Vanucci Cycling Speed Music

January

2010-01-19T21:45:00.003-05:00

Since I've recently discovered the world of Facebook, the blog has been neglected since October. For now the plan is to do a monthly update on the blog. More posts in the summer with reports on races, trips, and photos. Cross season is over(for me) and it is was fun. Looking forward to another go at it this Fall. December was mostly rest with some freelance training.

Stina and me ran down to the Polar Plunge on New Years Day. It was snowing, so we stuck to the road since the sidewalk was too icy. It's a 6 mile run round trip. Which is good for me since I don't really run that much. I also managed to do the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. Something about running on holidays I guess.

Today was the first road ride outdoors for me. Weather and work schedule have put me into the gym and on the trainer. I am back on board with coach Sean Gilbert for 2010. So far my training has been consistent and coming along well. Hopefully I can get out to ride with my friends and teammates this weekend.

One last thing, this past friday was a return to snowboarding after a nearly four year break. Just never really felt like going I guess. Jeff McN and me talked about going back in the Fall. So we thought we'd give it a go. I started snowboarding at the age of twelve back in the winter of 1987. So aside from the last few years, I've been doing it for a long time. Even managing a couple trips to Colorado for some real terrain. Riding the lift at Brandywine the first time on Friday, I admit was nervous that I may have lost my touch. Up came the unload platform and off I went smoothly without fumbling. The rest of the night was great! It was like I didn't miss a beat. Funny how that works sometimes. Once you learn, you never really forget.

Just like riding a bicycle.

It's alive!

2009-10-28T00:09:00.002-04:00

Blog is still alive! I've been in the Facebook world recently so I've been neglecting the blog. Looking forward to Halloween and the Chagrin River CX on Sunday. Not happy about the time change!

Leroy CX

2009-10-06T21:13:00.003-04:00

Photo taken by Robert Sroka

Photo taken by Julie Sroka.

Not a good day for me. Had a front row starting position, but was quickly swallowed up by the cross gods. Slogged my way to the finish. That's about how it felt in a nutshell. Start, slog, finish.

Training is going well and coach Sean Gilbert has me on a great routine. So hopefully it will all pay off later in the series.

Next up is more training and cheering on Christina at the Columbus Marathon in two weeks.

Wendy Park Cross

2009-09-15T19:53:00.004-04:00

Did the first cross race this season at Wendy Park. The first race in the BA/TLE series. My plan going into it was to get some training data and hopefully some series points. Instead I flatted the rear tubular and crashed hard a lap later. I did manage to crawl to the finish, but only earned a handful of points. Bad day for me, oh well that's cross racing for ya. Rudy with his Zen Master talent is going to repair the tire. Much like last year's front tire. I'm very thankful because those tires weren't cheap.

I loved the course and it's fast and flowy design. My favorite part was the uphill/downhill sections just before the pier. It was great working with Bill, Tony, Nick, and Kevin during morning course set-up. Wish I could've helped out on Saturday. Stina came to watch the race only to see me bruised and battered. After course breakdown, we all went to the marina outdoor patio for some beer and food. Fun times as always with the whole gang. We had 140 racers, which is our best turnout ever in the 11 years of the series. Great day for the team!

Next race is Stark Velo's cross at Kent State Stark campus. Round #2 in the series.

Cross Practice

2009-09-06T15:19:00.002-04:00

Today was some cross practice in Bay Village. Matt, Nate, and myself mapped out a lap. We practiced dismount/remount to warm-up and then did laps. I did them in intervals, some fast and some slow. Focusing on skills was my main objective today. Total for me was a little over two hours. Bike set-up is decent. Got a couple tweaks to make and probably switch a couple parts.
More cross practice on Tuesday.

Tomorrow is a fun group ride starting at Lock 29 in the CVNP. We'll be doing about 45 miles at a comfortable pace. The ride goes at 12pm. We'll be dining at Winking Lizard following the ride. All weclome to join if you are looking for a fun ride.

See you out there!

Pictures

2009-08-25T16:33:00.013-04:00

Here is a few pictures from our adventures in Colorado this past week. Hiking to the crest of Pahnee Pass.

About to throw a snowball to Stina.

Standing at the top of Pahnee Pass.

Riding the lower slopes of Mt.Evans hillclimb. The start is located in Idaho Springs. Approx 14 miles to the pay station.

Riding past Echo Lake at 10,000 feet.

We paid our $3 fee and began the next 14 miles to the summit of Mt. Evans.

Pacing Stina about 4 miles to the summit.

Working together with one to go!

We made it! My third time up, Stina's second and Steve's millionth or so. The conditions could not have been better. Clear blue skies, low wind, and mild temps. It's usually cloudy, windy, and cold. Mt. Evans is open to traffic June 1st through Labor Day. Otherwise it's under tons of snow. 14er baby!!!!!

Good times at the New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins. Mmmmm beer!

On the road again...

2009-08-23T10:04:00.004-04:00

Today is our last day in Colorado. The plan is one more ride up Lookout Mtn followed by some lunch in downtown Golden. After that we will be resting up for the long drive back home. We had a great time and many many thanks to Robyn and Steve for having us.

Day Five

2009-08-23T09:58:00.002-04:00

Saturday was a fun day in Fort Collins. Steve, Robyn, Stina, and myself all went up north for the day. We toured the Odell Brewery and the New Belgium Brewery. The New Belgium Brewery was spectacular. The theme is centered around fat tire cruiser bicycles. You may recognize their Fat Tire beer at the grocery store back home. After the tours we walked around downtown Fort Collins and checked some of the stores. The evening ended at a fun place called Rasta Pasta.

Day Four

2009-08-23T09:41:00.002-04:00

Friday was the climb up Mt. Evans. Steve, Stina, and myself headed off about at 9am for the 55 mile ride. The ride starts in Idaho Springs and climbs to the Echo Lake pay station which sits at 10,ooo feet. There you pay your fee to continue on up to the 14,000 foot summit. The weather was absolutely perfect. Not a cloud in the sky. The traffic was a little high for a weekday though. I'm told the weather conditions were pretty rare and may be awhile before it comes again. Mt. Evans closes in three weeks for the season. Snow will start to come down by the end of September at that altitude. Anyway, everyone made it to the summit and we took a bunch of pictures. The view is really amazing from that high up. You can't see the town that we started from! We put on our cold weather gear for the long descent back to the car. It's funny how it works, 3 hours up and 45 minutes back. Once back, we drove over to the Tommy Knocker's Brewery in Idaho Springs for some well deserved beer and food. Pictures and video are coming.

Day Three

2009-08-20T21:51:00.002-04:00

Not much to report today. We had lunch in downtown Golden. Spent most of the afternoon just chilling out. Took a ride up Lookout Mountain with Stina tonight. Mostly to open the legs up for tomorrow's ride up Mt. Evans. The ride is 30 miles up and 30 miles down! The weather is supposed to be 0% chance of any precipitation. We are going up a little later in the morning mostly because of the temperature at the top. Should be some amazing photos if the weather stays clear. Feeling much better acclimated. I think mostly from the hike up to 12,000 feet yesterday. The ride tonight felt a ton easier for both us. Until tomorrow......

Day Two

2009-08-20T11:18:00.003-04:00

After some coffee at the Windy Saddle in downtown Gloden, Stina and I headed out for a hike at Long Lake. The drive is about an hour along Canyon Rd outside of Boulder and over rt 72 into Nederland. After about a billion twisty turns(many cyclists out riding), we arrived at the Brainerd Lake recreation area which sits at 10,000 feet.

This hike is along the Pawhnee Pass/Isabelle Glacier trail. You can hike 4-5 miles out and end up right in the middle of the Indian Peaks. It's a valley of several 12,000 foot mountain peaks. The Isabelle Glacier Trail is 15 miles and goes over the Continental Divide. Our plan was to hike the Pawhnee Pass trail. We gathered our gear and headed out. The first mile the trail is relatively flat with lost of rocks and roots. After that you make a right and it's all uphill from there. The trail becomes very rocky and off camber. Lot's of man made creek crossings, basically logs cut in half and bolted in place. We stopped after 3.5 miles for a snack and a break to take in the scenery. There is also some snow still left, so I threw a few snow balls for fun! The 1.5 miles were very windy as we went above the treeline. The view is literally breathtaking! We'll have some pictures up shortly. We turned around and headed back down the trail. Not sure which was harder, going up or coming back down. The trail is super rocky and you have to concentrate so you don't lose your footing. Made it back safe, but definitely a little tired.

Today most likely a chill day. Maybe an afternoon ride or a trip to Wheatridge Cyclery.(Owned by Ron Kiefel of Team 7 Eleven fame)

Day One

2009-08-19T23:35:00.003-04:00

We spent most of the day in and around Boulder. Hiked up to the Flatirons off of Baseline Rd. Super fun hike that is perfect to start getting acclimated. We ended up cutting the hike short due to a thunderstorm approaching the mountain. Not a good idea to be on a high mountain during a thunderstorm. The lightning strikes are what you have to worry about. The funny part was, as we were coming down, many we're going up. Mostly tourist type who seem to have no idea the dangers of high mountain sudden weather change.

