Haha very funny

If I haven't mentioned it yet, I am a High School official for basketball and soccer, as well as doing youth organizations. One of my basketball officiating "brother" sent out an email to the "brotherhood of officials" (10 or so of us in the brotherhood of "Axis of Evil" as we're called) busting me about not doing as well as I said I would in the Pottsville race, and then another "brother" sent out this email in response:

Test results just announced by head of city rec. dept.,Mary Quirk, that bicyclist,Zach Ellwood, had a high amount of FIC in his urine test which explains Zach's poor finish in last weeks race.Zach ,who touted throughout the "Deuce" that this was his year to win it all ,never thought that the substance would show up in his post race urine sample. When I questioned the local lab about the substance symbol,which perplexed even the so called "experts" the tester told me it is a very common substance found in O-Burg area people and that Zach is just a victim of his environment. The FIC is .....................................

FREEZE ICE CREAM!!!!!!
That explains why Zach had that extra "spare tire",better luck next year,follow in the feet of Stepdad and drink your nourishment

Yours in sports,
Joe-Secretary Pottsville Basketball Officials

Freeze is an Ice Cream/Restaurant place just outside of my hometown. And my "stepdad" is another official that everyone calls my other dad because I'm always around him and I do look up to him as well. I thought this was funny enough to share.

And actually, another funny thing is that I haven't been to Freeze in at least a year! I'M INNOCENT I TELL YA!

Allentown Sportsfest Race Report

Another PR today. Average speed of 20.6 mph at finishing line. Could have been higher but I'll get to that in a bit.

Before the race as I was warming up, I noticed my front derailleur was acting strange. I COULDN'T GET INTO THE LARGE RING!! My buddy from the local bike shop was there to race Cat 5 as well, so he looked at it quickly and told me to just try to get into the large ring and stay in that ring throughout the race. I was able to get it into the large ring eventually and didn't even touch the left shifter except to brake. Turns out you could do this criterium in the large ring alone.

So the races were all behind about 15 minutes, and of course since we're Cat 5 and we "really don't matter all that much" they knocked our race from 12 laps to 10 laps, so we only did 8 miles (.8 miles per lap). I had a good start, was in the middle of the pack for the first lap or two, then started dropping back. I was able to stay directly behind the pack for another few laps until my legs were getting that stiff feeling from the lactate threshold level being reached or surpassed. So I just kind of backed off a little, hoping I would sprint on the downhill to catch up. No luck. There were at least two guys that got dropped before me, and so I kind of slowed down. (This is where my average mph could have been higher if I didn't slow down to let these guys catch up to me). Anyways, so they caught up to me, but the older rider couldn't keep up anymore and so I rode with just the one guy. Pissing me off by drafting me, and I've tried everything to get him to pull through, except actually saying "hey buddy, pull through and do some of the work" (I'm still shy about that kind of stuff).

So then on the second to last lap, I started slowing down conserving my energy and had my head tilted back to see what this guy was doing. This lap we were doing like 13 or 14 mph, just trying to see what the other was doing and figuring out what we needed to do. coming around the first turn of the last lap I was able to get him to pull through and I drafted him until the 2nd turn which he just didn't want to lead anymore. I stayed on his side and on the third turn, I started sprinting and got ahead of him by maybe 5 yards, I sat down until the fourth turn, still looking back to see where he was, and then a few seconds out of that turn I got out of the saddle and sprinted for the finish line ahead of him. Just to prove I am a tactical rider and a darn good sprinter. I just need to be up front so the sprinting power can be useful.

for a good article on this subject, big guys like me and sprinting, speed, etc., click here to go to my blog-friend Ron over at Cozy Beehive who found an article about it

According to the final results I finished second to last, but like I said before, there was at least one more rider behind me than the guy I finished with. I don't know how many started, but hopefully the DNFs will be posted as well when the results are posted online.

Like I said, I think I have great sprinting potential, it's just a matter of staying with the lead pack until the finish where I can unleash the beast in me.

Tomorrow I start training at the track. I still don't have a track bike so I will have to use one of the velodrome's bikes, which are provided for free when you do the Air Products Developmental Cycling Program. I will be participating in two of their programs; Adult Advanced and Adult Fitness. I can't wait. I also hope to get a track bike before the Air Product Finals, which is the last night of Professional racing at this velodrome, which has a "special" race for those that participated in the Air Products program. So I will get to race on a Friday night in front of hundreds, if not thousands, of spectators, as well as many who will watch it live on TV on the local channel. Talk about pressure!

