Long ride.

One for Skibby




I like this one


I think this is some sort of church

Spies!

I rode my bike today.

And even went a little hard.

Still...

feeling blue. Man, this sucks.

Good old days

Man we had tons of fun being the "Yelling Team." I'm now like 15-20lbs lighter... Geez Where is "Da Bomb" these days?

49...

year old dude got 2nd in a pro race the other day... look who he beat! His Palmares can be found here.

Sick

So I've had the sniffles the last 3 or 4 races. It's been on and off warm and cold here and it’s messing with my system hard core since I have to ride to races, race, then ride home. And as soon as my legs start getting to the point of doing something, it really hit me. I can’t breathe at all. So I'm taking some easy time.

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I've been here for a total of 4 months and I'll be here for another 2. I have stopped at MANY bakeries, been to many races pro and amateur, been to the beach, been to numerous outside shopping days. I have yet to see a waffle and I don’t think I’ll see one. I think it a myth.

Tom, who is sitting on the left got 5th today in an interclub race. He's fast.

This just in!

An oil spill has occurred in Wichita Falls. Yet company officials deny anything has occurred and are sticking to the party line that everything is fine. It’s also being reported that any employee who talks or shows proof of the spill will be punished and or fined. Yet residents and shareholders are showing up in numbers with oil stained shirts and black oil stained roses looking for answers. Currently they are being denied access to the building where board members have been clearly spotted looking out of the windows at the growing crowd.

A private watch group of the company has set up a website and webcam of the oil spill for all to see the damages caused by the oil spill which continues to flow. In an earlier press release the watch group stated that “the company should stop this foolishness, accept the spill and start the cleanup.”

At this time the oil company has not responded to the watch groups overwhelming amounts of proof of the spill.

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This of course is all fiction.

Beveren 2000...

ended my race early today. I ended up 34th and made the first main split on the first or second lap. My legs still feel strong. I think I just wasn't positioned well enough when we hit the uphill super cross wind section. After I popped it slowed up and became smooth... I just have to survive a few more minutes. But when "15 more seconds" turns into 30 minutes you can only do so much. I’m trying to learn how to suffer better by thinking of the race and not the pain.

Again!

I didn't make the split. And this time I think it happened in the tail wind section... "Hey dude don't move too far back eh" that's me telling Page how to race... haha he made the split. I didn’t and missed by a few spots top 30 in the sprint. I think I lasted 3 laps at this race last year.

The thing is these races are now normal. Like I don't struggle at all. I can attack, bridge, yell at people and race my bike. But I can't seem to make these damn splits!

7hrs again on the bike, it rained too... My legs have never been or felt this strong.

Not sure what those kids are doing at the show...

Easy day, hard day, easy day. hard day...

Showing you how wide the roads are. It's fun having 174 dudes on these roads.

I saved this little bird from getting ran over by a car. So now a cat can get it...

I think I found an industry I can live with.


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Why is TXBRA so entertaining?

I think I would like to do NVGP next year.

I miss you Sweets!

How...

can a race hand out a start list (so people know who is in the race) right before the start? Have one little video camera, one little number and have results posted with people getting their money 50 deep, all in 15 min after the race? And it only cost 3 euros to race... Oh yeah I'm in Belgium.

It would be money well spent for any promoter to buy an airline ticket, come over here and learn how an Interclub or Topcomp race is put on. I mean… really, it’s so backwards in the US.

Interclub Race Report.

I signed into the race with a pen that was in the shape of a syringe.

Interclub race tomorrow. Easy day today.

Ahhh they're so cute
Look at these things!
They're so big!
Alright kids get in line.

Baby Jokers!!!

When am I going to learn how to race a bike! This is starting to piss me off. My legs work but my mind has no clue what’s going on in a race. I even found myself looking at the damn old wind mill that was far off in the distance during the race. Arrggg

The race started off with me seeing the betting board where some idiot put some euros on me. I then couldn’t clip in at the start. Then the first bump section I saw a stream of water shoot the dude in front of me… my bottle ended up between my crank and down tube. I got that all figured out and it was time to race. An early break went and stayed way till 5 laps to go. My legs? It felt like I didn’t even have a chain on, I felt the best I’ve ever felt in a race in my entire life. I though all I had to do was make the next break and I could sprint it out. I never tried to make the first group… or the second… I did bridge up to the third group where we were catching the second and lead group! So we were actually going faster than them! If I would have put in that same effort to the first break 15 min earlier I would be writing a different story. Aggg I’m pissed off.

At least I got 7hrs on the bike today. Next race is an interclub race Wednesday where I hope to be able to help a guy on our team who has won a few races recently.

Oh yeah.. I ended up 22nd.

I’m still mad.

28th

First off the race started at 6:30pm and was 105km. I didn't get home till 10pm! I had to ride there, race, then ride home. I was able to attack a bunch and make bridges BUT I missed the break again... and it would have been easy to get to, I just didn’t go with that one. And if just one baby joker sits up on the small road the break instantly gets like 30 seconds. And that's what happened. So I put in my time on the front to bring it back. At first we couldn't even see the break. Then about a half an hour of pulling we pulled it really close with about 5 laps to go. So close that maybe you could have bridge across if you were really strong. Then it went back up... arggg. With about a K to go I attacked the second group. My legs said nope, lets wait for the sprint. So I sat up and jumped back in and "sprinted" or coasted to the line... I have to remember that I can go well with about five hundred meters out and just go...

I think the hardest part of the day was the ride home. I put it in the big ring and TTed it so I could beat the dark. I did. :)

Next race is Sunday I think, and then Wednesday I get to do an Interclub race. :)

So...