Anyway, after that we wound up in downtown Boulder. Checked out the stores on Pearl St. There is an awesome bike shop in Boulder called Vecchios. It's like walking into a museum for road racing. The walls are lined with collector bikes and memorabilia. It would have taken me all day to look at it all. The funniest thing they had on dislpay was a Campagnolo folding razor blade!

In the evening, we suited up and rode Lookout Mountain. The climb is officially 5 miles and goes up to 7500 feet. An additional 6 miles can be added once you go over the top. Lot's of people were on the mountain and I'm told it's one of the many evening rides. Tom Danileson has the TT record of approx 16 minutes. Believe me, that is super fast!

We're there!

2009-08-19T09:37:00.004-04:00

After 20 straight hours of driving, we have arrived in Golden Colorado on Monday night. We are staying with our dear friends Steve and Robyn. The drive was pretty easy, all accept for the last couple hours. By then, all you want to do is get out of the car! I drove the first 5 hours through Ohio, Indiana and part of Illinois. Christina took over and drove through a vicious lightning/rainstorm! She did awesome and I was able to get some sleep, believe it or not. The rest of the trip was us trading back and forth every two hours or so. In much better weather conditions thankfully.

Cool photo

2009-08-10T23:05:00.003-04:00

Here is a picture of Lance Armstrong racing at Snowmass in Colorado this past weekend. Taken by my friend and teammate Steve Heibel. He and some buddies were out riding and had planned to pass over the mountain before the racers came through. Only to be held up by some mechanicals and ended up seeing some of the race. Pretty amazing shot if you ask me!

Ok, that's it!

2009-08-09T17:09:00.004-04:00

My 2009 road racing season has come to a close. Although I might make an appearance at the last Westlake World's in two weeks. That will be after my vacation in the high altitude of Colorado.

Today at the Orville Milk Race for me could only be described as "sucked". Bike racing is a sport that can be brutely honest and I should've known better. The past 4-5 weeks I have been racing tired. Could be the way I train, work stress, health, who knows. This whole season has personally been frustrating. So, enough of that!

I am looking forward to cross racing this Fall. So with a little rest and refocus, things should turn around for some dirty ol' cross suffering!

On another note, this season I went coachless. Why, I don't know. Last year with some coaching I was able to stay on track and focused. Maybe this season I thought I could do that on my own. Don't get me wrong. I'm a pretty self motivated person, always have been. I do make the efforts to put the time in with a full time job and other high priorities. Next year will be my 20th year racing, so believe me I know the routine. But, knowing the routine doesn't seem to cut it these days. Which is why I called upon coaching last year. I needed help organizing a plan, making the right training decisions and the motivation to stick to it! So for 2010, I will be in search of that guidance and motivation again. If you are a coach, you may be getting a call. After that, there is no more excuses. ;)

Isle of Man TT 2009 Onboard Yikes!

2009-08-04T09:49:00.003-04:00

If that didn't give you chills or make your hair stand up, than you might want to check your pulse. This is a short clip of motorcycle racer Bruce Ansty aboard a 1000cc Suzuki at the start of the Superbike Isle of Man TT.

Basic bike stats: 210 HP, 350lbs with fuel, Full Racing slicks, Brembo Monoblock brakes, carbon fiber bodywork, etc. A Honda Civic Si is 200 HP and weighs 3000 lbs. Do that math!

Race and course stats: 4 laps x 37 miles per lap, 200+ turns, climbs up the first half, plunges down the second half. Riders go at 1 minute or so intervals. Most get airborn or wheelie over the many dips in the road.

Average speed: 130-134 mph
Top speed: 200 mph

Bruce Ansty was plagued with engine problems during the week of racing. In this clip, a faulty fuel sensor caused him to stop on the course. Many believe he had the fastest bike and may have been the winner had the bike held up.

Having done some track days on motorcycles I've previously owned, what these guys can do on these open roads is truly amazing and definitely nuts! I was scared at about half the speed on a safe, well maintained race track!

Ok, back to pedaling.

Update

2009-07-28T22:20:00.002-04:00

Nationals has come and gone along with the Tour. Louisville didn't quite go as I had hoped for. The weather turned from bright sunny skies in Ohio to gray and pouring rain in KY. Our small field of about 25 riders blew apart after 20 laps and I find myself in a chase group of five between the leaders and the leftovers. We rode strong together and almost caught back on with 30 to go. With 20 laps to go, the lone breakaway artist caught our group and rode with us until the ever so smart USA cycling officials pulled us. Fearing that we were helping this rider stay away. I also heard it was due to scoring and the weather. I guess USA Cycling can't count higher than ten. It was very upseting being so close to the end. I mean come on, there was only 15 riders circling around including us. Well that lone breakaway got caught and spat out the back of the charging main group of nine riders. Then the officials insisted on pulling him! Wasted effort, I must say.

Next up was the TOV criterium on Sunday, the last day of racing. I would've liked to have done the whole stage race, but couldn't get time off from work. Anyway, I was really hoping for a decent race to boost my confidence a little. It was field of about 40 Pro 1-2 riders. I stayed in the field the whole way. Heard the that bell ring on the final lap! It was just a nice one to finish.

Westlake has been very disappointing for me this year. Every week I can't seem to get in the groove. I can keep up no problem, but can't make the breaks. It's frustrating to say the least. Just don't have that snap in the legs on Tuesday's I guess. Three more for me this year.

Coming up is our trip to Colorado to visit our good friends Steve and Robyn. Who are getting married on August 15th on top of a mountain in Crested Butte. We can't wait to load up and get out of here for a week. The high mountains in Colorado have always been one of my favorite places to go. The air or lack thereof really makes me feel good. Stina and I will be doing the usual ride up Lookout, Mt Evans, and possibly Independence in Aspen. Trail Ridge parkway in the National Park may also be ridden depending on time. We are also planning some more hiking this time around as well.

Will have the Colorado trip report next time.

See you out there!

Southbound

2009-07-02T22:39:00.002-04:00

Saturday we are heading to the Master's Nationals in Louisville, KY. I'm racing in the 30-34 criterium. This race is something I've been looking forward to all year. You might ask why I'm doing only the criterium? Well, one it fits well with my work schedule. Two, I like racing criteriums and it's the Nationals.

Am I a criterium specialist, no. But, but maybe I am. I like going around in circles at crazy speeds surrounded by a pack of other cycling lunatics. It's the lean angles, the rythmic single file line when we are really motoring, the adrenaline rush, and that potential danger at the back of my mind. I love the start, that moment just before the gun goes off. Your heart literally stops for a split second in anticipation. Then, ignites as the pack races off for the first turn. My favorite though, is the bell lap. The bell rings and all of sudden whatever you have left comes to life. In my case, it's not a whole lot. But, it still feels good. Most of you know that I'm a big motorsports fan. I grew up watching my Dad race SCCA sports cars and going to all the various events at Mid-Ohio. So maybe that is some of my inspiration to do criteriums.

Last year I made it 59 of the 66 lap race. It was a bittersweet moment. Sweet because I had even made it that far. Being that I hadn't raced at that level in about 10 years. But bitter because I made it through to the final group. The group that ended up sprinting for the win.

So this year, my goal is to hear that bell ring on the final lap. That moment when whatever you have left comes to life. Maybe all I have left is to hold the wheel in front of me to finish. Then again, you never know. ;)

Ouch

2009-06-15T07:48:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was the Lions Duathlon in Willoughby. Part of the NCN racing series. Christina, me, Jack, Bill, and Tony all represented the BAFF and TLE team. Today was a reminder to me why duathlons are so hard. The first 5k run was about normal at a 6:40average. The 20 mile bike was an average showing. Having a difficult time transitioning from running to cycling legs this season. I did manage to make up some time on those who were ahead of me. My left calf muscle cramped up on the bike, which made the second run very hard. Lost a couple overall spots, but still managed a 2nd place in my AG. My time was a respectable 1:39. I was happy since my goal was to get under 1:40. This was only my second DU ever!

Jack and Tony battled it out for the top two overall spots. With Jack taking first and Tony a very close second. Bill looked very strong with about a top 10 overall and won his AG. (overall results not up yet) Chistina was with the leaders after the first run and finished second woman overall. She is running very fast this season! Thanks to Lynn for cheering us on during transitions. Great job everyone!

What's going on.....

2009-06-03T21:13:00.002-04:00

It's been 4 weeks since my last post. I guess blogging has been a low priority lately. I've been working and training hard. In terms of racing, I've been to Westlake 4 times and a 5k in RR. So pretty quiet for now. My focus has been to keep building for heavier racing in June and July. Starting this weekend, I'll pretty much be racing every weekend until August.

This includes the weekly World's in Westlake. Which has been coming along well for me lately. Last week in the pouring rain I raced strong enough to finish in the top ten. This week, I made some nice efforts and managed to get a prime. So, each week I improve just a tiny bit. My ultimate goal is to finally make some breaks and try for a top five finish.

This weekend is the Mill Creek criterium in Youngstown. Never done this race in all these years. Looking forward to the challenge since I hear it has a pretty good size hill to climb. Maybe my light weight will finally work in my favor!

