one last thing (Tour of PA cont'd.)

I want to say that this experience has made me realized that THIS is what I want to do with my major, and I really do not have much, if any doubts about choosing Sport Management as my second degree. I'm loving this experience, and I am going to start talking to several people about a possible internship next spring. Like with some of the pro teams, some of the race organizers and other people who know people that could help me.

Tour of Pennsylvania, Mid-week Recap

I just want to say one thing. This is a very awesome experience for me. I get to see the behind-the-scenes of a bike race, and I have got to say it is a LOT of work to put together a tour and then run it, and I'm only doing less then 5% of it. Some would say "all you need to do is call the cops, make sure they'll help escort the riders, then call some sponsors to get money and stuff, then make sure the towns and cities you're going through all know what's going on, then find the riders". While all that is true, that's still only a small percentage. Now I don't know much about the details that happened prior to my actual start on Tuesday, but if what I'm doing is like this, then I can only imagine how difficult it is. Congratulations to all before me that have made this race possible, I am honored to volunteer for such a great and successful Tour of PA race.

On Tuesday was the time trial prologue and the actual first stage criterium, both in Philadelphia, (which it happens to be the same location as the Philly Phlyer's Team Time Trial and Circuit Race during my recent spring collegiate season). Both were interesting, and I got to witness most of them, the most I got to see of this tour. Wednesday was the second stage with two KOMs, 2 Sprints and a feed zone. 91 miles from Downington to Carlisle, I was in the truck behind the caravan, picking up signs along the way (you know, "50 KM to go", "30 KM to go" spring and KOM signs, etc). So I didn't get to see anything but the start of the race. This morning was a 104 miler with two KOMs, two sprints and 2 feed zones. We had to line up right before the riders took off, so I barely got to see anything. For both of the last races I was able to give my camera to someone I knew who both would see more of the races than me. Because we had an interesting KOM today, riders were dropping back and we were able to see some of them since we did a pretty good job staying in the caravan, so tomorrow I'm going to try my luck and hope that happens again so I can take a few pictures of them when we drive by any.

Tomorrow is a short race, 59.5 miles, from Bedford to Latrobe so there are no feed zones nor sprints. There are, however, two KOMs, so we still have some signs to take down. However, we should be able to stay in the caravan section for most of the race until closer to the end when we'll have more signs to pick up. Saturday we go from Ligonier through Latrobe to Pittsburgh, and then Sunday is the Circuit Race in Pittsburgh, which I can't wait because I'll have more time to watch the race then since there will be no following of the riders and stuff.

I miss riding my bike though, and seeing all of these guys about my age riding their bikes, makes me jealous!!

I'll wait until Monday when I get home for another post, stay tuned! In the meantime try to catch this race on the Versus channel and go to http://www.tourofpa.com/ for regular updates! I will probably be in a picture on http://www.dailypeloton.com/ as well, as there was a lady taking pictures and asked some of us to get together for one. I'll let you know!

Living on the road

Pretty soon I will be leaving for my friend's house before we head down towards Philadelphia for the Tour of PA. I am taking my laptop but I don't know how often I'll get to use it since I won't be able to sleep until late and have to get up pretty early each day. I have my camera but won't be able to post pictures until I get back next Monday.

Just a reminder, if you get a moment to watch it, the Tour of PA will be featured on the Versus channel from Wednesday to Saturday at 6:00 and on Sunday at 5:30. That's Eastern Standard Time (EST). I'm sure if you go to their website during the week (www.versus.com) you might be able to catch a few highlights videos.

Busy Times Now

First off, the exciting news! I will be working at the Tour of PA that is the first of its kind in the United States (or from what I've read). It is a 6-day stage race running from the 24th to the 29th. I will be taking my camera, but can't guarantee that I can take pictures if I'm working. The Tour of PA will also be on the Versus channel so if you want feel free to watch and look for me at the finish lines of each stage. Check out the Versus website for listings! I can't wait to head down to Philadelphia next Monday to start working on Tuesday. What's even better is that it goes towards Pittsburgh, eventually finishing in Pittsburgh on the last day. I can't want to see PIttsburgh, where I almost went to a school in the area (Robert Morris University).

Next... To Road Race or to Crit, that is the question. this weekend there is a Road Race on Saturday and Criterium on Sunday, both in the same area of Bloomsburg, PA. Because of gas I only want to do one or the other, if I do any, since I don't want to drive both days and don't know anyone in Bloomsburg that I could sleep at between both days. I might skip both since I need to save up some money for a concert I'm hoping to go to, and albeit both races have money rewards (I think) for Cat 5, I know my chances of winning any money is no better than 100-1.

