Poolesville and Reston weekend

This weekend, the two events which are pretty popular, went off very well. The Maryland road race was sorta small in attendance. No DC velo numbers and not many Immediate team riders evident. Small field but strong riders were there and Harley had a solid group. The Richmond pro Guys were out there also. Maybe 45 starters 55 ? not sure,..Race goes off and after a couple laps the 123 event at poolesville has been greatly reduced. There was some attacking at the usual spot at the top of the hill after exiting the gravel section..and this attacking by Harley created the selection. Many malfunctions, flats, and crashes also dropped the numbers. My crank arm was loose and I was doing the biopace thing. Jose went solo and Richmond had the numbers with three remaining in the whittled field to respond but instead he vanished on the herizon. Russ goes a lap later and this jump was bridged by , at first, two more than three more and the remaining chase group gets soo splintered up and discumbobulated that suddenly the race is hell...its me and two guys that failed to get across and we were driving it to change that. Me Steve Black NCVC and Steve Gordon DLP caught in the wrong place with a thirty second gap from the seven ahead with 1 more ( Jose ) up ahead of them,...Soo we dont reconnect and eventually NCVC attacks a couple times and succeeds to get away and mr Gordan drops me and goes with Mr Black up the road. I had a delightfull last lap riding solo and really appreciating my carbon Easton cranks which were swinging multiple directions simultaneously..annoying but something I should have addressed prior to that sat. rode in and got some applause from team riders. eleventh place and red lantern ,...moto right behind me 4 ten miles pulling the caravan.
Reston I was with new cranks and new pedals too. The clip in was terrible at start soo I went way back from gun. I got back up to front but not fun. I was persuing much and chasing more then I wanted to. I eased off a degree from chasing and let the race determine the races results.. or sumpin...soo I held position nicely thru event and towards end Jay moglia was near me and he was helpfull at two to go in that he prodded me some to stay closer to the front. Bell lap and I was in good position maybe 6 th. Around descent up small rise and two corners to go three Richmond Pros swing by and this I should have fought off more..into the last turn third Rich. pro skitters rear wheel barely staying upright. He recovers remarkably fast and I was not forced too much to slow or swing around though and The Sprint was long and I was pushing too hard a gear..it felt like an eternity and not sure how I wasnt passed by more then Mason haymes ( hope spelled it right..Natures trail or sumpin) soo yeah he passed me on the straight fast and I got ninth...Jay placed 10 th and rode a fine race he did. I am not disappointed with my spot and I am moving the right direction.

Wash. co. could not do

I was sorta on the fence and not sure bout wash county and I was confirmed by my indecision as the guy who would not be there....at the crack of dawn when work issues were demanding and I was plain old run down somewhat. Sometimes when you dont decide, wel actually you have...or life has with the inexhorable rotation of the clock. Yes ,..the Restononian and the Poolesvillian are creeping up to us..again. Pave and Gravel. Classic stuff and the promise of pain...nice. At least some things in life are guarenteed. Soo no Murad results that I can find ...guess I rocked a twelth. Evan Fader went for the pre corner launch and went backward through the field and me and Ken Young got snagged behind him before the jump around was safe and secure blah blah long sprint and happy to get pretty close to top ten,..

Race ave, Pa and High Bridge, New Jersey events

The Pa. event was a good race and I will return for that one. The participants were strong and included Chad Gerlach, J. Sundt and Jittery Joes riders.( Kelly had many riders) The start went off fast and attacks were reeled in. There was not many lulls and it stayed together until eventually Rick Norton and another Kelly guy got up the road. Chad went across and some others joined making about six up the road. The sprint came around and I got a lil swarmed but still placed 14 th ...not bad considering that Kyle wamsley only placed a couple spots ahead of me. In Jersey the hill was steep and the top has a really nasty and demanding ruff ass path where you ride / attempt to stay on. The descent is fast and one should take care around one fast ass turn where I almost lost the back end when in pursuit I lost contact with back tire to road and the back end was roostering all over the place..but caught grip just in time. Soo I made the selection except for six who went away. Good size steep hills and Jittery and Kelly representation equates to me not chasing too many things and allowing a move to go...so the teams will chill and the laps tick by smoother. Got to one to go and our group of maybe 14 are at the top of the climb when I feel the rear tire going bounce on the road. Losing pressure...not surprised with the nasty surface. So with a flat I roll in for twenty second and two out of the money...thats racing. No pictures 4 u.

Blade Runner

You realize at one point that you are able and equipped to deal with the pressures that life throws at you in the everyday world and also in the extremes of racing. You go into it( racing,..) with a sort of apprehension every time but you know you have been fine every time in the past. A year comes along though that is out of whack with the stuff you have seen in the past. Not that the past has been mundane. Various mechanicals, lack of suppurt concerning high tech crap ,...and just basic some hard races.
I have been a cat one forever and the scene for us is sorta bleak in that if you cant get on a big local team then you have to contend with some smaller one that cant get in the big races sometimes,..I was not annoyed with this too much until recently but now it has become more of a trend. ( more races requiring invites or credentials of at leasat 4 cat ones ) I am now concerned about the future of small possible teams that can be contenders ? Should they be content to wait to get their ranks strong enuff to be recognized,..? If you really want to ge there are you willing to deal with girlfriends that dont understand the obligation,..the road rash ,..the obligations and time consumption, and possible addictive ties. ?