In two weeks, Stina and I will be at the Willoughby Duathlon. A 5k run, 21 mile bike, and another 5k run. I like this race, since it's mostly flat and a good TT tune-up for the State TT on June 21st.

My big goal of the summer is a good showing July 4th at the Masters National Criterium Championships in Louisville, KY. Last year was good, but got popped with a handful of laps to go.(not good) This year the plan is to make it to the finish and/or final selection.

Thursday group rides from BA have been fun. When the weather cooperates! We've got a decent loop that's about 29 miles. If you come, bring your climbing legs! ;)

That's it for now. More to follow. See you on the road!

Run for the Border

2009-05-06T21:41:00.003-04:00

Here is the amusing race report from Run for the Border last night. Stina and I met downtown around 6pm to pick up our race packet. The race was chip timed. So we decided to have Stina wear the chip since she is the faster runner juuuust in case we get seperated. Although you're supposed to finish together. Anyway, our start time was around 7pm right on West 6th street at the Blind Pig bar. You have to go through five checkpoints. At each checkpoint you receive a clue for the next checkpoint location along with other instructions. Ok, here it is by checkpoint from my perspective. :)

Start to first checkpont.
The first checkpoint location is the Rock Hall. We book down Lakeside, bust a left down some side street and end up at Brown's stadium. We see the Hermes truck and sprint to it. First punch on the checkpoint card and we get two Sombreros. I tuck the Sombreros under my arm like a football.

First to second checkpoint.
The next location is the Hermes headquarters at 1264 St. Clair. So we run up East 9th and past the Galleria. Then turn right down another side street around some construction. By this point in the race, people are running in all direction. So our plan to follow people backfired. Crap, which way!! We run up and down St. Clair looking for an address. I see 1464 St. Clair and we go left only to see people coming back the other way. We see the Hermes truck and sprint for the checkpoint. Checkpoint card is punched and now we have two marauchas to carry.

Second to third checkpoint.
Now I'm carrying two Sombreros, a maraucha, and Stina is hitting her stride. I yell, wait up! She waits and says we need to get to East 4th St. We start heading in a diagonal pattern when we hit East 6th St. Turn left down a side street. We see the House of Blues on East 4th steet and sprint for it. At the same time, a group of fast runners mixes in with us. One of them is Steve from Vertical Runner. He yells, "Is that your wife"? Which I return, with a yes. "She's fast"! At this point we are darting around startled people wondering what the hell a bunch of people in Sombreros are doing running around the city. A quick left and than right into an alley. Hmmm, bunch of chairs, women holding tequila bottles, WTF? We are supposed to do this maragrita shot before we can get the card punched. Wow.

Third to Fourth checkpoint.
The group that we are now mixed in with is at full sprint to the next checkpoint. Go through some revolving doors and into another bar. Now this is where it got really confusing. At this point I'm trying to figure what just happened at the last checkpoint. I spit the shot out by the way. It tasted pretty gross and I'm actually a fan of margaritas to give you an idea. Now we have to shotgun a Corona beer before we can get our card punched. Stina finds out that you don't really have to. I did not hear that instruction in the confusion. Let's just say, the legs suddenly felt better.

Fourth checkpoint to the finish.
Stina takes off thinking I was with her in our newfound group. Umm, I wasn't. No big deal, I run down Prospect and then across Superior to West 6th St dodging traffic and people. It's a good thing the Transit Authority was looking the other way, because I broke every jaywalking law in one shot. Remember, Stina has the timing chip to secure our time. I finish just a few seconds behind having carried two goofy Sombreros, a maraucha, one spit out tequila shot, and one Corona.

Finish time was 25 minutes for about (est)3.5 miles. We placed 50th out of 289 teams. Not bad considering it was our first time. This race was just for fun and doesn't count for anything. We had a great time together and might do it again next year. Adios!

Cinco De Mayo

2009-05-05T09:44:00.003-04:00

Did the Covered Bridge race #3 this past weekend. Went into it a little nervous about my fitness. Came out pleasantly suprised. Made a couple errors which kept me from making the split to the break. Felt a little rusty on the gameplay. It was a safe, solid workout. Great job to Tony and Matt for making the break!

Westlake starts tonight. Gonna miss the first round of the weekly World's, but will be there next week. Thank you to fellow TLE teammate Chris Riccardi for organizing the 14th annual series.

Tonight is a running race called Run for the Border. The theme is Cinco De Mayo and you get a sombrero at the conclusion. Followed by a Corona or margarita or both. ;) Stina and I are teaming up for this checkpoint style event. It's 3 to 3.5 miles depending on the route you take to the checkpoints. Teams are to run together and start in 10 second intervals. The start is at the Blind Pig on West 6th street. Should be interesting with all the Cavs fans getting ready for the big playoff game. This is organized by Hermes Cleveland, who organize many of the local running races.

Un cerveza por favor.

Hinckley Multisport

2009-05-01T21:33:00.004-04:00

This past weekend was the Hinckley Duathlon/Biathlon part of the NCN Racing Series. I hadn't been running enough to be competitive in the Du. Stina did the Hermes 10 miler the day before and kicked butt. Anyway, we both opted for the Biathlon. Which is 3 mile run and 15 mile bike. The goal this year was to improve my winning time from last year and get a fast transition. I knew the running would be so-so, but wasn't sure about the bike. Last season I had raced 4 Westlake's and had some decent speed work. This year it has been mostly base mileage and not as much speed yet. Westlake starts later this year. The run went as planned, but the bike was a little disappointing. Didn't have the quick change over in the legs after transition. So it took me longer to get going and even then I wasn't satisfied with the speed. Worst part was my calves were cramping on the last lap. Which sucked because I was fighting for race position. I finished in 1 hour 3 minutes and 45 secs. About 1:30 slower than last year. Not terrible, but just disappointing. Some days you got it and some you don't. I was 2nd age group and 6th overall. Stina repeated as overall winner. She has been racing really strong this season!

This weekend I'm doing the Covered Bridge circuit race. Really looking forward to getting in some road racing finally. Westlake starts either the week of May 5th or May 12th. Which is good since it's the best way to get in some serious speed work. We are doing a running event called Run for the Border on Tuesday May 5th. Otherwise known as Cinco de Mayo! Good luck to all that are racing this weekend.

See you out there!

Group rides on Thursday

2009-04-21T17:45:00.002-04:00

Myself and some others will be leading a group ride from Bike Authority starting this Thursday at 6:30pm. The ride is part of the Bike Authority/Fleet Feet multisport team weekly training. Anyone is welcome to join the ride. This ride will not be race pace! There is plenty of racing this weekend. Steady tempo with an emphasis on keeping the group together and getting a workout. We want the rides to be fun and safe. So there won't be any spinning through stop signs or red lights. This Thursday will be about 90 minutes. Rides will get longer as the season progresses and we have more daylight. BW3 is next door if anyone wants to hang out afterwards. Hope to see you on the road!

One with the bike

2009-04-12T15:20:00.002-04:00

It's been a long time since my last post. Today I had one of those rides where things just went my way for change. Although it was cold, the warmth of the sun felt good. I kept a nice steady tempo for about 5o miles. My base mileage this Spring has been a little sporadic with the weather and work. But, nonetheless the miles have been adding up and I'm feeling good. Got a routine medical procedure to go through on Tuesday. So I will be out of commission for a few days. Next week will either be a brick workout in preparation for the Hinckley Du/Biathlon or the first Covered Bridge race. Hope everyone is having a Happy Easter!

Nice

2009-03-17T22:22:00.003-04:00

Day that is! Today was 3 hours in short sleeves starting in Brecksville, venturing into Hinckley and the CVNP. Got in some great climbing including once up Oak Hill Rd. Felt strong today. Those trainer workouts and rain rides have really helped out. Definitely feel stronger than this time last year. Still too early to tell. Much more work ahead of me. Short recovery ride tomorrow morning followed by a run on Thursday.

Ray's MTB Park on Thursday

2009-02-24T22:31:00.004-05:00

Since we have a break from the Indoor TT at BA this week. I'll be riding at Ray's indoor MTB park on Thursday night with some friends. The plan is to meet around 6:30pm if any of you would like to join us. Looking forward to it since I haven't been up there yet this season. The BA indoor TT will resume on Thursday March 5th. See you on the skinnies!

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-02-17T11:44:00.002-05:00

Today is my birthday and I am now 34 years old. But, the real reason I'm posting this is that I realized this morning that 19 years ago today I bought my first real road racing bike. The idea started in the summer of 1989 when I had enough money saved to buy clipless pedals. Look PP66 and Look shoes to be exact. All for my department store 10 speed. That summer I listened to people in my bike club say, "You need a real bike". So I mowed lawns, washed cars, raked leaves, shoveled snow, watched my sister so my parents could have an evening out. Anything to put money into my "real bike fund". By February 1990 I had nearly $500 saved up and an eye on one bike.

