Front row at the USPRO

Had the chance to pilot the Mavic support bike at the USPRO road championship! Was Moto 2 this year, which meant I was to cover all breaks or moves off the front. Talk about your front row action. Followed Zabriskie on his solo break, dude is an animal. Was there with our newest US citizen Ivan Dominguez as he tried to bridge over to the break. He ran out of gas. Feet away when Mike Friedman, last man on a breakaway train of 14, hit the ground so hard his glasses were flying (he chased back on). And ultimately along side the 8 man group that made it to the finish with George and 2 others (Bajadali and Louder) going for the winning sprint. I was so close to the action I thought I would be in the results.

In the pedals/on the foot pegs, Jinks

Weekend Riding Aug 29/30

Tonight begins the 1st cross practice. Jinksy won't be able to attend, but 4:00 @ Old Mill Park is the rally point. The cross ride is for either cross bikes or mountain bikes and will work on skills, muscle tension, and dis/remounting.(about an hour)

Sunday's ride will be at 9:00 at the Shop. This ride will be a longer(3hours) and will work on high end of the Endurance zone(15-18mph). It will focus on pace-line skills and comfort. We will throw in several sprints within the 1st hour for fast-twitch junkies(KEN!). Hope to see you at one or both.

Comment below if you are planning to come so we won't miss you.

Cannon Ball Century

Is anybody interested in joining me for this local event? It would be a good oportunity for BWR to show the colors in a non-race environment.

Ride This Sunday

I'm trying to schedule a fun, FAST ride for this Sunday. My wife is out of town for several days and I'm with the girls for that time alone. If I can get the baby-sitter I'd love to do a 2-2.5 hour ride. You all can still do it either way.

My ride idea is a mixture of attacking, KOM, and rapid paceline work. This ride will be a "Nobody gets dropped ride", which simply means that at every turn within the ride we rally up and get started together. Even being in the mix for parts of the ride helps your ability to read races.

Scott - Aug

Four weeks on the road and right back to a pile of crazy!

Had to spend a few days in Asheville, NC and managed to take my bike. While my climbing ability did not likely improve after a few days spent going uphill (what is up with those tunnels!!!!) it sure did make the hills here seem shorter.

Also, if you go to Planet Fitness in Albany, NY - they loctite their pedals on. But if you stand on your wrench as you enlist a co-conspirator to stand on the opposing pedal, you can get their platforms off and get your pedals on.....

To the BWR crew: thank you for allowing me to post. It has helped motivate me to throw a leg over the saddle after a looong day.

Heading out with the family on vacation - hope to see you all soon.

Ben's Training and Race

8/15
So, I miss a race, ride to work and almost rip a guys face off. With the exception of the 30 mile ride in, not a good start. I regain my composure at work, finish the day, and ride back home. 61 miles round trip, 206 watts avg, 20.3mph, 2230 ft of elevation gained. Not a bad day all in all. Sounds like Bill had a banner day. Jack - hang in there buddy. How did Joe do?


8/15
I should be packing gear and heading down to Chesepeake. Instead, I'll be riding to work. To catch up on workouts and post truthful numbers.

Power check in the park. How do you do it? Keep power lvl within 50 watts in the back half rollers? Greg! I need you help and pace. I accidentlly did 30 minutes vice 20 but, random 20 minute extractions were all about the same. 20 minute power 260W avg speed 20.8. I had a lot of 100 watt swings. These numbers will come up with practice and smoother efforts.

Last Sunday was a great ride with Bill, Ken and Greg. Dibs on gatekeeper. We went pretty darn hard. A continuing theme; I held my own pretty well till.... hills, hell even a false flat hurt me at our pace. I was at the top of my yellow, low red zone for about 1.5 hours.

Tuesday I got the word about Saturday fun day at work so, figuring next Sunday is Livestrong in Philly, Hill intervals. At dahlgren, I ride up the WAWA (301) hill, through the church parking lot then back down 206. I did that five times, varrying positions, cadence and positions. Power meters don't lie. I found that I am very effecient (for a 225 lb'r) a little forward on saddle at 82 - 85 cadance with steady power at 250 - 300 watts. That will avg out on the two big climbs next week.

