Just passing through

Thanks for hanging in there between blogs as it's been a bumpy mid-summer road! I haven't raced at all since Bump and Grind. In fact 8 days after I got back, I got 'let go' from my job. My boss has a 'wise' way of looking at the world and was able to point me in the right direct, before the knew he had really pointed me in that direction.

Conclusion: Cliche remarks exist because there is a certain amount of truth to them.

There have been a few of those types of remarks that have profoundly moved my path through life. One of the first that I can remember was from my friend Kevin Vincent just as I was headed off to MidWestern State University to "get the hell out of Houston." While explaining why I needed to get out, he said one line to me that rang in my head for the following 12 months. "The grass is always greener on the other side." Of course I think these statements only affect you to the extent you perceive them and reflectively review them. I was done with being out of Houston after 10 short months.

The most recent one, sprouting from this abrupt change in momentum in my life, was from my Boss and long time friend Kelly Strader. While I am not a terribly superstitious person Kelly reflected on the actions that took place and could only say one thing. 'Everything happens for a reason.' This resounding line echoed through my head the following two weeks. As my path shifted, I was forced to take on different angles of viewing my situation and where I stood. I think too many people float through life just coasting, changing direction when the tide shifts and standing still when the light disappears. I've always enjoyed going against the current and navigating darkness in order to achieve content with my trajectory. Perseverance seems to be something I don't shy away from. When the going gets tough, someone better be willing to strike me down dead because I'm not going to stop. Of course, those comments are somewhat detached from the decisions I have made in the past few fluttering moments in my life.

Under the above philosophy I took a long hard position at where I sat, what drives me, what outweighs everything else, what my time is worth, what value my next path really presents. As I began to ask questions, I began to connect my answers in a web of confined orientation. My bow began to find North and head towards it. With one more push from those that surround and support me, not a storm in the world could detour my scheme for the time being.

The most amazing thing about life, about people, about nature is how dynamic and fragile it is. With slight modifications in trends, long term targets can land far from each other and be far from comprehensible in their differences.

Thanks for joining me on this ride, I hope to take you through every up and down with more gratitude than before.

~Mitch

Memorial Day Weekend & Bump!!!!!

... two weeks behind.

I really like this weekend of racing and I have it targeted at the beginning of the year as my A (jr) racing. It is a stepping stone to what I want to accomplish this summer, but still important to me that I ride well. After about 10 days of taper workouts, i headed to Dallas/Fort Worth for some fun in the sun.

Saturday was a new course with primo pavement. It was like riding on sandpaper and there was no way for a tire to lose grip. With a long slight uphill finish, it was technically a good course for me pbut it just didn't workout. I got in three good moves but got caught up in the typical State Crit weekend mentality. No one like to RACE until Monday so I usually get caught up in moves that don't really materialize because of apathy.

Sunday is usually a smaller turn out. Everyone 'saves it' even more for Monday so the race usually pans out with a big group of riders off the front that feel like racing and then the pack just cruises around. I got in "the move" with 30 minutes to go. We actually got brought back once and then immediately three of us from the original move jumped again and off we went. It was nice to ride with a real Professional cyclist in the group because they will bust their ass to make the move stick. It helps when they think/know they can win of course. I got third out of a group of three since I did a lead out like Kremke was on my wheel. I'll be damned if the slackers behind us were going to catch up.

Monday... ahhh yes, the day everyone is saving it up for. I have historically made a lot of mistakes in this race in the past. Usually I go to early with a group that gets off from a prime. This year I told myself I was going to race to win and I played it as smart as I could. There were however more crashes then ever this year that found me being gaped off on a regular basis even being inside the top 20. After a pretty big crash, I got the short end of the stick and probably slipped back 50 riders before I got in the right gear and was able to get back on top of it. The race went on. I slowly surfed wheels up to the front and waited for the race to blow up like it has in the past. At one point I made it off the front with a group that I thought for sure was the one that would stick for the day. All the horse power was there, all the teams represented yet someone in the pack decided they didn't like their chances and weren't going to have any of it. The race came back together and after a couple more crashes a sprint finish ensued. I sprinted my ass off and probably lost even more places (typical). Weekend not as good as planned but managed a respectable race weekend.