That bike was a 1990 Giant Cadex carbon fiber frame with alloy lugs. It had full Shimano 105, downtube shifters, Wolber rims, and IRC tires. It was natural carbon color with red lettering. We bought it from Ken Schneider of Schneider's bicycles for $750 plus tax. My family covered what I didn't have for my birthday. To this day I'm pretty sure that was the only carbon road bike Schneider's ever sold. He was more known for skateboards and BMX sales. I couldn't wait to get home and put my Look pedals and Cateye computer on! My parents even let me keep it in my room. So every morning the first thing I saw was that bike. I didn't have a trainer, so by the time I could ride, it was late March. Didn't own any real winter riding clothes, so I went out in short sleeve jersey and shorts. Mind you it was 35 degrees that day! The ride was only about 5 miles, but I can tell you I was not cold! That bike felt so fast and agile.

In the Spring I entererd my first race at the Revco Cleveland Criterium. I rode that bike for 6 years, won a few races, a State TT champ, and met so many great, wonderful people. Most of whom I am still in contact and friends with today. I still have the frame and fork hanging in the garage. You won't find me selling it. There are just too many memories stuck to that bike. Since then cycling has become my passion, my job, and my lifestyle. I met my wife through cycling, shared many adventures with teammates and with my family. My Dad traveled to virtually every race when I was a kid and you can bet I heard him cheer every lap. Or yell if I got lazy and had to move up front! Cheers to that first real bike and for getting older.

See you on the road!

Indoor TT at Bike Authority

2009-02-15T12:34:00.003-05:00

Just a reminder that there is only four more indoor TT's scheduled at Bike Authority. The dates are Thursday Feb 19, Mar 5, Mar 12th, and Mar 19th. First rider off at 6pm. Last week we only had two racer's. That's not going to fly. So come on over and have some fun TT'ing on the Computrainer! I know it's only February, but hey it's only hard for 7-10 minutes. You'll thank us later when you make the break or stay with the field this summer! Shoot, we even have a tiny bit of prize money for the overall points. See you soon!

Another one!

2009-02-10T22:34:00.002-05:00

Got to ride outside again today for 2 1/2 hours. Rode down to the Rocky River Metroparks from home. Thankfully I've got full fenders, so the road spray wasn't so bad. But, man the roads are taking a beating this winter. Still it was nice to be training in warmer conditions and not freezing from the cold. Had quite a headwind on the way out. Which made for a fast ride home! Ended up with just shy over 42 miles. Hoping to squeeze another one in before work tomorrow. :)

TLE ride today

2009-02-08T18:31:00.005-05:00

Pedaled over to Matt's this morning and hitched a ride to Brecksville. We rode with Rudy, Robert, Tony, Bill, and Todd. A nice and steady two-by-two ride. Had a lot of fun and a great workout. Had a couple obstacles to get around. The first being the ford in Brecksville which was blocked with these huge ice boulders. We tried to ride through. ;)

Tackle the Tower report

2009-02-07T15:20:00.002-05:00

Did my third Tackle the Tower this morning. Unfortunately did not meet my goal of going under 5 minutes. Officially my time was 5:08 for 37 floors of fun. That put me 7th in my age group and 28th overall out of nearly 850 racers. I felt much stronger this year, but had to do a lot more passing which can hurt your time. Same issue I had last year. Only 38 seconds out of 1st place AG and top ten overall. Oh well, it is for fun and for the Ronald McDonald House. A very good cause indeed. I'm thinking about doing an unofficial race sometime. Just to see what my time difference would be. Or maybe not. :)

Brainbike

2009-02-05T22:12:00.005-05:00

I had an opportunity to attend Brainbike 2009 in Chicago on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Brainbike is what the name Cervelo means. At work we sell the bike brand Cervelo as many of you already know. This seminar is designed for dealers to learn more about the products from a sales and technical point of view. Cervelo was founded by two engineers, Gerard Vroomen and Phillip White. The first day of presentations were given by Phillip White. So that in itself was a big deal for me. Usually at these functions, a PR person is assigned to spew out info to the dealers. Which over the course of a day can get boring. Phil kept us very intrigued with information about the new Cervelo Test Team, technical data, and many analogies.

After the first presentation, we met back to talk about the new Cervelo Test Team. The team is at the Protour level designed to help Cervelo further their products and generate new ones down the road. A factory team so to speak. The team is led by 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre. As this is being said, who walks into the room.....Carlos Sastre, Serge Pauwels, and Jean Paul van Poppel. Serge is a newer pro from Belgium whose specialty is the one day classics. Jean Paul is the team director and former pro. He personally rode in eight Tours and won several stages. His specialty was the field sprint. I remember Jean Paul when I was a teenager and just starting to race. He was on the 1991-1992 PDM team with Sean Kelly, Erik Breukink, Raul Alcala, etc. After the 2nd presentation, I had an opportunity to speak with Jean Paul since most everybody went for Carlos and Serge. He was very appoachable and was suprised that I remembered that era in cycling. To those guys, 14 years ago was a loooooong time ago. So they don't expect many people to remember those days.

After lunch, an indoor trainer session was scheduled with Carlos and Serge. About 20 of us including myself got to ride for an hour as Carlos and Serge led the workout. Nothing super hard, except for a few intervals. They mostly fielded questions about their bikes and racing as a professional. Afterwards we were able to get some pictures together. The coolest part was all three sat with us through the remaining presentations and gave their input. Carlos actually played the role of a customer for one of the sales drills. At dinner that night, a question and answer session was set up. Lot's of great questions and the rider's were very interesting. All kept us laughing with many stories about the life of a pro.

The next day, again all three sat through the final meetings. Then at lunch, a few of us sitting around our table were chatting and who comes over to sit down? Carlos, Serge, and Jean Paul. In fact, Carlos sat right next to me! It's not everyday that the current Tour champion eats lunch with you. They talked a lot about their families and other things outside of cycling. Sastre had us laughing about his argument with Bjarne Riis over wanting a yellow bike on the final day of the Tour. Riis would only allow yellow tape and I believe yellow gloves.

I was very impressed with these guys. Very down to earth and modest. Sastre in particular is someone I feel you can truly believe in. A true professional of cycling. All in all, it was nice to meet the Cervelo people who we communicate with almost on a daily basis and to meet other dealers. It was a very educational and exciting two days!

TDU Stage 3 and BA Indoor TT #1

2009-01-23T08:19:00.005-05:00

Here is a short highlight segment of Tour Down Under Stage 3. Heard the break hit 100kph on the descent. Lance made the split and looked strong. Not uber strong like recent past. But, like the old days when you were happy to see him be in the hunt for a stage win. Hincapie up there too and sprinting hard.

Also, last night was the first indoor TT at Bike Authority. We only had five entrants, so let's get that number up to ten by next week! Everyone seemed to have fun and got a great workout. Times were very impressive and within seconds of each other! Nice job everyone! If you plan to race, call or email the shop to be added to the list. We'll figure out the starting order on race night. Remember this is for fun and a way to measure fitness before the season.

Wow it's cold!

2009-01-18T18:51:00.003-05:00

The past week has been artic cold to say the least. Nothing real exciting to report. Although I have been getting in some decent indoor training. The trainer and treadmill have been my friends the last couple weeks. I'm also continuing to work on upper body and core strength. Watched the Tour Down Under today on Versus. It was cool to see Lance back at it. Hopefully his return will boost the sport and turn the fans attention to something positive. Like something other than all the doping scandals! This week is more of the same in terms of training. I would like to make it up to Ray's MTB or out to the slopes for snowboarding at some point. Stay warm!

It's official

2009-01-04T22:07:00.005-05:00

I'm signed up for the Tackle the Tower stairclimb in February. This will be my third attempt to run the 37 floors of Erieview Tower at the Galleria. My goal is to go under five minutes. My first time was 5:30 and last year was 5:04, just shy of my goal. It's a lot of pain for a short time. But, it is for a good cause and something I look forward to before the season really starts. Stina won't be running with me this year. Instead focusing on the Chili Bowl 5k a week later.

Today after putting away the Christmas decorations, I got in a two hour steady road ride. The temperature was nice, except for a few scattered rain showers. Mostly drizzle for me though. It's nice to have the cross bike set up with full fenders. Keeps some of the cleaning to a miniumum. Anytime I can ride outside in January without freezing is a plus. Sure beats the trainer. Tomorrow is a short run followed by some upper body work.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T11:15:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone had a safe New Year's Eve.

Ran down to Huntington Beach this afternoon with Stina to watch some friends do the Polar Bear swim. Being in the low 20's with a 15-16mph winds, we were a little cold running. I couldn't imagine jumping into Lake Erie on a day like today. Kudos to those who braved the cold and went for it. We had a good run aside from the cold and got in 6 miles. For me that's good in this kind of weather. Not a big fan of training in below freezing temps. Now it's time to kick back, pop a movie in and relax.

Last one for 2008

2008-12-30T21:09:00.002-05:00

Today I was able to get in a nice and steady three hour Zone 2-3 road ride. The wind was light compared to the weekend. It was nice to ride outside for a change. I was bummed out about missing the group rides this weekend. Rode from our home in Westlake to Strongsville and back. The temperature was in the 30's, so I had pretty much everythimg I own on. I've never really been "one" with the cold riding. Although today I felt like I had the clothing combo just right. In the past I've always had problems keeping the hands and toes warm. Today I used some wool socks for the first time and they really helped. I also took an extra set of gloves. The extra dry pair was nice when my sweaty hands got cold toward the end of the ride. The best part of the ride was the tailwind and sun in my eyes the last 6 miles to home. I did realize on the ride that this was the last one for 2008. Tomorrow I will be back at work, so tomorrow's trainer workout will actually be the last pedal strokes of the year. Anyway, got in just over 50 miles for the day.

