Senior Trip, another crit, and my feeble attempt at Mountain Biking

Senior Trip was amazing! Flat out one of the best times of my life. We left early on Tuesday morning like April 15th? By early I mean 2 a.m. Our flight didn't leave until almost 8 a.m. I didn't sleep much at the school, however I slept the whole bus ride to the Airport. We get to the airport and check in, and get moving through security. This first trip through security was one of the worst experiences of the whole trip. While in line I check for my cell phone in my pocket, it isn't there. Shit. It must have fallen out of my pocket on the bus ride. I inform a teacher, and long story short I would eventually get my phone back. (When I got home from the trip.) So we hang out in the airport for awhile and wait for our flight time. Luckily they had a pretty cool playground. Finally we board the plane and wait
some more. We take off, and with a big cheer from my classmates we were off on Senior Trip officially. The plane ride was smooth and quick.
The first day we hit up Epcot before checking into our rooms at the All-Star Music Resort. Epcot sucked, it's really pretty lame. There are like four attractions and loads of people, and the attractions are nothing special in my mind. (For the record I don't really like amusement parks, I'm just generally not amused.) After Epcot and checking in we headed over to the Magic Kingdom. It ended up being just Brian Anderson (My Asian travel companion) and me for the first hour or so. We went on some alright rides, and then met up with the girls for dinner. Dinner was nothing special, just more Disney fast food. After dinner we head over to the Thunder Mountain railroad. Waiting in line had to be the best part about this ride. Our whole group was just being crazy. Our group was Brian, Myself, and like 8 girls. After Thunder Mountain Railroad we headed over to Splash Mountain because there was no wait. We got soaked and it was 55 degrees out. We froze but it was awesome. As soon as we get off the ride the fireworks display began; I must admit it was a pretty awesome display. After the fireworks we headed back to the hotel...cold and tired. The next day was Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. I had never been there before so it was kind of neat to see something new. Other than that, Universal was kind of lame. There were some cool roller coasters and the Mummy ride was also pretty cool but other than that it wasn't anything special. We left Universal around 4 p.m. and drove back to hit up the Animal Kingdom for a special after hours thing. We get in the park and run to Expedition Everest, only to find out that it is closed due to a mechanical problem. Then it was back to the front of the park to see if we could go back to our hotel early. Of course of teachers were not allowing that, but that didn't stop us from trying to find a way out. As seen here: Plotting our escape.
After around a half hour of messing around at the front of the park we were finally allowed to leave. We hustled back to our rooms, got changed and then play Ultimate Frisbee in the pool. It was pretty cool because we got some other kids that were swimming to play and I don't know it was just cool. So after about an hour of that it was off to bed as the next day would be another long adventure.
The next morning after breakfast my room jetted over to Animal Kingdom to try and get on Everest. We got lucky and had to wait like 10 minutes, and even luckier because Brian Anderson and myself got front row seats. Everest was definitely a cool ride. Once we finished up on Everest we left the park and went over to Disney's Hollywood Studios a.k.a. MGM. We went on a bunch of rides and hung out with some cool people. A must see for anyone going to Disney is the car stunt show. I also got selected to be a volunteer in the back lot studios tour. That was cool I got to pretend to be a PT boat captain.
All in all MGM was pretty cool, and remains my favorite park. That night we loaded up on the buses and headed over to Sea World for the Luoa. That was a fun little show with a short little dance afterwards. Friday was our day at the water park. Brian and I decided to make it a relaxing day at Typhon Lagoon. We got there as soon as it opened and went straight over to the Water Coasters. Brian and I went tandem style and on our third trip down we were getting pretty aggressive. We were just railing the corners, really leaning into them, really getting some speed. Until one corner where we got a little too aggressive, and flipped it. We both fell around 5-6 feet in the air and slammed into the slide. It hurt, it hurt a lot. However we were both cracking up. The rest of the day was pretty awesome, we played some volleyball, I got fried and we swam some more. It was awesome. That night we all went to MGM again to see the Fantasmic show. Which again was pretty surprising and I think is a must see. The next day, our last day would be spent in the Magic Kingdom. It was a lot of fun and then it was time to leave. Everything went well on the way home and I got in around 11 p.m. What an awesome trip, I really am glad I decided to go.
Sunday morning and it's back to normal, I headed over to the Lower Providence Crit to do the 3/4 race. Not riding for a week definitely hurt me. I didn't have the high end endurance I normally would. A break managed to get away late in the race with two guys in it. They would stay away, I turned in a decent field sprint for an 6th place overall. I had also picked up a prime earlier in the race. Not too bad for not riding, though I definitely would need to get that speed back.
Sunday April 27th. My attempt at Mt. Biking, I signed up to race the Jr. Expert class at the Norba race in Maryland. All I have to say is mechanicals and mud. Thats about it, I didn't finish.

