San Dimas

San Dimas had some good news and some bad news for me. The good news is, I didn't make it to the crit so I had plenty of time to do some deep thinking of what cliche metaphors about cycling to fill my blog with. Sometimes you're the hammer, and sometimes you're the nail. It doesn't get any easier you just go faster. The first cut is the deepest? Well you get the point.

San Dimas started out really well for me, I got 6th in the hill climb TT and took the best young rider jersey. It was a result I had wanted for a long time. I didn't care or know if it was going to be at San Dimas or at some other race, but the ride I did is one I've known I've had in me for a long time and I've just been struggling to get out. Over the years I've done that ride on local climbs and training rides a plenty, or on the first climb of a 5 climb race. However, San Dimas was the first time I did that ride when it mattered and it went down on paper. To have that break through ride was really good for me and I'm glad to get it out of the way this early in the season, because I'm hoping it will give me the confidence to do that ride more and more when it matters.

The bad part is that the race went 180 degrees for me and the team the next day. The second stage is an 85 mile circuit race that is historically sunny, warm and ends in a field sprint. I felt confident I would make it through relatively safely and keep the jersey. However, 50 degree temperatures, heavy rain, and gusty winds changed that for me. The race was very hectic from the start, but I was dealing with it and staying at the front. However, on the 4th lap there was a big pile up towards the front and I got caught up in it. It turned into a big mess of tangled bikes and took a long time to get my bike out and get going. I chased but a mix of maybe just not being strong enough, combined with a circuit that is not ideal to chase on as it doesn't have a caravan, led to me not getting back into the race. I rolled it alone for a few laps furious with myself until I just pulled out. It was a tough day for everyone as 2/3 of the field dropped out. However, it was very frustrating to not pull through and finish off the good ride that TT set me up for.

In short it was a frustrating weekend, but I finally today feel over it and am ready to move on to Redlands. Redlands should be good, I think we have some guys that can do some big results here so I'm looking forward to helping them out. I'm also excited to get Redlands out of the way, because in my head it marks the end of the beginning of the season, and then I can really get into some good training back in Boulder and hopefully be very ready for Tour of the Gila.

"Singing a country song soft and low."- Josh Ritter

I was listening to the song that holds the quote above today and it seemed to align with what goes through my head on a lot of the rides I've been doing recently. I've been doing a lot of training lately and it's going pretty well, really well actually, but for the first time I'm not really excited by it. Let me clarify, I'm having a great time training and I'm always excited to go out and smash some big rides, between you and me I actually enjoy training much more than racing. However, in past years I've taken good training rides and translated that in my head to all these great results I'm definitely going to get. Usually it does not work out in reality how it works in my head.

So this year for the first time I have not been jumping to broad conclusions. My training has been good, but for the first time I just don't care. It takes me some time to figure out sometimes. I guess it took me about 7 years to figure this out, and maybe I haven't figured it out yet. But for the first time I'm just waiting until the races actually start to find out what result I'm going to get, rather than "knowing for sure" in January. So we'll see if this tactic plays out differently than my past methods. But I feel a lot better about it, theres no stress and I'm not getting as worked up about my numbers in training or at least trying to.

On my rides I've been just going out and clearing my head and singing country songs soft and low, well sometimes super loud. But I think after a few years about putting too much pressure on myself I'm finally past it and I'm not so worried about racing. This may be my last year of racing and I just want to enjoy it. If some good results happen and I continue that is great, but if not I'm completely at peace with it and will finally get to go out and just train with reckless abandon how I really like to.

A Problem I'd Love to Have

What is probably three or four years ago now, I was out on a ride with my friend and mentor Blair Berbert. We were probably about 1hr 56mins in, and I was probably already totally cracked, under fueled, and turning myself inside out to keep Blair from realizing. Blair would always take me out on these big rides, and every ride we did I would be progressively in a little less over my head. On this particular ride I remember we were talking about how awesome it would be to be professional cyclists. I said something stupid along the lines of how hard it must be for Andy Schleck to decide what races he wants to do. Blair said, "that is one of those problems I'd love to have". Over the past few years Blair and I have kept going on big rides together, and lots has changed, I don't totally crack on the rides anymore and we're both going faster. However we still do speculate about how great it'd be to be top pros.

