hiatus

I have decided to take a hiatus from racing this summer. While I may do one or two races on the track this summer, I just need to focus on my own health and fitness before focusing on racing and winning races.

I have been having a rough spring and summer season, with losing a job I had, and having constant back pains for the last two months now. Trying to do stretches and light workouts in my bedroom to get past the back pains but right now nothing seems to be working. It could be something more serious that I've gone to a doctor for it, but right now I don't even have health insurance to get x-rays and stuff done. So for now I'm just trying to relax, I plan on getting back on the bike lightly pretty soon, and just take nice easy rides to see if that might help my back in any ways. I know from past experiences that riding the bike have helped my back and core get stronger, healing and previous back pains I have had and preventing further back pains. So hopefully that will be my only answer I need... to ride the bike!

So, for any of you readers that are racers in the Lehigh County and Berks County area. I wish you luck to any races you have this summer. You won't see much of me around.

Off the bandwagon

I have fallen off the bandwagon with cycling. My motivation just isn't there anymore. However I do plan to get back on it soon. Weather is getting pretty nice early this year, and my girlfriend wants me to race. So, I plan on doing just that.

I have retaken an old love of mine back in the fall, bowling. I used to bowl a lot growing up but I've lost touch with it during the college years. Last June I've met my girlfriend, now of 8-going-on-9 months. Turns out she loves to bowl and does so in leagues. I've gotten back into bowling because of her and now we bowl in a league together.

Enough of bowling, since this is a cycling blog. I might start up a new blog for that, but not sure.

I cannot believe I haven't updated this blog for almost 9 months. I don't have many readers but I hope to get back my previous readers and new ones soon.

That is it for tonight. I hope to post another one soon to update saying I am riding.

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season opening results

Today wasn't very good for me. Lack of training these last few months did it for me, sadly.

First race was a 2K (6 laps) scratch race. I actually finished the race but got second or third to last. I kept with the main pack until a two or three laps to go and then just dropped off. I was in an 86" gear (48x15) for this one, and I felt my cadence was too high and that caused me to drop off because I just wasn't getting any faster at one point.

Second race was a 3K (9 laps) point-a-lap race. for this one, I went up to 88" (49x15), which turned out to be a bad move. After the free lap, everyone just sprinted out of the fourth turn and I tried to keep up. I was able to for about a lap or so, but then because I was pushing harder to keep my speed with them, I spent my energy quicker than I expected to. I dropped out after 2 or 3 laps when I just couldn't push anymore.

Third race was a 3K Sprint Race, with a sprint lap at 6, 3 and 0 laps to go. This one, I decided to stay in 88" thinking it'd go just a little slower. I was kinda right, kinda wrong. I kept with the field for the first two laps, then someone attacked and the field broke up. Kept with one small pack for a little, but started dropping back cause they were pushing hard. I pulled up to take a second to think about it and then considered just dropping out. At about the time I was ready to get off the track, I saw the big field in front of me by about a half a lap was slowing down so I wanted to stay in and sprint hard to catch up to them. Unfortunately at this time, the race officials thought I was done and getting ready to leave that they blew the whistle and pointed to me as to say "you're done, get off now". I was kind of disappointed then.

Overall, my performance SUCKED. I did not enjoy it today and hope I will soon find the equilibrium between work and training. I really need to get back on the bike more often and SOON! Just work is kicking my @$$!!!

That is all for tonight. Next weekend R-Phils have home games so no racing. The following weekend I think it is just back to the track. Not sure if there are any local criterium or road races, but I'll update on that soon.

2010 season starts for me!

Today is the first day of Master's and Rookie's at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center (Trexlertown, PA). I'm excited, but also pretty nervous as I have not been on the bike much this last few months. Also, I've only been on the track bike once since the end of last year's track season (and that was about a month ago). So yeah, pretty nervous but I'm just going to give it all my best today. I won't be racing much this season due to my internship with the Reading Phillies. I've recently thought about just sticking with Track and not worrying about road or criterium races this season. but I'm sure I'll be motivated at some point to do some of my favorite races (i.e. Allentown Sportsfest and the Pottsville City Cycle 17).

Well, I'll post my results later today or early tomorrow.

Spring Time

This year, Spring means many things. The more important things are:

1) warmer weather
2) cycling season coming
3) BASEBALL!!!

Ok, so I never talked about baseball before, but it only matters this year to me because of my internship with the Reading Phillies (http://www.readingphillies.com). My cycling season is going to be light this year due to my internship with the R-Phils, as i am required to work all home games this year. Out of 16 total track races for me, most I can make would be 8 or 9 I believe. That's how drastically shorter my season will be compared to last year.

But yeah, I'm excited for both the Baseball season to be starting officially this week, and Cycling season is right around the corner. The Thursday Night Training Crits have started this past Thursday, but I will be making very few of those. Traffic from Reading to Trexlertown, PA is tough enough already, I just don't think I would have enough time to make it to the races and get a few laps in before the start. We'll see though.

Happy April!

Bummed out

Just had a reality check. The 2010 road and track season for me is going to be barely existence.

First, the track. According to the calendar on the velodrome's website (http://www.thevelodrome.com/) there will be a Master's and Rookies race every weekend between May 15th and September 4th. I am doing an internship with the Reading Phillies (AA Minor League affiliate of Philadelphia Phillies - rphils.com) and on weekends I only work if there is a home game. Well, that's about half of my summer weekends that I'll be working. 8 Saturdays I am not working this summer, but provided one or two weekends of vacation and other stuff that may come up, it's going to be between 5-7 races this weekend I'll be able to make up. Also can't forget weather, which has cancelled 2 or 3 races last season. The good thing that can come out of this is that I will start regularly training soon, and train hard, so I could kick it up to Category 4, maybe 3, by the end of those very few races I can make.

Road... Just like last year, Saturdays will be primarily for the track. However, if I can fit a road race with track racing on a Saturday, I will probably do that. Sundays, if there is a criterium I want to do it.

Seeing how limited even my training will be this year, I am going to focus on probably 90-95% track and not really focus on road training too much. Just like any other years, probably going to only do Criteriums if anything. I don't know how much of all-around training (hills, flats, track, downhills, etc) I could do with the time I won't have for training as I would if I didn't have this internship.

Welcome to the real world, Zach...

twenty-ten resolutions

Yes, I call it twenty-ten, I won't call it two-thousands ten.

I didn't get around to this until 4 days into the new years, but decided to write it tonight before heading to bed.

1) lose another 5-10 lbs by summer
2) get back into a regular training schedule by February
3) Upgrade to Cat 4 in Road and Cat 4 or 3 in Track
4) place top-15 in all of my road races. I simply just do not want to be lapped in criteriums anymore which will be quite an accomplishment for me this year compared to the last three seasons.
5) Buy new bikes (road, track, possibly cyclocross) and maybe upgrades for those bikes.
6) Give cyclocross a try in the fall.
7) Get more sponsors
8) Start riding 3+ hours on training days.

That's pretty much it for this year. Let's see if I can get all of them done. Happy New Year everyone!!!!