tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38644264318438655102024-03-05T10:07:13.755-08:00punk rock, bike racing, and picking things upMashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-17938942936594339232014-08-29T13:00:00.004-07:002014-08-29T13:00:51.381-07:00Four Horsemen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So are small field took off at 4 am in the dark, with our que cards for the first sector stowed in our jersey pockets the feel of a Rapha video came to mind almost immediately http://vimeo.com/13386163 . The climbing started 6 or 7 miles into to it soon Jammie and I had started to put a gap on our compatriots we continued to push on with the sun coming up over the Ancient Bristol cone pine forest. The climb was toughened up a bit due to a slight head wind but nothing to dramatic when we hit the dirt section at 10,000 feet Jammie wasn’t happy and he fell off the pace, It was the most Brutal section. Sharp diamond shaped rocks some the size of grapefruit littered the wash board lined road road the climbing was still steep and the lose dirt meant standing was not an option. When the 3 miles of climbing in the dirt was finished we had to turn around and descend. I did not descend much faster than I climbed worried about destroying my wheelset but my margin gained on Jammie, I almost collided with another rider coming up while searching for a “clean” line. I was so relieved when the dirt section was finished, Jammie caught back on, on the descent, and passed me, the man descended like a stone. I was a bit tentative descending at first getting used to my new fork. We rolled back in to the hotel. Section one, 58miles and about 7000’ of climbing were completed.<br /><br /> After a quick change of bibs and shoes (I wanted to rotate the hot spots on my feet) Jammie and I set off on sector two. We worked well together across the flats rotating frequently the heat and wind started to pick up on our way into Bishop. We started to climb the road to South Lake the heat was stifling sweat was running off my face like I was on the trainer, I was suffering like a dog but Jammie looked a bit worse so about 2 miles away from South lake Lodge I put in a bit of a dig, I don’t know why I just put my foot on the gas. The gap opened and I decided to push on. The thought to take it easy and wait entered my mind but something Lisa told me once came to mind “if you have the knife in you might as well twist it” . So I grabbed a gear and just went for it. At the top of South Lake I had built a 5+ minute margin. I descended with more confidence knowing I had to protect my lead. I put my I-pod in and pushed hard on the climb to Sabrina Lake trying to increase my margin. I would dance up to threshold but did not dare cross it. At the summit of Sabrina Lake I was 100+ miles into the race and had a 10+ min gap. I have to admit I took more than a few chances on the 20 mile descent. <br /><br /> I pushed hard into the head crosswind fueled by a good playlist http://youtu.be/Wj330Jmh-2o I started to really believe in myself and my ability to pull off the coup d’état. When I reached the fire station on the Lower Rock Creek Rd climb the race director told me I had a gap of just over 30min. Near the summit of the climb I was a bit bonky and very emotional this song came on<br />http://youtu.be/rHrfmG00Lak and I almost cried. After a Coke and a bit of food at the summit I started to get my shit back together and fought a stiff head wind for the next 15 or so miles. I thought a lot about all the people who have helped me but, Mark, Rob, Lisa and my wife where the people who stayed at the forefront of my mind. Rob’s text of “crush some shit” and Marks words “to repay me, go win it!” kept repeating in my brain. I made a right turn and had I tail/crosswind and I knew that the chasing groups advantage of numbers would be slightly neutralized so I raised my pace, HR was starting to seem like not much of a good matrix anymore. The race director told me that he would be my sole support car now because the gap was big enough that the other vehicles couldn’t leap frog the course anymore. I ticked off two more moderate climbs at a 141 and 176 miles respectively I was feeling good but I had no pop in the legs, fear of being chased down and insecurity fueled my head. I just kept eating and drinking with the knowledge this race would be done with my stomach. <br /><br /> At 14hrs 36min, 205miles and 20,532’ of climbing the battery in my Garmin died. The sun was starting to fall over the Sierra Nevada’s. I was still super motivated even though my body was starting to hurt everywhere. My feet had hot spots, the palms of my hands felt as if they where bruised and every joint in my body ached. 15 or so miles outside of Big Pine the race director asked what my longest ride was I responded LOTOJA at 210 miles, he smile and said “not anymore you’re at 240 miles!” <br /><br /> At the start of the final section I was filled with self doubt and wasn’t sure if I could complete the race, I was fried! I was a complete emotional wreck but I set out into the darkness alone with only the voices in my head http://youtu.be/w5ufysxk15w . On the way up Death Valley Rd I was cracking mentally I couldn't hold a line and I road off the road more than twice. I was having problems distinguishing the grey road from the grey gravel next to the road, my focus returned monetarily after a Jack rabbit jumped into the middle of the road and I almost hit it. I was in a deep hole mentally and physically, images of last year’s Tour de Park City kept entering my mind ( where I saw a rabbit take out half a pelaton and sent a few guys