What a beautiful night to race bikes! Cool temps (which meant I got to where my long sleeve skinsuit) and fast racing were on order for the night. With Chip and Brett by my side, we started the race with the same plan as always, go for the sprints when you feel good enough and help each other out whenever possible. I can't even remember at this point which sprints I tried to contest, but managed a 3rd or 4th on a non-double lap. After the 10 laps to go sprint (which I did not contest), I found myself near the front and passing everyone and then having a pretty good gap. I looked back a few times and then thought, what the heck! So I put my head down and the gap started growing. After a few laps by myself, a Turner rider (Neal?) bridged up to me to help the effort. So on the 5 laps to go sprint, I was able to come across the line first. We then continued to work to try to stay away, but I knew there was no way Huntington was going to allow us to stay away and steal those precious double points for the final sprint. Sure enough, with 2 to go, we were caught. I tried to jump on the right wheels to position for the sprint. I managed to get onto Eric's wheel initially, but by the time we rounded the final turn, I was maybe sitting eigth wheel and just didn't have the legs to contest.
It was a fun night of racing and having my family there to watch Daddy "winning" the race for a few laps ;) Brett did a great job in his first A race and even tried to get me to the front early on, but blew a tire right after I got on his wheel. He grabbed a new wheel and remained in the fight til the end. Chip was steady eddie and tried to do some blocking while I was out front. Thanks guys, I totally appreciate your sacrifices!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Ault Park Blast
“Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.” Jack Nicklaus.
I can honestly say I thought this day might never come; my final B-Race. The thought of moving-up and far from the comfy confines of the B’s was not always an inevitable notion but yet always a scary one. Just last week, a rider from a team that will remain nameless called me a “sandbagger.” I have to admit, this is a word I do not identify well with. Excelling at sports has never been an easy task. I think one of the reasons I like cycling so much is that it there are no balls to throw or catch and certainly words like “athlete” are not commonly used.
When I started racing several years ago, Ault Park was a very difficult race for me and it certainly continues to be a challenge. Physically, the speed and endurance required to finishing this or any race is painful, but the hardest part about racing (at Ault) was putting my fears aside. My fear of crashing continues to be something that has to be put far-far away and in place that my “confidence” can not find.
I clearly remember my second Ault Park race. I spent the majority of my 20 laps at the back of the pack, scanning the field for signs of a wobble or a crossed wheel; wondering if I was going to be a victim or perpetrator of an accident. This essentially nullified my competitiveness spirit and relegated me to the back, were I quickly became nothing more than an idle observer; a passenger. I don’t know when it clicked for me (it may have been a slow process that is still evolving) but I think less about this. It’s important to place fear to the side, otherwise there’s no place for confidence.
Bike racing for me is the most exciting thing that I can possibly imagine. I love the discipline and focus it requires; to become a master of your thoughts and to enslave the voice in your head that tells you to quite. Racing is a gift. It is all together beautiful, dangerous, and thrilling to me. As silly as this sounds, it provides me with a larger framework for community and friendships.
Well, I know this is overly sentimental and painfully self-aware but I wanted to take a moment to contemplate what this race has meant to me and will continue to mean to me. My father, who was eternally absent from my soccer and little league games as a child, attends almost ever Wednesday night in June, and even though every week he needs a quick tutorial on when the point laps are, he enjoys watching. For as many reasons as there may be to move to the A’s, there were likely twice as many to stay in the B’s. Foremost on this list was that I was having fun. I’m thankful for the opportunity the B’s afforded me to grow in my confidence. It took me several years to finally feel just the slightest bit confident in this event. There’s often a lot of negativity surrounding the B-Race but I loved every minute of it. Although the B Race will always be the little brother to the much longer and arguably steadier A Race, there’s no shame in the fun and challenge offered by this event.
So here’s to seeing every finish line as the next starting point. BB
I can honestly say I thought this day might never come; my final B-Race. The thought of moving-up and far from the comfy confines of the B’s was not always an inevitable notion but yet always a scary one. Just last week, a rider from a team that will remain nameless called me a “sandbagger.” I have to admit, this is a word I do not identify well with. Excelling at sports has never been an easy task. I think one of the reasons I like cycling so much is that it there are no balls to throw or catch and certainly words like “athlete” are not commonly used.
When I started racing several years ago, Ault Park was a very difficult race for me and it certainly continues to be a challenge. Physically, the speed and endurance required to finishing this or any race is painful, but the hardest part about racing (at Ault) was putting my fears aside. My fear of crashing continues to be something that has to be put far-far away and in place that my “confidence” can not find.
