Rippin!

for those of you who ride bikes, do you ever have those days where you go out and feel like your absolutely ripping the pedals off your bike. Yesterday was once again a tough day on the bike courtesy of the Uber secret mission impossible training program Kim has me on right now, and boy was I ripping! Nothing putting out sustained power WELL over your normal! yaya.

Back to Greenville
That being said, im excited to be coming back to racing. After a two week slip from racing, to bust my butt into shape, im excited to give the Greenville Road Race a run! Seth and I are heading south to check out US prochamps and to party with the pros for a night. I can't wait. Sunday should be a fun ride with some of the locals before we watch the big boys rip up Paris mountain. Should be a hoot.

The show that is Professional cycling
Although it has been a touch season for cycling, it is now getting to a very interesting and in my opinion a very interesting point. With the Vuelta Espania and Worlds just around the corner there are some big things to look forward to. Also with teams and sponsors changing a little its cool to see that an American team is going to be a heck of a show. Team Slipstream is getting not only the fun american additions of Tommy Danielson, And Dave Z. but also are getting magnus backstead, david millar, as well as matti white. Tony Cruz is heading to BMC so that should be a BLAST racing against him next year. And finally Big George is heading to T-mobile... wow. NUTS!

A look at doping puts the spotlight now on Alejandro Valverde... hes out for worlds which sucks considering he has always been one I thought was clean. It would be sad to know he's doping if he is, becuase this year it must not be working becuase he's been struggling and he doesnt look like this....

either way it's a pitty. 2 weeks until cross season. this should be a blast!

Changes....

With school picking up and everything the posts are coming slow. I know. The first week of classes went off almost without a hitch. My ed. professor is OUT of her BLOODY mind! The other classes seem pretty cut and dry so yeah, nothing to explain there. Campus has been awsome this week. Everyone has been getting together, lots of cookouts, team group rides,lots of dinners, and lots of... FUN! It's always nice to head out for a late afternoon ride in oxford and stroll back through uptown, clad in spandex to get yelled at by already drunk guys at skippers. Classy.

Gamm came back from nationals to tell me that all hell broke loose while there and that mark broke his foot. Not cool. It's gotta be tough having the lead in the US crit series and losing it like this. Have a look at what Mark has to say about it. Best wishes to you man.

I also have some VERY exciting news that should be coming out in the next week and a half or so, I'm excited for a few things that are happening and I should have the big suprise coming in next week when I get back from my state RR and US Pro Champs in Greenville SC.

Until then,
-D-

Back to normal

So I'm back at school and classes just started today. It's been nice. After last weeks hard training and racing im on a rest week so much needed time with everyone around the house is GREAT! Classes are o.k. and we FINALLY got some much needed rain here. I got some good info when I was in greenville about possible teams for when I move down there and I found out that the school im going to hopefully be at has an AWSOME cycling team. Im really excited but a little bummed im leaving here and all the awsome people ive gotten to know over the past 3 years or so. Oh Well sometimes things need to change. As for now, here are some pictures from Greenville and being back home for the first week!

my soon to be school FURMAN

my friend and local racer Peter and I riding through campus

Nothing like climbing PARIS mountain the day of tuesday night worlds at Donnelson center

Easy riding with my teammate/housemate/guy who hasnt shaved his legs in three weeks

When my coach says EASY ride i do an EASY ride.


Im off to Greenville again labor day weekend for US pro champs and the state championship there. Until later.

Vacation pt: Deux

After a few days in Chattanooga riding and hanging out im remembering why this is one of two places I want to move some time soon. I got a chance yesterday to head out for a little bit with Kim, one of Kim's teammates and Mark for a little while. We headed up an absolutely awsome climb named Suck Creek. It was a stellar climb, beautiful and deffinately one at the top of my favorites list so far in my life training. I felt really strong and actually feel like each day, although a little sore, am getting stronger. I got a chance to split off on my own to get some riding in alone which is nice for the thinking. Not long after Suck Creek came the climb that I feel is one of the hardest and worst climbs ever; Henson's Gap. Switchback after switchback had me cursing first under my breath then downright screaming at the hill. Thank God no races go up that freaking monster. With it being 105 degree heat index Kim was nice enough to come escort me back home and considering i had been on the bike for 3:26, it was more than welcome.