to the hospital with open fractures), I was feeling doomed! When the race director finally pulled up next to me I was so happy not to be alone in the desert anymore, he asked how I was doing, I told him I was cracking. He said he had had the right to change the course at anytime and had decided to make it a summit finish and neutralize the final descent. I still doubted if I had it in the tank but put my head down and just peddled I felt like I couldn’t hold a consistent pace, I forced some gel down even though my stomach was doing flips. I’m not sure how long the final climb took but it felt like donkey years, more suicidal rabbits and a big fucking snake added to my overall stress level. My feet screamed when I would stand and I felt like I couldn’t generate any power sitting but I just kept telling myself “This is what I signed up for”. A little motivation came from this http://youtu.be/QcSuvBBIDlU when my i-pod tried to give me some salvation. When I crossed the line I could barely unclip, I thought I was going to fall over. The race director told me to get into van I was done. <br /><br /><br />In hindsight I love how this race was ran, unsanctioned and on the Fight Club paradigm everyone can apply but not everyone is welcome. It was cool not to know the course or have any idea what was coming next, just ride and try to have the courage to be bold. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-63400954263128827152013-08-26T04:25:00.001-07:002013-08-26T04:25:13.296-07:00Everest Challenge Day 2The best laid plans... <br />My plan today was to make the race hard from the word go. The block head wind down canyon down canyon block head wind made my tempo just hard on me, every one could just sit on me happy and sheltered. I was happy when a random guy attacked and the GC leader followed, I knew it was a fools move, but it did get some other folks animated. We chased the GC leader Up the second climb and his gap grew on us, his break away companion blew up sky high and was never to be seen again. <br />On the start of the final climb I attacked trying to get into the top 3. The little rollers and hot stagnate air sapped my strength and I was in a bad way. I ate a bunch of gel dumped the remnants of my water bottle on my head and started singing an old Slapshot song. I was no longer attacking but defending the ground I had.<br /><br />Fininshed 5th on the road and 5th on GC. (double nickels on the dime)<br />
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*This was also a note sent to some a few feinds<br />
<br />Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-91906230880071009422013-08-24T17:19:00.001-07:002013-08-24T17:19:48.434-07:00Everest Challenge Day 1I’m not sure what to make of today. We started off crazy easy for the first few miles then we stopped and pissed, fucking casual... We started Up the first climb to South Lake and a big guy (this fellow makes Blevins look small) went to the front and proceeded to rip the legs off the Pelaton. At one point he got into the drops like Marco Pentani and proceeded to lay waste to the group never to be seen again. At this point I was on the back foot, sitting 9th on the road and well into the red zone. I got my shit back together and when on the hunt.I passed one guy on the Screaming descent. I caught another guy part way up the Pine Creek climb. On the final climb to Mosquito Flats I caught a waif of a climber near the base, he sat on me all the way up the climb(we also had the pleasure of fighting a block head wind), and he attacked w/ 500m to go and got a few seconds on me. I’m not surprised by this as he did no work in the wind and I was more concerned about time and didn’t really try to dispatch him (maybe a mistake but I was thinking about tomorrow and closing the gap to the top 5. <br /><br />We will see if my thinking was correct.<br /><br />The worst part of the day was the hot and windy ride back to the car. SUCKFEST!<br />
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*this was written as a note to a couple of friendsMashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-8439086499095410462013-07-21T18:43:00.004-07:002013-07-21T18:43:45.369-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-67420848957990732692013-07-21T18:42:00.001-07:002013-07-21T18:42:05.730-07:00Hero Worship!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMf2TP_bYK8FkEjXKm07mxn4gTgRXCtc5_quRgESqdl3XTPnjMXTJSiZ-mPRLZ6KkiUTca1OEqlw_-W2BGK45-jiA92X60QCncOMTUbgey3w8E1oB8_i3C2YUoQCezNU46KjBCbD2JxBvM/s1600/merckx_socks.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525816899555520866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMf2TP_bYK8FkEjXKm07mxn4gTgRXCtc5_quRgESqdl3XTPnjMXTJSiZ-mPRLZ6KkiUTca1OEqlw_-W2BGK45-jiA92X60QCncOMTUbgey3w8E1oB8_i3C2YUoQCezNU46KjBCbD2JxBvM/s400/merckx_socks.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 393px;" /></a><br />
