and......go!

He goes by Rocky and he sleeps as hard as he plays. If he's really happy to see you, you may get peed on, but just a little bit. Good stuff.

rabbit hash boooooowl crap

simple math; harley riders + roadies = clusterfark. why someone would have a road race start/finish at a popular hangout for motorcyclists along a tiny strip of road hardly wide enough for two cars is beyond me. why people are allowed to drink then get on their motorcycles, in full view of the sheriff's deputies, without anyone getting arrested, also, beyond me.

oh well. went out, made some early moves, got in some good climbing, smarted off to some roadies, worked on my 2007 cyclist tan, ran out of water, started locking up, quit. typical road race for me. plus the bonus of, after dnf-ing, returning the favor and gettin in the way of and smartin off to harley riding troglodytes. makes me appreciate mtb racing. speakin of, next stop-spartanburg stump jump. that course kills me, but the company is good.

Ateam's newest sponsor

We would like to welcome our newest sponsor, Jackson's Organic Coffee (http://www.jacksonsorganiccoffee.com/). Sondra and Christopher have busted their butts to roast and brew a mighty fine bean. So Louisvillian's, support your fellow cyclist as well as cyclists that support cyclists (I just want to say cyclist one more time in this sentence) and run by and pick up a cup o joe or some beans to brew.

Butt, meet hole in the ground

Myself, Brian Schworm and Robert headed down south to Clemson/Greenville, SC to race some mtbs. Despite still not being over bronchitis, and Robert with a cold, we had to get outta town, and more importantly, try to infect Brian (hahahaha!). Our South Carolina connection, the lovely Jenn Young was house-sitting this weekend, so for the low price of a ride to the course, she was gracious enough to provide the accommodations that were just a bit nicer than the Sleep Inn. Despite being Einstein's son's old house, it did not give off the effect of staying in a Holiday Inn Express which sucks cuz i could use some extra smarts. Jenn was making her sport debut this weekend and was, yes you guessed it, sick as well. My plan to infect Schworm was working better than I hoped.

So my title, "Butt, meet hole in the ground," that is the way the registration process for the Tiger Rag went. The short story; this was a national calendar event, but they did not have a separate Pro class. So Schworm registers as Ex 19-29 cuz thats what they did last year. I had already registered Ex 30-39 cuz they said that is what I was told to do. After finding out what Schworm did, i went back up to registration to ask if I was in the right class. "We don't know, we called him (whoever him was, i didnt know) and he said to register for whatever class you want." Well, they weren't going to let me in beginner women, cuz i asked, so I stuck with racing my age class. So as we gather on the start line, i finally see who "him" is. after he calls role, i very clearly ask "Are the Pro's supposed to be racing the 19-29 race?" He then announces "We have 1 class, race your age!" I again ask, just to be sure, and am told the same thing. OK. despite the fact Schworm, Rob Kendall, Charlie Storm and other fossils are in the 19-29, I am doin what i am supposed to do. right?

So I started well, and as the spirits of Clemson have it (i have had horrible luck here, including one of the worst wrecks of my career last year), I crashed 2 miles in. I bruised my thigh on a big ol rock, but dammit, i have been sick 4 weeks and i was riding fairly well, no way i was quitting. By the end of lap one, i caught all that passed me after i crashed and was feeling ok. After the second lap, i was still out front, my thigh was hurting a lot and by this point and i couldnt stand to pedal or support my weight. So, I was caught by the only other 30+ racer and I couldnt really respond. Since my goal for this race was pretty much training considering how sick i had been and how gimpy my thigh now felt, I could settle for second.

Post race, i stuffed ice in my shorts leg and came back to the truck, set down in the bed and put my leg up. after about 15 minutes Robert and Jenn came back over (they were waiting for Nikki from schellers and Jenn's teammate to finish. Nikki got second after a flat, not sure about the other girl) and told me my result was being protested. What the hell? So the guy who won was protesting a pro being in the race. I tell the official/race director that that was where HE TOLD ME TO RACE. He says "we'll let it slide." let what slide, YOU and the people running registration screwed up!? I asked no less than 6 times if i was in the right race. uhhhhhhhh! So up on the podium, this a-hole says "come talk to me." i hobble down from my second place step and stroll over. he tells me how he is going to report the scoring, blah blah blah, and finishes by saying "try to be more clear next time and dont let it happen again." if this guy didnt have the power to have my license suspended, i woulda decked him. unbelievable.

why the hell can't people admit they made a mistake? why is that so hard?

anyway, after more than a month off, it was good to race again. it was a good weekend with awesome weather and good company. happy trails and please enjoy the pic of rowbears rear.

Goin' Psycho

I raced yesterday. It sucked. Can't wait to do it again.