Thursday - 5X5 Matchsticks. 10 -15 sec all out sprint every minute for five minutes with seven minutes in between sets. My first four sets were really close. I faded on #5 but, did 'em all. Max power - 1135. max 5 sec 1080. avg sprint powers 850 - 925. All done on the pancake flat circuit I call Dahlgren. Max speed - 34.5. My legs were toast! Interesting note; heart rate during these bursts would go to about 147, then the 45 sec rest would come down about 10 bpm on the first effort , after that, it stayed around 2-3bpm throughout the rest of the set. Then, on seven minute rest, it came down to 115ish.

Today - I ride to work.
Training with power now! Just in time for 4 hour E rides (110W, off the back). Last night I did a 30 minute baseline in the back half of the park. Coach says, "keep it with in 40 -50 watts uphill and down." What the #$%@# ? I need practice. I never hated going downhill IN MY LIFE! Roll over the top and THEN accelrate to keep pwer up. Man that sucked. Are power numbers like wiener sizes? Are we all supose to lie a little? If so, I averaged 320W over the 30 minutes with a HR at 135 and an avg speed of 32.8MPH.

Rides?

Any plans for Saturday and/or Sunday?

Jeff/August training

This week has been great, I dropped my bike off at the shop, so the rehabilitation has begun.
Frame headed back to the jig, handle bars wasted, front fork wasted, seat wasted, front wheel?, Shifter/rear derailleur? Helmet and shoe buckles. Now I bet your thinking where is the great week, here goes.
Mon. headed out with my MT bike for a flat 10 mile recovery ride, and it went very good.
Tue. 10 mile recovery ride with Wendy and Savannah, this was great because I was able to use the time to show Savannah how to flick a rider thru and pace line.
Wend. 20 mile low E 119avg HR 1hr/20min the effort felt harder then the HR showed, but compared to three weeks ago laid up in a recliner it was great.
Thru. slow 10 mile recovery ride, Friday rest day and If I feel good I'm shooting for a easy 2 hr ride on Saturday. Right now I feel like everything is on course for a fast recovery from this point on!

Jordan's Training and Racing

August 24th

Haven't had nearly as much time to blog now that I'm doing 4 preps for classes - English 11, English 12, Creative Writing, and Personal Finance. Figure it would be smarter spending what little free time I do have riding.

To that end, I have been spending a LOT of time on the MTB (some of you guys might have raced at Holliday Lake, that's in my neck of the woods) in prep for filming this weekend, and for general enjoyment. As I get more comfortable on the bike and learn a few things (e.g., while we like to cut the corner on the road, it's frequently better to swing wide on the trail) - most of it is probably super basic to you former MTBers, but for me it's all new stuff. Im learning, to be sure, and I've come to accept that falling off/over is just a given when trying something new.

Anyway, it's been great, I'm either in the red on a steep climb or going downhill. I'm seeing heart rates that I seldom see during the road season, so that is a good thing. Most of all it's getting to be FUN!

August 2nd

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! The PLT on Wheat #3 was, as usual, a humid affair. I've never had my socks so wet on a non-trainer ride before. Thanks must go out to Jeff for helping me get set up when I arrived, and to Jinksy for the cold soda after the racing was done.

I felt much better this week than last (which was the worst I've felt in a TT in my life), but my time was only 33 seconds faster. Last week, I missed 2nd place by 2 seconds. This week, I missed 5th by 4 seconds - to the same guy. When it's 4 seconds, your mind just races with all the little things you could have done - I mean literally if I had just ridden 0.1 mph faster for the last mile, that would have done it. One could go insane thinking about it.

The competition in the 35-39 age group was super-strong - the new course record setter, the second fastest course time, Gene Rutledge (who is always good for a sub 50 min ride), and a few others. Surprise of the day was Mike Hosang, who took about a minute off last week's time and further increased his lead in the BAR.

This season definitely had a more defined "peak" than any previous year, which was good (because when I was peaking, I was setting new PRs). Once I realized that I had a definite racing peak, it helped put the last 3 weeks (where things have not been as awesome as they were in June) of racing into perspective for me.

This has been my first full season with the team and I must have to say I have loved being a part of it. Having all of you guys to offer encouragement, evaluating the races, debriefing each other (now don't get dirty, guys) - it has made the 6 months of training and 4 months of racing not just bearable but downright fun and exciting. Thanks guys!

Steve's Racing? Training?

