Sunday, July 29, 2012

Colorado

Just made it out to Colorado.  I left today July 29th at 4:20am made it to the airport at 5 got all my bags checked in, got some Alterra coffee and boarded the plane at 6:10. I flew southwest so I got to pick my seat. I decided to sit front row next to the window.  The plane ride went smooth and we arrived at DIA at 7:25am mountain time. I then headed to baggage claim where I met up with my grandparents John and Gail. My bag came out 5th or 6th, which was nice because then we could head out pretty quick. After a 40min drive and eating at I HOP, we arrived at their house.  We then went to REI to get a trail map so when my bike arrives I can explore Colorado's paved bike paths.  Time to sit and finish watching the World cup final's.  I'll keep updating and adding some pic's of my adventures and travels.  

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Slowly

This past week seemed to fly by. I had a great week of training in the wonderful weather we had, not. But the heat definitely help me prepare mentally for Sunburst.  When my family and I arrived Saturday to pre ride the weather wasn't to bad.  The temperature was in the 80's and the humidity wasn't to high. After having a year off from this course, it didn't really seem to change much. The course lay out was basically the same but they added more down and back's through a section of pine trees, now we had to do it 10-11 times instead of 5-6. This course is mostly climbing so I wasn't sure how I'd do against all the top pro racers. On race day the temperature was in the 90's and with very little shade you were always in the sun.  When we arrived at 8am we set up our easy up and waited for the races to begin. At 11:30 my parents went off and I did their bottle hand offs. During this race a lot of racers were dropping out because of all the dust and heat.  This wasn't the best sign knowing that I would have to deal with the same stuff.  When it was time for my the elite race I got ready, warmed up and headed to the line.  Don starts his call ups and to my surprise I got one, which is number two for the year. Now sitting 3rd row, behind Tim Racette, I was feeling good.  Don sends us off and I'm sitting mid pack.  The pace wasn't unbearable so I could move up pretty easily.  We charged through the 1/2  mile prologue loop and created a dust storm.  The dust was so thick I had troubles breathing and seeing the trail. The picture below captured by Gary Smits shows this dust. 

After the prologue loop it was time to climb. We climbed and climbed then on the first decent along a corn field, Tim Racette decided to ride through the tall bushes and hooked something on a log.  In slow mo I see Tim's bike fly up and he goes right over the bars. I got around with ease and started picking people off 1 by 1.  Each lap I got father and farther up until lap 4 when I caught Ron Stawicki.  I got around him and thought I could drop him, he was riding stronger than I thought.  Ron was floating 15-20 seconds behind me and kept getting stronger as the lap progressed. I managed to keep a good gap on him and kept pushing only hoping I had the legs to catch Chad Sova.  The legs pulled through and on lap 5 I finally managed to catch him.  I got a couple of lapped riders in between us, before one little section of single track, and that was enough to allow me to get a gap and ride in for 8th overall. After another great finish things are slowly starting to come along.  With WORS #7 in the books there is a couple of weeks free from WORS but the racing continues in CO.  With a couple of free days before I leave, I hope to spend some time with my sick grandfather and make the best out of the time he has left.   
Another CycleOps athlete and Wheel and Sprocket/Vision rider on the podium

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

5 yrs ago- today

This past weekend was the Crystal Ridge WORS race. This course is my home field and I've always have a blast riding and racing this course.  It's always hot/humid or really muddy.  This year it was very very hot.  But 5yrs ago in 2007 it was really really muddy.  In 07' I was new to the sport of cycling.  I always went to the races with my parents but never wanted to race. For some reason I decided to sign up for the Crystal Ridge race.  I pre-registered so when it poured rain the day before the race, I couldn't back out.  On race day I lined up, with the other citizens, in my tennis shoes and my dads CSC kit.  I rode my hardest and finished covered with mud.  As my mom always told me "if you're getting dirty you're having fun".  Now 5yrs years later I lined up with the Elite field in my Shimano shoes and Wheel and Sprocket/ Vision kit.  I went my hardest up the the start climb, but got blown away by Tristan who got the hole shot and the victory for the day.  I was stuck behind some people in the single track on the first lap and couldn't get by.   Once it opened up, I snuck around them and could finally start to race my race.  I picked people off one by one. Each lap I worked my way through the field and tried to keep water coming in.  I got a bottle from my coach, Joe and from my dad. I was drinking over 1 bottle a lap which is a lot since it's only a 7 mile loop.  After climbing the start hill 4 times, I was finally on my last lap. I came through in 13th place and could see the next 3 places about 45 seconds- 1 minute ahead of me. I pushed and got around Justin Piontek right before alpha trail and focused on catching Ben Koenig. I caught him right before the rocks and the wood bridges in the new HD line.  I floated behind him as he and I were riding at the same pace.  We climbed craters of the moon and came out onto the white gravel road.  Ben was far enough ahead where I couldn't get a draft, so I really had to push it to pass him before the upper section of single track.  I got around him and set my focus on catching 10th spot, Brian Heifner. I saw him and ended up getting on his wheel about half way down the white gravel going towards the "wall". We climbed the "wall" and thanks to Rachel Horstman's cheering, I was able to stick on his wheel. He got a small gap on me before the start/finish climb and I couldn't close it in time. I rolled through the finish in 11th spot about 5-10 seconds behind Brian. Going back 5yrs to racing in the mud and my tennis shoes to now, taking 11th spot and getting on the podium in the Elite race, I'm really glad my parents highly encouraged me to saddle up and give it shot.  Thanks for all the support you guys have given me over the past years.  With my best finish of the year, things are looking very good for the next couple of months. Time to relax and get some zzzz's. Don't forget to check out XTR photo for some great shots of the race.