<br />Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-36124160935352136372013-07-21T18:41:00.002-07:002013-07-21T18:41:26.540-07:00Piss and Vinager This weekend was my Everest challenge lite. Saturday Mt Evans; Sunday Pikes Peak hill climb.<br /><br />Mt Evans was Fucking Brutal this year! Windy as hell. We started off fast but I didn’t realize how fast, we split the group 3miles into the race(most years the selection is made at 7miles at the big left hand switchback). At 4 miles a very strong guy, who is more than capable of winning, attacked no one wanted to chase so I did the donkey work bringing the selection back up to him. I continued to work bringing back the attacks when I blew up. I recovered a bit got my shit together and went back on the move catching others as they popped, dragging a few with me along the way. At summit lake I drilled it, only one could fallow me. It so happens it was the squirreliest Mother fucker in our group. The wind above tree line was a bastard and meant drafting actually helped. We dodged citizen riders giant ass pot holes. I dragged him too much, but I wasn’t concerned with my passenger I wanted places back. Citizen riders made a clean sprint impossible and I got pimped on the line by fractions of an inch. 1min faster than last year in worst conditions but only good for 9th. Surprised how fast the group was.<br /><br />Side note: I didn’t know most of the guys in the top 10(maybe 3), most the guys who I usually battle with in these climbing races blew up the first few miles. A friend who is a very talented climber said he was over threshold 5min into the race and he was sitting in.<br /><br /><br />Today was the Pikes Peak Hill climb. I really like this course. It’s steep lots of 10% + grades. With in the 1st mile I went in a break away with two others, one guy I race with a lot and know he can TT but hates surges so I wanted to get rid of his asap. So armed with my spastic climbing style I popped him off the back. I wasn’t worry about the guy on my wheel because every time I would surge he would lose 10m and have to chase back on, he only went to the front once and when he did he slowed. At about 8miles in I was confident I would win today but my rear quick release came loose (probably from yesterdays descent), and my tire got jammed, 2nd Place attacked. After getting my bike sorted out I went back on the attack and was making up ground. With a little over 1K to go 1 was 30m behind. He looked back and jumped the wheel of a guy from another CAT I went for it but... I guess that's bike racing. Never felt so shitty about a 2nd place.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-63372903244644516912013-01-05T14:44:00.002-08:002013-01-05T14:44:21.814-08:002012 Race ResultsDeer Creek Canyon TT- 6th<br />Mount Evans- 4th<br />Pikes Peak- 3rd<br />Cottonwood Pass TT- 2nd<br />Mike Horgan- 8th<br />Dead Dog RR- 14th<br />Guanella Pass- 14th<br />Sunshine- 9th<br />Superior Morgul RR- 14th<br />Deer Trail RR- 22nd<br />Cobb Lake- 9th<br />Maverick Classic- 4th<br />Tour de Park City- 9th<br />Tour Del Sol- 25th in RR(27th GC)<br />Everest Challenge- DNF (11th after day1)<br /><br />Team Body Sinc 3rd place overall in Colorado Climbing series.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-90203884808415440852013-01-05T14:41:00.000-08:002013-01-05T14:41:42.271-08:00Some Faves fromlast year.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-21665497063851395422012-11-12T19:23:00.001-08:002012-11-12T19:23:38.125-08:00A little look back.I posted this a few years back on Rob Fusco's blog. Just been a little nostalgic lately so here it is:<br />
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<span>Rob posted via twitter: tell your story. I disregarded it at
first, thinking what do I have to say to the world that I haven’t said
or that I actually want people outside my close circle of friends to
read. Nothing had came to mind until today after riding about 60 miles
when I passed the cemetery where two of my friends are buried and it
came to me. I would tell the story about the loss of a friend and the
making of a new one and how that process had changed my life and maybe
the lives of a few others.<br />Billy was diagnosed with cancer on Oct 4,
2006 when a tumor in his large intestine ruptured and he was admitted to
a local hospital in excruciating abdominal pain. Billy was 27 years old
at the time. How the fuck does someone 27 years old get cancer?<br />At
the time, I was a few years removed from racing downhill mountain bikes
and was really into rock climbing. I had always loved stories of
mountaineering. One day while visiting Billy in the hospital I asked if
he needed any books or magazines. He said he wanted to read about the
mountains. I brought him a few books, one of which was Mark Twight’s
book “Kiss or Kill”. Billy tore through it. He loved the intensity, the
rawness and uncompromising spirit. He was so excited he kept taking
about some local climbs he wanted to do together. About this time, I
discovered the Gym Jones web site, and with no direction, I tried some
of the workouts with no rhyme or reasons. I just jumped in. I would
destroy myself. I had no idea what I was doing but I found something I
liked a lot! I slowly started to figure some shit out and started
climbing a little better.<br />If any of you know someone who has died or
battled cancer knows there is an ebb and flow, the patient has brief
moments of feeling better, just enough to give him or her a little hope.
This hope is contagious when see your friend feeling better and you
start to think he can beat this. We would make plans and the cancer
would just slap him back down.<br />Summer 2008, I told Billy about a race
in Utah I was going to do (my second road race ever) and there was a
pretty good chance Mark Twight would be there. Billy was so excited, he
said “you have to beat him, in fact when you pass him you should pull
out your cock and wave it at him”. We laughed, but I insisted their was
no way in hell I could beat him and I was pretty sure he raced in a
different group than me, but I would try to meet him.<br />June 17, 2008,
in front of Porcupine bar and grill we lined up, and on that day they
started the Cat 4 and 5 racers together. As I was looking around, there
he was, MFT. I smiled and said “Hi Mark.” He said “Hi” back but looked
slightly confused, like “Who the fuck is this guy? Do I Know Him? WTF?”
