No Shows

I was really looking forward to writing another post-race-post, but the Allegheny Cycling Association decided to cancel tonight's Tuesday night criterium race. Now last year, as incentive to make Cat 4s race the "B" (cat 3/4) race on Wednesday nights, they shortened the "C" (cat 4/5) to under 15 miles so that there could be no points awarded to Cat 4 racers' licenses (for upgrading their license category to a 3) if they place well during the event. Thus, the Tuesday Night C race would not give me much beyond a fun opportunity to work my legs and hopefully get new racers into the swing of things.

Tonight, David and I made the trip citing no thunderstorms on the radar and just a bit (okay... a lot) of rain. That shouldn't stop the races! When we got there around 5:30 pm for an early sign in and warm-up, the rain was falling and there was little action going on. Our fears were realized when I rolled down my window to a guy sitting in his truck next to me in the parking lot waving to tell me that the ACA cancelled the race.

Upon hearing the news and me rolling up my window, David quickly blurted out that the ACA needed to "harden the f*ck up!"Not to make a waste of a trip or to think twice about riding, David and I  got ready for our ride at the Oval. It was a cold, rainy, windy ride. We did about 15 miles (yes, a touch more than what the aforementioned C race would have been anyway) and worked together pace-lining efforts that ramped up to some nice race-intensity work. We were accompanied by two others who had made the trip not anticipating a cancellation or refusal to race anyway, due to the weather.

It was a beautiful day, yesterday.

In full Belgian stride, David and I both refused to wear leg-warmers, (would have been soaked through and cold anyway) jackets, or warming gels. It was on par with some of our more interesting weather related rides. Anyway, we're made it back to Indiana and I whipped up some spaghetti for our efforts. We are looking forward to racing the Hollidaysburg Spring Classics' Telpower race Saturday and then the Steel City Showdown on Sunday. Please let me know if you would be interested in joining us at the Steel City race on Sunday. I know it will be a once in a year kind of event and IUP would really enjoy some fans. Thanks for reading.

IUP For Four Years

Today is my off-day for the week as far as training on the bike goes and I have some time that I feel I might as well use writing. I spent last night writing a paper and after that was taken care of the amazing weather was just too much to resist. I could not allow myself to sit in my apartment so I went out for a walk around IUP's campus with my camera. You should all know by now that I'm no photographer and it is just something I like to do. There are many instances I wish I could capture the way light is playing off buildings or simply when I see something unexpectedly delightful. I haven't worked up the guys to asking people if I could take pictures of their delightfulness just yet. I might just want to leave that to the professionals. In any case, walking around IUP's campus last night got me to think a lot more about my past four years here than I have on any bike ride of late.

It got me thinking about how when I first visited this school I was not keep to go here. Indiana University of Pennsylvania's lot was not fitting with my conception of what a college campus was to look like. Naive, sure, but this really was the only campus I visited other than GMU's in my hometown. Regardless, I have been here four years.

Don't think I don't wonder about what I could have done differently here. I went into college with the idea that you make it what it is. I am amazed at the friends I've made and I will absolutely miss them. I have been lucky enough to have picked up the beautiful sport of cycling here and I will always keep that in my life. Mistakes are taken as lessons and knowledge is relative. I of course hope I haven't missed opportunities and I an really trying to make the most of the time I have left here. I will be moving on shortly and such is life. No need to linger on the "what could've beens." 

A lot of these new buildings around were not there when I started at IUP. I remember my first day of classes...

I was at this very spot I was lost and frantically trying to avoid being late for classes. I looked up the campus map and thought I had a pretty good idea of where buildings were and what I was to be looking for. Keith Hall had my very first class and I could not, for the life of me, find it. I consulted that on-campus, campus map and was still at a terrified loss. My head on the swivel, I searched for a kind soul that might point me in the right direction. Instead, the chance I took was to ask someone just as lost as me. In my mind, at least I wouldn't feel as embarrassed asking for directions from someone who looked to be in the same aforementioned despair am I. He was looking for Keith too. Upon re-consulting our campus map we wondered if Keith Hall was actually right in front of us. There was no sign from our vantage point that we were right at the steps of our destination, but eventually my memory fades as I step into the building and my collegiate endeavors have officially begun.

Thanks for reading.