I was thinking about maybe doing an internship next summer. I’ve had professors come up to me and give me some contacts with interesting companies that I would like. And found some cool green energy companies in the Midwest too. Well I had to go through my emails to find my most up to date resume. And wow I turned down a lot of jobs in 2007! I don’t know what happened during those times but I was really hurting. I’m actually so glad I did turn down those jobs. Now I’m on a path that I’m blazing.

People always ask me what I want to do after college. I really don’t have an answer for them, but I do know I want to wake up every day knowing that my career helps people and is an exciting and fun field. I’ve looked back to all my jobs and I’ve never had one that I dreaded going to. I loved them all, even Papa John’s Pizza Delivery Dude. So I guess when someone asks me again I’m going to tell them… I’m going to do something I love.

The future is bright, as long as I stay rubber side up.

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X:)O:)X;)OXXX;O And yes kids... that's code, only one person can read it. So don't even try.

I raced my bike today.

And finished the whole thing! But not only that… I actually raced!

I went for an easy ride this morning and though my legs felt good. So maybe it was going to be a good day. Marc also drove to the race with my number one fan and trainer Eric. The race went as usual… with 3 laps to go a small group peeled off the front. Not sure how this happened but I blame the Cycling Center Baby Jokers… With 2 to go I saw a chance for a top ten with 5 other dudes. And I took it. At first we really worked well and were away about a lap holding a 10 second lead from the "main field". Then with a half a lap to go the broken up peloton caught us… Bummer. I tried a little to get back on but blew up. My legs were cramping with about 5 to go and I put everything I had in that second group. I was the last finisher, 51st place. haha I could have stayed in and sprinted but... top 10 sounded too cool to pass up.

Next race Friday.

Just for Jason: take two.

Dear Jason,

My riding and racing here has been going okay. But it seems like my heart is not in it yet. While I know I’m stronger then this I didn’t do ANY intervals this season… Just in races. So my top end fitness is not there yet. As you know not having form here SUCKS sheep balls. I’m trying to keep my mind off it by going on nice rides and taking pictures for Rachel. It’s helping and I can feel my moral going back up. It’s also raining here every day it seems. And me and rain don’t get along. It’s because I can’t see the sun and I need that to feel better.

I’ve met many Americans here this time around. Some are even on Belgium teams. Some kid came up to me and was like “MSU what are you doing here” and then he’s like “wait… what school are you from?” That was a funny conversation. You just expect everyone to speak Flemish then you hear English and it’s like “Yo dude, whatz up?”

I’m really stoked to hear about Pat winning that stage at Mt. Hood (are you guys going to NVGP?) and Lawson busting it up across the world. He’s such a good kid and is going places (I think UT next year and maybe a feeder Pro Tour team.) I remember 2 years ago beating him in Cat. 3 races… haha those were the days I could beat up on a 15 year old man child! haha

Okay, I have to go on an easy ride now and race later today.

Best Regards,

Mike

Just for Jason.

My riding sucks… hopefully I’ll come around soon. I race again tomorrow.

I’ve only had 2 beers so far here. But a little more wine… it’s on the table!

The ex-pro here in town has one of those motorbikes for a newspaper article. I haven’t seen it yet but it sounds fun and I’m going to give her a ride.

On to other notes… did you hear who’s coming to MSU next year? Also how hard is it for MSU/HHH to support one awesome woman rider who stomps real pro women (see Tulsa Tough?) Just take a guess. Can MSU treat their Champions better, past and present? How many returning riders will there be next year and if they are returning why? What benefit is it to race for MSU cycling? I know about the tuition discounts, and a “scholarship” but is it worth it?

I guess it can be all summed up here. Click on the Survey 2010 Results. And I didn’t even take it! I wonder who from MSU took it…

For my hypercritical readers, it's not libel if it’s true.

…I would rather post pictures and write love letters. But someone has to ask questions I guess. Or we could end up with an underwater oil cloud that board members/CEOs deny exist.

... easy day.

They have these before almost every town. They're really pretty but are not cool when you're going down the road at 35mph with 150 other dudes. They get to be a bit hairy to get around, or through, or over, or hit.

:)

Race Report:

I got free beer and a nice tan.

Easy day

These two are for you Rachel. I went into this place in my bike stuff and I didn't even see a sales person... I though I was going to be asked to leave! haha These are super cool cars. I put one on order for you. :)

Legs?

"WAKKEN" a 3 part play

The Stage: 15 rounds on a 7.2 km 14 (90 degree) turn course. So that means you have to go full blast starting at an almost stand still in a big gear and go all out for about 20-30 seconds. Then do that 14 times per lap.

Act 1: Me doing well staying towards the front and trying to bridge and making a few moves. It’s a lot smoother in the breaks but the go fricken hard. I stayed towards the front for most of the race but a couple breaks went. Sorry dude but I can only pull through a few times in the 53x11.

Act 2: We were going super hard and the field was single file for the most part and I started to drift back towards the end of the whip. Then I was back there… Hello green flag truck.

Act 3: We still couldn’t see the breaks and the whip was killing me. I couldn’t move up because of the speed we were at. 5 laps to go I hit a wall and couldn't keep up. I just stopped pedaling and stop. The next lap my group caught the 2nd and lead break. They were flying! If I could have stayed on a couple more laps I would have been in the whole race. I think the “Mayor” won the sprint competition… Not bad for a 38 year old ex-doper.

I still loose the wheel in front of me after each turn...

FYI Our rides in Wichita Falls feel about the same. We just need a few more faster guys/girls and it would be the same.

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My legs feel good though and starting to come around so I’m going to race again today. My back on the other hand… needs a back massage from my Sweets in Paradise.