Fontana Dam Jam

So this past weekend was an escape from the norm. Sarah, Kirsten, and myself decided to try a weekend of mountain biking. Little did we know we decided to try the hardest race of the SERC series. Overall, it was a blast. The first night I did the short track race. My chain got stuck on the first lap going up the hill. I almost got lapped, then came back and got second. There were only 3 of us, but I was still really impressed that I gain a whole lap back. If it was longer than 10 minutes I think I could have won, even with the whole chain issue.

The second day, I just tried to survive. I got a great position after climbing the long ass paved entrance, but slowly throughout the race was passed by people. Oh well, now I have a slight erge to mountain bike again. I'm going to have to buy a new bike b/c mine is waaay too small. I'll probably try to do the collegiate mtn bike series. Woopie!

This weekend is the State Crit race. Oh boy. I'm just going to try to hold on as long as I can.

You can see more fun pics of this past weekend from Sarah's pic page

http://picasaweb.google.com/SarahECraw/FontanaDamJam

Lookin Good..Goin Slow

It's been almost a month since my last post. This is me at Edgar Soto and this is probably one of my worst attempts at going fast. I completely blew the TT, but had a decent rest of the week. This past weekend I did the Roan Groan, just for fun. An 8 mile uphill finish just for fun. Again, not another amazing result, but heck I haven't even started hill intervals. I start them today. What fun. This weekend will be Savannah GA Cup, if they have enough women to register.

Other news, I love my new place. Only setback, currently no cable! What else is a cyclist going to do for recovery?

Dog'gon tired

This is how I feel right now. I basically drove back to Knoxville, went riding, went to work, went to bed. I'm about to go back to work, then ride. whew. Tomorrow I have the day off.. atleast off work not the bike. confused yet?

At the 'Rents

I'm not using my laptop to make this post, because I'm at my parents. Even though they live far out in the middle of no where, they are equipped with two computers with high speed internet. Or else.. I would have to reconsider being here. I went for a 3 hr ride yesterday. I cruised through the country then into the town where I went to highschool, then a few other random loops to try to get 3 hours in. It was so freakin windy. I had a cross or headwind about 90% of the ride. Today I'm supposed to do an easy hour, but I think easy is impossible with this wind!!!

I've been so bored I've made a budget for the summer, which I know I won't stick to. I've also mapped out all the races for the whole season! Next on the agenda... the one hour ride?? hmmm.. Possibly a nap. Later, I'm going out with the mom to look for dishes, silverware, and anything else I can get for my new place.

Other exciting news? I went to get a deep tissue massage and came out with legs hurting just as bad as I went in. I guess even though I explained that I was a cyclist... which translates tired legs wasn't reasonable. He didn't spend anytime of the legs ..only my back, which feels fine. I won't be going back there. $75 down the hole!

Mark is at the beach with a few of our friends. I decided to work instead and see my mom for mother's day. For some reason I'm not dissapointed. But I will have to deal with my monster roommate for one more week. Luckily, I'll be working and riding my bike so hopefully I won't see her face often. I think Mark will be just as happy when he gets his own place. Did I mention we will be in the same building? Just different floors, so I can cruise up/down the elevator to go see him. Rain, snow, wind, and sub-artic temps won't stop me now!

Keeping the mind free of clutter can be hard

So a few things have passed since the last time I wrote. First, the Walnut Grove RR. Boy, it was tough, but I felt the strongest I have this year in a hilly RR. No cramping at the end. My next race isn't 'til Edgar Soto, but it will be huge.

School also just ended for the summer. Thank God. Although I didn't do much work, only one more semester before I graduate.

I believe the coolest relief is my new lease. It starts in about a week so no more bitchy roommates!! Ever! Words can't even express how happy I am.

Oh, and I got hit my a car on my bike!!! Crazy bitch turned right into me. Luckily only my front wheel was damaged and not me or the rest of my bike. She got away without any charges. Fuck her and her jacked up grill. That's Knoxville for ya.

The rest of the story

First, I wanted to post this really awesome photo by Ben Ross. It's from the Lascassas TT when it was super cold.

Now, for the rest of the story why the weekend was craziness. Someone attempted to steal Sarah's bag of student's paper. They thought it was a purse, but super Kirsten yanked it right out of his hand. I told the cops and he was taken to jail because there was already a warrant for his arrest! How insane! Then on the way to the Roswell crit some jackass thought it would be fun to brake check is like a million times. I won't tell the whole story, but ultimately he pulled he beside us yelling and I chunked a balancebar at him and scared him!

Oh and last I already quit my job. I went in today and before I clocked in the owner told the manager and she told me I needed to go home and put on a longer shirt. I could tell this relationship wasn't going to last. What a bitch. I just got in my car and didn't go back. Called old job up and they are happy to have me, and for the pay it might be worth putting up with.

AND!! Most exciting, I signed a lease for my new place. A one bedroom on campus, off campus apartment!! Totally awesome!!

Craziness

This is the sprint at the end of the athens 3/4 race. GRRR it always helps to make my mean face. I'm not going to say much about this weekend. I felt pretty strong in both races. Roswell basically screwed 3/4's of the field over by not announcing the last lap. Guess human error happens, but twice in the same day!! Then they screwed up our placings and by what I could tell they were having problems with the other categories too. Moral of the story, never trust the officials, they are probably wacko. I will always check the lap countdown and sit and wait for 2 hours until they post the results to make sure they are correct. Apparently a camera finish isn't substancial enough to figure out who crossed the line when! Gaaah! Enough about that.

