tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49643722447481933662024-02-18T23:57:00.365-05:00NorEast Elite Cycling TeamUpdates, photos and race journals from the members of the NorEast Elite Cycling team.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746945234683959627noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-64327863290197380952010-03-28T15:51:00.003-04:002010-03-28T16:18:54.694-04:00The MarblebergOh hey there, Internet readers. It's Ryan. From NorEast!<br /><br />You know...from before?<br /><br />We know we were slacking on the blogging. We apologize. We hope for better blogging in the future. Moving on...<br /><br />Today was the start of bike racing action in New England, with the typical season kick-off race in Marblhead, Mass. The temperature could be described as...<i>unfavorable</i> to the reproductive organs of men. However, that's how things roll.<br /><br />In the 1/2/3 race, NorEast had returning riders Josh Austin, myself and Mr. Drew "I just bought a house so my life is insanely complicated" Szeliga. We were also joined by Clint "I'm from South Africa so I think I might freeze to death" Borrill. Clint is a very large man, and at an Exeter ride his nose was bleeding. It was awesome. Plus his accent is great, and I get to talk to him about how wonderful America is.<br /><br />After the morning Hey-everyone/God-it's-cold/what's-gonna-happen-today conversations, all 125 racers lined up. Josh Austin manage to <i>not</i> throw a piece of clothing over the face of one of the most respected cyclists in America and our inappropriate comment-making was at a low. It's early in the season, and we really haven't hit our stride yet. We apologize.<br /><br />Prior to the race start, Josh Austin loudly mentioned to Jon Bernard (of CCB fame) that he should attack from the gun.<br /><br />Then the race started, and Jon Bernard attacked. GO FIGURE. Josh Austin must have some low-level hypnotic ability in his lovely grating voice.<br /><br />Marblehead is an interesting race for a variety of reasons. The most obvious one is that it's the first race of the season, so NO ONE has any idea how their legs feel. Some people might have an idea - because they went south to race/train - but that isn't really an exact indicator of how you'll do back home. This year was especially interesting, as there was no Master's field. So the 1/2/3 race was chock-full of experienced dudes with mad watts who we usually don't race against (read: One billion McCormack Brothers).<br /><br />So, the race played out somewhat calmly, with the occasional group moving up the road, and then being brought back. So on and so forth. I tried to put my nose in the wind a little bit more than usual, because I wanted to see where I was standing, fitness wise. I had some fun pulling at the front (for no real reason), and then spent some needed time hanging out in the field. Josh also got in the wind quite a bit as well, and it was good to see a NorEast kit at the front of the group lifting the pace.<br /><br />We both tried to get in moves, but a combination of wind, us not yet having installed our turbo system yet and the activity of the field made those attempts pointless.<br /><br />At some point, Justin Lindine (BikeReg/Cannondale) got up the road with Cameron Cogburn (CCB), and they started riding REALLY HARD and opened up quite a gap.<br /><br />After some activity, I found myself in a chase group with five or six guys, and we rode together for four laps or so - without really cutting down the time gap to Lindine and Cogburn, and without opening a serious gap over the field. Had our luck continued (aka had the field continued to be complacent), we probably would have stayed where we were. I would have probably finished last in the group sprint (note aforementioned lack of turbo booster), but I would have been happy with that.<br /><br />Alas, it was not to be. Around two laps to go, we saw the field billowing behind us, and our time off the front was up. I tried to stay towards the front of the accelerating group in hopes of not totally exploding and rocketing out the back.<br /><br />Coming up the Marbleberg with two to go, <a href="http://robbieking.blogspot.com">Robbie King</a> ROCKETED past the field, and immediately opened a significant gap. No one was able to chase him down, but the pace certainly lifted. There was some shuffling through the field, some sharp elbows, and Robbie eventually joined us again.<br /><br />In the final corner, my legs were not terribly happy with the pace that was expected of them. I saw Austin fly by me, move up the group and stay in the mix.<br /><br />Coming through the finish, he ended up placing in the top 20.<br /><br />Not a bad first race - no spectacular finishes, but we all have some idea of where our legs are.<br /><br />This week, the <a href="http://www.exetercycles.com">Exeter</a> rides start - and I am looking forward to THAT quite a bit.<br /><br />Further results as they are posted on the interweb.Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746945234683959627noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-40228713941926255442009-07-13T11:37:00.002-04:002009-07-13T11:41:22.173-04:00FitchburgHere is one rider's rather belated Fitchburg race report, sorry to have such a long gap in between posts but here's a nice long one to satisfy your hunger for news of the NorEast Elite Team.<br /><br />Going in to Fitchburg we weren’t really sure what to expect, the change of the road race to a finish on the feed zone climb rather than up Wachusett would take out some opportunities for big time gaps but might make the road race a lot harder with people saving less for the final climb. The time trial was new as well, a 9 mile out-and back that was flat with a few gentle rollers.<br />Although we’ve been having pretty terrible weather all summer, the fog and mist that greeted us at the start of the TT was particularly nasty, especially with the accompanying cold temperatures. We had an almost full team of 6 guys in the 2’s, with Rudy squaring off against the nasty-looking p/1 field. Warming up we were pulling out leg warmers and jackets and cranking up the techno.<br />I went off right in front of Dylan McNicholas, the odd-on favorite for the 2 race which meant I was resigning myself to being passed by at least one person. Rolling out of the gate I felt decent, and rode the course OK, just didn’t have great legs. Slight excitement occurred when Dylan caught me and I caught my 30 second man right at the turnaround, but everything went smoothly and I ended up about 40th, around a minute and a half down.<br />With one race in the books we prepped for the circuit race. With no GC contender, Rkelly suffering from sickness and a busted hip from the Giro di Jersey and Rossman a bit under the weather as well, we didn’t have a real plan and that lack of preparation ended up causing some problems, although our only stated plan (“don’t let Dylan (McNicholas) win” –Josh) ended up failing as well. A bit break went in the first third of the race, and to everyone’s surprise ended up staying away after the top 2 on GC bridged up to it with a few laps to go. With nobody on breakaway duty and all of us sort of assuming the break would come back, we missed the 14-man moved and ended up sprinting for 15th. I think we ended up with 19th, 20th, 21st, and 24th. Without a break that potentially would have been 5th,6th, 7th, and 10th. Of course, it probably wouldn’t have worked out like that but we can pretend it would have, right?<br />For the road race we got a bit more organized, with Carbonetti and Josh trying to get in an early move, Ben and I on late-break patrol, and Rossman and Ryan seeing how they felt. After a bunch of attacking right out of the gate, nobody was up the road and Ryan’s hip gave out the first time up the climb- down to 5. We were all active and would make little breaks that would come back together, and although a move finally went with maybe 5 to go without us we were pretty confident it would come back. I was keen to get in a move as last year I was off for the last 3 laps and was caught halfway up Wachusett, so hopefully this year things would stick. I finally made the break this year with just over 3 to goand things were looking good- the 3rd placed rider in the TT was there, and a few other guys were taking good pulls as well as we started picking off riders from the early break. For whatever reason, we weren’t getting timechecks to the field, just the solo leader who was holding about 1:30 over us.<br />Unfortunately, we were caught at the base of the decent on the last lap and I was officially 0 for 2 in promising-looking breaks at Fitchburg. Cramping, we all tried to finish as best we could in the sprint- myself, Ben, and Josh, in the sprint for 2nd. Mostly we were just smoked and happy to finally cross the line and get a cold coke. Thanks to everyone cheering us up the feed zone climb (Tom Luther) as the shouts of encouragement were much appreciated.<br />With nothing to show for our efforts so far, we toed the line at the crit, thankfully the 3rd sunny day in a row and a minor record for this summer. Our plan was to be as aggressive as possible and try to pull something off. A few laps in I tried to bridge to a break, made it halfway then sort of stagnated and was eventually pulled back. For most of the rest of the race I was at the back. I just asked Rossman who is sitting next to me how we were riding the crit as I wasn’t seeing much of the front to which he replied “ALWAYS AGGRESSIVE.” Use your imagination.<br />With 9 or 10 to go, there was a big surge and I found myself slung around to the very front- someone in front of me put in a dig and I went with him. We realized we were off the front and started rotating well. Then we realized we weren’t coming back right away and settled in a bit- I was hoping to set up Ben who had talked about a last-lap flyer. The lap cards started to stick down and while I was feeling the effects of the break the day before, I was stoked to be off the front at Fitchburg. With 2 to go, we realized we were probably made it and knew for sure when our 15 second gap was still in place on the final lap. My breakaway companion looked a lot bigger than me, so after pulling through the final two corners into the long, headwind/uphill drag finishing straight, I slowed down and hopped on his wheel when he accelerated. Coming into the finish I was sitting right on his wheel, and I jumped as hard as I could with about 75 meters to go. Unfortunately, he’d been watching me and as soon as I went, he accelerated and held his advantage to the line, beating me by maybe a wheel length.