My 2008 New Year's Resolutions

1) NO MORE CRASHES!
2) Top 9 at Rutger's Season Opener Time Trial for the ECCC collegiate season under the Men's D category
3) Lose 20 lbs by summer
4) Place top 15 in all of my USCF road races over summer
5) Purchase a Fuji Track Pro
6) Start track racing, place top 10 in those races
7) look into upgrading to Road Category 4
8) Upgrade to better wheels, tires, components, etc.

Comments please... Thanks!

MERRY CHRISTMAS...

And Happy New Years!

To all my readers, have a safe holiday season and DRIVE SAFELY!!

For the cyclist readers, ride safely and be aware that there will probably be more drivers out there for the next week or so than any other time of the year! Also, drinking is more usual around this time especially New Year's Eve and Day, so just be more careful and aware when riding.

NEW BIKE!

I just ordered a Trek 2100 D recently from Spokes Bike Shop in Hamburg, PA. I put down $300 for it and it will arrive at the bike shop soon and they will start assembling it for me right away. Hopefully with the officiating of basketball games I'm doing, and the Christmas and Birthday money I should get in the coming weeks, I can pay off my bike by the first week of January and start training again right away. Yes my birthday is coming up on January 3rd. Don't forget ;-)

D-O-N-E... Finally

The worst and best semester of my college career has ended. Worst in terms of health (bad cold, shingles, bike/car crash, sinus infection - in that order one after another), but best in that I got back on my feet regardless, dusted myself off and still finished this semester strong with my classes.

This Christmas break is going to be eventful. I'm off from school until January 14th, I have a lot of High School (JV and JH) basketball games to officiate, as well as a bunch of CYO and Biddy games. I'm also focusing on trying to buy a new bike or get a fork and wheel for my Trek 1000. I really need to get back on the bike SOOOOOON! I'm slowly getting out of shape, already have gained lbs which is visible to me... not good! I'm probably going to call the bike shop tomorrow or Monday to see if they can help me out with my bike.

In latest news... Trek is now the official bike supplier for Team Astana. Not sure if I'm happy about Trek going with a Foreign Country's team, but I know they wanted to sponsor a good team, and Team Astana, respectfully, is a good team. I'm sure Trek will be successful with being the bike supplier for Team Astana. I just hope a professional team emerges to the top in the US within the next year or two after the Discovery Channel team dropped, and Trek will become its bike supplier.

Anyways, Next time I post, hopefully I will have gotten back on the road with either a rebuilt Trek 1000 or a Trek 2100 D! Until next time.........

Almost Over, Finally

Sitting in the computer lab of DeSales University's Trexler Library, I just completed my final project for my last class of the semester tomorrow. I sit here anxiously waiting for my friend to finish his project as well, and got bored so I though I'd make a post.

Next week is Final Exams week, which I only have three of them; one on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Oh how I cannot wait until I am finished so I can focus on my winter training to get ready for the 2008 Road and Track season.

I have not bought a new bike yet, but I'm considering buying a cheap fork and wheel (both under $50 combined probably) somewhere for my Trek 1000 and use that until I do buy a new bike. This will be sufficient for my training in the mean time.

I'm about ready to leave the library now, so until next time, thanks for reading!

Univest Grand Prix Cyclosportif: 20 Mile Mistake

On September 8th of this year, Jon and I decided to do the Univest Grand Prix Cyclosportif 40 Mile ride. It was more of a community fun ride than a race, but there was a prize for the first finisher of the 40 mile and the 60 mile rides. Jon and just wanted to go for training and fun.

The race started at about 8:00, and Jon and I embarked on our 40 mile ride. Jon and I worked together to move forward, but about 5 or 10 miles into the ride came a sharp right, uphill turn that I bonked on and Jon continued to move forward. I stayed back hoping to catch up to him at some point. I never got that chance because of what happened...

