I took three days off, and I'm back on the horse. After talking with the docs, it wasn't the need of a break that was dragging my efforts down, I was dificient on one simple little mineral. I'm on supplements now to counter act that and I should feel better within seven to ten days. I'm rather annoyed that it even happened, but the timing couldn't be worse. I'm now close to my time ending here and I'm not 100%.
To make matters more complicated I have Nationals next month too, and I have to rebuild a little bit. I should be good by then, but still. It would have been a lot better if I didn't have to deal with this now. I guess you just have to take the cards how they're dealt and then play it out.
Other than that nothing new has really gone on. Everything has been running as normal with the day-to-day activities. Once you get into a routine the time just flies, however, and the last few weeks have been a blur.
It looks like I'll be back in NC around the beginning of August or so, and I am looking forward to seeing everyone again.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
I need some coffee
The last few weeks I haven't been doing too well. When I wake in the morning I still feel exhausted. It really came to a head today at the race. I made it through 7 laps of 20 no problem, but when I needed to really put the power down, I had nothing. I made a couple of moves early on, and rather than recovering from those my body just kept digging itself deeper. I don't know what's wrong.
I have done everything right, I train correct, I eat the right foods, I take regular naps, so what's the problem? I may be needing a break, at least that's what the boss said. I think that may be a good idea, take about 10 days and not even look at the bike. I may try to head out of town for a couple of days, maybe to Paris, maybe to Germany somewhere. I haven't really decided that yet. I need to be ready for Nationals and this is the right time for a break. I actually should have taken one about 3 weeks ago so I could be able to rebuild, but now I need to do what I can.
I'm so frustrated with this right now. I can feel that I'm on the edge of a breakthough race, but I just can't quite reach it. I want it so bad, and I know I can do it, I just need to get that snap back in my legs.
I have done everything right, I train correct, I eat the right foods, I take regular naps, so what's the problem? I may be needing a break, at least that's what the boss said. I think that may be a good idea, take about 10 days and not even look at the bike. I may try to head out of town for a couple of days, maybe to Paris, maybe to Germany somewhere. I haven't really decided that yet. I need to be ready for Nationals and this is the right time for a break. I actually should have taken one about 3 weeks ago so I could be able to rebuild, but now I need to do what I can.
I'm so frustrated with this right now. I can feel that I'm on the edge of a breakthough race, but I just can't quite reach it. I want it so bad, and I know I can do it, I just need to get that snap back in my legs.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Rain rain go away
Last week was a rough week for weather. It rained almost everyday, at least a little bit. I'm not comlaining about that, I don't mind the rain, but when you have a recon ride for a UCI race, it makes it miserable.
This particular ride was meant to look at the course, ride it out a couple of times, pay special attention to the dangerous sections, and most importantly to get a good team ride in. Mother nature decided to play a cruel little trick on us. It stayed somewhat clear right before we rolled out, then it started raining. Nothing bad, just a little rain, until we got to about 30 minutes from the course, then the heavens opened up. I have only seen this kind of rain in a huricane. The wind was blowing it so hard it felt like a thousand little kids throwing rocks at us!! Needless to say there wasn't a whole lot of positive team riding going on at that moment. Finally it let up just before we rolled onto the course, so that was dry.
The course itself wasn't incredibly hard, per se, it was just unforgiving. If you made a single mistake you would pay for it ten fold. The section right before the cobbles was a farm road that was maybe 2 meters across and when you have to fir 174 riders on it, that asking for a crash. The cobbles were very rough, rougher than most, and then the next hill came with a kilometer and a half, and that one had a cross wind to boot. After that whole section we went into a wide open area with lots of wind, a couple of over passes, and then more wind. Very hard when you're redlined.
Race day went not ideal. Most of us were near the front for the cobbles, we had one guy go down in the crash that was at the pinch point, so not too bad. I made my damning error on the hill after the cobbles. I was redlined, full out, and I wanted to see what was going on, if the peloton was bunching or what, and I snuck a peek into the wind. That was all it took to give me a meter gap from the guy in front of me, and I never got it closed. I was bleeding out my eyes trying to close it, but they kept inching away. I eventually finished in the 4th group on the road, placing 54th of 174. I'm mad at myself for that mistake, but I learned from it. Now I can move on to the next UCI with that new knowledge.
A few more weeks of Europe before I have to come home. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disapointed to have to leave. I know I have so much more to gain this year, and I badly want to stay, but I do need to spend some time with Heather (and yes I am excited to see her in fact it would be better if she came out here!!), plus I have Elite National championships to do. So at least I have a couple of good reasons for coming home.
