So they finally announced the location for collegiate nationals in 2010....and drum-roll please....
Madison, WI!
Woot! We don't have to do a 17 hr epic drive to natz this year! This also explains why they never placed a bid to host a spring road race... I'm hoping they use the Blue Mounds Road Race from Dairy land and the capital crit...provided the pavement is repaired. No moon craters at natz please.
Work is proceeding nicely on our race approval. Saturday is pretty much a done deal as soon as TSC approves us using East Tipp Middle School. Sunday...that's more difficult given that it is on campus and around the Stadium. So that requires approval from 7 different people: dean of students, business office, police, grounds, athletics, risk management, and residency halls. The last one is proving to be rather difficult since we need a road closed behind a dorm that has student parking on it. They don't want to move their cars regardless of what the police and grounds say...which is strange given that they control/own the traffic/roads.
No worries, we'll get 'er done.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
What to do come May
Graduation is quickly approaching and, surprise, surprise, I haven't given it too much thought until recently. Mostly this was spurred on by a lot of people asking me:
"Hey, what are doing in May?"
-I dunno. Something.
"Shouldn't you kinda figure that out?"
-Yeah. Probably.
Then I would go on and do something else. With no races or anything to do this weekend, I finally gave it some thought. Just what the hell can I do with an OLS degree...
-Marketing
-Human Resources
-Middle Management/Supervisor
-Start a business
Sound good? No, not really. Let's examine those in detail:
-Marketing: this is just the devil, pure and simple.
-Starting a business: Maybe, but not right now.
-Human Resources:
A career in a sea of cubicals awaits. A droll, boring, and in my mind, an utterly useless existence... Next.
-Middle Management/Supervisor:
After going to the OLS career fair a few weeks ago, it became clear that a choice in this field would give rise to a career at either:
a.) Wal Mart as an assistance manager (no)
b.) Line supervisor at Red Gold Tomatoes... better dust of that Spanish.
Si senor, los tomates son muy delicioso.
I'm fairly confident I didn't go to college for that. At all. Ever.
So, with all of those options ruled out, I came to the conclusion that I have, indeed, selected the wrong major. None of these careers are appealing to me, most of them require working on weekends, and long days...so cycling would become a thing of the past.
Fuck, I don't think so. If I'm going to be depressed in a career, I damn well better be able to bike.
Time for plan B:
Education.
Say, wha? Yes, education. I was there before, but left, because I was told by a professor that I couldn't do it- I should be a professor, like him, instead. I shouldn't have listened and got my degree in that. Let's think about it:
A.) I like teaching things to people
B.) I'm pretty good with kids
C.) Every teacher I've worked with have told me I have a natural talent for this.
D.) I love History and Science, and can explain most things in that pretty well
E.) Weekends and all summer off.
I think we have a winner. But, before I commit to this 100%, we'll give it a trial run as a substitute. Apparently subs, along with regular teachers, are in high demand (I know several people who sub. 40 hrs a week). So, try it as a substitute, see if I like it, and then go get my license, which thankfully isn't very hard to do since I have like half the credits already.
Now I have something to tell everyone when they ask what I'm going to do come May:
Substitute teach, then get my license, and race all summer long.
"Hey, what are doing in May?"
-I dunno. Something.
"Shouldn't you kinda figure that out?"
-Yeah. Probably.
Then I would go on and do something else. With no races or anything to do this weekend, I finally gave it some thought. Just what the hell can I do with an OLS degree...
-Marketing
-Human Resources
-Middle Management/Supervisor
-Start a business
Sound good? No, not really. Let's examine those in detail:
-Marketing: this is just the devil, pure and simple.
-Starting a business: Maybe, but not right now.
-Human Resources:
A career in a sea of cubicals awaits. A droll, boring, and in my mind, an utterly useless existence... Next.
-Middle Management/Supervisor:
After going to the OLS career fair a few weeks ago, it became clear that a choice in this field would give rise to a career at either:
a.) Wal Mart as an assistance manager (no)
b.) Line supervisor at Red Gold Tomatoes... better dust of that Spanish.
Si senor, los tomates son muy delicioso.
I'm fairly confident I didn't go to college for that. At all. Ever.
So, with all of those options ruled out, I came to the conclusion that I have, indeed, selected the wrong major. None of these careers are appealing to me, most of them require working on weekends, and long days...so cycling would become a thing of the past.
Fuck, I don't think so. If I'm going to be depressed in a career, I damn well better be able to bike.
Time for plan B:
Education.
Say, wha? Yes, education. I was there before, but left, because I was told by a professor that I couldn't do it- I should be a professor, like him, instead. I shouldn't have listened and got my degree in that. Let's think about it:
A.) I like teaching things to people
B.) I'm pretty good with kids
C.) Every teacher I've worked with have told me I have a natural talent for this.
