Where the 'Magic' happens

Ok, now that I have got the http://www.muscatinecycling.com/ website up & running, I can get back to my blogging... and just in time, as the roller racing season is about to get into full swing. Yes, I am ready... and I know you all are interested in seeing where all the 'magic' happens... so here it is...


My bedroom for the 2009 Winter Training season is where I train, eat, sleep, watch tv, read books and entertain the ladies.

Ok, 'entertaining the ladies' is a bit of a stretch, unless perhaps I have some sort of female stalker peaking through my window from the bike path a live adjacent too.

My bathroom is connected to this room as well, so I really have no reason to leave this area of my house except to go to Roller Races in Iowa this year and kick everyone's butt.

Speaking of that, the first race is this Sunday in West Des Moines. I bit of a long drive for a 2 mile Time Trial, but I honestly have nothing better to do. Yes, that is sort of pathetic, but is the dead of winter in Iowa and school hasn't started yet, gimme a break. Below is a picture from last year's event...

The race is actually in a mall, so get out your Teen Beat magazines, because Tiffany will be there singing 'I think we're alone now', along with about 40 or 50 sweaty cyclists freaking out the passing mall shoppers.

Hopefully all of my bedside sweating sessions will pay off as I hope to earn one of the three paying 'podium' positions in the Cat 1,2,3 division.

New Website for Muscatine Cycling

As president and communications director of the local bike club, I charged myself with creating a new website that would represent a variety of Muscatine Cycling groups and activities. Though it is in a sort of 'beta' version, it is up and running so go check it out and update your links accordingly.

http://www.muscatinecycling.com/.

I will have my hands full updating that site and my blog, but I should be able to manage. Actually, the racing team's race reports will all be housed on this site, so I won't have to double up.

In other news, I am preparing to do a few roller races in 2009 by training with some local muscatine riders at the bike shop. Below is a picture of Joe Mann, and his son riding behind him as they warm up for the 2 mile Time Trial, during our Friday night training workouts.

Excuse Me, Mr. President

I have recently been elected to serve as the 2009 President of the bike club here in Muscatine. Ah yeah, time to shake some things up!

In addition, I was appointed to the new 'Communications Director' postion, and will be creating a brand new web site for the group... (muscatinecycling.org). It should be up and ready early in 2009 and be a great resource for Iowa/Illinois recreational and competitive cyclists.

I start grad school next winter as well, so I will definately be busy. I am making sure, however, to leave enough free time for my training, as I feel a great season is in the making.

Well, off to the 'Friday Night Fights'... that is sort of my nickname for the racing team's weekly roller Time Trials. Should be some good pain.

'What are you looking at? Wanna fight?"

I stumbled upon a new way to 'cross train' this winter, that will provide multiple benefits... FITNESS BOXING.

I received an Everlast heavy bag and gloves for my birthday and am excited to begin weekly boxing workouts that will help develop my core, cardio, strength, and self-esteem. I am learning all of the various boxing moves (uppercut, jab, knee to the groin, etc.) as well as boxing fitness routines that include jump rope, push-ups, squats, etc.
As an added bonus, I am also planning on learning how to street fight. Yes, I am getting tired of getting my ass kicked walking down the dark alleys of Downtown Muscatine on my way home from ballet rehearsal. Being able to defend yourself is definately not a bad thing.
Perhaps my new 'street fighting' capabilities can help me to intimidate USCF referees into seeing things my way, whenever I need to contest the results. I suppose if I do poorly at a crit, I can blame another racer for bumping my wheel, or not keeping his line. Then challenge him to a post-race smackdown.

I will post some pictures, maybe video, of my training as it progresses. Currently, I am recovering from a sprained wrist, as I didn't wrap my hand properly during Saturday Night's 1am 'demo' class that I held in my basement.

I did get OUTSIDE both saturday and sunday on the bike for good workouts. I definately feel very confident about my winter fitness plan. I will enter a few Roller Races to confirm my form and motivate my training. I am hoping to medal in the Cat 1,2,3 Iowa State Roller Championships. I was a silver medalist as a Cat 4, so I will have my work cut out for me to acheive success at this next level.

'Ain't Going Out Like That'... 2008 Year In Review

Ok,the end of the 2008 racing season was sort of anti-climactic, so I decided to post my top 8 highlights of the year, in an attempt to gear up for 2009... appreciating my successes, and repressing my failures. Below they are listed in chronological order.

