I'm not doing my homework.

I should be doing about a million things other than this, but Dave Towle made me feel guilty for my infrequent updates.




The races this weekend hopefully weren't the highpoint of my season. Saturday was just awful. The course was muck, and evidently I don't know how to ride in it. Better figure that out before December. On top of that I just couldn't get myself to go. I pulled the plug, which I hate to do, but I didn't break the derailleur off my bike, like half the people there, but I did end up with a DNF instead of a LAST.

Sunday was better, but not by a lot. I felt better on the bike, even got into that suffering zone where it feels OK to suffer for a while. The last 20 minutes of the race I kinda let things slip away from me. The course was awesome though, pretty tough, but awesome. I wish I could've had a little better race there, especially with it being the last race before the UCI race at the reservoir (which I think I just got registered for).

I've decided to make a few adjustments to my training, so hopefully we'll see the results start to move in the right direction before Providence. After all that mud, I know that running is something that I should've been working on for quite some time.

Well, I'll leave you with a few things I've learned lately.

#1 You can always find something that you HAVE to do RIGHT NOW, when you have a history book to read.

#2 Race announcers really do make or break a race (do I still have to pay you if I compliment you on here?)

#3 Think twice about buying the dimpled ZIPP wheels if you're running a compact crank with a 27t cassette.

#4 There is a reason you can't find instructions to rebuild a shimano STI shifter.

#5 You can't watch just one episode of The Office.

#6 I can mess up my apartment faster than I can clean it.

#7 That's all for now, maybe more tomorrow?

#8 I had to say goodbye to Miss January, she had ahold of my mind for so long now.

Summit County Cross.

This weekend's races went well. I finished both somewhere towards the middle of the field, which is better than I can say about the past couple weeks. I felt strong through the finish, and even attacked a couple times to lose the guys I was with, so that was good.

Saturday's race was at the Breckinridge Nordic Center, right at the base of the mountain. It rain/snowed for a couple hours before my race, but cleared up a little bit while we rode. There was enough moisture to make a lot of the course a wet, slippery, mess, but I managed to keep the bike upright. I had a decent start, but flatted toward the end of the first lap. After a less than sweet wheel change, I was back on course, and I think I ended up getting back to about where I was. It was frustrating, but such is life, right?

Saturday's run-up.

Muddy.

After the finish with Ambretto.


Saturday night we crashed at Matt Koch's place in Edwards. Thanks Matt. We ate a a cool little brew pub and laid around his condo exhausted while Ambrette divided her time between styling Scott's hair and taking water shots with Matt.

The Ace Ventura.

This picture is actually a real girl, but she looks a lot like Scott, yeah?

Sunday morning came all too soon, and I really wasn't feeling the racing bug on the start line. There was a hellish run-up on Sunday's course which didn't help matters at all. After the first lap I decided I really liked the course, and ended up feeling better than I have all year. I went back and forth with one Einstein's Bagels rider, and ended up losing him in the last few laps, but I did manage to pick off a Harshman's/Primus Mootry rider in the chase which felt awesome.

Sunday's run-up. It sucked.

This little double barrier was right before the pit, about halfway through the lap.

Running through those barriers.

This single barrier was right at the bottom of a little run-up, and directly after a 90 degree left hand corner. I never quite got the line figured out, but I did pass a couple people through the run-up.
Today I'm off to work-class-work. I hope all is well with you, and thanks for checking in.

eBay.

I put some stuff on eBay just now. Check it out and buy it. Pay a lot of money for it too.

I already did this once, and lost it all.

So,

Friday night, my lovely lady friend and I went to First Friday in Denver (a bunch of art openings), and in the process of finding a parking spot near the Sante Fe district, I managed to pull off the greatest parking job of all times. Ever.

Here is the rear bumper.

The front.

The curbside.

And me. I'm pumped, are you pumped? I'm pumped. (Keep in mind I never touched another vehicle or the curb in this process.)

That night we stayed at my friend Zach's house in Denver. That's right, I had a friend in high school, not many, but at least one.

Saturday morning we cruised up to Gunnison for the cross races.

This is me and my new bike. Thanks to Scott for lending me the rear wheel, and Greg Harris for lending me the front. (Long story.)

Here is Saturday's run-up.

And the top of the run-up.

So, the only thing more embarassing than lining up on a start line next to 4 other guys is standing on a podium with 4 spectators.

Sunday's race was a little colder. I think at this point I was trying not to lose my spicy sausage from the night before, oh wait, that was the whole race.

This was a cool, but really hard down-up-down-up-down section from Sunday's course.

Here I am attacking through that section on the last lap. Don't worry, I slid out through the corner to lose my lead, then sprinted like an absolute moron so I ended 4th that day.

Thanks for checking in. I think I have some coookies to eat.

I'm still around.

Hey, I'm still alive and kicking here in Greeley. I've started up my cross season but the fireworks have yet to go off. If all goes to plan it will only continue to get better as the season goes on. I've got some pictures from this weekend in Gunnison, and I plan to have them up shortly. Hope everyone out there is doing well, but I refuse to apologize for my lack of updates, I've been busy.

This weekend, Brecktober Cross on Saturday and then a race in Dillion on Sunday. Wish me luck or get out there, get rowdy and ring your cowbells. I've never watched myself race cross, but judging by all the pictures I've seen, I would say it's got to be pretty fun to watch my the token puke face roll by lap after lap. I'll check back soon with the pictures.