Hello to all my visitors!

Thanks to the wonder of web tracking I'm able to see when my family, friends, teammates, and others that have stumbled onto my writings. Sometimes it's all racing related, sometimes it's travel related and sometimes I just want to vent my frustrations.

So thanks and hello to those that I believe to be behind the blog hits (feel free to correct me)

to Mishawaka Indiana (my sister Michele)

to Warner Robins Georgia (my sister Chris)

to Chicago Illinois (my brother Pat who I talked through a shifter overhaul on the the phone)

to Denver Colorado (I think that the tracker must be off 'cause I think it should read Evergreen Colorado representing my teammated CF)

to Broomfield Colorado (my teammate (and brother from another mother (Brad) and father of the sticker adorners on my frame)

to Fort Collins Colorado (those Rio Grande riders that will soon be tearing up the scene, if Skins allows it)

To Missoula Montana (my ex brother in arms, that will soon move to the Springs, Kevin P)

and to Port Jervis New York (post a response so I know who you are. I'm betting on a fellow Airstreamer)

Hope y'all like my attempts at WWW exposure.

B

Hot racing at Leaning Tree

Hot as in heat. It was in the upper 90's during my first race today. I spent most of the last 2 days ensuring that I would be well hydrated for my 2 midday races. With the heat I didn't feel much like racing but it all changed at the start. I rode well but due to my lack of longer interval training I was unable to catch the winning breakaway. I held on and won the field sprint for 9th. It was a very nice sprint if I do say so myself. A little over an hour later I lined up for the Pro-1-2 race with the intention of staying sheltered in the middle and finishing. I found myself spending a lot of energy going flat out trying to stay on a wheel midway back so I moved up toward the front. At first it was easier because I was able to match the accelerations when they happened. But after a while I realized that less riders in front of me meant riding harder in the wind. After 35 minutes I decided to drop out. I found out later that a lot of riders dropped out before I did so I felt pretty good about it. All this doubling up is giving me some good training leading up to the final month of racing. I will be taking it a bit easy this week as I'm not racing next weekend. Time to go out and enjoy some miles without pressure.

Lap Dog

I finally was able to get a "race" photo that was clear and in focus. Here's Axel and I enjoying a moment while watching the womens race.

Longmont Crit

Suffering is how I would describe the day.
I haven't felt this tired from putting it all out in a race in a long time.
let's start from the morning
I woke up very early (for me) at 5:30am to prepare my coffee, eat some breakfast, and watch some Tour de France action.
I loaded up the dogs and left for the race a little after 6. Mind you, I almost never rise before 7am.
Zoomed on down to Longmont for the 22nd annual criterium.
It's one of my favorites courses and is shaped like an L with 6 corners.
First race up was the 35+ race. I've been showing some good form for no apparent reason and liked my chances at a good finish in this race. The absence of one of the major teams really made for a different race. With the exception of RMCEF their was no real team to control the race. I stayed up near the front for most of the race. I was feeling pretty good and with 5 laps to go, when the pace quickened, I was ready. Unfortunately, with 2 laps to go I was boxed out, fell pretty far back and had to fight my way back to the front just in time for the finish. I ended up 11th , my teammates did well, Larry finished in front of me at 7th, TR, DK, and Carter finished right behind me not far back. No one was involved in a crash, unlike last week which claimed the bikes and skin of DK and, my brother from another mother, Brad.
I felt pretty wasted after this race. Much more so than last weekends race. So my decision to race a second, Faster, race needed some serious thinking.
I rode around a bit and decided why not. It'll be good training.
The senior Pro 1-2 race was also a Colorado State Championships race. Hopefully I can last 30 minutes again like last week, I thought.
The race started out very smooth and seemingly not very fast. But it heated up a bit when the attacks to form a breakaway started reeling off. I found myself sitting comfortably somewhere in the middle to the back of the peloton. I quickly ran out of liquids because, after all, I was only going to be out here for a short while. I bummed a half empty bottle from an ex teammate and refueled. I had gone 30 minutes so far and was not feeling bad. 60 minutes in and I was still feeling great. At this point I was happy with my ride. If I dropped now it was no big deal. At 70 minutes, 15 minutes to go I was feeling tired and dehydrated. Every lap through the start finish I started to look for the 5 laps to go signal. The refs must have been sleeping at one point because the sign read 11 minutes to go and I thought, great only 6 more laps. But on the next lap it stilled showed 11 minutes. Damn, this is killing me. Finally 5 laps to go came and we were all together. This is when the pace turned hot and my legs started showing the wear of over 2 hours of racing. I finally popped off the back at 3 laps to go, did one more lap on my own and then called it a day. I rolled to my teammates tent and collapsed. I was spent. I had rode 67 miles including warmup at an average speed of over 25 mph for the day. After a few beers compliments of Left Hand Brewery's beer garden and a couple of enormous cinnamin rolls from a local cafe I headed back home. Mission completed, time to recover for next weeks races.

Le Tour

I, like many cycling aficionados, suffer from Letouritis during the month of July. Indicative symptoms are

1. Increased time spent watching Versus.
2. More time spent surfing CyclingNews.com and VeloNews online.
3. Less attentive at work during early morning Live online feeds.
4. Talking about seeing a rider on clearly a non sponsors bike/wheels/components.
5. Talking about seeing a rider on the newest, not yet released for public components.
6. Being late for work because of a finish you just had to see on live TV.

Did I leave something out?

Niwot Criterium, Whoo Hoo!

I'm feeling pretty good after 1 race and 30 minutes of another. No cramps or tight muscles, just as much power as my legs could put out and no more.
In the 35+ race I rode well and even though it rained a bit I never succumbed to the crashes that started littering the field. I found myself hoping the rain would never stop as it was keeping me in the race well positioned because I was taking lines through the corners that others were not so confident on in the wet. Unfortunately the rain stopped and the road dried up making for a fast last 5 laps. I ended up running out of steam on the last lap and finished 18th. Not bad but it could have been better.
I ended up doing the Pro 1-2 race for an extra effort to help speed along my 2nd half season fitness. I hung pretty tough for having already raced once, eventually dropping off the back with another rider with whom I traded pulls with before pulling myself out before the lead moto caught us. 30 minutes of intensity, about 15 more than I was hoping for.

This is my favorite time of the season with all my favorite races. Next week is Longmont, another good race. It even has a beer garden.