Where's The Podium? #2: Hollidaysburg Canoe Creek 1 - 9th

I am going to try and keep my policy of no regrets alive through this one. This race was another animal for me compared to my Morgantown race. Sure Morgantown was a climbing race, but this one was more of hill repeat race. I am running through my mind what I could have done differently to have come out with a better result, but what happens, happens and overall this is still a learning experience.

Terrible fog on the way there and back.

This morning was a rush. I woke up at 6am for the 8:30ish race start and there were a lot of things I wish I had taken care of either the night before or with more patience that would have kept my focus at least intact. For example, the gps system I have for my car is a real pain. The past two weekends it has not been able to find the parks or destinations I need to get to to park and begin my pre-race warm-ups. I have had to rely on either a friend's gps or, like today, guessing a bit and utilizing some rather ambiguous verbal directions from the kind driver next to me. on top of that, I should have gotten gas the night before. Not only was the possibility of missing the sign-in due to not knowing where I was going haunting me, I was on "E" and below that last dial mark for way longer than I felt comfortable. Those two factors alone were enough to unnerve me even before we rolled into the assigned parking lot in a rush to sign in.

David hustling after sign-in.

After my sign-in I rushed back to my car and did what I could to get myself right before the start of the race. After slapping that trust warming gel on the legs and making sure my number race "6" wasn't a number "9," I rolled out with David to the port-a-potty and then off to the start line. The race was to be 5 laps around the hilly course with two 90 degree turns to keep everyone alert. There wasn't a flat spot on the road until the finishing stretch. It was a cold race and I was one, of only two, to have a go at this race again with no leg or knee warmers (How much are tickets to Belgium?)

They combined all of the fields into a single roll out. The Cat 4/5 field was certainly the largest with about 30 or so racers. With us, we had a small women's field and an even smaller Cat 1/2/3 field of four racers leading us out on the course. The 1/2/3s pulled away as we began our race with a brisk spin and it didn't take long for the race to get to business with the rush of a Pitt University rider taking the front on the first hill. The course was up and down the whole way and these hills would become very familiar to our stretching legs. There was some real accordion action going on with the peloton throughout the race with efforts really picking up on the harder sections and down the other sides, while calmer portions allowed for enough recovery to settle in to those behind.

This is where the race began complications for me. I was feeling strong, motivated and confident about this morning's race. It was not a terribly long race and in my mind, there is no reason why I couldn't have gone for the win. The length might just be that deciding factor however. Had this race been longer I doubt there would have been so much chaos on the finishing stretch because those who were continually  sagging on the tougher ascents would have cracked and a truly strong group would have decided the winner.

The race really erupted with 2 laps to go when that aforementioned University of Pitt racer thought the sign said 1 to go and he put a real dig attack at the front and opened up a gap on one of the tougher hills. Most were scrambling to keep up with that attack and I quickly moved past a lot of the racers finding myself one of the chasers of his short-lived break away. I was with maybe 5-6 racers and we worked well together to reel him and any other break away attempts back in. Note: I did not shy away from taking any pulls to close a gap as I knew nothing would stick and there would be time for recovery. Unfortunately, after our select group reeled in those attacks, we didn't keep the gas flowing as hard and were caught by a large chase group. I won't say at the time I minded so much as I knew I wasn't losing the race being part of a larger group, but in hindsight it would have been nice for us to continue to act with a sense of urgency. With either 2 or 1 to go we caught a straggler from the 1/2/3 race and he was of the "Spokes n Skis" team. They are the hosting bicycle club of the Hollidaysburg Spring Classics series and they certainly had strength in numbers for this race. I was happy to encourage us working together to catch any escapees, but the race was back together with 1 lap to go and no one was about to try to be a hero at this point.

The pace was still hard and my legs were feeling the efforts. I didn't have doubts about my ability and I was paying attention to wheels I wanted to follow when the finish was upon us. The problem was, there were so many to choose from.