Pottsville City Cycle 17 Race Report

so today I did the Pottsville City Cycle 17, a non-usac sanctioned race. Last year I did horrible, but this year I did a lot better. I did 17 miles in just over an hour, and had my best average during any race which was 17 mph. This was with a power climb on each lap (3+ miles per lap) that I couldn't make it up each lap without walking up except for the last lap last year. This year, I got up all 5 times, and not only that, I got up quicker on all the laps individually than I did the only time I got up last year. My climbing skills are getting better!!!

My time was something like 1:01:16. Last year my time was like 1:08 or somewhere around there, so I did beat my time last year by 5 minutes. I placed 45th out of well over 60 riders. This year there were a lot more competitive guys than there were last year, which did play on my mind mentally prior to the race and probably was why I dropped off the back of the main group through the bike path on the first lap. After getting dropped I decided to race against my time last year. Next year I hope to do around 55 minutes.

Anyways, my buddy who races for Kutztown University won the race, beating the guy who won this race 5-7 years on the row. My buddy just barely beat him out in the sprint.

Now I must relax and get ready for my race tomorrow morning, a 12 lap x .8 mile/lap criterium. Knowing that I did 17 mph average today, I should do well tomorrow.

Overall, I felt great and comfortable on the course. The one turn I was always having problems with last year, I only went off on the first lap when I was with the leading pack. Someone kind of got in my line and I was forced off the road, but not so much that I got right back in where I was in the pack. Other than that, I was comfortable. Now I must concentrate tomorrow morning... race report will come tomorrow night or Monday.

Double Header this weekend

This is one of the few weekends I've been waiting for all summer. The Pottsville City Cycle 17 race on Saturday and the Allentown Sportsfest on Sunday. I can't wait. Huge Carb-loading starts Thursday Afternoon for this weekend, and then at least a day off from riding next Monday!

Saturday's race, Pottsville City Cycle 17, starts at 10:00. 17 miles total, with 5 three mile loops. Since the course is about a 15 minute drive from my house, I've been training on it for the last several weeks, as well as a few times earlier in the summer. I will go there one more time tomorrow before the race.

I plan to get there around 8:00 or 8:30 (it will get crowded since there is a kid's race before this race) so I can go around the course at least one time as warm up, and then get on the trainer or just ride around the parking lot and course until the race starts.

Last year I didn't do too well, on account that my bike was in the shop for a week up until the night before the race, so I had no time to practice that week. My legs were stiff and not ready that morning, and I felt it through the whole race. I did somewhere around a hour and 6 minutes, placing 48th out of atleast 60. This race is open to ANYONE, of any age and skill level, so there aren't categories as USAC races are.

My friend Kyle from Kutztown placed 2nd last year, and he plans to go for first this year. Another one of his teammates from Kutztown, Noah, will be joining, so I believe the two of us will help Kyle throughout the race to get first, while we'll place, hopefully, top 5. My only enemy is 18th street, a power climb that is pretty scary. If I can get up that with Kyle and Noah, I should be fine, however they're both Cat 3 while I'm cat 5 so they could very well get ahead of me easily. I'll just sprint on the downhill to catch up with them if I have to on each lap.

Then Sunday... Allentown. I remember this course from last year and liked it a lot. 12 laps of .8 mile each. This is the one that I mistakenly tried on the 3rd or 4th lap to push myself towards the front of the pack on the slight uphill at the start of each lap, and burnt out my energy. This time I will just try to get a good start and be close to the front of the pack during the race. At some point, if no one does yet, I will probably initiate an attack (I hope no one else doing the race is reading this!) to speed things up, and maybe have a few others leading the race that I could work with to keep away from the pack and finish together with a sprint. I have a lot of confident in myself for this one, because I did well last year in this one and could have done better if I didn't make that mistake on the 3rd or 4th lap. I was very comfortable sitting in the back half of the pack while waiting for something to happen. I just got impatience with myself and the rest of the pack that I wanted to partake in some of the actions up front. Anyways, I hope I can make the breakaway with another few riders to place top 5. If that doesn't happen, I will try to place top 10. My main objective is to finish with or ahead of the main pack and not get lapped!

