It has again been forever since I blogged. Nate is right. Seems like mos have passed since last time I blogged and only 1 month! This time of season for me is always so busy - racing in full swing, wanting to spend time with my family - half of which live on the west coast = harder, and then expanding the biz. I have found the space to open up - not done til it is done so I don't like to say anything - but looking close - I be in Herndon right next to the Great Harvest Bakery......hope biz isn't slow or I be at the bread shop too much and......
June startedout with our annual family vacation - which we did in Holden Beach, NC. Great as always to see and have some TIME with my fam. We did lot work (my brothers did) on my Dad's house - I got bitten to bits by fire ants - if anyone knows about fire ants - it hurts like hell. They basically eat the cells away - the venom and gets all pussy gross. I took a pic of my toe but not going to show it. I countered this with lotta salt ocean water and margs.
Back from vacation - always sad coz I never know when I see my fam again - but it was that next weekend - my brother came up for his Birthday with his fam and we did the DC thing - museums and the zoo. I attached a video of the orang atan. They pretty damn cool. I saw a bald eagle which was also super cool. I always get kinda sad the animals behind "bars" - but they are safe and get fed - and try to look at it this way. Saw the pandas and gorillas and all in all - good weekend.
I think it was the next week - took a group out to pre ride the Lost River RR course - that was "okay". They had just paved the roads and covered in the chip seal loose gravel, so the descents were hairbrained. Sucked in that Ben Mingo lost his Garmin and Nate ? locked his keys in his Mini (another Nate from NCVC). Thank God we ended the day on a high with Splunkers!! We all waiting for the Steven Black/ Zack Allison showdown - at Splunkers. I hope Steven is in top form for this one.
I think it was the next week - took a group out to pre ride the Lost River RR course - that was "okay". They had just paved the roads and covered in the chip seal loose gravel, so the descents were hairbrained. Sucked in that Ben Mingo lost his Garmin and Nate ? locked his keys in his Mini (another Nate from NCVC). Thank God we ended the day on a high with Splunkers!! We all waiting for the Steven Black/ Zack Allison showdown - at Splunkers. I hope Steven is in top form for this one.
That next weekend was the 12 hr of Cranky Monkey - which I did - yes Susan. I loved it - it was my favorite of all my mtn bike courses - outside of Moab. Hard - really hard - which is better for me coz I don't have great technical skills. I trying to figure out why on a road bike I can descend 60mph but on a mtn bike - all those damn tree roots???But I love it - so challenging - the skill level so unknown to me and this why I love it. My team got 5th out of either 11 or 12 teams, and the other team I had in of Chris McMillan and Kat Hansen got 2nd fastest duo time of ALL the duo teams. They were smoking fast. The mtn bike scene is FUN. It is hard core but people are people. The road scene super more intense and the level of athletes the same. The fast mtn bikers are sick fit. Unreal. I am doing Moab again this year - which I already pumped for.
After this came the preride of Poolesville - which did about nothing, par for the course - as most everyone flatted. NO WHEEL VAN???? for a race that has a well known gravel road and an entry fee which isn't cheap? I don't wanna be the big mouth - but come on. This is crazy. So we spent a day detailing the course for the race - and then I think 95% my guys flatted - super. Get a wheel van for EVERY category for this race okay?!
Next day was Reston - super fun race to watch and it so close to where I live so sweet! My juniors kicked ASS in the cat 4 race - the video of Chris Abbey well seen by now - nice rolling and back up to finish. Not sure what Chris has for falling yet? I think he is getting the next 3 yrs of crashing outta the way......Nate and Blair raced great there - I been working hard with Blair on the crits and the work well paying off. He was flying this past weekend in Fitchburg - if you can handle that you can handle of them. The big crits are fun - once you figure them out. Lotta adrenaline.
Post Reston time to write training plans!!!! and I have to get this done today as well.
Masters nationals came next - Kay Tsui again got down to business and won all 3 events. I think she is now a 7 time National Champion. Unreal. I want to race again, one day. I want to get in shape first. I raced many yrs past 2000 not in shape and it isn't fun. So as soon as the day comes where I can focus - for my own plan - I be back. I miss it, everyday. Just other things going on right now.
