fun

I totally forgot how much fun it is to ride in groups of 5-10. Went for a ride with a small group of us today, and it was a blast. Inevitably some are in better and worse shape, and the constant hills tend to break things into two groups (10 seconds gap, tops), with the occasional person riding in between. It's great being able to ride with either, tow people up, drop back, bridge back up, at will. Rotating through and chatting with everyone, having people bridge up to the front group and then "attack" and see who follows, etc. etc. It's just playing, and its so much fun. Town line sprints, etc. etc. Better yet, was my legs felt ok (still not 100%, but wayyy more recovered than during the weekend, had yesterday off). And perhaps the funniest part of the ride was christian and I riding Rose off our wheel on a climb, her hammering the downhill and breif flat before the next climb, catching us about 500m from the base of the climb, and then getting dropped again as soon as the road got steep. It wasn't like we were racing, but you could tell Rose was going pretty hard (she is the type of person who would) and was getting pissed off at not being able to hold mine/christians wheels.....we weren't going all out, but we were pushing the pace on the climbs.....It was big ring interval day for me after all. It was perhaps the most fun I have had on the bike in 07 - the fact it was 44 and I "only" needed to wear 1 baselayer and arm/leg warmers and booties and full gloves may have helped.

still me

the "new" author - josh, is also me. Allons-y was on a different account and it's way easier for me to not have to log out of gmail, log in as allons-y, log out, and then back into my gmail account every time I want to post. So allons-y will be faded out (if possible deleted, but it took me 3 months to figure out how to add someone an author). So if you see posts, comments, etc. by josh, its me. I figured this was easier than re-creating the whole blog in another account w/ new address, etc. etc. I guess I will still have to use allons-y to modify things though.

stay the course

Actaully, im not. I am rescinding part of my last post. DST sucks. Normally, when it starts to get dark, it means its time to head to foss for dinner. Last night and tonight, I am playing on the internet, and all of a sudden, its 6:48. 12 minutes before foss closes. And its still light out. wtf? DST sucks. (foss is the organic/healthy/vegeterian dining hall across campus that most of the cyclists and most of my friends eat at).

Also, justin wants me to race 3/4's at tour de kirche vs. racing 4's. I understand why, but I know I can do well on that course. I think (assuming I recover well from columbia) I could probably get some upgrade points there even. Historically, breaks of 2-3 stick, so I would be attacking on the hill or following well represented (read bethel cycle or whatever team decides to show up big) attacks, and if it does come down to a sprint, jump the corner, and then just drill the hill to the finish. I did it over the summer the one time there was no break, 15 guys jumped the corner, and I ended up 6th, and I went way, way to early on the hill. Even 6th is 1 upgrade pt, and I am currently looking for 20. However, racing 3/4's, I am somewhat doubtful I can do as well.....plus, if i really needed the 3/4 experience, why not race collegiate b's vs. c's? It just doesn't make sense. We have a phonecall upcoming to talk about it, but im confused. Then again, he knows more than I.

maine cobbles, week in review, dst

first off week in review - 203 miles in 12.5 hours. 3 days in the gym (end of week 4 start of week 5). Legs are tired right now, but things are going well. Should have been more as I wimped out an hour early today, but the legs were just cooked. It's weird how yesterday I was phyiscally tired but mentally tough, today less phyiscally tired but mentally weak.

dst - awesome, it was light at like 7pm. 3 extra weeks of riding straight to dinner and eatin in the bike clothes. As I always say, flaunt it if you have it. Plus its way easier to ride outside.

maine cobbles - not cobbles per se, but sections of pavement so broken, so potholed, so covered in sand/road grime/filth that you may as well be on cobbles, because your arms bounce around just like the pro's do in your fav. northern classics video. I had a great ride on some saturday in the semi-warmth (at least its not single digit highs anymore) but those + 2.5mile climb (my favorite love-hate hill, bigalow) + 20mph headwind.....maybe i'll toughen up at some point?

im fameous

ryan (rkelly) linked my blog to his under eccc-ers....its up at the top. I guess my posting random comments on his blog finally caught his attention or something, but my blog is now in the big-league's.

I broke my heart rate moniter and need to send it back to polar, but am being lazy.

In other news, after being sort of depressed/bummed out after the weekend, I had a good chat with justin, my mentor/coach (what do I call him? A friend who used to race cat2 who is giving me a rather comprehensive and legit training program and calls me 1-2 times a week to tweak and modify things, but I don't pay him beyond a 6-pack when I crash at his house for races. He is retired from racing at the "old" age of 29 after messing up something with his body (i think?), but did a 'cross race last fall (i beat him, although he was on a single speed) and said he is planning on doing some more next fall maybe). He basically told me what I already knew, that things are still super early and I shouldn't worry that I didn't have much speed, that I am still lifting, just started with intervals, I have a long race season ahead of me, and that I should just keep training hard and the results will come later. That it was good I didn't get hurt in the crit, and that I got in a good workout this weekend in races I had essentially no chances of winning. That I am still just getting into shape and by choosing to "sacrifice" the early season I will be faster in the long run. All stuff I know, yet somehow when he says it, it becomes true.

Also, quick shoutout to tyler for winning his race out west this weekend, awesome dude! Keep it up and get your upgrade to 2's. Also to Rose (colby teammate, the crazy one) who in her first ever weekend of road racing raced womens b for 3rd in the tt, 2nd in the crit and 4th in the circuit. Coming off nordy season she has the legs, clearly, and she also mtb's (went to nat's was top 10 dII and was 2nd at the eccc in womens a). She is a freshman, and if she ever chooses to really focus on road bikes, she could be really really really fast. the race was her 6th time on a bike in 2007. For the record, although I totally got girled in the tt (many times over), I did beat rose by 6 seconds. Gotta hold onto any last shred of dignity I can.