Saturday afternoon I'll post about Pottsville, Sunday or Monday I will post about Allentown.

I'm coming home!

Monday morning, we're going to be packing shortly and then loading up the two cars to head home. I can't wait to get home!

The purpose of this post is for two things... first is to say I did not rent a bike as I wanted to, because I realized that with the flatness of these roads near the shore, and I did a hill profile it is an altitude change of like 15 feet on this island of Stone Harbor and Avalon, and the shortness of the island that I could go from the tip of Avalon (North) and the tip of Stone Harbor (South) in like 25 minutes or less, and it is about 12.5 miles long. It would be more like a time trial workout, maybe do some sprints. I wouldn't have wanted to do like 5 or 6 loops to get a 2+ hours workout. I also wouldn't have been able to find any hills unless I went out of, what I would consider, my comfort zone since I do not know the area that well. The only thing I know are the roads of this island.

The other reason is to announce my race schedule (to the right) has changed. There are possible races I can do every weekend until the end of August except for one weekend, and even though I'll most likely not be doing all of them, I don't know which ones I will be doing. The definites are the Allentown Sportsfest race, Pottsville race, and the Lehigh Valley Winery Criterium. I'd like to do a road race for once (besides collegiate) and so Deodate is highly a possibility.

Now, I pack...

Momma, what's vay-kay-shun mean?

If you don't know where that's from, then you missed out on a great movie! (Forrest Gump)

Anyways, I am going on vacation Saturday morning and got some sad news... my parents are not allowing me to bring my bike. We're only going until Monday but I can't live without riding my bike. Heck, I had to go a whole week without riding because I was working the Tour of PA, and that was almost murderous on me, especially when 100+ other riders around my age were riding their bikes and I had to freakin' work. So I was thinking about how I will survive (again) without my bike, even for less than 72 hours. Then it hit me, I remembered that there is a bike rental place. So I went to google "bike rental in Stone Harbor" and it was the first Google hit. Harbor Bike & Beach Shop

Looking at the rates, I can either rent a road bike for 3 hours for $16 or for another $9 I can rent one for 24 hours ($25). I would either just ride Saturday or Sunday and do the 3 hours (2 hour bike ride or so), or I can do a ride Saturday evening and a ride Sunday morning within 24 hours... decisions, decisions. I guess I'll just decide when I get there. I just don't know if I can bring my own pedals since they have the clip and straps on their bikes (according to the pictures). Maybe they will swap pedals if I bring my own? If not I can probably just swap them easily and they wouldn't know, unless they have a way of figuring that out but I doubt it. I'll probably also bring my HRM watch along, but the computer stays home. I'll be doing some work on the bike tomorrow morning before leaving, taking the pedals and HRM off.

Anyways, I'm excited to go to the beach for the weekend. We're all busy these days that we can't go for a full week like we used to all the time, but we might get a chance to in August before the youngest (of five kids) in the family starts college (where does the time go?). I will post about my vacation Monday night.

One last thing, congratulations to Kimberly Geist for a good night of racing at the track tonight during the pro series. She got 2nd place in the Miss-and-Out race, and didn't do bad during the other races. She also earned $50 during a preme race and just barely had $20 stolen at the last second of another lap. Good Job Kim!

Tagged

So my Friend, Ron of Cozy Behive, tagged me in Six Random Things About Me. So I have to write six random things about myself.

The rules are:

Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
Write six random things about yourself.
Tag six people at the end of your post.
Let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog
Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

So here I go:

1) I dream of being a National Basketball Association (NBA) official some days

2) I have a high IQ, but am not book smart (Similar to Albert Einstein)

3) I regret never taking up cycling at an earlier age, before I got fat!

4) Tennis and Horse-Back riding have always been interesting to me, and I'd like to take up both eventually, in addition to my cycling

5) I believe in the Extra-Terrestrials and the Paranormals.

and last, but not least...

6) I have never been out of the Eastern Standard Timezone, and regret not going to England with my parents and two of my siblings when I had the opportunity to

Ok, this was tougher than I thought it would be.