D.) I love History and Science, and can explain most things in that pretty well
E.) Weekends and all summer off.
I think we have a winner. But, before I commit to this 100%, we'll give it a trial run as a substitute. Apparently subs, along with regular teachers, are in high demand (I know several people who sub. 40 hrs a week). So, try it as a substitute, see if I like it, and then go get my license, which thankfully isn't very hard to do since I have like half the credits already.
Now I have something to tell everyone when they ask what I'm going to do come May:
Substitute teach, then get my license, and race all summer long.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Where to start
Wow...I'm sorry blog...it's been awhile.
No, I haven't been cheating with you on another blog. I've just been...busy, you know?
-----
Anyway, I can say that not much has happened since the last post 2 weeks ago. I've been hastily trying to slap together a weekend of cross races after we got our date back on the 1st. Big thanks to Hodson's Bay, Moe's, and Marco's Pizza for stepping up so quickly!
I've also successfully beaten a chest cold into submission and made it cry uncle. Boo yah!
On the riding front...well, I haven't been. I was sick and it was the off season, so I stared at the wall/tv a lot and slept. It was nice, however, I'd much rather be riding. I've done 2 cross races so far this year...which is double what I normally do and if I keep on this track I'll probably quadruple that by the end of the season.
UCI Cincinnati Race
You thought for a second I did the UCI race didn't ya? It's ok, you can admit it.
Nah, I'm not that awesome yet, I'm lucky if I can stay upright much less stay above 2nd to last in any given race. Our trusty collegiate official Andrew Frey was at the race and told me I looked like a roadie: anytime the course was a.) straight or b.) on pavement I looked great. Toss in a off-camber section or my arch-nemesis sand and I was fucked.
The races down in Ohio were wicked. There were a ton of fans, great competition, and the courses were amazing.
Check it:
Here's Alan Alderfer showing a sand pit who's boss. He whipped that sand pit into shape like it was a bad investment.
Chris has more awesome pictures that he hasn't shared with me yet. So I'll let him brag about how dirty he got and how he kicked some serious ass. On a side note, it was entertaining to watch him dismount/remount after the barriers and nearly eat it.
I'm probably just as comical, but I like to think I'm not.
Sadly, in the Pro/1 race, arguably the 2 best crossers in Indiana took nasty spills and broke their collarbones. Mike Scherer did it at the barriers and Ryan Knapp did it just a few meters shy of the finish after someone swiped him in the sprint. Hopefully they recover quickly!
Then this weekend was Bloomin' Cross down in, you guessed it, Bloomington. Chris and I offered to help Ryan officiate if we got free entry. We spent most of the day at the finish line writing down numbers as riders came past, tracking lapped people, and listening to stories about cycling in the good ol' days. I also walked away with probably 250 race numbers for our Halloween race, so I'd say it was worth it.
The course was brutal: it was slick, muddy, and pretty damn technical. Plus, it had a sweet paved climb in it for the finish. Given that most grandma's have more technical skills than me, I ended up fighting for the coveted 3rd from last position. I'd make up huge ground on the climb and then lose it slowly through the lap by making mistakes. Eventually my lack of rhythm cost me and I got tired. A fan offered a beer near the end of the last lap so that made for a nice consolation prize. Chris didn't do well either- for a different reason- he was still sick and couldn't breath.
--------
So, I think that catches us up nicely. I'll have more later.
Oh: my litespeed, well, its replacement, it on eBay. Buy it:
Super Sweet Litespeed!
No, I haven't been cheating with you on another blog. I've just been...busy, you know?
-----
Anyway, I can say that not much has happened since the last post 2 weeks ago. I've been hastily trying to slap together a weekend of cross races after we got our date back on the 1st. Big thanks to Hodson's Bay, Moe's, and Marco's Pizza for stepping up so quickly!
I've also successfully beaten a chest cold into submission and made it cry uncle. Boo yah!
On the riding front...well, I haven't been. I was sick and it was the off season, so I stared at the wall/tv a lot and slept. It was nice, however, I'd much rather be riding. I've done 2 cross races so far this year...which is double what I normally do and if I keep on this track I'll probably quadruple that by the end of the season.
UCI Cincinnati Race
You thought for a second I did the UCI race didn't ya? It's ok, you can admit it.
Nah, I'm not that awesome yet, I'm lucky if I can stay upright much less stay above 2nd to last in any given race. Our trusty collegiate official Andrew Frey was at the race and told me I looked like a roadie: anytime the course was a.) straight or b.) on pavement I looked great. Toss in a off-camber section or my arch-nemesis sand and I was fucked.