Expectations: I listened to my gut. That Cat 1/2/3 rider we picked up, though he may have been on the same team as many of the contenders in our field, would prove the best wheel for me to follow when we it this finishing stretch. Certainly he knows the finish and would have a lot left in his tank for either a lead-out or just a good dig to the front. He goes - I follow, and whether I drop the hammer hard enough in a jump from his wheel to take the sprint or someone else just pips me at the line, I made the right move going to the front and not hesitating. No matter how many people are in the final field sprint, his wheel was mine and I took advantage of it in the best way

Reality: We swing onto the final stretch (that we did not ride through on any of the laps except for the roll out and the line hadn't even been drawn yet) and it's anyone's game. I see the Cat 1/2/3 racer right in front of me make dig to the front and put a little gap on everyone - no one takes his wheel. My hesitation is that it's just too far from the line and maybe someone else will follow this move that I can grab a wheel from. I don't know this finishing stretch and I have no clue where the finish line really is. I had been paying attention to the other strong riders throughout the race and there were any I could have taken. I know who had done long hard pulls on the front and who didn't suffer as bad as everyone else on the continuous hills. I am bobbing over the yellow line (center-line rule nulled) trying to pick a wheel that will take me to the line. The group is moving fast and everyone seems to have enough for the win. A surge on my right goes away and I am left dodging some of the riders now cracking from the sprint. I continue to accelerate and I see he line is now maybe 75 yards ahead with at least 5-8 riders still ahead of me. I believe I still pass more before I cross it and I am not happy with myself.

I played my cards right up until that finishing stretch. I should have gone with my gut instinct rather than left it to chance. I am mad I didn't go with that rider while I had the chance. He may not have had enough to take me to the line, but I certainly would have been better off to catch someone else's wheel up front rather than swinging around behind working for a lessor position. I may not have known the finish, but he did and a sharper mind would have told me to go with him. I had him and maybe two other racers I was looking to follow at the finish and I failed to really utilize any of them.

I am hard on myself and that is that. I am still learning lessons and I will take these and hopefully apply them to my next endeavors. On a more positive note, one of the Team Spokes N Skis racers told me at the start line that had read my post about Morgantown and mentioned that he actually picked up a tip from it that I unfortunately forgot to remember in my rush to get ready for this morning's start. He then whipped it out and dropped some liquid race-weight - when you gotta go.... I always appreciate readers and he is telling me I should race the Hollidaysburg Telpower race coming up in a few weeks that sounds a lot like another nice climbing race like Morgantown.  Anyway, it was nice to see and hear his kids cheering us all on marshaling a corner with his wife. On the last lap I definitely heard a "Go Daddy!" coming from those excited fans. It sounds like another serious climbing race like Morgantown! (Note: Today's race was not a climbing on in my opinion, but a punchy-hill one. Climbing races make you push and suffer much more than today.) We'll see how I feel after my next week of crits. The Team SNS riders are a good bunch and I do hope to see them in future races.

At this point, I am guessing as to my official race result. I could have ended up worse than 6th, but I don't think I was any further down than 8th. I will post up the official result when I can. Either way I am certainly happy that I did the race. It was a very well run and organized race and post -race soup and sandwiches was a very much appreciated touch! I made a joke this race when I saw a rider toss one of his unnecessary bottles from his bike a the start of the final lap. I yelled out "Like a Pro!" and no one else seemed to find this too funny as I guess things were supposed to get serious. I like to keep things light especially when I can tell others are suffering more than me (though none of that matter when I don't come out with a good result). I took off my extra cage last night knowing that carrying a second bottle in a race that would hover around an hour would be extra weight. Beyond garnering no laughs from my little exclamation, a hard effort was what I needed and a real check on my mental edge within the race is good to have.

By the numbers, I remembered to start my garmin at the race start and today's was about 24(.01) miles exactly with a max speed of 36.7 pmh and an average of 20.8 mph. I have a recorded time of 1 hour 9 minutes with a max hr of 189 bpm and an average of 159 bpm. Only 1703 ft of climbing with a max speed of 36.7 mph.

Pretty house I believe a friend may have been telling me about the other day that I was happy to see - back in Indiana.

Thanks for reading and I hope these climbing legs and lessons I'm acquiring will help me in the future. This racing is what I love and I'm excited to begin crit racing at the Bud harris Cycling Oval on Tuesday (on Wednesday nights I have class which has it's pluses and minuses) and the Steel City Showdown on Sunday. Oh baby!

OFFICIAL RESULTS: I took 9th not 6th. Not happy about that result at all, but I'm really prepping for this weekend.

Tomorrow is the infamous "Hell of The North," Paris-Roubaix race. This Queen of the Classics is a true test of a strong-man's will. I am excited to watch it live tomorrow morning from some live feeds presented by Cycling Fans. If you don't know about Paris-Roubaix, get familiar. This race makes legends out of cyclings very best and solidifies them in cycling history. I am entirely humbled by the true passion of everyone involved in this, the most difficult one-day race of the year. It will also be showing in prime time on Versus starting at 7pm for a 3 hour exclusive coverage of the race tomorrow evening. Oh baby baby!