The starters gun went off and the race was on. The nice thing about the
Porcupine Hill climb race is there are no tactics. It’s a thirteen mile
race all up hill and it takes the pros about 1 hour. We start off hard
and I have no idea about the course except that it goes up hill, so I am
just riding as hard as I can. At one point, I get spit off the back of
the group I was riding with, and I hear a voice say “hop on my wheel and
lets catch that group” I looked over and who was it but Mark Twight! In
my head my brain was yelling at me “stay on that wheel, Mark Fucking
Twight is helping you, Stay on that fucking WHEEL!”. We caught the
group pretty quickly and right when we caught back on, a guy attacked
and I went with him. I looked back and yelled at Mark to come with us
but he didn’t make the move. With just a couple of miles to go, I
started to cramp up, but I just kept telling myself “this isn’t shit to
the pain Billy is feeling right now.” I held on to finish 16th in my
second ever road race.<br />After the race, I thanked Mark for his help
and told him I liked the web site. He invited me to attend a seminar in
Oct, and he also told me I should race the Everest Challenge, but that
is another story for another time.<br />I was super psyched when I called
Billy. Not only did I meet Twight, but he was cool as fuck! Billy was
so happy that I was invited to go to GYM JONES and I beat our hero in a
bike race. I had to apologize to Billy because there was no way in hell I
was going to be able to wave my cock at Mark. I was way to hypoxic to
do anything but hang on to the handlebars. Billy laughed his ass off! He
was so excited for me.<br />Billy Pine Died two months later on August 19, 2008. He is survived by his wife Janis and their daughter Sydney.<br />I’ve
raced Porcupine Hill Climb the last two years and thoughts of my friend
come flooding back, not of him dying but of his contagious laughter and
smile. I wonder if it wasn’t for Billy would I be on the path that I am
on now. I am now lucky enough to call Mark Twight a friend. We end up
racing against each other a few times a year and he beats me more often
than not. I have upgraded to CAT 3 and I’ve been to GYM JONES multiple
times and have earned the “intermediate” certification. I now help
other people train and try to help them achieve their goals. Without the
inspiration a dear friend gave me, I don’t think I would have done any
of these things, and when I am suffering in a race and want to quit, I
think of the that inspiration and I hope I can do the same for someone
else one day.<br />My original copy of “Kiss or Kill” is in a box of
Billy’s work stuff. I hope one day Sydney will find it and maybe it
will inspire her as much as it did me and Billy. </span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span>Thanx Rob for a forum to post this.</span><br />
<span><br /></span>
<span><br /></span>Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-53159041523561939562012-06-11T11:51:00.002-07:002012-06-11T11:51:50.629-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-19267502411849764662011-09-16T11:15:00.000-07:002011-09-16T11:17:36.389-07:00Les 2 Alpes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4x5hR7OyJNPV5e7DbRZNaxN8j2bYvyhMQ5yonJrqH5i5mu3BfavzQGmHXVQyjq0GWg0XNVXj5V2o2FI1V50FgAa3SlRIUmHK18wvK-4qdr0O5TKsTpf-3w-Uw1QPOmUAU1XFvQUcpyPiT/s1600/DSCN1356.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 222px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4x5hR7OyJNPV5e7DbRZNaxN8j2bYvyhMQ5yonJrqH5i5mu3BfavzQGmHXVQyjq0GWg0XNVXj5V2o2FI1V50FgAa3SlRIUmHK18wvK-4qdr0O5TKsTpf-3w-Uw1QPOmUAU1XFvQUcpyPiT/s320/DSCN1356.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653023200070238706" border="0" /></a>Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-69533940221250801652011-09-15T14:53:00.000-07:002011-09-15T15:27:05.608-07:00Season reviewThis was my first year racing Master's A/ 35+ Cat3. It was educational to say the least. Learned a lot like racing in February sucks! I had no form and I got murdered! But I found out I could still hold my own in climbing courses and finished mid pack in rolling/flat parcours. I still suck at TT and crits and I vow to continue to work on them both.<br />So here are the facts:<br /><br />Callville Bay Classic: Stage 1(RR)- 44th,<br /> Stage 2(TT)- 39<br /> Stage 3(RR)-28th<br /> Stage 4(crit) -pulled<br />Haystack Mountain TTT- 3rd<br />Mad Cow Classic RR- 4th<br />Front Range Classic RR-27th<br />Deer Trail RR- 23rd<br />Iron Horse Classic 7th overall<br /> RR- 6th<br /> Crit-20th<br /> TT-13th<br />Rock the River RR- 17th<br />Dead Dog Classic GC-12th,<br /> RR-9th<br /> Crit-19th<br /> TT-16th<br />Horgan Hill Climb 7th<br />Porcupine Hill Climb 3rd<br />Capitol Reef Stage Race 7th on GC<br /> TT-9th<br /> Circuit Race-7th<br /> RR- 5th<br />Mount Evans Hill Climb 2nd<br />Salida RR 14th<br />Lookout Mountain 22nd<br />UCI World Amateur Qualifier RR- 9th<br />So there it is. I know what I need to work on and I am coming up with my evil plan for next year.<br />I wrote a lot of Race reports but didn't publish many because they seamed in hindsight like bitching. I will try and publish more next year.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-277384700148460452011-07-24T18:05:00.000-07:002011-07-27T16:42:37.410-07:00Pain and Discontent.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFQHIlzM2B5i0RjnL8OdeO2gDWmja9txjfj4n5wj_XcAv5BxIkaIvcJ0dpFOQu1aT8_a6PGsM1GQOw-1_JG0QjoYIolTeCoFMvGFGAgtyk_boD5p8bHBqa24NREt3orL0d71SAUzteSzq/s1600/P1420988_2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFQHIlzM2B5i0RjnL8OdeO2gDWmja9txjfj4n5wj_XcAv5BxIkaIvcJ0dpFOQu1aT8_a6PGsM1GQOw-1_JG0QjoYIolTeCoFMvGFGAgtyk_boD5p8bHBqa24NREt3orL0d71SAUzteSzq/s320/P1420988_2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634181606318094130" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDZmdSUzo5oJ9Lo2IkGYvVfWH4N6E-LMKv0Y7ldWUpoOxEIEQFsZNqoV5eYxtch7Cbm5Uxkw4GHfvcTkIFyRbJdfDuyxppWjzSGPllYaJop17NfI3lWNRk61Ncp9Ddq4R57EyH_xoV4Ed/s1600/DSCN1032.