The Doctor

2008-12-27T00:04:00.000-05:00

Random Valentino Rossi wheelie post!

It's all about the core

2008-12-26T23:15:00.003-05:00

So I'm told by many.

I got the Iron Gym pictured above from Stina this Christms. It's a bar that you can use to do pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and dips. The main part of my training this past month has been to focus on smooth pedaling technique and sort out weaknesses. Last year I had some back issues due to weaker core muscle. So through the course of the season and into the winter I've been trying to strenghthen that part of my body. I firmly believe now that it should be a focus in anyone's training plan.

In other news, looks like we may have an opportunity to get some miles in this weekend amidst some mild temperatures. Have to work tomorrow, but plan to ride for an hour before work. Sunday looks like 2-3 hours as long as it's not a total washout. Hope to see some of you out on the road!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T22:38:00.002-05:00

Say Cheese

2008-12-24T14:49:00.001-05:00

This one made me laugh!

Congratulations!

2008-12-18T22:35:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to send a shout out to my friend Steve who just recently became engaged to his girlfriend Robyn. Steve was my best man at our wedding in July. He and Robyn are perfect for each other and I wish them all the best. For those of you who don't know Steve, he is a member of Team Lake Effect and is based in Colorado.

Happy Birthday

2008-12-03T11:21:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday Christina!!

Back on the

2008-12-02T16:58:00.005-05:00

.....trainer again. Come on sing it! Generally I like to ride outside as much as possible. But, today just seemed particularly frigid. So it will be a trainer night. I did run on the treadmill yesterday. Which is also no fun compared to running outside. But, what do you do. That's winter training in Cleveland for ya. Today I also had some winter tires mounted on my car. The "summer" only tires were quite challenging to drive in the recent snow that we've had.

Trainers, treadmills, winter tires, shovels, salt, snow, grey skys, and cold. What is, Cleveland in the winter? That's correct, you just won a trip to sunny Hawaii.....

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T00:15:00.002-05:00

I completely forgot....

2008-11-21T01:19:00.002-05:00

About the month of October. For me, the season began to wind down after the Leroy Cyclocross race. Got in some great rides with Stina and bumped up my running. Yes, you heard me, running. Earlier this month I ran in a 10k running race in Washington, DC. We were in DC visiting family and checking out some sights we missed on last year's trip. The race was average for me. Not slow, but not fast either. Been laying low on the bike training. November has always for some reason been an off season for me. It's a time to regenerate and explore some cross training. Plus consuming a couple nice Belgian beers with friends. Anyway, I start to feel guilty right around Thanksgiving. Which is when the cycle begins, so to speak. I've got the cross bike converted to winter training mode with full fenders. The trainer is calling my name, but I ignore until the above guilty moment. After that, the trainer is my friend. Did I say that out loud? With this early Fall snow, I'm thinking my timing is good.

Remember when...

2008-11-21T01:14:00.005-05:00

A Porsche 956 at Le Mans reached 240mph down the Mulsanne straight without those wussy chicanes?

Rats, I mean Flats!

2008-09-28T21:47:00.005-04:00

The Team Lake Effect 10th anniversary cyclocross series began today at Whiskey Island/Wendy Park near downtown Cleveland. I decided that I would make a return to cross racing this Fall. Bought a bike and built up some tubular cyclocross wheels. Nothing super special, just good durable wheels with high quality tires. Today I entered the A race and well for once I can say that it isn't fitness that took me out of contention. We started the race and with dust flying I was about mid-pack. Not feeling great, but not feeling bad. All I wanted to do was settle into a position and try to click places off as I went. At the beginning of the 2nd lap I was settling down and starting to feel good. When blasting down the gravel section approaching the pier, I flatted the front tubular. It hissed and cried at me until it was dead flat. So the riders I just passed and the ones I were ahead of all past me on the two way asphalt along the pier. Once I hit the run up, I just shouldered the bike and ran all the way to the wheel pit. Changed the front and did my best to catch back on. Only to realize that the rear was gradually losing air. Not like the front, but definitely leaking. So, I stopped again and changed the back. Now, I'm reeeeeally far behind. I didn't give up and slugged it out to try and finish. As it turned out, quite a few people had flats, so I was not alone. I did get some points towards the overall series. So that's good. Paul M and the lead rider's lapped me with a couple to go. So I ended with 7 out of the 8 laps. That sucked!

This morning I filled the rear tire with some Stan's tire sealant and pumped it up. Seemed to hold when I checked it at the end of the day. The front however had two decent sizd cuts. About 2mm each in length. I watched Rudy perform the Zen art of cutting open the tubular tire and patching the inside. Most tubulars have a latex tube inside, which was patched as well. Latex usually leaks air out faster than a butyl tube. Which is why your tubulars lose air after a day or two sitting around. Some more than others though. Anyway, Rudy showed me how he drew lines across the tire before cutting it open. That way when you sew it back up, the tire remains straight. The last part is to glue the cotton rim strip back in place. The tire held air at first, then leaked out. We tightened the valve stem more and pumped it back up. Seemed to hold air much longer. We're letting it sit over night. I'll add the Stan's to this tire once we know the patches will hold. When I was a kid I remember someone telling me about patching and sewing up damaged tubulars. It was really cool today seeing that art being performed.

ART

2008-09-10T00:09:00.003-04:00

I began Active Release Therapy(ART) today at Zak Perfomance Health. I've been having issues with my hips, leg and muscle inequality. Over the years I've been told that I have a leg length discrepancy. But nobody has told me where. Today I met with Dr. Zak for the initial evaluation. It looks like my hips and pelvis are turned funny and is causing my left leg to appear shorter. After some twisting, turning and cracking, my first session was over. I begin on Friday for the muscle treatment. Each session lasts about 15 minutes. Not sure how long the treatment goes, but I will meet with Dr. Zak twice a week. Raced at Westlake tonight and just the work done today seemed to make me feel much better on the bike.

Drugs are bad, MMMkay!

2008-09-09T23:48:00.003-04:00

Image originally from Velonews.com (photo by Casey B. Gibson)

Did anyone catch Versus this past Sunday? Watched the coverage of the US Pro Championships from Greenville, SC back on August 31st. OK coverage and crappy commentating as usual. It was annoying to see Rock Racing's Tyler Hamilton beat out the aggressive and clean Garmin-Chipoltle Team. I get that everyone deserves a second chance. But, seeing a former big doper win such a big race again? Yuck! I did admire Danny Pate and Blake Caldwell's aggressive moves in the closing miles to get second and third. Few extra miles and Pate would have caught the two leaders. Different ending perhaps?

Recaps

2008-09-09T23:20:00.002-04:00

It's been three weeks since last post. Had decent outing at the JCB biathlon. Took 2 minutes off my time from last year. Mostly on the running portion. Clicked off a 5:55 first mile, which I've never done before. Finished 8th overall and 2nd in my age group. About the same as last year, just faster.

I took a couple weeks off from the Westlake Worlds to start sorting out the cross bike and just plain ride with no training agenda. Last Tuesday I decided to ride 100 miles. It's a nice day, why not. I set off at about 9am and rode from our home in Westlake through the Metroparks. My goal was to ride down to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Which covers quite a few decent sized hills. My turnaround was at the Bolanz Rd. restroom. Behind Szalay's farmer's market. Felt good most of the way out. Once the heat really turned on around noon time, I began to think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Kept up with the hydrating and fueling. Didn't feel much of a bonk come on until about 10 miles to go. I stopped at Huntington Beach and downed a Coke and a candy bar. Suprisingly, I came back around and clicked off the last few miles before rolling into the driveway. I consumed 3 Clif Bars, 4 gels, a candy bar, a Coke, and about 6 large waterbottles. Took me about 5 hours 40 minutes solo. Which is not earth shattering, but I think it's good considering I never ride that long. Plus my route was nice and hilly, so there. ;)

I'm back

2008-08-19T15:33:00.002-04:00

Shoot, it's been almost a month since I posted last. Christina and I had a great time on our honeymoon to the Finger Lakes region. Stayed on the north end of Seneca Lake at the resort villa called Geneva on the Lake. Very nice place with a european style. Excellent food and great views of the lake. We stayed there for two nights and then traveled south about 30 miles to Glenora. Which is about 8 miles north of Watkins Glen. We stayed at the Glenora Inn and Winery. The oldest winery on the Finger Lakes. Much more modern place to stay. We toured the winery and tasted some great wines. We did get a couple rides in and around the Watkins Glen area. I took Christina on a lap of the original Grand Prix circuit in Watkins Glen. In the 40's and 50's, the only US Grand Prix took place on the city streets and country roads of Watkins Glen. Pretty amazing the elevation change and obstacles the driver's contended with. We also hiked at the Watkins Glen state park. Very picturesque with it's waterfalls and rocks to climb over. If you like stair climbing, this is a great place for that!