About 20 miles in to the race, I was behind this guy who just would not keep his line, and I had no opportunity to pass him. Coming to this left, downhill turn I saw an opportunity to pass him, hoping he would go to the inside of the turn so I could go to the outside. Well, he did go inside, so I went outside. He, again, couldn't keep his line and drifted to the outside as I was trying to pass him, forcing me off the road and into someone's front yard. I first hit a small ditch just off the shoulder of the road, and then when I was still up and riding after that I was headed for this HUGE tree. I just barely missed it, as in I felt the tree brush my shirt. Had I been going even slightly faster, I would've hit the tree and could've been badly injured. After passing the tree I turned to head back onto the road but when I got just off the side of the road there were riders coming around the bend and I just got so frustrated that I got off my bike and threw it into the ground. This ended up lodging my computer's wireless sensor on the fork into the wheel without me knowing, and when I went to take off (after the riders have finally passed me) I heard a snapping sound, and saw that my sensor broke. I no longer had a working sensor for the rest of the ride so I kept asking other riders "what mile are we at?" throughout the course. This all took me out of the race for about 3 or 4 minutes, so I really didn't stand a chance to catch up to Jon.

Now for the 20 mile mistake I made. About 30 miles into the race is where the 60-milers and the 40-milers break apart. I guess I was riding with a bunch of 60-milers and wasn't paying attention to any of the signs. At this one left turn, the 40-milers were supposed to turn right and I did not because, again, I was not paying attention to the signs and I was riding with all 60-milers that made the left turns where I was supposed to go right. So yeah, I did a 60 mile ride when I was supposed to only do 40 miles.

I don't know if I plan to do this again next year, because this was a bad experience for me, but that is because of errors. The whole 60 mile ride took me 4 hours, 38 minutes and 13 seconds (4:38:13). I did decent comparing myself to other the other 60 mile riders' time, and I didn't come in last in the 40 mile. For the results, click here.

My Race History since March

After receiving my first road bike last Christmas I was anxious to start racing competitively, but was so clueless to training and all that my first race I was really unprepared for. It was the Rutger's Season Opener on March 3rd. First race I've ever done was the Rutgers Individual Time Trial. I remember coming 2nd to last, which I was just glad I didn't come in last. However, the Criterium later that day wasn't the same, I came in last.

The next race weekend we did was at Bucknell University, in which I came in last in the road race, and was not listed in the final results of the criterium, which I know I came in 2nd or 3rd to last.

Boston Beanpot Classic followed. The first race was the Road Race on Saturday, in which I got a flat tire halfway into the first lap. I was not able to finish, since I didn't have a spare tire in the support car. The next day (Sunday) was the Criterium, in which they would eliminate you from the race if you fell back too far. It was a fast race on a short course so you were not allowed to be lapped. I was 2nd to be eliminated.

After the Boston race we had a few weeks before the next race we wanted to do, which was the Vassar College's "Tour of the Hudson River". Before this race I did a training race in Trexlertown, in which I crashed and damage my rear wheel and had a nasty road rash on my right leg and arm. I almost didn't race at Vassar because I did not have a spare tire to use, and my leg was hurting from the crash. However, a few days prior to leaving for Vassar I decided I was going to be fine for the weekend, but still needed a wheel. My teammate, Kim, let me borrow one of her spare tires, and I got to race!

Saturday was the Team Time Trial, in which it was the first we did. Joe, Jon and I decided to band together and represent DeSales University in the TTT. We came in last, unfortunately, but it was a good learning experience. Later in the day was the road race, however I opted out of that because my leg was hurting again. The next day was the criterium which I was psyched for, since it was the last race for the season for me. I came 2nd to last in that race, due to a bad start.

Over the summer I did 3 USAC Sanctioned race and 1 non-sanctioned race. The first was the Hellertown Criterium, back in May. I had a bad start and was unprepared for it, I came in last. The Allentown Sportsfest Criterium at Irving Park, and I came second to last after making a mistake halfway in the race and fell behind. In July was the Pottsville Cycle 17 race (non-sanctioned), in which I placed 48th out of atleast 60, and came 3rd in my age group. I could've done better but my bike was in a shop for a week right before this race, so I had no time to train that week. The last race before school restarted was the Lehigh Valley Winery Criterium, which was my best race I did yet in my career. I came 21st of 28. I was really impressed with my results, knowing that I have really improved over the summer with my training.

