The killer Mens elite race @ Beacon. Wells and Kabush chasing an out of sight Trebon.
Monday, December 27, 2004
Well, Xmas has come and gone. This Xmas was pretty cool. All I asked for was a kitten. Had to be very specific though. Solid grey with male kitty parts. I would have been happy with just a kitten but somehow I still got gifts from people. I named my kitten Elwood. No reason for that name. Just like it.
Last time I posted I had one race to do down in South Jersey. That race was the most fun I've had on a bike in a long time. Imagine how much more fun it would have been if I'd done better than 3rd place. I won't get into the details only to say 1st place was easily within my grasp but I didn't have the sack to go get it. 12 seconds. Great day of racing though. All day long was totally entertaining. Can't wait 'till next year.
I have a couple days left in the year to add to my total but as it stands today, December 27th, I have 2001.5 miles on my road steed and 1375 miles on my 'cross/commuter rig. Last year those numbers were 1005 and 1350 respectively. Obviously the road miles are the big difference. I want to at least do the same in '05, maybe more. My plan right now is to do some Mtb racing in the spring and summer to sharpen my fitness and get me in a race frame of mind for 'cross next fall. The schedule is already up for 'cross. Looks pretty similar to this years sched. Nationals are in Boston so I'd like to at least spectate. If I tried to do a race at Nats I'd be up against a SUPER hard age-group. 35-39. The USGP 'Cross series won't be hitting South Jersey again this year. That race in Bridgeton was unbelievably cool. The USGP will be out in NoCal for a weekend in mid-Nov which would be fun. My friends Josh & Beth are living out there. Maybe wrap a trip out there to see them up with a weekend of NoCal 'cross. I love Cali.
I just set both of my bikes up with 10speed Dura-Ace drivetrains. Amazing the difference. I thought Ultegra was nice. Wow! DA is way smoother plus it's a bit lighter and an extra gear to boot. Nice stuff.
I still don't know what we're doing for NYE. The last couple years we just stayed in and played Monopoly and watched the Three Stooges all night. That doesn't sound like a terrible idea for this year again. We'll see.
I need to find a winter athletic endevour that gets me excited. I plan to ride when the weather permits. Hopefully the winter won't be as brutal as last year. As long as the roads stay clear and it doesn't get too cold I think I'll be alright. Lately the big problem hasn't acually been the temperature but the wind. The past few days I've had a chance to ride have been very windy also. 20-30mph winds aren't all that much fun even if it's 80 degrees outside not to mention 30.
Thats it for now. Updates will come a little quicker in the winter. Out. dk
Last time I posted I had one race to do down in South Jersey. That race was the most fun I've had on a bike in a long time. Imagine how much more fun it would have been if I'd done better than 3rd place. I won't get into the details only to say 1st place was easily within my grasp but I didn't have the sack to go get it. 12 seconds. Great day of racing though. All day long was totally entertaining. Can't wait 'till next year.
I have a couple days left in the year to add to my total but as it stands today, December 27th, I have 2001.5 miles on my road steed and 1375 miles on my 'cross/commuter rig. Last year those numbers were 1005 and 1350 respectively. Obviously the road miles are the big difference. I want to at least do the same in '05, maybe more. My plan right now is to do some Mtb racing in the spring and summer to sharpen my fitness and get me in a race frame of mind for 'cross next fall. The schedule is already up for 'cross. Looks pretty similar to this years sched. Nationals are in Boston so I'd like to at least spectate. If I tried to do a race at Nats I'd be up against a SUPER hard age-group. 35-39. The USGP 'Cross series won't be hitting South Jersey again this year. That race in Bridgeton was unbelievably cool. The USGP will be out in NoCal for a weekend in mid-Nov which would be fun. My friends Josh & Beth are living out there. Maybe wrap a trip out there to see them up with a weekend of NoCal 'cross. I love Cali.
I just set both of my bikes up with 10speed Dura-Ace drivetrains. Amazing the difference. I thought Ultegra was nice. Wow! DA is way smoother plus it's a bit lighter and an extra gear to boot. Nice stuff.
I still don't know what we're doing for NYE. The last couple years we just stayed in and played Monopoly and watched the Three Stooges all night. That doesn't sound like a terrible idea for this year again. We'll see.
I need to find a winter athletic endevour that gets me excited. I plan to ride when the weather permits. Hopefully the winter won't be as brutal as last year. As long as the roads stay clear and it doesn't get too cold I think I'll be alright. Lately the big problem hasn't acually been the temperature but the wind. The past few days I've had a chance to ride have been very windy also. 20-30mph winds aren't all that much fun even if it's 80 degrees outside not to mention 30.
Thats it for now. Updates will come a little quicker in the winter. Out. dk
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
First post. I've been thinking about doing this for a while. Too lazy or distracted to get it started.
I've been riding a bike for as long as I can remeber. I guess we all ride bikes when we're young. I just never stopped riding. Or perhaps I just never grew up. My wife will tell you it's the latter. It helps that I work where I play.......or play where I work......? I work at Holmes' Cycling & Fitness in Camp Hill, PA. I'm one of the lucky few who actually enjoy my work. Hell, I mean we all have to work, right? Lottery winners and Lucky Sperm Clubbers aside.