We have a few races coming up. This Sunday is the JCB biathlon over on the east side. Had a lot of fun competing in this multisport race last year. Christina was the 1st overall woman. I am shooting for a little faster run split this year. Then the following week is the Celebrate Westlake 5 miler. For me it will be the longest running race of the season. Excluding the Huntington Duathlon last month. I watched the race last year with the small group of Kenyans who make the trip for the big prize money.

Later in the month is the USCF State Road Race at Caesar's Creek state park. My race is 82 miles which is 5 laps of a hilly 16.5 mile circuit. This will mark the last road race of the season for me. I will be making a return to cross racing this Fall. Just purchased a new Cannondale cross bike to race in our Team Lake Effect series. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the series. Looking forward to going on some Fall off road rides with the cross bike.

Got some speed work ahead of me tonight at the World's. See you on the road!

We did it!

2008-07-27T20:05:00.002-04:00

On Saturday July 26th, Christina and I got married. The ceremony went very smooth. Christina looked so beautiful in her dress. Plus the weather cooperated for all the pictures. Which was good because it threatened to rain earlier in the day. We had a great time at the reception with our friends and family. Heading out to the Finger Lakes tomorrow morning. I'll add more to this post and some pictures after we get back. Gotta go pack!

Jeff and Steve

2008-07-22T08:30:00.010-04:00

Here's a few cool shots of the best men for our wedding this Saturday. Have had some great adventures with Jeff and Steve. Hopefully many more to come.

This is Steve and me on Mt. Evans last summer with Christina snapping the photo.

This one was taken at the top of the Mary Jane ski resort in Winterpark, CO about 3 years ago. We were at 12,000 feet on a beautiful clear day.

And finally the shot that made us bust a gut. The staged ski wreck! We brought this one up over margaritas Sunday night.

Cheers to you both!

Huntington Duathlon

2008-07-21T08:49:00.003-04:00

Did the Huntington Duathlon put on by NCN racing. It's a race that the shop sponsors. Huge turnout for the race compared to previous years. Saw lot's and lot's of our great customers competing. I raced in the Duathlon with Christina and my friend Steve. Who is visting from Colorado to be in our wedding this Saturday. The humidity was about the worst this summer so far. Just standing still you could break into a sweat. The race started shortly after 8am. Had some pretty fast runners that I recognized from the 5k's. We started and settled into a decent pace right from the gun. Had the fast runners in sight through the first turnaround. But, quickly lost sight after that. Christina and I stayed together on the first run into T1 with Steve not too far behind. The bike went well and reeled in a few of those faster runners. My average was about 24mph. Headwind on the way out and nice tailwind on Lake Rd. all the way back to transition. Had a fast transition back into the running shoes. Felt a little wobbly at first, but quickly got into a rythym that I held to the finish. It was fun high fiving friends after the turnaround on the second run. Finished with a time of 1h 17m 36s. Placed first in my age group. Not sure on the overall. The results should be up in a day or two. Christina was 2nd woman overall and Steve finished strong. Just outside of placing in his age group. Great day!

Westlake 7/15

2008-07-16T23:46:00.003-04:00

Had an impressive turnout for Zipp night at Westlake. Lot's of cool sounding carbon race wheels!The team showed it's strength once again with TLE members in about every break. Rudy made the winning 3 man break with Paul M. and Andy of RGF. Numerous TLE members won primes throughout the race. Yours truly won the Zipp carbon cage prime. Felt good until about 3 to go. Was out of water and running on fumes at that point. Ended up somewhere near the top ten in the field sprint. The average was 27.5mph for 44 miles. Which I think was the fastest so far this season. Christina and Jeff came to watch the race which was awesome. Thanks you two! BTW, yesterday marks two years since my first date with Christina. Also the first of many bike rides together. Only 10 more days until our wedding!

Louisville

2008-07-08T18:16:00.002-04:00

Went to Louisville with Shawn on Sunday for the Master's National Criterium. Here's the short story. We drove the 5 1/2 hours to Louisville early on Sunday. Made it with about 90 minutes to spare. Since I couldn't go in the night before, I had to sign in and pick up my race numbers at the start line. USA cycling charges you $20 on the spot for that.(racket) Lined up with 40 other Master's 30-34 Cat 1-2's. The course was located in the infield of Churchill Downs on a relatively flat 4 corner 1/2 mile circuit. Our race was a dizzying 64 laps. Started off riding at the front and being aggressive. Didn't want to risk being at the back early on with such a studly field. Managed to lead a lap as well. Once the temps got really hot, I settled into the pack and tried to conserve. Many serious attacks went and our group stayed pretty strung out. After about half way, the gaps started to open up as guys launched attacks. The field was down to about 25 or so with about 5 miles to go. A break was off the front and within reach. There was a big surge and two guys in front of me gave up and let a stupid gap open. I buried my head and tried to re-close but could not stay on and got popped just like that. Single file line going 30+ and no place to hide. At that point in the race I was really feeling the pressure and worried that my legs would explode. Thinking that this would be the group that decides the finish. Of course about a lap later the field caught the break and sat up. I'm bummed because I couldn't close that one last gap. The race ended in a field sprint with some Roadhouse guy taking the win. It was good to be back racing in a National after being away for so long. Looking forward to next year's race.

Ahhh, the Sizzler!

2008-07-04T15:59:00.003-04:00

Raced in the Twin Sizzler this morning. The usual crappy finish road, crashes, and the early start are tradition for this race on the 4th of July. Today's had all that and the two larger "Expert" groups mixing together for an interesting finish. Finished comfortably about mid pack behind the confusing field sprint. Got a good workout at least! Looks like we might be heading to Louisville tomorrow night instead of early Sunday morning.

Happy 4th!!

Run for the Young

2008-06-28T16:50:00.002-04:00

Did the Run for the Young 5K with Christina this morning. This was a Hermes chip race with some prize money. So there was a turnout of super fast area runners. I PR'd again and finished at 20:36. An average pace of 6:38/mile. Conditions were dry but, very windy and humid. Stayed with Christina through 2 miles. I helped set the pace through the first mile and Christina took over through the turn around and 2 mile split. She got ahead of me on the way back by about 18 seconds at the line. My feet got really hot and effected my stride quite a bit. Need to find a better sock. Getting some lighter race shoes this week. So I'll look into good socks as well. Really had fun racing together today. Getting a little faster with each race. Not bad for not running a whole lot!

Westlake 6/24

2008-06-26T22:30:00.002-04:00

Photos by Sadie and Eric taken at Westlake World's June 24th.

State TT

2008-06-24T13:27:00.004-04:00

Finishing time was 57:26 with an average speed of 24.7 mph. Not very happy with the time or speed but happy with the effort. Wished I still had my TT bike! Placed 2nd in the 30-34 Master's. Lost 1st by 13 seconds.

Photo courtesy of Ray Huang. Thanks Ray!

Father's Day

2008-06-16T22:54:00.004-04:00

Got up at 5:30am to go over and race the Lions Club Duathlon/Biathlon in Willoughby. Part of the NCN race series. I raced the Biathlon and Christina did the Duathlon. The weather was decent at the start. Not too humid or hot yet at the 7:30am start. I was feeling pretty good in warm-up. After the start I settled into a decent pace for me. Not letting the lead group get too far ahead. I ran the 5k in 20:40. Which is a PR for me this season. I'm excited because now I feel like I'm knocking on the door of an under 20 minute 5k time. Not bad considering that I don't come from a running background. Anyway, back to the race. I transition very quickly and head out for my favorite part. Settled into a decent pace to let my running legs switch to cycling. Passed a few people that got ahead of me on the run. Wasn't exactly sure of where I was overall. But figured I was at least top three. Came into the finish and realized there were 3 guys who all finished together 30 seconds ahead of me. Bummer! My time was 56:01, which was good for fourth overall and first in my age group. Same exact result as last year. Except about 3 minutes faster. So that's good! Looking at the finishing times, the first three were exactly 1 second apart. Hmmm, TTT? In Christina's race, she had a great back and forth battle with Angie of Team Snakebite. Christina had a gap on her at T1. Angie caught up on the bike and led into T2. Christina went past her on the second run to finish 3rd overall and first in her age group. Nice job! Later on, we met my Dad in the CVNP and went for a nice Father's Day ride. My Dad has his favorite loop around Hale Farm and around Merriman in the valley. We got in another 20 miles. Afterwards we met my Mom and all went to Fisher's in Peninsula. Had a much deserved beer with Dad and bored the girl's with bike and car talk! Especially since the 24 hours of Le Mans was the night before. It was great summer day and I'm looking forward to the State TT this coming Sunday.

Upcoming races

2008-06-10T12:46:00.002-04:00

So I'm signed up for the State TT in two weeks. First State Championship showing since 1999. Really looking forward to it since one of my favorite forms of racing is in the TT's. Don't have a funny bike anymore, but I do have some go fast goodies that I'll be using. Shooting to place in the 30-34 Master's group. Don't think I have the HP to be in the overall. Christina is racing the TT as well and it will be her first USCF event. I tell her these TT's are just like multisport minus the running and swimming. ;) I think she is going to do really well. Maybe we'll both come out with medals. Now that would be awesome! I'm also signed up for the Master's Nationals in Louisville, KY. I'm only able to race the 30-34 criterium due scheduling. This will also be the first time since 1999 that I've raced in a National Championship. I'm sure it will be a super, super fast race. For me, I'm doing it for the experience. Anyone else from Cleveland going down to Kentucky next month?