<br />While the win for the team would have been great, I was happy with 2nd- we shared the work evenly, he led out the sprint and simply beat me so I can’t be frustrated with how I rode. I also found out later that he was a very strong track rider so I felt less bad about my loss in the sprint.<br />I’m writing this from a hotel in Quebec, where a contingent of the team (myself, Rossman, and Rudy plus guest riders Patrick Goguen and Chris Hillier) are holed up waiting for the second day of racing tomorrow.<br />We have marveled at milk sold in a plastic bag, enormous speeding penalties, maple frosted mini wheats, ridiculous haircuts, the French language, and the difficulty involved in getting from our hotel to the start of the race 10k away. Rudy had a good dig to bridge to the break that went on the last lap but didn’t quite make it while the rest of us suffered in the heat (what, heat? In Canada? After a cold wet summer a few hundred miles farther south?) and Pat experienced a 70 mph tow on the neutral support truck back to the field after they fixed a broken chain. More reports to come as the race progresses.<br /><br />*Update: due to internet issues, I wasn't able to publish this when it was written so we've actually finished the ToQ... race report coming soon.Duncanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10438043540358503628noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-50253428763137844402009-05-01T10:03:00.002-04:002009-05-01T10:35:27.399-04:00On A Horse With No NameI have never been to an actual desert. However, this past weekend the Turtle Pond Circuit race certainly felt the way I imagine a desert would feel: HOT. After pedaling around in 50 and 60 degree temperatures, the sudden arrival of 90 degree heat was a shock, both physically and mentally. <br /><br />My incesant checking of the weather sites before the race revealed the day would be hot. However, I failed to remember how terrible I feel the first real warm day of the year. Racing on a 90 degree day seems to be the equivalent of gasping deep breaths or stale air from a working kiln. Small efforts on the bike translate to large jumps in heart rate. Water bottles run dry before the race even leaves the feedzone. Salt collects in the corners of your eyes and tips of your lips. Basically, you suffer like any other race but the overall uncomfortable feeling of being way too hot adds another level to the suffering index.<br /><br />So, there we were. We being Rkelly, Rossman and me. There being the back roads of Loudon, NH. Like last year, the first lap was very active. The three of us were on our toes waiting to jump into the right break. Attack. Chase. Counter. Recover. Chase. Chase. Chase. MISS THE BREAK. Yes, the three of us missed the break, but not without trying. Robbie King (damn him and his desire to remain in New England and torture us all summer)countered a move and I jumped on his wheel. After riding this race for a few years, I remember the course well. We were in a section of false flats and small rollers. It was ideal to get a small group formed and storm up the road. Unfortunately, the pace car suddenly turned right and nearly came to a stop at the base of a short but steep climb. SHIT. DOWN SHIFT DOWN SHIFT. As I was scrambling to find the appropriate gear, Robbie was doing the same but his chain dropped (yes?). Our small gap to the field was now gone and dudes were streaking up the hill. I saw Robbie sprint past me and make contact with the leaders, but my meager power barely got me back up to speed before the tail gunners of the pack appeared next to me. The rest of the race was spent drinking water, thinking about jumping in the pond and contemplating ending the race early to find ice cream. <br /><br />Neither Rossman, Rkelly nor I pulled the plug early. Instead, we remained in the disintigrating "field" until the last lap. As we were simply riding for a finish without ideas of winning, the NorEast contingent felt it was best to have the field work together and just cross the line. But, the other guys felt differently. On the short, steep climb, a Spooky rider attacked...fortunately, Karma decided this was a dick move and pulled the Spooky rider's chain from his bike. We passed him as he was frantically attempting to remount the chain. There may have been some minor heckling involving the line "Karma's a bitch" derived from the NorEasters...can't be sure though. This should have taught the rest of the field a lesson. They should have just ridden across the line content to finish. Instead, guys decided to attack. Without discusssing our actions, RKelly and I went to the front and began pulling each attack back. It was time to play by the others' rules. With the 200m to go, Rossman rocketed past us battling two other guys. There was a slight rise in the road, but RKelly and I could see our teammate win (the field sprint). We were finally able to get some ice cream.<br /><br />Interestingly, half the field probably dropped out of the race. The heat was affecting everyone and racers were dropping like flies. In the end, we ended with 14th, 18th and 19th. Yay.<br /><br />Jiminy Peak this weekend. 90 miles and hills. Should be fun or something like that.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-77512991936055235702009-04-20T21:44:00.002-04:002009-04-20T22:17:56.282-04:0090210Last week I was in California for 28 hours. I am disappointed to say there were no sightings of Dylan, Kelly, Donna, Nat or the Peach Pit. But, let's be realistic; if I had run into Dylan there would be no way of recognizing him as his face looked like a worn-in catcher's mitt in the early 90's. By now he probably resembles a Sour Patch Kid more than an actual human. Anyway, my trip to Levi's state concluded with a red eye flight to Logan and no sights of movie stars. <br /><br />After being crammed into a seat by the plane lavatories for six hours, I arrived to Logan at 5am feeling less than stellar. Knowing I would be racing the following day, I decided to do the best thing after flying all night...a four hour ride. Surprisingly, my legs didn't seem to be all that bad. I mean, they didn't feel superb, but they didn't feel like over-sized paper weights either. My ride brought me over Parker and Catamount along with some quick detours through Lee and Durham. The wheels were turnin' and my legs weren't falling off. Ready for Sunday!<br /><br />I awoke Sunday morning psyched to get to the start line. My sixth sense told me Mark McCormack would be at the race, and I had to make amends after my last start line fiasco. I was again perplexed by my legs' apparent lack of soreness after the week's travels. This would be a good day. I could feel it.<br /><br />Why the Pilgrims picked Plymouth to set-up shop beats the hell out of me. Durham was sunny and warm. Plymouth was cold and windy. Durham has nice grass and pastures. Plymouth has sand and pine needles over sand. Basically, I would not be the least bit surprised if the Native Americans had perfect abs after laughing hysterically for months as the Pilgrims picked the "prime" location for a village. <br /><br />Oh yeah, back to bike racing. I kitted up and began to ride around for a couple minutes. Still, my legs were not hurting, but the power being generated from them was likely not even enough to power the light in my hear rate monitor. I rolled around the rolling one mile course and found the start line. As I had sensed earlier, Mark and his two brothers and three other teammates were standing around ready to ride. The only thing worse than one McCormack is more than one McCormack. This was gonna be good. <br /><br />I started the race with the goal of minimizing my aggressiveness. Things were going as planned and I was doing little work. Fuji guys, including the McCormacks, were attacking. NEBC guys were chasing. Things would come back together and we would repeat. Eventually, a small break formed with NEBC guys and Fuji guys represented. I missed the move and instantly realized I was screwed. Time to chase. With a group of Fuji and NEBC guys sitting in my group, my chase was basically futile. I would pull a bit hoping to have another rider give me a hand. Unfortunately, the small field was comprised mostly of three teams and those teams were in the break. So, for nine laps I rode around the course suffering into the strong cross/head wind. It was not fun and my legs were not happy. <br /><br />This week I finally get to start my first road race of the season at Turtle Pond. As of now, I'm hoping my legs will come around and decide to cooperate with me rather than secretly working for Team Fuji. If not, they will find themselves pedaling home the forty miles after the 70 mile race. Stay tuned for more reports of my suffering.<br /><br />The other guys were in NY this weekend racing Battenkill. RKelly will hopefullyl give a run down of the joy and excitement of riding 30 of 80 miles on dirt.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-91136935038897595772009-04-06T15:28:00.002-04:002009-04-06T16:02:00.123-04:00Uh, Sorry Mr. McCormackThe first race of the season is under the belt. I will be the first to admit, my initial foray into the 2009 season is under the belt but far, far, farrrr from pretty. <br /><br />Before I entertain you with the three bonehead moves of the day, all commited by the author of this post, I must give a quick recap of the race. It was 38 miles on a 2+ mile course in Marblehead. The start was windy and cold. The finish was warm. Teddy King won. Teddy King is going to Europe to race in Pro Tour races. Tim Johnson placed second. Tim Johnson just raced the Tour of California. I felt like crap. RKelly rode a good race and finished 16th. <br /><br /><strong>Bonehead Move #1</strong><br /><br />Sitting on the start line, I decided to forgo my vest and avoid having to shed clothing during the race. I grabbed my vest and, like many other race starts, chucked it over the field to the roadside. However, instead of plopping onto the dirt, the wind caught the vest mid-air, opened it as if there was an invisible person trying to put it on. Then, this invisible person, realizing the vest smelled of b.o. and dry sweat, threw the vest to the ground. Unfortunately, the ground was inhabited by Mark McCormack, and the vest became wrapped around his head. He resembled a bowling ball under the Christmas tree. There were some chuckles from the field and a sharp glance from the Shark. Oops.