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Friday, May 29, 2009

Ridin' the Bull, Feelin' the Flow

I guess I’m starting to be negligent with posts but there’s just not much going on. There’s lots of training and working, all boring. State crit champs were last weekend and it was yet again a better race for me. I don’t want to jinx it but I’ve continued the trend of having a better race every single weekend. I finished one spot out of the money in eleventh after a group of five lapped the field. I hate to knock my teammates but when I’m behind blocking and we have two guys in the lead group of ten and that lead group splits in half you need to be in the front, especially when it’s so obvious that the group is going to lap the field. If you don’t have the legs you don’t have the legs and that’s ok, but I didn’t hear any of that. That tells me you just messed up, which is not so ok. I felt great at the finish but my cassette came loose with four or five to go and I was left praying my bike didn’t fall apart. So I was more or less happy with my ride.

The form is definitely coming around in time for Ohio and Fitchburg. I’m working out the logistics of those trips now and it looks like we’re going to put together a composite team for Ohio and have a couple guest riders for Fitchburg. Both trips should be crazy fun and hopefully I can sneak away with some results.

I sent out a rent check the other day, one more to go. Over the last five years I’ve moved nine times so you’d think I would be used to it by now, and I am. This time, however, I don’t know what I’m going to do next. Previously it was always school or summer or something of that nature. Now it’s the real world. It’s exciting because I can basically do whatever I want. There’s nobody telling me to do this or that and I’m not restricted by school. It isn’t always so great on the nerves but I’m happy to be racing my bike and as long as I keep doing that nothing else matters so much. I can assure you that whatever my next move is it will reflect bike racing being the priority.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Rise Continues

Last weekend brought another good race. The result wasn’t so hot but I was aggressive early and tried to make something happen again in the closing laps. Nothing quite came together but my efforts were not wasted since it allowed my teammates to sit back and have a free ride. They both came through and finished in the money. The fitness is still on the rise and I feel like every race I’ve done has been better than the last. I’m constantly learning the new game and the team is starting to ride better together.

I’m trying to keep the boring race news to a minimum. The other positive of the week was getting the new ride. Yes, finally, it’s here. A big thanks to Jonathan Kane for spending his entire Friday afternoon helping me put it together in time for the weekend. Initial reactions are good. It’s super stiff and still manages to soak up the road. With the current set up it’s pure race. I’ll try to get some pictures the weekend since everything is finally together. I also had a pro moment as I was gluing up the tubulars. I haven’t ridden them yet though. So this weekend I’ll be rolling deep. State crit champs are on tap but it’s time for a road race already. A trip to some hills is also in order.

Wait, one more thing. The latest press release from Team Mountain Khakis is out. You can see it here. I’ll have to admit, it’s pretty cool going to a site that’s been on my favorites list for a couple years and seeing something I wrote. Not that it’s really an amazing achievement, but it feels good. Now back to resting. I leave you with a quote.

“Now remember, things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is.”
-The Outlaw Josey Wales

Monday, May 11, 2009

My Mind Is Racing

As I sit here enjoying a coffee and watching the rain come in, the world around me remains unusually serene. However, my mind is moving at a different pace.

I am approaching a time when I need to start making decisions about what’s next. My lease here in Chapel Hill ends after July and I need to start thinking about what’s next. The problem lies in the fact that I don’t know what my riding situation is going to be next season. That largely depends on how I ride in months of June and July. I am going to several big races then and I need to get some results if I want to take another step up. So I’m in a situation where I can’t really make any solid decisions. I need to focus on riding well and getting some results. Then I can reassess my situation and go from there. In the meantime, all I can do is go over multiple scenarios in my head, over and over. The only thing I know for sure is that I want to keep racing my bike and trying to make the dream of being pro a reality. I harbor no illusions of winning everything for the rest of the season and signing a huge contract for next year. I know it’s not going to come easy. I’m going to have to continue to struggle on with that one goal in mind and the decisions I make need to reflect that commitment. As I buckle up the shoes once again I cannot help but imagine where I’ll be doing the very same thing next year. What team will it be for? Will I be in the U.S.? For now I can’t dwell on those things. I can only give 110% and have faith that it will get me where I want to go.

Giving 110% has not been a problem. At the beginning of the year I wondered how I would feel at this point in the season. Would the struggles of working to pay bills, training and racing take their toll on my motivation to continue? Would that early season hunger for success begin to fade? I can say with certainty that it has not. I’m more motivated than ever to continue to fight. It hasn’t been easy. Sometimes it seems like I never get a break. After working and training all week I spend the weekend in the car traveling to and from races. Then I wake up on Monday and it starts over. Somehow quitting never enters my mind. When I do wake up on Monday all I can think about is the next race and what I need to do to become a better bike racer. It’s a consuming lifestyle, but one that I love and hope to continue.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Catch Up

It’s been a while. The past couple weeks have been good. A few more races are in the bag and I’m pleased with the progression. The fitness is still coming along nicely and there’s no evidence of it slowing down. I’m putting up good numbers in training and I’m racing better and better every weekend. I’m starting to get really excited about June and July. There’s going to be a lot of travel and racing and it’s going to be the culmination of all the hard work this year.

The team is finally cranking things up and we’re starting to get into the flow. Hopefully we can gel quickly and start getting results. I’ve also just heard that the new bike frame should be in my hands this week so we can start looking the part as well.

I guess the big revelation since my last post occurred Friday night at the pro race in Spartanburg. It was part of the USA Crits Speedweek Series so most of the big teams had squads there. My teammate and I decided to do the Category 2/3 race in an effort to get a result instead of just trying to finish the pro race but we stayed and watched the heavy hitters slug it out. The entire time I was watching there was only one emotion, and it was the desire to be out there racing. It was one of those moments that reminds me what I’m working for and reassures me that I made the right decision to put the career on hold to pursue such a lofty goal. I wanted to be out there so bad, it was killing me. The speed, the power, the suffering, the sacrifice it took for those guys to get to where they are. Bike racing is such an amazing and beautiful thing. Magnifique.

And oh yes, don’t worry, the new French Press arrived.