Monday, October 18, 2010

The rapid trend of Cyclocross being little league... Elbows. Products.

They started creeping up a few weeks ago in Cincinnati. There were a dozen or so kids under the age of 12 on carbon fancy tubular wheels. Whatever.

This weekend we parked near a junior. He had two matching 4000 dollar bikes (at least). His dad had a stopwatch and was telling him exactly how long his intervals had to be during his warm up (while riding said carbon tubulars on the trainer). His dad also dropped a few F bombs at his kid while "prepping" him for his race.

I dont want to dog on one person that I was near just cause I heard certain things, but honestly some people just bum me out. I give this kid a few years until he fights his dad. This is the same dad who a few weeks ago told me how to ride a section of a course, but I dont think he actually has ever ridden a bike.

Elbows:
So I am riding in a pack of four dudes yesterday. All of them were faster than me. I am third wheel. Into each turn for an entire lap, fourth wheel dude leaned on me and threw hard elbows at me. He sat on (just like I did) on the pavement while Bad Andy towed us around, but then for some reason wanted to just lean on me. I just kept asking him WTF dude? He informed me that it is a bike race and that I am a pussy and that I am pack fodder. Cool man. I saw him post race and realized that he was one of 2 or 3 dudes in the race that I could maybe beat up (It would be a toss up between me and this dude, mcgrath and bad andy). Anyway, if you want to pass me, just do it where it require skill or fitness and I will for sure let anybody around, but to try to force somebody over is just not cool. Keep that shit out of cross.


Whatever.... On to happy things! I had BOTH people who read my blog tell me so this weekend. Thanks guys! I wont embarrass you guys by saying your names. Then you cheered for me! Awesome!


Products:
I recently got aFancy Carbon Blue Norcross SL. I could be all like "this bike is sooooo much better than my last bike," but that is obvious cause my last bike was a 300 dollar aluminum redline. I will say that I also got the standard Norcross for a pitbike. It is aluminum, and it is nicer than the redline. The carbon one is sick light and real fast and accelerates super super quickly. Needless to say, I am super stoked on the Blue bikes.

Coaching. No seriously I have a coach. So for a few months I have been using a coach. I havent really talked about it yet to many people cause I didnt want to be like "yo I got a coach" then get double lapped or whatever. But I have been happy with my results, and I feel like I am going pretty good. Cross is so freaking hard to measure. I try to measure myself against guys around me, and I wanted to start finishing 1 group in front of where I used to finish, but I think the dudes from that group also got faster. I could talk about my power numbers and stuff, but then I think that in the past I said that if I blog about my power numbers you can kick my ass. So where doe that leave me?
Friday going into race day, I am sure that I am ready. There is not hesitation. I think all bike racers get it. When I walk upstairs the night before a race, I try to feel out how my legs feel, then I wonder if I am too fatigued or whatever. It is nice to go into a race knowing that you are prepped, not too fatigued, and ready to race. The workouts are not TOO far off of what I have done in the past, but it is when they are done, and how much addition riding happens. So all in all, I am really happy. And as lame as it sounds, it is nice to have somebody else to own up to. Last Wednesday, it was 45 and raining and I still went out and did intervals. I am sure that would not have happened if I did not have to send the files to somebody.




Tuesday, October 05, 2010

CyclocrAwesome

Sat - up at 5am drive to and race charm city
Sun - race day 2 charm city drive home. 11pm arrival.
Mon - box bike up. fly to vegas
Fri - fly home at 7am
sat - amy's bro's wedding





Vegas.

Fly in Monday. Crash out at like 9pm their time.

Tues:
We are all sitting wide awake in a dark room at 5am.
We get on the shuttle to the dirt demo, running into friends along the way.
Get on a carbon hardtail 2x10 29" orbea. We all rode a ton. Stubna rode a 10 grand specialized for like 5 hours. Super fun morning.




I tried staying up late Tuesday night to get my body ready for crossvegas the next night. It starts at 9pm, which is midnight east coast time, and the time we all fell asleep the night before.

Wednesday.
Walked around a bit in the morning. Ran into famous people in the Campy booth.
Rode to the race venue from the strip. The Race Across America truck passed us and told us to motorpace off of them. Honestly a really good warm up for a race. The wheelers and dealers race looked fast. Rode some laps. Had my yuppie bike in full force (carbon tubulars and white tires!). Rode an OK race that I was happy with. We rode back to the venue, changed and went out for the night. No dinner and I watched the sun come up. Good times. Babik couldnt hang and called it a night at like 4:30.

I dont drink, so all I can really do in vegas is people watch. I found my way into a dance club and watched a bunch of 40 year old white people dancing with each other. This is "what happens in vegas..." Sublime was playing, they were all sloppy drunk trying to sort through who is left to go home with. It was pretty boring stuff. This is freaking VEGAS.... I wanted to see real debauchery. Nothing. I have seen more excitement on the southside at 3am in the middle of January. Lamers.


Anyway, I dont really get star struck. However, this was awesome...
Smile Eddy.