Spring Series '09-Hueston Woods

While I did not have the winter I had last year, I rolled into today's race thinking I was not that far off. I registered for the Cat. 4 race today, getting a couple of stinkeyes from people who thought I should have moved up to Cat. 3. Mostly young people with no kids and no real jobs. Anyway, the race started pretty tamely, then a few attacks were launched maybe 3 or so miles in. I worked pretty hard to reel them in, then Shannon took over as the reeler, as our plan was to have Bill there for the finale if it was all together. Lap 2 or 3 (it's all fuzzy) two riders went off the front with one of them, a Cyclesport rider, staying away. On the last lap, I went to the front and asked the Dayton and Anthem guys if they were content racing for 2nd. They said they were not, so we started to reign him in. Except I feel like I was the only one doing most of the work. This was probably smart racing on their part, but after 5 or so miles, I had nothing left and he was still 100 or so yards off the front. I ended up being dropped but managed to fight back on. I was at the back of the pack going up the first hill by the marina but starting to move up to help with a team sprint. Approximately 3 miles from the finish, there was a massive crash, with bodies and bikes flying all over. This brought me to a screeching halt, almost endoing. By the time I got going again, the peloton was already out of sight. I tried to catch back on, but they were too far, and that's when the cramps started. It was so bad, I had to dismount to stretch them out.
Certainly not the result I was hoping for, but that's racing.

2009 Ohio Spring Race Series

Camp Pain

Team Camp '09 began with 5 of us getting down to Gatlinburg Friday and doing a 40 mile route including the Cade's Cove Loop. I launched a beautiful attack about 5 miles into the 11 mile loop and managed to hold off the other 4 until the end. That is until a guy in a pickup informed me that my teammates were "back yonder fixing one of the guy's changer thang" My victory was due only to a mechanical involving Brown's chain, oh well. The rest of the gang arrived Friday night and we all psyched ourselves up for the following day's 'festivities'

I woke up Saturday feeling sore, queasy, and tired but managed to eek out the 61 mile "Wall Route" that included 4.6 kajllion feet of climbing and ascents that averaged 89 percent (at least that's what the day felt like). This Alexander had a "Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"

Sunday was the ride to Clingman's Dome, something was inside me consuming every ounce of energy I had and after a whopping 12.9 miles I called it a day and ashamedly entered the sag wagon piloted by a limping Matt Bell. We leapfrogged the splintered group up the climb, yelling "encouragements" and time splits. We waited at Newfound Gap as they put on more clothes and finished the ascension to the Dome. There were probably some unwise clothing decisions as most of the team was wet and freezing upon return but we made them descend anyway. After the cold was too much for 3 of the Horses, I was forced to remount a little more than halfway down the mountain. I rode for all I was worth to the bottom, then started back up toward the cabin. After a couple of miles of climbing, I was an empty shell, but Steve Brown came back and dragged me onward. It was getting dark and every time I saw headlights, I prayed it was the returning sag wagon. Finally, I saw Dan's new Subaru drifting rally-car style through a curve with Matt Bell behind the wheel. After watching a bear on the other ridge, we jumped in and headed for the cabin. 3 days later and my stomach is still a wreck, but I still had a good time hangin with the guys, as always!

T-minus Four Days

The fine fine weather (for February) this past weekend made for a couple of chances to get out and dance with fellow Horses. On Saturday, Dan-O rolled eastside and we looped up and over Indian Hill a few times, including a repetition of Camargo's dead-end segment in honor of the Chipper. By the way, in the winter, when the leaves are gone, that house at the bottom of the hill is even more striking. Or weird, depending on your take on contemporary architecture.

Sunday Chip got things together, and we rolled over a lot of the same roads with Mike More (sweatin' out a week in Vegas and rollin' Belgian-hardman style with no kneewarmers), Chip's friend Ron (who hung tough and then popped spectacularly on Roundbottom Rd. after a tough pull), and young Turner Logistics stud Corey, who schooled us in all the sprints he contested, usually without even getting out of the saddle.

Bike's dirty, legs are tired, and it's almost time for ... 

...camp, baby!

Weil Rd. Attempt #1

You gotta love technology. Today, 5 brave Horsemen (Chris, Steve B., Shannon, Chip, and myself) set out for an "epic ride" to Weil Road, which is supposed to be a nasty hill way out past California and Point Pleasant. Unfortunately, the uploaded route on my GPS had too many waypoints so we were riding blind, trying to guess the route. We took a very wrong turn in Nicholsville (I'm sure you've all heard of that budding metropolis) and ended up on 222 so we just stuck with familiar roads at that point. We rode past East Fork, Covered Bridge, up Mt. Zion, and down Sugar Camp. Somewhere around 45+ miles the cramps started biting. We limped back for a while, with a feeble sprint attempt at the end of Roundbottom.

After thrashing me on Camargo, Chip and I ended up back at his house with 68.9 miles. That was a little too close to 70, so we rode a big circle to arrive at the magic number.

Great ride, hopefully more can make it next time we try this again.

Happy New Years!

Happy new years folks... w/ the new year, we'd like to welcome BioWheel's on board as Darkhorse official shop sponsor. If you are in need of any cycling related products or services, check them out on the corner of Miami and Camargo in Madeira. Mitch, John and company will treat you right!

Cap City Cross

Don't my legs look all ripped while I pick up the remains of my bike after wiping out yesterday? That must have been the only time that I going slow enough for the camera to catch me... right!

Great setup, and good use of the venue... I think i was in the low twenties of about 30-35 racers. Good time, but I can feel the body saying its time to "shut 'er down." We'll see if we can't fire it up one more time and Brookside.


:::tinny out