Now I have to tag six people... The six people I tag are Brittney, Chris, Cycling Dude, Rebecca, SierraMTB and Bike Lane Diary.

Tour of PA RECAP

Thank you to all that have sent your messages, emails, posts about the death of my cat. I appreciate all of them!


So a week ago yesterday, I got home from the Tour of PA week, which was just an awesome experience. We arrived in Philadelphia on June 23, slept at a Crown Plaza, and went to the Memorial Park in Philadelphia on the 24th for the Prologue Time Trial and the Stage 1 Criterium. Both were fun, and we really didn't have to do much, just put up a few signs, take down a few signs, and do a number of random stuff. I got to watch most of the Criterium which was fun, and Kyle and I did watch some of the Time trials prior to that.

Then we headed to Downington and slept at a Holiday Inn, which was pretty nice. The next day we arrived to the start line of the Stage 2 road race, which ended in Carlisle. I was part of the Sign PickUp Crew as I called it. Basically we followed the race and picked up all of the signs along the way, such as the 50 KM To Go, 30 KM To Go, KOM and Sprint signs, etc. Mike and I were in charge of picking the signs up while Victor drove the truck. When we ended up in Carlisle, we transported stuff from one truck to the other as needed, helped teams unload their stuff from the Pitt Ohio trucks, and then headed to another Holiday Inn we were staying at for the next night.

Stage 3, Camp Hill to Bedford, this was just a little more than 100 miles long with 2 KOMs, 2 Sprints and 2 Feed Zones. Stage 4 went from Bedford to Latrobe, which I believe was a short day. Stage 5 was about 90-some miles, but the last 10-15 miles was ended with 3 circuits. That one went from Ligonier, through Latrobe where we finished the day before, and ended up in Pittsburgh. This was my first time in Pittsburgh. Then another criterium in Pittsburg, 50 miles as originally scheduled...

We had a tornado warning (IN PITTSBURGH?!) so the race was halted after a few races, and because it was being televised on Versus, they needed to make sure the race would continue eventually and end within the time alloted. So, for every 3 minutes the race was halted, the race officials dropped one lap. By the time the race was restarted, it was down to 18 laps, so about 10 laps were "canceled". Then the officials said that this criterium would not be counted for the whole tour, but would only count for itself. So in another sense, the race, sprint, and mountain leaders, and best young rider were all determined after the 5th stage. I thought that was stupid, but whatever. The race went on with 18 laps to go and the field split up immediately since there were a lot of riders not riding to race, but riding because they felt they needed to because of the sponsors and all with the TV being involved. I found out later when talking to some of the riders that NO ONE wanted to race anymore, they only did because it was being televised and to satisfy the sponsors. Riders were being dropped within the last 8 or so laps when they would fall back too far, and eventually it was down to, I would say, 20 or 30 riders in the main field. It came down to a sprint finish (by now the sun did stop by and dry up the road a bit) and the US National Criterium Champ, Daniel Holloway, won the criterium.

So that's my recap. I had a lot of fun and, being that I am a sport management major, I realized that THIS is the kind of stuff I want to do. Work for Pro Cycling Tour or other similar organizations and help with races, teams, etc. I hope to do an internship with Pro Cycling Tour, which has a headquarter within 2 hours of my hometown, so an internship with them is definitely not impossible for me! My supervisor, who "answers" to these guys for these races (he also helped with the Triple Crown that my friend raced in) and gave me the name, number and emails for the contact person, so I definitely have my foot in the door!

Anyways, Thank you for reading, and sorry it took so long to actually make this post. I hope to have more opportunities to do these kind of stuff, especially if I can get an internship!

RIP Sunny

Just over an hour ago, I had to put my cat to sleep. She was a great cat and I will miss her until the day we meet again at that place beyond the sky. Vet said she probably had a stroke several days ago and that is why she wasn't able to eat, drink, or walk much the last few days. I feel bad that I wasn't there for her until I came home from the Tour of PA yesterday, and kind of mad that my mom didn't call me about it but I'm sure it was because she didn't know herself if Sunny would be OK or not.


This is a collage "banner" I made several years ago when I wanted to make my cat feel special and let her know that she is very important in my life. I'm glad I did this, I have some pictures to remember her by, including some today that were taking during her last few hours.

RIP Sunny. I love you and will miss you! You cannot be replaced...