So, where was I? Oh yeah, the short track race. Man, it happened so long ago that I nearly forgot.
What is a short track race? As a pro, it is 25 minutes of hell. The race starts with 20 minutes on the clock. When time runs out, an official pulls out lap cards to inform you there are 3 laps to go and then 2, then 1. If, at any point in the race, a racer is in jeopardy of being lapped by the lead rider, the slower rider is pulled from the race.
The race started at 5:45 Sunday afternoon. The weather was beautiful. The sky was clear, the race course was in excellent shape, and I was ready for revenge. I had a good warm-up and was determined to make something good of this race. I had a lot to prove, to myself and to my competitors.
Once the race stated, I went straight to my mean face. I didn't have time to smile or even think about having fun. I was out there for one thing and one thing only... redemption. Do not be fooled, however, I am not talking about spiritual redemption. What I am speaking of concerns only the mind. Basically, my ego was busted and needed to be fixed. Did I get the restoration I was looking for? In a round about way, yes. I had a strong performance. I bested some strong competitors. I also finished in the top 20, 19th to be exact. The humbling side of this? I was pulled from the race at the 15 minute mark. Wow. And I thought I was fast. I was the last man in a string of 5 when we were yanked from the race, so I was really close to a top 15. That would have been great but it didn't happen.
For those of you that are keeping close watch of my journey, tracking my every move on your Ryno Tracker 3000, you should see me heading south tomorrow morning. I will be heading out of Virginia, crossing into North Carolina and searching for a motel room within a 100 mile radius of the Sugar Mtn. race course. Assuming I find one with wireless internet, you will hear updates about my weekend. If, however, I "disappear" for a few days, do not be afraid, I will be back with more hilarious race updates when I return home. Thanks and good night.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
REALLY!?! You have wireless internet?
I have been on the road with my family for a week now. Doing our best to keep the cost as low as possible, we have skipped most of the hotels with the advertised "FREE WIFI". Well, this post is proof that we finally found a cheap one! So, I have been on the road for a week now and you are probably wanting to know where I have been, right? Racin', what else?
First stop, Anniston, AL. This was the final race of the Southeast Regional Championships. The stop was mainly for my brother. He was leading the series in the 19-29 Sport class. To keep things simple, he finished second in the race and won the overall series. Congrats Regan!
I was unsure about entering the race. I love to race my bike, but I was afraid I would get too wrapped up in my competitiveness and deplete myself for the National Championships in Vermont (which is where I am writing from). About an hour before the race, I made my decision and decided to race. I did my best to conserve and painfully watched the first and second place riders roll away from me. I managed to cross the finish line with a solid third place finish, picking up some gas money and still saving myself for the next weekend.
Second stop, West Dover, Vermont, also referred to as "The Nationals". Our racing began today with Regan taking off at 11 o'clock. Basically, he went out there and took care of business. He won the 19-24 Sport Girls...uhh...I mean Men by a comfortable, yet unconfirmed one to two minute gap. After a little break, I hit the trail at 5 o'clock. Okay, this is where it gets messy. Well, the trail was nasty so everyone was messy, but my race stunk. Last time I checked, I was ranked forth place in the U23 national standings. Why wasn't I the forth person to get called to the starting line? I still don't know. Instead I was in the third row and right behind a crash. Oh yeah. I had to stop and watch my "competition" roll away from me...far away from me.
Normally, hitting the woods in twentieth place is no problem. However, when "hitting the woods" means "jump off and run through mud" ....twentieth is baaaaaad. I tried to do better, but starts just aren't my strength.
I was set to do four, five mile laps. The lap starts with climbing and ends with a gnarly decent.
Well, finishing lap one, I was about fourteenth place. Near the end of the second lap, I was in eleventh, really close to breaking the top ten. Then I crashed. Oh boy was it a good one. At the bottom of the downhill I face planted...HARD...right in the middle of ankle deep slop. It was nasty. I hit hard on my head and left shoulder. Aside from the fact the I had a splitting headache and I thought I had a broken shoulder, I looked like the swamp thing! I was covered. It took me about thirty seconds to get back on the bike and heading down the trail, and it took me another fifteen minutes to gather my senses and get back to racing hard. Due to the crash, I lost one position and total sight of the top ten. I suffered through the third lap, trying not to lose ground but trying to find the rhythm had earlier in the race. Just before the finish of the third lap, I managed to regain the eleventh position and caught a glimpse of tenth place about a minute ahead.
When I crossed the line to start my final lap I wanted to cry knowing that my hopes of a podium finish were nothing more than dreams. But, the race wasn't over and there was a lot more suffering left to do. Though a podium spot was out the window, I was not willing to walk away with anything outside the top ten. So...I let out a good yell and punished myself. I slowly brought back my tenth place man, and in the process knocked of another two guys.
Yes, I finished eighth with a muddy bike, cracked helmet and bruised shoulder. Oh, and sore legs. The most depressing part about the race had to be walking to my car knowing that the guy who just finished third had never beaten me until now. Seriously, not even at my lousy race in Fontana, CA. The funny part is that they think they got me. Hahaha...I have a short track race on Sunday. Oh yeah baby, I will be looking for revenge.
