Prologues are hard. The Prologue stage of Redlands was today... and the pH of my entire body felt like it hit an all time low. I started way too hard and by the time I got to the two walls before the finish, my muscles were fully saturated in lactic acid and unable to produce the kind of power and spark that they felt during my openers the day before. The last time I was in this great of oxygen debt was during the uphill bobsled TT at the Deer Valley Norba last year... I gotta learn how to pace myself better.
I'm not too worried about how I finished though... Sunday’s circuit will be the true test and GC will likely change quite a bit.
Anthony had far and away the best ride today coming in 12th, and I know he'll perform strong in the circuit.
Tomorrow is a 9 corner crit that's supposed to be really hard and fast. It doesn't start until 3:30, so I got a long day ahead of me.
For the second weekend in a row, the host housing is spectacular. The house is beautiful, huge, spacious, hot tub, swimming pool, two dogs, lots of TV’s, a huge pantry of food, you name it.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Feelin' Good, Feelin' Motivated
Alright, last weekend, I wasn't feeling too hot. But after a few days of hard rest I'm feeling ready to push my body to the limits this weekend at the Redlands NRC. I did a couple openers today and felt good.
Redlands starts off with a slight uphill TT... but it looks like it'll favor more of a strong time trialist rather than a strong climber. On Saturday is a crit, and Sunday is supposed to be a hard road race. So far this year, the road races haven't been hard enough to create a selection. I'll try my hardest to make it into that final selection. This race looks like it suits me much more than everything else I've done this year, it should be fun.
The big news right now is that our team made it into the Tour of Georgia, the second largest stage race in the country. That's huge for us as only about half of the US Pro teams get invited. I really hope to be selected for the team that's going... it would be such an amazing experience for me. I think I'm going to have to prove that I should be there this weekend at Redlands.
A few teammates and I went to see V for Vendetta last night. Futuristic sci-fi with a 1984ish plot and some badass fight-scenes... I liked it.
Redlands starts off with a slight uphill TT... but it looks like it'll favor more of a strong time trialist rather than a strong climber. On Saturday is a crit, and Sunday is supposed to be a hard road race. So far this year, the road races haven't been hard enough to create a selection. I'll try my hardest to make it into that final selection. This race looks like it suits me much more than everything else I've done this year, it should be fun.
The big news right now is that our team made it into the Tour of Georgia, the second largest stage race in the country. That's huge for us as only about half of the US Pro teams get invited. I really hope to be selected for the team that's going... it would be such an amazing experience for me. I think I'm going to have to prove that I should be there this weekend at Redlands.
A few teammates and I went to see V for Vendetta last night. Futuristic sci-fi with a 1984ish plot and some badass fight-scenes... I liked it.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Taking a break soon
I'm in the town of Visalia, CA now awaiting the 3 o'clock start of the crit, gettin'/maintaining my buzz at one the local internet cafes. Yesterday my team and I raced a 30K TT. The course was pretty good... a decent hill at the beginning and end with a few rollers in between. I felt like total ass. As Coach Crawford would put it, my CNS is cooked... I need a break. I still have one race left next weekend, Redlands, so I plan on resting super hard all week in hopes of recharging my mind and body enough to ride with motivation and at the level of fitness that I should be at right now.
After three months of being on the road with the team, I came to the realization that it's time for a break. The day after Redlands I'll be flying up to Portland to see a friend of mine from High School, and then I'll head down to Grants Pass, OR to stay with my folks for about a week. Then I'm heading back to my home town Boulder, CO and will be there for possibly a few weeks.
In Oregon, I'll unwind... get my mind off racing and just relax. Once I get to Boulder, I'll wind it up again in hopes of being on top mental and physical form by the end of April. For me, Boulder is the absolute best training environment, and I think it'll be key in bringing me to high mental and physical levels again.
After three months of being on the road with the team, I came to the realization that it's time for a break. The day after Redlands I'll be flying up to Portland to see a friend of mine from High School, and then I'll head down to Grants Pass, OR to stay with my folks for about a week. Then I'm heading back to my home town Boulder, CO and will be there for possibly a few weeks.
In Oregon, I'll unwind... get my mind off racing and just relax. Once I get to Boulder, I'll wind it up again in hopes of being on top mental and physical form by the end of April. For me, Boulder is the absolute best training environment, and I think it'll be key in bringing me to high mental and physical levels again.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Back to the Beach
I'm back in Oxnard and once again the house is packed. I'm shacked up again in the garage, which is fine with me, I actually like sleeping in there.
