The calm before the storm

CRAAAACK!....was the horrifying sound I woke up to early this morning as a monster front/ mild tornado touched down right behind my house. Looking out my window was like watching fireworks on the fourth all over again; it was almost like being at a dance club with an obnoxiously loud strobe light. This morning we had no power meaning no fancy Sunday morning breakfast, which I was looking forward to considering the empty race calendar. After riding around on the Honda my dad gave me the full property damage report. Around a half a dozen good sized oak trees uprooted, one even landed in the pond. On the sunny side of things we soaked up around three inches of rain ending our mid summer’s drought and lessening our watering extravaganzas.

On the cycling/schedule front this weekend is the calm before a lengthy storm. This coming Thursday Chase, John, and I are skipping the Equalizer TT to head down south for the PCW crit and Calumet Wors race. After that it’s the O2S in MI and then back to school, RA training, and the crazy college lifestyle which, I think, I am ready to jump back into.

Congrats to all the 24/9 riders out there, I hope you had an awesome ride and avoided our not so riding worthy weather.

Quote of the Day:

“As long as I breathe, I attack.” – Bernard Hinault

World is your Playground!
Chad

The Ride to Phillips

After an oatmeal breakfast and a quick stop at Holiday, John, Chase, and I made our way east to Phillips. It’s sweet when the drive is only two hours and for once we made it to the venue early. We watched the sport riders take off…..makes you wonder if a future Floyd might be in hiding in the shadows of the field. After a long warm up and some stretching it was go time. Things started out well as I rolled third wheel into the first section of single track. Matter was off the front straightening corners with a slight lead for most of the lap. Mike, Seth, Tristan, and I bridged the gap on the second lap but no sooner had we caught Matter and the group shattered. There was no big attack just a slow and painful plummet into the lactic acid pool. On the third lap I was riding, as usual, behind the leaders and in front of the chase. I was getting time gaps the entire race….two minutes, one minute, thirty seconds. Rarely does it happen but Sunday I was getting faster as the race went on. In the swamp straight away I could see Seth so I pinned it up the finishing climbs and onto the road. I was close but no catch! Today I have a softball size knot in my lower back and the heat has drained me of all ambitions, so a rest day it will be.

Quote of the day:
“Do your homework, because you will never make money riding a bike.” – Greg LeMond’s high school history teacher

Good luck to all those 24/9 riders out there, you are braver than I!

World is your Playground,
Chad

Shooting from the hip.....

Things have been crazy since our last update and things are only getting crazier. Kewaunee is now a memorie but a I'll give you short and dirty. The race started out slower than normal and I entered the first section of single track about fifth wheel. Chris and Seth opened up a small gap on Matter and I causing a heated chase for the remaining laps. With lap one down I found myself thirty seconds off the lead group and a minute a head of the second chase group. I would hear time checks along the course varying from twenty seconds to a minute. On the second and third lap I road with Jeserin, a talent from up north, with little progress made on the leaders. Once again I was solo on the third lap holding a thirty second gap into the finish. In hindsight I should have struggles more at the initial break to jump the gap but my single track skills still need some sharpening.

12hrs at the Park was a sucess too. We had a small turnout but broke even fiscally and deamed it a thorough dry-run for next years event. John came up form EC and we had a good Seeley showing to boot. Because of our small turn out we decide to even up the teams to make things more competitive, and they were! It was head to head into the last thirty minutes of the twelve hours when things started looking bad for team Ram Rod (Terry T., Ron K., Dan Hanson, and myself). Team Chain Daddys took 10 mins on us by the final lap. All and all an awsome time and I look forward to next year's event....hope to YOU there! I would also like to thank Ron Kay (The Godfather #2) and Gary Crandall (The Fat Man) for the race support and time.

This past weekend was the Firecracker in Eau Claire, making it a home town race for us college folk. John Beck had a smoking race taking 4th in comp...good job John! Things went alright for me as well. To start things off I was second wheel into the first double track right behind the eventual winner AJ, nice race AJ! I then pulled around AJ to rail some single track that I know fairily well, but apparently not that well. I crashed hard a third of the way through the first lap and after putting myself and the bike back together was riding around tenth. I was fighting back most of the race making my way up to second in a small group of riders including T Wood, Seth, and Chris. Chris turned the screws shattering the group and leaving me solo for the final lap. I was on severe damage control as my back screamed for me to stop. I rolled in fifth on the day but considering the big plan things are looking good.

Now back to a much needed lazy Sunday and the World Cup final.

Quote of the day: "You can't train luck." - Eddie B.

World is your playground!
Chad