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