Mike Fawell and Mimi Newcastle traveled to Nats - hard to get on that podium - but we going back 2010.
Next stop was Fitchburg - where I traveled up on the worse day ever - Thursday - took us about 12 hrs SUCKED!!!!!!!! We did the 95 rt - hell. But the next day sun was up and coffee in hand - went to see the juniors smoke it - Nate in a break all day and Steven Kendall top 10 - what a monster sprint this dude has. Unreal. Abbey had a bad start which cost big, Blair managed that 75 mile pro race well - think that pro race one of the hardest. Russ Brown also came in well - 1st or 2nd in the first sprint. Stage 3 the RR - Nate again in a break which went on the first lap. Okay - picture this - Nate with NO teammates against Hot Tubes with 6 or 7 guys and they know how to race. Oh boy. I was in the SRAM car and saw the break go off - 3 hot tubes and 1 Nate. UGH. Not pretty. I know fate has a way - one of the hot tubes got his chain stuck - so made it 2 hot tubes 1 nate. They were FLYING. OMG. They actually worked together and didn't start any games til about 3 km from the finish. Not much you can do when it 2 against 1. So Nate settled for 3rd but gained the pts jersey and moved into 2nd GC. The last stage was a crit - and again picture this - they call up the top 10 - Nate in 2nd and next to him 7 HOT TUBES unis. Man - I didn't even want to watch. Was going to be UGLY. How he managed to get 2nd GC - says it all. A break did get off but did not gain that much time. Steven Kendall was taking monster pulls - to maintain a lower gap - and he was on fire for the finish, hooked bars with Nate Brown and down. Damnit. I am confident he woulda won the field sprint. I hope I can find the cash to launch the U23 team for 2010.
We traveled back yesterday - I wanted to stay an extra day to ride. But we came back. Didn't want to travel today. I am behind in work - have to get plans out ASAP. Then hope to go for a mtn bike ride.
OH yeah and THE tour is on - that happening too!!! How can you not love summer??!!
Next up is Tour Red River Gorge - the UCI 17/18 event. All I thought when I saw Nate lined up with a team of Hot Tubes is wait for one week - it be different game. We have 2 Slipstream guys racing with us - Andrew Barker and Robin Eckmann. Robin I saw race @ the Gila - he finished 4th GC in the cat 2 race. Plus Kevin Gottlieb, Steven Black, and Stephen Koelbl. I am EXCITED!!!! I support and believe in athletes/ cyclists/ but all athletes. Working with these juniors is some of the most inspiring work I do. They are so results oriented - whether they have sponsorship is secondary. Which makes you wanna sponsor them MORE. They just wanna RACE. Nate tried as hard as he could to get the leaders jersey - but the odds were stacked against him. How hard he fought for 2nd GC was on his face many many times. The work ethic they have is some of the best I see - and the lessons they learn just from racing a bike transform to life. I have always believed you have to be a winner OFF the bike to win on a bike.
Nate Wilson got his upgrade. I started with him when he was a cat 5. I wanna put a before and after pic of him - waiting for him to send me the pics he wants to use. :-) He only turned 18 in March of this year. Sensational. He has the most incredible parents, as are all the parents of the juniors I work with. I so wanna find the $$$ to build an HPC U23 team. My kids are as good if not better than Hot Tubes - for sure. I am confident writing this. Guess we will find out this next week as well. The race starts July 14 - goes through July 17. I will try and post daily updates but SO much to do and we will have 6 kids to looks after.
After TRRG is one week home and WORK!!!! then off to Cascade and Nationals in Bend, OR. Whew. Hoping to open shop around Sept 1st. I don't get to ride much anymore - cannot wait til I can. I wanna go to Masters Nats with Mimi one day and see her win the crit. Until later, ciao
After TRRG is one week home and WORK!!!! then off to Cascade and Nationals in Bend, OR. Whew. Hoping to open shop around Sept 1st. I don't get to ride much anymore - cannot wait til I can. I wanna go to Masters Nats with Mimi one day and see her win the crit. Until later, ciao
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