#1 - Silver Medal - Iowa State Roller Champs - Feb. 24th

I set my sights on upgrading to Cat 3, early in 2008, which fueled my winter training to unprecedented heights. The result, a PR on the 2 mile Roller TT of 5min. 18sec. and a Cat 4 Silver medal, conceding only to Shawn Loomis (who nearly went sub 5min).

#2 1st Place in Cat 3 Debut at Finchord Roubaix - April 13th

I scored points in each of my first 4 road races of 2008, which gave me enough total to upgrade to Cat 3 for the race in Finchford, Iowa. I was both nervous and excited to be racing against this more experienced and skilled Cat 3 field. After a couple laps of attacks by other teams, I launched my own with another rider. He fell off my wheel eventually, and I basically pulled off a lengthy solo breakaway to win the day. What a great start to my Cat 3 racing career.

#3 - 2nd Place - QCBC 20k TT Championships - May 18th

I had just gotten my first TT bike earlier in the month, but felt sharp and ready to go for this race. I noted that the course record was 26min 13 seconds, and decided to use that as my goal. Sure, that is a lofty ambition, but I was on a roll, having just come in 2nd overall at the Cinco DU Mayo Duathlon in Davenport, Ia, with the fastest bike split. I crossed the line at 26:16, just missing the course record. I was stoked. Oops, Bryce Mead, a professional TT specialist from Team Jelly Belly entered this race and bettered my time by approxiamately one minute.

#4 - 7th Place - Melon City Crit - May 25th

This is my hometeam race, so always a sort of 'goal event'. 81 racers from all over the region lined up for the Cat 3 race, and I was happy to have executed a very 'smart' race. I used my fitness strategically and fought my way to the front during the final sprint.

#5 - Silver Medal - Iowa State Cat 3 Road Championships - Aug. 2nd

Lining up against 45 Cat 1,2,3's for a 108 mile road race was truly a memorable experience. There were 21 Cat 3's aiming for the three available medals, in a race that was quite simply much too long for our capabilities. I was one of the last cat 3 men standing and won the chase group 'sprint' to get this Medal.

#6 Gold Medal - Iowa State Cat 3 TT Championships - Aug. 10th

I pulled off a great demonstration of my TT fitness at this event. I surpassed my expectations with a time of 53min. 27seconds (27.9mph ave). This easily gave me the Cat 3 gold, not to mention 2nd overall.

#7 - 2nd Overall - Du State Duathlon - Aug. 17th

Hoping to capitalize on my Bike Strength, I subjected myself to the horrors of a duathlon, knowing my running was weak. I clawed my way up to first place as the third transition (run) began, and only conceded one place to come in 2nd overall. Sweet!

#8 - 3rd Overall - DICE Cyclocross Series - Nov. 23rd.

I can't lie, my cyclocross season sucked. However, by competing in seven cyclocross races this year, I have successfully maintained my fitness, creating a great foundation for this winter and spring. Coming in third in the DICE series is still a highlight, because placing top 3 in this series was my main goal from the start of the fall season, and, I nearly blew it, but I didn't.

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Ok, I do feel a bit better now. That will help set the tone for 2009. More on that in future blogs.

The Ban is lifted

Ok, the Ban on anonymous posting has been lifted a few days ahead of schedule after considering username 'bird''s suggestion.

No longer Internally Combustible

Didn't make it to the Jingle Cross, but sure did get some great fitness by preparing for it this fall. Oddly, I got what I wanted from the event. For example, I can now do 53 push-ups. How many can you do? Go ahead, give it a shot and don't cheat.... (the average adult male can do 27).

Had a great outdoor ride thanksgiving day, and then took some time off of the bike to transition to the next period of training. I have read that taking a week off a few times per year is a good thing. I can say, that it really upsets my brain not to train. Well I didn't make it a week, only lasted four days.

There is a tuesday night 'trainer/roller' club starting in town. We had a killer workout last tuesday. I won most of the stop ahead signs. It helped that we weren't actually moving forward, and no one can technically prove me wrong.

I have plenty of topics planned for the december 'off-season', please check back from time to time and I promise to entertain, enlighten, engorge, entail, enlist, and entrust, but not necessarily in that order.