So, Riding to me is an everyday thing. I commute most of the time. A short little 4.5 mile ride into town. If I don't commute it's usually because I start work at noon and get out on the roadie for an hour or two beforehand. Sunday's are reserved for road rides or the rare mtb ride. Always a ride though. Unless, of course, mother nature rears her ugly head. Winters in PA suck! Usually a cold pissing rain is the norm but snow and ice are also common. All of which kill my ride.
Anyway. Enough of the backround. Lately I've been doing some cyclocross races. 'Cross is so much fun. It's probably the most fun you can have on a bike. One of my good friends, Mike, has given me some training tips and guidelines to get me a bit more competitive. It really helps to have structure in a ride for example - 2 hours total. 30 min warm-up & 30 min cool down easy. During the middle hour you will do 4 sets of 5 min at SS (HR 162-172) & 10 min recovery (140ish). This effort should be close to race pace. Think of it as you are trying to cover as much ground as you can in 5 min. Do these sets so that the 5 min on, is on a flat section. This will train you top end. Otherwise I'd be out lollygagging watching the scenery go by. "Coach" Hebe races all sorts of bikes. As long as I've known Mike he's raced road to mtb and back to road all the while he's had that crazy look in his face that I've seen on quite a few 'cross racers.
Mike organizes and promotes a 'cross race that's part of the Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross(MAC) series. His race was a couple weeks ago. I did the Mens C. Got 2nd. I did the same race last year and got 8th. Last year was my first race. This year was my second. My third race was last weekend at the PA State Cross race. I won the mens C. Pretty cool. I'd have to think hard but I'm pretty sure that might be the first time I've ever won anything. This coming weekend I'll do one more C race and then I'll call it an end to my three race season. Next year I'll be 34 during 'cross season but rules say I can race as a 35yr old. That gives me two options for next season. Race with the B's or race with the Masters(35+). Both go 45 minutes. Both are fast. I think I'll race 35+ only because that allows me to watch the B's race. They always put on a great show.
This weekends race is the Beacon Cross down in South Jersey. My wifes parents live just outside Cape May so we'll make a long weekend out of it. The race is approx 45 minutes away from the in-laws which is a hell of a lot easier than the 2.5 hours it'd be otherwise. Should be fun. Always nice to get a long weekend of rest in BEFORE Thanksgiving.
If Southern California is SoCal and Northern California is NoCal then what is Southern New Jersey? SoNeJer? SoNeJe? SoJer? SoJe? I guess "South Jersey" is the best you can hope for. dk
I've been riding a bike for as long as I can remeber. I guess we all ride bikes when we're young. I just never stopped riding. Or perhaps I just never grew up. My wife will tell you it's the latter. It helps that I work where I play.......or play where I work......? I work at Holmes' Cycling & Fitness in Camp Hill, PA. I'm one of the lucky few who actually enjoy my work. Hell, I mean we all have to work, right? Lottery winners and Lucky Sperm Clubbers aside.
So, Riding to me is an everyday thing. I commute most of the time. A short little 4.5 mile ride into town. If I don't commute it's usually because I start work at noon and get out on the roadie for an hour or two beforehand. Sunday's are reserved for road rides or the rare mtb ride. Always a ride though. Unless, of course, mother nature rears her ugly head. Winters in PA suck! Usually a cold pissing rain is the norm but snow and ice are also common. All of which kill my ride.
Anyway. Enough of the backround. Lately I've been doing some cyclocross races. 'Cross is so much fun. It's probably the most fun you can have on a bike. One of my good friends, Mike, has given me some training tips and guidelines to get me a bit more competitive. It really helps to have structure in a ride for example - 2 hours total. 30 min warm-up & 30 min cool down easy. During the middle hour you will do 4 sets of 5 min at SS (HR 162-172) & 10 min recovery (140ish). This effort should be close to race pace. Think of it as you are trying to cover as much ground as you can in 5 min. Do these sets so that the 5 min on, is on a flat section. This will train you top end. Otherwise I'd be out lollygagging watching the scenery go by. "Coach" Hebe races all sorts of bikes. As long as I've known Mike he's raced road to mtb and back to road all the while he's had that crazy look in his face that I've seen on quite a few 'cross racers.
Mike organizes and promotes a 'cross race that's part of the Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross(MAC) series. His race was a couple weeks ago. I did the Mens C. Got 2nd. I did the same race last year and got 8th. Last year was my first race. This year was my second. My third race was last weekend at the PA State Cross race. I won the mens C. Pretty cool. I'd have to think hard but I'm pretty sure that might be the first time I've ever won anything. This coming weekend I'll do one more C race and then I'll call it an end to my three race season. Next year I'll be 34 during 'cross season but rules say I can race as a 35yr old. That gives me two options for next season. Race with the B's or race with the Masters(35+). Both go 45 minutes. Both are fast. I think I'll race 35+ only because that allows me to watch the B's race. They always put on a great show.
This weekends race is the Beacon Cross down in South Jersey. My wifes parents live just outside Cape May so we'll make a long weekend out of it. The race is approx 45 minutes away from the in-laws which is a hell of a lot easier than the 2.5 hours it'd be otherwise. Should be fun. Always nice to get a long weekend of rest in BEFORE Thanksgiving.
If Southern California is SoCal and Northern California is NoCal then what is Southern New Jersey? SoNeJer? SoNeJe? SoJer? SoJe? I guess "South Jersey" is the best you can hope for. dk
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