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDZmdSUzo5oJ9Lo2IkGYvVfWH4N6E-LMKv0Y7ldWUpoOxEIEQFsZNqoV5eYxtch7Cbm5Uxkw4GHfvcTkIFyRbJdfDuyxppWjzSGPllYaJop17NfI3lWNRk61Ncp9Ddq4R57EyH_xoV4Ed/s320/DSCN1032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633089892195713234" border="0" /></a>Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-3397031951027524982011-07-24T13:44:00.001-07:002011-07-25T08:45:27.472-07:00Mount Evans 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdGxdC8QBv-aynqcQQkOlhNji3sLSs1tanUxG1-DKgLwmJuir4Rb4GKVWesZOEBRVLWY-Un0F6aK9QdptTvInPW54wlHwykT5Qj_RO9geUQiuvH0fJGQM2p0dZi9_iMFBepd160GWnddo/s1600/DSCN1032.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 230px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdGxdC8QBv-aynqcQQkOlhNji3sLSs1tanUxG1-DKgLwmJuir4Rb4GKVWesZOEBRVLWY-Un0F6aK9QdptTvInPW54wlHwykT5Qj_RO9geUQiuvH0fJGQM2p0dZi9_iMFBepd160GWnddo/s320/DSCN1032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633022770513427394" border="0" /></a><br />This years race seamed to start a little slower than usual, because of the down canyon headwind. It was really easy to sit in but when you went to the front it was really fucking hard. No one wanted to work, not surprising, but frustrating. I've been asked this before and my response is always the same. Question: "why are we going so slow?" response: "get your ass on the front and find out!" I know my willingness to work has fucked me, but I also want to race in a certain way. In my mind how you do something is more important than the outcome. Have some panache, have a little style and go down swinging.(i'll save the rest of this diatribe for another time)<br /><br />At the hard left turn between 6&7 miles when the course kicks up, I attacked. The field blew up instantly and a lead group of 10 riders was formed. This was my plan from the start. I was to attack fairly early, make the race selective and thin the herd over rest the course. Our breakaway group stayed together and were working somewhat well together, a few were sitting in but they looked as if they weren’t going to be around long. I was at near the back at the feed station near Echo Lake and had slow down to get a bottle the guys on the front attacked. I threw it in the big ring and sprinted to catch back on, I actually had to brake going uphill around the corner right after the ranger station. The group was now 5: me, two guys from CP racing, Cody from Velo-one racing (who I thought would win) and a guy named Gary who I didn’t know. Cody and Gary(who looked like he was suffering) just drilled it right after I had got back on so I had to slowly ramp it back up, one of the guys from CP popped and the other was on my wheel. He tried to talk me into waiting for his team-mate but I wasn’t having it. “I like you guys but I don’t trust you.” I continued to lift the pace riding away from the remnants of our breakaway group. I kept the leaders in site at about a 30-40 sec gap.<br /><br />After tree line I could see the gap was coming down at least to Cody, I had problems picking Gary out of the field fodder from the other groups(dammed Grey kit). When I caught Cody with less than ten miles to go I was starting to cramp, but I respect a man of his talents so I put in a bit of an effort, he held on for a minute but he popped off right after my next little serge.<br /><br />I kept thinking I saw Gary up the road but when I would catch that rider it wouldn’t be him. So I kept pushing on. The wind was making the top interesting in the switch backs, block head to beautiful tailwind. With about a mile to go my legs were cramping horribly, at 1 KM to go I had to stand just to keep turning them over. I stood most of the way near the end. Not dancing on the peddles more like pulling my feet out of deep mud. I’m sure it wasn’t pretty to witness. I did everything I could to maintain my pace, I just kept telling myself not to slow down. The dialog in my head was nothing but venom spiked anger directed at yours truly (Hypoxia and lactic acid are a cocktail not suited for everyone's pallet.). I crossed the line in 2nd. A couple of minutes later 3rd place rolled in looking about like I felt. I love the climb, I love the race, but I am surprised how decimated It leaves you. 24 hours later and I still feel altered.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-69122894090304103252011-05-29T05:33:00.001-07:002011-05-30T05:11:46.901-07:00Iron Horse<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxx32ArRYFaNYyuMfc5iAKXuZSYkJTLkoeF1bXjMvN5DPkNvm35qzzNzsDNTIfoMtYElrKKteARlmh3JRhAYBPxq53VVJ77ue4c-4iSy3iYY3GVsRINdpMkZZPADmRSsc3rvDE1U4Ytk8/s1600/IMAG0213.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxx32ArRYFaNYyuMfc5iAKXuZSYkJTLkoeF1bXjMvN5DPkNvm35qzzNzsDNTIfoMtYElrKKteARlmh3JRhAYBPxq53VVJ77ue4c-4iSy3iYY3GVsRINdpMkZZPADmRSsc3rvDE1U4Ytk8/s320/IMAG0213.