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Friday, June 19, 2009

Like A Boss

So take us through a normal day for you:
Wake up.
Like a boss.
Eat mad food.
Like a boss.
Work on my bike.
Like a boss.
Go to the race.
Like a boss.
Sing along to Taylor Swift with four other guys on the way to the race.
Like a boss.
Flirt with the girl in the café so I can use the bathroom without buying anything and end up using the bathroom and getting a free cookie.
Like a boss.
Get dropped on the KOH along with three fourths of the field.
Like a boss.
Chase back on through the “caravan.”
Like a boss.
Hard ass crit.
Like a boss.
First place finisher not in the break.
Like a boss.
Eat more food.
Like a boss.
Pass out.
Like a boss.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Ohio Looms

It’s been a long and exhausting week and the next one is going to be the same but for a different reason. The next eight days hold seven days and 415 miles of racing. Tomorrow is the NC State Road Race Championships and Monday it’s off to the Tour of Ohio.

I’m looking forward to the trip for several reasons. First of all, what could be better than racing bikes for a week? Yeah, racing bikes for three weeks would be better but such is life. Second, just getting out of Chapel Hill and riding somewhere else is going to be awesome. I love Chapel Hill but having trained here for almost four years now it’s getting a little old. The same roads day in and day out take a toll on you mentally. Third, I love traveling. Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved striking out in search of new wonders. You never know when you’re going to stumble upon some new treasure. Whether it’s the best culinary creation you’ve ever imagined or simply amazing scenery passing by the window traveling is always a welcome adventure. Fourth, I get to stay with some old friends that have been gracious enough to offer us their house for the week. I don’t know if people realize how much that means to poor cyclists but not having to pay for a hotel for a week is often the difference between going to a race and not. To everyone who has ever, or will ever offer a cyclist host housing, enormous thanks.

One more rent check, decision time is fast approaching. I’m ready for new surroundings but where to go, where to go. Time will tell, but for now it’s time to ride hard, race smart and enjoy the moment.

Friday, June 5, 2009

OUCH presented by my job

So I had this grand plan for a positive, uplifting post about the race last weekend. I was going to talk about how it was the smartest race I’ve ridden and about how I soloed up to a move with Ben King (Trek-Livestrong), attacked out of that group as it was getting brought back only to look back and see that I was then off the front with Johny Sundt (Kelly Benefit Strategies). And then about how I soloed up to Johny, Ben and one other guy on the last lap only to have Johny blow up when I was five meters away and the others accelerated (they were caught just before the line anyway). But instead, there was another incident this week that really made me think.

I was at work the other day and caught a nail in the thigh. When I say caught, I don’t mean glanced or scratched. I mean this nail went into the muscle in my quad. When this happened, most people would have been worried about the pain or the risk of infection. But as I sat there pressing a cloth against it, trying to stop the bleeding, all I could think about was how it was going to impact cycling. Would it take me off the bike? For how long? With my two biggest goals of the year approaching this was not good.

It turned out to be not incredibly serious, so far. I was back on the bike the next day, albeit in slightly more pain than usual. However, it really made me sit back and take notice. I think of everything in terms of how it relates to cycling. From the food I eat to the hours I work, I plan it all around the bike. There is no way I could be happy doing anything other than what I’m doing right now. I work hard for little pay, it’s a constant struggle, both mentally and physically. But each weekend I get to go race my bike and there’s never a doubt in my mind that it’s worth it. Will I still have the same mindset in ten years? I doubt it, but right now I’m living in the moment going full gas and not looking back. Who would have thought having a nail puncture your leg could be so philosophical?

Ohio is only a little over a week away. Get syked!