August 31

First Rehab session today. The therapist asked me if I knew how to make the tear drop muscle in my quads. She poo pooed my fitness and then did a strength test. I could tell she was surprised when I was able to keep her from moving my leg. (Not supposed to happen after surgery, but then she has never been around a BWR rider before.) I also found out I have been violating the recovery protocal. She is just going to have to get used to that. As the swelling drops and nerves begin to fire back up the pain levels are getting higher, but we will continue forward.

August 27


Surgery is over and I am floating in my recliner courtesy of some fine pain meds. Everything went well except they found a small tear in the meniscus, but even that was not too unexpected given the ACL rupture. The next 24 hours is about pain management and then it's back to work on fitness and rehabilitation. Thanks for all of the well wishes.


August 23

Made my day seeing the BWR guys returning from a ride! Still walking for fitness and waiting for surgery this Thursday.

August 15


More walking and icing. I have also added sit ups, push ups and other random exercises to the routine in the faint hope of maintaining some fitness. Keep blogging about your rides and training. It helps tremendously to know the BWR crew is still working even at a reduced post season rate.




August 13


After a two mile "walk" on the beach my reward was an icy cold beer and an ice pack on each knee. The pain stayed in the manageable range for most of the walk. It is a strange sensation not to be training. What an odd day it is that does not include a bike ride. Even more strange is looking around and not having any cycling gear lying about waiting. Two long weeks until surgery and the start of rehab. I can't wait to "git 'er done".


August 11


With a brace I am able to move around without crutches or cane. Not very fast, but ambulatory. My exercise routine is to walk on the beach. The sandy footing requires focus and works more muscle groups. At the end of the walk my reward is a nice ice pack on the knee. By the way it is as hot here as anywhere (101). My next goal is to have the confidence to go into the water.


August 8


If there is good news to be had it is that "only" my ACL is damaged. Dr. Brian McDermott good friend and great orthopedic surgeon was surprised to see that my 51 year old knee was in such good shape. Based on the left knee we were expecting to see arthritis and other random damage, but it was clean. So what does that mean? It means surgery in a couple of weeks and six months of rehab. I'm sure the rehab will include a number of miles on the bike! So all is as good as it can get.


August 7


First the important information. My daughter Colleen, the smallest girl on the field, won MVP at her lacrosse camp on Friday. GO COLLEEN! Norairs wake up in the morning and piss excellence! Of course I now have to use crutches to accomplish that. I blew out my "good" knee in the end of camp scrimmage. I will know more tomorrow, but I am pretty sure from earlier experience that this is a torn ACL with a hint of MCL thrown in for grins and giggles. Just call me Sysephus, get the rock near the top just to have to start all over again. Bill, this is going to be an interesting training plan!


August 4&6

I did virtually the same thing both days. After warming up I did ten minutes of tempo followed by random sprints and standing efforts on any type of hill. Part of this work was back up in Artillery Ridge on the hills. The point of this work was not to gain fitness (too late for that) but to get the legs used to standing and driving the bike forward as if in a crit. The legs felt good. Saturday is the 540 cycling event, just to get some racing under the belt prior to next week. Good luck to those going out to Page Valley.

August 2

Age Graded State TT. First let's put the credit where credit is due. That would be to friend teammate and coach, Bill. Without The Plan I would still be floundering for fitness. As Bill posted the wind was a real problem because it never seemed to pick a direction except to never be a tail wind. As a result I rode more of the course at a higher cadence than planned to cope with the ever changing conditions. It must have worked because my official time of 50:45 was a personal best and indeed made me the fastest 50-55 year old of the day and a State TT Champion. (Bernie Sanders was in the 55-60 group and again smoked the course in his usual 49:52.) I was the second fastest in the whole 50 age group by over two minutes, so, yes, today I am pleased. However, two of the fast guys were out with injuries and next year Roger "not my" Friend moves into the fifty plus group. Either it's time to retire or time to start training. Again to echo Bill's post, all of the BikeWorks Racing Time Trialers were impressive this year, Jordan and Bill are still the beasts, but they better keep working because the pack is on their heels. On to the Crits!

BILL'S RACING AND TRAINING(POSSIBLY)

Another great photo by Joe's wife. Thanks!!!