First Post: Introduction and Crash

First post on blogger, very excited. A quick little description about me... my name is Zachary Ellwood, I am a student at DeSales University in my second year majoring in Sport Management, after doing 3 years at Penn State Schuylkill and majoring in Information, Sciences an Technology and aquired my Associates Degree. I found my passion for the sport of cycling at DeSales University, when a group of students started the cycling club last year, and then came along the club team which we now race in collegiate races sanctioned by USA Cycling. I am coming up to the completion of my first year as a serious and competitive cyclist. I currently only do Road (road, time trial, criterium) racing, and plan to start track this coming 2008 season in the spring.

I have decided to start a new blog after ending my previous one on livejournal. This one is more directed towards my cycling life and career, but will sometimes feature stuff from my personal life.

Thanksgiving just ended 20 minutes ago at midnight. This Thanksgiving day also marked the 6th week since my accident with a car while on my bike training. Here's what happened:

On October 11, I was out for a simple training ride in the rain during my hour and a half break in between two classes. I was on Preston Lane on my way back to school, just crossing over 378 in Center Valley. I was coming up to the intersection with Old Bethlehem Pike, when this 63 year old lady in a Black Lexux SUV, coming from the post office to my right, failed to see me and pulled out into the intersection to cross over and head to the Copperhead Grille. With no time to react, I ran right into the side of her car, breaking the rear driver-side door's window and going through it, hanging halfway out the back. The lady somehow didn't know I hit her, and continued to drive with me hanging out, eventually falling out of the car about 10 feet later. Witnesses ended up having to stop her once she pulled into the parking lot, and she was so unaware of what happened. Ambulance came and took me to the Lehigh Valley Hospital, where I spent the night in their Transitional Trauma unit. All of this I have been told about by my parents, police officer and doctors/nurses.

I sustained a Stage 3 Concussion (worst stage to have before brain damage), broke my right clavicle (aka collarbone), had stitches in my left eyebrow, a chunk of skin was taken out of the right side of my forhead, lacerated my liver, had trauma to my heart, and many cuts and abrasions all over my body, particularly my right arm which sustained the worse cuts I've ever seen. I do not remember anything from right after I crossed 378 to when I finally came to in the hospital. First think I could think of to ask when I was told I was hit by a car and was in the hospital was "How's my bike?" Apparently my $700 bike was much more important than my health. Speaking of which, my Trek 1000 was damaged in the crash. I will never want to race on it again, but I think the frame is still good that I can rebuild it into a casual/commuters bike.
(Please note: some parts of this "story" may not be 100% correct since I've only been told what has happened by my parents, the police officer and the doctors and nurses, but is pretty accurate to what did happen)

I am recovering pretty well, but I haven't been on the road since the crash. I've been using the stationary bike every now and then, but it's just not the same as to riding on the road that I am often turned away by the thought of the stationary bike indoors.

I really am supposed to take it easy until the second week of January, but with the collegiate season coming up in March I want to get back on asap. With me just crossing over the 6th week mark, I've already started looking for a new bike. I stopped at Spokes Bike Shop in Hamburg, PA on Wednesday. I'm looking at a Trek 2100 D now. With '08 models coming in, this '07 Trekkie is on sale for $140 off, so it'll be a perfect time to buy it. I'm just waiting for the lady's insurance to give me money for my previous bike and save up the rest of the value for this bike. Hopefully I will have enough to pay for this bike by mid-December.

I think I've said enough for tonight. Since this is a cycling-related blog/journal, and I'm not riding right now, it could be a little bit before I post something again but this post will be active, especially during the collegiate season from March to May, and the regular USAC season from March to October.