Recap

EPIC Part 1

The definition of epic may be different across cultures and contexts. To me Epic is an adjective used to describe something so incredible that I will remember it for the rest of my life. I've had a lot epic moments in my life, ranging from huge surf days, magnificent vacations, amazing dates, and unbelievable races. This past weekend of travel and racing for the Rutgers University Cycling Team definitely qualified as an EPIC weekend.

The trip began late Friday afternoon as Rich, Joe, Eric, Andy, and myself crammed all of our bikes and equipment into the van for the long drive up to Northampton, Massachusetts. The ride was filled with interesting conversations, plenty of laughs, and a ton of traffic. Along the way we stopped in White Plains, New York to pick up Andy's girlfriend Amanda. The rest of the drive went off without any problems and we arrived sometime around 10:30.

We arrived around the same time as Don, Cristian, and Matt. I really wanted to spin my legs out, knowing that they would thank me the next day. Fortunately, no one brought a trainer and so we were forced to come up with a new and radical idea. Eric, Rich, Joe, Matt, and myself managed to convince Don to drive behind us in his car to light us up and keep us safe. So the five of us rolled out in flyest Rutgers gear, looking very Euro pro, and acting the part. Talk about team bonding, this was truly an awesome experience.

After the ride, we all pretty much just crashed. The next day was going to be a long and punishing day...

Peace and Love,
Patrick

Royal Weekend

The Big Dance went well overall. Granogue was a crazy day. I arrive at the venue to learn that my Mom was hit by an off-course rider at the start of the Men's C race. Once my Dad finished his race, he took her to the hospital where she would be diagnosed with a concussion, a broken hand, and would later be diagnosed with a broken rib. However, she made it back in time to watch me take off in my first UCI C1 competition. I was impressed, she is one tough woman.

Photo: Kevin Dillard
I had a good start and sitting two wheels behind Tim Johnson when we hit the dirt. Everything was going well until we hit the run/ride up for the first time. At the bottom a rider in front of me fell, I hit him and went down too. No big deal, I get up and start running up the steep. My front wheel was not moving, my wheel had come dislodged from the dropouts. I stopped to fix it and lost a solid 15-20 seconds and all of my momentum. The next 3 laps were awful for me. My head was out of it and I made a few more stupid mistakes. I would end up getting lapped with one to go.
Photo: Kevin Dillard
I was bummed with my performance. I know I can ride better. I would have my chance at redemption the following day at Wissahickon.

My first pre-ride lap I felt a thousand times more confident than I did the previous day. I was running my Challenge Grifo tubulars, and they felt great. My legs felt a little sore, but still strong. I proceeded to get a good warm-up and made my way to the start with plenty of time. The start was crazy. For those that have never raced Wissahickon, the start begins on a gravel road with lots of holes and bumps and goes straight into a 180 degree swooping turn. The rider in front of me slipped his tires at the start and caused me to have to unclip and slow down. Not what I wanted out of my start. I took off and took an aggressive inside line on the 180, I made up all the ground I lost at the start and more in one turn. My goal for the day was to find a group stronger than myself and settle in for as long as I could. I ended up riding most of the race in a group with Bill Elliston from Fuji bikes, Tyler Wren of Colavita, and Kyle Hammaker from Scott bikes. These guys were pushing the pace hard, but I felt good.


Photo: Rich Kassan

I rode strong all race and with two laps left I was feeling very good. I had found my way into a group with two other U23 riders and a chance at a top 25 finish. However, I made one stupid mistake. I took a turn too hot and slid out. My front wheel was then rubbing on the frame and causing me problems. I pitted and discovered my rear wheel on the pit bike to be too low. I pitted again and lost big chunks of time. I lost around 8 spots because of this mistake. However even with all the problems I did not get lapped and finished 33rd.