Sunday brought forth five pain-seeking TTers from the team. The VA State Championship TT was down in Chesapeake for the 2nd weekend in a row. After not even getting actual start times and waiting for 3 hours for results(mine are still pending) we did our best to blister the course. The high moment of the racing year for me came when Steve earned a much deserved State Championship for the 50+ age class. It could not be a better thing for us all. Congrats to Jordan for his continuing to rank as a 30+ rival and podium finisher in that BAR. Jinksy finished with air in both wheels, but none in the lungs. I've never seen YoungGun a deeper shade of red, which meant he left everything out on course.

The course was the same one we always use(though I'd love to do it in reverse sometime). The wind down there swirls and today was no different. It was much stronger than last week, so the riders who can really push the High power numbers will make out well. Sections 1-4,6 had the most head to side wind. As a last minute stress, I decided to put on a 54 ring in hopes of finding a better ratio for my type of riding. For most of the entire half I had the same gearing and speeds 25.5(avg). That's not where my abilities take me. Still too many fast-twitch muscles to be a great TTer. Finally, I got a bit of power going on section 5-Bunch-O-Walnuts RD. I also got the speeds up to 28 at the start of the last section and to 31mph on the final 3 miles(I was in the 54x11). My minute man from behind caught me in that final 3 miles and he was so solid. I know that I rode that race smarter than I've done before. I captured my second fastest time ever, 21 seconds slower than last week. Well that concludes my TTing for the year. Still fun to ham it up with the BWR boys.

Jacks August

8/2 - Great job to everyone who TT'd today - ! As Bill said its great to have a state champion on the team . . . . !

In other news I placed second today to Joe, who had great form in the 65 mile southbound ride we did. Humidity was a real pain and had us soaked from head to toe. Not sure if I was dehydrated or what, but during the last ten miles of the ride it was all I could do to stay on his wheel. That was our last real game day practice for the road race this weekend . . . . after that its the crit in Chesapeake and then maybe a race in NY if I go to see an old friend. Then wintertime, with all of the E rides, which will be a welcome diversion. Anyway folks, two more races, wish me luck . . . . .

8/3 - Thought I would be more sore and tired today, but I feel pretty good. Only took a short ride home from work in order to rest for tomorrow. Guess I should really get a powertap and all seeing how everyone who follows the program to a T had such improvements.
Looking forward to the off season because I feel like it will be the time to train hard and get in shape so that Bikeworks team will put fear into the hearts of all the other racers and teams. And if we / I can't accomplish that at least we won't be off the back of the pack or anything . . . .

8/4 - Saw Steve coming coming out of the park today. He looked pretty happy so I'm guessing that the had a good workout. The one thing that stuck in my mind from our conversation was that the road race this weekend would be a "war of attrition." Knowing that everyone will be conservative with their energy means I need to be even more reserved, and avoid working at all costs.
Training today was really seeking out hills, and on River Road on the way home doing 10 second sprints. I was counting to myself ( 1 mississippi, 2 mississippi, etc) but found that after 6 seconds my juice is gone. Plus I have a question about sprint form . . . . when you are in the drops and sprinting can you generate more speed with your rear end hovering above the saddle or with it in a more forward position? Didn't know if there was a concrete answer, and was curious . . . .

8/5 - Had to go up to Stafford, and from there planned to go to Quantico to catch a ride back to Fred. In Stafford I had a mechanical that let me with only half the workout done. So, back at the house I fixed everything and headed out to a neighborhood off River Rd which is nothing but hills and rollers to finish. Rode for about an hour more and then came home and put my feet up. Nothing really too interesting today.

8/6 - Did around 3 hours between riding before and after work today. Must have been doing something right because at home later I couldn't stop eating. Turkey sausages, beets, mashed potatoes, frosted mini wheats and later a little ice cream . . . . the hunger wouldn't stop. During the ride the legs felt a little sluggish at first, but when really warmed up they felt quite peppy. I tried as much as possible to improve my position in the drops using my shadow to see how aero I actually was or wasn't. Overall it was pretty satisfying - the workout seemed fruitful and I don't feel too worn out or overextended right now.

