Cracked Windshield

I seem to be posting a lot today.

Anyway, I found a sizable crack in my windshield yesterday. Who knows when the original crack happened, but I can see it has grown significantly.

I have an appointment tomorrow morning with an auto glass repair shop here in Indiana. I don't know how all of this works, but I will be happy when it's all done with.

Now off to the gym for some cross train rowing.

Picturing the Holidays

I have many reasons to be excited about the holidays this coming season. A lovely girlfriend, seeing family, and more training on the bike are all reasons to be excited for the winter's cold and season's greetings. But past all that mushy stuff is my "excited for a present" side.

I guess the real childhood bliss of not knowing what I will be getting for the holidays is gone, but I'm no Scrooge. Yeah I know I'll most likely be getting the Fujifilm Finepix S1800 from my parents.

I'm excited. I will be using it in a lot of ways. I want to really dive into photography. I think it will really open me up to more media and hopefully effective blogging and documenting myself and people and things around me. Shooting with up to 18X zoom, 12MP, and HD video, I am a spoiled boy.

Hopefully Competitive

NIELPRYDE Bikes just closed their Epic Rider's competition. I am one of those hopeful competitors. I put my best foot forward and tried to show them the cyclist and enthusiast that I am. I cannot expect to win. Who knows how many other people entered, but I hope they think of me as a smart, developing rider that would tirelessly promote their bikes and company.
Diablo
Alize

Their bikes are striking and look to be incredibly well made and fast. I do not know which I like better, but I would probably have to go with .... well I don't know. I'll cross that bridge if I ever get there.

On another note... more training today. I've got gym workouts and I need to keep watching that diet.

Year 2 Training

I've constructed the first 6 weeks of my training program. Last year's annual training hours were at 500. I have added 100 hours to that and I can tell this is going to be a tough winter training period. I am excited though. I know this season will be a tough one and probably one that I will not be able to participate in as much as I would like. Yet, I'm still going to prepare as though I will be in every race I want to. I now I have developed season and training goals, but I can't remember them offhand. (I'll save them for another post.)

I do know that having completed a season built on a solid training program, I have in mind to improve everything. I have found a few strengths in my racing this year, but certainly a lot of areas to improve. I began my racing last year in good form. I hope to see that again and work harder for the challenges I will face in my racing.

It's nice to work through a training program. I know what I need to do and I know how it helps me. I think I will be really challenged to complete every day's workouts. Time is a tough thing to hold on to. Physically I will be limited, but I do not think I will loose my focus and diligence.

I Want to Race.

 

Second Strike for 1st

Last weekend at the Bucknell Cycling Classic I was able to take my first race victory and continue a successful season. I was not alone, however.

Having mindful teammates where you need them in a race is an absolute advantage. Our team has growing strengths and developing experience with each race we do. Roddy Gibbs and Steven Brewer are two of those teammates I am talking about.

Throughout Saturday's road race we three helped to work the front and establish a higher pace for other racers to follow. The peloton was moving frustratingly slow on the first of 3 laps. Once the pace picked up however, Roddy Gibbs and I were quick to keep on the front to work with other racers. I really had no idea where Brewer was was on the second lap. Once the 3rd lap was upon us the lead group of was well established and the three of us still had a presence working the front. Blah blah blah... we hit the final turn and the road opened up for the sprint finish.

I kept to the left of the group. In front of me a big PennState fella made his move and ended up creating a gap on the boys leading out the final stretch. Seeing his established gap I immediately picked up my pace and swung around the field to latch on to his wheel. I was not sure where the finish line was, but I knew I could not hesitate. Then the inevitable happened. PennState began to crack. Seeing this happen I again did not hesitate to break from his wheel and make an attack of my own. I was not about to hold back and wait for the rest of those guys to swallow me up and cat&mouse it to the finish. I knew I had the legs and was ready to put myself through some pain. And pain was exactly how I felt. My attack created a gap and my heart rate was soaring. I cannot say how far away I actually was from the finish, (attacking I guess from about 500-600 meters out) but it felt like an eternity. I looked back one time knowing that for the pain I was feeling no one would be able to match me to get my wheel or over take me. No one except Steve. As I was quietly on my attack I heard a teammate of an F&M racer yelling at his boy to "Grab his wheel!" Delirious, I began to change my line so as to try and shake anything that might give this kid hope. Then I heard "GO! GOO! GO!#@$!" from Brewer. He had caught up to me and was yelling a me to keep up my effort for the win. I am not sure how it was communicated but I was reassured that although he could have taken the win, he was there to help me to the line first allowing himself to take 2nd. (Seen above how close he is.) Roddy got 7th and had impressive composure and handling after another racer swung into him unclipping his foot from the pedal. My effort on the bike was the absolute hardest thing I have ever put myself through and I love it.

All in all I am impressed with and proud of our growth as a team. Eager for more success, we will be heading to the Washington Boulevard Cycling Oval in Pittsburgh to race this Tuesday and every Tuesday this spring and summer. Next weekend and next we will be racing at the Mingo Creek Road Races hoping to have a good showing and a fun time.

I am thankful to my teammates and their efforts and mindfulness of my will to win last weekend. I am excited to keep racing with these boys throughout the summer and I hope to deliver some of them for win in the future.

Beginners Luck?

#851

This past weekend I traveled to Lancaster, PA and to Princeton, NJ with other IUP cyclists John Blank, Jon Yuhas, and IUP alum Duane Corbett to kick off our 2010 racing season. While we were all trying to find our legs and gauge our fitness, I was able to pull off some satisfying results.

I am not about to say I think that my results were coincidence or luck. I am confident that my results are because of my training and discipline throughout the winter months. I am stronger, smarter, and more confident this year than the last and I know it will be the same for years to come.

Let's get back down to earth, however. I know that my accomplishments are not great and certainly not of much importance to many beyond the support of friends, family, teammates, and myself, but I am happy to be amongst the strong riders in my category. I have a long way to go in this cycling career and this is only the beginning.

Here are links to the results pages for the

Union Grove Road Race

and the

Princeton/ Stevens 2010 Jersey Devil

(scroll down to find my and teammate's results)

At the Union Grove road race I raced the Cat 5 race and got 5th.

At the Princeton/Stevens 2010 Jersey Devil I raced the Mens D2 road race and took 2nd.

I must say I am appreciative of the help Duane Corbett, Blank, and Yuhas during the events. I am hoping to continue to ride strong for the weekends to come. I am so happy with my bike and I know that the investment was worth it! ECCC races continue at Bucknell University this weekend and I am hoping to have as many IUP Cyclists there as possible.