<br /><br /><strong>Bonhead Move #2</strong><br /><br />As the official said you're off (she actually said this a number of times before the CCB guys realized she meant start the damn race), a CCB rider attacked. Obviously, with the field lined up at the start, no one would be staying away for 38 miles unless the break included Teddy and/or Tim Johnson. This did not matter. My brain turned off and I chased. Two pedal strokes into the race and I was off the front. This effort lasted about 1.5 laps during which my legs felt like they were staked to the ground and the stuff coming from my lungs looked very much like guacamole. Pretty no. So, as the peloton rolled up on me. Action started to unfold. Attacks were going off. RKelly chased a few. I chased a few. The field split. I was spent. The front splint rode faster. I gambled my split would ride over the gap. I will never bet on those odds again. <br /><br /><strong>Bonehead Move #3</strong><br /><br />The wind and cold seemed to lessen with every passing lap. Eventually, it became almost warm, and a MetLife guy removed his vest. In the morning, I pinned my number to my jersey and wore my vest over the jersey for a warm-up. So, as I watched said Metlife guy devest, I thought to myself "shit Josh, you better get your vest off so the cameras can see your number!". Now, if you have read this whole post, you will remember under Bonehead Move #1, I had already removed my vest...it never went back on. So, I'm sitting up and removing what I think is my vest (yes, I know I am an idiot) and realize it's damn cold. Furthermore, I realize I unzipped both my vest and my jersey. SHIT. No, that is not my vest and jersey. My vest, also known as Mark McCormack's face mask, is on the side of the road. The clothing in my hand is just my jersey. It was 50 degrees out and I was riding around the race in arm warmers and a base layer (a blue, collared base layer mind you). I pass Julianne, probably the reason why I'm so jittery all day, and become terribly embarassed. Once again, I'm sitting up in the field acting like I meant to take the jersey off. Adjust my base layer, move my bib straps, put the jersey back on. <br /><br /><br />So, the 2009 season is underway. With any luck, my idiocy is over for the rest of the year. I don't know if my cat. 2 ego can take any more of my shenanigans.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-35956236047484670012009-04-02T13:52:00.002-04:002009-04-02T14:23:18.246-04:00Double AmputeeModern medicince has made incredible advances in many areas of treatment including the amputation of people's limbs. Prior to the early 1900's those facing amputation surgery were forced to endure the procedure with nothing but a bottle of whiskey and a strap of leather between their teeth. I can't imagine the pain. Or can I...<br /><br />Last night was the second and last Pre-Season Wed. Night Worlds Exeter ride. During the summer, a large group of cyclists depart from Exeter Cycles. These weekly rides do not technically begin until next week; however, Damien Colfer, a glutton for pain, took charge of oranizing two non-Exeter Cycle sponsored rides to blow the rust out of the knees. I missed the first one last week but was unfortunately able to make last night's ride. Unlike the normal Wed. Night Worlds, there were only six guys ready to roll: Dylan McNich, RKelly, Damien, Teddy King, myself and a guy whose name I can't remember. So, we got started. Heading out of town single file, I was still unsure how my legs would feel. I just finished a rest week of basically no riding. My high end fitness lacked a little...or a lot. And to top things off, I have a large chicken and pesto sandwich for lunch. THAT always looks better upon its resurrection. Anyway, we were rolling and the 2009 season was underway.<br /><br />I have no computer on my bike. But, judging from my breathing and the pain in my legs, we were moving along nicely. Pull through, pull off, jump back in line. Repeat. With every turn on the front, I began to realize the pain in my legs was immense. I don't mean I felt like someone was punching me in the leg. I mean I felt like my femur was broken and the jagged edge was tearing apart my quad muscles with every pedal stroke. My legs were literally, okay maybe not literally but felt like literallly, being violently torn from my body. I became completely aware I might be left on the road in three pieces: my body, my right leg and my left leg. But, this was the Exeter ride. There is no stopping in the Exeter ride for pain. It's survival of the fittest. Those left behind are forced to fend for themselves and live off the roadkill as fuel for the ride home (one interesting though during this torture, with all the salt used on roads, do you think the roadkill is salt cured and able to stay edible for long periods of time?). So, despite my desire to stop pedaling and ride the solo ride to Exeter, there was NO WAY IN HELL I would let myself get dropped. And I didn't. And in the end I got a burrito to make everything feel better. The end. <br /><br />So, if you're driving or riding in Lee/Newfields/Exeter today, please look for my legs. They are out there. Some where. Maybe laying next to a dead squirrel or possum. If they are found, hopefully modern medicine will help me reattach them. But, it is only April and I'm sure they will be ripped from my body many more times before this season is done and gone. Better go find a bottle of whiskey and a piece of leather...Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-87211923031338191542009-03-31T12:32:00.002-04:002009-03-31T12:49:52.500-04:00Game OnAfter my rest week last week, I had to force myself on the bike yesterday in the glorious rain pelting the New England region. Fortunately, the morning temperatures are no longer at the sub-freezing levels so the preciptation was not the terrible flaky stuff we've been dealing with all winter. Despite the rain not being snow, I was still far from thrilled to get covered in road grime. The typical road spray is enough to leave your chamois, gloves, shoes and hair full of sand. But, I compounded those problems with a small mistake.<br /><br />As I entered Newmarket, an 18-wheeler brushed by my shoulder and was traveling at a managable riding speed. Knowing the draft would be better than any other situation, including sitting behind RKelly's calves, I jumped onto the rig's bumper (I guess trucks like this don't have bumpers but you get the point). Now, imagine standing against a wall and asking one person to swamp you with a pressure washer while another person uses a wrist rocket to pelt you with small, dirt encrusted pebbles. This, my friends, was my experience as I sat behind the truck. The draft was great. Almost orgasmic. But the wheel spray and debris kicked up from the truck nearly turned the situation into a snuff film.<br /><br />I am sure you have figured out by now I did not die. I escaped with just a "bit" of sand in my eyes, teeth, hair, chamois, nose, ears and anywhere else you wouldn't want to find sand. Not only did I survive, but today's ride into work with the sunshine and warmish temps was payback.<br /><br /><br /><br />In other news, the New England race season kicks of this weekend with Marblehead. Unfortunately, if you haven't signed up van's full. We also have the annual NorEast kick-off party on Friday night complete with free Smuttynose beer and food from La Festa. I don't know if there is any better way to start off the season.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-73887321633076471052009-03-20T09:07:00.003-04:002009-03-20T09:12:45.030-04:00El FinIt's our last day enjoying wonderful Charleston, SC. At the moment, RKelly and I are watching Regis and Kelly Live while admiring our tan lines in the mirror. We'll eventually get out for a ride to spin the legs out before the trip home. During a big week of riding like this, I generally try to eat plenty of food to keep up the energy. However, given the long drive and tremendous amounts of sodium we will face at the rest area restaraunts, I chose a light breakfast. Interesting stuff I know you must be interested in hearing. <br /><br />Sounds like it's warm back home. Should be a good week to get a little rest before the season starts. Yay bike racing.<br /><br />Pedaling starts now.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-72752861183942103282009-03-18T16:58:00.001-04:002009-03-18T16:59:12.607-04:00WreckedAnother 6 hours on the bike. Another 100+ miles. I am COOKED.<br /><br /><br />Amazing scenery here in Charleston.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-40288258009198517252009-03-18T08:04:00.002-04:002009-03-18T08:38:19.601-04:00Southern HospitalityAfter my experience with last night's group ride, I am amazed the South wasn't able to win the Civil War. These Southern folk know how to kick some serious ass.<br /><br />Our day started as usual. We had a bit of breakfast, checked some local maps and got the pedaling started. The plan was to ride to Folly Beach, an area just SE of Charleston, then we would get back for a quick shower and food before heading out to a group ride we found on the interweb. Once again, the ride we picked was jam-packed with cars on roads with no shoulder. Unfortunately, we survived to ride again at the group ride.<br /><br />We pulled into the church parking lot from where the ride leaves and only one other guy was there. He was there early to get some extra miles in, so we chatted a bit and rode along the group ride course. Like all other roads in this area, the course was flat. But, it had little traffic, good pavement and plenty of turns. The dude told us the group rolls easy for five miles, then goes hard for ten miles to the parking lot of a school. Here, everyone regroups, and rides back over the same roads. Doesn't sound too bad, no?<br /><br />Back at the parking lot, there were 20+ guys waiting to start. We did the normal can for fast riders and weren't terrified by any pros. But, we should have been. After the brief roll out, the fireworks started. Guys started attacking and our small NorEast contingent chased and countered. It seemed to me they were ready to turn the screws on the Yanks, and looked to us to chase down breaks. Attack. Counter attack. Repeat. We were riding ourselves cross-eyed at over 30mph until we finally pulled into the school lot. The group was exploded, and our new Southern friends seemed to be impressed we were so enthusiastic to put in the big efforts. At this point, I was ready to call it a day. But, there was still business to be had, so we rolled out again. The return trip wasn't as chaotic, but still insanely fast. My legs were on the verge of cramping the entire time and my ability to respond to attacks was NO WHERE TO BE FOUND. Thanks to the headwind, the group stayed together and we survived the battle. RKelly, Carney and I agreed it was probably the fastest group ride any of us have ever ridden. But, not without consequences.