First stop, Anniston, AL. This was the final race of the Southeast Regional Championships. The stop was mainly for my brother. He was leading the series in the 19-29 Sport class. To keep things simple, he finished second in the race and won the overall series. Congrats Regan!
I was unsure about entering the race. I love to race my bike, but I was afraid I would get too wrapped up in my competitiveness and deplete myself for the National Championships in Vermont (which is where I am writing from). About an hour before the race, I made my decision and decided to race. I did my best to conserve and painfully watched the first and second place riders roll away from me. I managed to cross the finish line with a solid third place finish, picking up some gas money and still saving myself for the next weekend.
Second stop, West Dover, Vermont, also referred to as "The Nationals". Our racing began today with Regan taking off at 11 o'clock. Basically, he went out there and took care of business. He won the 19-24 Sport Girls...uhh...I mean Men by a comfortable, yet unconfirmed one to two minute gap. After a little break, I hit the trail at 5 o'clock. Okay, this is where it gets messy. Well, the trail was nasty so everyone was messy, but my race stunk. Last time I checked, I was ranked forth place in the U23 national standings. Why wasn't I the forth person to get called to the starting line? I still don't know. Instead I was in the third row and right behind a crash. Oh yeah. I had to stop and watch my "competition" roll away from me...far away from me.
Normally, hitting the woods in twentieth place is no problem. However, when "hitting the woods" means "jump off and run through mud" ....twentieth is baaaaaad. I tried to do better, but starts just aren't my strength.
I was set to do four, five mile laps. The lap starts with climbing and ends with a gnarly decent.
Well, finishing lap one, I was about fourteenth place. Near the end of the second lap, I was in eleventh, really close to breaking the top ten. Then I crashed. Oh boy was it a good one. At the bottom of the downhill I face planted...HARD...right in the middle of ankle deep slop. It was nasty. I hit hard on my head and left shoulder. Aside from the fact the I had a splitting headache and I thought I had a broken shoulder, I looked like the swamp thing! I was covered. It took me about thirty seconds to get back on the bike and heading down the trail, and it took me another fifteen minutes to gather my senses and get back to racing hard. Due to the crash, I lost one position and total sight of the top ten. I suffered through the third lap, trying not to lose ground but trying to find the rhythm had earlier in the race. Just before the finish of the third lap, I managed to regain the eleventh position and caught a glimpse of tenth place about a minute ahead.
When I crossed the line to start my final lap I wanted to cry knowing that my hopes of a podium finish were nothing more than dreams. But, the race wasn't over and there was a lot more suffering left to do. Though a podium spot was out the window, I was not willing to walk away with anything outside the top ten. So...I let out a good yell and punished myself. I slowly brought back my tenth place man, and in the process knocked of another two guys.
Yes, I finished eighth with a muddy bike, cracked helmet and bruised shoulder. Oh, and sore legs. The most depressing part about the race had to be walking to my car knowing that the guy who just finished third had never beaten me until now. Seriously, not even at my lousy race in Fontana, CA. The funny part is that they think they got me. Hahaha...I have a short track race on Sunday. Oh yeah baby, I will be looking for revenge.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Pictures from Haiti. Sounds boring, but it's not...
So, I said I would post some pictures. Well, I found out that it's a lot easier than I suspected. In fact, there is a button that looks like a picture. Click on it and BAM! You are on your way.
Here are a few random pictures from my trip. Hope you enjoy. Oh yeah, feel free to laugh if you feel the urge.
Here are a few random pictures from my trip. Hope you enjoy. Oh yeah, feel free to laugh if you feel the urge.
Out for a ride on the motos.
Cookin' some steaks.
This has been my playground for the last 10 days.
Yup, I still don't know what I am doing yet.Wait...you think "Euro-style" is a good thing?
Well, I am half way through my two week stay in Haiti. When I originally made plans for the visit, I had some things I wanted to accomplish: a) become a better climber, b) spend some time in the altitude and c) slim down just a little. You want an update? So far, so good. I rode for two and a half hours today, with no more than 30 minutes spent going down hill. The entire ride, I never dropped below 4,000 feet and was up as high 6,000 feet. How was my breathing? Well, not bad for a Florida boy. As for my weight, I have been doing things "Euro-style". Rumor has it, the European racers keep their weight low by riding in the mornings before eating breakfast and not eating much until lunch. True? I have no idea, but I did hear from someone. That's what makes it a rumor, right? Either way, that is basically what I have been doing. Not exactly, but close enough. When I left Ocala, I was no less than 148 pounds. I weighed in this morning after my ride, with a full belly of Gatorade and tipped the scales at 139 pounds. I may have been home schooled, but I am pretty sure that is 9 pounds. To sum things up, I think I am as ready as ever for Nationals. If this next week goes as good as the first, it might get scary. Truth be known, I am probably slower than ever. Oh well. I feel good and that is what counts, right?
On a totally different note, my dad taught me how to weld yesterday. Yeah buddy. Now that's scary!
On a totally different note, my dad taught me how to weld yesterday. Yeah buddy. Now that's scary!
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