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-
Monday, August 27, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
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!
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!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
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-
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-
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Tour de Toona and the comedy of professional cycling!
Tour de Toona Day 1
I was coming into tour de Toona with high hopes of a top ten GC finish and some good fitness... luckily one of those happened. Sort of. The first days race was an intense and short circuit race in the boonies outside Altoona P.A. deep in the realm of Menonite (Floyd) country. It was a rolling circuit that came into town for a very tight very very fast crit like thing coming into the finish before heading back out on the bigger circuit. I was able to ride agressively, and actually got in an attack on the final lap that had promise. Sadly, when the pace of the field is over 27 mph it's hard to stay away. Coming into the finishing circuit everything got REALLY scetchy and I ended up not risking my life and coming in with the WAY TOO INTACT field. Oh well.
Tour de Toona Day 2
After checking out the course the night after the circuit race, I knew it would be a day of work for me to get Justin in the front group. My legs havent been reacting to climbing well this year and considering im about 6 pounds heavier than I need to be to climb well, today I would be a work horse and was I ever. I spent the majority of the first 40 miles toward the front going with a few stupid yet possibly good moves then all hell began. Blue knob signs began to show up and the closer we got the faster we went. At the base of the climb I started hurting and I did what I needed to to get Justin in the front. Then boom, the wall of 10-15% grade hit the thighs and I was finished. After about 15 miles of chasing in a sad belief that we just might catch one of the front groups we started picking up small groups and sadly one had Justin in it. Poop. In the end we had a fun little finish sprint that I finished 2nd in. oh well. Sunday I kind of hurt my knee so I didnt get too far into the crit. Good thing. It was a hellish course and I was not even 50% so I called it a day and watched the remainder of the race from the sideline. Oh well.
Chalk up another and another gone
Iban Mayo is a doper.
Sweet... who else? With that being said, the clean team in America is looking to grow. Sliptream is adding not only David Millar, THE Dave Z, and Christian Vande Velde and "a past winner of Paris Robaix" Check out the article here. I remember reading a few months back an article about big Maggie Backstead and how he hoped to work with up and coming pros when he got older. Considering Van Petegam, Boonen and Stuey are all pretty set in their teams and their roles on those teams my money is on Big Maggie. This could make NRC racing in the states pretty intense if they decide they want to come over and "play" wahoo.
Any way, its time for me to get on the bike. I have a two week block to get ready for Georgia Cup Stage Race and then it's vacation, school, and greenmountain or Windsor. yaya
I was coming into tour de Toona with high hopes of a top ten GC finish and some good fitness... luckily one of those happened. Sort of. The first days race was an intense and short circuit race in the boonies outside Altoona P.A. deep in the realm of Menonite (Floyd) country. It was a rolling circuit that came into town for a very tight very very fast crit like thing coming into the finish before heading back out on the bigger circuit. I was able to ride agressively, and actually got in an attack on the final lap that had promise. Sadly, when the pace of the field is over 27 mph it's hard to stay away. Coming into the finishing circuit everything got REALLY scetchy and I ended up not risking my life and coming in with the WAY TOO INTACT field. Oh well.
Tour de Toona Day 2
After checking out the course the night after the circuit race, I knew it would be a day of work for me to get Justin in the front group. My legs havent been reacting to climbing well this year and considering im about 6 pounds heavier than I need to be to climb well, today I would be a work horse and was I ever. I spent the majority of the first 40 miles toward the front going with a few stupid yet possibly good moves then all hell began. Blue knob signs began to show up and the closer we got the faster we went. At the base of the climb I started hurting and I did what I needed to to get Justin in the front. Then boom, the wall of 10-15% grade hit the thighs and I was finished. After about 15 miles of chasing in a sad belief that we just might catch one of the front groups we started picking up small groups and sadly one had Justin in it. Poop. In the end we had a fun little finish sprint that I finished 2nd in. oh well. Sunday I kind of hurt my knee so I didnt get too far into the crit. Good thing. It was a hellish course and I was not even 50% so I called it a day and watched the remainder of the race from the sideline. Oh well.
Chalk up another and another gone
Iban Mayo is a doper.
Sweet... who else? With that being said, the clean team in America is looking to grow. Sliptream is adding not only David Millar, THE Dave Z, and Christian Vande Velde and "a past winner of Paris Robaix" Check out the article here. I remember reading a few months back an article about big Maggie Backstead and how he hoped to work with up and coming pros when he got older. Considering Van Petegam, Boonen and Stuey are all pretty set in their teams and their roles on those teams my money is on Big Maggie. This could make NRC racing in the states pretty intense if they decide they want to come over and "play" wahoo.