<br /><br />We left the ride and crawled into downtown Charleston. Dinner was spent questioning the aches, spasms, and knots in our legs. By our ragged appearance and how we shoveled food into our faces, other diners were probably losing their appetites. Let's see them after 134 miles. <br /><br />Doing it all again today...my leg will not be happy.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-1191217879702107332009-03-16T18:04:00.002-04:002009-03-16T18:42:02.756-04:00DeniedWe had a soggy day on the bike today. The morning greeted us with rain and cooler-than-appreciated temperatures; however, considering we just left the New England tundra, 65 degree rain is not much to complain about. Still, four hours pedaling in the rain puts the cold into your legs that only a hot shower can cure. Before we could enjoy that shower we had business to conduct.<br /><br />Our lack of Charleston knowledge makes the riding business a bit difficult. Looking at a map doesn't give any idea of traffic volume nor does it prepare you for the conditions of the streets. So, we instead just pick a general direction we would like to travel and attempt to connect various roads together in an effort to meet our hourly riding goals. We were far from successful today. Along with the cold rain, we were forced to deal with heavily traveled highways with little to no shoulders in which we could ride. Cars here drive fast. Roads are often rough. Streets are NEVER labeled. We found ourselves a couple times riding with 60+ mph traffic with no where to ride. Stressful is an understatement. Fortunately, we made it home safe. A little cold and covered in road grime, but safe.<br /><br />Once again, we find ourselves occupying our recovery time with internet and some small errands. We were very unsuccessful on the errand front and were denied at every store we entered. First, the bike shop wouldn't fix RKelly's broken spoke tonight. So, he had to leave it at the shop. Then, the liquor store lady wouldn't sell us booze needed as rent for our host house. Apparently, every member of your party in the store needs an ID and RKelly was sans passport, the king of all ID forms. Finally, Hollywood video had no copies of Role Models for sale. We're now being faced with a night of Battleship instead of relaxing movies. I'm sure you're jealous.<br /><br />Tomorrow's riding includes five hours of training in the morning followed by a group ride later in the day. It's advertised as a very fast ride, but after attending the last turtle trot I will only expect fast once I'm bleeding from my eyes trying to hold the wheel in front of me.<br /><br />Modern Marvels is on now. Bye.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-42769559080108443322009-03-15T17:03:00.002-04:002009-03-15T17:52:49.360-04:00Manufacturing Tan LinesThe NorEast training camp is underway! After 18+ hours of driving and breaking into houses in Washington D.C., we arrived at our host housing in Charleston, SC. RKelly, Ryan Carney and I have previously spent training camps in Florida; however, this year we decided to experience some new riding and take advantage of a free place to stay. So, here we are. <br /><br />Just as cycling revolves around a healthy life-style, road tripping is an immersion into the the depths of unhealthy fast food dripping with the delcious goodness of sodium, trans fats and mega calories. Given the damage done to our bodies consuming a vast array of this food (or edible death if you'd rather), we were fully expecting to spend the first ride encouraging and pursuading our legs to pedal just a little bit longer. Fortunately, this was expected, because today turned out to be a lesson in navigation errors and non-descript, interchangable countryside.<br /><br />We began the day early hooking up with a local group ride. Unfortunately, the fast, long ride we were hoping to jump into was neither fast nor long. After a brief chat 'n ride, we learned about a marked 100 mile ride to the coast and decided to give it a shot. <br /><br />Most of the ride was uneventful. The roads are flat. The architecture ranges from posh, stone plantation houses to mobile homes more mobile than home. Drivers are friendly and there is a church every ten yards. I don't think there are enough people in the state to fill the number of churches here, so I guess they must bus in homeless hethens from other states and countries. After riding past the churches for five hour, we realized our marked ride was no longer marked and we were lost. Every house looks the same. Every scary dog has the same bark. Every church advertised Jesus' love for their people the most. Making our predicament worse were the empty waterbottles snickering at our thirst for just one sip of water. Fortunately, RKelly's nerdiness rivals that of Screech and he was armed with an internet machine complete with GPS. I normally prefer the traditional atlas, but my jersey pockets just aren't that roomy. Finally, we determined from where we had started riding and used the last of our determination to make it home where ice cold Cokes beckoned to be consumed. <br /><br />Now, it's lunch time followed by snack time. Then maybe some dinner and another snack. 125 mile. 6 hrs 15 mins. 2 mini oatmeal cream pies. 1 granola on the go bar. 2 sore legs. Most importantly, 4 sweet tan lines.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-18992364401711685802009-03-11T10:27:00.002-04:002009-03-11T10:43:57.264-04:00Please Don't Kill MeOn my way into work this morning I almost became crow food. A woman in a Volvo wagon, no doubt jonesing for her morning hit of DD coffee, failed to realize the moving objecting coming towards her at high speeds. She turned across two lanes of traffic and nearly had a Josh Austin Missile burst through her passenger side window into her face. Fortunately, the hours spent training in snow and ice prepared me for the brake locked, tire skidding fish tail action I experienced as I attempted to avoid embossing my face in the indestructable Volvo frame. As you might imagine, I was both unhappy with the woman and unsure if the mound in my chamois was JUST road grime and mud from the wet roads. My mood, made sour by the soggy conditions, compelled me to follow the woman into the parking lot and yell at her through her closed window. She responded with, "sorry, I didn't see you" and a shrug of the shoulders. I'm no doctor, but I don't think that excuse saves my brain from looking like pasta alfredo a la tire tread after being run down by a 2,500 lbs car. Everyone, PLEASE WATCH WHERE YOU'RE DRIVING.<br /><br />In other news, RKelly, Ryan Carney and I are driving to South Carolina for some warm weather riding. We leave Friday. I can barely contain my excitment of having the chance to dine at Sheetz, Waffle House and Cook Out ALL WITHIN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. There will be plenty of time for bloggin after rides. So, check back in later. <br /><br />Also, I've noticed a direct correlation between weather and blog posts. As temperatures warm, we ride more and have more stories to relate to our faithful reader. The winter hibernation is over.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-73348640501053836702009-02-15T19:48:00.004-05:002009-02-15T20:18:02.477-05:00NorEast February Escape<h3>(AKA here is all the awesome stuff you guys missed because you have responsibilities.)</h3><br /><br />As you may have seen from Ryan Carney's forum post a few days ago, he and I headed to North Carolina this weekend for the Wolfpack Classic. We raced this last year, and it was a ton of fun (not to mention about fifty degrees warmer than New England) so we decided to go back down there.<br /><br />What follows is quite long. So sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy our tales of warm weather and enjoying horrible food.<br /><br /><b>WE'RE REALLY DOING IT! The journey south.</b><br /><br />Originally, the car was going to be filled by Carney, myself and Josh Austin. Unfortunately, Austin bailed on us at the last minute because he has a "job" and he enjoys being "employmed", so he wasn't able to make it. That left us with just one driver (as I am not able to drive stick) which isn't super fun for a 13 hour drive.<br /><br />But Carney and I remained undeterred. We made arraignments to crash at a friend's place outside of DC on Thursday night before getting to Raleigh Friday afternoon. We departed Dover at around noon on Thursday, after picking up two variety packs of Smuttynose for our hosts.<br /><br />What followed was roughly ten hours of me screaming at my Garmin for dispensing questionable directions, horrible odors coming from both of us, a visit to a UNH Cycling Historic Food Stop (the pizza place right before the Tappan Zee Bridge) and the discovery of many fantastic radio stations.<br /><br />The radio station discovery was great - if you happen to be within radio coverage of Queens, check out 88.7, THE PULSE. It also helps if you enjoy the kind of dance music pumped out at the dance floor of sketchy clubs. It's also enjoyable when sitting in traffic.<br /><br />We eventually made it to DC, watched some news and caught up with UNH Alum Arley Kemmererererer before Carney and I snuggled up on a double-sized inflatable mattress in her frigid ice-cave of a house.<br /><br />Friday morning we headed out from her place at around seven a.m. in what was a successful attempt at beating beltway traffic. Carney and I were pretty psyched at this point, as we realized we were going to make it to Raleigh around noon - giving us plenty of time for a ride. On our trip last year, we dawdled quite a bit in the driving, but Carney and I (with traveling skills honed by years of collegiate cycling) were models of efficiency.<br /><br />On the way to Raleigh, we realized that the kid we were staying with (An NC State student) wasn't going to be out of class until about 1:30, so we killed some time by completing one of the goals of the trip - a stop at Waffle House.