Got my car fixed its my Birthday.....

Ok, so in 3 hours is the BTR crit and I am just waiting to head over to the race. As it is in my backyard, almost literally, I am looking for a good result. My mom is coming over to watch the race today and I can not say enough about my mom, all I am going to say is most amazing woman EVER. I decided yesterday to buy Jay Rafelds Ridley Crossbow (cyclocross) frame, fork, headset, brakes, and a few other small pieces from him. I also oredered a 2006 Shimano 105 Groupset and some new pedals and shoes for a few cyclocross endeavors. It is not gauranteed that I am going to race cyclocross, but I am gong to get away from the road bike for a good month and just go out into the woods and be alone and hammer myself to exhaustion. Other than that, things are better than ever. I turn 25 today, but I still feel like I am 18, so we will just say I am 18 for the seventh year in a row. OK, I am gonna go shower and go out to the race, hopefully all goes well today! Take care everyone as I may take a hiatus from blogging for a few weeks! Later

Rain Rain dont go away!!!

OK, so I have been a really busy tike lately. I actually have been putting a lot of time into my math class as I really want to understand every aspect of my future. So this has taken away from cycling ( not really though, theres always time for a ride), blogging but more importantly my TV and sleep time. I think I have gotten 6 hrs combined in 2 nights this week. So I went and did the Wednesday night ride tonight, thinking my legs would be shit, but I had some quality legs. One gentleman came up to me during the ride and said, "can you stop trying to rip our legs off." It was actually pretty fun with myself, Jay Rafeld, Jeff Hamilton, Taylor Birmann, and Ben Renjema came down to say hey and cruise with us. At one point I jammmed on the gas and it immediately started pouring, and not that piddly shit that u see outside called sprinkles. This was full blown Major Taylor RR 2005 rain. Most of you can recall that, haha. But I better stop this ranting and raving, I am pumped for my last road race of the season, and my birthday on the same day. Now it is off to Ludwigs for some math nerding by the 2 of us. Oh yeah, I may be getting a cross bike, be afraid, be very afraid!!! Later!

Hi, my name is stupid!!!

I am sitting her after just getting out of math class and I just realized I muffed the quiz today. What a dumbass I am. We had to factor this polynomial. x squared - 15x +14. Me being the jackass I am and always being in a hurry, I think I got it wrong just because I lacked my thinking skills at the moment. It is really and easy equation though (x-1)(x-14). Damn me, I am so stupid. But now, it is time for work all weekend. I am so pissed that I fuct my math skills up today. Other than that I hate the cold, but riding must be done. Later terds.

Leelanau ROCKED!!!

In one word, HOLY SHIT, ok so two words, haha. Well I haven't been on lately because I was sick and was unsure of how my form really was, but it came around in time. Friday night Dave and I headed up to his great aunts cottage and previewed a bit of the course with a narly descent. It was narly due to the fact that it was all tree covered and it was 8 pm so you really could not see going into the corners, not to mention the damn bird that flew at me on the way down, so needless to say I was worried about the race and what was going to happen.
Race day was full on, we suited up, hooked up our radios and got to the line really early and we were ready to go. I got lined up next to last years winner Nick Reistad and had a few Jokes with him. Thats the funny thing about cycling, everyone can chat and get along pretty well.
The race rolled out of town and up the climb out of Leeland, which was much easier than last year. Really the race did not get hard till the first KOM and I easily made it over there. Then I see a hand up, which means someone had a flat, and to my dismay it was Jeff our team captain. Me being the teammate and caring person I am I pulled over and told him to take my wheel, but the wheel truck was right there, so myself, Jeff and Jason Brake had to chase back on to the group which was rather easy. I was super pissed that the guys on our team watched Jeff roll back with the flat and no one offered a wheel to him, thats not team riding.
Anyways the race went over KOM number 2 and I was still feeling well, but at the third KOM, which was Tower Road ( named so for good reason) I found myself grinding up it in my easiest gear only to find I was the last guy over with the main group. Next thing I know a West Michigan Coast guy just sits up right in front of me. DAMN IT!!! I chased hard at 36 MPH (slightly downhill) for a good 8 minutes only to explode after not catching back on.
On the way up Tower Road I saw the LION OF FLANDERS flag and all I could think of was this was exactly like a European hard mans climb. For the rest of the race Jay myself and Rob Iser sat in and made a little tempo, but at one point "papa Tony" started yelling at everyone to work, but all the major players were up the road and we had no chance of catching them so I said, " Sorry God I am below you and I don't want to work anymore" as a joke. He got uber pissed at me and started berating me and at the 4th KOM he took off from the bottom. I bided my time and nearing the top I just shot by him like he wasn't moving. His reply to that was, "oh now you are gonna start working". All I told him was, "I know who is up the road and where all the Horsepower is and its not in this group." He commented something about him being a man and not a pussy. Needless to say, I didnt seem him after that. So we came to 80 miles and I started to look at my computer a lot on my bike. The last 25 miles were dragging ass, so I told Jay with 2 miles to go I was going to jump and make an effort. Finally that chance came and I went for it immediately getting a gap and blowing by Ben Renkema(National Champ and State Champ) after he got spit out of the main group. Well with about 1 kilometer left I got caught, but stayed right near the front. The sprint was more like a slow motion grind and I came in right behind Jay, around 35th place out of 158 starters. I was so tired, but I still managed a victory salute for the crowd just for fun. Thanks for the great commentary today Joe. This was the BEST and HARDEST thing I have ever done in my life. I can not wait for another go at it next year.
So my season is all but over now, there is still a criterium in KZOO on my birthday and I am going to do it for fun and enjoy the last dig for the season. I have learned so much from many people this year and proven to myself that I do belong in the field I am racing in. The only problem is that I want to train harder than ever and be a REAL factor next season. Thanks Sunrise boys for a great second half of the season. I would not trade it for anything. Also thanks to Ada Alltel boys for making me love this sport and still being friends when we see each other. Now I am off to sleep and work for a few hours before a three hour recovery ride tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some pics in short order. Also a huge thanks to the Sunrise support team for the great Feed Zone work today, other than the one dropped bottle I had it was PERFECT. Adieu!