Next... I joined a local group ride that a friend of mine has told me about. Bunch of older guys, several like to go at a slower pace while some are Tri-athletes and road racers that like to go at a faster, more serious pace. I joined the second group of guys, but we regroup often and what ends up happening is that when we regroup, us faster guys will get in the middle or behind of the slower guys for a mile or so to recover, and then we take off again. The slower guys didn't seem to mind so whatever works, right? Every Tuesdays and Thursdays, I think I'm joining them tomorrow for maybe half of the ride since I do play basketball Thursday nights. Tuesday night we left at about 5:30 and didn't get back until 8ish. I didn't get home until 8:30, I ended up doing about 42 miles total in about 2 and a half hours total (we take breaks when we regroups, one of the downsides of this group ride).

Probably the last thing for tonight, this Friday is the start of the Professional Track season at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center (formally the Lehigh Valley Velodrome) in Trexlertown, PA. My friend Kim will be racing Friday night so I'm excited to start seeing the professional race, the same night I want to be racing in 10 years or earlier. I think I would have more potential as a track racer than road.

Anyways, that's it for tonight. Tomorrow, instead of doing the Thursday night crit (expected to rain I think), I'll just stay local and do a light ride or join the group ride for 10 miles or so before turning around and heading home. Don't want to use all of my energy if I'm playing basketball later.

Next week when I'm doing the Tour of PA, I'm not sure if I'm going to have much internet time between end of day and sleep, as well as in the morning between sleeping and going to next stage race. If I can grab a few minutes during my busy week I'll make several posts next week about the stage races and my experiences. If not, expect a LOOOONG post when I get back the following weekend!

Cargas Criterium Post-Race Report

The course was a good one. two nearly-90 degree turns and the other two are more of a longer curve in the road than a turn. Uphill finish as expected by the hill profile I dug up.

I was on the trainer for 10 minutes, then got off the trainer and rode around a little. Then when the kids races were over, the course was open but the president of the club had an extra jersey he was bringing, and he showed up like 20 minutes before the scheduled race, so I had to try and pin the number on the jersey and then get everything else ready. Scheduled time was 1:20, and I was ready just before that and wanted to take a lap around before the actual start. I went up the "finishing hill" to take a lap or two, but saw that Cat 4/5 were already lining up. I had no idea and ended up in the back and knew I was screwed already.

Well, the whistle went off and I started to sprint to get my way to the front. I kept getting cut off by other riders wanting to do the same exact thing, so coming around the the base of the hill before the end of the first lap, I was in the back quarter of the field, and pushed up the hill with my teammate Aaron right next to me. I stuck with the field again, trying to move towards the front, but getting cut off again and coming around to the hill I was in the back again, but this time no such luck staying with the field and dropped off the back. I wasn't too far back until the start of the fourth lap when the field started to drop more people off the back on the hill. The biggest problem with this course was that just before the hill is one of the near-90 degree turns, and so the people in the front would speed through, and the further back you are, the more you're using your brakes, so the people in the front have a lot of momentum and the riders in the back have to push harder up the hill.

Anyways, I got lapped like 4 times, and with 5 or 6 laps to go the official started to take out anyone who were lapped or WAY out of contention, so Bob (our president) and I were pulled while Aaron did a good job staying in the field. However, he was in the back and with 4 laps to go we started shouting that he needs to get to the front now for any sort of chance. He couldn't push forward and so he finished in the back of the field, which split up on the last lap.

This was probably the WORST performance I've ever had, even worse than my very first race at Rutgers last year. There was at least one guy behind, I think he pulled himself off the course after getting lapped once. I stayed in, wanting to finish, until the official started pulling. I don't know if I'm being placed or not. I will post about that tomorrow or Tuesday, by which time the results should be posted.

This was a bad day for me, I don't know if I wasn't ready (i.e. didn't warm up or eat enough), or if it was just overall a bad day that nothing could have made it better. I think the second was the situation today, as I think I ate and drank enough, and had at least 20 minutes of warming up.

I have more work to do than I thought I did. Next week is Bloomsburg Town Park Criterium on Sunday. I think I'm opting out, taking a few weeks off from racing before the JBN race, which is one of two main focuses right now. My other is the Pottsville City Cycle 17 race.

I have some exciting news which I will keep the suspense up by waiting until later this week to post.

Too many!

I just checked the registered riders for the Cargas Criterium, now that registrations are over. 58 riders are currently registered for the Men's Cat 4/5 race!!! Why not split it up into two different races now, since that is pretty large and I know there will be many day-of-registrations not counted for at the moment. So, I would say maybe 65-75 total???