<br /><br />For those of you who have never ventured south of the Mason-Dixon line, Waffle House is a southern institution. It is a chain of restaurants which are alarming in their consistency - that is to say they are consistently greasy, cheap and fast. Waffle House has earned a special place in my heart, as I love gross, cheap breakfasts, and due to the frequency with which the UNH team stopped at it on our way to and from Florida. So, in my mind, as soon as I see that giant sign shining like a beacon of trans-fats, I think "WARM WEATHER. RIDING IN SHORTS".<br /><br />So Carney and I stopped at a casa de waffle in Rocky Mount, and treated ourselves to some fantastic training food. Carney had a bacon, egg and cheese along with hash browns covered in chili. I had two waffles and hash browns "all the way" - which means they fried bits of potato with mushrooms, jalapeños, ham, American Cheese Product, other items, and topped the entire mess off with chili. I also went ahead and followed the waitresses advice and threw a packet of ranch dressing on there.<br /><br />I mean, I was doing a Pro/1/2 race the next day, so I needed the fuel.<br /><br />We got back in the car, and before we knew it we were pulling up to our weekend home. Knowing our host wouldn't be home for a bit, we squeezed our Waffle House-filled butts into our teamkits and spun around the neighborhood for a bit. Brian, our host, got home about thirty minutes later, and then took us out for some "openers" (either we were riding hard, or our legs felt like garbage due to two days in the car and roughly 10,000 calories of grease) and a tour of downtown Raleigh and the NC State campus.<br /><br />After some much needed showers, Carney and I joined Brian and his friends for a pizza dinner and a discussion of drag racing with 19 inch rims.<br /><br /><strong>Saturday: Road race and accomplishing goal number two</strong><br /><br />Saturday morning brought something amazing - it was fifty degrees at eight a.m. Not three degrees. Not even thirty degrees (which, sadly, has become my definition of "good weather"). FIFTY degrees.<br /><br />Our host had already left, as his school was hosting the race and he had to go prepare gauze for the eventual collegiate D crashes. Carney and I had some food which we purchased at Food Lion the previous night, and headed out the door listening to our new favorite Raleigh radio station - 88.1. Which plays Ratatat and Gorillaz remixes. Fantastic.<br /><br />After some more Garmin issues (nothing like seeing your car icon floating in the ether of an nonexistent road), we got to registration and waited in line for quite a bit before getting our numbers. It was drizzling a tad before we raced, but, probably due to Carney and I screaming "JUST A RADAR BLIP", it soon cleared up. It remained overcast and around 60 for most of the day, but the sun eventually peeked out and my arm warmers were stashed in my jersey pockets.<br /><br />My race was only 76 miles, and Carney's was only 54, so we really didn't have to worry about feeds too much. The most interesting thing about racing in North Carolina is how people dress when it's below seventy - there was one guy in my race with full tights and New England-certified booties, and many people in long sleeve jerseys. Carney and I were definitely the standouts, as we were giddy with the anticipation of racing on salt-free roads.<br /><br />Another interesting thing about racing down here is that, obviously, the fields are totally different. No Fiordifrutta, no Met-Life, and very few familiar faces - although, Isaac Howe, NorEast alum turned pro, was in my race. Also present was Ben King, member of the Livestrong Developmental team and U23 road race champion. Other big guns included a MASSIVE Team Type 1 rider, a full DLP Racing squad, several Mountain Khaki riders (Isaac's team, formerly known as Time Pro Cyclnig) and a handful of the always strong Lees-McRae College riders.<br /><br />From the gun the race was on - and I was pretty much tasting egg and cheese sandwich for the first half of it. The course was like a flatter version of Turtle Pond, with some gradual uphills that were only difficult due to the speed we were hitting them at. Riders were attacking, groups were forming, splits were happening - but nothing was sticking. I found myself (a few times) off the front in a group that I thought had promise, but was eventually pulled back. There wasn't a ton of organization in any of these moves, which always seemed to kill them.<br /><br />I sorely missed having teammates in my race, as there was no one to joke with. As a result, I was just saying stuff out loud and everyone thought I had mental problems. Which may be true, but typically Austin and I will pass our time in the field making inappropriate jokes.<br /><br />Ben King would frequently have a go off the front - but people seemed too terrifiedd to try following him, so he'd just languish off the front for a bit until someone attempted to bridge up to him or an organized chase would bring him back<br /><br />So the race continued like that with nothing terribly exciting happening, aside from the taste of breakfast sandwich creeping out of my mouth and back into my stomach. The race was strung out, single file, probably 80% of the time. Which is always fun.<br /><br />With a lap to go, a group of four got off the front. For the most part, the field seemed okay with letting them go, but they never got a huge gap. Because I didn't have any teammates with me, I was comfortable letting someone else (Like DLP or Mountain Khaki) do all the chasing.<br /><br />But neither of those teams really seemed up to it. So with about 9 miles to go, the Team Type 1 rider and his giant quads got to the front and started up the pain train. He was riding like a mad man to bring that break back, and I stupidly found myself up there with him for a bit. He was very vocal, aggressively reminding me to pull through and keep going.<br /><br />I eventually remembered that there were no NorEast riders behind me, so all this work was probably for the benefit of everyone else. After a few miles with my nose in the wind, I fell back into the strung-out line which formed behind the guys leading the chase.<br /><br />The pace was still pretty high, and the break was in our sight. I realized that we were getting a few ks away from the finish, and started moving my butt up towards the front in the hopes of magically having a decent sprint (which would be shocking as I have never had a decent sprint).<br /><br />Everyone started really moving a little before the 1k to go sign, so I started hopping on wheels. With 200 meters to go, we rocketed by the four men who had almost stayed off the front...and soon after that my fuel tank was <em>empty</em>. I tried to keep my position, but slid back a little more than I would have liked - eventually coming in 19th.<br /><br />And the massive Team Type 1 rider managed to not only pull the break back, but sprint, open up a gap, and win handily. Which is why he gets the big bucks.<br /><br />According to Carney, his race went in a similar fashion, with no moves staying away. He managed to pull out a 7th place finish.<br /><br />After our race, we had some food and Coke before heading out to ride some more - as it was sunny and sixty, weather which we will probably not see in New Hampshire until March. We both got in close to 100 miles, between our race and spinning around.<br /><br />We then changed and headed back to Raleigh, where we completed task number two: Eat at Cookout.<br /><br />I'd be surprised if anyone other than Josh Austin was familiar with Cookout, as it is located only in the Carolinas and Georgia - and is deceptively tasty. For $4.25, you can choose one main item, two sides and a drink - an combo known as the Cookout tray. Carney and I eagerly raced to the Cookout off of Buck Jones Road (what kind of a name is that?) and consumed our fast food sitting on the curb next to his car.<br /><br />We then headed back to our hosts house, realized he wouldn't be home for an hour, and killed time in a fantastic coffee shop. Our evening was spent watching the NBA Slam Dunk contest and the Tour of California prologue, both in HD. I stretched out on Brian's eight-foot long couch and passed out.<br /><br /><strong>Sunday: Crits and getting in the van.</strong><br /><br />Once again, Brian headed out before us as he was racing at nineish. I wasn't going off until 2:15, and Carney wasn't going off until 3:30. Which meant:<br /><br />1. We had lots of time to kill.<br />2. Our drive home was going to be quite un-fun.<br /><br />But a long drive is the price to pay for racing in shorts.<br /><br />After some breakfast, we suited up and rode to the crit course, which was about three miles away at NC State's Centennial Campus. Centennial Campus is essentially a massive office park, filled with university programs and various bio-tech and computer science companies. Which makes for a very simply-planned crit.<br /><br />We watched a few laps, rode a few laps, and registered before we rode back to the house for lunch and getting ready to race. The morning ride did my legs some good, as they were hurting and stiff from the previous day's efforts. While we were checking out the earlier races, we got to talking to some Raleigh locals who were enjoying some interesting beverages at 10:30 in the morning. But they promised to cheer for us if they were functioning when we raced...four hours later.<br /><br />After a spin back to the house, some lunch and loading up the car, we headed back to the course. I was going off first, so I got dressed far too early for my race. But this gave me time to ride around with my reflective sunglasses on, listen to my iPod and catch up with Isaac.<br /><br />At one point I was waiting in line for the port-o-potty, and the previous day's winner (The Team Type 1 rider) was standing off to the side. I thought I saw some sort of flesh-colored rock behind him...but then I realized the protrusion I saw was just his MASSIVE QUAD MUSCLE. Which was terrifying and depressing.<br /><br />I also saw another interesting fashion choice - a Master's rider racing a crit with a psudeo-scarf covering his MOUTH. Which makes zero sense. I can safely say that no NorEast members would make such an egregious fashion and racing mistake. People in North Carolina must like sucking oxygen through a polypropylene filter.