I'll update more often, I promise. I know I haven't been the best at it lately, and I would love to say I've been ultra busy, but I really haven't. I read a lot and take a lot of naps, so I suppose I could get a few more posts in a week. I promise to be better about that this week.
This particular ride was meant to look at the course, ride it out a couple of times, pay special attention to the dangerous sections, and most importantly to get a good team ride in. Mother nature decided to play a cruel little trick on us. It stayed somewhat clear right before we rolled out, then it started raining. Nothing bad, just a little rain, until we got to about 30 minutes from the course, then the heavens opened up. I have only seen this kind of rain in a huricane. The wind was blowing it so hard it felt like a thousand little kids throwing rocks at us!! Needless to say there wasn't a whole lot of positive team riding going on at that moment. Finally it let up just before we rolled onto the course, so that was dry.
The course itself wasn't incredibly hard, per se, it was just unforgiving. If you made a single mistake you would pay for it ten fold. The section right before the cobbles was a farm road that was maybe 2 meters across and when you have to fir 174 riders on it, that asking for a crash. The cobbles were very rough, rougher than most, and then the next hill came with a kilometer and a half, and that one had a cross wind to boot. After that whole section we went into a wide open area with lots of wind, a couple of over passes, and then more wind. Very hard when you're redlined.
Race day went not ideal. Most of us were near the front for the cobbles, we had one guy go down in the crash that was at the pinch point, so not too bad. I made my damning error on the hill after the cobbles. I was redlined, full out, and I wanted to see what was going on, if the peloton was bunching or what, and I snuck a peek into the wind. That was all it took to give me a meter gap from the guy in front of me, and I never got it closed. I was bleeding out my eyes trying to close it, but they kept inching away. I eventually finished in the 4th group on the road, placing 54th of 174. I'm mad at myself for that mistake, but I learned from it. Now I can move on to the next UCI with that new knowledge.
A few more weeks of Europe before I have to come home. I would be lying if I said I wasn't disapointed to have to leave. I know I have so much more to gain this year, and I badly want to stay, but I do need to spend some time with Heather (and yes I am excited to see her in fact it would be better if she came out here!!), plus I have Elite National championships to do. So at least I have a couple of good reasons for coming home.
I'll update more often, I promise. I know I haven't been the best at it lately, and I would love to say I've been ultra busy, but I really haven't. I read a lot and take a lot of naps, so I suppose I could get a few more posts in a week. I promise to be better about that this week.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
More races, and another week
This last week was rather busy for me. I had a longer day on Monday then a race on Wednesday, then a sprint day, then another race on Saturday!! I was going non stop all week. I'm just happy I was able to come out swinging after the sickness.
The race on Wednesday went badly. It started out way slower than we are used to and I just rolled off the front the first lap. That proved to be a bad move because it was too early and none of the big players were represented, so after a half lap I was swallowed by the peloton. Almost instantly we had another guy attack and stay off with one other rider. We did everything we could to keep out teammate off the front and he scooped up four primes before the players blew up field. I ended up being in a really bad spot, right behind a Kenyan, when they turned on the gas and he popped forcing me to use what I had left to close the gap, it never closed. I was done for the day after that.
I was so mad at that Kenyan for being there that I ended up riding another 2.5 hours after we got home, making a 5.5 hour day. I was so mad at him for awhile that I was plotting and scheming to put his season to an early end the next race I saw him. While I was riding, however, I had time to really think about why I was angry, and it really had nothing to do with him. He can't help that he sucks and every time the racing gets hard he pops, like clockwork, I was really mad at me for not pushing his rear to the back. I had already muscled my way past him a few times that race, and I even grabbed his saddle at one point while he was coming in to my line, but that didn't matter. I should have put him into a tree then, but I was too worried about covering moves. It was my own fault for not staying clear of that guy, and that's what I was really mad at.
The next race went better, I finished, 31st. Not a great place, a single placing out of the money, but at least we beat the pants off the National team riders. The weather was great for the race, rainy and cold. I love racing in that kind of stuff. I think I would have placed better, but the guy I had marked as the guy to watch crashed, right in front of me. I almost ran over his head!! There was a corner of cobblestones and for some reason they weren't squaring it up, turning early then hitting the stones straight on. Anyway we hit it hard that lap and sure enough he went down. That split the field and before we could get a chase organized they were gone, without a single rider from the Cycling Center present.