So, first off, this is my first combined categories race if I haven't mentioned that yet, and second off it is a large field. What should I expect? I'm starting to get scared and nervous that I might end up in the middle of a pack, and may cause or become involved in a crash.

Weather is going to be nice on Sunday. Not stormy as it was expected earlier this week. Storm will come tomorrow afternoon/evening, and end in the middle of the night. Sunny and cloudy most of the day Sunday!

Post coming Sunday night or Monday, watch out for it, it might just come out of nowhere and bite you.

Thursday Night Training Series report

So last night, I finally made my way down to Trexlertown for the TNTS crit. I had no intention of going all out in this training crit, since I'm doing a criterium this weekend. I talked to the coach of our team who was doing the training crit as well and he said to just sit in, so I thought it would be that easy... HECK NO!

Right off the start people started sprinting and going hard, so I tried my best to stay towards the back of the pack. On the third lap of 15, there was a sprint (sprints are every 3 laps) and I already got off the back. By the end of the race I was lapped twice, which was pretty disappointing, but hey, it's only a training crit that cost me $5. I'll be doing the Cargas Criterium this weekend, next week I'll do the training crit again and maybe the Bloomsburg criterium that weekend.

Now, I gotta go lift at the weightroom, and go for a 2+ hour bike ride!

Cargas Criterium

So, I just signed up for the Cargas Criterium, my first USCF race this summer (late start, I know). I don't know why I registered for the race this early in the week, probably because I'm up at about 2am in the morning and really can't sleep right now and have nothing better to do. That is a problem I've been having lately, haven't been getting much sleep lately, but I won't bore you with that. I'm also hoping to kill some major time with this post!

So the criterium is this Sunday in Lancaster, PA. going to be a bit of a drive, about 1 hour and 30-40 minutes. I hope to meat my teammates halfway in the Reading area so we can carpool, since we will be coming from different directions before crossing on route 222.

Short, one mile loop, I signed up for the Cat 4/5 race. My first 4/5 combined race, I would love to see if I can beat any cat 4 riders to prove to myself that I can upgrade by the end of the summer. What's even better for me is that I will be part of a team this year and not unattached.

Anyways, we're doing 20 miles which would be 20 laps, with a short sudden climb at the end of each lap and with an uphill finish from what I can see from the hill profile. I used Sanoodi.com to determine the hill profile since the flier only gave the map of the course and location.

For this race, my main objective is not to get lapped. Second objective, top 15 finish. I have become a much better racer since last summer, and have learned about energy efficiency when racing.

Weather shows scattered storms, with 30-40% chance. Hm... I think I'll be fine. Race goes off at about 1:20, finally an afternoon criterium that I don't have to get really early for!!!

Results and my impressions Sunday evening.

Crap, only killed like 15 minutes... what to do now, I wonder..................

Triple Crown Classics at Reading

On Thursday I got to go to Reading, PA to see the second race in the Triple Crown Classics series, sponsored by Commerce Bank. Just a post for some pictures I took

got to race about 2-3 minutes late, this picture takes place of the start picture I wanted to take

My friend Kimberly Geist (on left in blue and black) of Metro VW.

This has to be one of the best pictures I've taken in my life. I like how I managed to somehow focus on her and "blur" out the background on a simple Kodak digital camera. My friend Kim again.


This is the finish. The girl in white is Miss Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, very talented woman on the bike. Congratulations to her on beating out 4 other woman in the lead pack.

Today is the Philly race which I could not make it because of the basketball tournament I'm officiating this afternoon. My money's on Miss Ina for the win of the whole Triple Crown series.

change of plans, again

My parents decided we weren't going on vacation next weekend, rather sometime in July, so I will most likely be doing the Cargas race. I have asked off from work for the weekend from Friday to Monday for the vacation, so I can get plenty of rest and have plenty of time to be nervous haha.

Training plan for this week I am tweaking a bit than originally planned. I'm not riding today because I am officiating a basketball tournament this afternoon (two semi-finals and a championship match). I'm sure I'll be running enough for those high school level games. If I get back home in time, I might go out for a light recovery ride, or I'll try to do an hour in my room, with or without a training video (CTS Sprinting or Time Trial). Then tomorrow, one hour ride, 2 hour Wednesday, training crit on Thursday with maybe 50-70% effort, light recovery ride Friday for an hour or so, then Saturday I'll either take the day off or do some short riding around the neighborhood, maybe a few 10 second sprints and work on my cornering. I really wish I had a group to ride with in this area, pack-riding is still my worse weakness and fear.

Post on the Cargas Criterium coming this week.