<br /><br />The Pro/1/2 field eventually lined up, and it was announced that our race was going to be cut to 45 minutes, instead of one hour. Which I was pretty bummed about. Both because I had traveled all this way to race, and missing a quarter of my crit was pretty lame. And also because the loss of time lowered my "dollars per minute of racing". With a 60 minute crit, I was paying 41.7 cents per minute of racing...with a 45 minute crit, I was paying 55.6 cents per minute of racing.<br /><br />Despite the increased cost per minute of racing, we were off. The course was quite short and technical - it wasn't much longer than one kilometer. It had a long finish straight, followed by a short, small hill, and a downhill into a chicane and a left-hand turn back to the finish straight.<br /><br />The group was together at the start, and then the attacks started coming. And, like the road race yesterday, nothing seemed to have any legs. Two or three guys would get a small gap, but it would quickly get shut down.<br /><br />I (unsurprisingly) spent a good amount of time on the front, or trying to get off the front. I did try to be a little wiser than in the past, so once I realized all my work was futile, I'd get back in the group and hide from the wind.<br /><br />With about three laps to go I was sitting third wheel, but let myself fall back a little bit as it was far too early to be that close to the front. I wasn't too worried about moving up, as I found I could do so easily by being aggressive on the hill. I made it back towards the front on this part of the course, and on the last lap I was up there jostling for position.<br /><br />Like the previous day, I certainly had the speed required to be towards the front at the end - but I wasn't able to turn it up to 11 and discover my nonexistent sprint. Which is certainly something to work on. I did end up 14th, though, which I was happy with.<br /><br />Carney's race was next, and after a short spin and changing, I got down to the course and loudly reminded him to go faster. His race definitely shed a lot of people, and some moves did manage to stick. With a few laps to go, there was one guy off the front - but no one in the field was taking the necessary initiative to close the gap. As soon as the gap would become small and bridgeable, no one would finish him off, the group would ease up, and his gap would open up a bit more.<br /><br />It made sense for Carney to wait for someone else to do the chasing - like me, he was racing sans teammates, and it made no sense for him to chase this guy back just so his cooked legs could get slaughtered in the sprint. So he sat in, and got what appeared to be a top ten finish.<br /><br />I say "what appeared to be" as we hurried out of there before his results were posted.<br /><br />We packed our bikes in the car (maximizing our mpgs), headed back to Brian's to say farewell, wolf down some food and grab showers so we wouldn't add horrible B.O. to the embedded smells of dirty chamois and bananas of Carney's car.<br /><br />so now we're sitting in the car, and I'm uploading this to the forum using my work phone, the internet, gigs and ram.<br /><br />I highly recommend that other NorEaster's join us next year...perhaps we'll give more than a day's notice!Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746945234683959627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-37171909500062913442009-01-15T16:32:00.003-05:002009-01-15T16:48:40.140-05:00Maintaining sanityAs Josh previously posted, it's been stupid cold lately. Like the high for today was 7.<br /><br />Seven degrees.<br /><br />That doesn't make any sense.<br /><br />As a result of the lovely January temperatures - and my desire to continue having functioning lungs,fingers and toes - I've spent quite a bit of time on the rollers. But rollers are not ideal, because the entire time I'm on the rollers, I just want to break a spoke off my wheel and push it through my chest.<br /><br />To prevent this, I try to do something on the rollers - movies, music, occasionally video games.<br /><br />Here are some specific recommendations:<br /><br />- The recentish Transformers movie. It's about two hours and twenty minutes long (a perfect roller session length), and contains GIANT ROBOTS FIGHTING.<br /><br />- Almost any stand up comedy DVD/illegally downloaded file. Most of these are an hour, obviously funny and entertaining, which will help to keep your mind off of the diminishing blood flow to your reproductive organs.<br /><br />- The following albums, for a more energetic ride: The Slip and Year Zero (Nine Inch Nails), Songs for the Deaf and Era Vulgaris (Queens of the Stone Age). And to calm down, listen to High Times by Afroman.<br /><br />- The ORIGINAL Star Wars Trilogy. About 4.5 hours. Plus it gives you some sweet bragging rights. Not everyone can watch an entire trilogy while riding their bike.<br /><br />- Go to <a href="http://www.hulu.com">hulu</a>. Watch "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". It's fantastic and twisted. "Burn Notice" is also great, as it's mindlessly entertaining. If you want to learn, there are six seasons of the PBS show NOVA on there as well.<br /><br />- For video games, you probably want to go with an XBox 360 (or other system with wireless controllers). The advantage of the XBox is that it has a pretty good store where you can buy cheap ($5) and entertaining games - including Mega Man 9, a good selection of Dreamcast games and many puzzle games. Plus you have the added challenge of paying attention to both a video game AND staying upright.<br /><br />So, as much as I hate riding the rollers...I'm going to get back on them tonight. HOOOOOORAY!Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746945234683959627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-4883105128612060402009-01-14T12:39:00.004-05:002009-01-14T12:53:33.832-05:00What's Colder than Cold?I am generally very averse to riding the trainer for too many days in succession. However, this taste of the Arcitc weather we are experiencing is looking to be more like a three course meal rather than just a taste. With cold, and when I say cold I mean cold enough to probably begin the freezing process in Hell, temperatures expected through Sunday, I will be in the trainer a lot. RKelly listens to music in ride. I watch movies. I finished the 2003 and 2004 Tour, 2008 Giro and Tour of Ireland, 1996 World Champs, Breaking Away and some other videos. Now I'm out. Good time to go to Exeter and pretend I'm waiting in the lot for the Wed. Night World Championships.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-62432560177603537602009-01-08T12:30:00.003-05:002009-01-08T14:34:01.112-05:00More Tips to Attain MediocrityI don't know if I spelled mediocrity correctly, but spelling is just another skill in which I find myself to be mediocre. Fortunately, I have excellent skills such as: riding no-handed on the rollers, playing video games on the rollers and riding no-handed, one-legged with two beers on the rollers. Clearly, I have achieved my life goals.<br /><br />As you can tell, I have been spending some time doing base mileage on the rollers and trainer in the recent weeks. The nature has not been ideal for riding, so New England cyclists have been forced indoors. If you have spent time pedaling on a trainer/rollers, you will know the many complaints I have with such training. I will not go into detail on any of the hardships I have encountered. But, you can imagine your ass hurts after extended hours indoors, your psychological stability becomes suspect, and your ability to quote movies, verbatim mind you, becomes perfect. What's a cyclist without a pro contract to do?<br /><br />Like the Canadian Geese flying overhead in fall, cyclists find it necessary to migrate south at some point in the winter. These trips need not be month long stays in training meccas like Mallorca or the Canary Islands. A simple long weekend or week spent lavishing in the sun of the southern U.S. is ample time to clear the mind of any weather-beaten New England cyclist and put some color on his legs. It's just about time for one of those adventures.<br /><br />This year, like last year, I will be taking two trips to warmer climates. If you are hoping to attain mediocrity, I suggest you take notes. The first trip is a multi-faceted training trip for both cycling and traveling. Over the Valentine's Day weekend, there are two races in North Carolina. We will be traveling down for a three day stint of riding and enjoying the sunshine. The cycling training is obvious. Between getting in some early race miles, we will have the ability to do additional riding and lay the ground work for impressive cyclist tans. But, more importantly, we will be strengthening our traveling skills. A weekend trip of this distance makes the need for efficiency imperative. Inefficiency=Less Sun. So, we train our bodies to go longer without food and nature brakes. We learn to urinate in gallon jubs. We perfect our skills at reading traffic and make note of important exits containing Sheetz and Cook Out restaurants. In short, we create a model of efficient traveling to be implemented in the real trip.<br /><br />The real trip is our week-long training trip. This has typically been located in Florida where warm weather is normally guaranteed. The riding is sub-par, no climbing and lots of traffic, but pedaling in shorts and short sleeve jerseys is well worth the lack of scenic riding. During the training "camp" we ride for 4-5 hours a day, BBQ, sit poolside and relax. There is nothing better than sitting in your shorts eating hamburgers while it's snowing back home. NOTHING. Plus, you return from the trip fit, tan and mentally prepared to deal with one more month of Mother Nature's antics. <br /><br />One month and counting until I find the warm weather. Back to the rollers until then.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-34635795729334661762009-01-06T16:12:00.003-05:002009-01-06T16:38:05.579-05:00Night Time CommutingFor those not in the know, I have established a training program to rival the likes of The Cyclist's Training Bible, Training Peaks, Chris Carmachael and any other coaching services/books available in the world. The title, How to be a Mediocre Cat 2 Cyclist with a Full-Time Job, will be available at your nearest book retailer shortly. Until then, I will provide the secrets to my lack of success through a series of brief training suggestions.