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Monday, February 22, 2010

Lighter Fare

With things still winding up for the season and racing yet to begin, my mind is starting to wander. After logging some time yesterday in 60 degree weather I finally didn’t have to psych myself up to go for a long ride. Before heading out into below 40 degree temps. for four hours or more you have tell yourself how badass you think you are for doing it and think about how suffering through the cold will result in you crossing the line with your arms in the air at some point of the season. But yesterday, the first time I've seen my knees while riding a bike in ages, I was just loving being out on the bike with a good group of guys and I was able to expend mental energy on things other than how bad it sucks to not be able to feel your toes.

As my mind wandered to different places, it dawned on me that I had been so caught up with training and trying to get stronger that I had forgotten about possibly the most important part of racing bikes, style! During that euphoric ride it dawned on me that I was not going to be able to rock my own style while on the bike this year. Now that I've reached this level of racing I'll be sporting the same things all my teammates are wearing. Don't get me wrong, I'm far from complaining. The teams' sponsors are all great and we'll be riding some really flash gear this season. The kits are amazing, I’ve heard the Kane bikes look great, the gear is all top notch. All things said, I think Mountain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joe's is going to be one of the best looking teams in the world this year and I’m eternally grateful for anything I’m given to ride. I couldn't be more excited. Having said that, in years past when I have had to pay for equipment I've been able to add my own flair and twist, making it distinctly Evan. Now that I’m fortunate enough to have great support from amazing sponsors, I've been forced to look for style outlets in other places.

I've been pondering the Euro mullet for a while now. I've been close before but never pulled the trigger. With the mane getting out of control and in need of a trim, it could be right around the corner. I could immediately go into a full-on Euro mullet as we speak. But then you have to decide if you want to keep it trim, like a Giovanni Visconti, or maybe bring some old school fury Ekimov style. There’s also the question, are you fast enough? In order to sport the mullet you have to back it up with your legs. Nothing’s worse than a Cat 3 with pro syndrome that thinks he can back up the $5,000 bike his parent’s bought him with a trip to Great Clips. Hmmm, I don’t know if I can handle that pressure yet.

My new Timex Expedition, courtesy of my amazing boss Chris Ramm, is atrociously huge, orange and awesome. How more PRO can you get than a watch that matches your kit? It will also compliment the rugged outdoor theme I’ll be rocking to races courtesy of Mt. Khakis. You can believe I’ll be enjoying a bud and some coffee in my original mountain pants (follow the link for an explanation). Throw a cyclist in the pants that coined the term ‘MK butt’ and you can’t miss, with the bartender or the barista. I’m no Cipollini, but then again, he’s no Evan.

The quest for ultimate coolness will never end, but I guess that’s it for now. Up next, who knows, maybe I’ll race some bikes.

Monday, February 8, 2010

On Track

Wow, I'm shocked and ashamed that it's been over a month since my last post! It's odd since there were multiple times I found myself wanting to write but something always seemed to get in the way. It's time to get my social media priorities straight fo real.
Fresh on the brain right now is my trip to January Nat's yesterday. Isaac, Zach and myself piled into the Mountain Khakis team car for the trek over to my old home turf on the roads outside of Chapel Hill. While not an official race, it's a coveted title and everybody who's anybody shows up, kind of. More than anything it's a gauge to see where your fitness is at before racing gets underway. I can say I'm content with where I'm at right now. I'm definitely not ripping it by any means but for the first hard efforts since the last cross race I feel like I'm on track. It puts my mind more at ease since I would like to get started off on the right foot with the team. I'm pumped about riding as an amateur for Moutain Khakis fueled by Jittery Joe's this year. It's an amazing program and I couldn't be happier to remain a part of it. I can remember when I first started riding bikes, Jittery Joe's was hot shit. They were pro, and they were cool. They were in another dimension. They were guys I looked up to and when I saw them in pictures I dreamt that one day I would be there. While I'm definitely not there yet, I feel like I'm getting closer and knowing that Jittery Joe's is going to be on my jersey this year is an amazing feeling. At the same time, when I line up at a race in that kit I have big shoes to fill and I don't take that responsibility lightly. I still have to prove that I deserve to wear the jersey. Being faster is what I think about, whether it be during those long hours out on the bike, when I'm in the basement on the trainer, when I get my very small paycheck from work or whenever. It has become part of who I am. Hopefully that transpires into results and validates my position on the team, I guess time will tell.
The roads and old friends from Chapel Hill also brought back memories and it was nice to catch up with some people I haven't seen in a while. It's hard to believe it's been five months since I've moved from Chapel Hill. It felt like yesterday that I was out on those very same roads. It's probably because I trained on those roads for four years and know them inside and out. I can remember going out there when I first started riding and was working my way up to two hour endurance rides, wondering what racing was going to be like. Ahh, such a long time ago. It puts into perspective what a long road it's been yet I've still got so far to go. It's motivating to look at how far I've come and look into the future and think about how far I can take it. It's the start of another year and I'm still just as motivated as I was then. I'm stronger, smarter and more mature but when I look inside myself I still see the same thing I did then, a bike racer.
Up ahead there will be much to write about. The first couple races, team camp with lots of sweet new gear, as well as a probable trip to ECU for some performance testing in the lab. All that in addition to the usual so it should be a fun several weeks. I'm mos def looking forward to it and I'll be sure to keep you better informed.