It was the first race in the Psycho-Series in Cincinnati, Harbin Park to be exact. The guys from Smitty's did a great job putting together a nice course and a great race.

Here's the rundown: poor start, no improvement into the singletrack, didn't pass as soon as I should, suffer, more suffering, and then it was over.

The bike was awesome except for this little clicking noise coming from the crankset and the fact that the shifting isn't quite right. I'm going to give Bob a chance to fix it, else the XTR stuff is going away and X.O will be taking its place. I create enough of my own problems, I don't need mechanical ones to go along with it.

Since I mentioned creating my own problems: I need to work on my climbing and my bike handling. The Scalpel is much faster than I am.........I have to trust it. I found myself braking for no good reason and doing stupid things just because I could. I think I was subliminally trying to delay the arrival of the next big climb. We were racing at Harbin Park in Cincinnati and it has 2 killer climbs. Not good for us gravitationally-challenged types. But the worst part was that I ended up in the vicinity of a Clydesdale that I would drop going up the hills and he would reel me right back in on the descents. This just confirms that my bike handling skills suck.

All in all my result was OK: 3rd in the Sport 35+ and 6th Sport overall (out of approx. 25 or so). Blaine Heppner and Joe Collins, my travelling partners for the day, took 1st and 2nd overall in Sport, so Louisville was well represented in the Class. I think I finished 6-ish minutes behind 1st and 4-ish minutes behind 2nd. I could probably picked up 2 to 3 minutes just in handling, so I think I know what to work on.

The good news is that my Shoulder didn't bother me at all, except when I rode off the trail in order to avoid tagging a tree with it.

Tips for my next race: Start better, trust the bike, work the climbs.

problem solved

Helga got caught slipping by setting up a blog in which you can see the user's name which is not Helga.

http://nicolettehelga.blogspot.com/

Starting over

So the time has finally come for me to start over...that's right kids my body and head seem to be healed. physical therapy was a joke, prescription meds did the trick, but i am no druggie so i weaned myself off of them...by the grace of god i am healing!

this will be my third week at the gym. Slowly but surely i am building my fitness up. I know the drill, i know the ropes, i just have to get back in the groove.

I also have started riding again, slowly but surely. I was out for 2 hours today on my SS, yup i am cool, i ride a SS and it's a 29er, so don't question my coolness...but man i was worn out afterward. I wasn't riding particularly hard or anything, just riding along and got worn down.
I feel like a young child trying to learn how to walk again. I remember the days when i could put four hours in easily on my bike. I remember the days of being able to keep up with the sport riders without any issues, i even remember when chris eatough let me lead him at the 24 hours of snowshoe and told me what a great job i did, but those are just memories and those days are gone. It's a new day, and a new beginning, and I am here on this earth to grab each and everyone of those moments!

In addition to me finally being physically able to get back into shape, oh what a long road it is going to be, there are some other changes happening in my world...some big changes.
my deck is full, i am finally able to grab my career by the horns and attempt to determine my future (buy khs bicycles!), and pursue my dreams! I am loosing my stable, secure job, but oh well, at least i am not going to be one of those corporate bitter people anymore that are unbelievably unhappy.

That is right, my deck of cards is stacked, and if some things aren't in the cards when they are laid on the table, then so be it. My goal is to good decisions, not necessarily "right-now" decisions, but decisions that will affect me long-term...thankfully some good ones have been made for me.

turned off

I really don't know where to begin. I've just gotten so frustrated by my local club's website, not the club necessarily the club, that I really don't care what happens. And I know it's not right because there are some people in the club that are working really hard. Funny thing is, those people that are working hard aren't the one(s) posting all the b.s. on the site. I have just been trying to not pay attention to the comments questions etc. on that site as of late.

My opinion on the website, if they want it to be a positive site for outsiders and governemental officials to look at then they should do away with the forums. Post as much info as they can on trails and maybe even contact numbers for people to call with specific questions or email addresses.

I like forums though so that I can easily talk with other local racers about races and keep informed so I want there to be forums but maybe they should just be on a seperate site and not look like they are representation of the club. I really doubt that those forums have gotten anyone fired up and ready to pay their member fees lately. It's mainly just arguments and people saying I've done this and this what have you done.

Many posts that question things being done in the name of the club or suggesting alternatives, constructive critisims are often deleted, so it's not like individual members have a voice on there. Why one member that has banned people and deleted several posts at his own volition without consulting other officials (even though that is supposed to be the modus operandi) continues to have administrator privileges is beyond me. Personally, I don't want to be a part of or throw my support to anything that member supports. Maybe I'm just being spiteful, regardless unpopular leaders (or people who act as though they have a leadership role) seem to be causing disenchantment among at least one member. Maybe, just maybe, I'm not the only one.