Loner Status: Reflective?

I've been working up in my mind the appreciation I have living by myself and the perks it affords me. I can listen to whatever music I want, (I think I have good taste) I can ride my trainer as late as I need to, (papers are eating up my time) I can have over whomever I please, (friends all around anyway) what's mine is mine, (food - but also dishes), and there are a whole host of other things you can imagine I am appreciative of. I'm a single, male, 22 year old college student. My location in this Indiana of Pennsylvania couldn't be much better either.

But I'm not gonna run wild with this one. I will just briefly reflect upon this situation I have found myself in. Don't think I'm running without a leash in this town. I have realized I need to keep to myself to a degree, lest I run into some tough sights of yester-semester. Really, I just mean to say I am trying to appreciate as much of my young, free, single, cycling life I have left in this town. I am not going to say I'm not happy to be moving on, but there's a lot of what I will call "potential" that I can't help but wonder about  for my college life.

I'm not gonna dwell on anything beyond mentioning it. I live alone and I really enjoy that. I will be moving back in with my parentals and I am not about to complain. They have done so much for me and will graciously continue to. I do try to not take them for granted. Beyond that I do try to live in the moment.

I have pondered to the conclusion that maybe the reason why I have turned to blogging so much is in fact because I live alone. My old roommate, Spencer, is a character. Beyond being a really great, issueless roommate, we would often spend time just talking stuff we had going on and just communicated like human beings. It seems simple, but the stuff I am talking about now, I have shared with a few people recently, but certainly not in this detail.

Some people are meeting me at this time and I couldn't be happier. I am a very talkative person at the moment and I am positive throughout which makes me more outgoing. I consider myself to be a realist, but I know when to relax it... I think. Anyway, I have to let go of this topic and keep moving forward.

I've got the Holidaysburg Spring Classic road race this weekend to hustle. I will be bringing some new racers to that event and I hope the weather holds. I do know it will not be as tough as this past weekend in many respects. Thanks for reading. You and I are just getting to know each other, blogger.

That Moment...

…when Cancellara and Chavanel touched and held hands is, I believe, one of the most beautiful things in cycling one can witness. The two had been out on attacks all day. Each had their own moves and moments of possible glory. Yet, when they realized that their own solo efforts were not enough to shape the race alone, they shared a moment of absolute respect and strength not only to each other, but to the race, to the Classics, to the Ronde Van Vlaanderen, and to this beautiful sport of cycling. I absolutely love seeing such respect in the professional races and I believe it is something that grounds this as a gentleman’s/lady’s sport. I only hope to ride away in a break that deems such an honor. Whether we (my breakaway companion and I) are about to be swept up 5k from the finish, or know that it will be a one on one battle to the line, that is on the bucket list.

Also, the moment the lead group hit the final climb of the race, Philippe Gilbert attacked...

My heart goes out to the big hearted Belgian, Philippe Gilbert. His attack on the final climb to break the will of all humanity is why he is my absolute favorite cyclist.

Where's The Podium? #1: Morgantown Road Race - 4th

Let's start from the top. An afternoon race start time is key. JR Petsko's ABRA racing series is full of them and that alone is enough to make me want to keep coming back. It was with that in mind that I took the horrific weather with some reserved animosity. We could have been racing in the terrible snow, sleet, rain, and wind with not a prayer for sun early in the morning. Yet, all of that mixed in with a grueling "pain-cave" race made the Morgantown Road Race a race of great proportions with everyone involved. Myself, David Watkins and John Blank (after a clutch no-show opened up a spot for John) all raced in the Cat 4/5 race. I will say that although this race's distance was longer than I have ever raced, I believe the length allowed me to really figure out what it was that I needed to do. I had more time to read the race, judge my effort, and make my moves.

Looking at some other racers getting ready, the rain began to fall.. then a snow mix.