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612116357297192498" border="0" /></a><br />Iron Horse RR:<br /><br />This is the last year I do Iron Horse. I love the course but hate the event, I feel the same about LOTAJO. The fucking citizen riders ruin the event for me. The mixing of categories doesn’t help my disposition towards the event. That said here is how the day went down:<br /><br />My group took off on the false flat out of Durango this part of the race is weird guys are twitchy but the pace is civilized because no one wants to burn any matches. So the first ten miles should have been uneventful but you mix traffic furniture and earlybird citizen riders and it becomes more than slightly stressful. At one point the pelaton is passing a citizen and he swerves into us causing people to swerve, smoke their brakes wheels crossed the guy behind me hit my rear wheel and went down. I never looked back! (later I found that I had burned a 3” strip down to the threads on my rear wheel)<br /><br />After that excitement I started moving up to the front for the start of the first climb. Going into this race I told my self I didn’t give a fuck about results just wanted to be aggressive and race my bike. I did not want to be a passenger I was going to bring the race to the group. At the start of the small rollers I was on the front dictating pace and that is where I lived all the way to the ski resort. A couple of other guys would pull through but most would feel the mind on their face and quickly find a place to hide. This started frustrating me but I remembered my thinking going into this and my mood improved. By the time we got to the ski resort our group was down to less than 25 guys out of the 150 starters.<br /><br />After a short descent we started climbing Coal Bank pass. Right at the first kick upwards we caught the 4/5 main group which had mixed with the pro women. Guys attacked making which wheel to follow very confusing, so I just drilled it hoping for the best. I found myself in a small group of less than ten guys and we stayed together for a short time up Coal Bank. About half way up the climb a guy from my group attacked I covered it and countered attacked half our little group matched my move. A guy from another team drilled it right after that I followed again but didn’t have the answer when his teammate drilled it shortly thereafter. With about than 2 miles left till the summit of Coal Bank 3 were up the road 1 guy in between me and the leaders and then me and a guy named Mike who had also done some of the donkey work early on in the race. We went<br />over the top of Coal Bank in this order.<br /><br />Mike and I raced up Molas Pass trying to shed one another and slowing trying to close the gap to 4th place. I put in a hard dig 1km to the finish and just barely off the 4th place wheel. The descent off of Molas is one of the fastest twistiest things ever, I reminded my self of the plan and tried to shut off my brain and just go for it down the 50+mph descent. I maintained line of site on 4th place but he was prying open a gap on me. At the bottom I Knew the gap was unbridgeable, but I drilled it up the false flat drag into Silverton and with 1km to go my left quad started to cramp and I felt like I was peddling squares. I crossed the line in 5th.<br />After the race a fellow competitor looked at my rear tire and noted it looked a little rough. I was more than a little pissed and freaked out, I could believed it held but also pissed because of some citizen I could have died if that tire would hace let go on one of the descents. I guess sometimes it pays to be lucky.<br /><br />* Note: I went to bed in 5th place woke up and for some reason I was in 6th. I don't know what happened but it sucks. Last night I went to the 40th anniversary party for the Iron Horse Classic<br />it was cool to is the classic bikes and the old pics of the racers. The party made me realize this was once a great race not just some glorified fun ride. I know real racers still race, but i fear my sport is becoming a watered down parody of itself.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-83860714472392275042011-04-18T07:11:00.000-07:002011-04-18T07:12:46.790-07:00Front Range ClassicWhat a brutal fucking day! According to accuweather.com the wind was blowing out of the north/west 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph at USAFA. The was the course sits meant every climb was into a gale force head wind. My group did 4 laps of the "worlds course" for a total of 54 miles with 4000'+ of elevation gain.Normally the course at AFA suits me well and I really like it but today was not a day for the climbers it was a day for smart well placed rouleurs.<br />The day started off tough I felt like I was always on the wrong side of the pelaton spending to much energy in the wind. Our group was riding hard and with the crazy wind the day was only going to get harder. My teammate Wade was looking good riding towards the front but always protected from the wind, he just looked perfectly positioned in the group. I found myself this I wishing I was where he was at and thinking i am riding like an idiot. I figured if I kept riding like this it would be a very short day. At the start of the first climb I went to the front as a show of force, Fucking Hell! I rode near/on the front through out the first climb. I figured we might shed the field down some then I would rest the second lap and then ride the last 2 laps for Wade. My thinking was that with the wind the course now suited a strong all a rounder better than pure climbers.<br />At the base of the long climb on the second lap I looked around to find Wade to tell him I was going to hide this lap then ride for him but I couldn't find him in our ever shrinking group. So I sat in and tried to conserve.<br />On the third lap there was a bunch of attacks but I didn't go with any because my plan had change to go all out on the last lap so I was still in conservation mode and I figured our group was working well enough to bring back any breakaway. A small group did get a gap but it looked more than manageable. I know when you have to draft going up hill it will never be a good day for me, and on a steep section near the top of the climb the guy in front of me let a gap open and with the wind I could not close it as the group went over the top of the hill.<br />I was now riding solo trying to close the unclosable, on the flat a small group caught me, but I shed most of them on the climb as we caught more remains from the group. Three of us sprinted on the final short up hill finish more for fun than for any real glory. <br />I didn't stick around for results, I just felt beat up!Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-46593819521060366562011-04-10T20:05:00.000-07:002011-04-11T06:55:18.633-07:00Mad Cow Classic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIpeUXysibYKZP1F8tXimZJ-KyS6UGS0ZUX8UmWba2vQRyxcQ8PWjcPGOTizuIVm9QyvDcV9DYmtMGFZisOtZQpVh0zb7ciIAKxL7Qs5eoPxS3USrK-BViFGqeIhqzoz_fSLj9oy3PVpT/s1600/DSCN0953.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIpeUXysibYKZP1F8tXimZJ-KyS6UGS0ZUX8UmWba2vQRyxcQ8PWjcPGOTizuIVm9QyvDcV9DYmtMGFZisOtZQpVh0zb7ciIAKxL7Qs5eoPxS3USrK-BViFGqeIhqzoz_fSLj9oy3PVpT/s320/DSCN0953.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594157578888099058" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72MPoDt43l8S_BQq_ousEW8gABStI73VqQcp8qEdNDLMIYXClWEOAosp8hJeuwzLNay3E6S8CwhjhldFzsyL9yTZzNV2BqNEj4KiHn-Hf6NpvzsPDEKwdsA81tFArKfhwyr3tAgm0hiIt/s1600/DSCN0935.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi72MPoDt43l8S_BQq_ousEW8gABStI73VqQcp8qEdNDLMIYXClWEOAosp8hJeuwzLNay3E6S8CwhjhldFzsyL9yTZzNV2BqNEj4KiHn-Hf6NpvzsPDEKwdsA81tFArKfhwyr3tAgm0hiIt/s320/DSCN0935.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594157574208381346" border="0" /></a>I raced the Mad Cow Classic in Grand Junction today, the threat of crappy weather kept a lot of folks at home and it seemed like a GJ locals only affair.<br />I like the course a lot. It is a lollipop shaped deal. You ride out about 8 miles then do multiple laps and round a 12 mile circuit. The climbs are steep and punchy and in general just a fun ride.<br />Our field was small and was whittled down even smaller on the climb out to the circuit, a guy attacked shortly after the climb but no one reacted and there was 4 riders from one team so I figured they knew him and didn't consider him a threat. Later I did find out they did know him and just didn't want to do the work I guess this guy was an Iron-man finisher and also the winner of today's race. After the first lap I knew I wasn't going to win but I still wanted to shake the rest of these guys but it was the 4 guys from the team vs me and two others. You could say the race was very tactical but it was more like an exercise in frustration, cat and mousing followed by crazing fast pace lining then more cat and mousing! This pattern continued all race long. On the second lap we caught another rider from their team from a different group so now it was 5 against 3, complete fucking BullShit! This fucking guy started setting tempo and totally interfered with the outcome of the race. On the Last climb of the circuit I attacked dragging two with me one from the "team" and an independent.We got away and stayed away till the end but the guy from the "team" wouldn't help. After a short descent right before a short little climb I found myself in the wrong gear at the worst possible time and a gap opened that I could not close with the head wind so I TT the last few miles in for 4th place.<br />Side note Laura race with the Cat 4 men and finished 4th overall and 1st woman.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-77853501161570963332011-02-27T21:31:00.000-08:002011-02-27T21:38:46.951-08:00OWTH pic from feb, 18th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ073pq18L-LqG6N-ylLJ-4OKERYWn1bDrH_rdkyKmP2jHOAn6iDoM94PdtjoBerPm11ebLrp1FMjNtMgmy87yNKF-WYhDhniRXWrZSjqQ8Dr7lbL7SVXHl0VDjh6UmzveFSGleUHnKozT/s1600/Owth.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ073pq18L-LqG6N-ylLJ-4OKERYWn1bDrH_rdkyKmP2jHOAn6iDoM94PdtjoBerPm11ebLrp1FMjNtMgmy87yNKF-WYhDhniRXWrZSjqQ8Dr7lbL7SVXHl0VDjh6UmzveFSGleUHnKozT/s320/Owth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578609412609786690" border="0" /></a>Off with their Heads @ the black Sheep in Colorado Springs with The Gamits. Great fucking show! I know I should have posted this earlier but I suck at updating this shit. Plus; More Punk Rock less BullShit!<br />Cheers,<br />SMashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-76417994532655746612011-02-27T21:17:00.000-08:002011-02-27T21:23:24.048-08:00Callville Classic CritToday was my first crit race in a long time. I don’t really enjoy crits, I find them to be really stressful, and in general I just suck at them. For every crit I do OK in I get totally shelled in 5 of them.<br />Today I was pulled by the race referee just before I was going to be lapped by the field. It was a complete hammer fest, and I was most definitely the nail today. For the first 3 laps our speed rarely dropped below 30mph, and I was spinning out of my biggest gear on the short descent. On the start of the forth lap I was totally eating my stem, feeling doomed, Yo-Yoing off the back and I popped! I wanted to chase back on but the legs were having non of it. I didn't have any accelerations left in them.<br />It is always depressing to get pulled by the official, but there was nothing left to prove.<br />I have to remember it is February and I have just finished building by base, and yesterday’s stage showed me the engine is built, I just need to start tuning it. This weekend was a huge step in the right direction. Doesn’t mean that I am not disappointed with today’s performance. I know what I need to work on and the season is long.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-50964357361967385012011-02-27T06:57:00.001-08:002011-02-27T06:59:54.044-08:00Callville Classic Day 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTxXKU3dHHr4EjnQTZtXSunLlVznbDgZTjrln4gT1DgH6_c7mucm5kdkh2FdCzUt1WdSN-2RIlt3zufAiG-Z52FLWN9cbrB5QX06hzjHVZTk3wauQNSZ_BdiPO9kwIPQgP9CEDTbhNPs4/s1600/DSCN0897.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTxXKU3dHHr4EjnQTZtXSunLlVznbDgZTjrln4gT1DgH6_c7mucm5kdkh2FdCzUt1WdSN-2RIlt3zufAiG-Z52FLWN9cbrB5QX06hzjHVZTk3wauQNSZ_BdiPO9kwIPQgP9CEDTbhNPs4/s320/DSCN0897.