911

Five years after the terrorist attacks and I have changed a lot. Deep down I am the same guy I was 5 years ago, but I have different things to care about now. In 2001 I was contempalting not running anymore for WMU and trying to get healthy. I had so many injuries while I was running in college. I think I got to compete healthy maybe 5 times total. Since then I have found cycling and have had a job for the past 3 years. If you would have told me 5 years ago I would be acing a bike 105 miles this weekend I would have told you thats fucking NUTS!!! It is nuts, but it is really what makes me tick. The weather has sucked here the past couple days, which means full winter gear like arm warmers, leg warmers and jackets. Its too early for it to get shitty out.... or is it. Oh well, the riding has to be done. Other than that everything is extremely well. Although I hate little girls, aka girls who think they are women and are still little fucking girls in their head. Oh well, I have no time to worry about that as I work 35 hours a week and am taking classes and have to fit riding in somewhere. It is hard, but it can only make me a stronger person. OK, enough BS I have to wake up at 7 am for class and work all day and then riding on the trainer at night. Woo fuckin HOO!!! I have a potty mouth today, haha. God Bless America!!!

Ponder this!!!

Cornering off of Maple Hill at Rockford!!! This is a new favorite of mine. Look at the cut in my claves!!!
The HOOTERS guy is showing the hurt face while I am just hanging out!!!
Josh, Ben and myself are in this pic, I am hanging out near the back!
Moving on up, this is another awesome pic, the calves are explodong again!
Digging to hold on, look at the head wobble I have going!

I have had a difficult last few days, actually the last week has been hard. I really wanted to race, but when it came down to it I realized how tired and worn down my body is. I can not even fight off a little cold right now. I took Monday and Tuesday and did not even look at my bike. Just a time of year that it is hard to get into a mode of normalcy for me. I am going back to school, which I found that I actually care about now. My first degree I got by sleeping through classes and just being a smart ass the whole time. Honestly I did not deserve that degree, so this one I want to work for and mean something. I really let my teammates down by not attending this weekend and that hurts me more than letting myself down. I just hope they understand if I had it my way I would race everday. The only positive that came out of last weekend was that I got to hear the live audio feed from the USA Road Championships. I was really pulling for one of the continental pros to win it, but the UCI guys had an arrangement and when is Hincapie going to lose in his home town??? Other than that I got out for a good 4 hour ride today and I was not to pumped to be riding but I just put myself through the pain to get ready for Leelanau. I am actually going to ride the trainer for 2 hours tonight also to get some more time in. I realized I race much better and feel much better when I train A LOT. What is A LOT you may ask, well for me about 20-25 hours a week. So heres to all my teammates, I hope I can repay my debts to you guys at Leelanau!!! OVER AND OUT!!!