<br /><br />As you are probably aware, the days in the winter are about as long as...well, let's just say the night's are about as long as Dirk Diggler. Slaving away for 40 hours a week to pay bills often cuts into those daylight hours and makes training difficult at best. During the summer, I ride to and from work daily. Not only does the commute save gas money, but it also provides me with 2+ hours of easy training time. This is a habit I manage to continue into the winter months; however, I'm forced to combat the encroaching darkness on my rides home. So, I invested in a light system for my bike. With a bottle cage battery and wide angle beam, I'm capable of navigating the black ice and snow banks along my 25 mile journey. This does not come without its hardships.<br /><br />Above all else, the worst part about commuting at night in the winter is the cold. I can deal with riding in the dark. I can deal with riding in the cold. But, the synergy of the two has the plants a seed of hatred in my soul: a hatred for Mother Nature and her incessently blowing cold winds, snow storms and terrible winter weather pattern in general. If you would like to learn more about my hatred for Mother Nature, please join me this weekend for a long ride in the tundra...George Carlon would even cover his ears.<br /><br />Shadows are another problem I have been forced to deal with during my nocturnal commutes. Cars approaching from behind cause your own shadow to race infront of you. Like Mark Cavendish, this shadow is impossible to beat. And, it seems intent on hiding every pot hole large enough to swallow both of RKelly's feet and ginormous calves. These problems exist even without a riding partner. If you're lucky enough to be joined by a fellow masochist on your commute home, you will find his light system causes your shadow to appear on the roadside trees. This 30+ foot tall shadow crouched over his metal steed appears angry and ready to destroy any baby, puppy or kitten in its path. It hides the shoulder of the road from your view and dares you to ride into the "transfer station" river on Lee Camp road. Its 10 foot long fingers can be seen shifting gears, always one step ahead of you and knowing your next reaction. Basically, this shadow is a giant d-bag and tries to crush your motivation. <br /><br />There are more problems with commuting by dark. However, I'm about to suit-up and head into the abyss that is winter. Another night of chasing the 30 foot stranger in the trees and another 30 minute shower to thaw my fingers once I get home. <br /><br />More to come...Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-75465063011646485892009-01-05T11:06:00.002-05:002009-01-05T11:15:42.911-05:00Happy New YearLast year is behind us as we embark on an adventure into 2009. I won't go into details of my New Year's Eve celebration, but I can tell you I woke up with nothing short of the worst hangover of my life. The throbbing headache, new snow on the ground and broken shifter cable meant 2009 started with a rest day.<br /><br />With my head back to normal the Mother Nature just barely cooperating, I've been getting in some decent riding. I braved the frigorific winds over the weekend and pedaled over the Parker/Catamount loop as well as a shorter loop through Nottingham. I was alone as others were less manly (and maybe smarter) than me and rode the trainers. I can't complain; I nearly froze to death, but at least I didn't get bored. <br /><br />So, the blog is back up and running...for now. The 2009 racing season is quickly (I hope) approaching. If you are a Cat. 1 or 2 rider in need of a team for this season, please contact me at jaustin at timberland dot com. We have room for two more riders and would like to gave a full roster going into the season. <br /><br />Anyway, happy New Year and enjoy the wonderful Arctic training grounds.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-73824134536605588892008-08-06T11:21:00.002-04:002008-08-06T11:46:11.139-04:00First Week BackThe weekly to commute for bike racing was much shorter this past weekend. With races in Bow and Concord, there was little more than an hour spent driving. Good for the environment, good for the legs and good for the wallet. <br /> <br />Saturday was the Concord Crit and my first race in about a month. I was skeptical how my knee would feel. The tendonitis is by no means healed, but I was hoping to at least get through the race without pain. During the warm up, I became overwhelmingly aware our team is perhaps the funniest, most obnoxious team in New England. I pee a lot before races, but I found myself close to wetting my chamois from laughing too much. Anyway, we warmed up then crammed onto the starting line. So far, the knee was holding up. Suddenly, we were racing. Round the corners, up the hill, down the hill, repeat. I was surviving. My heart rate was THROUGH THE ROOF. But, I was surviving. Forty minutes into the race, a break formed and I found myself sitting fourth wheel in the pack. The three guys in front of me clearly wanted to hangout with the guys in the break, including Vinnie, so I was desperately trying to hold their wheels. Normally, this is no problem. However, on this day, after three weeks of no racing and little riding, I was nearing death. My pack slide was what I imagine snow tubing down an icy Alp d'hueze would be like, unavoidably fast and unstoppable. With the field pulling away from me, I decided to sit up and soft pedal until they caught me. I very shortly had the pace car honking at me and Vinnie pulling alongside me. He was still in the break. Good. I waited a second longer and the field overtook me. I ramped up the pace and stayed with the peloton until the finish. All I needed was that little break. Unfortunately, coming through the second to last corner, a small crash took out Duncan, Dylan and Ryan. Everyone was okay, thankfully, but it took a bit of steam out of the finish line express.<br /><br />After the race, I made the WONDERFUL decision to ride home to Durham. My knee felt fine the whole race, so why not get in some extra hours? Bad idea. About 30 mintues from home, my knee stiffened up and was really hurting when I pulled into my driveway. Obviously, 2+ hours is okay, but 3+ hours is overboard at this moment. What can I say, I am dumb and anxious to get my legs back to racing shape.<br /><br />Sunday...I skipped the race. My knee was sore and racing 64miles was a bad decision even I wouldn't make. I guess it rained and was cut short at 32 miles. <br /><br />Racing resumes this weekend with Gate City Cyclone in Nashua. My knee continues to feel better, so I should be there. Hopefully, some hard riding this week will get my legs and lungs jump started. So, keep an eye out for us at Holman Stadium.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-58192557497790448832008-08-01T09:31:00.002-04:002008-08-01T09:53:43.287-04:00(Imagine the Jeapordy Song)Sorry for the lack of updates on the happenings with the team. Unfortunately, I have been out of the loop with an annoying knee problem, and the rest of the team has been hard at work racing...I think. There have been some good results since Fitchburg. Working Man's stage race was a success with Duncan and Rossman taking first and third, respectively. RKelly and I rode there to give our emotional support in the form of loud, obnoxious screaming. Honestly, I think we contributed to that strong performance. There have also been some other top 10 results. But, I wasn't there any they are posted on the side of the screen. Turn right.<br /><br />This weekend we'll be racing in our backyard. The Concord Crit and Bow Road Race will kick-off tomorrow. I've been going to Access Sports Rehab Center for p.t. the past few days, and I'm hoping my knee will hold up. The crit is your normal crit with a slight rise in the third and fourth corner. The road race, on the other hand, is pretty tough. From the start/finish line, there is a long climb. It's pretty steep in some areas and seems to go on forever. Then there's a quick descent before climbing up the KOM climb. I'm sure it's going suck. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but I remember this course as being pretty brutal last year...and that was in the cat 3 race. Please, if you see my knee laying on the side of the course, pack it in ice and return it to me at the finish line. Thanks.<br /><br /><br />So, it's already August. There are only two months of racing before the Portsmouth Crit, my last road race of the season. Then 'cross.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-20556204322714951272008-07-14T14:30:00.002-04:002008-07-14T15:10:12.866-04:00A Week Ago TodayOne week ago, I was sitting in Maine enjoying my first day of vacay from the bike and work. Fitchburg and New England Race Week was over. Like most other cyclists in the North East, Fitchburg was a major goal for our team. We knew we had the strength to win the overall AND the points competition. We started the race with a strong TT by Rudy and went into the road race with the expectations of working him into the leader's jersey. It was a tough 92 miles. We were great tactically. Dangerous moves were smothered and Rudy, the Hebrew Hammer, was allowed to conserve his energy for a majority of the race. With two laps remaining, a break went up the road and Vinnie and Duncan jumped aboard. From their accounts, the break was rolling along nicely until the finish climb up Mt. Wachusett. They hit the base of the climb 2 minutes ahead of the peloton where the whole NorEast contingent was waiting. Isaac drove the field hard into the first steep pitch of the climb and let Rudy take over. At the same time, I witnessed an incredible explosion of someone's Zipp 404 front wheel as they introduced it to another rider's deraileur. It was an awesome sight. Unfortunately, it helped open a gap I needed to ride through to catch the back of the main field. If this had not been the case, I certainly would have witness the Hebrew Hammer stomping on the field to take third on the day. I also would have seen Rossman, Captain Invisible, charging from the tail gunner slot into 11th on the day (I have no idea where the hell he comes from, but he always seems to appear at the right spot/right time at the finish line). Regardless, Rudy just missed the orange jersey by 14 seconds. We would try to pull back those 14 seconds over the next two days. But, with a quick circuit race and a flat, non-technical crit, it was not to be. Still, I think we are all happy with a 5th place GC ride and a 3rd overall in points. <br /><br />Since the conclusion of Fitchburg, I have not even looked at my bike until today. I took the week to relax and recuperate from the chest cold pestering me for the past week and a half. Instead of riding, I decided to go backpacking for a few days. However, I soon realized a 26 mile, three day backpacking trip does not necessary last three days if you hike 20 miles the second day. Similarly, I realized 20 miles of hiking in one day, up and down the Sandwich Mountain range, makes your legs feel as if someone took a roofing hammer to them a few hundred times. Even now, three days after my excusion into the woods, my legs are in pain. It's nice my personal soigneur isn't too averse to giving massages.