Four of us finished the race 50% from what started. One crash, and three riders popped because of the pace. The speed wasn't the highest we only averaged 40 kph, but the power I had to put out was very high, in fact if you look at that number it was THE hardest race so far. I had to average 220 watts for the entire 2:38 (that includes all the surges that were well above the 800 mark), and that's 10 watts higher than any other race so far. So with that in mind this really was the hardest race so far. I'm happy I finished, but annoyed I didn't make lunch money. Maybe next week.
The race on Wednesday went badly. It started out way slower than we are used to and I just rolled off the front the first lap. That proved to be a bad move because it was too early and none of the big players were represented, so after a half lap I was swallowed by the peloton. Almost instantly we had another guy attack and stay off with one other rider. We did everything we could to keep out teammate off the front and he scooped up four primes before the players blew up field. I ended up being in a really bad spot, right behind a Kenyan, when they turned on the gas and he popped forcing me to use what I had left to close the gap, it never closed. I was done for the day after that.
I was so mad at that Kenyan for being there that I ended up riding another 2.5 hours after we got home, making a 5.5 hour day. I was so mad at him for awhile that I was plotting and scheming to put his season to an early end the next race I saw him. While I was riding, however, I had time to really think about why I was angry, and it really had nothing to do with him. He can't help that he sucks and every time the racing gets hard he pops, like clockwork, I was really mad at me for not pushing his rear to the back. I had already muscled my way past him a few times that race, and I even grabbed his saddle at one point while he was coming in to my line, but that didn't matter. I should have put him into a tree then, but I was too worried about covering moves. It was my own fault for not staying clear of that guy, and that's what I was really mad at.
The next race went better, I finished, 31st. Not a great place, a single placing out of the money, but at least we beat the pants off the National team riders. The weather was great for the race, rainy and cold. I love racing in that kind of stuff. I think I would have placed better, but the guy I had marked as the guy to watch crashed, right in front of me. I almost ran over his head!! There was a corner of cobblestones and for some reason they weren't squaring it up, turning early then hitting the stones straight on. Anyway we hit it hard that lap and sure enough he went down. That split the field and before we could get a chase organized they were gone, without a single rider from the Cycling Center present.
Four of us finished the race 50% from what started. One crash, and three riders popped because of the pace. The speed wasn't the highest we only averaged 40 kph, but the power I had to put out was very high, in fact if you look at that number it was THE hardest race so far. I had to average 220 watts for the entire 2:38 (that includes all the surges that were well above the 800 mark), and that's 10 watts higher than any other race so far. So with that in mind this really was the hardest race so far. I'm happy I finished, but annoyed I didn't make lunch money. Maybe next week.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
June already...
As most of you know it is now June, and that means 5 weeks until I fly home. I can't believe it's already here, but not yet. There are still plenty of races to do and plenty more experiences for me just waiting.
I skipped out on the racing this weekend. Since I was sick last week we decided that it would be in my best interest to sit this one out. Grudgingly I rolled with the team to the start with a new kid and another teammate who was getting over being sick too. We rode the course, and then watched 3 laps before we got so frustrated because we weren't in the action we had to leave. It's a funny thing even though it hurts so bad I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but in that race right there. I hate sitting out when I have teammates in the fight (I know there's the Marine in me).
I race again on Wednesday, and (if I can swing it) again the next day. I really want to get another crit in here. I just want to do more UCIs and that means I need to start finishing UCIs and then actually doing well. I'm getting there, but it's kind of slow. It's hard to get better at doing them if you only do a few here and there. I know it'll come, but it still sucks not being the first choice for those races.
Time to sit back and relax, tomorrow is another day filled with training, resting, a shop run, and then more resting. Ahh the life of a pro sportsman. I so want this to be my job.
I skipped out on the racing this weekend. Since I was sick last week we decided that it would be in my best interest to sit this one out. Grudgingly I rolled with the team to the start with a new kid and another teammate who was getting over being sick too. We rode the course, and then watched 3 laps before we got so frustrated because we weren't in the action we had to leave. It's a funny thing even though it hurts so bad I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but in that race right there. I hate sitting out when I have teammates in the fight (I know there's the Marine in me).
I race again on Wednesday, and (if I can swing it) again the next day. I really want to get another crit in here. I just want to do more UCIs and that means I need to start finishing UCIs and then actually doing well. I'm getting there, but it's kind of slow. It's hard to get better at doing them if you only do a few here and there. I know it'll come, but it still sucks not being the first choice for those races.
Time to sit back and relax, tomorrow is another day filled with training, resting, a shop run, and then more resting. Ahh the life of a pro sportsman. I so want this to be my job.
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