I find myself more willing to drive out of town to help with trail work than I am willing to help out with trails that are within a 15 minute drive. Re-routing a re-route (because of orders from above, outside the club) that we built 2 years ago was a main point of discouragement for me.

Not like this little blog entry is going to change anything or make anyone see some light. I just needed to vent because I can't post my grievances on the website nor do I want to add to the air of negativity that fills those forums. So annoyed I can't even focus on one point of contention for more than a few sentences.

help me figure this out

who is the person behind this helga personality that has been posting comments on our blogs? At first I thought maybe Creeping Death but now not so much. Then I thought maybe Big Country but now not so much. I'm leaning towards Rusty now. Here are some possibilities, you vote

Creeping Death
Rusty G. Sohm
John Hughson
Big country
other

Leave a comment saying who you think it is

all hail the king

I skipped work yesterday. went for a ride and 15 minutes into it I started getting rained on and hailed on. I ducked under a covered shelter along with 5 other bozos who were out trying to excercise at Iroquois. 5 minutes later the sky cleared and the downpour was over. I continued on to my secret training spots and did some hillclimbs until my legs busted which didn't take long since they already hurt from trying to keep up with the tuesday night worlds the night before. I got dropped by a 12 year old that probably doesn't have pubes yet. Awesome, I feel great about myself.

Coke vs Pepsi

I highly suspect Pespi drinkers of being Commies. Not that a good ol 'merican can't drink a Pepsi, it's when you choose to drink Pepsi you become a bit more Red. Or Canadian. If you have some whiskey and reach for a Pepsi vs a Coke, you should be shipped to Guantanamo and tortured, no questions asked. You have no terrorist secrets, you just deserve a beating.

Wondering what your cola says about you?

Pepsi - commie, canandian, guido
Root Beer - hippie
Tab - jazzercise teacher
Fanta - flower arranger, unibomber
Sprite - fairy, gnome
Diet Coke - you're fat and you eat twinkies
Mellow Yellow - freak
Mountain Dew - 13 year old skater boy or frat boy tool
Mr. Pibb - really, who drinks this?
Vanilla, Cherry or other flavored cola - schizophrenic
7up - alcoholic or botulism victim
Those weird colas in the mexican section at the supermarket or Big Lots - mexican. duh
Sams Choice - sure as heck aren't Sam Walton. At least one car in yard and 1 pet missing some appendage
Dr. Pepper - good person, but one to be watched
Big Red - league bowler

tues nite worlds

Yes sir or ma'am, we did it up. It was hard to pass up perfect trails and weather for some mtbing, but needed to get out an blow the lungs out on the road a bit. Well, it wasn't as bad as past Worlds, seems like many ego's were left at home. It was kinda strange, it didn't seem as though anyone was in full-on attack mode. Many of the usual suspects would attack briefly then sit up, which was fine by me since my lungs are still not back to speed and my heart rate felt a bit jacked up.

There is a fly in the apartment and Mo just ate it. Good kitty. Thanks for havin nothin better to do but read this junk, hope that better days are to follow and I'll be back to full on racing and more interesting blogs soon.

Groovin'

Wow, it's been a week since any of the other guys have posted. I better pick it up and make good for the team.

I was in a groove today, hence the title. 31 miles at Cherokee, 3-hours & 15-minutes, on the MTB. Not super fast, but fun, flowing and exactly what I needed. Yesterday I put in 17 miles also at Cherokee. Day before it was 18 miles at Waverly. So I am getting exactly what I need, time on the trail, on the new bike and without any major shoulder pain. So 60-some miles in 3 days all on trails in fantastic condition. Doesn't get better than that in Kentucky in early April. I'm glad I took advantage of the weather, as it doesn't look like it's gonna cooperate for the next few days.

Yesterday I got schooled, by JoeDoba and a couple of his PJ cronies. They just plain dropped me. No excuses. But it was good, shows me where I need to be to beat him again this year. We're in the same age group now, so unless he races Expert all year it's on. But today it clicked, and I felt a lot more comfortable at speed. Still need to work on cornering, but that isn't exactly a news flash for anyone who has ever followed me on a trail.

my motivation

Tsali race report

Got down to Tsali on Saturday about 3:30 and it was beautiful. A little overcast but not enough to make someone think it would rain soon. The trails were real dry. I rode a few miles out on the big loop then turned around and did the small loop. I was amazed at how fast that place is. It's real pretty too with the blue ridge mountains surrounding ya and a beautiful little lake type water hole you ride around with emarld green water.

After the pre-ride Brian Schworm (anthony is still recovering from tuberculosis) and I head to the Sleep in hotel and relax and eat the rest of the evening. Wake-up sunday morning and look out at the parking lot to find it soaked and drizziling rain still coming down.