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578383991710281522" border="0" /></a><br />Today’s race was a classic spring classic race, rolling climbs, crazy wind, and pissing rain. The race started hard and fast with the first climb, but the pace eased up when no one got away. This ebb and flow would be the theme of the day, I don’t think anyone had the legs to make an attack stick. The wet, cold, and wind took the fight out of a lot of folks.<br />A guy went down right in front of me and in my effort to avoid him I went skidding into oncoming traffic almost getting ran over by a gold Saturn. I regrouped and chased but the pelaton was going full gas. I sat up waited for a few victims from crash and we chased to no avail. The rest of the day was more of the same; chase and catch the victims of the day.<br />I have a feeling many people abandoned do to the weather, but not this fool. I was colder than I have been in a long time, but I came for the hard, and I got it. The last 20 miles no one wanted to work, they just wanted to survive, I didn’t give a shit and their weakness made my moral improve, so I road at the front the lions share. The rain let up with about 7 miles to go and my spirit improved more. The sun was shining when we crossed the line. I felt that I had good legs today but a little shit luck, but thats bike racing!Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-38443771556805994722011-02-25T20:01:00.000-08:002011-02-25T20:14:42.175-08:00Callville Classic Time Trial<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4sY2qRY3VT5-Ub2jL_HBJLN7K_Ail2mrhYhyZRmdeVHYGQvMH6emBgT2ttzl99MYmDHiyIW17kUXX9vaaOGvm3hs_8-gKUl1cyAq0R2Age5QmWwhO5J_SHKuNsxFUXy7YSHXfuQDgeLL/s1600/IMAG0095.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt4sY2qRY3VT5-Ub2jL_HBJLN7K_Ail2mrhYhyZRmdeVHYGQvMH6emBgT2ttzl99MYmDHiyIW17kUXX9vaaOGvm3hs_8-gKUl1cyAq0R2Age5QmWwhO5J_SHKuNsxFUXy7YSHXfuQDgeLL/s320/IMAG0095.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577846440148437762" border="0" /></a><br />Today's stage was a short TT more like a prologue than an actual TT. The course climbed 800+ feet in about 3.5 miles not supper steep but considering it had a couple of descents it was a challenging course. The thing that made today interesting was the 35+ mph tailwind. The choice of bikes was critical and I made the wrong choice. A TT bike with a solid disc wheel would have been the right choice, but on bad advice from the race director I went with my normal road bike (would have been a good choice on a calm day). All the fastest guys in my group were on their TT bikes, if fact the guy that won my class today would have also won in the Pro category.<br />Recover tonight and get ready for tomorrow's 70 mile fun. Hope it doesn't piss down rain.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-13022958940777935372011-02-25T08:47:00.000-08:002011-02-25T08:56:30.626-08:00Callville Suckfest Day 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGj8tD6-VXXF2oNe-mxZNt5ZarV0C4cefV6-WqDTsI9b8BCtBwZFrmgREafNoHTxo-fl61tKidZMCWCWZUo5FIJjBn9cBxwvOYJ7gtY5a-dOsYQQPvJYTR_WDd48xJ0s3Be0d1QoaHep1/s1600/DSCN0816.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvGj8tD6-VXXF2oNe-mxZNt5ZarV0C4cefV6-WqDTsI9b8BCtBwZFrmgREafNoHTxo-fl61tKidZMCWCWZUo5FIJjBn9cBxwvOYJ7gtY5a-dOsYQQPvJYTR_WDd48xJ0s3Be0d1QoaHep1/s320/DSCN0816.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577671479086588306" border="0" /></a><br />Yesterday’s race from start to finish was a complete suckfest! The race started with a short 4 mile climb that was supposed to be neutral, but without a follow car we road it hard! I was at threshold most of the little climb. After the “neutral” section we made a left turn into a cross head wind (35+mph Gusts with 20+sustained according to the weather channel) and the hammer fell. I have never road that fast in a road race not to mention into the wind. I was on the wrong side of the group and I knew I had to get to the other side of the pelaton to get out of the wind. So I floated to the back to try to get to the other side of the group. Not smart! Someone attacked off the front group and I had to chase back on. this scenario repeated several more times and I was dropped off the back. A few minutes later I joined a few others that had been dropped and we chased but didn’t work very well together. With about 10 miles to go we were all on our own. I took it easy the rest of the way in, conserving to fight another day.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-78711419459249399632010-12-29T17:09:00.000-08:002010-12-29T17:12:07.206-08:00Two Cow Garage.<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/k3XZAvenD1o?fs=1" frameborder="0" height="344" width="425"></iframe>Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-67599764452100989242010-12-29T17:01:00.000-08:002010-12-29T17:02:31.228-08:00Mount Evans.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lHBgGvJBtLkV54cdzaXtnoO23XpUXw4dqVgdxVMpMbErkVgsF0HeIWZQMqfnB0kFUofwbpWTDniCmZAVinlSkrju6dF1Sfnv9YB1vKsiSjACWJq0NwDgiRdWTEeom3cx_EdCAFWKD8HF/s1600/P1180973.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4lHBgGvJBtLkV54cdzaXtnoO23XpUXw4dqVgdxVMpMbErkVgsF0HeIWZQMqfnB0kFUofwbpWTDniCmZAVinlSkrju6dF1Sfnv9YB1vKsiSjACWJq0NwDgiRdWTEeom3cx_EdCAFWKD8HF/s320/P1180973.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556274322555500642" border="0" /></a>Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3864426431843865510.post-12209568890578162802010-11-13T15:09:00.000-08:002010-11-13T15:15:47.450-08:00Simpleirintruthhttp://blog.simpleirontruth.com/<br />Check out the Billy story I wrote. Its on the Nov 11th page.<br />Thanks to Rob for giving me a place to share this outside my small circle.<br />writing it was a bit cathartic in a cleansing kinda way. Plus it is all ways good to tell stories about people you love. To remember why you care and what is actually important in life.<br />Never Forget.Mashed Potatoes and Frostinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15113649255485671866noreply@blogger.com0