why dose realizing i missed a race make me panic?

why dose realizing i missed a race make me panic?

I missed last weekends race… the root 66 one in ware mass… I didn’t realize there was a race till about an hour before the start of the race … so I went through my panic mode for about 10 min till I realized that there was know way I was going to make it before the start… and I was a little bit disappointed in myself that I could let missing a race get me so worked up and worried… I go to these races for fun…so why did I get so flustered… Am I on some ego trip where I feel I need to ride my bike faster than others to prove myself ?… if I am alone riding fast and no one is around to see or care the ride doesn’t feel quite as fulfilling as if I rode fast under race conditions and had an official result and witnesses to prove that I had rode fast… so I guess @ the end of the day I am just a tool, trying to impress others… I suppose we all tools to some degree… humans are social animals, always doing stuff to be loved, get attention and respect… if I didn’t care what anyone thought of me I would always we wearing the same sweat suit… I would ever shave and I would fart, pick my nose in public and wouldn’t race as much… if at all.

Despite the tool racing makes me I don’t think I will stop doing it anytime soon… racing is rewarding it creates goals and motivation in my life that keep me driven to be a healthy and fit person… and maybe that dive transfers over to other aspects of my life in a positive way... I suppose the same competitive drive that make a person driven also makes them more susceptible to getting worried angry or depressed when things don’t go as planned…

Putney/West Hill Mtn. Bike Race, Putney VT 2009

Putney/West Hill Mtn. Bike Race, Putney VT

Race went good… big turn out …in the men’s pro /cat 1 category there was 35 people.
It had been raining a lot that week so the conditions were pretty muddy… it was nice that the rain gave way just before the race… still got a bit wet from sweat and puddle splashes but not completely waterlogged.

I was worried going into this race because I had sprained my wrist a couple weeks prior at the gym lifting weights…

my wrist was weak and unable to move in certain direction… for the first week I had the problem I wasn’t able to ride my bike, turn the key in my car ignition or a door knob with my right hand… it felt pretty messed up… but in the past week my wolverine like mutant healing strength kicked in and my wrist made a lot of progress…

If you are unaware of the wolverine healing factor I included this very informative article…. Just click on wolverine….

I also found this article that explored the possibility of using wolverine’s healing factor to cure the swine flu… mmmmmm…. a very interesting proposition.

The wrist doesn’t have complete mobility but it was good enough that I felt comfortable wrapping it up tight and racing… my worries were that I might re-injure it or be forced to drop out if it because too painful but I hardly noticed the wrist problem and had a great race….minus the start...i started off 4th row and had a foot slip off the pedal... so I was pretty far back probably 30th…

here is the is a video of us at the beginning of the race

Cycling Videos on CyclingDirt

I passed a lot of people and was feeling good… I caught up with Brent Mellen and we rode together for the last 2 laps we passed some more guys and finished together… I came in 7th and Brent came in 8th…

Brent and I were planning on competing in the wildcat epic team stage race mid June in the Catskills of NY but due to lack of registered entries the race organizers called it off… we were both bummed … we would have made a good team… maybe next year?


the winner of the race Kevin Hines is the masters national champion @ 49 year old!!... I really hope to be still be competitively fast when I am old… i brought up this topic in a previous blog entry.

I think a lot of people who get up there in age set a mental block that prevents them from continuing to try…they feel over the hill , like it is unnatural to continue and use they use this as an excuse. I suppose kids, jobs ,other life issues and time management issues play a major role but for the most part I think it is the societal expectation that influences peoples perception of what they are capable of achieving that is to blame… that’s my theory anyway …seeing as I am not actually that old yet ,I cant say for sure… I will be sure to make a blog entry about this 20 year from now when I know first hand… Hopefully with some persistence and smart training I will be riding as strong as Kevin.

kingdom trails

went up to kingdom trails in nothern VT this weekend.... huge network of over 100 miles of trail...
Andrew... friendly wave

me trying to look huge and intimidating

chris and burns looking @ map

new stone church on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere


coolest trail i have rode in a while... the trail zig sags down a descending vally... get going supper fast then rip up the other side...then repeat all the way down... in this pic we are waiting for chris who rolled his tire at the bottom of the vally were g- forces where at the max...he was ok...