Oh well life rolls on, it makes me appreciate my road bike soo much more.

Peace and Love,
Patrick

Rollin On

Today was the Trofeo de Evesham crit. The course if the same as the Thursday night training ride. I signed up to race the Pro/1/2/3, now most races the "Pro" part of that really means nothing. Today was not most races. Before I signed up for the race I could already see the Tyler Wren and Davide Frattini from Colavita/Sutter Homes Professional Cycling team would be showing up. Alright cool I can deal with that. I've been riding strong, so let's see what I can do. I have a pretty easy morning as I did leave until 9:30 am. I arrive and head down to sign in and get my number. On my way I run into Mike Jenks and Ryan Pettit and we start talking about racing against Pro's. Well It turns out not only are the Colavita guys going to be racing but Francois Parisien of Symmetrics Pro Cycling team and Dominique Rollin of Toyota-United Pro Cycling team were also going to be racing. Now for those of you who do not follow professional cycling Rollin is a 6 time Canadian National Time Trial Champion. Also in February at the Amgen Tour of California he won Stage 4 in a long breakaway, beating out George Hincapie for the win. http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/feb08/california08/?id=results/california084 is where you can go to read about that. So now I'm a little more nervous. Also as I am still considered a Junior rider (Under 19 years old) I have to race with junior specific gearing that doesn't allow me to go as fast as those that are older than myself even when we are racing in the same race. I had to deal with junior gearing and I am not going to complain about it anymore. It is a fact of life, a hard fact to face but a fact all the same. The race starts off pretty quickly as we descend down the small rise on the backstretch a crash happens behind me. Just glad I wasn't involved. Still it was racing time. I take a pull on the front and try to open a gap and it didn't work. Still I stayed up near the front and made my way over to Rollin's wheel. I figure if he goes I want to go with him. Sure enough out of the next corner he went. I had the power to stay with him, just not gearing. I spun out and could not keep his wheel. Francois Parisien and Steve Blackman of Human Zoom also went with Rollin. I got back into the field and could only hope for a chase to develop. Sure enough one did, with around 7 or 8 riders including both Colavita riders. I bridged over solo and prepared to do some work. I started pulling through, however there were two Human Zoom riders in the mix and they would not help or do any work. Which is smart, I love doing that when I'm in their position. After about two laps I take a pull and we had shed a good portion of the large group, when I looked back for someone to pull through there was only one guy left, Frattini. He pulls through and now it's just the two of us. We trade pulls for around 3-4 laps, we started to pull the break back about 2 laps in. The gap came down to around 15-20 seconds, however it went right back out and 2 laps later we were caught. I was pretty pumped about working with Frattini, even if it was only for 4 laps. Once back in the field I drifted towards the back to recover. I knew it was only a matter of time before we would be lapped. Sure enough with 17 of 33 laps remaining we were caught be the leading trio. Once they caught us I moved back towards the front in hopes that I might be able to try and get away. With around 13 laps to go I jump hard and get a quick gap. No one joined me... at first. I keep on the gas up the hill and onto the descent. I'm about to give up when I look back and see Tyler Wren coming across the gap solo, as he gets close he gives me a shout to get on. I accelerate and catch onto his wheel. I'm feeling it now my legs are spinning fast and were moving. I take a pull onto the main stretch, and then Tyler takes back over. I look back and Parisien had bridge up. However he did not pull through and my legs were shot and the field was charging. I sat up. Tyler gave it another go and went off solo and would stay off to the finish. I fell back into the field and would have to focus my efforts on sprinting. I moved up and had decent positioning for the sprint, until I ended up too far to the front. It wouldn't matter. The last lap was fast, I tried to keep up as best I could. I was spinning like mad and the sprint didn't really go well. I ended up 16th. I'm alright with that. Rollin won the race, big surprise there! I was not planning on sprinting today, I knew my sprint would be worthless with a downhill finish. I'm happy with the way I rode today, I went toe-to-toe with some very strong professional riders, and not only did I survive but I mixed things up a bit. I traded pulls with two pro riders. It's a confidence booster and I learned a lot today. It was also neat to talk with the pros after the race and get some of their input, and I would like to thank them for making it a very interesting race today. All in all it was a good day.