This past weekend I flew to California at 6:30pm Friday night and flew back to Colorado at 12:20pm Sunday. The purpose of the trip was for the first little Cal Giant mini camp, to meet the new guys, get bike fits from Specialized, etc. All week I was bitching to myself about what a pain it was, and how pointless it seemed to fly to California for what was essentially a 24hr trip. Then when I was standing in the Specialized headquarters in Morgan Hill, being asked what size aero jersey I wanted and whether I wanted an SL4 or a Venge, I couldn't help but smile to myself as I realized this trip was one of those problems I'd always wanted to have.

I've still got a long ways to go towards accomplishing all the personal goals I have, but it feels good to look back and realize how far I've come.

The Band is sweet.

The Legend of Bagger of Vance is also pretty sweet. I had not seen that fine film (alliteration, no big deal) since it came out. Until I watched it again yesterday. Wow! That is a sweet movie. I read some reviews of it, and apparently a lot of people didn't like it. However, I disagree with them. It's a classic underdog story, always awesome (another alliteration, maybe I should be a writer). But seriously, if you haven't seen it you should. It made me realize that golf movies are the best movies. Tin Cup and The Legend of Bagger Vance are examples enough (ok now this is just out of control).

There is a band called The Avett Brothers. The band is super sweet.

There is also a band called The Wood Brothers that is also super sweet.

There is also a band called The Allman Brothers that is super sweet.

I've decided all bands that have the band name The "Last Name" Brothers are super sweet.

blogging is more fun than homework, maybe

It has been a little while since I lasted smashed the keys of my keyboard in pursuit of blogging glory. I'm not sure has been the cause for this dry spell, but I do know that as I stare down a couple hundred pages of reading I should do about 4th century English history, blogging glory has sudden become a noble pursuit again.

Of course after such a brilliant set up, I really have nothing worth while to write about, so I suppose I'll just go with the cliche summary blog. I last updated on July 11th, since then life has been pretty usual, bike racing among other time wasting activities.

I did Cascade which so so, could've been better as usual, also could've been worse...which isn't always as usual, so that is a plus I suppose. After Cascade I was taken in by the Huffman family as Evan and I chased the prestigious Cal Cup all over Northern California for a few weeks. It was a fun chase, unfortunately I had to abandon the race early as school beckoned, meanwhile Evan finished off the job and won the Cal Cup overall, while I slipped to 8th after bailing on the NorCal scene. The tradeoff is that I live on my own and go to school, while Evan doesn't go to school and lives with his parents. If some confused readers think I have come out ahead in this tradeoff, they clearly do not understand the prestige of the Cal Cup racing series!

Since then it's just been books, college, and the occasional stab at maintaining some fitness by getting lit up in Boulder city limit sprints by mountain bikers and triathletes.

But, yes everything has been going pretty well, I'm actually the most fired up about school I have been since I started college. I think taking a semester off this Spring to race was good for both my racing and my school, as I'm really refreshed on school now. It might've honestly been better for my school than my racing, as I can't say my racing necessarily profited that much.

For the meantime I've got some prestigious B category collegiate mountain bike invitation only races in the cue for the next few weeks, followed by a little break. Then of course the inevitable return to an unnecessary seriousness about the mediocrity of my cycling, which will likely result in an embarrassingly large drop in social activity, academic merit, and just general well being. But maybe I'll get lucky and my FTP will increase 10 watts!

Well that is all for now, it is official I guess that my season is over now and I must say it is a bit disappointing. For the first time in a couple years, I don't feel totally burnt this time of year. I can honestly say there was another couple chances to have a stab at it, but it's ok, the Gateway ride starts up in a couple months and surely that will allow enough chances to chase the glory! Ok, I'm really done this time!

tin cup

anyone who hasn't seen tin cup should probably check it out, it's pretty much the best movie ever, kevin costner is a beast...just savor this little gem until you can roll yourself down to the local blockbuster and rent it.