Slushy seat and bike

There I am warming up and this will lead nicely to me talking about the race and my tactics therein. I chose to pack no leg-warmers. I wasn't even going to consider it (channeling my inner Belgian). I wore my Elite Ozone warming gel and that was all that I needed. I will contend that I was the only one not wearing leg or knee warmers in all of the races and I am proud of that. That was part of my mental preparation... there was nothing that would stand in the way of me doing this race in the best way I could manage. It was going to be tough, leg-warmers or not and I have nothing to hide. Also note the Power Bar energy gel tucked on the quad. I had another slipped on the other side and that's where they stayed until use in the race.  I also decided against wearing my wind/water-proof jacket. I knew I would get cold, but I also knew my legs were the important component here. When we finally did get rolling after a 30 min delay for weather improvement, everyone was unsure of how things would unfold.

Rolling out, things were good and bad. Tough cold, wind, rain added to terrible road conditions with potholes that knocked many people's water bottles out (I almost lost one of mine) was the bad.  There was a lot of talking during the first 8 miles or so before a break happened with I'm guessing three or four riders and another trailing to bridge a gap to them. I will say that I would have probably tried to get with that break had I been able to move to the front, but I was sure glad to find out that staying in the peloton was just what I needed. I made it a goal of mine to go with any and every break that happened no matter what - afraid that the race would slip from me without my control. The peloton caught that break I believe on the first climb, but again I was not near the front so I am unsure of when that happened. Nonetheless, they were caught and another break was to go I believe on the 2nd climb (no one could control that one but those three).

Note about that 2nd breakaway: It stuck. They were all from the same team (TOMS... like Toms Shoes) and they admitted that they were just using the race to get points so that they could cat-up. I mean, I can accept that, but it kinda stinks to be racing below your level just for points. Apparently they actually started the race late, bridged up to the peloton, passed us all and took the 1-2-3. I fail to see how that is impressive when they could have raced in the Cat 3/4 race and challenged themselves with better competition. Enough said.... maybe.

With the breakaway gone the rest of the race was to be decided on the climbs and the rolling hills to the finish. I ended up finding myself with a nice group after the first climb. I believe David was at least there and it was at that point that I took my first energy gel and I suggested David do the same. The timing of my intake worked well for me. His proved to be a little more difficult as I believe we hit the second climb of the day struggling to open the thing and he was admittedly not ready for the horrid taste of banana-strawberry (it was all that was left when we shopped) bitterness. That second climb was a test indeed. A select group got away at that one and I was in the red to keep with them.

A lot was going through my mind at that point. Firstly, I thought that I just needed to limit my losses and tick away as hard as I could. Secondly, I needed to not give up. This race was not going to slip by me. Thirdly, I thought to make a joke with the others suffering by saying "I shouldn't have had all that candy at Halloween!" but I also  [fourthly] thought I might save that one. Fifthly, the thought of doubt came in the form of me wondering how I was going to handle the next climbs and bridging back the gap that was occurring and how much weight I wish I could have really lost during training. 

A gap certainly did occur and I had to bridge on the descent to keep with them. They were cooking and I was frying. Eventually I did come up on their wheels and recovered enough to give a few pulls to make sure we were not going to have too many others join us. It was clear that our work should not be done in groups of two or three, so eventually we formed a nice "chasing group," as they'd say, and worked together. Hitting the third climb was a brutal thing. We were all on the rivet and I would contend I was the worst. My pain-face was evident just sucking wind. I remember blurred vision just looking down at my front wheel; I suppose to make sure it was still rolling forward. Although I believe the pace was quicker on the second climb, energy stores were being tested on this third one and my legs were screaming. Yet, so were everyone else's (one must never forget). I fell off the wheels of my group again and knew that even after the summit, I would still have to work myself hard to catch them again.

The descents were sketchy. Wet pavement is one thing, but I am not used to such switchbacks. I don't know if they just look fast doing them in the pros, but I did my best to hold a line without skidding off-road. However, I didn't really have a problem with them and don't you think the only switchbacks were on the descents. Uphill switchbacks reminded me that these were the kind of climbs I have dreamed about killing. Though I surely hoped they wouldn't kill me.

I suffered to bridge the gap to my group of five and I wondered if I was burning too much of what I had left for the finish. Upon that thought my tactics came to mind. Instead of taking more pulls like I had done after the second climb, I decided I had better not just latch onto a wheel directly. Rather, I knew I needed to protect myself, my efforts, and my legs for when I needed them most. I trailed off the back a bit and did no more work than to remain as inconspicuous as possible (out of sight - out of mind) Now I do understand this kind of thinking and tactics. I was benefitting from the work of others and am no better than the Toms teammates taking advantage of a situation. Albeit, they chose to race an "easier" race for points. My move was a race time decision and it paid off. I got no complaints from the guys trading pulls and I tried to stay off the back just enough so as to hope they would think I was suffering more than I was and maybe even still trying to catch their group. I don't think I fooled anyone though.