Race Day - State RR Cat 4 - I got 21st of of the field. I'm not sure how many actually started, but it was full on Bikereg at 100, so that puts me in the top 5th.
Racing today really opened my eyes, not only to the character of some of my fellow racers, but also to how being with the team is a privilege above everything else.
Woke up early to get to Joes race, and after watching him finish 14th in the field pretty much sat around and rested til three o clock, which was when I raced.
As luck would have it a truck full of NCVC guys pulled up next to us . . . . one guy was clearly clueless - he was having trouble filling his tires with air. So, I went over and tried to help him secure the pump to the tube better, at which point he snapped at me. He said way too loudly "I've got it man!" and snatched everything away almost violently. This put me in a bit of a bad mood, because I was just trying to help. I thought it might have been because he thought I would somehow damage his bike, but Joe later alerted me to the fact that maybe he recognized my kit and that it had something to do with what Jeff went through.
Ok - the race itself was pretty cool - the hills were alot easier to conquer than The Lost River Classic, and the turns and descents were not difficult to negotiate. There was an uphill finish - the hill itself was about the grade of the hill in the park, but maybe 3 times as long. 200 meters before the finish was the feed, in which Joe was waiting, and also where there was neutral water. After this climb there was a steep downhill, and then a hard right which forced everyone to slow down. The rest of the course was rollers, and flats. And a few more flats. The centerline rule was strictly enforced, which made things difficult, but also was a good thing because there was alot of oncoming traffic. The pace was pretty decent, and I was front to mid pack for most of the race. I made a vow beforehand to conserve energy and not to work, and stuck with it. It paid off indefinitely later. I was about 40th man before the last turn which led to the hill/finish, and it was there that everyone sprinted - at the base of the hill. I thought that I would be stuck with 40th, but I soon noticed everyone seemed really tired. So, I threw it into 39x26 and rode like I stole something. Doing so I passed a bunch of people before the finish. Overall, I was pretty satisfied . . . . even though it was a lower place than last RR, it was a bigger and seemingly more motivated field.
Now, to the two things that made an impression on me. The first was that with 5 miles left a strong rider I was friendly with from team TNP started cramping pretty badly. So, I gave him the remainder of both my bottles, with which he recovered and made it to the finish. He came and thanked me profusely later, but hey - the guys I race with now are the guys that I will race with tomorrow . . . . plus overall my small sacrifice probably made the difference between finishing and having to see the medics later on.
The second thing was that during the race people were making small talk about what the preferred recovery drink/method was - one kid said chocolate milk, another said drinking Dr. Pepper and watching TV or something, and finally I chimed in that it would be nice to have a beer afterwards. Then, out of nowhere this guy comes and says he wants to go and do some crystal meth after racing. He was from a pretty prominent team - but I can't help but think that someone like doesn't need to be racing. For me its about becoming a better, stronger person . . . . so I gave him the cold shoulder and continued to race. The older racers need to be role model types, men who the younger racers aspire to be like on and off the bike someday. Thats why I'm proud to wear the BWR kit, because association with all of you guys makes me a better person.

8/11 - Nice ride in the heat today. Rode out on Rt 2 and then took a shortcut over to Rozelle, then back to town. Between the store and town I ran out of water, but re filled from a hose at a church. The heat didn't really seem too bad til I hit River Road on the way home, because once there I felt a little sick to my stomach. But I was close enough to imagine a cold shower and a gatorade or two, so I motored through and have spent the evening reading and recovering.

8/12 - Mid week bonk ride today. Barely scraped along . . . . between the RR and all the other riding E miles were in style today. Made my way through the park and back into town, and then saw Bill at his house. He looked happy enough after what sounded like a long day at the doctors office.
Even though I'm worn out now, I hope to feel rejuvenated enough to not embarrass this weekend. I'm trying to go out with a bang, and as someone said, maybe with a bonk . . . . .!

8/13 - Last race this weekend, so the only thing to figure out is the to and from aspect. Today honestly I wished I felt better, but tomorrow I'm doing next to nothing to have that much more energy for the race.

8/14 - Short ride today, but all in all looking forward to tomorrows race. Not much to post bc I didn't too much . . . . but there should be a god story tomorrow . . . . !