The races down in Ohio were wicked. There were a ton of fans, great competition, and the courses were amazing.
Check it:
Here's Alan Alderfer showing a sand pit who's boss. He whipped that sand pit into shape like it was a bad investment.
Chris has more awesome pictures that he hasn't shared with me yet. So I'll let him brag about how dirty he got and how he kicked some serious ass. On a side note, it was entertaining to watch him dismount/remount after the barriers and nearly eat it.
I'm probably just as comical, but I like to think I'm not.
Sadly, in the Pro/1 race, arguably the 2 best crossers in Indiana took nasty spills and broke their collarbones. Mike Scherer did it at the barriers and Ryan Knapp did it just a few meters shy of the finish after someone swiped him in the sprint. Hopefully they recover quickly!
Then this weekend was Bloomin' Cross down in, you guessed it, Bloomington. Chris and I offered to help Ryan officiate if we got free entry. We spent most of the day at the finish line writing down numbers as riders came past, tracking lapped people, and listening to stories about cycling in the good ol' days. I also walked away with probably 250 race numbers for our Halloween race, so I'd say it was worth it.
The course was brutal: it was slick, muddy, and pretty damn technical. Plus, it had a sweet paved climb in it for the finish. Given that most grandma's have more technical skills than me, I ended up fighting for the coveted 3rd from last position. I'd make up huge ground on the climb and then lose it slowly through the lap by making mistakes. Eventually my lack of rhythm cost me and I got tired. A fan offered a beer near the end of the last lap so that made for a nice consolation prize. Chris didn't do well either- for a different reason- he was still sick and couldn't breath.
--------
So, I think that catches us up nicely. I'll have more later.
Oh: my litespeed, well, its replacement, it on eBay. Buy it:
Super Sweet Litespeed!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Fall Failing
Not quite the end I wanted to the road season: chest cold.
Probably shouldn't have raced on Saturday, but I thought if I took it easy, I'd be alright. Wrong.
Not only was it a lack-luster performance on my part (come on, 18:16? That's just sad...) it only served to cause the cold to set in further.
So, Saturday afternoon, evening, and night was spent in bed under several blankets at our awesome hosts house. I felt like a fat person was crushing my airways...so not a pleasant feeling. Racing Sunday was out of the question.
Sunday I watched Sarah and Becky race in the women's 4 and watched Sarah throw down in a field sprint and lock up 3rd overall. I glanced at the overall standings and there was a chance- a small chance- I could still get a top 10, even without racing. So, I slept on the way home and hoped that it work out in my favor.
Turns out, it did. Almost. I ended up tied for 10th, but got 11th since I only did 3 events and he did 4. Oh well, now to focus on getting over this damn cold and look towards the 'cross season.
In other news:
Purdue is hosting a weekend of collegiate cross races, with Saturday featuring USA Cycling races as well:
registration
flyer
So you should come race or at least watch.
Probably shouldn't have raced on Saturday, but I thought if I took it easy, I'd be alright. Wrong.
Not only was it a lack-luster performance on my part (come on, 18:16? That's just sad...) it only served to cause the cold to set in further.
So, Saturday afternoon, evening, and night was spent in bed under several blankets at our awesome hosts house. I felt like a fat person was crushing my airways...so not a pleasant feeling. Racing Sunday was out of the question.
Sunday I watched Sarah and Becky race in the women's 4 and watched Sarah throw down in a field sprint and lock up 3rd overall. I glanced at the overall standings and there was a chance- a small chance- I could still get a top 10, even without racing. So, I slept on the way home and hoped that it work out in my favor.
Turns out, it did. Almost. I ended up tied for 10th, but got 11th since I only did 3 events and he did 4. Oh well, now to focus on getting over this damn cold and look towards the 'cross season.
In other news:
Purdue is hosting a weekend of collegiate cross races, with Saturday featuring USA Cycling races as well:
registration
flyer
So you should come race or at least watch.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Fall Flinging
Fall is finally here...leaves are flying around, so that means its time for la classica delle foglie morte
No, it's not the Giro di Lombardia (although that is coming), its the Fall Fling. That all so-important season closer here in the area. You know, the one that everyone trains specifically for and drives for hours to attend?
Ok, well, maybe its not that important, but for the last 2 years it's marked the end of the road season for me, so its kinda important on a personal level to end on a high note at like I have in the past. This year ABD found some new courses that didn't require driving to Rockford and ran a pretty solid event.
Crit:
New course just north of Fermi Lab. Nothing to get excited about, just a rounded square with 1 corner, ie: smash it. The same guys who were at the IL road race were here: Hartley, White, Meyers, and Freund. That means the goal was the same: follow them.