Tactics are something I am very much focussed on this year. I want to race like I know what I am doing. I chose to take the race into my own hands and play it how I needed to. I did not take any wind for the last 10+ miles and I am okay with that. Some may call it cheap, I call it race tactics. It was within this time that I made sure I took my second energy gel, made sure that I was drinking a lot of my V8 Fusion/water mix in my bottles, and recover. I played my cards right and I am happy with how it turned out.

The last 2-3 miles I knew from the drive in. It was a relief to know where I was and what to look for through the finishing miles - crossing the state line from Pennsylvania into West Virginia. Those last two miles were testing for everyone in my group. The two guys who put the most effort in pushing the pace before this point got dropped by three of our group's members on the third to last roller within the final mile. I was still playing my patience card and kept to their pace as they slowly faded to a surge from those aforementioned three. I knew how close we were to the finish and I knew I needed to attack my waning lead-out and find more suitable wheels to follow before the road opened up at the "200m to go" mark where the yellow-line-rule was to be nulled for any sprint finish. I caught my three targets on the second to last roller and for some reason a straggler from the Cat 3/4 was following their wheels too. Upon bridging and recognizing (by not recognizing this rider from our breakaway) this atrocity I readily snapped at the rider to back off their wheels and I found my position at I believe third wheel with about 500m left. Once we rolled up on the last little roller to the slight uphill finish, I knew where to look for that "200m to go" sign and I quickly accelerated and swept to the left side of the road upon us passing that sign. I was surprised that no one in front of me had tried this move and I was happy to have it all to myself. I don't know what happened with the other riders of my group, but after I swung over, I took the sprint with strength and full confidence I had just taken 4th.

I had high spirits before and after the race. I felt confident in myself, my training, preparation, and mental state. I was excited to just be racing and I wanted the race to be a learning experience above all. Beyond that, I wanted to work not only my legs for a result, but also my tactics and mental game. They say that it is not always the strongest that wins a race, but sometimes the smartest. I believe I played this one right and I got the "win" I wanted. I am not a "climber," but I made it work out. I knew that my pull after the third climb was not necessary unless someone in my group was to yell at me for not doing any work. We were not going to be caught by anyone behind and I knew I needed to do my best to recover. I do wish it could have been for the top spot on the podium, but I am happy with my result. My bike needs a shower.

Looking ahead to other races, I believe I just need to try to remain consistent. Continue and believe in my training, remain patient, and going with my gut during a race. There is no need to go into the red for a pull when I have a greater concern - the finish line.

Great race and I look forward to the next ABRA event.

David finished 25th in his first ever bicycle race and I am not sure where John Blank finished yet. As a team I believe we are happy about the race and I am most certainly looking forward to the next weekend. I will update as I see fit. Thanks for reading!

Other info about race: Unfortunately, I forgot to start my garmin right when the whistle blew so I lost the first few miles of the race, but my average speed was 20.2 mph, max heart rate was 191 bpm with an average hr at 161 bpm, I had an average cadence of 88 rpm, and the total ascent was 3199 ft for my recorded 47.95 miles. The official race results can be found HERE For the race my official finishing time was 2 hours 24 minutes and 28 seconds, but think about this... the finishing time of the Cat 1,2,3's race was 2 hours 8 minutes 55 sec. We all had ~50 miles to do so yeah; I have a long way to go. I did win $20 though!

The Beginning is Here

This will be a short post. I am packed, fed and ready for tomorrow's first race of my third cycling season! I'm very excited and happy again to have the opportunity to race my bicycle. Thank you all for reading through the winter boredom. Tomorrow is what I have been working for and it's just beginning. I will look to learn a lot from tomorrow. It is a type of race that will challenge everyone. Perfect. I have just finished my pre-race-day dinner and am all packed for the morning.

The races start at noon. We've got a 2 hour drive to get there and I'm aiming for us to leave around 8-8:30.

I've got a big smile on my face right now and some sleep to catch. Thanks again for reading. Look for a race report "Where's The Podium?" post after tomorrow.