my first team 540Cycling.com
  
• Got my first win (Syns-Fit Crit)
• Won a prime (Bryan Park Circuit Race)
• Got a flat in a race (Bryan Park Circuit Race)
  
• Did my first "stage-race"
• Got a "call up" at a race (even though i wasn't there)
• Was off the bike 3 days (only twice) and Off 2 days (Only a hand full of times)
• Gave the bird to countless cars
• Slapped a few windows in traffic
• Wrecked in a race (Reston Grand Prix)
• Got dropped in a race (Jeff Cup)
• Made the wrong turn in a race (Fawn Grove Roubaix)
• Brought my bike on its first vacation (Orlando, FL)
  
• Was towed behind a dump truck down a major high traffic road at 40+ (awesome)
• Beat Zach up Bull Run once (slaughtered by him every other time)
• Found out that i'm a McFatty sprinter.
• Rode 70+ miles on a fixed gear(46x16) on very hilly terrain. twice. and 50+ many many times.
  

As i only have a few more races for the season i'm thinking i'm light years ahead of where i was this time last year and i am really looking forward to next year. I won a 3-month free coaching service at a race so i'll use that come Jan or Feb and see if i can get a little extra insight. Having teammates that have been racing for 25+ years really helps though.

With that said, the TTT from the tour is on. Its the best part of the whole tour in my opinion. adios.

Of Whales and Woes

This morning i left the house late and took the short route and i had a ton of time to kill at work, so i did a few laps around the mile(.85) loop in our business park to make up some miles. By the time i had gotten a mile away from work it started snowing slightly and when i was doing laps it was all out snowing. But, it subsided shortly after.
So with this upcoming weather:
Which is obviously very ridable, nothing too terrible to complain about, but I'd rather be prepared with the proper gear. So with those 3 days being today, tomorrow, and Wednesday, on my lunch break i purchased the SKS Race Blade Fenders XL and Fox Fluid Rain Jacket. Both of which should assistant in keeping the exterior wetness on the exterior.


I do remember that day fairly well, even though i was all of 3 or 4 years old. It was my birthday and i got a bike (i think) and i was doing laps around the circle in front of our house. Sold at a young age...

Saturday & Sunday and being 10

Today is Sunday. Its about 30 degrees outside, which considering the past couple of days is actually warm. I really find it difficult (and depressing) to try and ride outdoors on the weekends, the days i should be do my 50 mile rides (that's long for me and my fixie). For the past few months I've been slowly (very slowly) accumulating winter cycling gear, but i seem to always be just slightly behind the weather on timing. For instance, I've been waiting (for money) to purchase a certain sweet pair of tights and hardcore gloves, which i could go do today, but i really could have used them this past week. Specially since Friday night's ride home parts of my legs swoll up from the stinging cold. Most of the time i just suck it up once I'm out on the bike but to get out there, its super difficult.

I'm hoping to just hang out a month or two longer and maybe I'll be OK come racing time. I mean, I'm racing CAT 5 and honestly to be "OK" would consist of being able to stay in the pack and not die. I'm hoping to learn about pack racing this season, because up till now the only racing I've done is ITT's and making breaks on intense group rides (back about 7 years ago). Though from what I've read on seasoned racer's blogs, CAT 5 is like a bad group ride gone wrong.

Even farther back about 12 years was this...
I ran the 1 mile kids race in 7:14 at the age of 10. The guy that won the 5k ran barefoot...i think he ran it in 16 or 17 min...barefoot. I thought he was amazing. If you couldn't tell i beat all the other kids and got that cool trophy. I was pretty proud. My dad's pacing and coaching are what helped...