We get out to the course and I start to realize it's going to be kind of muddy. At first I was thinking that sandy dry soil would just drink it all up but I guess it rained more than I thought and it was continuing to rain off and on. I started warming up with a steady drizzle coming down. By the time we were sitting on the starting line it had stopped but I had ridden around enough to know that I prolly wouldn't be able to wear my glasses because they were gonna get caked with mud. I put them in my jersey pocket just in case I wanted to put them down on the bridge of my nose to shield my eyes from upsplatter.

So, we're sitting on the line Sport 19-29 and there are at least 30 of us. The guy asks who wants it, Regan Woodall (Ryan's little brother) and Eric Davis are the only two to raise there hands. I actually said, Not me. Not that I wouldn't love to win, I just didn't have the confidence or arrogance to say I was going to. The whistle is blown and we take off, there is about .5 mile of road section. I held my own on that and got into the woods in 4th position which is fine with me. I was on woodall's wheel. Every time I got close though I was getting mud all in my eyes and would temporary have blurred vision with a lot of blinking to try to clear it up. Since woodall won reddick and got second at chickasaw I knew that his was a good wheel to be on. For the first few minutes of the race I'm having no trouble keeping up so I'm thinking, "alright, I can handle this." Then we caught up to someone and both passed but as soon as woodall got around he sort of opened it up a bit and was quickly away. I try to keep it steady because the first climb is right around the corner. Start going up and one guy comes around then up a bit futher in the middle of a switchback some jackhole tried to pass on the inside. That would have been okay had he made it, but he falls over in the apex of the turn and knocks me and another rider over. I was pretty pissed as I struggled to get back up and run the remainder of the climb till it flattened out a bit and I could get back on my bike. That took more out of me than making it through the climb would have.

After the crest of that climb there is some fast descent type stuff. I put the glasses on the bridge of my nose to help shiled me from splatter and turned my rear shock on. I had to brake a little more than on the pre-ride because there were a couple times I was getting a little squirrely due to not being able to turn and lean as much as I wanted for fear of wadding it up. We then make a sharp left to go down a little more on a section of trail that is pretty rutted out. At the bottom it flattens out. I keep seeing four guys ahead of me. So I try to stay focused and get back up to them. Eventually I do. After catching up with them I think the front two guys might have taken off. Next thing I know, the guy in front of me and I are passing Eric Davis. I was pysched about this because I've never beaten him. The whole rest of the race whenever I looked back and saw a red and white jersey I was worried it was him so I was trying to keep him away. turns out it was some guy from an older class.

A lot of the riding was some flat kind of fast stuff with sharp right hand turns thrown in. Coming out of one of them I got caught up in loose stuff and went down. That was bad because it made me ride overly timid on the rest of the sections like that and there were a lot of turns like that, I think that is what hurt me the most. I was doing fine on the climbs and catching people or passing them but then they would pass me back after being on flat curvy stuff for a while. On one of the climbs I put it in granny because I wanted to ride it all the way up and catching the guys walking at the top but as I caught one guy that was walking I said, "rider back." He just stayed right in the middle of the trail and didn't budge. I was forced to unclip and walk/jog up the rest of the climb. When I unclipped I said, "well I guess you don't care." What an assface, if you're walking up a climb and someone else is riding up it and they catch up to you, please give them some room to get around.

The rest of the ride just consisted of me passing a few people and a few people passing me. I was thinking that most of the people passing me were from the older class. So, on the finishing lap I was feeling pretty good thinking maybe I was going to have my best Serc result yet, maybe 5th or 6th plus Eric hadn't caught back up to me.After finishing though I saw the results and somehow I got 11th. That was definitely disappointing and I found out Eric had dropped out of the race soon after I passed him so that was doubly dissapointing. I was covered in mud though and everyone I rode passed was just kind of looking at me and laughing. I had someone take a picture with my cell phone.

The pros and experts had to start a little late because someone had broken their collar bone and couldn't walk out of the woods. They were supposed to do 3 laps but after one, the race was shortened to 2 laps, it was so muddy that a lot of people were having nasty crashes. Earl bradley supposedly broke a rib, some guy broke his leg. I heard another guy saying he got knocked out, tons of people were dropping out.

On the first lap though when they came through for a feed Brian Schworm was out front and had a good gap on two chasers behind him. He rode up the last climb on the lap while a couple were off their bikes running up it. He saw he got a bit of a gap so he opened it up and held it till the finish. 3rd year in a row he has won.

Anna Jean Daliere (nikkie) from schellers- won the womens expert race, she actually caught all the pro women and passed them and quite a few of the expert men.

Keith Lucas got 4th in the Expert men 40+

So kentucky had some good results down there but I wasn't one of them.

After looking at my hr data and I don't think I pushed myself hard enough. I guess I thought I was doing well and got a little too complacent. When will I learn?