closed

I have a home. Been living out of bags since April. No more!

Stoked. Happy. Surreal.

Thank you, thank you, thank you...to those who know who they are. I have no idea how to repay your kindness...

Yet!

answering the call

I may have done a little bitching one day. Okay, maybe two or three days. Anyway, the frustration was with the lack of a major cyclocross schedule/series here in the wonderful state of West Virginia. Sure, there's MABRA, and MAC, and even MOM...but that isn't Appalachia. And Appalachia deserves a major series with all the talent running riding around these parts.

JR Petsko has done a great job with the WVCXS, building it to 5 races this year throughout the state. Now, he's bumped it up a notch (or two).

Introducing ABRA: Appalachian Bicycle Racing Association. ABRA will promote two racing series for 2010.

• ARRS: Appalachian Road Race Series
• APCXS: Appalachian Cyclocross Series

Currently, it looks like 6 road races (and a time trial) from early spring to late-summer, and 8 cyclocross races spanning the months of October and November.

Congratulations JR, and thank you to all the individual race directors on board.

I encourage everyone interested in helping Appalachia to go over there and show that site some love. Sponsors - it's worth it.

Wooooooooooooh! An 8-race cross series! Sound familiar?

Yep, I think I'm where I belong.

tg is killin' it over there...

My favoritest river evar displayed in nice eye candy @ trl.

Box Canyon of the Ashlu - Squampton, BC.

Make your day and go have a look -->

good vibe...

Do yourself a favor and check out TG's latest post on the range life.

You can find the daydreamin' over there on the sidebar-->, too.

Awesome images. Makes me miss the great Pacific Northwest.

done.

Sad to say, but my season of toeing the line is over. After consulting with my sister (who is coincidentally pursuing a PhD in physical therapy) and many friends who are smarter than me, the decision was made to rest and recover.

My clavicle fracture was an injury that came right before cross season, which is what I built the whole year around. My fitness was good at the Shenandoah Mountain 100, and as I was bouncing toward that tree I had a funny feeling that it might not get put to good use. I love cross. I tried my best to tough it out, but that course of action only led to more pain and a greater lack of mobility. I'll say it again, I love cross, but it doesn't help that I shoulder my bike on the right side directly on top of the fracture.

After the Halloween race, for maybe the first time ever in my life - I felt physical pain that brought tears to my eyes. Yes, sneezing and coughing are now to be avoided at all costs. I wake up in the morning and the right portion of my upper torso/shoulder feels like it got hit by a car until about mid-day, which is when it starts to feel "good" (read: only feels like a bag of rocks got dropped on me). Whaaaaa!!! I know, right?

Anyway, thanks to my teammates and sponsors for all the support this year. I really appreciate the help. Next year will be even better, I can feel it.

For now, though, it's a steady dose of pavement and cinders, drop bars, and chasing Gunnar around in the dark. Followed by Vitamin I, therapeutic stretching, new sleeping arrangements, and mostly healthy calories. One day I hope to be able to do yoga again. Please let it be soon.

Stay tuned thoughout the autumn and winter, for I will post pictures and reports on everything but racing the bike.

Again, thank you to everyone who supported me this year. I was able to enjoy the ride more than ever.

Hope you all get to break out the lights and enjoy the woods under a sky of moon phases and stars.

wvcxs #4 - the blackwater cyclocross

Cross race this weekend. Downtown Davis, WV.

Be there so you don't regret it later.

Spend some $$$ at these fine places:

Hypnocoffee
Bright Morning Inn
Blackwater Bikes
Hellbender Burritos
Mountain State Brewing
Mountain Made
The Purple Fiddle

And heckle/cheer/cowbell/feed beer to the participants!

pussycat

Thanks for the ears, Sera!

halloween wrap-up

Rainy, cold, and lots of mud at Marilla CX.

Perfect, and as Gunnar mentioned at the end of the race, "you were ready to mix it up today, huh?"

Yes, I was. The fitness was there. My balance, not.

Over the barriers for the first time, I got held up by a rider, lost my footing, and subsequently stepped through my front wheel. Snapped the valve stem clean off in the process.

pfffffffffft = no front tire.

360 degrees of wheel and the valve stem hits 180 degrees at just the right wrong time. What are the odds of that? (edit: it was later pointed out to me that the chances of hitting the valve stem are basically 1/(spoke count). In this case, that would be 1/20 or .05)

So after leading out of the Hill of Death, the flat gave me a nice chance to shoulder the bike, stretch the legs, and run around the course to the pits. In the process, the hoppy beverage in my jersey pocket was pierced by a pedal. Its nectar proceeded to run down the small of my back, through my butt crack, and pool in my chamois. Mmmmm....so much for the anticipated hoppy hand-down. Sorry fans.

Anyway, it was my fault. I was tailgating through the barriers. Lesson learned.

So I changed out the tube. I have no "B" bike. I don't even have an extra set of cross wheels. Managed to stay on the lead lap. Took a beer hand-up at the top of the HOD. Center line every time. Pretty sure the fans loved it. The heckling and cowbell was insane. Thanks fans!


Rode around for awhile until the race was over. Got muddy. Had fun. Smiled a lot and suffered a little. What a great event. Check out JR Petsko's photos here.

Then to the Halloween party at Spangler Farm, which was off the wall. I was up way too late playing music, and got a blister on my index finger from that beautiful bass.

Sunday dawned sunny. Breakfast at Little Sandy's. A trip down the Big Sandy with the Halloween Crew, and a serving of Big Splat for lunch.

Tired today, but that was one of those weekends you live for.

road rage

If you haven't been following the LA road rage trial...

the verdict is in.

What can we learn from it?

carrera de los muertos

That's right, the official cyclocross Race of the Dead is Saturday, right here in Morgantown.

Do yourself a favor and come on out. You're allowed to have a good time.

See you there!