Risky Business

I am normally pretty courteous and cautious when racing since I realize that staying upright is the only way to get across the finish line and win some money. Sounds nice and also has a hidden agenda. This does not mean that I will always move aside when someone wants to pressure me to let them out. This was the case on Saturday. I was riding pretty close to the front and sorta to the left side of the field and I am pretty sure it was a Kenda guy on my right,he decides suddenly that he had to get out. If the left of me was not occupied with at least a couple rows of guys to that side I could have easily let slim out. If it was not soo crammed at the time approaching the bell it would have been easy to move some to let him over. I was against being soo kind as to open the door and instead I accellerated to keep him lined up with my right side. I was irritated by his pushiness and I said "what are you just gonna force your way out ?" Thinking there was really nowhere to go and this little twerp is getting annoying. The next thing I know dude just accellerates again and turns into me. I moved as far left as I could without taking out the guys to my left and slims rear skewer skewed my frickin' two spokes on the front wheel and thus causing me to have to pull out. I was beside myself and walked across the parking lot with the rim rubbing the fork. I watched the finish and sat down totally pissed off and seriously contemplated getting some back and finding that whole team to sort out which desperate pro among them it was. I believe the next thing I would have done if slim had any lip than he would have really found out how much that prize money was worth. I am admitting in this post some involvement in why it was to a small degree my fault...but it was certainly a lame move on his part to be soo nasty since the course provides a lot of places to advance. I am still boggled but the bottom line is thats racing though it has been a while since I have been this amazed by another persons stupidity on a bicycle. Oh well,...the day was lame and pros can be lame. Lame Lame lame. I some times dont get it. I think next time I will just let any rider go wherever he wants because some will simply take everyones life in their hands in order to get in the money. Thanks for the lesson. Anyway that was enuff for me for a weekend and I bagged the thoughts of any further races for a few days.

THE RACE GODS

I had a fun race weekend. The race gods frowned on me sorta with mechanical problems Saturday combined with lack of fitness at Wilmington that spelled time to pull out at six to go. The after party was where it was at though, and I was hard to convince to leave the scene. I did though and I got to the Patterson Park race I.E Bike Jam and we started and for once I got a good position. The race was fast but from the git I could tell I was gonna do better then last year where I was dropped at 19 to go..but it was my first race all year for 08" so i was ok with it then ...sorta.
Soo the race would compress here and there this year and string out elsewhere but it was not a difficulty. I was not really flying but I felt confident. I got to around seven to go and I was not anywhere near the redline that yesterday was creating. I am sure the bike jumping gears at Wilmington didnt help but I dont know it was a harder event regardless. I made it to the bell lap at Pulaski (MD.) and I was happy that the typical crash was to the side of me and not in front of me. This often happens in a race that did not stress too many engines too long. Around the top side of the curve and into the turn though some knucklehead decides he was done with pedaling and actually clipped out his right foot as though he was pulling into the pit and instantly creates a gap..I said what the fuck and was instantly assigned to the task of getting aroung his bitch ass and working to close the gap. Now I understand being gapped because of the pace getting high but this was obvious bullshit. Who does that there ? I was very taxed to catch on and this was the spot i was using to move up in earlier laps and I was counting on it here. Soo, OK I bridge, I regain composure and we go around the lower circle. I am winding up on a Mountain Khakhi wheel and then I am boxed in with a guy who stops pedaling in front of me and two riders on either side...Jared goes by on my left and I jump around on that side to get 33rd. I was boggled at the weird and unfortunate last lap antics and I kept milling it over Sunday night actually losing sleep and trying to tell myself thats racing but still very irritated about how my racing has gone this year but trying to stay positive. Cheers !

The Awakening and Work ( fun n dollars)

Remember the statue "The Awakening" and it's cool location on the tip of Haines Point? The above photo is not of the awakening but I shot this statue in Germany (Kahrlsru or sumpin) I realize that the Haines Point one is still around but simply relocated to another location...the "National Harbor" which is really sorta out of the way and not convenient for most people. A nice place and worth the visit if you plan on spending some money, especially, but its earlier location was better as a DC accessable item and hang out. Which is exactly what I did late at night as a teen to impress a girl and bail on my own keg party, I have two other brothers so they were always shared mayhem events anyway. Yeah,.. big digression from todays ride to Hains Point. It was harder to get there today thanks to heavy headwinds then to ride once there. There was little going on and the few I saw were doing spinning and chatting. Soo I went home ..back to McLean.
Work has gotten in the way of trying to get some better miles to get ready for the weekends Grand prix and the bike jam on Sunday. I could use a teammate or two who rode in or around my category to help give some motivation and some ride sharing...as well as training together with. Gets lame now that it is the second year with nobody to ride with...WAH. I guess you make your bed and so on. next year things might change,..who knows and its still early for this season sorta. Work is going well and more lawn contracts are coming along as well as the more satisfying work of creating mulch beds and constructing rock walls to contain new plantings and so on. I love seeing the results of all the new rain as far as growth of plantings and seed development.. Blah blah so at least i have that going for me. ( that was a reference to the movie Caddyshack when Bill Murray recalls a trip to India and he was given a prayer by the Dahli Lahma..or sumpin like that.