May 24 coyote Hill 2009

May 24 coyote Hill

Got to the race and it was raining pretty steadily but by the time the race started it was stopped raining and the sun was out….the turn out was huge …32!!! Biggest I had ever seen @ a root 66 series race…I was in the 3rd of 4.5 rows…

The start of this race is a little messed up…you ride 100 ft then do a 180 degree turn then ride another 200 ft and go across a bridge that is only one bike wide… with such a big field it was a mess….i decided I would be captain smooth and run around everyone while they were backed up on the bridge…so as I approached the bridge I got of the bike and leapt across the tinny gap the bridge went over (that in retrospect I probably could have rode)…it worked!!!... I passed several people but as I was mounting back onto my bike I fumbled and missed my pedal about 2 times and made everyone stop behind me…. yea… I was that guy…I hate people like me…

Race went good , I felt good the entire time…. Adam Snyder won… I came in 10th?
Syder had a good result @ the Canada cup race the day before… 10th I think…that syder is so hot right now…

Speaking of being hot the guy who came in second Mike Mooradian has also really upped his game this year…

Normally I recognize all the names in the top sots… it doesn’t change much from year to year… but not this year… new names and old names stepping it up…that and the large turn outs this year has made the racing really unpredictable and interesting…

I did a long cool down and an extra lap of the course to take in the beautiful scenery… its a lot easier to enjoy the surroundings when your not trying to ride your bike as fast as you can…

I noticed that every race I do in VT is really pretty…next race I plan on doing is in Vermont too… the Putney west hill race…not till the end of next month though…hopefully I will be able to get some quality training and bike trips in before then…

bradbury state park last summer

highlights from fat tire classic last weekend

highlights from fat tire classic last weekend

fat tire classsic 2009

Winding Trails ⋅ Farmington, CT, US ⋅ Apr, 26 2009


Carpooled down with Andrew freye and his GF Hattie. 3 hour drive an (extra 45 min for Andrew). that and a 2:15 start made for a long day.

I had a decent start but fell back right away. I think if I forced myself to keep with the rest of the group I would have probably puked, I was tasting the pb and j I took a couple of bites out of before the race.

I think it was the heat more than anything causing my body distress. I had to slow down to a leisurely pace for a lap before things started feeling normal again. I paced myself through the rest of the race trying to avoid tasting my lunch again.

I was able to pass a bunch of broken riders who quit on them self’s and no longer cared about living or dying (maybe a little dramatic) but they defiantly weren’t putting up much of a fight. Everyone I went passed in my category with out exception complained about the hot weather. So I guess I wasn’t the only one to get hit by the hot weather train.

I finished 10th (I think there was 26 in my cattagory). That makes me a little better than average on the day. I had a C+ race. Did a cool down with John Burns and jumped in the lake. got home @ 9:30

Here is the start of the race. I am the one in black w/ white helmet on the right slowly falling backward showing off his chest hair growing skills.

Hppbrook dam 2009

Carpooled down to hopbrook dam race with Andrew freye

it was cold and rainy.

@ the Line up for the race I noticed there was a different category system. Instead of beginner-pro their is category 3-1.
Mmmmmmmmmm… Interesting.

I think there was about 25 starters... I think I was last or maybe second to last going into the single track at the start.

I passed about ten guys before I finished but I was still very far back from the podium contenders.

came in 15th

I slipped out around a corner and my handle bars got twisted around… this happened…


I think only 2 strands of cable are still connecting my shifter to derailleur.

Andrew frey (the guy I carpooled down with) won
Here is his interview, I am the naked guy in the background between 19-52 seconds in showing off his huge pecks.

new team kit

My new team kit came in he mail today. It looks pretty good. Pretty much the same as the past 2 years

In the cycling community it is cool to be the skinniest guy with shaved legs and matching spandex.

Everywhere else in the world its not so cool.

we get all fancied up and go out for rides or races thinking we are looking sharp in are matching team kits.

but this is how everyone else sees us as….



at the end of the day we are just a bunch of people dressed up like aerobics instructors and super heroes riding are bikes around in the woods trying to be faster than each other. i don't think we should be taking are self's too seriously.

how to reap the benefits of excuses in mountain biking?

in my last deep thoughts i examined the reasons why excuses can be beneficial in mountain biking by distancing yourself from responsibility

how to reap the benefits of excuses in mountain biking?....

Before you even start your race you need to have a planned out excuse strategy.

Start complaining about something that you can later use as an excuse for why you didn’t perform better in the race.

it’s the set up for the excuse.

The best place to announce your excuse is at the starting line of the race. Pretend like you are having a conversation with the person next to you but speak loud enough so all your competitors can hear your complaint.

If another rider passes you on the course it is always a good idea to use an excuse as he or she passes

This lets the passing rider know that they are not actually better than you.

If you have a hard time thinking up excuses mid race write them down on the back of your number plate or on your stem.

After finishing the race go in for the kill. use your excuse that you set up before the race. tell everyone!!!

Lay it on thick, be a real drama queen, pretend to be really upset about it. The more convincing your act the more sympathy they will have for you and the more likely they will believe your excuse.

Using excuses is always a good idea. even if you had a good race use the an excuse to rub it in the face and be-little all your competitors (The more be-littled they are the bigger you are in comparison).
i made this excuse wheel... this is just a prototype... thinking about selling them out of the back of my car at bike races.



warning: use of this product may result in people thinking you are annoying and loss of friends.