Photo: Rich Kassan

All in all I was very pleased with my result on Sunday. I cannot focus on that one mistake, but I will learn from it. In the big picture, I was riding much better. Wissahickon has provided me with a greater confidence in my abilities and my choice to race with the Elite Men. I also retained my lead in the MAC U23 standings as well as my 19th place overall for the series. Also my brand new Specialized S-works mountain shoes felt great, as did my new Verge skinsuits. However, satisfaction is the death of progression. I am not satisfied, I want to win.

This upcoming weekend will be my first trip up to New England for the year. The Rutgers University Cycle Team is taking the trip up to the Cycle-Smart International race weekend in Northamton, Massachusetts. This is also the first weekend for ECCC competition. I am optimistic about the weekend, I have been feeling good on the bike and off the bike. My last race was a good race and if not for one stupid mistake I would have done a lot better.

My goals for the weekend are to be relaxed and comfortable before the race, to work my way into a good group, and minimize the stupid mistakes.

Peace and Love,
Patrick

The Big Dance

“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dream.” -Paulo Coelho

It's Thursday night, well really it's Friday morning, and I'm sitting at my computer finishing up some homework when I get the feeling that something big is coming. I know what it is. I have been anticipating this event for nearly a year. Still I find myself getting nervous.

Saturday at 2:30 P.M. the gun will go off and the turbines will begin to spin. I can't make any promises as to how well those turbines will hold up. It is likely that they will be strong and give me all that I can ask of them, and perhaps more. Still, this is not just another bike race, it is the "Queen" of the Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Series, Granogue. Things won't get any easier as the weekend progresses. The following day is the "King" of the MAC, Wissahickon.

In previous years Granogue has always been a great race for me. I have never finished below 3rd place. I have never thought that the course suited me particularly well, however, I have always managed to ride well there. Wissahickon is a course that, like Granogue, I enjoy and have done pretty well there. The first year at Wiss. I finished 2nd and last year despite breaking my front wheel in three places I managed to pull off a 21st place. Last year, despite the bad placing, was probably one of my absolute best rides.

The 2008 "Royal" MAC weekend will be far different from the previous two years. This year is my first time not being a favorite for the podium. Moving up to the Elite field was a difficult decision. I like winning, I like winning a lot. Racing in the Elite field yields a very slim chance that I will walk away with a win. However, I will be racing against the best cyclocross racers in the country. These riders will force me to dig deeper, and go harder than I have ever thought possible. Being pushed to a new level is what drove me to move up this season.

I will not find glory racing in UCI Elite Men's fields. My finish will likely mean nothing to my non-cycling friends, it's nothing to brag about, show off with, or pick-up girls with. (Like cycling results get girls?) So far this season I have had the attitude that I can be satisfied with doing okay at a race. My placing does not matter, I'm racing myself. I should be satisfied with my placing if it is the best that I could to do. To be completely honest I really do care about my placing. I want to do well and I want to win. I have to be realistic and understand that it is going to a difficult season. But today I make a resolution. I will no longer be satisfied with anything less than a win. I will be happy if I do well and finish respectably, but I will not be satisfied with anything but the top step on the podium. I will no longer compare my finish in the manor of "I was racing against the top guys nationally, --th place is a great finish." Through the act of upgrading to UCI Elite cyclocross racer, I put myself on the same level as Trebon, Johnson, Powers, Wicks, Anthony, Driscoll, and more. From this moment forward I will not stand to be starstruck, or allow myself to be nervous about racing these guys. I earned my spot on the start line, and my finish is entirely in my hands.

Bring on the weekend. I will not fear the suffering that is coming, but rather I will embrace it. I am pursuing my dream.

Peace and Love,
Patrick

First MAC Weekend

This past weekend was the first weekend of back to back Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Series events. It was also my first weekend racing in the Elite Men's category.