Peace and Love,
Patrick

Pinecone Road Race

First race of the year! Weather Forecast three days out, Sunny with a high of 62 degrees. Day of weather, Pouring rain and a high of 45 degrees. Oh well, I'm racing anyway. I was racing in the Cat 3 field at the Pinecone Road Race in Hammonton, NJ. The course is a typical Hammonton course of flat roads, 4 turns, and long straights. The loop was 6.3 miles long and the Cat 3 field would be doing a total of 7 laps. The field is slim at only 35 +/- riders. Bruce and Dan also lined up with me. We start and take a gentle pace for the first lap, just feeling things out a bit. The second lap featured more of the same, until someone decided to liven things up a bit with a slight attack. Naturally he didn't get far as with most attacks from a slow peleton don't. As we reeled him in I countered and got a gap. I pushed it out and was hoping that someone would come and join me. After a few minutes and with no one even attempting to chase and still having a long way to go I sat up. That took care of the second lap. The third lap I countered an attack on the finishing straight and again found myself all alone with a decent gap on the field. Still I'm a long way off and I really don't feel like being out there all alone. So I set a decent tempo pace and just cruise. It took the field around an entire lap to pull me back. The next lap went by fairly uneventful. On the 5th lap Bruce took a flyer into the finishing straight, no one went with him. People started to chase and I would just sit on every single persons wheel. No one really aggressively fought me to stop messing things up. Bruce stayed away for half of that lap until we made the catch into the second corner on the course. Coming out of the corner Bruce was about 15 yards of the front still but had sat up. I punched it out of the corner, this time I took another rider with me. We started working together immediately, the field had a little more motivation to chase now. We stayed away through that entire stretch, coming out of the next corner we were joined by a Keswick Cycles (Temple University) rider. It was a nice addition to the break. For the remainder of that lap we worked together pretty well. The field was definitely a little more interested in racing now though. We got one to go and headed onto the first straight away. As we came around the second corner a group of 5 chasers caught on. There were two more collegiate riders, Toby from Johns Hopkins who used to race with Beacon and another rider who races for Drexel. They join up and at first some of them start looking around. My thoughts are great you bridge up here, congratulate yourself later before we get caught by the field. I'm still good with doing work even if some people are not working entirely. There were about two riders who were not doing their fair share, one because he physically could not and was only slowing things down when he tried to work, and the other was deliberately not working. Oh well thats racing. We hit the final straight with around 30 seconds gap on the field. Then disaster almost strikes, Toby and I touched wheels, his front to my back. Luckily neither one of us goes down, unfortunately I broke a spoke. My wheel is rubbing on the brake a little and the spoke is ticking on my frame every revolution. Toby faired a little worse as his wheel was rubbing a little harder on his brake. While all this was happening one of the other riders had launched an attack. He was dangling around 15 meters of the front. We hit around 800m to go and the I'm coming to my turn in the rotation, this is where I am forced to make a tough decision. Pull through and I might get stuck leading things out, or go now and try and get away. I have a good sprint but I also have junior gears as well. I decide not to leave it to chance, I attack. I punch it from the center line over to the right side of the road and then full steam ahead. I quickly catch and pass the rider who was already away, and I just keep on as much power as I can. I established a solid gap from the initial burst. On my way to the line I took a few glances back just to keep tabs on the other riders. One rider was coming on strong but I had timed it right and would finish with about 5 bike lengths lead. I was so pumped, what a way to start the season.



I was able to grab another 10 points towards my Cat 2 upgrade. A huge thanks goes out to my teammates for blocking back in the field, and also for my mom for driving me there and taking some cool video.
Dan and I post race.

Peace and Love,
Patrick

18 at last

Well I did not wake up this morning feeling any different than I did on yesterday. I don't know I guess it's pretty cool. Still I had to get up and go to school. Today would be better than the rest right? Of course it would be, it's my birthday. I get to homeroom and am delighted that my friend Alycia has decided to hook me up with a sweet little birthday breakfast, Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Belgian Waffle. Sweet. So I leave for first period already stoked that I've got food, on the way I am greeted by my friend Krista who gave me a huge plate of cookies. Wow I guess I'm looking thin today? Off to German class where I was treated to a Chocolate cake with vanilla icing from Christine. I left first period feeling a little glutenous. I ended up giving away just about all of my cookies in my English class. It's cool I didn't need to eat anymore than 7 or 8. Not a bad start to the day I have to admit. After lunch I was treated to my favorite birthday treat in the whole world, double-period AP chem test. Which would be followed up with a delicious serving of an Anatomy and Physiology test. The tests went as well as tests can go for their respective subjects. After my Anatomy test I was treated to a plateful of brownies, however these were no ordinary brownies. These brownies were made my the black widow. Yes she has received that nickname due to her "Putting" my and her now boyfriend in the hospital. When she "put" me in the hospital it was exactly one year to the day, and with similar circumstances...

