When you loose focus

It is interesting what you notice.



From Night Weasels.

Gloucester Day 1

Not too much to write about Day 1 as my race was about 5 minutes long before I took a quick dive off a small 'cliff'.
The start went about as well as I could have hoped for with a mad dash down the paved hill and into a lightly sanded sharp left hander. The sound of fear - howling mad cross brake squeal, chattering front forks, and skidding knobbies - let me know the pack was in danger. I had a moment or two before I saw the bright red Sachs frame and Spinelli sliding across the ground. Maybe another rider as well? Lucky, I had a clean line through the mess before the exploded hay bale settled on the pack. Ran the sandpit and the race settled down nicely, I could see an unbroken line of riders all single file along the course.
My race ended very quickly after that. To illustrate what happened I suggest looking at the Crossresults.com cat 3 video - just happens to be the first POV footage I've seen of Gloucester. At about 4:59 into the video the riders pass really close to a yellow pole sticking out of the ground. If you look really really close you will notice that the concrete base is exposed. I was drafting the wheel in front of me pretty hard and although I knew the post was there, I didn't see it coming. The rider in front may have missed the concrete by an inch but I definitely hit it. Judging by the hole in my tire I think it went flat pretty much immediately but we were going so fast and the gravel was so bumpy at that point that I didn't know I had a flat. 11 seconds later in the video the course tape ends and the course turns left. It is a more severe turn than it looks. It seemed that my bike had lost its mind a second before I lost control and slipped off the side of the hill.
I sorted the chain out and then realized the rear tire was flat. With the entire race well past me and a very long run in front of me, I stepped over the tape and pulled the plug on day 1.

So many good things but not one good day.

GMSR 2010

Hostel Tevere
-Also a restaurant
-Also a bar
-Dog
-The food was delicious
-Everything was homemade
-Beds were really nice
-Good vibes
-I owe so much money to the team because I ate so much
-4 nights was probably cheaper than 1 night at a regular hotel.

The days before
-Sick for 9 days or so
-Could not eat
-1 week to restore form before the race

The day before
-Travel to Vermont
-2 Muscle milks and a burrito
-Am I sick again?
-Spin on the TT course with my shitty legs
-Ride more? No thanks.
-Awesome Mac and Cheese at HT
-Beer and sleep

TT
-Go for a fiery explosion
-Catch 30 second man in 30 seconds
-So much for having a rabbit
-Listen for Tim Mitchell coming up behind me (Started 1 min back)
-Go harder
-Tim never passes me
-Legs don't give out
-Time is ok...
-American Flatbread for dinner
-Dream of plane crashes, train crashes, boat crashes. Mostly on interstates.

Circuit Race
-TT worked well as an opener
-Actually feel good enough to race
-Make 'the' break with 2 to go
-Wind
-So much wind
-3 riders
-Get caught by IAmTed King and JPow
-Go faster
-Can no longer pull through
-Do not let go of the wheel
-Last hill acceleration
-Red line and...
-Boom!
-Chase group passes immediately
-Try and solo in infront of peleton
-Caught and passed at 1k to go
-Lost time
-Cheese steak sandwich for dinner
-Not quite a burger, but it'll do
-Not enough sleep to dream

Road Race
-Early start
-Pop-Tart breakfast
-So cold
-Legs ache
-Not surprised
-Race starts on a climb
-Race is definitely 'on' for the climb
-Cory makes the break
-With break gone race turns to stop and go surges
-Feed zone is smooth sailing for once
-Middlebury splits the field
-Not in the front half of the split
-Work hard hard hard into the wind to get back
-Make it
-Cory has been picked up by front split
-Cross winds blow the field across the entire road
-Cory buries himself to keep me on in the cross wind
-Splits again on baby gap
-Again not in the front split
-Keep pedaling hard
-Form a good group going into App gap
-Good climb up App gap
-Not fast enough to catch any stragglers from front group
-500 meters to go shifting up through the gears
-Shift into wheel
-Skid
-Break derailleur, hanger, spoke
-Wheel won't turn
-Walk then run to the finish
-Burger for dinner
-Also Mac and Cheese for dinner
-And cake

Crit
-Left the beloved Hostel Tevere
-Good long easy warm up
-Promising legs
-SRAM fixed up my bike good as new
-They are the best!
-Started fast
-Pace alternated between insane and bonkers
-New pavement was nice
-New paint in the rain was cause for worry
-Couldn't get to the front
-Blur
-Finished same time
-Very happy to finish with the group

Summer Jams

Cross season is a season of road trips. Lets put together a list of Summer Jams so when the cold weather hits we can be reminded of summer heat waves. Or days of rain or whatever...

My two.. First is kinda old, but new to me this summer. Jim Noir - All Right.


Second is Sunset Rubdown - Black Swan


Two more from Mr. Dunn and his friends...

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - Home


Cee Lo Green - What Part of Forever


What have you got?

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Awwww Yeah! This dreamy track is from Brian Ellin
Small Black - Despicable Dogs

Small Black: Despicable Dogs from Yoonha Park on Vimeo.

CX-Mas in June

Went riding out in the woods where I grew up this afternoon. First time riding out there in probably 10 years. Been walking izzi around out there a bunch, but there is much more to see out of walking range. So I left her home and went solo. She is a little too old now to keep up with me on the bike for more than 30 min or so.
Not much has changed since I was last out there. It was fun to let the bike just roll through the trails, deciding the route since I couldn't remember how to get where I wanted to go anyway. We made it every time.
Welcome to my woods.
This is way more swampy than it looks.
One of a couple wrecked old cars in the woods.
Almost looks like fall...
Secret Blue Heron nesting grounds.
Cross is sneaking up!

Haircuts

Someone got a hair cut. I think I'm next..
Nonplussed.
Ok back to being a happy bobble-head.

Roads of Haverhill with Pedro's

First fuel up.

Then ride.Friday morning pastry rides are the best!

Fitchburg preview

Heard a rumor not too long ago that Fitchburg would have the mountain top finish for the road race. I was not prepared to hear that. Since then it seems like this rumor has evaporated, but a few of us went out to look at the potential finish anyway.
James and J*son faring far better than I. This climb has always wrecked me.
J*son. Teacher, bike racer, calendar model. I think this could be March?
If only these were tractor beams.

Battenkill UCI Race

I got the opportunity to ride in the Battenkill UCI race this past weekend as a guest rider for Champion Systems. Honored by the chance to race with some of the best riders from around the globe, I vowed to give it my all. Unfortunately a little bad luck in the feed zone ended my (and a few other's) day early. I was lucky enough to catch a ride out to Meeting house for lap two with the Rapha crew, including Jeremy who had just come back from his aerial adventure!
The sky was constantly changing with new systems of storm clouds moving through every few minutes.
Brussels sprout.
An entire field of Brussels sprouts, adding Belgian authenticity to Meeting House Road. At least in name as I really have no idea whether they were originally from Brussels or not. Wikipedia does little to clarify the issue.
Rapha was there, both in and out of the Race.
Cory also rode a guest spot and had a fantastic day, finishing in the second group on the road. Cory also got a little TV time with the local news.

Battenkill 2010 preride

The dirt is in perfect shape and it already feels like the towns are glowing with excitement.