The next weekend was Bump and Grind. I attended this last year with a pal from houston, Kevin Koen. Both years it's been super nice seeing our old friend Will Black and this year we were treated to the whole Black family. I was nice to see everyone after nearly a year. The course is really fun with flowy, sweet single track and a little elevation change. This year things changed a bit for my race since I now have my PRO card (still trying to figure out why) and the race offered UCI points. This meant UCI rules such as all PRO's on the course by themselves and course lengths of only 10K were to be had. Thus our race was pretty single speed unfriendly. Never the less, I took the only knife I have in the arsenal and raced the big boys. Will Black joined me in the idiocy we call Single Speed racing. The long, downhill road sections and technical, uphill single track sections provided the exact opposite terrain that you don't need without any shifters. We got staged 4th row out of 7 and the gun went off. I probably hit the woods about 40th I would imagine and had a bunch of space to make up. Once again, I found myself in a spot where the guys around me astound me with their inability to handle their bikes. It seems to be a common trend. The single track was pretty tight and hard to pass so I just wait until we would hit a road section to pick off guys. The first few laps I passed around 5 guys per lap going up the paved climb and would settle in behind someone else who couldn't go fast enough downhill. It was okay though, I rode to a 26th place in the PRO race on my 1speed. Afterward, I laid down in the street aching with pain.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/mtbphotos.php?id=/photos/2009/may09/usproxct_3_09/usproxct_3_091/bumpmen120

I guess that pretty much leads me up to this week/weekend. I found out on Tuesday that the U23 race at road nationals is 120 miles and just about crapped my pants. So this weekend marked the start of my training block. I did my first 100 mile ride since January and just about killed over in the middle of the road. Figures. I know it will come back quick, I just hope I don't get owned at nationals.

Until next time!

What to think?

I haven't updated in two or so weeks. Work has been pretty busy allowing what minimal free time I have had to be filled with either Finals or trying to ride my bike. Let's see where to start catching up.

Last weekend we had some local races in Houston. Those are always nice because I can sleep in my own bed, I know where all the venues are and overall stress levels are relatively low. Saturday, was a parking lot crit with 10 corners in .9 miles. It made for a super fun, mountain bike feeling course where lines really mattered. Me and my teammate Kevin Kremke got in the break of the day about 30 minutes into a 90 minute race. With about 30 minutes to go I got lucky and attack. When I assessed that no one was chasing me I was quick to dig that extra 1% and stuck it. I eventually was able to bridge up to the 'field' or what was left of it on a torturous day. Kevin rode for me in tactical glory and made it all possible. He was able to clean up second and gave us a good start to the weekend. Sunday was the Houston Grand Crit presented by my sponsor Bike Barn. It is part of the Premier Texas Cup and is a top notch event every year. The course is a drag race down allen parkway with a 180 turn and a drag race back into downtown. I haven't spent that much time in my 53x11 in a long time, but it was fun. Kevin got into the break of the day early and made it stick. We got really close to getting them a few times but no one in the group could close the deal. With about 20 minutes left in the race I made an attempt to bridge but only made it about half way before I realized it was too dangerous with a chasing pack. I quickly shut it down and hoped that the pack would lose its enthusiasm. They let up just enough to let the break stick and Kevin was able to pull a 4th place out of the deal. It was overall a stellar weekend and a good way to lead into this week... The Texas State Criterium Championships.

I will write about this later when my eyes and skin and legs and, well, my whole damn body doesn't hurt.

~Mitch

"... I have discovered that whenever I try to do anything, there are inevitably forces working against me. It seems there is a law of the universe that nobody finds happiness without the sign of a struggle or a helping of grief. Without such rules to govern our existence, we would all be inexplicably happy, and rather boring individuals with no inclination to accomplish anything."
~Bike Monkey Magazine

It's taken me a long time to put my finger on it. I have spent countless hours trying to explain what I do to family members, friends not included and just plain strangers asking 'what are you doing?' It has been somewhat difficult. It is had to identify the rush, the feeling, until you do it. Tow up to the line against the fastest, nerves causing your body to shudder, feeling the depths of your lungs burn, legs firing with acid all while your body revolts in agony as you push the limits of physical and mental sanity. There has been multiple times where I considered that if blood were to gush from my eyes, it wouldn't be entirely unexpected. It took me a long time to put my finger on it. Bike Racing is weird...

I have determined that a large driver for me is the masochism that surrounds it. At the end of the day, I reflect on how much it hurt, how much I wanted it to stop and how much I wanted it to keep going to really test those limits. You definitely can't quantify the feeling, which is somewhat unlike my personality where I have built a system of calculable risks. The only way to qualify it is to experience the depth of wretchedness that scours ever inch of your anatomy.

Nothing else has been able to take me to that place afterward. Complete satisfaction, even with terrible results. You can't help but be disappointed in a poor showing, but realistically for me it is the knowledge of my limits and know that I couldn't test them that day. I couldn't see when my body would give up, when my mitochondria would stop oxidizing.

There is no point to this. No grabbing conclusion. No self-realization. Just enjoyment. Descriptions notating utter euphoria.

The Pain. The Suffering. The Focus. The Love.