Beautiful Day!

2008-06-08T22:35:00.005-04:00

Christina and I went for a hilly ride from Brecksville this afternoon. We started at the Nature Center on the Chippewa Creek RR course. Wound our way over to Hinckley and then plunged down into the CVNP. Rode in the valley for awhile trading pulls and fueled up at Bolanz Rd. Then worked our way to Snowville Rd for the final climb back into Brecksville. Once on Rt.21 we rocketed into Brecksville with a smooth road and tailwind. Got in 43 hilly miles. We had a great time riding in the sun and heat. Christina showed that she's got some speed in her legs for next week's duathlon in Willoughby. Back to Westlake World's this week too!

It's summer now!

2008-06-05T22:50:00.002-04:00

Wow, what a change in weather. A week ago I was shivering from cold and windy conditions. Tonight riding home from the store I was HOT! I don't know about you guys but, the bugs were annoying tonight. Gotta remember to close my mouth when breathing hard. I heard that some bugs were high in protein. I did go pretty fast tonight, hmmmm.

Machine Gun

2008-06-04T22:46:00.004-04:00

Here's a random music post of Jimi Hendrix playing an amazing solo at the Isle of Wight music festival. The concert took place in August 1970. It was the 2nd to last concert before his death in September 1970. The stage costume he's wearing is on display at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. Pretty cool that this stuff is just down the road. ~Enjoy~

Hey stranger

2008-05-31T22:47:00.003-04:00

Sorry, been neglecting the blog. I've been pretty busy lately. Westlake this past Tuesday was windy, cold, and miserable. I thought it was summertime? Rudy made the break and won! Christina and me ran the Magnificat 5K last Sunday. I placed 3rd in my age group and my time was 20:57 (6:45 pace). A new PR for me. So the running is coming along. Hoping to get under 20 minutes soon. Tomorrow is Race for Alex with a report to follow. Looks like good weather tomorrow and for the week.

Westlake 5/20

2008-05-21T08:48:00.002-04:00

Another great race for the team at Westlake tonight. Very windy and chilly conditions by the lake. A dangerous attack by PM and Jim B. brought all of TLE to the front to chase for a couple laps. Which resulted in bringing them back to a safe bridging distance. Rudy, Shawn, Matt, and Derek made the split and rode to the finish in a group of eight. Bill, Tony, Chris, and me had fun in the main group. Once the break was gone, we took pulls and flyers off the front. The main group still averaged nearly 27mph, so we all got a great workout. It was also great to be up near the front riding hard when it really mattered. Each week, things seem to keep getting better and better. Maybe I'll make that split at some point this season!

Bike to Work Week

2008-05-15T23:39:00.004-04:00

Pedaled to work today. Westlake to Broadview Heights through the westside neighborhoods and Metroparks. About 28.5 miles one way. Had a nice sunny start and a cloudy ride home. Tried out an HID headlight from Light & Motion since it got dark towards the end. Very nice headlight! No problems with drivers seeing me. In fact I had somone flash there brights at me. What a baby! Anyway, got in 57 miles round trip. Saved 57 miles worth of gas and mileage on my car. Hoping to make a point to ride once a week to work.

On the news this morning, an Exxon exec basically admitted that once demand drops off for oil, that prices will come down drastically. I agree that the little things we do like driving fuel efficient vehicles, car pooling, and bike commuting will reduce demand on oil a lot faster than predicted.

Westlake 5/13

2008-05-13T21:49:00.002-04:00

Wow, what a night. Felt good and really starting to feel my legs again. Was able to take some pulls and ride closer to the front when the going got tough. TLE really showed it's strength tonight. We had riders in all the breaks. Brian and Chris were in a very strong break about midway that looked like it would stick. Paul Martin drove the field for about 2 laps at over 30mph to bring everything back together. The field jostled about and with a lap to go was strung out yet again. Paul and Jim B. led the field onto the final straight. Both almost came together before spliting apart and allowing Rudy to sprint up the middle and take the win! Rudy, you rock! Shaun was 5th and won two primes. Everyone was really psyched after the race! Races like this are very inspirational to me to keep training hard and trying to improve. Looking forward to Zipp night next week.

HP

2008-05-13T16:38:00.003-04:00

Reading the latest issue of Road & Track, I noticed a quote that made me smile. The legendary and unfortunately late Mark Donohue was credited with saying, "It will never have enough power until I can spin the wheels at the end of the straightaway in high gear."

Wouldn't that be a great problem for us cyclists to have. Too much power!

Off to Westlake World's tonight to generate "some" power. Certainly not enough.

Below is a quick 30 sec clip of the 1400+ hp race car that Mark Donohue drove to many victories in 1973. (WARNING) some high pitched crackling from the volume. Watch the woman in the driver's seat holding her ears to give you an idea.

Sprint into Spring 5K

2008-05-11T11:47:00.005-04:00

Ran in the Sprint into Spring 5k this morning in Rocky River. An actual measured 5k distance and approved by USA track and field. Felt good the first half of the race and held pace with Christina. Actually got a little ahead of her which never happens. She was smart because when we made the turn after 2 miles it was into a stiff head wind. Christina re-passed at that point. My time suffered because I probably pushed a little too much with the wind at my back. Anyway, it was a PR on a hard, windy course. My time was 22:06. Being new to running, I can't complain. Need to keep building to improve.

Quiet week

2008-05-04T23:47:00.002-04:00

Not much to report as far training goes this past week. Pretty steady for the most part. Did a hilly ride with Christina today. We rode out into Hinckley and down into the CVNP. Lot's of up's and not as many down's. :( Very nice weather for a change. Looking forward to Westlake this Tuesday and my first 5k of the season on Sunday.

Rendezvous

2008-05-04T23:26:00.004-04:00

One of my all time favorite car movies. Flat out through the streets of Paris at 5am. Filmed in 1976. The car used for the film was a Ferrari 275 GTB. Turn the volume up for this 9 minute blast! ~Enjoy~

Hooray!

2008-04-27T15:46:00.007-04:00

Well, what a week. Got in some decent training and racing. Westlake went well for me and felt like I'm starting to get my racing legs back. The team rode very aggressive once again. With Matt 4th and Shawn 5th at the finish. I've been preparing for my first multisport test of the season the last month and a half. Today I managed to win the Biathlon(3mile run, 15 mile bike) overall in Hinckley. Part of the NCN racing series. For me, it was a great accomplishment being relatively new to running and mulitsport. The running portion was steady for me without losing too much ground. The bike(my strength) was awesome and I felt really good. Took the lead with about 1 1/2 miles to go. Forgot to stop my watch at the finish so I'm not sure on my time. NCN should have the results up this evening. Christina won the women's overall in the Biathlon too! This is after racing the Hermes 10 miler the day before. She is my hero and main inspiraton to start competing in running and multisport. Have to thank Stina, my parents, Sean, Sherman, and all of my Lake Effect teammates. Your guidance and encouragement is so much appreciated. Thanks also to Rick Cadwell and his staff for putting on the event in Hinckley. Lot's of fun as always!
(Photos courtesy of Rick Adams) Thank you Rick!

Yuck.

2008-04-20T10:14:00.004-04:00

This week has been disappointing for training. It started off well with a decent ride at Westlake. Pace was pretty fast with all the guns present. Our team raced aggressively. All to end with a truck pulling out in front of the field sprint. For me, I'm in better shape than I was last year this time. Just don't have that energy and snap, yet. My coach has me gradually building on my hard off season training. Trying to avoid the mid summer burn out that I experienced last year. The last two weeks have been insanely busy at work. Which mentally tires me out for hard training. As a result, I missed some important workouts this week. Not a big deal, just a bummer. Heading out today to train in the Hinckley area with Christina. We are both planning to race the Buzzard Du next Sunday. Actually it will be the biathlon version. Goal this week, turn the title of this post from "Yuck" to "Hooray"! See you out there. ;)

Boonen wins Roubaix!

2008-04-14T00:34:00.002-04:00

Check out the final sprint to the tune of some nifty euro club music.

Look on the bright side.

2008-04-13T13:58:00.003-04:00

No Covered Bridge races or Chippewa Creek. Bummer! Both canceled due to road conditions. For me, not a big deal. Looking at the schedule, we've got lot's of races later this season. At least it will be warm then, hopefully! CB and Chippewa will be back next year with safer conditions. For the time being I can continue to build my cycling and running base.

Some sun finally!

2008-04-06T17:51:00.002-04:00

Christina and I rode from West 130th down to the Covered Bridge loop. About 46 miles round trip. It was nice to finally get some sun and not have to wear everything we own! The CB loop is little more beat up since last year. Probably have to bring the back up wheels. Looking forward to the first Westlake race this Tuesday.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye.....

2008-04-03T22:59:00.006-04:00

Bike Authority is looking for a part-time mechanic to help with the Spring time rush of repairs, builds, etc. Since the weather looks like it will break very soon. The extra help will be needed. If you or if you know anyone with bicycle mechanic experience, please either Apply online or stop by the shop. Weekday, evening and weekend hours are immediately available. Of course, Bike Authority does offer competitive pay, but you'll just spend it all on new bike parts. ;)

Great ride today!