I finished out the weekend with a fun crit on Sunday in the Central Valley stage race. The course had a 180 degree turn on the same street... so each lap the entire field came to almost a complete stop, then it was a full on sprint once we made it around the turn. The field stayed pretty much strung out for the entire race, and the pace was high the whole time. It made it very hard to move up though. I finished in the pack, but I felt really good and comfortable during the race, I think I've got some form coming on, and with that a bit more confidence.
I'm hoping to do the San Dimas stage race this weekend, but I didn't register early enough before the race reached it's field limit. My team director is working on it, but I kinda doubt I'll get in. If not, I think there's some local races I might be able to do. Right now though, I just want to keep racing as much as possible.
I finished out the weekend with a fun crit on Sunday in the Central Valley stage race. The course had a 180 degree turn on the same street... so each lap the entire field came to almost a complete stop, then it was a full on sprint once we made it around the turn. The field stayed pretty much strung out for the entire race, and the pace was high the whole time. It made it very hard to move up though. I finished in the pack, but I felt really good and comfortable during the race, I think I've got some form coming on, and with that a bit more confidence.
I'm hoping to do the San Dimas stage race this weekend, but I didn't register early enough before the race reached it's field limit. My team director is working on it, but I kinda doubt I'll get in. If not, I think there's some local races I might be able to do. Right now though, I just want to keep racing as much as possible.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Fresno baby!!
Lots has happened since my last post… McLane last weekend… windy gutter-fest. I double flatted, so that ended my day.
Since then I’ve been in Fresno for the week where I’m currently racing the Central Valley Classic Stage race. There was originally supposed to be an epic hill climb TT similar to Flagstaff road in Boulder (a little longer) on Friday, but that got cancelled because of a big snowstorm that dumped all over the mountain. Instead we did a 16 mile flat TT. I didn’t post a good time, but Blickem, our TT superstar was eighth. Today was pretty miserable, 120 flat miles in 40 degree rainy weather. I finished. Tomorrow is the crit… hopefully it doesn’t’ rain… that could be a bit hairy.
My parents are coming to visit tonight and watch the crit tomorrow, and we’re gonna have a good ol’ family reunion with my grandma, aunt, and cousins who all live in Fresno.
That’s all I got time for today… no internet at house so I gotta go to the café and only have so much time to surf porn.
Lata!
Since then I’ve been in Fresno for the week where I’m currently racing the Central Valley Classic Stage race. There was originally supposed to be an epic hill climb TT similar to Flagstaff road in Boulder (a little longer) on Friday, but that got cancelled because of a big snowstorm that dumped all over the mountain. Instead we did a 16 mile flat TT. I didn’t post a good time, but Blickem, our TT superstar was eighth. Today was pretty miserable, 120 flat miles in 40 degree rainy weather. I finished. Tomorrow is the crit… hopefully it doesn’t’ rain… that could be a bit hairy.
My parents are coming to visit tonight and watch the crit tomorrow, and we’re gonna have a good ol’ family reunion with my grandma, aunt, and cousins who all live in Fresno.
That’s all I got time for today… no internet at house so I gotta go to the café and only have so much time to surf porn.
Lata!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
McLane
It's only a couple of days until the McLane Pacific crit and road race up in Merced, CA. This will be my first NRC of the season. I'm chomping at the bit right now... I need to race... no more training!! This race is supposed to be pretty flat and is known for being sketchy and finishing with a field sprint... not really my ideal race, but it's still a race, and the field will be packed with fast teams and riders.
Afterwards, my team will be having a team camp up in Fresno. The camp will lead up to the next NRC, Central Valley, which looks like it has an uphill TT. I hope to do well in this event... I have no idea how well I'm climbing right now... but I have a feeling I'll do okay. I'm slowly feeling some form come on lately sa I've been begining to do some real intensity in the last couple weeks.
Watching Enter the Dragon right now... Bruce Lee is one bad ass MoFo.
Afterwards, my team will be having a team camp up in Fresno. The camp will lead up to the next NRC, Central Valley, which looks like it has an uphill TT. I hope to do well in this event... I have no idea how well I'm climbing right now... but I have a feeling I'll do okay. I'm slowly feeling some form come on lately sa I've been begining to do some real intensity in the last couple weeks.
Watching Enter the Dragon right now... Bruce Lee is one bad ass MoFo.
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