Saturday was Nittany Lion Cross which was a UCI level race. This would be my first true "International" Elite race. I went to bad pretty early the night before which is not easy to do in a college dorm. My mom came to pick me up at 9:00 on Saturday morning to drive me out to the race. Once at the venue I signed in and started to try and get ready. As I'm rolling around the course I'm seeing riders that I idolized all over the place, and today I'm racing against them. I was definitely feeling a bit nervous as I tried to get warmed up and get a feel for the course. I was not feeling overly confident with the course though. Either way it was game time.

I make my way to the start and take my place in the back. My hands were shaking, my heart was thumping, this was for real. The whistle blows and off we go. I had a solid start quickly moving my way up. After the scrum of the start I found myself sitting on Bobby Lea's wheel. I'm sitting on the wheel of a 2008 Olympian. I think I was a bit starstruck. I tried to settle into an even pace and was doing pretty well, sitting in and around the top 20. However things took a turn for the worse on the third lap. I dove into a corner perhaps a bit too fast and went down hard. I pop up and my bike would not move; I had rolled my tubular tire. Great, so I begin a nice long run to the pits that were at least half a mile away.

I swap bikes and find I have a new problem, my tire pressure on the spare was way too low. I had around 10 pounds in the front tire. Basically my race was over. Very disappointing. After the race my mom drove me back home and I would get to sleep in my nice big comfy bed. (School bed is a bit smaller, and not quite as comfy) Tomorrow would be a new day.

Sunday was Charm City Cross, which was not a UCI event and some of the real big guns did not show up to race. Never the less the field was still very talented. After arriving to the race I learn my teammates from Cape Atlantic Racing/Team Beacon had a great day of racing including a win in the Masters 3/4 race by Mike Lynch.

My first pre-ride lap went well, I really was feeling the course. The conditions were dry, dusty, and hot. Just like the year before at Charm City. I did not warm up for my race today nearly as much as the day before which I think really helped. I was also a lot more relaxed at the start than the day before. The start was very fast but I was able to stay calm and just settle into my rhythm. I knew it was a long race and I would need to be conservative. I worked hard and began to pick riders off one-by-one. I was riding strong up until 3 laps to go. At this point I began to crack a little and had to let off the gas some. However I was still saving some for the last lap which I knew could be a difference maker. During my "bad lap" I was passed a another U23 rider from Haymarket Cycles. He jumped on the opportunity and got a gap on me. The bell lap finally came and as we hit the dirt the U23 rider flatted. I put in a huge effort to make catch back up to him and try and put some time in knowing that after he pitted he would be chasing hard. That effort brought me within around 20-25 seconds of Matt Kraus from RGM/Richard Sachs Bicycles. I had my last lap reserve left and so I put in down. Heading into the natural barrier section Kraus still had around 10 seconds on me. I floored it up the hill and into the barrier, my dismount was quick as was my remount. I had closed the gap down to around 20 yards. We hit the next set of barriers and again I make quick work of it. However this time coming out of the barriers I ended up on his wheel. Into the narrow 90 degree right turn at the bottom of the hill at 200 meters to go, Kraus pinched in the corner and jumped me out of it. I knew what he was doing and was able to respond. I came around the last corner at 100 meters to go and punched it through the outside. I won the sprint for 10th place. I was stoked!

All in all it was an awesome weekend of racing. Major Props go out to my teammates from Cape Atlantic Racing/Team Beacon for their efforts this weekend and for cheering me on. My coach Wade Hess from Hightidetrainingsystems.com for all his help and advice this weekend. Last but not least my Mom who drove me all over the place on Saturday and was with me all day Sunday at the race and also my Dad who drove me back up to school last night at 10:30. I really appreciate all the support I had this weekend.

Peace and Love,
Patrick

Being a Beach Bum

The sun is shining and the surf is rising. Today is a great day at the beach, even though there is no such thing as a bad day at the beach. I'm currently taking a nice long break from riding and racing. It has been a long time since I've been off the bike this long, and honestly it is nice. I'm getting the opportunity to spend some quality time with sand between my toes, a board beneath my feet, and my butt off a saddle. Taking a break is a great thing.