2008-03-30T15:22:00.002-04:00

Rode with Rudy, Bill, and Tony. Julie came along on the first part of the ride. We rode steady for 2:30 and got in 45 miles. Rudy got in a few more miles since he rode to the starting point. Felt pretty good for the most part. Pretty windy conditions. Saw a bunch of familiar faces out on the road. We ran into Paul out in Hinckley and rode with him up the euro hill.

Brrrrr

2008-03-27T23:26:00.006-04:00

During the 1988 Giro, Andy Hampsten climbed the Gavia Pass through the snow. Hopefully we aren't acting this out over the weekend. Weather forecast does show ok conditions. We'll see......

If you want to read about this particular stage in the Giro. Pick up Bob Roll's first book titled "Bobke". The chapter is titled "The day the big men cried". Andy Hampsten was the first and only American winner of the Tour of Italy. Hampsten also won the Tour of Switzerland twice. Was once the tune-up race for the Tour de France. Much like the Dauphine now.

Hope everyone got to see Davis Phinney and his son Taylor on ABC news tonight. Pay attenton because this may be the start of a new breed of heroes in American cycling.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T19:22:00.002-04:00

We're Gonna Groove

2008-03-20T08:26:00.002-04:00

If any of you love Led Zeppelin than you need to check out this live peformance of "We're Gonna Groove". Filmed at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970. This is a good one to listen to while on the trainer or rollers. Got in another trainer workout last night. Nothing much else to report except that it's the first day of Spring and more snow. At least the sound of music will drown out the sound of crunching ice and scraping windshields. ~Enjoy~

Rain, rain, go away.....

2008-03-18T10:29:00.009-04:00

We joke at work about how on my days off(Tue and Sun) that it always seems to rain or be questionable weather. At least this time of year the rain has a purpose. Melt the snow and clean the roads for our #1 bikes. So come on weather, rain when we all have a case of the Monday's. My coach has me doing 2 hours today. Hopefully I can get the ride in outside.

In the meantime, here's a shout out to my friend Jeff McNaught. Check out his artwork at http://www.jeffmcnaught.com/ Lot's of really cool cycling related stuff. Here is one of my favorites of his:

This one reminds me of Buffalo Bill Days in Golden, CO last summer. Christina, Steve, Robyn and I drank lot's of Coors and listened to some amazing bluegrass music. Check out this festival if you're ever in CO at the end of July. Bring your bike and climb Lookout Mountain to Buffalo Bill's grave site.

Spring Race Series

2008-03-17T22:20:00.004-04:00

Here is a copy of the race flyer for the Team Akron Spring Race Series. This is a great way to kick off the race season in Cleveland. Brad Hansen and his family give up their Sunday mornings to put these races on for us. Please support this excellent Spring race series. See ya there!

~MikeV

USAC permit pending USAC rules apply
Team Akron’s
Spring Race Series
Sunday April 13, 20, and 27 & May 4, 2008
9:00 A.M. REGISTRATION at Old Trail School
Merchandise provided by http://www.bikeauthority.com/

CATEGORY**** DISTANCE START TIME PRIZES
Cat. 1-4 35 miles 9:30 am 5/$125.00**
Cat. 4, 5, CIT, M 35+ (combined) 25 miles 9:33 am 4/$60.00**
** Promoter reserves the right to combine prize lists and events if less than 20 racers register per event.
**** Women may race any category. Citizens may race the “4, 5 etc.” event with purchase of one day license.

COURSE: Ira-Oak Hill-Everett-Everett Ext.-Everett-Riverview- Ira (clockwise).
Course is flat to rolling with the typical springtime pavement conditions.
Use Old Trail School, 2315 Ira Rd., Bath , Oh. 44333 to get a map.
http://www.mapquest.com/

ENTRY FEE: $20.00 Payable at Registration (includes Insurance and other fees.)

DIRECTIONS TO OLD TRAIL SCHOOL: From the SOUTH take Route 8 North to Steels Corners. Turn LEFT on Steels Corners, follow past Blossom, to the end. Go RIGHT at Akron-Peninsula Rd. approx. 1 mile. Go LEFT on Ira across Riverview. Follow to Old Trail School. All others routes: Take Rte 303 and go to downtown Peninsula. Go SOUTH on Akron-Peninsula Rd. approx. 6 miles. Turn RIGHT on Ira . Follow across Riverview to Old Trail School.

ANY QUESTIONS – CONTACT: Brad Hansen bshansen1@yahoo.com

Rain or Shine, this race will take place!

Venom

2008-03-17T21:47:00.008-04:00

New Hennessey Dodge Viper Venom700. 700hp and 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds. A very stealthy all black. Me likey!

Want insanely nutty crazy horsepower? These guys can help you sicko.
http://www.hennesseyperformance.com/

F1 Australia this weekend!

2008-03-14T20:13:00.003-04:00

Wow, what a race. All six Ferrari powered cars blew up their motors. Nice to see Lewis Hamilton take the win. It was funny seeing the race order at the bottom of the screen showing "Out" to all but the Top 5 or so cars. We'll see what happens next week in Malaysia.

http://www.formula1.com/

Answers to the post below.

2008-03-14T18:50:00.004-04:00

In case you wanted to know the nicknames. Here you go. Davis Phinney, Bob Roll, and Chris Carmichael have all written great books on cycling and included some of the 7-Eleven stories. Bob Roll's being some of the funniest.

1986 7-Eleven Tour team:

Davis Phinney is "Thor"

Ron Kiefel is "Wookie"

Bob Roll is "Bobke"

Eric Heiden is "Gomer"

Chris Carmichael is "The Kid"

Doug Shapiro is "Bullet"

Alex Stieda is "Link"

Jeff Pierce is "Pepe"

Raul Alcala

Wookie

2008-03-13T22:08:00.012-04:00

Here's a cool picture of Christina and myself with former 7 Eleven pro Ron Kiefel. We were out in Colorado last summer riding and visting with our friend Steve. Ron had a live viewing of the 2007 Tour De France at his shop. It was pretty cool to have him answer questions about riding the Tour during Versus commercial breaks. Ron Kiefel competed in the Tour De France from 1986-1992. He was very friendly and had interesting perspectives on pro cycling.

Can you guess the nicknames of at least five of the nine man 7 Eleven team that competed in the 1986 Tour? I'll get you started. Ron Kiefel is Wookie.

Good luck!

Remember the heroes of American cycling?

2008-03-12T22:35:00.014-04:00

Ok, so I was reading the Plain Dealer this morning before work when I came across a little blurb on cycling. Guess what it was about? Give up? Doping. Big suprise there, huh? Well, Floyd Landis will be exercising his last appeal to try and regain his Tour victory. Go ahead and lodge your appeal. You've lost every battle up to this point. So why not? Or maybe Floyd should accept the fact that he cheated and move on. The professional cycling world needs to clean up it's reputation. The pros have not been a good influence on new cyclists. Plus I'm tired of reading about the dopers in the paper any time cycling is newsworthy. I bet you are too!

My question is, what happened to the heroes of this sport? Lance made a huge impact on cycling. We all know that. Unfortunately he had to heavily defend himself to the media during all 7 Tours because of the dopers. Greatest comeback story overshadowed by the cheaters.

One morning I would like to read about how Davis Phinney and his wife Connie Carpenter spend countless hours teaching new people how to be cyclists. Spreading a positive message about cycling. Both Davis and Connie made huge impacts on cyclists during the 80's. Now it seems their son Taylor is creating his own mark on cycling. The future star of American cycling perhaps? Seems more newsworthy to me.

Remember the 7-11 team and how they paved the way for American involvement in the Tour. Greg LeMond's 1989 win in the Tour was the closest margin of victory, ever. Ron Kiefel, Alex Stieda, Jeff Pierce, Alexi Grewal, Bob Roll, Rebecca Twigg, Inga Thompson, Eric Heiden, Andy Hampsten, Steve Bauer, Davis Phinney, Connie Carpenter, the list goes on. They were the hero riders during the 80's that made people want to start cycling. Especially the young junior riders. Like myself at that time. Can you come up with anyone right now in professional cycling, who makes enough of an impact on someone to start cycling? I know I have a hard time coming up with any. It sure won't be Rock Racing!

"We" now need to be the heroes to save face in our sport.

ZR1

2008-03-11T09:47:00.001-04:00

600hp anyone? anyone? I can dream, can't I?

Moon

2008-03-11T00:07:00.007-04:00

It's late and the moon is out. The Who is one of my all time favorite rock bands. More on that later. Off to sleep.

Here is a great live performance of "A Quick One, While He's Away." Filmed in 1968 at the Rock n Roll Circus. Thanks to Dave S. for the link. Enjoy!

First Blog First Post

2008-03-10T23:53:00.004-04:00

Here is my first post on my first ever blog. Thought I would start off with a picture of my loving fiance Christina and I riding together in Colorado. This photo was taken on the lower slopes of Mount Evans last July. What a day that was! We are engaged to be married on Saturday July 26th, 2008.