A lot to learn

about life in general, but more specifically time trailing. Last Wednesday was the Blackdog TT that I wanted to do well in to get some more points for the NVGP qualifier.
The TT did not go as well as I wanted, I think I started to fast. Although I was feeling good for the whole going out section, and the first part of the way back. However I did manage to hold off anyone from passing me, which is always fun, even if not by a whole lot.
In comparison with last Sunday, I was just over 20 seconds faster. I figured I would be much faster than that, but oh well. I think I know why I did not go so fast...
First my legs have been shot recently, I think I may have put a little to much training in while not getting enough sleep ever since Nationals. So I am backing it off for a few days. I am already feeling better. Also Casper thinks I am to high in the drops. Thus catching a fair amount of wind. So I will drop those down in a few minutes here...



In other news all I have to do is pick up my diploma and I am officially a college grad. Good and bad. Good, I graduated. Bad, I have to live in the real world now....
I wanted to skip graduation and go race up in Duluth, but I guess I only get to walk across the stage once.

A good investment.

This week has been a fairly good training week. Thursday the highlight, nearly calm winds, 75 degrees, absolutely wonderful. In addition to it being nice The Ghost ripped my legs off on a hill repeat session.

I also rode lots of this over the week.

It got dusty at some points.

Friday I picked up my new TT bike. I traded Ben at the shop frames, he really liked the De Rosa (which I picked up not long ago), and he had a TT frame he has been trying to get rid of for awhile. I said hey lets trade. We are both happy now.

The El Go Go is wanting to go...

The bike came just in time. Today I had two races. The first was the bike section of the Olaf Triathlon. I got a fast girl swimmer, and a fast guy runner. I have not heard the results yet, but things look promising. We may have even set some records.
For that I had 13 or so miles of open rode to cover, an early estimate is just under 30 minutes, but the heart rate strap was being weird so I don't know if it recorded right.
As soon as I finished that (and finished fixing a flat that appeared right after the finish) and cooling down a bit, I hoped in the car and went up to the TT at Blackdog Rd. A good training run for Wednesday. That race went alright, I was a bit gassed from the morning, and last night...But I made it hurt and my official time was 15:40. Slower then it needs to be, but again, I was not at all fresh. Hopefully I can take a good chunk of time off with preparing properly. Anyhow, it looks like I am getting good use out of my investment in the TT bike.

Oh, and for school I am under the 1 km banner and the chase group is 5 minutes back. I just have to enjoy the remainder and finish up.

It's a dangerous game.

As a cyclist I know that crashes happen, they happen to everyone at sometime or another. Most are fairly minor, but there are always some big ones. I have known a couple of people who have taken big spills during races, Finn, Tone, and a few others. But for some reason those, although fairly serious, just have not really quite hit home as hard as Sean's attack on the guard rail in Colorado.
Maybe it is because I did not see the crashes happen, or at least ride by seconds after impact, or maybe it is because I was not at the crash minutes after to see how beat up the others were, or maybe because the others had people at the races to take care of them. Or maybe it is simply because I have spent so much time training, traveling, and racing with the Doughboy that not having him around makes it seem like I am forgetting something. After all what fun is a recovery ride if you have no one to talk about the stupid people during the race with.
Anyways, a big crash of someone you know really well is one of the things that reminds you of how dangerous racing is. The fact that you know the person, and know that they are most of the time capable of riding their bicycle reminds you that it can happen anytime and anywhere...

On that note, Sean is in Colorado for a few weeks. Last week he was pushing me to stay out yonder to train and enjoy the mountains. Looks like he gets to stay out there, unfortunately he will not be able to train, and will have to settle for a view of the mountains.
I had some pictures of his bike and all, but I'll let him post those if he wants.

For me Nationals was a bit of a disappointment. I felt strong both days, and was having a blast attacking during the road race. On the final climb, arguably the most important part of the race I dropped my chain and thus was out of contention. I chased as hard as I could up the hill, down the next hill, hitting 95 km/h chasing down, seeing two bodies plastered against the guard rail, then seeing Sean's bike. Oh shit... I continued chasing and ended up about 15 seconds back from the group I would have been in, which was sprinting for 5th or so... After that I immediately took off back up the hill to find out what had just happened (see above).
In the end I finished 22, I know that without the chain drop it would have been much better, I was feeling good. But how much better it will never be known.

The crit was not any better. Right off the bat things were hot, at some point some riders got away. Soon after some more kinda rolled off the front and being boxed in I could not get anywhere. I tried multiple times to get away, but to no avail. I ended up 24th. Again disappointed but better than last year.

Training ride.

More training

The hill, Sean and I are the two dots on the hill.

Crit start

Trying hard.

It's Final...

I am transferring to Carleton for the last few weeks of school. The papers and everything have been approved. Just in time for Nationals as well.

Unfortunately the camera was on some weird setting for the picture, however, after some editing it turned out well. Kinda cool actually.

In other news, this is pretty entertaining.

It's go time.

Saturday Sean went on up to St. Cloud to partake in the exceptionally windy Marty road race. For me it was pretty much final preparations for nationals which are this weekend.
The race was 72 miles of fun in the wind, with 2.6 laps left I got forced into the ditch, luckily for me (not for them) a couple of strong Grandstay guys had been gapped as well. After a brief chase where I saw the race drift away from me, we got working together. Turning with the wind I and 2 other put it down to try and bridge up. 100 meters from the back of the peloton I dropped my chain somehow, and watched as my companions caught the group. Until .75 of a lap left I was chasing hard with 4 others. Eventually we caught the peloton as a group of 7 had gotten away, and no one was chasing. The Ghost had been chasing with me the entire time, after resting up a bit in the pack and seeing nothing was going to happen, I told him I was going to go as soon as we got a tailwind and that he better be on my wheel.
Things happened just as I had said and the last few miles The Ghost and I spent drilling it home. I finished 8th overall, with after enjoying the ditch I thought my race was done for. Chasing so much was good I guess because it gave me the hard race situation of a break (without the glory) that I wanted, and needed to prepare for nationals.
Yesterday Sean's mom came up and we did some fast motor pacing, then I rode my bike some more. The rest of this week is just ride easy and sleep. It should be fun...