However the more time I spend off the bike the more time I start thinking about it. When I was up home this week I spent a little bit of time assessing what my cross bikes need and how to put them together. My original plan was to buy a new 09' Specialized Tricross frameset and build it up with the parts from my 08' (Campy Centaur) and then take the parts of my Strong (Shimano Tiagra) and put those on my 08' Tricross frame. After stripping the bikes down I realized that all I would need to make the 08' bike campy was shifters and a rear derailleur. So I justified it by saying it means less crap to have in my tiny little dorm room.(Sort of true) The parts will be in next Wednesday and then hopefully built up before the weekend. The 09' frameset won't be in until August though.

All the thoughts about cross have me really excited for the upcoming season and even the training that I'm going to start in a few weeks. So that is what taking a break gets me...excited to ride again. (I've only been off the bike for one week out of three weeks off.) It's going to be hard to stay clear from the bike but hopefully I'll be doing some strength training and cross training to keep me busy.

Well as I said the surf is up and it's time for me to get my wetsuit on and paddle out. I love cross training.

Peace and Love,
Patrick

Iron Hill Twilight Crit, My first "PRO" race

Yesterday was the Iron Hill Twilight Crit. The course was one kilometer long, four corners, and lined almost completely around the course with people. The start/finish was a narrow straight one lane wide, which lead into the first turn which was covered in bricks. Out of the second corner the course opened up into a two lane road through the second corner into a four lane road. The backstretch of the course was downhill and very fast. The third corner made things narrow up again as the turn took us into another one lane stretch into the fourth and final corner.

I was racing in the Pro-1-2 race, only my second race as a Cat 2. There was to be 10,000 bones on the line. With that kind of prize money, there were sure to be some big teams. I was not to be disappointed, Toshiba-Santo had 6 guys, Inferno Racing had 6 guys, Time Pro Cycling had 6 guys, and several more.

Once at the race I walked around and tried to find to find registration, it was crowded and that took a bit of time. I picked up my number and then went back to my car to get dressed and get moving. I got my stuff together and started riding. Everything was progressing normally as possible for a big crit. When I rode past some kids would get all wide eyed like "Wow a PRO biker!" I got a kick out of that. Around 25 minutes before the race I was riding through a parking lot when I hit a patch of slick tar, sure enough my bike went right out from under me. I didn't get hurt too badly just a few scrapes and a nice little bump on my hip. My bike made it through that little mishap just fine and off I went. I made my way over to the start finish and get in line for staging. Once they let us on the course I had made my way around halfway up through the group. Then came the call-ups, Nationals Champions, World Champions, and previous winners. I was nervous and just wanted to get underway. Then they announced a $250 first lap prime. "Shit, that's only going make things a little nuttier for the start"

A few moments later the horn sounded and we were off. The speed was incredible, and the first lap was definitely a shock to the system. After that I began to settle in as much as one can settle in at 35+ mph. Lap times were averaging around 1:10 seconds a lap. Just under 60 kph. I was giving it a lot to try and stay up in my position. The race was becoming just a complete blur of speed and pain. Perhaps the only thing that kept me going was hearing "GO PAT" around almost every corner. Without that I don't even think I would've finished the first ten laps. Needless to say it wasn't slowing down and the speed was taking its toll. Riders were blowing up and gaps were opening. Pro riders were dropping out, it was that tough. With around 35 laps to go of the original 60. Four riders in front of me blew up and let a huge gap open, I simply could not close it down. My race was over.

Toshiba-Santo would go on to have a rider lap the field solo, then they would take 2 more spots in the top 4. It was a great race, an eye opening experience but one that was encouraging. I have a ways to go for sure, but I guess time will tell. I would encourage everyone who likes a good crit to do this race, great course, great town, great people. I know I will be going back next year. Hopefully I'll be able to post some photos soon.

Peace and Love,
Patrick