I clearly remember my second Ault Park race. I spent the majority of my 20 laps at the back of the pack, scanning the field for signs of a wobble or a crossed wheel; wondering if I was going to be a victim or perpetrator of an accident. This essentially nullified my competitiveness spirit and relegated me to the back, were I quickly became nothing more than an idle observer; a passenger. I don’t know when it clicked for me (it may have been a slow process that is still evolving) but I think less about this. It’s important to place fear to the side, otherwise there’s no place for confidence.
Bike racing for me is the most exciting thing that I can possibly imagine. I love the discipline and focus it requires; to become a master of your thoughts and to enslave the voice in your head that tells you to quite. Racing is a gift. It is all together beautiful, dangerous, and thrilling to me. As silly as this sounds, it provides me with a larger framework for community and friendships.
Well, I know this is overly sentimental and painfully self-aware but I wanted to take a moment to contemplate what this race has meant to me and will continue to mean to me. My father, who was eternally absent from my soccer and little league games as a child, attends almost ever Wednesday night in June, and even though every week he needs a quick tutorial on when the point laps are, he enjoys watching. For as many reasons as there may be to move to the A’s, there were likely twice as many to stay in the B’s. Foremost on this list was that I was having fun. I’m thankful for the opportunity the B’s afforded me to grow in my confidence. It took me several years to finally feel just the slightest bit confident in this event. There’s often a lot of negativity surrounding the B-Race but I loved every minute of it. Although the B Race will always be the little brother to the much longer and arguably steadier A Race, there’s no shame in the fun and challenge offered by this event.
So here’s to seeing every finish line as the next starting point. BB
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Ault Park #2
I arrived at Ault Park Wednesday a little nervous for a couple of reasons. I hadn't ridden in almost a week and I hurt my knee running in a triathlon relay on Sunday ( we still came in 1st in the relay (out of 1) :) My legs felt a little hollow warming up, I was pretty tired from riding all day at work in the 90+ degree heat. Anyway, the B race started and I immediately gave up on my goal of contesting the first sprint. Luckily, Matt and Brett sped to victory, taking 1-2 on lap 5. I worked to make sure I was in good position for the middle sprint, and with help from my DH brethren, I was able to pass Geoffrey Reynolds (now with Team Dayton) at the line for 1st on the double point sprint.
I recovered for basically the next 9 laps and was still toward the back as we approached the end. I could see Matt and Brett ripping it at the front and was able to hitch a ride up to them for the finale. As we rounded the bottom, Matt came toward the outside and I rode his leadout as long as I could. When I came around, I had to slow for second as a rider from a team who doesn't need to be mentioned had died and was weaving all over the road. This stall was enough for Steve Hughes to get a good jump, taking 1st in the sprint, with me right behind for 2nd. I ended up tied with him for 1st for the night, moving into 2nd for the series.
Another good night thanks to my Darkhorse teammates, Matt, Brett, Tank, and Steve.
I recovered for basically the next 9 laps and was still toward the back as we approached the end. I could see Matt and Brett ripping it at the front and was able to hitch a ride up to them for the finale. As we rounded the bottom, Matt came toward the outside and I rode his leadout as long as I could. When I came around, I had to slow for second as a rider from a team who doesn't need to be mentioned had died and was weaving all over the road. This stall was enough for Steve Hughes to get a good jump, taking 1st in the sprint, with me right behind for 2nd. I ended up tied with him for 1st for the night, moving into 2nd for the series.
Another good night thanks to my Darkhorse teammates, Matt, Brett, Tank, and Steve.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Friend or Fred
During my daily fix of coffee and cycling webfodder, I came across this very interesting post over www.belgiumkneewarmers.com about the rights of passage of cycling.
"We’re not cool. None of us are hip. We are, however, a brethren with a respect for each other paid each time we follow a wheel, each time we tell the story of another rider’s attack that sent us into debt. Suffering, in the end, is the thing that unites us, the grand equals sign that differentiates the accepted from the stranger. Suffering and surviving is our rite of passage."
Check it out at www.belgiumkneewarmers.com
"We’re not cool. None of us are hip. We are, however, a brethren with a respect for each other paid each time we follow a wheel, each time we tell the story of another rider’s attack that sent us into debt. Suffering, in the end, is the thing that unites us, the grand equals sign that differentiates the accepted from the stranger. Suffering and surviving is our rite of passage."
Check it out at www.belgiumkneewarmers.com
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Ride Cincinnati
Tank, our sponsor John Lowe from RPC Mechanical, and myself participated in the Ride Cincinnati cycling event to raise funds for breast cancer research in the Greater Cincinnati area this past Sunday. Completing the 63 mile journey along NKY's Rte. 8 was a joy ... especially behind the beastly pulls of Tank. Thanks buddy!
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