8/15 - Even though my finish was pretty tame I had a good time at todays crit. The course itself at Chesapeake is pretty sweet - no real rough spots or broken payment, and forgiving corners. The course is home to Chesapeakes courthouse and police plaza, so it follows that it is kept tidy. During the race I yo yoed from front to back alot - trying to make sure no one escaped from the field and then trying to recover, then repeat. It was never too hard to gain spots, because it was a small field . . . . but maybe this was also why it was easy to lose them. Bill would notice when I was out in the wind, tell me, which would lead me to gain cover. Of the efforts to get off the front most failed because a team mate failed to block, or simply because they were half hearted. No one had the balls of steel that Bill exhibited today . . . . as windy as it was anyone in the 4 field would have popped like a cheap balloon. The biggest team present was Casey Auto Group. More than once I found myself 2nd wheel behind one of their guys only to be swallowed alive by riders attacking from both sides and burying me in the pack. I had good positioning going into the second lap behind a tall rider for Tripower, but he was overcome with 1 to go, and when it came time to pull the trigger I discovered the top positions weren't even in my cross hairs. Fitness wise I had it, but as far as strategy goes I'm like a newborn baby out there . . . . . you all will have to school me over the winter!

8/16 - Basic three hour E ride - nothing more, nothing less. The season is now over so I'm looking to get a powertap so that I can improve over the fall and winter . . . . wish me luck . . . !

8/17 - Did a longish ride after work to kill time. Yesterday I had a friend come and visit from NYC, so we celebrated til late. Woke up and felt pretty good, but as the day wore on I felt a slight headache which must have been lingering dehydration. It was a quite hot this afternoon/evening, but I swear I could feel all the toxins from the drink and food being sweated out. Placebo effect maybe, but the thought kept me going. The ride seemed to get better as I went on, and as an added surprise I ran into Ken out near Cosners Corner. Our encounter brought a smile to my face, and I used the little bit of euphoria to hustle just a little bit more.

8/18 - Some crazy motorist felt today that I had cut him off. So he pulled over, jumped out, and got into my face, screaming some things that are better left unwritten. I waited for him to take a swing, but nothing came of it. Another considerate driver in a panel van slowed and yelled for him to leave me alone and clear the road. He stalked back to his car, looking like a fool. I know that summertime heat brings out the testosterone in alot of people, but I'm not about to assault anyone for confusion about the laws of the road. If someone wants to beep their horn, fine, do it and keep moving. But don't make something out of a nothing situation. Neither the cyclist nor the driver will likely benefit.
I made it home in one piece, but the confrontation left me pumped up with adrenaline, which was a double edged sword. I rode stronger and faster, but I wasn't out to get in too high intensity of a workout.
Hope to see some guys out Sat . . . I have to fix some things on my trusty MTB, but if I do I'll be out . . . .

8/19th - Rode down Truslow and then out onto Centreport Pkwy, and then back to River Rd today. It is nice and scenic out near the Stafford airport which is a good thing after yesterdays irritation. The rain was just starting as I left work but it soon tapered off. If it doesn't rain again tomorrow, everything from today will just evaporate, making things that much more humid for the next few days.
Not a bad ride, even though I flatted near the Falmouth Bridge. Way too much debris in and around the road there. Oh well. Caught a beautiful sunset just as I was turning into my neighborhood - everything was bathed in golden light, which made the ride seem worthwhile.

8/20 - Taking a day off today. I rode to work, but kept getting calls from my sister who needs my help moving various pieces of furniture so she can get back to VA Tech. She came and picked me up around 5, and we got everything done. I could have tried to squeeze a ride in, but all of the demands of the day, and the fact that there is going to be a fast ride Sun makes me want to get some rest in.

8/21 - Actually ended up riding the trainer today. Had to work til late, and when I got home I didn't want to go back out - it was too dark, and the trainer looked quite inviting. Rode it til I was drenched with sweat, then rode some more.
GNC had a sale today, so I picked up around 15 bottles of Cytomax premixed drink. Trying to lug them home was a bit of a chore. Before riding River Rd I stopped and chugged as many as I could, just to make the backpack seem a little bit lighter. Nothing else really interesting today . . . . tomorrow I'm riding, but with decreased intensity so that I don't get blown out of the water Sunday . . . .! See you all then . . . .

8/22 - If its not raining, I'm not training. Rode in the rain for a long time today. Bike computer somehow got waterlogged, which is disappointing. Tried to stop by Bills to buy a BWR vest from him, but he was out. The rain wasn't too bad, but I stopped by GNC and ended up freezing after being inside for 5 minutes. So I sought out hills to warm up, and carried on.
So now I'm watching the Redskins, and feeling a little bit achey, and trying to jumpstart the recovery process so I don't get punished tomorrow . . . . . Sorry for the run on sentence, I'm a little beat.