<br /><br />I heard my teammates were in action of the weekend. Rudy repeated his 4th place from last year's Attleboro crit and Isaac sacked 7th at New Britain. It will be nice to get back into the racing this weekend with Claremont and Yarmouth. From here on out, watch for NorEast throwing down at any race our team enters...we hope.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-26682315833756427532008-07-02T16:06:00.003-04:002008-07-02T16:32:44.926-04:00WHOA!It's been a busy few days for bike racers in New England. Let's take a journey down memory lane, shall we?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">So many Cox</span><br /><br />As you may have seen by Austin's previous post, we finally got our first win of the season at the Cox Charities Crit in Providence on Saturday in the 2/3 race. A fantastic course (that ran right near RISD, so there were all sorts of cute hipster girls that I'm sure were checking me out the entire race...) that was a little technical - a gnarly climb, some interesting corners and a nasty headwind on one of the longer straights.<br /><br />It was one of those courses where it was a good idea to have a front or near-front row start.<br /><br />Naturally, I got a second to last row start after taking a final lap around the course. Yay! So I got to spend the first eight or ten laps working my way through the field as the rest of the NorEast team was on the front throwing down. By the time I got up there, a small group had gotten away.<br /><br />Then I saw Gavin "I'm 16 and weigh 120 pounds but put out more watts than a 175 pound 23 year old" Mannion launch off the front with Isaac sticking right to his wheel as they began to build a bridge constructed solely of watts up to the five-man move.<br /><br />Yes.<br /><br />And of course they got up there.<br /><br />Then, it was time for me, Austin, Duncan, Rossman, Rudy and Vinnie to sit in and shut people down. And did we EVER shut people down. We certainly didn't make any friends during that race as we (along with a few Targetraining riders and another Hot Tubes kid) jumped on every wheel that tried to initiate a chase. It was pretty much textbook.<br /><br />Rudy had a few lap solo flyer, nabbing himself a prime, so that was great.<br /><br />And then Isaac won.<br /><br />Then we ate indian food:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUikOsZskGE7AbLIaNqHHW9vBPCNNqQSV0WBQY46deQFEJDZVCzl4EcUYJ2tdqCYCSBoBMmZShhT5pY7X-K-AZGJIHObXJPQpUXmpmLfZSC3FfjL5CPARh6GGiezPUfMde9C_Y_PMdLNq/s1600-h/DSC_3829.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUikOsZskGE7AbLIaNqHHW9vBPCNNqQSV0WBQY46deQFEJDZVCzl4EcUYJ2tdqCYCSBoBMmZShhT5pY7X-K-AZGJIHObXJPQpUXmpmLfZSC3FfjL5CPARh6GGiezPUfMde9C_Y_PMdLNq/s320/DSC_3829.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218514721152654882" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">FREE BURRITOS</span><br /><br />The next day was a circuit race in Newton (The Boloco Circuit Race, to be exact). It was just Austin and I heading there (Rossman was busy getting 9th at a crit in East Hartford, everyone else was relaxing or busy living in Northern Vermont) and it was a pretty stacked field - basically all the guys from the Pro/1 NRC race at Providence the day before. And since this was day two of a week of racing, we decided to just hangout, go with the big splits and make mom jokes to each other during the race.<br /><br />The course was, again, great, but a little dicey at times. There was this interesting, fast and tight turn thingy going on after the start finish that I was sure was going to either launch me over the curb or send me skidding along the pavement (thankfully, neither happened). There was also a long, gradual hill that was going to get annoying after a while.<br /><br />So, we lined up for the race, waited for Richard Frieze to call up olympians, former national champions, etc. and then we were off.<br /><br />And my sitting in began! I spent most of the race moving around slow people on the hill and generally doing very little work - at times it was much easier than an Exeter ride. Occasionally the group would string out, but then it would bunch up. Eventually a group of <span style="font-weight:bold;">12</span> got off the front - and then that was the race, basically. Almost everyone had someone in the move, so there was no real organized chasing.<br /><br />Then there was a downpour that would make Noah go "Holy shit!", along with some lightening. And we went from 6 laps to go to 1 lap to go. Which was sort of nice, because my brakes weren't working that well and the three manhole covers per corner were getting a little scary.<br /><br />The only thing of real note during the race was that Tim Johnson pretty much sat up on the long descent that led into the finish...and I went around him.<br /><br />So I beat Tim Johnson.<br /><br />After the race there were free burritos. I had three. I was also soaking wet. Our friend John Lamb came out to see us race.<br /><br />Then Josh and I drove back to New Hampshire.<br /><br />So...that's that!<br /><br />Maybe I'll write about Exeter in a bit?Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16746945234683959627noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-14743334940046197312008-06-29T11:42:00.002-04:002008-06-29T11:45:25.089-04:00Sweet, Sweet VictoryWe finally got the elusive victory this weekend with Isaac sticking the break and beating out the other six guys. The rest of us played defense in the field SHUTTING EVERYTHING DOWN. Report and photos to come.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964372244748193366.post-15071090408554042222008-06-17T15:00:00.002-04:002008-06-17T15:38:08.977-04:00Housatonic HillsSo, either the promoters were incorrect about the race length, or the average speed of the race was slow due to the MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF CLIMBING. Regardless, this was one beast of a race.<br /><br />I was disappointed to miss out on RossMAN's sprint to 3rd on Saturday, but I had family stuff requiring me to skip Monson. Instead, I found myself driving to Woodbury, CT Saturday night to stay at RKelly's house where they have GOLD sheets on the bed. There is truly no better way to prepare for a race than sleeping in gold sheets with another dude.<br /><br />Waking up Sunday morning was scary. Not only did I have RKelly standing in the doorway in his underwear, but I also had to race 81 miles with close to 9,000ft of climbing. It was going to be a rough day. Fortunately, Ryan's family supplied us with plenty of breakfast food. We ate while Ryan's mom, Kathy, begged Drew to find Ryan a girlfriend. Apparently, she thinks one cannot go into a bar sporting a mohawk and screaming to pick up chicks. Very funny morning and a good way to keep the nerves calm before my nearing death.<br /><br />After arriving to the race and signing in, I tried to get my feed situation ironed-out. I made a mussette bag last week and was planning to hang it from my repair stand in the feed zone. Unfortunately, I forgot my repair stand. There was a mailbox nearby, but it was on the left side of the road and feeds were limited to the right. RKelly soon found out Vinnie's family was there, and they were quickly enlisted to provide feeds. The only thing needing to be done was race. And race we did. <br /><br />This course was hard. The 2+ mile climb to kick things off was interesting. It was steep in some sections, but other sections were ridable in the big ring. Then there were some other climbs. A lot of other climbs. One was a wall. I felt I would have been better suited using a climbing rope and shoes rather than a bike. The KOM climb was after a left hand turn at the bottom of a long descent. It was not too long but not too short either. It was actually the perfect area to yell "Anchors Away". And many people did. <br /><br />Basically, the hills took their tolls rather than a team or strong riders thrashing the field. Mid way through the second lap, there were only about 45+ guys left after starting with 85. I was almost not included. On the second time through the feed zone, I could not find Vinnie's family. So, I slowed and waited for the front group to pass through. Finally, I found a woman holding out a bottle and I snagged it. It seemed she was holding it for me, but I reallyl didn't know who she was. I didn't care either. I was thirsty. From there, I was left chasing for about three quarters of the lap. Upon reaching the peloton, I tucked myself into the middle and spent the rest of the race trying to conserve energy. Thankfully, on the next and final time up the feedzone climb, Beth was there to give me bottles without having to chase wheels. <br /><br />A lot happened during the race, but the most exciting part, for me, was the last 5 mile section. Knowing I would certainly make it home alive, I began to work with Ryan. We attacked, chased and countered. It was action packed with Metlife, CCB and a few other teams trying to put a guy over the line first (first from the field, but we were now racing for 20th). But, no one wanted to crack and we ended the hostilities in a sprint. I say we, but I mean they. My legs were pretty cooked at the 200m to go sign, and I really wasn't a factor. <br /><br />So, we raced. We survived. RKelly, RossMAN, Vinnie and I made it through. Unfortunately, the previous day's efforts and a small crash finished Duncan's day early. Overall, I would say it was one of the hardest races I've done this season.<br /><br />Funny/odd things that happened: some dude yells at Dan Vaillaincourt and calls him a Cat. 5 (Toshiba-Herbalife pro rider), Collin from CCB standing in the road bikeless while Merlin (SRAM guy with awesome beard) searched for a bike down an embankment in bushes, Ryan Fleming getting SO ANGRY when my legs were cramping and I decided not to pull through anymore.<br /><br />NHIS Summer Solstice on Thursday.Josh Ahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00661175440307038970noreply@blogger.com0