Inadvertently, I pedaled a bit too hard at the start and got a gap, so I gave it ago. Didn't get to far and soon Hartley, Freund, and Co. had strung out the field. Soon after that a break off three, with, you guessed it, Hartley, Freund, and a WDT rider, broke away and that was it. A few more attacks here and there yet nothing materialized. I ate too much wind going into the field sprint and came in a disappointing 30th. Some how that got me 15th in the GC...not gonna ask.
Road:
Another new course in Crete- nothing special again, flat, 4 corner, little traffic. However, mother nature decided to make the race hard and toss in a southern wind at 20+ mph. The field soft pedaled the headwind, so any amount of effort generally got you a gap. Some how, the field split (I suspect a rider couldn't hold the pace...) and I missed it.
No worries, I bridged up with Freund and White and we were greeted with a soft pedaling group of 15. An IS Corp rider and Drew Otte rode away from the group (remember, just pedaling would get you a gap) and they were joined by 3 others to make the break. Our group kept dicking around, so I 'attacked' into the first corner and tried to bridge.
A lap later I was joined by Will Nowak, John Meyers, Hartley, Freund, and a Bicycle Heaven guy. Needless to say we weren't working together well and just attacked the shit out of each other until finally Will got away. Next lap- Hartley nailed, John went, and that was it. I was dropped, Freund was dropped later, and the BH guy was the last to get popped. Us 3 regrouped and slowly continued on but was joined by Luke from XXX with 2 to go. He gave our group some fresh legs and got us working again.
The cat and mouse games for 9th started about 2 miles out, with at the time some painful attacks but in reality were quite sad. I covered a few and with about a mile was sitting 3rd. 300 meters to go, I stood up and, with perhaps the slowest sprint ever, took 9th.
So a top 10 is always nice, but I'd like to get a little higher up...so next weekend is the final go.
No, it's not the Giro di Lombardia (although that is coming), its the Fall Fling. That all so-important season closer here in the area. You know, the one that everyone trains specifically for and drives for hours to attend?
Ok, well, maybe its not that important, but for the last 2 years it's marked the end of the road season for me, so its kinda important on a personal level to end on a high note at like I have in the past. This year ABD found some new courses that didn't require driving to Rockford and ran a pretty solid event.
Crit:
New course just north of Fermi Lab. Nothing to get excited about, just a rounded square with 1 corner, ie: smash it. The same guys who were at the IL road race were here: Hartley, White, Meyers, and Freund. That means the goal was the same: follow them.
Inadvertently, I pedaled a bit too hard at the start and got a gap, so I gave it ago. Didn't get to far and soon Hartley, Freund, and Co. had strung out the field. Soon after that a break off three, with, you guessed it, Hartley, Freund, and a WDT rider, broke away and that was it. A few more attacks here and there yet nothing materialized. I ate too much wind going into the field sprint and came in a disappointing 30th. Some how that got me 15th in the GC...not gonna ask.
Road:
Another new course in Crete- nothing special again, flat, 4 corner, little traffic. However, mother nature decided to make the race hard and toss in a southern wind at 20+ mph. The field soft pedaled the headwind, so any amount of effort generally got you a gap. Some how, the field split (I suspect a rider couldn't hold the pace...) and I missed it.
No worries, I bridged up with Freund and White and we were greeted with a soft pedaling group of 15. An IS Corp rider and Drew Otte rode away from the group (remember, just pedaling would get you a gap) and they were joined by 3 others to make the break. Our group kept dicking around, so I 'attacked' into the first corner and tried to bridge.
A lap later I was joined by Will Nowak, John Meyers, Hartley, Freund, and a Bicycle Heaven guy. Needless to say we weren't working together well and just attacked the shit out of each other until finally Will got away. Next lap- Hartley nailed, John went, and that was it. I was dropped, Freund was dropped later, and the BH guy was the last to get popped. Us 3 regrouped and slowly continued on but was joined by Luke from XXX with 2 to go. He gave our group some fresh legs and got us working again.
The cat and mouse games for 9th started about 2 miles out, with at the time some painful attacks but in reality were quite sad. I covered a few and with about a mile was sitting 3rd. 300 meters to go, I stood up and, with perhaps the slowest sprint ever, took 9th.
So a top 10 is always nice, but I'd like to get a little higher up...so next weekend is the final go.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Epic Tan lines
How epic?
This epic:
That's a seasons worth of training and racing with everything at the same line. Every time.
Awesome.
This epic:
That's a seasons worth of training and racing with everything at the same line. Every time.
Awesome.
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