2008 Blogs
Back to Boulder now for a couple days, before driving to Dolores, CO to put on a CX clinic. Check it out! My trip to the east coast was amazing, although now I'm wicked spoiled with no one to serve me up gourmet meals and wait on me while "my legs are up". I know I complained about the rainy weather, but really, it was nice. It was the kind of weather to get you stoked for cross. I did some amazing rides on dirt roads I never knew existed. When you go on a ride in CO, there are usually a hand full of roads that are good for riding. But in VT the roads are endless, so long as you don't mind the jarring of dirt. I witnessed peak foliage on the last couple days before all the leaves are swept away by the autumn winds. Dad's garden was still kicking so the salads were a little piece of heaven. Yes, it was cold the first week and my dad likes to play a (sick) little game to see how long he can go into winter without turning the heat on. So I found myself foraging through the house for all the available quilts, ultimately being bound down by 10 or so.
The racing started off with a bang at Catamount, just 10 miles down the road. It was the first stop of the Verge New England CX series, to be followed two weeks later by New England Worlds, or Gloucester. In between were some non-UCI races in NY. My grandma had come up from NC, and I really didn't feel like driving, so I opted for a hill climb up Appalachian Gap, the route of the GMSR Prologue. Nana was able to watch me race for the first time, but I don't think it gave her any more of an explanation at to why I race bikes.
We did some apple picking, good eating, snoozing by the fireplace, wood chopping, then my dad and I were off to the mother race in Glastah. Arriving on Friday to check out the course, I found it to my liking. It was beautiful, right beside the ocean under crystal blue skies - an aberration for Gloucester, as you never know what you'll get for weather, or when. We stayed with a host family who helps organize the race. Their house was a bit like a museum, as there were jukeboxes, a movie theatre style popcorn machine, a model of Albert Einstein, arcade games...I could go on. They welcomed us with open arms and had a buffet of food for us throughout the weekend. The races went well and ended with good beer - yes, beer that I actually liked! Dave, my mechanic from Webcor, came to race and to help me out in the pit. Tim was still "on work" and came to race, taking 4th on Saturday and a near-W on Sunday, missing the top step by a centimeter. He was also a force in the pits, as we had a Velo Bella team of 3. Anna and Kathy were both tearing it up.
Then after my nerves, adrenaline, caffeine, and excitement had been put to rest, my dad and I cruised to Manchester, NH to have dinner with Tasha and Laurel, my partners in crime at Burke Mountain Academy. Shaner, Tash, and Woody came to watch the race and partake in the beer drinking. I went for an awesome ride on some random dirt roads on Monday for a few hours, then the trek back to Boulder began on Tuesday, after a visit to the dentist. Pictures soon...
The racing started off with a bang at Catamount, just 10 miles down the road. It was the first stop of the Verge New England CX series, to be followed two weeks later by New England Worlds, or Gloucester. In between were some non-UCI races in NY. My grandma had come up from NC, and I really didn't feel like driving, so I opted for a hill climb up Appalachian Gap, the route of the GMSR Prologue. Nana was able to watch me race for the first time, but I don't think it gave her any more of an explanation at to why I race bikes.
We did some apple picking, good eating, snoozing by the fireplace, wood chopping, then my dad and I were off to the mother race in Glastah. Arriving on Friday to check out the course, I found it to my liking. It was beautiful, right beside the ocean under crystal blue skies - an aberration for Gloucester, as you never know what you'll get for weather, or when. We stayed with a host family who helps organize the race. Their house was a bit like a museum, as there were jukeboxes, a movie theatre style popcorn machine, a model of Albert Einstein, arcade games...I could go on. They welcomed us with open arms and had a buffet of food for us throughout the weekend. The races went well and ended with good beer - yes, beer that I actually liked! Dave, my mechanic from Webcor, came to race and to help me out in the pit. Tim was still "on work" and came to race, taking 4th on Saturday and a near-W on Sunday, missing the top step by a centimeter. He was also a force in the pits, as we had a Velo Bella team of 3. Anna and Kathy were both tearing it up.
Then after my nerves, adrenaline, caffeine, and excitement had been put to rest, my dad and I cruised to Manchester, NH to have dinner with Tasha and Laurel, my partners in crime at Burke Mountain Academy. Shaner, Tash, and Woody came to watch the race and partake in the beer drinking. I went for an awesome ride on some random dirt roads on Monday for a few hours, then the trek back to Boulder began on Tuesday, after a visit to the dentist. Pictures soon...