monday yet again

Yes Yes! Its Monday again....Which really can mean only one thing....I have to go to work.  But more importantly, I have to go to work in the BEAT DOWN condition that 2 days of bike racing in 98 degree heat leaves you in.  Sore, Sun-burned, and depressed.  The goal this weekend was to suffer like no other in preparations for the 'cross, and suffer I did.

Saturday started early with the Empire State Games Qualifier in Prospect Park (Brooklyn).  Now, we race in the PP alot throughout the summer, but the reason this one is different is the length.  Prospect races are usually 15-17 laps of 3.2 mile course, add the 13 mile ride out there from Manhattan, and door to door, you've got a good day in by 9:30 am (not to mention a cafe stop on the way back....sweet sweet Cafe Gitane!)  The ESG Qualifier is 22 laps of that lovely course, making it come out to about 70 miles of racing, and 25 for the round tr

ip commute (Cafe!)  The other quite treacherous part of this race is it is all one BIG category...yep, you heard right..Cat. P-1-2-3 AND 4, making a starting field of damn near 200 people, half of which cannot m

ake their bike go in a straight line to save their lives.  It was indeed a scary day.

Mike Margarite went up the road in a LONG (15 lap or so) break, so at least all I had to do was hang out with the rest of my team (we lined up 8 bodies at that unit) and make sure no attacks went away....MM was in that break with 2 sprinters, and although as strong as Belgian Bar Maid, Margaritaville is no sprinter...so he got 3rd...a damn fine ride.  J. Lo threw a last lap attack that got him in for 5th...not a bad day...the rest of us sat up on the last lap to avoid being killed in the sprint...Then a rid

e home, som food at Gitane, and all by 11am (NYC Racing is not so bad!!!)  Leaving the rest of the day to hang out with my girlie. Which is what I did...We went to the Takashi Murakmi exhibit at the Broklyn Museum of Art...yes I know, not so PRO to be walking around a museu

m after 90 miles of racing and another race the next day...but ya know.....I just not that PRO...

Sunday was the Tour of Highland Park, and here is a perfect example of how un-PRO I am. When I registered for the P1/2/3 race of this lovely circuit (3.2 mile lap - 11 laps) the race promoter asked," Are you sure you want to do that?"  You see...I'm a Cat 3, and he was giving me an out. But my ego and my teammates were there, so I listed to both, and off I went.  98 degrees on the start line.  So hot we had ice in our jersey pockets...no shit. ICE!  Such a cool course...a 2 step climb right out of the blocks( Really a wall I should say, 4mph kinda shit)  hard right and flat for a bit, the left up a short false flat kinda thing, then a right on this kick as single lane, beat up, Belgian style descent, then up another climb, (where someone painted on

 the road, " You just made a deposit in the PAIN BANK!....great), then down another fast descent then into 2 right handers that at 40mph was more like a big 180 degree turn, then the finishing straight. We lined up 6 guys..also on the line were some Chipolte/Slipstream dudes, Colavita, Hot Tubes, and Roger Aspholm...So Yeah, I'm wondering what I got myself into.  So. off we go....again realizing how under-trained, over worked, and un-PRO I am...I stick it for a few laps, then blow sky high. One lap later, Karl comes out , (ok I don't feel so ba

d now), one more lap, and Kevin is on the side of the road (mechanical) We lined up 6 guys, 4 on

 the side of the road ,and Margarite and Deeny in there fully given' it.  Hundred degrees and th

e ref. won't let us feed...BS I say.  There was a break of 4 up the road the stuck it, Deeny finished 5 th in no man's land bridging, and Margarite 2nd in the feidl sprint for 7th.  Not Bad....but the best part of the day was when Molloy rides into the gravel parking lot at 20mph on h

is Cervelo Carbon Soloist, Sram Red, Reynolds DV46 Carbon Tubulars, and locks it up into a BMX style, foot down, power slide...like it was a huffy.  I love it....I've always said: SKIDDING: Good for moral - Bad for tires (and carbon wheels)