8/23 - KOM day with Bill, Gus, and Joe. We went hard for about 35 miles . . . . all in all it was a good time. Bill had the misfortune of running into a pack of hornets, which sadly didn't slow him down any. Looking back it is sort of funny - he was way ahead of us and had stopped to wait, but in reality he was trying to free the insects from his jersey. Steve also commented later that Bill seems to have some strange way of attracting bees and such. On the way back into town I would team up with Joe, lead him out, and then let him duke it out with Bill. Bill won the majority of the KOM points, winning some free Cytomax recovery drinks, courtesy of my friends at GNC.

8/24 - Got to keep it short bc I'm riding tomorrow morning with Joe and Gus. It'll be good to get in some miles early . . . . anyway tomorrows post will be more interesting. Oh, and on the last note the powertap is cheaper that I thought, which means I'll be able to make real improvement over the winter.

8/25 - Up early for the ride w/ Gus and Joe. Did around an hour and a half, then work. Afterwork did around the same. Nothing too spectacular. I'm really looking forward to the cross ride this Sat, and then hopefully everyone can get together Sun to get something in.

*Note* Just noticed I marked every post as being in the 6th month of the year . . . . guess I can't let go of summer or something*

8/26 -
Good day today. At work some girl kept coming in and buying food, leaving me to wonder after the third or fourth time how she was eating so much. Finally we spoke and she ended up asking for my phone number. I was thinking at the time, "ok, it'll be good to get into something besides riding for a while." So, after work, I rode down to Centreport Pkwy and back, at one point running into some cyclists who were on a long tour that goes from New Hampshire down to Florida. One kid was from England and really seemed to be suffering in the heat. I thought about telling him to HTFU, instead offered to take him by GNC for some drinks. He declined, and we went our separate ways. After my ride I ended up going by GNC, and it was there that I had a change of heart. I decided that when the girl called later I would ignore the call. Maybe that sounds strange, but I have too many complications as it is. Plus I'm saving for the powertap which means every cent needs to stay in the piggybank. Oh well, hopefully there will have to be another opportunity sometime in the future . . . . .

8/27 - Today I could feel the wear and tear of the week. The major manifestation was not being able to reach higher speeds and intensities. Thats ok, because tomorrow is going to be a major rest day. What Bill commented really had me laughing . . . if anything does happen with her I'll have to post a report of sorts . . . !
Looking forward to cross practice this Saturday. I've never raced or practiced cross, so it should be fairly interesting.

8/29 - Did the commute thing, then caught a ride over to cross practice. Wasn't sure what to expect, but I had a lot of fun . . . . I tried my best to copy Bills every move, knowing that the guys I race against won't be of that caliber. We did a bunch of laps of the course itself, then some pacelining around one of the soccer fields. I thought the hardest part was lugging the bike across the ditch and then the short hill . . . . I thought to myself " Man, my legs are just too short " at one point. But other than that I'm looking forward to next Saturdays session . . . .

8/30 - E ride day w/ Bill, Andre, Ken and Ed. During the ride Ken and Andre filled me in on the differences between MTB'ing and road racing. Hopefully there will be a day where we can go and practice in person, as I'm sure my technical skills are close to zero. The slower rides are great because you can converse and really get a chance to check out the scenery and all. Great ride, but I started to bonk pretty hard when I was riding afterwards. Stopped at GNC for some calories and hydration and ended up staying for half an hour. By the time I left the sun was high, and home seemed like a long way off. Anyway, I made it eventually, and spent the rest of the day recovering.

8/31 - Paid for the powertap. Hope to train with efficiency and do well next season.

9/1 - Country ride with Gus. I rode to work, and then headed out to Foxpoint to meet him afterwards. Had to TT a little bit in order to get there in time. Once we were riding I tried to re create a ride I had done before, but ended up getting us lost. I wasn't going to admit it at first, but we were way out in the country, so I spilled my guts and asked him to keep an eye out for familiar streets. We ended up hitting familiar streets about an hour an a half in which was good because I was getting into pre bonk mode. Thirty minutes later I was getting the shakey leg. Gus gave me a half powerbar and a gel. The combined sugar and calories brought me back to life quite quickly. Its funny how good food can taste when you are deprived of it for a while . . . . . almost magical in a sense. We split at Harrison Rd. Good ride.