Any way, its time for me to get on the bike. I have a two week block to get ready for Georgia Cup Stage Race and then it's vacation, school, and greenmountain or Windsor. yaya
Thursday, July 26, 2007
What the hell is happening?
The Situation
The yellow jersey Michael Rassmussen puts the hammer to the best riders in the world on what many call the hardest day in tour de france history. It seems like life in the cycling world is calming down and finally starting to clean up. WRONG! Less than an hour after finishing his amazing march up Col d'Aubisque Cristian Moreni of Cofidis comes across the line and is welcomed with open arms by french police. He tested positive for testosterone. Once again, the system is cleaning up and everything is good. less than six hours later all hell breaks lose. Rasmussen is removed from the tour, in yellow, for lying about his whereabouts durring the off season. SO.... yellow jersey gone, Moreni and his entire team GONE, and Astana GONE, I guess I have to settle for the fact that again discovery will win the tour AGAIN. Yes I'm American and yes I'm glad to have freedom of speech and all that other nice stuff like food, clean water, obesity and suv's but im deffinately not one walking around with a bald eagle on my head dawning a stars and bars toga. In all honesty I'm a little tired of american teams and riders winning. Luckily the newly changed yellow goes onto the shoulders of a 23 year old spaniard. But still. Discovery.... dang. It's like the yankees getting into the world series AGAIN because some guy on some other team is on steroids or something! Er...wait... but...nevermind. All I can do now is that everyone wrecks in the TT Cadel makes it through unscathed and becomes the first Aussie to win the tour and that the rest of the top 10 gets caught as drugies so that horner and maybe just maybe Luxembourger Schleck can take a podium like he deserves... maybe Jens Voigt or even Tom "the tornado" boonen? Nothings impossible in todays world. So here is my conclusion for tour winner:
AND WHAT IS HIS "SUBSTANCE" OF CHOICE!?!?!?
Life for us Normal People
The hunt for a new home is underway as I said. I realized I only put up one potential place of possible export this winter, but there is another. Hopefully I will know in the next few weeks which one is going to work out best. HOPEFULLY! As for now, myself, J.Anderson, Kerman, Billy "the yorkshire beast" York, and B-Unit Tim are off to Tour de Toona. yaya! Wish us luck! 6 hour drive with 5 guys. yeeeeeeeeees!
Need more coffee. J.A. Your a pansy!
The yellow jersey Michael Rassmussen puts the hammer to the best riders in the world on what many call the hardest day in tour de france history. It seems like life in the cycling world is calming down and finally starting to clean up. WRONG! Less than an hour after finishing his amazing march up Col d'Aubisque Cristian Moreni of Cofidis comes across the line and is welcomed with open arms by french police. He tested positive for testosterone. Once again, the system is cleaning up and everything is good. less than six hours later all hell breaks lose. Rasmussen is removed from the tour, in yellow, for lying about his whereabouts durring the off season. SO.... yellow jersey gone, Moreni and his entire team GONE, and Astana GONE, I guess I have to settle for the fact that again discovery will win the tour AGAIN. Yes I'm American and yes I'm glad to have freedom of speech and all that other nice stuff like food, clean water, obesity and suv's but im deffinately not one walking around with a bald eagle on my head dawning a stars and bars toga. In all honesty I'm a little tired of american teams and riders winning. Luckily the newly changed yellow goes onto the shoulders of a 23 year old spaniard. But still. Discovery.... dang. It's like the yankees getting into the world series AGAIN because some guy on some other team is on steroids or something! Er...wait... but...nevermind. All I can do now is that everyone wrecks in the TT Cadel makes it through unscathed and becomes the first Aussie to win the tour and that the rest of the top 10 gets caught as drugies so that horner and maybe just maybe Luxembourger Schleck can take a podium like he deserves... maybe Jens Voigt or even Tom "the tornado" boonen? Nothings impossible in todays world. So here is my conclusion for tour winner:
AND WHAT IS HIS "SUBSTANCE" OF CHOICE!?!?!?
Life for us Normal People
The hunt for a new home is underway as I said. I realized I only put up one potential place of possible export this winter, but there is another. Hopefully I will know in the next few weeks which one is going to work out best. HOPEFULLY! As for now, myself, J.Anderson, Kerman, Billy "the yorkshire beast" York, and B-Unit Tim are off to Tour de Toona. yaya! Wish us luck! 6 hour drive with 5 guys. yeeeeeeeeees!
Need more coffee. J.A. Your a pansy!
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