I started my new job yesterday. It seems cool enough, and tolerable, then main thing! Next weekend I'm doing a 54 miles cat 3/4 race, should be interesting.

Preparing for the Athens

This past week was rest, then a long weekend of riding. Sunday we rode from campus to the foothills parkway and did hill intervals. Wasn't too shabby. We had lots of exciting adventures including crazy trucks trying to run us off to roads. Then on the way back we decided to combat some dogs that always try to attack us. We stopped and picked our weapons. Mark picked up a beer bottle and a stick and decided on gravel and a stick. When we went down the hill they ran like usual, unfortunately neither of us had practice with sticks and 20mph so we stopped and the dogs ran away. These dogs are habitual about chasing cyclist and have even caused others to wreck! It will eventually lead to something serious: police, more wrecks, dead dogs, who knows.
This next weekend I'll be attending Athens and Roswell for some serious crits 3/4 style, I'm super excited, hopefully it will go well.

My thoughst about the race. If you look close you can see my blood shot eyes and the haziness.

Raccoon Mtn. RR.

What a race! Cold, wet, windy, long, and mountain-ous. Atleast I did it, that's the upside. This is the day before the race, we went to preride the course. As soon as we got a few miles out it started pouring then lightening. At that point we called it quits and turned around, completely soaked from head to toe. We had a cool host house, a friend of ours Sean. Saturday night we toured downtown Chatty and even accidently entered the Tour de Ga party. Race registration was in the same building. I wasn't interested in staying, because there were no pro guys there. It must have been a sponsor party because there were a few pro bikes on display and a bunch of women dressed in wacky outfits.

The race got colder and windier by the minute. The crew hung together until the final part of the race, the climbs. We split into two groups. At the end my legs locked up. I guess they had their share of lactic acid. Still not too shabby for someone who hasn't done any climbing at all, or climbing intervals. I got 6th place. I think I need to incorporate climbing into my life somehow. Rest this weekend, then crazy sprint intervals next week! Who has time to climb? Maybe next Sunday on my scheduled 5 hour ride! Yikes!

Old Days: I was browsing the web and I ran across a picture and I was like, Hey that's me! I'm on the left with the orange, my UT attire. This was a sprint at the union city crit, apparently I was checking who was beside me. So funny.

This weekend I'm going to Raccoon Mtn RR in Chattanooga. I'll have a few teammates down in Jacksonville, FL for a NRC event, and a few at Rock Hill. Hopefully the weather will hold up, the forecast is 50 for the high and 20mph wind and chance of rain! Yuck! I'll update after the event and tell how it went.

Hi i'm rocko!

Long week

Tired Legs!

It's been a long week, starting with last weekend. I've had two major assignments for school and some intense intervals on the bike.

This weekend I have the options of going to my team photo shoot in Atlanta, which I should go because last year they were in VeloNews. And my mom also wants me to go home since she hasn't seen me since winter break.

This picture is scary! Why do my legs look so different? one is my climbing leg and the other is my sprinting leg. j/k.

Rocko also says hello.

My first post: Ga Cup Gainesville

This is my first official blog posting. Expect to hear mostly about cycling, sometimes political thoughts, complaints, and fun!

GEORGIA CUP:
With the season well under way for me, my fifth weekend of racing, we traveled down to Gainesville for the second Georgia Cup for the 2007 series. The weather for the weekend was looking quiet nice maybe even a little hot. I arrived at registration at 6am, it was still dark, but I started my race prep. By 8am I was at the line up for my time trial. I was really looking forward to this particular stage. At the final count I took off into the headwind and slight uphill. I quickly approached the girl in front of my and made a pass. After the first turn around the conditions changed to tailwind (yay). Then, approaching the second turn I had passed my one-minute woman. Until later in the afternoon, that was my only indication of how I did in the TT. I ended up getting 8th place, behind some top notch girls. Going into the crit I sat 8th in the GC for the weekend. The criterium was a pretty simple course, and my goal.. not to loose any time in the GC and that was it. Barb, was also in the crit and she was looking strong. The group suffered through the prime laps which were for time bonuses. Barb was in a better position for the sprint and did well. Me, I accomplished moving 7th in the GC.

Sunday morning, we arrived again in the darkness. The course consisted of the wall, a 9% grade hill which the KOM was on. The rest of the course was uphill or downhill, no flats. The pack, consisting of about 25+ women, as were the other races took off at 8 am. When we approached the hill the first time the field immediately broke up. A Sorella (Dana) made it with about 6 other girls into the first group of women. The rest which was most of the other women consistently chased the group ahead. Several riders fell back and were caught by our group, only 4 riders were in front of us now. We did 6 laps of brutal climbing. On the last lap we had 4 girls ahead and about 10 left in our group, the rest far behind. As we approached the "wall" for the last time my legs completely locked up. I watched the group slowly move ahead and I did everything I could to keep my pedals turning. I looked back to make sure no one else was behind me. I made it, I lost about a minute behind the main pack. I ended up moving down the GC to 10th place. Still not bad for my first official stage race/omnium. Now time to train and recover and come back stronger for the next race.