It was my 17th birthday and she had made me a nice big brownie cake. I ate it and two days later found my self near death, and would have to have emergency surgery as well as spend a week in the hospital recovering. (Now honestly her brownies had nothing to do with it however I would always play with that a bit.) So this year I'm of course a little nervous about taking the brownies but I do anyway. I give a ton away as like the rest of the food today. I take my seat in my final class of the day Calculus and I dig in. So I'm breaking a brownie apart and munching away when I come across the second attempt on my life by the black widow, I find a Hairpin baked into the brownie. Wow is all I have to say. So I meet her after class and joked about it a bit. Happy Eighteenth to me! All in all not too bad a day.

After school I decided to take a drive up to Greentree. I was feeling a little tired after all the days events and really was having a tough time getting motivated. I get dressed and start rolling around, my legs still not feeling snappy as Tuesday night. The ride starts and I'm staying near the front and pushing myself a bit. Long story short, no breaks would stick. Five laps to go and I start thinking about sprinting. I follow some wheels and get myself the best seat in the house. with two laps to go I'm sitting on Hudson's wheel and Mambo's has control of the leadout. One lap to go and the pace is high. Coming through the chicane on the backstretch of the course a Human zoom rider tries to take a flyer. He blows up on the second to last corner, Hudson and his leadout man break left of the Human zoom rider and I was forced to break right. I managed to pull back into Hudson's draft and into the final corner. I start sprinting, I get closer than I ever have (Up about halfway overlapping his rear wheel) I couldn't get any closer but I finished 2nd.

I drive home feeling accomplished and stoked about a pretty solid ride. I walk in the door to a nice big stack of cards and boxes. Nice! Raisonets, and a box of Pitman Cream donuts. Underneath those was a heavier box, which contained a little itty-bitty digital camera. My parents are great with stuff like that, I really did not expect anything when I got home and that really put the cap on a great day. Here's to 18 great years!

Peace and Love,
Patrick

Waking up after a long-winters nap

It's been exactly three months since my last post. Honestly it hasn't been all the exciting. However I guess I'll give a recap.

January:

I started my training again, only with a bit of a twist this year. I would be spending far more time in the gym. For the next 8 weeks I spent every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after work in the gym. I began to see some results which was pretty cool. However during this time period I was not riding nearly as much. I did however start to mountain bike again, with intentions of racing this year. I borrowed a mountain bike from Jr., it is his old converted rigid-single speed.

February:

More gym time. Riding still not exciting. School getting worse all the time. That pretty much sums up February.

March:

March featured the end of the gym and the beginning of far more riding. The first weeks were a little more difficult to transition from gym to bike, but I did get used to it. On the second weekend I took a visit to Rutgers. I sat in on a few classes and then went out on the town with my friend. All in all it was awesome. So I enrolled the next day for the Fall 2008 semester. Once that happened my schoolwork took another dive as I now really no longer care about grades and such. (aside from failing) The last two weeks have featured an solid increase in my riding. I have been feeling surprisingly good. For example last week at Greentree I slipped into a breakaway on the second lap, felt great the whole time, and on the last lap as I was sitting in 5th wheel for the sprint we lapped the field. I broke my 30 min peak power value and my 60 min peak power value. This past Sunday I went to Wissahickon park in Philadelphia for a 3 hour+ mountain bike ride. On the rigid single speed. Felt awesome was making a lot of climbs and just riding pretty fast overall. Though the rigid part of the bike definitely made my shoulders sore for the next few days.

Today: Well now that you are back up to speed we can move on. Tomorrow is my eighteenth birthday, hooray. I guess that is kind of cool but I'm not really too worried about it. More importantly my racing season starts this Sunday. I'm racing in the Cat 3 and the 1/2/3 race at the Pinecone RR. All in all I signed up for 101 miles of racing. I've been feeling good so far this year so hopefully I'll finish both. I guess we'll see.

Peace and Love,
Patrick