Photo Courtesy of www.karmabiker.com

more of nothing!

okay okay, I've been boring lately. I haven't raced since Fayetteville still, so I have just been plugging in the pain meter by myself. I'd like to think that it has been productive and that I will be ready to go for the month of May. I have a ton of racing:

May 2&3th: Coldsrpings RR/ Double Lake MTB race
May 16&17: West Bellfort Crit/ HOUSTON GRAND CRIT
May 23/24/25: Texas State Crit Championships
May 30/31: Bump and Grind

I am definitely ready for it though. I just like racing my bike no matter what it is. Hell I like riding it!?!?!? go figure.

I rode with my Bike Barn team this weekend and got a confirmation that everyone is on track and working hard so the month should be positive as long as we have good luck.

Get out there and Ride,
Mitch

Quiet Times

I managed to take a quick little break from racing in the last few weeks. I did TRY to do a low key bike race in the time off but to no avail. I had some poor judgment on equipment and in the end my race only lasted 10 seconds or so!

Just been logging in some good training rides although I miss a day or two due to my attempt to bike race and some of the rainy days have caused me to ride the trainer for brief periods. I really don't mind riding in the rain but since I have to usually go ride in the morning the chances of getting creamed by a car at around 7:30 or 8:00 is pretty high considering that there are 3 large highschools within about 1 mile from my house. It's all been good though.

I am in the middle of a nice chilled back week, just trying to get the legs to not feel like cement and catching up on some good quality sleep. This hasn't been the case for what seems like the last 2 or three recovery weeks, since I usually become distracted with things during the down time. Its Easter week though and I have a 3 day weekend that I don't get to utilize to the fullest. I guess it could be worse.

What Else?!?! I built my SS Superfly, Courtesy of Bike Barn and Gary Fisher. It's pretty trick and only weighs 17.4 lbs.



I have penciled in some bigger events into my year that ultimately include U23 Road Nationals in Bend, Oregon. It's my last year to race any type of U23 race, so I guess I'm getting long in the tooth. It's hard to believe it has been a 5 year journey so far to here. Things have changed a bunch.

How about a shout out to MATT DAVIS. Podium results for someone who deserves them.

Catch ya on the flip side,
~Mitch

Fayetteville Stage Race

Another Texas race scratched in the book as being done. This was a new event for me, but I welcomed it as a change of pace. The weather proved to be very spring like and because of the copious amounts of rain we had 7 days prior, the Texas Bluebonnets covered green pastures with a blanket of blue. It was stunning.

Saturday was a pretty uneventful road race in the AM. Two groups of ~5 got off the front and as one got brought back the pack quickly lost it's focus and let the other one slip to the finish line. I got near the front about midway through and mixed it up a little. Mainly just followed dangerous moves and maybe thought that we would get away. It all failed and eventually all I could do was line up a sprint for my teammate, Kevin Kremke. He demonstrated fine form, starting his sprint from WAY beyond 200 meters but made it look good all the way to the line. He just got nipped at the line by Josh Carter.

Saturday evening there was a 6.6 miles TT that was fairly nonchalant. All the P/1/2's started pretty late allowing for little sunlight to be present when we were rolling out. As I rolled to the line, local Texas TT specialist Dave Wenger gave me a little brief of TT times already put out and let me know I could do well because I "am riding well right now." As I set out I was sandwiched between two guys that raced for Toyota United last year. I laid it out as hard as I could for the 14 minutes and at the end of the day came in with the 8th best time overall.

Sunday was an early day. We rolled out for our 95 mile road race at 7:30am. It was fast from the gun as small groups quickly tried to establish gaps and keep the pace high. It was good positive racing that allowed for dangerous moves to slip of the front. Going up the "hot spot" climb on the second lap Pat McCartey (team OUCH!) initiated an aggressive move up the climb that led to many successive small attacks. I managed to put myself in all of them and eventually a group of 8 of us snapped the elastic holding the field right on our tail. It was a scary group and the horsepower present was beyond comprehension. Everyone was motivated to work and after I did a bunch of work to make sure the move worked, we all settled into a good grove allowing us to maximize our gap to up to 5 minutes at one point. With about 7 miles to go, Heath Blackgrove and Stefan Rothe made a point to destroy our break and run off into the sunset with the top spots. Heath did in fact take home the top honors while Stefan was eventually caught by a chase group. As the pace towards the end increased, I quickly fell to pieces and ended up strolling in by myself when it was all said and done... last in the group.

With all the hard work our team put in this weekend I was able to take home a top 10 spot in the overall General Classification.

I am not quite sure what my next race will be. I think it may be until comfort before I pin on a race number again. We will see!