Air force academy race weekend.

At this point for me racing and even my training sessions are about execution. This weekend I executed poorly. It was not all my fault, never is in cycling, right? “That guy let the wheel go, the tactics were bad, I was behind the crash, flat tire, broken chain, blah, blah, blah. I am not one for excuses so lets talk about what I did have control over and how I could have done better. The pro’s did a great job turning the “climbers” RR course into a non climbers race, sort of. Nailing it in the cross wind and riding easy up the climb. With a dead on head wind it made it very difficult to get away on the climb and very easy to sit in. well maybe not very…
The RR was a tactical game of energy conservation and positioning.
Being able to crush the watts didn’t hurt either…

race reports up!

I always think I am gonna get caught. Always.

I do. Its a genuine fear. Thats how I run. I'm scared. Scared of making a mistake, scared of falling, blowing up, losing, everything.
It keeps me sharp, focuesd the more scared I am the more prepared I become. Its more a respect I have. For the task at hand, the difficulty of racing in 25+ mph winds on a course I don't know, my teammates, every other ride and the sum that is "The Pelaton" you just never know whats gonna happen.

More pics and video updates from the weekend races.


The drive out...

Day 1 win in the road race. The next day my break away companion told me he did just shy of 3000 Kj's and avg. 300 watts over the 2 hours and 45 minute race.

RR podium

our eating room. where we spent most of our time when not racing.

My sleep aid..

This was the best soup I have ever had.

everyone enjoyed it and it was key to our recovery after a long 40 degree, 30 mph windy RR.

Me, hanging on to my main rival in the Circuit race. I was able to drop his teammate while bridging but it burnt a lot of matches. It was worth it. Dealling with one of these guys was hard enough. 2 would have been impossible. The last 45' of the race was a tricky affair of engery conservation and tactics...

This weekend things worked out well. I haven't won a race in some time and while it wasn't the toughest field I have raced in the guy that came in 2nd (whom I was in a 2 man break with for much of the RR) certainly was. Being able to win not the RR but the Circuit race on day 2 as well was something I was not expecting . The team raced well and we took a few more top ten places.

The place we are staying at is pretty sweet! I was expecting to be sleeping on the floor at a frat house but my teammate’s friend has all the fixings. The food and hospitality is over the top. My room even has a sleep enhancer in the room! can't ask for more than that!

race reports coming soon!

The Koppenburg

Race report up. check "race report" link at right...

I once heard a sports director say “to win Paris- Roubaix you don’t need good luck, you need to avoid all the bad luck”.
The koppenburg race in Boulder, CO is similar. There is lots of that around. 85% dirt roads, a rutted, dirt, 18% grade, narrow climb and just enough big boys to make things interesting.

April means Race!

Look out Mt TT.
I was really excited to do this race this year. Last year it tock place while I was at the Gila. I had a short video of the course but I can’t get it to the computer. I was motivated to do a good ride but after a long evening with my better half and some friends on her B-day and some serious training this week I didn’t know how I would go…

Check out the Race Report!

Koppenburg Curcuit race in 5 hours!

Spring training

It doesn't take long for your view to turn into this when riding east from Boulder. In fact the other day when it was an unusual cloudy day with a bit of bite in the air I was pretty unmotivated to ride. Tired from training, busy with coaching, etc…

The sun came out for about 10’ and I jumped. Felt OK after I got going but after some time of dosing off in a tail wind on my TT bike I looked up and saw this. “What the ?!” I had no clue where I was. Nebraska? Kansas? Well the views were nice and it wasn’t to cold… After checking wind patterns, bird migration and some earth contours I figured out where I was and headed home.

Hey Gang! Its spring! Crazy weather time. Snowing one day sunny the next. Raining and cold one day sunny and down right hot the next. Don’t get down about it! Plan ahead!
~plan your training week.
~plan your work and personal week.
~check the weather, adjust…
~plan for the highest QUALITY training possible!

1 day before this it things looked like this!