Today Mark and I are taking Kim and crazy Jamie to the airport so they can head to Aspen for a mountain bike race... gay. Then it's packing and heading to Johns tomorrow afternoon and the hell of a race that is known as Dahlonega. Until later enjoy these photos I FINALLY got off my camera David Bishop had. There from Edgar Soto a little while back.

My "vacation" pt:I

I made it to chattanooga in piece and im glad to be here. Shacked up with my coach Kim and her husband Mark and their three dogs and a cat really is pretty awsome. I got in my first day of training today with my friend who lives here and fellow rider of my coach's. We got in a good 2 hours with Kim, Mark, David and another of Kims riders going up part of one of the hills here from tour of Georgia. Good stuff. After winding through the shaded backcountry David and I broke off to go get two more climbs in. It's a bit hot here so I think I lost a lot of fluid on the first climb, and by the second I was pretty shot and ready for my days riding to be done. I headed up Racoon Mountain, which really is a hellishly hard climb. I guess there is a local race that finishes atop that climb. WOW! To have that in Ohio would be amazing! After slogging my now soggy and still overweight carcass up the climb I headed down and back to Kims for a sandwich, shower, and a nap.

Mark and I headed into downtown to meet up with Kim after work for dinner and one of her co-bikeshoppers came along. Bunches of bread, Salad, and eight no bakes later im stuffed, happy and mad at myself for eating YES EIGHT no bakes... O.K. It's not my fault Marks a puss and wont eat them. Whatever.

Tomorrow is a 4 hour loop ride up Suck Creek and Hensons Gap. Should feel awsome after a day like today... (no sarcasm here) And for your information this is a vacation for me, so yeah, 7 hours on a bike in 2 days is fun. If not then whatever! Until tomorrow!

A little rest is always good

So i decided to take this week and forego the punishment that would have been Crossroads cycling classic in North Carolina.

So instead, for the first time in months im not racing today. It has been a nice week coming back from Altoona and taking a break before the hard end of the season I have planned. Ill be leaving for Georgia monday and I couldnt be more excited. Ill be spending a little less than a week with Coach Kim in chattanooga area to get a good block of climbing in my legs. Friday I'm heading deeper into the south to stay with John Kelley and his dogs down in HOTlanta (aka the island of misfit cyclists). There is a good race in Dahlonega with a 7 km uphill time trial fallowed that same evening with a circuit race with some decent "rollers" (hills to us Ohioans). Sunday is the epic seven climb 80 mile road race that will feel to me like a 5 alper (again I HATE ohio and thats partly why im LEAVING!). I love the fact that part of the course we will be doing is part of the HARDEST day in Tour of Georgia! You know you in store for a hella hard ride when you talking to your coach and is goes as follows...
ME: "Yeah I figured I would stay until friday and go and stay with John... I guess there is a pretty sweet Georgia Cup Race down there!"
Kim: "Yeah where at"
ME: "Danalega...?"
Kim: "Oh Dahlonega... hahahaha! Yeah (insert pause to represent your going to die here!"

WHY CANT PEOPLE JUST LET THINGS BE A SUPRISE! Now i think im going to go down there and be chased up the side of a 20+ grade mountain by revenous back country Georgia snake shakers or something!

After racing I will be heading to Greenville SC to get some riding/training in as well as visit Furman and hopefully find out if financially I am good to go so then I can look forward to getting down there in January. Im excited for the changes going on this year, and although I will miss the utopian community of Oxford, OH, in all honesty I am ready to get away. You see Oxford is like a black hole for chaos via sarenity. Im ready to get where I BELONG, and start a new life with new people and new things. I will miss my family above all, but sometimes to grow up you have to put yourself in a situation where you have to. Something I have yet to do here, and something that needs done.

As for now, I have a cup of coffee with my name on it. NO REALLY the mug had my name right on the side. And it is time it goes down the hatchet. Check THIS out...this is the only thing I can say is more crazy than naked mountain bike crits in Vermont!

Also I have a new BIKE ON THE WAY. The guys at Van Dessel sports are awsome and are hooking me up for cross season this year with their Gin and Trombones (named after some belgian stuff thats too complex to explain on its own!) Cool thing is im getting it in a color they down even offer right now! PIMPS! When it comes in in about a week or so Ill get a picture. Until then its a SUPRISE!



-HUGS, Dee-